Title: "Persona 4: The Fool"
Author: Icewind Alchemist
Summary: The last thing Rin Narukami expected when she moved to Inaba was to get involved in a murder mystery. Now with the power of Persona and others with the same abilities, she must find the culprit and stop them while saving their victims.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 4 the game, anime, or manga. The only thing I've created is the protagonist.
Rating: T for some violence, language, and sexual content.
Before I begin… Looking back on the prologue, I realized it was really boring and not engaging. So rather than keep it, I'm skipping the first visit to the Velvet Room. It will be mentioned in this chapter, but the scene will be gone.

So, since the prologue's been deleted, here's the info for new readers. Rather than wait around for Atlus to maybe have a P4 game with a female protagonist, I've made my own. This story follows the game, but will borrow a little from the anime and manga while I add my own changes and twists. It will be told in first-person present-tense and at the moment I have no plans for pairings so don't bug me about it.

Now onwards!

==+O+==

Invitation

==+O+==

April 11, 2011

Shortly after waking up from the strangest dream – A blue limousine, fog outside, an old man with a long nose, huge eyes, and an odd smile, his beautiful assistant with cool gold eyes and a huge book resting in her lap – I'm greeted by a metallic announcement.

"Attention, passengers. We will be arriving in the Yasoinaba station in a few minutes."

Thank God I woke up. I don't want to think about the hassle I would have to go through if I missed my stop. That's the last thing my parents want to hear as they're boarding the plane; their daughter couldn't even follow the simplest instructions. And my uncle, whom I'm staying with for a year while they're working overseas, would have to go farther than planned to pick me up, since this is the last train going through Yasoinaba.

Before I gather my things, I take a quick look over my appearance with the help of a compact mirror, my mother's words echoing in my head ("You can't approach people looking like that, Rin. Especially when you're meeting them for the first time. Fix yourself up so you at least look presentable. There, doesn't that look better?"). My hair slipped out of its ponytail while I was sleeping, so I fix it back and make sure to tie my red ribbon tighter.

After smoothing out my clothes, I grab my bag and make my way to the doors as the train begins to stop.

No one else besides me gets off once the train arrives at Yasoinaba station. Dark clouds gather in the sky, a sign of rain. I pull my dark slate jacket tighter around my body to protect against the chill while regretting my choice of a skirt rather than pants. My eyes search the mostly deserted train station. It shouldn't be too hard to find my uncle with no one else to sort through.

"Over here!" I head in the direction of the call, meeting with a middle-aged man with short, dark hair and stubble. A little girl with brown pigtails stands beside him. She looks down as I approach.

My uncle, Ryotaro Dojima, holds out a hand. His grip on mine as we shake is firm. "You certainly take after your mother." He comments, wearing a welcoming smile. "Not that it's a bad thing."

I know what he means. My parents' friends would often mention how much I looked like my mother, who was supposedly beautiful when she was my age. I could see the resemblance between us when I look at photos of her from years ago. We shared the same round face, narrow eyes, and light skin. Were it not for the color of my eyes and hair, both dark violet, and the way I wore my hair, I would look more like a younger sister than a daughter.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Awkwardness begins to creep into the atmosphere. My mother rarely talked about her family, especially her brother. I thought it was because of a falling out, but she was the one who suggested I stay with him while she and my father worked overseas for the year. This is the first time I've met any family on her side and all I know about him is his name and that he's a widower with a child.

Dojima, who's probably also looking for a way to break the ice, nudges the girl next to him forward. "This here's my daughter." He says to me before turning his attention to her. "Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin."

Nanako looks up at me with large brown eyes, not too different from a puppy's. She meets my eyes before looking down again. "…'lo." She greets me with a quiet voice before going behind Dojima again to hide her red face.

Dojima chuckles, apparently finding this amusing. "What're you so shy for?"

He's rewarded with a smack from his embarrassed daughter. Despite the pain, he still laughs a bit. "Well then, let's get going."

The three of us climb into Dojima's car, me in the back and Nanako in the front, and leave the station. None of us talk much, so I stare out the window as we drive, observing the town I'll be living in until a year from now. It's small and quiet, especially compared to the city. Not many people are out, probably because of the rain coming soon. Buildings that look like they've been around for awhile group together, but occasionally they're next to one that was built more recently. We stop at one of them, a gas station, when Nanako tells Dojima she has to use the bathroom.

As one of the attendants greets us, Dojima turns to Nanako. "Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?" He asks as we get out of the car.

"Uh-huh." Nanako answers. She begins to head to the bathrooms when the attendant gives her directions, to which she reacts with annoyance.

The attendant looks over at me. "Are you taking a trip?" He asks Dojima, still looking at me.

"No, we just went to pick her up. She just moved here from the big city and is staying with us for a bit."

The attendant's lips formed a smile. "The city, huh?"

Dojima gave the attendant instructions for gas before walking away to take a smoke break. I take the chance to stretch my arms and legs while I wait.

"Are you in high school?" The attendant asks. I head over to where he's filling the tank. No harm in small talk. Besides, it passes time.

"I'll be a second-year starting tomorrow." It's gotten cooler. Why did I choose a skirt again? The stockings underneath do little to protect me from the temperature. Pants would've been warmer.

The attendant smiles wryly. "You can guess there's not much to do around here, so I'm sure a city kid like you'll get bored fast. Either you'll be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs." He finishes filling up Dojima's car and walks over to me.

This is the first time I get a good look at him. His pale skin and hair are a huge contrast to the bright orange and yellow uniform he wears. Dark eyes look straight into mine. "Speaking of jobs, we're actually looking for some part-time help right now, if you're interested." He holds out a hand. "Why don't you give it some thought? Students are welcome to apply."

"I'll think about it." I grasp his hand. It's ice cold.

The attendant gives my hand a squeeze before letting go. "I should get back to work. Don't forget what I said." He says before walking off.

I suddenly feel dizzy and my head begins to throb. I pinch my nose bridge to see if that will help. It doesn't.

"Are you okay?" Nanako, back from the bathroom, looks at me and frowns. "You don't look too good."

"I think I'm a bit carsick." I murmur. The long trip must've made me exhausted. "Don't worry, I don't feel nauseous."

Once Dojima comes back, checking me over when Nanako tells him what happened to me, we drive to the house. By the time we arrive it's gotten late and rain begins to fall.

The Dojimas walk inside the house while I pause outside. It's on the small side and a bit old-fashioned, what my mom would call "cozy." Not that I'm complaining; my family's moved around so much that I never grew attached to a house. As long as it provides the necessities, I could care less.

Inside is a different matter. Where the places I've lived in were kept clean and orderly, there's organized chaos here. A few books, newspapers, and what looks like Nanako's drawings are scattered on the tables in the kitchen and the living room, which Dojima sweeps clean before getting dinner set out. It's not messy, but if Mom saw it she would drop whatever she was doing to bring order.

The three of us sit around the table in the living room and, after a quick toast, we start eating while Dojima makes small talk, asking about my parents. "It's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone around." He comments. "So long as you're here, you're part of the family. So make yourself at home."

"I'll do that." The dizziness from earlier hasn't completely gone away, so I'm not feeling very talkative. But I soon don't have to worry about trying to stay attentive when Dojima's phone rings. He grumbles, but answers it.

"Dojima speaking." He pauses, listening, before standing up and walking away from the table. "…Yeah? I see… So where is it?" Another pause, then a sigh. "Alright, I'm on it." He hangs up and mutters "Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze."

Dojima turns to me and Nanako. "Sorry, but I got to take care of some business." He explains, clearly not happy about the turn of events. "Go ahead and eat without me. I don't know how late I'll be. Nanako, you'll help her out, okay?"

"Okay." Nanako confirms, looking disappointed. Dojima leaves after a quick exchange between him and Nanako about the laundry.

The two of us sit back down to eat, neither of us speaking. Unable to stand the silence, Nanako turns on the TV. It's currently showing the news, which is still focusing on the scandal between city council secretary Taro Namatame and news reporter Mayumi Yamano, as well as Namatame's wife and enka ballad singer Misuzu Hiiragi. I've already heard an earful of the gossip on the train, so I try talking with Nanako instead.

"What does your dad do?" Mom told me little about Dojima, besides his relation to her and that he's a widower.

"My dad's a detective." Nanako explains. "He investigates stuff, like crime scenes."

So we're in the same boat, huh? Dojima may be around for Nanako more than my own parents are, but he still has work that pulls him away from Nanako. I'm starting to feel sympathy for her; I'm used to being alone, but she's young. And with her mother gone, Dojima's the only family she has. I guess there's me as well, but we've just met. That's not what I'd quite call family. Anyways, it must be hard for her to stay in the house alone.

A commercial for Junes, a department store, pops up. This cheers Nanako up in an instant as she sings along with its jingle. Okay, maybe she's better at finding ways to entertain herself than I thought.

We finish up dinner, clean up (storing Dojima's dinner in the fridge for later), and Nanako leads me to my room. It's small and bare, decorated with a shelf, couch, and a TV. The boxes containing my belongings, which were shipped here before I arrived, fill the floor. I'll get around to unpacking later, but after the journey and the earlier bout of carsickness it'd be wiser to turn in early.

After preparing for bed, I slide under the covers on the futon and try to go to sleep. But the words from the man from my dream, Igor, echo in my head.

"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a mystery shall be imposed upon you."

"Like that will happen." I mutter, turning over.

Fog. There's nothing else but thick fog, dampening my clothes and chilling my skin. I can only see a few meters in front of me. There's no path behind me, only yawning emptiness. There's no other way to go but forward.

I walk down the path, looking for clues about my location or even a way out. But there's only fog obscuring anything that's here. If there is anything, I think with a shudder. Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if all that existed here was the ground I walk upon and fog.

"Do you seek the truth?"

A voice without anything to distinguish itself as male or female, young or old, calls out. But I see no one.

"Who's there?" I call out. "Where are you? And what are you talking about? The truth about what?"

"If it's truth you desire, come and find me."

More vague answers, just like in my dream of the "Velvet Room." Is there any way to get a straight answer here? Not if I just stand here, I'm sure. The voice came from up ahead, so that's where I'm heading.

Not long after, I find a strange wall. It's square and stripped with black and red. There's nothing else connecting to it, like it's floating in this void. The voice must be behind the wall; somehow, I can sense it.

When I touch it, the wall – no, I realize, the door – twists and opens up. I step through and see a figure in the fog. Like the voice, there's nothing about it that gives its identity away.

"So, you are the one pursuing me." It chuckles. "Very well. Try all you like."

"What do you mean by—" Something materializing in my hand, a katana, interrupts me. Looks like I'll have to fight to get answers. I rush forward and slash at the figure, but it dodges.

"It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog." The figure muses while dodging another one of my attacks. "I see. You indeed possess an interesting quality. But you will not catch me so easily. If what you seek is the 'truth,' then your search will be even harder."

More fog comes out of the figure until I can't see it anymore. I move around, trying to find the figure again. "What 'truth' are you talking about?" I call out, hoping for an answer and a clue to where they are.

"Everyone sees what they want to." There; to my right! But the blade doesn't connect. "And the fog only deepens." In front of me now. Still nothing.

"What does that mean? Is that even an answer?"

My opponent only laughs, this time behind me. I whirl around and slash at it, not finding anything. "Will we meet again? At a place other than here? I look forward to it…"

"No, because you're going to tell me what you're going on about!" I try to pursue them, but my legs fall under me. Fog enters my mouth and nose, filling me. Smothering me.

My eyelids and limbs grow heavy. My head spins. Everything goes dark until even the fog disappears.

==+O+==

So I'm hoping to update this story every Sunday, but that may not always happen due to my job. I'll do my best, though.

Please tell me what you think and how this can be improved! I would appreciate that very much! Especially if you have any ideas about the title (which I'd really love to change).