Persona 6: Destiny of Death

by World Paradox

Since the dawn of time there has been a clear balance between life and death, however recent events have caused the line between the two to become blurred and as a result the dead are not passing on and instead are wreaking havoc among the living. Now it seems that the only hope for the world is a dysfunctional teenager and his dysfunctional friends. Time to reap some souls!

29. Chapter XXVI

A/N: (That's right, I'm not dead! Not college, nor coronavirus, nor writer's block could keep me down. Okay, well maybe the latter to be honest. My last semester of college was absolutely dreadful, I endured tons of sleepless nights. But I'm finally done! Hooray! Now here comes the dreadful working world. Boo! Anyway, words cannot express how sorry I am about the lackluster releases last year. I have been really terrible about updating since I've started this story, haven't I? Now I'm not going to say that I'll be any better in the future, I can't really promise that. But what I can promise is that I will see this story through to the end. No matter how many years it will take. My current goal is to finish this story before Atlus releases the actual, canonical Persona 6, or at least finish it before it gets ported outside of Japan.

Yeah, to those of you who don't know, it's been confirmed that Atlus is making Persona 6. But since Persona 5 was even more massive than Persona 4, and Persona 4 was even more massive than Persona 3, and so on, and so on. I'm definitely sure it's going to take a couple more years to completely develop. And that's only after Atlus finishes milking the Persona 5 franchise. Who knows? They might release another sequel after Scramble/Phantom Strikers. Anyway, that should give me plenty of time to finish this story. Hopefully.

And I don't want to jinx it but there should be a noticeable change in the scheduling of updates. Since I didn't have the time to officially write, I did the next best thing and started storyboarding and plotting out the whole story. At this point in time the whole plot is like 85% mapped out. All settings, characters, enemies, and the general mythos have been pretty much decided on. Save for the 15% margin of error which I'm holding onto in case I want to make some last minute tweaks which won't affect the current story and just add to it. All and all, this is going to be a very long story. Well over 100 chapters, so I hope you guys are in this for the long haul.

One last thing, it might be in your best interest to go back and re-read the first twenty-five chapters if it's been a while since you looked back over this story, as I've added and changed a few details that will become important going forward. Okay, I think that's all I have to say for now. Enjoy this much overdue update as we draw closer to finally finishing Arc 1. To start us off, the moment I've been promising for a few years now, Ayuka's awakening. Again, sorry it took so long to get here. Hope this will be worth the wait.)

A hauntingly beautiful melody is drawing nearer. Our young hero shall soon gain another promising ally. But will it be enough to face what lies ahead?

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona.

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Chapter XXVI: Cavatina, the Reaper of Sorrow

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Friday, 4/18 20XX, Morning

Around that same time, Shinichi began to stir. He grunted as he felt a dull throbbing pain in the back of his head. He slowly opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. "What happened?" he asked himself as his vision came back to him. When his eyes finally focused, his surroundings stopped blurring and his location came into full-view. He was still in Michiko Endou's dorm room, albeit now passed out on the carpeted floor. He could see the morning sun's rays slip through the curtains. "Huh? It's morning and I'm still here? Did I spend the night or something?" He slowly sat up and was immediately met with a deeper intense pain from his head. "Argh! It feels like I have a railroad spike in my head," he grunted in pain. Then he furiously rubbed his temples until the pain began to subside.

Then Shinichi noticed that he was the only person in the dorm room. "What? Where did the Prez go?" And then Shinichi noticed that something very important was also missing. "The journal's gone too. Did she take it? What the hell happened last night?" Shinichi tried to come up with an answer but he couldn't recall a single thing after he grabbed the journal. There was a huge gap missing from his memory. "What the hell is going on?"

Then all of a sudden a small knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Shinichi? Are you in there?" a familiar voice whispered out to him.

"Takuya? Yeah, I'm in here," Shinichi replied. "Just a sec." Shinichi got up and unlocked the door for Takuya and Ryuta.

Then a few moments later, the door opened and Takuya and Ryuta scurried into the room, and Takuya quickly shut the door behind them. "So you were here. Dude, what happened to you yesterday? We were really worried," said Ryuta.

"I…I don't really know," Shinichi replied. "Have I really been out for that long?"

"Out? What do you mean out?" Takuya asked.

"I just woke up a few minutes before you guys got here. I was lying down here on the floor; I think I might've been unconscious," Shinichi replied.

"Unconscious?" Ryuta replied in confusion. "For how long?"

"I'm not really sure, I guess since some time yesterday. The last thing I remember was that I got the journal and was planning on bringing it to you two but before I could leave the room…something happened, I don't really know what. And the next thing I know I'm waking up on the floor by myself," Shinichi explained.

"So you don't know what happened either then?" Takuya asked.

"Huh? Something else happened? What?" Shinichi asked.

"…" Takuya and Ryuta shared depressed looks before deciding to tell Shinichi what happened.

"Endou-senpai is dead. They found her body in the arts and clubs building just a few hours ago," Takuya replied.

Shinichi's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"

"The Headmaster told us that it looks like it was a suicide, but we know the truth. We've seen it, remember?" Ryuta added.

"…" Shinichi looked down at the floor. Clearly he was too shocked to speak.

"Shinichi, none of us could have seen this coming. We didn't think it would happen so fast. What could we have…?" Takuya was cut off when Shinichi slammed his fist into the floor.

"I told you there was no point. I told you, and you didn't listen. You got my hopes up for nothing. And it ended just like I told you it would. And what's worse is that I was right there beside her and I couldn't do anything," Shinichi replied. He looked up and showed his face to the other two boys. Tears were streaming down his face and he looked red with anger. "Why did you come into my life?! Why did you teach me to have hope?! Why?! It was all for nothing in the end! I told you! And yet…" Tears were coming out at full force now. "…I stupidly believed in your words. All the powers we have, the things we can see, the things we can do. None of it made a damn bit of difference. It just ended the same way."

"…" Ryuta was silent.

"…" as was Takuya. And then after a few moments of hearing nothing but the sound of Shinichi sobs throughout the dorm room, Takuya crouched down and placed his hands on Shinichi's shoulders. "You were right," he said to Shinichi.

"…" Shinichi quieted his sobs and then looked back up at Takuya.

"It was foolish saying that we could change fate so easily. There is something off about all of this. There is something off about the whole universe in general. I know deep in my heart that we can save them, that we could have saved her. But something stopped us from doing so. Just like it stopped you from saving those other doomed people. I don't know if its fate or something else pulling the strings, but for whatever reason, whatever it is wants these people to die. But…" Takuya shook his head. "…it's not natural. I don't know how I know, it's just a feeling really. People need to be able to die for the universe to be at balance, but there's something more to all of this. There has to be a point to everything. We just need time to figure it all out. The Omens, Limbo, everything."

"…" Ryuta and Shinichi remained silent while Takuya continued to speak.

"Endou-senpai's loss was tragic, but we can't let it derail our mission. We were given these powers for a reason. We are able to see the Omens for a reason. I refuse to believe that there is no meaning in anything that's happened to us so far. You and I met each other for a reason, even if partially it was just because some guy pointed you in my direction. We met Ryuta for a reason, even if partially it was just because he's my dorm neighbor. The fact of the matter is, that we've all been chosen to do something great. I don't really know what that is yet, but I want to keep moving forward until I find out what. And I can't do this alone, I need your help. So what do you say?" Takuya asked.

"…" Shinichi was silent at first, but then he sighed and dried his eyes. "I guess if I give up now, I'll be no better off than when I first became a ghost. All alone in a world with no answers. I'm sorry for what I said. I am glad I met you. You and Ryuta. You're my friends, and no matter what the future holds, I want to stand by both of you and face it head on. So let's keep going. And I'm sure that we'll save the next person who appears as an Omen. I have hope. Thank you for reminding me of that," Shinichi replied.

"…" Takuya and Shinichi silently clasped hands, in a sign of a restored and renewed friendship. Takuya couldn't help but think that this experience, though horrible, had made him and Shinichi a little closer. Then something unexpected happened. A familiar tarot card flashed through Takuya's mind. It was No. XIII, Death.

Rank Up!

Arcana: Death – Rank 2.

Reaper Eyes Awakened – The Eyes of the Phantom.

And then the card disappeared as quickly as it came. 'So it wasn't just my imagination. Shinichi and I have strengthened our bond a little. So the further I strengthen the bond, the more powerful Shinichi and I will both get.' Before Takuya could ponder the subject anymore, the more pressing concern interrupted him.

"So what do we do now?" Shinichi asked.

"Well, the first thing that came to our minds was to find out what happened to you, but it looks like even you don't really know that, so at this point we're open to suggestions," Ryuta replied.

"We both decided that even though we were too late to save Endou-senpai, we still want to find out what happened to her and bring her killer to justice," Takuya added.

"Well in that case, I found out a little more about the Prez while I was here yesterday. She was in contact with someone shady, they were exchanging emails about secret meetups," Shinichi explained.

"Emails?" Ryuta repeated. Then he looked over at Michiko's desktop computer. "You mean on there?" Then he walked over to the computer and sat down at the swivel chair in front of it, and Takuya and Shinichi walked over and stood beside him. Ryuta booted up the computer and a lock screen automatically popped up. "Figures that she would have a password. Any ideas?" Ryuta asked.

"No worries, I saw her type it in before," Shinichi replied. "Her password is schoolofangels, lowercase, all one word."

"Knowing her, that makes sense. She loved this school," Takuya replied.

"Okay, schoolofangels," Ryuta replied as he typed out the password. The lock screen vanished and the computer's home screen appeared. "And we're in. Let's see. Looks like there's one page minimized." Ryuta pulled up the last webpage Michiko was working on, which just so happened to be her email account page. "Huh, there are a lot of back and forth emails between Endou-senpai and someone named GM."

"GM?" Takuya repeated in confusion.

"There's no telling when someone will find us here, there's no time to look through them all," Ryuta replied.

"Just pull up their last conversation, there's something important in there, I know it," Shinichi replied.

"Got it. Okay, here it is," Ryuta replied after a few moments of backtracking. The email conversation between Michiko and GM read as follows:

Michiko: I did what you asked. I looked into Iwasaki-chan's suicide myself and discovered the truth. You were right, someone in my club is responsible for this. And even after all that's happened they still do not show any sign of coming forward and admitting their guilt. I can't come forward myself for personal reasons which you probably understand, so I want to know if you'll take care of it. I'll give you all the information you need to take them down. I've been taking notes of everything I've learned so far, it should be more than enough for you to do what you do best. If you do this for me, I'll look the other way from now on. You can be free to do as you please. All I ask is that you leave my name out of things going forward. And please do not contact me again after this is over. Do we have a deal?

GM: Not a problem. I tend to be very discreet with these things, in case you haven't noticed already. You have my word, none of this will get back to you. I have no qualms with you, Endou-san. You're one of the good ones in my book. To keep matters simple, let's not meet in person and instead use a drop off point. Come to the courtyard after lights out and leave the notes you've taken under the bench marked with an X. Then I'll come and retrieve it myself. Quick and easy. And don't worry, I won't contact you again. – GM

Michiko: Okay, I'll be there.

GM: Excellent. Don't worry, you're doing the right thing, Endou-san. – GM

"You were right, this guy is definitely shady," Ryuta said to Shinichi. "So I guess this proves that Endou-senpai was up to something before she died."

"Haruna Iwasaki, that's the girl who the school had a memorial service for a few days ago, right?" Shinichi replied.

"Yeah, apparently she was in the orchestra club with Endou-senpai, Ayuka, and the others. Ayuka and Fuyu told me a little bit about her. She committed suicide this past weekend," Takuya replied. "And from the sound of it, it looks like Endou-senpai was looking into her death."

"The emails also mention a drop-off point, and passing along notes on everything Endou-senpai found out. I think I know what they're talking about," Ryuta added.

"The journal," Shinichi replied. "One problem though, as soon as I got a hold of it, I blacked out. When I woke up it was gone just like Endou-senpai."

"So the journal might be with this GM person now if Endou-senpai brought it to the drop-off point they specified," Ryuta replied.

"Either that or it was still on her person when she died and the cops have it now," Takuya added.

"Guys, what if this GM person is the Prez's killer?" Shinichi asked.

"That's a possibility too, unfortunately there's no real way to find out who this person is. That journal was our only real lead, if it's in their hands and they are Endou-senpai's killer, we might never find them," Takuya surmised.

"…" all three boys were silent.

"Out of leads again, just perfect," Ryuta replied.

"Well at least we know one new thing, whatever was going on with Endou-senpai had something to do with Haruna Iwasaki and the orchestra club," Takuya replied. "Plus we don't necessarily know that the journal is with GM or the cops. Think about it. With all the commotion this morning on the other side of campus, I doubt anybody has had the time to go to the central courtyard. Who knows? The journal might still be there. I think that it's worth a look at least."

"Good point," Ryuta replied. "Okay, I say we head there next and…"

Ryuta was suddenly cut off by another person. "What are you two doing in here?" After nearly jumping out of their skin in surprise, the three boys turned around to see none other than Akio Handa standing in the now open doorway.

"…!" the three boys fell silent.

Akio glared at Takuya and Ryuta. "I asked you two a question. What are you doing here?"

"H-Handa-senpai…that's…well…you see…we…" Takuya fumbled through his words, unable to come up with an explanation to Akio's question.

"If I'm not mistaken, Headmaster Miyazaki told all campus housing students to return to their dorm rooms and not to leave until further notice," Akio replied. "Yet I saw you two running to the girls' dorm, and to make things even more suspicious I find you here in Endou-san's dorm room. So I'll ask one more time. What the hell are you doing here?"

"W-We can explain!" Ryuta suddenly exclaimed.

Akio folded his arms. "Okay, go ahead. I'm listening. But your explanation better be a damn good one."

"…" Takuya and Ryuta fell silent. They didn't know what to do in this situation. What were they supposed to tell Akio, that they were investigating Michiko's murder because it had an odd supernatural element to it? Shinichi didn't know what to do either. Since he was a ghost, Akio didn't see him but what could he even do to help Takuya and Ryuta?

"I'm waiting!" Akio exclaimed.

And then suddenly, another individual appeared behind Akio. "Handa-senpai? I thought that was you." All the boys recognized this voice, and Akio turned around for a split second to confront the owner of said voice, Fuyumi Miyazaki.

"Miyazaki-san?" Akio replied in surprise.

And in that split second while Akio was distracted, Shinichi had a lightbulb moment and took the initiative to put a plan into action. Using his ghostly powers, he turned invisible and then grabbed ahold of Takuya and Ryuta.

"I heard your booming voice from all the way down the hall. Why are you here? And what's got you so worked up?" Fuyumi asked.

"If you must know, I was tracking down two rule breakers who decided to come here instead of heading back to their own dorm like the Headmaster ordered," Akio replied. "Namely your cousin and Ryuta Yanasai."

"Takuya? Takuya's here?" Fuyumi replied in surprise. Then she looked past Akio and into Michiko's dorm room. But she saw no one in the room. "Umm, where are they exactly?"

"Hmm?" Akio turned back around and saw that Takuya and Ryuta had vanished into thin air. "What?! What the hell?!" Akio ran into the dorm room and then began a frantic search of the room. "No this can't be right! They were here! They were right here where I'm standing!"

"Okay, then where are they now?" Fuyumi asked.

"I…I don't…" Akio struggled to make sense of this event. He saw the two boys just a minute ago, he talked to them. And there was only one way in and out of this room. How could they just be gone? "This doesn't make any sense. They couldn't have just vanished into thin air."

Little did Akio know, Takuya and Ryuta were still very much inside the dorm room. Only now, thanks to Shinichi, they had become invisible. As Akio paced frantically around the room, the three boys slowly made their way to the back corner of the room in order to make their escape through the next room over, much like they had done the day before to avoid Michiko.

"…" Fuyumi gave Akio a concerned look.

"They were here. I swear, I'm not making this up," said Akio.

"Handa-senpai, it's okay. I feel the same way," Fuyumi replied. "I came here for the same reason you did, you don't need to make an excuse."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I followed your cousin and Ryuta Yanasai here, that's all. So whatever you're thinking, you're wrong," Akio replied.

"Takuya wouldn't have any reason to come here, he barely knew Endou-senpai. You and I on the other hand, we've known her for years. We worked together with her, we were her friends. It's okay to just admit that you came here, hoping that it was all a lie. That she would be here, getting ready for the school day. Like I said, I came here for the same reason," Fuyumi said as she began to tear up.

"…" Akio was silent.

"You don't need to act so strong all the time. It's okay to admit that you're lost. I feel lost too. A person who I idolized, who inspired me every day, is gone. Gone for good." Fuyumi walked over to Michiko's bed and sat down on it. "You know I've only ever been in here once in all the time that I've known her. Endou-senpai was a pretty private person, despite outward appearances. This is definitely her room though, so many things here remind me of her."

"…" Akio didn't know what to say.

"Hey, Senpai? You know she would have forgiven you, right?" Fuyumi asked Akio. "No matter what you said to her that day, I know she would have forgiven you. That's just the kind of person she was. So you don't need to beat yourself up so much. Whatever happened to her, I know it's not your fault. So it's okay to feel sad." Fuyumi continued to cry and didn't let the tears stop.

'Fuyu', Takuya thought to himself.

"Come on, let's go. I don't know how long I can maintain the invisibility," Shinichi whispered to Takuya and Ryuta. The two boys nodded and then they and Shinichi passed through the wall into the next room over. When that was done, they made their way into the hallway.

"Phew, that was really close," said Ryuta. "Quick thinking there, Shinichi."

"I'm just happy it actually worked. I don't think you two would've been able to get out of there otherwise," Shinichi replied.

"Let's just hope Handa-senpai doesn't question what happened any more than he needs to," Takuya added. "Now let's head to the courtyard."

"Right," Shinichi and Ryuta replied. Shinichi was about to release the group's invisibility, but before he could the nearby elevator opened up and numerous police officers flooded the hallway.

"Back up!" Shinichi exclaimed. The three boys clung to side of the hallway as the police passed them by. Leading them was a stern-looking female detective who had her hair tied back into a ponytail. The boys didn't know at the time, but this was Detective Azami Kobayashi, one of the detectives in charge of Michiko's case.

"Looks like the police are heading to Endou-senpai's dorm room too," said Ryuta. "Good thing we escaped when we did."

"Hopefully, Fuyu and Handa-senpai won't get into any trouble," Takuya replied.

"We can't worry about that now. We have to get to the journal before GM can," Shinichi replied. He let go of Takuya and Ryuta and they became visible once more.

"You're right," Takuya replied and then he pressed the down button on the elevator. "Come on, let's go," he said to Ryuta and Shinichi. Then the three boys entered the elevator. Their destination, the campus central courtyard. Where hopefully they would find Michiko's mysterious journal.

Meanwhile, Detective Kobayashi and the police made their way to Michiko's dorm room and were surprised to find Akio and Fuyumi there. The two teenagers were surprised by the sudden police presence. "What are you two doing here? This is Michiko Endou's dorm room, correct?" Detective Kobayashi asked them.

"W-We can explain," Fuyumi suddenly said. "We were just…just…"

Kobayashi spied the tears rolling down Fuyumi's face. "I take it you're friends of the deceased then?"

"…" Fuyumi and Akio silently nodded.

"Look I can't even begin to imagine what you two are going through right now. But we need you to leave now. We have to investigate this room," Kobayashi replied.

"Of course, sorry to bother you," Akio replied. "Come on, Miyazaki-san. We're getting in their way," he said to Fuyumi.

"Right," Fuyumi replied, before drying her tears and getting up off of the bed.

"Excuse us," Akio said to Detective Kobayashi, before he and Fuyumi crept past her and her officers.

"Wait a second," Kobayashi replied, causing the two teenagers to stop in their tracks. "He said your name was Miyazaki," she said to Fuyumi. "Are you by any chance related to Headmaster Miyazaki?"

Fuyumi nodded. "He's my grandfather. My name is Fuyumi Miyazaki," she replied.

"I see," Kobayashi replied. "And you are?" she asked Akio.

"I'm Akio Handa," Akio replied.

"Fuyumi Miyazaki and Akio Handa, I'll remember you two. And depending on how this investigation goes, we might end up seeing each other again. If that happens, I hope that I'll be able to count on your cooperation," Kobayashi replied. "For now at least, you two should return dorm rooms or place of residence. You wouldn't want to get in trouble."

"Yes, ma'am," Akio replied. "Come on, Miyazaki-san, let's go." The two teenagers left the room as the police began to search it.

Detective Kobayashi watched the teenagers leave and go down the hall before one of the police officers in her company called out to her. "Detective, with all due respect, are you sure it's wise to just let them go? They were in the deceased's room and didn't volunteer a good reason as to why. Shouldn't we question them?"

"We're treating this as a suicide until we hear back from the medical examiner's office, so we don't have any real grounds to at this moment," Kobayashi replied. "Besides, we have their names. If the need arises we can come back and question them."

"I suppose so, I apologize for questioning your judgement, Detective," the officer replied.

"Don't worry about it, now let's get back to work. There wasn't a suicide note found at the crime scene, so if there is one it has to be here somewhere," Detective Kobayashi replied as she and the police officer went back into the room.

As Akio and Fuyumi walked away from Michiko's dorm room, Akio couldn't help but wonder if what Fuyumi was saying was true or not. In his grief-stricken state, was he so out of it that he just imagined Takuya and Ryuta going there as an excuse to go there himself? 'God am I really so stubborn that I need an excuse just to confront my own emotions? But then again, if that was just a hallucination, it was a damn believable one. I mean it had to be, right? People don't just disappear. Do they?' Akio sighed. 'Maybe I'm just over-tired. When I get back to my dorm room I should just lie down and rest.'

"Hey, Senpai? My offer from yesterday still stands, you know? If you ever want to talk, I'll be there to listen," Fuyumi said to Akio.

"…" Akio was silent at first and then he sighed again. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." They parted ways as Akio headed back to the boys' dorm. 'Sorry, Miyazaki-san. I'm just not there yet. Maybe one day, but not today.'

Fuyumi watched Akio leave for a few moments before heading back to her own dorm room. 'Handa-senpai,' she thought to herself.

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Friday, 4/18 20XX, Morning

A few minutes later, Takuya, Ryuta, and Shinichi arrived at the campus central courtyard. And they quickly got to work looking for the bench marked with an X, hoping that Michiko's journal would be hidden underneath it. After a few minutes of searching, Ryuta found it. "Guys over here!" he exclaimed. "There's a big X carved into this one!" Takuya and Shinichi made their way over to Ryuta.

"Well is the journal there?" Takuya asked.

Ryuta checked underneath the bench, and even made sure nothing was taped up underneath it. Ryuta sighed in defeat a few moments later. "Nope. Nothing."

"Dammit, GM must have already been here," Shinichi replied.

"Either that, or maybe Endou-senpai changed her mind at the last minute and decided to not go through with the drop off. Maybe the journal is still out there somewhere," Takuya replied, trying to sound hopeful.

Ryuta got back up on his feet. "Well if that's the case then there's no telling where it could be. Maybe we should just give up on the journal. I don't think we're going to find it anytime soon."

Shinichi sighed. "I guess you're right, but now what do we do? We still have no idea who killed the Prez or even why for that matter. Even if we consider this GM person a new suspect, we don't even know who they are. We keep coming up with nothing but dead ends."

Takuya began to think. "GM. GM," he muttered to himself. "What does that even mean really? Are they initials? A nickname?"

"I don't know anybody with the initials GM, but who knows? There are a lot of people who go to Yousha and who would have access to this bench. There could be a GM among them," Ryuta replied.

"Hey for that matter, why was that person in contact with the Prez anyway?" Shinichi asked.

"If I recall the email correctly, GM put Endou-senpai onto something bad that was happening in the orchestra club. And it sounded like they wanted Endou-senpai to look into it and give them information on the subject, and on the person or persons responsible," Ryuta replied.

"Hmm. GM. GM. Why does that sound so familiar?" Takuya asked himself. He thought about it for a few moments, until it finally came to him. "Wait. GM. Could it be Gentleman Mask?"

"Gentleman Mask?" Shinichi replied in confusion. "Wait, didn't the Prez mention him at the memorial service for Haruna Iwasaki?"

Ryuta's eyes widened. "That's right, she did. Gentleman Mask. Now that I think about it, the emails make perfect sense with him in mind. He's looking for info on a new story."

"Wait, I'm still confused," Shinichi replied. "Who is Gentleman Mask?"

"You know that blog that slandered me, Ryuta, and a bunch of other Yousha students? Yousha Unmasked?" Takuya replied.

"Yeah, I've heard you guys mention that a couple of times. The Prez too. So this Gentleman Mask guy is the one who created that blog?" Shinichi asked.

"Yeah, he's been at it for the past few months. The working theory is that he's someone affiliated with the school, either a student or a teacher. But the Student Council and school faculty haven't gotten any closer to IDing him," Ryuta replied. "He publishes a new story every week, slandering a new student of his choosing. He must have wanted to find out what was going on in the orchestra club because he plans to use that as the basis for his next story."

"So that's why he reached out to Endou-senpai. But why would she help him of all people? She was supposed to be spearheading the investigation into him, right?" Takuya asked.

"Beats me. But the emails clearly stated that Endou-senpai had information on this whole trouble with the orchestra club. And if we think she was coming here to deliver the journal, then it must contain information on that subject," Ryuta replied. "If only we had the journal, we could learn more."

"Alright, let's go over all of this once more. For the past few days, the Prez has been looking into this trouble with the orchestra club that Gentleman Mask tipped her off to," Shinichi replied. "Last night she agreed to deliver the information she had collected, in the form of her journal, to him. And before I could take the journal from her, I blacked out. Then that's where our timeline gets tricky. If she did come here last night and dropped off the journal, then the fact that it's gone now means that Gentleman Mask has it. If not, then that means it could literally be anywhere. Either way, it's not a good outcome," Shinichi explained.

"Well there's one way we can confirm if Gentleman Mask has the journal or not. He'll update his blog in the next few days, right? So if it's a story about the orchestra club then we can safely say that he has it in his possession. If not, then that means we still have a chance to find it and get to the bottom of this," Takuya replied.

"Alright, a plan's starting to come together on that front. Now let's continue. Even if the Prez didn't come here last night, she still somehow ended up dead at the arts and clubs building. Which means she had to have gone there for some reason and met her killer. But we have no idea of determining what time that was," Shinichi explained.

"Well the police are going to eventually come to the conclusion that she was murdered, right?" Ryuta replied. "And when that happens, they'll come back to question anybody who they think might be involved. If we can get a look at their notes, we can narrow down our timeline and suspect pool even further."

"There's another good idea. Okay, I think we have a solid plan now," Shinichi replied. "Now it's probably best that we get you two back to the dorm. I doubt we can just keep sneaking around like this. We've already had one close call today."

"That's probably a good idea. I doubt we'll be able to accomplish that much where we are right now anyhow. We have no choice but to wait. Still though, I kind of hope that Gentleman Mask bastard turns out to be the killer. It would be so satisfying seeing that asshole unmasked and thrown in prison. What he said about us. What he made people believe about us. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it," Ryuta said to Takuya.

"I know what you mean, yesterday when I heard about Ayuka's post, I nearly…!" Takuya cut himself off when he and the other two boys came to a horrible realization.

"Ayuka!" they all exclaimed together.

"I almost forgot, she's still in Limbo!" Ryuta exclaimed.

"It's been almost two days since she's been there, we can't afford to waste any more time. To hell with waiting around, we're going to save her right now," Takuya declared.

"This is probably not going to end without a fight, just like last time. Are you guys ready for that?" Shinichi asked.

"No doubt," Ryuta replied.

"…" Takuya remained silent. He was thinking about something.

"Takuya?" Shinichi called out to him.

"Yeah, of course. But I think we need to make one stop first," Takuya replied.

"A stop? At a time like this?" Ryuta replied.

"I know we should hurry, but something's just telling me that I need to get something first," Takuya replied. "I can't really explain it, it's just a sort of feeling I have."

"…" Shinichi and Ryuta looked to one another and the nodded. They decided to trust in Takuya's judgement.

"Alright. Where to?" Shinichi asked.

"Our dorm room," Takuya replied. "I just need to get this one thing and I'll be ready."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's hit it," Ryuta replied. Then the three boys rushed off to the boys' dorm, to collect Takuya's mystery item.

---

Friday, 4/18 20XX, Noon

About half an hour later, the three boys had retrieved Takuya's mystery item and had snuck their way off campus, by using Shinichi's invisibility trick again. They couldn't help but notice the increased security at the front gate of the campus, while sneaking out. Once they made it through the gate, the trio ducked behind a nearby alleyway and Shinichi released his invisibility. "Good thing we have Shinichi with us," said Ryuta. "There was no way we were getting out of there otherwise."

"Endou-senpai's death must have everyone on edge. The school wants to make sure every student is accounted for," Takuya replied.

"Then we better save Ayuka and get you two back before anyone notices you're gone," Shinichi replied.

"Good idea, but you're forgetting one thing. We don't even have any idea of where to start looking for her," Ryuta replied. "You guys told me that you found me completely by accident. I don't know if we can just rely on dumb luck again."

"Well why don't we start with the last place we know she was?" Takuya replied. "Mitsui Memorial Hospital. If she isn't still there, then maybe there's some sort of clue that can tell us where she was taken at least."

"That sounds good," Ryuta replied.

"…" Shinichi looked away. His mind appeared to be somewhere else.

Takuya and Ryuta noticed their friend's distracted look. "Shinichi?" Takuya called out to him.

"…" Shinichi was still silent.

"Shinichi?" Ryuta called out to him as well.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I guess I zoned out," Shinichi replied.

"Is something wrong?" Takuya asked.

"I thought I felt something, something dark and familiar," Shinichi replied.

"Around here? Is it Yamasato-san and her Shadow?" Ryuta replied.

Shinichi shook his head. "No, it's something different. I…no, you know what? Forget it. Finding Ayuka is our top priority. You mentioned the hospital, right? The place where her brother died, huh? Seems as good a place as any to start," Shinichi replied.

"…" Takuya and Ryuta were still concerned about Shinichi, but they didn't question him.

"Alright then, let's go," Takuya replied. With their destination agreed upon, the boys headed to the subway to catch a ride to the hospital.

---

Friday, 4/18 20XX, Noon

Soon the trio arrived at the hospital and decided to go to the place where Takuya saw Ayuka last. Room 1245. When they reached the room, Shinichi suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wait. I'm sensing something."

"Is it Ayuka?" Takuya asked.

"…" Shinichi closed his eyes and focused for a few moments, before opening them and answering Takuya. "I think so. Granted my powers aren't as strong here as they are in Limbo, but I am picking up a really faint signal along with something really dark." Shinichi faced the hospital room. "It's coming from here. No doubt about it."

"So she was here the whole time," said Ryuta. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go inside and get her." Ryuta reached out to open the door.

"Wait, it's not that simple," Shinichi replied. "We can't just enter the room. She's not exactly inside there. She's in a pocket of Limbo that's using this room as its basis. We can only access it through Limbo."

"So we should use our Skeleton Keys, right?" Ryuta asked.

"…" Takuya thought about it for a moment. "I don't think it will take us where we want to go if we do that. We need to open the gate."

"Gate? What gate?" Ryuta replied in confusion.

"You'll see. Shinichi, can you warp us in like last time?" Takuya asked.

Shinichi nodded. "Just grab on," he replied as he extended his hands to Takuya and Ryuta. The two living boys grabbed the ghost's hands. "Now hang on tight." Suddenly a white light began to envelop the hospital hallway, and slowly everything was consumed by it, until all the three boys could see was the color white.

---

Friday, 4/18 20XX, Noon

And then a few moments later, the boys returned to Limbo. The Limbo version of the hospital was as dark and dreary as one would expect, but what drew the boys' attention the most was the familiar black gate in front of Room 1245. It was obviously much smaller than the gate they had encountered previously at Yoshiaki's Daycare, this gate only being the size of the door that it was guarding. But it did share some striking similarities to the other gate, namely the large, brass, skull-shaped lock keeping the gate in place and the eerie sign that hung above the gate. It read:

Here lies the final resting place of Ayuka Yamasato, R.I.P.

"So this is the gate you guys were talking about, huh?" Ryuta asked. "Definitely creepy. So we have to open this in order to enter this pocket version of Limbo, right?"

"That's right," Shinichi replied. "At least that's how it worked last time. When we unlocked the gate we entered your pocket version of Limbo, that deserted island."

"That island was what I wished for deep down, right? A place where I could be far away from all the people who shunned me and at the same time plot my revenge," Ryuta replied. "So what form do you think it will take for Yamasato-san?"

"Only one way to find out," Takuya replied, before walking up to the gate and using his Skeleton Key on the lock. The tattoo glowed and then the lock fell off the gate and disappeared into the darkness. "No matter what lies beyond this gate, we're not going back without Ayuka. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Shinichi replied.

"You can count on us, dude," Ryuta replied.

Takuya nodded. "Then let's do this," he replied, before pushing open the gate. And just like before, a blinding white light consumed the boys as they entered the new area.

---

Friday, 4/18 20XX, Noon

Soon the light faded and the Reaper trio opened their eyes. And just like they guessed, the area they now found themselves in was quite different from the locations in Limbo they had seen so far. They appeared to be at the bottom of a giant stone staircase which extended far up into the heavens and into the clouds above. From their current position it seemed almost endless in size. Besides the stone staircase, the world around them seemed to be entirely empty, save a few puffy white clouds, which were shaped like various kinds of musical notes, and a warm pinkish sky.

"So this is Ayuka's pocket version of Limbo," said Shinichi. "It looks a lot more empty than I thought it would."

Ryuta looked over the side of the staircase base and saw nothing down below. Immediately, Ryuta became sick. "Guys whatever you do, don't look down."

"You shouldn't say that after you already did it," Takuya replied.

Ryuta looked absolutely petrified. "I'm telling you, so you'll learn from my mistake."

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," Shinichi replied.

"Anybody can be afraid of heights if they're up high enough!" Ryuta exclaimed. "Trust me, if there is something down there, we're so high up that you can't even make out a hint of it!"

Takuya looked up at the staircase that descended into the heavens. "Well from the looks of it, this place extends even higher. Ayuka and her Shadow must be at the top of this staircase."

"Well then, looks like there's only one way to go. Up," Shinichi replied.

"Remember guys, keep your guard up. Don't underestimate this world, or Ayuka's Shadow. Who knows what she might throw at us," said Takuya. Ryuta and Shinichi nodded and then the three boys began their ascent up the massive staircase. After a few minutes of slowly climbing, and noticing that they didn't seem to be getting any closer to the top of the staircase, the trio began to jog up the staircase, and eventually run when they adjusted to the increased altitude.

Eventually, after what felt like ten minutes of just climbing stairs, the trio heard a soft musical melody play in the distance, and they stopped dead in their tracks. After a few moments, the music finished playing and a pair of echoing voices replaced it. It appeared to be a young boy and a young girl talking to each other.

"How was that, Nee-chan?" the boy asked.

"Benzo, that was awesome! Are you sure that was your first time playing?" the girl replied.

"Yeah," the boy replied.

"This is too cool. You were calling me a genius, when all this time you were the one who turned out to be a genius. I seriously don't think I've ever heard of anyone grasping this much so easily. With your talent you could be a concert pianist one day."

"Y-You really think so?"

"Definitely. And I'll be cheering you on as loud as I can in the audience."

"Then I want to keep playing, so I can live up to your expectations. So could you keep teaching me, Nee-chan? I want to get even better."

"Nothing would make me happier."

"Oh and I won't allow you to be in the audience, if I become a famous musician then you're going to become one as well. You're my idol after all, Nee-chan. It would be disappointing if I outgrow you."

"Geez, why do you have to say embarrassing stuff like that? I'm seriously your idol?"

The boy chuckled. "It's true. I've been watching you play all this time. You're the only reason I even became interested in doing it. Didn't you know, Nee-chan? You've been my idol since the day I was born. When I grow up, I want to be just like you." Then the voices dissipated, leaving the world silent once more.

"Those voices. Who were they?" Ryuta asked.

"The girl called the boy 'Benzo', and the boy called the girl 'Nee-san'," Takuya replied. "That must have been Ayuka and her brother when they were both younger. We must be hearing some of Ayuka's memories."

"Her brother was a piano prodigy who died of cancer, right?" Shinichi asked, to which Takuya nodded in reply. "I see, and if Shadows are born from negative emotions, then Ayuka's Shadow must have been born from her grief over the loss of her brother."

"So what is this world to her then? The path to Heaven?" Ryuta asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, maybe we'll learn more the further we climb up. These worlds though, they really are something else. A personal Limbo. And those voices, it's just like what happened on Ryuta's island. Being inside these worlds created by Shadows, we must be able to connect to the negative emotions that created them," Shinichi guessed.

"Wait, so you mean these voices are from memories that Ayuka has buried deep down. And these memories, in turn created her Shadow?" Takuya replied.

"It's just a theory, but if this world and Ryuta's island are both based on the desires that their Shadows have, it makes sense that we'd be able to learn more about them here, including what created them," Shinichi replied.

"I get it, so basically this world's broadcasting things that Yamasato-san is trying to keep buried. Looking back on the voices that I heard on that island, it makes sense. The things everyone said about me when they thought I wasn't listening, their cold judging stares. So Yamasato-san went through some dark times too, huh?" Ryuta replied.

"..." Takuya remained silent.

"That sounded like a happier memory, compared to the ones we experienced at Ryuta's island. It's probably only going to get worse from here on out," said Shinichi.

"All the more reason we need to keep moving," Takuya replied. But before Takuya could climb a single step, a shriek stopped him in his tracks.

"It's your fault he's gone! It's your fault! It's all your fault! It should have been you! It should have been you! You weren't there for him when he needed you the most!" a familiar voice screamed.

"What the hell?!" Shinichi exclaimed. And then the trio was suddenly ambushed. "Guys, heads up! We've got company!" Two Shadows dropped out of the sky and landed in front of the Reapers. Then they morphed into their true forms. The Shadow on the left took on the form of a large green doll that held what appeared to be a boomerang. And the Shadow on the right took on the form of a large, monstrous lion that also had a goat head and a tail that was actually a snake. These two Shadows were called Mokoi and Chimera and it appeared that to advance further, the trio had to take them down.

"We knew this wasn't going to be easy going in. No backing down, let's do this!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Right!" Shinichi and Ryuta exclaimed. The three Reapers then took a battle stance and prepared to fight.

---

Battle Tutorial #3

---

Ally Ability – Scan

(A/N: Ally Abilities are special Skills that each party member gains access to when Takuya has reached a new turning point in his relationship with them. Most of them can be unlocked at the very beginning of their Soul Link but a few won't unlock until a crucial point in the relationship.)

---

Takuya and Ryuta managed the front while Shinichi provided support behind them. But before the battle could commence, Shinichi called out to Takuya. "Hey, Takuya. I feel like I've gotten a little bit stronger since our last battle. I think I even gained a new Skill for Hitodama. He's telling me that I can use it at the start of a battle to help ensure our victory."

"Really? Well what is it?" Takuya replied.

"Hitodama is saying it's something called an Ally Ability. Apparently our bond strengthening made him stronger, if that means anything to you," Shinichi replied.

Takuya recalled the power of Soul Links mentioned by Igor and the Velvet Room Attendants. "Actually it does. So don't hold us in suspense. Let's see what this new Skill can do."

"You've got it. Rise from the ashes, Hitodama!" Shinichi exclaimed as he summoned his Persona. Then suddenly the living ball of fire that was Hitodama appeared behind the little ghost. "Here it goes. Scan!" Hitodama held his breath and suddenly, a ring of fiery, blue wisps encircled the two enemy Shadows.

"What the heck?! What's going on?!" Ryuta exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm, I see," said Shinichi. Then he chuckled. "So that's what it does. Guys, thanks to Hitodama's new Skill, I know all the enemies' affinities, including their strengths and weaknesses. And as luck would have it, these two are weak to wind and psychic attacks."

Ryuta smirked. "Which means we know how to easily take them down. Alright then, I'll go next. Let the fear take hold of them, Kuebiko!" Ryuta exclaimed as he summoned his Persona. Then suddenly, the large, monstrous scarecrow god appeared behind him. "Psi!" Ryuta exclaimed as Kuebiko fired his pink mental beam at the Chimera Shadow, instantly knocking it off of its feet.

"My turn!" Takuya exclaimed. "Come forth, Zenbyou!" Then suddenly, the creepy Shinigami appeared behind Takuya and let loose a menacing cackle. "Garu!" Zenbyou whipped out a series of green whirlwinds in response to his master's command and fired them at the Mokoi Shadow, knocking it off its feet as well.

"You guys know what to do next, right?" Shinichi asked.

"You bet," Ryuta replied.

"All-Out Attack!" Takuya exclaimed. Then he and Ryuta lunged at the two Shadows and began slicing and dicing them with their scythe and naginata. After a few moments, the boys retreated and the Shadows burst into darkness.

"Great teamwork, you guys," said Shinichi.

"That was unexpected. Way to pull that out of your hat, Shinichi," Ryuta replied.

Shinichi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in a bashful way. "It was nothing."

"What did you call it? An Ally Ability?" Ryuta asked. "Hmm, Takuya do you think the two of us can do something like that too?"

"I'm not sure, maybe," Takuya replied. "If we keep fighting together, we should get stronger. But for now, let's just keep moving. Ayuka's waiting for us."

"Right," Ryuta and Shinichi replied. Then the trio continued their climb up the endless staircase. After a few more minutes of climbing, a slow off-key melody echoed throughout the area. When the melody concluded, another voice replaced it. This time the boys instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Ayuka. The trio stopped in their tracks and waited for the voices to dissipate.

"Benzo, are you okay? Your movements have been really sluggish all day, and you look a little pale."

"I don't know. I feel kind of weird, and my head is starting to hurt." Benzo groaned. "It's okay, I'm sure it will pass eventually. Let's keep going, Nee-san."

"Okay, if you say…! Benzo your nose is bleeding!"

"Huh? I...I don't…" Benzo's voice sounded really weak. "Nee-san…what's…happ-…ening?" A loud thud echoed throughout the area.

"Benzo! Benzo! Mom, Dad, come quick! Something's wrong with Benzo!" Ayuka screamed in horror.

"I've got a pretty good guess of what that memory was about," said Ryuta.

"That must have been when Benzo first started showing symptoms," Takuya replied.

"…" Shinichi remained silent. The three Reapers continued climbing until they heard more voices. This time it appeared to be a very serious conversation between adults.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Yamasato. I wish it was something less serious," said a man, presumably a doctor.

"Cancer? A-Are you sure, Doctor?" a woman, presumably Akari Yamasato, replied.

"Yes, we're sure. And its advanced. Grade III at least."

"We had no idea. He's been weak for a few days now but we just thought he had a cold," another man, presumably Satoru Yamasato, replied. "How could this happen?"

"Cancer cases vary from person to person, even if there is no direct history of the disease inside a person's family, they can still develop it. Unfortunately, Benzo was just born with bad genes," the doctor replied.

"But why him? Why now? He has his whole life ahead of him," Akari replied.

"I can't even begin to imagine how you two must feel, but you should know. Hope isn't lost yet, Benzo's cancer is advanced but still treatable. Unfortunately surgery at this point would be more problematic than helpful, but chemotherapy is still an option. And they are making excellent strides in the fields of experimental treatment. The important thing is that you stay strong for Benzo's sake. He's going to need you now more than ever," the doctor replied.

"We'll do anything it takes. Price isn't an issue, just please help our son," Satoru replied.

"Oh my God, Satoru. What about Ayuka?" Akari asked, while trying to hold back her tears. "Benzo's her best friend. This will destroy her."

"We'll need to tell them both eventually," Satoru replied. "We can't keep them in the dark, not over something like…! Ayuka? How long have you been standing there?"

"…" another person was there, crying their eyes out.

"Oh Sweetie, I'm so sorry!" Akari exclaimed.

"He's going…to be…alright, right? They can…treat him…can't they?" Ayuka asked through her tears.

"Of course, don't worry, Ayuka. Benzo's going to beat this. There's not a single doubt in my mind," Satoru replied in a positive manner. "But it's like the doctor said, Benzo needs us to stay strong for him. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, I'll do…anything to…help him, I promise," Ayuka replied through her tears.

All three Reapers wore depressing faces. "…" They stood there in silence for a few more moments before Takuya spoke up. "Come on, we have to keep moving."

"…" Ryuta and Shinichi silently nodded and the three Reapers continued climbing up the staircase. But they didn't get far before they were interrupted by some more surprise guests.

"Incoming!" Shinichi exclaimed, causing the trio to brace themselves for another fight. Two more Shadows appeared in front of them and a few moments later they morphed into their true forms. Two angelic-looking women which had white, feathery wings and which were bound with chains. These Shadows, to match their appearances, were of course called Angels. "Alright, same drill as before. Let's do this."

---

Battle Tutorial #4

---

Ally Ability – Terror Top

---

At the start of the encounter, Ryuta suddenly gasped. "What's this? No way," he said to himself. He smirked underneath his scarf. "Oh this is going to be good."

"What's up, Ryuta?" Takuya asked.

"Dude, turns out you and I can do one of those Ally Ability things too. It just popped into my head all of a sudden. And from the way Kuebiko explains it, it's really nasty. What do you say? Want to give it a shot?"

"Are you kidding? Let's do it, I'll follow your lead," Takuya replied.

"Okay here it goes," Ryuta replied, as he clasped hold of Takuya's right hand with his left. Then Ryuta held out his Bloody Naginata as his side. And Takuya, almost in a trance, mirrored Ryuta's actions and held out his Original Sin as well. Then the two Reapers' Summon Tattoos began to glow and Zenbyou and Kuebiko appeared behind Takuya and Ryuta respectively. And then the two Reapers began to spin around in place, their Personas mimicking their actions. They spun faster, and faster, and faster still, until a dark whirlwind of blades appeared to consume them. Then at the top of their lungs, the two Reapers shouted, "Terror Top!" And suddenly the whirlwind began to move at breakneck speed and rushed into the enemy Shadows, hacking them both to bits instantly. A few moments later, the whirlwind slowed down and then stopped completely. Takuya and Ryuta then released their stance in a stylish way.

"Whoa! What was that?! You two got rid of the Shadows in one fell swoop!" Shinichi exclaimed in amazement.

"Woo-hoo! That was even more awesome than Kuebiko said it would be!" Ryuta exclaimed.

"Speak for yourself," Takuya said in a weakened tone. "I'm so dizzy, I can barely see straight. When is the world supposed to stop spinning?"

Ryuta chuckled. "Hehe, sorry dude. I guess I should've warned you."

"Hmm, so Ryuta has one too, huh?" Shinichi asked.

"Looks like it, but Kuebiko told me I can only use mine when Sin Eater's by my side. So it must be a Skill we have to use together," Ryuta said to Takuya. "But man, it sure is powerful, huh?! I can't wait to do that again!"

"Yeah, umm maybe we should hold off for a little bit until my stomach settles. I feel like I'm going to hurl," Takuya replied in a weak tone.

"Dude, getting dizzy is part of the fun of it," Ryuta replied.

"Fun for you, maybe," Takuya replied.

"Aww man, such a sad sack," Ryuta replied.

After a few minutes, Takuya finally regained his equilibrium. "Alright, I'm good now. Let's keep going."

"Right," Shinichi replied.

"Lead the way, dude," Ryuta replied. Then the three Reapers continued their climb up the seemingly endless staircase. A few minutes later, the trio began to notice a change in ambience of Ayuka's world. The pinkish sky began to turn a light gray the higher they climbed, and the white, puffy, musical note-shaped clouds began to turn black in color. "The scenery's changing. That must mean we're getting close, right?"

"Hopefully," Takuya replied. "It feels like we've been climbing for hours."

"At least we haven't run into too many Shadows. This seems a lot calmer compared to when we were at Ryuta's island," Shinichi added.

"True, but still. Something tells me it's only going to get tougher from here on out," Takuya replied. The group continued their climb until they began to hear another one of Ayuka's memories echo in the distance. It sounded like she was having another conversation with her brother.

"Hey there, Mr. Patient, how are you feeling today?" Ayuka asked.

"Nee-san! It's so good to see you!" Benzo exclaimed.

"Sorry I couldn't come visit yesterday, club activities didn't let out until really late, and by that time visiting hours were already over. Hope these make up for it."

"Umm, more sunflowers? Geez, Nee-san, I don't even think there's any more room. It's already like a flower shop in here. And where are you even getting the money to pay for all of them?"

"Mom and Dad gave me some money for a few bouquets, and the rest I bought with the money I've saved up."

"That's no good. You shouldn't waste your money like that."

"It's not a waste, you said it yourself they cheer you up, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then I don't mind bringing some for you every time I visit. I'm your big sister, it's my job to make sure you're always happy."

"Nee-san." Benzo chuckled. "Thank you."

Takuya smiled at the sound of the Ayuka's memory. "She told me that sunflowers were their favorite. It symbolized their bond, not only as siblings, but as best friends."

"She really loved her brother, didn't she?" Ryuta replied. Then he sighed. "Me and Natsu were the same way. We pretty much did everything together. If I ever lost her, I don't know what I'd do."

"…" Shinichi remained silent, lost in thought. Soon, the trio started climbing again, and a few moments later they stopped as another memory began to play out. This one being a serious conversation between Ayuka's family and Benzo's doctor.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. The treatments aren't working anymore, and Benzo's cancer is still spreading," said the doctor from the previous memory.

"There's got to be something else we can try. What about the clinical trial for that experimental drug you were talking about?" Satoru asked.

"That trial is only accepting patients whose cancer is being maintained. It's a sort of targeted therapy. But Benzo's has spread throughout almost his entire nervous system. He's no longer able to apply," the doctor replied.

"Then what are our other options?" Akari asked.

"We can still keep up with the chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Who knows? They might start showing affect again. But if you want my honest opinion, I don't think Benzo's in any condition to continue on with it. You must understand, there is no perfect treatment for cancer. The only treatments we can offer involve essentially poisoning the patient's body, and hoping that it will destroy the cancer cells first. Like I said before, each cancer case is different. Not everyone will be as responsive to the treatments," the doctor explained.

"So if he's too weak to receive any more treatments, then are you saying...?" Satoru couldn't finish the question.

"At the rate his cancer is progressing, I'd say it's terminal, yes," the doctor replied.

"Oh my God!" Akari exclaimed in horror. "Oh my God!" She started to cry.

"Benzo's going to die?" Ayuka asked in disbelief. "No, it's not true. Please say it isn't true." She also started to cry.

"No! Please no!" Satoru exclaimed, also starting to cry. "No, I won't accept it. Please, please Doctor. There has to be something more we can do. He can't die. He just can't."

The doctor sighed. "There is one more thing we could try. But I wouldn't advise it."

"We'll do it!" Ayuka exclaimed. "Whatever it is, we'll do it!"

"Ayuka?" her parents replied in disbelief.

"Please, Mom, Dad. We have to save him, we have to save Benzo," Ayuka pleaded with her parents.

"…" there was a brief silence, before Satoru spoke up. "Tell us, Doctor. What is this other option?"

"…" the trio silently stood in place for a minute or two. No one dared say a word, it didn't feel right. They just let the sadness of it all sink in.

Until finally, Ryuta tried to break the tension and lift everyone's spirits. "It's kind of eerie hearing all of this, isn't it? Especially when we know how it all ends."

"She's been holding onto all this grief this whole time, bottling it up inside, trying her best to put on a brave face. We have to help her guys, not only escape this place, but learn to let go," Takuya replied.

Shinichi patted Takuya on the back. "We will, don't worry. Just keep moving forward, right?"

"…" Takuya silently nodded. And then the three Reapers continued their climb up the staircase. A few minutes later, the trio finally spotted something up above them. It appeared that they had finally reached the top of the staircase. "That has to be where Ayuka is. Come on guys, let's hoof it." The trio then broke out into a run as their destination came closer in sight. And then finally, they reached the top, and what awaited them was a large building. To be more exact, a large, stone, gothic-looking church that had several stained-glass windows, depicting various things that appeared to be related to Ayuka, such as music notes and piano keys. And in the very center of the church, there was a large stained-glass window that depicted a young faceless boy and girl holding hands. The boy had curly red hair and the girl had long auburn hair.

"I'm sensing a very dark energy coming from inside there. Her Shadow must be in there with her," said Shinichi.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's head in," Ryuta replied. Then he stepped forward and headed for the church's large double doors.

Shinichi's eyes widened. "Ryuta, look out!"

"Huh?" Ryuta looked back with confusion. Then suddenly something dropped down from the church steeple and landed in front of the church's double doors, making Ryuta stumble backwards and fall. The thing in question was a giant Shadow. "What the hell?! This one's huge!" Suddenly the Shadow started to wobble and distort. Ryuta quickly got up on his feet and retreated to safety. The giant Shadow then split into three Shadows, two small ones, and one big one. The Shadows then morphed into their true forms. The little ones morphed into two Angels, and the big one morphed into a large, winged, sword-wielding knight. It had red and gold armor and its wings were a vivid blood red. This Shadow was called an Archangel.

"Dammit, these guys just don't know when to quit," said Takuya.

"No worries, it looks like this is the last of them. Let's take out these guys quick and get to Yamasato-san," Ryuta replied.

"Don't underestimate them. I'm getting a strong reading from the one in the middle. Let's proceed with caution," Shinichi replied.

"Got it," Takuya and Ryuta replied.

The Archangel Shadow raised his sword up in the air, and in response, a red aura enveloped it and the two Angel Shadows. "Whoa! What was that?!" Shinichi exclaimed in surprise. "Huh?! Oh no, this is bad! Guys, those three Shadows just got a major boost in power!"

"What?!" Ryuta replied.

"So the big one must have used some kind of power-up Skill," said Takuya.

"I don't like this one bit, stay on guard!" Shinichi exclaimed.

But before the Reaper trio could defend themselves, the Shadows began to strike. The Archangel Shadow waved his free hand and pointed at the Reapers. In response, the Angel Shadows nodded and then a few moments later, lunged at the party. Knocking both Takuya and Ryuta off their feet. Then the Archangel Shadow lunged at them as well, and swung its sword back in such a large arc that it hit not only Takuya and Ryuta, but Shinichi as well. Then the three Shadows flew up into the air and perched themselves up on the church's rooftop.

The Reapers struggled with getting back up off the ground, as the power that the Shadows unleashed with their attacks had caused great damage. "Dammit, that really hurt!" Ryuta shouted while twinging in pain. After a few more moments of struggle, Takuya and Ryuta managed to stand back up. "You weren't kidding, those things are in a whole 'nother league now," Ryuta said to Shinichi, who was also reeling from the attacks.

"We can't fight them head on like they are now, we'll only get destroyed. We're going to have to play this smart," Shinichi replied.

"Alright then, let's try taking them down one by one," Takuya replied, coming up with a plan.

"Sounds like a plan, let's start with the big one then," Ryuta replied. Then he summoned his Persona. "Let the fear take hold of them, Kuebiko!" And Kuebiko appeared behind him. "Psi!" Ryuta shouted, not wasting any time in attacking. Kuebiko fired off his pink mental beam in response to his master's command, and the beam was aimed directly at the Archangel Shadow. But before the beam could make contact, the right Angel Shadow flew directly in the path of the beam and then shielded herself with her wings, which easily knocked back Kuebiko's attack. "What the hell?!" Ryuta exclaimed.

"You're not getting off that easily. Come forth, Zenbyou!" Takuya shouted as he summoned his Persona. "Follow it up. Garu!" In response to the command, Zenbyou kicked up a series of green whirlwinds with his scythe and fired them at the Archangel Shadow, but this time the left Angel Shadow swooped in and flapped her large, feathery wings, kicking up a gust so strong that it cancelled out Zenbyou's attack, and forced the Reapers to brace themselves from being blown away. Only, Shinichi wasn't so lucky. His small frame was easily outmatched by the strong gust of wind.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Shinichi exclaimed as he was blown away.

"Shinichi!" Takuya and Ryuta exclaimed in terror.

Then the next moment Takuya was able to come to his senses and help the little ghost. "Zenbyou, catch him!" he shouted at his Persona. The Shinigami did as he was told and flew at breakneck speed to catch the little ghost. Shinichi ended up coming to a stop by landing on Zenbyou's head. Then the Persona returned to his master, lowering his head so Takuya could collect his comrade. Takuya perched the little ghost on his shoulder, while Shinichi was still trying to recover. "There you go, little guy."

He appeared to be very dizzy. "Ugh, Takuya…now I know…how you felt earlier. The world…won't stop…spinning." Then Shinichi puffed up his cheeks and then spat up a white, gooey substance onto Takuya's hoodie. "Sorry, I couldn't hold it in."

"Eww, ghost vomit," Takuya remarked in a disgusted tone.

"Incoming!" Ryuta shouted, getting Takuya and Shinichi's attention.

But the warning seemed too little too late, as just a single second later, the Archangel Shadow crashed his sword down to the ground and let loose a devastating quake, which knocked Takuya and Ryuta off their feet again. And then the Shadow followed up the attack by slicing the party with its sword yet again. The Reapers yelped in pain as they ended up falling on their backs on the hard stone floor. And before the trio could even sit up, the two Angel Shadows ambushed them and then simultaneously unleashed their own attacks. A column of white talisman seals encircled the trio, one around Takuya and Shinichi, and the other around Ryuta. And then the seals began to glow a bright yellow, and a few moments later, exploded all at once around their captives. After the slaughter they had inflicted upon the Reapers, the Shadows once again retreated to the church's roof, overlooking the scene that they had created like menacing gargoyles.

"Guys…I don't think…I can move…anymore," Ryuta struggled to get out.

"Shinichi…we could…really use a…pickup from Hitodama…right now," Takuya struggled to get out, before coughing up blood and wincing in pain.

"Can't…so weak…I can't…even…see straight," Shinichi replied, in an incredibly weak tone.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Shadows flew up above the trio, preparing for another strike from above. "These bastards…just won't give…us a break, huh?" said Ryuta.

"Is this…how it ends? Am I…really going to…die again?" Shinichi added.

"No…we can't give up," Takuya replied. "It…can't…end here. Ayuka. What about…Ayuka? If we…lose here. Who's going…to save her? Who's…going to save…the world?"

"I hear...you, dude. But this…situation is…pretty piss-poor. We can't…even move…much less fight," Ryuta replied.

"No…I refuse…to give up. I made…a promise to…myself. I swore…that I would never…let my own weakness…keep me…from protecting others. I can…keep fighting…so please…guys…don't give up…either," Takuya replied.

Ryuta lightly chuckled, before coughing roughly. "You…don't know…when to quit…do you? I admire…that…about you." Ryuta closed his eyes and smiled. "Alright…I'll stand by you…no matter what. I have…your back…dude."

Shinichi nodded. "That goes…double for me. You gave me…a reason to keep going...so the least I can…do for you…is fight until...I can finally depart…from this world. You…have my strength."

Takuya smiled, and then suddenly his eyes widened as his mind opened. A mysterious, familiar voice called out to Takuya. "The time hast come at last, young child of man. It is time for thou to grasp the true power of the Wild Card. Like thy predecessors before thee, thy potential is limitless. The potential to grow and to change, just like the Fool of legend. Through the bonds thee shall gain in the journey ahead, thou wilt gain unlimited abilities representing the remaining Arcana. In the end, thou shalt possess a power with no rival. Now, open thy mind to a new revelation!"

Two familiar tarot cards flashed through his head. Death and the Chariot. "Per…so…na!" Then suddenly a dazzling blue aura consumed Takuya.

"Huh?!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"What the…?!" Ryuta exclaimed.

With a newfound strength, Takuya picked himself back up and stood up straight and tall. His wounds miraculously began to heal, until he felt no pain at all. In response, to the surprising turn of events, the Shadows retreated to the church once again. Takuya looked up at the angelic Shadows as they perched themselves on the roof. "It's my turn now! I hope you're ready, because I'm not holding back!" Then Takuya summoned his Original Sin and then began to summon his Persona. "Come forth, Zenbyou!" And Zenbyou appeared behind Takuya once again, cackling like a maniac as he did so. Takuya smirked. "Consider yourselves lucky! You're the first opponents I'll be using this power against!" Takuya swung back his Original Sin and then threw it up into the air where it spun around in a circle and then flew back at Takuya like a boomerang. And then at the last second, the Original Sin flew up and instead of hitting Takuya, it hit Zenbyou, chopping his head clean off. Then the Original Sin circled back and Takuya grabbed it in mid-air. Then Zenbyou's headless body slowly disappeared into darkness. "Time for a little change-up. Send them to the afterlife, Yatagarasu!" And then suddenly something very surprising happened. A new Persona appeared behind Takuya. It was a large black bird with three legs that wore a necklace with three magatama charms on it. Takuya's new Persona, Yatagarasu, cawed in a loud and threatening way.

"What is…that?! What happened…to Zenbyou?!" Ryuta exclaimed.

"It's…a new Persona! No…way! Takuya…has two of them?!" Shinichi exclaimed.

Takuya looked up at Yatagarasu. "Nice to meet you. What say we start off our first battle together with a bang?" Yatagarasu cawed in response.

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Battle Tutorial #5

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Wild Card Personas

(A/N: Everyone has multiple sides to their personality. We all wear different masks depending on the situation. But only a person born with the Fool Arcana can gain many kinds of masks and use them effectively. Each Soul Link that Takuya creates over the course of the story will give rise to a new facet of himself, creating a new mask, and a new Persona. Two Personas will be gained from each Soul Link, one is obtained from first creating the Soul Link and the other is obtained from maxing it out and forming a truly unbreakable bond. Using this power, Takuya will be able to switch out his Persona to a new one when the need arises. These are the only Personas that Takuya will gain throughout the story, there will be no Persona Fusion system.)

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"Alright then, first thing's first. Media!" Yatagarasu then flew up into the sky and began to encircle the fallen Ryuta and Shinichi. Then he rapidly flapped his wings and a shiny green dust began to fall down below. The green dust fell down on Ryuta and Shinichi and then suddenly a green aura began to envelop them and their injuries began to heal.

"What?! I…I can move again?" Ryuta asked rhetorically, as he began to get back on his feet again. Ryuta chuckled in delight. "All of that pain, it's gone. I feel as good as new."

"It's Takuya's new Persona," Shinichi replied as he began to float back up into the air. "He healed us."

"No more lying around, guys. Let's teach these Shadows a lesson," Takuya replied.

"Right!" Ryuta and Shinichi exclaimed.

"Follow my lead. Matarunda!" Takuya shouted. Then in response to his master's command, Yatagarasu cawed and suddenly a red aura enveloped the Shadows, which quickly dissipated.

"What's this?! The Shadows' power boost! It's gone! Takuya got rid of it!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"Alright! That's my bro! Now it's my turn!" Then Ryuta summoned his Persona. "Let the fear take hold of them, Kuebiko!" Kuebiko appeared behind Ryuta and the Reaper wasted no time in getting to work. "Murder Mayhem!" Kuebiko raised one of his arms and then summoned a large murder of crows which swarmed the Shadows, relentlessly pecking and cawing at them.

But the Shadows fought back, the Angel Shadows swatted back the crows with their wings and got rid of them. Then the Archangel Shadow commanded the right Angel Shadow to lunge at the Reaper trio. But the Reapers were ready for them this time.

"Takuya, let me help! Rise from the ashes, Hitodama!" Shinichi exclaimed as he summoned his Persona. Hitodama then appeared behind Shinichi. "Fighting Spirit!" Hitodama then used his power-up Skill on Takuya.

"Thanks bud, I'll make good use of this. Agi!" Takuya shouted, causing Yatagarasu to shoot a fireball out of his mouth, hitting the lunging Angel Shadow and knocking it down to the ground.

"Psi!" Ryuta shouted, following up after Takuya's attack. Kuebiko hit the downed Angel Shadow with his pink mental beam, destroying it completely. "Alright! One down, two to go!"

In response, to their ally's death, the remaining Angel Shadow and Archangel Shadow flew up from their perched positions and prepared to counter attack. "Pick off the smaller one first, then we can take down the big one," said Takuya.

"You've got it," Ryuta replied.

"Triple Shot!" Takuya shouted, and in response Yatagarasu flew towards the remaining Angel Shadow at breakneck speed. Yatagarasu slammed into the Angel Shadow once and then circled back around and did it again, and then did the same thing one more time, landing three serious blows on the Shadow.

"I'll finish this with style! Hyaaaaaaaaa!" Ryuta shouted as he threw his Bloody Naginata at the weakened Angel Shadow. The weapon pierced through the Shadow's heart and destroyed it. Then Ryuta caught his weapon as it fell back down to the ground. Ryuta bowed gallantly. "Ta-dah! Thank you, thank you very much!" The Archangel Shadow roared in anger and then plunged down to the ground in a stabbing trajectory, planning to smite the Reaper trio with his sword.

"He's coming in hot!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"Guys get behind me!" Takuya shouted. Ryuta and Shinichi did as their leader said and got behind him. Then just like before Takuya swung his Original Sin back and threw it through the air, and then it circled back and chopped Yatagarasu's head off, destroying it in the process. "Welcome back, buddy," Takuya replied. "Come forth, Zenbyou!" In response to Takuya's cry, the Shinigami appeared once again. "Shinigami Shroud!" And then Zenbyou brought up his dark force field just before the Archangel Shadow's impact, and the force field absorbed the attack completely. When the force field disappeared, Takuya immediately followed it up with an attack. "Soul Collector!" In response to the command, Zenbyou cackled and summoned his Soul Collector scythe. Then Takuya and his Persona jumped up to the Archangel Shadow and slashed it simultaneously with their scythes, destroying it once and for all.

With all the Shadows destroyed, the Reaper trio's Personas disappeared and a calm came over the area. "Takuya, that was so awesome!" Ryuta exclaimed in amazement. "Why didn't you tell us you could use more than one Persona?!"

"Seriously, that ability could have helped us avoid a lot of pain," Shinichi added.

"To be honest, I didn't even know I could. When we were about to be defeated, I just thought that I needed a miracle to help us turn things around. And then all of a sudden, my body took over and I whipped out a new Persona like I was in a trance," Takuya replied.

"It looks like you can switch back and forth between them too," Shinichi replied. "Well whatever the case, this power should come in handy in the future."

"Man, I wonder if you and I can do that too," Ryuta said to Shinichi.

"Sorry guys, but something tells me that its unique to me," Takuya replied.

"What makes you say that?" Shinichi asked.

"Just a feeling," Takuya replied half-heartedly. The truth of the matter was something he didn't really know how to explain to them.

"Well I can't really argue with that. Gut feelings and our Personas giving us cheat sheets are pretty much all we've been working off of this whole time," Ryuta replied. Then he sighed. "Would have been really sweet though. Looks like it's just me and Kuebiko until the end."

Takuya chuckled at his friend's misfortune and then turned to face the church. "We're almost done. Let's save Ayuka and go home."

"Ready when you are, Takuya," Shinichi replied.

"Let's end this," Ryuta replied.

The trio walked up to the set of double doors, and then Takuya pushed them open and they entered the church, determined to save Ayuka and put an end to her despair.

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You Will Not Be Able To Save For A While After This.

Would You Like To Save The Game Now?

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Yes

No

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Yes.

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Friday, 4/18 20XX, Noon

Upon entering the church, the boys were surprised to see the inside of the building was very different from the outside. They found themselves inside a small, dark hospital room that was full of decaying sunflowers; there also appeared to be a small shrine on the hospital bed, complete with a funeral portrait of Ayuka's brother Benzo. And in the center of the room were two young girls with the same face, Ayuka and her Shadow. Ayuka was wearing the same outfit that Takuya had seen her in the other day, a green blouse and a knee-length blue skirt, with a pair of blue flat-top shoes. Shadow Ayuka on the other hand appeared to be dressed for a traditional Japanese funeral; she was wearing a long, flowing mofuku kimono, a pair of white socks, a pair of black sandals, and a black veil. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Are you here to visit? Or mourn?" Shadow Ayuka addressed the boys.

Ayuka looked back and was surprised to see the new arrivals. "T-Takuya?"

"Yeah, it's me," Takuya replied.

"It's been a while, Ayuka," said Shinichi. "It's good to see you."

"Shinichi too?" Ayuka replied. Then she looked to Ryuta. "And you must be, Yanasai-san, right?"

"That's me, I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances," Ryuta replied.

Ayuka began to cry tears of joy. "You came. You actually came. I knew you would, but deep down I had my doubts. I was so scared. I thought I might be trapped here forever."

Takuya shook his head. "I told you, remember? I'd never let you feel alone again. What kind of friend would I be if I ignored your cry for help?" Then he looked back towards Shadow Ayuka. "So you're Ayuka's Shadow, huh?"

"I asked you a question. Are you here to visit? Or mourn?" Shadow Ayuka replied.

"Visit or mourn? What do you mean?" Shinichi replied.

"Everyone who comes here does so for one reason or the other, so I'm curious as to which reason brought you here," Shadow Ayuka replied. "Have you come here to visit someone or to mourn someone?"

"Neither, we've come to take our friend home," Takuya replied. "Ayuka come on, let's go." Takuya motioned for Ayuka to follow them out of the room.

Shadow Ayuka shook her head. "I see. You don't understand then. If you're here for her, then you're choosing to mourn."

"What are you going on about? Mourn who?" Ryuta replied.

"There is no right answer," Shadow Ayuka replied. "In its simplest sense, to mourn means to feel grief. This place, this prison, is made entirely out of grief. It drains you, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Grief in itself is a sin, which is why those who feel it deserve to be trapped here. Take her for example." Shadow Ayuka motioned to herself. "Originally her grief was natural, she was sad over the passing of her younger brother. She cried and mourned him daily for a while, still that was natural. But soon, the sadness consumed her, it got to the point where living almost felt unbearable. Can you imagine? Can you imagine feeling that sad?"

"…" the group fell silent.

"Eventually, she decided to lock away all of that grief. Choosing to imprison her sadness, me. I am now a prisoner of that grief, destined to spin the rest of my days here in this small, dark room, because that's all I deserve. That is what she decided."

"I…I didn't mean to," Ayuka replied to her Shadow. "I swear, if I knew that by bottling up all of that grief that I was denying a part of myself, I would have never…"

"No you would have," Shadow Ayuka cut her off. "Because you have to be the happy, smiling girl that your parents and friends remembered. It didn't matter that the universe had thrown a hammer into your life, in order to make them feel better, you decided to pretend that everything was okay. Instead of choosing to deal with your sorrow in a healthy manner, you locked it all away. And now after almost two years of playing that part, its threatening to consume you from the inside out. I hope it was all worth it, because now you seem even more miserable than ever before."

"…" Ayuka was silent.

"You decided to feel sadness was a sin, so now as punishment for that sin, you will be forced to remain here with me for all eternity. Forced to mourn for all eternity. And your friends will share your fate as well," said Shadow Ayuka.

"That's enough! No way we're staying here forever! We're leaving right now, and we're taking Yamasato-san with us!" Ryuta exclaimed. Then he turned back and saw a surprising sight. The set of double doors that they used to enter the room was gone, like they had never existed. All that remained was a wall. "What the hell?!" Ryuta exclaimed as he began patting down the wall. "The doors are gone!"

"What?!" Shinichi exclaimed in surprise.

"What are you doing?! Let us out right now!" Takuya shouted at Shadow Ayuka.

"I'm not doing anything, this is how this world was designed. Anyone who enters seeking to mourn, shall be imprisoned for the sin of grief. And that goes for anyone who tries to help them as well. You are interfering with her punishment, therefore you are as guilty as she is," Shadow Ayuka replied. "I don't make the rules. Remember, I am just as much a prisoner as you all are."

"That's bullshit! A prison for mourners?! Give me a break! Being sad isn't a crime! It's okay to feel sad, it's okay to cry! What's wrong with that?!" Takuya shouted at Shadow Ayuka.

"I don't know," Shadow Ayuka replied. Then she looked to Ayuka. "Ask her. She built this place."

"…" Ayuka was still silent.

"A-Ayuka? Is she telling the truth? Are you the one that's doing this?" Takuya asked.

"I…I don't know," Ayuka replied. "Maybe. Maybe it is me who's keeping us imprisoned here. Maybe deep down I don't think I deserve to leave."

"Why would you think that?" Shinichi asked. "Don't you want to go home? Don't you want to see your family again?"

"Shinichi's right, it's been two days since you went missing in our world. Your parents are probably worried sick," Takuya added.

"My…parents?" Ayuka replied in a deadpan tone. "…" Ayuka thought about it for a moment. "I remember now. I used to cry all the time. I couldn't think of anything but Benzo." Ayuka shook her head. "My parents, they were so worried about me. I…I didn't want to hurt them anymore, not after what they had already been through. I could tell that seeing me so sad, made them feel even sadder. So I did my best to put on a brave face for them. I rolled up all of that sorrow into a dense little ball and pushed it deep down inside me. It hurt a lot at first, but I remember thinking it was worth it just to see them a little happier. Maybe doing that is what created her and this place."

"If that's the case, then it looks like we were right. Even though something clearly awakened Ayuka and Ryuta's Shadows, these worlds already existed deep within their souls. Limbo just gave them a physical form," Shinichi surmised.

"I see, that makes sense. So she's right, this is a prison of my own making. My conscience finally got the better of me." Ayuka replied. She collapsed to the floor and crouched into a fetal position, and her tears began to flow even more. This time they were tears of sadness. "This…this really is all…my fault."

Takuya could see that he was losing Ayuka, so he tried to reach out to her. "Ayuka, please listen to me. Even if you did create this place because you think you deserve to be punished, that doesn't mean that you do. What was it you did that was so bad? Missing your brother? Feeling lonely? How are those crimes? How is any of that really your fault?"

Ayuka shook her head. "No, you don't…know the whole…story," she muttered through her tears. "I…I do deserve…to be punished. I…I…did something horrible. Something…that can never…ever be….forgiven. I…I can't even…say I'm sorry to him now."

"…" Takuya was silent for a few moments, contemplating what his friend just said and what it could mean. Then a thought occurred to him as he remembered the memories that he and the others experienced on their journey here. "Is this…? Is this about the special treatment the doctor mentioned? The one that you insisted Benzo try?"

"…" Ayuka was silent at first, her tears and sniffles being the only thing making any sound in the room. But soon she began to calm down, and without looking up she answered Takuya's question. "You…you know about that?"

"While we were making our way here, we heard echoes of all the memories that you were repressing," Shinichi explained. "The one Takuya's talking about was the last one we heard."

"Yamasato-san, please tell us what happened," said Ryuta.

"…" Ayuka was silent at first but after a few moments of quiet she began to speak. "It…it was a very radical surgery to extend Benzo's life. The way the doctor explained it, they would operate on Benzo and remove all of the tumors and cancerous tissue throughout his body. But most of it was enveloped in Benzo's brain, so doing this would mean that he would lose significant brain mass and most definitely become a vegetable. Everything that made Benzo who he was would be destroyed. And to make matters worse the doctor said it would only give Benzo another year at most. But even still, I wanted him to do the surgery. I had to have my brother by my side, no matter what the cost. I begged my mom and dad to go through with it, and they reluctantly agreed." Her tears started to swell up again. "A few days later, he…he died on the operating table!"

"…!" the boys were surprised to say the least.

"…" Ayuka began to cry once more, refusing to leave her fetal position.

'So that stuff on Yousha Unmasked, there was a little truth to it after all,' he thought to himself. Then he shook his head. "But that wasn't your fault! You were scared! You just wanted to keep your brother alive! You didn't kill him!"

"No, we did," Shadow Ayuka replied in a cold manner. "She left out the worst part."

"The worst part?" Shinichi replied in confusion.

"Before the surgery, Benzo pleaded with us to get Mom and Dad to reconsider and cancel the surgery. He didn't want to waste what little time he had left as a vegetable. To him, that wasn't living. That was even worse than death," Shadow Ayuka replied. "But instead of honoring his wishes…"

Ayuka cut off her Shadow. "I shouted…at him in anger…and told him…he was just…being selfish." Ayuka finally looked up at the group, her face was a mess. "That was…the last…conversation I had…with him. I…I killed my brother. He begged me…to help spare him…that pain…and I just...yelled at him. It's my fault…that he's dead. Cancer didn't…kill him, I did."

"…" the boys were silent. None of them knew what to say.

"So now you see what our crime is. The dark truth behind our grief," said Shadow Ayuka. "Now do you still say that it isn't our fault?"

"Yes, yes I do," Takuya replied, not even hesitating to answer. "You didn't kill your brother, Ayuka. That's not something you could ever do. Not someone as kind and gentle as you. You say that I don't know the real you, but I do. The Ayuka Yamasato that I've had the pleasure of talking to for these past few days, and sharing these insane powers and this even more insane world with, that's the real Ayuka Yamasato. I know for a fact that there wasn't a single ounce of malice in you that day you ignored your brother's wishes. You were just terrified of losing him. To you that radical surgery must have seemed like a God send. You can't blame yourself for wanting your brother to live, even in the state that surgery would have left him in. You couldn't have known that he would die during that surgery. And for that matter, it wasn't even the doctors' fault. It was just his time. He was ready, I can tell that from what you said…" Takuya reached into his jeans' pocket and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper, "…and from this." Takuya unfolded the paper and showed it to Ayuka.

"That's…" Ayuka was at a loss, she stared at the piece of paper through her tear-stained eyes. It was the sheet music that she had given Takuya the other day. Benzo's first and last song. She spied the title of the composition: My Dear Sister.

"He wrote this for you, his big sister, his hero. No matter what the last thing you said to him was, this is how he thought of you, right?"

"…" Ayuka was silent.

"You don't need to blame yourself anymore. Do you think Benzo would have wanted you to punish yourself over what happened to him? Do you think he would want you to be miserable forever? Does that really sound like the boy who wrote you this song?" Takuya asked.

"Th-That song?" Shadow Ayuka replied in a perplexed tone. "I had completely forgotten about that. It's been so long, I can barely remember any of the good times."

"I know it's hard. Losing someone you care about is never easy," Takuya replied. "But you have to keep moving forward for their sake."

"…" the whole room fell silent as Takuya continued to speak.

"You two don't have to be imprisoned by sorrow. You can live a free life full of happiness, while still keeping your brother in your hearts," Takuya addressed both Ayuka and her Shadow. "And you're not alone. I'll be there to help you, and Shinichi and Ryuta will be there too. Right, guys?"

"That's right," Shinichi replied.

"You know it," Ryuta replied.

"You can trust us. So please, let's just go home, together," said Takuya.

"…" Ayuka was silent at first, but soon she picked herself up off the floor and dried the rest of her tears. "He's right," she said to her Shadow. "The two of us have been spending this whole time feeling sorry for ourselves, thinking that we didn't deserve to be happy because of our guilt. But Benzo wouldn't have wanted that kind of life for us. He loved us just as much as we loved him. He wouldn't blame us for a second, so why have we been blaming ourselves this whole time?" She turned to face her Shadow. "You hate it here too, don't you? Then why don't we leave together? If we don't think we deserve to be punished anymore, then we should be able to escape, right?"

"…" Shadow Ayuka was confused. "No, no, no. Our sorrow, the overwhelming grief that we feel. That can't just go away, it must stay with us."

"That may be true, but I don't think we should suffer in silence anymore. Takuya's right, mourning isn't a sin. Everybody feels sad, everybody cries. We shouldn't punish ourselves for doing so. Somewhere along the way we forgot that when you're sad, it's okay to have someone there beside you to cheer you up. But I don't want to be alone anymore, not when I know that there are people out there who will comfort me when I need a shoulder to cry on. So why don't we stop being so stubborn and let Takuya and the others help us?" Ayuka extended a hand to her Shadow, urging her to leave this world with her and the others.

"…" Shadow Ayuka silently stared at Ayuka's outstretched hand with a perplexed look. Then after a few moments she extended her own, reaching out to grab hold of Ayuka's hand. But before she could do so, something stopped her. A cold, malicious voice.

The voice bombarded her with questions. "Are you sure this is what you really desire? Didn't you tell me the truth earlier? How this grief is really just misplaced anger? You are angry, aren't you? Well, aren't you?" Shadow Ayuka twinged in pain and held her head. "It's okay to admit it. You hate him, don't you? You hate your brother for giving up. You hate him for leaving you all alone. You hate him for making you feel so much pain. Isn't that the truth?"

Then all of a sudden, Shadow Ayuka stopped shaking and let go of her head. Her arms drooped to her sides and then she simply said, "Yes. Yes, it's true. I hate him."

"Hate? Hate who?" Takuya replied.

The owner of the voice cackled. "Good girl. Then to get back at him, why don't you spend eternity destroying his memory and that world that he loved more than you. All you need to do is evolve, consume your vessel's soul and you will gain the power to do so."

Shadow Ayuka's eyes flashed a dark gold and she smiled wickedly. "Yes. I will take it. Her soul will be mine."

"…!" Then all of a sudden, Ayuka was overcome with a fiery, intense pain in her chest. She began to scream in agony and dropped to the floor.

"Ayuka!" Takuya shouted. Then he and the others surrounded the fallen girl.

"My…heart. It…hurts. It hurts…so much," Ayuka said in labored breaths.

Ryuta's eyes widened. "Takuya, this is just like…"

"Yeah, it's just like what happened to us. Her Shadow, it's killing her," Takuya replied. He looked to Shadow Ayuka. "That's enough! Leave her alone!"

"Oh would you shut up already!" Shadow Ayuka shouted at the boy, before waving her left hand in his direction. Then suddenly, all the dead sunflowers began to grown into twisted, monstrous vines that wrapped themselves around Takuya and pushed him up against the wall.

"Takuya!" Ryuta and Shinichi exclaimed in horror.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you two!" Shadow Ayuka exclaimed before doing the same thing to the other two Reapers.

"Damn you! Let us go!" Takuya shouted, and in response the sunflower vines began to constrict around his body, painfully crushing him.

"I thought I told you to shut up!" Shadow Ayuka shouted back at her captive. "This is between me and her!" Shadow Ayuka walked up to other half and cackled as she watched her writhe in pain. "You are so pathetic. So easily swayed by everyone. I wonder, are any of your emotions real, or is it all just a façade? Do you always just act the way people want you to act?"

"…" Ayuka couldn't bring herself to reply.

"Instead of getting in touch with your actual emotions, you chose to lock them away. But I know the truth, it's not just your sorrow that you imprisoned, it's something else too. Something much, much darker," said Shadow Ayuka. "Admit it, deep down you hate your brother for arguing with you over the surgery. You hate the fact that he was ready to die and leave you all alone."

Ayuka shook her head. "No…no that's…not true," Ayuka replied. "I…I could never…hate Benzo."

"Don't lie to me!" Shadow Ayuka shouted, causing the sunflower vines to tighten around the three captive Reapers, making them groan in agony. "I represent all of your negative emotions. So if I feel hate towards Benzo, then so do you."

"That's…" Ayuka couldn't deny it.

"So, so pathetic. You won't even be honest with yourself. A soul is a waste on someone like you. It belongs with someone strong, who embraces their emotions, ugly or not," Shadow Ayuka replied. "If you like being a people pleaser so much, then why don't you make me feel better by handing it over. I can make your death quick and painless if you cooperate."

"No…" Ayuka muttered in a pained breath.

"Stop being so stubborn! You wanted to die, didn't you?! You're acting just like Benzo! Selfish beyond reason! He chose death over us! Doesn't that infuriate you?!" Shadow Ayuka scoffed. "No of course not, because you choose to be a lifeless doll rather than say how you really feel."

"Shut up!" Ayuka shouted at the top of her lungs, causing her pain to worsen. "You…want me…to say…what I really…feel? Fine. I hate…you. I don't care…what you…say. Someone…who disrespects Benzo…could never…ever be me."

Shadow Ayuka giggled. "Are you sure you want to go down this road? You know what's at the other end. You've already seen it in action."

"Don't Ayuka!" Takuya shouted, causing the vines to constrict even further around him.

"You…are…not…me," Ayuka said between pained breaths.

Shadow Ayuka cackled. "You idiot! You said it even though you knew what would happen if you did!" A dark aura began to surround Shadow Ayuka. "Fine then. It'll be more fun like this anyway. I shall devour your soul!" Then the dark aura swallowed Shadow Ayuka whole and when the aura dispersed again her true form was revealed. Berserk Shadow Ayuka was a very tall, thin, twisted-looking woman who had black, rusted metal skin, a long, tangled mop of black hair, sharp metallic claws, and piercing, crescent-shaped yellow eyes. She wore a large black ball gown which went down to the floor, a black, see-through funeral veil, and a large black sunhat with a dead sunflower pinned to it. There was also an ugly, decrepit, wooden casket that was strapped to her shoulders and hanging in front of her. Immediately, Berserk Shadow Ayuka let loose a horrible wail, which was so loud it actually shattered the hospital room like it was made of glass.

A large, new room surrounded the group and the Shadow. It appeared to be the inside of an old, gothic church, which matched the outside scenery. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere, as well as several old, decrepit church pews strewn about here and there. There was even an old, broken organ in the very back of the church. But something was also out of place for the new scenery, namely the small forest of dead sunflowers that covered the church. The monstrous sunflower vines were also still present, and still pinning Takuya, Shinichi, and Ryuta to the walls. "I am a Shadow! The true self!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"This is bad. Takuya what do we do?" Ryuta asked, immediately getting constricted by the vines in return.

"We have to free ourselves and protect Ayuka!" Takuya exclaimed, only for the same thing to happen to him.

"Shinichi, you're a ghost! Can't you just phase through these things!" Ryuta exclaimed. The vines wrapped around even tighter in response.

"Don't you think I've been trying?! My powers have no effect on them!" Shinichi exclaimed, also getting constricted in response to speaking.

"No one leaves! I will not be alone anymore!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. "Anyone who tries to leave will die by my hand!" She waved her left hand, and then suddenly the vines trapping the Reapers constricted even more, making them all groan in agony.

"Stop!" Ayuka shouted. "Please…stop!"

"I can spare them pain, but in return you must do as I command!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. "You know what I want! Stop struggling and give me your soul!"

"I'm not…talking to you," Ayuka replied.

"What?!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka replied in confusion.

"I'm talking to…my real Shadow," Ayuka replied. "I know…she's still in there somewhere. She doesn't…want to do this. She never…wanted to hurt…anybody. She was just…sad and lonely. She just wanted…someone to talk to."

"Don't be absurd! There is only one Shadow! Me! I am your Shadow! Your true self!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"No…I can…tell the difference," Ayuka replied. Then she looked back at Takuya and the others, still pinned to the walls behind her. "Guys…I think I…figured something out. Our Shadows…they're not bad. Something…is making them bad. Making them…try and kill us."

"What?!" Ryuta exclaimed.

"Could…could that really be true?" Shinichi replied.

'Something is causing our Shadows to act like this? What's Ayuka talking about?' Takuya was confused, but then he thought back on his encounter with his own Shadow. And he remembered something that his Shadow said. 'Wait…'

---

Flashback:

"Sorry, no-can-do. All this pain is necessary for my goal," Shadow Takuya replied.

"What goal?!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Well it all started the first time you appeared in Limbo. You see that idiot Shinichi wasn't the only one to notice you, a "certain someone" noticed your presence as well," said Shadow Takuya.

"A "certain someone"?" Takuya repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, I didn't get the pleasure of meeting them in person but I could hear their voice calling to me even from deep inside of you," Shadow Takuya explained. "You see; most Shadows aren't able to manifest themselves under normal circumstances. We lurk inside the deepest parts of the mind, heart, and soul. We are your inner darkness, only allowed to show ourselves when you want to see us. And the rest of the time we're no better than prisoners trapped in a cage made of flesh and bone. But this "certain someone" has the ability to free us from our inner chains and allow us to rise to the surface and take over our captors. They pulled the same trick on a friend of yours not that long ago. I guarantee his Shadow's completely swallowed him whole by now. But for some reason I couldn't manage to take you over like that, that "certain someone" thought it was odd as well as your friend wasn't their first victim. They've done it to the living and non-living a like."

"What?!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Yeah, I don't really know the details but apparently this "certain someone" has a power similar to the one that the butterfly and the old man with the long nose offered you. And with that power he's able to awaken a person's Shadow. They've done it quite a lot. But it appears they were right about you, you are very special indeed. You see most living people can't stumble into Limbo unless they're Shadows are awakened by that "certain someone". That's how your friend got there. But you, you managed to wander in here all by yourself. You're very special, which is why that "certain someone" finds you so very interesting. But enough about that person, let's move on to me. Do you have any idea why I'm trying to kill you right now?" Shadow Takuya asked him.

"None…at all," Takuya replied.

"Well it actually concerns you, we Shadows are just the dark part of our host. You would think that when our hosts die, we die as well, right? Well thanks to the distortion that's affecting your world right now the tides have changed a bit. According to that "certain someone" if you die now, we can fully take control of your spirit and live out the rest of our days here in Limbo as Shadow Spirits. The name's a little on the nose, but I think it gets the point across, don't you?" Shadow Takuya asked.

"And let me guess…the weird events and tragedies…that are happening in the world of the living…are being caused by these…Shadow Spirits, is that about right?" Takuya asked.

"That's right, Limbo brings out a Shadow's true power as that "certain someone" soon realized. And now they're trying to fill Limbo up with as many Shadow Spirits as possible. If I had managed to take control of you in the world of the living I would've been able to drag you into Limbo and kill you off right then and there, but like I said you're special. So I had to try and kill you before I could drag you here into Limbo. But now that you're here, it will be only a matter of minutes until you die and I take your spirit as my own vessel. I'll become a Shadow Spirit just like the others," Shadow Takuya explained.

---

'Ayuka's right, my Shadow said the same thing. I can't believe I forgot about that,' Takuya thought to himself. 'Come to think of it, both Ryuta and Ayuka's Shadows were acting differently before they tried to steal their souls. So this "certain someone" triggered something within them to turn them bad. The same thing must have happened to my Shadow.'

Ayuka looked back at Berserk Shadow Ayuka. "I know you're…still in there. This isn't…you."

"You know nothing! Stop trying to get into my head! I will do what I must to claim your soul! I will become the real you!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"I meant it…when I said that…we should leave together. I've ignored…you for so long. Even though…deep down I always knew that you…were begging…pleading to come out. I did keep…you prisoner. You must have…been so lonely. Even I had…my mom and dad. But you…were forced to live in…that small room, waiting…for someone who is never coming back. I'm…so sorry," Ayuka apologized to her Shadow.

"Stop it! Stop your inane babbling! I don't want your pity! I don't want your apologies! I want your soul and the power it will give me!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

Ayuka shook her head. "That's a…lie. Even now, I…can feel it. You're still…crying. You still…feel alone." Ayuka began to cry, not from the pain she currently felt but from the empathy she felt towards her Shadow. And then suddenly, Ayuka's eyes began to glow blood red. Her pain began to subside and she stood up and faced her Shadow with her head held high, all while still crying for her Shadow. "I'm not going to let you suffer alone anymore. So watch me, I've finally decided to embrace my true emotions. I'll save you, I swear it." A vibrant magenta aura began to envelop Ayuka's body.

Then a calm and soothing voice began to whisper in Ayuka's ear. "Oh, dear. It seems thou hast become obsessed with the death of thy dear brother, but I suppose it is only natural for one to go mad over the loss of their loved one. And now, thou hast decided to embrace that sorrow and in turn embrace thy inner darkness, even going so far as to say that thee will save her from her own suffering. We are alike, thou and I. In fact, we are one in the same. If thou wills it so, I can grant thee strength of heart like no other. Turning thine sorrow into thy weapon. But I cannot grant thee this power, unless thou sacrifices thy life to me. Do not let any more people thee care about die needlessly, give me thy life, and show thine enemies the melody of thine sorrow!"

"Yes, please give me your power. The power to spare anyone else from such heartache," Ayuka replied.

"I'm glad we could make a deal. Thou art I, I am thou. I am the magnificent composer known as Nannerl, and through our shared grief over our brothers, we shall overcome any obstacle in our way! Let us show them the power of this brand new symphony," the voice replied.

And then it appeared, Ayuka's Persona, Nannerl. She was a very tall woman who had shiny gray metal skin, long, flowing silver hair, an incredibly small waist, and piercing, crescent-shaped dark brown eyes. She wore a large, flamboyant, white ball gown that was embroidered with a series of shiny musical notes on tablature lines. Two rows of what appeared to be harpsichord keys extruded from her back like wings and twisted around so they were in front of her. Her fingers rested on the keys as she appeared ready to play her own personal melody.

"Is…is that…?" Ryuta choked out.

"A Persona?" Shinichi finished Ryuta's thought.

Takuya smirked, while enduring the pain from the constricting vines. 'I was right, Ayuka does have the potential.'

"Any last words, dear?" asked Nannerl.

"From now on, I won't let anyone ever suffer in silence. I vow to become a strong person that anyone can lean on. These tears, are my strength," Ayuka replied

"Well said, you are indeed ready," Nannerl replied. Then Nannerl waved her left hand, and suddenly a long piano wire shot down from the heavens. The piano wire wrapped itself around Ayuka's neck and formed a noose, and then it whisked Ayuka up into the air, where after a few moments of involuntarily struggling, she died.

Nannerl grabbed ahold of Ayuka's lifeless body and gently cupped it in her hands. Then Nannerl's eyes began to glow, and in response her cupped hands became enveloped in a familiar magenta aura. "Through death comes rebirth," said the composer Persona. Then a few moments later, Nannerl uncupped her hands and revealed a mysterious figure standing in her open palms. "The sorrowful maiden appears. The time has come for thou to let thy true self be known to the world. Thou sheds tears for the weak and shoulders their pain. A selfless act in such a selfish world. Now prove to us thy dedication to thy newfound cause. Unleash thy symphony of sorrow, Cavatina!"

The figure looked up and revealed herself to be Ayuka, newly reborn as Cavatina. She now wore a dark purple dress with gold accents and black frills; and the hem of her dress' skirt was decorated with glittering black thread arranged in a spider webbing pattern. A large black hooded cloak extended down to her calves, and she had the hood of her cloak up over her head. She also wore a pair of comfortable, black shoes, and a pair of dark purple gloves with a golden treble clef decal on the back of them. Ayuka leaped down to the floor and bravely faced her Shadow. And then a few moments later, Nannerl disappeared.

"I see I'm not the only who has evolved! So you're choosing to let your true feelings show now?!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka exclaimed.

"Yes, I will not hide from my own emotions any longer, but I also won't let them run wild," Ayuka replied. "My heart is mine to control. My tears are my own to shed. This is my life, no one else's. I'm not going to let some pretender tell me what I should feel."

"You're still lying to yourself! Is it so hard to believe that your sadness could turn to hate?!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka.

"No, you're wrong. I'll admit that before my brother passed, I did feel a little angry at his decision. But my love for him and my grief outweighed that petty emotion. That goes for you too. You're me, I admit it. So you wouldn't be swayed by that petty emotion either. I am completely convinced that you aren't in control of your actions. Something is fanning that tiny ember of anger inside you and turning it into a full-blown inferno of rage. You're still suffering by your lonesome even now." Ayuka waved her left hand and clenched it, and then suddenly a weapon appeared inside of it. The weapon was a gold crossbow with several music notes engraved on its surface. In addition, a small black pouch appeared on her right waist that was full of crossbow bolts. The bolts were black in color and had heart-shaped tips on them. Then Ayuka crossed her empty right hand over her heart. "I swear to you, the real you. The real me. I will save you."

"Foolish girl! You don't deserve to have a soul!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. Then she waved her left hand and several more monstrous sunflowers began to appear behind her. "Sunflowers of Suffering!" Then the monstrous sunflowers lashed out their large vines and tried to whip at Ayuka. But the hooded Reaper gracefully dodged the vines one by one, and then jumped high into the air. Then in a fast, fluid motion, she loaded one of her crossbow bolts into her crossbow and pulled the trigger. And as she did so, a sharp chord filled the air. She aimed for her Shadow and hit her in the waist, causing her to wail in agony. But Ayuka didn't stop there, and fired three more bolts out of her crossbow in quick succession, before she hit the floor. As each bolt was fired, a sharp chord could be heard in response.

Berserk Shadow Ayuka tried to use her sunflowers to block the bolts, but they were so fast that she only managed to block two of them, the last one hitting her in her right arm. "How dare you defy me!" she wailed. "I will teach you true suffering!" In response to her cries, her sunflowers began to swing their vines at Ayuka again.

"Sorrow is not just a harbinger of suffering, it's a reminder that it's okay to feel weak and vulnerable. That's what it means to be human." Ayuka's eyes began to water. "My tears are my strength." Ayuka raised her left arm, while clutching her crossbow. Then her Persona Summoning Tattoo began to shine from underneath her dress's sleeve. The tattoo's design consisted of a treble clef with a wicked-looking smile on the dot, and it shone a vibrant magenta. "Let's play them a requiem, Nannerl!" Ayuka exclaimed as she summoned her Persona. A few moments later, Nannerl appeared behind Ayuka. "Malaqua!" Ayuka exclaimed, and in response, Nannerl waved her hands and several arrows made of pure water appeared around her, then the arrows fired off all at once and hit their targets with pinpoint precision, their targets being Berserk Shadow Ayuka's monstrous sunflowers. The arrows cut through their vines and stems, and toppled the sunflowers over. Then a few moments later they burst into darkness.

With the sunflowers gone, the vines that were wrapped around Takuya and the others disappeared as well. The three Reapers dropped down to the floor and then hurried to join Ayuka. "Ayuka, that was amazing!" Takuya exclaimed.

"You took out those pesky sunflowers in one fell swoop!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"Very cool," Ryuta added.

"Thanks guys, but let's not celebrate just yet. We still have a long road ahead of us," Ayuka replied.

"Right," the boys all replied.

"You think your sadness makes you strong?! All you're doing is admitting that you can't do anything on your own! You're relying on others to help you! Doesn't that make you weak?!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"Yes, crying in front of others, showing them my vulnerable side, relying on them to help me, it may make me seem weak. But who cares? Like I said before, being weak is part of being human. No one can go it alone, I know that now. And with my friends by my side, I am going to beat you," Ayuka replied defiantly.

"Don't make me laugh! I will show you what that newfound attitude of your's truly amounts to! Sorrowful Wail!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka exclaimed, before letting loose an ear-splitting wail that made the very ground itself shake. The group braced themselves while they endured the Shadow's attack, but they ended up getting pushed back from the force of it.

"She just keeps getting louder and louder, what do we do?!" Ryuta shouted over the wail.

"Shinichi! Do you see anything?!" Takuya shouted.

"I can't concentrate hard enough to summon Hitodama to find a weak point we can exploit!" Shinichi shouted.

"I've got an idea, I can hold her off with Nannerl long enough for you guys to get in closer and take her down! Just follow my lead!" Ayuka shouted.

"Sounds good to me!" Ryuta shouted.

"Alright, Ayuka you take the lead!" Takuya shouted.

"Right! Nannerl! A Little Serenade!" Ayuka shouted. And in response, Nannerl placed her hands on her keyboard wings and began to play them. A soft little melody began to fill the air, which amazingly pushed back Berserk Shadow Ayuka's wail and then silenced her completely, until nothing could be heard but Nannerl's melody.

"What is this?! My power is draining!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"There, I've nulled her abilities. But the effect won't last forever, let's take advantage of this situation while we can," said Ayuka.

"Right! Shinichi!" Takuya exclaimed.

"On it! Rise from the ashes, Hitodama!" Shinichi exclaimed as he summoned his Persona. When Hitodama appeared behind the little ghost, Shinichi got straight to work. "Hidden Insight!" In response to his master's command, Hitodama's eyes glowed and he began to scan the enemy for weak points. Then he quickly relayed that information to Shinichi. "Gotcha!" Shinichi exclaimed. "The casket is covering her weak point. If we aim for her heart we should take her out in no time."

"So we need to get rid of the casket first, huh? Alright then leave it to the heavy hitters," Ryuta replied. "Let the fear take hold of them, Kuebiko!" he exclaimed as he summoned his Persona. When Kuebiko appeared behind him, Ryuta gave a command. "Murder Mayhem!" Ryuta shouted, ordering his Persona to summon a flock of crows and attack the casket that Berserk Shadow Ayuka was lugging around.

"I've got your back," Takuya replied. "Come forth, Zenbyou!" Takuya exclaimed as he summoned his own Persona. When Zenbyou appeared behind him, Takuya then rushed towards Berserk Shadow Ayuka, brandishing his scythe. "Soul Collector!" Takuya shouted, and in response Zenbyou obtained his powerful Soul Collector scythe and brandished it menacingly as he followed after Takuya. Then Takuya jumped up and sliced at the casket with his scythe, and Zenbyou followed suit with his own scythe.

Berserk Shadow Ayuka screamed in horror. "What do you think you're doing?!" Then Kuebiko's crows swooped into to add to the carnage, as they mindlessly pecked and cawed at the casket. Berserk Shadow Ayuka swatted at the crows with her hands in response to their chaos. "Stop it! Don't touch that!" she wailed in frustration. But the crows wouldn't let up and just kept attacking the casket. "Stop it! Stop it!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. Then she began to cry and her wails grew even louder. "I SAID STOP IT!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, scaring all the crows off and making the group of Reapers jump in surprise.

Nannerl's melody began to stop. "Oh no, we're out of time," said Ayuka. "She's back to full strength again."

"You evil, evil brats! Have you no shame!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. "I will make you pay! I swear, you will suffer even more than I have suffered! You will beg for death!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka's tears came out at full blast like a broken faucet. "Weeping Willow!" she wailed. And in response to her cry, her fallen tears began to morph and change shape, until they had turned into a small army of birds made entirely out of water. "Swan Song!" And in response to that command the water birds all circled the area and began to shriek. The birds' shriek grew in size and volume with each passing moment, until the sound became so high-pitched that it began to cause serious damage.

The Reapers' bodies began to shut down to protect them from the overwhelming sound, and they started to bleed out of every orifice, until they began to collapse from the sound's intensity. "I…don't feel…so good," Ryuta muttered as Kuebiko disappeared.

"The sound…it's too…" Takuya couldn't even finish his thought before he collapsed onto the floor and Zenbyou disappeared.

It seemed to even be affecting Shinichi. "I can't…move…anymore…" the ghost managed to get out before collapsing as well, Hitodama disappearing with the other Personas.

Though by some miracle, Ayuka was still managing to hang on. She kneeled and breathed heavily as she bled out of her ears and eyes, but still she stood strong. As proof of her strong will, Nannerl had not yet vanished. "No…I can't…let it…end like…this…" Ayuka breathed out.

"Trying to destroy his resting place! You will all die for disrespecting him!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"His…resting…place?" Ayuka muttered. Then she spied the casket and realization hit her. "I see…so she really…is still in there…"

Nannerl whispered in Ayuka's ear. "Thy Shadow has become a puppet of her own emotions, only thou, Cavatina, can get through to her and open her heart to the world. Listen closely, she's playing thee the song of her own heart. Thou must respond with thy own melody."

Ayuka took labored breaths. "My…own…melody…" she repeated. She closed her eyes and tried to block out her Shadow's "song". After a few moments the sound began to drift away and Ayuka had fully cleared her mind. And that's when it came to her, her own melody. It was a song that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, but just from hearing it play in her mind, an overwhelming calmness and warmth penetrated her soul. Then she opened her eyes and stood up. Her breathing became normal and she smiled confidently. "Thank you, Nannerl. You've truly set me free. And now I'll do the same to her." Ayuka took in a deep breath and then she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Beautiful Sparrow!" In response to Ayuka's cry, Nannerl rested her hands on her keyboards again and then played another song, a song that was so breathtakingly beautiful that it immediately silenced the harping sound of Berserk Shadow Ayuka's birds. Nannerl played louder and louder until the song echoed off of the church's walls, making it sound even more beautiful in response, and destroying the birds in the process. After a few moments of listening to the melody, the group of Reapers began to stand up again alongside Ayuka.

"What's the deal with this music? I feel really jacked up all of a sudden," said Ryuta.

"I don't know, but I get what you mean. Right now, I feel like I can do anything," Takuya replied.

"Ayuka, you really are amazing," Shinichi said to the female Reaper.

"Save your applause. This is just the prelude, the real show starts now," Ayuka replied.

"What is this disgusting abomination you call music?! It's so hopeful that it makes me sick to my stomach! Do you really think that's appropriate to play for someone who is in mourning?!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

"The time for mourning is over! I'm going to set you free from this prison even if I have to do so by force!" In response to Ayuka's words, Nannerl's melody began to morph and take shape. A large bird made of pure light appeared overhead and began circling around Berserk Shadow Ayuka. "You showed me your song, and now I'll show you mine. Go, Songbird's Hymn!" Ayuka shouted. In response to Ayuka's command, the large bird opened its mouth and let loose a powerful ray of light and aimed it at Berserk Shadow Ayuka's casket.

"No! I won't let you hurt it!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed. In a last ditch effort to save the casket, she undid the straps holding it up and let it fall to the floor below. Then she took the brunt of Ayuka's attack as the ray of light now had a direct target of Berserk Shadow Ayuka's heart. She wailed in agony as the ray of light made contact with her and shot a hole through her chest. She collapsed to the floor but miraculously did not die.

"She sacrificed herself to save the casket?! What the hell?!" Ryuta exclaimed in confusion.

"I think I get it. That casket represents her brother. Even though she says that she hates him for leaving her alone, she's still trying to protect him like the dutiful older sister she was before," Shinichi replied.

"It's kind of amazing in a certain way. Those kind of bonds can't be cut by anything, not even death," Takuya replied.

"…" Ayuka looked on at the scene in silence.

"I…must…protect…him! I…hate…him…but…I still…love…him…too! My…brother! My…friend! Benzo!" Berserk Shadow Ayuka wailed.

Ayuka sighed. "We can't leave her like this. Let's put her out of her misery guys."

"Right," Ryuta replied.

"Let's do this," Takuya replied. "All-Out Attack!" he shouted as he, Ryuta, and Ayuka rushed into fight the Shadow head on. Takuya and Ryuta slashed at her with their scythe and naginata while Ayuka shot her relentlessly with her crossbow. A few moments later, the three Reapers retreated and Berserk Shadow Ayuka burst into darkness, along with the broken casket. Finally, the battle was over.

Shadow Ayuka reappeared in her original form, collapsed on the floor and defeated. And the scenery of the room began to change once again. The group and the Shadow found themselves back in the small, dark hospital room once again.

"I…I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into me," said Shadow Ayuka. "One second I was in control, and the next my emotions were all over the place. Those things I said, those awful, awful things. I swear, I didn't mean them."

Ayuka shook her head. "No, it's okay. We understand. But you don't need to lie to me either. You're me, right? So I know everything you do, and vice versa. When you said you hated Benzo, you were telling the truth. I know because I felt that hate too. If I had just admitted it when you confronted me then it would have saved us a lot of grief. We could have maybe talked you back to us some other way."

"…" Shadow Ayuka remained silent.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say that was your Shadow. An even darker part of yourself that you weren't completely aware of. A side of ourself that we both were ashamed of. I think part of the reason that we couldn't move on and grieve properly was because of that misplaced anger. We felt so guilty that the last words we said to our brother were out of hate that it warped our world view when he passed away. We were trying to punish ourselves by suffering in silence. We really have been so stupid, haven't we?" Ayuka replied.

"All this time, I've never even considered why it is that I think we deserve to be punished for our sadness. So that was the reason. I guess I really was just repressing that feeling, until it bubbled to the surface," Shadow Ayuka replied.

"Yamasato-san, you should know before we go any further. There's a choice you can make here. You can end your pain permanently by destroying your Shadow, or you can accept that pain and have your Shadow become a new part of you," said Ryuta.

"Are you kidding?" Ayuka replied. "There's no question." She approached her Shadow and crouched down to her level. "You're coming back with us. I won't take no for an answer."

"Are…you really sure?" Shadow Ayuka muttered. "After everything I've said and done…maybe…"

Ayuka cut her Shadow off by putting a finger to her lips. "Not another word. No more excuses. You're me, and I'm you. We complete each other. We need each other in our lives to remind us to be better people. And I vowed to myself when I gained my powers to never let anyone suffer in silence again. Wanting to save you was what helped me awaken to my Persona. I'm not going back on my word, so you're coming back with me. End of discussion."

Suddenly and without warning, Shadow Ayuka began to cry. All of the sadness that had welled up inside of her over the years finally came out at full force. But if you looked closely, you could see some tears of joy mixed with the tears of sorrow. Ayuka wrapped her arms around her Shadow and held her close. Then her Shadow wrapped her arms around Ayuka and did the same. "Thank you. Thank you so much," Shadow Ayuka said through the tears. Then a bright aura began to envelop Shadow Ayuka and soon her body began to fade away into a bright light, until nothing was left of her but a small ball made up of darkness and light.

Ayuka never let go of her Shadow. The ball simply entered her heart in a gentle manner, as if her Shadow was also continuing to hold onto Ayuka. After a few more moments of grasping the air, Ayuka crossed her hand over her heart and noticed a newfound warmth in its place. "I can feel her right there inside my heart. She's so happy that it feels like she might burn me from the inside out if she's not careful."

"You two are finally free," Takuya replied.

Ayuka nodded. "Yeah, we are. Free at last."

---

A/N: Our young hero has obtained yet another ally to aid him in his quest. What lies ahead for them? Stay tuned to find out.

(This was definitely the longest chapter I've written so far and definitely one of the saddest, I was tearing up so much as I was writing I had to stop multiple times to dry my eyes. I hope you all enjoyed reading it just as much. Now then, it's time to get on with the conclusion of Arc 1. Prepare for some surprising twists and turns and even more tearjerkers.)