Fate: Reach Out

Chapter 15: The Magic Words


Lying still where he had landed, Yosuke mindlessly stared at the red and black sky overhead, his hearing still shot from the howling winds that had nearly torn him apart. Every inch of his body ached, and he wasn't motivated to move and check his condition. He could in fact be bleeding from a thousand cuts, and that muted feeling that continued to plague him might be keeping him from noticing for sure.

Nevertheless, some emotions were still strong enough to make their way through the haze, including confusion at the fact that he was obviously alive. That last hurricane should have stripped the skin from his bones, or at least smashed him around hard enough to twist him into a pretzel.

He heard someone moving to his left, groaning as they did. Turning his head, he saw Satonaka forcing herself to her knees. She was remarkably unharmed for the most part, though Yosuke figured that she was going to be covered in bruises later even if she had been saved from the worst of it. Behind her, he could see several chunks of debris littering the area, bits of wood and metal falling around them.

"Oooh…" she moaned a bit before looking up at something further out. "Oh my god! Emiya!"

Saved again, huh? The boy forced his head up to look in the same direction, and a sharp stab of horror managed to work its way through his brain, surpassing even the stabs of pain from his battered body protesting his movement.

Its arms spread wide; the towering black and silver warrior that was Shirou Emiya's Persona hovered only a few meters away. Izanagi had obviously guarded the two of them from the winds with its body, and the damage was obvious to all. Smoke-like ribbons of blackness drifted out of several gashes up and down the length of its body, and its coat was tattered heavily. Between Izanagi and the other students lay Emiya, his body motionless and covered in a tapestry of rashes, cuts and bruises, his uniform shredded in several places and blood leaking from a dozen wounds.

No sooner than the girl had called out to him that Emiya's Persona slumped, flickered like a faulty TV signal, and winked out.

"Emiya! Hang on!" the tomboy called repeatedly as she scrabbled to her feet and rushed to the battered boy's side.

Yosuke didn't really care that she largely ignored him. Emiya had saved their lives from the looks of things, and paid the price in blood. He supposed he should feel grateful for that, but nothing entered his mind, not even bitterness at being ignored or grief that his classmate might be dying a few yards away. Slowly, he forced himself to his feet, his every motion feeling heavy and tired. Of course, he doubted lying on the ground all day would help him if that Shadow-thing came back, and that was enough to get him moving.

He barely took two steps before another voice caught his attention. "S-someone help!" Teddie cried out, still wobbling where he had landed. Being a hollow suit, he had bounced around more, but had taken less damage overall, having no bones to break or blood to lose.

Tiredly, Yosuke walked over and helped Teddie up before trudging up to his classmates. All of his desire to investigate this world had dried up long ago, and he finally agreed with Satonaka's desire to get out of here. Who knows how small a window of opportunity they had before they had to outrun that frog-thing again? "Is he alright?"

What a stupid question… Emiya was an absolute wreck, and was barely breathing even as Satonaka tried to rouse him. Come on, you gotta make it out of this, Emiya… He genuinely wanted the redhead to live; two deaths out here was enough, and losing someone willing to protect them all like Emiya did would eat at him until the day he died.

"Satonaka, come on," he tried again, walking up to her. "Let's get him out of here-"

The sudden glare she sent him nearly knocked him back on his butt. She was absolutely furious! If he was even a foot closer to her, she'd probably have kicked his teeth in! "You… you… YOU IDIOT!" she screamed. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU KNOW!"

This time Yosuke found himself taking an involuntary step back as her words stabbed into him. His emotions were starting to flare up, and it felt almost physically painful. "Wh-what are you-?"

"What that Shadow said was all true, wasn't it? About how you just came here for fun instead for Konishi-senpai's sake?! You just wanted Emiya to take you back because you wanted some adventure! Of all the stupid, selfish things I've ever… Emiya almost died because of you twice now!"

Yosuke shook his head in denial. "N-no, I-"

"Don't deny it again! That's what started this mess in the first place!" Satonaka snapped, not noticing that the boy in her arms was stirring.

"That thing came from you, Yosuke. Shadows come from humans," Teddie added, his tone more somber.

"But there's no way he came from me!" he reasoned desperately. "I mean… I never wanted any of this to happen, I swear!"

"Oh, sure you didn't! But it did anyway!" Satonaka continued, her entire body shaking with rage and fear.

Before the girl's lambasting of Yosuke began again, a weak voice brought her to a halt. "Satonaka…"

The redhead's whisper brought the three back together, all thoughts of blame and denial pushed aside. "E-Emiya?"

In spite of the blood, bruises and dirt marring his body from head to toe, the magus smiled genuinely. "Don't put the blame all on Hanamura. He means well, I know it… If anything, I should be the one to blame."

Yosuke's brain almost short-circuited at that. Satonaka and Teddie were just as baffled. "Wh-…what?"

"Your Shadow… it sounded like a lot of it came from how you envied me, right?" Emiya asked. "Because of whom I am and what I can do… I'm sorry for that. I was glad to have been your friend though, really." Still smiling, the magus slowly forced himself to his feet, hunching over tiredly as he did so.

Yosuke felt a strange spark of warmth at the apology, but that was quickly crushed as the implications of his statement sank in. "'Have been?' What are you-?" Emiya's back was to him, but as Yosuke watched him force his back straight, the redhead's intent clicked. Oh god, no. Don't start thinking that, Emiya. Don't!

As if to spite his mental pleas, Emiya simply turned his head to Teddie, who was starting to shake. "Teddie, I need you to do me a big favor."

"Wh-what is it, Shirou-sensei?" the bear asked.

"Take Hanamura and Satonaka back to the entrance where we met up and let them out. You know the way back, right?"

"Y-yeah, but what about you, Shirou-sensei?"

Emiya simply scanned the wreckage, having lost his grip on the golf club during the last attack. Stiffly, he walked over to a pile of rubble and drew out a dented but still solid steel rod, probably a remnant of the ceiling struts. "That Shadow is still out there somewhere; I'll keep it busy as long as I can. Just get them out of here."

Yosuke's mind reeled. The seemingly random transfer student he had barely known for a week turned out to be someone far different than anyone he had ever heard of. Superpowers, generosity to the point of idiocy, and he was using both to cover their backs even if it got him killed. Who does that for strangers?

"What?!" Satonaka shouted back, all but marching up to him to drag him out physically if she had to. "Are you absolutely insane?! We can't just leave you here!"

"I said I would make sure you're all safe, and I intend to keep that promise." Emiya smiled. It was a serene one, like he had already accepted this as good and correct in the face of death.

The sight snuffed Satonaka's fire instantly, leaving her on the verge of tears. "B-but you'll…"

He was planning on being their martyr. And it pissed Yosuke off to no end. What kind of-?!

"What kind of bloody bullshit are you blabbering about?!" A familiar, unwelcome voice ground out angrily as if completing Yosuke thoughts. It probably was, actually.

The group tensed as Shadow-Yosuke's monstrous form reappeared from deeper in the rubble-strewn street and took threatening steps towards the others. Its gloved fists were shaking with rage. While Teddie, Satonaka and Yosuke backpedaled, Emiya simply put his sword arm forward and bared his teeth.

"You really don't give a damn about your own life, do you?! Condescending bastard! Thinking you're better than me because you see yourself a hero?!"

"I don't care about any of that!" he shouted back. "I swore I'd keep them safe, and I will with everything I have, including my life!"

"Let's test that, then!" The frog-beast lifted a massive foreleg and brought it down on the wounded teen. Blue flame sputtered to life in his left hand even as he tried to roll away from the blow. Even as the card formed within the fire, the force of the Shadow's fist kicked up another spray of debris in all directions, peppering the magus with stone and wood shards.

Izanagi rose once more to face the Shadow head-on, Emiya struggling to his feet while his Persona hacked furiously at the Shadow, who leaped out of reach with one powerful bound and then stretched its fists in a furious barrage that left the masked warrior struggling to even move aside from furiously defending.

"I'M supposed to be the star here, dammit! ME!" Shadow Yosuke cried between attacks. "So stop acting like you're better than me and just DIE!"

Emiya, ignoring his enemy's tirade, turned back towards the others. His muscles were tense in getting a rigid guard in front of him. "GET OUT OF HERE! HURRY!" Not bothering to see if they were taking his advice, Shirou threw himself into the fray with a howl.

Despite the situation, they each found themselves rooted to the spot as their friend struggled to strike the giant Shadow. Each one was torn between fleeing for their lives and wanting to help him before he was killed in the futile battle.

The sight, while seeming heroic in a grim way, sucked out all the strength in Yosuke's legs, and he fell to his knees. How can someone just toss his life away, especially when one of the people he was dying for was the cause of the whole disaster to begin with? If only I hadn't used Saki-senpai's death as an excuse!

"GAH!" Shadow-Yosuke suddenly flinched as if struck, his barrage stopping long enough for Emiya to stab the jagged tip of the steel pipe deep into the giant's side while Izanagi closed the distance and brought its polearm down hard on the black body, cleaving an arm nearly halfway through.

Even as Yosuke watched, the Shadow recovered and slowly regained the upper hand, its seemingly limitless endurance wearing Emiya down with each exchange. I was so jealous of Emiya that I wanted him to fail just so I could be the hero. I'm such a pain in the ass!

One of Shadow Yosuke's arms briefly flickered, causing a devastating haymaker to pass through Emiya harmlessly. "What the hell?!" The Shadow barely managed this statement before Izanagi, seeing a window of opportunity, struck with a heavy overhead slash that nearly took one of the frog body's eyestalks clear off.

As another wave of dust and debris washed over the trio, Satonaka decided it was time to seek cover, even if she didn't want to leave Emiya at all. She dropped down and hauled Yosuke to his feet. "Snap out of it, Hanamura, move already!" she snapped. She was still furious with him, but no way was she going to let that get someone killed. If she thought it would do any good, she would charge in and fight the Shadow herself.

To her surprise, Yosuke dug his heels in and slipped out of her grip. "No… No, I can't leave. I… have to take responsibility."

"What are you talking about, Hanamura? This isn't the time to try and act cool!" Satonaka gripped his shoulders, but he shrugged her off.

"I have to do this, Satonaka. This is my fault, like you said."

"But-!"

"I knew the Shadow wasn't lying, but I was so ashamed of what it said I didn't want to admit it." Yosuke forced himself to look at the stricken Shadow-beast. "I honestly hate how dull this town is compared to the city I grew up in, but I wanted to make it work. So I changed how I acted around people to fit in… even though I thought I was being stupid at times…"

Emiya was startled when the Shadow's attacks paused for a third time, and this time the thing took its attention away from him completely, turning towards its former host, shock somehow coming through despite its blank features. The magus could hear Yosuke's solemn words in the mostly still street, and he couldn't help but feel a smile pull at his mouth before he refocused on the task at hand.

"What the hell are you saying?! You think just talking big will make everything better?! Y-you're just a worthless pile of shit!" the Shadow roared, disregarding Emiya entirely and began rumbling towards Yosuke. Emiya and Izanagi rocketed after the frog beast, the Persona impaling the creature's foot hard enough to nail it to the ground while its master stabbed a leg and then grabbed another pipe from amidst the debris to take its place. "Son of a-!"

"Even with all that though, my feelings for Saki-senpai were real." Yosuke forced himself forward, his gaze never looking away from the Shadow even as he the Shadow thrashed mere feet from him. "No offense, Emiya, but I'm pretty sure my envy was real, too."

Emiya, bloody, battered, dirty and exhausted, managed to smile briefly at him. "None taken, Hanamura."

Returning the smile with a brief, weary one of his own, Yosuke turned back to the Shadow. "You're right. I am a pain in the ass looking for adventure, and it nearly got the people around me killed. When you get right down to it, all of this is me; the good and the bad."

The moment the admission left his mouth, the Shadow's entire body began to convulse violently, its hands clasping its head as if it was in more pain than ever. As it flailed, its body began to flicker and blur as though it was a TV image losing reception. "Sh-shut up! Shut up shut up SHUT UP you stupid brat! JUST DIE, DAMN YOU!" With a wet squelch, it ripped its foot free from Izanagi's blade, splitting it in two as it jumped, its hands flying into another hand seal.

Teddie reacted immediately to the sight, popping up from behind his cover, arms flailing. "Sensei! It's about to use that wind attack again! Hit it before it's charged up!"

With a sharp nod, Emiya lifted his hand towards the ascending Shadow, his Persona ripping its blade from the ground and doing the same. "Izanagi!" The magus's body released a ripple of blue flame, and the Persona voiced Emiya's will.

"Zio!" Blue lightning shrieked through the air, striking the Shadow in the side and sending it into a wild spin towards the ground. Screaming in agony and rage, the Shadow's twitching body couldn't even bring its legs under itself before Izanagi slammed into it, stabbing his glaive into the Shadow's upper body and driving the Shadow to the ground. The two skidded several meters before Izanagi leaped clear of the flailing Shadow.

Shadow Yosuke was barely on its feet when Izanagi made another pass, sweeping a foot clear off the frog body before skidding to a stop a short distance away. In desperation, the flickering Shadow launched another arm-stretching punch, though this one was far slower than the barrages that had nearly beaten Emiya and Izanagi to death minutes before. Izanagi simply shot forward, ducking under the blow and drew its polearm back.

"Cleave!" A light burst of mana surged along the edge of the blade, acting on a more physical sense of energy from Shirou's body. The reinforced blade made a perfect horizontal slash across the arm, cutting it just as easily as a Slipping Harbelie from earlier. The blade continued to make its crescent mark to the Shadow's head.

"Damn you to hell!" it barely managed one final cry before the masked warrior's glaive finally bit into the Shadow's throat, decapitating the monster.

Through his Persona's eyes, Emiya watched the monstrous body burst into a cloud of red and black mist, revealing the yellow-eyed clone of Yosuke, unharmed but oddly still as it dropped to the ground limply. The moment the battle was over Izanagi faded away, and took with it every ounce of strength in the magus's body. It seemed that he needed to be careful with this new power; the heady rush had him pushing his body way harder than it was wise to in his condition, and he barely noticed until now. As it was, the fact he was still standing was a miracle rivaling a True Magic.

Yosuke couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the- make that his- Shadow when he caught sight of it laying there. In the end, it was a part of him, and he knew how rough it was getting beaten up when you're down. "Satonaka, could you go help Emiya? I think he's done more than his fair share today." Not bothering to listen to her reply, he walked slowly up to his Shadow.

The closer he got, the more the haze on his heart cleared. He knew he was doing the right thing as he lowered himself to his Shadow's side. Those formerly terrifying eyes were now simple lights; nothing to be afraid of. "You had it right the first time…" He found himself recalling the words he heard Emiya used describing his Persona; they seemed fitting. "I am you… and you are me."

The Shadow smiled and nodded, a look of what could only be described as relief passing over it briefly before it vanished in a flash of blue flame. In front of Yosuke, hovering over where the Shadow had been laying, a new being regarded him calmly. The figure was as large as Izanagi, clad in a white bodysuit and black shoes. Its hands were like the feet of the Shadow's former frog body, save that each palm held a golden shuriken. The blade that was once its grinning mouth was now a chest guard, and its head had gained the short eyestalks, though it was otherwise the same black, shuriken-eyed ball from the Shadow. The red scarf still wrapped around its neck, blowing in an unfelt wind.

In Yosuke's opinion, it actually looked pretty cool. It reminded him of the heroic characters he used to idolize as a kid and still liked the designs of today.

With a whoosh of a snuffed flame, the figure vanished, replaced by a slowly spinning card that fell slowly into his waiting hand. He took a single good look at the figure on the card before it dissolved, becoming a part of him as much as his own heart or mind. "My… Persona," he said in wonder. Like Emiya, he had a power of his own now, the Persona Jiraiya.

The act of accepting the Persona signaled the end of the ordeal, and Yosuke felt his exhaustion return twofold. He let himself slump onto a slab of concrete. A moment later, he noticed a pair of shoes enter his vision. Looking up, the shoes belonged to Emiya, who was being supported by Satonaka. "Are you alright, Hanamura?"

"Y-yeah… I'm just tired. I should be asking you that though: you look like hell."

Emiya simply chuckled before clutching his ribs with a wince. "Well, it hurts to laugh, but I'll be okay."

"You're insane," Satonaka chided. "Both of you! I swear, men these days…" She trailed off into indistinct grumbling for a moment before looking around the rubble-strewn fake shopping district. "…So is it really over?"

"Yeah, I think so. At least, my Shadow's no longer going to be a problem," Yosuke replied with a tired sigh. He didn't even do any fighting, but he felt like he had run a marathon. "…Damn it. It hurts to face yourself…" This was especially true when "yourself" tried to tear you apart limb from limb.

"We ought to get you all out of here. Even with the glasses, this world isn't meant for humans. Best for you all to go home and sleep in your own beds," Teddie chimed in, a concerned frown on his face.

"Yeah," Emiya nodded. "Home sounds good right about now. Though I'll need to find a change of clothes first." He gestured vaguely to his tattered uniform and the blood staining several parts of his body.

"Sorry, Emiya, everyone…" Yosuke smiled sadly. "I've been a real 'pain in the ass,' haven't I?"

"You sure have," Satonaka agreed bitterly.

"I forgive you all the same," Emiya nodded.

Yosuke could only smile. "Good to know."


TV World Studio

The First Aid kit was completely depleted of its disinfectant and bandages to cover Emiya's numerous wounds and patch up the occasional scrape on the others. Despite being a hollow suit, Teddie had remarkably escaped the entire ordeal with only a little dirt on its fur, something that the bear still treated as a travesty worth attention.

"Next time I'll remember to bring more painkillers and bandages…" Hanamura mumbled, half-supporting, half-being supported by, Emiya as they walked. Satonaka stayed ahead of them both by a few steps with her eyes alert for danger, and Teddie brought up the rear.

"A lot more," Shirou agreed. "Sorry about losing the golf club, though."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'll just pay for it out of my next check and that'll be that. Saving our bacon is a good enough trade-off."

The walk back to the studio-like entrance was fortunately without incident. The abrupt shift from the red-tinted world of the false shopping district to warm yellow lights and walls of the studio was jarring, and the weirdest part was that the transition between the two was completely unnoticed until they were walking on the metal scaffolding leading to the center stage. "Well, here we are," Teddie announced as the gang found themselves back in the studio. "Any last requests before we 'shove off'?"

"More like a question," the redheaded magus admitted; he had been thinking about it since seeing the Konishi store and Yosuke's Shadow. "Teddie, you said this world is the reality of people who enter here, right? Like the shopping district and that hotel room from yesterday… did they form because Konishi-senpai and Yamano-san came here and made those their realities?"

Teddie's confused blink was his only response, but luckily Hanamura translated for him. "I think what Emiya is trying to ask is… Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?"

The bear appeared thoughtful, but shook its head. "I don't know. This has never happened before. But I can say they were probably in those places when the Shadows attacked them."

"Wait, so it was the same for them as it was for Hanamura?" Satonaka asked.

"The fog lifts in this world when it gets foggy in yours. The Shadows get violent when that happens." The bear fidgeted a bit. "I usually get scared and hide those times, but I could tell the last few days were different when people came in. They disappeared after the fog in here lifted…"

The Yasogami students exchanged uneasy glances with each other. "So, let's see if we got this straight," Emiya started. "Konishi-senpai and Ms. Yamano were thrown in here, and wandered around without a way out."

"After a while, their Shadows come out," Satonaka continued. "And when the fog lifted, they go crazy and kill them…"

"Which leads to their bodies reappearing on the telephone lines by morning," Hanamura finished. Teddie nodded, and another thought crossed his mind. "So… if I'd been here when the fog had cleared in this world…"

"You guys were lucky," the bear said simply. "The fight would have been much tougher on Shirou-sensei if the Shadow fought you without the fog around."

"How so?" Emiya wondered. That fight was tough enough. He couldn't figure out what factors would change just because the fog was gone.

"You saw it: when a Shadow goes crazy, a strong one draws others to it, and the big mass of Shadows kills the host. If the fog was gone, hundreds more, maybe thousands, might have added their strength to Yosuke's Shadow," Teddie explained ominously.

Hanamura summed up the trio's feelings on the matter. "Dammit…"

After a moment of uneasy silence, Satonaka spoke. "So, that announcer lady and Konishi-senpai… they were stuck here all alone…"

"No one could have saved them at all," Emiya clenched a fist, eyes narrowed. "If only I'd figured this out sooner…"

Teddie glanced to each of the students, noticing their quiet and upset reactions. "G-guys, listen! They disappeared after the fog lifted, but they were safe before that. No Shadows attacked them."

"But they attacked us," the magus reminded the mascot bear.

"I guess they knew we were snooping and saw us as enemies," Teddie reasoned. "But between Shirou-sensei's power and Yosuke's, we can fight them! We might even be able to savepeople!"

Emiya and his classmates were rendered speechless. It was the magus-in-training's dream to be a hero, an Ally of Justice. He had hoped to one day use his magecraft to save others, but no matter how often he trained, he just couldn't seem to even get close to realizing his father's dream.

But now, in this world, being aware of a conspiracy to kill people through their own dark, repressed thoughts, and with the Persona Izanagi to fight and stop any future kidnappings…Save people…? With this power in this world… yes, yes I think that's possible!

Hanamura found his voice first. "W-wait a minute… Are you saying if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear? Like with my Shadow?"

Satonaka considered for a moment. In all honesty, given her vehement desire to stay out of this world, the boys were expecting her to demand they leave this impossible situation behind and go back to their normal lives. Instead, she mulled over the idea. "And if we can figure out who's behind this, we can catch the culprit too. We might be able to stop this whole thing ourselves, or at least get enough evidence to let the police finish the case."

Emiya's confidence was soaring as the whole thing started coming together in his mind, but not at Teddie's sudden downcast frown. "Huh? What's wrong Teddie?"

The bear shook its head. "Oh, it's nothing, really…" His fidgeting told a different story however.

"You look like you want to ask us something though," Shirou encouraged.

"Well… is it alright if I can?" The students, while confused, nodded. "…if Shadows are born from people, then what was Teddie born from?"

They blinked and exchanged perplexed glances. "You're kidding, right?" Yosuke asked immediately. Teddie shook its head, the frown growing.

"You… don't know your own past?" Shirou asked slowly.

"You said you live in this world, right?" Chie remarked. "Shouldn't you know everything about it, at least about yourself?"

Teddie nodded. "I know how this world works and can tell when something happens in here. I never knew much about myself, though…" the bear lowered its head. "Actually, I never thought much about it until now."

Emiya considered this with a touch of pity. Huh. Well, that explains why we could never get a straight answer from him before. If he really is the only thing around here aside from Shadows, he must feel lonely in here…

"You guys will come back here… right?" the bear added timidly.

very lonely, he amended. "Of course we will," Shirou smiled. "We promised to help with this case, after all."

"R-really…?"

"Yeah. A promise is a promise. Though… well, even if we wanted to leave…" Hanamura jerked his thumb back to the center of the studio. "We don't have a way to get back yet…"

The bear's eyes briefly shrunk comically and blinked in embarrassment. "Oh! Th-That's right! Okay, I'll let you out. But there's one thing you gotta remember; we need to meet up in the same place every time if you guys want to get back. Right here's a good spot, really."

"The same portal inside Junes, you mean?" Shirou guessed. It was a good thing the TV at Junes was so prohibitively expensive then: it would be an issue if someone bought that massive TV and left them floundering on the either side.

The bear nodded. "Because of your power, you could come in from any other TV, you just wouldn't end up here, and I wouldn't know where to find or get ahold of you very fast. So keep consistent and come to this spot… or else you'd be doooomed…" Teddie stressed out the last word ominously, though coming from him, it only sounded comical at best. "Got it!?"

Hanamura nodded, as did his classmates. "Got it; thanks for the warning, Ted."

"Can we go home now?" the green sweater girl sighed. "I just want to take a bath and go to bed."

"You and me both," Hanamura nodded. "I need to get home, soak in the shower, and sleep a lot." A small smile crossed his lips. "I think… I'm gonna sleep well tonight."

"You sure?" Satonaka asked. "I mean, with Konishi-senpai and your Shadow-"

"Yeah. I have… closure, at least."

He's taken this better than I had thought. You're a stronger person than you realize, Hanamura. Shirou nodded back to their guide bear. "Teddie, if you do the honors?"

"Roger, Shirou-sensei!" the bear saluted. "One exit comin' right up!"

With the same two taps of his foot, the familiar stack of TVs appeared, similar to the ones from yesterday. The trio of students walked around it, hesitant to go through and cause a scare.

The magus examined the screens for a moment. "Alright, before we leave, I should check that no one's watching. Magic has to remain secret, and I'm pretty sure this place qualifies as magic. Teddie, is there any way you can show me what's going on out-Huh?"

Teddie cut off Shirou's plan as he got behind all three of them and pushed, just like last time. "Come on, come on, come on! Go go go! Squiiiish!"

"HEY! Don't touch there you little-!"

"Stop squeezing- Aw man, here we go agaaaaaaaaaaa-"


Junes Electronics Department

WHAM!

Would anyone be walking by the aisle, they would have seen three students flat and on their stomachs lying on the store floor. It would be nearly half a minute before any of them pushed themselves from their heap.

"I'm really starting to hate that bear," Hanamura grunted as he rubbed his stomach.

"For its sake, it better not had intended to touch me there," Satonaka cursed. "Or I'd be kicking that bear straight to the moon next time I see it!"

"Is there a moon in that world?" Emiya asked innocently.

"For that bear's sake, there better not be!" she groused before gently pulling the redhead to his feet. "Wha-? Hey! Your clothes!"

Confused, the boys looked and found that, amazingly, his uniform was undamaged, if a little dusty. The blood-soaked slices and torn sections were whole and unblemished. For an instant, Emiya wondered if his wounds were also healed and the implications of those injuries only existing in that world before a twinge of pain raced through him. "Damn," he muttered irritably, rolling up his sleeve to see the blood-stained bandage wrapped around the bite marks there. "I'll have to keep these out of Dojima's sight…" His entire body was still covered in wounds, many of which only just stopped bleeding. Stretching wrong would re-open them.

"Yeah, good idea. No way you'd be able to explain all those cuts and bruises anyway," Hanamura agreed. "At least you won't need to order another uniform. That uncle of yours would flip." The smirk he wore looked bone weary at that, and he finally took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose, tucking them into his pocket. "Thanks, Emiya. For everything. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

As much as that thanks filled him with a sense of joy that eclipsed anything he had felt in years, Emiya still had to fulfill his sworn duty of helping others. "Are you sure you're alright? I can at least see you safely home."

"Nah, I don't live too far from here. I'll be fine. See ya both tomorrow." With a wave to his new (genuine) friends, Hanamura forced himself to walk out of the department without slumping from exhaustion and pain. Maybe it was the fact that a lot of the weight in his head and heart was gone, but he felt lighter and his head clearer in spite of the numerous bruises.

The three parted ways, the tomboy and the magus heading in the same direction for the residential areas beyond the floodplain. With a fresh wave of rain pattering the streets, Chie made sure to stay close in case Emiya's wounds troubled him too much and he needed her support. At the very least, she could repay him for the consideration of sharing his umbrella the other day.

A quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered poisonously. That's all it is. Riiiight.


Evening, Samegawa Flood Plain

Yukiko let out a soft sigh of relief. She had been working so long the last few days that she barely had any time of rest. And to top it off, she was made their temporary new manager while her family and inn staff worked themselves to the bone to take care of the tourists. The school was considerate of her situation at least and postponed any assignments she had to do. Family came first… unfortunately.

Sitting under the dry gazebo, she soothed the fabric of her pink floral kimono and watched the rain fall. She allowed herself this small break, for as soon as she returned home she would be forced to cater for her guests and help the staff. It'll be the same thing from now until the day I die.

She would have been there sooner but the news media happened to pull her aside to ask them some questions… mostly about her inn and appearance. She couldn't even get a word in edgewise during the whole interview. Not that I have anything else to say about my inn that everyone else gushes over…

"You're Yuki, right?"

Yukiko was startled from her thoughts by the voice behind her. A student still in his school uniform walked up to her left from behind a pillar of the gazebo. His uniform wasn't from Yasogami, likely from a private school at the other end of Inaba. What unnerved her was the way he looked at her. His eyes were wide and dull, almost lifeless and unblinking like a fish's, and an empty smile. He was soaked to the bone, his messy black hair and his uniform plastered to his skin by the rain. How long had he been waiting for her?

"I thought I recognized you in that amazing kimono. You look nice all dressed up," he started with a breathy mumble.

Yukiko shifted uneasily in her seat. "U-uh…"

"You wanna hang out?" he asked. "I know a good movie that's showing tonight."

It wasn't that it wasn't a nice gesture, but… his presence bothered her, gave her an uneasy feeling. She saw desperation in his eyes and demeanor, probably on the line of stalker. The way he said Yuki like a pet name was also disturbing: he didn't even know this person's name, and he was already talking like they were old friends. He was worse than that reporter a while ago. He's no prince.

"I-I have to get back to the inn soon," Yukiko tried to deflect. Perhaps he would nod and accept her excuse like the other boys at school.

"-Th-then maybe a quick bite at Aiya's?" he offered quickly. "They're doing that rainy day special thing tonight. My treat."

The heiress frowned. "I'm afraid not. Sorry."

He looked visibly put down, and she hoped he would respect her decision and kindly leave. But then he forced a smile that sent shivers to her spine. "Come on, Yuki, it's just one bowl. You'll be back before you know it."

Yukiko was reaching for her red umbrella even before the alarm bells were ringing. "I don't have the time-"

"Then we'll make time. Just one bowl at Aiya's, maybe talk a bit…"

"I said no," and with that, she started rising from her seat-

Only to find him gripping her hand rather tightly. "It'll be fun, Yuki. Trust me."

Yukiko struggled a bit from his hand, but found no strength, helplessness overtaking her thoughts. Someone, anyone, help me! "I said no!"

He started to sneer. "And I said-!"

"Hey! Back off, jerk!" a sudden shout brought a stop to the teen's actions, and Yukiko caught sight of her best friend all but thundering towards her, and coming up behind her at a slower pace was the transfer student, Shirou Emiya.

Yukiko was relieved to see her friend. "Chie!" My hero!

"I'll give you to the count of three to let Yukiko go or so help me I'll make you!"

Tightening his grip on Yukiko's wrist angrily, the teen stepped forward threateningly, "Mind your own business!"

Chie was not in the mood to put up with someone antagonizing her or hurting her friend after the mess in the TV World, and she snapped her leg up, striking the boy's forearm with perfect accuracy. It was light and fast, forcing him to let go of Yukiko and stumble back with his arm stinging, but not enough to actually do any lasting harm. Furious, the hunched teen brought his arms up like he planned to turn this into a full-on brawl. "You bitch! I'll-"

"Excuse me."

Emiya had finally arrived, his gait slow and purposeful. Yukiko was surprised he saw none of the pleasant, quiet demeanor from what she saw from the first day. In its place a cold fury took its place, the redhead's golden-brown eyes were flinty and intense. She could see several bandages all over his face and hands too, making it look like he had wrestled with a wild dog. If anything, he looked less like a student and more like a fighter.

She couldn't blame the other male student for feeling intimidated at the sight; she was starting to feel the same thing.

"Emiya, I got this," Chie said, still glaring at her offender.

"Just give me a minute, Satonaka. That's all I need." Oddly enough, Chie complied and let him by.

The villainous stalker collected his wits during this and snapped at the heroic student. "Who the hell are you?"

"I couldn't help but to overhear your discussion with Amagi-san," he said slowly. "I won't hold it against you for asking Amagi-san out, but she said no. Twice. So let's just leave it at that. You're going too far."

The student sneered and pointed at him. "Hey! I saw her first, bastard! Don't think you can just step in and take her for yourself!"

"This has nothing to do with 'first' or whatever you believe," Emiya shot back coldly. "It's a matter of principle. If you truly care for her feelings, then you would respect her decision and leave her alone. If you keep harassing her, I don't think I could stop Satonaka from beating you within an inch of your life."

Next to him, the girl in question offered the black-haired boy a faux-peppy smile and cracked her knuckles rather ominously.

The stranger's eyes darted between the both of them for several tense seconds, only broken by the sound of the pounding rain and the rushing river nearby. "…Fine!" he finally shouted. "But don't think I'll forget this!" With a bitter, wounded look at the girls, he ran off.

The three watched him carefully until he was out of sight before letting the tension leave their bodies. The change in Emiya was so dramatic it looked like he deflated. When he turned to her, Yukiko felt a twinge of surprise that his expression was just as concerned for her as Chie's. Is he a samurai or…?

"Did he hurt you at all, Yukiko?" Chie immediately asked her, interrupting her train of thought.

The black haired girl shook her head. "No, just wouldn't leave me alone. Thank you for stopping him."

The red haired teen waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble. Though, shouldn't you be at your inn if you're dressed like that?"

"Well, my parents sent me on an errand and I don't have the luxury to change back into anything else while on the clock. Does it surprise you to see me dressed like this?"

Emiya scratched a bandage on his cheek awkwardly and averted his eyes. "No…It really suits you."

Yukiko felt conflicted at that; she didn't like the image of being a little inn heiress to everyone, but Emiya's hesitation and shy compliment seemed more earnest than anything else she heard come from a guy's mouth. Was he embarrassed in seeing her in a kimono? Well, it's better than a lecherous stare. Perhaps chivalry really isn't dead yet…

"Aha!" Chie smirked, pointing accusingly at him. "I knew it! You do think Yukiko's cute!"

Emiya's eyes widened and his subtle blush brightened tenfold. "N-no, I-…it's just she's naturally beautiful, and the kimono brings more of her refinement out and, and… wh-why am I even telling you this?!"

Chie could barely contain her laughter. "Peer pressure, maybe?"

Feeling embarrassed by Chie as well, and wanting to spare poor Emiya from further humiliation, Yukiko changed topics. "You two seem to be getting along well now. I always leave early, so I was a little worried."

"Are you kidding?" the brown haired girl elbowed Emiya playfully in his abdomen. "This guy's the best! You can always count on him when you need a helping hand!"

"Satonaka…" the transfer student groaned and rubbed his stomach. Yukiko didn't notice her friend wince guiltily as she realized where her elbow had grazed him.

"I'm glad to hear that," Yukiko smiled. "Chie's really supportive too, Emiya. She's always helped by giving me the extra push I need from time to time."

She giggled at recalling an old memory. "We had the same homeroom last year as well. I still remember the times we'd cut classes…"

Chie blushed in alarm. "H-hey!" she waved her arms frantically. "Don't tell him all that!"

"Consider it payback for making me look like a fool the other day," Yukiko smiled wider. Chie could only grumble in response and Emiya glanced between them in confusion.

"By the way, are you getting used to our town and school yet?" she asked. "I would only imagine how dull it is around here compared to Fuyuki City." It sounds like a much better place to live, really.

Emiya looked startled at her question, but considered it. "Huh? Well… I think so. In fact, I kind of like Yasoinaba."

Both girls were honestly surprised. "Wait, what?" Chie couldn't keep the shock out of her voice.

"But," Yukiko said. "It must be so difficult moving from your old home to a place you know nothing about! I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like transferring schools outside of Inaba." Though it would be nice to try at least once…

"Well, I admit coming here was no easy decision," said Emiya. "But the transfer is only for a year, and it's to see my uncle and cousin who live here. From what I've seen of Inaba, it's nice and quiet. I mean, the rumor mill is more active than I'm used to, and the murders…" he trailed off briefly before smiling. "But, my family is here, and I think that's enough."

Chie seemed satisfied with this. Yukiko, however, stared blankly at him for a moment. "I… see…" FAMILY? Is he actually serious?!

Shaking her head to cleat it, Yukiko reached for her umbrella and opened it. "Anyway, I should get going; I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. The inn can't function without me."

"Well, see you at school then!" Chie waved. Emiya did the same.

"Yes, at school…" Only if the inn stops bringing in customers…


Dojima Residence

Dojima-san's out working, Nanako's feeling upset, and the news channel talks about developing murder case… I feel this has happened before.

To his chagrin, Shirou forced himself to listen to the news with Nanako tonight; Yosuke's Shadow admitted that he was grasping at straws in trying to connect the murder to the TV world in an attempt to get back in. But as harebrained as the idea was, Shirou could see the possibility of it being true. When the Yamano scandal went live, people claimed to have seen her on the Midnight Channel before her body was discovered. The same case happened with Saki Konishi when she merely found the body. Speaking of Konishi…

"Police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano," announced the reporter. "The coroner's report has established Ms. Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area."

1 AM… It's like what Teddie said. She was safe before, and then killed during the Midnight Channel. There was a small transition between the rain and the fog that night too…

Nanako's sigh broke out his mental monologue. "Another case… Dad'll be late again."

…Hanamura's right; the police can't be counted on this. If not to do this to save others, than I at least should do it to make sure her father comes home on time. "It'll get better soon, Nanako. I'm sure of it."

"Thanks," she said. "But I'm used to it. Though do you think you can help me with stuff around the house?"

She's very mature for her age, Shirou thought as he nodded.

The news continued on "…Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark."

Wait, what?! Shirou froze mid-step and turned to the TV.

"Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs. After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes."

Yukiko appeared on the TV, wearing the same kimono from earlier. It looked like this was recorded earlier in the day, given that it wasn't raining in the scene.

"In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school," the on-scene reporter finished excitedly. "Now that has a nice ring to it. Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!"

Amagi was quite reasonably taken aback by the overzealous reporter all but cornering her. Worse, they did nothing to protect the poor girl's privacy. "Hm? Um… are you speaking to me?"

The reporter didn't even bother introducing himself or asking permission to interview her, talking over her excitedly. "We heard you're the new manager of the Amagi Inn. Is it true that you're still in high school?"

"Well… I'm only filling in temporarily," Yukiko tried to deflect the reporter. From the look on her face, she would rather be getting on with her day rather than put up with the man.

"Someday though," the reporter reminded. "That aside, wow! You look gorgeous in that kimono! That must bring in a lot of male visitors."

"Wh-what?"

Hearing the distress building in his shy classmate's voice set Shirou's teeth on edge. This guy…

"And your inn's hot springs are all natural, yes? I recall you sometimes allow co-gender hours for the romantic couples. What times do you prefer, new manager?"

"I-is this really an interview?" The magus was wondering the same thing at this point. It was bordering on harassment!

"Of course!" he insisted. "Your inn's traditional setting and well managed catering has made it a more desirable place to rest than most hotels in the country! There's just some untold secret about such a place that brings all sorts of people to it. Unless you're willing to tell your secrets to the rest of-"

CLICK.

Nanako turned to her older cousin, noticing his tightly clenched hand on the remote and his intense stare. "Are… you alright?" she asked timidly.

Shirou let out a long sigh before turning to Nanako and forcing a smile. "Yeah I am. Sorry about that… let's get started on the dishes, all right?"

Relieved at her quick nod and dash to the kitchen, Emiya stared back at the blank TV once more before following her. Thinking about it now won't do him any good. All he had to do was focus on housework. Anything to get his mind off that "interview"…


Several hours later after taking a bath to soothe his battered body and apply fresh bandages (he considered buying his own supply to keep Dojima from noticing, but that would come later), Shirou found himself in his room making a mental checklist. Lights off… flick the power switch. Check. Raining outside… a quick check out the window confirmed this, as well as watching the weather channel just moments prior. Check. In position in front of TV… just a few paces to the center and- Check. Midnight… only a few seconds away.

To think I'm actually doing this again… I'll never see rain the same way again if it indicates the life or death of someone. Who would tell Satonaka or Nami-san about this 'channel' anyway? Some sort of message like Hanamura indicated? Is there a magus watching me right now?

The clock on his wall clicked midnight.

And just like two nights ago, the screen came to life. Guess we can watch this as many times as possible when meeting the right circumstances… wait…
The screen wasn't exactly vibrant like when Saki Konishi was on the channel. Instead it showed a fuzzy silhouette of a feminine figure wearing a kimono, all color washed out by the white haze behind the figure. Without any details, he couldn't identify the woman, but every instinct told him he had seen her before.

Teddie said that the TVs in our world all linked to different places. Maybe… On impulse, he reached his hand into the TV, but only felt a familiar, weak tug from the other side. The image was washed out by his intrusion, but returned when he pulled his arm back out, the TV releasing him more easily than before. The picture wouldn't last much longer though; there was only thirty seconds left before 12:01.

I can't reach her and don't have time to find another TV! I just have to try and force myself into this one!

Completely ignoring his aching body and Teddie's warning on the dangers of just jumping into a TV at random, Shirou fumbled for his glasses. He wasn't about to let anyone die if there was even the most remote chance he could prevent it. It never crossed his mind that his prana reserves and pool of strength from his Persona were both dangerously low. On top of his injuries, to step into the TV World now was a death sentence.

He pushed his head in first, almost surprised at when it worked. He grunted as he tried fitting one of his arms in next, but stopped and gaped at the vision of the world inside.

Spreading out below him was a wide, lonely hill, devoid of grass or any other life. The sky was an eerie twilight of flowing purple and orange lines from one end of the horizon to the other. At the very edge of his vision, he could faintly make out a sparse number of markers on the hill, but as he focused on them, they became clear. They were…

Swords? Wh-what is this? A hill of swords?

He had never expected to see such a place in the TV world, but maybe this was why Teddie was so upset about the new worlds coming in. If the world was naturally peaceful, then anyone who warped it with their presence, their "reality" was only agitating the Shadows with these alien landscapes. Whatever the TV World looked like originally, he doubted disturbingly dark shopping districts and maliciously decorated inn rooms were a part of it.

Shaking his head sharply, he resumed scanning his head through the TV. Come on, where are you? He couldn't see the kimono girl anywhere on the hill or the surrounding area.

A chilling thought had Shirou pull his head from the TV and clutch his aching chest. What if a magus was warping that world and using humans as test subjects for Shadows? What if the culprit planned to empty Inaba of life for their research?

He glanced at the clock. It was 12:04. The Midnight Channel ended three minut-no, wait… 12:05 now. Four minutes ago.

So her silhouette was there… but not her? Shirou shook his head in defeat. Best sleep on this. I'll tell Hanamura and Satonaka after school; maybe they've noticed something I didn't.

With a tired sigh, Shirou gingerly lowered himself onto the futon and stared at the ceiling. Today was a wild day. He had gained the power to save people and used it in a way that had saved three lives, an indescribable feeling. Despite the madness starting to churn beneath the surface of Inaba, the magus felt that, all things else, he was making a huge jump towards his dream of being an Ally of Justice. He wondered if his father was proud of him. He still had a long way to go, but every step forward was worth something.

He wasn't sure how long he spent thinking about it, but he finally felt himself drifting off to the pattering of the rain outside.


A/N: Happy Birthday to me (as of June 19), and with that, a wrap-up to the Shadow Yosuke battle.

The NaNoWriMo run I've done last year actually ends with his second Velvet Room visit (ala dream world) but this seemed like a good place to stop since it was long enough and would connect better to a distorted person's worst nightmare: SOCIAL ACTIVITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

And the subtle hints being dropped... what do they all mean? I'm not drawing attention to the specific ones, you just have to figure out what they are and ponder about them yourself. Or wait until the story gets deep enough to make them apparent.

-Vegeta the 3rd