8


18th, April 2011

Yuri looked at her hair in the mirror before tilting her head in thought. She was contemplating cutting it. She grabbed onto a pair of scissors and then quickly put them down. The one thing she was proud of was her long hair. It was the one thing in her life that she could actually control. She exited the bathroom while straightening her school uniform. They had time to get to school, and meet up with everyone.

"You wake up far too early for someone so young," Ryotaro informed her as she came down the stairs.

"I'm used to being up early," Yuri quietly admitted before she moved to start breakfast. "Yu's also awake, but he's taking his time getting ready."

"Sorry there wasn't much room here for the both of you," Ryotaro apologised and she blinked in confusion.

"I used to share a room with him when we were little," she stated. "I don't mind sharing a space with my twin brother."

"How's school going?" Ryotaro awkwardly changed the topic.

"Good, I hope that once I come back from my doctors appointment I can possibly start PE," Yuri stated, and a bright smile appeared on her face at the thought. "It's been years since I've been in that class."

"I think it was the last time your mother took pictures of you two," Ryotaro agreed. "You don't like smiling for the camera much."

He let out a light laugh at her slight pout. She couldn't help but feel like they had grown closer. It was nice, and he gave a grateful smile when she put an omelette down in front of him. She picked up on their tastes relatively fast. He ate his breakfast and noted that she was making lunch as well. No wonder she got up so early. A part of him likened her to a one woman army before realizing that she was basically forced to grow up. His sister…she wouldn't. To her own child? It wasn't like he could say anything, he was never around for Nanako due to work, but he still loved his daughter.

"Did you two celebrate your birthdays this year?" Dojima asked.

"Kind of," Yuri mumbled.

January, how hard was it to celebrate a kid's birthday that started so early in the year? He was sure they didn't pull that shit with Yu. He ran a hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes in thought. Well, Nanako and he was just going to have to throw them a decent birthday party for their nineteenth birthday. He liked the sound of that. Yuri gained a confused look. Why was it that it seemed like their bond had grown again? What had just happened? She didn't even feel like she had been a part of it.

"Good morning," Nanako greeted, smiling at Yuri and her father.

"Good morning, Nanako-chan," Yuri greeted back.

Nanako looked up when a hand ruffled her hair. Yu stood there with a sleepy grin on his face before he went to help his sister with cooking their lunch. He was used to being her Sous-chef. They got everything finished and were eating their breakfast in relative silence. Ryotaro was thinking about his work, and where Amagi had gone, the twins were silently pumping themselves up for the fight after school, and Nanako. Well, Nanako was happy to be surrounded by people she adored. She was humming the Junes theme as she sipped at her juice.

Her day improved after the twins dropped her off at school. Yu and Yuri walked down the flood plains and he watched as his sister awkwardly ran a hand through her hair in thought. She was worried, and for good reason. They still didn't know how to fight without their personas, and Yukiko's shadow was going to be tougher than Chie. That was on instinct on Yu's part, and simple deduction on Yuri's end. Yosuke caught up with them and gave them a grin in greeting.

"I hope you two have a plan," Yosuke stated and Yuri gave a wry smile.

"Yeah, that's what I've been thinking of since I woke up this morning," Yuri admitted. "We aren't very good with weapons, and relying on our persona will just wear us out."

"Man, you put a lot of thought into this," Yosuke pointed out and she gave a sheepish smile.

"I think a lot when I'm keeping my hands busy," Yuri stated, she then tilted her head in thought. "I haven't gotten any messages from Chie-Chan, I hope she's feeling okay."

"Chie bounces back pretty quickly, so don't worry," Yosuke stated, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "I hope Moroka doesn't say anything about Yukiko-San missing."

"He called me last night to give me my athletic uniform," Yu stated and Yosuke blanched.

"Dude, that's so creepy," Yosuke said, a wince on his face.

They entered the school and headed up to their class. Yuri sat down in her seat and Yosuke leaned against her desk. They were looking around for Chie, but she wasn't there yet. She hoped that she didn't stay home sick, her head was hurting pretty bad last night. Someone leaned against Yuri and she looked back to see Chie standing there. She still seemed a little tired, but otherwise feeling fine. Yosuke gained a happy grin and everyone relaxed just the slightest. Chie was going to be fine.

"Thanks for everything yesterday," Chie said to them off the bat. "It's kinda embarrassing that you all heard that. But, I know the same thing happened to Yosuke, what was it like?"

"Now that I think about it, you and Yuri-Chan didn't have a shadow," Yosuke stated, taking the attention off him. "Maybe it's because you have nothing to hide."

"Maybe," Yu agreed and Yuri gained a thoughtful frown.

"Or we just haven't run into our shadow selves and simply awoke our persona because it was a survival instinct," Yuri shrugged and they all looked at her. "It was just a suggestion."

"I have to agree with Yosuke, you two are pretty open," Chie said and Yuri was glad for the change in topic, even if it was just the slightest. "There's a funny air about you two, I guess that's what draws people to you…or something like that."

"That was sweet, Chie-Chan," Yuri said with a kind smile and Yosuke snorted.

"Want me to bare it all?" Yu asked.

"Woah, uh…no it's all good," Chie stated and Yuri let out a quiet laugh. "Man, don't mess with me like that."

"Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing," Yuri apologized, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Right, let's lay out the plan for today, we'll try to get as close to Yukiko-Chan as we can."

"And keep an eye on the weather," Yosuke agreed. "So, Junes after school?"

"The food court," Chie agreed.

Yuri felt bonds being formed. The chariot for Chie, that made sense if she was being honest. She had her attention grabbed by the whispers behind them. The rumors already started about her and Yu. She rubbed the tips of her fingers together and listened to Izanagi grumble in the back of her mind. It was funny, her persona didn't even like gossip when it came to her. Asking about boyfriends, completely all right with Izanagi, horrible rumors about her and her twin? Izanagi was furious.

"Ignore them, Yuri-Chan," Chie stated, narrowing her eyes at a group of gossiping students. "Those guys are always gossiping like that, the rest of the school doesn't believe them."

The door to the classroom opened and everyone scattered to their seats. Yuri gained a blank look as she grabbed her English notebook from her school bag. They had the PE teacher teaching English? How weird. She tapped her pencil against the page and took diligent notes.

"All right, Narukami Yuri," Kondo called and Yuri stood up. "The word alphabet comes from the words alpha and what other one?"

"Beta," Yuri answered, and she heard the surprised whispers of her classmates being surprised that she knew such a thing.

"That's correct," Kondo confirmed and she quickly sat back down. "Any set of Western European characters in a specific order is called an alphabet. In Japan we say Alphabet to refer to English."

School went by slowly, and Yuri sighed as she entered the library. She had to make a quick stop before they left to inform the librarian that she would be spending PE in there instead. The school had an order from her previous doctors, sports clubs were okay with monitoring but physical education was out of the question. How annoying, and typical for her doctors. She looked at the documents in her hands and gave a quiet sigh. The librarian would have to sign it. She opened the doors to the library and blinked. Those two men from the station were there. The silver haired man had quickly turned when she opened the door and awkwardly nodded towards the brunette man before walking out. That was such a weird thing to happen, and suspicious. But, she was sure the group hadn't been around for Yamado's murder, so she didn't have a reason to think them too suspicious.

"Is there something you need?" the brunette man gruffly asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I have to have something signed by the librarian," she immediately answered, her spine straightening just the slightest.

The man studied her for a few seconds before holding out his hand. She blinked for a few seconds before handing the paper over. His furrowed brow made him look incredibly unfriendly, his entire demeanor gave that impression. Yuri studied him a bit more. His maroon coat -which was too heavy for the spring weather- had traces of dog fur on it, and she got the slight hint of cooked food coming from him. So, maybe he wasn't as unfriendly as he liked to portray.

"Here," the man stated, holding out the paper. "Don't damage anything."

Did she seem like the kind to do so? Yuri accepted the paper back with a slight bow before leaving the room. She looked down at the signature on her form. Aragaki Shinjiro…that name sounded oddly familiar, and she wasn't sure why. Maybe she had heard it during her last stay in a hospital? A few of the nurses there had been sent by the Kirijo group when there had been a horrible flu going around. She could've picked it up from them. Or, she was completely over-thinking it. She flinched slightly when someone let out a loud sound. She hadn't noticed them. She quickened her pace so she could rejoin her brother and friends faster. The paper was dropped off at the office and she was finally able to rejoin the others.

"Let's get going," Yuri said with a slight smile, accepting her bag from her brother.

She wasn't going to make anymore stops, she didn't feel like it. She wanted to focus on Yukiko, they would have more time to do things once she was saved. That was all that mattered. Junes was a little warm inside, the heaters for early spring still on, and they found a bench in the food court to make their own. Yuri sat next to her brother and checked the weather on her phone.

"We have quite some time to rescue Yukiko-San," Yuri stated. "There is only one chance of rain on Thursday and it's early in the morning."

"And cloudy days follow," Yu added, noting the worry on Chie's face.

"First Saki-Senpai, and now Yukiko-san," Yosuke murmured to himself. "I never thought we'd get involved in a case like this."

"Don't talk like Yukiko is already dead," Chie growled slightly, and he raised his hands in defense.

"We do have a time limit," Yuri said, getting their attention. "Instead of focusing on that, let's focus on reaching Yukiko-san, okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Yosuke agreed as Chie calmed down.

"Let's get going," Yu said, and they all nodded in agreement.

Yuri looked at the tv that they had marked as their entrance and they all gave a quick glance around them. The coast was clear. The trip into the tv world went smoothly and Yuri pulled her glasses out of her book bag. They were perched on her nose and she paused at the sight of the bright blue door in the center of the room. Her velvet room key was warming up in her skirt pocket and she brought it out. Yu did the same. They discreetly walked up to the door and entered it while the others were talking to Teddie.

"Welcome to the velvet room, valued guests," Igor greeted them and Yuri found herself relaxing in the calming atmosphere of the velvet room. "I shall tell you of my assistance. I can gather a number of the persona you possess and provide you with the means to fuse them. You may add your persona to the compendium that Margaret carry's and for a fee you may welcome them back."

"Do you have a book explaining fusion and all it entails?" Yuri's gentle question was met with a nod.

That's how she found herself reading a deep blue book that also somehow showed their persona progress. So, if they so wanted, they could collect persona. She knew her brother. He always finished rpg's completely, he was going to try and do so. She went to hand the book back, but Igor waved her off. It was a gift to their politest guest…even their previous guests hadn't been so polite with them.

"You two come here a lot," Marie commented and the twins looked to her in unison. "Whatcha need this time? Personas? It doesn't really matter to me."

"Marie you must learn to restrain yourself," Margaret stated, but not in an unkind way.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marie asked and Yuri gave a gentle laugh.

"I apologize sincerely," Margaret said, turning towards the twins. "She is far too unruly for me to handle. This room is here to help you on your journey. Encountering one who is not of man, and communicating with her has led you to this meeting."

"One who is not of man?" Yuri asked.

"Indeed, excuse me for saying this but we are interested in this outcome as well," Margaret admitted and Yuri welcomed the honesty. "Though she was in this land before you, in the end, Marie is not of man...In other words, her understanding of the world in which you live is incomplete. Therefore, I ask of you to please take her outside this room, if you would. But, of course, you are occupied at the moment, visiting the interior of the television world. Please ask her to go with you when you have time on your hands."

"Yeah, it could be fun," Yu agreed and Yuri nodded as well.

"Whatever," Marie stated, looking to the side.

Even that attitude couldn't hide the fact that she was interested in leaving the velvet room. Yuri was interested in trying to fuse a few persona together. Slime and Pixie disappeared from the back of her mind as Igor pulled out some tarot cards. He shuffled them a bit and her eyes widened as a new voice appeared and whispered to Izanagi. Apsaras, huh? Interesting name, and the persona itself was oddly gentle. Yet, she couldn't help but miss Slimes small gurgles when something went well in her life.

"Oh my, it seems as though your cards are shuffled," Igor commented, looking at their new reading. "I believe you are going to have a change of destiny."

"It's faces up right?" Yuri asked, somewhat getting the hang of tarot. "Is that a good sign?"

"Perhaps," Igor grinned and she couldn't help but chuckle the slightest.

She was never going to get a straight answer out of him, how amusing. They had to leave the velvet room and Chie yelped when they did. She had been looking everywhere for them, and all of a sudden they appeared out of thin air! She quickly walked up to them and narrowed her eyes.

"Where did you two go?" She demanded, hands on her hips.

"The velvet room," Yu and Yuri answered, it was best that they were truthful.

"What the hell is the velvet room?" Yosuke asked, walking up to them with a hand on Teddies head to keep him away from him.

That delved into a long explanation about the velvet room, and what Yuri had figured out about it. Yosuke looked at the two of them in disbelief. Well, they had been right about the tv world, so he supposed that he could along with it. Chie had seen them exit out of the velvet room and was prepared to believe them without a second thought. Teddie, he knew that there was something special about them! He rather liked being proven right. Yuri sighed and Teddie held out the sports bag that she had left behind. They now had their weapons and he was thankful for that. With a serious look from Yu and Yuri they stopped speaking about velvet room and headed to yukiko's castle.

The large building had a dark air to it. It was as if the owner of said castle was aware of them and what they were trying to do. Yuri grasped onto her bow. Her palms were starting to sweat. She slowly reached for her mp3 player and turned it on. She put it on a soft level and grabbed one of her ear pieces before clipping the other to her shirt. She let the sounds of Lotus Juice calm her a bit. Yosuke nervously twirled one of his kunai in his hands. He felt that atmosphere as well.

"Man, the atmosphere seems different from yesterday," Chie commented, and everyone nodded. "Still, we need to get Yukiko back."

They headed in and Yuri felt heat on the back of her neck. It was a little warmer inside compared to the day before. Perhaps it was the lack of Chie's shadow. She tapped her foot to her music when Teddie looked around in confusion. Everything had changed on them. He cleared his throat and they all turned to him.

"The hall here seemed to change, so please be on your guard," Teddie informed them. "Leave it to me to show you the way!"

They would keep that in mind. It became slight pandemonium as they ran into shadow after shadow. Yosuke was surprised that Chie was the most energetic of their group. He looked towards their leaders and saw that Yuri was grabbing onto a blue card and she broke it in her hand. Izanagi, her version of it with a long skirt and a strange skull motif alongside the hem of it, came forward and slammed into a shadow that was creeping up on him. She winced as Izanagi shook it's body for a few seconds before swinging its sword into another shadow.

"I hate shadows," Yosuke stated and Yuri gave a light laugh that sounded a bit off. "You all right, Yuri-Chan?"

"My energy is running a little low," Yuri admitted. "I'll push through it, I'm going to stand back with Teddie for a while."

"Man, we're losing a heavy hitter there," Yosuke couldn't help but complain.

"Oh yeah, that one attack of your's is doing a lot of damage," Chie commented.

Yuri seemed to use her psychokinesis attack more than anything. Yu hadn't been using his nuclear attacks yet, and she couldn't wait until he did. Yosuke would lose his shit, and Chie would be ecstatic. Yuri welcomed that. She stood next to Teddie and the mascot creature hummed happily.

"Hey, Sensei?" Teddie asked and she blinked in confusion. "What is this Yuki-chan like?"

"We'll, she's very nice, but she wouldn't be a big fan of you calling her Yuki-chan," Yuri informed him before smiling slightly.

She couldn't help but hope her friend was all right. Her smile dropped a bit while they walked further into the castle. The heat didn't seem to bother anyone else, but she wasn't too sure. She mentally sighed and couldn't help but hope that she wasn't getting sick. She couldn't get sick, not when Yukiko-San needed them.

"I sense someone behind this door," Teddie said and she slowly moved to take her spot next to her brother.

The group of teenagers shared a look before they all nodded. Yu reached out and pushed the door. The giant wooden door slowly creaked open and they entered. Yuri's eyes were wide as she looked around the giant room. Red. There was so much red everywhere. Her gaze settled on the figure in the middle and Izanagi let out a hiss in the back of her mind. Yukiko stood there in the pink off the shoulder ball gown and Yuri frowned. Her eyes, they were the same color as her own, but they were glowing. So, this was Yukiko's shadow. Why was it that hers was different compared to Yosuke's and Chie's?

"Yukiko?" Chie cautiously asked, unsettled by the eerie stillness of Shadow Yukiko.

"Yukiko-San are you all right?" Yosuke asked.

"That's her shadow," Yuri quietly stated and the two squinted a bit.

"Special guests?" Yukiko's shadow giggled and everyone stepped back a bit. "I wonder how they'll play into all this."

"What is she talking about?" Teddie asked as Shadow Yukiko giggled happily to herself again.

"I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Oh, where could he be?" Shadow Yukiko was…ignoring them?

Yuri stood down a bit. Yes, Shadow Yukiko was ignoring them. Did she not perceive them as a threat? Granted, she knew what Yukiko knew, so she was aware that the only one that would put up a decent fight was Chie. Yuri couldn't even draw her own bow!

"Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog!" Yukiko's shadow stated, looking around for someone. "Ready or not, here I come! Let's go further in, shall we?"

A bright light appeared above the shadow version of their friend and Yuri became stumped. A few signs were flickering. Yukiko-Hime's hunt for her Prince Charming? The hell kind of a show was that supposed to be? She didn't know of any shows like that beyond western dating shows, something that only one of the Obaa-chans liked to watch back in Fujita!

"What the hell is this?" Yosuke's loud exclamation of confusion was met with sounds of agreement from the others.

"How the hell is that happening?" Yuri questioned. "I don't see any strings."

"Maybe it's a shadow with invisible arms," Yu suggested and she tilted her head in thought.

"Maybe," she reluctantly agreed, not wanting to rule anything out. "I wonder if the tv world has any rules it has to follow."

Yu gave a simple shrug in response and she frowned at him. That was incredibly unhelpful. Granted, he wasn't the biggest fan of pondering things that he didn't find important. She was the overthinker in their family, something their grandfather used to do.

"Where's the real Yukiko?" Chie demanded of the shadow, and everyone flinched when laughs rang out and agitated voices joined.

"What's with the voices?" Yosuke asked.

"The shadows are getting agitated," Teddie warned them.

"I'm off again," Shadow Yukiko cheerfully informed them. "You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear prince."

"Wait!" Chie called, the dark haired shadow simply ran off and was swallowed by the fog in the palace.

"I wonder what the real Yukiko want's to show you," Teddie stated, moving side to side in thought. "It seems like she has a strong connection to this castle."

They shared a look and continued on their journey into the castle. The shadows seemed to get stronger the further in they went. Yuri let out a soft yelp when one of them tried hitting her with a zio. Since when did the shadows know elemental attacks? She surprised her brother when she jumped over an attack, he quickly shook his surprise away and stabbed the shadow when it was distracted.

Teddie watched the group of four teenagers. They were somewhat struggling with the shadows. Chie was more used to fighting, her love of kung-fu showing in her attacks, but she was the only one. Yu was better at ducking and dodging attacks sent his way. Yosuke…well he was a bit of a mix of the other two. Yuri, on the other paw, was not a fighter. It was obvious when they stopped to observe their surroundings. She would try and catch her breath, a hand on her chest while sweat rolled down her face.

"Yukiko will be okay, right...?" Chie quietly asked, hanging back with the taller girl noting that she wasn't able to get an answer when a giggle echoed around them.

"My Prince will soon come for me," Yukiko's voice stated and they all paused to listen. "I'll always be waiting...Forever and ever…"

"I hear her voice, but all I sense around here are you and the shadows," Teddie informed them.

"We'll have to be careful," Yu stated, and Yuri nodded her agreement.

The further they went into the palace, the more voices they heard. Yuri looked down at the tiled ground as she heard Yukiko state her wishes. She didn't want to stay in Inaba and manage the inn, not while there was a whole world to see. She could understand that, so much that it hurt. You glanced back at his sister and gave a soft sigh, he could only guess what she was thinking.

"Is she on this floor?" Yuri asked Teddie when his nose twitched.

"Maybe…it's very strange here," He answered, giving her a closed eye smile. "Be careful."

Yuri gave a tentative nod at that. She stepped forward and made a sound when she was suddenly somewhere else. She could hear the other's panicking and she fell to her knees in shock. Her bow fell from her hands and one went against her chest. Her heart was hammering, and she needed to calm down. It had been a while since she'd been startled so badly. Sweat went down her face as she finally got her heart rate somewhat under control. Someone slammed into her and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yuri-chan!" Chie's voice was loud in her ear.

Chie had glassy eyes and her arms wrapped around Yuri. Yuri slowly relaxed, not really noticing how tense she had become. They were barrelled into by Yu, then Yosuke, and finally Teddie. Yuri welcomed the warmth of her friends and closed her eyes for a few seconds. They eventually released her and she sat back for a few seconds. Grabbing her bow and busying her hands to ignore how warm she felt at knowing she had others that cared about her.

"Sorry for worrying everyone," She apologised. "We ready to keep going?"

Yuri let out a soft breath as Yu and Chie kept a hold of her by her wrists. Yosuke snickered quietly before a look was sent his way. She was just happy to know she had others that cared. Her eyes widened when they finally reached a door that would let them in. Shadow Yukiko was behind it, with a giant shadow standing next to her. It held a place in its hands and the horse it sat on was legless. Yuri watched as the horse threw its head back and shook its mane. It was too lifelike, too normal.

"My prince wouldn't lose to guards such as this, correct?" Shadow Yukiko asked, quickly leaving them.

The shadow slowly turned their way and they split when it launched its lance at them. Yuri's eyes widened when it focused on her, easily outing her as the weakest link. She frantically reached forward and grasped onto the blue card in her vision. Izanagi appeared in front of her and took the brunt of the attack. She slid back a bit, surprised at the pain she was feeling in her lungs. Completely winded. Her breaths didn't come easy as the others dodged to avoid a similar situation. Yuri quietly cursed how weak she was…she couldn't really do anything to help her friends. Izanagi flickered behind her for a few seconds before returning to normal, it looked down at its weirder and tilted its head in thought. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and collected her thoughts. Now wasn't the time for self doubt. Izanagi followed her actions, throwing a Psi the knight's way. It flew back a bit, and her golden eyes narrowed. It had been about to attack her brother.

"Way to go, Sensei!" Teddie cheered her on.

"Man," Yosuke muttered as he looked at the struggling shadow.

That attack had done quite a bit of damage to it. The legless horse let out a whine of sorts and he flinched when it turned towards him. He sent Jiraya flying at the shadow, pushing it further away from them. Tomoe slammed into it as well, making him blink. A grin slowly grew on his face, they had a chance to win.

"It seems to be weak to your psi, Sensei," Teddie commented. "Can you pull it off again?"

"I can try," Yuri nodded, looking towards the shadow and feeling the drain of using her persona.

Izanagi held up its arm, getting her attention. Her expression became baffled as it placed a hand on its bicep. She let out a fond sound before nodding. If Izanagi was that confident, then they would have nothing to worry about. The shadow let out a strange sound as it was hit with another Psi. It slowly turned into a strange liquid and they sighed in relief. Yuri took in a few deep breaths as she took a knee to rest for a few seconds. Izanagi faded away and the other personas did as well. A chuckle went through the room, making them frown in unison.

"I don't sense her anymore," Teddie informed them before letting out a quiet sound of worry. "I'm sure we have a long way to go, don't push yourself too hard! If you guys get tired then head back!"

"I want to save her as fast as we can, but let's be careful," Yosuke agreed. "You going to be okay, Yuri-Chan?"

"I'll be fine," Yuri said, smiling a little. "I'm certainly going to sleep a bit better at night knowing we've gotten close to finding Yukiko-chan."

It had been unanimous to continue their journey onwards. Yuri had her bow in her hands, knowing that if she tried to use it nothing would happen. Other than the arrow falling down to the ground. She'd be in the archery club next month, when it began. Maybe the library had a few books on the subject she could read. She didn't doubt that she'd be spending a lot of time reading while the others had PE. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as the sounds of a familiar voice echoed around them. It had been the reporter that had interviewed Yukiko. So, she was under a lot of stress.

"I want them to shut up," Yukiko's voice cut through his words asking for an interview. "Shut up."

"Hey, Yukiko-San," Yuri and Yu didn't recognise this voice. "Mind if I ask you something? Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?"

"Shut up!" Yukiko stated.

"Poor Yukiko-Chan," Yuri softly said. "This is her reality?"

"We have to help her," Chie stated, and everyone looked towards her.

She was glaring at the ground, her jaw clenched and eyes glassy. Yuri's mouth opened slightly before looking towards the boys. They nodded their agreement at her silent question. Yeah, they were going to keep Chie as safe as they could. They were all going to get out there, all of them. The air was growing warmer as they entered the depths of the castle. Teddie's exclamation startled them. Yuri sent him a look before fixing her glasses and looking to the side.

"She's right behind this door," Teddie informed them. "But so is something else."

"So, it's her shadow as well," Yosuke came to the conclusion fairly quickly.

"We need to go get her," Chie stated.

"Do we have a plan?" Yuri asked, sharing a look with Yu.

"Give her everything we got?" Yu suggested and he got a soft smack to his bicep. "We'll keep an eye out on shadow Yukiko while getting our Yukiko to safety."

Yuri didn't know how well that plan was going to work out, but she conceded. They opened the doors to the final part of the castle, and saw shadow Yukiko glaring down at Yukiko. Yuri blinked when the kimono clad teen let out a soft groan. As though she was having trouble moving. Her eyes widened, the TV world had that effect on people. How long had she been inside? They needed to get her out of there, and soon. Shadow Yukiko looked their way and a sly grin appeared on her face.

"What's this? Four princes are here to see me?" Shadow Yukiko asked. "My, my! Are you the surprise guests who came in late? I wish I had gotten a better look at you. It's getting so crowded here, why don't you and I go somewhere else?"

Shadow Yukiko was staring right at Chie as she said that. Chie narrowed her eyes at the shadow. It was pushing its luck. Her eyes flickered to the side, checking on Yukiko and trying to find a way to get to her. Yuri's attention was grabbed by Teddie tugging on the back of her uniform.

"Is this scoring a hot stud?" Teddie asked and Yuri frowned in thought.

"I don't think so…but I never really paid attention to such programs," she answered, rubbing the back of her head in thought.

"Four princes? Wait, does that include me and Yuri-chan?" Chie asked.

"The fourth one has to be me," Teddie stated.

"I seriously doubt that," Yosuke bluntly informed him.

"She always leads the way," Shadow Yukiko stated. "Chie's a strong prince, or at least she was. She can't take me away from here! She can't save me!"

"That's not fair to Chie-Chan," Yuri stated, making the shadow look her way. "You can't put that on her shoulders."

"Yuri-chan…" Chie trailed off.

"You're right, I'm completely useless," Shadow Yukiko stated and Yuri blanched.

"That's not what I said," Yuri said. "Or what I meant."

"I don't think that matters to the shadow," Yu commented, and she sighed a little.

"Historic inn? Manager training!? I'm sick of all these things chaining me down!" Shadow Yukiko shouted, the tension in the room grew. "I never asked to be born here! Everything's decided for me! From how I live to where I die! I'm so sick of it, to hell with it all!"

"That's not true," Yukiko's weak voice stated, as she slowly got to her feet.

She stumbled a bit, but caught herself as she sent her shadow a sharp look. Her shadow sneered at her, and slowly moved to face her. The group of persona users could only guess what was going to happen next. They shared a worried look, they might be in a spot of trouble. Chie's shadow had been strong, and this wasn't even her castle.

"I just want to go somewhere far away, anywhere but here, someone, please take me away," Shadow Yukiko said. "I can't leave here on my own, I'm completely useless."

"Stop…please," Yukiko begged.

"I have no hope if I stay, and no courage to leave," Shadow Yukiko continued. "So, I sit on my ass hoping that someday my prince will come. I don't care where we go! Anywhere's fine, as long as it's not here! I don't give a damn! Historical tradition? Pride of the town? What a bunch of bullshit!"

"How dare you?" Yukiko hissed.

"Isn't that how I really feel…me?" Shadow Yukiko chided.

"Yukiko!" Chie called, watching as her best friend slowly grew angry at her shadow.

"We need to get to her to stop her from denying her shadow," Yosuke stated and the Shadow looked over at them with a growing smile. "Who thinks they can get past it?"

"Yu and I are too tall," Yuri stated, sweat going down her face from the odd heat in the room. "And it's keeping an eye on us at the moment, the most we can do is try to get her to see reason."

"You aren't me!" Yukiko shouted at her shadow and they flinched in unison.

They had been too late to stop Yukiko from saying those words. The shadow let out a burst of energy and Yukiko fell to her knees, suddenly exhausted. Yuri held an arm up to block her eyes from any dust that was kicked up by the shadow. Her eyes widened at the sight of a bright red bird inside of a metal cage, the long black hair that dangled from the bird's odd head informed them of who it was. Chie looked up at it in disbelief before glaring in determination.

"Right, we ready?" Yosuke asked.

"Think you can fight?" Yu quietly asked Yuri.

"Yeah, I'm going to bed as soon as we get home though," Yuri admitted, narrowing her eyes slightly. "We need to be careful."

"I wonder what kind of abilities it has," Chie stated, slowly dodging the swipe of a wing sent her way.

Yuri stepped to the side when something was sent her way. The spot where she had been previously standing was on fire. Chie let out a sound of disbelief before summoning Tomoe and hitting the shadow with some ice. It made it flinch, and flinch hard. They braced themselves as frozen feathers fell around the floor, one hitting Teddie and making the strange creature let out a cry. Yuri summoned Izanagi and felt how drained she was when it defended her from some of the feathers. Izanagai shuddered, ridding itself of the debris and levelled the shadow with a look that Yuri couldn't make out.

"Yuri," Yu called and she glanced over before nodding.

The two Izanagi charged in unison and slammed their swords into the giant shadow. It let out a scream that was so human it made shivers go down everyone's spines. The shadow thrashed in the cage, and summoned another one. Yuri raised a brow at the sight of the bronze "prince". A psi hit it in the face and caused it to slam into the nearby wall, and Yuri to double over while sweat dripped from the tip of her nose. She felt like throwing up, her teeth ground together as she clenched her jaw. She could hold on, for Yukiko she could do her best.

"Nice hit!" Yosuke complimented as he ended up next to her after dodging a falling chandelier of all things. "I think this shadow is weak to ice."

"Yeah, Chie-Chan is the only one with an ice attack, damn," Yuri agreed, her cursing startling him.

They needed a plan. Izanagi and Slime weren't going to be much help at the moment, and she didn't have any other Persona to use. She had started to form bonds, but the only thing she'd gained was slime. She mentally cursed before sending Izanagi to defend the two of them from an attack. Her eyes closed in a wince, oh her body was going to be bruised for the next few days. Her mind went silent and she watched as Yukiko's shadow thrashed in its cage. She slowly stood up straight and cautiously made her way towards Yukiko. The dark-haired girl looked up at her in dejection.

"It's okay, you know," Yuri confirmed. "To feel those things…"

"I can't show them, I can't have those feelings!" Yukiko stated, and Yuri gave an understanding look.

Her eyes widened slightly and she grabbed onto Yukiko, pushing her out of the way of an attack from the shadow. Izanagi swiftly moved in front of them and took the brunt of it. Yukiko's eyes widened in horror as she took in the persona that had been engulfed in flames. She looked down at her hands. Had…had she wanted to hurt her newest friend? Is this why the imposter was doing this? A soft flick to the forehead brought her out of those thoughts.

"Hey, don't get too caught in your head," Yuri slowly chided, her energy mostly used up. "You'll start to overthink things like I do."

"How can you joke around at a time like this?" Yukiko asked.

"Because everyone has a face they can't show to other people," Yosuke stated, startling the two and making them notice Jiraya stopping an attack. "There's always something we don't want to admit, either to ourselves or others."

"It's just human nature," Yuri confirmed. "And I think that's okay…"

"I was so self-centered that I never understood what you were going through and I'm your friend…I'm sorry," Chie apologised, heading over to help defend the two.

"Chie…" Yukiko softly said.

"I was always jealous of you, you had everything that I didn't," Chie admitted. "That jealousy became a wall and I was so lonely! I wanted you to need me, but I was the one that needed you. I can't do anything on my own except cause trouble for others…if you weren't by my side I wouldn't know what to do…"

"Chie…I never saw the real you either," Yukiko admitted, tears slowly going down her face as her shadow stopped her attacks. "I was too busy trying to find an easy way out."

"I think…she also needs to hear this," Yu stated, putting a hand on his sister shoulder and watching as her Izanagi left the battle.

"Yes," Yukiko agreed as she got to her feet and gracefully walked up to her shadow that was looking at her in dejection. "I understand you, you were trying to show me the truth…you are me."

Her shadow gave a genuine smile before nodding her head and vanishing into a persona. It was beautiful, and reminded Yuri of cherry blossoms. It bowed in respect to its other half and Yukiko did the same before falling to her knees in exhaustion. Yu helped Yuri to her feet as Chie checked on the dark-haired teen.

"Let's get out of here," Yosuke stated as Yu ended up carrying his sister on his back. "We can talk more outside of the Tv world."

The trip back to Junes wasn't as dangerous as the one into the castle. Shadows seemed to shrink away from them and Teddie easily led them through the safest parts, knowing that they had used up all their energy. His squeaking footsteps did nothing to wake up Yuri as she slept with her cheek against her brother's shoulder. Yosuke hadn't pegged her for a deep sleeper.

"We would've stopped if she just said something," Yosuke stated and Yu gave a tiny smile.

"She's used to not," He admitted looking down at the ground as a small frown replaced that smile. "Yuri feels as though she holds people back enough…to the point where she'd rather suffer in silence then stop."

"She…" Yosuke trailed off.

Yuri had seen Yukiko as more important than herself. They had a small breather in the area where they entered the Tv world. Yukiko was learning against a piece of lighting equipment and had her eyes closed for a few seconds. When she got home she was going to take a bath and sleep…after she answered questions as to where she had been.

"You all came to rescue me?" Yukiko softly asked, looking at her scuffed up friends.

"Of course we did!" Chie exclaimed.

"Thank you," Yukiko thanked, a soft smile on her face.

"Don't mention it," Yu said, readjusting Yuri.

"Who threw you in here?" Yosuke asked, noting that Yuri had woken up from the slight jostling.

"Right," Teddie agreed, making Yukiko blink in confusion.

"Who are you? Rather…what are you?" Yukiko questioned him:

"I'm Teddie, so who threw you in?" He asked, wanting to know the answer as well.

"I don't know…I think someone called my name but my memory's a blur," Yukiko answered. "I can't remember who it was. I'm sorry, uh…Teddie."

"I wonder if the harsh entrance into the Tv world is why you can't remember," Yuri's voice made them all jump. "Ah, sorry for startling you all."

"Do you think if one of us were to be thrown in against our will we might not remember?" Yosuke asked and she gave a solemn nod.

"I think the fact that we entered willingly is why we do remember…but that's all speculation at the moment," she admitted, giving a tiny smile. "Let's just keep that thought on the back burner?"

"At least we know that someone threw Yukiko-San in here," Yosuke stated.

"Then it really isn't you guys," Teddie said.

"You still doubted us?" Yuri asked, her eyes growing glassy and making the strange creature flail a bit.

"I-I always believed it wasn't you guys!" Teddie assured her while Yosuke's mouth opened in surprise.

"You're one lying sack of honey," he hissed at Teddie before sighing.

"Let's hurry back home," Chie said, looking towards Yukiko in worry. "Yukiko looks exhausted. Thanks again, Teddie!"

"I'll promise to come again," Yukiko told Teddie.

"It's greeting crowded in here," Teddie stated, his face turning a bright red. "Why don't you and I go somewhere else? Pretty please?"

"Don't be a creep," Yu warned him, noting that Chie was ready to kick him.

Junes was a cool breath of air as they exited the TV world. Yuri had to be set down and slumped against her brother as they headed to the food court. They would get a few snacks while the two exhausted teens sat for a few seconds. Yukiko let out a soft sigh of relief at being back in the normal world, watching as Yuri took off the strange sunglasses.

"Are you going to be okay?" Yuri asked and the dark eyes blinked in confusion.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Yukiko answered, giving a small smile. "You seem a little beat up."

"I'll be okay, the bruises from the first time we were in the Tv world healed pretty fast," Yuri admitted, giving a confident smile. "I'm just glad we were able to get you out of there before anything happened."

Yukiko relaxed completely around the older teen, her eyes closing for a few seconds. Yuri felt as though they had crafted a bond, and she welcomed the feeling. She pushed her hair back a bit and her fingers tangled in it. That sounds about right with how much sweat had gotten into it. She untied the ribbon keeping some of it back and tied the rest of it up. Not wanting to have it on her neck. The others came back with drinks and a few snacks. Yuri nursed a cup of green tea and grabbed one of the Anpan her brother got for them to share. He grabbed the other with a relieved sigh, he had been worried that she wouldn't eat anything after their excursion saving Yukiko. Usually when she was tired and overexerted she'd refuse to eat.

"Still no memories?" Yosuke asked Yukiko after she ate some Mochi.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember anything," Yukiko admitted.

"Well, no worries!" Chie told her. "You're safe, and that's more than enough."

"Yeah," the other's agreed, and Yukiko nodded her thanks.

"There's no mistake that Yukiko-San had been attacked the same way as the last two victims," Yosuke stated and he watched as Yuri's eyes sharpened.

"Let's think about the midnight channel as a whole then because all victims have appeared on there," Yuri stated, sitting forward and steepling her fingers. "Even Yamano-San had shown up on the channel…but there wasn't anything like there had been with Yukiko-Chan."

"Maybe it's what she was suppressing?" Yosuke suggested with a shrug, enjoying the deduction between the two of them.

"I think Teddie was saying something like that," Chie confirmed.

"It's like we're going around in circles," Yosuke groaned, running a hand through his hair. "What kind of person could be doing this?"

"No clue, but we should be more careful for now on," Yuri stated.

"Let's call it a day," Yu said. "We should let Yukiko-San get some rest, she's been through a lot."

"I'll take her home," Chie said, gently helping Yukiko up from her seat.

"Right, sorry," Yosuke apologised while Yuri gave an apologetic smile. "Yukiko-San must be exhausted."

"Let's pick up some food for tonight, Nanako hasn't been able to go shopping with me yet," Yuri quietly said to Yu as Yosuke gave a quiet yawn.

"Will you be alright?" Yu asked, genuinely worried for his sister. "You look like you're about to drop, and you fell asleep back there."

"I've gotten my second wind," Yuri stated, giving a slight grin that didn't meet her eyes. "But seriously, I'll be alright."

Yosuke gave the two a small salute as they went to get food for the night. He couldn't help but hope Yukiko and Yuri got some decent rest, they both looked completely exhausted. Yu saw more of it when his sister blankly stared at some eel. Like she had a plan that just vanished on her. She picked a package of it up and placed it into the basket before reaching for some tuna and repeating the action. So, sushi was for dinner. She was going to go all out. He watched as his sister scratched at her cheek in thought, something she did when she felt as though she was being watched. Which was fairly often in public.

Fuuka watched the twins from a nearby aisle. Her soft eyes worried at the state that they were in. She thought back to the information that Shinjiro had been able to collect on them through chance. Twins that were behind a year due to the illness of the younger one. Narukami Yuri, the only name they had so far, was a mystery all on her own. Fuuka placed a hand against her mouth to stop from chuckling when Yuri sent her brother a strange look before shaking her head in disbelief over something he said. They had a strong bond, it was nice to see. It also made their persona make sense. Twin persona, she wondered if that was just the standard for twin persona users. Someone stepped up to her side and she spared a glance towards Shinjiro as he added some items to their own basket.

"It makes us look like creeps to be watching them," he grumbled and she reluctantly nodded. "The hell…did they get into a fight?"

"It was strange, one second I could sense their persona just fine and the next it was like trying to feel them through a film," Fuuka informed him. "Wherever they went, they found trouble."

They went silent as the two started to walk towards their direction. Yuri made a face at something Yu said and he gave a grin. She let out a quiet sigh and fell behind a little. She frowned, as though her mind couldn't connect two dots.

"Don't…don't try to put a whole lemon in a rice ball," Yuri said, and Yu snickered at her defeated tone. "You monster."

Shinjiro made a face at that. Fuuka held in her laugh at the sight the identical expressions of disgust made. She'd never seen him outwardly agree with a stranger before. It was nice. Fuuka blinked when the twins paid for their items and left Junes. They needed to head back to their base of operations.


Yuri didn't like Adachi Tohru. She couldn't even explain why, it was a gut feeling of all things. Nanako tilted her head in thought at Yuri and gained a worried expression as the teen paused in the actions of teaching her how to make sushi from scratch. A gentle tug on her sleeve brought her out of her thoughts, and a fond smile appeared. It eased some of the worry she felt, but not all of it.

"You're friends with Amagi Yukiko, right?" Adachi asked Yu, getting a nod of confirmation. "They found her safe and sound! Tell your friends at school!"

"That's a relief," Yu sighed, somewhat genuinely.

"Yeah for us on the force too," Adachi agreed. "But this doesn't mean the case is closed, though. We were just questioning Ms. Amagi, but she says she doesn't remember anything that happened while she was missing. And we can't figure out her whereabouts during the missing period, either. It's like she really disappeared."

Ryotaro looked at his niece and nephews faces and noted the discomfort on them. He popped his neck and sent Nanako a look. She was focused on making a sushi roll under Yuri's gentle guidance. He was thankful for the teen for distracting his daughter.

"It's all pretty fishy, if you ask me…" Adachi continued and Ryotaro gained a serious look as he brought his arm back. "Like there's something else going on."

A loud slap went through the room as Adachi helped and rubbed at the spot on the back of his head that Ryotaro had hit. The older man was giving him a stern look, and Adachi quickly stood up straight. Yuri couldn't help but feel as though he deserved it, angrily wondering why the hell he was telling them about a case like this. It didn't matter if it was perceived as over, the murder investigation was still an open case. He shouldn't have been talking about it at all. What was with him? Maybe it wasn't gut instinct and just observation.

"Stop blabbering, dumbass!" Ryotaro snapped and Yuri gave a quick clearing of her throat and sent him a look before looking down at Nanako. "Ignore him, he's just spouting some wild fantasy."

"Yukiko-San isn't involved," Yu stated as his uncle scratched his cheek in a very similar manner as Yuri stared him down.

"Yeah I know," Ryotaro admitted. "Don't mind him…he can be a real pain sometimes."

"Dinners ready!" Nanako announced, trying to ignore the tension in the house. "Onee-Chan and I made tuna and unagi."

"Sounds good," Ryotaro complimented.

"So you do have a soft side around Nanako-Chan, sir," Adachi stated and Ryotaro gave him a glare.

"Shut up and sit down…wash those hands first!" Ryotaro ordered before looking at his own. "I should do the same."

Dinner was relatively quiet, the news not making an appearance while Adachi was there. Yuri did the cleanup while Adachi wanted to keep talking to Yu. She paused after finishing and sending her brother a concerned look before heading up the stairs to take a shower and tuck in for the night. She'd used up all her energy fighting, and just wanted some sleep.