Persona F

Shadow Ai's paradise Pt. 1

Hirozaku returns to the real world and turns around. "Ok, everyone ready?" Hiro asks. "Yeah! Let's go!" Kap exclaims. "You got it!" Rikiya says as he twirls his axe. "I may not fight but I will come with you." Ai says. "I am still damn skeptical about you coming along on this suicide mission." Hiro says. The four enter the gates and see the palace still there, with the birds cooing or chirping around them, as if worried for Ai. "These guys... they're really going berserk." Rikiya comments. "Well, I guess it's because Ai is gone. It possibly represents how the world would be like if Ai committed suicide." Kap says. "The whole "I wish I was dead" thing if it also showed the consequences of your suicide." Ai looks at the birds and is silent for a bit. "Hey. We WILL help you. You won't regret this, but regardless, stay out of our way." Hiro tells her. "Yes... thank you." Ai responds. They walk through the bridge and enter the palace. In the palace, it is a massive entrance, where the stairs are before the door and two hallways are on the side with a banner on top reading "The Surface". Suddenly, Hiro starts to see Rikiya headed for the stairs only for the party to be ambushed by the enemy. Hiro blinks and sees that the group are still at the bottom of the stairs. 'What the hell was that?' Hiro thinks to himself. "Hiro-kun? Are you all right?" Ai asks. "Y-yeah... I'm fine." Hiro responds. "Well then, if you're done, we should head up to the stairs! There is always something at the top!" Rikiya says. "I dunno about that, Rikiya. I think we should think things through." Kap responds. "Oh, don't you worry! This always happens in video games! So let's go upwards!" Rikiya rushes to the top of the stairs only for Atlantean guards to be there with their staffs pointed at Rikiya. "OH, GOOD JOB, RIKIYA, THE RED-HAIRED LEADER OF OUR RESCUE OPERATION, LEADING US INTO THE WRONG DIRECTION AND SHIT!" Rikiya says loudly in a tone of knowing he screwed up badly resulting in Hiro glaring at Rikiya. "WOW! JUST, FUCKING BACK THE BUS OVER ME; WHY DON'T YOU?!" Hiro sarcastically says angrily to which Ai holds back a small giggle, however, Kap notices but says nothing. These shadows turn into a small and black cupid like creature with a frown and a bow and arrow like a cupid would in the media, a raven with an orange mark on its chest holding a single lit lantern, and a purple horse with a pair of horns on its head and teeth as sharp as knives. "Pyro jack!" Hiro exclaims as a pumpkin figure with a purple magician's hat, a purple magician's cloak and a lantern emerges from his eyes and ears in the form of blue flames. The fire from Pyro Jack blasts at the small cupid. Allowing Hiro to strike again. "Ara Mitama!" Hirozaku then summons a strange red being that is the shape of a comma. It fires a freila, nuking the black raven. "Sandman!" Hiro summons a being that has the head of a moon, the body all red as if it is a jump suit, and a white bag with red stripes. This being has some wind to strike at the purple horse, however, it does not go down. "Yo Hiro! Pass the baton!" Kap exclaims. Hiro extends his hand to Kap who does a high five, Kap then reacts by striking the purple horse with his shove, taking down the being. Once they were done, they kept going up the stairs. They go to the left side of the stairs and walk through a room full of several doors on the side. They reach the end of the hallway. "Ah dammit, it's a dead end." Kap says. Hiro blinks and sees a future where he opens one door but there is something behind it. Something related to Ai. Hiro blinks again and goes to the door. "Hiro?" Kap asks. Hiro opens the door and inside is like a film playing. It shows Ai when she was a little girl, around Kap's age, running to a nice looking home, she knocks on the door and it opens to show Megumi at the same age. "Hey! Megumi! Let's play!" Little Ai exclaims. "Okay!" Little Megumi responds. The two rush inside and play with a ball, having a grand and wonderful time, as if nobody could ever separate the two. There is even one instance where Ai and Megumi once tend to a little bird who has been injured. The door closes after that, with Hiro, Rikiya and Kap turning to Ai who looks away. "You... were the president's childhood friend?!" Rikiya exclaims. "Yes... It was a long time ago, but yes. She and I, we used to have so much fun together. Played until the sun went down." Ai says. Rikiya and Hiro look at one another before the two look at Kap. "Please, don't worry about me. We should keep going." Ai says as she walks on ahead. They reach to the center of the palace again before going to another hallway. "Hey, Hiro, how did you know that there is a door that lead to something?" Kap asks. "Because I somehow have the power to predict the future." Hiro says. "It's weird but it's true." He adds. "Hey, what's this?" Rikiya asks as he picks up something from the ground. It appears to be a single plastic doll arm. "What the hell is this thing? Did a kid run by here?" Rikiya asks. "Looks like one of those recent children's show that was meant for girls. Yeah, dammit what was it called... It's on the tip of my tongue... She was played by Yukari Takeba after Neo Featherman..." Hiro starts thinking. "Monika Roar." Ai answers. "THAT was it. That would've driven me nuts all day." Hiro says. "What's Monika Roar?" Kap asks. "She is a model that has a secret life as a superhero. She would appeal to little girls to play dress-up but also she would be used as a superhero who would fight her arch nemesis, Brow, a dragon king who wants to rule all every woman in the world." Ai answers. "Oh yeah, I think Akemi watches that show. It's had a reboot because in it's debut, it was nothing but a cheap way to get money from little girls after the pink featherman." Rikiya says. "Why do you know that?" Kap asks. "I'm binging the Netflix series and they made Brow way better than his debut. That one was just a burning bush. No avatar or anything." Rikiya explains. Ai looks down at the arm of this doll. "Think it has some connection to this world?" Hiro asks. "That is most likely." Ai responds. The others look around for other parts of the doll in different locations of this specific room connected to hallways. Kap finds the other arm in a potted plant, Ai finds a leg under a rug, Hirozaku finds the other leg by breaking a vase, and Rikiya finds the head of the doll behind a curtain. They get together with the doll. "All that's left is the torso." Hiro says. The group looks around them until Kap looks above. "Hey, up there!" Kap points to the large painting that is holding the room together. This painting is one that has the image of Megumi, on a throne overseeing some peasants who are bowing before her. Hiro tries to predict the future and sees that the only way to get to that painting, is by going through a trap on the other side. "Rikiya, Kap, this painting is a trap. On the other side is some shadows. We gotta beat them down." Hiro tells them. "You got it!" Kap exclaims. "You ain't gonna leave me behind this time!" Rikiya agrees. "Ai, you stay here. We will take on these enemies." Hiro tells her. "Ok. But please make it back." Ai requests.