"Out of my way!" Yu slashed his sword across another shadow, watching as it evaporated into black dust. Behind him, Yukiko was healing one of Souji's wounds.
They had just finished a fairly tough battle, the voice belonging to Rise's Shadow enticing them to enter a room that was the lair of a large white snake (Teddie dubbed it the "Amorous Snake"). The battle hadn't lasted long, but the group had suffered some poisoning due to the snakes magic. Although it had been cured by Yukiko and Yosuke, the group needed a rest. Yu hated it, but if they pushed too hard, they wouldn't be able to get Rise out.
It wasn't a matter of capability; if Yu asked, he was sure the group would push past this and get Rise out, but they would probably suffer for it. They had entered a while ago, and had made quick work of many of the shadows in the club, even defeating a handful of the rare "hand" Shadows, pleasing Souji considerably as the experience of fighting the rare monsters was unique, allowing the group to learn how to combat various problems that could occur in battle. The massive amount of money they left behind was a nice bonus as well.
"You alright?" Souji came up to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Yu nodded. "Yeah. Sorry for pushing you all so hard."
Souji shook his head, clapping his brother on the back. "No one's complaining. We all know how much this means to you, and we want to save Rise too."
Yu looked down, embarrassed. "I just…I don't want her hurt. I really want to keep her safe. She's had a stressful enough life as it is…" he said, shoulders shaking. The rest of the group had gathered around, sensing their friend's discomfort.
Chie and Yukiko each gave the silverette a hug, Yosuke gave the teen a punch on the shoulder, reassuring him that he wasn't giving up. Kanji simply nodded, saying that any shadow that got in their way today would regret doing so. Teddie, incorrigible as always, told Yu that "he was sure sensei would be able to score with Rise-chan", getting the teen to crack a small smile.
Souji looked at his brother in the eye. "You see? Everyone here shares your pain, and wants to succeed. Loosen up a bit, man." The twins grinned; under any other circumstance, that last line would have been coming from Yu instead.
"Thank you. All of you." Yu said, and hefted his katana onto his shoulder. "Let's keep moving" he said, feeling a new surge of energy as his friends support buoyed him. The Team nodded, and broke into a run, wiping out the shadows that dared impede their temporary leader.
"She's just behind that door!" Teddie said, sniffing the air. At long last, they had reached her. Yu gripped his Katana, preparing himself for what was ahead.
"Two thousand yen says she rejects her shadow" Yosuke joked, earning a small laugh from the rest of the group. The likelihood that they'd escape without a fight was miniscule. The group had slowly come to the determination to not try to prevent the rejection, and resolved to simply do what they did best; kick shadow ass.
Yu stepped forward, and drew back the curtain that acted as the barrier between the hall and the room where Rise was. The group walked forward, and saw Shadow Rise standing next to a pole, the real Rise sitting on the ground a short ways away from her. "Aaahahahahaha!" she cackled "They're all watching! All eyes are on me now!" Rise was crying, and it took everything Yu had to not run forward and stop this.
"Stop it!" Rise said, closing her eyes. She hadn't noticed the group enter.
"Rise!" Yu yelled, and Rise's head snapped up, eyes wide in shock.
"Wha-What are you guys doing here?" she asked, wiping her face off.
"We're here to get you out. Just hang in there" Yu told her, bringing his katana up onto his shoulder. Rise's shadow laughed.
"Awww, what's the matter? Can't I have a little fun without someone telling me what to do?" she said, turning Rise's attention back to her. "You wanna show your stuff, don'tcha? Don't you wanna stop living a life someone else laid out for you?" she asked, eyes gleaming gold. She turned to the pole. "How's this?"
The shadow began a seductive dance, showing off for the Team. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the Shadow, horrified at the torturous sounds Rise was making. Yu's gaze hardened like steel blades; he was having trouble controlling himself, and had to bite his tongue to keep from attacking now. "Please, stop this!" Rise said, begging her Shadow.
Shadow Rise laughed in response. "Oooh, she wants me to stop. That's so funny! As if that's even close to what you're really thinking, you little skank!" Yu's eye twitched. Souji grabbed his shoulder, indicating to Kanji to get a good grip on his brother. "You're me! And obviously, I'm you!" The shadow looked at Rise with disgust.
"No…that's not true…" Rise moaned, trying to shut out her Shadows words. The Shadow cackled, and began dancing again.
"C'mon, look! You can't tear your eyes away. This is me! This is who I really am! Not Risette, the fake celebrity! Look at the girl right in front of you!" It continued its dance, moving more and more.
Yu tried to move forward, but found he was being held back. "Let go of me." he said quietly, staring daggers at his brother and Kanji.
Souji shook his head. "I know it hurts, but you've got to wait. We won't gain anything by rushing in." Yu gave him another death stare, but stopped pulling.
"I'm sick of being some airhead cliché who chokes down everything she's fed and takes it all with a smile!" Rises Shadow continued. "Risette? Who the hell is she? There's no such person in this world!"
Although he couldn't move forward, Yu couldn't hold his tongue back. "That's a bunch of bullshit!" he yelled, shocking the group and causing the Shadow and Rise to turn and face him. Kanji loosened his grip just enough, and Yu tore himself free, walking towards the stage, and stopped a few feet from it. "It doesn't matter if you're Risette, Rise Kujikawa, or someone else. You're still you!" he shouted, gripping his katana hard.
The Shadow laughed. "Are you for real?" it asked derisively, eyeing the silver-haired youth. "Geez, what a naïve idiot! You wouldn't understand it, being made into something you're not!" It cackled, and began dancing even more. "Risette is a fake, an idol made up by a bunch of people. Now, I'm no one but myself! C'mon, look at me!" she said.
Rise shook her head. "That's not-" she began, but stopped short. She couldn't finish the sentence. The Shadow looked at Rise, a malicious smile on its face.
"Well then, I guess it's time to prove it. I'm gonna show it all off!" She turned to the Investigation Team. "Let my naked truth be burned into your brains" she screamed.
Rise stood up, fear giving strength to her limbs. "Stop…Stop it!" she yelled, holding her head. "You're…You're not me!" Rise's Shadow cackled, and began to transform.
"Here it comes!" Souji yelled, and the team ran up behind Yu. Their Personas burst forth, ready to fight. Yu jumped up and grabbed Rise, pulling her off the stage before she could fall unconscious.
"Stay behind me!" he told her, standing between her and her Shadow.
The Shadow finished its transformation, body naked and multicolored. It kept Rise's hair, but where the face should have been was some type of satellite dish, multi-faceted surface gleaming as it reflected the images around it. It was hanging from the pole, occasionally coming down and thrusting itself towards the group. "I am a Shadow…The true self…And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. It's time for me to show you every last inch of myself!" the shadow giggled. "And for our guests in the front row…" it focused on Yu, "I'll give you extra-special, extra-intense service!"
Yosuke grimaced. "Looks like she had issues of her own after all." he said. "But we'll stop her from going berserk!" He readied his Nata, and began to cast Garula.
"Oh, you're going to rush the stage? What an ill-mannered guest!" The shadow said, and sent forth an arc of lightning at Yosuke.
"Woah!" he yelled, and dodged out of the way, interrupting his spell.
Yukiko stepped forward, a hard look in her eyes as she fell into battle. The image of searing fire burst forth in her mind, and she commanded her Persona to cast the spell. "Agilao! Fire, spring forth!" she yelled, adding her own touch to the spell. Konohana-Sakuya twirled her arms, pale-pink feathers rippling in the breeze. A jet of fire shot from her hands, engulfing Rise's Shadow in searing flames.
"Graaagh!" it yelled, and sent a pillar of ice at the offending target. Chie stepped in the way, and Tomoe shattered the ice, then moved forward and launched a flurry of strikes at the Shadow. Souji busied himself with casting Heat Riser on the group, Kanji throwing items they had found in the dungeon to restore his energy, keeping it from falling too far.
Yu checked to make sure Rise was okay. The girl hadn't moved from where he placed her, fear locking her legs. "Teddie!" he yelled, getting the worried bear's attention. "Take Rise and hide nearby. Stay safe!" The bear nodded, and ran over to grab Rise, leading the girl away from the battle. With his biggest worry satisfied, Yu ran forward, swinging his katana. Izanagi flew past him, feeling his masters will rather than waiting for a verbal command. The tall Persona began its assault on the shadow, lightning arcing from the blades tip as he swung it, slashing the Shadow and taking the hits of magic it sent his way.
The group continued its assault, helping each other and healing what they could using items and spells as Rises shadow assaulted them with a plethora of spells, ranging from ice and fire to buffeting them with wind and lightning. Panting, the group managed to knock the shadow off the pole, and as it lay on the ground, the team charged, attacking at once. They leaped back as the shadow swept its legs at them. "You're finicky guests." it said lightly. A green light shone from its head, emanating like a radar pulse. The team tried to attack again, but Shadow Rise attacked with multiple magic's all at once, hitting each Persona with the magic it was weak to.
The team struggled to rise, and was hit again with another burst of magic. "It's like it's anticipating our every move!" said Yosuke, managing to raise himself into a kneeling position. Yu looked around for Rise and Teddie. Rise stood behind one of the tables in the room, peering out in horror as she watched the team continue to be beaten back. Teddie had come back behind them, trying to provide support through the fight. The bear was holding its head, shaking in fear and worry. A strong burst of light flashed forth, an Almighty spell of some kind. The team all fell down, finding themselves unable to move, their Persona's struggling to stay with them. Teddie was upset.
"Stop it!" he yelled at the Shadow, to no avail. Souji was trying to help Yu stand, Chie and Yosuke doing the same. Kanji was kneeling next to Yukiko, who was sitting, gripping the boys hand for comfort and security. "A-Are we…going to die…? She asked hesitantly.
"No! You guys can't die!" Teddie yelled, edging forward. "What can I do…? Sensei…." Teddie was looking at Souji, hoping to receive an answer.
"Get out of here, Teddie! Get Rise and go!" Souji said, eyeing Shadow Rise as it began to charge up yet another attack.
"I-I can't leave you guys like that!" Teddie whimpered. Suddenly, the bear began to move forward, and stood between the Shadow and the Team. "Why am I stepping forward?! W-Woaaah!" The group looked at Teddie, struggling to get up to pull him back. "I feel like I'm going bear-serk!" said the bear, looking at the Shadow.
"Grr….I-I'll do it! Take a good look…at Teddie's last stand!" a gold aura began pulsating around Teddie, and the Shadow backed up in shock.
"This high energy reading…is it coming from that weird thing?"
Kanji looked at the bear. "Teddie! What the hell are you doing!?" Teddie roared, and launched himself at the shadow, creating a bright flash of light that blinded the Investigation Team.
"Great, out of the fryer and into the frying pan, huh?" muttered Kanji as he sent Take-Mikazuchi to attack. Rise had managed to face herself, and had received the Persona Himiko. However, her choice of words had caused Teddie to doubt his existence, giving birth to a large and powerful Shadow. The team had been restored by Himiko's power, but this fight was their hardest yet.
Yukiko was busy healing the team, unable to focus on attacking as they were struck with powerful attacks from Teddie's Shadow. Chie was doing her best, kicking the shadow with her steel capped boots as Tomoe sent blow after blow in an endless Rampage. Yosuke was busy switching between casting his wind spells and helping Yukiko with healing, but the attacks seemed to have no effect on the bear.
Yu and Souji were struggling, their Personas grappling with the shadow to prevent it from using its massive paws to attack the group, but it didn't stop its spell-casting. "Yu-kun, Souji-kun, pull your persona's back. It's getting ready to go down into that portal!" yelled Rise, who was providing tactical support with help from Himiko. The twins pulled their personas back, Kanji, Chie, and Yosuke doing likewise.
The bear came out, holding a large orange-black ball of energy in its hand. "Prepare to meet your doom. You shall never find Truth!" It began to swing its massive paw towards the team.
"Everyone, you can block this!" shouted Rise. The team immediately went into their guard stances, feeling nothing but slight resistance as the massive ball of energy passed through them harmlessly.
"What?" said the Shadow, confused at the lack of death from its Nihil Hand. The twins stepped forward, eyes glowing.
"Let's do this, bro!" said Yu, holding his katana in both hands between him and Souji, blade facing the giant shadow.
"Yeah, time to end this." said Souji, who placed one of his Tonfa blades on the katana.
The twins felt the air around them shift, and their blades adopted a dull silver aura, gradually becoming brighter. The air began to move faster and faster, coalescing into a sphere at the tip of Yu's katana. It glowed bright silver, spinning rapidly. The twins' hair rose, floating from the movement of the air around them. "You say we can't find the Truth? That it's pointless to search for something that doesn't exist?!" Yu yelled, raising his blade level with his chest.
"I've got news for you, Shadow! The truth as it stands now; this is the end of you!" roared Souji.
The twins thrust their connected blades forward, sending the sphere barreling towards their foe. "This is the Light of Truth!" they yelled in unison as it connected.
A brilliant flash lit up the room as the magic exploded, arcs of silver light soaring out and back down to slam into their target, and Teddie's shadow flew up, shrinking in size as the magic tore away at the shadows that had turned it into such a frightening monstrosity. It hit the floor, and laid still.
The team ran over to Teddie, who had been knocked back before the fight. Teddie approached his Shadow, readying to face himself. "I…" he began. "I don't know who I am… I've thought that a number of times…that maybe there is no answer." The shadow stared blankly at him as he continued. "But I'm here…I live here…"
Souji reached out, patting the bear lightly on his now-flimsy head. "Don't worry, Teddie. You'll find it." he said.
Teddie turned around, somehow managing to look tearful. "Will I really find it?" he asked.
Yosuke grinned. "Dude, don't worry about it. We'll help you figure it out."
Yu nodded, supporting Rise as she leaned on him, feeling weak. "As we continue investigating this world, I'm sure more answers will come. We'll help you every step of the way" the silverette said, smiling. Teddie began to cry a bit, tearfully saying his thanks. Teddie's shadow began to dissipate, and a large, round Persona stood in its place, wielding a large missile above its head, a blue cape flowing behind it.
"Kintoku-Douji…" mumbled Teddie as his Persona spun around, looking pleased before disappearing.
"I can sense a lot of power from it…" Rise said, smiling as she struggled to speak. "It's awesome, Teddie…" The former idol fell, but Yu caught her, picking her back up.
"We need to get you out of here." he said, the others nodding.
Yu reached down and picked up her legs, carrying her bridal-style as she was too weak to walk. She leaned her head against him, closing her eyes. "Take a rest, Rise. You've more than earned it." mumbled Yu as he felt the girl fall asleep, tired from the day's events. Teddie led the way back to the Studio Room once more, the team following behind him, celebrating in hushed tones so as not to wake up the girl in Yu's arms. Souji smiled. His brother looked peaceful again, smiling at the girl he carried; happy she was safe once more.