A/N Before you start reading this, join my fucking discord. You can find the link on my tumblr, klonoadreams. ANYWAYS, current news: Every Saturday, me and the boys are editing this fic and STREAMING it on my twitch, also klonoadreams. We're still live if you want to catch the chaos. :D
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"Welcome to Not a Dream, Not a Hoax: Princess Yukiko's hunt for her Prince Charming!"
"What…the hell?" A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of Yu's face, her mind frantically trying to process what the hell was going on.
"And I came prepared~!" Yukiko chirps in a rather too-sweet-for-comfort tone. She shows no hesitation or embarrassment in her next action, which is grabbing her crotch. Needless to say, all the mortification Yukiko fails to experience is felt by Yu.
"Oh, god, what is she doing?!" Yu covers her mouth, barely muffling a shriek. She can feel her cheeks heat up - even without looking in a mirror, she knows they're currently bright red.
"I've got my lacy unmentionables on, stacked from top to bottom!"
Yu can feel her blush creeping down her entire body as she gets an eyeful of cleavage, heart skipping a beat. "Uhh…"
"And my heart is ready to go!" Yukiko exclaims as she holds her hands in heart shape over her chest. "I'm out to catch a whole harem, and the best of the lot is going to be all mine!"
Yu tugs on the collar of her shirt, feeling intensely flustered—bothered, even. "I don't know what to make of this…"
"Weeeellll…here I go~!" With that said, Yukiko turns and flounces towards the castle in the background. And then the television screen goes black, and Yu is left staring, open-mouthed.
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…
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
It's a little disturbing, having her own heart beat so loud that she can hear it. "Ugh…"
PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!
Absent-mindedly, Yu answers her cell phone.
"H-Hey, did you see that?!" Yosuke asks, sounding as flustered as Yu feels.
"Uh-huh…" is all she can manage. Everything she just saw is simply…playing on repeat through her mind.
"That was Amagi-san for sure! It looked like her…I mean, she even said her name! But…didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird!?"
"Lacy…" Yu feels her face burn red. "Unmentionables…"
"Dude, snap out of it! I'm having a hard time doing it as is! Don't make it harder for me!"
"Are you—?"
"Do NOT."
She shakes her head. "R-Right…"
"Anyways, it looked like she was on some low-budget TV show…" Yosuke continues. "Was it like this before, too? What's going on…?"
"I…was she grabbing her—"
"Goddammit, Narukami—FOCUS!" Yosuke snaps.
Yu blinks and shakes her head again, more vigorously this time. "Got it…hey, try to contact Amagi-san…"
"Y-Yeah, I know…uhhh…crap, I don't know her number…"
Yu smacks her face with her hand. Shaking the thoughts out doesn't seem to be working -
"Are you okay?" Yosuke sounds concerned.
"Maybe...call Satonaka…?"
"Oh yeah, I can just call Satonaka! Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes first thing in the morning!"
"Sounds like a plan…" Yu sighs, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"Seriously, are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine, just…lacy unmentionables, stacked from top to bottom…" Yu finds herself peering into her shirt for a quick glimpse at her chest. Almost immediately, she shakes her head and looks away as she mentally berates herself. She needs a distraction from this…now. "Did she really grab her crotch?!"
"Yes, Narukami, now drop it!" Yosuke snaps. "You're making me remember that and I'd rather not because of Satonaka—"
"Critical hit to the nads?"
"Critical hit to the nads—is this going to be a reoccurring thing for us?"
"It is if you want it to be." From Yu's perspective it might just become that.
"…Let's space it out."
"Sure…so tomorrow?"
…
…
Chie pants as she makes her way down the empty streets, sprinting. The rain has stopped and Chie is fully aware that it's gone half past midnight, but she doesn't care. Her parents have already grown used to her bolting out of the house at any moment when it pertains to Yukiko that Chie doesn't have to worry about getting in trouble. Not that she would care, even if she did.
What she does care about, though, is if Yukiko is still at the inn. Yukiko is all she can think of as she continues sprinting towards the Amagi Inn, never once stopping, despite the burning in her chest. She can't stop…not until she knows Yukiko is safe.
I have to know…!
The Amagi Inn is lit brightly, and Chie can make out a silhouette at the entrance. As she gets closer, she can see that it's Yukiko's mother.
"Miyuki-san!" Chie calls out.
"Chie-chan?" Despite having grown accustomed to Chie's spontaneous visits, Miyuki still seems surprised to see Chie out so late at night. "What are you doing here?"
Once Chie has gotten close enough to be heard without having to yell, she stops to catch her breath before asking, "Is Yukiko here?"
"You mean she's not with you?"
"...What?" For a moment, Chie is sure her heart has stopped beating.
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…
Yu scratches at her chest lightly as she makes her way downstairs. She's greeted by absolute silence, with Dojima out of sight, probably at work, and Nanako… Yu looks around and finds Nanako sitting at the table in the living room. She's drinking orange juice, her gaze on the remote in front of her. When she notices Yu, her attention switches over to her cousin.
"Good morning," Nanako greets, taking a sip of her orange juice.
"You're up early," Yu remarks.
"Dad woke up early, so I got up with him. He said he's gonna be late."
"So that means she's home alone…" Yu makes a face. She doesn't want to leave Nanako alone, but she already made plans to go to Junes…
"Are you going somewhere?" Nanako looks Yu over, taking in the gray turtleneck, black pants and jacket she was wearing. Yu looks... ready to go somewhere.
Yu blinks. "Uh…"
"I'll be fine by myself," Nanako reassures Yu, before picking up the remote.
"—so the weather this weekend will be perfect for going out. As for next week's forecast…"
Nanako sets down the remote. "Oh, the sun's gonna come out! I should do some laundry…"
"...Need any help?" Yu offers. She knows she has to go to Junes, but Yosuke won't die if she's a few minutes late…
"Uh…but aren't you going somewhere?" Nanako smiles at Yu. "It's okay, I'm fine! Really…"
At Nanako's insistence, Yu decides to go out. She's still not entirely sure, but...she really has never met a more convincing six-year-old in her life.
…
At the Junes Food Court, Yu looks at the white origami cranes she had folded on the table she sits at. She smiles and takes a small drink from her can of TaP soda. There's a vending machine next to a place called the Shiroku Store, which had caught her interest immediately and the sweet, old lady running the store had noticed. After a small discussion with her, Yu makes a mental note to come back soon.
"Yo! I got some stuff out of my closet!"
Yu arches her brow at Yosuke as he approaches her, his hands behind his back. Once he's close enough, Yu can see exactly what he's got tucked behind him, and she has to cover her mouth to avoid spitting out her soda. She stares, wide-eyed, as Yosuke holds out a katana and an aikuchi.
"Guess what's sharper than a golf club~!" Yosuke sings.
Yu coughs a few times, making a face when she sees her soda-soaked origami cranes. She focuses her gaze on Yosuke. "Aw, what the hell, man?!"
"We might have our Personas, but you were right about how it helped to have a weapon," Yosuke explains, blissfully unaware of the stares he is receiving from the people at the food court. "So, which one strikes your fancy?"
Yu looks at the weapons and after a moment's thought firmly replies, "The katana."
Yosuke grin widens. "Ahh, you've got a discerning taste! This is a Junes exclusive. The blade's, uh, fake, though…"
Yu sighs. "I thought you said it was sharper than a golf club…? And what about you?"
"I could dig using both," Yosuke says, before licking the katana's blade. "Kinda like this?!"
Yu's eyes widen as Yosuke begins waving the aikuchi and katana around—in a crowded food court, with a murderer on the loose and a policeman very clearly taking note of his sword-swinging antics.
"This is definitely going to end well…" Yu thinks, a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face.
"I've identified two suspicious-looking young males, one armed with multiple weapons. Requesting immediate backup."
"Extremely well…" Yu thinks as she watches Yosuke getting his arms pinned behind his back.
"Hey, hold it! Wait, wait, wait!" Yosuke drops the swords and sends the policeman a nervous look over his shoulder.
He scowls. "Resisting an officer?"
"We weren't doing anything!" Yosuke insists. "We aren't bad guys! We're just huge sword fanatics!"
Yu blinks and immediately stands up. "Don't include me. Look, officer, this is just a misunderstanding—"
"They're over there!" Three more officers arrive at the scene.
Yu looks over at them and sighs. There's no point in trying to argue with them at this point.
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…
Yu has a blank expression on her face as she's forced into the backseat of the police car. Once she's in, the door slams shut and the car takes off. Sirens begin wailing and Yosuke, sitting between Yu and an officer, finds himself being glared at by the former. He can do little but smile sheepishly in response.
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…
"I didn't take you as the type of kid who would do something like this, Yu." As Dojima stands before his nephew, who stands right next to the Junes boy, both his expression and his tone are stern. If this is the sort of influence Hanamura will be, Dojima will have to consider having Yu end his friendship with the boy. He sighs. "You know what's been going on around town. We've got men stationed everywhere. For god's sake…this is the second time this has happened!"
"Second?" Yosuke looks at Yu, perplexed.
Yu exercises her right to remain silent.
"You're lucky I was around, or this would've ended up on your permanent record." Dojima looks from Yu to Yosuke slowly, to impress upon them both just how serious this is.
"Like that matters…" Yu's just glad she isn't behind bars.
"We're, uh, sorry?" Yosuke avoids making eye-contact with Dojima.
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…
"Aren't you going to say something, Yu?" Dojima questions.
"It wasn't my fault?" Because really, it wasn't - she was just dragged along. "Look, what do you expect me to say? I will not make friends with gangsters?"
Dojima shakes his head in exasperation. "Just…avoid getting into trouble," he sighs.
"Will do!" Yu replies automatically.
"Wait, so the one that disappeared is the Amagi girl…?"
"Seems like it… But she's just a high schooler, you know. Could be that she decided to run away from home…"
Yu and Yosuke exchange a glance. They had both heard the conversation going on between a plainclothesman and a uniformed officer passing by them clear as day.
"Did he say Amagi…?" Yosuke asks in disbelief. "Then…She really is…"
"Oh my god…" She feels her blood run cold. Yukiko was in that bizarre TV world.
"Hm?" A questioning hum, and Dojima squints at Yu and Yosuke. "Who's what now?"
Yosuke turns to Dojima, immediately nervous. He and Yu had been so wrapped up in their horror they'd totally forgotten they weren't alone. "Oh, uh, nothing…"
"I'm sure you've seen on the news that there's an investigation in progress. Right now, we're sensitive about certain things."
Yu remembers vividly the treatment she received the other day for being out so late at night- and with her luck, of course she had to walk by the source of the investigation. "At least I can depend on Dojima to bail me out for that…"
"You're free to go," Dojima says, and looks at the two of them. "But this better not happen again…and Yu, I'm still expecting an explanation about why you and Nanako were spending the night at his house."
Yu turns to Yosuke. "Hanamura…"
Yosuke blinks a few times. "Uh…about that…well, you see…"
Dojima sighs and shakes his head. "Never mind. I have a feeling I'll never get a straight answer out of either of you. Just don't do it again without telling me…understand, Yu?"
"Uh…yes!" Yu nods her head.
Dojima sighs and walks away from the two. Once he's out of earshot, both of them sigh in relief.
"That was tense…" Yosuke remarks.
Yu nods in agreement. "My heart…"
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…
"We should leave…"
"Yeah, we should…"
They start making their way out when they come across a certain assistant of Dojima's, almost bumping into him.
"Whoa…Pardon me." Adachi looks nervously at the hot coffee in his right hand. He sighs and turns to them. "Huh? Aren't you that kid staying at Dojima-san's place?"
Yu makes a face. "Yeah, we met the other day…remember?"
Adachi blinks, his eyes widening in realization. "Oh crap…were your groceries okay?!"
"Yeah. They were." Yu would've otherwise killed him.
Adachi frowns. "Geez, you two are definitely related…"
"Oh…! Uh, can we ask you something?" Yosuke looks at Adachi as he crosses his arms.
"Hmm?" Adachi blinks.
"It's about Yukiko Amagi of the Amagi Inn…did something happen to her?" Yosuke hopes to get an answer out of Adachi.
"Huh? Oh, umm…am I allowed to say…?" Adachi thinks for a moment before sighing. "Well, if you're friends with Yukiko-san…Keep this between us, okay? We got a call from her parents yesterday evening saying they couldn't find her anywhere."
That definitely catches Yu and Yosuke's attention.
"Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy, and no one saw Yukiko-san around that time," Adachi continues. "Oh, but that doesn't necessarily mean this is a case just yet! But, people've been turning up dead on foggy days… So we're really sensitive to stuff like this."
"I've noticed," Yu remarks, earning a rather nervous look from Adachi.
"By the way, did she say anything to you guys about maybe going through some hard times?" Adachi asks as he tries to change the subject. He just wants to forget what happened last night.
Yosuke blinks. "Uh…? Hard times?"
Yu arches her brow. "What's this about?"
"Well, that announcer, Ms. Yamano, was staying at the Amagi Inn before the first murder," Adachi replies. "Seems Ms. Yamano had some harsh words for the manager about the staff's attitude towards guests. The stress of it caused the manager to collapse. And with Yukiko-san being the manager's daughter…she must've felt pretty strongly about the incident, y'know."
Just what is Adachi trying to imply?
"By the way, did Yukiko-san ever hint that she might be leaving the house?" Adachi lowers his voice at this point. "'Cause if not, there's been some theories floating around that she's laying low for some reason or another…Nah, crap, I think I've gone too far. You didn't hear that, okay?"
"Adachi, what the hell are you chatting with civvies for?! And where's my coffee?!" Dojima's voice is heard by everyone and now all eyes are on Adachi.
"S-Sorry! I got it right here!" Adachi looks nervously at Yu and Yosuke. "Forget I said anything! Please!"
They can only nod in response. Adachi sighs in relief and continues making his way to Dojima.
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…
Chie waits at the front desk for Yu and Yosuke at Junes. The look on her face is enough for them to be wary of saying anything that might set her off.
"Sheesh, what're you guys doing?!" Chie is furious. "I've been looking everywhere!"
Yosuke looks awkwardly at Chie. "Uh, well, there was a slight misunderstanding—we'll tell you about it later."
"I could care less what happened!" Chie shouts bluntly. "Yukiko's missing!"
Yosuke blinks. "Wait, you knew that already?"
"They…They thought she was with me…" Chie replies as she looks down. "Yukiko and I are close, you know… Nobody knew she was missing until I walked up to Miyuki-san and asked her if Yukiko was home…"
"Miyuki-san?" Yu repeats.
"Yukiko's mother…" Chie replies. "I…she really did disappear…"
Yosuke frowns. "I guess we've got no choice but to go now…"
"No shit!" Chie snaps. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go!"
"Problem…" Yu crosses her arms. "Our weapons got confiscated, no thanks to a certain someone who thought it would be a good idea to wave them around in a food court full of people."
"Is that what happened?" Chie looks at Yosuke. "That's the stupidest thing you've ever done, even by your standards!"
Yosuke scowls at Chie. "What did you say?!"
"Calm down, you guys—may I remind you of the policeman standing just a few feet away from us outside?" Yu had noticed his presence and she would rather avoid another trip to the station. "Twice in a day is a personal record I'd rather avoid…"
…
…
"Sorry…" both Yosuke and Chie say sheepishly.
Yu sighs. "Okay, so what are we going to do about our weapons? We can't go in empty-handed and I refuse to use a golf club…"
"Didn't seem like that last time…" Yosuke comments.
"Yeah, but golf clubs don't last," Yu explains. "I need something durable—like a baseball bat or something…when's the next shipment of baseball bats?"
"At the end of the month—just like everything else," Yosuke replies. "So that's out…"
Chie grins. "Heeey…I know a place~."
Yu turns to Yosuke and whispers, "Should I worry about this?"
"You get used to it…" he whispers back.
"Follow me!"
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…
"Here we are!" Chie chirps.
Yosuke and Yu look around the building they had just entered in the shopping district. Weapons and armors of various types line the walls and shelves. An old man watches the three thoughtfully behind his table occupied by metalwork. He's smoking a cigarette, which explains why the building smells like smoke.
"Wh-What kinda shop is this…?" Yosuke looks around, eyeing the various weapons lining one of the many shelves.
Chie's brow furrows in thought. "A metalworks…I guess? They sell all sorts of metal crap…like katana and stuff."
Yu blinks. "Is this even legal?"
"Forget that, doesn't this seem weird to you?!" Yosuke looks at Chie. "Why would you know about a place like this anyway? Do I even want to know?"
Chie scowls at Yosuke.
"Oh, I get it…" Yosuke sighs. "You watched one too many kung-fu movies, and…"
"It's not that at all!" Chie snaps. "I overheard some guys in our class talk about it. They said this place sells weapons and armor."
"Doesn't that sound a little too convenient?" Yu asks Chie as she turns to look over some armor. She internally sighs when she realizes she was just ignored. "Figures…"
"Here, this one looks good…but it might be too heavy…" Chie frowns.
Yosuke huffs. "I dunno, Satonaka—wait, you're going?!"
"Of course I am!" Chie says as if it was obvious. "This is Yukiko we're talking about! I have to save her…"
Yosuke frowns. "Look, I know how you feel, but—"
Chie turns to face Yosuke, scowling at him. "You don't! You don't know shit about how I feel… Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud! I'm going, and that's that!"
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…
"Oh, alright," Yu sighs. "Just…try to be careful."
Chie smiles. "Psh, I'll be fine! My reflexes are second to none!"
"Listen…I'm not kidding around…" Yosuke says seriously. "You don't know what it's like in there! We almost got killed last time. If you're not gonna listen to our warnings, we're leaving you here! If you insist on coming, just make sure you have something to protect yourself."
"Alright…" Chie huffs before turning around to look at the armor some more. "So…what should we get?"
Yosuke makes a face and turns to Yu. "What should we get?"
"I think we should be more concerned about the guy selling this stuff…" Yu replies as she tries not to look at the man who has been watching the three of them since the moment they'd entered the shop.
Ding!
Yu and Yosuke turn to see Chie receiving chainmail armor from the man. Literally in an instant. She thanks him and turns back to them, blinking curiously when she notices the stares Yu and Yosuke are giving her.
"What? I got my stuff all picked out! How about you guys?"
"Who's next?" The man eyes Yu and Yosuke.
Almost immediately, Yu finds herself being pushed towards the man by Yosuke. "Huh?"
"You talk to him…" Yosuke whispers to Yu. "He creeps me out…"
"Jerk…"
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…
"Have you come to see my art?" the man asks as he eyes Yu. "Hmm…haven't seen you around here before… What's your name?"
"Yu Narukami." Yu's response was almost automatic. "I just moved in from the city almost a week ago…and you?"
"Call me Daidara," the man replies with a wide grin. "You know, I'm feeling rather generous today, so how about I give you a discount on your purchase today?"
Yu blinks. "Huh?"
"You are a customer, correct?" Daidara takes a drag on his cigarette, and then exhales, puffing smoke into the air. "So what is it you're looking for?"
"Uh…do you sell any katana?"
He scratches the back of his head and sighs. "Well, at the moment, all I have for you is an imitation katana. It's the closest I have that's suited for someone of your…petite stature. And it'd do you good to start out small."
Yu looks blankly at Daidara. "Hmm…how much?"
"4,800 yen, but for you…4,000 yen," Daidara answers, placing his cigarette back in his mouth. "Have we got a deal?"
"I guess…"
Daidara grins. "Good choice…anything else?"
Yu looks over her shoulder at Yosuke, who's currently looking at the assortment of swords put up for display. "What do you suggest for him?"
He looks Yosuke over. "Hmm…"
…
…
"Well?" She needs to know.
The shopkeeper goes under the table for a moment, before coming back up with a wrench in each hand. "I suggest you start him out on these before moving him onto anything remotely sharp."
Yu stares at the wrenches in Daidara's hands. "Okaaay…so how much?"
"1000 yen for both," He replies. "And with the imitation katana, the price would add up to…5000 yen."
"I'll take them both…" One payment later and Yu is now the owner of an imitation katana and a pair of wrenches that she plans on giving to Yosuke.
"Is there anything else you'd like?" Daidara asks her.
Yu looks at her imitation katana as she unsheathes it from its saya. "Not really…"
"You know, if you want something special, bring me your own materials and I'll try to use them for you." He exhales a puff of smoke. "I always like seeing new things and trying new techniques. So, bring me some rare materials that I've never seen before… If you do, I can make you some really cool stuff…"
"You mean like an actual katana?" The imitation katana isn't bad—in fact, it looks almost like a real katana. It's just that…it's still an imitation.
Daidara grins. "Well, it all depends on the materials I receive from you…and what I make is up to me. I am the artist here, after all. I'll be expecting some praise, too!"
Yu looks at him and smiles. "You're alright, old man."
…
…
Yu is the first to leave the shop after giving Yosuke the pair of wrenches she bought him. He was probably still staring at them.
"I'd be, too, if my weapons were a pair of monkey wrenches…" Yu thinks as she puts her hand in her pocket...her pocket that suddenly isn't as empty as it had been. She blinks as her hand closes around a small, hard object, and she pulls out a strange blue key. It almost seems to be...glowing.
"When did that get there…?" Yu looks questioningly at it. "Wait…this seems…familiar…"
FLASH!
"Aagh…" She shields her eyes from the sudden bright flash that practically blinds her. It takes a few moments before the temporary blindness goes away. When it does, she finds herself staring at a bizarre door that she knows wasn't there before. She has a feeling she's the only one who sees the door, considering nobody else seems to acknowledge it.
"So it finally begins…" a voice echoes in her head. "Now, if you'll give me a moment of your time…"
Yu blinks and notices that the key in her hand is glowing. A bright light flashes and she hears the turn of a doorknob and a door opening.
…
…
When the bright light wanes, Yu finds herself in the Velvet Room. Margaret and Igor's presence greets her, but there was something different about this particular meeting. There was a girl sitting to Igor's right. She has black hair, a very familiar outfit… and an unfriendly look to herself.
…
"It's her!" Yu's eyes go wide.
It's the same girl she met the first day she arrived at Inaba…but…
"What is she doing here?"
"We have been expecting you," Igor remarks, his grin never ceasing. "The catastrophe that is headed your way… It has already taken human lives in its approach towards you…But you have nothing to fear. You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time for you to use your Persona has come…"
Yu rubs the back of her head. "Ah…"
"Your Persona ability is that of the wild card," Margaret begins. "If you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."
"My contribution…is to give birth to new Personas," Igor continues for Margaret. "By mixing together multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form… This, in other words, is the fusion of Personas. You have the power to hold multiple Personas and to use them accordingly."
Yu blinks. "Wow…that's—that's a lot to take in…"
"When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times, they may be hard to grasp…but you must master your fear and reach out to them. When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your Social Links, then your Persona will gain even more power…"
"Social Links, Social Links, Social Links…" Yu repeats in her head. "That's all I've been hearing from you…"
"They will be one of your chief sources of strength… You would do well to take this to heart."
Yu recalls that she has the Magician Social Link with Yosuke…her first Social Link. It seems that when she fuses a Persona of the Magician Arcana, the Persona would gain even more power…assuming that was what Igor was informing her about.
"That would explain why he's shoving Personas and Social Links down my throat…" Yu thinks to herself.
Igor glances at Margaret and she nods. Margaret turns her attention to Yu and holds up a book.
"The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium," Margaret explains. "Registering the Personas you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it. Oh, and one more thing…I would like to introduce a new resident of the Velvet Room, who will be helping you on your journey."
Yu's attention turns to the unfriendly-looking girl. The girl looks back at Yu, not even bothering to say anything to her.
"Hmph…"
Margaret looks questioningly at the girl, a frown forming on her red lips. "…Marie?"
"So her name is Marie…" She finally knows the girl's name…
"Yeah, I can hear," Marie practically snaps at Margaret. "Nice to meet you."
Marie appears unfriendly, but Yu honestly doesn't mind. She's just glad to see Marie again, though something did bother her… Marie doesn't seem to recognize her.
"I met you somewhere…" Yu is sure of it.
Marie blinks in surprise. "Huh…? Ohhhh…Maybe. That'd explain why you're so familiar. Hmmmm…"
Margaret sighs. "Excuse her. This is Marie. Her soul is still very young and—"
"Shut up!" Marie interrupts Margaret. "Don't tell him any more about me than you need to."
"As you can see…" Margaret continues. "She may be brusque at times, but please understand that she is only an apprentice and forgive her for her impoliteness."
"Got it," Yu replies, not really minding Marie's impoliteness. She was a nice change in comparison to Igor and Margaret.
"Marie will be dealing with 'Skill cards,'" Margaret explains. "Using these cards will allow you to provide your Personas with new powers. Also, I am sure she will help you form a bond between yourself and the 'outside world'. Marie will contact you at a later date. Please feel free to speak with her here when you wish to use her services."
Marie looks down at her lap and tries to ignore Margaret and Igor. "Hmph…"
Igor chuckles. "Do you recall my words to you before?"
Yu makes a face. "Which ones?"
"'The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost,'" Igor replies. "I meant precisely what I said. Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end… Please do not forget this."
She nods. "I won't."
Igor's grin widens. "When next we meet, you will come here of your own will." He chuckles. "I look forward to it. Until then… farewell."
…
…
When Yu comes to, she finds herself being shaken by Yosuke.
"Dude, wake up!" Yosuke exclaims. "You better have a good explanation why I have a pair of monkey wrenches as a weapon!"
Yu blinks. "Hey, what just…happened?"
"You blanked out," Chie replies. "Oh, and Hanamura wants to know why you gave him such a lame weapon. Personally, I think they're perfect for him."
Yosuke scowls at Chie. "Shut up!"
"Well, Daidara recommended it for you and I'm taking that recommendation," Yu explains. "Hanamura, you are to keep away from using anything remotely sharp until further notice…besides, I have an imitation katana and Satonaka—what are you using?"
Chie grins enthusiastically. "My awesome kicking skills…"
…
…
"Okay, best not to question that…" Yu sighs. "Look, here, Hanamura…I can't just spend money on weapons you don't know how to use. All of us are starting out small…I think we'll move on from there…you get me?"
Yosuke turns away from Yu. "I guess…"
"So how are we going to get into Junes?" Chie asks. "I mean, there are policemen surrounding Junes."
Yu gets Yosuke's attention with a cough. "Well, there are perks to being a part-time employee at Junes, and a full-time son of the manager…"
"Oh, I get you…" He says with a grin. "Just follow my lead…"
…
…
Being a part-time employee (and full-time son of the manager) of Junes entitles Yosuke to certain privileges, such as the keys to the back-door entrance. There aren't any police around and, even luckier for the trio, it is completely devoid of any other employees.
Yu gives her katana to Yosuke for him to hide in his jacket. Compared to her, he's much more capable of hiding a weapon on his person...and is also less likely to have many eyes on him simply because he isn't the new kid in town.
A few minutes later, the trio arrives at the electronics department. It was empty, thankfully. Yosuke suggests that it might be because of the fact that an ongoing sale there had ended about an hour ago. As he says this, the three of them approach a familiar television, and Yosuke hesitantly turns to Chie.
"Satonaka, it's not too late to—"
"I'm going!" Chie snaps. Her tone is firm, but Yu can see that under the bravado...her expression is brittle.
Yosuke, perhaps, cannot see it like she can. He sighs. "Fine, but don't push yourself, got it?!"
"And make sure to stay close," Yu adds. "We really can't afford to split up."
Chie nods. Her brief flare of anger fades for relief as she smiles. "Okay! Now let's go!"
…
…
Bam!
Yu grimaces as she finds herself piled under Chie and Yosuke. This is the third time she's found herself softening the fall for other people.
"This is getting old…" Yu huffs. "We seriously need to find a way to enter the TV without landing on each other…" Namely me.
"Hear, hear." Yosuke groans. "Satonaka, please get off me…your chainmail is fucking heavy…"
"S-Sorry…" Chie says sheepishly.
In short order, the three are pushing themselves to their feet. Yu sighs and picks up her katana off the floor. It was right next to Yosuke's wrenches. One of the things Yu and Yosuke did prior to entering the television was tossing in their wrapped up weapons first. If they hadn't, the landing might have been…Yu decides not to think about it. She's just glad they had the foresight to work around the problem. Given how well they've been doing so far, it's a rare moment of their singular brain cell working.
"Whoa, it really is that bear from last time…" Chie remarks, having spotted Teddie, who seems to have been wallowing in a corner.
Yu blinks as she feels someone tap on her shoulder. She turns to see Yosuke already wearing his orange glasses. In his hands is the pair of silver glasses that belongs to her.
"I thought I'd keep an eye on these after…last time," Yosuke explains.
Yu blinks and takes the glasses. "Thank you."
"No problem, Partner," Yosuke replies with a grin, before turning his attention to Teddie. "What're you doing?"
"Can't you tell?" Teddie asks. His voice says, isn't it obvious? "I'm thinking about stuff…"
"Has he been doing this all this time?" Yu can't help but wonder.
"I've been deli-bear-ating over it for a long time now," Teddie sighs. "Hey, that wasn't a bad joke. Heehee…!"
Yosuke grimaces. "Ugh…"
Yu makes a face. "Please don't start."
"Aye, aye, Sensei~!" Teddie chirps.
"So…did you figure anything out?" Yosuke asks him, then reconsiders. "Eh, it's probably useless to think about it too much. I've seen the inside of your skull, and it was empty."
Teddie turns and walks up to Yosuke, scowling at him. "How rude!"
"And you wonder why he doesn't show you any respect," Yu remarks.
Yosuke offers Teddie an awkward smile. "S-Sorry…"
"You're right, though." Teddie smiles. "I try and try but nothing comes out of my head!"
Chie growls, at her limit. "Will you guys shut up?! Now's not the time for stupid jokes! Listen, you…Teddie. Someone came here yesterday, right?"
Teddie turns to Chie and his pupils shrink. "Wow! There's a girl with a better nose than me?! What's your name, Miss?"
Chie blinks owlishly. "M-Miss? Uh…I'm Chie Satonaka—but never mind that! Tell me more about that 'someone'!"
"I think it happened a little after I talked with you guys," Teddie begins. "How's your hand, Sensei?"
Yu holds up her right hand for Teddie to look at. It's wrapped in bandages. "I'll let you be the judge of that."
Teddie laughs awkwardly. "Anyways, after that…it felt like someone was here."
"Is it Amagi-san?!" Yosuke's quick to ask.
Teddie turns to him. "I don't know. I haven't looked… and I don't know who Amagi-san is! The presence is over that way, though. That's probably where they are."
Chie looks in the direction Teddie is pointing. "Over there, huh…? Is everyone ready?"
Yosuke blinks. "Y-Yeah!"
Before Yu even has a chance to respond, Chie runs ahead. Considering she's taken off before Yosuke has finished speaking, Yu is fairly certain she doesn't actually care if the rest of them weren't ready. Exchanging a glance, Yosuke, Yu, and Teddie quickly run after her.
"What the hell, Satonaka?!" Yosuke exclaims. "I thought we were clear about what you were supposed to do!"
…
…
"Wasn't this…on the Midnight Channel last night?" Chie turns to the trio as they catch up to her.
The four of them are standing on a stone bridge leading towards a huge castle that resembles castles found in typical European fables. The stone entrance is a black and red vortex, much like the sky above. Altogether, there's something ominous about the castle.
"Why a castle?" Yosuke can't help but question.
"Yukiko was always interested in fairytales…" Chie murmurs, recalling the many times she found her friend checking out simple children's books from the library prior to making the transition from fairytales to shoujo manga.
"That explains a lot…" Yu thinks.
Yosuke turns to Teddie. "You're positive that no one's behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?"
Teddie blinks. "Program…? I don't know. Maybe people on your side can see stuff in this world. It might be that. And I told you before! There's only me and Shadows here! There's no 'camera' stuff going on. This world has been like this from the beginning."
"'From the beginning'…?" Yosuke repeats, scowling afterwards. "That's what we don't understand!"
"I dunno…can you guys explain everything about your world?" Teddie asks. "I've never seen this 'program' thingy before. So I don't know."
"Well…is that really what's happening?" Chie furrows her brow. "Are we really looking into this world? Because the first time Yukiko showed up on that channel was before she disappeared. Doesn't that seem off? I mean, Yukiko saying stuff like 'score myself a hot stud'? That's not like her at all!"
Teddie looks questioningly at Chie. "'Score'? 'Stud'…?"
Yosuke ignores Teddie. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either… Amagi-san would never say anything like that."
"I didn't even think she'd had that phrase in her vocabulary…" Yu remarks. "If anything, I'd expect her to swear before saying anything like that...which still doesn't feel very likely, if I'm being honest."
Chie nods firmly.
Yosuke crosses his arms. "Huh…I wonder…Is this kinda like what happened to me last time…?"
Teddie turns to Yosuke. "There's a lot of stuff I still don't get. But after hearing your story… I think that 'program' happens because of the person who appears on it. Or something like that…"
"So…Yukiko is producing that show herself?" Chie asks, brow scrunching up further. "Ugh, I don't get this at all!"
…
"Hey…do you feel Yukiko's presence from inside?" Chie asks Teddie as she looks at the castle.
"I'm pretty sure…so, um, what's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing…?" Teddie's question falls on deaf ears.
"Yukiko's here…" That simple confirmation completely derails Chie from listening to any more of Teddie's words. Her focus is only on the castle looming before them. "I'm going on ahead!"
She bolts for the entrance, leaving Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie behind.
"Hey, wait!" Yosuke shouts. "Don't go alone, you idiot!"
Yu claps a hand to her forehead. "Geez…we should get going, now."
"Urk…there are lots of Shadows in the castle…" Teddie says nervously. "It'll be dangerous inside for a girl by herself…"
Yosuke narrows his eyes at Teddie. "Dude, are you freaking serious?!"
"Why the hell didn't you tell us before?" Yu glares at Teddie.
Teddie laughs nervously. "Oops…"
"C'mon, we need to go find Satonaka!" Yosuke exclaims, gesturing at the castle before running off.
"You guys go ahead, I'll just…guard the entrance!" Teddie says with a wide smile on his face.
"Like hell you are!" Yu exclaims as she drags him in behind her.
"Hey, careful! I'm beary delicate!"
…
"Dude, I feel ridiculous with these wrenches…" Yosuke complains while holding a wrench in each hand.
"Don't whine, Hanamura," Yu says, unsheathing her imitation katana. "Just try not to hurt yourself—"
"Ouch!"
Klang!
Yu sighs as she watches Yosuke rub his head, taking note of the single monkey wrench that rests on the floor. "And you wonder why you got a pair of wrenches for weapons…what the hell were you even trying to do?"
"Uh…spin it up in the air and catch it?" Yosuke replies sheepishly.
…
…
"Practice with something else before trying it with the real thing…" Yu sighs in exasperation. "Teddie, can you tell where Satonaka is?"
Teddie sniffs the air. "Hmm…she's not that far, that's for sure."
"Awesome…" Yu deadpans. "Let's go!"
"Hey, don't leave me behind!" Yosuke exclaims as he picks his wrench off the floor. "This place is creepy!"
The castle's décor feels hollow in its extravagant mockery; the dark, empty and seemingly-endless hallways are too ominous to appreciate the decor. In fact, it almost feels…lonely, maybe even a tad bit…suffocating for one to wander alone.
"Watch out!" Teddie exclaims. "The Shadows are getting really aggravated, Sensei! They might try to get the jump on you if they spot you!"
Yu narrows her eyes as she spots a creeping shadow of black slime oozing out of the ground. "I guess that means I have to make sure I attack first!"
The Shadow makes an eerie gurgling sound and starts to turn around, but Yu manages to land a solid hit on it with her katana. Though, just as she readies to follow up with a second attack, the Shadow splits in two and morphs into something else. Yu recognizes one of the shapes, the way its tongue dangles out of its mouth…
Yu scowls. "You…"
"Lying Hableries are weak to Zio skills!" Teddie calls out. "They're the same Shadows that attacked you and Yosuke last time!"
Yu holds out her right hand as a blue card engulfed in blue flames hovers over her palm. The floor beneath her glows and encircles her in blue light. Behind her, Izanagi appears, poised and ready for battle.
"Ready, Izanagi?" Yu glances at Izanagi over her shoulder.
Izanagi responds with a small nod and raises his arm. A bolt of lightning cracks down on the Lying Hablerie. The attack leaves the Lying Hablerie twitching on the floor. Yu promptly takes advantage of this moment and moves in for an attack. She swings her katana and strikes the Lying Hablerie hard, reducing it to a puddle of slime on the red carpet covering the floor.
"Watch out!" Yosuke yells.
Yu had forgotten the other Shadow and ends up being caught by surprise. The Shadow that attacks resembles a masked dolphin made out of ribbons and it uses its tail as a weapon. The strike knocks Yu off her feet, and it doesn't even give her a chance to recover before attacking again.
"Ugh…" Yu's vision blurs and her head spins.
Yosuke knows almost immediately that something is wrong with Yu. Otherwise, Izanagi wouldn't be using his naginata as a crutch. It also helps that Teddie points out the obvious…
"Sensei's dizzy!" Teddie exclaims as he flails. "Help him out, Yosuke!"
"I'm on it!" Yosuke exclaims as he leaps up and smashes a glowing blue card using one of his wrenches. "Come, Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya appears seconds after Yosuke calls for him. He flips over Yosuke and points his index finger at the Shadow, summoning a green-colored tornado that blasts the Shadow with enough force to knock it to the floor.
"Calm Pesce is weak to Garu Skills! Finish it off, Yosuke! For Sensei!"
Yosuke runs towards the Shadow, a Calm Pesce (according to Teddie), and jumps up, bringing down both of his wrenches on the Calm Pesce as he lands. The Calm Pesce dissolves into a puddle of slime almost immediately upon impact. With both Shadows gone, Yosuke runs to Yu.
"Narukami!" he exclaims.
Yu blinks and shakes her head. Her dizziness is fading and she finds herself looking at a pair of swirling cards. "The hell? Is this what Igor was talking about?"
"When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards," Igor's words echo in her mind. "At times, they may be hard to grasp…but you must master your fear and reach out to them."
"Huh…so I guess I have to pick one…" Yu narrows her eyes and grabs a card at random. The other cards disappear and the one in her hand glows. She flips the card over and finds herself staring at an image of a small, winged girl with short brown hair, clad in blue, with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Pixie…?"
The name had popped up in mind and, without meaning to, Yu crushes the card in her hand. Izanagi disappears, and in his place the winged girl on the card appears in front of Yu. The winged girl is no bigger than Yu's hand. She flits about in the air, smiling at her.
"I am thou and thou art I!" Her voice is high-pitched and almost bell-like. "I am Pixie."
Yu stares at Pixie. It's strange seeing a Persona just speak to her…Izanagi never does that.
"Then again, Izanagi was never one to talk…" Ignoring the fact that she has only known Izanagi for a total of maybe…possibly three days? Yu sighs and tries to get off the ground. …she tries. She can't because it hurts to move. "Agh…"
"Hey, listen!" Pixie exclaims. "You're hurt! Mind giving me the command to heal you?"
"Uh…sure?" Yu is confused as something pops up in mind. "Dia…?"
Pixie smiles and claps. "There we go~!"
Yu's body begins to glow as a healing light washes over her. The pain disappears almost at once and Yu is finally able to stand up. She looks over herself and then at Pixie.
"If you need any healing, you can call on me~!" Pixie chirps.
"What the hell is that?"
Yu and Pixie turn to see Yosuke staring at Pixie, somewhat baffled by her presence.
"Is that a fairy?" Yosuke walks up to Pixie and tries to touch her, but Pixie moves out of Yosuke's reach.
"Bad touch!" Pixie raises her hand and a small bolt of lightning strikes Yosuke.
BAM!
"Agh…" Yosuke is on the floor, twitching.
Yu blinks a few times and adjusts her glasses. "Okay, that was uncalled for, Pixie."
"I just don't like being touched," Pixie says as she crosses her arms and puffs up her cheeks. "Hmph…"
…
…
"Okaayyy, I'll heal him…" Pixie grumbles as she uses Dia on Yosuke.
"Thank you…" Yu has a feeling she's going to enjoy having Pixie on the team…she isn't so sure how Yosuke will feel about it, but she can deal with him later.
Moments later after a quick recovery, Yosuke stands up and glares at Pixie. "Dude, get rid of that thing."
"I don't want to." Yu says simply. "She can heal and cast Zio…"
"What about Izanagi?" Yosuke asks.
"I'm not weak to wind like him!" Pixie pipes in. "I can also use Patra in case you get confused or something!"
…
…
"I'm keeping her and that's that…" Yu's tone is firm.
Yosuke face palms. "Great…wait a second, how come you get another Persona?"
"I'm a wild card, apparently, so I can have multiple Personas…" Igor's words finally have clarity to them now that Yu has seen what they meant. "I guess that makes me special…"
Teddie overhears. "Sensei's so cool!"
Yosuke grimaces. "Can we just get going? We gotta get to Satonaka!"
"R-Right!" Yu had almost forgotten about that, thanks to Pixie.
"Hey!" Pixie exclaimed. "It's not my fault…"
Yu blinks and narrows her eyes. "Oh, great, she can read my mind…"
"Of course I can, 'I am thou', remember?" Pixie sits atop Yu's shoulder. She moves closer to her ear and whispers, "Hey, what's this about dressing up like a boy?"
…
…
"I see…" Pixie had received an answer through Yu's thoughts. "I won't bother you about it any further…"
"Thank you…" Yu says softly.
…
…
…
Yu watches as Yosuke empties the contents of his stomach in a corner of a room they'd entered minutes ago. After a small scuffle with a few Shadows, Yosuke had made a comment about feeling a burst of energy. It took a moment for Yu to put two and two together before realizing just what it was.
Every time Yu and Yosuke defeated a Shadow, they gained experience from that battle. Sometimes, Yu felt a burst of energy, but Yosuke hadn't…at least, he hadn't until now. This being the first time he'd experienced the sensation, he obviously wasn't used to it, and thus it had left him feeling...slightly disoriented.
"You okay?" Pixie, hearing Yu's thoughts, decides to ask Yosuke in her place.
Yosuke gags.
"I don't think he's okay, Pixie-chan," Teddie says helpfully, looking at Pixie with adoration. Pink tinges his cheeks.
Pixie glances at Teddie before turning away in dismissal. "Not interested!"
Teddie blinks. "What?"
In any other situation Yosuke would have managed at least a weak chuckle, but right now he doesn't feel very much like laughing. He's somewhat taken aback by the fact that Jiraiya has been rubbing his back in a comforting manner the whole time he's been throwing up. It's…strange, but Yosuke doesn't mind…sort of.
Yosuke wipes his mouth and spits on the floor. "Blegh…"
"So…where to?" Yu asks as she looks at Teddie.
Teddie blinks and starts sniffing the air. "Hmm…hmmm…this way!"
"Okay, let's go!"
"W-Wait up, Partner!"
…
…
Creak!
"All right, the stairs!" Yosuke exclaims, moments after pushing open the door.
Yu sighs. "Finally!"
After about an hour or so of wandering through endless hallways and doors leading into more hallways or the occasional room with treasure chests, Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie finally find the stairs leading to the next floor. Of course, the three had encountered more Shadows along the way and by now, Yu has another Persona in her possession. Pixie has been dismissed and replaced with Izanagi, much to Yosuke's relief.
Teddie walks over to the stairs and turns to Yu and Yosuke. "What are we waiting for? Let's go—huh…?"
Yu blinks. "What's wrong, Teddie?"
Teddie frowns. "I dunno, but there's something…different."
"I don't like the sound of that…" Yosuke tightens his grip on his wrenches.
Yu nods. "Okay, let's go over this before we move on…We're armed, right?"
"Right…" Yosuke replies.
"We have Pixie as our healer…right?" Yu continues.
Yosuke holds up his hand. "Actually, I can use Dia…"
…
…
"Mind telling me why you left that out earlier?"
"I didn't know that Dia was a healing spell…"
"And you couldn't ask Teddie?"
"I just found out I had Dia…"
…
Yu crosses her arms. "All right, Hanamura, you're the new medic. Try not to hurt yourself."
Yosuke blinks. "Does that mean Pixie's not coming out?"
"Possibly." She isn't sure about that, though. She needs the wind resistance, but she isn't going to say anything…
"Awesome." He's willing to take his chances. "What's next on the list?"
"I think that's it…"
"Okay, let's get going!"
Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie proceed to make their way up the stairs. As they go up, Teddie decides to strike up a conversation.
"You're good at fighting, Sensei," Teddie says. "Compared to you, Yosuke stinks…"
Yosuke scowls at Teddie. "Shut up, Ted! Though…I do gotta admit… You have a knack for this stuff…"
"Doesn't he?" Teddie smiles. "So you should be the one to give Yosuke orders during a fight."
Yosuke makes a face. "It ticks me off to hear Teddie say that stuff, but I don't wanna cause trouble doing my own thing in battle… Don't hesitate to order me around. I'm counting on you."
Yu has no idea how to respond to that, so she stays silent.
…
…
When Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie find Chie, she is just standing there, staring off into nothing. She doesn't respond to Yosuke when he calls for her, she just stands there and stares.
"She said that red looks good on me…"
"Amagi-san?!" Yosuke looks around.
"That was definitely her…" Yu says, frowning. "But…"
"Where is she?" Teddie blinks.
Yukiko was nowhere to be seen…but her voice was loud and clear.
"I hated my name…Yukiko…'Snow'…Snow is cold and it melts quickly… It's transient…worthless…" Her tone is so despondent and bitter. "But it's perfect for me… Apart from inheriting the inn, I'm worthless… Still…Chie told me that red looks good on me."
"Are these…Amagi-san's inner thoughts?" Yosuke asks. "I remember hearing Saki-senpai's, too…"
"Yeah," Teddie says with a nod. "This castle is probably here because of this Yukiko person."
"This is depressing…" Compared to Yosuke's reaction to hearing Saki's thoughts, Yukiko's deprecation of herself was on par…especially since Yu was able to see Chie's reaction.
"I…Yukiko…" Chie frowns.
"Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning…" Yukiko's tone completely changes. "She's bright and strong, and she can do anything… She has everything that I don't… Compared to Chie, I'm…I'm…"
Chie's eyes are wide. "Wha?"
"Chie protects me…She looks after my worthless life…And I… I don't deserve any of it…Chie is so kind…so…perfect…"
"Yukiko, I-I…" Chie's cheeks are wet from the tears streaming silently down them.
"'Chie is so kind,' huh? What a joke."
"Wh-What…?!" Chie starts wiping her face with her sleeves. She looks straight ahead afterwards, her face is shocked when she sees something appear out of the shadows. It's herself…only…with yellow eyes and a dark aura emanating from her body.
"Oh, man…Is that…?!" Yosuke feels uneasy…he's getting a major case of déjà vu from this.
"It's just like Yosuke!" Teddie frowns. "She lost control over her suppressed self! Now it's a Shadow!"
"Are we talking about THAT Yukiko?!" Shadow Chie's smile is twisted and her tone derisive. "She says I'm protecting her?! She says she's worthless!"
Yu's never felt so disturbed in her entire life. "Ah…"
Shadow Chie chuckles. "That's how it should be, right?"
"Wh-What're you saying?" Chie is completely stunned.
"Yukiko's sooo good-looking…sooo fair-skinned…sooo feminine…" Shadow Chie's bitterness is more than obvious—an envious poison that soaks into her every word. "She's the one all the guys drool over. When Yukiko looked at me with such jealousy…Man, did I get a charge out of that…she even called me 'perfect'. Eheheh…Yukiko knows the score. She can't do anything if I'm not around…I'm better than her… Much, much better!"
Chie shakes her head furiously and stomps her foot on the ground. "No! I have never even once thought that!"
Yosuke doesn't like where this is going. "Wh-What're we gonna do?!"
Yu holds her katana at the ready. "We need to protect Satonaka."
Teddie's nod of agreement is vigorous. "We should do that right now!"
Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie run over to Chie, but she immediately flinches away from them.
"N-no, don't come near me!" Chie sounds genuinely scared. "Don't look at me!"
Yosuke frowns. "Satonaka, calm down!"
But Chie isn't listening. "No…No, this isn't me!"
"W-Wait, stupid!" Yosuke exclaims. "Don't say anything else like that!"
Shadow Chie holds her stomach as she cackles. "That's right! I'm the one who can't do anything alone…I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person… I'm pathetic. But Yukiko…she depends on me…That's why she's my friend… I'll never loosen my grip on her… I can't…not after that incident… She's too important to me to let go…"
"No…that's not how I think of her at all…!" The real Chie is growing frantic.
Shadow Chie chuckles. "So, you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again? Just like how you did to Yukiko when she needed you most?"
"Shut up!" Chie snaps, glaring at her Shadow. "Don't you dare say that!"
Shadow Chie scowls. "But things are different now… When the time comes… I'll be the one left standing. You won't mind, right? I'm still you!"
"I said, shut up!" Chie yells. "You...You're…"
"Satonaka, no!" Yu exclaims.
"Don't say it!" Yosuke adds.
It was too late…Chie's panic had deafened her to their cries. "You're not me!"
"Heehee…Ahahahahahaha!" Shadow Chie's warped laughter echoes throughout the room as the aura emanating from her darkens. It soon engulfs her as waves of energy spew forth.
Chie's screams are the last thing that they hear before everything goes black. A few seconds later, the darkness vanishes and the whole room is tinted in an eerie, red light. Shadow Chie is no longer as she was before; having now taken on a form that better suited her awakening.
A dominatrix scantily clad in yellow leather. She wears long, yellow gloves that cover her up to her upper arms, and sharply heeled knee-length boots. Her face was covered by a cone-shaped yellow mask with a wicked smiley face drawn on it. She's supported by three puppets that resemble Chie and Yukiko in their school uniforms.
The puppets struggle to hold Shadow Chie in place as she sits atop them. Long chains dangle between her fingers on her right hand, and in her left hand she wields a whip. Her excessively long black hair flows out from under her mask and covers the floor behind her. It's as if the hair itself is alive- and trapped within the black, living locks is Chie, dangling in the air, unconscious.
"Satonaka!" Yosuke yells.
Shadow Chie cracks her whip before striking a more dominant pose. "I am a shadow…The true self…" She cackles as she watches Chie being squeezed by her hair.
"Aagh!"
Yu scowls. "Let her go, bitch!"
SLASH!
Izanagi's naginata slices the hair binding Chie, freeing her. Yosuke is quick to run over and catch her as she falls. He grunts as the impact of her weight - near doubled by the chainmail she wears - hits him.
Shadow Chie sets her sight on Yu. "What do you guys think you're doing? Trying to defend the 'real' me? Then you're going to pay the price!"
Once Yosuke is sure Chie is fine, though out-cold, he glares at Shadow Chie. "Shut up! Quit being such a pain! Satonaka…just hang in there a little longer…"
Shadow Chie looks scornfully at Yosuke. "Don't get in my way!"
Her hair reaches out for him and Chie with its knife-like ends. Izanagi intervenes. As he blocks the strike with his naginata, Yu runs up to the two of them.
"Ha…think you can stop me that easily?!" Shadow Chie narrows her eyes at Izanagi and lashes out at him with her whip. "Time to teach you a lesson!"
Thwack!
Izanagi is unfazed by the attack, but Yu isn't as hardy. She feels the strike and it hurts. She would've dropped Chie had it not been for Yosuke.
"You okay, Partner?" He looks at Yu with concern.
"I'm…okay…Izanagi!" Yu wants Shadow Chie to pay for that… "Hope you like Zio, bitch…"
Zap!
Izanagi casts Zio on Shadow Chie, but it barely has any effect. She just laughs it off. "Ahahahaha! How lame! You're all so deadly serious and we've only gotten started!"
The hair goes for Izanagi, but Jiraiya blocks the attack with his shuriken. Though, unlike Izanagi, Jiraiya isn't capable of fending off the sharp ends. In fact, Yosuke is feeling the pain…and it only takes a few moments before Jiraiya is knocked back. Yosuke screams as he loses his footing and falls to the floor.
"Hanamura!" Yu exclaims, tightening her grip on Chie to keep her from falling onto the floor. The action, paired with Yosuke's scream, is enough to rouse Chie from her unconsciousness.
"Ugh…Hanamura?" Chie groans. "What…?"
Yosuke's choked gasp wakes Chie up fully. Her eyes snap open and she runs over to Yosuke's side. Yosuke seems to be having trouble breathing, but Chie has no idea why. Truthfully, she has no idea what's going on at all.
"What…what's going on?!" she exclaims, turning to Yu for an answer.
Yu is gazing at Jiraiya, trapped within Shadow Chie's hair. It was just the same as last time...when Izanagi had been trapped under Shadow Yosuke's foreleg… She has to help Jiraiya, or else Yosuke will suffocate - assuming Shadow Chie doesn't crush him to death before that. However, Yu is faced with a problem. Physical attacks didn't work and Shadow Chie had laughed off Izanagi's Zio attack.
"What am I supposed to do?!" Yu tightens her grip on her katana.
"Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Didn't you get another of us just some time ago?" Pixie's voice echoes within Yu's head.
Yu blinks as a blue card floats in front of her. Pixie is right. Yu had obtained a new Persona not that long ago, but she has no idea what it is and what skills it knows…still, in such a situation…
"Anything's better than nothing!" Yu grabs the card and crushes it.
SMASH!
…
…
At first, Yu thinks nothing has come out of the card. She almost thinks the Persona is a dud…until she hears a voice.
"I am thou…and thou art I…" the voice is feminine and gentle.
Yu turns to look behind her, eyes widening as she sees a scantily dressed young woman in black, with white, feathery wings protruding from her back, and long, blond hair and pale skin. She's blindfolded and has a chain attached to a black choker. Yu follows the chain and finds that it's attached to her own neck, on a choker similar to the one the young woman wore.
"That wasn't there before…" Yu thinks, touching the choker on her neck. "Who are you?"
The young woman smiles. "I am Angel, one of the 'watchers' who never sleep… Are you in any need of assistance?"
Yu points Shadow Chie out to Angel, and somehow, despite the blindfold, Angel knows where to look. "I need to get her to release Jiraiya, otherwise Hanamura…"
"Say no more…just give me the order and I'll attack…" Angel moves in front of Yu.
Yu blinks as a name pops up in mind. "Garu?"
Angel smiles and flaps her wings once. A green tornado blasts Shadow Chie and her puppets. The lower puppet standing on the floor loses its footing and lands on its knees. The other two puppets are having a more difficult time supporting Shadow Chie as she's now dazed.
"She's weak to Garu skills!" Teddie exclaims from the corner of the room he's cowering in. "Attack again, Sensei!"
"Angel!" Yu directs her persona for another attack.
A second tornado blasts Shadow Chie and this time, Jiraiya is released from his bonds. Yu hears Yosuke's gasps and turns to see him coughing. She smiles with a relief that comes from somewhere deep inside. A relief that comes from seeing that he's still alive.
With Yosuke breathing freely and thus in a much better state, Chie manages to calm down, just barely. She turns her attention to her Shadow and scowls as she watches her recover from her dazed state.
"Urgh…Looks like you won't understand without a little pain!" Shadow Chie yells, cracking her whip. "Scream for me!"
The room darkens as bolts of lightning rain down from the ceiling. Each strike was random and one grazes Yosuke. Teddie is not so fortunate and is struck by lightning not only once, but twice. The attack leaves him rolling on the floor, dazed.
Angel shields Yu with her wings from a bolt, and Yu feels a pained jolt, but nothing too serious. Chie, on the other hand…isn't doing so well. She's just standing there, frozen in place. Her body is trembling and her eyes are wide with fear. She had almost gotten hit by a bolt of lightning, had it not been for Yu and, after switching Personas, Izanagi. That time, Yu only felt a small pinch.
"Are you okay, Satonaka?" Yu asks as she covers Chie. "...Satonaka?"
"I…I…I'm scared…" Chie's voice trembles.
"You're still there? How pathetic!"
Yu tightens her hold on Chie. "Shut up!"
Chie's breath hitches. "Ah…"
"Scared of a little lightning, aren't we?" Shadow Chie laughs. "Now that won't do! You should just bite the dust already. I promise to take care of Yukiko…as my FOOTSTOOL!"
Chie shudders. "A stool?"
"Fufufu…how else will I keep her close and in my sights?" Shadow Chie tosses her whip from hand to hand as she watches them. The impact each time makes a sound that echoes throughout the room.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
After the third tap, Shadow Chie stills the whip. Her grip on it tightens. "Well?!"
…
…
"Hmph, useless as ever!" Shadow Chie spits. "Can't even come up with such a simple answer… How predictable from someone who can't even keep Yukiko safe—"
"I told you to shut up!" Yu snaps as she helps Chie off the floor. Chie struggles to keep her footing, her body still trembling. Yu doesn't like the state Chie is in…she's never seen the girl this scared…and it doesn't help that her Shadow was making it worse for her.
Yu has to put a stop to this… "Hanamura, do something!"
"On it, Narukami!" Yosuke huffs, somewhat tired from dodging bolts of lightning. "Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya moves toward Shadow Chie, readying to attack. However, Shadow Chie isn't so willing to be touched. When Jiraiya is close enough, she laughs and swiftly swings her foot in between Jiraiya's legs.
At that moment, Jiraiya's usually expressionless face mirrors the expression of genuine pain on Yosuke's face. Almost immediately, Yosuke lands face-first as he curls up in pain on the floor, clutching his groin.
"Ooh, critical hit to the nads…" Yu winces. "That had to hurt…"
"What's the safe word?" Yosuke groans as tears well up in the corners of his eyes.
"Safe word?" Shadow Chie laughs and cracks her whip. "There is no safe word! Now kneel before me!"
Shadow Chie pulls back her arm and prepares to strike Yosuke once more. Izanagi is quick to intercept the attack, using his naginata to divert the whip's path.
Shadow Chie growls. "You're so stubborn! Is she really worth all this?"
Yu scowls at Shadow Chie and crushes a card in her hand. "She's worth putting up with your shit…Angel!"
Angel is quick to use Garu on Shadow Chie. The puppets supporting her collapse under her weight when the green tornado strikes them. Yu takes this time to help Yosuke off the floor and then moves over to help Teddie, who is still rolling around on the floor.
"Sensei's so kind…" Teddie says in a disoriented tone.
Yu scowls at Teddie. "What the hell happened to you?"
Teddie blinks and frowns. "Teddie doesn't do so good against electricity…"
"Did you know?"
"Not until just now, Sensei!"
…
…
Yu sighs. "Just…try to avoid getting hit again."
"I'll try!" Teddie exclaims. "Now go get her, Sensei!"
Yu adjusts her glasses and turns her attention to Shadow Chie. Yosuke has managed to recover in the meanwhile and is currently attacking Shadow Chie.
"This is for the critical hit to the nads!" Yosuke yells as he bashes Shadow Chie over the head with both of his wrenches. "Who's the one in pain, now?!"
"Ngh…" Shadow Chie starts to ready herself for another attack. "Don't make fun of me… You're… You're nothing against me…!"
She cracks her whip on the ground and a green light begins to glow over her body and the puppets. Yosuke tells Jiraiya to cast Garu - but the attack has no significant effect on her this time around.
"What the?!" Yosuke says, confused.
"Green wall raises wind resistance!" Teddie exclaims. "And she's already resistant against physical attacks!"
Yosuke makes an incredulous face. "Seriously?! Oh, crap…waugh!"
Shadow Chie's hair wraps around Yosuke's neck. "Like I said - looks like you won't understand without a little pain!"
"Hanamura!" Yu, Chie, and Teddie all scream in unison.
Yosuke fails to pull the tightly wrapped hair off his throat. He drops his wrenches in the struggle.
Shadow Chie cackles. "Scream for me!"
"Hell…no…Jiraiya!" Jiraiya finds it difficult to move, but manages to throw a shuriken at the strands of hair wrapped around Yosuke's neck. Clumps of black hair fall onto the floor as he gasps for air.
Shadow Chie freezes, her gaze focused on the strands of black hair on the floor. Her eyes widen as she shrieks. "How DARE YOU! Why all this? For HER?!"
Yosuke coughs. "Because...she's our friend…!"
Stunned, Chie looks at Yosuke. "Hanamura…"
All those times she's mistreated him—and yet, he still considers her his friend…
Chie rubs her eyes. She totally isn't tearing up. "I'm sorry…"
"Save your apologies for later when this is all over." Yu gives Chie's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "We need to get you out of this first, before anything…"
"Thank you…" Chie says softly.
"Are you guys idiots!? Why are you protecting her like that? She's nothing but a grubby bitch!"
Yu scowls. "Shut the hell up!"
Shadow Chie growls, her rage evident in her body language. She cracks her whip and long strands of hair move off the ground, bladed ends pointed and ready to strike. "Bottomless Envy!"
Chie shrieks as she braces herself for the attack…but it never comes. When she opens her eyes, she sees loose strands of hair covering the floor. She looks up and sees Jiraiya and Izanagi slashing off any locks of hair that neared her and her friends.
Shadow Chie's screams grow louder as more of her hair falls to the floor. By now, Yu has noticed something off about Shadow Chie. She seems…scared. Her attacks are erratic and inaccurate. She's attacking not by will or reaction - but fear.
"Stop!" she screams. "Stop it! Just die! DIE ALREADY!"
The puppets supporting Shadow Chie are losing their strength. Her screams become pained and it is at that moment that Yu realizes the reason. Her hair—it was the source of all her strength.
"Hanamura!" Yu calls out to catch Yosuke's attention. "Get Jiraiya to keep her busy!"
Yosuke shoots Yu a questioning look. "Why?"
"Just do it!" Yu needs all the help she can get. Izanagi isn't capable of cutting all of that hair himself without trouble…he needs someone to keep Shadow Chie at bay in the meantime.
Yosuke gives Jiraiya his orders and just like that, the plan is in action. Shadow Chie is too preoccupied with Jiraiya to notice that Izanagi has been giving her a stealth haircut. Little by little, black hair falls to the floor in piles. By the time Shadow Chie notices, it was far too late—Jiraiya has cut off the last of her hair.
The sight of her long, black hair covering the floor is enough to make Shadow Chie drop her whip. "No…"
Tentatively, Shadow Chie reaches back to grab a lock of her hair. She couldn't…it was too short. Panic begins to settle in as Shadow Chie tries desperately to prove that her hair's short length is a lie. When that's not the case and the reality of it finally sinks in, the short-haired dominatrix clutches her head and shrieks.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
It almost pains Yu to hear how broken her voice sounds. Compared to the haughty and cruel tone she'd had before…it was a stark contrast. The haughty dominatrix has been broken. Even her puppets have finally given up on supporting their mistress and have collapsed onto the ground. Black and red smoke begins to rise from her disintegrating body.
Slowly, Shadow Chie returns to her original form. She sits on her knees, looking despondently at the strands of hair in her hands. Her hair was shorter than it was previously; choppy and uneven. Tears were welling up in her golden eyes.
"Are you okay, Satonaka?" Yosuke asks Chie.
Chie doesn't know what to say. She's unhurt, but even so…she's not fine. She remembers things she doesn't want to remember and hears things that aren't far from the truth. When her Shadow looks at her with wide, tearful eyes, devoid of malice and resentment, Chie frowns.
"What's the matter…?" Chie asks, sounding slightly defensive. "Got nothing to say anymore?"
Yosuke places his hand on Chie's shoulder. "Stop it, Satonaka…it's all right."
"B-But…" Chie turns to face Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie (who had finally gotten out of the corner he was hiding in). She is shocked with how accepting they are…even after seeing all the ugly things about her.
Yu looks at her reassuringly. "You're more than that thing…"
Chie is bewildered. "B-But I…I…"
"He's right…I went through the same thing…" Yosuke never did let Yu elaborate on what happened the other day with his Shadow. It had been personal, but now…after today's events, Yosuke is willing to open up…for Chie's sake. "So I can understand… I mean… Everyone has a side like this…"
Chie tightens her fists and turns around to face her Shadow.
It's now or never…
She walks in closer, until she stands close enough to her Shadow that if she were to reach out, she'd touch her. Her heart pounds frantically in her chest, but she straightens her spine and ignores it. "Yeah…I kinda get it now. You are me…A side of me I couldn't forgive… That I tried to lock away and forget…but you still exist. You're a part of me…"
At those words, Chie's Shadow smiles happily. She closes her eyes as a blue light begins to emit from her body until it disappears with a burst. The instant it does, another figure replaces the Shadow. The figure floats in the air, staring at Chie. It resembles a female samurai armed with a double-bladed staff, dressed in a yellow and black outfit with white boots and a tall, white helmet. It has long, black hair that reaches down to its waist.
The figure disappears moments after, replaced by a glowing card that floats gently into Chie's hands. She stares at the card, confused at the thoughts popping up in her mind.
"The Chariot…" she says softly as the card disappears into her being. "What is this…?"
"It's a Persona…" Yosuke replies.
"Persona…?" Chie blinks. "Tomoe Gozen…that's her name…I…"
Chie rubs the back of her head awkwardly. "Um…It's true that part of me feels that way…But I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko…!"
Yosuke laughs. "Like we didn't know that already…so what was this about being unable to protect her?"
Chie sniffs. "I…"
"It's okay…we're here for you…" Yu says softly. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to…"
"I wasn't always like this…" Chie begins.
Yu blinks. "What happened?"
"I used to have long hair, you know…" Chie says as she grabs a strand of her brown hair. "And Yukiko…her hair was the longest between the two of us. She was so beautiful…so…perfect…"
"What happened?" Now that Yosuke actually thinks about it, there was a time that Yukiko's hair was shorter. He wonders what made her decide to grow it out.
Chie hesitates. "I…I always watched out for her—at least, that's what I told myself until it happened."
"What happened?" That question is asked again by both Yu and Yosuke.
Chie hugs herself. "Sadako…"
…
…
…
A/N HEY I'M FUCKING SORRY!
I just found out how much I wrote and now everyone HATES me and my cringe! EVEN ME. And also my girlfriend—also, I have a girlfriend now!
(hi, it's me, lyre. the girlfriend. it's been so long since we updated this fic that noa and i have literally started dating...and been doing so for over two years. hopefully we won't celebrate another anniversary before we get the next chapter out -
anyway. love you, babe!)
Anyways say hello to Marie, because I love her and will not tolerate any complaints about her.
I've seen the original Persona 4 and I'm playing Golden…and I gotta say, Marie…I fucking love her. She's cute and she melds so well with the group.
Now for something else that's Golden-exclusive…turns out that Shadow Chie is resistant against physical attacks. They added that…and a big welcome back to skill cards~! They make my life easier, especially since this pretty neat thing was introduced that made Margaret's request much easier to fill out. Of course, I still need to get her that Neko Shogun with Bufula…meh…
A remnant of the past (original AN for this chapter underlined):
And also—DOMINATRIX BANANAHEAD! Then Chie got a Persona! And also, that thing about the safety word…yeah, KD has a tendency to look stuff up and…yeah, I feel unclean, but mostly, embarrassed. I'm just a few weeks shy from turning eighteen (lyre note: holy fucking shit, you were BABEY) and I already know a lot of stuff that I probably shouldn't—but who gives a damn? But yeah, if you want to know what Yosuke meant by safe word… You guys are on your own. (jade note: holy shit noa)
And that whole little reference to Sadako ended up turning into something much more… It just happened and I didn't plan on doing it until I remembered a certain series and thus, came to whole Yukiko-Sadako scenario, which I will delve into much deeply next chapter. And FYI, in Persona 3 Portable, the female route, Yukiko made a cameo. She was in her final year of middle school and her hair was very short…yeah…
I'll save my Major Arcana lesson for the next chapter since this is something I have to do alongside another certain Arcana. It's almost 12 AM and I'm tired…and I have school tomorrow, I'm going to leave it at that.
Also…I'm back in America! Yeah…it feels good to be home. Well, that's about it. Feel free to review, I appreciate constructive criticism since it help, but flames are NOT WELCOMED! DX (kade note: babie noa… babie…)
Oh, and I managed to reach 50 reviews! ^^ It makes me feel special knowing that I'm halfway there to reaching 100! Thanks guys, you really know how to make a girl happy!
Oh, and a big shout out to UnstableFable, who I have managed to create a Social Link with…I think we're on rank three? I dunno, all I can say…she's effing awesome.
And for anonymous reviewer, The Man…dude, you have no idea how much your review made my day. It's a shame you reviewed anonymously, because I really wanted to reply to that review…
Well, time to wrap it up~! Till next time, readers! KD out! XD
Editor Team Notes:
Kuro: *makes a face*
Lyre: *makes a face*
Sylanc: *makes a face*
Navi: *makes a face*
Jade: *makes a face*
Grim: *makes an incredulous face*
Noa: *is cringe*
Shout-outs:
Reviewer #410: ConstructiveWriter (not an effeminate guy, though I'm pretty okay with any pronouns now as I'm pretty much anything but a guy—because guess who's realized that they're nonbinary? YO! :D)
Reviewer #420: UnstableFable
Reviewer #430: Anonymous Reviewer Prince
Reviewer #440: Apocryphax
Reviewer #444: Anonymous Reviewer Guest (anons, please try to give yourselves names)
Reviewer #450: RYNO IV
Reviewer #460: rebfan90
Reviewer #470: Anonymous Reviewer treanaharris
Reviewer #480: Anonymous Reviewer Miffy
Reviewer #490: Apocryphax
Reviewer #500: Haos Serpent Blade-Azure Fang