... It... was her...

Midori stared in shocked silence at the figure before her. Everything... everything about them was her. But... this couldn't be Midori. She was Midori! Shakily, the blonde girl raised her boxcutter. This was some kind of trick, and she knew it! ... But the doppleganger simply smiled, then looked away, examining her own boxcutter. She seemed entirely unconcerned with Midori... at least until she spoke.

"So... you're me? Hehehe..." the girl let out a soft giggle and stepped forward, lazily swaying her boxcutter from side to side. Midori took a step back. This was wrong, so wrong, but she didn't understand how this girl... could be her... And the other Midori simply continued. "It's sad... you've taken all the love you used to have for our sister... that left you so empty inside... and directed it at Akemi-sempai! And yet she still doesn't notice us, what a shame... Don't you want to be together with her?! And yet... you hold back! Oh, you could be so close... we could be so close to her if we just... cut... loose..."

Midori noticed something after her double said that. The other girl's boxcutter was stained with dried blood. "I know you're willing... so why not slaughter everyone in your way? Everyone who threatens your relationship with Akemi-sempai... All of them, dead! And then... then she's ours... forever..."

Midori opened her mouth, but words failed her. There was... a strange feeling inside. She looked down at the gleaming blade of her boxcutter, and it flashed as she gently turned it over in her hands. She... It's so easy to kill someone. So, so easy... That man in the alley, she'd almost killed him when he surprised her. He'd had her pushed up against the wall and the boxcutter came out and she slashed and slashed and he was bloody on the ground. But he was breathing. And she was gone. It... it would be so easy to do that to anyone else, wouldn't it... Not just if they got in the way, but to keep them from threatening her love... But... but...

"You're thinking about it? Hah, I thought you had a stronger will then that! But it's true, we could cut and cut and tear and cut and rip and slash... there would be no-one but us... And Akemi-sempai~" the other Midori let off a cheerful giggle.

"... I don't... need to..." Midori trailed off for a moment. The other Midori paused, looking perplexed. "... Akemi-sempai will love me... I'll kill anyone who threatens our love.... but... I don't need to kill anyone unless they're a threat!"

The other Midori cocked her head. "That's a lie, and you know it! We-"

"... You might be me... but I don't want to scare Akemi-sempai and kill people if I don't need to!"

"..."

The other Midori folded her arms.

"... So that's it, then."

With that, the other Midori cracked... and shattered, revealing a shape of a human in light. Midori took a step back in shock as the form grew... and suddenly she was holding a card in her free hand. What... was this...?

The card cracked now, as well, and as it splintered it revealed that the light had reformed. In its place was a tall figure, like Midori, but warped. Gray skin, orange hair and eyes... an immense scythe-drill weapon for one arm, and strange, spike-like feet...

[center]Thou art I...
And I art thou.

I am Scarlet Babylon, the fallen symbol of love and lust.[/center]

Persona...

... What had transpired was a mystery to Midori. But she had reached an understanding. Of... this... Persona? Was that why she had thought such a thing? The blonde girl slide to her knees.

Oh yes, she had reached an understanding.

"Heh... hehehe..."

Midori clutched her boxcutter. Her hand was beginning to hurt, but that didn't matter.

"Hahahaha... haha..."

Akemi... she'd come back to her, and ensure that their love would never be broken. Nothing would stand in her way.