A/N: Things are gonna get fast-paced from now on. I'm sorry if the chapter is choppy because of that. Admittedly I'm not very good when it comes to fast-paced stuff, plus my decision to include such a huge cast is coming back to bite me in the arse... Also, big, big reveals and a whole big mess coming up, which means spoilers ahoy.
Thank you for supporting this story! :)
April 27, 2013
"How is it, Rise-chan? Have you gotten in contact with anyone yet?"
"Mm..."
Rise was mumbling distractedly, brows furrowed as she concentrated.
Her hands, which had clasped together in a position of prayer, were the first to tremble. Then her elbows, and the entire length of her arms, and finally her knees before the brunette swayed and buckled, Kanzeon disintegrating as she collapsed onto the snow.
"Aaaah! R-Rise-chan, are you alright?"
Psyche hurriedly helped Rise up, concern and fear evident on his features.
Rise held a hand to the side of her head as she tried to shake the dizziness away. "I'm fine... I think."
Psyche heaved a sigh of relief before pouting. "Rise-chan... I'm really glad you're okay, but don't push yourself like that again! I already lost sight of Shizuo-kun and Shin-chan even though I'm supposed to be protecting them. If even you were to come to any harm, then..."
"Hey, don't make it sound like I'm some fragile thing you have to protect with your life." Rise pouted as she got up. "I may not be able to fight, but there's one thing only I can do, so I gotta make sure I give it my 1000% to make up for what my friends can't do!"
"...'One thing only I can do'..." Psyche trailed off. That phrasing seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall when he had heard it, or why it suddenly sounded so important to him.
"I got it!" he heard Rise shout not long after. "Psyche-san, I think I found something!"
"Really?" Psyche asked, his usual bright smile back in place. "Who is it?"
"This feeling... I think it's Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun! And they're together with Kishitani-sensei and Heiwajima-san!"
"Aaahh so they're safe, right? They're safe, right?" Psyche was close to tearing up from extreme relief.
Rise nodded, breathless from the excitement. "I would think so. If they're with Kanji-kun and Naoto-kun, they're most likely safe. I'm only worried if they have enough medical supplies, in case they run into any-oh?"
"Huh? What's wrong, Rise-chan?"
"I'm picking up two more signals, but... I can't tell who they are." She paused. "They kinda give me the same vibes as you."
"...Ohh." Psyche's eyes flickered with recognition. He chuckled sheepishly. "So they're here too, huh? Then I'm even more relieved."
"Are they your friends? The ones you've been talking about?"
"Mm-hmm. They know this place inside-out, so don't worry, Rise-chan. They'll keep a lookout for your friends and make sure they're safe."
Rise let out the breath she had been holding. "That's great to hear."
Giggling, Psyche jumped up and down. "Do you sense anyone else with the same vibes you mentioned?"
"Hmm... Let's see... Ah!" Rise stretched out her hands and pointed in many directions, going in a full circle. "I'm picking up some signals coming from everywhere. They must be getting to the rivers' origin, too."
"Hehe, then we gotta beat them to it~ I wanna be the first one there. Let's go, Rise-chan!"
"Oh wait, Psyche-san-"
In his excitement, Psyche didn't stop to wait for Rise to dismiss her Persona, and took off in a series of skips with both arms outstretched. He was like a plane gone autopilot, and certainly felt like one in every sense of the phrase - with his headphones on and the tug of the mental link to Izaya's heart, Psyche happily and assuredly closed his eyes as he allowed his body to glide, guided by nothing but the intimate bond he had with the forest.
While everyone else had to use the rivers as landmarks, Psyche had no need for that, for that was just how the nature of his existence worked. Even until now, he still had no clue what he was supposed to be, but those worries were shoved into the back of his head which was now filled with the ecstasy of finding Izaya and finally meeting his friends again.
'I can tell they're here, but if even Rise-chan can sense them, then they must be really near...!'
"Ahhh I can't wait, Tsu-chan!"
Psyche spun in the air before resuming his skips. He wasn't aware he had done this, neither was he aware of his surroundings, nor the fact that he was supposed to have stayed close to Rise. In such a state, Psyche was quite literally in a world of his own, his head stuck in the clouds and his feet constantly off the ground.
In such a state, Psyche was as vulnerable as a fly heading straight for a venous flytrap. Anything could strike him down, and by the time someone could snap him out of his self-induced trance, he would've already found himself caught in-between the jaws of his predator. This was why he needed Hibiya, who was as grounded as Psyche was air-headed, as bull-headed and obstinate as Psyche was fleeting, to slam him out of harm's way.
So, as if the Shadow world had recognised the vulnerability and the precariousness of his current state, the next step Psyche took had him colliding with someone he didn't think he would meet so soon.
"Oof, watch where you're going- Hm? Psyche?"
"H...Hibi-kun!" Psyche exclaimed at the top of his voice, the rude awakening leaving him uncertain if he should be happy or frightened at seeing his princely counterpart.
Hibiya raised a brow haughtily as he stood and brushed the snow off his clothes. "You sound most displeased and surprised. Did you not anticipate our encounter in a place such as this?"
"N-no! I knew you were nearby, but I just didn't think you'd be this near."
"Hmph. Then you must have been fiddling away in your own world, as usual. Can you never stay still without my presence? I have not the time to spend effectively on both you and Alfred, you must understand."
Psyche giggled sheepishly as he got to his feet as well. There was a sharp buzz coming from his headphones, but by the time he thought he heard something strange, the noise was gone.
"Ah, that's right, Rise-chan said Nao-chan and Kan-chan and Shin-chan and Shizuo-kun were together with you! Where are they? Are they safe?"
Hibiya blinked slowly. "...Ah. The commoners." He nodded. "Yes, Alfred is looking after them. There is no need for you to concern yourself with their safety now."
"Whew," Psyche sighed, "that's a relief."
"However..."
Psyche flinched. He recognised that condescending tone.
"I believe I entrusted you with the duty of watching over them, to ensure they are protected in this realm... Or did you not remember my words in a moment of your usual folly?"
"H-Hibi-kun... I-"
"You wish to say you are sorry? That you did try your best, but these things are ultimately out of your control? You are a fool if you believe I would forgive your transgressions so easily when you do not seem to understand the gravity of your mistakes. You would ask not for forgiveness and understanding but punishment deemed fit if you do."
Shuddering, Psyche gripped the hems of his white coat and escaped Hibiya's piercing, merciless golden gaze by lowering his head. Words could not find their way to his lips knowing they would be shot down by Hibiya's own, who wielded them as masterfully as he did his sword.
Even in silence, Hibiya could always find a way to drive the blade deeper. "Irresponsible and sloppy as always," he said pointedly with a huff, folding his arms. "Had it not been for the ability unique to yourself, I would not have given you those instructions. Do the implications of your actions ever bear weight in your mind, Psyche?"
"..."
"Nothing to say for yourself, I see." Hibiya sighed. "But that should be the case, should it not? After all, when have you ever done anything that is for your own sake?"
Psyche's eyes widened. He looked up, but only saw Hibiya as he remembered him: the crown resting on black hair, bright yellow eyes, face pulled in a perpetual frown, a yellow robe over white, silky clothes...
But something was amiss. That much Psyche could tell.
"Hibi-kun..."
"Hm?"
"H-Hibi-kun...wouldn't say something like that."
In the face of Hibiya's cold glare, Psyche stood firm, and gazed intensely into the pair of golden eyes. His headphones were blaring with sirens that wailed in times of perils and emergencies.
"Hibi-kun may act all high and mighty and think of himself as above other people, but he wouldn't ever poke at their insecurities like that! That's Saku-chan's job anyway!" Psyche shook his head and took a step back. "You're not Hibi-kun... Who are you? And why are you posing as him?"
"Psyche-san!"
Psyche turned swiftly at the call of his name. The brunette whom he was supposed to have been accompanying bent forward as she panted. "R-Rise-chan? Oh man, I'm so sorry, I-I forgot-"
"Never mind me!" Rise raised her head; Psyche could see the tenacity and fear in her eyes. "Psyche-san, you need to get back! That person... He's bad news... I know him from somewhere!"
"Eh-"
"Well, enough with this facade, then. I was getting tired of pretending to be that stuck up, arrogant brat of a prince anyway."
With a twisted smile that looked disturbingly wrong on Hibiya's face, the imposter conjured up tendrils of shadows from the ground. They wrapped around him until only his eyes could be seen, and as they peeled away, revealing the familiar fur-trimmed coat and the hood pulled over the wearer's head, the eyes gave off a chilling, eerie glow.
"Yo, Psyche," a multitude of voices spoke, blending around the core that was Izaya's voice. "Did you like my greeting?"
In another part of the forest where a river was flowing, a group of four people - two adults and two teenagers - found themselves chasing after a prince on his speeding, galloping horse.
"Hey mind slowing down a little?! You're getting everyone else killed over here!"
"Nonsense," the prince snorted back, keeping one gloved hand on his crown while clutching onto the reins with the other. For all his earlier talk about how a prince should act with dignity and grace, Hibiya certainly wasn't being very dignified at the moment. "If I can still hear your breaths and words, you all must still be very much alive."
"Oh hey, here's a thought: if you're such a smartypants, then you'd know that people can die from overexerting themselves when they're running, right?" Shizuo contended, his patience running so thin it was pretty much nonexistent by now.
"D-dying... Need... Air..." Shinra gasped, speaking between pants.
Kanji coughed. "Why are you... In such a... Mad rush anyway...?"
Breathing heavily with an indifferent expression, Naoto asked, "Is... Is it...?"
"Aye," Hibiya answered readily and monotonously. "'Twas Psyche's distress signal. I must hurry to his aid."
"He can take care of himself just fine, right? I thought he could fend off a whole buncha Shadows on his own," Shizuo yelled.
"Aye, but you do not realize it yet, Heiwajima Shizuo. These are not mere Shadows." Hibiya's frown deepened. "That vermin has caught up to Psyche."
Without waiting for any reply, Hibiya gave Alfred a light but clear kick and the horse galloped on even more rapidly until both rider and horse disappeared into the first sign of bright light passing through an opening between the trees and undergrowth.
"W-wait, Hibi..."
"No, we must...catch up to him...!"
"Wait, Nao-"
"Arrrrrghh I've had it! You kids better hold on!"
"H-Heiwajima-san, what-"
"What the craaaaaaap-"
"Shizuo-kun! Don't forget about me-whoaaaaa!"
With a bellow ripping from his vocal chords, the fortissimo of Ikebukuro - picking up two high school students by their waists and carrying an underground doctor on his back - channeled his unnatural strength to his legs and made a humanely impossible leap across the snow. Tree branches and leaves smacked straight in their faces, obscuring their view and breathing capacity until Shizuo's feet landed in the clearing beyond the opening where the light had poured in.
As Naoto, Kanji and Shinra touched the ground again, all four of them spat the leaves and snow out of their mouths and started cleaning up until a frantic neigh caught their attention.
"Psyche!" Hibiya cried out, keeping his grip on Alfred's reins tight as the horse stood on its hind legs and kicked its front.
The raven in the white coat was at quite a distance away, in an area in-between two of the eight visible rivers streaming from a large central lake. He was being held in the air by a black mass wrapped around his throat.
Holding an outstretched hand, as if commanding and holding the shadow in place, was the figure everyone had come to recognise as Orihara Izaya's Shadow. And lying unconscious on the ground next to him, with her face buried in the snow, was...
"R...Rise!"
"Kujikawa-san!"
"...That bastard..."
Kanji was about to rush forward when Naoto, having regained her composure, stopped him. "Wait, Tatsumi-kun, we can't simply charge head-on. Things are too erratic at the moment."
"But, Rise is..."
Psyche's body trembled with violent coughs as he sprung back to consciousness. Heaving deep but quick breaths, he opened one dazed eye, and looked in Hibiya's direction.
"Hi...Hibi-kun..."
"Do not be afraid, Psyche. We have arrived to help." Hibiya turned to the Shadow. "Wretched vermin, unhand Psyche at once!"
The Shadow tossed his head back in a menacing cackle. "Have I any reason to fear you? To listen to your every command? The answer, young Hibiya, is no. So why should I release Psyche at all?"
"...Then so be it."
Hibiya wasted no time in drawing his sword from the scabbard tied to his waist. The hilt was coated with gold and crowned with emeralds of the finest quality, and the blade glistened with a shine that was comparable to the brilliance of the gemstones.
Pointing the tip of the sword to the ground, the prince tugged at Alfred's reins harshly.
"Delic!" the unfamiliar name left his lips. "We fight!"
"Hot damn, it's about time you called me!"
"Um, what-"
Shinra was unable to complete his sentence as Hibiya and Alfred took to the air. A glaring blue glow formed beneath them like a platform before they were enveloped by the threads of light spiraling from it.
"Wait, isn't that...?"
Kanji's suspicions, though eventually unvoiced, were confirmed when the forms of Hibiya and Alfred faded away with the light, replaced by two other figures, one of which Naoto and Kanji were vaguely familiar with.
The form that was once Hibiya was now a mature-looking man whose skin looked like marble and had hair that was darker than even Hibiya's own. A crown of a different design - with the appearance of a crown that belonged only to the British royal family - rested on his head, tall and lined with the same emeralds adorned on the hilt of the prince's sword. He was of a smaller and shorter build than Hibiya, and wore a bright red top that accentuated his curves, as well as tight-fitting white pants. He was also sporting a pair of iridescent butterfly wings.
Next to him, the horse that was supposed to have been Alfred was now a humanoid figure as well. He had healthy-looking skin, and a simple hat made of flowers, leaves, branches and vines atop his unkempt and wild sandy blond hair. He wore a plain green robe, torn at its hems, that ended right above his kneecaps, and was of a similar build to the "new Hibiya". Like his companion, he too was sporting a pair of wings, but they lacked the lustre and surrealism that his companion's own possessed.
The transformed pair struck, diving into the Shadow who, supposedly in shock, did not have time to react which made him release Psyche from his restraints. The blond sprite, Puck, was careful in driving and sweeping the Shadow into a river further away from the others before fluttering away in time for the crowned fairy, Oberon, to hold the sword vertically in front of him and summon down a lightning bolt as his wings quivered.
The Shadow let loose an inhumane screech at the point of impact. An electrical field quickly spread, threatening to engulf the entire area if not for the sprite's wind spells keeping it encapsulated around the hooded entity. It was only when the sparks died down that the transformed pair descended.
"That ought to keep the vermin still, even for just a moment," the fairy spoke as he shifted back to his former form of Hibiya. Sheathing his sword, he turned back to the group, and was not surprised to see the blank looks on their faces. "...What?"
"You're... Well..." Shizuo struggled with his words. "What the hell are you?"
Hibiya did not hold back his sigh. "I believe I have explained, did I not? Or did you not comprehend a simple matter as that?"
"Um, I don't think he was referring to that..." Kanji, who was already tending to Rise's wounds together with Naoto, tried to point out.
Before Hibiya could question further, he felt a violating and playful smack on his bottom. His eyes narrowed to slits and literally gleamed like the polished edge of his sword which he swiftly unsheathed.
"Gah! At least give a warning if you want to wave that sharp, pointy thing at me!" a man - whose face was the exact replica of Shizuo's - dressed in a white suit and pants protested. His hands immediately raised to shield his headphones, which were worn horizontally around his head as opposed to Psyche's.
"...Delic," Hibiya muttered that name again, but this time with a pronounced tinge of venom. "What did I tell you-"
"C'mon, Hibime-chan, you know I can't help it. You're just too adorable for me to resist!" Delic laughed nervously, waving both hands in surrender though it was clear he wasn't entirely apologetic.
"Do not force my hand." Hibiya moved the blade nearer to Delic's neck and placed it where he knew the jugular vein could be found.
"R-right, right. I'm sorry, Hibime-"
Hibiya's eyes narrowed further. Delic gulped.
"-Hibiya," he corrected.
With a scoff, Hibiya sheathed his sword. Delic heaved a huge sigh of relief, exaggerating it by placing a hand over his chest.
"I apologise for Alfred's unruly behaviour," the prince said stoically when he turned back to face the group. He gave a small, polite bow as he continued, "He has always had a disregard for his authorities and enjoys executing his whims and fancies as he pleases. Quite an impossible and troublesome horse to tame."
"...Wait," Shizuo raised an index finger and pointed at his lookalike, "are you saying that that guy...is your horse?"
"Have I not made that point clear?"
"...More importantly, that horse and you...can turn into, what, butterfly men? ...And stop laughing, Shinra. It isn't funny."
"Hey, you tryin' to insult my beautiful-" Delic was promptly interrupted by Hibiya's backhand slap to the face.
"As I have mentioned on the way here," Hibiya said, "I, along with Delic and Psyche and the rest of our kinsmen, are not the typical lowly Shadows that are found in this dimension, but we are Shadows nonetheless. Tame and sentient for the time being we are, so long as you and Orihara Izaya do not make the foolish attempt of denying our existence."
"Sure, you mentioned that, but... I didn't think that means you can shapeshift or whatever."
"...Ahh, that's right," Naoto said. "All this time, Heiwajima-san has only heard us talking about Personas and Shadows, but he hasn't actually seen a Persona himself until today."
"Still finding it a lil' hard to believe, though," Kanji admitted. "I mean, Shadows - like, the real deal Shadows - being Personas at the same time? Isn't that, I 'unno, weird?"
"It is indeed unorthodox," Hibiya sighed. "And unfortunately, though I loathe to admit, I do not have all the answers myself. ...Well. That is not the crux of the issue here."
Effectively putting an end to the discussion, Hibiya made his way over to Psyche, whom Shinra was currently tending to. The other raven was sitting up and coughing into his palm, and there were red marks around his neck, but otherwise looked to be in a good condition. Shinra sent a pleasant smile in their way before excusing himself to have a look at Rise.
"Are you well, Psyche? Have you the voice to speak?" Hibiya asked.
"I'm fine, Hibi-kun. It's all thanks to you and Deli-kun." Psyche beamed. Then, as quickly as his moods swayed, his face fell. "Um... Hibi-kun, I-"
"It is alright. There is no need for an apology. For what good can mere words accomplish when the damage has been done, and the one responsible is not you?"
Psyche's brows furrowed in confusion.
Hibiya shook his head. "You will understand when we are one again. But for now," he paused to help Psyche up on his feet and glance over his shoulder at the charred figure crumpled in the empty riverbed, "we must unmask that imposter."
"Oh my," a familiar voice interjected, before anyone else could speak. "Hibiya-san and Delic-san have already done the deed? And here I thought Shitsuo-san and I would be the first to teach that awful person a lesson."
Everyone who had been in the area turned to look at the newcomers. Kanji and Naoto smiled as they recognised two of the four people who had just arrived at the scene, whilst Psyche and Hibiya seemed equally unenthused and Delic's brow twitched upon seeing the other two. Shinra stifled another laugh. Shizuo didn't know how to react.
"Chie-senpai! Yukiko-senpai!"
"Thank goodness. You are alright."
Kanji and Naoto had spoken at almost the exact same time.
"Heya! Great to see you guys safe, too!" Chie replied, running over to join her high school juniors.
"I'm glad that the both of you seem fine, but... Rise-chan..." Yukiko looked at Rise worriedly. There was a bruise forming on her left cheek, and traces of fresh blood on the left edge of her lips.
"She should be alright," Shinra reassured. "Kanji-kun and Naoto-chan have already applied some disinfectant, so the wound must be healing already. Though...that Shadow must have hit her pretty hard to knock her out like this."
Chie cracked her knuckles. "I'm gonna give that guy a pounding and nobody's gonna stop me."
"Join the club," Kanji replied tersely.
"...There must be something that Kujikawa-san detected about that Shadow. And he didn't want her telling Psyche-san about it," Naoto said. "Could it be...?" she whispered to herself.
Yukiko bent down to have a closer look at the bruise. "But to hit an idol's face like this... How terrible..."
Chie's gaze softened. "Do you think...that Shadow did it precisely because of that?"
"Isn't the answer obvious?" Sakuraya said, smiling sweetly as he appeared behind Chie.
The brunette jolted and gave a yelp. "What the- Don't sneak up on other people like that! Geez..."
"Oh. I apologise for startling you." Sakuraya looked anything but apologetic. "But the few of you are having such a lively discussion that I couldn't help myself. ...Oh, please do continue, by all means."
Nobody spoke, however.
It was Hibiya who had to break the silence. "You certainly took your time in coming here, Sakuraya. Did you enjoy the spectacle as you made your way?"
Sakuraya turned to face him. "Why, Hibiya-san, is that an accusation I hear? What makes you think you have the privilege of making such a bold statement? Not everybody has such a...handy mode of transport like you do, you know."
Hibiya appeared unfazed, though the annoyed twitch of his eyebrow didn't go unnoticed.
"Ah, speaking of which, where is your precious Alfred-san now? I thought I saw him earlier, but it seems that he has somehow vanished when I wasn't looking."
"Delic is currently evading capture."
"From Shitsuo-san? That figures. Shitsuo-san always seems to know when somebody has made some sort of mistake somehow. It's disgusting, how astute he can be. Ah but it certainly can't measure to what Delic-san always does to you, can it? Though then again, Hibiya-san likes it, so it really shouldn't matter~"
Hibiya's expression darkened and he reached for his sword. Psyche hurriedly pulled his hand away.
Sakuraya chuckled behind his sleeve. "Anyway, don't you think it's a little unfair to be directing your words only to me? Tsugaru-san, Hachimenroppi-san, and Tsukishima-san have yet to arrive themselves, after all, and yet you are reprimanding me alone?"
Psyche pouted. "Seriously, Saku-chan? You want Hibi-kun to scold Tsuki-chan, of all people?"
"Let me rephrase, then. Hibiya-san," Sakuraya lowered his arm, "did you honestly believe Tsukishima-san would be able to find the river without someone there to guide him? He's not exactly…stable, you realise."
"What do you mean by that?" Hibiya questioned.
Sakuraya didn't answer, only his cryptic smile widened. Unlike the encyclopaedic nature of the young prince, the nobleman was at no obligation to lay bare the truths that only he knew about. To call them truths, in fact, would also be a stretch. If anything, Sakuraya was like a cursed collection of myths and theories, his smiles and gestures the chains or spells rendering the book unreadable to anyone he deemed unworthy of his time and effort.
Where Hibiya was the sort to ask "What is it that you wish to know?", Sakuraya would rather say "Why should I tell you?". If there was any way to simplify their differences, that would be it.
Ignoring the tense atmosphere that was quickly settling, Shizuo stepped in. "Look, I don't care what you fleas are arguing about, but this isn't the damn time for that, in case you haven't noticed," he said, jabbing a thumb over to the river where the electrocuted Shadow had previously been lying.
As Shizuo aptly pointed out, the three of them had indeed not realised that their common enemy was skulking towards them. The Ziodyne attack had left him charred beyond recognition, his skin now completely indistinguishable from his coat. The only colour in the mass of black was the bright gold of where his eyes supposedly were. He was literally creating and exuding shadowy smoke all over his body, with every step he took like pouring boiling water on the snow, and every breath he let out like the cloud of dust and ashes from the mouth of a volcano.
"Uhh..." Chie spoke up. "When did Shadows start doing that?"
"They don't," Naoto said. "That isn't Orihara-san's Shadow."
Her human companions, who had been too busy staring at the dark figure, all immediately directed their attention to Naoto instead. The Shadow - or, more appropriately, the alleged Shadow - stopped in its tracks, landing its unblinking golden eyes on the detective.
"Wh-why do you say that, Naoto-kun?" Yukiko asked.
"It is the same as what happened to me," Naoto answered. "One year ago, when the Midnight Channel resurfaced and the Grand Prix took place... Do you recall? That other 'me' clearly had the power to take control of Labrys-san, which should not have been possible for a Shadow born from a human to be capable of.
"And here we have this entity claiming to be Orihara-san's Shadow and taking his form... Yet it has demonstrated nothing but anomalies, completely atypical behaviour of a normal Shadow. Even if we are to consider the possibility that Orihara-san has the power to shape the TV world like Adachi-san did, that still wouldn't be enough of an explanation for what this imposter has done thus far."
Kanji, Yukiko and Chie's eyes widened. "Don't tell me..." Kanji trailed off.
As if to affirm their growing suspicions, the alleged Shadow broke into maniacal laughter. "Very good, Shirogane Naoto! Excellent, in fact!" it said, still bearing Izaya's voice, but it was so distorted and buried by the growing sea of voices by now that it was near impossible to recognise it.
"Damn… Is that why it doesn't smell anything like the flea?" Shizuo muttered to himself.
An amused chuckle escaped from Sakuraya's lips. "I see. She's sharper than I expected, that Shirogane girl."
"So... Th-that's...not Icchan...?" Psyche was beginning to hyperventilate. "Then... Wh-when I thought...it was Hibi-kun who told me to bring everyone here... Was it this...fake all along...?"
Hibiya laid a hand on Psyche's shoulder. "Psyche..."
"First, pretending to be Hibi-kun...and now Icchan...? Then...all along, I... What..."
"It is no fault of yours that you were deceived, Psyche," Hibiya comforted in an objective, business-like manner. "That vermin simply took advantage of our separation, and used your nature against you, knowing-"
"No!" Psyche exclaimed, pressing his headphones more firmly against his ears. "I don't wanna hear it!"
"Psyche-san..." Yukiko murmured sympathetically.
"I didn't bring everyone here just to get them in danger! I thought... I thought if there's anyone who can stop Icchan and bring Iza-chan back, it has to be Sou-chan and everyone else! Shizuo-kun and Shin-chan weren't supposed to be here... They weren't..."
"Come now, Psyche-kun, I was the one who wanted to tag along, wasn't I?" Shinra pointed out. "Well, yeah, I guess it's because of what you said that I'm here at all, but it wouldn't have changed the fact that I wanted to be here."
Psyche whimpered quietly.
"...I can't even tell if you're helping or not," Shizuo sighed. "Anyway, white flea, listen. What you thought wasn't wrong. This sick bastard," he spat the term but restrained his anger as he spoke to Psyche, "may not be the guy you thought he was, but it doesn't change a thing: he still has to be stopped so that the real flea can be saved, right?"
Psyche raised his head to meet Shizuo's eyes. "Shi...Shizuo-kun..."
"Ha!" the entity mocked. "'Real flea', you say? So you still haven't learnt a thing from our last encounter, huh, Shizu-chan?"
"Shut your trap," Shizuo snarled. The speed at which his demeanour changed took the four Persona-users aback. Shinra could only smile cheerfully. "Who the hell are you? And why did you pretend to be the flea's Shadow? What the hell are you planning?"
"Questions, questions. Have some patience in asking them, Shizu-chan. I can't answer them all at once." The fake Shadow waved a distorted mess that looked to be a finger as if trying to lecture the blond.
"Were my questions hard to understand? Alright then. Who? Why? What are you planning? And also, where's the flea? Now shoot."
"I asked for patience, Shizu-chan, not more questions."
"I'm not repeating myself. Answer. Now."
As though aware of its current appearance, the unidentifiable figure bared its teeth as it grinned. "Are you sure you want to know the truth?"
Shizuo was close to outright hissing at the thing. "Dammit what are you playing at?"
"Heiwajima-san, let's hear what it has to say," Naoto advised. She was used to such interrogation patterns. If there was no facial expression nor body language to be read, she could only rely on its words and tone to pick out the truth. The less the interrogator and the more the interrogated said, the better.
"A wise choice," the entity acknowledged, no doubt knowing what Shirogane was trying to do. It humoured her nonetheless. "Let me ask you all again: are you sure you want to know the truth? No matter how horrible it may be, do you still want to face it?"
"...You don't even have to ask."
Those words were spoken by none of the people present. Or, to be more specific, they were spoken by none of the conscious people present.
Smiling weakly but gratefully at her friends and Shinra, Kujikawa Rise got up on her feet. "We've gone through a lot, so we know how frightening and painful the truth is... But as long as we know we're not alone in facing it, there's nothing to be afraid of."
The teeth melted away into the sea of black. "Bonds are but mere trifles. Fleeting and meaningless."
"To you, you mean," Kanji snapped. "So out with it already. Who are you, and why do you keep messing with us?"
"Unfortunately, it is not yet time for me to reveal myself," the entity said smugly. "But I'll humour you for the other questions Shizu-chan asked earlier. Hmm... Right. Why did I choose Orihara Izaya, you asked?" The figure flashed its pearly white teeth once more. "Why don't you ask Naoto-kun about that?"
Chie, Yukiko and Kanji gave Naoto awkward glances, knowing exactly what the strange thing was talking about. Sakuraya hummed in mild amusement. Shinra tilted his head to one side curiously, while Hibiya and Shizuo's frowns only deepened at the words. Psyche was still at a loss of what he should do.
Like what had happened last year, however, Naoto was unfazed by the comment, and simply clenched a fist.
"If you don't feel like explaining, I can do it for you," the entity offered with mock kindness and understanding. "It's the instability," it said, stretching its misshapen arms in an open, welcoming gesture. "Yes, this man - this man who singlehandedly orchestrated the disturbances in Ikebukuro and laughed as he destroyed other people's lives - is even more unstable than you are, Naoto! That's why I've grown fond of him, you see. It's the unstable nature of you humans that draws me to you all. Like an immortal, indestructible moth to the flames burning in your hearts..."
"...Even still, what purpose does taking Orihara-san's form serve you? He has no Persona for you to steal, neither is he present to listen to you advertising his insecurities," Naoto said.
The black mass shook with laughter that could only speak of madness. "You must not understand Orihara at all, if you think he would be unsettled by something like that." It took pause to broaden its crooked smile. "What do you think is more frightening, Naoto? Watching helplessly as some carbon copy declares the original's deepest feelings to the world...or being deprived of even the chance to be present, leaving only the individual's imagination to fill in the gaps and make assumptions that they believe to be true?"
Nobody could give the entity an answer. Even if they could, no answer could possibly be satisfactory for the entity, whose thoughts and views of the world were beyond that of a human's capacity to understand, and beyond that of a human's heart to agree with.
"Alas," it continued, its tone similarly bearing cruelty that was beyond that of even the most malicious of humans, "even the opportunity to do that has been stripped away from him. I can just imagine how terrible he would feel if he were to ever realise the truth behind what happened to him. But...even that opportunity is gone now."
The present members of the Investigation Team and Psyche stared at the entity wide-eyed as the implications of that statement struck them like a cascading waterfall. Hibiya's expression remained indifferent, while Sakuraya now looked rather displeased. Shizuo froze, except for his arm which was trembling as he clenched an exceedingly tight fist.
Shinra, who was the first to recover from the surprise, faced the entity with a smile that looked unnaturally and chillingly hollow. "You're lying," was all he said.
"Sh-Shin-chan's right, you're lying," Psyche echoed the sentiment shakily. "I-I would know, out of everyone here. I can still hear Iza-chan. You're lying!"
"It isn't," Sakuraya said distastefully.
"No, no, you must trust me on this. This Shadow... Oh, I'm sorry, since you're not really a Shadow, I guess I can't call you that, huh? Well, this Anonymous-san here is most definitely lying. I can read the mind of the supernatural, if you didn't know," Shinra insisted with the air of confidence that was usually evident when he conversed with Celty.
Anonymous-san chortled. "Lying is not in my nature, Kishitani Shinra."
"...Then say it," Shizuo whispered dangerously. With fists by his side and ignoring the cries of the people around him, the fortissimo of Ikebukuro marched over to the entity until they were so close Shizuo could feel the hints of the aura that once overwhelmed him. "Stop beating around the bush and say it straight. Where is the goddamn flea?"
"Where do you think, Heiwajima-kun?" the entity replied in a husky voice. "I'll make it easier for you. Tell me, when was the last time you saw Izaya?"
"When? That's..." As Shizuo trailed off, his frown creased. "Last week... I think."
Golden eyes glinted knowingly. "And you, Kishitani-kun? Ah, let's not ask about when you last saw Izaya; let's ask about when you first met him. Was it elementary school? Middle school? Or high school?"
"That's simple enough, I-" Shinra caught himself. His smile instantly fell away. "Huh? That's strange. I...don't remember?"
"Hah?" Shizuo turned around and snapped, "What do you mean you don't remember? You're the one who introduced the flea as your friend from middle school, dolthead!"
"…But Shizuo-kun..." Shinra blinked repeatedly and held his head with one hand, as if feeling for a fever. "I can't remember my first meeting with Izaya at all. In fact...I don't even have any recollection of ever introducing him to you."
