After Yukiko's 'show' begins, Chie demands coming with the group, and introduces them to a place to buy weapons and armor, as well as the Shopping District. This gives the Protagonist access to places to buy food and items to recharge their points (SP and HP) as well as access to the Velvet Room, the mysterious place where Igor and Margaret reside and where they can register Personas or even fuse them into stronger or newer Personas.
Welcome to the Velvet Room
Identified in the first few parts as the location of Igor and Margaret, who tell fortunes and look at the tarot cards, the two doors to the Velvet Room (in the Shopping District and the entrance to the TV World) allow the Protagonist to enter and do one of two things - Register or Buy Persona from the Compendium held by Margaret, or ask Igor to Fuse Persona in his possession together to create stronger or different Persona. If the Protagonist has a S.Link in the given Persona's Tarot, they gain special powers, often leveling up and gaining more power as a result. This is why S.Links are so important and why they become so important as the game progresses, to where even having a small link will allow for more power or a stronger Persona. At this point in the game, Two and Three-Card spreads are allowed to create Fusion Personas, with Three-Card spreads often resulting in more-powerful creations, depending on the level of the Persona. Also note that the level of the Protagonist determines the level allowed for fusing and creating new Personas.
Yukiko's Castle - Entrance to Floor 2
The entrance and appearance to Yukiko's Castle is that of a traditional Western Castle, with the group walking up to where a large gate is open to the swirling doorway inside. Outside, rearing horses appear as statues lining the entrance. Horses rearing in such a way tend to mean fright, aggression, excitement, disobedience, or even in pain {Source: Wikipedia}. Stallions rearing are often signs of a fight (stallions are also considered 'studs'). Horses are also viewed as 'free spirits', so it's possible that the statues out front show some of Yukiko's concern over her inability to break 'free', and her wish to do so no matter what the cost (note that rearing can cause harm to the animal and the rider in some cases). The horses might also indicate Chie's Shadow Self having a hand in the creation - Chie is a 'free spirit' also reigned in, but she is more prone to 'rearing' and attacking others, especially to protect Yukiko.
Because of Yukiko's disappearance, Chie has joined and rushes into the castle, hoping to find Yukiko and save her despite the warning from both the Protagonist and Yosuke. Thus, the first objective while searching Yukiko's castle is to find Chie and save her from whatever is in the castle, as she does not have the glasses to see clearly, nor a Persona to fight off Shadows with. The lack of a Persona also means she's just as likely to run into her Shadow Self and be attacked.
The first floor is littered mostly with the Shadows from before, a few other ones as well, but overall the rush to ensure Chie's safety is what comes first. For whatever reason, Yukiko's Shadow Self does not appear in this first encounter outside of appearing on the TV to announce her goal of finding a Prince. It could be that Yukiko's Shadow wishes to test Chie, or that Chie's repressed self has scared off Yukiko's. It's only after Chie reappears with her Persona that Yukiko considers Chie one of her 'Princes'.
[I am a Shadow, the true self...]
Chie Satonaka: The Chariot Tomoe
Another classmate encountered in the first day, Chie Satonaka is a tomboy who enjoys fighting films and who often hangs out with Yukiko. Chie has lived in Inaba her whole life, though she doesn't always know all of the people there as well as Yukiko. The two have been friends for a very long time, and Chie shows a great deal of concern for Yukiko, especially when she starts working more and more at the Inn, as well as when she's kidnapped. Chie's fear for her is what drives her into the castle ahead of everyone, ignoring Yosuke and the Protagonist's calls for her to wait for them.
Chie is often upbeat and optimistic, and though she is a tomboy in general and will use incidents with the boys (Yosuke in particular) to get steak lunches out of him, or even demand discounts, she is still feminine in her own ways. She and Yosuke often play off each other as comic relief of the group, with Chie being more like a male version of him in some cases. She is often approached by boys who want to ask her about Yukiko, which has lead to a lot of her insecurities. It's on this, and Yukiko's seeming dependence of her, that her Shadow preys on, pointing out Chie's own insecurities and her need for Yukiko to need her. Chie does need friends - she very obviously enjoys her time with all the others, and accepts everyone pretty quickly when the group begins to grow. Though she is quick to attack, especially when her friends are in danger, or suggest violence against the perpetrator of the crimes, Chie also will sometimes pull back from attacking others she knows, or will defend them no matter what the circumstance. She, like Yosuke, is a huge asset to you during the game, and while others can fill her role as a very heavy fighter (especially later on), she still does her best to help out and works with the group to learn more about herself and to be happy with both her feminine and masculine side.
Chie's Shadow self appearing as Chie works to free Yukiko means that this is the second dungeon where the trials are meant for at least two people, though this time there is a chance you can save both instead of arriving too late for one. Despite this, the Shadow isn't going to pull any punches either - she's quick to point out Chie's need for Yukiko and her dislike of herself compared to Yukiko's own beauty and femininity quickly come out, and the presence of others only makes Chie more agitated by what the Shadow is saying, as well as more willing to not accept the Shadow as what is really inside of her and what she really feels about Yukiko. Like Yosuke's need for people to pay attention to him and stay with him, no matter what, Chie's need for friends that need her as well manifests in a dangerous way.
TAROT ANALYSIS
The Chariot (VII), Reversed
The Chariot in general means movement, a control over said movement, self-assertion, and going into victory or war. The card itself shows a man or person of high rank in a chariot or similar vehicle, holding the reigns of two animals or mythical figures, one black and one white. The ability to control those animals while drawing a chariot is a very dangerous thing, and the results means years of experience and dedication, as well as being able to have animals that are just as well-trained and controlled. In some cases, the Chariot can also represent other modes of travel, like a car or similar.
Thus, the Chariot reversed is someone who has lost control, who has low self-esteem, and who lashes out or abuses those around them. If we continue with the car reference, the Chariot upright is a car that has someone who knows what they're doing, who is able to do whatever they need the car to do. The Chariot Reversed is an upside-down car, one that's crashed, and all the issues that comes with it. In the Fool's Journey, the Chariot is the Fool, having grown up and managed to gain control and an assertiveness over his powers and his abilities, gaining control of his environment.
Chie has to gain control of herself, of her darker self and of her unwanted emotions, in order to move forward and change, to regain that assertiveness and to have it be genuine instead of fake.
THEME: Friendships and Loyalty
Chie's push to find Yukiko is due to how close they are as friends, as well as how much Yukiko means to Chie and vice-versa. Even if it was Chie in the Shadow World instead of Yukiko, I don't doubt that Yukiko would go through everything to save her as well and make sure she was alright. Their loyalty to each other is a major theme in the Castle dungeon - from Chie's attempts to save Yukiko that ends in her facing her own Shadow, to Chie helping Yukiko after they face off against Yukiko's Shadow. Chie even being called one of Yukiko's 'Princes' shows Yukiko's belief that Chie could act in the role the Prince was assigned, taking her away from Inaba and her ties to the Amagi Inn. While Yosuke and the Protagonist hold some connection due to the S.Link they created, as well as their shared 'newness' to the Inaba area, Chie and Yukiko have known each other for far longer, and know each other well enough to understand the dangers that come with such a close friendship. As Shadow Chie showed, sometimes even close friendship and such deep loyalty can be toxic, However, it also gives Chie something to work on as she realizes that she cannot always act as she had, and that she must find herself, as well as be a better friend to Yukiko, if she is to move forward. By doing this, and by admitting to the guys as well that this is something that is within her, Chie not only gains more friends outside of Yukiko, but shows her ability to grow and become a better person.
Next time: More on the Persona - Tomoe
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