Persona 4: The Golden Apostle

by sithlorde1988

Adaptation of Persona 4 Golden. Everyone knows the plot of Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden well, or at least the plot of CANON Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden. But what if there was an extra character added into the mix? How will the addition of an extra character to the mix change the plot of Persona 4 Golden? Better summary and more info in the first chapter! Read and enjoy!

9. Amagi Castle? Mystery Begins part 6

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 4- The Golden Apostle! Normally, I'd type out a lengthy-ish A/N, but I don't feel like I have a lot to say, so let's go ahead and skip ahead to the part where I type out the disclaimer for now, yeah? So here's the disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OCs Ryuroni, Hikari Kusanagi II, Hikari Kusanagi III, Koushiro, Yamato, Takeru, Rosie, Gaignun, Slim, Sage, Lily, Kusano, Ace, Marisa, and any other OCs/OC Personas that appear in the story, all of which were created by, and thus belong to, me), and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus and Sega, as well as the various other companies that were involved with the spinoffs (whether those spinoffs be Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, the 'Dancing' games, or the 'Q' games, or even Persona 5: The Phantom X), all of whom know who they are and receive the appropriate creative/ownership credit that is due to them. I just am using these characters to write this story, and do not intend to make any profit off of it whatsoever.

And there we are, one disclaimer done and dusted! That being said, this chapter is going to be an interesting one, so I'll spare you the long A/N here and get right into the action. I'll probably do the longer A/N AFTER the chapter, though, so keep reading after the chapter if you're interested in that. Otherwise, let's get right into it. Without further ado, here's chapter 6!

Chapter 6- Climbing the Amagi Castle! Rescues, Reveals, and Awakenings! The Mystery Begins part 6

(Current in-game date: 4/21/2011. In a trailer on the set of a certain acting fellowship in California at the same time as Yu's school classes, with Slim, Ace, Kusano, Sage, and Lily)

After gathering the rest of his group in his trailer, Slim spoke up with an unreadable look on his face.

"Thank you all for gathering here today. I'm sure that all of you are wondering why I asked you all to gather here for lunch." Slim said as Kusano spoke up.

"I think we have a good guess, Slim. This is in regards to Gaignun, isn't it?" Kusano asked as Ace spoke up.

"If it is, I'm not surprised. I mean, Gaignun had to drop out of the fellowship so he could move back home and be there for Marisa full-time a couple months ago, and he's not said so much as a word to any of us in at least the past week or so, yeah? I think the last time any of us heard from him was the day he invited Slim and Lily to have dinner with him and Marisa." Ace said before turning to Lily as he kept speaking.

"Did Gaignun seem like he was all right when you and Slim had dinner with him and little Mari, Lily?" Ace asked as Lily spoke up.

"Yeah, they seemed about as well as could be expected. Granted, it sounded like their mom was awake enough to have visitors, given they did have a bit of a minor argument over when Gaignun would let Mari go visit her mom in the hospital. I had to step in and point out that Gaignun was just trying to protect her before Mari seemed to back down a bit. Gaignun did end up saying he'd try to get something figured out so that Mari could go with him to see their mother. But I've not heard a word from Gaignun since that night." Lily said as Slim spoke up.

"Neither have I, truth be told. But I think we can all agree that Gaignun and Mari are going through a rough time right now. After all, their mother is laying in a hospital, potentially on her deathbed. So I think it stands to reason that those two are probably too stressed to be in a sociable mood." Slim said as Kusano and Ace nodded their agreement, as did Lily. Sage half-nodded, before gasping as she looked at the TV that Slim had left on, at which point she spoke up.

"Oh, no! Guys, look at the news!" Sage said with a horrified look on her face. Slim, Ace, Kusano, and Lily turned to look at the TV in time to go silent as a newscaster spoke up.

"And that was a look at your sports headlines. However, on a more somber note, the entire Burbank community is in a state of mourning as one of the community's foremost pillars of excellence, generosity, and kindness has died. This reporter is saddened to report that one of the local activists, Miss Hikari Kusanagi the third, has passed away. Apparently, she had a terminal respiratory condition that she was unaware of that went untreated for most of her life, and only chose to flare up in the past few months.

Miss Kusanagi was only 38 years old, and is survived by her 16 year old son Gaignun and 12 year old daughter Marisa. Not only will her contributions to the community be remembered, but she will be dearly missed. No word from the aforementioned children on how they're holding up, but you can likely imagine that both of them are devastated by their mother's passing." The newscaster said somberly as Slim, Sage, Ace, Kusano, and Lily all bowed their heads in an unspoken agreement to have a moment of silence in honor of Gaignun and Marisa's deceased mother. After the appropriate amount of time had passed, Sage spoke up.

"Wow. I mean, we all knew it was gonna happen eventually, but it still feels like Miss Kusanagi left the world far too soon. I wonder if the reason Gaignun's been so radio silent is because he's had to throw himself into comforting Marisa as best he can while also trying to stay strong himself for Mari's sake. Either way, that's sad to hear that someone that all of us no doubt thought of as a mother figure is gone." Sage said sadly, trying not to cry as she thought about the death of Gaignun and Marisa's mother. Lily nodded and spoke up while gently pulling Sage into a comforting hug.

"Yes, it's sad. And I'm sure we'll all take our time later to grieve for her in private, but for now, we need to make sure that Gaignun and Marisa don't go to pieces now that their mother is dead. Especially Gaignun, since I'm sure he's not going to let himself grieve just yet out of wanting to stay strong for his little sister. But bottling up his grief and sadness like that can't possibly be healthy for him, I wouldn't think." Lily said as Kusano spoke up with a nod.

"It really can't. And even if he doesn't say so, I know that Gaignun is the type of person who'll try to keep a stoic front up and carry his suffering in silence. So I feel like we should be wary of the chance that Gaignun is in a bad space mentally at the moment. Hopefully, he and Marisa are able to keep each other safe, since I don't want to imagine how either of them would handle it if something happened to the other." Kusano said sagely as Slim nodded and spoke up.

"Good point. I suppose for now, all we can do is try and make trips as time permits to check in on Gaignun and Mari, or failing that, keep in contact with them over the phone as best we can. But we are not letting them suffer through this alone if we can help it, right?" Slim said as Sage, Lily, Ace, and Kusano nodded and Ace spoke up.

"Agreed. I guess for now, let's finish our meal and get back to shooting. But one of us will probably have to let Director Amamiya and/or Director Narukami, if not both, know about Miss Kusanagi's passing." Kusano said as the rest of the group nodded their agreement and went back about their business from there...

(Back in Inaba after school, in a classroom with Yu and Chie)

After making sure he had nothing else to do, Yu approached Chie, who was at her desk, and spoke up.

"Hey, there. How're you holding up, Chie?" Yu asked Chie, who turned to Yu and spoke up.

"I'm okay, Yu. But Yukiko's still in that place right now. We need to hurry and save her!" Chie said as Yu smiled and spoke up kindly.

"I know. That's why I came to see you. I think we've had enough prep for now. Once we gather Yosuke, I'm thinking we're as ready as we're going to be. So let's go save Yukiko, right now." Yu said as Chie smiled and spoke up.

"Really!? Yeah, let's go! Okay! Let's save Yukiko!" Chie said with a fiercely determined look on her face as Yu sent a text to Yosuke, telling him to meet him and Chie at Junes, after which Chie and Yu headed to Junes...

(A short time later, in the food court of Junes, with Yu, Yosuke, and Chie)

After Yu, Yosuke, and Chie were seated at the rooftop food court, Chie spoke up with a frown.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Chie said as Yu and Yosuke nodded before the former spoke up.

"Yep. Let's take a quick sec to go back over the situation thus far before we go back in to save Yukiko, just to be sure we're all on the same page." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Right. First Saki-senpai, and now Yukiko, got thrown into the TV world, along with that announcer chick. And both Saki-senpai and the announcer died. Let's do our best to not let Yukiko meet that fate!" Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"Don't worry, partner. We'll do our best to save Yukiko today." Yu said as Yosuke spoke up with a nod.

"Right. Still, I never thought we'd get involved in a murder case like this, if I'm being honest with the two of you." Yosuke said as Chie frowned and spoke up.

"YOSUKE! Don't talk like Yukiko's already dead!" Chie rebuked Yosuke who spoke up with a nod.

"I know, I know. Calm down. Unfortunately, there's a time limit for us to save Yukiko, so while we can take our time to an extent, we don't have all the time in the world. Specifically, we have to save Yukiko-san before the fog rolls in, no matter what." Yosuke said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Well said, partner. And I think there's no time like the present. So let's go save Yukiko, together." Yu said as Chie and Yosuke nodded, the former speaking up energetically.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Chie said as the three headed towards the electronics department to enter the TV world...

(Another short time later, in the studio entrance of the TV World, with Yosuke, Yu, Chie, and Teddie)

Once Yu, Yosuke, and Chie landed in the TV World, Teddie smiled at the trio and spoke up.

"There you three are! You're late! I was gonna cry if you didn't show up today, to be honest." Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"Sorry, Teddie. We were getting ready to go in and save Yukiko. And as much as I'm sure you'd love to wipe your tears, there's simply not enough time right now. We need to get in there and save Yukiko. The sooner we save her, the sooner we can stop worrying about it." Yu said decisively as Teddie blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? No time to wipe my tears? Oh, you're right! Let's go save the lost girl! I'll take you to the castle! Let me know when you're ready, Sensei." Teddie said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Right. Please show us the way, Teddie." Yu said as Teddie nodded and spoke up.

"Got it! Leave it to me to show the way!" Teddie said as he guided the trio back to the castle, where they wasted no time in going back in to resume their climb of the castle, knowing time was of the essence if they wanted to save Yukiko. Once inside, Yu blinked at the fact that the layout of the castle seemed changed somehow. Teddie then spoke up.

"Sensei, can I bother you for a second? The hall here seems different from before, so this place might get pretty tricky to find your way around in. But I'm with you! Don't you worry, Sensei! Leave it to me to show the way!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"Got it. We're counting on you. And somehow, I'm not surprised that the dungeon layout is always changing." Yu said as the group kept moving. While fighting Shadows, Yu went up to level 12, at which point Chie spoke up.

"Good one, Yu! I've gotta keep up my training so I can keep up with you!" Chie said as Yu's level increased. Ironically, Chie also got a level up, being increased to level 5. Chie smirked as she kept speaking.

"Oh-ho, talk about timing. I leveled up!" Chie said as Yosuke spoke up with a sly smirk.

"Nice one, Chie. Just a few more levels to go, and you'll be caught up to myself and Yu." Yosuke said. While fighting more Shadows, Chie hit level 6.

"Haha, I leveled up! Nice!" Chie said. But that wasn't all, as the level-up gave Tomoe access to the Ice skill 'Bufu'. Yu smirked and spoke up.

"Oh, your Persona got a new move, Chie. Not bad. And it's an element that we don't have a lot of access to at this time, which is even better. Good job." Yu said as Chie nodded and Tomoe acquired 'Bufu'. After a bit, Yu and the others found the steps, advancing to the second floor, where Teddie stopped the group at the big door.

"Oh? I sense someone behind this big door again. Maybe it's the person you're looking for?" Teddie suggested as Yu spoke up.

"Could be. One way to find out." Yu said as Yosuke nodded agreement, as did Chie, who spoke up.

"Right? Let's open the door and see who's on the other side." Chie said as she pushed the doors open and the group marched into the next room, where they were greeted by the version of Yukiko that had been on the Midnight Channel. Chie gasped as she spoke up.

"Yukiko, is that really you?" Chie asked as the group raced over to what appeared to be Yukiko in a pink and white ballgown with pink gloves, standing with her back to the group. Once they were close enough, Yosuke spoke up.

"Yukiko-san! Are you all right!?" Yosuke asked, and when Yukiko didn't reply right away, the group blinked in shock as Chie spoke up.

"Yukiko, speak to us. What's wrong?" Chie asked in concern. Before Yukiko could reply, Yu spoke up in a wary voice.

"Careful! Something's not right here! Also, Amagi-san seems to have the same aura coming off her as both of your Shadows had, Chie and Yosuke. So we should be cautious for now." Yu said as Yosuke, Teddie, and Chie gave Yu shocked looks. However, an almost sadistic sounding giggle drew everyone's attention to Yukiko as she spoke up.

"Heehee, how cute. You've all come for me? Ahahahahahaha!" Yukiko said with a giggle, turning around to face Yosuke, Yu, and Chie. Once she did, Yu's eyes widened slightly at the telling, but also very ominous, yellow glow in Yukiko's eyes. However, before he could try to warn Chie and Yosuke of his discovery, Yukiko kept speaking.

"Oh, my! Special guests? I wonder how they'll play into all this! Heheh, things are really heating up!" Yukiko said as Yu spoke up with a frown.

"Heating up, you say?" Yu said as Yukiko nodded and spoke up with a giggle.

"Mmhm. Okie-dokie! I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be right now, I wonder? This place is huge! It's sooo exciting, but it makes it so hard to find him! Ooh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Read or not, here I come! Let's go further in then, shall we!?" Yukiko said as flashy text appeared above her that read in bold lettering, 'PRINCESS YUKIKO'S HUNT FOR HER PRINCE CHARMING!', complete with a musical cue to match the text popping up. Yu, Chie, Teddie, and Yosuke blinked at this as the latter spoke up in shock.

"Wh-What the hell is this!?" Yosuke asked as Yu spoke up with a frown.

"Nothing good, that's for sure. Also, I don't know if it was a trick of the lights or not, but I could swear that it looked like Yukiko's eyes were glowing yellow just now." Yu said as Chie spoke up.

"Wait, did you say they glowed yellow, Yu!?" Chie asked as Yu nodded, prompting an angry Chie to speak up.

"I see. That means one thing, then." Chie said as she turned to what looked like Yukiko and kept speaking.

"YOU! You're not Yukiko at all, are you!? Who are you!?" Chie asked as what looked like Yukiko spoke up after a giggle.

"What're you talking about, Chie? I'm Yukiko, all right! I am Yukiko, and Yukiko is me." What appeared to be Yukiko said as Chie gasped and spoke up.

"NO! Don't tell me, are you-!?" Chie said as Yu spoke up.

"Given she has yellow eyes and an ominous aura, I think it's a safe bet that we're dealing with Yukiko's Shadow right now." Yu said wisely, getting nods of agreement from Yosuke and Chie as the latter spoke up while glaring at what Yu believed to be Yukiko's Shadow.

"Where's the real Yukiko!?" Chie asked angrily as the group heard the sounds of unintelligible voices nearby, making Yosuke speak up in surprise.

"What's with these voices, all of a sudden!?" Yosuke asked in confusion and shock. Teddie spoke up at that point.

"The Shadows are getting agitated!" Teddie said as Yu, Chie, and Yosuke gave him alarmed looks. But before anyone could speak, what appeared to be Yukiko's Shadow spoke up.

"Well, I'm off again! Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!" What appeared to be Yukiko's Shadow said as she darted off, oblivious to the parting shot Chie flung at her retreating back as she spoke up.

"Hey, wait!" Chie said, but was ignored as what appeared to be Yukiko's Shadow ran off. After she was gone, Chie turned to Yu and Yosuke and kept speaking.

"That clearly wasn't the real Yukiko. It had to be her Shadow." Chie said as Teddie nodded and spoke up.

"I think it was. It must have been the other part of herself." Teddie said as Yosuke spoke up.

"I see. So it's just like what happened to us, then." Yosuke said as Teddie spoke up with a nod.

"Pretty much. But I don't think she was excited for nothing. The real Yukiko wants to show us something. I can feel it." Teddie said as Yu spoke up in confusion.

"You can feel it, Teddie?" Yu asked as Teddie spoke up.

"Exactly. It's hard to explain exactly, but it seems like she has a strong connection to the castle. This is a lot more dangerous than I thought!" Teddie said as Chie gasped and spoke up.

"Yukiko, wait up!" Chie said as she ran off alone, making Yu and Yosuke swear quietly under their breath as the latter spoke up.

"Hey, get back here, Chie! Ugh, not again! Dammit, we told her not to run off on her own!" Yosuke said as Yu nodded and the two of them kept moving to pursue Chie, alongside Teddie. After finding the stairs up on the other side of the hall, Yosuke, Chie, Yu, and Teddie headed to the next floor, where the group heard voices from somewhere ahead of them.

"Teehee, not much longer now. My Prince will soon come for me. Hee hee! I'll always be waiting for him, no matter how long it takes. Forever and ever, if necessary." The group heard what sounded like Yukiko's voice say as Teddie spoke up.

"Hrmm, was that the one you guys called Yukiko? I hear her voice from somewhere ahead of us. But it's odd. All I sense around here are you and Shadows. Watch out for the Shadows, and keep going! When a Shadow has its back to you, carefully get in close and smack it!" Teddie said, getting nods from Yu, Yosuke, and Chie as the group kept moving. While fighting Shadows on the third floor, Yosuke hit level 12 and spoke up.

"Haha, level up!" Yosuke said as Chie spoke up with a frown.

"Ehh, kind of a basic brag, don't you think?" Chie said as Yu spoke up.

"True, but it's still just us three for now, so we've got time to get better at the brags, I'm sure." Yu said sagely as Yosuke's level increased. Additionally, Chie hit level 7.

"Hehe, I leveled up!" Chie said happily as her level increased. While exploring the third floor, the group was jumped by a Shadow hiding in a treasure chest. After beating it, Chie hit level 8. After defeating more Shadows, Yu's 'Omoikane' Persona hit level 8 and gained the skill 'Poison Mist'. While navigating the third floor, Yu hit level 13 off of some Shadows that the group beat up, prompting Yosuke to speak up.

"Not bad, partner! Gettin' stronger with every level!" Yosuke said as Yu nodded approvingly while his level increased. Chie also hit level 9. After finding the stairs and going up to the fourth floor, they heard Yukiko's voice echo from somewhere ahead of them.

"Welcome. Thank you for coming to the Amagi Inn today. Your room is right this way. If we can help you in any way, please let us know immediately." The group heard what sounded like Yukiko's voice say as a wide-eyed Teddie spoke up.

"Ehh!? What's this voice talking about? This place isn't an inn. It's totally a castle!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up after a realization hit him.

"Perhaps. But you said that this place is 'reality' for those who come here, right Teddie?" Yu asked. When Teddie nodded, Yu kept speaking.

"I thought so. In that case, what if this castle is how Amagi-san views the Amagi Inn? It would explain why she was dressed like royalty and referred to herself as 'Princess Yukiko', if nothing else." Yu said as Yosuke spoke up.

"That's a good point, partner. Let's keep going for now and see if your theory is correct." Yosuke said, getting nods from Chie, Teddie, and Yu as the group kept moving. After fighting off more Shadows on the fourth floor, Yu's 'Sandman' Persona hit level 6 and got the Physical move 'Skull Cracker'. At the same time, Yosuke hit level 13 and spoke up.

"All right, I leveled up!" Yosuke said as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"Good one, partner! The stronger we are, the better our chances of successfully being able to rescue Yukiko-san." Yu said wisely as Yosuke's level increased. Chie also hit level 13 and spoke up.

"Yay, I leveled up too!" Chie said as Yu spoke up with an approving nod and a smile.

"Congrats, Chie. You're catching up to us quite nicely. Well done." Yu said as Chie's level increased. After beating more Shadows, Yu's 'Angel' Persona hit level 7. After beating some strong enemies, Yu hit level 14, at which point Teddie spoke up.

"Congratulations, Sensei! You're even stronger now!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"Thanks, Teddie." Yu said as his level increased. Additionally, Yu's 'Apsaras' Persona went up to level 5. Chie also hit level 11 and got the Physical move 'Skull Cracker', making her smile as she spoke up.

"Yay, I leveled up and got a new move!" Chie said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"Good job. That makes you that much stronger in the long run." Yu said kindly as Tomoe acquired 'Skull Crusher'. After beating more Shadows, Yosuke hit level 14 and learned the Physical skill 'Sonic Punch', allowing Yosuke to get his usual roguish smirk in place before he spoke up.

"All right, I leveled up and gained a new move!" Yosuke said as Chie spoke up.

"Good job, Yosuke! Now our team is even stronger as a result!" Chie said as Yosuke nodded while Jiraiya acquired 'Sonic Punch'. After the group found the stairs and moved up to the fifth floor, Teddie spoke up in confusion.

"Where is she, I wonder?" Teddie asked. As if summoned by Teddie's question, the voice of Yukiko was heard echoing again.

"Hmhmhm, I wonder if I'll ever find my Prince? Ohoho, I bet I will." The group heard what sounded like Yukiko's voice say as Teddie spoke up.

"Oh! I can sense her! She must be on this floor!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"Do you mean the real Yukiko, Teddie? Or could you be sensing Yukiko's Shadow?" Yu mused as Yosuke spoke up.

"One way to know for sure, partner. Let's keep going." Yosuke said as Yu nodded and the group kept moving. As the group ran through the fifth floor, Yukiko's voice echoed once again.

"Wow! By any chance are you guys my Princes? I'm locked up here and can't get out. Please save me! Hmhmhm, I have faith in all of you. I'm sure my Princes can do it if they work together. I'm sure they'll brave any danger to rescue me from this place, after all. I'll be waiting for you to come save me! Ohoho, good luck!" The group heard what sounded like Yukiko's voice say from somewhere ahead of them, making Teddie frown as he spoke up.

"This seems very strange to me, you guys. Be careful." Teddie said as the group kept moving. While fighting Shadows, Chie hit level 12. While fighting enemies, Yu hit level 15, at which point Yu got the sense that another change is about to occur within him. At that point, he felt his limits increase, as the amount of Personas he could carry at once expanded from 6 to 8. Additionally, his 'Omoikane' Persona hit level 9 and got the Passive skill 'Resist Wind'. On top of that, Yosuke also hit level 15. And last but not least, Chie hit level 13. After beating more Shadows, Yu's 'Apsaras' Persona hit level 6 and got the healing skill 'Me Patra'. While clearing out Shadows and mapping the fifth floor, Yu's 'Pixie' Persona hit level 6. After mapping the entire floor and finding a lot of locked doors, the group found a door that wasn't locked, at which point Teddie spoke up.

"Hm!? I know this scent. It's that girl's scent!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"I assume you mean Amagi-san? Either way, let's go in and see if you're right." Yu said as he opened the door and found what the group figured to be Yukiko's Shadow waiting, with a Shadow that appeared to be a horseman with mostly black armor, except for a few parts that were purple. At that point, what appeared to be Yukiko's Shadow spoke up with a chuckle.

"Interesting. Well, my Prince wouldn't lose to guards such as this, correct?" What the group believed to be Yukiko's Shadow said as a horrified Teddie spoke up.

"Gyaaaaaah! I've never seen such a strong one before! I-It's attacking us!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"I see. Everyone, prepare to fight back!" Yu said as a fight began. As the fight went on, the enemy showed that it wasn't a pushover when it kept throwing attacks at Yu and the others. After a few rounds, Yosuke finally managed to cut it down with a well-placed 'Sonic Punch' from Jiraiya, ending the fight. Afterwards, the ensuing EXP gains put Yu to level 16, Yu's 'Slime' Persona to level 7, giving it the Passive skill 'Resist Physical', Yosuke to level 16, and Chie to level 14, giving Tomoe access to the Ice skill 'Mabufu', making her smirk as she spoke up.

"Oh, yeah! I leveled up AND got a new skill!" Chie said as Yosuke spoke up.

"Heh, nice! Good job, Chie." Yosuke said approvingly as Tomoe acquired 'Mabufu'. After the battle, both the enemy and what the group presumed was Yukiko's Shadow were nowhere to be seen. Instead, all that was left behind was a key, which Yu picked up to get the 'Glass Key' key item. At that point, the group heard Yukiko's voice echo from somewhere ahead of them.

"Hehe, not bad. Well, if you really are my Prince, then we will surely meet again. I am but a trapped soul in this place. I cannot leave this place even if I wished to do so. Hehe. Find me if you can." Yu and the others heard what sounded like Yukiko's voice say before it fell silent, at which point Teddie spoke up.

"I don't sense her anymore, you guys. That's not a good sign. Oh, but never mind that! Are you okay, Sensei? I'm sure we've got a long ways to go. Don't push yourself too hard! If you're tired, you should head back!" Teddie said as the group kept moving. While clearing out Shadows, Yu's 'Pixie' Persona hit level 7. As Yu finished exploring the locked rooms of the fifth floor, his 'Apsaras' Persona hit level 7 off of a defeated Shadow and gained the Ice skill 'Bufu'. While fighting Shadows, Chie hit level 15. After finding the steps and finally reaching the sixth floor, the group heard a voice echo from somewhere ahead of them.

"In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it, if I do say so myself. Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!" The group heard what sounded like a male's voice say before they heard Yukiko's voice echo a moment later.

"Shut up!" Yukiko's voice could be heard saying as a different male voice was heard echoing at that point.

"H-Hey, Yukiko-san. Mind if I ask you something real quick? Is it true that announcer's staying at your family's inn?" The group heard what sounded like a male student's voice say as Yukiko's voice echoed again seconds later.

"Shut up, shut up!" Yukiko's voice was heard saying, making Yu frown as he realized he recognized the male voices that had been speaking, and even what they were saying. But before he could voice his realization, another male's voice was heard echoing.

"Someday, though, you'll be running the place. That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors." The group heard a male's voice say, making Yu's eyes narrow as he realized that these were all things he'd previously heard, two of them being on TV reports, and the third having happened on Yu's first day of school, if he recalled correctly. Before he could voice his realization, Yukiko's voice was heard once more.

"Leave me alone! I'm sick of it, dammit." Yukiko's voice was heard saying as Teddie spoke up.

"I don't get what's going on with all those voices, but I can sense that we're getting closer. Hang in there!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"I think I have an idea of what's going on, but we'll have to wait and hear it from Amagi-san herself. However, I will say that two of those three voices were ones that I heard on the news recently, and those two disgusted me with how flagrantly they were hitting on Amagi-san.

As for the third, I recall that the day that incident occurred was my first day at Yasogami High, when some guy walked over to Amagi-san and asked about a rumor that Yamano was staying at her family's inn prior to her death. So I have a feeling those were memories we just heard. But again, we need to keep moving so we can confirm or deny my theory." Yu said as the others nodded and the group kept moving.

While clearing out Shadows and mapping the sixth floor, Yu hit level 17, and his 'Pixie' Persona hit level 8 and got the support skill 'Trafuri'. While clearing out Shadows on the sixth floor, Yu's 'Omoikane' Persona hit level 10 and gained the passive skill 'Dodge Ice'. Yosuke also hit level 17. While facing more Shadows, Yu's 'Apsaras' Persona hit level 8. Chie also hit level 16. After beating more Shadows, Yu hit level 18 and his 'Apsaras' Persona hit level 9. Once the group found the stairs and climbed up to the seventh floor, they heard Yukiko's voice echo again.

"Hasn't my Prince come yet? My dear Prince, if you can hear me? Please hurry and take me away! Somewhere far away! To a world where no one knows me and I can get a fresh start." Yukiko's voice was heard saying from somewhere ahead of the group as Teddie spoke up.

"There it is! I can sense her again! It's close! She's just beyond here!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up.

"Right. So she's probably on the next floor up, then. Let's keep going." Yu said as the group kept moving.

While fighting Shadows on the seventh floor, Yu's 'Slime' Persona hit level 8. Additionally, Yosuke hit level 17 and got access to the Wind skill 'Magaru'. While fighting against a large group of Shadows, Chie hit level 17. While fighting even more Shadows, Yu's 'Valkyrie' Persona hit level 9.

While clearing out Shadows on the seventh floor, Yu hit level 19 and his 'Angel' Persona hit level 8 and gained the Passive skill 'Regenerate 1'. In addition, Yosuke hit level 19. While fighting more Shadows, Yu's 'Angel' Persona hit level 9 and gained the Passive skill 'Hama Boost'. On top of that, Chie hit level 18.

While clearing out the last few Shadows of the seventh floor, Yu hit level 20, and his 'Yomotsu-Shikome' Persona hit level 8. While the group finished off a 'Golden Hand' type Shadow on the seventh floor, the ensuing EXP gains brought Yu to level 21, and both Yosuke and Chie to level 20, the latter gaining the Physical skill 'Rampage', making her smirk as she spoke up.

"Awesome, Tomoe got another new power!" Chie said as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"Heh, not bad. And our group is sorely lacking in wide-range Physical skills, so that's a good get, Chie." Yosuke said approvingly as Chie thanked Yosuke while Tomoe acquired 'Rampage'. Eventually, the group found the stairs, and climbed up to the eighth floor, where sure enough, it was just a hallway leading to a giant double door. Once Yu inspected it, a wide-eyed Teddie spoke up.

"Huh? This smell is familiar to me. But why are there two of the same smell!? I guess that's not important. What IS important is that it must be her! She's right behind this door!" Teddie said as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"Amagi-san's behind this door!? Let's get this door open and find out." Yu said as Yosuke and Chie nodded, helping Yu push the doors open and move to the next area. Not surprisingly, what the group assumed to be Yukiko's Shadow sat on a throne in the room the group entered into. As they ran in, Chie spoke up.

"Yukiko!" Chie called out, drawing Yu, Teddie, and Yosuke's attention to the other girl who was knelt down in front of the throne that what the group believed to be Yukiko's Shadow sat on. Yu gasped as he recognized the kimono this girl was wearing and spoke up.

"Guys! I think that's the real one! I think we found the real Amagi-san!" Yu said as Yosuke gasped before nodded as he spoke up with a determined look on his face.

"I knew it wasn't the real Yukiko that we saw before! And not only that, there's two of her!" Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"That means the one on the throne IS the Shadow of Amagi-san, as I thought." Yu said as the now-identified Yukiko's Shadow giggled and spoke up.

"Oh? Oooooh, what's this? Three princes are here to see me!? My my!" Yukiko's Shadow said as Yu spoke up.

"If anything, we came here to save the girl currently on her knees in front of you." Yu said as Yukiko's Shadow spoke up.

"So you say. But tell me, are you the surprise guests who came in late? Awwwww, how sweet. I wish I'd gotten a better look at you!" Yukiko's Shadow said as Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Teddie exchanged confused glances, especially when Yukiko's Shadow seemed to look directly at Yu as she kept speaking.

"My, it's getting crowded here. Why don't you and I go somewhere else and get to know one another, yeah? A land far, far away, where no one knows me. If you're my Prince, you'd take me there, won't you? C'mon, won't you take me away from here? Pretty please?" Yukiko's Shadow said coyly, making Yosuke and Chie exchange surprised glances while Yu shuddered even as part of him seemed to enjoy the attention he was being shown. Before he could say a word in response to Yukiko's Shadow, Teddie spoke up in realization.

"Oooh. Is this 'scoring with a hot stud'!?" Teddie asked as Yu spoke up with a shake of his head.

"No, Teddie. This isn't scoring. Now quit talking about that!" Yu rebuked Teddie as Chie spoke up.

"Three princes, did she say? Wait, does that include me, too? Yukiko thinks of me as a prince?" Chie said as Teddie looked at her and spoke up.

"Of course not! You're a girl! Girls cannot be princes! Duh! The third one's gotta be me!" Teddie said as Yosuke frowned and spoke up.

"I seriously doubt that Yukiko-san's Shadow was counting you as a prince, Teddie." Yosuke said bluntly. Yukiko's Shadow chuckled and spoke up.

"Chie's here? Hehe. Yes, she's my Prince Charming, all right." Yukiko's Shadow said as a shocked Yu spoke up.

"Uhh, you do realize Chie is a woman, right? So I doubt she's anyone's Prince Charming. After all, how often do you hear of a woman pretending to be a man just to be a Prince?" Yu asked bluntly as Yukiko's Shadow spoke up with a chuckle.

"Who says I meant a male prince, though? There are female princes, even if they're called princesses. But back to what I was saying. Chie's such a strong Prince, as it turns out. Always there for me, and willing to protect me. Or at least, she WAS." Yukiko's Shadow said as a confused Chie spoke up.

"Was? As in the past tense?" Chie said as Yukiko's Shadow spoke up angrily.

"Yes, I said 'was', as in the past tense! You heard correctly! When it comes down to it, Chie's just not good enough! She can't take me away from here! She can't save me!" Yukiko's Shadow said angrily as Chie winced and spoke up.

"Yukiko, is that really how you feel?" Chie asked Yukiko's Shadow as the real Yukiko got to her feet unsteadily and spoke up.

"S-Stop saying such things with my face!" Yukiko said, only for her Shadow to ignore her.

"Historic inn? Manager training!? I'm SICK of all these things chaining me down! I never asked to be born here! Everything's decided for me! From how I live, to where I die! I'm so sick of it! To hell with it all!" Yukiko's Shadow said as the real Yukiko spoke up pleadingly.

"That's not true, and you know it." Yukiko said as her Shadow spoke up in a mocking voice.

"No? Wasn't that what you once said 'YOURSELF'? Or rather, should I say this: Wasn't that what 'WE OURSELVES' once said? You would always say things like 'I just want to go somewhere far away from this place. Anywhere but here would be better.' You'd always think things like 'Someone, please take me away from this awful hell! I can't leave here on my own because I'm so pathetic. I'm completely useless and can't even do one simple task.' Am I wrong?" Yukiko's Shadow said as the real Yukiko winced and spoke up.

"Stop, wouldn't you? Please stop saying such awful things!" Yukiko said as Yukiko's Shadow spoke up.

"What's the matter? Can't handle the truth!? Let me say a few more things you'd used to say! Ahem. 'I have no hope if I stay, and have no courage to leave and change things. So I sit on my ass hoping that someday my Prince will come! I don't care where we go! Anywhere's fine! As long as it's not here, I don't give a damn! Historical tradition? Pride of the town? What a bunch of bullshit!' Sound familiar!?" Yukiko's Shadow said tauntingly as the real Yukiko shook in a mix of humiliation and anger before she spoke up.

"How dare you say such rude things while claiming to be me?" Yukiko said as Yukiko's Shadow smirked and spoke up.

"I'm not wrong though, am I? That's how I really feel. Isn't that right, oh dear deluded 'me'!?" Yukiko's Shadow said as the real Yukiko spoke up in protest.

"N-No, that can't be right." Yukiko said as Yu, Chie, and Yosuke all gasped, realizing what was about to happen. Yosuke then spoke up.

"Stop! Don't say it!" Yosuke said as his words fell on deaf ears, given what Yukiko said next.

"No! You're not me!" Yukiko said as her Shadow cackled gleefully as the aura around her seemed to intensify while she spoke up.

"Aaaah! This feels wonderful! It's building up inside of me! It's getting more and more enjoyable! If this keeps up, well, you get the picture. I'll revel in the power! I'll be able to do what YOU couldn't! And I'll get such a charge out of it, too!" Yukiko's Shadow said, laughing evilly as the familiar red swarm of Shadows gathered around her, allowing her to shift forms into what appeared to be a giant pink bird with white plumage on the chest that was shaped like a heart, perched atop a cage that was opened atop a swinging chandelier. For her part, the real Yukiko gasped and fell to the ground in horror as she spoke up.

"Aagh!" The real Yukiko said as she landed on her butt and sat there, gaping in openmouthed horror as Chie spoke up.

"Yukiko!" Chie called out in concern as Teddie spoke up.

"The real Yukiko should be fine for now! As for that Shadow that's on the chandelier? We have to stop it! That girl's in danger if we don't!" Teddie said as Yu's eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke up.

"Then that's exactly what we're gonna do! I may not have known Amagi-san for very long, but even I know that her Shadow isn't telling the full story. Not only that, but I refuse to believe that she's really capable of swearing, even if she is best friends with Chie, who seems far more apt to swear than Yukiko. But if we all work together, we can take Yukiko's Shadow down and save the real Yukiko!" Yu said as Yosuke spoke up with a nod while both Yu and Yosuke ignored the indignant cry of 'HEY! I resent that!' from Chie as the latter of the two guys spoke up.

"We know, Teddie! I agree with Yu, though. We can do this!" Yosuke said as Yu turned to Chie and spoke up.

"I'm sorry if I offended you just now. But even you have to admit that you're likelier to cuss than Amagi-san is." Yu said as Chie smiled and spoke up.

"It's fine, Yu. I was more shocked than offended, anyways." Chie said before turning towards the downed Yukiko as she kept speaking.

"It's all right, Yukiko! You're gonna be okay! Just hang in there! We'll save you!" Chie said as she, Yu, and Yosuke charged into battle as a fight began! At the start of the fight, Yukiko's Shadow spoke up.

"I am a shadow-the true self! Now, my Prince, what do you say? Why don't we dance and make merry together? Hee hee." Yukiko's Shadow said as Yu spoke up dryly.

"Tempting as that offer is, I'm gonna have to pass. Besides, the only reason me and my friends are here is to save the real you! You are just the less pleasant and frankly unappealing side of Amagi-san that she keeps hidden!" Yu said as Yukiko's Shadow gave off an offended huff in response while Chie spoke up as she glanced towards the real Yukiko.

"Hang in there, Yukiko! Me and the others are gonna beat your Shadow! I'm right here for you!" Chie said as Yukiko's Shadow spoke up with a sneer.

"Oh really, is that right? You and the others are only interested in the meek, boring girl currently on her butt, paralyzed with fear? Then I'll make sure to give you plenty to deal with while you entertain me!" Yukiko's Shadow said as Yu spoke up.

"Is that so? I wonder, then. Let's see if this works? PERSONA! COME, OMOIKANE! HELP ME CHILL THIS OVERGROWN BIRD OUT!" Yu said as he summoned out Omoikane, a fairly recent Persona acquisition of Yu's that was literally a one-eyed brain with tentacles who waved its tentacles around and caused a torrent of Ice energy to shoot out and slam into Yukiko's Shadow, who screeched in pain and fell off the chandelier she was on. Yu smirked at this and spoke up.

"Aha, I thought so! She might be hotheaded, but she can't take the cold! Chie, you and I can use that to our advantage and really clock the damage! Yosuke can help with chip damage and healing!" Yu said decisively as Yosuke and Chie nodded, trusting in the strategy that Yu had devised. The three then started hurling attacks at Yukiko's Shadow, throwing in the occasional All-Out Attacks for good measure. After the second or third time of being blasted with an All-Out Attack, Yukiko's Shadow glared at the group and spoke up.

"What, are you trying to make me mad or something, you peasants? Let's see how you handle this!" Yukiko's Shadow said as she used 'Ice Wall' to remove her Ice weakness. Yu frowned and spoke up.

"Playing that card, then? No matter. Everyone, switch to rushing her for now!" Yu said as the others nodded, doing as told. After a while of slashing/kicking at the cage that Yukiko's Shadow had perched on, Yukiko's Shadow glared at the group again and spoke up.

"That's not how it's supposed to work, dammit! You have to escort me!" Yukiko's Shadow said, right as her Ice weakness returned. Yu smirked and spoke up.

"Yeah? Escort this!" Yu said as he and Chie blasted Yukiko's Shadow with a double burst of Bufu, slamming her off her cage and letting the group launch another All-Out Attack. After Chie's next Bufu slammed Yukiko's Shadow down and let the group hit her with another All-Out Attack, she got up with a screech and perched on her cage as she spoke up.

"Hehe, we're not done yet. Show me this strength of yours! Come, my Prince! Conquer me if you can! Heeheehee, I look forward to your best efforts." Yukiko's Shadow said as she summoned another Shadow to assist her. After the group battered Yukiko's Shadow and her assistant, Shadow Yukiko huffed and spoke up while getting back atop her cage to renew her protection against Ice attacks.

"I don't understand! You won't lift a finger for me!" Yukiko's Shadow said as Yu spoke up dryly.

"I said it before-we're here for the REAL you! So of course we won't lift a finger to help you!" Yu said bluntly as the group proceeded to unload raw damage on both Yukiko's Shadow and her assistant, the latter of which eventually fled after enough damage was logged on him, leaving a confused Yukiko's Shadow to speak up.

"My prince! My dear prince!" Yukiko's Shadow said as she tried to summon back the 'Prince', but he refused to come back, leaving a confused, betrayed, and devastated Yukiko's Shadow to keep speaking.

"Why did this happen? Why won't he come back when I call him?" Yukiko's Shadow said as the battle continued, the group having switched to physical damage since Yukiko's Shadow couldn't be hit with Ice moves for the time being. After a bit, Yukiko's Shadow spoke up with a huff.

"Hmph, looks like i had the wrong idea about the lot of you. None of you are any sort of prince at all! In that case, I have one thing to say. Die, you worthless commoners!" Yukiko's Shadow said tauntingly as Yu spoke up with a huff.

"Of course we're not! Why would there be ANY sort of royalty in Inaba? I think you're deluding yourself. But rather than talk about it, why don't we knock some sense into you!? Chie, care to do the honors?" Yu said as Chie nodded and spoke up.

"Gladly, Yu! PROTECT ME, TOMOE! Help that distorted Yukiko chill out!" Chie said as Tomoe appeared, spinning her double edged blade in a circle, causing a giant chunk of Ice to rain down on top of Yukiko's Shadow, who screamed as she fell from her perch and spoke up.

"NOOO! I lost!? THIS CANNOT BE! Looks like my tale is over." Yukiko's Shadow said as she crashed to the ground and slowly reverted to her normal form, ending the battle. From the ensuing EXP gains, Yu hit level 22, Yosuke hit level 21, and Chie hit level 21. After the battle, the real Yukiko groaned as she slowly got to her feet. At that point, Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Teddie raced over to the real Yukiko's side and Chie spoke up.

"Yukiko! Yukiko, are you hurt at all!?" Chie asked as the real Yukiko spoke up with a mixed fearful and anxious note in her voice.

"No, I'm okay. I'm not-" The real Yukiko said before Yosuke cut in by speaking up, interrupting the real Yukiko mid-sentence.

"We understand. You're not the only one like that, Yukiko-san. Everyone has something they can't show to other people, or doesn't want to admit to themselves, for that matter." Yosuke said as the real Yukiko blinked at this before Yu spoke up.

"Yosuke's right. The important thing is that you can't look away from this other you. She might not be the most pleasant part, but she is still you." Yu said as Chie spoke up before the real Yukiko could reply to Yu's words.

"Yukiko, I had no idea you were feeling like that at all. I'm sorry. I was so self-centered that I didn't even try to think about how you might be feeling. And because of that, I never understood what you were going through all this time. I'm your friend, and I still let you end up in a state like this. I'm so sorry for failing you, Yukiko." Chie said, surprising Yu and Yosuke when she lifted her glasses long enough to wipe tears from her eyes as the real Yukiko blinked and spoke up.

"Chie, are you serious?" The real Yukiko said as Chie nodded and spoke up.

"I am. I was always jealous of you, Yukiko. You had everything I didn't have. That jealousy was like a wall, and I was so lonely for such a long time. I wanted you to need me, no matter how unlikely and unrealistic that want might seem. But it was me who needed you. I can't do anything right on my own, as it turns out. And to make matters worse, I've caused so much trouble for Yosuke and the others. If you weren't by my side, I can't imagine how my life would be. I wouldn't know what to do without you as my friend, Yukiko." Chie said as the real Yukiko smiled and spoke up.

"Chie, I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you. I never saw the real you either, in this entire time we've known one another. I was too busy trying to find an easy way out." the real Yukiko said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"I take it you've realized what you have to do now, then?" Yu said as the real Yukiko nodded and walked over to her Shadow before speaking up.

"I owe you an apology as well, it seems. 'I want to run away', was it? 'I want someone to save me', I think you said? You're right, those feelings are part of me, too. I understand now. Whether I like it or not, you're me." Yukiko said as her Shadow nodded once, and a card appeared in Yukiko's hand with writing on it that she read.

'Congratulations, Yukiko Amagi. You have proven on this day that the strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest within you. For facing your other self and not running away, accept this reward.' Yukiko read, blinking as she heard a whooshing noise and looked up in time for her Shadow to shift forms into a pink being with black pants, dark pink boots, and dark pink gloves, and a white strapless tube top over her pink jacket, wing-like fins fanning out from both arms. Oddly enough, the being that Yukiko saw lacked feet. After the being vanished from view, Yukiko looked down at the rest of the card as she kept reading.

'As you no doubt just saw, your reward for overcoming your other self is the facade used to overcome life's hardships. At this time, accept the power of the Persona 'Konohana Sakuya' as your own. Congratulations on finding yourself.' Yukiko read, nodding once to herself before groaning as she staggered over and dropped to her knees once more, prompting Chie to speak up in horror.

"Yukiko!" Chie said as Yosuke spoke up once the group was gathered around her, her head lolled to the side slightly.

"Are you okay?" Yosuke asked as Yukiko looked up at Yosuke and spoke up.

"Hm? Yes, I'm just a little tired, that's all." Yukiko said before looking at the group gathered in front of her as she kept speaking.

"You all came to rescue me, then?" Yukiko said as Yu, Yosuke, Teddie, and Chie nodded, the latter speaking up with a smile.

"Of course we did!" Chie said as Yukiko spoke up with a smile.

"Thank you all so much. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart." Yukiko said as Chie spoke up after once more blinking back and wiping away tears.

"Don't even mention it. I'm just so glad you're safe and sound, Yukiko." Chie said as Yosuke chuckled and spoke up with a wry grin on his face.

"Hehe, so we hear how Chie really feels too? Right on." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"And we were able to save Amagi-san as well, so I'd say that other than her clearly being exhausted right now, all's well that ends well." Yu said as Yukiko smiled and spoke up.

"You're not wrong about me being exhausted, Yu. But I don't mind if you call me Yukiko, you know. I understand you were raised to be polite and respectful of all women, but if you can't call a girl by her first name after saving her life, when CAN you call her by her first name? Of course, I understand if you'd prefer to stay on a last-name basis." Yukiko said as Yu spoke up with a kind smile.

"No, that's okay, Yukiko. I was just waiting until I had your permission before addressing you by your first name. Of course, if you're letting me call you Yukiko, it's more than fair that you can call me Yu if you like." Yu said with a wry smile as Yukiko nodded once before Teddie spoke up.

"Okay, now that we've had the warm fuzzies dealt with, let's get to the serious stuff! So, who threw you in here?" Teddie said as Yu and Yosuke spoke up.

"TEDDIE!" Yu and Yosuke said as Chie spoke up with a frown.

"Learn some tact, dammit!" Chie followed up the rebuke that Yu and Yosuke gave Teddie with one of her own as a confused Yukiko spoke up.

"Huh, is that a walking bear suit? Who are you? Rather, I should probably say, WHAT are you?" Yukiko said as Teddie spoke up, ignoring the groans from Yu, Yosuke, and Chie at what he said next.

"I'm Teddie! So, who threw you in?" Teddie said as Yukiko looked down before she spoke up.

"I don't know, unfortunately. I think if I recall correctly, someone called my name or something? But my memory's a blur. I can't remember who it was at all. I'm sorry, um, what was your name again? Oh right, I think you said it was Teddie." Yukiko said as Teddie spoke up with a frown.

"Ugh. You got my name right, but we still have no new clues to go on." Teddie said as Yosuke frowned and spoke up.

"Not necessarily. Now we know that someone threw Yukiko-san in here." Yosuke said as Yu nodded his agreement and spoke up.

"Agreed. However, we're still no closer to knowing who threw people in here, much less why they would do such a thing. But otherwise, I think we can consider this to be at least somewhat of a win that we were able to save Yukiko so quickly." Yu said sagely as Teddie smiled and spoke up.

"Hrmm, Yosuke has a good point. But then again, so does Sensei. But if we're no closer to finding our culprit, and you were willing to risk yourselves to save Yukiko, then it really isn't you guys who threw people in here." Teddie said as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"Seriously!? Ugh, I guess I can't be that mad that you were still suspicious of us. Well, Teddie? Are you satisfied now?" Yu asked dryly, clearly unimpressed by Teddie's continued suspicion of himself, Yosuke, and Chie. Teddie blanched at the pointed glare Yu was giving him and spoke up with a hasty nod.

"Mmhm! I think my doubts are suitably put to rest. I-I always believed it wasn't you guys!" Teddie said as Yosuke started glaring at Teddie before he spoke up.

"You little furry jerk! You're one lying sack of sugar honeyed iced tea, you know that!?" Yosuke snapped as Yu smirked at Yosuke tearing into Teddie. Before he could add in his own rebuke, Chie cut in with a worried expression on her face. *1*

"Yeah, yeah, Teddie's a suspicious jerk. At least he believes us now, yeah? Anyways, let's hurry back home. Yukiko looks exhausted over here!" Chie said as Yu spoke up with an understanding nod.

"True. She does look pretty dead on her feet, so to speak. We should get her back to the entrance so we can get her home." Yu said agreeably as Chie smiled at Yu and spoke up.

"Glad you're so understanding, Yu. And thanks again for your help, Teddie!" Chie said as Yukiko slowly got to her feet and made to follow Yu, Yosuke, and Chie out of the castle, seemingly leaving Teddie behind, making Teddie speak up with a wide-eyed look of disbelief on his face.

"Huh? Wait, you're leaving me here?" Teddie asked as Yosuke spoke up with a look of shocked confusion on his face.

"Leaving you? What're you talking about? You live here." Yosuke said as Teddie spoke up.

"Well, if we're being honest? Yeah, I live in this world, but still, that doesn't mean I like saying good-bye." Teddie said with a sad look on his face. Yukiko smiled at Teddie as she unsteadily wandered in his direction and spoke up while kneeling slightly to look Teddie in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Teddie. I promise to come again when I'm feeling better. So be a good boy and wait here until then." Yukiko said as Teddie smiled and spoke up while a heart went up over his head, to the confusion of Yu, Chie, and Yosuke, and the vague amusement of Yukiko.

"R-Raaaawr!" Teddie said happily before he kept speaking with a coy look on his face, not seeing Yu and Yosuke exchange horrified looks at what he said next, nor Chie having to stop Yu and Yosuke from facefaulting as he kept speaking.

"My, its getting crowded here. Why don't you and I go somewhere else, Yukiko? C'mon, won't you go with me? Pretty please?" Teddie asked in a flirty tone, making Yosuke, Yu, and Chie sweatdrop as the latter two both spoke up in simultaneous rebuke, identical looks of disbelief on their faces as they glared at Teddie.

"TEDDIE!" Yu and Chie said as the former kept speaking with a frown on his face.

"Are you REALLY trying to hit on Yukiko when she's still recovering from a stressful ordeal!? How shameful. At least wait until she's feeling better and can be more receptive to it, or at least feel up to giving consent before you try hitting on her!" Yu rebuked Teddie sternly as Chie nodded her agreement and Yosuke spoke up with a frown, the look on his face making it clear he agreed with Yu.

"Gah, seriously!? You're more worried about scoring than getting Yukiko-san out of here safely, Teddie!? You're giving me the creeps, you pervy bear! That's it, you're stuck here for the rest of your life!" Yosuke said irately, getting amused chuckles from Yu and Chie and a confused look from Yukiko, who was oblivious to what Teddie was trying to ask her previously.

Before Teddie could answer Yosuke or Yu's rebukes, the two of them led Yukiko and Chie all the way back to the entrance, having Teddie put out the TVs so they could go back to the real world, but not before Yu told Teddie to straighten up and fly right going forward, getting a frantic nod from a clearly contrite Teddie as the others went back to the real world without him...

(A short time later, in the rooftop food court of Junes, with Yosuke, Yu, Yukiko, and Chie)

As Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko gathered at the Junes food court, Chie sat Yukiko on a bench and sat next to her, speaking up with a worried look on her face while Yu and Yosuke stood near the bench, the latter crossing his arms in concern as Chie spoke up.

"Yukiko, how are you feeling? Are you all right? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Chie asked as Yukiko shook her head and spoke up.

"No, I'm fine, Chie. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Yukiko asked as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"As much as I hate to ask this so soon, how DID you manage to get in there? Or can you remember any of it? Don't feel bad if you can't remember. I just felt like it wouldn't hurt to ask. I apologize for how tactless my question came off, but I think you can agree why it was a needed question." Yu said as tactfully as he could. Yukiko looked down sadly as she spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but as much as I want to repay you guys, I don't remember anything about what happened to me." Yukiko said as Chie spoke up with a reassuring look on her face.

"Well, no worries! You're safe, and that's more than enough." Chie said as Yu and Yosuke nodded before the latter spoke up with a frown on his face.

"That's true, Chie. But there's no mistake that Yukiko-san was in a bad way back there. But, um, why would someone go after Yukiko-san in the first place, I wonder?" Yosuke asked uneasily as Yu spoke up.

"That is an excellent question, Yosuke. No doubt whoever killed Konishi-san and Yamano-san was the one who threw Yukiko into the TV as well. But that does nothing to answer why they'd go after her. After all, as far as I'm aware, she had no connection whatsoever to either of the first two victims. Sure, there were the rumors that the first victim was a guest at her family's inn, but who really puts stock in what goes around the school gossip grapevine, assuming I have that right?" Yu said as Yosuke spoke up with a frown.

"I'm not sure if you have that expression right or not, but that's not important right now. What IS important is that Yukiko-san was attacked, and in the same way as the last two victims. And I think the one we saw on the Midnight Channel wasn't the real Yukiko-san, but her Shadow. Maybe the things Yukiko-san was suppressing in this world took form in the TV world as the show that her Shadow put on during the Midnight Channel?" Yosuke suggested as Yu and Chie gave Yosuke shocked looks while the former spoke up with a surprised look on her face.

"You know, Teddie was saying something like that too recently, wasn't he?" Chie said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"True. Teddie did say something about the TV World, and I quote, 'being reality for the people who entered it'. I think that could be interpreted to mean that each person who enters the TV World ends up with their own area created based on whatever they're keeping suppressed inside of them? For example, Yukiko's area was a castle because she apparently felt like a trapped princess or something to that effect, assuming I interpreted the underlying meaning of her Shadow's rantings and hateful remarks correctly.

As for you and Yosuke, you two didn't have an area because you guys weren't thrown into the TV to confront your Shadows, so much as you followed me inside of your own volition, meaning you got to confront your Shadows head-on and make peace with them before they could create unique areas for themselves. Does that make sense to the two of you, Chie and Yosuke? And I apologize if we're confusing you at all with all this, Yukiko." Yu said as Yosuke and Chie nodded while Yukiko spoke up with a smile.

"It's fine, Yu. I figure you'll explain it more when the time is right, so I won't pry too much for now." Yukiko said as Yosuke spoke up.

"Thanks for your understanding, Yukiko-san. Aww, but even then, our current trail of thought is no use. I'm just going round and round in circles. What kinda person could be doing this?" Yosuke asked as Yu spoke up.

"Good question. But I don't think we're in the proper mind space to figure it out now. Let's call it a day for now, and we can reconvene later to try and approach that question with fresher minds. And with any luck, Yukiko might remember more of what happened by then. But don't force yourself either, Yukiko. Just focus on getting better so we can be able to fill you in on things. I feel like you've earned at least that much consideration from us after what you've been through recently." Yu said kindly, the look on his face betraying his worry about Yukiko's condition, earning him impressed looks from Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke, while making Yu feel as if his compassion for others had grown, netting him an unseen boost to his Understanding. Chie nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, good call, Yu. We can go over it some other day. I agree with you when you say that Yukiko really needs to get some rest, Yu. I'll take her home." Chie said as Yosuke winced and spoke up.

"Oh, that's right. Yukiko-san did just go through a lot back there, didn't she? Sorry. Yukiko-san must be exhausted." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"It's an easy mistake to make, partner. But maybe try to learn a bit of tact going forward? Who knows when that could save you from saying something that could actually land you in some real trouble. Not that I mind bailing you out if it comes to it, because I don't. I just feel like you could stand to better yourself a bit, that's all. But we did good work today in rescuing Yukiko." Yu said as Chie and Yukiko nodded their agreement along with Yosuke before the girls left the food court, Chie deciding to help guide Yukiko back to the Amagi Inn. After they were gone, Yosuke turned to Yu and spoke up.

"I understand what you were trying to say, Yu. I realize I could probably think before I speak more. I'll try to work on that as best I can going forward. That being said, we'll talk about all this some more once Yukiko gets her strength back." Yosuke said as Yu nodded his agreement before he and Yosuke wordlessly agreed to disperse for the day and head home, Yu feeling glad that he and the others were able to rescue Yukiko safely and in a very timely manner.

As Yu walked home, he decided that he could focus on doing his best to better himself while waiting for the fog to come in and see what, if anything, happens in regards to the Midnight Channel, noting as he did so that this case's mysteries have deepened even further than they previously had. But for the time being, Yu knew the best thing to do would be to wait for Yukiko to recover, which he was more than willing to do...

(That evening, in the lower level of the Dojima household, with Yu, Nanako, and Ryotaro)

As Yu and Nanako sat down to have a cup of coffee together, which Yu had poured due to his experience helping out around a cafe as one of his part-time jobs back in Kichijoji, Nanako and Yu heard the front door open, making Nanako gasp happily as she spoke up.

"Oh! He's home! Dad's home!" Nanako said as Yu blinked and spoke up.

"Oh? Imagine that. Well, that's good that he's home." Yu said, turning to look in the direction of the front door with Nanako, only for both his and Nanako's eyes to widen slightly as they saw that Ryotaro wasn't alone. He'd brought a co-worker home. With a silent gasp, Yu realized this was the same detective he'd seen run past him the day that he, Yukiko, and Chie had walked past the shopping district while the police were investigating the death of the first victim, and the same detective who'd been talking to himself and Yosuke the day they'd gotten dragged down to the station thanks to Yosuke's oh-so stupid idea of waving weapons around in the middle of a public department store that had cops all over it. But Yu wisely kept silent as Nanako spoke up, giving an uneasy look to the guy who'd walked in with Ryotaro as she spoke.

"Um, are you one of Dad's co-workers? Hello there." Nanako said, trying her best to be friendly to the guy next to Ryotaro. The guy next to Ryotaro smiled at Nanako and spoke up.

"Hi there." The guy next to Ryotaro said as Yu frowned, noting as he sized the guy up that he could sense a subtle tone of insincerity in the guy's tone, though Yu hopefully chalked it up to a long day at work and gave the guy the benefit of the doubt for the time being, even though he made a note to keep an eye on the guy going forward. Before he could verbally acknowledge the guy with Ryotaro, Ryotaro spoke up.

"Sorry for the unannounced company. We got off work at the same time, so I'm giving him a ride back to his place. I thougth we might as well swing by." Ryotaro said as the guy next to him chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, sorry if we scared you with our sudden arrival. Nice to meet ya. I'm Adachi, the guy who's been your dad's slave since spring." The now-named (and actually identified) Adachi said as Yu arched an eyebrow and spoke up.

"Slave, you say? I didn't think Dojima-san worked you that hard, did he? Of course, I've only been in town for a few days, so what do I know?" Yu said conversationally as Ryotaro spoke up while trying not to laugh at how well Yu was calling Adachi on his crap.

"No, you're pretty much right, Yu. Adachi here is prone to exaggerations at times." Ryotaro said to Yu before glaring at Adachi as he kept speaking.

"Also, before you keep being a wise guy? I can still work you harder, you know." Ryotaro said with a frown as Adachi spoke up with a nervous chuckle.

"Haha, good one, Sir! Ha, ha, that wasn't a joke, was it?" Adachi said as Yu spoke up with a smirk.

"I doubt it. With all respect to Dojima-san, he doesn't seem like the type of man who cracks a lot of jokes. He seems quite serious from what I've seen so far. However, I'm also grateful to him for putting me up for the next year while my parents are overseas for 'reasons', which I'm not at liberty to discuss past that." Yu said bluntly, getting an approving nod from Ryotaro as Adachi blinked on recognizing Yu before he spoke up.

"Oh, I've seen you before, haven't I? You're friends with Yukiko Amagi, right? They found her safe and sound! Tell all your friends at school!" Adachi said as Yu blinked at this, but figured it wasn't that surprising that Yukiko's parents probably told the police of her safe return since she was no longer considered missing. But rather than make a quip like he wanted to, he forced a smile on his face as he spoke up.

"Yeah? That's great news. We owe you guys a lot for all the hard work you do." Yu said kindly, knowing he needed to set a good example for Nanako. Adachi smiled at the praise from Yu and spoke up with a nod.

"Oh, thanks. Wow, someone thanked me for a job well done. I don't know what to say right now." Adachi said as Yu frowned, but refrained from pointing out he was also thanking Ryotaro as well, allowing Adachi to frown as he kept speaking.

"But this doesn't mean the case is closed, though. We were just questioning Miss Amagi, but she says she doesn't remember anything that happened while she was missing. And we can't figure out her whereabouts during the missing period, either. It's like she really disappeared. It's all pretty fishy, if you ask me, you know? Like there's something else going on in all of this." Adachi said before Ryotaro shocked both Yu and Nanako as he hauled off and smacked Adachi upside the back of his head with a fist, making Adachi give off a pained 'Ow!' in response as Nanako frowned at her dad's display of violence, but Yu looked at her and gave her a subtle shake of the head as if to say 'don't think too much of this', which Nanako heeded and stayed silent as Ryotaro glared at Adachi and spoke up.

"Stop blabbering, dumbass!" Ryotaro said irately as Adachi winced and spoke up with a sweatdrop over his head and a contrite look on his face as he spoke.

"S-Sorry about that, Dojima-san." Adachi said as Ryotaro turned to Yu and Nanako and spoke up with a stern look on his face.

"Ignore him. He's just spouting some wild fantasy." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded his understanding and spoke up with a smile.

"Well, if you say so, Dojima-san. I'll forget it, then. After all, far be it from me to entertain the wild fantasies of a fully grown man. Sure, Nanako might find them somewhat entertaining, but she's a little kid, so she can get away with it." Yu said reassuringly to Ryotaro before turning to give Nanako an apologetic look for dragging her into his response like he did, getting an understanding smile in return from Nanako, who was clearly not bothered by Yu talking about her the way he had. Ryotaro smiled at Yu's response and spoke up.

"Yeah, don't give it a second thought. Sheesh, he's a real pain in the ass sometimes, truth be told." Ryotaro said as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"That's fair. But are you sure you should be swearing in front of Nanako like that, Dojima-san? Aren't you worried she might start repeating what you say?" Yu asked as Nanako pouted and spoke up.

"Nuh-uh! I know better than to repeat what I hear, Yu! I might only be six and a half, but I know what not to say. And Dad? I'm hungry." Nanako said in a whiny tone as Yu spoke up.

"Right, right. Sorry. I was just trying to set a good example for you, Nanako. That's all. I apologize for treating you like a child, since that was not my intention at all." Yu said apologetically as Nanako gave him an approving nod and a forgiving smile as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up.

"You have a point, Yu. I probably should watch what I say in front of Nanako, shouldn't I?" Ryotaro said, getting an approving nod from Yu before Ryotaro turned to Nanako and kept speaking.

"You're hungry, Nanako? Hey, you're right. My stomach's growling too." Ryotaro said as Adachi chuckled and spoke up.

"Hahaha, so you do have a softer side around Nanako-chan, Sir." Adachi said as Yu spoke up with an unimpressed frown, the look on his face clearly screaming 'Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious' while he spoke.

"Of course he does. That's his daughter you're talking about, Adachi-san. So of course Dojima-san has a softer side around her." Yu said bluntly, getting an approving nod from Ryotaro, who focused his attention on glaring at Adachi rebukingly as he spoke up.

"Shut up and siddown, Adachi! And wash those hands first! Hm, I should do the same thing, truth be told." Ryotaro said as Adachi nodded his agreement, neither seeing the amused smile on Yu's face as he idly noted that with Adachi staying for it, dinner promises to be lively for once. Yu was just as glad for it, since he knew Nanako has probably already had more than her share of lonely meals in her young life, and he felt bad for her, since that's not something a little girl should have such ample experience with in his opinion. But Yu kept his opinion to himself, not wanting to ruin the likely positive atmosphere that was sure to ensue from that night's dinner...

(Meanwhile, at the same time as Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko returning to the real world, but before Yu went home for the evening, back in a quiet part of downtown Burbank, with Gaignun and Marisa, Marisa's POV)

As Gaignun and I walked together through the downtown area after having left the park, where Gaignun had walked over to pick me up, leaving his motorcycle at home to do so, I looked up at him and spoke up with a confused look on my face.

"Gaignun? Why did you walk to the park and pick me up? I figured you'd have driven your motorcycle?" I asked, prompting Gaignun to look at me and then chuckle as he spoke up.

"That's easy, Marisa. I did that because I knew I'd have to bring you home, and I only have the one motorcycle helmet for now, so one of us would've had to ride without a helmet, most likely me. That, and I felt like walking for a change of pace. Also, sometimes it's just nice to take a look at one's surroundings and reflect. So I chose to walk so I could try and not think about how much we're feeling the impact of Mom's death. I apologize if you were excited to ride it, though. Once I can get another helmet so we can ride it safely, I'll take you out on as many rides as you like on the motorcycle, within reason. How's that?" Gaignun asked me, getting an excited nod from me as I spoke up.

"That sounds great, Gaignun! Thank you, Big Bro! I love you." I said, surprising Gaignun as I hugged him briefly, making him smile as he wrapped his arms around me and briefly returned the hug as he spoke up after surprising me slightly by gently patting me on the head fondly while he spoke.

"I love you too. But, maybe wait until we're back home and inside the house before you put on any really flashy shows of affection, yeah? That being said, I'm glad you're happy, Mari." Gaignun said to me as I nodded, the two of us continuing our walk. A short time later, as we were walking down a crosswalk a few blocks away from our house, I blinked as I noticed a light out of the corner of my eye, turning to see a headlight illuminating the buildings to my immediate right, making me turn my head in time to see a white vehicle pull around the corner, seemingly stopping close to myself and Gaignun.

Confused by the suddenness of the vehicle's approach, I turned my attention to the vehicle, blinking as I saw two grown men inside, one shorter with cropped brown hair, and dark brown eyes, and the other slightly taller with black wavy hair and hazel eyes. I noticed both of them looking in our direction and followed their gazes, quietly gasping as I saw their gazes seemingly land directly on Gaignun, who was somehow oblivious to the sequence of events currently unfolding behind him.

At that point, I kept walking, hoping the vehicle would stop long enough for myself and Gaignun to cross the road. However, to my alarm and shock, the vehicle instead seemed to speed up and barrel directly towards Gaignun. Acting quickly, I used all my strength to push Gaignun out of the path of the vehicle, barely managing to get Gaignun out of the way before it came speeding up, eventually plowing directly into me and hitting me head-on.

The suddenness of my impulsive and selfless action had the results of leaving me only enough time to sigh in relief that I'd saved Gaignun and then scream from the pain I felt all over my body as I felt the oncoming vehicle that I'd pushed Gaignun out of the path of continue forward to eventually slam head-on into me, throwing me through the air in what felt like an extremely agonized slow-motion, eventually passing out from the subsequent jolts of pain that ran through my body as I felt my forehead smash face-first into the concrete nearby, unaware of the horrified gasp and scream Gaignun gave at seeing me thrown through the air to eventually land facedown on the nearby pavement, blood slowly pooling out of my forehead where it'd been split open on the concrete.

The last thing I remembered hearing before passing out with a relieved smile on my face at having saved Gaignun from getting run over was a throng of horrified on-lookers scrambling to my side, several of them yelling about calling an ambulance and getting me help while I saw Gaignun racing towards me while screaming my name. In all the confusion that had ensued with my accident, the vehicle made a swift and unseen getaway.

Unbeknownst to me, Gaignun happened to notice the vehicle smashing into me after he turned around following me shoving him out of the way. All I knew in that moment as I passed out from the pain I felt was that as long as Gaignun was safe, that was all that mattered...

(POV shift-neutral POV)

After Gaignun saw Marisa's body slam into the nearby pavement with a very audible 'SMACK!', he gasped in horror as he saw her pass out while a small pool of blood formed beneath Marisa's head. As Gaignun hurried to his sister's side, he only vaguely registered the throngs of people acting to try and treat Marisa's wounds and calling an ambulance. Gaignun, for his part, was too busy gaping in stupefied horror at what had just happened, internally praying fervently that he wasn't about to lose another family member so soon after losing his mother. After a bit, an ambulance arrived and loaded Marisa onto a stretcher before loading her into the ambulance, Gaignun climbing in beside her as the ambulance pulled away to hurry to the nearest hospital to try and treat Marisa before it was too late...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter in the books! Yes, I know, I left it on a very evil cliffy! All I can say is that I wasn't joking in the slightest before when I said that things had to get a lot worse for Gaignun before they could even BEGIN to get better. Unfortunately, this will probably be the last cutaway to Gaignun for a few chapters. The plan is to have one final cutaway to Gaignun near the end of the first Arc, and then an Interlude the following chapter to focus on Gaignun's side of things before the second Arc starts.

After all, things have to happen before Gaignun's side of the plot can start linking up with Yu's side. That being said, the plan is to have the beginnings of Gaignun's appearances in Inaba happen probably as early as mid-to-late Arc 2, if not early Arc 3. Suffice it to say, I have Gaignun's Arc targeted for being Arc 4, but I'll leave it at that for now so as not to spoil the surprises I have cooked up for that specific Arc.

EDIT: Before I have a chance to forget, let me take this chance to wish anyone reading this chapter a (belated) Happy Halloween (since it is 1:56 AM on Thursday, October 31st aka Halloween as of the point of typing out this part of the end-of-chapter A/N), which makes the fact I've been typing these first few chapters on and off throughout October that much more ironic given the fact that a lot of Persona 4 Golden's plot could easily classify as a partial horror story plot.

But for now, that's the end of this chapter. So let me take this chance to thank everyone who's read this far into both the chapter, and the story, as your support is both greatly appreciated and earnestly welcomed. So thank you all so much for the support, as it means a lot to me. And for those who like to be vocal, feel free to leave a review below (or PM me if you're uncomfortable leaving a review) with any thoughts/feedback/constructive criticism on this story, and I will make it a point to reply to any such feedback in a very timely manner as I enjoy hearing from my readers. So yeah, don't be shy about hitting me up. And until the next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - Yeah, it's not one of my stories without at least one reference in it. In this case, it's a more subtle Madagascar reference by Yosuke. But I figure if anyone could get away with sliding this type of reference in from the Investigation Team, it'd probably be Yosuke. There is one other character that could probably get away with it, but he's not shown up yet. Therefore, Yosuke is just as good of a choice to use. Felt like putting that out there, I think.

INVESTIGATION TEAM LEVELS, SOCIAL LINK RANKS, AND ALLY LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 6

INVESTIGATION TEAM LEVELS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 6

YU - Level: 22 Current Persona: Omoikane

YOSUKE - Level: 21 Current/Partner Persona: Jiraiya Persona Moveset: Garu (Wind), Bash (Physical), Dia (Healing), Sukukaja (Support/Buff), Makajam (Ailment), Trafuri (Support/Escape), Sonic Punch (Physical), Magaru (Wind)

CHIE - Level: 21 Current/Partner Persona: Tomoe Persona Moveset: Skewer (Physical), Tarukaja (Support/Buff), Bufu (Ice), Skull Cracker (Physical), Mabufu (Ice), Rampage (Physical)

SOCIAL LINK RANKS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 6

FOOL (Investigation Team) - Rank 1

MAGICIAN (Yosuke) - Rank 2

CHARIOT (Chie) - Rank 1

STRENGTH (Daisuke and Kou/Fellow Athletes) - Rank 1

AEON (Marie) - Rank 1

ALLY LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 6: Igor, Margaret, Ryotaro, Nanako, Yukiko, Teddie, Marie, Adachi