A/N: Many things to say here!
One: I forgot to add a small, yet still important detail in Mei's description last chapter, so I edited it. (In case you don't want to go back, it's the addition of a pink scarf around her neck, darker than her top, that's all).

Two: Chapter 1 has also been edited because I'm an idiot. I was confused with the Japanese school system. I thought they were 4 years but apparently they are 3. So now, Yui is also a fist year and therefore, a year older.

Three: When it comes to Personas, I'll be using the compendium from Persona 4 Golden, meaning the personas will be following those Arcana (I might change some of them if necessary to fit with a plan I have in mind). Also, I might add new Personas not seen in Persona 3 and 4.

Four: I decided to add the music I was listening to when I wrote a certain scene. Because we all know that one of the things that makes battles epic in games is the music. You are not obligated to listen to these songs, but if you want to, there they are!

Five: THIS CHAPER IS THE LONGEST SO FAR! And also my favorite up until now. I think I did a good job here! But please tell me what you think. I could've divided it into two chapters but I really wanted to keep it as one.

Six: Please Review! I want to keep writing this story, I really do, but it's hard to find motivation when I only get one review. I want to know what you think! You think it's good? Tell me! You think it's bad? Tell me, too! Something that happened was interesting for you? Please tell me so I can do it again! Oh, and by the way A big thank you to ADeadDiehard for being such a fateful reader and reviewer so far! I always look forward to your reviews! Thanks!

Chapter 9

I woke up as I heard the alarm of my cell and I looked at the time. 07:00… Wait, where am I? I got half my body up, sitting on the futon. Wait, I used to sleep on a bed… why am I on a futon? I moved the few tufts of my hair that blocked my view.

As I looked around the room I remembered. Yesterday, Mom, Dad and I finally moved to Inaba and we are staying with the Amagis… not at the Inn, as customers, but at their own house.

The past few months haven't been easy for our family, especially for my father. He's had to deal with too many stressful situations. Some people even blame him for the company's failure just because he was a close friend of Mr. Tanaka, but there was nothing he could've done...

Fortunately, when it comes to our financial problems, we're still ok. My mother is a writer, not an extremely famous one, but all her published books have had great success. That and dad's savings have kept us good enough. But the most important thing is that we're together. It may sound cheesy, but at times like this, families must stay strong!

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Um, sorry to wake you, but we have school in less than an hour and if we don't hurry up Brother's gonna get mad…" I heard a girl's voice say. That's Reiko-san… THAT'S RIGHT! I START SCHOOL IN INABA TODAY!

I jumped out of the futon, grabbed my new uniform and opened the door.

"I'm so sorry, I fell asleep!" I told Reiko, who was already in her own uniform.

"It's ok. You must've been tired from yesterday." She said, understandingly. "In case you need it, the bathroom is at the end of this corridor, to the left."

"Thank you." I told her.

"Brother already made breakfast, so when you're done come to the kitchen." She told me as she left.

I nodded and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. I was still very sleepy, but the shower took care of that. I quickly got dressed in the school uniform and added a pink scarf around my neck which my dad gave to me long ago. Since then, I wear it every day and everywhere. After that, I went to the kitchen, where I saw Haru-san and Reiko-san sitting at the table, next to each other eating breakfast. There were other 5 empty seats there.

"Good morning." I greeted.

"Mornin'" Haru-san said, sounding sleepy.

"Come on, take a seat."Reiko-san told me. I did as she said and took the seat in front of Haru-san. Reiko-san stood up and went to get more bread from the toaster.

"How did you sleep?" Haru-san asked me.

"Quite well, thanks for asking. But I did wake up not knowing where I was…" I laughed.

"I see, I guess that's normal." He smiled.

"Here you go, Mei-chan." Reiko said as she gave me two pieces of bread. "Coffee or tea?" She asked.

"Tea, thank you." I replied and she poured me a cup of tea.

"Good morning everyone." I heard Yu-san greet from behind me.

"Good morning." Yukiko-san said as I turned to see them.

"Hello, Yu-san, Yukiko-san." I said. Haru only waved his hand since his mouth was full.

"Hey Mom, hey Dad! Haru made breakfast today." Reiko said.

"He did? Thanks Haru." His mother said. Again, he waved as if saying 'no problem'.

We ate breakfast but mom and dad didn't show up. Yu-san said it was ok, that they must be tired. Lucky them, I would've liked to stay in bed a little longer, too.

"Damn it…" I heard Haru-san say in a very low tone as he looked at the time. "We'll have to take the bus today if we don't want to be late…" He said in a louder tone, now.

"Sorry, it was because I fell asleep, right?" I asked, feeling guilty.

"Don't worry, you were tired." Reiko said.

"Plus, if it hadn't been you, it would've been Reiko. I had to wake her up today, too." Haru said and everyone, except Reiko, laughed.

"Alright, come on! We'll be late!" She said, annoyed, and quickly grabbed her bag. "Bye Mom, Bye Dad!" And she left the room.

"Sigh… Well, let's go." Haru said. "See ya."

"Ok, see you later. Bye!" I said and we left the Inn.

After a very short walk we were at the bus stop.

"By the way, it's around 25 minutes walking from here to school and 10 by bus, so we don't normally use it." Reiko-san told me as we waited.

A few moments later the bus came and we were getting in when…

"Oh oh…" Reiko-san said.

"What's up, Sis…?"

"I forgot Emi-chan's notebook… I borrowed it a few days ago and left it in the desk in my room!"

"Well, nothing you can do now, I guess." He said.

"No, she needs it today! I'll go get it, you two go to school without me!"

"Sigh… Fine, but hurry up. Try not to be late, ok?" Haru-san told her as he got on the bus. I followed him and we sat near the back.

The atmosphere was a little awkward since neither of us was talking. Why does it feel awkward? We know each other since we were kids… then again, I'm the only one who remembers everything and it was long ago.

"So, uh… anything I should know about the school, Haru-san? Any tips?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"Uh? Let me think…" He assumed a thinking pose, putting his hand on his chin, which I found funny. "I can't think of much… just be careful of what you do or say on your first day. Rumors spread fast in a small town like this."

"I see, thank you. Though I can't think of anything that can make me the target of rumors…"

"Believe me, you're the new girl, they'll find something… even if it's not true." He sighed.

And he was right. The problem was that he was also dragged into these rumors with me. As soon as we got to the school, people were already looking at us and talking.

"I guess I should've seen this coming since Sis isn't here… sigh." Haru-san said. "Can't be helped, I guess. Well, welcome to Yasogami." He told me and I thanked him.

"Hey, look! Haru is with a girl! And that's not his sister!" I heard a boy say to his friend.

"Oh yeah! I've never seen her before… is she a transferred student?" She replied.

"I don't know, but she's cute… You think she's Haru's girlfriend?" Asked a third person.

There was a lot of talk around us as we made our way to the classroom. Most of it was related to if Haru-san and I were together… This is embarrassing. Haru-san just shrugged it off and advised me to do the same. He said that they'll forget about it in a few days. That helped me relax a bit.

"Damn it… Reiko is not here yet, and class is about to start." He said as we got into the classroom.

Once inside, I didn't know what to do. Where should I sit…? Haru-san seemed to understand my dilemma.

"Just sit next to me. It'll be better that seating next to a stranger at the moment…"

"Are you sure…? Don't you sit next to Reiko-san?" I asked.

"Nope, she sits with one of her friends."

"Won't the rumors get worse if we sit together…?"

"I told you, they'll forget about it in a couple of days. Don't pay attention to them." He said as he took a seat.

"Ok… thank you." I smiled and sat next to him. I could hear people talking already but I tried not to pay attention.

"YES! I MADE IT!" Reiko-san screamed as she entered the room. She seemed very tired… she must've ran a lot.

"Good, you made it." Haru-san said.

"Told you I would." She replied. "Oh, you two are sitting together? That's nice of you, Brother."

"Why does everybody make such a big deal out of it?" He asked to no one in particular.

"The teacher's coming!" A student said and everyone went to their seats. Reiko was just behind us.

The teacher entered the room and greeted us. As soon as I saw his face I recognized him. He's one of Dad's old friends! Even without photographic memory that face and blond hair are hard to forget.

"Bebe-san!" I almost yelled.

"Ah, Mei-chan! There you are!" He said, very fluently. Andre Laurent Jean Geraux, better known as 'Bebe', is an old friend of my father. They met in highschool and became very good friends in less than a year, from what they told me. I met him once before when I was 6 years old. Dad had business in France, where Bebe-san is from, and he said that he was going back to Japan, for good this time. I remember he still had problems speaking Japanese fluently, but I guess he has spent enough time here to get used to it. "Come here and introduce yourself." He told me. Of course he'd know I was here, he's the teacher. I nodded and went to the front.

"Um, h-hello…" I began… I was really nervous. "M-my name is Mei Arisato. I-I moved to Inaba with my family yesterday. Nice to meet you all." I bowed.

"Well, Mei-chan, as you see I am this class's homeroom teacher and the school's history teacher. You can go back to your seat now." And so I did.

People started talking again, but I couldn't make any sense of what they said. Bebe-san began the class and everyone went silent. I guess I should call him sensei from now on. Bebe-sensei really loves Japanese culture… maybe that's why he became a history teacher.

Morning classes went very slow… Only history was fun enough. After that class, Bebe-san waved me to go talk to him. He asked how my father and mother were, where we were living and such. Apparently dad doesn't know Bebe-san is working as a teacher here, so he asked me to tell him.

Now its lunch time and Reiko-san asked Haru-san if he could go and buy lunch for the three of us while she and I go to the roof. He protested at first but in the end he agreed. I felt bad, maybe I should've gone with him….

"So, what do you think of the school so far?" Reiko-san asked me once we were on the roof. No one else was here.

"It's ok so far…" She looked at me oddly. Maybe she's wandering why I said it's been 'ok'. "Well, it's not that there's anything bad, really! It's just that… Well, I just got here and there are already rumors going around…"

"Oh, the rumors about you and Brother… Yeah, that was bound to happen." She said. That's to see how fast rumors spread. "But it's a relief! I thought maybe Haru had done something wrong."

"No, of course not! He's been very nice! And I'm actually glad that he's not bothered by the rumors." I said. I felt guilty. All he did was walk into school with me and people are already talking. This happens everywhere, though, not just in Inaba. But this being a small town and school… I guess rumors spread faster here.

"Don't worry about Brother! This isn't the first time he's been the target of rumors, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Sure, he doesn't like it but he doesn't care, either. He knows it'll stop after some time."

We heard the door to the roof open. Haru-san came from it carrying three pots of instant noodles. Three more people were behind him, each of them carrying their own instant noodles.

"Come on, sempai! Tell me the truth!" A blond girl asked Haru-san. She looked a bit annoyed.

"I told you, they're just rumors! Will you let it go, Kaori!?" He answered, a bit angry.

"Is she Haru-san's girlfriend?" I asked Reiko-san, out of curiosity.

"Haha. She wishes, but no." She laughed softly.

"Ok, before we begin with the introductions, help me with these." Haru-san said, once they were close to us. "The fried tofu is yours, Sis."

"Yes! Thanks Brother!" Reiko-san said and she took her food.

Haru-san offered me to choose between the other two that were left.

"Soba or shrimp? Take whatever you like, I'm ok with any." He said.

"Then… I want the soba." He gave it to me. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now… Sis, do the introductions."

"Why don't you do it?" She asked.

"I'm lazy and hungry." Haru-san sat down, waiting for the noodles to cook. I giggled softly at that.

"Sigh… Alright! Mei-chan, these are very close friend of ours. They are all first years." She told me. "This guy here is Ryu Hanamura."

"Hey, nice to meet you." He said.

"This is Yui Tatsumi. Don't let her stature fool you, she really is a first year."

"Hello." Yui bowed.

"And finally, this is Kaori Kujikawa."

"Hey!" She said with a smile.

"Kujikawa… Are you a relative of Rise Kujikawa?" I asked.

"Yep, she's my mom!" She replied, happily.

"Well, nice to meet you all! I'm Mei Arisato, I hope we get along well." I bowed.

"She and her family moved in with us yesterday." Reiko san added.

"Wait, what? She's living with you!?" Kaori-san asked. If what Reiko told me is true, then she must be jealous… This is not looking well… I haven't done anything!

"Yeah. Her parents, our parents and apparently all of your parents have known each other for a long time." Haru-san said, checking his noodles to see if they were ready. They were not.

"Wait, really?" Ryu-san asked. He nodded.

"That's what they said." Reiko told him.

We talked a lot while we ate lunch. We talked about all sorts of things so we could get to know each other better. They all seem very nice… I hope we can get along. Even Kaori, whom I thought might be somewhat angry at me because of the rumors, is being really nice to me.

"Hey, Mei-sempai!" Kaori called me.

"Yes?"

"Where were you living before coming here? I'm curious."

"Well, before coming to Inaba we were staying on a hotel, in Kofu." I told her. "But before that we were in South America."

"Wow, South America! Which country?" Yui-san asked, excited.

"Many countries, actually. We were in Peru, Argentina, Brazil… oh, but my favorite was Chile!"

"How did you go to school while traveling so much?" Reiko-san asked.

"Online classes and test." I answered.

I noticed that Haru-san had been very quiet for a while. He was leaning against the chain fence, looking upwards.

"Hey Haru, what's up, man?" Ryu-san asked him.

"The sky." He replied with a poker face. We all laughed except him. He kept looking up.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"Uh? No, it's nothing. Don't worry."

"If you say so…"

"Hey Reiko-sempai, are you still coming over to my house tonight?" Yui-san asked Reiko-san.

"Oh, that's right! Of course I am!" She answered.

"What are you going to do?" Kaori-san asked.

"I have to prepare some stuff for drama club, like costumes and such. So Uncle Kanji and Yui are going to help me! Since there's not much time left, we'll have to pull an all-nighter, so I'm staying the night."

"Oh, if you want I can help, too!" Kaori-san offered.

"Really? That'd be great, Thanks!" Reiko-san said.

"Sigh…" We finally heard something out of Haru-san. "Hey, is everyone ready? Afternoon classes are about to start."

"Yeah… I'm done." Ryu-san said, not very motivated.

"Ok then, let's go." Reiko-san said.

After classes ended, we all parted ways. Reiko, Yui and Kaori had a lot of work, so they decided to go to Yui-san's house to start right away and Ryu-san said he had to fill in for a guy in soccer club. That left Haru-san and I.

"You don't mind walking back to the Inn, right?" He asked me.

"Not at all. I actually like to walk."

"Ok, let's go then."

We started making our way back to the Inn. While we walked, Haru-san kept silent.

"Are you ok, Haru-san? You've been quiet since lunch…" I asked him, worried.

"I'm ok, don't worry. It's just something that's been bugging me for a while, that's all."

"What is it?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." He said. Did I just ask something I shouldn't have…?

"Oh, I see… I'm sorry for asking…" I said. I couldn't help it, but I sounded sad.

"Oh, sorry that came out wrong!" He said. "I was just trying to say that's not a big deal, really! Sorry if I offended you…" He sounded guilty.

"I see… sorry."

"Stop apologizing so much, I'm the one who said something wrong." He told me. "Let's just forget about it, ok?"

"Very well." I said.

After a few more minutes of walking and small talk, we arrived at the Inn and we were greeted by Yukiko-san, who seemed to be on a hurry.

"Welcome home you two! Uh? Reiko isn't with you?" She asked.

"She's staying at Yui's place today." Haru-san replied.

"Oh that's today! I totally forgot…!" She sounded worried. "Haru, I need you to help out today. A big group of guest is arriving in a couple of hours and some rooms have not been cleaned yet."

"Ok, sure. Just let me leave my stuff in my room and get changed." He replied.

"Thank you, Haru."

"Um… If you want I can help out too, Yukiko-san." I offered. They are letting us stay here with them, I don't want to do nothing while everyone else is working. I want to help.

"That would be really helpful, Mei-chan, thank you!" Yukiko-san said. "Get changed into something comfortable, the Haru will show you the way… Oh, and this." She took a white apron and gave it to me.

I did as she told me and changed my uniform for a pink, tank top and white shorts. I also tied my hair up in a pony tail, so it doesn't get in the way. I added the apron and I was ready. I heard a knock on the door.

"Hey… are you ready?" Haru-san asked from behind the door.

"I'm ready!" I told him.

I opened the door and found him there, dressed in a red T-shirt and black trousers. He saw me too and I believe I saw him blush a little, which caused me to blush, too. He looked away from me to hide it, so he didn't see me blush.

"Come on, we need to clean rooms 21, 22, and 23." He quickly said and started making his way to the Inn. I followed him.

Once we got there, we saw mom and dad ready to help, too.

"Why don't you too clean rooms 21 and 22 while we clean room 23 which is bigger?" My dad suggested.

"Sure, I'm ok with that." Haru-san said.

It took us a while to clean the rooms. And at the end I was really tired… even though they were only two rooms.

"Well, that's it. We're done." Haru-san said. "Damn it… Sis got away from this. Doesn't matter, she'll owe us this one."

"Well, I'm tired… I think I'll go to bed for today." I said.

"Uh? Oh, ok. Good night." He said.

"Good night, Haru-san,"

After saying good night to my parents I went to my room, go the futon ready and I layed on it for a bit. I grabbed a small bag made of cloth. I was looking for something dad gave me before we came here. I couldn't reach it, though. Before I realized it, I was asleep.

Come, Mei… Come to me…

It's time for you to see me…

It's time for us to finally meet…

It's time for you to remember me…

You can't forget, yet you act like I don't exist…

You like high places, don't you…

I'll be waiting…

Don't be late…

Damn it… It's late, why am I here? Everyone else is sleeping. As soon as we finished cleaning, Mei was tired and went to bed. I did, too, but I couldn't sleep… So here I am again, still in my normal clothes, sitting at my favorite spot: The sakura tree next to the koi pond…

Apparently I made some people worried since I was quieter than usual today. I could have told them what I was thinking, but Mei was there, and we can't talk about Personas and the TV world when she's around… at least not yet. When are we going to tell her? How will we tell her?

That's not what worries me, though. What's keeping me up tonight… is the fact that it's been a week, yet nothing has happened since our Personas awakened. I might just be paranoid, but not knowing when the next strike will be worries me. We don't even know how they'll strike! No use worrying about it, though.

I heard someone walking through the Inn. Must be a guest taking a late walk, or something… I really should go to bed… or I'll be in a really bad mood tomorrow.

I stood up from the ground. Thankfully, since it's still summer, I can come out here at night without getting cold.

I heard the steps getting further away. I think he or she might be leaving the Inn… this late? I decided to go and check.

I calmly walked to the entrance, but I spotted no one. What I did see was the front door opened.

"The hell…?" I asked to the air.

I stepped outside to see if there was someone around. There wasn't a soul.

I checked the lobby, maybe someone got in… though I doubt it.

"Nope, no one's here…" I said. Still… I have a very bad feeling. I went to the front door again and stepped outside once more and began walking to the right. I don't know why… but something told me to walk that way. Instinct, maybe.

After walking for a while, I looked at the small, semi-hidden path that leads to the hills. The path is marked with stones and there are a few trees at each side. At the end, there is stairway to make the way up easier. I looked up to the stairs and saw someone walking up… who the hell is going up to the hills at this our!? I took a better look, since the person was far away… it's a woman… Oh crap.

"Mei!?" Is it really her!? That's the same clothes she was wearing earlier, minus the apron. "What the hell is she doing!?"

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me through the path and up the stairs, but Mei was still far from me.

"Hey, Mei!" I yelled. "What are you doing… Hey, are you listening!?" She didn't even look back.

I kept running and finally caught up to her. We were already on top of the hill.

"Mei, what are you doing here?" I asked her, a bit calmer. I examined her and noticed two things that seemed weird: First: Her eyes looked lifeless, second: she was holding a bag, very tightly. She didn't respond. "MEI!" I grabbed her shoulder but to my painful surprise, my hand was pushed back, and it hurt! Wait, I know this kind of pain… electricity! Is this some sort of Zio spell!? But… this is the real world!

"What the hell…!" I said out loud.

Suddenly, Mei stopped walking. She was in the middle of a small open field, at the very top of the hill with a few trees around.

"Mei, can you hear me!?" This is bad… I don't know what the hell is happening but it's bad! There is no time to go and get Dad or anyone! If I leave her here, who knows where she'll go, or what she'll do! I got close to her and tried shaking her back to consciousness, but the electricity kept shocking me back.

In a moment the air felt different, and time seemed to stop for a single second. When time resumed, the area around us turned into a combination of black and bloody red. It seemed to be some sort of wall. I tried touching it but my hand was painfully pushed back again. But this time it felt different… I haven't felt anything like this before, it's not an element…

"Almighty…!" I said. This field is surrounded by a non-elemental barrier, making it impossible to get out… and maybe even get in!

"DAMN IT! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" I shouted.

"Sigh… It was all going so well… why did you have to come?"

"That voice…!" I recognize it! I've heard it before and there is no way I'll ever forget it. "YOU!"

There it was again. That black gargoyle that pulled us into the TV world and almost killed us.

"Things would have gone smoothly if you weren't here… This needs to be done in private, you know?" It spoke in that macabre voice. "But this might actually be a good chance to put IT to test… Yes, I'll use you."

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

Right after I asked, a big cloud of black smoke appeared from the ground and the banished, revealing a black armored Knight on a black horse. His face was covered with his helmet and he used a lance as a weapon. His horse had many weapons stored in bags at his sides. It reminded me to Ryu's shadow.

"What!? A Shadow!?" In the real world!? But… this one looks different. It looks more… Human. The shadows we've faced so far as to have a human shape… not completely look like one.

"AAAARGG! Finally I'm free!" HOLY CRAP! IT SPOKE!

"I have a task for you, Shadow Horseman… I need you to kill that human there. But do not hurt the girl. I need her." The Gargoyle told the shadow, apparently called Shadow Horseman.

"As you wish, Master!" Shadow Horseman got in a fighting stance.

"You've been fighting at the castle recently, haven't you? I thought you'd be more comfortable with this kind of enemy." He told me.

"How considerate of you…" I gritted my teeth. I have to fight that thing… Damn it! I don't even have my sword here!

"If you win the fight, you will both be free" Gargoyle told me. "And if you lose… well, you will die and I'll keep the girl."

"Like hell I'll lose!" I said that, but… I'm assuming I can also use my Personas here…

"It'll be fun to see you Wild Card ability." That answered my question. I can use them here! "Goodbye." With that he banished.

I braced myself to begin, but the shadow didn't move.

"You do not have a weapon" He said. Huh!? "I cannot fight against someone unarmed!" He took one of the swords stored in his horse's gear and threw it at me. I caught it. It was the same size as my own, but this one was a bit lighter.

"Alright then! Let's begin!" The knight roared.

I looked at Mei, she still seemed to be unconscious. Good, that way she won't see anything.

"Yes, Let's!"

(I'll Face Myself –Battle-)

"AAARG!" He charged at me with his horse. I managed to evade his lance by rolling to the left. "Humph, you got good reflexes."

I'm not gonna win just by dodging, I have to attack!

"Persona!" I crushed the card with my left hand and Arthur was summoned. He flew towards the black horseman and sword and lance collided. Not once, but two then three times he blocked my attacks.

"How can he use that lance so fast!?" I asked to myself, out loud. I'll have to try something else, then. My card floated in front of my and then changed to the Magician Arcana.

"Jack Frost!" I crushed it and the small, snowy creature appeared in front of me. "Bufu!" Jack sent a small blizzard against the horseman, doing good damage, but not nearly enough to kill it. That's it! Aunt Rise is not here, but I can see that this thing is very strong against physical attacks, so I'll have to use magic.

Shadow Horseman quickly recovered from the damage and pierced my Jack Frost with his lance.

"AARG!" Damn it! This guy hurts! A lot! I need magic, but with Jack Frost I'll be an easy target… Then… "Archangel!" I crushed the card of the Justice Arcana and an armored angel appeared. "Dia!" Archangel conjured a warm light and some of the pain I felt before was gone.

"So this is the power of the Wild Card the master was talking about… Interesting." He charged again, but Archangel deflected the lance with his sword, so I was able to avoid getting hurt badly.

"Zio!" My Persona sent a lightning bolt at the knight, doing a good amount of damage, just like the last attack. I dismissed Archangel for a while, having my Persona out all the time is too tiring.

Shadow Horseman took the chance and charged toward my body. I barely manage to deflect his lance with my sword, but I couldn't counter attack. If I get too close to him his horse can be serious trouble, so I got as far from him as I could.

This… this is thrilling. This fight is not like the ones we've had so far. He's strong… one wrong move could mean the end. But that's why… that's why I can't get carried away! I have to focus. One mistake here doesn't mean the end for me, only… but who knows what they'll do to Mei! I can't let that happen. That's why I have to be serious, and control my instincts.

Let's try a Persona stronger than Archangel when it comes to magic. "Cu Sith!" The Persona of the Sun Arcana, a green flying dog with big ears appeared. "Garu!" The gust of wind hit the Black Knight with even better results than the last attacks. It doesn't seem weak to wind, but Cu Sith is stronger in the use of magic.

Shadow Horseman attacked, but my Persona evaded. This gives me a nice chance! "Rakukaja!" A blue light enveloped me and my persona. This should make me resist his attacks. This is going well so far… Better not say anything, I might jinx it.

Now, let's try fire attacks. "Arthur!" The Fool Knight appeared above me after I crushed the card. "Agi!" Arthur began charging a small fireball in his hand and threw it against the shadow. It didn't do any damage. Even worse, it seemed to regain some energy… GOD DAMN IT!

Ok, I don't like to say it, but Arthur is useless in this fight. "Archangel!" I summoned the armored angel once again, since he's given me good results so far.

"Sorry to say this, but you're not the only one who can perform magic attacks." What…? "Mudo!"

Oh crap… Oh Crap… OH CRAP! NO!

Archangel and I were surrounded by the dark elemental spell, to which Archangel is weak to… Which means this spell will leave me unconscious for sure!

(I'll Face Myself –Normal-)

"Damn it! DAMN IT, NO!" I looked at Mei; she was still there, with the same lifeless eyes… What are they going to do to her…?

Am I really going down so easily?

I'm sorry, Minato-san, Yukari-san, I couldn't protect your daughter… I'm really sorry. She wasn't involved in this, for god's sake!

Sorry Mom and Dad, I failed… But what else could I have done? I don't know.

Everyone… I'm sorry. I'm leaving without saying goodbye. They're gonna be mad…

Sis, I… I'm sorry. Just, please, keep training with Ryu. You must not be weak, like me… You have to be able to protect the people you care about. Wait… Sis?

We are not alone, Reiko. We have our parents, uncles and aunts… Heh, even Ryu. And even though Kaori and Yui don't have powers like us, I'm sure they'll be supporting us, no matter what.

Yeah… you have people who will support you, Sis. I trust you.

If things don't go right we'll make them right. That's how it should work.

Those… Those are my own words. Yeah… I said that to Sis, didn't I. But right now…

Right now…

Nothing…

Right now nothing! I said that, didn't I? And I meant what I said! If thing don't go right I'll MAKE them right!

I AM NOT FALLING HERE!

(Reach Out To The Truth)

"AAAAAAAHHH!" I screamed my lounges out.

"What!? What's going on!?" Shadow Horseman asked. You're surprised? Well, so am I!

"Survive darkness…" I grinned. This ability helped me survive the attack, but now I'm weak as hell… I can barely move. "Just who the hell do you think I am!?"

"GASP!" Huh? Who did that? Wait…

"Mei…?" I asked. Sure enough… there she was standing a few feet away from me, both hands in her mouth and as shocked as any rational person would be at this situation. She looked confused, or scared or surprised… well, maybe all of them at the same time. "Sorry… we're kind of in a tight situation here. I promise I'll explain everything once we get out." I told her, sounding very weak. Hell, I can barely stand up. I used the sword to help me up from the floor.

"What…?" She tried to ask something but couldn't finish it.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll get you out of here…!" I can't use Archangel anymore. Even though he's the one who saved my ass, I can't risk getting hit by Mudo again. "Jack Frost!" I crushed the blue card with the little strength I had and the snowy Persona was summoned for the second time. "Dia…" I felt some of my energy returning. Now I can move.

"What the…!?" Mei could barely get two words out.

"You're not getting away this time!" The knight charged against me once more. I quickly dismissed my Persona and evaded the attack. Since he charges on a horse, it's relatively easy for me to dodge his straight attacks. I summoned Jack Frost again to cast another Dia.

"Mei's awake now… what will you do?" I asked, trying to gain me some time by making conversation.

"The master ordered me to kill you and leave the girl intact, so I'll do as he told me."

"Well, aren't you obedient?" I asked a bit sarcastically. "You better keep you word and not get her involved!"

"A knight always keeps his word, you should know." Is he talking about my first Persona, Arthur?

"Yeah, I do." I answered. Good, she's safe for now. "Bufu!" Jack Frost sent the blizzard against the black knight, making it take a step back. "I already told you, Mei. I promise I'll get you out of here!" And I intend to keep that promise.

"I-I… I'm… n-not…" She tried to say something.

"AAAARGG!" The knight and his horse were coming in my direction, at full speed.

"I'M NOT USELESS!" Mei screamed. She quickly grabbed a box from the bag she was carrying, took out whatever was inside and threw the box away. Inside the box was a… GUN!?

"MEI!" I shouted. Since I got distracted I couldn't completely evade the attack that was coming at me, and the horseman's horse tackled me in my left shoulder. "AAARG!" I yelled in pain.

"I am not… useless…" Mei said again. This time, she was holding the gun on het temple. She was trembling.

"Mei! What the hell are you doing!?" I wanted to get close to her and take the gun from her, but Shadow Horseman wasn't making it easy.

"Per…so…na!" Huh…? What did she say? BANG She shot herself and I went cold for a second. Then I heard a female's voice…

"I am thou… and thou art I… The goddess of love and war, life, and death… I am Freya!"

"A Persona…" I said. I couldn't believe my eyes. Right above Mei was her Persona. A beautiful female warrior in pink and white armor. Her helmet covered her face and she had a short sword on her left hand and a blue staff on her right. She also had big, bright, white wings.

Freya pointed her staff to the Knight and shot a powerful gust of wind against it, making it fly a good few meters back. She the pointed her staff at me and healed the rest of my injuries. Freya then disappeared and Mei collapsed to her knees.

I looked at the Black Horseman and saw he was staggering. There it is, an opening! "Thanks Mei, I won't miss this opportunity you've given me!"

First "Archangel! Zio!" HIT!

Second "Jack Frost! Bufu!" HIT!

Third "Cy Sith! Garu!" HIT!

And last… "Arthur! Arm Chopper!" HIT AND KILL! He was strong against physical attacks, but I still managed to take him down with that last attack.

"I failed my master, but… thanks… for the… fight…" Shadow Horseman said as he vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

"You're welcome…" It's the least I could say… Enemy or not, he fought with honor. The sword in my hand disappeared, as well.

(End Song)

The Almighty wall around us disappeared and even the atmosphere returned to normal. I was still night time, but who knows what time it is now.

Oh, that's right! "Mei!" I turned to see her. "Mei, are you ok?" I got closer to her. She was laying on the ground with her eyes closed…

"Hey, wake up… we have to get back to the Inn…" I tried moving her, but she didn't wake up. Well, at least she's alive. Summoning her Persona must have been too much for her. Plus she was in some sort of trance… Who knows what she went through…? The silver gun she used to summon her Persona was there beside her. I took it and put it back in the bag.

I guess I'll have to carry her… But I can't carry her on my back since she's unconscious. God, this'll be embarrassing if she wakes up…

"Please don't wake up until we're at the house…" I pleaded. There's only one way to do this… Carefully, I took her in my arms and carried her bridal-style. I felt my face heating up. Hey, I'm not doing this by choice, ok? Good thing it's late and no one will see this.

I began walking with Mei in my arms. We got down the stairs and were just back in the road, when…

"Urgh…" Oh oh… Well, whatever, she's alive. "Huh? Where am I…?" She asked. I stopped walking so I could check up no Mei.

"You woke up. How are you feeling?" I asked her, trying my best to sound calm and not nervous. She lifted her gaze and kept looking up at me for a few second before she realized the position we were in.

"Ahh!" She screamed as she blushed and buried her face in my chest to hide it.

"Hey, shhh! Calm down, ok? Here, I'll let you down, but stay quiet!" I said in hushed tones. She nodded.

She sat on the ground and leaned against a nearby tree next to the road. I crouched to get at the same level.

"Are you ok? How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"I-I… I feel tired… and very dizzy." She answered, putting her right hand on her forehead.

"I see… Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't think so…"

"Alright. Let's just get back to the Inn. You need to rest… and actually so do I." I feel more tired than I thought. I took some heavy hits in that fight. Gods bless Dia! I was about to stand up when Mei grabbed my wrist.

"Please… tell me what that was." She asked me.

"I will, but tomorrow. Right now you need to rest." When Ryu, Reiko and I awakened to out Persona, all we needed was a night's rest, but it seems like Mei was being controlled by the gargoyle… She even looks more tired than we were.

"No… tell me now. If you don't, then… I won't be able to rest well." She looked depressed. I stayed silent for a while, but the decided to speak.

"Sigh… I'm just going to give you a basic explanation, ok?" She nodded. "The thing I fought against is called a Shadow… or at least I that was a shadow…"

"You think…?" She asked.

"The Shadows I've seen so far were nothing like this one. This one acted and looked more human, while the others are strange creatures that act on pure instinct."

She nodded.

"What I summoned to fight them, and what you awakened to in the middle of the battle, is called Persona. I don't really understand exactly what they are… but they are basically your Other Self, they are you. It seems that there are various ways to awake to one, though."

"What… happened? Why were we there? Why can't I remember going there?" So she can't remember…

"It looked like you were in some sort of trance. While you were walking you didn't hear anything I said…" Which reminds me… "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, what was happening with you at this time? Did you feel anything?"

"I…" She hesitated. Seems like she doesn't want to talk about it. "I heard someone calling me…" Ok she's talking about it. "It was a voice exactly like mine, but it felt more evil… if that makes any sense."

"What did this voice say?" I asked.

"Stuff like: Come to me, It's time for you to remember me, you can't hide me, and… some other stuff." She finished. She sounded troubled.

"Well, it seems to me like you were being called by your own Shadow."

"My own Shadow…!?"

"A Shadow is a person's suppressed thoughts and feelings. Everyone has them, and therefore, everyone has a shadow. Once they are controlled by the ego, the Shadow becomes a Persona."

"Your other self… Shadows…" Mei muttered. She was really tired and was already falling asleep.

"Ok, that's enough for now. It's really late and you have to rest." I told her.

"Yeah… ok." She tried to get up her legs gave away. I caught her as she was falling.

"You can't walk…" I said.

"N-no, it's ok! I-I can do it…"

"Mei, it's ok to receive help from others from time to time. Take me as an example; if it wasn't for you I probably would've lost that battle, and not only that, I'd be dead. Being helped doesn't make you useless." Yeah, I thing I caught what she meant back at the hill. I'm not useless she said… Must have something to do with her shadow…

"…Yeah. Ok…" She said, accepting what I told her. She smiled at me and I think I blushed again. What's wrong with me today!?

"So, yeah. I'll have to carry you back to the house…" I said. She blushed, too.

"I-I… well…"

"Come on, hop on." I told her as I offered my back. Now that I can carry her on my back it won't be as embarrassing…

She got on me and we began making our way back to the Inn.

"But you almost gave me a heart attack for a second there…" I told her. "When I saw you shooting yourself with a gun… What the hell was that?"

"I don't know… My father gave me that gun before we moved here with you. He said to always have it with me and that I'd know what to do with it when the time came."

"I see… well, I'm just glad you're safe now."

"Hey, why were you up there with me…?" She asked.

"To be honest, I had a bad feeling about tonight, and saw you walking to the hills just by chance, so I ran after you."

"I see… Thank you, Haru-san." She said and the kissed my cheek. I felt my face go really hot. Good thing she can't see me from there…

*SMASH*

I am thou… Thou art I… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to the truth. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana.

I heard many voices inside my head. This happened when I established the Magician Social Link with Takumi, too. These voices were different, tough.

"Lovers… huh?" I muttered.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Mei asked me.

"No, nothing. But hey, can I ask you to please drop the San in my name…?"

"Hum, ok… Haru-kun!" She said, happily. Sigh… I guess that's better.

We got to the house and I carried Mei to her room, but stopped in front of the door.

"I-I… um… Will you be ok from here?" I asked nervously.

"What's wrong…?" She asked.

"It's just that… this is your room."

"Oh! Just help me in… I'll be ok from there."

"O-ok." I said. This room might have been empty two days ago, but now it's Mei's room. I don't like going into other people's rooms. I feel like it's invading their personal space. That's why Sis and I have a pact of not entering each other's room without permission. But since I got Mei's permission now, I guess I can get in. Doesn't mean I'm any less uncomfortable, though.

I opened the door and got in. I carefully left Mei on her Futon.

"So… yeah. Um, good night!" I said.

Before I left, Mei called me once more. "Hey, Haru-kun."

"Y-yes?"

"Thank you, again." She smiled.

"No problem." I replied, calmer now and smiled, too.

I closed the door behind me and stood there for a few moments. This was a weird night. A battle with a shadow that came out of nowhere in the real word… and Mei was almost abducted by the gargoyle. I looked back at the door to her room. Will she be ok? What if they try to take her again…? Since it was her shadow that called her in her dreams, I doubt it could happen again now that she has a Persona, but…

"Haru? What are you doing here?" I heard a voice coming from my right.

"Ah! Minato-san…" That's right, his and Yukari-san's room is close to Mei's room. "Can I ask you to check on Mei, please?"

"What? What happened?" He asked a bit alarmed.

"I promise I'll tell you everything in the morning. For now, please just see that she's ok. If possible, don't leave her side tonight…" I started making my way towards my room. "…She awakened to her Persona."

"What…!?" He asked, but he didn't wait for an answer. He got into Mei's room and closed the door. I feel better now, knowing she's with her father.

As for me… it's time to hit the sack. I'm way too tired.

A/N: It's kinda obvious what I tried to do here, isn't it? I hate to keep asking, but please review! I want to keep myself motivated to write this story! I don't want to leave it behind! But it's hard to find motivation when I don't get feedback. So please, to those fateful readers, give me your opinions! Let me ask you a specific question. ¿what do you think of my three main characters so far? (Haru, Reiko and Mei)

Well, still, to all the people who read, favorite, review and follow, thank you!