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 XIII: The changing routine
We fortunately remembered than failure needed despair...
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 8th of 2007, 12:40 am.
It took some time for any of us to understand what Nanashi had said to each one of us, and a while longer to believe it.
- H...Hold on. You mean all...all that you said that will happen... will happen this month? twenty-one days from now... the world ends?
- Yes. In that day, the shadows will destroy us.
We would have never believed it if Nanashi didn't remain as serious as always after saying it. We all kept waiting, looking at his face. Amy and I actually reached for our evokers, convinced for a second that he was just bluffing, while preparing to strike.
- Are you sure of this? i mean, how do you know it will happen that day?
- You don't understand. I've had that vision ever since i was born. I see an almanac that says the day. I've even checked the stars of that night, and the date matched. And coincidentally, the night of june the 29th there is a blue moon, which is...
- ...A second full moon in the same month, a rare case which happens around every two and half years. It is also called the betrayer's moon.
I looked at Ashley, and so did everyone else. Even Nanashi was a little surprised.
- What? I just looked it up when Nanashi said it before.
- Well, what the internet doesn't say, is that during the Dark Hour, the moon doesn't emit new light. What it emits is the remnant of light that falls upon it during all the month. But in a blue moon...
- Since the moon already was full once this month, it will have much less light left... - Said miss Larrondo, passing a hand over her forehead.
- That event, combined with the rising amount of shadows, will be the end of all of us...
- No, it won't.
This time everyone looked at Amy. Her face was pale, but it showed resolve.
- You said that a shadow will appear and take out the moonlight, and that that is what starts the end, right?
Nanashi nodded swiftly, but a mild smile opened in his mouth, as if he were already guessing Amy's intention. Amy stood up, more courageous than ever.
- Well, than all we have to do is destroy that shadow before it gets to do it, and that will stop everything... right?
Nanashi stood up as well, now with a bright smile.
- That, miss Amy, is my plan, and the reason i came here. I have vowed to stop that from happening, no matter what. But despite Belmoth's power and mine, i cannot hope to do it alone. The highest amount of shadows we have ever fought in a row can be counted with the fingers. This time we will face hundreds, even thousands of them, and they will all for sure be protecting the moonlight absorbing one... That is the reason i increased the people's awareness of the Dark Hour. So that more Persona users would appear, and help in this fight. This will be the test of our lives.
- Well, you're right in that you can't do it alone. And you won't.
I stood up as well, and extended my hand.
- The purpose of DHS is to protect everyone from the shadows and the Dark Hour. We will stop this from happening.
Nanashi extended his hand over mine.
- With you, there is hope to win again!
Amy extended her hand over ours.
- That shadow doesn't stand a chance against us!
We all smiled to each other, but someone was missing. Ashley remained sitting, looking down to the floor.
- The test of our lives, huh...
Suddenly, she stood up, and for our surprise, her face was shining with happiness. She extended her hand too.
- Sounds like fun. I'm in!
- I'll contact the Kirijo Group. - Said mis Larrondo, and inmediately grabbed her phone. - They need to hear this. Nanashi, stay here, i'm sure they need to discuss a lot of things with you. Ashley, Andy, Amy, go back home to sleep, then come back as soon as you can. We'll need to plan this heavily...
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 8th of 2007, 1:06 am.
The company van had never felt so comfortable, and the vibrations it made against the road made it even more alluring. I was definitely sleepy, but Amy and Ashley didn't seem to notice, or didn't want me to fall asleep, as during all the journey we kept chatting about what had just happened.
I hope nobody gets me wrong, we were terrified. We knew what the shadows were capable of, and the idea of a world without light and full of them just made our skin crawl. How long would we last if that were to happen? possibly some people could resist and fight for some time, like Persona users, but without sunlight or moonlight, how would we sustain ourselves? eventually there would be no plants, no way to feed cattle or ourselves... that is, if the shadows didn't get to us all first...
- Man, and i thought that we were just starting to see less shadows... now it just will get worse every time until the end of the month.
- It's not that bad... i'm sure that after miss Larrono talks to them, the Kirijo Group will send us some reinforcements. They sent Takaya, didn't they?
- Either way, we better start training soon. I'm sure we can get better than we are if we put some more effort into it. What i don't know is how will i tell mom and dad...
-Huh? you're going to tell our parents about it?
Amy looked at us both.
-Yeah, won't you?
- Of course not! - Said Ashley, crossing her arms
- I won't either! they will think that either i'm crazy, or that i'm playing with them!
- But... but this could be the end of the world! we got to warn our families about it... don't we?
- No, Amy, we mustn't! or... well, at least not for now. Andy is right, if we say something without any proof, they will think that we're crazy, or joking... they may even lock us away... and besides, do you really want to scare them like that? they can't help us during the fight...
- But they can help us in other ways. Can't they?
- Um, miss Ashley... this is your stop.
All of our thoughts silenced themselves. We hadn't realized that we had started to talk loud... loud enough for the driver to be able to hear us perfectly, and his eyes showed that he was having doubts about our mental health. Ashley took her bag and got out of the van with only a little "bye".
Just Amy and me were left, as we lived farther than anyone else. I laid down in the entire back seat, once again tempted to sleep. But just when my mind was about to get to the dreamworld, i remembered there was one more thing i had to do.
- Um, Amy?
- Yes?
- I'm going to use my mp3 for a moment... if we arrive to our stop, could you... make sure i get off the ride?
- Huh? you mean, if you fall asleep?
- No, even if i look awake. Please.
- Um... yeah, sure.
I took my blue mp3 player, reached the song "The Velvet Key" and started to play. Everything began to spin...
There i was in the Velvet Room again. Maybe i was just imgining it, but i had the impression that the elevator was moving faster this time. A slight sensation of vertigo crossed my mind. Elizabeth was there, but igor was nowhere to be seen, which had never happened before.
- Welcome, Andy. How may i help you?
- Is Igor available? i wanted to ask him some things.
- I'm sorry, but my master is resting now.
- Resting? i... didn't know he needed to rest.
- Oh, that is most likely because we require it much less frequently than the people in the real world.
- Huh? Why? - I realized a bit too late that i might be meddling. - If... i'm allowed to ask.
Elizabeth's smile grew the slightest bit.
- As my master once told you, this place is located between mind and matter. The concept of time, which can be considered as the change or motion of matter, doesn't exist here. My master and i do not age, nor do we need any energy for our sustenance. We only require to eat or sleep if we make use of our abilities.
- So... that means Igor recently used his powers? to do what?
Elizabeth's smile dissappeared. I noticed i had touched a sensitive subject...
- I am sorry, but i cannot tell you anything about that.
A small "as usual..." escaped from my mouth, and Elizabeth giggled.
- Now, what did you want to ask? my knowledge is slim compared to my master's, but i'll answer to the best of my ability.
- Well... it's about Nanashi... and what you told him.
Elizabeth then looked at me differently than before. Until that moment, her look had been inexpressive, as if she didn't care about me. Now it had changed to a strange mix of interest with pride. It strongly reminded me of my mother's face when my little brother gave his first steps.
- Congratulations. If you know that, then that means you recognized that Nanashi wasn't the real foe in your battle, but a possible ally. He would only reveal that he was a guest here to someone he would trust.
- So he was telling the truth? about the shadows, about how many of them there are?
- ...And about what will happen in your world, should you fail in your task. Yes, Andy, i'm afraid he was telling the truth.
I looked to the left of the room, from where the voice came from. There was Igor, just like any other time i had seen him. He quietly walked back to his sofa, and sat on it.
- So, you knew that is going to happen? why didn't you tell me about it?
Igor's smile slightly increased.
- Have you ever heard the expression, "One often meets his destiny in the way he takes to avoid it"?
- Yeah, sometime i heard about it, in a movie i think. What does...
Before i even finished the question, i already had the answer... well, it kinda made sense...
- You mean, if we had known about it, things would have been the same?
- Indeed. Perhaps even worse. Perhaps fear of what to come would have ruined your concentration when it was needed the most. Perhaps desperation would have led you to kill Nanashi, and to never know the real truth. Or perhaps you just wouldn't have believed us, and wouldn't trust us... Elizabeth and i always try to achieve the best future.
This time, it was i who giggled.
- So, to put it lightly, you just didn't think i would need another thing to worry about... and you're right, many things could have gone worse than they did.
- I'm glad you could understand.
- Well then... i suppose you won't help us fight the shadows... will you?
- Indeed. Our purpose is only to advice you.
- Then, any advice?
Igor remained silent for a moment. He appeared to be... sad, as if he had just remembered a bad memory. I felt a bit of guilt, even though i didn't know where it came from.
- My apologies. There is something for me to say, but i'll tell you some other time. For now, it would be best for you to return to your world.
- O...ok.
I got up from the chair, but when the spinning sensation was just starting, i remembered i had one last question:
- Can i tell them now?
Igor seemed to look a bit happier, and the spins slowed down for a moment.
- Yes. When the truth dawns, it should dawn to everyone...
I was returning... it was dark, i was moving... walking. And i was much more confortable than before. It was... paradise?
I blinked for the blur to stop. I was in my neighborhood. I was walking towards my home. And i was in Amy's arms...It wasn't paradise, but it was close... However, the thought was brief, as when amy realized i was no longer a vegetable, he let me fall to the floor.
- You're finally awake! good thing the driver left us close... what were you, in deep meditation or something?
- No, i... talked to someone. He confirmed it.
- What? who?
- A man named Igor. When i go in that kind of trance, i... talk to him. And he said that Nanashi was telling the truth.
If we hadn't been through enough weird stuff, i'm sure Amy would have doubted me. But she remained as serious as i was.
- Well, what else did he say? will they help us fight that shadow?
- No. They said their purpose is only to advice us.
- And what is their advice?
- You know, he didn't get to...
Our cellphones' text message tones interrupted me. It was from Miss Larrondo. Both my face and Amy's turned darker as we read.
Spoke with Kirijo Group new director Ikutsuki, says they got their hands full with shadows on their side. Also distrust Nanashi and now us. NO MORE PERSONA USERS COMING TO HELP. Car will arrive at 8 am tomorrow morning for you. Bring your weapons.
- So... we're on our own, then?
- It seems so...
But my tone echoed over the street again. My cellphone had another message. It didn't show from whom it was, but as i and Amy read it, i almost inmediately guessed it.
Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey; one is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it must not be undertaken without hope. Only then will a traveler's story live on, cherished by those who bid him farewell.
I hope you understand this advice, as it is the best i can provide you with.
- That... is some pretty good advice.
- Indeed... alright, let's go home now... If we want our stories to live on, i'm sure we're going to have to work for it...
I waved at Amy as she entered her house, and started walking towards mine with an increased resolve. Igor was right. The first thing we were going to need to survive... was hope.
Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
June 8th of 2007, 9:14 am.
Amy and i got out of the car that miss Larrondo had sent for us (much to the surprise of my family), almost at the same time that one arrived with Ashley in it. We were in what seemed to be an abandoned small building, of which only the concrete structure remained. Nanashi came to greet us.
- Follow me.
We walked through the structure, until we arrived to a big metal door in the ground. It was shut with chains, that Nanashi opened. we went down the stairs that followed, and went through another door, which led to total darkness.
- Are you going to tell us where we are, or is it part of the suspense? - Said Ashley, as we went through.
-It's obviously part of the suspense. - Said Nanashi, who then pressed a switch that was right next to the door.
We were in a big room. Empty, but really big. I'm not very good at measuring things by eye, but each side seemed to be around fifty meters long. The walls were all of a torn white color, except the one that was to our left, which seemed to be made only of the raw rock of the ground. The only things that were in the room was a small fridge, plugged to the wall next to the door, and four mattresses with no sheets in them.
- It seemed this place was going to be a warehouse of some kind, but they never got to finish the big entrance. However, its walls are very resistant, and they muffle any loud sound quite well. I also was told by miss Larrondo to tell you that you're from now on excused of work, and she will make the arrangements for you to skip college as well. Every afternoon, we will come here instead of the company building, to train ourselves and our Personas. And we're starting... now.
Nanashi made the same sword wave he had made before, and the same gust of wind followed. Amy and i flew away, but landed in our feet, with our weapons ready. And Ashley, to our surprise (and apparently to hers too), didn't budge.
- Now, Ashley, how did you do that? - Said Nanashi with a smile.
- I... i don't know. When i saw you attack, i just thought of Kiros' telekinesis, but... i hadn't summoned him...
- I think i told you before, you really underestimate the power of your Personas. Even without summoning them, you can still use their abilities, to some extent. That is how i can fight with the gusts of wind of Belmoth empowering my every blow.
My mind flashed back for a moment to when we first met Nanashi. Without having his Persona summoned, he had jumped and fell to the ground, unharmed, from the building's third floor... And the thought of getting that power did boost my hopes of beating the shadows.
- Ashley, you unconsciously know already how to use your power without summoning your Persona, so you're going to spar with me for now, and improve your skills. Andy, Amy, start sparring between yourselves, without your Personas.
- But, she has a rifle... - Said I, not being able to hide my fear. Amy chuckled.
- That's why i brought these. - Nanashi handed a box of bullets to Amy. - They're filled with rock salt. Won't pierce, but will still hurt.
Amy and I placed ourselves in the left side of the room, while Ashley and Nanashi brought Belmoth and Kiros, and went to the right. With a loud "Begin!", the room's silence dissappeared.
Amy fired three times, missing two and landing the third on my shield. I started running towards her, as i knew she wasn't good in close combat, that was why she defended herself with Nienna. I detected that she aimed down at my legs, and jumped just in time. But she kept moving, and i couldn't reach her while blocking her shots... her ability to keep firing while running was one of the things i admired about her...
Five hours passed with that same training, then a three hour break during which we took some of the energy drinks in the fridge, while Nanashi healed us. Then we continued for another five hours. And not a single time in all those hours, i got to lay one hit in Amy. Not even the time she took to reload was enough for me to reach her. Amy, on the other hand, landed five shots, all of them in my right side. It appeared as i didn't cover as much to the right than to the left.
- Alright, that's ten hours. You guys get another break, and prepare for the Dark Hour. Ashley, we're leaving.
- Where?
- To the company building. Even if you're excused from work, we still will try to protect as many people as we can from the shadows. Perhaps, if we're lucky, we could even find another Persona user.
- Alright. When you return, we will already have learned this! - Said Amy, raising a fist. I chuckled. It was easy for her to say, since she had been winning...
We took the coldest drinks and started our break. During the first two hours, we did nothing more than lie down on the mattresses, only having an occasional sip from our energy drinks, as we realized too late that he hadn't asked Nanashi to heal us before leaving. After another half hour we had recovered enough chat a bit, and i learned a bit more about Amy. It seemed her dream was to become a great photographer (I totally took the chance to say "her shots were already great", to which she laughed for some time), and was already working as a freelance.
- You know, sometimes i wish i could show the Dark Hour to people, that i could photograph it to share it...
- What? why would you want that? all the streets covered in blood, and the green moonlight... and the shadows...
- Well, call me crazy, but sometimes i think it's beautiful... in some twisted kind of way.
- Hmm... now that you mention it, i remember the third time i saw the Dark Hour, in my neighborhood. It looked pretty to me too... guess it depends if we're in danger or not.
Amy chuckled.
- Yeah, that seems like a possible reason... still, it's really bad that we can't have any photographs of this...
- I guess the cameras don't work either... we really don't realize how many things are electric, huh?
- Yeah... and i'm also not good at drawing, or designing it with the computer...
- Me neither... hey, but hold on, what about those old cameras? those don't use electricity, so perhaps they work. What were they called...
Amy's face slowly filled with a joy i hadn't seen in her before.
- A daguerrotype! That will work during the Dark Hour! the picture will be in black and white, but it will work! Andy you're a genius! - And, to my surprise, she got up and hugged me.
A second passed, and Amy got up, and loudly cleared her throat.
- Alright! Now that i'm hyped up, let's continue with the training! i can't wait until i can use fire like Nienna!
- You know, why don't we try it with the wall instead? without Nanashi, if we get hurt and later the shadows show up, it could be bad...
- Good idea! - Said Amy, at the same time that she grabbed her rifle, reloaded it and ran across the room. Much more slowly, i got up, grabbed my shield and walked to the wall.
Amy kept shooting at the wall, and i kept hitting my shield against it, both of us trying to focus. Ashley had said that she thought of using the telekinesis and it worked even without Kiros around. I squished my head trying to do the...
- Agi!
I looked at my left. Amy had a triumphant look on her face. On the rock wall, that was littered with the rock salt bullet pieces, there was a single hole, that had burned through it.
I looked at my shield while Amy kept jumping and chanting " I did it, i did it, i did it!"... could it be that simple?
I charged towards the wall. My shield was just about to punch it... i had to do it. I tried to remember when Eargirith's electricity danced around me, the feeling of it... Ashley could. Nanashi could. Amy could...
You can too!
- Zio!
A loud bang resonated through the entire room. A dust cloud covered the entire rear of the room. We waited until it cleared, and couldn't believe my eyes when it did.
A blueish aura of electricity flowed around my body, as if a lightning had just fallen over me. My fist and my shield were gone. Sank in the wall, which had now a very large hole in it.
- Awesome... just... awesome! - Said i, while the lightnings slowly dissipated.
- I thought that saying the words would help us focus a bit. You also heard your Persona's voice?
- Yes... i kinda forgot they're really still watching us...
We both looked at each other, and the same idea popped into our minds. We took down our evokers, and pulled the trigger, and Eargirith and Nienna appeared. They had the same proud look that Elizabeth had shown to me last night. Amy and i both lowered our heads.
- Thank you.
Our Personas also bowed, but they inmediately started to look around the room. Everything turned dark. We hadn't noticed how much time had passed. The Dark Hour had began, and we were in an underground room, with no light whatsoever.
- Damn it! we didn't remember to leave the door open!
- We can't cross this place in the dark! hold on! Agi!
An orange flame appeared in Amy's hand. We quickly ran to the door and out to the abandoned building, without seeing any shadows... so far.
Outside were four slime shadows, two samurai ones, and one that we had only found before, which looked like a big moving wall. But we weren't afraid. Igor trusted us, and we now had new and improved powers. A fight like this was a walk in the park.
- First one to get the wall wins?
- Oh, you're on! - Said I, and ran towards it.
- End of Chapter XIII -