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****** (POV Change: Nathan) ******

Everyone in the group, including me and Johnny, were on our toes....but it wasn't Elizabeth's fault: she was leading down a very creepy hallway....and it could give anyone the heebie-jeebies.

I slipped off my glasses for a second and, sure enough, the hallway was dense with fog; I could barely see Johnny right next to me without them!

"Whoa, freaky....." I mumbled to myself, then shaking my head and putting on a brave face "but I can face it!" I felt Johnny's arm grasp mine and I could tell it was out of fear of losing me. I kept him close, trying not to make it look so well-known.

I looked back and saw that a lot of the girls huddled together with some guys; apparently they were just as scared as me and my Orcy.

"Um, Miss Elizabeth?" asked a female from behind me; I looked, it was a husky. Elizabeth spun on the spot to face her.

"Oh, please...call me Elizabeth." She smiled, then turned back and continued on "And yes?"

"W-when are we gonna stop? We're all getting a little scared." Said another girl; it was another husky girl next to the first: I guess they were twins; they were wearing the same glasses and had similar style to one another.

"We will be there shortly." She said, soon skipping along. Watching it made me feel like we should be the one baby-sitting her...not the other way around.

That thought only worsened my fear, but I buried it as far down as I could so I wouldn't worry about Johnny: I had to be tough.

........................

We came to an opening, the area being big enough to hold our entire class 5 times, maybe more. Elizabeth stopped us in the middle of it, smiling; she seemed to stare at me and Johnny...yet I figured it was because she had to look at everyone so she knew they were paying attention.

"Now then, I have brought you all out here because you have the Potential." I raised my hand instantly; I felt eyes go on me, but they left when Elizabeth giggled and pointed to me. I asked my question.

"What potential?"

"Ah, good question....but it is not 'potential': it's the Potential." She corrected me, smiling wide.

"Well, what is it?" I continued on; everyone mumbled to each other, apparently thinking the same thing.

"Ahem!" she spoke clearly, gaining our attention: it wasn't to be mean or to be snappy....just to get our attention "Thank you, now then: having the Potential means you are able to enter this place. Now then, does anyone have a guess what this place is? Go on, think hard and say an answer." She encouraged.

Me and J looked around, seeing how everything was: it was cold and depressing, the colors resembling a forgotten school or building; I saw blood splatters on the ground and on the wall, which made me shutter.

"Ugh! This place creeps me out!" I heard Johnny say, shaking his head "Why'd I have to be able to see through this fog?" I nudged him.

"Because I can....and you follow me everywhere." I chuckle; he did as well, and I was glad I could make him feel better.

I continued to look around, walking off from the group and looking down the hallway we came down. I heard Elizabeth's voice.

"Do you have an idea?"

I nodded, smiling a bit.

"Tartarus; the place Chronos was said to be sent after he tried to fight against Zeus in Greek mythology....this place reminds me a lot like Tartarus."

She clapped, giggling.

"Well down! Very smart! What is your name, I must remember you!" she squealed, walking over to me.

"Nathan Osworth, Nate for short." I say simply, blushing a bit: to be honest, I took a shot in the dark with that. We shook hands and she went back to the front to teach.

"Now then, I have taken all of us into Tartarus so we may explore a bit and see what it is like. Now then, before we start, I must warn you: in Tartarus, you will deplete more energy than you would in the normal world. So, if anyone is tired, then we may rest. If enough are tired, then we will all return back for the day. Understood?" Everyone nodded, and soon we set off on our journey to explore Tartarus.

...............................

We got pretty far before someone said they needed a break. So, like Elizabeth promised, we rested in an opening similar to the one we stopped at before. We all sat in a circle, talking lightly about Tartarus; Elizabeth stood in the center: she didn't want to sit and get her dress dirty.

"Now then, allow me to teach you about Tartarus: many might believe that it was been built, but that is not the case: years ago, a tragic accident happened at a high school that resulted in its destruction and the death of many scientists that worked there. Around midnight, the subjects they were experimenting on became aggressive and escaped the lab. One of the subjects was powerful enough to destroy the entire lab and school in which the lab was located under.

"The resulting accident caused a ripple in time to create a hidden hour forever added in, and it happens every night between 12:00 and 12:01."

"Wait, from midnight to a minute after?! How is that possible?!" asked one of the students. It was a male lynx. She continued on.

"This added hour, known as the Dark Hour, is like a hidden world: time ceases to stop and anyone without the Potential would be transmogrified into sarcophagus....or so it was. A few years ago, a group of students known as SEES infiltrated Tartarus and managed to cause it to disappear....and, for a while, the Dark Hour was gone.

"Now that almost all children are born with the Potential, the school has created a replica of Tartarus from scratch and has also duplicated the Dark Hour on Goldenia....however, it is now the hosting hour for when students are capable entering Tartarus whenever they please."

"Wait, so you're saying that other students freely enter Tartarus....on their own?" I asked; it seemed farfetched.

"Yes, but that is because they are like you: you hold a vast amount of Potential, and with training, you will be able to hone it and use it."

Everyone seemed to not believe her, but I did: I figured that I was able to see through the fog with these glasses for a reason....if I didn't feel like I was special, I would never have signed up for Combat classes.

"Now then, shall we proceed farther?" she asked, clapping and getting everyone to their feet; we soon continued on.

.....................................

After a while we reached a staircase going farther up...but it seemed to never stop. Elizabeth clapped and sighed in victory, chuckling.

"Very good, class: not many have been able to go through Tartarus's first floor and still feel energized. We usually leave about halfway and then turn back. I am very proud of you!" he giggled and clapped for us, everyone joined in and soon we began to go back.

As we walked back, I stayed in placed and just looked up the staircase: the curiosity was almost too unbearable. I wanted to see what was up there so badly! I wanted to know why other students traveled to Tartarus on their own just for the heck of it. Why?

I took one foot on the first step and I heard Johnny's voice snap me back into reality.

"Nate, come on! What's taking so long?"

"Oh, uh-sorry! I'm coming!" I called back, turning back and running to catch up with the group....as I ran back, I felt like something was nagging at me, both physically and mentally; I turned around and saw nothing but the staircase: I knew that wasn't it. I ignored it.

...........................................

As we walked through the maze-like structure of Tartarus, I continued to feel that nagging feeling: it was like it was pulling on my clothes and hair and fur and anywhere it could; I'd swat at it, yet it was still there. Johnny finally said something to me about it.

"Um.....y-you okay, Ottie?" he asked. I looked at him numbly.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked me again.

"Oh, yeah...of course....why?" I said, brushing off the seriousness in his voice. He didn't press me on, and I thanked him for that....but, at the same time, I wanted to tell him something was off....and I could feel it. He'd probably think I was being paranoid.

I felt something, literally, tug my hair back and made me yelp. Johnny jumped and looked to me.

"What?!" he pleaded; I rubbed my head.

"Someone yanked my hair!" I looked around, but saw nothing but my own shadow on the ground. He sighed, waving away the idea and walked on. I continued to look around, trying to find at least a sign to prove I wasn't crazy.

'Dammit! What the fuckin' hell is going on?!' I cursed in my head, growling. I stopped dead cold when I heard a chuckle, sinister in tone....and it sounded too familiar to be true.

"What do you mean 'what's going on?' Isn't it obvious?" I turned around, slowly, to see something that would have made me jump out of my own skin....you know, if it wasn't for the fact I was looking at my own skin...and face, and fur, and everything else!

"W-wha?" I asked in total confusion and terror. My brain could barely register anything from the fright that I was too slow to scream or yell.....but, frankly, I didn't have to do anything: I never came back so everyone went looking for me.

"Nate!" I heard Johnny's voice reach my ears; I turned around and saw them running towards me: Elizabeth leading the way. I held out my paw.

"Stop, no! Don't come any closer!" I warned them, knowing how dangerous who or whatever this thing was. The answer as to why I was still close to it was still unknown to me.

"Aw, what's wrong? Embarrassed to have your wittle cwass come back to find you?" he mocked me, his voice sounding exactly like mine with a deeper version of it being overlaid with it....it creeped my out, so I tried to focus on my own voice.

"What do you mean? Why would I be embarrassed?" I asked it.

"Oh, you know," he said lukewarmly "since you could never do anything by yourself and had to have someone else do it for you, wouldn't you feel embarrassed about that?" he questioned me. What was he talking about?

"What are you getting at?" I asked him. He laughed out loud, and it sounded arrogant and stuck-up.

"You know what I'm talking about: I'm talking about YOU! All your life, you always relied on others to do the hard stuff for you....and even now you do!"

I gasped, growling: how dare he!

"I would never stoop that low! I'm not that pathetic!" I yelled back at him.

"Oh, but you are....deep down, you feel like you can't do anything unless you had someone do it with you or for you! Not only that, but you regret wanting to do it to! You call yourself a leech....a blood-sucking parasite. Not only that, you feel as helpless as you are! The only reason why you feel like you can't do anything and have to "leech" on someone is because you really can't do anything!" he laughed and mocked me.

I slowly backed away; the ugly figure in front of me sprouting out all this nonsense....that's all it had to be.....lies....

I knelt down, covering my ears so I couldn't hear him, but I still heard his verbal abuse against me.

"Even now you feel just as pathetic as you always have: you try and act brave, wanting others to try and recognize you and like you, but all you can get is pity....they pity you.....you want someone to genuinely like you....yet all you get is pity. You're a pathetic little leech who wants attention....yet can't."

I felt hot tears stream down my face as I tried to shut him out, hoping he'd just go away.

"S-stop it! Please! Stop it!" I begged him, wanting to just vanish....but he never did. And neither did all the eyes on my: I felt Johnny's the most: he was listening to every word, and I could tell, even without looking at his face, that he was astonished.

"And I bet," he continued on, walking towards me and kneeling down to me; I felt his cold paw take my chin and force my gaze to his "that's why Johnny is with you: he feels sorry for you....nothing more."

That crossed the line, that was the one area I felt I'd be safe in....but I was wrong. I felt myself crumble into nothing.....then flare up out of pure rage.

I swiped his paw away and got straight in his face; he backed off and I growl out loudly: for the first time I felt my throat bend my voice into an audible growl.

"Enough! NO ONE talks about Johnny that way?! What gives you the right to accuse me?!" I hissed.

He only smirked.

"Because I'm you.....and you're me: why else would I know every dark little secret there is to know about you?" My rage increase when I heard this: my fist balled up so tight I felt my own warm blood seep into my palms slightly from my own claws digging into my skin.

"NO! You......" I growled then yelled out as loud as I could at him; my own tears were still dripping down my face from the crying "YOU'RE NOT ME!!!"

I heard him chuckle, then laugh too loud and too happily. I saw this blackish fog-like aura around him when he stopped.

"What was that? I can't here you: say that again." I mocked, smiling wide. I growl again.

"You're not me! You can't be me! Only I can be me!" I yelled out at him.

He chuckled...then laughed again.

"Yeah, you're right......" he smiles wide; I noticed that the black aura around him was increasing and expanding around him "I'm my own PERSON now....and there's only room for ONE Nathan Osworth....." he growled and yelled out, black things coming from the walls and being absorbed by him.

He became a giant black ball of shadow-y black stuff. Slowly, limbs began to form: two powerful legs, one arm on his left, and another on the right...but it was much longer and it was, actually a blade. A short antenna lurched out of the top of him, another one flowing slowly out from the top of him as well and drooping down against the side of his body. The color changed from a black to a dark metallic color. A huge eye opened up that covered his entire face, looking around then focusing on me; it glared angrily at me. He finally finished when he was done with his transformation.

"AND THAT'S ME!"

I was barely about to forms letters and smash them together for me to try and speak my terror. I tried to back up but I tripped over my own feet and fell on my back....and then I tried to crawl, but the thing took one step and it was closer than before.

After a few second, I could manage to say one thing:

"W-what ARE YOU?!" he answered in a booming voice.

"I am a Shadow.....the true self." I shook my head, unable to believe it at all. He continued on.

"I'll prove that I'm not pathetic or a leech to everyone....and I'll do it by killing you!" I whimpered out loudly, cringing as he took another step towards me.

"Nathan!" I heard everyone yell; I looked and moved my feet unconsciously towards them....but I was cut off by the huge monster blocking my path with his huge sword-arm.

"Not so fast, little otter." He said his voice radiating from his body since he had no mouth; his arm raised up high and I saw it about to swing it down on me.

"Die!"

He swung his arm down and I thought that was it for me: I closed my eyes and waited for death....but I heard Elizabeth shout out something, then the sound of clashing metal. I was afraid to open my eyes.

I peeked an eye and flung both wide open, backing away as I saw a huge figure with a long sword holding against the thing's blade: he was protecting me.

My savior was dressed in a charcoal cloak that covered his torso, white boot-like shoes with gold heels, and, to top it off, had 8 weird-looking sarcophaguses on its back like a cape. I saw it's face and nearly passed out: it was of a mashing face of a demon.

"W-what is that?!" I asked out loud, trying to run back with the group...but the thing was ahead of me: he blew back the thing that was trying to protect me with a blast of wind and blocked the path with his hand.

"Nice try....now then, dodge this!" he yelled, his hand swiping at me.

"No, Nate!" I heard, seeing J run at me; I saw him reach me, then push me, just in time to get smacked and thrown into the wall; I heard a thud and a grumble: J was out-cold.

"JOHNNY!" I yelled and running towards him; I saw his hand and I that there was space under it....so I made a gamble: I ran for it and slid underneath. His hand barely grazed my skin.

I got up and looked back to see Elizabeth with her book and motioning to the thing.

"Thanatos!" she called to it, the creature getting up: wait, does that mean she called that thing to save me? Thanatos, with his blade, raced along the ground...then jumped up and sliced the arm clean off the rest of his body. He let out a torture yell...then a loud grunt as a new one burst it's way of the side and punched at Thanatos; he moved away from it and went straight for its center.

Once close, he stabbed right through its eye: dark matter spewed out of it like blood form a creature. He then began to effectively tear the creature to shreds and go berserk.

...............

As soon as the thing was no more, Thanatos let out a victory cry...then faded away, as if not there. I couldn't believe it, yet I was too tired to question it....I wanted to walk to Elizabeth, but I saw the figure that approached me: he was just standing there, looking at me with a straight face.

I walked up to him, breathing heavily and trying to keep from getting angry.

"You," I start as soon as I face him; I heard Elizabeth walk up from behind me "You're not me.....you can't be...." He looked at me with a solemn face. I felt the woman's hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to her...than back at the figure.

"Nathan, this is your Shadow." She said.

"My.....Shadow?" I asked; the thought of what the Headmaster said to me before I came here appeared in my head, yet I shoved it away for the moment.

"Yes: Shadows inhabit Tartarus, it's their home. They are the manifestation of everyone's fear, regrets, anger, and vices. This is your Shadow: it is the side of you that you keep repressed......when you denied him, he summoned all available shadows to his aid....and that's how he transformed into that giant Shadow...." She explained "the only way that it will leave....is if you can accept it."

"But, I can't" I turned away, looking to the ground: the shame, the disappointment, I can't handle it if I say that it's all true.

"If you deny it again, it can go berserk again and attack again...." Elizabeth said gently, her hand never leaving my shoulder. I sigh deeply, looking to see that Johnny was still out-cold. I raised my head and turned around, facing my Shadow.

I took a deep breath and let it out, ready to do what I had to do.

"I knew it was true....every word you said. Deep down, I always felt like I was only liked because of the problems I faced....I even used that pity to ask for help on things and end up not doing a thing; it felt horrible, especially when I was caught yet never punished because they pitied me too much.

"I labeled myself as a leech and a pathetic person that could only be pitied....and I felt like all of my friendships were based on pity.....including my relationship with Johnny. We met so early in my life that it's hard to believe that one of the reasons that Johnny could still like me was that he felt sorry for me.....I know that, but....I wanted to believe that, someday, I'd be able to stop all the pity, the leeching, and most of all....I'd be able to do things on my own two feet." For the first time I smiled as I faced him.

"But, now I know I don't have to: it's okay to ask for help, it's okay to feel pitied.....and it's okay if you can't figure out how to do something....I have my friends to help me....most of all," I look to Johnny, now moving around and slowly waking up "I have my orcy; I love him....and he loves me.....and that will never change..."

He nodded, smiling softly; I hugged it, and I felt cold arms wrap around me.

"You....are me.....and I'll never forget that again."

I heard a slight chuckle.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you...." He said softly, his voice sounding much better than before....like the actual me.

"I know, you have.....I'm sorry...." I apologized. He closed his eyes and soon began to fade away into a blue mist. I reached for him, slowly swatting his hand.

What appeared in his place was incredible: in his stead was a huge figure, similar to the size of Thanatos, in a long dark-green cloak and black pants with lighter black boots. The cloak looked like a shirt that had sleeves run down his arms to his wrists; in his right hand held a tremendously impressive sword: it was a rapier, a circular guard and cylinder-like blade that had a pointed end like a foil...but it was deadly. His face was calming: it was a normal human face with blue eyes; his hair was snow white and was slicked back...yet it looked natural, like it grew that way. He smiled and soon disappeared, reappearing on a small card that formed where his chest was as a picture. I extended my paw to catch it; the card hovered on my palm.

The card's back was similar to the deck of cards on Igor's desk, yet when I saw it and flipped it back to the picture, I saw something different: this time it was of a person with a hobo bindle and dog walking off the edge of a cliff. On the bottom was a number "0" on it.

I heard Elizabeth awe.

"What is this?" I asked her, looking to her and holding the card still in my palm. She smiled at me.

"Your Persona: the mask you wear to face the hardships you have faced in your life." She looked at the card "The number shows what arcana he is. It's of the Fool Arcana.....very rare...."

"Wow.....I can't believe it." I muttered; the rest of my class ran over to see me, muttering to everyone.

"Cool..."

"Amazing....."

"Insane...."

Elizabeth backed them away a bit, and then focused back on me.

"What is his name, your Persona?" she asked.

I smiled as I closed my palm and brought it to my heart; the card disappeared, yet I could feel it inside me: I could use it whenever I wanted.

"His name...."I thought long and hard on it, smiling "Markolo."

****** (POV Change: Normal) ******

Nathan sighed as he dropped to a knee, everyone around him panicking and seeing him fall; Elizabeth helped him up rather quickly, keeping him steady.

"Why do I feel so tired?" he asked her, shaking his head weakly to try and snap himself out of it.

"You've used too much energy; you've been in Tartarus for too long." She turned to everyone "ALL of you have been here for too long."

Everyone mumbled, the tone sounding nervous. Elizabeth chuckled nervously from her mistake.

"Oh, please...there is nothing to fear: Tartarus doesn't sap your energy away until you die...you're just tired. Get a good night's sleep and you'll be fine for the next day."

Everyone sighed, but Nathan wasn't calm yet: he looked over to see the orca barely moving. He shrugged away Elizabeth and weakly walked over to him.

"J-Johnny...." He spoke to him, shaking him lightly "Johnny....wake up..."

"Mn....mphn.......ugh....." the orca groaned. Nate shook harder, tears forming in his eyes.

"Johnny! Please...wake up!" he pleaded. The orca groaned again, his hand waving Nathan away weakly.

"No.....five.....more minutes....." he mumbled; Nathan smiled happily and chuckled: he punched his shoulder, waking Johnny up shortly.

Johnny, when he first saw Nate, tackled him to keep the "hand" from hitting him...but, after seeing he was gone, he looked at the otter in confusion.

"W-what happened? Where is that thing? I was trying to help you from getting hit...then I blacked out....is he gone?" he asked, getting off of the otter: the orca was fine; his energy was, by far, more than the otter had.

"N-no....he's not gone.....but he's not going to hurt anyone again...." He spoke softly, his thumb pointing to his chest "he's in here....."

"You mean....he really WAS you?" Johnny asked in disbelief. Nathan nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, he was.....l-let's talk when we're out of Tartarus....I'm tired...." The otter offered as he placed his paw on the orca's shoulder to steady himself; without a second thought, the orca pulled his arm over his shoulder and began to half carry the otter with the group.

"Deal....but tell me everything....."

.................................................