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 Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:43 pm
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!From Suzu, Sai, and all the Persona 4:FES and Persona 4.5 Crew here...I hope you had a great holiday! Now get ready to look forward to the rest of the Holiday Season and the Events to come! 
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Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:17 pm
Quote: [6/25] Evening - > [6/25] Late Night
[NOTE: In Iwadate, the time will advance to Morning - 6/17!] Quote: ::Inaba Nightly News::The newscaster on the television is wrapping up the nightly broadcast. Turning to the camera as the credits roll, he prepares to deliver his parting shot."And that's the news for tonight. Stay tuned for 'Who's Who' with Trish coming up right after this! Tonight, Trish speaks with a very special guest...he's a well-off man and quite the snazzy dresser, leader of his own Detective Agency in our nation's capital. We speak to him about the rise of crime in Tokyo in the wake of the Emperor's death, the rise of supernatural reports in the last few months, and about the long line of his family which has inherited the agency since the 1800s. All of that, and much, much more...all in just a few moments.
...At the sound of the tone, the time will be 12 A.M., Midnight. Good night everybody!"11:59:57...11:59:58...11:59:59...
The clock strikes Midnight and the television shuts off abruptly...and then, to the surprise of all who are watching, so do the lights...their cars...every electrical device in their possession.
...One look to the sky reveals a green, sickly-looking sky and a golden moon so bright and ominous it could send a chill down your spine. And lining the streets, just inside open windows, and speckled across town are coffins, stark and red, everywhere you look.
...Once again, Inaba has entered the Dark Hour [6/26]...
The Dark Hour.
  Quote: The Dark Hour has begun!
...The Midnight Channel hasn't been on since that day, one week ago. ...Will the Midnight Channel appear again, tonight?...
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:45 pm
Quote: [6/26 - Dark Hour] -> [6/26 - Early Morning]
[Time moves forward...] Shin Megami Tensei
Persona 4: FES
Time moves on, and another day of action and trials has not brought the team any closer to the location of their missing leader. How many of them still believe that he is out there to be found? Some still search, some still wait, and some move on and demand things continue in their own way, disrespecting the memory and methods of the one who brought them so far together. The once strong team begins to fall to pieces...is there anything that can unite them once more? Or is the absence of their leader also their own death knell as a team...?
...
Elsewhere, the makings of an alliance begin to form between two powerful organizations...those who have designs on opposing those in control of the country as it is. However, that man makes his own moves, calling upon old alliances and ensuring that his defenses are in no way weak. Motonari Mori moves on with his own plans, calling upon sources unthinkable to band together under his own banner. Some will answer, and some...but no matter how many they are, the forces and the influence that he wields are powerful allies. Can the union of the Crows and the Dark King, should it occur, stand up to the machinations of the country's most clever general?
...
Yasogami High School has managed to endure another harrowing incident with the attack of the Amago, and the revelation of the Avengers as a force for good has provided a boost to the morale of all in the Inaba and Tokyo areas, knowing that when the worst comes about there are heroes out there willing to defend the people.
...
But equally dark forces stir beneath the surface, challenging the good with their own mischievous thoughts.
...
What tests still wait in days to come? Where could Soji Seta be that his friends might find him? And what is the truth behind the rise of the New Generation of Persona-Users?
...
Time moves on... Tuesday Morning... June 26, 2012. A tense Tuesday brings another school closing as the construction teams work round-the-clock to replace the windows and undo the damage deal to Yasogami by the attacks of the Amago. It progresses smoothly, but going to classes today is out of the question. The weather is warm...soon it will be fit weather for swimming, beach outings, and other summer delights. Yesterday's craziness is fresh in the minds of those who experienced it, but for everyone else, it's a chance to get back to their daily lives again. Will today provide even more complex challenges, though? Or is this another quiet day in lieu of all the madness?
Elsewhere in the capital, there are important announcements still expected to come in the next couple days. In his first major address since his acceptance of the role of Shogun, Motonari Mori is going to be on television speaking about the state of the capital, the future of the Emperor's Throne, and much more.
...
And with regards to the Search for Soji Seta, Tatsuya Suou continues the search, splitting his time between his duties to his own organization and to look high and low for any sign of the man who freed him from the grip of the shadows. And the Investigation Team waits patiently for his word...
...Students have the day free to do as they please.
It is once again, Early Morning.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:59 pm
Quote: [6/26 - Early Morning] -> [6/26 - Lunchtime]
[Time moves forward...]
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:30 pm
Quote: [6/26 - Lunchtime] -> [6/26 - Evening]
[Time moves forward...]
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 6:04 pm
* ~:Investigation Team (And Next Generation Persona-Users) Event Alert! A Message Reaches You From a Mysterious Figure!:~ *
Quote: Silver-Haired Man with Golden Eyes "Good evening, my...friends.
If you are receiving this message, then you are one of the special few. You have received a gift, you see, and I am the one who has given it to you. Do you remember? I'm certain that you do, somewhere in the dark vestiges of your mind. Think carefully to that night eight days ago...when the sky changed color, when the Tower loomed high over your heads and the moon was full in such a peculiar fashion? Remember the white light...the flash that passed through you, that filled you with such an incredible power! Do you remember the voice? The one which spoke inside of your minds and whispered the words that have been echoing in your mind every day since then, taunting you, giving you a power and a strength you never imagined? What were those words? 'Thou Art I...and I am Thou.' I'm sure that you remember them now...that you can feel the power still inside of you, hear the whispers of your soul.
I...am the genesis of this power. I am the one with the answers that you seek. I will teach you what you wish to know, what this power is, why you were chosen to receive it, and for what purpose these powers exist.
You, and only you must know about this. Come alone to the Junes Building when the sky turns green and enter into the Tower that you saw that night. There, I will be waiting...and you will learn the truth. I look forward to enlightening you. But be warned! There are those who will seek to stop you, to bend you to their own means. If you see them...and if they confront you...you must not listen. Only I can help you; they will seem fair but lead you to your utter ruin. This I can promise you.
Come to the tower. And if they follow, we will deal with them ourselves.
Good luck."
[The Message Ends for those all but a select few...now, only the Investigation Team remains on the other end of the message. And the welcoming tone of the shadow is all but gone.]
"Of course you realize I couldn't have forgotten you...my 'friends'. You see how easy it is for me to gather those around you to my side? It's like seeing a ghost...is it not? The way he lured each and every one of you to his side with but a few comforting words, a gesture of 'help' to give you the answers that you sought? And now the shoe is on the other foot, you become the villains against which they must fight. Isn't it interesting?
I am...a God.
All the world dances around me, both the Television World and the Real One are both within my domain. I am the power that Soji Seta could have been, the one that he denied in lieu of staying human with the likes of you. But I am not a fool...he is not me! And to erase the last vestiges of his influence from this world, I need only destroy you...do you dare come before me knowing that I will kill you? That without your leader, you are little more than pawns to be checked off of the board until there are none of you who remain? There is nothing binding you together now...you could run, if you chose, and you could live. Will you do that, knowing that running away will condemn those fools to be corrupted by me? That doing so would destroy every single thing that your defeated leader created and stood for, that the credo of your Investigation Team would be nothing if you were to abandon them?
Cowardice and shame, or bravery and death. Soji Seta made his choice when last we met...and he fell from the Tower of Demise.
What will you choose, I wonder?"
[The Message Ends.] Quote: A Choice Awaits The Members of the Investigation Team!
During the Dark Hour, all the remaining men and women who were touched by the White Light which appeared when Soji fell will be called to Tartarus to be drawn into the service of his Shadow. The Black Messiahs will be waiting for them...
Will you go and try to save them, knowing you will die? Or will you choose to let them go and hope against hope until the very end...?
You must choose...and once you do, there is no turning back!
- Go to Tartarus at Midnight
- Let those touched by the White Light go alone.
Quote: If your character was touched by the White Light, tonight is the night to choose!
You must go to Tartarus at Midnight at the Silver-Haired Person's call in order to find out what the purpose is behind your power! You must go...otherwise, you will never have the answers that you seek!
You are compelled...you will be at Tartarus during the Dark Hour!
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:07 pm
Quote: [6/26] Evening - > [6/26] Late Night
[NOTE: In Iwadate, the time will advance to Afternoon - 6/17!] Quote: ::Inaba Nightly News::The newscaster on the television is wrapping up the nightly broadcast. Turning to the camera as the credits roll, he prepares to deliver his parting shot."And that's the news for tonight. Stay tuned for 'Who's Who' with Trish coming up right after this! Tonight, Trish speaks with a very special guest...he is a man of many names. The Fireball of Okina City, the Ace of the Octopi...he is one of Southern Japan's greatest exports, the great Centerfielder of the Okina City Octopi, Mr. Ishihara Kanto. Tonight he comes onto the show to discuss with us his rise to fame, what it's like to be Okina City's first-ever all-star, and the summer dash towards the playoffs with his team. All of that, and much, much more...all in just a few moments.
...At the sound of the tone, the time will be 12 A.M., Midnight. Good night everybody!"11:59:57...11:59:58...11:59:59...
The clock strikes Midnight and the television shuts off abruptly...and then, to the surprise of all who are watching, so do the lights...their cars...every electrical device in their possession.
...One look to the sky reveals a green, sickly-looking sky and a golden moon so bright and ominous it could send a chill down your spine. And lining the streets, just inside open windows, and speckled across town are coffins, stark and red, everywhere you look.
...Once again, Inaba has entered the Dark Hour [6/26]...
The Dark Hour.
Quote: The Dark Hour has begun!
...The Midnight Channel hasn't been on since that day, one week ago. ...Will the Midnight Channel appear again, tonight?...
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:13 pm
Shadow Soji
[Tartarus - Summit]   What a nuisance! To think that his own Messiahs would be so comically inept as to allow a single, useless girl to break free from their grip long enough to shout out instructions to her team; he would have to remember well to discipline them later for that little failure. However, staring across the tower's precipice at his enemies as they all fell into their guarded stances, his lips curled into a cruel smile once more. Over and over they had professed their determination, their ability to stand and fight against him no matter how remarkably outmatched they were against him, and frankly...it was beginning to grow just a little bit boring. No, boring wasn't even the word anymore. Hearing the same proclamations over and over had been boring, watching them become momentarily joyful at defeating an illusion...and not even a particularly interesting illusion...had been boring. But after seeing and feeling the depth of power within him and witnessing the gulf between their strength and his own, their continued belief that they could stand before him in such open defiance was beginning to grow...into something much more annoying than that. "Oh, but you're hardly listening...please, if blathering on about your petty, uninteresting ideals and shouting juvenile insults is all you're good for, then do yourself a favor and shut your mouth," the shadow silenced Rednal with a simple look, a simmering, haughty look as though he were simply gazing through him, piercing him with a very stare, "I will free humanity from the tyrannical rule of gods...and in doing so, I will free them from the very bonds of humanity that shackle them. ...The world will become a den of shadows, mankind's better halves, and useless, simpering remnants such as yourself will be wiped from the face of the Earth! And who do you think will be able then to keep the shadows in-line? Who will be worthy to stand upon the throne of this new world order? My world order?! Certainly not you, you preachy, pedantic half-wit! Cast aside your ridiculous self-adulation and see what stands before you...I am the one who is fit to stand amongst the heavens, I am the one who is fit to ascend to the Tower of Babel, and I am the one who will overcome death itself! And that is why I am much more worthy than you or even God to rule! ...Let Hetero fight for scraps of the TV World, let Nyarlathotep meddle for his chaos, and let Tohru Adachi fight for his own amusement...my ambition is much great...and that is why my ambition will win! But you...Soji Seta's Investigation Team...I found your meddlesome antics to be amusing for a while, but now the very idea that you think you can defeat me insults me! You have been a thorn in my ambition...for long...enough. Now you stand upon the gallows and I am your executioner! Witness the impossible gulf between us that your dreams and your bonds will never conquer!"
===================================
Within the shadow's body that dreadful power that began radiation at the battle's outset suddenly began to manifest; it had appeared as a blue pillar but as the power flowed like energy through a conduit into the hands of the shadow, down the blades of the shadow, there were black swirls of immense evil which tainted, twisted inside, and permeated the energy that it commanded with its power. It flowed from the shadow's body into the blades within its hands, crackling with an evil, intense energy that would make the hair on the back of any man's neck stand on end. It was pure evil...it was pure, supercharged evil and it danced along his blades like lightning bolts in a storm cloud, the dark sky overhead rumbling ominously as all the malice that the shadow had borne inside of him took a tangible form. Golden eyes glowed with mad ambition and hatred for the last battalion of humanity that had the will to stand against him; his lips curled and his gaze went wild, in that moment power and ambition taking him entirely. ...And Rise saw with her own eyes what had come over the shadow, felt the impossible, pulsating depth of the power which he now commanded into his evil blades, sensed with the breadth of Himiko's range the remorseless intent to eliminate the presence of anything good upon this tower once and for all. This thing...perhaps once it had been born from her beloved Senpai, but it had changed so very much since then! This was not a reflection of Soji Seta any longer, but a shadow that had evolved beyond mere reflection, it had become greater than its hatred and its jealousy, it had manipulated the very fabric of the television world and now sought to bring that evil upon the real world, this town of Inaba. It had waited behind the red curtain for so very long, gathering strength unto itself, luring those who were foolish enough to listen to its venomous words to its side with that dark charisma, and just like Soji Seta it had waited for the opportune moment to make its move on its enemies. It was the endless possibilities of evil bearing fruit, the ability to make the impossible possible...the Tower of Demise was crumbling beneath them and in its place it intended to erect a structure with a purpose beyond even the conjuration of Nyx and the death of humanity. He wanted to destroy humanity, and replace it with shadows...he wanted to watch from the top of the Tower of Babel as gods fell from the heavens and were consumed by the shadows. And this was where it all began, this insane ambition, by destroying her friends, Senpai's friends, and leaving them here to die upon this altar. She couldn't hesitate...she couldn't waver. She knew that this creature, whatever it was (because it was most definitely not her Senpai!) had the power to do these things! ...Her feet carried her swiftly, thoughtlessly across the distance between herself and her friends, the groping hands of the Messiahs missing her as her persona's fusion form gave her a little added speed. She hoped she wouldn't be too late...she couldn't be too late. She hadn't been able to save him, but if she could just save...this...then at least everything he stood for wouldn't have been in vain. 'Hang on, everyone, I'm coming!'
====================================
'Faster, faster!' the thoughts of a young man echoed inside of his mind as his feet pressed more desperately into the floor of the tower, ascending the stairs of the tower swiftly, his gray eyes shining with his unique gift as he slipped through the halls past many of the shadows that got in his way by anticipating their movements. He had lost count of how many flights of stairs he had climbed a while ago, the lift not working for him when he had finally recovered enough to follow his friends towards the top of the tower and the final battle that awaited them all. It hadn't taken him long to feel that something was off, however...he could feel the rumbling tower, the shaking nearly throwing him down the disco-style spiral stairs on more than a few occasions since the whole thing started rumbling. He couldn't quite see what the place was made of, but he could tell one thing with or without the gift of his unique eyes...this tower was coming down around them. It was crumbling, falling to pieces, but it wasn't just a random destruction...beneath the tower itself there was an immense power growing, a pool of dark and impossibly powerful energy that grew deeper with each passing moment, siphoned down from the very top of the tower down into the base where the pieces of Tartarus seemed to come to life and crawl back towards the base, fusing together with that new energy to form something...something big, something growing, something that seemed ready to ascend if not for the presence of the tower that was already there. ...However, that was only a momentary diversion at this rate, soon the whole thing would collapse, and damned if Genji was going to let everyone on the top get stuck and taken by surprise if he could get up there in time to help relieve them and get them out of there before all Hell broke loose. Judging by the power he could feel at the very top, however (and he wasn't really a 'feel' type of persona-user, which made the feeling all the more scary), Hell was already unleashed. The fight was on...his friends were in desperate need of assistance, but against something with such a deep well of power he wasn't sure what difference he could really make. He cursed beneath his breath, a very unusual thing for the gentleman heir. His strawberry hair was caked to his forehead with sweat, his legs burned, but he couldn't stop until he got to the top. It didn't matter what was going on against the shadow there...they had to leave now! And that power, whatever it was...even if you put all of them together...even if you included that leader they spoke so much about...it was just too much. Too great, too deep, too evil! They weren't ready for an enemy like that! He had to help...had to help...he kept repeating the phrase inside of his mind, driving him forward through the white-crystal corridors. "Come on...Genji..." he huffed as he ascended yet another flight of stairs, unstable breaths pushed in and out, collecting just enough oxygen to keep him moving, "What good is this power...if you can't even...use it to help...your friends?" He barely noticed when the shadow leaped from around the corner at him...a Knight with a deadly lance that aimed to pierce his chest! He reacted on instinct, his gray eyes as wide as saucers. His left hand smashed the side of the lance, driving it over his shoulder as it grazed him and drew blood...not the first wound he had taken...but the following right palm to the chest of the knight unseated the horseman and sent him caroming to the turf from the wall. A follow-up strike to the mask finished him, and the heir gasped for air as his hand gripped at the wound on his shoulder. "I'm almost...there," he reminded himself, feeling the shadows closing in near enough that he picked up his pace to outrun them...another set of stairs up ahead, he pressed on, 'Hang on everyone...don't die on me!'
======================================
Upon the precipice of the Tower of Demise the storm had come to its peak, condensed into a single figure which in its power seemed to dwarf all other things within view; turning his body to the side, he held one blade far out behind him as it pulsated with power, the other held aloft before him moving through the air as though drawing something...a symbol! In the space before him, in the sight of the Investigation Team, he traced a circle which burned with a violet fire in the very air, and then inside he traced what appeared to be a symbol...a kanji of some sort. It was old and hard to decipher, but it wasn't entirely unfamiliar, either. In fact, it was almost as though they had seen it before...on Izanagi? His golden eyes shimmered as his mask lowered and covered his face once more, the jacket of the black Izanagi over him, his entire strength come to fruition. Here was the evil of Izanagi (Reborn) in the hands of their greatest enemy, and through his mask he laughed, a malice-filled boast of satisfaction that this was the end of all the struggling. His first blade seemed drained of power, but when he shifted his body to the other side he pointed the still-crackling blade into the center of the 'drawn' talisman in the air, causing the whole thing to spark to life and glow violet and white, like flames of dark and bright power before their very eyes. Overwhelming energy poured from the insignia before them...and that sinking, impossible feeling of unavoidable dread in the pit of their stomach gave way to a singular moment of imminent panic! And beneath his silver mask, the shadow's teeth grit into a deranged sort of smile. "Time to Die!" From the talisman erupted a sudden wave of condensed power, crackling at the very edges from sheer intensity, but the wave itself was death itself. Like a cylindrical nightmare it plowed into the Investigation Team and washed over them, the impact greater than anything they could have imagined. It was like being thrust into the center of a dark inferno, burning at the core of a supernova, nothing but pure, condensed power crushing and slamming and burning and permeating, destroying them was what it felt like...so thick and dense that it forced the very life from every last inch of flesh that it touched with its violet power. It sounded like a dull roar in their ears, but at the same time it was like their drums were bursting, nothing but screaming and white-hot pain to tickle all of their senses one-by-one. ...This was death. This was an end to everything. His maniacal laughter the only thing loud enough and wild enough to rise above the din of power simply to let them know what they must have already realized in their pain...this was the difference between them. This was their end...and his victory! All of their power hadn't been enough, and facing him incomplete, standing so determinedly against him, it had all been for absolutely nothing. By now there would be almost nothing left of them, the power of his [Amenonuhoko] having blasted away every last ounce of strength, every last bit of will, even their ability to Endure would have been drained away by now, leaving them on the verge of eternal nothingness. And he was hardly spent...just one more push was all it would take.
Or at least, that was what he had thought...until a white light, like a glimmering shield stood between he and his prey, a sudden and final barrier that would hold against his onslaught for little more than an insignificant moment. It would only delay the inevitable, and as they were now, her allies would be of no use to her, unable to escape even if they wished to stand once more. His eyes focused on the light and he saw what appeared to be red hair blown back by the force of the impact against her crystalline barrier...his eyes narrowed, his lips curled deviously. "You want to die with your friends after all? So be it..." the shadow chuckled, increasing the output of power against the shield, smirking deviously as it began to crack beneath the strain. It was only a matter of time now...they would die.
==================================
She didn't know how she had made it in time...she didn't even think about it when she had rushed across the distance between her and her imperiled friends...she hadn't even known what she was going to do when she made it to stand between them and the wave of condensed power that erupted from the face of her boyfriend's shadow. All she knew was that she had to get there, a feeling both deeply personal and an instinct that she couldn't begin to understand. For how long had she felt like the team's least important member, sensing but unable to actually stand on the front lines and protect the people that she cared about? Since Raiden had used her to entice Soji into a deathmatch at the Fox's Shrine and shocked her with that lightning? Since Hetero had used striking her and Yukiko down in order to cut at their leader's heart and weaken him before their battle? Or was it the last time she stood on this very tower and had been forced to watch as their beloved leader, her Senpai, had fought to protect all of them from this very moment and given his last scraps of power to save them? How could she be expected to continue standing on the back lines while the people that she loved were hurt? What kind of person would she be if she didn't at least stand beside them when they were all going to die? She didn't know...how she could contribute any more than she already did, but she wouldn't..would not be the one who stood by and watched as everything that their leader had fought for come crumbling down around them! She would not let this monster try to invalidate all the good that the team had already done without Soji, fighting to honor what he believed in, by beating the Messiahs and forcing them to this final confrontation, by proving themselves a threat only to be picked off just before they realized the power that would allow them to overcome the darkness? They were down, barely conscious and unable to fight, but thanks to their guard they were not dead yet! But only a few moments of this onslaught and even that would give way. All she could do was draw on the strength of Himiko (Reborn) and rush to their side, thrusting herself into the path of the attack that had been levied against them, destroying them, forcing the very life from their bodies. And so she did...stepping into the path with her arms spread wide, eyes closed as she tried with what little frame and power she had to shield her friends from the attack for just a little bit longer. She could have never guessed what her sacrifice might bring about...
Hope given light...that light given form. From her chest a brilliant, silver glow began to shine out against the dark of the Amenonuhoku wave; her amber eyes opened, and in their place was a white pupil, in that moment the idol seeming more like the goddess Himiko herself than the girl who hosted her. And from that light sprung the silver shield, a barrier which spread over all of her fallen companions and guarded them from the black and violet energy...not for long, and perhaps it would be worth nothing in the end, but it was something...it was all she could do to protect them for just a little bit longer. "Everyone, stay strong...I believe in you," her voice rang out as she felt the strain of the shadow's attack crashing against her shield, chipping away at it and already the strain sent tears and shuddering cracks throughout her hastily raised barrier...but no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much the weight inside of her chest made her want to give up, she could...she would never, ever give up...because doing so would have been the end of them, and a betrayal of everything he ever cared for. And that, more than anything, would have broken her heart for good. "I believe in you, and I believe in Senpai...and HE believed in you! So you have to survive this...you have to become...stronger! Please..." Her barrier cracked down the center, but she kept it together as she slipped to a knee...it was all too much for her...she had tried, really she had! But he was just...so strong...so very strong. Her knees wobbled and she nearly collapsed. This was the end...wasn't it?
It was just as her body seemed ready to give way that a pair of hands caught her from behind and held her steady...turning her head to look over her shoulder in wonder, she saw where her heart yearned for clouded a pair of gray eyes. But their determination helped to keep her heart from sinking, steeling her for the next wave to come.
"Don't worry, I've got you," his voice was clear, barely-audible over the roar of power washing over them, but he was close enough that it entered her like a whisper and reassured her, "I can see his aura...this attack, it's almost spent. You have to endure it just a little more, for everyone. ...We'll do it together. All right?" That was all she needed to try a little harder...
=================================
He was too late...that was what his mind told him when he reached the top of the Tower and the wave of pure, raw darkness and energy washed over his allies and one-by-one they were driven to the floor. His heart seemed to sink inside of his chest and in an instant all the options he had at his disposal seemed to run through his mind. Entering the attack to help his friends was suicide, but attacking the shadow on his own would have been so insignificant with a power that great he couldn't have hoped to make a difference. Even diverting him from the others seemed impossible. ...It was at that moment that one last ray of hope shot in from the side, the orange-haired girl they had come to save...rushing into the fray in full-transformation, a light erupting from her chest that seemed for but a few short moments guard the team from the attack that was washing over them, killing them by forcing the very life right out of their bodies. It was such a little chance, such a small window, but it was something! He didn't have to think, didn't have time...her shield was already cracking when he made it to her, eyes springing to life with his new power to view the enemy first-hand and see just what sort of monster this was that they were up against. It was different from a normal shadow, but he wasn't sure if it was a shade or if it wasn't. It was on such a different level from the other shade he had seen, he couldn't even rightly compare the two. Its aura was thick and black, so massive that it could have blocked out the sun he thought in an instant. But if there was a light at the end of the tunnel it was that this attack, this all-consuming attack that blasted the very life out of his allies, was slowly coming to its end. Was it incomplete as well, he wondered? Or was Rise's barrier just holding it at bay long enough to endure? He wanted to tend to the others, but he knew that he wouldn't have time to drag even one or two of them back into the tower before the shield shattered...and what good would it do to be inside of the tower if it was just going to crumble into this new structure forming underneath it? They had only once chance now, one glimmer of hope in the midst of this chaos...to hold on, to endure. If they could hold onto hope just a little bit longer...the attack would pass. And that would be something...
They could figure the rest out from there.
He supported Rise when she fell, but by the time he reached her the barrier was already cracked down the center. She was spirited, but even she seemed confused by the ability that she had summoned to aid her just now, like this was the first time she had awakened to such an ability in her life. He held her back and kept her from falling, promising her that they would stick it out until the end...and his words became her new strength. Shattering barrier, they both began to feel the power of the attack sneaking through their shield. Just a little bit longer and they could protect them...his arms felt like lead weights at the force of the attack, but still he supported her, bracing her against it. Silver shield shattered...dispersed into nothingness...he could feel her will strong but her power waning, she just wasn't used to this. ...It was too much.for her, too much for him. But the die were cast on this one, and they had no choice but to hold on. "I can't...I can't hold on any longer..." her voice broke through the roar and he could feel the resignation setting into both of them...this was all that they could do now...this was the best chance they could give their friends. He was still exhausted from his fight, exhausted from the climb, and this attack was driving the very power from his body...and so he smiled. His will would not break, even if his body would. "Until the very end," the berry-haired heir nodded as he supported the girl's back, feeling both their bodies starting to give way, "Thank you for fighting." And with tears in the corner of her eyes, Rise smiled back.
Silver shield shattered. It crumbled into dust. And the last of the violet wave of power washed over the two of them like an unquenchable tide, driving the two of them to their backs upon the ground, splayed out, beaten. The last thing Genji could remember hearing before his eyes closed at the end was the laughter of the leader's shadow echoing in the darkness...some [Great Tower rising high into the sky behind the Messiahs, the whole of them vanishing from sight as the Tower of Demise shook beneath them.] ...And then, like the last vestiges of light flashing before they all went dim, a brilliant white and silver appeared before his eyes, a calming sort of feeling.
And all became night and silence thereafter.
=======================================
"Ha ha ha HA HA HA! What an inept showing that was...for the good team!" the shadow laughed as the barrier cracked, the last of the team falling before his might upon the Tower of Demise before him...the battle having come to the only conclusion that had been possible from the outset...his victory. Smirking widely at the beaten team that lay before him, he sheathed his weapons and the power that had filled him seemed to dissipate, golden eyes glimmering proudly at the work that he had done. Then, turning his back to them, he addressed his Messiahs in the booming voice of their new God, raising his arms into the sky as before them...rising from the wreckage of Tartarus that fell all about them, a Tower even greater than the one upon which they stood began to rise high into the sky above them, through the circular hole in the clouds which reached up into the heavens. The very ground of Inaba itself seemed to shake with the effort, and while the Tower of Demise had been deformed and ugly, what lay before them now was a brilliant column of black brick and golden arches, extending higher than the eye could see, beyond anything that they had likely ever dreamed could be possible. His laughter was victorious...the Tower of Babel rose into the sky above them!...and with his laughter came the proclamation he had waited so very long to make. "Now then, with the Investigation Team finished, there is nothing left to stop me from taking everything in this world for my own! God will tremble and kneel at my feet...and then, I will cover this world in shadows and rid it of all humanity that is too weak to accept my world order! And then...the world will become my oyster! Hm...hm hm HA HA HA!"
His voice echoed, and he glanced up at the tower in a crazed sort of satisfaction and wonder. His dream had come to pass...the weakness that had shackled him was gone, his bonds destroyed, and now his reach extended beyond the Television World, beyond even the realm of death itself, and into the sky was a tower that he himself had resurrected! Now when Nyx arrived, it would be to Babel that she was called...the messengers of God sent to confront him would do so on his terms! This was their right...their eminent domain...his DESTINY!
His laughter reached high into the heavens as Babel itself...and then, in one great flash over power, the Shadow of Soji Seta and his Black Messiahs were gone from the top of the crumbling Tower...and left behind to fall amidst the rubble were his greatest enemies.
The Investigation Team, defeated.
It was only a matter of time now, before all things in this unsuspecting world at long last came to their end... Quote: Amenonuhoko - 9999 Damage (All - Multiple Hits!)
Party KO'd! Quote: Loading. . .
Loading . . .
Loading . . . . . .
Time Moves Forward. . . Quote: Has the End Come?!
...Time Moves Forward...
The Investigation Team's members remain inside of a dream, a long, deep slumber...until finally, a light beckons you.
And you find yourself inside of a world between space and time...between consciousness and unconsciousness...
Where is this place? And who is the man who has brought you here?
And for what purpose...?
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:17 pm
 Philemon[Between Time and Space - Between Consciousness and Unconsciousness]"Welcome...I am Philemon. And this is a place that exists between time and space, between consciousness and unconsciousness. You are here because there are questions to which you seek answers, because you cannot awaken in the real world until you have learned what you need to know.
...
That's right. You are currently inside of a dream. In the real world, you are unconscious, but you are not yet dead. The reason for that you will know soon enough, however, that is not why you were brought here into my domain. You are here to learn the truth.
...
It is time you were told the true meaning behind the power of Persona.
...
Personas are the masks that you wear which guard you against life's hardships. They are your other selves, the power of your heart come to bear, and the true form of the shadows inside of you once you have the courage to accept it. However, there is more to this power than you have yet to understand.
...
Answer this question...why is it that personas take on the forms of gods and devils?
...
If it was the power of your own heart, alone, would it not make more sense for a persona to appear more similar to your own faces? There is no denying that what the persona opens for you is a door to powers beyond that which humanity alone can grant you. The offer an element of the supernatural...or more accurately...they are the key to a power inside of you that could be described as 'divine'.
...
Are you beginning to understand? Inside of each of you, there is a spark of divinity, and you were chosen to bear this spark inside of you should the need ever arise for it to awaken. Life's hardships...have come before you, and in response you have given rise to this dormant power inside of you. These are not reflections of yourself, the power of your heart...but inside each of your hearts is something greater than what you witness on the surface. And if you have the courage to grasp the truth, you may yet command the dormant remnants inside of you. However, in each person there is a potential both for good, and for evil. These are reflected in the masks that your power chooses to wear.
...
Gods are the side of you that is full of love and affection, which thrive on the bonds that you form with others. Demons are the side of you which is capable of great atrocities. You wear masks such as these throughout your lives, but when your power begins to manifest, only you can decide, consciously or unconsciously, which of these two paths upon which your power will manifest. You make these choices when you face your shadow, or when your power is awakened by one of the chosen, and what is born from that moment is simply one of many possibilities.
...
You have each, in your own time, received a gift from the one of you that does not stand among us. Chosen by fate to bear the greatest burden, the mantle of Hope, his power has opened the path inside each of you to access these possibilities. Through his gift, through the hope that he inspires in each of you, you are able to become stronger than you could become on your own.
...
His power is unique, the power to inspire hope gives rise to infinite possibilities. However, it is a power that is equally dependent upon the bonds that he forms with others. ...Through each of you, he has become stronger, and through him, so do you grow stronger as well. These are called Social Links. But there are others who you will one day meet who will better explain their use. ...I am merely here as a conduit for advice, to provide the spark which will lead you to a decision. I cannot tell you what to do, nor can I advise you on the path that you will walk. However, I can tell you this...
...
He is your Key to becoming stronger, but he is not your god...he is your hope, but despite the unique spark inside of him, he is still a man just like any other. You must not forget that to him, you are both strength and hope. And if you are to face the challenges which lay inside that Tower, there will be no hope unless both you and he embrace the divine spark inside of every one of you.
...
Without the key, the door to Babel will remain closed indefinitely. And without Hope, your victory against His Shadow cannot be.
...
Go now, back into the real world. And remember my words.
...
You are hope. And inside of you is the spark of power you have never even dreamed.
...
Farewell.
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:28 pm
Quote: [6/27] Dark Hour -> [6/28] -> [6/29] -> [6/30] -> [7/1] -> [7/2] ->
[7/3 - Lunchtime]
[Time moves forward...] Quote: You find yourself slowly fading out of this new world, like waking up from a strange dream.
What did Philemon mean when he said that there was a spark of the divine inside of each and everyone one of them? Were persona really more than the power of the inner self?
And who is the 'Key'?
...
You feel tired...
...Your body aches.
What became of Shadow Soji and the Black Messiahs? What is the [Tower of Babel]? And how will you ever overcome the impossible strength of the Black Messiah after feeling first hand what he could do before he ascended into Babel?
...
Five days have passed.
Shortly after the Dark Hour, the Investigation Team was admitted to the Inaba General Hospital by a 'young man with silver hair'. Each was admitted as an 'attack victim, assailant unknown'. Over the last five days, members of the team have been waking up one-by-one in their own hospital rooms. Each has vague remembrances of the final events upon the Tower of Demise, and of a [Man With a Butterfly Mask] speaking to them in a strange room in their dreams.
...
None have been permitted to leave until today, and none have been allowed into the room of Rise Kujikawa, who was admitted in the most critical condition of the bunch. She will be allowed visitors in the [Afternoon].
...
Time Moves Forward... Quote: [Investigation Team Members may now post in the Inaba General Hospital! You may be released during the [Afternoon], and Rise will be allowed visitors in the [Afternoon] as well!]
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:57 pm
Shin Megami Tensei
Persona 4: FES
...Time moves on...
Though much seems the same on the surface in the wake of the Dark Hour defeat of the Investigation Team, those who know where and when to look for them have noticed a great shift in the balance of the world. Demons from all over the country have begun to gather once more in the town of Inaba and unknown shadowy creatures have appeared here and there throughout the town, terrorizing anyone unfortunate enough to hear The Call and enter the Dark Hour. And in that hour there is one sign that cannot be ignored...a great spire in the very center of Inaba which reaches into the clouds and far beyond.
Babel.
Inside and near the upper levels, the Black Messiahs make their ascent towards the Heavens in search of their leader's elusive dream, but in the lower levels the demons and shadows flock and fight with one another in a constant struggle for the scraps of powers and prey that are left to them there. It is a perfect training ground for those who have an affinity for the supernatural, but it is also quite dangerous for those who lack the fortitude to survive in the harsh Tower and the oppression of the Dark Hour.
...
Having lost in their final showdown against Soji Seta's Shadow, the Investigation Team survives just long enough to be taken to the hospital by a mysterious person. Having had time to rest within the hospital's walls and regather their strength, some waking up sooner than others, there are still those among them whose wounds were more grave. Worst of all was Rise Kujikawa, the idol that tried with her last might to defend them against the shadow, and though her shield might just have been the barrier that saved the team's lives, she paid dearly for her sacrifice. Only now is she finally able to see visitors. As for others, the circumstances of their incarceration in the hospital were thankfully more pleasant.
...
Several females paid visits to [Faustus Necromonium] while he was in the hospital, and many of those stopped in to see [Kusuri Keiraku] in the meantime.
[Rednal Ak'Thias] was said to have no less than two female visitors from time-to-time, and strange modifications had been found made to his room every so often, though mostly superficial ones (as far as they knew).
Every day a care package of orchids, fruit, candies, and cards were hand-delivered by a messenger of the Shogun Motonari Mori himself to the bedside of [Minori Koroko], whom the shogun sent word he deeply regretted not being able to visit. [Five Days Ago the Shogun announced the existence of a possible successor to the Emperor's Throne!] His efforts to prepare for the successor's ascendance have kept him too busy to make the journey to the small town.
[Amelia Heartilly] had her bedside frequently visited by an official from the Eastern Devil Kings, a man named Katakura. He often brought homemade salves and medicines at his Lord's bidding to tend to her less serious wounds. Bananas were found nightly upon her bed-stand.
A surprising number of 'Get-Well!' notes were found at the special bedside of [Zeo Kirijo] in a wing of the hospital rented out by the Kirijo's special doctors. Even more surprising was that they weren't all from men.
[Nix Gallen] did not receive any visits from her family, but when a well-known detective dropped by to check in on the injured students and ask questions about the incident, he took special care to leave a single white flower by the girl's bed when she awoke.
There was little of note in visits or gifts for [Yuetchi Adomachi], however one nurse was reprimanded for saying that she thought the boy looked 'kind of cute in those bandages'. She has since been reassigned to another patient.
Parents were frequent visitors at the beds of [Yukiko Amagi, Chie Satonaka, Yosuke Hanamura, and Kanji Tatsumi]. Out of bed before anyone else, [Teddie] made sure that they were all well cared for, in addition to [Naoto Shirogane], whose grandfather sent his butler quite a few times to check up on.
Despite a week-long campout at the hospital, not a single [Risette] fan was allowed access to her room. Gifts and cards were kept in an empty storage closet when her bedside became too cluttered to hold them.
Misha Mori was a frequent visitor at the bedside of her brother [Leon Mori].
[Dan Sekohara] did not receive any visitors during the daylight hours, but every morning when the nurses checked in the room was hinted to have smelled like smoke.
In the room of [Nekama Kobayashi], there was a small rodent constantly being chased out of the room, but none of the nurses were able to catch it. It seemed to have quite an affinity for the girl's shoulder. It was also observed that [Dan] was frequently muttering her name in his sleep.
[Tobikuma] and [Shimada Kanbe] were placed in the same room to conserve space. Having woken up fairly early, the room soon became a frequent haven for soil and grease, driving the janitors crazy. Thus began the great Janitor Prank War...
Despite being admitted to the hospital, not a single person or doctor was seen entering the room of [Aleister Crowley]. Early this morning, however, a strange crowing sound was heard by his window...and when the nurses went in to check the bed, Crowley was gone.
Finally, [Karu Rinku]'s stay in the hospital was relatively ordinary. There was an incident with a mixed-up IV bag at one point, but the doctors didn't think the blood was infected, so they decided to keep the accidental transfusion to themselves.
...Amagai Genji was never admitted to the hospital.
...
Now, however, they awaken with knowledge that will haunt their daily lives...the Dark Hours that pass give rise to another step in the ambitions of their enemies, while the days are unnervingly normal. Students are going back to school at Yasogami, and homework piles up by their bedsides as they rest away their weariness and cure their sore bodies. Stepping outside the hospital, it must seem as though the days in this town have gone back to normal.
At night, however...and in the Dark Hour especially...the town reveals its true, unsettling form.
...
In the shadow of Babel, indeed, time still moves forward... Tuesday Morning... July 3, 2012. It is a warm, sunny Tuesday that must seem entirely incongruous with the mood of the members of the Investigation Team following their defeat. However, the days seem to pass in relative normality, save for the occasional unusual report of 'demonic activity' or strange, black figures lurking in the dark. School continues as normal now, with no incidents since the Amago Samurai Attack, and the hospital staff seem genuinely touched by the support the victims of the 'Junes Attack Incident' have received from around the community.
They say that the Shogun himself even took an interest in the harrowing event, sending care packages and flowers to one of the victims every day she was in the hospital. A surprisingly touching gesture, as he is no doubt busy now that his 'Search for a Successor to the Throne' has come to an end. He is expected to make an announcement on he matter Tomorrow Night on live, national television.
...
Days go by in relative ease and silence, but an ominous feeling permeates the evenings. ...What did the cryptic words of Philemon mean? How did the team escape the Tower of Demise with their lives? And what evils lay inside the Tower of Babel?
...
The Investigation Team Members will be discharged from the hospital in the Afternoon, with the exception of Rise Kujikawa (who will be able to take visitors)!
It is once again, Lunchtime.
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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 5:24 pm
Quote: [7/3 - Lunchtime] -> [7/3 - Afternoon]
After a five-plus days of care and rest in bed, the members of the Investigation Team may now sign out from the hospital and go home. They may remain in the hospital a little longer to receive additional care until tomorrow if they wish, or if they feel strange or too weak, deeming the care necessary.
Rise Kujikawa, who had not previously been allowed visitors in the ICU, has been moved to a less critical wing of the hospital and may now receive visitors.
...
Outside, the world continues to turn as it always has. Strange events just outside of town at a shrine catch the attention of the Yatagarasu and others...but for the Investigation Team, a respite from the chaos and a chance to simply go home is a welcome invitation...
...
[Time moves forward...]
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:55 pm
Quote: [7/3 - Afternoon] -> [7/3 - Evening]
After a five-plus days of care and rest in bed, the members of the Investigation Team have all finally begun leaving the hospital and heading home to enjoy the freedom again, to see their families,and so on. Considering all that has happened since they set foot inside the Tower of Demise, since they fought against the shadow of their Leader, they have many questions yet to answer. Will they continue to fight on? Can they continue to move forward against such an impossible enemy? And who will lead them forward into Babel, if they venture ahead?
...
Inside the hospital, a surprise awaited the Investigation Team that rocked the status quo...their leader, Soji Seta, has returned. But looking haggard, uncertain, and sad, he appears a shadow of the man that they had known and loved before his fall. Is he simply worn down by the pain that his friends have endured in his absence, or is there something more behind his despair?
...Where was he during the eight days he was gone? How did he awaken just in time to save them from Babel?..
...
Rise Kujikawa, in stable condition now and recovering well, will be released from the hospital in the next day or two, depending on precautionary tests. The rest of the Investigation Team, however, heads home after a harrowing week...including their leader, who is about to set foot inside of his home for the first time in nearly two weeks.
...
Outside, the world continues to turn as it always has. Strange events just outside of town at a shrine catch the attention of the Yatagarasu and others...but for the Investigation Team, a respite from the chaos and a chance to simply go home is a welcome invitation...
...
[Time moves forward...]
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:14 pm
* ~:BLACK MESSIAHS ASSEMBLE! Shadow Soji is Calling You!:~ *
Quote: Silver-Haired Man with Golden Eyes"My loyal companions,
Enough time has passed for the events of that night to set in...it is time to conclude our business from the night we broke the Investigation Team's spirits and deliver unto you all your just rewards.
Come stand before my temporary throne in the Tower of Babel, and I will see to it you all receive exactly what you have earned.
...This is an order..." Quote: The Black Messiahs have been summoned! Come to Floor 666 of the Tower of Babel and Shadow Soji's temporary throne for a special event!
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 9:20 pm
* ~:LADIES OF THE INVESTIGATION TEAM ASSEMBLE! Peanut and Nekama are Calling You!:~ *
Quote: Mysterious...Mute...Nekama! " . . ."
[Contents of this message are strictly private! Only those who have been directly contacted by Nekama (ladies of the Investigation Team) know what was said!] Quote: The Girls of the Investigation Team have been summoned via a text message by Nekama Kobayashi to a gathering at the Kobayashi Residence tonight! What is the purpose...that is between the girls of the team! After all, the first rule of such a gathering is...no guys allowed!
So go, and be ready! Who knows what awaits you there tonight?
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