Chapter 24

"Why are we still here?" Yang asked. "We killed the shadow. The dream should collapse. Right?"

"Maybe Ken has to decide to wake up." Naoto suggested.

"Well then kid, wake up already." Yosuke said. "The rest of your friends need saving."

"What if…what if I don't want to wake up?" Ken asked.

"What?" Ruby was surprised. "Of course you do."

"I'm not so sure." Ken said. "What will I be waking up to? A world where I don't have a family and I'm responsible for Shinjiro's death."

"He was dying anyway." Naoto reminded him.

"You don't know that!" Ken protested. "For all we knew they could have found a way to save him. If I hadn't brought him out there to kill him, we wouldn't have been ambushed. I lived for years wanting revenge for my mother's death. Then when I had the chance, I found out her killer was waiting for it too. It ruined him. It made him take those damn drugs that were killing him. All I could think about was what he did to me without ever considering what it did to him. Now I have to go through every day unable to escape the fact that I was a monster. Here none of that exists. I still have my mom. I still have him."

"You weren't a monster." Yu said. "You were human."

"We all do things and have feelings we regret." Blake said. "We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. It does you no good to live in a fantasy."

"Besides, what will your friends think?" Rise asked. "They really care about you. They flew halfway around the world for you after all."

"If you never woke up, they would feel the same pain you do." Yang said. "In any case, of you don't wake up we're not leaving. We'll wreck up the place until you change your mind."

"I guess you're right." Ken sighed. "I guess it's time to wake up."

The world began to blur as if it were a television losing its signal. Static began to surround everything. "Oh, just a word of warning, this might hurt a little." Weiss said. "In the real world your body is pretty beat up."

"Wait, what?!" Ken shouted as the entire dream collapsed in upon itself.

After falling through a featureless void, Teams RWBY and YYRN found themselves in the same hallway they had originally arrived in when they entered the Shadow World. Ken's door was now boarded up. "Where's Ken?" Yosuke asked as he looked around. "He was just here a second ago."

"If I had to guess I'd say he's returned to his body." Naoto replied. "Only his mind was in this world. We should head back to make sure he's alright."

"I think we can all use some rest too." Rise said. "It's been a tough day."

The doctors and technicians took no notice as the group reentered the warehouse. Ken lay in his bed groaning as a pair of doctors attended to him. "I see you've made a breakthrough." Kikuno said as she approached the group. "I am very grateful."

"How's Ken?" Ruby asked.

"He's in some pain." Kikuno said. "He has some broken bones and soft tissue injuries, but he'll recover in no time." Ken's groaning stopped. "It seems they have administered painkillers."

"Is there a chance we could talk to him?" Naoto asked. "He might have information that can help us."

"You'd better hurry." Kikuno suggested. "With that stuff he won't be lucid for long."

"Hey Ken, how are you feeling?" Yang asked.

"I guess I should thank you." Ken said. "Oh, and thanks for the warning, it was spot on, uh…what's your names?"

"I'm Weiss." She said. "This is Yang, Ruby and Blake. We're friends of theirs." She pointed to Team YYRN.

"So, who did this to you?" Naoto asked. "I'm sorry to skip the polite conversation but we need the information as soon as possible."

"It's no trouble." Ken said. "I'm not really sure though. I saw the Midnight Channel you guys dealt with, and I was on it so I got scared. I was in the lobby of my hotel, and no one else seemed to see what I was seeing. Then this shadowy guy showed up outside. The way he was looking at me was disturbing, so I decided to make a run for my room. I ran up the stairs and didn't hear his footsteps behind me so I thought I was safe. I called Mitsuru to warn her about the Midnight Channel, but then the guy kicked the door in. I guess he knew which room was mine. It was dark and I didn't get a good look at him before he knocked me out, but it was definitely a man. He was a little shorter than average I guess. He seemed kind of familiar but…never mind. The next thing I knew I was in the dream."

"A shorter than average man." Naoto said. "That doesn't narrow it down much. Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Not really." Ken admitted. "If I remember anything, I'll let you know."

"Thank you Ken, we're really glad you'll be okay." Ruby said. Ken smiled but he was already drifting into a drug-induced daze.

"Well, now what?" Yosuke asked. "I don't think we're any closer to finding this guy."

"Do you think Adachi could have anything to do with this?" Rise asked.

"No, he's safely locked away in his jail cell." Naoto said. "When I found out about this, I contacted the prison immediately and he's still there. It also seems that his use of dust has left him with a lingering weakness. I don't think we'll have to worry about him for quite some time."

"It could be Sho." Rise suggested. "I don't think he's given up his grudge against the Shadow Operatives."

"But wouldn't Ken have recognized him?" Yosuke asked. "Even if he didn't get a good look, it hasn't been long since they last faced off. Besides that, he's not shorter than average."

"We'll just have to rescue the others to see what they know." Yu said. "For now we should get some rest."

"How long has Ken been fighting shadows?" Blake asked. "He seems young."

"Since he was 10." Naoto answered.

"Ten years old!" Weiss exclaimed.

"He's not even the weirdest member of the Shadow Operatives." Yosuke laughed. "They have a dog who can use a Persona."

"Before we head back to the hotel, maybe we should do some sightseeing." Yosuke suggested. "It's too early to go to bed and there's no sense letting the time go to waste."

"Sounds good, where should we go?" Yu asked.

"We never got to Times Square." Rise said. "It's after dark so it should be quite a sight!"

With no objections, the group headed to Times Square. There were still a fair number of people out but, like the good New Yorkers they were, they ignored the strangely dressed tourists. "I still can't get over how tall the buildings are here." Ruby said as she looked around at the dazzling lights.

"It's so pretty." Rise said. "There are places in Tokyo sort of like this though."

"It looks like nothing but a bunch of oversized billboards to me." Blake complained.

"I guess now isn't really the best time to be here." Rise admitted. "On New Year's they have a huge celebration here with millions of people."

"People care that much about the passage of another year?" Weiss asked. "That's a boring thing to celebrate."

"It doesn't matter what they're celebrating." Yosuke said. "It's a big party, what's not to love?"

"I can get behind that." Yang agreed.

Team YYRN snapped some pictures with their phones and soon it was time to head back to the hotel. Ken was safe but seven Shadow Operatives still needed to be rescued and the culprit behind their predicament was still unknown.

When Teams RWBY and YYRN returned to the warehouse, Ken was sitting up in his bed, looking sad. "Hey Ken, what's the matter?" Ruby asked.

"It's nothing." Ken lied.

"It's not nothing." Ruby said. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Not really." Ken replied. "It's just, that dream world made me face my past again. It hurts, so I try not to think about it too much, but sometimes I can't help it. It made me realize how alone I am."

"You're not alone." Naoto said. "I lost my parents too, but I have my friends."

"I don't really have friends." Ken sighed. "There are some people I hang around with at school, but they don't really know me and I don't know much about them. They're fun to be with, but I wouldn't call them friends."

"I think you have seven fantastic friends right here." Weiss said, gesturing toward the other Shadow Operatives.

"I don't know if I could really call them my friends." Ken sighed. "Except for fighting shadows, we don't have much in common. We're not even close in age."

"Of course they're your friends." Yang said. "They dropped everything to help because you were in trouble. If that doesn't make them your friends, I don't know what does."

"I feel like they're only here for the shadows." Ken said. "If I didn't have a Persona, would they even care about me? If my mother hadn't been killed would they even have noticed me?"

"That's a foolish thing to say." Naoto said. "What ifs aren't going to get you anywhere. I know firsthand. You are who you are and they care deeply about you."

"It's true." Kikuno said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. "After your call none of them even mentioned shadows. All they cared about was your wellbeing. They would have rushed here if you needed them for any reason. I've never seen them so worried."

"If you're still not convinced, I'm sure they'll tell you once we wake them up." Yang said.

"Is there any way for me to help?" Ken asked. "If they came here for me, it's my fault they're like this."

"Just get some rest and don't blame yourself." Ruby said. "The only one at fault is the man who did this to you. When they wake up, they'll want to see you happy and healthy."

"I guess you're right." Ken said. "Before you go, I need to warn you. They've all been through…difficulties like I have. They might need some convincing to wake them up as well."

"Don't worry, we'll wake them up, no matter what it takes." Yang said.

"You looked bored." Yosuke said. "Is there anything we can get you to keep you occupied?"

"I don't know." Ken replied. "Maybe a book or something?"

"I don't think any of us brought books." Naoto said. "I know I didn't, and the two of you don't look like the reading types." She said to Yosuke and Rise. Yu shook his head.

"Blake brought a book." Yang said with a devious smile. "Why not let him read that?"

"I don't think he'd like it." Blake said, her growing embarrassment clear on her face.

"What's it about?" Ken asked.

"Uh…ninjas." Blake said. He cheeks were getting red.

"Ninjas are awesome!" Ken said. "I'd love to read it!"

"I don't think it's age appropriate." Blake said, flustered. "I'll be in the Shadow World waiting for the rest of you." She marched off and dove through the television without looking back."

"What's wrong with her?" Ken asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it kid." Yang laughed. "I was just teasing her about her literary preferences."

"What's wrong with ninjas?" Ken asked.

"The book isn't really about ninjas." Weiss said. "It's one of those dirty romance novels."

"Huh, she's embarrassed." Ken said. "I know a lot of girls who read that stuff."

"Yeah, and she thinks we don't know!" Yang said.

"I still don't understand what the big deal is." Ruby said.

"One day, when you're older, I'll explain it to you." Yang said. "Well, I guess we shouldn't leave her in there alone. Let's go guys."

"It's about time." Blake said as the others arrived in the Shadow World. Just past Ken's door Blake waited by another. "Sacrifice." She said, pointing to the inscription on it.

"That really isn't enough information for me to know who it is." Naoto said. "They've all made great sacrifices in the course of fighting shadows."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Yang said. Blake opened the door and Yang followed her through. The others soon joined. When they emerged into the dream world, they found themselves in the outfield bleachers of a baseball stadium.

"This has got to be that guy…what was his name?" Yosuke said.

"He seemed like kind of a loser." Rise said. "A bit like you."

"Hey!" Yosuke protested.

"Junpei Iori." Naoto said. "He's currently a Little League baseball coach."

"This seems a bit grand for Little League." Rise said.

"It is his dream." Yosuke said. "Maybe he dreams bigger."

"He's somewhere in here for sure." Rise said. "I can't tell exactly where though. My abilities are being blocked again." The group could see what appeared to be a group of people in the distance, near home plate. "He could be over there." Rise suggested.

Ruby climbed down over the bleachers and straddled the railing above the field. "What are you doing?" Yosuke asked.

"We may as well take the direct route." Ruby replied. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"I guess I still feel like I'm at a real baseball game." Yosuke said. "Normally you'd spend the night in jail if you jumped over the railing like that."

"This isn't the real world, so I don't think we have to worry." Weiss said. Ruby dropped down and the rest of her team followed. After overcoming their initial hesitation, Team YYRN joined them.

The group dropped down into the bullpen, but found they were not alone. A baseball player, probably a pitcher, stared at the intruders. "And predictably it's a shadow." Rise sighed. The pitcher lost any appearance of being human as his skin turned to an oily and featureless black. Under the uniform, the shadow's body began to change shape, growing taller and more imposing. Its throwing arm grew gigantic and muscular and a mask slid down over its face from beneath its hat.

"Maybe trespassing was a bad idea after all." Naoto said.

"I'm really confused." Ruby said. "What is baseball and what does this shadow have to do with it?"

"It's hard to explain baseball as a whole, but this guy is a pitcher and he…" Yu started to explain.

"He's throwing a fireball!" Yosuke warned with a hint of panic. The shadow was well into its windup, a searing fireball in its hand. It threw the flaming projectile with the speed and accuracy of an ace, sending it hurtling toward Rise who was busy scanning the shadow with her Persona.

Yang summoned her Persona and it appeared in the fireball's path. Striking Turan in the chest, the projectile broke up harmlessly. Yang counter attacked, her Persona streaming fire at the shadow while she charged it. Yang wound up for a powerful punch but the shadow, unaffected by Turan's fiery assault, sidestepped her at the last moment. As she passed it, the shadow grabbed Yang by the shoulder and slung her around face first into a nearby wall. In a daze, Yang wobbled around on her feet until the shadow leveled her with a punch from its oversized arm.

Pitching from the stretch, the shadow launched another fireball, this time at Naoto. Her Persona took the blow but it was still enough to do serious damage and her Persona began to fade. The shadow quickly followed up with another fireball and this time Yosuke summoned his Persona to use a gust of wind to push it harmlessly wide of the group. He began launching wind attacks at the shadow but it stood firm in the face of his gales. The shadow reached back then slung its oversized arm forward. The arm stretched like rubber until it grabbed Yosuke's Persona by the head. It snapped back, taking the hapless Persona with it and slamming it into the ground. Yosuke's Persona faded away as he fell flat on his back.

"Physical attacks guys!" Rise announced. "Get in close and hit it hard."

The shadow began launching fireballs in rapid succession. "We can't get close while it's doing that." Blake said. They could not even line up good shots from their guns as they were forced to dodge the shadow's relentless onslaught.

"I've got a plan!" Yu said. He ducked under a fireball and slid forward, standing with his side to the shadow. Grasping his sword tightly with both hands, he pulled it back and waited for the shadow to attack him. The shadow soon obliged, launching a fireball just in front of him. Yu cocked back then swung his sword forward, striking the fireball just as it reached him. The fireball was sent screaming back toward the shadow and struck it in the face. "Now!" Yu shouted as the shadow was knocked off balance by the impact. Ruby propelled herself forward by firing Crescent Rose back. Arriving at the shadow, she swung her scythe overhand and sliced off the shadow's gigantic arm in a spray of black liquid. She stepped back, twirled around and cut cleanly through the shadow's midsection. The shadow's two halves fell to the ground, melted and evaporated away.

"So, to continue, the pitcher throws the ball and the batter tries to hit it, sort of like I did." Yu said.

"Dude, I didn't know you played baseball." Yosuke said. "That was a great swing."

"I've never played." Yu admitted. "Beginner's luck I guess."

"My scans are a little cleared now." Rise reported. "Junpei's definitely somewhere near home plate."

"And conveniently there's a door." Yang said. She unhooked the latch and the door leading from the bullpen to the field swung open.