Rei stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind miles away from where his body was. It has been two days now since the nightmare stopped and though he was thankful that the ordeal was over, a different thought occupied his mind. On the night when he accepted his death through the murderous dreams, an entity appeared to him and introduced itself as his "Persona" who went by the name of Ioannes. The creature had a strange appearance but Rei was not scared or intimidated by it, he even felt familiarity towards it. He could still remember clearly every word that his Persona told him.



"Make sure you unplug everything before heading to bed, okay? There's gonna be another blackout tonight." called out Rei's mother from the doorway, giving her son a skeptic look when she noticed that the young man looked detached and preoccupied. "Rei? Everything alright?"

Rei was snapped out of his thoughts by his mother's beckon and he quickly sat up from his bed, a confused expression in his face. After a quick gathering of his thoughts, he looked over at his mother and nodded a couple of times.

"Yeah, I got it. I already charged the emergency light too." answered Rei.

"Okay but, are you alright?" asked the woman again, her question still awaiting answers.

"Yes. Of course I'm okay. There's just... a lot of stuff to think about." replied Rei, giving his mother a wry smile to dispel her worries. "Don't worry yourself, mom. I'm fine. It's nothing a little sleep won't cure." he assured before laying back in bed. "I think you should be more worried about Mina, mom. Her fever still hasn't gone down."

"Rei... You know I have enough concern to spare for you and your sister." sighed Mrs. Ishikawa but she understood what her son meant. "Okay then, Reisuke, if you say so. If something's bothering you though, you can always talk to me about it." nodded the woman as he let herself out of Rei's room. "Sleep well, Reisuke."

"You too mom. Tell Mina I said goodnight too."

With that Rei tried to immerse himself in some ruminating again but before he got the chance, the lights started to flicker and weaken, signifying that the blackout was going to happen soon. Switching on the rechargeable fan beside his bed, he turned in for the night, still questioning himself as to what Ioannes could have meant with his enigmatic words.

"The call of death... others who suffer the same fate as me... Persona... What could they mean?" he mumbled as he slowly drifted into a quiet slumber.

(To be continued in the Nightmare Realm)

Rivera sighed, remembering how she had responded to Temuji. "Of course I want to fight! No one should have to face those shadows alone!" Temuji had smiled at her.

The lights in her room flickered, brining her back to reality. She sighed again, and her father's voice floated up to her from the living room.

"Hey, Vera! You unpluged everything, right?"

"Yeah, I did Dad! I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning!"

"Night, Vera."

Her thoughts wandered back to two nights ago. Temuji had promised to teach her the next time she went to sleep. And she hadn't slept since, fearful that she hadn't actually escaped the nightmares, and that Temiju wasn't real. Once again, she sighed, and laid down. She didn't want to sleep, but she didn't have a choice. Her body and mind almost imedeately shut down completely. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

[To be continued in the Nightmare Realm]

10:15PM - Eniwa Flats, Tominosuke Residence

“Daddy! Daddy!” The shrill, piping voice of the tousled-haired girl blasted through the tiny one-room flat. In the kitchen, elbows up to in soapwater and oily plates, Hatsu glanced up. He didn’t need to wait long, a head popped around the plastic sliding door and Akemi grinned up at him, all dimpled cheeks and white teeth.

“Daddy, they’ve got Pokemon on now!”

“Yeah? You go watch it first, I gotta clean up all this stuff first.”

The girl dawdled, unsurety flickering across her round features.

“If you don’t go watch Pokemon now, it’s gonna be over and you’re gonna miss Ash and Iris and whotshisname.”

“Cilan!” sang Akemi, her face smoothing out. “’kay, Daddy!”

And so saying, she sped out of the kitchen and into the living room, where she flopped down on the low brown couch, turning on the television as she did so. Left in the kitchen, Hatsu allowed himself to grin slightly.

Damn Pokemon. Hatsu was pretty sure that all the merchandise he had been buying for Akemi took up about fifty percent of the budget.

… three hours later …

Tip-toeing into the dark room, Hatsu peeled back a blue blanket and slid underneath it, taking care not to disturb the still little shape in the second futon.

Beside him, tucked under her own blanket and clutching a battered Pikachu doll, the chest of the Akemi rose and fell to the beat of her even breaths. She was a sound sleeper, an earthquake would be hard put to wake her up.

Hatsu stifled a sigh.

He was building up a tolerance to caffeine, he realised.

His eyelids slid shut.

And Hatsu began to dream.

[To be continued in the Nightmare Realm]

Rei was in a deep slumber but something in his system jolted him awake, like a short electric shock. He sat up quickly, breathing heavily and eyes wide open as if he had awoken from a nightmare. It took Rei a couple of minutes to calm himself down and get his heartbeat under control. He doesn't remember seeing or experiencing anything while he was sleep to cause such a rude awakening. After getting a grip of his constitutions, he slipped out of bed, feeling the need for a cold glass of water, however instead of coming upon the 2nd floor hallway of his house he was greeted by an unfamiliar corridor. The pathway seemed to stretch endlessly and the walls, floor, and ceiling had a checkered appearance like something out of a board game. Rei could also see several doors along the hallway but none of them looked familiar.

"W-What the?" he gasped before stumbling back to his bedroom, or at least this place's version of it. "What's going on here?"

He glanced back and forth between his room and the hallway. Everything in his own room was seemingly normal down to the scenery outside his window but everything past the doorway looked something out of a dream.

"Dream? Wait a minute. Could I be...?" he uttered, realization slowly coming over him.

"That is correct. You are in a dream, Rei." spoke a familiar voice from behind the young man. Rei turned around and saw Ioannes looking down at his fallen figure, courteously extending a hand and helping the shaken youth to his feet. "This is no ordinary dream though. You are no longer confined in your own subconscious." explained Ioannes, leading Rei out into the strange corridor.

"You mean, this is not just my dream anymore, right?"

"Precisely." confirmed Ioannes.

Rei's senses were suddenly stirred by the sound of screams and pleads emanating from one of the doors in the hallway. His heart started to race again and his natural reaction was to rush to the source of sound.

"Who was that? Is there someone else here?" gasped Rei.

"Yes." nodded the persona. "I am not sure but, this place seems to serve as a link to others who are going through the nightmares you survived." continued Ioannes.

"We need to help whoever is in there!" declared Rei, fear and tension filling his heart steadily as he remembered his own nightmares. Looking around for something to defend himself with, he spotted a long piece of piping that may have fallen off from the ceiling.

"I will be with you Rei. Just call upon my name and I will be at your side." spoke Ioannes before fading away.

After making sure that the piece of advice that his persona left was stored in his mind, Rei reached for the door where the screams were coming from, pulling it open and coming face to face with a wall of smoking pitch black darkness. The interior had no signs of dimensions whatsoever. There was no up or down, no near or far... just deep and unfathomable darkness. Taking a deep breath, Rei reared back before running into the dark void, barefoot and all.

[To be continued in Saadiq's Niightmare]

[edited]

Rivera wasn't exactly sure where she was. It looked like the Nightmare Realm, where she had been just a few days ago. Quickly she shut her eyes, whispering, "Oh please, God...no...don't let me be here..." She opened her eyes. She was still here, all right. But it didn't feel the same. She felt...safer, for some reason. Looking around, she absent-mindedly stuck her hands in her pockets.

And froze. Something was in one of her pockets. Something that shouldn't have been there. She slowly pulled it out. "What the...?"

It was a card of some sort. It was bigger than a normal playing card, and there were no numbers, no words, just some weird picture. She looked at it closely. It felt...familliar, somehow.

"That is our symbol. And the means in which you call me to you." A male voice resonated behind her, and Rivera quickluy spun around.

"Te-" She stumbled over his name, "Temuji!"

The purple-haired samurai nodded with a small smile. "Indeed."

She looked at him, confusion plain on her face. "I don't understand...why would I call you to me? Where are...we..?" She trailed off as suddenly it dawned on her. "We're connected to other people's nightmares, aren't we?"

Temuji nodded again, and slowly began to fade. "Yes. When the time comes, you will know what to do with the Tarrot card of Judgement. Now go. Someone needs you."

"Wait! What...do I do?" She called as he vanished, but to no avail. She sighed. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

A very loud scream tore through the hallway, making Rivera nearly jump out of her skin. Instinctively, she wanted to run away from it, but her promise made her stay rooted to the spot. "I promised Temuji that I would help others who were stuck in here wrongfully like me. I promised him. I can't run away now!" She whispered to herself, her eyes tightly shut.

Glancing uncertainly behind her, wishing Temuji had told her more, she looked toward where the scream had come from. She began to run, knowing if she did anything less, her resolve would fail. "Don't worry, whoever you are. Help is coming. I don't know how, but I will help you." She whispered as she ran.

[To be continued in Saadiq's nightmare]

Business Area - Yagiri Towers - 10:45 PM

The Devil's Ambition

In the middle of the Business District of Yamijima, one tower was taller than the rest. Housing a seemingly endless number of independently own businesses, this steel and glass giant hovered above all other skyscrapers. This architectural model, a massive pyramid shaped edifice was commissioned and funded by one man: Seiji J. Yagiri. It was a true testament to what the power of one man could do. It was only right that his office resided deep within this structure. On the 50th floor, situated dead in the center of the pyramid, this crimson eyed fellow's loft-like office sat. It was homey in design. One wide room, a kitchen in one corner, a bookshelf along a raised platform towards the western wall. A sitting area in the center, complete with lounge style leather chairs and a circular coffee table. His desk was in the far back, just a few feet in front of the glass wall that marked the southern end.

Moonlight poured through as the curtains were drawn back. Luna bathed his room in her alluring light and lent his pale white skin a silvery glow. The man sat back in his black leather office chair and with his left leg crossed flamboyantly over his right, cradled a decaying, eroding skull. The human remain was clearly old; one could tell from the number of missing teeth, cracks along the temple and nose depression, and yellowing tint. But still, this guy kept it, and never let it out his sight for long. Ol' Red Eyes licked his lips as he watched the empty streets below--specifically the street lights. They flickered on and off until finally, they went black. Sure enough, each and every bit of electricity cut off in the office. This blackout obviously pleased him, as the man suddenly erupted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

He jumped out of his chair with the skull in hand, and gleefully leaped over towards the massive glass wall. Pressing his face and his free hand against the glass his body trembled as if he were aroused. "Such a gorgeous, still night!" The erratic man spoke with his face a mere centimeter from the glass, "Enigmatic Luna blankets her weary people in her loving quilt of silver. Yet the snore when they should shiver. Lights that once provided security blacken, those who live in in impurity will be flattened!" His breath coated the glass in thick white fog with each new verse of prose, "Shadows, Nightmares, Sinners!” Suddenly he spun around on his heel, and embraced himself with a powerful hug, “These beautifully disgusting humans scream out in a mighty tenor! They traverse this realm of my design but there is no true exit, they will find.” Suddenly, the poet looked exhausted, as he calmly stepped back towards his desk. He shoved his chair out of the way and leaned over the wooden thing.

On the desk there was an envelope. There was no visible return address, but written on the front there was a ‘To Zekkai Dakkumeru’. With contempt in his eyes, Zak swatted the thing to the ground. And then he kneeled, just enough so that he could be eye level with that skull that sat on his desk now. With a furious certainty, he whispered:

“For I am divined. I am a God!”

I am a God…

He pulled out his phone, accessing the web, he typed in the address. WWW.FUKUSHUUNETWORK.COM.

[Towards The Nightmare.]

Residential Area - Crossroads Bar - 10:13 PM

Thus Spoke Marcel

“So Saadiq darlin’, how’ve ya’ll been holdin’ up?”

The voice that spoke was concerned and sincere. A foreign tone in a place like Crossroads. It was the finest bar on the island—that is if you enjoyed the smell of cigarette butts, and the chef’s burnt pizza. But the waitress was friendly, it only had a dozen or two tables so it didn’t get crowded, and the drinks had a certain flair about them that only the bartender, ‘Shades’ could pull off. It was kind of like Cheers; everybody knew your name, and there was always a seat waiting for you.

At Crossroads, there was a booth damn near reserved for a group of four men. Down on the main floor [a set of two stairs separated the ‘ground floor’ from the top floor where the bar, kitchen, and a few stools resided], smack in the center along the back wall was where this group always met. They picked this spot specifically because the good TV was mounted in the perfect spot from there. Rei Ryugamine, Shu Nara, Toby Blake, and…who was the last one? Oh yeah. The last guy was Saadiq Leonard Marcel. And tonight, like every night for the past three weeks, he was sulking.

Hunched over on the table with one hand firmly gripped around his glass of rum and cola he was completely detached from the conversation his friends were holding with Ai. Ai was Crossroad’s curvy waitress. Her green eyes and red hair we’re not natural. She spoke in a southern drool that wasn’t at all natural to her in preparation for a movie role she’s been training to get for months. Ai was popular with all the patrons at Crossroads for her down to earth attitude [go figure] and genuine interest in other’s lives. That said, her interest borders on just being plain nosey. She went to school with the boys, but moved away during their junior year of high school. So she knew them pretty well.

It was Ai that asked if Saadiq was alright. When she bent over the table to get closer to him [she had to lean over Toby, who was sitting on the outside of the left side of the booth with Saadiq] the tattooed arm of the man shooed her away. The waitress pouted and sighed.

“Ya’ll know sulking is unhealthy right? I once knew a guy, he used to be a regular here, who sulked so much over losing a bet, he died! Granted the bet cost the poor boy all of his money, and he really died because he overdosed on coke…” She scratched her head, “But still! Sadie, ya’ll just can’t sit around mopin’ it’s been a month sweetheart!” The guys, and Ai eyed him longingly. But there was zero reaction from the grieving Saadiq.

“Ah, give him a break Ai. The guy’s going through a break up.” Speaking next was Rei. Rei was Okinawan, so he had a brown tint to his skin. His brown hair was cut into a buzz and he rocked a goatee for style. After college, Rei opened up his own Garage and became his own boss. The years were good to him and his business is booming. Not much for fashion, the cat wears his mechanic’s garb wherever he goes. A big blue garb stained with oil all over. He smelled like a walking car. “Things like this take time you know?” With a nod to himself, Rei reached over to the center of the square, wooden table, and snatched one of the buffalo wings from their bowl.

“Sheesh boss. You’re such a romantic!” It was Shu that spoke next. Shu was a freshmen in highschool when the boys met him their junior year. He had messy light brown hair, brown eyes and a baby face. Shu liked to shop, and loved to dress. Currently he was donned in a brown waistcoat, white shirt and tie, black slacks, and white loafers. Shu was still in college, but worked with Rei as a mechanic part time. The kid couldn’t legally drink yet, but his ties with the boys got him in to Crossroads without trouble.

“Not really. I just know what its like to lose someone special. You can’t just get over something like that. Not in a few weeks at least.” Rei shrugged and munched on his wing. Shu smirked.

“Sureeee.” He giggled, “But man. I still can’t get over the fact that you of all people cheated Sadie. I mean, you and Minako we’re together for like, ever right? Didn’t you love her?” There was a bit of movement from Saadiq’s petrified body, “I know if I loved someone, I’d never even think of cheating on her. It’s low man.” The entire group shot Shu a death glare, “I-I-I mean…” Young Nara broke into a cool sweat, embarrassed by his ramblings.

“Of course I loved her…” Saadiq’s body stirred, and slowly he rose up from the slump. His back now straight, his bloodshot eyes were in full view. He didn’t look at anyone in particular, instead, he cut his eyes down and to the side, away from the curious of everyone. “I still do love her.” With a sigh, the battered man ran a hand down his cheek.

“Then why did you cheat?” Ai asked. Her tone was serious, almost like a mother ready to scold her child. The southern drawl she was trying to perfect was gone completely, replaced with her own voice.

“I don’t know!” He leaned back against the red leather of the booth and groaned, “It was like…my body wasn’t in control. I met Ramona and I just couldn’t help myself.” Elbows on the table, he cradled his head on his hands, rocking his dome side to side in confusion. “Why’d she have to be so…” Saadiq’s voice trailed off. Perfect.

“You sound like a kid. All these years and you’re still blaming everyone but yourself for your mistakes.” Ai raged. Saadiq’s eyes widened and his body froze. “You need to grow up Saadiq. Maybe if you did you’d still have Minako!” The entire bar fell silent—and the boys all cringed.

Save for Toby, who only sighed. Toby was from America, much like Saadiq. He moved to the island during fourth grade thanks to his father’s corporate takeover of a failing Japanese computer company. Toby had peach skin, blonde hair, a chin strap beard, and melancholy blue eyes. He was still dressed in his blue dress shirt and khaki’s from work—sleeves rolled up. Toby worked under his dad at Four Stars PC like Saadiq. But unlike his buddy, Toby worked in the office with his number crunching desk job that he sincerely loathed.

“Don’t you think you’re making a bit of a scene Ai?” He reached into his pocket for his phone, “You’re no saint either. So don’t go jumping down Saadiq’s throat, yeah?” The clock on his phone read 10:27. Ai scoffed.

“Look who’s talking Mr. I Hate Women—“



“Look. It’s getting late, there’s supposed to be a black out tonight. I’m headed home.” Toby quickly stood from his seat, and shoved by Ai, making sure he gave her an icy stare as he did. But just as he headed for the door the lights flickered. Moments passed, and everything went black. The entire room gasped, and then everything was still.

She

The lights flickered back on just a minute later. But Saadiq’s friends were nowhere to be found. The entire bar was empty now. The music of the jukebox had stopped, and the images on the TV’s were replaced with static [even the ‘good’ TV!]. He wasn’t alone though. Not at all. The minute the lights came back on, he felt her presence. Although he couldn’t see her at first, he knew she was beside him.

Her warm, familiar touch as her hand cradled his. The feeling of her body as a drew closer to his own. Saadiq trembled in fear, and in pleasure.

“Ramona…what are you doing here?”

It was another nightmare...

[To Be Continued In the Nightmare Realm]

"Huh...?"

Rei stared up at the neon-lit sign above his head that read "Live Show Tonight" with a provocative figure of a woman sitting cross-legged above the text. The checkered walls from the room where he was earlier was gone, replaced by what seemed to be a wallpaper full of hearts and stripes with a palette of pink, magenta, black and white. It seemed to be nighttime wherever this place was though there was very little illumination and most of the light seemed to be tinted pink, giving the place a suggestive theme to it. The floor looked a lot more like a runway or dance floor as the middle portion of it was raised slightly with its sides adorned by small bulbs of light. The middle path was made out of tiles that were lit up and they changed colors every second or so. Lastly the smell of cigarette, booze, and a perfume of sorts was prevalent in the air. It left the young man wandering what he got himself into.

"And me without my fake ID." sighed Rei as he gripped his weapon tighter, pushing past the rouge red double door in front of him. As he did, he noticed that he was holding something in his right hand though he could clearly remember that he came here with an empty right hand. Looking up to see what was in his palm, it was a card of sorts with a mask drawn on it. The front of the card had a frame but there was no picture inside the frame. The number "0" was written on the bottom portion of the frame. "Well it's no fake ID but it may come in handy."

Venturing deeper into the strange realm, Rei began encountering booth doors with heart shaped doorknobs on them. He also noticed a small sign hanging from each of the doorknob that read "Do not disturb~!" written in a very feminine penmanship. What bothered Rei about them though was the sound of hoarse breathing and gasps coming from the other side of some of the doors along with a faint creaking sound. He started to wonder if there were people inside the door and if perhaps the one he was looking for was inside one of them.

"One way to find out." he breathed out before stepping down from the middle path and approaching one of the doors.

The door was only slightly ajar before something tackled Rei, causing him to stagger back and almost falling back on his bottom. Rei's heartbeat started racing as he watched the door open slowly. Out from the room came what looked like shadow with the consistency of a puddle of slime with a blue mask in its form, the Roman number "XII" written in its head. The thing let out a deep horrible croak as it spotted the young man. Two hands sprouted out from the thing's slimy body and it used it to slowly crawl towards its potential victom Without second though, Rei readied himself for combat, holding his pipe in a way he would with a yari (spear). Now more than ever, he was glad that his father had asked him to join the Sojutsu club back when he was in high school.

Before he can make his move though, the other booth doors slammed open. From each one of them crawled out the same shadowy creature that he was facing right now. Swallowing his throat, Rei looked back at the one in front of him wondering if accepting Ioannes' request was a good decision.

Saadiq’s Nightmare – Private Room

The Club In His Mind

The scenery of Crossroads had melted away. Now, instead of the familiar booth he sat in night after night, he was propped against the headboard of a large, heart-shaped bed. Saadiq was pinned against the velvet-covered thing by Ramona, who was surprisingly strong.

“M-mona, s-stop! You can’t, I can’t…” She leaned in to kiss him on the neck. “Ohh shit…” With her mark left, she drew her head back, and smirked at him impishly. Ramona was a brunette bombshell. Porcelain skin, a flawless face with dark brown eyes, and full lips that looked juicy as hell when coupled with red lipstick. She had that hourglass shape that the girls in Hollywood longed for—Good God she was the stuff of dreams. Man did I miss this….NO! Saadiq, NO! You want Minako. You…love Minako. Mona’s just… He shuddered. “Mona….” Carefully and slowly, she unbuttoned his vest. And then she ripped open his shirt.

“I missed you, you know Saadiq. A lot.” Mona whispered tenderly as she rested her head on his bare chest. The man’s brow was covered in sweat. Ah…Shit!

“Oh…really? I-I missed you…too?” Why did you say that?! The temptress smiled. Her face almost looked serene and innocent.

“Good, that makes me happy.” She turned her head so that she could look deeply into his eyes. Shaken, Saadiq cut his to the side, away from Mona’s captivating orbs. “Are you sure you’re okay? This is the first time we’ve seen each other in a month and you’re acting like you don’t want to be with me!” The woman pouted and sighed. “Talk to me.” Her body slithered along his and their heads were now level with one another. Ramona’s warm hands wrapped around his cheeks, and with her gaze now mere inches from his, Saadiq had no choice but to look back at her.

“There’s nothing wrong. I just…can’t…” He sighed. As gently as he could, Saadiq pulled Ramona away from him. When he pulled himself from the bed, Saadiq realized his pants were completely gone, and only his white [with pink hearts!] boxers and opened shirt and vest were left on his body. He looked down at Ramona, who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, dressed in nothing but a black bra and underwear.

“I get it, you don’t like me anymore…” Her body slumped. Saadiq grimaced.

“No that’s not…Mona, you’re…perfect!” She really is though… “But I shouldn’t do this anymore. I can’t…” Her eyes narrowed.

“Why not? You said I’m perfect. So why can’t you be with me then!?” Ramona hopped up from the bed and inched closer to him. There was a fury in her eyes that Saadiq had never before seen.



“Because! It’s because of you that I lost someone special to me!” He hollered, but she continued to move closer to him.

“Because of me? You told me you loved me Saadiq!” Ramona stomped down. Her foot held so much force that the entire room began to shake. “You fucked me Saadiq!” Again, she stomped. Again, the room shook. “Besides, if she was so special don’t you think she would still be here?! I’m perfect Saadiq, you want me!”


http://youtu.be/VYept9efrOw

Wisps of black smoke-like substance began to radiate from Romana’s body. Now within range, she embraced Saadiq, and held him close. With her tip toes, she brought herself close to his ear and whispered, “I know you want me Saadiq. You love me, don’t you?” Those brown eyes of hers were hypnotic as they peered into his wine irises. No longer did he feel in control of his body or emotions.

“Saadiq,” Ramona whispered, “Tell me you love me.”

He looked into her eyes, and smiled. “Of course I love you Ramona. You make me feel alive, you’re…perfect.” Satisfied and ecstatic, Ramona grinned and locked lips with her beloved Saadiq.

Wisps darkness flew from her body, and tendrils of darkness slowly wrapped around Saadiq Leonardo.

"What is this?" Rivera wondered aloud. It wasn't like any other nightmare she'd ever had. Then again, maybe some people were afraid of strip clubs and bars. Because that was all that was here. She couldn't see anyone, nor hear anything. So, she just continued walking.

She heard a moan. Or at least, she thought it was a moan. She really couldn't tell what it was. She looked to her left, seeing a large pair of red doors. The sound had come from that direction. So, she headed straight toward them. She didn't like what she found.

Shadows. At least ten of them, if not more. And one kid, a guy, about her age, she guessed, was in the middle. And just standing there, looking at them. True, he did hold a pipe and was at least in some sort of fighting stance, but he wasn't doing anything. Two of the shadows turned to her as she entered. "Crap!" She whispered, plunging her hands into her pockets, searching, searching...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS3YuruWK3c

She drew her left hand out, victorious, and threw the weapon at the closest shadow. The blade sunk into the creature, up to the handle. The creature howled, or she assumed it did. It made some sort of noise. Then she realized her mistake. She only had one knife. "Aw, shit." Her eyes flitted to the boy in the middle of the room.

"Well come on, don't just stand there, you want to end up being eaten, or whatever these things do to you?!"

Well come on, don't just stand there, you want to end up being eaten, or whatever these things do to you?!

Those words jerked Rei awake from his mini trance and pushed him into action. He stomped his left feet forward to gain momentum before driving the pipe he was carrying into the shadow creature's mask, busting through the porcelain material with a crunching sound. The creature trembled and shook rapidly before sagging into the ground into a viscous puddle, seemingly lifeless. He then pulled away the pipe which was now dripping with black ooze before looking towards the source of the voice he heard earlier. There standing on the other end of the hall was a blonde haired girl with an intense expression on her face. Saving his questions for later, Rei made his way to the girl, spearing one of the shadows coming at her along the way.

"Thanks but I think we should run." uttered Rei as more of the shadow slimes slithered out of the rooms, replacing the ones that he took out.

It was too late though as the creatures already had them surrounded before Rei's proposition was realized. He moved back closer to his newfound ally, getting ready to defend himself and the girl if needed but it was looking pretty bleak. He reared back and smacked one of the creature's mask, smashing it and causing it to howl in pain but unfortunately his weapon was caught by another one of the things, its shadowy hands tugging at the pipe.

"Let go! Guh...!"

Another one of the shadows drew closer and extended its pitch black arms, scratching Rei's leg. Rei had very little protection in his legs since he was only wearing a pair of cotton shorts and the attack drew blood. He hissed in pain and wanted to attack back but he was still without the use of his weapon. The situation was quickly deteriorating and Rei wondered how the girl was holding up. Just then, he felt warmth emanating from the left pocket of his shorts. His eyes darted towards it and a faint blue glow was emanating from inside. He reached inside with his left hand and took out the card that he received after entering this place. As he looked at the object, a word was repeatedly being spoken in his mind.

"Per... so... na!"

After Rei yelled that word, the card ignited with blue flame which steadily grew and grew, slowly assuming a form. The flame suddenly cleared and out came Ioannes much to Rei's suprise. The Persona held its hands forward before a portal of sorts appeared it in front of him. A powerful gush of water spouted from the portal, drenching the shadow that was wrestling Rei's weapon away, washing it away along with a couple of others. The creatures let out pained groans as the water seemed to work like acid to them, their bodies sizzling, smoking, and bubbling after being drenched by it. Realizing that this was what Ioannes' meant earlier, Rei's confidence was bolstered and he assumed his stance again.

[Edit. I screwed up again >:O]

Theme 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdqPMCsSHqE - Saya's Destiny (Loss)

"Per... so... na!"

Rivera heard him, and then all she saw was a flash of blue. She really couldn't peice together what was happening, but all of a sudden, the shadows weren't targeting her anymore. Which was good, beacuse she was running out of steam. The shadows all semed preoccupied with the giant knight-thing in the middle of the room. Since they were no longer trained on her, Rivera fell to her knees.

She was angry. What she had done was stupid. She shouldn't have just charged into battle like that, she could have gotten herself, and that boy, killed. She slammed her fist onto the floor. "Idiot!" She said through clenched teeth. One of her knuckles began to bleed.

"You're useless, as usual. How are you going to keep your promise to Temuji if you keep jumping head-long into scenarios without thinkng? That's what got you into the nightmare realm in the first place, remember?!"

She didn't even care that the boy next to her could see and hear that she was mad. What did it matter? He didn't know her.

One by one the shadows whilst some, probably compelled by survival instincts, scampered away from the scene. After making sure that the coast was clear, Rei dropped his guard and rushed to the side of the girl he saw earlier but she seemed occupied with something... either that or she had a hatred for dance floor tiles. She was pounding her fists harshly on the flooring and there was already some blood smeared on the floor. Impulsively, the male took hold of both of the girl's arms to prevent her from further hurting herself.

"Calm down, we're safe now!" pleaded Rei in hopes that the girl would do so although he had a feeling that the girl wasn't beating on the ground because they were in trouble. "Thanks for helping me back there. I was so freaked out that I kinda froze back there." he added before helping the girl to her feet. He then noticed a knife laying on a spot not far from them. He gingerly picked up the weapon and handed it to the girl. "Here. I'm not sure if this belongs to you or not but it would be best if you had something to defend yourself with."

Ioannes disintegrated into a whirling blue ember again before returning to Rei as a card which he tucked into his pocket. It was great that he finally knew how to summon his persona when the going gets tough, that knowledge would be very handy in the near future. Shifting back to his and Ioannes objective, Rei turned back to the girl and decided to introduce himself as well as ask a few questions.

"My name is Rei Ishikawa by the way. You're probably not gonna believe this but someone is going to die tonight if I don't find whoever is having this nightmare in the real world." introduced the young man. "Are you the one dreaming this dream?" he asked.

It was not unlikely that this girl was the one having this nightmare if the idea of prostitution came to mind. He didn't want to jump into conclusions and he really couldn't afford to do so since someone's life is on the line here.

Rivera was startled slightly when the boy took her hands. She hadn't expected him to do anything, really. As he helped her up, she began to think. This wasn't his dream, that was obvious.

"Are you the one dreaming this dream?"

Rivera shook her head. "I got out of my nightmare three days ago." She pulled her own tarrot card out of her pocket. She then took the pocket knife from him, putting the blade away and tucking it, as well as her card, back into the pockets of her jacket. "Trust me, I believe you. That's the reason I'm here, too." Then she stopped for a second. "Wait, Rei Ishikawa? Didn't you go to the same highschool as me?" She shook her head, "It doesn't matter. My name is Rivera Walker. And sinc we're both her doing the same thing, we may as well go together. We still have a dreamer to find." She started walking towards the other end of the room from which they had entered, throwing back over her shoulder, "Come on. Your persona is impressive, by the way."

A wooden chair sat in the middle of the strip club's main stage. There Saadiq sat, arms hanging limp at his side, head drawn back, staring upwards lifeless. His mouth was wide open, left in a perpetual shock. Wine colored eyes poked through messy raven bangs, but remained blank and listless. It was as if everything had been sapped from Saadiq with the kiss he gave Ramona. A rose colored spot light shined down on Mr. Marcel, and from a mass of shadow beneath his feet, she materialized. The patrons, which were all just copies of him, exploded into thunderous and electric applause. Invigorated by her fans, the woman blew the broken object of her desires a kiss as she slowly strutted his way.

Her heels clicked along the gaudily decorated floor. Her silk robe slid off. Ramona's cold hand caressed the left side of Saadiq's face when she pointed his dome towards her half naked body. Since their transition from the private room, to the stage, the man's clothes had been placed back on his body--but if she had it her way, they'd be off once more. With a smile that did nothing to hide her wicked intentions, she glided upon his lap. Ramona licked her lips, grabbed the tie at his neck and pulled him in. If Saadiq was conscious, he would have noticed the rows of yellow, warped fangs that were now in her mouth. Her lips locked with his, and tentacles of darkness erupted from all around them. His ankles, and his wrists, were all confined by her shadowy tendrils. It was when his body was safely constrained that she pulled back off his body.

The tendrils lifted Saadiq off of the chair and into the air several feet above her. Held up like he was on a crucifix, Ramona smiled at her love. "Saadiq, this is how we'll be together forever!" Another tentacle reached out from her shadow. It approached his neck, slowly, but menacingly. With each inch it cleared, the mass of shadow sharpened like steel. It was at his neck now, pressing against his throat.

"I'll kill you here, and take your blood within me! That way Saadiq...we'll be one...together."

Saadiq's face was still blank, but within him, some small part of himself was trying to stir itself awake.

Saadiq! Saadiq!

Rivera froze as a rose-colored spotlight revealed a young man, not much older than her, on stage, appeared, as well as what appeared to be a milliion copies of him in all of the booths and chairs in the room. "What...?"

She stood, horrified at the scene that was playing out before her. Some woman, who at first glance appeared to be very beautiful, but in reality was horrifying, kissed him. She started as she saw the black tendril-like things that sprouted from her, latching onto him. That's.... She gulped Just like...!! She shook away the memory, unwilling to relive it just yet. "I...I have to help him..."

She shut her eyes again. What could she do? She was just a girl, it wasn't like she had anything that she could use. But this man was dying in front of her, he was being overcome by the shadows of his own nightmare, and she wasn't stoping it. Again Rivera sank to her knees.

"I can't...help him..." She kept her eyes shut, forcing the tears back. "I can't do this on my own..."

You are not alone, Rivera

Her eyes snapped open. Who had said that? And then, her eyes widened with a realization when the card in her pocket grew warm. She yanked it out, staring at it.

"Temuji..." The card was glowing a brilliant blue, and one word endlessly repeated in her mind.

"Per...so...na..."

She said the words, softly, barely above a whisper, but it was enough. The card exploded with a blue enregy and light, and within seconds, Temuji had materialized in front of her. Rivera stared up at the samurai in shock. Had she really called him to her?

Temuji looked down at Rivera with a small smile, and then turned his attention to the woman on stage. He held his hand out in front of him, a blade of pure enregy, made of the same blue light that had created him, appeared in his hand. Foul temptress of the Nightmare Realm, you will unhand that man. The words came from Temuji, but his lips never moved.

Rei's jaw was left hanging after hearing Rivera's reply. She actually believed what he just said and even told him that they had the same agenda here in this place. Surprising as it was, it was still nice to know that he wasn't alone in this task and he can rely on some backup. With a simple smile and a nodded, he followed Rivera deeper into the nightmare realm. She then mentioned that they went to the same high school, again much to Rei's surprise. Did they really? He couldn't quite remember since he wasn't good with people's names. He'll have to check his yearbook later after all of this was done.

As they traveled deeper into the twisted strip club, Rei started hearing jazz music emanating ahead. The lights on the floor were also flickering much more briskly than anywhere else. The pink lights in the ceiling were also dimming down as they approached the source of the music. After reaching the seemingly endless hall, they arrived in front of a set of double doors shaped like a heart. Rivera went on ahead with Rei following closely behind her and sure enough they came across an interesting scene. It was this nightmare's take on a live show; involving a dazed man, several shadow audiences, and a sultry woman strutting her stuff on stage. Something was amiss though and Rei's new ally was the first to notice it.

"Oh crap." uttered Rei, finally seeing what Rivera saw. Some bladed tentacle thing was dangerously looming near the man, threatening to strike anytime.

Rei readied his weapon as well as Ioanne's card just in case he and Rivera won't be able to handle it on their own. Rivera was the first to make her move, summoning what appears to be her persona. Even though it was an inappropriate time to do so, Rei had to wonder why her persona was of the opposite sex. Anyways, an ally was an ally and her Persona was a damn valuable one.