Disclaimer: I do not own Persona or Naruto, this is strictly a fan made story
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The morning had come all to quickly, and both Naruto and Gaara were still a little freaked from last night. Could they have just dreamed it all? But they still remember the pain from the fall onto the table, there is no way they could have just imagined it all. The best thing to do would be go to school and explain the situation to Chie and Yosuke. Downstairs, they began eating breakfast. It was very quiet.
"Are you sure you guys are okay? Did you get hurt last night?"
"That? Don't worry about it, Nanako-chan. It was just a little trip."
"If you say so, Naruto."
It was time for them to leave right after they finished their food. The boys' heads were lost in thought the whole walk to school, thinking of some sort of logical explanation for what happened. Nothing could be a real reason to why a TV screen ripples as you put your hand in. They stayed quiet all morning, and thought to bring it up after school. Class was history, with some odd teacher wearing an Egyptian head dress, and holding an Egyptian scepter. Hours flew by, neither of them could really concentrate on her lecture, although it was mostly her talking about herself. Chie and Yosuke approached them when school ended.
"Hey, you both watched it right? It's actually true! I really saw a girl! But… my soul mate is a girl…? What does that mean?"
"Yea, I saw a girl to. She had this brown, shoulder length hair, and she was dancing… or something like that, but I couldn't really see much… what about you two?"
"The same, a girl, dancing, long, brown hair… That much was clear, but the rest wasn't focused enough." Gaara explained.
"No way! That sounds just like the girl I saw. Does this mean, we all saw the same person?"
"There is something else… I heard this weird voice in my head when we saw it… and when I touched the screen… my hand phased through it! Like it was water! It felt empty, and it started sucking me in, till my head got stuck in, but I had my eyes closed. I couldn't fit inside it, so Gaara started pulling me out."
Chie and Yosuke looked at each other for a second, then started laughing hysterically.
"It's true, I saw it to."
"Are you sure you both weren't just dreaming? I mean, you've known each other for a long time, and were thinking the same thing when you both fell asleep. That happens." Yosuke questioned.
But I can't really fall asleep, unless I make myself. I should probably not say anything for now…
"Well, anyway, talking about TV, my family was talking about getting a new one. Ours is kind of old… Why don't we stop at Junes and check some of them out? You can give me some advice on what to get, Yosuke."
"Sure, Chie. You two should come to."
After they all left school, they walked into Junes' electronics department. Many different devices were stacked all around. Naruto even made everyone stop near the massage chairs, to get a free demo. Gaara rolled his eyes as Naruto let out a sound of pleasure from the "magic" machine. When they reached the TV section, there were dozens all over the two walls, with one rather large one dead center in the perpendicular wall to their view. It was a really interesting place, and the two ninjas were a little curious as to why there weren't many people in the entire department.
"Wow, that thing's huge! Who could watch something like that?" Chie was stunned at the main one's size.
"We've had that one for a while. No one buys it, because it's just so big, and the price is too much. We really only have it for decoration."
The two looked at Naruto and Gaara, then pressed their hands to the screen.
"Nope, can't get my hand threw." Yosuke joked.
"Yeah, this sure is solid!"
"Okay, okay, it's funny, we get it. Ha ha…" Naruto fumed.
"Well, I doubt we're buying this one. So Yosuke, which one is good on a cheap budget?"
Those two carried on looking at other TVs, while Naruto and Gaara went up to the big one.
"Do you think we could have just imagined the entire scenario?"
"I don't know, Gaara. I know we were both awake at the time, you especially."
Naruto pressed his hand to the screen, lost in thought. To his and Gaara's amazement, his hand phased in again. Both were too shocked to say anything. Yosuke and Chie were arguing about something, and didn't notice until they turned around.
"Holy shit! Your hand!" Yosuke screamed.
"It's in the TV. Oh jeez… this is too weird! Sorry, you were really telling the truth."
Naruto got an idea, and he pulled his hand out, then stuck his head inside.
"Wha…!? Don't do that! You're going to give me a heart attack!" Chie was panicking.
"It's really… spacious in here. Empty really."
"What do you mean 'spacious'! It's a TV, it's not supposed to be spacious inside! This is way too much for my bladder!"
"What the!? You're not going to piss your pants are you!?"
They heard some footsteps from other costumers approaching.
"What are we going to do!? People are coming and we have half a guy stuck inside a TV here!" Chie shouted.
Yosuke and Chie started panicking harder, running back and forth. Gaara got in-between them.
"You two, calm dow--"
The two crashed into Gaara, and fell towards the TV, sending them all fully inside. All of them fell on their backs, in some strange, foggy area.
(Quick note: Those of you who have played Persona 4 know just how bizarre the designed of the locations are. So please bear with me when I try to describe them for you. It's not easy.)
Four students came falling from the sky in this foggy room, landing hard on their backs. When they got up, they took the moment to look around the room. It looked like some sort of TV studio, shrouded in yellow fog, so thick you cannot see farther beyond your hand in front of your face. The floor looked like some sort of black and white circular tunneling illusion, with body prints all around, as if they were all chalk outlines, but fully colored in white. All of these body prints had the heads pointing towards the center.
"Man that hurt… Is everyone okay!?" Naruto shouted.
"Fine, just a little sore from the impact… Chie, Yosuke, how about you two?"
"Alive… That was some painful fall though. How are you holding up, Yosuke?"
"Same as you guys. Where are we?"
"Maybe it's… a TV studio…? I can't tell… this feels so strange…" Gaara was confused. "There is just this… ominous feeling that I can't shake."
"We have to go back! I don't want to stay here!" Chie almost started crying.
"Calm down, Chie… It doesn't look like there is a place we came in… There has to be an exit somewhere, we just have to go look for it." Naruto took lead.
Everyone agreed. If there wasn't an exit where they came in, then there is no use staying there. Cautiously they walked across the catwalk to the right. It was like walking on a fire escape, without knowing just how far down the fall is. Chie made sure NOT to look down. To Naruto and Gaara, the entire place, the atmosphere especially, felt like it was some sort of genjutsu, but that couldn't possibly be, seeing as they fell into a TV. A door came into view, but it was open, with some sort of red and black circular optical illusion. The pattern was similar to that on the floor of the first room, but the circles moved outward towards the group.
(Like I said, not easy to describe. Though if you've played Persona 4 you know what I'm talking about. The way the doors look to the entrance to all of the dungeons.)
"Hey, do you think that's an exit? It looks sort of like a portal." Yosuke pondered.
"Let's take a look inside. It's not like there are any other doors around…"
They started walking, while Chie was power walking behind them. She seemed a little spooked.
Behind that mysterious "door" was this, bizarre, ominous bedroom. Along the opposite wall of the door was a bed, with some shelves above, a plant, and a large, sunlit window. The four walked in cautiously, as if waiting for something to jump out and attack. It felt different then the other place, quiet, secret.
"Where is this place… Where are we…" Chie calmed down a little.
"It's like we've entered a new world… Nothing here feels like our world. It's all just too different…" Gaara prophetically spoke.
"Um… Guys!?" Yosuke sounded frightened.
Facing the door, to that wall and the one to the left, were covered in dozens of posters, both walls also spattered with blood. The posters were of someone, in a kimono, but the faces of every flyer was ripped out. All of them, even Gaara, felt fear from the room.
"This can't be… Where is this place? WHAT is this place?" Naruto shook a little.
It's like genjutsu come real!
"Look, all the faces of these posters were cut out. Somebody must really hate this person." Chie thought.
"Jeez, I can't take it anymore! My bladder is going to explode!"
Yosuke ran to the wall opposite to the window, and unzipped his fly.
"Yo-Yosuke! Don't tell me you're going to do that HERE!" Chie shouted.
"C-Come on guys, turn around! I can't go with everyone watching! Forget it, I can't do this here!"
Just as he zipped back up, and turned around, something he noticed freaked him even more then the room.
"Guys… Please tell me this isn't what I think it is…"
It was a chair, facing the wall, with a rope tied in a noose above it. There was also a bright red scarf on the noose."
"What is this about? What manifestation is this…"
"Can we please just go back and forget this place!? It's a dead end anyway!"
"Chie, calm down! You've been freakin' out ever since we got here, it's not helping!"
"N-Naruto?" She took a breath. "You're right, I'm sorry. Let's try going back, we need to get out, right?"
"Right."
They were able to return to the large room where they first entered, but something was different. Off in the distance, within the fog, was some strange figure…
"What is that?" Yosuke questioned.
They all became alert when it started walking towards them. It looked like some large teddy bear in a red jumpsuit.
"Is that some sort of monkey, or a bear maybe?" Chie asked.
Naruto looked at it funny.
"Who are you guys? Why are you here?" It asked.
"Ah, it talked! Wh-What are you!? Y-You want to fight!?" Chie stuttered.
It backed away and cowered in fear.
"No! I don't want to fight! Don't yell at me like that!"
"Please, we're sorry, could you just tell us where this place is?" Naruto spoke up.
"This place? It is what it is… There is no name for it… Listen, if I were you, I would hurry back to the other side. This place gets so scary when the fog, here, lifts. Someone has been throwing people in here to… It's such a headache…"
"Throwing people? In here?"
"Well, I don't know who's doing it! I just want them to stop and think of what they're doing before it happens again!"
"Excuse me!? What gives you the right to yell at us like that!?" He coward when Chie scolded him. "What are you!? Where are we!? What is going on here!?"
He ran and hid behind Naruto.
"I already told you… Please, hurry back."
"Do you want us to get out of here?" questioned Yosuke. "Well WE want to leave here to, dammit! We don't know how!"
The bear started getting ticked off.
"That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!"
He stomped on the floor a couple of times, and three red TVs stacked upon one another appeared in the center of the vortex on the floor.
"What the!? Where did these TVs come from!?" Chie inquired.
They were small, but the bear started pushing them in.
"Hey, what are you doing!? Watch that!" Gaara yelled.
Before they knew it, they were shoved out from the giant TV at Junes, and were back in the electronics department.
"Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious fresh produce that Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!" The announcements turned off after that.
"Crap, it's that late already!?" Yosuke was shocked.
"We were in there for quite the long time, I suppose. I expected we were there for a much shorter time period…"
"Hey, Guys, look!"
Naruto pointed to the wall.
"You're right!" Chie gasped. "That's the same poster that we found all over the walls in that bedroom. I couldn't tell who it was before, but now that I see it, it's defiantly her."
"Mitsuzu Hiiragi, the wife of that secretary they found having an affair with that announcer woman." Yosuke pointed out.
"That mysterious bedroom… Could it possibly be related to that woman's death? The police, after all, haven't even been able to find out how she was murdered. If it was in that room, then it would make sense that there is a lot of unidentifiable information on her, seeing as that isn't a very logical location."
"And that creepy-ass noose hanging from the ceiling…"
"Stop, please. Sorry, Naruto, but I really don't wan to hear more. Let's just go home for today, and try to forget this."
"Yosuke is right." Gaara leaned towards Naruto. "Especially since we're powerless at the moment."
"Yea, I really want to go home and just rest…" Chie whined.
They said goodbye and started to walk home.
* * * * *
Naruto and Gaara arrived back home to see Dojima and Nanako with noodles, watching TV.
"Ah, you both are home. Did you two go out?"
"Yes, we went to Junes with some new friends, I guess we sorta lost track of time. Sorry…"
"You don't have to apologize, Naruto. You're free to do what you want, just remember that there are consequences for everything."
They both sneezed.
"Ha, see? What did I tell you? Nanako, could you fetch them the cold medicine for them? You to should take it and go right to bed, okay?"
They agreed, took their medicine, and headed off to bed.
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Sorry I took a while to come out with this one, had some work to do with history class. Be sure to give me some reviews.