A/N: Another chapter, and this time we finally see Yukiko's shadow on TV. Ah, but we may notice that Yui hides a little something that comes from her past... well, you'll discover what it is in time. For now, we'll dive into Yukiko's Castle!

Again, don't hesitate to review!

It was a cloudy day as Yu walked to school from home. He looked much better than he did yesterday, fully rested and mostly healed from his wounds. He did wonder again if his theory last night was actually accurate – it could be because he's a Persona user now that he could heal fast… but he'll never know the exact answer.

He was broken out of his thoughts at the sound of a constant squeaking growing closer, so he turned around to see Yosuke on his bike. "Yo! You're looking much better already, Yu," he greeted him as he stopped his bike right in front of the smaller boy.

"That, I am." Yu nodded once.

"Well, you saw what was on last night, right? I couldn't tell who it was, but if someone's shown on TV, we can't ignore it. Let's go check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell us something."

"Sure, we can do that."

"…If it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all this. Even if it is something about that place that's killing the victims… if someone's using that world as a weapon, that's unforgivable." Yosuke then fisted the air, a strong look of determination in his eyes. "We need to find the culprit… no matter what it takes! There's no way the police can do it… who'd believe that the murderer kills people by throwing them into the TV?"

"It has to be us to save them." Yu smiled at him. It was nice to see the brunet all perked up after yesterday's events. Yosuke smiled back, looking great. "Hehe… cool. It's reassuring to hear someone else say it."

Yosuke then scratched his head. "You know, I tried sticking my head inside the TV last night, the way you did, and it actually worked."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah… I think I can do that now because I have the same power… Persona, wasn't it? Could be that we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve this case. Then again, you managed to go inside the TV and get your Persona first… I feel like, as long as you're with me, I can find the culprit and crack this case." Yosuke grinned. "…Well, let's do our best!"

He held a hand out to Yu, who took it in his. This was the start of a great friendship…

As Yu formed a bond with Yosuke, he felt the power in his heart strengthening. His thoughts went to Igor's words.

"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart… And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."

Yu wondered if that old man was talking about this bond of friendship with Yosuke that he had just formed.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Chie ran into the class shortly after Yu and Yosuke arrived, looking very upset.

"Uh… Chie!" Yosuke started off, a little awkward. "Um… about yesterday… we're sorry we worried you…" he apologized, sincere with his words. However, it seems that this wasn't what Chie was upset about. "Oh - never mind that. Is Yukiko still not here?" she asked worriedly.

"Huh? Y-Yukiko-san? Uh… no…? At least, I haven't seen her today."

"Oh man… What should I do…? Hey, is that stuff you were talking about for real? You know… all that about how people showing up on the Midnight Channel is related to that other world."

"Oh, we were just talking about that. We're thinking of checking it out later-"

"The person on TV yesterday… I think it was Yukiko," Chie told them with a solemn expression. "That kimono looks like the one she wears at the inn, a-and she wore it during the interview a few days ago too. I got worried, so I emailed her last night, but she hasn't responded… I called her earlier in the evening, though, and she said she'd be at school today… I-I…"

Yukiko… she can't already be in that world…? Yu just saw her yesterday, all fine and well… and wearing that kimono.

"Calm down. We get the picture. And you still haven't heard from her?" Yosuke asked her. Chie could only nod. "N-no…"

"Well… the Midnight Channel shows people that have been thrown into the TV. It's why we saw Saki on it when she went missing. It's the worst case possible, but… Yukiko might've been thrown into that world, Chie," Yu said, summing up the information he and Yosuke gained in the other world for her.

"What's that supposed to mean…? Wait, are you saying… Yukiko was thrown in there!?"

"We don't know yet for sure. We should check to see if she's safe first. Give her another call," Yosuke suggested to her. Chie nodded and took out her phone, trying to call her best friend… to no answer. She held her phone to her chest as her worry only grew. "No good… her voicemail picked up… she's not answering…"

"Are you serious…? Then is Yukiko-san inside that place…?"

"Jus-s-stop it! Something must've come up, like an errand or something… oh, or she might be helping at the inn… she wouldn't be able to answer her cell if that's it…"

"Yeah, but would she skip school for that?"

"W-Well, I'll give the inn a call… umm… I've got the number here somewhere…" Chie hastily dialled up the inn's number before putting her phone to her ear again, waiting for an answer. "C'mon, Yukiko… pick up…"

…And thankfully, someone picked up the call.

"Oh, is this Yukiko!?" Chie listened to the person on the other end, then her eyes widened. "…Thank god, she's there!" She continued to listen. "Uh-huh… uh-huh, I see… hm? Oh. Nah, it was nothing. I'll email you again later…" She then ended the call, sighing in relief. "She was over at the inn. She said they had a big group reservation and she had to help out. Yeah… now that I think about it, this has happened before, too. At least once a year. She said she'll be at the inn tomorrow, too."

Stepping closer to Yosuke, she looked crossly at him. "Oh, for crying out loud, Yosuke! You got me worried over nothing! She was totally fine! And you were all 'Is Yukiko-san inside that place…?' Hmph…"

"S-Sorry…" Yosuke apologized again. "But there is a reason we thought that."

"Oh yeah…? What?"

Yosuke had a pretty good way to settle all of it. "Well… we thought people show up on the Midnight Channel because they're already over in that world. I mean, it makes sense, right? People show up on the TV because they're inside the TV… but Yukiko-san's still here, in our world. We might want to see what this is about. Alright, let's meet up at Junes after school."

Teddie would be able to tell them if something was going on in the TV world.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

At Junes' electronics department…

Yu tried to explain to Chie in detail again about what happened last night. He also talked about what happened with Yosuke in that world, with meeting the brunet's Shadow and him gaining his Persona after the silver-haired boy defeated it.

Yosuke was getting a little embarrassed about it. "O-Okay, I think that's more than enough about my sorry escapades."

"If I hadn't seen the place first hand… I'd never have believed a story like that," Chie admitted.

"Yeah, no kidding. Anyways, we need to know what's going on inside—" Yosuke paused as he glanced at the couple nearby who were chatting together. He can't just talk like that so loudly… "Wh-how? By talking to that Teddie guy?" Chie asked, confused.

"Yeah. Too bad there's so many customers around… I forgot there's a sale in the electronics department today…" The boy with headphones mused over it for a moment when an idea came to him. "I got it! C'mere a sec." He beckoned Yu closer. "Try sticking your hand in and calling him over. I bet that bear's wandering around the entrance anyway. Hey Chie, stand over here. Make a wall with me."

"A wall?"

So Yosuke stood on one end while Chie stood at the other end, blocking the view of Yu. The silver-haired boy then stuck his hand in the TV, attempting to beckon Teddie over… then he let out a small gasp as something bit him, quickly pulling his hand out and holding it close to him. "Ah!" That hurt… he tried to rub his hand to numb the pain down.

"Wh-What's wrong!?" Yosuke went over to him with Chie in worry. "Shhh! Not so loud, you idiot!" she whispered before taking a look at Yu's hand that had deep bite marks on it. "D-Dude, is that a bite mark!? Are you okay!?"

Yu was grimacing at the pain, but nonetheless was okay. "…I'll be all right."

Chie wasn't too convinced but she'll take it. "Wow, that looks like it hurts… sheesh, that stupid bear must've done it." She glared at the TV. "Hey, you! We know you're in there!"

A voice began to speak from it. "Ooh ooh, is this a game?" It was Teddie alright, though his voice was a little garbled. "No, it's not a game! Can you sense anyone inside there right now?" Yosuke told him before asking.

"Who's 'anyone'? I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land feels so bear-ren…"

…Yu would've honestly cringed at that pun. He hoped it wasn't going to be something that Teddie was going to do, but his hopes have always been brought down in some way or another in the past. He's not going to count on his luck.

Either way, they'll need to watch the Midnight Channel again to see if it'll be the same as before.

"Shut it! So there's no one inside…? You're sure?" Chie asked this time, wanting some confirmation. "I-I'm not lying! My nose is running as good as ever!" Teddie answered quickly.

"…I'm gonna go warn Yukiko anyway. Since she'll be busy this weekend helping out at the inn, I doubt she'd go anywhere alone, but still…"

"Yeah… you'll walk with her to school on Monday, right?" Yosuke then asked her.

"Sure, I'll go pick her up at her house."

"Maybe we'll find out more on tonight's Midnight Channel. Cross your fingers that this is all just a misunderstanding…" The brunet looked at his silver-haired friend. "What's your cell number? I'll call you when I watch it tonight."

"Okay, it's this…" Yu then exchanged cell numbers with him.

"…Alright, don't forget to watch tonight."

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

That night…

Yui waited for midnight to strike, feeling like there was something bad that she was going to see on the television. Looking up at the clock, she saw that it was now a few seconds to midnight. "…Let's see if she's on it…" she murmured to herself as she got up, approaching the TV.

Once the clock was about to strike twelve, the TV suddenly came to life, this time its image as clear as day.

It was Yukiko, for sure… but she was dressed in a very pink dress. Yui realised that this was very off.

'Yukiko' smiled at the screen and greeted the 'audience'. The camera angles even changed, as if this was some kind of live recording session. "Good evening! Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a big surprise… I'm gonna go score myself a hot stud! Welcome to 'Not a Dream, Not a Hoax, Princess Yukiko's Hunt For Her Prince Charming', and I came prepared!"

Yui grimaced as 'Yukiko' suddenly pressed against her dress, where her thighs should be. "I've got my lacy unmentionables on…" And then the camera showed 'Yukiko's' breasts that were accentuated by her dress. "…decked from top to bottom!"

After that, the camera focused back on the black-haired girl's face. "I'm out to catch a whole harem, and the best of the lot is gonna be all mine! Well, here I go…!" 'Yukiko' then went towards what was now a huge castle with an entrance that had the same black and red alternating portal…

The Midnight Channel ended there, leaving Yui uncomfortably silent. "…Uh."

Even this was uncomfortable for a girl like her… but there was no doubt it was Yukiko on the Midnight Channel. At least.

The sound of her phone ringing broke her out of her stupor, so she quickly answered it in a lower voice. "Yes?"

It was Yosuke. "H-hey, did you see that?! That was Yukiko-san for sure! It looked like her, and I mean, she even said her name! But didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird!? And she looked like she was on some low-budget TV show… was it like this before, too? What's going on…?"

"Calm down, Yosuke. Try to contact Chie – she should know Yukiko's number."

"Y-you're right! I'll do that quickly. Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes first thing in the morning!"

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Yui ended the call there and fell silent for a moment. She'll have to meet Yosuke the next day… well, she better go to sleep early. But even she is wondering what is actually happening… she hoped that Yukiko really wasn't in the TV yet, but what she just saw is easily breaking that thought.

If she really is in there… Yui hoped that Yosuke and her could get to Yukiko in time.

The next morning, Yu went downstairs while fully dressed in his casual clothes. He was about to leave when he saw Nanako sitting at the living room all alone again. "Nanako?"

"Oh, good morning." Nanako looked up at him.

"…You're up early today."

"He woke up early, so I woke up with him. He said he's gonna be late."

Now Yu felt a little guilty leaving his cousin alone. If he left Nanako would be lonely all day, but he also had important business with Yosuke concerning the life and death of Chie's best friend…

"Are you going somewhere?" Nanako asked, which brought him to his senses. He was about to answer when she told him that she'll be fine by herself. She then turned on the TV, which showed a weather forecast saying that this weekend will be perfect for going out before continuing with next week's forecast.

"Oh, the sun's gonna come out. I should do some laundry." The little girl got up… then looked at her cousin. "Uh… weren't you going somewhere?"

Yu blinked once. "…Y-yes. I'll be going out now, Nanako."

Nanako nodded and went to do some housework, leaving the silver-haired boy to leave quietly and head for the food court at Junes.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

At the food court, Yu waited at one of the tables as Yosuke had asked him to, saying about he had something to take out from storage.

He soon spotted the brunet approaching him with his hands behind his back.

"Sorry for the hold up. I found some stuff we can use in the closet at home…" Yosuke told him… then revealed what he was hiding behind his back. "Take a look at these!"

He opened up his arms to show two kinds of blades in his hands, one being a katana and the other being an aikuchi. He ended up getting attention from people nearby at the sight of the dangerous weapons, though he remained unaware as he continued to talk to Yu. "We've got our Personas, but a golf club's not that reliable of a weapon. So, which one strikes your fancy?"

Yu smiled, not hesitating to answer. "The katana."

Then a pang of guilt grew his chest. Wait, why did he… damn it. He thought he had totally removed that part of his life from him already… and he didn't even hesitate a moment to answer for the one weapon he had used before in his younger years.

"Ahh, you've got discerning taste. This is a Junes exclusive. The blade's fake, though… as for me… wait, maybe both would be good, too." Yosuke didn't notice his friend's sudden drop of mood and began to do some moves with both blades. "K-Kinda like this!? Or like this!? What about this!?"

…It attracted unwanted attention, to say the least.

A patrolman had noticed the brunet's actions and began to talk to a walkie-talkie. "Two suspicious young males found, one armed with multiple weapons. Requesting immediate backup."

Yosuke noticed the man and began to panic. So did Yu, who snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing the report and seeing the patrolman run towards them.

"Huh…? Ohh crap, I mean… no… no no no no, this isn't what it looks like. We didn't steal it… uh, I guess that's not what matters… a-anyways, we're not doing anything bad! We're just two ordinary kids who like weapons and… ugh, that doesn't sound right either. Ahaha…" Yosuke tried so hard to explain but it just got worse and worse.

"Put the weapons down now! We'll listen to your story at the station. Hands where I can see them, too! I said now!" The patrolman ordered them. "B-but… this isn't…!" Yosuke totally panicked and held his hands out which still held the two weapons, making the man flinch. "Are you resisting an officer of the law!? Y-You're under arrest!"

Two more patrolmen came over to take both Yosuke and Yu to the police station as suspects…

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

In hindsight, Yosuke should've known better than to bring his weapons to an open place like Junes.

At least Yu was related to a detective, but the silver-haired boy's expression has clearly darkened ever since they got arrested. Ryotaro had to come and release them.

The man scratched his head, slightly annoyed at the situation. "…You didn't seem the type to pull a stupid stunt like this. You know what's been going on around town. We got men stationed everywhere. For god's sake… you're lucky I was around, or this would have ended up on your permanent record."

"We're sorry…" Yosuke apologized. Yu was as silent as ever, though he looked troubled by this… or something.

Their weapons have been confiscated, leaving them with no weapons for the travel to the TV world. As they stood there, two policemen walked by… and their conversation had brought their worst fears to life. Yukiko was missing.

"Hey… did he say Amagi…? Then… she really is…" Yosuke whispered to his friend who was barely listening. Ryotaro heard his whisper, though. "Hm? Who's that now?"

"Oh, uh, nothing…"

"I'm sure you've seen on the news that there's an investigation in progress… we're sensitive about certain things. You're free to go. But this better not happen again."

"Yes, sir…" Yu absentmindedly murmured, like he had gone through something like this before. Ryotaro's eyebrows furrowed at hearing that, merely sighing and leaving the two alone. Yosuke then noticed the look on his friend's face and was about to ask about it when the detective who threw up at the first crime scene on Yu's first day at school almost bumped into them. "Whoa… pardon me." The young man apologised to the two. He looked at Yu, recognizing him. "Huh? Aren't you the kid staying at Dojima-san's place?"

Yu snapped out of his thoughts at hearing that, yet he was still silent.

Yosuke decided to try and ask the man. "Oh…! Uh, can we ask you something? It's about Yukiko-san… I mean, Yukiko Amagi of the Amagi Inn… did something happen to her?"

"Huh? Oh, umm… am I allowed to say…? Well, if you're friends with Ms. Amagi… keep this between us, okay?" The young man told them before continuing. "We got a call from Ms. Amagi's parents yesterday evening saying they couldn't find her anywhere. Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy, and no one saw Ms. Amagi around that time. Oh, but that doesn't necessarily mean this is a case just yet! But, people've been turning up dead on foggy days… So we're really sensitive to stuff like this. By the way, did she say anything to you guys about maybe going through some hard times?"

"Uh...? Hard times?" Yosuke didn't know anything about that, and neither did Yu.

"Well, that announcer, Ms. Yamano, was staying at the Amagi Inn before the first murder. Seems Ms. Yamano had some harsh words for the manager about the staff's attitude towards guests. The stress of it caused the manager to collapse. And with Ms. Amagi being the manager's daughter… she must've felt pretty strongly about the incident, y'know. By the way, did Ms. Amagi ever hint that she might be leaving the house? 'Cause if not, there's been some theories floating around that she's laying low for some reason or another… crap, I think I've gone too far. You didn't hear that, okay?"

Suddenly, Ryotaro yelled from nearby. "Adachi, what the hell are you chatting with civvies for!? And where's my coffee!?"

Adachi panicked a little. "S-Sorry! I got it right here!" He looked at the two boys. "Psst! Forget I said anything! Please!" Then he walked off in a hurry. Yosuke glanced at the silver-haired boy who has been silent all this while. "…Dude, you okay? You've been quiet since we've been brought here."

Yu looked back at him. His blank expression broke as he smiled slightly. "It's nothing, Yosuke. Let's go to the lobby to talk."

"…Okay. If you say so." The brunet could only agree with his friend for now. They had much more important matters to deal with.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

At the lobby, Yosuke decided to talk about what the young detective had just said. "Hey… does that detective think that Yukiko-san—" He was cut off by the sound of a familiar feminine voice.

"There you are!"

Chie ran towards them, a frustrated expression on her face. "Sheesh, what're you guys doing!? I've been looking everywhere!"

"Uh, well, there was a slight misunderstanding… we'll tell you about it later…" Yosuke answered sheepishly. "Anyways, something's up with Yukiko-san!"

"Huh? You know already!? I kept calling her cell, but she didn't pick up… so I went to her house, and it turns out Yukiko really did disappear…!"

"I guess we've got no choice but to go now… but that aside, the cops are saying some weird stuff. They think Yukiko-san's hiding to 'lay low'… apparently, Yukiko-san's mom collapsed because that announcer's lady bitched her out. They think that gives her a motive, and the fact that the announcer died right after makes her even more suspicious…"

"What!? They think Yukiko did it!? What the hell is wrong with them!?"

"Dude, don't snap at me! Yukiko's the victim here, dammit, not the suspect…"

They both seemed agitated. Yu sighed, having to remind them of what's important. "Look, we need to save her. That's what important right now."

"R-Right! That's the important thing!" Chie finally focused on the task at hand. "With the police totally on the wrong track, we've gotta handle it ourselves," Yosuke added, crossing his arms.

"I'm going too! And that's final! I'm going to save Yukiko no matter what!"

"Are you gonna be all right…? But man… they just confiscated our weapons. We can't go in empty-handed…"

"Weapons…? I know just the place! C'mon, follow me!"

…Well, Chie did have an obsession with martial arts movies.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

They left the police station and went to a store in the central shopping district, which looked like an armoury store with all kinds of weapons and armour in it.

"Here we are!" Chie told them. Yu and Yosuke looked around, the former a bit wary at the sight of the weapons and armours that look very familiar to him. "Wh-What kind of shop is this…?" The brunet just had to ask.

"A metalworks… I guess? They sell all sorts of metal crap… like katanas and stuff."

"Doesn't that seem weird to you!? Why would you know about a place like this anyway? Oh, I get it… you watched one too many kung-fu movies, and…"

"It's not that at all! I overheard some guys in our class talk about it. They said this place sells weapons and armour." Chie approached a set of armour. "Here, this one looks good. Oh, but it might be too heavy…"

"I dunno, Chie… I still think it's too dangerous. I know how you feel, but-"

"You don't! You don't know shit about how I feel… Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud! I'm going, and that's that!"

There's really no point in stopping her… but she doesn't know the horrors that lie within that world, nor new ones that may appear in that castle.

Yu shook his head. He had trouble enough dealing with Yosuke's Shadow – hell, he nearly died if he hadn't taken the risk to deal the final blow. "You really shouldn't do this, Chie."

"Psh, I'll be fine! My reflexes are second to none!" Chie was confident in herself, smiling. Yosuke sighed. "Listen… I'm not kidding around. You don't know what it's like in there! If you're not gonna listen to our warnings, we're leaving you here! If you insist on coming, just make sure you have something to protect yourself."

"Alright…"

"But man, what should we get…? Hey, Yu. Mind picking out something for me, too? You're our main asset in battle right now, so I think you should choose whatever makes it easiest for you."

"Uh… sure." Yu hesitantly nodded. Chie had already finished looking around. "I got my stuff all picked out! How about you guys?"

"…You know, if we wear this stuff around town, we'll just get picked up again," Yosuke told them, remembering about what happened earlier. But it's not like we can waltz into Junes with a sack full of gear and expect no one to notice, either…"

"Why not conceal them under our uniforms? I don't think people would notice." Chie suggested. It was a good idea, but then their armour would need to be the kind that doesn't stick out too much… they would also need to conceal their weapons properly.

"Okay… let's try that. Alright, let's split up and get ready. The store will be crowded until the afternoon sale ends, and if we walk around together the cops might get suspicious."

"Then I'll see you guys at the Junes food court!"

Both Chie and Yosuke waited around first, letting Yu buy the armour and weapons for himself and Yosuke.

Admittedly, although the smaller boy may have not seen such armour before, he was seemingly able to tell which one would give great defence against attacks. Weapons were the same deal, with him picking out the good ones.

It was like instinct, after all.

That time of his life… it's still a part of him. Just very diluted by time.

He bought the weapons and armours, giving Yosuke his armour and weapon. With their business done at the shop, they parted ways to change clothes.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

As Yu was walking away from the shop, a bright flash blinded his vision for a moment.

Blinking a few times, his vision cleared up. He looked around to find where the flash came from, and his eyes landed on a bizarre glowing blue door with intricate yellow details. He glanced at the man that passed by the door, unaware of it being there. Seems like everyone else other than him can see it…

Another flash came from the door, and he heard a voice in his head.

"So, it finally begins… now, if you'll give me a moment of your time…"

…Yu saw that the Velvet Key in his pocket was shining.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

For once, Yu entered the Velvet Room while awake.

Igor and Margaret were there, fixing him a pair of smiles.

"We have been expecting you. The catastrophe that is headed your way… it has already taken human lives in its approach towards you… but you have nothing to fear. You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time for you to use your Persona has come…" Igor said, chuckling.

Margaret then spoke up. "Your Persona ability is that of the wild card. If you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."

"My contribution… is to give birth to new Personas. By mixing together multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form… this, in other words, is the fusion of Persona. You have the power to hold multiple Personas and to use them accordingly. When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times, they may be hard to grasp… but you must master your fear and reach out to them."

Yu could only look at the old man in confusion. Cards? Seeds of possibility? What is Igor talking about?

Igor merely continued on. "When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your Social Links, then your Persona will gain even more power… they will be one of your chief sources of strength… you would do well to take this to heart."

Then Yu recalled that he had a bond with Yosuke – the Magician Social Link. From what he understood, fusing a Persona of the Magician Arcana will make that Persona gain more power.

Margaret looked at Igor, and they both nodded. She beckoned at Yu to focus on her. "The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium. Registering the Personas you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it."

The silver-haired boy finally did notice the book. It had been hidden by the armrest of the seats…

Igor's chuckle made Yu look at Igor again. "Do you recall my words to you before? 'The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… if the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost.'. I meant precisely what I said. Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end… please do not forget this. When next we meet, you will come here for your own will."

Yu bit the inside of his mouth. There was a lot more riding on his role in this mystery than he thought…

The old man chuckled again. "I look forward to it. Until then… farewell."

With all that said, the silver-haired boy was finally able to leave the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Finishing up the last of what he has to do, Yu hurried off to the food court at Junes. He saw that both Yosuke and Chie were waiting for him already. "Sorry that you had to wait for me, guys."

Yosuke shrugged. "Nah, no problem… though we really stick out… guess it doesn't help that we're in our school uniforms on a Sunday. The sale should end soon, so that'll get rid of some of the people wandering around here. Alright… let's get going." He looked at Chie. "Chie, it's not too late to-"

"I'm going!" Chie was adamant at her decision to go into the TV world.

"Fine, but don't push yourself, got it!?"

It's time for them to go.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Once they arrived at the studio in the TV world, they were met by the sight of Teddie standing near a corner, holding his head.

"Whoa, it really is that bear from last time…" Chie recognized him from last time. "What're you doing?" Yosuke asked the bear.

"Can't you tell? I'm thinking about stuff…" Teddie answered without looking back at them. Seems like he's been thinking about himself all this time… "I've been deli-bear-ating over it for a long time now... hey, that wasn't a bad joke. Heehee…!" He laughed at that.

The three teenagers were silent at that, a bit uncomfortable at the pun. Yosuke soon broke the silence. "So… did you figure anything out? Eh, it's probably useless to think about it too much. I've seen the inside of your skull, and it was empty."

Teddie then turned around and approached them before stomping his feet on the ground in slight anger. "How rude!" His little tantrum ended quickly, though. "You're right, though. I try and try but nothing comes out of my head."

Chie wasn't in the mood to sit around and chat, quickly snapping at the two. "Will you guys shut up?! Now's not the time for stupid jokes! Listen… someone came here yesterday, right?"

Teddie was amazed at that statement, thinking that Chie had found that out by herself. "Wow! There's a girl with a better nose than me!? What's your name, Miss?"

"M-Miss? Uh… I'm Chie. But never mind that! Tell me more about that 'someone'!"

"I think it happened a little after I talked with you guys. After that, it felt like someone was here."

"Is it Yukiko-san!?" Yosuke questioned the bear after hearing that.

"I don't know. I haven't looked…" Teddie turned to face Yu's position, pointing in that direction. "The presence is over that way. That's probably where they are."

The three teenagers looked in that direction too. "Over there, huh…? Is everyone ready?" Chie asked, her determination to save Yukiko grew once the bear said that. Yu and Yosuke nodded. "Y-yeah!" The brunet said, while the silver-haired boy kept silent.

Without further ado, they hurried off to where Teddie had pointed out Yukiko was.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

The strange, eerie castle awaited them at their destination. It was exactly the same castle 'Yukiko' had entered on the Midnight Channel.

"What the…? A castle!?" Chie looked up at the building, startled at the sight. "Y'think this is the place they showed on TV last time?"

Yosuke glanced at Teddie. "You're positive that no one's behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?"

Teddie stared back at the brunet. "Program…? I don't know. Maybe people on your side can see stuff in this world. It might be that. And I told you before! There's only me and Shadows here! There's no 'camera' stuff going on. This world has been like this from the beginning."

"'From the beginning'…? That's what we don't understand!"

"I dunno… can you guys explain everything about your world? I've never seen this 'program' thingy before. So I don't know."

"Well… is that really what's happening? Are we really looking into this world?" Chie then asked. "Because the first time Yukiko showed up on that channel was before she disappeared. Doesn't that seem off? I mean, Yukiko saying stuff like 'score myself a hot stud'? That's not like her at all!"

"'Score'? 'Stud'?" Teddie was confused at those terms. He must've never heard of such words… then again, Yukiko didn't seem like the type to say those kinds of words. It's the total opposite of how she acted, which just made things look suspicious. Like something's off.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either… Yukiko-san would never say anything like that…" Yosuke mused. He thought for a moment, and soon he realised something. "I wonder… is this kinda like what happened to me last time…?"

"There's a lot of stuff I still don't get. But after hearing your story… I think that 'program' happens because of the person who appears on it. Or something like that…"

"So… Yukiko is producing that show herself?" Chie tried to make sense of it, but just couldn't wrap her head around it. "Ugh, I don't get this at all!" She looked at Teddie. "Hey… do you feel Yukiko's presence from inside?"

"I'm pretty sure. So, um, what's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing…?"

The athletic girl didn't hear the bear's question, getting ahead of herself. "Yukiko's here… I'm going on ahead!"

"Hey, wait! Don't go alone!" Yosuke yelled at her to try and stop her, but she was already running through the portal and into the castle. "Geez! We better follow her!"

"Definitely." Yu just shook his head in exasperation. Chie was too stubborn…

"Tch… she ran off on her own…" The boy with headphones on his neck sighed. Teddie then just had to tell them some wonderful news. "Urk…! There are lots of Shadows in the castle. It'll be dangerous inside for a girl by herself…"

"Dude, are you serious!? Why didn't you tell us before!? C'mon, let's find Chie!"

Yu nodded, so the three of them quickly went into the castle in search of Chie.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

Well, Chie was nowhere in sight when they did get in.

"She hasn't gone that far yet," Teddie told them both. "Ugh, she ran off alone… dammit, let's go!" Yosuke didn't want Chie to get hurt, even if she was a stubborn mule.

"Um, wait a second! The Shadows have gotten aggravated ever since you two got here," The bear informed them. "That's not good…" Yu looked around, noting that the fog was making it hard to see into the distance even with the glasses on.

"They'll probably attack as soon as they find you, Sensei. So try to get the jump on Shadows before they can attack you!" Teddie added, to which Yu nodded in response. "I understand. Let's go." He led the small group ahead into the castle, unaware of what will be waiting for them on the second floor.

While he wasn't too keen on fighting again, a person's life was at stake here… even if it means freeing the demons that he had kept deep within his heart under lock and key for a long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

After going through some Shadows and discovering more of the first floor, they eventually found a set of stairs leading up. Upon going upstairs, they were met by a grand set of ruby red doors. On the bright red carpet under their feet, there were a set of footprints that looked like Chie's.

Teddie looked at both Yosuke and Yu, deep in thought. "Hmm…" Then, he smiled at the smaller boy. "You're good at fighting, Sensei. Compared to you, Yosuke stinks…" he complimented Yu while dissing Yosuke at the same time.

"Shut up, Ted!" Yosuke snapped at the bear, but he then looked at his friend sheepishly. "Though I do gotta admit… you have a knack for this stuff."

"Er… thanks." Yu wasn't too sure on whether to actually accept the compliment. His fighting skills were something he wanted to forget. "Doesn't he? So you should be the one to give Yosuke orders during a fight, Sensei," Teddie agreed with Yosuke before suggesting that.

Yosuke sighed. "It ticks me off to hear Teddie say that stuff, but I don't wanna cause trouble doing my own thing in battle… so don't hesitate to order me around." He stared at Yu with trust in his eyes. "I'm counting on you."

Suddenly, Yu felt very burdened by those words.

With a heavy nod, he ignored the feeling and led the group through the doors.

~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~

In the middle of the big hall was Chie, looking up at the ceiling like she was listening to something.

The trio ran towards her, but stopped a few feet behind her. "Chie! Are you all right?!" Yosuke quickly asked. He soon noticed that she wasn't listening, though. "Chie…?"

"She said that red looks good on me…"

That… was Yukiko's voice.

"Yukiko-san!?"

"I hated my name… Yukiko… 'Snow'… snow is cold and it melts quickly… it's transient… worthless… but it's perfect for me… apart from inheriting the inn, I'm worthless… still… Chie told me that red looks good on me."

"Are these… Yukiko-san's inner thoughts? I remember hearing Saki-senpai's, too…" Yosuke noticed. "Yeah. This castle is probably here because of this Yukiko person," Teddie told him, proving the brunet's suspicions.

"Yukiko…" Chie whispered, her eyes wide as she could only listen to the voice of her best friend that spoke of such thoughts.

"Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning… she's bright and strong, and she can do anything… she has everything that I don't… compared to Chie, I'm… I'm…"

Yukiko's voice fell silent for a moment, before it continued.

"Chie protects me… she looks after my worthless life… and I… I don't deserve any of it… Chie is so kind…"

"Yukiko, I-I…"

Things got bad after that.

Another voice spoke out, sounding like Chie, but it had distortion to it. "'Chie is so kind,' huh? What a joke."

"Wh-What…!?" Chie looked down from the ceiling, her eyes falling onto a doppelganger of herself, except with eerie yellow eyes and a dark blue aura surrounding it. It was her Shadow.

"Oh man… is that…!?" Yosuke could hardly believe what he was seeing. It was Chie's Shadow.

"It's just like Yosuke! She lost control over her suppressed self! Now it's a Shadow!" Teddie quickly told Yu. "Crap…" Yu muttered under his breath. This could go south real fast.

Chie's Shadow had a creepy smile, a dark Shadow under her front hair bangs that made her golden eyes look much scarier. "Are we talking about THAT Yukiko!? She says I'm protecting her!? She says she's worthless!" She chuckled deeply. "That's how it should be, right?"

The brunette became flustered. "Wh-What're you saying?"

"Yukiko's sooo good looking… sooo fair-skinned… so feminine… she's the one all the guys drool over. When Yukiko looked at me with such jealousy… man, did I get a charge out of that. Yukiko knows the score. She can't do anything if I'm not around… I'm better than her… much, much better!"

"No! I have never thought that!"

It was already heading towards that path. Yosuke glanced at Yu with worry. "Wh-What're we gonna do?" he asked nervously. Yu stared back at him with a calm expression, though he was trying to. "It's obvious, Yosuke. We need to protect her."

"We need to protect Chie-chan right now!" Teddie told them, witnessing Chie beginning to panic.

"N-No, don't come near me! Don't look at me!" Chie yelled at her Shadow, backing away. "Chie, calm down!" Yosuke shouted at her, but it went unheard as the brunette panicked even more. "No… no, this isn't me!" she said to herself.

"W-Wait, stupid! Don't say anything else like that!"

Chie's Shadow chuckled again. "That's right. I'm the one who can't do anything alone… I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person… I'm pathetic. But Yukiko… she depends on me…" Another deep chuckle escaped her lips. "That's why she's my friend… I'll never loosen my grip on her… she's too important to me."

"No… that is not how I think of her…" Chie kept shaking her head. Her Shadow merely chuckled once more at her reaction. "So, you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again? But things are different now. When the time comes… I'll be the one left standing."

The expression on Chie's Shadow suddenly turned sour. "You won't mind, right? I'm still you!"

"Shut up! You're…"

"Chie, no!" Yosuke's warning was too late.

"You're not me!"

The deed has been said and done.

The Shadow began to laugh like a maniac, her striking yellow eyes wide with glee as her form grew darker while she absorbed many other Shadows in the area. "Heehee… ahahahahahaha!"' Soon, the Shadow's form grew and grew, until it revealed a horrible monster. Under the monster was a figure that looked eerily like Yukiko…

"Aaagh!" Chie fell back as the energy in her body was drained out of her to the Shadow, leaving her vulnerable. "Chie!" Yosuke and Yu yelled in alarm. "I-It's coming! You have to use your powers to save Chie-chan!" Teddie hurriedly alerted the two as he went to a safe distance away from the battle to keep giving support.

Once again, Yu was thrown into a battle with someone's twisted reflection… but this time, he had Yosuke to help him.

This will be a hard fight.