Chapter 7
"Huh...I wonder what would happen if I put my hand in the TV...? Could I touch her?" Ellen thought to herself as she looked at the silhouette.
She then placed her hand in the TV and felt nothing as the image disappeared. Giving up, Ellen went to bed.
Her dreams placed her back into the Velvet Room seeing Igor and Margaret. "Welcome. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world...I have summoned you within your dreams." Igor said.
Ellen nodded and he then said "And so we meet again."
This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract may enter...In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice...thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power." Margaret said.
"Hold on to this..." Igor said handing her a blue key.
She took it and then he said "From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance...You must abide by your contract and assume responsibility for all decisions you may make."
"I understand, but that other Persona...the dragon, what was that? It didn't feel right." Ellen said.
"It is merely another side of you trying to reveal itself, but I understand your concern. You must be very careful when summoning it. The results of that side could change everything." Igor said.
Ellen nodded and thought to herself "So I need to stay calm in the other world...I can manage that."
"Now then, the Persona you have acquired...It is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as...a façade of determination you wear to face various difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card...Compared of that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero...empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."
"Empty...?" Ellen asked.
"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart...And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities." Igor said.
"Control one's heart..." Ellen muttered.
"Social Links are necessary for more that strengthening your Persona. At times, they will help light the way to the truth you are searching for." Margaret said.
"Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you...? I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together...*chuckle* 'Til we meet again..." Igor said.
Everything went white and she woke up. She sat up and looked out the window thinking to herself "Bonds...huh."
As she walked to school, Yosuke came up behind her with his bike saying "Yo!"
She turned and said "Hey."
"You saw what was on last night, right? I couldn't tell who it was, but if someone's shown up on TV, we can't ignore it. Let's go check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell us something."
"Yeah...I think I have a guess on who was on the TV." Ellen said.
"Really?"
"I believe it was Yukiko. The kimono that I saw on TV looked similar to her's."
"I hope not...but, if it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all this. Even if it is something about that place that's killing the victims...If someone's using that world as a weapon, that's unforgivable. We need to find the culprit...no matter what it takes! There's no way the police can do it...Who'd believe that the murderer kills people by throwing them into the TV?"
"...Yeah, you make a good point but, if we are going to do this...I don't want us to over do it. It will be no good if we die as well."
"Hehe...Cool. It's reassuring to hear someone else say it and don't worry, we'll be careful. Also I tired sticking my head in the TV last night, the way you did, and it actually worked. I think I can do that now because I have the same power...Persona, wasn't it?"
Ellen nodded and said "So I guess we can say that anyone who has a Persona can enter into to the TV. I think it's something to keep in mind."
"Yeah, could it be that we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve the case? Then again, you managed to go inside the TV and get your Persona first...I feel like, as long as you're with me, I can find the culprit and crack this case...Well, let's do our best!"
Yosuke offers up his hand and she shook feeling a faint stirring of friendship between Yosuke and her. She also felt a little strong somehow.
A little later in the classroom, Chie came in looking a bit worried. Yosuke said standing next to Ellen who was sitting in her desk "Uh...Chie! Um...About yesterday...We're sorry we worried you..."
"Yeah, we should have thought things better." Ellen said.
"Never mind that. Is Yukiko still not here?" Chie asked.
"Huh? Y-Yukiko-san? Uh...no...? At least, I haven't seen her today." Yosuke said.
"Oh man...What should I do...? Hey, is that stuff you were talking about for real? You know...All that about how people showing up on the Midnight Channel is related to that other world." Chie asked.
"Oh, we were just talking about that. We're thinking of checking it out later-" Yosuke tried to say.
"The person on TV yesterday...I think it was Yukiko. That kimono looked like the one she wears at the inn, and she wore it during that interview a few days too. I got worried, so I emailed her last night, but she hasn't responded...I called her earlier in the evening though, and she said she'd be at school today...I-I..." Chie said.
"Well, you're not alone. Ellen suggested the same thing but, you still haven't heard from her?" Yosuke asked.
"No..." Chie said.
Ellen gave a quick sum up of what they learned about the other world and Chie said after that "What's that supposed to mean...? Wait, are you saying...Yukiko was thrown in there!?"
"It's a possibly." Ellen said.
"But we don't know yet for sure. We should check to see if she's safe first. Give her another call." Yosuke said.
Chie pulled up her phone and tried calling her. After a bit, Chie said "No good...Her voicemail picked up...S-She's not answering..." Chie said panicking a little.
"Calm down, Chie. We'll accomplish nothing by worrying. Try calling the inn. I'm sure they have a number, yes?" Ellen said.
"Oh yeah!" Chie said.
She called the inn and after a bit and she soon said "Oh, is this Yukiko!?"
Then she whispered to the others "Thank god, she's there!"
She talked on the phone a bit then hung up and said "*sigh* She was over at the inn. She said they had a big group reservation and she had to help out. Yeah...Now that I think about it, this has happened before, too. At least once a year. She said she'll be at the inn tomorrow, too."
Then she said looking annoyed "Oh, for crying out loud, guys! You got me worried over nothing! She was totally fine! And you were all like "It's a possibly..." Hmph..."
"It may still be a possibly. I'm not going to deny it until I know for sure." Ellen said folding her arms.
"Yeah, there's is a reason we thought that." Yosuke said.
"Oh yeah...? What...?" Chie asked.
"Well...we thought people show up on the Midnight Channel because they're already over in that world. I mean, it makes sense, right? People show up on TV because they're inside the TV...But Yukiko-san here, in our world. We might want to see what this is about." Yosuke said.
"Yeah, because now with this knowledge the image we saw seems more like a random note." Ellen said.
"Yeah, let's meet up at Junes after school." Yosuke said.
They all agreed and after school they met at the electronics department at Junes. Ellen exampled in more detail on what happened in the other world. "O-Okay, I think that's more than enough about my sorry escapades." Yosuke said when she was done.
"If I hadn't seen the place first hand...I'd never have believed a story like that." Chie said.
"Yeah, no kidding. Anyways, we need to know what's going on inside-" Yosuke said.
"How? By talking to that Teddie guy?" Chie asked.
"Yeah. Too bad there's so many customers around...I forgot there's a sale in the electronics department today...I got I! C'mere a sec." Yosuke said.
They walked closer to the TV and Yosuke said to Ellen "Try sticking your hand in and calling him over. I bet that bear's wandering around the entrance anyway. Hey Chie, stand over here. Make a wall with me."
"A wall?" Chie asked.
They both surrounded Ellen and with that Ellen stick her hand in the TV and beckoned Teddie over only to be painfully bit by him. "Ow! That little biting piece of..." Ellen muttered angrily clutching her bitten hand .
"What's wrong!?" Yosuke asked loudly.
"Shhh! Not so loud, you idoit." Chie said to Yosuke.
Then she saw Ellen's injured hand and asked "Woah, is that a bite mark!? Are you okay!?"
"Better then what that bear is going to be..." Ellen muttered.
"Wow, that looks like it hurts. Sheesh, that stupid bear must have done it..." Chie said.
She turned to the TV and said "Hey, you! We know you're in there!"
They heard Teddie say from the TV "Ooh ooh, is this a game?"
"No, it's not a game, Teddie. First, a personal rule that is happening starting now is don't bite Sensei. Got it?" Ellen said trying to keep her cool.
"Sorry, I thought it was Yosuke..." Teddie said.
"*sigh* It's fine, but has there been anyone in the other world lately or perhaps right now?" Ellen asked.
"Who's "anyone"? I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land feels so bear-ren..." Teddie said.
"Oh sweet merciful God in heaven, he's learned the horrible thing called puns!" Ellen thought to herself now getting a little annoyed.
"Shut it!" Chie yelled.
"Yes, please. No more stupid puns..." Ellen thought to herself.
"So there's no one inside...? You're sure?" Chie asked.
"I-I'm not lying! My nose is running as good as ever." Teddie said.
"I'm gonna go warn Yukiko anyway. Since she'll be busy this weekend helping out at the inn, I doubt she'd go anywhere alone, but still..." Chie said.
"...Good idea." Ellen said with a small smile.
"Yeah...You'll walk with her to school on Monday, right?" Yosuke asked.
"Sure, I'll go pick her up at her house." Chie said.
"Maybe we'll find out on tonight's Midnight Channel. Cross you fingers that this is all just a misunderstanding...Hey, what's your cell number, Ellen? I'll call you when I watch it tonight."
Yosuke and her exchange numbers. Soon he said "Alright, don't forget to watch tonight."
They all agreed and walked home. Ellen walked back alone thinking "I'm not crazy. I know what I saw. It was Yukiko for sure. I wish to be wrong though but...well if it anything does happen we'll deal with it. It's all we can do..."
Meanwhile Yosuke and Chie were walking part away home together with Chie smiling to herself and Yosuke asked "What's with the grin?"
"Just thinking on how you asked Ellen for her number. You sounded almost nervous back there, *chuckle*"
"W-What?! Wait, no it's nothing like that!" Yosuke said with his face a little red.
"Yeah, right..." Chie said with confidence.
"Trust me it is NOT like that." Yosuke said thinking on how blunt Ellen really was.
They argued about it until they went home.
Later that night, Ellen sat in her room until it was midnight to see the Midnight Channel. As the hour approach the channel came on and there was Yukiko dressed like a princess in some TV show saying with excitement in her voice "Good evening! Tonight Princess Yukiko has a big surprise. I'm going to score myself a hot stud! Welcome to not a dream, not a hoax, Princess Yukiko's hunt for her prince charming! And I came prepared! I've got my lacing unmentionables on and stacked from top to bottom. I'm out to caught a whole hand of them and the best of the lot is going to be all mine! Well, here I go!"
She runs off in a castle and then it ends. Ellen just stands there silent for awhile and says "What...the...fuck was that?"
