I didn't want it to be a two-part chapter, but here I am, doing it anyway. I'll be honest, I had some rough time at work, that's why I didn't update yesterday. God, I'm starting to hate my boss. Sometimes I'm thinking about not showing up at all, but I need the money :P Anyway, sorry for it being short I promise next one will be longer because that was the original idea. This chapter was going to be a long one. Well, see you around :D

Chapter 13: Broken Russian Doll (Part 1)

Sitting right in front of the old TV of her living room, Tamara stares with wide eyes at an old movie in black and white that the TV was broadcasting. The nine-year-old girl smiles a little when a certain creature appears on the screen, a giant ant. She was watching "Them!", an American movie from the '50s. Tamara didn't find the monster of the film scary, but interesting. Sure, it was just a giant ant, but she found it more interesting than a monster she had never seen before. While she looks at the TV, she could hear her parents arguing. She slowly lowers the volume of the TV to hear their screams. She was used to it but for some reason, she thought that this time it would be worse than before. They were yelling at each other in Russian so Tamara picks up what they were yelling about really quickly.

"Can't you even look at me when I'm talking to you?!" Tamara's mother yell. Tamara slowly stand up and walk to the kitchen, where they were fighting. She take a look and saw her mother really angry, yelling while her father just sit on the chair, looking down. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"... I have nothing to talk with you" He said. Tamara's mother slap her husband so hard that the sound of her hand echoed in the whole house.

"Look at you, Dmitri. You are not even caring about that slap... Could it be that you don't care anymore?"

"You want me to yell it?!" Dmitri stands up and yell. "Yes! I don't care! Goddammit, Saya. Do you think that I care about your whining? I have more important things to do. I have a job to take care of! I'm the one that brings the money while you just stay here, doing nothing! Do you want to talk about not caring? You can't even take care of Tamara! You don't even pay any attention to her!"

"Why should I do that?! That brat is spending all her time staring at that stupid box you call TV! As long she's quiet it's fine!"

"That's not how thing work!"

"It works for me! You know what I think of her!"

"Oh come on! We were over this already!"

"I didn't wanted that girl!" Saya yell and Tamara gasped. "I didn't even wanted a kid... It's all your fault!"

"Mine?! You were the one that didn't-" "Mama?" Tamara step in, interrupting her father's rant. The two adults look at Tamara who was at the edge of crying. Her eyes look at her mother for answers but Saya look at Tamara with hatred. "Mama, is that true?"

"... Leave, Tamara" Said Saya as her hatred build up.

"B-But!"

"I said leave!" She yells, quickly grabs the flower vase (made out of glass) that was on the table and throw it at her. The vase hit her in the head and Tamara falls to the floor. Saya didn't stop there and kick her own daughter. "Why do you have to be like that?!"

"Saya, stop that!"

As Dmitri stop Saya, Tamara lay on the floor looking at them in shock. She was young to understand what they were arguing about but right after that day, she understood what her mother think about her and what her father really care about. After this, Tamara avoids her mother as if she was a plague or a monster. The atmosphere in the house was slowly getting heavier and a couple of years later, nobody would look at each other again, except for Tamara and her father...

Shortly after school everyone gathers in Junes, prepared to go and rescue Yukiko. While everyone leave behind their backpacks, Tamara was taking her's to the TV World because she insists on taking notes and because she doesn't like the thought of leaving her belongings behind, even though she knew they'll leave them in the office of the Electronic Department where they'll be safe. Yu and Yosuke were ready, Chie was determined and ready for everything that could get in her way, Azami, on the other hand, was a little nervous but she knew that Yu was going to help her with anything she needed and as for Tamara, she was excited to go back but in the inside she knew she'll have to be careful, if she wasn't then she might make things more difficult for everyone else and she didn't want them to stop for her, she didn't want to get in their way. They didn't wait and jump inside the TV as soon they make sure there was nobody around the Electronic Department. Yu and Yosuke went in first, Chie follows them and Azami place her hand on TV, she then looks at Tamara and offers her her hand.

"Let's get going" She said.

"Y-Yes!" Tamara grab Azami's hand and they went inside. They saw the white space with rectangles, mimicking the TV's screen and before they knew it, they landed on the TV Studio that as for now was pretty much familiar to them, even though they haven't been here for that long. As everyone gather, they saw Teddie in the corner, playing with the Matryoshka doll he receives from Tamara. He seems very intrigued by the design.

"Hey, Teddie" Yu approach him and Teddie look at him.

"Oh Sensei! You are back!" He stands up and talk to Yu with happiness and respect.

"... Sensei?" Azami asks Yosuke. "Why is he calling Yu Sensei?"

"Ye-Yeah, I'll explain later" Yosuke said nervously. Teddie then look at Tamara and went after her.

"Tamy-chan! You're back too!" He said and that nickname caught everyone off guard.

"Ta-Tamy?" Tamara ask. "Why the nickname?"

"Yo-You don't like it?"

"N-No! I like it, it's just that I've never received a nickname. Anyway... how are you doing?" Tamara smile and Teddie show her the Matryoshka doll.

"I've been Beary interested in these dolls. They have more dolls inside, it's really weird" He said and open the doll, revealing a smaller doll inside. Once he opens it, he reveals one of the dolls broken. "I'm sorry, I think I broke the last one. I thought there was a more tiny doll inside" Tamara pick up the smallest doll. She notices that the small doll was broken in half. The drawing of the red, small child, her happy smile was broken by the cracks that reach her face. The small wooden doll look more fragile than it should be and it looked like it could break in tiny pieces if she wasn't careful enough. Tamara put the doll carefully in the pocket of her backpack and pat Teddie, telling him to not worry about this incident.

"Hahaha, I'm glad you like it and... don't worry. I'll fix her" Tamara patted Teddie on the head. He seems to enjoy it. "Everything can be fixed. Later I'll bring you some things so you can distract yourself here" Yosuke interrupt them.

"Te-Teddie, we need to go for Yukiko. We can't afford to lose any time now"

"Ri-Right! Let's get going!"

"Oh! Before we go..." Yosuke give Azami a Golf Club. "This is for you. I think it's better than nothing"

"... So... You have two knives, Yu has a sword, Chie will rely on... Martial Art?" She looks at Chie to confirm it, Chie nodded and Azami sigh. "And Tamara has a baseball bat... You are thinking to give me a golf club will protect me"

"... Yu did it, why not you?"

"... Fair enough...?" Azami looks at the golf club. "... I'm going down for sure..." She thought.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. If you still don't feel like fighting, stay behind. It's fine" Yosuke calm her down, something that she thank him for.

"Yeah, thanks for that... Oh! before I forget. Yu told me about the glasses thing. I will need one if I want to fight alongside you" Azami pointed out and Yosuke almost forgot that she didn't have one. He was in a hurry to save Yukiko that he forgot to give Azami a pair of glasses.

"Oh yeah, you are right. Teddie, do you have glasses for her?" Yosuke ask him. Teddie nodded and from behind he took out a pair of red glasses. Azami put them on an immediately saw the effects. She was surprised, but not enough because she already knew what they do.

"Haha, this is awesome. Thanks Teddie"

"No problem!"

Shortly after that everyone went right to the Castle to save Yukiko, before going in they all prepare and Yu told them how they'll go in. Yu, Yosuke and Chie will go in the front, Azami would be behind them and Teddie will be with Tamara at the end. When they all agree, they went in and as soon they enter the Shadows launch themselves at them. Yu and Yosuke took care of most Shadows by themselves alongside their Personas but Chie surprise everyone with her Persona Tomoe, she obliterates every single Shadow that attack them. Tomoe was really powerful and didn't need to really on any magic skill. Azami stay behind, watching them fight. She was still hesitant to act and her hands were trembling a little. Azami saw Izanagi's attacks, masterfully and expertly cutting down the Shadows and killing them with his lightning skill, Zio. Jiraiya was the fastest Persona, quickly dodging the Shadows attacks and blowing them away. Azami was starting to feel envious of them and she wanted to get in too, but she was afraid. She hold herself down. As Yu, Yosuke and Chie got ride of the Shadows, they move forward to the upper floors. On the stairs, Azami end up talking with Tamara.

"I'm having second thoughts," Said Azami. "I might've stayed at home today"

"Don't say that. This isn't as bad. They are doing well"

"That's not it... I'm... kinda scared of fighting" She whispers. "I said that I was going to fight but... I'm not feeling confident at all"

"... I see. That's actually understandable" Said Tamara and take out a notebook from her backpack.

"Don't tell me you have some words of advice in that notebook of yours" She said sarcastically and Tamara laughs at that remark.

"I wish, I only write about conspiracies here... but..." Tamara look through the notebook and stopped on a certain page. "You should at least... let yourself go"

"... What?" Azami look at her with a confused look.

"I mean... Summon your Persona at least once and act, don't think, just... do" Tamara said while looking at her in the eyes. She quickly looks away from Azami. "I think that's the best thing I can say to you and it may be my best advice"

"The way you say it make me believe you never give any actual advice" Azami chuckle.

"I did, but not about summoning creatures from the depths of a people's mind" Tamara laugh a little. "This is so weird and yet... I prefer this than any aspect of my life now" She whispers.

"What?"

"N-Nothing, they are leaving us behind, let's move on"

They all reach the second floor, where they had fought Chie's Shadow yesterday. The door that lead to that giant room was closed up for some reason. Yu walk to it and was about to open it up, but Teddie stops him to warn him that there was a presence at the other side, a powerful presence. At first, Yu was hesitant to open that door, he didn't ask the rest if they were ready, to which the all answer that they were, even Azami who just like him wasn't so sure, she was just going along with the ride. Yu gulped and open the door. They walk in and the only thing they saw was Yukiko, standing right in the middle of the room. They all run to her but suddenly come to a stop when they notice her clothes. The pink dress she had in the Midnight Channel was a complete giveaway, that wasn't the Yukiko they knew, it was her Shadow standing in front of them, looking away in the distance. Chie walk forward and spoke to her.

"Yukiko?" She asks. She knew that it wasn't her, but she felt the need to make that question. The Shadow start laughing and turn to see them all. Her yellow, glowing, eyes stare at them as her smile grew larger. Everyone prepare for anything that she might be planning.

"Oh my! Special guests? I wonder how they'll play into all this!" She said with excitement. "Things are really heating up! Okie-Dokie! I'm going back to hunt for my Prince Charming! Ohhh, where could he be...? This place is huge! It's sooo exciting, but makes it to hard to find him! Ooh! Maybe he's playing hide-and-seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come! Let's go further in then, shall we!?" As she said that out of nowhere a big banner appear over her head displaying the name of the weird "Show" she's part of. "Princess Yukiko's Hunt for her Prince Charming!" It was all written in flashy letters and glowing borders, not only that but it was sparkling too. It was so over the top and cringy that everyone looking at her couldn't believe their eyes.

"Wh-What the hell is this!?" Yosuke asks.

"Stop this nonsense right now and take us to Yukiko!" Chie yell at the Shadow, only for her to laugh at her face.

"What're you talking about? I'm Yukiko... and Yukiko is me" The Shadow smile viciously. The Shadows inside the castle started to get so agitated that their roars and voice echoed in the halls.

"The Shadows are getting agitated!" Said Teddie. "She must be the cause of it. She has complete control over the other Shadows!" Yukiko's Shadow uses this opportunity to run away from them.

"Well, I'm off again! Heehee! You'd better be waiting with bells on, my dear Prince!" She turns around and leave. Chie run after her, but Shadows came crushing through the windows. Chie summons Tomoe and prepare to fight.

"Come on, bring it on! I can fight against every single one of you!"

"We all can" Yosuke stand next to her and then Yu.

"Let's end this!"