Well, we have arrived at chapter 9. It's really nice to see the warm reception we've received upon our return. I hope you are enjoying the thrilling build up. Please review, I enjoy reading your thoughts. Every single one counts.
The Amagi Obsession
Chapter 9: Betrayal
Junes was the hippest spot in all Inaba.
All the teens met up there after school. Despite it being a department store, it still had all the amenities any person could ever want. Boasting a robust food court, housing a diverse electronics market, and doubling as a grocery store as well. Flocks of the Inaba public made their way here at least a few times a week. It was the perfect place to meet up.
That was precisely why the Investigation Team made it there go to spot for meetings.
As a matter of fac, it was in Junes that their thrilling adventure even began. Their introduction to the shadow world and mysterious persona.
It was 4:14 PM in the afternoon. The fog surrounding the small town continued to persist, growing thicker with each passing hour. The only light that could be seen was the faint sparkles of the late Christmas lights still clinging to the nearby lamp poles. And of course, the giant glowing Junes sign.
Underneath a golden archway stood a young woman, Yukiko Amagi.
She waited anxiously. Checking the time with each passing minute.
"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath. "I don't have time for this."
Yukiko was normally the first to arrive. The Amagi heiress had always tried to be punctual. Usually, her patience for lateness had a high ceiling. However, presently things were different. With everything that had happened in the last 24 hours, time was no longer a luxury Yukiko could spare.
The police had entered the Amagi Inn once more to investigate. Not only that, but Naoto Shirogane was also hot on her trail. If she wanted to escape the detective prince, then the loose threads that tied her lies together had to be trimmed.
Starting with Teddie's.
The kind bear was the only person who knew one of her darkest secrets. Yukiko had traversed to the shadow world without the rest of the Investigation Team in search for Chie. It was sort of an unspoken rule amongst the group to never venture there alone. Despite each of them essentially having superpowers while there, the shadow world was still a dangerous place.
Even with a persona, powerful shadows lurked around every corner waiting to pounce. All it took was one decisive blow to end a person's life.
Teddie had loose lips. Sooner or later, he would slip up.
Yukiko refused to take that chance.
She had to get rid of Teddie now. After that was taken care of, she could deal with the cellphone and then choose how to proceed with Naoto.
"Yuki-chan!" a voice sang from behind her.
Yukiko was broken from her thoughts to find Teddie with a big cheesy grin plastered on his face.
"Teddie there you are! Where have you been?" Yukiko asked. She sighed with an air of relief. One less thing to worry about.
"I'm beary sorry about that Yuki-chan. Work got busy you know? I tried to get off early, but they needed me to help clean up!" Teddie replied with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting my fair lady."
She could tell his excuse was the truth. Teddie's usual white button up was wrinkled from being trapped beneath his bear suit for so long. She still wasn't sure how the particulars of that suit worked but wearing it out in the cold foggy outdoors all day couldn't have been pleasant.
"I see, well that's understandable." Yukiko tried to appear understanding with Teddie. While he beamed from ear to ear, she avoided eye contact with him. Despite her ill intentions, she didn't dislike Teddie. She felt horrible about this. "Well then, are you ready to score with me Teddie?" she said cutting to the chase.
"I- I- I." Teddie stammered. He immediately blushed. "Yuki-chan this is all moving so fast! I mean I haven't even taken you to dinner first."
Teddie had usually been all smooth talk and that was proving to be true. He may have advertised himself as the ladies' man, but when it came down to it, the boy was just putty in her hands.
Yukiko couldn't help but let out of giggle. She put on a seductive voice. "You're so adorable. Don't worry, I will be gentle with you. But first… I need another favor from you Teddie."
Teddie was too lost in Yukiko's sultry voice to refuse. "Anything for you Yuki-chan."
"Please take me on another date again." she asked. "Take me around Junes."
Teddie's face turned bright red. "Another date, is that all? You don't even have to ask for that Yuki-chan!"
"Good boy. "she said patting his cheek. "How's about we go around the store first, I'd love to go shopping!"
Teddie nodded instinctively, not a hint of defiance in his voice.
Yukiko was sure the only thing on Teddie's mind was what would come after their date. Unfortunately for the little bear, scoring wasn't what she had planned for him. His fate would be something much more sinister.
Yukiko led Teddie throughout the department store. Making the date seem authentic wasn't an impossible task. Luckily for Yukiko it wasn't exactly a bore fest. Teddie was a genuinely funny guy. He kept her entertained with his stories about Yosuke and work. For a little while, all her worries about Naoto, Chie, and Yu seemed to melt away.
Her heart wavered again.
"Teddie doesn't deserve to be dragged into all of this."
She was starting to feel bad.
"Steel yourself Yukiko."
She felt as though this line was becoming a bad habit for her. Suppressing her negative thoughts was becoming a hard pill to swallow. If her previous interactions with Naoto pointed to anything, a boiling point was going to be reached soon.
"Look at this Yuki-chan!" The sound of Teddie's voice snapped Yukiko from her thoughts.
The shadow had jogged ahead into the electronic section. He stood in front of a massive television. The plasma sized screen had to be at least 70 inches wide.
Yukiko admired its size and laughed as Teddie looked starstruck.
A lightbulb went off in her head.
Junes was filled with a plethora of TVs. It had been here where the Investigation Team was first formed and where Yu, Yosuke, and Chie mounted a rescue mission to save her. It would be these same TVs that would secure Yukiko's victory.
"I've never seen this in the store before. It must have just come in today." Teddie murmured in awe. "Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. I mean, imagine having a TV this big. You could see everything!"
"I wonder where it leads?" Yukiko murmured next to him. Approaching the television, her fingers pressed against the hard glass surface, rippling it like waves on the ocean. Their powers really did work on any television. "Want to find out?"
Teddie's eyes grew wide with curiosity. Suddenly he shook his head. "No way Yuki-chan! It's far too dangerous. Remember what sensei and the others said. We shouldn't go in there alone. Who knows what could happen?"
"I mean there's just so much of the shadow world we haven't explored." Yukiko pressed further. "I've been doing some thinking lately. With Adachi behind bars, wouldn't it make sense to want to discover more secrets about that world? Plus, while it's still around, there is still a chance someone could use it well… for nefarious means. We might be able to find a way to seal it up for good."
Teddie still shook his head to her dismay.
"I get what you're saying Yuki-chan but take it from me. I lived there! Some things are better left alone."
Yukiko sighed and conceded. "Very well Teddie, You're our beary best shadow expert." She tugged his cheek. "Still, this TV is nice, I think I could use a new one for my room. But it might be a bit too big. The one I do have is an old hand me down. It's long overdue for replacing."
Teddie looked at Yukiko excitedly, admiring her even as she pondered out loud.
"OH, I know! Say Teddie, do you think you might be able to find one for me?"
The boy's blond cowlick stood up. If there was one thing Teddie loved, it was being relied upon. "You can leave it to me Yuki-chan, I know a couple of TVs that might fit the need of a lady such as yourself. Just wait right here! I'll be right back." He declared zooming off.
As Teddie vanished, Yukiko let out a sigh of relief. They had been together for nearly an hour and now was the time for her to enact the next part of her plan. She made her way towards the back of the electronic section, passing TVs of various sizes. Yukiko kept glancing over her shoulder. The shelves that separated the aisles weren't particularly tall so she could see Teddie admiring different models.
He was utterly distracted.
Yukiko arrived at the furthest aisle. Her feet carried her to a TV she had seen many times. The very same one that her and Teddie had entered a few days prior. Yukiko dug into her purse and revealed Chie's phone. This was the bait she would use to lure in her prey. A great many emotions passed over her once more. Yukiko held the phone to her chest and exhaled.
"It's now or never Yukiko."
She planted the phone near the edge of the television and then hollered. "TEDDIE! I've found something! Teddie hurry, come quick!"
It didn't take long for the blond boy to burst onto the scene with purpose. He hustled to Yukiko's side looking flabbergasted at the sound of her shouts. "Yuki-chan! Are you hurt? What's wrong!? Did something happen?" He gasped, looking her up and down.
All the color had drained from Yukiko's face. She looked utterly distressed. Her finger pointed down towards the shelf. "Look."
Teddie's gaze shifted towards the object of Yukiko's attention. He gasped at what lay before him. There in front of the television lies a green and yellow flip phone belonging no to other but, Chie Satonaka. Reaching down, Teddie grabbed the device in disbelief. "It can't be. Yuki-chan, I think this is Chi-"
…
Teddie's sentence was completely cut off by the sensation of him falling. The surroundings of Junes vanished in a blur. He screamed as soon found himself traveling through a white and black portal to the shadow world.
He slammed against the ground with a thud. All the wind leaving his body, being replaced with a soft fuzziness and an aching amount of head trauma. "Ugh, my head. What happened?" Teddie muttered standing up. He gained his bearings and examined the surroundings.
Before him was a world of endless rafters and metal beams. TVs were strung amongst the light fixtures, along the metal beams, and scattered amongst the floors. In every direction wire cables twisted as far as the eye could see. An insurmountable fog filled the space, leaving the world humid and heavy.
"Yuki-chan?" Teddie murmured nervously. He looked around for the sight of his friend. The shadow world had a much more ominous feeling then normal. "Yuki-chan are you here? If you're around, say something!"
The sound of resounding silence was harrowing.
Teddie stumbled around the area barely able to see past the fog. "This is weird, normally I'm able to see through all of this." He mused. "Something bad must be stirring up again."
A clacking sound broke the bears train of thought.
Looking down to his feet, he saw a rectangular object. Upon closer inspection, he realized it to be Chie's phone. Teddie reached down to grab it and held it up. "I knew it! This is Chie's cellphone." He declared holding the device triumphantly. The device must have fallen into the shadow world with him. "But... if her phone was outside that TV, does that mean Chie-chan fell in the shadow world?"
Teddie moved the phone to his nose and took a large whiff. He smelled two scents. One was especially Chie's. "Her scent is faint. Chie-chan hasn't touched this for a while but… it's not the only one." Teddie continued to sniff the device. He had picked up another scent. A much stronger one. One that he recognized.
The other was… "YUKI-CHAN?!"
Teddie stared at the phone in confusion. It didn't make any sense to him.
He shook his head. There was a lot to think about, but he could just ask Yukiko what was going on afterwards. For now, focusing on leaving the shadow world was his first objective. Teddie looked around a bit more closely to his surroundings. The faint light of televisions glowered amongst the fog.
He could see the vague outline of what seemed to be a mound of TVs. The very same mound where the Investigation Team met up at and exited from the shadow world.
"Oh, I'm here!" Teddie said in relief. He made his way over the pile of screens and prepared to leave the shadowy abyss. "I better hurry back. I'm sure Yuki-chan is worried about me!"
Teddie reaches his paws out to enter a TV, but it was a second too late as a horrifying screech severed the fog around him. Behind the bear a large gust of flames engulfed the area, surrounding him.
Konohana Sakuya landed amongst the mess cables, its eyes glowing a menacing yellow. It stared at Teddie with a red aura of bloodlust emanating from its body. As if preparing to pounce, its wings spread wide and began to flap in wild strokes.
"Konohana Sakuya!" Teddie yelped in surprise. "But isn't that Yuki-chan's persona?"
"Agidyne!" the voice of the Amagi heiress carried upon the wind, with it, fire engulfed every television in sight. Each screen melted, twisted, and burnt to a crisp before Teddie's eyes.
Teddie starred in confusion and horror as the exit to Junes was destroyed before him. He clutched Chie's phone above his head. Staring down the persona he questioned. "Hey what's the big idea, what the heck are you doing!?" To his dismay, the persona sat silently staring before evaporating into the protection of the fog. "What the heck, don't run away now!"
"I will be taking that!"
Yukiko appeared behind Teddie and in one swift motion, snatched Chie's cellphone from his grip.
"Yuki-chan!?" Teddie spun around in shock. His mouth was agape. "Hey! That's Chie-chan's cellphone!"
"I'm aware Teddie. Thank you for being a very good little bear and finding it for me. I don't know what I would have done had it gotten lost." Yukiko said patting his head lovingly. She placed the phone back into her purse and smiled at him with an innocent look. "What's wrong Teddie, you look confused?"
Teddie was still confused by everything that had just happened. The cellphone, the TVs, the shadow world, Konohana Sakuya, and then finally an appearance by the Amagi heiress herself. Everything was happening so fast. It was hard to comprehend. "Yuki-chan… what's happening? I thought you were back in Junes. Did you fall in the TV too?"
"Fall in the TV?" Yukiko scoffed. "No, I came here to get the cellphone. I didn't think you'd grab it before I pushed you in."
"Before you pushed me in…"
"That's right Teddie."
Teddie took a couple of seconds to process exactly what Yukiko was saying before his eyes widened in shock. The pieces were beginning to fall into place. Everything from the texting, the dates, pet names, and their prior expedition. The shadow had been set up. His eyes shifted to Yukiko's purse, where she had stashed Chie's cellphone. "Yuki-chan, why was your scent on Chie-chan's phone?"
Yukiko already had her red glasses on. She pulled out her ogi fan and opened it with a cold look in her eyes. "I'm sorry Teddie, you found out something that you shouldn't have."
Teddie thought back to the first time that he and Yukiko had ventured into the shadow world together some weeks back. He had caught a faint scent on something, or was it someone? Yukiko had been adamant that she went alone. His hair began to stand on their ends. Horror filled his eyes at what he realized. "Yuki-chan… did you...?"
"Kidnap Chie? Yes well… it's a bit unfortunate Teddie, really." She answered truthfully. "And uhm… I'm sorry I lied to you too. I really did want you to score but..."
Yukiko's tone frightened Teddie. It was like he was looking at a different person. This couldn't have been his friend. This couldn't have been the Investigation Team's Yukiko. He was staring at someone much more sinister. He glanced over at the mound of TVs that he had just tried to enter. They were burnt to a crisp, there would be no escaping from here.
"Yuki-chan what are you..."
"…but unfortunately, your role to play has reached its conclusion. Dance, Konohana Sakuya!" The persona appeared behind the bear and slashed. The claws gashed the side of Teddie's bear suit making him yell in pain. The bear slumped to the ground and scurried away.
"YUKI-CHAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" he moaned whilst holding his side.
"What does it look like I'm doing? Everything I do, I do for Narukami-kun!" Yukiko yelled. "Now be a good bear for me and stay still. Agidyne!"
WOOSH!
A large ball of flame shot towards Teddie!
"This can't be real! You can't be the one who took Chie-chan?"
Teddie dodged around the area and tried to summon his own persona Kintoki-Douji, but the gash that Yukiko had inflicted on him was too severe. The flames didn't give him much of a window to attempt either. Had he been able to summon it, its ice spells he could turn the tide against the Amagi heiress. However, he was panicking, and she was relentless.
Fire trails weaved left from right, covering every area that Yukiko could see. From the fire she could hear Teddie's cries of anguish. The wound she inflicted on him wouldn't have allowed him to move far enough to get away.
She was unstable.
Through her heightened emotions, Konohana Sakuya grew more rampant and feral.
"Give it up Teddie." Yukiko called. Her face had a sheen coat of sweat from the heat of the flames. "I can make it quick for you, I promise. You've always been a good friend. I don't want you to suffer."
Fire covered the corners of every inch of the platform. Yukiko finally let up. She couldn't see a thing. She pointed her fan towards her persona who instinctively knew how to clear the smoke with its wings. Before her lay a barren floor. The metal gratings and concrete flooring were charred with the remnants of flame. All, but the lingering signs of the power the Amagi heiress had tapped. Her hands were shaking. She gave Teddie almost everything she had.
Despite her cold demeanor, she really didn't want him to suffer.
Teddie lay in the middle of the metal grates with burn marks against his fur.
Yukiko approached to examine the damage she had wrought.
Teddie coughed and looked up to Yukiko, his usual bright eyes were frightened and weary. His bright red, blue, and yellow fur were ragged and worn. "Yuki-chan please we can talk about this…"
"There is nothing left to talk about Teddie." Yukiko raised her fan slightly. Her voice quivered. "Now stay still, I'll make sure its painless."
"Wh- why would you kidnap Chie-chan! Sh- she's." Teddie cut in.
"My best friend! You think I don't know that! She LIED to me!" Yukiko verbally exploded. "But everything's spiraled, there's no going back. You wouldn't understand. If I let you go, you'll run and tell Yosuke or Narukami-kun. And I can't have that. I'm sorry for everything Teddie, but… if I had left you well enough alone it wouldn't have been long until you spilt the beans to Naoto. I need to end this now."
Yukiko raised her fan above her head, motioning Konohana-Sakuya.
"I'm sorry Teddie, know that despite everything you're still my friend."
"No." Teddie murmured. "I'm sorry Yuki-chan. Come forth Kintoki-Douji! BUFULA!"
Underneath the grated floor, Kintoki-Douji appeared in all its glory. The gigantic metal balloon man broke through the steel and inflicted an ice attack onto Yukiko's arm.
"WHAT!" Yukiko screamed with a combination of shock and pain. Her entire arm had been encased in ice. "Konohana Sakuya!" She yelled in a panic whilst jumping back.
Her persona rushed to her side to protect her from further damage. Its wings heated up and began to melt the ice.
Yukiko turned back to where Teddie lay only to see his persona soaring through the air with Teddie on its back. He was escaping!
"NO!" She roared. Yukiko tried to run after him, but something was holding her back. Glancing down one of her feet was encased to the grating by ice. "Teddie!" She seethed. He must have caught her leg when she retreated. Looking back up he was barely in sight.
The bear's silhouette blasted into the sky, disappearing amongst the fog. The first phase of Yukiko's plan had utterly failed. Teddie had escaped his fate.
…
Deep inside the Amagi Castle sat a brunette woman strapped to a chair. Chie lay pressed against the throne of the Amagi lineage. Her clothes were damp and wrinkled. The once bubbly face had grown pale. Her lips were chapped and tongue dry. She didn't know how time passed in the shadow world but compared to earth time she was sure she had been here days. Her stomach grumbled from hunger and her body shook from dehydration. By this point Chie was starving.
Yukiko hadn't returned to see her in a while. It wouldn't be long until she reappeared in the human world as a corpse. Why hadn't anyone come for her yet? How were her parents coping with all of this? She was slowly losing hope.
"Yu…" She said, her voice barely audible. "Where are you?"
Chie tried to move her wrists. They hurt from all the struggles she had been doing. "Ow." She hissed. It was no use, the pain was just too much for her to handle. The rope had bruised her skin, she was sure it would leave marks. Her legs felt so lethargic.
If only she could muster the energy to summon Tomoe. When she managed to get out of here, she would give Yukiko the ass kicking of the century.
"I can't believe this!" the voice of an angry heiress rang down the hall. "He got away!"
"He?"
Chie's thoughts were cut off by the sound of a loud outburst. The doors to the throne room burst open scattering a gust of hot wind. Chie covered her eyes to avoid the heat that was scorching the hairs of her brow. Her eyelids crept open to find the silhouette of her friend standing looming her.
"Yu- Yukiko?" Chie asked. "Is that you?"
"At least you're still here." Yukiko answered plainly through grit teeth.
Chie fully opened her eyes and saw the Amagi heiress before her. The girl looked like a mess. Yukiko's beloved red blazer was covered in singe marks, the long winter skirt she wore was covered in dirt, and her long black hair was frazzled by the humidity. The look was a far cry from what Chie was used to seeing.
No longer was Yukiko the dignified young lady of the Amagi Inn.
"Yu- Yukiko?" Chie barely managed to stumble out. It felt like she hadn't spoken in some time. Despite the anger she felt towards Yukiko, an odd sense of relief washed over her. She hadn't seen another person in so long. "You came back. Di- did you finally come to your senses? Are you going to let me go?"
"Chie." Yukiko's tone suddenly changed to a softer voice. That creepy look on her face had returned. "As much as I would love to do that, it seems that Narukami-kun hasn't gotten over you yet. I mean, it's been over a week, and he still thinks that you'll come back around. He thinks that you love him."
"What are you talking about Yukiko?" The relief she had felt soon washed away like the tide. Chie struggled at her bindings once more. Despite Yukiko's softer tone, it still carried every bit of malice that got them in this situation to begin with. Her eyes had an unhinged look in them.
"Hey Chie, you don't really love Narukami-kun."
"Of course, I love him!"
"No! You don't Chie!" Yukiko's voice boomed through the throne room.
Chie sat back, too stunned to speak.
"If you really loved him, you'd let me have him." Yukiko composed herself before continuing. "We know what Narukami-kun needs. Don't you see, I'm better at everything. He wants a girly girl. He wants someone that has something going for her. Let's be honest Chie. That's not you. You act like a boy. You're a loud, brash, unlikeable girl if we want to call you that. And you're going to do what after school?"
"…"
"Hmm, you don't even know?" she asked mockingly. "You see, I will run the inn. Narukami-kun will have a happy home with me. I think it's time you bow out gracefully. If you can do that then maybe I wo- maybe I won't have to do what I'm thinking about doing. Do you understand Chie?" Yukiko struggled to get out the last bit of her sentence.
"Yukiko… you've gone crazy." Chie muttered, her voice wavering. Wetness welled in her eyes. The young woman did her best to fight back the tears. "You don't really know what love is do you? All you are- all you are is obsessed with Narukami!"
"Obsessed?" Yukiko whispered. "Tch. Chie remember what I said. Obsession is its own form of love, isn't it? Afterall, if I'm obsessed with Yu Narukami, then that means he's the only one for me. Now I want you to think about that while you… take a nap." Yukiko turned her back to Chie and began to leave.
Chie continued to struggle to no avail against her bindings. "If you think, I'm just going to sit here and die while you screw up my relationship, then you've got another thing coming!"
"Oh, Chie's so scary, scary now!" Yukiko mocked her friend. "I don't think you have enough strength to do anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to take care of. We can't let Teddie or Naoto have their way before the castle takes care of you, can we?"
"Naoto? Teddie? Wh- what does that mean? Yukiko? Wait. Come back here Yukiko!?"
Chie's voice drowned out with the sound of the throne room doors sealing. Yukiko's silhouette vanishing with them.
…
A/N: 7/4/2023, typo clean-up.