People were crowding him. Rushing to the boy(girl?)'s defense. It made Kitano's stomach curl. Oh you should let the poor thing go! Can't you see that (s)he's hurt? Blah blah blah. Appearances meant nothing to Kitano. The doppelganger was suspicious for every reason Kitano could imagine and still people slobbered over him(her).

Kitano turned his head towards his classmates, his grip still firm on the fake!Kazuo and made a noise deep from the back of his throat like a snarling dog.

"Your pity can wait. We get answers first." And with that the delinquent turned his face back towards the weakling in his hands, but this time a little more wary of the schoolmates at his back.

_________________

The Not!Kazuo looked up at Touji with eyes that were world-weary and guarded as he drug her up so that he could snarl into her face. Her toes were barely on the ground in such a position, but she didn't fight. Instead, the tired blue eyes flicked over his face as if she were deciding his motives or capabilities.

Finally, she shook her head, the other voices penetrating the moment between the two of them.

“He's right. I'm not hurt enough to need a hospital. I can walk fine,” she said plainly, her language blunt and clipped, efficient. Despite her protestation that she didn't need a hospital she was letting Touji hold up the bulk of her weight, which did seem to lessen the pain. Small favors.

“I'm Kaoru,” she answered Touji's first question, then let her eyes flicker to the shattered remnants of the glass pane that she and the bull thing had come through, then to Kazuo. “If I'm here, and if you 'handled' the Shadow, then your whole world is in danger...”

She winced a bit, becoming aware of the uncomfortable way her armscyes were cutting into her armpits because of the way Touji was holding her collar up. “This isn't easily explained. We should get out of the open if you want the whole story. Or,” she said, craning her neck to pointedly look at the quiet girl that hung at the back of the group. Fuwa Emi, so meek as to be forgotten, shrunk back at the pointed gaze in her direction. “I could just show you, if it works how I think it does.”

_________________

Official Forum Mom

Kazuo waved his hand lightly in the direction of the others in a calming motion. The hope was that they'd chill out about hospitals and doctors for a moment. He followed with a sigh as he turned his attention back to Kitano and the stranger. The whole reason he had acted concerned in the first place was to play off of Kitano's 'bad cop' routine and be the 'good cop' but it was rendered moot as soon as everyone started suddenly worrying. Kazuo wasn't sure whether or not he should be genuinely worried yet. This very well could have been the person who attacked them, or at least involved with them.

The girl spoke up again, assuring them she needed no doctor and even gave her name, Kaoru. While she herself didn't seem like much of a threat at the moment, her next set of words were troubling to say the least. The 3rd Year wasn't sure whether or not to laugh. Was he supposed to just believe anything now after what he had seen? Then again, he certainly was more open to normally unlikely concepts thanks to everything that just happened.

"The whole world...?" Kazuo uttered with some obvious disbelief and a raised eyebrow. Kaoru seemed to have intimate knowledge of what was going on, so when she offered to show them, Kazuo was definitely interested.

"Yeah... okay. Show us." He continued, glancing to Kitano in hopes that he'd recieve body language and tone that suggested he put her down now. "But you're not off the hook yet... so make sure this demonstration is informative..."

Kazuo gazed into Kaoru's eyes for a moment, then to where she had been looking for the past few moments. That other girl. The quiet one, whom he had already forgotten was even there... What was she looking at her for...?

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Kazuo Tagami."

Kitano stared at the girl (not boy) and scowled. There was not one good thing this girl could possibly tell them. She was bad news incarnate. It crossed Kitano's mind that perhaps he should just turn and walk away, call it a night and forget that this had all happened. The thought existed for only a moment before Kitano's conscience squashed it and burned the remains. He could not sit idly by. He never could. He had to know and he had to make things right.

Off to the side, Kitano picked up on real!Kazuo's(? or maybe he was the fake) hint.

"Yeah," Kitano's blistered knuckles loosened and the girl was free, "Go ahead and show us."

But I'm keeping you in arm's reach.

_________________

The blind girl was glad that Kaoru wasn’t as hurt as she previously believed. Her expression turned grim as she heard that this girl was foretelling a threat that would place the world in even more danger than it already was. “Wa…wait a minute… I don’t understand… The world is already bad enough as it is…What is this supposed threat that will endanger all of mankind? ” she thought to herself as these events started to take a serious turn.

Hitomi started to get defensive when the girl wanted to take them to another place. She already had fear of being outside her house and wasn’t too thrilled on the idea of following a total stranger around. Deep down she just wanted to go home and forget what just happened but at the same time she felt like the truth about these crazy events would be lost to her forever if she backed out now. She thought deeply for a bit and asked sternly with a hint of worry in her voice, “Where do you want to take us? Are you going to put us in more danger? How can we trust the words of a total stranger? I don’t think this is a good idea...” Her legs felt like jelly and started wobbling with fear of the unknown. Her cane was the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground.

_________________

Kaoru winced lightly and adjusted her clothing as she gained her footing once more. If she was irritated with the way they were treating her, she was either a good actress or concentrating too much on the lingering pain of her impact with the unforgiving asphalt.

“Kazuo. Firstborn, then. An only child?” she asked with a strange interest that was almost offhanded as she looked up and down the street. She frowned softly, as though she were attempting to get her bearings or remember landmarks, and then looked to Hitomi.

“It's no more dangerous than your world is going to become if I don't get back, Otome-san*,” she said, then turned to face the way they'd come and started walking slowly, trying not to limp. “Anyway, I'm only one person. There are five of you, and at least one of you able to call out your Persona, so I'm pretty sure you can defend yourselves, especially if you took care of the Shadow. If anything, I think I should be the one who's wary.” Her words had an insensitive edge, but it was obvious that she was trying to put Hitomi's fears at ease.

”C'mon. It's this way...I think.”



*Otome-san = Young Lady, or Miss

_________________

Official Forum Mom

Kazuo watched the dark-haired girl with interest as she attempted to survey her surroundings. She looked as if she had only a partial idea of where she was going, which seemed a bit odd if they were supposed to be following her. Upon hearing his introduction, she asked a rather odd question about his status as an only child. Indeed that was the meaning of his name, but he was unsure why that information was of any interest to her. At first Kazuo was hesitant to answer, but he was curious as to what her response would be if he ended up telling her.

"No, I've got a younger sister..." Kazuo responded casually, hoping that she would offer the reason for her inquiry without having to be asked why.

Kaoru went on to say strange things about "their world" while trying and reassure Hitomi that she was of no threat. She even went so far as to use the same logic Kazuo did when they first came upon her. They couldn't be sure of that, however. As far as they knew their powers made them ants compared to her own. The powers she seemed to be aware of...

"Interesting... You just assumed we used this "Persona" to take care of that shadow... Tell me, what do you know about Persona...? Do you have one, too?" Kazuo questioned as he continued to watch the girl walk slowly and cautiously. She was doing her best to conceal her injury. Maybe she was afraid of them, or perhaps too stubborn to admit her pain.

"You sure you're okay?" He added, this time with a bit of genuine concern. He couldn't really help it. Even though he wasn't sure what side she was on yet, he didn't enjoy seeing her in pain.

The girl was limping. Walking as injured as she was. It was heroic in a sense.

But time-consuming.

"Walk faster," Kitano said.

It was bad enough that she was just leading them off to God only knows where, it was even worse that she was going at it with a snail's pace. If she was going to lead them to a trap, the least she could do was make it quick. Things worked out better for Kitano when it was his fists involved and not his patience. Or maybe it was just that his fists got involved whenever he ran out of patience.

Whichever it was, Kitano was getting impatient.

Without a word of warning, the delinquent put one arm behind the girl's knees and the other behind her back and lifted. It was the spitting image of a groom carrying his newlywed bride to the bedroom were it not for the scowl Kitano had. He would've preferred just putting her over a shoulder like a sack or a fireman's carry. But the first would've put her head pointing backwards where she wouldn't be able to say where to go and the second would've... well, as suspicious as the girl was, she was still a girl. Kitano had limits, damnit.

"Just point to where we need to go," Kitano said plainly, "And maybe we can get there before we all die of old age."

_________________

Taro swallowed loudly and turned toward Kitano "L-look you... you... idiot! She's hurt and whether or n-not you feel like an i-injured girl is a threat to b-big bad you, you should just be q-quiet and let her lead us! T-this is important d-dammit!" He was obviously stuttering quite badly and was shaking in his boots but he had had enough of this. She was hurt but was still trying to help them without trying to get healed. He wondered where this confidence (of sorts) was coming from and finally decided it was shock.

First, of course, the world had gone crazy what with shadows(?) and girls appearing out of nowhere with no more notice than the shattering of glass. Then they had actually fought something using Persona(?). Of course, he had the crossbow as self-defense but he never thought he'd actually have to use it. Then the girl started talking about the world being in danger or something. Given the circumstances, Taro was just happy to have any kind of explanation, even a bad one. And the bully wasn't helping things.

_________________
Final Fantasy IX was the best Final Fantasy game ever and if you think otherwise you are WRONG!

My fanfiction account. Comments and criticisms are very welcome.

"Whoa, now folks, settle down. The lady says she's fine, then she's fine. The lady says she wants to show us something, let her show it to us." Hane put on an almost cheesy smile and raised his arms up defensively, "Not that I wanna fight with anyone here, but if she has the answers to all this shit, then I think we oughta hear her out. Danger be damned, I can handle anything that comes my way." As if to punctuate that point, he snapped his fingers and then placed both hands on his hips causally. Bravado was an art form, and he was a master of it.

"So let's just go," he said, the arrogance overflowing. "I want answers like the lot of you."

_________________
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Laozi

”A sister. I see,” she replied to Kazuo before murmuring to herself, ”So Satoko was right...”

She pushed her insular thoughts away, though, looking back up to the boy who looked so very much like her, her gaze serious. ”The only way you could have killed the Shadow was if you had a Persona...” She let that statement hang in the air, as if she wanted to say something else on the matter, but then looked away. ”Of course I have one...It wouldn't be possible for me to be here if I didn't...That also means you, at the least, have to have one...even if we completely disregard the Shadow.”

”I'm–“ her affirmation of her health was cut short as Kitano scooped her up into his arms, causing her eyes to widen in alarm for a moment. When she realized what was going on, however, a blush suffused her cheeks and she quickly looked away, stiff in his arms as she pointed out the directions, like she wasn't really that used to human contact, especially with a boy.

The walk wasn't really a long one...They'd only gone a couple of blocks when Kaoru began to look around, brow furrowed. ”This...looks right...” The words were scarcely out of her mouth before the streetlights began to flicker, and the glass of the building next to them seemed to ripple faintly as one of their reflections moved oddly, just like before. However, this time, it wasn't Kazuo's reflection, but the little first year Emi's.

As it shifted with a movement that didn't match, a glaring difference from the face it reflected was shown: the left side of the reflection's face was marred with a prominent scar, and the eye was damaged enough that it seemed to be completely white.

”There she is. Everybody walk through that,” Kaoru said, pointing at the pane of reflective glass that had the not-right reflection in it. ”Except you,” she said, glancing to Emi. ”You have to stay here so they can get back.”

*****
~ Mirror World ~

Satoko paced in place, biting at her thumbnail. Kaoru had been pushed to the other side by the Chariot Shadow. That meant her theories were indeed correct; worse, it meant that they had been completely and utterly set up.

“Don't worry, Hibiki,” she said offhandedly as she walked quickly back and forth, whether or not the other girl had even shown a hint of agitation. “She knows my theories...If nothing else, she'll deal with the Shadow and return to this point on the Other Side, and maybe we can communicate...”

It was only the sixth time she explained it. It wasn't as though the mask-toting girl didn't get what Satoko was saying. It was more like the scarred girl was trying to convince herself.

And then, their moment alone came to an end as the glass beside them rippled, like the surface of a lake broken by a thrown stone. Satoko turned, brows furrowing as she stared at the glass, and then brightened. ”See, what'd I tell you?”

In moments, the view from this side was completely clear, showing the entire group from the Other World, with Kaoru in the arms of the large bully, and Satoko's own reflection with both eyes. ”Luck-eeee!” She exclaimed as her eyes fell on her own reflection, who was looking confused as the others began to step toward the weak spot between worlds.

_________________

Official Forum Mom

The glass window twisted for a moment and an error in the reflection appeared. Emi was looking a lot more beat up in her reflection. It was then that Kitano realized that this was the point of no return. This was the border between the ordinary and insanity.

But a delinquent's life was never ordinary to begin with.

Kitano hesitated for all of one second and walked through the glass. The surface rippled around him and he slipped through.

The girl in the reflection and another girl were standing before him. One looked like Emi - a very wounded Emi - and the other was a female version of the pretty boy, Hishou. Kitano supposed he shouldn't be surprised. Maybe this was a world where all the genders had been flipped? Or to account for Emi, maybe everyone here were girls?

Girls could be just as dangerous as men though, Kitano knew that from experience.

"What is this place?" He asked automatically, he had to get through the obvious questions, "Who are you people?"

_________________

Kitano's frustration was becoming even more apparent due to Kaoru's slow pacing, culminating in him just lifting the girl up without much trouble. Kazuo grimaced slightly in response, hoping it wouldn't cause her to freak out or anything.

"Touji-san, I don't think that's..."

His words were interrupted by an outburst from Taro who seemed to have been bottling up some frustration of his own, though his seemed aimed at Kitano rather than their strange guide. The whole ordeal finished with some boasting by Hane as some sort of awkward attempt at calming people down.

Kazuo sighed and rubbed his forehead due to his vicarious embarrassment. Still, Kaoru guided them and he followed, still eager to learn the meaning behind all this. The girl had mentioned how the only way to beat the shadow was with a Persona, and how she indeed had one of her own. Truthfully, Kazuo was glad to hear this since it meant someone had at least some idea of what had happened to them. Still, what was so important that they needed to be shown rather than told? Why was it only possible for Kaoru to be "here" because of Persona? The questions just kept repeating in his mind, yet he remained silent out of faith that they'd be answered eventually.

After a few blocks of walking, the third-year was getting a bit restless, but before he could inquire just how much further they had to go, the dark-haired girl still being carried by the larger boy seemed to suggest they had arrived. Kazuo didn't have a chance to ask just what they were supposed to be seeing as the lights began to flicker in a now familiar fashion. The glass from a nearby window rippled and showed another unusual reflection, but this time of the young first-year.. or at least so he thought. In reality, the reflection didn't mirror the girl's appearance precisely as it should...

Kaoru ordered them to, what sounded like, walk through the glass. Kazuo wasn't about to state how this was impossible, considering the strange occurrences earlier, but it didn't stop him from being hesitant.

Kitano, on the other hand, seemed to waste no time as he carried Kaoru through the glass, the supposedly solid material rippling like water as he did.

"Well..." Kazuo started softly before glancing at the remainder of the group. "Through the looking glass we go, Alice."

With that, he stepped through. The transfer was seemingly instananious, and once "inside" Kazuo was greeted by the sight of others who also struck him as familiar-looking. The concept of this other world was finally starting to hit him. He held onto that thought for a moment as he glanced over to Kitano.

"DIdn't expect that from you, Captain Skeptical. Thought for sure I'd have to be the first one to take the step... Anyway I think you can probably put her down now..." He commented with a slight smirk which quickly faded as he looked toward their welcoming party, and their familiar yet different surroundings... "You know, this is becoming a lot like the first season of a sci-fi mystery. More questions and no answers..."

Listening intently to Kaoru’s words she felt deep down that Kaoru could be trusted even if her words were slightly insensitive. Either way she wasn’t going to lose track of the nice young boys who promised to take her home. She followed the footsteps of everyone else as they followed this new girl in order to get an explanation of the strange occurrences that just happened. Hitomi tried her best not to get involved in the argument that soon arose since it seemed silly and unnecessary.

Hitomi felt this eerie feeling in the air when they reached their destination. Kaoru ordered everyone except for Emi to walk into something. She couldn’t really tell what it looked like but after Kazuo’s somewhat cliché line she figured it was glass of some sort. Gathering up the small fragments of courage within her body she held her cane up in the air in front of her to make sure she was going the right way. Her nerves were getting to her as she tripped over her own feet through the portal in front of her shouting a slight shriek of surprise. Thankfully her cane helped her regain her balance before she felt flat on her face.

On the other side of the portal, although she couldn’t see the difference, Hitomi felt very odd vibes in this place and soon realized she was in a very different location that was beyond what she thought was possible. Not being able to see what was here she became defensive and cautious to her surroundings. “Hey where is everyone? Is everyone ok?” shouted a slightly disoriented Hitomi. “Can someone fill me in on what’s going on? Are we in danger?” she asked walking slightly forward with her cane in both arms just in case she had to whack some weirdo who might attack her in this unknown place. She wasn’t the best at handling unfamiliar environmental stimuli, especially since one of her strongest senses was temporarily disabled.

_________________

Next to the stranger who resembled to a certain degree the mousy young girl Emi, stood another young lady. The emphasis on lady could not be understated. There was a cool and mature look to the girl, with a face as finely shaped and chillingly stoic as a traditional doll. She wore her hair in a long, high ponytail, tied with a thin red cord bound like a rope in a facsimile of a small bow. Her eyes were an unusual dark brown shade, like cherrywood, and when the light caught it, the color seemed almost sanguine. But most distinctive was the strange device she carried in her hand, a Buddhist Shakujo. The staff, ornamented on top with jangling rings, was a device used by ancient priests to call for alms, and a self-defense weapon.

"Had a lack of ability been apparent, this one should not have chosen to associate with Miss Kaoru." She addressed the mirror Emi, with a strange way of talking. Taking all efforts to be modest, it still carried an air of nobility and ostentatious authority. Archaic and pretentious though it was, the tone was followed by the thin shadow of a backwater accent. "Such an individual would be of little use."

This girl, dressed in common dark clothes that vaguely resembled a high schooler's uniform, though not like any school the mirror-walkers would have been familiar with, turned up her chin slightly at their approach, betraying no surprise or even emotional response to their presence save for a slight tensing of her shoulders. She took a step back as they entered through the mirror, and her hand tightened on the shakujo, the rings clinking once or twice at the top.

It wasn't immediately apparent, but there were some features in her face that resembled the resident playboy from the newly arrived group. The girl, who had been addressed as Hibiki, was certainly his equal in looks on the fairer sex's side of the coin, and her eye color too was unusual. The facial structure she possessed resembled his as well in some respects. Her attitude and demeanor were downright antithetical to his however. They both paid an equal amount of attention to grooming themselves, but the differing goals caused their appearances to diverge substantially.

"Welcome back Kaoru. You look unwell." Hibiki noted bluntly. It seemed as though she was not the friendliest of companions, not even amongst the two girls from this world. She did not immediately acknowledge the others, but did submit herself to a laboriously long bow.

"This one is named Hibiki of the Tenkyouin. An associate of Kaoru, whom you have already met..." She paused. "... I suppose in this circumstance the appropriate phrase would be... good evening."

Hibiki, still bowed, made an awkward sounding attempt to speak in a tone more casual and familiar with what the recently visitors would be familiar with from their school environment. It wasn't entirely convincing.

Still, there was an air of nobility to her that could not be denied. Her attention shifted quickly and singularly to the single girl that entered through the mirror. It was obvious she couldn't see. That would be a problem.

"Fear not. You are quite safe here. This one assures it." She paid no heed to the others, but her voice was surprisingly soft when addressing the blind girl. At least her attempt to reassure seemed more genteel than Hane's somehow, even though the similarity was nevertheless there.

Hibiki approached Hitomi with a strong, commanding stride and a look of emotionless confidence. Seeing that she was looking cornered and nervous, she did not presume to take Hitomi's hand, but the blind girl should have easily been able to tell she was standing a short distance away.

"Since you are here, this one assumes you too possess the Godlike Skill, correct?"

*She speaks in a strange form of Japanese typical of her ancient family. She only ever refers to herself as jibun, which roughly translates to "myself." That was too awkward so I went with "this one," which is usually used with another archaic personal pronoun, sessha. That is more of a samurai thing and I thought it'd be a bit too extreme even for her.

_________________
FUKKATSU

"Didn't expect that from you, Captain Skeptical. Thought for sure I'd have to be the first one to take the step... Anyway I think you can probably put her down now..."

Kitano debated on saying "No", partly because having the girl!Kazuo in his arms meant she couldn't run off on him, but mostly because he didn't like being bossed around by boy!Kazuo. It was a childish thought and he snuffed it.

Kitano leaned down and gently lowered the injured girl to the ground.

"There." He paused and thought for a moment, "Unless there's more you need to show us?"

Kitano glanced around and only saw a typical street in Tokyo. That and the doppelganger girls. The Hishou clone was spouting out formalities like it was her job. A prim and proper girl who noticed the blind girl's plight right away. Noble if a little pretentious... but nothing special.

"I was kind of expecting something... more... specifically those monsters." The delinquent's hands tightened at the memory. The bull on wheels... the Voice of Justice behind him... and the explosion from his fist...

_________________

~ Mirror World ~

“Satoko. Hibiki. As to that matter, if you wish to engage with Shadows, I can be of service in locating some...Believe me, we have more than enough. Actually, if we stand here long enough out in the open, I'm pretty sure that some will find us, instead of vice-versa...” Satoko supplied in a fashion reminiscent of a scientist explaining a portion of his pet theory, with a motion to herself and the painfully formal girl at the appropriate naming moments.

”Before that...If you would kindly take a look around...Apologies, Otome-san,” Kaoru offered to Hitomi as she realized how insulting the comment might be.

Nevertheless, when the boys did lift their heads and take in their surroundings, it might take them a moment to notice it. There were little differences here and there, such as there being more wear on buildings and the streets looking more, well...an abandoned war-zone. But the biggest niggling thing might take a few more heartbeats to dawn on them: everything was backward.

Maybe that was why Kaoru had seemed so confused about where she was leading them...


~ Mirror World – Elsewhere ~

In a few settlements, the quiet of the night was shattered by the proselytization of wild-eyed men proclaiming that no one needed to fear anymore.

   “Salvation is at hand! She above has found the key to freeing our besieged peoples from the curse of never-ending war and the fear and desolation it brings! Praise Harlequin, who will lead us to the Promised Land!”   

Those more experienced in the war against the shadows may have heard the name Harlequin bandied about before...The leader of a small band of traitorous humans who seek to control the Shadows (and usually end up becoming them) tended to call herself that...

_________________

Official Forum Mom

Kazuo was momentarily distracted when Hitomi literally stumbled in next, though her quick reflexes caused her from completely faceplanting into the ground. The third-year gently gripped her shoulders momentarily to make sure she had her balance. "Hitomi-chan... I'm sorry. I imagine you're even more confused than we are... I'm just.. not sure I have an answer for you yet."

The young, blind girl indeed seemed perplexed at the situation, which would be fair even if she weren't blind. In fact it was possible she wasn't aware they went through the glass at all... But there wasn't exactly a chance to explain it to her as another young girl approached with a cold, stoic demeanor. She was beautiful, to say the least, but something about her bothered the dark-haired teen. In fact, there were a number of things that seemed off about her, such as her clothing and the fact that she was wielding a strange staff, but that wasn't all. After a bow she spoke; her dialect suggested origins that were ancient or noble, neither of which he really knew a way in which to respond. The woman's actions and words were polite enough, but her tone suggested an apathy toward the situation which frankly bothered Kazuo. How was this situation not strange to her at all? What region was she from? What time period, for that matter?

"This one is named Hibiki of the Tenkyouin. An associate of Kaoru, whom you have already met..." She paused. "... I suppose in this circumstance the appropriate phrase would be... good evening."

"Tagami Kazuo." He stated, deciding that after such a display of formality he really had no choice but to introduce himself in return. "Not entirely sure 'good' is how I'd choose to describe our evening so far, however..."

The brown-eyed girl had seemingly caught notice of Hitomi's entrance, and completely focused on her. All of the sudden her tone changed and finally registered some emotion, so when she stated that this place was safe he almost believed her right off.

"I was kind of expecting something... more... specifically those monsters."

“Satoko. Hibiki. As to that matter, if you wish to engage with Shadows, I can be of service in locating some...Believe me, we have more than enough. Actually, if we stand here long enough out in the open, I'm pretty sure that some will find us, instead of vice-versa...”

"I thought Tenkyouin just said this place was safe? You're telling me those things are common here? In fact, where exactly is 'here' anyway?"

”Before that...If you would kindly take a look around...Apologies, Otome-san,” Kaoru offered to Hitomi as she realized how insulting the comment might be.

Kazuo obliged the request, taking in the new surroundings until it hit him. "We're in some foreboding, reversed version of our shopping district... I almost didn't notice. This is like something straight out of Fringe. An alternate dimension... and what I assume are alternate versions of us..." Kazuo described out loud for Hitomi's sake as he continued to observe the barren buildings. It seemed so impossible, but at the same time quite exciting. He couldn't help but let a smirk edge out across his lips.

"It's astonishing, really, but unfortunately it doesn't explain much... You suggested we could only be here if we had the 'Godlike Skill'. I can only guess you're talking about Persona? Clearly, you know more than we do.. So please.. help us understand. Maybe take it from the top. From the things you've said about those monsters being plentiful here, and the fact that this place seems abandoned rather than just simply empty, am I right to assume those 'shadows' are the cause?

How did this happen? What is Persona and why did it choose us?"

At being addressed by Kazuo, Hibiki grew tense. She had smiled ever so faintly at Hitomi even though she clearly could not see, but when facing Kazuo the expression was immediately erased from her face. Hibiki's demeanor made her seem quite a bit older, and yet it was apparent looking at her that she was only their age, maybe younger than the 3rd years.
"Alternate versions of you? You must be mistaken. This one is Tenkyouin Hibiki, nothing more, nothing less."

Her already monotone voice grew icy cold. Apparently she didn't realize, or didn't want to recognize, that there were similarities between her and the somewhat metrosexual looking playboy following along with them. Or perhaps Hibiki didn't take kindly to the suggestion that any other human being could be compared to her, or even similar to her.
"The Godlike Skill is an inborn talent to attain shunyata, to suppress the self and allow the absolute to take control of one's body and soul. You become a shell that contains the essence of seirei from another age, the ultimate shite whose performance eliminates all traces of his former identity completely. After the metaphysical sublimation of the self is complete, the spirit acts upon this world to purge the youma that are drawn to the kegare contaminating this plane."

It might have been just her way of talking, but it seemed almost as if Hibiki had deliberately tailored her explanation to be as ambiguous and confusing as possible to Kazuo. And not out of any obvious need for secrecy either.

_________________
FUKKATSU

As soon as she caught herself from falling Hitomi felt strong masculine hands on her shoulders. The sudden grip on her shoulder caused her to panic and tense up a bit but it was clear that it was to keep her on balance and as soon as she her Kazou’s voice it was clear who it was. Hitomi sighed a bit when she heard Kazou mention that he didn’t even have an answer to her questions. She thought to herself that if someone that could actually see what was going on did not have an answer than this place must have been beyond comprehension. Before she forgot she kindly thanked him for the help.

Suddenly an unfamiliar voice entered into the young girl’s ears. It was a soft calming voice that assured her that this was a safe place. The way she introduced herself and the atmosphere about her as she came close to the blind girl, there was no doubt she had a certain air of nobility that her social class was far beyond her own. She took the words spoken by the one who introduced herself as Tenkyouin Hibiki to heart and lowered her cane back to the ground. She took a couple deep breaths and wiped the small bit of cold swear from her brow.

“I apologize I’ve just been a bit confused, I’ve been through a lot within the past hour or so. My name is Suzuki Hitomi it’s very nice to meet you Tenkyouin-san. Also I apologize for my behavior earlier I was just a little frightened.” She said bowing her head slightly as a show of respect.

Hitomi could not tell if Kaoru was trying to insult her or just had a slip of the tongue but nonetheless she wasn’t offended when she asked everyone to take a look around. “It’s alright Kaoru-san; I’m used to hearing those kinds of things a lot. I’m sorry about earlier, I probably shouldn’t have acted so cautious towards someone who was trying to give us answers. It maybe a little late but it’s nice to meet you as well.”

She listened intently to Hibiki’s explanation but it was hard to follow but Hitomi was using her own logic to try and piece everything together. Gathering her thoughts she directed her explanation towards Hibiki and Kaoru. “I’m going to try to make sense of all this so let me know if I’m wrong in anyway. So it’s true there were more of those creatures that attacked us… those Shadows. Some monstrous creature I had never seen before that appeared so vividly in my mind. I know this might be weird for someone like me to see such a thing but my uh…Persona…was it? That is what allowed me to momentarily see the other Personae and the shadow. It also allowed me to use some sort of weird magic that protected someone. I’m guessing that is what you meant by god-like skills right Tenkyouin-san?”

Turning toward Kaoru, Hitomi asked,” As for encountering other shadows I’d rather not…is there any place that is truly safe from those monsters? I don’t really like fighting I don’t like it when others get hurt. I don’t think I’d be useful if another one attacked us…” If shadows were more common in this world Hitomi wanted to avoid them as much as possible.

_________________

“Satoko. Hibiki. As to that matter, if you wish to engage with Shadows, I can be of service in locating some...Believe me, we have more than enough. Actually, if we stand here long enough out in the open, I'm pretty sure that some will find us, instead of vice-versa...”

"Right," Kitano immediately began swiveling his head, examining every dark corner or sudden movement. He had only taken a cursory glance before, but this world wasn't as similar as Kitano first thought it was. If he could pick one word to describe the difference it would be "shittier." A world ravaged by those shadow monsters apparently. The monsters seemed like just the sort to enjoy senseless violence, Kitano had experience with that type before and he had made them pay.

But first, understanding what his newfound powers were. Kitano turned his head to the noble-looking girl and tried to pay attention. Tried and failed.

"The Godlike Skill is an inborn talent to attain shunyata, to blahblahblah blah blahblah blah blah blah blahblah blah blahblah blah blah blahblah blahblahblah blah blah blahblah blah the kegare contaminating this plane."

Kitano blinked and held back a groan. The girl's explanation was so loaded with bullshit doublespeak that he wanted to wash his ears out with bleach.

"Would anyone care to actually explain what the hell Personas are?" The delinquent asked in a sour tone.

_________________

"No, please excuse this one for not preparing to greet you under more comfortable circumstances, but as is apparent, we are wanting of peace and quiet here. Verily this world is more treacherous than your own, I regret to say. Your cautiousness is well-warranted."

She placed a hand across her chest demurely and bowed. It was unnaturally flawless, as if she'd stood in front of a mirror and practiced bowing a thousand times before. It came off as stilted and austere as much of her demeanor, but Hitomi couldn't see, after all.

"But this one is honored you still assume the necessary social graces, considering our present circumstances. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

She brushed a lock of hair aside in the sort of self-assured gesture that seemed native to her breed of high class ladies.

"An apt analysis. The Godlike Skill and Persona are one in the same, or rather, the former is a state of true emptiness which must be reached to facilitate the awakening of the later. For some it comes earlier than others. This one, if she may be so bold, suspects that it was only today you all manifested your 'potential.' But my colleagues are more informed on the details." She seemed chagrined to admit the last bit.

Kitano spoke and the noble girl seemed to recoil from his presence, though not too noticeably. There was a tiny fragment of emotion in her placid expression that seemed to suggest she was both surprised and offended that the brutish young man was even capable of coherent speech.

"I sincerely hope that was quite simple enough. This one asks your forgiveness; teaching for those with lesser levels of comprehension is not a skill I have yet mastered." Hibiki stated nonchalantly to Kitano, doll-like eyes devoid of emotion.

_________________
FUKKATSU

Kitano's eyes narrowed. The girl's speech was thick with formality and obscure words, but he understood enough. More than that, he could tell what that dull-eyed glare meant.

"Y'know we have language for a reason: communication - that's a big word, I'm sure you like it," The delinquent snarled and took a step forward, "Talking just to show off how smart you are ain't helping anyone."

_________________

Taro, meanwhile, was still in 'blue screen of death' mode. His jaw was stuck open and all he could do is simply look at the world around him. At one point, the reversal of things clicked in his mind and he began to think Well, that makes sense, after all, we are in a mir- NO! It doesn't make sense! Don't think that way, Taro! He began muttering to himself but finally tuned in to the conversation. He didn't like the delinquent at all. He was simply making things worse. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the others either but at least they seemed more polite.

Taro pulled out his cellphone and saw, to his complete lack of surprise, that he wasn't getting a signal. He turned it off with a sigh and continued to gaze at the world. It was as if they had taken his world Don't think too hard about that, reversed it, then made it into a battlefield. He suddenly shuddered. In his mind's eye, he saw his home and his school, broken and battered like everything else in the world around them. He saw his parents and slowly began to walk in the direction of his home without thinking about it. "Sorry, guys, but... you know, my parents and my home and everything else. I've... I've got to make sure it's not..." He couldn't finish his sentence. Secretly, he knew exactly what he would find but he refused to accept that.

_________________
Final Fantasy IX was the best Final Fantasy game ever and if you think otherwise you are WRONG!

My fanfiction account. Comments and criticisms are very welcome.

Kazuo listened intently to Hibiki's attempt at explaining the correlation between the "Godlike Skill" and Persona, but it was apparent from her cryptic wording that perhaps asking for an explanation of Persona was a mistake. It was possible that there simply wasn't a way to explain it without becoming philosophical. That didn't stop Hibiki's words from bothering him, however. She was doing a good job of sounding as pretentious as possible, and Kitano was having none of it either as he spoke some choice words that Kazuo wouldn't have minded uttering himself.

Kazuo admired the other student's ability to be completely unflappable despite the insanity they had experienced, but at the same time the dark-haired student was really in no mood to start arguments. Hitomi was concerned for their own safety, while Taro was having perhaps the most realistic reaction of not fully comprehending the situation, or not wanting to.

"Taro-san, it would just look like your home, but it wouldn't be. It and your family are still fine on the other side." Kazuo called out to him, hoping to calm his fellow student down and stop him from wandering off. He then looked over to Kaoru, scratching his head in a moment of idle uncertainty.

"I think trying to explain everything at once is just going to be an information overload, so let's just stick to one thing. You brought us here for a reason, I assume. Why?" He asked, hoping her answers would be less exhausting and more to the point.