A/N: Another chapter to this slow story, this time we go in deeper into Yukiko's castle! But our hero and heroines will have to continue their journey another day...
Again, thanks to those who followed and favourite'd this story! At least you're supporting it that way, eh? As for the guest who had reviewed again...
Mr Giraffe (Guest) - Funny, when I read your review on my e-mail, I had just seen a girl dressed in a giraffe suit at that moment. Aaaanyway, she's not exactly a samurai but she's damn good with one. You'll find out the reason why in this chapter, I assure you. Yui is someone who tries to forget by not thinking of it, but she does anyway. That's why you and other readers can't figure out why because she's cautious with her own thoughts (and fails to do so). As for advanced healing, it's just an explanation to why everyone is healed even if you went to the TV world yesterday and ended up all battered and hurt... though I hope you weren't actually serious with the broken leg? The angst (and the pining of our poor Yui for Mr. Tough Blondie) will come a longer while further, but I'll try to skip some scenes so we can get to that faster. I won't exempt Social Link events, though! Yui is going to have a hard time dealing with some crushes from other girls... hahaha. Thanks for the encouragement!
Without further ado, enjoy the new chapter!
Gripping the katana tightly in his hands, Yu faced Chie's Shadow with Yosuke. Having endured through the battle with Yosuke's Shadow before, he had an idea of how strong Chie's Shadow might be, considering that she was a girl with a huge liking to martial arts.
But not this.
This Shadow was like a damn dominatrix. With a long whip as a weapon to fit its armoured and skimpy appearance, Yu would've nearly blanched at saying that word out loud. The only reason he even knew that word was because of how he acted back in junior high school…
…That was seriously a time he didn't want to remember, but all of this fighting was bringing those painful memories up anyway. If only he hadn't made that one thought to become a… ngh, this is not the time to regret such things.
"I am a Shadow… the true self… what do you guys think you're doing? Trying to defend the 'real' me? Then you're gonna pay the price!" The Shadow spoke, its voice still sounding the same despite being in a whole different form now.
"Shut up! Quit being such a pain!" Yosuke yelled at it. He glanced at Chie who was barely conscious since her Shadow has become like this. "Chie… just hang in there a little longer…"
"Hah… think you can stop me that easy!?"
So the fight began.
Yu got the first turn, and seeing that his Persona had gotten stronger alongside some new skills, he decided to use one to make the battle easier. Summoning Izanagi, he cast a spell that lowered the Shadow's defences. "Rakunda!" Shattering the tarot card in his hand, Izanagi emerged from thin air and casted the spell.
Now it was Yosuke's turn. Yu glanced at him – they needed to find the Shadow's weakness quick and exploit it… and the only way to do that was to risk experimenting their attacks. "Yosuke, cast Garu on her!"
"Alright!" The brunet nodded. As the tarot card with his Persona on it appeared, he slashed it with his weapon to summon Jiraiya. "Let's do this, Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya then appeared, spinning around before stopping to face the Shadow and lowering its arms, casting Garu on the Shadow. Just like that, the Shadow cried out in pain as the figure holding it that looked like Yukiko up fell onto its knees.
This was their chance to give it all they got.
"All right, all for one and one for all!" Yosuke looked at Yu with a grin who returned the motion with a nod. "Good answer!"
Rushing towards the Shadow, they attacked it with all their might to deal some heavy damage to Chie's Shadow… but it still wasn't enough. The Shadow merely laughed. "Ahahaha, how lame! You're all so deadly serious, and we've only gotten started!"
She swung the whip against the floor as she casted a spell this time, causing a green shield to create itself around her form. "Sensei, she's put up a wall that makes her resist wind elemental attacks! Garu won't down her now!" Teddie informed Yu about it. "But it won't last forever – the wall will deteriorate after a while!"
"Guess we'll have to last the duration of the spell, then." Yu realised that the Shadow was much tougher to fight than Yosuke's. Without much choice, both he and Yosuke had to use physical attacks to deal damage to Chie's Shadow while enduring attacks from her whip.
However, the Shadow suddenly stopped attacking to gaze at Yosuke. Soon Yu felt instinct warn him about an incoming attack and stopped the brunet from attacking. "Wait, Yosuke. Guard yourself!"
"Huh? O-okay!" Yosuke lifted his arms to guard himself. The silver-haired boy's warning came just in time as the Shadow then casted a different spell – Mazio. "Scream for me…!" Thunder rang out as lightning hit both teenagers with electricity.
Yu and Yosuke yelled out at the pain, but since the latter had guarded himself at the last minute, he avoided his weakness to electricity getting exploited by the Shadow instead. Luckily for them, the Shadow's resistance spell also faded out that same turn too. "Phew, that didn't hurt as much. Thanks, Yu!"
The smaller boy smiled, a determined look in his eyes. "Here's our chance. I'm leaving the attack to you." He cast Rakunda again, using his turn to give Yosuke the upper hand. The brunet grinned, then promptly summoned Jiraiya again. "Countin' on you! Persona!" He cast Garu on the Shadow, hitting its weakness again. "Let's go, partner!"
They did another all-out attack, and it was exactly the final blow they needed to defeat it.
"No!" Chie's Shadow fell down in a total heap upon its defeat, the colour of its form turning to a dark colour as darkness poured out of it. Its giant form disappeared into dust, leaving the Shadow in its original form with a stoic expression.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Yu, Yosuke and Teddie went over to Chie to help her up. "Ngh…" The brunette was still weak after her Shadow went on a rampage. "Chie! Are you okay!?" Yosuke asked her in concern.
"What happened…?" Chie looked up from the carpet, then her eyes fell onto her Shadow that has gone silent since its defeat. "What's the matter…? Got nothing to say anymore?"
"Stop it, Chie. It's all right."
"B-But…"
Yu gently smiled at her. "It's okay. We all have different faces… even if they're the bad ones." He himself had many other different faces, all to face the hardships in his life. Be it as an heir to a company, a loner in school, a girl dressed like a boy… a former delinquent… he's all of those, and they're all of him.
But he hides them either way, for they are his secrets. For as long as he can still keep it that way, he will.
Chie glanced at him, hesitant. "Everyone…?"
"He's right… I went through the same thing. So I can understand… I mean… everyone has a side like this…" Yosuke admitted.
"Yeah… I kinda get it now." Chie then looked back at her Shadow and approached it, regretful at her thoughts but no longer refusing to accept them. "You are me… a side of me I couldn't forgive… that I tried to ignore… but you still exist. You're a part of me…"
…The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest. Chie's Shadow nodded with a smile, then faded out to reveal a Persona that looked much like a warrior with a yellow and white colour scheme to its appearance, and a double-bladed scimitar as its weapon.
Chie has faced her other self… she has obtained the façade used to overcome life's hardships – the Persona Tomoe. Tomoe then turned into a tarot card, fading back into the depths of her heart.
She was a bit embarrassed as the trio then got closer to her. "I… um, well it's true that part of me feels that way… but I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko…!"
Yosuke grinned. "Like we don't know that already."
The brunette was silent for a moment… before she fell onto her knees, exhausted.
"H-Hey! Chie!"
"I'm okay… just a little tired…"
"You don't look okay at all… and I bet… you can use the same power we have now."
"Huh…?"
"Hey, what should we do?" Yosuke glanced at Yu. The silver-haired boy looked at Chie – from the looks of it, she can barely even walk… let alone fight. He stared back at Yosuke after that. "Let's go back for today."
"…I agree. We need to let Chie rest."
"I-I never said I needed a break! I… can still keep going…" Chie protested, trying to get up but her limbs just wouldn't respond. "Don't overdo it!" Teddie told her as he got in front of her.
"It's not that we don't think you can. It's just, we have to save Yukiko-san, no matter what. Now that you have the power, you can fight with us. It'd be much better for us all if you had your strength back. That's why we're saying we should go back and regroup," Yosuke added.
"But Yukiko's still in here, isn't she!? I-I… if those were Yukiko's true feelings… then I have to tell her something. I'm not as strong as she thinks! It's because she was with me… because we were always together, I was able to act that way. If we weren't, I'd…" Chie almost looked like she could cry.
"Well, you need to get your strength back! Then you can tell her! Yuki-chan's normal. The Shadows don't attack normal people. They only attack when the fog lifts here," Teddie then explained to her. It was good news, at least.
If they really had to do all this at once, they'd never make it in time nor possibly alive.
"So Yukiko-san will be safe until then, right?" Yosuke asked the bear, to which Teddie nodded. "I'm positive."
Chie was too tired to think straight. "Why…? I don't get it…"
"Teddie told us that the weather here is the opposite of our own world. When it fogs over in our world… that's the day it lifts here, and that's when the Shadows attack their victim. So even if we leave for a while, Yukiko-san won't be in danger until the fog starts to cover Inaba. I'm sure of it. It was the same way for that announcer and Senpai… don't you remember how it was foggy in town on the days they died?" Yosuke explained further.
"You mean… they were killed by their other selves?"
"The fog usually appears after it rains. But it's been sunny lately. I don't think it's going to rain anytime soon. Don't worry so much. We'll check the weather forecast first thing when we get back."
"But… I-I can't turn back now! We've come so far! Yukiko's still here! She's all alone… she must be so scared!"
"Then you tell me how much further we gotta go to reach Yukiko-san!"
"Th-That's…!"
"You don't know what's up ahead. The enemies might be even stronger. If we push ourselves too hard and get wiped out, who'll save Yukiko-san then!? We can't fail, no matter what… am I wrong?"
Chie was silent for a good while before she eventually gave in. "…Alright. I'm sorry about before… I shouldn't have rushed in like that by myself…"
"No worries, Chie. Let's go together next time." Yu understood how she felt for Yukiko, after all. They stuck together like glue and were lost without one another… best friends for a long time, though how long? He didn't know exactly. It's just long enough to cultivate this kind of friendship.
…He felt melancholic when he thought about it. Friendship… he never did have a proper one before he came to Inaba and began to have one with Yosuke. His life was very plain and empty with his training and constant crossdressing. But now, he found himself warming up to his classmates.
He hoped this wasn't a mistake, considering that he'll be leaving by next year.
"No worries. We're definitely gonna save Yukiko-san… right?" Yosuke reassured Chie, the both of them pitifully unaware of the secrets held by their newest classmate. The brunette nodded, not wavering from the recent events to save her best friend. "…Right!"
The four of them left the castle, heading home for the time being…
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Chie was getting worse and worse as they walked back to the studio. It didn't take long to figure out why, though.
"I…I'm feeling even worse than the last time I came in here… my head feels like it's gonna split open… are you guys okay?" Chie murmured, looking quite sick. Yu thought about it for a second and realised why. "Well, it's probably thanks to these things." He pointed at the glasses he was wearing, which were similar to Yosuke's.
"That's right, you're not wearing the glasses." Yosuke realised that too. Chie looked closely and noticed the glasses for the first time. "Oh yeah… What's with those glasses? Did your eyesight go bad?"
"Man… you didn't notice until now? How panicked were you…?"
"Tum de dumm! I got a pair ready for Chie-chan, too. Here you go!" Teddie revealed a pair of yellow glasses, giving them to Chie. Once she wore them, she looked around in awe. "Whoa! What the-!? This is awesome! It's like the fog doesn't exist!"
"Why didn't you whip those out earlier if you had them?" Yosuke had to question Teddie about the timing of this. "I made them right now! You didn't tell me she was coming! It was all so sadden! I mean, sudden!" Teddie got flustered at his question.
"Huh… so that's the trick. I was wondering how you guys could see where you were going. Hey, is it alright if I keep this?" Chie asked the bear.
"Fo' sho!"
"We'll have to stop here today… but I'll be back with these puppies!" Chie then looked at the two boys. "You guys better not come here without me, got it!?"
"Yeah, let's all promise each other… nobody goes in alone. It's way too dangerous. If we don't work together, we won't be able to solve this case or save Yukiko-san… right?" Yosuke looked at Yu as he said that. Yu nodded in agreement. They need to work together for this. "You're right, Yosuke."
"Yeah, I agree. I promise too." Chie agreed to it as well. With that out of the way…
"Let's save Yukiko!" Yu encouraged them all, smiling. They all nodded, the same smiles on the others' faces too. They'll give it their best to prevent another death from happening in the town of Inaba and save Yukiko.
Yosuke then spoke up. "Alright, so from tomorrow on, we'll try and come here as much as we can after school… and that includes days off." He glanced at the silver-haired boy, feeling like he could suggest what he was about to say next. "Hey… would you mind being our leader?"
"H-huh? Me?" Yu looked at him in surprise.
"You were the first to get this power, and you're way better in a fight than either of us. I think it's bet for all of us if you set the pace of the investigation, and we follow your lead. I'm cool playing second banana."
"Well…" The smaller boy hesitated for a moment. An ex-delinquent becoming a leader of a group again…? He's in no place to become one after what he had done during that time. But they were actually trusting him to become their leader, a person who had used a katana to nearly…
…Red, there's so much red. On his blade, his hands, his face, their body…
…He can't let them down, at the very least. He doesn't have the heart to refuse them that. He's warmed up to them enough…
If they knew, they'd leave. No one wants to be friends with a former delinquent, or a crossdresser.
But the pain of being abandoned and alone is terrible.
His mind was made up.
"Alright then. Leave it to me."
Yosuke nodded. "I had a feeling you'd say that. I mean, I'm more the advisor type, y'know? An ideas man, not an executive."
"I'm with Yosuke. If you're the one calling the shots, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about this," Chie added. "I'm with Yosuke too. If you're the one calling the shots, my pillow will be a lot more comfortable at night." Teddie also joined in at the idea.
The brunet somewhat glared at the bear. "Teddie, would you please stop talking. I'm really on edge right now…"
Yu could only look at them with a sad smile. Despite his regrets, he's been unanimously appointed as team leader. Their days of pursuing this case alongside each other have begun… and he needs to give it his all to make sure they won't suffer for mistakes in his leadership.
…He felt another Social Link forming as a voice whispered in his mind, speaking of the Fool Arcana. Seems like their team was a Social Link of its own. Once the voices faded out, he was brought to reality by Yosuke's voice.
"Okay. Let's get some rest for today so we're ready for tomorrow on. And don't forget to check the weather forecast. It gets foggy after a lot of rain, so let's keep an eye out. Also, let's make sure we gear up for next time," Yosuke suggested to them all. Yu and Chie nodded, then they all went back to the real world.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Yu returned home after walking Chie home with Yosuke to make sure she didn't fall unconscious on the way there. He hoped that his uncle wouldn't be too angry with him for returning home a bit later than usual.
At dinner, his uncle, cousin and himself all ate their dinner quietly while the TV played the nightly news like usual.
…Yu tried to pay no mind to the stern expression on Dojima's face, acting like there was nothing going on in his life.
"Hey. Mind if I ask something?"
He just jinxed himself.
The silver-haired boy looked up at his uncle. "What is it, uncle?"
"You aren't getting involved with any strange business, are you…? What happened at the station this afternoon… it's still bothering me. Is there… anything you're not telling me?"
Well, he is fighting personifications of humanity's dark side inside a world that exists within a TV in order to save people that were thrown in by a madman with the help of his new friends and their mythological allies called Personas. Other than that, nothing.
…Yes, Yu knew that's a stupid answer. Sarcasm wasn't exactly his strong point, was it?
Yu shook his head. "Don't worry, uncle. Nothing's wrong."
"…Is something bothering you? Believe me, I do feel bad that I've been too caught up with work for us to have time to talk…"
Nanako became distressed at the conversation. "What's wrong? Are you fighting…?"
Dojima shook his head quickly. "No… we're not having a fight."
"This isn't the police station…"
The man merely sighed and looked at his nephew. "I agreed to look after you. So don't get yourself involved in anything that could get you in trouble, especially something like when you were in junior high. Got that?"
Yu bit the inside of his mouth, solemnly nodding. He really can't erase that part of his life no matter how hard he tries… and he… just can't do a thing about it, no matter how he feels.
The weather forecast on the news started. It won't be cloudy or raining for a while longer… they still had some time to save Yukiko.
The next day…
Yu went to school like usual, wondering if Chie was alright. Yosuke felt the same way, thinking about that too as they talked to each other in class.
"I wonder how Chie's doing. Too much stuff happened yesterday. I hope she's back to her usual self…" The brunet mused. Just as he said that, the classroom doors slid open to reveal said athletic girl. Chie went over to them, looking much better. "Oh, mornin'."
"You okay…?" Yu asked her, concerned for her health.
"Yep." Chie nodded and fell silent for a few seconds. "Um… thanks for everything yesterday. It's kind of embarrassing, ya know? You two were there to see my hidden feelings and all…" She blushed slightly in embarrassment.
"Don't sweat it." Yosuke grinned. Heck, Yu was there to see his own hidden feelings.
"The same thing happened to Yosuke, right? Soooo… what was it like?"
"Huh? Uhhh, how should I put this…" Yosuke didn't know how to put it, when a thought crossed his mind. Yu never did have to face a Shadow. "Oh, I nearly forgot! None of that happened when yours awakened, huh?" he asked, looking at the silver-haired boy. "Hmmm, could that be because you've got nothing to hide?"
"Oh? So nothing happened for you?" Chie was surprised at that. "I gotta agree that you seem like a pretty open guy. There's a funny air about you… I dunno, I guess that's what draws people to you, or something like that."
"…Was that a compliment?" Yu was almost about to reject that idea. He did have secrets of his own, but… it did give him something to think about. Why did he not have to face his own Shadow when he got his Persona? He had a lot of things to hide.
But in a way, it's a blessing in disguise. Chie and Yosuke won't have to find out the secrets of his life and past.
"Haha, yep, it's a compliment." Chie smiled at him, not knowing of the smaller boy's thoughts. "Uh… if you say so…" Yosuke wasn't so sure about that though.
"Anyways, what's most important right now is to rescue Yukiko. I'm dead set on coming. Remember… you promised."
"Oh crap, I still haven't gone to the bathroom!" Yosuke suddenly remembered and ran off, leaving Chie and Yu alone. The silver-haired boy just snorted at that – better than asking Mr. Morooka to go to the bathroom, at least.
Chie spoke up to get his attention. "Uh… hey, um… th-thanks for saving me… Yosuke's cool and all, but… there really is something different about you. I feel like you won't let me down…" She was really grateful to him.
Yu felt a faint bond forming between himself and her… and with it came the same voice, speaking of the Chariot Arcana. He now had a Social Link with Chie. At that small event, he realized that he hasn't asked Chie for her contact information.
"Chie, can you give me your phone number? It's for the investigation," he asked her. Chie noticed that when he did so. "Oh… right. you'll need this from now on, huh?"
The both of them took out their cells and exchanged their numbers with each other. After that, they kept their handphones into their pocket. "We have to be careful of the fog that sets in after the rain, right? Let's save her before that happens!" she said with determination.
Yu nodded, smiling. "Let's save her."
They'll be continuing their journey into the castle this afternoon.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
That afternoon…
After getting the necessary things for the journey into the TV world, Yu wondered if he should try fusing some Personas that he just got on his last trip in Yukiko's castle. Seeing that there was no harm in doing that, he decided to go to the central shopping district where the Velvet Room door was.
With the Velvet Key, he used it to enter.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ah… welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor's voice greeted him as he entered the limousine, sitting in the same place with Margaret. "What can we do for you today?"
"I'd like to fuse some Personas, if you wouldn't mind…" Yu answered, taking a seat himself. Igor fixed him a grin and went on to explain how 'fusion' worked. "Now, what kind of fusion would you like to do?"
"A normal one, please."
"Now, which Personas do you wish to fuse?"
Yu looked at the possible results for some of the Personas he had, like Pixie, Asparas, and some others. It took a bit of thinking, but he soon got a few new Personas from fusing some of them. With his request done, he thanked them before excusing himself to exit the room.
It's time he went to Junes and called the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
After Yu called both Yosuke and Chie, the trio headed to Junes and went into the TV world, going to the castle once more. When they entered… Teddie noticed something. "Hrmm… Sensei, can I bother you for a second?"
"What is it, Teddie?" Yu looked at the bear, setting his katana down for a moment.
"The road here seems different from yesterday, so this place might get pretty tricky… I'll do my best to remember where we walked, so try not to get lost, Sensei. Anyways, I don't sense anyone around this area. If you go further ahead, we might be able to find something. Be careful and move on."
"I'll keep that in mind." Yu was getting a little frustrated at all these shenanigans with the TV world, admittedly. Not even the insides of the castle itself was set in stone… hopefully they don't get lost. But seeing that the halls only changed when they left, it's possible that they won't get lost too easily.
They started their path through the halls of the castle in search of Yukiko, not knowing of what they'll see in the next floor…
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
In a small battle against some Shadows, Yu showcased his Wild Card ability for the first time to the others. It surprised his other two friends, but they didn't address it until the battle was over. The two ran over to him, quite surprised at the new info.
"Whoa!" Yosuke looked at his friend in surprise. "You have another Persona?!"
"Uh, more like I have about four at the moment…" Yu sheepishly answered. "I have something called the Wild Card ability which allows me to carry more than one Persona at a time."
"Man, that's cool! If only I could do that too…" The brunet grinned at his friend. "This'll be great! You just have the extra firepower we need, Yu!" Chie was all fired up to beat some Shadows now. Their leader would be crucial in their battles in this world.
Yu just kept smiling at them, though he felt much like a hypocrite. He didn't want to fight after going through much pain as a delinquent, yet here he is, actually enjoying the thrill of the battles against the Shadows.
He just hoped that he wouldn't forget the values he forced onto himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Upon reaching the same grand ruby red doors of the second floor, they were closed shut with a dark presence behind it. Teddie had warned the trio that something was waiting behind it, and he was right.
Standing in the middle of the room was a girl who wore a pink dress, had long and flowing black hair… and the same dark blue aura around her. This was a Shadow, but…
"Yukiko…?" Chie thought it was her best friend. "Yukiko-san! Are you all right!?" Yosuke did too.
"Yukiko… what's wrong?"
Suddenly, a spotlight shined on top of 'Yukiko' as she began to laugh, her voice laced with distortion. "Heehee… ahahahahahahahah! " She then turned around, a microphone in her hand. Her eyes were a same striking yellow colour as Yosuke's Shadow. "Oh my! Special guests? I wonder how they'll play into all this!" She chuckled, speaking and moving with such a flaunting demeanour. "Things are really heating up! Okie-dokie! I'm going back to the hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be…? This place is huge! It's sooo exciting, but it makes it so hard to find him! Ooh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come! Let's go further in then, shall we!?"
Promptly after saying that, a sign that looked like as if it came right out of a TV show appeared on top of her with a 'revealing' sound effect playing. It bore the words 'Princess Yukiko's Hunt for her Prince Charming!', all in bright and colourful hues.
This was just getting weirder.
"Wh-What the hell is this!?" Yosuke nearly yelled, staring at the sight with wide eyes. Chie finally realised that this 'Yukiko' wasn't her Yukiko. "You're… you're not Yukiko… who are you!?"
Yukiko's Shadow merely chuckled. "What're you talking about? I'm Yukiko… and Yukiko is me."
"No! Don't tell me, are you-!?" The brunette gasped at the single fact that this was her best friend's Shadow. "Where's the real Yukiko!?"
Right after Chie said that, loud murmurs came from every direction in the area that drowned out all the other sounds. It startled the group for a moment. "What's with these voices…!?" Yosuke looked around in alarm. "The Shadows are getting agitated!" Teddie warned them.
The Shadow paid no mind to it, being the 'owner' of the castle. She smiled teasingly at the four of them. "Well, I'm off again! Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!" Then she turned around to leave, running deeper into the castle.
"Hey, wait!" Chie tried to chase her but couldn't go far without risking getting separated from Yu and Yosuke. She turned to face Yu and Yosuke, a bit troubled. "That clearly wasn't the real Yukiko. It had to be…"
"I think it was. It must have been the other part of herself," Teddie answered for her. It made the most sense. "So it's just like what happened to us…" Yosuke murmured, thinking back to his own encounter with his Shadow.
"But I don't think she was excited for nothing. The real Yukiko wants to show us something. I can feel it. It's hard to explain… it seems like she has a strong connection to this castle. This is a lot more dangerous than I thought!" Teddie added, now getting worried. It barely took a moment for Chie to turn back and run off to chase the Shadow. "Yukiko…!"
Yosuke tried to call her, but she was too far to hear him. "Hey… not again! Dammit, we told her not to run off on her own!"
"We better get to her then," Yu said, so they all ran off in the direction Chie went. Luckily they caught up to her in time and calmed her down enough before they could push on to the next floor.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
As they did, things got stranger and stranger.
They could hear voices from somewhere… and it was Yukiko's voice. More exactly, Yukiko's Shadow. "Teeheehee… my Prince will soon come for me… I'll always be waiting… forever and ever…"
Teddie was deep in thought at that event. "Hrmmm… I hear voices, but the only things I sense here are Shadows and you guys. Sensei and Shadows… oooh, there we go!" He smiled mischievously and looked at Yu. "Hey Sensei! Listen to this. When you attack Shadows from behind, Sensei will have a Sensei-tional advantage! Sensei's Sensai-tional advantage! Heeheehee…"
"Uh… okay. Thanks." Yu would've nearly cursed at that pun had he still acted like a delinquent, but he's changed his attitude enough to hold in that urge. If only they could deploy the bear's puns against the Shadows – that'd be a real challenge.
…He guessed that the Shadows would probably explode to shadowy bits if they actually could do that. But it's just wishful thinking at this point.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
On the fourth floor, they heard more voices. This time, it was Yukiko's voice. Not the Shadow's.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming to the Amagi Inn today. Your room is right this way. If we can help you in any way, please let us know immediately."
Teddie was confused. "…What's this voice talking about? This place isn't an inn. It's totally a castle!"
Yu just sighed. The bear just can't get it, can he?
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
For the fifth floor, Teddie kept sniffing the air in his attempts to find the Shadow. "Where is she…?"
"Hmhmhm… ohoho…" It was the Shadow's voice, echoing through the foggy halls that have noticeably turning into a darker red the higher they went, almost like the colour of blood. Teddie noticed that and quickly alerted the others. "I can sense her! She must be on this floor!"
"Wow! By any chance, are you… my Princes? I'm locked up here… please save me! Hmhmhm… I'm sure my Princes can do it… I'm sure they'll brave any danger to release me from this place… I'll be waiting for you… ohoho…"
The bear grew suspicious upon hearing the Shadow's voice. "This seems very strange… be careful."
"We will." Yu nodded before continuing to lead the others through the floor. However, it was quickly becoming a confusing one as whenever they tried to approach a door, they were teleported away. Heck, most of the doors were locked.
However, the silver-haired boy soon noticed that if they backtracked after being teleported away, they were able to travel further up until another door before being teleported again. With that knowledge, the group kept trying the doors… till they reached one particular door.
"I sense someone beyond this door… it's that girls' scent!" Teddie told them.
"You guys ready?" Yu asked both Yosuke and Chie, to which the two nodded in response. "Alright, let's go." With that, he opened the doors and rushed in with them.
It was a choice they regretted instantly.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside the room was Yukiko's Shadow… alongside a giant Shadow that looked like a cavalry knight except that the horse was practically floating in place where its legs should be. The Shadow chuckled as she looked at the group. "My Prince wouldn't lose to guards such as this, correct?"
"Gyaaaaaah! I've never seen such a strong one before!" Teddie panicked at the sight. Right as he did, the giant Shadow then attempted to attack them.
"I-It's attacking us!"
They were thrown into battle with the Shadow – an Avenger Knight.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
The Shadow stood intimidatingly in the middle of the room, towering over the teenagers as they were forced to fight against it. "This Shadow is stronger than the ones we faced before – be careful!" Teddie warned them.
Yu kept that in mind and focused on the enemy. With a quick Rakunda spell on the Shadow, he let the next person attack, who happened to be Chie. When she tried a physical attack on the Shadow though, it barely did any damage. "No way…!"
The silver-haired boy quickly realised what that meant. "It's resistant to physical attacks… try an elemental attack, Yosuke!"
"Okay, partner! Come on, Jiraiya!" Yosuke then summoned his Persona and casted Garu on the Shadow, dealing a lot more damage this time. "It's not going down, though…!"
The Shadow still stood tall and strong, now having its turn to attack. Looking at Yu, it readied its lance to attack. "Watch out, Sensei!" Teddie called out in alarm, but it came too late as the Shadow struck the smaller boy with its mighty strength, nearly killing him.
"Aargh!" Yu doubled over in pain as the lance pierced his side, stumbling in his steps to keep steady. This Shadow was really strong… much stronger than he had thought it would be, despite Teddie's warnings. He breathed heavily to try and numb the pain as it was his turn again.
He used some medicine to heal himself up, as leaving himself weak would be a death wish with this kind of Shadow.
"We need to take it out quick!" Chie shouted as she summoned Tomoe, casting Bufu on the Shadow. Seeing Yu get hit like that was terrifying – it was a reminder that the silver-haired boy was still human, no matter how reliable he looked.
Yosuke glanced at Yu worriedly and decided to use his turn to cast Dia on his friend, healing the injury up. "Y-Yosuke… thanks." The smaller boy felt much better as that spell was cast on him, but now someone was going to pay the price for stalling the defeat of the Shadow.
That someone… just happened to be himself again. "Gyaargh!"
"Why is it focusing on Yu so much?!" Chie looked at their leader in worry. Yu was barely able to stand with his new injury, struggling to even straighten himself. He spoke in a shaky voice, but he wasn't dispirited at his current situation. "D-don't mind me… Chie, cast… Tarukaja on me. Yosuke, cast Garu again. I think I have a way to defeat it quicker."
"O-okay, chief!" Chie used Tomoe to cast Tarukaja on the silver-haired boy, increasing his attack power. Yosuke nodded hesitantly and cast Garu on the Shadow, dealing some more damage. "Hold on a bit longer, partner…!"
Yu straightened himself despite the wound, summoning one of his newly fused Personas – Orobas. It looked like a horse except with a humanoid body, red and white fur, plus human hands and arms while its lower legs were still of a horse's.
"Orobas!" He called out to it, watching as said Persona appeared in front of him. "Agi!" He casted a fire attack on the Shadow, dealing much more damage than expected with the attack boost and the stronger Persona. "Wow, Sensei doing quite well!" Teddie commented from afar, complimenting the silver-haired boy.
"Yeah, but the Shadow's gonna attack again!" Yosuke alerted them as it was the Avenger Knight's turn once more. This time it aimed at Chie, attempting to strike her with its lance… yet it missed as her quick reflexes dodged it. "That was close!"
"Now give it all you got…!" Yu ordered as he cast Agi again, getting the Shadow's health down even more. They might be able to just win this. Both Yosuke and Chie let out sounds of confirmation and cast both Garu and Bufu respectively, which was enough to defeat the Shadow at last.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
When they looked around after they finished the battle, Yukiko's Shadow had already disappeared off to wherever she could be now. On the floor was a glass key, which could probably open the doors on this level… but they were in no shape to continue, especially Yu. Thankfully Yosuke had some energy left to cast a healing spell on the smaller boy, so he wasn't exactly limping back out to the real world later.
They could hear the Shadow's voice coming from somewhere.
"Ohoho… if you really are my Prince, then we will surely meet again. I am but a trapped soul… I cannot leave this place even if I wished… ahahaha…"
Silence followed.
Teddie sniffed the air a few times. "I don't sense her anymore…" He looked around for a moment until he remembered what happened to Yu in the battle against the Avenger Knight. "Oh! Are you okay, Sensei? I'm sure we've got a long way to go. Don't push yourself too hard! If you're tired, you should head back!"
Yu uncertainly looked at the door that led to the exit of this small room and back to the hallways of the castle. It's true that he's tired, but he felt bad that it could be because of him they can't go further… then again, Yosuke and Chie had endured some damage of their own. They really need a break for today. "…Okay, let's go back."
They wouldn't be of any use if they were… well, dead… anyway.
Yosuke and Chie wordlessly nodded, and so they did went back.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Yui went up to her room, exhausted after all that fighting and traversing through the foggy hallways of the castle. She did greet Nanako when she arrived but was just too tired to do anything else. While they were in some pressure to save Yukiko, she did glance at the weather forecast at her TV after turning it on.
It wouldn't be raining for a while, so they still had some time.
With a huff, she changed out of her stuffy school clothes and slipped into her night clothes. She went to her futon and tried to go to bed, but despite her tiredness… she can't seem to find the heart to actually go to sleep.
Her thoughts could only return to the thrill of the battles in the TV world, a freedom she had loved and desired after so long of following orders from her family. The katana she had used back then had already been disposed of, but the one she was using right now felt just right in her hands either way.
She felt guilty.
Shaking her head, Yui turned her head to the pillow.
Yes, it was something she loved. But it's a regret too. She must not ever go back to the way she was before, and she must also remain the person she was.
A leader today, a former delinquent yesterday.
It has to remain that way, until they find the culprit before the year ended… or fail trying.