AN: So the last chapter had quite the twist at the end. It was hard to write the last two chapters, but I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish so far. Zao was one of my favourite characters, and thus it was really hard to part from him. Yet the story's still not over. There's plenty more to come, so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and while you're here, please check out AlgebraFalcon's "Persona 5: Want Emancipation?". Read and review, both his story and mine!
Arc 8: Orchestra of the Soul
The Fool wore a smile every day of his life.
Was it to hide his doubts for the future?
Or to convince his comrades of his joy?
Many of his smiles were for that purpose.
Yet one can tell a smile born of joy from a false mask.
Especially those with the power over their own heart.
Indeed, it was them who brought the Fool true smiles.
He may have been lonely, but they swept that all away.
Especially the light of the Sun and Star, and Fortune's guidance.
Now, the Journey of the Fool has concluded.
Yet, his last wish was to see the Call of the Shadow unheeded.
That is mine too.
Chapter 76: The Edge of Despair
|Interitus Legion Compound - Altar of Infinity|21:32 pm|
The Altar had become deathly quiet, and completely still. No one dared budge an inch - their eyes were frozen on the centre of the Altar. There, Zao laid on the ground. His eyes, as blue as the ocean he loved so much, were closed, never to open again. He had managed a smile, one that did not expire with his breath.
Amara looked at him, completely numb. Moments ago, she had been in Rashnu's arms, being kissed more softly than ever before. Now, she was all alone. She laid her eyes on Zao's face - the one aspect of Zao that had lured Amara in. She had seen so many smiles on that face, yet she knew many of those were forced. A mask he wore, to hide his sadness, and stop anyone from worrying. Even so, she could tell right away when he meant to smile. Those times, she had smiled right back at him.
Now, Zao's chest was rising no more. His voice, often accompanied by his - and her - laughter, would never be heard again.
Amara slumped to the ground, right by Zao's side. She laid her hand on Zao's hair, the same hue as those gorgeous eyes. So full of hope, the same hope she bore for the future. She had dreamed of a future for them both, living in Saragel by the sea. Now that could never come to pass.
"Aimee..." Karl said, holding his sister. Her tears could not be contained. Soon, the silence of the Altar was drowned out by her sobbing. Karl held her close, but he could only look at the sight of his best friend.
"Zao...is he...?" Serena said, her face pale. She looked at a shaken Nathan, who nodded. "No...why...why?!" Her eyes welled up with tears. Blaine watched her, crying her eyes out. He touched his eyes, only to find they were wet as well. Regardless, he stepped closer to Serena, and held her, as she continued to sob.
Amara could not bring herself to look at anyone else but Zao. Why did he have to face his fear in the end? If he had just been too scared, as before, everyone would be alright. There could have been another way. Just then, Amara gasped. Something clicked in her memory. What those other versions of Archibald & Nina told Zao, just earlier that evening...
So they knew what would have happened. All along...they must have known what was going to happen to Zao. But they let her cherish him, love him, and embrace life with him. Why couldn't they have found the words? Was it set in stone, that Zao would sail on his boat no more?
"Seraphina..." Priscilla finally said. "Did you...know this was going to happen?"
She did not answer. Instead, she looked to Zao, and breathed heavily.
"What?!" Other Amara screamed. "You knew! Don't even try to deny it! We could have stopped this -"
"No!" Seraphina cried. "You couldn't! Nobody could have! I saw fleeting glimpses of this day, ever since the day I gained Hecate's power! Yet, not long after she changed into Sophia...it all became clear! The monochrome pictures of doom received their colours! As blue as the deepest ocean..."
"You're kidding me!" Dan shouted. "So the whole of today, you knew he was gonna die?! Why did you not say anything!"
"Because there was no other way! My powers can see potential outcomes, yet no matter how hard I tried...this was the only result! Sir Zao and his other self, and their fatal confrontation...it would have happened regardless if I had told him! He would have simply decided to 'change fate' and make sure he came back safe!" Seraphina said.
"But Seraphina, WHY did this happen?!" Other Amara shouted. "What made this so certain?!"
"Doppelganger, the mirror...when used on any other Persona, the effect becomes like an Ornatu Legion soldier! Using a psyche that is not ones own! Yet when on Rashnu, Doppelganger reflected Zao's own psyche at itself - forming a connection, where their every thought and memory became linked! The trauma from that...combined with the sheer power displayed tonight...that is why! Zao could not be saved...no matter if I had warned you a thousand times or none!"
Seraphina fell to her knees, softly weeping. Silence reigned again, even as the Other Amara seethed at the psychic.
"It wasn't just her..." Amara finally said, without moving a muscle. "The other Nina & Archibald knew...they wanted Zao to run away, like before..."
Aimee broke free from Karl, and stood up. She turned, and glanced at everyone, some tearful, others silent.
"Aimee..." Karl said, his eyes red.
"It's over..." Aimee said. "The dream is over. Everyone from my childhood is gone. My mother & father, you, my friends at school, and Zao...there's nothing left. All because...fate said so."
Just then, the ground began to shake fiercely, and most of the group fell to the ground from the sheer velocity of the tremors. Amara, however, paid no heed to the anger of the land, nor the geysers of purple power rising from the ground.
"No!" Kyle screamed. "It...can't be - not now! This isn't happening!"
"This can't be - this isn't - this isn't!" Lucy wailed. "Not now...not the last Divine Spark!"
"Just like Aimee said..." Amara said flatly. "It's...over."
"Now hold on a second!" Blaine shouted. "We can't just sit here and let ourselves die! We've got to get out of this place!"
"For what?" Kaman asked. "You haven't forgotten what happens after the Divine Sparks, have you? Nihane gets to start the world all over again! We're finished!"
"We don't know that!" Nathan shouted. "I won't accept that! Not even...not after this!"
"Aimee!" Karl screamed. "You've got to teleport us out of here! Now!"
"I..." Aimee whimpered. "I can't...this power...I can't use...Irene!"
"Dammit!" Karl shouted. "Then we're running out of here!"
Suddenly, he ran in front of Amara, and lifted Zao's body into his arms. To see Zao's limbs dangle so uselessly like that...Amara shuddered.
"And you're coming with us!" Karl barked at her. "Now!"
"Amara, please! Get up!" Serena squealed, rushing to her side. Amara made no sound, as Serena took her hand, and she stood up. "I don't know what's going to happen now, but if we stay here -"
"I know." Amara said. "We're...going."
Within moments, the Interitus Legion Compound whirled before her eyes. Right in front of her was Karl, holding Zao's body for dear life. It was as if he was dragging her along, too.
Dragging her to Oblivion.
|Outside Legarte Supply Centre|21:50 pm|
"We made it!" Bianca cried, as everyone raced outside of the building. Now, the entire area was shaking, and the Centre was utterly wrecked. On their mad exit, the Interitus Legion was slowly but surely disintegrating, with many holes in the floors, and capsules falling into the depths.
However, while the noise heard was much like the other Divine Sparks, the entire Supply Centre seemed to be intact, with no hint of the energy that engulfed mighty buildings like the Cathedral or the Museum. The shaking finally stopped, and whilst a dark purple perimeter could be seen around the centre, it remained intact.
"...What happened?" Alastair asked. "Was...that a Divine Spark?"
"I don't know...that's never happened before - ARGH!" Kyle screamed.
The roof of the Centre completely caved in, smashing everything beneath it. The walls broke into smithereens, which turned purplish like the energy beneath it. What remained of the floor that could be seen broke away, revealing nothingness below. And then, everything that had comprised the Centre fell deep into those depths, dissolving away - leaving behind a crater, just as before.
"The fuck just happened?!" Kaman shouted.
"There..." Richard said. "That was...the last Divine Spark. For sure."
Amara began to step closer to the crater. Whilst she could hear various screams, including Aimee's, she continued to move forward, she reached the crater's edge. Yet it was no crater. It was a gaping maw, a hole to the very bottom of the world. Or rather...Inanis. There was no mistaking the white world beneath her, with masses of power gathering at that very spot. She could already hear the peals of Nihane's laughter, a wicked and cruel song that heralded the world's end.
"No! DON'T!" Aimee cried. Amara looked to her right. Aimee was clutching her arm, holding on for dear life.
"Don't...what?" Amara said.
"You know what I mean!" Aimee said. Just then, she saw the fear in Aimee's eyes. And everything became clear. She hadn't moved to the crater to look at it. Part of her had wanted to plunge all the way down to Inanis, just as she had done with Zao.
"I..." Amara said. She turned around, facing everyone else. Right then and there, she fell down, sobbing. "Why?! Zao...you should be here! You should be telling me everything's going to be okay! Why...did you have to go down that fucking elevator?! I..."
The people of the city screamed in terror, seeing the hole that used to be their provider. Yet Amara could only cry, as she was dragged away by Priscilla, and whisked away to the Secret Base.
|Chamber of Eternity|21:57 pm|
Nihane may not have seen the Divine Spark, but he felt its arrival immediately. It seemed particularly potent this time, almost as if it was right around him. The onset of untold power had always filled him with delight. None had ever compared to the mammoth advent of Amurdad in Inanis, which also saw the complete annihilation of Kanaloa. Even so, this was a memorable one. The Chamber was truly alive, as the glyph depicting the Divine Spark of Legarte slowly flickered into being. Cackling, he summoned Janus.
"Janus! This is it!" He cheered. "The moment I have been praying for...the Eternal Road has been built! Amurdad's Glorious Revival is here! And with it, my people! There is no need to stay in this putrid realm any longer, is there?! We must go to Inanis, and walk the Eternal Road together!"
Lord Nihane. We are truly honoured to have guided you, as aspects of your own heart. The human psyche has many faces, both of love and hatred. There have been many casualties in your quest, and countless years of misery and darkness. Yet now, the people we serve can rejoice. Their lives will begin anew. Amurdad will be the way it was - even greater, if that is your wish. Shall we proceed to Inanis, alone?
"Of course. I shall make my way to the portal now -"
There is no need for that. We can take you there directly. Our power has grown, no doubt due to the Divine Sparks. Hold on tight.
Nihane chuckled, as a bright column of light engulfed his entire body. Once it was gone, only silence reigned in the Chamber of Eternity.
|Inanis - Central Point|22:00 pm|
From the sky, Nihane witnessed the rain of debris falling from the city above. Pieces of the Interitus Legion Compound, dissolving into shadowy energy, fell onto the empty white realm. Then there was silence, as the final pieces of wreckage fell.
"What? This isn't like the other times! Janus, what's the hold up?"
Janus did not answer, but instead, Nihane heard a terrible creaking sound. Then, from the sky, the entire Aeternus Supply Centre fell down, breaking into shadowy pieces. There was a mighty crash, as it collided with the shadowy mass of power that had been the Compound, and thus, slowly manifesting, was the Naval Base that had existed centuries ago.
"Ah...there we go. If Tomas and Rudo had seized that Divine Spark, defeating them would have been even harder. Alas, they are but distant echoes of the past - soon to be drowned out forever!" Nihane said. He raised his hands, and began chanting. "All the lands have awakened! The journey is complete! Now, true wisdom has been granted upon the land! The empty realm will become the new home of Inanis, and all else shall be cast into the abyss! Shadows! Grant me the power of creation! The power of destruction!"
Janus appeared, and one by one, each of the Divine Sparks channelled energy towards the centre point. Inanis slowly changed, as the Shadows were broken into fragments upon their agonising deaths. Now, it was a dark shadowy realm, and each of the locations at the Divine Sparks became an ominous red. Nihane and Janus rose high in the sky, and with almighty flashes of light, something incredible happened. The ruins of Amurdad began to reform, piece by piece, as the white buildings, the trees, and the rivers were all restored. The massive palace, the central part of Amurdad, was now a magnificent testament of Nihane's power, and bore a resemblance to the Aeternus HQ.
"Yes! This is it!" Nihane cried, shaking with glee. "Now, for the erasure of all other territories! The world shall become Amurdad, and Amurdad alone!"
Bright flashes struck Inanis, as both Nihane and Janus coursed with power. The 'sky' of Inanis had changed to a dark red, however, and this cast a bloody gleam on the entire land. Inanis was shaking, almost like an earthquake, and from the rumbling sounds overhead, so was the city.
"Yes! This is my destiny, come true at last -"
Then, suddenly everything stopped. Nihane tried as hard as he could, but the Divine Sparks had stopped supplying energy. The tremors abruptly ended, and everything was still. Before he could demand answers, he fell to the ground, unconscious.
|Secret Base|22:05 pm|
There was complete and utter silence, as the team entered the base. No words came to anybody, none at all. Even in these dark times, there was usually some banter between the rebels. Dan being teased for his interest in 'sexy' ladies, Aimee baking some treat every other week, or Kyle playing against Roger on various games (and losing surprisingly often). Tonight, the base might as well have been empty.
"...Where did Keisha go?" Matthew finally asked, looking around. Sure enough, Keisha had not followed the others in their mad escape from the mall.
"She probably went back to HQ." Tara said flatly. Matthew sighed, and kept quiet. Aimee's face was devoid of emotion, yet her face was still damp from crying.
"...That was the last Divine Spark." Kaman suddenly said. "We're finished."
Karl glared at him, and threw a punch - only to be held back by Roger. "How can you just say that?! Zao...my best buddy is DEAD!"
"You think I didn't pay attention? He passed away in front of me, just like Maria!" Kaman shouted. "Point is, there's nothing left for us to do! The Eternal Road's probably gonna come any second."
"Then...what are we going to do?!" Priscilla asked. "Can we escape to the other world?"
"That won't work! You're forgetting that most of us have living counterparts there! If we waltz in over there, it'll be crazy! At least here, we can buy it, but over there it would be chaos!" Kazuya said. "But...I don't want to die, not yet!"
"Damn...then maybe we should hurry up and -"
Just then, the lights went off - including the NDD. It was total darkness.
"...No!" Shirley said. "Kaman's right! We ARE finished - argh!"
Just then, there was a massive shaking beneath the ground. Everybody lost their balance, and bashed either into walls, each other, or just fell to the ground. Amara was face down on the ground, as the tremors got fiercer and fiercer. Everyone else was screaming, yet she shut her eyes.
I didn't want things to end like this...Zao...help me...where are you?
|?|
Amara was surrounded by total darkness. Once again, she seemed to be floating. Perhaps this was the end of everything after all. Nihane was probably in charge of his own planet now, and she was stuck in here, never to see anyone or anything again.
"Zao...we failed..."
Just then, she saw something in the distance. A flashing square, like a computer screen. And there were people in it. Amara tried to move closer, but her feet didn't touch any solid surface. Instead, she just floated closer and closer, until she was right up at it.
"Huh...who's that?"
She saw someone staring at her, in shock. He had black hair, somewhat spiky, with blue eyes. From the way he was staring at her, he was utterly mesmerised.
"What's going on...who...are you?" Amara said. The man seemed shocked, and did not say a word. Then, as she got right up to the 'screen', she saw him. Nihane Kronos - or rather, Ethan Walters.
Anger pulsed up inside of her. This man was the one behind everything. Tomas' descent into madness. Her father's downfall. The deaths of Adrian, Colette, Joe, Lucas, and...Zao. If he had never discovered the Shadows, none of this would have happened. Amara could have gone on with life, and Zao would be free to fish as he pleased.
"Nihane...you're gonna die!" She screamed.
With a fit of rage, she slashed through the screen, and within moments, she was in another place. A room, with a broken monitor, and a panicked Ethan. Angry, she raised her sword.
"W-W-What is this thing?!" Ethan screamed. "Everyone! Help!"
This...when I...summoned...Persona...
"Oh my god!" Nina shrieked. "Ethan! What just happened?!"
"I don't know!" Ethan cried. "It just...came out of the screen! I'm not imagining it, am I? ...Am I?!"
"I can see it too!" Archibald shouted. "What - It's moving! And those sounds...it's...a monster!"
"That's right..." Amara said. Her sword shook in her hand, and she snarled at Ethan, making him step back, frightened beyond all recognition. To see him quivering with fear...yes, that brought delight to her heart. Now she could make him pay. "I'm a monster, alright, thanks to you! Hathor, get him!"
Hathor appeared, yet no one seemed to notice her. When Amara saw her, she seemed sorrowful. What? Why? I'm not...I'm not sad! I'm finally going to kill him! Nihane, you're dead! Regardless, Hathor attacked - and a tiny fireball hit the ground, causing more screams. Ethan had dodged the attack, and now he was hyperventilating.
"No! No!" Ethan cried. Just then, he saw a crowbar on the ground. With no other weaponry in sight, he grabbed it - alas, it was heavy for just one hand, so he had to clutch it with both. He swung it, but it just hit the ground.
"What are you doing?!" Josephine cried. "Oh my goodness! How are we going to get out?!"
"What, you forgot how to use Cybele?! Since when were you so weak?" Amara cried.
This is...the past...Cybele didn't exist...neither did Thor...Hel...Venti...Loki...but...
"The hell? Who's talking?!" Amara cried. "Whatever! DIE -"
"Per...so...na!"
She thrust at Ethan, but before her sword impaled him, his body suddenly became shrouded by a blue mistt. He gasped, and closed his eyes from the sheer brightness. However, a strange voice could be heard.
I am thou. Thou art I. I cometh from the sea of thy heart. I am -
Amara watched in shock. Both she and Ethan were amazed, as something burst out of his body with an amazing shockwave.
"Janus?!" Amara cried.
Not Janus...No...Not...This is...This is...what was it...?
The figure was oddly hazy. In fact, Amara could barely see it. It seemed humanoid, and had a weapon in its hand like a sword, but that was all she could see. Yet Ethan no longer seemed scared. In fact, he looked happy.
"What the hell happened now?!" Carlos shouted. "Everyone, stay back!"
"Yeah, like I want to get involved with that freak! Or that weird thing with the sword! %^&£$%, was it? Ethan, I know you're scared...but I think you can kill it now!" Pierre said. "Don't...be afraid!"
"I'm not...I'm not afraid!" Ethan shouted. "I'll save everyone! No one get involved! We're going to get out of here alive, and that's final! %^&£$%, GO!"
Amara gasped. The hazy figure flew straight at her, and for a split second, Amara saw every detail of it. She could only just make out a silver ponytail, and a shimmering holy sword. That same sword, glowing brightly, flew right through her, and the instant it touched her, everythinf vanished.
Please...help me...learn the past...so I can...stop...myself...
|Inanis?|
I remember...now...this is when...we met...for the first time...me and...
The entire area had become white, and only Amara and Ethan were present. Their bodies seemed to be floating, in the vast limitless expanse around them. Then, she saw his feet touch the 'ground', and he stood. His Persona was behind him, but due to the blinding white all around them, it was impossible to make it out."Huh?" Amara said. Ethan merely looked straight ahead, unable to speak. It had been moments since the Shadow had burst out of the computer and forced him to fight back, and now he was in another world entirely.
It's coming...
Amara gasped at what happened next. From high above, she saw two small spheres of energy. One was a dark black, and the other was a bluish-white. They flew towards Ethan, who in his confusion, fell backwards.
"Welcome to Inanis, Nihane Kronos." They both said at once. Amara shuddered - both voices sounded utterly vacant of any feeling. One of them was a deep man's voice, and the other was a song-like woman's.
"Nihane...?" Ethan said. "But that's not my name!"
"Ah...yes. Your glorious lineage, the one that was utterly destroyed, will be a complete mystery to you. All thanks to those despicable humans of the new motion of hatred." The voices said. "Do you not know anything of your past? All throughout your lifetime, the thirst for knowledge of your origins must have overwhelmed all others. Now is the time to show you, Lord Nihane."
"Lord...?" Ethan said. "What...?"
"Follow us. We will show you the disaster of Amurdad - the wondrous land you should have claimed reign over. Do not fear, Lord Nihane. The time has finally come for you to receive our guidance. After all, we are part of you..."
The spheres began to fly away to the north. Ethan, stunned, slowly started to walk. Then, he stopped.
"My origins...they know who my parents were!" Ethan said. "I can finally find out where I belong! Hey, wait up! I'm coming!" He soon broke into a sprint, with a huge smile on his face.
What happened next was truly a nightmare. When she heard the voices mention Inanis and Amurdad, she knew she should have seen this coming. Yet slowly, and in gruesome detail, she saw the entire land of Amurdad be destroyed all over again. Brick by brick, it was felled. And its people were torn to shred, all in the name of 'righteousness'. She could not see Ethan, but from his screams, she knew he felt what she vision continued beyond the death of the mother of the drowned baby, however. She saw a very grim looking man, with black hair and a beard, hurry onto a tiny boat. Already sitting there was a grief-stricken woman with white hair, and opposite them both was a small, crying boy.
"Where are we going, daddy?" the boy asked.
"Somewhere far away, my son. We can never return home. No one will ever accept us...our legacy dies here."
With many tears, and wailing from the man's wife, the boat set sail. By the time the attackers reached the small port, it was too late. The once-beautiful palace was up in flames, and smoke was billowing all over the city. It grew smaller and smaller in the distance, and finally, the world changed back to the empty white land.
"Now do you see, Lord Nihane? That land is what the hateful people of a false motion took away. For centuries, your ancestors lived in gloom and isolation, fearful of the prejudice that killed hundreds of their people. The anger building in your heart...does it hurt?"
Ethan nodded, wiping away his tears.
"As we said - the time has come at last. We have been with you since your birth, for it is you who shall become the first Nihane Kronos of the new millennium. From the shadows, we have guided you and your ancestors, even in their darkest years. A new epoch has dawned of this day, Lord Nihane. Your legacy will revive, and Amurdad will thrive once more."
"How?!" Ethan asked. "How do we do that?!"
"Do you promise to dedicate your entire being to the rebirth of Amurdad?"
"Of course I will!" Ethan shouted. "There's no way I can continue to live as normal! Not after everything that city put me through! I'll do anything it takes!"
"Very good. Then from this moment onward, your name of Ethan Walters shall be erased. We shall remove it from the tongues of the people, and the memories of the soul. Even you will abandon this name, given to you by false guardians. In turn, the Persona you wielded today will cease to exist. It is a false image of yourself, which you had no choice but to believe was true. For we are the true manifestations of your heart, Lord Nihane. Now tell us. What is your name?!"
"...Nihane Kronos."
"As it should be. The power of Janus is yours. Now we shall return to the mortal world, for there is much that needs to be done there...to complete the true revival of Amurdad. Your companions...we shall see to it that they receive power as well. You will use them as tools, motivated by false promises. The pasts they wish to erase...offer that gift to them. When they realise they will never receive it, it will be too late..."
Once again, everything around Amara changed. All she could see was an empty darkness again. She shut her eyes, as she felt an overwhelming sense of fatique dwell upon her.
Janus...what the hell is it?
|Inanis - Centre Point|22:25 pm|
Nihane finally awoke. Strange...he could have sworn he had a dream. An odd dream, where he was fighting a Shadow. Yet Janus wasn't there. He shook his head, and looking around. Above him was the city, still intact. Apart from the gigantic hole in Legarte, all was normal.
"What? Why isn't the world destroyed?" Nihane demanded, as he sat up. "The Eternal Road is here! Why did it stop?!"
We do not yet know, my Lord. All we have known is the Eternal Road, and the Divine Sparks needed to build it. The journey should be complete. Yet all we have been able to do is restore the land of Amurdad. It may be that there is another step, completely unknown even to us.
"Dammit!" Nihane roared, stomping his foot. "How could you not know?! You're the one who told me who I really am! If anyone should know, it's you! You made all of this possible...I dominated this entire city with your power! And now you're telling me you don't know what to do next?! What was the point of the last ten years?! All I've managed is to make a life-size replica of Amurdad!"
Do not despair. You may not have your dream fully realized as of now, but we have come incredibly close. We can see it - it is in our grasp. Whatever the final stage is, it will present itself very shortly. And no matter how much time it takes, we shall be with you. That is the promise we have kept since the sacking of Amurdad.
"Fine..." Nihane said. "Inanis has completely changed, too. The blank white canvas has been painted with red and purple...and the world shall soon be discarded. I only request that you do NOT keep me waiting."
Oh? What are you going to do? We are your Persona, after all. You cannot discard us. Even if you did, what would be left? Our power is your only option. We have no other desires than your own. There is no sense in threatening us...
"The way you speak to me is grating...but I'll concede the point. Shall we return to HQ? I'm rather bored of this new Inanis already."
Nihane and Janus disappeared, as the Shadows began to reform. For now, both Inanis and New Motus City could co-exist...
|Aeternus HQ - Meeting Room|22:32 pm|
Nihane arrived in the meeting room, to his surprise. Usually, he would arrive via the Chamber of Eternity or the Meeting Room. Yet here he was, in the room the Ater Vox convened. Yet tonight, his comrades faced off against the rebels in the Interitus Legion Compound. And they had not returned.
Sighing, Nihane sat at his usual seat. He had never enjoyed the meetings - each time, each of them would grow more hopeful for their prospective futures. Nina and her ideal family. Josephine's zest for youth, beauty, and love. Archibald recreating his 'golden age'. Carlos living in peace with his daughter. Pierre eliminating prejudice from the world. He would smile as they rambled on about their dreams, and claim each one of them was better than the other. Yet the truth was, Nihane only cared about bringing back Amurdad.
"So, I will have no more need of this room. Perhaps I can convert it into another study..." Nihane said. "Those fools...did they seriously die in the Divine Spark? All for their own goals..." He shook his head. "How pathetic. To die at the hands of those rebels. At least, if I have to wait for the Eternal Road for a short while, it'll be on my own."
Suddenly, somehow shoved the door open, and it was Keisha, looking rather frantic.
"Clearly, I spoke too soon."
"Huh?" She uttered, looking distraught. "Nihane, we've got a bit of crisis on our hands!"
"Oh really, Keisha? The Divine Spark might have taken out five of the Ater Vox, destroyed one of the supply centres our citizens depend on, and the Eternal Road can't happen yet, and you call that a BIT of a crisis?" Nihane said, condescendingly. "This is a nightmare, Miss Vivaldi. With my comrades gone, I'll have to take over their duties!"
"A nightmare...yeah, that sums it up." Keisha muttered, shaking. "Nihane...something terrible happened. Not just the Divine Spark, but...Zao's dead."
Nihane looked at her, incredulous. She avoided his hateful gaze, and gulped. Angrily, he slammed his fist on the desk, and snarled.
"You stupid woman! Are you not aware of the situation at all!? The Eternal Road, for whatever reason, isn't happening! Janus claims it needs something else to work, but what that is, I don't know! So for now, all I wish for is to devote all our resources into making the Eternal Road a reality at last! I do not care about one measly rebel's demise!" Nihane shouted.
"But..." Keisha said, wiping away tears. "Zao was...he was a good man...he might have been an enemy, but...he didn't deserve to -"
"Enough." Nihane said. "Clearly, you're too upset to be of use right now. You're dismissed. Go rest up, talk a walk, whatever." She stood there, her eyes still watering. "Why are you still here? Leave!"
She left, sobbing. Nihane shrugged, and sat at his desk, sighing.
"All five of you dead, leaving me to run this organisation alone...and only one of our enemies is dead?!" Nihane groaned. "This is ridiculous! What were they thinking...?!"
There was only one objective left. Whatever it was, Nihane would complete it, and reap the rewards of the Eternal Road all alone. Yet, the mere thought of Janus seemed to fill him with unease...
Am I the only one afraid of his own Persona?
|Secret Base|22:40 pm|
"...up! Wake up!"
Amara awoke to Karl's shaking, with various worried onlookers staring at her. She gasped. What had just happened? Wasn't the Eternal Road happening?
Amara got lifted up to a chair by Karl, and she was given a cup of warm coffee. She drank some of it, and felt warmth come back to her body.
"That's a relief..." Kyle said. "You were breathing, but you wouldn't wake up, even after the power came back on. The others said they wouldn't go home until they knew you were okay."
"Okay?" Amara asked. "You really think...I'll ever be okay again!?"
"Alright, bad choice of words on his count." Roger said, nervously. "But it looks like the Eternal Road isn't happening...at least not yet."
"I do not understand it, at all." Seraphina said. "All the lands have awoken. I can feel their power, swelling all around us. The netherworld has changed, for sure. I saw it with Sophia's eyes - the land of white became red as blood. Yet the Eternal Road has not been born. It is as if...there is another event yet to come. My powers cannot see it..."
"Your powers haven't been all that helpful, have they?" Other Amara said. "We could have saved Zao! Sure, you know when a random Shadow's weak to fire, or when one will reflect Mudo spells, but when one of us is about to die, you can't do that?! What's the point of having you along?!"
"Amara!" Priscilla exclaimed. "Stop that! You heard what she said - nothing we could have done would have stopped Zao from going down there!"
Seraphina got up from her chair, and stormed off into her room, shutting the door behind her. From the glimpse Amara got of her face, she was crying harder than anyone else.
If she had told me Zao was going to die, what would I have done? Gone with him? I might have died myself. Zao would never back down. He would have fought his other self, just so we wouldn't have to. So there really was no other way.
Amara felt the tears come to her eyes again. Before long, she was sobbing, rather loudly, face in her hands. Against her will, she felt herself being lifted up by at least two people. She looked, and saw Nathan and Blaine, both concerned, yet tearful themselves.
You guys...Serena too...all of you loved him, didn't you? I saw it, every time we fought together...and now...we'll never get to see him or Rashnu again...
"It's probably time we got home." Nathan said, with a heavy heart.
"Um..." Serena said, anxiously. "Guys...what are we going to do with Zao's...well..."
"We can't just leave him here." Karl shouted. "...I'll take him." Amara tried to look away, but she just couldn't stop herself. She saw Karl walk to the sofa, and lift Zao's body into his arms. Part of her expected him to just stand up, laugh, and apologise for making everyone cry so much. Sure, she would have been angry beyond all belief if that had happened, but even that was a better feeling than this...like all the ocean in the world of her heart had been drained away.
"Karl..." Aimee whimpered. "I'm...sorry..."
"What are you going to say to the police?" Richard asked. "They won't believe a word of any of this, will they?"
"Of course not, you fucking dumbass!" Other Blaine retorted. "Can't you think for two seconds?!"
"...We'll tell them he had a heart attack." Karl said. "I don't care what the police think...but we have to let Deo now. His only grandchild..."
Without any more words, Amara finally was taken out of the world that had destroyed her own.
|Amara's Apartment|23:12 pm|
Amara, upon coming home, immediately locked herself in her bedroom. Nathan, Serena and Blaine were left inside, having been forced to promise Karl that they would get Amara home safely. He had decided to call the police alone, unwilling to get anyone else involved.
"That...little goofball..." Blaine finally said, as he sat down on the sofa. "Always talking about fish, or the sea...or his girl..."
"He didn't have that many interests, but he was passionate about them. That's what I admired most about him." Nathan said. "Amara was cheerful even before she met him - but after they became an item, she always looked on the bright side..."
"I know." Serena said, tearfully. "Zao, he was so sweet...he was a bit weird sometimes, but that was just part of him...so why did he have to die...?!"
"You know why!" Blaine roared. "Because of the Ater Vox, and their fucking experiments! If his other self didn't have that stupid Persona...if they had never turned him into that...thing...he'd be with us now! We'd be laughing...about how the Eternal Road isn't so eternal after all..."
"I should be grateful we're all still alive..." Nathan said. "But what can we possibly do? The Divine Sparks have all happened, and yet the Eternal Road just...stopped! That big earthquake, and nothing else..."
"It's not fair!" Serena said. "Zao should be sitting here with us! Then I could get him to play Animal Crossing: New Leaf with me, when it comes out...then he'd be able to fish in video games as well as real life...and..." She stood up, her throat sore with anger. "I hate the Ater Vox! All of them, fucking scumbags! They take everything precious from us!"
"Not everything." Nathan said. "We still have our friends. Dan. Kyle. Priscilla. Lucy. If we have more time to spend with them, we should cherish it."
"Then tomorrow, we spend the day with them. They'll be worried about us..." Blaine said. "And Lucy, our one...she's emotional, even if she tries to hide it. Once she hears about Zao, she'll be really sad...I gotta be there for her."
"I have a feeling it's her who will be there for you." Serena said. "Should...we really just leave Amara on her own?"
"I think that might be best." Nathan said. "You saw how she looked when she was dragged away from Zao's body. She needs to be alone."
"Alright..." Blaine said. "Then let's get going. Looks like we're not done with that other world yet..."
Slowly, the three of them walked out of the apartment, and shut the door. The Eternal Road had not laid waste to reality just yet. Yet it would constantly be hanging over their shoulders, waiting to strike. When it did, no one would be safe.