Ren awoke confused.
His head hurt. His body hurt. His mind was silent. Every Persona he was carrying had vanished. He knew they were safe somehow. He even remembered Jack Frost telling him to "extort more baddies, Hee Ho!" as he left his mind.
At least Arsène was still there.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room," a nasally voice rang out soothingly.
Ren's eyes burst open, and he flipped backward over the back of the couch, reaching for his handgun.
'Wait, when did my clothing change?'
"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. My name is Igor. The true Igor."
Ren looked around and noticed he wasn't in a prison. In fact, he was in a steam train that looked like it came out of a noir film. It felt peaceful. Like he could rest here without worry.
And that unnerved him greatly.
"I am a resident of this place. Your attendants, Caroline and Justine, will be joining us shortly. Please, sit," Igor continued calmly.
Ren realized that the chant must have worked.
He thought about the instant he finished the chant, and his head started hurting worse and worse.
"Don't force it, Trickster. It will come back if you need it," Igor stated calmly. "Steady yourself. Feel the air of the Room. We exist as a sanctuary for Fools. You have signed a contract with the Room, whether you remember or not. The only thing asked of you is to take responsibility for your own actions."
Ren sat on the couch tensely before seemingly relaxing.
He realized it wasn't a trick.
He was truly safe.
"It doesn't matter. Taking responsibility for my actions is something I've always done."
"It is okay to be guarded, Trickster. Let me soothe your worries and your weary soul."
Suddenly, a door appeared next to where Igor was sitting. Margaret walked into the Room with a large smile. Behind her were Caroline and Justine, who had changed into pretty blue dresses. Their hair was brushed and restyled. They both had their hair back now, but Justine had a large, loose French braid, while Caroline had her hair pushed back with a hairband, falling into two twin tails. Her face was beet red.
"Worry not, Trickster. It is safe here," Margaret said gently, patting the twins' heads.
A blue butterfly landed on Igor's desk briefly. He simply smiled at it, and it flew toward Margaret before becoming a small blue hairpin.
"Let's talk about the true purpose of this Room, Joker," Igor said with a smile. "Do you believe in fortune-telling?"
He waved his hand, and a deck of tarot cards appeared on the table. He waved his hand again, drawing five cards. They landed face down on the table.
"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed, yes? A phrase you learned from the Seeker?"
He flipped the first card.
The Fool.
"Does the Fool begin his journey because he is forced to, or because he chooses to? Perhaps one. Perhaps the other. Perhaps both. The journey has started regardless of intent."
Ren gritted his teeth.
'Fate!'
Igor flipped the next card.
"The Aeon. An interesting card. This card represents spiritual rebirth, growth, and restoration. The birth of the Aeon is a good sign."
Ren relaxed, remembering his Arcana bond with the team of thieves.
"Spiritual growth and rebirth, huh?" he repeated in thought.
At this point, he knew the Room wasn't a threat and began to calm down. Especially when he saw Margaret keeping Caroline from fidgeting and moving around.
Flipping the next card, Igor gave a wide smile.
The Star.
"Hope," Igor said softly. "A light in the distance. Not close enough to grasp, but close enough to follow."
Looking up at Ren, Igor continued, "The Star does not drag the Fool forward. It simply shines. The Fool can choose to approach or not."
Ren swallowed, thinking of the Investigation Team. He realized he was counting on them too much. They couldn't walk his path for him. They could show him the way, but the decision was in his hands.
The next card flipped as Ren was thinking. It caught his attention quickly.
The Sun.
Orihime's face flashed momentarily in his head, but it didn't feel right. It was replaced by a gentle but energetic figure with a ponytail, who smiled from a distance.
'See you soon, Joker.'
Ren blinked and looked at Igor in shock.
Igor smiled mysteriously, but it wasn't uncomfortable, like he was keeping something from Ren. It was mysterious in a way that was irritating.
Just like Yu.
"Warmth. Joy. Innocence. Unbroken by suffering. The courage to live openly in the light, despite having seen so much darkness."
He continued gently, "The Sun shines upon the Fool. It is not ignorance. It is the overwhelming will to remain bright, even in the darkest nights."
Ren was silent. He was wondering who that person was. Were Faith and the Sun the same Arcana from different decks? He was confused.
"That's harder than rebellion," he muttered, as a soft smile graced his face.
"Hehehe. Indeed it is," Igor answered in a happy tone.
Igor then looked at Ren, seemingly asking if he was ready to turn over the last card.
Ren swallowed and nodded, bracing himself.
Would the last card be ominous?
Tap.
The card gently flipped over when Igor tapped the table.
The World.
"The end of the Fool's journey. Completion. Integration."
Ren paused, looking at the card.
"I don't like endings," he said firmly. "What defines completion? Human potential is limitless."
"Hahahahaha!" Igor burst out laughing in joy. "And that is why you are the Trickster!! What is the end of one journey if not the beginning of another?"
"It's time to rest, dear guest," Margaret said softly as Igor swiped his hand across the desk, making the tarot cards vanish.
"Come visit soon. I'm sorry for being mean..." Caroline pouted with a blush when Margaret tapped her shoulder.
Justine was covering her face the whole time.
Ren gently drifted into a peaceful sleep
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