/= "Ortion Cavern" by Tales of the Abyss =/

The fight between the two Shadows nearly destroyed the already unstable world that they were in. Li Xiao was breaking the ground while Rizal spinning through the air. No one was safe, no matter where they are. Poor Yong Soo was thrown in the air so many times that Ludwig had to literally mix his feet into the ground (which he immediately undid because even the ground wasn't stable enough). Charice had no idea how to help him…any of them.

"This is a Shadow's battle now." Kiku answered. "There is nothing we can do at this moment."

"At this moment…?"

"There's a good chance we'll have to intervene." He stated, rubbing his head in confusion. "But I don't understand…Li Xiao was a Shadow as well? Like your brother?"

"I didn't believe it either, but he is…" Charice stared at the battle, which had stabilized just a little bit. "Maybe they were made similarly?"

"Similarly?"

"Rizal mentioned something about being made by my blood…when Antonio attacked me." She looked up as Alfred decided to counter attack for the hell of it, failing horribly. Matthew ran to his aid. "I still have the scar on my hand…and I remember the arm not being able to work properly for a while."

Kiku froze.

"The scar doesn't hurt anymore, and I've heard more than enough apologies from Antonio, so- Kiku? What's wrong?"

/= "Eternal Three" by HetaOni =/

It was a day Kiku could never really forget. He had just declared independence from his mentor, and it meant that he had to sever his familial ties with him forever. That was the thought that went through his head as he approached his mentor's house, the moon hovering over him. The rabbit was pounding rice cakes, he remembered him saying…

There he was. His mentor, just standing there…almost as if he knew that he was going to come.

"Ah, Japan. What are you doing at this late of night, aru?" His mentor smiled. It was always so childish…almost oblivious. "I have just made Zongzi, aru! Come in."

Zongzi. He liked that. The earliest memory he could recall at the moment was being able to eat at least fifteen of them before collapsing from stomach pain. His mentor would not leave his side at that moment on, caring for the young nation, at to that day he would not permit him to eat anything over eight. He wanted zongzi as well, of course.

"…forgive me…"

He held his blade firmly.

"Eh? Why are you holding such a dangerous thing, aru?"

He lifted up the handle.

"W…why are you pointing it at me, aru!" He was scared…just as he wanted him to be. "Japan, stop it aru!"

The blade was now out of the sheath.

"W-what are you…GAAAAAAAH!"

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

The blood…the blood was fresh…pouring over the wooden floors and onto the earth that was underneath him. Without a second thought, he turned and walked away, leaving his mentor to bleed. Meanwhile, the rabbit continued to make its daily bunch of rice cakes.

/= "All Faith is Lost" by HetaOni =/

That moment…it had to be that moment… Kiku slid to his knees. I created Li Xiao…I must have…

"K-Kiku?" Charice grabbed his shoulders. "Why the hell are you freaking out at a time like this? Hey! HEY!"

"…g-gomen." He stood up. "I think I understand what makes them different from other Shadows."

"Eh?"

The ground quickly shook in a panic, and Charice clung onto Kiku for support as she turned her head and saw Li Xiao in the ground, unmoving. She started screaming and dashing toward him as Lovino and Gilbert took his place, summoning their Persona and charged back to Rizal. Matthew stood back and started shooting him with his rifle, leaving the monster to continue attacking. Charice turned to Kiku.

"Hey, Kiku-chan!" She screamed at him. "If you're gonna start blacking out, stay with Li Xiao!"

"H-hai!"

Kiku ran toward the fallen ally as Charice grabbed her poleaxe and charged into battle. The world slowly faded out of existence as he stared at the Shadow changing back into its human form, slowly sitting up and dusting off the dirt from his sleeve. Fresh blood leaked out into his arm.

"Li Xiao…"

"Heh…if only you can see the look on your face right now." Li Xiao sighed. "Crap, I think I'm stuck here for now…"

"…you…"

"I'm guessing you know how I came to be, huh?"

"During the Sino-Japanese War. I am right…right?"

"…after you left, Yao sat there for hours. He couldn't comprehend the fact that you left him. His boss had to drag him to his temple to stay during the war." He looked up. "It was then, I think…that I came into existence."

"From the wound on his back."

"It's rare for a Shadow to be able to escape the body that created it. It's unfathomable in terms of a human's creation, but for nations…with grudges that can last millennia…"

"So you were created…from a grudge toward me?"

"It wasn't a grudge…it was an intense feeling, deep inside of him." Li Xiao stood up. "I was created out of sadness…for the days he would never have again."

"So you know about Rizal's…?"

"He was created out of pain and anger." He answered. "The pain of her people and any shred of anger that she deemed a sin against God."

"She abandoned her hatred…like a true Catholic."

"And look where that left her."

The two Asians stood up and watched as the rest of the team charged the Shadow at once, missing and hitting each other once or twice. Kiku turned his head slightly to the side, seeing Li Xiao wipe the blood off his arm. The wound that was there was completely healed, startling him.

"Li Xiao…you said that you were the only one who could defeat Rizal."

"I was…partially right." He answered. "The only thing that can destroy Shadows are other Shadows, like a dog-eat-dog rule…the common way, really."

"There's another way?"

"Yeah, but…Rizal already got it out of the way."

Kiku stared at him in confusion before Li Xiao charged forward, deflecting five different bullets before roundhouse kicking Rizal in the face. He skidded down the road before crashing into one of the pillars, suddenly struck with decay. The Shadow rose to his feet, his skin peeling off in a strange purple color and revealing what looked like normal skin underneath…like a layer.

"You…bitch…" He spat. "You are…really starting to piss me off…"

"Too bad!" Alfred lifted up his guns. "Eat lead, sucker!"

Charice didn't like the language at all, and she had to admit that she jumped when Alfred continued to fire at the vulnerable boy. The smoke cleared, and it was obvious that they had reached their target. Yet the man was still standing, like he was merely punched and not shot at.

"You can't kill me…none of you can kill me!"

"OK, he's being a bastard now!" Yong Soo stepped forward. "Can we punch him already?"

"You can do that…but then you'd be punching him forever."

Everyone turned their heads to see Li Xiao walking through the crowd, parting them as they saw the arm that was badly bloodied well and new…and in the shape of his Shadow's form. It made Rizal cringe a little, but nothing that no one couldn't handle. He stopped in front of Rizal.

"This Shadow has aged with time. Ordinary Personas aren't going to take him down." He stated. "We'll have to use better methods."

"Oh please…you don't know anything about me."

"I've been a Shadow longer than you, you know." Li Xiao stated. "And Shadows like us have weaknesses as well."

"Everything has a weakness…I got rid of them…"

"You got rid of one: destroying the one that created you." He stated. "You do realize that other Shadows like me can kill you as well."

"Please…you're nothing against me."

"But…I am…"

Everyone turned their heads in shock to see Antonio staggering back to his feet, holding his two-hand axe with one, covered with scars and blood, walking toward Rizal with a smile on his face. That alone was enough to unnerve the Shadow, staggering back in confusion.

"You…"

"Of course…demons can be destroyed by their creator…" Antonio shook his head. "But…why would I do that?"

"What?"

"Don't you remember, Rizal? All those times I tried to gain your forgiveness?"

"You'll never…gain forgiveness…from me."

"…not even if I beg?"

"It would be interesting if you do, don't you?"

"…I've…already begged."

Lovino had to steady him, the axe falling down next to him. He was obviously in pain, but…why is he even talking when he should be recovering?

"It's interesting when you beg."

"…your anger is blinding you from forgiveness…hasn't God told you to abandon your hatred to be enlightened?"

"You're one to talk…forgiveness? After what you've done to my people?"

"But you already know how to love?"

"What?"

"You already know how to love."

Rizal stared at him in confusion before feeling someone grapple him from behind, turning his head in confusion to see that it was Ludwig. Instantly, his skin began to burn and he started screaming in pain. Still, Ludwig held on, his face clearly showing how disturbed he was at the man with his skin burning off. He clearly looked like he wanted to let go.

"NO!"

"What-?"

"Don't let go of me!"

"Rizal…"

"Don't…let…go!"

Ludwig watched with horror as Rizal grabbed his arms to keep them on him, watching as his skin started to peel off until he lost five years of his physical appearance. Soon, he collapsed on the ground, defeated, his skin and clothes lost like they were victims of a flame.

/=+=/

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