Nineteenth Song || Action Prose/Voice [back-dated to Sunday morning, then present]
She'd known most of what she was seeing wasn't real. Even before she'd come to Inaba and been thrown headlong into everything, no one knew illusions and secrets behind ostentatious posturing like an idol did. That allowed her to keep a tenuous grip on reality while everyone around her - her friends - were all suffering. It was reminiscent, in a sense, of her role back home. Rise alone had never had her Persona sealed. She'd never been controlled to fight against the one who led them. The supporting force had to keep a clear mind, to know when something was wrong with any one of the Investigation Team members, and to make that known to the others so that they could fix it. She had to know the weaknesses of the Shadows, their strengths, where they were, which rooms and corners were worth risking and which were not. If it was for her friends, Rise would do everything in her power to keep them safe.
But anxiety and stress were hitting her hard, and Rise had finally succumbed to sleep.
She regretted it. She was awake, she could remember stepping outside, but what greeted her was not sweetly-scented Azalea. There were no buildings, just a faintly periwinkle fog that engulfed her feet and made it impossible for her to see where she was going more than two steps in any direction.
Why was it, then, that she could see her friends? All of them? Not just Naoto and Chie and Kanji, but Yosuke and Yukiko and Teddy and Souji-- Ven and Heather, Gokudera and Neku, Yayoi and Athrun, Marona and Ash? She didn't have her glasses... and why--
Frowning, Rise switched on her Gear, deciding it was best to verify this way. They couldn't all be here, right? "Hey, guys--"
The stench of rotting flesh assailed her nose and Rise pressed her hands against her face to keep from gagging; the PokéGear thudded to the ground. Along with the scent came a low, raspy chuckle, and a sultry voice that dripped of venom and gravel. She strained to hear, and then, as clearly as if the speaker was in her head--
"Goodbye... Accept the reality of your death."
Every single part of Rise's body went numb. A million thoughts raced through her head: she needed Kanzeon (but for once she knew the helplessness of a sealed Persona), she had heard this before (but they'd defeated her, hadn't they, hadn't they ended it?), she had to warn them all to run (but nothing would move, she couldn't speak), she knew what was coming, but before she could find the strength to unfreeze the terror that held her fast, it had already begun.
Hallucination or not, Rise had seen her friends die in front of her once before. And now, watching it a second time in mute horror, she thought it would have hurt less if Izanami had torn her heart out with those oozing, blood-red fingers while she still stood.
The corpse-like goddess did no such thing. Instead, she gestured, and hundreds - no, thousands - of black, shadow-like hands shot up from the mist, seizing and entwining around her friends. They struggled at first, but one by one, they fell and were pulled to their deaths. Each one stared into her eyes as they collapsed, some accusing, some trusting and confused to the very end. She was the only one untouched; why wasn't she helping them? Wouldn't a real friend have done something?
I... I don't-- Rise struggled futilely against the invisible bonds that held her rooted to the spot. Was this the strength Ven had so optimistically insisted she had? What good was support if she couldn't save the people most important to her? I don't have the power to save them!!
It was only when the last friend fell, after Heather had been dragged kicking and cursing into the abyss, after Naoto had dropped painfully onto one knee before she was pulled the rest of the way in, after Neku's choked yell finished ringing in the muffling fog, Ven's blue eyes pleading for understanding, just like Yayoi's, because she'd promised to keep her safe, Athrun and Konata and Marona and Gokudera and Shinjiro and Zack and Aerith and Hayate and Hal and Keiichi and Yuiko and so many somanyofthem and all her fault--
"Your support is the best."
"Hey Rise... Thanks for hearing me out. I think that put a lot off my chest."
"You-- you make sure and stay safe, all right?"
"You're very good at it, that's for sure."
I'm...
"Uuuu... R-Rise, you just saved my life!"
"You're a strong person, Rise."
I'm not--!!
It was only then that the lock around her throat shattered, the sound of loss tore itself free, and Rise could do nothing but scream their names in anguish, scream and scream and keep on screaming until she was no longer screaming names but screaming because in the end, that was all she could do.
[ VOICE ]
[ It's Monday morning now, and Rise's voice is softer than usual, with a faint hint of hoarseness. ]
Everyone's... okay now, right? It's all over now? I-- [ her voice breaks for a minute, and when she speaks again, it's shaky at best. ] Guys, y-you're all still here, right??
((OOC: So all you'll hear for the Sunday transmission is Rise starting a sentence, a LOOOOOONG silence, and her screaming. Even if you reply, she had to be calmed down by a Jenny, so wouldn't have gotten to any replies until she made her Monday post. If you got through that text monstrosity, I owe you cookies. If you're IN Azalea, action is fine too. If you're wondering why I'm awake, GOOD QUESTION.))