A/N: I apologize if Michiyo seems out of character, Tasha-so-kinky! *shot* I-I guess it's been awhile... *rolls around sadly*

The fight scene was written by Mark, like... Months ago, when I was supposed to update *shot again*

Scene 3: Roof

Geez, I forgot how creepy the TV world usually looks... All dark, and foggy...

I give myself a quick mental prep talk before jumping inside, and not-too-gracefully landing on my feet. The landing was always hard to stick... I look around, calling out for Erin, but I don't recieve a response.

We entered from the same place... S-Shouldn't she of...

▶ "Erin? ...W-Where'd you go?!"

Silence.

And then I see him, and he's rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck and giving me a smirk that was definitely not like him.

▶ "Heh, I had a feeling it'd be you."

▶ "Y-Yu?!"

W-Why was he here?!

▶ "That's right."

He takes out his katana, and points it at me.

▶ "Now, draw your weapon!"

Where had that come from?! W-Were there Shadows nearby, was that it?! A million questions raced through my mind, but only one surfaced.

▶ "W-Wait! Yu, what's going on?!"

A monitor I didn't notice before turns on, and Rise appears on screen wearing a pink headset.

▶ "Ooooh, only the first round, and it's already heating up! Can the pretender make it out alive~?"

Okay, I was confused before, but now...!

▶ "R-Rise?! Wh-What the heck?!"

At least it looked like her, but...

Something was off.

Teddie takes her place on the TV, announcing some sort of tournament, but I don't catch the name of it. Yu slashes his sword, and I bend back to avoid it.

▶ "W-Wha...? S-Something's not right here!" I try.

Yu suddenly sets his weapon down, and I relax some. Maybe something had snapped in him? Maybe he remembered who I was, a-and...

▶ "Doesn't it get tiring... Lying to everyone?"

Lying?! I...

I swallow.

My throat felt really dry all of a sudden.

▶ "W-What? I-I don't lie alot, you know!"

I-I didn't want to say that!

Forget it, th-that's not important!

Something was wrong with Yu. I don't know what, but... It's like he's not even the same person!

▶ "Please, I see right through you~"

He narrows his eyes at me. My stomach is tying itself into knots.

▶ "You live in a fantasy world, refusing to get close to anyone... You might have everyone else fooled, but not me!"

He takes another lunge towards me, and I gasp, and jump to the side, barely missing the attack.

It didn't look like I had much of a choice...

Damn it...

I have to fight!

▶ "I'm so sorry, Yu!"

I quickly unwind my whip from around my fingers, and use it to grab his sword. It clatters at my side. Thinking that I had the upperhand now, I freeze up when I see that familiar tarot card float in front of him.

▶ "Tch! Izanagi!"

Wait! He summoned his Persona?!

I flinch, and feel myself back up into the wall behind me. Trapped.

▶ "Yu, I-I don't want to fight you!"

▶ "It's time for you to quit pretending, and face the real world!"

W-What?! He's not himself at all!

A Zio spell is sent my way. It does some damage, but not alot. I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. It doesn't work.

I...

When I blink, he's still there. I see the boy I fell in love with back in Inaba... Still see him smiling at me in reassurance, see him showing me how to fold paper cranes at the floodplains...

N-Not this...

I'd take anything over this!

▶ "Damn it... Kushinada!"

I summon my Persona.

The battle begins.

I was always so nervous when I was around him... But I loved him.

He didn't mind that I was shy.

He accepted me for me, faults and all.

He made the first move, dashing forwards and swinging downwards at me. I was lucky I was fast enough to side step it, or he'd have ended this right there...

I knew that as long as he had his sword, I didn't stand a chance. I'd have to get it away from him. Before he could make another move, I wrapped my ribbon around his arm and tried to force his arm back, twisting it to try to make him let go.

He was surprised, but not for long. With a quick pull, he forced his arm free and almost pulled my ribbon from me at the same time. Despite the fact that I had worked my way behind him, he was facing me in a second and I had to jump back to dodge the swing of his sword. It grazed my stomach, but it wasn't enough to slow me down and I recovered almost immediately.

T-This wasn't good...

It was easy to slip out of my 'mask,' and my guard went down whenever I was with him...

Everyone was friends with him, and he had so few enemies.

I wish that... I dunno... That I could be more like him...

He faced Shadows in the TV world, and still managed to balance school with part-time jobs, helping out others and having fun.

His sword was much more dangerous than my ribbon and he wasn't holding back! If I wanted to win this, I'd have to use my Persona, Kushinada-Hime. I didn't want to use it against him, but... It was that or risk him killing me. Taking a deep breath, I summoned the familiar being and had it create a circle of light beneath his feet. It was risky, Hama spells are easily dodged, but if it works I can knock him out in one blow.

Naturally, he noticed what I was doing and quickly stepped out of the circle, just as it flashed brightly before fading away. He needed less than a second to launch his next attack, this time trying to stab me through the chest. If Kushinada-Hime hadn't moved in front of the attack…

I-I didn't want to think about it...

At Christmas, he was a bit impatient and wouldn't eat his cake, so I gave him his present already.

A crochet bracelet.

He really liked it! Even though it was simple...

He asked me to help him put it on, so I leaned towards him to show him how, and He... He...

He leaned in to kiss me.

Even if I don't try too hard, I can still remember it as if it were just a minute ago... I guess that's how unforgetable it was to me.

It was something I never thought I'd be able to experience.

I guess I never quite believed that my life would be different when I moved to Japan...

But it is.

Even so, the feeling of a katana ramming through my shoulder was sent through me, almost making me collapse from the pain.

...It was a good thing I was used to worse pain in the TV world.

I had to counterattack now, while he was still preparing for his next attack. Inspiration struck and I knew what to do. Acting as fast as I could, I wrapped my ribbon around his left leg and pulled. If he had seen it coming, he might have been able to stop it, but I caught him off guard and so he was totally surprised when his back collided with the ground.

When Yu was about to leave, everyone left us alone, just for a moment, so that we could say goodbye to each other.

I couldn't help, but cry.

But then he told me to be strong, and not cry. He'd be back. He wiped my tears away, and smiled.

It... It felt so...

Warm.

I did stop crying, and when he went in the train, I ran along with everyone else. We followed the train and we were all happy.

I guess he must've changed everyone of us, somehow...

Now was my chance to finish this fight. I ordered Kushinada-Hime to use Hama again and this time, he didn't have enough time to dodge. The light flashed and when it faded, a barely conscious Yu lay there, defeated.

A few months later, Yu came back to Inaba.

I was so glad to see him again. Every single one of us had missed him, and we all changed, little by little, waiting for him.

I was nervous, but Erin reassured me that I shouldn't be. But my stomach kept having butterflies at the thought of seeing Yu again.

He... Hasn't changed much at all, and everyone enjoyed spending time with him too, after so long.

I wanted to talk to him alone, but I just smiled. I didn't want to be selfish.

I loved him so much...

Heh... But he still singled me out after greeting everyone. They left us alone.

It was nerve-racking...

But...

I guess I deal with it, huh?

After all... I really do love him. He wasn't just my boyfriend... He was my best friend, too.

▶ "Y-You've gotten better... Michiyo."

He smiles, and when he stands up, he winces. I hear a soft crack after.

Oh god, Yu!

Is he alright?!

▶ "Yu, wh-what's going on?! I don't understand it!"

▶ "I'm not entirely sure..."

He speaks thoughtfully, eyes casted to the floor.

▶ "All I know is that someone entered the TV, and set up this battle tournament for us."

W-Wait, if here's here, then...

▶ "Is the whole Investigation Team here, too?"

A shrug.

▶ "Who knows... I came in here with Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko, but I haven't seen them yet."

I nod, and twirl some hair around my finger. I see him giving me another faint smile.

▶ "I came here with Erin... But I lost her somehow..."

▶ "Oho~!"

Teddie reappears on the monitor suspended above us, cutting me off. When our eyes meet, he smirks.

▶ "Great job beating up Sensei, Chiyo-chan! My fur's still standing on end~!"

▶ "T-Teddie?! W-What's with the outfit?! A-And what the heck's going on?!"

I did kinda like the cape, though... Maybe I should get one...

▶ "Uh-uh-uh, no questions! Real men fight with their fists! *smirks* Your next opponent's waiting for you, better not keep them waiting~"

▶ "I'm a girl! A-And my next opponents?!"

I-I have to fight again?!

Teddie ignores me, and the TV shuts off. Yu walks closer to me.

▶ "..."

Damn it... Why do things get so messed up...?

▶ "Hey, look at me."

He tilts my face up, and I feel heat spread across my cheeks.

God, I'm so shy around him...

I hate it sometimes.

▶ "I know you can do it."

He smiles that same smile he always uses, the one that usually clears away all my doubt.

I swallow again.

▶ "B-But why do I have to fight everyone?"

I even had to fight you...

He sighs.

▶ "It's the rules of this 'tournament'... Another rule is that I can't go on with you."

I feel tears begin to fall, and I chew on my bottom lip.

No...

Be strong...

▶ "I-I guess I'll... See you later?"

Fingers lightly brush away my tears, and I lean into the touch.

A smile.

I return it, albeit weakly.

▶ "Go get 'em!"

▶ "R-Right!"

I wave goodbye to Yu before taking off, and down the next hallway.

Look at dat romance! *shot* Next up is Michiyo vs Erin!