At some point in our idle downtime while the next labyrinth was unknown, I ended up at Concession Alley on the third floor, at Leftover Deli, listening to a serious discussion between the others when Yu walked up to us.
"Oh, it's you, Narukami. You should hear this as well." Kirijo noticed him. "I thought it would be easier for us to communicate if we chose a general name for each of our teams."
"Since we've just met, we're trying to come up with ideas on how we can better cooperate with each other." Yukiko said.
"Well then, let's see...We're already using the designation "SEES," so..." Kirijo started.
"SEES...?" Kanji repeated. "Hmm...SEES...Seas? Seas...Seven seas!?"
"Bzzzt. Wrong." Chie said to him.
"Well, what about our school names?" Sanada suggested. "We're from Gekkoukan High. And you guys are from Yasogami High, right?"
"Gekkoukan High-san and Yasogami High-san...?" Amada mumbled.
"I'd bite my tongue every time if I had to say that." Kanji replied.
"How about we abbreviate it? Some students call it Gekkou High for short." Sanada answered.
"Gekkou High? That sounds kinda cool!" Chie said. "Kinda like how some people call ours Yaso High for short."
"Then...Team Gekkou and Team Yaso?" Amada asked.
"I think that'll work." Yu nodded.
"Yes, let's call each other that." Yukiko agreed.
"That settles that! Whew...I'm feeling hungry now." Chie grinned.
"You're still gonna eat?" Kanji asked her in disbelief.
"Like you're one to talk, Kanji-kun..." I muttered, sweating.
"What do you mean, "still"!? I haven't eaten anything lately!" Chie protested.
"I guess for you, "lately" only covers two or three minutes ago..." Kanji muttered.
I decided to leave before Chie started threatening to kick Kanji, going to head outside and lay down in the grass to rest for a while. It was kinda loud inside the school, but outside it was relatively quiet. There weren't even any bugs that I noticed hanging around, either, so I actually started to doze off. Well, I might not have actually fallen asleep before being jolted awake by the feeling of something wet on my cheek, nudging me. I sat up instantly, holding the fluffy white dog at arm's length as I blinked at it in surprise and confusion.
"...K-Koromaru-san...?"
"Arf!"
"S-Sorry, Kagayami-san! He just ran off on his own!" Amada said as he ran up to us and stopped to lean his hands on his knees as he regained his breath.
"Oh, it's okay. I was just surprised." I smiled and set the dog down on the grass in front of me as I sat cross-legged and rubbed behind his ears gently. Koromaru looked to be enjoying it, so I made a mental note of what spot he liked being rubbed as I looked back to the fifth-grader. "Were you taking Koromaru-san out for a bit, Amada-san?"
"H-Huh...?" He looked shocked for some reason, so I tilted my head slightly with concern that I'd said something wrong. "Wh-What did you just call me...?"
"Oh, do you not like being called Amada-san? Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
"N-No! It's just that you're older than me, so I wasn't expecting you to be so formal..." He blushed a little as he looked away from me, but didn't look particularly upset.
"Well, I wasn't really thinking about the age difference. I was treating you like an equal because you're using your Persona and fighting with us right now, y'know?" I smiled a bit awkwardly at him as Koromaru's attention turned to something else and he ran off a little ways to sniff at something in the grass.
"Equals...? B-But that's...!" He began to protest, but stopped short as I began to snicker quietly.
"So serious...! Haha, you kinda remind me of Nanako-chan..."
"Huh...? Who's that?"
"My cousin. She's like, what? Nine? She's really a reliable and serious kid, too." My smile wavered a little as the thought that I might not see her or Dojima for a long time crossed my mind, but I shook it off and refocused on the boy in front of me. "Anyway, if it bothers you, what do you want me to call you?"
"Oh, y-you can just call me by my first name like everyone else does..." He looked away from me, presumably somewhat embarrassed.
"Alright. But, if that's the case, then you should call me by my first name too, Ken-kun."
"H-Huh!?" He jolted back and stared at me in shock, looking like he'd protest again.
"We're working together, so it'd be awkward for me calling you by your first name if you don't do the same. You can add "san" if you want, but just call me "Kyoka" from now on."
"...O-Okay." He nodded a bit shyly and I smiled at him.
"Besides, I kinda feel like you're superior to me in this case..." I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my head and looking over to where Koromaru was rolling around in the grass a bit away from us.
"What!? N-No way...How?" Ken seemed surprised, but knelt down facing me with a curious look on his face.
"You actually have a Persona...I'm just part Shadow."
"Oh...So, um...How did you...?" He trailed off, seeming uncertain if he should ask, and if he did, how he should ask it.
I got the feeling I already knew what he was wondering about though and sighed. "This isn't gonna sound any less confusing than it actually is, but...A Shadow that was born from the side of me that is usually hidden from other people was somehow absorbed into my body when I acknowledged that it was part of me. Ever since then," I patted the pelt I had draped over my shoulders since we got here. "I've had this pelt that makes it possible for me to transform and use my Shadow's abilities."
"Hm...But isn't that basically the same as a Persona, except that you actually become it instead of summoning it to attack?" Ken pointed out, looking as if he was seriously thinking about it.
"...Huh. I guess I've never thought of it that way..." I stared at him in surprise for a moment before grinning. "Hey, you're pretty smart!"
"I-Is that supposed to be a compliment...?" He mumbled, seeming uncertain of whether to be embarrassed or offended.
"Yeah." I nodded, then looked up at the sky as I mulled it over. "All this time, I was thinking it'd be better if I had a Persona like everyone else, but if what you said is right, then I've already got one and just treated it like something else because it worked differently..." I turned to smile gratefully at the kid. "Thanks, comrade."
"N-No problem..." He looked away from me, seeming embarrassed for some reason.
I stood up, feeling refreshed and determined. "Alright. Now that I've been reminded of my habit, I better ask the others how they want me to address them."
"Your habit...?" Ken repeated in question and I smiled sheepishly at him.
"I tend to completely forget that there's such a thing as being too formal for my age. I treat pretty much everyone politely because I don't want to offend them or because I don't really take into account things like age or anything like that unless they're "senpai" or something...Anyway, thanks, and see you later Ken-kun!" I waved to him before jogging off to find the other Gekkou team members.
Pretty much everyone just told me to use their first names since we were all around the same age, and they didn't seem to mind that I add "san" to everyone's considering we were strangers and went to different schools, but I was kinda surprised that Mitsuru told me to use her first name when she used pretty much every underclassman's last name. However, when I asked why, I didn't get an answer because Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Minato showed up before she answered me and suggested going into the You in Wonderland labyrinth to train up a bit. Mitsuru told them that they needed a team of five if it'd just be the one group going in, so I offered to go with them since I was there and I kinda felt like I could use some extra training myself. Minato said he'd already told Yu that we'd be going in, so we headed straight there after they accepted my offer to join them. Fighting alongside an unfamiliar group was a bit awkward at first, but Minato's orders were basically the same as Yu's, so it wasn't difficult to catch on. I actually worked surprisingly well with the third years and leader of the Gekkou team. I learned that Akihiko and Shinjiro were childhood friends of a sort who bickered like children every five minutes until Mitsuru broke them up, and that Minato was the sorta silent type like Yu, just with a bit more smirking than deadpanning when he was making a strange joke. After fighting with them for a while and heading back to the hallway, I decided I had a lot more respect for the third-years and swapped the "san" for "senpai" by the end of our training. They didn't seem to mind it, and despite her somewhat cold-seeming demeanour, Mitsuru did praise me when we exited the labyrinth, like an ideal upperclassman that's nice, but not too nice. Praise when it was due and no more.
After the training, I started to get a bit hungry, so I decided I wanted some takoyaki. When I got it, I turned around and saw Zen and Rei at one of the tables nearby with Fuuka and Yukari. I think they were talking about Rei's appetite when I walked over.
"I'm kinda jealous..." Yukari muttered, watching Rei devouring a corndog happily.
"She looks so happy." Fuuka giggled a bit.
"Hey..." I greeted them a bit awkwardly as I approached and they all looked to me as I ate slowly.
"Oh, Kyoka-san. You're getting something to eat too?" Yukari asked, also seeming a bit awkward.
I nodded and offered my takoyaki to her. "You want some?"
"Oh, no thanks...!" She looked like she winced at the thought of eating some.
"Oh, Kyo, can I have some!?" Rei asked excitedly, so I offered it to her and she took about three. "Thank you...!"
"Where were you?" Zen asked me out of nowhere and I looked at him in slight confusion. "Rei wanted to eat ice cream with you, but we couldn't find you anywhere."
"Oh, sorry. I was training in the first labyrinth with some others." I answered a bit sheepishly.
"Who?" Yukari asked me, seeming curious.
"Misuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai, Shinjiro-senpai, and Minato-kun." I listed off, then tilted my head at Yukari and Fuuka exchanging surprised looks.
"You all went in without support?" Fuuka asked me nervously, but I shrugged.
"We only went to the second floor and came back when we started to get tired. Minato-kun said it was fine."
"Geez, what's he thinking?" Yukari sighed and shook her head, then she looked at me with a slight smile. "So, how was that? I'm guessing it was a bonding experience, if you're calling them "senpai" already."
I nodded. "They're really on another level. If you're all that good, I'm glad you came. I look forward to working with you." I bowed slightly and then took their somewhat surprised and uncertain silence to turn to Rei and change the subject. "Is it too late for that ice cream, Rei-san?"
"Nope!" The girl grinned at me excitedly and jumped out of her seat, holding her half-eaten corndog up in the air as she said. "To the ice cream stand! I'm gonna get six layers this time!"
"Man, you sure can eat..." I said it with exasperation, but couldn't help but laugh a bit with fondness for the eccentric girl that grabbed my arm and started dragging me through the hallway.
"C'mon, Zen!" Rei only stopped to look back and make sure Zen was following us.
"Yes, I'm coming." His usually unreadable expression softened a bit as he stood up to come with us.
How Rei could handle all the weirdest ice cream flavours I'd ever heard of, I would never be able to understand, but I did have fun listening to her ramble on about how they tasted while licking them while I was nibbling on my single mint chocolate chip ice cream. I did have to wonder why she wanted to hang out with me specifically though. It took me a while to work up the nerve to ask, but she just smiled at me and said the strangest thing.
"Because you're Kyo!"
Obviously, I didn't get it, but she didn't clarify either. Zen didn't know what she meant when I asked him, but he guessed that it probably meant she was somewhat fond of me for whatever reason. He said it in a weird way, but I think that's what he meant...Anyway, I decided to dismiss it in favour of thinking it just meant she considered me a friend and wanted to spend some time with me. Although I don't know why she would, considering how little we knew of each other. Still, there was something about Zen and Rei that made me want to help and protect them. Though I wouldn't say that aloud, just like how I wouldn't openly admit I found the two utterly adorable together. Zen was dense, and Rei was obsessed with food, but there were definitely hints there that she at least sort of liked him and I would say the feeling would probably be mutual if it ever went anywhere. Not that that's any of my business, but it made me smile to watch their close relationship that's not quite that, but not far from it either. It was so cute to me and I couldn't explain why.
"...W-We ended up enjoying ourselves, but I believe it's about time we headed to the next labyrinth." Mitsuru said after gathering all of us up in front of the fortune telling booth.
"So, where to next?" Yosuke asked.
"About that...I checked with Fuuka-chan earlier, but..." Rise started. "It seems to be the homeroom for second-year class 2."
"Wait, that's our class!"
"Oh no..." I didn't have a good feeling about this.
"...Please tell me there's not a group date cafe there." Yosuke seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"What is that?" Mitsuru asked.
"It was our class's display. You have a...well...um, a group date." Yukiko answered.
"For real!? Man, I wish I was a student at your school!" Junpei said.
"...Is that any fun?" Mitsuru asked.
"Not really..." I muttered, sighing at the memory of the mock-group date we were forced into.
"I don't wanna think about it..." Kanji rubbed the back of his head and looked away.
"What's this group date thing?" Rei asked.
"A group date is the crossroads of destiny..." Teddie began with his dramatics, out of costume. "Countless hunters of love gather, in search of the one in this vast world tied to them by a red string..."
"Wow...! Countless hungers have a huge banquet in search of the one in this vast universe tied with a string!?" Rei managed to twist it.
"It's scarier the way she says it..." Chie commented. "I mean, Teddie! You tell way too many lies to poor Rei-chan!"
"Aww, but I just can't leave Rei-chan alone." Teddie was back in his costume now.
"...I understand the feeling." Aigis said.
"I won't leave you alone either, Ai-chan! May I score with you?"
"I refuse." She answered so quickly and bluntly I began snickering at Teddie's shock.
"Good for you, Aigis-san." I said to her while barely containing my amusement.
"From what you say...it sounds like this group date is a rather refined event." Mitsuru seemed to have misinterpreted the whole thing.
"Uh, not in the least." Yukari denied.
"Is a red string really tied to the person you're destined to be with?" Rei asked.
"I don't know...but I think we all want to believe that it is." Yukiko answered.
"...Mm-hm. I'm sure it exists! Right, Zen?" Rei blushed as she looked at him a bit shyly.
"You're...going to eat string?" Zen didn't get it, apparently.
"That's not what I meant!"
"What is that?" Aigis asked, looking at something. "Outside the window, near the centre of the schoolyard...It appears to be a tower."
"Ah yes...It seems to be a clock tower. The bell that rang earlier is part of it..." Naoto answered her. "Would you like to take a look at it?"
So, we all ended up going outside so the Gekkou team could get a look at the clock tower. It still read 11:55, as if no time had passed at all since we got here.
"A clock tower in the midst of the schoolyard...?" Mitsuru seemed perplexed.
"It's almost midnight, so I guess the clock's not too off?" Junpei said.
"Huh...? I don't think it's been that long." Rise responded in confusion. "The sun wasn't even setting when we came here, was it?"
"Yeah, wasn't it like three o'clock?" Chie responded.
"Around that." I nodded in agreement.
"Huh? It's not the Dark Hour right now? But there's Shadows here." Junpei looked confused as well.
"The Dark Hour...That came up earlier too. Something about us not knowing about the Dark Hour..." Naoto looked thoughtful.
"Yes...We've had brief introductions, but allow us to tell you our story in full." Mitsuru spoke up. "The Dark Hour is a hidden time which follows midnight. Those without the potential cannot detect it. During the Dark Hour, Shadows appear within a tower that we call Tartarus. And every month on a full moon, an especially large Shadow appears...We fight and defeat these in the hopes of eliminating the Dark Hour."
"...M-Man, you guys' thing sounds pretty different from ours." Yosuke commented.
"Um, then what are you all...?" Fuuka asked.
"We're pursuing a killer." Naoto answered.
"A-A killer...!?" Yukari repeated in shock.
"There's been a serial murder case going on in the town of Inaba, where we live." Yosuke explained. "The killer works by putting their victims into the TV...Inside the TVs, there's a world filled with Shadows. That's actually where Teddie is from."
"I used to live in the TV world. But then Yosuke and the others came and I decided to come out." Teddie said, then pointed to me. "Kyo-chan also lived there for a while."
"I was born human though, so I didn't live there from the start. I fell into a TV by accident and got stuck there for a few months. That's when I became part Shadow, so I lived there until Teddie found me and kicked me back out into the real world. I went back in and met the others when I started investigating the killings on my own." I explained as well, a bit nervously.
"You lived in a world where Shadows roam...? That's just like Zen and Rei." Mitsuru looked thoughtful.
"I'm like Teddie and Kyo?" Rei asked, looking at us. "Then will we be able to go out into the outside world with everyone, like they did?"
"I'm sure you will! I didn't even think about going outside until Yosuke and everyone came." Teddie replied. "But when I did leave, it was so much fun that I wished I had done it much sooner!"
"Me too! Until everyone came here, I never even thought about "going back"!" Rei agreed.
"...It's true." Zen said simply.
"Heeey, Zenboy! Don't tell me you don't like being treated the same as me? It's a real honour, you know!" Teddie got annoying again real fast, so I shoved him out of the way and smiled at the two.
"Living with Shadows kinda makes you forget about the outside, but I'm sure it'd be a lot of fun to show you around when we get out of here." I said, and Zen nodded while Rei smiled back at me and nodded enthusiastically.
"Hey! Kyo-chan, stop ruining my moments!" Teddie whined at me.
"Can it, Teddie. I was just getting to the important part." Yosuke quieted him and continued. "So anyway, if you're in the TV world on a foggy day, your own Shadow will attack and kill you. Normally, only Persona-users can go in and out of the TV...But they can put other people in there as well."
"So...the culprit is using their Persona ability for murder?" Akihiko asked.
"Well, that's kinda...We don't even know if they have a Persona, since I fell in when I didn't have one or my transforming ability..." I replied with an uneasy shrug.
"There's much we don't know yet...but we know for a certainty that we will capture the culprit." Naoto stated.
"Our reasons for fighting are completely different from yours..." Mitsuru said.
"Anyway, this is not the TV world, and it's most likely not this "Tartarus" you speak of either. Which means that we know almost nothing about it. I believe that we should cast aside all that we think we know and learn the "rules" of this world."
"I-Indeed..."
We all looked at each other after an awkward silence.
"Looks like we'll just have to go on to 2-2...our homeroom." Yosuke decided to break it.
"Watch, that'll probably be a labyrinth too. Make sure you go prepared, Senpai!" Rise told Yu.
"And taking breaks is important too. Remember what Yosuke said earlier; "Haste makes paste!"" Teddie said.
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you..." Yosuke grumbled.
"We have fun when we have fun, and we work hard when we're working! That's the most efficient way to do things!"
"Whoa, he has more common sense than I thought..." Yukari said.
"Oh, just wait for it..." I told her, crossing my arms.
"So, Yuka-chan! Let's go on a date!" Teddie did what I predicted he would.
"Huh? Kinda jumping to conclusions, aren't we?" Yukari asked.
"When it comes to this beast, it's better to just ignore him." Chie told her.
"Oh, okay." Yukari nodded and Teddie looked surprised for some reason.
Then, we all headed back into the school and to our class's homeroom, which was still labelled as "Group Date Cafe" and for some reason had an endless stream of rose petals falling from the roof with no discernible origin.
"My hunch was right after all...Why'd they have to drag out such bad memories!?" Yosuke complained.
"Let's get on with it. We've got three big ones left, right?" Shinjiro asked.
"That should be the case. It is also possible that I will regain my memories." Zen answered.
"Then maybe we'll find out some more about this place." Chie said.
"All right. Let's get going, leader..." Mitsuru turned toward Yu and Minato, then paused. "...Oh, hmmm. There's something important we need to decide on. Since we are a combined unit now, we should decide who our leader will be."
"Ooh! Is this my chance!?" Junpei looked excited.
"The most reasonable candidates would be either our leader or yours." Mitsuru continued.
"Yeah, thought not..." Junpei sighed.
"Narukami. What do you think?"
"I'll let you do it." Yu said to Minato.
"Oh...But I think it'd be better if it was you." Minato replied. "I mean, you guys met Zen and Rei-chan first. You got to the bottom of that labyrinth first, too. "Nothing meaningless happens," right? Maybe there's a reason you have more experience with this place than us."
"You make it sound like you put thought into it, but I bet you just think it'd be too much trouble." Junpei said to him.
"Huh? Hmm..." Minato looked downward without saying anything else.
"At least pretend to deny it!"
"But he does have a point." Mitsuru interjected. "Narukami. I ask that you act as the leader of our combined forces. Just continue to do what you've been doing. We're counting on you. Also, Arisato, you'll be supporting our new leader. I know. We'll consider you our vice leader."
"Vice leader..." Minato repeated, not looking too thrilled.
"Follow me!" Yu said in his usual deadpan way.
"...Sure, okay. Keep at it, leader." Minato replied, equally deadpan before smirking slightly. "It's a neat change of pace to call someone else "leader"."
"Umm, so...I'll refer to you as "Vice Leader" when providing support so you don't get confused." Fuuka said, then began mumbling to herself. "Vice Leader...Vice Leader...I hope I don't mess it up..."
"Fuuka-chan and I will support you from the Velvet Room. Good luck to you! Let's go, Fuuka-chan!" Rise said.
"Um, yes!" Fuuka answered nervously.
"Hey, I'm younger than you! You don't have to be so formal with me!"
"Um, yes! ...I mean, okay." Fuuka giggled.
"Zen..." Rei looked nervous.
"Are you scared?" Zen asked her.
"I-I'll be okay...I can do this. I-I'm...I'm gonna go back with everyone." Rei looked determined, despite her fears.
"Okay, Rei-chan! Repeat after me! Group Date, hoooo!" Teddie cheered.
"G-Group Date, hoooo!" Rei repeated him.
"...Is she really gonna be okay?" Junpei asked.
We headed into the labyrinth and I immediately noticed how horrible this would be. It was pink. The decorations were pink, the walls were pink, the floors were pink, and even the stupid door was pink.
"Huh? This doesn't look quite like the actual Group Date Cafe." Yosuke commented.
"Ughhh...Why does it have to be pink...?" I groaned with reluctance to even look at anything in particular.
"This is...kinda cute." Kanji said, blushing a bit and Yukari stared at him. "Wh-What?"
"It's just, I'm surprised you called it cute..." Yukari said a bit awkwardly.
"This guy definitely has the most girl power out of all of us, you know." Yosuke told her.
"Hey, that's really mean!" Chie protested.
"Like you can talk."
"You know what, I can't speak for the Gekkou girls, but it's probably true out of us..." I mumbled thoughtfully.
"K-Kyoka...!" Chie looked at me with shock.
"Wait, did you just say girl power? You mean like, cooking and sewing and all that jazz...?" Yukari asked.
"Oh, yeah, I'm good at 'em..." Kanji scratched his head and looked away.
"Huh!?" Ken looked surprised.
"Wh-What?"
"Oh, um...I didn't think that would suit you..."
"Wh-Who cares if it suits me or not!?"
"I-I mean, you look exactly like the bad guy in the live-action hero show I'm watching right now..." Ken said. "He kidnaps anyone, even if they're women or children."
"...Raaargh." Kanji apparently decided scaring him was the best thing to do.
"Eek!"
"Hey! What're you trying to scare him for!?" Chie yelled at him.
"Uh, I thought I'd try and live up to his expectations..." Kanji said.
"Geez, you don't need to meet people's expectations, Kanji-kun." I sighed, shaking my head at him.
"Heh, we've got one like that too. He looks scary, but has a softer side..." Yukari said.
"Oh, you mean Shinjiro-senpai?" I asked.
"How'd you know?" She smiled and I grinned.
"I just got that feeling from him."
"Hey, you better hurry up or we're gonna ditch you." Shinjiro called to us as the others had been moving on ahead a bit.
"Ohh, so he's that kind of guy." Chie said as we started walking after them.
"...What's up?" Kanji asked as Ken was staring at him.
"Oh, um...Nothing..." Ken looked away.
"Welcome, stray lambs. This is the second-year class 2's display." A mechanical voice spoke from somewhere hidden among the gaudy decorations.
"Gwah! Wh-What the!?" Chie jumped.
"Hello to everyone, both those I'm meeting for the first time and those I'm not meeting for the first time." The voice continued. "This display uses state-of-the-art technology to find your destined partner with a few simple questions. You can participate if you wish, or you might choose not to."
"Wh-What's up with that? I mean, we've got no choice but to do it!" Yosuke said.
"So, we're going to find out who our destined partners are...! Zen! Hey, Zen!" Rei seemed excited.
"What is it?" Zen asked.
"U-Um, about my...destined partner..." Rei blushed. "Wh-Who do you think it is...? Who could it be?"
"We'll find that out in this display, won't we?" Zen didn't pick up the hints again.
"Geez! You dummy!"
"Dummy? Why?"
"Rei-chan! Look, your destined partner is right here!" Teddie jumped in.
"Huh? Where!?" Rei looked around as I smirked a bit and stood behind Zen, holding a hand over his head as he seemed confused.
"I-Is it...Zen, after all...?" Rei blushed, apparently understanding my silent motioning.
"No, no! It's me!" Teddie didn't seem to realize that I had done it, either.
"Huh? No it isn't." Rei didn't even give him a second glance and continued to eat as I snickered quietly and stepped over to stand next to Zen, who gave me a slightly confused glance as I did so.
"Shot down!" Teddie cried.
"Hey, Kyoka, was that some kind of joke...?" Chie asked as I fell into step next to her again.
I shrugged. "I think they're cute together."
"Wow, so you do think about that kinda stuff..." She muttered, looking at me strangely. "I thought Rise-chan was the only one I'd have to worry about..."
"H-Hey, it's obvious Rei-san likes Zen-kun and he cares about her a lot, too. I'm just cheering her on." I protested quietly.
"R-Really? I didn't notice at all..." Chie looked a bit depressed that she didn't pick up on it.
"Uh...Sorry...?"
"Why're you apologizing!?"
"Oh, hold on! I'm sensing Shadows past that door!" Rise's voice interrupted as everyone came to the first door with the silhouettes of a little boy and girl facing away from each other.
"Bring 'em on! I'll take them anytime you want!" Akihiko responded aggressively.
"One moment, please." Naoto stopped him. "This labyrinth feels completely unlike the previous one. I suspect the Shadows will be much stronger. Let's all calm ourselves. Once we're ready, then we'll open the door."
"Whew...All right, I'm calm! I'm ready to KO them in one round!" Akihiko took a whole two seconds to breathe deeply before getting fired up again.
"But you don't seem any different!" Yosuke pointed out.
Yu decided to just open the door, so then the main team had to fight some Shadows that were right in the doorway and blocking the rest of us from doing anything until they were defeated. Once they were, we all stepped into the next room.
"...Hm? Do you all not use guns?" Mitsuru noticed now that the Yaso team didn't shoot themselves in the head with gun-like things to summon their Personas.
"I use one, but..." Naoto showed her the gun she used against Shadows.
"No, I mean a gun-shaped Evoker." Mitsuru clarified. "We summon our Personas by pointing an "Evoker" at ourselves and pulling the trigger of our own will."
"That's pretty harsh..." Yosuke said in surprise.
"It's so that we stay conscious of death. By facing our own death, we can draw out our hidden power. The Evoker's a way to force that." Akihiko explained.
"Being conscious of death...I've never thought of it that way..." Yukiko mumbled.
"That's way cooler than the cards..." I muttered to myself.
"This "erasing the Dark Hour" thing you guys mentioned...Is it that tough to do?" Kanji asked.
"Well, yeah. Saving the world's not for lightweights." Junpei answered. "If you wanna bring about world peace, then you gotta put your life on the line, right?"
"Saving...the world?" Yosuke asked.
"That sounds like something in a movie..." Chie said.
"Yeah, I guess..." Yukari replied, not seeming very enthusiastic.
"I guess we're like, lonely heroes who fight day and night for the sake of mankind! Hahah, just kidding!" Junpei blushed and rubbed the back of his head.
"That is false. Junpei-san spends his days sleeping in class, doodling in his notes, and spinning his pen." Aigis stated.
"W-W-Well, wait a sec. I got friends too, y'know!" Junpei protested.
"A hero...huh." Yosuke mumbled.
"...You're really set on this, huh?" Kanji asked him.
"It's amazing that you can be so...resolved, I guess is the word...I'm doing my part for the sake of our town, but I've never thought about the world, or mankind as a whole...Of course, if I can use my ability to help people, I think I should, and I'd like to, but...Wow...that's impressive..." Yukiko said.
"Yeah. Gotta respect them, huh?" I nodded.
"I had never thought about things like that either..." Teddie said.
"Your fight is honourable as well. It isn't easily done." Mitsuru spoke up. "Your burden is different from ours, that's all."
"...Are you putting your life on the line for world peace too, Vice Leader?" Yosuke asked.
"Of course." Minato answered without hesitation.
"Huh..."
"Hey, can I see one of your Evokers?" I decided to change the subject, and surprisingly, Minato handed me his. It looked like a gun, but it was also kinda strange. I felt nervous holding it, so I gave it back quickly. "They're cool. I wonder how they work...I've never seen anything like that before."
"We don't have any devices like that. Well, we have glasses, but we don't use them for summoning." Yosuke told them.
"Glasses?" Mitsuru asked.
"There's an odd fog in the TV world, which makes it hard to see. It slowly makes us ill, too. But if we wear Teddie's special glasses, we can see through it very clearly." Yukiko explained.
"Teddie's what...?" Akihiko asked.
"Heheh, I'm a skilled artisan. Cool men like you can't copy me, Akky." Teddie said. "I call them, the "See-through Glasses That Work in the Fog"!"
"What? That's way too long." I sighed.
"S-See-through!?" Ken repeated in surprise.
"How does that technology work...?" Mitsuru asked.
"I see. So you put on glasses and go inside a TV, huh..." Junpei said. "Yeah, right! What do you mean, "go inside"? You couldn't get through the screen! You'd sprain your finger!"
"You'd think that, but we really can do it..." Yosuke rubbed the back of his head. "Not that we didn't freak out at first. My partner stuck his head into a TV in the Junes electronics section."
"Is that how you guys found out...?" I muttered, sweating a bit.
"Oh, so he went head first." Minato said with a deadpan.
"Of course! You'd sprain your finger if you went hand-first, so you go headfirst instead! A likely story!" Junpei said sarcastically.
"Yosuke freaked out so much that he wet his pants." Chie added cheekily.
"Bwh-No, I didn't!" Yosuke glared at her.
"Ohh...Well, don't let it get to you. Everyone makes mistakes." Junpei consoled him.
"Like I just said, I didn't wet my pants!"
"You there...Teddie, was it?" Mitsuru turned to the bear. "Once we get out of here, would you come visit the Kirijo research lab? I'll make it worth your while."
"Yahoooooo! My moment in the sun is finally here!" Teddie was excited. "We don't have to wait until we get out of here! We could just kick it off right here, right now! Together, we'll sing a chorus of love and desire!"
"...Consider the offer rescinded." Mitsuru looked annoyed.
"Whaaaat!? Why? Por que?"
"Girls hate those pushy pickup artist types, you know." Yosuke told him.
"That's hard to believe from a guy who was all "Weeee, let's go hit on girls with our motorcycles!"" Kanji said.
"I never said that! Is that the image you have of me!? I'm still your senpai, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah, but wasn't it Kyoka-senpai who ended up bailing you out when your motorcycle got crushed?" Kanji responded and Yosuke looked embarrassed and sputtered a bit, but my gaze was diverted to Mitsuru as she caught my attention.
"Kagayami, I'd appreciate it if you could come visit the Kirijo research lab after we get out of here. Your case isn't the same as Teddie's, but I'd still be interested to know the details of your situation."
"Oh, yeah, sure." I nodded to her. "If I can find a way to get there, I'll definitely stop by, Mitsuru-senpai. Just as long as you don't plan on keeping me there and poking me with a bunch of needles..."
"No, that isn't what I had in mind." She had a tiny smile, so I think she was amused by my fears.
"...Hey, Zen? Is Yo-chan really a prince?" Rei's quiet voice caught my ear and I turned to look at her and Zen.
"Who knows?" Zen replied.
"He's a prince, but he wets his pants?"
"I said, I don't know."
"Zen...Are you angry!?" Rei looked surprised.
"Angry? Why?" Zen probably couldn't even tell that he kinda seemed a bit jealous there.
"...Oh, never mind. I think I just misread it..." Rei looked down, seeming a bit disappointed.
"Hey, Kyoka, what're you laughing at?" Yosuke whined at me as I was snickering quietly behind my hand, drawing me back into a conversation I'd been tuning out in favour of watching Zen and Rei.
"Huh? What? I-I'm not laughing..." I answered, likely unconvincingly since it was difficult to hold in my snickering and not smile.
"C'mon, I really didn't wet my pants!" He whined at me as the others went to continue on.
"I know. I watched you work an entire shift after chugging a large soda without going to the bathroom before. I know you've got an iron bladder, man." I laughed lightly and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.
"Huh...? You remember something like that?" He seemed surprised, but I just shrugged.
"It was a slow day for the till, so I was watching other people work in the area around it. You were kinda hopping around though, so it was funny."
"Geez, you're probably the only one here that believes me and it's because of something like that..." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Aw, don't worry too much. You'll still be a Prince to me!" I snickered and he looked somewhat confused, but blushed too for some reason.
"Uh...Okay...?"
We explored a bit, and found that there were large rings that were the equivalent of the clock shortcuts from the other labyrinth. Then, we came to a metal door with the silhouettes on it in black instead of white.
"...Hm, it's no use. Looks like this door won't open." Yukiko said after trying to open it.
"Oh, you're right. We'll just have to take another path...Let's go." Ken responded.
"...You know, Ken-kun, you remind me of a small animal. It's cute." Yukiko giggled.
"...! P-Please don't! I hate being told I'm cute!" Ken protested.
"Eh? Really?"
"Well, the kid is going through puberty, after all." Junpei said.
"Don't say it like that!" Ken glared at him.
"Yeah, that's the puberty talking for sure. Puberty throwing a clean pitch right down the middle." Yosuke grinned.
"C-Come on, stop! We need to get going!" Ken diverted our attention and we all went back to the other pink door to continue on.
"Whoa! What're these spikes...!?" Yosuke noticed the black and blue spiked tiles on the floor.
"Hm? Could these be those floors that hurt you when you walk on 'em? Like you see in video games?" Junpei asked.
"That's kind of a niche example..."
"But are they HP drainers or SP drainers...?" I tilted my head in response.
"And of course Kyoka got it..." Yosuke sighed at me.
"This junk doesn't hurt you too much, so I usually just ignore it and walk right through." Junpei said, then looked to me. "What's your strategy when it comes to these things?"
I shrugged. "Healing items if I'm rich. Or finding that pair of invincible shoes and coming back later to loot all the treasure."
"Ohh yeah! There's always something like that, isn't there?"
"We should take the shortest distance across! Let's gooooo!" Teddie interrupted us.
"But this is clearly a trap. Wouldn't it be more prudent to walk around..." Naoto suggested.
"Wha...!? It's too late to stop...!" Teddie was pulling on Yu's hand, so they stepped onto the spike trap and winced.
"Hey, Teddie! Did you hear the part about BEING PRUDENT and WALKING AROUND!?" Yosuke yelled at him.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Y'know, it looks bad, but this floor actually doesn't hurt a bit." Junpei commented, stepping onto the spikes himself. "...I guess I feel a little tired instead?"
"So it's an SP or MP drain." I answered, testing it out for myself.
"Indeed...So you sensed it too, Junpei-san." Naoto said from where she'd been pulled onto the trap by Teddie as well. "It's much like the fatigue I feel after summoning my Persona..."
"Huh? Everyone's lost a little bit of energy...!?" Fuuka spoke up through the comms.
"It's a logical trap. First, we grow exhausted from walking on these spikes; then the enemy strikes." Naoto said.
"I'd hate to have to pass up a good fight...Make sure to be careful walking around, Yu." Akihiko warned, so Yu decided we'd go around the spikes instead of through them.
We got some winged sandals from a treasure box, fought some Shadows, activated a shortcut, and went through two other doors before coming to a room that was unusually spacious.
"Ooh, looks like there aren't any Shadows around here." Junpei said.
"Why don't we take a short break?" Minato suggested.
"Good plan!" Chie was on board with that.
Then the girls all sat down quickly while I laid down in my coyote form near them, not really feeling like turning back and chatting with them. I let Rei lean her back against my side though, since she seemed tired.
"Oh, Rei-chan. Kyoka gave me this earlier...Do you want some chocolate?" Chie asked.
"Chocolate!? I love chocolate! Thanks!" Rei accepted the chocolate bar excitedly. "Mmmm...! So sweet! So good!" She gasped. "It melted! It went away! There's no more!"
"I have some candy, too. Want one? It's grapefruit-flavoured." Yukari offered her.
"Wow! Thanks!" Rei accepted the candy. "Mmmm...! Slightly bitter...but so good! I'm in heaven!"
"Was it that good? Your reaction alone makes it worth sharing." Yukari smiled at her.
"Hey, you said something about a murder case? What kind of case was it? Was it on the news?" I heard Junpei asking and turned my head to see him talking to Naoto. "That was in Inaba, right? I don't think I've ever heard of it..."
"It was on the national news. That would have been around spring this year..." Naoto answered.
"Oh, that long ago?"
"...It wasn't long ago for us." Yosuke told him.
"Uh...I-I see." Junpei seemed confused, but grew awkward quickly. "...Um, sorry. Uhh...Haha..."
"Oh...Nah, I should apologize too...I'm gonna go see a man about a horse. I can't hold it in!" Yosuke ran off.
"Is he...close to the case?" Akihiko asked.
Naoto looked downward. "...I was told the second victim was...someone Yosuke-senpai had feelings for."
"Ohh...So he's taking it pretty personal..." Junpei looked down as well.
"Junpei..." Minato said.
"Crap...I was being a real jerk...He's mad, isn't he?"
"It's all right." Yu told him.
"Really? I hope so..."
"Um...Excuse me." Ken walked away in the same direction Yosuke went.
"Huh? Hey!" Kanji called after him, then looked to Yu. "I'm gonna go check on him. I dunno...but I'm a little worried." Kanji went after Ken.
Rei was occupied with the candy she was being given, so she had stopped leaning on me and I decided to get up and stretch a bit.
"Arf!" Koromaru approached me and I blinked at him.
"Koromaru-san says even in this form, you do not smell like a canine." Aigis translated for me, and I decided to change back to human form to respond.
"Don't Shadows smell differently?" I asked, looking at the dog and tilting my head slightly.
"Arf."
"Shadows smell differently, but you only have a faint scent of one on you. Koromaru-san thinks you are mostly human in nature." Aigis told me in the usual robotic way.
"Huh. That's interesting..." I crouched down to pet Koromaru gently on the head and smiled at him. "Thanks for the info, Koromaru-san."
"Arf!" He wagged his tail and then ran off energetically.
"Huh...?" I looked over to see Yu was nowhere to be found, but Ken and Kanji were back without Yosuke. I was curious if they were talking about something together, but decided I'd better not try and listen in. It was probably an important personal conversation.
"Hey, Kyoka, we're getting ready to go." Chie called and I looked to see the girls had stood up and everyone was preparing to continue exploring.
"Okay." I called back, picking up my naginata and jogging over to join them.
We went through the next door and fought some Shadows before going through another door and activating a shortcut back closer to the exit. We talked a bit about strategies regarding fighting stronger enemies, but I kinda tuned it out in favour of walking more carefully because Rei asked if she could ride on my coyote form's back for a while and Zen was hovering nearby and glaring at me if I jostled her too much. Why the hell she'd even want to ride on my back, I didn't know, considering she had to lay on her stomach or else she'd get hit in the head with the sun disc thing floating above my shoulder blades. Still, she seemed to be having fun, so I didn't say anything.
Koromaru found a heart mark and gave it to Yu, though none of us knew where he got it from or how, then some Shadows showed up and Rei got off me so I could fight and she could support Zen. After the battle, I changed back to human form and we came to a door that was mainly white instead of pink, with the silhouettes facing each other.
"This door's different from the other ones...There might be something inside." Yosuke commented.
"This whole labyrinth is rather odd. There was that announcement earlier, too..." Mitsuru said thoughtfully, then turned to Yu. "Either way, there's no harm in being cautious. We're counting on you, leader."
Yu nodded and opened the door, but inside the room was two weird bear things tangled up with chains and a gate blocking the next door.
"What the...? We can't go this way." Junpei said.
"There may be a trick to it, but it's also possible that this is an enemy trap." Naoto commented.
"Welcome, stray lambs. This is a Selection Room of Destiny." The mechanical voice from earlier spoke up.
"You again. Is this that "finding your destined partner" thing you were talking about?" Akihiko asked.
"Questions of destiny will be presented for you to answer with your intuition, or however you feel like. There will be multiple questions. Answer them all and you'll be united with your destined partner. Well then, let's get started. Question number one. Does a difference in age or sex not matter as long as there is love?"
"Their sex matters." Yu answered.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"I'm fine with that." Yu nodded.
"I knew it!" Yosuke said and the chains blocking the next door disappeared.
"Woof!" Koromaru barked.
"It seems we only need to answer the question to open the door." Naoto observed.
"Ooh, so if we keep going on, I'll finally find my destined princess!" Teddie said.
"It would be foolish to proceed separately. I yield all of these questions to our leader." Mitsuru said.
"I'm going to enjoy this." Yu smirked a bit.
"What about me!? What about my search for Ms. Right!?" Teddie cried.
"In any case, we've learned how to proceed, so let us move on." Naoto ignored him.
We went through the door and into an area with more spike traps. We fought some Shadows while avoiding the spikes, then paused a moment as Yu wanted to draw the map to account for the spikes, and then went through another door.
"Mother of...! What the hell is that!?" Junpei pointed out a big golden baby archer sitting on some kind of horse baby thing...?
"It looks weak, but is that an...?" Chie asked.
"Yes, it's an FOE." Zen answered.
"Does it have a bow? Is it going to shoot arrows at us...?" Yukari asked.
"Whoa, hey! I think it's about to move!" Kanji pointed out and the thing shifted to face another direction, then another, until it returned to its first position. "Huh. Looks like it doesn't go anywhere, it just spins around."
"Maybe it's waiting for a target to pass by...so it can shoot it full of arrows. There's no wind here to make its arrows miss, so we should try to stay out of its line of fire."
"That was a pretty on-target comment, what with you being in the archery club and all." Junpei said.
"Cool-headed Yuka-chan...She's shot an arrow right into my heart!" Teddie said.
"You really are a bear every chance you get, aren't you...?" Yukari asked.
Yu and Minato urged us on, avoiding standing in the FOE's line of sight as we got around it and through the door it was near. In that room, we found a tea set on a table at a dead end.
"...Who left this here?" Shinjiro asked.
"That FOE from before, maybe?" Chie suggested.
"It didn't seem like it had the need to drink water." Zen commented.
"W-Well, no..." Yosuke acknowledged a bit awkwardly.
"There are no presences nearby other than ours." Aigis stated.
"This is creepy..." Kanji said.
"...We should hurry on. It could be a trap of some sort. Let's let sleeping dogs lie and-" Naoto started, but noticed it was too late. "-Wait, what!?"
"Whew..." Minato had drank the tea without a hint of hesitation, then realized and scratched his head as he flatly said, "Oh, whoops. I thought I was at Chagall for a second."
"...Chagall?" Yukiko repeated.
"It is the name of a cafe at the Paulownia Mall." Aigis answered.
"How do you make a mistake like that...?" Yosuke asked, but Yu seemed to be sharing a knowing look with Minato for some reason. "...Y-You don't feel any different, do you?"
"Nah, not really...It's ordinary tea. Anyone else want some?" Minato responded.
Yu nodded and gulped down some tea as well.
"Indeed...? Then I'll have a cup as well." Naoto said.
The tea smelled kind of sweet, so I decided to try it with the others, but I wasn't a big fan of tea.
"It's tea time! Obviously, the best snack to go with it is donuts!" Rei grinned, pulling donuts out of seemingly nowhere.
"Oh, that does sound nice. May I have one?" Ken asked.
"Of course! I have plain, miso, and fishcake flavoured ones!"
"Um...I'll have the plain one."
"Huh. You're pretty strange, Ken-chan."
"Y-You're strange yourself, Rei-san..."
"If you're not gonna eat all of them, mind if I try the miso?" I asked, and Rei grinned at me as she handed it over.
"Of course!" She looked pretty happy as I tried the oddly flavoured donut. It wasn't exactly bad, but it was really weird for a donut.
"C'est magnifique! What an amazing bouquet of flavours!" Mitsuru seemed to enjoy the tea. "Could this be Montagne Bleue, or..."
"Oh, yeah, mm-hm. It's definitely Monster Blue!" Chie responded.
"Don't act like you know what she's talking about! What kind of tea is Blue Monster!?" Yosuke questioned.
We all enjoyed our teatime and the break, but once we were refreshed, it was time to proceed through the next door.
Yosuke sighed when he saw more spikes. "It's those damn tiles again. Man, I am so not up for this..."
"Leader, it would seem that Yosuke-san is becoming fatigued at a decent rate. I believe it is your duty as the team leader to give him encouragement." Aigis said to Yu.
"I'll buy you something to eat later." Yu said to Yosuke.
"Nah, man. You don't have to do that! Sorry if I'm making you worried or anything." Yosuke put on a smile, but still seemed a bit tired.
"You must endure any decline in stamina until we reach the Nurse's Office. Be strong, Yosuke-san." Aigis encouraged him with a smile.
"Oh, right, the Nurse's Office...I guess we do recover there, but that person there's totally insane..." Yosuke sighed.
"I see...So, a Nurse's Office is a place meant for recovery?"
"Huh? What else would it be used for?"
"At Gekkoukan High School, the Nurse's Office is a place used to test one's fortitude. Brave students seeking to test their willpower drink a special concoction that the staff member there makes."
"Man, you guys' Nurse's Office sounds terrifying...Hold on a sec. Elizabeth doesn't know about this, right? If she ever hears about that, I'm sure she'd try to copy it."
"It appears that she is unaware of any such goings-on."
"Oh, thank God...!"
"That is why I made sure to inform her."
"Haha...Oh, you're such a kind-hearted girl, Ai-chan..."
"Thank you."
Yosuke looked more exhausted than when the conversation had started as we continued on.
"If you're tired, do you want a ride?" I asked him as we walked together toward the back of the group.
"H-Huh!?" He jolted back from me, as if I'd said something really shocking. He also seemed to be a bit flustered for some reason.
"Rei-san was riding on my back when I transformed earlier. You'd have to lay down because of my disc, but she said it was good to have a break from walking."
"O-Oh, that's what you meant..." He muttered, sighing and shaking his head a bit before giving me a not-so-reassuring smile. "Nah, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me, Kyoka. Besides, wouldn't it be hard on you to carry people around all the time?"
"I don't know. It's not exactly difficult, but I haven't done it enough to say if it'd be hard on me..." I shrugged, wincing only a little at the energy draining feeling that came with following the others across the spikes to get to a Power Spot.
"Well, thanks for the offer anyway, but you should worry about yourself more." Yosuke gave me a smile and then we both went to help with gathering materials.
We found another shortcut back toward the exit, then we went through a couple doors to find two of those gold archer things in a room.
"Two of 'em...This is gonna be tough." Shinjiro sighed.
"Yeah. It's not smart to walk around randomly with those things here. Let's be sure to keep the layout in mind while we're in here." Akihiko responded and the third-years, Minato, and Yu gathered around the map Yu was drawing to discuss a route through the room.
Once the route was decided, we headed through, but I guess there was a miscalculation, since we got shot with arrows.
"Aaagh! ...Everybody, look out! To your right! I mean, your left...!" Naoto said, but seemed to get even more confused. "Eh? Wait, er...Actually, I meant behind you...!?"
"Wh-What're you saying, Naoto!? It's behind you...Or is it in front of me...?" Akihiko asked. "Tch...What's going on!? Why do I feel so dizzy!?"
"Ugh...What direction am I supposed to be looking...?" I muttered, putting a hand to my head as I felt like the world was spinning around me.
"Are you all okay!?" Fuuka asked over the comms. "It looks like that arrow interferes with your sense of direction...Be careful which way you go!"
"Th-That's easy for you to say...We can't even walk straight..." Yosuke responded.
"Calm down! It looks like it only lasts a little while. It should go away after a couple of steps!" Rise told us. "Oh, and keep an eye on the FOE. It always turns the same way, which should help you pass it. Make sure you don't step into its direct line of sight or the direction it'll face next!"
"Ngh, very well...For the time being, let's exercise even more caution than usual." Mitsuru said.
Somehow, we stumbled our way out of the room.
"Whew...Having to keep in mind where two arrows might be shot from does wear one down." Mitsuru said as everyone recovered.
"Those angels' arrows are really accurate. They go straight forward without any wavering." Yukari commented.
"Oh, right. You use bows and arrows too, don't you, Yukari-chan?" Chie asked. "That's so cool. I'm sure if I tried, I'd completely miss."
"Not only would you miss, you'd probably snap the bow in two." Yosuke teased.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chie got mad at him.
"Those angels have very good control of their shots...but those arrows look well designed." Mitsuru said thoughtfully. "It's quite a task to avoid them, but if we were able to use them ourselves, I'm sure they'd be a good weapon."
"Wait a sec...Are you telling us to steal them!? From those powerful FOEs!?" Yosuke asked in shock.
"That's a great idea!" Akihiko snapped his fingers and looked excited.
"I'm merely addressing the possibility! It would be foolish to knowingly jump into a dangerous situation like that." Mitsuru said.
"Hold it right there, everyone! I have great news for you!" Fuuka spoke up.
"Bwaaaah! You scared me!" Teddie shrieked.
"Apparently Theo has just put out a request having to do with developing a new type of arrow. I think you could consider accepting it the next time you stop at the Nurse's Office!" Fuuka ignored the bear.
"Hm...That's quite timely." Mitsuru turned to Yu. "You should try taking on that request when you stop by the Nurse's Office. I'm sure it'll be of aid to us."
After that, we moved on, activating another shortcut and then entering the second "Selection Room" or whatever that voice called them. The door onward was sealed with chains again.
"This again. Does that weird guy have more to say?" Kanji asked.
"Well, hello. I heard you talking about me, so here I am." The mechanical voice spoke up.
"Well, hello, indeed." Aigis responded.
"After much anguish, you succeeded in breaking through the first room. But your path seems as though it might be endless...Yet the choice that determines your destiny is approaching quickly. And so, here is your long-awaited question number two. What's your idea of a good time together...?"
"Positively indoors!" Yu answered with one of the choices he was presented with.
Naoto chuckled a little and nodded. "You're like me in that regard."
The chains disappeared then.
"Are we getting closer to our destined partners? Are we?" Rei asked.
"Now, there's no need to worry, my kitty cat. No matter who's chosen, I'm everyone's-" Teddie started with his nonsense, but Mitsuru cut him off.
"The door's open. Let's hurry on."
"Won't you at least let me finish!?"
"Nope." I answered as I headed through the doors with the others quickly.
"Whoa!" Ken jumped when we heard a weird clanging noise. "That sound...It came from the other side of the wall! Something may have happened near the entrance!"
"That's the direction of the door we couldn't open..." Mitsuru said, looking at Yu's map. "It may be related somehow. We should investigate at once."
Before we did, though, Yu found a Power Spot in the room we had entered and then we activated a shortcut that was right next to the metal door from before.
"It was from around here that we heard that sound, right?" Yukari asked.
"I wonder what that's about. I didn't sense anything earlier..." Rise said. "I'm positive there are Shadows waiting past that door, though."
"A trial of love...!" Teddie got excited. "Who is the destined princess who will open this door with me to prove our love...!? Our romantic bond will now be tested!"
"Leader, are you ready?" Fuuka asked as we all ignored the bear.
"Now I'm getting ignored by people who aren't even here!?" Somehow Teddie was surprised by that.
"It seems there's quite a powerful foe awaiting us. We may wish to head back to make sure we're prepared." Mitsuru suggested.
So, we did head back and visited the Nurse's Office to recover a bit before we were all given some downtime to do whatever until Yu decided to head back into the labyrinth.
A/N: To the guest that said they wanted to see the Phantom Theives' reaction, I must apologize. Unfortunately, I wrote this story before P5 even came out and I'm very sorry that I don't think I will edit it too much other than spelling and grammar. However, I have been considering writing a P5 story with a new OC whenever I get the chance to play the newest version, so there is a possibility of an older Kyoka meeting them at some point if I do ever get around to that...Anyway, I'm very sorry to anyone that was hoping to see the P5 crew in this, but they won't be making an appearance. I hope you can still enjoy it with only the P3 and P4 characters though!