AN: This arc has been in the planning stages for some time, but only recently have the final details been solidified. Those of you curious about the Shadow mentioned last time, I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!
EDIT: Forgot an important detail from Chapter 35 that was relevant to this chapter. Fixed it now, though.
Chapter 103: Blank Slate
|Other World – Motus Revitalization Headquarters|20:12 pm|
Ethan paced back in forth in the lobby, looking anxiously at his watch. Had he been foolish to demand the others get here? Perhaps, even after six months of relative peace, it was still too soon to cut off ties. Yet it had to happen someday.
"You should sit still and relax. They will come, I'm sure." Sophie said.
"I wish I could have your confidence...but I worry we may have to delay this, again and again. Even without Janus ordering them around, the Shadows are dangerous. I've got to get rid of them once and for all, so that our city can forget they ever existed." Ethan said.
"Quit your bellyaching. They'll be here!" Other Blaine said, frowning. "So siddown already!"
A few minutes later, they heard the elevator doors ping open. From out of them came their five companions from the other world, each equipped with their weapons.
"Everyone! You're here...we were worried about you!" Aimee said, running over to Karl. "Today is...the day, after all."
"I know..." Karl said. "But we can't keep our worlds connected forever, or everything could go wrong all over again."
"You're right...so we should all start saying our goodbyes now." Aimee said, sadly. "As long as I know you'll be okay, I think I can handle this."
Nathan caught a glimpse of the wedding band on his other self's hand, and gasped with delight. "Congratulations! You finally got round to it!"
"Thanks." Other Nathan said, beaming. "It was a pretty simple affair, really...but it feels so good to be married. Now I know me and Priscilla have a future! And it feels so good saying Lancaster-Albion, doesn't it?"
"Wait, you actually changed your surname to that?" Lucy asked, confused.
"I did, yes." Nathan said, happily. "Why not? Priscilla and I are a family now. It's only right we share each other's names, rather than mine replacing hers."
"I think it's sweet!" Shirley said.
"I guess...seems a bit corny to me." Lucy said.
"Ah, let them have their fun. Cause some day, that could be us!" Other Blaine said, grinning. He put his arm around her, leaning his head against hers.
Serena laughed, but Blaine bit his lip, eyeing his pockets for some reason. Amara wondered if he had lost something, but he didn't say a word.
"We must tell you about what's been happening over here." Bianca said, retrieving a document from her folder. "Aurelia Park's repairs are nearly done, and the flowers there are blooming beautifully. Everywhere I look, I see people putting flowers outside their homes. It's wonderful..."
"A lot of kids are going out and playing sports again. Aeternus actually kept most of them in good order, probably so Ornatu Legion soldiers could exercise." Richard said. "It's a good start to getting everybody excited about sports again. Even though the tennis courts in Nova Albion are a complete mess..."
"Takanawa is now completely free of Shadows, which means a lot of events are going to be held to celebrate. The first market in years is going to take place, although it'll be quite small to begin with. And the Nakanobu Hotel's old owner is putting it up for sale, so that someone else can make a fresh start with the place. Good news, huh?" Kazuya said.
"It seems the buildings initially destroyed by Divine Sparks are fully intact, and operational. People are going to sermons again...I can't speak for all of us, but I see that as a victory. Our faith wasn't for nothing." Alastair said. "People are more than willing to pitch in and contribute to the reconstruction, too. It almost feels like Shadows were never here at all..." Alastair said.
"Kanaloa may be back, but...only a few of us made it." Dan said, sadly. "A lot of my old friends are still gone, and all the empty homes have been looted already. I went back to the old house, but without any of the old neighbours, it's not the same. Not even the old ladies across the road survived..."
"It must be quite unsettling...Kanaloa remains an issue. Many are still confused as to how it came back after ten years. And while people are living there – both former locals, and people from other areas – everything is still largely vacant. We need to figure out a plan for the area, so it can blossom alongside the other districts." Ethan said, yawning.
"You sound tired." Amara said, looking at him with worry. "You haven't been sleeping much, have you?"
"It's not as bad as you think! H-Honestly!" Ethan said, flustered. "I simply can't just lie back and sleep. Or my mind will go back to how I could have been so stupid...and what the other me did. I have to work on undoing the damage I did to this city, or I'll go insane..."
"Ethan..." Priscilla said, surprised.
"That's the most you've opened up to us in the last six months, you know." Other Amara said. "Look, you're doing a great job. Maybe we're feeding everybody a lot of lies, but a lot of real progress is being done, by all of us. Next time you go to bed, you should try dwelling on the good that you've done."
"...Maybe so." Ethan said. "But the most pressing issue on our hands is how we can fully integrate this city with the rest of the world. Trusting everybody to keep the secret seems implausible...too many people know about the Shadows and all the damage they've done. The Divine Sparks may have been undone, but asking our people to lie in mass is risky. I worry what would happen if the world knew the true story..."
"On the plus side, there aren't any surviving photographs or videos of Shadows. It's because the only cameras able to pick them up were modified by Aeternus. Any regular equipment, regardless of age, would see nothing at all." Roger said. "Some media was uploaded to the Aeternus website, but it was designed so that no one could download them unless they were an employee. Which does mean that even if people talk about Shadows, there's no way to prove they existed."
"How convenient." Kazuya said, somewhat dryly. Amara did recall her phone's camera not being able to detect anything in Inanis, only bright white light. Perhaps there really was no evidence Shadows existed. But if thousands of people got online and spread the story, the world would notice. Even if the threat had been neutralized, people might wonder if Shadows could come back, and paranoia would consume them.
"You alright there, Amara?" Serena asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just...nervous. Is this Shadow we have to kill dangerous?" Amara asked.
"As I've already explained, it's definitely one of a kind. Or it would be, except it bears the same mask as the Blank Maya." Ethan said. "The Shadows that we kept in Nakanobu Hotel, after we used up most of them for...the Doppelganger."
"Those masters of mimicry certainly gave us pause." Sophie said. "Yet now that I think of it, could it be that the Blank Maya were not originally individuals?"
"...What's that mean?" Dan asked.
"She means that they were just parts of something bigger." Richard said.
"You're quite right. Archibald and Nina were able to take this Shadow, and extract some of its energy to create weaker, smaller versions of itself. In fact, the total number we were able to create was a thousand exactly. Creating Doppelganger took up 750, leaving the remaining two and a half hundred to run amok in the Nakanobu Hotel." Ethan said.
"Only a quarter left, and their power was still enough to turn that hotel into a Salvador Dali painting..." Matthew said.
"We didn't quite understand it either. This utterly benign Shadow let us craft its own 'children', without putting up a fight. Even though its spawn were able to affect reality – albeit in a geographically small area – this Shadow has never once done anything like that with its surroundings." Ethan said. "I do wonder exactly where it came from. But that will not matter soon enough. Because it will die, in both worlds."
"That's right..." Aimee said. "If we could defeat Janus, there is nothing left that could stop us."
"One final throw-down, huh?" Karl said. "Alright. If it puts an end to all of this, then great!"
"Perhaps we should just get this over with. Long farewells are..." Priscilla said, shakily.
"Yeah..." Other Serena said. "I really liked it when you guys came to visit us, you know. I just wish it didn't have to end so soon..."
"Me too." Serena said. "But...it'll be okay. I'm tougher than I look..."
"...Thank you for everything." Nathan said. "After all of this, I feel like a new man. Ready for the next big challenge."
"Doesn't feel real that we're never gonna see this world again..." Blaine said. "And I'll not be able to do a thing to help out...Just how it has to be, eh?"
"There's no sense in drawing this out. For all of our sakes, we have to finally exterminate the last of the Shadows!" Amara said. "Only then can we get back to living as normal people."
"Yes...the other me won't have her psychic powers anymore. For they were only possible via the limited Shadow energy in your world, coupled with her Persona affinity. I suspect she realised this whenever she left the city to different cities." Sophie said.
"Maybe she did...and now she's doing her best to help people, but not by invading their minds. By giving them a friendly face to talk to. Sophie...is an amazing person. Without her psychic powers, she'll be free again. We've got to do this!" Amara said.
Karl and Aimee gave each other longing looks. Neither of them knew quite what to say. Finally, they gave in, and hugged each other – both tearful.
"...Sis." Karl finally said, choking up. "I love ya..."
"I love you so much, Karl...please, take care of yourself."
"I'm supposed to be saying that...but maybe I don't need to anymore. You're already stronger than I ever could be. Leading a revolution like that..." Karl said.
"...Thank you. If only I could have seen your world more...but then I would be leaving this one behind." Aimee said. Finally, she and her brother let go. "Ethan. I think...we're ready."
Ethan nodded. "Then let's get started. First things first. I'll need to go to the other world, so I can unlock the area where our Shadow – tentatively called the Nullity Masquerade – is kept secure. Even if it were more malignant, there are measures placed all around it to eliminate all possibility of escape. All of which were installed by myself. It may have been with Janus, and not Sraosha, but I should be able to deactivate them and allow safe passage."
"Are you going to fight with us, Ethan?" Amara asked.
"No, I can't. My duty to this world is still ongoing." Ethan said. "Once I lead you to the Nullity Masquerade, I will return back to this world and fight it here with everyone else. Even if it is a hardy foe, it lacks any kind of offensive. Regardless of your recent inactivity, you should still be seasoned enough warriors to take it down."
"Alright. Looks like we've got our plan." Nathan said. "Then we're going. Everyone...farewell. Even if we exist in this world as well, please think of us every now and then. That much alone would be quite cheering..."
The group, plus Ethan, departed back to the NDD, both feeling quite emotional. Amara took a long last look of her surroundings, desperate never to forget it.
Now we're going to get rid of the Shadow that's been letting us come here. Hope you're ready, Nullity Masquerade. Because there isn't going to be an ash of you left!
|Normal World – Abandoned Warehouse|
The group were at the ground floor, which was still covered with debris. Ethan, taking out a set of old keys, walked to the other side of the room. Amara had wondered about taking a more thorough look through this place, until she realised that anything worthwhile must have been destroyed already. No doubt by Archibald and Nina. However, there was a locked door, that Ethan finally opened. Behind the door, illuminated by pale blue lights, was a long flight of concrete stairs. With him leading, the other five began to follow, slowly.
"This was originally a basement for storing computer parts. Then, once our plans became more grandiose, we revamped it into a power generator for the Nullity Masquerade. Already a robust structure, it was augmented to completely imprison it – not that it was trying to break free, but you can never be too sure." Ethan said, carefully navigating down the stairs.
"I'm gonna guess that you guys weren't trying to keep people safe." Blaine said, dryly.
"...You would guess right." Ethan said, darkly. "Our motivations were purely so we could have a source of power, so we could fully test the limits of Shadow Energy and its technologies."
"You were able to create entire buildings with that energy..." Amara said. "How did you figure out that was possible?"
"During the early stages, I knew that Janus only had power within New Motus City, and nowhere else. That meant that I couldn't let any outsiders get in – or locals get out. Otherwise, the Eternal Road would run into severe complications, and there could be global human extinction. Shadows only exist because of humanity, of course. We needed to keep humanity in its cage." Ethan said.
"Janus then helped you create the barrier..." Nathan said.
"Right. And they gave me a spell that would displace the city high above the ground, allowing Inanis to appear." Ethan said. "Such a spell was a huge strain on me, even with my friends and countless Shadows to boost myself. But once I fully recovered, we began using the Shadows en-mass to revamp the warehouse into a massive complex."
"Then that place became too small..." Serena said.
"Indeed..." Ethan said. "For what we intended to do, that research centre wasn't enough. So we set our eyes on the entirety of Kanaloa. All of that space, we could use for researching Shadows, grand-scale experiments, all sorts."
"Wait, hold on a minute." Karl said. "The headquarters finally got destroyed, and Kanaloa came back, right? Then why hasn't that research place gone back to being like this?"
"Kanaloa returned because it was the site of a Divine Spark. This building, however, is not. Thus, as long as Shadows are present in its counterpart, it will hold its new shape. Fortunately, we've already secured other premises to use once our current facilities are no more." Ethan said. Finally, after going down what felt like five storeys, they were at a large steel door, bearing the Aeternus emblem. Aside from the blue lights and a security computer system, there was no light whatsoever.
"Wait, what happens once we kill the Shadow?" Amara asked.
"Fear not. This fabricated basement will disappear, but you will wind up in its original form, back when it was only one floor below ground level. We tested this extensively to see what would happen to objects if their environment couldn't sustain itself." Ethan said.
"You really thought about everything..." Nathan said.
"We couldn't just go about our schemes without knowing the risks." Ethan said. "I was hellbent on restoring Amurdad, and I didn't want to use my powers without understanding them. Trust me, you will all be safe."
"We trust ya, relax!" Blaine said. "Once we're done, I'll buy ya a – oh..."
"Beer? I don't drink." Ethan said, shaking his head. "Well, I did once or twice. Never went well."
"Guess it doesn't matter what you have to drink, exactly." Karl said. "But...it felt like we were getting to know you. The real Ethan Walters. The one that never should have been lost..."
"...I'm grateful to hear such kind words." Ethan said, looking up at Karl. "All of you are so much better at making friends than I ever was. It was only fortune that brought me and my old friends together."
"You really believe that?" Amara asked, dismayed.
Ethan nodded, although not happily. "Sad, isn't it? The only way I can liaise with others is if we're working towards a common goal. My goal is now to get rid of all Shadows...and it looks like that's nearly over."
"Then what are you going to do when it is?" Nathan asked. "Well?"
"You can't just sit in your room and sulk over what you've lost..." Serena said, eyes to the floor. She then looked up at him with a fierce gaze. "Because then you'll lose time. Time of your life, to achieve something more."
"Ethan, I get that you feel guilty over everything that's been done. But you've gotta get a grip. If there's one thing I've learned about living, it sure can suck sometimes. Even so, you gotta get past all the pain." Blaine said.
"Pain..." Ethan said. "I...I will think about everything you've said. Really, I will. But right now, we have to focus on our last mission."
|Aeternus Warehouse – Abyss of Darkness|
With Ethan's careful precision, the doors opened, revealing a large circular dark room. One by one, however, the lights on the wall turned on, revealing rather eerie apparatus. Many thick metal cables, twisted into one, extended from the ceiling, and split away to attach themselves to an oozing black blob, dormant.
It...it's just like those Maya Shadows from the hotel! So this thing...Doppelganger was made from it, and that was put inside Zao...
"There it is." Ethan said. "There has never been a Shadow like this one...unless you count its brethren. Obviously, there are many Maya Shadow. Those, over time, transform into more defined Shadows, based on their mask. This one has never once changed. No matter what we used it for, it remained in this premature state."
"It's not...even looking at us." Serena said. "Did Janus make it that way? So you could have a power source that wasn't going to run amok?"
"...Perhaps." Ethan said, considering this possibility. "Janus kept its true motives hidden. After all, it posed as part of my own soul, and had me fooled. The Nullity Masquerade didn't seem to be part of its plan, though. Tonight, all traces of that plan will disappear. I'm confident – no, I'm certain you'll win."
"You're leaving now?" Amara asked. "But..."
"I already told you. I can't stay here and take the easy road." Ethan said. "Besides...you're not going to be lonely with me gone. I'll be glad to know that your future is safe. Well then...this is goodbye. It was...a pleasure to know you. As comrades, not enemies."
They looked at each other for some time, their Shadowy guest not even budging to see what was happening. Ethan and Amara locked eyes, however.
Go on, Ethan. Whatever happens, I'm cheering you on.
Slowly, Ethan left the room, and began his ascent up the stairs. For a long time, the five left behind stood there in silence. This fight they were about to begin would sever them from a world they never thought possible. A power of seemingly limitless potential. Many allies who had fought with blood, sweat and tears to get their old world back.
Amara turned back to the Shadow, and held out her sword. Not once did the Shadow respond. It stayed in place, letting the cables siphon its energy.
"...Isis!" She cried. The other four gasped, and quickly prepared their weapons. Amara let loose with a mighty Agidyne, and to her surprise, it was just as strong as it was across dimensions.
I was expecting to have to struggle to get anything to happen! This energy that the Masquerade can produce, it must be tremendous. But if it's never going to attack me, then all it can do is wait until it dies!
"Is it seriously unable to retaliate? Even the weakest of Shadows at least bare their fangs." Nathan said, mystified. "No matter. Cu Chulainn!"
The winds of Garudyne were equally as turbulent here. Amara almost felt dizzy staring at them. And yet the Void Masquerade did not do anything at all. It flinched, albeit slightly, but no defensive instinct was triggered.
"It won't even try and smack us around with its hands..." Serena said. "Most of these things make some kind of sound, don't they? But it's just idle...I shouldn't complain, but -"
"Then don't! Just make it drown!" Blaine said. He took some shots, and the bullets pierced through the oozing 'flesh' of the Shadow. Amara recognised this uncomfortable sensation...The Other Zao had not visibly responded to being attacked, either.
"Selene!"
Aquadyne's gushing waves hit the lazy Shadow, still completely apathetic. The cables seemed damaged, some of the wiring exposed, but not enough to shut down the power of this room.
"Quetzalcoatl!" Blaine roared, as peals of thunder struck down. Amara would have to put her feelings of unease aside, and simply continue to hit this Shadow for all it was worth. This being surely couldn't be fully immune, she told herself. It simply wasn't afraid yet.
"Aeneas!" Karl beckoned, letting out his sword-bearing Persona. With its blade, it cut through the Nullity Masquerade via Solemn Stiletto. From appearance, it might as well have sliced through water.
"How do we know if we're hurting it?" Amara asked. "It's not reacting to anything we do. I've never seen a Shadow do that before...even the Shadows from the Hotel tried to attack us! And those were made from this thing!"
"Yeah, but maybe Aeternus and their experimenting turned them hostile!" Serena said. "Come on, let's keep at it!"
Many more attacks were launched. The entire room was ravaged by scorching hot flames, torrential rainfalls, thunderous storms, gigantic hurricanes, and brutal swordsmanship. Still, the Shadow did not seem to know that it was doomed to destruction, or that it was even with others. Had a decade of being harnessed for energy rendered it incapable of anything else? Had it been a living being, Amara would have felt sympathy for it. Yet it was still another monster, and had no destiny but to die. Or humanity would be in danger.
Of course, it's because of us that you exist. Yet you can't live in our world. No, I won't let you breathe the same air as us anymore! Just let yourself die...please!
"I think...we ought to try attacking all at once." Amara said.
"Alright!" Karl said. "Okay, everybody, hustle! One penalty kick coming up!"
Isis, Cu Chulainn, Selene, Quetzalcoatl and Aeneas were all summoned in sync. Their vibrant, shimmering blue auras illuminated the dark room, far more than the lights ever could.
"Armageddon Alliance!"
The Egyptian goddess began by sending down a torrent of fireballs, each one causing billowing smoke to soar into the air. However, a gigantic whirlwind sent by the Celtic Ace began, quickly absorbing the flame and becoming a burning tornado. A thunderstorm began, beckoned by the Aztec god, and thus lightning bolts sparked out within this giant maelstrom. A whirlpool, enchanted by the Greek Titan, took hold of the Masquerade, dragging it down into the murky depths. Lastly, the heroic warrior held his blade downward, and flew through the centre of the myriad of elements, absorbing each of their power. The Shadow was impaled right in the head, as the freak weather subsided.
Finally, it was done. With the severe force unleashed by the five fighters, even the Void Masquerade could not hold out. It's gelatinous body wobbled, pulsated, and eventually burst out all over the floor. It's very being melted away, leaving behind it's mask – a circular one with a question mark on it.
"...We've done it." Amara said. Sure enough, the lights around them started to flicker, and the strange cabling finally broke apart into six dangling cables. The energy dripped from it like water from a faucet, evaporating as soon as it hit the ground.
"Everything should go back to normal soon." Karl said. "Just to an ordinary basement of some boring warehouse...the way it should have stayed."
"That mask is taking a while to disappear, though." Nathan said, curious. "Should we try breaking it ourselves?"
"Ah, it'll go in a minute." Blaine said. "Feels good to put an end to everything, huh?"
"Yes, we can finally – huh? What's it doing?" Serena said, suddenly scared.
The mask was not vanishing, like a normal Shadow. Rather, it started floating up into the air, and spinning around violently. Amara watched it, morbidly afraid.
"It's not giving up yet?!" She said, taking a step backwards. "What...what the hell are you?!"
The Nullity Masquerade's mask finally stopped moving. Yet something was amiss. The cabling above it broke off from the ceiling, and phased into the mask's red aura. In fact, the aura was expanding, until it touched the wall, ceiling and floor of the room. Piece by piece, the room seemed to be breaking apart, snatched up by this mask.
Amara looked at the floor – which had become pitch black. She screamed, prompting the others to notice this as well. Yet her feet seemed to still be on solid ground.
"Answer me!" Amara screamed. "What – or who are you?!"
All life starts from nothing. Yet, before it reaches its end, life can become absolutely anything. There are many steps a life can take until it reaches its final potential. The first shall be presented before you, and you shall go with I, the infinite emptiness, until we have arrived at our final goal. Who will surpass the other? We will soon learn.
There was a mighty red flash, as the aura grew much larger and vivid. In fact, it was no longer like a wall blocking their way, but it had become the environment itself. The mask floated backwards, affixing itself to something. A black silhouette, that appeared to be juggling equally dark spheres. Finally, as its true form revealed itself, the area changed...
|Farawell Shadow Development & Research Centre – Shadow Generator Power Room|
"...Huh?!" Amara said. She knew this place. Indeed, it had been one of the first places she had ever used a Persona. And the first powerful Shadow she had ever know had fought them here.
"You again..." Nathan said, angry. The Harlequin, in the first form it had ever taken, was here before them again. Although it's Magician mask was missing. Rather, the one the Masquerade and Blank Maya wore.
"Wait, why are we in here? Is this some kind of illusion?" Serena asked, frightened. "Remember, we killed this thing, and it ended up sucked in by that generator over there!"
"...Where's Blaine?!" Amara asked, looking around. True enough, he wasn't even here. Neither, she noticed, was Karl. "...Karl! Blaine! Where are you?!"
"No, this can't be happening..." Serena said, scared. "What the hell is this Shadow?"
Nathan suddenly seemed to have realized something. Anxious, he pulled out his phone, and gasped. "...The date!"
"June 7th." Amara said.
"Yes, but...it says 2012!" Nathan said, astounded.
"...No." Amara said. "Oh, God no. It's...taken us back in time?"
The Nullity Harlequin, as it were, began juggling, and cast a spell – Bufu – on Amara. All three gasped, yet not due to the spell's power. This Shadow was not some kind of vision. It was genuinely back, and trying to kill them once again. How, though? Nothing made sense right now, except for one possibility - that the Nullity Masquerade had far higher power than anyone could have foreseen. It was somehow altering time and space, to take over the bodies of the Trauma Shadows...
"Oh crap! What do we do, what do we do?!" Serena said, freaking out. She tried to run out of the room, but was sent flying backwards, by an invisible forcefield. "AH!"
"Serena!" Nathan said, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"
"No...it hurts!" Serena said, painfully getting up. "How do we get out of here?!"
"I don't know!" Nathan said. "Blaine! Karl! Anyone! ...It really is just us, isn't it?"
"Yeah..." Amara murmured. The Harlequin advanced on her, and threw one of its balls at her. Angry, she slashed it away, and pierced the Shadow in the chest. In deep pain, it fell back, bumping its head into the generator.
"Amara..." Nathan said, surprised.
"Die, you clown!" Amara screamed, full of rage. "Tefnut's Raze!"
Isis' scorching flames were efficient, and the other two Personae did not even need to budge. The Harlequin's new mask flew up, allowing the Shadow to phase into the generator as before. Yet before long, this generator exploded, spreading flame and smoke everywhere.
"ARGH!" Serena screamed, covering her face. Amara held her hand, protectively, when suddenly one of the flames grew bright orange, like the sunset. Then, the flames became smaller, until they were a tiny orb in the sky...
|Nova Albion – Augustus Square|
"...Here, too?" Nathan said, angry. From the look of it, this was the Other World's Augustus Square. And there was someone else here, too. A weary looking Other Amara, standing in front of the Sorceress. The skeletal witch riding her horse. Yet her mask, too, was of the Masquerade.
"Why am I here?!" Other Amara screamed. "Is anyone there?! HELP!"
"Hey!" Amara cried. The other Amara looked up, and gasped. "What's happening here?"
"You tell me!" Other Amara demanded. "We were fighting that weird Masquerade in the basement, but then everything went crazy! We had to fight that weird juggling Shadow, and...now I'm back here, just like..."
"...June 13th 2012." Nathan said. Serena checked her phone this time, and gasped. Everything on it was just as it had been that day, even the battery level. Time was literally going backwards, and now forwards again.
"Blaine!" Amara called out. She soon saw him, having fallen back in terror, and ran to him. "It's me! We couldn't see you...I was so worried!"
"So was I! I just saw that weird Harlequin Shadow, and no one was there! You're okay..." She helped him up, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"I don't have a clue what's going on..." Other Amara said. "But we need to kill this bitch again!"
"It's in the weaker form. It should go down pretty easily..." Serena said.
"Fine then...Mór Gaoth!" Nathan yelled. A gigantic wind storm ravaged the Nullity Sorceress, sending it down to her death. As her body degenerated, the mask flew off. Suddenly, a clockface on top of a church broke off, and shimmered red mist below the mask. Before long, the Square around them turned dark, and there was a smell of seawater everywhere...
|Legarte Harbour – Left Side|
"Fuck!" Blaine yelled. "The other you's gone, Amara!"
"...She is?" Amara said, nervous. "Oh, no!"
"Don't you get what's happening?" Nathan said. "Those who fought it originally are being brought together...those who didn't must be all by themselves!"
"Then..." Amara said. "For the ones we didn't fight together, we'll be forced apart?"
"I don't know!" Serena said. "But look! It's the Chronicle!"
The time had come to witness the return of the Fortune's Trauma Shadow, the Corrupt Chronicle. Except the corruption had been replaced with nothingness. Around them was the wrecked harbour's left side, blocked off by the city's barrier.
We were sent here as a distraction when trying to save Kyle...it was a tough challenge then. Now is not the time to go down memory lane, though! We're supposed to be getting away from this!
"Okay, this is really pissing me off!" Blaine said. "We've got to beat all of these Shadows again, huh? Then that's what we're gonna do! So we can go back home..."
"I really hope we can..." Amara said, scared senseless. "If it's not gotten any stronger, we can break this one apart too!"
"Let me!" Serena said. "Moonstone Wave!"
Selene's shimmering white waves crashed into the Nullity Chronicle, battering it with lunatic seawater. The dark clock, like before, shattered into pieces. Predictably, however, the Mask did not. Instead, it seemed to split into two, one perched on top of the other, and the water from the sea rose up and formed a giant dome around everybody. This dome, however, became sheet metal...
|Power Tunnels – Saragel Core|
Amara gasped. Near her were the corpses of Ornatu Legion soldiers, in both black and white costumes. Their weapons lay all over, being soaked up in their blood.
"Good...god..." Nathan said. "Everything is just like I remember it being!"
"Aimee!" Amara cried, seeing a cowering young lady in the distance. She and several others were in front of two Shadows, the Yggdrasill and the Vidofnir. Both of them were of Nullity this time, with no sign of Roger, Karen, Archibald or Josephine. Of course, those Shadows had been summoned just before they left the scene.
"Amara?!" Aimee said, frightened.
"Serena, you're...here!" Kyle said.
"Blaine?" Dan said. "How the hell did you get here?"
"You tell me, man! We've been flung through the past, just like you guys probably have!" Blaine said, exasperated.
"It seems everything is as it was..." Priscilla said, anxiously. "Except..."
"Yes, I do not detect Zao anywhere." Sophie said. "I...do not understand this situation. But everyone else must be fighting these Shadows too...yet in different groups. Fighting further may endanger ourselves..."
"I know." Amara said. "But we've got to try and figure our way out of this."
"Right..." Aimee said. "Karl...he better be safe!"
"Brutality!" Blaine screamed, summoning Quetzalcoatl's absolute rage.
With two strikes of its hammer, the nefarious bird was subjected to a force capable of shattering a thousand diamonds. The Nullity Vidofnir fell to the ground with a heavy thud, sending dusky feathers everywhere, and its lurid colours turned to grey and sepia. Yet the Masquerade's mask stayed on its face, not letting the body rot away just yet.
"Trinity Nebula!" Aimee yelled, in tune with Concordia's divine power.
A blue and orange astral cloud of dust gathered around the foul tree, and grew brighter and denser with every second. Finally, there were three massive explosions, and its energy scattered everywhere. The Nullity Yggdrasill became petrified, unable to move any further. Its roots and branches broke and shrivelled up, and both it and its ally finally were permitted into Valhalla.
At last, both their bodies were gone, and the two masks returned into one. It flew up to the ceiling, where there were various lights and extensive cabling, and made them all explode in a terrific display of firepower. The night sky was then exposed, and the carnage around them disappeared...
|Tachibana Uni. - Rooftop Garden|
"Oh, not again..." Serena said, glancing at the overgrown plants around her.
This place had been where Roger and Karen rekindled their love, having exhausted any lingering resentment. Archibald and Josephine had not planned for this outcome, however, but the Divine Spark triggered here anyway. Yet once again, the pages of this conflict were open again, in the form of the Compendium.
"It's you..." Karen said.
"I don't understand...we were with Richard and Tara earlier, and now we're here." Roger said, completely confused.
"I'm glad to see you guys are safe. No sign of Aimee?" Blaine asked. They shook their heads. It seemed the groups people were put in were not fixed at all, and no one had gleaned any information about their circumstances.
"Aimee...she's with someone else now." Amara said. "Sophie too. Are they all fighting these Shadows at the same time, but we can't see them?"
"Why are you asking me? I just figured that first battle would be it! I should have known it wouldn't be that easy!" Serena snapped. "I'm sorry, Amara...I just want this over with! I can't stand it anymore!"
"This one's got that weird mask now too. It must be for Fool Shadows. Right?" Blaine said.
"I doubt it could be anything else." Nathan said. "Tarot readings always say that the Fool card represents nothingness, yet from that nothingness, anything is possible."
"Watch out!" Karen said, taking out her katana. "It's coming to get us...and this one can call upon its minions. Get rid of them, and fast!"
The Nullity Compendium opened its pages, and summoned some lesser minions to aid it. Amara and friends, however, were far too strong for them to make any difference now. They were all torn to pieces. The Compendium tried its best to cast spells, but those used against it were much more powerful. It collapsed, its pages burning up into dark flames, its spine breaking completely.
"There!" Amara said, angrily. "Are you done yet, you copycat?"
"How the hell is it doing this stuff? Don't you dare take us some other place!" Roger cried.
The Fool Mask of the Nullity Masquerade rose up from these ashes, and banged against the ground. Soon, a giant crater was in its place, one that was in Farawell – exactly where the Cathedral had been.
|Farawell – Cathedral's Crater|
The other Amara was there yet again, distraught, having fallen to the ground in shock. A four-armed knight in green armour was above her, except with a different face than before. The Warlord had ceased its tempest, and was clad in the tenuous nullity.
"Go away!" Other Amara yelled. "No, I'm not fighting you guys anymore! Especially not YOU!"
On the day we fought the Tempestuous Warlord, Dad in this world revealed himself to us, taking me to Tomas. I was so excited, but it all went wrong...
"Hang in there." Amara said, shakily. The other saw her, and stood up, anxiously. "You'll be just fine...okay?"
Other Amara nodded, and held her counterpart's hand. They immediately had the same idea, as their Personae were summoned at the exact same time. Intensely hot fire burned in their spirits, matching the passion and intensity of their user's hearts. The time had come for another Throne of Flames.
United, Isis and Nepthys unleashed the throne's infernal reign. Normally, the Warlord would have been impervious, but with a hot enough flame, even its armour could be melted down. With some accompanying wind, water and thunder, the Fool Mask was forced to leave its unwilling host, letting it dissolve completely.
"What now...?" Amara said, anxious. "Which one is next?"
"I don't really remember..." Nathan said. "I doubt we'll be able to stop it mid-sequence."
"Shit..." Blaine said. "We've got to think of something!"
"Make it all the way to the end! If all of us can get to the same point, we might be able to do something about this!" Other Amara said. Immediately after she said this, she was gone. So were the others.
"No!" Amara said. "Don't...don't leave me here!" Before long, however, the buildings demolished themselves around her. Then they rebuilt into different ones, apart from one that remained in rubble...
|Farawell – Howarth Place|
This was a street Amara had only been to several times, despite living quite close to it. Yet it was in a much less opulent state, judging by the bombed-out shell of a building nearby.
I know this area...Howarth Place. It's near The Mole. So, this must have been after it blew up...
"Oh!" A woman said. It was Bianca, who seemed relieved to see her. Kazuya was next to her, disoriented, and Karen was there with her sword, looking worse for wear.
"Looks like we've all been fighting the Trauma Shadows again..." Karen said. "But we keep going between teams, and it's getting out of hand. One minute I'm with Amara, then Roger, the next it's with Tara..."
"We haven't seen Alastair or Richard since we killed the Nullity Masquerade!" Bianca said, worried. "They're safe, aren't they? Have you seen them?" Her desperate eyes sent a shiver of guilt down Amara's spine. She couldn't give the answer Bianca was looking for, in this bizarre situation.
How are people in two different worlds coming into contact with each other? Is this part of the Masquerade's power? Bianca, I'm so sorry...
"No, I haven't..." Amara said, looking at the ground. "Huh – hey, look!"
In the distance of this unreal street were two people, staring at each other intently. One they knew quite well, as a former ally. Kaman. He stared longingly at the woman in front of him – who appeared to be his wife, Maria.
"The...Temptress!" Karen said. "Just like Tara told me!"
"You bitch!" Amara yelled at the disguised Shadow. Her face suddenly became covered with a mask, while her body mutated into a shadowy female wearing a ruined dress. Kaman vanished, but not before giving the others an expression of absolute fear.
"Kaman...!" Bianca said, anxiously.
Kaman, I'm sorry...we were trying to put an end to all of this, not start it all over again! We'll do our best and fix this, I swear!
"Relax, Bianca. I think I can handle this on my own." Karen said. Bianca gulped, while Kazuya held her hand. "Daena! Black Ice!"
A diamond-shaped block of ice appeared from Daena's mirror, and tendrils of darkness fused with it, turning it pitch black. Then, it crashed into the licentious Shadow, forcing her into a cryogenic demise. The Nullity Sorceress, still frozen solid, dissolved into a pool of its own blood. This blood soon changed consistency, however, and spread all over the ground. Amara felt a carpet like surface beneath her feet...
|Angelic Vanguard Hotel|
Amara thought she recognized this area, although it had been a while. Then, she finally remembered. This was where Josephine first attacked us, right? With Karen helping her? It was a horrible state back then. But...what Shadows were fought here?
The Fool Mask had split in two again, as if to answer her unvoiced question. They soon created a mighty motorcycle and its motorist, completely in sync. Amara looked around her, and saw Alastair, Richard and Roger.
"Ah, it's you this time?" Roger said. "Have you seen Karen? I haven't seen her since the Compendium! Is she safe?"
"Yes...we killed the Temptress together. Us, Bianca and Kazuya. They're worried about you all." Amara said.
"If only we could choose who we end up with!" Alastair said. "Alas, it can't be helped. We've got to figure a way out of this mess."
"I don't get it. This Shadow was supposed to be a total wimp! Now it's doing bad impressions of the Trauma Shadows! Not cool, man!" Richard said, angry.
"Clearly, not even the Ater Vox knew the true power of this Shadow." Roger said, concerned. "All we can do is kill these imitations until we arrive at the source of the problem. However long that may be."
"We will win, trust me!" Amara said. "Bring it, you leathered-up freak!"
The Rider fired some bullets around, leaving holes in the walls. Amara ducked, but was too slow to avoid the Stallion's rampage.
"Ugh..." Amara groaned.
"Allow me!" Alastair said. "Sacred Impact!" The combination of angelic sword and laser thrust the Rider off its bike. Even thought it was still breathing, albeit barely, it was already was being devoured by its vehicle. The two masks thus became one, but the bike still became berserk with rage.
"Shit!" Richard said. He tried to jump, but the Stallion's joyriding hit him hard regardless. Amara and Roger were sent into the walls from the sheer force, and there were massive black tyre marks in the carpet. In fact, they looked as if they were burning the floorboards beneath them.
"Damn." Alastair said. "Alright, we need to fall back and -"
"No way, Al!" Richard said. "Let me finish him off! Ultraviolet Whirlwind!"
Multiple colourful tornadoes merged into one, creating a hurricane bearing the full spectrum of hues. It trapped the Stallion, and its velocity shattered its headlights, causing many of its components to break.
Finally, he Nullity Stallion was sent crashing into a wall, and broke apart, leaving a mighty big hole in it. Its bolts scattered all over the ruined carpet, along with it's 'oil'. Amara glared intensely, feeling her blood boil. Nothing had turned back to normal yet, after all of these battles. How long must it take?
"Oh crud, it's still not done..." Roger said. "Karen, don't give up...we'll get back home somehow!"
Unflappable, the Masquerade lunged up into the sky, sending the ceiling higher up, and the walls turned off-white...
|White Rose Academy – Gymnasium|
Amara shuddered. She had been transported to the dusty, abandoned hovel that had once been the gymnasium of the White Rose Academy. Last time, she was faced with a horrifying foe, that posed as an angel – but was nothing less than a foul demon.
"...Amara!"
She turned around, and saw Karl. Out of sheer relief, she hugged him, much to his surprise. She hadn't seen him in so long, and had considered a dark possibility that he may not have made it to this point. That fear was put to rest, but she was still apart from most of her allies.
"I'm okay..." Karl said, reassuringly. "I saw the other guys...they were a bit scared when you left them."
"I didn't want to! But..." Amara said. "You're okay...I'm so glad -"
"Guys, not now!" Lucy snapped. "It's that freaking Cherub thing again!"
"Why again?!" Shirley complained. "You haven't any ideas as to what's happening?"
"Not one, Shirley..." Sophie said, sighing. "The only consolation is that this should be a short battle. Then we'll no doubt be taken to fight another Trauma Shadow."
"Which ones are left?" Amara asked, worried. The Nullity Cherub was flying down, preparing to strike. Anxious, she took her sword out, and watched. It was performing an Unholy Prayer, and from two of its mouths came Shadows – a Balance and a Sword.
"The Diva and the Mummy." Sophie said, cautiously. "We mustn't let our guard down...even I don't know how this will all end."
"Come on, then. Let's burn this angel to the ground!" Lucy yelled. "Ishtar!"
The goddess of love, far more potent than in this initial encounter, showed the angel her Passion Ablaze. Lurid pink flames went up the angel's body, burning it to its core. Yet it still had a glimmer of vitality, enough to cast down a Dei Iuducium. Karl gasped, being hurt by the blinding light.
"Karl!" Amara yelled. "Be careful!"
"You too..." Karl said. He and Seraphina, with Gallant Gladius and Zandyne respectively, destroyed the Sky Balance and Conviction Sword. Not that they were a threat at this point, but less annoyances were welcome, especially now.
"You must be a glutton for punishment, coming after me three times..." Shirley said, evilly. "Guess I'll have to clip your wings one more time, and make it stick! Nightmare!"
Ceridwen glided towards the Cherub's three heads, and grabbed the with both hands. The atmosphere around the bizarre angel turned into a netherworld landscape of negative hues, where runic symbols flew all over in random directions. Evil laughter could be heard, with the pitch and reverb changing also at random. Finally, all symbols and light gathered into the Cherub with a black and red flash of phantasmal energy.
"That was great..." Amara said.
"There's two left, though." Sophie said. "As difficult as it is to grasp the situation, we must persevere..."
"I know!" Lucy said. "Look, it's falling!"
The Cherub quickly became a Nephilim, crashing to the ground yet again. Its vanquishers, forced to endure more trials, watched in disgust as its mask continued its tyranny. The floorboards beneath it broke apart and rose up, forming a stage...
|Nova Albion - Terpsichore Opera House|
"...What?" Amara said, looking around her. She did not know this building, but it looked so glamorous, even more so than her college's graduation hall. She was not the only actor on stage, however, as guest-starring were Tara, Priscilla and Aimee.
"Matthew! Where are you!?" Tara shouted desperately, looking all over. There was no sign of him, however.
"He's probably with Roger, Richard and his brother." Aimee said, nervously. "Just...just like when he came here and found Keisha..."
"Oh my goodness...there's no end in sight! This Shadow is intent on showing us memories of the past – what? It's her!" Priscilla said, pointing towards the once melancholic Diva.
Her old summoner stood, her head to the floor. Lifting up her head, she shed a single tear – and was gone. In her place were three Shadows. The Fanatical Fiddler, Pragmatic Percussionist, and Cavorting Coryphée. Amara did not recognise them, but she had a feeling they came from the second incarnation of the Diva. Kaman and Keisha had triumphed over them, despite dying in the process...
"So this weird Nullity Shadow is making up for missing actors..." Tara said, with a bitter look on her face. "You can't just replace Keisha like that, you bastard! Matthew will not stand for that, and damn it, neither will I!" She set her eye on the Fiddler, and slashed her hard. In retaliation, the Fiddler slashed her with its bow. One quick Magnadyne, however, sent the Fiddler to its death.
"Bufudyne!" Priscilla yelled, attacking the Pragmatic Percussionist. It had sent a Garudyne at her, but she had dodged it expertly. The freezing cold ice, however, hit its target, completely ending its rhythm.
"Stop it!" Amara said, backing away to dodge the Coryphee's tambourine dance. She kicked the dancer, who shrieked and span at her, hitting her many times. "Now you're gonna pay! Force Sabre!"
Isis's blade slit the Coryphee's neck. Evidently, the dance was not a welcome part of tonight's entertainment, receiving scathing reviews.
The Nullity Diva did not take kindly to losing her backing band. She took her stand, and began singing an indignant Contralto – an electrifying song indeed, shocking Priscilla quite badly.
"UGH!" She groaned. "Why must you insist on dragging this show on?!"
"Let me try and send her backstage!" Aimee said, summoning Concordia. "Septentrione!"
It had been some time since the celestial Persona had conjured up the stars of the Big Dipper, and while the name suggested there were seven of them, one of them had a companion star – Alcor being one for Mizar. Unlike the fearsome darkness of Mizar, however, this star emitted pulsating divine light. The Diva, panicking, tried her hardest to block the light. Unfortunately, she could not, and was overwhelmed.
"There! Let that be an end to it!" Aimee said forcefully.
The Diva's backing band were all no more, and this time she was unable to force them to give an encore. Her unique hairstyle came undone, her microphone stand breaking, and soon she had no stage presence whatsoever, beyond her new mask.
"...The Mummy's next." Amara said. "Who fought him the first time around? It wasn't me..."
"I don't even remember!" Priscilla said. "Aimee, do you?"
"You'd have to ask Kyle, I didn't take notes on that!" Aimee said, distraught. "Please, let this be an end to it! Enough of these flashbacks! I...I want to go home!"
"We will." Tara said. "There's just one more stop."
Suddenly, the giant roof broke open, as did the walls, leaving a dark cloudy sky. Rain fell, as a tremendous skyscraper towered above them.
|Aeternus HQ|
To be back here, in front of the monolithic base of her enemies, sent shivers down Amara's spine. In the distance, she saw the laboratory Tomas had used, as well as the mighty power generator. Nothing had been destroyed yet, however, meaning this must have been quite some time ago.
"Is anyone there?!" Amara said. One by one, she saw everyone else appear. Her allies, and their counterparts, as well as their close friends. All the rebel forces had been brought here into one battle.
"Ethan!" Amara cried, seeing the despondent young man in the crowd. "Please, tell me what's going on!"
"I..." Ethan said, on the verge of tears. "I never knew this was going to happen! I...I didn't! Please, you have to believe me! All I imagined was our worlds being separated, and everything would go back to normal!"
"I don't see our Shadowy friend around..." Kyle said. "We ought to be prepared for the worst, though. It'll be the Mummy next. Lucy, Shirley, what do you remember?"
"That was when Carlos was with us..." Shirley said. "Oh god, and I got my Persona! It was a pretty weak Shadow, all things considered, but it was only faking..."
"WHOA!" Amara cried. Everything seemed to change suddenly. It felt like they were moving through the sky, but it actually seemed to be that the entire world was moving below – allowing them to go to the top of the giant main building. Both the laboratory and the Vitra Aeterna returned to their ruined selves, and the metal barrier broke down entirely. Where Nihane Kronos had made his last stand, only to fail and be subsumed by Janus.
Instead of him, however, a malignant mummy was there, with broken shackles. Its unique Death mask was gone, with one that was glowing bright red. Finally, the Nullity Masquerade had reached the end of the road of Trauma.
"You again..." Ethan said. "I was quite happy to never have to see you again!"
"I did not ask for this...another voice is calling us, taking our bodies for its own purposes...!"
"Janus?" Amara demanded.
"No...it is another voice entirely...I cannot abide this! Do not leave me here like a puppet! Destroy me..."
How pitiful...death begging to be killed.
"...Isis!"
The Mummy was a bit more powerful than the previous medley of battles, but it was still considerably outmatched. Immolation and Palida Mors were just as cataclysmic as they had been in the past, but it had no chance of escaping any target, especially on this tiny rooftop. It was quickly on the verge of collapse, after countless elements had been sent to pierce its putrid flesh.
"What terrible fate have you wrought...!? Is this our master's will?! No...they would not torture us this way! Or...would they? I...I did my best for you, Janus, and this is how you repay me?!"
"It's not making any sense..." Sophie said. "This Shadow that's possessing it. It's not like anything I've ever sensed before. Every time it moves to the next Shadow, it grows stronger..."
"...I'll destroy it." Ethan said. "Sraosha! Come forth!"
A spiral of white and blue energy enraptured the Nullity Mummy, and gathered enough power to explode akin to a supernova. Its energy danced all over the area, sparkling brightly.
"Ethan..." Other Amara murmured.
The bandages slipped off, and the rotting flesh quickly turned into a puddle of dark goo. The mask laid in the middle of it, its aura fading. Amara waited, to see if the scenery was about to change again, but nothing became of waiting. The rest of the team, anxious, watched carefully.
"...It's done." Sophie said. "Or it should be...why is nothing else changing?"
You have my gratitude for showing me your ultimate powers. Now I, too, can finally become something other than emptiness. The strength you all possess triumphs that of the thirteen that never knew of my existence...that is the strength I should pursue, not theirs!
"No!" Amara said. "You're...not done, are you?"
The floor beneath the Nullity Masquerade turned pitch black, as the skyscraper shook rapidly. Then, it started to sink, and the ground around it swirled below the earth like water down the drain. Amara screamed, as she and her friends sunk into this swirling darkness. The ground gave way, leaving them to float downwards, for what seemed like an eternity.
Amara, heart pounding, watched in horror. The Nullity Masquerade was gathering pieces that seemed to have been torn from the bodies of all the Trauma Shadows, and these were crudely being assembled into a humanoid structure. Coating this strange anatomy was a black, transparent skin. The left hand side of the body was feminine, the right masculine. Red lines shot up from the head, turning into black and silver long hair to fall down behind its back. Poking up from the skin were bloody versions of all thirteen Arcana masks...while on the head was the Fool's.
Is it trying to become human?!