Hello my readers, here's the 7th chapter of my other fiction, so enjoy!
Chapter 7: shadows and stands
/in the school on the 1st floor\
They all had just finished gathering what they need for when they find the next dungeon, medicine, weapons, armor, and Mitsuru was the first to speak up.
"Well after that… event, I believe it's time to go into the next labyrinth," Mituru said.
"Do we know where it is?" Akihiko asked.
"Yes, we just finished scanning for it," Fuuka said
"It's the 2nd-year class-2 room," Rise said.
"Wait, that's our class! Oh no please don't tell me there's going to be a group date café there!" Yosuke pleaded.
"A group date café?" Kakyoin asked confused.
"What's that?" Avdol asked.
"It was our classes display, you have a… well… um, a group date," Yukiko said awkwardly.
"Is that so? And, how was it?" Joseph asked.
"I'm still trying to knock the memory out!" Yosuke said.
"What's this group date thing?" Rei asked eating a corn dog.
"A group date is the crossroads of destiny… countless hunters of love gather, in search of the one in this vast world tied by a red string…" Teddie said.
They all sweat dropped and saved for Rei who was happy and surprised.
"Wow…! Countless hungers have a huge banquet in search of the one in this vast universe tied with a string!?" Rei said.
"Why did it sound creepy when she said it?" Polneraff whispered to Jotaro who just sighed and walked away.
"Teddie! Don't lie like that to Rei-chan! She'll believe you!" Chie yelled.
"Aw, but I don't want to leave Rei-chan alone," Teddie said.
"I understand the feeling," Aigis said.
"You do?" Kakyoin asked confused.
"Don't worry Ai-chan, I won't leave you alone either! May I score with you?" Teddie asked hopeful.
"I refuse" Aigis responded nonchalantly, causing Teddie to topple over and roll on the floor trying to get up.
"From what you say… it sounds like this group date is rather refined event," Mitsuru said.
"Uh, i don't think so" Yukari said sweat dropping.
"Is the red string really tied to the person your destiny to be with?" Rei asked.
"I don't know… but I think we all want to believe that it is," Yukiko said.
"…Mm- hm, I'm sure it exists! Right, Zen?" Rei asked.
"Your… going to eat string?" Zen asked confused.
"No! that's not what I meant!"
"It's still noon, why is that?" Jotaro asked.
"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked
"The clock tower outside, I noticed it a few times, and every time i did, it always says noon, whys that?"
"it's because time has slowed down here," Zen said.
"Is that so?"
"Um… may we take a closer look at it?" Naoto asked.
"Why, is it piquing your ace detective instincts?" Yosuke asked.
"Not necessarily, but…"
/Outside the school\
They all went outside and up close to the clock tower, when they got closer they realized how big the clock-tower really is, seeing it loom over them, almost blocking the sun, the time on the clock was 11:55 pm.
"A clock tower in the center of the schoolyard… would it not it be too obtrusive?" Aigis asked.
"That's odd, there's no door that would lead us inside, how is it maintained?" Naoto questioned.
"Could it's mechanism be inaccurate because of a lack of maintenance?"
"Thing is, I don't think we ever even had something like this at yasogami," Yosuke said.
"So, if you don't have it at your school, then how or why is it here?" Joseph asked.
"Actually, I recall an occasion when the principle told me something, He claimed there was a clock tower at Yasogami high at one point, though, I don't know what it looked like," Naoto said.
"Oh… I think you're right! I kind of remember one, but I remember it being a small monument, not a huge tower, at least, I don't think it was so big a person could go inside and I heard it was demolished when I started elementary school, "Yukiko said.
"Then that would place it over 10 years ago."
"Could that mean we've traveled back in time?" Polneraff asked.
"Possibly…"
"Wait, seriously?" Junpei asked shocked.
"I can't say for certain yet, there's no explaining things with common sence in a place where shadows roam."
"Your right, this place is pretty strange, I don't recall going into a TV, and we don't need our glasses," Chie said.
"A TV? What are you talking about?" Jotaro asked.
"Actually, now that I think about it, that's not the first time you've mentioned going into TV's, what are you talking about" Junpei said.
"Wait, you guys don't use a TV to get to the shadows? Then how do you fight them?" Yosuke asked
"We go to a place called Tartarus during the dark hour… oh right, we're supposed to be the only ones inside there, so what do you guys do during the dark hour?"
"I have no idea, but what is the dark hour?" Avdol asked.
"Yeah same here," Yosuke said.
"You don't know of the dark hour? Are you truly persona-users? The dark hour is a time which follows midnight, those without the potential cannot detect it, during the dark hour, shadows appear within a tower called tartarus, and every month, an especially large shadow appears, we fight and defeat these in hopes of eliminating the dark hour," Mitsuru asked.
"…M-man! Your guys thing sounds pretty different from ours." Yosuke said surprised.
"Um, then what are you all-" Fuuka was interrupted by Yu
"We're pursuing a killer."
"A-A killer!?"
"There's been a serial murder case going on in our home town, Inaba, the killer works by putting people into TV's, inside the TV's there's a world filled with shadows, that's actually where Teddies from" Yosuke said.
"I used to live in the TV world, but then Yosuke and the others came, and I decided to come out," Teddie said.
"You did? It's like how when we met Zen and Rei," Avdol said.
"I'm like Teddie? Then will we be able to go out into the outside world with everyone, like he did?" Rei asked.
"I'm sure you will! I didn't even think about going outside until Yosuke and everyone came, but when I did I wish I had done it much sooner!"
"Me too! Until everyone came here, I never even thought about "going back!"
"It's true…" Zen said.
"Heeey! Zen boy! Don't tell me you don't like being treated the same as me? You know it would be an honor to be the same as me!" Teddie said.
"Yarde, yarde daze, just shut up and let em finish," Jotaro said.
"Thank you, I was just getting to the important part, anyway, if you're in the TV world on a foggy day, your own shadow will attack and kill you, normally, only persona-users can go in and out of the TV world, but they can put other people in there as well," Yosuke finished.
"So… the culprit is using their persona ability for murder?" Akihiko asked shocked.
"There's much we don't know yet… but we know for certainty that we will capture the culprit," Naoto said.
"Wow, what we're fighting against is completely different from all yours," Joseph said
"Why? What are you guys fighting anyway?" Minato asked.
"Actually, if I remember correctly, you mentioned that you were fighting someone named DIO weren't you? I've been curious about who they are" Zen asked.
"I guess since we're all telling each other this we should too, you see, in 1880 a man named DIO Brando went to live with my great grandfather, George Joestar, and his son, Jonathan, after his parents died, but something about DIO is that he was a cruel man, he wanted to destroy my grandfather's life and kill George so he could take my family's fortune, but when Jonathon figured him out he told his father and called the police, DIO went to extreme measures and used a mask that turned him into a powerful monster, he killed the police and my great grandfather, my grandfather managed to fight DIO off for my his friend to escape, Jonathan almost destroyed DIO, but he survived, Jonathan met a man named zeppeli, he taught him a power called hamon, which he used to almost defeat DIO, but before the hamon got to his head he cut it off, and one of the last of DIO's followers took it, after Jonathon married my grandmother Erina Pendleton they went on a cruise, but the ship had a stow away, and that just so happened to be DIO, when Jonathon found him, DIO told him that he wanted to take Jonathans body , Jonathan managed to put up a fight before he fell, the only people that managed to escape before the ship sunk was Erina and my mother."
When Joseph finished his story, all the persona users were in shock at this, they didn't know whether to believe him or not.
"That's… quite a story, but what does this have to do with what you're fighting against?" Mitsuru asked.
"The point of telling you this, is that even after that DIO didn't die!"
"WHAT!" they all yelled shocked.
"All it did was put DIO to sleep for a 100 year's! He was successful in stealing my grandfather's body and has come back to take over the world! And it is our job to end him for good! We must travel through Egypt and find him Before he takes over this world!"
"So, you're fighting against something that strong!?" Rise asked shocked.
"Well, we kind of have an upper hand, right now, DIO is weak, from gaining a body he isn't used to and is healing from being asleep underwater for so long."
"Well, at least you have the upper hand right now, but who knows how long that could last," Yu said.
"And with the fact that time is a lot slower here you don't need to rush that hard," Yosuke said.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get out of here as soon as possible," Joseph said.
"All our reasons for fighting are completely different from each other's…" Mitsuru said.
"Anyway, this is not the TV world, and it's most likely not this "Tartarus" you speak of, and this is certainly not any part of Egypt either, which means that we know almost nothing about it, I believe we should cast aside all that we think we know and learn the "rules" of this world, I thought this clock tower might have some sort of hint, but that's unlikely if we can't enter, I'm sorry to have wasted our time here, lets head to the next labyrinth," Naoto said.
They nodded and went straight to the next labyrinth.
/In the school on the 2nd floor, class 2-2\
When the group got to the class Fuuka and Rise said was the next dungeon, they stopped to see that it was decorated with things like balls hanging from the sealing and a few on the floor, a pink couch, a few vases with roses inside, rose petals falling from god knows where, but the big eye-catcher was a sign that said" Group date cafe."
"Aww man! Of all the times I had to be right about something? Why'd they have to refresh them, just when I'm forgetting them!" Yosuke groaned.
"Let's just go in, we got 3 big ones left, and who knows how many of these stand users to go through," Shinjiro said.
"That's true, it could also help me get more of my memories back," Zen said.
"That's right, if Zen-kuns memories come back then we could learn somethings about this world," Fuuka said.
"Alright, let's get going leader, oh hmm, there's something important we need to decide on, and that's who should be our leader, since we're a combined team now, we should decide on who our leader should be," Mitsuru said.
"Ooh is this my chance!?" Junpei whispered to himself.
"The most reasonable candidates would be our leader, the investigation teams or theirs."
"Oh, come on!"
"What do you think?" Mitsuru asked Minato
"Well, we should have 2 leaders, from each of our teams," Minato suggested,
"what do you mean?" Avdol asked.
"What I mean is that maybe your leader and me or Yu could both be leaders."
"That's a good idea, so then umm, which one is your leader?" Yukari asked.
"Well, we don't have a specific leader, we all take charge one way or another, but if one of us was the leader, then I suppose it would be Mr. joestar," Kakyoin said.
"So, if you guys don't have one specific leader, maybe you all could be the leader," Kanji suggested.
"Umm I don't see that working out."
"Actually, Tatsumi might be on to something, they all have showed good qualities in being a leader of some kind, whether it's intelligence, strategy, or strength, they all have something to contribute, if we were to try and choose a leader, it would end up in a huge debated that would last hours, possibly days, so it could work," Mitsuru said.
They were all surprised by this, especially Kanji, because no one's ever said an idea that he just came up with a second ago was a good idea, but none the less, they complied and decided to give it a shot.
"So, if their all the leader than how should we refer them as?" Chie asked.
"Maybe we could call them by what their best leader quality is, like the smart leader or the strategic leader," Junpei suggested.
"That sounds like it could get confusing," Shinjiro said.
"Or how about we label them leaders 1-5?" Akihiko suggested.
"That sounds even more confusing."
"Just call us by our names," Jotaro said.
"Alright then, but what about the other leader?" Rise asked.
"Maybe they both could be leaders, Yu could be vise leader and Minato could be co leader," Ken suggested.
"That's okay with me," Yu said.
"Same here," Minato said.
"Ummm… so I'll refer to you as vice leader and you as co leader, when providing support so you don't get confused, vice leader… co leader… oooh I hope I don't mess up," Fuuka said.
"I'll just keep calling Yu senpai, that's what I always call him anyway, well, with that out of the way, me and Fuuka-chan should get to the velvet room, come on!" Rise said.
"Y-yes!"
"Come on, I'm still younger than you, you don't have to be so formal with me!"
"Y-yes! I-I mean, okay," Fuuka said with a giggle.
They walked off to the velvet room and left the others.
"Um, Zen…" Rei said.
"You're scared, aren't you?" Zen asked.
"N-no, I can do this, I'm, I'm gonna go back with everyone!"
"Okay Rei-can, repeat after me! Group date, WOOHOO," Teddie said happily.
"G-group date WOOHOO."
With that, they all went into the next Labyrinth.
/Velvet room\
"Sister… why is it that those people have come together? It's true that this place is not reality per say, but for them to not come from spacetimes this way," Theodore asked.
"True… time always flows in one direction, yet, this distortion could eventually become a rip, which may eventually effect the real world," Margaret said.
"Affect the real world?" Elizabeth said.
"It's only a possibility." Theodore said.
"… Why is this a culture festival? If making this place a school wasn't specific enough, then…" Margaret said.
"This "culture festival" is a kind of ceremony… correct?"
"Ceremony…"
"There is 1 thing on my mind right now, the fact that the power of the wild card has changed, Minato, who before could freely summon any kind of persona, cannot remove Orpheus, mind you, he is now capable of summoning other Personas at the same time, but still…" Elizabeth said.
"This seems different from the usual principle behind the power of the wild card, it's as if that neutralized power had its abilities forcefully distorted, could it be related to this world after all?" Theodore questioned.
"Neutralize… Yes, this world is connected to the collective unconsciousness, it is a world constantly at flux with the power to change its shape, yet the power of the wild card, represents infinite possibility, had been neutralized, in other words, could it mean that this world is infinite? That it does not change?"
"Finite? Sister, what do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't know yet, in any case, we must not forget our roles, we may assist in our guests' journey, but we cannot intervene."
"Yes, though of course, we will assist them as much as possible, that reminds me sister, was there not something you wished to speak to me about? As I recall, you mentioned something about the group our guests met in the labyrinth and my guest?"
"Yes, when Joseph was telling them the story of his grandfather, I overheard some of it, and he said that their threat slept for a 100 years, but his story started in the year 1880 so that would possibly mean that from their point its somewhere in the 90s, and my guest is from the year 2011 of the gregorian calendar, which means you're…"
"Sister?"
"... Let's not, we are but bystanders to fate, I said myself just now that we cannot Intervene…"
"Very well, I choose to completely forget about the discussion."
"That will do… now then, everyone return to your posts."
Theodore and Elizabeth nodded and went back to the rooms they oversaw, during this whole conversation, Marie was just sitting by the table listening.
"All you guys talk about is boring stuff," Marie said to Margaret.
She just shrugged in response and sat down at the table.
To be continued
Well that's it guys, I hope you enjoyed, i know that when i do things like this no one responds, but this is an important thing for the story, who would you like to see Jotaro be paired with at the end of the group date cafe, hell my brother already voted for Teddie, cause of his polar opposite personality, but please leave who you want to see, follow, fav, review and happy Halloween!