Location: Gensokyo

Time: Uncertain (Time seems to flow differently in the Land of Illusions), Daytime

It's started a week ago, when Gensokyo, the land of illusion, the Eastern Wonderland, was engulfed in thick, strange fog. At first, the denizens of the land thought it was another incident that occurred due to someone's boredom and the fog would eventually disappear once the incident was solved (which usually involved danmaku duels). It happened many times before, like the incident with the cherry blossoms, the red mist, the imperishable night and many more. People like the lazy miko or the kleptomaniac witch would eventually solve the problem like how they usually did before.

And yet, the fog persisted, much to the bewilderment of the denizens of the land. Due to the fog, most people of Gensokyo were having problem with transportation via flying. There were some cases where several of the denizens (mostly the stupid and ditzy fairies) bumped into each other due to the lack of visibility thanks to the fog. And also, thanks to the fog, it was hard for the battle-loving denizens of Gensokyo to have danmaku matches against each other because it was difficult to aim at their targets with the fog this thick.

"Urgh, what's up with this fog?" A certain red-and-white miko grunted while holding a broom, looking at her surroundings. Thanks to the fog, the visibility was severely limited to just a few meters. The miko, Reimu Hakurei was cleaning the courtyard of Hakurei Shrine, which was kind of rare because the young miko was infamously known for her sloth. Let's not say that in front of her face, though, because her wrath could match her sloth.

A week ago, when the fog started engulfing Gensokyo, Reimu went around the land in order to investigate the cause of this strange phenomenon, like how she usually did when there was an incident. First, she went to Scarlet Devil Mansion to ask the mistress of the mansion, Remilia Scarlet about this matter. It was due to the fact that she was responsible for an incident that involved engulfing the whole Gensokyo in crimson mist. Much to the miko's surprise, it wasn't her doing this time. Well, at least there's no need for them to have more matches, right? After she's done with Remilia, Reimu went around Gensokyo to continue her investigation. She even went to meet the Ghost Princess Yuyuko Saigyouji and even asked the infamous flower demon Yuuka Kazami, only to figure out that none of them were responsible for the fog.

Reimu even learned that a certain black-and-white witch, Marisa Kirisame had started her own investigation as well, like going to meet the moon princess and the rabbits, only to find out that they were not the suspects of this incident. After days of investigating, both of them eventually gave up and went on with their lives despite the thick and strange fog engulfing the whole land. Besides the inability to see properly through the fog and the problem with transportation, the denizens of Gensokyo could go on with their lives just fine.

"But with the fog this thick, there's no way people can visit the shrine." Reimu sighed as she continued sweeping the courtyard. After saying that, she sensed a familiar presence, and she scowled as she noted the familiarity. She looked to her left, seeing a portal slowly formed in the air. Sometimes, the miko couldn't help but to think about why this particular demon would do her entrance in such manner. "Tch, what are you doing here?" She grumbled, looking at the portal.

After the portal was fully formed, someone stepped out of the portal, revealing a blonde, beautiful woman clad in a dress which seemed to be a mixture of Western and Eastern dress. She stepped out of the portal in such elegant manner while holding a parasol. A devilish smirk could be seen on her face, and the miko of Hakurei instinctively knew that the gap demon, Yukari Yakumo was up for something. Reimu knew that whenever she showed up, troubles were bound to occur in more ways than one. She could only hope that this time, it wouldn't involve her doing something bothersome like usual.

"My, my… what's with that sour look, Reimu?" The blonde woman chuckled as she stood in front of the miko. While she might look like a woman in her mid-twenty, one could sense an aura of ancientness radiating from her. She looked at her surroundings which were filled with the strange fog. "Well, even without the fog, the shrine rarely gets any visitor to begin with." She stated matter-of-factly.

"S-shut up!" the miko protested as she folded her arms across her chest, feeling slightly insulted. "I-it's not like it even matters right now! Do you have any idea what's going on here? Gensokyo is filled with this pesky fog! And it doesn't even go away!"

Still smirking mysteriously, Yukari turned around as she listened to Reimu's rants. Even for her, it was quite puzzling for an incident to occur without any kind of resolutions. Both the regular problem-solvers, Reimu and Marisa were unable to solve the incident and they seemed to have lost their motivations to even go on with their investigations.

"Yukari…" Reimu said. "What's going on? What's up with this fog?" She asked the ancient gap demon before her before she gave her a sharp look. "Don't tell me you're the one behind it all…"

Without looking back, Yukari answered to Reimu's accusation, still in casual tone. "No, I have nothing to do with this fog…" she said. "But I do have a feeling that it may have something to do with something, or rather someone I knew long time ago…" she said, tapping her finger on her chin. "Then again, I'm not too sure either."

"Someone?" the miko blinked in confusion. "Do you mean you know something about the one who caused this?" she asked.

"Like I said, I am not really sure," Yukari said, turning around to look at Reimu. "My memory is kind of hazy when it comes to this kind of stuff, you see? You don't expect someone who has lived too long to remember everything, right?" Then, she turned around again as her demonic gap started to form in the air in. Countless unblinking eyes could be seen in the portal that she conjured. "Well, I just dropped by to say that thing to you. I think I should be going now." She said, stepping into the portal. "Bye!" And then, she disappeared along with the portal, leaving Reimu behind.

"W-wait!" The miko tried to stop the gap demon, but she already disappeared, much to her chagrin. "Hey, at least give me some clues, will you?" She said, throwing a tantrum after Yukari left.

Phantasmagoria of the Golden Dream

A Persona 4 Golden and Touhou Project Crossover

Chapter 01: The Invitation

Location: Inaba

Time: Early August, Summer Daytime

"Phew, finally… I made it…" a young female with chin-length dark hair sighed as she stepped out of the train, carrying a light luggage. She finally managed to have a break from her job as a weather forecaster and returned to the town she loved the most, Inaba. After causing a commotion at the TV station by confessing her love to someone, she decided to take a break and returned to the place where she belonged to.

After all, this was the land where she, Marie had promised to protect. She was born as Izanami-no-Mikoto, an entity whose role was to protect humanity and grant their wishes, but then due to the twisted nature of the humans itself, Izanami-no-Mikoto discarded her desire to protect humanity and only worked to grant their wishes regardless of the outcomes. The discarded self became Kusumi-no-Okami, an amnesiac, powerless goddess whose role was to be a spy, a sleeping agent for the Sagiri, the lords of the fog. But many things happened, and thanks to the effort of a group of teenagers (and a bear), once again, she became whole and was able to resume her duty as the protector of humanity and the granter of their wishes.

After Izanami-no-Okami's defeat by the hand of a certain fool, Izanami-no-Okami's essence was assimilated into Marie, turning her whole again, becoming the great goddess Izanami-no-Mikoto once again. With the power she had as a goddess of the land, she was able to manipulate the weather and the fog just with her thought, controlling them on her whim. It was kind of useful, to be really honest, because it helped her in her job as a weather forecaster. She could decide which day should be sunny and which day should be rainy. It's fun to decide the weather for each day, you see?

And so, Marie stepped out of the Yasoinaba Station and started to look at her surroundings. It seemed that nothing changed much during her absence. She had decided that twice in every month, she would return to Inaba to look around the town. She would occasionally visit the shrine, go to Junes, go to eat fsteak fskewer at Souzai Daigaku and many more. It was fun. Despite her being technically a goddess due to her divine powers and real identity as Izanami-no-Mikoto, being a normal human being was fun. It was thanks to a certain gray-haired fool, whose presence in this town had changed it rather greatly, along with people in it.

Speaking of that gray-haired fool, it's been a while since the last time she saw him. One of his friends, the one who worked at Junes told her that he was busy with college or something. Well, as long as he could find some time to show up at Inaba, she would be fine with it (but not without 'youstupidjerkface' remark, which already became a habit of hers). She also learned that he seemed to have a steady relationship with another one of his friends, and she heard that after her confession being broadcasted live on TV, chaos ensued.

Well, sometimes it's fun to see that grey-haired fool squirming once in a while, she thought to herself. Then, she noticed that she already arrived at the shopping district. She thought that she should drop by at the Dojima Residence, but before doing that, she decided to have some fsteak fskewer at Souzai Daigaku. It was delicious. As expected, the meat was hard and crunchy, the sauce was spicy, and yet, it was delicious. Eating such thing reminded her of her first time trying that stuff. The memories of a certain gray-haired fool resurfaced, and she just smiled to herself as she continued eating her fsteak fskewer.

Meanwhile, in the sky above Inaba…

"So, that's the Original Goddess, huh?" A blonde woman with multiple fox tails mused as she hovered beside her master, the gap demon Yukari Yakumo. "To see her walking alongside the mortals, it is surprising…" she added as she continued to observe Marie from the sky.

"Right now, she assumes a mortal form, but do not be fooled," Yukari said to her familiar, the fox demon and her loyal shikigami, Ran Yakumo. "She is indeed the Original Goddess, Izanami-no-Mikoto, the one who gave birth to countless gods and goddesses. She was born to bring happiness to men and to fulfill their greatest wishes. I have a feeling that this place is her territory, the land under her protection. She is the land goddess of this place…" she said.

"I see. I can sense her divine power even from here. She is indeed a goddess." Ran mused. "Master, should we continue observing her?"

"Yes, and we will appear before her at the right moment." Yukari said, nodding. A mysterious smirk was seen on her face.

And so, as Yukari and Ran continued to observe Marie, she was done eating her fsteak fskewer and continued walking around the shopping district. Then, she stopped as she saw a familiar blue door. She stared at the door for a couple of minutes before she sighed and smiled. There was no reason for her to enter the room anymore. Right now, her role was to watch over the humans she loved and to see what they wanted the most to be fulfilled.

As she walked, several memories started to resurface once again.

"You really are incredible. I'm no match for you…"

It was the moment when she became whole again; becoming the goddess she originally was again, right after the gray-haired fool and his friends defeated the other her, in the divine realm of Yomotsu Hirasaka.

"You just fought the 'other me' that split from my personality. The two Sagiri, the other me, and the me that is speaking with you right now, they were all originally one within me."

Kunino Sagiri, Ameno Sagiri, Izanami and herself, Kusumi-no-Okami were originally a one being, with all of the separated beings being the fragments of the original self.

"You saved everything. I'll be alright. The fragments you defeated have returned to me, and will soon become one. My name is… Izanami-no-Mikoto, the fertile will that protects those who live in this land and fulfills their wishes…"

Those were her true role, the protector and the granter of wishes of humans she loved. She is a goddess, whose role was to watch over the humans who gave birth to her due to their desire for happiness, and now, she would proudly carry out her duty and the true protector of Inaba, in her own special way, of course.

"I will not forget you. Please do not forget. I am always by your side."

It was thanks to that fool who managed to help her. He had helped her many times, during their search for her memories, during the time when she imprisoned herself in the Hollow Forest, during the time when he fought the monster that emerged from her due to the fog and during the time when he fought the other her, thus freeing her entirely and making her whole once again. That fool had done many things and yet he didn't ask for anything. How stupid, how admirably stupid, Marie thought to herself, but it couldn't be helped.

That was one of the reasons why she fell in love with him. She could definitely see it why people adored this particular gray-haired fool. He was honest, kind and courageous. He was quiet and calm, but he was a good friend to have around. His existence not only changed her, but also many others. There was one time when she was wondering whether that guy was truly a human or not due to his ability to befriend almost everyone. He even befriended a freaking fox, for crying out loud!

And he was strong, and there was no doubt about it. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be able to face against a goddess in the first place.

Marie was deep in thought before she realized that she ended up in front of the shrine. As usual, no one was there, but the shrine was refurbished, probably thanks to the grey-haired fool's effort. She couldn't help but to smile as she shook her head. How stupid.

After looking at the shrine for a few minutes, she decided to go out of the shrine ground so she could head to the Dojima Residence. But before she could do that, she suddenly sensed an inhuman presence. She dropped her luggage and turned around, her gaze sharpened. She gritted her teeth, feeling slight discomfort from the presence.

"My, my… as expected from a goddess…" said a female voice before two figures showed themselves. "I should be careful and give extra effort to hide my demonic presence, right?" The one with parasol spoke to the one with many tails. "By the way, it's been a while, Izanami-no-Mikoto…"

Marie gasped. "How do you know my name?" She asked. How could they know her name? "Who are you two?" She asked. The one with parasol did say that she couldn't hide her demonic presence. Perhaps she was a demon itself?

"Calm down," the woman with parasol, Yukari spoke as she stepped forward. Marie stepped aback and electricity could be seen flickering around her head. Both blonde women could see the air around the shrine shimmering. "Oh? A barrier, huh?" She said, looking at her surroundings. "Wise move, Izanami-no-Mikoto. This way, all of us will not be conspicuous…" she said, grinning.

"What do you want from me, demon?" Marie growled as electricity flickered around her. Her dark eyes turned red. With those red glowing eyes, she seemed to resemble her other self, the Izanami that had fought the grey-haired fool and his friends. It wouldn't be impossible for her to unleash Oho Ikazuchi onto both these women. "Who the hell are you? Answer me or suffer the consequence!" The barrier that she conjured was to protect the people around the Shopping District from any potential danger that might come from these two demons.

"So you have forgotten about me already?" The woman with parasol said in sulky tone while tilting her head. "That's a shame. Well, let me tell you this, Izanami-no-Okami…" she said. "We've met… long time ago… in the land of illusions…"

As the woman said that, suddenly there was a sharp pain in Marie's head. She brought her hands to the sides of her head, clutching it. An ancient memory started to resurface and little by little, she started to recognize the woman standing before her. The realization hit her hard and she knew, even from her vivid memories, she shouldn't mess with the woman with the parasol. Despite her godly powers, to mess with the woman was the same like courting death itself.

"Y-you… you're that gap demon…" Marie gasped. The details about her were hazy, but from what she had learned from the resurfacing memory, this woman was not someone to be trifled with. She knew that the woman was someone who could manipulate reality as easily as breathing. "Your name… is Yukari Yakumo…" Marie said the name of the woman standing before her.

"Perfect," Yukari grinned. "There's no need for me to introduce myself," she said before she glanced at Ran, her shikigami. "But… well, this is Ran Yakumo, my shikigami and a fox demon."

"Pleased to meet you, Original Goddess…" Ran bowed slightly to Marie. "Or, should I call you Lady Izanami?"

Warily, Marie looked at both demons. "So… what do you want from me?" She asked. Electricity was still seen flickering around her, showing her wariness towards both Ran and Yukari.

"We are not here to seek battles with you," Yukari said diplomatically. "We are just here to talk with you." She said, grinning mysteriously. From the vivid images of her memories, it was hard for Marie to trust this particular woman. "And stop being so sparky, okay? It isn't good for your health, you know? You can keep the barrier, though…" Yukari added.

Reluctantly, the electricity flickering around Marie's body faded but she still kept the invisible barrier around in case something bad happened. She didn't want to hurt any of the people around her, and she would do anything to protect the people she loved from anything, even from these demons. "So… what do you want to talk to me, Yukari Yakumo?" Marie asked, looking at Yukari carefully. She instinctively knew that this woman in particular should not be trusted, like, at all.

"Well, it's kind of hard to say here, but before I start, let me ask you something…" Yukari said as she started floating while sitting on one of her portal that appeared in the air. "Do you know what Gensokyo is?" She asked.

"…" for a while, Marie was silent before she answered the demon's question. "Gensokyo is a land located within a pocket dimension which is sealed from the outside world. The population of the land consists of mythical creatures like demons and such, and also a couple of gods here and there. The Eastern Wonderland." She said. "So, what's up with this question? Do you want me to move in there?" she asked with a sneer. "I'm sorry. But Inaba is the place where I truly belong."

"Nah, that's not it," Yukari shrugged. "While it's true that you are a divine being whose existence was due to the desire of humans to attain happiness, it is still not right for you to move in to Gensokyo. After all, you are tied to this land, Inaba," she said. "Then, let's move on with the next question…"

"…" Marie was silent as she waited for Yukari's next question.

"Are you, in your condition right now, capable to fully control the fog?" Yukari asked and the question made Marie frown. What's up with that strange question, Marie thought to herself.

"What are you implying?" Marie asked.

"Well, since a week ago, something strange happened at Gensokyo," Yukari said. "The whole land was engulfed in strange fog, which reminded me of you, the one who rules over the fog. I was curious, so I decided to ask you about it." She said, looking at the confused Marie.

"Gensokyo… being engulfed in fog?" The goddess-in-disguise was confused. There should be no fog anymore. The fog had already vanished, thanks to the effort of the gray-haired fool and his friends. How could this thing happen? "Tell me more about this, Yukari Yakumo…" Marie demanded. "Tell me more about the fog."

"We'd love to, but apparently, there is something that we need to attend to after this," Yukari said before she sighed. "If you wish to learn the answer, I assume that you know about it. After all, you are a goddess. An entrance into Gensokyo will be just a child play for you, the one who wields such an unimaginable power…" she said as she conjured a large portal in the air before she and her shikigami stepped into the portal. "I'll be seeing you again, Izanami-no-Mikoto. Until then, farewell." Then, both of the vanished into the portal which closed up almost immediately after they vanished.

"Fog…" Marie muttered. After a while, she dismissed the invisible barrier around the shrine. Stroking her chin thoughtfully, she decided that she needed to speak with him about it right now. While it might be bothering him because he came to Inaba due to summer break, she just couldn't let it go.

After all, she had a feeling that there's something wrong with the thing that happened at Gensokyo. There's no way other being could control the fog like her? Right now, she needed the answers for all these questions.

Location: Dojima Residence

Time: Early August, Summer Evening

"Big Bro, I wanna help too!" Nanako exclaimed happily as she followed the silver-haired young man to the kitchen. The silver-haired young man, Souji Seta just smiled as he looked at his younger cousin's happy smile. It's been a few days since the day he returned back to this place, Inaba. He made a lot of catching ups like meeting some old friends and such. A lot of them had already moved on, and the young man was glad for them.

And Souji would make dinner for his family. He decided to cook something special for the Dojimas since it's been a while since the last time he cooked for the family. Looking at the ingredients in the fridge, he thought about making carrot and burdock root kimpira. He was sure that they would like what he's going to cook for them.

"Okay, add some soy sauce," Souji instructed to his cousin as they prepared the dinner together. Nanako nodded as she added the soy sauce. The girl seemed to be very happy while helping her Big Bro preparing dinner. He could see that Nanako had changed greatly, in appearance and attitude. Her hair was no longer tied in pigtails, and her hair had grown longer and fashioned like Yukiko's. Speaking of Yukiko, she seemed to adore her like a big sister. Well, it couldn't be helped since Souji had been dating with her for quite some time.

"Is it ready?" Nanako asked Souji about the dinner.

"Give it a couple of minutes," Souji answered. "Your father coming home tonight?" He asked.

"He'll be home soon," Nanako said before she heard someone ringing the doorbell. "Ah, it's him!" She said as she went to the door, opening it. A middle-aged man with rough appearance entered the house, and he seemed a little tired. But as he saw his daughter and nephew, the man smiled. "Welcome home, dad!"

"I'm home, Nanako," the man, Ryoutaro Dojima said, patting his daughter's head. Then, he looked at Souji. "And thanks for watching over her, Souji. And I'm sorry for being late," he said, apologizing to both Souji and Nanako. "Ah, you're making dinner, huh?" He smiled kindly to the gray-haired teenager. "It's nice. I can only hope that Nanako can cook just like you…" he said. Nanako pouted.

"I can cook just fine!" Nanako protested, still pouting. Souji felt a sudden chill as he remembered the time when he encountered an abomination that Nanako created during the last Valentine. Thanks to the instructions from the big girls, Nanako managed to create something that resembled one of his Personas, Slime. Just a spoon of it was enough to knock him out cold, unconscious. Even after growing stronger by fighting countless Shadows, Souji was still unable to stand against the Mystery Food X and its variations.

He still needed to grow stronger in order to even stand a chance against such thing.

So, Souji and Nanako were done cooking the dinner and all of them had quite an eventful dinner that evening. They talked about a bunch of things as they had their dinner. They talked about his friends like Yosuke, who had decided to work at Junes full-time, Chie, who wanted to become a policewoman in the future, Yukiko, who wanted to continue her family's tradition to manage the inn, Kanji, who had started to study seriously so he could get himself enrolled in art college, Rise, who was busy with showbiz, Teddie, who had continued to watch over both TV world and the human world while working at Junes, Naoto, who continued to take cases as a private detective and Marie, who had become a weather forecaster.

Souji was glad that everyone was having a good life. He could only hope that they would continue to live their lives with happiness. He might have helped them, but in the end, it was them who managed to see things differently. He was more like a guide for them who would show them support in order to turn them into better people.

"So, what are you planning to do this summer?" Dojima asked Souji while eating his dinner. "I think I can have a little break this summer and bring Nanako to the beach." He said, smiling at his daughter.

"We're going to beach? Yay!" Happily, Nanako cheered as her father said that they would go to the beach during this summer break. "I want to swim and make sand castles! And crush some watermelons too!" It was clear that the girl was unable to contain her happiness, and both Souji and Dojima just smiled as the girl erupted with joy. They still could remember the time when several life-support devices were attached to her body to keep her alive after being rescued from the treacherous world inside the TV.

And both of them definitely couldn't forget the moment when the line went flat. Both of them were almost overcome by despair, but due to a miracle, Nanako returned back to life. Like most people would say, there were things that couldn't simply be explained.

"Of course you can." Dojima said gently to his daughter.

"I'm gonna buy a swimsuit!" Nanako exclaimed. When the girl mentioned the word 'swimsuit', Dojima's left eye twitched.

"Uh…" somehow, Souji could sense awkwardness in the air. Then, Dojima just sighed.

"I'm sure the big girls will help her out with that." Dojima said. "I'm too old and too male for this kind of thing, you see?" he said in a rather sheepish manner, which was rare from the police detective.

So, despite the awkwardness, they continued having their dinner. After they were done, Nanako offered to wash the dishes, and Souji volunteered to help. As usual, Dojima went to read the newspaper as both Souji and Nanako washed the dishes. After they were done, Souji helped Nanako to do some of her summer homework.

"Hmm… this one is hard…" Nanako seemed to be thinking hard as she read the question in the book. But with the help from Souji, she was able to solve the problem. As Souji continued to assist Nanako with her homework, someone rang the doorbell.

Hearing the doorbell, Souji went to the door, expecting a mailman or one of his friends. But as he opened the door, he was surprised to see a familiar girl with chin-length dark hair, clad in dark blouse and short skirt. Despite no longer wearing her velvet-themed hat, he could still recognize the girl completely. In fact, the girl did confess her love to him a couple of days ago live in television, which caused Yukiko to refuse to talk to him for two days. The problem was solved, however. Yukiko did warn him to love her more than Marie, though.

"M-Marie?" The silver-haired teenager couldn't hide his surprise as he saw Marie, the local weather forecaster who could control the weather with her godly power as Izanami-no-Mikoto. After a few seconds, Souji regained his composure, clearing his throat before he gave the girl a welcoming smile. "It's been a while, Marie. How are you?"

"Is it just me or did you just grow a little taller?" Marie commented as he stood in front of Souji. She figured out that he had grown taller compared to the last time she saw him. Her height could only reach his chin due to his growth in height.

"Apparently I'm not done with my growth spurt," Souji deadpanned. It was one of his unique skills which allowed him to keep a poker face while saying some ridiculous and funny stuff.

"Heh…" Marie snorted. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Oh, sure…" so, Souji brought Marie into the house. She removed her high boots before she entered. When she entered the house, both Dojima and Nanako saw her, and both of them recognized her.

"Oh, you're that weather lady!" Nanako exclaimed. Energetically, she got up and approached Marie. "It's gonna sunny tomorrow, right?"

"Uh, yeah…" Marie answered Nanako's question. "Tomorrow will be sunny, but make sure to drink a lot of water so you won't dehydrate…" she told the younger girl.

"Okay!" Nanako responded to Marie cheerfully.

"Ah, it's you…" Dojima acknowledged Marie's presence. Somehow, he remembered the time when this girl, the weather forecaster confessed her love live on TV. "Souji…" he looked at his nephew suspiciously. "Don't tell me…"

"Uh, it's complicated," that's the only thing Souji could manage to say. So, after a few questions (or interrogations), Marie took her seat near the table. Souji continued to help Nanako with her homework.

"I'm glad that you have a job now, Marie." Souji said, smiling to the girl. Seeing the smile, Marie blushed.

"W-well, I still need to do something, right?" Marie said. So, after talking about a lot of mundane things, Nanako became sleepy, and Souji went to put his cousin to bed. Dojima also called it a night and told his nephew to walk Marie home after this. Leaving only both Souji and Marie at the living room, Marie sat on the coach.

"So, what's wrong?" Souji asked the girl. "Did something happen?"

"…" Marie was silent for a brief moment before she looked at Souji with her dark eyes. "Yes, something did happen," she nodded. "It's bizarre even by my standard, you see?"

So, Marie explained to Souji about her encounter with the demons, Yukari Yakumo and Ran Yakumo, the existence of Gensokyo and the mysterious fog that filled the land. As expected from Souji, he seemed to be able to accept it quite easily.

"So… you're not surprised?" Marie inquired. She sometimes wished to see his surprised face once in a while.

"Well, I've heard weirder," Souji shrugged. "But, the fog?" he said as he tapped his chin with his finger. He could smell a mystery from Marie's story. "I thought the fog has vanished forever…"

"Yes, that's what I initially thought earlier," Marie said, nodding. "But, let's say that there is another being that can control the fog other than me, then things will become more complicated." Then, the weather forecaster shrugged. "The only being that can control the fog is me, Izanami-no-Mikoto, but to hear another being that can control the fog, it sounds strange…"

"So, what are you going to do?" Souji asked. "Gensokyo is not Inaba, right? It's not a land under your protection…"

"But one of my domains is the fog, and with another being controlling the very thing that belongs to me, I am a little curious," Marie said. "I'm thinking about going to Gensokyo to investigate the fog and the reason behind its appearance. Do you want to come?" She asked.

"Hmm… to tell you the truth, I'm a little curious too," Souji admitted. "Who knows if more incidents can happen due to that fog? But, do you know how to go to that place? You did say that it's a closed realm just like the Hollow Forest." He said.

"Yes, it is a closed realm like the Hollow Forest, but Yomotsu Hirasaka is also a closed realm, and the other me was able to connect the entrance to that realm. With a little tweaking, maybe I'm able to create a pathway to that land through the TV…" Marie said.

Souji nodded. Despite being a different being entirely, Marie still retained the powers of Izanami-no-Okami who was assimilated by her after being defeated by him, thanks to the power of Izanagi-no-Okami and the Myriad Truth. "It's definitely something that we should investigate. I'll tell the others about it. I'm sure they'll be glad to help you out." He said. There's no way they could figure out the mystery behind the strange fog with only two of them. "And I bet they'll be worried if they find out that the fog shows up again, especially Teddie." He could still remember the time when Teddie freaked his wits out and immediately called him when Inaba was enshrouded in fog, but the fog was just an ordinary one that had nothing to do with the other world and the Shadows.

"Yes, that is definitely for the best. And it is safe to assume that dangers await us at that land." Marie said. "Gensokyo is a strange place where things that can no longer remain in this world can be there without problem. It is a haven of the creatures of illusions, an Eastern Wonderland. I might have set my foot once or twice in that land long time ago." Marie sighed. The memories regarding that land of illusion was vivid, but she knew that she might have entered that closed realm. "I want you to inform your friends about it and be ready. I assume that you still have your Persona with you."

"That…" he closed his eyes, trying to sense all the selves that were formed thanks to his bonds with others. So far, he could only sense two of them, Izanagi of the Fool Arcana and Izanagi-no-Okami of the World Arcana. He knew that the others still remained dormant deep within his soul, but he didn't know how to call them out. And he also lost his connection with the Velvet Room, so he was unable to get his other Personas from the compendium. "Well, I think Izanagi and Izanagi-no-Okami will be enough for now."

"If you say so…" Marie said before she stood up. "I'll be meeting you later, Souji. Please tell your friends about this." She turned to leave.

"They're not my friends alone…" Souji said. "They are our friends. You're a part of us, Marie. No matter what you are, you are our friend, our precious friend." He said with reassurance that Marie was so familiar with. Hearing him saying that made the forecaster blush in embarrassment. This part of him sometimes ticked her off due to how easy he did it to her. Then again, she was also happy with that part of him as well (it seemed that she still hadn't made her mind just yet whether to be angry or to be happy for him.)

"Haha, you're so weird…" Marie said, crossing her arms. In the end, she decided to laugh it off. "Yes, thank you. All of you are my precious friends. There's no way I can forget that." She gave a gentle smile to the silver-haired teenager. "You are still weird, though."

Souji nodded. No matter what she was, either as a denizen of the Velvet Room or a goddess that could control the weather without difficulty, Marie is a very dear friend for him and the others, and there's no way anyone could tell him otherwise.

"So, what are you waiting for?" Marie asked. "Didn't your uncle tell you to walk me home? Are you going to let a helpless young lady to walk alone at night?" She asked. Her dark eyes were glinting with mischief.

"Helpless is the last thing I'm gonna say about you, Marie." Souji remarked. So, Souji walked Marie to her apartment, not realizing that they were watched from the sky.

Location: Sky of Inaba

Time: Early August, Summer Night

Both Yukari Yakumo and her shikigami, Ran Yakumo were observing the silver-haired teenager and the dark-haired goddess-in-disguise as he walked her home. The fox demon was floating beside her mistress as the gap demon sat on one of her portals. Apparently, the blonde woman was intrigued by the presence of the silver-haired teenager, especially with the thing that he carried within him.

"That boy…" Ran spoke. "He carries the essence of a god…"

"Yes," Yukari nodded. "That is a boy whose will is greater than the will of the whole humanity. His eyes can no longer be deceived by the fog of deceit and falsehood. He is among those who are capable to see through the fog…" she said. "And he even wields the Original God as a weapon. Definitely an Extra Stage boss material." She said with an amused smirk. "I wonder what's going to happen if he sets his foot on the land of Gensokyo. Fufufu, this is definitely something to look forward, isn't it? A boy who wields a god like a weapon, something interesting is going to happen in near future. Do you agree?" She looked at Ran.

"Yes, I agree…" Ran nodded. "Should we head back to Gensokyo? Chen still needs to finish her mathematics exercises." She said. "And I need to prepare tonight's dinner."

"Ah, yes," Yukari said. "Let's go back."

And so, both demons disappeared into a portal, bringing them back into Mayohiga in the land of illusion that was consumed by the fog.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: Finally, the first chapter of Phantasmagoria of the Golden Dream is published for the denizens of internet to read and see. As you know, this is a fanfiction of Persona 4 Golden and Touhou Project. The event of this fanfiction happens right after the true end of Persona 4 Golden, or the Golden Ending. It shall be noted that the name for the protagonist of Persona 4 in this fanfiction will be Souji Seta instead of the canon Yu Narukami. It is because the name is nostalgic. I hope that you'll like this fanfiction and if you have time, will you drop some feedbacks? I'll be glad if you do that.

Prince Arjuna (2013)