I am a shadow... the true self.

The Shadow Meme

"In Jungian psychology, the shadow or "shadow aspect" is a part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts."

Everyone has another side to them that they keep hidden away, feelings they bottle up to save face or avoid conflict, or even because they themselves don't realize how strong those feelings are. But what if those feelings take a life of their own...?

Perhaps it's your best friend, a close family member, a hated enemy, or maybe it's just a complete stranger. No matter who it is, they are different now, possessing creepy yellow eyes, a distorted voice, and a disconcerting aura. Take care in what you let the real one say to the Shadow, though, because there are three little words that will set them off into an unstoppable rage and knock the real self out...

How to:
Step 1: Post as your character with their name and canon
Step 2: Others respond stumbling onto your character
Step 3: WHOOPS. Character A is actually their Shadow or Other Self!
Step 4: Play out the encounter! Will you start an epic boss fight? Have a pleasant chat? Or maybe just flat out ignore them? Run wild!

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[WARNING: Threads will very very likely run into Royal spoilers! If you're okay with being spoiled, please say so in your tag-in! Thank you!]

[Reality had been quite altered, and a strange new palace that only Ren, Kasumi and Akechi could see has somehow appeared, visible in the real world.

It was supposed to be a simple investigation in the new palace, but somehow Joker got separated from them. Without Oracle with them, it would make it much harder to regroup with Crow and Kasumi.

Now he's trying to find at least one of them while trying to avoid unnecessary battles with shadows.

He just hopes either of them are okay.]

[I can work with vanilla too if you don't want Royal spoilers.]

[Available in canon and mixtures of Smash, Planeo, WoP and MLJ! And, of course, DSA.]

[Well it's been a while. She's somehow found her way back here from home after a long time. Coco has missed both Tailses as well as the friends she had made in this Equestria.

She's keeping her guard up as she tries to get through the yellow fog. She had heard that this wasn't the first time that the fog from a world called the TV World leaked over here and brought monsters called shadows.

She doesn't have a persona but she has her Pinky Catch still. She maybe the weakest Cure ever but that won't stop her from trying to protect other ponies.

She hopes she can find at least one of the Tailses soon. She is worried about them.]

[It's strange, this fog. Obscuring all vision, and making it hard to tell what's what - as it gets denser, and denser, Coco might be able to make out a shadow in the distance...

However, that shadow is not of a pony, but of a fox. Standing upright, and two? tails swishing behind it.

Approach the fox?]

[As she walked she notices something up ahead and stops. She narrows her eyes to try to make out what it is, but then recognizes the twin fox tails. She remembers running into him in his real form in one of the times things broke down, and off-worlders could be in their true forms.

She feels a sense of relief.]

Tails!

[She starts to run towards him, not realizing the danger she's about to put herself in.]

[The figure doesn't move, not for a little while. But as she gets closer, a chuckle rings out from the figure.]

Heh. I should have figured you would come looking. [He turns around, and his yellow eyes pierce the fog.] After all, everyone knows that I can't do anything without having people with me.

[Coco stops in her tracks again when she sees the yellow eyes. Okay yeah no, something's definitely wrong. She tenses up, but doesn't make any moves just yet.]

Why wouldn't I? You're my friend and it's dangerous out here.

[The last part concerns her.] What are you talking about?

[A twisted smile crosses the Shadow's face.] Yes, yes. Coco, the big sister figure, someone else that can be followed behind. Something I know all too well. I've been following in so many people's footsteps ever since that fateful day, back home. All because I want to be someone that can be relied on. But despite that, I always fail in the end. Heh.

[She's starting to wonder if this is one of those shadows she's heard about. She knows the basics from those who were around the first time, but this is the first time she's had to deal with a shadow herself. At least it's not her own shadow.]

That's not true. You've been a great help in this Equestria, both everyday and whenever trouble happened. You're a stronger po-- fox than you think.

[Right 'cause he's not a pony right now.]

I want people to rely on me so that I can rely on them. Or rely on them so that they can rely on me. [A dark chuckle.] However you look at it, I can't do anything without them. All I can do is sit and dream about the future, of things that will never happen because I'm too scared to reach out.

[Before long, more footsteps thud in the background, and someone else pops up--

The real Tails.]

What the-- who are you? You don't look like the other me... [Not like the double he knows...]

I think that should be obvious... I'm you.

That's--

[Before she can talk more, she sees the real Tails show up and relaxes. Looks like from the scarf that it's the older one and the same Tails this shadow seems to come from. She turns back to the shadow.]

There's nothing wrong with needing to rely on others. Friends rely and support each other, and there isn't anything to fear with reaching your hoof out.

[Wait foxes don't have hooves. It's either paws or hands. Is it paws?]

[The Shadow lets out another laugh.] Ah, friendship. To survive, I need them. That's how it's always been.

[The real Tails stares down his Shadow.] That might have been true a long time ago... but it's not anymore.

Ha! Hahahaha! Oh, don't kid yourself. Or myself. We're just as weak and reliant on others as we used to be when we first met him. All because we're scared that someone will see us as disposable and toss us aside like garbage. That's what you think, don't deny it. You're wary of every single one of them.

N-No... that's not true...

Oh, please. I never know when another world might decide to swallow me up. So, better make the most of the moment and get all of these new friends! Anything to patch up the constantly-emptying void in my heart. Seven years. Seven years of this. And you still refuse to face the truth. To face me.

You're just spouting lies! You can't be... you're not me!

[The Shadow erupts into laughter, getting louder and louder...]

Yes... YES... fill me up with the power that I desire! Your refusal to accept what's plain as day... we haven't changed at all, have we!?

[Suddenly, the real Tails falls over, unconscious, while the Shadow begins to morph.]

I am a Shadow... the true self!

[Coco had tried to say something in the conversation but she couldn't get a word in. She

She has no idea if her powers will even do anything but she has to try. She raises her hoof in the air, the Pinky Catch opening up.]

Pretty Cure Metamorphose!

[After her transformation is done, she quickly stomps the ground to make part of the earth move to create a barrier to protect the real Tails. She steps forward protectively.]

I won't let you hurt your other self!

Hahahaha-- hurt me? [The Shadow shakes his head, still slowly morphing.] What purpose would I have in doing that? If either of us dies, the other does too! We're one and the same, after all.

[He grows into a large nine-tailed fox monster, and roars.]

You, like the others, did much to help me find my footing. Now I can prove once and for all that I'm strong enough to be on my own!

Edited 2020-07-07 07:29 (UTC)

[As much as she would like to give the shadow the benefit of a doubt, she didn't wanna chance the shadow might be lying. After all, other shadows when they went berserk tried to kill their other self.

Or so she's been told.

Still, she keeps her ground and will keep up the barrier for now. She will protect Tails no matter what.]

You don't need to be alone, Tails. Being on your own will only lead to suffering.

[It was a blatant lie, of course - a ruse to both attempt to get Coco to lift the shield, and to also make her think twice about facing the Shadow.]

Ha! Being with others has led to suffering too. I was only a burden to Sonic when I chose to follow after him in my earlier years. Disposable, except when I could help get him places he couldn't go before. And then, when I finally was asked to do something for him, being counted on for the first time, it was only after I'd had him condemned to death.

[The tails rise up, each glowing a different color.]

[Different colors? She wonders if they mean different elemental attacks. Either way, there's another stomp and several vines pop up not only around her from the ground, but some pop up under the shadow in an attempt to grab it and hold it down.

She does her best to try to hold on. She has the other vines to counterattack with in case this doesn't work.]

I'm sure Sonic doesn't view you that way at all. And I'm also sure he doesn't hold your mistake against you.

Edited 2020-07-08 01:59 (UTC)

[It's been some time since Sonic's birthday where Eggman had crashed it, and created a huge mess with time. It had been quite annoying but at least it was kinda cool to see two Sonics kick the butts of two Eggmans.

Things had resumed to normal and Knuckles had been guarding the Master Emerald as usual. However that changed when he suddenly got a vision from the Master Emerald. One of monsters attacking others. Yellow eyes in the dark and some yellow fog.

Which he could confirm when he went down to investigate.

He almost crashed when he got down to the ground because he had (and still has) difficulty seeing through the fog. He wanders around on foot to try to figure out what's going on. Is this Eggman's doing as usual, or is something else going on?

Knuckles wanders with wary and making sure to keep his guard up incase he ran into any of those so-called monsters from his vision...]

((OOC: She's a dark knight canonly so...have fun. Be careful of potential Shadowbringers spoilers.))

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I am a shadow... the true self.

The Shadow Meme

Kasumi Yoshizawa | Persona 5 Royal

I'm good with spoilers

Ren Amamiya/Joker | Persona 5

Nino Lahiffe | Miraculous Ladybug

Miles "Tails" Prower | Sonic the Hedgehog

/dusts off this account

I'm sure he's told her about his real form, so she might still recognize him.

I think she already seen him in his real form during at least one of the fourth wall events

shows what I remember, lol

To be fair, it's been years so /shrug

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italics are the Shadow speaking while Real Tails is conscious

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Mira Chambers (WoL OC) | Final Fantasy XIV