Ponysonaby Magatsu OrpheusChaptersAugust 25th, 2018August 27th, 2018The Midnight StatuePrologue: Welcome to The Velvet Room, My DearAugust 25th, 2018"Ow! Watch it..." you look to see a yellow girl with yellow and red hair. She's wearing a leather jacket with a pink shirt and a skirt. You think to yourself that this is a rather odd combination of clothing, but you don't judge. Usually. Leave her be "You watch it!" [Help her up]< You hold out your hand and she grabs it, getting up. She wipes some dust off her skirt before looking at you and talking. "So, uh, thanks. For helping me up. What's your name?" You introduce yourself before she talks again. "Lyra, huh? Cool name. I'm Sunset, Sunset Shimmer." There's a brief yet awkward silence before she walks off hurriedly. "Sorryforbumpingintoyoui'vegottagobye." You're left confused for a moment when a girl who looks to be your age suddenly walks up to you. "Hey, you're the new transfer student, right? I'm supposed to drive you to the dorms." She's sky-blue with rainbow hair, and wears a red t-shirt with a thunderbolt on it, and denim jeans. "My name's Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you!" You can tell she's a bit hot-blooded. You introduce yourself and walk with Rainbow to her car, making idle chit-chat along the way about stuff like hobbies, and the school you're going to. "So, you gonna join any clubs? There's a band club, y'know. Personally, I'm joining all the sports club I can as soon as possible." Rainbow seems to enjoy sports quite a lot. "Remember me. In a few years, I'll be a famous athlete, I'm sure of it!" You make it to her car and when she turns the keys, the stereo turns on and loudly blares out a song that you swear you heard in the soundtrack of some action show before. "SHADOWS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!" Rainbow scrambles to turn it off. After she does so, she sighs in relief and awkwardly goes "Yeah..." "So, uh, I've been meaning to invest in some headphones, 'cause of, well, that... But, I mean, I'd look kinda dumb if I just wore headphones everywhere huh?" You point to the MP3 player around your neck. "ACK! I mean, uh, I, in particular, me..." You giggle and she seems to realize you're just teasing. "Heh, sorry..." You make it to the dorm and part ways, as it's starting to rain. Inside, you see a cream-colored girl with blue and pink hair in curls. She's wearing a simple blue dress with a pattern of three candies near the bottom. She notices you and greets you. "Huh? Who are you?" She asks, somewhat irate. ...It should be noted that despite the word's connotations, "greet" does not necessarily mean a friendly greeting. "Calm down, Bon Bon. I told you we had a new transfer student coming, didn't I?" A pink woman comes out from a door and makes herself known. "Oh, so, that's... Her?" "No shit it's me." "Yup, that's me." [Nod your head]< "O-Oh, okay! Sorry about being so rude." She looks kind of embarrassed. The pink woman defuses the awkwardness by clearing her throat and speaking up. "Well, I assume you heard me when I said her name is Bon Bon. She's a student at Canterlot High, just like you. As for me, I'm Cadence. I graduated from that school about 5 or so years back. My aunt Celestia is the principal, and she asked me to come look after the dorm last year, since the old keeper retired." You introduce yourself to Bon Bon and Cadence. "Lyra, huh?" Bon Bon parrots your name. "That's a nice name." After making a little more small talk, you head to your room, as it's getting rather late, almost midnight. As you doze off, you can't help but notice a strange sound coming from the TV... August 27th, 2018The last few days had been mostly uneventful. You had taken a few walks around town, and seen what it had to offer. The answer was, unsurprisingly, not much. You could go fishing, if you had a fishing rod. Or an interest in fishing. You could go out to eat, which was fun, but not exactly something you could pass the time with regularly. You could buy swords... So, yeah, nothing to do. However, now was the first day of school. The definitive end of your summer vacation, and the start of your Junior year of high school. After you made it to school, you noticed just how big the school was. It was three stories high, and you couldn't even hazard a guess as to how wide it was. It was much bigger than "Yo!" A familiar voice calls out to you. "What's with the jaw drop? It's just a school!" As she nears you, you recognize the voice as Rainbow Dash. You quickly answer. "Nothing. It's just, my old school was... smaller." Rainbow chuckles. "Then it's your old school that's weird. Canterlot High isn't that big." She takes her phone out and glances at the time, her eyes widening. "Crap, it's 8:00! We're late! Let's hurry!" She grabs your arm forcefully and drags you into the school. "You know, Rainbow... We would have been slightly less late if we'd have taken a second to read what class we were in." You berate Rainbow as a teacher escorts you both to homeroom. A nearby wall clock tells you it's 8:15 already. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I kinda forgot that I forgot what class I was in." She responds half-heartedly with her hands in the air as if to say 'alright, you win.' "You didn't even ask me what class I was in." The teacher shushes you as you come up to the room, Class 2-F. As he opens the door and rushes you both in, the (rather young-looking) teacher glares daggers at you and sighs. She gets up and hands you a piece of chalk, never losing the grumpy look in her eyes. "Write your name on the board and introduce yourself to the class." LYRA HEARTSTRINGS "My name is Lyra Heartstrings. It's nice to meet you." You introduce yourself with an emotionless voice, almost perfectly matching the bored look most of the class has, save Rainbow. The teacher, somehow outdoing your deadpan, mutters a "Sit down in an empty seat." The only empty seat is right next to Rainbow, so you take it. "Hey." She whispers. "Don't feel bad. Miss Cheerilee's a pretty big grump to everyone. But she used to be nice, I hear... Wonder why she's such a meanie now?" "SHUSH!" You stay quiet for the rest of class. LUNCHTIME You sit down with Rainbow and two other girls, wanting to socialize after the past few classes. "'Sup? Hey, uh, this is Fluttershy," She points to the shy girl with wavy hair, who waves weakly to you. "And this is-" "I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your- WELL, I guess I already know your name. Lyra, right?" You nod, overwhelmed by her energy. And her strange hairstyle. "Right! So, we're your friends now and-" Rainbow interrupts. "Uh, Pinkie, I think you're overwhelming her. Just a bit." "Oh, sorry!" Pinkie bows exaggeratedly. At that moment, a white-skinned girl with curled violet hair sits down at the table beside Fluttershy. "Ah, hello, dears, is this the new transfer student?" She speaks with a vaguely British-sounding accent. "Yes, she is." Fluttershy responds in a soft voice. "Her name is Lyra. Rainbow says she's living in the dorm." "...What dorm?" "The one where transfer students stay if their parents aren't with them and they don't have relatives who live nearby." "...There's a dorm?" Fluttershy sighs, and Pinkie changes the subject. "A-NY-WAYYYYYY, did anyone hear the rumor about the statue in front of the school?" You reply, "What rumor?" Rainbow and the others seem to also have no idea what she's talking about, so Pinkie elaborates. "They say that if you stare at the statue at midnight, you'll see a face in the base of the statue." Rainbow groans. "You don't really believe in that stuff, do you?" "Hey, I'm just sayin' what I heard!" "Uh, yes we can! I'll pick you guys up a little before midnight, I'll prove this doesn't exist!" Rarity shakes her head. "I can't be out that late. My parents wouldn't let me." Pinkie says she can't come either. "Auntie Cake might let me, but she'd be pretty upset, and I'd hate to do that to her." Rainbow seems annoyed. "Dammit! Then I'll record it on my phone or something. Whatever it takes!" You and Fluttershy exchange a worried glance, but neither of you dare to anger her more. You can tell this is a bad idea. You inform Mr. Armor, Cadence, and Bon-Bon that you'll be out late. Shining and Cadence reluctantly give permission but Bon-Bon is skeptical. "Why do you need to be out so late, on your first day? What, are you a druggie or something?" Cadence scolds her. "I'm sure Lyra has a perfectly good reason." Nevertheless, Shining and Bon-Bon are suspicious when Rainbow pulls up at 11:00, angry yet drowsy, telling you to hurry up and get in the car. You ask why she's in such a hurry. "Fluttershy lives far away. Even if we hurry, we might barely make it. Far away is an understatement. It takes you a little under half an hour even with Rainbow's angry maniac driving to get to a small cabin at the outskirts of town. The lights are flickering, and Fluttershy is out on the porch, reading what seems to be a book on sewing. She puts the book under her rocking chair and walks up to the car, getting in and sitting beside you. "So this is everyone. Alright, let's go!" Rainbow shouts, driving off to the school. During the drive, you and Fluttershy start to talk. "So, Fluttershy.... why is it you live so far away from the school?" "My parents don't want me spending too much time in the city. They think it'll be a bad influence on me." "I see..." You don't see, needless to say. It seems stupid. "N-no. It's not as bad as you think. I usually have enough time to go to the mall with Rainbow and Pinkie, after school." Despite her words, she has an underlying tone of bitterness, clearly resenting her parents for forcing her lack of social interaction. You both stay silent for a while. Suddenly, Rainbow pulls up at the school, putting an end to the awkward silence.. Rainbow yells at you to get out of the car, as it's almost midnight. Rainbow fumbles with her phone a moment, before starting to record. She points it right at the statue's base, and as midnight strikes... A bright light shines from the statue. *VWMMM* The light dies down, and the image of a middle-aged man comes on the statue, albeit blurred and dark. "Holy shit..." Rainbow, shocked, drops her phone on the grass, and falls to her knees. "Is that... isn't that your dad, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asks. "It.. IT IS! I couldn't tell at first 'cause the picture wasn't too detailed... but why is my dad showing?!' Fluttershy and Rainbow chat in the background. You hear a voice ringing in your head. I AM THOU AND THOU ART I Hypnotized, you hold out your hand to touch the statue. To your amazement, it goes in. Shocked, you pull away frantically, landing on your back. *THUMP* Rainbow and Fluttershy look to you, and Fluttershy asks if you're hurt. "...THE STATUE TRIED TO EAT ME!" The Midnight Statue"THE STATUE TRIED TO EAT ME!" You can hardly believe the words coming out of your mouth, despite your knowing how true they are. Rainbow stares at you as though you grew another head. "Are you serious? You must have just... fainted for a few seconds. That happens, right? Wouldn't surprise me at this point!" "It's true! Here, let me show you!" Against your better judgment, you find yourself putting your hands up against the statue's base again. Nothing happens, aside from mildly scratching your palm. "See, I told y-" *VWMMMM8 "Wh-what...???" For the first time since the image showed up on the statue, Fluttershy speaks, in a whisper. "Holy crap... see if you can put more in there!" Rainbow shouts at you. You oblige, sticking your face into the statue. It goes through, albeit with some resistance, like your hands did. What you see is... strange. The best comparison you can think of is if you were inside a giant lava lamp. All the colors of the rainbow surround you, against a pink "sky". In the background, you can vaguely hear Fluttershy panicking, thinking this could hurt you, or worse, kill you. Rainbow, fed up, changes the subject, saying something along the lines of "Whatever! I just wanna see if I can do that too." Rainbow starts (seemingly, you're not sure since you still have your face in the statue) pushing her hands against the statue, trying to do what you're doing. She seems unable to, until her arm brushes against the back of your head. But, as it turns out, she'd been applying too much force, and she falls into the statue. Fluttershy screams and dives after her, bringing you with her. As the two of you fall into the abyss, the colors start to spiral. You feel as though you're spinning into a whirlpool, with all the uncomfortable dizzyness that comes with it. Worse yet, you can feel your body trying to contort, as though your human body just doesn't belong. The disturbing sensations come to a sudden halt as you hear three thumps against a surface. Given the pain that comes with the third, you can guess it's you and your friends finally "landing". "DAMMIT! What the hell?!" Rainbow shouts. You and your friends all look around, panicked, and confused. The are around you seems to resemble a town, albeit one in shambles. The buildings seem almost like the ruins of a medieval civilization, albeit, one with a rather strange fixation on hearts... and probably pink, but the paint's so faded you can't tell. You begin to notice a strange red fog that had somehow escaped your notice. When you focus, you can tell that it's clouding the entire world around you, yet you can still see fine. "Wh-what is this place...?" Fluttershy says, as confused as you are. "Who cares? It's creepy as hell!" Rainbow yells, clearly panicked and scared, despite her apparent anger. "Let's get out of this place. There's gotta be an exit somewhere..." You nod, and the three of you decide to wander around. You think you see something lurking in the distance. It's short, but it clearly has claws. You gulp and continue walking along, until the three of you come to a tree-looking thing. It has an opening at the front, comprised of red and white swirls. The three of you give each other anxious looks, before you step in, quickly followed by the other two. What's inside seems to be a bizarre mixture of a library and a forest, leaning on the forest. Shelves line the walls, but trees grow from the ground, bearing many fruits that form a veritable rainbow consisting of ten shades of brown and fifty shades of grey. Just as you're about to venture further, you hear footsteps behind you. You freeze up, then slowly turn around to find... What appears to be a lizard. It's a little less than half your height. it's bright purple with green hair (scales?), and a tail with a spade shape at the end. It also appears to be a little on the chubby side. Fluttershy squeals, running over to the lizard-thing and scooping it up in her arms. "Ooh, you're so adorable!" Rainbow is not amused. "Fluttershy! That thing could have, like, rabies or something!" "Wh-what?! I do not have any rabbits!" The lizard-thing, to your shock, speaks, with the voice of a 10-year-old boy. "IT TALKS?!" exclaims Fluttershy, with a tone of joy, and Rainbow, with a tone of shock. "I'm not an 'it!' I'm a he! I'm Spike the Dragon!" You clear your throat, intending to ask the "dragon" a few questions. "So, Spike, where are we?" "I don't know." Huh. "What are you exactly?" "Beats me." "What was the name of this town before it was wrecked apart?" "How would I know...? Wait. I think it might be... ville?" "Just 'ville'?" "Hm... I don't think so. But that's all I got." "UGH! This thing's as useless as a rock. Let's ditch it." Rainbow complains. "WAIT! I don't know what you guys are doing here... but you'd better leave before the Shadows come! "What are the 'Shadows'?" You ask. "It's hard to explain... but they're bad news! At the very least, take this and go!" Spike says, handing you a Fake Sword. All of a sudden, you hear a strange noise, almost like a growl, and Spike runs in fear. "Run!" You shout to your friends, making a beeline for the exit. You pass through, but when you find yourselves in the town, it's overrun by strange beasts. Spike is in front of you, quivering, trying to escape from a slime-like monster. With the sword in hand, you slice it apart, with it exploding in red smoke. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Spike grabs on to your leg, sniveling and crying. Rainbow pulls him off. You find yourselves surrounded by the Shadows. You begin slicing some away, but more just keep on coming. Fluttershy faints, and even Rainbow is visibly panicking. It seems hopeless, until... You feel a sudden surge in power, and a feeling overtakes you, as if your very soul is being strengthened. Blue flames begin to surround you, but everything within you tells you this is nothing to be worried about. "Per..." The flames get stronger, and wind feels as though it's billowing beneath your feet. "So..." Nothing feels more right than this. It's as though you've been waiting your whole life to let this free... "NA!" The flames roar stronger then suddenly extinguish. You hear the sound of glass breaking, and what appears to be crystal shards spiral around you. An imposing figure floats above your head... I AM THOU THOU ART I FROM THE SEAS OF THY SOUL I COME I AM THE MASTER OF STRINGS, ORPHEUS "Holy shit..." Rainbow gasps. But your mind is elsewhere. As you begin slicing away at Shadows with your sword, Orpheus plays his lyre, surrounding the Shadows in fire. He even uses his instrument as a weapon, bashing some Shadows with it. {ATTACK}{AGI}{BASH} The shadows are incapable of attacking from behind. You can tell, you can feel, what is happening around you, even if you can't see it yourself. However, a particularly strong attack from one gets you, knocking you down. {ATTACK} -Critical!- Yet, as you lay there, unable to fight back, a miracle occurs, and you feel a change occuring within you... "PERSONA!" 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[/img] Orpheus transforms, and what's left is what appears to be a statue. {MEGIDOLAON} With one flick of its finger, the new Persona summons three spheres of pure energy, leaving no shadows remaining. And with that, Orpheus regains its original form. And then you fainted. Prologue: Welcome to The Velvet Room, My DearYou awaken slowly, drowsy and confused, to find yourself sitting in a small chair, inside a rather spacious, rather blue elevator. Odd seeing as how you were wide awake just a moment ago. Not dwelling on that fact, you look around and see a man in a suit. She's smiling, and clasping his hands together. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear. My name is Igor. The young lady next to me is named Elizabeth." You suddenly notice another person besides Celestia and look right, to see, as she says, a girl with white hair and bright yellow eyes, wearing a strange dress. Igor speaks up again. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself?" A book and pen suddenly appears in your lap. It appears to be a contract of some sort... Something tells you that you should sign it. NAME: Lyra Heartstrings BIRTHDATE: November 28, 2001 Igor, still smiling, nods and begins to explain himself. "Now, you are probably confused, but do not be worried. We mean no harm. We seek only to aid you with the hardships you will face in the near future. "Hardships...?" You ask, hardly able to form words. "Do not be alarmed, dear. Nothing you can't handle. But, all will be explained in due time. Let it just be known for now, you'll need all the help you can get." The elevator stops, and your vision starts to blur. "Ah." He observes. "It seems we have reached your destination. We shall meet again very soon, of your own free will. Goodbye for now." Your vision blurs, and you feel as though you're being pushed backwards by some invisible force. You wake up on a train, having apparently dozed off, and it all comes rushing back to you. You are Lyra Heartstrings, a young woman from the city who is moving to the countryside to attend a boarding school in Ponyville. Ten years ago... That isn't relevant right now, what is important is that you've been living with relatives for the last decade or so, and this is no different. You only expect to be here for a year, maybe even a little less, before you go back to the city. "Now stopping in Ponyville." That's your cue. You gather your luggage and step off the train, breathing in the fresh air as you begin your new life.
August 25th, 2018"Ow! Watch it..." you look to see a yellow girl with yellow and red hair. She's wearing a leather jacket with a pink shirt and a skirt. You think to yourself that this is a rather odd combination of clothing, but you don't judge. Usually. Leave her be "You watch it!" [Help her up]< You hold out your hand and she grabs it, getting up. She wipes some dust off her skirt before looking at you and talking. "So, uh, thanks. For helping me up. What's your name?" You introduce yourself before she talks again. "Lyra, huh? Cool name. I'm Sunset, Sunset Shimmer." There's a brief yet awkward silence before she walks off hurriedly. "Sorryforbumpingintoyoui'vegottagobye." You're left confused for a moment when a girl who looks to be your age suddenly walks up to you. "Hey, you're the new transfer student, right? I'm supposed to drive you to the dorms." She's sky-blue with rainbow hair, and wears a red t-shirt with a thunderbolt on it, and denim jeans. "My name's Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you!" You can tell she's a bit hot-blooded. You introduce yourself and walk with Rainbow to her car, making idle chit-chat along the way about stuff like hobbies, and the school you're going to. "So, you gonna join any clubs? There's a band club, y'know. Personally, I'm joining all the sports club I can as soon as possible." Rainbow seems to enjoy sports quite a lot. "Remember me. In a few years, I'll be a famous athlete, I'm sure of it!" You make it to her car and when she turns the keys, the stereo turns on and loudly blares out a song that you swear you heard in the soundtrack of some action show before. "SHADOWS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!" Rainbow scrambles to turn it off. After she does so, she sighs in relief and awkwardly goes "Yeah..." "So, uh, I've been meaning to invest in some headphones, 'cause of, well, that... But, I mean, I'd look kinda dumb if I just wore headphones everywhere huh?" You point to the MP3 player around your neck. "ACK! I mean, uh, I, in particular, me..." You giggle and she seems to realize you're just teasing. "Heh, sorry..." You make it to the dorm and part ways, as it's starting to rain. Inside, you see a cream-colored girl with blue and pink hair in curls. She's wearing a simple blue dress with a pattern of three candies near the bottom. She notices you and greets you. "Huh? Who are you?" She asks, somewhat irate. ...It should be noted that despite the word's connotations, "greet" does not necessarily mean a friendly greeting. "Calm down, Bon Bon. I told you we had a new transfer student coming, didn't I?" A pink woman comes out from a door and makes herself known. "Oh, so, that's... Her?" "No shit it's me." "Yup, that's me." [Nod your head]< "O-Oh, okay! Sorry about being so rude." She looks kind of embarrassed. The pink woman defuses the awkwardness by clearing her throat and speaking up. "Well, I assume you heard me when I said her name is Bon Bon. She's a student at Canterlot High, just like you. As for me, I'm Cadence. I graduated from that school about 5 or so years back. My aunt Celestia is the principal, and she asked me to come look after the dorm last year, since the old keeper retired." You introduce yourself to Bon Bon and Cadence. "Lyra, huh?" Bon Bon parrots your name. "That's a nice name." After making a little more small talk, you head to your room, as it's getting rather late, almost midnight. As you doze off, you can't help but notice a strange sound coming from the TV...
August 27th, 2018The last few days had been mostly uneventful. You had taken a few walks around town, and seen what it had to offer. The answer was, unsurprisingly, not much. You could go fishing, if you had a fishing rod. Or an interest in fishing. You could go out to eat, which was fun, but not exactly something you could pass the time with regularly. You could buy swords... So, yeah, nothing to do. However, now was the first day of school. The definitive end of your summer vacation, and the start of your Junior year of high school. After you made it to school, you noticed just how big the school was. It was three stories high, and you couldn't even hazard a guess as to how wide it was. It was much bigger than "Yo!" A familiar voice calls out to you. "What's with the jaw drop? It's just a school!" As she nears you, you recognize the voice as Rainbow Dash. You quickly answer. "Nothing. It's just, my old school was... smaller." Rainbow chuckles. "Then it's your old school that's weird. Canterlot High isn't that big." She takes her phone out and glances at the time, her eyes widening. "Crap, it's 8:00! We're late! Let's hurry!" She grabs your arm forcefully and drags you into the school. "You know, Rainbow... We would have been slightly less late if we'd have taken a second to read what class we were in." You berate Rainbow as a teacher escorts you both to homeroom. A nearby wall clock tells you it's 8:15 already. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I kinda forgot that I forgot what class I was in." She responds half-heartedly with her hands in the air as if to say 'alright, you win.' "You didn't even ask me what class I was in." The teacher shushes you as you come up to the room, Class 2-F. As he opens the door and rushes you both in, the (rather young-looking) teacher glares daggers at you and sighs. She gets up and hands you a piece of chalk, never losing the grumpy look in her eyes. "Write your name on the board and introduce yourself to the class." LYRA HEARTSTRINGS "My name is Lyra Heartstrings. It's nice to meet you." You introduce yourself with an emotionless voice, almost perfectly matching the bored look most of the class has, save Rainbow. The teacher, somehow outdoing your deadpan, mutters a "Sit down in an empty seat." The only empty seat is right next to Rainbow, so you take it. "Hey." She whispers. "Don't feel bad. Miss Cheerilee's a pretty big grump to everyone. But she used to be nice, I hear... Wonder why she's such a meanie now?" "SHUSH!" You stay quiet for the rest of class. LUNCHTIME You sit down with Rainbow and two other girls, wanting to socialize after the past few classes. "'Sup? Hey, uh, this is Fluttershy," She points to the shy girl with wavy hair, who waves weakly to you. "And this is-" "I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your- WELL, I guess I already know your name. Lyra, right?" You nod, overwhelmed by her energy. And her strange hairstyle. "Right! So, we're your friends now and-" Rainbow interrupts. "Uh, Pinkie, I think you're overwhelming her. Just a bit." "Oh, sorry!" Pinkie bows exaggeratedly. At that moment, a white-skinned girl with curled violet hair sits down at the table beside Fluttershy. "Ah, hello, dears, is this the new transfer student?" She speaks with a vaguely British-sounding accent. "Yes, she is." Fluttershy responds in a soft voice. "Her name is Lyra. Rainbow says she's living in the dorm." "...What dorm?" "The one where transfer students stay if their parents aren't with them and they don't have relatives who live nearby." "...There's a dorm?" Fluttershy sighs, and Pinkie changes the subject. "A-NY-WAYYYYYY, did anyone hear the rumor about the statue in front of the school?" You reply, "What rumor?" Rainbow and the others seem to also have no idea what she's talking about, so Pinkie elaborates. "They say that if you stare at the statue at midnight, you'll see a face in the base of the statue." Rainbow groans. "You don't really believe in that stuff, do you?" "Hey, I'm just sayin' what I heard!" "Uh, yes we can! I'll pick you guys up a little before midnight, I'll prove this doesn't exist!" Rarity shakes her head. "I can't be out that late. My parents wouldn't let me." Pinkie says she can't come either. "Auntie Cake might let me, but she'd be pretty upset, and I'd hate to do that to her." Rainbow seems annoyed. "Dammit! Then I'll record it on my phone or something. Whatever it takes!" You and Fluttershy exchange a worried glance, but neither of you dare to anger her more. You can tell this is a bad idea. You inform Mr. Armor, Cadence, and Bon-Bon that you'll be out late. Shining and Cadence reluctantly give permission but Bon-Bon is skeptical. "Why do you need to be out so late, on your first day? What, are you a druggie or something?" Cadence scolds her. "I'm sure Lyra has a perfectly good reason." Nevertheless, Shining and Bon-Bon are suspicious when Rainbow pulls up at 11:00, angry yet drowsy, telling you to hurry up and get in the car. You ask why she's in such a hurry. "Fluttershy lives far away. Even if we hurry, we might barely make it. Far away is an understatement. It takes you a little under half an hour even with Rainbow's angry maniac driving to get to a small cabin at the outskirts of town. The lights are flickering, and Fluttershy is out on the porch, reading what seems to be a book on sewing. She puts the book under her rocking chair and walks up to the car, getting in and sitting beside you. "So this is everyone. Alright, let's go!" Rainbow shouts, driving off to the school. During the drive, you and Fluttershy start to talk. "So, Fluttershy.... why is it you live so far away from the school?" "My parents don't want me spending too much time in the city. They think it'll be a bad influence on me." "I see..." You don't see, needless to say. It seems stupid. "N-no. It's not as bad as you think. I usually have enough time to go to the mall with Rainbow and Pinkie, after school." Despite her words, she has an underlying tone of bitterness, clearly resenting her parents for forcing her lack of social interaction. You both stay silent for a while. Suddenly, Rainbow pulls up at the school, putting an end to the awkward silence.. Rainbow yells at you to get out of the car, as it's almost midnight. Rainbow fumbles with her phone a moment, before starting to record. She points it right at the statue's base, and as midnight strikes... A bright light shines from the statue. *VWMMM* The light dies down, and the image of a middle-aged man comes on the statue, albeit blurred and dark. "Holy shit..." Rainbow, shocked, drops her phone on the grass, and falls to her knees. "Is that... isn't that your dad, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asks. "It.. IT IS! I couldn't tell at first 'cause the picture wasn't too detailed... but why is my dad showing?!' Fluttershy and Rainbow chat in the background. You hear a voice ringing in your head. I AM THOU AND THOU ART I Hypnotized, you hold out your hand to touch the statue. To your amazement, it goes in. Shocked, you pull away frantically, landing on your back. *THUMP* Rainbow and Fluttershy look to you, and Fluttershy asks if you're hurt. "...THE STATUE TRIED TO EAT ME!"
The Midnight Statue"THE STATUE TRIED TO EAT ME!" You can hardly believe the words coming out of your mouth, despite your knowing how true they are. Rainbow stares at you as though you grew another head. "Are you serious? You must have just... fainted for a few seconds. That happens, right? Wouldn't surprise me at this point!" "It's true! Here, let me show you!" Against your better judgment, you find yourself putting your hands up against the statue's base again. Nothing happens, aside from mildly scratching your palm. "See, I told y-" *VWMMMM8 "Wh-what...???" For the first time since the image showed up on the statue, Fluttershy speaks, in a whisper. "Holy crap... see if you can put more in there!" Rainbow shouts at you. You oblige, sticking your face into the statue. It goes through, albeit with some resistance, like your hands did. What you see is... strange. The best comparison you can think of is if you were inside a giant lava lamp. All the colors of the rainbow surround you, against a pink "sky". In the background, you can vaguely hear Fluttershy panicking, thinking this could hurt you, or worse, kill you. Rainbow, fed up, changes the subject, saying something along the lines of "Whatever! I just wanna see if I can do that too." Rainbow starts (seemingly, you're not sure since you still have your face in the statue) pushing her hands against the statue, trying to do what you're doing. She seems unable to, until her arm brushes against the back of your head. But, as it turns out, she'd been applying too much force, and she falls into the statue. Fluttershy screams and dives after her, bringing you with her. As the two of you fall into the abyss, the colors start to spiral. You feel as though you're spinning into a whirlpool, with all the uncomfortable dizzyness that comes with it. Worse yet, you can feel your body trying to contort, as though your human body just doesn't belong. The disturbing sensations come to a sudden halt as you hear three thumps against a surface. Given the pain that comes with the third, you can guess it's you and your friends finally "landing". "DAMMIT! What the hell?!" Rainbow shouts. You and your friends all look around, panicked, and confused. The are around you seems to resemble a town, albeit one in shambles. The buildings seem almost like the ruins of a medieval civilization, albeit, one with a rather strange fixation on hearts... and probably pink, but the paint's so faded you can't tell. You begin to notice a strange red fog that had somehow escaped your notice. When you focus, you can tell that it's clouding the entire world around you, yet you can still see fine. "Wh-what is this place...?" Fluttershy says, as confused as you are. "Who cares? It's creepy as hell!" Rainbow yells, clearly panicked and scared, despite her apparent anger. "Let's get out of this place. There's gotta be an exit somewhere..." You nod, and the three of you decide to wander around. You think you see something lurking in the distance. It's short, but it clearly has claws. You gulp and continue walking along, until the three of you come to a tree-looking thing. It has an opening at the front, comprised of red and white swirls. The three of you give each other anxious looks, before you step in, quickly followed by the other two. What's inside seems to be a bizarre mixture of a library and a forest, leaning on the forest. Shelves line the walls, but trees grow from the ground, bearing many fruits that form a veritable rainbow consisting of ten shades of brown and fifty shades of grey. Just as you're about to venture further, you hear footsteps behind you. You freeze up, then slowly turn around to find... What appears to be a lizard. It's a little less than half your height. it's bright purple with green hair (scales?), and a tail with a spade shape at the end. It also appears to be a little on the chubby side. Fluttershy squeals, running over to the lizard-thing and scooping it up in her arms. "Ooh, you're so adorable!" Rainbow is not amused. "Fluttershy! That thing could have, like, rabies or something!" "Wh-what?! I do not have any rabbits!" The lizard-thing, to your shock, speaks, with the voice of a 10-year-old boy. "IT TALKS?!" exclaims Fluttershy, with a tone of joy, and Rainbow, with a tone of shock. "I'm not an 'it!' I'm a he! I'm Spike the Dragon!" You clear your throat, intending to ask the "dragon" a few questions. "So, Spike, where are we?" "I don't know." Huh. "What are you exactly?" "Beats me." "What was the name of this town before it was wrecked apart?" "How would I know...? Wait. I think it might be... ville?" "Just 'ville'?" "Hm... I don't think so. But that's all I got." "UGH! This thing's as useless as a rock. Let's ditch it." Rainbow complains. "WAIT! I don't know what you guys are doing here... but you'd better leave before the Shadows come! "What are the 'Shadows'?" You ask. "It's hard to explain... but they're bad news! At the very least, take this and go!" Spike says, handing you a Fake Sword. All of a sudden, you hear a strange noise, almost like a growl, and Spike runs in fear. "Run!" You shout to your friends, making a beeline for the exit. You pass through, but when you find yourselves in the town, it's overrun by strange beasts. Spike is in front of you, quivering, trying to escape from a slime-like monster. With the sword in hand, you slice it apart, with it exploding in red smoke. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Spike grabs on to your leg, sniveling and crying. Rainbow pulls him off. You find yourselves surrounded by the Shadows. You begin slicing some away, but more just keep on coming. Fluttershy faints, and even Rainbow is visibly panicking. It seems hopeless, until... You feel a sudden surge in power, and a feeling overtakes you, as if your very soul is being strengthened. Blue flames begin to surround you, but everything within you tells you this is nothing to be worried about. "Per..." The flames get stronger, and wind feels as though it's billowing beneath your feet. "So..." Nothing feels more right than this. It's as though you've been waiting your whole life to let this free... "NA!" The flames roar stronger then suddenly extinguish. You hear the sound of glass breaking, and what appears to be crystal shards spiral around you. An imposing figure floats above your head... I AM THOU THOU ART I FROM THE SEAS OF THY SOUL I COME I AM THE MASTER OF STRINGS, ORPHEUS "Holy shit..." Rainbow gasps. But your mind is elsewhere. As you begin slicing away at Shadows with your sword, Orpheus plays his lyre, surrounding the Shadows in fire. He even uses his instrument as a weapon, bashing some Shadows with it. {ATTACK}{AGI}{BASH} The shadows are incapable of attacking from behind. You can tell, you can feel, what is happening around you, even if you can't see it yourself. However, a particularly strong attack from one gets you, knocking you down. {ATTACK} -Critical!- Yet, as you lay there, unable to fight back, a miracle occurs, and you feel a change occuring within you... "PERSONA!" 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[/img] Orpheus transforms, and what's left is what appears to be a statue. {MEGIDOLAON} With one flick of its finger, the new Persona summons three spheres of pure energy, leaving no shadows remaining. And with that, Orpheus regains its original form. And then you fainted.
Prologue: Welcome to The Velvet Room, My DearYou awaken slowly, drowsy and confused, to find yourself sitting in a small chair, inside a rather spacious, rather blue elevator. Odd seeing as how you were wide awake just a moment ago. Not dwelling on that fact, you look around and see a man in a suit. She's smiling, and clasping his hands together. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear. My name is Igor. The young lady next to me is named Elizabeth." You suddenly notice another person besides Celestia and look right, to see, as she says, a girl with white hair and bright yellow eyes, wearing a strange dress. Igor speaks up again. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself?" A book and pen suddenly appears in your lap. It appears to be a contract of some sort... Something tells you that you should sign it. NAME: Lyra Heartstrings BIRTHDATE: November 28, 2001 Igor, still smiling, nods and begins to explain himself. "Now, you are probably confused, but do not be worried. We mean no harm. We seek only to aid you with the hardships you will face in the near future. "Hardships...?" You ask, hardly able to form words. "Do not be alarmed, dear. Nothing you can't handle. But, all will be explained in due time. Let it just be known for now, you'll need all the help you can get." The elevator stops, and your vision starts to blur. "Ah." He observes. "It seems we have reached your destination. We shall meet again very soon, of your own free will. Goodbye for now." Your vision blurs, and you feel as though you're being pushed backwards by some invisible force. You wake up on a train, having apparently dozed off, and it all comes rushing back to you. You are Lyra Heartstrings, a young woman from the city who is moving to the countryside to attend a boarding school in Ponyville. Ten years ago... That isn't relevant right now, what is important is that you've been living with relatives for the last decade or so, and this is no different. You only expect to be here for a year, maybe even a little less, before you go back to the city. "Now stopping in Ponyville." That's your cue. You gather your luggage and step off the train, breathing in the fresh air as you begin your new life.
