Black Knight

The last thing Yukiko remembered was answering the door. Everything after was just a hazy blur. Looking back, she should have realized that it was odd for someone to be knocking on the door to the main house so late at night. Then again, being knocked out with chloroform and kidnapped, especially in a close-knit community like Inaba, was not something one was usually weary of.

When she woke up, the peculiarity of finding herself lying on the floor of a western, medieval style castle almost overrode the fear that came with realizing that someone had indeed kidnapped her and was likely planning to murder her. As the distant echo of footsteps sounded from beyond the heavy oaken doors of the wide hall she was in, Yukiko didn't doubt for a second that the one approaching was not only her kidnapper, but also the culprit behind the recent murders.

Unbidden, images of her own body, strung up by the ankles and hanging from a telephone pole framed by the misty morning light, leapt to her mind. She fought to blink back tears as she realized that she may never see her friends or family again.

Finally the footsteps stopped and the doors crashed open. Yukiko, now trembling slightly, prepared herself for the worst.

To see Chie, stood framed in the doorway, hands in the pockets of her track jacket and a lazy smile on her face, caused Yukiko's mind to forget her fear and draw an absolute blank.

"I see you've made yourself at home princess," Chie drawled, eyeing Yukiko as she sauntered forward towards her.

Any words Yukiko might have said in return died in her throat as quickly as they came. She had been expecting the killer, some hulking brute armed with a bat or a knife, to walk through those doors. To see Chie, her best friend moving forwards with a grin, as if this whole thing were a joke, was almost too much.

"C-Chie?" she spat out finally, "what are you doing here? Surely you can't be the-"

"Killer?" the other girl finished, her smile widening at the notion.

"Afraid not. I'm actually just here to keep you company while we wait for the Queen of this little charade to show up," she continued, finally stopping to sit herself down beside Yukiko.

The way she handled herself was different to how she knew Chie would act. The Chie she knew was kind, protective and almost gallant. Something like a prince. This one seemed none of those things, almost like a brash, arrogant knight in a castle court.

Now more than confused, Yukiko shrunk back nervously as Chie leaned forwards towards her. She barely had time to react, as the other girl's hand seemed to dart forwards suddenly, gripping her chin in fingers that were surprisingly strong.

A gentle set of fingers caressed her cheek as her head was turned sharply to the left and Yukiko could picture the pout on her friend's face as she spoke.

"I still don't understand what I see in you," Chie sighed, twirling her fingers around one of the ebony strands that fell about Yukiko's face. Though the brief touches were soft, Yukiko still felt the powerful grip of the other hand as her head was again turned to face forward.

"You're frail, weak and of little worth to anyone, yet for some reason I find you important."

Now that she was facing her again, Yukiko could see the scorn present on the other girl's face. What truly alarmed her though, were the pair of golden yellow eyes that glared back at her, cruel and predatory, nothing like the eyes of the Chie she knew.

Then she decided, this imposter was not just any knight. No warrior of honour could possess such soulless eyes. None but a Black Knight could.

"Who are you?" she demanded, the vice like grip of Chie's hand presently forgotten, "what have you done with Chie?"

The double smiled at this, her malicious eyes lit up with amusement as she leered at the girl in front of her.

"I suppose it's this then? This fire in your eyes? It must be what I like about you so much that I'd need to keep you around," she laughed, "though I wonder if perhaps there are other reasons why I need you so close."

Before Yukiko even had time to think about what that could possibly mean she found herself pushed back towards the floor and Chie's lips upon her own.

The kiss was rough, animal, almost nothing like Yukiko knew Chie was, yet at the same time, she could feel Chie behind this imposter's actions. As if it were the side of herself Chie kept hidden that was now brought forwards. Soon those lips had moved downwards, coming to rest instead on her neck, where Yukiko could feel them sucking and biting at her neck.

Her mind too clouded to fight back, and unsure even now if she wanted to, Yukiko found her back arching upwards as Chie's hands moved aside the folds of her kimono and brushed against her bare skin. She moaned, breathlessly in pleasure as she was hungrily kissed again. In the back of her mind, almost drowned by passion, something was telling her that this was wrong. That Chie was wrong. She shouldn't be enjoying this so much because the Chie she knew would never pull her into something like this. A larger part of her refused to care, wished that Chie could have shown this kind of strength and dominance before.

All too soon it seemed, Chie pulled herself back and began to stand. Leaving Yukiko lying, still gasping for breath on the floor.

"Perhaps we'll continue this later," she purred, moving back towards the doorway. From beyond, Yukiko could hear distant shouts, the sounds of battle, "for now though, I have guests to entertain and you have a visitor."

As she watched her departure, Yukiko felt a sudden twinge of longing. A feeling of loss overcame her as the doors once again closed. She was not given long to dwell however, as a girlish giggle rung out clearly from behind her. She sat up and turned to face her own pair of merciless golden eyes.

"Such a shame our prince had to leave don't you think? And right when we were getting to the good part."

Some time later, hours or perhaps even days, when Yukiko had begun to despair of ever seeing anything but her own foolish, preening mirror image, the wooden doors of the hall were flung open for the final time and Chie charged forwards, Hanamura-san and Seta-san trailing behind her.

Still though, Yukiko could not contain the inexplicable sense of loss she felt upon seeing that the eyes that gazed upon her with so much concern no longer shined with that same heated golden glow.

She mourned then for the loss of her Black Knight.

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AN. I've been meaning to put something like this up for a little while now. If Chie's and Yukiko's Shadows both shared the castle, who's to say Shadow Chie didn't run into Yukiko at some point?
Fun fact: 9 times out of 10, I mistype 'Chie' as 'Choe' and 'Yukiko' as 'Yukiki' when I'm typing up a Persona fic. Think how much funnier this pairing would be with names like that.

Hope you liked it~