WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS TO MOMENTO UMBRAE (MY PERSONA 3 FANFIC)!

Okay, when I say spoilers, I mean I'm dropping the metric ton of spoilers, in that all the major reveals from Momento Umbrae will be discussed in this chapter. This is my warning to people that may want to read that story before continuing here. Additionally I do try to explain those points so that you don't need to go read that story. But most of it is simply told here as an explanation. So if you want to see how those events came to be there is always the option to go read it. You can find it through my profile here on Fan Fiction. This is also an indicator of change for this story.

Up to this point the viewpoints have been limited to Kayane and Rise. This is going to be expanded starting this chapter to include members from Persona 3 as we move into the Arena arc. Their situation and struggles leading up to Arena will be explored as we move forward. The focus will likely stay between Hamuko and the Shadow Kana. Reasons for this will come around eventually. Alright, enough of that. You've been warned. So with that out of the way, lets move on to the Chapter!


Chapter 34 / Travel

March 21st, 2012 / Daytime
Yasoinaba Station

After everything had happened yesterday, all of us were still pretty tired, but here we all were gathered in front of Yasoinaba station. Yu had his luggage in hand standing across from us with Yukiko still holding on to his arm. She wasn't going to want to let go of him when the time came. And I could definitely see the hesitation in Yu's eyes as he glanced over to the clock nearby. Also with us was his Uncle Dojima and Nanako-chan. Nanako looked equally as torn. In such a short time he had become important to so many people. Knowing he wouldn't be here every day was hard for many of them to fathom.

"You know, not many people come into town for just a year and leave quite as big an impact as you have," I spoke up breaking the silence which everyone seemed unsure of what to say. All of them didn't want to see him go, but this was just something that could not be avoided. So I might as well address the elephant in the room and instead point out how unique his situation was. "I knew you for even less and I find it strange to see you leaving."

"I certainly didn't come here thinking all of this would happen though," Yu sighed slightly. "Certainly a year that I will never forget."

"We won't let you either way. Still, I suppose this is it. Can't believe its already been a year," Yosuke gave a light chuckle. "Things really moved fast."

"You really are leaving, huh? It hasn't really hit me yet," Chie was standing close to Yosuke. Now that I thought about it, there was something I had forgotten up until this moment. Seeing Chie and Yosuke standing so close definitely reminded me of it though.

"You know I seem to remember something that was said recently between Yosuke and you. Whatever happened after we left yesterday?" I asked which immediately got everyone to turn. I was looking at Chie which I knew would give a quick reaction to.

Chie immediately averted her eyes and was blushing. "Well I was really emotional and scared at the time and I...come on, why are you putting me on the spot, Senpai?"

"Yesterday was rough on all of us," Yu said after a moment. "We're just wondering if you two are..."

"Hey hold on now," Yosuke spoke up and standing somewhat defensively in front of Chie. "If she doesn't want to say then..."

"No, Yosuke, its fine. Its true, after we split up, we walked home together. And we were talking and I confessed to him," Chie was blushing like mad and keeping her eyes down. I think she wanted to tell everyone but it wasn't something that Chie was good at expressing.

"Actually we both confessed," Yosuke added looking to Chie for a moment before lookign to Yu. "So yes, we're dating now."

I frowned a bit, "Well I was expecting you two to dance around the subject a bit, but that is a complete lack of any details."

Yosuke looked to me with an irritated glance, "What do you want, a play by play?"

"Yes," both Yukiko and Rise said this in unison. I just gave a shrug

All the members of the Investigation Team burst into laughter at this. Yu stepped away from Yukiko for a moment to Yosuke. "Either way, congratulations you two."

"Yeah, Yeah, I don't want to hear it," Yosuke said but was smiling none the less. The two shook hands and then went into a half hug before separating. "Have a good trip back, partner."

Nanako, who had been mostly silent had taken this moment to latch onto Yu's shirt. He looked down at her and was greeted with a young girl with tears in her eyes. "Onii-chan, I don't want you to go away." She then buried her head against Yu as he smiled and put a hand on her back. I think if there was someone he had the biggest impact on it would be Nanako. I know she had lost her Mother when she was young, it was something that I had immediately bonded with her on about understanding that kind of loss. Although for me, I never knew my parents, but I had lost Miyuki, someone who had been in a lot of ways more like a surrogate Mother to me than anything else.

"Nanako. Didn't you promise that you wouldn't cry?" Dojima didn't expect a reply but just gave Yu a smile before stepping forward and gently pulling Nanako away. "You know, building a case against Adachi is going pretty smoothly. After all, he's made a full confession to his crimes. There haven't been any more incidents since then. Inaba's finally back to its normal, peaceful self. Well, and everyone is here and healthy again. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thanks Yu, for everything you've done while you were here. To me, you're just as much a part of this family as Nanako. I'm really glad you came to stay with us."

"Yeah, me too," Yu smiled as Dojima pulled Nanako away to give space for the rest of us to say our goodbyes.

"Sensei, I've finally found a place for me. That's why, I'm going back over there. To make sure it never goes wrong again. I'm going to protect that world from now on. I can finally be proud and say, that world is where I belong," Teddie beamed. His words seemed a bit confusing to me cause I seriously doubt he'd be able to stay there now after experiencing so much in this world.

"Man, Senpai. This town's gonna feel empty without ya," Kanji said, ignoring Teddie. Couldn't blame him, none of us even slightly believed he was going to stay there.

"How cruel! Were you even listening!?" Teddie turned to Kanji.

"We can see you anytime we want, you dork," Yosuke waved off the whoole thing, because he was right, there wasn't anything that stopped us from seeing him.

"Yeah, like you'll be gone long. Soon as you start craving something like ice cream, you'll be back in a flash," Chie huffed at Teddie's proclamation from Yosuke's side.

Teddie seemed somewhat hurt but didn't deny it. So he did what he usually did, "C'mon, my honeys. Bluffing that way isn't very cute, you know?"

"You're just gonna be going in and out of the TV at Junes. How's that different from what you've been doing?" Yosuke made an amused chuckle. Teddie was trying to make it sound that what he was doing was more dramatic. But it hardly meant anything since we all knew him better than that. And I believe each of us had more than enough reason to protect that world as well.

Naoto, who had remained silent up until now, stepped forward towards Yu. "Um, I can't quite decide what to do. At first, I only planned on staying here until the case was completely closed. I thought that maybe I should stick to my original plan. I could take the train back with you, Senpai." Everyone seemed to raise an eyebrow, and Yukiko's eyes narrowed on her which made Naoto shift uncomfortably. "I'm kidding," she quickly clarified. "I couldn't do something like that. It's not as though we'll never see each other again. Still feel free to call me anytime, even if there isn't a case to solve."

Naoto stepped back somewhat blushing. Yu had been an important part of change in all of our lives. One way or another, it was hard for all of us not to be emotional or do something to try and make this not happen. We all knew better than that though.

"You know I don't feel like saying goodbye either. Hey, you got any plans during the long holiday in May? If you're free, come over and visit. With no mysteries to solve, we can have some real fun," Yosuke gave a grin.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Yu returned with his own grin. "What do you think, Yukiko?"

"I can make us all some reservations so we can all stay at my family's inn," Yukiko stated and took Yu's arm once more.

"Ooh, I can get my revenge for that night. Our surprise sneak attack will work for sure this time!" Teddie proudly declared. I couldn't help but frown, I hadn't been a part of that but I had heard the aftermath. I had spent most of that night trying to relax and recover from the Culture Festival performance...as well as deal with my own thoughts with what had happened with Rise at the time.

"Don't bring that up, you stupid bear!" Kanji then changed the subject. "Hey, what happened to going back to that world?"

"That has nothing to do with this! It's entirely different," Teddie said as if that explained everything.

"That reminds me. Marie isn't here. I would have thought that she would come today, at least," Naoto said.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too. I'm sure she's fine though," Yu said with a slight shrug.

"Well as long as she's doing well, I guess that's okay," Yosuke scratched the back of his head.

"Well she should've at least shown up here, since this is the last time we'll see you for a while," Kanji meant to state it as more of an annoyance against Marie but it brought a bit of a somber tone to the group.

"May isn't that far away, I'll be back before you guys know it. Besides, Kayane and Rise-san are going to be busy with their music career coming closer to kicking off. And you guys still got school. You just won't have a murder case hanging over your heads this time," Yu gave a light chuckle. Too busy to not realize our leader was gone? He was probably right. Though it wasn't a comforting thought.

There was a silence among the group.

"It's almost time. You'd better get on the train," Dojima urged.

Yu turned to see another group of his friends and stopped briefly to talk with all of them before walking up to the train. The rest of us followed as he made his way to it. He stopped and turned to us. "Well, I guess this is it for now."

"For now. See ya, partner," Yosuke and Yu shook hands once more.

"If anything happens on your end, we'll come running," Chie added and shook his hand next.

"Until we meet again, Senpai," Naoto gave a slight nod.

"Senpai, I'll be waiting for you," Kanji added.

"See you. Take care," Rise added quickly.

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you again," Teddie smiled big.

"Be careful Yu. Give my sister my best," Dojima said and shook Yu's hand.

"I'll see you later, Onii-chan! Byebye!" Nanako was putting on her biggest smile and gave him a quick hug. Yu turned to me.

"I'll have you know that I have no idea how to deal with goodbyes. Up to this point, I never had the chance to say goodbye. People have only left without giving me a choice," my words were more serious than even I had expected. The others were definitely concerned as I said this. Still it was no less than the truth. "That being said. Thank you for being a good friend and I'll see you soon. Besides Rise and I are going to be all over the country soon enough. We can probably get a few tickets for you so, you better show up."

He chuckled, "Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Yu turned and was immediately pulled into a kiss by Yukiko. It was one of the more bold things I had seen her do, especially here in front of everyone. But having seen her breakdown before, there was no underselling how important Yu was to her. Even the problems they faced, and ones they would face from now on. It was something they both were willing to go through for the possibility of a future together. All I could do was silently wish them luck from this point on.

Yukiko released him, "Everyday, you hear me?"

"Everyday, I promise," he smiled big and he hesitantly stepped away from her. "Well, see you all later then." The door closed behind Yu as he stepped into the train. And then began to slowly leave the platform. The others chased the train down the platform, yelling at Yu final words of goodbye. I simply stood next to Dojima and Nanako as we looked at the departing train.

"It was only a year, but his impact will be felt for quite a long time to come. He made such good friends, and made meaningful connections with so many people. Although, he never needed to. That says a lot about who he is," I found myself saying.

"Well, I'm sure his influence on others is far from over," Dojima chuckled. He was right there. Yu was a dangerously observant individual after all.

"Onii-chan will be back soon, right?" Nanako looked up.

"He'll be back before you know it," Dojima said. "He's family, after all."

I watched as the train disappeared in the distance. This was not an end, but it felt significant, as if one chapter had closed and a new one was beginning. Not knowing what came next was what made this moment all the more profound. I smiled as Rise came moving back to me. My future had already started with Rise, now it was time to get back to work.


March 29th, 2012 / Daytime
Kohai TV Productions Studio

This was certainly a new experience for me. We were on set for a TV show that was more drama than comedy, so there were serious problems that the characters of the show faced but often had humor to lighten the edge to the issues. It's a delicate line to walk as too much humor can be made to look like the subject matter isn't being taken seriously. And too serious can make the show not as friendly as they want. I had never watched the show so I couldn't say if they were good at it or not. But it was a successful show financially, and they were looking for a way to boost views. The thing of it was, it would not be announced anywhere that Rise and I would be making an appearance in the show. We wouldn't be singing but we had a minor part with the characters in passing. And it was more of a tease that we were coming. That was also why it was only the two of us and not the entire band of Synchronicity. Though they were here with us on set.

"You want to go over the lines again?" Rise asked as she was adjusting the skirt she was in. She was dressed in black and red. The skirt was shorter than the Yasoinaba High School's one and her top a lot smaller to hug her body more. Showing her curves in a more provocative way. I suppose I better get used to the fact that Rise would be used as a sex symbol and the main face of the band. Though she had been quick to remind me that I was going to be used in a similar fashion to gain female fans. I was also dressed in a semi-formal black and red clothing. The two of us were made to look a bit older (using make-up) to make us more college age. I mean technically I wasn't that far off from college. Rise's hair was pulled back into a single pony tail rather than her usual pigtails.

We still had time before we were needed on stage, "You nervous? I mean I understand but at the very least its a closed set so we don't have an audience to worry about."

"Well you seem unusually calm about this," Rise eyed me and moved next to me and placed her head against my shoulder. "Nanase-san is something else. The PR strategy meant to employ other things to generate a stir and make rumors abound. All before we introduce all the members of the band and before we ultimately announce the name of the band. Each step is meant to generate more interest without revealing our hand to the public. Although it is highly dependent on others to make this work."

"It's a plan that is effective in that it also costs very little. The media and the rumor mill will be doing most of the advertising for us," I sighed a bit. "Though that likely has more to do with the fact that there isn't a solid plan for PR right now." It was also highly effective by using Rise's previous popularity. So the rumor mill would probably go nuts with it. They had already done enough rumor spreading when the culture festival performance went live.

"I guess they are still figuring out the details of our first appearance. Your Mom said it was going to be an important festival. We wouldn't be headlining it, of course. As it will be our first official performance as a band but we'll be advertised as one of the top bands," Rise was simply reciting what we already knew. The thing was, this was no normal start for a band. That was because of Rise and her previous success. People would take an interest one way or another. The people would either come away as fans...or possibly less than favorable outcomes. There would be a lot of expectations for the group and for me.

"So how long I wonder until we start hearing all the negative press about how we've ruined her career? I mean this TV show has a decent audience, and then word will spread of Rise's appearance, and then people will notice that the guy with her is the same that was on that internet video. And then the rumor mill really picks up after that. Wild speculations on who you are, what your relationship is. People openly hating you for being close to her," My Shadow was leaning against the wall nearby. That low chuckle of his made my skin crawl. "How long until she regrets having anything to do with us?"

It wasn't bad to have doubts about a future I was so uncertain about. Doubts were a normal and reasonable response to all of the things that had happened up to this point. Especially when I hadn't really looked towards the future until recently. So my Shadow and his continued doubt he expressed was well within my own expectations. And not something I was going even attempt to deny. Though I felt that Rise wouldn't just up and abandon me. I'm sure there was more to all of this that I just didn't know about. I was new to all of this after all.

"This place is crazy complicated to get around in. You'd think it be a little easier considering all the people and other things that have to be moved around," a new voice said as four individuals approached Rise and I. Reiko seemed like she was amused and irritated on the layout of the studio.

"You kept trying to go to places you shouldn't and security almost kicked you out, and us too just because we were with you," Taro was yawning, as it was definitely early in the morning. "You guys ready?"

"I'm still wondering how I ended up with more lines than Rise," I scratched my head. "Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I'm about as ready as I can be." To which I'm not sure I could ever say I was ready.

"Try not to think about it too much. The scene just calls for a guy over a girl anyway. You're supposed to be giving the main character Yuuji advice, and well, I guess it wouldn't be completely out of place for someone to get relationship advice from a girl. His character has trouble with girls to begin with," Saya was the one giving me the comfort now. She was generally soft spoken, but alway encouraging.

"Have you seen the show then Mitsuragi?" I asked looking to Saya. "I feel like I'm doing a disservice somehow because I haven't seen it. But I don't really watch TV to begin with." Now I just felt like I was coming up with excuses, which was not my intention.

"Saya and I watch it every week at my place after practice," Tsubasa chimed in. "Some of the characters feel a bit typical but they have good emotional growth, you know? I'm a total sucker for that stuff. And Saya just loves stories. Especially ones with romance involved."

Saya was avoiding eye contact now for some reason but wasn't denying it. I guess it would be a better idea to use them for their expertise in this area then. "Okay, since I doubt I'll have much time to ask the director or someone else about this I'll just ask you two then. Rise and I are supposed to be college students at this local family diner that the main character frequents right? What is the typical response the strangers give to meeting Yuuji?"

"Generally he isn't really given a lot of respect since he's supposed to be this plain looking guy and started as a not hard working individual, although he is trying hard now. But the script indicates that you aren't normally around here and are more distracted by working on college work, so I don't think your character is supposed to have that reaction to him," Saya was very analytical. Not surprising as she ranked higher than I did on tests. And made more sense sense considering Tsubasa had confirmed that Saya had an interest in this sort of thing.

"So I'm supposed to be this confident university student that gives Yuuji advice based on the minor encounter he observes between Yuuji and Saeko, while Rise does the same with Saeko, right? Even though its also left unsaid about my own relationship with Rise's character. Man, Mom really is working that PR mojo," I sighed slightly.

"It is pretty spot on," Taro commented. "You're subtly confirming over the show that the two of you are connected and doing something together but not giving any answers at the same time. It's pretty clever way to get the rumor mill pumping about us before an official announcement is made."

"Must have been something to see her sweet talk the director and writers for the scene too," I scratched my head once more.

"They wanted us to act natural too. So it's basically just supposed to be us up there as we don't even have character names," Rise seemed okay with it but it felt weird that they wouldn't even give us names for the characters. Especially if you get advice from someone. But I'm sure it would work in the context of how it plays out. Well Rise had the harder part, she was supposed to turn right into Saeko and accidentally spill her drink on her, which makes her rush off with Saeko to help her with it and leaving me and the character Yuuji alone. Then the girls come back before another two girls show up and pull Rise and I away. Which we hadn't met the two that are playing the other girls yet.

"Who is to say what makes sense. It is basically just a promotional stunt at this point," I shrugged once more as I noticed a bunch of movement. I knew it wasn't just a promotional stunt but I was just eager to get it moving again.

"Kujikawa and Ikakure, we need you on set, please," an announcement was said.

"Alright, I suppose we're up," I looked at our band members for a moment before stepping away. This was just the first step to our eventual reveal. this felt more complicated than it needed to be.

"Good luck you two," Reiko encouraged, as did Tsubasa and Saya. Taro just gave an approving nod before I walked off with Rise at my side.

"Just take it easy and have fun with it," Rise whispered as we stepped onto the elaborate restaurant set as it looked like other extras and characters were getting set for the scene.

"Ah, good, good. We're going to be doing your scenes in a bit. For now we're doing the set up scene and you'll be in this booth over here," it was Director Ichiro Watanabe. I heard he was pretty hands on with the way he did things. "So we'll have you sitting with your two friends...ah here they are." The director was waving over a couple and soon I found myself looking at some familiar faces. Two girls moved over and I blinked for a moment.

"Takahashi-san?" I asked and the red haired girl grinned as she approached us.

"If it isn't Mr. Secret. How are you doing, Ikakure-san?" she giggled slightly and referencing our last meeting. I couldn't stop myself from smiling briefly on it as well.

"Oh, you know each other?" Rise asked from next to me.

"Yeah we met briefly when we were holding auditions before. I wouldn't think I'd see you again. I didn't know you did acting," I was definitely curious about this.

She shrugged a bit, "I don't really but Kana does. And when they learned she had a twin sister they wanted me to do this job with her. And I'm horrible at denying or turning down anything that Kana asks me to do." She paused and then clapped her hands together with a smile on her face. "That's right! Sorry, lets do some introductions. I'm Takahashi Hamuko. This is my twin sister, Takahashi Kana."

"I guess I was so surprised to see you that I have forgotten my own manners. A pleasure to meet you both, I'm Ikakure Kayane, and this is Kujikawa Rise," Indicating Rise but not specifying our relationship. I guess that was something I'd have to get used to. Rise still remained close to me regardless. We had an agreement that just because we weren't going to confirm our relationship didn't meant we needed to avoid physical contact in public completely. that would likely be impossible for us to begin with. Being seen as to having a close relationship was more than okay, and speculation as to how close we really were was part of what we wanted anyway.

"Nice to meet you," Rise stepped in and shook Hamuko's hand and then Kana's, who seemed to look somewhat shy about this exchange.

"Good to see you guys hitting it off, you'll look really natural on camera. For now all you need to do is sit at this booth, and act like your studying for a test. We have text books and notepads on the table, and we'll also be bringing out drinks and stuff for you to snack on. Just look active as we shoot the next scene. The main characters will be on the booth next to you, but we'll be making some shots of you four here before your scene," The director quickly explained before he quickly moved his attention away and we all moved to the booth.

I slipped into the booth, with Rise next to me and at the end of the booth, which made sense considering her character is supposed to accidently bump into the main character Saeko. Then Kana moved and sat across from mewith Hamuko next to her. I looked at the notebooks and matching textbooks on Psychology, of all things, that was in front of us. "So we're supposed to be college psychology students?"

"Seems like it," Hamuko flipped the book open in front of her. "Developmental Psychology huh? The effects in early life development. Sounds interesting. And we're supposed to look engaged with it huh?"

"Well Kayane knows quite a bit about psychology," Rise said. It was certainly true enough as part of my passing studies in me determining what I wanted to do for the future and some class assignments had delved into it.

I opened the book and skimmed over the chapter titles, "Seems like this book leans more closely to sociology in a lot of ways. Which is an important part of Development. Social Interactions are very key in developing your identity." I had to sound stiff talking about it.

Hamuko looked up to me and briefly over to Kana. "Is there specific kinds of social interactions that do that?" She seemed legitimately interested which threw me off for a moment.

I shook my head, "Not in particular. It has everything to do with the time period in which you are exposed to that interactions though. Very young ages when you are developing your communication skills is also when you develop a set of morals."

"Why is that? I'm guessing they are tied together somehow," Hamuko was flipping through the pages, and even Kana seemed to be highly attentive. Rise giggled from next to me.

"And action!" The director could be heard. I turned a few pages in the book.

"Keep going, Kayane. It'll definitely look natural if your actually explaining it to them," Rise prompted from next to me. I think she just enjoyed how engaged I was being with them. Well, there was nothing wrong with that I suppose.

"As children we don't have many complex thoughts, but we know what we can see and hear. So we learn by copying others," I saw my words register to Hamuko, which she probably guessed. "We repeat what we see, and our minds form that what we see as expected behavior. Then we are gradually corrected as we grow and learn, which also teaches us more complex rules."

"I see, so humanity develops complex thinking over time, starting with only seeing things as either good or bad," Hamuko was mumbling a bit. "It makes sense, but..." she paused looking to Kana for a moment and then back to me. "Do you think that applies to all life as long as it is sentient in some form?" That felt like a very pointed question.

"Hypothetically, yes. If it is something that grows and learns over time then definitely. Even animals learn by copying their parents, typically. There are always exceptions to the rules though," I flipped a page.

"An animal," Kana seemed offended for some reason. "I am..."

"Kana," Hamuko put a hand over her sisters mouth. "He's just explaining how it works."

I felt like I was missing something when it came to these two. Still I continued without being prompted as I noted that the camera was doing shots over the set. "That's just how it starts though, then it is dependent on the kind of social interactions in that learning time. Like someone that grows up isolated has a higher chance of having a bad time with future interactions over say someone that is surrounded by family and is constantly exposed to new people."

"So you talked before that it was important to developing morals right? Does an individual always copy what they see?" Hamuko asked and relaxed her grip on her sister who became somewhat quiet next to her.

I shook my head, "No. Depending on the interactions you may instead develop being the exact opposite from what you've seen. Especially when you are developing seeing conflicting actions. For example...having abusive parents, but all other adults being generally caring can cause you to see your parents of examples of what not to do. Equally seeing things happen to someone you care about and knowing they are hurting, can also teach you how to act. Small things along the way shows what is accepted and not accepted behavior."

Kana looked to me now, her golden eyes feeling like they were piercing through, like she understand on a more emotional level as to what I was saying. "So actions, good or bad affect you while you are developing."

"Yes, but like anything, you can learn and unlearn things from your childhood, but they take time and often strong willpower to over come it. We learn prejudices and bias behavior in that time period too, directly from the ones that raise us. And those are the hardest things for anyone to overcome as they are so deeply ingrained in us," I flipped the page in the book as it mentions generational differences. That would also affect beliefs and perception of right and wrong based not only on how you are raised, but also the generation of who raises you. "Mostly there is no specific thing that can determine how you are raised and what you believe in. But most of developmental psychology can give you a general idea of what can be deciding or influencing factors."

"So nothing is ever set in stone or necessarily correct," Hamuko nodded. "Because every individual person is different, so things can't be clearly defined."

I nodded, "But sweeping generalizations help give us an understanding as to what can be the cause based on what we have observed in the past. After all the general idea of psychology is understanding why we think and learn as we do and also how we can affect it. I mean I understand why we're talking about this, but is there a reason you are so interested in this subject? Or you just prodding me to keep going?" I couldn't help but ask, as the questions seemed to be going down a specific path.

Hamuko looked at Kana for a moment then turned to me with a smile. "I was adopted when I was young. It was about a year ago when I learned about my real family. And I'm still learning more about them every day. Kana-chan was among what I learned about only a year ago. Unlike me, she was isolated for a lot of her life, and wasn't raised the way she deserved. So she's still learning a lot about the world. Yukari and I have been doing what we can to get her to experience more of the world. Which is why Yukari helped Kana get a job that lets her interact with so many people. And for the most part we make sure either Yukari or myself is with her to support her."

So Kana had little real world experience? I guess that explained her reactions a bit, "I get it. So your sister is learning but you want to also trying to learn what could be the source of her misunderstandings in hope to help her." It made a lot of sense. "In that case, is there something specific you want to know?"

"It's really awesome that you got to be reunited with your sister," Rise added, likely so she was seen as being engaged in the conversation, and likely because the camera might have been in our direction. I had been so engaged with the thoughts and questions being presented that I had ignored a lot of what was going on around us.

"There was a lot of things that happened because of it," Kana averted her gaze. It didn't seem to be the most pleasant topic for them, but at the same time, the two seemed glad it had happened. It was probably a lot more complicated than I had any right of knowing.

"And it all worked out in the end," Hamuko playfully nudged her sister. "Nee-chan is still adjusting. She's been all on her own for a long time. She's going to have a big test coming in a couple weekends and...actually I have a question, or rather, a favor."

I raised an eyebrow, "A favor?"

"Let me ask you both, because I want to make sure she is okay with it," Hamuko clarified and indicating Rise. Well I hadn't told her about my relationship with Rise, but it must have seemed obvious to her that we were connected in some fashion. "Could I borrow Ikakure tomorrow? I need to take Kana shopping and I could really use a guys perspective for Kana's sake. I'd ask one of the guys I know but one's a bit pervy, the other isn't even in the country and the last one is too busy with his girlfriend. Not that I'm complaining about them but I think a perspective that Kana isn't familiar with would also be good for her."

"So you want to get Kayane's perspective for...what?" Rise asked.

Hamuko grinned slightly, "Oh so you guys are together then."

Rise's eyes widened for a moment realize that her neither denying it or the fact she used my first name so casually had given it away. "Oh geesh its gonna be a lot harder than I thought. But the question still stands."

"Oh it isn't a big deal, I just want her to try on some outfits and get a guys opinion," Hamuko then quickly went back to the other subject. "So you two are trying to keep it a secret huh? I guess being a idol can be pretty rough. I think I got it figured out what your big secret is, Ikakure-san."

I gave a groan in response, "You are just overly perceptive on picking up on people's mistakes. Though I'm not better, we haven't had to have our guard up since we've been together." Honestly her attention to detail reminded me a lot about Yu.

"Don't worry, Kana-chan and I won't tell anyone. Still, think you could spare some time tomorrow?" Hamuko pressed.

I looked to Rise. Ultimately I wouldn't go if she didn't sign off on it. And maybe because I wanted an excuse not to go but it wasn't like I was being unfriendly and I was interested in learning more about them but maybe that wasn't a good reason to spend time with someone. Just because they sounded interesting.

"Well, I have to head back to Inaba for school. You and Nanase-san are going to be staying in town anyway for a meeting tomorrow, so you should go," Rise gave me a smile. I knew what she was getting at. She saw it as a way for me to experience more, and deal with crowds. I wasn't exactly that excited about being without her. Still Hamuko and her sister were intriguing, and I felt oddly comfortable with the two of them around. "Just don't keep my boyfriend out too late. He's got a date with me when he gets back home tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I only need him for a couple hours in the morning. That's it I promise," Hamuko held her hand out to Rise.

Rise took her hand, "Sounds good to me."

"Alright, as soon as we're finished here, let's exchange numbers," Hamuko and Rise seemed to turn into a giggling fit, over something I wasn't sure I understood. and I don't think I wanted to.

I looked over to Kana who was smiling and watching the other two, after a moment she looked to me and blushed slightly, "I feel like your sister is a handful."

Kana nodded, "Yes, but its also why I love oneesama. And I just want to see her happy."

Kana's words struck me as odd as I turned to look at Hamuko. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but I had experienced it time and again while I was growing up. The method of saying what people wanted and putting on the face to the world so they would think nothing was wrong. And Hamuko, I couldn't tell if she was being honest or deceiving everyone. Everyone but her sister, Kana.


March 30th, 2012 / Morning
Tokyo's Fine Boutique

HAMUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

No, this wouldn't work either. Sure, Mitsuru had left it to me to get something formal for Kana but I had absolutely zero confidence that I could pick anything that would work. Right now Kana was in a long dark green dress but I just didn't like how it looked either. This would have been a lot better if Yukari was here. She was well versed in fashion, especially since she was a model and just by the nature of her job she has ended up with a lot of fashionable clothes from all the designers she modeled for. Well, Yukari had offered but I was being stubborn and thought it be a good idea to take the opportunity after Kana's job to show her some shops in Tokyo and show her the crowds. Meeting Kayane on set and getting him to agree to come was another bonus. A opinion from a guy that wasn't Junpei would be a benefit. Besides Junpei was basically on a short leash after what happened last year. Chidori didn't like him running off without much explanation. That was mostly a problem in that Junpei didn't want to explain Persona and Shadows to her. That was a world that she was no longer a part of. And he wanted it to stay that way.

That's right, it was also a year ago when I had learned the truth about myself, and also about a different side of the world that I had been completely unaware of. The world of Persona and Shadows. It started when a couple of my friends and I had gone missing in a abandoned hospital in the small town of Inoto. Within that place I awakened to my own Persona, my first one being that of Orpheus. But shortly after I had gained several other Personae as I did everything I could to save me and my friends. Ishide Akira and Fujihara Sayane. I used my powers to try and help us escape but in the end I hadn't been strong enough to face the Shadows on my own. That was when the others showed up. I was saved by Yukari, Junpei, Mitsuru, Ken, Akihiko, Aigis and Fuuka. A team of Persona users that had fought against a much bigger threat as the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad or SEES for short.

Then I passed out from awakening to my Persona ability shortly after being rescued and woke up several days later. After that, they explained what everything was and also the truth about me and the family I didn't know I had. I learned that I had a twin brother named Arisato Minato. I was confused for a long time, I didn't understand anything only that I was propelled by answers and the stories in the journal that supposedly my brother had written in his last days. I wanted to deny it, but the more I learned about him, the more I began leaning in the other direction. That I desperately wanted it to be true. However, he was dead. He had sacrificed his own life to save the world. He used his soul in order to block a entity known as Nyx from descending onto the world. I learned so much about the family that I had already lost.

"Kana, spin one more time," I said as she complied. No, I don't think green, regardless of its shade, was the right color for her.

I found Kana when we investigated the abandoned hospital once more. After realizing that I had been part of a Kirijo Group experiment at that facility hidden underneath the hospital. When I found her, she looked exactly like me, except that she had been dressed in tatters. She had lived alone in the darkness of that facility. The truth of it being, Kana was a Shadow. A Shadow that had once been a formless creature and endlessly subjected to me when I was a child. An experiment where Shadows were constantly exposed to children, hoping to force Persona potential. Despite her being a Shadow and the situation we were in. I was kind to her, and became her friend. So on that fabled night when the Dark Hour had come to be, Kana was the one that had transformed into my form to give me the chance to escape. But she had also sealed my memories in hopes that I wouldn't return. Stepping into that place had broken that seal and I remembered all of it.

The Kirijo Group had splintered its research into different areas in order to try and be best prepared for using the Dark Hour and its devastating properties. But they needed Persona users, and it was my own Uncle that headed up that research. He gathered subjects by abducting children as they were born from employee's of the Kirijo Group from its hospitals. My own Uncle had stolen me away from his brother. Separating me from both my parents, and my twin sibling. So much happened before I was even born. And Kana, who had only sought to protect me, had lived alone in the solitude and darkness of that place. Determined to stay as to protect me in her own way. And I blissfully lived without ever knowing anything about it, yet I was affected by it. Although I wouldn't know until later in my life. Not until Yukari and the others learned key details about my twin brother Minato from the journal he wrote. Speculation made them dig deeper to his past and eventually led them to some startling facts. That Minato had been born with a twin and some seemingly unrelated correspondence led them to find out that something far worse had happened to the girl that would have been named Arisato Minako. That only came after they had traced documents about my death at birth being faked and led them to the existence to the experiment I had been a part of.

The experiments I had been subjected to, was to expose me to Shadows as a means to develop a natural potential to awaken to Persona. I couldn't say if it worked or not. Kana had told me that the scientists had been blind because I always had the potential. Well it wasn't long after awakening that I visited the Velvet Room and met Igor and Theodore. They were immensely helpful for what we had to face after that.

"So are you trying to go for something different than black? You're hair is dyed black, but I guess using a black dress would be too easy," Kayane was sitting across from where Kana was currently showing off the dress I had made her wear. His voice bringing my thoughts back to the present.

"Oh, um...would it look better though?" Kana asked looking unsure of what to make of what he was saying.

"Well black would work, but I was hoping to get something more vibrant," I muttered trying to imagine a different color on Kana.

"Try red," Kayane suggested. Yeah, he was probably right. "Her eyes are very distinct. I think it would help bring out that color more."

Her gold eyes were the aspect of her that made her distinct and also showed the truth about who she was for people that knew about it. That Kana was in reality, a Shadow and not human. But you would not see the difference, even if under an x-ray scan. She was now more or less human. She couldn't change the form she took and she also grew and matured just as any other human, very similar to me. Generally why her body shape was identical to mine in every possible way. But now with some encouragement from Yukari and I, she keeps her hair dyed black instead of the natural crimson like mine. It made her distinct and markedly different. "Yeah, lets go with red. I'll go grab some for you to try, be right back." I said and slipped away from the dressing room area and back towards the clothes.

On the plus side, Kana's identical body shape made it easy for me to help her shop for clothes. If it fit me then it fit her. I affectionately called her my twin. She was my family now. After all she had done and sacrificed for me. When I had reunited with her, Kana had awakened to her own Persona, Eurydice, in order to protect me from the Shadows that tried to kill me at the time. Things were more complicated than that though. Arisato Yoshimitsu was my Uncle, and a man who was devastated by the events of the past and the sins he had committed against my parents, in particular my birth Father, and his brother. A year after the death of my twin brother he had learned about the power that he held. A power that he had referred to as that of the wild card. A power that I discovered that I also had. It was a power that allowed an individual to use multiple Persona. It was that power that my Uncle had wanted me to grow and use to achieve his own goal.

Due to some backdoor in the Kirijo Group database he was able to access multiple reports about different aspects of Shadow related research and incidents. That was how he had learned about my twin brother Minato and his sacrifice that had stopped the coming of The Fall and the being Nyx. He also learned about the Abyss of Time and the event revolving around the members of SEES shortly after the death of Arisato Minato. That had been the key report and the basis for his plan. Using me, he would force me to become stronger using objects to create a Pseudo Dark Hour and release powerful Shadows for me to go against. Each time a stronger Shadow was released. Then on the night of the Full Moon he brought us to the bridge in Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island where the key event occurred. It was where my biological parents had died and my twin brothers fate would be altered when Aigis sealed Death within him. He brought my twin brother's body to the site and used Shadows to re-animate him. For a year, Minato's body had been kept on life support as my Uncle had been unable to accept that another connection to his brother had died. Then using a combined energy of Shadow and my own he was able to create a pocket place in time similar to the Abyss of Time. His hope was to use that power to go back further than anyone and prevent himself and his brother from joining the Kirijo Group. Thinking that it would fix the time line to one where his brother would not die. However the Shadow he used had other plans in store for that power.

As it would turn out, the Shadow was no simple Shadow. And in actuality had been manipulating Yoshimitsu for quite some time. His name was Nyarlathotep. Using my Uncle to gather the power he needed and a decent vessel so he could instead undo all the work that SEES and my brother had done. Making it so that humanity would destroy itself in the end by using The Fall. Nyarlathotep had worked to undo everything that had been done by my twin brother, by using power that wasn't his. Using not only me, but even the body of my brother, the only thing that was left behind from when he sacrificed himself, to make his soul become a wall that would forever stop Nyx from descending onto Earth.

I pulled a variety of red dresses from the different racks, looking for mostly vibrant shades that really stood out. Thinking about it now, Kayane was likely right. Red went well with Kana's eyes. Red, Gold and black, thinking of her hair. Maybe some black high heels would give a good complimentary look over all. I had a small collection of about 5 or 6 dresses before I had realized it and was moving back to where Kana and Kayane were. When I came back I found the two of them talking.

"...that's what I think anyway," Kayane shrugged. I guess I missed the whole conversation.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked as I moved towards the dressing room to put the various dresses down for Kana.

"I was asking how he would deal with a formal function. I mean, I still don't know why Mitsuru-sama wants us to be there when it isn't like we're going to do anything. And I have a photo session the next morning with Yukari-san. Ikakure-san was saying its because Mitsuru-sama wants support," Kana looked like she agreed with that assessment. I was more impressed that she was discussing it with him, and even complaining about having to go because of having to work the next day. She was becoming more and more human every day.

I nodded. "We'll he's right," I spoke softly as I pulled her towards the changing room. "We'll be right back out."

"Take your time," Kayane settled in the chair once more as I closed the curtain to the changing room.

I might as well take our privacy as a moment to explain it. "Mitsuru needs us there as Shadow Operatives. Its a function that has higher ups in the Japanese Police and also Government officials. She needs to show an example of how we'll run things and giver he a opportunity to convince key people about the need for the organization, and gain trust. As members we also need to be displayed as respectful and responsible. That and only a few of us can even be there. Sanada ran off to who knows where to train. We can hardly have Ken show up as a High Schooler. Junpei will be there but Yukari will pretty much make sure he doesn't say anything as he isn't even going to be a full time member of the Shadow Operatives," I explained as I helped Kana out of the green dress.

"Mitsuru-sama is looking to get the right to act, yet also won't fully disclose the details, that is why they are hesitant, given the incidents the Kirijo Groups name has been attached to in recent years," the words were certainly true. Kana probably understood it well enough but probably just had a hard time articulating it out loud.

"Yes, and we're both victims of the Kirijo Group of the past. But its also because of them now that we are able to live like we are. Together, finding our own way to move forward with what we have experienced. And if my brother trusted Mitsuru and the others...enough that he would sacrifice his life to save them all then, I will too," I found myself speaking in a whisper as I pulled one of the new dresses with a vibrant crimson and turned to Kana. "I told you. I was lost before I found out the truth about my past. How I was stolen from my parents, separated from my twin brother. And then everything that happened with us. We both suffered, but at the same time we have to acknowledge that without those events, we would both not be here. You would simply be a Shadow. And I can't even imagine what my life would be like." My life hadn't been much of a life...only the presence of Akira and Syane made it worth even bothering with.

"Hamuko-chan, I can't imagine a life without you. I guess we both have reasons to dislike but owe our lives to the Kirijo Group. And I know Mitsuru-sama can help maybe make up for the mistakes of the past. So I do want to support her. I just don't want to make anything go wrong for her either," Kana finally admitted her real hesitation to the coming formal event. Which is why I needed to come up with a couple dresses that would work for her, and also to add more to her personal wardrobe. For the longest time she and I have been sharing clothes. Easy to do when your bodies are identical in every way. While calling her my twin was more of a convenient excuse to tell people, and no one who looks at us together would ever question it. Every day I spent with her I grew more attached to her. And I regretted having forgotten her over the years. Letting her suffer all alone in the place that held only painful memories for both of us. Memories I got back when I entered that place. But now I wanted to encourage her to be more of an individual, and that meant making her feel more distinct, with her own clothes, her own style, and her own experiences, without me.

I find it funny how when I first met her, how confident she had sounded. "Yes, I am a Shadow. But I am not like the others here." Kana had boldly claimed, facing against Aigis, Yukari and myself. Upon entering the room I had been hit with a mix of memories that I had long forgotten. "This was Hamuko's room, and sometimes mine. After all, they liked the reaction I had to Hamuko-chan. So they subjugated her to me again and again. It was surprising how stupid these researchers were. They understood so very little, not just about Shadows but Hamuko-chan as well." It was a time I had been seeking answers about myself and Kana knew all about that past where I had been experimented on. Taking my form was because of a simple fact. She sought to protect me and help me escape from that place. The confusion she caused was enough to cover me while I made my escape. It was also something that Yukari, Aigis and the others had never seen before. A Shadow that had sacrificed itself to save someone they cared about. A fact that a Shadow could be more than a monster or was an enemy to mankind wasn't so simple after meeting Kana.

Mitsuru had made it clear that they would determine things on a case by case basis from now on. And part of the goal of the Shadow Operatives was to deal with incidents involving Shadows and Persona in a more efficient manner. Experts that could step in and deal with the situations swiftly before people get hurt. Part of that is being able to evaluate and find those situations as well.

I helped her slip into the dress and made sure everything was in place before zipping her up. Kana was looking to the mirror and observing herself for a moment. She had come a long way in just a year. After the events that had happened she was really starting to adjust to living. Thanks to Mitsuru and Yukari. Mitsuru had arranged for private tutors to educate Kana and get her caught up in education. Yukari got her a job that she really enjoyed. It was also a lot of fun just spending time with her, talking about all her new experiences. She was becoming more and more human, and every day I saw her more and more as family, as my real twin sister.

"Stop fussing and come on, let's show Ikakure," I said as I pulled the curtains opened and pulled Kana back out in front of Ikakure. I knew this dress would get a reaction.

Kayane's eyes widened and he found himself standing up as he took in Kana. I made her spin around. Of course this would draw attention. This dress was low cut, meant to emphasize her curves. In particular, her cleavage was hard to ignore. And her breast size was nothing to scoff at, but wasn't as big as say...Mitsuru's. Well Kana and I had the exact same measurements in this regard.

"It's...stunning," Kayane spoke up for a moment and seemed to quickly regain his composure. "And this is before you do anything else to go with it."

He certainly was right, some hair styling and treatment would definitely make it more enticing. And she would definitely catch the eyes of others at the gathering. I grinned looking to Kayane, "So what's your favorite part?" I needed him to say more to get my point across to her.

"You want my brutal honest reaction. And my girlfriend not being around to hear it," Kayane deadpanned but was sighing. Well that was more of a coincidence. Even if Rise was here I would still want him to be honest...but maybe he wouldn't have been if he was worried about saying something in front of her. Now I really wanted to hear it.

"I want Kana to hear it. This is for her benefit," I admitted honestly. "I want her to hear the truth from someone she doesn't know."

He sighed and looked to Kana. "You look incredibly sexy. Your curves are brilliantly shown and I could not stop myself from looking at you top to bottom. You are exceptionally beautiful."

Kana was now blushing a bright red, "I...umm..."

"Come on, Kana. What should you say?" I prodded her.

"Um...Thank You, Ikakure-san," Kana gave a bow to him and kept her eyes away as she looked to be attempting to get her blushing under control. Although she was also unintentionally giving him a full view of her cleavage. Kayane averted her eyes and I could help but laugh.

"Sure," he nodded and then looked to me where I couldn't hide my smile. "I think I understand why you wanted me here."

I nodded, "Thanks for your help. I think I'll put her in something a bit more sensible and not something that is so flashy. But Kana, just so you know not everyone is going to be as respectful as Ikakure. It's something you haven't realized or not aware of. But you are an immensely attractive. People look at you, just like he is. You need to know that likely a lot of people will be looking at you at this function. You hear this all the time in your modeling job but you somehow managed to separate the compliments you get as it just being a part of their job and them not actually meaning it. You are everything they say you are and so much more."

Kana blinked and wiped away a tear, "But if I am, then your the same. I only look like this because of you. It's you they should be looking at and not..."

I felt a tinge of annoyance and stepped forward and grabbed the sides of her face so she would look at me, "Stop this, right now."

"Takahashi-san," Kayane had moved forward as well. "You're twin sisters but this is your body. You should be proud of how you look, because this is you. Think about the fact that you've dyed your hair black and your golden eyes. These are very distinct traits that are yours. You may share striking similarities to your sister but at the same time no one ever mistakes you for her. Your beauty, or to be frank, what makes you attractive, is you as a whole. Just as what makes your sister attractive is markedly her own traits."

I blinked for a moment after realizing he had commented on me as well. I never really paid attention to it before, but with Kana having the modeling job I couldn't help but be a little more self aware of my own appearance as a result. And like Kayane had pointed out, we were definitely the same, but Kana definitely had traits that were definitely easy to distinguish from mine. He was essentially saying that each of us were beautiful in our own right. I smiled, "Thanks, Ikakure. Also, please call me Hamuko." He seemed like a great guy, so I think it was more than okay for him to call me by my first name.

"Oh yes, you can call me Kana too," Kana quickly added.

"Besides its easier for us to know who you're talking to," I added with a wink to him.

Kayane laughed and let loose a smile that caught me off guard. I knew he was a decent guy in my brief encounter with him before when I was looking after Kokoro. But I was starting to see exactly what had caught the eyes of the pop idol Risette. He had an amazing smile when he let his guard down. It seemed obvious that him letting his guard down was not something that really happened often. Maybe that was why I felt as if we were something of kindred spirits. It wasn't like I was that great at opening up to other people myself. I spent most of my life simply satisfied if my friends Akira or Sayane were happy and helping the two of them. Never really had any aspirations of my own. Then again I could be wrong, but I still wanted to know more about him. If he was willing.

"Alright then, Hamuko-san and Kana-san," His smile didn't immediately disappear but his guard came back up a few moments later as he then looked as he pulled out his phone.

I looked over to Kana who seemed equally as enamored with him. It was hard to describe but his smile was definitely something that caught your attention considering his usual look was always so serious. It always looked like he had something on his mind. I had to wager that Kujikawa Rise had been quickly pulled into Kayane the first time she saw him smile. "Well, thanks one more time, Ikakure. I won't keep you. I know you have had a busy couple days."

"Wait, Ikakure," Kana suddenly moved close to him and looking at his phone. "Will you...um...I mean if you don't mind. If it isn't a big deal...could we..."

"You want to exchange numbers?" Kayane chuckled as Kana nodded in confirmation. "I don't see the problem. You can get it from your sister and..."

"I'll grab my phone," Kana cut him off and turned quickly back into the dressing room to get her phone from her purse.

"She is definitely more feminine than I am," I couldn't help but comment.

"Maybe you're the one that doesn't have enough confidence in themselves," Kayane commented before Kana came rushing back out. Kana wasn't sure how to swap numbers so Kayane showed her and touching Kana briefly as he did so. Her face went beat red but followed his instructions. "Alright, feel free to call or text me any time. I need to head out and meet my Mom so, good luck you two."

"Yes, thank you. Ikakure-sama," Kana bowed once more. I inclined my head as he turned and walked off towards the store exit.

"Ah, Nee-chan, are you getting smitten with your first pop star? Well I mean he hasn't become one yet but I don't think I've ever seen you blush so much," I teased her which made her blush even more. Although I couldn't deny thinking about him too. He was pretty spot on too. I was definitely lacking in the self-confidence category but I was fine with that. I guess it was nice to hear that someone found me attractive, even if his comment about it had been indirectly.

"Oneesama! I...he was nice and I think he has a great smile. And it felt very comfortable with him," Kana's voice dropped down and became more quiet. She was embarrassed to admit it. "I can see why Kujikawa-san likes him."

"So does it make sense as to why I invited him now? There will be other people looking at you tomorrow night. I didn't want you to be made completely off guard when it happens. Mitsuru needs us at our best, and I don't want you to be concerned about all those people judging you. You've done alright up to now because of Yukari being there to coach you, but its possible all of us will be busy. I just want you to be prepared," I gave her the most comforting look I could manage as she nodded.

"Um...Hamuko-chan...do you think you could get a picture of me in this dress?" Kana averted her eyes.

I giggled, "As many as you want, Nee-chan."

Kayane had definitely brought something new to Kana and also had helped immensely in preparing her for that event. Things seemed odd to run into him a couple times now, but if something the last year had taught me is that coincidences were hardly just that. I had his phone number and even still, a part of me felt very strongly that it would be far from the last time I would see him. I still couldn't quite place what it was that I felt drawn to. Was it because he felt like a kindred spirit or was it something else? Only time would be able to tell.


A/N:

First of all, I'm super pumped to be posting chapters again. while I haven't gotten completely back on track with my release schedule, I've gotten moving and starting to make our way towards the first Arena arc. And with that comes the inclusion of the Persona 3 cast. So as I mention at the beginning of the chapter that means the inclusion of a couple of new viewpoints. Primarily this will be between Kana and Hamuko. On occasion I might use Yukari but I'm undecided on that front. Since they are from a direct continuation of Momento Umbrae I will give details when I can for people that only want to read this story. But you can always go check out the original story through my profile.

So we said goodbye to Yu, for now. The next couple chapters will be set up as we get to Arena. I won't go over every thing that happens between them, so expect some marginal time jumps. Only covering the more important things along the way. Still with the nature of things it is likely we will see a lot of the Persona 3 crew over Kayane and the Persona 4 crew. This is only because of how much has to be covered to properly explain the formation of the Shadow Operatives and how the Persona 3 is involved as well as maybe explore more of what they might have uncovered along the way in terms of secrets from the Kirijo Group.

Kayane has a lot of issues to deal with as well. His Shadow is still sticking around and occasionally making his presence known, but at other times being immensely quiet and not showing himself. Delving into his new career as a musician and likely a pop icon is only going to add more stress. There is a lot to say about what is happening inside Kayane's head but we'll discover more about that as we continue on.

Rise herself is probably worried about Kayane internalizing a lot of his thoughts. Not that she isn't already aware of that being something he does, but trying to get him to let go of that is something she feels she needs to ease into.

Well they are both new to relationships, so mistakes are going to be made. But in a world of Shadows and Persona, coupled with being celebrities (future or otherwise) can lead to misunderstanding that can be truly devastating. How the two of them will navigate all of this and come out of it is definitely going to be interesting to see. That is if they do come out of it at all.

For my returning readers I think you for your understanding in my absence and I hope you've been looking forward to this new chapter. To my new readers, thanks for taking the time to read my work.

We got a lot of ground to cover, so I'll see you next week with the next chapter.