Author's Note: I'll be handeling the intro to the chapter as the narrorators are on lunch break. For starters: I must appoligize for the very, very long hiatus. Exams have been knocking on the door like Death itself, and it was persistent. This isn't much of an excuse, and I can't really appoligize enough. So instead, I'll give this chapter as a gift, and work harder on finding time to write. Which won't be for a month. Sorry. Next up...
The Blue Lights: I cannot say enough how much I appreciated your review. It fixed a lot of things I've been doing wrong grammer wise, and made me think about a few points you brought up. I hope I've done better with this chapter. As for the backstory for the OC's...That will be revealed soon, I promise you.
Kruggov: I didn't say much when you first reviewed, but I will say this now: No, they won't be Mary Sues. In fact, I rather dislike Mary Sues. What's the use of creating a character if you won't let them suffer and develop the same as the other characters. It would be unfair to everyone. If they seem like Mary Sues, then I will try to rectify this.
Reviews are always welcome, remember that. No flames though. And as a note about all the stories I do...If you dislike multiple OC's (But most certainley not Mary Sues) and Mega Crossovers, this may not be the place for you. However, I ask that you read before you decide. You may like it. And I alway endevor to give the best possible. So for those reading, let's see this ride through, shall we?
Now that we got all that melodrama like stuff out of the way, let's get to the disclaimer, and then the chapter so awaited.
I don't own the characters of Persona. Only my characters and ideas.
Note: de Tuthua is pronounced 'de Tooth-oo-a' and is something in mythology, for those wondering.
Chapter 10 :Yukiko's Castle
Souji
"You think Chie's okay?".
He opened his eyes and looked at Yosuke.
"I mean, so much stuff happened yesterday. I hope she's back to her usual self," Yosuke said worriedly. He stretched a bit.
"I'm sure she's fine. She's very strong willed," he said. Yosuke chuckled. "You got that right. Still, I hope she's okay".
As if summoned, Chie suddenly stepped into the classroom. She caught sight of both of them staring at her, and her face flushed as she almost tip toed into the class and towards them.
"Uh...'Mornin," she said.
"Did you sleep well?," he asked.
"Yeah, I was out cold until this morning," she said with a smile. The smile turned into a frown as she looked at the ground. He and Yosuke glanced at each other. "Uh...Thank you guys for yesterday. It's kinda embarrassing though...I mean you guys got to see all my hidden feelings and stuff". Yosuke shook his head.
"Don't sweat it". Chie looked at Yosuke.
"Oh yeah, the same thing happened to you, huh?," she said curiously.
"Oh yeah," Yosuke said quickly, turning to him," you didn't have to face your Shadow did you? I wonder why?".Yosuke smiled.
"Hmmm, could it be you have nothing to hide?," he said half-serious. He chuckled. Chie looked at him curiously. "So none of that stuff happened to you?". He shook his head.
"I gotta admit, you have a pretty funny air about you. I guess that's what draws people towards you," she said.
"Want me to bare it all?," he asked calmly, leaning back in his chair. The look on both their faces was priceless.
"Wha-Hey, wh-what're you talking about!?," Chie said, taking a step back.
Yosuke grabbed him by the shoulders. "Don't do it, you'll get arrested for real this time!," he said seriously.
He just looked at him blankly. "And whose fault was that?".
"Almost arrested?," Chie asked. He nodded.
"Yosuke's brilliant plan," he said. Yosuke glared at him, and he just smiled.
"What he do, bring a weapon to the food court?," Chie said, chuckling.
She stopped on seeing them. "Wait, please tell me he didn't".
Yosuke just looked to the side sheepishly. Chie looked at Yosuke for a full moment, before unexpectedly laughing.
"That's something only you would do," she said good-naturedly. He joined in on the chuckling, and Yosuke glared at them, before smiling.
"It was pretty humorous in hindsight. Not so much when it was happening," Yosuke said, reminiscing.
"Today we're saving Yukiko, no matter what. And I'm coming too!," Chie said. He and Yosuke nodded. There was no reason for her not to. The bell started to ring.
"Crap, I still haven't gone to the bathroom!". And with that, Yosuke ran off. He looked back at Chie, only to see her twiddling her fingers nervously.
"Um...Thank you," she said after a while.
"Yosuke's cool and all, but there is something different about you. I have the feeling you won't let me down," Chie said with a grateful smile. He smiled back.
"I'll try my best not to, Satonaka". Chie frowned.
"There's no need to call me by my last name"
"Very well...I'll try my best not to Chie".
Chie smiled and time suddenly stopped with the crash of glass, and a card with two sphinxes and a charioteer appeared. Thou Art I...And I Am Thou...Thou Hast Established A New Bond...It Brings Thee Closer To The Truth...Thou Shalt Be Blessed When Creating Personas Of The Chariot Arcana. Time flowed normally as the card disappeared.
Congrats on your new bond! Pixie chirped. He blinked in surprise. What? We can still talk to you outside the TV. We're part of you. He considered the statement for a while, before asking them to keep it down outside the TV. It wouldn't do good for him to start hearing voices all the time.
If you insist Pixie said with a pout. As you say Angel said. He was broken out of his thoughts by Chie.
"Hey, you okay? You spaced out for a while there". He shook his head.
"Just lost in thought". Chie nodded, before looking at the seat behind him.
"Crystal isn't here?". He shook his head.
"I hope it's not because of yesterday," Chie said, concerned. He shook his head again.
"I doubt that's it". Crystal didn't seem the type to be tired out by a battle. Though he was curious to where she was...
"Can I have your number? For the investigation?," he asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah. You're going to need it from now". They took out both their phones and exchanged numbers. At that moment, Yosuke reentered the class.
"Did I miss anything?".
After school ended, the three of them made their way through the hallways.
"Jeez, this handwriting is awful," Yosuke commented, looking at the notes Chie was holding.
"It's my handwriting!," she snapped. Yosuke blinked before wisely getting out of the way.
"Oh, it is? I-It's not that bad," Yosuke said quickly. Chie rolled her eyes and glared at him. "I wrote them for Yukiko".
They walked down the stairs, and he saw people putting up sign up sheets for different clubs. Two guys, one already wearing the jersey, were putting up the basketball club and soccer club, while a girl that looked like a middle schooler stood on her tiptoes to firmly place the band club sheet to the wall. He looked at the soccer club in contemplation.
"You interested in joining the soccer club?".
He blinked and looked at the two guys. One of them had sandy brown hair, brown eyes, a bandage over his nose, and was a head taller than the other. The other had dark blue hair and grey eyes, and was in comparison more wiry, though no less muscular. The brown haired one, otherwise known as the one wearing the jersey, looked at him expectantly.
"Well?".
"You're the transfer student, right?," the blue haired one asked.
He nodded, and stared at the soccer club sheet for another moment.
"...Perhaps," he said after some consideration. The brown haired one smiled widely.
"Hey, Souji! Come on!," Chie called.
He turned to her and nodded, before turning back to the duo. He noticed the blue haired boy looking at Chie with a slight blush.
"I'll see you later," he said, before making his way towards Chie. Yosuke followed, but not before looking at the blue haired boy. "Better luck next time, Ichijo". The blue haired boy blinked.
"Come on! Hurry up!"
"Coming!".
They found Crystal standing in front of Junes. And she looked pissed. She looked up on hearing their footsteps.
"There you are!," she snapped, "Where have you been!".
"We could ask you the same thing," Yosuke said, seemingly un-intimidated by the glare she was sending them.
"...I thought we were going to save Yukiko first thing," she said after a while.
"We had school today"
"I thought saving Yukiko was more important than that!"
"Don't raise your voice so much sister. You're attracting unwanted attention".
He turned to see Florence strolling towards them.
"Do you wear that suit all the time?," Yosuke asked. Florence ignored him.
"I told you we should have gone to the school," Florence said to his sister calmly.
"Yeah yeah, I get it! Let's just get on with it...," she said. She seemed less angry at them and more irritated at herself.
"Let's get to saving Yukiko"
"Hi Sensei!," Teddie said cheerfully. Behind him, Yosuke was helping Chie up and Crystal was doing likewise for her brother.
"Hey Teddie. We need to head back to the castle"
"Got it Sensei. We need to save that girl fast. By the way...". He tilted his head as Teddie seemed to rummage through invisible pockets.
"These are for you!". He took the things Teddie had given him. A couple of keys, a first aid kit, and some odd little boxes.
"These things," Teddie pointed to the boxes, "can let you escape the castle it you're in a tight spot. They're called Goho-Ms."
"...Did you think of that name yourself?"
"Yup!".
"I also have this," Teddie said, before putting a bucket of yen on the floor. For a moment, it was silent. Then Yosuke started to count the money rapidly while Chie looked at the bucket with wide eyes.
"Dude," he said after a while," There must be at least 5000 yen here". He blinked.
"Really?"
"Yeah". Yosuke turned to Teddie. "Where did you get this?"
"The Shadows dropped them"
"And you didn't tell us!?"
"Wah! You never asked," Teddie said nervously.
"What do we do with it?," Chie asked. He thought for a while , while everyone looked at him.
" Whoever defeats the Shadow gets to keep the money," he said finally.
Everyone nodded. "I'm fine with that. I knew there was a reason you're the leader". He blinked.
"Leader?".
Yosuke nodded. "Yeah. I think you should be our Leader. I'm more of an ideas guy, you know? I'd trust you more with important decisions".
Chie nodded. "Yeah. You just seem like a Leader type".
Crystal cupped her chin in thought. "You've been doing a good job so far. You're pretty much already the de facto leader. I'd feel a lot better if you were the official Leader," she said slowly but surely.
Teddie nodded. "My pillow would be a lot better at night knowing Sensei is in charge".
Florence shrugged. "I have no objections".
Yosuke smiled. "Then we all agree". Yosuke turned to face him. "You're the Leader".
Everyone looked at him expectantly, and for a moment, he froze under the sudden weight. He would now be responsible for everybody's wellbeing...He took a breath and nodded.
"If you guys say so, then I will give it my all," he said firmly. Everybody nodded, and suddenly time stopped with a shattering of glass. A card appeared, this one depicting a hapless man walking with a sack over his back, a dog at his heels, as he headed towards a cliff drop. Thou Art I...And I Am Thou...Thou Hast Established A New Bond...It Brings Thee Closer To The Truth...Thou Shalt Be Blessed When Strengthening The Arcana Of The Fool. He blinked as time returned to normal, only to look as Chie and Yosuke looked around wildly.
"What was that!?," Yosuke asked. He blinked in surprise.
"You saw that?"
"It's pretty hard to miss".
He turned to Crystal and Florence. "What about you?".
Crystal shook her head, frowning. "I didn't see anything...It felt like something was there for a moment though". She turned to Florence, who shook his head. He thought for a moment, thinking about the best way to describe a Social Link.
"...It's the power of our Personas," he said after some time. "What do you mean?," Chie asked. "Personas are manifestations of ourselves. They become stronger the stronger we get. And they become stronger through the power of the heart and our bonds," he said, recalling everything Igor ever said. "Power of the heart?," Chie repeated. "So you're saying friendship makes our Personas stronger?," Yosuke asked. "It's not as simple as that".
"How do you know all this?," Crystal asked. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should talk about the Velvet Room. He looked at her straight in the eyes.
"You're not the only one with secrets," he said. She flinched back, before scowling and looking down. He felt bad on seeing that, but he didn't feel up to the task of explaining the Velvet Room. There was a slight silence.
"Uh, so let's go save Yukiko," Yosuke suggested. He nodded and they made their way to the castle silently.
They made it back to the second floor, and Teddie stopped suddenly to sniff the air.
"There's someone here!," he said. Chie looked at him in surprise. "There is? Yukiko!," she called out, running towards the door.
"Dammit Chie! Stop running ahead!," Yosuke snapped, and they ran after her. They entered the room where they had fought Shadow Chie, and he noticed two things. One: the room wasn't destroyed anymore. Two: Yukiko was standing in the center of the room, in her pink ballroom gown, facing away from them.
"Yukiko-san!"
"Yukiko!".
They all stepped forward, but she didn't turn. "Yukiko...?," Chie said hesitantly, steeping forward. Immediately, Yukiko whirled around, yellow eyes glimmering with amusement. They all stepped back, tensing. All except Chie.
"That's not Yukiko," Crystal whispered. Princess Yukiko tilted her head, microphone in hand, looking at them curiously. "Hmm? Oh my! Special guests? I wonder how they'll play into this," Princess Yukiko chuckled, "Things are heating up!". Princess Yukiko clapped her hands together.
"Okie-dokie! I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohh, where could he be...?," she asked. "This place is so huge! It's sooo exiting, but it makes it so hard to find him!". Princess Yukiko brought the microphone up to her face, and looked thoughtful. "Ooh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready-or-not, here I come!". Princess Yukiko gestured to them extravagantly. "Let's go further in then, shall we!?".
She gestured to her side, and a stream of rose petals flowed through the air, forming a neon sign. 'PRINCESS YUKIKO'S HUNT FOR HER PRINCE CHARMING' it read. Applause and cheer sounded as Shadow Yukiko curtsied. Chie looked at the scene in baffled shock, while Yosuke looked around as voices murmured through thin air.
"Not this again. What the hell's with the applause?!".
Chie's eyes narrowed and her fists clenched. "You're not Yukiko...Who are you!?".
Princess Yukiko lifted a hand to her mouth and laughed, resembling the Princess she...resembled. "What're you talking about? I'm Yukiko...And Yukiko is me". Chie looked at Princess Yukiko in sudden realization.
"No! Don't tell me, are you-!?".Princess Yukiko merely chuckled.
"Where's the real Yukiko!?".
The voices grew louder in volume, and Crystal brought her fists up.
"What's with these voices?," Yosuke said, looking around wildly.
"Nothing good," Crystal said back.
"The Shadows are getting agitated," Teddie said warningly.
Princess Yukiko chuckled again. "Well, I'm off again!," she said, waving cheerfully. Before running away, very swiftly for someone wearing a ballroom gown. As she ran, he heard her laugh cheerfully. "Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!". Chie stepped forwards.
"Wait!".
Princess Yukiko's footsteps faded, and Chie stared at the ground for a while, before turning to them, eyes filled with determination. "That clearly wasn't the real Yukiko. It had to be..."
"Her Shadow," he finished.
Florence nodded, adjusting his dark green glasses.
"There's very little else it could be".
"I think it was. It must have been the other part of herself," Teddie said, agreeing.
"So it's the same thing that happened to us," Yosuke said.
"Well then, we better find Yukiko quick. Before her Shadow finds her," Crystal said. They all looked at her.
"...What?," she asked nervously. Chie paled as Crystal's words fully sunk in.
"Yukiko!," she yelled, turning around. He grabbed her by the jacket before she could bolt. "Chie. We will save Amagi-san. But the only way to save her is if we work together and go through this castle calmly. Got it?".
Chie stopped struggling, before sighing.
"You're right," she said reluctantly.
"She wasn't excited for nothing," Teddie said suddenly. They looked at him.
"What do you mean?," Crystal asked.
"I think the real Yukiko wants to show us something. This castle is strongly connected to her. At least, that's what I think". They stared at him for another moment.
"First we save Amagi-san, then we can muse about all of this," he said. Everyone nodded, and they quickly went up the next floor.
The first Shadows they found dive-bombed them from the air.
"Watch out! Black Ravens!," Teddie cried out. The Black Ravens cawed in harmony, before preceding the attack again.
"Izanagi!"
"Jiraiya!"
"Tomoe!".
The Ravens squawked and swerved out of the way to avoid Tomoe and Jiraiya. Jiraiya launched a Garu at them, disorientating them for a moment, but not doing much else. Tomoe launched herself at them, swinging while the Ravens flew about wildly. Chie let out a cry as one of the Ravens attacked Tomoe, before dancing out of the way.
"Careful Chie-chan!," Teddie called out.
The Ravens cawed in harmony again-only to scatter violently as Crystal sent a storm of stones at them. One of the Ravens flew right into his path. It didn't even have time to cry out before Izanagi blasted it with Zio.
"Black Ravens are weak to Zio!," Teddie called out.
Izanagi lifted his naginata and pointed it at another Raven, blasting it. The rest of the Ravens squawked and rushed out of Izanagi's way. And into everybody else's. Tomoe skewered one into the ground while Jiraiya killed the next one with a flurry of shuriken strikes. The last Raven cried out-and promptly was smashed into the ground by a stone.
"Rock beats bird," Crystal said.
"That was pretty easy," Chie said. Yosuke shook his head. "Trust us, it won't be this easy for long".
"I suggest we try to avoid Shadows as much as possible," Teddie said.
They nodded and continued further in. They managed to reach the next floor without encountering any Shadows. As soon as they did, Yukiko's voice suddenly rang out.
"Welcome. Thank you for coming to the Amagi Inn. Your room is right this way. If we can help you in any way, please let us know immediately".
They looked around, but Yukiko nor her Shadow were nowhere to be found.
"What as that?," Yosuke asked.
"Yeah. This is obviously a castle, not an inn".
He thought for a moment. "Maybe we're hearing Amagi-san's thoughts or memories?," he mused.
"You mean like Saki?," Crystal asked. He nodded.
"Whatever it is, our first priority is Amagi-san".
They continued through the corridors, trying to find the staircase. What they instead found were more Shadows. This time a table and two hands.
"A table? Some of these Shadows are really weird," Yosuke sighed. The hands immediately scuttled towards them, while the Table launched it's tableware. Izanagi launched a zio at the table. The table didn't even flinch, and he rolled to the side to avoid three forks and a knife.
"Laughing Table's are resistant to Zio!".
Chie kicked away one of the hands, while Crystal punched the other one towards her brother, who slashed it with his scythe. The table launched more of its silverware at him, only for Jiraiya to launch a garu to intercept it. The silverware flew away, and the table fell as it's legs became as flimsy as wet noodles.
"It's weak to Garu!," Teddie yelled, at the same time he changed Persona.
"Angel!".
The choker appeared around his neck as Angel appeared, launching a Garu at the table, finishing it off. Tomoe finished off the last Shadow with a bufu. Chie exhaled.
"Well, now that that's over-".
She was interrupted as cards suddenly appeared from thin air.
"What the-!?".
"Relax. This is just how Souji gets new Personae," Yosuke explained.
He stepped up and watched as the cards shuffled, before choosing one. Almost immediately, a presence stalked into his mind. Well hello a voice...purred in his mind. I am Senri the voice continued And I think I will enjoy being here she said with a chuckle, before receding. He blinked as a feeling of uneasiness washed over him.
"You okay?". He looked at Crystal. "You were frowning," she explained. He shook his head, waving off the ominous feeling.
"I'm fine".
"Hey look, it's a chest," Chie said.
They walked towards the chest in question.
"Should we open it?," Crystal asked, looking at the chest with unabashed curiosity. Pixie hover over his shoulder with the same expression. I say we open it. He thought for a moment, before reaching out to open it.
"Wait!," Yosuke said, "What if it's trapped?". He considered it for a moment, before tossing the lid open quickly. The only thing inside were beads.
"Beads?," Chie said, making a face.
"At least it's not an enemy".
Teddie and Pixie on the other hand were exited.
"Oh my Sensei, these are 'beary' useful!".
Revival Beads! Yes!
He looked at the small orange beads in his hands. They didn't look that useful. Revival Beads can revive you if you fall unconscious Pixie told everyone.
"Really?," Crystal said, holding a bead in front of her face. Pixie nodded. He took the five beads, before giving one to everyone, keeping the last one for himself.
"Why are you giving us these?," Crystal asked.
"It wouldn't be good if only one person was holding all the supplies," he said. Florence nodded.
"Not to put all our eggs in one basket, in other words," Florence said. He nodded.
"Exactly".
At that moment, they heard a cacophony of caws, and turned to see a flock of Black Ravens heading towards them.
Florence
After dealing with the Unkindness of Black Ravens, they managed their way to the fifth floor. Not without any injuries though.
"Are you sure you're fine?," Yosuke asked Souji. Souji just adjusted the bandages over his hands. "I'll be fine".
Apparently, after seeing their comrades deaths, the Black Ravens had decided Souji was the most dangerous out of all of them, and proceeded to attempt to swarm him. Attempt being the key word. In retribution, Izanagi had proceeded to start blasting Ravens into piles of charred feathers. Normally, he liked ravens. He made an exception for those. Teddie started sniffing the air.
"I think...Someone's here!".
Chie grew excited at that. "Come on, let's hurry!".
She quickly started leading the way. They walked a few steps...and there was a sudden dropping feeling in his stomach as they were suddenly in a different place in the castle entirely.
"Huh? Where are we?," Yosuke asked.
Crystal put an ear to the ground and started to 'tap' the floor. "We're on the same floor...different place though," she said.
"So we teleported?"
"Looks like it".
They continued forward again. And then got teleported again. He steadied himself at the sudden feeling of dizziness.
"Okay, this is starting to get annoying," Yosuke sighed. Souji turned to Crystal.
"Can you tell exactly where we are?". He face became determined and she kneeled as the floor shifted around her.
"...Still on the same floor, but a different corner".
Souji immediately turned to Teddie.
"Teddie, can you still sense that person?"
"Of course"
"Then I want you to lead the way"
"Aye-Aye Sensei!".
Teddie sniffed the air a couple of times, before abruptly turning the other way. "This way!". They followed after him, and he fully expected to be teleported. To his pleasant surprise, they didn't. He far preferred Shadow Traveling to teleportation.
"This person should be right behind this corne-Wah!".
Teddie fell on his back as two Shadows that looked like dice rushed around the corner towards them. Angel immediately launched a Garu towards them as Souji stood in front of Teddie, brandishing his fake katana protectively. The Dice shuddered at the blast of wind, but continued to attack. Jiraiya launched it's shurikens as Tomoe knocked a dice towards Crystal, who punched it. The Dice floated away, and his sister jumped next to him, shaking her hand.
"That didn't work as well as I hoped it would"
"Punching a block of metal usually doesn't".
Chie fell back as a dice rammed into her, and he slashed the Dice away.
"Bronze Dice are resistant to Physical moves!".
"Izanagi!".
Angel turned into Izanagi as a blast of electricity hit both Dice.
"They're weak to Zio!".
Izanagi lifted up his nanigata, sparks crackling. And at the same time, the Dice started to glow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the same time Crystal created an earthen wall around them. There was a resounding boom as the wall shuddered, before Crystal let it collapse. The Dice were gone. And Souji and Yosuke were unconscious, their Persona's cradling them protectively as they started to fade.
"Sensei!"
"Yosuke!".
Crystal wasted no time and ran up to Souji, the Revival Bead in her hand. Izanagi immediately glared at her, electricity crackling. Even if the Persona was see through, it was still intimidating. Crystal held up her hands.
"I'm just reviving him".
Izanagi looked at his sister, and for a moment her was ready to push her out of the way. A bolt of electricity wouldn't hurt him. Instead, Izanagi looked back down at Souji, and Crystal kneeled next to him.
"So, does he have to ingest it, or-?".
Izanagi took the bead and crushed it. It's fragments glowed, and Souji groaned, before getting up.
"Easy there,", Crystal said, helping him up as Izanagi solidified.
He turned to see Chie doing the same thing for Yosuke. "
Are you guys okay?," he asked. Yosuke looked at him blearily.
"Dude, we just got hit by an explosion point blank. You tell us".
He supposed he deserved that. He noticed Teddie looking downcast beside him.
"What's wrong?," he asked the bear.
"I should have sensed those Shadow's coming. Maybe my nose isn't as useful as I thought it was," Teddie said miserably. He looked at the bear for a moment.
"Without you, we never even would've found this place, let alone anyone in it. Don't be so hard on yourself". Teddie looked at him in surprise.
"Where did you say this person was again?"
"Huh? Oh, they should be around the corner!".
He nodded, before turning to Souji. "Lead on Leader. It would appear our quarry is nearby". Souji looked at him, before nodding.
They made their way around the corner and towards the door.
"Is this it Ted?".
Teddie nodded.
"Yup, I sense someone behind the door".
Chie nodded, "Right!," before kicking the door. They rushed into the room to find Shadow Yukiko. And a gigantic, monstrous knight fused to an equally monstrous horse. The knight glared at them with glaring yellow eyes.
"Ohohoho. So my special guests have returned. Perhaps...," Shadow Yukiko mused, "Perhaps you are my Princes! If so, please, you must rescue me! I am a trapped soul. I can not leave this castle even if I want. If you are my Princes, please rescue me!".
The look of hope on Shadow Yukiko's face was startlingly palpable, and he concentrated on ignoring it. It wouldn't do good to get distracted now. Shadow Yukiko gestured to the knight beside her.
"My Princes would be able to easily save me from the clutches of the Avenger Knight. If you truly are my Princes, then prove it". Shadow Yukiko clapped, and the Shadow reared back and roared. At the same time, Shadow Yukiko ran away.
"Wait, come back-!".
Chie was cut off as Tomoe pulled her back, Chie narrowly avoiding the Avenger Knight's lance. The Knight roared again, and charged at them, sending them scattering.
"This one's really dangerous! Be careful!," Teddie warned.
Tomoe smacked the Knight with her spear, only for it to shrug it off. It similarly did the same for Jiriaya's shurikens. The Knight charged towards Souji and Yosuke, and they leapt to the side. His sister on the other hand...
"That's it, now crash!".
She formed a large stone wall, and he sighed. His sister was just as stubborn as the earth she controlled. The Knight, continued to charge, before suddenly stopping an inch form the wall, and twirling it's lance, crushing the wall. The only reason his sister wasn't skewered there was because she slide back, and Jiraiya hit the Knight in the back of it's head with it's shurikens. The Knight paused, before glaring at Yosuke and charging at breakneck speeds towards him. Yosuke yelped, and leapt to the side. Not fast enough though, as the Knight landed a glancing blow on Yosuke. Yosuke fell with a cry of pain, and Jiraiya angrily launched a blast of wind at the knight, standing in front of Yosuke protectively.
"Yosuke!," Both Souji and Chie called, running towards him. The Knight raised it's lance upwards, before bringing it down. And he acted. He threw his scythe, a move which had taken a painstakingly long time to learn, and it flew true, whirling through the air and into the Knight's head. The Knight roared in pain and stumbled, and Tomoe launched a Bufu at it while Chie stood in front of Yosuke protectively, Souji using Pixie to heal him. The Knight raised it's lance again, only for his sister to tackle it, shoulder covered in craggy rocks. Chie quickly joined in, kicking the Knight's horse in the head. The Knight fell back under the assault. Teddie was cheering next to him.
"Go get him guys!".
Souji helped Yosuke up. And at the same time the Knight roared, glowing red.
"Oh no! It's using Power Charge!," Teddie screamed.
His heart dropped as the Knight sent Chie flying back, before launching his sister into the wall. And then it charged at Souji and Yosuke. Pixie launched a bolt of electricity at it, but it continued to charge.
"Sensei, watch out!".
Souji looked up in surprise, and lifted his hand to change Persona just as the Knight lifted up it's lance. No choice now. Just as Pixie changed to Izanagi, he fell to his knees and called upon the shadows.
Souji
He looked at the Avenger Knight in surprise. The Avenger Knight which was now ensnared as multiple shadowy tendrils enveloped it from the ground, holding it in place. The Knight started to thrash around, the shadows holding it in place. He followed them to see Florence visibly straining. Florence's electric blue eyes locked onto his own.
"Do something, I can't hold him forever!".
He looked at the glowing Knight, who with the scythe sticking out of it's head resembled an odd unicorn. How? nothing had worked so far. Physical, Bufu, Garu, Zio... What about Agi? Senri suddenly asked. He looked at the Knight for a moment.
"Senri!".
Izanagi changed into a woman with white feline features. Senri launched a ball of fire at the Knight, and it burst into flames like dry wood, making a startled Florence release it. The Knight started to run around wildly, still on fire. He sighed in relief, before turning it Senri. And seeing the predatory gleam in her eyes. The uneasy feeling returned tenfold, and he took a step back.
My my, you are a handsome one Senri purred, stepping closer. He backpedaled.
"Hey, partner, what's wrong?," Yosuke asked, cupping the recently healed cut in his side. Senri glanced at Yosuke, assessing him. This one's not bad on the eye's either she said with a smile. Yosuke blinked owlishly, before his eyes widened and he stepped back.
Senri Angel said warningly. What? Senri asked innocently. You know what! Souji, get rid of her immediately! Senri are creatures that sleep with men and feed of their vitality! Pixie snapped.
I would never do that to him Senri said, affronted. At least, not the second one she said with a wink.
He stepped back again. He was broken out of his thoughts by a sudden roar, and whirled to see the Avenger Knight, no longer ablaze, right on top of them. Jiraiya pulled Yosuke away, and he felt Senri pull him out of its path. He glanced to see Senri, face devoid of all playfulness. She flicked her hand almost contemptuously, and the Knight was set on fire one again. It started to stumble and run wildly, and a tendril of shadow rose to pluck the scythe out of it's head, before slashing at it violently. The Knight screamed, before falling and dissolving. The tendril receded, taking the scythe with it, and Florence walked up to them.
"So, uh...Quite an interesting power you have there," Yosuke said awkwardly.
"I get that reaction quite a bit," Florence said with a smile. The smile quickly vanished, and Florence whirled around.
"Sister!".
They followed his gaze to see Chie cradling a limp Crystal. They quickly ran towards them, and he switched Senri to Pixie.
"She's bleeding a lot," Chie said anxiously, not looking too good herself. Florence kneeled next to his sister.
"Crystal?," Florence asked softly. All he got was a groan. He turned to Pixie, who quickly flew towards her and started to use Dia. After a moment, Crystal opened her eyes blearily, and sat up, rubbing her head. Crystal looked at her now bloodstained hand, before looking at them.
"Anyone have any bandages...?".
He quickly got out the first aid kit, and Florence took it. Shadowy tendrils rose from the ground again, and he unrolled the bandages, wrapping Crystal's head. The tendrils, once iron strong, were now gentle. Florence reached into his suit, and took out a small canteen of water. He soaked some bandages in water.
"Chie, can you freeze these for me?"
"Yeah". Tomoe used Bufu, and Florence looked at the block of ice in his hand.
"Oops?," Chie said sheepishly. Florence said nothing, and handed the block of ice to his sister.
"Do you feel better?," Florence asked. Crystal nodded, putting the block of ice to her head, before standing up shakily.
"Wait, your head-," Yosuke started.
"I'm not going to be the thing that drags us down. We have to hurry," Crystal said with a glare. He looked at the smaller girl for a moment.
"Crystal-"
"Sister".
They looked at Florence. Florence looked at his sister for a moment, before a tendril of shadow whipped right in front of her face. Crystal flinched back and fell, only to be caught by Yosuke.
"You are in no condition to fight. You must rest"
"But-!".
"Crystal," he interrupted, "he's right. You have to rest. We all have to rest. We'll take a small brake for now. Just sit down and recuperate".
Crystal looked at him, frowning.
"But what about the Shadows? And Yukiko?"
"I'll stand guard in case any Shadow's try to attack. And Yukiko will be fine even if we take a small break," he said firmly. Crystal looked at him, before pouting and sitting down. He looked at everybody else.
"That goes for you too".
Chie frowned, but also sat down. Yosuke sat next to Crystal, and to her surprise Jiraiya started to use Dia on her.
"What-?"
"Your head can't be healed up. Just relax".
Crystal remained silent, and he walked to the center of the room. After a while, Florence walked up to him and stood at his side, scythe in hand. They stood their in silence for a while. He turned to Florence.
"You're not going to rest?". Florence shook his head.
"I have no need to. I haven't been injured as so far".
The conversation lapsed into silence again.
"I apologize for my sister. She can be a bit stubborn-a lot stubborn. She means well always"
"It's okay. It's nice knowing she has our backs". Florence looked at him curiously.
"I must also apologize for keeping so many secrets"
"I don't mind"
"You don't? Speak truthfully"
"...It bothers me a bit. I am curious. But like I said before, everybody has secrets. I'm not one to pry"
"So you don't care about our secrets? You would still remain friends?".
He detected the undertone behind that question, and thought about it.
"Yes. I don't think you have any dark secrets, after all. To judge someone on only one thing isn't particularly fair. Usually".
Judging by Florence's smile, he said the right thing.
"I do believe that we were lucky to meet you people, out of anybody," Florence said earnestly.
He smiled, and time suddenly stopped with a crash of glass. A card with a grim skull appeared on it. Thou Art I...And I Am Thou...Thou hast Formed A New Bond...It Brings Thee Closer To The Truth...Thou Shalt Have Art Blessings When Creating Persona Of The Death Arcana. Time started to flow again, and he looked at Florence for a minute before looking forward again.
"...I do have a question though"
"Hmm?"
"I am curious about your powers".
Florence gave a soft grin, and the shadows on the ground twisted erratically.
"As you can see, I am what you can call an umbrakinetic. Beside that...I need either Pixie or Izanagi for this demonstration".
Pixie, who had been sitting on his shoulder, looked up in surprise. Me?. Florence nodded, and Pixie fluttered up before flying in front of Florence. What do you need?
"I simply need you to hit me with a Zio".
Both he and Pixie looked at Florence in surprise. Seeing as Florence looked completely serious, he sighed.
"If you get hurt, we aren't responsible".
With that, Pixie hit Florence straight in the face with a Zio. Instead of hurting him, the electricity seemed to...flow into him. Florence closed his eyes as electricity sparked across his suit, before opening now neon blue eyes. Florence chuckled softly, lifting his arm so his palm faced outwards, fingers outstretched as sparks jumped from finger to finger.
"Electricity," he stated. Florence nodded.
"So shadows and electricity...anything else?"
"I'm good at gardening"
"Okay, I think we've rested enough," Crystal said, getting up. Besides from slight unsteadiness, she seemed fine.
"Right. Now that we've rested...," Chie said, stretching,"We'll be able to save Yukiko for sure!".
He helped Yosuke up.
"Sister, while I'm sure you're able to fight, I would rather you stay in the back for a while. Only for a while," Florence said, while Crystal glared at him.
"Fine. But only for a while!".
"Hey, Sensei". He looked at Teddie.
"Hmm?"
"I didn't say anything earlier, but the Shadow did drop something". Teddie rummaged in more invisible pockets, before removing something and giving it to him. He took it gently. It was a immaculate glass key. It looked delicate, but felt sturdy. Chie looked at it. "
A glass key? Wasn't that in a fairy tale or something?".
"A fairy tale, huh? Fitting, since we're in a castle and all," Yosuke said.
"Cinderella". They looked at Crystal.
"Cinderella?"
"Yeah. Remember the glass slipper? My brother read it to me once. My other brother," she clarified. They looked at the glass key for a while, before Chie shook her head.
"Forget about the key, it's time we get going!". They nodded and quickly ran up to the next floor.
Yukiko's voice wasn't the only voice on the six floor.
"In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school!". He blinked in surprise on hearing the interviewer from the interview. "Now that has a nice ring to it...Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!".
"Shut up," Yukiko's voice muttered.
"H-Hey, Yukiko-san. Mind if I ask you something...? Is it true the announcer is staying at your family inn?".
"Shut up! Shut up!," Yukiko yelled.
"Someday, though...That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors".
"Leave me alone!," Yukiko cried out.
As the voices continued, he saw Chie getting tenser and tenser in the corner of his vision. Both Yosuke and Florence glanced at her worriedly. The voices stopped, and Chie's head snapped up. She silently walked forwards, and the rest of them followed. All the sudden, there was a skittering sound and a huge red beetle wearing a crown skittered into sight, before charging at them. Without a sound, Chie glared at the beetle, before Tomoe launched a Bufu at it, knocking it off it's feet. Immediately, Tomoe rushed towards it and whacked the beetle with her staff. There was a loud cracking sound, and the beetle started to skitter around rapidly, before falling under Tomoe's continued and brutal assault. They looked at Chie, who was breathing deeply.
"Uh, Chie...?," Yosuke asked warily. For a moment, she didn't say anything. Then they all jerked back when Chie let out a loud yell.
"I've had it with this place! Hang on Yukiko, I'm coming for you!," she yelled, eyes alight with determination. She quickly rushed on ahead, and they horridly followed after her.
It turned out Chie didn't need much help. She rushed through the floor, destroying any Shadow that got in her way, leaving them to run after her. He silently observed each brutal attack Chie used, and he also observed how unnaturally calm she was. It was quite impressive. Impressive? Pixie said with a gulp as Chie dispatched of another Burning Beetle I'd say more intimidating.
The girl's determination to save her friend...It is truly a thing to behold Angel said with warm appraisal.
She's a feisty one alright Senri said with her usual catlike playfulness. They continued to run after Chie, who might as well have been a one-woman army. But even she had her limits.
"I see the stairs!," Yosuke called out. Chie, who had been panting before, immediately stood up straight.
"Come on! Let's keep going!"
"Easy there Chie. We can't let our guard down now".
Just as Yosuke said that, there was a sudden blast of air as a Garu hit them. He fell to the floor with a wince as Izanagi flinched back.
"What the hell-!," Yosuke started, still standing on his feet. He was interrupted by three humanoid Shadows wearing hoods suddenly surrounding them. The Shadows spun in place, before launching another Garu at them. He flinched back, bracing himself for the blast of wind. Instead he was surrounded by a wall of earth.
"I forgot, wind was your weakness," Crystal said, standing above him.
"Shit, we're surrounded," Yosuke said, grimacing while Jiraiya launched it's shurikens at the Shadows.
"Sensei, be careful! Phantom Mages are 'beary' good at wind skills!," Teddie warned.
He grimaced and changed Izanagi into Angel, who outstretched her wings to cover both him and Crystal.
"Just get out of our way!," Chie yelled, before Tomoe launched herself at the Mages, Chie also throwing herself into the fray. The Mages jumped up into the air and launched a trifecta of Garu at her, and Chie fell back with a slight cry.
"Damn it Chie, stop throwing yourself at them!," Yosuke snapped.
Chie just growled before launching herself at the Shadows again. The Mages flew back into the air. All except for one, which quickly found itself ensnared by shadows. The Mage looked around wildly, struggling, before looking at it's imminent death in the form of a roundhouse kick followed by a spear. If the other two Mages were upset by their comrades death, they didn't have time to mourn, as Tomoe launched a Bufu at one of them, stunning it long enough for Florence to ensnare it. Florence gave a grim, taunting smile, before discharging a massive amount of electricity, killing the Shadow instantly.
"Zio is there weakness! We're in rampage mode!," Teddie cheered.
The last Mage looked at them, before suddenly lifting its arms, a sphere of darkness forming. Watch out! It's about to use the power of darkness! Angel cried out. Before the warning could register, the Mage launched the sphere at Chie, hitting her dead on. Chie had enough time to look at them with a shocked expression, before falling to the ground, Tomoe fading.
"Chie!," Yosuke cried out.
Both he and Crystal looked at the scene in shock. Shock turned to anger as Crystal growled, the floor shifting under them, and Angel outstretched her wings, forming a Hama. Both were unnecessary as the Shadow suddenly got wrapped in shadows, Florence appearing behind it. The Mage only had time to turn to stare at him before the scythe was leveled towards it's neck.
"Finished," Florence whispered, before slashing the scythe in a wide arc, electricity flaring. The Shadow dissolved, and Florence quickly ran up to them.
"Is she-?," Florence asked.
He quickly kneeled down to check her pulse. For a slight moment, he panicked. Then, he felt a soft pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's just unconscious," he said.
"That's a relief...What was that attack?," Yosuke asked.
"It's called Mudo. It'll instantly take you out, so be 'beary' careful," Teddie said.
He nodded, taking out the Revival Bead.
"So it's like Hama". Angel nodded. He held the Bead over Chie, before crushing it. Chie groaned, before getting up.
"How do you feel?," Crystal asked.
"Like someone doused me in ice," Chie said with a shiver.
"Hopefully this will teach you to not rush into battle," Yosuke chided her while Jiraiya used Dia. Chie just rolled her eyes and muttered, but didn't say anything else. There was a brief moment of silence, before Crystal cleared her throat.
"Uh, if it's any consolation, we only have one more floor to go before reaching the top," she said.
"Huh. I guess that means Yukiko's at the top," Yosuke said.
"Most likely".
Yosuke groaned.
"What a cliché, the Princess being locked at the top of the tower".
He gave a small smile, before getting up.
"Now then, shall we go save our Princess?," he asked everybody, giving Chie a hand. She rolled her eyes but got up with a smile, while everyone else grinned. Florence suddenly prodded him, and he looked at the junior questioningly.
"You have some cards waiting for you," he said, pointing to the spot the last Shadow died.
Indeed, there were three cards hovering expectantly. He nodded in thanks and stepped towards them, before grabbing one of the cards. The rest dissolved, and Angel turned into a beautiful, stone faced woman garbed in armor and a mask. She held two swords, and her long blond hair billowed behind her. She rode a large, pink horse, that neighed as it reared heroically.
I am Valkyrie. Maiden of the North, servant of Odin, Warrior of Valhalla, Chooser of The Slain. I will help you in your battles, young warrior she said, horse kneeling in a bow. He questioned whether or not to bow too, before deciding just to nod. His thoughts were very violently broken by Pixie.
Oh my God! It's a horsey! she squealed. He cupped his ears in pain, though it didn't do much, while Valkyrie looked confused. 'Pixie?' he thought. Sorry she apologized It's just that I love ponies. Do you think she'll let me ride it? she asked with an almost childlike innocence. He blinked. 'You'd have to ask her yourself. Just please try to be quieter in the future'. Pixie gave the mental equivalent of a nod, and he beckoned to everyone else, before climbing up the stairs, Valkyrie's horse clopping beside him.
They were on the seventh floor, and the Shadows seemed desperate to stop them. They quickly ran into a room and closed the door behind them, trying to escape a Shadow. He and Yosuke braced themselves against the door until the pounding stopped. Yosuke sighed.
"And suddenly I'm glad the doors in this castle are so sturdy".
"Hey guys?," Chie called out. they both looked at her to see her looking at a chest in interest.
"Should we open it?".
"I say we open it," Crystal said.
"I don't know...I got a 'beary' bad feeling about this," Teddie said.
Chie and Crystal just looked at him expectantly. He thought for a moment. And by thought, he meant thinking while his Personas argued. I say go for it Senri said. It would be unwise to do so if the bear has a bad feeling Angel argued. You're just too scared. Where's your curiosity?. Didn't curiosity kill the cat? Pixie asked. There is no use in doing anything without courage Valkyrie said suddenly. He thought for another minute, before nodding. Crystal smiled, before opening the chest. And jumping back as a Shadow popped out.
The Shadow looked like a king, scepter and all.
"Crap, it was a trap!," Yosuke said.
"Heh, it's only one. This will be easy!," Crystal boasted.
The king lifted up's its scepter, and with a flash of light another Shadow appeared next to it.
"The Positive King's summoning back up!".
The back up was revealed to be...A mossy baby. Said mossy baby immediately crawled up to Crystal with surprising swiftness, and knocked her across the room. He watched as the King summoned another baby. This was going to be annoying...
The battle went for a long, annoyingly dragged out time. The King kept on summoning Secret Bambinos as Teddie called them, and hadn't gotten hit once. Until Crystal caused a small earthquake, hitting it with four earthen pillars. She quickly got swarmed by Bambinos. He watched as the King was about to summon another Bambino. Not on his watch.
"Angel!"
Right! Perish, Foul Being! Angel launched a Hama at the King, and it exploded in a flash of light. A few minutes later, the rest of the Bambinos were taken care of.
"Heh...That was a pain," Yosuke said. Crystal nodded, breathing deeply, while Chie and Florence fell to the floor in exhaustion.
He looked up as cards suddenly appeared, and wearily chose one. For a moment, there was a calm silence. Then he fell to the ground as a sudden panic overtook him. He could feel Izanagi thrash around in his mind, and the only thing he could see was a far too wide grin and throaty chuckling. He clutched his head and was faintly aware of people calling out his name as his vision got darker. Then, the sudden panic was suddenly gone, and he felt arms wrap around him. Arms and wings. He looked up to see Angel, staring at him in concern.
"What...What happened?," he rasped, not realizing he was talking aloud. The Persona you acquired...momentarily sent Izanagi into panic He blinked in surprise. What kind of thing could be so bad to panic Izanagi...? Don't worry, we subdued it Pixie said. Senri and Valkyrie are guarding her. She's been locked in a room. Izanagi's with me. He felt Izanagi send a wordless apology as he calmed down.
"Dude. Partner!".
He looked up to see everyone stare at him in concern.
"Are you okay?," Crystal asked, worried. Chie, Yosuke, and Teddie were staring at him with similar worry, while Florence faced the door, sending concerned glances his way. He nodded.
"Sorry...The new Persona and Izanagi didn't...agree".
Yosuke sighed. "You're telling me. You suddenly went ridged before falling to your knees and screaming. I thought you were having a seizure!".
Chie nodded. "I don't blame him though. That Persona was...," Chie just shivered.
"You guys saw it?," he asked. Yosuke nodded.
"Yeah. Only for a split second, but still".
He thought about asking them about what it looked like, before deciding against it. The grin was enough for him. He stood up unsteadily, before looking at everyone else.
"Let's keep on going". They all looked at him uncertainly.
"Souji...You don't look to good. Maybe we should go back".
What was surprising was that Chie said that, off all people. He looked at her in surprise, before shaking his head, thinking of Yukiko.
"No. We've come too far to go back. I promised to save Yukiko, remember?".
Chie opened her mouth to argue. Yosuke interrupted her.
"You're stubborn aren't you," Yosuke said with a groan. "Fine. Let us handle the Shadows for a while though. I promised to save Yukiko-san too, remember?".
He looked at Yosuke gratefully.
"Thanks Partner". Yosuke grinned and winked.
"Don't mention it Partner".
"Guys...," Chie said, looking at the both of them.
Crystal thumped her chest. "We all promised to save her. And we only got less than a floor left! Let's go!," she proclaimed. Florence hummed in agreement, and Chie looked at them all before smiling.
"Yeah...Don't worry Yukiko! We're coming to save you!".
They made it to the eighth floor without much trouble. And were met by a large, oak door.
"This looks like a boss room if I've ever seen one," Yosuke groaned.
Chie glared at the door.
"Yukiko's on the other side! Let's get in there!". Crystal nodded, and lifted her fist up. Florence interrupted them.
"Must you always do this?," Florence said with a sigh, before turning to him.
"Leader, if I remember, you had a key with you, yes?".
He nodded, before taking the Glass Key out of his pocket. It was surprisingly unbroken for all the abuse they had suffered. He took a step towards the door, only for Teddie to stop him.
"Wait. My nose smells danger"
"So, Yukiko-san's on the other side. We have to enter"
"I know. I just found this in the chest from before". Teddie took out a small bottle, before giving it to them. the label read 'Snuff Soul'.
"What is it?," he asked.
"It'll give you energy," Teddie said. He looked at it, before opening it and taking it a small sip. He passed it to everyone else.
"Huh...I can feel it revitalize me!," Chie said. Yosuke just twirled his wrenches, and Crystal practice punched the air. Florence spun his scythe, before looking at him.
"Are you ready?".
He nodded, before putting the key and opening the door. Chie and Crystal kicked and punched the door open, and they rushed in.
"Oh my...My Princes-in-training have arrived".
Author's Note: The conversations between the Personas is best understood by people who know quite a bit of mythology. For instance, Pixie's love for ponies and Izanagi's fear of Yomotsu-Shikome.
Like said before, Reviews are welcome, though no flames. And poor Investigation Team. They have to fight Shadow Yukiko after going through this whole castle with only one shared Snuff Soul to give them stamina.
Tune in next time, which may be a month or may not.