AN: Just to say a quick thank you to Junkofux, Porcheviper, Serenasgurl, TsubasaWitch & XxAsagi-OkamiXx for favouriting this story. It's a long overdue thanks, sorry about that. Only 3 more chapters to go folks!

Enjoy this next chapter, R&R please!

~WBR

Awakening: Part 5 – Shattering of Glass

Dream Sequence Starts:

The air was thick with what seemed like black smoke, coiling and swirling about her hunched body. It stung her nostrils with a putrid acidic stench, her throat responding by tightening. Her chest heaved, coughing until her eyes watered - until it hurt. Her breath was rasping and shallow, her lungs struggling to salvage enough air.

Something moved nearby, she could feel it brush her cheeks. Soft…yet sharp? Razor sharp, like needles. How…? How could that be? Shaking her thumping head, she heaved a hand up and out, fingers quaking with the effort.

It yielded under her touch, green eyes wrenched open. Malleable yet coarse, thick clumps of dense green and black fur…an animal? She knew of none with such a colouring. The smoke seemed to stream off of it, billowing around its non-existent feet. Then how was it standing? Or was it? Suspended in the blackness like that….hovering….

She flexed her aching fingers through its coat, feeling no hard skin…just a never-ending depth of fur. Her mind was too choked up, her coughing tearing into her throat and adding to her headache. She didn't understand what was going on, where she was or what she was clinging to so desperately…only that she had to get up off whatever she'd been slumped against.

Something firm and clawed caught her foot as she tried to get a better hold on the fur. Carefully it boosting her up and onto what she guessed was the top of the creature. She didn't look down, or back at what aided her, her mind not once thinking it strange. No alarm bells were ringing, her form to busy quaking as she continued to dry heave.

Her form sunk slowly into the forest of green and black hair, some brushing her face, coiling around her legs as a cat would. The deeper she went the easier it was to breathe. She knew nothing, her head still trying to recover from the sudden ordeal. She was thankful, for whatever had gathered her up. For now, she would fall back into her slumber…or stupor? She couldn't remember which….

Unbeknownst to her, two slanted eyes that glowed bright in the smoke had narrowed. A wicked grin spread and a look of utter triumph grew…

He had gained enough control...he was ready.

Dream Sequence Ends:

She could hear them, far off like a static background noise. Her thoughts were a jumble, her mind lethargic. All she knew was she ached from head to toe - exhausted. A sudden aroma caused her nose to twitch, the scent of someone's meal wafting by.

Saliva gathered in her mouth as her stomach gave a tremendous growl. It startled whoever had been speaking from their conversation. Tomoko grumbled, carefully hauling herself up into a sitting position. Her hair fell haphazardly into her face, static and resembling a crow's nest.

Her eyes popped open, the left one….then the right. Everything was fuzzy, colours blending into each other. Weirdly shaped objects and blobs of pink, she blinked owlishly. "Ahh…"she thought, "I'm not wearing my specs"

Her hand fumbled around on whatever she was lying on, green eyes wincing at the sudden burst of light coming from a nearby window. Obviously it was morning. But the exact time or the date she had no idea. Tomoko was having a hard time recalling what had happened prior to-…had she fallen sleep?

Fingers caught on fabric as a sheet fell from her shoulders, pooling in her lap. With her poor sight she could just make out the duvet and the fact she was still in her t-shirt. That was not her bedcover, nor was the plush leather sofa on which she was currently sprawled. Freezing cold dread blossomed in the pit of her stomach, her once sleep flushed cheeks rapidly paling.

Where was she?

Images of thick red hair and deep ruby eyes flitted before her mind's eye. The sudden, overwhelming urge to crack open her own skull, and a wicked cackling behind it all. It hit her so abruptly she let out a whining yelp, clutching at her plastered head with bruised fingers.

"Madness Incarnate…that's what I am"

"Hey" soft, firm hands took her clenched ones from her head, careful to avoid catching her plaster, "Take it easy"

She recognised that voice…vaguely, but it had her eyes jerking up into amber ones. He was close enough for her to see cropped silver hair, a man smartly dressed in a white shirt and cream pants.

"Isn't he…that guy who frog-marched me back to my brother….Sana…Sanaka, Sanoda something…"

At her questioning, squinting look the silver haired senior smiled a little, leaning back on his heels, "Sanada Akihiko, we met the other night"

Her brow quirked, a hand reaching instinctively to re-adjust her specs…only to find them still missing, "Eh…"

"Here" sharp heels on a wooden floor, and once again ruby eyes met green. She remembered now - remembered all of it. Shame had begun to bubble inside of her as she watched Kirijo Mitsuru come closer, making her fidget and squirm uncomfortably beneath that intense gaze.

The red head came to perch on the edge of a nearby coffee table; her hand outstretched revealing Tomoko's green tinted glasses. The brunette couldn't look at her straight on, lowering her head in a slight bow and mumbling a "thanks".

Tomoko slid her specs up her nose, blinking numbly around to avoid looking at the expectant seniors before her. The place was well furnished, obviously some kind of living space. A long reception desk ran along the side wall, a set of stairs disappearing off upstairs to the unknown. Two other couches similar to the one beneath her created a sitting area around the coffee table, a partition wall just opposite prevented her from seeing the rest of the room.

She must have been gawking, her mouth slightly a gap, because both the seniors shared an amused chuckle. The brunette looked back to them startled, resembling a deer in headlights, her voice stumbling over her words as she finally answered, "I…uhh, where a-are we exactly?"

As punctual as ever, the red haired Kirijo smiled slightly, glancing about their surroundings fondly, "These are the dorms that my father owns; we attend Gekkoukan High from here. It's not far from your brother's apartment actually…in fact; he should be arriving shortly to pick you up"

Her mind started to work again at the mention of Kazou, her legs unfurling from underneath her as she sat up properly. A moment of silence passed again, and she could feel the burning anticipation that had settled between them. They were waiting for her to mention the incident, they….they must know more…and she was dying to ask all the questions that were burning her mind….scolding her…

"Well, you could start with what the hell took you so long, or give me that gu-" her hands grasped her knees suddenly, startled by the prickling presence of….she still didn't know what! Its words of 'wisdom' about awakening whenever Tomoko was around these two resurfaced…and she just had to ask…her lips quiver slightly as if her questions were about to burst from her in a flood.

"This…This is gonna sound…really weird right…" she started, wriggling uneasily in her seat, plucking at her tight jean legs. Both sets of eyes were bearing into her now, and she swore she was the one under interrogation, not the other way round, "But…whenever I'm around you guys, I get the creepiest feeling…that I've known you all my life"

Both opened their mouths to speak but she rudely stood up, silencing them, her eyes hardening sharply, "Please…just…hear me out"

She felt slightly sick, her stomach churning with her nerves as the last few days replayed over and over in her mind. Her feet ached, her back and legs too. Head pounding in time with her heart, blood rushing in her ears she began to pace before them.

"That night, when we first met, I was coming home late from kendo class. T-There was a full moon and things starting going crazy. I swore I was being stalked by someone. H-Halfway across the street outside Paulownia Mall and I sensed something" a shudder of fear echoed through her as she recalled that night, her phone dying, and the lights dying like some kind of horror movie.

Mitsuru's voice – firm and business like again – startled her from her thoughts, "What did you see? Anything….out of the ordinary?"

A nervous tongue darted out to lick dry lips, Tomoko's pacing resuming as she nodded, "T-There must have been a power surge or something….though that doesn't explain my phone dying on me….eh, I mean all the streetlights went haywire. F-Flickering and what not, then totally black, just like that"

She turned to them, knowing there was accusation in her eyes. She could see they knew more than they were letting on. But they were going to let her speak first, and she was fine with that for now.

"The sky was green, everything was green. The moon looked larger than it was before, the town clock had gone off…around midnight I think" she didn't miss the look they shared, "Then that damn voice started up, and all the cackling…I just…I-I just wanted to-"

Akihiko looked at her like she had grown a third head; his brow rose questioningly, "You heard…a voice laughing?"

She was about to growl at him, defend herself…stupid, stupid, stupid! She shouldn't have said that bit out loud. But Mitsuru came to her rescue surprising both onlookers.

"The same voice you were arguing with in the Mall Park?" green eyes fixed on her, judging whether or not she was taking the piss – no, she didn't seem capable of that. Slowly the brunette nodded. Mitsuru's face grew contemplative, but gestured for her to continue ignoring Akihiko's disbelieving look, "Tell us more"

"E-Eh? A-Alright…I-I must have blacked out because when I opened my eyes I saw this…this freaky grinning face in the shadows. It was all glowing and shit, cackling like a mad man" she paused, plopping down on the couch arm, scratching her head, "He spoke to me as if we were old buddies. About how he 'chosen' me, that we'd be working together soon, something about staying alive...was right cheeky about it too, if I recall"

"What exactly…did this guy…look like?" the silver haired senior was obviously dubious, though she could tell he wasn't beyond interest. Mitsuru was as unreadable as their last encounter, so Tomoko sighed before answering.

"He wasn't a person really….I couldn't see any legs or arms, or anything…h-human" Tomoko stumbled over that, the distant sound of cackling ringing through her mind. She must have paled, because the red haired Kirijo was on her feet, ruby eyes ablaze as she stood before her. She pinched her chin tightly between her fingers, jerking it up sharply so they were eye to eye.

The teen's breath caught in her throat, Akihiko getting to his feet in surprise, "Mitsuru, what is it?"

"Can you not sense that" she almost hissed, her free arm gripping a fistful of shirt at her hip. Tomoko's eyes widened at the sudden touch. Something about the woman before her was so damn tangibly familiar it hurt! She gritted her teeth in pain as the voice surged forward, her mind being forcefully torn in two as she tried to stay focused.

"There! It's the same surge that we felt the other night!" Akihiko's voice sounded shocked, but Tomoko's eyes were firmly screwed shut. Spasms of pain blossomed across her forehead, her breathe shallow and rasping as sweat trickled in beads down her neck, "I-I thought that was another shadow though"

"No…" Mitsuru's strangely ice like hands caught her cheeks between them, slapping Tomoko lightly to force the teen's eyes open. Both seniors stiffened at the sight of a swirl of yellow in their midst, "It's her persona…"

"It's manifesting inside of…without…." The boxer was struggling to comprehend what was happening, but it seemed the females before him knew little more themselves.

"No…it's trying to get our attention…I-I think it's drawn…drawn to us like you and Polydeuces were" the red head's voice was wavering, ruby eyes alight with an unknown emotion. A quaking hand reached up weakly, Tomoko's lips parting as she spoke in a broken, hoarse voice.

"W-What's happening to me?" another cackle, so loud it caused her to cry out in pain. Mitsuru started, hands gripping her face almost too tight…had she heard it too? The teen tried to tear out of the unintentional headlock, feeling trapped, "P-Please! Do something, the bastard's tearing into my brain!"

A moment of uncharacteristic dread and hesitation crossed Kirijo's face, startling Akihiko as he watched the exchange with mounting trepidation. But a shrill shriek from the distressed brunette forced the red head into action, having to clasp the girl's desperately clawing arms.

"My holster" she said numbly, gripping Tomoko tightly to her as the girl began to squirm. It was happening again, like it had in the park. Whatever persona was in there was trying to claw its way out, to make itself known to them. Every persona users' awakening was different, but obviously Hakashi Tomoko's was far overdue.

"Akihiko, my evoker!" her voice was overly commanding as she barked the order, far more sharply than she intended. But the silver haired senior wasted no time, racing to the reception desk to retrieve the gun. His hands were quaking as well as he handed it to her, their eyes meeting for a brief moment in which she apologised silently. He merely blinked.

"Be prepared, she's succumbed to it before. That was the reason for her passing out. Both in the park and before that shadow attacked her in the square…I don't know how she'll react when it properly emerges"

"But it's not even Dark Hour! And there is no threat?" he retaliated, but she could see him readying for battle if need be. She grimaced as she dropped the quaking, wailing girl. She sunk to the floor like a sack of potatoes, head lolling frighteningly to one side. Her expression was manic as she caught sight of the evoker that was held out before her head. Tomoko's teeth glinting in the lamplight as her grin widened impossibly far, eyes glistening with once fraught tears.

"Pull it love…" a deep, resonating voice rang inside both their head, though out loud Tomoko's broken tone was all that could be heard. Akihiko froze with cold dread, his eyes widening as he became aware of what Mitsuru had been talking about, "…pull the trigger and I'll supply the words"

With a shaking, unsteady hand the red head did as she was asked, glowering down at the twin maelstroms of green yellow. The cool, hard steel of the evoker's barrel against her forehead made the suppressed teen whimper, and left Akihiko in no doubt that Tomoko was more than aware of what was going on.

This is what happens when it's left too long…

A single bead of sweat trickled down Mitsuru's neck as she tried to steady her hand. Her index finger slowly unfurled and slipped over the trigger. Tomoko's lips moved again, a snigger leaving the distraught teen's throat. But it was not her own, "Why the nerves, lovely? You should be a pro at this by now"

…even personas get desperate…willing to do whatever's necessary to immerge once woken…

That pale finger quivered. Mitsuru's stern face hardening even though her lips parted in a shaky breath. It was as if time had slowed to prolong the moment; her finger squeezing down, Tomoko's true iris colour returning as she was released. The teen screwed her eyes up in terror, the words being scratched into her eyelids as her lips moved…and the gun fired…

"P…Per-son-a"

…and hear the shattering of glass that signals their first release.