NOTE: This chapter was kicking my ass. I didn't think it was going to be difficult but the stuff that I wanted to include were making somethings difficult. I managed to get it figured out, but the next chapter is going to go into more of an explanation about everything happening in this one.
I also want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my story. I hope you all continue to read it and enjoy the chapters that I pump out!
Review and Enjoy!
Chapter 27: Tough Persona Luck
"AAAAHHH!" The terrified screaming of elderly civilians could be heard all over the canyon. Their transportation bus had swerved out of control and was now dangling over the edge of the canyon. Their screaming ceased when something had grabbed the back of the bus and lifted them back to safety.
Four Arms gently placed the bus back onto the ground, he tore the back of the bus off, so that the elderly people could get off easier. "It's okay, everybody. Everything's alright now." He turned around to walk away until an old man's voice stopped him.
"So, you're not gonna help off, Mr. Strong man guy? Who raised you anyway?" The old man said.
"Oh, be a dear and carry me, would you? My bunions are killing me," An old lady stepped forward.
"Your bunions, my butt! My hips are out of whack, I'm first!" Another lady complained. Four Arms groaned silently as he went to help the old people down.
Across from the bus was the Rustbucket, Yukiko could be seen keeping an eye on Ben from the window. This wasn't an issue she needed to help with, but she wanted to keep watch over Ben anyway. On the other side of the table was Gwen, who was busy scrolling through her laptop. She was scrolling through images of magic related topics.
Gwen stopped in her mindless scrolling and lifted up her Lucky Girl mask. "Lucky Girl…I wish you were more than just another Halloween costume."
The door opened, Ben walking inside of the RV with a huff. "Sometimes this hero stuff gets way old…"
"Was that a pun?" Yukiko wondered.
"You should be proud of yourself, Ben. Those people would've been in a real pickle without you," Max said as Ben walked up front.
"I don't see any pickles, Grandpa," Yukiko tilted her head.
"It's a figure of speech, Sweetheart," Max responded.
Ben rolled his eyes in a tired manner. "I know, but I actually wish for a regular summer day. Where I could just hang out all day long and do nothing!"
"We could go shopping," Yukiko suggested.
"I'm not that desperate," Ben responded. "Why do I have to bust my butt all day and Gwen just gets to sit there and do nothing?"
Gwen's attention was immediately brought into the conversation. "I wouldn't be sitting here doing nothing if I still had my powers! You get to go hero all the time, while I was only Lucky Girl for a day. Appreciate what you have!"
Ben laughed, mockingly. "Really? Was that it? Because with all the bragging you did it felt like weeks-"
SMACK!
"OW!" Ben gripped his head, glaring at Yukiko who was holding her fan above him.
"Be nice," Was her only warning.
Ben stuck his tongue out at her and sat down in the front seat, turning to Max. "The worst part was when all those grannies wanted me to go with them to some lame-o magic convention in Las Vegas. As if!"
THAT got Gwen's attention. "Magic convention?"
"Oh! Maybe, I could get something for Yosuke-kun there!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"Why?" Ben asked.
"Well, he is the Magician Arcana."
"Like, the tarot card?" Gwen asked.
"Yup! Yu-kun said that we each reminded him of certain tarot cards. I'm the Priestess," Yukiko said proudly.
"That makes way too much sense," Gwen groaned. Realizing why Yukiko referred to herself as 'The Priestess'.
The Tennysons arrived at the Magic Convention in Las Vegas inside of a building called 'MT. LAMP'. Inside were rows of booths and tables dedicated to magic-like items and magicians.
Gwen was completely disappointed. "Magician of the Year Expo?" She read off the banner that was hanging off the ceiling. "It's all cheap junk and gross out tricks! I thought it was going to be magic magic, not cheesy magic."
"PFFT! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Both Max and Gwen turned to see Ben and Yukiko digging into a box titled 'Magic Bin'. Ben had a fake arrow headpiece on. "Check it out! Fake bugs, fake ice cubes, fake barf, fake dog poop!"
"Hehehe! HAHAHA!" Yukiko turned around. She had a pair of silly glasses with a large warty nose on her face. The heiress was laughing up a storm. "G-Grandpa! You have to try these on!"
"Well, if you say so," Max took the glasses and placed them onto his face. The sight made Yukiko almost fall over from laughter. Ben was still digging through the bin to see if he could find anything else.
Max turned from his two giggling grandkids to look at Gwen. He saw that the younger girl was disappointed by the fake magic. Wanted to comfort her, he placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I know this isn't exactly what you had in mind, Sweetheart. But since we're here we may as well continue to look around. Maybe, something here will surprise you?"
Gwen huffed softly. "Yeah, as if that'll happen."
As Gwen walked up to a random table she saw a teenager, who looked to be around Yukiko's age, analyzing the jewelry that was on the table. In front of him was the woman who owned the items, she read her book as he picked.
Gwen walked up to the table, ignoring the teen as she scanned the jewelry. "You find anything you like?"
"Huh?" Gwen turned up to the teenager. He was smiling down at her, waiting for her to reply. Usually, she would ignore or exit the conversation to avoid speaking to strangers. But something about the boy's smile made her think otherwise, it was just so charismatic.
"Well, I'm trying to find something real. Like, real magic," Gwen responded.
"Real magic, huh? Nothing around here fits that description for you?" He asked.
Gwen clicked her tongue. "Nope. Just boring old parlor tricks," Gwen sighed. "What about you? Why are you here?"
He looked a little surprised at the question. "Me? Ah, I'm just trying to find a gift for my best friend and girlfriend."
"Both of them? Why?" Gwen grew curious.
"My friend isn't really into magic, but I think he'd find it funny if I send something to him. He reminds me a lot of magicians with how he is. And my girlfriend has a really unique sense of humor, she'd definitely find some of this stuff funny," He explained.
Gwen smirked a bit. "Heh, that's funny. I feel like I've heard this before-"
BEEP! BEEP!
The beeping noise stopped Gwen from her speaking, the noise was coming from the teen's pocket. He reached into it and pulled out his cell phone. "Ah, sorry, this is my mom calling. It was nice talking to you," He started walking away.
"...Yeah…same…" Gwen mumbled. Something about that entire exchange had felt off…the teenage boy himself just gave off a certain vibe. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to follow after the teen.
"Weird guy, huh?"
Once again Gwen was stopped by another voice. It was the vendor of the table who had started speaking to her. "Y-yeah, I guess he was."
"He had been standing here for a while trying to pick something out. Now are you going to find something or are you going to stand there all day?" The woman asked.
Looking down at the table, Gwen noticed an arm brace sticking out the most. When she picked it up there was an odd tingling sensation in her chest. Gwen's eyes widened as she slipped the brace onto her wrist. "I'll take it!"
"Find something you like?" Max asked. Both Ben and Yukiko followed behind him, the heiress still had the funny glasses on her face.
"Yeah, it kinda reminds me of-"
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
For the third time today Gwen was interrupted, but this time by the panicked screaming taking place outside. The Tennysons hurried back into the parking lot to see a man in a strait jacket dangling from a helicopter.
"I don't think that's part of the act," Max said. The family turned towards Ben.
Ben sighed. "I know, I know. Hero time," Ben walked off.
"Come on, Ben!" Yukiko pulled the boy into the alleyway, so that he could transform. She didn't have time for his complaining when someone was moments away from dying. Yukiko watched him transform into Stinkfly and take off. Would've gone with him, but there were too many people around for her to fly on his back. "Guess, I'll settle for ground support."
The helicopter flew through a couple of power lines, the electricity from the power lines managed to hit the rope. Setting it on fire, terrifying the magician even further.
Yukiko saw this and discreetly used Sumeo Okami to weaken the flames.
Stinkfly flew underneath the helicopter, grabbing it with his limbs. "Everything's under control-"
Until the back propeller flew off its hinges, spinning down to the crowd below. "Oh no!"
Gwen and Yukiko saw the blade heading directly for Max. "Grandpa, look out!"
Yukiko prepared to summon her Persona, but the crowd of bystanders rushed directly into her, preventing her from summoning her tarot card. "H-hey! I can't move!"
Gwen, who had already been running towards Max, jumped over several cars to reach him. The brace on her arm glowed brightly as she pushed her Grandfather out of the way. However, Gwen was still in the direct path of the blades. Time seemed to freeze for Gwen as the spinning metal of death was inches from cutting her in half.
CRASH!
TINK!
Gwen was confused when she didn't feel any pain coursing through her body. Opening her eyes she saw that something else had stopped the blades from hitting her.
Floating in front of her was a giant gray ghost-like being. It held a long sword in its hand and wore an outfit that resembled a Japanese high school uniform. Its metallic face showed no emotion as it held the propeller in its hand.
Before Gwen could question anything, the ghost disappeared in a flash of light.
"Gwen!" She turned to see her grandfather running over to her. "What happened just now? How did you do that!?"
Realizing that Max most likely didn't see the ghost, Gwen remembered that she just flipped over two cards and pushed a man several times her size. Looking down at the brace, Gwen smiled. "Just lucky I guess." A thought came into her mind, and she ran off towards the RV.
Meanwhile, Stinkfly was still struggling to get the helicopter under control. He used his goop to stick the helicopter in place by sticking it in between the buildings. "Hold on…a few…seconds…longer…!"
Much to his dismay the magician's rope snapped from the weight and previous burns, sending the man falling to his doom. "Oh crud!" Stinkfly cried and hurried to grab the magician.
However, it wasn't needed as a smaller figure dressed in purple jumped through the air, grabbing the magician in time. She landed on her feet and gently placed the man down.
Stinkfly was shocked by this new development. "Lucky Girl!?"
"Don't even get started about me cramping your superhero gig!" Lucky Girl exclaimed.
"Hey, I'm just happy that you showed up in time. But how did you get your Lucky Girl powers back?" The girl in question just smiled.
Yukiko pushed through the crowds of people to hurry to her family. From the cheering of the crowd it would seem that Ben had managed to save the day, but what Gwen had done by jumping over those cars shocked her.
She was about to make it through the crowd when a masculine hand grabbed her wrist. "H-hey, what are you…?" The words died on her lips as she stared at the person who grabbed her.
A familiar head of silver hair and eyes met her coal black ones. "Hey, Yukiko. How are you?"
"Y-Y-Y-Yu-kun…?"
"Looks like it's one of the charms of Bezel," Gwen said as she held the brace to her computer.
"But, you destroyed all of them in that cemetery fighting that Hex creep," Ben said.
"I thought so too, but this is the legendary lost key stone. It's rumored to increase 10 times the powers and skills of the one who possesses it," Gwen explained.
Max got up from the driver's seat after placing the phone back down. "What did Yukiko say, Grandpa?"
"Seems she ran into somebody that she knows, though she was vague with it. She said she wanted to catch up with him and will meet up with us at the magic show. Knowing that she's alright is good, but we should focus on that charm on your wrist."
"You are so lucky," Ben said.
"It's not luck. It's magic," Gwen smiled.
"Your dad's work?"
"Yeah, it seems he was needed over here in America and all the travel expenses were paid for. So, we're pretty much just traveling around for the summer. Just like you," Yu smiled.
The two teenagers were walking away from an ice cream truck. Two popsicles in their hands as they walked back to the magic convention for the magic show.
Yukiko blushed at their almost similar situation. "I'm honestly surprised beyond belief. Why didn't you tell me?"
"At first, I wanted to surprise you if we ran into one another by chance. But I ended up running into your cousin Ben in South Dakota," Yu explained.
"Ben!? But, he never mentioned it to me!" Yukiko exclaimed. A dark cloud formed over her head as swore to give the boy a good swat on the head for keeping this from her.
Yu shivered slightly at Yukiko's dark aura. "I-It's alright, Yukiko. I'd say he just forgot to mention it to you."
The heiress mellowed out slightly, realizing that Yu was right about that. That week in South Dakota was pretty stressful for them all. "How long does your family plan to stay in Vegas?"
"Hm, probably for another couple of days. You?" He asked.
"Most likely just for today. We came here so that Gwen could get her fill of magic," Yukiko said. Reminding herself to talk with Gwen about that charm Max had explained to her over the phone.
"By Gwen, you mean the girl with the orange hair, right?"
"Yes, that's my other adorable little cousin," Yukiko smiled. "How do you know that?"
"I ran into her at the convention. She wanted to find something involving real magic. Seems she managed to get her wish," Yu said.
Yukiko stopped and stared at him. "Uh? What are you talking about?"
Yu looked at her. "About Gwen getting magic. There's no way a normal 10-year-old girl would've been able to pull that off," Yu stepped closer to Yukiko.
"Y-Yu-kun…" Yukiko blushed from his close proximity.
"Yukiko…please tell me everything you and your family has done this summer," Yu stared her in the eyes. The heiress was shocked by Yu's words, baffled by his suspicions.
"I-I've just been traveling around with them. Nothing strange has been going on," Yukiko tried to lie.
"Yukiko, we both know that isn't true. I could sense that something happened to you a few weeks ago. Something that pushed you to change, just like before," Yu said.
Before Yukiko could figure out some other lie, she caught something in the corner of her eye. A large puff of red smoke began to filter inside of the convention hall. An explosion followed soon after, drawing Yu's attention as well.
"Yu-kun!"
"Yeah, let's go!"
The two teenagers hurried into the convention hall. To Yukiko's shock a familiar skull-faced magician stood on the stage with Ben (Who had transformed into Wildmutt) and a regular magician. "Hex!?"
"Who?" Yu asked.
She wasn't given the time to explain when Hex had sent the showman flying into Wildmutt, knocking them both off stage. Hex pointed his staff at the crowd. "Give me the keystone of Bezel! If it's magic you want, it's magic you shall have!" He began to set off magical explosives within the hall, causing mass panic.
Yukiko and Yu ran through the panic, avoiding the explosions that were going off. "Grandpa!" Yukiko cried out for him.
Both Max and Gwen turned to see Yukiko and Yu approaching, the younger girl was surprised by the familiar young man. "It's Hex!" The heiress exclaimed.
"Yeah, it seems he's up to his old tricks," Max responded.
"Looks like it's a job for Lucky Girl!" Gwen exclaimed.
Back on the stage a teenage girl with long gray hair stood next to Hex. "Hand over the keystone or I shall destroy you all!"
"You forgot to say pretty please!" Lucky Girl jumped onto the stage. Yukiko joined her, whipping out hre fan for battle.
"The keystone, Lucky Girl, and the mysterious ghost girl. How convenient," Hex pointed his staff at them.
"WRAAH!"
"GAH!" Hex cried out as Wildmutt tackled him. Hex held the Vulpimancer back with his staff. "Charmcaster! Do something!"
"Yes, uncle!" Charmcaster reached into her small bag, shooting out rings that smacked Wildmutt in his back. Hex used the distraction to send Wildmutt flying through the air and into a booth.
"Ben!" Yukiko cried out. "Agi-"
Before Yukiko could launch an attack Charmcaster locked two rings around the heiress' hands and ankles, trapping them. Yukiko lost her balance and fell to the floor. Lucky Girl attempted to attack next but was knocked back by Charmcaster's rings.
Noticing the distress that the girls were in, Yu searched around the floor for a weapon. Grabbing a broken pole on the floor, Yu charged at Charmcaster. His attack missed due to the witch noticing his movement. Reaching back into her bag, Charmcaster launched another ring at Yu, however this one grew in size.
"Crap!" Jumping back to avoid getting steamrolled by the object, he failed to realize that Max was right behind him. Leaving the old man in the giant ring's destination. "Tch! Persona!" He summoned his tarot card, crushing it between his fingers. "IZANAGI! Cleave!"
Izanagi came to life in a bright flash of light, the Persona swiftly intercepted the ring's trajectory. Raising its blade into the air and slicing it in half. Both halves of the ring clanged to the ground harmlessly.
"What the?" Charmcaster was shocked by the sight before her. Never before had she seen abilities like this. The young man turned around to glare at her as Izanagi floated threateningly behind him. "Wow…that's hot."
"Yo!"
"Huh-GUH!" Charmcaster was sent flying across the stage via Lucky Girl's foot. Before she could get up a ring of fire surrounded her, Charmcaster looked up to see Yukiko standing on her feet. The heiress had melted the rings off of her.
"Any friend of Hex is no friend of mine!" Lucky Girl declared.
"There are two kinds of luck, child," Hex stomped forward. "Let me show you the bad kind."
"Guess what, I'm not just lucky anymore!" Lucky Girl dropped down and swept Hex's legs, throwing him off balance. She then grabbed his robes before he could hit the ground. "I'm totally kick butt!" Using her controlled balance and super strength to toss Hex over her shoulder.
"Wow…" Yu was suddenly reminded of Chie.
"Go, Gwe-Oh…I mean Lucky Girl!" Yukiko cheered.
Hex climbed to his feet, glaring at Lucky Girl. "Even with your new abilities, you are no match for a master magician. Now give me the keystone!" He shouted.
"Uncle!" Charmcaster yelled.
Her shout alerted him to turn around and dodge the loudspeaker that was almost dropped on him. Wildmutt roared as he climbed back onto the stage.
"Finder's keepers, Skull face!" Lucky Girl responded.
"And losers' weepers," Charmcaster whipped her arms, snuffing out the flames that surrounded her. Reaching into her bag, the witch tossed out several brown balls at Lucky Girl's feet.
Yu's eyes widened as he felt something from them. "Gwen, move!"
Lucky Girl was confused until the balls started to glow purple, growing into almost human sized four legged creatures. "Okay, not a fan of this…!"
Wildmutt soared through the air and went right for Charmcaster, while Lucky Girl, Yukiko, and Yu handled the magic beasts.
"Get…off of me, Dog breath!" Charmcaster grunted. Using her magic to create a totem pole, sending Wildmutt flying. She launched several small magic grenades at Wildmutt. "See ya around, fido!"
Each one exploded at Wildmutt's feet, sending the dog alien falling through the floor.
"Agilao!" Yukiko burnt one of the creatures to a crisp. Another one tried to jump her from behind but was smashed to pieces instantly.
"Zio!" Izanagi released a small lightning bolt that obliterated it. Yu watched as Lucky Girl raised her leg and axe-kicked the last rock creature into pieces. He shivered once more in reminder of Chie's powerful kicks. "Yeah…definitely a mini Chie."
The Tennysons and Narukami surrounded Charmcaster, not noticing Hex climbing back to his feet. The magician's eyes glowed yellow as his anger skyrocketed. "ENOUGH!" Swaying his staff, the magician sent vibrations through the air that sent the heroes flying through the back doors and into the hedge maze.
Yu quickly grabbed Yukiko and held her, so that he could take the brunt of the fall; while Max held Lucky Girl.
"You okay?" Yu asked.
"Yeah. But where's Ben?" Yukiko looked around for Wildmutt.
Lucky Girl looked down to see more brown balls rolling towards them. "I don't think we have time to worry about him!" The balls transformed into the rock monsters from before, inching closer to them.
Yukiko turned to her family. "You guys look for Ben. We'll handle these things!"
Max nodded his head. "Right, be careful!" He and Lucky Girl ran off to look for Ben.
The Priestess and Fool held their weapons as the creatures approached them. "Kind of like old times, right?" Yu smirked.
"Yes, and just like before we'll come out on top," Yukiko said, confidently.
Hex and Charmcaster landed inside of the maze in a haze of red smoke. "Circle around, then drive them towards me like lambs to the slaughter," Hex ordered.
"Yes, uncle!" Charmcaster followed Hex's command. She reached into her bag and set more rock monsters loose inside of the maze.
The magician watched her run off then turned his head to the sounds of lightning and fire. He floated into the air and flew towards the battle.
"This way!" Max yelled as he ran into a different direction from Lucky Girl. Turning around Max noticed that his granddaughter was no longer behind him. And unlike his granddaughter's luck, a rock monster jumped down from the hedges to attack him. "Ah!" Max noticed that he was trapped in a dead-end with the monster approaching.
"WRAAAHHH!"
Wildmutt returned with great force and slammed his large paw into the monster. The creature shattered on impact. Wildmutt smiled in satisfaction until the watch started to beep red and he turned back to normal.
"You okay, Ben?" Max asked.
"Yeah. Where's Lucky Girl?" Ben asked.
"Cleave!"
"Agilao!"
Izanagi and Sumeo-Okami struck down their opponents with great force. The creatures were shattered and melted by their combined force.
Yukiko smirked, fanning herself. "Is that all?"
Yu was about to respond to her victory quote until he felt the hairs on his neck stand up. "Move!" He pushed Yukiko out of the way as a volley of crystal shards rained down on their previous spot. Looking up, both teens found Hex descending down onto their position.
"Hex…!" Yukiko growled.
The magician held up his staff, pointing it at the two. "Your powers…that magic! Tell me, what is it!?"
"Why do you wish to know?" Yu asked in his battle stance.
"No human, especially teenagers, should be capable of wielding magic in this realm," Hex's eyes glowed yellow. His staff powered up, releasing a torrent of flames at the two.
Yu summoned his tarot card. "Persona! Black Frost!" A different Persona appeared in Izanagi's place. Now stood a small black snowman with blood red eyes. "Bufula!" An icy mist appeared out of the snowman's hands. It collided with the flames weakening them and pushing Hex back.
Yukiko stepped forward with her fan at the ready. Before she attacked Yu crushed another tarot card. "Fire Amp!" He boosted Yukiko's abilities.
The heiress smiled as she felt Yu's warmth shower over her. "Agidyne!" The massive fireball raced towards Hex.
Grunting in annoyance, the magician's eyes glowed once more. He raised his staff and batted away the fireball into the sky. Where it combusted and exploded in the air.
Yu sprinted forward with his pipe in his hands, bringing it down onto Hex, forcing the magician to block the strike with his staff. "Really wishing I had my sword now," Yu thought.
Hex stared at Yu for a moment. "Boy, there's something more to you than meets the eye."
"Huh?"
"I can sense it. The power you hold is beyond anything I've seen in this realm. Where did you get it!?" Hex asked once more.
"From a lady with a God complex," Yu smirked.
His answer confused Hex, distracting him momentarily. A pink object spun through the air and collided with Hex's face, forcing the magician to back away.
Hex growled as he glared at the teenagers. He looked up at the sky and hissed. "I'm wasting time." From the corners of his eyes he saw both Max and Ben exiting the maze. "Yes…that'll work." Hex's eyes glowed brightly once more. The air around him started to dance violently, lifting everyone around him into the air.
"W-wait! I don't want to hurt anyone! My uncle made me do it!"
Lucky Girl raised an eyebrow as Charmcaster pleaded to her. The younger girl was skeptical of the witch's words. "Why should we believe you?"
"My name is Charmcaster, I'm Hex's niece. You know what he's like, he doesn't take no for an answer," She explained.
"Understatement of the century," Lucky Girl muttered.
"I-I can help you! He's after the keystone in your bracelet," Charmcaster pointed at the brace.
"Duh, he wants to magnify his powers."
"That's not all, if he performs the ritual of Bezel with the keystone at the highest point during the eclipse, he can recreate all the other charms you destroyed," Charmcaster explained. That tidbit of information worried Lucky Girl greatly.
"GAAAAHHHH!"
Lucky Girl and Charmcaster both yelped when four bodies crashed down next to them. Her family and Yu were all groaning in pain as they were restrained by Hex's magic. Hex descended down from the sky, staring directly at the girls. "Making new friends, Charmcaster?"
"Give me the keystone or watch your family suffer a painful demise!" Hex threatened.
"I won't let you do this, uncle!" Charmcaster grabbed her bag from Gwen's hand. She opened it up, releasing tiny stone bats to attack Hex.
The magician screamed as the bats lifted him away. "Charmcaster! How dare you betray me!?" With Hex gone, the magic surrounding the Tennysons and Yu disappeared. The magician was taken over to the hotel's pool and dropped into the water.
Lucky Girl blinked repeatedly. "Oh, I guess you are legit. Now, let's finish the job before Hex can dry off!"
"My uncle's going to be really mad at me isn't he?" Charmcaster asked, worried.
Ben walked over to her. "Hey, if it's any consolation, people are mad at me all the time."
SMACK!
"OW!" Ben gripped the back of his head, glaring at Yukiko. "What was that for!?"
"I'll explain it later," The heiress replied.
"Look if it's worrying you so much then go with our Grandpa. Ben, Yukiko, and I will handle Hex. Oh, and this guy too," Lucky Girl pointed at Yu.
"Yu Narukami."
"Right, Yu will help us," Lucky girl said. Charmcaster squealed in delight and pulled Lucky Girl into a tight hug.
"Thank you! I'll never forget this!"
"You seemed to have forgotten boundaries…" Lucky Girl muttered. The kids and teens raced off to chase after Hex.
"Was it me or was that a bit weird?" Gwen asked.
"You're a superhero now. Trust me, people act weird around us," Ben replied.
"She was laying it on a bit thick. Wouldn't be the first time someone put on a fake act around us," Yu said.
Gwen turned her head. "Oh, right. I haven't thanked you yet for saving me earlier."
Yu smiled. "No need for thanks. It was the least I could do."
Yukiko gasped and clapped her hands lightly. "You guys haven't been properly introduced yet. Gwen this is Yu and Yu this is Gwen!"
"What about me?" Ben asked.
"Hm? Ben, why are you speaking out of turn?" Yukiko asked.
"Are you still mad!?"
Yu chuckled at the small interaction before noticing the exit ahead of them. "Heads up! The pool is right in front of us!"
A tornado of water levitated out of the pool, Hex standing on top of it. Ben groaned as the watch was still recharging. "Ugh, my watch is still in the red. We have to wait!"
"We can't!" Gwen exclaimed. She attempted to jump high but instead landed face first into the ground.
"Gwen!" Yukiko knelt down in worry.
Hex lowered himself down towards them. Ben, Yu, and Yukiko tried to attack but Hex held them back with his magic, focusing entirely on Gwen. "Give me the key!" He grabbed her wrist. However he noticed something was missing and smirked.
"We'll see each other soon and finish our business then," Hex disappeared in an explosion of smoke.
"Uh?" What just happened?" Ben asked.
Gwen looked at the brace and gasped. "The keystone, i-it's gone!" Gwen immediately figured out who took it. "Charmcaster…!"
"And if she has it, then your Grandpa might be in trouble," Yu said.
That made the three worried. "Grandpa!" They hurried back into the maze.
Yu and Yukiko both helped Max walk back to the RV, Gwen and Ben following closely behind. "Oh…I turned away for just a second and wham! When I came to Charmcaster was gone," Max explained.
Gwen was frustrated with herself. "All that stuff about her uncle forcing her to do it was just an act! She needed to get close enough to me to steal the keystone." Gwen took off her mask. "Some hero I turned out to be…"
Yukiko placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up, Gwen. We all make mistakes and it's okay to do so. What isn't okay is beating yourself up over them."
Ben joined in. "She's right, I've made plenty of mistakes this summer and you don't see me giving up, do you?"
"No…you're too stupid to give up," Gwen smiled.
"And you're too stubborn to give up. So, let's get a plan going so we can stop Hex and Charmcaster," Ben said. Yukiko wrapped her arms around Gwen and hugged her, then pulled Ben into it as well.
Yu stood next to Max as he watched the scene, thinking of Nanako. "While there's still a lot for me to catch up on, do any of you have an idea where they went?" His question broke apart the hugs between cousins.
"She said the ritual would be performed at the highest point during the eclipse," Max answered.
"And the highest point around here is…" Everyone looked up at the Stratosphere tower.
Hex and Charmcaster landed on top of the tower. The elevator doors opened revealing a group of tourists. Hex pointed his staff at them, seeing that maniac with the glowing stick, the group quickly closed the door back up. Hex used his magic to seal it permanently.
"I do not want to be disturbed!" Hex shouted. His eyes trailed to the sky as the eclipse was about to start, the keystone glowing in response. "Wamba hestida zerzan. Wamba hestida zerzan!" The keystone floated into the sky as the world grew darker.
The Rustbucket pulled up to the bottom of the tower. The Tennysons and Yu stepped out of the RV as the eclipse was beginning. "We're running out of time. The eclipse is only a few minutes away," Max said.
"Guess, it's all up to you guys. There's not much else I can do," Gwen said.
"That's never stopped you before, Gwen. Are you still feeling lucky?" Ben responded.
"What luck?" Gwen asked.
"Lucky enough to still have this opportunity. You can either keep doubting yourself or you can join us and get pay back for them tricking you. It's your choice, Gwen," Yu said.
His words had an effect on her, especially the part about revenge. "Revenge does sound pretty sweet right about now," Gwen said.
Their attention turned to the elevator that was broken. "Seems we can't use the elevator to get up there," Yukiko said.
"Don't worry, Stinkfly has us covered," Ben said confidently. Except the watch still wasn't working. "Oh man, that stinks! Stupid watch isn't working yet!"
"But that window washer's platform is!" Max pointed to the platform.
"And I have an idea for my own ride!" Ben ran back into the RV.
"What is he talking about?" Yu asked.
"Worry about it later, Yu-kun!" Yukiko grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the platform.
Magic began shooting out of the keystone as Hex continued to chant.
"Did you really think you could ditch me that easily," Gwen interrupted the chant. The platform stops just enough to make it look like she's floating. "Now give me back the keystone or deal with the awesome powers of Lucky Girl!"
"This is totally bogus! She can't have any powers it has to be some stupid trick!" Charmcaster called her bluff. Hex raised a hand, levitating Max and Gwen into the air. The two were brought down onto the roof of the tower.
"Your silly stunt has gained you nothing!" Hex taunted.
Gwen got to her feet. "You should know better than anyone that magic is about misdirection."
"ZIONGA!"
"GAAAHH!" Hex screamed as a medium sized lightning bolt blasted him in the chest. The magician was blown back into the wall of the tower.
"Uncle!" Charmcaster cried.
"AGILAO!"
"KYAAA!" Charmcaster screeched as fire danced around her body. The witch was sent flying back into her uncle.
[Persona 4 OST - Reach Out To The Truth]
"WHOOO!" Ben came flying through the air on his hoverboard. The device had been extended to allow Yukiko and Yu to ride on it along with him. "I forgot just how much this thing is!"
"It is pretty exhilarating!" Yukiko agreed.
"Seriously, I need to get myself one of these things. Nanako would love it!" Yu laughed.
They looked back to see Max waving at them. Ben and Yukiko mistook it for a greeting. "Hey, Grandpa!" They yelled.
Yu however had caught on. "That's not what he meant!"
Hex flew in front of the three, sweep kicking Ben off of the board. Yu quickly reached out and grabbed Ben before he could fall. "I will not be denied ruler of the world!"
"Then you're going to be disappointed!" Yukiko prepared her fan.
"Because it ain't gonna happen!" Ben yelled.
Hex raised his staff, magic transforming it into a scythe. Yu quickly summoned his Persona. "Izanagi!" The Fool Persona blocked the strike with his sword. The hoverboard wobbled as it tried to hold the four bodies on top of it. The device flew all over the tower.
Charmcaster watched the fight from the roof of the building. "Hey, Charmcaster!" She turned around to see Gwen and Max rushing at her. "Told any good stories lately!?"
The witch launched magic grenades at the duo, knocking them back onto the roller coaster ride. Charmcaster hopped onto the railings, using her magic grenades to destroy the controls to the ride. Without the control the roller coaster took off with Max and Gwen on it.
Yukiko held Ben as Izanagi and Yu were blocking repeated strikes from Hex's scythe. "If you wanted to fit the Grim Reaper motif, then you're doing a great job!" Yu grunted. The trio were slightly being pushed back with little space to work with.
"You think this is a game, boy!?" Hex shouted.
Ben glanced down at the watch and saw that it had turned green. "Yeah, and you're the loser, Skull face!" Ben jumped off the hoverboard.
"BEN!" Both Yu and Yukiko screamed.
The boy descended towards the ground and turned to the watch. "Time for The Four Arms of justice!" He slapped down the dial and transformed into Diamondhead.
"Diamondhead? Great!" The Petrosapien extended his arms towards the building. Creating a crystalized chain to catch himself from falling. Diamondhead swung himself back up into the air towards the hoverboard. "Get off my ride, Skull face!" Diamondhead's fist sent Hex flying off the board.
Diamondhead grabbed onto the board as Yu brought it back down onto the tower. Charmcaster used this opportunity to toss grenades at the tracks, destroying it.
Yukiko's fan made contact with Charmcaster's head, knocking the witch over. Due to the suddenness of the attack a small purple book slid out of Charmcaster's bag.
Diamondhead raced over to the tracks just as his family was about to go fall off. "GWEN! GRANDPA!" Diamondhead jumped in front of the ride, using his sturdy body to catch it and slow it down.
Yu broke his card once more. "Izanagi! Cleave!" The Persona swung its blade destroying the wheels of the ride.
"Sumeo-Okami! Maragidyne!" Yukiko shouted. The heat melted the metal, melding it together to slow down to a complete stop. Everyone released a breath of relief.
Unluckily for them the eclipse had started. Hex had flown back over to Charmcaster, ready to complete the ritual. "I'll take it from here, Charmcaster."
The teenager chuckled at her uncle. "That would be a big no, uncle. Change of plans. I get the power of the stones, and the keystone, and you get squat!"
Taken aback by her 2nd betrayal, Hex tried to use his staff. However, Charmcaster was faster in shooting out her grenades. Hex dropped the staff and flew into a metal vent. "I just needed a master magician to recreate the ritual. And now that that's done…" Charmcaster turned to complete the ritual. "Now, where was I?"
Clouds began to circle the tower as lightning struck. The beams of light transformed into the several small charms of Bezel. "The power of Bezel will soon be mine!"
"Show's over, Charmcaster!"
The witch turned around to see the Tennysons and Yu approaching, Gwen holding the staff. Charmcaster laughed at them. "That staff only works in the hands of a master magician-KYA"
Gwen blasted her with the staff.
Everyone stared at Gwen in shock, the girl herself was confused. "Okay…how did that work?" There wasn't much time to focus on it as the ritual was almost complete.
Yu turned to Ben. "Ben, can you create a sword made out of diamonds for me?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Just do it!" Yu yelled as he ran straight for the charms of Bezel. Diamondhead complied and quickly created a crystalized blade for Yu.
"Here, Narukami!" Diamondhead tossed the blade at Yu.
The Fool jumped into the air and grabbed the blade with his hands. Closing his eyes, he released a breath as a pure white card appeared in front of him. Yu's eyes snapped open instantly, his orbs were now shining blue instead of gray.
He brought the blade down onto the white tarot card and bellowed out a name. "IZANAGI-NO-OKAMI!"
The Persona that appeared behind him looked exactly like Izanagi, however it was purely white instead of gray. "MYRIAD TRUTHS!" The deity Persona lifted its blade into the air and swung it down.
Pure silence ran swept through the air until a barrage of slashes tore through each one of the charms. The barrage didn't end until not a trace of the charms was left over.
Back down on the roofs purple mist began flowing out of Charmcaster, Hex, and the staff. Hex staggered to his feet, hissing at the Tennysons. "Do you fools understand what you have done!?"
"Save the day?" Diamondhead answered.
"AAAHHH!" Hex screamed as the last bits of his magic poured out of his body. He collapsed to the ground unconscious.
Yu watched as the purple mist flew into the keystone. He grabbed it with his hands and dropped back down onto the roof. Izanagi-no-Okami disappeared since he was no longer needed.
Ben turned back to normal as the eclipse finally ended. "So, what do we do with it?"
Yu walked over to Gwen and handed her the keystone. "Here."
Gwen took it, putting it back into the brace. However, nothing happened. "Well, looks like the magic is gone. So is Lucky Girl…again," Gwen sighed.
"Eh, don't be too bummed. There are other ways you can be a hero," Ben said. Gwen spied the hoverboard on the ground.
"Like, riding on a hoverboard?"
"To get good at one of these things takes lots of practice," Ben smirked.
"Then I better get started!" Gwen jumped onto the board.
"WAIT! WAIT A MINUTE!" Ben screamed, not expecting her to just take off with it.
Yu chuckled at the sight in front of him, he was starting to like these two. Yukiko came up next to her, locking her hand with his. Though her attention was on something else entirely. "Hm? What do you have there, Yukiko?"
"A book. It fell out of Charmcaster's bag. Maybe, Gwen would like it?" Yukiko suggested.
"Isn't that stealing?" He sweat dropped.
"They tried to take over the world. This'll make Gwen feel better hopefully. She really enjoyed being Lucky Girl," Yukiko justified.
"Are you going to explain everything to me now?" Yu asked.
Yukiko nodded her head, after everything that just transpired there was no point in hiding anything. She even had some questions of her own. "Yes, I'll tell you everything that has happened so far this summer."
"Good, I'm starting to get sick of secrets," Yu chuckled.
Chapter End
NOTE: AND THAT'S A RAP! Next chapter will be a filler chapter to explain A LOT of things that couldn't be explained in this one. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing Yu in the chapter as well, because next chapter will have him really interacting with the Tennysons.
Yu went along with the craziness of the Tennysons, because he's used to crazy with no time to really explain everything. He finally gets to know what it feels like to be his uncle.
Both Yukiko and Yu wanted to get Yosuke a gift since he's the magician arcana.
Ben used Diamondhead instead of Wildvine here, because Camp Fear hasn't happened just yet.
And let's talk about the elephant in the room. Yes, that small book is Charmcaster's spell book, meaning that Gwen is getting her magic a season early. This also means that the episode "A Change of Face" will be having differences as well.
Now if you sit and think about it. Why did I push Grudge Match back and move Tough Luck forward? Is it all starting to make sense now?
Also, concerning Ben and who to pair him with. I'm kinda gonna leave it up to you guys at the moment. It can either be Kai, Julie, or Nanako (She is eight. Not that much younger than Ben and Gwen). I'm saying this because we'll eventually reach the Ken 10 episode and I do want to introduce Ken's mother in it. If you guys can't vote, then I'll leave it ambiguous for the moment.
Anyway, have a great day!