You've Really Lost Your Mind

[imperialsun]

Characters: Naoya and YOUR BRAVE PARTY OF anyone who wants to help with his Shadow
Setting: Forest Level, 12th of September
Format: Starting with prose, but we can switch it up
Summary: Someone's realizing his so-called twin brother is not really the twin he was looking for.
Warnings: BROTHERRRRRRR

How could he have been this foolish and let it linger on for so long?

Even if he already knew the answer, Naoya's steps felt heavy with each he took, Amon-Ra and Vishnu trying to reassure him that they'd defeat him. He already knew it was his shadow now...so why was it still here?

The forest area, he had said. Old memories if when him and Maki had walked on the journey to meet another shadow a while ago...this was no chance selection of the battleground. And he was right; the place had been completely transformed by the fog and the Shadow's will. The trees took on an 8-bit pixelated look, pink in color.

But even worse, an old model of the MSX machines stood before them; he'd spent countless hours on it, playing games...

After reading it, his hand clenched into a fist.

"He's right. I can't risk any of you in this." After all, the first time it had only been him and Maki.

[OOC- Anyone can join at all if you'd like!]

Comments

[imperialeclipse]

The attack finds its mark, and Brown coughs up blood.

HP [███████░░░░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

"Always was the more useless member of the team. What's he going to do? Keep bragging about how he's actually the hero? Try to pick up on girls? Try to grab one of the doors on Nemesis tower? He did that, you know. What kind of idiot like that is allowed to breathe?"

The Shade calls upon the Persona again, this time unleashing a Heavenly Cyclone. The wind spell goes at Ken, and due to the fact he doesn't need to recharge, Brown uses the same movement to propel himself towards Ken, his spear aimed directly his target.

[miseris_socios]

Shit. Two attacks at once? That's not how you run an RPG, Naoya. Ken brings up his arms to try to minimize the damage at first. Once the majority of the attack is over, he sweeps his spear out - though away from Brown's attack.

"Nemesis' tower, huh? I'll have to get Naoya to tell me about that sometime."

He uses the momentum to slam his spear against the ground and pivot around it, sending himself flying towards Brown, a two-footed kick aimed for his face.

[imperialeclipse]

Naoya's shadow made his own damn rules.

"Oh but make sure you ask him stories about his family! He'll be glad to tell you all about that! Hahaha...".

The attack connected and Brown's neck made a terrible sound as he fall on the side, blood spilling from one side of his mouth. Somehow he was able to rise again.

HP [██████░░░░░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

"What's that Brown? Can't take your own...punchlines? Looks like you might need a little help..."

Suddenly the shade's form began to grow, as it merged with his Persona, wings sprouting from his back, a large fabric covering most of his head so that all Ken could see was a pair of glowing yellow eyes, and clawed hands that gripped a much larger spear.

"Try knocking him off his feet now!"

It cast a rapid series of Tarukaja and Rakukaja in such succession, its the entire frame began to glow as a warning...

[miseris_socios]

"Oh, scary." Such deadpan. Blame the others for it, but he's just not that impressed. "I thought you were supposed to be into video games. You can't come up with something scarier?"

Oh come on. Two attacks? Not fair. Ken casts another Ziodyne, given that it seemed to work pretty well before...

[imperialeclipse]

[BLOCK]

"Oh don't worry. It's much scarier than you might think. What's that? Can seem to hit him anymore? Isn't that too bad..."

HP [██████░░░░░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

It cast Tarukaja and Rakukaja on itself again. This time, the wings began to lose their feathers, leaving only the skeleton and the skin melted off his clawed hands, leaving only the bone.

And not attacking yet...

[miseris_socios]

Crap. He tried to swallow his disgust at the sight in front of him. He summoned Dike again for a Hama, hoping that something will hit, anything. He didn't like the pattern he was seeing in front of him.

Fuck bosses that turtle. That's just cheap.

1/2

[imperialeclipse]

[BLOCK]

"Hahaha. Guess this is where you fall, Ken. You were getting pretty boring anyway..."

HP [██████░░░░░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

The hood fell off and now it was just a skeleton with Brown's clothing on him. The spear had turned into a scythe and with the powers of both Tarukaja and Rakukaja on him, he moved his skeleton hand, casting Mazandyne. The blast of energy flew from his body directly at Ken.

"You might feel your skin cook for a few seconds. Try not to scream too much in pain and die with dignity!"

2/2

[imperialeclipse]

[REFLECT]

"WHAT?!"

HP [████░░░░░░░░░]
SP [██████░░░░░░░]

The shade fell back from the force of the attack, the flames burning off the remaining clothing. Now there was just a skeleton and glowing yellow eyes.

"I know a little twerp like you shouldn't be able to stop that! ...How?"

A voice spoke, sounding like the shade before, only this time the voice wasn't distorted. Memories Naoya had of Brown...

"...Persona huh...? Well, depending how you use it, anything might be possible...."

"...Hey, to tell you the truth, you're so quiet, I always thought you were weird...
But after fighting along with you, I get it now! You're one hip, happenin' dude!
You're like, the next strongest and second most reliable, after me!
I gotta give you props! Seriously...."

"...I'd never turn my back on my friends! It's bad for my rep, man!..."
"...Now let's get this showdown started!"

A surge of energy healed Ken completely, and powered up his Justice Arcana. In retaliation, the shade lunged at him, weapon raised in the air, as it prepared another attack at him.

[miseris_socios]

You know what? At this point, Ken wasn't even going to question this. He just took the healing and grinned, imagining theme music in his head.

He lept up to meet the scythe with his spear and kick the shade in the crotch.

[imperialeclipse]

"For truth, justice, and the St. Hermelin way!"

It was as if time moved slowly. The scythe fell from the creature's hand and landed far back, and Ken's kick might have hit only bone, but the power he had cause it to shattered. White light erupted as each piece of the shade cracked and disappeared, until there was only its head hovering above.

It then fell on the forest floor, only to disappear in a puff of lingering smoke.

[RANK UP!]
HP [████████░░░░░]
SP [████████░░░░░]
HERO OF JUSTICE

The shadow's taunts had fallen silent. In front of him, the pinkish trees retracted in all their pixelated glory, opening a new path.

[miseris_socios]

Ken just grinned and looked up at his status bar.

"Awesome!"

He ran off through the path, trying to find the others.