Chapter 8: Black Lightning
|June 9th|Amara's Apartment|9:30 am|
At last, the weekend had come. Amara had just endured two tiring and awkward days, of work and fighting. Now, she could finally relax. Perhaps she could work on some paintings. She certainly had enough supplies to work with, both scattered over the floor and in her art cupboard. She had a quick look through her selection and discovered one she had completely forgotten about - one that was still in the starting stages, but she would recognise the woman's face anywhere.
Mother...
Amara's mother, Ayodele, had passed away when Amara was still very young. From what Amara could remember, she was a kind and caring mother, and despite complaining that Rudo spent too much time at work, she was a happy woman. Yet, only two years after Amara had moved to the city, Ayodele fell sick. Despite her promises to her daughter, she did not recover - and eventually, she was a shadow of her former self. Amara's last memory of her was at her hospital bed, with her father. He tried to stay calm, but Amara could tell he was holding the tears back.
"Mommy, don't leave!" Amara had begged her mother. "You said you'd get better! You promised me we'd go back home!"
"Amara, dear...this city is your home now. You and your father's home..." Ayodele had said, her voice very quiet. "Even so...I want you to remember. The place we came from...take this."
It took nearly all the energy she had left, but she took the ankh necklace she had worn for as long as Amara could remember, and placed it around her daughter's neck. Amara gasped - if she was passing it down to her daughter, then the time had truly come. Rudo closed his eyes, holding his wife's hand.
"This necklace...is a memento. Of the land we came from...it was from my mother, and her mother, and her mother, and so on. Now is the time...for you to keep it. When you wear it, think of your hometown...and your new home. May you...and your father...always be happy..."
That was the last moment of her life. Amara had to be dragged out of her hospital by her father, who was silent the whole time. The next few months were absolute hell, with her and her father barely talking at all. Yet, something happened - she didn't know what, but she soon regained her passion for art and her love for the city. Her father seemed to move on around the same time, or at the very least was happy his daughter was smiling again. Even so, she still remembered her mother - and she started painting her face, to remember her as the lively woman she was.
"Mom. I'll finish this someday. There's something I have to do first. Hold on until then, okay?" Amara said.
After putting away the sketch, she took a look through her handbag - and noticed the card Stella had given her. Perhaps now was the right time to talk about her troubles in the other world. If Stella was truly a psychic, her consultation would prove very useful. Yet, she lived in Kanaloa, a place Amara had always been warned was not for girls like her to venture. Today she would ignore those warnings - just this once.
|Kanaloa - Gregory Street|11:15 am|
Kanaloa's current reputation was hardly a favourable one. It was constantly labelled a den of ill repute, especially by the more affluent, distinguished citizens. Nova Albion, in particular, preferred to act as though Kanaloa did not exist. This present situation was a far cry from what the original plan for the area was. In the 1920s, Kanaloa did not exist. The area had once been an archaeological site, in an attempt to locate relics of the distant past. Nothing of note had been found. Some American entrepreneurs saw the empty land, and they were hit by a bolt of inspiration. They began a project to create a resort town for the city, one that would outclass even Saragel.
The basic foundations for such a scheme were made, but by then the investors had run out of money. Corners were cut, resulting in ugly, drab buildings that failed miserably at attracting tourists - or even the city's natives. As such, the area quickly degenerated into debauchery and drunkenness. The only positive remark was that the area was host to quite a few factories, hidden away in the grim apartment blocks. The area's promenade was usually deserted, and most tourists stayed within the sands of Saragel. Kanaloa had many grimy bars filled to the brim with unsavoury characters - Amara's father would go insane with worry if he discovered she was here today.
The residential areas were just as terrible as she had heard. No matter where she looked, every single establishment was grimy, with windows that hadn't been washed for at least six months. Every bar she saw had at least one broken window, as well as shards of broken glass all around them. Amara saw a high school, that was so run down she could not even make out the school's name. Along the way, she saw tyre marks on the road. Amara remembered what else the area was famous for - the roughest men of Kanaloa drove their motorcycles all night long, and gave trouble to anyone trying to stop them. The police, as well as the rest of the city, had almost given up on the district. Amara now understood why no travel guides mentioned Kanaloa whatsoever.
How can Stella stand it here? I've been here for five minutes, and that's too long. Better hurry up and find her.
As Amara walked through the unappealing Gregory Street, she was grateful no one was around. She could soon see Stella's place in the distance - the tacky neon lights matched the card perfectly. Amara wondered how Stella got permission to run a store like that. Perhaps those in Kanaloa didn't care what she did. As she went on, she noticed a man, who was tall with unruly light brown hair and light stubble, wearing a red leather jacket and black jeans. He was swearing like a sailor under his breath, standing next to a jet black motorcycle. She couldn't pinpoint who he was, but that might have been due to his sunglasses.
It's not even that bright. Must be his idea of a fashion statement.
To her surprise, he whistled at her, only to catch her attention. She looked over, somewhat wary.
"Hey! Come over for a sec!" he hollered.
"...What do you want?" Amara hesitated. She had hoped she would be ignored by anyone lurking here. Could she do anything if things went south?
"Don't look so scared, miss. I just need a bit of help. Nothing big. It's just that this piece of shit I call a motorcycle's broken, and my phone's dead. Just not my day. Sorry to trouble ya, but can I use yours to call a mechanic?" He asked as she walked up. "It won't take long, promise!"
Hesitating briefly, she handed the phone to him. In a place like this, refusing might not be the best idea. She had heard a lot of horror stories about Kanaloa, involving alleyway brawls and gangs terrorising the streets at night. Sure enough, he did call a mechanic, and aside from a small argument over the price, it seemed to go smoothly. Finally, Amara got the phone back, and she swiftly put it away safely. This man could be trusted, she was starting to realise.
"So...nice motorcycle. What make is it?" She asked, trying to make small talk.
"A Harvey Davidson!" The man said, excitedly. "Had this bad boy for over a decade. It normally works like a dream. Until today, of course."
Amara looked a little closer, and had to admit, it was quite an impressive beast. Not that she knew much about motorcycles, however. She'd occasionally used pictures of them as references in her art, but without really learning the finer details.
"Hope it gets fixed soon." She said, looking back at the man. He nodded, and as he did, Amara suddenly remembered something. "We've met before, haven't we?"
"We have? ...Oh god, yeah!" The man said, his face lighting up. "Bar Seoul. I served you guys! Didn't think I'd see you outside of work!"
"Small world, huh? I'm meeting someone here about...uh...that game we were talking about. We're into it big time." Amara said. It didn't feel right, pretending to be as big a gamer as Serena, but it was better than the truth.
"Sounds fun. I haven't played games since I was a kid. Man, the modern ones look kick-ass. Anyway, if you're meeting someone, I better not keep ya. Have fun!"
"Thanks! Glad I could help!" Amara said. Somehow, she had a feeling she'd run into him again. Perhaps the next time she was hungry for Korean food, she'd pop in and say hello. After waving goodbye to him, Amara ran into Stella's parlour.
|Stella's Physic Parlour|11:18 am|
On the outside, the place looked like a trashy strip joint. On the inside, it couldn't look further away from such an image. It was like stepping into outer space itself. The room had four walls, but Amara felt like she was in a vast, infinite space filled with bright stars. The walls were dark blue with swirling black patterns and very convincing white stars on the walls. The furniture looked ethereal itself, with purple cloth covering the chairs and tables, and crystal candle holders on the shelves at the back. Stella, sitting in front of a table with a deck of cards, stood up in surprise. Once again, she was wearing her usual outfit, complete with turban.
"Amara? What brings you here?"
"I really could use your help. It's about your reading. I'm not sure you'll understand it, but...please." Amara said, very nervous. Telling Stella the entire story might cause more issues. For now, she'd have to be careful about how much she said. "You can give me another reading, right? I really think I need one, and fast. I'll pay anything!"
"Calm yourself, and let your worries fade into the wind. I wish to empty your mind of worry, not your purse of cash. Sit down, and become one with yourself." Stella said gently, shuffling the cards on the table. "In here, do not think your existence is confined to your physical form. Imagine it spreading all throughout the land, touching everyone and everything you come across. It doesn't matter how brief or long the encounter was, that will remain somewhere in that person's mind for the rest of their life."
"Wow, that's pretty deep. Okay, I'll try and think like that, but I'm not sure if -"
"This time, we're in my domain. All the tools of my trade are one with me. These are the extensions of my insight. For you see, my gift is not within my body, but all around me. My thoughts, my feelings, they resound as we delve into the unconscious. Open your existence, Amara, and I shall learn what awaits." Drawing a card on the table, she showed it to Amara. "The cards reveal all. Behold, The Priestess. This card embodies the hidden knowledge I can see, as well as divine wisdom of the soul. Yes, female mysteries are also part of this card. The card...is me."
"Ah. Okay." Amara said, impatient. Hopefully, she wasn't going to be educated on the entire deck of cards. As informative as it may be, she needed actual advice.
"And you..." Stella continued, drawing another card, "...are The Sun." Amara stared at the card, amazed at the face on the sun in the picture. "Great happiness and optimism are the elements this card possesses. One of the Sun has great joy, energy, always seeking accomplishment. You must have something you wish to do - something you would devote your entire life to. Fantastic." Stella said, eyes closed as she drew two more cards.
"The two others who went through the ordeal you faced that night are the Strength and the Moon. The man of Strength has limitless courage, and has great control over their desires. A firm but gentle soul. Brute force is not his nature, but honour is his ultimate aim. Those who he holds dear cherish every day with him." Stella said, moving her hand to the Moon card. "The girl of Moon is a creative one. Always dreaming, with constant fantasies of other worlds far beyond the scope of reality. She is one constantly swayed by illusions, but her creativity holds no bounds."
"Yeah, I guess that sounds right. What next?"
"Be patient, Amara. One cannot rush the aria of the soul. Tonight, another card shall emerge. Behold, the Magician." Stella's voice booming, the whole room seemed to grow darker, and Amara found herself staring intently at the cards. "The man of the Magician...a highly ambitious one, even if obstacles block his goals. He may lack wisdom, but he has great initiative, and his confidence in himself is stronger than any other. Yet, there is a lust for power within him." She then opened her eyes and looked exhausted.
"Stella? What's wrong?" Amara asked, standing up.
"Don't worry about me. That was just as far as I could go. The power behind my readings...it is limited. The cards, though, they do not lie. These cards are not everything about one person, they merely symbolise their strongest points. Rely on those points, Amara. They'll get you through whatever struggles you have to face." Stella sat back in her velvet chair, and relaxed. "Now go. You should not waste the weekend with me. Enjoy the weekend whilst it lasts. Cherish the time you can."
"Thank you." Amara said, and she left the parlour.
There were a few people outside, and they were rather dangerous looking types. Most of them were scruffy middle-aged men, and Amara could tell they were nothing like the nice man who asked for her help. It didn't help that some of them were drinking cans of cheap lager already. She saw one of them smashing an empty bottle on the ground - so she quickly decided it was time to go home. The man with the motorcycle was with another man, a guy with short black hair and a green vest, but Amara wasn't in the mood for chatting. She ran as fast as she could, relieved to make it out of there.
|Solar Ray Mall|6:00 pm|
"Why did we have to leave it so late? Tonight could have been fun! I wanted to play FFXIV with Kyle!" Serena said. "Either that or WoW".
"Please don't bombard me with acronyms. I have to listen to enough of them in meeting as it is. And I'm sorry for interrupting your gaming sessions with Kyle. However, I needed to talk to you about Aeternus." Nathan said. "Do you remember the logo we saw inside the Farawell Shadow Development Center? it's the same one Aeternus used in their heyday. Also, looking through an archive of their website, there was a blog post that discussed a secret project. Scant information was revealed, other than six of their best staff were working on it."
"Just six? Then those guys are -" Amara said.
"Correct. I couldn't find out their names, but it's quite possible they're the ones behind this madness. They developed insanely advanced technology using those monsters, somehow. Maybe even that door is their invention." Nathan said. "Yet, they haven't gone to our world yet. That suggests to me that dimension travelling isn't that device's primary purpose."
"It's not?" Serena asked, confused.
"So far, we've just gone between the one in this world and one in the other world." Nathan continued. "Yet Kazuya didn't seem to have any idea we were even from another world. My belief is that these doors can go between other doors in that other world."
"In other words, making travelling really fast and safe from Shadows. Right?" Amara asked.
"Not to mention putting the public transport companies out of business," Serena added.
"There's no way to know for sure, but I imagine only one such door is left in our world. And all the equipment in that warehouse has been destroyed, so we won't be able to find any more evidence there."
Serena gulped. "Did someone - or something - go on a rampage and destroy everything inside? Why just leave that door alone?"
"I don't know, but I'm starting to wish the door had been smashed up too. Then we would never have had to go inside." Amara said. "As it stands, we're the only Persona users that aren't part of this Ornatu Legion. That means we have to keep going in if we want to find out the truth."
"You're absolutely right. Fighting them at our current level would be tough, however. We struggled enough against Kazuya. Tonight, we should investigate the area carefully, and perhaps find other comrades ourselves. At least, before the Holy Cross get their hands on them." Nathan said, looking around nervously. After yesterday's faux pas, he seemed to be taking extra steps to ensure no one overheard their discussion.
"If I see Kazuya again, I am not letting him get away with that Silence attack!" Serena exclaimed. Nathan and Amara blinked. "You know, because in RPGs silence -"
"Stops you from being able to cast magic, I understood that much. We'll just have to make sure we never lose to anyone in that Legion, no matter how many they throw at us." Nathan said. "Now, before we head to the other world, let's have dinner here once more. I'm in the mood for some pizza. Without pineapple, I must stress."
Heading up to the first floor, Amara gasped in horror as she put her hand on her chest. Something felt very wrong as her fingers touched her skin. The thing that mattered the most to her in the world was completely absent. Her mother's ankh was missing.
"No!" she screamed. Other shoppers stared at her, bewildered, as did her new friends.
"What? What is it?" Nathan said, but then he noticed. "Your necklace?"
"I...had it on this morning! But I..I...!" Amara, still shaking.
"Where did you go before here?" Serena asked, hand on her shoulder.
"I went to Kanaloa to find Stella...it must have happened then!"
Nathan, upon the mention of Kanaloa, frowned.
"You should never have risked going there, even to see a friend. If the necklace went missing there, well -"
"Nathan, please don't say anymore!" Amara snapped. Nathan, taken aback, shut up instantly. "I know what kind of place Kanaloa is, and if you're about to tell me more about what goes on over there - Oh my god! Some guy in Gregory Street probably took it, and sold it!"
"Or maybe he just wanted to give it back to the right person." a deep male voice said.
Huh?
Amara quickly turned around. It was the man she had met hours before, the one with the broken motorbike. He had his sunglasses off now, revealing his dark brown eyes.
"Here ya go." In his hand was the necklace, still intact. "It fell off when you were walking away. Some guy got it first, and wouldn't let it go without a fight. Course, I never lose a fight. I got the necklace, he got a black eye."
"Thank you so much!" Amara said, quickly putting it back on. "Hey, you're bleeding!" She noticed his bloodied knuckles, and felt guilty. She was relieved to have her mother's keepsake back, but she never would have thought a total stranger would get into a brawl for it. "I'm so sorry. You didn't have to do that for me!"
"Chill out, lady. I'm from Kanaloa. It comes with the territory. You gotta look after yourself there. Too dangerous for a nice girl like you. You and your friend could get in a lot of trouble! Oh, and that guy too. That suit's just asking to get ripped to shreds over there." The man started to walk away, as Nathan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.
"Wait, what's your name?" Amara asked. The man turned around, surprised, but he had a slight smile. "I mean, this necklace means everything to me, so thank you..."
"Chill out, it was nothing. The name's Blaine. Maybe I'll see you again. Don't go back to Gregory Street, though. Got that?"
"Yeah, I gotcha. Bye!" Amara said.
"See ya." Blaine said. With that, he left, and Serena and Nathan gave Amara odd looks.
"...I'm meeting an odd variety of people this week, aren't I?"
|Farawell Shadow Development Centre|7:55 pm|
The three again made their way out of the Farawell Shadow Development Centre. The building was still empty, yet as they left, Amara thought she heard a loud bang somewhere. It was as quiet as ever, yet they could see lights on in some of the buildings. Clearly, people were too afraid to leave their homes. Perhaps a curfew was in place as well, thus to avoid casualties in the early hours of the morning.
"So, shall we level grind?" Serena asked. "Or train, in other words."
"That's not a bad idea. Let's see, perhaps we should explore another area of town. Let's go to Nova Albion." Nathan said. "Getting there on foot from here will take a while, of course."
"Fine with me. I should walk more often, anyway."
Serena sighed. "Well, I suppose we can't stay in Farawell forever. I just wish I'd picked better shoes for walking."
"Our Personas will protect us from anything. Maybe even blisters." Amara said. "Come on, you two, let's go tear up some Shadows!"
As the team walked to Nova Albion, they slaughtered many Shadows. Most of them were the basic ones, but some had different forms, such as a raven or a strange wig-like type. They still didn't pose much of a challenge, however, and the three felt quite comfortable using their Personas.
"Awesome, we rock!" Amara said. "It takes a lot out of you, this job."
"Indeed. We'd best conserve our strength, and know when to flee." Nathan said.
Despite being just at the outskirts of Nova Albion, full of fabulous mansions and theatres, no one was around.
"It's usually busy at this time of night," Serena said, as she healed Amara with Dia. "at least, it's supposed to be. Is everyone that afraid of the Shadows?"
"I guess - wait, hold on. There's some people over there!" Amara said. "Quick, hide!"
The three of them hid by the side of an abandoned antique shop. Peering from around the corner, they saw three young men wearing black uniforms with red badges patrolling the street. The lamp posts were not the classic ones that graced many a postcard, but instead rather odd and post-modern designs. From where they stood, Amara could hear the men speak.
"Kazuya got beaten up. He looked pissed off."
"I heard the Commander beat him up. No wonder he's in a bad mood."
"We gotta find them, fast, before he gets us too!" the last one said.
"It seems they won't stop until we're formally members of the Ornatu Legion." Nathan said, grimly. "We must be prepared for battle, even against more humans."
Serena nodded, but motioned for him to be silent. Just then, however, the trio from the Legion seemed to have spotted something, and ran closer to where Amara was.
"Oh no! Did they find us?" Amara whispered. Luckily, the boys didn't notice them and ran straight past them. Amara's relief soon turned to panic, however, when she saw who they were going after. They approached and surrounded a familiar man, who was staggering around in a daze.
Isn't that Blaine?!
"Your new friend?" Serena asked, bewildered.
"I hardly know him, he's not really my friend. But why is he here?" Amara noticed how disoriented Blaine was, and at first she thought he was just tipsy. Yet then she remembered how disorienting her first journey to this world had been. He, no doubt, was feeling the same effects.
"Did he follow us in here? What an idiot!" Nathan said, frustrated. "If the Shadows found him before we did..."
"What if it was the cloaked man again?" Serena said. "Does he just pick people at random to throw in here?"
Blaine stopped staggering as the three boys of the Ornatu Legion cornered him.
"Hey, you there! You haven't seen three rogue Persona users, have you?" The first boy, with messy curls of blue hair, asked.
"Out of the way, dickhead. I ain't got time for this." Blaine said, trying to shove him aside.
"Hey, less of the attitude, mister! We're the Ornatu Legion! We're charged with protecting the citizens of this city from the Shadows, you know. You owe it to us to answer us!" the second boy, with red hair in a bowl cut, said.
"I don't owe you shit!" Blaine bellowed. Right then and there, he took out a black pistol from his pocket. The three boys gasped, and Amara turned to Nathan, expecting him to do something. He just watched, worried. Serena was itching to join in the fight too, judging by the way she was holding her whip.
"How dare you turn a weapon on us! The Ornatu Legion has saved countless civilians! We may not be as great as the Commander, or even the Holy Cross, but we're a vital organisation to this city! Now come with us, right this second!" the third boy, who was black with dreadlocked hair, said. The three of them took out their own weapons - a sword, a halberd and a gun - and were surrounded by red auras.
"The hell?" Blaine shouted, blinded by the light. "This has to be a dream...what the fuck is going on?"
"We have to save him!" Nathan said. "You three! You want to capture him, you deal with us!" With Serena and Amara, he soon charged at the Ornatu Legion squad.
"The wanted Persona users! Perfect! Kazuya will be pleased!" the blue-haired boy said. "Come forth, Jack Frost!" With a burst of red light, a strange white creature with a constant toothy grin appeared. Wearing a fetching blue hat and a pair of shoes, it seemed to be dancing with every movement. The other two summoned 'Pyro Jack', which was a pumpkin-headed figure carrying a lantern, and 'Angel', a bizarre angel being that seemed to be wearing black bondage gear.
"You assholes...don't touch those guys!" Blaine said, his face full of rage. Just as they ran over with their weapons, however, a blast of blue energy from Blaine's body sent them flying.
"Wait, what's going on?" Amara yelled. "Oh my goodness! He can actually summon a - a -"
Standing up, Blaine glared at the boys. Now afraid - especially after his sunglasses fell off- they backed away, but could only watch as Blaine called out the word Amara knew was coming.
"Persona!"
With a shining explosion of power, the Persona that emerged was a masculine figure with dark skin, glowing blue tattoos, gold and ruby jewellery all over him, with armour adorned with colourful blue feathers covering his waist and legs. He had spiked blue and black hair, with a gold and red feather headdress, and a silver mask covering his mouth. Its eyes were glowing a pale blue, and it was carrying a huge intricate hammer effortlessly in one hand.
I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am Tlaloc, bringer of Lightning and Thunder! I shall take thy enemies as sacrifices!