Author's Note: If you own any of the Persona OSTs, now's a great time to put on some sweet battle music. :)

VII

Monday

April 8, 2013 — Evening

Overcast

Shou charged across the orphanage, his heart thundering like a battle drum. His Persona was with him, buoying him, saturating his body with a strength and speed he'd never known.

The swan creature that had been Tachibana's Shadow screeched at Shou again, unleashing piercing sound waves that rippled the very air. Though before Shou had been driven to his knees, with the power of Persona he stood up to the onslaught, pressing through. The attack slowed his advance, yet still he moved ahead.

The Shadow shut its mouth and settled back on its haunches, preparing for another attack.

"Look out!" Kouta shouted from behind him.

But Shou was ready. Bash it!

The Shadow swan lashed out with a heavy wing, and Shou dove to the side, even as his Persona, Adam, launched itself at the creature. Following Shou's command, Adam swung its scepter like a club, cracking the beast's beak. The Shadow cried out in pain. Shou winced as well, feeling some of his own life force channeled into the attack. Using his Persona's special attacks carried with it a heavy cost.

Shou rolled as massive, wickedly taloned feet tried to stomp him into oblivion. He had never been in a fight before, but with a Persona at his side he didn't feel scared. He felt strong. He felt like he'd been waiting for this his entire life.

He leaped to his feet just in time to avoid another hit. He needed something more powerful, something . . . His eyes widened as an unknown word formed in his mind. "Agi!"

Adam raised its gauntlet, and a blast of flame overtook the Shadow. Shou felt another drain, this time from the spiritual energy within his soul. The creature howled in pain; its feathers blackened and caught fire. It fell to the ground, desperately fluttering its wings to put out the blaze.

Was it weak to fire? It looked that way!

Chance! Time for an all-out attack!

He had only his fists, but they, along with Adam's power, would have to suffice. Shou clambered up the Shadow, grabbing on to smoldering feathers as he went. They weren't real feathers; they were made of a hard, metallic substance. Yet they were still flammable. Perhaps it wasn't the overt physical properties that were important in this world, but rather some internal mechanism or elemental weakness that rendered this creature vulnerable to flame.

He shook his head, clearing his mind. No time to think about that now!

With a grunt, he heaved himself up onto the Shadow's neck. The only thought in his mind was that he would break the thing's skull, with his bare hands if he had to. His Persona would give him the force to do it.

The Shadow began to buck and thrash. It twisted its long neck, trying to snap him in two with its powerful beak, but Shou was in just the right position that it couldn't reach. Frantically, he continued his climb. Just another couple meters and he'd be right on top of its head! He had to make it. He had to . . .

The swan bounded to its feet and jumped.

Shou's mouth opened in a silent scream of pain as the bird smashed him into the ceiling. His all-out attack had been a failure; he needed help to pull off that kind of feat! Unable to maintain his grip, he felt himself falling, falling . . .

Had he been too overconfident? Had his actions sent him and his friends to their doom?

He closed his eyes, despair tearing at his heart, and waited for the terrible impact that would shatter his body.

"Hang on, broooooo!"

Shou's stomach jumped into his throat as his descent abruptly stopped.

He opened his eyes. Kouta had set aside Tachibana and caught him.

Shou smiled. "Kouta," he said. "Thanks."

For a moment, Kouta seemed mesmerized by Shou's expression. Then he yelled, "Gah!" and made a face like he'd smelled unagi that had been sitting in the sun for three days. "Why is it that I'm the one who saved you, but you're the one who seems all cool in the end?"

"Sorry."

"Just get outta my arms, okay?" He dumped Shou unceremoniously on the floor.

Shou stood and brushed himself off, grinning.

Why was it that, in the face of mortal danger, he felt so happy to be alongside his friends?

The swan loosed another shrill cry and flapped its wings, stirring up a storm of wind and dust. Shou plodded forward, ready to engage it once more.

"Be careful, bro," Kouta said. "I don't know if I'll be able to catch you again."

Shou nodded. Kouta was right. He needed to go about this in a different way. Unarmed, he realized he simply lacked the means to beat this thing. But his Persona could do it. Shou would just have to be a distraction, and hope he could open this thing up to a critical hit from Adam.

He darted left, waving his arms. Mentally, he commanded Adam to flank the thing.

"Get him, get him, Emi-neechan," chanted the Shadow Kudo, cheering on the swan.

The swan roared and made another wing swipe at Shou. He ducked under it and grabbed on to its back, as if he was going to climb it again. He wasn't sure how much more health he had left to be sapped by Adam's abilities. He could lose just as easily by sucking himself dry, leaving himself helpless.

He had to end this with one more attack.

The bird whirled, batting at Shou, trying to shake him off. He clung to the creature with every ounce of strength and willpower that he had.

It was time to strike!

Adam, Kill Rush!

From behind, Shou's Persona charged at the bird, scepter spinning like a baton in its metal fist.

It struck the Shadow once!

Twice!

Thrice!

At the last blow, the bird unleashed a cry so loud that it rattled Shou's ribcage. He thought his eardrums might burst. But it had been what he'd been waiting to hear. A death cry. Adam's last hit had been a critical one.

With a shudder, the bird collapsed. The battle finished, Shou's Persona sank back into the space within his heart.

"No, Emi-neechan!" Shadow Kudo howled.

Motes of glimmering particles rose up from the swan, and its monstrous form dissipated as if made of dust. Kneeling on the ground, panting, was the Shadow Tachibana. "Hmph," it said. It rose to its feet.

"You . . . you're . . ." It was the real Tachibana. She had come to. Now she stood, facing her Shadow. "You're not . . ."

Shou looked at her.

Tachibana was shaking, like a leaf in a strong wind; her fists clenched and unclenched. Her jaw was tight; her eyes wide and staring. She was having trouble accepting the truth. This Shadow was Tachibana. She had to recognize that.

Shou hesitated, his pulse beating more quickly, and then put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said.

"Tanimoto?"

"You're still you," he said. "Who you've always been." He met her eyes with quiet confidence.

"I . . . I . . ."

"It's true," Kouta said. "You're the same Emi-chan as always. So don't let this yellow-eyed jerk convince you otherwise!"

She took a deep, ragged breath. "Guys . . . thank you." She turned toward her Shadow, and took a step towards it. She reached out her hand. "I guess . . . I was too scared to admit it," she said. Her voice cracked with pain and grief, but still she went on. "I couldn't accept that I hated myself so much." Her mouth pulled into a sorrowful smile, her eyes brimming with sadness. "I couldn't accept that I thought I was . . . worthless.

"But I've realized something. Something really important." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Even if I was born without a place in this world . . . I can make a place. For myself. And for all the people I care about." Her fingers twined around her Shadow's hand. "It hurts so much . . . but I see it now. All those horrible things I've thought about myself, they're all me. You're me . . . and I'm you. But it doesn't mean we have to give up. Let's keep going. Together."

A benevolent voice whispered in Shou's mind: The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest . . .

A powerful light exploded from Shadow Tachibana's body. From it rose a shimmering, transparent, majestic figure. A white helmet with black swan-like markings covered its face; it wore huge white pauldrons and a white breastplate; its arms were garbed in flexible black rings; its hands were fitted with wickedly sharp, clawed gauntlets. Enormous white wings spread out from its back.

"Rakhel," Tachibana whispered in awe. "My Persona."

Tears formed at the corners of Shou's eyes as well, and he brushed them away. He was proud of Tachibana, he realized. She was so strong; far stronger than he. The suffering she had experienced was so far beyond what he had ever known. He understood then that he would do whatever it took to stand by her side and fight until the end, never giving up, never surrendering.

"Gyehehehe . . ."

Damn, he'd forgotten about Kudo! Shou's gaze swiveled to the teacher's Shadow.

"You come in here . . . and mess with my beloved world!"

Shou took a step back. He felt exhausted. All his strength had been expended fighting against Tachibana's Shadow. He didn't think he had it in him to fight another battle. But maybe Tachibana herself could . . .

Before Shou could finish the thought, Tachibana collapsed to her knees.

"I'll kill you," Shadow Kudo raged. "Gyahahaha! I'll kill you all!"

"I can still fight . . ." Tachibana said.

"Like hell you can," said Kouta. "You can barely stand."

"I have to help . . . Haruo-niisan," she said.

The room shook. Shadow Kudo raised its arms, and its figure began to grow and distort.

"It's going berserk!" Kouta shouted.

Shou nodded. It was just no good. They had to run. Shou glanced back over his shoulder, making sure that the path out was clear. It was then he spotted a huddled figure in the corner by the entrance. The person was so shrouded in darkness that no one had noticed him before.

Who could it be? There was only one answer. The real Kudo!

Shou urged his friends to move, pushing them in the direction of the exit portal. Kouta scooped Tachibana up in his arms, and together they made their way toward freedom. Shou paused at the fallen form of Kudo-sensei. He shook the teacher by the shoulders, but there was no response.

"Let me go," Tachibana said, struggling.

"Now, hold on—" Kouta said.

Tachibana broke free from Kouta's grip and stumbled over to Kudo-sensei. "Onii-san, wake up," she said. "Please, please wake up!"

But Kudo-sensei wasn't sleeping. His eyes were open and staring. A line of drool hung from his mouth.

A stab of fear shot through Shou. Was the teacher dead?

No, thank goodness. Shou quickly spotted Kudo's shallow breathing, a infinitesimal rising and falling of the chest. But the man was in a really bad state. As if his mind had been broken completely. He was borderline comatose. Would he ever be able to recover from this? Shou wasn't so sure. He grunted, trying to lift the teacher's dead weight. He glanced back, and saw that the Shadow Kudo had become an amorphous darkness, and it was growing. Transforming into . . . something. And he didn't want to find out what. They were running out of time!

Tachibana joined in, helping Shou to lift Kudo-sensei. Together they were making headway when . . .

"Watch out!" Kouta yelled.

Kouta dove for them, knocking both Shou and Tachibana to the ground. They lost their grip on Kudo-sensei.

A giant fist drove into the wall where they had been kneeling a moment before.

"No!" Tachibana screamed.

Shou sucked in a breath. The fist had crushed Kudo.

In horror, he followed the line of the fist, down the length of an enormous arm, and to . . .

What IS this thing?

Shadow Kudo had become an enormous, zombified monstrosity. Ragged flesh hung from its body. One of its eyes dangled grotesquely from the socket. It was so huge that it had crashed through the floor, and only everything above its torso remained visible. Yet that was enough. Its colossal hands could strike clear across the length of the orphanage.

"We have to go!" Kouta yelled.

"But . . . but . . ." Tachibana protested.

The Kudo-Thing reared back its fist, splinters of wood caught in its rotting flesh. It was then Shou saw Kudo — the real Kudo — was not dead, but clutched in the giant's hand. "Kill-you-kill-you-kill-you-kill-you!" roared the titanic Shadow.

Then Kouta's hand grabbed the back of Shou's collar and yanked him through the black-and-red portal.

Outside, they collapsed onto the dead grass, gasping for breath. Down the pathway from the orphanage, the Morigami Metro train car lay waiting for them.

"We have to go back," Tachibana said. "My brother's still in there!"

"No freakin' way," Kouta said. "We almost got our asses kicked."

Loathe as Shou was to admit, Kouta was right. They had to abandon Kudo-sensei for now and try to save him again later. "We can rest up and try again tomorrow," he said. "We'll save him, Tachibana."

She smiled at him, though there was little joy in it. "Thank you for saving me. I would've been lost without you, Tanimoto . . ." She shook her head. "Shou-kun. And . . . please, call me Emi."

He nodded. "Emi."

"Uch, this is just sooo touching, you guys," said an unfamiliar female voice. "Makes me wanna puke."

Who . . . ? Shou's gaze shot to the roof of the orphanage. There was a silhouette there, wrapped in a dark cloak. He could make out a shock of messy hair and . . . striking purple eyes. But the rest of the girl's face was covered by a cowl.

"Aw, the hell's this, now?" Kouta asked. "You wanna piece, too?" He pointed his shinai at the newcomer. "Come on down and give it a try. I'm not in the habit of hitting girls, but I'm real pissed off right now, so I'll make an exception."

Rooftop Girl pinched her nose through the cowl and blew a raspberry.

"Oh, that is it!" Kouta bounded to his feet and made like he was going to try climbing the orphanage.

Shou went after him and pulled him back. They were in no shape to be starting any more battles, and Kouta didn't even have a Persona. There was no telling whether this girl was a Shadow, or something else entirely.

"Who are you?" Emi asked. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to deliver a warning," she said.

"From who?" Kouta demanded.

"From our fearless Leader, of course," the girl said.

"Leader? Pfft. Leader of what?" Kouta smacked his shinai against the palm of his hand. "Leader of the scaredy little girls who hide on rooftops?"

"I'm not little, I'm just a late bloomer!" Rooftop Girl yelled.

Emi groaned. "Someone hit a sore spot."

"Why don't you come down here so we can discuss this like adults?" Kouta asked.

"I am an adult! I'm a second year at . . . oh shoot." She smacked herself on the forehead with a gloved hand. "Stupid, stupid."

"Okay, I've had enough of this," Kouta said. "Let's go, guys. We'll pick this up tomorrow and save Kudo-sensei."

"Yeah," Emi said.

They turned back toward the train.

"Wait!" said the girl. "I'm being serious now, okay? Don't interfere with the Shadow world again, or you'll be sorry."

"Shadows?" Kouta asked.

"Those things in there," Emi said. "When I awakened my Persona, I knew. They're called Shadows."

"Yup!" said Rooftop Girl. "And because you didn't know, I'm letting you off easy this time. But from here on any action taken to fight the Shadows will be taken as a direct attack on our cause."

"What cause?" Kouta asked.

Rooftop Girl struck a pose. "We are . . ." She put one hand on her hip, and pointed the other straight ahead. "Hope|LESS!"

Kouta burst into laughter. "Damn right, you're hopeless. Oh man, that's too funny."

"Hey!" the girl yelled.

Emi pushed Kouta aside, staring up at the girl. "Do you know why people are being taken into this world? Do you know why this happened to onii-san?"

"People with powerful desires to create a new reality are drawn into this place," the girl said. "But, inevitably, they always realize their human limitations. Humans aren't meant to inherit this world, or any world. They're weak. Scared. Fallible. They succumb to their Shadows. Just like Kudo-san."

"He wanted to . . . create a new reality?" Emi asked.

"A place where all you little orphans could live peacefully and happily," Rooftop Girl said. "But he soon realized that, as a human being, he was completely powerless to fulfill his wish." She grinned. "His will broke really fast, even for this realm. It's too late for him now. He's gone."

"You're wrong!" Emi said.

"Believe what you want," replied the girl. "I've wasted enough time. Bye, now."

"How do you know all this?" Emi yelled after her.

But the girl had already left.

Exhausted, the three of them climbed back aboard the train. As if sensing their presence, the doors closed and the train took off.

None of them spoke.

They were too tired and bewildered by all that had happened.

Flickaflickaflickaflick.

Suddenly, the noise of chatter filled the car. Shou perked up, and looked around in wonder.

The train was back to normal. No more green lighting, no more bloody splotches on the walls. Just a regular old train car. And they were surrounded by other passengers. Had anyone noticed them just . . . appear? No one was looking at them, so it didn't seem so.

Kouta and Emi were also looking around in surprise. "Man, that's freaky," Kouta said. "How the heck does that keep happening?"

"No one else can see it," Emi said. "The Shadow world. So why . . . why can we?"

Shou shook his head. He had no answers.

"Do you think what that girl said about Haruo-niisan is true?" Emi asked. "That he's already gone?"

"Don't think like that, Emi-chan," Kouta said. "There's no way we could believe that weird little hopeless girl. We'll go back, and we'll save him. You'll see."

Emi nodded. She balled her fists. "I . . . I won't let this happen to anyone else, either. I don't care what that girl said. If I have to fight her, so be it. I don't know how, but I'm going to put an end to this Shadow world. I've decided I can't stand by and let more people suffer." She looked at them. "Are you guys with me?"

"Well, if that's what you've decided . . ." Kouta grinned. "Can't very well say no, can I? Even if I don't have one of those funky Persona things."

"Shou?" Emi asked.

"I'm with you, Emi," Shou said. "All the way." He put out his hand. "I won't stop until all of this is finished."

Emi, and then Kouta, put their hands atop his.

The pact is forged, your contract made . . . echoed a voice.

A blue butterfly hovered outside the train window.

Monday

April 8, 2013 — Late Night

Overcast

It was nearly 2200 by the time they made it back to Morigami Academy. Shou had no sense of how much time they'd spent in the Shadow world, but nearly four hours had passed in reality since they had finished their dinner at Ramen no Ou what felt like weeks ago. The sky was a vast and empty blanket, the stars drowned out by the city's bright lights. Shou wished he could have seen the night sky lit up with countless glittering pinpoints, like it was back home in Kamikawa.

No, Kamikawa wasn't home anymore. He looked at his friends. This was home now.

They passed through the front gate, showing their student IDs to the night guardsman. Shou's had come to him in the mail a couple weeks ago, but this was the first time he'd gotten to use it. He felt a flush of pride.

They waited a little while before Oshima-san showed up in the trolley. "You kids sure are out late," he said. "You're lucky you got back when you did. This is the last ride."

Kouta and Emi boarded, but Shou hesitated.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another blue butterfly.

He told them he was going to walk.

"Suit yourself," Kouta said. "See you back at the dorm, bro."

Shou nodded. He watched the trolley disappear down the cherry tree-lined path. When it was gone, he looked around for the butterfly, but didn't see it. He sighed, shoved his hands in his pockets, and began to walk.

Images of the orphanage kept flashing through his mind. His Persona. The fight. Saving Emi. The excitement he'd felt.

Why am I really doing this?

He had to confront his real feelings, he knew, or he would be lost. He had to admit that there was a part of him that reveled in all this. The battles. The life or death stakes. The feeling of being depended on by others. The sense that he was actually doing something important, instead of pursuing a meaningless existence.

But that was okay.

He could recognize those darker aspects of his inner self, but they didn't have to rule him, or guide him. More than anything, he wanted to solve the mystery of the Shadow world for the same reasons as Emi. He wanted to put an end to needless suffering. As difficult as the experience had been for Emi, Shou couldn't imagine what it had been like for Kudo-sensei. Was he really gone for good? Shou hated that they'd been forced to leave him behind, but he was going to make sure that they saved him the next time. And after that . . . who knew?

Shou neared the square where the statue of Morigami Yoshinori stood.

There was the blue butterfly. It fluttered on the path ahead of him.

Shou moved slowly toward it, taking short, careful steps. He was afraid that he would startle it, and it would fly off. But the butterfly appeared unperturbed. It hovered it place, as if it was waiting for Shou. He walked right up to it, reached out his hand to touch it, and . . .

He uttered a cry of dismay as it began to disintegrate.

He cupped his hands beneath the strange creature, not sure why, but hoping to catch the twinkling particles that fell from its body. He stared at his palms as the motes gathered, forming into a shape.

A . . . key?

Shou's skin prickled, and he had the fleeting sensation that there was someone behind him. He whirled.

A glowing blue door hovered in the air before him.

He slid the key into the lock.

The knob turned. The door opened, enveloping him in warm light.

"Ah," said a familiar voice, "welcome back . . . to the Velvet Room."