"Are you sure this is a good idea Chie?" Yosuke asked as the members of the Investigation Team kept one hand on the left wall of the dark hallway while staying close to each other. "This isn't some kind of movie maze after all."
"I know." Chie replied. "But we can't waste our energy keeping a fire going the whole time and that might draw Shadows straight to us. Besides if we stay on the left wall, we'll have to find a door or something eventually, right?"
"It makes sense to me; I mean the worst thing that happens is we run into some Shadows and then we just have to…" Kanji started before abruptly pausing. "Hey, I think I feel a door you guys."
"Hold on, Ted do you smell anything we need to worry about?" Yosuke asked him.
Teddie started to inhale deeply at that only to pause and groan. "I don't think so… I smell a few Shadows, but they're not close enough to worry yet."
Hearing that reassurance that there wasn't an ambush on the other side of the door Kanji slowly opened it as the members of the Investigation Team continued down the new hallway.
"Oh, you're so eager to see all of me?" Shadow Rise's voice echoed thorough the dark hall. "Well, you're getting closer now. Just a little more my eager fans."
"A little more, hopefully that means the lights will turn on soon because I'm getting tired of wandering around in the dark." Chie frowned only to crash into Teddie. "Huh, hey Teddie why did you stop like that?"
Teddie groaned weakly before inhaling deeply. "I… I smell Shadows to the left and the right, I think we can go either way but… I don't know which one leads to the Shadow keeping the lights off."
Yu closed his eyes in thought hearing that. "Teddie, I know it isn't easy for you right now, but can you tell which way leads to more Shadows? It doesn't matter how many but if you can just tell where there are more of them."
"I'll… I'll try sensei." Teddie groaned before inhaling deeply before sniffling only to turn and loudly sneeze.
"Ah… damn it Teddie, watch where you aim that thing." Yosuke frowned.
"Oh… sorry Yosuke, but I think… there are more Shadows to the left." Teddie groaned. "But… why did you want to know where there are more Shadow, is it so we can avoid them?"
"The opposite actually, I have a feeling that whatever kind of Shadow is keeping the lights out in here is hiding as far from us as possible which means that the path with more Shadows is more likely to lead us to it." Yu explained before frowning. "Still, we're fighting blind so it might be a good idea for at least someone to focus on giving us a little light to be on the safe side."
Nodding at that Yosuke closed his eyes. "Pyro Jack."
The small jack-o-lantern Persona appeared above him before a small flame appeared in its lantern allowing the members of the Investigation Team to see a bit farther ahead of them, though the flames seemed to get the attention of the Shadows that Teddie had smelled as four birds with masks that had the roman numeral for three flew towards them.
"Birds, alright let's try this Take-Mikazuchi!" Kanji called as his original Persona appeared above him. "Mazio!"
Small bolts of lightning appeared striking the Shadows, injuring them but not enough to stop them from flying towards the Investigation Team.
"If electricity didn't work, maybe fire will." Yukiko mentioned thoughtfully. "Konohana Sakuya, Maragi!"
Yukiko's original Persona appeared above her before a small wave of fire enveloped two of the Shadows but the other two managed to avoid it as the four reached the Investigation Team and a golden talisman appeared in front of Yosuke as it enveloped him in a flash of light before fading to reveal the talisman had been cut in half, but it didn't look to have done anything.
"Fire doesn't work either; Chie do you think you can do anything to these Shadows?" Yu asked her quickly.
"I can give it a shot, Tomoe!" Chie cried as her original Persona appeared. "Mabufu!"
Tomoe stared at the Shadows before swinging her naginata as small blocks of ice struck the Shadows causing them to cry out in pain as they collapsed to the ground.
"Ice huh, alright in that case let's take them down!" Kanji called as Take-Mikazuchi vanished only to be replaced with a large snowman with a crown and scepter. "Mabufu!"
The snowman pointed its scepter at the injured shadows as more ice enveloped them while the only one that managed to avoid the ice cried out as it joined the others on the ground.
"Let's take them down before they get back up!" Chie mentioned quickly as the other members of the Investigation Team nodded moving in to strike the Shadows destroying them.
"That was close, alright… Yosuke do you think you can keep that light while we look around this floor?" Yu inquired turning to him.
"Yeah, no problem partner." Yosuke grinned as Pyro Jack's flame got a bit brighter. "Think you can find the Shadow keeping us in the dark Ted?"
"I can try… but my nose isn't working that well and I'm pretty sure there are a lot of Shadows that way."
"Don't worry Ted, as long as we can see, and all have our Personas we should be fine." Chie grinned only to pause and turn to Yosuke. "Though, let us know if you need someone else to take over for you alright?"
"Don't worry Chie, I'm good for a while." Yosuke reassured her with a smile as the Investigation Team members continued down the halls.
(The Investigation Team has determined that the Shadow keeping the lights off is likely hiding somewhere on their current floor and are making their way towards it slowly. Next chapter they'll encounter the Shadow, and the lights will turn back on. As always any reviews or critique is appreciated.)