Persona - Mask of Origins

Yuki went to answer the door.

 

Zero stood at the door, a large grin on his face with Nicholi eagerly looking inside behind him. "Hi, is Zain up and about?"

 

"Yeah, he's in his room at the moment."

 

Zero nodded and looked over her shoulder before moving into the house, "Is he...uh, speaking yet?"

Zain scurried around the corner. Nervously peaking out at Zero and Yuki, Drats, it is him. And he brought the wierd pale one too. He noticed Nicholi scanning the rest of the house with those rust colored eyes.

 

"Yeah, he's already started speaking."

 

Zero sighed and moved into the house with Nicholi in front of him. "You think he remembers us already?" "Most likely. Zain wasn't one to forget a face."

Zain grumbled in his corner and fled back to his room, choosing to hide rather than see Nicholi and Zero again.

Zero and Nicholi met Ari in Zain's room but saw no small child or anyone else for that matter. "Hmm, where is he?"

 

"If you two don't have any important business with him, would you mind leaving? I promised him I'd take him to the park soon."

 

Nicholi searched for him while Zero gave a more than tired sigh. He sounded exhausted, "Yuki...we've been over this. We need to know he's progressing as planned. If even one visit is wasted on not monitoring him, we could miss something vital. Where would he hide?"

Zain couldn't understand what he meant by vital. He knew the memories he had weren't really his. They were so sad. And he was a grown up in them, not a little boy. Zain poked his white haired head out of the closet and glared at Zero as Nicholi picked him up and cuddled him. "Ugh, lemme go!" Nicholi petted his hair and lifted his arms above his head, "His hair's not falling out and this doesn't hurt. He seems to be doing good. Zain...do you have troule with anything?" A sarcastic grin crossed Zain's little face as he put his hands on his little hips and spoke, "I can't seem to remember where I put my bat." Nicholi still didn't understand sarcasm, "Hmm, perhaps memory loss has advanced in you? Open your mouth." Zain giggled at the shadow's lack of comprehension.

 

Yuki chuckled and smiled.

"Always the comedian, Zain."

 

Zain smiled for his sister and Nicholi put him down. "That one went right over his head. Man, Nicholi, it's like you don't feel anything at all." Nicholi watched him with his rust colored eyes and uneasily wiped away a stray trail of blood, "In truth, I don't feel anything. It's difficult to discern truth from lie with humans." Zain gave him a blase look and trotted over to Yuki, "Are we going soon? I'm tired of being here and my friends'll be worried if I don't show up in time." Zero and Nicholi nodded, "We'll just stay here for a while. Don't worry, we won't spend the night. I've got things to do and Nick has research to get back to."

 

Yuki took Zain out to the park.

 

Zain hurried off to his friends and clambered all around the park with them at his heels. His hand was always held off to one side as if he were holding something as he fake fought with his friends and invisible enemies. He narrated through their entire game. "And Bartandalous was the VICTOR!" He grinned, though his choice of a fake name was oddly exactly like the old Zain's new name. Bartandalous...the dark crystal half of Orphan, Persona of the Gods. Exhausted, he returned to Yuki and drained a juice box.

 

"You look like you had fun."

 

"Always do." he said with a little pant.

 

"Time to go home. You've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so you won't be going to school."

 

Zain frowned, "Awww, I don't like the doctor. He always pokes at me like some science experiment." But Zain complained about everything, except the smell of home cooking...or food in general.

 

"Doctors do that to everyone, but enough about that. I'm in the mood to cook a big feast."

 

Zain's blue eyes lit up and widened, "Awsome..." He drooled a little before whiping his mouth and jumping up, "Well then, lets go! I'm starved anyway and everyone's goin' home."

 

Yuki took him home and started cooking.

 

Zain played quietly in his room. Or at least gave the impression of playing. He was lost in his memories again. Wondering who this Cara in his head could be. Someone he cherished.