Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or any content from the Megami Tensei series as a whole. I do not claim to own anything. All contents' right belong to their respectful owners. Once again, I do not claim to own anything
Two more chapters until we reach the halfway mark of the novelization, because the entire fic is planned to be thirty chapters. That being said after this three part dungeon/area, there's a chain of four incredibly short chapters, some of which are only one to two scenes. So once we get over this hump, we're going to be tumbling down the hill. Also like to note, I really like this part of the game, hate the dungeon with a passion, but I like the storyline here, it's interesting, so I'm going to try my hardest to do it justice. The first part is primarily exploration and story. Part two is action. Part three is action and conclusion. Remembering that Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 are going to be set in the thoughts of other characters only, so be weary of that, because all and all I liked how Chapter 12 came out. With that aside, welcome to Persona: Be Your True Mind Chapter 13.
Chapter Thirteen: Black Market Part 1: Trapped
Naoya finished climbing the final step to the surface of the second side of town and it was quite different in the counterfeit world than his. The barrier had apparently blocked out the severe changes from both sides. On this side of town, a covering of black clouds blotted out the sky, preventing the rays of the sun from breaching the surface. The earth was infertile, rotted. The normal fecund soil with it's flourishing and blossoming grass and flowers were no-more, withered and dug up. The air felt tainted, like Naoya was breathing in pollution.
To his right their was a pile of trash stacked at least sixty feet high, consisting of tin cans, television, plaster, wall interior, fragments of a smashed-in wall, porcelain tiles from the ceiling of a house, trash cans, bed frames, chairs, human remains and the thing that caught Naoya's attention the most: stuffed teddy bears. Their were more than he could count snared and pinched in the imperial wall of garbage.
Ahead was the only way to progress due to the wall extending forward at least another sixty feet, closely brushing up to the building before Naoya and curving in on itself after clearing it and the invisible barrier apparently being erected up to the left side. The building was Joy Street, the strip mall of Mikage. Joy Street in essence was a giant lower-case 't', built to the height and width of a house, colored a bland, uninteresting gray, and filled with a total of seven spots of entertainment. The arcade Naoya favored, Judgment 1999, the Esumi Clinic that would gouge you for every penny you had for a band aid, the Tadashi Pharmacy, where you could buy over-the-counter medicine for a cheap price while listening to a catchy jingle, Rosa Candida, a fashion and clothing store, Sennen Mannen-Do, an antique shop, the Yin & Yen, a dollar store, and lastly Peace Diner, a casual diner that the teenagers often visited after school to relax and hang out.
"Joy Street," Naoya thought, waiting for the others to reach the surface. "Hopefully this one is the same as the other."
Everyone gathered together and approached the strip mall, entering through the swinging doors to the 't' shaped structure. After all nine of them had entered the doors snapped shut and clicked, not letting the noxious outside air in the humid and heated environment of Joy Street.
"The way those doors shut bothers me." Naoya thought, wiping the sweat forming on his brow from only spending a handful of seconds in the change of temperature. "At least it doesn't smell like trash."
"So, Todo, what's the course of action?" Kei asked, putting away his rifle, knowing and feeling that Joy Street was safe.
Naoya eyed the exit on the other side of Joy Street, his gaze passing over the six of the shops built into the gray walls and the one at the right end of the horizontal portion of the 't'. The left was vacant. "Not a demon for the thirty feet stretch. Appears safe enough. No need to rush the doors, we can breathe easy and walk for a bit."
Naoya let go of his firearm and made sure his katana was sheathed. "Exits are right there. Let's take a quick look around and then we'll leave."
"Yay! Where's Rosa Candida? I totally need a new pair of heels!" Ayase exclaimed, bouncing up and down.
Eriko shook her head. "Oh, Yuka, so simple-minded."
"Hate to break it to you, Yuka-chan, but they don't sell shoes and clothing here." Maki announced.
"What?" Naoya and Masao asked simultaneously, raising their eyebrows.
"The Sun Mall by the school sells weapons and armor and stuff." Maki replied. "And so does Joy Street here, but it's more high quality stuff."
Ayase looked disappointed. "Aw…no shoes."
Eriko patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry, Yuka, no shoes."
Reiji crossed his arms, the M4 on his back. "Jesus, do any of you take this shit seriously?"
"Not usually," Yukino replied, putting away her sawn-off.
"Maki, how goes the price range for whatever the shops are selling?" Naoya asked. "If we can buy ammunition and higher quality equipment, fighting Kandori and the obstacles he puts in our way could be easier."
Maki pondered, tapping her index finger on her chin, beads of sweat building. "Well, how much do we have?"
"I'm broke, so zip from me." Reiji stated.
"Second that!" Masao added. "All my moneys back at home!"
"I have 1500 yen," Eriko said. (A/N: About 20 US Dollars)
"Like, 1000 yen," Ayase added. (A/N: About 15 US Dollars)
"500 yen," Yukino stated. (A/N: About 5 US Dollars)
Brown turned out his pockets. "Triple note on the dead broke situation, N.T."
"I have about 500 yen too." Naoya said, taking the bills and changes from his pants pocket.
"Me too, Nao-kun." Maki said.
"What about you, four-eyes?" Reiji asked Kei.
Yukino came to the young heir to the Nanjo Group's side. "Yeah, Kei, how much do you have?"
Kei leisurely opened his wallet and produced 15,000 yen. (A/N: About 200 US Dollars.)
"Shit, Nanjo, why would you carry that much?" Masao asked, flabbergasted. "Lunch only cost, at minimal a thousand."
"Several reasons that do not concern you, Masao. I assume this amount will suffice, Sonomura?"
Maki nodded. "Uh-huh, Kei-kun, with 15,000 yen we can buy a few things."
"Then, we'll split the money and split up to shop." Naoya ordered. "We'll split into two groups and meet at Peace Diner in fifteen minutes; 7500 yen for each group."
"All right, then, how are we divided, Todo?" Kei asked, separating the money into a pair of 7500 yen.
"Kei, Masao, Maki, Yukino, with me. We'll search Rosa Candida, Sennen Mannen-Do, and Yin & Yen. Ayase, Brown, Reiji, Eriko you four check out Esumi Clinic and Tadashi Pharmacy, see if you can buys us any medical supplies. Let Judgement 1999 be, I'm sure it's still an arcade, right Maki?"
"Yes, it is, Nao-kun."
The nine separated into their respective groups. "This place is definitely different, other than selling weapons and armor. I can feel like there's something under the surface we aren't seeing."
"Like, it's like a steam bath in here! My jacket's, like, totally heavy!" Ayase complained, letting her blue coat dangling off her shoulders.
Brown stood beside her trying his best to not cut himself while wiping Seiryu's blood and fluids off the tip of his spear. Reiji and Eriko were moving to the Esumi Clinic and Tadashi Pharmacy farther up Joy Street.
"Hey, Hidehiko," Ayase said softly, moving up closer to him, letting the majority of the coat dip passed her back. She opened the gray St. Hermelin jacket and undid the top three buttons of the sweat-soaked cotton white button-up shirt.
Brown left the attention of his spear, resting in back on his shoulder as he did while they walked. "What's up, Ayase?"
She snuggled up close to him, raising her pouting mouth upward, breathing her hot breath on his neck. Brown was blushing, as Ayase aligned her frame with his, keeping her head up high, giving him an attentional view down her shirt.
"Can you carry my coats, pleeeaaassseee?" She cutely said.
"Y-y-y-your c-c-c-c-coats?"
"Uh-huh, my coats. If you do I'll give you a kiss."
"Really?" Brown exclaimed eagerly.
"Yep and all you have to do is carry my stuff. Can you please? You're strong and handsome!"
"Glad you finally notice!" Brown's ego was stroked and was now standing at attention, like a soldier. "Sure! Bring on the clothes!" Ayase threw her blue and gray coats in Brown's face, over his back.
"Thanks, sucker!" Ayase pranced forward.
"Hey, wait!"
"Would you two horny dumb-asses, hurry up?" Reiji yelled back. "The punk gave us an order! Let's get it done before we get heatstroke in here!"
Naoya grunted as the five stepped under the sun-roof of Rosa Candida and stepped inside, irritated that the humidity was still abundant in the clothing store. "This is unnaturally hot! Joy Street usually has air conditioning running, why the hell is it so hot and…what the hell happened to Rosa Candida?"
Naoya was a bit off putted by the strobe lights beaming down on their heads, the shelves lined with chain mails, armor plates, and pricey leather shoes, the manikins weren't manikins, but three distraught and manic men with red and purple afros wearing the merchandise, the manikins were behind the register, decorated with eyes, earrings, and wigs, moving their segment jointed limbs like robots.
"Man…these guys must've lost a killer bet." Masao commented, whistling at one of them dressed in a plated leather jacket.
Maki titled her head. "That's odd, the manikins usually have the shift for clothing wear at the Sun Mall. I wonder why they're working the counter here."
"Maki, this is a common occurrence?" Naoya asked, still disconcerted.
"Of course, Nao-kun. You mean in your world your manikins don't run your clothing stores?"
"Sonomora, don't be absurd." Kei said. "Todo, may we take our leave now. I've glanced at the prices everything is out of our range. The cheapest piece of armor for all nine of us would cost well over the total amount."
"I'm with Kei, Naoya. Let's ditch this place. I'm getting freaked out." Yukino stated, clutching her shoulders, trying to ignore the constant pulling weight of the ammunition on her back.
"If we can't afford the armor, let's try to restock on ammunition." Naoya thought, fiddling with his earring. "Let's go to the Yin & Yen. We have ten minutes."
On the way out, Yukino threw the duffel bag at Masao who barely caught. "Not cool, Yukino!"
"I'm sick of carrying that thing! My back hurts like hell!"
"Why do I have to carry it?"
"Because Brown isn't here?"
Naoya laughed. "Deal with it for a ten minutes, Mark."
"Yeah, Masao-kun, the weight will do you good." Maki added.
"May I remind you both, now I'm hefting the duffel bag of ammunition and my own supplies! That's a killer on the back!"
"Masao, carry the bag!"
"Why don't you carry the bag for your girlfriend, rich boy!"
Kei was struck, blushed for a moment.
Yukino sighed. She thought to change the subject. "Damn! It is hot!" She unzipped her school jacket realizing she hadn't taken it off for the past two days. "What I'd kill for my street clothes."
"I hear ya, Yukino!" Naoya said. "This Joy Street…has this…this heated air is musty…it's like a scent of lust is on the wind, I don't know how I can tell this, but this atmosphere is has to be effecting us, I can feel it. We have to get out of her as soon as possible."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Reiji and Eriko left the Tadashi Pharmacy, the catchy jingle blocked from their ears at the shut of the door. Brown and Ayase exited the Esumi Clinic across the way.
"Old man Tadashi wasn't in." Reiji explained. He held up a medicine bottle filled with capsules.
"We did manage to find some of the medicine Reiji had obtained from the demons previously." Eriko said, untying her ascot. "Yuka, did you and Brown finding anything in the clinic?"
"Nope! Like, it's completely vacant, not a single thing to snag either."
Brown shamefully kept Ayase's coats over his shoulder just in-case she'd own up to her promise. "I need fresh air! I feel like I'm choking!" Brown bolted to the swinging doors that acted as the exit to Joy Street.
"Brown, the air out there isn't gonna be much thinner!" Eriko called.
Brown reached the doors. He vanished into thin air.
Eriko put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my! Where'd he go?"
Brown's groan of pain and the sound of him landing on the floor could be heard. Reiji moved to the center of the intersection and looked down the left side of the horizontal section. Brown was sprawled on the floor.
"What the hell are you going, ass-hat!" Reiji yelled.
Brown dusted himself off, picking up his weapons and Ayase's clothes. "When I touched the doors, I felt a push and poof I'm here." Brown yelled back.
"Blondie," Reiji pointed to Ayase. "Get your ass to the doors!"
Ayase grimaced. "Like, fine, don't have to be such a prick!" Ayase cavorted to the pinnacle of the 't', touching the door, vanishing as Brown did.
Reiji turned to look at Brown who was standing at the back end of the right. Ayase appeared above him. "AHHHHH!" She shrieked, pushing down her skirt as she fell onto Brown. "OWWW!"
There Ayase sat on Brown's chest, her coats thrown upward and laid on his face. "Come on! After I kick major ass thirty minutes ago, I'm getting owned left and right!"
"Pipe down, Ass-hat! You and Blondie get up here! If we can't reach the exit, most likely means we can't reach the entrance. In lame-man's terms, we're trapped, plain an simple. Where's the punk?"
"Our fifteen minutes is up, Reiji." Eriko said.
"Like, hold on! There's a shop back here!" Ayase screamed. "It's, like, called The Velvet Room!"
Reiji face palmed. "Holy fuck, I can't believe she can be this stupid." He said under his breath. "Just get up here, goddamn it! We'll consult the punk and the others at Peace Diner and deal with this situation, because if we're stuck, that Expel Mirror might be able to get us out."
"What if the magic of the mirror can't remove this enchantment on the door?" Eriko asked. "It clearly was set-up to stop people who approached the only way out and in. Joy Street was a box trap and the bait at the same time, and we took it without a choice, meaning we're the prey to the hunter. Questions is whose the one behind this?"
"It's Kandori! Who else?" Reiji snapped.
"Why would Kandori take the trouble to trap us, why not kill us out right?"
"None of you get how that bastard works! He likes to watch people squirm! He wants to play with us before he kills us!"
"If he went through the trouble of trapping the only way to his location, then why not send another one of his guardians to kill us, like he did last time."
"He realized he can't attack directly! He has to do it indirectly! Throwing his full force at us won't bring us down, he's adapting to our plans, he's locked us up, isolated us. He's letting us stew and weaken and then he'll blow us away to get rid of us!"
"We can finish the discussion with Nao. He and the others are coming out of Sennen Mannen-Do. Peace Diner's hasn't been searched yet and The Velvet Room has materialized her, meaning Philemon and Igor must know what's going on. They want to help us."
"Let's regroup and pick this back up when everyone else is clued in. I don't need to go through the same spiel with Four Eyes and Inaba."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
"Yin & Yen and Sennen Mannen-Do yielded nothing, a weird dude in a gas mask sold Mark specialized shotgun shells, he dubbed Angel Killers and Kei bought his hand mirror the talking statuettes said would repel magical attacks thrown at all of us. Honestly, even having experienced it first hand, this seems like a total crock of shit. Seriously, what the hell? This really isn't our Joy Street, this is a bizarro-Joy Street for bizarro-Mikage. I can feel the lust in the air again and can feel the flow of where's it coming from." Naoya starred at the circular, yellow smiling face, winking at him erected on the archway of the door to Peace Diner in between the bold, white words. "It's coming from here. All right I can almost see wisps of pheromones…"
"Brave leader,"
"N.T."
"Punk,"
Naoya saw the rapid approach of Reiji, Eriko, Brown, and Ayase. "Did the Clinic or Pharmacy have medical supplies?"
"Had jack-shit, not important, we're trapped." Reiji stated.
"Hold up! What do you mean we're trapped?"
"Well, brave leader, it goes…" Eriko explained the situation of the doorway warping away those who go near it. Reiji had Brown demonstrate on the entrance and even stole the Expel Mirror from Masao's bag to try to disperse the enchantment to no avail, because he was warped away at his attempt to leave following shining the mirror on the doorway. Finally, she tied up the story with the abrupt appearance of The Velvet Room.
"All right, we're trapped, not much we can do standing here." Naoya said. "We'll go to The Velvet Room in a minute, Peace Diner hasn't been search yet."
Naoya pushed open the door and the nine entered.
"Ugh…what's this foreboding?" Kei asked.
"It smells like piss and booze." Reiji stated covering his mouth and nose. "It's like the windows haven't been opened in a month."
"Nao, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Masao asked, a little afraid.
"Unfortunately, Mark, I do." Naoya replied.
"So, you're seeing a bunch of drunk afro-men and women decorated with moles, gambling and drinking themselves into a stupor?"
As Masao had stated, there were indeed many men and women with Technicolor afros standing about the diamond imprinted floor, standing at the wooden round tables, a can or glass of their choice of beer and a deck of cards and poker chips scattered on the table-top. There were four tables two men to each table. On the left side of the room were the classic posters and pictures frames for the Diner were, they were replaced with stuffed and mounted demon heads like they were hunted moose or deer. What the ladies were admiring on the wall of death while they gulped down red and white wine from their cocktail glasses with fake moles dotted on their faces, where two pictures side-by-side. One was a painted white gate and the other was a twisted mess of black and a lone figure of a woman standing in the center. The first was finely detailed and the second was a splash upon splash of paint. At the back of the Diner where the cashier and kitchen were was replaced by a single suave man with a goatee and mustache, wearing a smoking jacket, while smoking a cigar.
"What…the…hell?" Brown stammered. "Looks like you don't have to buy the all-you-can-eat just yet, N.T., Masao."
"Damn it, Brown, I'd hoped you forget about the bet we made on Persona." Masao cursed.
A pink-afroed man noticed them. "Heh, looks like we got some fresh faces. I bet they're clueless…YES! A straight!"
The man he was playing against, the red-afroed man spoke. "We must look sad to you, huh? Yep…the Harem Queen's our only salvation! HAH! Full house!"
An orange-afroed woman all the way in the back spoke next. "Teehee…I'm what you'll end up as. You'll see sooner or later!"
"Like, I don't want to end up a scrawny bitch!" Ayase stated.
A pink afroed woman with dozens of moles decorating her face, starring at the white gate painting at the corner of the left wall, heard Ayase and turned to the nine and spoke herself. "Huuuh? Are you guysh from outshide? Pishes me off…I remember…now…I remember the outshide…WAAAH! Argh! I wanna go outshide!"
"She's clearly hammered. She's slurring her words."
It was time for the man in the smoking jacket to put down his cigar and raise a shot glass he had poured whiskey in. "Now, now everyone! Let's all toast each other with our heads held high! We share a fate…what's the use of this bickering? None so long as we loyally serve our Harem Queen!"
"Harem Queen, huh? Funny shit," Reiji sarcastically said.
"I wonder what this Harem Queen is like?" Maki pondered, the picture catching her eye. "Wait, that's…mine…my painting…based on The Gates of Paradise…and…the other one is…I can't remember…it looks familiar."
"Uh, this sucks!" Masao complained. "We have to get outta here and go after Kandori."
Naoya opened his ears for a moment, seeing if the residences of this counterfeit Peace Diner inside this black market had more to say to them.
"*Burp* Yer painting'sh aweshome, Queen can I go home, now?" The pink afroed-woman was looking at the black painting now.
A drunken, downcast, green-haired woman was mumbling to herself, Naoya could barely hear her. "A labyrinth of sadness forgotten in the oubliette of time…Only alcohol dulls my suffering. Dammnit! That bitch! She took all the decent-looking men! I wanna go to the harem too!"
"Hey, you wanna meet the Harem Queen?" The pink afroed-man asked. "The entrance is right by the casino, down the right side, but I warn ya: you don't wanna piss her off!"
The red afroed-man threw in his two cents. "I'll tell you one thing…whatever you do, say nice things about the Queen's painting. If you don't…."
The orange-afroed woman had come up to criticize Ayase for calling her a scrawny bitch. At of the other two woman she had the most moles plastered to her face. "You're not going to wear moles? Wearing moles like the Queen is all the rage now?"
The cigar-smoking man announced to the nine, "No one may leave the market, in case you have not figured it out. Such is the decree of the Harem Queen, this market's mistress. You must make every effort to curry the Queen's favor."
"Let's go to her palace, Nao." Masao suggested. "We don't have time to waste playing along with this Queen's stupid rules."
"Masao-kun's right, Nao-kun!" Maki chimed in. "Let's go meet this Queen! We can ask her to let us out of here!"
"You two have a point, but we should consult The Velvet Room prior to storming her palace." Naoya lead them to the passageway that Brown and Ayase had been moved, seeing the large metallic doors with "Velvet Room" on the front. "Igor has to clue us in to exactly what is going on. He's intelligent…he'll know the course of action we should take."
The doors flung open and their subconscious was sucked in. They found themselves hearing the Aria of Souls, standing on the carpet of The Velvet Room, the singer and piano player hard at work. Igor resting in his arm-chair, his table and deck of cards set.
"My guests, Master Philemon said you would be paying me a visit. Hidehiko Brown, I see your Persona has grown and so have you. That is a grand achievement, you should be proud."
Brown rubbed the back of his arm. "Oh, shucks, I know."
Yukino knocked him over the head. "We don't need your ego swelling!"
Naoya stepped forward. "Igor, we're trapped in this black market…the residents here say they're ruled by this Harem Queen. We attempted to use the Expel Mirror on the spell she has on the doors to no effect. We know where she is, but I'm not sure how we're suppose to deal with it."
Igor folded his hands. "Yes, I see, my guests. Do not worry, this problem can be solved easy. It is your foe's doing surely, but you cannot escape here with the Expel Mirror. It is only used to remove barriers, you cannot expel this kind of spell. The area your heading to is called the Kama Palace, it is an underground labyrinth beneath this black market. You'll find the Harem Queen there according to my Master. He also request you take this with you." Igor waved his hand, a small white stone appeared on the table, small enough to fit in a palm with the words Emergency Exit scratched into it.
Naoya picked it up. It was weightless, he ran his fingertips on it; it felt as soft as powder snow. "What is this Igor?"
"Be careful with it, Naoya Todo. That is a Traesto Gem, you will need it if you hope to succeed with your task."
"What does it do or did Philemon not tell you that?"
Igor chuckled slightly. "Oh, no, Naoya Todo, this is a common demon item. You see the Kama Palace is a labyrinth that is under the control of this Harem Queen according to my Master. She can manipulate it in ways she see fit. When you reach the bottom, you may not be able to accurately find your way back to the surface. This is what the Traesto Gem is for. It is a very fragile jewel, when you are finished with the Harem Queen business, crush it in your hand, Naoya Todo, make sure your friends are close to you, and throw the dust over your heads. It will activate a Skill called Traesto and transport all in the dust back to the beginning of the Kama Palace."
Naoya smiled, sliding the Gem gently into his pants pocket. "Okay…that's all the information Philemon gave to you, Igor."
"Yes, Naoya Todo, all Master knew he was permitted to say and that is only due to you having discovered the existence of the Harem Queen on your own. If you had come to The Velvet Room before discovering her, I would not have been informed and therefore you would not have been informed."
"Your boss has a huge hard-on for rules, ya know." Reiji spit to the side.
"I am unfamiliar with that human saying, Reiji Kido. Perhaps you can elaborate for this old demon."
"Perhaps you can shove it and we can piss off." Reiji turned his back to Igor.
"Thank you, Igor." Naoya said.
"Oh, yes…by the way, Naoya Todo." Igor hissed. "I delivered your message to Master Philemon."
"What he have to say?"
"He said and I quote: 'Remember, Naoya Todo, motivation is the drive that keeps all who have become part of the Alignment Dog in their respected alignment. If you truly want to keep yourself in the Neutral Alignment, you must keep your drive, your motivation in mind a hundred percent of the time. I bid you good luck and Igor and I will offer the assistance we can to the limits and constraints of the rules.'"
"Keep my friends in mind one hundred percent of the time." Naoya repeated in his mind. "Got it, Igor. Thanks again. Tell him, I'll be sure to do that."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
"I AM GONNA LOSE IT IF WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE WAY TO GO!" Masao yelled to the top of his lungs which filled the narrow and bending corridors of the Kama Palace, all of which looked the same.
Leaving The Velvet Room, the nine had moved to the right side and where Judgment 1999 was suppose to be was a rusted sheet of a door, which lead to a downward staircase which lead to this intricate multi-floored, labyrinth known as the Kama Palace.
"You've all ready lost it, Mark." Naoya said. "Then, again we have been going through this Kama Palace for over fifteen minutes. Every wall and corridor is the same and we been lost since we stepped onto this ninth floor. We managed to find this hole, like a laundry shoot that brought us to the seven floor from the third, but when we went down the one on the eight floor we ended up on the first, and then when we went down the one on the first we ended up on the fifth. This place is infuriating, added to the shoots, dead-ends sometimes turn out to be doorways. What sadistic architect design this dungeon? (A/N: Naoya says what we all thought when we played the Kama Palace.) How am I suppose to lead us properly if I can't understand where to go?"
Eriko touched his shoulder, shocking him out of his thoughts. "Brave leader, I have an idea." She leaned closer to his ear. "You don't have to take on the entire burden."
Naoya let his shoulders hang. "You're right, Eriko. What's your idea?"
"We're at a forked path. I kept track of where we've been on the ninth floor, including the dead-ends and I checked the walls. We're down to two paths we can-"
"I'm not going to split us up, Eriko. Up there we knew where each other were. Down here is a another story. I'm not gonna put as in deliberate danger by separating us."
"I know, brave leader, that is not what my plan is."
"Then, what is the plan."
"The way to the stairs is the first path. I've noticed as we've been up and down the floors of this Kama Palace, that the paths that don't lead to dead-ends, lead to more forks in the road, there were at least four of those per floor."
"She's right, Todo. I observed that too. I was marking the numbers on the walls." Kei added, his broadsword in hand.
"How do you know the first path is the right path, Eriko-chan?" Maki asked.
"Yeah, I really don't want to fall into another one of those shoots and vomit my brains out because of motion-sickness again." Masao said. "Or better yet, go in a third circle around the floor, because everything looks the same!"
"I'm not fully sure the first path is correct. It still is a fifty-fifty chance, but one of them has to be either a dead-end, the staircase, or another shoot. There is not another way that leads to more forks." Eriko explained.
"Like, which way! Make up your mind! It's hotter down here than up there!" Ayase nagged.
Brown sat drawing circles in the dirt. "I'm starting to feel the boredom too, Ayase."
"Oh, would you two quit your moaning and help us pick a way?" Yukino scolded.
Reiji leaned on the wall, sighing.
"All of you, settle down!" Naoya exclaimed, causing silence. "I'll pick the path. I'll find us the way." Naoya shut his eyes. "Like back at the surface I could sense the sexual charge on the wind, we have to be getting closer, the charge has to be thicker down this far. The green-haired woman said the Queen kept a harem to be relevant to her name. If I can sense the pheromones, the yearning in the air…"
"Concentrate, keep your eyes shut. Feel the air on your skin, the sensation and reaction at the touch. You can derive the scent of her on the wind and differentiate it's feeling from the others." A deep male voice instructed Naoya in his mind.
"Brown told us about this…you're…"
"Yes, I am you and since that is the case you can use my senses to locate this Harem Queen through the wind. Do as I said, concentrate and feel the difference."
"Why can I hear you now?"
"You'll come to realize why in time. It's difficult to explain."
"All right, you're really helping me out right now so I'll wait for the explanation. I can feel the breathing of the others, my own breathing, the hot air of the atmosphere…wait! I can feel the sensation of lust, I can see it on the wind, almost smell it, hear the desire coming off it, all emanating from…" Naoya pointed to the second passageway. "There! She's there!"
"You are correct. I can feel it as well."
"Are you sure, Nao-kun? How do you know?"
"I just know, Maki. I can feel it. She's down there."
"Then, let's go dethrone this Queen and get outta this hellhole!" Masao exclaimed.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Naoya's choice was correct. The passage way had led to the staircase, which led to the tenth floor which was one room with dozens of well groomed men and women, the members of the harem, feeding each other grapes, drinking champagne, and prepared for the main festivities with each other.
"This is gross! Where's the Queen?" Maki looked disgusted.
The men and woman dismissed themselves at Maki's protest and went up the staircase, directing the nine of them to the single door in the room. "I assume she's in there then." Naoya waved all of them in, taking in more bizarre scenery.
Pillars with shackles and chains, piles of cushions, bowls of fruit, no lightning, checkerboard designs on the walls, murals of many naked men and women partaking in carnal acts such as the harem outside were attempting to mimic. In the corner of the room was a mirror as tall as six feet, a ornamental bat garnished at the top of the frame, the reflective surface, not casting anything in front of it, but darkness. Besides the mirror were the two paintings from Peace Diner. Maki's Gates of Paradise and the other one painted by the unknown artist, the mess of colors with the lone female figure in the center. Besides the paintings were life-sized statues of several men and women most of which with afros. At the center of the room standing on an oyster shell, wearing the skirt and jacket of St. Hermelin High was a girl as tall as Maki, her scarlet red hair the length of her back and the bangs curving inward under her eyes. Patches of huge, black moles crowded together on her forward and under her shadowed and make-upped eyes.
She pursed her red-painted lips and spoke directly to Maki. "Long time no see, Maki! Same to you Naoya and the rest of you! Welcome to my Palace!"
Maki gasped. "Chi…Chisato! Is that really you? No…!"
Masao shook his head. "Didn't Yosuke say she was captured by that brat, Aki? Hey, Nao, did Chisato used to have that many moles? Didn't she use to brag about how clear her skin was?"
"C'mon Chisato! There's an explanation for this right?" Maki asked, desperate for the reality to be wrong. "Is the real Queen threatening you? You're not really the enemy….that's a lie isn't it?" She was on the verge of tears.
The Harem Queen Chisato laughed. "You're such an idiot! Me, being threatened…utterly ridiculous!" He voice was nice and soft, but held an evil pierce to it. "I'm here because I chose to be! Isn't this Palace wonderful? An angel in black lent me this mirror that grants any wish!"
"Angel in black? She must be talking about Aki."
"All this…from my mirror!" Chisato gained a pleasure satisfied grin.
"An angel in black," Masao repeated as well. "Chisato, that's Aki! She ain't no angel! I mean didn't she kidnap you!"
"That's what I thought at first, but that's not how it went! She was looking for someone who could use the mirror…it happened to be me!"
"So you are the Queen." Maki admitted. "Isn't it about time you put an end to this? Let's go back together, Chisato! Yosuke's hurt! He needs you, Chisato…"
Chisato was surprised. "Yosuke…got hurt…?" She nodded and smiled. "Y'know what Maki, I don't need Yosuke anymore! He has you, he doesn't need me! I didn't really like him anyway!"
"Huh?" Maki questioned. "What did you just say? He has me…he doesn't need you? What are you saying?"
Chisato turned toward the mirror. "I don't like Yosuke. In fact, I never did."
"That's a lie!" Maki snapped. "You always bragged about how much a wonderful boyfriend he was…"
Chisato turned to Maki blind hatred in her glare. "What you still don't get it? Wow! You really are stupid! I started dating Yosuke because I knew you liked him! In the beginning, you know, he liked you better and I couldn't allow that! I mean, I was the pretty one! I'm the one he should have gone for! SO, I made my move and that feeble-minded moron was powerless to resist!"
"Are the moles on Chisato's head growing? Is she growing more? Maki's…crying."
Maki wiped the tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. "No…why would you joke like this?"
"It's no joke, Maki! It's the truth! My art was better than yours and you got all the attention!" Chisato pointed to the paintings, noting Maki's as the white gates and hers as the mess of black. "But I hated you even before that! I was always prettier and more talented than you! Why are you the one everyone fawns over?"
"So, that's why you initial stole Yosuke and made everyone praise your artwork." Kei explained.
"The only one who has never fallen for you is HIM!" Chisato pointed right at Naoya.
"Nao-kun,"
"Me! What are you talking about, Maki's like a sister to me, why would I fawn over her?"
"You're just as much as an idiot as she is, Naoya! Maki's has had a crush on you since elementary school! She always went on and on about how she wanted to marry her Nao-kun! You were the only one who wasn't blinded by her!"
"Chisato…you should be aware that this isn't the Maki you know!" Kei tried to explain.
"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you! Just stay out of this! You must've been howling with laughter, right, Maki? I bet you've made fun of me behind my back, wearing that innocent face of yours! Well, I won't let you do it to me anymore! I'm much better than you now!"
Masao gritted his teeth. "Sure, thanks to the power Aki gave you. Right?"
"I SAID SHUT UP! Naoya…isn't my painting wonderful?" Chisato tone lowered to a softer and seductive voice. "Everyone says so. They all say it's much better than Maki's piece of trash! Don't you agree, don't you love it…like you love me!"
"Of course! Wait, no! What the hell is happening? Can't…think…straight! Chisato…Harem Queen…only thing I can….think about!" Naoya grabbed the sides of his head.
Maki fell to her knees, tears falling. "Chisato…hated me that much, I never knew…"
Masao rushed to her side to comfort her. "Now I know why your arts so crappy! You're rotten through and through! A girl like you could never make real art! Quit fooling yourself into thinking you're a real artist!"
"You were so caught in the throes of envy over Maki, you never made a real effort." Kei added. "And this where it brought you…forcibly enslaving people. You think this is you at your best? You're a queen with no clothes! You're deluding yourself if you think their praise means anything! They only humor your out of terror! You're no Queen! You're a Tyrant!"
"Isn't my painting beautiful Naoya, don't you want to take me right now in this very room with everyone watching us…my big, strong Nao-kun." Chisato kept saying softly.
"Yes…no…yes…yes….no! Damn it!" Naoya's lips opened, his tongue and teeth pronouncing the words. "Yes…your majesty…" Naoya's pupils dilated and turned a light pink. He walked to Chisato's side, who kissed him on the cheek. "What's happening? Why can't I move my body?"
"Good boy, Nao-kun! So, Nanjo, you call me a Queen with no clothes? A tyrant? Look at what I've done! I swoon over the only one who wasn't blind to Maki's lies! He's under my Marin Karin! My charm has taken him and I won't let go! He'll be my Nao-kun forever, Maki! Not yours!"
Maki continued to cry, Masao held her tight. "You…Chisato! Give Naoya back! I can't stand the way you hurt Maki because of your stupid complex! I'll say this as many times as it takes! YOUR PAINTING SUCKS!"
"No, Mark, you'll only make her angrier! I don't know what she'll do!"
"I think you need to have another look! If you can't grasp my artwork, you're the ones who are wrong!" Chisato spun to her mirror. "MIRROR MIRROR, CLEAN AND BRIGHT! GET THESE FOOLS OUT OF MY SIGHT! ERUSAER TSYMMOM!"
"NO! Everyone watch out! You can't stop her!"
The mirror's glass shined and blasted a white light that consumed all, but Naoya and Chisato. As the light faded, Naoya's friends had disappeared, removed from the Queen's sight.
Chisato planted a peck on Naoya's neck. "They won't bother us for awhile, my Nao-kun. I arranged the labyrinth in a new pattern. They won't be able to navigate it as easy as last time and I'm deploying my special ladies to deal with them on the way. It will just be us for a long time. I going to make Maki want to die for what she did to me!"
"Awesome, I'm stuck her with the psycho bitch who wants to take advantage of me, while everyone else has to combat the maze and a demon guardian without me. I'm not sure whose in the worse situation."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Well, a little bit longer than I wanted, but whatever. Had to extend the deadline a couple of days, but it's done. The next chapter won't be as long, because it's mostly all action and to be fare, I don't like the beginning or the middle of this chapter, but nothing much I can do. I love the ending and for the record by popular demand I'm trying to only have one point of view for each chapter. I'll try and make it work. For those who've played the game they know how irritating the Kama Palace is, but they'd also know that Naoya isn't exactly put under a Marin Karin when you meet Chisato the first time, I just figured it spice-up the subplot a bit and make writing the next chapter which centers around Kei a lot easier to handle. Either way, I hoped you enjoy Chapter 13 of Persona: Be Your True Mind, and I'll see you next for Chapter Fourteen: Black Market Part 2: Norn.