Ch. 23 Who can you Trust?

The red and white train continued to roll down the tracks. Metal chugging between the rails and the wheels clashed as it moved. Sunlight peeked into the cabin from the glass windows, but the shadows from the telephone wires were casted along the room. The scenery outside was remarkable with small houses arranged to the right with fields of lush, green grass to the left. The small yellow mouse was very entranced by the landscape as it stood on the blue-cushioned seats. "Pika…!" Jolt said with amazement. Sitting across from him was the Hispanic with his usual apparel: a red baseball T-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers. His tool belt wrapped around his waist filled with useful equipment from time to time. However, Rai had his arms folded while his eyes remained shut. He didn't look too happy with the way things were at this point. With his right eye, he glanced over to the person sharing the seat next to him; A teenage girl with light blue hair in a school uniform complete with a yellow vest and a long white sleeve shirt. She wore her red bow tie and a pair of white knee socks. Her green and yellow-checkered skirt and her purple ribbon were her key features; not to mention her…assets. Kurumu simply smiled as she continued to look in Rai's direction. He became more irritated with each passing second.

"…I think it's time you explain to me," Rai spoke in a growing tone, "What you think you're doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Kurumu responded nonchalantly. "I'm here to totally help you out!" She gave off an innocent smile.

"I see, so how did you know I'd be here?"

"Well, I found this on the back of the bus," Kurumu pulled out Rai's letter of resignation.

"Hey guys," Kurumu called everyone over, "Check this out!" Tsukune and the girls were looking over Kurumu as they read the paper she held. They all stood in the middle of the dirt path leading up to the school. So far, it was the middle of the night where they assumed training would begin after the northern castle fiasco.

"Mr. Ortega is leaving Yokai Academy?" Moka asked.

"It looks that way," Mizore said behind a tombstone.

"It says he 'has duties to fulfill as a Celestial Reaper'," Yukari pointed to the paper. Kurumu scanned over the words he wrote.

"Why the hell would he decide to leave now?" Kurumu asked furiously.

"He did say it was his job to protect other worlds," Moka insisted.

"He said he was searching for something," Tsukune added. "Moka's father told him to find the royal family, and that she'll know where to find a 'soul' or something." The five of them kept silent for the time being. Sure, they didn't really know him, but he had been there to help them out when they were in some serious danger.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah—but who?" Tsukune pondered.

"That's when I volunteered to help!" Kurumu said with enthusiasm. "You know you can't pull this off without me. My skills and charms will definitely come in handy!" When she finished talking, she noticed Rai wasn't paying any attention. Instead, he was picking around in his pockets. "Hey! Were you even listening to me!?" Rai pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.

"Here, take this," Rai handed it to her.

"Thanks," Kurumu took it, "But why?"

"It's enough to get you on the next train home. Keep the change."

"W-what!?" Kurumu leapt from her seat. "I came all this way here and now you're telling me to get lost?"

"I didn't ask you to be here," Rai fired back. "You're supposed to be back at school. Why the hell would you think of coming with me to begin with?"

"Duh, because I can be useful and have you not get killed!"

"You're a kid! You won't survive outside in the human world!" Rai rubbed his eyelids. "Great, now I'm stuck here babysitting."

"Don't give me that crap!" Kurumu shout furiously, "I don't need your permission to be here, you got that!?"

"No, it's obvious you don't get it. There are things outside of your school that you've never seen before. There's magic, villains, and who knows what else."

"I've handled tough monsters before, so don't think I can't protect myself."

"Jolt, back me up here!" Jolt was busy sleeping. "…Great."

"Why the hell does the runt gets to go with you and I can't!?" Kurumu asked.

"Because I know what he's capable of," Rai answered as he rose from his seat. "You can't even save yourself from a pretty boy. I had to come in and save your ass!"

Intercom: Thank you for riding with us! In just a few moments, we will be reaching our final stop at Yasoinaba Station. Please prepare to exit.

"You wouldn't last a day on your own!"

"Yeah I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Yeah, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Just watch me!" The train began approaching the station. Kurumu started running for the exit.

"Kurumu, get back here!" Rai reached over the top storage carrier and grabbed his scythe. Jolt woke from his nap and saw Rai running down the aisle. He jumped off the seat and rushed after him. The train soon came to a complete stop as the doors slid open. Kurumu jumped off the train and stepped onto the platform. Her wings shot out from her back and her black tail slithered out from underneath her skirt. She leapt from the ground and soared into the sky. Rai quickly exited the train as he watched the succubus fly away. "¡Dios mío! How does Tsukune put up with her!?" Rai tried desperately to follow her on foot, but she began fading off into the distance.

The students exited the school building. After a hard day's work, it was now time for them to enjoy their weekend. One student had on his sunshades as well as his backpack slinking over his right shoulder. He walked past the school gate and made his way down the hill. As the stared up at the gray clouds forming above him, he knew there might be a change in the forecast. "Looks like rain," Prowl said to himself. As he stared off into the blue, a figure flew beyond his sight as a small flying bat with a long tail. "...I didn't know it was already this late." He simply shrugged it off and moved on. Raindrops began to fall on his forehead as the drizzle increased.

"God Damn it!" Rai shouted in the streets of Inaba. The small water trickles began descending to earth. Rai gazed around the area. There was nobody to hear him shout. He stood out in the open by a large red arch where just nearby were a small shrine and the street splitting into three different pathways. If he took the right path, Rai would end up back over by the small shops and the gas station. Taking the other route was still unknown to him. Jolt stood next to Rai and looked up to his angered partner. "What is with that chick!? She's driving me nuts!" The rain only poured more over the two. "…*sigh*…we're getting nowhere with this." Rai picked up Jolt and ran down the street. His footsteps splashed in the puddles as he made his way along the unknown street. He traversed onto a gray bridge above the highway.

"Pika Pi?" Jolt spoke from underneath Rai's shirt.

"We gotta find a place to stay the night!" Rai yelled from amidst the roaring waters. Rai turned his attention from left to right in search of a hotel, a lodge…anything to escape the rain. It wasn't long before they reached a large structure just up the road. The building stood shaped like a temple with white padded windows and wooden frames alongside the walls. There was a massive red arch that provided a small patio area before entering from the front door. Rai ran past the two pillars that led toward the entrance. The slap of water on his feet made splashes as he ran on the stone pathway as. He pulled the door open and slammed it shut. The man panted under his breath as his clothes dripped of water. Jolt scrambled out from Rai's shirt and began shaking his fur like a wet dog. "Hey, down boy!" Before he noticed, a woman came walking up to him. The young girl had long black hair and a smile of courtesy. She had on a blue kimono with a white apron and a red sash wrapped around her waist along with a thin, white twine. Her appearance and stature proved her to be a professional waitress and a kind-hearted person. She bowed to him with a warm welcome.

"Welcome to the Amagi Inn," she greeted. "We hope you enjoy your…my goodness! What happened to you?"

"Oh, you know," Rai chuckled. "Just got caught singing in the rain, hehe." He ruffled his hair as the water splashed everywhere. He was soaking wet with a small puddle forming underneath him. "So, this is a hotel, right?"

"Y-yes…" she answered. "This is where visitors of Inaba come to stay on their travel. Are you visiting from out of town?"

"Uh…yeah, we're just passing by when the rain started. Do the trains still make trips at this time?"

"I'm sorry, but they usually don't run until the rain lifts. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay here for the night."

"Pika!" Jolt was pleased for the accommodations. The girl jumped back.

"Wait!" she cried. "What is that?"

"Oh this? It's my…rabbit?"

Crunch!

"Ow!" Jolt bit his ear.

"Oh, alright then. Please remove your footwear and I'll lead you to your guest room." Rai took off his sneakers and followed right behind the girl. Jolt marched beside Rai as they went down the hallway. The flooring was well-polished oak and the walls were half boarded from the bottom; the rest was golden wallpaper. Near the ceiling were small square lanterns giving off gentle light within the building. The girl started talking back to herself. "Singing in the rain…? *chuckle* Hahahaha." She hid her giggles underneath her arm. Rai and Jolt stared with confusion.

"Did she just get it?" As they continued down the corridors, the doors were closed with guests either talking or sleeping. Some of the staffs were staring oddly at the traveler following behind the innkeeper's daughter. When the three made the next right, the waitress stopped and slid the door open. It revealed a nice spacious room with a small table in the center and a television resting on a small cabinet with two dressers. Next to the television was an old telephone for room service. The floor had lined carpeting with small slabs of wood running across. As they walked in, there was a cupboard designed like the sliding door. A second door just like the one for the room lead into a small den with a table draped in a white sheet and a chair with cushioned pads and legs fashioned as a seat made of straw. Another sliding door was to the right, but it had only a large screen on each door with a design stitched in like a withered tree.

"This will be your living accommodations for the evening," she bowed. "We do hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Thanks, we really appreciate it." Rai began removing his belt and placed his scythe near the front door. The girl stared at the weapon, unsure of its purpose. She then looked over to the small yellow 'rabbit' as it jumped onto the table and ran for the bowl of nuts. "So, who do I thank for this nice service?"

"…My name…? It's Yukiko. Yukiko Amagi. I help run my family's Inn."

"This is your Inn? Not bad place you got here. Best one I've seen for miles."

"Why, thank you! Let us know if there is anything you need, okay?" Yukiko closed the door behind them.

"It's a lot nicer than that shack we stayed in, right Jolt...Jolt?" The quiet mouse stared out the window from the tall table. The rain poured outside as it splattered on the glass. Lightning flashed through the sky with a roar of bellowing thunder. His ears were curved down and an expression of worry planted on its face.

"…Pika pi…?"

"…its fine, Jolt. Kurumu's a tough girl; she can survive one night out on her own. Besides, she's probably staying at a nice place like us."

The rain continued to shower over the entire town. At the JUNES department store, a girl had rushed into the building in hopes of avoiding the cold weather. With one finger, her nail grew almost four inches as she picked the lock to the entrance. The door flew open as she ran inside the shopping center into the summer accessories. She looked around and found a soft beach towel to dry herself off. She started removing her bulky, damp vest and unbuttoning her see-thru shirt. "Damn that asshole!" she yelled out. "Thinking he knows better than me. Who does he think he is?" Her voice echoed off into the empty market. Once her clothes were removed, Kurumu took a hold on a set of swimsuits and fitted herself in a red and black bikini outfit. She gazed at the products and merchandise stacked along the shelves and display cases. "Man, this place is so big. I didn't know humans could want so much stuff." She strolled over to the electronics department of the facility. There were all kinds of technology from televisions to digital clocks and occasional stereo systems to boot.

[11:58]

"Geez, this stuff looks expensive." She looked down at the prices. "…It is expensive!"

[11:59]

Kurumu stared down at a blank television screen. It was none other than a 42' high definition. Her own reflection was the only thing visible. Her hair was a mess, but the suite she had on gave her a nice view. She winked at the screen, but continued to play the same words Rai had told her.

"You wouldn't last a day on your own!"

"Who needs him? I can be just fine without him! Celestial Reaper, my ass. I can't believe I volunteered to help this guy out. What do they see in him? I should be with my Tsukune instead of those other skanks!"

[12:00]

"I could be baking Tsukune something so sweet or maybe something with a hint of love potion inside ~!" The TV flickered on. A snowy screen appeared in front of Kurumu. "Huh?" On the monitor, a fuzzy black creature stared at her with glowing red eyes. It moved closer to the screen until the only thing visible was its black face. The figure began to morph out of the glass until its entire being came into existence on the other side. Kurumu stepped away and drew out her succubus power. "Back off! What the hell are you!?" The being fixed its hunched appearance until it stood straight up. From its back, a pair of giant bat wings shot out and a long black tail came lashing from its rear end. Kurumu slashed her claws at the shadow, but they phased right through it. With each swipe, she would try and leave scratches on her target, but they proved useless as it regenerated. "N-no, that's not possible!" Kurumu treaded back from fear. The creature walked closer to Kurumu until she was backed to a shelf of alarm clocks. She looked over and grabbed one. "Stay back!" She threw it at the black creature. The clock phased through its body. The black creature lundged at Kurumu and forced her body to the floor.

Amagi Inn

"ZzZzZzZz…" Jolt slept on the floor with bed sheets wrapped around it. Rai leaned back on the chair and sat by the window; staring outside as the rain simmered down not long ago. He had taken a bath and changed out of his regular clothes into something more relaxing like blue and white striped pajamas with a dark blue robe over it. In his hand was a can of Cola. It was his fifth drink as the other four rested empty on the white table.

"…" He continued staring outside; hoping to see something he was looking for.

*Click*

"…Mm?" The TV screen turned on. A snowy picture began to form. Rai turned his attention to the monitor. He fell down to the screen and watched the scene playing. At first it was fuzzy, but then the picture became clearer and highly resolute. The background looked like a luxurious mansion with a well-decorated lobby with a golden glimmer to the floor, ceiling, and polished staircase. There was a long red carpet that led over to the two staircases that continued up on the second floor. A giant chandelier hanged over the lobby with its many crystals arranged in a circular pattern; lowering into smaller layers. A girl was standing in front of the screen in a very appealing French maid outfit. Everything was perfect from the black frilly skirt underneath a white apron to the uniform hat complete with white stockings and her black high-heeled shoes. Her corset was black with white frills running along the edge where it met her cleavage. Thin straps connected the upper dress over shoulders to the back of her costume. Her arms were wrapped with a black arm strap on her upper arms and allowed silk sleeves to run down her hands where they looped around the middle finger. She wore a black collar with a white ribbon tied in a bow. On her head was a white frilly headband much like Kurumu's. In fact, her stature, face, and bust all resembled Kurumu completely.

"Ya-hoo-hoo, my adoring public ~," Kurumu winked to the audience. "This is Kurumu Kurono presenting you with my new program called…

[KURUMU'S BRIDE-TO-BE TRAINING!]

"I'll be starting my preparations so I can become the perfect wife for my perfect destined one. All you guys out there, be sure to come on over and get a chance to meet me in person ~. I'll be waiting~!"

*Click*

The TV turned off. Rai stared at the black screen; unsure of what had just happened now. "…marriage…why is it always marriage…?"

Kurumu began to open her eyes. She felt dazed and confused at the events that took place a few hours ago. When she came to, she was looking at the curtains to a luxurious bed with four long wooden poles constructing a small roof of sheets over her head. She wriggled her arms, but felt the slacking of handcuffs chaining her to the bed frame. Kurumu twisted and turned over the sheets to break free, but it proved to be useless. When she looked around, she noticed the room to be preppy and well refurbished. A small fireplace rested on the wall in front of her with a large, comfy chair facing at it. The curtains were a fine fabric of red laced with gold yarn for the levers to raise or drop. There were paintings of Kurumu running on the wall with her in erotic and beautiful outfits from maid to elegance to class to sexual appeal. Kurumu suddenly realized that she was in her see-through nightgown over her pink bra and underwear; specially decorated with one small purple bow on each piece. "W-where the hell am I?"

"Where else would you be?" A voice answered back to Kurumu behind a two-door entrance to her right. The knob slowly opened. From behind the door, a maid walked in with her 'suggestive' French maid outfit.

"Who are you!?" Kurumu gasped.

"My, I thought it was made clear who I was." She walked over to Kurumu by the bed. She looked over to her with the same face, but her eyes were a faded topaz of emptiness and false identity. "After all, I am you ~." She pulled out her whip hidden in her apron. "It's time to begin your training as a faithful servant ~."

The morning had risen over Inaba. The day after the shower had brought back a cool refreshing breeze in the weather. At the Amagi Inn, the guests were ready to leave; either checking out or going over to see the sites. However, two of the house guests were quickly gearing up to go out. Rai latched on his tool belt and grabbed onto his scythe. "Let's go Jolt."

"Pika!" They both ran down out of the room and hurried down the hallway. As they made the next left…

Crash!

Rai collided onto a guest. "Ow…!" Rai rubbed his head and picked himself off from the floor. He grabbed onto the kid's arm and lifted him. "Hey, sorry about that. I'm in a hurry." Rai took off. The stranger looked over his shoulder. He was stunned to have just run into someone he knew. He was ready to chase after him, but he had to be at school pretty soon. He put on his sunglasses and walked back to his room.

"…Dumbass."

Rai made his way down to the front door. He took off his slippers and started putting on his shoes. Yukiko was dressed in her red school uniform complete with a red headband, a black and white skirt, and a red jacket. Underneath her black collar was a yellow ascot and for the lower half; black stockings. She held her school bag in her hands.

"Are you leaving so soon?" Yukiko asked.

"Huh…? Oh yeah, I really need to be going. I need to look for someone in town. Thanks for everything!" Rai slid open the door and ran out.

"Strange…I guess he went to catch his train." Yukiko began to slip on her shoes. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway. When she turned, it was her classmate. "Julio, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm already set. I thought I said to just call me Prowl?"

"Why?"

"It's cooler that way." She began to giggle. Oh boy, here we go again.

Rai began to search the town for Kurumu. To cover more ground, he and Jolt decided to split up and cover more ground. Wherever they passed by something, they were sure to check.

Rai observed by the riverbed near the park. He saw kids playing alongside the hills and grassy routes.

Jolt went into town and passed through the MOEL gas station up the street passed the shop with an armored samurai suit hanging outside. It wasn't long before he reached the city streets.

With each passing second, they both became more cautious as the search grew longer. Rai went as far as going over to the only high school in town. "Shit; nothing." Rai paced himself. "Please don't what I saw on TV be what I think it was." As Rai turned back down the hill, he noticed a boy bringing his bike up. He had a black school uniform and brown hair that sort of fanned out from the back. The accessory that made him stand out from the others kids was his red and black headphones on his neck. Rai ran over to him. "Hey, kid!"

"Huh? You mean me?" the headphone boy answered.

"Yeah, I mean who else would I talk to with a bike like that?"

"I guess you have a point there…"

"Listen, I need to borrow your bike for a little while."

"My bike!? Dude, I need this thing to get home from school every day! I can't just lend it to a complete stranger!" Rai took out his hand.

"Hey, I'm Raimundo Ortega, and you are…"

"I'm Yosuke Hanamura; I've lived here for about…that's not what I meant!"

"Look, this is an emergency. I need to find someone fast and I know your bike can do it. Just help me out here, alright."

"Someone's gone missing? When did this happen?"

"Just yesterday when we arrived here in Inaba. She's a girl with blue hair, yellow vest, white socks…" Rai pulled out his measuring tape. He stretched it from the ground to his chest. "…And about yay-high." Yosuke thought about it for a moment…but there weren't any ideas that came to mind.

"Sorry man, I don't have a clue who you're talking about." Yosuke pushed the bicycle over to Rai. "But if you want to use my bike, go for it. Just try to bring it back when you're done."

"Thanks, I owe you one!" Rai jumped onto the bike and rode downhill to the bottom. He pushed onward back to town. Yosuke pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open. He dialed the buttons and held it to his ear as he made a call.

"…Hey, Chie…Listen, there's a guy who just said his friend had gone missing…Yeah, I know. We might need to go check it out. Tell the others to meet up over by JUNES after school."

Jolt ran down the street until he rammed into someone's leg. Jolt toppled over to his feet. He rubbed the sore he now had on his head. "Pika?" Jolt looked up to see a blond guy with his hair pulled back and a nose ring on his nostril. He had on a purple long-sleeve shirt with a white skull on his chest. He wore his black jacket over his right arm and black stubbed boots. He looked down at the small rodent who cowered under his shadow.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you little runt." He looked down at the little mouse. He blushed. "You're a…cute little fella, aren't ya?"

"Pi?"

"Don't get me wrong; I'm still pissed that you ran into me. Just watch where you're going, got it?" Jolt wasn't sure what he was talking about, so he continued on his way. "That was pretty weird."

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The man pulled out his phone.

"Yo, Kanji here…Hmm…what? Someone went missing? What kind of shit are you talking about!? I thought we were done with this crap!"

Rai continued to pedal until his legs became completely sore. He stopped in front of a large department store where a crowd of people began to gather near the entrance. There were police cars parked with red and blue lights flashing and officers talking amongst themselves. Rai got off his bike and started walking over to the scene. "What happened here?"

"The news around town is that there was a break in at JUNES," a random pedestrian spoke. "It wouldn't be the first time since this happened before."

"A break in?" Rai parked his bike and began crossing over the police tape. He walked over to one of the police officers investigating the front door. The man had a buttoned blue shirt with a red tie. He had a rough five o' clock shadow and a cigar rete in his mouth. He kneeled down to inspect the latch on the glass entrance.

"This doesn't make sense," he said to himself. "There was no forced entry."

"Excuse me, officer," Rai tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh?" The policeman turned around. "I thought I told no one is allowed over by the crime scene except for investigators?"

"Sorry, but I wanted to talk with you for a minute, Mr.…"

"Dojima, and can we make this quick; I have work to do."

…

"So, you're saying you lost your cousin yesterday and now she's missing?" Dojima asked.

"In short, pretty much. It happened a while before the storm dropped by."

"Hmm…That's odd…this place was actually broken into about the same time."

"Really? How?"

"That's what's bugging me." Dojima scratched his chin. "There aren't any signs of forceful entry, but that's not the weirdest part; they didn't steal anything this time."

"What do you mean 'this time'?"

"The first time JUNES was broken into was about a few weeks ago. The only thing stolen was a large screen television. But just last night, there was a sign of a struggle." Rai stood burdened by the news.

"…A struggle?"

"I shouldn't be telling you this; I need to get back to work. If we find something, we'll let you know right away." Dojima went back to studying the crime scene. Rai walked back over to his bike and continued his search.

It wasn't long before he had reached the MOEL gas station in the small streets. "Damn, there's still no sign of her." From a distance, Jolt was running towards Rai. He leapt onto the tire and over to the handle bars. "Hey buddy, any luck?" Jolt lowered his ears in sure sign of defeat. "Then let's keep searching." Rai began to pedal, until someone had stepped in their path. The boy looked to have the same outfit that Yosuke had, but this student wore black sunglasses.

"Hey, you were looking for something?" He asked.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry kid, but I gotta go." Rai started biking around him.

"You don't have a clue where she is, do you?" Julio asked without turning his head. Rai gripped the hand brake. The bike came to a screeching halt. He didn't move.

"…How did you know?" Rai questioned. "If you think this is some game, I'm not interested in playing."

"Relax; I overheard you back at the Inn. Who was it?"

"It's a girl. She had on a school uniform and a huge pair of…ribbons." The boy looked in the direction of Yasogami High.

"I guess one day out of class wouldn't kill me…probably." He eyed over to the mouse staring at him. Julio started walking down the street. "Come on, let's talk."

"…Sure, I guess." Rai got off his bike and began pushing it as he conversed with the boy.

The five kids gathered at the small food court near the JUNES store. There they sat on a picnic table waiting for their final member to show. "What the hell is taking her so long?" Kanji asked.

"She said she had to go check a new Kung Fu movie coming out," Yosuke replied.

"She does have the tendency to be drawn to that kind of entertainment," The third member interrupted. At first glance, she seemed short with a blue detective coat with a police hat.

"Come on, guys, she'll be here soon," The fourth member added. She had brown hair tied in two round pigtails with a feminine version of the school uniform. The only difference was her black checkered skirt and long knee socks. "We know how important it is to Chie."

"Man, why she can't be a normal girl and enjoy those sappy romantic comedies instead of being a martial art maniac," Yosuke thought out loud.

"And there she is now," Yukiko assured.

"Hey, who are you calling a martial art maniac!?" From behind, a girl in a green and yellow sweater grabbed Yosuke by the head and started squeezing the air out of him. "And just so you know, I got a pretty great deal with this movie. It was just released last week!"

"Yeah, that's great; now could you stop trying to kill me!" Yosuke tapped out repeatedly.

"I think it's time we get down to the point why we're here," Naoto offered. Everyone regained their attention as they became aware of the situation. "As it turns out, there has been some strange events that have been occurring as of late."

"That's right," Chie spoke out. "This morning, there were police officers investigating the store. They say someone sneaked into the store last night, right?"

"I doubt it," Yosuke interrupted. "By what they told me, someone had broken in without breaking any of the doors or windows. But, there was a huge mess over by the electronics and some of the stuff was completely trashed."

"What, so something came out of the TV and started wrecking the place?" Kanji asked.

"Hey guys," Rise spoke with concern, "What if something didn't just come out, but took something in?"

"…Wait!" Yukiko interjected. "There was this one guy who stayed over at our Inn! He said someone he knew had gone missing before the rain started."

"You don't think…" Rise stopped in the middle of her sentence.

"Whatever it is, we should stop by tonight and see if there's anything on the other side," Naoto suggested.

"Speaking of which, has anyone seen Teddie, lately?" Chie asked.

"Now that you mention it; I haven't heard from the fur ball in a while," Kanji added.

"He might now what's happening over there," said Yukiko.

Rai and the newfound boy talked amongst one another. They discussed the matters about where they've been and how they've lived up till now. "You're a student here in Inaba?" Rai asked.

"Yeah, nothing special really," Prowl replied. "I moved here just a few weeks ago and I'm staying at the Amagi Inn. By the way, thanks for the wakeup call."

"Wake up…? Oh yeah, my bad," Rai laughed cowardly to try and apologize for that morning. The boy looked down at Jolt who was sitting on the handles while Rai pushed the bike.

"That's one weird pet you got."

"Uh, sure…it's my rabbit. I call him Jolt." Rai petted his 'rabbit', but it didn't look too pleased.

"Right…" Julio simply ignored the false information. "So, you were looking for someone?"

"Yeah, her name is Kurumu Kurono. You have any ideas where she is?"

"I do, but I just hope she isn't there." Rai cocked an eyebrow.

"That didn't sound very reassuring." It was then that they arrived at JUNES. The police already left the scene and the people went back to shopping like nothing ever happened. Rai placed the bike over by the entrance and proceeded down to the department store. Jolt hopped back onto Rai's shoulder. Prowl lead Rai pass the products on sale and over to the electronics section. They were now in front of a 42' high definition television. "Damn, this place is more expensive than a Wal-Mart during the Christmas season."

"No kidding…I mean, yeah, it's pretty expensive."

As the crew left the food court, they rode the elevator up to the first floor of the market. When they exited, Kanji was the first to notice something outside. "Hey, dude," he shoved Yosuke, "Isn't that you're bike over there?" Everyone turned to see Yosuke's orange bike lying next to the main entrance.

"Hey, you're right," Yosuke replied. "He's probably here right now."

"Who are you talking about?" Naoto asked.

"It's the same guy who said his friend went missing." The bike toppled over. "He didn't put the kickstand up!?"

"If he's somewhere in the mall, we can probably try to meet up with him," Yukiko suggested.

"That's an awesome idea!" Rise applauded. "He can tell us more about the girl who went missing!" The investigation Team went into the store and began their search. Yosuke dragged his feet as he started.

"…You're kidding right?" Rai asked as Prowl had just explained the situation. "I know I saw her last night on the TV, but was it really her doing all of that?"

"…yep," he answered. He began to stick his hand inside the television screen. As his fingers touched the gray monitor, the pixels echoed and allowed his hand to sink in like a pool of water. "…How's that?"

"Trust me; after what I've been through, nothing surprises me at this point." Jolt leapt off of Rai and onto Julio's arm. As it sniffed the screen, it poked its small paw inside the moving picture.

"You ready to go in?" Julio asked.

"…more or less," Rai said with uncertainty.

Chie and Naoto looked around the corner aisle and witnessed the scene. "Hey, check it out!" Chie pointed over to the two boys. Julio had started placing his foot into the TV and walked inside. Jolt quickly jumped in. Rai slowly stuck his head into the screen and became swallowed by the monitor. "D-Did they just go inside the TV!?"

"We should let the others know about this," Naoto confirmed.

The world around him began to twist and turn. The growing patterns of squares flashed before Rai in a mere matter of seconds. Before he knew it, Rai had landed on the ground.

Thud!

Rai landed feet first and tucked into a roll. His scythe came crashing down beside him. His face was planted to the pavement as his rear end rose upward. Jolt jumped on top of Rai's posterior and scanned the area as a lookout. "Get off my ass…" Rai muffled.

"Pika?" Jolt leapt off and stood by Rai's head. He picked himself up and began brushing off the dirt from his clothes. Once he was aware of his condition, he took a quick peek of the area surrounding him. It looked to be a schoolyard with cherry blossoms filling the air. In front of them was the gate leading off campus while the school itself shadowed over them. It was like they never left the real world. Rai then turned to the one thing that annoyed him.

"So…what's with the cameras?" Rai asked. "Is someone shooting a movie here or what?" The area was covered with camera equipment along with spotlights and small televisions.

"Funny," Julio responded. "I said the same thing when I first came here." He walked ahead of Rai. He stood over by the gates. "Ever heard of the Midnight Channel?"

"Midnight Channel? The only things on at midnight are the 'special' shows for the adults."

"Genius; not those kinds of shows." Rai picked up his scythe and followed Prowl as they continued on their conversation. "The Midnight Channel was something happening in Inaba. People got taken in and killed by shadows. A while ago, there have been a lot of monsters showing up here."

"You think that Kurumu was thrown in here?" Rai asked.

"Yea, but the question is who or what threw her in." The three continued down the street past the small shops like the ones in the real world. There was the book store, the mini-mart, even the small noodle shop called AYA. Rai tried to call out to her.

"Kurumu, where are you!?" Rai shouted.

"Pikachu!" Jolt yelled after. Suddenly, footsteps began to clatter along the sidewalk. Rai, Julio, and Jolt stopped moving.

"You guys heard that?" Rai asked.

"Doesn't sound like we're alone," Julio stated.

"Hold it, you two!" A voice shouted. They turned to see three kids about Julio's age who had followed them to the TV world. "We're not gonna let you get away with this."

"Damn straight," Kanji yelled out.

"Yukiko, take them on the right!" Chie shouted as she sprang from the gas station roof.

"I'm on it," Yukiko replied as she crossed over the fence. From behind Kanji and Yosuke, Rise was preparing herself to aid the group. Naoto stood ahead of the three as she blocked their path.

"You three are under arrest by the Investigation Team," she ordered.

"Are you serious!?" Rai pointed out. "What is it with getting into trouble with kids?" Yukiko looked over to the boys being surrounded. She then saw Prowl turning his head; trying to not have her recognize him.

"…Julio?" she said.

"What?" Yosuke asked. "You mean our classmate?"

"No wonder this guy's been quiet since he got here," Kanji assumed. "I bet he's the one starting to throw people into the TV again."

"Then it's time to take him on!" Chie yelled out.

"…Julio…? Prowl!?" Rai was shocked. "How the fuck did you get here!?"

"…Don't ask," Prowl sweat dropped. The five kids all called out their summoned allies. A bustling of blue light shrouded them as a small card floated down in their hands. In unison, they grabbed onto the white square and gave out their battle cry.

"PERSONA!"

-To Be Continued-

The long anticipated reunion has arrived! How will the Investigation Team play out against the small trio of heroes? What will become of Kurumu and the being that captured her? All material used in this story belong to their respective owners. Let me know how the story is playing out and thank you for your time and interest. Before I go, here's a little preview!

[Next Scent]

Naoto: Don't let him get away!

Rai: Guys, this is my brother.

Kurumu: What do want from me?

? : Don't you see that Tsukune chose that vampire slut over you!?

? : It's a big grizzly!

Rai: Just hang on a little longer!

[I Won't Back Down!]
[To Be Next]