NOTE: Hey, guys! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. Yeah, things didn't go very well for Yukiko. But don't worry there are people who are gonna help her.

Enjoy and Review!

Chapter 9: My Gift to You

Green eyes slowly woke up as the morning sun illuminated the room. The hero of Earth groggily returned from his dream world. Ben pushed the sheets of the futon away, letting out a loud yawn to announce his awakening. He scanned over the room, realizing he was back at the Amagi Inn, specifically the room he and his parents were staying in. He was confused at how he ended up here until he remembered the events of the previous night.

"Right! Me, Gwen, and Nanako ran into Charmcaster and Yosuke!" Ben exclaimed. Then his mood soured as he remembered how everything ended. "And we actually got our butts kicked by them! Ugh! I don't care if he was being manipulated or whatever, I'm totally gonna kick his butt for that later!"

Getting up from his futon, Ben noticed that he had been changed into his pajamas. "Okay, that's weird. How exactly did I change clothes?" Events weren't making much sense to him at the moment since he couldn't remember what happened after he got hit by that combo attack. "How did I even get to the Inn?"

Well, if he wanted answers, there was only one other person he could possibly go ask.

After getting dressed and being unable to find Yukiko, who had been staying in her spare room at the Inn during their stay here, Ben hunted down the only other person he could've asked.

But he wasn't able to find his grandfather either, so he had to rely on the very last person.

"I should be insulted that I wasn't the first person you'd go to, considering I was actually there with you, doofus." Gwen huffed. She had also woken up a few moments before he arrived at her family's room, and was already dressed for the day.

"You're the third smartest person I know."

"I'd usually have an issue with repeating jokes, but it's something I've just grown to expect from you." Gwen rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We need to focus on the problem at hand."

"Yeah, Charmcaster and Yosuke!"

"No, doofus!" Gwen exclaimed with an annoyed tone. "Haven't you noticed anything weird today?"

Ben blinked at her.

Rolling her eyes again, Gwen decided to explain. "Neither of our families or the Amagis are present at the Inn!"

"I guess you're somewhat right about that. Maybe they're eating breakfast?"

"One, why didn't they wake us up to eat? Two, both Auntie Yuki and Uncle Marcus would be busy with work at this time of day. And three, Yukiko would've been hovering over us like a mother hawk." All three of Gwen's points made sense to Ben.

"Okay, I get it. That means Grandpa and everyone are somewhere else right now, right? Guess we should go looking for them." Ben said.

"We don't even know where to start. They could be anywhere in town." Gwen said.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a shivering Kenny Tennyson. The older brother's eyes widened upon seeing the two were awake. "Ben! Gwen! You guys are okay?!"

The two looked confused. "Why wouldn't we be?" Gwen asked.

"And where the heck have you been?! Where's everyone else?!" Ben demanded to know.

Kenny's features shifted from relieved to concern and hesitation. He took a few seconds before responding. "I-it's a bit of a long story. Things aren't good. In fact, it's really bad right now."

Okay, now the two were worried. "Did something happen?! Was it Charmcaster?!" Ben looked ready to transform.

"What? Charmcaster? Is that what happened to you guys last night?!"

Gwen raised her hands. "Okay, looks like we're all a bit confused. Let's calm down and figure out the situation." The boys nodded their heads, agreeing with the idea. "Kenny, Ben, Nanako, and I ran into Charmcaster and Yosuke last night. We fought them at the cathedral, but unfortunately we got blown away by them."

Though Kenny was a bit confused at Yosuke's part in all of this, things were starting to make sense. "If that's what happened, then it makes sense how they found you guys like that…"

"Like what?" Ben inquired.

Kenny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Like I said, things aren't good right now." He opened his eyes and gave the kids a serious stare. "Last night…"

Ben and Gwen's eyes widened as Kenny filled them in on the devastating details.

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Yu asked as he drove through the streets of Inaba on his motorbike. "Have you checked everywhere?"

"Y-yes, Senpai! No matter how much I use my abilities to search for her, Yukiko-senpai is just refusing to let herself be found!" Rise's voice came through his phone. It was clear to him that the idol was fighting back her own tears, the situation stressing her out.

"It's okay, Rise. Please don't blame yourself for not being able to find her. We're all working together to search for her; don't put all the weight on yourself." Yu advised. He could feel that the idol was listening to his words, calming herself down.

"R-right, Senpai! I-I'll join Chie-senpai and the others to find her."

"Good!"

"Also, Senpai, about Yosuke-senpai-"

"Let me worry about that, Rise. Just focus on finding Yukiko with everyone else."

"...Okay, Senpai. I trust you. Is…is everything going to be okay?"

"As long as we stay together, our bonds will never fail us. Just like last year, we'll get through this problem too. See you." Yu hung up the phone and continued to drive through the snowy streets. His own levels of worry and stress were high too, but he needed to stay strong for everyone.

When Kenny had alerted the Investigation Team through their group chat (He had been invited into it after the defeat of the Negative 10) about the argument that transpired between Yukiko and her father, they wasted no time in going out to find her. His uncle and Nanako were also doing their best to look for Yukiko, so were some of his other links like Naoki, Ai, Kou, and Daisuke, all fellow students of Yasogami High. He had told them to not alert the police or anything, wishing to keep this matter as private and personal as possible. They were to call him immediately upon finding where Yukiko could be.

The Tennysons were also out searching for the heiress as well. He had run into Max and Yuki a while earlier, who hadn't had any luck either in finding her. The look on Yuki's face as she thought of the possible danger and pain her daughter could be in only fueled his determination even further. Yu promised them that he'd find Yukiko no matter what.

But right now, there was something else he needed to take care of. He parked his bike in front of Yosuke's home. He could feel the piece of the damaged bond emanating from the Hanamuras' household. The Fool knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Thankfully, it didn't take long for his best friend's mother to open the door.

She looked surprised to see him. "Narukami-kun?! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to see Yosuke." Yu answered.

She looked greatly concerned, shifting her eyes around. "Are you certain? Since last night, whatever had happened, he's been…unresponsive. Teddie's been trying to get Yosuke to talk, but nothing's been working." She placed a palm to her face. "It probably has to do with Hope leaving so suddenly. It was easy to tell how smitten he was with her."

"Hope?"

"Oh! Well, since you're here, you might as well come on in." She welcomed the ex-leader into her house, then closed the door behind him. "Hope was a…strange girl that Yosuke brought home a few days ago. She was cold and hurt when he found her, so we patched her up and had her stay here till she got better."

"I see…" It wasn't hard for him to see just how much Yosuke had come to care about this girl. He had always been obsessed about finding a girlfriend, especially after what happened to Saki, which made him seem like a pervert to the others. But Yu knew the truth about his friend. He knew Yosuke was using his exaggerated behavior to hide the scars Saki's dungeon had left on his heart. It seemed like this Hope had helped heal his pain, but it also led to him betraying his bonds with his own friends.

He needed answers.

"Yosuke's in his room, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Alright, I'll go talk to him." Yu's voice left no room for argument. He hurried up the stairs with a worried mother behind him.

As he approached the room, he could see a saddened Teddie resting in front of the door. The blonde bear's eyes widened upon seeing his face. "Sensei!" He jumped to his feet and hugged his ex-leader tightly. "I'm so happy to see you, Sensei!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Teddie." Yu smiled, returning the hug.

Teddie looked up at his sensei with big wide eyes. "Sensei, why are you here? Shouldn't you be looking for Yuki-chan with the others?"

"I am looking for her. But right now, we need all hands-on deck. Whatever happened last night was the catalyst for Yukiko's fight with her Dad and her running away. And the one who knows everything is holding up in his room right now. Someone has to smack some sense back into him." Yu explained as he approached the door.

Teddie's eyes lowered. "Yosuke said he doesn't want anyone to bother him right now."

"Too bad. I never got as far as I did by leaving things alone." Yu turned the knob and entered Yosuke's bedroom.

Teddie watched as the door closed, staring at his sensei's disappearing back. He always admired his sensei's ability to remain strong in desperate times. He just hoped that his sensei's powerful confidence and strength would be enough to help them this time.

"I'm sorry about all of this, Yuki." Max apologized as he and Yuki returned to the Amagi household. The two stood in front of the door, the matriarch hugged her body tightly as the soft cold breeze blew past her. "If I had just brought the kids home the day Ben found the Omnitrix, then none of this would've happened."

Yuki's face was unreadable, worrying the ex-Plumber slightly. "I will admit, Max. I was hurt to learn of all the secrets you and the kids had been keeping from us. My heart felt betrayed."

Max lowered his head.

"But then I also realized that I was a horrible mother."

"What?" Max gasped.

She gave him a saddened smile. "My own daughter hated me. She cursed our family and even wanted to run away from it all. Not once, during those times, did I notice the pain eating away at my Yukiko-chan. Any good mother would've seen the pain she was in and would've done everything in her power to help. Instead, I was ignorant of it all. If it hadn't been for Narukami and the others, Yukiko-chan would've drowned from the pressure. She smiled, laughed, cried, and fought through all of her issues without the help of her parents." Tears were starting to fall from her eyes. "My little girl had grown up without me even realizing it."

Max reached forward. "Yuki, you can't say that. You're not a terrible mother, Yukiko loves you. The entire summer she was concerned about learning so many different things to help improve the Inn, to help you and Marcus." He noticed the way her eyes twitched at his name but pushed it for later. "Yukiko has done a lot for me, Ben, Gwen, and everyone else."

"I know…that's why I can't stay angry at you. You've helped my daughter, saved her life multiple times, and have made her so unbelievably happy that it was difficult for her to sit still whenever you all were brought up." Yuki looked back at the house. "When Marcus yelled at her, when he said those terrible things to her, I did nothing. I didn't try hard enough to stop him, I didn't fight to defend my daughter, and now my family is falling apart. I… I just don't know what to do."

"No."

"Huh?" She blinked at him.

"You know what needs to be done." Max looked completely serious. "We can regret our actions in the past, but that's not going to change our future. Trust me, I know that all too well." He thought back to all of the mistakes he made when raising his sons. "Right now, during times like these, we need to find the strength buried within ourselves to keep standing. For that future that Yukiko wants, that we all want, we have to walk forward."

Yuki absorbed her father-in-law's words. Her eyes trailed up to her home, where she knew her husband was hiding himself in. A determined look crossed her features. "You're right, Father-in-law. All we can do from now on is keep moving forward. Thank you." She walked towards her front door. "Keep looking for Yukiko-chan with the others. I… I need to handle this."

Max watched the door closed and released the breath from within. He felt his phone vibrate and looked down to see a message from Kenny. His eyes widened to see that Ben and Gwen had woken up and were now out searching for Yukiko as well. He quickly hurried back outside towards the town to join the others.

"Get up, Yosuke."

His partner-his best friend-refused to respond as he laid messily in his bed. The Junes worker had his headphones around his head, loud music blaring into his ears in an attempt to tune out the outside world. Yu could see his phone on his nightstand, noticing the several missed calls and messages. It hadn't been long, but the events of the night prior were hurting the magician a lot. "Yosuke."

He continued to be ignored.

Growing frustrated, knowing he didn't have the time, Yu reached down and tore the headphones off of Yosuke's head. The magician jumped from the maneuver, shifting around to face his ex-leader with a glare. "Why the hell are you here?! Just leave me-"

"Enough, Yosuke!" Yu's shout silenced the boy. He was never one to raise his voice like that, but the Fool knew that anything other than straightforwardness wouldn't get through. "I know you're in pain, but right now, Yukiko is missing, and we don't have time to mess around!"

There was a brief moment of silence as the information sunk in. "Yu-I mean-Amagi is missing…?"

Yu nodded his head. "She got into a very heated argument with her parents last night. They know everything about our adventures last year, about the Omnitrix, and everything that's happened so far this holiday. Many things were said, and I could feel something in Yukiko shift due to everything last night. All of us are running around the town searching for her."

Though he was shocked to hear that their secrets were pretty much out, the magician refused to move from his spot. "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be looking for her too?"

"I need answers, Yosuke. You attacked Ben and Gwen, Yukiko's family, and you refused to explain why. That fight is what caused the secrets to come out. Yukiko's parents saw Ben de-transform." He ignored the devastated look on his friend's face. "What happened, Yosuke? Why did you betray our bonds?"

…

…

…

"...You wouldn't get it." Yosuke muttered.

"It's about Hope, isn't it?" Judging by Yosuke's stunned face, he nailed it on the head. "Who is Hope, Yosuke? She can't be some random girl, because you aren't that dumb."

"...Charmcaster."

"What?"

"Hope is Charmcaster. Hope is her real name." Yosuke answered. Seeing that his partner was starting to loosen up a bit, Yu grabbed one of the chairs in the room and took a seat.

"Tell me about her, Yosuke. I'm here to listen." Yu said softly. He was surprised to hear that the girl he had seemingly fallen for was one of the Tennysons' worst enemies, but it made sense given the context. He just needed more information.

Yosuke didn't want to talk about her, fearing the reactions of everyone else around him. But his partner always had this way of getting people to talk, to release their pent-up emotions. "Before the Tennysons arrived, she did. A portal opened up in the Junes storehouse and she popped out of it so suddenly. She was heavily injured, and I figured that I couldn't just leave her out in the cold."

Yu nodded his head, prompting him to continue.

"Hope wasn't exactly a…pleasant guest. She was rude, invasive, judging, bitchy, and still evil. But the more I interacted with her, the more I started to see something else. Beneath all of the walls she built up around her heart, there was someone who just wanted to find a place for her in the world." Yosuke said.

"She tried to take over the world, kill Yukiko and her family, and the rest of us back at Mount Rushmore." Yu reminded him.

"I know. But still…if you could find some semblance of good in Adachi, then was it so wrong for me to try and do the same?"

"No. It's not wrong at all. But…" Yu didn't speak his words but the magician knew what he was thinking. "Yosuke, why did you fight the Tennysons?"

"They thought she had me under mind control. She was still recovering, and they were going to hurt her. S-so, I…" He lowered his head, refusing to meet his partner's eyes. It was clear that the magician both did and didn't regret his actions that night. "I did what I thought was best."

"Even though the consequences were far worse than you could've imagined?"

"Yeah."

…

…

…

"Do you love her, Yosuke?"

...

"Yeah. I think I do." This time, he could answer the question truthfully.

Releasing a small sigh, Yu stood back up. "Get cleaned up, Yosuke. We have to find Yukiko."

The magician's eyes narrowed. "Even after hearing all of that, you still want me to help?"

"You're her friend."

"No, I'm not. You were there last night. I broke her trust."

"That's true. Both you and her father broke her heart into pieces. Honestly, even after hearing your reasons, I should punch the shit out of you for what you did." Yosuke lowered his head again. "But I won't, because that wouldn't solve anything."

"I don't deserve to help find her, to face her or the Tennysons, not after the damage I've caused." Yosuke muttered. Suddenly, he was grabbed by the collar and brought up to look into his partner's eyes, which were glaring into his own.

"Are you kidding me?! Stop making this about yourself, Yosuke!"

"But-"

"Yes, you screwed up badly! So badly that our bonds just about almost shattered! But this stopped being about you as soon as you took responsibility! Right now, the one who needs help, the one who's hurting the most, is the victim in all of this! The one who was working her ass off to bring us all together! All you can do now is get back up and move forward! You made a mistake, and there's no way you'll ever be able to take it back! But you can still use this chance to grow stronger, to be better, to build a better future! Our bonds aren't so weak that they would break this easily!" Yu declared passionately.

Yosuke stared at his partner with wide eyes, his words sinking into him. Before he could say anything, Yu's phone started vibrating. The Fool released the magician from his grip, pulling out his phone to see who was contacting him.

"Uncle?" Yu said aloud after reading the contact's name. He answered the call and placed his phone to his ear. "Uncle, what's going on?"

"I think Nanako and I just found a clue to where Yukiko may have gone. I'm still not certain, but I figured it'd be best for you and your friends to see this. I'm sending over the address, so hurry over."

"Right." Yu responded, then ended the call. "My uncle may have found where Yukiko went. I'm going to tell the others the address and head over." He turned away and opened the door. Yu gave his friend one last glance. "Yosuke, I think you know what needs to be done." He left the room with those words hanging in the air.

Yosuke just rested on his bed, staring at the closed door with an unreadable look. Too many thoughts were swirling through his head. The answer to the problem felt obvious, but he still didn't think he had the right to face any of his friends after everything. He curled up on his bed and cried to himself.

The Fool looked over at the blonde bear and motioned towards the stairs. "Teddie, let's go." Yu told the team's mascot.

"But what about Yosuke, Sensei?" Teddie.

"He'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Yu said. "Now, come on. We might have finally found Yukiko."

The lights of Yukiko's bedroom flickered on, illuminating the depressing atmosphere swallowing the previously warm room. Sitting on the heiress' bed was none other than Marcus, who was holding one of Yukiko's old dolls in his hand.

Yuki stood at the doorway; a disappointed glare etched on her face. "Are you still sitting in here, Marcus?"

Instead of answering her question, he gently squeezed the doll. "Do you remember when she got this doll?"

"Answer my question."

"It was back when she was five, one of the festivals was going on." He ignored her words to continue speaking. Yuki started walking towards him. "She saw this doll as a prize at a fish-scooping booth. Yukiko begged me to win the doll for her, and I couldn't find it in me to say no to her. So, I rolled up my sleeves and got to scooping." Yuki stood in front of him, not giving a shit about the words leaving his mouth. "It took a few tries, but eventually I managed to scoop enough fish to earn the doll. Yukiko was so happy when I handed it to her, she flashed me the brightest grin I had ever seen. When I saw that smile, I swore to be the father who would keep her that happy forever."

"And who do you think it was that took that smile away?" Yuki's question chilled his body far more than the winter's temperature did. Marcus didn't answer her question, but she knew what was going through his head. "I warned you, Marcus. I warned you not to forsake that girl's happiness, and yet you still went and did it."

His grip on the doll tightened as the wound in his heart worsened. "I… I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter if you meant to or not!" Yuki interrupted him. She hissed dangerously like a snake looming over its prey. "You broke our daughter's heart!"

And he felt terrible about it. "Yuki-I-"

"No."

"No?" Marcus looked up at his wife for the first time and was greeted by a harsh slap across his face. He went flying off of Yukiko's bed, tumbling into her closet door. He winced from his wife's hit and froze as she closed the distance once again.

"You don't get to explain yourself; you don't get to tell me you feel awful about what happened, and you don't get to continue sitting in here like a victim! Yes, the secrets kept from us were bad, but that was a decision that our daughter felt like making because she couldn't trust us! At the end of the day, WE failed her!"

Marcus kept silent, but agreed with his wife, nonetheless. He had failed as a father in the worst way possible and had broken his family due to his unresolved issues with his own father. Yukiko was out there alone, hurting, and it was all his fault.

Yuki's glare intensified as her husband continued to sulk. "Stop sulking!" Her shout made him flinch back. "You lost all the right to feel like the victim the moment you broke her heart! As a father and as a man, you should be out there searching for your daughter! I don't care if it takes the rest of your life to make it up to her, to earn back her forgiveness! You deserve her scorn, you deserve her anger, so get up from that floor and face your daughter like a man!"

Marcus stared at his wife with a stunned expression. Her declaration had blown him away, and he couldn't disagree with anything she had said. Yes, he was angry, but Yukiko didn't deserve all that he had said. He still loved her; she was his pride and joy. He had to find her and apologize, and even if she doesn't forgive him, then that's what he'll have to live with. It's what he deserved.

Suddenly, Yuki's phone started vibrating. She saw that it was a message from Max and looked it over. After reading it, she turned to her husband. "Get up and get changed. They've found Yukiko."

Ben and the others arrived at the location that Dojima had sent over, which just so happened to be the popular supermarket, Junes. The building was still undergoing major renovations after the battle with Kevin, which had thrashed a good chunk of it. The older detective led the group over to one of the sealed-off sections of the building. "As we were searching, I got a call from the office about a break-in that had taken place here at Junes last night. I wasn't surprised to hear that someone would take advantage of the store's predicament, but nothing that was left in stock was taken from the store."

"If nothing was taken, then that would mean…" Naoto came to the realization first.

Dojima stopped, pointing at the wall that had been melted down by extreme heat. "Someone wanted to get in and didn't want to leave."

"Yukiko-chan…!" Chie gasped.

Yu furrowed his brows. "I should've realized it sooner. No matter how hard we searched, there was no sign of Yukiko anywhere. Rise's abilities also couldn't pick up a single trace of her in the town."

"Yukiko wanted to escape to somewhere where she couldn't be hurt anymore. A place where it would be close to impossible for someone to find her." Gwen's heart ached for her big sister.

Ben glared at the hole, tightening his fists. "If she's in there, then what are we standing around for?! Let's get in there and save her!"

"It's your call, Senpai." Kanji turned to their ex-leader.

Yu nodded his head. "Ben's right. We need to get in there and bring Yukiko back. The longer she stays in the TV World by herself, the worse the situation will get." He turned to his family, Kenny, and Max. "It's best if you guys stay here. It's far too dangerous for you guys to be running around in there."

"B-but, big bro! I want to-" Nanako stopped when her father gently pulled her back.

"Listen to your big brother, Nanako. The two of us aren't equipped to handle the things in there. For now, the best the two of us can do is be here to welcome her back, okay?" Dojima explained to his daughter.

Nanako lowered her head, understanding her father's point. She then felt someone softly punch her shoulder, causing her to turn to look at Ben. He looked determined, far more than he did back during the Kevin attack or fight at the cathedral. "I'll bring her back. I promise."

"Okay! I'll hold you to that!" Nanako exclaimed, trusting his word.

Max did the same for his oldest grandchild. "We should do the same, Kenny. I know what it's like in there, and it wasn't the best. We have to trust the others to handle this."

"No!" Kenny shrugged his grandfather away.

"Kenny?!" Rise gasped at his action. Everyone else was also surprised to see the outburst from the normally reserved Tennyson.

Kenny looked just as determined as everyone else; a fire within him had been ignited. "I can't just stand on the sidelines anymore! When Kevin and his group attacked, I wasn't of any help at all! There was nothing I could do for Ben and Gwen when they got hurt last night! Then, when Yukiko needed support the most, all I did was sit back like a scared child!" He was fighting back his own tears. "I can't stand back and do nothing, not this time! Regardless of how dangerous it is, I'm going to follow you guys to save her!"

Everyone was impressed by the older Tennyson kid's determination to jump into danger. They all didn't judge him for being the normal one of the group; appreciating that even in their strange lives, there was someone who was able to still lead a normal life. His words ignited the flames within them to push forward for Yukiko's sake. A certain idol was blushing fiercely as she admired that confident look he held.

Yu stepped forward. "Okay, Kenny. You can come with us. Luckily, we should still have some weapons left over at our base."

"Thanks, Yu."

"No problem."

Teddie, who had put his suit back on, whipped out a pair of glasses. "Here ya go, Ken! A pair of glasses to help you see the Shadows inside!" Kenny took the eyewear, liking the dark green color scheme of the pair.

Max nodded his head. "Okay, Ken, if you're certain about this. Just be careful, and that goes for all of you kids. Things are already bad enough, but I don't want to explain to your folks that you all kicked the bucket."

"The same goes for me." Dojima added.

Ben puffed up his chest. "Don't worry, Grandpa. We'll bring Yukiko back and fix this mess."

Yu took charge, walking into the damaged supermarket. "Alright, everyone, let's move! Yukiko is counting on us!"

"RIGHT!"

As Teddie was about to follow them, he felt someone pull him back. He turned around to see Max had been the one responsible. "Max-san?"

"Can you spit out a few more of those glasses for me?" Max asked. Teddie was confused but did as told, then hurried after his team to save one of his beautiful maidens.

Dojima looked confused. "Why did you ask him that?"

"My sons and their wives need to see it. They're scared and don't understand why the kids are throwing themselves at these dangers. Just like all of us, they need to see the truth in full clarity." Max explained.

Yosuke felt his phone vibrate and picked it up. His eyes widened as he read the message that his partner had sent him.

"Yukiko ran into the TV World. We need all the help we can get."

He put his phone back down and took a deep breath through his nostrils. His eyes slowly opened, showing an emotion that most wouldn't recognize from him.

Rise led the group through the TV World, taking them towards a very familiar castle that still stood tall in this vast dimension. A dreadful sense of unease filled the group as they felt the pure wave of negativity emanating from the castle, which could only be happening due to Yukiko's own spiraling emotions. The idol gulped slightly. "This dungeon feels far more dangerous than it was before."

Teddie looked at the shortcut the team would usually take to speed through floors. The set of stairs towards the top had been blocked to prevent anyone from reaching the throne room. "Sensei! We can't use the stairs!"

"Which means we'll have to go through all the floors the normal way." Naoto said.

"Then bring it on! Nothing's gonna stop us from getting her back! We did it before and we'll do it again!" Chie punched her palm, bouncing on her feet. Her best friend needed her once again and there was no way she was going to let her down.

"Except we don't have Yosuke here..." Teddie muttered. The other Investigation Team members were also concerned for the magician, who hadn't shown his face all day. The Tennysons didn't say a word but were also wondering where he was.

"He'll be here. I know he will." Yu reassured his team. "Right now, let's focus on getting to Yukiko."

"Senpai, you should know, there are a lot of strong Shadows in here now. And the strongest ones are on the second to last floor, likely guarding Yukiko." Rise informed him.

"Without supplies, we'd just be wasting our energy fighting through enemies. By the time we get to the top, we'll be too exhausted to get through the guards." Gwen said.

"Then what do we do? We can't take this slowly." Kenny asked.

"You're right. Rise, scan for the fastest route possible. Everyone else, we quickly deal with the weaker opponents while running from the stronger ones. We have to conserve everything we have for that top floor." The Fool looked down at Ben. "Ben, you're not allowed to use the watch at all until we get to Yukiko."

"What?! Why not?!" Ben asked.

Yu knelt down to his level, placing a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Because you're going to be the one to save Yukiko. While the rest of us are distracting her, you're going to smash through that shortcut and get to the top floor."

Ben's eyes widened. "Me?!"

"You're the only one I can trust with this." Yu said.

"But I-"

"He's right." Chie took the boy's attention. "As much as I want to be the one to rescue her personally, I'm not the one who can do it now." She walked over and lightly ruffled the boy's head. "I've seen how much she loves you, and just how much of an effect you've had on her. If anyone can reach her now, it's you."

"You guys…" Ben muttered.

"Just do it, doofus!" Gwen punched his shoulder. "Didn't you promise Nanako that you'd bring Yukiko back? I thought the heroes didn't go back on their word?" She wanted to save Yukiko too, but her expertise would be far more useful in helping the rest of the team.

"You got this, Ben!" Kenny added his own encouragement.

"We're trusting you on this one, kid." Kanji said.

"Don't let us down." Naoto added.

"You're our beary best!" Teddie praised.

"Ben-chan, you have to save her, okay?!" Rise exclaimed.

Ben felt the faith entrusted to him by the entire team and strengthened his own nerves. What was he doing getting all nervous now? He's faced off against countless supervillains throughout the summer and took them all down! His big sister needed him in her most dire of moments, just like how she had saved him all those times before. It was now his turn to return the favor.

He gave everyone his trademark confident grin and pumped his fist. "Heck yeah! I'll definitely save her! You guys just worry about not getting your butts kicked!"

"Heh. That's what I wanted to see." Yu stood back up to his full height. "We're gonna do this, together!"

"Together!" Everyone agreed.

Ben punched his palm. "Yeah! It's Hero Time!"

After a painstakingly annoying infiltration run, the Investigation Team and Tennysons reached the seventh floor of Yukiko's castle. The heroes sprinted down the long royal hallway that was dimly lit by rows of torches on the opposing walls. Yu led the group into the large chamber where two glowing red Shadows could be seen. "Rise, are these the ones?"

With her Persona activated, the support member scanned over their enemies. "Yes, Senpai! These are the strongest Shadows in this dungeon apart from the final one!"

The Shadows noticed their arrival and screeched loudly like wild animals. Their black forms melted before melding into two large humanistic constructs.

The first Shadow transformed into a silver armored knight with a medium sized blade attached to his back. He rode on top of a muscular black horse with steam puffing out of its nostrils. He reached for his blade, whipping it out and pointing it at the heroes.

The second Shadow also transformed into a knight but without a mighty steed. His long broadsword glimmered from the light within the chamber as he held it firmly in his hands. The heroes' reflections could be seen on the metal, as if indicating that it would be their executioner very soon.

Kenny gulped. "Y-yeah, these guys look strong!"

"Everyone stay on guard! These guys aren't anything to scoff at! Until Rise figures out their weaknesses, keep at a distance and weaken them with status attacks!" Yu ordered.

"Gotcha, Sensei!" Teddie saluted.

"Gwen, Kenny, keep close to Rise to protect her. We'll get their attention, and I'll let you know when to strike!" Yu ordered once again.

"Understood!" The Tennysons stood protectively in front of the idol as the rest stepped forward against the knights.

"Remember, we don't have to beat them! But give it everything you have regardless!" Yu held his own blade in his hand. He crushed his tarot card to summon his trusty companion. "Come forth, Izanagi!"

"I see…they've figured it out faster than I thought." She chuckled humorlessly as she listened to the battle happening outside of her throne room. Her bright yellow irises shifted away towards her prized person. She gently held Yukiko's sleeping face and smiled softly. "Worry not, my princess, they won't make it to you. Not this time." Though their faces were identical, Yukiko's Shadow had none of the usual warmth of the heiress. Her body still held a raging flame, but it felt far more subdued than when she previously took form. "I'll keep you safe from the pain the world has brought you."

STEP! STEP! STEP! STEP!

Shadow Yukiko closed her eyes as she heard footsteps approaching. "Of course, there is still one problem that needs to be handled." She turned around from the sleeping princess to glare at the boy that had earned her love so quickly.

Though winded from the long sprinting he had done, Ben Tennyson still had his usual fire in his eyes. When he saw the two at the top of the steps, he called out to his sister. "Yukiko!" He tried to take a step forward, but a burst of flames held him back. "Hey!"

"Hello, Benjamin. I'm not surprised to see you were sent to face me. You were always the one to take the lead." Shadow Yukiko smiled.

He was confused by the two Yukikos in front of him. "Wait! You're Yukiko's Shadow?! But I thought that was impossible!"

"Normally, yes, but her heart has been broken. All of her efforts thrown back into her face without any care for her feelings. All of the love she had given went unfulfilled. So she ran away to hide from the pain, to find some place that wouldn't hurt her any longer. When her heart wavered, the power inside of her brought me back to protect her from all of you." Shadow Yukiko walked shortly to the edge of the top step, looking down at the boy. "I am her guardian knight."

"Yeah? Well, I'm the one who's gonna bring her back! Everyone's counting on me, so we're going home together, Yukiko!" Ben yelled.

"She can't hear you; she doesn't wish to hear you. If the world doesn't hear her voice, then she'll tune it out in return."

"You're wrong!" Ben denied her words. "I know Yukiko can hear me! I know that she's been hurt by our actions! My own actions have hurt her a lot in the past! But that's why…" Ben pulled up the Omnitrix. "...That's why I'm gonna reach out to her now! It's time I finally paid you back for all the times you've helped me!"

Shadow Yukiko closed her eyes, then opened them slowly. "I see. I should've expected that you wouldn't accept the truth so easily. Your words can't reach her and I'll prove that here by ridding her of the family that scorned her." Her body ignited in a burst of raging flames, blasting down onto the lower floor of the throne room. Ben had to shield his body from the intense heat as the inferno grew stronger. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

A large majestic red phoenix emerged from the blazing flames. Her yellow eyes bore down at him, like a hawk glaring at its prey. The center of her body held a large golden heart, but there was a long, jagged crack going down the middle. Shadow Yukiko screeched loudly, bellowing out a massive burst of flames.

Ben quickly activated the Omnitrix as the flames swallowed him whole, engulfing the throne room entirely.

The battle for Yukiko's heart had begun.

Chapter End

NOTE: There are maybe...two chapters left. Yukiko's heart must be repaired, and our heroes are going to fight for it. Can Ben save Yukiko or is it already too late? Find out next time!

Have a great day!