Persona - Mask of Origins

"Good to see Toya and Toji haven't changed you, Yuki." he shut the door before she could respond and briefly wondered where his sudden heartlessness had come from. Shaking his head, he let Orphan, or rather Eden lead them to where her counterpart would be waiting.

"Take a left. He's there, that house." Zain could almost see the fog of death around it, "Alright then. Ready or not, Zalera, here we come."

 

As tired as Yuki was, she didn't take any heed to what he had said.

 

Zain, cautiously entered the fog around the house. They didn't make it four steps into the fog before Zain felt a tingling through his body, "What's going on?" 'Zalera's mist will pry your soul from your body so that it may bring you to Heaven.' "Zain, a shield will not hold long in thissss. But I will try." The tingling faded and Zain hurried further into the fog.

 

Yuki turned off the tv and sighed, feeling worried about Zain.

 

Zain wandered until he saw a figure in front of him. Hurrying forward he noticed it was a girl, "Ah, you haven't seen the Seraph of Death have you?" She looked frightened and pointed behind him. Before Zain could turn, he heard a piercing wail and quickly Orphan covered his ears. The girl shivered and disappeared.

"YOU! You who have wandered into my fog, are you not dead?" Zain shivered, Orphan couldn't block out a voice that spoke out loud and into his head.

 

Yuki soon fell asleep on the couch.

 

"Ah, n-no. I'm of the living. Please, Zalera--" "YOU DO NOT SPEAK MY NAME!" Orphan leaped from Zain's shoulders, "Zain, let Eden do the talking." Eden's beautiful voice came from Orphan's mouth and Zain stood still, "Zalera...do not be so cruel to them. Zain and Orphan have given me new life. Zalera, brother, do you not recognize me?"

Zalera removed the fog to see them better and Orphan let the shield drop, "Eden. It's so good to hear your voice again, my sister. So these are your new masters now. I see..."

 

Yuki suddenly woke up from a bad dream she had about Zain.

 

Zalera's skulled face couldn't look sorrowful but his voice was, "I'm sorry, Eden, but someone must die here today."

Zain froze when he felt a chill creep through his body, "No...I can't. You can't make me die!" he spun around and Orphan launched himself at Zalera, fangs extended...

 

Yuki went out to look for Zain.

 

Orphan wrapped himself around Zalera.

Cara blinked, her eyes red and puffy, "Zain? Why are you here? This is my house."
Zain's eyes widened and he turned in time to watch as things slowed down and Orphan was thrown from Zalera into Cara. Orphan's fangs bit into Cara, covered with Zalera's blood.

Zalera shrieked. "Filthy creature! You've bound me to the pitiful girl! What do you think you're doing!" Zain crouched beside her and removed Orphan's fangs from her neck, "Just take it easy, Cara."

 

Yuki followed Zain's trail to where he was.

 

She stared up at him, "What's going to happen to me?" He looked to Zalera, hoping he could answer her.

"She is bound to death and your filthy persona. Cara isn't going to live a normal life anymore because of you Zain."

He felt despair unfurl in his heart, "Cara...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

 

Yuki listened from a distance. She didn't want to barge in on them.

 

Orphan picked himself up and shuddered until a blinding light crept from underneath his purple crystalline scales. "Destiny has been set in motion. A thousand years ago, Cara, you were born once from the Gods. That pendent you so cherish is one of the Gods'. Like all Persona's Orphan, I and Zalera were given to humanity. Orphan...you must keep your oath to the Gods and go there now." Orphan's snake body curled into a ball and vanished in a ball of darkness.

Zain dropped Cara's hand and stared where his Persona had sat, "He...he's gone. Bring him back! Orphan!"

Eden looked to Zalera and the seraph of death wrapped Cara into his wings and disappeared. Everyone but Eden and Zain...gone.

 

"zain i have somthing to tell you...."rio said

 

Zain's heart hurt, he couldn't breathe. "Cara...Orphan..."

Daieko stood behind Yuki, his ice blue eyes focused on Zain, "He'll be fine. Once the initial shock is over, he will be fine and willing to do what you ask and what I ask. Do you understand Yuki?"

Eden looked at Rio, her eyes of light stared at him and she pointed her staff at him, "Who is this? Are you a friend of the Dark One?" her tone was mystical but friendly despite her staff near Rio.

 

Yuki was visibly unnerved. She was still stunned from what she had seen.

 

Daeiko rested his hand on Yuki's shoulder, "Take your time. Zain will get better. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Eden starts claiming she is his persona and calling him by another name. Yuki...your brother needs you in this time of dire peril."

 

Yuki nodded and sighed.

"Come on, let's go home, Zain."