This was a very long chapter…I'm beary tired. I'm so sorry for that pun.
5
15, April, 2011.
Ryotaro Dojima was surprised when he woke up that morning to see his niece sitting at the tea table with a cup of tea and her recent crochet project in her lap. The large blanket was almost finished, and he watched as she quickly created the heart shaped leafs. She blinked and then looked up at him. She gave a shy smile that was pleasant before nodding her head in greeting.
"Do you want anything to eat?" She quietly asked.
"I'm good, thank you," He answered taking a seat at the table, "feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling better," She confirmed, a slight smile appearing on her face at how awkward he could be.
Yuri picked up her tea and took a small sip before returning to her crocheting. She wanted to finish the blanket before she went to school. It was almost done, she had four more rows to go. It was a comfortable silence that fell over the two and Ryotaro got up and grabbed a juice box, something she was sure belonged to her adorable cousin. He needed something a little sweet to perk up, and he knew that one couldn't go wrong with juice.
"Looks like rain again," Ryotaro muttered as he looked outside the window.
"It's calming, but the amount of rain you get here is odd," Yuri pointed out and he nodded his agreement.
It went back to being quiet and Yuri finally finished the blanket, letting out a happy sound as she did. It immediately went around her shoulders, and she snuggled into the softer yarn. Oh, it was a bit expensive but so worth it. It warmed up quickly from her body heat and she felt it lightly lift from the back as Ryotaro borrowed some of it for his legs.
"Where did you learn to do this?" Ryotaro asked as he relaxed under the blanket.
"Obaa-chans at the hospital," Yuri answered in a strained tone, "they were always happy to teach me new patterns or new skills if they could still do them."
Ryotaro didn't push any further for answers. He knew that she'd talk eventually. He turned the TV on and turned it to a channel that played old shows. He smiled slightly as a childhood favourite began to play. Daitokai began to play, and he noticed his niece getting pulled into the old show. A small smile appeared on her face. Yuri felt that ringing appeared in her ears and blinked slightly before giving the TV her full attention. She wanted to ignore the strange sensation until she couldn't. A part of her was slightly scared by what had happened the previous day. A small thumping caught her attention and she looked towards the stairs to see Nanako walking into the main room, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.
"'Morning," Nanako greeted.
"Good morning," Yuri greeted back, a happy smile appearing on her face.
"'Morning," Ryotaro said and Nanako brightened at the sight of her dad.
Nanako took a seat next to her cousins and soon found herself surrounded by a warm blanket. She marveled at how soft and warm it was before happily leaning against her cousin. It was nice to have someone else around in the morning.
"Would you like breakfast?" Yuri asked and Nanako nodded, "Omurice?"
The bright smile sent her way made the teen think the world was going to be all right. A part of her believed that if there were more Nanako's then all issues would get solved over Omurice. She looked towards her uncle, and he nodded as well. Well, she'd have to make four of them.
It took her almost an hour to make the Omurice, granted it was because she liked to swirl the egg into a shape. Ryotaro and Nanako happily thanked her for the food and dug in. She smiled at them before quietly heading upstairs to wake her brother up. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. Yu startled slightly and looked to see his sister's worried expression. Her hair was braided again, and she had pieces framing her face.
"Are you feeling all right?" She asked him, and it was the first time the roles were reversed.
"Just groggy," He murmured, and she gave him a tiny smile at that.
"Breakfast is waiting for you downstairs," She informed him standing back, "take your time. I'll make you some matcha, it'll help trust me."
He nodded at that, and Yuri headed downstairs to eat her breakfast. Ryotaro and Nanako had finished their breakfast and she shook her head in amusement. It died the second a cellphone went off. Ryotaro talked into his phone and a cross expression appeared on his face. She wouldn't want to be the person on the other end. She finished her food and made her brother that cup of tea. He came down the second it was set on the table and Ryotaro finished his phone call.
"Ah, you're up," Ryotaro commented as he pulled on a raincoat with Inaba police department written on the back, "well, I'm off."
Ryotaro quickly left the house after pulling his shoes on, and Nanako sent him a sad look. She poked at her juice box before a hand landed on her hand. The gentle comfort from her cousin made her smile slightly. Yuri moved back before getting the dirty dishes and starting cleanup. Yu added his plate as Nanako hurried upstairs to grab her umbrella and school bag. He moved towards the blanket and folded it before placing it on the couch. He ran a hand across the soft yarn and smiled slightly.
"Can I put in a commission?" He teased and she rolled her eyes in response.
"I'll make you a blanket, just give me the colours," She said as she finished the dishes and put them in the dish drainer.
"Oh, will you make me one as well?" Nanako softly asked and Yuri gave a slight smile.
"Like I said, give me the colours and I'll show you a couple of blankets I made so you can decide what kind of pattern you want," Yuri answered and Nanako's eyes lit up.
"Why don't I get the choice of pattern?" Yu questioned.
"Nanako-Chan hasn't had me make anything for her yet, and she's a wonderful kid," Yuri huffed, and Yu gave a fake pout before sending Nanako a playful wink.
Nanako let out a soft giggle and the siblings were happy to hear it. They knew that the small girl worried about her dad and was sad they didn't spend that much time with him. They headed outside and went on their ways to school. Nanako was beaming by the time they got to her's. A few of the other kids were in awe of the high school students and she gave them both a hug before rushing off to talk to one of her friends.
"She reminds me of you when you were a kid," Yu lightly commented as they headed to school.
"Nanako-Chan deserves the world," Yuri said, and he flinched at her tone, it was bitter and serious, "if I can give her the happiness that I wanted as a kid, then I've done a decent job."
"I tried," He said, his tone just as serious.
"And I'll always appreciate it," Yuri informed him, gaining a tiny smile, "I just hope that uncle pulls his head out of his ass to see how it affects Nanako."
"With us around, we can get him to notice," Yu affirmed, smiling at their plan, "as it goes, I think we picked up a baby sister."
It seemed that hadn't occurred to his sister and her expression lit up. He knew that she had always wanted to be an older sibling, being a few seconds younger than him. He could almost feel the happiness radiating from her as he swore she mumbled "we have a baby sister". She hiked her umbrella up on her shoulder and hummed to herself.
"When I looked, I saw three police cars zooming by," A gossiping voice broke through Yuri's happy thoughts.
"You live by the police station, don't you?" A second voice asked, "Did you hear anything?"
"I heard some yelling, but nothing more," The first stated, "it was total disappointment."
"Geez, you need to pay more attention to stuff like that," The second said, "how else are we supposed to get the juicy stories?"
Yu and Yuri looked at the gossiping girls. One had a white umbrella and was shooting her friend a wistful look while the other had a red umbrella and was sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. The twins shared a quick glance and Yuri looked down in thought, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. Why did she get the feeling that she had been right about where Saki Konishi was?
"Do you think?" Yu asked.
"Yeah, this is bad," Yuri mumbled, loud enough for him to hear it, "what should we do?"
"We could try to solve it," He suggested, giving a halfhearted shrug, "it's the least we could do."
"If we can figure out who did it, we'll try and point Uncle in the right direction," Yuri tried to compromise, "then again, that might just be me scared about what'll happen."
Yu nodded before casting a worry glance towards his sister. Yuri was never so forthcoming with her own feelings; he was glad that she was trusting him more. Inaba was good for them, even with everything bad that was happening. He felt as though their bond was becoming airtight and that nothing would break it. She gave him a smile, feeling the same. They entered the school and quickly changed shoes before heading to class, instead they had been directed to the auditorium by Morooka. The teacher seemed bothered by something, not even subjecting the student body to his snappy comments.
"What do you think happened?" Chie quietly asked the twins as they stood next to one another.
"I'm not sure, but…I'm hoping I'm wrong," Yuri softly said, and the shorter teen blinked in confusion before dawning realisation appeared on her face.
They all turned towards a worried Yosuke as he checked his phone and frowned. He blinked at the sudden feeling of being watched and turned to see them all looking at him. He blanched slightly before tilting his head in confusion. He raised his hands in a "what" gesture and Yuri was pushed forward to be the bearer of bad news. Her expression showed what she thought about that.
"Remember how I said that I thought I saw Konishi-San on the midnight channel?' Yuri quietly asked and it seemed to dawn on him, "I just hope I'm wrong, because she looked scared when I saw her."
He nodded his agreement, and she quickly took her place next to her brother as Morooka sent her a glare. She stood there and worriedly looked at the student body. There was a boy with hair like Saki's and her blood ran cold. Oh, she had a brother, right. She couldn't help but think of what she'd do if she lost her brother, she'd probably react in the same numb way that Saki's was. The noise in the auditorium started to grow louder and she went back to studying the student body. She noted that there was a small part of the first years that were dead silent and looked uncomfortable. A single boy stood out, easily towering over his fellow classmates. His hair was platinum blonde and slicked back, showing a scar on his forehead. He seemed to notice her staring and sent her a rude look, she simply responded with a kind smile. That confused him, and she turned her attention towards Sofue as she stepped up to the podium and gave the mic a few taps.
"Everyone, please settle down," She said, her tone somber, "the school assembly is about to begin. First, the Principal has something to say."
"He looks like Charles Darwin," Yu muttered, and Yuri sent him a look as she held her laughter back with a soft cough.
"I…regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you, one of our third-year students, Konishi Saki has passed away," The Principal announced, and all form of sibling jesting disappeared, and a serious expression appeared on their faces, "Konishi-San was found deceased early this morning, the reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police. If they ask you for your cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide facts only."
Those words caused an uproar and Yu looked at his sister. Yuri seemed pit of it for a few seconds, staring blankly at the principal as though she was trying to figure something out. She made an annoyed expression before tilting her head to the side. She wasn't making any leeway in her thoughts. He simply gave her shoulder a light pat and she blinked. Yuri sent him a confused look and he gave her a tight smile in response.
"All right, please quiet down!" The principal ordered, he waited a few seconds for the full roar to silence before continuing, "I have been assured by the faculty that there's been no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident. So, mind what you say, not only to the police but to anyone who asks…"
"Y'know, I think I'm starting to dislike being right," Yuri informed her brother as Chie and Yosuke slowly made their way over.
"It was an educated guess," Yosuke mumbled as he frowned, "can I talk to you guys outside? After the Principal releases us?"
"Of course," Chie stated.
"You need us right now," Yu added.
"Sometimes it helps to get the opinion of others," Yuri cryptically stated.
He wondered what she meant by that as they were dismissed for the day. They had no class that day, too many students were grieving their friend. Yuri watched as students walked past them, mumbling about what happened and stories about the long-haired girl. She pushed her thick bangs back and frowned in thought. Some people were happy to hear about Saki's death. Yuri felt an uncomfortable churning in her gut as she sent one of those people a sharp glare. They quickly scurried away.
"It's really easy to toss around theories and gossip when you're not personally involved," Chie huffed, frowning at the spot where the person had been.
"Yuri-Chan, you said that Saki-Senpai looked like she had been scared, right?" Yosuke asked and she frowned for a few seconds before her mind caught up and she nodded, "I saw her again last night…on the midnight channel, it looked like she was in pain and then…then she just vanished from the screen."
"What?" Chie questioned as Yuri blinked at that information.
"What rumours have you heard?" Yuri questioned, "All Yu and I heard this morning was the police being called."
"…There's a rumour that Saki-Senpai had been found in the same position as Yamano-San," Yosuke answered, his expression serious, "I'm starting to think that Yamano-San might've been on that Midnight Channel before she died, too."
"It's possible that people who show up on that channel," Yu commented, a thoughtful expression on his face and Yuri nodded her agreement with that sentiment.
"See there has to be a connection!" Yosuke's exclamation startled them, "Senpai's death and Yamano-San's death had to have happened because of the TV world! What do you think?"
"You might be right," Yu and Yuri stated, and Yosuke gave them a tiny smile in response.
"I guess that room with all the posters might have something to do with Yamano-San," Yuri commented bringing a hand up to her chin in thought, "maybe Konishi-San had something similar?"
"It'd still be there, Yamano-San's was," Yosuke nodded his agreement.
"Shouldn't we let the police handle this?" Chie questioned; she was getting the feeling that the three wanted to go back to the TV world, "you got sick, Yuri-Chan."
"I feel fine though," Yuri stated, tilting her head in thought before wryly smiling, "I'd also be a little too stressed out if Yu went in without me…he's always had my back so it's only fair that I do the same."
Yu paused at that and noticed her smile had turned genuine as she plopped a hand on top of Chie's head, to the shorter girl's chagrin. Yosuke sighed at that and rubbed the back of his head in thought. Something hit him and his eyes widened.
"I don't think the police know about the inside of the TV!" He stated and they all looked at him in thought, "They haven't made any progress on Yamano-San's case, and if we turn a blind eye then they won't make any on Saki-Senpai's as well! I…I want to know why she had to die like this…"
"Yosuke…" Chie murmured, sending the boy a worried look.
"After what we've discussed and what we've seen there's no way I can ignore it now," Yosuke informed them and he gained a serious glint to his eyes, "you guys are with me right? I'll be waiting for you at Junes!"
"Of course, he ran off!" Chie huffed, stomping her foot slightly.
"He's able to get quite a bit of speed," Yuri commented, and Yu nodded his agreement.
"Do…Do you two get bothered by anything?" Chie questioned, raising a brow at them.
"Mine's a coping mechanism," Yuri smiled, and Chie shivered at the sunny smile sent her way.
"I'm not bothered by much, but…even I know when the appropriate times are," Yu stated before grabbing his sisters school bag.
He got a slight pout out of her as they started to walk to Junes together. Chie walked next to Yu with a nervous expression on her face. Nothing like the cases have ever happened before in Inaba, not until the three teens from the city moved in. She turned to look at the "youngest" of the twins and noticed that she was staring at a group of students with a slight frown. It was like she was trying to figure something out, but couldn't.
"I kinda understand how Yosuke feels, but how will you guys be able to get out?" Chie questioned, "I don't think that bear will be there again."
"Hmm, maybe," Yuri said, tilting her head to the side in thought, "or the bear could be there to help us, it seemed pretty upset that the two were thrown into it's world."
"We could act like a plip on it's radar," Yu commented.
"Seriously," Chie mumbled as she looked at the two in complete disbelief.
They entered Junes to see Yosuke standing in front of the electronics section with a golf club and rope in his hands. Yuri rolled her eyes slightly before looking towards a TV. She doubted that the rope would follow them into the TV world. Yosuke turned to face them and gained a relieved smile.
"You guys came!" He exclaimed.
"You really shouldn't do this," Chie said as Yuri broke off from her brother and walked up to the TV from the previous day, "it's too dangerous."
Yuri spared them a glance and did the mental math to figure out how angry her brother would be if she were to just…go through the screen? Out of ten, she was sure it was a solid one hundred. She gave a quiet nod at that and proceeded to go through the screen, ignoring the shouts behind her. Freezing air blew across her skin before turning warm. She landed on her feet this time and stumbled slightly across the studio floor. That hadn't been too bad.
"Why'd you come back?!" A voice shouted and she jumped violently.
"We got curious," Yuri explained as she turned to see the resident bear standing there with a frown on it's face, "sorry, I was wondering if there had been someone else in here, other than us."
"Someone else?" The bear questioned narrowing its eyes in suspicion.
"Someone on our end was killed and we think she might've been pushed into yours," Yuri said as she knelt in front of the bear to see eye to eye with it, "is there anything going on that's bothering you?"
The bear didn't get to answer when her brother and Yosuke landed in the studio. Yuri shook her head in amusement before walking over to the other silver haired teen and helping him to his feet. Yu didn't waste anytime in checking his sister over for injures before bringing her into a hug. She had been off on her calculations; she had worried her brother not angered him.
"Are you the ones behind this!?" The bear accused.
"You're that thing from last time!" Yosuke exclaimed and the bear coward, "Wait, what the hell did you just say?!"
"Lately, I can tell that someone's bene throwing people in here, it's making this world messed up," The bear explained, and Yuri gathered she was getting an answer of sorts, "this is the second time you guys have come here and I don't think anyone forced you in. That means you're the most suspicious!"
"We aren't throwing people in," Yuri sighed before showing her biceps, "do these arms look like they could possibly overthrow an older woman or a third-year whose family owned a liquor store?"
"It's just not in my sisters noodle arms," Yu stated, "don't label us like that. It's rude."
"What did you mean by throwing people in? IF anyone was thrown in here and couldn't get out, they'd die…" Yosuke trailed off as his mind completely caught up with the situation.
"Yeah, that's what I figured last night but wasn't sure," Yuri admitted, "that's why I was hoping that Konishi-San wasn't in here…"
"Someone would have to push them in," Yu stated with a frown, "it's difficult to accidentally fall into the TV."
"Yeah…let's assume its telling the truth," Yosuke stated, "could it be that someone's throwing people in here, intending to kill them?"
"Sounds right," Yu agreed.
Yuri felt as though something was missing with their hypothesis. She frowned slightly, but couldn't figure out what it was. Who was tossing them into the TV? That was the missing motive, the type of person. She tugged on part of her fringe as she went deeper into thought. Just what was it?
"What're you guys mumbling about? Why'd you come here anyways?" The bear yelled at them, "It's a one-way door! You can't get out once you're in! Remember! How I had to let you guys out?"
"Would you be able to do that again? We just want to investigate the disappearances." Yuri asked in a sweet voice and Yosuke was slightly taken aback by that.
Since when was that voice in her arsenal. He looked towards her brother and noted the amused smile on his face. It wasn't his sister's fault that one of the old lady's back at the hospital in Tokyo tried to get her to be a Yamato nadeshiko. A "proper" lady. He knew his sister hid behind different masks, one of complete seriousness scared him sometimes because it made her seem so closed off from others. The Bear's face seemed to flush as it gained stars in its eyes.
"Of course!" The bear confirmed and Yuri winked at Yosuke when it turned around.
"Seriously?" Yosuke hissed as he got closer to her.
"People like this bear typically respond better to people being sweet to them," Yuri quietly replied, "we need to hurry before we're here for too long…you guys left Satonaka-san back there."
"Aw, shit," Yosuke cursed.
"Was it you guys who pushed the people in here?" The Bear asked Yuri and the two boys looked at her.
"It wasn't us, that's what we want to find out, remember?" Yuri kindly replied, reminding the bear of their early conversation, "Someone's died over on our end, and we want to know why. It seemed to happen the second it got foggy."
"When the fog appears?" The bear asked and Yosuke nodded, "I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. It's really dangerous when the fog lifts, that's when the shadows get violent."
Yuri felt another piece connected to an overall puzzle, but then ten more show up. What did it mean by "shadows"? She stood up straight and looked into the fog. Her eyes widened slightly. Was…Was there someone watching them? No, that didn't seem right. So…what was a shadow?
"Can you explain to us what you mean by that?" Yosuke questioned, "Shadows get violent here when it's foggy on our side?"
"That's why you need to hurry back, it's dangerous when that happens!" The bear exclaimed.
"Why does this place look like a TV studio?" Yu asked and the bear turned to him in confusion, "Is there something being filmed here?"
"Filmed? What does that mean?" The Bear questioned; its confusion was genuine.
"Right, the midnight channel, is anyone filming the small snippets we see on our end through the TV screens?" Yuri explained to the bear, hoping her explanation made sense.
"I…I don't get it," The bear stated, it was getting a little overwhelmed by their odd questions, "this world has always been like this. No one has ever done that filming thing here."
Yuri went to ask a question when a feminine giggle caught her attention. She looked around in the fog. There was nothing. What…what had that been? She shook her head. She was obviously tired if she was hearing things.
"What do you mean?" Yu asked the bear.
"Only me and shadows are here!" The bear exclaimed, "I told you before!"
"Yeah, but what are shadows?!" Yosuke questioned before eying the bear in distrust, "Or what are you, for that matter!? You are the most suspicious thing here! I'd say it's about time you showed us your face!"
"Ah, you want it to show you it's true form?" Yuri found herself asking, not even knowing why.
"Yes!" Yosuke exclaimed as he grabbed onto the panicking bears head and gave a mighty tug, "Oh my god it's empty inside! What the hell are you?!"
"It's completely empty," Yuri commented as she stuck her hand inside the suit, to the bears displeasure.
Yu picked up the head and gave it a scrutinising look. This felt like it wouldn't be the weirdest thing he will witness while in Inaba. It would be up in the top ten, but not the top spot. Yuri removed her hand from the interior of the suit and wiggled her fingers a bit. He shook his head as he placed the head back on it.
"I just want to live here peacefully…" the bear whined, "You guys need to find the real guy who did all this. You have to stop him. Promise me, or else I'm not gonna let you guys outta here!"
"Y-You little!" Yosuke hissed.
"This can't keep going on!" The bear continued, "My home here will be a complete mess! And then…and then…I…"
The bear stopped, bursting into tears. Yuri stepped back to avoid being hit by the liquid. She stared at it as her mind came to a silent standstill. How was a suit able to cry like that? How was it able to make rivers like that? Oh, she just didn't understand the TV world at all. It was so confusing. Yuri looked back at her brother and Yosuke, trying to figure out what they should do. Yosuke motioned for her to continue, and she sent him a look of disbelief. Why did she have to out herself?
"Hey…it's all right," Yuri softly said as she placed a hand on the bears head.
Yuri wondered if this was the mystery that Igor had been speaking of. She signed a contract, as had her brother, was this part of the contract? Helping the bear out? Well, Yuri knew that they had to agree to its terms otherwise they would be stuck in the TV. It wasn't the best of situations.
"You're the only ones I can ask, will you promise to find the culprit?" The bear cried.
"Of course," Yu nodded, and Yosuke wondered how he was so calm during all of this.
"Thank you!" The bear exclaimed, it grabbed onto Yuri's hands and twirled her around.
The twirling caused Yuri to turn a light green. It ended as suddenly as it had begun and she was bent over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. Yu walked up to his sister and put a hand on her back. He felt bad for her, but at the same time glad it wasn't him. Yosuke took his spot next to them and crossed his arms across his chest.
"Damn bear's practically holding a gun to our heads," Yosuke grumbled, "but…we did come here to figure things out. So far, we're in the dark. How are we supposed to find a culprit? Bah, it doesn't matter we'll figure it out, hey bear!"
The bear turned around to face them and Yosuke sighed quietly. He then gave a slight grin, seemingly scaring the strange bear. Yuri didn't blame it for getting a little scared. Yosuke had been pretty angry at one point due to stress. She put her hands into the pockets of her uniform skirt and gave a slight shiver as cold, damp air brushed against the back of her neck.
"Might as well introduce ourselves," Yosuke continued, "I'm Hanamura Yosuke, and these are my buddied Narukami Yu and Yuri. You got a name?"
"…Teddie," The bear answered, and Yosuke groaned.
"I don't know what I was expecting to be honest," Yosuke stated, "how are we supposed to find the culprit in the first place?"
"I dunno, but I know where the last person came in," Teddie stated.
"The last person, you mean Saki-Senpai?" Yosuke questioned.
"I mean the person who came in and disappeared last time," Teddie answered, "I don't know the name, I'll take you there to find clues but first, you should put these one."
Teddie pulled something from a pocket in his suit and handed it to the teenagers. Yuri looked at the pair of round sunglasses in her hands. Why was she saddled with the sunglasses while the others got regular glasses? A part of her thought that meant that Teddie thought she was cool, but another wondered if it was messing with her. She mentally groaned before pulling the glasses on. The world gained a light yellow tint, but the fog was gone!
"Woah! The difference is like night and day!" Yosuke exclaimed, "With these on, it's like the fog doesn't exist."
"They'll help you walk through the fog…well I've been here a for a long time so you guys can rely on me!" Teddie informed them, "But I can only show you where the place it, you guys will have to defend yourselves."
"True I think every time I've placed a hand on you it felt as though I could easily push you over…no offense," Yuri stated, before panicking that she might've been rude.
"Right, I've got not muscles!" Teddie confirmed as Yosuke made a face at it, "Oh! I'll give you guys' moral support from a safe distance! How's that sound?"
Yu wondered if the bear really couldn't fight. He brought a hand up and gently poked it, causing the bear to fall over with a cry. It rolled around on it's back like a bug as it's small arms madly waved in the air. Yosuke let out a quiet groan.
"Is this thing for real?" Yosuke asked, "This is so lame…we swore to find the culprit, and this is the backup we get?"
"Oh yeah, can I ask who this Saki-Senpai person it? Was it someone you know?" Teddie questioned as Yuri finally helped it up.
"That doesn't matter right now, anyways, at least we know Senpai might've been thrown in here," Yosuke stated as he turned towards the others, "maybe we can find more information, too. Let's get moving."
The twins nodded their agreement and Teddie let out a strange sound as the teenagers started to walk through the TV world. It started to give directions towards the place that Saki had been. It looked like a complete replica of the shopping district. It didn't go too far past the liquor store, and if Yuri squinted, she couldn't see the shrine she knew was in that direction. The TV world was a strange place.
"This looks just like the shopping district, what's going on here?!" Yosuke questioned.
"Some weird places have started to appear here recently," Teddie answered, "things are getting so tangled I don't know what to do…"
"Hey Teddie," Yosuke started as he looked at the mascot, "why are you standing so far from us? You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does come up."
"Of course not! I can't stand too close you know, I'd get in your way," Teddie stated, and they all sent him a dubious look.
"It's incredibly detailed, but it's only a small part of the shopping district," Yuri commented as she tapped a finger against her chin, "like the shrine, it's not showing up in the area it would be."
"Out of all the places to replicate," Yosuke stated, "why Inaba?"
"No clue," Yuri answered, shrugging.
"How should I know? This is the reality for the one who's here," Teddie stated, and Yuri gained a thoughtful expression.
"We're getting closer and closer to an answer of some sorts," Yuri mumbled.
"You're going to be ordering books, aren't you?" Yu questioned.
"Of course," She smiled.
"This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run," Yosuke stated, "does this mean senpai disappeared here? What could've happened?"
"Wait a second!" Teddie exclaimed before putting its hands on its head in fear, "They're here!"
"What's here?!" Yosuke questioned.
"Shadows," Teddie answered, and Yuri slowly looked around in slight worry, "I had a feeling they were going to attack!"
Movement from the liquor store caught Yuri's attention and her eyes widened behind the sunglasses. Blob like creatures wearing blue masks started to crawl from a dark red and black portal that had opened up in front of the store. They hadn't noticed that portal popping up, too concentrated on talking. One of the shadows reached towards her and she stepped back in slight fear. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she heard Yosuke let out a yelp as one reached for him. Her head began to hurt, and she jolted as it felt like someone was trying to rip her head in half. She brought her hands up and clutched at her head. Her eyes screwed shut as she tried to fight the pain.
"I am thou…thou art I…the time has come…open thine eyes and call forth what is within!" Her eyes snapped open in unison with her brother's.
"Per…so…na," They stated, and a blue card appeared in front of them.
They reached forward and crushed it in their grasp. Yosuke let out a yell with Teddie as a gust of wind blew from the two twins as a large creature appeared behind them. It made sense that they would have identical monsters, but there were some stark differences between the two of them. Yuri narrowed her eyes at the shadows and pointed towards them as a single word came to the front of her mind.
"Psi." She stated.
A line of bright magenta, cyan, yellow, white, and black circles came from the monster behind her and slammed into the shadow. It let out a screech of pain before it turned to sludge and started to disappear, leaving behind a small pile of items. Yu nodded at his sister as he looked towards the other shadow.
"Zio!" Yu ordered the monster, and a large bolt of lightning came from the monster.
It decimated the shadow, and it followed the other's fate. Yuri let out a sigh of relief before turning towards the monster. A persona. That's what it was, and she knew that she'd be finding a few psychology books to try and explain it. Her knees buckled and she winced when she realised that her knees would be bruised the rest of the week if she fell. Something caught her by the back of her uniform, and she looked back to see her Persona gently placing her down. She gave it a thankful smile and it seemed to appreciate that.
"What the hell are those things? You said "persona" right?!" Yosuke questioned the two as he ran up to them, noting that they were exhausted, "What was it—I mean, what did you do?! Hey, do you think I can do it too?"
"Calm down, Yosuke," Teddie admonished, "You're troubling the Senseis!"
"S-Sensei?" Yosuke questioned.
"Yes, why are you calling us sensei?" Yuri asked, slightly amused before pushing her hair back from her face.
It had fallen out of its braid when that gust of wind had appeared. The two personae were hovering behind their summoners and sharing a mental conversation that was eerily like the twins. Yosuke couldn't help but be slightly amused by that. Those two were so close that they even shared something like that.
"Gosh, you two are amazing! I am one impressed bear!" Teddie exclaimed, "I can't believe you two were hiding such an amazing power! NO wonder the Shadows were scared of you! Are you the one who's able to bring people into this world? Hah! That's what I thought! This is really something, don't you think so, Yosuke?"
"Dude, you need to chill," Yosuke stated giving Teddie a slight kick, "they look exhausted. Also, why don't I get that kind of respect?"
"Sorry…" Teddie apologized from its spot on its back.
"Well…your help in making sure I didn't fly too far back was great," Yosuke admitted, smiling slightly, "I gotta give you credit for that."
"Huh? Really? Heehee!" Teddie perked up at that, happily laughing at the praise.
"All right, you guys keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out," Yosuke stated, "now, lets get back to the investigation!"
The personae vanished into a burst of blue flames as the teens headed into the store. It was freezing inside, like someone had left the doors to the coolers open. Yuri shivered slightly and Yu handed her his school jacket. She had already been sick; he wasn't about to let her get sick a second time. Her thankful smile was enough for him.
"I wonder what could have happened to Senpai here," Yosuke stated in thought.
"I wish Junes would go under…" A voice echoed around them, and they all looked around in slight confusion.
"It's all because of that store…" A nother joined.
"What the hell?" Yosuke questioned.
"Oh, I heard that Konishi-San's daughter is working there…" A woman's voice stated, and Yuri knew that was one of the housewives they had passed when Yamano's body had been found.
"Oh my…how could she, with her family's business suffering like it is?" Another female voice questioned, and Yu frowned at that.
"I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes…" The first woman's voice gleefully said.
"Of course, it's all housewives," Yuri dryly commented, "some people just have nothing better to do. Just ignore them Hanamura-San."
"That poor father…to have his own daughter working for the enemy…" the voices continued.
"What a troublesome child…"
"Hey, Teddie, you said this place is reality for those that are here, right?" Yosuke asked Teddie, and got a nod in response, "Does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here?"
"I only know about what's happening on this side," Teddie answered, giving an apologetic nod of its head.
"Whatever's going on here, we'll find out!" Yosuke stated, his determination making the twins smile.
"Saki! How many times do I have to tell you?!" A middle-aged voice yelled, and Yuri reacted the worst to it.
Her breath caught in her throat and Yu could only guess why she reacted that way. He put an arm around his sister's shoulders in silent support and she sent him a thankful look. Their father had only snapped at her once, and that had been enough. Yuri had been six when the man snapped, and that had stayed with her for years. Yu had been bothered by it as well, but he had been far enough away that it hadn't scared him as much.
"You know what the neighbors say about you, right?" Oh, those were very familiar words to the twins, and they grimaced in unison, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family who's owned this store for generations! Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE, of all places!"
"This man…" Yuri muttered, frowning in anger at his words.
There were only two things she could do. Either hide in fear due to the familiar words or get angry and push past them. It was the first time she'd been faced with that decision, and she was going to get angry. She felt her Persona cheer in the back of her head, and it had been a strange sensation. It was also comforting, it meant that she'd never truly be alone if she had her persona.
"I…why didn't Senpai say anything? It seemed like she had fun at work," Yosuke stated, staring at the tiled ground with tears in his eyes, "is this how she really saw things?"
He looked around the store and stepped up to a counter. He picked up a photograph and the others joined him. It was a picture of the workers of Junes. Yosuke was standing next to a smiling Saki. She really did look happy, but even Yuri knew that no one was truly happy while at work. Yosuke moved the photo slightly and showed that there were several cuts on the photo mainly over Yosuke.
"This is the photo we took a while back with the other part-timers at Junes…why is it cut up like this?" He questioned.
"I never had the chance to say it…" Saki's voice startled all of them, it was strange hearing the voice of someone that had recently passed away.
"That's…" Yosuke trailed off.
"I always wanted to tell Hana-Chan…" Saki continued, and Yuri blanched slightly, she had a feeling that she knew what was coming up.
"Me?" Yosuke questioned.
"…That he was a real pain in the ass. I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all…but he takes it completely the wrong way and get's all enthusiastic…what a dip." Saki sneered.
"That's a lie, Senpai is not like that!" Yosuke shouted.
Yuri and Yu shared a look. They didn't know if they should tell him or not. It was probably for the best that they didn't. He was already upset; they didn't want to make it worst. Yuri brought a hand up and gave Yosuke a gentle pat on the shoulder, it was the only thing she could think of to do. It was an incredibly odd situation they found themselves in.
"It's so sad, I feel so sorry for myself…boo hoo…" Yosuke stated, and the twins blinked in surprise, "actually, I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass. Hahaha…"
"Two Yosukes?" Teddie questioned and the twins looked between the two Yosuke's.
One had bright yellow eyes a few shades lighter than Yuri's. He was giving the group a dark smirk. Yuri wondered what it was about this other Yosuke that caused her persona to hiss in the back of her head. It wanted to fight the strange apparition. She moved her foot back in anticipation of a fight. Yu's stance slowly followed hers.
"Who are you?" Yosuke questioned, "I wouldn't think such things!"
"Hah! Yeah right! How long are you going to keep deluding yourself? Screw the shopping district and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!" The other Yosuke stated, laughing while he did so.
"What are you saying?" Yosuke blanched.
"You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone," the other Yosuke continued, his smirk growing, "the more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain. And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-Senpai? The real reason you came snooping was because you were bored."
"Stop it!" Yosuke shouted.
"Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit!" The other Yosuke crowed, his glee at bothering the original Yosuke was almost palpable, "Maybe I do know everything you're thinking! Because I am you! You didn't have any other reason for coming here, did you?"
"That's…that's not true…stop it…" Yosuke started to plead.
"You're just trying to act like a big shot, if it all went well then you could even be a hero!" The other Yosuke continued, ignoring the plead, "That Senpai you were sweet on was such a good excuse!"
"That's not true! What are you? Who are you?" Yosuke yelled.
"I am you, your shadow," The other Yosuke stated, "there's nothing I don't know about you."
"Screw that!" Yosuke exclaimed and Yuri made a face, "I don't know you! You can't be me, you son of a bitch!"
"I'm getting a bad feeling…" Yuri stated, and Yu nodded.
"That's right, say it again!" Shadow Yosuke cackled.
"You're not me!" Yosuke finally shouted.
It went silent for a few seconds and the atmosphere in the store became heavy. Shadow Yosuke started to quietly chuckle before it grew in volume to match his previous cackle. Teddie stepped back in fear. It could sense the power coming from the Shadow Yosuke. His form split in two as a monster crawled out of it. It looked like a ninja frog of all things.
"I am a shadow, the true self," Shadow Yosuke stated, "I'll crush everything that bores me…starting with you!"
"Persona!" Yuri exclaimed as she guessed what it was going to do.
Her persona came out and blocked the punch that had been sent their way. Yu joined in and his persona took it's spot next to her's. Shadow Yosuke let out an annoyed sound as his persona swiped a sword at it. It jumped back.
"You two are such a pain in the ass!" It informed them.
"You guys need to block whenever you feel threatened!" Teddie called to them, and they nodded.
"Ready?" Yu asked his sister.
"Yeah, what's the plan?" She asked.
"We'll hit it with whatever powers we have," He commented, "you have Zio, right?"
"Yeah, what do you have besides Zio?" She questioned.
"Frei."
Huh, strange combination. She wasn't one to talk, Psi was a psychic ability. She supposed that electricity and psychic could work. Electricity and nuclear? She didn't doubt that her brother was a powerhouse compared to her. She released a Zio and the Shadow fell to the ground while Teddie cheered. Apparently, they found its weak point. It went on like that for a while. Yu and Yuri hitting it with Zio's and it attacking after.
"Zio!" Yu called, sweat pouring down his face.
That last Zio seemed to do the trick and the twins let out a sound of relief. Yosuke stayed in his spot. He was shell shocked. Yu clenched his jaw and punched the other teen in the face to get him to move. He needed to face his inner thoughts. Yosuke let out a grunt and rubbed at his jaw.
"Whoops, wrong one," Yu stated, rubbing his knuckles slightly.
"Dude," Yosuke whined slightly before his expression became serious.
"It's all right, you know," Yuri said as she slowly walked up to him, "everyone has thoughts that they don't want to admit that they've had. I think that's what makes us human."
"That thing came from you, Yosuke," Teddie confirmed, "you have to admit it, or it'll go berserk again."
"Please, I don't think we could fight it again right now," Yuri softly said, "I'm pretty spent on my energy."
"I could probably go for another round," Yu stated, and she lightly jabbed him in the side with her fingers.
It wasn't her fault that most of her attacks seemed to use her energy. Was she supposed to call it magic? Special skills? She needed to ask Igor or Margaret. They probably had the answers. Yeah, that was a good idea. Yuri paused for a few seconds and looked to the side. She was exhausted if her thought process was starting to go that way. She pushed her hair back once more and sent it an annoyed look. Waist-length hair wasn't the best to fight with.
"You're still yourself," Yu informed Yosuke and he gave a smile.
"Myself…dammit, it hurts to face yourself or is that the punch you gave me," Yosuke grumbled as he got up to his feet, "I knew it wasn't lying, but I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it."
Shadow Yosuke gave him a sad look before nodding slightly. Yosuke gave a tiny smile and it responded in kind. Yuri felt the atmosphere lighten and let out a sigh of relief. She was glad that things were able to resolve relatively peacefully.
"You're me, and I'm you," Yosuke admitted to his shadow, "when you get down to it, all of this is me."
A giant persona appeared from the shadow version of himself and gave him a nod. It was large, and reminded the twins of the frog monster they had fought. It stood up on two legs this time and wore ninja gear, which included a long scarf. It reached down with a fist and Yosuke gave it a fist bump before it vanished.
"This is my persona…when we heard Senpai's voice I started to wonder if that was something she'd been keeping deep down inside," Yosuke said before giving a deprecating chuckle, "A pain in the ass, huh? What a way to find out, how embarrassing. If you guys weren't here, I don't know what would've happened, thanks."
"No problem," Yu said.
"That's what friends do, right?" Yuri asked, looking towards Yu for confirmation.
Her brother nodded and it was easy for Yosuke to figure out that she never really had anyone else as a friend besides her brother. He gave her a grin and she gave a smile back. He'd make sure to be the greatest friend he could be for them. They deserved that much for helping him out.
"Hey, Teddie, could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here?" Yosuke asked as he moved the topic towards the case, "Like how it just happened to me?"
"I think so," Teddie confirmed, and they all grew serious, "the shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears, and they all go berserk, and you saw what happened next. A strong-willed shadow will draw the others to it and the big mass of shadows will kill their host."
"Wait…this reminds me of something I heard about a few years back," Yuri commented, "it was about these cases of Apathy Syndrome in…Iwatodai I believe."
"Yeah, I remember hearing about that before my family moved here," Yosuke stated, "do you think it could be related?"
"Well, I'll be there on the 24th so I could always ask around to see if anyone knows what exactly happened," Yuri said.
"How long ago would this have been?" Teddie asked.
"Two years ago, I think the majority of the cases happened in two thousand and ten, but there were some in two thousand and nine," Yuri answered, "I can see about hitting up one of my followers for any more information that regards shadows and persona, maybe we can figure something out about this world."
"Two years ago? The shadows were a bit more restless two years ago, but then they suddenly calmed," Teddie informed them before looking at them, "you're all pretty worn out, this world isn't made for humans. Let's get you guys back."
"All right, lead the way, Teddie," Yu stated.
Teddie did so and Yosuke found himself being supported by the twins. They all looked worse for the wear, but those two were covered with tiny bruises and cuts. Yuri had them the worst on her arms and legs while Yu had them on his face. They were both exhausted and he was starting to feel it as well.
"Hey, Teddie," he called as they returned to the studio, "you said this place is reality for the people who enter, right? So that shopping district, and the weird room we saw before. Did they exist because of the people who entered this world? Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?"
"I don't know," Teddie admitted, "it's never happened before, but that's probably where they were when the shadows attacked them."
"It was the same for them then," Yu stated.
"The fog does lift here sometimes, I always hide when it does because of how violent the shadows can get," Teddie said, "I sense people here twice before, but both of them disappeared after the fog lifted."
"Why don't we agree on what we know already, Senpai and Yamano-San were thrown in here and since they couldn't get out, they wandered around, after a while, that shadow thing came out of them," Yosuke started, "the fog cleared, it went berserk, and it ended up killing them. Does that sound about right for what we have so far?"
"Yeah, which means if you had been stuck here until the fog lifted, you'd have been in deep trouble," Yu stated.
"You were lucky that Sensei and I were with you," Teddie said, motioning towards the twins.
"Dammit, Senpai and Yamano-San were here all alone, no one could save them," Yosuke softly said.
"Yosuke, they disappeared when the fog lifted, but they were safe before that no shadows attacked them," Teddie stated before gaining a frown, "they attacked us, though. Maybe they're keeping a close eye on us. They might see people who investigate this place as enemies, it'll be dangerous, but we might be able to fight them! We might save people!"
"Are you saying that if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear!?" Yosuke questioned, "Like how you guys just saved me?"
"We won't know unless we try," Yuri and Yu stated, and he let out a groan.
"Why'd you guys have to say that in unison?" Yosuke asked them before shaking his head, "We still need to catch the person who's throwing people in here and make them stop."
"Can I ask something too?" Teddie asked and they all looked at it, "If shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from?"
"You don't know?" Yosuke asked.
"It's unlikely that we'll have the answers right now," Yuri added, "we can look into it."
"I know some things, mostly about this world," Teddie admitted, "I don't know anything about myself, to be honest, I never really thought about it before now."
"No wonder we couldn't get a straight answer out of you," Yosuke commented.
"Will you guys come back here?" Teddie asked the three.
"Of course, we promised after all," Yuri confirmed.
"Thank you! I'll let you guys out, but there's one thing I need you guys to do," Teddie stated, "you need to come in from the same place every time so that we can easily meet up."
"From the TV in Junes?" Yu asked.
"You could come in from somewhere else, but then you won't end up here," Teddie informed them, "you could show up somewhere I couldn't get to you, and you'd end up doomed."
"Right," Yosuke stated as the other two nodded their agreement, "can you show us the way out?"
"Roger that! One exit coming right up!" Teddie chirped before stomping its foot again and the three stacked TV appeared once again.
"Sweet, we need to make sure there's nobody around," Yosuke stated.
They didn't get to do that as Teddie pushed them into the TV stacks. They all let out disgruntled sounds. Yosuke popped out first and landed on whoever was waiting on the other side for them. They let out a groan as Yu and then Yuri joined him. It was a dog pile, and Chie was on the bottom of it. She shot them all a glare as they quickly go to their feet while apologizing to her.
"You guys are such jerks!" Chie yelled at them as tears started to appear in her eyes.
"What's with that face?" Yosuke asked, confused about what was going on.
"The nerve of you guys!" Chie shouted as she threw the rope at the two, "You are such morons! I can't believe this! You guys' suck! The rope got cut off I had no idea what to do…I was so worried, scared stiff, dammit! I hate you guys!"
"We deserve that," Yuri stated, and the other two nodded their agreement.
"Let's apologise to her tomorrow," Yosuke suggested, "I'm completely wiped out, I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep. I think I'll sleep well tonight, see you in the morning."
Yuri and Yu started the trek home. They had to pass through the flood plain and they both took their time to really enjoy the walk. It was pleasantly cool outside, compared to how damp it was inside the TV world. Yu watched as his sister gave her long hair a scrutinizing look. He wondered what that as about.
"I think I should cut my hair," She quietly said, "I can still do a lot of different styles if I have it shoulder length."
"Is this for safety reasons?" Yu asked.
"Yeah, if we're going to be in the TV world then it would be best to limit the number of things that could get snagged." She said before pausing, "Oh, that's Amagi-San."
"Oh, hello Narukami-San," Yukiko greeted them from her spot on a bench, she was wearing a light pink kimono, "my parent's sent me out on an errand…um…are you two getting used to the town and school?"
"I like it here," Yuri admitted, "it's nice and quiet, and filled with less smog than the city."
"I suppose that would be perfect for you," Yukiko agreed, smiling softly.
"Somewhat," Yu softly admitted and Yuri nodded her understanding.
"It must be difficult, moving to a new place you know nothing about," Yukiko sympathized, "I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school. Oh! Are you two getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early…so…"
"We're getting along pretty well," Yu and Yuri said.
"I'm glad to hear that, Chie's very supportive, you know," Yukiko said before a strange glint appeared in her eyes, "it's always her who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes."
Yuri smiled slightly and wondered if she had missed out on such things due to her condition and lack of social awareness. She nudged the toe of her shoe into the ground as she thought about that. Yukiko enjoyed the companionable silence between the three of them before checking her watch. Her expression fell slightly.
"I should get going, I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef," Yukiko informed them, picking up her umbrella, "our inn can't function without me right now. I'll see you at school, then."
They parted ways with a wave at one another and the twins hurried their pace to reach the Dojima house before it got dark. They entered and Nanako happily welcomed them home. It was a take-out dinner that night and she wasn't surprised when the two sat down at the tea table with her. She had her homework in front of her as she ate her dinner.
"Dad's going to be late," Nanako informed them.
"Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba," The twins' attention was caught by the news, "at around Seven in the morning, local high school student Konishi Saki was found dead in Inaba's residential area."
"Since the body was found positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Konishi-San was the one to find the body, police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Yamano Mayumi. The coroner's report has established Konishi-san's time of death around one in the morning last night, and went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area."
Yuri got up to take a can of tea out of the fridge. These were similar thoughts to what they had come up with while in the TV world. Well, they were being led by their Uncle and he was a pretty sharp guy. She looked towards Nanako to see that her brother was starting to help her around the house. A second story came up on the news about the Amagi inn and Yuri winced.
"After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes," the announcer stated, "I other words, she's a manager who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it, let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!"
"Hm? Are you speaking to me?" Yukiko asked,
"We've heard that you're the new manager," The announcer said, and Yukiko blinked at that, "is it true you're still in high school?"
"Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily," Yukiko answered.
"Someday, though, that aside, wow!" The announcer's exclamation seemed to make Yukiko uncomfortable, "You're looking gorgeous in that Kimono, you must have a lot of male visitors."
"Hmm? No, um…"
The announcer seemed to ignore her discomfort and kept rambling. Yuri jumped when the channel changed to an anime about magical girls and looked to see Nanako giving the TV a bored look. Well, she could understand that. It was nice to look away from her classmate's uncomfortable expression.
"Oh, I need to do the dishes," Nanako stated.
"We'll help," Yuri stated, and her expression brightened.
"Do you think that something's going to appear on the TV again?" Yuri asked as she heard the rain outside, she was putting her crocheting away.
"Maybe, let's turn on the TV," Yu stated.
"In other Inaba-related news, meteorologists are predicting heavy fog throughout the year. The region has seen an abnormal amount of fog over the past few years, and the cause of the climate change is unknown," A calmer announcer informed them, "Whatever the reason, residents of the Inaba area should be extra careful. Our broadcast tonight was extended to bring you up-to-date news on the incident in Inaba. The time is now midnight."
Yu turned the TV off and shared a look with Yuri before they both looked into the screen. The TV flicked back on, and a silhouette appeared on the screen. It was too fuzzy to make out, but Yuri thought it reminded her of Yukiko. Yu went to touch the screen while the image was still there, and it vanished the moment he did. He stepped back from the TV and decided to tell Yosuke about it the following day.
"That…That reminded me of Amagi-San," Yuri stated, and he nodded slightly, "but we just saw her. Maybe Satonaka-San will be able to call her."
They yawned in unison and decided to head to bed. Yuri was out the second her head hit the pillow. She frowned when she heard a piano playing, a woman's voice singing along with it. She opened her eyes and looked to see Igor sitting in front of her. He gave her a kind smile and she smiled back.
"I feel under dressed," Yuri couldn't help but joke, "did you summon me from my bed?"
"I have summoned you within your dreams, you are fast asleep in the real world," Igor informed her.
"That's…that power is amazing," Yuri informed him, her eyes wide.
"This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter," Margaret informed her, "in your daily life you subconsciously heard the call to awake, and you chose to follow that call, thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power."
"Does…. does my persona have a name?" Yuri softly asked, feeling like she needed to ask them something else, but she couldn't remember.
"You and your brother possess the persona Izanagi," Igor informed her, "though, like twins themselves, there are differences. Your final personae will be completely different from the others."
"I'm excited to see what it's going to be," Yuri stated, and he grinned in response.
"I want you to hold onto this, your brother has a similar key," Igor said as he handed her a large brass key with an aquamarine gem in the shaft, "From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance… You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."
"I understand." Yuri said, her tone serious.
"I knew you would," He chuckled, "the Persona you have acquired… It is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as… a facade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card… Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero… empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."
"Infinite?" Yuri questioned; it was the first time that someone told her that she had potential to do anything.
"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart…" Igor further explained, "And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."
"That's amazing, but what are social links?" Yuri asked, very confused by that terminology.
"Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona," Margaret explained, and Yuri looked towards her, "at times, they will help light the way to the truth you are searching for."
"Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you...?" Igor questioned, "I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together…'til we meet again..."
Igor's chuckle was the last thing she heard before she returned to her normal dreams. Yu went into the room next and got the same information. Igor was excited for the day that they entered the room at the same time. It would be…entertaining. He looked towards the cards and noted a strange occurrence. The Page of Wands tarot card was on the table. Someone was coming to visit, and he wasn't unsure of who it was. Whoever it was, would be change with them.
Iwatodai, Tatsumi Port Island. 16, April, 2011. 01:00
"Are you sure, Yamagishi?" A woman with long red hair asked over the monitor of a computer.
"I'm certain I picked up the activity of at least three persona users," A young woman with shoulder length teal coloured hair answered, a worried expression on her face, "but it felt like trying to look at someone through a screen. I would've missed it if I hadn't been searching for shadows in that area."
"Why would three new persona users pop up out of nowhere?" The woman with red haired murmured in thought before fixing Yamagishi with a stern expression, "inform team Gemini of their newest station. You'll be going with them to observe these new users, if you happen to come into contact with them do not let them know what's going on."
"Right," Yamagishi gave a nod of understanding, she knew the reason why.
They didn't want to chance the new persona users being bad people. If they were than they would be dealt with. She didn't like thinking such things, but that was the correct wording. She blinked when the redhead sighed.
"Where did you sense these users?" The woman asked.
"In a small town called Inaba," Yamagishi answered.
"Inaba…was there a murder there?" The woman asked.
"Yes, of a reporter and a third-year student." Yamagishi confirmed.
Now that, gave the red head cause for concern. If there were strange on goings in Inaba then her operatives would find out what they were and hopefully put a stop to them. Her only worry was how they would go about doing that. Team Gemini sometimes caused more destruction then they'd like to admit. Yamagishi left her office and she looked out over Iwatodai. They had so much to do and so little time.