"Hee-ho! I'm Jack Frost! It's hee-hot in hee-here, ho! I'll cool it down with a blizzard!" it started saying in a cheery tone.
"Come forth!" I commanded, "Jack Frost!"
Wisps from the tree started to fall and spin around, forming a small blue tornade. The tornade lights up in blue flames and takes the form of a small big headed creature with snow white skin wearing a blue jester outfit. On the hat there is a small yellow smily face and his neck ruffle had golden bells around it.
"Hee-ho! I'm Jack Frost! It's hee-hot in hee-here, ho! I'll cool it down with a blizzard!" it started saying in a cheery tone.
"Wait, before you do that." I started. "Let's have a chat."
"Hee-no talking! More playing, ho!" he exclaimed.
"Okay, let's play!" I said with a happy tone, "What do you wanna play?"
"Hee-Snowball fight, ho!"
"Great idea! Let's play!"
If you're wondering what I'm doing let me explain.
When you're summoning or making a contract with a Persona or a demon in the games, you can't just force them to follow your bidding. You have to either convince them or make them like you.
Even if they are Shadows, they are still alive and have their own desires and personalities. Jack Frost felt like a good choice to start with, since he is one of the low level shadows you encounter in most games. Plus he has a lot of potential, is easily one of the best ice personas in the games and he's Atlus's mascot so why wouldn't I want him on the team.
"Hee-hey! You're really fun to play with, I think I like yo-ho!" he suddenly said, "Me-hee think I'll stick with you! I am thou, thou art I! I'm Jack Frost, ho! Take good care of me-hee, ho!"
The book started glowing and shaking like before, it opened up and revealed the Magician arcana that was placed right next to the Lovers arcana. The book closed up, yet Jack Frost was still standing there, happily jumping around.
Messiah and Dahlia walked up to him and introduced themselves to our newest family member while I turned, sat down in my chair and started reading through the book once more.
I discovered some intresting things as I looked through it. It seems like the Le Grimoire includes certain elements from both Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. When I looked through Jack Frost's profile, it shows several different options for evolutions, mutations and fusions that he could be involve in.
"Ohhh, I'm gonna have fun with this." I said out loud showing clear excitment.
"Uhm, Master?" I heard Dahlia speak.
"Yeah?" I answer as I look up from the book.
"I think she's waking up." she said as she points towards the bed.
I stand up from my seat and make my way towards the bed. I'm not sure how long Daybreaker has been sleeping or how long I myself have been in this world. It's kinda hard to tell the time in a realm where there is a constant solar eclipse. I did take my time however looking through the book if there was anything that I've missed, for all I know I might have already been here for a day or two. I don't feel hungry or sleepy, is it because of this dimension or is it that my body doesn't need to sleep and eat like a regular person anymore? Questions for later.
I sit down at the side of the bed and turn my gaze to Daybreaker who's waking up. She sits up, rubs the crust out of her eyes and yawns.
"Good morning sleeping beauty."
She flinches and opens her eyes, staring at me with the burning inferno that is contained behind her black and golden eyes. Her brain seems to be working overtime as she has not done anything but simply stare at me akwardly, I can just imagine the Windows 10 loading screen in her head.
The bedspread that was covering her falls down from her massive chest and she seems to register how cold it is. She looks down and her face turns crimson red and her mane flares.
"Who are you?!" she shouts as she covers herself up with her arms that are barely helping, "And what are you doing in my bed!?"
I stand up, turn around, places my right hand over my chest as my left arm is behind my back and introduce myself.
"Greetings and welcome to the Velvet Room," I say as I bow my head, "My name is Minato, the Master of this dimension."
She seems caught off guard by my introduction and raises an eyebrow when I said dimension. She looks around taking in her surroundings, looking up her eyes widens when she sees that we're currently in a giant bird cage that is under a constant solar eclipse surrounded by stars and constellations that are unrecognisable to her.
She looks back and flinches ones more when she realises that we're not alone. The others had approached when they heard the shouting and where now surrounding me. Messiah stood right behind me to my right while Dahlia was sitting on my left shoulder waving at Daybreaker. She looks down and sees Jack Frost clinging to my leg like a small child, her stare seems to soften but her eyes widen when her gaze returns to me, staring with a mixture of awe and fear.
From Daybreaker's perspective she could see a sinister dark blue aura radiating from both me and Messiah showing not only our power but also that we are connected, her eyes shift to the left and then right as her fear starts to build up. The same blue aura was all around her, the Tree, the bed, the platform, the flowers, the cage and even the solar eclipse seems like its all connected to the stallion, no, entity that was standing right before her. She had never felt such overwhelming power before, this was far beyond Sombra and maybe even Discord in terms of raw magical power.
"W-What are you?" she asked.
"Like I said, I'm Minato, the Master of the Velvet Room." I answer holding a neutral tone.
"What is the Velvet Room?"
"This is the Velvet Room," I exclaimed spreading out my arms for dramatic effect, "a dimension that exist between dream and reality, mind and matter. A world that changes to the masters will and to those that can access it."
She seems to calm herself down slightly, taking in my words and thinking while looking to her left.
"You know it's kinda rude to ask someone their name and not give your own." I say with a sly tone
She blushes at her mess up, recomposes herself with a cough into her fist and introducess herself.
"I'm Daybreaker, Goddess of the Sun and monarch of Equestria." she exclaims with pride.
"Oh, so you're single!" I say catching her off guard and her bravado dropping.
"Never expected her to be this bashful." I think to myself.
She recomposes herself, though her blush remains.
"May I ask who or what those are?" she points towards the others.
"These are my Personas, former Shadows or suppress thoughts and desires given physical form." I explain like professional. "I thought that you would know that since you're the same and were being swarmed by others like them in your fight with your counterpart."
She looks at me shocked and confused, stands up while holding the bedsheets to cover herself and looks at me furious.
"What do mean I'm the same as them and those demons that were attacking my subjects!?" she shouts as her mane flares, "I'm a Goddess for Faust's sake, and those things were nothing more than shapeless abominations created from dark magic!"
"Calm down, there is no reason to raise your beautiful voice," I calmly explain, "the demons as you where calling them are actuelly Shadows. Suppressed emotions, thoughts and desires given a physical form based on the parts that their owner rejects about themselves."
I stare her in the eyes with an emotionless expression, not even bothered by the heat radiating from her body.
"You are Princess Celestia's Shadow, you are what she sees as wrong about herself. You were given a physical form, that is based on her rejected desires and thoughts, where you not?"
She seems conflicted but doesn't flat out reject my words. Her hair stops flaring as she takes a deep breath to calm herself down, she puts on a unsure and sad expression.
"So what," she starts with a low tone, "Am I not real? Am I just a shadow of a Princess that will never see the light of day."
"I never said that. You are just as real as these guys and more. The fact that you're here not only proves your power but also that you have incredible potential."
"How exactly did I arrive here?" She asked still with a low tone.
"During your battle with Celestia when you attempted a final attack towards her, Celestia used some sort of spell which released a blinding light and launched you through that screen over there, crash into me and wreck my new couch." I explain as I point towards the destruction.
As I explain the situation to Daybreaker, something clicks within my head and my left eye begins to glow in a golden colour. As it glows I start to see several blue smoke like auras surrounding me that connected me to my Personas. I look back towards Daybreaker, who takes a defensive stance when she sees my eye. I notice something odd about her aura, her aura is a gold colour and is more like fire rather than smoke, there is also a mix of black within the fire that is similar to a Shadows aura. Just then, information that I'm not sure why I knew entered my mind and a spoke out loud.
"It seems like whatever Celestia did to you completely separated you from her and you became your own being. You're still technically a Shadow but you seem to be... more solid, trained and controlled than the others." I explain.
I take in my own words together with Daybreaker and start to theories what this means.
Is Daybreaker more similar to entities like Teddie and Morgana from P4 and P5 than other Shadows, that could explain why she still looks similar to Celestia instead of taking a more monstrous and grotesque appearance.
But what does that make Nightmare Moon in that case? Does it also mean that Celestia has lost her ability to become a Persona user? Can Equestrians even become Persona users?
Questions for another day.
"Come let's get you some clothes." I turn and begin to walk as a large white and gold wardrobe starts to form from the tree.
"Or would you like to remain naked?" I said with a teasing tone.
I'm met with an angry and flustered glare from Daybreaker as I look back, the bedsheets she was using as cover caught fire and she begins fumble in an attempt to cover herself, her face blushing bright red from embarassment.
"I think I'm gonna enjoy her company." I think to myself.
I'm not sure how much time has past since Daybreaker arrived here. Seriously, it's impossible to tell the time in this place.
Me and Daybreaker are currently sitting around the table under tree crown and drinking tea, I'm not sure were the tea came from, it just seemed like it was already there. Most like it has something to do with me being the Master of this place. Daybreaker is wearing a white and gold dress, or is it black and blue? Her shoulders are completely revealed and the dress goes down to her knees.
Messiah and Jack Frost are sitting on the ground next to the table playing chess while Dahlia is watching and eating some chocolate chip cookies.
Daybreaker has finally calmed down after what I can only guess was hours of distrust and mental debate. After I explained to her that we can't leave this place because the other side of the door has not yet manifested in Equestria, she seems to calm herself down and accept the situation as her punishment for losing control like her sister.
I asked Daybreaker about the situation outside in Equestria and it's a lot more different than I thought. Apparently around 300 or so years after Nightmare Moon aka Princess Luna's banishment, the Gates to Tartarus where destroyed by some unknown force and the Shadows started appearing in numerous places around Equestria, mostly in places like the Badlands, Everfree Forest, Hollow Shades, Peaks of Peril and just outside Tartarus. There were still however several times with Shadows attacking civilians around villages. It started off small with Shadows not being that powerful and considered nothing more than pests, but as of late the attacks have become more frequent and the Shadows have not only grown in numbers but also in strength and size.
A large army of Shadows were apparently marching towards the still in development Canterlot. Luckely Celestia had contacted the dragons, griffins and yaks who where also having trouble with the Shadows, things where looking good as the army was being pushed back. But Celestia lost control when one weird looking Shadow showed up and released Daybreaker. What followed was Celestia attacking Daybreaker thinking that she was with the Shadows and everything spiraled out of control. What we saw on the screen was the end of a long and chaotic battle.
"What do mean with the Shadow being weird looking?" I asked with raised eyebrow.
Daybreaker takes a sip from her tea and sighs in bliss before she answers me.
"I'm not sure how I should explain it," she sounded unsure, "It wasn't so much its appearance but more the atmosphere it was giving its surroundings. While most Shadows where releasing a Blood Red aura with black lines and giving off a feeling of fear, anger, sorrow and dread. The weird one gave off a more purple and violet coloured aura that was almost calming, but not a feeling of safety as it was more a feeling of acceptance."
"Well that's not creepy at all." I started jokingly. "So far the Shadows I've seen where similar to ones where I'm from. But that doesn't sound familiar at all. It's not uncommon for Shadows to release other Shadows from there prison inside the psyche, but the way you described its aura is something to be worried about."
"Speaking of surroundings," she looks to her left towards Messiah, Jack Frost and Dahlia, "you have yet to explain to me what those are, you told me that they are called Personas but didn't really give me a full explanation."
"Personas are technically speaking, Shadows that have been accepted. By accepting ones shadow, one can experience an awakening to their hidden power. Personas are referred to as a "mask" for an individual to use in order to face hardship. While Shadows are malevolent manifestations of one's inner thoughts, a Persona is a manifestation of the same feelings but tamed and trained."
She stares at me in amazment over the power and knowledge I explained to her, completely invested like a child.
"A persona is summoned through an individuals Arcana, a card that represents them as a person. While most people are only capable of holding one Persona that grows alongside them, I possess a special card known as the Wild Card, it allows me to form contracts with Shadows and turn them into Personas that I can use."
"So does that mean anyone can have a Persona?" Daybreaker asked with small sign excitement.
"Not everyone, but most of the time it has to do with their mental and emotional strength. Celestia most likely has lost her ability to access her Persona since she completely broke the bond you shared. You however should be able to access a Persona."
"What? But I'm a Shadow aren't I?"
"And more." I point out. "While my knowledge about this subject is a bit limited, there have been situations similar to yours were a shadow has become its own being. Those Shadows would eventually also suppress their thoughts and desires but be much more accepting towards releasing them and have an easier time unlocking their Personas."
She looks down and seems to be deep in thought, nothing is said for what feels like forever. I take a couple of sips from my tea while Jack Frost is happily cheering over his victory in chess against Messiah.
How did that snowman beat an entity that's suppose to bring Judgement in chess?
"How do I do it?"
I was brought out of my thoughts by a sudden question from our beloved Sun Goddess.
"Hm?" was my answer.
"How do I awaken my Persona?" she asked showing clear intressed. "If I posses power that I have yet unlocked, I want it. How do I do it?"
"That is a difficult question to answer." I start unsure, "Usually it's different for everyone, I mean what I rejected about myself was my own Death and before I knew I had a new life and a Persona. But most of the time it has to do with accepting that you have flaws and rejecting what the world sees as wrong."
She seems deep in thought again unsure on what to think about what I had just told her. Being the fact that Daybreaker is Celestia wrath, pride and arrogance incarnate makes it difficult for her to accept the fact that she is flawed, since most ponies throughout her life have treated her and her sister like they're Goddesses, it makes it kinda hard to admit that you're not one.
"Maybe proof is what you need in order to awaken."
Daybreakers thoughts are broken by Minato, who is now standing up and calls over Messiah.
"Proof?" she raised an eyebrow, "Proof of what?"
"How flawed and outclassed you are," Minato and Messiahs bodies flare with blue energy, "Megidolaon"
A blue orb forms in Messiah's right hand and launches the attack towards Daybreaker at point blank.
Daybreaker reacts fast and puts up a barrier but fails to make it strong enough as it shatters from the Almighty attack. Daybreaker and Minato are sent flying threw the air as the platform expands and the Tree grows taller so the crown doesn't get damaged from the battle.
While Daybreaker keeps rolling on the ground failing to stop herself, Minato swiftly rolls and then slows down with a stomp to grown.
"Hehe, I really have stopped being human." he thinks to himself before summoning the knuckle dusters Gorodias and dashes forward towards Daybreaker.
Minatos speed, strength and durability has greatly improved because of his connection with Messiah, not only are his stats incredibly high but the amount of resistances he possesses makes him near indestructible. Having resistance to Fire, Ice, Electricity, Wind, Psy and Nuclear, but he also reflects the Bless element. His only flaw is that he has no resistance to Physical and Gun attacks and he's also weak to the Curse element.
As Minato dashes towards Daybreaker, Messiah charges up another Megidolaon and Daybreaker finally stops herself and gets back on her feet. She realises her situation and launches a large fireball that collides with the Megidolaon. Before it exploded however, Minato went low, ran under the fire ball and delivered a powerful blow to Daybreakers abdomen. The punch was made more powerful thanks to the boost from the explosion that went off behind Minato.
Both Minato and Daybreaker fly threw the air with Messiah not far behind. Daybreaker pushes Minato back, does a front flipp and delivers a powerful axekick towards Minato. Even with his high endurance,strength and the fact he was crossing his arms to block the hit, his lack of resistance to physical attacks made him feel the pain of both his arms breaking. He was launched towards the ground and impacted, creating a large crater.
Daybreaker smiles at her small victory and fails to notice the glowing blue orb to her left. As she looks towards Messiah, she notices that both his arms are swollen. The impact that was delivered onto Minato had broken his arms, but his mental strength and pain tolerance allowed Messiah to keep charging his attack. With a flick of his wrist the orb was launched and impacted against Daybreaker before blowing up and giving the sky a blue sun.
Daybreaker crashes down creating a large crater bigger than Minato's. She crawls out from the crater and stands up, her clothes shredded and herself completely worn out. She looks towards Minato and sees that he isn't doing much better, her attack had broken both of his arms, he barely managed to crawl out of his crater, blood dripping down from his forehead and one of his ankles seems twisted.
Daybreaker sees this as her victory, despite the fact that he caught her by suprise, she was still physically stronger than him and had manage to do more damage with a single attack than he had managed to do with multiple.
Messiah lands next to Minato and uses "Oratorio". Minato's body snaps and cracks as the bones and muscles are being put back in place. From an outside perspective the display looks incredibly painful but Minato felt nothing as the bones in his arms are being restored.
Seeing this, Daybreaker is realising the huge problem she is facing. The fact that she is physically stronger doesn't matter if he has such powerful healing magic at his disposal, he'll eventually overwhelm her and take her out with one of those attacks. If she wants to defeat him she'll need to end him with one attack.
Charging her magic into her horn and her mane flaring from the increasing power, the attack she's charging was used only ones in the past by Celestia, it was an attack that could vaporise mountains and take out entire armies. With the combined force of both fire magic, lightning magic and holy magic, it creates a powerful blast that is hotter than the surface of the sun, leveling entire forests, turning beaches into glass and creating the Badlands.
It was given the name,
The Light that Burns the Sky
Dahlia and Jack Frost had run over to Minato to see if he was okay, but their group soon turns their eyes towards Daybreaker who burns in white fire and launches a gigantic yellow sparking sun towards them.
While the two small ones shake in fear as they hug eachother, Minato's eyes glows and analyses the attack. At first he was worried, but that worry quickly vanished when he realised what elements where involved in the attack. He puts himself in front of Dahlia and Jack Frost while Messiah stands in front of him.
A little fun fact about the element Bless, apparently it is considered the same as Light, Expel and Holy, which means that they follow the same rules.
As the burning ball of death was about to make impact with Messiah, his eyes flash yellow for a second and the ball bounced off him like a rubber ball bouncing off a floor.
Daybreaker stares wide eyed at what just happened as her own attack is coming right back at her. Having spent to much energy on the attack she is now too tired too dodge and can do nothing but watch as the attack flies towards her.
She freezes as she experiences something she never thought she would, her long life flashing before her eyes. Memories from so long ago that she had almost forgotten about them. Her mother, Starswirls training, her multiple fights with Luna, all these memories that are... not hers.
Her situation finally sinks in, this is her flaw, these aren't her memories, but Celestia's. She has now become her own being and she is wasting it away by imagining herself on a throne that someone else has already taken. She isn't a Goddess, she isn't Perfect, she is the Shadow of a Goddess, a Goddess that rejected her.
But these memories still hold value, memories and lessons that Celestia has probably forgotten, things she learned from both her teacher and her mother. Dreams that she has long forgotten and given up on.
But the thing is that, it was Celestia that gave up on these dreams, not Daybreaker, she never gave up. Tears evaporate from her cheeks because of the heat as she begins to cry and laugh at herself.
"Hahaha, I guess I really am flawed," she cries to herself, "dreams and lessons long forgotten, and I call myself a Goddess, as well as Queen despite not being married. My wish of becoming a great mother and a wife will never be achieved, even after having lived for a thousand years I'm still a virgin."
The attack has almost reached her and she closes her eyes.
"But you know what, that's okay. Even if I'm not perfect, even if I'm not a goddess. All of it, is okay. Because I don't have to prove myself to anyone but myself."
... ... ...
"Indeed you don't."
Daybreakers eyes opens wide as she sees three black arms with white hands and golden rings around their wrists, blocking the attack with ease and holding it in place. She slowly turns her head to the left and sees a towering figure with ten black arms, white hands and golden rings on each one. It was wearing a red and white dress with a golden skirt that went down to just before its knees. Its long black and white legs had hooves instead of feet, with high heels that looked like detached mechanical hands holding its heels. On its chest was another pair of detached hands groping its chest gently and on its head was a third pair holding the top of its head shaping into a wierd crown. Its face was snow white with a black face mask covering its mouth and nose, the top of its head was rose red. In the center of its forehead was a small black gem, and its eyes had a black sclera and glowing golden pupils.
"I am thou, thou art I." it began, "I am Durga. My duty is to rend asunder the evil that threatens the world...
Know that your destiny is nothing less than this."
With a snap from her fingers with three of her hands, Durga dispelled the attack causing it to turn into nothing but small sparks of fire and electricity.
Everyone stares wide eyed at Durgas towering figure before she erupts in blue flames and turn into a card representing the Empress arcana. Daybreaker holds out her hand and lets the card slowly float to her palm.
"WOHO!"
She looks up and sees Minato, Messiah, Dahlia and Jack Frost clapping their hands and smiling widely as they approach her.
"Congratulations! You've become a Persona user!" Minato exclaimed happily, "To think that your Arcana was the Empress, I thought for sure that it would be the Sun but I guess the Empress makes more sense. It does represent mothers, prosperity, creativity, sexuality, abundance, fertility, protection, and comfort, which fits both you and Celestia perfectly."
Everyone is then left speechless as Daybreaker dashes forward and pulls Minato into a hug, smiling widely and with tears stream down from her eyes.
"Thank you," she cries, "Thank you for helping me remember what I had long since forgotten."
Minato returns the hug and says with a comforting tone.
"You're welcome Day, you're welcome."