Chapter 56 / Prison

July 27th, 2012 / Morning
Takura Productions - Conference Room

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

I understood what was being said, and yet at the same time, it was like my mind refused to accept it. I blinked, as if my body had been unable to perform such a simple thing without me commanding it to happen. I took the next moment to take a deep breath but my exhale was shaky and clearly showed how this affected me. "This fake Shadow of my Brother is the one who took him? Why? Why does he continue to be targeted?" I let my confusion guide my words.

"He has something the rest of you don't, right?" Yoko placed a comforting hand on my shoulder but I could tell that this worried Yoko too.

"You mean his power? Yes, his power is quite unique compared to us. Even when compared to Yu-senpai. Symphonic Discord which allows him to separate Shadows that have bonded together and then there is Last Symphony, an ability that forces you to witness the consequences of your own choices. Two skills that are unique to only him," Shirogane Naoto was the one that talked this time. She was grabbing the rim of her hat and pulling it down ever so slightly as to hide her eyes. She must have been thinking of the answer to this question. A question that would naturally come from someone being targeted more than once. "Our powers develop based on our emotions. When Kayane-senpai witnessed Shadows combining together his own experiences made him question it. He saw such a meld of Shadows as wrong and developed a power to fight that. He describes it as if he forces each Shadow to recognize their individuality which breaks the hold of such a meld. Hence the name, Symphonic Discord. Similarly the skill Last Symphony was developed when he realized that Minazuki Sho did not seem to understand the consequences of his choices. His desire to make him see those consequences and the people he affected is what gave birth to that power. Everyone here has seen how the power of Persona works, and how power can be birthed in those particular moments. Which makes what I'm about to suggest a bit... difficult."

"Naoto, what are you suggesting?" Rise was the one who spoke up. Those words had definitely made me tense up.

"What if that power was used against another Persona user? It wouldn't be hard to see why a Shadow would covet that kind of power," Naoto proposed after only a moment. But the question held a heavy weight and the silence that proceeded it showed it was a possibility that not everyone had considered.

"What is your thoughts on this, Isako-san?" the leader of the Shadow Operatives, Kirijo Mitsuru, sat at the head of the conference table and had been brought up to speed along with the rest of us. Standing not too far away from her was another member of the Shadow Operatives and my aunt, Arisato Isako.

"Both are potentially dangerous. It's possible that the use of Symphonic Discord against another Persona user could result in a Persona being forcibly removed from them. It's equivalent would be like having your nerves ripped from your body," Isako reported this but her voice was not pleased by saying this. "If the Shadow can convince or even trick Kayane to deny his Persona then... it's possible he would be able to claim that power by overpowering Kayane's actual Shadow. It would be the equivalent to the Apathy Syndrome."

Rise who had been standing took a few steps back. I quickly moved to her side and caught her before she fell. If what Naoto had said had been a heavy weight then Isako's words had been like a stab in the back. My brother's powers used in such a horrid way. No one would want to see that. Especially not any of us.

"But Kayane-senpai would never deny his-" Kanji began to speak but was cut off.

"-It's possible," Yu spoke up. "Don't pretend you haven't noticed."

I noticed that all of Kayane's friends had stopped and hung their heads. Every one of them. What is it? What did they see? What did they know?

"What is it? What's wrong with Oniisan?" Labrys asked, alarmed by their unified reaction to Yu's words.

Rise was shaking even as I helped her stay standing up. She knew, better than anyone. I was still new to my brother, and while I had my suspicions... Rise likely knew for quite a while that something was wrong. That Kayane still carried a heavy burden.

"It was a few months ago. I found some discarded razor blades at the house. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Kayane had promised me that he had stopped cutting. That he would never do it again. But then one night I saw him. He had left the bathroom door open and I couldn't see it clearly... but I could see the blood on his arm. And what he was holding could only be one thing," Rise had her eyes on the ground. "I didn't believe it. But I woke up in the middle of the night and found myself in his room. I checked his arms while he slept and... there was no mistake. Kayane has been cutting himself again. And I'm scared... terrified of what he would do if I confronted him about it. So I kept it to myself. I hadn't told anyone this. I'm sorry. I just... I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him!"

Rise had suspected that something was wrong but hadn't told anyone? There was still much I didn't know about their struggles. Sure, I knew the basics of what had happened to them, but that doesn't tell you the truth of it. Emotions, and the turmoil of the heart was what made the fight against Shadows what it was. To constantly face adversity of your own weakness and heart. Becoming a Persona user never stops that constant fight. And if this fake Shadow was using this new world to obtain Kayane's power, that was more feasible than anyone here wanted to admit. A world where expression held more power... it wouldn't be easy.

"It's hard to help someone, when they themselves are unaware they need it. Or worse, they simply decide they don't need or want the help. Feeling it would be a waste of time," Yoko spoke up from next to me. Being as she was going to school for such a subject I figure she'd have something to say. Psychology was something she had always been interested in, her whole life. "Speaking as someone that has not known Kayane-san for very long, I would say he has always seemed depressed ever since I've met him. There are moments that disappears when he is with all of you. But there are always moments where it just looks like he's sad. Even when he's smiling."

"I want to second that notion. Maybe this is too much but I got the same feeling as well. I want to help him but... I don't think anyone is that surprised by his desire to keep to himself," Hamuko was the one who spoke this time. My cousin had sneakily showed up while the talk was going on.

"I think this line of discussion can come to a stop," Mitsuru cleared her throat. "The reasons why Ikakure was targeted doesn't change the current situation. And there are more in danger than just him. He was taken along with the four girls that belong to Kamanin's Kitchen. Our priority remains the same. We need to save all of them. Ikakure included. But if that world truly is one that does not allow violence, then our usual methods are completely useless in this case."

"It's a place that doesn't allow violence, but music and self-expression seems to be amplified," Narukami Yu spoke up. He had been one of the individuals with Rise when she had been taken. And thanks to their quick thinking they had managed to counter it and break free from that world. Or rather use the world against them.

"It's unusual but the powers of Shadows are vast," Isako took a moment to get everyone's attention. "Considering the situation and the success of Rise-san and her friends I think it is clear how we should proceed, Kirijo-san."

"Be that as it may, there isn't much choice in the matter," Mitsuru wasn't exactly happy. The Shadow Operatives were at a disadvantage in this situation Which left Mitsuru with only one real option. "Narukami, can I ask you to lead the rescue operation?"

Everyone was surprised by the sudden request.

"I was going to either way," Yu said but nodded.

"I realize that. Still the rest of you have recently been training quite diligently in dance, correct? While I do have some training in that regard, I have a feeling that this is only the opening stage, and must prepare for the worst," Mitsuru's voice didn't hide any of her misconceptions about the situation. The Shadow of my brother likely had plans beyond just taking him.

"You mean, assume that he is going to succeed in getting Kayane's power," I spoke up tentatively.

Mitsuru nodded, "Our priority should be on the rescue of Ikakure and the four other girls from Kanamin's Kitchen that were taken to that world. However, we are lacking in time. The Festival begins in just a couple days and the Producers of it will need to fill the gap in the meantime. In that regard we need to determine on how we will deal with the situation."

"There is also the possibility we may not rescue them in time for the Festival. And if I'm helping with the rescue then I will be gone as well. That will leave Kanami-chan all by herself to fill the gap. There are other performers but you can't hide your big stars from missing their performance. Explaining Synchronicity's absence won't be as hard as it would for the other members of Kanamin's Kitchen. Synchronicity was never officially announced after all. Also, Kayane's Mother needs to be informed of this. It'll make it easier to deal with the other Producers if she is on our side," Rise was the one speaking up, and more composed than I was expecting. No, I should know better. She was a lot stronger now. No doubt she knows she has no time to linger on her feelings about Kayane's absence. The truth was, she needed to push it aside and move forward. To save Kayane.

Tsukio Nanase was my brother's adopted Mother. And now was also his manager for the band, Synchronicity. And from what I could tell, it seemed she did a lot to ensure Kayane's anxiety issues were dealt with in one way or another. My Brother had so many people that cared about him. And yet, it was like he didn't know about it. Yet with everything I had heard there was one thing that was clear to me. I didn't know enough about my own Brother.

We were the children of Ikakure Renji. Our Father had worked for the Nanjo Group but in a rare partnership was outsourced to lead a Kirijo Group project on the island of Yakushima. Our whole family moved there in support to our Father. Our Mother, Arisa, took care of us while our Father slaved away in a lab working on something related to his own research. He expanded on it while leading the project that was affectionately called the Mechanical Maiden project. Though from the records it seemed to have a few project name changes but Mechanical Maiden was more telling of the actual goal. To create fully autonomous androids capable of using a Persona. To be able to fight against Shadows.

Labrys was from the 3rd Generation, but was the one that was personally created by my Father. My Father then began to have her interact with Kayane and I on a day to day basis. It was all a important part of my Father's plan to properly develop her personality. In psychology terms, it would be her Ego that was being developed. Father was from the Nanjo Group... which had a much more intimate knowledge of what a Persona was and how they worked. Father never trusted the Kirijo Group or the other scientists he was supposedly leading. He knew that the more he told the other researchers the less value he would have. And less reason for them to keep him around. Despite his paranoia he wanted to use the money of the Kirijo Group to push his research and give birth to Labrys. Despite the dangers, he continued his work.

My brother and I were unaware of what was going on. Kayane had only been three years old at the time of our parents death. He was too young to understand what happened. And I had been six years old at the time. The accident that resulted in the death of our parents, scarred me. I lost my leg due to the time it took for emergency personnel to arrive on the scene. When they arrived, my leg was crushed, and I nearly died of blood loss. Fortunately I survived but the trauma had been enough to cause post-traumatic amnesia. It was caused due to a head injury in the accident as well as a combination of psychological trauma. Due to the combination and needed care it was determined at the time that my Uncle was unable to financially able to take care of both my younger brother and me. As a result, Kayane went to my Uncle and I was adopted.

My new parents were Kasamatsu Noriko and Daichi. I was put into counseling shortly after, and remained in counseling for most of my life. My memories were vague before the accident. I forgot about my brother, my parents, and Labrys. Labrys, my Father's creation, and who knew me as her sister. My Brother on the other hand had it worse than me. Granted the presence of the Dark Hour had changed my life and made it more important than ever for me to uncover Dad's research to be able to fight against the Shadows that hunted my new adopted family. As a kid I thought they were hunting my adopted sister Yoko but it wouldn't matter in the end. I was still a kid and faced a lot on my own. My Brother faced his own problems... problems I should have been there for.

Kayane's life was supposed to be a good one. Our Uncle, Ikakure Daigo, was a respected local politician and the story of him adopting his brother's son after the tragic accident that killed our parents had done wonders for his campaign for office at the time. He had even started by giving my brother piano lessons from an early age and it was discovered that he had a talent for music. But all the supposed good will and well intentions of my Uncle only went so far. The truth being that our Uncle had been deeply affected by the death of his brother, our Father. He blamed Kayane... and over time began to blame him for every misfortune that came his way. Kayane was still too young to understand what was going on or why. And our Uncle began to physically abuse Kayane, to punish him for being the one that lived. It only got worse as the years continued on.

During those years he became close to another individual. Her name was Miyuki. She was his only friend and they became immensely close. But it wasn't as simple as one expected. As it turned out the girl, Miyuki, was a victim as well. She was consistently sexually abused by her own Father. Miyuki and Kayane took comfort in each other, and along the way Miyuki came up with a plan. The plan involved tricking her parents so that her Mother would come home while her Father was sexually assaulting her. Then she would use that time to convince her mother about Kayane's problems so that she could save him. But it didn't work out that way. There was a struggle after her Mother showed up. Miyuki's Father shoved her, and her head came directly with the edge of a table and killed her instantly. Miyuki, however, had also been keeping a diary, a rather in depth recording of not only what had happened to her, but Kayane. When the investigation was done by the police it quickly brought light to Kayane's abuse and so our Uncle was brought up on charges and convicted. Thanks to Miyuki's detailed accounts and seeing the accuracy of it when they compared the diary to her own injuries, it wasn't long for them to put our Uncle under investigation and take Kayane away from him to protect him.

Miyuki's Mother, Tsukio Nanase, adopted Kayane during the whole mess and even with all the legal fee's and complications that came with it, she got custody of him. However, she no longer wanted to be kept away from home, as her constant work was what she believed allowed such a situation to continue without her being aware of it. Wanting to distance herself and Kayane from the memories associated with that town they moved to the small town of Inaba. Nanase remodeled the new home to accommodate her work so she could do a majority of it from home. That way she wouldn't have to leave Kayane home by himself.

I think to a casual observer that wasn't connected... by comparison I might be considered to have the worst of the two. But there was another way I thought of the situation. I had enemies that I could physically face against. Kayane had no means of fighting back against the memories he was haunted with. And because of that he suffered... and from the sounds of it, continued to suffer. That was why I believed my brother had it harder than I did.

I also had Yoko, and my adopted family to support me. As far as I knew, my brother didn't have any real support form someone around his age. And most of the adults in his life couldn't understand or relate to what he had gone through. Aside from his adopted Mother... Kayane must have felt completely and utterly alone.

"Oneesan?" Labrys voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked to the mechanical maiden and saw the concern in her eyes. It floored me still that my Father had created a true AI. A being with thoughts, feelings and memories of her own. More complex than could easily be understood. And had the power of Persona. "What are we going to do?"

I know that Labrys wanted to help rescue Kayane. But I shook my head, "We should leave this to Rise. We'll have to help on this side."

Labrys looked like she wanted to protest. Yeah, I felt the same.

"We should keep an eye on Kanami-chan," Yoko spoke up as she approached us. "Her entire group is gone. It is going to affect her, one way or another."

"That's a good point," I nod as I attempted to think of what else I could do.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Rise can save him," Yoko tried to assure me.

I'm not sure if that was my hang up. I was worried for Kayane. The timing of all of this was too perfect. What else was there? What else did we not know about this situation?


July 27th, 2012 / Afternoon
Takura Productions - Sound Stage

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

What was supposed to be an exciting time and the start of our future was turning into a much different situation. Still, the others were trying to keep things lighthearted, and likely for my own sake. Right now we were going to see Kanami who was currently on set with a photo shoot.

"Oh man, it's so nice and cool out here. I feel like a human being again," Yosuke commented as we all continued walking down the hall.

"You would think the conference room would have better air flow considering how many meetings they likely have," Yu added, tugging at his collar and likely had been hot as well. "Either way, you are all up to speed now, but is there anything else you guys want to ask?"

However, Yosuke redirected the conversation instead of the more serious tone that Yu had taken. "Hey, have you met any celebrities yet? Were they cute? Tell me everything!"

"You've already met a lot of people when we did the commercial shoot not too long ago you know," I point out.

"Yeah, but I was too nervous then to think about any of that stuff! Ahh, the time has finally come...! I'm in a big city and not some dreary country town! And I get to hang out with celebrities! It's like a dream come true!" Yosuke was obviously attempting to break the tension, but none of us found it very amusing.

"You want to say that again Yosuke?" Chie angrily spoke up and emphasized it by elbowing him in the stomach. "Kayane-senpai needs our help! And I dare you to make fun of my home town one more time."

"Yosuke, Thanks for trying to ease it, but I don't feel like any of us are able to lose what we are feeling right now," Yu spoke up once more. "All this time, we tried to be there to support him and yet, none of us could help."

"No, the real problem is that fake Shadow of his. It's obvious that whatever issues that Kayane-senpai was having was only amplified its presence. It isn't out of the question that it was coaxing him. And Kayane-senpai likely kept most of what was going on to himself. He likely felt that he needed to deal with it himself," Naoto had more than likely been constantly thinking about it since it had happened. No doubt she probably barely slept, like me.

"Let's not think too much on it," Yu cleared his throat. "It seems my Uncle and Nanako will be arriving a bit later than they expected. I'm a little concerned."

"Nanako won't take Kayane's disappearance well," I lower my eyes to the ground and stopped in front of the door we were heading to.

"Still, a world where violence isn't allowed. We can only win by expressing ourselves with words, music and dance," Chie shook her head. "So this isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"Is anything we have faced before been easy?" Yu spoke solemnly. "There is a lot we don't understand about this situation."

"We do know that the power we used to free the Shadows can also be used against us," Naoto said.

I opened the door and onto the sound stage, which was currently being used for Kanami's photo shoot. When we entered I saw Kanami posing as the photographer moved around and giving her direction. She moved between different poses as the photographer and the people manipulating the lights moved around her. Kanami knew that the others were missing, but hadn't heard anything after that. Kayane said he had met Kanami as a kid. I wonder what that had been like. But he hadn't really talked about it even when I asked him. Even with everything that had happened, there was still more I didn't know.

We stood to the side and I only briefly made a explanation to one of the aides that we were simply watching and waiting for her to finish. We stood with mostly our only conversations going on.

"It is kind of crazy how different she looks after all the makeup. But I don't feel like her normal look would be bad either," Yu comments to Yukiko.

"But if you think of it another way she'll be able to go out in her normal look without having to worry about people recognizing her as much. As opposed to Rise who can get swarmed just going to a convenience store," Yukiko said, and I wish she wasn't right. Then again my reason for initially leaving was because I thought no one saw the real me, so if I had done something like that it would have only compacted my issue on top of everything else.

"Rise-chan," a different voice called for my attention. It was Kayane's Mom, Nanase but with her was Ochimizu. "You know something about his disappearance, don't you?" Her eyes held an anger behind them. This was not something I could avoid.

"That isn't all. You likely know something about the disappearance of the girls. The security cameras showed that the five of them were in the same conference room when they disappeared," Ochimizu pressed me as well. I knew they would check but there wasn't much I could do.

"And now we have Kirijo telling to leave the search to her and her department," Nanase was definitely angry.

Then, it all changed. A sound entered the room and it was definitely the same we had heard last night when the portal had opened up to the Midnight Stage.

"Aaaaaaack! What is this!? Where's it coming from!?" Chie looked around.

"Hrmmm... Hey, sound techs! What's going on!?" Teddie called out, although no one answered.

Something nearby... echoing. I frantically looked around for the source. There was no mistake.

"It's that song we heard yesterday right before we went to the Midnight Stage," Yu spoke up to clarify for the others that hadn't heard it before.

"Over there!" Naoto points towards the set.

I look to see Kanami raising her hand upward and looking to something that was starting to appear above her. That same light from yesterday! We needed to move.

"Whoaaa... What is this? Could this be a close encounter of some kind?" Kanami was looking up.

"This doesn't make sense... It's not midnight! What's going on!?" Naoto wasn't happy with the suddenness of the situation.

"There's no time for that! Kanami's gonna get taken!" I called out and I start to run towards her.

"Kanami is what...!?" Ochimizu got in my way for a moment.

"Kanami! Get away from that light!" I called out to her.

"Huh? Rise-senpai?" Kanami was confused as she didn't realize I had even been here in the first place. The next moment, those ribbons came stretching out towards the girl. But Kanami was pushed out of the way by someone I hadn't expected. Ochimizu was the one that got wrapped up by the ribbons instead. How had she moved so fast?

"Kyoka!" Nanase yelled out.

"It's fine, you can take care of the rest in my place," Ochimizu said turning to Kayane's Mom.

"Ochimizu-san?" Kanami on the ground looked up, confused.

"Don't space out, Kanami-chan. Just listen to Nanase for now," Ochimizu was then pulled through the portal.

"She got dragged in! Wh-What're we gonna do...!?" Chie wasn't sure what to do.

"We follow her! Come on, everyone!" Yu and the others rushed forward. I did as well but I was stopped when Nanase grabbed my arm.

"Rise, you bring my son back, you hear me? And I want to hear everything when you do," she leveled her eyes at me.

I nodded and then she let me go. I looked to Kanami, "I'm sorry. Hold everything together for us until we come back, okay?" Then I turned and with the others we threw ourselves towards the light.

We were tumbling once again. Into the world known as the Midnight Stage. It was hard to tell what direction we were falling, and so when I came out I came tumbling to the side. I scrambled to my feet and looked around. "Ochimizu-san! Where are you!?"

"Ow... I fell right on my butt," Chie rubbed her backside as she got to her feet.

Yosuke seemed to get the worst of it as both Teddie and Kanji had landed on him.

"Owwww... Well, at least we made it in one piece," Kanji muttered.

"That took a while. I was worried I might get separated from everyone and be one lonely bear," Teddie adds.

"You know, I remember something like this happening before. Haha... that takes me back," Yukiko smiled as she seemed to recall something. Likely something that happened in the early days of the Investigation Team.

"C-Can you guys chat after you get off of me...?" Yosuke muttered trying to get Kanji and Teddie off his back.

"Cut it out, we don't have time for this," Yu cut in as he helped Kanji and Teddie to get off of Yosuke. "This place looks different from where we were before."

"Last time, that voice seemed keen on capturing Rise-san. It invited us directly to a prepared stage. Perhaps we're being treated differently this time because we forced our way in," Naoto commented.

"Well, I would say you are probably half right," a voice we all new but held a sinister echo to it appeared in front of us. It was the fake Shadow Kayane. "I insisted that the invitations be extended to the all of you. After all, part of this show is for you. His friends should be here when he finally shows his true feelings."

"You son of a bitch! Where is senpai at?" Kanji growled at him.

"I thought I said this place is off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Or... do you want to connect with us after all?" the eerie voice echoed from all around us.

"Enough of this crap!" I yelled. "Who are you!? Release Kayane and the others right now!"

"Release them...? Haha... That wouldn't be right. Can't you see? They're happier here," the eerie voice responded.

"Haha, especially Kayane. He's being treated to the most wonderful of dreams. The world showed just as he always imagined it to be," the fake Shadow laughed again. "I'm sure you know what kind of world that is..."

I felt my heart pick up and I start to shake. A world shown just the way that Kayane had always imagined it? No, that would not be anything good. Over time I had slowly gotten him to see that he meant something, that I loved him. That he was more than deserving to have that love. But a part of me could see, that even through the smiles that Kayane still held doubt in the back of his mind. Even with everything we had been through, he was still convinced that I would leave him. "No! No! You bastard! Don't show him that!" I found myself in a panic.

The sadistic smile showed me how happy he was at my reaction. What was worse was how he looked like Kayane. This wasn't him, this wasn't even his real Shadow. Just a fake. "How much time do you have... until he breaks?" he twisted the imaginary knife he had already stabbed into me with his words.

Kayane... I have to get to him. I immediately summoned Kouzeon. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to disappear. Mostly. The source behind the eerie voice was gone but the fake Kayane was still here.

"Oh, where could my beloved Kayane be? Search frantically my dear. Shouldn't be hard to find," the fake Shadow taunted me as I tried to concentrate.

He was right, I found him almost immediately, like Kayane had a beacon over him. But what I found shook me to my core. My eyes widened as I dismissed my Persona and stumbled back. Naoto was there to catch me from falling. I looked at the fake Shadow and felt anger bubble up in a way I had never felt before. And I let him know, "You Mother Fucker! I don't know what you are doing to him, but I will make you pay ten-fold for every bit of suffering you make him go through!"

"It must be frustrating, knowing that he didn't trust you enough to tell you all of his insecurities. That he suffered silently next to you this whole time, giving off fake assurances that he was okay. Honestly, there is no reason to be made at me. He just as well did this himself," his laugh haunted me.

"You don't know a damn thing about Ikakure Kayane!" Naoto spoke up. "What he has dealt with isn't something you can just conquer in a day, or a month. It could be a long time before Kayane-senpai will be able to confidently stand on his own two feet. But he isn't alone. No matter what he feels, or how he suffers, we will always be there for him. We won't let someone like you pull him back into that darkness on his own again!"

I stood firmly again and thanks to Naoto, I remembered. I had made a promise that I would be strong. That I would be the support he needed. "We found him in a cold dark world of his own making. Before any of us truly knew what he had gone through. We reached out to him, and we saved him. And I swore that I would always be there to do just that, no matter how many times I have to! You won't get in my way!"

The Shadow tilted his head, the look on this fake Kayane seemed annoyed at us, "How predictable. Still you should all be interesting entertainment in the meantime. In order to reach him you'll have to rescue the other members of Kanamin Kitchen. If you don't you won't be able to get to him. And I would hurry if I were you, if you truly want to save him. No manner of pretty words or misguided desires to protect him will help you if you don't get to him in time. And you don't have much time."

Then with a final chuckle, he disappeared.

"No! Get back here, you son of a bitch!" I yelled and stepped forward.

"No focus," Yu raised his voice to grab my attention. "He's trying to throw us off. If we are going to save them then we need to think calmly to be able to properly express ourselves in this world. If we lose focus and make a mistake, it could be worse for everyone."

"But he...!" I started but then I stopped. No, I was stronger than this. If I didn't pull this off now then what would have been the point in me awakening to my own power to fight? I simply needed to focus on saving one person at a time. "Okay, I'll see if I can find the others." I re-summoned Kouzeon and began searching the area.

"If I had to guess, they are likely using the rules of this world against Kayane. Using the music and dance to make him experience something horrible," Naoto muttered softly.

"They can't hurt him physically. Anything violent is outlawed in this place, but it doesn't mean something else isn't at play," Yu added.

"Those ribbons are likely the cause. It is also what seems to keep the Shadows bound to this world as well," Naoto added her own thoughts on top of Yu's. "When I was caught by one myself, I could clearly tell that it wasn't any true bond, but outright brainwashing. No one should be allowed to force someone to discard their very self just for the sake of another's desires. But at the same time, the fake Shadow might be doing something different to Kayane than the girls. It didn't seem like he cared much for the members of Kanamin's Kitchen at all."

"Do you think they are after his power? Like what they talked about in the meeting?" Chie asked.

"I don't think there is any other reason that would make sense," Kanji spoke up this time. "Senpai has some pretty powerful abilities. Ones that even Yu-senpai can't do."

"It's true," Yu nodded. "That power was born from his wishes and desires that only came to be because of what he has gone through. Symphonic Discord... he used it to pull Namatame from that mess of Shadows. He felt there was something inherently wrong with that fusion. He knew that Shadows were comprised of many different desires from many different humans. But people may share the same feelings, but our reasons for having them are always different. Namatame got lost in his reasoning, believing he was doing the right thing. Kayane didn't want him to forget that. So he pulled him out of it."

"That's right," Yukiko chimed in with her own support. "And he only gained that power because of how strongly he felt about it. Then his other power, Last Symphony, he couldn't let Sho get away without realizing what his choices had done. And that was because all this time, Kayane has been facing how his own choices have affected those around him. It is something he still struggles with, so he wasn't going to let someone else not make that realization themselves. His power it is all related to him, and what he feels he needs to do. He feels he needs to walk his own path, and not do as he is expected, that was Symphonic Discord, but he also feels he needs to accept his past and deal with those consequences. That is Last Symphony."

"That's why he needs us," Yosuke smiled a bit.

"We have to save him. We owe him a lot," Chie moved next to Yosuke.

I was only half listening but I spent my focus on searching for the members of Kanami's Kitchen. "Hey, I found them! Tamami is down the path to the right, and further back is Tomoe. I'm sensing Sumomo and Nozomi down the path to the left. But all four of them are here. But all of them seem pretty weak. We need to get them out of here."

"And if we are on a time limit like the fake Shadow suggested then we better hurry," Yosuke commented.

"Then why don't we split up into two teams? That way, each team can save two of the girls," Yukiko suggested.

I used Kouzeon to search further down the path beyond the girls. The path did meet back together on the far side. And... further beyond that I could feel Kayane. That Shadow must have somehow made it so I couldn't ignore it... and he was suffering. But I couldn't get a lock to exactly what he was going through or where he was. I shook that to the side for now, "Hmm, there are two forks to the path here, but it seems like they come together again further down. If we do like Yukiko says, we should be able to meet up there."

"You'll have to pull double duty when people need music though. Are you going to be able to manage?" Chie asked.

I nodded, "Don't worry about it."

"Alright, that takes care of that. Okay, Rise's a pro, and Yu's already won once with his dancing, so they should be on different teams," Yosuke said.

"In that case, me and Naoto'll go with Rise," Kanji suggested.

"I agree," Naoto chimed in.

I knew what this was about. Kanji and Naoto knew me better than our Senpai's. Naoto wasn't going to leave me alone either way. And Kanji had been talking about trying not to rely on our Senpai's that much anymore.

"Alright," Yu nodded. "Teddie you should go with them too. Let's get going. We want to do this sooner than later."

We all nodded. There wasn't any time.

"We'll each rescue two girls, then meet up at the rendezvous point, okay?" I restated. "I'll keep communication up between us, so if anything happens just call out."

I turned and starting running down the path. Naoto, Kanji and Teddie followed behind me. Just hold on, Kayane. First we'll save the girls, and then I'll come get you. I promise.


July 27th, 2012 / Afternoon
Takura Productions - Sound Stage

SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

It happened really quickly. Just as we showed up we saw the others jumping into a strange light. A portal that no doubt led to the Midnight Stage. The place where my brother was at. And then the next moment, they were all gone. And now there was only a couple people left. Mashita Kanami and Tsukio Nanase. It seemed the photographer and other crew had stepped out just moment before the ribbons had shown up and taken the other woman... I think her name was Ochimizu-san.

"Labrys and I will see to Kanami. You talk with Tsukio-san," Yoko quickly caught my attention and didn't waste any time. Instead her and Labrys made their way over to the pop idol who still had her mouth open and unsure of what she saw. I'm sure Yoko could handle it. But I knew why I needed to be the one to talk to Nanase, Kayane's adopted Mother.

I walked over to her and she noted me and then immediately turned her attention to me.

"Setsuko-chan, you know about this, don't you?" She was confused and angry. She had the right. "I want to know. Where did Kyoka and my Kay-chan get taken to?"

"This isn't a simple explanation. I have no problems telling you, but it is going to be hard to believe," I started.

"Kay-chan has been kidnapped and was in a long coma to which they never knew why it happened. I know there has been something going on and Kay-chan's friends are the ones that saved him. I don't know how but when they came into his life, he changed. I watched him for years, hole up in his room, never talking more than he had to, never expressing more than was needed. He barely ever spoke to me. But then Rise-chan and the others entered his life when he came back from being kidnapped. But I knew that those kids had helped him. And whatever had happened had forced Kay-chan to change. No matter what they say, there isn't anyone that knows Kay-chan like I do. And you can't hide something that significant from me," Nanase seemed like she had been more than aware that there was something else going on the whole time. "I'm sure that whatever it is, is pretty crazy. After all..."

"Nanase," a new voice entered. We stopped and turned.

"Isako? Onee-chan?" Nanase seemed surprised. Sure enough... Arisato Isako stood there.

"They went in after the others, right?" Isako looked to me.

I nodded, "Yeah but Ochimizu got pulled in as well."

"We'll have to leave it to them for now. Nanase, allow me to help explain," Isako looked like this was a conversation she had been wanting to have.

"You know about all of this?" Nanase asked.

"Come on, let's go to the office nearby," Isako put her hand out to her younger sister.

"Should I... come with?" I asked looking to Isako.

Isako shook her head, "Why don't you see to Kanami in the meantime along with your Sisters?"

"Setsuko-chan, we'll talk later, okay?" Nanase assured me before following her sister.

Family... it took so long for me to figure out I had family. When I was growing up, I took Yoko for granted. I felt I had been alone because of the Dark Hour. I had spent so much time fighting and trying to figure out how I would get by night to night that it wasn't until the sudden end to the Dark Hour when I started to realize about the other aspects of my life. Things aren't simple, life is complicated. Even though I had been fighting, Kayane had been suffering. And yet now, I was here while his friends ran off to his rescue. Even though I wanted to be there too. I was his older sister... and yet I couldn't save him.

I walked over to where Labrys and Yoko were talking with Kanami.

"-But where are they!? Kayane-san and the others were gone already and now Rise-senpai and them are gone too. Even Ochimizu-san," Kanami lowered her eyes.

"They went to save my brother and the other members of your group. They know what they are doing," I said as I came up to them. "I'm Setsuko by the way. I'm Kayane's older sister."

"Ah! He was talking about you the other day," Kanami seemed to ease a bit. "But that wasn't normal."

I shook my head, "It isn't but, all of them have been through some pretty incredible things and something like this isn't new to them."

"So... they'll be okay?" She seemed unsure. I don't blame her.

"Oniisan is strong," Labrys spoke up. "Also Yu-san and the others are strong too. They'll definitely bring everyone back home safe."

Kanami looked like Labrys' words affected her. The assurance from all of us must have convinced her as she took a deep breath. "Okay, so what do we do now?"

"We do what we can to cover their absence of the festival. And try to limit their impact. There are a few others around here that will help too," I try to explain.

"Hello?" a voice came from the entrance of the room. "It's been a while since I've been on a sound set."

"Oh really? Do they not really use one for Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory?" another voice asked.

"I do most of my stuff on location, so we haven't done much on a sound set other than a few of the special effects," the first voice answered.

"I called in some back up," Yoko smiled at me and then wave at the group that had just walked in. "Hey! Hamuko-san, Kana-san and Yukari-san!"

I knew I should have recognized them, but they were all dressed a bit differently. Kana had her dyed black hair pulled into a braid, it made her golden eyes more pronounced. And her outfit was mostly black, jeans, a plain t-shirt and shoes. Yukari was the most fashionable of the girls as she was in a white and pink outfit. A white skirt and pink top along with the choker and then she seemed to have something around her neck and whatever it was hidden under her shirt. Hamuko wore a more casual getup but she also had someone in her arms. Yukari's young girl, Kokoro.

The three of them walked over, "Oh hey, it's Kanami. Haven't seen you since you and the other girls were in the guest episode of Featherman." Yukari took the lead and offered her hand out to Kanami.

I looked to Yoko, "You called for help?

Yoko stepped closer to me as Yukari spoke with Kanami, "Look, we don't know how long it is going to take. Yukari has been gaining popularity for not just her modeling but her part on Featherman. Plus Kana has been doing modeling too. And well, Hamuko has even done a few shoots as well, being Kana's twin has made her appealing to some of those directors."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Hamuko groaned as she came next to us and shuffled Kokoro in her arms. Looked like Kokoro is asleep. "She was bouncing around all the way here, but now she's passed out. Honestly, she has the strangest energy flow."

"She's just like her Dad," Yukari jumped in and interjecting with a smile and looking at her daughter. "Minato could fall asleep at the drop of a hat but then he'd be wide awake and energetic when he needed to be. I hope she isn't going to fall asleep in school like her Dad did though."

I couldn't help but chuckle, "I dunno, I think you might enjoy having to deal with those phone calls."

Yukari smiled big, "You're probably right. Oh, Setsuko-san, is Mitsuru around here somewhere?"

"I think she is trying to meet with some of Takura Productions executives about changing part of the program," Yoko answered for me.

"Hm, okay. I guess we'll leave it to her to deal with that," Yukari nodded.

"So are you all friends to Kayane-san?" Kanami asked looking at all of us.

"Yep," Kana answered without hesitation.

"Well, Kayane is my cousin," Hamuko added. "And, of course, Setsuko is Kayane's older sister, but you probably know that. Either way, he's family. He's been through a lot, so we know he'll make it out of this too."

I realize that Hamuko was trying to ease Kanami's unease about the situation, but I felt she was also trying to convince herself too. Still her and Kana had been at the meeting this morning, so had they left to get Yukari? I guess it might have been part of Mitsuru's plan to smooth over the LMB Festival in case they don't get back in time. Though I'm not sure exactly how it would all help the situation.

"In the meantime, why don't we go grab lunch? You're free now, right Kanami-chan?" Yukari was taking charge of the situation it seemed.

She nodded somewhat numbly. "I just need to go change first," Kanami said.

Well, it probably was for the best. Keeping her with us would likely be the better plan. The situation was only going to escalate and be more stressful as it went on. And that was because while Rise and the others were rescuing the girls and Kayane... all of us were left out here... waiting. All the power of Persona and we couldn't do anything because this world was one where violence wasn't allowed. And well, with me only having one leg, I was next to useless. Well, maybe not, but I had zero experience with dancing, and I think I'd have to do a lot of practice to be of any help.

"Oneesan," Labrys got my attention. "We have to do what we can here."

I knew that, but I was glad that Labrys reminded me. There wasn't much we could do right now, but we needed to be prepared for what could happen after. And right now, that could mean just about anything.


July 27th, 2012 / Afternoon
Midnight Stage

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

Moving forward... if only things were as simple as it was to say. We were getting close to Sumomo. I could still sense them without having to fully summon Kouzeon. I hope that was more of an indication of how much stronger I had gotten. Would it be strong enough to save Kayane though?

"Hey, this still kinda bothers me, but... Why does dancing work on the Shadows?" Kanji asks as we are walking.

"This world amplifies expression. Or rather the different forms of communication. Actually, I think Rise is more than proof enough that it is the case," Naoto spoke up.

"Huh? Me?" I looked over to Naoto.

"Even now you know where Yu-senpai and the others are, right?" She asked.

Actually, yeah, I could. My eyes widen a bit as I make the realization. I did sense the others. It had been on the back of my mind the whole time. Just like I could feel Kayane's presence like a beacon, but it wasn't a good feeling I had when I normally felt him through my power. In a normal situation his presence was soothing. Much more than any of the others. Maybe that was just me being biased. But right now all I could feel was Kayane suffering. And it was slowly tearing me apart inside. "It seems this world makes it easier for me to use Kouzeon's communication abilities," I explained to the others. "And my ability to sense the others." My voice dropped with that one.

Naoto moved next to me and put her hand on my shoulder, "We'll save him. So let's keep moving."

We needed to move faster. The more time we took the harder it was becoming for me.

"That's right! No time to worry about stuff like that! I've got some sweet ladies to rescue! Raaaaawr! I'm coming for you right now, my precious idols!" Teddie yelled out as we kept moving. His usual demeanor actually made me smile a bit as we kept moving. Teddie was doing his best to keep my spirits high. Even if Kayane is in danger, me wallowing in anger wasn't going to get me to him faster.

My heightened senses thanks to the nature of this world made it easier to find Sumomo as well as track Yu-senpai and his group and keep them informed that they were heading the right direction. We were getting really close to Sumomo. It looks like Teddie was sniffing out the same result. She had to be close by.

"Nrgh! Cutie ahoy! Could that be...!?" Teddie pointed ahead.

"That's..." I looked ahead, there could be no mistake. "Sumomo! Hey, Sumomo...!"

"Rizzie-senpai... and Naa-chan!" Sumomo looked relieved as she saw us. And her accent was thick as ever. Though she did her best to hide it on stage, but in a situation like this it was bound to come out. Her mulbery hair was a bit frazzled and the depth around her eyes suggested she had been crying. She wasn't restrained so we all ran to each other. "Ohh, thank goodness! I was all torn up worryin' about y'all!"

"You were worried about us? Sumomo, you were the one I was worried about. I'm so glad you're safe," I sighed and relieved. But this stage... was it the one that was made specifically for her? It was... well, the banner at the top said 'Let's Play With Dolls!' along the top and in the middle of it was no doubt supposed to be a 'doll' that looked like Sumomo. I doubt that was a coincidence.

"Woo hoo-hooo! It's the adorable piglet Momo-chan, right here in front of me! Yosuke and I haven't missed a single Kanamin Kitchen appearance on TV!" Teddie then stopped and gave her a curious look. "But... Hmm? Something's different."

"I-It's her manner of speech. She sounds like a different person altogether than when we met her before," Naoto spoke up.

That makes sense, they had only met her recently, and Sumomo does her best to not slip into her accent while in Takura Productions building. "I guess that is surprising, huh... Sumomo actually grew up deep in the country, so this is how she really is. She doesn't mind bugs at all, and she does a ton of farm work at home. She's a lot tougher than she looks."

"No way!? Cute li'l Momo-chan, the sweetheart of teenage boys everywhere-it was all an act!? Everything I know is a lie..." Teddie seemed shocked.

"I was thoroughly fooled too... and I'm a detective..." Naoto was very surprised.

Sumomo grinned, "Really?"

"Remembering when you met Kayane the first time?" I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I still wanna know how he figured me out so fast," Sumomo admitted.

"Well, Kayane does seem to have gifted ears," Naoto nodded.

"Huh? I don't get it. No big deal," Kanji shrugged.

"Ochimizu-san done worked my tail off, after all. I'm guessin' you were hopin' I'd be the sweet li'l sister type?" Sumomo asked.

"The what now?" Kanji asked.

"Y'know, like an adorable li'l kid you just wanna look after. Small an' cute. But... you can only go so far with that. I've been thinkin' maybe I oughta try doin' sumthin' else, even if it's a tiny bit at a time," Sumomo said, and the moment she finished, the atmosphere around us changed.

"...Don't say that, Sumomo. Or else no one will love you anymore," the eerie voice from before was back. There was no one here and yet, it was as if they had been next to us and listening the whole time.

"Heh, who do we have here...? Sorry, but you're too late," Kanji called out.

"Hahaha... It doesn't matter. Sumomo can't get out of here, so why hurry? Sumomo... do you want to leave this world? Do you really want to upset your fans...?" the voice called out to Sumomo.

"M-Mah fans...!?" Sumomo was alarmed.

"That's right... Everyone want the you they know as a helpless, adorable little child. Wouldn't they feel so betrayed, if they saw you now?" the eerie voice called out.

"I... I ain't betrayed anyone...! I've worked dang hard up 'til now!" Sumomo defied the words from the eerie voice.

"Hmhmhm... Yes, you've really done well. But it's still not enough... You need to become the Sumomo that everyone wishes for," the eerie voice called out. And then a large mass of Shadows appear on all sides of the stage, pushing us back from where we were. But the power of this voice was unnerving. Even though it was directed at Sumomo it made me feel uneasy, and because of that I had stayed quiet and listened. No, this was bad.

"It's those out-of-bearacter Shadows! Trying to kidnap Momo-chan, eh?" Teddie stood defensively in front of Sumomo.

"Well, forget that! We're not handing Sumomo over!" I called out trying to gain back my composure by force of will. I didn't realize how this power worked on everyone. And if it affected us this way... then Sumomo had to be feeling it even worse. Without a Persona it had to be hard without any kind of defense.

"Heh, you ain't gonna have it your way as long as we're here!" Kanji called out.

"Hahaha... You really are energetic. But you know nothing, so I suggest you keep your mouths shut. You have no idea just how much Sumomo is suffering," the eerie voice called out.

Of course I knew. I probably knew more than I should. Of all people for Sumomo to confide in... it hadn't been me or the other girls... but Kayane. And it wasn't like he had done anything special. It wasn't a secret that Kayane was the sun of Tsukio Nanase, one of the best producers and managers there had been at Takura Productions. More than that they had seen his talent at not just singing or the piano, but his talent at hearing. Like before... Kayane knew right away that Sumomo was hiding an accent. But instead of commenting on it, he instead gave her pointers on how to better hide the accent. This eventually led to Sumomo seeking him out to talk to him.

"Connect with us, and everything will work out. No one will get hurt. No one will have to suffer. Now... accept our bond...!" the eerie voice called out and then that song started. The Shadows began to dance and I'm suddenly assaulted by the urge to join them. But they would have to do a lot worse than this to get to me.

"Nngh... Wha-!?" Sumomo was clutching her head and closing her eyes to try and block out all the sensory input.

"Arrrrrrgh! Stop this song! It makes my fur stand on end!" Teddie shakes his head.

"No matter how many times I hear this, it never gets any better...!" Naoto put one hand over her ear as she tried to focus.

"You call this freaky shit a bond...!? Get the hell outta here!" Kanji calls out.

"Rise-chan, if you would be so kind! The bear of the hour needs your finest song! Leave it to... Teddieeee!" Teddie gave himself room in front of the Shadows. "I'm gonna show you all who's da man! Teddie is in da house, yo!"

I have to stop myself from laughing, but I can't stop the smirk on my face. Just as well I pull up a song, "Gotcha! Teddie, I'm giving you the coolest tune I've got, so do your absolute best!"

"Aye aye, Rise-chan! Nowwwwwwwww, drop! That! BEAT!" Teddie calls out.

I used Kouzeon to amplify the music and this song was one of the few that didn't have any words. This song was one of Kayane's original compositions and was actually rather complex, with constant changes in tempo but it was one that kept to a faster pace and made it easier to dance to. Originally it had a slower pace overall but Kayane changed it later on so that it could be used as a potential dance segment in our concerts. Plus it could be used as a break towards the end of a set if Kayane needed a break.

Watching Teddie dance to this song was, interesting. Maybe that was putting it too lightly. But seeing him dance without reserve was heartwarming in a way. And it was proof of how expression became power in this place. Despite the Shadows trying to get us to move with their dance and song... Teddie was already pulling them into his rhythm as his moves slowly began to influence the crowd.

Kayane... how were they using this place against you? They had to be assaulting your senses with nonsense and lies. Why? Why did you have to suffer like this? Ever since I've met you, I feel it has been an ongoing battle. But I knew it would be a struggle. You warned me... your Mom warned me... everyone did. Despite all of that there is a truth that I can't deny. You make me happy. You see me in a way no one else has. You know when I'm smiling for real and when I'm putting on a face. You know just by the sound of my voice if there is something I am struggling with. It's why we became stagnant, isn't it? You were facing doubt and voices of self-hatred in your head, and you are afraid to tell me. I get it. I understand that it isn't easy. But you know I only worried more about you. And I know you noticed.

When will you truly trust me? To confide in me all your doubts and fears? Do you think my love for you is that weak? That I would think you're a burden? If that was true, why would I have made such a long term commitment with you? To start a band with you? How can I show you that I've already made the decision to give you all of me? You're the one that wanted to wait for marriage, but I would still say yes if you ever asked me. Love doesn't stop when it gets hard. That is simply when love, true love, begins to be tested. Just wait for me, Kayane. I will save you.

As I made this promise to myself I watched as the Shadows begin to disappear into the sky, freed from the bindings of the song and the ribbons that had tied them together. Although Teddie was definitely adding moves that I hadn't taught him. I guess a little freeform isn't that bad in this instance.

"Woo-hoo! Yeah! I bet they felt that! Teddie's debut performance was a smash hit!" Teddie grinned and stood proudly as the last of the Shadows disappeared.

"You guys're amazin'... Oh, what is this...? I'm gittin' goosebumps all over..." Sumomo smiled but the atmosphere around us didn't get better. It was still here.

"Hahaha... It seems you've lost more fans, Sumomo. Are you okay with that? They're all going away," the Eerie voice taunted. I looked to her and noticed that the words had definitely hit home.

"Hey, whaddaya saying!? I'm still head over heels with Momo-chan! My heart is right with her!" Teddie stood up for her.

"...Are you sure about that?" the Eerie voice was pretty confidant. "Hmm, Sumomo...? Are you that confident in your "true self"? You think everyone will still love you? Apart from being cure, you have no redeeming features. You're just a doll who can't do anything on your own... Without that cuteness... you'd have nothing left."

It was assaulting Sumomo's insecurities. I'm not sure if there was anything that we could do to help her... to stop what was going to happen next. What would happen here in this world? It was trying to get her to accept the false bonds, wasn't it? To accept that it was better to be what everyone wanted her to be.

"Ah... N-No... I wanna be...!" Sumomo started but she was quickly entangled in the golden yellow ribbons. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Sumomo...!" I called out.

"Sumomo-san!" Naoto said in the next breath.

In the blink of an eye the ribbons surrounded Sumomo and pulled her away from us. Even though she was standing next to us it had happened faster than anyone could conceivably react.

"Momo-chan's been taken! Oh nooooooo!" Teddie steps forward but chasing after her would be pointless.

"Dammit! What the hell!" Kanji shook his head.

"Mind games... The instant she showed her weakness in her heart, she fell for that voice's trap," Naoto surmised.

That quickly? If it was that easy... then Kayane... what was he being told? We didn't have time. There was no time at all to waste! "Come on, we gotta chase after Sumomo! Let's move!" I called out as we rushed forward past the stage here. Then we entered into a place that was akin to a toy box. Just like the inside of... a doll house.

"Whoa! What in the what!?" Teddie was finding the sight hard to believe.

"An oversized doll house? This is quite an unsettling picture..." Naoto mutters.

"Hey look! That's...!" Kanji points up but I don't need to look. Kouzeon was already telling me exactly where Sumomo was. She looked like she was frantically pleading with someone, though I can't detect any presence besides her. It had to be that Eerie voice. It couldn't be anyone else. I doubt the other Shadows had much interest in these girls outside of Kayane. I kept my thoughts focused on the moment.

"No! I... I got a lot of things that I wanna do... that I wanna be!" Sumomo yelled at the voice.

"But you can't, Sumomo... Don't tell me you forgot. Remember what you were told when you left the countryside...? You mustn't be selfish," The Eerie voice spoke, smug.

"S-Selfish...!?" Sumomo blinked.

"Hmhmhm... That's right. You shouldn't cause people trouble. You need to meet people's expectations. You were always told that... right?" The Eerie voice twisted words spoken to Sumomo to pull her deeper in to its control. "You know you're an unsophisticated hillbilly. You have nothing outstanding. No looks, no personality... But you want to make everyone back home happy... You said so yourself, Sumomo. How disappointed would they be if they found out you ignored your fans and ended up abandoned by them?"

"How... do you know that..? 'Bout me... 'bout my folks...!" Sumomo didn't understand anything that was going on. Of course she would wonder who the voice was and how they seemed to know everything about her. Even as we got close I could already feel that the voice was only a step away from getting what it wanted.

"Sumomo-san!" Naoto called out as we got as close as we could. But she was still out of reach.

When Sumomo looks to us, she's terrified. It was too late.

"Now... Sumomo, I'll let you hear everyone's voices," the Eerie voice said.

Another voice spoke, clearly that of a fan, "Sumomin is so cute! She's perfect as the group's little kid. She's so adorable, I don't even care that it's an act."

"That voice... she's trying to push Sumomo further to make her agree to the bond!" I called out.

"Sumomo-san! Don't listen to it!" Naoto called out in vain.

"She just needs to be cute, and that's all. Heck, I'd be weirded out if she tried something different," another voice of a fan could be heard.

"Sumomin doesn't have to do anything. I'm kind of a fan of how she's this helpless little kid, you know?"

"She's been acting like she's thinking about her future lately, but all I can see her as is a sweet little girl."

The voices assaulted her, saying the same thing. That she was cute but that she didn't need to be anything more than that. Sure, fans did get that way but this was out of hand. General fans did tend to have opinions like this that amounted idols to be nothing more than objects. And they had expectations of their idols. I understood this all too well.

"Heh... heheh... haha... ohhh..." Sumomo was unable to fight it anymore.

"See, Sumomo...? All you have to do is be what everyone wants you to be. The "real you" is nothing but a burden... Carrying it around will only bring you pain and suffering." If there had been any resistance left, I could feel that this had pushed it aside.

"I... see... I-I jus' had ta toss it away..." Sumomo says as even more ribbins come around and wrap around her even more. Then a black mist washes over Sumomo, covered in ribbons, and begins spreading out rapidly. When the smoke clears it is a giant doll...with the cute clothes and glittery accessories you would expect. The big difference here is that the doll is immobile due to stakes being driven through its monstrous body.

So had that been Shadow? Shadows that represents the wants of the masses? She covered herself in their desires to become what would make them happy.

"Hmhmhm... Hee hee hee! Ahh, this is so nice... I can feel your love for me, everyone! I just had to get rid of my feelings. That's all there was to it. Now... I can connect with everybody! I'm nobody if I'm not loved... I have to meet everybody's expectations, or else I'm totally worthless!" This Sumomo doll looked happy but it was depressing... smiling through the lies... doing as your told to appeal to the masses. Yeah, I had done that too. Tried to meet a certain weight... worked to maintain my body just right... acting the way the crowd likes on stage... playing the crowd. So many things you get asked to do as an idol. But this... this was too much.

Our surroundings were filling up with Shadows, in seats that had been empty before. This is what the Shadows want from Sumomo...

"Are you really happy like that, Sumomo? There's no way you are! You'll ignore your feelings and just do what you're told? You think your REAL fans are gonna appreciate that!? Don't run from it... Don't give up! We're idols! We need to stand our ground!" I yell to her. It's hard to manage what people want from us. But there is no point in being an idol if we can't be happy doing it. It was why I had quit before. I am only back now because I found my happiness again, my desires and dreams I wanted to share with the world, with Kayane at my side.

"Heh... I'm right with ya on that one," Kanji chimed in. "Hey, Tiny! Uh, Sumomo, right!? Why don't ya take a cue from your senior here!? I know it's hard to live up to people's expectations, and I know it gets tough... But listen, dammit! It ain't right to be pretendin' to be somethin' you ain't! You gotta find a way forward, even if you're scared!"

"Kanji's right! If you throw away your real feelings, then sooner or later, you won't be able to tell who you are! That would be just... too sad," Teddie supported Kanji.

"Yes... And that's exactly why we cannot accept this. Rise, can you ready a song for me?" Naoto looked to me. I blinked, taken somewhat off guard.

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

She nodded, "This place amplifies our expression. Well, I think of all of us, I can relate to Sumomo the best. I know what it is like to try and be what everyone expects. So let me show her. Let me tell her that she doesn't need to do this."

I quickly readied the song and prepared to broadcast it with Kouzeon. "I'm ready when you are, so just say when!"

"Welp, guess I'll let you take this one. Get 'em, Naoto!" Kanji grinned.

"Thanks, Kanji," Naoto turned looking to Sumomo. "I'll show you what it's like to have your true self understood! Let the music play!"

I started the song without delay. This song in particular was one of my own personal favorites. It is called, "The Start". A song meant to represent a new start one that held a meaning for both Kayane and I. This is different than the original version of the song. When he first wrote the song it had a much slower tempo, and had a much different tone to it. But when we came to our debut album it felt a bit off compared to everything else, and the overall message of the lyrics felt like there needed to be a musical change. So when Kayane did a second pass and then raised the tempo it turned into a much different song. It was like the song had finally found its real identity. Kayane's voice was what was heard first.

"The beginning I can't remember
My goal was to survive
I wish this was just a story
And that I didn't need pain to feel alive

And I never knew my mother or father
And I was never your son
I guess I'm just broken
I'm a shattered window
That can't be seen through"

Naoto was dancing to this song. If there was anyone else that understood Kayane and the words of this song it would be her. She was also there from the beginning, and I knew that she also had feelings for Kayane. Naoto's own struggles had not been that different from Kayane or her own. Plus Kayane was smart, definitely able to keep up with Naoto's deductions and conversation. And I don't think it had to do with the age gap but it was more an intellectual equal. Naoto was realistically much smarter than even most seniors due to her work with the police force and just her general investigations as a detective. Kayane himself was also among the top of his class, so it made sense. Naoto's dance would definitely draw a lot of criticism from a professional, but that wasn't what was important here in this world. It was about the emotion and message behind that dance that was important. And her expression while dancing was fantastic.

The song shifted, but it was my own voice this time instead of Kayane.

"You ignore the uneasiness in your heart
Sitting in the dark with solitude and pain
But tomorrow will keep on coming
Let me tell you, your story is far from its end

And you can't keep living alone
And your heart can't stay locked away
I won't let you
I won't let you do this alone anymore"

I wonder if I had been annoying to Kayane when I kept pushing myself into his life. At times I still wonder why I had been so insistent to keep close to him. Was it because I felt like he would understand me? Was it because what I had seen and felt in the TV world? Both of those were possible reasons. Either way, I just was unable to ignore him. I could never do that. But it was Kayane himself that drew me closer and closer to him. Even if he would never believe that. Wait... wouldn't he? Of course he would. His problem isn't that he doesn't trust me or his feelings for him. His issue has and always has been... with himself.

Kayane: "I can hear voices and decisions
Always talking in my head
Yet my choices and opinions
They will never be read

And I never knew my mother or father
And I was never your son
I'm guess I'm just broken"
Rise: "You're not broken"
Kayane: "I'm a shattered window
That can't be seen through"

Rise: "Your heart can't stay locked away
And you don't need to stay in the past
You're not broken
I'll help you mend, day to day
So that the sun can shine through to you"

Kayane: "I don't want this to be just a story
What must I do, to feel alive?
Why are you always around me?
Why do you care who I am?"

Rise: "Don't deny how you truly feel
We are not strangers, no more
It's time to open up
And let the sun shine through to you"

Words that I couldn't forget. Words that I know had to be true. Kayane was the one that wrote these lyrics. I had to believe that... everything was going to be okay. But still, if words had more power here... could they say something to him that would make him... No... I couldn't let myself think about this.

Kayane & Rise: "All of this time I was not broken
My heart was just waiting for you
This is the start of our story
And we'll see this thing through
It might be hard, it might be rough
But Together the light of the sun will shine on us day to day"

Naoto finished the dance with summoning her Persona. Using it as an emphasis to her dance. When she did so the monstrous form that held Sumomo inside of it began to thrash around in distress. Thinking about the pain and struggles that Sumomo had felt getting to this point... maybe it would be easy to just be whoever someone tells you to be. But to do that... you'd be what Sumomo is right now-a monster, forgetting who you really are. I thought I had lost who I was along the way. But the truth was, I had just lost sight of the fact that ll of it was me. It took other people for me to realize this. Even Kayane had seen that right away. Sumomo... you just need a reminder. It's who you are that got you this far, not by doing what other people tell you to do.

Then the mass around Sumomo exploded away and Sumomo fell to the ground.

"Sumomo...!" I made my way towards her.

"Momo-chan!" Teddie moved with me.

At her side I turned her towards me.

"I was so wrong..." her eyes remained downcasted as she spoke. "I'm hopeless..."

"Don't be stupid," Kanji said. "You're safe now. Just give it another shot, or however many it takes."

"That's right! I'm sure everyone back home is cheering for you, working hard!" Teddie encourages her a bit more.

"Ah...haha... Yeah, you're right," Sumomo sighs and sits up and sighs. Guess I haven't grown a single bit. See, my hometown's out in the boonies... Only one bus every three hours, an' my school only had eight students. So when I passed the audition, the whole dang town came out an' congratulated me. They all really believed in me, and told me that I oughta listen to the people here. I wanted to make them happy, so I told myself I'ma do anything if that'll sell the group. But... that ain't all it is, huh? I mean, it's important to sell and all, but if I wanted people ta really like me I'd hafta work on my own dang charm, and share that with everyone, yeah?"

"Heh, yer dang... uh, damn right. Well, it ain't a bad thing to wanna make folks proud, but if you gotta throw yourself away to do it, then hell might as well have someone else do it. That just sucks. So what do ya do? Simple, just live up to their expectations in your own way," Kanji said with a smile on his face.

"Awright! My mind's made up! First thing when I get back, I'm gonna go talk t'the agency! Maybe I ain't that cure, and maybe I'm a runt, but I'll shore find somethin' I'm better at then anybody! Then, when I'm ready, I'll start showin' folks who I really am... so they'll eventually like the entire me!" Sumomo was smiling.

"I think that's great," I said after a moment. "It might get tough on the agency with a change like that, but I think it is what you should do too." I would know better than most how it feels when you aren't sure if people like you simply because of the person you present to the fans versus the one you keep to yourself.

"Rizzie-senpai, ain't you gonna help me out? You gotta do somethin', like come on a show with me, together! Pleeaaaase!" Sumomo said as she suddenly put her arms around me.

"I can only help you so much, I'm not actually part of Takura Productions as one of their Idols you know. But I'm sure Kayane wouldn't be opposed to helping out either," I tell her and take a deep breath. I'm glad that Sumomo is safe. Even if just a little bit I could feel good about stepping closer to getting to Kayane himself. When I look past the others to where Sumomo's stage again, I noticed that something had changed.

A bright light beams down to the middle of the stage, and a door that wasn't there before has suddenly appeared. I blinked as the others all look towards the spot when they see my own reaction.

"It seems to be a door. I can't be certain where it leads to, though," Naoto speaks up first.

"Hold on, I'll check..." I quickly summon Kouzeon again. I push my senses inside and surprisingly don't find anything. "It looks safe inside. I'm not sensing any Shadows behind the door-Hey, wait a second..." I double check it and scan it again but there is no doubt. "This is the door to our studio's dressing room!"

"At Takura Productions? It does seem vaguely familiar..." Naoto eyed the door suspiciously.

"It definitely is. Been going through it more times than I can count in just the last few days. You too, Naoto," I tell her. She nods.

"Well, how 'bout we go in? Beats just standin' around talkin' about it," Kanji said as he moved up to the door and didn't hesitate to go inside.

With Sumomo next to me, we went inside. Once there we found that it was like the dressing room in Takura Productions. And yet there was definitely something off. It wasn't dangerous, at least I couldn't sense anything dangerous. No Shadows... but why would this place show up? There has to be a reason why it has shown up.

"It does seem safe here... I don't see any signs of an ambush either," Naoto at least helped ease my thoughts.

"It is a bit different, but this is the same as the dressing room in Takura Productions. How in the world could it be here, though...?" I speak my thoughts as I walked towards the table in the middle of the room.

"Hrmm? I don't hear that spooky song in here," Teddie points out.

"...The hell is this place? Feels like a totally different world than outside..." Kanji mutters.

"I don't know... Is there a purpose to this, or is it mere coincidence...?" Naoto said as Sumomo walked into the room and towards the make up station, not far from where I was standing.

"Wh-Wh-What in tarnation is this...!? Something's written here, an' it's downright creepy..." Sumomo grabs it and then turns and gives it to me as I walk to her.

Naoto moves close to me and she reads it outloud while I hold it.

"I know what I want my songs to express, but everything important will go unsung. It's my fault; she has done nothing wrong. But she takes all the blame for me... I can't stand it any longer..." Naoto finishes reading it and shakes her head. "What is this...? It feels like a diary entry of some sort."

"I dunno... Dude wants to say somethin', but can't? And everybody's baggin' on some girl but she's actually coverin' up for the dude... Guess he feels bad about it," Kanji takes the words and makes them a bit easier to understand. Naoto looks to Kanji and her eyes widen. Had she not put that much of it together?

"I'm impressed Kanji. That is definitely one possible way to interpret these words," Naoto smiles at him. Which in return causes Kanji to avert his eyes, and I could definitely see the start of a blush appearing on his face.

"Ah... M-Ms. Ochimizu!" Sumomo suddenly says and sure enough, entering the room was the Producer of the LMB festival.

"H-Huh? But-didn't you get snatched up by that ribbon stuff...?" Kanji asked.

She nodded, "That's correct. It was, well... surreal, to say the least. But when I came to, I was lying on the ground. So I walked here as I assessed the situation."

"Walked here? Did you not encounter anything along the way?" Naoto asked.

"Yes, I did. But whatever they were they didn't do anything. As a matter of fact, they just vanished into thin air the moment they saw me. I was surprised at first, but... considering the method in how I arrived in this place I decided to not linger my mind on the particulars," Ochimizu did seem rather calm. "I should rather express concern as to how all of you are here and so calm rather than my own composure."

"You do bring up a good point," Naoto said after a moment.

"Ochimizu-san, this isn't the first time we've had to deal with something similar to this," I give a clear and concise answer. "Though its thanks to you that Kanami didn't get taken."

"I thought as much. You all reacted to the situation when Kanami was about to be dragged in. I'm assuming you all came here to save Sumomo and the others?" Ochimizu asked.

"Yes. Though the situation is likely more complicated than just having to save them all," Naoto supplied.

"I see. Still, you have my gratitude. Thank you," Ochimizu said after a moment. "You've saved Sumomo at the very least." She then bowed to us which made me smile a bit.

Her reputation in the industry would definitely make you believe that she couldn't be this way. But I knew that wasn't the case considering Kayane's Mom was actually good friends with her. If anything it only cemented the fact that what Ochimizu did was an act that helped promote the groups she had work under her.

"Be that as it may, you all should get going. Just leave Sumomo here. You clearly aren't fazed by incidents like these, but it's not anything Sumomo and I are used to. If we were to stick together, you would have to constantly worry about Sumomo. I need you to save all four of the girls and Kayane. So please, keep moving forward. Aside... Sumomo doesn't apear to have the energy to go with you," Ochimizu pointed out.

Now that I think about it... it's possible that Sumomo hasn't really slept since she had been brought into this world... the Midnight Stage.

"Whoa! Momo-chan, you look pale! A-A-Are you alright?" Teddie inquires as he moves about her.

"Y-Yeah... I just got a... pretty fierce dizzy spell..." Sumomo sat down in a chair.

"She's in no condition to travel. Whether she goes with us or not, Sumomo-san needs some rest," Naoto looks to me.

"Sumomo, you haven't had a chance to rest since you've been in here, right? I don't sense any Shadows around here, so you should stay here and rest. Once we figure out a way to get us out we can come back for both you and Ochimizu. Plus, there is no telling what will happen from here on. Especially with the fake Shadow of Kayane around. I have a feeling that if we did bring them along they would only find a way to use them against us," I explain my intent to the others.

"B-B-But... is it really okay to leave Momo-chan here all by herself?" Teddie asked.

"I'll be with her, don't worry," Ochimizu said. "Don't forget, those Shadows you talked about won't attack me. Or at least they haven't so far."

"This world is also banned from the use of violence. Just be careful of those that try to use words and music. But it seems that at least neither of those things are present here," Naoto reminded her.

"Alright," Ochimizu nodded. "I know it isn't ideal but if we want to move forward with any sort of efficiency then you need to keep going."

That and every moment we waste is another that Kayane has to endure whatever they might be subjecting him to. "She's right, and they should be fine as long as they stay here and stay quiet. But before we go I'm going to contact Yu-senpai and see how they're doing." I'm still thrown off how easily my power manifests here.

Either way, we made our first step in saving the girls of Kanamin's Kitchen. There was still a ways to go yet. And Kayane...could he hold out long enough for us to get to him? I had no idea, but I needed to stay focused. If I didn't then I would be useless at saving any of them. Kayane included.


A/N:

You know, I really do feel bad when it takes so long for me to get another Chapter out. But real life being what it is has a way of getting in the way. On the plus side I got a promotion at my job... which is part of my reason for taking so long to get this out. But I'm hoping to get more time to really focus on my writing. Not that I haven't been writing... because I'm actually sitting on a bunch of things I just haven't had the time to edit and publish. But my first priority needs to be this story, but I keep getting distracted with some other project. I've been bad with that lately for some reason. Anyway, I'll try to be better with it.

So onto the chapter. The events of Dancing All Night are really under way now... but as you can tell there is a lot of different things going on here. With Mitsuru and the rest of the Shadow Operatives involved, things are more likely to go in a different direction. Not to mention the fake Kayane Shadow that has his own intentions on top of it. I think the more interesting part of this is Setsuko's half as everyone is beginning to feel like they don't really understand exactly what Kayane is going through.

At the moment we don't really know how Kayane is actually doing, but considering the rules of the world... him not being able to fight back or anything is only going to work against him. Which is kinda obvious... Either way it might be a bit before we learn about Kayane's situation. Maybe. I'm not completely decided on the lead up in the next section.

We've saved Sumomo. And well in the game them rescuing the girls takes place over a couple of days. I will say that the amount of time and how it all is solved will be much different than the game. I really enjoyed Sumomo in the game, but like much in the Persona games, all of them have different reasons but they all have the same desire. To be accepted by their fans. Which is pretty normal for aspiring idols, but I feel that it also caused a lot of the resolution for the four girls to be somewhat redundant. I'm not sure if we'll see Yu's side of the whole thing, and if we do I might cut part of it out. Again I'm kind of split on what exactly I want to do...

That being said I am trying to get myself to finish this story. I don't like to let things go unfinished. And to tell the overall story I set out to do I have to get past this part. I'm just repeating myself. Sorry about the long delay between chapters. I hope to have the next one up and going a lot faster. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really do appreciate it, and you readers are the reason I keep coming back. I'm not going to abandon this story. It will be finished. After all I have a lot more I want to tell. Thank you once more. I'll see you next chapter!