Persona - Mask of Origins

Toji took the matches and sealed the rest of his wounds.

 

Nicholi thanked him and braced himself against the door of a horses stall. "Alright. Let's go. Wherever you want to take me. I'm in no condition to argue." A light lit in his rusty eyes, "That reminds me, how's Zain doing?"

 

"You can ask him when we get back to my house." Yuki said.

 

Nicholi followed them, either unwilling to speak or unable to. He limped quietly, leaving behind the rotting bundle of something.

Zain fell backwards off the bed when Ari had kissed him. He tried to laugh but the sound was brittle and he scrambled back up to her, "You...I....Ari, we...." Ari kissed him again and he pushed her backwards on the bed.

 

Yuki waited for Toji and Nicholi to walk in the house before she did.

 

Nicholi was greeted by a powerful fist to the face from Callen and a pained moan from Zero. "Hiya bro." "Hello to you both too." Nicholi cradled his wounded jaw and started toward the stairs to Zain's room, "Is Zain in?" Zero grinned, "I wouldn't go up there. Nick, he's a perfect sucess." Nicholi turned and caught his grin, smiling himself. "I suppose I'll leave them alone for now then."

 

Yuki started brewing a pot of coffee, while Toji went through some of his research notes.

 

It was nearly two hours before Zain stumbled down the stairs. His hair and clothes were messy and Zero couldn't help but smile. "Someone just got out of bed, I see." Callen frowned, poking him in one of his wounds until he flinched.

Zain blushed and sat down, "Um...w-well, I....I don't think Ari's a problem anymore."

 

"I see you took my advice then." Yuki said before taking a sip of coffee.

 

"Uh...yeah...or rather...she took your advice. I...couldn't stop myself." he touched his head to the table and Nicholi rubbed the back of Zain's head, "It's only natural you wouldn't. A shadow's hormone is pure desire and cannot be suppressed once it touches what it wants. Such is why some shadows cannot help but to kill once they've started."

 

Yuki stretched and poured the rest of her cup of coffee in the sink.

"So, what now?"

 

Everyone stopped and turned on Nicholi. "We let Nicholi explain why he tried to recreate Maria." "Maria Mizuhashi...mother and wife to us. Why wouldn't I want to recreate her. Zain was perfection, mom could be too." "Well, where is she then?" "Rotting in the barn I left her in. She was a failure. She couldn't handle the memories of mother and she died."

Zain glanced up the stairs, he felt like he'd developed an addiction or an obsession for Ari.

 

"So I take it you're going to try recreating her again."

 

Nicholi nodded and Callen growled, "You do and I'll kill you! Let the dead rest while they still can, Nicholi!" Zero sighed, "Father may be right, but to see mom's smile again...hear her voice...it's just too much not to think about."

 

Yuki kept quiet, so they could work things out.

 

The three argued for a while before Callen left, saying he needed a smoke and Zero fell asleep. Nicholi grumbled and rebandaged his wounds.

"So...what did the shadows that attacked you, do with the failed experiments you had?" Nicholi sighed, "Burnt them. A recreated human does not taste very good to shadows because they were not born like normal. What good is a created human to a shadow with no taste for it?"

 

"Why did they attack you though, just to kill the experiments?"

 

"Probably because we are created too. Zero and I...shouldn't exist either. that's why we're covered in lacerations and Father only has burns. He wanted to save us from the fire and in turn, burnt himself."

 

"I guess you're right about that. Whatever the case, they won't attack again."

 

Nicholi nodded and Zain stood as he heard Ari on the stairs. A small smile on her lips as she brushed past Zain and grabbed herself a premade sandwhich.