A/N: Shin Megami Tensei Persona 4 is property of Atlus.

Questing is Serious Business

Under the intense glare of the early spring sun, Kanji stirred from his slumber. Sunday was the one day of the week where he could sleep in without ma or that damn alarm clock waking him up. Turning to face his morning time nemesis, he saw that it was only 8:19. "Unbelievable," he muttered to himself as he rolled out of bed. He figured that the string of late nights should have knocked him out but still he found himself waking with the dawn. Of course, he could just go to bed early but doing the long distance thing with the ladies in his life took priority. Compared to the awesome marathon Skype sessions they'd have, sleep just couldn't compete.

Cursing under his breath, he padded over to the bathroom for his customary piss and shave. The ritual took only a few minutes, since he started showering at night and just slicked his hair back. It was amazing how much time he saved by cutting out the daily search for black roots and the bleaching that came soon after. If he knew back in high school how much time he'd wasted on the whole thing, he might have been on time more often instead of keeping the girls waiting each morning. "Must've spent more time in the can than Rise or Naoto," he muttered to himself, and snorted at the thought of your run of the mill punk being higher maintenance than one of Japan's top idols and a young detective prodigy that used hide her gender combined.

Pausing at the mirror, he inspected the awesome new eyebrow stud he got during his last visit to the city. For once Ma didn't seem to mind, preferring the one ring through the brow over the half dozen he used to sport in his left ear. Said it made it made him look quaint, although Kanji couldn't see why. At least he could still feel badass while being presentable enough not to scare folks away from the textile shop. Also, on the more practical side of things, it was much harder to grab onto in a fight than the earrings were. Thinking back, he was pretty luck that neither the shadow monsters nor the various thugs, wannabe gangsters and biker pukes he used to butt heads with didn't grab a hold of the rings and yank his ear clean off.

Coming out of the can, he overheard voices coming from the kitchen. "Funny, Ma didn't mention anything about company," Kanji mumbled to himself. For a moment he considered getting dressed but his stomach quickly overrode that thought. Wouldn't do to argue with the boss after all.

Moving closer, he caught a glimpse of his bud Teddie chatting with his ma while still wearing the bottom part of his "mascot suit". The red and blue cartoon bear ensemble looked out of place in the cozy apartment he shared with his ma, being used to seeing it in the Junes department store. However, that thought was quickly eclipsed by the realization that the oh-so-soft looking head was sitting on the counter unguarded. Oh how he wished to feel the fur beneath his fingers, to luxuriate in its sensation and commit the texture to memory. To touch it would be like seeing the sun set over the ocean for the first time, or catching a glimpse of that old picture of the smirking lady all the brainiacs fawned over. What was it called again, the Mona something or rather?

Almost in a trance, he reached for the bear head. Just as his fingertips were just a breath away, his train of thought was broken. "Good morning Kanji, did you sleep well?" his ma said to him. Finally noticing Kanji's proximity to the head, Teddie snatched it back up and blew a raspberry his way. Drat, foiled again!

"Morning Ma, morning Ted," Kanji groggily replied. "Sleep alright but the curtains ain't doing their job. One day I get some extra shuteye and that dam err... darn sun woke me up." He was half way to the fridge when Teddie's presence finally registered. "Hey Ted, when did you get here?"

"I got here just in time for breakfast! Your infinitely wise and beautiful mother made a meal fit for a growing cub like myself!" he exclaimed before demolishing the food set in front of him.

"Your friend got here 10 minutes ago and gave me quiet the start, " Tatsumi-san called over her shoulder as she prepared his breakfast. "I don't mind you having your friends over dear, but next time warn me if they're coming through the television."

Kanji went wide-eyed when he heard this."Oh shi... sorry Ma, I forgot he was coming over this morning, " he said apologetically. Turning to the blonde boy, he exclaimed, "What's the big idea busting into here like that anyways Ted? You fixing to give my ma a heart attacked?! Why didn't you just use the door like we kept telling you?"

"S-sorry Kanji-kun," Teddie chocked out. An angry Kanji can be a scary one, even if he never laid a finger on you. "I just figured that since your mom knows about me and my world it'll be ok. Besides, Junes is still closed right now. There's no way I leave through the store without running into anyone, even if I'm being beary careful. It was either this or pop into Yukiko's room." A mischievous grin spread across his face as the thought percolated in his mind. "Come to think of it, maybe Yuki-chan would like a personal wakeup call sometime," he said smoothly.

"Forget it Ted, she'd whoop your ass before you'd know it. You'd probably be safer head butting a hornet's nest," Kanji replied. "Shit, just call before you pop by next time. So, what is it that you couldn't wait another hour for?"

"You mean you don't remember? You promised you'd help me go trail blazing!"

"That was today? Damn, can't believe that slipped my mind, " Kanji said.

"Oh yes, Theodore-san was telling me about it, " Kanji's mom said as she dutifully served up breakfast. "He said that you and your other friends have been helping him explore that world he comes from. I can't say that I'm thrilled about going into such dangerous places though, even if it's to help a friend."

"Ah come on Ma, it's not that bad. Well, not now at least, "Kanji admitted. "Since that fog disappeared it's only been pockets of the baddies around, honest. Hell, it's probably safer being over there than walking around the city at night."

"If you say so dear." The doorbell sounded at that moment, and Tatsumi-san rose. "I'll see who it is, you enjoy your breakfast."

"That might be Yuki-chan. She's coming with us today," Teddie chimed in. "Better get dressed if you don't want her to see your puppy paws jammies Kanji-kun. "

"Hah! Trying to get at my breakfast, huh? Not falling for it again Ted, "Kanji said between bites of food. "'Sides, it's not like she ain't seen me in less. Remember when the girls stole our hot springs time? I'm practically wearing a snowsuit compared to then!"

"Oh yeah, we were in nothing but towels. Without the proper attire, my stunning radiance was just too much for them to stand. They just had to drive us out with that barrage of baskets, least their minds slip into such endless bliss."

"Hell of a selective memory you got Ted. Next thing you'll tell me you single handedly took out Izanami with a melon scooper while riding a spotted unicorn and getting a backrub from the Ladies Volleyball team, " Kanji joked.

"Ohhh, I like your version better than the one I cooked up. You mind if I use that next time we go cruisin' for ladies?" Teddie asked earnestly.

"Sure. If you can get a lady with something that ridiculous you can even take full credit for it."

The ancient stairs leading up to the apartment groaned as Tatsumi-san returned with two new arrivals. Like Teddie predicted, Yukiko showed up but she was also joined by Kanji's friend Naoki. Kanji mentally noted that she came prepared with her messenger bag and that thick fall jacket he patched last month, the one big enough to cover the armor she wore for their otherworldly trips. Although a bit on the bulky side, it was less conspicuous than her wearing her old school jacket and offered more protection. Standing beside her, Naoki looked considerably underdressed.

"My, you certainly are popular this morning Kanji-Bō," Kanji's mom said. "It's a good thing we're not opened Sundays. Why don't I put on some tea for our guests while you finish eating?" Before Kanji could protest, his mother was already rooting around for the kettle.

"Good morning Kanji-kun, " Yukiko greeted him. "I was going to ask if you were ready for today but it looks like I came a little early. " A small smile spread across her face. "Nice pants by the way. They look so soft and comfortable."

"T-thanks Yukiko-senpai, " Kanji spurted out as his face went as hot as July. Thinking about his reaction, he proud of himself for taking the compliment instead lashing out like he used to. He'd come a long way from the emotionally constipated youth he was but still would get easily flustered whenever he was complimented by a pretty girl, even if it was just Yukiko.

Noticing the other new arrival, Kanji called out to him, "Morning Naoki, s'up?"

"Hey man, " Naoki added. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to knock around some balls but Amagi-san just told me you were going to help her with some errands. "

"Yup, we're going exploring in my world today!" Teddie enthusiastically replied. "Braving the wilds, overcoming impossible odds and seeing beautiful sights never seen by man or bear before. It's going to be a blast!"

Yukiko looked shaken by the outburst. "Uh... what Teddie meant was, I mean to say was..." and quickly trailed off. "Teddie, not now!" she hissed at the blonde.

"It's okay, really, " Naoki said. "I know about that stuff."

"You do? But how?" she asked him.

"Well, there was the time Ted accidently surprised me at Junes. One minute I was watching the game and the next I got a face full of mascot, " he said as he shook his head. "I'm surprised that hasn't happened more often, seeing how the place is always packed." Yukiko didn't know how to respond the news. She always thought they'd be labeled as lunatics or worse if anyone talked about the TV world, and here they were talking about like it was nothing. She didn't know if she should be relieved or let down by the lack of drama involved.

Kanji chimed in. "Yeah, we've been pretty lucky with that. Oh, don't worry about my ma overhearing us, she knows too. And before you ask, I had to tell her after she caught me coming home that time I got into that scrap with the what-cha-ma-call-it Beast thing in Rise's place. Saw the claw marks on the back of my shirt and thought those bikers were desperate enough to sic a lion on me. I didn't want her worrying about those wimps giving her trouble so laid it out for her there and then, complete with putting my hand through the TV."

"I must say it certainly was a surprise when my son did that. I couldn't believe my eyes when the screen rippled like that, " Kanji's mom admitted as she handed them their tea. "I cannot say that I liked the choice in extra-curricular activity but at least it was a more wholesome exercise than the vigilantism. At the very least it gave my Kanji-Bō the chance to make more friends. You couldn't tell back then but he was lonely much of the time."

"Ah Ma!"

"Well you were, there's no shame in admitting that dear. "

Pushing back from the table, Kanji said, "Right, time to get ready. Gimme five and we're good to go." After dumping his plate in the sink, he marched off to his room. He was half way there when he got an idea. Turning back, he asked "Hey Naoki, you wanna join us? Well, if the others are ok with it."

Naoki thought this over for a moment. "Oh, I don't know... I don't want to get in the way of you guys. The way you talked about it over there, it sounded like some serious business."

"It won't be a problem! Any friend of Sensei and Kanji is a friend of mine, and I always look out for my friends. We'll make sure you don't get hurt, right Yuki-chan?"

"That's right, and if you do our magic will fix you right up, " Yukiko added. "Hmmm... that sounded less weird in my head. Anyways, as long as you're prepared you'll be fine."

"Well, if it's no problem with you guys ... then I'm in. I always wanted to go traveling and this sounds like an amazing opportunity. I mean, going to a mysterious other world without missing a day a work? I'd regret it forever! " Naoki exclaimed.

"Great, it's settled, "Kanji concluded. "I'll go root around for my spare armor while you grab the essentials. You know, water, towels, that type of thing. Maybe something you can use as a weapon if the baddies get close. We run into wimps mainly so things won't get crazy."

Yukiko nodded. "We'll help Naoki-san pick out what he needs while you get dressed. I doubt you'll want to go out like that," she noted as she shot a glance at his fuzzy pyjama pants.

"Awesome, see you guys in five." Moving into his room, Kanji swapped the PJs for jeans and his favorite leather jacket which went over his armor. After finding a vest for Naoki, he started putting together his adventuring pack. "Lets see... my shades check, needle and thread check, canteen check, sunscreen check, dad's lighter" he said as he patted his pocket, "check, compass... still missing, duct tape and healing stuff check. Oh, can't forget my emergency rations. Where is that box... ah, gotcha!" Fishing out the box of animal crackers, he carefully placed it at the top of the backpack. Don't want them to get crumbly.

Slinging the backpack over a shoulder and strapping his shield to his back, he felt ready to take on a world or two. He found the Adventuring Team (as they called themselves now) waiting by the set. Naoki had a gray jacket on now and was carrying a gym bag with a bat sticking out. "I grabbed your shoes on the way up, figured I'd save you a trip," he said.

"Thanks man, lets swap," Kanji said as he held out the vest. While Naoki struggled into the vest, Kanji called out, "Hey Ma, headin' out. Have a nice day!" Sticking his hand through the screen, he beckoned Naoki to step through before diving in himself.

The trip through the TV was trippy as ever. The swirling colours reminded Kanji of the intro that TV show Naoto made him watch a few times with the time traveling telephone booth, except the whooshing noises didn't get on his nerves. Landing on his feet, he felt that familiar jolt crawl up his spine as his connection to the power that let him summon his persona became reaffirmed. He found his buddy face first on the ground not even a foot away. "Oops, sorry man. Forgot to tell you about that landing, " he said as he helped his friend up.

"It's ok. Good thing I only hurt my dignity there, " Naoki joked. After dusting himself off, he finally got the chance to look around. They were in some kind of small hut, complete with a coat rack on the wall and a mat for shoes. Aside from the small shelf full of herbal remedies you'd find in the Shiroku Shop, the place was pretty sparse. "Kanji, does something live here? The place looks practically new."

"Nah, this is just a welcome pad. Ted made it so we didn't have to worry about some uglies jumping us whenever we pop in or out. He got 'em set up around wherever there's a link to our world. "

"Oh, so this is where Ted can access the TV in your living room. Hmm... since you said there's more huts does that mean he can access other parts of the world?"

"Yeah, but we tend to stick to exits we know to make sure we don't hit with trespassing. At first we stuck to going through Junes back when it was foggy over here but since then we've branched out. "

"Guess that makes sense. If the fog was anything like it was in town a few years ago, I'd play it safe too." Naoki took a moment to mull over all this. Fifth dimensional thinking was tricky when you're dealing with multiple planes of existence. "Sorry to keep asking you questions Kanji, but this is all so amazing! How do you where to find these exits? Does one of you stick your hand in TV and the others find it somehow?"

Surprise hit Kanji in the face like a cold mackerel. "Whoa! That's actually pretty close to the truth. Ted got a crazy accurate nose and can sniff us out pretty easily now. Once he got the scent, he's good to go so we don't have to stick our arms through the portal the whole time. Good thing too, my arm gets cold for some reason if I leave it in too long."

From behind him, Naoki heard the sound of two more people hitting the ground. "Sorry we took so long Kanji-kun. I needed to use your washroom before we came over," Yukiko said apologetically.

"It's cool. I was just telling Naoki how the exits work."

"Oh yes, I think I got the hang of it," Naoki added.

Yukiko looked relieved when she heard the news. "Really? Well, that's a relief. I think it took Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun two hours to explain it to Rise-kun and Chie-kun. They even had to make a cute little diorama with Naoto-kun's action figures to explain it all."

"I'd like to see that sometime, " Naoki chuckled. Putting his hands together, he gave his recap. "So here's what I caught so far. Basically, the exits you use in this world correlates to a specific location in our world. However, for some reason the link is through television screens."

"Not just TVs, "Teddie chimed in. "Anything with a screen works too, like computers and the newer cellphones. Oh, Rise-chan was beary angry when she tried using her new ePhone."

"Good to know if I ever get superpowers," Naoki said matter of fact before continuing on. "Since we're inside the hut when arrive, it looks like the 'hole' we come through isn't that far off the ground. It also looks like the entrance doesn't move; otherwise someone would have been stuck in a wall by now. "

"That's actually pretty clever of you Naoki-san. I don't think even Yu-kun thought about the entrance's location," Yukiko admitted. "Good thing nobody ended up in the wall, eh Teddie? Imagine what it would be like if that happened to Yousuke-kun."

"That would be unbearable, " Teddie agreed. "Well, I've had my fill of smarty talk for awhile. You ready to see my world?"

A/N: Few things I wanted to cover. First of all, Bō used to refer to boys. Kind of like the male equivalent to "Chan", except it's not used as a pet honorific for teenagers. Secondly, since the game came out in 2008 it didn't predict the increasing popularity in smart phones, thus why everyone was still using flip phones in 2011. For my take on the world of Persona 3/4, the popularity of smart phones didn't start to boom until around 2013. Also, copyrighted names have been given similar sounding names to keep in the flavor of the game (iPhone=ePhone, posicle=topsicle, that sort of thing).

Anyways, reviews are always welcome.