Persona: Beyond the Fog Chapter 9: 9 The Idol's True Self, a persona series fanfic

Saturday, 25 June, After School

If Mom and Dad had any idea what I was up to, I would be grounded until my twentieth birthday. If I was lucky.

About the only saving grace was the fact that this twisted realm wasn't a real strip club. No humans besides himself, his friends, and presumably Rise Kujikawa somewhere deep inside. Still enough to give him a splitting headache, making progression difficult.

With no choice but to continue, he used the discomfort to fuel his attacks, cutting through Shadows with a bit more force than normal. Inefficient, perhaps, but it sure as heck made him feel better.

"This place is officially crazier than that bathhouse," Yosuke grumbled. He drove one knife into a Shadow that resembled some kind of snake, then followed up with a blast of wind from his Persona. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"No argument from me, Yosuke-senpai," Kanji said sourly. His fighting style was more brutal than Yosuke's knife work or Souji's more elegant kenjutsu. He preferred to smash things with whatever flat surface was handy, in this case a folding chair. "Fry 'em, Take-Mikazuchi!" His Persona's abilities were similar to Souji's own Izanagi, resulting in a rather shocking defeat for anything that got in his way.

It didn't help, Souji reflected, that Rise's "club" was even more of a maze than they'd previously encountered. They were only on the first flour and had already run up against at least three dead ends. After the third one Souji had actually slashed through the curtain in sheer frustration, a highly uncharacteristic outburst for him.

There was, of course, no sign of either Rise or her Shadow thus far. Teddie had mentioned hearing faint voices, but nothing concrete, though Chie had said something about feeling like they were being watched. Given what they knew of the Midnight Channel, it was certainly possible. Then again, if they were being watched, why had no one interfered?

"Protect me, Tomoe!" Chie yelled. Her Persona manifested long enough to freeze solid a Shadow that was actually on fire.

The danger past for the moment, Souji leaned against the wall. "This isn't getting us anywhere," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Teddie, do you have a more specific track yet?"

After a few experimental sniffs, Teddie shook his head. "Sorry, Sensei, nothing so far. Rise-chan must be really far in."

"Is anyone surprised?" Yosuke asked rhetorically. "Frankly, I'd be more worried if we did have something solid by now. You know what they say: if something seems too good to be true, it usually is."

"I'm with Yosuke," Chie said. "That would be way too easy, not to mention," she offered a lopsided smile, "no fun at all." Her tone made clear the last remark was at least partly in jest.

Souji pursed his lips, thinking. Environmental conditions were less extreme than they'd been in Kanji's bathhouse, so they weren't yet in any real danger of heat exhaustion. It wouldn't do to get overconfident, but it was likely they could push themselves farther this time around.

"We'll try to make the fourth floor," he said, pushing away from the wall. "If there's no sign of Rise or her Shadow by then, we'll call it a day. Got it?" Five nods answered him. "All right. Let's get moving."

Fortunately for Souji's sanity, they found the stairs to the second floor a mere five minutes later. There weren't unguarded, but three dancer-like Shadows were little threat to five Persona-users. Souji didn't even bother summoning any of his; a little quick albeit brutal bladework sufficed.

He called a temporary halt when they reached the next floor. From all appearances it was no different from their starting point, but that meant nothing. Souji wanted to know what he was dealing with before they continued.

Teddie was almost wheezing, though it was impossible to tell if he was actually exhausted (or, indeed, if he was even capable of experiencing fatigue). "Sensei, are you okay? I think I'm getting a little drunk from all the pink. . . ."

Despite himself, Souji laughed. "I know how you feel," he said. "Every new addition to this world is a little stranger." He looked down at the bear. "Still no sign of Rise?"

Sighing, Teddie shook his head. "I think we're still too far away."

"Story of our lives," Souji murmured. "Back to work, team." He glanced at his watch. Still enough time to reach the fourth floor if they pushed it.

Pushing it turned out to be easier said than done. Four times they were ambushed, with Souji himself coming very close indeed to death in the last incident. Only Yosuke's quickness on his feet and Yukiko's powerful healing magic kept him alive.

"Thanks, Yukiko," he said, brushing soot off his arms. After healing him, Yukiko had gone just a bit overboard in counterattacking.

She smiled. "I'm just glad you're okay."

The rest of the second floor passed mostly without incident, something Souji found just a bit ominous. It seemed almost too easy, leading his nasty suspicious mind to imagine all sorts of traps that could be waiting for them. Possibly irrational, but given their experiences to date he didn't really think so.

No traps awaited them, but Teddie did start sniffing in earnest. "Sensei, I think I smell a clue!" More sniffing. "I can't tell what it is yet, but I'm sure there's something on this floor!"

Pay dirt. Finally. "Can you tell what direction?"

Teddie sniffed some more before answering. "I'm not completely sure. It's hard to tell in this maze."

"It's still more than we've had all day," Chie said. "Come on, let's go!"

Murphy's Law chose that moment to intervene. An unusually large Shadow came around a blind corner, knocking Yukiko flying. Chie, enraged, was able to briefly hold it in place with a Bufu ice spell, but it soon broke free, sending her crashing into the wall next to Yukiko.

"Chie! Damn!" Yosuke drove a knife into the freak's knee, slowing it just enough for a follow-up strike. Kanji was right behind him, smashing its head.

"My turn," Souji snarled, furious at what had happened to his friends. He took a long step forward, lopping an "arm" off and following with a Zio spell at point-blank range.

An instant later, it was over. Surveying the scene, Souji knew they couldn't go any farther just then. Chie and Yukiko were both rather banged up, Kanji was leaning heavily against one wall, and even he himself was beginning to feel the strain.

"No choice," he said. "That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow if at all possible."

"Hate to say it, but you're right," Yosuke said with a groan. "That last one took a lot out of me."

Chie finally stood, helping Yukiko to her feet. "Sorry about screwing it up," she said, crestfallen.

Souji shook his head quickly. "It isn't your fault; that last one caught us all unawares. Just get some rest, and be ready for the next run."

Sunday, 26 June, Daytime

As their ill luck would have it, Yukiko was busy at the inn the next day, and Souji was unwilling to venture into the TV world without a full team. Especially when the absent member was their best healer; Yosuke had some ability, but mainly as a backup, and not even Souji's poorly-understood Wild Card ability had yet given him a Persona with sufficient healing power.

Which left him wondering just what to do. Naturally his uncle wasn't home, and Nanako was spending the day at a friend's house. Frustrated, the young team leader wandered into the shopping district, hoping he could find something to take his mind off the situation.

It somehow didn't surprise him that neither Chie nor Kanji were anywhere to be found. Today, it seemed, it was his fate to be completely at loose ends. He briefly considered paying the fox a visit, but discarded the idea; fond though he was of Tatsuhime Shrine's vulpine guardian, it was no substitute for human contact.

The sudden beep from his cell phone nearly gave him a heart attack, but at the same time it was a relief. Finally, an end to the boredom! I hope. "Seta."

"Yo, partner," Yosuke's voice answered. "You busy right now?"

Souji snorted. "I wish. Right now Inaba is living up to its reputation. If it wasn't for the murder case, this place would be frozen in time."

"Yeah, it can get like that," Yosuke said with a laugh. "Say, want to meet up? I'm off today."

"Best thing that's happened to me all day," Souji said. "How about my place? It's pretty much empty right now."

"Sure thing. Be there in a few."

Fifteen minutes later, they met up in Souji's borrowed room. If it had been anyone else Souji would likely have been self-conscious, but with Yosuke there were no such issues. Maybe it was because he'd already seen the "Junes Boy's" inner self, maybe it was because Yosuke was such a laid-back sort. It didn't really matter.

"Well, nice place you've got here," Yosuke said. "Cozy, neat and organized, just like you." He arched an eyebrow suggestively. "So, where do you keep the goods?"

Souji had a good idea what his friend meant by "goods," and was having none of it. "Don't put me on Teddie's level, Yosuke," he said. "I'm not into that sort of thing."

That merely drew laughter. "Hey, it's cool. I'm not gonna knock ya even if you're into weird stuff."

My parents would kill me for that. Recognizing that Yosuke wouldn't believe him, Souji let the matter slide. He changed the subject, asking about goings-on at Junes. Business, it seemed, was thriving, though Saki Konishi's death still left something of a cloud over the younger employees.

"So, you ever invite a girl in here?" Yosuke asked out of the blue.

Here we go again. "No, and I'm not likely to," Souji said, eyes narrowing slightly. "I thought you knew."

"Not even that Sakamoto girl? Never mind," Yosuke amended hastily, seeing a glint of danger in Souji's eyes.

"Are you here, Big Bro?" Nanako's voice interrupted.

Jumping slightly, Souji opened the door. "I thought you were out for the day."

"I just needed to check the class notice," his cousin said. "I'm going with Miwa-chan and Yo-chan to Takeyoshi-kun's house."

Yosuke looked taken aback. "A-A guy's house!?"

Nanako blinked at him, uncomprehending. "I'm just bringing him the class notice. Miwa-chan is coming with me because she likes Takeyoshi-kun."

Souji had to cover a smile at his friend's reaction. "That so? Well, my first love was in kindergarten." He sighed. "But I don't have time for that now. Too much to do."

"Homework?" Nanako asked innocently.

Yosuke seemed to ponder that. "Yeah, sorta."

Souji waited until Nanako had left, then allowed himself a smirk, sensing an opportunity to get some of his own back. "Not time for that? What about Chie?"

His timing was perfect. Yosuke staggered back into the desk, mouth opening and closing several times with no sound coming out. Souji didn't even attempt to stifle his laughter; the sight before him was too much. It wasn't often her was able to put one over on Yosuke Hanamura like that.

"Chie's . . . it's not like that!" Yosuke stammered at last. He half-glared at Souji. "You're seriously gonna pay for that, partner," he ground out.

"I'll await your revenge with baited breath," Souji replied with a grin. He hadn't been joking about Chie, though. Yosuke's attraction to their resident martial artist was obvious to all but the truly blind (which naturally included Chie). As was Yosuke's mild jealousy of how much time Chie spent with Yukiko.

"You'd better," Yosuke growled. "'Cause it's gonna be epic, and at a time nobody would expect it."

Souji's lip twitched. "I always expect the unexpected these days," he pointed out. "I'd be insane not to with all the TV world shenanigans we get up to."

Yosuke's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Okay, you've got me there." He half-straightened. "Fine. I'll just check under the futon."

"Be my guest."

Monday, 27 June, Morning

My favorite way to start the day: a lecture from Sloth-Face.

Morooka had, as usual, started with a general philosophy lecture, before segueing into an equally general scolding of his own class. Nearly three months into the school year, and still none of the students could be anything other than pond scum in his eyes.

Then, to Souji's immense but fortunately hidden irritation, the refugee from a dentist's office got more specific. "All right, you brats, don't get carried away just 'cause some scatterbrained idol is back in town! You got that!?"

Pretty hard not to, the way you beat it into us. Who taught you to teach, anyway?

"That's Rise Kujikawa, for any morons who might be out of the loop," Morooka went on, his tone caustic enough to burn the varnish off a deck. "All she does are stupid variety shows and even stupider commercials. Who the hell gives a damn about some idiot whose only talent is appearing in shows for other idiots!?"

Decent people, maybe? Sorry, Sensei, while I'm not into the kind of stuff she does, I can tell she's no idiot.

"I've got the perfect lecture for you bastards," Morooka said, a dangerous look in his eye. Well, more dangerous than usual. "Let's talk Friedrich Nietzsche here!"

Oh, this will be fascinating.

"Trust me, it makes sense! A lot of you are reacting to your 'ressentiment' toward that idol girl by talking about her, right?"

Not all of us, but I don't expect you to understand that.

"Why the hell do you all look so upset!?" Morooka snapped. "Out of the chair, Seta!"

Suppressing a groan, Souji pushed his chair back and stood. He had a feeling he knew both what the question would be and why he was chosen, though he rather thought Yosuke would have fit the criteria for the latter more.

"What does 'ressentiment' mean? Make it quick!"

Souji sternly ordered his face to remain still. "Hatred and jealousy of the superior," he said evenly.

Something almost like approval flashed through the homeroom teacher's eyes. Almost. "Humph, so you've already done the reading. You got it exactly; it's a French word denoting jealousy, different from 'resent' because it denotes someone better than you." His sneer seemed directed at the whole class, but especially Souji and Yosuke. "Something I'm sure all of you are very familiar with."

One of these days, someone is going to snap, and it won't be pretty, Souji thought, exchanging a covert glance with Chie as he sat back down. I hope I'm far, far away when it happens.

Thursday, 30 June, After School

It was another three days before the entire team could be gathered properly. Souji wasn't normally superstitious, but he could almost swear the universe was conspiring against them for much of the week, what with his own activities, Yosuke's job at Junes, and Yukiko's work at the inn. He was only glad to have mostly escaped Morooka's wrath.

That aside, they made good time once back where they had left off. Maybe it was the urgency of the moment, maybe it was simply that they were more rested, either way few Shadows gave them more than minor difficulties. All of them, Souji noticed, had grown surer of themselves, and more efficient in combat. Even Kanji, a relative newcomer, meshed well despite his brutal fighting style.

"Through there!" Teddie said, pointing to a side door. "The smell is right past that curtain!"

"Then it's time," Souji said, his sword held loosely in one hand. Taking a slow, preparatory breath, he raised the curtain.

It was a more open area than they'd yet seen, though still with no visible furnishings. Four supports stood near the center, though given the nature of the TV world they probably weren't truly necessary. In the very center was the reason they had come so far.

Or so it appeared.

"Is that really Rise?" Chie wondered uneasily. "Something's wrong."

Yukiko almost went for her war fan. "It must be her other self."

"Hello, all you fans out there!" the swimsuit-clad girl said, confirming Yukiko's position. "Thanks for coming today! Today, you're gonna see every last inch of me!"

That has to be the Shadow. There's no way the real Rise would act like that.

"What's that?" the Shadow said. "You don't believe me?" It laughed. "Okay, okay! Then why don't –oh, sorry, you won't be able to see with all this smoke! Okie-dokie, just follow me in and I'll prove I'm every bit as good as my word!" As had happened with Yukiko and Kanji, a stylized sign appeared above.

All the way, LIVE! HOT! Risette EXPOSED!

Souji felt his gorge rising again. In some ways it was even worse than Kanji's, which said a great deal about how disturbing the situation had become.

"W-Were we all like that?" Kanji said, visibly pale. "That's . . . going kinda far."

That's like saying it's chilly in Antarctica.

Indistinct voices halted conversation for a moment. "Ugh, the crowds are insane this time," Chie said. "It's making me sick."

"That's why we have to finish this as quickly as possible," Souji said, keeping his eyes warily on the Shadow.

The Shadow either didn't notice his look, or simply didn't care. "All right, Risetteers, don't touch that dial! When we come back, you'll get a good, long look at the real me! Maru-Q!" Again like Yukiko and Kanji before, Rise's Shadow turned and vanished into the fog.

Yosuke was visibly shaking. "W-We'd better move fast!" he stammered. "This is a hell of a lot worse than a few nasty secrets!"

"He's right!" Teddie said, looking about anxiously. "The Shadows are really getting aggravated!"

"No time to lose, then," Souji said. "We follow that Shadow. Stay on your guard, people."

Behind him, he could hear Kanji murmuring, "So I'm on the rescue team now. Fine by me."

After that bizarre encounter, it was back to hack and slash. Souji wasn't sure what it said about them that battling manifestations of the human subconscious was already becoming routine, but he suspected it wasn't good. Most psychiatrists, he mused, would have had them committed.

"Anything, Teddie?" he asked after dispatching one of the dancer-type Shadows.

The bear was huddled behind Kanji; a near-miss had slightly scorched his fur. "Not here. I don't think she's on this floor."

Of course not.

Yukiko's castle had been eight floors, Kanji's creepy bathhouse around eleven if he recalled correctly. He was uncomfortably certain Rise's club would be at least as large. The whole thing was, he reflected grimly, taking rather too long for his peace of mind.

"Fifth floor, and we're done for the day," he said wearily. "I don't like taking so long, but if we don't pace ourselves we won't find her at all."

Yet another Shadow ambush interrupted them. Suppressing a curse, Souji unleashed a bolt of lightning, following through with a horizontal slash that beheaded the nearest Shadow. Yosuke was right behind him, a gust of wind and a knife thrust ending a second Shadow.

"Dammit, I am sick of this!" Chie snarled. Dashing to the last Shadow in line, this one feline in appearance, she drove a knee into its midsection, then followed with a roundhouse kick that sent it flying out of sight.

Note to self: Never provoke Chie to violence. It won't end well.

As if in answer to Souji's prayers, Yukiko pointed off to the right. Their last fight had taken them to the next stairway; a coincidence, perhaps, but certainly a welcome one. Just a quick reconnaissance, he decided, and then they would call it a day.

That changed in an instant. "Oh!?" Rise's voice said. "You've come so far, does that mean you're one of my fans? Really?" She seemed to be giggling. "Since you're trying so hard, I should do something special for you." A pause. "Not here, though. You have to prove your love just a liiiitle bit more. I'll be waiting!"

Perverse though it may have been, Souji felt reinvigorated by the voice. Looking back, he saw he wasn't the only one. Yosuke had straightened from his tired slouch, Kanji was slinging his blunt object of the day over his shoulder, Chie had slid into a fighting crouch almost on reflex, and there was a definite fire in Yukiko's dark eyes. Even Teddie was sniffing around with more energy than he'd previously showed.

"Looks like we've got our second wind," Souji said. "All right, people, let's move."

Second wind appeared to be the right description. One of the dancer type Shadows tried to skewer Yosuke, but never had a chance. The Junes Boy nimbly stepped to one side, then drove straight in, following up with a gust of wind that scattered the remains.

Good. Souji deftly parried another rapier, sliced the offending Shadow in half, then paused just long enough to switch Personas. Fire was normally Yukiko's bailiwick, but he wasn't exactly unskilled with it. The results, even he had to admit, were impressive.

Aside from those brief clashes, they barely even slowed down. The stairs to the next floor were visible what seemed like mere minutes later; Souji took the steps two at a time, bisecting the one Shadow that appeared at the top. He paused then to get his bearings. Nothing appeared excessively dangerous.

"Just a bit more!" Rise's voice said out of the ether. "I'm rooting for you!"

Thanks. I think.

It might have been his imagination, but Souji thought the sixth floor had fewer Shadows. Maybe Rise—or her Shadow—really was rooting for them. As good an explanation as any, he mused while cutting through one of those infrequent Shadows.

Another staircase. Floor seven, that would be, which meant four such in a single trip. Not bad.

"Wow! I'm so happy you came!" Rise's voice, right on cue. "But I'm still a little embarrassed." Souji felt a slight chill at that, which intensified when the Shadow added, "So I'm going to turn out the lights!"

Tell me you're kidding.

Kanji swore viciously, amusingly in stereo with Yosuke. Teddie's reaction was less profane, but no happier. "Whoa, it's so dark in here!" the bear gasped, showing an amazing grasp of the obvious. "Be careful going forward, Sensei! This is really dangerous!"

"Tells us something we don't know!" Yosuke said irritably.

Souji Seta was not normally afraid of the dark. Already a skilled swordsman, he had little to fear from burglars or things of that sort. Burglars, however, were mundane threats, and one thing Shadows were not was mundane. Just about as not mundane as was possible, really.

Teddie was pulling his weight more than usual. Cartoonish or not, his senses of smell and hearing were every bit as acute as "normal" bears, allowing him to keep the rest of the team informed about what they were facing and when. They still had more close calls than Souji was comfortable with, but they pulled through in the end.

Finally reaching the room they were after, they were faced with a more powerful version of some of the snake-type Shadows. Souji had nothing against snakes per se, but Shadow snakes had a way of unnerving him. Probably because they had all the creepy aspects of reptiles, but with none of the more fascinating features.

Not that he let it show. "Hit is with your basic elements first," he said calmly. "If we can find its weakness, even a big one like this is at our mercy."

Lightning was of little use, he soon found. It was of no avail to the freakish snake, however, as it proved quite flammable. Yukiko had a look of almost unholy glee on her face as she repeatedly torched the stronger-than-usual foe. It was almost more unnerving than the Shadow.

One dead snake later, they charged up to the next floor. Nothing out of the ordinary greeted them, so they explored only long enough to find the staircase. Souji, however, couldn't shake the feeling that Rise's Shadow was watching them more closely than before.

By the time they reached the ninth floor, he knew they were exhausted for real. "Okay," he said, leaning heavily on his sword. "Now we'll call it a day."

Evening

There were advantages to being a student athlete. Souji could come home dead tired from his misadventures in the TV world, and pass it off to his precocious yet credulous cousin and even his detective uncle as school-related. Thus, when Nanako asked him if he was feeling well, he brushed it off as basketball practice running late.

As Dojima wasn't home, doubtless trying to find Rise, Souji at least mustered enough energy to help with dishes. Some coffee was in order as well; with first term finals fast approaching, he needed all the energy he could get for studying. All the more reason, he mused sourly, to find Rise as quickly as possible.

"Are you okay, Big Bro?"

Some of his foul mood must have shown through. "Annoyed at my homeroom teacher," he said, giving part of the truth. "He's gone from badmouthing his own students to ranting about Rise Kujikawa."

Nanako being a Risette fan herself, she didn't take it well. "That's not nice."

"Trust me, Nanako-chan, Morooka is never nice." Souji poured her a cup of coffee. He felt a slight twinge at doing his uncle's one domestic job, but it wasn't like Dojima could do it himself right then. "Hopefully he'll have retired by the time you get to high school. I've known bad teachers, but he's the first one I've met who really seems to hate his students."

He left it at that; there was no point in scaring Nanako when it would be several years before she went to high school. Besides, there was at least the possibility of Morooka retiring before then. He hoped.

Nanako set the last of the plates aside. "Are you going to be busy tomorrow?"

There was no point in lying, even if he couldn't tell her why. "I'm afraid so," he admitted. "There's a lot going on. I'll try to be home in time for dinner," he added with a smile. "Your father would skin me alive otherwise."

Nanako just laughed at that.

After a half hour or so of chatting, Souji excused himself, saying he needed to study for exams. Which was at least partly true; what he couldn't add was that he needed to consider his next move. Each new location in the TV world seemed to be larger and more complex than the last. He didn't think it had anything to do with the victims themselves, but there was no way to be sure.

Teddie said each location is reality for the person who's there. How on Earth is a strip club Rise Kujikawa's reality? And do I want to know the answer to that question?

Souji discarded the thought for the time being. Odds were it was just a blind alley for him to run up, while the mysterious culprit laughed at the amateurs trying to stop him. He had to focus on the task at hand and worry about the why later, when they had a chance to relax.

He sent a quick text message to Yosuke, confirming that they were still on for the following day, then decided to sleep on it. Perhaps an idea would come in his dreams; it certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing he'd experienced in the sleepy town of Inaba.

Oddly, he found himself wondering about that nameless blue-haired boy. The mysterious outsider hadn't been around much of late, something Souji found almost disappointing. He'd enjoyed their brief encounters, save for when he'd been searching for Kanji.

Let it lie, Souji, he told himself, and turned out the lights.

Friday, 1 July, Early Morning

Breakfast with Nanako was pleasant enough, but he couldn't help looking worriedly out the window. According to the forecast, the rain wasn't expected to last, but it still reminded him of how tight a schedule they were on. Only a few more days till the fog set in, most likely.

Those dark musings stayed with him on the way to school. Sometimes, he thought with a touch of grim humor, he was amazed he could keep his grades up.

"Yo." Yosuke trotted up next to him at the gate. "You catch the forecast? The rain isn't supposed to keep up much longer. We've still got time to get prepared before the fog rolls in."

Souji nodded absently. "Let's not get too complacent," he warned, casually looking around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. Especially Sloth-face. "Something on your mind?"

Yosuke shrugged. "I've been thinking, with what's been on the Midnight Channel lately. If we took our time—no, forget that!" he cut himself off. "We're the only ones who can save her, so we've gotta work fast!"

Souji had a feeling he knew what his friend had been about to say, and was very grateful indeed for the sudden change of subject. The last thing he needed was for his number two to suddenly descend into fanboy madness. All the more reason to find Rise quickly; Yosuke was usually more level-headed than that.

Wednesday, 6 July, After School

It had taken another six days, which was cutting things far closer than any of them liked. Nevertheless, after two more grueling floors, they had made it. Souji had made a point of stopping their last run just before, so they would all be fresh for the battle ahead. Granted it was possible Rise would accept her "other self," but after seeing four others Souji wasn't prepared to count on it.

"This is it." Souji looked back at his team. "We already have two under our belt. Everyone ready?"

He could see the answer in their stances. Yosuke was fiddling with his MP3 player, his free hand on one of his knives. Chie, as usual, was bouncing from foot to foot, visibly eager for some action, while Yukiko stood calmly with that ethereal look she so often had. Resident delinquent Kanji had his "tough guy" face on, almost as though he could take a Shadow barehanded.

"All right," Souji said, and pushed the curtain aside.

Sure enough, there were two of Rise Kujikawa in the center of the room. One was obviously the real Rise, still clad in the kerchief she'd worn when Souji and his friends first met her. The other, clinging to a pole, was the swimsuit-clad Shadow, its expression one of twisted amusement.

The Shadow laughed. "All eyes are on me now! Just the way I like it!"

Rise, on her knees, shook her head fiercely. "Stop it!"

Her Shadow mock-pouted. "Aw, what's wrong? Don't you wanna show your stuff? How about this?" It swung around on the pole, a nauseatingly typical "dance" move.

It deeply disturbs me that I know that.

"Please. . . ." Rise was breathing hard. "Just stop. . . ."

That drew a chuckle. "Ooh, she wants me to stop. What a laugh. As if that's really what you're thinking, you little skank!" Its voice turned harsh with the last sentence. "You're me! And obviously, I'm you!"

Rise shook her head again. "No. . . . That's not true, it can't be true. . . ."

"Oh, it is!" the Shadow said gleefully. "Look, you can't tear your eyes away! It's me, the person I really am! Not Risette the fake celebrity, the real Rise! Right here in front of you! I'm so sick of being the airhead cliché, just swallowing everything with a smile! 'Risette'? Who's that!? No such person! I'm just me! Look!"

Rise was visibly losing any semblance of coherence. "That's not true! I . . . I. . . ."

"Well, I guess it's time to prove it! I'm gonna show it all off! Let my naked truth be burned into your brains!"

This is bad. Very bad. Souji drew his sword; he knew all too well what was coming next.

Rise clutched at her head. "Stop! Stop it! You. . . ."

"No! Don't say it!' Chie shouted.

"You're not me!"

Souji instantly slid into a combat stance as the Shadow laughed in obvious jubilation. "Here it comes! Now I'm finally myself!" On the heels of that seeming non sequitur, an all too familiar black mist poured out.

He thought he heard Yosuke retch behind him. Not that he blamed the Junes Boy; Rise's Shadow was still mostly human-shaped, but that was where the similarities ended. It was roughly twice human size, rainbow colored, and had what looked like a radar dish for a face. On top of that, it made a very disturbing squishing noise when it moved.

"I am a Shadow, the true self," it intoned. "And now, the moment you've been waiting for! It's time for me to show you every last inch of myself!"

"Thanks, I'll pass," Souji said, his blade raised to eye level. "I'm here to rescue your host."

"Oh, you're going to rush the stage? What an ill-mannered guest!' Perversely, the Shadow sounded amused. "Maybe you're looking for something a little more intense?"

"I'll give you intense, freak!" Kanji snarled. He took two long steps forward and jumped, slamming his chair into the Shadow's "face."

And got sent flying by a gust of wind for his trouble. Souji grimaced, cursing his own inattention. Kanji's Persona has the same element as my first one. Of course it would have the same weakness, too.

No sense dwelling on it. Leaving Yukiko to aid the delinquent, Souji switched Personas. "Jack Frost, put her on ice!" As ice magic went, it wasn't spectacular, but it was enough to make the Shadow flinch.

Only to find he'd miscalculated again. "My turn!" the Shadow said, and launched a fireball directly into his face.

Damn! Souji fought the urge to claw at his eyes; it was worse than the time he'd gotten bacon grease in the face. Fortunately, it lasted a mere moment; Yukiko may have been busy, but Yosuke had some healing power as well, and a cool wave of Dia magic soothed the burning.

"Thanks, partner," Souji said. "Chie, you're the martial artist. Try for the head!"

"Already on it!" was the reply. Chie dodged a kick, bounced off the edge of the stage, and landed one of her own. This time, the retaliatory fireball was useless; Yukiko took Chie's place, her fire-adapted Persona shrugging off the flames.

Souji gave the pair a quick thumb's-up, before switching Personas again. As far as he knew, this one had no particular weaknesses, so the superpowered Shadow would have nothing to exploit. Theoretically, at least; counting on it, he knew, could easily get him killed.

Thus far the Shadow didn't seem to have any particular weaknesses, either, so he stuck to swordplay for the time being. How much it was actually doing was open to question; the Shadow didn't even flinch when he cut into its side. Try to backhand him across the chest, yes, flinch, no.

"My, my, you're persistent," the Shadow said. "Time to do something about that."

Strangely, though, it didn't actually strike out. It seemed to at first, but the odd pulse didn't cause them any harm. Which made Souji even more tense; when it came to Shadows, anything he didn't understand was lethal until proven otherwise. Especially the big Shadows.

"Analysis complete," the Shadow said. "Time for some payback!"

"Like hell!" Again it was Kanji who struck the first blow. Or tried to; his swing missed wide. Yosuke lunged forward with both knives out, but got the same result.

Chie took a flying leap, aiming a kick at its face. This, too, missed, leaving her to sprawl on the floor. "What the hell!?"

The Shadow laughed. "I can see everything about you!"

Its next move, when it came, was far from harmless. Souji grunted hoarsely at the hammerblow that struck him in the chest. Yosuke collapsed next to him; distantly, he heard Chie and Yukiko cry out in pain. Even Kanji was on his knees, his face twisted in a grimace. Only Teddie was unaffected, likely because he was too far away.

"Dammit!" Kanji snarled in frustration.

Chie was struggling to rise. "Why can't we even hit it now!?" She slipped, dropping to all fours.

Is this really the end? Though still calm on the outside, in his mind Souji railed against the injustice of it all. Had they really come so far, endured so much, only to fall here? Was everything they had accomplished so far meaningless? Were they going to die for nothing?

There was only one thing he could do. "Teddie, get out of here," he croaked. "You at least need to survive."

"What?" Teddie shifted from one foot to the other. "You . . . want me to run away?"

"Hurry!" Souji kept on eye on the big Shadow. "We won't last much longer; if you're still here, you'll be caught in the blast!"

The Shadow was laughing. "Here it comes! Goodbye, forever!"

Souji closed his eyes. So this is it. Mother, Father, Uncle Ryotaro, Nanako, Reika, I'm sorry. Goodbye.

The final blow never game.

"What's going on!? My feet are moving on their own!"

Souji blinked, focusing on the sight in front of him. Teddie was now between the Investigation Team and Rise's Shadow, looking at once scared out of his mind and determined.

"I-I feel like I'm going bear-serk!" Even in the face of mortal danger, Teddie couldn't help indulging in a pun. "Fine, I'll do it!" He braced himself, as though he was gathering power; for a wonder, he actually appeared to be glowing.

And if the Shadow's reaction was any indication, it was no bluff. "What's this high-energy reading!? Is it coming from that weird thing!?"

"Take a good look at Teddie's Last Stand!" With an incoherent roar, Teddie charged the Shadow.

A painfully bright flare lit the chamber, forcing Souji and his friends to shield their eyes. It felt like an eternity, but was really no more than thirty seconds, though it still dazzled their eyes. When it faded, the Shadow was back in its human form, quiescent and silent.

Teddie was on the floor, literally flat on his back but miraculously alive. Picking himself up, Souji edged closer to the now-two-dimensional bear. "Teddie, are you alright?"

"Sensei?" Teddie's eyes were bulging. "Is everyone okay?"

"More than okay," Yosuke assured him. "You just saved our lives, you crazy bear."

Teddie seemed to shudder with relief. "Neat! I don't want to be alone again."

With Teddie's safety assured, Souji looked back at the main reason they had come. Rise was slowly getting to her feet, dazed but from all appearances otherwise unhurt. Seemingly unaware of the others, she approached her Shadow, her gait stiff but sure.

She looked at Souji, then back at the Shadow. "Here, stand up." The Shadow obediently rose, and Rise nodded. "You were right. There is no 'real me,' not like that. What you said, that's part of me, too. You're part of me, and you always have been."

It was starting to take on the feeling of ritual. The Shadow nodded, and faded away, replaced by an antenna-faced Persona.

At which point Rise fell to her knees, Yosuke just barely catching her. "Hey, you're the guys who visited the shop," she said. "You came all the way here for me?"

"That's right," Souji said with a smile. "We've been investigating the strange events here in Inaba for the last couple of months, since Mayumi Yamano's death. My name's Souji Seta." He nodded at Yosuke. "Yosuke Hanamura, my trusted right hand. Over there are Chie Satonaka, Yukiko Amagi, and Kanji Tatsumi. The guy who looks like a mascot is Teddie, a denizen of this world. He's our rear support."

Rise managed a tired smile. "Heh, it's nice to meet you all."

Mission accomplished. Souji felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. It had been far closer than any of them liked, but they had prevailed once again. He would sleep well after that.

"There's . . . no real me?"

An ominous feeling descending on him, Souji stood and turned around. Teddie had gotten to his feet, his flat form seeming to waver. "Teddie, are you okay?"

"No, get back!" Rise was on her feet as well, supported by Yosuke and Chie. "There's something coming out of him!"

This can't be good. Souji picked up his katana, just as a disturbingly familiar form materialized behind Teddie. Though larger, it bore an eerie resemblance to their mysterious ally, but there was something indefinably off about it. Which in their experience meant only one thing.

A Shadow.

"Real me?" The words, and the mocking chuckle that followed, did sound like Teddie, but the voice was noticeably deeper. "Such foolishness."

"What the hell!?" Yosuke snapped.

Chie took an uneasy step back. "Is that another Teddie? Teddie's hidden thoughts?"

"I don't see what else it could be," Souji said, not daring to look away.

"There's more to it than that," Rise put in. "I felt something else intervene, a powerful presence."

No, that's not ominous at all. Unsurprising, unfortunately. The sapient Shadows they'd encountered thus far had been mocking, certainly, but not quite with that level of withering condescension.

Teddie, for his part, appeared oblivious. He was looking at the gathered humans with an expression that said, rather plainly, "What's up with you guys?" When he finally did turn around, he recoiled with such force that he very nearly toppled over.

"The truth is unattainable," the Shadow intoned. "It will always be shrouded in fog. Though you reach through the murk and gloom to grasp something, you have no way to know that it is the truth. In which case, why? What sense is there in yearning for the truth?" It didn't move, yet seemed to shake its head. "Close your eyes. Lie to yourself. Live in blissful ignorance. A much smarter way to exist."

Too cynical. Rise was clearly correct, though, this was no ordinary Shadow.

"What are you talking about!?" Teddie demanded. "I can't understand a word you're saying! You're just making it sound difficult because I'm not that smart! How rude; in case it wasn't obvious, I'm thinking as hard as I can!"

The Shadow was unimpressed. "It is those efforts I am calling useless. You are hollow. Empty." It ignored Teddie's flinch. "At your core, you know this. You just cannot accept it, so you seek an alternate form. A denial of your nature. If you have forgotten anything, it is this truth."

Teddie seemed to stagger. "That's . . . that's a lie. . . ."

The Shadow turned to regard the rest of the team. "It is the same for all of you. You suffer because of your search for the truth. This world is filled with thick, heavy fog. How can you find something when you don't even know what it is?"

Souji tightened his grip on his sword. "The truth exists; no one ever said finding it would be easy. The best things in life are usually hard." Cliche, but no less true for it.

The Shadow seemed incredulous at that. "And thus you invite more suffering upon yourselves. It is beyond my comprehension." It let out a low sigh. "Then I will grant you one truth: You will all die here. You sought the truth, only to find death."

"Don't think we're just going to roll over and die," Souji bit out, brandishing his sword. "We didn't come this far just to lose to you."

"How the hell are we supposed to fight it without Teddie!?" Yosuke demanded.

It was Rise who answered. "I'll help you out. I can take that bear's place."

"Are you crazy!?" Chie yelped. "You're still too tired!"

Rise shook her head. "It's okay, I can last that long." She wore a look of grim determination. "You guys helped me; now it's my turn to help you all!"

She's stronger than she looks. The thought was fleeting, though; the Shadow had most of his attention. It bore a closer resemblance to the "host" than previous Shadows had, but was larger than Teddie, and distorted in places. Like, and yet unlike.

"I am a Shadow, the true self," it intoned. "I will give you the truth you claim to hold so dear: the inescapable fact of your death here!"

Chie bounced from foot to foot, apparently unable to believe what she was seeing. "Was this thing really inside our Teddie?"

"Guess he was more messed up than he looked," Yosuke said. "We have to save him!"

"Fools!" the Shadow growled. "Accept your end with dignity and grace!"

Souji took a calming breath. "I'll accept my end when the time comes," he said, channeling his samurai ancestors. "But now isn't the time!"

And with that, the battle was joined. In some ways they were displaying an even greater ferocity than they had since rescuing Yukiko. There was no mystery as to why, of course; this time, it wasn't simply a rescue mission. This time they were protecting one of their own.

Shadow Teddie didn't appear very mobile, but Souji knew better than to underestimate it on that basis. It likely had powerful magic, its size gave it a reach advantage, and they were in a confined area, which limited their dodging options.

"Jiraiya, go!" Yosuke shouted. Souji felt himself suddenly grow lighter, and he smiled, knowing exactly what his friend had done. Yosuke's Persona was just as useful at support as direct combat.

It was enough of a boost for him to not only dodge a claw swipe, but use that claw as a springboard to deliver a vicious chop to the Shadow's head. It didn't cut as deeply as he would have liked, but his opponent clearly felt it. With a roar of pain and anger, Shadow Teddie knocked Souji backward, though the Persona enhancement was enough to allow him to land on his feet.

"Now, Tomoe!" Chie cried, unleashing a blast of ice on the Shadow. To her evident chagrin, it merely healed the wound Souji had inflicted. "Oops."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Chie," Souji said, narrowly dodging another claw swipe. "This fight has barely started; better that we learn now."

The martial artist nodded, her expression clearing. "You're right, thanks."

A cry of pain from Yukiko brought Souji's head around. She had been struck with a wave of ice far more powerful than Chie had yet been able to unleash, and had fallen to one knee. He could tell she was still alive, but she wouldn't be for long if she took another hit.

Of course. If ice heals that monster, then it shouldn't be surprising it can attack the same way. "Yosuke, Chie, help Yukiko. Kanji, with me. We're going to bring this thing down."

"Right with you, Senpai," Kanji said grimly.

Mentally switching to the ice-resistant Jack Frost, Souji brought his sword up to just below shoulder height and slashed at a diagonal. As he expected, Shadow Teddie tried to slice him in turn with its claws, but in truth the move was a feint, a distraction. Kanji, front and center, bashed the giant Shadow in the face, then summoned his Persona, adding a bolt of lightning for its trouble.

"Fools!" the Shadow said again. "You think to stop me that easily?" It knocked Kanji aside and raised one paw, which began glowing with energy.

"What? I have a bad feeling about this," Rise said, echoing Souji's own thoughts.

He briefly considered ordering an all-out attack while the Shadow was vulnerable, but decided against it. If that thing had pulled back entirely, that probably meant it was confident it could defeat any counterattack. Prudence, Souji thought, suggested they assume such confidence justified, and remain on the defensive for the moment.

A minute later, his decision was vindicated. With a peculiar roaring sound, Shadow Teddie swiped its paw across all of them, but since they had already braced themselves, they were only knocked around a bit. Now, Souji decided, it was time to make it pay.

Once again, Souji received a boost from Yosuke, allowing him to move faster than the Shadow could follow. Chie and Kanji flanked him, striking directly, while Yosuke and a recovered Yukiko added blasts of magic. This time, the Shadow had no chance to counter, and with a last grunt of effort, Souji drove his sword almost to the hilt in its midsection.

Shadow Teddie let out one last roar, and collapsed.

Ignoring the defeated Shadow for the moment, Souji knelt beside their ursine friend. "Teddie, are you okay?"

Still flat as a pancake, Teddie heaved himself upward. "I . . . I think so."

"Was that part of you, Teddie?" Yukiko asked quietly, looking back at the Shadow.

Chie followed her gaze. "So even Teddie had a hidden side. It never would have occurred to me."

Me, either, and it should have, Souji thought. They still had no idea what exactly Teddie was, but there was no denying he was an intelligent, sapient being. Hidden thoughts, especially after what he'd said about not knowing what he was, probably went without saying.

Teddie unsteadily approached his Shadow. "There's . . . no real me? I don't know if that's true, but I do know one thing. I'm here, and I'm not alone. Maybe . . . maybe someday I'll find the answer."

Unlike previous such encounters, the Shadow didn't actually move. Still, it metamorphosed into a Persona, albeit possibly the most bizarre one yet. Humanoid only in the vaguest sense, yellow-orange in color, and holding, if Souji's eyes weren't deceiving him, a cruise missile of all things.

"A Persona?" Chie whispered.

"Yes," Rise said, edging forward. "I can feel its power." She slowly sank to her knees again.

Souji mentally kicked himself. In the chaos of the second Shadow battle, he'd almost forgotten why they'd come in the first place. Rise had kept herself together for their sake, which said good things about her heart and strength of will, but she was obviously at her limit.

"Let's get her out of here," Chie said quietly. "Yukiko and I can take her home."

No Shadows got in their way during the return trip, which was just as well. After two major Shadow fight in quick succession, none of them were in any shape to deal with strays.

"We gotta head back," Kanji told the scorched-looking bear. "You gonna be okay on your own for a while?"

Teddie responded by flopping to the ground near the exit. "That's fine. I want to be alone for a while anyway." Improbably, he began doing sit-ups. "My fur is all scorched, and my nose hasn't been working too well, either. So I'm going to train hard, until I can really stand with you. Just wait for my big comeback!"

"Uh, Teddie?" Yosuke said, looking unsure if he believed his eyes.

Teddie let out a grunt. "Please, don't talk to me."

"He'll be fine," Souji said. "Come on, let's get Rise out of here." He held back as Chie and Yukiko took the idol through the exit to their world. "See you around, Teddie."

"Until then," the bear said. "Sensei, thanks for being here. You're one of a kind."

Souji allowed himself a smile. "Always glad to help."

Evening

There was no sign of Dojima for roughly the first hour after Souji got home. Not really a surprise, granted; Rise was out of danger, but the police likely still had mountains of paperwork to get through. Used to such things by then, he went about making dinner for Nanako and himself.

Nanako's head came up on hearing the door. "He's home!"

Something seemed off, though. An odd smell hung in the air, odd but familiar. It took Souji a moment to place it, but when he did, his eyes narrowed. Has Uncle Ryotaro been drinking?

"Whoa, easy there, Dojima-san!" Adachi said.

Souji heard a brief thump, followed by a sound of pain from his uncle. "Ow! Dammit, who built a shtep there!?"

Drunk as a skunk, sure enough. The question was why. Dojima had shown some signs of stress, granted, but nothing to drive him to drink, at least as far as Souji was aware. He hadn't complained overmuch, at least.

Adachi's response forced Souji to stifle a sudden urge to giggle. "That'd be the carpenters, sir. C'mon, up and at 'em."

Sure enough, thirty seconds later Tohru Adachi appeared in the hall, supporting a visibly-drunk Ryotaro Dojima. The younger detective had a definite long-suffering look on his face, and for once Souji couldn't blame him. Dojima clearly had had a few too many.

"I'm home, Nanako!" Dojima said, noticeably slurring.

Clearly nonplussed, Nanako managed a stammered, "Welcome back."

"Hi, Nanako-chan," Adachi said, offering the girl a tired smile. "Sorry to bug you, but could you get his futon ready? Thanks." Nanako nodded and disappeared up the stairs, while Adachi gently guided his boss over to the couch. Wiping his brow, he looked back at Souji. "Sorry about this. Guess he's had a few too many tonight."

Dojima let out a noise of drunken irritation. "How the hell else am I supposed to," he hiccuped, "deal with his BS? Damn fancy-talkin' kid. . . ."

Huh?

Adachi appeared to take pity. "The prefectural police are getting kinda impatient, so they've sent in a special investigator to help out. Thing is, he's just a kid! Maybe fifteen or sixteen. You've probably seen him around town; new faces stick out in a place like Inaba."

Souji rubbed his face. "About a head shorter than me, dark blue hair, dark blue jacket and cap?"

"That's him," Adachi said, nodding. "You've run into him?"

"A couple of times at the bookstore and Junes," Souji acknowledged. "We've had a chat here and there; he seems friendly enough."

It did go far to explain why the heretofore-nameless boy had been at Tatsumi Textiles, though. And why he'd been talking to Kanji. The teenage detective had, like Souji and his friends, anticipated that Kanji might be targeted, and likely knew what had happened with Yukiko. Very crafty, that one.

Well. Souji would just have to be craftier.

"Aw, he's just another brat," Dojima said. "Nothing he can do to help on a case like this." He yawned. "Just goes on and on about deductions and evidence and all that stuff." A hiccup. "Ace or no ace, what the hell dis the prefecture thinking, giving us some kid to babysit?"

He's going to have a massive headache in the morning.

"Anyway, the kid says as long as he can be of help solving a difficult case, he won't need any kind of reward," Adachi said. He grimaced. "You can imagine how the higher-ups took that one. Means we can't exactly turn him down."

As usual, Adachi had said too much. "Stop running your mouth, dammit," Dojima snapped, seeming to come out of his daze. Slightly. "It's your fault anyway, for that stupid peeping tom mess." His glare shifted to Souji. "And you can take some of the blame, too. Always wandering around whenever something happens. . . ."

Nanako, bless her heart, chose that moment to reappear. "His futon's ready."

Visibly relieved, Adachi helped Dojima stand. "Here we go, sir."

Souji and Nanako watched them go. The detective boy was an unexpected complication; while it was virtually impossible that he knew of the TV world, he still operated outside normal police procedure. Souji and his friends would have to watch their moves very carefully in the future.

Nanako of course knew nothing of this. "Sure does stink like sake in here," she said, grimacing.

"And how," Souji agreed. "Let's get things cleaned up and turn in. It's been a very long day." Longer than he dared admit even to his "little sister."

Thursday, 7 July, Afternoon

With another successful rescue under his belt, Souji slept reasonably well despite his uncle's drunken rebuke. School was up to that point uneventful, with Morooka almost tolerable for a change. Last class of the day was Hosoi, who despite his hand puppet was one of the more normal teachers at Yasogami. At least he didn't have a habit of belittling his students.

"Today's lecture is on a famous collection of Japanese poetry called the Man-yoshu," the bespectacled, mustachioed teacher was saying. "'Man' means 'ten thousand,' but that doesn't mean there are ten thousand poems in the collection. There are actually less than half that number. Our ancestors used that number to emphasize just how large the collection is."

Souji vaguely recalled reading something to that effect. It wasn't something he'd spent much time on; descendant of samurai or no, poetry had never really done much for him. He thought of himself as a more practical, down-to-earth sort. Though something about it was nagging at him, a half-remembered conversation with Reika.

"Now, let's read a passage—oh, wait," Hosoi cut himself off. "I just remembered today is the Tanabata festival. We'll study some poems from the Man-yoshu that relate to Tanabata." His eyes flickered over the class. "Hmm, since he's probably never seen a sky full of stars, let's pick on Souji-chan."

Suppressing a smile, Souji obediently stood. The "pick on" line didn't bother him; unlike Morooka's sniping, it was clearly meant in good fun.

"Who wrote the most poems about Tanabata?"

That was what Reika had been talking about. "Kakinomoto no Hitomaru," he replied, then added, "And I actually have seen a sky full of stars."

Hosoi laughed. "So I was too hard on you; sorry about that. Anyway, you're right; Kakinomoto no Hitomaru wrote a whopping 137 poems about Tanabata. Amazing, isn't it? He certainly was talented." He smiled wistfully. "Back then, Japanese people could relate their own lives to Tanabata, the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi. You guys have it good; the Japanese of those days weren't allowed to see each other even when they were dating."

That part Souji did remember, and it had always disgusted him. His parents, for all that they could be a bit too traditional for his liking (as with the abortive arrangement with Reika Sakamoto), had never even considered going that far. If anything they were the opposite, for which he was forever grateful.

After School

And this is why I'm never working in retail.

Not that he begrudged it. Yosuke had come begging for help practically the instant the final bell had rung. Junes, it seemed, was running some kind of a sale that day, and they were short on staff. Fortunately Souji wasn't involved in direct customer service, just restocking shelves in the grocery department. He made sure to call home, though, not wanting another lecture from his uncle.

"Thanks a million, Souji," Yosuke said an hour later. "They decided on that sale out of freakin' nowhere, and Dad was bugging me to find helpers. I told him I didn't have time, but I don't think he even heard me."

They were sitting at a table in the food court, nursing cold soda. "It's fine," Souji said. "Can't say I enjoyed it, but that's not your fault."

Yosuke chuckled. "You're always a stand-up guy." He looked past Souji, and his expression darkened slightly. "Here we go again."

Half-turning, Souji saw a pair of high-school girls approaching. He winced, recognizing them as the same duo who had given Yosuke grief previously.

Sure enough, they saw Yosuke and started complaining. "Hey, Hanamura, what's with the crowd?" one asked in a decidedly peevish tone. "If we'd known about it, we'd have skipped out."

Souji bristled at such blatant irresponsibility. Yosuke evidently agreed, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Please, don't. You got a bonus, didn't you?"

The girl snorted in disdain. "Yeah, all of five hundred yen. I'm trying to save up here. Come on, give me a raise!"

"I don't think I can really help you there," Yosuke said, looking suddenly drained.

The other girl rolled her eyes. "So what's the point?" She and her companion walked off to stand near the counter. "Man, at this rate my graduation trip will be somewhere in Japan. Maybe I should ask my parents to pay for it."

"Why don't you find a guy to do it?" her friend suggested.

The first laughed. "What, like Saki did?"

Her words weren't lost on Yosuke. He looked away, biting his lip in obvious distress. Souji glared at the two girls, highly irritated that they would bring up the deceased student in such a cavalier fashion.

"Was it last year that Saki eloped?"

\ "Yep," the other girl confirmed. "Some college guy showed up, and she went off with him, then came back alone about a month later. Said she'd pay for it herself."

The first blinked. "You mean she was dumped?"

"Who knows. She started working here to save up, though."

Thinking very dark thoughts indeed about the gossiping pair, Souji looked at his friend I concern. "They don't know," he said quietly.

"Yeah, you're right," Yosuke said. "It's not really getting to me. I'm just sad to hear her talked about like that. Senpai deserved better." He shook his head. "With our powers, we're the only ones who can avenge her. So there's really no reason to bother with outsiders."

Souji wasn't sure he quite agreed with that, given his drama and athletic pursuits, but he let it slide. It wasn't the time.

"I'm glad you came along," Yosuke said, half to himself. "I don't think I'd have made it this far otherwise." He sighed. "Still, it's really a pain. Not you; hell, I'm not really sure myself."

They chatted a while longer, carefully avoiding any further mention of Saki Konishi. Yosuke was still looking down by the end of it, but that was probably inevitable. Knowing he couldn't leave Nanako to wait much longer, Souji said his goodbyes and departed.

Saturday, 9 July, Evening

The last two days had been pouring rain. With no practice or drama club, Souji had spent his after-school hours fishing in the Samegawa. Actually caught a few, too, something that had even impressed his uncle. In the back of his mind, though, he was constantly aware that the fog would be settling in soon.

According to the weather forecast, this was the night. He didn't think he would see anything now that Rise was safe, but it was always possible they had overlooked something. Best not to take chances, he decided.

Near midnight, he stood by his window as usual. A glance outside confirmed what he had expected, fog was covering the town. He couldn't even see across the rather narrow street. In the back of his mind, he hoped his uncle wouldn't be driving that night.

A crackling sound drew Souji's attention back to his TV. Almost without realizing what he was doing, Souji held his breath.

Nothing. The Midnight Channel was blank. Once again, the mysterious kidnapper/murderer had been thwarted. Glancing back at the fog-shrouded street, Souji wondered just what their adversary was feeling. Was the culprit angry at being thwarted yet again, or amused at Souji and his friends dancing to his tune?

Perhaps Rise could shed some light on it.

Sunday, 10 July, Early Morning

He awoke to the distant sounds of ambulance and police sirens. Any remaining fatigue vanished, replaced with a vague but persistent feeling of unease. Souji dressed quickly, not wanting to miss any news. Whatever it was, it had to be important.

Sure enough, his cell phone beeped. "It's me," he said.

It was Chie. "D-Did you hear yet?" she stammered. "They found a dead body right outside the shopping district!"

Souji's blood ran cold. That's impossible. We got Rise out of there in time. Is this a coincidence? It's a small town. "Are you sure?" he asked when he was able to trust his voice.

"I only just found out myself," Chie said, her voice quavering. "It doesn't make any sense." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, we're all meeting at Junes. Get over here as soon as you can."

The call ended, Souji pocketed his phone. He was sure Rise was safe. Something, he knew, was very, very wrong.

Daytime

Chie, Yukiko, and Kanji were waiting for him when he arrived. "Anything new?" he asked without preamble.

"Yosuke went to check out the scene," Chie said. "He should be back soon."

Speak of the devil. Yosuke appeared at the back of the food court, moving at a rapid clip. He stumbled once, almost overturning a table, but recovered without further incident. "It's murder, all right," he said, gasping. "The body was hanging from an apartment's rooftop railing."

"Just like the others," Souji said, clenching a fist. "Any idea who it was?"

His face a rather unhealthy shade, Yosuke nodded. "Here's the kicker: the victim this time . . . it was King Moron."

Souji felt the blood drain from his face. "You're sure?" he said.

"Positive," Yosuke said. "I talked to someone who saw the body. There's no doubt about it. King Moron is dead."

Kanji looked like he'd been hit by a truck. "King Moron? You guys' homeroom teacher? That's crazy."

Souji's mind was racing. Morooka, he knew, had never appeared on the Midnight Channel. By rights, that should have ruled out anything to do with the other world. "Should," however, left a lot of wiggle room, and they still knew little about how that world actually worked.

"Are you kidding me?" Kanji said. "Isn't the killer hittin' people he's seen on TV? I ain't seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel or anywhere else."

Yosuke didn't seem to hear. "Why did this have to happen?" he wondered, mostly to himself.

"I thought we had it all figured out," Chie groaned. "And now this!?"

"Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with it," Yukiko murmured unhappily.

Souji shook his head. "It's too early to give up," he said. "Right now, all we know for sure is Morooka is dead. Until we find out more, there's no sense getting all worked up." The others visibly relaxed at that; Souji still occasionally marveled at the effect he often produced. "We'll talk to Teddie first; he should at least be able to give us a starting point."

It being a Sunday, one in which most people's attention was taken up by a murder, they expected the electronics department to be all but deserted. Instead, a surprise complication greeted them in the form of two Junes employees, a man and a woman, both looking to be in their early thirties.

"Huh?" Chie said, coming to a stop. "There's staff here?"

Yosuke frowned. "It's certainly unusual. I wonder what's going on." He approached the chatting pair. "Excuse me, is something up?"

The woman's face brightened. "Ah, Yosuke-kun. Did the manager tell you about this?"

"Huh?" Yosuke's face was blank. "I haven't heard anything lately."

"There's some kind of weird mascot here," the man said. "He's been hanging around for the last few hours. Is there some kind of campaign going on today?"

Souji felt himself go rigid. A mascot? Could it possibly be. . . ?

"Not that I've heard," Yosuke said. "What kind of mascot?"

"He said his name was, let me think." The woman frowned. "Terry, or was it Eddie?"

Yep. It's him. What on Earth is going on? First Sloth-face is murdered, now Teddie somehow finds his way into our world?

"Well, there aren't any customers around," the male employee said. "Guess I'd better get back to my station."

Yosuke covered his eyes with one hand. "No, please don't tell me. . . ."

Chie let out a loud gasp. "O-Over there! It's really him!"

There was no mistake. Next door in the furniture department, the cartoon bear known as Teddie was happily relaxing in a vibrating massage chair, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world. For a moment Souji's brain refused to process the sight; it simply wasn't possible for Teddie to have accessed the real world. It just didn't make sense.

"Ah, this really hits the spot," the bear sighed.

Yosuke seemed to be having trouble speaking. "You . . . how. . . ."

Teddie sniffed. "Took you guys long enough; I've been waiting for hours."

"But, are you okay on this side?" Yukiko asked.

"And how'd you get here in the first place?" Kanji put in before the bear could answer.

Teddie sniffed. "Of course I can get out; remember, there's an exit. It just never occurred to me to try it before." He shrugged. "But talking with you guys sparked my curiosity about this world. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but then my feet were moving before I could stop myself."

"Just like against Rise's Shadow," Souji noted. "That part worked out well enough." He snapped his fingers. "By the way, was anyone on your side over the last few nights. We didn't see anyone on the Midnight Channel, but they've found another dead body, just this morning."

Teddie winced, but shook his head. "I stayed until the fog settled back in, but no one came. Rise-chan's safe, right?"

"As far as we know, yeah," Yosuke said. "You're sure no one came in?"

"That's what I just said," Teddie replied, sounding slightly miffed. "I was all by myself, like always!" He let out a genuine harrumph.

Yosuke wasn't satisfied. "And your nose wasn't clogged or anything?"

Teddie growled in irritated frustration. "Aren't you listening!? I was utterly, totally, and one hundred percent alone! That's why I came over here in the first place!" He sighed, seeming to deflate a little. "But, I guess I can't really blame you if you don't believe me. My senses haven't been working as well lately."

"It's true the Midnight Channel was blank last night, like Souji said," Chie murmured. "And even before that, Teddie says no one was in there. So King Moron wasn't thrown in?"

"Okay, enough about that," Teddie said, sliding off the chair. "I want to go see Rise-chan." He produced a pair of glasses. "These are for her," he said, placing them in Souji's hand. "She'll probably be backing us up from now on, so I'm moving to the front line."

Souji blinked, slightly taken aback. "You sure about that, Teddie?"

"Don't think of me as the same cute little Teddie," the bear said, looking fierce. "I'm an all-new model! I have a powerful attack, an unbeatable defense, and a winning smile!" He struck a pose. "Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!"

Hmm, it's true Teddie's Persona looks more combat-oriented, and we need all the help we can get. And he did save us from Rise's Shadow.

Yukiko, predictably, completely missed the point. "Wow, a new legend?" she said, jaw dropping slightly.

"We're drawing a crowd," Yosuke said, glancing around uneasily. "Let's go somewhere else. And keep it down, willya, Ted?"

They reconvened back at the food court, which suited Souji just fine, since he'd not had time to eat breakfast. He contented himself with a fish sandwich, Chie as usual ordered steak, while Yukiko, Yosuke, and Kanji all opted for ramen. It was likely they would need their strength.

"Okay, one more time," Yosuke said. "You're sure there was no one in the other world."

Teddie nodded. "That's what I've been saying."

"And King Moron never appeared on the Midnight Channel," Chie said.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Kanji put in.

Souji took a long gulp of his drink before replying. "It's pretty clear by now that he wasn't thrown into the TV. Now, even with Teddie's help we don't really know much about that world." He scrubbed his face with a napkin. "We can't take our next step until there's more information on this latest murder."

"Why would he be killed on this side, though?" Chie wondered.

Yukiko's head came up. "Maybe he couldn't." All eyes turned to her. "Maybe the culprit thought the TV method wouldn't work anymore. After all, we've thwarted three attempts in a row."

Kanji gave a grim nod of agreement. "So they snuffed someone on this side just to make sure it worked. Bastard." He clenched a fist. "If that's true, we don't have any way of stopping him unless we catch him in the act."

"For that, we need more information," Souji said, standing. "There's a good chance Rise Kujikawa is up and around by now; maybe she'll have some insight." The others nodded agreement.

It would be best, he decided, if they not go right away. Given Rise's celebrity status, it would be too easy to arouse suspicion, especially after the incident with the peeping tom. Which would in turn irritate his uncle.

"Ugh, it's hot," Teddie said. "I'm taking this off."

What!? Forcing himself not to visibly react, Souji glanced over the food court. Sure enough, there were kids just one table away.

"Dude, you're not talking about your head are you?" Yosuke said, eying the bear uneasily. He got a solid grip before Teddie could move. "Are you crazy!? There's kids watching! They'll be scarred for life if they see an empty mascot running around. Think a little, willya?"

"Still, I'm glad you're back to normal," Yukiko said. "Your fur's nice and soft and everything."

Kanji brightened. "Can I feel it?"

"No!" Teddie ignored him after that. "Actually, I'm no longer a hollow bear!" He let out an almost evil laugh. "I trained and trained, hoping to score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan, and now I finally have an inside."

Souji couldn't stop the facepalm that came after the "scoring" line. Nor did he blame Chie and Yukiko for shooting equally murderous glares at Teddie. He should keep in mind Yukiko isn't just a healer. Push her too far, and you'll burn. Literally.

Yosuke merely sighed, perhaps grateful that he wasn't the one on the receiving end of Chie's wrath for a change. "Dude, you're hollow. Taking off your head isn't going to cool you off."

"I just told you, I'm not hollow!" Teddie shot back. "Ugh, I can't take this anymore." He reached for the zipper at his neck.

Souji instinctively got between Teddie and the kids at the next table over. Even he wasn't looking forward to the sight of an empty costume that nevertheless moved and spoke, and he'd seen it before. He felt his mouth go dry as the mascot's head came off.

And then his jaw dropped. Teddie was indeed no longer hollow; the "inside" now had what looked like a genuine human body. The human Teddie still looked out of place, blond hair and blue eyes being rather less than common in Japan, but he could easily have passed as a visitor from Europe or America.

Teddie grinned. "Hello, Chie-chan, Yuki-chan."

This is not possible. I'm hallucinating. There is no way I can be seeing what I'm seeing.

"T-Teddie?" Chie stammered.

Human(?) Teddie hesitated. "Um, is there anything I can wear? I'm practically like a newborn right now."

I really, really did not need to know that!

"Then don't take the bottom part off!" Chie said hastily. "Come on, we'll find you something." She and Yukiko led Teddie off, presumably to the clothing department.

The boys stared after them, united in utter befuddlement. It said something about how bizarre their lives had become that they were able to accept what had happened at all. It was no more strange than jumping into a TV to battle manifestations of the human subconscious.

"Was that . . . really Teddie?" Kanji asked.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Souji said. "It was him, though; he might look different, but the way he talks is unmistakable."

Yosuke shrugged helplessly. "Well, it's hardly the most bizarre thing we've seen lately."

"You got that right," Kanji said fervently.

They stopped for frozen dessert on the way to Marukyu. Kanji's idea, as it happened; he turned out to have a minor addiction to Topsicles, probably kept secret to avoid hurting his "tough guy" image. Not that Souji minded; he was fond of the confection himself.

"Mm-mm, it's finally the season for Topsicles again!" Kanji enthused. He was already on his second.

Yosuke sighed. "Dude, slow down already. You trying to give yourself a stomach ache?"

"What's it to you?" Kanji countered.

His question would remain forever unanswered, for Chie and Yukiko chose that moment to return. They looked somewhat out of breath, which somehow did not come as a surprise.

"What kept you?" Yosuke asked. "Seriously, it shouldn't have taken that long."

If either girl answered, Souji didn't hear. Teddie finally came into view, dressed in a decidedly expensive-looking outfit. Pristine white shirt (ruffled, no less) with a corsage pinned to it, dark blue pants, black shoes, he looked more like a wealthy European than anything else.

"How do I look?" Teddie asked with a grin.

Why not. "C'est magnifique," Souji said, fighting a sudden urge to laugh at the look on Yosuke's face.

Chie groaned. "Please, don't encourage him. He went completely nuts in the clothing department; I've never seen anything like it, and I really hope I never do again."

Yosuke had a very definite "Is this really happening?" look on his face, but played along anyway. "Okay." He fished a thousand-yen note out of his pocket and handed it to Kanji. "Here, grab an ice cream or something and share it with Ted. We're going to the tofu shop."

"Wow, you're rich!" Teddie exclaimed, seemingly out of the blue.

I have a bad feeling about this, Souji thought, looking from Teddie to the girls and back.

"Think of it as a welcome-back party for Teddie. Just don't make a big fuss about it," Yosuke told a hesitant Kanji.

Chie's eyebrows went up. "Wow, you're actually acting like a real senpai, Yosuke. What's got into you?" She grinned. "Oh, I get it. You might not say it, but you're really nice to Teddie. I'm glad to see it; you're maturing into a real adult, someone who doesn't sweat the small stuff."

Yosuke looked at her oddly. "Say what? You're worrying me, Chie."

I'll second that.

"Oh, it's just about Teddie's clothes," Chie said, waving a hand as though it didn't matter. "We didn't have enough money for all of it, so we charged the rest to you."

Souji took a quick step back as Yosuke's face instantly turned an alarming shade of red. Not that he blamed his partner, exactly, as there was no question Chie and Yukiko had crossed the line. He still didn't want to be in the blast radius.

"WHAT!?" Yosuke shouted. "What the hell were you thinking!? I never said you could put it on my account!"

Chie wasn't back down. Unfortunately. "Yeah, well, what else were we supposed to do!?" she shot back. "That stuff is expensive as hell even for Junes!"

"You seriously charged it to me?" Yosuke's voice was low and dangerous. Then it rose again. "Why would you do that!? You know I've been saving up for a motorcycle!"

Chie actually appeared taken aback. "Oh, that. You don't need one."

Wrong thing to say, Chie, Souji thought, taking another step back. Really, really wrong thing to say!

"Come on, don't fight over me," Teddie said in a weak attempt at placation.

And you're not helping.

"Shut up!" Yosuke snarled. "This is your fault, too. If you get one single tear in those, I'm taking it out on your hide!"

Seeing Kanji and Teddie depart after that, Souji caught Yukiko's eye and nodded in the direction of Marukyu. Evidently reaching the same conclusion, she obediently followed. Yosuke and Chie didn't even seem to notice; they were obviously going to be at it for a while longer.

Fortunately, there wasn't a crowd waiting for them at Marukyu; either the novelty of Rise's appearance had worn off, or it was simply too hot for most spectators to bother with. Souji suspected a combination of the two.

"Ah, I had a feeling you'd come." A short, slim figure was just emerging from Marukyu. "I suppose you're here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa."

It was the same boy Souji had encountered before. He'd dropped the jacket, probably due to the heat, choosing a light blue-green t-shirt instead. The cap, pants, and dark blue hair, though, were unmistakable. Knowing now that the unnamed boy was working with the police, Souji was instantly on his guard.

Footsteps accompanied by grumbling forestalled his reply. "Dammit, why'd the clerk let them charge it to someone else, anyway?" Yosuke muttered. He spotted the boy and stopped dead. "H-Hey, you're the guy we saw with Kanji."

A nod. "Indeed. I don't believe we've met since then; save for Seta-san," he amended with a courteous nod at Souji. "In fact, I don't believe I've introduced myself. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here."

Explains why Uncle Ryotaro was drunk the other night.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," Naoto said. "This Kinshiro Morooka, he was a teacher at your school, correct?"

"He was," Souji conceded, wondering what he was getting at. "Our homeroom teacher, in fact."

Naoto nodded. "The public is focused on the fact that he taught at the same school the second victim attended, but that is in fact irrelevant. What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka," he paused, "has never appeared on television."

Souji kept his face still, once again blessing the self-control he'd been forced to learn. He studied Naoto's ace, looking for clues and finding none. His eyes slipped slightly lower, to the younger boy's open collar. Wait a second.

"What do you make of that?"

"Why do you think we would make anything of it?" Souji countered. "We're high school students, remember?"

Naoto smiled slightly, as though acknowledging Souji's parry. "I suppose we'll leave it at that." He casually walked past them. "I would like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I'll be keeping an eye on you all. Until we meet again."

Souji forced himself not to watch the young detective go. Just great. Bad enough to have to watch my step around Uncle Ryotaro. Now I'll have a private detective dogging my every move.

"Who is that guy, anyway?" Yosuke wondered.

"Private detective," Souji said. "My uncle was complaining about him the other night."

Yosuke snorted. "Can't blame him after an interrogation like that. Kid's a real piece of work."

"Tell me about it," Chie agreed, shivering despite the heat. "It was like he completely saw through us. He even knew about the connection to the TV."

"I doubt he knows about the Midnight Channel, though," Souji pointed out. "A private detective isn't likely to be chasing urban legends. Remember, none of us believed it until we experienced it firsthand." Movement caught his eye. There she is.

Rise Kujikawa stood a few paces away. Clad in a light orange tank top and white shorts, she was a far cry from the exhausted girl they'd met not long before. She still looked different from her "public" self, but there was a light in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Rise-chan!" Yukiko said, smiling brightly. "Are you feeling better?"

Rise nodded. "Did you come to check up on me?"

"Of course," Yosuke said. "We're glad to see you up and around."

"Really? Thanks." Rise bit her lip. "Um, could you guys come with me for a bit? There's something I want to talk to you about." She jerked her head briefly at Marukyu. "My grandmother's watching the store right now, so I've got some free time."

Souji waved a hand. "Sure. Lead on."

The idol's chosen meeting spot was one of Souji's familiar haunts, Tatsuhime shrine. There was no sign of the fox, likely because it was unfamiliar with Rise. For once, though, its run-down state was a blessing; Rise clearly wanted to keep this discussion private.

Rise chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I remember being at my house," she said, a distant look in her eyes. "I'm not sure what happened then; maybe I passed out. When I came to, I was already in the other world."

Chie sagged. "So we still have no real info. Damn, this is frustrating."

"We know we're not the only ones looking into it," Yosuke pointed out. He looked back at Rise. "We met this weird kid named Naoto a few minutes ago."

Rise shrugged. "He's come to the shop a few times. Asked me a lot about the incident, but I didn't say anything about the other world; no way he would've believed something that crazy. Come to think of it, he asked about you guys, too, but I just made some stuff up."

"Hopefully that's the end of it," Souji murmured. At Rise's questioning look, he grimaced. "One of the detectives on the case is my uncle, so this could make dinner a bit awkward."

"Here's hoping I threw him off the scent, then," Rise said with a small grin. "Anyway, I told them you guys found me unconscious on the roof at Junes."

Yosuke chuckled. "Close enough. Helps that I work there."

Rise shifted from foot to foot. "Um, anyway, I appreciate everything you've done for me." In an instant her demeanor changed; she was actually jumping in excitement. "Thank you so much! I love you guys!"

And there was the Rise Kujikawa beloved of teenage viewers (especially male teenage viewers) all over Japan. Gone was the exhaustion that had characterized her since her arrival in Inaba. She was smiling broadly, eyes full of light and life. At that moment, even Souji understood why so many of his peers pined for her.

Case in point, Yosuke was looking starstruck. "Man, it's really coming through now. You're really Risette."

Rise shrugged. "Well, I know I sounded all gloomy when we first met, so I thought you wouldn't like me like that. Do I sound weird?"

"Just be yourself," Souji told her, glancing briefly at Yosuke. "Whatever feels best for you."

"Thanks," Rise said. "All that time in showbiz has made me lose track of what the 'real' me is supposed to be like." Her smile was on the rueful side. "I'm glad you're the first people I got to know in Inaba."

Souji smiled. "That reminds me, we have something for you." He withdrew the "Teddie Glasses" (as Chie had dubbed them) from his pocket. "It's your choice."

Rise looked at the eyewear contemplatively. "Senpai, would you be struggling without my help? In that world?"

"Possibly," Souji allowed. "Teddie tries, but he's been falling behind lately. Not his fault."

"And I could help you. With this power." She met his gaze. "So wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?"

Souji merely nodded, passing the glasses over.

"You could say those are proof that you're one of us," Yosuke said. "We use them to see through the fog in there."

Rise nodded slowly. "I remember you guys all wearing these. Seemed kinda weird then, but it makes sense now." She grinned. "Thanks, Senpai. Now I'm part of the team, too!" After a moment of bubbling excitement, she calmed a little. "Starting tomorrow I'll be going to Yasogami. I don't have any friends yet, so please don't ignore me, okay?"

"You're hard to ignore," Souji answered with a wry smile. "Our social standing might take a bit of a hit, hanging out with a celebrity, but," he glanced at his friends, "I don't think it will bother us very much."

Yosuke groaned under his breath. "Pretty rough time for a transfer, though. The kidnappings, King Moron's murder, and exams are coming up, too. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll be canceled."

"Don't hold your breath," Chie said. "Exams are always on time, rain or shine."

"Chie's right," Souji said. "I took my last middle school exam in a typhoon."

The others stared at him as though he'd grown an extra head. He didn't blame them; his claim was rather outlandish. "You're joking," Yosuke said.

Souji laughed. "Not at all. Wasn't a bad one, but it was still a typhoon. I thought the faculty were out of their collective mind."

"I'm with Senpai," Rise said. "I almost got killed by those monsters; exams are nothing compared to that."

Souji nodded to the shrine gate. "We can discuss it more tomorrow after school. For now," he broke off, seeing Kanji approach.

"Yo," the delinquent said. "Teddie ate five Topsicles. I still beat him though; managed to get six down."

"No one asked," Yosuke said, rolling his eyes. "Where is he, anyway?"

Kanji shrugged. "By the shop, finishing his fifth Topsicle. What are we gonna do with him, anyway?"

An excellent question, one Souji wished he'd considered before. To be sure, the raw shock at seeing Teddie in their world in the first place had a way of derailing things, to say nothing of Kinshiro Morooka's death and settling things with Rise.

Yosuke sighed. "Guess I'll take him home."

Better you than me, partner. Not that Souji disliked Teddie, the puns and perversity aside, but his uncle would likely be less than amused if he'd shown up with the ersatz bear in tow. Better Teddie stay with someone less at risk of attracting official notice.

He felt rather than saw Rise sidle up to him. "Let's go, Senpai."

Kanji blinked. "Uh, when did you get so chipper?"

His only response was a snort of laughter from Yukiko.

Souji drifted away from his friends an hour or so later. With everything that had happened within the last twenty-four hours, he felt the need to clear his head, something difficult to do with his teammates. Not that he faulted them at all, but between Yukiko's laughter and Chie's generally high energy level, sometimes it could be difficult to think.

The bookstore, he decided, was a good place to start, with perhaps a trip to the riverbank afterward. As was often the case since his arrival in Inaba, though, he got rather more than he bargained for.

"Ah, I should have expected to see you here," Naoto Shirogane said, tucking a small book away. "It's one of your favorite haunts, after all."

"I could say the same for you," Souji said, carefully keeping his face immobile.

"True," Naoto acknowledged. "A good book is one of my few pleasures right now. This place has a larger selection than I would expect in such an out-of-the-way town."

Souji nodded, studying a shelf that had caught his eye. "They do special orders, too."

"Indeed. I'll have to remember that." Naoto bowed slightly to the cashier. "I must admit, you are a very . . . interesting person, Seta-san."

He grunted softly. "I guess it's an honor to catch the attention of the Detective Prince," he said, looking at the other sidelong. He paused. "Or is it Princess?"

Author's note: Whew! Bit faster than I have been lately, though not by much. Helps that I've been looking forward to this one. To anticipate one question, yes, there's a specific way Souji was able to spot Naoto's real gender; that will be addressed in the next chapter. This makes it somewhat AU, granted, but I wanted to compensate a little for the fact that Naoto joins so late. Hopefully it worked as intended.

Until next time. ~D.S.