Work Text:
It had been five years since the Metaverse was destroyed.
Akira knew he would always miss that place, but it wasn’t as if all traces of it were completely gone. For one, he still had Morgana and Lavenza. After defeating Maruki, Morgana had expressed a desire to stay as a human alongside Akira, and they turned to the person who knew the most about the place: Igor.
More than pleased with the rehabilitation of his beloved trickster, Igor agreed to fulfil Akira’s wish, using the remnants of his magical connection to Akira in order to transform Morgana into a human boy.
Words couldn’t describe the joy Akira felt as he picked up his son - his son - and cuddled him close.
A few days later, Akira dreamt of the Velvet Room, as well as Lavenza, and he decided to return there one final time. Morgana greeted Lady Lavenza with a child-like joy, and Akira noticed an oddly pensive expression on Lavenza’s face.
“I brought you here to ask you a question,” she stated. “Igor has told me of a process where I might become human. It is called incarnation. If I were to become human, would you allow me to visit Morgana on occasion?”
Akira grinned from ear to ear. “Vinnie, if you became human, I could let you see Morgana every day. Heck, you could even live with us, if you wanted.”
“You would… do that for me?”
“Of course he would!” Morgana exclaimed. “Dad’s the best!”
With the tiniest smile on her face, Lavenza turned to Igor and accepted the terms of her incarnation.
It had been five years - almost exactly - since then, and Akira’s family was finally whole. At least, it felt that way at first, but he knew there would always be room in his family to grow while spending all the time he could with his beautiful wife Sumire, and their amazing kids. Lavenza was studying for her end-of-year exams, with plans to study law at University, and Morgana was raving about everything he was going to do now that he was thirteen.
Akira should have been content, but something kept gnawing away at him…
If only he knew what it was.
Akira would often have dreams involving his Personas. Some good, some weird, but unlike most people, it allowed him to remember his dreams more easily. Though Yaldabaoth may have offered to keep the Metaverse for Akira’s own enjoyment, it was these dreams now that gave Akira that euphoria of being a Phantom Thief he so dearly missed.
But there was one Persona who, rather than take him on fun adventures, would instead have more sombre moments with Akira.
Pixie, the first Persona Akira ever recruited.
He always had a certain bond with her because of that. Arsene was one thing, and always a joy to encounter, but something about Pixie was different. Sometimes she would talk about her life in Kamoshida’s Palace before Akira recruited her and how happy she was to join him. Through all the strange creatures, gods and goddesses, mascots, phallic imagery, and whatever the hell Hecatoncheires was, Pixie was the one who felt the most sincere to him.
She was young, or at least she acted young. Akira could never be sure exactly how old his Personas were, though he could sometimes guess with the more humanoid ones.
Pixie had a sort of youthful innocence about her that reminded him of a younger Morgana. While he and Lavenza grew older, Pixie never really changed. Because of that, Akira’s fondness for Pixie grew over the years, seeing her more and more.
One night, while Akira was fast asleep, he found himself in a woodland dell, with Pixie fluttering above him. “Akira?”
“Yes?”
Pixie looked a little nervous, her wings flapping faster than usual. “I have a question, but it might be a little silly,” she admitted.
“I’m sure it isn’t,” said Akira, sitting down in the grass. He patted the ground next to him, prompting Pixie to lower herself to the ground. “Go on, ask me.”
“Do you think I could be human one day, like Morgana and Lavenza?” Pixie asked, resting her head on Akira’s shoulder.
Akira put his hand up and patted Pixie on the head. “What got you to ask?”
“Well, after seeing the real world through your masks, I started wondering about what it would be like to live in your world.”
“I see… you always did come up when I was with those two, didn’t you?” Akira smiled at Pixie.
“Yeah. It’s so beautiful and surreal, and I feel like I could learn so much more about it if I wasn’t just a simple Persona.” Pixie picked at her wings, removing a fallen seed that had gotten stuck to one of them. “You understand that, right?”
Akira pulled Pixie close to him, giving her a calm, yet saddened look.“I wish you could be human, Pixie, I really do,” he sighed, “but without the Velvet Room - without Igor - I don’t know if it will be possible.”
“Oh…” Pixie looked deflated, her wings drooping. “Will you still talk to me? Even if I can’t be human like your children?”
Cuddling her close, Akira replied, “Of course. I’ll always make time for you, Pixie.”
The following morning, Akira was woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. Sleepily, he opened his eyes to see Lavenza standing over him. “Vinnie?” he mumbled. “It’s five in the morning. Go back to sleep.”
“Dad, I had a dream,” Lanvenza said, making Akira straighten up a little.
He was no stranger to Lavenza’s nightmares. Spending years trapped outside your own body was a traumatic experience, and Lavenza still hadn’t fully processed it all. “Was it a bad dream?”
Perching on the edge of Akira’s bed, Lavenza thought for a moment. “It wasn’t bad,” she said at last, “but it was strange. I dreamt about the Velvet Room again. Pixie was there too, and she said something about being human. I don’t really remember. Do you think we should visit the Velvet Room, just in case?”
Akira stood up, stretching a little. “That’s a good idea. I know Igor will have missed you.”
“He denies it, but I still think I was his favourite Attendant,” Lavenza said, grinning ear to ear.
“I’m sure you were, Vinnie.”
Though the rest of the Metaverse was long gone, the Velvet Room remained. Akira was always secretly thankful of this fact; Igor had become a close confidant of his over the years, so he was glad to have him around, even if they couldn’t visit him much.
Igor greeted Lavenza warmly as they entered the Velvet Room. Perhaps Lavenza was right about her being his favourite? Akira decided to not think about it too deeply, otherwise he might get jealous of Igor’s paternal affections towards his daughter.
At last, Igor turned his attention to Akira. “Greetings, Trickster. I have a proposition to make you.”
“Do I have to be rehabilitated again?” Akira teased, making Igor frown a little. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”
Igor laughed, just a little. “Quite right. In any case, I’ve called you here today to discuss a matter of great importance. One of your Personas, Pixie, has expressed a desire to become human. This is a complex process, and one that is rarely allowed to happen. However, I am willing to make an exception for you, Trickster, as long as you give Pixie a home.”
Akira couldn’t stop the smile that broke across his face. “Of course! I’d love to have her.”
“Very well…” Igor waved his hand over his desk, causing a book to appear upon it. “Lavenza, would you care to do the honours, for old time’s sake?”
“I’d love to!”
As Lavenza initiated the summoning process, she handed a Skill Card to Akira.
“Use this in the real world, and the process should commence.” Igor smiled warmly at the soon to be family. “It may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour for the transformation to be complete,” he added. “However, you should be able to feel the differences almost immediately.”
“Got it. Thanks as always, Igor.”
“It is my pleasure, Trickster.”
Watching Lavenza summon a skill card was an odd thing to see, but Akira could only focus on the excitement growing in his heart as he walked home, holding the card in his hand.
Pixie was going to be human.
Akira sat in his room, still holding the card. “Are you ready, Pixie?”
“Yeah, I can’t wait!”
Just as Igor said to do, he used the card, and Pixie appeared in the real world for the first time. “You came for me!” she cheered, fluttering over to hug Akira. “Am I going to be able to be human?”
“Hopefully,” said Akira, tearing the card, as Igor instructed. The card was the last thing connecting Pixie to the Velvet Room, so destroying it should begin to sever her connection to it, making her human.
“Can you feel anything, Pixie?” he asked.
“I…” Pixie covered her mouth upon speaking, both of them noticing her voice did not sound as echoey and distorted as it once was. “Yeah, I feel different.”
But even then, she still retained her appearance as a Persona. The transformation wasn’t even close to being over.
“Igor said it would take a while for you to transform. Give it time.”
Seconds in, Pixie began to flutter down next to Akira, and he asked her, “How does it feel?”
“It feels… nice.” Pixie said with a yawn. “It’s like my body is coming closer in contact with your world.”
Akira looked at Pixie’s back, and noticed something strange. Her wings. At the top of where they connected to her back was a tear. A fabric-like rip in her body. “Is it supposed to be doing that?”
“Huh?” Pixie prodded at her back, feeling the tear. “I think so. I’m just changing, that’s all. Can you please check on it for me during my metamorphosis?”
“Of course, Pixie.” Akira beckoned her over. “Come here.” Pixie made her way onto Akira’s lap, happy as can be with her subtle, yet magical changes.
Minutes passed, and soon, Pixie’s body had become less and less transparent. The tear on her wings grew, coming off slowly like an old sticker peeling away.
“How are you doing, Pixie?” Akira asked.
Pixie thought for a moment. “I think I’m mostly physical now, and my magic has started to fade too.”
“Are you okay?” Akira checked, not knowing if that felt good or bad.
“Yes, it’s like a soothing bath. My magical nature is simply being washed away.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “How are my wings?”
Akira looked over her shoulder. “They’re almost off.”
“That’s good…” Pixie whispered, resting her head against Akira’s shoulder.
Akira caressed her hair, and when he pulled back the hair near her ears, he spotted something new. “Your ears look rounder.” They used to have a fey-like pointiness to them, but those points had shrunken down, leaving normal, round ears in their absence.
Pixie gasped excitedly. “They do?”
Humming in agreement, Akira continued to stroke Pixie’s hair. A little less fey-like, a little more human. Bit by bit.
“I’m so close to being done, but admittedly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do once I’m human.” Pixie mumbled. “It’s making me a little nervous. Promise you’ll look after me?”
Akira pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you, just as I always have. You’re a part of me, and you always will be.”
“...okay. I love you, Daddy.”
Like cuffs being broken, Pixie’s gloves tore apart, the remains falling on the ground and vanishing. Moments later, Pixie’s wings finally detached from her back, fluttering away and disappearing into the ether.
Pixie let out a big sigh, the dust that used to be spread all around her now on the ground, with nothing left to indicate she was once a Persona.
She was finally human.
Pixie opened her eyes and looked at Akira with an innocent grin. “I have a new name. I’ve only remembered it now. My true name is Piko.”
Akira picked her up, taking in how small she truly was as a human. “Piko it is, then.” He carried her over his shoulder, and as Piko clung onto her new father, she fell fast asleep.
Admittedly, Akira was a little nervous that Sumire would be upset at him for impulsively adopting another magical child. It was really starting to become a pattern of his life…
Much to his relief, Sumire had been delighted to meet Piko when she came home from work, and while she was a little shy, Piko had heard enough about Sumire from Akira that she loved her already. Morgana was overjoyed to have a little sister, and was talking the ears off anyone who would listen, insisting that he was going to be the best big brother ever.
After settling his children down for bed, Akira took a picture of Piko to send to the group chat he had with his friends.
Ann replied almost immediately.
Ann: Is that PIXIE?
Akira: Maybe…
Akira: Her name’s Piko now, by the way.
Ryuji: Where did you get another kid from?
Akira: The Velvet Room.
Futaba: Of course you did…
Yusuke: She seems quite comfortable. Excellent work settling her in.
A minute or so later, Akira got a private message from Ann.
Ann: I’m taking her out for ice cream tomorrow.
Ann: No ifs ands or buts.
Akira: Very well. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to meet her aunt.
Pulling the covers tightly over Piko, Akira whispered goodnight to her, before creeping out her bedroom so he wouldn’t wake her.
His baby girl…
Even if she was Piko now, to him, she’d always be his little Pixie.