Persona: the Triple-A 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…
Chapter XII: Samurais and Dragons
It was time for another ride...
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 7th of 2007, 8:20 pm.
I always found amazing how the job i used to have didn't really require you to be focused on it. I thought that's why i liked it, and why most people also liked it. While you attended someone's tehnical problems, as long as you didn't forget to fill up the notes, you could do practically anything. Use a portable game console, an mp3 player, draw, read, write, study... or even discuss recent events.
Amy was explaining to a customer why the batteries needed to be recharged. Ashley was taking notes of another customer's complain with a store agent that apparently had forgotten to tell him that the company's internet music source wasn't free. I was carefully guiding another one on how to get the language of his music player back to english. But that was what we were doing on only one aspect. Luckily, we had listened to Miss Larrondo's advice, and placed each others as free numbers in our cellphones. Here i show a quick resume of the text messages sent and recieved:
Ashley: "I don't get it. Don't they use cameras in the building? they should be able to see what happened."
Amy: "Uehara's experiments were secret in most cases, i'm sure his lab didn't have cameras."
Andy: "That choking noise is what bothers me. Sounded like he was taking pills. Maybe when he knew we had the video he already used something to kill himself?"
Amy: "How can you think that? he's been helping us since this all started."
Ashley: "No he didn't! he only was trying to make us kill that Nanashi. You heard him. He didn't want us to get information from him, he just asked if we got to kill him!"
Andy: "That can be why he sent Takaya. Maybe he thought he would want revenge for his teammates, and just kill him."
Amy: "Where do you think he is now? Takaya i mean."
Ashley: "Probably on his way back to Tokyo, who knows... i already finished my call, should we go now?
Amy: "Yeah, go, i'm on my way already."
Andy: "I'm finished too. I'll be right there."
Ashley and me shouted at the same time: - Hey May! Break?
We both got to Larrondo's office at the same time. She was on the phone, talking quickly in japanese, and indicated us to sit. Amy was already there.
Before any of us could exchange any word, Larrondo hanged up the phone.
- I just finished talking with the Kijiro Headquarters security. Uehara is dead. He was poisoned.
My ideas of Uehara killing himself vanished into thin air.
- So he didn't kill himself?
- No. Even without surveillance inside his room, they were able to see someone sneak into his room. They suppose that person exchanged his antibiotics medicine with cyanide, because he died of severe internal bleeding...
- It has to be that superior of his... maybe he found out that we had the video and didn't want him to talk...
- Well, actually... they have another suspect.
- Who?
Larrondo remained quiet. It seemed she wasn't sure if she had to tell us, or not. But her doubts were all we needed to know who she was talking about. Ashley was the one who spoke.
- They think... Takaya did it. Right?
Larrondo only nodded briefly.
- Thay say the guy's face was covered, but he matches his height... and we can't question that he had a motive...
- Well, we really can't blame him... I can't even imagine what he must be feeling right now...
- I don't think so.
Amy, Ashley and Larrondo stopped and looked at me. I wasn't able to understand why they hadn't noticed it...
- That definitely wasn't Takaya. It can't be him.
- What makes you so sure?
- That he wouldn't do that. He definitely wants revenge, but what he must also want, is information. He wouldn't kill Uehara without interrogating him first. And even if he did, why would he need to poison him? I mean, couldn't he wait until the Dark Hour and smash his coffin?
- And how do you know he didn't interrogate him? he could have talked to him before we...
Amy stopped. She had found the answer to that question before she even finished it.
- Because of how he reacted when he told him. He didn't know anything was wrong until we cornered him...
- Exactly. I would say it was someone else who isn't aware of the Dark Hour. I support Ashley's theory of his superior covering the footsteps.
Ashley blushed a little.
- Well, i guess i'll call them again. In the meantime, try to get prepared. Tonight's Dark Hour will still be dangerous.
- Um, actually... I was thinking if i could let Amy and Ashley handle this one... i have to get out of the building for some time.
I felt three pairs of eyes over me. I had asked them before, but it seemed they didn't think i would ask Larrondo too.
- And may i ask why?
- Sorry, but not this time. I'll still use the enemy radar and make sure none of them is in danger. I just... have to check something.
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 7th/8th, Dark Hour.
I blinked, and my eyes stopped shining.
- Ok, there doesn't seem to be any shadows so far, but there is someone in the fourth floor. You better go get him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.
- We'll take care of it. Now you don't do anything stupid...
- Don't worry. I can see danger from a mile away, literally. - Said i, while looking at Eargirith, who showed a mild smile.
- Anyway, keep the radio on.
- Always.
- And don't send Eargirith away.
- Nope...
- And keep your shield in your hand...
- Alright, alright! bye now, before you start to sound like my mother...
Eargirith and i kept travelling for around twenty minutes, he floating behind me, and i driving nothing less than the same bycicle i had borrowed the other day. I had learned that its owner's shift ended at two a.m, so as long as i returned in time, there was no problem in me using it. I actually didn't think that was right, but for now i needed it. I wasn't going to arrive in time if i walked there.
Every now and then, basically every time i heard a noise, i turned the enemy radar back on for a moment, looked around for a bit, and kept driving. Maybe it was just my imagination, but there seemed to be much more shadows than the last time i looked. Every building, street, house, and car had around three or four of them. Only the company building remained completely black, with the small yellow lights of Amy and Ashley slowly moving towards a white one. Maybe the shadows had learned to keep themselves away from it? I had never given it much thought before. Were the shadows able to learn things? to like something, or hate something?
Well, there was no doubt that some shadows were intelligent. The second one I had found, the mechanical one, had run away as soon as it got a disadvantage... and the other shadow, that prince-like one, was smart enough to know that it was better to attack me alone... on the other hand, some shadows, like the black masked blob ones, just lunged at everything that moved, without minding if Eargirith was about to cut them in half... And now that i thought about it, what exactly were the shadows anyway?
- The Dark Hour is not a good place to get lost in thought...
Eargirith's voice, along with a loud slashing noise behind me got me back to reality. I looked behind me, and saw one of the blob shadows on the ground, actually two half parts of it, starting already to evaporate slowly. Right next to it was Eargirith, shaking off the shadow remains from his left hand. I smiled to him.
- Speak of the devil, huh?
- Indeed.
As always, Eargirith was right. Now was not the time to deliberate about what was the Dark Hour. At least, if i was right, i would find answers soon enough. We turned back, and continued our were already very close to where i wanted to go.
We arrived, two minutes later. A close part to the center of one of the Villas that surrounded the capital city. Not a good place to be alone at midnight, to tell the truth. There were around four or five groups of coffins, some of them placed in the middle of an alley, like if they had been hiding at the time of the Dark Hour. But if i remembered it correctly, that was the exact place where i had seen it for the first time... And as the shadows that were nearby were closing in, i was starting to hope i was right... I jumped out of the bycicle and instinctively placed my shield between them and me, while Eargirith's claws shined out from his cloak, ready to shred the first shadow that closed in.
The first ones to jump in were, obviously, the blob ones. Three of them lunged towards Eargirith, and two against me. As much as i didn't like it, i had to start with a bang...
- Mazionga!
Eargirith's eyes shined, and as he caught one of the shadows with his left claw, he raised his right one and shot out a lightning to the sky, which arched in all directions. The five shadows, along with two that looked like crowned books, were shocked for about three seconds, and fell to the ground in steaming masses of black. But we didn't have any time to celebrate, and two more shadows had already lunged at us, these ones clad in samurai armors, weilding large swords like the real samurais do, and obviously much scarier.
While Eargirith started to dodge the attacks of one of them, the second one launched a vertical slash, but against my new shield, the blade bounced sharply, with such strength that it waved behind the shadow's back and sank on the floor. The shadow looked surprised, for a second, then it inmediately tried to pull the sword out of the ground, but i didn't give it any time, as i sheathed the lower tip of the shield in its mask, which was the only part of it that wasn't armored. The shadow fell to the ground, touched his split mask for a moment of agony, then fell down and evaporated.
During that fight, i hadn't stopped hearing a weird noise, like a loud bang over and over again. I looked to Eargirith, and finally saw the source of it: Holding the shadow's sword with his right hand (I supposed that those blades weren't strong enough to cut down dragon scales...) and since the shadow still tried helplessly to remove the sword from his grasp, he had been punching the shadow's face repeatedly, to the point that it wasn't nothing more than some purple shards on a black background.
- I knew you would eventually come here.
I looked above me, and there he was. Nanashi, calm and smiling, was standing in the rooftop of the closest hut. Belmoth, behind him, already had started to roar at the shadows. Maybe they were afraid of ending up like the ones we had just fought, or maybe two persona users didn't seem as vulnerable as only one, but they all ran away as fast as they could.
- I suppose you didn't show up earlier on purpose... or you just watched me fight?
- Oh, i just watched you fight, as it seemed like you didn't need any help. You've improved.
- Well... thanks to new toys, and old friends. - Said i, lifting the upgraded shield, and looking back to Eargirith, who smiled back.
- Well, I suppose you didn't come all this way to beat shadows... are you here to fight me?
- No. I'm here because i have unanswered questions.
Nanashi jumped down to the floor, and kept looking at me. Apparently he wanted me to continue, so i did.
- After fighting you the first time, you left me with three questions. One, why do you hate the Kirijo Group. Two, why did you attack us. Three, what is that "blue moon" that you talked about... With your little usb, you already answered one. I'm here to get the other two answers.
- And exactly what makes you think i will tell you?
- Well, for starters, if you weren't going to, you would be trying to kill me right now... am i right?
Nanahi chuckled, then laughed again, though this time it was a different laugh... It didn't inspire fear, like the ones we had heard before from him. This was a fine, clean laugh...
- I'm sorry. It's just that... You're truly calm, as your Persona is... It's been a long time since i found one who is so alike to its user...
This time I kept waiting. I wasn't really sure if what he had said was compliment or not... After around a minute, he finally sighed.
- Ok. I will tell you what happened, and what will happen. But the Dark Hour is almost at its end for today, and we shouldn't be here when it finishes. I'll meet you back at the building. This is something that also your chief must know.
- You know of her?
- Well, not yet, but someone gave you the evokers, didn't they?
- Yes, you're right in that... so, how will you get there? I have this bycicle, but i don't think it will hold us both.
- Oh, don't worry about that. I have good transportation.
As soon as he ended up saying that, Belmoth raised his left hand/claw, grabbed Nanashi, and spread its wings. He definitely had good transportation.
- Don't you want to come along? he still has a free seat. - Said he, while Belmoth opened his right claw.
- Nah, i have to get this bycicle back. If i leave it here, it would get stolen and disarmed in a manner of seconds. And i don't want to be an extra burden to Belmoth.
- As you wish. See you tomorrow!
For a second before lifting off the ground, Belmoth looked at me and smiled, showing around a hundred sharp fangs. I don't know if i was a smile of respect, or if the fact that i thought i could be a burden to him was funny to him. Three seconds later, they were only a dark spot in the middle of the night sky.
I got to the bycicle, and started pedalling away as fast as i could. Being alone in a villa, with a bycicle and decent clothes, was basically the same thing as having a huge neon advertisement above my head saying "FREE ROBBERY".
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 8th, 12:27 am
When i finally got back to the company building, around ninety percent of my clothes were soaked in sweat. Apparently, many of the streets i had used to get to the villa were one way streets, so i had to make several detours now that the Dark Hour had ended. And of course, i had gone as fast as my legs had allowed me to. It wasn't a good thought that Nanashi could have already arrived (and with a mount like Belmoth, he surely had). Maybe it would have been a good idea to ask Belmoth to carry me as well, and leave the bycicle to its luck... I started to slowly climb the stairs Amy was at miss Larrondo's office entrance, holding a coke in her hands.
- You... are the best person... i have ever met. - Said i, and drank the whole bottle without pause. I took a couple seconds to get my breath back, and for the coke to make effect, and finally i spoke again. - Is he here already?
- Yes. He said he wouldn't talk until you arrived, so we've been waiting. - Said she, and opened the door.
Ashley and Miss Larrondo were sitting anxiously, while Nanashi was standing in the middle of the room. He smiled at us when we crossed the door, locking it behind us.
- Welcome back, Andy. It seems your trip was successful.
- Very. - Said i, while we sat back in the couch. - Nanashi, will you tell us your reasons now?
- Yes.
Nanashi took a deep breath.
- Before i begin, i want to apologize to all of you. I misjudged you, believing you were part of the Kirijo Group, part of the ones that only wanted to destroy this world. Our fight was a needless fight, to tell the truth.
- Don't worry. No harm came to any of us, thanks to your healing.
- Well, if the fight had any use, it was that it showed me your resolve. You may use evokers, but your Personas are as connected to you, and as powerful, as one summoned without one. That is what showed me mostly that your intentions were the greater good.
- You're right. - Said i, looking at everyone. - DHS's purpose has always been to protect everyone from the shadows, and the Dark Hour. Nothing more.
- Well, "everyone" are about to need you more than ever. But i should start from the beginning. As you already were told surely by the Kirijo Group, the shadows are created from people's dark emotions, and that defines their behavior and forms. Anger, hate, envy, hipocresy, frustration, malice, lust, dementia... this is only a tiny bit of the darkness that is in everyone of us. These feelings, as they grow stronger in our world, the shadows increase in theirs. That is the connection that binds our two worlds together.
- So you mean, if we're seeing much more shadows in the Dark Hour than before, it is because of people's feelings?
- Indeed.
- Wait a second. How do you know that?
Nanashi looked at each one of us. It seemed to be examining us, as if he wasn't sure if he should tell us this or not. Finally, he spoke again:
- It was told to me... by someone who knows about these kind of things. - He then looked at me directly. Amy and the others could maybe not understand, but i did. My hand slowly moved by itself, and reached my blue mp3 player. - And the visions i had from Belmoth confirmed it. And as we do see the shadows increasing, there is no denial that this world is growing darker. Do you know how many of them are? How many shadows do you think that exist in the Dark Hour?
The four of us remained in slence.
- I don't know, a thousand? maybe ten thousands?
- Well, you could have been right... around five years ago. Now there are millions. Maybe billions of them, lurking in their world.
- B...billions? - said Ashley, and i noticed that she was afraid, as was everyone of us in that moment. - You mean, we have to defeat billions of them?
- No. It's not up to us to fight them, thankfully. While we see the Dark Hour, we only see a tiny amount of them, because there is another thing that keeps them from attacking us, and that is the moon. The moon is the only source of light, true light, in the Dark Hour. The shadows, beings made of the darkness, cannot remain under light for long. For that reason, when there is a full moon, we only find the strongest shadows, the only ones who can endure such light in their world.
- That kind of blows, if you see it under that point... In the full moon, we get the strongest shadows, and in any other, we get tons of weak ones, and a chance to find the strongest ones too...
- Well, as bad as it can be, the moonlight keeps most of the shadows away. But that... is about to change.
Nanashi's face then changed, from his inexpresive one, to a shivering one. It was clear that the only memory of the visions was horrible to him.
- In the visions i get from Belmoth, a night comes with a full moon, which turns to midnight, and the Dark Hour begins. And one shadow, one greater, stronger, more intelligent and evil, than any other one of them, appears. And that shadow rises to the moon, and stands up to the light, but the light doesn't affect him. It then raises his hand, and the light of the moon flickers, and is absorbed by it, and the Dark Hour is left in darkness. Then all the shadows come out, thousands, hundreds of thousands, beyond count. And the people, the normal people, are turned from their coffin forms back into normal. Helpless against the shadows, they are attacked, defeated, and killed. And the hour goes by, and another hour of darkness after it, but the darkness remains. I knew then that a time comes when the shadow world and our world had finally merged, and brought over us an eternal darkness. And in total darkness, overwhelmed by the shadows in a world with no light and no means for us to create it, none of us survives. And as the shadows kill the last man, they also dissappear, and the world is left empty. Forever empty, forever dark, forever silent. That is the way our world ends. And that fateful night, the night that starts the end... will be the night of June the 29th. This june the 29th.
- End of Chapter XII -