"Of course she couldn't hear it." A distorted voice spoke from the shadow. It was Riku's yet... not. It indeed was Riku who stepped from the shadows but his eyes gave away the true intent. The yellow held such a wicked intent it was almost nauseating. "But she's just a helpless little girl who you want to help? To step out from your father's shadow... right?" Shadow Riku smirked.

"Why would you say that about Kis-chan? She's one of the strongest girls I know," Riku said, not understanding what this thing was saying or why it looked like him. "And who are you anyways? Why do you look like me?" He asked, the second question said with some anger mixed into his tone of voice. He didn't acknowledge what this...other him had said about his father's shadow, deciding on ignoring it outright.

"Oh, Am I hitting a nerve? Standing up to your so called friends? You can't even really call them friends. You move so much that it's impossible to connect properly with anyone. Even with Kis-chan." Shadow Riku smirked.

"You're wrong! Why would I write with her for hours on end if I cannot connect to her?!" he shouted.

"So you are denying the difference between physical companionship and simply writing someone? Such a pathetic child. It's a wonder we could even make friends when you cling to falsehoods."

"Who the hell are you to talk about falsehoods and companionship like that?! If you're trying to look like me for a reason...then you're doing a terrible job of imitating me. Go back from wherever you came from because you aren't me and you never will be, you poor excuse of an imitation!" Riku shouted, not realizing that was the wrong thing to say.

The shadow began to laugh, "You are right... I'm no longer you. You've broken our link and now I'll take more from you!" It shouted as its body was engulfed in a whirlwind of clear liquid. The maelstrom of liquid was so churned that it was impossible to see through it until it broke apart to reveal a giant Kyuubi.

Kisara finally broke her silence "Well this was unexpected."She walked up beside Riku. There was no more room to pretend or hide it. This was going to kill them if she tried to play stupid.

"Kis-chan?" he asked, looking at her for a second before turning and looking at the giant fox creature that was just him a few seconds ago. "What the hell is going on?!"

"I'll be honest. I don't know. This part is new to me. I've never seen a shadow become someone before." She admitted knowing full well that would confuse him before continuing it. "And let's save the details till after we are out of here. It was hard enough trying to not let on about this place in hopes that Senpai would get here sooner. Bad enough something knocked us out and dragged us to a 'holding cell'." Her eyes hadn't left the fox. It was clear the two were having a bit of a stand off. The fox was waiting for her to let her guard down. It was their first time meeting but it knew.

"Fine, but I'm holding you to that Kis-chan," he said, wondering why she hadn't told him about this. And more importantly...if she was hiding this from him, what else was she hiding? Seeing as neither the Kyuubi that use to be himself wasn't taking his eyes off of Kisara, he had a feeling they were going to have to fight it in order to get out of this alive. But if that was the case...then how was he going to fight?

"You'll understand soon, Maybe sooner if Igor is involved. You aren't able to fight him... but I can't until Senpai arrives." She was engulfed in light for a moment before appearing in a new outfit. A half-mask appeared on her face with the mask painted in the likeness of a wolf. "LET'S DO THIS AMATERASU!" She reached up and ripped the mask off. The blood that appeared on her face immediately vanished into a blue flame as her Persona made its appearance. "Enflame." She commanded as her claymore was shrouded in flames. Her mask returned with a spectral form of Amaterasu ready to fight beside her.

"So it was YOU who has been causing chaos here." Shadow Riku let out in a booming voice.

“Senpai?” Riku asked with a tilt of the head, still not understanding what was going on. Though he did understand why he couldn’t fight that thing that was previously him; he didn’t have a weapon. ’But she knew who Igor was…if that’s the case...then why… he thought, maybe wondering if this shadow version of him was right; that he didn’t know the difference between a true friend and whatever he had with Kisara.

"Who would believe someone if they told them this..." Kisara began. "A world of shadows, a world that threatens our own... I was hoping what you told me was just a dream, a coincidence. But I see that's wrong. But I have to ask... are you going to listen to him? Going to let him beat you down with his words?"

"Of course not! But he does make a good point. Why did you lie to me about this?" Riku asked. After that, he would do his best to find some way of helping Kisara. Somehow.

"And how did I lie?" Kisara asked. She really didn't lie, simply hid it in a vain attempt to not bring this entire thing up.

The Shadow was watching and using the bit of anger from Riku to feed. To increase it's own power.

"You should have said something about Igor after I told you about my dream..." Riku said, before feeling weaker than normal.

"I was going to talk to you about him. But then that voice interrupted us." She admitted.

Riku sensed that she was telling the truth and calmed down.

"I'll explain more once we get out of here..." She said before raising her Claymore in a defensive stance to absorb a strike from the Shadow. "This... isn't fully you Riku... It might have part of you in it but it's not the only facet of you." She strained against the attack before pushing it back. "Amaterasu!" The mask was ripped off again as fire hit the Shadow. "Don't let it get into your mind." She stated one last time to him before running into an offensive charge.

I am Thou... Thou art I. Doth thou wish to gain the strength to fight. To defend... to seek the truth? A voice rang to Riku.

Riku could see that his friend was having trouble against the Shadow, almost as if it was powering up because of his own doubt. Well if that was the case, then he’d have to do something about that. With the promise of hearing everything coming from her own lips later, along with what she was saying now…the young man decided to trust her.

Once that happened, he heard a silent voice ringing in his mind saying: I am thou…thou art I. Doth thou wish to gain the strength to fight. To defend…to seek the truth? to which Riku quickly responded the only way that he knew how.

“Yes!”

Then reach they hand out and accept me. I am thy power that holds up within you. A card appeared before him I am Renamon. Let us seek the truth together!

Kisara jumped back from the fight and looked at Riku. A... card? That's just like what Senpai mentioned.

Riku didn't know what was going on but reached out and grabbed the card, feeling power well up within him before a burst of wind came from him, a sword appearing in his left hand after grabbing the card with his right. 'Alright...what do I do now?' he thought to himself.

"Shatter the card!" Kisara shouted as she blocked another attack.

Riku closed his hand into a fist, shattering the card into several shards as a word came to him. "Renamon, Garu!" he shouted as the fox woman materialized and nodded before crossing her arms and then flaring them out, her hands going off as if she was shooting something. The fox that was his Shadow was then covered with green, slashing winds.

"Nither of us can do enough damage." Kisara let out as she put distance between her and the Shadow.