im still alive
7
17, April, 2011
"Are you sure you can fight in that?" Yu asked his sister.
Yuri paused as she finished tying the back of her ribbon into a bow. He doubted that she could move in a dress she made? He'd be surprised by how maneuverable a dress could be. She propped a hand on her hip and raised a brow before stopping herself. He was asking out of concern; he wasn't being intentionally hurtful. She changed her expression to a soft smile.
"I can move pretty well in these dresses," She informed him, "plus the leggings are thick and protect my legs, allowing me to do high kicks if necessary…but I think I'm more of a special attacker than a physical fighter."
"All right," Yu conceded before checking his watch, "let's get going."
Yuri nodded at that. They headed down the stairs and came across Nanako. She was watching a cartoon and drinking orange juice. She blinked at their appearance before tilting her head in curiosity.
"Good morning," She greeted.
"Good morning Nanako-Chan," Yuri greeted back.
"Where's your dad?" Yu questioned.
"He already left," Nanako answered her expression showing his she felt about that, "he said he's going to be late."
The twins didn't want to leave. Nanako was a small child, she shouldn't be left all by herself. Yuri shuffled her weight slightly before having a silent conversation with her brother. Rescuing Yukiko was important, but so was Nanako.
"Are you going somewhere?" Nanako asked.
"We were going to go out with friends," Yu answered, and Yuri gained a guilty expression.
"I'll be fine by myself, don't worry," Nanako informed them before turning the channel to the news.
"The weather this weekend will be perfect for going out," A woman cheerily informed them, "as for next week's forecast…"
"Oh, the sun's gonna come out," Nanako stated as she got up from the floor, "I should do some laundry. Weren't you going somewhere?"
"Right," Yu nodded.
"See you later, Nanako-Chan," Yuri said.
They headed outside and the damp air hit their faces. It took Yuri two seconds to pull her long hair into a ponytail. She tied it off with a mint green ribbon that matched the exact shade of her dress. The walk to Junes was quiet. Yuri was flipping through her music and Yu could hear the different tracks playing before she settled on one. Her head bopped to the beat, and he couldn't help but smile. It was nice seeing his sister enjoy herself. It had never happened before they came to Inaba.
"I'm going to wait for Chie-Chan," Yuri informed him as they headed up to Junes, "I can catch her up to speed while we make our way over to you two guys."
"Right, don't get lost," Yu teased, and she frowned at him.
"Rude, I have a better sense of direction than you do," She huffed before walking away.
Yuri decided to take up residence near the entrance so she could keep an eye out for her…friend. A small smile appeared on her face at that thought before she turned her attention back towards the door. She put her headphones on and lowered the volume on her MP3 player so that it wasn't blaring. She looked at the items on the shelves she was stationed at and wondered who needed to use a polka dot tablecloth. She gathered it wasn't her type of pattern. Her shoulder's tensed as she felt eyes on her person. She looked around until her gaze settled on a petite girl with reddish-brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. The girl gave her a soft smile before heading down another aisle.
Yuri couldn't help but wonder what that was about. She rubbed the back of her neck in thought before blinking when someone called her name. Chie had just entered the store. She removed her headphones and paused her music. She quickly caught Chie up with everything they knew about the TV world.
"What the hell?" Chie questioned as they came up to the scene of Yosuke and Yu being arrested.
"What did they do?" Yuri sighed as she brought a hand up and rubbed her temples.
"Let's go, we can probably reach the police station in a couple minutes if we hurry," Chie stated.
"Right."
Yuri found that her body really wasn't made for physical activities and the cough that she developed as they rushed to the police station was enough proof of that. They had to pause outside the doors and Chie shot her friend a highly concerned look. Yuri waved her off with a tired smile. They had more pressing matters than her horrible health. It wasn't as bad as it had been when she tried to even run in the city. It had to be the clean air. At least, that's what she was banking on. Yuri ignored those thoughts and knew one thing, she needed to scare her brother. The two girls entered the station and the receptionist had to do a double take. They were complete opposites in the way they dressed. Yuri wondered how they appeared to others, but found she didn't give a damn.
"I can't believe this happened," Yosuke's grumbled caused her to frown.
"What the hell did you two do?" Chie hissed at them as she marched right up to them.
"Relax it was a misunderstanding," Yosuke stated holding his hands up in defense, "Dojima-San was kind enough to let us go."
"A misunderstanding?" Yuri questioned.
"Fake weapons," Yu answered with a shrug, switching to English.
"Ah, that would work better than relying on Izanagi," Yuri conceded, her English less accented.
"Wait, you two are actually bilingual?" Yosuke asked in surprise, "Dude, you guys have to help us out when finals come around."
"I don't have a problem with that, do you?" Yuri asked her brother, retuning to Japanese.
"Of course not," He confirmed.
Yosuke let out a happy sound at that and Yuri found herself shaking her head in disbelief. She put her hands into the pockets of her skirt and looked around the department. There was an officer heading their way and she felt a shiver go down her spine when he looked her up and down, stopping at her chest. Maybe the Lolita clothing had been a bad idea.
"Aren't you two staying at Dojima-San's place?" The detective asked the twins.
"Yeah," Yu confirmed, and he could see his sister discreetly moving behind him in the corner of his eye.
"Can we ask you something?" Yosuke asked, catching the detective's attention, "It's about Amagi Yukiko, did something happen to her?"
"Uhh…am I allowed to say?" The detective muttered to himself before clearing his throat, "Well, if you're friends with Amagi-San, keep this between us. We got a call yesterday evening from her parents saying they couldn't find her anywhere. Since it was the weekend, the workers at the inn were extremely busy and no one saw her around that time."
"But that doesn't necessarily mean this is a missing persons case yet. But with everything that's been happening on foggy days , we're taking this seriously. Granted some of the guys have come up with the theory that Amagi-San had something to do with Yamano's disappearance, after all the reporter was the reason why her mother collapsed. They think she's in hiding to escape capture."
Yuri was glad that she had decent reflexes as Chie lost her temper. Her arm wrapped around the shorter girl's torso as she started to rush forward. Yosuke and Yu joined her on holding Chie back as the detective realised that he had said something wrong. Yuri gave him a dirty look as she tried to figure out why he had given them as much information as he had. If he was working under their uncle, then he knew better. God, something was off with him. Izanagi let out a sound of agreement and she was glad she wasn't the only one thinking that way.
"Chie-Chan, calm down," Yuri softly said as she brought her attention back towards her struggling friend.
"What the hell is going on here?" Ryotaro's voice caused the teens to jump.
"Yukiko would never…" Chie stated, tears in her eyes.
She calmed down and the boys released her. Yuri relaxed her grip but was going to be supportive of her friend. She looked over at the detective with a cold expression. He was immediately on her list of suspicious people. She looked back at her uncle and finally noticed the people behind him. A woman with braided teal hair and kind grey eyes, and two men. One was tall, taller than her and Yu, with shaggy brown hair pulled into a ponytail under a beanie. The other man was shorter than the twins, but had silver hair like them. It was odd. The taller man met Yuri's eyes and she felt her face heat up before quickly looking towards her uncle.
"Adachi, what did you tell them?" Ryotaro questioned.
"It was…nothing," Adachi mumbled, looking away from his boss.
"Damn it, get back to work," Ryotaro ordered, and the wry man quickly scurried away, "sorry about him."
"It's all right," Yu said as Chie wiped at her eyes furiously.
"I see you finally caught up with your brother," Ryotaro teased his niece.
"Seriously?" She muttered shaking her head in disbelief, "Oh, I have a slip from school I need signed…but it can wait until later you seem busy."
Ryotaro nodded at that, filing away the information for later. The group of teens left with a quick wave, and he turned back to the young adults he had been introduced to before the commotion. He rubbed the back of his head in slight annoyance. Their story was…interesting to say the least.
"So, the Kirijo group sent you three down here to observe the weather?" He asked them, "What's so strange about it?"
"Nothing, but Mitsuru-San was curious if it would affect our devices for clean energy," The petite woman answered for the group and he found himself nodding at that, "if we can find a way to make a device work with the heavy fog and rain that Inaba gets then we'd be able to create better devices."
"Right, I'll make sure the station knows about your group," He said, it was easier to grant their permission than to fight a Kirijo.
"Thank you, Dojima-San," The woman said.
For a few seconds he felt like he was talking to his niece, and he couldn't help the slight smile that appeared on his face. The group left and he went back to his office, he needed to have a word with his partner. Adachi had a problem with keeping his mouth shut when it came to a case. How that man became a police officer he'd never know.
"Uh…Chie-Chan?" Yuri softly asked.
"Hmm?" Chie answered.
"How do you know about a place like this?"
Yuri's question was asked as the group of friends stood outside the blacksmith. She couldn't help but wonder why her friend even knew what was in the store. They were pushed inside by the shorter girl and felt the hot air from the forge hitting their faces. Yuri was glad she had pulled her hair up, it would've been murder.
"I overheard some of the guys in our class talking about it," Chie answered as she looked around at the different equipment, "this one looks good, but it might be too heavy."
"I don't know Chie…I think it's too dangerous," Yosuke stated as Yu and Yuri looked at different weapons, "I know how you feel, but-"
"You don't!" Chie snapped, "You don't know shit about how I feel…Yukiko might die from this, for crying out loud!"
"I'm so glad we're here to witness this," Yuri dryly commented to her brother.
"Yeah," He agreed, "so bow or staff?"
"I think I'll use a bow for now," Yuri answered, "I think I'll join the archery and sewing club, what about you?"
"Soccer and Band," He answered.
"Did you bring your trumpet?" She blinked, "I didn't see you pack that."
"Yeah, I hid it under my shirts," He said.
She gave him a dry look at that as Yosuke asked the two to pick some stuff out for him. Chie had already picked her things out and left them to wait at Junes. It was a given that they'd hide their weapons under their clothing, or in Yuri's case in a sports bag. She held onto the bow and quiver and felt her hands tremble. It was strange to be making a decision like this, but also empowering. Daidara looked at them before shaking his head.
"I see your sister is the artistic type," Daidara stated, and she looked towards him with wide eyes, "say, bring me a sketch and I might be able to design something interesting with my own ideas added."
"…I like the way you think," Yuri stated, and her world filled with blue.
"Thou art I… And I am thou…" A voice rang in her head, "thou hast established a new bond…it brings thee closer to the truth…thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the Tower arcana."
"Come again," He said as they left.
"He's a social link," Yuri muttered to her brother.
"Not for me," Yu said before smiling slightly, "I'm glad we'll have different social links."
They paused as a deep blue door appeared right besides the bookstore. People walked past it as though it didn't exist. The twins shared a look as their keys warmed up in their pockets. That had to be a door to the velvet room. They entered the room and welcomed the change in atmosphere.
"We have been expecting you," Igor greeted the twins, glad they had entered together, "the catastrophe that is headed your way has already taken human lives in its approach towards you, but you have nothing to fear."
"You already have the power to fight against it. It seems that the time to use your Persona has come."
The twins found that worrisome, but were calm. Yuri wondered if that was a trait of the velvet room. That no matter the news, the receiver would remain calm. It truly was strange. Yuri placed her hands in her lap and slowly looked over at the newest occupant of the velvet room. She had dark hair and green eyes; Yuri felt as though she'd seen her somewhere before. She couldn't quite place her.
"You two hold the ability of a wild card," Margaret informed them, "if you strengthen your bonds properly, their power will help you overcome any ordeal. Our role is to facilitate that."
"My contribution… is to give birth to new Personas," Igor continued, he placed his hand down on the table and swiped it to the left showing a few tarot cards. "By mixing multiple Persona cards, I can transmute them into a new form… This, in other words, is the fusion of Personas."
"You have the power to hold multiple Personas and to use them accordingly. When you defeat an enemy, the seeds of possibility you attain will appear before you as cards. At times, they may be hard to grasp… but you must master your fear and reach out to them."
"What do we do if we gain new cards?" Yu asked and Yuri nodded her agreement to that question.
"How do we gain new cards?" She added.
"When you obtain new cards, please do not hesitate to bring them here. If you have been developing your Social Links, then your Persona will gain even more power," Igor explained and Yuri figured that answered one of their questions, "they will be one of your chief sources of strength… You would do well to take this to heart."
"I see." Yu muttered and Yuri sent Igor a sad look.
"You'll soon find out about how to acquire cards, my dear," Igor stated, and she gained a tiny smile.
At least she'd learn soon. That's all she could ask for really. She looked back down at the cards and noticed that certain ones were glowing. The magician, Hierophant, and Tower were glowing. She would have to question that some other time. Margaret cleared her throat and the twins looked at her.
"The tome you see in my hand is the Persona Compendium," Margaret told them, "Registering the personae you hold will allow you to recall them at any time. Please see me when you wish to use it."
"Of course," Yuri said with a soft smile.
"One more thing, I would like to introduce a new resident of the Velvet Room," Margaret added, "they will be helping you on your journey…Marie?"
"Yeah, I can hear," The Dark-haired girl stated, glaring at the floor before fixing the twins an unfriendly look, "nice to meet you."
"Have we meet before?" Yu asked.
"I dunno," Marie shrugged, "does it matter?"
Yuri felt angry on her brother's behalf and narrowed her eyes at the girl. She didn't have to be so rude. Yu simply smiled in response and Yuri's shoulders slumped. Leave it to her brother to not be bothered by that.
"Excuse her," Margaret said, "this is Marie. Her soul is still very young and-"
"Shut up! Don't tell them any more about me then you need to!" Marie snapped.
"…As you can see," Margaret continued acting as though she hadn't been rudely interrupted, "she may be brusque at times, but please understand that she is only an apprentice and forgive her for her impoliteness."
"All right," Yuri said, not wanting to cause any more issues.
"Got it." Yu agreed.
"Thank you," Margaret smiled at them, "please feel free to speak with her here when you wish to use her services."
"Do you recall my words to you before? "The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost." I meant precisely what I said," Igor stated, and Yuri tensed at that, "Defeat in battle is not the only way your journey may come to an end… Please do not forget this. When next we meet, you will come here of your own will. I look forward to it. Until then… farewell."
"I would love to know how he can evict people without them noticing," Yuri muttered as she looked around the shopping district.
"Yeah, it would be a great way to avoid arguments," Yu agreed.
They shook their heads in unison before hurrying back to Junes. Chie greeted them with a wave, and they all went to the electronics department. The others stood out in their uniforms and sent the twins a strange look.
"Dude I thought we'd wear the uniforms?" Yosuke asked.
"Yuri's skirt hides ours," Yu said, and his sister shrugged.
"Sometimes having a long skirt is helpful," She stated before turning serious, "let's get going before it gets busy around here."
They all entered the TV and Yuri braced herself to land on her feet. The heels of her shoes clicked against the fog covered tile and she sighed in relief as she maintained her balance. She turned to watch as Chie studied Teddie, a slight smile appeared on her face. It vanished when she felt a strange sensation behind her. It felt like someone was breathing down the back of her neck. She spun on her heel and saw…nothing. That spooked her more then she wanted to admit.
"Did you figure anything out?" Yosuke asked Teddie before making a face, "it's probably useless to think about it too much. I've seen the inside of your skull, and it was empty."
"How rude!" Teddie exclaimed before pouting, "You're right, though. I try and try but nothing comes out of my head."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Teddie," Yuri softly admitted.
She wouldn't wish such confusion on anyone. She blinked as the bear gave her a teary-eyed smile before bursting into tears. It was enough to annoy Chie. The brunette gave the bear a glare and it quickly hid behind the taller female.
"Now isn't the time for talking!" Chie stated and it grew silent amongst them, "Listen, someone came here yesterday, right?"
"Wow! You have a better nose than me!" Teddie exclaimed, "What's your name, miss?"
"Uh…I'm Chie, but never mind that!" Chie said, shaking her head, "Tell me more where we can find that "Someone"!"
"I think it happened a little after I talked with you guys," Teddie informed them, "after that, it felt like someone was here."
"How was someone able to get to Amagi-San before we could warn her?" Yuri questioned, bringing a hand up to her chin in thought, "We were able to notice the patterns within a day of seeing her on the channel."
"Maybe the killer saw her on the Midnight Channel?" Yosuke suggested, shrugging slightly, "If we can use the channel to help victims, then they can use it to hurt people."
Yuri had to concede her point. It did sound plausible, but she didn't know why it wasn't sitting right with her. What was she missing? It was like she was looking at a puzzle that refused to come together because she was missing so many pieces. It was highly annoying. She ran a hand through her fringe and pushed it back from her forehead. There wasn't anything she could do but wait for more information and hope that no one else got hurt.
"The presence is over that way," Teddie informed them, "that's probably where they are."
"Over there, huh?" Chie asked, "Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah," The other three answered.
They all had their weapons out and it was immediately obvious that they'd never held one before in their lives. Yuri had a death grip on her bow and was looking at the arrows with slight worry. Yosuke nervously twirled the short knifes in his hands and almost dropped them a couple of times. Yu just unsheathed the sword and gave it a slight nod of his head. They hurried in the direction that Teddie had indicated and soon came across a giant castle.
"That explains the dress that Amagi-San had been wearing," Yuri muttered in thought, she craned her head back in an attempt to see the very top of the castle.
"Teddie, are you positive that no one's behind a camera for that bizarre midnight program?" Yosuke questioned.
"Program?" Teddie asked, "I don't know. Maybe people on your side can see stuff on this world. It might be that. I dunno, and I told you before that it's only me and the shadows here. No cameras!"
"This world of yours makes no sense," Yosuke sighed.
"It does if it's a collective consciousness," Yuri shrugged, "that's the only plausible explanation I can come up with."
"You put a lot of thought into it," Yu stated, making a strange face.
"It's interesting, lay off," She huffed.
"I've never seen this program thing before," Teddie informed them, "so, I don't know."
"Is that really what's happening?" Chie asked, "Are we really looking into this world? Because the first time Yukiko showed up on that channel was before she disappeared, doesn't that seem off? I mean, Yukiko talking about scoring a hot stud is nothing like her!"
"A hot stud?" Teddie questioned and Yuri sent it a strange look.
"Yeah, Yukiko-San would never say something like that," Yosuke agreed.
"I think that program happens because of the person who appears on it," Teddie suggested, and they all sent it surprised looks, "or something like that…"
"So, Yukiko is producing that show herself?" Chie muttered in thought, "Ugh, I don't get this at all! Do you feel Yukiko's presence from inside?"
"I'm pretty sure," Teddie confirmed before turning to Yosuke, "so, um, what's this scoring with a hot stud thing?"
"Something you shouldn't worry about," Yosuke answered before letting out a yell.
Chie had run off towards the castle and the other three watched in disbelief. They shared a look and hurried after her. The inside of the castle felt like the inside of the Konishi Liquor store. Yuri called Izanagi forth when shadows began to appear. A strange expression appeared on her face as she realized what Igor had meant by cards. They had turned into a discount video game character, and she didn't know how to feel about that. All she knew was that she couldn't bring the bow string back at all. She was stuck focusing on using Izanagi, or her newest one Slime. Slime was just happy to be there, and Yuri couldn't blame it one bit. Even as it let out gurgling sounds in the back of her head.
"Wow, you're so good at fighting, Sensei!" Teddie informed the twins as they hurried up some stairs, "compared to you, Yosuke stinks."
"Hey!" Yosuke huffed before sending them a begrudging look, "though I do gotta admit, you have a knack for this stuff."
"Huh, I thought I was doing pretty bad," Yuri said, giving the two a slight smile.
"Can you even draw the string back?" Yosuke asked her.
"Ha, no," She answered, gaining a strange pitch to her voice, "I've been relying on Izanagi again."
"She can't have gone any further than this floor," Yu said, and they all turned towards him, "you guys ready?"
"Yeah," Yosuke grinned as Yuri nodded.
Yu was able to push the door open and they came across Chie staring at her shadow. Yukiko's voiced echoed above them and Yuri frowned slightly. Chie was the one that told her red looked good on her? That was oddly sweet. She winced when Yukiko made a single declaration. She thought she was worthless? Hadn't she thought the same once? Her hands became fists at her sides as she watched shadow Chie cackle.
"Chie is so kind? What a joke," Shadow Chie gleefully said.
"What?" Chie questioned.
"Not again," Yosuke stated.
"If she's able to accept her shadow then she can help with a persona," Yuri stated with a shrug, "I think we can handle it, what about you?"
"I think so," Yu agreed.
"Are we talking about that Yukiko?" Shadow Chie asked in a childish voice, "She says I'm protecting her? She says she's worthless! Isn't that how it should be?"
"What are you saying?" Chie questioned as the other three watched in concern.
"Yukiko's soooo good looking, so fair-skinned, so feminine," Shadow Chie began to list, "she's the one all the guys drool over. When Yukiko looked at me with such jealousy…man…did I get a charge out of that. Yukiko knows the score, she can't do anything if I'm not around. I'm better than her…much, much better!"
"I've never thought that!" Chie shouted at her shadow.
"What are we gonna do?" Yosuke questioned.
"There's three of us and one of shadow Chie," Yu stated with a nervous frown, "we could probably take her."
"We just got our weapons and don't really know what we're doing with our persona," Yuri commented before frowning as well, "we might be in serious trouble, but she needs to face this."
"Man, this is going to suck," Yosuke winced as he got his knives ready.
"Teddie can you make sure Chie-Chan will be safe?" Yuri asked.
"I will do my Beary best!" Teddie chirped before hurrying off to help Chie.
"Don't come near me!" Chie yelled and Teddie paused in its steps, "Don't look at me!"
"You need to calm down!" Yosuke called.
"No! This isn't me!" Chie screamed and Yuri's eyes widened slightly.
"Don't say anything else like that," Yosuke warned.
"Get ready," Yu muttered as he readied his sword.
"Right, this is going to be a tough one," Yuri sighed, calling on Izanagi.
"That's right," Shadow Chie giggled, "I'm the one who can't do anything alone…I can't win as a girl, let alone as a person, I'm pathetic. But, Yukiko, she depends on me."
"I…" Chie muttered as she half her hands over her ears to block out the jeering.
"That's why she's my friend!" The shadow gleefully exclaimed, "I'll never loosen my grip on her, she's too important to me."
"That's not how I think of her!" Chie snapped at her shadow.
"So, you're just gonna turn your back and deny me again?" The shadow darkly chuckled. "But, things are different now. When the time comes, I'll be the die left standing! You won't mind, right? I'm still you after all!"
"Shut up!" Chin snapped, covering her ears.
"Chie, don't!" Yosuke called and Yu narrowed his eyes.
"You're not me!" Chie's shout was followed by a burst of wind from her shadow self.
Yuri held up an arm to try and protect her eyes a bit. Yu's movements identical. The cackling filled the air as the shadow Chie twisted forms until it towered over them. Yuri's eyes widened in surprise at the banana headed dominatrix that sat upon a tower of female students. The whip in her hands was cracked and the twins flinched just the slightest. That wasn't going to be fun to go against. Teddie moved forward and grabbed onto a stunned Chie, moving her away from the fight. Yosuke took up a spot next to the twins and stared up at the dominatrix.
"God, this is going to be a pain," Yosuke stated and two nods followed his words.
"What do you guys think you're doing?" Shadow Chie asked, snapping her whip and making the girls below her stumble a bit. "Trying to defend the real me? Then you'll pay the price!"
"Chie-Chan, hang in there!" Yuri called to her new friend.
"Pathetic," Shadow Chie cackled.
Yuri's Izanagi came out into play and she launched an attack at the shadow. Psi covered the shadow and she flinched just the slightest at the attack. So, Psychokenisis was out of the question. She searched through her personae and changed to Pixie. If she couldn't do any damage then she would heal her brother and Yosuke. She blinked when she had to dodge a whip attack, she could feel the breeze from how strong of a snap it had been. Yosuke let out a yelp as he dove to the side to avoid one himself, except he was hit by a large bolt of lightning. He was downed by it, and they learned that they all had weaknesses they needed to be more aware of. Yuri let out a gasp when she stepped back and moved out of the way of a bolt herself.
"Yosuke-Kun, are you all right?" Yuri called, and she got a groan out of him.'
She brought her hands together and used the one skill that Pixie had for her. Dia activated and Yosuke made a startled sound before noting that his injuries were gone. He brought out Jiraya and sent a Garu towards the shadow Chie. It downed her and they took the time to wail on her. The more damage they did, the more likely the battle would stop. Still, it didn't help when she got back up and they were forced to run around like chickens without their heads. What could they do to stop her? Yuri winced when she hit the ground, hard. Well, that was a bruised and scraped knee. It was better than dying. Something came to her, and she gained a confident expression.
"Chie-Chan, it doesn't matter if you really think that way!" Yuri called to the light haired girl, only to see her shake her head in defiance. "Everyone has thoughts like that, that's part of being human!"
"I…I can't," Chie stated and Yuri gave her a soft look.
"Yeah, I've had bad thoughts about people before too," Yosuke told Chie, following what Yuri was trying to do. "But, it's all right."
"You're more than this thing," Yu added, ducking under an attack.
"I went through the same thing, so I can understand," Yosuke stated as Shadow Chie went to attack him. "I mean, everyone has a side like this…"
The attack stopped not even an inch from his head. Yuri let out a soft sound of relief before falling to her knees. She winced at the pain in one of them, right she forgot about that scraped knee. Still, it was a relief to see that Chie was accepting her shadow. The stopped attack informed her of that. Good, they'd have at least one other person with them to rescue Yukiko.
"Yeah…I get it now," Chie quietly admitted, her head down. "You are me, a side of me I couldn't forgive…that I tried to ignore, but you still exist and you're a part of me."
Her shadow self gave a smile before vanishing. A persona stood before Chie. The helmet that covered it's face and long black hair a remnant of the banana style cover her shadow self had worn. It was obvious that Chie's persona was made for physical battle, and Yuri was quite glad someone else would be able to do genuine damage.
"I…I wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko!" Chie immediately informed them and they all gave her slightly amused looks.
Those quickly turned into concern when she fell to her knees. The act of awakening her persona, after running around blink in the tv world had taken its toll on her. Yuri slowly got to her feet and stumbled slightly before limping towards her friend. A hand went onto Chie's shoulder and she welcomed the silent support.
"I'm okay, just a little tired," Chie waved off their concern.
"You don't look okay at all, and I bet it's because you unlocked your persona," Yosuke stated, as the three helped their friend to her feet.
"Huh? Persona?" Chie asked, her confusion evident in her voice.
"We'll explain more later," Yu answered as Yuri let the shorter girl wrap an arm around her shoulder. "We need to take a break."
"I can keep going," Chie stated, her panic evident in her voice.
"Don't overdo it!" Teddie chided and Yuri sent him a surprised look, that was oddly insightful of Teddie.
"It's not that we don't think you can, it's just… we have to save Yukiko-San no matter what," Yosuke told her as they slowly started to head out of the strange area. "Now that you have a persona you can fight with us. Once you have your strength back, we can come back."
"Yukiko-Chan should be safe until it rains for a few days," Yuri stated, frowning in thought. "It's only when it gets foggy on our side that we should be concerned…still, let's see how you feel tomorrow."
"How do you know?" Chie asked.
"Teddie told us that when the weather here is the opposite of our own, when it fits over in ours that the fog here lifts," Yosuke explained. "That's when the shadows attack their victims, so Yuri-Chan is right, Yukiko-San should be just fine."
"Remember how it was foggy when Saki-San was…killed?" Yuri asked, her unease showing through her voice.
"You mean…they were killed by their other selves?" Chie asked, following the line of thought.
"Yeah, we'll keep an eye out on the weather," Yosuke stated as they exited the castle. "I don't think it's going to rain for a while."
"I can't just turn back now," Chie told them, even though her legs wouldn't move how she wanted them to. "Yukiko is still alone, she has to be scared!"
"How much further do we have to go until we reach her?" Yosuke asked and Yuri shared a look with her brother.
Right, Teddie was the only one that could sense the shadows around them. They couldn't even do that. She felt those eyes on her again and hid her discomfort. Maybe that was the shadows she felt. It was so unnatural in the tv world…but her health was oddly better since she started entering it. She kicked the ground with the toe of her oxfords and frowned in thought.
"We don't know what's ahead," Yuri stated getting everyone's attention. "We might have to battle stronger Shadows, so for today we'll rest and regroup after school tomorrow to see how we're feeling."
"All right…I shouldn't have rushed in like that by myself," Chie reluctantly agreed, and she got a kind smile out of the twins.
"Let's go together next time," Yu said, and Chie gained a pink tinge to her cheeks.
"No worries," Yosuke said, forgiving Chie with ease. "We're definitely going to save Yukiko-San."
"Right!" The others agreed.
"Let's get out of here for today, I think we all need some rest," Yuri stated.
The walk back to the entrance they used was slow. Chie was slowly feeling worse the longer they stayed inside the tv, and Yuri kept shooting her concerned looks. Yu kept an eye out for potential enemies, but noticed that they were in a safe zone. Teddie walked ahead of them, his squeaking footsteps echoing in the fog. Chie glanced at them, and noted the glasses. Why the hell were they wearing such things? They looked a little goofy.
"I'm feeling worse that the last time I came in here," Chie informed them. "My head feels like it's going to split open, are you guys okay?"
"It's thanks to these," Yu stated, motioning towards his glasses.
"That's right, you're not wearing the glasses," Yosuke noted.
"I was wanting to ask about those," Chie said. "Did your eyes go bad?"
"Teddie made them so we could see through the fog," Yuri answered and Teddie puffed up in pride.
"I had a pair ready for Chie-Chan too," Teddie stated, holding out a pair yellow framed glasses. "Here you go."
"Woah!" Chie exclaimed, Teddie had put the glasses on her face for her and she looked around the tv world in disbelief. "This is so cool! It's like the fog doesn't exist!"
"Why didn't you give them to her earlier if you had them?" Yosuke griped at Teddie.
"I just made them," Teddie stated. "You didn't tell me she was coming! It was all so sadden…I mean sudden!"
"So that's the trick," Chie muttered. "I was wondering how you guys could see where you were going. Is it all right if I keep these?"
"Fo'sho," Teddie stated.
Yuri was surprised by the American phrase. Huh, so her idea of this being a type of collective consciousness was gaining evidence. He shouldn't know such phrases. She scratched the side of her cheek in thought.
"You guys better not come here without me, got it?" Chie asked them:
"Yeah, let's all promise each other…no one goes in alone," Yosuke said, and he held out his hand. "It's way too dangerous, if we don't work together we won't be able to solve this case, or save Yukiko-san."
"You're right," Yu agreed, putting his hand on Yosuke's.
"I wouldn't let you leave me behind," Chie stated, adding hers.
"I'm happy to give whatever support I can," Yuri agreed, hers went on as well.
Teddie joined and they all gave a single shake before drawing their hands back. Yosuke scratched the back of his head in thought. Right, they needed a leader. He looked towards the twins and gave a mental nod. They were smart enough, and the oldest out of all of them.
"Why don't you guys be the leaders for this group?" Yosuke asked them. "You guys for your personas first, and you're the oldest."
Yu and Yuri shared a look. Yeah, they could lead them with ease. But did they want to? Yuri wasn't opposed to the idea, in fact she believed it could be good experience for the both of them. They nodded in unison, coming to the same conclusion.
"Leave it to us," Yu said, being their official spokesperson.
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Yosuke teased them. "I'm an ideas man, not an executive."
"I'm more comfortable with you guys calling the shots," Teddie agreed.
"Please don't talk right now, I'm on edge," Chie warned the shadow…mascot…Teddie bear?
Well, they weren't really sure what Teddie was. They supposed that Teddie was just Teddie. Yu and Yuri paused when they became aware of cards floating in front of them. Their team was the fool aracana? How interesting. Yuri would have to open her commissions again so she could start buying books to understand their predicament a bit better. She doubted that she'd be cleared for physical education again, archery was pushing the boundaries with her health, so she'd have plenty of time to study them.
"Let's get some rest for today," Yuri quietly said, breaking out of her thoughts to smile at everyone.
"We'll meet tomorrow at the Junes food court," Yosuke agreed.
Chie nodded, the slow movement an attempt to stop her raging headache. They parted ways, Chie waving off their concern and heading home as fast as she could. Yuri paused to grab some food for dinner and Yu stood behind her with a basket. He would be the holder of their items. He watched the other shoppers and raised a brow at the sight of a tall dark-haired man. Wasn't he one of the people from the station? He was too far away to really tell. He looked down at his sister as she put some beef into the basket.
"Stroganoff?" Yu asked and she blinked.
"It'll make a good dinner," she stated as she reached for a small thing of pudding. "I think Uncle ate the last of Nanako-chans pudding."
Yu looked to the side in amusement. She sent him a strange look before finishing up their shopping with a thing of sour cream. They headed to the register, and ended up right behind the dark-haired man. Ah, so it was him. Yu and Yuri shared a look before noting the petite teal-haired woman that joined the man. It was a strange group of people. The man gruffly answered the woman and Yuri felt Yu's eyes on her when the woman simply smiled in response. It was so strange seeing it from the outside.
"So, those are the persona users?" the man mumbled to the woman, his brows furrowing. "They don't seem like fighters."
"Their persona are strange…it reminds me of them," the woman softly informed him.
He discreetly watched the two teenagers and noted their mannerisms. The boy was more stoic compared to the girl. He narrowed his eyes when she scratched at her cheek before gaining an unnerved look. She couldn't really tell that she was being watched, could she? The woman gave a gentle smile before waving at the girl. Gold eyes blinked in confusion before a shy wave wave given in response.
"Do you happen to follow LilysFashion?" the woman asked and the teenager gained a slightly nervous smile.
"I…I actually run the blog," Yuri couldn't help but inform her, hoping that she was being kind.
"I love your designs," the woman said, and the bashful smile sent her way let her know many things about the teenager.
"You remind me of someone," Yuri quietly admitted. "Have we met somewhere else before?"
"Maybe," the woman confirmed.
"Yamagishi," the man gruffly called and the woman gave the teenager a wave once again before catching up with him.
Yu and Yuri shared a look. There was something strange about them. Yu shrugged, it wasn't like they could do anything about it. Some people were just strange. They paid for their groceries and quickly headed home.
"I can't believe you went and made a commotion in Junes," Ryotaro sighed at Yu.
Yu sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as Yuri gently walked Nanako through the recipe for beef stroganoff. The elementary school student brightly smiled as each step was gently explained. Ryotaro looked at the two of them before gaining a wistful smile. If he had known how well those two got along he would've volunteered to watch over his niece sooner. Dinner was served and he took a drink of his beer. The local news started to play on the tv and he noted how intently the two teenagers were watching it. Something was going on with them, and he didn't like it.
"Mind if I ask you two something?" He said and all eyes turned towards him. "You aren't getting involved with any strange business, are you? What happened at the station this morning is still bothering me…is there anything you're not telling me?"
"Of course not," Yu told him and Yuri gave a nod of agreement.
It wasn't like they could tell their uncle. He wouldn't believe them to begin with, that would put a stopper to any kind of conversation about the murders. They would have to keep him in the dark. Even if Yuri wanted to have their uncle on their side.
"It's just been nagging at me, that's all," Ryotaro awkwardly stated.
"What's wrong?" Nanako asked, sadly looking at the three of them. "Are you fighting?"
"No, we're not fighting," Ryotaro tried to calm his daughter down.
"This isn't the police station," Nanako mumbled.
"I agreed to look after you two, so don't get into any trouble, for that?" Ryotaro requested of them.
"All right," Yu agreed.
"We'll try our best," Yuri stated, nodding her head.
"And now for our weather forecast," the kind faced reporter on the tv brought a hand up to show the map of the area. "Due to high-pressure fronts from the west, that sunny spring-like weather will stay with us for a while longer."
"Is this lady the one who decides the weather?" Nanako asked and Yuri gained a fond smile at the question. "'Cause when she says that it'll be sunny, it always is."
"She's not really deciding it," Ryotaro said, he buckled under Nanako's doubtful expression. "Nevermind."
Dinner finished and Huri retired to their room for the night. She wanted to get started on Yu's blanket. He had chosen navy blue with some pops of red with a ripple stitch. She wearily looked at the yarn she had. She was going to have to pick up more if he wanted a large blanket. A hand went through her long hair and she swiftly pulled it up with a black hair tie. Well, she would have to get a move on then. The blanket wasn't going to make itself. She blinked when the door opened and Yu walked in. How long had she been at it?
"I hate our home room teacher," Yu grumbled as he moved to sit on the couch. "He called me to give me the PE uniform, why couldn't it have waited until tomorrow?"
"I don't know," Yuri admitted. "I may know much about the mind of those older than us, but not everything."
He gave her a dubious look before getting back up and preparing the futons. She had done it every night, so it was his turn. She put away the project she was working on and vacated the room so she could change into pajamas. They were out like a light the second their heads hit their pillows.
