Chapter Text
SNATCH!
Buchinyan yowls at the top of their lungs, “OWWW!! THAT HURTSSS-WHIS!” They whined and winced as something dug its claws into their arm. They opened their eyes, looking down at the claws of the thing that sunk its sharp yet slightly sleek ash-gray-colored claws into one of Buchinyan’s arms. Buchinyan felt sick to their stomach seeing that something decided to harm them for no reason… They felt even more sick as they peered up at who did it… Darknyan… Their face was dumbfounded by this, lost for words, the light pinkish cat kept stuttering on words and laughing anxiously until they finally dared to say something to this… Husk of what his mentor used to be.
“W-What’s the big deal Darknyan?! Is… Is this part of our training-whis? Are we still training-whis?” Anxieties nested in their voice and throat, even trying to fake a friendly chuckle made everything worse. It doesn’t help that their mentor had a very unfriendly yet deceased look on his face that was scaring them half to death… Which is ironic since they’re already dead.
Darknyan laughs wickedly, which is a tone he never uses, he’s never cruel!... Buchinyan knew something was up, their ears flickered repeatedly as they heard something else… Something that was blending with Darknyan’s laugh… It seemed like someone else… Was laughing too…
Buchinyan started looking around, where was that voice coming from?
Suddenly the voice got louder, making its laughter known and prominent. Buchinyan gazed up, glancing from behind Darknyan to see a whole other being standing behind their mentor. With the both of them standing there, laughing ever so cruelly at what was done to Buchinyan, chills were sent down Buchinyan’s spine… A sharp shaky gasp escapes Buchinyan’s mouth before they proceed to start thrashing against the grasp that Darknyan still has on them, the erratic desperate behavior to flee causes him and the weird red leopard wielding two bladelike weapons wearing a cape to laugh at them even more.
“Your friend is really interesting Darky… I can tell why you two have been training together…” The towering leopard cooed, observing Buchinyan’s behavior with its chilling ice-blue eyes that could freeze anyone’s heart in place and kill them if they wanted to… “Poor thing doesn’t realize that they have the power to awaken their own Persona too! Just… Like… You.” Each word that… That thing said made Buchinyan feel disgusted, they wish they could break free and pull off their soultimate move right here, right now on that crooked thing then they could save Darknyan and restore him to health… Maybe that’ll show Darknyan that they’re strong enough as him… Yeah… Just have to figure out how to get out of this mess first… “Say, Darky, how about we show your friend a bit of our own… Training..?” A nasty cruel grin grew on that leopard’s face, giggling at its brilliant idea. The jet-black colored cat, despite looking like a shell, being controlled by this cryptid being, looked unwillingly, he glanced over to Buchinyan. If he could, he would apologize everything to them, he wouldn’t let this happen to his pupil, he cares about them too much but… It has to be done.
“I’m sorry…” He whispered softly to them, yanking them by the arm, causing them even more injury to their pain, he could hear them yowl again. The unfamiliar being and Buchinyan follow right behind Darknyan as he glides down promptly in the air, right next to the building the three of them were on top of before. A wave of guilt washed over Darknyan’s heart as the cold breeze brushed against his dark fur, he felt sick if he even took a glance at once was his trainee, at once was his… His friend. Buchinyan… Darknyan forced himself to never look at that cat the same way a teacher would see their student with the same fondness that they once formed, ever again, especially at this moment. The training the two used to have with each other back there was gone, the moments where Darknyan would take Buchinyan out and about around the small village that he, Darknyan, resided in, even the tiny little moments where the two of them would go get a package of snow peas to munch on as a little break from all of their training. Although Buchinyan would always prefer to grab two pieces of chocolate instead to snack on. If Buchinyan were to try a tiny piece of snow peas, even just a lick of it or a small chew of it, they would always gag when they tried to put their tongue back in their mouth or after they swallowed it which always gave Darknyan a laugh every time that happened, he didn’t laugh to be mean but he laughed to make light of the situation, that always cheered Buchinyan up a little… Now nothing can’t cheer Buchinyan back up, they probably hate him for doing this, it’s not like he had a choice. He couldn’t control or decide when this stupid thing had to appear otherwise he could’ve suffered some sort of physical pain if he didn’t call it out. He would’ve preferred that if he knew beforehand if this being was going to behave like this to them.
Darknyan’s thoughts kept getting darker and darker, more thoughts that went through his head were more troubling than the last, there was only one word that could describe all of this…
Despair.
The floating red bipedal leopard creature noticed Darknyan’s blank, emotionless expression on his face and could sense all of his raw saddened emotions that he was bottling deep down inside so clearly too, and grinned wickedly once more, it was all going according to plan.
The city sounds below was getting louder, the air trying to fight against the three feline-like figures with how fast they were going was creating a loud sound too, it was all overwhelming Buchinyan’s ears. It felt like a living nightmare for them except for the fact that this was all real…
That stupid thing that’s been controlling Darknyan like it has some sort of mind-control powers… What did it say it was again? A Pariah? A Persistor? A… A…
Buchinyan was lost in thought and overwhelmingness, trying to think of what the leopard called itself to Buchinyan and what it told them that sickened them down in their soul before…
Suddenly it struck them clear as day,
A Persona! But… How would they awaken their own Persona? Is there some sort of special requirement? Do they have to do more training or—
Before Buchinyan could have more time to think to themselves they were forced to stop in their tracks by Darknyan going a bit faster, cutting Buchinyan off in their thoughts. The hightop speed that Darknyan is going at is enough to cause Buchinyan to feel a little lightheaded, causing their mood to rise a bit more than what it was originally at. Tears formed around their eyes, and all they could do was scream to catch other yo-kais’ attention to stop them from being distracted from the obvious danger that was above them all. Buchinyan had a gut feeling something terrible was about to happen as the same blue flames started bursting and breaking out of Darknyan’s fur that happened earlier was surrounding him, a bright glowing light with the same colors was happening around the both of them, peeking up from Darknyan’s cape it turned out to be none other than that distorted leopard. Blue flames were also bursting out of its fur too, yet it didn’t seem like it was in pain either… The blades the feline was carrying were on fire too… What in the world is going on..? Whatever is happening they don’t want to see it for themselves, AT ALL. And so they shut their eyes tight, and slowly as it felt like time was slowing down their screaming fades out to their hearing as a familiar-sounding voice shouts right next to them…
“FLAUROS! GIANT SLICE!”
“Darknyan..? What are you–”
CRASH!
…
Screams of Yo-kais that were wandering around across the city’s streets spread like a disease, there were sounds of Yo-kais within their vehicles honking their horns, some arguing with each other and even sounds of pushing each other to get out of the way too, even worse… Sounds of falling debris and breaking were happening too… Oh whis… Oh no… Oh no no no… Ohhh get up, come nyon, we gotta get up-whis… This… This isn’t going to happen… Nyo…
Buchinyan’s body ached badly, they felt their nonexistent bones hurt in every which way possible… It was killing them… They slowly tried getting up from the spot they fell upon but every single time it would end up badly for them, making the cat ghost plop back onto the ground. Unlike the rooftop’s flooring, the broken road’s pavement littered with broken debris from sliced-up buildings toppled on top of each other was unkind to poor Buchinyan. The white and red cat mewed and cried for help, for anybody, regardless of who they are to help them… This… This isn’t how they wanted to die. They didn’t even prove to Darknyan how strong they truly are… No. They won’t be able to see their mentor safely again… They won’t have any explanation as to why this happened to him… They won’t be able to see any of their friends again… They won’t see that leopard… Flauros… Gone or defeated while they’re around… This… This is pathetic. This is so pathetic.
I need…
I need a miracle…
Buchinyan lets out a faint laugh, giving up, knowing that they won’t be able to carry on without any strength… It’s best to lay here and stare at the very dirty broken pieces of the buildings that are giving them shelter and their very own coffin here. At least, one of the last few things they can see before they can disappear is the night sky and the stars. Well, some of the stars that they can see that aren’t covered up…
It’s… Still peaceful.
The stars always make things peaceful…
…
Will disappearing be this peaceful too?
Will I… become a star… Too?
…
Tears formed around Buchinyan’s eyes, it left them questioning, it left them hurting, it left them wanting answers…
They want answers to… Everything.
They thought back to everything they questioned before…
Every single question invaded their mind but one… One stuck out, it stuck out like a sore thumb before, and here it is, sticking out again…
What in the world is… A Persona..?
Suddenly, noises can be heard...
Small piles of debris tumble over each other like rocks, and sounds of light footsteps trip over each other too. Someone was in here too and they sounded like they were out of breath both from having to traverse through this mess and from another thing… A panic attack? Someone was worried about something? Nervous about something? Buchinyan couldn’t tell, they always struggled with detecting emotions, but this person’s voice seemed shaky not only from this scary mess the both of them were stuck in.
“H… H… HEY!” Buchinyan cried out. “COULD YOU HELP ME!? I CAN’T MOVE MY BODY! I’M IN PAIN-WHIS!” Buchinyan’s voice got louder, trying to catch the attention of whoever was lurking in the dark. They sure hope it’s not that Flauros guy… Please… Anyone but him…
Silence fell, Buchinyan’s worries started getting to them…
Please…
Don’t…
Let it be…
“BUCHINYAN!?”
Buchinyan’s ears twitched and perked up.
“BUCHINYAN IS THAT YOU!?”
Oh my Whis… It can’t be…
No…
Can it really be!?
But… What about–
“STAY THERE. MY ABILITIES ARE WEAKENED, I’LL HAVE TO WALK TO YOU.”
The shadowy figure sounded astonished by the white and red blotched cat’s presence as if Buchinyan went missing however Buchinyan cannot say he felt the same, they felt… Confused, sure, they were happy too about this but they were highly cautious.
As the figure who hid in the shadows got closer to Buchinyan, their appearance was made anew. Cape all dyed red, fur a savoy blue with white patterns, still donning his superhero-like getup, this figure was none other than Hovernyan! The original form of Darknyan! Buchinyan, upon seeing their mentor near them scared them… Especially after all that happened… How could they forget?
“Buchinyan… Trainee. I know something’s troubling you…”
They don’t want to admit it.
“You can tell me…”
Buchinyan refused to open their mouth, they didn’t want to take part in all of this. It was hurting them deep down within their heart.
“... Flauros isn’t here with us right now… I know he took part in destroying this part of New Yo-kai City… I… I took part in it too… He controls me, he uses me as a double vessel since I am his user.”
“User..?” Buchinyan questions.
“When I am at my strongest as Darknyan, I am a Persona user. I am Flauros’s user but it seems that the roles have been… Reversed, instead of me controlling Flauros, Flauros controls me.” Hovernyan stated… Now it seemed it was finally time to tell Buchinyan something he’d been hiding for a while now. “Buchinyan, some of us, a small majority of us are assigned Persona users, Persona users are made to protect other Yo-kais from mysterious events that will and can happen if we are not careful... I can’t go into much detail about anything else here since you haven’t awakened yours yet but when you do… Come find me. There will be other users just like you in your life, you will need to form a team and learn how to deal with your new lives with these Personas… You and your team will need to take down any Yo-kai and Persona that is working with Chairman McKra–”
Before Hovernyan could finish his sentences, the debris above the both of them started collapsing on top of them. Hovernyan, highly alerted, swiftly picks Buchinyan up and throws them out of the area at full speed, using the last remaining energy he has to save his apprentice. He reminded Buchinyan once more;
“COME FIND ME BUCHINYAN! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! SAVE OUR WORLDS!”
RUMBLES
THUD.