Persona: the Andy Chronicles

A suffocating darkness that no one saw...

A scaled arm hidden under the sea...

An armored justicar whose sword pierces evil...

This and many other things were the ones that marked my life in an outstanding way...

Someone once said "Time is given once, and never again." I realized sometime ago that he was wrong. In the night, time lies hidden… available only to those gifted to hunt, cursed to be hunted… This is the story of three persons, two chosen to have a dire fate, one made to have it…

Part V: The Persona user next door

There are fantastic things everywhere... even next door...

Burzaco

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

March 23rd, 11:54pm

- You should sleeep now, Andy. You had a Claustrophobia case just yesterday.

- I told you, it wasn't a Claustrophobia case! I just... got scared a little.

I closed the chat program. It wasn't the first time my brother tried to get me to bed on my days off. Having me awake all night only meant he wouldn't be able to use either the computer or the Xbox. He always took advantage of every cold or sickness to try to send me to bed. So of course this "Claustrophobia case" wasn't an exception.

But i was extra ruthless that day. It was my first day off since i started to experience the Dark Hour. Larrondo had told me that i shouuld remain at home at that time (I wouldn't be able to get to the company and back in an hour, either, specially without any kind of transport.) And without more shadows attacking me, i was going to be able to explore at will. I definitely wanted to summon Ëargirith again, and know him better. But also there was an important matter to attend to: To find more people like me.

Professor Uehara had stated that once a family member becomes aware to the Dark Hour, i was likely that other family members also did. So my first priority was going to be to protect them if anyone of them became aware.

I was as scared (but also as calm) as before. I started looking at all possibilities: Keeping them safe was going to be fairly easy if only one or two of them remained aware, but not so if all of them turned to be aware. Maybe if i was lucky anyone of them would have the Potential... but it was only a mild chance, and still, I only had one evoker. If multiple shadows showed up, i would have to fight all of them (And, to my nervousness, Professor uehara had also mentioned that Shadows as strong as the second one that I faced were quite common...) Not to mention, I would have to explain them everything, and i wasn't so sure if they would believe me...

Being lost in my thoughts, i didn't realize the Dark Hour had started, until the screen in front of me died.

There was a coffin next to me, with the xbox controller next to it. I felt somehow relieved. At least my big brother wasn't going to have a persona... maybe for the best.

I quickly went to the next room, my little brother and sister's. Two red coffins, one on top of the bed with pink sheets and another on top of the one with green sheets. So far so good...

I got up the stairs to get to my parents' room. One coffin over the bed, another next to the tv.

It was better than i expected! I felt somehow bad since i still didn't have anyone else aware to the Dark Hour, but much more relieved since they would be safe. I got to my room and picked up my backpack, which i actually hadn't touched since i got home twenty hours ago, and quickly left the house.

I surprised myself to find the Dark Hour... prettier than it had been before. Blood Stains were still on the floor, but the green shine on the moon wasn't so horrific as i had felt it before... though maybe it was because i wasn't so afraid of being eaten by a shadow... I inmediately took out the evoker and pulled the trigger. Ëargirith appeared in front of me, as great and majestic as it was when it saved my life.

I didn't really speak to him. I just tried to think about what i was going to say, and he nodded. As if he already knew i wanted to thank him...

But suddenly, Ëargirith startled. He started to levitate higher, looking everywhere, like searching for something. I just stood there, without knowing knoing what happened to him. Until i screamt his name, he didn't pay me any attention.

He quickly got back to where i was, then his gem shined once again, and my vision got messy.

I closed my eyes and opened again, without believing them. Everything was blue. The houses, the street, even the moon, but not Ëargirith. He was covered in shining yellow light. Was it some kind of decector spell or something...?

Ëargirith pointed to the west, across the street. I looked too. There were some faint red lights on the blue background. But they were too far away. I needed to get closer...

And as if my thought had triggered it, my vision zoomed in. The red lights were in a house not more than two blocks away. Two were near a lightpost, climbing to it. Another three were inside the house. Like... they were searching for something...

I tried to zoom in a bit more. If i was right, if i had guessed what they were looking for, then i needed to get there as fast as i could...

Finally, I saw it. In the backyard, in a far side of the house, there was a faint white light. It was someone. Someone aware to the Dark Hour.

There was no time to lose. I started running, and Ëargirith followed me. I knew he could get there faster if i wanted to... maybe he should... i thought i could send him to get the shadows away... but i didn't. I wanted to fight alogside him, not use him as bait. And i think he wanted the same, since he nodded as soon as i made up my mind.

I flipped the backpack in front of me, took out my kite shield and the evoker and left the backpack behind. i was only half a block away... The three shadows on the house stopped at the same time, and at the same time they started moving to the backyard. They had found what they were looking for... I still didn't run as fast as i could. I needed to keep my energies...

We got to the house, and my vision returned to normal. The two shadows thet were in the lightpost jumped down and got between us and the house's front door. They resembled the first Shadow that i had fought, except they had a blue sad face mask on them. Looks like there were different kinds of it...

I actually didn't mind that. I ran towards them, but Ëargirith got in the way.

- My powers come from you. We must work together.

- What do you want me to do?

- We are gifted with the power of lightning. Call for it!

Once again, i spoke with unknown words:

- Mazionga!

Electricity poured from Ëargirith's body. He looked to the sky, and from his gem a white cone of lightning spread everywhere around us. I felt it. It didn't hurt me. But the Shadows shrieked in pain, and melted in the asphalt.

I smiled, and crossed the door. Another one of the Shadows appeared. We could see the other two crossing over to the backyard.

Ëargirith dissappeared, since he couldn't pass through the front door. The shadow roared and launched, thinking that I was helpless... it stretched its claw as the first one i encountered did, but it didn't do it to grip the floor. It aimed it to my face, and i barely dodged it. I felt that its claws had scratched me. One, two, three drops of blood fell to the gray carpet on the floor. I got closer to him and batted it out with my Shield. It flew across the living room and crashed on the roof, splattering Shadow pieces everywhere.

I kept going and finally made it to the backyard. There were the last two shadows, a bit different from the others. They were foating in the air and had some weird crowns. Their masks were red and had an angry face... but i wasn't looking at the shadows. I finally could see who i was saving.

- A...Andy?

I got almost shocked. How in all the world couldn't i recognize her house? the house of my neighbor, the house of a friend i had known for the last three years? Amy's house?

I suddenly was afraid. I didn't want to shock Amy. I hadn't thought of what would someone think of my Persona. (actually i had, but i always had thought that the persons i would have to save didn't know me, and therefore didn't matter much...).

Amy had her blond hair covering her face, and she was also covering with her hands. I remembered myself, falling to the floor, also covering my hands, in an elevator, not three days ago...And i made up my mind. I wasn't going to let something like that happen to anyone else. I pointed the Evoker to my head and once again pulled the trigger. But this time, I called furiously for my partner...

- ËARGIRITH!

And my partner appeared, as great as always.

- Mazio...

- No! She will get caught in the storm!

I looked back at Amy. Ëargirith was right. She was too close. If i used that lightning spell, it would reach her.

-Amy! get away!

She didn't respond. Her eyes switched from Ëargirith to the Shadows, then back to Ëargirith. She wasn't going to move... I had to think of another move. Still, i didn't have to think much. Ëargirith's voice echoed in my head once again:

- The power of lightning is wild and free, but we are its master. Tame it! Control it, and guide it to your target!

I chose my target, and found the words:

- Zionga!

Ëargirith showed his arms and raised them to the air. The electricity rose again through him, but this time it focused on his claws, turning into a giant ball of light. He threw it to the Shadow that was closest to Amy, and the Shadow turned into dust.

The last Shadow threw itself at me. I used the shield just in time, but i couldn't hold it back. I lost my balance and fell to the grass. I was feeling terribly tired. I could barely hold myself...

- Remember, my powers come from you! And you have a limit!

Ëargirith was right. I was pretty close to that limit. All those spells had drained out my energy... I would have to fight that last shadow with physical power. And i didn't have much of it...

I stood up, and made a quick slash with the shield's pointy side, but as soon as i got close to the Shadow, a spike popped from its body and scratched my right arm. I made two steps back, and tried once agin to attack, but once again i was repelled. Everytime i tried to attack, another spike stopped me and wounded me at the same time. It was like the Shadow's body uncounsciously reflected all my attacks. (I didn't know that some Shadows really had that ability until much later. Remember that I had fought less than five of them so far...)

And to make it worse, i didn't have any strength to try and cast any of the lightning spells again... Ëargirith was behind me, with a worried look on his face. I looked back, like asking if he didn't have anymore spells... but his face only turned sadder, and he dissappeared again... i would have to think of something else... but i didn't get the chance to.

While i was sill looking at the place where Ëargirith was, i felt that my arms had been gripped by something. i looked at them and saw the Shadow's claws pressing against me. It had caught me, and it started to pull me towards it. I planted myself firmly in the ground, and gripped the floor with my hands, but i was still too tired, and the floor was or dirt. It still continued to draw me to it.

I looked back. Another spike was popping from the Shadow's face. My shield was about a meter away from me... in around three seconds i would lose my grip, and then it'll finish unstretching its arms...It was going to press me against it, and then its spikes would finish the job...

But in the same moment when the Shadow's face was turning into a happy one, it blew up.

I fell to the floor. the arms were still gripping me, but i shook them off and they evaporated in the air, with all the Shadow pieces... and behind the fog, i saw Amy. She had a rifle on her hands, and was still pointing it to the place where the Shadow was.

"Nicely done", I thought. "You came here to save her from being eaten and she ends up saving you from being pierced by a spike. A perfect first impression"

I got up as gentlemanly as i could, and offered her my hand. She didn't say or do anything.

- Are you alright, Amy?

Nothing.

- Um... thank you for saving me.

Still nothing.

- I'm... I'm going now. I have to come back home. I'll explain you everything tomorrow, ok?

Not even a blink. I turned around and gave two steps towards the door.

- You... you can see them too?

I turned around. Yeah, it was her who talked.

- Yeah, i can.

- Why... do they come here?

- Because... they want you. - I was about to tell that they actually want our minds as food, but it didn't seem like the best time. - They want anyone that can see them.

- Who... was the other guy?

- It's a long story. Listen, we have to come back to our houses, everything's about to go back to normal.

- O...ok.

She got up and, walking like a drunk person, went back into her house, and into her room. For a second, i thought of going with her, to check if she was fine, but who was i kidding? she wasn't fine.

And i had to go back. The Dark Hour would end in any minute... But as i ran through amy's house, through the streets, and finaly through my house, as i layed in my bed more tired than i was in 5 years... i still liked it. I had someone else that was aware of the Dark Hour. And i was really glad that it was Amy.

- End of Chapter V -