NOTE: Sorry this took so long. I really had to think this chapter out, so I hope you guys like it.

Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 4: Inaba Tales

The town of Inaba, a quaint home to a number of individuals, a small blip on the map that's easy to ignore. A town that guarantees a quiet boring life for whoever lives there or even comes to visit. However, unknown to the world, one year ago the town had faced a dangerous threat unlike any the world has ever seen. A threat from a mysterious world that brought together a group of teenagers to face it head on. Thanks to the strength of the bonds they forged during that year, the town of Inaba was saved from disaster. With the threat defeated, the town of Inaba was allowed to return back to normal.

Well, that would be the truth if this Christmas holiday hadn't promised to be extraordinary…

"Ben, are you cold?"

"For the last time, Yukiko, I'm wearing enough clothes!"

The heiress stared down at her little brother with concern as they trekked through the snowy streets of Inaba. She wanted to ensure that he was properly equipped to handle the cold as Inaba could get pretty chilly on some days, especially compared to the warmer climate he was used to in Bellwood. He was dressed in a dark green winter coat with his usual baggy pants and shoes, and a pair of earmuffs on his head. It took almost an hour for them to leave the Inn, because Yukiko kept fretting over different items to keep Ben warm. "I just want to be sure you don't catch a cold." Yukiko responded.

"I don't see you being all mother-hen with Gwen!" Ben pointed at his cousin. The young sorceress was dressed in a similar coat as Ben, but it was light blue. She had a pair of cat-themed earmuffs with a scarf around her neck.

"That's because I'm capable of dressing myself in the morning. Something you still aren't capable of doing on your own yet." Gwen smirked. Ben stuck his tongue out at her and the girl was all too happy to do the same back. Yukiko broke up their argument with soft hits to their heads with her fan.

"Okay, okay, none of that!" She insisted. "I want you two on your best behavior today, as it's finally time for you to meet Nanako-chan!" Yukiko exclaimed happily.

Ben rolled his eyes, not sharing his sister's excitement. "Oh yeah, the super mature girl who's a better person than me. As you all so happily enjoyed reminding us of everyday during the summer."

Yukiko happily clapped her hands. "I'm glad you remembered, Ben!"

"You don't even try to argue what I said!" Ben yelled.

Gwen crossed her arms with a sigh. "Just try not to make a fool of yourself, doofus. I like making good first impressions."

"I always make good first impressions." Ben fired back. When he saw both girls about to counter his point, Ben was quick to wave his arms. "When I FEEL like it!"

"Well, you better feel like it today, or I'll punish you." Yukiko's cheerful threat sent a shiver down the boy's spine.

Gwen readjusted her backpack on her shoulders as she carefully maneuvered around the ice. "Is there anything we should know about Nanako before we meet her?"

Yukiko hummed in thought for a moment. "I've explained a lot about her to you guys already, but just be sure to be nice and respectful. We're meeting them in Junes and she really loves that store, so be careful when it comes to her excitement about it."

"Sure." Ben shrugged.

"Understood." Gwen nodded.

The three siblings finally arrived at the only supermarket in town, and saw Yu and Nanako sitting at a table in the outside food court. Yukiko quickened her pace and waved at them. "Yu-kun! Nanako-chan!"

The pair of siblings turned around to see Yukiko and the Tennyson kids approaching them. Nanako's eyes sparkled as she spotted the two Tennyson kids approaching behind her big sis. She had seen pictures and heard all about them, but now she was finally able to meet the two in the flesh. She jumped from her seat and raced towards the two as carefully and quickly she could with her big bro coming up behind her.

Ben flinched back as Nanako came right up to him first, her eyes full of wonder and amazement. She took his hands into her own and gave the boy the biggest smile she could muster. "I'm Dojima Nanako! It's nice to finally meet you!"

"U-uh…yeah. Could you let go of my hands now-OOF!" Ben winced as Gwen's elbow smashed against his ribs. She gave him a look to not sound so rude as Yukiko had warned them about beforehand. She turned to Nanako with a softer look with her own hand outstretched.

"I'm Tennyson Gwendolyn, but you can just call me Gwen. And as you know, this doofus is Tennyson Benjamin." Gwen and Nanako shook hands as the young sorceress introduced them.

Nanako giggled as she looked at Gwen's earmuffs. "I love your earmuffs! They're cute!"

Gwen blushed at the compliment. "Thanks. I like your hat! It's very…"

"Detective-themed?" Nanako finished. The little sister was wearing a winter hat themed after her show, Magical Detective Loveline. "It's from my favorite show! Magical Detective Loveline!" Nanako did a little pose that the main character would do when presenting herself.

Gwen smirked. "Well, I'm a pretty big fan of magical girls myself."

"Is it because you can do magic?"

"Eh?"

Ben and Gwen both blinked owlishly at Nanako's question, the young girl just smiling at them as if nothing was wrong. "C-could you repeat that?" Gwen asked carefully.

"That you can do magic? I think it's pretty cool!" Nanako giggled. She then pointed at Ben. "And he can turn into all those aliens that were popping up during the summer in America!" Nanako added much to the Tennysons' continued shock.

"How do you even know all of that?!" Ben questioned.

"Big sis and Big bro can't keep secrets." Nanako's reply caused the Tennyson kids to slowly turn their attention to the two teenagers who had been quietly watching them. Both Yu and Yukiko couldn't look the kids in the eyes, sweating nervously.

"Really?" Was all Ben and Gwen said.

"Y-you try resisting her puppy dog eyes! Those things are deadly!" Yukiko defended herself.

"What can I say? Nanako knows how to get what she wants when she wants it." Yu chuckled nervously.

Ben smirked. "In that case, maybe she won't be so bad to hang out with." Certain ideas started popping up in his head on how to abuse Nanako's special ability.

SMACK!

"OW! What was that for?!" Ben yelled at Yukiko.

"I spent an entire summer stuck in a cramped RV with you, Ben. I know what that look means." Yukiko narrowed her eyes on him.

"You're always so paranoid!"

"I have a troublesome little brother to be paranoid about."

As the two continued to bicker, Nanako found the Tennysons to be pretty fun. Gwen was nice and Ben was a goofy goober, which meant more fun for her to have. Maybe she could convince Ben to show off some of his transformations? Well, if he refused, she'll just use her puppy eyes to convince him. Nobody could resist her most powerful weapon!

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"Eeep!" Rise squeaked as Kanji suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. The idol turned with a heated glare at the former delinquent. "Don't do that!"

"Don't do what?"

"...Never mind." Rise sighed. She looked back to see that Kenny, who she had been following, was still conversing with Chie. While out running errands for her grandmother, Rise had found the two walking around the Shopping District together and decided to do some…reconnaissance.

"That's a weird way to say spying."

"How did you hear my thoughts?"

"You were thinking out loud."

"I don't think out loud!"

"Yes, you do."

"Name one time!"

"When we were still exploring the TV World you were muttering about tripping up Yukiko-senpai to embarrass her in front of Senpai. She overheard you and ended up setting your skirt on fire."

"THAT'S WHY SHE DID THAT?!" Kanji quickly pulled Rise into an alleyway as her scream grabbed the attention of the two they were following. Luckily they figured it must have been the wind and continued doing whatever it was they were doing.

Rise was fuming slightly as Kanji released her from his hold. "Oh…! I'm so going to get Yukiko-senpai back for that! Do you have any idea how humiliating and painful it was to have a chunk of ice frozen over your butt?!"

Kanji blinked at her. "Why would I know what that's like?"

She took deep breaths before deciding it would be best to move on. She was wasting time standing here with Kanji, and couldn't allow her targets to escape. "I don't have time for this! I need to keep following Kenny and Chie-senpai!"

"Why are you following them in the first place?" Kanji asked.

Rise frowned, eyes shifting to the snow covered streets. "I…just want to find out what he'd like for a Christmas present."

"Why not just ask him?"

"Because it's supposed to be a surprise! It would be ruined if I just asked him!" Rise exclaimed.

"Okay, but didn't you guys spend some time together already? I feel like that would've been a good time to find out more about the guy." Kanji said. His face shifted into concern when he saw the way Rise clenched her hands together.

"Y-yeah, well, it was a super busy time. I just couldn't find it in me to press him too much since he was already taking time out of his summer to help me out. I sorta kept him at a distance…" Rise explained. Her brown eyes stared at Kenny as he laughed at whatever joke Chie made. She then turned away and pressed her back against the cold wall. "This is stupid. I should just hurry home before my Grandma gets upset."

The former delinquent frowned at that. "So, you're just gonna give up? Just like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You wanna find out what Kenny likes, right? Then you gotta go and find it!" Kanji declared hotly. With his usual high levels of energy, Kenji pumped his fist into the air to try and cheer her up.

"Kanji…"

"The Rise I know doesn't give up so easily! Even when you were still chasing after Senpai, and when you realized that his affection wasn't for you, that didn't stop you from trying. You kept us all safe in the TV World with your abilities; hell, we all would've died against Teddie's Shadow if it wasn't for you!"

Rise's face slowly shifted into a soft smile. "Kanji, I just can't explain it. What I'm feeling is so different than with Senpai that I-"

"So what if it feels different?!" His shout stopped her cold. "That's all the more reason to keep going! I know you weren't there for it, but when I faced my Shadow, I was scared shitless. All of my insecurities and secrets were on full display, and I didn't know what to do. But that was all the more reason to punch myself in the face and get myself moving! After gaining my Persona, I felt different, like a new me, and I liked it. As terrifying as it was, all I knew was that I had to keep moving forward to finally find my answers." Rise stared at him with stunned silence. "So just keep moving forward, Rise! Whatever you're feeling isn't something to be afraid of!"

"Kanji…" Rise chuckled softly. "You really do have a way with words sometimes."

Hitting his fist with his chest, Kanji gave her a big grin. "I learned from Senpai, after all."

Rise took a deep breath and then slapped both of her hands against her cheeks as hard as she could. As funny as she looked with two red hand marks on both cheeks, Kanji couldn't stop the proud grin as he saw her determined expression. "You're right, Kanji. Spying on him from a distance isn't going to accomplish anything. If I want to figure out these feelings of mine and find the present that I know will make him happy, then I have to face him myself." She winked with a cute smile. "Rise Kujikawa doesn't run away, not anymore!"

"Oh yeah!" Kanji and Rise bumped knuckles. The idol turned away to leave the alley way, determined to catch up with Chie and Kenny. That was until she felt her phone vibrating from her coat pocket. She reached down and pulled it out, staring horrified at the text message. "Crap!"

"Uh…everything okay?"

"Nope! Grandma needs these groceries for an order that's supposed to be delivered within an hour!" Rise pocketed her phone and took off back towards her grandmother's restaurant.

"Wait! But what about Kenny?!" Kanji yelled after her.

"I'LL CALL HIM LATER IF GRANDMA DOESN'T KILL ME!"

"Do you have anything actually interesting to read?" Charmcaster asked rudely as she lazily scanned one of Yosuke's magazines. She looked over at the pair of brothers, who were currently trying to clean up their mess of a bedroom.

"You can read me if you wa-" Teddie was interrupted by the magazine smashing into his face. The blonde mascot fell comically to the floor as Yosuke stepped over him to pick up the magazine.

"Can you please stop throwing and burning my stuff?" Yosuke asked back. The injured witch just scoffed and fell back on the bed.

"I would if you stopped being such a bore. Aren't men supposed to entertain their enchanting guests?" Charmcaster batted her eyelashes at him. Usually an act like that would have Yosuke feeling weak in his knees, but having to deal with Charmcaster's moodiness for the last few days hampered any of that.

"Aren't women supposed to be ladylike?"

"You hang around that kung-fu addict and still ask a question like that?"

"...Okay, you got a point there." Yosuke sighed. "I would go to the library, but it's closed today. You'll just have to make due with what I've got here."

"But this is all junk!"

"Wow…thanks."

"We could play a game!" Teddie popped back up, surprising the bickering teens.

"DON'T DO THAT!" They yelled at him, but the bear wasn't bothered in the slightest. He reached down and pulled out a comically large green top hat with a question mark printed on it. Yosuke's face fell in despair as he recognized the stupid headwear.

"No! We are not doing this again!"

"But it'll be fun, Yosuke!"

"After what happened the last time, I'm hesitant to agree."

Charmcaster raised a brow. "What's the pervert bear going on about, now?"

"He wants to play a quiz game."

"I don't see the harm in-"

"The winner gets kissed by him."

A small, but dangerous, purple flame sparked in her palm. She aimed it directly at the shivering mascot. "You really have a death wish." Both Yosuke and Teddie quickly acted before Charmcaster could potentially burn down the house.

"I-I won't make a kiss the prize if you win!" Teddie promised.

"Yeah, so don't burn down my house!" Yosuke added.

Thankfully, Charmcaster relented, dispelling the flame from existence. She crossed her arms with a huff. "Fine, I'll play this game only if it'll cure my boredom."

"Bear-riffic!" Teddie recovered from his fear very quickly. "We'll start with an easy question: What is the most popular spot in Inaba?"

Charmcaster blinked. "How am I supposed to-"

"Junes!" Yosuke answered.

"Correct!"

"That's unfair! I don't live in this stupid town, so I wouldn't know its landmarks!" Charmcaster exclaimed.

Yosuke smirked. "Should've read a book-OW!" He yelped after Charmcaster smacked him on the head.

"You don't have any to read, dumbass! I'm inclined to believe you've never once stepped foot inside of a library!"

"I have!"

"When?"

"Uhhh…like a week ago?"

She stared at him.

"Two weeks ago?"

She kept staring at him.

"A month?"

Her stare intensified.

"Years ago."

"Knew it."

"SHUT UP!"

Teddie coughed into his hand to get their attention back. "Regardless of Yosuke's inability to impress women-"

"HEY!"

"-It's time for the next question! Question Two: How much money does Yosuke make?"

"Why are you asking a question like that-"

"It's [REDACTED]."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" Yosuke cried at the smirking witch.

"You keep a checkbook of your money in that desk." Charmcaster pointed at the desk that sat next to the bed. She then held up the checkbook that she was keeping hidden underneath the pillow. "Seriously, you need to grow a backbone when it comes to that kung-fu girl and the bear. They're basically draining you dry."

Yosuke snatched the checkbook back with a blush. "That's none of your business! Why are you going through my stuff anyway?!"

"Because there's nothing to do in here, moron! At least back with my uncle, there would be troves of ancient tomes and artifacts to mess around with!"

"...And all the crimes you'd commit too." Yosuke muttered.

"I'd have gotten away with them too, if it wasn't for those bothersome Tennysons!" Charmcaster whined.

"Let's just move on." Yosuke huffed.

"Okay, here's the third and final question! Question 3: What is Yuki-chan's bust size?!" Yosuke kicked the bear across the head, sending him flying across the room.

"Why would any of us know that?! Why do you even know that?!" Yosuke yelled.

"It's [REDACTED]." Charmcaster answered.

…

…

…

Teddie and Yosuke stared at her slack jawed. The Magician raised a shaky finger, unsure of how to handle the information that he just learned. "A-and how do you know this?"

"We switched bodies once." The witch answered.

"I seriously need to ask about everything that happened during that summer vacation…" Yosuke sighed.

Recovering quickly as always, Teddie raised his hand into the air. "In any case, Charmy-chan-"

"Never call me that again."

"-Wins the game!" Teddie ignored her. "And your prize is Yosuke's credit card!" He held up a card made of black plastic, filled with the potential of accessing all of Yosuke's precious money.

"HUH?!" Yosuke cried.

"Sweet." She took the credit card.

"Didn't you just scold me for not taking care of my money?!"

"Yeah, but it's not my money, which means I can do whatever I want with it!" Charmcaster smirked evilly.

"UGH…" Yosuke collapsed onto his floor.

"I don't like this." Natalie declared as she and Sandra sat inside the married Amagi's bedroom. They had been brought inside by Yuki as the Inn owner had something she wanted to show them. "Whenever she has something planned, it always involves something that'll irritate me."

Sandra rubbed her sister-in-law's shoulders. "C'mon, just relax. I'm sure whatever she has planned isn't going to be that bad. You have to have faith."

"When pigs fly." Natalie scoffed.

"Alright! I finally found them!" The American women turned to see Yuki emerging from her large closet with something hidden behind her back. "It took me a while to find these online, but I was happy to have found them in time for your arrival. I just knew this was something we needed to do as sisters!"

Seeing as Natalie still didn't want to actively engage at the moment, Sandra took it upon herself to ask the question. "And what exactly is it that you found for us, Yuki?"

"Well, I figured it would be something fun; something to surprise our husbands with!" Yuki unveiled the outfits that she had prepared for the three of them. Both Tennyson women could only stare at the clothing, horrified at what they were seeing. Running would've been their option had Yuki not pounced on them, expecting them to try.

The three brothers sat in the living room of the Amagi household, catching up on the lost time. Marcus allowed himself to smile as he heard the stories his brothers were sharing about their lives. It seemed his brothers had seen some pretty eventful stuff recently back in Bellwood, and the whole country in general, with those aliens running around. Marcus was thankful that Inaba was a quiet town where nothing really happened. Well, other than the murder incidents last year. A peaceful life was all he really wanted, which was something he couldn't get with his father and mother.

"Are you okay, bro?" Marcus looked up as his brothers gave him concerned looks. Seems his thoughts were showing on his face more than he realized.

"I-I'm fine."

"Liar." Carl snorted.

"You've never been good at lying, little bro." Frank smiled softly.

Marcus rolled his eyes at them. "It's nothing too big. I was just thinking about all the time we missed together."

"We don't always have to miss time, Marcus. Just keep in touch from time-to-time." Carl said.

"I know, but I just…"

"We get it. You're a guy who likes his space. You've always been like that." Frank waved his hand. "But we can spend this time reconnecting with each other. And we can get to know Yukiko better too."

Ah yeah, that's right, his brothers and sisters-in-law didn't know his daughters very well. The same could be for him and Yuki in regards to Ben, Gwen, and Kenny. Marcus nodded his head, understanding his brothers' words. "Yeah, I think that would be nice-"

"Oh boys~!"

"Eh?" Three males turned to the stairs. Their eyes cartoonishly bugged out of their skulls when they took in the sight in front of them.

Standing at the bottom of the steps were their wives, but that wasn't the strangest part. All three were wearing local high school uniforms, the skirts were a little too short for normal regulations and the tops showed some of their midriffs. Yuki posed confidently, unbothered by the skin shown, while Sandra and Natalie were painted red with embarrassment. Sandra at least tried to look confident, but Natalie just wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"W-w-w-w-what…?" Marcus stuttered. His brothers were in a similar situation as they struggled to speak.

"Well, girls, I think we succeeded in taking their breath away!" Yuki giggled.

Natalie glared heatedly at her sister-in-law. "I swear… I'll get you back for this! You and your obsession with inappropriate costumes!"

"I'm just thankful that the kids and Max aren't here." Sandra sighed, rubbing her arm.

"Aw, don't be like that Natalie-chan! You look sexy!" Yuki hugged her sister.

"LET GO OF ME!" Natalie fought against Yuki's embrace. The two engaged in a comical game of keep away.

Sandra attempted to break off their arguing. "Can you two cut it out!" She tried to force them apart, but the two refused to budge. The three women completely forgot that they were still standing on the stairs. Their feet tripped, sending them tumbling onto the floor into very compromising positions. None of the Tennyson males did anything to stop what was happening as their wives continued to wrestle on the ground.

"Definitely better than TV wrestling." Carl muttered.

"Uh huh." His brothers mindlessly nodded along.

Unknown to the Tennyson/Amagi family, on the outskirts of Inaba, a yellow portal opened up. A short figure, dressed in a sleeveless black shirt with gray lining and pitch black pants, stepped out of the portal. A familiar padlock necklace hung from his neck along with the familiar evil smirk he was always known for. "So, this is the town, huh? Way smaller than I'd thought it would be."

Behind him, four more similarly dressed kids walked out of the portal. Two of them were clearly not human: a young Tetramand with a gray helmet over his head, and a young Kineceleran female with a similar helmet. The Tetramand crossed his arms as he observed the town. "Are we gonna bust their heads in now?"

Kevin shook his head. "Nah, there's too many people that would get in the way. We'll wait until night falls to take them down."

"There's more than just the Tennysons, right?" The shortest boy asked.

"Yeah, making sure they're not all together when we strike will be our best bet." Kevin answered. He had some knowledge on what Persona users could do, due to his experience with Yukiko. They'd get in the way too much if they did this recklessly.

The boy with quills coming out of his arms narrowed his eyes. "Which means we either separate the group or wait until they're conveniently separated."

"The latter is too risky." The Kinceleran female realized.

"Exactly. We don't have the time for that, so we'll break them apart once we've surprised them. You guys will deal with the rest of them." Kevin ordered.

"And what exactly do you plan to do?" The Tetramand asked.

Kevin turned to the group with a dark smile that sent a shiver down their spines. "I'll do what we were set out to do: kill Ben Tennyson."

Chapter End

NOTE: Surprise! It's the Rooters! Yup, they're here to cause some trouble on this Merry Holiday. How will Ben and the others deal with this? Find out next chapter.

Nanako is a smart kid, so I didn't bother hiding the secrets from her.

Teddie's third question is a reference to when Naoto makes the group take physicals and Teddie almost blurts out all of the girls' bust sizes. Clearly he memorized them and threw it at them and didn't think Charmcaster would actually know it.

I want Yuki, Natalie, and Sandra to mimic Yukiko, Gwen, and Ben. Yukiko clearly gets her behavior from someone, and you find out the person that constantly encouraged it.

See ya next time!