Part 6: 4/15/11 Part 2

4/15/11- Continued

Teddie led us through the TV world to our destination, a horrible parody of Inaba's shopping district.

VIDEO- "Awakening"

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What's going on here!?
Some weird places have appeared here recently.
Things are getting so tangled, I dunno what to do…
Uh… by the way, why are you standing so far from us?
…You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does come up.
Of course not!
I mean. Uh, I can't stand too close, you know. I'd get in your way…
Hrrrm…
Man, they really went all out on this…
But out of all the places in town, why'd they replicate this one?

I'm not entirely sure what half the stuff Teddie says is supposed to mean.



*sigh * As usual, nothing you say makes any sense…
But if this is our shopping district, we're not far from Saki-senpai's…

Yosuke ran off, and Teddie and I followed. He stopped at a liquor store with a strange red light pouring from the door.



Does this mean… Senpai disappeared here?
What could've happened…?
W-Wait a second. Th-They're here!
What?
…Shadows. I had a feeling they were going to attack…!

And with that, the nightmare began.







Teddie had talked about Shadows being the other things that lived here, and now we knew what he meant. At first they looked just like blobs of darkness, but they quickly changed into even more freakish shapes.







As the Shadows approached, I once again heard that strange voice from before!



"I am thou, and thou art I…"



Persona…



For just an instant a shadowy figure loomed behind me, but whatever it was, I was sure it was on my side.



This seemed to enrage the Shadows, and they attacked.



Gameplay Notes: Battle Basics
Combat in Persona 4 is pretty simple. Character speeds set the turn order. The basic character options are to Attack with their equipped weapon, to Guard to reduce damage from the next hit they take, to use an Item, or to use a Skill from their Persona. The main character also has the ability to set Tactics in battle and change Personas, though those won't matter until we have a party and more Personas. Shadows in turn can also use a basic Attack, Guard, or a Skill. We can get an extra action in combat by knocking Down an enemy. This happens if we land a critical hit with a physical attack or strike a weakness of theirs. The same thing happens if the enemy strikes one of our weaknesses, though. These Slipping Hableries are weak against Lightning, so we're able to easily dispatch them. Once we've tried some attacks out on a target, we can Analyze them. This lets us see a record of what we've demonstrated to be the strengths and weaknesses of an enemy. That's all we really need to know about combat.

With this newfound strength, I managed to defeat the Shadows.

VIDEO- "The True Self"

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I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean, but my Persona took the form of Izanagi. He's the god who's supposed to have created Japan in ancient times.



Yosuke was pretty freaked, and I can't really say as I blame him. It's not every day that you're in a TV and see crazy tongue monsters fight a kid with a golf club and supernatural powers.



Did I hear you say "Persona"!? What was it-
I mean, what did you do!?
Hey, you think I can do it too…?
Calm down, Yosuke. You're troubling Sensei!
S-Sensei…?
Gosh almighty! You're amazing, Sensei! I am one impressed bear!
I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you!
*gasp * Are you the one who's able to bring people into this world?

I wasn't sure how he'd guessed but I nodded.



Don't you think so, Yosuke?
Dude, you call him Sensei and then don't show me any respect!?
Sorry…
W-Well, your support wasn't bad, though.
I gotta give you some credit for that.
Huh? R-Really…? Heehee.
All right, you two keep it up, and I think we'll be fine from here on out.
Now, let's get back to the investigation!
Man… I wonder what could have happened to Senpai here.

As we approached the door, we were surrounded by voices.



Unknown Voice: I wish Junes would go under…
It's all because of that store…
Wh-What the…?
Unknown Voice: Oh, I heard that Konishi-san's daughter is working there.
Oh my… How could she, with her family's business suffering like it is…?
I heard their sales have gone downhill because of Junes.
S-Stop it…
Unknown Voice: That poor father… to have his own daughter working for the enemy.
What a troublesome child…

Yosuke was shaken by what he was hearing.



You said that this place is reality for those that are here, right!?
So... does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here…?
I… only know about what's over here.
Fine…
Whatever's going on here… We'll find out ourselves!

We entered the liquor store, and the voices started again.



> You begin to hear a man yelling…
Middle-Aged Voice: Saki, how many times do I have to tell you!?
I-Is this… Senpai's dad…?
Middle-Aged Voice: You know what the neighbors say about you, right!?
Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You're the eldest daughter of a family who's owned this store for generations!
Is it the money? Or did you meet some guy there? Just tell me why you have to work THERE, of all places!
I… I can't believe this…
She seemed like she had fun at work… She never said anything like this to me…
You're telling me THIS was how Senpai really saw things!?

We kept looking around, and things got even worse.



It's the photo we took the other day with the other part-timers at Junes…
Wh-Why's it cut up like this…?
> The scrap of photo shows Saki Konishi smiling…
> Yosuke is standing next to her…
I… never had the chance to say it…
Is that… Senpai's voice!?
I always wanted to tell Hana-chan…
Huh…? Me…?
…that he was a real pain in the ass.
I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all…
But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic… What a dip.

Yosuke wasn't taking this well.



Who cares about Junes, anyway?
Because of that store, our business is ruined, my parents hate me, the neighbors talk behind my back…
I wish everything would just disappear…
I-It's a lie… This can't be…
Senpai's not like that…!

From behind us, a very familiar voice rang out.



Another Yosuke stepped out of the shadows. At this point two Yosukes wasn't really anything exceptionally strange. Man my life is really messed up now.



H-Huh? Two Yosukes…?
Who are you!?
I-I wouldn't think that…
Hahaha… Yeah, right. How long are you going to keep deluding yourself?
Screw the shopping district, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks!
What're you saying…? That's not true, I-
You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cause you're so terrified of being alone.
The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation.
And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake? Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping…
S-Stop it!
Hahaha! Why so panicked? I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe… I DO know everything you're thinking!
Why's that…? Because I AM you!

The other Yosuke was a real prick, just to put that out there.



A world inside the TV-now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you!?
That's not true… Stop… Stop it…
You're just trying to act like a big shot… If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero!
And that Senpai you were so sweet on? Her death was the perfect excuse!
That's not true!
What are you!? Who are you!?
*chuckle * I already told ya.
I'm you… Your shadow… There's nothing I don't know about you!
Screw that! I don't know you!
You can't be me, you son of a bitch!!

It turned out telling it that was a big mistake.



The thing agreed with Yosuke, and promised to kill him and become the 'real' Yosuke. A light engulfed it…



And it changed…



The double had absorbed hundreds of Shadows into itself, and became some kind of freakish frog thing.

VIDEO- "Shadow Yosuke"

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I'll crush everything that bores me…
Starting with you!

Boss Battle: Shadow Yosuke
Shadow Yosuke is here to teach us about Guarding, one of the major new features in Persona 4. I mentioned before that we can Guard to reduce incoming damage. Well, it also lets us prevent ourselves being knocked down by our weakness. Shadow Yosuke is weak against our Zio skill but has a skill, Wind of Oblivion, that hits our weakness to wind. He's quite predictable luckily. He always goes in this sequence: Wind of Oblivion, Power Charge, Attack, Guard. What we want to do is always make sure we're Guarding against the Wind of Oblivion and the Power Charged Attack. So if he used Wind of Oblivion or Attack last turn, we can safely throw two Zios at him. If he used Power Charge, we'll Zio and then Guard, and if he Guarded we have to do so as well. That's all there is to it really. You have Medicines if you're really hurting, but you shouldn't need them on Normal.

Somehow I managed to prevail against it.

VIDEO- "Yosuke's Plan

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Yosuke, are you okay!?
Y-Yeah… What… happened…?

But the Shadow hadn't disappeared. It had merely gone back to its original shape…



You… You're… not me…
That thing came from you, Yosuke…
You have to admit it… or it'll go berserk again…
> Yosuke seems reluctant to accept it…

It doesn't matter what some dark part of him says, though, it doesn't change who he is.



Myself…
Dammit… It hurts to face yourself…
I knew it wasn't lying... But I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it…
You're me… and I'm you. When you get down to it, all of this is me.
> The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest…

The Shadow turned into a Persona!



> Yosuke has faced his other self…

Yosuke later told me his Persona was named Jiraiya. He was a ninja who used frog magic, whatever that means.



This is my Persona…
When we heard Senpai's voice…
I wonder if that was something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside…
Haha… "He was a real pain in the ass," huh?
What a way to find out… Geez, this is so embarrassing…
If you weren't here, I don't know what woulda happened… Thanks, Souji.
Hey, Teddie…
Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here?
Like how it just happened to me?
I think so.
The Shadows here were originally born from humans.
Sometimes the fog clears. Then they all go berserk…
And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it. And the big mass of Shadows kills the host.

It all made sense now.



……
Yosuke's pretty worn out…
This world isn't made for humans. It's not comfortable for you here.
I don't hear any more voices. I think we're done with this place.
Let's go back.

Luckily we didn't run into any Shadows on the way back to the 'studio'.



Hey, Teddie. You said that this place is reality for people who enter, right?
So that shopping district, and the weird room we saw before…
Did they exist because the ones who died entered this world, and it became their reality?
I guess what I'm trying to ask is… Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?
I don't know. It's never happened before…
But that's probably where they were when the Shadows attacked them.

Killed by their own darker impulses…



The fog does lift here sometimes. The Shadows get really violent then.
I always get so scared. I have to hide when it happens…
I sensed people here twice before. But both of them disappeared after the fog lifted…
So let's get this straight…
Senpai and that Yamano lady were thrown in here, and since they couldn't get out, they wandered around…
After a while, that Shadow thing came out of them. The fog cleared, it went berserk, and it ended up killing them…
Does that sound right?
So if I'd been here until the fog cleared, I woulda been in much deeper trouble?
Yeah. I'm pretty sure.
You were lucky. Sensei and me were here with you.

That just made it all hit home.



Senpai and that announcer… They were stuck here all alone… No one could save them…
Yosuke…
They disappeared when the fog lifted. But they were safe before that. No Shadows attacked them.
They attacked us, though…
Maybe they've been keeping a close eye on us. They might see people who investigate this place as enemies…
It'll be dangerous, but we might be able to fight them! We might be able to save people!
Are you saying, if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear!?
Like how you guys saved me!?

It was an amazing idea. I mean if someone else were to be thrown in here, who else COULD save them?



Anyways… We need to catch the one who's throwing people in here and make him stop.
Yeah… I'm finally starting to understand what's going on.
U-Um… Hey, can I ask something too…?
If Shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from?
You don't even know where you came from!? How should we know?
I know some things. Mostly about this world… But I don't know anything about myself.
To be honest, I never thought about it until now…
Are you serious…?
No wonder we couldn't get a straight answer out of you…
Will you guys… come back here…?

There was no way I was going back on my promise now.



You'll… keep your word?
Well, you're the one who said you weren't letting us out unless we do.
Oh! Th-That's right! Okay, I'll let you out. But there's one thing.
I'll be waiting for you guys here.
You need to come in from the same place every time. So we can meet up.

It seemed real world locations we linked with locations in this world.



You could come in from somewhere else. But then you won't end up here.
You might show up somewhere I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be doooomed…
Got it!?
Well, pretty much…
Alright, can you show us the way out?
Roger that! One exit comin' right up!
Cool… First we need to make sure there aren't any employees milling around out there…
Okay! Go go go! Squiiiish!
Argh! Hey! Stop squeezing, you little-Whoa!

We'd forgotten about something. Something crucial. Something that was about to bite us hard in the ass.

VIDEO- "Chie's Anger"

Click Here For Video!

While we were nearly getting ourselves killed in TV land, Chie was stuck here holding half a rope.



Y-You guys came baaack…!
Huh? Chie? Whoa, what's with that face?
Ow!
The nerve of you guys! You are such morons!
I can't believe this! You guys suck!
The rope got cut off… and I had no idea what to do…
I was so worried…
I mean scared stiff, dammit!
I hate you both!

Yosuke is a master of the art of understatement.



Maybe we did go a little too far…
Let's apologize to her tomorrow.
I'm completely wiped out… I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep.
I think… I'm gonna sleep well tonight.
Hehe… Well, see you in the morning!

As I walked home, I saw a familiar face.



You know, it's a tremendous relief to talk to a normal person after all this crazy bullshit.



Um… Are you getting used to your new town and school?

It's certainly the most exciting place I've ever lived.



Really..?
But… It must be difficult, moving to a place you know nothing about.
I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school…
Oh! Are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so… Umm…

Assuming Chie ever talks to us again I think things are going pretty well.



I'm glad to hear that.
Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need.
We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes.
Oh… I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef.
Our inn can't function without me right now.
Um… I'll see you at school, then.

I finished my walk home. Dojima wasn't there.



Announcer: Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba.
At around 7:00 A.M., local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area.
Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and since Ms. Konishi was the one who discovered that body…
Police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano.
The coroner's report has established Ms. Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night.
The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area.
Another incident…
Dad won't be coming home tonight.

Nanako seemed pretty worried.



…I'll be okay.
Can you help me do some stuff around the house?
> Nanako seems to be very reliable for her age.
Narrator: …Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark.
Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs.
After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manager has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes.
> Yukiko is on TV, wearing a kimono.

This reporter was a real creep, by the way.



Reporter: Now that has a nice ring to it… Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!
Hm…? Um… Are you speaking to me?
Reporter: We've heard that you're the new manager. Is it true that you're still in high school?
Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily…
Reporter: Someday, though… That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors.
Huh? No, um…
> The reporter's rambling goes further and further off subject…
…This is boring.
Oh, I need to do the dishes…
> You decided to help out with the housework.

Will the Midnight Channel appear again? Will someone be thrown back into the TV? It's raining tonight. Maybe I should check again…

Next Time On Persona 4: Further Developments