Just a few notes before we begin.

My memory of P4, the game, is just a tad vague. I haven't played through it in the longest time, so I may get some facts wrong. If you spot any glaring errors, please do notify me.

In addition, the timeline of the story has been the regular P4 up to this point. However, you should expect some rather 'out-there' things to happen.

Also, this story will contain spoilers for Persona 4. Read at your own caution.

Lastly last, please do enjoy the story. If you have any thoughts and/or criticisms, that's what the review feature is for~

A stray foot crunched against delicate, flaky snow, the shoe's heel snapping branches in its wake.

A young girl's petite figure could be seen, her beautifully red hair flowing in the wind, contrasting the pitch-black night sky.

She ran.

She ran.

Trapped inside this cold wasteland, she ran. With only broken tree stumps passing as shelter, she was running out of time.

"No… get away from me!"

A terrified, high-pitched voice echoes across the cold woods.

They were coming to get her. And god only knows what they would do once they caught up. She didn't even want to know.

All she wanted to do was run, run far away.

Until…

"Eek!" The girl fell down, a rogue tree root tripping her. "Ow…"

She whimpered, rubbing the sore spot that had appeared on her knee.

The rustling of leaves startled the girl.

Her heart was beating fast and erratically.

What was going to happen to her?

Would she live to see the light of day?

Would she see her love once more?

All of these thoughts went through her head as she anxiously awaited what was to come.

A tear escaped her eye as a sharp claw crawled up her back.

"No…"

Cutting deeper…

"No…!"

Cutting deeper…!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Directed by Surplus Wissen

'Quench my thirst with BLOOD as the bodies rain DAAAAAAAOOOOOWWWWNNNN'

"Well, that was, er…"

"It was certainly…"

"Yeah, it totally was, huh?"

"That was probably the single worst thing I have ever seen."

Everyone stared at Kanji.

"…well, it was!"

Lack of money forces people to do some pretty unpleasant things. Rise Kujikawa, Inaba's local pop idol, was no stranger to that.

Taking a role in a zero-budget horror film was probably on the list of most unpleasant, something Rise had now discovered.

But hey, at least it was the lead role.

Night of the Zombie Spiders, a low-budget independent horror film, just had its big premiere. Actually, calling it "big" would be a lie, as there were only about twelve people present, in addition to the Investigation Team crowd. To emphasize the non-bigness of it all, they were still clad in their regular summer clothes. Regardless, Rise had invited her friends to said premiere. Having just seen herself get mauled by zombie spiders on the big screen, she wasn't really sure how to react.

Her friends were pretty much summing it up, though.

"I thought you were pretty good in it, all things considered." Yu said to her, smiling somewhat awkwardly.

"Really? You didn't think it was terribly acted and even more terribly written?" Rise sighed, still appreciating Yu's sorta-compliment.

"I never said it wasn't. It would have been completely worthless if you weren't in it."

"Yeah, Risette was its saving grace!" Yosuke chimed in from the seat row just below Yu and Rise's. "That scene where she was covered in zombie spiders… dayum."

"I know, right? There was also that scene where the zombie spider queen had her trapped in the web and forced her to watch the spiders eat her family! Rise's face was very… expressive." Chie said in between slurps of soda.

"Pfffft, expressive…" One of the harsher criticisms of the evening came from Yukiko, sitting next to Chie. Incidentally, she had laughed heartily damn near the entire movie.

"Houff abouff dat fwuimfuit feen fhuer hur bikinee ftop diffolves finto fpiduffs?" Kanji said with his mouth full of popcorn, before eventually swallowing. "That was really weird."

"Ooh, so this was one of those movie things I've heard so much about. It was really terrible!" Teddie said, cheerfully devouring a chocolate bar. "I mean, beary unbearable!"

"Guys… you're not helping." Rise buried her face in her hands, giggling softly.

"Well, we had fun, you looked great on-screen and off, I'd say these 90 minutes were well spent." Yu winked at Rise, who blushed at the flattering flatterer's flattering.

"Aw, jeez, Senpai. You're just saying that." Rise playfully punched Yu's arm, who laughed in return.

"Ow~, that hurt."

"No, it didn't you liarrrrr~"

The group had long since left the movie theatre and were halfway to Junes, where Yosuke had promised to throw a modest premiere party.

"Jeez, those two are still going?" Chie, still sipping on her drink. "It's been like this for, what, two weeks?"

"Three, but who's counting?" Yosuke said, stretching his arms. "I think they should just get it on already."

August 14, 2011, Junes Food Court

The case had been all but closed, or so we thought. Mitsuo Kubo had been apprehended by the police after having escaped into the TV world. We had gone in there and got him out, after which the police took over. Rise had been shooting a movie before she moved to Inaba, said movie only now getting a public release. Yosuke had reserved the Junes food court for the team, since there was much to celebrate.

Again, so we thought.

"Guysie guys, I totally got us a movie!" Yosuke, standing up on one of the tables, triumphantly held up a DVD case. The generally uninterested group was mostly focusing on inhaling hastily put-together sandwiches and cheap discount soda.

"Uh, Scooby people… movie! We can watch it on our new HD projector thing!" Yosuke tried to catch their attention with that last part, to which Rise sighed.

"I'll bite. What movie is it, senpai?" Vaguely bored, yet still content, Rise took another sip of her rather mediocre drink.

"It's a scary movie." A mischievous smirk crossed Yosuke's face as he brought the DVD closer to Rise's face. Eventide Tales: Darkening, it said.

Rise smiled awkwardly. "I've had more than enough of those for the day. Nay, the year."

"It's about vampireeeees~"

"I've had more than enough of those, too." Rise sighed.

"Huh? There weren't any vampires in the movie we just watched." Chie had stopped stuffing her face long enough to say that.

"Er, it's… never mind." Rise shrugged. "Eventide, it is."

The resulting movie turned out to be less of a horror film and more of a vaguely vampire-focused chick flick melodrama. More so than getting scared senseless, the group had a good time snarking the terrible plot and wooden acting.

Still, Yosuke seemed to enjoy it on some level.

I can see you in the dark, I see you hi-hi-hiding away

The movie had ended, leaving the team to resort to music in order to lift their spirits. This particular song was a pretty energetic, foreign electropop number. No one really understood the lyrics, but they could all appreciate some good funkiness.

I can feel you in the darkness, and all the little games you play

The music turned up to reasonable levels, as to not disturb the neighbours, echoing through the dimly-lit food court created a pretty dingy atmosphere. It fit the vaguely depressing party rather well.

"No offense to Yosuke-senpai, but this party kinda really blows." Kanji, having long since emptied the group's reserves of discount cola, had resorted to idle chatter with Yu. Over by the speakers, Teddie and Chie were awkwardly dancing to the music, Yukiko having a hearty laugh over it.

I can read your dirty mind…

"Kanji, I'm standing right next to you." Yosuke sighed heavily as he finished from his glass. "Some nerve, right, Yu?"

Yu hadn't heard a word of what either of his two friends were saying, instead focusing intently on the figure of a girl in the distance. Sitting alone at a table at the food court's very edge, Rise had an uncharacteristically uneasy expression on her face.

Yu glanced at his watch. It was almost midnight. In only 15 minutes, even.

"Uh, Yu? You there, partner?"

"Senpai, are you even listening to me?"

Yu shook his head, sighing. "Uh, sorry. I'm a bit…"

Yosuke and Kanji looked wide-eyed at Yu, who left his sentence unfinished as he walked away from the two.

"'Sup with him?"

"Not a clue."

As he approached the very darkest corner of the food court, Yu sat himself down next to Rise, who was gazing at the night sky.

It was a particularly clear night, the bright moon complimenting the seemingly countless stars. It was a beautiful visage, but Rise didn't seem very happy about it. Her eyes seemed unfocused and clouded, yet filled with anxiety. It was as if she was waiting for the moon to fall down.

"You okay?"

Rise, startled, turned her head to face Yu. "Huh? O-oh, Senpai…" Smiling awkwardly, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little distracted."

"Oh? Something on your mind?" Yu's grey eyes had a strangely soothing effect on Rise, coupled with him seeming genuinely concerned.

"Um, it's nothing. Thanks, though." Rise rubbed the back of her head, now looking down at the table. "I know I've seemed kind of off lately, but it's just—"

"Oh, myyyyyy. There was a party going on here and no one thought to invite meeeee?"

An obnoxious voice sounded across the food court. It appeared to come from an older woman, and it sounded just a touch too familiar to the group.

There stood Ms. Kashiwagi, the second-years' homeroom teacher. Clad in a wildly inappropriate red party dress, she was clearly looking to prey on the strapping young lads of the Investigation Team. Everyone had stopped what they were doing, instead focusing their attention on the party crasher. Her heavily made-up face glowed eerily in the moonlight.

"That's…" Rise gasped, her heart beating faster.

"Aw, crap. Here comes Lady of Creepsville to ruin everything." Yosuke groaned, moving himself closer to Kanji. "How did she know we were hanging out here, anyway?"

Kashiwagi grabbed an empty glass and shuffled over to Kanji in sync with the music playing. Yosuke stepped away from his friend, as if to say 'you're on your own, dude'.

I know you when you can't lie, no baby, you can't lie, you run but you can't hide

"Hey, big boy. How about you ditch these skanky little whores and get with a real woman?" Kashiwagi winked at Kanji, who recoiled in horror.

"Uh… thanks, I guess, but n-no thanks…" Kanji scratched his neck, prompting a giggle from the older woman.

"Aw, what's wrong? How about just one, little dance? Don't tell me you're scared of the big, bad, vamp." She inched her way closer to Kanji with each syllable she spoke, making the blond more and more nervous. A romantic night with Kashiwagi was the stuff of nightmares.

In the distance, he could hear the electropop song building up to its chorus.

I see you when you're pulling the wool over my eyes

Kashiwagi and Kanji were now mere inches apart, separated only by their lips. Kanji's wandering eyes met with the woman's unbreaking stare.

It was a look Kanji knew very well.

One of bloodlust.

The wool over my eyes…

Rise stood up from her seat, an act that went unnoticed by the dumbstruck Yu.

"Is Kanji about to score… with that?" Teddie whispered to Chie.

"Ssssh, quiet, Teddie. Also, ew." Chie whispered back, softly hitting Teddie's arm.

Kashiwagi brought her face closer to Kanji's, who was desperately trying to push her away from him.

But for some reason, she wouldn't budge. She had both of his muscular arms in a death grip. She parted her lips, as if to pull him in for a kiss, until…

Lights Out!

A bloodcurdling scream came from Kanji, drowning out the thumping techno beat.

Kashiwagi had bitten down on his meaty neck, moaning softly as she proceeded to drain him of his blood.

"Kanji!" Yosuke yelled out as he rushed to push Kashiwagi away from him. He was soon joined by an equally panicked Yu.

Kashiwagi groaned out in pain as she hit the concrete floor. Kanji had slumped down to the very same ground, the whole group having formed a circle around him.

"Oh, my god! Kanji, y-you're bleeding!" Chie covered her mouth with one hand, tugging at Yukiko's sweater with the other. "Y-Y-Yukiko, do something!"

"Ah—! Um, we need to stop the bleeding. Kanji-kun, are you okay?" Yukiko knelt down to face Kanji, who was holding his bleeding neck, breathing very heavily.

Yu frantically looked around himself. Everyone was present and accounted for. Chie and Yukiko were tending to Kanji's wound the best they could, Yosuke was seething with rage, Teddie was standing behind Yukiko, covering his eyes, and Rise… Rise was nowhere to be found.

"You crazy bitch, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Yosuke turned to face Kashiwagi, who was slowly getting up, an annoyed smirk on her face.

Her face.

Nobody could really call Kashiwagi attractive before, being an unpleasant woman of indeterminable age who smeared on the makeup far too heavily.

However, her regular visage could be called beautiful in comparison to how she looked now.

Her brow had sharpened considerably to an almost Neanderthal-esque degree. Her eyes glowed bright yellow. She wiped Kanji's blood from her mouth, revealing very distinctive fangs.

"Wh… wh…"

"A vampire, dear. I think that's what you're trying to say." Kashiwagi rose up, taking a few steps back. "What do you think of my new look? I'd say I look hotter than ever."

Yukiko had covered up Kanji's neck with her scarf in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The bite marks Kashiwagi had left behind were certainly vampire-ish.

"We'll need to sterilize it, or it may get infected—"

Kashiwagi sneered. "Little Amagi. You think you're so clever and considerate to everyone." She shrugged, stepping closer to the group. "You're just a little whore, you know. You act all coy and innocent when I know you're totally hungry for some—"

That sentence would remain unfinished, as Kashiwagi was too busy to get kicked in the back of her head to speak.

"You vampires and your gloating. It never stops."

Just before Kashiwagi could fall over, she was violently pulled away from the group and towards the table areas by her assailant.

"You—!" Kashiwagi growled as she crashed into one of the tables.

"Yeah, me." Rise sighed, and it was a sigh of victory and satisfaction. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that, sensei."

There she was, Rise Kujikawa. Standing before the grounded Kashiwagi, she triumphantly held up a wooden stake. "Seems like I was just in time, huh? Sorry, guys." Rise turned her head to smile at the mostly speechless group.

"Rise-chan, what are you…?" Chie was the first to disrupt the silence, to which Rise replied with an apologetic smile.

"I haven't been totally honest with you guys. Not about everything, at least." Rise turned to face Kashiwagi once more, who had gotten up from the now-broken table.

"This is a matter between grown-ups, Miss Kujikawa." Kashiwagi grumbled at Rise. "This stuff isn't for little sluts like you!"

"You're one to talk, trying to suck off a high schooler." Rise grinned smugly at the elder vampire.

"Snnnnrk!" Yukiko held her mouth to suppress laughter. "I'm so sorry, Kanji-kun, but pfffffffffft…"

Kanji was just coming to. Fortunately, Kashiwagi hadn't drained him of that much blood.

"That's it. I will kill you dead!" Kashiwagi lunged at Rise, who leapt gracefully up in the air. The landing was harsh, but for Kashiwagi, since her face was the one who ended slammed into concrete.

Rise turned Kashiwagi over, her yellow eyes full of rage and other unpleasant emotions.

"You bitch…!"

"Yeah, yeah." With that, Rise plunged down her wooden stake into Kashiwagi's chest. Seconds later, nothing remained of the lecherous lady teacher but dust. "They all say that."

Rise briskly stood up from the dust pile, tossing the stake behind herself.

Staring at her with wide eyes was the rest of the Investigation Team, Kanji included.

She looked at the dust pile, over to her stake, over to the group.

"O-oh. Um. I-I can explain this."

Rise the Vampire Slayer

Episode 1
"Lights Out"