Disclaimer: I do not own Persona or Fate or anything in the nasuverse, any resemblance to any other Persona 4/Fate fan fiction is coincidental and plagiarism is not intended. No flames please, constructive criticism only.
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[04/18 Monday, Velvet Room, Inaba]
School had been cancelled today for some reason that the staff remained tight lipped about. As such Yu Narukami decided to go the Velvet Room and see if Marie wanted to go outside. Sure enough the unfriendly looking girl was surprised to see him at all.
"Huh…? You came. I'm surprised, I didn't think you were interested" The mysterious girl said "Look, I'm sure you already know, but I want you to take me somewhere. It's small, dark and The Nose never says anything. I'm really not supposed to leave the room, but Margaret said it'd be okay if I went with you. I, uh...Well, never mind. So, will you take me somewhere?"
His hunch was correct it seemed that Marie did indeed want to go out. He had agreed to go to rescue Yukiko later this afternoon so he had plenty of time to show Marie around.
"So…..will you take me somewhere?"
"Sure" Yu nodded.
"Really?" her eyes widened apparently she expected him to just ignore her and leave her here, but he was genuinely interested in the girl and wished to know her better. "...Don't you think you're giving in too easily? Well whatever let's get going already."
After exiting the Velvet Room and returning to the real world in the shopping district, Yu decided to begin the tour by going for a stroll through the district and ended up stopping in front of Souzai Daigaku a small store that sold freshly cooked food such as Skewers and croquets.
"Phew. I can finally breath now, it's stuffy in that car" Marie let out a breath of relief "You know there's a lot of stuff that I've never noticed before….. a Steak Skewer?...Hey, lady I want one of those skewer things."
" Oh, hello. That'll be 320 yen, please." The lady's tone was very polite despite Marie's slightly demanding tone.
"Thwee hunnert twin...Bleh. That's hard to say. You can't eat without money?" Marie asked perplexed.
"Don't worry I can pay for it" Yu supressed a chuckle at Marie's difficulty saying numbers.
"You have money!?...That's awesome. You're awesome." Marie looks surprised, although Yu was not sure whether it was because he had money or at the concept of money.
All of a sudden Yosuke showed up coming from the south shopping district.
"Yo Narukami, getting your on huh?" Yosuke greeted cheerfully as Diarmuid appeared in his transparent form.
'Sir Gawain' Diarmuid greeted the other knight.
'Sir Diarmuid' Gawain returned the greeting 'It would seem that my master experiences the dream cycle as if we were master and servant in a Grail War Yet there are no Command Seals and I sense no connection to the Holy Grail almost as if it is not there. Also he asked whether I was alone inside his mind, I feel the presence of another heroic spirit but for all intents and purposes it remains dormant like a statue or someone waiting to be awoken. Nothing I do even stirs the spirit.'
'Unusual indeed, if this is a Holy Grail War then why do we lack a connection to it and why restrict us so? Usually we would do battle but these circumstances have us ally with each other. The Grail is necessary for us to maintain our existence along with a prana supply from our master yet we need only the latter to become physical in that other world. The drawback is that we require a steady supply of prana maintain our forms and the longer we do battle more of our masters prana we drain.'
'If we are not careful we could leave our masters in a bad situation without the ability to aid them.' Gawain nodded 'but did you notice? After the battle with Chie's shadow? The supply of prana within our master's seemed to grow, if I had to wager a guess I'd say it probably means that we can remain longer, in addition I felt the technique I call Blade of the Devoted return to me, almost as if it had remained out of reach until now.'
'Yes I understand what you mean; I felt my skill 'Eye of the Mind' return to me after that battle as well. It would seem that as we defeat these larger shadows our abilities and skills are unlocked. Perhaps at some point even our ultimate Noble Phantasms may return.'
'Yes I believe your theory to be sound, but he question is why put us through such a restriction in the first place?' Gawain pondered 'Would it not be easier if we could fight with all our strength.'
'It is indeed a mystery, perhaps to it is do with our master's prana supply being very small at the moment' Diarmuid sugested watching his master as Gawain nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey, don't worry! I got a little extra in my last pay check." Yosuke said with a wink as he chose to stand instead of taking a seat at the table "Three steak skewers! One for each of us."
"Oh my, business is booming!" the Lady at the store grinned "Just a moment, please."
The lady turned her back on the trio, within a few moments she turned back around with three freshly cooked steak skewers and handed them to the three. The three ate their steak skewers together, though for some reason Yosuke chose to remain standing as he ate.
"Whew" Yosuke let out a breath after finishing his skewer "Is that a bellyful or what! This place always has huge portions."
After a few moments of letting his stomach settle after the meal, the boy turned his attention to Marie.
"So, Marie-chan, what do you think of the local specialty?"
"It's really weird. It's tough, hard to bite into, and it got cold while I was still eating it. But it was delicious."
"Oh, uh...That's good...Didn't sound like you liked it at the beginning there." Yosuke said uncomfortably. "But, all's well that ends well!"
"Hey, why's it called steak anyway" Marie asked turning her attention to Yu "Is it short for something?"
"It's short for Beefsteak" the boy replied to the cap wearing girl.
"Beefsteak?...Huh." Marie got lost in thought for a few moments "But if you the word beef from it, you don't get any sense of what it's made of. It should be, like…'Fsteak."
"That's, uh, not much better..." Yosuke said looking unsure "Marie-chan's a strange kid, huh? Well, that makes her cute...I guess?"
"You eat this every day? No fair. I should've come earlier..." Marie complained.
Yu noted that it seemed as though Marie had taken a liking to Steak Skewers, he made a mental note to bring her here again.
"Hey I've been meaning to ask, whose are those guys next you?" Marie asked spontaneously as she pointed to Diarmuid and Gawain the former of whom had a surprised look on his face. Gawain was less surprised as he was aware of the girl's origins in the Velvet Room and the fact that they could see him.
"Wha...…I mean no there's no one there" Yosuke yelled with panic in a poor attempt to hide.
"Yes I can see them, they look ghostly but they're there."
'I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, knight of Fianna at your service' said with uncertainty the knight of the spears was still shocked that he was seen by someone who had not entered the TV World.
'And I am Gawain, Knight of the Round Table'
"Gawain and Diarmuid" Marie spoke the names as if tasting a new food.
'I may, how is you are able to see us?' Diarmuid queried
"I don't know I just can" Marie shrugged "I think, I'll ask Margaret about it later"
"Margaret is that your sister?" Yosuke asked before beginning to panic as he patted his pocket "Ah crap, I left my key back in my locker at work. I've gotta go back to Junes! See you later, Narukami! You too, Marie-chan!"
'Farewell to both of you' Diarmuid said giving a slight bow, fading from sight as his master ran off in a panic.
"….Your partner is a funny person" Marie said after a few moments of silence
"That he is." Yu agreed with a nod.
"Hm...But he bought me meat. That makes him a good person. That is a fact." Marie closed her eyes and appeared to keep pondering on Yosuke "Hey, let's go somewhere else. Somewhere with a nice view."
Yu knew exactly where to take her. The pair began walking away from the shopping district and after several times in which he lost Marie the moment he took his eyes off her, Yu managed to bring her to the hill overlooking town.
"Hmmm…..It's really green here." Marie observed
"Green and...green. And some brown and...Darker green? Leaves of green fly away, Farewell to you, clouds of the sky...I fly as well, lost as the day. Farewell to you, moon of the night." Yu could hear Marie murmuring something to herself that seemed to rhyme….a poem perhaps? He even asked if it was.
"N-No! I-I-I wasn't making up a poem! It's just some words that I was thinking! That's all! Yeah!" Marie instantly began blushing and denying everything "ShutupIhateyouyoustupidjerk! D-Don't snoop on me!"
Marie and Yu walked over to a part of the hill that was clear of trees and gave a view of entire town.
"Wow, it's pretty big…." Marie was clearly breath taken by the sight. "I don't know why...but I feel good about this place. It reminds me of something. Are there any other places we can go? I want to see more."
"I'll show you around if you want." Yu offered the girl.
"Please do." Marie replied with a slight smile "I notice a lot of things when I'm with you. It's pretty fun."
Yu could sense that Marie expected something of him. He felt that he understood Marie a bit more now. In the back of his mind the number twenty burned to life as yet another soul connected to him from beyond.
"All right, next! Where to now?"
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[04/18 Monday, TV World, Inaba]
After going to the TV world and returning to Yukiko's castle the team
"Include Li Shuwen" Chie called out as the Chariot Arcana shattered into streams of blue flame that sunk into the girl's flesh.
"Let's go!" Several Lying Hablerie shadows zoomed towards the girl.
She leapt into the air and destroyed one in the centre of the group with a single kick. The remaining three charge at her but she destroyed them by catching one on her leg and slamming it into the other two, destroying all of them simultaneously.
"Sweet moving on" Chie began charging ahead into the castle, the two boys and one bear all ran to keep up with her.
"Chie's really on fire isn't she!" Teddie commented from behind Yosuke.
"Chie, you're just starting to gain your strength! So don't over do it"
"Come on, where are you Yukiko!" Chie tells him as they round a corner and stopped before she took off running again.
"She just blew me off"
"Chie he's right don't overdo it" Yu yelled to the girl following after her.
"I'm fine this is nothing compared to what I usually do!"
"Ah man there's nothing I hate more than getting blown off by a girl" Yosuke complained as Teddie snickered behind him.
"Zip it bear!"
'My lord perhaps we should focus on our quest and ensure that Ms Chie does not get into trouble again.' Diarmuid suggested
"Yeah you're right of course" Yosuke sighed as he followed Yu and Chie down the corridor and up some stairs "I did some research on you, they say that any girl who looked at your face instantly fell in love with you. Man I wish I had an ability like that."
The Knight of the Spears stopped for a second, his beautiful features twisting into ones of sadness and bitterness. Feeling his sudden mood shift through their bond, Yosuke was so surprised that he almost tripped as he turned to look at his Persona.
"You wouldn't say that if you had lived my life, my lord." as he said those words, the Lancer passed one of his hands over his infamous Love Spot, a dark look on his eyes. "This supposed blessing...is nothing but a curse. One that I will bear for eternity." releasing a bitter chuckle, the Hero walked past the still silent Yosuke. "You would maybe get any woman you want if you had this, my lord...but you would never be happy." he glanced back at him, his eyes filled with sadness once again. "Believe me. I know."
Yosuke's fell silent, he felt like a complete ass. He'd only been interested in what Diarmuid could do and had skipped a lot of details. The boy realised that he had no idea what the knight's life had actually been like.
"Yosuke!" Yosuke was shocked out his brooding by Chie's angry voice "Move your ass before I kick it!"
This got Yosuke moving again as he continued climbing up the stairs catching up to to Teddie who'd gotten ahead of him. Eventually Chie and Yu reached near the end of the flight stairs and suddenly the lights turned off, startling all of them to stop just shy of the landing.
"It's darker than black!" Teddie screamed as he began flailing his arms and panicking.
"You mean "pitch black." Yosuke corrected the bear as he and the others all looked around in confusion.
'At the top of the stairs someone is there' Li Shuwen pointed out.
The teens all looked and could make out a black shape.
"Who is it?" Yosuke squinted trying to see through the darkness to get a better look.
'Most likely it is…'Diarmuid trailed off
'-her shadow' Gawain finished narrowing his eyes at the figure.
A pair of spotlights suddenly appeared behind Teddie, a drumroll echoed throughout the area as the lights as they travelled towards the top of the stairs. The drumroll stops as the team found itself staring at someone's turned back. The person has long black hair and was dressed in a pink ball gown.
"Yukiko?!"
"It's not who you think it is," Chie looked at the summoner of Saber in confusion.
The Yukiko look-alike suddenly giggles as a recording of some weird song begins to play as she starts to speak. She holds the mic in her hands as she stares intently on all of them,
"What's this? Surprise guests?" She giggled again and curtsied to them, "Now this is a party"
The other Yukiko again stared them all before laughing again as she took the mic in one hand and extended her hand out. "I think it's time. For. Our. Next. Segment!"
Coloured words suddenly appeared out of thin air after the shadow finished speaking.
IT'S NOT SCRIPTED! Princess Yukiko's Hunt for Her Prince on a White Horse
"Uh...What's that for?" Teddie asked as sound of a cheering audience played in the background.
"Looks like a title screen," Yosuke answered.
"Yeah it does"
"Alright that's it who are you?!" Chie demanded
'We're you not paying attention?' Li Shuwen admonished 'she is Yukiko's other self'
"Sorry" Chie mumbled to her Persona apologetically, one of the first things he'd taught her while in the real world was to always pay attention to her surroundings.
"How could you ask that? Such a silly question!" the princess replied with a giggle while speaking into the microphone "I am Yukiko and Yukiko is me."
"NO!" Chie's denied loudly her yell echoing through the room "You're not her...I want the real Yukiko, NOW!"
Yukiko's shadow ignored Chie's outburst before giggling again.
"Alrighty, well it's time for me to resume my stud hunt! Princey boy…ready or not here I come!" The shadow made a gun sign with her hand and a gunshot sounded from somewhere as she span around giggling loudly as she ran off into the darkness which causing Chie to immediately give chase.
"Move outta of our way!" Chie yells as more Shadows began to swarm around them as they climbed the stairs and reached the landing where Yukiko's other self formerly stood.
The meat loving girl leapt into battle destroying Hablerie while Yu and Yosuke followed suit and included their own Persona's focusing on the Black Raven shadows which were flying around.
After destroying them all they gave chase to Yukiko's other self and found themselves ascending a very long set of stairs, fending off shadows that descended from above. Thankfully for some reason the Persona users were capable of less impressive but equally super human feats that their Persona's were such as being able to jump long distances.
"So that princess we saw before was…" Yosuke's voice rings out as Yu skips up a few steps to try and keep up with Chie as Teddie gives a noise of confirmation,
"Like Gawain and Diarmuid said it was definitely that girls other self for sure!" The bear confirmed as Yu and Yosuke leapt up to meet the Hablerie shadows in mid air and destroyed them rapidly as the came before landing higher up on the stairs.
"I knew it! There was something off about her when she was on the Midnight Channel!" he exclaims as Yu ran along a wall and jumped off it slashing a shadow in mid air and landing on the higher stairs opposite "Yukiko would never say she was doing something like 'stud hunting.'"
"Wait, 'stud hunting?' Why would she wanna hunt horses for?" Yosuke shook his head.
"I'll explain later!"
'I cannot help but wonder what form her shadow will take when it goes berserk' Li Shuwen said aloud
"Whaddya mean when?"
"Yosuke I think it's pretty much a given that she'll deny it, like you and Chie did"
"Gah…good point" the spear wielding boy was forced to concede.
"Guys! I can sense two people behind that door and one of them is that girls shadow." Teddie yells as they spot a large door as they finally reached the top.
The team all immediately burst through the door, they saw that they were in the apparent throne room of the castle, and sure enough standing in front of the throne at the top of long staircase leading up by a red carpet, was Shadow Yukiko, and at the bottom wearing her pink kimono with a birdcage at her feet, was Yukiko. The one they had come to save.
"Yukiko!" Chie calls for her friend as she looks from her other self to the team. "Chie!"
"My, my" the voice of Shadow Yukiko cuts off both of the girls before they begin to speak, "Five prince's showed up and a knight in shining armour too! It must be my lucky day...Whatever shall I do?"
'So even shadows can perceive us in spirit form' Diarmuid noted
'Unsurprising,
"I'm...feeling some serious tension in the air here..." Yosuke shuddered as the shadow's gaze fell on him.
"Hey I wanna go somewhere, somewhere far away. Where nobody knows me!" Shadow Yukiko clasped her hands together and stared at them, her gold eyes half closed and a smile playing on her lips. It tried to appear bashful but the high pitched voice didn't fit the face. "Please Prince Charming take me away. What are you waiting for?"
"Hold on...You said 'five princes,' does that include me?"
"It's beary clear I'm the fifth prince!" Teddie said rebuking Chie.
"Oh please. Keep dreamin' bear!" Yosuke scoffed.
Chie come you are obviously my prince!" the shadow replied a wide grin on her face, " You always lead the way, you make a brave and magnificent prince...At least, you did."
"I did?'" Chie's questioned as the smile fell off the Shadows face.
"See I'm through with you now"
Suddenly the chandelier began falling from the ceiling, it was too fast and Chie was frozen in place seemingly unable to move. Yu ran for her hoping to push her out of the way when Margaret's voice echoed in his head once again.
"You have established new bonds and obtained new Arcana. You possess the power to wield multiple Persona. It is the Wild Card, O Chosen One."
"Chosen one? Ok, Persona" Yu felt his bond with Chie calling out to him, so he reached for it "Cu Chulainn" He crushed the card and out a swirl of blue flames appeared a tall, red-eyed, with man with dark blue hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing blue body suit.
"In a bit of trouble lassie?" Cu Chulainn chuckled leaping next to Chie and catching the chandelier with his spear and holding it for a few moments "Here I think is YOURS!"
The Hound of Ulster manoeuvred his spear until it was at an angle and then using all his might he sent the chandelier flying back at the princess, it crashed just a few steps shy of her throne.
"Thanks for the save"
"No problem lassie, but you might wanna start focusing." The blue spearman chuckled "I doubt she's gonna go easy on us, which is just fine by me, I love a good fight."
"Chie let me down" the shadow continued as the chandelier raised itself out of the stairs and into the air again. "She won't take me away, she won't save me!"
"Stop it already!" Yukiko yells again, "That's enough!" The raven-haired girl let out a gasp as the chandelier swung past her again.
Diarmuid who Yosuke has summoned jumped from the ground and grabbed hold of the chandelier and trying to stop it only to get pinned into the wall. The Knight struggled against the metal but was unable to break free.
"Go help him"
"Right" the Lancer jumped over to the Chandelier and landed on it looking down at Diarmuid with a cheeky smile "You look like you're in a tight spot, need a hand?"
"Just be silent and help me" Diarmuid glared at the other Lancer who simply chuckled as he began using Gae Bolg as a lever to try and pry the chandelier off of the knight of Fianna.
Yukiko froze in place, her hands clasped in front of her as her eyes are closed as she whimpers in shame.
"Historical inn? Inn keeper training?!" The Shadow's words finally get a reaction out of Yukiko. "I'm absolutely sick of being stuck there!"
"Damn it all" Chie yelled and kicked her Arcana summoning Li Shuwen "Persona"
Her Persona leapt up towards the shadow only to get caught by the dark red carpet along with Chie and Teddie.
"Ahhh!"
"Grizzly!"
"I never asked to be born here, where everything has been decided for me until I die." the Shadow began raising her voice getting more and more agitated "I don't want it! I DON'T WANT ANY OF IT!"
"We gotta help her," Yu and Yosuke begin to get up from the floor. They both grunted as heat washed over them and they turn to see the flames of the candles in the chandelier grow. Yu could see Cú Chulainn still trying to free Diarmuid as the other Lancer Persona begins to struggle harder.
The wax of the thick hot wax preventing them from moving.
"Damnit! What is this crap?!" Yosuke yelled struggling to break free from the wax
In front of them Chie was struggling against the red carpet as Li Shuwen was doing the same, however it seemed that the carpet was sturdier than he gave it credit for as it resisted his attempts at removing it by cushioning the blows.
"Yukiko! " Her pleas fall on deaf ears as Yukiko continues to stare up at her Shadow which was making its way down the stairs despite some of them being trashed, finally the princess stopped at the bottom of the stairs
"None of this is true" Yukiko said weakly as she fell to her knees
The Shadow smirked and held her hands together as she stared up at the ceiling.
"I just wanna go far away" she sighs, "I want to go anywhere, but here. I want someone to whisk me away. I can't leave on my own..."
The Shadow's voice gets higher in pitch, her words and movements resemble that of a typical princess that desperately want to be rescued.
"Stop it, please stop it" Yu tugged at his legs, trying to break free as Yukiko shook her head in denial
"But I lack hope if I stay and I the courage to leave...That's why I've been waiting." Shadow Yukiko continues to taunt as her eyes open and she gazes down at Yukiko, "Someday my Prince will come. He'll come and take me some place far away from here!"
"I'm begging, stop." Yukiko's voice trembled as her Shadow began speaking out loud more o her deepest private thoughts.
"An old tradition? The pride of the town? SCREW IT ALL!"
Yukiko gasped and snapped her head to meet the shadows eyes.
"How dare you say that!" Yukiko slowly got to her feet as her Shadow chuckled.
"But that's how I feel. It's what we both feel, isn't that right….other me?"
"No…it isn't! You are not..." Yukiko shook her head in denial, her anger beginning to build.
"Yukiko"
"Don't say it." Chie yelled as she struggled to break free from the carpet that bound her.
Yu struggled even harder as he tried to break out of the wax only which cooled and become solid.
"You're a liar!" Yukiko points to her other self, "You're not me!"
There is a pause and soon a faint light of red and black begin to form at the bottom of Shadow Yukiko's ball gown as she lifts her arms up with a smile growing wider on her face.
"Oh my, my. Ah...And the power starts to surge," she giggles as she laughs louder as the light grew, "Now if things continue at this pace then...Ah ha ha ha ha!"
A car sized ship with some parts of the deck engulfed in flames along with burning sails descended from the ceiling; the figurehead looked like princess Yukiko except it was covered by chains.
"I am a shadow…of your true inner self" the shadow's sails seemed to flare like a bird flaring its wings threateningly.
Yukiko began taking slow steps as she backed away from her shadow in fear, however before she could run the bird cage that lay on the floor began hover and expanded to entrap the girl. A rope suddenly hooked around the top of the cage and lifted into the air dangling near the burning mast, hot enough to make Yukiko very uncomfortable but not enough to kill her.
"Yukiko!" Chie called out to her trapped friend "Let me GO!"
Li Shuwen closed his in concentration for a moment before tearing apart the cloth that bound him and his master.
"Man….this is….really…..IN THERE!" Cu Chulainn growled as he finally got the chandelier out of the wall sending it crashing off to the side freeing Diarmuid.
"I gotcha Yukiko, whatever she throws out I can take in more" Chie stated confidently.
"Oh really?" the shadow asked as the flames on its mast began flaring causing Yukiko to cough at the smoke that it caused "Then I'll just have to hit you WITH EVERYTHING I'VE GOT!"
A roaring wave of flames was sent at the team Chie cover her face as the heat fo the flames got closer, Li Shuwen managed to separate the flames apart, thus preventing them from incinerating his master.
Both the hound of Ulster and Knight of Fianna used their respective spears to block the majority of the flames that came at their masters; however a stray shot scorched Yosuke's trouser leg causing him to jump up and down clutching the afflicted area.
"Yeow…that burns, easy on the fiery burny stuff Yukiko." Yosuke yelled
"Yosuke lets go" Yu ordered kicking himself free of the wax that once held him.
"Get her Diarmuid"
"At once" the knight leapt at the ship like shadow along with Cu Chulainn.
Diarmuid dug Gae Dearg in and slashed the deck as hard he could making a large gash in it.
"What?" the knight was shocked as the pieces of wood that he shattered to make the hole simply stopped in mid air and flew back to the gash sealing it up. "It can regenerate? But how?"
"Whats the matter Diarmuid having performance issues?" the hound teased "Don't worry happens to everybody, well not me of course but-"
"Will you just shut up?" Diarmuid snapped loosing his composure for second before regaining it. "I'd like to see you do better."
"Watch and learn" the hound grinned and using his spear to remove a large chunk of the ships starboard side making a hole the size of a car wheel. "See easy as…"
His victory was short lived however as the chunk that was removed returned to its place and the cracks made vanished, once again the ship looked undamaged by the assault. "Son of a-"
"Now who's having performance issues?"
"Shaddap"
"My turn!" the two watched Li Shuwen land on the deck and began rapidly punching holes in the deck speeding along it from stem to stern. Within seconds pretty every plank had a fist sized hole in it.
However neither the speed nor power of the attacks stopped the holes from regenerating.
"Hmmm….that will get very annoying very quickly." Li Shuwen noted.
"I think you have other problems to worry about right now" the shadow said as the sound of wooden panels and the movement of heavy metal was heard.
"Oh shit she has cannons!" Cu Chulainn shouted and jumping off the deck and dashing back to his master, with the other two personas following suit.
The cannons erupted and fired at the three humans, thankfully their personas made it just in time to deflect the cannon fire. The two Lancers deflected the cannonballs easily albeit the Hound of Ulster had an easier time thanks to his Protection From Arrows skill. Li was able to deflect the as swiftly as they came.
"Yukiko! I'm on my way!" Chie yelled running towards the caged girl when the cannon fire stopped, but she was smacked away by the anchor sending her flying away from Yukiko.
"Too bad, I though Chie would save me but... Chie didn't save me. She wasn't my prince at all! I've waited for so very...very, long!" The sound of anger was present and she fired all of her cannons squarely at Chie.
It was clear that Li Shuwen would not be able to stop them all so Yu motioned towards Chie at his Persona who the message and leapt to aid the assassin. Together the two of them were easily able to save the meat loving girl from the bombardment.
"Thank you for the aid normally I would relish a strong opponent like this but these restrictions are annoying."
"No problem, I'm running on a limited prana supply so I know how ya feel."
"You right maybe Chie isn't your prince, is it really all that important!?" Chie turned to Yu, seeing it was him who spoke up.
"What?"
"Chie came here and risked her life to save Yukiko. I think that's pretty good proof that she really does care. What more could she have done!?"
"Narukami…"
"I... I've heard enough!" The flames got even stronger Chie stood up and walked slowly towards Yukiko.
"Yukiko, I have to tell you something and it's very important." The fire around her intensified but she stood her ground.
"This isn't easy; see the truth is, I've always been jealous of you. You had everything Yukiko and I had nothing. That's why I loved how you depended on me. You actually needed something that I had. I liked that the way that I needed to be there to protect you. It gave me a purpose."
"Exactly, I can do anything on my own, I'm helpless!"
"That's not true! Yukiko, you are one of the strongest people that I know. You want to escape then do it! Leave and go wherever you want! I know you can do this."
"You're wrong Chie I can't." Yukiko closed her tear filled eyes and dipped her head in shame. "I'm far too weak to leave."
The shadow wasn't even attacking them as it listened to the conversation between Yukiko and Chie even as Diarmuid, Cu Chulainn and Li Shuwen smashed at its main wooden body which regenerated in seconds. In fit of frustration Cu Chulainn swung his spear trying to damage the ship more and as he swung he put a noticeable cut in the figurehead, this caused the shadow to grunt and regenerate the wound quicker than any of the other damage done to it. Yuu narrowed his eyes and the cogs in his mind began to turn.
"I'm not strong enough…I am weak and pathetic; I'm such a horrible coward, I waited on someone else to set me free"
"So what!? You were scared!" Chie started coughing as she fell to her knees. "There are parts of me, that I'm not really proud of either. Horrible things that I'm really ashamed of, they don't matter! Listen, I'll always be there for you. That's a promise!"
"Chie..."
"Stop it!" the flames on the shadow flared in response to its angry yell "I SAID STOP!"
Yukiko got up and clutched on to the bars of the cage and broke through, Chie caught her as she fell through and was caught by Chie, the two of them hugged like nothing else existed in that moment.
"Thank you..."
"NO!" the shadow bellowed in rage as blue static danced across its body as the flames began to dim.
"The shadow's growing weak now" Teddie yelled.
"Alright, Diarmuid let' g-"
"Wait!" Yu ordered stopping Yosuke "Li Shuwen, Cu Chulainn, Diarmuid come over here I have an idea."
The persona's all looked at each other before shrugging and leaping over to Yu along with Yosuke who jogged over.
"Dude what's this idea you've got?" he asked "Do you know how to destroy it?"
"I do" Yu nodded getting a couple of raised eyebrows
"And how do you propose we do it?" Diarmuid asked politely "None of the damage we do lasts because it's cursed ability to regenerate. If only I had access to Gae Buidhe I could inhibit such an ability."
"It's simple do you remember when you were attack the shadow before Yukiko broke free from the cage? You got frustrated and swung your spear around to make a large hole in the deck right?"
"Yeah but the damn thing just healed it like before." The hound of ulster replied.
"Yes but as you were swinging your spear, you cut the figurehead and when you did that shadow grunted like you'd hurt it and that cut healed faster than the other damage you'd done which it never responded to, almost as if it couldn't feel the damage there."
"Wait do you mean, that figurehead is the weak spot?" Diarmuid yelled turning around to look at the ship which sent some flames to incinerate Chie and Yukiko which he quickly leapt over and deflected.
"Yes and I think I know how to beat it now." YU raised his voice so Diarmuid could hear him "Diarmuid get onto the deck and do as much damage as you can as quickly as you can. Smash the cannons especially."
"Very well" Diarmuid looked to Yosuke who nodded in consent and the knight set to work relentlessly assaulting the ship, smashing the mast and putt many holes in the deck and crumpling the cannons.
"Li Shuwen, you get up to the figurehead, tear right off and throw it as far away from the ship as you can, then help Diarmuid in damaging the body."
"I like this idea" Li Shuwen jumped to the ship and began setting to work, he got behind the figurehead and began pulling, the wood began creaking as if bone was being bent and snapped.
"GET OFF!" the shadow screamed in protest as cracks began appearing where its body was attached to the ship. "IT HURTS LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD LET GO LET GO LET GOOOO!" The screaming only seemed to encourage the martial artist who began pulling harder causing the shadows screams to get louder.
"Alright Cu Chulainn when that figure is in the air use your spear and strike it in the heart" Yu ordered.
"I get it, most of its energy has to be stored in that big body and that takes longer to regenerate because the figurehead is its heart." The spearman grinned as he heard the shadow scream again and looked to see Li Shuwen had torn the figurehead off, it seemed even be bleeding and a misty trail followed it as it was tossed into the air. "Well that's my cue."
The blue spearman of the wind leapt into the air with inhuman ability and twirled his spear in anticipation as he closed in on the figurehead which panicked upon seeing him approaching.
"NO STAY BACK!" it screamed in panic "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"Oh quit your whining it'll be over in a sec" the hound grinned "GAE BOLG!"
Destiny was rewritten, it was changed from 'the spear struck so the heart was pierced' to 'the heart is pierced, so the spear must have struck'. But it wasn't over, even with his spear in the shadows heart the Hound decided he wasn't finished just yet.
"Alright Lassie, it's time to go back where ya came from."
The shadow screamed as the spearman pushed his weight into the spear and slammed the shadow into the wall. With great speed and landed on it and began running up it, dragging the shadow's figurehead along wall causing it scream in protest as it seemed to be coming apart, unable to heal all of the damage done it.
Meanwhile down below Li Shuwen grinned and got an idea he grabbed the mast and turned it upside down and impaled it through the deck of the ship and chopped at the break so it was sharpened. He whistled up to the Hound of Ulster and motioned to the makeshift pike he had made and received a vicious grin in return.
Finally Cu Chulainn had made it to the ceiling and was now directly above the ship.
"Alright lass our times up, but I sincerely hope that you've learned your lesson and that you're sharp enough for this point to be driven home." The blue spearman quipped before letting himself fall and spun in the air before tossing the shadow off his spear and down towards the ship. "Look out below!" The two personas below leapt off the deck just in time for the figurehead which was screaming all the while to impale itself face first on the sharpened mast before the force of its impact destroyed the ship completely.
There was a flash of blue light and when the smoke cleared princess Yukiko had reappeared.
"Was that overly violent display necessary?" Diarmuid asked of his fellow Lancer when he landed.
"No, it was fun though." Cu Chulainn replied unrepentantly sharing a grin with Li Shuwen who returned it.
"I think we shall get along famously Hound of Ulster" Li Shuwen laughed.
"Chie" Yukiko called out to her friend who was looking down in shame.
"I'm so sorry Yukiko, I was so wrapped up in my own stuff, that I didn't even notice all the stuff that was bothering you, and I really should have."
"I didn't notice the things that were bothering you either, I just wanted to escape. You see, that's why I created you." Yukiko looked towards her shadow and grabbed its hands with her own. "You're right, I did just want to leave and escape. I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge your voice before. It's true; it's how I felt deep inside." She then pulled her shadow into a hug. "You are a part of me."
Her shadow nodded before bursting into a wave of blue flames that surrounded Yukiko, she flinched as she felt something connecting itself to her very soul.
A summoning circle formed itself around her and a new form rose. In it appeared a female pirate captain with long wavy crimson pink hair, blue eyes and scar across her face. She wears brown choker collar almost attach to her dark pink captain vest that shows her breasts, white pants, and long dark brown boots.
"So you're the lassie who summoned me eh?" the woman looked at Yukiko who only nodded wordlessly "The name's Francis Drake, Pirate Mercenary at your service." The woman persona gave off a rather relaxed aura, also she had the scent of the ocean as well as alcohol "Under the Arcana of the Priestess and in the Rider Class, I'm your Persona."
"Persona" Yukiko turned the word over in her mouth as if tasting something.
"Heh, don't worry pretty lass! With me at your side, you will know what fun and freedom truly mean in this world" These words seemed cause Yukiko to brighten up, to be free was what she truly wanted. It wasn't the Inn that was the problem it was the fact that it had been decided for her that she would take over the inn.
'And we have a mangy alcoholic sea dog join the ranks' the familiar voice sneered haughtily 'Truly you are desperate if your recruitment bar is this low.'
'Gawain did you hear that?' Yu asked his persona by thought.
'My King I am afraid I heard nothing other than the others out there talking' Gawain replied
"Hey do I smell booze?" the Hound of Ulster asked without shame.
"Why do you ask?" Francis Drake asked with a smirk "Got a problem with a girl who drink most men under the table?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"If you think you can hold yer liquor"
"Oh it is on" Cu Chulainn clenched his fist in determination "We're so having a contest and I'll win lassie you can bet on that."
"Haha this I cannot wait to see." Drake laughed "Well then I look forward to it, till later hound dog."
With one final laugh Francis Drake vanished leaving an Arcana Card in her place which drifted to Yukiko who held it close to her where it sunk into her very being.
"Yukiko!" Chie ran to Yukiko caught her just before she collapsed.
"Are you alright?" Yu asked as he and Yosuke ran up to Yukiko.
"Yes, I'm just a little tired…You all came to rescue me…?"
"Of course!"
"Thank you…" Yukiko smiled at the group.
"So…whose the grizzly that dumped you here in the first place?" Teddie asked as he walked up to Yukiko.
"Who are you?...what are you?" Yukiko asked in confusion
"I'm beary much a bear!" Teddie chirped.
"I'm, sorry I'm not sure I'm following"
"See that everything you do causes confusion." Yosuke berated the bear as Diarmuid returned to spirit form along with Cu Chulainn and Li Shuwen. "So just zip it would ya."
"Your oppression is unbearable" Teddie yelled at Yosuke angrily.
"Anyways!" Chie interrupted. "Let's hurry back home, Yukiko looks exhausted."
"Yeah you're right let's go"
"WWWHAAAT!" Teddie exclaimed. "You guys are just gonna abandon me?!"
"Abandon you? What're you talking about? Don't you live here." Yosuke looked questioningly at Teddie.
"Well…yeah, but…" Teddie frowned.
"I'm sorry, Teddie…" Yukiko said apologetically a she walked over to Teddie. She placed her hand on his head and started petting his soft, blue fur. "I promise to come again… So be a good boy and wait here until then…"
"R-Raaaawr!" Teddie closed his eyes and smiled.
"Let's just get out of here…" Yosuke sighed. "I'm dead on my feet here."
"Yeah see a next time Teddie" Yu called to the bear as everyone made their way to the exit and back home.
As they left Teddie behind and prepared to escort Yukiko home In the back of his mind Yu felt the number two burn to life as another soul connected to him from beyond.
