Author's Note: So 1 month ain't bad considering I am getting back in the swing of things. It took me a little longer than I was expecting do to having to create a lot of Takeyoshi from scratch. I don't know how many of you actually remember that scene in Yosuke's social link but it was a lucky find for more party members. Anyway, I have decided that going forward I want to do some additional fun stuff up here. So today, I want to reveal the "theme music" I have been using for inspiration in my writings. I will reveal them two at a time.

The first is Shiho Suzui and the song that ultimately inspired me to include her in this story. That song is "In Front of Me" by Infected Mushroom. This song was actually my introduction to the group who also wrote the song that this chapter was named after. It is a pretty dark song about never having a way forward.

The second one is the song I have been using as my primary inspiration for Nanako Dojima. This is probably going to feel like a strange song choice but I have been listening to "It's Raining Somewhere Else" by Toby Fox. The simplistic nature of the melody helps me keep her Fool Arcana characteristics in check while the layers help me remember that she is a full character and not just another protagonist.

~Noxmad

There was an uncharacteristically large amount of energy at the school just four days later. After that, it did not take long for the group to find out. Popular former student and resident shut-in Takeyoshi Hada was reported missing and his bathroom mirror was found broken alongside some picture frames in the hall immediately outside the bathroom.

"He finally went off the deep end?""He's probably just trying to get attention.""There is no way this is normal, Hada would have never done something like that.""Maybe he got taken by the Mirror Game?""Yeah, who would ever be soulmates with a total shut in like him?""I hope he is ok…"

Nanako had a hard time holding her tongue. The two of them may not be as close as they once had been, but he was still her friend and all these people talking about him like he was dead annoyed her greatly. However, the biggest thing that unnerved her was that she was only now finding out about this one. Previously, she had been lucky enough to find out through circumstance from her father or Big Sis Chie. After what happened with the adults, she was pretty sure that this was no accident. If they were going to keep up with this, they were going to have to find a new way to get information. Four days was too much time to waste knowing that it was only a week before the first two people who were drawn into the mirror world died.

During lunch, Nanako sent out a group text asking everyone to meet on the roof. It was only about 5 minutes for everyone to be brought together. The third years being the closest to the roof beating the underclassmen there by a large margin. Shima stood with his gaze staring down at the ground below. Shiho sat down in a place that group not unlike their own had sat, to discuss things not unlike events that had occured years ago. The three first years showed up in silence.

"So, seems like things are going to get more difficult from here," Miwa finally commented. "Does this situation get any worse?"

Nanako commented glumly, "Well the cops are no longer going to be a good source of information now that the adults are involved."

Shima turned to the group and shrugged. Yuuta however added, "Well there are those crazy reflections that tried to kill us, we ended up meeting last time. Which means we are also without Eiddet."

This caused the group to fall silent in thought and concern. Shiho finally suggested, "We can focus on something we could try. Find a mirror we could enter close to where Takeyoshi lives. Since it seems people only appear in the same place in that world where they disappeared from. Like the area I lived in was replaced by my old school."

Shima nodded and added, "That does make sense. Afterall, I disappeared at the hospital and I appeared in the TV world equivalent. We could minimize the amount of time we spend there by eliminating travel time. Slip in, save this prick, and get back out before the reflections have any idea we are there." Nanako was reminded about the fact that Shima was not happy with Takeyoshi.

"What we need then," Nanako thought out loud, "is to figure out how that portion of town is going to change so we can adjust accordingly. The last thing we need is to try to go through a mirror that ends up in the middle of a place we can't get out of. What has been consistent about that world and the way that it has changed?"

Miwa spoke aloud and explained, "It will always change in ways that are important and defining to the individual. Shima's hospital took the place of the hospital where his surgery happened. Shiho's house and city block became her old school."

"What about you? The Moel station didn't transform when you go sucked in," Yuuta commented thinking back on it.

Miwa shook her head, "But it did. But there was never a specific location that defined my relationship with my parents. In fact it was the exact opposite."

Nanko nodded as she remembered the day. "Her shadow did say that if it meant she would be like them, her parents would erase the town," Nanako explained.

"Holy shi- oot," Shima remarked. He had never heard about what had happened for Miwa or Yuuta.
Nanako closed her eyes to think about things. However it did not take long for her to realize exactly the place that would be there when they went for him. "The courthouse. The place his parents finalized their divorce in front of the whole world. The event that made him obsessed with numbers and become a shut in," Nanako explained.

"So we are talking about half of a block then," Yuuta announced. "This is the place in Okina City we're talking about right?" Nanako nodded. "So we need somewhere we can go into the Mirror World outside of a half block from his house that will allow to get as close to his home as possible. Any ideas?"

"He'll be a few blocks from where the school appeared. Nanako showed up at my house immediately after he conversation with Takeyoshi-kun right?" Shiho asked. Miwa nodded and gave a hum for confirmation.

Shima sighed after a moment and suggested, "We could use my house. I wasn't there when I got taken so my house should be relatively unaffected in the Mirror World. I am in the same neighborhood as those two. We are just gonna have to do this tonight. My parents are home all day and the last thing I need is for them to hear us suddening falling out of my mirror."

"I should be able to get out tonight. My parents have been easing up on the overbearing behavior since I met you all," Shiho said with a small smile.

Yuuta added, "My mom is working a night shift so it'll be no problem."

"I am usually not home most nights," Miwa said. "My parents will probably assume I am at Nanako's house."

"My dad will be busy with looking for Takeyoshi, this will probably be the only opportunity we get, we are so close to a week already," Nanako finally commented.

Shima pulled out his phone and saw the time, "Well if I am going to get back to class on time, I have to head back now. Show up around 11 PM, I'll meet you guys out in front." He started to walk off with a tap, clack, slap. The rest of the group followed after him.

That night Shima stood outside in a tank top and black jeans. He very rarely showed his arms since the accident. The multitude of scars on them took on a strange out of place sheen in the moonlight. Not so much that he was glowing but simply reflecting the light in places more so than others. He did not usually wear these types of shirts as you could both see the scars on his arms and how they continued onto his torso. But it would make for a nice change of pace from his school uniform. A light breeze passed through the air and the first to arrive was Shiho in a baggy white sweatshirt over a red shirt and black shorts. She was caught in her tracks when she realized what she was seeing.

"You are not wearing sleeves," Shiho told him. She immediately thought about finding a shovel so she could dig her own hole faster.

Shima seemed to get a bit bashful as he looked away. "I-I-I figured it would be a good for you if you could see that I was also- I mean it was time to try something new. Expand my horiz… It is just whatever," he tried to tell her. The dynamic of the relationship had certainly changed since obtaining their Personas though neither one really wanted to admit it.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Shiho replied quietly. "I just think that it suits you better than constantly suffocating yourself in all the layers you wear year round. I don't think you have anything you should feel like to have to hide."

The two of them fell quiet and just enjoyed each other's company while waiting for the rest of their group to show up. The next one to arrive was Miwa, sporting an orange jacket with a yellow sweater vest underneath. "Hey you two! Nanako just texted, says she is on her way," Miwa told them. If she noticed Shima's scars she certainly was not letting on. Shima was grateful for her tact nonetheless, making the decision to wear this where others would see it had been an agonizing one.

Yuuta came running down the street in a Featherman t-shirt and hat. "Alright, I am here. I am not late," he claimed through small huffs. Just a few minutes later Nanako showed up looking a little disheveled.

"Sorry for being late, I was trying to get some rest before went in and I over slept a little," she explained rubbing one of her eyes for emphasis. The group all gave each other a quick nod. Shima heaved a sigh as he led the group into his home and to his room.

"Well, here goes nothing," Shima said sticking his cane and hand through the mirror first. Passing through the mirror he found himself in his own room again, but the paint was worn and faded. "Looks better," he commented as the others followed him into the room. Making sure everyone was ready for the job ahead, Nanako led the group out of Shima's house and as they stepped outside, they could see the school they escaped from weeks ago.

"So," Nanako thought out loud. "We should find the changed building on the far side of the school."

"In case the reflections are still there, let's take a wide path around the school," Yuuta suggested. While under normal circumstances this trip would have been 10 to 15 minutes, even for Shima, the longer path the felt would be safest took them nearly 30 minutes. With only a few minor encounters with the odd shadow, it was an easy journey nonetheless.

"This really is the building from Okina City, right?" Yuuta asked aloud receiving a deafening silence. Looking over at the others they were all focused on something up near the clock tower. They saw what appeared to be shadows in cages and written in red, what they all hoped was just paint, was a proclamation.

"A million bad things happen everyday. The strangest day on Earth will be the day that nothing bad happens. Death is inevitable, preservation is a constant process," Shiho read aloud. As much one would want to say they wanted to argue the point, they were all a perfect fit for the message it was conveying. Physical disability, abuse, and loss were integral to the foundation the group standing outside this building. Soon the door opened and stepping out the building was Takeyoshi.

"Greetings," he said evenly. His outfit was one that caught the group off guard. It looked like a graduation gown, without the hat and tassel of course. "Did you know that if you go passed this point you are 100% likely to be in for a world of pain. I would just leave now, I am not worth those chances." He turned from them and slowly walked back within the building

"Tell me something about this guy Takeyoshi," Shima finally spoke after the shadow left them behind. Nanako and Miwa looked at him expectantly. "He was your friend right? Before he went off the deep end?"

Miwa hummed in the affirmative. "Takeyoshi, Nanako, and I all grew up together. Before his parents got divorced he was the golden boy of our grade and one of the greatest friends you could ask for. But he just slowly began to distance himself from everything. Including us," Miwa explained. She got progressively sadder the longer she talked about it.

"Let's go get him," Shima replied. The group headed into the building and Shima drew his blade from his cane. "Time to face reality, you prick."

Stepping into the building they found themselves in a living room. "Isn't this normally where a Lobby would be?" Yuuta asked almost out of obligation. In this world, anything that was different was the norm. Looking around, the place was sterile and uncluttered.

Nanako walked away from the group as she let her fingers lightly graze the surface of the things she recognized. The room as unchanged as the last time she and Miwa had been in there, before their falling out with Takeyoshi. Soon there was the expected voice of Takeyoshi that originated from nowhere and could be heard throughout the room.

"Every day is the same. Wake up. Grab an applesauce container. Some of the only stuff I can bring myself to eat. Over 5000 people died from choking on food in America in 2015. Stay in my room. Check the news. Read up on injury reports from around the world. Study the topic for the day. Regret everything that I can't do anymore because I am a coward. I miss Nanako-chan and Miwa-chan. But they are better off without me. I have to be ok with that. Chances are that our friendship would never last anyway."

"Takeyoshi-kun, why would you ever convince yourself of that?" Miwa asked out loud. It was clear that his words had severely upset her. "You were our friend. We would have never stopped being your friend if you hadn't shut us out."

Yuuta however was also getting mad. "Oh, we are so going to give this guy a dose of reality. He needs to get over this crap!" he suddenly shouted. "I get it! It hurts to face reality. But denying it is no way to live. At this point he may as well be six feet under for all the good he is doing."

Nanako headed towards the door that would normally lead out the back of the house and found it locked. But the hallway towards where his room would be was missing. The only way to proceed forward was this specific door. Looking at the sliding door there was no physical lock which meant that whatever was blocking the way forward was not a physical force or they might have had Shima try to knock in with his Persona.

Shiho had been quiet upon entering the building. She felt like an outsider on this matter and simply kept her thoughts to herself as she took a look around the room. The walls were without pictures, the surfaces were bare with only the essential living items that made you realize that this place was a home at all. However something caught her attention in the kitchen attached to the room they were in. It was small, but with it so out of place it was particularly eye catching. A gold wedding band. An extremely simple ring but it was discarded on the floor as if it fell there from somewhere higher up.

Nanako noticed Shiho's interest in the object and came over to see what she found as the others continued to look around at the sparse furnishings and decorations. Nanako gasped when she saw the object.

"What?" Shiho asked her, startled by the response.

Nanako reached down and picked up the ring off the floor and held it in her palm. "This ring belonged to his dad before the divorce. I was here when the big fight happened. His mom was ushering us out of the house into the back yard. He took it off as we were heading out the back. He threw it at her before the door closed. Takeyoshi sat down on the back porch and just waited there to go in. Fighting back tears the whole time. This object is a symbol of his struggles," Nanako explained.

"I hate him. So much. How could he do this to her? Mom has never been the same since the ring bounced off her chest and rolled across the ground. He left us. And I am his son. What if I end up like him? Statistically speaking… I would be 14% more likely to also get a divorce. He doesn't even call anymore. No… it is better if I stay alone. I will never have the chance to hurt anyone in here. I'll never get hurt in here. I am sorry though… Nanako-chan… Miwa-chan… I am sorry that it had to be at the expense of your friendship."

"Takeyoshi," Nanako said out loud, heartbroken. Miwa stayed very quiet.

"I see," Shima said with a calmer voice than he had before while the back door slid open. "He was only trying to protect himself and his friends. A desire to protect turned to paranoia. Let's go save him."

The group took a moment before Nanako and Miwa led the group out into a hallway that looked a bit more like you would see in an actual courthouse. There was a large set of double doors. It was time to walk into the room and face the music.

The group found themselves in the main courtroom of the twisted little world that Takeyoshi's Shadow created. Looking around they found they found the walls were lined in books and knowledge. Sitting in the Judge's place was Takeyoshi but the yellow glow to his eyes were all they needed to know his true identity. To his right, Takeyoshi was at the stand and he was very clearly uncomfortable being there. The Shadows appearance made even more sense to the group now as his outfit which had at first looked like a graduation gown was actually a judge's robe.

"Please everyone be seated for the case of 'The World vs Takeyoshi' is now in session. All parties have now arrived," the shadow announced. Nanako and the group continued to stand until shackles lashed out from the seats around the courtroom and they all found themselves dragged to their seats.

"The honorable Judge Takeyoshi is preceding. The case can now begin," the Shadow continued. "So I think we can all agree that we know why we are here. To see this young man receive his just desserts and be punished for his crimes against humanity. Point 1, he has actively turned his back on a world that could greatly use a mind as brilliant as his own making next big breakthrough."

"Takeyoshi! It is going to be ok! it is ok to admit to your faults," Nanako called out. A metal panel curved around her mouth and held her in place while effectively muted. However, it was not just that she could not talk, suddenly she could not even feel Themis in her mind.

"No more outbursts! I will hold you in contempt if you further disrupt these proceedings. Now onto point 2, Takeyoshi Hada is guilty of the crime of cowardice. When others were faced with hardships like losing a leg they continued to press forward. It is an insult to all those who came before and survived greater hardships," the Shadow continued snidely. Shima looked like had something to say, but one look at Nanako shut his mouth and settled for just trying to break free of his chains.

"Point 3, you have directly betrayed the confidence of your two closest friends over some strange and demented self-loathing you disguised as paranoia. And finally, the most heinous of your crimes you villainous coward is the impersonation of the judge of this court. How do you plead?"

"Innocent!" Takeyoshi exclaimed with an neutral expression on his face and eyes closed. When he opened them, it was clear that he was terrified beyond rational thought. "You don't know me. You are not me!" he shouted at the Shadow version of himself.

The shadow let out a long and hollow laugh. He stood up and as he did books seemed to levitate from their shelves and as they all turned to face the judge, the whole group could see they all had Shadow Mask on them. Shiho closed her eyes and began to take on a blue glow. Her Persona responded to her command. "Traesto, now!"

The party all vanished from their seats but reappeared inside the chamber and Shiho fell to the floor screaming in agony and holding her head. Nanako tried to speak but saw that she still had the metal across her mouth.

"Order in the court. In the denial of these allegations, I sentence Takeyoshi Hada to death, by his own Shadow. His true self!" The shadow in the court garb declared as he was soon engulfed in darkness as the books around the room all flew into the mass. Miwa brought forth her Persona and eased the suffering of Shiho who was finally beginning to regain her footing. Having her mind, which was lugging around four other people, suddenly crash headlong into a wall caused her to nearly black out and it was clear that she was still disoriented.

The shadow of Takeyoshi was suddenly standing above them, two giant books levitating around him. The judge's robe was still on but it came equipped with a hood that made him look less like a judge and more like an executioner.

"I am the shadow. The true self. With the power of Epimetheous, Titan of Excuses, your feelings are merely an afterthought to my own comfort and needs. This will never change!" the shadow challenged.

Yuuta took on blue glow as his Persona ripped its way into reality, chainsaw blade running as immediately went to attack. A large book blocked the attack as the Shadow looked at the details of the book in front of him. Suddenly a burst of energy reflected the physical attack back at the Persona and Hyperion was sent flying back.

"Hyperion of the Magician Arcana. Rhea of the Chariot Arcana and I take it the one before was Phoebe of the Empress Arcana. Interesting. This information will be invaluable," the Shadow titan mused. Another of the giant books turned around and flying forward from it was a bust of flame at the group. Shima ran forward with scarred arms wide open and the fire slammed into him and he was then consumed. The others all yelled or reached out to him.

As the fire died down, Shima stood there silently and completely unaffected by the fire that had seemed to consume him. However, it was very apparent to the Shadow, that the fire did not just dissipate. No it had been absorbed by his body. But he had not brought forth his Persona yet.

"Clever. Don't want to reveal your full powers, eh?" the shadowed challenged. A book floated above him and began to slam down. However, Hyperion recovered and with his chariot wheel overhead blocked the attack.

Nanako was desperately trying to summon forth Themis but the metal bar seemed to completely separate her from her Persona. She began trying to tear the metal bar away to no avail.

Shiho was finally seeing the world straight and saw Nanako struggling against the metal bond. Phoebe materialized next to Nanako and with glowing hands, removed the real bar from Nanako's mouth who felt her Persona's power roar to life within herself. She nodded to Shiho as she turned to the enemy with a determined look in her eye. With a large hammer in hand Nanako ran forward to test a theory.

Themis's hand suddenly grabbed the back of her shirt as the Persona appeared and tossed her up onto the book being held up by Hyperion, where Nanako then launched herself forward and slammed her attack into the Shadow itself. No forcefield prevented the attack. So she was right. The books were the problem. If you could get them far enough out of the way, then the enemy was left open.

"Nanako… why do you try so hard when he has simply given up?" the Shadow asked the girl who was now strategically boom over Hyperion lifted up and then flipped around knocked the Persona and Shima back. Themis caught the upperclassmen and put him down. Rhea healed the roughed up Hyperion.

Miwa and Shiho looked at each other and they both seemed to have the same idea as a red and blue aura engulfed Shima. Shortly after, Hyperion let off a green glow as the third and final color joined over Shima. Nanako noticed the change and realized that they all were on the same page, to make a small joke at this situation. Themis charged forward swung her hammer in the direction of one of the books. Hyperion in the other direction as he swung the chainsaw blade and the other book went to block him. Iapetus faded in behind Shima as he finally called forth his Persona. The persona, much like Themis had done before, threw his summoner through the air. Then it charged the now open Shadow, a blade drawn from his cane like Shima did above. The two of them crossed through the open Shadow and watched as it fell backward and Iapetus caught the boy he served. Shima however was not done as he made his way down to the bottom of the stand, there he also joined by Nanako and Miwa.

"Listen, Takeyoshi-kun I get it. You are hurt, I get it. But sometimes the things that hurt you have to make you stronger. You have to let yourself be stronger," Shima yelled up to him. Takeyoshi saw the scars that covered his arms.

Nanako called up after him, "We are still here for you if will have us Takeyoshi-kun. We always have been waiting for you to be ready to come back to us. Please don't feel like you have to push us out. You can grow with us and make sure you don't ever turn into anything you don't want to be!"

Miwa was quiet except to hold her hand out to him and she said softly, "Please come back with us."

Takeyoshi watched the battle with a type of fear he had never felt before. But as his shadow fell he started to feel something. A type of calm he had not felt in a long time. He walked down from the stand and took Miwa's hand as she led him over next to what was now his mirror image. He sat down next to himself as it was trying to get to its feet. "Let's talk. I will acknowledge that we are both really messed up. So let's be practical about this. If you quit trying to be a murderous psychopath, I'll get us out of the house. We'll go back to school. We'll prove to ourselves that we do not have to be our father. So can we just put this behind us? If not for us, then at least for them," he said to himself. They sat across from each other for a moment of quiet until the shadow finally said.

"These terms are acceptable." The shadow disappeared and forming above its previous position was an imposing figure. Wearing what looked like a lab coat, around it head was a crown of constellations. "I am Coeus, Titan of Intellect. With power of my knowledge you shall learn to conquer the world you have convinced yourself is too scary." The titan then faded into a card and two words escaped Takeyoshi's lips as the card disappeared into him and making glow blue.

"Hermit Arcana."

The trip back out was just as uneventful as the trip in. So it seemed that this strategy was the way to go going forward. "Hey, guys. I'll lead Takeyoshi home," Nanako told the others.

Shima nodded, "I'll lead Shiho home then and we'll break off from you two when we get there. You two will be ok?" He then asked the other two underclassmen. They both signed in the affirmative.

Nanako, Shima, Shiho and Takeyoshi all made their way through the residential district. As they got to Shiho's house, Nanako and Takeyoshi separated from their upperclassmen.

"You know Shima, I think it was really brave of you to reach out to Takeyoshi like that," Shiho commented idly. Shima shrugged his exposed shoulders. "Do you think you could wear short sleeves more often?"

"Why?"

Shiho wrapped her arms around his and leaned her head against him as she replied quietly, "No reason."

Shima seemed to get extremely bashful. "I guess if you want me to I could…"

Nanako and Takeyoshi left their two upperclassmen behind as Nanako continued to lead Takeyoshi to his own home. He was nervous and never was more than half an arm's length from her. "Nanako-chan," he said stopping her as they approached his house.

"What is it Takeyoshi?" Nanako asked him making a point to drop the honorific around him now.

"I'm… sorry. For everything. Everything I said, everything I did. Everything I didn't do…" he explained to her trying to find the words. He was almost never at such a loss for words. "Especially what I said the last time we saw each other. I know I hurt you. And yet you never stopped reaching out to me. If you hate, I understand. Just please give me the opportunity to atone for my transgressions."

Nanako sighed. "I will acknowledge that you hurt me Takeyoshi. A lot. But you were already hurting. But my friends, the one who came to save you tonight, showed me there is nothing wrong with growing strong with help from others. I gained a lot from my Big Bro. But there is nothing wrong with what I have gained from him. Because now I know that I can pay it forward to the people I care about. Even you," Nanako told him.

"I'm not worthy of it. Not after everything I did…" Takeyoshi said dejectedly. Nanako however reached into her pocket and pulled out a paper notice.

"I told the others I was late to the meeting spot tonight because if a nap," Nanako explained to him as she held it out to him. "Actually I was desperately looking for this." Takeyoshi took the paper notice from her and opened it and his eyes went wide and began to water. "In the first grade, you asked me for this paper notice. Miwa-chan, Yo-chan, and I all came over to deliver it to you. Takeyoshi… you never stopped being important to me. You never stopped being my friend. Friends are going to cause each other some pain. But that does not completely eliminate everything that is good about the friendship. Not now, not ever. As long as you want us, we'll be here. Yuuta, Shima-senpai, and Shiho-senpai, too."
Takeyoshi nodded as he and Nanako turned to finishing going to his house. As they got his door he stopped again and looked up at the moon. "Nanako, thank you," he said quietly.

"You're welcome," Nanako said with a smile. "When you are ready, we'll see you at school. Meet us up on the roof at lunch and we will get you up to speed on the situation."

"The roof? Don't you realize how dangerous that is…?"

Nanako chuckled and shook her head, "If not now, when are you going to start taking those small steps? I'd say now would be a golden opportunity."