The Fall of the Final Enemy- Part 6
SeekerofDreams
Aspiring Farmer
- Location
- Selphia
You aren't sure why you're here.
Okay, that's oversimplifying things a bit. You're here to fight this Shadow. It's the whole reason you're awake at midnight, instead of trying to get a reasonable amount of sleep. It's a school night.
You can't even say you don't know why you're fighting this Shadow. Shadows outside of Tartarus are dangerous. Big Shadows outside of Tartarus mean there's a disaster in the making, from electrical problems to trains crashing and killing everyone on them. This whole line of Shadows, Magician to Hanged Man, has caused nothing but problems.
As Persona Users, it's your duty to handle Shadows that cause problems. After all, there's no one else who can.
It's a very good reason to be out here. You don't know why you're questioning it. And yet...
Why are you here?
Is it because these Shadows are too dangerous to be left alone? They are, you get the feeling leaving one to wander on a giant bridge is a bad idea for several reasons, but that doesn't feel right.
Is it because you were told to do so? You don't actually remember anyone telling you that. The only person who would have is Ikutsuki, and he was someone who couldn't be trusted. Possibly the only thing you know you agree with him on is that the world would be better off without the Dark Hour, and you think he might just have been saying that because he knew people would agree with it.
You still don't know what role he was playing in any of this. Even when on trial for things like hiring assassins and providing them with drugs, he never gave a reason for any of it. Was it really as simple as wanting to control the local Persona Users?
But... you don't remember him telling you to fight these Shadows for any reason beyond them being dangerously powerful Shadows. Maybe he told someone else, but... it's not the reason you're here.
Is it because you did this last time? You don't actually know what you did last time, aside from how Morgana was completely unaware of the Dark Hour until the whole time travel thing. All that means is that the Dark Hour will be gone eventually.
Could this be the cause, or something that leads to it? Maybe, but you think it's something you would have been directed towards anyway. You think it might have been inevitable, but you aren't sure which part of you is saying it.
But that doesn't feel like the reason, either.
Thanatos roars. You scramble to the side, and watch as he tears in to the Hanged Man, utterly helpless against him. The same way he tore into the Magician, all those months and months ago.
You think you understand, now.
You're here because you have to be. Because someone has to witness this, even if you don't know what it means yet.
More than that, you're here because you couldn't think of anything else.
Whatever it is you were trying to think of an alternative to. You don't know what that is, just that it exists.
Just that, the moment there's nothing left of the Shadow, something changes. You think you hear something in the distance, but it's so faint, it could just be your imagination.
The Dark Hour continues. The moon hangs full and bright in the sky. A sea of blood flows beneath you.
And you're left waiting for whatever it is that'll happen next.
"Well. That's the Arcana Shadows dealt with." Nemi doesn't sound particularly happy or upset with this. It's just a statement of fact. "I'd say we're in a better position than last time, but I don't know if anyone's ready for what comes next."
What comes next... You don't know what that is, is the problem. Should you ask?
But even if you did, how would you explain whatever you learn to everyone? Just because they know about the time travel... if anything, that might make it worse. They might wonder why you never asked about it before.
In the corner of your eye, you see the photos on the desk have been rearranged. Aigis-san and Makoto-san towards the front. The rest of SEES gathered in a cluster around them. The rest of your friends scattered toward the back, the picture of Futaba shifting between black and orange hair so quickly you can't tell what either version looks like.
Maybe you could ask about that, but that doesn't feel relevant, really. "Was there anything else we could have done?"
...You don't know why you said that. You've been thinking about it, but if there was another option... surely you would have been told about it by now?
"Not that I know of. Nothing permanent, anyway." The way he says it makes it clear that temporary solutions aren't good enough for him. "When Makoto-san showed up, I started wondering about it. I couldn't think of anything, and if Elizabeth-san never offered another choice... that probably means there wasn't one with what we had available."
So it was something you had to do. Or... someone had to do it, and you just happened to be in the area. You like the sound of that better.
You had to do it because there was nothing else that could be done.
You still don't feel bad about not getting to land the finishing blow. You wonder what that says about you.
You're wondering a lot of things tonight. You know you won't have time for all of them to get an answer. That you might not be able to do anything with whatever answers you're given. You have to ask anyway. (Pick two)
[ ] If Nemi couldn't think of permanent solutions, what were the temporary ones?
[ ] Why does he base the lack of other options on Elizabeth-san in particular?
[ ] What happened when the Shadow died?
[ ] What causes the end of the Dark Hour?
[ ] What did everyone think of the Arcana Shadows last time?
[ ] Why did he only start thinking about options when Makoto-san showed up?
[ ] You don't want to ask a second question. You'd rather hope a photo gives you the answers you need.
-[ ] Which one?
Okay, that's oversimplifying things a bit. You're here to fight this Shadow. It's the whole reason you're awake at midnight, instead of trying to get a reasonable amount of sleep. It's a school night.
You can't even say you don't know why you're fighting this Shadow. Shadows outside of Tartarus are dangerous. Big Shadows outside of Tartarus mean there's a disaster in the making, from electrical problems to trains crashing and killing everyone on them. This whole line of Shadows, Magician to Hanged Man, has caused nothing but problems.
As Persona Users, it's your duty to handle Shadows that cause problems. After all, there's no one else who can.
It's a very good reason to be out here. You don't know why you're questioning it. And yet...
Why are you here?
Is it because these Shadows are too dangerous to be left alone? They are, you get the feeling leaving one to wander on a giant bridge is a bad idea for several reasons, but that doesn't feel right.
Is it because you were told to do so? You don't actually remember anyone telling you that. The only person who would have is Ikutsuki, and he was someone who couldn't be trusted. Possibly the only thing you know you agree with him on is that the world would be better off without the Dark Hour, and you think he might just have been saying that because he knew people would agree with it.
You still don't know what role he was playing in any of this. Even when on trial for things like hiring assassins and providing them with drugs, he never gave a reason for any of it. Was it really as simple as wanting to control the local Persona Users?
But... you don't remember him telling you to fight these Shadows for any reason beyond them being dangerously powerful Shadows. Maybe he told someone else, but... it's not the reason you're here.
Is it because you did this last time? You don't actually know what you did last time, aside from how Morgana was completely unaware of the Dark Hour until the whole time travel thing. All that means is that the Dark Hour will be gone eventually.
Could this be the cause, or something that leads to it? Maybe, but you think it's something you would have been directed towards anyway. You think it might have been inevitable, but you aren't sure which part of you is saying it.
But that doesn't feel like the reason, either.
Thanatos roars. You scramble to the side, and watch as he tears in to the Hanged Man, utterly helpless against him. The same way he tore into the Magician, all those months and months ago.
You think you understand, now.
You're here because you have to be. Because someone has to witness this, even if you don't know what it means yet.
More than that, you're here because you couldn't think of anything else.
Whatever it is you were trying to think of an alternative to. You don't know what that is, just that it exists.
Just that, the moment there's nothing left of the Shadow, something changes. You think you hear something in the distance, but it's so faint, it could just be your imagination.
The Dark Hour continues. The moon hangs full and bright in the sky. A sea of blood flows beneath you.
And you're left waiting for whatever it is that'll happen next.
"Well. That's the Arcana Shadows dealt with." Nemi doesn't sound particularly happy or upset with this. It's just a statement of fact. "I'd say we're in a better position than last time, but I don't know if anyone's ready for what comes next."
What comes next... You don't know what that is, is the problem. Should you ask?
But even if you did, how would you explain whatever you learn to everyone? Just because they know about the time travel... if anything, that might make it worse. They might wonder why you never asked about it before.
In the corner of your eye, you see the photos on the desk have been rearranged. Aigis-san and Makoto-san towards the front. The rest of SEES gathered in a cluster around them. The rest of your friends scattered toward the back, the picture of Futaba shifting between black and orange hair so quickly you can't tell what either version looks like.
Maybe you could ask about that, but that doesn't feel relevant, really. "Was there anything else we could have done?"
...You don't know why you said that. You've been thinking about it, but if there was another option... surely you would have been told about it by now?
"Not that I know of. Nothing permanent, anyway." The way he says it makes it clear that temporary solutions aren't good enough for him. "When Makoto-san showed up, I started wondering about it. I couldn't think of anything, and if Elizabeth-san never offered another choice... that probably means there wasn't one with what we had available."
So it was something you had to do. Or... someone had to do it, and you just happened to be in the area. You like the sound of that better.
You had to do it because there was nothing else that could be done.
You still don't feel bad about not getting to land the finishing blow. You wonder what that says about you.
You're wondering a lot of things tonight. You know you won't have time for all of them to get an answer. That you might not be able to do anything with whatever answers you're given. You have to ask anyway. (Pick two)
[ ] If Nemi couldn't think of permanent solutions, what were the temporary ones?
[ ] Why does he base the lack of other options on Elizabeth-san in particular?
[ ] What happened when the Shadow died?
[ ] What causes the end of the Dark Hour?
[ ] What did everyone think of the Arcana Shadows last time?
[ ] Why did he only start thinking about options when Makoto-san showed up?
[ ] You don't want to ask a second question. You'd rather hope a photo gives you the answers you need.
-[ ] Which one?
