Yosuke surprised himself by waking up early, despite how utterly exhausted he felt that night. So tired he couldn't even eat dinner, really. So he made up for it by eating breakfast with his parents, both of them, as his dad had come out of the office for once.

"I hope you have a good day at school!" His mom beamed, wearing her favorite pearl-colored kimono. "Don't cause trouble, alright?"

"When have I ever caused trouble before?" He laughed before almost choking at his mom's expression.

"It's been a while, have you made any friends yet?" His dad asked nicely. "Anyone at school, at least?"

He paused in his motions. Friends at school? His first thought was Chie, but he could never figure out what her deal was. She just started picking on him one day! He proposed marriage to Yukiko but got firmly turned down, so that was awkward. And then there was Yu. Yu, the new student, who was also from the city and had a nice accent and knew a lot about Western things. He seemed nice, but what did he know? They were just together to solve a mystery for fun. Yu had no obligations to him.

"I'm still working on it. Got a group of possibilities, you know?" He laughed instead. His dad softly laughed too and Yosuke took that as his sign to eat the rest of his food quickly and hop on his bike, saying goodbye to his parents before he set off for school.

Even as he pedaled, he fidgeted about in his seat and thought about when his whole hand just vanished into an old picture. Just before he went to bed, he tried it again once more and got his whole arm in. It was baffling and a bit scary if he was being honest.

"Hey!" He slowed his bike and smiled at Yu when he rode up beside him. "Good morning!"

"Morning," Yu smiled at him. He didn't wear a sickness mask that day, so his smile was in full view.

"You saw someone last night, right?" He dropped his voice down to a whisper and stopped his bike. Yu nodded. "Then...we should go after school. Maybe Raccoon can help us out. If that place is really killing people, we have to find a way to stop it. No way we could take this to the police though."

"Yeah, they'd never take us seriously. And Uncle Ryotaro says this is their first ever murder case so they don't quite know what to do." Yu added.

"And you're coming with me, right?"

"Of course! It's a promise."

Yosuke stuck out his hand, and Yu shook it firmly.

"You got a strong grip, don't you?" He pedaled away and put his bike near the school stairs, heading up to his classroom. The boys stood near the window, talking about something Yosuke couldn't hear, while the girls sat near the back again, looking at hair ribbons one had a pile of in her lap. Yu walked in shortly after and took his seat.

Another boring day at school. Yosuke rubbed his temples and stared down at his desk. No amount of breakfast would ever get him ready for this early of a class.

"You two!" Chie burst into the room, braid flying behind her, making her green ribbon resemble a flag.

"Satonaka-san!" Yosuke looked up. "Sorry about the two of us worrying you yesterday, it's just-"

"It's not about that!" She cut him off. "Do you guys know where Yukiko-chan is?!"

"You're the one most likely to know that answer. She never comes to school! Did you not see her this morning?"

"She wasn't outside painting like she usually is this morning, but yesterday she told me she would be..." She sighed. "You don't think...?"

"That she got thrown into a picture? I don't doubt it. I saw her silhouette last night," Yu said. "She had a kimono on."

"I saw the image too; it was her spring one she likes to wear when she's allowed to go out on errands." Chie shifted her weight from foot to foot. "There's no way though...she might just be busy! I'll go down to the inn right now and check on her!"

"Wait-!" She had already dashed out of the room before Yosuke could stop her, so he sighed. "It's not my fault if she gets in trouble then," He took his seat and tried to drown out the thoughts with boring work, though a part of him was still worried over Yukiko too. She was Inaba's crown princess almost, and she had a family who'd miss her if something happened. She didn't deserve whatever fate befell Konishi-senpai.

After their math lesson, Chie ran back into the room while the teacher was packing up, who just spared her a passing glance. She smiled in relief.

"She's still there! She was just busy with a reservation of a large group so she had to be up at dawn to help. That's why she wasn't painting!" She then glared at Yosuke. "You got me worried for no reason!"

"Hey, we were speculating!" Yosuke put his hands up.

Yu nodded and quickly filled her in. "Seeing a shadow like that isn't a good sign."

"Even if she's still here, we really should go to June's after school and scope it out," Yosuke suggested. "Just to be sure."

"You're right...that place is freaky and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone! We'll check it out." She took her own seat just as the language teacher arrived and Yosuke took out his next assignment book. Already his knee was bouncing and he kept looking out the window, silently hoping the lesson would be over soon.

Yu managed to tell Chie the entire story of what happened the other day on their way to June's, and unfortunately, he didn't spare any details. Eventually he cleared his throat. "Come on, haven't you told the story enough?!"

Yu giggled.

"I never knew that about you, Hanamura-kun! You truly are a very complex person!" Chie laughed in response as they headed over to the photo studio. Unlike normally, there were a few young adults wandering around, trying on different props and posing as a joke.

"I don't know why the studio is so active today, but it's a terrible time for it to be," He grumbled. "Must be a sale or something," He then gasped, getting an idea. "We just need to talk to Raccoon, right? Stick your hand in and get his attention that way. Satonaka-san, form a wall!" He stood over on one side of the camera while she stood on the other side and Yu slipped his hand into the lens.

"Raccoon? Hello?" Chie whispered. There was a loud chomping sound and Yu yanked his hand out, holding it tightly.

"What gives?! Did that stupid pest bite you?!" He shouted, making some people look over at him before Chie shushed him.

"Are you okay? That bite looks nasty."

"Wait, do raccoons even bite?" Yosuke wondered.

Yu bit his lip. "I think I'm going to cry.."

"Awww, hey don't do that! I'm sure you'll feel better." Chie winced.

"But what gives? I know you're in there!" Yosuke yelled at Raccoon, who chuckled.

"Are you playing a game with me?"

"Is there anyone in there with you?" Chie asked. "Can you feel anyone?"

"Nope! My sense of smell is never wrong and I don't smell anyone! I'm still alone!"

"Huh? You sure?" Yosuke asked in disbelief. No way were they wrong.

"You doubting me?"

Chie sighed and stepped away. "At least I can keep a better eye on Yukiko-chan. She'll be busy this whole weekend and isn't allowed to leave on her own so I doubt she'll be in much danger."

"And we need to check out our pictures," Yosuke reminded Yu. "Too bad there's no way I can instantly tell you if something happens tonight though." A letter or telegram would be too pointless, and he couldn't just run down the street madly to Yu's house in the middle of the night! He wasn't even sure of the address!

"Maybe the Personas we got can help us," Yu shrugged. "We're clearly something else when we transform, so it's worth a try."

"Yeah. Well, see ya." Yosuke waved to the other two and headed home, glad he didn't have work that day for once.

Once he arrived home, he headed into his dad's study and sorted through the big closet of random merchandise that he kept as promotion materials, finally finding a long thin katana and small tachi. Neither were real, but it was the thought that counted, right? They needed much better protection than a shovel, after all. He placed the swords on his desk and headed back into the parlor, finding his mom hard at work sewing something.

"Working hard?" He teased. She looked up.

"Just letting out the sleeves on this kimono," She smiled. "When are you going to get married?"

He choked and started coughing.

"I mean it! You'd be heir to a good fortune as an adult, are there really no women in town who catch your eye?"

"This is girl talk, Mom! There's nobody!" Nobody at all.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" He insisted and headed into his room. He needed to start getting ready to see an image, then remembered the civilian tabloids they got and how Yukiko was featured recently in an interview in the newspaper. Maybe it'd be best to check that to see if it'd change?

He sorted through the different papers and pamphlets, finally coming across a full spread of a traditional girl wearing a Heian court kimono. It was green and gold and red and silked with layers, with her hair tied back, but she was leaning forward in the illustration in a way that drooped the kimono and revealed her cleavage, and she was posed in the middle of blowing a kiss. He shivered a bit, that was Yukiko alright, but the image seemed too obscene for her.

"What a hot lady! I would do her any day!"

"So graceful and polite! She would never say no."

"A true jewel of Inaba...one I'd like to give my gold to,"

The comments were littering the page, but Yukiko's dialogue bubble was still the biggest, and read: "Who has the strength to complete my three impossible tasks? Whoever does will be my prince and take me away!"

He needed to let Yu know, if he didn't know already. But how? He couldn't just run over there. He threw the papers down and paced around the room, trying to think.

"Hanamura-kun?"

"Yu-san?"

Wait, it wasn't like an actual conversation, it was a voice inside of his head. How?! It was freaky!

Yes, it's me. I'm not sure how either, but I think our Personas let us talk mentally. I imagine if anyone else gets one in the future it'd carry over so we can all talk like this. Yu continued.

Whoa! But how did you figure it out?! Yosuke would never have come up with this on his own.

Not sure. He could just see that shrug. But it works, right?

Did you read the paper? That was Amagi-san, I'd know that hair anywhere. But she seemed so weird, right?

Yeah. I'm not sure what it means, but it can't be good. I'm worried over her.

If only we could tell Satonaka-san! Yosuke grumbled.

Tomorrow at June's. It's a Sunday, right? So there'll be no prior obligations from any of us.

Right. Yosuke nodded, and then just stopped thinking. That was how you ended a telepathic conversation, right? Either way, it worked, as Yu didn't say anything else to him for the rest of the night.

Someone new, possibly kidnapped, possibly about to die, and it was someone he knew! Just like with Konishi-senpai.

This time though, he had the power to stop that from happening again. He could and would save Yukiko, just like he's supposed to do.

He'd be a hero.

The next morning welcomed him with bright sunshine streaming into his room and the smell of a well-cooked breakfast being made downstairs, one he knew his parents were already sitting down at. He put on a brown suit with a striped dark vest and matching pants with a cap on his head, similar to his uniform but Western and a darker shade. He hid the swords in his jacket, grabbed something quick from the table, and ran out the door, hoping to get there in time to see Yu.

Chie wasn't at June's, but Yu certainty was, dressed in a plain grey suit with a cotton jacket on over everything, light and airy for the spring. He wore a brimmed hat. "You're here!" Yosuke grinned. "Look what I got!" He whipped out the two swords.

Yu widened his eyes in amazement. "Are they real?"

"I wish! But they're more reliable than a shovel, right? Which one do you want? The katana or tachi?"

"The katana is calling my name." Yu smiled.

"But imagine if I could wield both! You think I could?!" Yosuke bounced and struck a pose, holding them both away from his body. He struck another one where he crossed the blades at his neck and slowly licked one of them. He then spun around and sliced at the air with the swords. "Yeah, I think I'd be a great dual-wielder!"

"What are you doing?!" A police officer demanded, putting his hand on Yosuke's shoulder. "Messing around with weapons, are you?!"

"W-Wait, it's not what you think! They're fake." He paled.

"Sure," The officer nodded and looked at Yu. "You two are going to have to come with me." He took away the swords and pushed Yosuke along, walking him down the street.

"I can't believe this...your first week here and you're going to get arrested for hanging out with me. Some taste of Inaba." Yosuke tried to tease, but his laugher sounded empty. To his surprise, Yu just smiled.

"It's a different experience for sure."

The police dragged the two down to the station and sat them down, whispering to someone. Yosuke trembled in his seat and looked around the room. Was he seriously about to get arrested for this?!

"You two?!"

He looked over and recognized the police detective in town, Dojima Ryotaro. Yu's uncle, so he heard.

Oh man.

"What did you get brought in for? Something important, I hope."

"The police thought the weapons we had were real, but they were fake!" Yu spilled. "They're obviously new,"

Yosuke caught his snicker before Dojima glared at him. He sighed.

"You know, this is such a minor misunderstanding that I really am just going to let you two go with the promise this won't happen again."

"Really?! We're being let go?" Yosuke sat up.

"You two really should know better than to wave around weapons at random. Real or not, this town is on edge and the last thing we need is a case like this," He sighed. "Just go and don't get caught, because next time won't be as forgiving."

"We understand!"

The two stood up and left the office, walking the hall before Yosuke nearly collided with someone else, gasping. "Whoa!"

"Sorry! Excuse me!" The man trembled while holding a small tray.

"Oh, you're a staff member, right?" Yosuke mused. "We need to ask you something. Do you know anything about Amagi-san?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean the innkeeper's daughter? Her parents showed up here earlier, saying they couldn't find her. We've been keeping it secretive, but with the deaths lately, we're nervous over it!" He laughed awkwardly. "That editor stayed in her inn, right? I heard she had so many complaints the wife collapsed. Bet Amagi was upset by that and took off. That's just what I'm thinking..."

"Adachi-san! Where's my coffee?" Dojima called from the office, making Adachi wince.

"Ahhh, I'm sorry! I gotta go!" He rushed off while Yosuke looked at Yu in concern.

"Amagi-san hasn't been here in town since this morning? I think something really did happen to her. I don't think it's as simple as just running away though," He subtly shivered. Was it true? Did Yukiko really get thrown into a picture somehow and she'd be the next to die? They had to think of something!

"There you two are!" Chie ran into the room. She wore a light green furisode patterned with swallows, taking off in flight in various positions. Her obi was yellow-gold with the patterns of various crops, mostly grains. Instead of her usual ribbon at the end of her braid, she wore a bigger one tied at the top of her head like a band, and a long necklace with the silhouette of a dancer made from cameo was around her neck. The look was so different from her utilitarian, boyish uniform. She even wore zori and tabi, not boots. "Did you hear what happened?!"

"Are you talking about Amagi-san? That's all the police were talking about," Yosuke said. Chie bit her lip.

"She's gone! I visited her at the inn and she didn't come out, she wasn't in any of the rooms. Then her parents told me she's missing!"

"Yeah, the police think she's related to the case because the editor woman was yelling at her mom so bad she collapsed. They suggested she ran away or something,"

"She did not! Yukiko isn't a killer! She's innocent! How could they say such a thing?! She's not a part of this, they're crazy!" Chie stomped her foot.

"I'm agreeing with you! They still see her as a victim!" He snapped back, tugging his hair.

"Calm down!" Yu stepped between them. "Fighting solves nothing. It just means we have to go into the other realm and rescue her!"

"Yeah, but how? They took our weapons and we can't go in there without them." Yosuke asked. Chie suddenly smirked.

"If it's weapons you need, I actually know the best spot in town!" She led them out of the police station and down the road into the shopping district, pointing out a large shop at the end of one corner. "You can just walk right in."

The store was warm and smokey, making Yosuke cough. The sweat stuck to the back of his neck and everything was painted in a fierce red. On the walls were all sorts of weapons of various types, swords, bows and arrows, axes, knives, staffs, and even more he had no chance of naming. At the front of the store was a gruff man with a cigar in his mouth, dressed in a long apron, currently pounding away at a sword that shimmered red-hot from the iron.

"Isn't this a blacksmith shop? Why do you of all people know about this place?!" He demanded once he composed himself, making Chie glare at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?! I just heard some boys at school mention it, but what does it matter?! There's weapons and armor here, just like you asked for!" She walked over to a chestplate on display. "What do you think? Might be too heavy."

"Oh no, no way!" Yosuke shook his head at her. "You have no idea how bad this place is! You need to stay here and be protected. I know how you feel-"

"Bullshit!" She pushed away his hand. "You have no clue about how I feel! Yukiko could die in there! She'd die because nobody cared to help her! This is my fight too, and I'm going! End of discussion!"

His face fell at how impassioned she was over this, and yet he couldn't even deny her. The taste of Konishi-senpai was a bitter one hung over his head.

"Alright, you can come, but I'm not joking about how dangerous this place is!" He sighed.

"Maybe you could stand behind us for protection!" Yu joked. Chie wandered off to look around some more.

"I just can't get over how weird this place is. I'm not even sure what I'm meant to get. But hey, you're our leader, so maybe I should just trust you to pick out what's best for us! I'm trusting you!" Yosuke teased, focusing on Yu. "Oh! Because it wouldn't be very fair..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out several bills and coins of currency, handing them to Yu. "That should be enough. I just didn't think it was very fair to make you pay for my stuff."

"I don't mind, but thank you." Yu smiled and looked around, taking some things off the shelves and racks, joining Chie at the counter.

"Wait, how exactly are we supposed to take this back? Wandering around Junes with a huge sack isn't very secretive! And I don't want to get caught by the police again!" Yosuke wondered.

"We can just wear them under our clothes! Nobody will know!" Chie suggested happily.

"Easy for you to say." He grumbled, looking at her wide, flowing sleeves and tight obi. "But it's a start. We'll meet up at the mess hall area of Junes later. I think it'd be best to split up too, just to keep the police off our backs."

"You mean your back. I didn't do anything wrong!" Chie insisted with a grin.

"Oh shut up." Yosuke jokingly pushed her as they walked out of the shop together. Yu remained behind, still looking at everything, but Yosuke supposed he couldn't fault him for that. The place was weird.

Unbeknownst to Yosuke or Chie, once they walked off, Yu had slipped away into a glowing door he found on the side of a building, finding himself in the cerulean carriage yet again. Igor and Margaret were there and explained to him their respective purposes, but Yu's eyes were instead drawn to a new figure sitting on Igor's right, a girl who seemed to be around Yu's age. She looked nondescript, in a blue kimono patterned with red flowers and an orange obi, but she also looked familiar.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?" He asked. "I'm sorry but I feel I have. You just look so familiar."

"I doubt it." She all but snapped, staring at him.

"I apologize for her, she's still very young. I hope you'll forgive her transgressions and treat her as an apprentice. Her name is Marie." Margaret explained.

Marie just grumbled, but Yu found he couldn't stop staring at her. She sort of reminded him of an irritable little sister. It was cute.

"She'll be here to help you with your Personas. Give them new skills and develop them."

Igor chuckled. "I'm afraid I have to cut our time today short, but you're free to come whenever you need now. You have the key. Just look for our door whenever the urge befalls you and come in. You'll be welcomed."

Yu nodded, and just like that, he was back in the middle of the street, woozy. He shook his head a few times and hurried off to June's, not wanting to keep Yosuke or Chie waiting any longer.

Yosuke didn't get why everyone at the market had to gawk at him every time they walked by. Had they never seen a man in a suit before?! Or a woman with a necklace?! They weren't doing anything wrong by just sitting there. Yu ran back up to them and they greeted him.

"Hopefully this won't take long." He turned to Chie. "And it's not too late to-"

"I'm coming!" She insisted. He held up his hands.

"Alright…"

The three snuck into the photography studio, slipping inside the camera lens like a glove. Yosuke wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to the sickening, twisted feeling he got every time he came, like his limbs were being pulled out of their sockets.

"It's that Raccoon!" Chie said, running over to him. "Hey, did someone come in here?"

The Raccoon spun around and trembled. "Yes, yes there was..that means your nose is better than mine, Madame!"

"Madame?! No! I'm just Chie!"

"When'd this other person come?" Yosuke's heart pounded. If they were right and Yukiko was here….

"Shortly after you guys left!" Raccoon said. "Their presence is still here, but I don't know who it is.."

"We don't have time to waste! Come on!" Chie ran ahead and the others followed her, coming across a large feudal palace.

"What is this place?" Yu asked.

"In the paper, Amagi-san looked all old-fashioned….does that have something to do with this?" Yosuke asked Raccoon, who just shrugged.

"This is all very new to me too! It's just me and Shadows here! Maybe someone in your world did something?" Raccoon suggested.

Yosuke thought of the raunchy comments written about not just Yukiko but Mayumi too. Did they have some sort of connection?

"I know when I read the paper, the Yukiko I know wouldn't look that way. And the nasty comments too, like 'giving her the family jewels'. How could they be so gross?!" Chie sighed. "I wonder if we're seeing another Yukiko, like the Yukiko from this world,"

"Could be. My Shadow was a lot like that." Yosuke nodded, though he'd do anything to forget that memory.

"Hey, what does 'family jewels' mean?" Raccoon piped up, but Chie ignored him and bounced on her heels, rushing in.

"If Yukiko's in there, I gotta save her!"

"Wait! Dammit!" Yosuke called, trying to grab her. She slipped away at the last second. He groaned. "You're going to get yourself killed! This is what I was worried about!"

"Then we just have to go after her." Yu decided. "She's our friend."

"There's Shadows everywhere in there! It's not safe!" Raccoon cried.

"We'll just have to take that risk." Yu grabbed a small knife from the bag the other two brought. "It'll be much more dangerous for someone like her."

Yosuke nodded slowly, following Yu in. His clothes were sticking to the back of his neck and his mouth was dry, yet he felt if he just followed Yu, everything would be alright.

The two ran through the halls, surrounded by large sliding doors and wooden chests. Above them were origami shapes of animals such as birds. Their footsteps had no sound, which was the other thing about this world Yosuke thought he'd never get used to.

"Satonaka-san?!" Yu shouted everytime he threw open a door, soon coming across her in a big empty room.

"Satonaka!" Yosuke ran in, expecting to find her injured and crumpled up on the floor, but instead she stood alone in the center, staring aimlessly above her. "Are you okay?"

I always hated my name….Yuki for snow…why? Snow melts and is clear. Uninteresting. Useless. Just like me. I'm useless and uninteresting, only good for inheriting the inn and being a wife. But Chie made me feel special. She liked my red and protected me. I love her so much…! She gave me worth.

"Yukiko!" Chie shouted.

Yosuke took another step in before a shadow-y figure of Chie appeared, the only difference being her glowing yellow eyes.

"Chie's so good and kind?! Don't make me laugh!" She spat. "You like it when she's defenseless and dependent on you, don't you? When she looks at you with envy in her eyes, you get filled with joy! She's the one the boys want. She's a princess with her long hair, pale skin, and perfect posture! And what do you have?! Nothing!"

"S-Stop….I don't think that.." Chie protested weakly.

"That must be her Shadow!" Raccoon shouted.

"We have to protect her! Sa-!" Yu tried to rush over, but Chie spun around, confusion and anger in her eyes.

"No! Don't come near me! And you!" She pointed at her Shadow. "Shut up! You're not me!"

Yosuke sucked his teeth. "Idiot, don't say that!"

"And why not?!" She turned to him. "Nothing this thing says is true! I'm not like that!"

"You know what I say is true. If you're so much in denial, I don't mind switching!" The Shadow reached up and ripped off her braid, grinning as her choppy locks fell into her face. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"S-Stop it…you're not me…that's not me!"

Shadow Chie grinned more and tilted her neck at an impossible angle, transforming from a cloud of yellow fog into a masked underdressed woman, her long black hair tipped with spikes. She sat atop a throne of girls and cracked her whip. "I am a Shadow, the true self! Why do you want to fight so hard for me? My other self is stupid!"

Chie chose that moment to faint. Yosuke looked at her worriedly. "Just hang in there….and how about you shut up?! You're bothering us!"

Yu took a few turns, dodging her whip and slicing at her with the knife. Where'd he learn how to move so gracefully? He gave her a few whacks himself, but she mostly laughed and scorned him.

"Should we use our Personas for this?" He asked nervously.

"They'll wipe us out." Yu shook his head.

"And this won't? Jiraiya!" He spun around and felt his eyes burn and his bones crack for just a moment until he could make out both his hand and the hand of something else right on top. He jumped into the air and kicked, releasing a giant gust of wind that shoved Shadow Chie back. Yu transformed and zapped her with lightning, making her groan.

"Why do you want to protect her?! She's nothing! She's a worthless bitch!" The Shadow swore, swiping at Yosuke with her whip. He groaned as his cheek got scratched, burning. He brought his leg up and kicked another wave of wind over at her and knocked her over, making her crumble.

"Because she's our friend!" He spat back without thinking, running over to Chie who rubbed her eyes. "Satonaka-san! Are you okay?!"

"My head hurts….what's wrong with you?" She winced.

"Uh, my Persona?" He grinned at her. Shadow Chie wandered over, hands on her hips, as she watched Chie slowly stand back up. She returned to normal, though her hair was still chopped short.

"I-I…I can't accept this," Chie sighed. "The things she said…"

"We get it," Yu reassured her, and Yosuke nodded. "Both parts are you."

"Yeah, remember how I went through the same thing? It's really hard to admit it, but it also takes so much off of you. You're still yourself." He tried to smile at her.

She looked back at her Shadow, sighing again. "I know…I tried to ignore those parts of myself for so long, but I knew they were still there. That's why I got so mad she brought them up. Like it or not, you are me."

Shadow Chie smiled and jumped into Chie, flooding the room with light until she was standing there, fused with a dark-haired woman dressed in a yellow leotard and white stockings. "Tomoe!" Her voice sounded huskier and she twirled a bo around.

"Hey, you can use the same power as us now!" Yosuke teased. "Mental link and all!"

"Eh?" Chie questioned before she collapsed into Yu's arms. "I'm suddenly tired…"

"Yeah, the first transformation sucks a lot out of you," He nodded. "We should head back."

"No! We have to save Yukiko! And-!" She winced in pain.

"You're too tired!" Raccoon scolded.

"But…Yukiko…"

"Raccoon explained it to us. She won't be in danger until it fogs over in our world. That's when we'll have to go," He hated seeing her face, which was colored like sour curds. It made him sick with worry. "We'll check the weather the second we go back."

Chie looked down. "But if those were her true thoughts..she must be so scared and lonely here. We have too much to talk about."

"You can do that once you recover!" Raccoon chirped.

Yu gently helped Chie up and let her lean on him as they walked back to where they came in, Chie sighing again.

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble…" She looked down at herself, suddenly amazed by her kimono overlaid on the stockings. "My head feels ready to split…"

"I think your Persona overrides your body." Yosuke suggested, making her eyes widen.

"What?!"

"Oh! Chie-chan'll need these the next time she comes in!" Raccoon said, pulling out a pair of yellow glasses.

"Where'd those come from?!"

"Best to not question it." Yu shook his head. Chie put the glasses on and blinked a few times, gasping.

"The fog's completely gone! I can see everything!"

"We're going to take this seriously from now on. No going alone, we stock up, we check the forecast, everything." Yosuke looked between the two. "Hey, why don't you be our leader? You were the first one to get this power and you're a great fighter!"

Much to Yosuke's surprise, Yu blushed at that. "Not really…"

"Won't you be our leader? I'm more of the ideas guy, you can be the one to put them into action!"

Yu nodded and the three of them shook on it, feeling a strong bond form. They transformed out of their Personas, feeling that sudden rush of air, as well as the remainders of their energy being sapped from them.

As usual, Yosuke's mother was sitting up sewing, but for a change, Yosuke's father was sitting in the parlor, reading the news. He collapsed to his knees in front of the table, making his father look up.

"Oh! You're home!" His mother smiled.

"Late too. Does this mean you've made friends already?" He smiled too. "Finally getting settled in?"

"Yeah." Yosuke just nodded, his limbs on fire. "Something like that." Chie's exhausted expression ran through his mind, and finally he stood and stretched. "I'm going to bed! No dinner for me!" He rushed out of the house before his parents could comment, winding up at the communal bathhouse and submerging himself deeply into the water. The aches didn't go away, but he leaned back anyway. Nobody disturbed him and he almost closed his eyes.

Once he was wrinkled, he climbed out, dressed, and walked home, pulling the futon blankets over his head. He ached to do more with himself and his body, to touch himself, but he lacked the energy for even that. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering when sleep would come.

-'Family jewels' is a reference to the crude term 'kintama' or 'golden balls' in Japanese. Thus testicles are often euphemistically referred to as jewels or treasure there. One story about a yokai featured said yokai, a clam-woman, stealing the balls of sailors and throwing them overboard and the story ends wittily: "So she had stolen from them what mattered most, their precious jewels."

Since this story's getting more traction, I thought every so often it'd be fun to ask a question to know everyone better! What are you reading, if anything? Right now I'm reading both Babel: An Arcane History and The Crimson Petal and the White. Both offer very different but interesting looks at the marginalized Victorians!