[center][h3]Kirsty Ramaswamy[/h3][/center]

While Liam went to sling his molotovs, Kirsty limped along the wall back closer to where the real nightmare began—the end of the street where the false idol and the Raven bitterly exchanged blows. For a moment Kirsty just watched, grappling with the spectacle's intimidation under the pretext of scoping out the current scenario. After all, it took only a brief moment and the most meager power of observation to understand how bad things were. Even with the bizarre Tomapoe on her side, the Raven could not hold a candle to the beautifully horrific monstrosity.

Though possessed of great alacrity and a keenly honed hunter's instinct, she commanded the false idol's full attention, and could scarcely find footing in between Shadow Kirsty's wide-ranging dark attacks to launch her own offensive. By now her sidearm constituted little more than a menacing accessory, its ammo spent. The Raven's attempts to get in close to deliver or position Tomapoe for a physical blow proved that the idol's cow legs could kick just as well as the real thing. So far those rock-hard hooves dealt her glancing blows, but one to the collarbone, ribcage, jaw or head would end the fight messily.

Liam's molotovs embroiled the shadow in flame, but just a moment of her focus rewarded him with a wave of dark energy potent enough to send him rolling across the ground, his strength spent.

And it was this terror that Kirsty intended to face, unarmed, unable to walk on her own, and utterly outmatched. Trying to actually fight her was a non-option. Yet strangely, Kirsty felt no urge to run. Her heart beat in her throat she she felt more than a little crazed, but she'd already accepted the end of the road. Her destiny, the most important thing in her life, lay before her; she felt sure that anything but facing it would leave her a hollow shell. She watched a wave of dark force plow the Raven through a number of tables, the nebulous outline her Tomapoe growing faint, and knew she had to move. The poor girl couldn't take any more. “Can you move?” She asked Liam. “I need to get over...to the fountain. Then run away.”

A few moments more and she stood against the decoration, leaning against a gargoyle bent over the water. Though hammered by the shadow's dark forest, it stood strong enough to bear her weight. Kirsty took a deep breath, then another, then bellowed at the top of her voice, “Over here, monster!”

The idol looked over, smiled, and dropped the battered Raven to fall upon a table. She hovered over, the legs of her wings outstretched in anticipation. “Ah, my lost lamb.” Her face fell, concern painted across her features. “Oh, my poor precious thing. You're hurt. Without my guidance, my subjects are a danger to themselves and all those around them.” She descended before Kirsty, allowing her split legs to touch the ground. “You understand, then, that humans need a savior? One whose grace and glory will deliver them from darkness? Whose immaculate example will inspire them to strive for beauty and goodness?”

Kirsty steadied her breathing and choked out a reply. “I won't turn away.” She stared herself in the face, and found in her nearness to destruction a rush of courage. “In a way, you've helped me realize that something was wrong. It's a messed-up analogy, but that look really hits the nail on the head. I really was like a cow, no will of my own, just getting drained by everyone around me day after day and living off whatever generosity they decided I was worth. And when I'm used up, will they care for me? Or butcher me?” She let slip a somewhat deranged chuckle at the repulsiveness of it all. “So here I am. If you eat me, the world will be better off.”

“Here you are,” the false idol repeated, nodding sagely. “In sweet surrender.” She leaned forward, her face splitting wide open to reveal a cavernous maw lined with teeth.

Kirsty gritted her own. “But maybe things can change...” she growled. “Mayble I'll eat you instead!”

With a scream she lunged forward off the fountain gargoyle, using its tail like a springboard with her good leg. Her arm shot up, a piece of a wrought-iron fence clenched in her grip like a sword. It bit into the idol's left eye, releasing a spray of black ichor, but not nearly deep enough. The monster lowed as it spasmed. “Ooooooogh! YOU! YOU VILE SLIME, YOU WRETCHED WORM! How DARE you!?” The false idol lurched forward kicked Kirsty onto her back. The girl stuffed a wad of silk into her mouth just as the idol promptly brought a hoof down on Kirsty's left elbow. She paused a moment to listen as Kirsty howled in muffled agony. “Like that? You've chosen suffering, after all. Faced with my mercy, and you choose torment? The INGRATITUDE!” She brought down her hoof again and again, destroying flesh and bone, until Kirsty's forearm lay lifeless on the pavement. “Now, my precious, let us try again. Even after your blasphemy, I will still grant you mercy. The blessing of becoming a part of me!”

[color=FF5400]”Stuff it already, you twat!”[/color] came an enraged shout from behind the idol. Before she could react, the Raven landed on her back between her wings. [color=FF5400]”Tomapoe!”[/color] Her Persona appeared and slammed its foot down on the shadow's neck. Kirsty, tears streaming across her face, pulled her right arm out from beneath her, the Raven's knife in hand, and thrust it upward. Its blade sank into the monster's lowered face. A hideous cry resounded, but the Raven wasted no time drinking it in, instead bidding her partner stomp down on the false idol's head again and again, burying the knife deeper. With a final stomp the aberration shuddered, then plopped down and dissolved into darkness. When it faded, two wounded Kirstys lay on the ground side by side, one ordinary but missing a forearm and the other draped in a tattered dress.

Whether or not the original could hear her made no difference to the shadow. As her form dissolved, returning to darkness bit by bit, she gave a pronounced [i]hmph.[/i] “For all your insolence...you will never...be rid of me. I'll be watching...from the mirror.”

With that, the doppelganger was gone. The last of Kirsty's strength burnt away and she blacked out.