Part 95: 12/6/11

12/6/11

Another night interrupted by the Velvet Room, but this time something was… different.

VIDEO- "Ted"

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> This…
> It seems that you've come to the Velvet Room in your dreams again…
> But something is different this time… You don't see Igor or Margaret…
> Teddie is sitting here, not noticing your presence…
Where… am I…?
Sensei? Why are you here…?

How do I answer a question that I'm asking myself every time I show up in this place?



I see… How mysterious…
There are so many things I don't know about.
But I did realize something…
I've been thinking all this time… about who I really am.
But I couldn't find the answer… I was "no one" from the start…
Humans live in the other world, and Shadows live in this world…
From the beginning… that's all there was to it.
I was just a Shadow in that world…

I was concerned with what Teddie was saying, but I was more concerned that he come home.



You're always so kind, Sensei…
I figured something out…
That day at the hospital, I realized that I really can't do anything.
As soon as I thought that, I lost consciousness… Then when I woke up, I was inside the fog.
Shadows can't stay in the human world… They aren't allowed.
I walked and walked, but there was nothing all around me…
Just when I started thinking that I couldn't go anywhere, I heard the noise of a car…
And then I was here…
I remember lots of things now…
My world is a place shaped by human thoughts…
One day, a Shadow living in that world awakened to human emotions.
But humans and Shadows are completely different entities…
So he made himself forget that he was a Shadow…
He wanted to forget…
He wanted people to like him…
And that's how he came to look like this…
I really am stupid…
What the other Teddie said before… In the end, it was all true.
No matter how much I searched for myself, I have no self…
There was no me to begin with…

How could Teddie have been the same as the Shadows we've been fighting?



It would've been better if I had never remembered, but I did…
I'll… probably turn back into a regular Shadow soon…
Oh yeah, Sensei.
One day, when you meet Nana-chan in heaven… Apologize for me…
Tell her… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything…
Tell her I'm really sorry…

Even if he was, though, he needed to know the truth.



Huh…? R-Really!?
> You told Teddie about how Nanako came through.
Nana-chan's…
Wow… That's wonderful…
I'm so glad…
Glad that I could at least hear that…
Heehee… My heart feels so much lighter now… I'm starting to feel sleepy…
What a strange place… It feels so soothing…
It's not like my world… Something just feels so nostalgic about this place…
Could this be your dream world, Sensei…?

That's probably as good a description as Igor's ever given me.



Aha…
But… I wonder why I met you here…
What am I supposed to do now…
Let's move on together.
But… I don't know what to look for or how to find it…
No matter how hard I think, there's too many things my little brain can't understand…
But I do understand one thing now… I'm glad that I met you, Sensei.
> You can sense Teddie's pure and deep gratitude.

I was already getting even more worried about him.



I just had to trust that Teddie would come to his senses and return.



But I have to get going…
This is your place… It doesn't seem like somewhere that I'd be allowed to stay…
Goodbye… Sensei…

The world flashed, and the Velvet Room's familiar inhabitants were revealed.



Hmm… It seems the words in your memory weren't the only things you summoned here.
This is a room for guests who have an ego that can be nurtured…
Shadows-mere fragments broken off from the ego-have no place here.
The water's strength has moved a single stone that had stopped, returning it once again into the flow…
*chuckle * Very interesting.
> Igor has a meaningful smile on his face…
Well, now… It's about time we departed once again.
This vehicle is still on its journey… There is no reason to tarry here for long.
…Margaret?
We're ready to go. Let us depart.
*chuckle * You are every inch the guest I had anticipated.
Now, it's time for you to return.
*chuckle * I am even more intrigued now as to where this is all headed.
We'll be waiting for your next visit.

I woke up, and headed down to Junes to meet up with the others.

VIDEO- "Return"

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No, and no one's seen him either.
Ooh, that annoying little furball! Just when we're at a turning point in the case, too!
We have no choice. Let's pursue Adachi for now.

The fog in the TV world was thicker than ever, and we couldn't find Adachi.



What the…? There's this malicious aura everywhere… It feels completely different from the last time I was here…
I think we'd better hurry.
Give me a sec to try finding Adachi.
Does this mean both this world and ours are getting messed up?
Our glasses work on the fog on the other side. It can't be normal…
And I heard more people are falling ill because of the fog.
I wonder what's going to happen.
I sense him! Adachi's definitely in here!
Are you serious!? Which way!?
Hold on…
So he did come to this side…
Well, that settles it. There's virtually no doubt remaining that he's the true culprit.
Once we capture him, solving the mystery of this world and the rest of the case can't be far behind.
Then… maybe we'll find out where Teddie came from, too.
Man, where is that bear, anyway…?
Well… I can say for sure he's not here.
And I know Adachi is here, but I can't track him down myself…
Gee, Ted! Why aren't you here when we need you most!?

Meanwhile…



……
I see…
I… came back…
But it really doesn't matter... I'm completely useless…
Nana-chan… I'm so sorry…
Teddie…?
It is you… Teddie…
I heard… your voice…
You said… hang in there…
I heard… my big bro… and everyone else, too…
N-Nana-chan!?
Hold on, I'll get the doctor!
Doctor: It seems she's asleep again…
U-Um, Nana-chan told me that she heard my voice…
She heard me say, "hang in there"…
Doctor: It could be that her frankly miraculous recovery was because everyone's voices reached her.
Even unconscious people are capable of hearing other's voices.



Everyone…
Doctor: In any case, there are too many things we don't understand about her condition and what caused it…
We're doing our best, but it's difficult when everything about her illness is a total unknown.
Unknown…
Doctor: Well, if anything happens, please send for me…
If I'm an unknown being, then the way I can change is unknown, too…
So all I have to do… is make them not-unknown.
Nana-chan's doing her best… Sensei and the others are probably fighting now too…
I…
I'm just a Shadow, but Nana-chan cheered up when she heard my voice…
So what if I'm just a Shadow…!? There must be something I can do!
I can't just give up thinking about things…
That's why I came back here. Right, Nana-chan…?





> Kinotki-Douji has transfigured into Kamui!
Right! I need to get back to the others!
Hang in there, Nana-chan. I'll be back soon!

No matter how hard Rise tried, she just couldn't seem to find Adachi.

VIDEO- "Ted's Secret"

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Rise-chan…
If only Teddie was with us…
Didn't he say his nose is practically useless now? Could he even help us find that bastard?
Haha, nope. He'd be no help at all.
But he was always there to support me whenever…
That bear's a loudmouth, but he's nice to have around. He's always so full of energy…
He's lighthearted, and always optimistic…

Rise's strength was starting to give out, and we had to stop for the day.



The fog's so dense… It's hard to see through it…
Why don't we call it a day? It won't do us any good if you collapse.
I agree. If Rise-san became fatigued, even if we found Adachi, our capacity in battle would be reduced.
Moreover, it's almost nighttime… We should return to our world for the present.

We headed back out to Junes, feeling defeated.



I know he's in there, too…
What's wrong with me…? My powers are completely useless…!

But it's always darkest before the dawn.



Y-Y-You little… Where the hell were you!?
I-I'm sorry…
You idiot! Bad bear! Bad!
You're so late! Who do you think you are!?
*sob *
U-Um, R-Rise-chan…
Are you faking?
No, stupid!
S-Sorry…!
I want to help you all again.
You know how much trouble you caused, y'dumb bear!? Where the hell were you!?
I'm sorry…
I figured out a lot of things… Stuff about me… and that world.
I wanted to tell you all…

Teddie laid out all the things he'd told me in the Velvet Room to the group.



> That he was only a Shadow…
> And that though he was at his wit's end, he was able to come back to your world…
A Shadow…? You mean you're one of those things we've been fighting?
Yup… just like the ones you all know about.
Shadows are suppressed human thoughts given form…
Everyone has them inside.
Wait… You say you're a Shadow, but you didn't attack us.
And you kept telling us from the start that you wanted to bring peace and quiet back to that world, right?
But in the end… I was just an ordinary Shadow. Nothing special about me at all.
I did everything I could until now to try and make my world peaceful…
But instead, the weird fog started seeping out into this world too…
I'm sorry… I'm really sorry. If I really was special, then maybe…
It's no big deal.
I mean, we weren't expecting much from you in the first place.
And about you being a Shadow, we pretty much figured you were something like that anyway.
Huh…?
Wh-What're you saying!?
Here I am, pouring my heart out to you, and you say you thought I was something like that anyway!?
No normal person would think such a pretty bear could really be a Shadow!

Teddie was more worried about it than we were I think.



It's true that you may have been born that way.
But you now possess the power of Persona.
A Shadow is suppressed power… Once controlled by the ego, it becomes a Persona…
Doesn't it follow, then, that you must have developed an ego?
Whether the ego masters its Shadow, or the Shadow awakens to its ego…
The only difference I see is the order in which the process occurred.
Oh! Teddie's practically human, then.
I-I'm… the same as humans…?
You keep trying to figure out who you are, just like all of us here.
You can't do much on your own… You really aren't that special… See? What's so different between you and us?
*sniff *
Raaaaaaaaawr!
Th-Tha… Thank you…
I-I'm so glad… I met you guys…
the rest of us were pretty much a group of misfits to begin with too, right?
You fit right in, man.

Yosuke's started talking in the plural, it worries me.



Isn't that just you, Senpai?
Hey… That's not something a detective would say… Or an idol, either!
Geez… Stop crying, will ya? Now's not the time for that.
While you were gone, we figured out who murdered the announcer and Senpai…
It was Adachi.
Huh!?
Adachi!? That total goofball!?
Whoa… I didn't notice at all. Looks like I'm pretty blind to that sorta thing…
Mmm…
But you all know him… If you can't find someone like that, I don't think I can help you…
Like I said, we're not expecting much from ya.
The main thing is, it's hard to get pumped about this without someone nice 'n fuzzy around.
Yeah, what Kanji said.
O-Okay…
Thanks, guys…
Alright, now that the band's back together, let's take it from the top, starting tomorrow!
It's been a while, but I'll do my best to look for him too! Leave it to Fuzzy!
> You've taken another step toward the truth…

Now there's no way we can lose.



We're going back in tomorrow, we'll find Adachi for sure.

Next Time on Persona 4: A Twisted World