Sup? This is back. So, uh, before I start, let me make something clear. Some chapters of this fic will be M rated because of dark themes. And this is likely to be one of those chapter, so I dunno if I should change the fic to M, or just put up a warning like this every time a chapter like that pops up. That said, here's the chapter. Hope you can enjoy it.
...
If I woke up in a different place again, I swear...
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Goddammit...
... Actually, that was not my biggest concern...
Why was I tied down?
Why was I kneeling down?
Who were all these people?
Gah, the sun was blinding! I shut my eyes closed again lest they got fried in their sockets.
Holy Hell...
"On behalf of the whole village of Tsukigata, I declare this miscreant... guilty of all charges!" The owner of the hand which was lying on my back said, and I could hear the people cheering.
... Uh...
Okay, time to open my eyes again.
Where was I?
I strained my eyes, but I could keep them open for a while. long enough to know I was on a makeshift stand. It was a bit tall, so even though I was kneeling, people were still at my chest's height.
... I must have been in Shinato's mind, still.
Before I could look back, I felt a boot kick me in the back. I tumbled forward out of the stand and fell to the ground before me.
I was tied, so there was nothing I could do to soften my fall. Only thing I could do was to try and fall on my side, instead of hitting my teeth on the dirt.
It was not long before the first kick came. Right to the stomach.
I grit my teeth to try and swallow the pain. Shinato tried to summon Mastro, but something was compelling him not to. I fact, something was even restraining his voice... I tried to speak something, but...
I held my breath. Not Shinato, but me, inside his head.
What was this agony...
I tried again, and my chest hurt. I never...
I'd never felt anything like that.
And the beating began, everyone trying to land a punch, or a kick, or throw a rock. Anything to inflict pain.
Shinato took the hits and couldn't even say a word. I saw the exact moment a rock hit his forehead, and the blood began to drip onto his eyelids. I was seeing red through his eyes.
From the wall of people that stood before Shinato, a child came and approached him.
"This is for dad!" The kid stepped up and punted my head, hard as he could. The neck almost snapped backwards and I was almost literally kicked out of his head, as his conscience threatened to fade.
The strikes continued, until I felt the still working eyelid shoot wide open.
And then the pain of a thrust to my side.
Was that a knife...?
I painfully looked towards the man holding a bloodied small dagger in his hand, being dragged back by a few other people with an accomplished smirk on his face.
"Go to Hell!" I could read his lips before he faded back into the crowd.
Speaking of the crowd...
I was skipping breaths, myself.
Lying down in the eye of a tornado of furious people... being kicked left and right... despised. Outcast. Hated. Broken, beat and scarred...
... Let me tell you a secret.
I used to be claustrophobic.
And that came back to me at that instant, full force.
Wherever I was inside of Shinato's head, I took a clenched fist to my mouth as my stomach whirled and swirled.
And I didn't have a stomach!
I felt suffocated. I was no longer skipping breaths, it was like I was unable to breathe.
It wasn't even the death or the pain that was getting to me, because I could, somehow, turn his pain on and off, as I noticed. Kind of like an empathy switch. I just didn't know how to control it, yet. Sometimes I'd feel his pain, sometimes I'd activate his reflexes... I'd have to figure out how that worked.
But regardless of that "switch", I couldn't escape what I was feeling at that moment.
It was too much...
"Enough!" I heard a voice from behind me. It was the voice of the one that kicked me off the stand. "It's time to end this murderer's streak, don't you all think?"
The crowd cheered and stepped back from Shinato. I could finally notice the light of noon, again.
He was pulled to his feet by his hair, and I felt the cold of a blade pressing against his neck.
"So...? Got any last words?! Hahahaha!" The man laughed right into my ear as he pulled harshly on Shinato's hair. He knew the beaten man couldn't speak.
'Hypocrites!'
... Huh?
'You all deserve to die, you ungrateful bastards!'
... What was that...?
Was it...?
'I can't believe I even tried to turn this Hell you all deserve to live in into a better place!'
Shinato?
Those thoughts flew around loosely. I could hear them clearly, inside of his head.
I could feel a very quiet click... maybe that was the empathy switch turning o- Holy...
I could feel Shinato's scowl and heavy breathing, as he ran his working eye on the crowd. It was as if I, myself, was making that expression.
That was spite, stronger than I've ever felt. He could see each of the faces before him dying in different ways. For a split second, I swear I saw the flash of bloodied face among the crowd.
And it all went downhill from there, as his deranged mind began to interact with mine.
Marked foreheads...
Cracked skulls...
Severed fingers...
Locked lips...
Knit eyelids...
Hate. Pure hatred for the things he fought so hard to protect.
He wanted everything to crumble at his hand, at that moment.
But alas, he was there. He, himself, was looking like one of his visions. They deemed him the thing he despised the most.
A worthless criminal...
...
I'd shake my head, if I could. For a moment, I kind of felt for him.
... What?
He was a serial killer! What was I saying?!
...
I...
I'd need time to think about that.
'I wasted myself and was denied by the ones I tried to protect. I've nothing left for the world. Just kill me, already...'
... what?
'I give up.'
As he thought that, I could hear my executioner's laugh, as the blade cut clean across my throat.
...
I could feel the warm blood running on my skin, heading down towards my chest.
Right after that, I was tossed and fell limp to the ground. My head bounced helplessly once, as my conscience began to fade to the sound of laughter and cheering...
...
...
I opened my eyes again to find myself staring at the Shinato's mirror, with hands wrapped around my throat. The man was reflecting my movements, but his throat was actually bleeding. I just couldn't see the wound because my hand was probably over it.
Stupefied, I kept staring at the image before me.
I now knew what it was like to have my throat slit.
...
I shook my head and straightened myself back up, calming my mind down a bit.
Shinato also mimicked my movement and took his hands off his throat, but this time, the blood disappeared. In fact, all expression disappeared. He was only staring back, motionless and... empty.
I took a deep breath and let my shoulders fall, before exhaling.
What an experience...
Closing my eyes, I turned around and looked at the many mirrors around me.
Would I have to live all of those lives?
Sigh...
It was already enough living mine. I thought I was suffering enough with everyone drifting away as they were, but... apparently, I had a lot to learn.
That was gonna be a long ride...
Aaaand done. You know what I like about this fic? I can let this kind of scene loose. I like writing this kind of mood, it's fun. So, this is the end of Shinato's story. I'll have to pick a new character to work on for the next set of chapters, so... send your characters. Well, now for the usual AN; Critics and opinions in the review box below, I'm Raidou the 16th and I approve this message. *thumbs up* And before I go, here are some suggestions.
Persona 3: Alone in the world, by Changling96. I think it's got a pretty original concept that may hook you in.
Persona 3: Bloodlust and Fallen Messiah, both by Nightly7. They are on fire, right now.
Okay, now I'm off. Later. o/