Last time on Persona Powers, Charice and the gang are going to battle Japan's evil Shadow! Can they save Japan's soul from damnation and his nation from collapsing? Stay tuned…
/= ["ポケモンHGSS ホウオウ戦アレンジ" by inago3 (on YouTube)] =/
"I am the Shadow…the true self…" The dragon roared. "I serve only my master's will…and that will is for him to stay here!"
"Well, too bad! No one gets what they want all the time!" Charice straightened out her poleaxe. "Who's ready, boys?"
"I-I'm ready…"
"Let's just make this quick. God knows what damage has already been suffered from him staying here."
"Well, if Carlos spent the whole night without major damages, we have some time!" She grinned. "Let's go-ttebayo~!"
"Oh god…really…?"
The three of them charged toward the fray as Dragon Kiku growled at them. He dodged a slash from the poleaxe and felt a slight pain from the side of the tail. Dragon Kiku looked up and saw Matthew looking up from his position, holding his rifle in hand. The attack continued on for a few good minutes.
"You're not keeping him here, Shadow!" He called out. "He has to come back to our world!"
"He is not happy that world! He must be happy!"
"No one's ever happy in that world, dude!" Charice jumped in the air. "I thought he knew that! I thought you knew that!"
"Like a Shadow ever knows anything besides fear and rage, Charice!" Li Xiao corrected. "Hurry up and subdue him!"
Charice summoned her Persona, who slashed through the Shadow's purple cloud body and caused him to cringe. Dragon Kiku turned his head and shot flames toward her, who fell toward the ground in flames. Fortunately, she landed in the water and the flames were taken out. Matthew ran to her as she stood up and shook out the water from her kimono.
"Are you all right, Charice?"
"Yeah, I'm fine! Just having burnt skin, but nothing out of the ordinary!" She grinned. "Go to Li Xiao! Let's go!"
They charged back into the fray. Li Xiao summoned Dongbin and tried his best to counter the Dragon Kiku's flames. He ended up slashing him away with his tail. Li Xiao crashed into one of the Shinto gates, and Charice noticed that one of the flames had turned into a light blue.
That's the blue flame that got us here…
She finally realized what she had to do. Charice grinned as she lifted her hand out and changed Personas. She crashed the card as Merlin erupted from her hand. He swung his wand around and pulled out the blue flame from the gate. Instead of attacking him, however, the blue flame appeared in front of the dragon.
/= ["Who Am I?" by Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days] =/
["Please…stop this."]
"…Master."
Matthew and Li Xiao finally saw how the flame turned into a light blue. The Dragon Kiku hovered over the moat as he turned back to normal, holding the red scarf around his neck. The blue flame floated toward the servant's face.
"Are you going back, master?" He asked. "But I thought you were hurt constantly in that realm."
The flame was silent.
"Everyone's going to get hurt in that realm. There's never anything around it, I'm sorry." Charice corrected. "But if we're all getting hurt, at least all of us can heal from the wounds, right?"
["I understand all of this now. I was scared of being hurt again…after so many years of isolation, I wasn't prepared for emotional heartbreak."] The flame flickered. ["But I realized something…despite the pain that I've suffered, I remember that I have friends that have suffered as well. My friends have their own pains and heartbreak, just like I have."]
"…sensei."
Yes, back to Japanese terms!
["I'm ready to go back now…will you be able to bring me back?"]
"…of course, sensei."
The flame sank into the Shadow's body, fusing in with him. The purple fog surrounded him as it turned into a bright blue, and when it vanished from sight, he was back into the child version of Japan. The child looked up and toward the people that were saving him.
…
"No Charice…no."
"NOOOOOOOO I WANNA HOLD HIIIIIM!"
/= ["Revival" by Tales of Symphonia] =/
"So I'm dead…"
"Yes…you were killed by someone who wanted to make it look like a suicide." Li Xiao turned to Kiku, being held by Matthew. "You weren't reincarnating, so we figured that you would be here."
"So you know what this world is, don't you Li Xiao?"
"…no…but I'm aware that it's connected to the recent murders that are going on." He answered. "You being the most recent victim."
"…you went through all of this for me?"
"That's just how we roll in the 21st Century!" Charice winked. "Countries are never alone. We are all connected, meaning that all of our problems are going to be known and solved."
"That's right, Kiku…you're never alone."
Kiku sat there in Matthew's arms as they followed Charice's red string toward the portal that led them home. She turned toward Matthew, who was now holding Kiku's hand. He had grown into his adult form, now wearing a simple gray kimono. He smiled at all of them.
"So this will bring us to our realm." Kiku stated.
"Yeah…and it'll reincarnate you." Charice gestured to it. "That way, your country won't suffer."
"…I just want to know one thing before I reincarnate." The Japanese man turned his head. "What are you planning to tell the others when they see my body?"
"That you reincarnated. Most likely Wang Yao and Alfred (that American nutjob) will go there and find you." Li Xiao stated. "They'll raise you as older brothers and your country will be born anew. Maybe a Renaissance period is a better term."
"Yeah! Like a new anime that sweeps the nation and destroys 4Kids!" Charice chirped. "Or maybe you'll invent a computer that makes Apple Inc. Cry!"
"…I'm glad that you all feel so happy about this. I think I can leave my old life knowing that I am going to be in good hands." Kiku smiled. "I just wish that I will remember you when I take a new body."
"Maybe you will. Reincarnations sometimes have memories of their former selves." Matthew smiled. "If not, then we can start over."
"Yes…I would like that." He smiled. "Well then…I guess I should get going. I will see you soon?"
"Let's hope so!" Charice chuckled.
Kiku smiled before walking toward the portal, turning to the others before returning to his realm. Matthew nodded before joining suit, leaving Li Xiao and Charice alone. The Chinese man turned to the Filipina with a semi-worried look on his face.
"How will sensei handle Kiku's reincarnation?" He asked.
"Well, he'll know that Kiku is safe in another body and most likely go to find him." Charice chuckled. "You don't have to worry about it yet."
"…hopefully."
Li Xiao nodded as he turned toward the portal. Before she knew it, she felt a card in her hand and took a glance at it. It was the same card that Li Xiao had whenever he summoned his Persona, so she figured they were one and the same. She could see a faint blue glow around the Chinese man before he stepped into the portal. She turned around and saw a strange blue angel with a conch shell in his hands. She blinked.
["I AM THOU…AND THOU ART I."]
It's Li Xiao's voice…
["AS THE MOST POWERFUL OF THE TENGU TRIBE, I AM AT YOUR COMMAND."]
It sank into her body, allowing her to turn back toward the portal.
/=+=/
As she walked through the portal, she saw that it closed behind her. They were back in the dojo, staring at Japan's body in the middle of the room. The strange thing was that the body had been cleaned of any scars or blood. Did someone clean him while they were gone…?
"Um…at least holding him isn't going to be that hard of a mental issue…" Charice blinked.
"But it makes explaining that Kiku is dead even harder…" Matthew looked at them. "Now what…?"
"Well, I guess I'm going to have to lock together the reincarnation process…" She rolled up her sleeves. "The lack of blood all over his uniform helps me a lot!"
She grinned before walking toward his body and tapping him in the stomach. No response. Confused, she tapped him again. And again. Still no response. Charice got confused and leaned close to Kiku's face. Maybe she had to hold his forehead?
"Gah!"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
She flew into the air and started crawling back to hide behind Matthew's legs. Everyone else watched as the body that was supposed to be dead jerk itself up into a sitting position and take long, deep breaths in surprise. It looked at its hands in surprise before turning back to them. Confused, brown eyes looked toward the Chinese man, who tilted his head.
"Hey, Kiku…the reincarnation office called." He sighed. "You're in the wrong body."
"…which body?"
"Your old one…the dead one."
/=+=/
School had ended without that much of a hitch besides the fact that Kiku had died just a few hours ago, and everyone agreed that they were going to explain everything to him in the Asia class. Kiku looked down at his desk as the rest of the class left the room, passing a semi-invisible Matthew pushing toward Kiku's desk. Charice leaned on her desk as Li Xiao and Matthew joined them.
"Are you doing OK?" Li Xiao asked.
"Yes…yes, I'm doing fine." Kiku sat up, his hands hiding underneath the desk. "Thank you all for helping me."
"It's fine. We were in the right place at the right time." Charice smiled. "Besides, we were worried about you."
"That's good to hear…" Kiku looked around. "So…what's going on?"
They all agreed that Li Xiao was going to explain everything to him. He talked about the Persona they were using and the Shadows that they were fighting, and then went to go on talking about the world that he had fallen into. He seemed to accent the fact that Kiku himself created the realm that he fell upon.
"So that place…was what I created?" He blinked. "With what?"
"Your thoughts, emotions and memories." Li Xiao stated. "Most importantly, the thoughts that you hide from the world."
"My thoughts…"
"All of them. The ones that wanted to bring you home had led us to where you were and saved you." He stated. "If you hadn't interfered like you did, that Shadow would've destroyed us."
"Come on, Li Xiao! We could've handled him!" Charice grumbled.
"Thank you, Charice…but it's all right." Kiku smiled and turned to the others. "I'm guessing you want some answers to what you saw in that world."
"Y-you don't have to, if you don't want to."
"No, it's fine. I owe that much to all of you…since one of you used to be a POW of mine." He smiled toward Charice. "Charice, do you know of my history?"
"A little bit. You used to go under an isolation policy because you don't want your culture influenced and tainted by the Western nations." She answered. "You were forced open into Western trade by America around the 1800s…something about battleships?"
"Yes…" Kiku smiled. "After separating from China, I declared that I no longer wanted that heartbreak. I couldn't handle it anymore. I feared getting close to anyone in the fear that I was going to be forced against them."
"Like World War II?"
"…the ultimate emotional rollercoaster ride." Kiku turned his head to the others. "The war that affected everyone here."
"The beginning of the 20th Century…." Matthew blinked. "The war that almost killed Germany…"
Charice froze. World War II almost killed Germany? How come no one ever told her that? She rubbed the back of her head, wondering if she had been blocked by that fact because she had never met him before.
"Alfred told me that when he visited me…I had never been so scared for him in my life." Kiku sighed. "It wasn't until the 1990s that I finally learned that he was all right. After that, the 21st Century came around…and to tell you the truth, I think the world changed for the better then…"
"It has~!" Charice chirped. "All the nations seem to get along, right?"
"Yes…" Kiku smiled. "So then…these murders will keep going?"
"Of course. Until we find out who's doing this, they'll keep going." Li Xiao stated. "The three of us are trying to find out who's doing this."
"AND KICK THEIR ASSES!" Charice chirped.
"At least there are people on this case." Kiku stood up. "Is there something I can do to help? I have seen this realm with my own eyes…so I know what I can do when another victim is found."
"The more the merrier, I guess?" Matthew asked. "But can you handle all of this? I mean, going into that realm does a lot to you…"
"I can handle it. I'm the oldest one here." Kiku smiled.
"So I guess we can accept you." Charice winked. "Welcome to the club!"
/=+=/
Charice closed the curtains to her dorm room as she finished the insta-ramen that she made for her dinner. As she plopped down on the couch with her ramen, she heard a knock on her door. She blinked in confusion before standing up and walking toward the door. She peeked in the peephole.
…Doitsu-ki? She opened the door. "Hey there…Germany. What are you doing here?"
"I was told that you were the one that found Japan today." He said. "We'd been looking for him for quite some time. Where was he?"
"He was…wandering around in the school. I found him in the kendo room practicing his skills." She gestured with her fingers. "He says he's sorry if you were worried for him."
"That's fine…I'm just happy that he's all right."
She was surprised to see a serious look on his face. Not because his face never had a look besides…seriousness, but it was because she had never seen such a look of concern on his face. Germany quickly snapped out of it and turned to her.
"Oh, um…" She blinked. "You want dinner?"
"No, it's fine. I'm meeting up with my brother for a study session." He stated. "But thank you for your offer."
"All right…I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
Germany nodded as he walked away, allowing her to close the door. As she lifted her hand, she realized that there was a card in her hand. It was a door with a skull on it, and she shivered at the image of it. The skull had hollow eyes, staring deep into her soul.
So Doitsu-ki has a card attached to him too… She shivered. God…what kind of creepy, death-dealing, destructive Persona does THIS one have?
She turned her head around and saw…nothing. Confused, she walked into her living room…and then the kitchen…and then her bedroom…and then turned around and headed back to the door. She opened the door to see if there was something there. She closed the door in confusion.
No Persona? She was confused. Doitsu-ki doesn't have a Persona?
Well, that's a new concept.
/=+=/
Kurama Tengu is a member of the Japanese Tengu race that can fend off evil spirits and bring good luck. The conch shell is there to call Tengu together. [Li Xiao Chun- Hermit]
OK, we're going to have a bit more filler episodes before our next segment. That means that I'm giving you another option! Now then…what should Charice do on that fateful day of the next victim:
-Jump Antonio in the Gardens
-Visit the library and see if Arthur is there
-See if she can be part of the Music Club
There will be more options as the filler episodes go on, so you can change your options, but don't multi-vote~!