Mood music: /watch?v=dpzbr3vCBjw

Chapter 2: I'll Face Myself

Have you ever had a moment where all you can do is sit down, and feel...powerless? Here I am, sitting on my ass, facing some kind of faceless giant; I can feel his gaze at me as he turned his head towards me. My arms couldn't move, my voice was lost in the shock of things. A shadow? My true self? What does all this mean? I know one thing: I'm done for if I don't run. But, my fear got the better of me; I just sat there waiting for my demise.

"You see others as insignificant to you; but now, YOU will learn what that feels like. to be seen as a lowly worm!" the "shadow" exclaimed as he raised his scythe.

I braced myself for the impending blade that will decapitate me. The demon wound up his arms and began his powerful swinging motion. I anticipated the swift death, but was greeted by a voice.

"MILES!" yelled a familiar voice.

Someone outside of my line of vision pushed me and caused me to roll out of the way. I heard the blade cut the air with a *swish* but the sight that greeted me was not blood nor carnage, but Krono pushing against the pole part, inches away from the very sharpness that almost killed me. The shadow retracted his blade and looked at him.

"Stay out of this! This is between me and myself!" it demanded.

Krono stood firm and looked glared back at it. He then glanced his eyes at me. "Miles, get out of the way, I'll handle this!"

Though part of me wanted to accept my death, my conscience told me to listen to him. I still couldn't believe this was all real, it couldn't be. I noticed a street bench down on the park, so I ran towards it. Looking back, the shadow noticed me running, and readied to give chase; but Krono was somehow able to stop him from progressing merely from his presence.

"If you want him, you have to get past me!" he yelled.

The shadow laughed and pointed his scythe at him "What can a lowly human being like you accomplish!?"

Krono put on his headphones that were usually hung around his neck, and pressed his hand against the right cup. "Who's to say I'm alone?"

"Persona!"

I faintly heard the sound of glass shattering, accompanied by small fragments coming out of his head, specifically the headphones. Suddenly, swirling energy formed around him that was similar to the shadow's transformation earlier. The difference was, this energy was light blue, almost liberating. Krono looked up, revealing his sneer and his pupils glowing.

"Come forth, Pwyll!"

A body faded into existence above Krono's head. It was predominantly male; not muscular but more fit. As the figure became more prominent, I could make out a cloak of upon his neck and head. His white with blue stripe armor was not bulky nor heavy, but it looked light and fitting. His face was pale, young, with short combed black hair. Pwyll's eyes were white, but you could see some form of soul when staring into them. His right hand, which was gloved, carried a red sword that was separated into two single edge blades down the middle at the top; similar to prongs, but they were bound by the sword base at the bottom.

I saw Krono put his hand out, open palm. Particles of light starting forming around it, and out came a sword of some sorts; finely pointed at the tip, but sharp enough on the front to cut. He looked up at the monster, and pointed his sword, issuing a challenge. At that moment, the white knight followed up with a dash towards my "doppelganger" and tried to stab him. The monster side-stepped out of the way on his right, and hooked the sword into his scythe. Krono took this opportunity to run up toward the monster, and jumped. I've never seen a human being achieve such a height, but somehow this guy did it almost effortlessly. He thrust his blade at the monster's chest, thus causing it to flinch and stagger backward. His scythe let go of its grip on Pwyll's sword.

"Gah! How dare you assault me like that you worm!" the shadow cried out.

It regained its bearings, and thrust his scythe out, pushing Pwyll towards….me! Reacting as fast as possible, I ran out of the way, barely in time before the giant man landed on the area, crushing the bench I was hiding behind. I turned around and looked at the damage. Pwyll, got up and started dashing towards the demon again. It swung its scythe at Krono, but he managed to dodge his decapitation by ducking in the knick of time. Krono stabbed at its leg, causing it flinch, while Pwyll thrust his sword at it in his dash. The shadow caught the sword with the blade of his scythe and pushed it out of his way. It then opened his palm, and a fiery explosion flared; shooting Pwyll and Krono backward.

Seeing that it had some breathing room, the shadow took a moment to scan the area. I can tell it noticed me because it started approaching me slowly with his scythe raised. The monster swung at me, which I dodged using a roll to my left. The street was clear, so my mind decided to make a mad dash out of there. I heard wind whooshing behind me as I ran, which I assumed was the other "me" flying towards me. As I ran, the ground behind me suddenly erupted with a fiery blaze, causing me to trip and land on my front.

"Why resist?" the echoey voice laughed, "Embrace it: the elitist view you have developed. Stop resisting me!"

"NO!" I yelled, "Why should I? I choose to isolate myself because I don't feel welcome. I'm just weird, I'm not wired to interact!" I cried out.

"And thus, you push everyone away. You say that, to justify your loneliness, but in reality you judge people immediately. Every person you've met, you've never trust. In the end…"

"They all want something from me…" I muttered. I don't know why, but I felt like he was right. Complying and accepting him, my fate can finally free me from this cynicism. Maybe it is for the best.

I layed there, unwavering nor moving, ready to accept my fate. I had to look my death straight in the eye, so I turned around. His weapon already prime to swing, and cut into my body. I closed my eyes again, but once more nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see a familiar, battered body in front of me. His comparatively small sword stopped the hulking blade of the scythe; I can see it shaking, which meant he was using all his strength. Krono looked up at the creature and scowled at him.

"He's not going down without a fight," he said.

"You're still moving!?" questioned the shadow, "I thought I got rid of you long enough to finish my job."

Krono pushed with his arm and essentially parried the scythe.

"I thought I was out too," he said as he charged. "But when I heard Miles just accept his fate like that, I thought I'd have to intervene." He slashed at the leg again, causing the shadow to stumble back.

"Why do you fight for him!?" the monster asked as he cast an explosion at Krono. Krono dodge rolled out of the way. "Don't you see that he's been trying to push you away because he doesn't see you as worthy of his time!?"

The battlefield started becoming torn up as explosions emitted everywhere. Krono was running, dodging left and right, side-stepping and rolling as he tried to find an opening. He stopped and yelled, "Because, to me he's my friend!" and as his voice rang, he put his hand on his headphones that were still on his head. Glass shatter resonated from him, and appeared Pwyll; beginning his charge. The pronged sword became blue as Pwyll primed for a slash. The demon blocked the attack with the pole of the scythe, but ice started forming around it causing him to be stuck. Krono jumped up to the height of the shadow's chest and thrust his blade into the center of it.

"And to me, that's the one thing that matters!"

The blade went straight through his chest in one fluid stroke. Krono planted his foot on the monster's torso, and pushed off of him, pulling the sword out. Black fluid, which might have been blood started flowing out of the stab wound; and the monster cried in agony.

"GAAAAAH!" it cried out, "HOW. DARE. YOU." It was obviously mortally wounded by it. "You'll pay for this!" he threatened as he clenched his chest.

The blood stopped flowing almost as soon as it started. My shadow spun his scythe around his head, and then stomped the ground with the base of it. A red circle formed around Krono and Pwyll, soon encasing them in a pillar of flame!

"AAAAHHHH!" cried a burning and shocked Krono.

The pillar of fire burned before my eyes, as it lit up the sky. The heat of the inferno started to spread, and the area around us started to ignite as well. The sight exhausted me, causing all will to even stand to leave. My legs gave out, and I hit the ground on my knee. The shadow started approaching me, obviously wanting to finally finish the job.

"Now, I'm sure that little pest won't bother us. He was never really worth my time," that raspy voice echoed. "It's just me and me, well for now."

He took his hand and lifted my chin so I could look at him.

"I can see it in your eyes. You're rejecting me, just like you reject him. Good, good. You've accepted your fate."

I opened my mouth, but the words left me. My mind was a mess as I tried to comprehend the coming minutes. These may be my last moments on Earth, and my last memory would be a burning hell around me. It's fitting I guess…

"No!" a voice cried out. "Don't just sit there and take it!" It was Krono; he was still alive?

"He's right!" I screamed. Tears started streaming down my eyes. The pain from loneliness that I bottled up over the years started getting to me. "It's a lost cause. He's right. I'm skeptical about everyone. Alyssa, Scott, you, everyone! I've always been the odd one, I never was able to fit in. People hated me; they thought I was full of it. Just one day, I decided, if they saw me that way, why not start acting like it? I'm already getting persecuted for the crime; might as well commit it anyways. That's why...I had trouble trusting you! He's right; I was trying to push you away. And I'm still rejecting the fact that you're actually trying to be my friend."

I hung my head down to signify I was ready for my fate. I could hear the scythe being raised from the ground.

"Good, good. You've accepted your fate. Hence, why I don't think you deserve to be here. Die in your last loneliness."

"You're right," I replied, "I've just shut everyone away from me. And now I'm gonna pay the price."

A cold chill suddenly breezed through the air. I raised my eyes to get a look on what's happening. The pillar of fire was disappearing!

"So what if you don't see me as a friend? I'm not worthy of your time? Bullshit!" Krono's voice echoed. The fire dissipated due to the increasing blizzard. Pwyll was obviously the one casting it judging from the the ice emanating from his hand.

"I don't care if you see me as a lower human being. Nor do I care that you don't trust any person no matter how much they've shown they cared. It's not your fault, but you're at fault for not making the most out of your gift!"

Pwyll charged forward and pushed the monster out of the way. He then used his hand to blow me aside, away from the battlefield.

"I know there's a part of you that wants to change. But you don't think others will do the same for you. WIth that attitude, no wonder you've been outcasted." Krono said as he jumped up and aimed for the shadow's neck. "You don't have to go at it alone. It's not embarrassing to ask for help once in a while. You may be a super genius, but you still have a lot to learn."

All I could do at that point was just watch the battle unfold before my eyes. Krono and Pwyll were doing their best to protect me from myself...yes I admit it, he is myself. But yet, I cannot accept that fact. The shadow just seems so sad and distant. As if, he was me, but more extreme. And as I thought that, I watched Krono dodge, roll, jump, and fight alongside this hero of legend. But, I can tell he is at his limit. I felt so helpless, I couldn't do anything. This thing was so bent on its vendetta that I don't think it can listen to reason anymore, even from himself.

I sat behind a rock, peering over to see how Krono was faring. From the looks of things, it was quite a tied match despite it being two versus one. Though I can tell Krono was at his limit, and so was Pwyll as they seemed out of synch this time. I turned around and leaned against my hiding spot. What could I do? I'm useless in this situation.

"You're not useless you know." said a voice. It came from my left.

Next to me was another person, which was weird considering the lack of people around here. However, what was odd was what he looked like. He looked like...me! Except his hair was brown, and his clothes were light and white instead of the darker colors with black I wear.

"Oh god, I don't need another me," I remarked.

"Don't worry," he said. His voice sounded like mine too. "I'm not you. Well, not all of you anyway."

At that point I was confused. First a me that wanted me dead, and now a me that isn't me? I thought I felt my headache start to come back.

"Look at him." he said. I could hear the battle still going on. "He's putting his life on the line for yours. And yet, you admit you're still rejecting him?"

I looked down at the ground and thought about the events that just transpired.

"Well, I'm still not sure. Plenty of people have gone through hell just to get me to trust them. But in the end, they just wanted something from me…" I muttered.

"But, think of it this way. Why would someone risk so much for so little?" he asked.

"Because, if it benefits them in the end long-term, then the gains they've made out-weight the losses they've taken."

"But isn't that what human nature is about?" he questioned.

That comment made me pause. In psychology there were many arguments about what human nature reflects society as a whole. Are people born good? Evil? Nobody can figure out.

"Look, if someone's willing to risk their life I think you should give them the benefit of the doubt. I mean look at you, you're a mess. And even though you've blatantly told him you didn't trust him, he still fought for you. Maybe, it's time to start that change you've been talking about."

"I don't know where to start.I don't really have any close friends to help me figure things out…" I explained.

"Who says you need close friends?" this doppelganger asked. "I think you've got the right ones already!"

My mind flashed to Alyssa, and Scott. More importantly, I'm imagining Krono standing firm against the towering giant. "I don't know."

This "not me" stood up, looked at me and smiled extremely wide.

"It'll come with time!" he grinned. "You'll learn that everyone has something to gain, even you. Except this time, you know what you want and that'll help you find your answer."

He grabbed my hand and put something in my palm. "Before you search for your answer, just try to make it out alive first. Here, I'll lend you my power."

I looked at the object he gave me, which was a pocket watch similar to mine. Except, while mine was a copper metal, this one shone with nickel. I looked up to ask what this meant, but my twin was gone. I could hear the ongoing battle occurring in the background, but it was interrupted with a familiar voice's scream.

"GAAAH" yelled Krono. I looked over the rock and saw that Pwyll was gone, and Krono was knocked down.

The shadow loomed over the teenager, weapon ready in hand.

"Finally, my deed can be done. A few bumpy roads, but as they say," it raised its scythe, "It's the journey, not the destination."

Krono closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in anticipation.

"NO!" I yelled. I booked it across the field and stopped in between the two fighters. I faced myself, and blocked off Krono. The shadow loosened his grip on his scythe, and I could hear a laugh from his face-less head.

"Ohohoho. So you finally come out of hiding. Did you decide to wise up and spare this person's life by giving up your own? You know, I believe that death is the ultimate form of isolation as you've pushed off everyone and they can't help you." He tightened his grip.

"Miles, get out of the way!" demanded Krono.

"Silence! He just wants this over with already. He wants to be alone, and that's what I'll give to him; in the form of my blade! Any last words?"

I lost my voice within those very few seconds. Sweat dripped down my face from both the stress, and the blazing inferno that surrounded us. I took a big gulp as I was trying to find something to say. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. A surge went through my body; I felt something burning up inside of me. It was cold, but refreshing. Then, I found my words. I didn't know why, or how I knew what the proper course of action here was; but to me it felt right.

I reached my arm out, palm facing up. The pocket watch, the me in white gave to me rested in my hand. My heart raced, and my hand twitched. I screamed at the top of my lungs the only thing that popped into my head that the moment:

"PERSONA!"

My thumb pressed the button on my watch, and the cover opened. I saw a shards come out for some reason, and the sound of glass shattering resonated from it. The hands on the watch started spinning wildly, for a second, and then stopped together at twelve. Green energy started to swirl around me, causing a gust of wind to blow around the area. The infernos were put out, and the monster was knocked backward into a wall. I stared flabbergasted at the events transpiring around me.

"I am thou." A voice resonated in my head, "Thou art not I. From the sea of thy soul, I shall lend you my guidance. I am the traveler's guide, Virgil!"

I turned around to witness the site in full. Behind me a large figure was forming. It took the shape of a man. Soon his features became very distinct: striped britches, a dress shirt tunic, an Italian sun hat with a feather on it. He resembled a bard. His face looked to be that of a man in his early thirties, and his brown hair draped out of the hat and touched the sides of his face. His eyes were pure white and looked down on me. A lute formed out of magic in his hands, which he followed up with a nod of his head.

He strummed a loud cord upon his instrument, casting a gust that swirled around Krono and I. Suddenly, the wind's strength picked up and it started carrying Krono into the air! Krono closed his eyes and sighed a breath of relief. He looked at me from above and smiled.

"NO!" yelled a voice that I almost forgot was there. The shadow reached his hand out and tried to muster up a spell, but failed to do so. "How are you doing this?!"

I looked at the monster that was supposed to be me. "Because, I've accepted that fact I need to do something about the say I see people!" I replied, "Now, Krono!"

The wind picked up Krono higher and higher into the air; at which he reached quite a distance, the gust dissipated. Krono began a free fall and started accelerating towards the ground faster! He put his hands on his headphones for one last time this fight and yelled, "Persona!"

Pwyll was summoned in front of him, and did a full dive towards my shadow. Pwyll thrust his sword out for one last fatal wound, but my shadow put his scythe out before him, hoping the force of the fall would cause enough damage to fatally wound the knight. As Pwyll approached the weapon, he changed his grip and looked ready to swipe. The knight then, upon landing, caught the scythe in his sword prongs and pinned down his arm!

"What? That was your plan all along!?" he yelled.

Krono took his sword and pointed it downward as he ended his descent. On the landing, the blade thrust into the monster's chest where the cross was. Black energy burst out of the cut, and the screams of the monster rang throughout the field. The energy swirled around him, enveloping him completely. Seconds later, it faded, and all that was left was the same face I saw earlier: me, lying on the ground with the sword in his chest. Krono removed his weapon, and Pwyll faded into dust as my friend started walking towards me.

"Is it over?" I asked him.

He stopped and sheathed his sword on the ground, and collapsed. A hearty laugh came out of his lungs. "Hehehe, hahaha. Man that was a workout." He looked at me with a smile. "It's not over, there's something you must do." he replied as he nudged his head at the body.

I looked over to the me that laid there on the ground. Slowly, he started to sit up, and slouched with a defeated look on his face. I knew what I had to do. My body started making its way towards him. That face that was mine, looked up at me. It was confused, sad.

I sighed very deeply. "You're right. All my life, I've always thought people can't be friends with me without wanting something. And, I'm not wrong. I've always thought that the others around me rejected me cause I was raised differently. I always assumed they thought I was smug and arrogant. But I realized, that's not the case. They exiled me because of my attitude towards them. I assumed that since they always relied on me, they were my inferior. But I just learned that, it's natural to be trying to obtain something from someone else. But that should go for me as well. Friendship is a two-way street. They take from me because they trust me, and this whole time, since I saw them as inferior, I didn't think I can get anything from them. Krono helped me see otherwise. Friends are people who help each other, and I thought I was being used, but in reality I was being relied on. I see that now, and I guess I'll start to try and rely on others. It'll take some time, but little steps you know?"

He nodded at me with a smile. I reached out my hand to help him up. "You know, you are me. And I am you." I admitted to him.

His hand grabbed mine, but instead of getting up, he turned into a pocket of blue light. Virgil began disappearing behind me as well. My other self started changing shape and flowing into my hand. In my palm was my copper pocket watch, with the hands being on the twelve. The nickel one I received earlier began fading away into existence. Curiosity got the best of me, and I clicked the button to open the lid. I heard the sound of glass break, and a translucent image of a man appeared, and towered over me.

He wore a white dress shirt, blue pinned middle-aged Italian britches. He wore a red scholar's vest with an upside down white tear bearing a red cross inside on the breast area, and a satchel belt was wrapped around his waist. His skin was greyed out like Pwyll's, and his face looked very young. The messy black hair extended a little past his forehead and kind of covered his pure white pupil eyes. On his back was sheathed a war Scythe with a crescent at the end as a blade. He looked down at me, which I greeted with a smile.

"I am thou." A deep voice resonated in my head. "Thou art I. From the sea of thy soul, I shall travel by your side. I am the traveler, Dante."

The figure disappeared into my watch, and the hands reverted back to reading time again: 1:42.

Krono approached me from behind and pat me on the shoulder.

"Congrats man," he complimented, "I couldn't have done this without you."

I chuckled and looked at him. "Nah man, you're the one that fought tooth and nail for me." We both laughed at the situation. I toned my down, and looked at him sternly. "Look, I'm not gonna just accept people in my life right away. It'll take some time getting used to. I have to remember that I'm equal with everybody, because I'm a human being just like everyone else."

"Hey man, don't worry about it," he reassured, "It'll come with time. I'm just glad you're fine." He pointed at something behind me. The gazebo was left intact, and the arch into it turned into a white light. "Come on, let's get you home. There are people worried about you." He said as he turned me around and pushed me in.

My heart raced, and sweat was beading down my forehead. My eyes shot open and I jolted up into a sitting position. I was back in my room, with the wires still hooked up to me. I looked out the window; still night time. In front of me, were a bunch of people in lab coats, including my parents. They had faces of both worry and relief, all of them.

"Wha-what happened?" I groggily asked.

My mother was the one to respond. "Honey, you were screaming in your sleep, and had a night terror. We were so worried!" She leaned forward and embraced me in her arms. "I was so scared..." she sobbed. My dad looked at me with a relieved expression.

"We all barged in and tried to keep you in stable condition but it was too difficult," my dad explained, "Then your little buddy walked in and said he could help." He pointed over to my left. On the other bed was Krono, sleeping blissfully on the mattress next to me. "He just hopped right on and fell asleep. I was confused as to how he could just knock out like that with your screaming waking up the damn place! But a few minutes later, you started to stop. We thought it was the end of you, but thank god you proved us wrong by waking up."

My brain was confused as I looked around at the herd of people around me. They all began jotting down notes as if nothing just occurred. My heartbeat began to calm down. I clenched my fist, but felt something in my hand.

"Oh, I don't know why," started my dad, "but you were holding that in your sleep."

I opened my palm, only to find my pocket watch. With my thumb, I clicked the lid open to see the time. It read 1:45.