Hello everyone, sorry for the delay. Work and the arrival of SF6 has been doing nothing, but occupying my time. Even still, rejoice! The thirteenth installment of this wonderful story is upon us and with it, the end draws near. I thank thelovelydissidiacharacters as always for helping with some of the dialogue. And for our readers, please enjoy, I love all the feedback we receive.
The Amagi Obsession
Chapter 13: Dread
Seconds flitter.
Seconds turned to minutes.
Minutes pass into impatience.
Impatience begets irritation.
Inside the Amagi Inn there was an unsettling calm. The rustling that could once be heard from Yukiko's bedroom had all but ceased. Just outside the door, the detective prince, Naoto Shirogane tapped her foot impatiently awaiting her suspect's return. Her face was scrunched in frustration. Ill-tempered by the games of the accused.
With each passing moment she grew more irritable. The lack of noise from Yukiko's bedroom didn't make it any better. To her, the Amagi heiress was stalling for time. At this critical juncture, time was the last thing that need be wasted.
The eerie silence made Naoto antsy. Something wasn't right.
Next to her stood the upperclassman and leader of the Investigation Team, Yu Narukami. He waited with an uneasy expression. Something rarely seen across his face. Yu was normally cool, calm, and collected. The perfect traits associated with a leader.
Unfortunately, Naoto saw none of that now. She could feel Yu's anxiousness beginning to rub off on her.
Yu personally didn't feel any of this was right. Since arriving on the scene, he'd witnessed two of his closest friends nearly come to blows with one another. The Investigation Team didn't fight often and when they did, it was easy enough to reconcile. However, this time felt different. There was an uneasy tension in the air.
People had gone missing, the police were involved, and accusations had been dealt.
To make matters worse Yukiko Amagi was the prime suspect of Naoto's investigation.
Both Naoto and Yu stood in uncomfortable silence awaiting the reemergence of their accused companion. They waited minutes for her return. Yet, the sound of her changing had long passed.
"That's it. Time's up!" Naoto suddenly announced catching Yu's attention. Her impatience had reached its limit. "It doesn't take that long to get changed senpai!"
"Naoto wait-" Yu shouted. He reached out his hand to stop her.
Naoto didn't listen. She brushed his hand aside and slammed the sliding door open with the kick of her heel. The wooden door flew back, crumpling under the impact with ease. Naoto entered immediately and scanned the room for any sign of Yukiko. She was met with nothing, but empty space. Not a soul to be seen. Only the flickering light of static illuminated the dark room.
The two teens had been fooled.
Yukiko had fled.
In a fit of frustration, Naoto slammed her fist into the wall. "Dammit!" she cursed through grit teeth.
Yu entered after her, eyes wide with shock. "She isn't here." He whispered, glancing around the room for any sign of their friend.
Naoto took a deep breath and quickly composed herself. There was little time to waste. Anger wouldn't help them now. She examined Yukiko's room and began to investigate.
"The window is still sealed shut." Naoto noted heading over to the window's edge. She pulled at the metal handles and found they were still locked tightly in place. They couldn't be sealed from the outside. "She didn't exit from here."
Next, she moved towards the closet and found it hadn't been tampered with either. Shoes and articles of clothing remained scattered amongst the floorboards. The boards hadn't been tampered with at all.
Naoto then shifted her gaze to the ceiling. There was an exit point but reaching the attic at her height would have been impossible without assistance. "Even if she used the chair. We would have heard her." Naoto murmured. Disregarding the entrance, the room only had two viable options of escape, none of which had been taken.
Yu was utterly baffled. "This doesn't make sense. How could she-"
"Now then senpai, doesn't this prove exactly what I've been saying?" Naoto asked, cutting him off. She met Yu with a serious glare.
Yu put his hand on his forehead in disbelief. "Naoto, we don't really know…"
"Of course, we know!" Naoto snapped. "Look around. She's gone! Kanji-kun is in the hospital! Teddie is missing! Chie-senpai still hasn't been found! And haven't you noticed that senpai has slowly, but surely been becoming despondent? Becoming more distant and withdrawn from us?"
"I mean- her best friend is gone I'm sure she-"
"Wake up senpai!" Naoto shouted. She wouldn't put up with any more excuses for Yukiko. Naoto put her hands on his shoulders. "I know that you care about us and think that senpai… no Amagi-san is a good person. But I am telling you that she's gone. Far gone. After what I saw today and what I now know. I can never forgive her… Now come on, there's no time to waste. We need to get in contact with Rise."
"Rise?" Yu responded with a confused expression. "For what?"
"We'll need her where we're going. Amagi-san's been forced into a corner. There's only one place left for her to flee to." Naoto glanced at the closest where she'd once found Chie's backpack. Naoto's eyes shifted towards Yukiko's dresser and what was situated at the top.
A static filled TV screen glowered dimly against her and Yu's silhouettes.
All the pieces were coming together. Yukiko feigned ignorance at every turn and her erratic behavior towards the Investigation Team. The random messages being sent from Chie's phone and her belongings being hidden in the Amagi heiress' room. Simply running from the police was the final nail in the coffin.
The girl was in full panic mode and cracking under the pressure.
"I'm confident something happened between her and Chie-senpai." Naoto put her hand under her chin and muttered. "It's all starting to come together. Amagi-san fled into the TV world. I think that's where we'll find Chie-senpai. The faster we find them, the faster we can put the final piece of this puzzle in place."
Naoto left the room, leaving Yu standing there in a daze.
…
Yu stared hopelessly at the floor. Everything that had just happened went by in a blur. All these speculations were hard for him to process.
Naoto.
Chie.
Yukiko.
Nothing could have prepared the teen for any of it. He'd only come over to the Amagi Inn at the behest of a friend in need. Now he was supposed to condemn said friend as guilty of a crime he wasn't sure she committed. The thought of her being responsible for these heinous crimes was insane.
He never suspected one of his friends could possibly be the culprit. Let alone Chie's best friend.
"What Naoto's saying… there's no way it could be real."
"It's just impossible… I mean…"
"Could Yukiko really be capable of such things?"
The thought of it made his stomach churn. If she was, how could he have missed the signs?
"The same way I didn't know she was in love with me…" He suddenly thought.
Yu held a hand to his forehead and wearily glanced at the TV. Beyond that wall of static was the TV world, a place he and his friends had braved numerous times. Together they faced their inner demons and monsters' people could only envision. Through sheer determination they had managed to uncover the truth behind Inaba's murders.
When Chie went missing, Yu's whole world shattered.
The thought of finding her dead plagued his mind every single day. He would give anything for Chie to return home safely. Even when things seemed bleak, he was sure the Investigation Team would find the culprit behind the crimes and rescue Chie. Just like they had always done.
"And yet…"
Yu thought back to how Yukiko confessed to him. He broke her heart that day and it crushed him to do it. He figured that she'd resent him, but something else was off. Around that time Chie had gone missing. Despite all of that, Yukiko tried to kiss him. She also tried to convince him that Chie was cheating on him.
At the time her words were always trying to convince him of something. There were times her words were comforting and other times they came off as resentful. Yu's mind was so hazy he couldn't tell if she was really being genuine or not.
"What if Naoto is right… What if Yukiko is trying to get back at Chie…"
Yu shook his head and muttered. "I just can't jump to conclusions. I'm sure Yukiko has her reasons for leaving."
Yu knew he was trying to justify her actions.
There was something very off about how she acted today.
He felt sick.
"Naoto's right, the only way to know for sure is to question Yukiko."
"Fuck…"
…
Naoto moved through the inn with purpose. She had little time to spare. Out in the foyer she met eyes with Dojima who was keeping Mrs. Amagi occupied. His expression was stressed and posture tense.
The older woman stood feet apart from him continuing to talk his ear off.
Naoto was sure the word 'sue' left her mouth at least five times. The life of a cop was one of patience.
Dojima's eyes shone with relief at the first sight of his junior. "Shirogane, finally!" He welcomed her presence. "You took long enough."
"Yes well, there were some complications." Naoto replied.
"Like?" Dojima asked glancing behind her. He spotted Yu emerging from the stairwell alone and turned his attention back to Naoto. Confusion filled his face. "Where the hell's Amagi?"
"She escaped…" Naoto said in a murmur casting a glance at Mrs. Amagi who watched the detectives with curious eyes. She began to make her way to the exit with Yu silently following in tow. "We should discuss the rest outside."
"Escaped? Why would she- " Dojima asked in a hushed whisper. "What the hell happened up there?"
"There isn't much time to explain." Naoto replied heading towards the exit "But I'm positive that Amagi-san is responsible for the disappearance of Chie-senpai. She's fled into the TV world."
"Excuse me." Mrs. Amagi interjected with a confused tone. "Where is my daughter?"
Naoto ignored her and continued to head towards her bike.
"Excuse me, young lady!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms.
Dojima followed giving Mrs. Amagi an apologetic glance.
"Dojima-san!?" Mrs. Amagi shouted in confusion as they headed back towards his patrol car. "Get back here this instant!"
Dojima stopped near the vehicle and scratched his head. That wasn't the first time he had heard mention of the TV world. He'd heard it before when Nanako had gone missing and was admitted to the hospital. Then once again when Adachi became involved with the murder investigations.
The older detective wasn't the type to normally believe in the occult, but he knew something otherworldly was taking place in Inaba. Something neither he nor the police could properly explain with logic. With a heavy sigh he gave Naoto a hard look. "Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. Senpai can confirm, he was with me." His junior replied with her eyes shooting towards Yu.
The leader before her looked like a shell of himself.
Naoto knew all of this was rocking him to his very core. She kindly put her hand on his shoulder and offered words of comfort. "Senpai I would be remiss to not admit Amagi-san's actions haven't affected me. To be frank, I feel betrayed. Even still, we must put those feelings aside. Chie-senpai is counting on us."
"Chie…" Yu whispered.
"Yes senpai. Right now, she needs you to be strong. More than anyone else."
Naoto's words chinked some of his doubts. He looked up at her with hopeful eyes.
"You're right… Chie needs me- needs us." Yu responded. He looked towards his uncle with newfound determination. "Naoto's right. Yukiko fled into the TV world. We're going to go in there, get some answers, and get them both out."
Dojima looked at both teens before letting out a hefty sigh. "Alright then, but I swear if you don't bring back both Amagi and Satonaka tonight, I'll have your badge Shirogane. The task force has spent too much time on this." With that Dojima left to go back to the Amagi Inn's entrance. "I will come up with some excuse to keep her mother under control. Just hurry up and do what you need to do."
"Very well." Naoto said looking to Yu. "I'm going to drive over to the hospital and pick up Rise. I've already forwarded her some of the details. I'll give her the rest of the rundown on the back. You should get in touch with Hanamura-senpai, and we'll rendezvous here. Amagi-san used her own TV to enter the shadow world. Despite the risks, that should be our entry point."
"Agreed." Yu said, pulling out his phone. He was already dialing Yosuke's number. "Let's hurry, we don't have time to waste. Chie's waiting for us."
…
Yukiko hit the ground with a hard thud.
The girl's heart was pounding against her chest. Her mouth was dry and eyes delirious. She couldn't believe what had transpired. Just moments prior Naoto had backed her into a corner with little room to move. Caged by the accusations thrown her way, there were no other options besides escape.
Yukiko bit her lower lip hard. Her teeth close to drawing blood.
She had run away.
Admitted defeat in a battle of wits against Inaba's finest.
It was a tough, bitter pill to was all, but guilty in the eyes of her accusers.
"What other choice was there, but to run? I couldn't just let them take me away. What was I supposed to do!" she shouted into the void. No person was around to hear her wail. The sound echoed of the abandoned buildings, almost mocking her.
Yukiko fell to her knees. Tears welled in her eyes. She thought back to the way Yu looked at her. His expression shifted from sympathetic to an uneasy expression of doubt. Yukiko knew. She knew deep down that he was choosing to side with Naoto. The detective prince's assumptions about her were correct.
No matter how much effort she put into covering up her lies, Naoto would always find a way to the truth.
Thinking about Yu made the heiress's heart ache.
"I can't bear to have him look at me like that again."
Her love for him was unrequited. It had always been. No matter how hard she tried. No matter how much effort she exerted. He is and will always be in love with Chie.
"Chie…" Yukiko let out a solemn whisper.
The name of her long-lost friend.
This had all started with a simple argument.
An argument that had spiraled into an abyss of lies and deceit. Yukiko scoffed remembering everything. Then suddenly let out a chuckle. It soon evolved into one of her signature laughing fits. Through each snigger she felt pangs forming in her chest. All she ever wanted was a good life with the boy that she loved. Looking back on everything she couldn't help but laugh. It all seemed like a cruel joke.
All of this was because she wanted her friends to be honest with her. To not string her feelings along. To not LIE about their relationship.
The lies, the manipulation, the violence…
Yukiko Amagi was a simple girl.
Yukiko Amagi wanted the truth.
And Yukiko Amagi was a hypocrite.
Her laugh began to fade away and Yukiko looked up at what lay in the not so far distance. The hazy silhouette of the Amagi Castle rippled in the distance. The place where she and Chie had found their true selves.
Thinking about it now, Yukiko wondered if Konohana Sakuya was still a reflection of her self-acceptance. Despite the denial and justifications, deep down she knew the lows she had stooped. There had always been doubts, but that didn't excuse what she had done.
Yukiko had to decide what to do next.
"This has gone too far… Kanji-kun, Teddie, Chie… maybe there's is some way to fix this. If we explain everything to everyone maybe…" her voice trailed off. Even if Chie was freed, there wouldn't be a way forward with Naoto besides the back of a jail cell. "And what about Narukami-kun... am I just supposed to give up on him? Was everything really for nothing?"
Conflicting thoughts of Yu and Chie continue to war in her mind. The thought of them being together still pained her.
Yukiko's eyes shifted once again to the castle. There she would find her answers. The one person she needed to see was the secret she had been keeping all along.
"I need to see Chie." Yukiko muttered, standing up. If there was always someone who had the right words to say, it would be her friend. "If I just talk to her, I'm sure it'll all work out."
Yukiko stood up. Her arm was still sore with pain. The wound Naoto inflicted on her wouldn't cease its torture on her for some time. Despite it all she walked along the cracked streets towards her castle of false dreams. The Amagi heiress intended to put an end to this twisted tale.
…
"All of this sounds absolutely insane!" Rise shouted behind Naoto. "Also, I didn't know you could drive so crazy Naoto! Please be careful!"
On the empty roads of Inaba, the two girls sped down the street, cutting through the fog. Rise held on tightly to Naoto, fastening herself as close as she could on her motorbike.
The detective prince had wasted little time picking up the idol. The hospital was a decent distance from the rest of Inaba, but Naoto had made quick work to break as many traffic laws as her badge would allow.
A necessary evil for the greater good.
Getting Rise back to the Amagi Inn was paramount. The Investigation Team would need her persona's abilities to accurately track down Yukiko. Finding the Amagi heiress would lead them directly to Chie.
"I'm sorry, but we have little time to waste. Amagi-san could be with Chie-senpai this very moment!" Naoto shouted over her shoulder.
Along the way Naoto had done her best to fill Rise in on the details of what had occurred. Like she'd surmised, the idol didn't take well to the idea that Yukiko was the culprit behind Chie's disappearance. Rise wanted no hand to calling Yukiko guilty. Still after hearing what had happened at the Amagi Inn, her response had somewhat changed.
Yukiko escaping into the TV world was dangerous, even Rise understood that.
It didn't take them long to return to the inn.
Naoto pulled her bike close to the garage and parked it. She glanced at her watch and sighed. It took nearly 25 minutes to get to the hospital and back, even with her speeding. Her heart was racing. The detective understood what was on the line. If they couldn't get to Yukiko in time, there was no telling what she would do.
Thinking about the state Kanji was found in made Naoto sick.
Rise tapped Naoto on the shoulder, catching her attention. The idol looked at her with a wrinkled brow. "So, if we're really going in after Yukiko-senpai, do you think we might have to fight her?"
Naoto paused before speaking. "…. We can't rule out the possibility. If it comes down to it, lethal force might be necessary."
"Lethal?" Rise gasped in disbelief. "We're not going to kill her!"
"I didn't say that. It's just… you know how dangerous a persona can be in the wrong hands. Just think about how much we struggled against Adachi. Amagi-san is one of the first members of the Investigation Team." Naoto replied grimly. "Konohana Sakuya is no pushover. In the event we can't convince Amagi-san to surrender peacefully, we might have to prepare for the worst. All I'm saying is, it'd be best to exercise caution."
This answer didn't sit right with Rise, but she understood where Naoto was coming from. "Fine." She begrudgingly agreed.
"Just think about what happened to Kanji." Naoto reminded her.
"I said fine!" Rise shouted in a huff. "All I want is for everyone to be okay."
Naoto could tell her wording upset Rise. She opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could reply Yu appeared from around the garage with Yosuke at his side.
Yosuke raised his hand in greeting, but his usual goofy smile was missing. "I thought I heard you two shouting back here. Might want to keep it down. Mrs. Amagi doesn't know that we're skulking around."
"I already filled Yosuke in on the details." Yu said looking to Naoto. "While I was waiting, I snuck back into the inn and unlocked Yukiko's window. We won't have to worry about going back in through the front door."
"Hearing how you all pissed her off earlier. I doubt her mom would even allow it." Yosuke muttered.
Naoto sighed in relief. She hadn't considered the possibility. "Thank you senpai. Sneaking in through the back is a good idea. Running into the inn keeper now would do nothing but pose problems that we don't have the luxury to answer."
"We should go now. Yukiko's already ahead of us." Yu suggested.
The group followed his lead sneaking alongside the Amagi Inn's walls. The building had many windows, so they paused at each one. Thankfully they avoided alerting any of the guests or staff to their presence. Stealth wasn't the team's forte, but they crept by expertly.
Soon they arrived outside of the Amagi heiress's window.
Yu had already set up a ladder to the second floor and Naoto was once again grateful for his forthcoming plan.
The Investigation Team ascended the ladder with Rise heading up last. At the very top they arrived inside the empty bedroom of Yukiko Amagi.
"Wow." Yosuke whistled looking at his surroundings. "I've never been inside Yukiko-san's room before, but it's not too far off from what I imagined."
"Stop staring pervert." Rise chided him.
"Hey, I'm not staring." Yosuke said nonchalantly. "All I'm saying is that it's very clean and organized. Just what you'd expect from a proper lady such as Yukiko-san. Still… its wild to think she'd go coocoo crazy."
"She isn't crazy." Yu dismissed in an annoyed voice.
"I don't know dude. Kidnapping Chie, supposedly attacking Kanji, and then running away into the TV world. If you ask me that's pretty crazy. Yosuke replied. "The chicks lost her marbles."
"But no one asked you." Rise retorted.
"May I remind you all that we're not supposed to be in here." Naoto hissed. She was becoming annoyed by their constant butting heads. "Can we stop this senseless bickering and focus?"
Yu nodded in agreement. The leader turned, drawing everyone's attention to the glowering TV. "We don't have all the details yet. All I know is we need to work together on this. We have to find Yukiko and figure out what the hell is going on. If she can lead us to Chie, the better. So can we stop standing around and do this."
Yosuke and Rise cast apologetic glances at one another and nodded.
"Wherever we arrive, Rise it's up to you to guide us safely." Naoto mentioned.
"Leave it to me." Rise declared with confidence.
Yu put on his glasses. The Investigation Team was far from full strength, but he didn't doubt that they would be able to pull this off. Chie was counting on them to get this done. He reached his hand out towards the screen and declared. "Let's do this!"
…
Far within the confines of the Amagi Castle, Chie Satonaka remained chained to the throne room chair. That seat had become her cage and this castle her prison. The girl's eyes were wary and nearly devoid of all hope. Chie tried to move her wrists, but it was a futile attempt. Her skin had become raw against the tight bindings. Any unnecessary movement caused her to wince in pain.
Chie let out a yawn. Even sucking in air caused her throat to hurt. Her mouth was dry, and the thirst had become nearly unbearable. Suddenly her stomach let out a mighty growl. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. The thought of freshly served steak only made the hunger claw at her belly more.
The only thing that brought her comfort was sleep.
The girl slept more often than she was awake. It was hard for her to keep track of how many days she had been here. Sleeping helped to conserve energy and maintain some semblance of focus. Any focus she did gather was quickly drained by the confines of the shadow world.
Chie couldn't help but feel tired and lethargic. She nearly forgotten when she last saw Yukiko or any of their friends for that matter. Wearily she looked towards the throne room doors. "When was the last time those things opened?" she wondered aloud, yawning in between words.
The tired pangs of exhaustion were returning.
Chie felt her heart palpitating.
She thought of Mr. Morooka hanging from the water tank in Inaba. The thought that made her spine shudder. She wasn't sure if she'd wake up this time. The fear of ending up dead outside the shadow world was frightening.
"I just… wanna go home." She whispered.
Chie felt her eyes growing heavy, but as her eyelids began to close the sudden sound of creaking snapped her awake. The girl turned her attention towards the throne room door and saw the light creeping in. The beams were almost blinding. Her eyesight had grown hazy in the dim room, but Chie could see a figure approaching her.
"Yukiko…?" she asked wearily.
"CHIE-CHAN!" The girl heard a familiar friendly voice shout from the entrance.
"Wha- huh?" Chie's eyes struggled to focus on the figure until it drew closer, going from a thin outline to a round form. When Chie finally made out who was running up to her, she felt her heart beginning to pound with excitement.
"No way… Teddie…" she audibly gasped as Teddie sprinted up and began to undo her bindings.
"Chie-chan! I knew sensed something earlier. I couldn't just leave this place without investigating. We've been looking everywhere for you. Now stay very still, I'll have you out in no time." Teddie said excitedly. The bear extended his claws and cut through the bindings.
The girl could hardly believe what was happening. When her hands were finally free, she looked down and began to massage her sore wrists.
"Are you okay?" Teddie asked innocently.
Chie felt the tears beginning to well in her eyes as she stared at Teddie. "This can't be real… I must be dreaming." She massaged her wrists more vigorously as if trying to urge herself awake.
Teddie put his paw on Chie's hands to calm her. "Chie-chan, it's okay. You're safe now." He whispered soothingly. "I'm going to get you home. I promise."
The words calmed Chie as she pulled Teddie into a big hug. The bear's fur suit was soft against her skin, and she gradually began to realize that he was very real. "I thought I'd never see anyone again… What took you so long?" Chie managed to mumble. Her throat was still dry from the lack of water, so her words were low.
Thankfully Teddie was able to pick up on what she said. "Well, that's sort of a long story. Let's just say Yuki-chan didn't make things easy for me." He said with an unpleasant expression.
"Yukiko?" Chie repeated with a frown. It was now that Chie noticed that parts of Teddie's bear suit had been charred and singed on its ends. He wasn't looking like his usual pristine and glowing self. Teddie had seen some combat, and someone had inflicted serious damage on him. "Did Yukiko do this to you?"
"I can explain later." Teddie said trying to help Chie to her feet. "For now, we need to get out of here. The others are worried sick."
Chie tried to stand on her own, but her legs gave way and she collapsed. Thankfully Teddie was there to catch her. It'd been so long since the last time she had walked that her body lost all its strength. Her knees and back ached at the simplest movements. Even still, she was glad to finally be out of the chair.
"Are the others here to?" she asked.
"Well…" Teddie opened his mouth to reply.
"So, there you are…" a sudden voice came from behind the bear.
Both Chie and Teddie swung their heads back to see Yukiko Amagi standing in the middle of the throne room. The girl's approach had been silent, catching both off guard.
In one hand Yukiko held onto her signature fan tightly. The girl's clothes had been tattered from fighting shadows, yet her skin remained glowing ever so pale in the dim light of the stained-glass windows.
Yukiko stared at Chie and Teddie with calculating eyes.
Teddie's hairs began to stand on their ends and his eyes grew to the size of saucers. The bear was frozen in place at the sight on the Amagi heiress. His voice stammered. "Yu- Yu- Yuki-chan, what are you doing here?"
"You silly bear, I should be asking you the same thing." Yukiko said, her voice cold. "I can't believe what I'm seeing! Do you even realize what you're doing?"
"Of course, I do!" He declared, trying to motivate himself. "I'm saving Chie-chan!"
"Are you really?" Yukiko asked a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Chie doesn't need a prince, because that's what I'm here to do."
"That's ridiculous!" Teddie shouted. Neither Chie nor Yukiko had ever heard the bear so angry before.
"Is it really?" Yukiko asked with an innocent expression. She shifted her gaze to Chie who stared fearfully at her friend. The Amagi heiress closed her fan and put it away as a sign of good faith. She slowly approached the two until they were only footsteps away. "I came here to bring you home Chie."
"Yukiko…" Chie whispered in disbelief.
"Everything that happened." Yukiko began, her voice wavering. Still, she approached closer until only Teddie's body separated the two. "That fight in the room shouldn't have happened. Chie… I wanted to apologize to you. I went too far. We went too far. You fell into the TV, a simple accident and it spiraled out of control. Let's just forget about everything and get out of here. Just me and you."
"That's not what happened at all!" Chie said, her voice hurt. "I didn't fall, you shoved me in."
"I… I…" Yukiko's voice stammered. "I lost control. It was the heat of the moment, and I wasn't thinking properly. I was just upset that you lied to me. Please can we just go home and move past this together?"
Chie stared at Yukiko with a mix of emotions. She wasn't sure how to feel, in front of her stood her best friend pouring her heart out, but still the weeks of torture she endured was fresh in her mind. "Yukiko… I…"
"Move past this?" Teddie chimed in. He stared at Yukiko with a furious expression. "Now I'm usually the forgiving kind of bear, but there's one thing I just can't. Yuki-chan, you tried to kill me!"
Chie's head shot down at Teddie and back to Yukiko. "You tried to kill him!?"
"No that's not what happened at all TEDDIE." Yukiko muttered through grit teeth. The girl was beginning to panic. Her eyes shot accusingly at Teddie then back to Chie innocently. She let out a nervous laugh and began to rub strands of her hair. "Me and Teddie came into the shadow world, and he attacked me! I tried to explain everything to him, but he just wouldn't listen. I had no choice, but to defend myself."
"You're lying!" Teddie shouted accusingly. He turned around to Chie. "Don't listen to her Chie-chan, she's trying to manipulate you. Me, sensei, and everyone else have been looking for you for weeks! Yuki-chan knew you were here the entire time! She asked me on a date, then pushed me into the TV world, and just attacked me out of nowhere!"
"That's not what happened at all!" Yukiko was in damage control. She tried to shove Teddie out of the way, but he refused to let her anywhere near Chie. "Get out of the way you stupid bear! Don't listen to him Chie, he's making up crazy lies about me, I'd never try to do anything like that."
"But she's been keeping you here for weeks, hasn't she Chie-chan!" Teddie asked, struggling to hold her back.
"She… I…" Chie looked back and forth between the two.
"And I apologized for that. Accidents happen, people fall into TVs. We should just forget this." Yukiko finally managed to get Teddie out of her way and grabbed Chie's hands. She looked deep into her eyes, her own almost pleading. "We can leave Chie. We can just leave and forget about this town together. Wouldn't it be great to leave all these worries behind. Don't you see, none of this will matter when we're gone. You don't have to worry, just leave it to me and I will fix everything."
"Yukiko…" Chie murmured softly. "You're not making any sense."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You're not making any sense." Chie repeated. Her hands around Yukiko's grip tightened. The girl looked down and then backed up. Yukiko's friend's eyes had grown cold once more. Chie was almost afraid to look at them. "What you're saying about leaving. You know, what you did… it hurt me. You're my best friend and I love you, but you have to accept that. You're right, we can all leave, but we need to go home and face everyone."
Yukiko stared at Chie with a blank expression. "No one can know what happened. I found you and brought you back safely. That's what we'll tell them."
"But that isn't going to happen." Teddie said. "Sensei and the others, they have to know."
"You have no say in this!" Yukiko shouted her voice laced with venom. Both Teddie and Chie recoiled at the ferocity. "Narukami-kun can never know what I did. If he did, he'd despise me. He'd never talk to me again!"
Chie was taken aback. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even after all of this, Yukiko's mind was still squarely focused on Yu. The sandy blond shook her head. She couldn't accept that. It was time for Yukiko to wake up to reality. "Yukiko just forget about Yu. Whatever was going on between the both of you is over now." She said firmly. "You need to accept that."
"Hmm?" Yukiko said, tilting her head in confusion. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"What she means is that sensei won't want to talk to you after all of this. Especially if you keep acting crazy!" Teddie interjected.
"I am not crazy!" Yukiko screamed at Teddie. "I've had enough of you. Teddie, my sweet annoying little bear. Me and Chie are working things out, but you just keep butting in. I understand that you're upset by what happened. However, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong won't get you any points with the ladies. How about you just sit down and shut up!"
Chie was speechless. She was seeing the same level of vitriol that Yukiko had once used on her. She wanted to believe that Yukiko had a change of heart, but it was becoming apparent that this was further from the truth. "Yukiko… you're losing it."
"No, I'm not because it was an accident!" Yukiko shot back. "I just need you to listen to me!"
"I've heard enough!" Teddie forced his way back in front of Chie. "We're leaving. Yuki-chan If you want to explain anything else, you can do it when we're out of here."
Teddie helped Chie onto his side and limped towards the exit of the throne room.
Yukiko stood alone, her fists balled, and teeth clenched. Her nails clawed at her palm insistently breaking the skin. Droplets of blood stained her fingernails. The Amagi heiress blinked and found herself instinctively reaching her for fan.
"If you won't listen to reason…" she muttered. "Then there is no reason for you to leave this place!"
"Konohana Sakuya!" she shouted, summoning her persona. In one swift motion she swept her fan forward and summoned large pyres of flames toward the exit.
Teddie and Chie both ducked the fire that barreled past them.
"Kintoki-Douji!" Teddie called to his own persona. "Stay behind me Chie-chan! I'll protect you."
"Yu- Yukiko!?" Chie shrieked between coughs. "What are you doing!?"
"I'm doing what I should have done days ago! As long as he's here you won't listen to me." Yukiko replied in a menacing tone. She raised her fan far above her head. A red aura emanated off Yukiko as her eyes glowered down at Teddie. "But if he were gone, we could talk uninterrupted, and I could make you see reason. So just sit down there and stay out of my way! This will all be over soon… AGIDYNE!"
…
A/N: 7/9/2023, fixed typos and tweaked sentence structures.