A/N: For the sake of brevity, and to increase flow of dialog, I will be using a key to indicate who is speaking. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
No Symbol... Yosuke's Shadow
#... Izanagi
$... Nestis
Thank you for understanding. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the reviews.
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Chapter 11: And Something is born
Friday, April 15, 2011
"Boohoo. I feel so sorry for myself."
Willing myself to turn, I stare in total confusion at the source of the voice. Right in front of me is another identical Yosuke, down to the headphones. The only difference is his face. Where Yosuke tends to have a goofy look, this one has a gaze of pure hatred, with a healthy dose of scorn and sarcasm mixed in. The look wasn't just for the original Yosuke: it seemed like it was for all of us.
"Actually, I'm the one who thinks everything is a pain in the ass. Hahaha..."
Okay, someone tell me this is normal, or that this is just a dream. Just anything to make some sense of this! Teddie doesn't do much to reassure me.
"T-Two Yosukes?" And here I thought Teddie would be useful. Silly me. The real Yosuke rushes over to stand in front of his copy.
"W-who are you? I-I wouldn't think like that!" The copy snickers, gesturing wildly.
"Ha! Yeah right. How long do you intend to delude yourself? You're sick and tired of everything! Junes, school, and this damn city!"
Really? I suppose I wasn't the only one who felt that way. But are these Yosuke's feelings? What exactly is this thing standing in front of us?
"W-What are you saying? I don't think..." Yosuke is panicking. He looks both scared, and angry. But why? If this isn't what he thinks, why is he getting upset?
"You put on a good show of being happy-go-lucky and carefree because you're so afraid of being alone. All these years, and you haven't made a single friend to count on, isn't that right? You wear those headphones so you can drown out the feeling of isolation with your pathetic music."
"Shut up! I'm not weak! This isn't what I think!"
"Yeah? Well I know better. Saki? The girl you were so sweet on? Hah! You just clung to her because you thought she was weak enough to need you! Tell me, what's the real reason you came here? For her sake?"
"Of course it was! I wanted to find out what happened to her!" Despite his protests, Yosuke isn't looking at his doppelganger, but instead at his feet.
"Again with the lies. You came here for her sake? The real reason is that you thought that this world was the perfect opportunity to escape from all of it! And hey, if it all worked out, maybe you could even be a hero!"
"S-Stop it!" Yosuke is slowly but surely starting to sweat. And what's more, this thing's speech is hitting too close to home for Yosuke. He's clenching and relaxing his hands without noticing.
"Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting a bunch of bullshit? OR maybe I DO know everything that you're thinking? Why's that? Because I AM you!"
Is this true? Then everything that Yosuke said was a lie? Then why did he bring me here! For his own amusement? This isn't a joke!
"N-No, that's not... true." Yosuke is barely whispering now.
"A world inside a TV! How interesting! How different! Maybe this world will be different from the old one! Maybe I can find a meaning here instead of there! Face it. You're just running from yourself."
That's something even I can understand. I guess the only difference is that I know that I'm running away from confrontations.
"What are you? Who are you?" Yosuke is now glaring at this copy as if trying to will it out of existence.
"I already told you. I am you!"
"You're not me! You're nothing like me!"
# 'Souji, you had better stop him.'
'Gah!' I was so focused on what was happening right in front of me that I forgot that I was still here. What did Izanagi mean?
# 'If you allow him to continue, two will regret it.'
'But what am I supposed to say? I don't think he's even paying attention to his surroundings. Besides, why should I say anything? Because of him, I got dragged into this! Otherwise I could have been safe at home, instead of being here fighting those damn monsters!'
# 'I see. Very well then.'
Izanagi falls quiet. I turn back just in time to see Yosuke's shadow laughing.
"Yeah, that's right. Say it again!"
"YOU'RE NOT ME! YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE ME!"
At that very second, I swore I could see what looked like a triumphant smile on the shadow's face. He starts chuckling.
"You're right. I'm not you. Not anymore. Now I'm me. And there really isn't any room for a pathetic original, wouldn't you agree?"
"Woah!" I suddenly remember that Teddie has been there the entire time. "Sensei! This isn't good! Shadows are gathering together!"
The second he finishes, everything goes absolutely insane. Yosuke's shadow starts bulging outward as a hundred shadows get sucked into him. The wind caused from all these shadows merging starts shattering glass and the whole place gets saturated with the strong smell of sake. At the same time, Yosuke hits the ground, apparently having passed out. I try to cover my face, but the shattering glass manages to nick my cheek, and I can feel blood slowly starting to ooze down.
I need to escape! But as I look for the exit, it's gone. And then the ground shakes.
# 'This is the reason why I said you should have intervened.'
What? I don't want to look up, but I do so. And immediately wish I hadn't. Right in front of me is some giant monstrosity, far larger than those globs were. A mixture of a giant frog with an evil grin plastered on its face, and a man, completely black, with a red scarf around his neck. And what's worse is that it seems like this monster is now focused completely on me.
"I am a shadow, the true self! I'll crush everything that annoys me! Starting with you!"
The shadow jumps and hits the ground. Next thing I know is that the shock wave slams into me, and I get launched into one of the fridges. I can distinctly hear what sounds like a rib cracking.
"Arghh!" I hit the ground, and place a hand over my chest. It hurts! I can't even move.
# 'Now you are caught, and must fight if you wish to live.'
'Why didn't you warn me that this would happen? All you told me to do was stop him! I had no way of knowing this would occur!'
# 'I am not here to baby you or hold your hand. You decided to remain quiet. You made a choice, and now you must accept the responsibility for the consequences of that choice. Or have you forgotten the contract you signed?'
What contract? I can't remember anything like that! Someone, anyone, get me out of here, please!
"Sensei, look out! It's attacking again!" Teddie's voice rings out. "Guard yourself!"
I immediately shield my head, and the next thing I know is that another gust of wind hits me. This time however, it doesn't hurt nearly as much. I raise my head to see the shadow raising one of his hands to crush me.
# 'Move boy.'
I throw myself to the right, skidding into a pile of boxes, just as the hand smashes into the ground right where I was standing, leaving a massive crater. I'm panting, my ribs hurt, and I have no hope of surviving.
# 'Once more, it seems I have to assist you.'
Once again, that word, Zio, pops up in my mind. I reach out, and a card appears in my hand. I smash it, and Izanagi appears once more.
"ZIO!"
The bolt hits the shadow! And what's more, it goes down!
"Sensei, that shadow has the same weakness as the ones from before. You can win this!" Teddie yells from the corner where he is hiding.
Okay, I've got it down. Now what?
# 'There are other abilities that can be used. See if there's one you can use.'
I look, desperate for anything. Apart from zio are two other abilities: Cleave and Rakukaja. Please let this work!
"RAKUKAJA!"
Instantly, I feel different, like there's some strange wall in front of me. I can survive this.
"Look out, it's getting back up!" Teddie is panicking.
The shadow gets up, and swings his fist. I can't avoid, and he catches me. Only this time, it doesn't hurt nearly as much, and I stand my ground.
"You think you can live through this? I'll show you that you can't win!"
Okay, I've tried Zio and Rakukaja. What else is left? Cleave? What other options do I have?
"Cleave!"
Izanagi appears, and swings his sword, hitting the shadow, which screams in pain. At the same time, something inside me also weakens, like I've been drained.
"Keep at it Sensei! You've almost got it."
"Don't get so arrogant, you little piece of trash!"
Another fist is coming my way. I dive once more, only to end up directly underneath him.
# "This is your chance to end this before you are hurt any further. Hit him with your weapon, and cast my lighting at the same time!"
I do as Izanagi says, and slam the club into the underbelly of this monster frog, and yell 'ZIO' at the same time. What happens next is something I was completely unprepared for.
Instead of the lightning hitting the creature from above, the lightning runs down the length of the club, and connects into the underbelly. And instead of instantly dissipating, a continual arc from me to the shadow is created, traveling down the club.
"ARRRGGGHHH!"
The shadow screams! And I can hear another voice, though very faintly, screaming as well. My hand is starting to burn, and the club is melting.
# 'Endure! You must!'
Just when I think I can't handle it anymore, and I'm about to release the club, the shadow lets out one last piercing cry, and collapses into some type of goo, completely drenching me.
"Sensei, are you alright? Sensei!" I can't hear anything over the sound of my own heart beating, sounding like it's about to explode. Teddie runs over, and holds out a paw. I realize however, that he's looking directly down at me, as I'm on the floor. I can't feel my right hand. As I look at it, I realize that there's a smoldering piece of iron next to it. As my senses slowly return, I figure it out: that lump is the golf club. The lightning must have melted it. The voice I heard before? Mine. And then the pain hits.
"AHHHH!" I'm screaming, as my hand finally registers what's happening. I look down, squinting through the tears that are welling up on my face, and realize that my palm is completely burned black, and I think I can even see the muscle underneath. Oh please, kill me now! This pain is too much!
# 'You did well. You showed fortitude in a time of crises. I will aid you now. There is a bottle of medicine in your pocket. Use it.'
How can medicine help me? Where did it even come from? I grab my pocket with my left hand, and sure enough, the outline of a bottle is present. I pull it out. There's no writing, only a blank label. The top pops off, almost as if responding to my thoughts, and I swallow two pills as quickly as I can. What happens next completely floors me.
As if by magic, the wounds on arm are starting to heal! The skin is repairing, and the pain is disappearing. In less than a second, my right arm is back to normal! I try to flex it, and sure enough, I can use it again. I gingerly use it to get back up, leaning on Teddie, as I'm still exhausted.
# 'Good to see that you have regained use of your arm. That fight was useful, in more ways than one as it seems the two of us have gotten stronger. And I now have gained another ability.'
As I'm about to ask Izanagi what that means, I notice that the world has gone silent. Teddie is seemingly frozen as well. A glimmer of light shines from above, and as I look up, I see another card descending. What does this mean?
$ 'I am Nestis. I am the harbinger of thy victory, and the storm that shall announce thine rule to all those who stand beneath you. I am your will.'
The card slowly descends into my hand, before disappearing. Only now, however, I can feel the presence of two 'others' residing with me. And for some reason, it feels as if my heart aches. I have no time to ponder this though, as the world immediately unfreezes. It's only then that I realize that something is standing behind me.
Slowly turning around, I see Yosuke's shadow. But unlike before, now it's just standing there, watching. And the expression from before is gone. Where it was once despair and hatred, there's now a look of pity, sadness, and...hope? And it is solely focusing on Yosuke, who seems to have regained consciousness.
"Uhh.. what...happened?" asks Yosuke with a hand holding his head. He then notices the shadow standing there. He steps back, almost reflexively.
Teddie and I slowly walk over to his side.
"Are you okay, Yosuke?" Teddie asks. Thanks for asking about me, by the way.
"Y-Yeah..." Yosuke turns around, and stares at his shadow. "Y-You're..not..me." Although he says this, his voice is quiet and without conviction. The shadow simply watches him. Teddie looks at him.
"That shadow came from you, Yosuke. You have to accept it. Otherwise it'll just go bearzerk again."
Did he just say "bearzerk?" I hope not. Yosuke, however, seems to be reluctant.
# 'Will you say nothing to him? He needs you now to give him guidance.'
$ 'That child put you at risk. There is no need for you to be concerned on his behalf. What meaning is there in facing the darkness?'
I'm confused. Both personas provide excellent points. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't be here now, having just survived an injury that could have killed me. And yet, he is pitiable.
# 'If you do not encourage him now, you will be forced to fight his shadow once more.'
$ 'Then fight we will. And we will triumph once more. After that, we can simply return to our world, and leave him here. What do we gain by assisting him?'
# 'Would you abandon someone who has assisted you in the past? At the very least, pay back your debts.'
'...I suppose you are right, Izanagi. But what words would I use? I...have never given advice to anyone before.'
# 'Tell him that to be brave. All men have weaknesses within their heart, yet they struggle to overcome it. There is no shame in that.'
"Y-Yosuke." It seems like forever since I last spoke. "You h-have to b-be brave." He turns to me.
"Brave..." He then walks over to his shadow.
"Dammit, it hurts to face yourself. I guess I never really wanted to accept it; that there was a part of me that felt like I had nothing, that all I was doing was just...living. I know, I know. Tokyo is a city that doesn't care about the feelings of one guy, but I was really happy, just talking and laughing and spending the days with her. Even though I knew deep down that Saki-senpai didn't feel the same way...I suppose when it comes down to it, you're me, and I'm you. When you get down to it...all of this is me."
As he's saying this, I notice that his shoulders are starting to loosen. By the end of his speech, he's even grinning, even if only slightly. And the shadow...seems to acknowledge his speech.
The shadow nods and smiles. It then disappears, transforming itself into some kind of frog-ninja. A voice speaks in my mind: "Jiraiya, of the Magician Arcana." The ninja transforms into the same kind of card that Izanagi emerges from, and glows slightly as Yosuke seems to accept it.
As it disappears, Yosuke drops to one knee, looking exhausted. He slowly gets back up, before facing us, with a weak smile.
"This is my Persona, huh? Jiraiya. Nice name, huh?" He chuckles a little. "Still, when we heard Senpai's voice, I wonder if that was something she was hiding. 'A real pain in the ass,' huh? What an embarrassing way to find out." He looks at me. "If you hadn't been here, I dunno what would have happened. Thanks, Souji."
Someone thanking me? What a strange feeling. Seems like it almost makes up for what happened. I reach out, a little gingerly, and lend him my hand, pulling him back to his feet. He looks thoroughly wiped out though. But, seems like he isn't done yet, as he turns to Teddie.
"Hey Teddie. Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self, here?" Wow. So many crazy things have happened that I completely forgot why we originally came here.
"I think so. The shadows here were originally born from humans."
# 'Something you must keep in mind going forward.'
What did Izanagi mean by that? Teddie continues.
"Sometimes the fog clears, and then shadows really go crazy. And you saw what happens next. A strong willed shadow draws others to it, and then kill the host."
"So that's why people die when it gets foggy in our world." Looks that way. Yosuke lets out a sigh.
"Yosuke looks pretty worn out. We should get back. This world isn't made for humans. I don't hear any more voices. I think we're done with this place." I don't hear anything either.
We reach the entrance, and Yosuke turns to Teddie once more.
"Hey Teddie, you said before that the places we visited, like the shopping district and that weird apartment, are reality for the people who come here. Does that mean they were created by Saki-senpai, and the announcer?"
"I don't know. It's never happened before. But that's probably where they were when the shadows attacked them." That makes sense. I saw Saki writhing in front of a fridge, just like the one that was there in the store.
"S-So, this w-world killed t-them." Not a pleasant thought.
"I sensed two people here before. But both disappeared right before the fog lifted." Yosuke is thinking.
"So, the two of them end up in this world, but can't find a way out. They wander around, and eventually, those shadows come out of them. The fog lifts, the shadows go berserk, and kills them. Then the bodies end up on our side once the fog returns." It's disturbing. The fog was present twice in the span of a week. The same week I arrived in Tokyo.
"So if I had stayed here till the fog cleared, I would have been in much deeper trouble?"
"You were lucky, since Sensei and I were here with you."
"Dammit. Senpai and that announcer were here all alone. No one could save them." He's taking this pretty hard. I wonder. Is this how I should feel in regards to that girl?
$ 'Of course not. Each person is responsible for their own fates. It should not have to fall to you to rescue everyone. There is a limit to such benevolence.'
Nestis falls silent, but Izanagi says nothing. 'Each person is responsible for their own fates', huh?
"Yosuke..." Teddie starts, "They disappeared when the fog lifted, but they were safe before then. No shadows attacked them." Probably because they lacked the power that I, and now presumably Yosuke, wield.
"The shadows probably view us as enemies because we're investigating. It's going to be dangerous. But we can fight them! We might save people." What? Again, why am I getting roped into all this? I've had enough of this place to last a lifetime!
"Do you mean that if anyone else gets trapped here, we can get them out? Like what happened with me?"
"Yup! We can become heroes!" Teddie is positively blushing. But this is the worst possible news for me. I need to get out of this! Yosuke looks at me.
"We need to find the person who's throwing people in here and make him stop. Yeah, I'm finally starting to understand what's going on."
"U-Um..." Just as I'm about to argue, Teddie speaks up.
"If shadows are born from humans, then what is Teddie born from?"
"Wait, you don't know where you come from? Then how would we know? This is only the second time we've been here." I'd agree, but I'm still trying to get them to understand I won't be helping them anymore.
"I don't know. This is the first time I've thought about it." Then stop thinking about it. Yosuke looks peeved as well.
"Geez..." Teddie looks at us.
"Will you guys...come back here?" No. Let me make that as clear as possible. Just as I'm about to open my mouth, Yosuke nods.
"Of course. After all, we won't be able to leave till you let us out." Teddie positively beams. I'm glad I didn't say anything. Otherwise I might never have been able to escape.
"Alright then. Oh, but there's one thing. I'll be waiting for you guys right here. You have to come back to this spot. Otherwise, you'd be doooooomeed!" Cute.
"I guess that means we have to come through the TV from Junes. Different TVs probably lead to different places." Yosuke pauses. "Okay. Can you show us the way out?"
"Roger that. One exit coming right up!" Nicer words have never been said. Now to get as far away as possible from this place.
Teddie taps his feet, and the stack of old TVs pop up again. This time, thankfully, we go through just fine without him pushing us. After a momentary spin, we thankfully touch down in the store room of Junes.
"Y-You guys are jerks!"
End Chapter 11
Omake:
"Oh yeah, and another thing, I always hated baseball. It's such a boring sport! I'd rather watch soccer instead!"
Shadow Yosuke is talking, and Yosuke is gritting his teeth.
"That's not true! I love Baseball!"
"I also thought that the ending to Evangelion was completely retarded!"
"No! I loved that show!"
"And I think that the Twilight Series is the greatest book series ever written!"
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
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"Good evening, folks. Yosuke Hanamura here. Just ignore the above section. I absolutely, totally am not in love with Bella X Jacob. I'm here today to talk to you about Geico Insurance. Yes, that's right, fifteen minutes can in fact save you more than fif-"
"Yosuke! Why are you shilling for Geico? We're not being sponsored by them!"
"Hello? The script specifically says 'Geico Insurance'. Man, I do my job, and you still get on my back."
"That's the reverse side, you idiot! The script is on the other side!"
"Dude, you pay me peanuts, I give you peanuts."
"Don't get smart with me! I can replace you at any time, you know."
"Ha! I'm Yosuke Hanamura! I've got contractual immunity! You can't replace me!"
"Yeah? Well, take a look at the guy I got to replace you. Hell, he's willing to work for less just to get out of his canon."
"...Wait, are you serious? Oh man, okay, okay! I'll play ball. No need for threats among friends, right?"
"Lazy slacker..."
"Ahem. First of all, thank you to all the reviewers who have provided commentary and thoughts on the chapters. You guys have been great, and we look forward to providing you with high-quality chapters going forward, so please continue to support us."
"Now, you may be wondering what this is all about. Well, we here at 'Persona 4: Welcome to Tokyo' are looking for new ways to integrate you, the reader, into our story. One of the ways is a segment we are calling: 'NAME THAT ATTACK!' That's right. This segment allows you, the reader, to come up with a name for Souji's special ability. (You know, the one where he fried my shadow with his golf-club?)"
"Now for the rules. All attack names are fair game, in any language: Japanese, English, Latin, Greek, whatever. The more creative, the better! Of course, the author holds final say in names of attacks, so if all the names are derivatives of 'Dazzling Jazz Hands!' it won't fly. Also, no names from other media. Don't need copyright violations, do we?"
"Don't feel creative, but would like to participate? Then check out the reviews, and write in your review the name of the one you like instead. And for those of you interested in naming other character's attacks, such as yours truly, don't worry! You'll have plenty of opportunities for that too!"
"Finally, this contest will remain open until Chapter 20 is posted. At that time, the best name will be selected, and the reviewer who won will be credited in the author's notes for that chapter, as well as Souji using the name in-story. So, you don't have to feel rushed, but you better get on it!"
"From all of here at 'Persona 4: Welcome to Tokyo', we thank you for reading our story. We hope that you continue to enjoy it, and look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. Happy naming!"
