Chapter 1: Fiery Guardian of the Gates

Author's note: Oku's persona Tisiphone was based off of Soul Sacrifice's Iron Maiden and for some reason I can't describe her legs and feet very well so all I can say is look her up.

Disclaimer: I don't own shit; well I do own Oku Kasai and her persona.

It was about 11:40 at night and a girl was leaning up against the gates of Gekkoukan high school. She had an unlit cigarette hanging from the tip of her lips with no hope of being lit, since she couldn't seem to find her lighter anywhere.

"Damn it!" She cursed, "Did I really leave it inside the school?" She panicked.

The girl began to pace back and forth mulling over thoughts of what to do, "Should I even chance breaking in again? But I'll get in a shit ton of trouble if they find my lighter again… I CANNOT BELIEVE I DID THIS SHIT AGAIN!" She raged inwardly kicking her skateboard in anger.

After 10 minutes the girl finally calmed down, and found the resolve to break into the school once more. Why was she in the school in the first place you ask? Because she liked to skate in the halls and play a game of cat and mouse with the security guard but of course on that rare occasion she drops evidence that in turn earns her a disciplinary lecture from Kirijo-san.

The girl grabbed her board and slipped it into the stretchy bands on the front of her backpack specifically made for skaters. After securing her board, she scaled the gates and leapt over to the other side, once on the ground she looked behind her feeling a strange eerie atmosphere creeping up behind her. "Heh, it's probably nothing." She said uneasily forcing herself to move forward.

Wanting to get this over with, she grabbed her board and threw it onto the ground, then in one movement she hopped onto it keeping up the momentum. Only focused on getting to the door she didn't notice the tiny red zippo lighter on the ground with the name "Oku Kasai", carved into it. Oku slowly peered through the window looking for a flashlight beam sweeping the halls but didn't see one. "The window in the Teacher's Lounge should still be unlocked; I hope he isn't patrolling there."

Oku picked up her board and ran to the window; slowly and cautiously she slowly opened it. Finally open, she gently slid her board through and placed it on the ground and then she jumped inside taking care not to make unnecessary noise. Putting her board back into its secure place on her backpack, she made her way to the door but couldn't help but look back at the clock. 11:59 it read, and for some reason this made her feel really uneasy, "I really need to hurry up." She said shakily.

As soon as she stepped out of the Teacher's Lounge, the clock struck 12 and Gekkoukan high began to take on its second more sinister form, Tartarus. The room began to stretch and compress like a taffy making machine, "What the hell is happening?!" Oku cried as she tried to keep her balance on the unstable school's foundation. She looked around frantically for an exit but was only met with walls that were stretching infinitely higher, "What the fuck is this?!"

Seconds past and the building had finally stabilized, leaving a shaken and confused Oku on her knees and holding her head. Only silence filled the strange area, nothing more and nothing less just silence. "Is-is it over?" Oku thought, slowly standing up and taking a look around at her new surroundings. "This isn't school…what is this place?" Slowly walking through the giant blue room she noticed a hallway leading to another room "Is this some kind of dungeon?" Without any hesitation she continued on through the strange place.

Soon she had entered all the rooms of the floor but found no stairs, no access point, absolutely no means of escape. "You've gotta be kidding me? How the hell am I supposed to get out of here…Neesan is going to be so pissed that I've been out this late…Oh! I forgot I have my phone on me I'll just call her." Oku took her cell out of its designated patch on her backpack and to her surprise it was turned off and despite her best efforts it just wouldn't turn on. "Okay, now I'm starting to freak out, why can't I turn this damn thing on."

Oku was still fiddling with her phone completely distracted when a strange creature appeared from behind her. A black blob like creature with a blue mask giving the monster its face crept up on the distracted Oku. "You've gotta be kidding how the hell am I going to get of here now?!" She exclaimed in anger. After Oku's display of anger the creature took this as its chance to strike with a strange distorted roar it attacked the girl.

However something strange happened thwarting the creature's plans, a girl the same height, the same long night black hair, and the same school uniform, stood behind Oku from her shadow. The girl held the creatures mask in her hand and crushed it effortlessly then held her hand over her mouth allowing the black liquid to fall into her mouth as she swallowed it in satisfaction.

"Mm, these creatures really are something of a delicacy if I do say so myself." The girl said in a distorted voice.

Oku turned around and leapt away from the girl, "Wh-who are you? Why do you look like me?"

"Can't you recognize your own shadow? Can't you recognize yourself?!" The shadow asked breaking out in to a hysterical bout of laughter.

"Wait…you're my shadow?"

"You gain your composure quite quickly, I was hoping to play a game of how can I unnerve myself more."

"But…I'm me and you are me too? But you have yellow eyes…"

"It's sort of a trademark of a person's Shadow, the only difference is that I know I am not the original and I will never be." Shadow Oku said almost solemnly.

"I'm sorry but I don't follow…"

"Shadows want to be real, and they will do whatever it takes to become so, unfortunately that is the downfall of a person's shadow. Like I said earlier I know the rules, I will never become the original but perhaps I could strike a deal with the original." Shadow Oku smiled a sinister grin waiting for Oku's response.

"Deal? What kind of deal?" Oku asked feeling strangely intrigued.

"While you were turned around you were about to be attacked and I protected you, I offer my protection, but in return I want to be the original at midnight every time it is the week of a full moon."

Oku chewed on the thought for a while, "When you say offer your protection what do you mean?"

"Explaining it all would take a lifetime so how about I show you…" Shadow Oku's body began to change. Her body grew and became clad in a rusty black armor, her skin was a steel grey, her hair grew all the way to the back of her knees and became a fiery orange which licked exactly like flames, she had a pair of giant demon like wings but they were bound to her back with chains, her arms were crossed in front of her secured by chains covering a giant hole in her chest, her eyes were wrapped in bloody bandages but what could be seen of her face was stunningly gorgeous, around her waist she wore a worn white cape covered in blood, and she had muscular thighs and at the knee her legs slimmed like a cone making her feet sharp points. Floating behind her was a giant scythe; the giant blade was crimson covered in dingy bandages and barbed wire.

"I am thou, and thou art I. I am Tisiphone the fiery guardian of Tartarus; I shall guard you as I have guarded the gates." Tisiphone spoke with a surprisingly melodic voice.

Oku felt strangely exhausted at seeing her shadow transform into this…well thing. "I don't know why but I feel like we are connected … shit maybe we are, if I have you protecting me from well whatever I need protection from you are definitely the one for the job. Tisiphone, you got yourself a deal." Oku finally gasped her body felt so heavy and breathing became laborious.

Tisiphone knelt down on one knee and lowered her head as if showing Oku her gratitude; she disappeared soon after leaving a card in her wake. Oku, exhausted, mustered all he strength she could and reached out to grab the blue card with a mask on the back, she turned it around to see a skull and the word "Death" flashed in her head giving Oku a headache.

"This is uh, one of those, damn what were they called again? Carrot cards? No wait Tarot cards! Nee-san told me about these when I was a kid." Oku recounted as she gazed upon the grim looking card, the longer she stared the fuzzier her head felt. Then a disgusting taste filled her mouth, her eyes and nose began to burn she thought she was going to vomit but nothing came up. (Well nothing natural that is.) Black goop began to ooze from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth like a faucet. The thick viscous liquid was making it hard for the girl breathe for she gasped desperately for air, "Accept it and it shall taste sweet." Tisiphone's melodic words echoed through her head.

"Accept that you are no longer the original nor are you the shadow."

Oku screamed in distress as the liquid continued to pour out of her, she stumbled over to one of the many red puddles on the ground and forced open her once black eyes, and saw that her right eye was now yellow. "Change what a glorious thing wouldn't you agree?" Tisiphone giggled.

Oku fell into the crimson puddle and stared at her reflection choking on the black goop and before she knew it she was out cold.

When she came too she was on the cold concrete of the walkway leading to the school doors. She was next to her lost zippo; she slowly trailed her eyes to the tiny red lighter. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." She said weakly. Oku grabbed it and pulled to her, but the reflection wasn't the one she was expecting to see it was Tisiphone, and her haunting yellow eyes. "I guess I can't just write this off as a dream."

"Bzzt bzzt bzzt" Oku's phone began to vibrate bringing her back to reality it was her neesan calling. "Oh great, just what I need a midnight lecture." She sighed lying flat on the ground on her back.

"Hey neesan." Oku answered tentatively

"Don't hey nee-san me do you know how late it is Oku?! It's 2:00 in the morning! What on earth are you doing out this late?!" Oku's neesan yelled.

"Uh, extracurricular work for school?" Oku lied terribly.

"You and I both now that isn't true, come home Oku I'm worried so is okaasan and you know how difficult it is to calm her down!"

"Ouch…I'll be home as soon as I can Rei-neesan." Oku answered feeling guilty for putting her big sister through unnecessary stress again.

"Okay then sweetie, be safe and come straight home!" Rei said before hanging up.

Oku let the phone drop on the ground and continued to lay there, "Well at least I found my lighter," She began as she slipped a cigarette into her mouth and lighting it. "Maybe things'll make since tomorrow…well maybe."

This chapter probably sucked but the next ones will get better this was just the beginning of course, I'll explain what Oku looks like the next chapter and the main Persona 3 cast will be there too.

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