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
In response to RaidEye: First I'd like to say I appreciate the feedback and in no way in the following response do I mean to sound aggressive. In essence I could have toned the scenes down in some instances and embellished a little less. The problem with that is that the regular back story is vague and I was trying to explain WHY Reiji was wronged. In the game the simplest way to put it is Reiji's mother had an affair with Kandori's father, she got pregnant, Kandori and his father threw her out on the street and that's it. To me or to someone else that really wouldn't equal to I MUST AVENGE MY MOTHER SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN YEARS INTO EXISTENCE so I thought the motivation to why Reiji wants to kill Kandori is because Kandori was a part of what ruined his mothers life and to Reiji who only had his mother to care for him, including the whole common thing were the son is really attached to his mother, which in the game is how it is somewhat.
Now to Kandori: the way that Kandori is portrayed is how he is in the game. His Arcana is the Tower which hasn't been revealed in the story, but the hinting at the tallest tower in his semi-monologue was supposed to foreshadow it. His Arcana being the Tower means he has an ego the size of the planet, is prejudiced and is related to an authoritarian organization. Take note all of this is being multiplied by his Chaos Alignment granted by his Persona. All this translates out to how you put it, he's evil, he knows it, he detests Reiji and others who obstruct to his journey to god status, he finds them as playthings, nuisances, pawns, and he likes to laugh at their dismay especially Reiji who he has wronged as a child and has watched him squirm for his whole life. It's suppose to reflect how the Tower Arcana represents the overly arrogance that comes with it, that's why in the game he's the PRESIDENT of S.E.B.E.C. and he has a CASTLE in the other world and he wishes to become GOD himself. All of those positions, President, King, God are high caliber roles that are the highest in their own regimes or units and most of them have their own distinctive egos due to them being of the highest standing. I'm using what the game gives me and trying to push that along as best as I can. All of these factors relate to the Tower Arcana and his ego. I'm sorry if he comes off as generic and stereotypical, but I didn't create the character and just to say it now he's isn't always like that just wait until Chapter 24, you'll see he's a little bit different than the usual antagonist who wants to obtain power to rule over others. Either way, dude, I do appreciate the feedback, glad to get the constructive criticism from somebody to help me improve what I can.
This chapter is Comic relief/Filler to set up two recurring support characters that will be returning for each novelization in the series in varied ways. Of course any MegaTen Amateur could've probably figured out who they were from the outro of the last chapter. With that aside, welcome to Persona: Be Your True Mind, Chapter Seventeen.
Chapter Seventeen: Jack Bros
The Lost Forest was actually located on the other side of the town where the Police Station was in the original Mikage. As the group traversed through the subway system again, dodging as many demon encounters as possible along the way, Maki told them that up to several months ago the Lost Forest used to be a scenic flower garden that held numerous types of flowers: roses, lilies, apple blossoms, forget-me-nots, camellias, azaleas, hawthorns, goldenrods, and Maki's personal favorites cattails and lotuses. Cattails meant peace and prosperity and lotus meant longevity, good health, and good luck positive tones for her positive attitude she thought.
"Then, it all was gone, I can't remember when or how or strangely even what the garden looks like anymore." Maki explained.
One day the garden was gone as Maki said, replaced with a forest far from beautiful. The Lost Woods was considered to be a hedge maze disguised as a forest. The gray oak trees sporting their lilac and violet leaves grew up to the size of the police station, intricately spaced and positioned to create a parameter that encased the hedge maze. The column ways all were the same and trees had sprouted so close together they were merged at the base to prevent cutting through the different alcoves, bends, and twists. That is why the members of St. Hermelin in the other Mikage had named it the Lost Forest. They had barely managed to find their way out after curiously entering in expecting to find a surprise or reward in the center if they could find the solution.
"Here we are: the Lost Forest…" Maki announced, the nine arriving at the opening made by the parted ashen, purple leaved trees. "I think it's grown taller since last time. I hope the inside hasn't."
They closed in through the darkness to find themselves at a fork. Unlike the atmosphere of the subway, the Black Market, the other side of the city, the Lost Forest was homey. The tree tops were spaced out to let in the suns rays and the leaves glowed with a distinct pink that resembled the lights of fireflies. The leaves acted as lanterns adorned to the trunks to illuminate the two pathways.
Maki inhaled the scent of the woods as they approached closer to the fork. "This air is so…fresh…rich, it isn't like the normal air at all. In fact this whole place has a nice and comfy feeling, almost serene I guess. The outsides not like this at all. Demons at every corner, everyone armed to protect themselves. Its all a bunch of abhorrent killing and it taints the air…to me at least. I always find it hard to swallow…but here…I feel at home…I feel like the air is purified and this place is innocent, harmless, the complete opposite of everything else. That's odd…I don't think I've ever felt this way before."
Naoya watched Maki as she pondered on the trees and the skies and the soil beneath their feet as if seeing it all for the first time or in a new perspective than before. He was about to address her.
Kei cleared his throat. "Two paths, Todo, what's your assessment?"
"Chances are with two paths and what Maki has told us…we have another maze on our hands, guys." Naoya stated.
Masao sighed in disbelief. "You gotta be shittin' me…more forks and mazes. I hate mazes." Mark slumped in defeat.
"Suck it up, Masao. Could be worse," Reiji stated, crossing his arms.
"How could it be worse?"
"Could be hot as hell."
"Good point…"
"Todo, point of action? What are we doing?" Kei asked, anxiously.
"Well, as much as I don't want to admit it, but with what little daylight we have left, we're going to have to split up into two teams." Naoya explained.
Maki's attention was caught by his words. "Nao-kun, the others tried that before and they said they barely regrouped."
"I know it's dangerous Maki, but Philemon's said we have until the day's end. We're low on time, right now, and I'm feeling backed into a corner." Naoya replied, trying to remain composed, overwhelmed by this tranquil, unknown surroundings.
"So, how are we splitting, Nao?" Yukino asked, stepping close to Kei's side.
Naoya pondered the thought for a moment.
"I'm not comfortable with this, but Nao-kun's the leader and he has to know what he's doing. Yet, this feeling I have…a presence in the forest, I can't tell where it is or if it's good or bad, but I can feel it and that worries me."
Naoya cleared his throat and announced the teams reluctantly. "With two paths and nine of us we're have one team of four and the second of five. Kei, I want you to lead the second team. Brown, Ayase, Yukino you three are with him. You'll take the first path. Eriko, Maki, Reiji, Mark, and I will tackle the other way."
"Like, if we split up, how are we, you know, like, suppose to find each other if we find what we need to?" Ayase asked.
Yukino rolled her eyes. "Wow, she asked an important and actually intelligent question. I'm shocked." She hissed to Kei, who felt content to almost snicker.
"Well, Ayase, that's where you come in?" Naoya stated.
"Like, what?" Ayase asked puzzled, pointing to herself.
"The tree tops part in a open way, if you guys find Mai and what we need to get into Kandori's castle, then you'll send us a flare with Hori. If we find it, I'll use Seimen Kongo to send you a signal."
"That's a noteworthy solution, N.T., but if this place is as confusing as Maki said, how are we gonna meet up with each other." Brown asked, perplexed.
"That is simple, Uesugi, drawing a line in the dirt. That can be your job." Kei ordered, soaking in his own ego.
"And I'll carve us signs in the bark to mark our trail, no problem." Masao added, retrieving a pen knife from a side pocket in his backpack.
"If we're all settled," Naoya said, loosening the strap of his MP5. "Let's head out."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Kei pushed onward, sneering at Brown's incapability to drag the tip of his spear in the soft earth. "Uesugi, banish the thought from your mind, please. You are irritating me with your delays."
"Gee, sorry, Nanjo…I'll be sure to not even bother from now on." Brown retorted.
"Feh," Kei sighed, having realized Brown was not going to be as submissive or callous to Kei's words as he was prior to his revelation. "Perhaps I should restrain my harshness of words and the edge of my ego." He said, quietly to himself.
"Nah, let Brown be Brown, and let you be you." Yukino openly said out-loud.
"Like, this place is creepy!" Ayase shrieked, dragging behind with Brown as Yukino and Kei kept walking ahead. She cringed at the vibe of the shadows, the spots of setting sun poking through the violet leaves. A shiver ran up her spine at the hasty chirps of crickets and the cries of the cicadas. The enclosed path the trunks made with their crunched and robust exterior and interior made the perfect walls. The dancing colorful radiation mixed with the sun's yellow rays made a pseudo-ceiling. The dark choked her, blinded her, she felt loneliness creep in the posterior of her mind, consuming her until-
"Yo, Ayase, you okay?" Brown asked.
The paleness of her face faded as she turned to Brown who was abreast to her. "Like, I guess." There was sweat on her brow and the coiled whip was slipping from her greased palm.
"You were spacing, huh? Forget I mentioned it." Brown tilted his spear and was ready to move on.
"Brown, wait!" She urgently shouted, causing him to halt.
"What's up?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Stay here with me, please." She beckoned, distinct fear in her pupils. "Like, I'll even let you hold my hand." Her fakeness returning.
"You sure? You're not gonna leave me in the dust again are you."
She dropped her guard. "I'm sorry…" Her lips quivered. "I'm scared, okay. Like just hold my hand, please!" Ayase slipped her fingers in between Brown's open hand and squeezed hard, causing both of them to blush.
"S-s-s-s-s-sure, you can hold my h-h-h-hand, just don't l-l-l-l-let go." Brown stuttered, shell-shocked.
"Thanks…" She giggled.
"Aw, ain't that cute, Kei, another pair of love birds." Yukino commented, keeping pace with him.
"An unlikely couple. As if a raven and a dove were paired together."
"I wouldn't say that. The two of em' are like a crow and scarecrow if you think about it."
"Both of which to the other is something that they don't want but are always there, yes." Kei replied, intrigued.
"Yep, a crow to a scarecrow and a scarecrow to the crow. Both are always there to annoy the other."
"Well, it is more along the lines of they're both there to incense everyone else."
Yukino smiled at Kei. "Yeah, I guess. What would you compare us to, then?"
Kei was in awe for a moment. "Us? I'm not quite sure what-"
In the black, a lone spark flickered to life. It bobbed with a slight glare. It was a minor flame, waltzing in circles in the air, attracting the eyes of all four and ceasing their walking. It magnetized their gaze, they wanted to know where it was from and what it was going to do. It was just a tiny spark, the size that would fit a lantern. It gently receded, not in terms of the flame, but in movement. It backed into the shadows of the trees, the fire not evaporating. It didn't waver, it was kept ignited and fueled.
Kei spotted a faint lens flare, paying it no mind. "I surmise we should heed it's call."
"It's hell of a lot better than wondering aimlessly in this damn maze." Yukino replied.
"Then, let's give chase."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Maki heard rustling of the branches from the wind. She was lost in thought again, following Naoya lead into each turn. "We're getting closer to what I'm feeling. Am I homing in on this Mai? I don't think we've ever met. What is this familiarity? I can't think…my memory is hazy…what's going on? Wait…I remember…I felt this way the first day I ran into Aki before Chisato and Yosuke showed up. Now that I remember it, the garden changed before I encountered Aki too. The Lost Forest appeared here…with Aki…that has to be it…but when was that…how was that…the Deva System…Kandori…he has a deeper part in this…he…had…to have effected this world with the Deva System, but why and how? I'm sure the others, at least, Nao-kun and Kei are thinking this over too. This is a mystery that surely will be solved with Kandori."
Naoya glanced at the upcoming turning, he saw Eriko out the corner of his eye. She was approaching him. "What's up, Eriko?" He asked, looking at her to her own surprise.
"Oh, brave leader, I uh…" She paused a moment. "I wanted to thank you for saving me earlier."
Naoya shook his head, as if he was disappointed. "That wasn't me, Eriko." He sighed. "That was the Chaos…I lost myself again back there…" He hung his head, gaining a defeat demeanor.
Eriko rubbed the minor bruises on her throat, recalling that she passed out right as Naoya came to her rescue. "I thought you had this new alignment? What was the white from?"
"Back when we fought Genbu, I had aligned myself in this neutral alignment Igor described to me."
"Neutral alignment?"
"Think of it as the middle of Chaos and Law. Igor explained, to keep balance, your thoughts have to be of everyone, not solely yourself, but everyone, including friends, family, the people you care for."
"Then, how did the Chaos-"
"When Reiji grabbed you, my thoughts shifted…I…" Naoya sharply hissed, clamping his eyelids shut. "I…I had dismissed the compassion I gained for him and thought of him as an enemy. The Chaos overpowered my mind until I drew my katana across his throat. If he hadn't let you go, the Chaos wouldn't have retreated until he was dead."
Eriko lowered her own head, empathizing with Naoya. "Naoya, brave leader…I'm sorry I worried you…I had no idea how hard it must be to keep your thoughts straight. I always try to remain unbiased and center my mind at one thing so I guess I will never know the experience of this alignment change."
Naoya's lips curled into a half-smile. "Don't worry, Eriko. It's not your fault."
Eriko matched his smile as she did his head position. Her giddy vigor returned. "Thank you for caring for me, Naoya!"
Naoya stared up at the sky, his cheeks heating up. "No p-p-problem,"
"I mean you lost this neutral alignment because I was in danger. I feel that I can't say thank you enough."
"Once is all right, Eriko." Naoya replied.
Reiji sneered, having heard their conversation. "I'm such an idiot." He said to himself.
"You can say that again." Masao said after marking a tree with an "X."
Reiji glared. "You don't know what I'm talking about, Inaba."
"I can figure." He retorted, having heard the conversation as well.
"As if…" Reiji hook his thumps in his khakis and attempted to move away.
"You know, if you're fully collaborating with us now, Reiji, you gotta learn to not shoulder the burden by yourself."
"I don't need pity, Inaba. I thought I made that clear. If we're nakama, or comrades or whatever the hell term you use to define the relationship, then you should learn to leave my business alone."
"You realize not even an hour ago you spilled your guts to us, right?"
"Different time, different place, different scenario, different story…"
"They why are you hung up on nearly choking out Eriko?"
Reiji glared again. "Shut up, Inaba."
"That is what's eating at you right? Can't imagine why? You been under it's control since the beginning, right?"
Reiji tightened his fist. "No, I was NOT, Inaba. Only since this whole fiasco started which in total has spanned two days. That's it."
"Hey, you know, we all can turn at the drop of the hat? You don't have to think you're the only one." Masao proposed as Reiji loosened his fist and put it back in his pocket.
"I know that! It's how much stronger that Chaos was worries me!" Reiji blurted with out realizing.
Masao titled his head. "How's that? You seemed used to it."
"Not when me and the punk threw down or when I went ape-shit at the door or when I strangled Kirishima…it took complete control there and I couldn't do anything until I was snapped out of it."
"Maybe, it's stronger when your darker thoughts are stronger." Masao suggested, remembering Naoya's outbursts.
Reiji actually nodded. "If the strength of the thoughts is key then its explained. When the punk challenged me, my mind went nuts. NO one has every talked shit to me and got away with it. The gate was another obstacle and another gasket to blow. When Kirishima compared me to my brother, I…wanted to silence her…make sure she could never say it again…that's why I'm an idiot, Inaba, because I let this Chaos control me to the point where I could have killed someone innocent."
"Now, your care for the innocents?" Masao challenged harshly. "Sounds as if you're drifted in the alignments. Good sign of things to come if you're doing it." He positively said.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"You're not as big of a dick as before."
"What about you, huh, Inaba? How come you haven't changed alignments at all?" Reiji retorted.
Masao cupped his chin. "No idea…I mean I have had those chaotic, devastating thoughts before, but I don't think I held on to them long enough or stewed in them enough for the Chaos to take control. I think the only reason you and Naoya fell into it is because you keep thinking about it over and over until it builds. I just chill and relax out the stress."
"You ARE a fucking stoner." Reiji hissed.
Maki grimaced. "Reiji and Masao are getting along, Nao-kun and Eriko are chatting. I can only hope the others are as quiet and safe as we are. Except this feeling, it's closing in."
Persona: Be Your True Mind
"I GOT IT!" Brown leaped in the air at the spinning spark, annoyed that it evaded each of his grabs. "THIS'LL TEACH YOU TO LEAD US ON A WILD GOOSE-CHASE!"
They had followed the spark and it was a poor judgment call due to it taking them through twists and turns at a high speed and led them way off course to a dead-end they had no idea how to backtrack from.
Brown gritted his teeth, dead-sure he cornered the spark at the dead-end, but at the last second it jerked to the right and Hidehiko landed on his face. "Come on!"
"Uesugi, quit fooling around! It's unfeasible to catch flame with your bare hands!" Kei chided, noticing the spark circling above their heads taunting them.
"Hee ho, suckers! You-hee fell for it!" A cackling, squeaky tone voice mocked.
"Who, like, said that?" Ayase asked thin-air.
"It's the spark, Ayase!" Yukino pointed to it.
Kei narrowed his eyes. "Show yourself, demon!" He drew his broadsword.
"Hee-caught me-hee!" The flame grew larger, illuminating it's container, an old-style oil lantern, held in gloved hands. These hands were disembodied to a levitating cloak a mere two feet in length. The cloak wrapped around itself. It hovered under a bright orange pumpkin, a jack-o-lantern to be precise. It's eyes, nose, and jagged mouth were cut out. The inside was pitch black except for the eye holes which had their own real pupils. Resting on the top of the pumpkin was a pointed blue hate the same material as the cloak with a white stripe around the brim.
"Give me your name!"
"Why-hee should I-hee?" The pumpkin demon spun in placing, the fire of his lantern streaming with him. "I-hee have no reason-hee?"
"You'll give me your name, demon!" Kei shouted. "Or I'll kill you without mercy!"
"I get it…intimidate him to make him talk." Yukino whispered.
The pumpkin stopped short in his spin, his carved-out eyes and mouth cowering in fright as animated as a human. "Don't-hee hurt me-hee!" He spun in a 180 degree circle and flew away fast crying. "I-hee just didn't want you-hee to hurt Mistress Mai-hee!"
"Follow him! We're getting to the bottom of this!" Kei ordered, running with his broadsword as Brown recovered to catch up with the pace.
Persona: Be Your True Mind
Maki shuddered, not in fear, not in cold, instead in intuition like her body was sending her a mental message not to advance. "This…it's close…I have to tell Nao-kun…"
Naoya and Eriko were kibitzing while Masao and Reiji were tailing while markings and engaged in their own conversation. "Nao-kun…" She mumbled.
Naoya's ear perked. "Yeah, Maki?" He casually replied, having barely heard her.
Maki weakly pursed her lips. "I don't know why or what it is or what it's intention are…I can feel two…no…three…things in this forest. One is…" Maki shuddered, distinguishing the feelings. "One is in the middle of the Lost Woods, I can feel it. The second is…on the other side where Kei and the others are…it's moving to this side. The last one…is up ahead…I'm sure of it." She was definite in her response.
"How are we handling it, Nao?" Masao asked, him and Reiji grouping with them.
"It's closing in Nao-kun…" Maki clutched her arms. "This isn't fear, this isn't excitement, it's…nostalgia…"
Images sped passed in her mind, images of Aki, a living jack-o-lantern with a shroud and hat, a young girl resembling Aki in a matching white dress, and what Maki could only describe as a living snowman wearing a jesters hat flooding her brain. The pictures outlined a unique relationship between the two girls in clashing colors and the snowman and jack-o-lantern of clashing elements. The four were a missed-matched, non-immediate family from what Maki was able to cognize.
"These memories…" The veins in Maki's forehead and neck strained as she assimilated the abrupt intrusion of these new-found memories. "A pair of brothers and a pair of sisters. Those girls are Aki and Mai. Those…demons…brothers…are…Jack Frost and Pyro Jack. How do I know that? Why do I remember that?"
"Maki! Maki!" Masao called. "Maki, are you okay?"
The stress she expressed melted away to her usual bearing. "I'm fine, Masao-kun."
"Maki," Naoya said. "These things coming at us how far along are they?"
"It's not a problem, Nao-kun."
"What do you mean, Maki? You just told me-"
"I know he won't hurt us."
Masao felt the need to ask what everyone was thinking. "Maki, how can you be su-"
"I got ya, amihos! You-ho won't lay-ho a hand-ho on Mistress Mai-ho!" A creaky tone voice shouted.
Down on Mark's skull came a rubber mallet, wielded in the snow-made hands of a living snowman that had jumped from a branch. The snowman was pure white, the ball of snow his body, with actual legs, decorated in blue snow boots and short arms with only four fingers. His head was a round-ball of snow with two ovals of black for eyes, no nose, and a wide horizontal half-oval of black for a mouth, with the addition of two dainty fangs protruding. The snowman was wearing a blue snow cap with long, stretching jester ears and a jester's neck ruffle. Patched into the forehead section of the cap was a yellow smiley face.
"SHIT!" Mark went down with a bang at the drop of the hammer. "Damn…demons…and their cheap shots…"
Reiji was nearest and the initial person to react. "Little bastard! Eat this!" He pulled back his fist, as the demon snowman leaped off Masao's slouching back into the air.
"Reiji, no! Don't hurt him!" Maki pleading, throwing her arms out to reach his.
She was too late as Reiji's bare-knuckled punch connected with the snowman and sent him flying into the dirt at a supreme speed.
"WAH!" The demon sat Indian-style, a comical bruise on his snowy ball of a head. He was crying with Eriko and Naoya looking at him as Reiji helped Masao. "WHY-HO YOU HIT ME-HO?"
"Because you hit me, idiot!" Masao exclaimed. "AND STOP CRYING!"
The snowmen flipped backwards, running through Eriko's spaced legs, crying still. "BYE-HO!"
Eriko instinctively pushed down her skirt at the flutter of wind the demon had produced in his dash. "Brave leader, I haven't heard of a demon like that before." She informed.
"I can still see him…we can chase him." Naoya proposed.
"Won't be necessary, Nao-kun." Maki stated. "JACK FROST! REIJI DIDN'T MEAN TO HIT YOU! COME BACK, FOR ME, PLEASE!"
The rushing snowman known as Jack Frost halted in his escape, answering to Maki's voice. "Mistress Mai-ho…HEY-HO LADY-HO! YOU-HO SOUND LIKE MISTRESS MAI-HO!"
"You can say we know each other, Jack Frost! So, please, come here for me!"
"But-ho…you guys want to hurt…Mistress Mai-ho…"
"No, Jack Frost, we want to-"
"JACK FROST!" A second squeaky voice yelled as a lit lantern held in the hands of a living jack-o-lantern flew into the scene next to the snowman.
"Pyro Jack! Where the other amihos?"
Pyro Jack eyes were spurting tears. "They-hee where gonna kill me-hee!"
"Those amihos there?" Jack Frost pointed to Kei, Ayase, Brown, and Yukino standing behind Pyro Jack.
"What-hee about those, amihos?" Pyro Jack pointed to Naoya, Maki, Masao, Eriko, and Reiji standing behind Jack Frost.
"AH!" They went back-to-back. "We-hee won't-ho let-hee you-ho hurt-hee Mistress Mai-ho!" They simultaneously yelled.
"It appears you have your own pest to deal with, Todo. Ours has been giving us trouble for twenty minutes." Kei said.
"I doubt yours hit you in the head with a hammer!" Masao snarled.
"Either way, they know of the presence of this Mai." Kei cut straight to their objective.
"Perhaps they can tell us where she is." Naoya said.
"NO-HEE WAY-HO!" The two Jacks jumped ten feet in the air. "JACK BROS SECRET TECHNIQUE!"
Jack Frosted cupped his hands to the side, gathering a combination of ice and snow with a hoary energy glowing. "BUFULA!" He unleashed the Skill as a stream of the snow and ice.
Pyro Jack sided his lantern to where his hip would have been if he had a figure, the spark of the lantern filling it's canister. "AGILAO!" He swung the lantern forward with Jack Frost's hands, unleashing a burst of flame.
"JACK BROS DUO ATTACK!"
Unfortunately for the brothers, the attack was not much of an attack. The Agilao of fire and the Bufula of ice collided with each other on the way down to the Persona-Users. The flames and snow liquefying at immediate contact and raining a benign sprinkle on them instead of a dangerous attack as they attended.
"WAH! NOT AGAIN-HEE!" The two plopped themselves on ground level in defeat.
"What are we, like, gonna do with em'?" Ayase asked.
"They obviously didn't want us to find this Mai, so they have to know where she is." Yukino explained.
"We ain't talkin'?" They both crossed their arms, pouting with their cartoonish jaws.
"Maybe if they know they can trust us, they'll help. Kei probably scared Pyro Jack with an idle threat to make them talk. You have to be sweet and kind…" Maki kneeled to the Jack Bros. "You may not know me, but I know the both of you."
"Really-hee? How-ho?" They gasped slightly, surprised.
"Yep, you're the Jack Bros, Pyro Jack and Jack Frost, right?"
"Yeah!" They exclaimed in enthusiasm.
"I'm Maki, I know Mai…we aren't here to hurt her…we want to talk with her…so can you two take us to her, please?" Maki poured on the charm and the cutest and softest voice available.
The brothers turned to each other, huddling, to discuss the situation in private. "You-hee think we should?"
"She-ho does look like Mistress Mai-ho."
"She-hee even feels like Mistress Mai-hee and Mistress Aki-hee too."
"She-ho can help-ho bring back Mistress Aki-ho?"
"Let's-hee see…they're-hee Persona-Users...I can-hee feel that too."
The jack-o-lantern and snowman replied to Maki with, "Of-hee course-ho, Mistress Maki-hee. We'll take you to, Mistress Mai-ho."
"Thank you, boys!" She gave them both a great big hug.
"Eriko, is it safe to go hugging demons?" Naoya asked, concerned.
"I've never heard of a Jack Frost or Pyro Jack as demons in the anthologies I've read, brave leader."
"I'd be more worried that she knew their names and stuff, Nao." Masao reminded.
"Hell, the broad isn't the real one anyway, right?" Reiji asked, unperturbed.
"Yes, she is the Maki of this world, not ours, Kido." Kei answered, troubled by her connection with these brothers.
"We still haven't found where the real Maki is yet either." Yukino said, frowning.
Masao scowled. "I can't believe we might've left her behind in the hospital." He was kicking himself for allowing that possibility to exist.
"Like, are we done being lost in these Lost Woods, Brown?" Ayase asked, holding his hand again.
"Not sure, depends on if Maki decides to give in on the bear hug or suffocate the low-jack to this Mai."
Ayase snickered a little, though Brown had not told a joke.
Maki released the two brothers, both climbing on her shoulders, as comfortable as a bird in its nest. "So, where to boys?" She asked, eager to see Mai.
Not much to say other than I think I've done a terrible job at introducing them, but I have no other way of going about it. They're comic relief. This chapter was filler. I thought the slapstick could be interpreted as humorous. It's probably my favor form of humor especially when relating to cartoonish characters which is what the Jack Bros are somewhat going to be, they're my own insertion for following novel purposes and to demonstrate a plot element that is revealed in the next chapter. BY THE WAY DOUBLE-FEATURE UPLOAD! Either way, I don't know if you enjoyed Chapter Seventeen of Persona: Be Your True Mind, but I hope you may enjoy next time I see in Chapter Eighteen: Mai
Reiji: The fuck he means by double feature! This ain't a movie jackass!
Brown: Worse he had a piss-poor introduction of two supporting cast characters coupled with Maki's lone perspective for the first upload. Come on, man, even I could write better than that.
Masao: Hey, Brown, cut the dude some slack and go back to trying to down-blouse Ayase.
Brown: *Salutes* Will do!
Myself: *Facepalms* What am I gonna do with you guys?
Yukino: YOU COULD GIVE US ALL MORE LINES