Sorry for the really, long time. Life is full of "interesting" twists and turns, and I ended up going through a lot of them. The good news is that I passed through the Thesis Defense last February and now I'm waiting for my graduation next month. Hopefully, I'm able to get some time to write now that I'm free from college.

Now... For those who have known me for a long time, expect that I ended up writing more stories before I could finish one of them. And I can't help it. In fact, I'm thinking of an idea based around Fire Emblem Engage and Fire Emblem: Three Houses but it's still undecided. For this one, I finished Digimon Survive and then Persona 4 Golden, causing me to be inspired to make this story. That, and a couple of Digimon and Persona 4: the Animation episodes that I re-watched.

Now... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights of Persona and Digimon characters belonged to their respective owners.

Digimon: Golden Truth

By BlueRaptor629

Chapter 1: Welcome to Inaba

A dark blue limousine was currently driving through what appeared to be a foggy road. The inside of said limousine has blue lighting.

The first passenger was a man with white hair and an unusually long nose. He is sitting with his elbows resting on the table in front of him. The second was a platinum blonde woman in a blue dress with black and gold accessories and a pair of matching high heel shoes. The woman also has a peculiar book entitled "Le Grimoire" sitting beside her.

The elderly man then suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes. "Welcome to the Velvet Room." He greeted the "third" passenger who was sitting against him.

Said passenger was a short, silver haired young man. His hair was bowl shaped and had gray eyes. His attire consisted of a black jacket above a gray turtleneck, black pants, and black and gray shoes.

"Ah… It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny." The long-nosed man stated. "My name is Igor. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance." The man known as Igor continued. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are 'bound' by a contract may enter… It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then… Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"I'm… Yu Narukami." The young man known as Yu spoke his name out.

"Hm… I see. Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" The long-nosed man proceeded to place his hand above the table that was in front of him, where the table glowed in a white light before a stack of tarot cards formed in the light's place. "Do you believe in fortune telling?" He proceeded to spread the cards throughout the table. "Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different… *chuckle* Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

"I guess…" Yu replied.

Igor then flipped one of the cards on the table open. The card portrayed a tower being struck by lightning, causing two figures to fall down from it. The card has "XVI" engraved at the bottom. "Hm… The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating beyond that is…" Igor then flipped another card open. The card in question portrayed a crescent moon that has a human-like face and two towers above it in a pool with a lobster above the moon. Much like the Tower tarot card, it has the roman number engraved at the bottom, which is "XVIII". "The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'… Very interesting indeed." He explained the meaning of the second card. "It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

He then waved his left arm inward, causing the cards on the table to disappear. "Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you." He then turned towards the woman who was sitting to his left. "This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

"My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey." The woman named Margaret introduced herself.

"We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell…" It was then that Yu's eyes suddenly felt heavy as he slowly fell asleep.

04/11 Monday, 2011

(In Tokyo)

After transferring from the city's train, Yu proceeded to board a train that traveled to Yasoinaba Station, which was in a rural town called Inaba. He was already in the uniform of the new school that he will soon attend, Yasogami High.

The uniform consisted of a black blazer that he unbuttoned, revealing a white, long-sleeved shirt within it. The blazer has yellow buttons and a black & white patterned collar. Attached in said collar were a vague, yellow Y shaped pin inside the matching circle and a yellow "II", signifying his status as a second-year student. Lastly, he has black trousers and brown shoes.

After some hours had passed, he then opened up his cell phone and read the message that was sent to him not long ago.

Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM.

He then proceeded to put away his flip phone before he reminisced about the time when his previous homeroom announced his transfer.

(Flashback)

Yu was standing in front of his class, wearing his old school uniform.

"I'm sure you all know this by now, but at the end of this month, Narukami will be transferring to another school." Yu's homeroom teacher said as he stood besides Yu.

Yu's classmates began to whine and complain aloud, something that went unnoticed by the teacher.

"Quiet down, guys! I'm not done yet."

(Flashback end)

'It can't be helped…' Yu muttered before he began to fell asleep.

As he slept, he was suddenly confronted by a static-like vision of a woman being harassed by an unknown assailant. When his mind flashed to Igor and Margaret, he immediately woke up. It was when he woke up that the train came out from the tunnel, where Yu was greeted by the beautiful scenery of the town he was going to say throughout the year.

"It's so quiet…" Yu muttered as he noticed the lack of tall buildings that he accustomed from the city.

"Thank you for riding with us. In just a few moments, we will reach our final stop: Yasoinaba Station. Please prepare for exit." The intercom stated as Yu stood up and managed to get his large bag down as he prepares to leave the train.

After a while, the train finally stopped at the designated station. "Final stop: Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba Station." Yu stepped out from the train and onto the platform before he made his way out of the station.

"Hey! Over here!" An unknown voice called out to him as he walked towards the source.

There, he was greeted by a man and a little girl. The man has short, grayish black hair, gray eyes, three-day stubble, and broad shoulders. His outfit consisted of a dark gray shirt with pulled up sleeves, a loose, light red necktie, a pair of dress pants with a metal belt buckle and a pair of brown shoes, and a silver wrist watch around his left arm.

"Well, you're more handsome in person than in your photo." The man said as he and Yu shook their hands. "Welcome to Inaba. I'm Ryotaro Dojima. I'll be looking after you." The man named Dojima introduced himself. "Let's see… I'm your mother's younger brother… and that about sums it up."

"Nice to meet you." Yu said.

"You don't remember it, but we have met before. I was the one who changed your diapers." Dojima said before he pushed the little girl beside him forward.

The little girl has brown hair tied into short pigtails by pink ribbons and has brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white turtleneck under a sleeveless pink dress with two shades of red, white socks, and pink penny loafers.

"This here's my daughter." Dojima stated before he turned towards the girl. "Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin."

"..." The little girl known as Nanako hesitated to greet him. "... 'lo." And with that, the little girl retreated behind her father's back.

"*chuckle* What're you shy for?" Dojima asked but he was met by a slap in the butt. "Ow, hahaha." He shouted before he turned towards Yu. "Well then… Let's get going. My car's over there." And with that, Dojima left with Nanako in tow as Yu followed suit.

Unbeknownst to Yu, a small piece of paper suddenly flew out from his pocket. It was then picked up by someone.

"Hey." The silver-haired boy turned to see a girl holding the paper that he dropped to him.

The girl has chin-length brownish black hair and bright green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless white shirt, a short black necktie with various safety pins, black striped red fingerless gloves, black striped white stockings, a checkered skirt with a black belt and a golden buckle that resembles a heart with wings. As for the shoes, she wore a pair of black lace-up gray heeled boots with a faint checkered motif. She also has a red choker necklace with a lock.

"You dropped this." The girl said.

"Thank you." Yu said as he walked towards the girl and picked up the paper. The paper has the phone number and home address of Dojima written on it.

"Whatever. All I did was pick it up." The girl continued before she walked away.

"What's wrong?" Dojima asked him as he noticed his nephew was not moving.

"Sorry, Got distracted for a bit." And with that, Yu walked towards to where Dojima is as he got in the car and have his uncle drive him to where he will be staying.

Due to the car running low on fuel and Nanako wanting to go to the bathroom, Dojima decided to stop by at a gas station that was in the town's shopping district.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel." A long-haired gas station attendant greeted just as the car stopped. While the voice was masculine, the attendant has a few feminine features in terms of appearance, like the face, hair, and so forth.

"Can you go the bathroom by yourself?" The middle-aged man stated.

"Uh-huh." Nanako nodded as she and her father got out of the car. Nanako immediately went straight to the bathroom

"Are you taking a trip?" The gas station attendant asked Dojima as Yu got out of the car to breathe the fresh air.

"No, we just went to pick him up at the station." Dojima said while motioning towards his nephew. "He just moved here from the big city."

"The city, huh?"

"Fill up my car while you're at it. Regular's fine." Dojima said.

"Right away, Sir." Dojima decided to leave to go get Nanako, leaving Yu alone with the attendant as they began to fill the car with gasoline.

"So, you're in high school?" The attendant asked Yu.

"Yeah." Yu simply answered.

"We need some part timers here. Interested?" They asked.

"No, thanks." The silver-haired boy said.

"Still trying to get used to how dull it is compared to the city?" The attendant said as Yu looked at his surroundings. A small number of people were seen around him. "You'll be bored to tears if you don't have a job or friends to hang out with." They continued as they reached their hand out to Yu for a handshake. "Just give it some thought. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Yu proceeded to take the hand and shook on it.

"All right, back to work." The gas station attendant took his leave as Dojima got back with Nanako.

"Sorry for the delay. You ready to go?" Dojima asked Yu as he walked towards the car.

But just as Yu was about to get in the car, a sudden rush of migraine hit him as he clutched his head in pain. Thankfully, the pain subsided, but did not go unnoticed.

"Are you okay?" He turned to see Nanako, who approached him with worry. "Did you get carsick?"

"I'm fine. It passed." Yu assured his cousin.

"You must be exhausted after the ride. Come on, let's go." And with that, everyone got in the car as Dojima continued driving.

After a while, Yu arrived at the house he will be staying at for a year. The house is home to his uncle and cousin. It was a modest looking, two-story house. The car was parked on the right side of the house.

After being told that his room is upstairs, he proceeded to do just that in order to put his bags there. Once he was done, he came back down to have his first dinner with Dojima and Nanako.

As he sat down, he looked at food that was on the table. There were three sushi packs and some beverages.

"This was supposed to be your welcoming party, but I'm not much of a cook. So, this was the best I could throw together." Dojima apologized before he picked up his drink. "All right, let's have a toast." And with that, all three of them drink their beverages at the same time before putting it down. "So… your mom and dad are busy as always… They're working overseas, was it?"

"That's right." Yu replied.

"I know it's only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents… It's rough being a kid." Dojima remarked. "Well, it's just me and Nanako here, so it'll be nice having someone like you around. So long as you're here, your part of the family, so make yourself at home."

"Thank you for your kindness." Yu said.

"C'mon, there's no need to be so formal." Dojima told him. "Well, anyway… Let's dig in." But just as they were about to dig in, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted them. Dojima quickly realized that it was his phone that was ringing. "Of course. Perfect timing." He got up and then proceeded to answer the call. "Dojima here." He began to talk to someone on the phone. "Yeah… Got it… I'm on my way…"

Yu then turned to see Nanako, who was saddened by this turn of events.

"Copy." He said before ending the call. "Sorry, I gotta go. Feel free to begin." His uncle proceeded to grab his black jacket that was sitting on the sofa behind him before making his way out.

"Daddy–"

"Don't wait up for me." Dojima interrupted as he grabbed his coat. "I could be kinda late." He proceeded to step out of the house, where he was met with rain on his way out. "Nanako! It's raining outside! What did you do to the laundry?"

"I brought them all in. All dry." Nanako answered.

"All right, I'm off." Dojima got inside of his car before driving away from the house.

Nanako began to her own box of sushi without saying a word.

"So, uh… Your dad. What does he do?" Yu asked his cousin.

"He… investigates stuff. Like crime scenes." Nanako answered. "My dad's a detective."

"Okay…" Yu muttered as Nanako turned on the TV. It was showing the news.

"And now for the local news: City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter." The announcer stated. "His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages." The announcer continued while showing the portrait of the aforementioned woman. "In response. Eye Television has decided to cancel all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances." The portrait then shifted to a short haired woman. "Until allegations of an affair with Mr. Namatame is resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye."

"This is boring." Nanako proceeded to change the channel, one of which was promoting a local supermarket of sorts.

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products. ~Every day's great at your Junes!~" The commercial stated.

"~Every day's great at your Junes!~" Nanako happily sang the jingle. She then saw her older cousin not eating his dinner. "... Aren't you going to eat?" The little girl asked.

"O-Oh. Right." Yu said as he began to eat his meal. After some cleaning up, he proceeded to return to his room and began to unpack his belongings.

The room was simplistic in terms of furniture. A black sofa with navy seat cushions was sitting in front of the room's window. Said sofa was facing towards a small table, a brown wardrobe, and a short, black drawer that was two feet away from it. Said drawer has a small TV sitting on top of it. Next to the door is a wall mounted calendar and a metallic shelf. On the corners of his room were a dark brown desk with a white, wheeled chair and a navy-colored futon.

But before he could unpack them, he switched to his loungewear. The outfit consisted of a white V-neck shirt with long sleeves and dark gray trousers with light gray patterns. It took one hour for him to unpack everything, but it left him in a fatigued state. The silver-haired teen proceeded to sit down on the sofa.

"So… I'm stuck here for a whole year, huh?" Yu muttered as he slowly fell asleep. However, the unexpected happened.

"Do you wish to learn the truth?" An unknown, distorted voice was heard as Yu opened his eyes slightly. While he barely opened his eyes fully, he noticed a black silhoutte. But he couldn't make something out of it due to said silhouette being heavily shrouded in a white, thick fog.

"Is this a dream?" Yu wondered aloud as he tried to see the mysterious figure beneath all of the fog.

"Everyone sees what they want to see… And due to their ignorance, the fog only deepens…" The mysterious figure continued. "But should you decide to reach out to the truth… then try your best to catch it…"

"Wait…" Yu tried to reach for the silhouette but his eyes suddenly became heavy and sure enough, he loses consciousness.

That's it for the chapter, I hope you like it!

For those wondering why this chapter is short is because I'm trying to adjust the capacity of how much I could write in preparation for writing a novel. I may or may not become a writer for a novel, but I'm going to at least try. My future is a bit hazy at the moment, but I'm going to figure something out. The chapters in the future will be 5k or more. Some are ready to be posted here, as a matter of fact.

It has been a while since I say this, but don't forget to leave a review.