Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 143

A small piece of text yet enough to leave them in a frozen state of shock. Swan couldn't believe it, hence why they were still standing there in shock. What… Does this mean? No, it’s not that hard to understand the meaning of this. And maybe that’s why it had left them in utter shock, in a trance. 

It was as if time was standing still for the next few minutes. They were trying to process just what they had read here, trying to take it all in at once. It was just so overwhelming, everything coming in rushing at once. Their body was continuing to tremble, when just thinking back on the words, all of them. 

‘ I must atone for my sins. ’

The death of the king, their father… It must have taken a toll on Sato–San, more than he may have led on. Even if they only knew him for so long. It made them think, debate, and take a second guess. Or even a third. Four maybe? Ah, they lost count. And even then would it really matter? The situation was right then and there. Even if it was presented as a story of a knight. And it could have been any knight but given from what they had been told, let alone what they had witnessed within the Palace itself… It was more than obvious who had written on this piece of paper. Not just that but the handwriting matched up perfectly, at least from what they had witnessed themself in that regard. What were they supposed to say, think even? This… This was just… It was all just—

“Oh my, you’re awfully quiet right now.” A familiar voice would once more echo in their ears, though it was almost jarring after the several moments of silence. They even turned around for a moment, a reflex, just in case anyone had snuck up on them, but nothing. There was no one around, just them and… Well… Pipistrello essentially. “Is something the matter?”

“W… Well—”

“Ah no, that was a trick question. Of course something’s up.” It was hard to tell just how sincere this being was when it had said such a thing. Once more saying it in a rather sing–sangy voice, humming to itself at this point. Yet for some reason it rubbed them the wrong way, more than it should have. It has been almost half a year now. They should be used to Pipistrello’s antics at that point. And they were but something about this in particular… “Care to share it with the class?”

They were hesitating, the voice was stuck. At least for a moment. After all, everything seemed to come crashing down at them, right back to the beginning. This Palace had already given them some chills yet it wasn’t until reading this piece of paper that it had really started to sink in. This was all more than obvious in the end, having their stomach twist itself, turn around several times. To think of it… 

“It’s my fault.” They mumbled, only hearing a quick ‘Hm?’ from Pipistrello’s voice. The curiosity slipped through, though the cackling even more. And yet they tried to ignore it, continuing with their speech. “This happened because I uncovered the truth.”

“Hmmm… It’s part of it.” Pipistrello agreed, pretending to think for one second, only to drop that bomb right onto them. Usually anyone would complain about this, say something like ‘You should say something different at a time like this!’ but honestly, that would just be twisting the truth. They had brought it up to begin with so what else was it supposed to do? It was the type to talk in confusing sentences mostly yet it was also never beating around the bush either. “Pulling the strings of a case believed to be solved out of nowhere~”

“Would this have happened if… I didn’t—”

“Talking in ‘ifs’ now, aren’t we? Oh my, oh my…”

“I’m just wondering! Because then—”

“What are you going to do?” Pipistrello interrupted, not even giving them a chance for anything. In fact it was almost creepy when they saw the figure plopping up right in front of them, only to float circles around them while moving like a snake. A snake floating in the air but a snake nonetheless. Not to mention the sudden hiss in its speech as it continued. “Go back in time and change the past? Find a way to travel through time and stop yourself from ever figuring out what actually happened? Are you going to deny yourself the truth?”

They looked down, trying to find a way to not have to look at the floating figure at hand. Yet as they were facing the stoney ground they suddenly saw Pipistrello plop up, first the top head, then its masked face. All saying this with this eerily smile on its mask. It then hopped more out of the hole, coming very close with its own face towards theirs. “You and your little iffies in your little head.”

“I can’t ask anymore? Is that—”

“I could give you the answer. But what are you going to do with it?” The figure backed off a little as they blinked, moving as if sticking out with its head inside a pool, only to move its body up back into full view, floating back in the air, up and down, in one space. “How useful do you think it will be?”

“W… Well…” They were put on the spot. A logic they couldn’t even argue with in the slightest. They had to admit as much. “I…”

“Are you going to keep dwelling in the past? If that’s what you want…”

Dwelling in the past? Huh!? They stared at it for a brief moment, almost in some type of shock. “A… Are you implying that I want to run!?”

“Oh no dearie, do not twist my words. As I said, you may choose. I am only going to be doing as I am told.”

“Then why—”

“It’s just something interesting I observed within you humans. That’s all~” 

And yet Swan wasn’t sure if it was potential mockery. It was super difficult to tell, not just because the being was wearing a mask all the time. It was just always talking like this, in a tone… Well… This tone. The tone which made it sound like a joke. Yet it was maybe the push they needed to say: “No, you’re right. There’s no use thinking about it. I have to act instead!” 

Yeah, that’s what they must do… Help Sato–San no matter what. Even if they were having such thoughts it would not help him in the long run. Not when the mission was so obvious from the get go… Though the surge of energy came rather sudden all the same. They were wondering why but— No, it’s a good thing. This shouldn’t become an issue whatsoever.

“Haha, good good. Then let’s solve this as quickly as we can, shall we?”