V.E.:….Oh wow, it's been awhile. And I'm jumping straight into the battle. That includes action scenes which I suck at writing. JOY.

Sorry, probably not the first things you guys wanted to read about when you have been waiting for an update for months. It was a killer semester so I had to put off on writing for fun and now I'm trying to get as much writing done as I can before my online class starts in July. Fun fact, I actually started writing this chapter the day before my birthday.

Okay, a couple of quick notes before we get into the plot. I know that I have many readers who simply skip the author's note. PLEASE DON'T. I don't like having to answer reviews about the things I've talked about clearly there.

Well after much polling for my next story project, it has come to…. a tie between To See You Again and Code Geass: Naoto of the Revolution. I honestly am a little surprised. I'll just be doing updates and one shots for the moment.

Okay, I suppose that's enough of my nitty little thoughts out of the way. Let's get on with it!

Quote: "Self-discovery is above all the realization that we are alone: it is the opening of an impalpable, transparent wall - that of our consciousness - between the world and ourselves."- Octavio Paz

There are many kinds of stupid in the world.

Of course, many would say the line between courageous and stupidity is a very subjective area, but the fact of the matter is that most people think they are doing something heroic and brave when they are actually doing something suicidal and stupid.

And Makoto is pretty sure he just invented a new kind of stupid when he just ran up to fight some sort of shadowy knight abomination (that was certainly not like the small fry that he had encountered earlier) with three underclassmen that were already taking him on and seemed to knew what they were really doing.

Yosuke was quick to express those feelings vocally. "What are you doing?! We can handle this!"

Makoto nodded to the brunet as he took to the open space in their formation. "I don't doubt that you actually know what you're doing here compared to me."

That led Yosuke to yell back at him. "Then get out…!"

The blue haired third year finished the sentence. "Of the way when I can do something to help? Not happening."

Yosuke looked ready to yell something else at the senior before Yu cut him off, his gaze piercing. "Yosuke, focus! He just cast Tarukaja!"

Yosuke readied his knives at that command. "Got it!"

Yu then turned his head to Minato. "Fine, but don't get in our way."

Makoto readied his sword, observing what the three were doing before making any moves himself. "Wasn't planning on it!"

Yu then held out one of his hands, leaving his katana only supported by the other hand as his hand seems to crush something, the utterly familiar sound of it ringing in Makoto's head as he turned his gaze sharply to the gray haired teen as he called out. "Valkyrie, Rakunda!"

In front of the teen, appeared an unusually figure that seemed to be a woman riding on a horse. It took Makoto's breath away. It seemed to do something to the shadowy knight figure, though it didn't seem to be physically effected.

Then it was Yosuke's turn as he seem to shatter something unseen with his knives. "Jiraiya, Bash!"

A strange ninja frog looking figure (honestly, Makoto had no idea how to describe what it looked like), spun something that looked like yellow shuriken towards the monster as it charged and that seemed to do some physical damage judging by the swaying of the night.

Chie followed up with her kicks, the sound of something breaking clear as day as a woman like figure in yellow with a spear appeared. "Tomoe, Tarukaja!"

The strange yellow phantom swung her spear as the air around Yosuke seemed to shift for a moment.

Makoto's eyes were still wide as he saw the knight charge at Yu, the gray haired second year taking a bit of a hit. "Those things…."

Yu only smirked, seeming to not want to show any pain. "Those….are Personas. Anyway, physical seems to be out. Let's see if this thing's got an elemental weakness."

The two brunets nodded in unison. "Right!"

Just before they could put that plan of finding things out into action, several smaller shadows seemed to appear from the corners of the room. The beings of darkness sensed the intruders and charged towards where the team was fighting the knight.

Yosuke seemed to be really annoyed with this. "Damnit! We can't be distracted right now!"

Makoto didn't hesitate for a second as eh charged towards where the smaller shadows were. "You guys focus on the knight, I'll take care of these small fry!"

Yu nodded to him before returning to their fight. "Got it!"

The blue haired third year poisoned his sword deftly as he charged.

In that moment, as the blobs transformed into their regular balls of white and black stripes with rather enormous tongues, the beings seemed to hesitate for a moment. They seemed like they almost wanted to run away from the senior which caused him to muse. Well, I guess these things do have some sense of intelligence to them with the wariness to danger and the ability to coordinate themselves. The question is, how much?

Still, it seemed their desire to fight outweighed any sense of self-preservation as they met the blue haired teen's challenge. Veteran or newbie, the Shadows would take whatever they could get.

Mentally, Makoto simply shrugged. Ah well, their mistake.

It took only a few strikes of his sword to take care of the shadowy creatures. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it as several more shadows formed and charged at him.

The blue haired teen simply sighed as he dispatched them just as quickly. Once those had been taken care of, he turned his irritated expression to the corners of the room, as if saying 'Anybody else want to try?"

After a few moments, it didn't seem like there were any more Shadows forming so Makoto turned back to where the three were still going at the big knight.

Chie was talking at that moment, avoiding the knight lunging at her. "Damn it, nothing phases this guy!"

Yu called out to the two, worry clear in his voice. "How are you two holding up?"

Yosuke called as he went towards the knight with a physical attack. "I'm good!"

Chie answered with worry. "I'm running low on SP. Those fights earlier had me use Bufu a lot."

Yu looked really annoyed. "Damn it and our supplies are pretty low…"

Makoto ran over to the gray haired leader, digging through his pockets and showing what he collected from the castle earlier. "Would any of these help?"

The gray haired leader only had to take one glance before jerking his head towards Chie. "Throw the bead over there, it should help!"

Makoto did just that, with Chie catching it perfectly, the short haired girl swallowed the bead and smiled off to the blue haired boy. "Thanks!"

Yosuke seemed to return to his former positon as the knight seemed to be using the spell earlier on himself again (Tarukaja). "Damn it! We've tried just about everything! Zio, Garu, Bufu…."

Chie chimed in her thoughts at that moment. "Maybe it's weak to light or dark…. or maybe it doesn't have a weakness."

Teddie chimed in, remind the party that he was there in his boisterous tone. "No, there's a weakness! But I don't know what it is…."

Makoto made his voice loud and clear. "Well, what else haven't you guys tried?!"

Yosuke seemed to perk up as his mind found the answer. "Wait! Agi! One of your other Personas have to have it!"

Yu cringed before he answered. "Ukobach had it, but I just let it go for a Persona that dropped earlier."

Yosuke's voice went rather shrill at the answer. "Seriously?!"

His leader replied rather defensively. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that we were going to need Agi in the next important fight?!"

Makoto's voice rose he addressed the two with authority. "Would you two knock it off and focus on the battle?!"

"Right!" Surprisingly, both seemed to do as he said and after a moment had surprised expression at themselves. The way that Makoto sounded, so direct and clear, made it sound like he had been used to giving these kinds of orders.

But before they could think on that further, the shadow knight charged at Yosuke landing a pretty critical hit and knocking him to the ground. "GAH!"

Yu and Chie both had matching expressions of worry as they called to their friend and comrade. "YOSUKE!"

But before they could move, Makoto was standing between the knife wielder and the Shadow. Using his sword to parry the knight's attacks, he then motioned to the two to where the corners were, noticeably getting darker. "I'll hold him off here! You guys take care of the things that are about to come crawling out of the woodwork!"

For a moment, Chie glanced at Yu, unsure whether or not to follow. In that moment, dark gray eyes stared down light silver gray. For Makoto, it felt as if time had stopped. He had no idea why, but he was sure that he had seen those eyes before. Before Inaba…or was it before…?

Then the moment passed and Yu nodded to the blue haired teen. He then turned his attention to Chie, motioning to the Shadows that were starting to take shape in the corner. "Come on!"

Chie was unsettled for only a moment before following her leader and friend. "Right!"

As the two teens went to intercept the small fry, Makoto was defending the fallen brunet with only a short sword against some knight eldritch abomination. Even so, I think this does not even hit the top ten of the strangest things I have ever done.

Human and Shadow seemed to stay in that stance for several minutes, neither one backing down in the least. He didn't even turn around as he addressed Yosuke. "Are you alright?"

Yosuke cringed as he started to make it to his feet. "Took a nasty hit, but I think I'll be fine."

Just as Makoto was about to ask again to make sure, the knight charged again knocking him to the side and sending his short sword towards the other side of the room. "AGH!"

Chie and Yu noticed this, still dealing with their small Shadows, but Chie still yelled to the blue haired sempai. "Makoto-sempai!"

Yu rushed next to Chie, ready to help her finish up the last of them. "Come on!"

The girl in the green jacket merely nodded, the two working as quick as they could.

That left Yosuke on his own, with only his knives and his Persona that he could possibly call. He simply winced. "Great, guess it's all on me for now."

As Yosuke seemed to be summoning Jiraiya for another attack, Makoto got up, shaking himself off slightly. He saw his sword, but as he saw Yosuke in front of him wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. But what choice did he have? He needed to help Yosuke now and he needed a weapon to do so!

"But…don't you already have one?"

And then, his brain stopped as that echoing familiar voice resounded through his mind. The scene of the red plush castle faded away into something…. that felt….familiar…..

The huge moon was glowing above them on that roof, the eerie green tint filing the night puddles of blood were scattered around.

In front of him, a large shadowy blob with a huge amount of arms and only a blue mask for a face stared him down.

A girl was laying down on the ground, brown hair, a pink sweater with a red bow in the front. The monster had knocked her down, but it was clear even before she was the girl was not in the right mind to fight that thing.

Lying right in front of him in one of the puddles of blood, was the gun that had been knocked from the girl's hands.

The monster didn't seem to care much about him as he focused on the helpless girl lying on the ground.

The image of a very creepy and familiar small child flashed through his mind, creepy electric blue eyes boring in him with expectation. "Go on."

Without really thinking about, he bent to pick up the gun. As he held it, he heard his own heartbeat quicken as he remembered the girl who had put the gun to her head, trying to shoot herself but couldn't seem to.

He slowly put the gun to the side of his head. Had it been any other circumstance, it would seem like he was about to commit suicide. But something told him that this was the only way.

His lips began to mouth some words as his trigger finger twitched in something like anticipation…

And just like that the seen was gone and Makoto Yuki was back in the castle watching Yosuke having been knocked to ground once more with the knight looming over him. Yu and Chie were still busy with other Shadows and it seemed like he was the only one free to do something.

In that moment, something in his brain snapped as he went into his jacket and pulled out his strange gun. Which looked strangely like the gun he had used in that weird illusion.

His heartbeat picked up at that moment, but it wasn't in fear or dread.

No, it was anticipation.

He calmly held the gun in one hand, slowly bringing it to press to the side of his head.

What it looked like to the other two (Yosuke currently a little too preoccupied by the fact that this might be the end for him and Teddie not seeming to get what was happening), was what any other person would probably thought in this situation as Yu yelled at him. "Sempai, stop!"

Chie nodded in agreement as she finally took care of the last of the small Shadows with a well-placed kick. "Yeah, suicide is never the answer!"

But Makoto only barely heard them, the finger twitching as his breathing slowed and he whispered his next word with a smile. "Per….so….na!"

With that, the trigger was pulled, but instead of a one-way trip to the afterlife that many might expected from such an action, the familiar sound of shattering glass resounded and the effects of glass seemed to swirl around him. Finally, they gathered into the air and formed into a strange silvery being. The being had a strange facial resemblance to Makoto with a red scarf and a harp like object on its back.

This event seemed to stop everything in the room. Chie and Yu, who had been charging over to get to Yosuke and stop their sempai from suicide, halted in their tracks with their eyes wide. The other boy they had been rushing to save had noticed the knight directing his attention elsewhere

The being seemed to tilted its head down to its wielder and speak, the voice strangely reminiscent of Makoto and yet had something that was completely its own. Something Makoto knew he had heard before. "Thou art I….and I am Thou. From the sea of thy soul, I come. I am Orpheus, Master of Strings."

Chie seemed to not believe what she was seeing as Yu remained silent though noticeably shaken. "It can't be…"

Yosuke was less coherent. "Whoa…."

The shadowy knight seemed to still as Makoto turned his silver gray eyes on him.

He felt the words escape his mouth without really thinking about it. "Orpheus, Agi!"

The strange silvery musician played on his harp as fire erupted around the knight, making it take a noticeable hit. The knight seemed to droop a bit and he seemed to shrink back from the new Persona user.

Teddie seemed to squeal at the hit. "That's it! That's the weakness!"

Makoto leaned over to where Yosuke was lying, offering a hand to fallen brunet. "Are you alright?"

Yosuke dug through his pockets as he put something and his mouth and chewed it, Yu and Chie coming up from behind the two of them. "I will be after I swallow this."

Yu seemed to observe the interaction before addressing Makoto. "Think you could do that again?"

He nodded to the gray haired teen. "Definitely."

Yu nodded as he addressed the three as a whole. "Alright, get into position! It looks like it might be on its last legs."

The three nodded to him, easily getting into a four-man team position and surrounded the shadowy knight. The being seemed to lunge at Chie, but she seemed to dodge it very clearly. She followed that up with her own kicks.

Yu then charged after the knight with his katana, yelling orders to the other two. "Yosuke, do a physical attack! Makoto-sempai, use Agi again!"

Yosuke charged right in with his knifes after Yu's katana made a hit. "Got it!"

Makoto lined up his gun back into positon, repeating his earlier action. "Orpheus, Agi!"

That seemed to hit another critical hit on the shadow knight as it seemed to slump even more to the floor.

Teddie cried out in excitement. "That's it! One more attack ought to do it!"

Makoto quickly pressed the gun back towards his head, crying out once more. "Orpheus, Agi!"

And just as Teddie had predicated, with that last attack of flames the shadowy creature dissipated leaving just the four humans and the strange blue bear creature in the room. It seemed as though Yu saw something on the floor as he leaned down towards the carpeting.

It was then that the garbled Yukiko's voice resounded through the room again. "If you really are my Prince, then we will surely meet again. I am but a trapped soul…. I cannot leave this place even if I wished…."

Then all was quiet once again, leaving the teens alone with their thoughts.

Yosuke seemed utterly relieved as Chie stopped over to him. "Man, that was close!"

As soon as he finished saying that, however, Chie smacked the side of his arm. That made him flinch, glaring at her as rubbed the part of the arm that had been slapped. "OW! Chie, what was that for!"

"That's for making you worry, you idiot!"

Makoto simply had one eyebrow rise as he observed the two brown haired teens seemed to descend into a childish squabble. "Wow, are they always like this?"

Teddie toddled up to where the blue haired teen was and answered. "I don't know, I'm not around them all that much."

Teddie then turned to Makoto, smiling at the older teen. "But that was amazing! I didn't know there were other ways to summon Personas."

He simply shrugged at the bear. "I honestly didn't know I could do that until less than a couple of minutes ago."

"Still, it was really cool. Just like Sensei!"

Not really needing to know who 'Sensei' was, Makoto finally noticed Yu Narukami's actions and called out to him. "Found something?"

The gray haired teen rose up, holding up a glass key and smiled. "Who wants to be this is for the stairs up to the next floor?"

Yosuke shook his head, the two seeming to come out of their fight (though form the look on their faces it seemed to be far from over). "No bet, your luck is crazy partner."

Chie seemed to perk up at that. "Then that means we can….!"

Yu interrupted her then, giving the young woman a clear dose of reality. "Chie, stop. We just fought a really intense battle and we're practically running on fumes. I think it's time we call it quits for today."

"But…!"

"Yukiko will still be fine. Besides, if it turns out like what happened with you and Yosuke, then we'll want to face Yukiko's Shadow at full strength. We'll open the door to the stairs, but after that we are heading back."

Chie seemed to want to fight back, but did listen and finally nodded. "Alright."

Makoto walked over to where the three had gathered with Teddie toddling right beside him. "I suppose you want some answers out of me?"

Yu nodded, his eyes like steel as he bore into Makoto's silvery orbs. "Yes. Likewise, for you?"

The blue haired teen nodded, finally brining up a rather unusual question. "Yes, but give that I'm the one that's out of place here I think you're the ones that are going first. Though before we get into that, mind telling me why you guys are wearing glasses? I'm pretty sure you guys didn't wear them before."

That seemed to take all of them a little aback (mostly just for the strangeness of the question) before Yu spoke. "Oh, that. Well, you see all the fog around us?"

Makoto nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I was lucky enough to navigate this place with all the fog. I take it that that's pretty normal?"

Teddie held up a paw with another pair of glasses, one that was very similar in style to Yu's ad and Yosuke's only it had the prime color as blue that seemed to match Makoto's hair. "Here, put these on."

The blue haired teen took the glasses cautiously as Yosuke commented. "I didn't know you had another pair of those, Teddie."

"Oh, I thought it was good idea to start making more of these."

Makoto gave the glasses a cursory inspection before putting them on. And just like the fog around him was gone and saw the plush palace around him in great detail. "Whoa."

Yosuke nodded sagely. "Yeah, that was my reaction."

Makoto nodded before glancing off towards Teddie. "Okay. And the bear…?"

Yu seemed to sigh before his expression seemed to give in. "Follow us, we'll explain on the way."

V.E.: You know, I actually planned for this to go on a bit longer, but frankly I am about 3.7 k words and I am honestly at my limit for this chapter. I swear we will get into explanations and the Velvet Room next chapter. That's when I'll explain how Makoto's Personas are going to work for this story.

Spoiler: He won't have all his Personas.

Well, I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long…oh wait, last time I updated was March. At least I got it done before the end of the month. Well, I think I'll be doing a oneshot before I go into Princess of Egypt. I know this wasn't a particularly strong chapter, but hey I'm terrible at action scenes.

Make sure to review and I hope to see you guys next time.