Chapter Eleven

Yukiko's Castle Part One

Inaba Shopping District

"This is the place I mentioned before." The moment they left the police station Chie had taken to two boys to the shopping district.

"You come here often?" Yosuke raised an eyebrow at the shop.

"The guy here makes really good weapons and armour. I buy things from him when I want to train." Chie explained.

"Well we might as well check it out Souji." Yosuke relented.

Souji followed his friends into the shop only to encounter sweltering heat. The sound of a furnace at the back of the small shop was loud and clear enough and there was the smell of burning metal. There was a single man in the shop, obviously the owner of the place. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and there was a red bandana around his head.

He had wispy red hair and a scarred face; probably from all the metal works he did for a living but form the looks of the weapons lining the racks in his store the man had fantastic skills. Yosuke went to examine several knives while Souji looked through two handed swords. Chie, being a regular customer, was already talking to Daidara about the newest foot armour in stock. Finally Yosuke picked out two kunai blades and Souji settled on a long silver sword with a black hilt.

The silveret wondered how Daidara got away with selling weapons like this in town especially with a guy like Dojima-san on the force. Between them Yosuke and Souji had enough money to buy a weapon and a piece of armour for themselves. Using up most of their allowance the boys and Chie left the shop but only after they forced Chie to promise that she would stay behind them and let them do the fighting.

She didn't confront the Shadows yet and Souji had been exhausted after his battle against Shadow Yosuke but that could be due to the fact that he physically transformed. Chie accepted their story of the Personas with ease because she had been to that other world; she had seen what it was like with her own eyes. After buying their weaponry the teenagers left the shop a little more determined than before.

"Should we leave now?" Souji asked once they left the shop.

"We'll need time to prepare and we can't exactly walk into Junes with all this stuff." Yosuke grumbled.

"We could wear it under our school uniforms. I don't think people will care anyway." Chie was grinning.

"She does have a point." Souji said.

"So we'll meet up at Junes in an hour." Yosuke instructed them.

"Ok, I'll see you guys there." Chie nodded then ran down the street towards her home.

Souji parted ways with them and was making his way to the bus stop when a bright light momentarily stunned him just past Daidara's shop. When his got his vision back he immediately saw a blue door pressed against the wall next to the shops. The passing men, women and children ignored the door and by the looks of it the door might lead back into the Velvet Room.

There was something eerily familiar about the door and the way he felt like he was looking at something soothing. Souji glanced away from the door when he noticed that something in his pocket was glowing. He pulled out the Velvet Key that he had been given. Looking around the shopping district to make sure nobody could see the door Souji relaxed before inserting the key into the hole and turning it. It opened and light invaded his vision once more.

He felt something soft beneath his backside and upon opening his eyes he was back inside the Velvet Room. Igor and Margaret were there as always with satisfied looks on their faces. Souji glanced down at the key in his hand. It looked like an ordinary gold key now, just plain and uninteresting. The metal felt cool against his flesh and it was a perfect fit, like it was supposed to be there. Putting the key back into his jacket pocket he turned his attention to Igor.

"So you have found the door in the real world. I am very impressed with your status thus far." Igor snapped his fingers.

"It is time for you to know our true roles." Margaret held up the thick book she always carried with her. "This is the Persona Compendium."

"You have the ability to not only physically transform but to also summon Personas into battle. Any Personas that you find during your ordeal can be transferred into the Compendium for future battles." Igor smiled.

"I can put them in there and call them later?" Souji surmised.

"You catch on quickly, that is very good." Igor linked his fingers. "Here is a little tip, when you win a battle sometimes the cards of victory will appear before you. You will have to reach out and grab them to gain their power."

"But what about Izanagi?" Souji felt the other entity swirling in his mind. "Can I out him in there?"

"Unfortunately no…Izanagi is so much more than a simple Persona." Igor glanced at Margaret.

"All you have to do is ask for our assistance. Now that you have found the door you can come here whenever you wish." The blue dressed woman smiled.

"What about Yosuke? He has a Persona." Souji questioned.

"Yes but he does not possess the Wild Card, the ability to use multiple Personas. In fact he is aligned to the Magician Arcana." Igor said sagely.

"How do you know that?" Souji frowned.

"Ahh, I see lots of things my friend." Igor refused to make any more comments after that. "But know this; a great trial is ahead for you. This town's future will depend on what you discover in the other world."

"You have been given one year to uncover the truth.

"The next time you come here it shall be to use the Fusion skill. We wish you luck on your journey." Margaret said.

As usual Souji was ejected from the Velvet Room before he could ask anymore questions about Izanagi or the other Personas. He stumbled out onto the sidewalk in the shopping district and the people around him didn't notice that he had vanished through a bright blue door. Souji glanced at his watch and noticed that no time he passed at all when he was in the Velvet Room.

Did time have no meaning in there? He couldn't think about that right now, he had to get ready to meet Yosuke and Chie. When he crossed the street that was when Souji spotted it. A small blue butterfly was flying along the street, dancing near a telephone pole and surrounded by a strange blue aura. Just like the blue door no one even looked at the butterfly twice.

"Huh?" when Souji approached the butterfly it flapped those delicate wings frantically before flying off down the street.

"Wait!" Souji called as he chased after the butterfly.

Souji chased after the small creature until they reached an intersection in the road. Because it was a Sunday there were very few people around the district allowing Souji to chase after the blue butterfly all the way into an alley sandwiched between two stores. The place stank of urine, vomit and cheap booze. Souji wrinkled his nose disgustingly at the smell but he did see the butterfly flying to the far end of the alley. Something in his heart told the silver haired teenager to stop where he was and just watch.

The butterfly stopped and floated above some trash cans, blue light following in its wake. Souji could only stare at the tiny, marvelous creature as it began to fade and the shape of a person took its place. Souji couldn't make out who the person was but he did catch a glimpse of sapphire hair and eyes that matched.

"Minato..." Souji whispered the name and a sadness he never knew crept into his heart.

"Souji!" the teenager jumped when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Yosuke running towards his location.

"Yosuke…did you see…?" he murmured but when he looked back to see the strange person the alleyway was empty.

"Did I see what? Why did you run in here anyway?" Yosuke questioned him.

"Nothing…I thought I saw something…it was nothing." Souji quickly left the alley before his friend could ask him anymore questions.

Yosuke didn't press the issue thankfully and they spent the next hour getting ready for their excursion into the other world. By the time they reached Junes Chie was already waiting for them by the TV. They were dressed in their school uniforms and the armour they each bought fit as easily as a t-shirt underneath their jackets.

The store was empty at this time of the day allowing the trio to pass through the TV without getting caught. As soon as the feeling of vertigo was over the teenagers were back on the stage but there was no sign of Teddie. The little bear would come here soon enough though, Souji was sure of that. His quicksilver eyes were drawn to something new on the stage. It was another blue door exactly like the one in the shopping district. He didn't need to look inside to know that the door led into the Velvet Room.

"There you are!" Teddie called from the other side of the stage. "The Shadows are becoming restless again and something new has appeared here."

"We know Teddie." Yosuke nodded. "We saw our friend on the Midnight Channel."

"Her name is Yukiko. Have you seen here Teddie?" Chie broke in hurriedly.

"I haven't seen anyone but I have felt a distinct presence in here." The bear approached Chie with an outstretched hand. "These will help you see through the fog."

"Oh wow!" Chie exclaimed when she put the glasses on. "So this is why you guys are wearing those things."

"And you're only noticing this now? Just how worried are you?" Yosuke muttered.

"Shut up!" Chie growled before looking back at Teddie. "Can you take us to Yukiko now?"

"Sure but the Shadows are a lot tougher there. Please, stop whoever's doing this! I'm having enough trouble without you guys messing it up." Teddie pouted.

"Hey, don't yell at us!" Chie scowled at the bear.

"Sensei!" Teddie scampered to hide behind Souji.

"You've got to be kidding." Chie looked to an equally irritated looking Yosuke.

"I'll only follow Sensei's orders." The bear had the gull to stick out his tongue at them.

"Why you little…!" Yosuke stomped towards him.

"Teddie, show us where Yukiko is." Souji wasn't in the mood for a bloodbath.

"No problem Sensei! My nose always knows." Teddie grinned.

"Give me a break." Chie muttered but she followed after the bear without anymore complaints.

Teddie took them across the metal walkway and out onto a smooth street that opened into a pathway leading out of the town. It didn't take them long to reach their destination and when they did it was still a shock to see an authentic European style castle sitting at the edge of Inaba.

This was the place, the statues lining the walls were exactly the same and the red and black portal was waiting to be used again. Staring at the castle Souji had to wonder why Yukiko created this imagery. Granted he didn't know her all that well but it still seemed strange to him. The castle wasn't that big so finding her shouldn't take long hopefully. First they needed a plan to enter the castle.

"Yukiko is in there?" Chie whispered in shock.

"Don't worry, we'll find her." Yosuke said stubbornly.

"Can you tell us anything about this place Teddie?" Souji asked the bear.

"It was never here before Sensei. But the Shadows here will be a bit tough to fight." The bear answered. "I'll stay here and provide back-up."

"What about Yukiko?" Yosuke asked.

"I can sense someone on the top floor of the caste but it's really faint." Teddie looked apologetic. "I can't get a positive reading until you guys go there."

"Then I'll get her!" Chie broke away from the others.

"Chie, don't be stupid! You don't have a Persona!" Yosuke tried to grab her arm.

"I don't care Yosuke!" Chie screamed angrily. "Yukiko is all alone in there and I can't leave her like that."

"This is why we're going in together." Yosuke answered back.

"I'm going to get here now." Chie ran into the portal before the boys could stop her.

"Dammit!" the honey haired boy yelled. "She'll get herself killed in there!"

Souji didn't waste anymore time. He and Yosuke took off into the portal leaving Teddie alone to give them whatever back up he could. The moment they stepped through the portal the two boys stepped into an elaborate hall decorated with a plush red carpet and paintings on the marble walls.

Souji felt his heart speed up just by being in this place. The hall stretched out before him then made a sharp turn to the right. He could feel Yosuke beside him, his body tense and ready for a fight.

"Sensei, can you hear me?" Teddie's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yeah, we're fine Teddie. What can you tell me about this floor?" Souji asked.

"There are a couple of Shadows on this floor but it doesn't appear to be that big." Teddie answered. "Just look for a staircase."

"Ok…" Souji mentioned for Yosuke to follow him.

"Wait, you can actually talk to him? I couldn't hear anything." Yosuke frowned.

"I'll explain later, we better find Chie first." Souji gripped his sword with a death grip.

"Yeah, you're right." Yosuke swallowed thickly.

Making their way down the hall the teenagers made the turn and stopped when they saw a Shadow floating in the middle of the hallway near a door. The Shadow looked small but Souji wasn't going to drop his guard. Yosuke wanted to try out his Persona while Souji transformed into Izanagi beside him. Yosuke flinched at the sound of bones stretching and changing to accommodate the physical differences.

It sounded and looked very painful. Now with Izanagi standing beside him Yosuke approached the Shadow and drove his kunai into the thick jelly-like body of the monster. The Shadow let out a howl of pain as it split into three separate creatures, the same ones Izanagi had fought when Souji first summoned him. Gathering up his spirit energy Yosuke sliced his kunai through the tarot card that appeared in front of him and he called Jiraiya into battle.

The Persona emerged behind its master then proceeded to use the weapons attached to its hands to attack the nearby Shadow. The creature howled when its body was cleaved in two thanks to Jiraiya. Izanagi sent a Zio attack to the next Shadow knocking it down easily then he attacked the other one with the same skill. Both Shadows were easily disposed of once their weakness had been exploited.

Once they had been destroyed Izanagi glided along the hallway with Yosuke by his side. The light haired teenager pushed open the first door but saw only a small square room with a treasure chest of all things sitting in the centre. When he picked inside he found a bottle of some old herbal medicine. Thinking it could come in handy he put it in his jacket pocket.

The duo advanced down the hallway that seemed to just follow a straight line until they came to another large door. Izanagi pushed the wooden doors open and emerged into another hallway. He spotted two other Shadows crawling along the floor. Yosuke used two Garu spells to quickly disperse the two creatures.

"Sensei, there's a staircase to the right." Teddie informed him.

"I see it." Izanagi glided through the next door in the hallway.

"Where the hell is Chie? Oh man, I'm gonna smack her when we find her." Yosuke groaned. They made it to the next floor with a door blocking their way.

"I can sense something from beyond that door." Teddie told his Sensei.

"Teddie says someone is inside the next room." Izanagi gripped his sword. "It could be Chie."

"Ok, let's go get her." Yosuke nodded with resolution.

Izanagi pushed the door open to reveal a small square room and Chie standing there in the middle. She was staring around the room as if in a trance, not even noticing when her two friends entered the room. It was only when Yosuke grabbed her arm did she acknowledge them.

"Guys..." she started to speak until she saw the large coat wearing...thing next to Yosuke. "What the hell is that?!"

"I am Souji but this form has the name Izanagi." The creature replied emotionlessly.

"Holy crap." Chie gulped. She staggered slightly just by looking at the entity that was supposed to be Souji.

"I hate this..." Yukiko's voice made all of them look around the room. "I don't want to in inherit the inn."

"Yukiko? Where are you?" Chie called out.

"Tch, I want my own life. I want to be taken away from here." Yukiko sounded mournful. "The only friend I've got here is Chie."

"Huh?" the girl in question looked confused.

"She's the only reason I even want to stay here. If I didn't have Chie I'd be completely useless." Yukiko's voice drifted away.

"No! Wait, Yukiko, come back!" Chie called out desperately.

"Is this how she really feels?" Yosuke murmured sadly.

"We need to find her." Izanagi growled.

"Yukiko...haha, she's the only one to make you feel important." Another voice joined them. The trio glanced at the other door to see black smoke appearing and a shape emerging from the cloud.

"Oh no." Yosuke gulped. He still had nightmares from when he gained his own Persona.

"Why don't you just admit the truth?" the Chie clone smiled.

"W-What the hell is that thing?" Chie stuttered as she took a step away from it.

"Haha, you're truly blind or is that ignorance?" the clone grinned, her yellow eyes shining with malice. "The truth is you need Yukiko because she's the only one who makes you feel like you have any worth."

"She's my best friend!" Chie yelled at her double.

"The truth is you were always so pissed because she drew attention. You were just the sidekick. But when she admitted that she needed you...well, you really couldn't be any happier of you tried." The Shadow waved her hand.

"Of course I'm happy, she's my friend!" Chie scowled.

"Don't bullshit me!" the Shadow snarled. "She needs you and you need that feeling of power. You won't let he go because she makes you feel powerful, like you're actually worth shit!"

"Shut up! That's not how I feel!" Chie clutched her head.

"I know the truth, the very heart of you. After all I am you." The clone grinned, it knew what was coming now.

"No..." Chie moaned helplessly. "No...!"

"Chie, don't say it!" Yosuke cried out.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

The Shadow grinned then she laughed, a sound that chilled Chie's blood. Black smoke enveloped the Shadow's body then encased it fully. When the smoke cleared a creature was standing in her place. It was a Shadow, a powerful one and she was sitting on top of a tower of men, each one staggering under the weight of the other. It was like she was some sort of mighty queen. Her body was a golden yellow and she was wearing a pointed purple hood and carryng a whip. Chie had been knocked away from the fight and was now lying dazed on the floor nearby.

"Looks like we gotta take this one out." Yosuke tightened his grip on his kunai. He flashed Izanagi a grin. "Let's do this partner!"

The two of them charged at the Shadow.


Hi again readers :) well i'm sorry this one is a little late but i've been sick the last week and as a result i'm late with this but i'm not really happy with it. maybe cuz i was ill with a stomach bug of all things. anyway tell me what you think and the next one is already half written. love you guys!