As an avid reader, as well as a librarian, I believe that an interesting title is often the thing that makes someone choose a book, hence my Latin title.

Me:Do I really have to say it?

Atlus Attorney:If you want to keep writing, yes.

Me:Fine. Persona/Shadow is owned by Atlus, not by yours truly.

Chapter 7

A Piece of the Puzzle

To:Yggdrasil9
From:eyeofhorus

Subject:The Worlds

Jason:

I did some thinking after we separated, and I think I figured something out about the worlds within the book. I think whoever reads from the book creates an appropriate world from their thoughts. Your library(for your love of reading and learning) and my pyramid(for my interest in archeology). I think it may be possible that there are other worlds, created from the minds of the others.

Tell me what you think.

Jennifer

To:eyeofhorus
From:Yggdrasil9
Subject:re:The Worlds

Jennifer:

I was working on the same theory, but the fact that you came to the same conclusion makes me certain. There's just one thing I haven't ironed out. Both Kevin and David read the book themselves separately, but they both ended up in the Library Maze. If each person who reads the book makes their own world, why did they end up in the maze as well?

Jason

To:Yggdrasil9
From:eyeofhorus
Subject:re:re:TheWorlds

Jason:

Maybe it's because you read the book first, and created the maze. It might have made the maze some kind of base, and that book always leads to there first. You probably have to find the other worlds, like you did for the pyramid.

Uh-oh, gotta log off. Dad's home. Talk to you later.

Jennifer closed her e-mail and brought up favorite archeological site as William Andrews walked through the door. He let out a deep breath as he dropped his briefcase. "Jennifer?"

"In here, dad." Jennifer did her best to not look suspicious as he walked into the room.

Apparently she didn't do very well, because he stared at her with one eyebrow raised. "What happened?"

Jennifer smiled sweetly, and William raised his other eyebrow. "I was at the library with Sam and Wes Rhazar."

William sighed and shook his head. "You know I don't like that boy. He's too violent."

Jennifer shook her head and got to her feet. "He's not violent, dad."

"You do know I'm friends with his father, right? I heard about what he did to that boy at school."

Jennifer laughed in disbelief. "And did you hear about how that boy had insulted his sister? He made her sound like a slut."

"Which is still no excuse for his actions."

Her temper emerging, Jennifer stormed past her father. "Of course you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't even stand by mom when you got that job offer."

Ignoring her father's attempts to stop her, Jennifer ran up the stairs and slammed her door, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Grabbing the remote, Jennifer turned to her tv and turned it on. An anchor was just finishing up her report.

"...while police are still looking into the mysterious disappearance of Serena Knox. Serena is, of course, the daughter of convicted mass murderer Gregory "Black Friday" Knox. It is currently unknown if her disappearance is related to her father. Police believe it might be a revenge method for the victims of Knox. If anyone has any infor..."

Jennifer switched channels, and the new channel had a reporter interviewing a Japanese singing star on stage. The singer had her reddish-brown hair in pigtails, and she was talking about her United States tour.

"That's right, folks. And as a special bonus, we have Miss Rise Kujikawa here to sing the title song of her new album, 'The Inner Me.' Now, Miss Kujikawa, where did you get the inspiration to this incredible song?"

Rise smiled and ran a hand though her hair, light catching off of the ring on her finger, and she motioned to the area offstage. The camera followed, and focused on a tall man with silver hair, watching Rise with a look of adoration. "I got the inspiration from when I met my fiancé, Souji Seta, in Inaba four years ago. He helped me come into my own, and not solely be Risette, the persona I had at the time. In short, he helped release the inner me."

"How romantic. Now, here's Rise Kujikawa, with 'The Inner Me.'"

The music started up, and Rise took the microphone.

"I remember the day, when I could only see, the person that all the others, wanted me to be. But I was never happy, because even I could tell. It was obvious to me, like the ringing of a bell. But I found someone to understand, no reason now to hide. He found the girl in me, the one hidden inside."

Jennifer sat there, entranced by the music. Something about it made her think of the personas. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize, at first that Rise had finished singing, and walked off to where Souji was standing. They embraced, and the camera went back to the interviewer.

Jennifer turned off the tv, and went to her bookshelf, and pulled down her worn copy of Ottis' Archeology, the book that got her interested in the study.

Sitting on her bed, Jennifer read the book until she fell asleep.

Jennifer flipped out her phone as she felt it vibrate, and saw a message from Jason. Kev & I going in now. Couldn't find Dav. Meet you at doorway.

Closing her phone, Jennifer nodded to Wes, who opened the book and spoke the words. "I am thou and thou art I. Thou art the one who opens the door."

The familiar darkness overtook her, and she let it take her away.

Wes pulled the gloves he'd brought to protect his knuckles tight, and followed behind Jennifer, with Sam behind him. As he looked around for signs of Shadows, a door caught his attention.

He came to a sudden stop, making Sam bump into him. The door was a dark wood, and Wes got a weird vibe off of it.

Jennifer noticed that Wes had stopped, and went back to him, a question on her face. "Problem?"

Wes shook his head, tearing his eyes from the door. "Nothing."

As they walked on, Wes saw the blue of the library, and Jason and Kevin standing and waiting. Kevin had apparently just cracked a stupid joke, because Jason had rolled his eyes and was shaking his head.

"Jason!" Jennifer called, waving to get his attention.

Jason looked over and smiled, and he and Kevin walked toward them. "Wes. Sam."

Sam smiled and nodded her head, but Wes merely grunted, his mind still on the door he'd seen earlier.

"Gotta bug in your brain?"

Wes looked at Kevin, who was smirking. "What? That didn't even make sense."

Kevin merely shrugged. "Not everyone appreciates my humor."

"Yeah," Jason added. "Usually it's just you."

Kevin grabbed his heart. "You wound me, my friend."

Jennifer looked at Kevin with a raised eyebrow. "Is he always like that?"

"Yes," Jason answered, exasperated. "All. The. Time."

Kevin smacked Jason on the back. "If you're done insulting your best friend, shouldn't we get going?"

"Right," Jennifer answered. "And I think I know where to start. We found this mysterious door in the pyramid that I want to investigate."

Wes looked at her, shocked. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

The others disagreed, and Wes silently followed, feeling the pit in his stomach.

Cubicles. That was Jason's first impression as they walked through the door. He saw rows upon rows of cubicles.

Everything was very uniform and grey, with a quiet humming in the air. Then, a roar caught his attention. "Shadows."

Two giant people dressed in suits and swinging briefcases were charging at them. Jason and Jennifer drew Gram and Nothung, and Sam got behind her shield. "Calliope." Sam's persona appeared, ready to scan for weaknesses. Kevin drew an arrow and strung it, standing in front of Sam, ready to fire.

One Shadow swung its briefcase, and Jason dodged it, and slashed with his sword. The Shadow stumbled, and Jason pulled out his card. "Sigurd, Agi!"

Sigurd slung the fire at the Shadow, but it did little damage.

"That Shadow's resistant to fire," Sam called out. "Try using ice on it instead."

Jason blocked a blow, and slashed again. "Which of us has ice?"

Jennifer rolled under the other Shadow's legs, then stabbed at its knee. "Wes can use ice."

It was then that Jason noticed that Wes hadn't done anything at all. He was just standing there, staring around in shock.

"Fine," Jason sneered, "We do this the hard way. Sigurd, Cleave!" The warrior appeared, and slashed at the Shadow, making it stumble back.

With a roar, the Shadow's briefcase opened, sending out several sheets of paper. These rushed past Jason, cutting him in several places. Distracted as he was by this, Jason didn't notice the Shadow slam him with its briefcase, sending him flying back.

Jennifer watched in horror as Jason was hit and sent back to the floor. "Kevin, cover us. I'm going to heal him."

Kevin nodded, and sent an arrow into the closer Shadow. Jennifer ducked past them, and ran to Jason.

"Hold on, Jason. I've got you." Jennifer snapped her finger, and her card shattered. "Dia." The light enveloped Jason, and his cuts disappeared. His eyes opened slowly, then he got quickly to his feet.

"What did I miss?"

Jennifer pointed Nothung at Kevin. "Maybe we should give him some backup."

With a nod, Jason and Jennifer ran back into the thick of battle.

Kevin was nearly out of arrows, and had his card in his hand when Jason ran in front of him. "Need a hand, Kev?"

Jason could almost hear Kevin's smirk. "Well, if you're done with your nap, sure."

"Alright then. Kill Rush!" Sigurd appeared again, and slashed the Shadow he was fighting into nothing.

"Hama!" Jason looked over as the other Shadow was enveloped by light, then disappeared.

Jason sheathed his sword, and walked straight to Wes, who still hadn't moved. Jason grabbed Wes' shirt, and pulled his face close. "You want to explain to me why you didn't help? Your help would have made that fight so much easier."

"Get your hand off me, little man."

"What was that? I don't think I heard you."

Jennifer put her hand on Jason's shoulder. "I think you need to back off, Jason. Wes shouldn't be provoked like that."

Jason just shook off her hand. "Now, about that answ..."

Jason didn't even finish, because Wes grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "I said, hands off." Then, he pulled back and socked Jason in the jaw.

Sam walked up to Wes, shocked. "What was that for, Wes? He didn't deserve that."

Wes looked at her, a sneer on his face. "People like him need a good punch, just to know who's the strongest." Then, a flash of red appeared in his eyes, and a red card in his hand.

"Oh, crap," Kevin said, with wide eyes. "That's just like Jason. The Beast Persona."

That's what I looked like? Jason thought as he got to his feet.

"Persona...Beast," Wes growled, and slammed his fist into the card, unleashing a primal scream. The card dissolved into red vapor, and reformed in front of Wes.

The persona was eight feet tall, with the head of a bull, and covered in brown fur. Its massive hands were flexing, as if trying to grab at something, and its beady eyes searching for targets. "Now, crush them all, my Minotaur."

Ah, the cliffhanger. The one literary device I enjoy and despise equally.

Hold on for the big fight in the next chapter.

Read and review.