"A truly unjust game… What could this mean?"

Yusuke mixed more colors in response, furrowing his eyebrows until he was satisfied with the final color. Futaba was having more visions as of late. The gods typically visited in the waking hours when the sun was at its peak. They came and left like the wind, leaving questions which numbered the amount of sand grains in the desert in their wake. But lately, they were coming to the oracle in her slumber. They whispered of ominous things, of a bleak future, and a man in the center of it all. Futaba was beginning to develop a habit of muttering to herself, as if she was being haunted by vindictive spirits. Her eyes were bleary. Dark circles were beginning to form under her eyes like dark half moons. When spoken to, she was able to address the other party perfectly in conversation, but it almost seemed as if…

As if she were still stuck in the vision.

Yusuke usually spent a majority of the day ensuring that Futaba was safe. He patrolled the pyramids, verified that the barriers were untouched, and took care of any other tasks he was required to preside over. While protecting the oracle made up the core of his duties as a protector, Yusuke was also responsible for recording the oracle's prophecies and visions. It was a task fit only for him and him alone. As the oracle's closest companion, it was the protector's duty to see whatever the gods deemed fit for the blessed maiden.

So whenever Futaba had a vision, it was Yusuke who meticulously prepared his canvas and paints in order to bring every aspect of her sight to life. Futaba folded her legs and closed her eyes.

"This dream wasn't like any other."

She began to recollect the darkness which consumed her. The pitch blackness was so deep that Futaba initially wondered if she was dead. She had waited in that voidless space watching… wondering... waiting.

Until a small butterfly appeared…

You are held captive.

A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance.

This is truly an unjust game…

Your chances of winning are almost none.

But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…

I beg you.

Please overcome this game…

And save the world…

(prophecy of the oracle Futaba recorded in year xxxx)

Yusuke exhaled deeply as he set his brushes aside and waited for Futaba's approval. She surveyed the paintings with a critical eye before nodding her consent.

"You always paint everything to the last detail, Inari," Futaba commented admiringly as she adjusted the hem of her dress. "It's a little scary how you get it right every time."

A hesitant pause. And then:

"I'm glad you still paint."

"What are you worried about?"

"Ah you're completing ignoring my compliment! But y'know… in my dream, someone was talking about a game. In a game, there's other players, right? That's why I get the feeling this really wasn't a message for me. Maybe I'm supposed to tell someone this? But…"

She broke off, confused. Futaba had never been so concerned before. This was something to keep in mind.

Yusuke almost considered keeping guard in Futaba's room during the night. Yusuke couldn't do anything about the gods who spoke directly to her, but if there were any who chose to visit Futaba in person, there was a chance that he could at least do something. He fingered his katana, estimating the chances of success of a full-fledged Persona user driving off a god. They were almost laughably low. Still, he and Goemon made an excellent team, and his Persona was a full force to reckon with on its own. When he suggested the idea to Futaba, she stared at him with incredulous surprise before bursting out into laughter.

"Inari! That's very sweet of you! Ahaha!"

"..."

"It's okay, you know. I'll be alright. And you shouldn't think about driving off gods or anything. The wrath of heaven is a scary thing, Inari! This is the oracle's job too. "

"...What is that?"

"Oh this? Haru calls this a peace sign. It means everything will be okay. She taught it to me. You move your fingers like this and then… voila!"

"Like this?"

"Yeah!... But it sure does look weird when you do it."

"You just don't have an eye for anything of artistic value."

"Wha- Say that again! I dare you!"

While Yusuke's proposal was firmly turned down and forgotten in their banter, that didn't stop him from quietly requesting Haru to sleep with Futaba from then on later that afternoon.

The older girl was really the perfect attendant. Sweet, attentive, and clever; the young maiden was practically a godsend. Her upbeat and cheerful demeanor was incredibly infectious, brightening even the dreariest day. And that held incredible weight in the dark and gloom of the empty pyramids. Yusuke was sure that he would not have been so averse to living at the capital if half the courtesans and servants-in-waiting had demonstrated even a shred of Haru's sensibility.

Then again, she was an extremely unique individual.

The day he met Haru was the first time the pyramid's barriers collapsed. When Yusuke realized that the protective magic was fading, his first reaction was to enforce the barrier with stronger spells. Masukukaja… Thermopylae… Spells for evasion and camouflage… Spells for defense... He muttered the incantations over and over again, taking extra care to layer the spells. But the steadiness in his voice faded as he realized that some strange force was ripping the magic apart with ease. And in his surprise and momentary panic, Goemon roused himself in response to his master's chaotic feelings. Yusuke struggled to think. What was he going to do? He had to protect Futaba. He had to-

"Yusuke."

Futaba was looking up determinedly, unusually stern as she interlocked her gaze with his. The look in her eyes was so commanding that Yusuke kneeled, ready to listen and take whatever order she was going to issue. And in that small moment, he couldn't help but feel relieved that Futaba was with him.

"Yusuke, there is a young woman nearby- not too far away from here. She'll be approaching the pyramids soon. She's come a long way, and she's injured. Exhausted. Please, go and help her."

"But how do you know this? And the barrier-"

"We're not being attacked. The god who decided to take mercy on her is responsible for the barrier. He sends his apologies, but he's been guiding her path for quite some time now; he wants to make sure that she gets here safely. Can you do this Inari? I know it's hard to believe and all..."

"... I can. Are there any pursuers?"

"I… I'm actually not sure. I wasn't told anything about that. Um… I don't know. I'm sorry… It may be dangerous, but please help her!"

"And your identity? You are sure this isn't a trap? What if this god has blessed someone to come hurt you? "

"I don't think it is. And if anything happens then…"

"I'll find her. But if this is a trap, Goemon and I will take care of it. I'll be off now. Will you be alright by yourself?"

He was loathe to leave his liege by herself, but he had also sworn to obey her every order. And there was a person who needed help. If this turned out to be a farce then… Yusuke was prepared to do whatever he had to.

"Mm! I will be. Take care."

With that small reassurance, he set off. The desert was a strange place. A land barren of vegetation and water, it was meant to swallow any wandering traveler alive. One needed proper knowledge to navigate the sand dunes. For all his years living in the desert at Futaba's temple, Yusuke still needed to be careful when he went out. The mirages were enough to drive a man mad. He surveyed the land, tapping his shoulder impatiently when a thought suddenly came to his head.

How desperate was this woman to come into the desert?

Yusuke felt a shift in the sand and whirled around as Goemon whispered words of warning in the back of his mind. He managed to pull out his katana just in time to parry what would've been a heavy blow to the shoulder. In front of him was a heavily cloaked woman who was clearly fighting off exhaustion as she clenched her battle axe threateningly. Wry laughter escaped from Yusuke as he glanced at her face, shaking his head in disbelief when he glimpsed yellow eyes.

"Milady!"

"Goemon!"

Really, what were the chances that she was going to be a Persona user?

a/n: happy new year everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the new year so far, and I thank you for taking the time to read the oracle! thank you so much for the love you've shown already! I started off the new year with a NG run of P5 and two great movies which you guys should definitely check out if you can: along with the gods and coco! just a tad bit obvious, but do know that this story is going to heavily take things from the game whether it be skills, actual dialogue, or some parts of the plot itself!

also note/ yusuke does not have thermopylae but I decided to use it because... well, why not? ತಎತ I've also introduced haru, who is actually the loveliest and sweetest girl ever but is sadly neglected in the game esp since her confidant opens up so late ;a; she will be the first of the p5 cast to be introduced here in the oracle. I'm very excited to build upon her character in this AU and the dynamics she'll have with yusuke and futaba.

what do you think is going to happen next? I've ended this on quite the cliffhanger!

and please feel free to leave comments or any type of constructive feedback! that would greatly motivate me (◕ᴗ◕✿) curryandcoffee