AN: So sorry for the wait, everybody. I was sick with a nasty cold last week, and on top of that I just felt overall discouraged to write more. I'm back in the game now, though. Persona 5's gameplay trailer certainly was awesome, at least I thought so! Seems like 'Cooperation' is indeed a new Social Link system. I'm also pleased to see what appear to be demons as enemies, rather than Shadows. This is going to be awesome! But for now, here's Chapter 92. I may create a different chapter naming theme for 91-95 later, but for now, this will do.
Chapter 92: Lebewohl
|Ater Peractorum - Turbid Takanawa|2:35 am|
This Takanawa seemed like a different country altogether. There were no skyscrapers of any kind, and no modern conveniences at all. This was a land of simpler times, where the rich lived in wide-open houses with central garden areas, and the buildings were made out of wood and paper. The floors were made out of decorative tatami panels, and from the arched ceilings were red paper lanterns. Chinese and Japanese architecture blended together everywhere.
Very few buildings were more than two stories tall. However, near the outskirts was an early government building, that would later be totally revamped into a council office for education. It was one of the few things here that would be recognised, albeit barely, hundreds of years later. Shrines existed in the same places, alas they had been taken apart and replaced constantly over the years, as was common with Japan's famous Shinto shrines.
It was ironic that Serena had to battle Shadows, while all around her was the beauty of traditional Asian buildings, which were surrounded by many fir and oak trees. Gardens were filled with colourful flowers, such as hibiscus and cosmos. If only there was time to admire them, and wander through the vacant homes of the once-elite souls. Alas, she was caught up in a sorrowful conflict.
"Take THIS!"
She swung her whip to destroy another Knight, as Kyle immolated a nasty Beetle.
"Phew..." Kazuya said. "Not even the streets are the same. This map app is useless. Finding this castle is going to be a nightmare."
"Do we even know what it looks like?" Other Serena said. "It's not like a fairy tale castle, right?"
"Well, not the Hans Christian Andersen kind. Japanese castles like Matsumoto have a 'tiered' look to them, sort of like a pagoda. The roofs are large and angular. There should be a big wall around it, and a gate." Kazuya said. "Don't give up. We'll find it soon."
The four journeyed through Takanawa, which to all of them was completely alien. Serena yearned to see something recognisable, beyond a handful of shrines which had been rebuilt. Some of the marketplaces were still around, albeit less grand in scale.
This is all wrong! Why do I have to fight my sister? Why...why did she have to die because of Nihane? Tonight has been hell! The base got blown up, we got chased all over the city by that stupid motorcycle and that biker, we nearly died getting inside Aeternus, and...Keisha and Kaman...
"Serena?" Kyle asked, staring at her tearful eyes. "Are...you alright?"
"I...I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't get upset, but...I just wish this was over! I tried to act tough earlier, but...I want to go back to normal! Me and the other you, shopping here for manga, or playing our games...not having to go through fight after fight! Kaman and Keisha, they...they died, just after they came back for us!" Serena said.
"You got a point...this whole evening has turned out pretty lousy." Kazuya said. "Just when we thought we'd won, Janus takes the reins..."
"Serena. It's okay to cry." Kyle said. "I...I've lost two homes now. I wish I could just cry myself to sleep, and get this night over with...but I can't. There's nowhere to go..."
"Maybe nowhere..." Other Serena said, hand on his shoulder. "But you're not alone. I'm here..." She wiped some tears from her eyes, gazing at the bizarre sky that covered the floating city. "As bad as tonight is...even if things get worse...we're still here. With each other. Six months ago, I just had Blaine, and we were all apart..."
"Apart..." Serena said. "Being alone is the worst. I used to hate school, because it was hard to get into hobbies the other kids liked...and I was fine with just having Kyle to talk to. But, I think sometimes you have to go beyond your comfort zone. I nearly died because of this world. But because of it, I met everyone else, and started being more friendly with the other people at school. This is going to be a lot worse, I know, but...it's what we have to do."
"Yeah." Kazuya said. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. We can turn around this night, and bring back our normal lives."
"Normal, huh?" Other Serena said. "I...don't think that'll happen for me. My parents and my sister won't be around anymore. Everyone died because of Janus!" She shook her head in despair, wiping away her tears. "Even so, I...I want to try and make a new start! But before I can do that, I have to..."
"...Defeat Nina." Serena said. "There. That's it!" She pointed to a large, white and dark-blue building. As Kazuya had said, it had a tiered look, the lower floors being larger than those on top, thus showing off the intricate roofs. On the balconies were various statues of Samurai, holding both katana and wakazashi. There were also female warriors wielding naginata, Japanese polearms much like the European glaive or the Chinese Guan Dao.
"Does this castle have a name?" Kyle asked.
"Eugene Dwight didn't mention one." Serena said. "Guess anything would do."
"Then, I guess something like Kōkai Castle." Kazuya said. "A place where we face our regrets head on, and put them to rest."
With that epithet in mind, the team braved their way throughout the antiquated Takawana, destroying a large number of Nyogo and Musha Shadows on the way.
Nina, I...I'm coming. Now, I can finally goodbye, to my big sister...
|Kōkai Castle – Gate to Desolation|2:40 am|
When they arrived, the gates had been shut. Yet in a second, they flung open, as various men in armour ran in, their hands firmly on their swords.
"What?!" Serena said. "Where did they come from?"
"It's an illusion!" Kazuya said. The samurai began shouting, and around the courtyard various soldiers were duelling furiously. One unlucky man, who seemed to be of the castle, had been defeated. He took a short-bladed knife, called a tanto, and was preparing to slice his abdomen with it.
"That's sepukku!" Other Serena said. "Ritual suicide..."
"Oh god. Don't look!" Kyle said, shutting his eyes.
Before the defeated samurai could take his life, however, the irritated victory slashed off his hands. Then, he sliced off his head, and followed his comrades into the castle's keep. A fire had started at the east gate, blocking several cowardly soldiers' escape.
"Dwight said that...some crazy guy had built this place so he could become the King of Motus!" Serena said. "And everyone ended up turning on him..."
"You wouldn't have understood them, but they said they wanted to defeat the foolish 'Mitsuharu'." Kazuya said. "If he built this castle, he must have considerable wealth. Obviously, he had more money than sense."
"Are...we going in?" Kyle said, anxious. "But...those samurai, they're -"
"Not real." Other Serena said. "Okay, they were once, but not anymore! They're memories now. Just focus on why we're here."
"Right...I'm sorry." Kyle said. "Of all times for me to get scared...you'd think this year alone would have toughened me up. Let's proceed."
The four walked past the feuding samurai, into the castle under siege. This was a history lesson unlike any other – all the battles were real, past and present.
|Kōkai Castle – Megalomaniac's Keep|2:46 am|
Navigating through the castle, plainly decorated but with strong foundations, was tricky for Kyle. If his wheelchair was not specially modified, he would have needed assistance. Despite this, they made it up to the highest floor, where the would-be King Mitsuharu issued orders to his men.
Alas, those men had been torn to shreds by the more experienced opposition. In the large central room, where many decorative weapons were on display – as well as scrolls and tapestries – there was a large man in dark red armour, ranting and raving to his adjutant.
"Kenjiro." Kazuya said. "Mitsuharu's friend through childhood, but as you can see, their bond has been under strain for some time."
Kenjiro, in far more modest attire, had well and truly had enough of his friend's foolish fantasies. Just as enemy samurai poured into the room, he plunged his sword into Mitsuharu's abdomen. Then, smirking at the intruders, he swiftly moved his blade with ease – and cut his own head off.
"What – why?!" Serena said. Kyle shut his eyes, hands covering his head. "He killed his best friend?!"
"The enemy were never going to let Mitsuharu get away. I heard them a little while ago, saying that he had arranged for their families' deaths – and framed the Amurdad military for the crime." Kazuya said, sadly. "I never thought reading up on antiquated Japanese would come in handy this way. They're using words and phrases that haven't been common for many years."
"I don't care about that! Mitsuharu, Kenjiro, whatever! I just want to find my sister! Nina! Where the hell are you?" Other Serena shrieked. Kazuya stepped back, covering his head. "ANSWER ME!"
"I'm right here, Serena."
All the Samurai vanished, and in the back of the large room was Nina, holding her sides, in pain. She looked up at her sister, and despite her ghostly state, tears streamed down her eyes.
"Nina!" Serena shouted. "What...what's going on?"
Suddenly, there was a sudden flash, and the atmosphere became very cold. Serena shivered, teeth chattering. Next thing she knew, the walls and ceiling were covered in ice, and from the windows, Serena could see a giant swirl of Shadow energy around the ruined castle. Soldiers laid everywhere, their weapons damaged from fierce combat.
Far worse, however, was what Nina had become. Her hair had become a light blue, and reached her feet. Her skin was icy, looking almost glass or porcelain, and her eyes were a deep red. On her hair, she wore two crystalline flowers. She was clad in silky white gloves, which showed off her elongated fingers, and a floor-length dress that shimmered and sparkled, like the morning snow. She also wore a furry cape, as icy as the rest of her clothes. In her right arm, she wielded a double-edged spear, much like Hel once did.
"Serena, I...suppose this is karma. Because of me, Mum and Dad are dead, and you had to suffer so much on your own..." Nina said, her voice echoing strangely throughout the frozen room. "All because I was naïve enough to believe in creating a better version of my family, instead of working to bring us closer together. I wish I could simply melt away, but Janus won't allow me."
"Sis..." Other Serena said. "Please! Is there no other option than fighting!?"
"The only other option is to allow me to gather energy, and thus accelerate the Eternal Road. And I know you, Serena. When you're after something, you'll kick and scream until you have it. Just think of this as a big lollipop..." Nina said, trying to smile. Yet sorrow this strong could not even be masked. "I...wanted to do so much more. I had so many plans for the new world. You would have been with me in all of them. Now the only hope I have is that you can destroy me. I'm sorry. I'm a rubbish big sister."
"No." Serena said. "If I had never been to this world, I never would have found out the truth. I would have gone on, wondering why my sister changed the way she did."
"You may have been taken in by Janus, but your familial devotion still burns beneath that cold front." Kazuya remarked. "As my old employer...I'll perform my last duty. To send you to a peaceful rest."
"Nina..." Kyle said. "When we win, I'll make sure your sister isn't on her own. I'll do my best to look after her! Because I love her!"
"Kyle?" Other Serena said, surprised. He stared at her, in earnest, and nodded. She smiled, tearfully, and looked back at her sister. "So many horrible things have happened. It doesn't matter who's to blame. All of us will work as hard as we can to put things right. Nina...you're my big sister. If you can't help fighting, then I'll just have to fight even harder. So...let's go!"
"Then this will be our last ever meeting." Nina said. "I wish...I could turn this spear towards Janus. Yet as long as I have this body it thrust upon me, I will have no choice but to follow their will..please, show no mercy."
Serena nodded. She clicked her fingers, and out of her body came a radiant Selene, as bright as the full moon on a clear night.
"Aquadyne!" She cried, and a rush of water was sent at the older Agnethe sister.
The Other Serena, however, had a different idea. She called upon her own Selene, who spun her bow into the air, allowing ethereal moonlight to shine down on it. It glistened, and transfigured itself into a magnificent weapon, fitted with scopes and loaded with sharp arrows.
"Lunar Scope!"
Other Selene fired, with perfect aim. The arrows plunged into Nina's icy form, raining down on her.
"Agidyne, Vulcanus!" Kyle demanded.
Hot flames seared Nina, but the icy exterior would not yield to such temperatures. Not just yet, at least. Kyle frowned – the enemy analysis machine he had built into his wheelchair had run out of power. He would have to go via instinct here.
"Uriel! Ziodyne!"
Kazuya and Uriel Ignis united, sparking a grand bolt of lightning. It hit Nina, but it seemed to damage the floor more than the ice queen before them. Fighting without his old team was hard, but Kazuya knew he could trust Kyle and Serena. If he didn't, this battle would end badly for all.
"Abkühlen."
Nina warped behind Other Serena, and holding out her hands, created a short but icy cold sphere of mist. Serena felt her body shiver all over, but she lashed out with her whip anyway – prompting Nina to warp further away.
"Damn!"
"Bufudyne."
Freezing cold ice hit Other Serena in a flash, sharply dropping her body temperature. She glared at her sister, and struck the ground with her whip, enraged. This was a fight against the demon her sister had become, and she would become the exorcist.
Serena sighed. At this moment in time, her parents would be at home, perhaps wondering why they hadn't heard her come home yet. She wouldn't be getting back any time soon.
|Ashen Amurdad – Garden of Forgotten Love|3:09 am|
"I wonder if this is the moment you admit defeat?" The Liberated Mummy said, amidst sadistic laughter.
"Wonders will never cease." Amara said, rolling her eyes. She plunged her sword into the Mummy, and ducked under his chains, as they flew at her. "Heartful Cry!"
The Mummy was sent flying backwards, onto a bed of flowers, by the blast. Alastair, who was nearby, took that moment to impale the Mummy in the chest.
"Begone, you heartless cur!" Alastair yelled. "Angel Plume!"
Michael Deus appeared, and with a tremendous flutter of his wings, scattered sacred feathers all over. They danced around the air for some time, until they all flew straight at the Mummy, slicing through its decayed form.
However, Alastair was struck across his chest by the Mummy's leg, which was covered in bloody bandages. Ethan shuddered, but shook his head. He called on Sraosha, calmly.
"Evanescence!"
Three lights – green, purple and orange – surrounded the Mummy, and grew dimmer as they phased into him. They had combined to weaken him in every possible way. The less power the Trauma Shadow's champion could use, the better.
Sophie, using her Persona, had been busy scanning the Mummy with Sophia. Now done, she could report to her allies – telepathically.
The Liberated Mummy is really strong. Far more powerful than any other Shadow I've seen! Its own attacks are dangerous, and it can increase his own power if it wants. And...the other Trauma Shadows are all inside of it. The Mummy will be able to use their abilities for itself! It can resist everything, except Almighty damage. And it's got some moves that will take people out in one hit!
Other Amara nodded, pondering this knowledge. So this creature, foul it may be, would take less damage than usual. Thank goodness this team had five instead of four. She swung her blade, hitting the Mummy in the lower torso, then she summoned Nepthys.
"Flare Bomber!"
The fiery Persona placed an explosion on the Mummy, attached underneath a loose bandage. The Shadow laughed, unconcerned, even as the bomb flashed bright red.
"Fireworks are but playthings to me. Let me remind you of exactly who you are fighting! Bellum Letale!"
Dark wispy ghosts wrapped around the Mummy, screaming in agony, as they were sacrificed to enhance it. Satisfied, the Mummy lashed out, punching Amara across the garden. His arms seemed able to strength, as could the chains.
"Now then...Persona!"
Out of the red mist came the Repentant Sorceress. Sophie gasped – she had fought this one before, and remembered it well. Before long, the witch cast her own spell – Witch Hunt. She magically created chains of dark energy, and with dramatic gestures, they flew at everyone, with huge destructive force.
"ARGH!" Sophie screamed, falling over backwards. "No...just like...before!"
"Strange...why did that hurt you more than the rest of us?" Ethan asked.
"It...affects those with high levels of magic..." Sophie said. "I...am among those...who suffer the worst..."
"Perhaps you rely too much on your foolish sophistry." The Mummy said. "Still, you overcame that Sorceress! And the Harlequin! Mostly by luck, I imagine. Can you enact a miracle?"
"It'd be a miracle if you stopped talking." Amara muttered. "Hey, this might be a little late, but smoking's bad for you. Tefnut's Raze!"
Scorching hot flames hit the Mummy, setting some of the imaginary flowers on fire. Amara grinned, and raced forward, slashing the necrotic giant as hard as she could.
"Sophie..." Other Amara said, as the young psychic stood up. "Are you – are you alright?!"
"There's nothing for you to worry about. Even if I die...it will be as me. Not Seraphina! Megidolaon!"
The entire palace ground was shaken by the almighty pulse of energy, which caused the windows to shatter and pillars to crumble. The Mummy shook its head, in great pain, but it did not relent. It wildly swung its arms, sending dark chains flying everywhere. One was headed straight for Sophie, who gasped.
"NO!" Other Amara screamed. Luckily, however, Ethan else leapt over a chain, and shoved her out of the way. Then, he took his sword, and waded through the metal binds, until he could land his blade into the Mummy's putrid flesh.
"Take this!" Ethan yelled. "Sraosha! Eidolon!"
Sraosha, the mighty Yazata, twirled in the air. Then, a giant swirl of blue and white energy captured the Liberated Mummy, which then produced an explosion like a supernova, scattering atoms of power everywhere.
"Amazing..." Alastair said.
"Hardly. With Janus, I was capable of greater feats..." Ethan said. "But no good comes of relying on the power of others!"
"That's a laugh. Is this supposed to be your last grand stand? Without your former enemies, you could never have reached here alive. Or have they changed the definition of 'rely' these days?" The Mummy said.
"Grr..." Ethan avoided staring at the Mummy, annoyed. "We're all fighting for the same goal. It's not about relying on each other. It's complementing each other."
"Whatever words soothe your soul. No wonder Janus played you so well..." The Mummy said, elated.
"Soul's Guard!" Alastair cried. Michael Deus appeared, and using the high strength of his shield, cast his protection on everybody. Yet there was an added benefit that the Mummy could not see.
"Hmm. You certainly know a lot of different abilities. How you come up with all of them is beyond even me. Of course, I myself have plenty of skills outside common use...but this one shall bring things back to basics. Mudoon."
A dark curse symbol appeared around Ethan, who recoiled in horror. However, nothing happened. Ethan blinked, glancing at his hands, bewildered.
"Huh? How come it failed?"
Alastair winked, pointing to himself with his thumb.
"Make a fool of ME, will you?" The mummy said, voice coarse with fury. "You must think you deserve a reward, for prolonging his life! Well, then here! Have a treat!"
Out of the Mummy's body, wreathed in red smoke, was the Benevolent Diva. Neither of the group had actually seen it up close before. But Amara knew...this had been the singer Keisha and Kaman had defeated together. At a terrible cost. No doubt, the Mummy knew this, and wanted his foes to remember exactly what was sacrificed.
The Diva sang, her incomprehensible melody quickening. This was Spinto, which was a green windmill of air power. It span, sending Alastair further and further back, until the six blades broke off and hit him.
"When those double agents went to the Diva's last concert, they didn't plan on returning to tell you about the show. But...now you can hear her enchanting voice. It truly is to die for, no?"
"Shut. Up." Amara snapped. The Mummy tilted its head, with a faux-childish curiosity. "You heard me! Shut up, you fucking monster! FORCE SABRE!"
Isis, as indignant as her master, took out her sword, and painfully slashed the Mummy with it. Leaving no time for the Shadow to counter, Amara ran forward, with her other self, and the two laid in with their blades.
"Agidyne!" The Other Amara cried, and Nepthys burned the Mummy dead.
"Sophie...hang on. Aeon!"
Sraosha appeared, and firing a beam of orange light from his sword, managed to heal Sophie up. Not only that, she seemed to be more nimble now, able to run away from the next thrashing of chains from the Mummy.
"Everyone, hold on. Mediarama!" Sophie cried. To be lacking in a dedicated healer was quite a massive handicap, especially against a Shadow that could make all others quiver in fear. Yet she would not give in. Not with the fate of the planet resting on her shoulders.
"Your cruelty stops here!" Alastair yelled. "Zandyne!"
The Mummy was struck by Michael's grand power, but did not flinch. Instead, he continued to howl with eerie, almost reluctant laughter.
"There is no cruelty greater than leaving this world as is! Your self righteousness sickens even me, a being who remembers the death of all that have gone before now. Well, if you insist on carrying out your warped 'justice', let me be show you the truth of your campaign! Veritas Von Liberatit!"
Black comets, fuelled by a purple flame of darkness, rained down on everybody, while a black skull insignia appeared on the ground, whose mirth was in a disturbing discord with the Mummy's. When the meteor rain was down, everyone had been hurt by the darkness, but Alastair seemed pale with fright. He stepped back, loosening his grip on his sword.
"What's wrong?" Sophie asked.
"...No." Ethan said. "No! The Mummy – he's scared you!"
"What?!" Amara shouted. "What the hell do we do?"
"Perhaps letting the fear bring clarity to yourselves would be a good start. Persona!"
Appearing in this false garden was the Purified Yggdrasill. Sophie gasped, recoiling in horror.
She had to fight that tree on the night Zao died...why do these things have to come back to haunt us?
The Yggdrasill shook its branches, and down came its leaves in an Autumn Nocturne. These shed leaves set themselves aflame, and they burned anyone they came in contact with. Amara managed to shrug it off, but Ethan and Alastair weren't quite so lucky.
"This is going to be a long night..." Ethan said, timidly.
Amara held her blade tight, in both hands, as she stared down the foul Liberated Mummy.
If only we had more time. But Nihane's busy preparing the Divine Spark as we speak! I...I have to find a way to kill this thing, and fast!
|Kōkai Castle|2:54 am|
Serena, as she had done when facing Nihane, had created a Reservoir with Selene's water. This, she believed, would help her endure her sister's attacks, brutal as they were.
"Aquarius!"
Other Serena and Selene's jug of water slammed into Nina, drenching her and soaking the tatami floors. This water would be kept for later, again a useful idea. The two Serenas smiled at each other, but as they tried to whip at Nina, their weapons merely struck the ground.
"Soaring Phoenix!"
Vulcanus lunged at Nina with a burning sword, sending hot sparks in every direction. Had this been the true castle, it would have burn to ashes within moments. Alas, this illusionary castle could last.
"Agidyne!"
Kazuya added to the heat, using Ignis. However, Nina skated away from it, and was right in front of her attacker. He attempted, rather feebly, to slash her, but they just went through mist.
"This used to be give me joy...Permafrost."
This art had been a grievance in every battle Nina had fought, and now it was even more unwelcome. Kazuya, to his horror, had been frozen solid in a giant block of ice. He couldn't even move, instead staring out at the others in despair.
"I wish I could hold back...Hamaon."
Kyle gasped. It was too late to counter – the banishing light had chosen him as its victim. Within a flash, he was unconscious, slumped over in his wheelchair.
"No! Kyle!" Serena cried.
"Don't worry...two of us healing will take care of it. You take care of him! I'll deal with her!" Other Serena said
Serena, biting her lip, nodded. Dealing with Kazuya would have to wait – there was no spell that seemed able to break the ice. However, she was adept with reviving the fallen now. Samarecarm required a good amount of energy to use, but it was worth it to see Kyle wake up.
"Phew...you saved me?" He asked. She nodded, smiling. "Thanks...whoa!"
Nina flew overhead, twirling her spear like a helicopter propeller. She was headed for Other Serena, who was preparing for her whip attack. When she got closer, Nina slashed at her at breakneck speed, while Serena swung her trusty whip with careful precision. Alas, she was hit by the spear blades, and was toppled to the floor.
"Shit...Aquadyne!"
Another blast of water hit Nina, soaking the south end of the room. It was just then, however, that Serena noticed something. The roof above them seemed to be vanishing, revealing a giant cyclone of shadow power extending to the sky – no doubt going all the way to the crater where the university was. Perhaps this was happening in the other Divine Spark areas, too.
Is everyone else in this same situation? What if we can't get out of here? Philemon, why couldn't you have sent in backup or something? Or maybe given us some cooler weapons to play with?
Kazuya, still trapped inside his icy cage, was utterly powerless to break free. He could not even bang his fists on the solid wall, for his arms were encased in the ice.
"Dammit!" Kyle screamed. "If she gets him, he might not make it!"
"I know...even when she was alive, it was pretty horrific. Maybe you can melt it, Kyle?" Other Serena asked.
"I don't know. I'll buy him some time! Tetrakarn!" Kyle swiftly granted everyone a physical shield, one that could repel even fatal strikes.
Nina had seen this, but using her Hel wrought spear, she moved in for a Chilling Massacre nonetheless. Alas, when the spearhead struck the ice, it was sent back, striking her instead. The ice suddenly melted, and Kazuya practically leapt up and hugged Kyle out of sheer relief.
"A good strategy...but you must realise one thing. Chilling Massacre can only harm those trapped in ice. I may be of ice right now, but I am not locked within its prison. I am free to wander the icy tundra of gloom."
"Nice purple prose there, sis." Other Serena said. "But I'm writing the ending here!"
"You'll have to wrest creative control from me, then. Mudoon!"
Serena gulped – the dark cursed power was swirling around her. She screamed when it trapped her, and sunk her to the ground.
"Oh, no..." Kazuya moaned.
"Serena..." Kyle said.
"Don't panic so much, guys." Other Serena said, calmly. "Just keep fighting! Samarecarm!"
For the second time already, someone had to be brought back from the brink of death. Serena opened her eyes, and gasped. She was back in this cursed recollection of a fallen castle.
"I'm...still alive?" Serena said, relieved. She got up, overcome. "I was so worried...I thought that would be it!"
"As long as we can keep everyone alive, we still have a chance." Other Serena said. "Let's help each other out. Unlike before, when everything kicked off for real."
"Yeah...I've got your back." Serena said.
That's right, the first time I ever saw the other me was when Kyle got kidnapped. And we went looking for him in the harbour. Of course, that was all a trap. We had to go to that old office in Takanawa. All when we were still new at this...
I've got to remember all of this. Someday, I want to let the world know exactly what we went through. Maybe they won't know it's real. But I want them to know a girl like me fought to save a world like theirs!
"Magnadyne!" Kyle cried. Vulcanus struck Nina with a heavy rock, strong enough to shake the room.
"Inspiration!" Kazuya shouted. Uriel's right hand became holy and filled with light, while his left was overflowing with electric force. He slammed his palms together, and the resulting holy sparks hit Nina in a fast wave, knocking her into the back wall, breaking some Jomon pottery.
"It seems you learned more in your rebellion than you did in your obedience." Nina said, standing up and pushing her misty hair backward, shimmering like a curtain of snow. "Yet Janus has forced me into following my last mission...you must expect nothing but murderous intent! Hailstone Tempest!"
Nina immediately was surrounded by floating hailstones. Her double-edged weapon, resonating with these fragments of ice, emitted an icy cold mist that chilled even the most hot-blooded. She then soared into the air, and manoeuvred herself upside down, standing on one of the rafters. In position, she span her weapon around, raining down immense icicles that pierced Serena and her allies.
"Argh! Ow!" Kazuya cried. "Dammit, no!"
"...How am I supposed to avoid those things like this?!" Kyle whined. "As much as I modified this chair, it wasn't built for speed!"
"Be frozen. Mabufudyne."
The entire team were immediately assaulted by another frigid blast – this time of Arctic proportions. Serena cried out in pain, as the ice hit her.
"Kanrei..." Kazuya complained. "As if December wasn't cold enough..."
"Tranquil Sea!" Serena commanded. Selene stood on the ground, and the entire area briefly became a beautiful, serene plain with the moon shimmering in the night sky. Then waves of water crashed into Nina to form a large sea, which spread a peculiar yet soothing aura around the room.
"Mediarahan!" Other Serena compassionately healed everyone up with Selene's curative magic. Kyle used Agidyne once again, preferring Fire attacks over Earth this time around.
"Crusade!" Kazuya yelled, summoning Uriel Ignis. Using his elegant pair of spears, he thrust at Nina at least ten times, all piercing through her snowy body. "How d'you like THAT?"
"A competent attack, Miyazaki. Let me show you, however, what a true master can do. Avalanche!"
Sheets of heavy snow fell out of nowhere onto the team, crushing them. Kyle wailed, falling over – but luckily, he had his seatbelt on. And with his control system, he could get back up fairly easily. He wasn't about to lose his only means of maneuvering, not tonight.
"Beware of the dark, light dweller. Mudoon."
Kazuya had only just recovered from the snowfall when he noticed the cursed banishment that was occurring around him. He screamed, as it took hold and forced him back down.
"Again?" Kyle said, incredulous. "How many times are you going to have to revive him?"
"We'll see..." Serena said, already summoning Selene. As she brought Kazuya back to consciousness, her mind went to Blaine's team. They lacked a healer like her. Would they be alright, fighting Archibald? If only they hadn't split up. But there wasn't enough time to round each area one by one.
"Go! Moonstone Wave!" Other Serena cried. A pale shimmering white wave hit Nina, and its energy not only smashed her into a set of displayed armour, but healed up the others.
"Soaring Phoenix!" Kyle roared. Vulcanus was too fast for Nina to see – and slashed her with his scorching hot blade, diving through the air like a bird of prey.
"I was afraid you all would be reluctant to fight...but you're managing to cause major pain. So you won't let pity dull your blades...thank you. Winter Warhead."
Nina drove one end of her weapon into the tatami floor. Ice crept up the newly-made hole, and onto the exposed blade. Next, the frost expanded into a giant, sharpened blade. Despite its size, Nina could use it with just one hand, as if it was a broom or mop. Of course, her new body wasn't exactly subject to human limits. With her weapon, she hit Kyle many times with it, before driving the blade painfully into his torso. She removed it, as he cried out in pain.
"Oh my god! Kyle!" Serena screamed, face pale with fright.
"You going to be alright there?" Kazuya asked, disturbed.
"Y-Yeah...it's not...fatal, it's just...torture!" Kyle said, painfully. "Now – Serena! Look!"
"H-Huh?" Serena said, looking behind her. Nina was already there, preparing for the cold.
"Sister, forgive me...Permafrost."
Serena could not even scream. Before long, her entire body was sealed within this box of ice, unable to budge a single music or even blink. However long this was supposed to last, it was too long. Serena could not wait to be set free.
"Oh no..." Other Serena said.
"Don't give up! We'll melt that ice in no time!" Kazuya said, looking at Kyle.
"Y-Yeah, we could, but not while Nina's hounding us!" Kyle said. Sure enough, Nina was trying to stab him with her spear again. Her blocked with his laser blade, and swung so hard the blade grew twice in length.
Kazuya rolled across the floor, and sliced Nina with his knives from behind. Not as fast as Matthew, his knives were still sharp, intended for the rigours of combat. Eagerly, he ducked around Nina's spear, and kicked out at her, hitting her leg.
"Aquarius!" Other Serena cried. Nina was distracted, and thus did not see the next wave that knocked her away. It crashed her into a wall, and made most of it crumble – exposing the castle grounds. The trees were burning, fallen soldiers were piled up carelessly, and the walls were collapsing. Back then, the invaders had won easily, but now the castle's Lady was holding her own.
"Agidyne!" Kazuya cried, incinerating the older Agnethe sister, even as she lay on the floor. She stood up, looking somewhat annoyed, and threw her spear straight at him, grazing his side. It landed straight into a portrait on the wall, of what appeared to be the gods Izanami and Izanagi as they formed the islands of Japan.
"Raging Rampart!" Kyle and Vulcanus combined strength, and constructed a large stone wall in seconds. With a mighty push, this wall skated across the floor and fell upon Nina, crushing her beneath the heavy stone.
"The enemy forces are stronger than ever before!" Nina said, proud. "If only...Janus would let me lose easily, and let you all aside...if only I had known the truth. I could have helped the one that really needed me. Mabufudyne!"
Serena had to watch from her cage as the ice hit everybody, even her. She glared at her sister, cursing her current situation. Being in a giant ice cube was not something she wanted to repeat, even if she was dropped in her favourite soda.
Oh no...she's coming after ME! Kyle, Kazuya, me, do something!
"Serena. Whatever happens...this is not how I really feel...Janus has polluted us all. And we let ourselves follow his avatar. Chilling Massacre!"
NO!
Kyle and Kazuya tried to attack, but it was too late. Their knives and sword were too slow compared to the swift spear of Nina, that cracked through the ice and impaled its target. One by one, the violent strikes destroyed the ice prison and rushed through Serena's body, leaving her on the ground in a melted puddle of pain.
"Serena! I...I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you so much. Like when I broke that doll of yours, the one you always played with...I never meant to make you cry so much, it was just be being clumsy!"
Serena looked up, and gulped. She saw sorrow in her sister's eyes. Pain, regret, suffering, it was all there, mixed in that corrupt red hue. Janus had cast her sister in a dye of sadness. Now it was up to Serena to wash it all away.
"That was a long time ago..." Other Serena said. "I don't need a doll...sisters are a lot harder to replace."
"And a lot harder to forget, too! Dolls don't freeze up their little sisters!" Serena pouted, with a pained laughter. "Moonstone Wave!"
As she sent the radiant wave, Other Serena managed a Mediarahan, healing up the team almost fully. Kyle and Kazuya were rather pleased by this, and returned to the fight.
"Crushing Eagle!" Kyle cried again. A stone bird fell on top of Nina, hard enough to shake the floor and make objects in the other rooms fall over. It sounded like some vases were breaking.
Kazuya grinned, as his Persona shone brightly. Now was his moment. Smirking, he put his knives away, and pointed at Nina intensely. "Uriel, as the Fire of God, light my path! Show me the way forward, back to my friends, as we fight in the name of honour!"
Uriel's twin spears were set aflame by holy fire. The angel began twirling these spears at high speeds, generating what looked like wheels of bright fire. Embers began to drop onto the ground, and burned a path forward at Nina, locking her in place.
"Behold! Flame of Truth!"
Immediately, Uriel Ignis raced ahead, accelerated by the burning wheels that had been formed via flame itself. Next, Uriel stabbed Nina repeatedly with hot burning spears, each time sending out a tiny wave of fire. Finally, all the flame combined for one final blaze, sending smoke all over the castle's keep.
"Very...good..." Nina said, painfully standing up. "Maybe your flames can scorch Janus after all...if only you didn't have to face me. Mabufudyne!"
Again, everybody was hit by severely cold ice. Kazuya shivered, clutching his sides.
"Hailstone Tempest!"
Other Serena whimpered, as the ice rained down on her without mercy. The walls and ceiling had been ripped to pieces, and thus all that was left was this floor, standing in the middle of the swirling vortex. The energy that was flowing through was rippling through this recollection of Takanawa, deforming it into a land of woe.
"If you surrender now, Serena, I might be able to make this painless..."
"No! No, I will NEVER surrender! You can throw as many icicles at us as you like, but when I left home for here, I made a promise to myself that I'd be back. You might not be with us, but the Agnethe family will always live on!" Serena cried. "Mediarahan!"
She healed her allies, with the great energy of Selene. Other Serene grinned, and stared at her sister, heart soaring.
"It's like she says...if Janus has his way, there won't even be memories left of us. I don't want to forget my parents...or you. And I don't want to be forgotten myself. All we have are memories! And those are too precious to surrender! Lunar Scope!"
Other Selene loaded her modified bow, and shot down moonlit arrows. These rained down on Nina, piercing her.
"Agidyne!" Kyle cried. His surging flames consumed Nina, but still did not melt her icy body. Rather, she threw her lance at him, and it hit his wheelchair in the back. "...Damn. It's not going to be easy to fix that."
"Crusade!" Kazuya ordered, glancing up at Uriel Ignis. He may have used a great deal of strength, but he had more to offer. As Uriel repeatedly stabbed Nina, sparks leftover from the flames cycled over to electrocute her. "I...I wasn't expecting that at all. Wow."
"Serena...you must understand. Janus has enchanted all of us. This is not like when I was mortal. Even with all the attacks you can throw at me, it will not be enough! Albedo!"
All around Kyle was a pile of snow. Suddenly, a massive ray of light shone upon it, causing the snow to break up and collide with Kyle, knocking him to the floor.
"KYLE!" Other Serena wailed. Before she could run to get him, Nina slashed her with her spear, and flew high up. She set her sights upon Kazuya, who immediately began running toward her, despite Serena's protests.
"Ms Agnethe, don't you have any ability to fight Janus' orders?!" He screamed, as he dodged small snowballs that Nina launched. "Hiyah!" He leapt up, but his knives only slashed the air.
"I really wish I could. But the only hope I have is that you can somehow beat me. I'm really sorry, all of you! I wish...I never started this at all! I loved meeting the others at work, but if I had never met them, my sister would be...free to enjoy her life!Nigredo!"
The air around Kazuya turned icy, and snow began to fall upon him in large chunks. Then suddenly, all was dark, as a giant snowball cracked upon on his head, and he fell down in pain.
"Oh crap..." Serena said, as she finally lifted Kyle back up. "Are you okay, Kyle?"
"It's a bit chilly..." Kyle said, teeth chattering.
"Snow days suck..." Kazuya said, wiping the black snow off his clothes.
"Yeah, I get what you mean. I prefer rainy days. Like THIS!" Serena cheered. With Selene's power, she cast Aquadyne.
"That was terrible. Are we really the same person?" Other Serena said, astounded.
"Um...it wasn't that bad, was it?" Serena asked, blushing, hands behind her back. "Hehe..."
"Well...I have heard worse..." Kazuya said, fidgeting.
"I expected better from my sister." Nina said flatly.
"Oh, well...uh...Aquadyne!" Other Serena said. Other Selene hit Nina with another water spell, soaking the keep's tatami floor even further.
"Here goes! Ziodyne!" Kazuya shouted, zapping Nina with great lightning. "Shocking, huh?"
"Please, no more puns..." Kyle said, looking ashamed. Nina lashed at him with her spear, but against all odds, he blocked it – and then Vulcanus appeared, holding his sword in both hands.
"No! Not again -!"
Vulcanus' whole body seemed to be aflame. Claret flames flowed throughout his whole being even his trusty sword. He raised his blade of flame, which might very well have been nothing but fire itself, transfixed into the shape of a sharp blade. Nina screamed, as a red glyph appeared beneath her feet, and it began to glow brighter and brighter, burning the ground itself.
"Vulcanus, create the fire to forge the mightiest steel! The swords that hack through the Shadows, and the armour that defends us from its horror! Sacred Forge!"
The fire-cloaked Persona plunged this bladed flame into the glyph, like a key into a lock. Nina was then subject to a grand eruption, one that would have set the entire castle aflame had it been the real building. Nina had been victim to this before, when she was still alive. Even now, in her reimagined body, she was damaged heavily by the infernal heat.
"Kyle...that was incredible. I'm glad Serena has such a driven boy looking out for her." Nina said, getting back to her feet. "I...I regret that your flame was not enough to melt this ugly body. The light shines through the clouds...Hamaon!"
Kyle gasped. Before long, the light of Hamaon had taken him, and he fell unconscious again. The Serena duo gasped, anxious.
"Darkness cannot always be banished by light. Mudoon!"
Kazuya gulped, but he could do nothing but be escorted to defeat by the cursed power. He fell to the floor, dropping his knives.
"No!" Serena cried.
"Nina, stop!" Other Serena demanded. "Surely...Janus can't force you to fight me!"
"I...I can't force it back. They have the final say over all of us. Their mission to us was to destroy any intruders, and we have no strength to use against him. Ethan may be saved, but he can no longer influence Janus. In reality, he never could. He was led down this horrid path. Blaming Janus must sound cowardly, but...knowing what I now know...I can't stand this! But Hel's power is in me, and I have to use it..."
As she said this, the floor turned incredibly frosty, and what was left of the walls iced up. The inaccessible other areas seemed to be frozen too. All around them, Serena noticed, was an icy landscape, with snow falling faster and faster. A blizzard had begun, one faster and heavier than any Serena had ever known.
"Helheim!"
Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and icicles could be seen protruding from the dark abyss now above the two girls. Before long, the ice and snow had wrapped itself around them, and the icicles were growing larger. This was a land of ice and death, ruled by the Goddess Hel herself. And Serena was its latest dweller. The icicles were forced down, and their fragments created a brilliant burst of ice energy, causing the entire dream Takanawa to be blanketed with snow.
|Normal World – Kyle's Room|3:22 am|
Kyle had been lying asleep in his room, with his wheelchair right next to him. He had sent a text to Serena, asking her if she was up to play some Mario Kart 7, but she hadn't responded. Even the promise that they wouldn't race on SNES Rainbow Road didn't prompt a reply. With nothing else to do after finishing his homework, apart from reading up on some programming tutorials, he went to bed around ten o'clock.
Now, it was the middle of the night, and Kyle had woken up. All seemed strange. There was a lot of noise outside, many people screaming and talking in a panic. And there seemed to be a strange red light filtering through.
"Huh...?" He said. He managed to get into his wheelchair, and went over to the window. He opened the curtains, and gasped. What he saw in the sky was no starry night. Rather, it was like some bizarre painting, a swirl of colours – purple, red, and black.
"Holy shit!" Kyle screamed. He gasped – he hadn't meant to shout so loud. But there was no sound from his mother's room. Looking further up ahead – unable to stand up to look down on the road – he saw something even stranger. A giant wall of purple energy had surrounded the city, blocking it off.
"Is this...it?!" Kyle said. He grabbed his phone again, and frantically dialled Serena's number. Yet it immediately cut off. There was no signal at all. Looking at his computer, which had been left on to install updates, there was no internet either. "No! Serena...where are you?"
Kyle had a vague idea Serena was involved with something strange. Yet she had been reluctant to tell him. No doubt to stop him from worrying about her. Yet now, he just knew it. She was involved, and every one of her new friends were with her.
"Serena...where are you?! Argh!"
He felt a sharp pain in his head, and he slumped over in his chair, struggling to contain the agony. He saw something odd – a woman with ice for skin, trying to cover what looked like an old wooden room with snow. And Serena was nearby – in fact, two of them. Also around was someone who looked like Kazuya, an online friend.
"What...why are they all there..why are there two of you, Serena?!"
He held his head in both hands, as the pain grew stronger. More and more visions played out in his mind. Being in a gymnasium, where everyone looked miserable. Suddenly, the doors broke down, and monsters came inside. They were like shadows. Then, something even more crazy happened. Kyle heard his own voice scream a word, one that he knew very well, somehow. "Persona."
Then it all started to come together, with the events that happened next. Crazed teachers, begging him to 'enlist'. A kind girl trying to comfort him, on his way home. A nasty red haired man in a purple suit, being hostile to his mother. His house on fire, and his mother lying unconscious outside...and the evil man did something unspeakable. He set her on fire.
"NO!" Kyle screamed. "What – what is this?! Why is mum...MUM! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
There was no response at all. His heart pounding with fear, he went out of his room and into his mother's. There was no sign of her at all, just a bed that looked unmade.
"No...where did you go?!" Kyle said. "Ah – AH!"
His mind was taken by more odd images. Kyle saw a ginger haired girl, taking him to a basement. Other people appeared, such as an older blonde woman, a lady in a fancy dress, and an older man with a deep voice. Their names suddenly came to mind.
"Aimee...Priscilla...Seraphina...Dan! And that guy...that was Pierre! Then the lady in the ice, that was...Nina?!"
Finally, Kyle had his last vision. He was sitting on a large comfy, yet tattered, revolving chair, in front of a large computer system. Then, out of a shining blue door, came Serena – as Kyle knew her. Amara, Nathan and Blaine were by her side, taking in the sight of the base.
That's...Serena?!
Slowly, things were coming together. There was another world, that Serena could reach, where there were monsters called Shadows. Kyle was part of some underground rebellion. And there was a Serena who belonged to that world, too.
"What the hell do I do?!" Kyle asked. "...Serena. Wherever you are...I know you can win! Then you can explain all of this to me! Please...come back safe! I...I love you, okay?!"
|Kōkai Castle|3:25 am|
"...So it's as I feared...Janus, I didn't want to do this anymore. But even so, you gave me the power to...to..."
Nina's words of regret, however, were cut short. In the piles of snow ahead of her, two people were climbing out, shaking the snow off and, despite their cold skin, smirking.
"...You're still here?!" Nina exclaimed, stunned. "H-How? No one could possibly have survived -"
"Nina, you forget how good we are at handling a bit of cold weather." Serena said, smirking. "But you know, sis..."
"...We ought to wash all this snow away. It'll get in the way of the city once we lower it later." Other Serena said, brashly. "Come on! Join me, you lunatic!"
"Yeah!" Serena said. The two of them held hands, dropping their whips into the snow. The two Selenes appeared, in the same pose, as they stood off their crescent moon chairs. These flew into each other, and began twisting and turning, until they became a huge full moon. It sailed into the sky, and became part of it, shining even through the clouds.
"W-What?!"
This new moon suddenly experienced a freak rainstorm, that quickly filled up every crater – and more. It was soon a giant blue sphere of water, like a miniature Earth. Now ready, it swiftly descended from the sky, casting a huge shadow over the Takanawa landscape. Nina gasped as it flew extremely close to the Castle.
At that moment, another person lifted their head from the snow. Kazuya, who frantically scrambled nearer a big mound. It was Kyle, who had awakened, but was unable to get himself upright. With Kazuya's assistance, he was able to see what Serena and her other self was doing.
"No way...she survived through this snowstorm?" Kyle said.
"Hey, she's your girlfriend. She can survive anything." Kazuya said, proudly.
The two Selenes gazed at each other, holding hands, and spoke in unison.
No longer shall we quarrel over who protects the ones we love. We shall unite to guard those dear! Rather than ourselves, we take over the tides to vanquish the real culprit!
"Go forth, Lunar Deluge!"
This was it. The moon's new oceans burst, and before long, a giant waterfall fell upon Nina, completely drenching her. The water spilled all over the castle, wiping away the snow, and before long, all of Takanawa was flooded – until the moon vanished.
Nina was utterly beaten, all the fight soaked out of her. She fell down, as her hair spilled out all around her, and the icy mist vanished.
"Serena, that was – that was ace!" Kyle said, excited.
"I didn't expect to see that. I was expecting a colony drop..." Kazuya said, amazed.
"Colony...drop?" Other Serena asked, confused.
"Oh!" Serena said. "Well, maybe we'll work on that. Summoning a giant space colony to attack! Nothing will survive that!"
"Hahaha..." Nina laughed, as her voice slowly reverted to a human one. "That might be a tad overkill, sister. You finally did the impossible...Janus won't be happy. But at least he won't be able to take it out on us anymore."
"Nina are you...are you really going!?" Serena asked.
The spiral of shadow energy drew closer, until it was covering the entire keep, shaking the ruined floor.
"I...I think so." Nina said. Slowly, getting to her feet. Her body returned to her blonde curls, green eyes, white skin and yellow coat.
"But..." Other Serena mumbled. "I..."
"It's not over just yet. I know what must come next."
"That's right."
Out of nowhere, the other Nina appeared. She wore a more casual outfit, a yellow coat with a white shirt underneath. She held her arm out to her other self, who took it.
"You know what you have to do - create a new world."
The defeated Nina nodding, shaking. She turned to Serena, smiled, and then phased through the dark energy – completely vanishing.
"Huh?!" Kazuya said. "What the hell happened to her?"
"She went to the day of the convention. Ten years later, she will return right here, and send herself to the day." Nina said.
Serena could not believe this. If she understood her sister correctly...
"You...travelled through time?!" She exclaimed.
"What? That doesn't make sense! That's never been documented!" Kyle said. "Me and Roger never came across that!"
"Why so sceptical? For a decade, you have been aware of power to create fire, shake the earth, cause floods, storms, even banish and corrupt souls! Here, however, the fabric of reality is tearing apart. Through distortions, we can travel back to the past – as souls, not bodies." Nina said.
"So...there were never two of you." Other Serena said. "Not really..."
"Yes, Serena. I...I have been dead ever since Nihane murdered us. He kept us alive with his magic, then Janus made the new body for me you defeated...I would have been content to pass away, like Josephine, Carlos and Pierre. But me and Archibald knew we had a purpose to carry out. There was another world, one where there were no Shadows, and my sister grew up in peace. To do so, however, we had to utterly destroy our past selves..."
"You two...you knew everything that was going to happen, right?" Kazuya asked.
"We had an idea of what to expect, yet our memories weren't quite in order for some time. Our bodies perished in the explosion, and so we had to survive on the limited amount of energy left in that world. It meant we had to hibernate, until June 7th 2012, the date we recalled an otherwordly visitor in that building in Farawell." Nina said. "Or rather, three of them. You, Amara and Nathan."
"So you sought us out...so that would happen?" Serena asked.
"Yes. We knew to expect Blaine a few days later. We recalled seeing Karl, but...our only memories of Zao involved..."
"His death?" Kyle asked. "So that's why you didn't expect to see him..."
"This...this is so messed up!" Serena said. "Couldn't you undo anything else?!"
Nina shook her head, gazing at both versions of her little sister. "Don't you understand? By changing what happened at the convention, we created a completely different world! But this one remained, linked to the new one. Any further changes we could have made may have destroyed reality as we know it."
"So...what did you really accomplish, then?" Kazuya asked.
"Everything." Nina said. "Me and Archibald lead the people of our new world to this old, so they could fight to protect it. The fight to save the planet from Nihane – from Janus – was stagnant. We needed outsiders to get everything into action. And now, with both worlds fighting together, you can finally put an end to all of this. Destroying Janus is possible now!"
"I see..." Kyle said. "Things were happening really slowly until you guys showed up. We were just hiding away, fighting Shadows in our spare time. Nothing really got done. Then I saw you, the Serena of that other world. A place without a single Shadow. And you wanted to make our world like yours."
"Nina..." Other Serena said. "We'll defeat Janus. I swear it!"
"Wait. Wait!" Serena screamed. Nina was growing fainter, yet her smile remained. "Are you really going to go? Now!"
"I have to." Nina said. "There's no energy left in me..."
"But...!" Serena said, shaking her fists. The tears wouldn't stop. The words, however, weren't coming out. Not easily. "I thought, maybe you could have -"
"Returned home?" Nina asked. "Serena...I wish I could have done so. But on the day I awoke, it had been nearly ten years since the explosion had taken our lives. By then, the damage was done. To turn up then would have thrown your lives into chaos. I couldn't do that...I risked everything to look in from the front window. They looked so much older, in just ten years."
"You...should rest." Kyle said. Serena was quiet, sobbing. "You've done enough. Thanks to you two, we can finally bring peace back to this city."
"I don't really want to say goodbye, though..." Other Serena said. "I've got a lot of friends, but...I miss being at home..."
"I know." Nina said. "I can't rest yet. Not until you see exactly how I feel. The way I was before the madness. Watch."
|March 4th 1996|Legarte - Agnethe Household|13:00 pm|
The group were suddenly in a narrow hallway. There was a thick blue carpet on the floor, and large dark wooden shelves filled with various ornaments. There were delicious smells coming through the kitchen door, and the sound of a woman whistling.
"Huh?" Kyle said. "I've been here before! I'm sure of it! But...when?"
"I don't remember this." Kazuya said, admiring the vase filled with daffodils. "Easter time, looks like. We never had to go inside here back in the Spring, but -"
"You guys! This is my house!" Other Serena said.
"It is?!" Serena said. "...Yeah, you're right! Mum told me once, she used to have a carpet here until Dad ended up tearing it. It looks so different, but...when was this?"
The doorbell rang, and someone from the living room got up and went to get it. This was a blonde man, with green eyes – Fred, Serena's father. Yet the person outside was none other than Nina.
"Hi Dad!" Nina said, giving him a hug. She held up a wrapped present. In this time, Nina's hair was a lot shorter, but still quite curly. She also wore a white shirt and a blue skirt – similar to Serena's own summer wardrobe. Around her neck was a blue necklace, the same one Serena now wore.
"Nina, darling!" Fred said, making way for her. "We were wondering when you'd arrive. Your mother's been baking so many treats, you'd think she was replacing our walls with gingerbread!"
"Oh, don't worry. My sweet tooth never fails." Nina said, smirking. Her dad let her into the living room, with lilac walls. Sitting on the floor, gazing up at the older female, was a giggling baby with blonde hair. Her father lifted her up from her toys, and made her wave. "So, Serena, how's my birthday girl?"
"Birthday...?" Serena said. "March 4th...1996?"
"I was wondering why this looked so nice! It's the 90's! The good years!" Kazuya said, excited.
"Wow...Serena was one cute baby." Kyle said. "How come your parents had you two so far apart?"
"It wasn't planned, actually. After a difficult labour with me, they weren't sure they could handle a second child. Yet in 1994, they told me they were having a baby. I was going to be a really big sister, they told me."
"This is really me?" Other Serena said. "I never got to keep any baby photos. They all got lost when the Shadows came!"
Later, the family were sat around the table. Serena was in a high-chair, wearing a pink dress and a party hat. She giggled, laughing. At this stage, she could only say a few words and phrases. One years olds, of course, don't typically hold long conversations. Yet from the big smiles on her face, she was clearly enjoying the fuss.
"So Serena, are you looking forward to Mummy's cake?" Nina said. "And if not, can I have some more?"
"Nina..." Fred said, sighing.
"I'm kidding!" Nina said.
"Kidding!" Young Serena repeated.
From the kitchen, a young Hilde walked in. She had her hair long and straight, somewhat like Aimee, but blonde. Both her and Fred's families had arrived from Motus from Germany, thus their Aryan looks. Hilde held in her hands a big cake, covered with white icing and wrapped with a blue ribbon. She placed it in front of her baby daughter, happily, while Nina pointed it out to her. Only one candle was lit, most likely to be safe.
"See that, sis? That's a birthday cake!" Nina said. "Which means, we all have to sing!"
The three older members of the family sang, while Serena looked at them, curiously, her feet dangling from her chair. The two older Serenas, however, watched with sadness.
"It all looks so...so nice..." Serena said. "I don't remember things being like this!"
"You were only seven when your sister died. No wonder your memories are fuzzy." Kazuya said, gently. "But it looks like you had a good family, growing up."
Other Serena wiped away a tear, looking longingly at her parents. "I missed this so much...you know? Mum baking, Dad trying to be cool, Sis being Sis...why did Janus have to come along and ruin all of this?!"
"You mustn't transfer blame from me to Janus. I made the mistake of following their scheme...all because I believed my family was tainted. Yet these memories show the truth. There was love behind it all, it was just...a lot harder to find."
"I know...I know!" Serena said. "I couldn't forgive them for keeping secrets about me...and I felt like I had to live up to their expectations! But now I get it...they're still grieving!"
Suddenly, the view changed completely...
|January 9th 2001|Legarte Park|16:04 pm|
Serena immediately saw something flying at her head. She ducked under it, despite her fatigue, and watched it fly into the ground. Then, she realised her feet were deep in snow. Above was a cloudy sky, that had released a heavy snowfall. Early in the new millennium, this year had felt so cool and futuristic to a young Serena. Now, of course, it was antiquity.
The object that had been hurled near her was a snowball, and the lady who had thrown it was Serena herself – at the age of five. Small, and dressed in a thick pink coat and mittens, she was like a huge woollen ball. She ran to the stack of balls she had formed, and prepared to throw it at another person – a girl of the same age, with black hair.
"I'm gonna get you!" Young Serena said.
"In your dreams!" The black haired girl said. Serena did not recognise her at all. She musn't have gone to Lucille Valley High. Serena imagined that she must have been more popular in primary school, when she did not know of video games or stories to hide behind.
"Hey, is that a friend of yours?" Kyle asked.
"...I don't know." Other Serena said. "I think I used to play with that girl a lot, but we grew apart..."
"Maybe it'll come back to you." Kazuya said. "There are so many things we forget as the years go on."
"Serena, don't worry! You can do it!" Nina cheered. She stood by a lone tree, watching the two young girls and their snowball fight. "Mara can't throw like you can!"
"Mara?" Serena asked. "I remember now! Mara Green! She was from my nursery, and we went to primary school together!"
"Mara...I haven't seen her since the Shadows came." Other Serena said. "With everything that happened, I forgot all about her. What if...what if she was in the Ornatu Legion, and I never knew?"
"All their records are gone now." Kazuya said. "So there might not be any way of finding out."
"Don't say that. They showed up at the HQ to evacuate everybody. Maybe we can ask one of them if they know this Mara!" Kyle said.
"Mara Green...would she even remember me?" Serena said, sadly. "I mean, I forgot all about her. She probably did the same. Trying to find her now would be pointless."
"No it's not. Look at the way the two of us are playing!" Other Serena said. At this moment, Mara was crying, having been hit a little too hard by a heavy snowball. Distressed, Young Serena had run over, apologising over and over, while Nina checked Mara over.
"You'll be okay, Mara! Serena didn't mean to hurt you. She's sorry." Nina said.
"I...I know." Mara said, still in tears. Serena gave her her handkerchief, and let Mara dry her eyes. "Serena...I'll get you next time!" She stuck her tongue out. "The snow's going to last for a few days, the 'meteor' lady said so on TV! So you win this round! But I'll win tomorrow!"
"Sounds like a challenge, then. But for now, let's take you both home, and you can have some nice hot chocolate." Nina said. "And I'll put on Mulan, okay?"
"Yay!" Serena said. "Oh! Mara, mummy made some brownies! Maybe they'll make you feel better!"
"Brownies? Yay! Your mum makes better food than mine!" Mara said. Then she turned to Nina, and blushed. "Um...don't tell my mum that!"
"Your secret's safe with me." Nina said. "Off we go, then!"
She took the two girls away from the park, and it was as if the snow fight had never happened. Serena was laughing her head off, as was her counterpart.
"What's so funny?" Kyle said. "That was a great movie!"
"I know that!" Serena said. "It's just, I remember all of this! Mara was my best friend. We always watched videos together after school. And she was right, her mum was a terrible cook! My mum kind of lost her passion after Nina...died, though."
"Mara probably wasn't hurt that much. She just did that so we would fuss over her. It worked, didn't it?" Other Serena said, giggling. "But she was a nice girl. I dunno why we stopped talking..."
"Some friendships just peter out. It's a shame." Kyle said.
"Nina, what did you think of her?" Kazuya asked.
"Mara was a good friend to her. I wanted Serena to remember the better times, when I had to keep an eye on you two. It wasn't easy, especially with my post-graduate studies going on. But I didn't want anything to happen while I wasn't around."
"I haven't had a snow fight in ages." Serena said. "Not that Kyle can really run around in the snow with me."
"It doesn't have to be me, you know." Kyle said. "Maybe Lucas would go for it, for the exercise. And maybe that Catherine girl would enjoy it."
"That's right. You seem to have become the popular girl once more. Not because of hobbies, but because...you are just you." Nina said.
The snowfield vanished, and now the scene was further ahead in time – beyond the 21st century.
|June 6th 2001|Agnethe Household|18:30 pm|
It was the summer time, judging by the green-leaved trees in the back garden. Once again, the house was bathed in warm smells, from Hilde's French country casserole. Serena's mouth watered. In these days, there was never a bad meal. Now Serena knew why. Hilde put heart in her cooking then, having two hungry daughters and a husband to feed. Now with an empty place, there was little that could entice her to put effort into her recipes.
"Mum, guess what? Mara invited me for a sleepover next week!" Young Serena said, wearing her turquoise dress, decorated with yellow sunflowers. "Can I go? I've never had a sleepover before!"
"I'll have to talk to her mother about it, just to make sure everything will be alright." Hilde said, finishing her plate off.
"The best!" Nina said. Now twenty two, she looked closer to her most recent look, but her hair was straightened and slightly shorter. She wore a smart white shirt beneath a black blazer.
"So Nina, how is work treating you?" Fred asked. "Your project going well?"
"Actually...it's fantastic. Although, I think the others are doing a better job. They keep coming up with the good ideas." Nina said, sadly. "Even Ethan seems to be ahead of me..."
"Is Ethan your boyfriend?" Young Serena asked.
"W-what?" Nina spluttered, blushing. "No! We've only been out as friends! Sure, he's quite handsome, but he's so quiet and shy. You have to really push him to talk to you! But he's really a sweet man. And when he smiles, he's adorable – uh – um – I -"
"Wow, looks like our big girl's smitten!" Hilde said.
"Yay! Nina and Ethan, networking in a tree!" Young Serena said.
"You're mean!" Nina said, sighing. "I can't ask him out, not properly. We're supposed to be working on this project as a team. I don't it to be divided if me and Ethan were to grow closer..."
"Oh, you're worrying too much. I imagine this Archibald fellow would be proud. He'd be a matchmaker!" Fred said. "Listen. You know by now that if you want something, you go after it. So just tell him how you feel."
"...Do you really think I should?" Nina asked. "I don't want to make him uncomfortable..."
"Trust me, Nina, you'll feel better if you do." Hilde said. "And it might just work out. I might have a fifth plate to dish up someday soon!"
"Well...okay then." Nina said. "Ethan is a little skinny...he could use some of your food. I'll do it! Tomorrow, if our big test goes well!"
Kazuya was smiling at this seemingly idle conversation. Yet upon reflection, his heart sank. It was all too clear what this 'big test' was, and everyone knew the results.
"No..." Kyle said. "Was this...the last time you ate as a family?"
"The very next day, we discovered Shadows. One thing led to another, and...I became transfixed by Ethan – or Nihane. I came to dark conclusions about my family, from the horrid things I uncovered. Secrets, lies, betrayals...they all added up to a disgusting image in my head. So little by little, I cut off my ties, and rarely saw my family after that. I told them I was busy with the project – but they had no clue what nature that project took..."
"...Things could have been so much better." Serena said. "You and Ethan...would have been great together."
"Janus really ruined everything." Other Serena said. "Even over in the other world, your happiness was destroyed. Nina...how did you get through it all?"
"For ten years, I was utterly consumed by my devotion to Nihane, and the plan for the Eternal Road. We all were, but for different reasons. That drove me to commit evil I never dreamed of. Then, once I was killed, and returned to the past...I was empty. I knew there were tasks I must complete, before I could fade completely...knowing that was not easy to bear."
Serena gulped, holding in her tears. She saw her younger self dig in to some Madeira cake, without a care in the world. To have been in Nina's position would have been a nightmare. Being trapped between life and death, with no home left...Serena would have crumbled, she thought.
But, one thing makes this pill less bitter to swallow. Knowing that you, Serena, will see the future. What happens next is all up to you. But I think you'll do just fine. My only regret is not being there with you...
|December 22nd 2012|Kōkai Castle|3:40 am|
The castle came back into view, and the memories were over.
"Nina..." Serena said. "Thank you."
"You're going to thank me? Even after everything I did to you?" Nina asked. "You're too nice for your own good...Mum and Dad are lucky to have you."
"Sis, I...I..." Other Serena said. "Is it time to say goodbye?"
"It looks that way. But you know, even with such little power left in me, there is still something I can do." Nina said.
Other Serena gasped. Around her was Nina, holding her as tight as she could with her fading arms. They almost went through her, but didn't. Other Serena shut her eyes, smiling, even as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Serena gulped, but stared straight at her sister. The last time she would ever see her, and the last chance she would get to say what she felt. Nina let go, but something else had embraced her – Serena, overcome with feeling.
"...Kyle." Kazuya said. "I think we can call this a victory."
"Me too. Family really matters. When we get through this, I'm going to find my dad. There are so many things we need to stay to each other while we're still living." Kyle said, solemnly.
"Nina, whatever happens to you..." Serena said. "Don't worry. I'll finish things here."
"Me too! Janus will pay for what they did to us." Other Serena said.
Nina nodded, and began to step back. She was almost completely gone. Yet, out of the void around her, two other people appeared. A man and a woman.
"...Mum?" Serena said.
"Dad?!" Other Serena screamed.
Nina did not say another word. Instead, she ran to her parents, and held their hands. They gave each Serena a warm smile, and with a grand flash, faded together.
"Never forget, Serena. What I did was wrong. But if you remember the days I can be proud of, I'm glad I lived. Please, protect Ethan – and yourself."
Those words heralded the end of an era. No longer would Serena have her older sister, in any form. Not as a friend, or as an enemy. Now she was part of the past, able to rest. Sins had been committed on her part, but in the end, she was still a big sister. And Serena would never forget her name.
"...Do you two need some time alone?" Kazuya asked.
"Go on ahead. We'll catch up." Serena said. Kyle nodded, and with Kazuya's assistance, made it outside the desolate Kōkai Castle. "...I didn't think it would go like this."
"What...did you imagine?" Other Serena said.
"Ever since I found out Nina was one of the Ater Vox, I figured I'd end up fighting her. And we did, of course. But...I never saw her changing her mind. It was hard to imagine anything but her devotion to Nihane, the man who poisoned her mind with the promise of a new world. I...completely forgot the real Nina." Serena said.
"...I think I did, too." Other Serena said. "Nina abandoned us when I was only six. I kept thinking I could talk to her, make her stop doing all these crazy things, but it didn't turn out that way at all. She did terrible things, all because she thought she could replace this world with a better one."
"We're not alone." Serena said. "Kyle, Kazuya, and everybody else. They're our family too. Let's go find them!"
"...Yeah! I'm not letting Janus take any more of my sisters! Or my brothers!" Other Serena said. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going to Amurdad!"
Serena grabbed her counterpart's hand, and the two of them ran down the stairs to the gate, where their comrades were waiting. Soon, she would reach Amara, the other big sister in her life.