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

[pitiedthefool]

Yu vaguely recognized the name, at least. Though he couldn't help but note his family name. Inaba-san, huh. How fitting. This shadow really did know subtle humor, at least. Too bad he wasn't really interested in playing along for long.

Yu draws his sword, a click resounding through the halls as his Persona changes. Chariot Arcana... hm. Chariots were known for physical attacks if he remembered right from what Teddie and Rise would shout in battle. But then, all of them had the power of the wild card. Well, this would be interesting either way.

"Let's make this quick, then..."

His eyes flicker red for a brief moment, popping his neck back into place as the card drops before him and shatters on its own and Kohryu roars into existence. Ziodyne always was his best friend... Let's see if the same holds true, now.

[imperialeclipse]

[BLOCK]

The shadow fired one shot at him with his gun before throwing it over his shoulder.

HP [████████████░]
SP [█████████░░░░]

"Quick? Oh no no no Yu. Mark is everything but quick! Shall I go on about how he had a crush on Maki would would tell Naoya nearly every day? Of course Naoya knew about it...that's why he couldn't bring himself to do anything about his own heartbeats...

..of course if Mark only knew about the fact Maki's Dream Self kissed him and told him she loved him! Naoya tried to play the big hero by leaving when the graduated but the truth was...he couldn't face her or him. He said it was so Maki could make a choice by her own, but let's face it, leaving for three years? That's a coward's way out! And by doing so, he completely didn't realize that Eriko also liked him...until it was too late.

Now neither girls are here. And neither is Mark! He's more like the tragic sidekick in this story, isn't he? Always wanted to be the big hero, but Naoya and even Nanjo stole the show! What did he have to show for it, after all? He wasn't smart, funny, powerful or the hero type! I don't think Naoya really cares about him at all, ha ha ha!"

The energy behind the Shadow formed thick smoke, and the shadow Persona appeared behind him, the hair snapping in the wind.

"Susano-o."

The Persona open its mouth, a stream of black liquid spilling forth, the Eternal Black spell causing heavy curse damage.

[pitiedthefool]

Kohryu takes the hit for Yu with one of its many claws, static beginning to show on it as the Persona glares with its huge red eyes. Of course... and if his assessment is accurate, with the summoning of a different version of Susano-o that he is used to, then...

"Change!"

He transforms back into a Hierophant card at Yu's calling out, not second-guessing for a minute before Izanagi-no-Okami takes the dragon's place. It was time to guessing game and figure out what would work. And really, he could care less what the Shadow was saying. If only because it drove far too close to Yosuke's own confession of ressentiment towards him. If only Yosuke knew just how the feelings were reciprocated. Maybe then-

There is something deadly in his eyes and how they seem to glow behind the darkened lenses and he holds his hand out. Izanagi twirls his blade before the light around it ignites, flames shooting up from the ground.

Flames thou should hath cast on another whilst thou had the opportunity.

He shakes the thought from his mind.

"He didn't need to be." Whether it was Mark or Yosuke... it applied to either of them. "No one has to be smart, funny, or powerful to be a hero to someone."

Yu's gaze doesn't falter, even though that Curse damage seriously hurt his Persona and thus himself. He'd withstand anything for them... his friends.

"And it doesn't change the fact that they are a team, depending on each other as equals."

[imperialeclipse]

"Ha ha what lunacy! Do you really think he thinks of his team as equals? He didn't end up with the Emperor card for nothing, you know...unlike you. I think...oh yes! He does envy you! While you manage to not only get yourself nearly all of your group here, you all seem to work as a tight-knit group. He, on the other hand, had to babysit them so many times! Put Nanjo, Brown and Mark in a room and it'll drive anyone nuts! Too bad he's only seen one of them here and he didn't even stay for a month! It's like the tower just wanted him to crack! Or maybe he simply doesn't care for them at all..."

HP [█████████░░░░]
SP [█████████░░░░]

Mark's Shade grasps its chest, as clear red blood seeps through. The only color in its sea of monochrome. Even if it is just a shade, the pain it has in its face and blood looks all too real.

"But understand this. Without him pulling the strings, they'd have fallen apart at the seams. And he both loved and resented them for that."

Despite this, it doesn't seem to be changing Personas...it might not be able to at all. Raising his hand again, he cast Magry, a small gravity spell, before firing more bullet from his gun, unaware of the other's current immunity.

[pitiedthefool]

Izanagi-no-Okami stays behind him, holding up his blade to take the brunt of the gravity damage. Both Persona and user have no direct immunities to them, but the sight of the blood... it leaves Yu hesitating for a brief moment before he remembers. No... This was not human (or was it? Could it feel pain? Sadness? He isn't sure, but it knows he likely wouldn't stop attacking).

"You don't think we were the same way? I've seen my family come and go...!"

His family... that's right. Dojima-san had...

For a brief moment, Yu glances away before Izanagi-no-Okami utilizes Mind Charge on them both. Not that it helps any, when there is a ringing in his ears. Save them... I can't...

'What's the matter, Yu? Isn't it too early to give up?'

"Want to know why my Arcana is the Fool? Because I'm the one who was lost. We all are without others showing us the way.

Humanity is a two-way road. There is no such thing as taking without giving. Even if we can't understand one another, sometimes people need someone to give them a push in the right direction." His gaze returns to the sight before him as the flames of a mind-charged Agidyne spell are cast once more. "We don't have to like it all the time. That's just human nature."

...God, he feels like such a hypocrite right now.

1/2

[imperialeclipse]

The shadow's hat and clothing began to burn from the force of the attack the creature screaming in pain as it fell to the floor, in a pool of blood.

"Teams of Fools deluding themselves into self-sacrifice, maybe."

HP [███░░░░░░░░░░]
SP [█████████░░░░]

The shade's skin started to break and crack, as the Persona behind him disappeared, only to reform with the shade into a gigantic, absolute horror, the humanoid head twisted in ways no human should ever be, the Persona's arms sticking behind him like a pair of wings. It took a step forward, causing the ground to shake with the power of and earthquake. The shade growled before doing a few quick hand movements.

"Now that's more like it! Looking terrible there, Mark! Bet that's how you felt when you saw Maki turn into Pandora!"

HP [████████████░]
SP [█████████░░░░]

"And now it's healed itself! Guess that's back to square one for you, Yu. But not for too long, I'm afraid..."

With the other pair of arms, a gigantic ball of energy gathered, as it cast Megidolaon, the powerful nuclear & almighty spell aimed directly at Yu. As it passed by, the trees nearby shook with the terrifying power it wielded, as they melted and burst into flames.

"...Goodbye. It was fun watching you squirm."

[imperialeclipse]

But the attack never connected. Instead of obliterating the other user, the spell stuck a strange glowing wall, which absorbed the shock, reflecting part of it back at the monstrous shade.

HP [███░░░░░░░░░░]
SP [███████░░░░░░]

"What?!" No longer the snarky tone, Naoya's shadow let out an enraged cry. "Nothing can block an Almighty attack! It's impossible!"

As it began to curse, a voice rang out in Yu's head. This time it sounded like the real Mark, without any distortion. Memories of Naoya's time with him...

"...C'mon Naoya! We gotta hurry, or we'll be in even more hot water!..."

"...Everyone gets jealous. I know I do..."

"...But we're not alone..."

"...Hehehe... That, and we believe in ourselves!"

Yu would suddenly find a boost of energy as a healing spell was cast upon him, and that his Chariot, Moon, Strength and World Personas more powerful than before.

The enraged shade ran forward to try and attack him once more.

1/2

[pitiedthefool]

He grit his teeth. The shadow did not just say that about his friends.... It did not. He could feel the white-hot anger burning deep in his soul at the words. So hot, he can't stop himself from screaming in the same cold cruelty of the element he specialized in.

"I will not allow you to say these needlessly cruel words about the voices that guide us through the deepest darkness!"

In fact, he was going to land a finishing blow before the mutation began - something he couldn't help but stare at in the same kind of sick fascination as one would a car wreck. He was simply unable to look away, even when he fell to the ground. Izanagi-no-Okami disappears in the same moment, leaving Yu vulnerable. This was far too familiar to what happened to Namatame with Kunino-Sagiri...

For the first time this entire week, a flicker of fear crosses his expression. Because he knows what the ones from previous generations are capable of in and of themselves. Not to mention he knows that spell far too well and this one is out of control.

He braces himself, prepared to try and withstand the blast when-

[pitiedthefool]

When he sees the barrier reflect some of the blast right back to the shade. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought, either. No matter... because he can hear that voice, and it's exactly the same for him as it had been when he had heard the others.

Yu was right. He couldn't help the way his eyes lit up, the white-hot fury resurfacing in place of the fear.

"The strong bonds between team members can never be broken, regardless of how well they get along with one another. It's the same with anyone who overcomes the trials of the kind of paths we take."

The Investigation Team leader began to stand, drawing his sword once more.

"No matter how far apart or how separated we become..."

He stands his ground even as the shade runs toward him once more, cooly raising the blade with both hands. However, he doesn't seem to be aiming it at the monstrosity. Rather, he is aiming at the ground.

"...Their hearts still cry out as one!"

Yu stabs the blade deep into the ground as the blue light and electric sparks fly about him, revealing he just stabbed his own Arcana card in half on the ground as Izanagi-no-Okami reforms before him again, the blade in his Persona's hand spins before him as though it were levitating. Because you see, they'd been holding back... and Yu only used this attack once before.

"It's over!"

It's as the shadow says... Almighty damage is nigh unblockable. The same could be true for the almighty light forming into a sort of eye before the onslaught of energy begins in pulses... like a heart beating at a normal pace.

[imperialeclipse]

"This is finally it...let's give it everything we got!"

The shade has no chance. Even as it tries to backtrack its advance and pathetically block from the attack, the spell's bright light paralyzes it into place. The booming sound echoes in the forest as it hits him, and Mark's shade is obliterated until nothing is left but a small pile of dust.

The wind takes care of removing any trace of what just happened. Apart from the burning pixelated trees, of course.

[RANK UP!]
HP [████████████░]
SP [████████████░]
UNBREAKABLE FRIEND BOND

The shadow's curses had fallen silent, the taunting completely gone. In front of Yu, the pinkish foilage that once obstructed the path move around until a new path was formed.

[pitiedthefool]

Yu drew his sword from the ground as he watches the dust scatter in the wind, cleaning it quickly before sheathing it once more. This bond of friendship between Naoya and Mark was strong. That the shadow would attempt to use it against them was not a tactic so easily brushed aside.

"I believe in the myriad of truths before us, no matter how hard it is to grasp it."

Don't worry, Inaba-san... he thought, I'll do whatever I can to help your friend. Now, and however long it is we exist in this godforsaken tower.

He'll do what he can, and maybe even more, to show the others they aren't alone. Yes, even himself. After all, the World is an Arcana that always makes miracles.

Yu continues on...