fanfic100: Selfish (Persona 3/SEES)
Title: Selfish
Fandom: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Characters: Yukari Takeba
Prompt: #96-writer’s choice (shadow)
Word Count: 3,013
Rating: PG/K
Notes: Inspired by Persona 4's character shadows; de-anon from shirakawablvd. And as you probably already know, I do not own Persona 3 or its characters...sadly.
Little Damn Table: Here ♥
Frustrated with her life in the Gekkoukan dorms, Yukari ventures to Tartarus-alone.
She would show them, she thought. She would show all of them, and give them a reminder of just why they asked her to join them in the first place.
Yukari Takeba stood at the foot of Tartarus, alone, with her favorite bow in hand. Her breathing was heavy; and she wasn’t so proud that she couldn’t admit she was scared. But she hated it: she hated how her senpais treated her like a child, just because they were a year older than her, just because she had only just learned about her potential. Just because she was too scared to pull that trigger on the evoker they gave her; just because he had to save her. And she had to do something about it, if she was going to live with them.
He had only just joined them, and already he was the leader. She could understand why; though they were both new to SEES, he was already better than her, and the ease with which he summoned his Persona amazed even Akihiko-senpai. But she had strengths too. There was a reason they needed her, a reason they asked her to join as well, and she was going to show them.
Mitsuru wouldn’t allow either of them to go out at all during the night hours, let alone during the Dark Hour. She certainly had made it clear that this mysterious ‘Tartarus’ was off limits for now, until she felt they were ready-until their new ‘leader’ had fully recovered from the attack at the dorm not long ago. But Mitsuru wasn’t her mother. Even her real mother scarcely had a right to control her, tell her what to do, after all of the absolute nonsense she had put her through, with her countless annoying boyfriends over the years.
So there she was, staring up at the large clock at the top of the stairs, which she could only assume was the entrance to this mysterious tower. She hadn’t exactly seen it before; they only told her about it, but she knew it was at the school, and she knew that it only appeared during the Dark Hour, which made it quite easy to find.
When she walked in, the first thing she noticed was that it was quiet. Very quiet. The air was thick, and at first she found it very difficult to breathe, though she began to adjust very quickly, standing there in place. She finally found the courage to look behind her, and quickly realized that the stairs she had used not moments before were gone. This was it. She was trapped, and she would have to find another way out for herself: survive, and show her senpais what she was made of. This was exactly what she had intended-not that it made it any less nerve-wrecking.
Her breathing got even heavier, as she dragged her hands along the walls, feeling its texture. Only then did she notice the blood dripping everywhere, and though she’d seen it before the previous times she experienced the Dark Hour, it was suddenly a lot scarier now that she was so… isolated, vulnerable. Her pace had slowed to a crawl without even realizing it-and it didn’t take long for the place to remind her that she was not alone.
First it was a voice. A strange laughing that echoed in her ears, and it sounded very familiar. She was thinking about who would be crazy enough to be in there with her; and it was then she saw the pair of red eyes in the darkness ahead of her. She could just barely make out the blob-like shape, and, in a stroke of luck, it had turned around, disappearing down the path to her left. Just beyond it, she noticed the stairs leading upwards, which thought might lead to an exit of some sort. She took the chance and ran.
The second verse was the same as the first. A wall suddenly appeared where the stairs should have been, and it became clear that she was being forced upwards, like something was guiding her. Like the entire place was guiding her. She didn’t like it at all, and a chill ran down her spine just from thinking about it; but she pressed on forward. Clearly, there was no turning back now.
“God, this place is so creepy,” Yukari murmured to herself-quietly, so that she wouldn’t attract any of the Shadows’ attention. She had done an admirable job of avoiding them thus far, and it would be awful to blow her cover now.
“Creepy-so creepy, and yet here I am, all alone… whatever am I going to do now?”
That same laugh from before filled the air, and it was getting harder and harder to tell whether she was just imagining things or if something really was waiting for her, somewhere up there. Her eyes widened at the sound of that voice-that painful, familiar voice-and she placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart race.
“W-who are you?” she asked, aloud. “Is someone there?”
She looked around, suddenly feeling like she was in some horror flick where something was going to jump out at her. She still saw no one, and the voice seemed to be coming from all directions.
“Someone?” the voice repeated. She sounded close all of the sudden, though she still saw nothing but darkness. “Someone? No way. It’s just me, myself, and I. But you already knew that… didn’t you?”
“This isn’t funny!” Yukari shouted, before she could catch herself. She gasped, placing a hand over her mouth-as if it would help now.
She didn’t say another word; she barely even took a breath, as she waited. She collapsed onto her knees. Surely they noticed her, she thought. Surely they would all come after her now. The Shadows… and that girl, whoever she was, talking to her-maybe she would, too. She probably knew exactly where she was.
And she was still laughing.
“Sure, it’s funny! It’s a total riot!” she exclaimed. “I’m getting exactly what I want, and while I’m in here, there’s not a thing they can do to stop me. They’ll have to pay attention to me now. Isn’t that what you’re thinking?”
“Shut up!” Yukari yelled. “Where… where are you?”
There was a pause, as Yukari stood up again, cautiously examining her surroundings. Apparently, the Shadows’ hearing wasn’t nearly as good as their sight. There was no mob, no sudden chase scene, like she was expecting. Under normal circumstances, she’d have been grateful; but the last thing she needed was a sudden development like that in an already unpredictable place. She became even more anxious, and she could feel the Dark Hour’s effects getting the better of her as she walked on, looking for the source of this voice.
“Awww, you don’t seem to like me very much,” she suddenly said. “That’s really too bad…”
Yukari jumped, suddenly coming to a dead end in front of her. She nearly ran into the wall, but instead, she was able to catch herself on it. Leaning against it felt so good to her tired body that she closed her eyes; and when she opened them again, she couldn’t tell how long they had been closed. Hours could have passed-minutes, seconds. She didn’t know.
“Hey, hey, don’t fall asleep on me now!”
Of course, she should have guessed by now that she wouldn’t have time to think on this for too long. This place was always keeping her on her toes; whether it was the tower, protecting itself, or the mysterious voice, just messing with her, she had no idea. The ground began to shake, and she knew she had to move, or something was going to happen. Something bad.
But it wasn’t the ground that was shaking. She quickly realized this, as the wall she was leaning on slowly began to disappear, without warning-crumbling into thin air. She backed away from it, turning to run, and more walls followed suit. Each one, vanishing; one after another, after another, leaving not even a single ounce of debris. Her eyes widened, as she gazed around the room. It was happening everywhere-and before she knew it, the floor was completely bare. Nothing but her, the Shadows, and those very stairs she was hunting for-on the other side of the room, as if to mock her.
And as all of the Shadows suddenly turned to face her, she could hear that voice again.
“Only one more floor. One more floor, until you get answers to the million questions running through your head. And look! I even took out all those pesky walls that were in your way…” She was giggling, like she was proud of herself. Removing the only obstacle, the chaotic maze that was keeping her from making progress-and also the very thing that had kept her out of sight of the Shadows. “Can you make it…?”
Yukari ran. She ran as fast as she could, not even looking back to see how many there were, chasing her, with nothing in their way. Nothing to protect her, nothing to hide behind.
She was more vulnerable than ever before, and to make things worse, she felt her bow slip clean right out of her hand. The bow that, in all her nervousness, she forgot she even had. It was too late to start using it now. The Shadows were gaining on her fast, and with the stairs finally in her sight-so close she could feel the toll it would take on her legs-she dashed blindly towards it. When she miraculously reached the next floor, she finally realized why it is that this voice bothered her so. Why it was so familiar, so close to home for her.
It was like looking into a mirror, she supposed-one of those fun house mirrors, that distorted everything. It was her… but it wasn’t her. It looked like her. Her face, her figure, clothes, her light brown hair; it was all there, but at the same time, there was a certain emptiness-a darkness that radiated out of her like gas, escaping and filling a room. Yukari couldn’t take it anymore. She was panting; she couldn’t think, and before she could stop it, she fell to her knees once more as she heard her footsteps approaching. Her eyes threatened to close on her, and it took absolutely everything she had to keep them open.
She looked up to see her mysterious “self” standing over her, her arms at her hips, looking disappointed. At this close range, Yukari could see clearly her creepy, soulless yellow eyes.
“Well, what’s the matter?” she asked. “You’re finally here, and now you’re too tired to play? How boring.”
“Who… who are you?” It must have been adrenaline that allowed her to slowly back away, because there was no way it was her tired, frail body that was moving her right now. “Why do you look like me?!”
“Tch.” She wasn’t even laughing this time; just smiling, a sadistic smile, with that single raised eyebrow. A condescending smile if she ever saw one, and it was her own face that was wearing it. “You have to ask? Isn’t it obvious?”
She folded her arms, and stopped advancing once Yukari had run out of room to back away. She stood there, watching ominously as Yukari used the wall to try to stand up to face her.
“You are me. And I am you!” She held out her arms welcomingly, like she had just found an old friend. “And I know everything about you.”
“No…” Yukari’s legs wobbled, and she had to cling to the wall for support; her breath, still painful and short. “No, it’s not true…”
“Yes. Yes, that’s right,” she continued on; cheering, as she stood. “Stand up. Face me! That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? To show your worth; take me down, and go back with a fantastic story to tell about how you made it here all by yourself…how amazing you are…”
“No… no!” Yukari exclaimed. “All… all I wanted to do was show them… show them that I could…”
“Them?” she interrupted. “Who’s them?! They don’t matter. No one does! It’s all about you. Your needs. Your worth. Your special powers!”
“That… that’s why they asked me to join,” she murmured. Though Yukari was able to raise her voice, her strength was still falling-and she was wavering. “That’s why I’m here-I’m helping them!”
“But they really have nothing to do with why you joined them, do they?” If it was possible, her other self was looking even more threatening than before-which was surprising, considering she was actually backing away from her, giving her space. “You were just angry. Angry, because you couldn’t be daddy’s little girl anymore, and mom was too busy screwing around to care!”
“Of course, I was angry… I… I hated her!”
“You wanted her to miss you!” she corrected, with a smirk.
“No!”
“You thought that maybe if you were gone for a while, she’d finally stop. Stop throwing herself at other men, stop ignoring you-finally be a mom again, like you needed her to. Like you wanted her to. You, you, you!”
“Shut up, shut up!”
Yukari’s throat began to hurt now. The mere mention of her father, her home life, in this way was enough to send tears streaming down her cheeks. What was she doing there? What was she trying to prove? Her objectives which previously seemed so clear were now muddied, tainted in her mind, and suddenly it was like she didn’t know why she was alive at all.
“Aw, what’s the matter? Don’t you want everyone to know the real you? Don’t you want to broadcast it to the world?” Her other self had stepped forward towards her, lifting her chin up so that she was forced to look at her. Her touch was cold. It bothered her, but Yukari couldn’t find the energy to fend her off. “They’re here, you know. They noticed-just like you wanted them to.”
“H-huh?”
She looked confused, but in truth, she knew exactly what she meant. She could almost sense them; and not long after she realized this, she could hear their footsteps. Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai, Minato-kun… they were all there in Tartarus now, and it was all because of her. And soon, they would find her, in this disgruntled, awful state…
“They’ll find out who you really are, at last,” she was saying. It was as if she was continuing her thoughts for her. “No more lies, no more masks. Your true self!”
“No… n-never!” Yukari protested. She finally found it in herself to push her sidestep away along the wall, though she nearly toppled over as she did so. She didn’t dare take her eyes off her for a second. “They… they’d never fall for your lies. Your stupid tricks…”
“Lies? Tricks?” She laughed again-that horrible, annoying laugh. “Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?”
“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Yukari continued, ignoring her. “Because YOU’RE NOT ME!”
Suddenly, there was silence. All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. Her other self stopped moving for the moment, like a robot that had just gotten switched off, and she had this blank expression on her face that scared her much more than it should have. All the conviction, the confidence she had just felt, even in the face of her Shadow imposter, had melted, and she became a scared little girl again, pining for her daddy.
It was then that they appeared, one right after another. First Mitsuru-senpai, then Akihiko-senpai, and behind him, Minato, who looked even more beat up and tired than the others. It was his first time in Tartarus too, she remembered, so it must have been taking just as much of a toll on him as it did on her. They arrived just in time to see that thing transform-morphed completely into something unrecognizable, no longer human-shaped, let alone a mirror image of her. It was large, powerful, and now her friends would have to face it. Without her. Because of her.
“Now I’ll show you my true power!”
Guilt weighed heavily on her heart, as she could feel the support of her friends all around her. Holding her up, talking to her. Demanding to know if she was okay, what she was thinking, why she was there, alone. But she didn’t have the strength to answer any of it. It was just so much easier not to resist, not to talk; and though she knew this would worry them and cause more harm than good, she couldn’t help it.
She felt her knees give out from under her, even with everyone holding her up. They were soon forced to let her down gently, leaning her against the wall, where she was sure she would pass out, and hopefully not wake up again. But instead, she remained awake. No matter how desperately she wanted to just sleep and turn a blind eye to everything that was happening, she remained awake. Forced to watch, forced to accept the part of herself that had appeared before her.
She assumed it was the tower’s doing. Some deep power within Tartarus, making her face all of this, keeping her conscious. It was showing her that she had the power to end it-to end all of the torment she was putting on both herself and her friends. And she would.
Because, yes: Yukari Takeba was a selfish high school girl. But that’s not all she was, and she would prove it here tonight. She could and she would accept every part of herself, even those she tried to deny, if it meant she and her friends could go home safe. And though she obviously needed a little help doing it… she was at least finally strong enough to admit that.
A/N: Yay! I was super-glad to see this prompt on the meme. I mildly obsess over what the P3 character shadows would be like, haha and it was fun to write, especially since Yukari's one of my favorite characters. Anyhow, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
Fandom: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Characters: Yukari Takeba
Prompt: #96-writer’s choice (shadow)
Word Count: 3,013
Rating: PG/K
Notes: Inspired by Persona 4's character shadows; de-anon from shirakawablvd. And as you probably already know, I do not own Persona 3 or its characters...sadly.
Little Damn Table: Here ♥
Frustrated with her life in the Gekkoukan dorms, Yukari ventures to Tartarus-alone.
She would show them, she thought. She would show all of them, and give them a reminder of just why they asked her to join them in the first place.
Yukari Takeba stood at the foot of Tartarus, alone, with her favorite bow in hand. Her breathing was heavy; and she wasn’t so proud that she couldn’t admit she was scared. But she hated it: she hated how her senpais treated her like a child, just because they were a year older than her, just because she had only just learned about her potential. Just because she was too scared to pull that trigger on the evoker they gave her; just because he had to save her. And she had to do something about it, if she was going to live with them.
He had only just joined them, and already he was the leader. She could understand why; though they were both new to SEES, he was already better than her, and the ease with which he summoned his Persona amazed even Akihiko-senpai. But she had strengths too. There was a reason they needed her, a reason they asked her to join as well, and she was going to show them.
Mitsuru wouldn’t allow either of them to go out at all during the night hours, let alone during the Dark Hour. She certainly had made it clear that this mysterious ‘Tartarus’ was off limits for now, until she felt they were ready-until their new ‘leader’ had fully recovered from the attack at the dorm not long ago. But Mitsuru wasn’t her mother. Even her real mother scarcely had a right to control her, tell her what to do, after all of the absolute nonsense she had put her through, with her countless annoying boyfriends over the years.
So there she was, staring up at the large clock at the top of the stairs, which she could only assume was the entrance to this mysterious tower. She hadn’t exactly seen it before; they only told her about it, but she knew it was at the school, and she knew that it only appeared during the Dark Hour, which made it quite easy to find.
When she walked in, the first thing she noticed was that it was quiet. Very quiet. The air was thick, and at first she found it very difficult to breathe, though she began to adjust very quickly, standing there in place. She finally found the courage to look behind her, and quickly realized that the stairs she had used not moments before were gone. This was it. She was trapped, and she would have to find another way out for herself: survive, and show her senpais what she was made of. This was exactly what she had intended-not that it made it any less nerve-wrecking.
Her breathing got even heavier, as she dragged her hands along the walls, feeling its texture. Only then did she notice the blood dripping everywhere, and though she’d seen it before the previous times she experienced the Dark Hour, it was suddenly a lot scarier now that she was so… isolated, vulnerable. Her pace had slowed to a crawl without even realizing it-and it didn’t take long for the place to remind her that she was not alone.
First it was a voice. A strange laughing that echoed in her ears, and it sounded very familiar. She was thinking about who would be crazy enough to be in there with her; and it was then she saw the pair of red eyes in the darkness ahead of her. She could just barely make out the blob-like shape, and, in a stroke of luck, it had turned around, disappearing down the path to her left. Just beyond it, she noticed the stairs leading upwards, which thought might lead to an exit of some sort. She took the chance and ran.
The second verse was the same as the first. A wall suddenly appeared where the stairs should have been, and it became clear that she was being forced upwards, like something was guiding her. Like the entire place was guiding her. She didn’t like it at all, and a chill ran down her spine just from thinking about it; but she pressed on forward. Clearly, there was no turning back now.
“God, this place is so creepy,” Yukari murmured to herself-quietly, so that she wouldn’t attract any of the Shadows’ attention. She had done an admirable job of avoiding them thus far, and it would be awful to blow her cover now.
“Creepy-so creepy, and yet here I am, all alone… whatever am I going to do now?”
That same laugh from before filled the air, and it was getting harder and harder to tell whether she was just imagining things or if something really was waiting for her, somewhere up there. Her eyes widened at the sound of that voice-that painful, familiar voice-and she placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart race.
“W-who are you?” she asked, aloud. “Is someone there?”
She looked around, suddenly feeling like she was in some horror flick where something was going to jump out at her. She still saw no one, and the voice seemed to be coming from all directions.
“Someone?” the voice repeated. She sounded close all of the sudden, though she still saw nothing but darkness. “Someone? No way. It’s just me, myself, and I. But you already knew that… didn’t you?”
“This isn’t funny!” Yukari shouted, before she could catch herself. She gasped, placing a hand over her mouth-as if it would help now.
She didn’t say another word; she barely even took a breath, as she waited. She collapsed onto her knees. Surely they noticed her, she thought. Surely they would all come after her now. The Shadows… and that girl, whoever she was, talking to her-maybe she would, too. She probably knew exactly where she was.
And she was still laughing.
“Sure, it’s funny! It’s a total riot!” she exclaimed. “I’m getting exactly what I want, and while I’m in here, there’s not a thing they can do to stop me. They’ll have to pay attention to me now. Isn’t that what you’re thinking?”
“Shut up!” Yukari yelled. “Where… where are you?”
There was a pause, as Yukari stood up again, cautiously examining her surroundings. Apparently, the Shadows’ hearing wasn’t nearly as good as their sight. There was no mob, no sudden chase scene, like she was expecting. Under normal circumstances, she’d have been grateful; but the last thing she needed was a sudden development like that in an already unpredictable place. She became even more anxious, and she could feel the Dark Hour’s effects getting the better of her as she walked on, looking for the source of this voice.
“Awww, you don’t seem to like me very much,” she suddenly said. “That’s really too bad…”
Yukari jumped, suddenly coming to a dead end in front of her. She nearly ran into the wall, but instead, she was able to catch herself on it. Leaning against it felt so good to her tired body that she closed her eyes; and when she opened them again, she couldn’t tell how long they had been closed. Hours could have passed-minutes, seconds. She didn’t know.
“Hey, hey, don’t fall asleep on me now!”
Of course, she should have guessed by now that she wouldn’t have time to think on this for too long. This place was always keeping her on her toes; whether it was the tower, protecting itself, or the mysterious voice, just messing with her, she had no idea. The ground began to shake, and she knew she had to move, or something was going to happen. Something bad.
But it wasn’t the ground that was shaking. She quickly realized this, as the wall she was leaning on slowly began to disappear, without warning-crumbling into thin air. She backed away from it, turning to run, and more walls followed suit. Each one, vanishing; one after another, after another, leaving not even a single ounce of debris. Her eyes widened, as she gazed around the room. It was happening everywhere-and before she knew it, the floor was completely bare. Nothing but her, the Shadows, and those very stairs she was hunting for-on the other side of the room, as if to mock her.
And as all of the Shadows suddenly turned to face her, she could hear that voice again.
“Only one more floor. One more floor, until you get answers to the million questions running through your head. And look! I even took out all those pesky walls that were in your way…” She was giggling, like she was proud of herself. Removing the only obstacle, the chaotic maze that was keeping her from making progress-and also the very thing that had kept her out of sight of the Shadows. “Can you make it…?”
Yukari ran. She ran as fast as she could, not even looking back to see how many there were, chasing her, with nothing in their way. Nothing to protect her, nothing to hide behind.
She was more vulnerable than ever before, and to make things worse, she felt her bow slip clean right out of her hand. The bow that, in all her nervousness, she forgot she even had. It was too late to start using it now. The Shadows were gaining on her fast, and with the stairs finally in her sight-so close she could feel the toll it would take on her legs-she dashed blindly towards it. When she miraculously reached the next floor, she finally realized why it is that this voice bothered her so. Why it was so familiar, so close to home for her.
It was like looking into a mirror, she supposed-one of those fun house mirrors, that distorted everything. It was her… but it wasn’t her. It looked like her. Her face, her figure, clothes, her light brown hair; it was all there, but at the same time, there was a certain emptiness-a darkness that radiated out of her like gas, escaping and filling a room. Yukari couldn’t take it anymore. She was panting; she couldn’t think, and before she could stop it, she fell to her knees once more as she heard her footsteps approaching. Her eyes threatened to close on her, and it took absolutely everything she had to keep them open.
She looked up to see her mysterious “self” standing over her, her arms at her hips, looking disappointed. At this close range, Yukari could see clearly her creepy, soulless yellow eyes.
“Well, what’s the matter?” she asked. “You’re finally here, and now you’re too tired to play? How boring.”
“Who… who are you?” It must have been adrenaline that allowed her to slowly back away, because there was no way it was her tired, frail body that was moving her right now. “Why do you look like me?!”
“Tch.” She wasn’t even laughing this time; just smiling, a sadistic smile, with that single raised eyebrow. A condescending smile if she ever saw one, and it was her own face that was wearing it. “You have to ask? Isn’t it obvious?”
She folded her arms, and stopped advancing once Yukari had run out of room to back away. She stood there, watching ominously as Yukari used the wall to try to stand up to face her.
“You are me. And I am you!” She held out her arms welcomingly, like she had just found an old friend. “And I know everything about you.”
“No…” Yukari’s legs wobbled, and she had to cling to the wall for support; her breath, still painful and short. “No, it’s not true…”
“Yes. Yes, that’s right,” she continued on; cheering, as she stood. “Stand up. Face me! That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? To show your worth; take me down, and go back with a fantastic story to tell about how you made it here all by yourself…how amazing you are…”
“No… no!” Yukari exclaimed. “All… all I wanted to do was show them… show them that I could…”
“Them?” she interrupted. “Who’s them?! They don’t matter. No one does! It’s all about you. Your needs. Your worth. Your special powers!”
“That… that’s why they asked me to join,” she murmured. Though Yukari was able to raise her voice, her strength was still falling-and she was wavering. “That’s why I’m here-I’m helping them!”
“But they really have nothing to do with why you joined them, do they?” If it was possible, her other self was looking even more threatening than before-which was surprising, considering she was actually backing away from her, giving her space. “You were just angry. Angry, because you couldn’t be daddy’s little girl anymore, and mom was too busy screwing around to care!”
“Of course, I was angry… I… I hated her!”
“You wanted her to miss you!” she corrected, with a smirk.
“No!”
“You thought that maybe if you were gone for a while, she’d finally stop. Stop throwing herself at other men, stop ignoring you-finally be a mom again, like you needed her to. Like you wanted her to. You, you, you!”
“Shut up, shut up!”
Yukari’s throat began to hurt now. The mere mention of her father, her home life, in this way was enough to send tears streaming down her cheeks. What was she doing there? What was she trying to prove? Her objectives which previously seemed so clear were now muddied, tainted in her mind, and suddenly it was like she didn’t know why she was alive at all.
“Aw, what’s the matter? Don’t you want everyone to know the real you? Don’t you want to broadcast it to the world?” Her other self had stepped forward towards her, lifting her chin up so that she was forced to look at her. Her touch was cold. It bothered her, but Yukari couldn’t find the energy to fend her off. “They’re here, you know. They noticed-just like you wanted them to.”
“H-huh?”
She looked confused, but in truth, she knew exactly what she meant. She could almost sense them; and not long after she realized this, she could hear their footsteps. Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai, Minato-kun… they were all there in Tartarus now, and it was all because of her. And soon, they would find her, in this disgruntled, awful state…
“They’ll find out who you really are, at last,” she was saying. It was as if she was continuing her thoughts for her. “No more lies, no more masks. Your true self!”
“No… n-never!” Yukari protested. She finally found it in herself to push her sidestep away along the wall, though she nearly toppled over as she did so. She didn’t dare take her eyes off her for a second. “They… they’d never fall for your lies. Your stupid tricks…”
“Lies? Tricks?” She laughed again-that horrible, annoying laugh. “Have you been listening to a word I’ve said?”
“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Yukari continued, ignoring her. “Because YOU’RE NOT ME!”
Suddenly, there was silence. All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. Her other self stopped moving for the moment, like a robot that had just gotten switched off, and she had this blank expression on her face that scared her much more than it should have. All the conviction, the confidence she had just felt, even in the face of her Shadow imposter, had melted, and she became a scared little girl again, pining for her daddy.
It was then that they appeared, one right after another. First Mitsuru-senpai, then Akihiko-senpai, and behind him, Minato, who looked even more beat up and tired than the others. It was his first time in Tartarus too, she remembered, so it must have been taking just as much of a toll on him as it did on her. They arrived just in time to see that thing transform-morphed completely into something unrecognizable, no longer human-shaped, let alone a mirror image of her. It was large, powerful, and now her friends would have to face it. Without her. Because of her.
“Now I’ll show you my true power!”
Guilt weighed heavily on her heart, as she could feel the support of her friends all around her. Holding her up, talking to her. Demanding to know if she was okay, what she was thinking, why she was there, alone. But she didn’t have the strength to answer any of it. It was just so much easier not to resist, not to talk; and though she knew this would worry them and cause more harm than good, she couldn’t help it.
She felt her knees give out from under her, even with everyone holding her up. They were soon forced to let her down gently, leaning her against the wall, where she was sure she would pass out, and hopefully not wake up again. But instead, she remained awake. No matter how desperately she wanted to just sleep and turn a blind eye to everything that was happening, she remained awake. Forced to watch, forced to accept the part of herself that had appeared before her.
She assumed it was the tower’s doing. Some deep power within Tartarus, making her face all of this, keeping her conscious. It was showing her that she had the power to end it-to end all of the torment she was putting on both herself and her friends. And she would.
Because, yes: Yukari Takeba was a selfish high school girl. But that’s not all she was, and she would prove it here tonight. She could and she would accept every part of herself, even those she tried to deny, if it meant she and her friends could go home safe. And though she obviously needed a little help doing it… she was at least finally strong enough to admit that.
A/N: Yay! I was super-glad to see this prompt on the meme. I mildly obsess over what the P3 character shadows would be like, haha and it was fun to write, especially since Yukari's one of my favorite characters. Anyhow, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!