03/20/2011
" You have defeated me, congratulations. " said Izanami, lying weakly on the ground. " You have chosen the fate of your world in defeating me, therefore, I will let your world live the fate you decided." Everyone smiled, happy to have finally put an end to it. There will no no murder anymore and the TV World will return to its peaceful state. " However, " Izanami told again, " I will not die without making you pay the price of killing a god..." She disappeared into flames, leaving ashes afterwards.
" What did she mean by 'making you pay the price of killing a god' ? " Asked Rise, turning to face the others as they all made a circle.
Seta fell to his knees, panting heavily, alarming everyone. " I'm alright, " He said between big breaths. " I'm just..." He breathed another deep breath," feeling exhausted."
" That's normal, after what you've just done, partner. " smiled Yosuke, proud taking the place of his worries.
"Let's go back into our world, there is no need for us to be here anymore. " Naoto declared, a hand on her hip, looking at the ashes of the dead God.
" You're right. " Yukiko agreed with a smile. " Yosuke-kun, Kanji-kun, could you please help him to walk ? "
" Sure. " Kanji replied, helping his senpai onto his feet.
They began to move on towards the way they arrived, glad that it was finally over, but stopped as they heard something.
" They always leave. I'm always left alone. " a deep voice said from nowhere.
" Who said that ?! " Yosuke alarmed asked, looking behind him.
" They always do. They always leave me, no matter what. I just couldn't take it anymore. That's why I tried to leave everyone. " the voice said again deeply.
" It sounds like a shadow's voice.." said Rise. She saw their leader with a weird expression on his face. " Senpai ? Are yo-"
" That's not true..." Seta said lowly, looking at the floor and making everyone look at him.
" You know it is. They've always left you, humiliated you, they've always hurt you, everyday." the voice again spoke. " That's why you wanted to end it all. Tha-"
" Shut up ! That's not true ! " screamed the leader, falling onto his knees with his head in his hands.
" But that is true." the male voice paused. " All that blood you shed wasn't enough, they found you before you could finally end it all. "
" STOP IT ! " screamed again the grey-haired, tears in his eyes and gripping his grey hair tightly.
" Are these... Senpai's real thoughts ? " asked Naoto to no one in particular. " They are confusing.."
" Why still denying the truth ? " the voice spoke again. They could hear a smirk in his voice.
" Please...stop..." The leader pleaded, crying.
" I thought Senpai didn't have another self..." Rise spoke lowly to herself.
" You are but a mere weakling into this world. That's why you've tried to end your life. " the smirk in the voice was still there.
" It can't be true... Senpai couldn't have tried to kill himself..." Rise said wide-eyed, as were the others.
" First, the hanging. Your mother found you and saved you. You told her it was an accident. The fool, she believed you. "
" No..." crying, Seta held his head more strongly, almost trying to tear his hair.
" Then, the gun. Your father always had a gun at home, but yet again, they found you. As the liar you are, you made an excuse. "
"..." The grey-haired teenager was still crying.
" Then, the last try. It would have been successful, if that bitch haven't found you. The knife was sharpened for that very purpose had cut your wrists so easily. "
" STOP IT ! SHUT UP ! " Seta yelled, the loudest scream he ever did in his life. He surprised everyone. Their leader has always been a calm and compostured person that hardly looses his temper.
" Still denying, always denying the truth. These scars you see everyday on your wrists will never leave you. You will always remember how of a weakling you are ! " a black hole appeared before them, and a Seta with yellow eyes came out. He had a white ragged shirt that showed marks on his neck that bled. His arms were skinnier and the scars on the wrists were bleeding with stitches that were, most of them, hanging loosely. His clothes were bloody almost everywhere as were his skin and hair. The shadow's hair was longer, hiding most of his eyes. " Accept the truth, I am you, and you are me. "
" YOU ARE NOT ME ! " screamed helplessly the leader, losing his composure completely.
" Being called leader, senpai and sensei, how wonderful is it. How great it is to be accepted by people, and being considered as stronger than them. It is better than being called an emo, fag-"
" STOP IT ! " screamed again Souji.
" Senpai, you need to face your real self, like we all did. " warmly said Kanji, a hand on his shoulder. " We all know it's hard, but we all managed. "
" ... " The grey-eyed looked at the floor, tears stopping slowly.
" We do know your shadow is darker than were ours, but you are not alone and we will still be with you, no matter what happens. We are friends. " Naoto warmly said, looking deeply into his eyes.
" How wonderful it would be to believe these words we heard so many times. These are just lies, they always leave. EVERYONE ALWAYS LEAVES ! "
" Bullshit ! " yelled back Kanji. " If we were to leave you, we would have never stayed with you in the first place ! We would have never trusted you with our lives ! You saved us all from ourselves, it's our time to repay back all you've done for us. "
Suddenly, the shadow grew more and more stronger.
" Everyone back up ! We gotta be careful guys, he is the strongest shadow we ever saw. " Rise said worried. " He is way stronger than Izanami. " Gasps were heard afterwards.
" We're screwed without him, he's the one that gives order and tells us what to-" complained Yosuke. " Partner ! What are you doing ?! "
Seta rose up to his feet, and walked towards his inner self. " No need to fight, " he was a few meters away from his dark side. " I just gotta accept the fact..." he looked up into the eyes of his shadow. " ... That you're me. And I'm you. Yes, the people I knew always left me and I've been bullied everyday. I indeed tried to kill myself, too. That's why my parents sent me here, to meet new people. I've never believed that anyone could stay with me for a long time. I still believe you guys will forget me after I leave. " he sighed and closed his eyes. " That's the truth that haunts me everyday since so long.."
Everyone was chocked and couldn't say a word, wide-eyed. The one they knew always so calm had lost and he composed himself back to normal in such a short time. They couldn't believe such a great person could bear such a dark and painful past.
" It took you so long to accept that you're a coward weakling. " smiled his inner self, transforming into the ultimate Persona : God*.
" Senpai ! " Rise hurried to him and he only had the time to turn to face them before he was being hugged by the idol. She was crying and circled her arms around his waist. " Why... " she mumbled. " How can such a person as you do that ? How could they do that to you ? " he put his arms around her and hugged her back.
Everyone but Naoto came closer and they made a group hug. She stayed near, but didn't join.
" Don't ruin the moment and join, Naoto-kun. " smiled Yukiko.
The blue haired awkwardly tried to join, but Rise helped her and made her hug the leader's waist too. They stayed there, like that, for a little while.
" We will never forget you, partner. You've changed us all forever. " warmly said Yosuke.
" I will visit in my vacations, holidays and when I will be near, Senpai. " Rise told him.
" We will not leave you, you're too important sensei. " Teddie assured him.
Seta really felt like he needed to believe in their words, like if it was really the truth for once. He trusted their words, and felt a warmth in his chest. The grey-haired felt like the hole in his chest and heart was closed and filled up with so much comforting warmth.
But will it last...?
Will they forget him while he is back to his home, far away ?
Are their bonds as unforgettable as they say... ?
TO BE CONTINUED (maybe)
Thank you for reading :) I wrote this after finishing for the second time the game on the PS2. I wanted to wait for the true ending of the anime before posting it. OMFG I WAS RIGHT WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE HIS SHADOW:DThere might be another chapter someday, but I don't know yet. If you have ideas for another chapter, you can tell me
Feel free to review or not :)