(( Heya', again. Thanks for reading this weird crossover fic! Remember to review if you have anything to say. ))

Of Facades and High Fantasy

Chapter Two: The First of Many Steps

Welcome… to the Velvet Room.

Okay, to be honest? I was expecting this. Something this weird is going on, I was sure the whole time that I would uh… somehow visit the Velvet Room, once more. I was pulled into, or came into this place often when we were investigating the murders in Inaba, just a year ago.

I look around, the room as usual is a dark blue all over. It can't even be described to be much of a room. It's more like the inside of a limousine. To the left of me, a very low shelf of wine glasses and various bottles of expensive looking alcoholic beverages. At the end of the room, is an old man with large ears, a very long nose, and bulging eyes. He looks to me with his always showing grin. His name is Igor, and to the right of him is a beautiful woman. She's dressed in blue, with a pale complexion and blonde hair.

The old man starts to speak. "Hello. I see you have once again fallen into the events of another tale. You have crossed destinies with the doom driven hero of divine purpose. You are now on his path, along with many others. As much as the same can be said for him. Beware, for the line between fact and fiction is not as clean cut as you may imagine. What is imagined and what is real may not be as mutually exclusive as you may think. As long as you stay true to yourself, and your friends do the same, you will figure out the mysteries bigger than any world."

I nod, hands resting behind my back. Margaret, the woman next to him nods. "Your friends of the present and your friends of the future will serve as the strength you will tap into to unravel the mystery ahead."

Igor looks up to me, and laughs. "It was good to see you, again. I look forward to our next meeting. I will be speaking to a wiser man. Goodbye."

The room starts to fade, as I start to see black.

Hey, Yu. Wake up.

I open my eyes and see Yukiko and Chie standing over me. Chie pulls me up, the floorboard squeaking as my feet put my weight on the ground below me. "Good morning!" Said Yukiko. I rub my eyes, and nod to Yukiko.

"Good morning, Yukiko. Good morning, Chie." I say with a yawn.

Chie jerks her thumb to Yosuke. "This one's still asleep." I look next to the bed. Indeed he is, snoring and everything. "I even picked him up and he wouldn't budge. Now I get to use what I saved for last!" She walks up to the sleeping Yosuke, and winds up a kick, releasing it and sending a lightning fast foot straight into the sleeping man's hindquarters.

"YEOWCH!" He yells, rolling over and curling into a fetal position. "Chie… I swear… you're way too violent…"

I stifle yet another laugh at Yosuke's expense, and grab Yosuke by the arm to help him up. I give a pat on the shoulder to the standing classmate. "I think that's what we need to be, in this world. Speaking of violence, we'll need to meet Dunjar at the well. Didn't you say he has all kinds of weapons at his house?"

Yosuke nods. "Yeah. I was gonna' level mostly every combat skill on him. So, I figure he's got something for everyone here."

Chie shrugs. "He got anything to make me kick better?"

"Wellllll. I did level up his smithing skill… maybe we can improvise something?"

Chie develops a wicked grin. "Then I know exactly what I'll ask for."

Yukiko nods. "I'm… not sure what I could use in a medieval fantasy setting…"

Yosuke shrugs. "I know he has a staff or two. They do different spells. Plus, I can get you small weapons for a sidearm."

I start to head downstairs. "We'll sort it out when we get there. Let's just meet Dunjar before he decides to wake us up himself."

The gang follows me down, as I see the inn in a much more lively state. The bard plays on his lute, barely heard over the soft roar of the conversations had by the patrons. A few look at us, a man I assume to be a nord eyes me up and down in particular. I hear murmurs about our outfits, or about why my hair is gray.

I open the door and leave the inn. As I head towards the well, I hear a woman selling vegetables, and a beggar asking for coin. I see Dunjar, at the other side of the well, and approach him with my friends. "We're here." I say.

The nordic man nods, stroking his bushy beard. "That you are. Took long enough. Any longer and I would have come up there, or left without you."

Yosuke shrugs. "Yeah. Anyway, your house should have plenty of weapons for us to borrow, right?"

The burly nord nods. "Aye. What nord doesn't hold a variety of arms in his home?" He laughs. "C'mon. I'll show you my place." Dunjar leads on, as we follow him through the streets of Whiterun. The nip in the air wasn't as bad as it was last night, with the sun out. But still, it was enough to bother me.

We reach what I assume to be Dunjar's house, as he takes out his key and unlocks the door, opening it and holding it open for the four of us. We walk inside, soon Dunjar closing the door behind him. "Search the chest near the table. That's got most of my weapons."

I look around. It's a quaint two story house. A fire pit directly in front of me, illuminating the house with a stewing pot for cooking seems to have been used recently. The floor seems to be made out of stone and clacks with each step I take, as I head towards the chest. I kneel down and undo the latches. I open the chest, and start taking out the weapons. Two steel swords, a greatsword, five daggers, a bow, a shield, a staff, and a hammer. I motion to the others. "Alright, guys. Pick your poison."

Yosuke picks up two of the daggers. "Heh. Just my style!" He spins them in his hands.

I pick up the steel sword. It's similar in length to my katana. At least this sword is. It's quite a bit heavier, but this is the best shot I have.

Yukiko picks up the staff, and a dagger. She looks to Dunjar, and then Yosuke. "Uh… how do I use this?"

Yosuke shrugs. "I just know it spits out firebolts. Ask him how to use it."

Chie crosses her arms, and picks up a dagger. "Hey, Dunjar. I have a favor to ask. Can you put spikes on the bottom of my shoes?"

The nord stares blankly, but shrugs. "Uh… sure? I'm not sure why you'd want that, but I can certainly do so. I guess. And… Yukiko, I suggest concentrating. You have to focus your will into the staff, and it'll shoot out a firebolt. Just. Not in here."

Yukiko nods. "Of course. Thank you."

I take one of the leather sheathes. "Yeah. We'll have to find a way to repay you for these." I slide my sword inside, and strap the sheath to me.

The nord laughs. "You will be, by helping me. You're taking these weapons to help me on a mission I have received. We'll be heading to Ustengrav to get the horn of Jurgen Windcaller."

Yosuke blinks. "Oh yeah. That quest. How much will we get paid?"

The nord shrugs. "The way you make money is finding anything inside and selling it. They seem to have the most valuable things inside the crypts. Come, Chie. I'll be fixing your shoes up."

Chie nods, and walks out the door with Dunjar. Yosuke looks to me. "Byyyyy the way. He said crypt. The last time there was a crypt in the quests, uh… there were zombies. Lots of Viking zombies. Crap, man. Viking zombies just sound scary as hell."

I shrug. "Well. We're armed, now. Plus we have our Personas. I'm sure the protagonist of a video game, and four people armed with weapons and Personas can get through a crypt."

Yukiko nods. "Yeah. We've faced worse. Plus I'd say we're armed a bit better than we were in the TV world a year ago."

Yosuke shrugs. "A bit. Though, after this… we should be able to afford some basic armor. Nothing huge. I mean… some leather. Maybe some scale. Heh, maybe even some robes of magic, for Yukiko. The staves actually scale with your magical power."

Yukiko smiles. "That sounds great. But until then, we'll be going out, almost the same as the regular TV World."

Chie and the nord come back inside the house. She lifts up a foot excitedly. "I got spikes on my shoes! Those things we'll be fighting won't know what hit'em!"

Yosuke widens his eyes. "Okay, Chie! You're no longer allowed to kick us! That's just messed up!"

Dunjar motions for us to get going. "C'mon. We'll take a carriage to Morthal, then we'll be going northwest. I've got plenty of rations for the ride there, and I'll stop at the inn for more, for the rest of the trip."

We head to the streets of Whiterun once more, weaving through the traffic of people that move through the city. We walk past the gates of Whiterun and into the world once more. The landscape no longer carries the dark tones of night, now the mix of yellows, browns, and the occasional green that all contrasts with the blue sky, with tall, gray mountains with white peaks in the far distance to break them up. We walk down the 'road' which consists of stones, I see the carriage. Dunjar takes his sack of coins and starts counting. "I'd like to go to Morthal."

The bald man on the carriage nods, shifting his stubbly jaw as if he were chewing something. "Hop on back, and we'll be off."

We all load up on the back of the wooden carriage. I sit next to the nord and Yosuke, while Yukiko and Chie sit next to each other. The burly man looks to me and lies back. "So, how did you get those Persona… things?" He asks.

I cross my legs, and look to the nord. "Well… I was given my power, but the others had to face their own Shadows to get their Personas. In the TV world… you're bound to find your Shadow. The physical manifestation of the feelings to bury away, and don't want people you see. If you deny that it's a part of you, it grows stronger. Eventually, it kills you. The only way to defeat it is to accept it."

Dunjar quirks a brow, as the carriage starts to roll off. "Well. That doesn't sound too hard." He laughs. "If that's all you have to do, you should point me in the direction of mine!"

Yukiko shakes her head. "It's… not that simple. Everyone has these feelings that they don't want to accept. The deepest, darkest secrets. The regrets they have. The parts of themselves they don't like. It's different for everyone, and it always cuts deep within you."

I nod. "Yeah. Every time we end up finding someone's Shadow… they always seem like a wreck throughout the whole thing. But every time we fought it, it took the strength of heart boosted by the bonds of friendship. They just want to be accepted, like the person denying it."

Yosuke cringes. "Yeah. I'm really glad I wasn't able to see myself that day. I was on the floor and everything. Shadows don't mess around."

Dunjar rests his head against the wall of the carriage and shrugs. "Eh. I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, we have a bit more to worry about. Y'know. The living dead, bandits, dragons. Those kinda' things."

Chie shrugs. "Sounds fun. Besides, I just wanna' test these new shoes. When will we get to Morthal?"

The nordic man laughs. "It'll be about… eight or so hours. It's why we woke up early."

I blink, but shrug. "Huh. Oh well. More time to relax before the big mission." I rest my arms behind my head, and just look at the scenery around us. We already were crossing into one of the forests. I close my eyes, and just let myself drift off into sleep, again. At least I'll get to catch up on the sleep, which wasn't too long.

Besides. I'll need all the rest I can get.