Persona 4 Swapped Six AU - Howardâs Shadow
Notes: Only the Swapped characters are here but I used last names for them anyways. Boleyn isnât part of the group yet. Teddie is a walking mascot costumeâ.
Shadows are a personâs true selves, the side they donât want to see and accept. A person rejecting their shadow makes it go berserk and kill the human counterpart.
The group skidded to a stop. The four human members of the investigation team and Teddie all skidded to a stop.
It was a clear, pink room with a stage in the middle. Instruments were lined up on the stage. The familiar emblem of a broken heart and a ring was etched on the instruments and the stage itself.
âAbout time you all showed up.â
Howard stood there, waiting in front of the stage. Her shadow stood with her. The shadow looked like a child version of Howard, golden eyes gleaming. Howard didnât look hurt, only tired.
âYou couldâve been soonerâŠâ Howard hissed, stepping towards them quickly.
âYou donât have to be so bitchy about it.â Seymour snapped back.
âLetâs just⊠get the hell out of this place. I couldâve got out of here by myself.â Howard huffed, taking a step towards the group.
A hand grabbed onto her own, stopping. Her shadow staring back at her, a pout on the child formâs face and gold eyes flashing. âYouâre leaving already?â
Howard yanked her hand away with a growl. âOf course I am!â
The shadow tilted its head, a look of confusion crossing its face. âBut itâs safe here!â
Aragon was usually firm with shadows, telling them what was right and wrong firmly with a touch of softness upon seeing the problems her now friends dealt with. But Howardâs shadow being a child noticeably softened her words. âNot for humans. She could die here.â
The golden eyes switched into Aragon for a second, reminding her exactly what she was talking to. But just as quickly, the shadowâs eyes moved back to Howard.
âCome on! Stay with me where itâs safe!â The shadow pouted.
âNo way in hell.â Howard said simply, pulling her hand from its grasp and turning to pace towards the others.
âYouâre going to go back to the ones who hurt you?â
Howard froze in her tracks, turning back to stare at the girl. âWhatâŠ?â
The smile widened as the shadow knew she had caught Howardâs attention. âHere you donât have to be scared anymore! We wonât be weak anymore!â
Howard barked out a laugh, turning to fully face her shadow now. âWeak?â
âYeah! You arenât strong, you know?â A malicious grin twisted on the shadowâs face now. âJust a bitch trying to hide her weakness.â
Howard sneered at her. âYou donât know what youâre talking about, brat.â
âYes I do! Those men hurt you⊠and you donât want to be that weak againâŠâ the Shadow pushed for a long moment, and Aragon swore the shadow looked⊠haunted. âI can protect you here! As your other self I can make sure we donât have to be strong and cruel ever again!â
âI donât⊠I donât need saving!â Howard snapped, stumbling back slightly. âNobody hurt me, this is just who I am! And I donât need to listen to yourââ
âWhy are you lying to yourself?â
âKat⊠what is she talking about?â Cleves asked quietly.
Howard didnât reply. Instead her shadow did. But she wasnât speaking to Cleves.
âDonât you remember? The way they caressed you? The way it hurt when they said it wouldnât?â Shadow Howard sniffed, rubbing at her teary eyes with balled fists. âIt hurt⊠it always hurtâŠâ
Howard gave a quick glance back to the investigation team. âNone⊠none of that happened. Youâre a little lying brat!â
Dread hit every member of the investigation team. None of what had just been described sounded good.
âBut Iâm you, silly! I know its true!â The shadow teased, golden eyes flashing in the lights. âJust like how I know the scandal ruined us!â
Just like that, Howard was sweeping forward, picking her shadow up by the collar of her shirt.
âWhat are you doing?!â Cleves called, eyes wide.
âHoly shit!â Seymour yelled at the sight, grip on her scythe tightening.
âI donât know who the fuck you are, brat!â Howard was screaming. âBut you donât know shit about that scandal. Youâre a lying little brat!â
Shadow Howard didnât have that childish light anymore. Her face was scarily cold now. âYou didnât want it.â
Howard flinched as if she had been struck.
âYour manager wanted you.â Shadow Howard continued. âHe wanted you so badly. And you couldn't say no to him. Not with his power. Not with being so abandoned all your life. And now look where it got you. In a shitty little town like this where you donât matter.â
âI⊠you donât⊠thatâs notâŠâ Howard shook her head, reorienting herself. âYou think I would let someone use me like that?! Iâm stronger then theyâll ever be!â
âIf youâre so strong, then why did he get rid of us?â
Howard jolted, eyes wide with terror as she took the blank stare on her child selfâs face. She dropped the shadow, who landed back on her feet as Howard staggered back several steps and fell to sit on the floor.
âOh noâŠâ Parr whispered. âShe was reincarnated too.â
âWe were supposed to be the true queen! The one who won when the others failed! That life was ruined too, by the same men!â
Howard didnât offer a response.
Shadow Howard broke into a sobbing wail. âHe⊠he left us because we couldnât stop them from hurting us! He hurt us too!â
âWho the hell are you on about?!â Howard snapped, bristling. But there was a veil of panic in her eyes.
The shadow continued as if she hadnât heard her. âWhy did they hurt us! I thought they loved me! But theyâ! But theyâ!â
âStop babbling like that!â Howard snapped, back on her feet now and glaring furiously at her shadow. âYou think I would let something like that happen to me?! That never happened!â
âYou donât remember them?â Shadow Howard tilted her head, all tears and sobbing gone. Aragon felt a chill upon realizing just how quickly the shadow was switching back and forth.
And well⊠shadows reflected the true self.
âMannox was your music teacher.â Shadow Howard took a step forward as Howard took a rapid step backwards. âHe taught us much more than music.â
âDereham is your manager! He canât take no, can he? Heâs the reason youâre trapped in this scandal and was sent to this shitty little town. Because you couldnât keep your hands to yourself! It wasnât you! He did it! He⊠he hurt us!â Shadow Howard broke off into more crying, covering her face with her hands.
âStop⊠stop itâŠâ Howard was now a far cry from the cruel girl they had met. She had tears on her cheeks now and she was staring at her shadow with a blank stare that honestly scared all of the already horrified investigation team.
âBut itâs all going to be okay!â An excited glint was in the shadowâs eyes now as she beamed at Howard. âThey canât hurt us if weâre cruel! After all⊠who wants the bitch?â
âIâŠâ Howard couldnât speak and that was the moment the others realized why Howard had been so cruel to them when they first met her.
âA defense mechanism.â Cleves murmured, considering
Shadow Howard was cupping her human selfâs cheeks now, looking her in the eyes. âItâs okay. Weâll be safe now.â She cooed. âWeâll be better than anyone! Weâll get back everything weâve lost! And theyâll pay, pinkie swear! That bastard who divorced us will be the firstâŠâ
Howard snarled, pushing herself away from the shadow, glaring down at the shadowâs child form. Desperation was in her eyes. âIâm safe right now! Iâm already better than anyone! None of what you talked about happened! Iâm not⊠Iâm not weak!â
âSheâs going to say it!â Teddie yelped and the group took a step forward.
âKatherine stop!â Aragon tried to yell.
âYOUâRE NOT ME!â Howard roared at her shadow.
There was a beat of silence and everyone froze. Then, there was a giggle. A giggle that quickly became a full blown laugh.
âThatâs right! Iâm not you! Iâm better than youâll ever be!â Energy began to swirl around the shadow, golden eyes glinting maliciously. âPlay timeâs over now! I WILL BE STRONG! SAY GOODBYE TO BEING WEAK!â
And then, things were flung into chaos.