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"Ahhh, crap, that hurt!" Keira was taken aback by the energy of the Leviathan's laser.
I didn't think dreams could hurt you. She thought worriedly.

Increasingly unnerved by the advancing creature, Keira focused on what she could do.
A small gasp escaped her lips as a plan came to mind, but before she could communicate it verbally to her Persona, Iris had already begun to extend her arms forward. She placed her palms facing the evil before them, and a blast of blinding light shot forth, aimed directly at the creature's eyes.

As Iris took action, Keira took aim herself. Opening up her tessen to its fullest, she stood with one leg in front of the other, poised to throw the sharp, metallic fan at the Leviathan's eyes once blinded by her summon's light.
I hope I don't miss.

James gave a panicked shout as the wave of energy rushed towards him. He was knocked off his feet, but was pleasantly surprised that he'd only been hurt rather than obliterated.

"Guys, I think I'm invincible!" James shouted, leaping to his feet and brandishing his revolver excitedly.

Meanwhile, Phaeton continued his assault on the monster. He spurred his horse higher into the air and, diving suddenly, attempted to plunge his burning spear into the top of the beast's head.

The Lonely Ice Rink

Max

As if to playfully mock Max (or perhaps spurred on by his attempt), Satyr loudly whistled the whole way as it sailed through the air to bring the kick to Leviathan. In anticipation of the strike, the serpentine creature led Satyr through its flight path and used its still-working left wing to slap Max's Persona away like a fly.

As the wing-strike landed, Max felt a shocking pain in conjunction with Satyr, enough to dislodge him from his dagger-hold on the enemy. From his former perch he plummeted nearly twenty feet, landing on the ice with a thud. Max found himself on the ice a few feet away behind Leviathan, disoriented from the combined blows. The ice was oddly not as cold as ice in the waking world would be, but it made Max uncomfortable to lay on for some reason. He was able to slowly come to as the battle continued, and Satyr returned to float slightly in front of him. The torrent of blue fire surrounding the two continued to blaze despite the injuries sustained.

Oscar, Keira

Ares rushed forward with the greatsword and brought it down with great force, but Leviathan's positioning allowed it to use its overturned wing to block the strike. Metal screeched against metallic skin as the serpent struggled to hold the sword back in a deadlock, its body twisted slightly to orient itself.

In Keira's case, Ares' occupation of the enemy was the perfect opportunity. With the urging of her summoner, Iris released a blinding flash. Leviathan shirked from this, its grip on the deadlock weakening from the surprise maneuver. Keira flung her tessen and found her mark as the metallic fan collided squarely with the red visor serving as the beast's eyes. Contact was made with a crashing sound as the visor shattered from the attack, scattering red glass all about the ice rink. Behind the visor was oily, black blood now freely dripping from the dark rectangle that supposedly held the creature's eyes.

Leviathan could only escape the deadlock in one way, by angling itself further to make Ares' sword slide downward. Again more metal screeching filled the area as Ares' sword slid across the wing and crashed into the ice, lodging into it and forming a large crack. The greatsword dissipated after this, and the ice almost instantly reformed itself, looking as if no damage had ever been done. The same could not be said for Leviathan, whose only usable wing now bore a large black gash.

James

Under his summoner's command, Phaeton descended from the sky with its mighty flaming spear. Leviathan looked up to assess the situation; a grave mistake, one it was unable to save itself from in light of its now injured wing. Phaeton's blazing lance lodged itself in the weak point that Keira had created, causing an explosion of fire as Phaeton flew away. Leviathan stumbled back, its face now entirely charred beyond recognition. It looked liable to keel over at any moment, and did not seem able to put up any more resistance; a sign for a coup-de-grace.

Brendan continued to feel slight pains whenever Leviathan was struck, growing with intensity as the strikes likewise climbed in magnitude. He was still not clear about the cloudy feelings in his head, but one detail stuck out; whatever the presence within him was, it was trying to get out.

Oscar Nigel Tarinson

"Don't get cocky!" Oscar Nigel Tarinson half-shouted at James before stopping to watch Ares and the other persona's do their work in a mixture of curiosity and amazement. "Take that you [&@%!]!" He yelled as the image of his family lingered on the front of his mind as the creature's visor was destroyed and the sword of Ares inflicted a gash on it's wing.

Ares paid no attention to his sword after losing his grip and backed away just as Pheaton's lance hit it. His right hand reached behind his back to retrieve something. A large bow manifested itself in his hand and was almost as tall as he was. He planted it into the ground using both hands. The bow itself was black with a large purple skull in the centre of it. The mouth was open and was 2 feet wide. Ares pulled on the purple string and a large arrow formed with the tip being bright red. He took aim at the Leviathan's eye and put all of his strength into firing it.

Kieran smirked, snapping his fingers. "Pleiades!" He shouted, pulling on his meteor hammers. A shimmer of light and the persona had her own pair; manifested from pure light, Kieran spun his weapon to build up speed; Pleiades copying him, before swinging it down. The glowing meteor hammer of light struck down, suddenly at Leviathan. Kieran huffed angrily, imagining Levithan as the object he really wanted to hit, His father.

"Unnnhhhh...Okay, this dream sucks." Max wheezed, as Satyr picked him up off the icy floor. The two watched the battle's final chapter unfold.

Oscar, Kieran

The arrow shot by Ares flew forth and struck true in Leviathan's vulnerable eye (or lack thereof). The shadow's massive, metallic form began to buzz and flicker, like static from an old television.

The final nail on the coffin came from Kieran and Pleiades, whose combined meteor strike hit their intended target and erupted into a brilliant explosion of light. The explosion was mixed with a massive cloud of black-red smoke, rising into the air from where Leviathan no long laid prone.

Brendan felt a shocking sensation that erupted through his whole body. For a moment he was in a state of stasis, unaware of nothing but the blinding light and the buzzing feeling that had consumed him, dully ringing through every part of him.

The Lonely Ice Rink

Once everyone was able to see clearly, they saw the same figure from earlier before things got weird; Shadow Brendan, standing alone with his head lowered and his arms hung at his sides, as if he were ashamed of what had happened. He was no longer surrounded by the reddish smoke; it was was bluish in tinge now, a soft blue that called to mind images of the Velvet Room

The Persona users, with torrents of blue fire still spiraling around both themselves and their Personas, could easily tell that the shade bode them no harm; even if it did, it was unlikely that it could do anything at all.

Brendan

Brendan, on the other hand, had finally come to, and suddenly felt a pang of pity and empathy for the lonely shadow standing in the center of the rink. The muffled screams from the back of his mind were now clear whispers, speaking phrases foreign yet so very familiar...

I am thou... thou art I...

Shadow-Brendan looked up from his stance in the center of the rink, staring at his true incarnation.

Your twisted emotions had run rampant... but have been contained. Speak to the reflection, come to understand it... understand us.

Jukebox: Jeremy Soule - Icewind Dale - Kuldahar (Meet Your True Self)

The ice rink sounded suddenly quiet.
As the smoke around the now passive shadow Brendan lessened, Keira looked at the others.

"We did it!" She shouted, an excited smile on her face, her fist clenched in triumph.
"That was totally awesome, guys, we were like superheroes! Everyone okay?"

"Some more than others." Max noted coyly as he looked at Kieran. "Okay, seriously, what kind of dream is this? I feel good. Aside from being wing-smacked by some moron snake, I mean."

He tried to will the clothes off everybody present, to see if he were lucid dreaming, to no avail.

"Well, at least I can fly now, sorta. Up, fella! I'm gonna make the most of this!" He bade Satyr to carry him up into the sky.

Oscar Nigel Tarinson

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" Oscar Nigel Tarinson raised his katana in the air as the leviathan was smited by the combined force of Ares,Pleidas and Kieran. He glared at the shadow version of Brendan and was still angry at seeing his family. Sorrow was tugging at his soul as he recalled his 10th birthday and he clenched his fist around the hilt of the katana but turned to look at Keira. "Yes. Just [&@%!] off." He remarked. Ares folded his arms and gave a silent nod of approval to the other personas.

Makoto stood there, seeing all of this unfold in front of her eyes... Realising she hadn't actually contributed to that fight, pulling her collar a little... She just kept holding her Halberd and looked between everyone, and then the Personas. These dream was vivid, and very long. "We're fine." She still wasn't wanting to try taking too many steps, this was a dream, but the ice could still be slippery... She was still worrying about it, even after everything that had happened.

Brendan looked at his shadow clone, and thought about what had just transpired. For a moment he began to reflect on the strangeness of this all, and how it could even be possible, but he quickly jumped off of that train of thought. He figured that either he was having insane hallucinations, or this was all real somehow. All he could do was go on treating it as if it was the latter, because there wasn't much he could do if it was the former.

And if it was real, then this... being... knew what he hid in the dark corners of his mind; the fears which he had never spoken to anybody. It was more than just some mindless clone or impostor. The things it had showed him... they came from him. He felt that to be true, and if he could trust his instincts anywhere, it was here in this strange dream world. He was afraid of those things - afraid of losing his identity and future, afraid of driving away the people he cared about, afraid of failing in his goals.

Until he could conquer those fears, they were a part of who he was. And so was this entity that embodied them. "You came from me the whole time," he said to it, in all but a whisper. And though he knew not how this could be true through any logical train of reasoning, the understanding came to him as a gut feeling once again. "Somehow, I guess, you... are me."

Max, Makoto

Satyr scooped Max up and ferried him upwards. The farther Max went, however, the more he felt like he was pushing the limit of his stamina; almost like the feeling of pressure from diving too deep into a pool. He felt compelled to return to the ground soon after, again denied a chance at flying.

Makoto found that the ice wasn't actually slippery, again oddly differentiating itself from true ice.

Brendan

Shadow Brendan gazed at his true self, the real reflection, and listened intently even when Brendan wasn't speaking. The real Brendan felt the connection between himself and the shade standing before him, felt each word he spoke and thought as if his shadow were saying them right back.

The final words sealed the connection, Brendan's reconciliation with his inner darkness, and was signified by a bright blue glow. Shadow Brendan faded away and was replaced by a . Brendan felt compelled to reach out to it, and upon making contact with it, a bright flash blinded all present for the slightest moment.

When sight returned, Brendan's own Persona floated in front of him, both summoner and Persona wreathed in soft but rhythmic torrents of blue flame. appeared as a muscular, fierce east Asian-looking man with a red-toned face and thick beard (reminiscent of the ). He wore what appeared to be a traditional Chinese robe, but in fact made out of stitched-together hockey jersey fabric.

In his hands was held a weapon with most of the components of a , but with the blade in the curved shape of a hockey stick's blade.

At last, you have come to know me, to know yourself. The road ahead will be full of peril; trust in your persistence and know victory.

The Persona lowered itself to be on-level with Brendan (though it still towered above him in height), and respectfully pounded a fist on its chest and bowed in a motion of understanding.

I shall come to you whether far or near, for I am always within. I am thou, thou art I. From the sea of thy soul, I come... I am Guan Yu, the roaring green dragon of the second kingdom. Together and as one, we will hold fast and find glory.

The exchange went unheard by anyone but Brendan, but the others would likely understand that he had just gone through a similar experience to his. Guan Yu floated just off the ground in front of his summoner, looking down fondly.

Jukebox: KOEI TECMO - Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII - Theme of Guan Yu (Guan Yu)


The ice rink was still rather quiet, save for the soft swirling of the of the flames around the summoners and their Personas; these flames had calmed down considerably since the battle's end, but continued to flare out in each direction as they circled about.

Oscar Nigel Tarinson - Victory Achieved!

Oscar Nigel Tarinson had to admit that the beard of the new entity was quite impressive. "Welcome to the club." He needed to punch something or stab something or generally work out his issues on. "So, now what? Do we stay here until we die of boredom or [&@%!] celebrate about kicking the arse of the [&@%!] that messsed with our heads?" He asked everyone whilst observing the flames around everyone. "Oh and anyone else noticed that we've got [&@%!] flames around us?" He hoped he wasn't the only one seeing it but would not have been surprised if his mind was playing tricks. He clenched his other fist as he recalled the mocking laughter of his family. I need a damned drink and time alone but if I can hold it together and be more [&@%!] until I get to somewhere private. The others will not think less of me. Must be strong and can cry later. Just remember all the times they abused you. Use anger to hide sorrow. Ooo, should use that in a poem at some point. "Don't suppose you can conjur up something for me to punch?" He asked Ares.

Kieran blinked, breathing out as he ran his hand through his hair. "Okay guys. Seriously. WTF." Yes he actually abbreviated it. "Just.. what." He looked at Pleiades, rubbing his nose. Frowning slightly. "So.. I guess we're wizards now?"

Apparently my inner self is a Chinese dude? Brendan thought, a bit of amusement seeping in amidst the awe. But he repeated Guan Yu's motion, fist to chest and bowing. He felt honoured to have such an evidently fierce and potent avatar.

Now accompanied by his Persona, Brendan turned to face his rescuers. "So." he said. "Uh... what now?"

"Oh!" Keira exclaimed, as Brendan's former clone morphed into a Chinese warrior-of-sorts.

She pouted her lips and raised an eyebrow at Oscar.
"Gees, you get paid for every cuss?"

Keira shrugged at the others.
"No idea. Maybe...we just wake up now?"

Makoto shook her head. "I don't want this dream again." Nervously, she took a few steps, seeing that it didn't make her slip at all. She felt like an idiot for not helping, but it seemed like they had it handled. She wasn't sure where she was walking, but she was walking there. A way out didn't sound bad, because she didn't want to wait around and wake up.

The Lonely Ice Rink

As Makoto walked towards one of the ends of the arena, a soft glow cropped up from the ice and took the shape of a door. The door, standing in empty space above the rink, opened inwards. The occupants of the rink could hear the soft operatic sounds of the Velvet Room.

Oscar Nigel Tarinson

"No. I just swear a lot. Why? Does it offend you?" Oscar Nigel Tarinson looked at Kiera. "We better do otherwise explaining why we are all late to lessons may be a tad bit hard. 'Oh, i'm sorry. I merely overslept because i fought a creature of shadow in my dream.'" He began to walk towards the Velvet room.

Keira wasn't sure she agreed with Makoto.
It was kinda scary and weird, sure, but it was also exciting and pretty amazing! I feel empowered. Look at my Persona!


Keira shrugged at Oscar.
"It doesn't offend me. It's just kind of unnecessary."
She looked at him quizzically.
"And besides, I thought British people were supposed to be polite?"

Oscar Nigel Tarinson.

"We are. I just elect to be a sweary arse for reasons of my own." Oscar retorted without looking at her. "And really? We have these things, kicked another thing's arse but swearing is the question you ask?" He was amused by Keira's priorities.

Keira smirked at herself.
"Huh, I guess you swearing is not the weirdest thing going on right now."
"But this is all mystical, dreamy stuff. You were dishing out mouthbombs in the waiting room too."

Suddenly reminded of something, Keira sought out Brendan with her eyes.
"Hey, how come you weren't there the other day? Everyone else here had their records lost."

Oscar Nigel Tarinson

"So? Swearing is part of me and I am part of it." Oscar Nigel Tarinson remarked as he continued to make his way towards the Velvet room. "That's quite a good point. Where the [&@%!] were you?" He stopped and looked at Brendan. "Ah bollucks. I mean, where were you." Having realised that it came off as a bit harsher then he intended, he knew it would be best to retract it and so he did.