chapter iii

THE TEMPERANCE

**

November 23rd, 2015

Wednesday Afternoon

12:16 PM

**

"Senpai!"

Yukiko and Souji decided to spend a short while with Kanji after all, and Kanji was all too pleased with it.

"Senpai, when did you get in!?" Kanji asked, as he walked around the counter of his crafts store. He had still been the same ol' Kanji, with less of an edge. He was proud of his blue jeans and black t-shirt look, bleached hair…. It felt 'right' to him. The first thing he did was hug Souji-kun, and when he pulled away you could see the excitement in his face. Souji looked at Yukiko, and the mutual expression explained enough to Yukiko that they would not discuss the circumstances as to why he was moving to Inaba permanently, just yet. Souji was extremely happy to see Kanji as well and was eager to take a seat with him and Yukiko in the back office which was wasn't much of an office as it was a work space and storage room for the materials and tools he needed.

"So Senpai … what brings you to our neck of the woods again? Parents overseas for work?" Kanji asked, completely oblivious to what had happened. Souji shook his head slowly in an up and down direction confirming Kanji's question, inaccurately. "Yeah, something to that effect. I figured instead of staying in Okinawa, I may as well plan to move into Inaba now rather than later". Listening to the boys chatting with a smile on her face, she used the circle work table to her advantage as she easily could get her hands into Souji's lap who was sitting next to her, and with materials and clothing on top of the table, it concealed what was going. Kanji, whom had been sitting across from the two, continued to explain how he opened the shop by borrowing some money from his mother's shop's account to open his own business with his friend. "That's really great. I'm proud of you Kanji…" Souji said with a soft smile on his face. "Were you able to pay back your loan yet?" he asked out of concern.

Kanji looked Souji directly in the eyes with a wide grin and extinguished Souji's concerns. "What with sales being so great in the first year I was able to pay off my loan in one year, and since then basically the rest has been profit. Naoto-kun and Yukiko-chan here helped me figure out how to make sure the bills get paid, since I suck with math but everything else has been running fine" Kanji explained.

Kanji, Souji, and Yukiko continued to talk and about things that occurred to them from Souji's departure to present, and it kept them occupied for quite awhile.

"I'd rather not, but I have to cut it short … I've got more custom orders I have to put together by tonight so I can have them mailed first thing in the morning. Can we hang out later this week?" he asked, standing up and running his hand through his bleached hair.

Yukiko loved the idea of getting the group together and suggested they figure out a day no one was working or a time everyone was available, and meet up at the Amagi Inn for supper and a soak at the hot springs. Kanji of course did not oppose a free meal and quality time with his friends, and Souji would never pass up time with Yukiko.

"So what I'll do is call everyone and find their schedules so I can pick a night… sounds good?" Yukiko asked, standing up from her chair with her hand in Souji's. The boys agreed to the plans as Kanji pulled some materials from a bin against the wall and said goodbye to his friends for now. Yukiko and Souji exited the store and found themselves on the sidewalk wondering what to do next.

"We should probably call Naoto-kun to see if she can make it into town this week.." Yukiko mentioned. With these plans they had been making, Souji agreed since they wanted to get everyone together. "And not only Naoto-kun, but we also need to find Teddie".

Yukiko frowned, with her phone in hand. "But Souji-kun, Teddie went back into the alternate world, and we can't enter the TV anymore" she explained with a depressed tone to her voice.

Souji turned to face her with a blank expression not sure if he should explain he might still have the ability to do so. He remembered his most recent visit to the Velvet Room, but still had not figured out why it happened. There had not been any instances of murder or the presence of shadows, or even fog. "Yuki-chan, I think I should probably show you something. Let's go to Junes" he said, taking her hand and walking down the sidewalk of the shopping district. "Souji? Why are we going to Junes!?" she asked. "I just think there's something you should see that's all". he replied.

**

3:09 PM

**

"Souji are you crazy? We've tried this already!" Yukiko exclaimed when Souji brought her to the electronics department at Junes. "I understand that Yuki-chan but there is probably something you might just want to see" he said. He looked around to make sure no others would see, and with his right shoulder facing a flat screen TV monitor large enough to fit a refrigerator, he placed his hand out in front of him. He slowly brought it closer to the display screen, until his finger tapped the LCD monitor with a 'thud'. Souji blinked in confusion, as he expected to be able to still enter the world with no problem.

"That's weird…" he said. Yukiko shook her head knowing to the best of her knowledge, everyone lost their persona abilities, and with them the ability to enter the other world.

"Souji, I know you miss Teddie, but unless he comes to our side, I doubt we'll see him…" she said sadly. Souji shook his head left and right and refused to accept that. "That can't be…" he whispered. He slowly shut his eyes until his vision faded to black. Yuki-chan watched him for seconds which felt like minutes to Souji. He heard a loud ping sound like a tuning fork being struck violently. As much as he wanted to open his eyes, he couldn't find the strength to do so. He heard the voice of Igor.

I did not plan for you to reawaken so soon. But it seems your powers are needed again. Focus, and the path will be revealed along the darkened road.

With his eyes closed, head down, he extended his arm to the TV again and felt like his first three fingers were under a wall of streaming water. Yukiko looked in shock as part of her boyfriends right hand was in the TV. "Souji-kun!" she exclaimed. "What's going on!?" she asked, afraid of the white light emitting from the TV screen. Her voice began to get louder and louder as the two were completely enveloped in a white light.

When the light simmered down, it did not revert to normal. Souji removed his hand from the monitor and opened his eyes. Yukiko was now standing at his side with her arm around his waist. The store was now darkened as if they were stuck in the store after hours and the lights were off. They didn't hear voices or footsteps. It was as if the store was completely empty.

"Souji-kun, what was that!?!?" she asked, frightened. Wishing he could answer the question accurately, Souji could do nothing but admit he wasn't sure. "You kept your persona abilities? How?" she asked. He looked her in the eyes and shook his head. "I didn't always have them. I lost them right after I left Inaba, and I heard a voice right after got here… it said I was needed again" he told her. It by far wasn't the strangest thing she had heard or seen before so it was believable. "But just you?" she asked. "That's dangerous!" Yukiko yelled out of concern, and Souji completely agreed remembering what dungeon-crawling alone in the TV world meant.

"For now let's stick together" Souji suggested, and Yukiko was more than willing to oblige. They recognized the environment as the Junes department store, so they found it easy to get to the exit. The electronic doors weren't working as they were approached. "So…. The doors are locked, which means we're here after hours. So the TV altered time?" Yukiko asked to herself aloud. "That could be it but I'm not one-hundred percent sure. Let's keep looking around" her boyfriend suggested. "Yosuke showed me where the door mechanisms were. They should be upstairs in the manager's room" Souji explained. Yukiko thought it was a good idea for now, and followed Souji as he tried to find the stairs to the 2nd floor.

Souji saw a sign against one of the walls that directed customers and personnel to the restrooms in one direction. The whole sign read…

ß RESTROOMS

PERSONNEL ONLY à

"There it is, I knew it was around here somewhere…" Souji said as he turned a corner, holding Yukiko's hand behind him closely. As he pulled Yukiko into the hallway with him he turned to face her and saw something fly by them behind Yukiko. "What the hell…." he muttered. He let go of Yukiko's hand and put his hands on her shoulders. "Stay here for a second…"

Yukiko followed his instruction as he peek his head around the corner and looked in all available directions. Nothing stood out of the ordinary. "I suppose I was seeing things…" he said almost disappointed. He forgot about the situation and continued to the hallway with Yukiko in front of him as a precaution. As they came to the stairs at their left leading to the 2nd floor of the electronics department, they both heard the laughter of little girls. Yukiko's grip on Souji's hand grew tenfold as he positioned himself in front of her and pushed her onto the first step in the event anyone saw them. "What's going on Souji?" she asked, her hand shaking. Souji was about to say something to the effect of wait here but they both watched in fear as they saw two young girls appear in front of them by walking through the walls of each side of the hallway. They faced each other about six feet away from the staircase and Souji and Yukiko. The girls had shoulder length blonde hair, and were garbed with blue sunflower dresses with matching hair bands and shoes. Simultaneously the girls turned their respective directions and faced Souji and Yukiko who had poked her head around the corner of the stairs and the hallway.

"Souji! Those are Alice dolls!" exclaimed Yukiko. "Yukiko, run upstairs and the second door on your right is the manager's room. Use the 2nd switch to the left. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there. Open those doors!" he exclaimed. Yukiko nodded and ran as fast as she could to open the store's front doors via electronic locks in the manager's room.

Souji however had a slightly more difficult task. He had not reawaken to his persona entirely, and therefore could not fight the Alice dolls to the best of his ability. Souji closed his eyes to think for a moment and remembered the hunting department was adjacent to the electronics department, which would have left Yukiko vulnerable if he left this area. "But first…" he thought.

With clenched fists Souji moved his legs, picking up speed as he ran towards the Alice dolls. He jumped and from an angle, extended his right leg out connecting a kick to one of the Alice dolls. Souji's experiment worked. They do feel physical pain. Yes! he thought, excitedly. Souji reached for and grappled the other doll by the arms. He swung her light weight figure up so her legs were in the air. As he let go, he kicked his legs up and out in the air into the dolls chest mid-air, sending the doll cascading down the hall. From the angle his body was as he disposed of that doll in the air, he let his body tilt so as gravity took effect; his legs hit the floor and crouched down onto his knees.

The dolls remained on the floor lifeless, and as he turned around to join Yukiko upstairs, the dolls both stood up, giggling. Souji turned around and out of fright widened his eyes. The dolls were right behind him, each one holding one of his arms. Not able to move his arms, Souji leaned his body back and allowed the force of falling backwards to give him some form of leverage. As the dolls began to fall with him, he ripped his arms away from the dolls mid motion and kicked the tips of his feet off the ground into a poorly executed back flip that he learned from Chie. With his extremities available, Souji wasn't sure how to permanently dispose of the dolls. Vivid pictures of him and more so Yukiko being harmed by the dolls gave Souji a rush of adrenaline, the vision of an entity splitting from Souji's physical body which led to the manifestation of his former power. He then remembered, Focus, and the path will be revealed along the darkened road.

He closed his eyes and heard absolute silence. Wanting, needing his old friend, he mouthed the word.

Per….so…..na

Souji opened his eyes and as if he had a sword in his hand, swung diagonally down from right to left and in front of him saw Izanagi dressed in a black robe, slashed at the doll closest to him with his long pole arm. The doll was lifted into the air from the impact and exploded into many black spheres the size of corn kernels. Upon seeing this, the remaining Alice doll stood up and with a blank face, tilted her head. Souji watched her with much attention.

"Mister?" the doll asked.

Souji listened in surprise.

"Can you play with me? it continued. "Will you die for me!?" asking Souji as it rushed him. Souji's eyes never left the face of the doll and was frightened when he saw her angelic face reshape into a masculine face with hanya-demon qualities such as fangs, and horns. He raised his hand in front of his face and closed his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and threw his hand at an angle to his side.

Izanagi!

Who appeared in front of Souji, mimicking his every physical move. With no clouds or other mediums available, a bolt of lightning came crashing down through the ceiling and struck the doll down to the ground. Izanagi faded away and Souji continued to watch the doll as it writhed into a seizure before exploding much like the other doll.

"Yukiko, is the door ready?" he yelled upstairs.

** Meanwhile, at the Yasoinaba Police Department **

"Don't tell Dojima-san, he might get the wrong idea" Yosuke said in concern, not wanting his best friend to be interrogated by his own uncle about why he went "missing" with the Amagi Inn owner.

"Why won't she pick up?" Satonaka Chie rued in concern. She looked over her office desk and saw her boyfriend having no luck as well trying to contact Souji. "This sucks! I know probably nothings' wrong but I hate when no one picks up! It feels weird!" Chie said. Yosuke got up from his chair and walked over to Chie in which she dropped her legs from the table. Yosuke put his hands on her shoulder blades and slowly dragged his finger tips to her shoulders and began to give her a shoulder message. Chie's head immediately dropped back and she sighed in the comfort of Yosuke's hands. "I know Chie, but just think, they're probably doing the same thing we are right now" Yosuke said trying to comfort her, feeling odd about Souji not picking up either.

Chie leaned up in her chair away from Yosuke's hands and turned her chair and looked at Yosuke with a smile. "No no," she said. Yosuke furrowed his brows and looked at her in confusion as she wrapped her index fingers around two of his unoccupied belt loops, pulling him closer between her now open thighs. "You wish we were doing what they're probably doing right now!" she said giggling. She took fistfuls of the front of his shirt and pulled him down in for a passionate kiss.

** Meanwhile, at the Dojima residence **

"So Nanako, has Souji been by the house at all today?" Dojima asked his daughter during dinner, curious as to what his nephew was up to today. "I haven't seen big bro yet today. I hope he's had dinner because there won't be any left here!" she said smiling. "Well, I'm sure he would've eaten with his friends. It's just not like him to not pick up his phone…" Dojima said looking at the house phone, frowning. "Well, if you're done with your homework Nanako you should get ready for bed – I'll do the dishes" he said. Nanako offered her help numerous times before giving up and heading to her room after hugging her father good night.

Dojima got up and collected the dirty dishes, placing them into the sink and began washing once his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. As the clean, dripping dishes piled up, he heard a thud-like noise in the background and turned the faucet off to listen in closely. For a minute, no other sounds were audible. "Nanako, are you okay!?" he asked loudly so she could hear him. He saw Bamako's head poke from around the corner. "Yeah, why?" she asked. He explained hearing a noise but Nanako couldn't offer any help, not hearing the same noise. She went back to her room and Dojima turned around to face the sink, and as he turned the faucet to the on position, no water was being dispensed. "What the hell…." he muttered.

He got on his knees and opened the cabinet door under the sink to check the plumbing, and was confused that all the pipe work was fine. No leaks, no rotting, the pipes couldn't have been frozen, no explanation for the lack of water that he had spewing from the faucet no more than one minute ago. He closed the door and got up from his kneeling position, and was shocked when he looked into the sink. There were three black droplets directly below the faucet. He placed his finger to the black object and raised it to his nose, not getting any scent. He pressed his thumb and index finger together and could've placed it at the consistency of honey without being as sticky.

He wiped his hands on a dish towel and decided to call the department of public water works in the morning to fix the problem but before he was able to sit down on the couch, he was startled by the sudden event that took place. Dojima turned around and saw a geyser of the honey-like substance flowing up and out where the faucet was. The spewing lasted within 10 seconds before it dissipating. All the liquid that was in the kitchen lifted off the floor, the counter, the table tops, separated from the curtains, and coagulated above the sink into a floating ball of transparent blackness. Dojima wondered if this was something his nephew and friends could fix. He refused to disbelieve in the occult after the events of the past. "A shadow?" he asked himself.

The black sphere began to shift and what looked like a face imprint began to appear in the center of the ball. As it pushed its way out to the surface, Dojima saw what looked like a cyan hanya-mask resting on the surface of the sphere. Dojima immediately grabbed his cell phone off the couch and began dialing his nephew but to no surprise, there was no answer. He rushed to the kitchen table and grabbed his holster. With his handgun in hand, he yelled for Nanako to stay in her room no matter what. Dojima took quick aim and shot. His nerves caused the bullet to graze the sphere itself, which absorbed the bullet.

Watching the bullet suspended In the sphere, he took another shot. The bullet escaped the barrel, and in a straight line pierced a horn of the hanya mask, travelled through the sphere and shattered the kitchen window above the sink.

"The mask!" he exclaimed, discovering the mask must be broken or the bullet would get absorbed in one way shape or form. But it was too late. The lips of the mask began to open widely and a demonic laugh echoed through the room. The sphere came away from the sink and hardened to what looked like obsidian. No longer able to see through it, Dojima kept his eyes on it intently. The sphere dropped to the floor and when Dojima thought it was about to shatter into a million pieces, it exploded like a water balloon does. The thin liquid exploded outwards and like a rubber band gathered to a center focal point where what looked like a humanoid figure began to take shape. The black figure continued to laugh as the black substance began to slide off its body slowly pooling at its feet.

Dojima watched as what looked like a naked female human was revealed after the black mess. His face opened wide in fear as he watched the figure raise her hand with her fingers directed to the ceiling. With her hand out in front of her, a black aura began to develop around Dojima, whom at that point feared for his life as the feeling of his body went missing beginning with his toes and working its way up to his chest.

"Hikari…" Dojima whispered, and as the woman snapped her fingers, the black vapor dissipated. At that precise moment, Dojima fell to the ground unconscious. The figure looked around and saw no one else in sight. She hovered to Dojima's barely alive body and noticed he had photos against the wall of him, his daughter and his wife when she was alive. Torn and anguished, the demonic entity screamed as she tore down the photos with Dojima and the other woman leaving gaping black claw marks on the wall behind. With what sounded like a satisfying groan, the woman began to fall into the floor, using it much like the children used the TV sets. When the woman was gone, all that was left was a puddle of black liquid.

Nanako rushed out of her bedroom and found her father lying down beside the black matter and on her knees beside him, cried and cried. In confusion, anger, worry, she ran to the house phone and dialed her brother's cell phone number. She held onto the phone against her ear hard enough to leave an imprint but at this point she didn't care. She held on for 7, 8, 9 rings. Finally, the phone picked up and after a brief moment of silence….

"Big bro! Big bro please pick up I need your help! Daddy needs your help!!!" she wailed into the phone, tears dropping to the floor off her cheeks. No one answered on the other end. "Big bro!" Nanako cried.

"Nanako?"

"Big bro! You have to help us!"

"Nanako, calm down, take a deep breath, and tell me what happened" said the male voice that sounded like Souji.

"Someone attacked daddy and he's not waking up!" Nanako explained to her brother.

"Is anyone else in the house still?" he asked, his concern for his sister rising. His blood began to boil at the thought of anyone hurting Nanako let alone Dojima. "No, it's just me and Daddy now!"

"Okay, Nanako what you're going to do is hang up with me then call an ambulance. Give them your address and tell them you have a man unconscious and needs medical attention. Can you remember that?" he instructed. "Y-yeah.." Nanako said, biting her lip. "After that I want you to run away from the house and go to Kanji's house, it's the closest you understand?

At the house, Nanako nodded and proceeded to hang up with her brother. After she had an ambulance rushing to her house, she looked back at her father regretfully and run out of the house as fast as her legs would carry her to Kanji-kun's house.

**

Meanwhile, outside of Junes

8:43 PM

**

Yukiko was breathing heavily from running with Souji as fast as she could. "Souji…." she panted. "Do you think we were in the other world?" she asked, her chest bobbing up and down. Souji didn't know what to think. So much had happened in the past few hours that he was quite overwhelmed. He reunited with most of his friends and family, reacquired his ability as a persona-user, and gained the ability to use the TVs but wasn't aware of what they did just yet. "I don't think so… we didn't climb through the TV this time Yuki. I just touched it…" he said, remembering how it started before they found themselves in such a strange area.

"It was like…. It was a mirror of this world. People don't exist there, but shadows do" he said, trying to understand it all. "In any case, I need you to do me a favor". Yukiko nodded, wanting to do anything for Souji to help him."We need to stay calm to take care of this. I need you to go to Kanji's house and keep an eye on Nanako while I check the house out".

As much as she didn't like the idea of Souji being alone where something could happen, she would only get in the way without any ability to fight shadows. Agreeing to Souji's plan, she leaned up and kissed him before jogging her way to Kanji's. With Yukiko out of sight, Souji attempted to run the distance to his house to check the place for remnants of shadows or even clues as to what happen to Dojima.

"God I hope Dojima-san's okay.." Souji said, taking a deep breath.