Chapter 60 / Fury

July 27th, 2012 / Late Afternoon
Takura Productions - Video Review Room
SETSUKO'S POINT OF VIEW

"Tsukio-san?" I hesitated for a moment before stepping in the room where she was resting. It was one of the rooms they used for reviewing film they made that day. Specifically, for shows or movies that are to be shown at a later date. Often referred to people in the industry as 'dailies'. This room had a balcony that looked over part of the lot of Takura Productions studio lot. That is where Tsukio Nanase is currently at, standing against the railing. I called out to her again as I entered the balcony.

She looked to me and smiled sadly, "Setsuko, it's good to see you." And she looked away, her eyes distant, not looking at anything particular. Unfocused, moist and her eyes red. "All this time, I thought I could protect Kayane. Give him a safe haven. But it feels like anything I did... was useless. Maybe I didn't push him enough. Maybe I should have kept trying to find a therapist or psychologist that could help him. And I want to blame my sister. If Isako had known about the situation maybe she could have helped. She knew the truth, could have provided better care. And then maybe you wouldn't have been separated from your brother. I could have taken you both in, and..." Tears fell from her eyes.

"No," I spoke up and shook my head. "If it is one thing, I have learned in the brief time I've known my brother is that lamenting the past, wishing for something different is just a waste of time. If I focused on that then I would lose my time with him in the present. I resolved to focus on now, to create memories and grow closer to him as his family now. That includes you. There is no mistake that Kayane thinks of you as his Mother. You're so important to him. That is what makes all of this so frustrating. I'm still learning about him, but he hid what was happening to himself to protect us."

"His Father being killed, being separated from you. Then this whole business with Persona and Shadows. And that he had helped save the world? It all happened so suddenly," she sighed and wiped away her tears.

"Yeah, it was unbelievable when I heard it. I had been dealing with Shadows since I was a child. So after figuring out that I had a brother I hoped he wouldn't be involved in all of this. Only to learn that his involvement might also be an improvement to his life," I looked down to the lot, watching as people seemed to scramble around. No doubt the preparations for the festival weren't slowed despite the current situation. Although only a few knew that the main stars of the festival were currently missing.

"It happened suddenly in October last year. I came home and he wasn't there. It wasn't like him at all. He never left the house without letting me know. Usually he would text my phone when going out, regardless on when I would be getting home. And then text again when he got home. So I was worried about him immensely. I went to the police but learning I had to wait a full 24 hours before I could make an official missing person's report. I was a complete wreck in that time. But then the front door opened. And he and a bunch of unknown kids came in. He looked exhausted, so instead of doing what I wanted and hugging him and making sure it was really him, I did my best to welcome these people into my home. I think I was most surprised seeing that one of the girls in that group was Kujikawa Rise herself, in the flesh. Kay-chan was stubborn as you would expect but those guys were equally stubborn and up to the challenge. It was Rise that told me they found him, but her eyes kept trying to find him, as if making sure he was okay. I didn't know what had happened, but I realized that this might be an encounter that might help him. To finally break free from his self-imposed isolation," She was smiling this time. "Who would have guessed that a girl he had never met, who had been the only thing that got through to him before would become intricately part of his life?"

"I heard from Rise that he wrote the review on her audition tape that got her the go ahead to be an idol. That you had asked him to write it," I had only heard it from Rise's point of view, so to hear it from his Mother could be more insightful.

"One thing I had always known about Kay-chan was his love of music. The piano lessons paid for by his Uncle is likely the only good thing that man ever did for him. And Kay-chan kept up that love, even though he isn't one to outwardly show it. At least he doesn't think he does," Nanase chuckled. "But seeing him at the piano, absorbed in that music was when you saw the real Kay-chan. A natural smile, a look of concentration as he lets himself become absorbed in the music. It was an easy way for me to bond with him. I taught him the basics of every instrument I own in the studio. Taught him how to record, mix and arrange. All the tools he needed to create music of his own. I never pointed out to him how different he was, how much he clearly enjoyed it. I think part of this was I wanted him to have this place of music he could come to. It was safety, comfort, love. This was how I showed him I loved him, that I cared. I also shared my work with him. Playing him tracks sent to me from Takura Productions as well as other music studios. Usually idol audition tracks but also I would be sent tracks to finish or mix in my studio. He enjoyed all of them, but it was Rise-chan's audition track that really grabbed him. The song was called Star Bright. When I saw his reactions to that song, I asked him to write down everything he felt and thought about it. And he did. I took what he wrote, cleaned it up, and then added a new intro and final summary but the core of that review was him. And upon seeing the effect it had on Kay-chan I gave my full support for Rise-chan's debut. And because of that Takura Productions pushed Rise-chan hard, making her one of the biggest and most popular idols that they had ever had. Although her audition track, Star Bright has never been officially released, I'm confident that it is still Kay-chan's favorite of her songs."

"They influenced each other's lives before they even met. Rise said was a while before she found out. He likely didn't want to tell her," It would definitely fit him.

"Knowing Kay-chan, he didn't want it to be a factor in their friendship. She knew he had been a big fan of hers. Rise-chan knew that he definitely was not like other fans. She just had no idea what was different about him." Nanase was smiling thinking about her son. "I'm sure you heard about his time in the hospital. For about a month he was in a coma like state. He just never woke up. Rise-chan would be over at the house whenever she wasn't at the hospital. She took it upon herself to look after me, and my son. She was likely already in love with him at that time. It was a hard time for both of us. But for him to be taken again... to be in danger... I can't imagine how much Rise-chan is hurting. More than me, probably."

I moved against the railing of the balcony and closed my eyes, feeling the wind on my skin. "The accident that killed Kayane and I's Mother and Father isn't something that he can even remember. He was just three years old. And for a long time I forgot it too. The accident cost me my leg, my parents, my brother and my memory. But our parents left me with a keepsake that contained a storage device that held my father's research on Shadows and the project he led, called the Mechanical Maidens. Due to other events that happened within the Kirijo Group's days led by Mitsuru-sama's Grandfather a world wide catastrophe occurred. It was why I awakened to the power of Persona when I was a kid. I thought they were after my sister Yoko, and despite me losing a leg I used my Father's research to adopt it to a robotic leg. A lot of people called my work revolutionary, and that of a genius. But that was a lie. I simply built upon what my Father had done and reapplied it for my own use. The Mechanical Maidens were robots with a soul, capable of using the power of Persona. In order for their body to function it had to be able to accept and account for demands like any normal human could."

"A robot learning to walk..." Nanase likely figured I had a reason for my tangent and let me continue.

"We don't think much about walking. We learn to do so as toddlers, but it takes a lot for us to figure out how. We subconsciously learn about balance, how to adjust our weight as we step forward, how to configure our feet and the stance to maintain being upright as we make the next movement. The human mind is making hundreds upon hundreds of calculations and decisions at a subconscious level. To us, we merely decided we wanted to go and retrieve a beverage from the kitchen. So, how can you possibly emulate that on a step by step basis? The human mind is so complex it is hard to know how we make those calculations and send that data out to the body in the amount of time that it does. My Father tapped into that, found how to interpret those signals from the brain. Specifically, for those that were missing an appendage," I let out a sigh.

"His research... he had done trials on amputee's?" Nanase asked.

"It was a logical starting point for him. But due to some red tape his research was meant to be buried. The Mechanical Maidens were the only ones that mattered. Funny how my Father had given me a way to live as a normal girl with his research even after he was gone. It took a lot of refinement, trial and error, and a lot of spare electronic and mechanical parts I could get my hands on. My adopted parents loved that I had such an intricate hobby. The truth being that I needed it to fight against the Shadows. To protect Yoko. That was what I truly believed. Either way, the Dark Hour was a hostile time frame in which Shadows attacked, while people were unaware of it. It wasn't until high school when the Dark Hour suddenly disappeared. The world saved by some group on Tatsumi Port Island of all places. But all that time, I had been using my Father's research and I never remembered my own brother. I have refined my robotic leg to the point where it feels natural. I don't even have the phantom pains of the lack of my leg anymore. Yet despite all my accomplishments I don't feel like it means anything. Everything I hear about Kayane, the things that happened to him. His loneliness, the pain, and his desire to end his own life. I should have been there for him. As his older sister it was my job to protect him and yet even now I can't do anything!" I slammed my hands on the railing and felt tears escaping from my eyes.

"You both have suffered more than you should. I can't say I understand everything about this Shadows and Persona business. I do know that it seems to be something even my own family is involved in. I guess it just means that I have no choice to accept it. I'm starting to think that even the rumors about the LMB website and Kayane are more connected than I thought. But it is not something I want to admit."

I blinked looking to her, "Huh? What do you mean? You mean the rumor of people being abducted if they watch that video on the website at midnight?"

She nodded, "They say it's a dead idol that shows up in the video. And well, it would connect me, Ochimizu Kyoka, Kayane and Kanami to this place and might be why they were targeted to begin with."

"A dead idol... I heard of it and it seems Narukami and Rise confirmed the video too. But how does it connect all of you?" This might be the missing link to the whole situation.

"It all happened after I had adopted Kay-chan. I had to make a lot of deals but fortunately Hishikawa Yoshii, the Head Executive of Takura Productions was very helpful in that situation. After my intent to leave Takura Productions was made I did so that I would hand over the core of my responsibilities to my colleague that would be taking over my position. So, I would train her to some extent. That being my good friend Ochimizu Kyoka. The idols under my watch would go to her. The main one in question here is Osada Yuko," Nanase said the name which made me blink.

"Yuko?" I shook it off, how close it being to my sister's name wasn't relevant. "She's the idol that died?"

"Mm hmm," Nanase then looked away towards the lot. "It's been a long time, but there was a song that Osada Yuko never got to premiere. And well, Kyoka wanted Kanamin's Kitchen to sing it. So that it would finally see the light of day. Kay-chan had even helped with some of the fine tuning of the song a few months back. And thought that it might be... fitting that Kay-chan and Kanami herself would be a part of the song finally being heard by the world."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it was Kanami and Kay-chan that found Osada Yuko dead after she committed suicide all those years ago," Nanase said softly.

"What!?"

"Yeah, if anything I can be blamed for it. I was Osada's manager since her debut. I pushed her so hard because I felt so much potential... but also because my home life had been getting worse. And I... placed all those expectations and stress onto her. We had even argued just that day too. My leaving the company made it easier for Takura Productions to deal with the aftermath but Kyoka had also taken my side in that argument with Osada. She was a bright, uplifting girl who wanted to share a love with the world. And I... I made her feel like she could never obtain that," Nanase shook her head.

"But then it was Kayane and Kanami that found her... her body," I swallowed hard. "But it doesn't seem like..."

"Kanami doesn't remember. Or at least doesn't seem to. But Kay-chan... he definitely does," Nanase sighed. "He is probably conflicted at the fact they are making Kanami sing Calystegia. He would have wanted to avoid her remembering that moment. That is just how Kay-chan is. And its our fault for not talking to Kanami too..."

"It doesn't matter now. All we can do is try to help them in any way that we can. I mean, we could talk to Kanami and tell her the truth. It would be better than her remembering because of a Shadow confronting her. There is no doubt that the other members of Kanamin's Kitchen are going to face some sort of psychological trauma related to themselves because of the Shadows at play here. And the same with Kayane himself." I wasn't sure how to take this revelation.

Nanase nodded, "You might be right. Telling Kanami the truth might be something we should do. The truth being is I'm not sure why Kay-chan wanted to prevent her from remembering it. There is potential that there is a lot more to that situation than we know. Or he just wanted to protect her from that pain. Kay-chan has always had a big heart, although a fragile one. He seeks to protect people around him but yet he never values his own life and where he is placed among those people. It has been something that Rise-chan has struggled to deal with. A way to show him how much he means to her. To tell him about how important he is to her. Seeing them both struggle so much to figure out the answers is hard. And yet there is nothing I could really do to help them. Even now, Rise-chan rushes after him and I'm stuck here. Always unable to do anything for him after all these years..."

"No," I shook my head. "You know that isn't true, Tsukio-san. It's only because of you that he was able to meet Rise-chan. And it is because of all that you have done that I was able to reunite with my brother. I owe you a lot. So do both of them. And I know that Kayane loves you. You are so important to him."

She smiles, "I truly hope so, Setsuko. All I want is for my son to be happy. He deserves it. I guess all I can do is keep things afloat here for all of them. Be ready for them to come back and welcome them with open arms. I know that they'll make it home safe, one way or another. I have faith that Rise-chan will bring him back. Just like she has so many times before."

Nanase truly did trust Rise with Kayane. I hadn't known any of them that long, and my relationship with Kayane at this point was simply knowing that we were siblings. It wasn't as if that gave me some inherent right to be close to him or to be trusted by him. If anything, there was a bigger distance between us. Where had I been when he needed me? Where was I when his big sister could have protected him? As much as people wanted me not to blame myself for it I couldn't help but think about it. Our parents died... I should have been able to look after Kayane in their stead but...

The door to the room opened and it was Yoko that entered, "Hope I'm not intruding."

"Oh... Yoko..."

"Everything alright, Nee-chan?" She crossed and went out to the balcony. I nodded. "If you say so. You girls want to go grab dinner?"

"I suppose we aren't doing anyone any favors by hiding away in here," Nanase smiled. "In that case, there is a ramen place nearby that Kay-chan told me about."

It was just about evening time, and we didn't know anything about how the others were doing. We had to move forward assuming they would succeed. But a part of me felt that this was just a start and the real threat and danger was only just beginning.


July 27th, 2012 / Evening
Midnight Stage

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

"Yoohooooooo! Senseeeei! Chie-chaaaan, Yuki-chaaaan!" Teddie called out as we reunited with the others.

"Yo! Man, you guys're fast. We were really trying to hustle, too," Kani added. Everyone exchanged quick hellos as I looked to the path ahead of us. The decorations were seemingly traditional Japanese in style, in particular the structure of the obvious set and the path that lit up to guide us along. With the four other girls rescued it was only Kayane that remained. But with the notes we had found on both sides there was definitely an underlying purpose and reason for this whole event.

If there was anything that we had learned about the world of Persona was that there was always a reason for something like this world to exist. The TV world had been that of a Goddess granting the wishes of man. The goal was to relieve them of their responsibility, to eliminate differences, so that there was no reason to struggle, to suffer. If everyone is the same... and no one felt anything different it was a guaranteed peace. Turning everyone to Shadows was the end goal. But we stopped that. Then the conflict with Minazuki Sho. A young man that had been experimented on by a man named Ikutsuki Shuji of the Kirijo Group. The rules of his battle tournament were meant to tear the bond of people apart. Well, that situation was incredibly complicated by comparison.

The world... then started shaking. I summoned Inahime this time and she took hold of me as the others did something similar. Some of the others were yelling at each other but I kept my eyes focused on the path ahead. Something was shifting, preparing ahead of us. My thought was that this could relate to the fake Shadow of Kayane. With the four girls of Kanamin Kitchen now safe it could have been anything. The path seemed to shift slightly. Had some of the details changed?

"What now?" Yu muttered as the earthquake ceased and he moved next to me.

My persona disappeared as I kept my eyes on the path ahead of us, "The path ahead of us has been changed."

The eerie voice made itself known, "Ahahaha... That's right. You see, this is the new stage I've prepared. After all there is another special guest that must be accounted for."

I blinked; it wasn't referring to Kayane. There was someone else? Was somebody new taken?

"I regret to tell you that none of you, even the four you rescued, are needed in this world anymore," the eerie voice continued. "I feel sorry for them, but you've poisoned those girls against us, and they've cast away their bonds. So I don't need them anymore. I'm only interested in those girls as everyone else knows them. I want an eternal bond without pain or suffering."

"Gah, when will it get through your thick skull!? There ain't no such thing!" Kanji calls out.

"You said this was a new stage that you prepared. What are you planning on doing with it this time!?" Yu demanded an answer.

"Hahaha... I haven't done anything. There was someone who wished to connect with me, so I'm only granting them their wish..." the eerie voice said simply.

"Don't be ridiculous! No one would want that!" Chie added.

I wasn't so sure about that. We knew nothing about this eerie voice. Who they were, what they truly wanted. But someone else that was connected with it might have. It seemed like its targets were random, but the girls that were physically brought to this world had been selected. It was different from those that stumbled onto the website of LMB at midnight and had their Shadow brought here. The result was the apathy syndrome.

"You don't believe me?" the eerie voice seemed amused. "Then why not ask her yourself...?" Then appearing before them was one person I hadn't really considered, Ochimizu Kyoka. "You want to connect with me. You want a bond... Isn't that right, Ochimizu Kyoka?"

"Yes, that's right," Ochimizu didn't hesitate with her answer but her face was as serious as always. But I also knew how much softer she was with Kayan'e Mom, Tsukio Nanase was around. That was...

...Huh? Was that it? Something that happened years ago... the suicide of an Idol... the connection between Kanami and Kayane... Tsukio-san and Ochimizu. My eyes widened.

Ochimizu stepped down the path, "You've no reason to worry. Go, find Nanase's son, then take the four girls and return to the real world at once. There is still time until the festival. Everything will be as it should be." She then made her way down the path without looking back.

"As if it was so easy to just retrieve Kayane and go home," I mutter and hang my head. The path slams shut behind Ochimizu and a black haze billows around the stage, forming into Shadows connected by the ribbon just as before. "How would I be able to face Tsukio-san and tell her we left you behind?"

"Rise! Give me some music! I'll show them that we can save them all. Whether they want our help or not," Chie got my attention.

"R-right!" I summoned Kouzeon and brought up music that Chie had practiced with before. My thoughts were distracted at what I had just realized. I know because I had been in the area at the same time. The death of Osada Yuko. A popular idol at the time that was supposed to debut a new song, but it never happened. It was easy to connect it if you knew the timeline of it and what happened to Kayane. Tsukio Nanase had been the original manager to Osada Yuko but was then given to Ochimizu when she left Takura Productions to be free-lance and move to Inaba with her newly adopted son, Ikakure Kayane. It was more than feasible of a deduction that she would have had to do some minor trade or training of her responsibilities to help the transition to a new manager for Osada who had been used to Tsukio. The only missing piece is how Kayane fit into the picture. But that was where the other fact came in... that Kayane and Kanami had supposedly met before but neither remembered it... or admitted to remembering. What could have happened to cause that to occur? Neither of them would have been so young that they would forget that easily. The only logical answer was that something happened that was traumatic enough for at least one of them to forget... and the other playing dumb in the hopes that they would not spark that memory.

If I was right, then it was Kanami and Kayane that had found the body of Osada Yuko after her suicide. And as Kanami would have been likely here to audition to become an idol... there could have been a stronger connection emotionally to Osada, maybe even part of why Kanami sought to become an idol to begin with. I thought I had been jealous of that connection Kanami and Kayane seemed to share but thinking of it now... Kayane was purposely careful with his interactions with the other idol. His words more carefully chosen, his encouragement and criticism much softer than he was with others, even me. This incident was directly related to Osada Yuko... and the dead idol on the video on the LMB website had to be her. It had to be the identity of the eerie voice. Everything started to fit into place.

Chie's dance came to a stop and despite my own personal distraction she had defeated the Shadows... they disappeared in a glow of light, hopefully returning to their bodies to awaken again in the real world.

"Very well... I'll let you have this one. But I wonder if things will go quite the way you want..." the eerie voice chuckled and seemed to disappear.

"I think it's gone again. But Ochimizu-san must be pretty far away by now," Yosuke commented as we watched the door open once more to show the path forward.

"Yeah, what the hell's up with that Ochimizu chick!? I can't believe she pulled a double-cross like that...!" Kanji was angry.

"Rise, I think it would be prudent if you shared your thoughts with us. You seemed to have figured something out," Naoto spoke up, interrupting the flow of the conversation. I took a few steps away from everyone and looked up at the archway of the door that the path continued through.

"Rise-chan?" Yukiko prompted.

"The timing of it all is too perfect. What a mess of a time it must have been for all of them at Takura Productions. But I can't say I'm correct, only that it all fits. Remember Kayane's story of his youth about his Uncle? I mean, of course you all do. We saw that cold desolate place in the TV world when we went to rescue him. Tsukio Nanase, adopted Kayane in the aftermath of what his Uncle had done with him and the death of her own daughter. At the time she had worked as a manager at Takura Productions. Osada Yuko was her name," I turned back to them as I noticed that Naoto was already piecing it together with just this revelation. "Tsukio-san, however, announced she would leave the company to freelance as a contractor so that she could move away from the big city and someplace quiet for Kayane to grow up. More than likely she still needed to train or something else to transition on the way out of the company. The one that would take her place as Osada Yuko's manager was Ochimizu Kyoka."

"Wait, so... this voice we keep hearin' is this Osada girl? The one who committed suicide?" Kanji seemed a bit confused.

"That doesn't explain why Kanamin's Kitchen would be targeted," Chie pointed out.

"Who do you think was here... and found the body of Osada Yuko after she committed suicide?" I turned back away from them. "It would explain his actions and the way he treated her all this time."

"Wait, you mean... Kayane-senpai was one of the people that found her... and he found her with..." Yukiko gasped.

"Mashita Kanami, while she doesn't remember our senpai... he remembers her. He has been protecting her from those memories. Trying to ensure she does not remember finding Osada Yuko," Naoto finished Yukiko's conclusion.

"I don't have any way of knowing if this is the truth. But the pieces all fit with what we know. It means the dead idol on the LMB website that is shown is her. It also explains why Kayane has been treating Kanami differently than the others. Not to mention why Ochimizu-san would willingly go ahead, even though her goal of rescuing the girls has already been achieved. She likely wants to say something to Osada... and likely believes that this eerie voice we've heard is her," I concluded.

"Then we don't have time to wait. Everyone, let's go," Yu then moved to my side and took my hand. "Come on, Kayane is waiting for us."

I nodded and felt as Yukiko took my other hand.

"You aren't alone, Rise-chan. We're all here with you," Yukiko smiled.

I know, but my heart is in so much pain, and being away from Kayane without knowing what he was possibly suffering through was slowly eating away at my resolve. I knew that. And yet I allowed it to keep getting to me. Either way I did my best to steel myself and move quickly with the others.

"Look! Isn't that Ochimizu-san ahead!" Chie pointed out as we were nearing another gated area ahead.

She gasped as Ochimizu saw us approaching, "You kids, what are you doing here!?"

"Do you think Tsukio-san would be okay with us coming out without you? Do you think being some sort of martyr is really the solution here?" I called out feeling a bit of anger at Ochimizu's surprise and disbelief that we followed.

"Besides, there's something we need to ask you. It's about Osada Yuko," Yukiko didn't even wait to get to the point.

Ochimizu's face was shocked for a moment then she turned away, yelling out, "Our deal was clear, return them and Ikakure Kayane to the real world at once!"

"Oh... Sorry, but I can't do that. Didn't I tell you before? The only ones who can enter this world are those who wished to do so..." the eerie voice said.

"Only those who wished to...!?" Naoto gasped sharply at that revelation.

Did that mean... Kayane willingly came here with the Shadow? But why?

"Dammit," Ochimizu frustrated rushes through the next gateway.

"Wait! Ochimizu-san!" I called out but the door slams behind her. The black haze appeared, Shadows appearing all around us again, connected by the ribbon.

"Again? Is she really trying to be the hero here? Now the eerie voice has admitted she'll get nothing from this deal. Kayane is still up ahead. And now its only getting more complicated with her in the middle," Yukiko shook her head in frustration.

"She must realize that, but she still trying to do what she can... what she believe is how she can help," Yu said as that awful song began to intensify again around us.

"But these Shadows are the hearts of the LMB audience, aren't they? Thinking about it that way makes this even harder to do," Yukiko said as the Shadows crowded the stage path we were on.

"No... That's exactly why we need to express ourselves to them. If these Shadows are trapped by the bond the eerie voice keeps speaking about then they need to see for themselves that this bond isn't right. We'll show them what a true bond is," Yu called out.

"Sensei's right! This is perfect practice for the Love Meets Bonds festival! Leave this to Teddie, Prince of the Dance! It's time for some Sa-Teddie Night Fever!" Teddie took center of the stage.

"Well said, Teddie. This is your time to shine!" I did my best to encourage.

"Alright, Teddie! Go get 'em!" Chie added.

"Such passionate cheers from the ladies... I'm feeling the heat now! And that being said... bring on the cubstep!" Teddie spun as I started his music track, allowing him to flow naturally into his dance. Well as natural as someone in that big bear suit could be. Funny how that is his more comfortable form. IT was how everyone knew him as first after all. Except maybe Kayane. He had said before he didn't recall their first meeting in the TV world all too well. That it had been kind of fuzzy in a way. He knew what had happened, but it was hard to believe even after all the things we had seen and experienced after that.

Dance truly was a unique art form of its own. The way that Teddie move was unique, in how it was his unique self. But even as part of his dance he would even expertly come out of the bear suit and in his human form, perfectly dressed and ready to appeal to the audience at his surprise. He connected so well with the audience; it was hard not to like him. If there had ever been a time where that showed the most was during the culture festival where he won, the cross dressing competition. It would have been so funny if Kayane had participated in it too.

What would he have even worn? I could have made him into a goth princess. It would have been long lace like sleeves to hide the scars on his arm and other touches that could have fit his sense of style. But I didn't know him that well then. Didn't even know about the scars he hid on his body, about his habits or the other fears that my boyfriend had. The only reason I can look back at it now is because of how much more I've come to learn and understand. I loved him now more than then. No, back then it was a infatuation, attraction, sex appeal. That feeling only grew but there was no point in pretending otherwise. If he had asked me out, then I would have definitely had said yes. But it was a shallow reason compared to how I felt now.

I never believed that Kayane would reciprocate the feelings I had started to have. Maybe if he had been a rabid fan that just saw me as an idol. Then he likely would have never turned away from my clear advances on him. If so then I might have lost my virginity to him back on October 25th, the first time I stayed at his house. Just 17 days after I had even known who he was. My senpai by a couple years, and I had been inexplicably attracted to him. My thoughts while taking a bath in his house hat night had definitely been sexually charged, and I realized that too. I mean I'm a growing girl, and these kinds of things weren't abnormal by any stretch of the imagination, even if these are thoughts that many keep to themselves. But a bond made with just pure physicality was not really a healthy one.

Kayane was never the type to think in those regards. How could he be? His childhood friend, and individual that affected him the most growing up was Miyuki, and she had been sexually abused by her own father. Because of that, Kayane, had negative thoughts and correlation to sexual desires. Any such thoughts he might have towards me were likely struck down before it was given chance to bear fruit. And while I definitely had a part of me that desired and craved that connection with my boyfriend, I understood and accepted that hesitance. I knew that deep down it was not a lack of attraction or affection from him, it was fear and hatred to what those sorts of acts had done to Miyuki in the past. He didn't want to hurt me. He thought that he might become just like his uncle if he gave in to those desires.

On top of our relationship and those issues of intimacy we were also entering showbiz, and our relationship would be harder to maintain and keep secret. My parents would definitely be against it considering Kayane is close to two years older than me. So, I was in high school still while Kayane had graduated. My mind understood the complications that things could have. If we did have sex and did so regularly then that would just increase the chances of pregnancy before I was out of high school. Not to mention the effect it would have on public appearances, and the relationship between my parents and me.

Personally, I was not afraid of those consequences if it meant that I had helped Kayane deal with that fear, confront and conquer the pain of his past. I could show him what my love meant. That sex was not just something that is done to hurt someone, that it was an action, a result of two people loving each other and desire to protect and gift their love the ultimate feeling of not just pleasure but safety and comfort. I wanted it to be perfect, for Kayane to make that realization with me. But it was probably because of my own feelings that I was so terrified of losing him. What if I wasn't good enough? What if my love for him wasn't enough to show him that? What if I was too weak to protect him from the fear and pain that seemed to chase him day to day? Was I not enough?

Those were the feelings of doubt I had begun to have ever since the confrontation with Minazuki Sho. His use of that power... Last Symphony. That power forced the person struck by it to understand the full weight of the decisions they made. What would happen if I got hit by it? What would I see? What did my choices do to Kayane? Had I helped him? Or was I going to hurt him more by making him take the risk of living the life that I believed he should? Was there a right answer? Was I right or wrong to love him? How could I ever know?

I know I was starting to doubt my place in his life. He now had a biological sister, an older sister that was trying to be part of his life. His connection to Kanami made me second guess myself and if I was right for him. Kanami and him had a connection or so I thought. But maybe he was simply protecting her. And if that was true then why didn't he trust me with what he was doing? Did he not trust me? Why was he suffering on his own? I wanted to know. I needed to talk to Kayane. And then there was this Shadow... fake Shadow of Kayane. Something was building... and all of it made me feel so powerless even with my awakening to the power of Inahime a second Persona, meant for battle. And yet this world did not allow for violence. So how could it help me? Only Kouzeon was of use here.

"Thank you bear-y much, everyone! I'm really glad you all understood!" Teddie bowed as the Shadows all disappeared as they had before into the light above. The doors opened up again.

The eerie voice chuckled, "You're still putting up a fight? What pitiful children."

"Shut up! You're like a broken record with that! We're not pitiful!" Yosuke retaliated to the voice.

Pitiful? Maybe. But I couldn't give up, no matter what. Even if my path is wrong. Even if I end up hurting Kayane in the end. I want to be a part of his life. I want to be the one that helps share his burdens, to ease his suffering and give him a chance for happiness. No matter how hard I have to work. I loved him, truly and deeply. I wanted a future with him. A future he could hold his head up high and be glad for all the trials and challenges he faced to get there. And I want it to be with me at his side. No one else. Yeah, it was selfish of me. But it was my wish. And one that I was going to refuse to give up on.

"It's you we pity, for believing this is anything like a true bond!" Yukiko added.

"Pity? Me? But I'm perfectly happy... Everyone yearns for me, after all. That's what happiness is, ahahahaha!" the eerie voice denied what the others said. "You just don't know the joys of truly abandoning yourself."

The eerie voice left us, leaving the path open once more for us to continue. If I were to guess there was an inherent rule to the world that forced it to open the path... or maybe each time we defeated more of the Shadows it was no longer capable of keeping the path closed. Either way, it was our time to follow.

"Hmm... We did at least learn one important thing from what the voice said," Naoto moved next to me.

I nodded, "That the only ones who can come to this world are those who wish to do so."

Naoto nodded, "And from that, we can deduce something crucial."

"Like...?" Kanji didn't seem to get it.

"I've actually been wondering about this the whole time. When we first came to this world, that voice half-forced us out. Yet when we returned to save the girls of Kanamin Kitchen, the voice never attempted to drive us away. This is despite how inconvenient it would be for that voice's plans if we had rescued all four of the girls," Naoto said.

"You know, it's true. If our being here could have messed up its plans... then you'd think all it would've had to do is force us out again," Yukiko added.

"I suppose that means even the fake Shadow of Kayane has realized those rules and might have done what he could to slow us. He knows eventually we'll get to him and Kayane," Yu speculated further.

"Yes, more than likely. I'd hesitate to believe what the voice said was untrue but actually there's one mystery left regarding this point," Naoto put her hand up to her chin.

"You mean the conditions for falling into the Midnight Stage, right?" Yu asked.

"Precisely. That's what the victims who found themselves here had in common. We just couldn't pinpoint it until now," Naoto elaborated.

"But... isn't that just how the people who watched that video on the site got here?" I asked not quite understanding her point now.

"Yes, that's the first condition. But some victims fell into a coma and some didn't, even when they were watching the video side by side," Naoto explained. I hadn't known about that detail before. "Until now, I couldn't determine what separated the two."

"Huh, I see your point. That is pretty weird," Yosuke scratched his head. "I mean, leaving aside Rise and the Kanamin Kitchen girls who got brought here to perform. It doesn't make sense that some fell in while others didn't, if they watched the video under the same conditions."

"Indeed. But everything makes sense now. The victims were all people who wished to enter this world. Kayane-senpai included," Naoto said definitively.

"Wh-Whoa, are you serious!? What're you saying, Naoto-kun!? There's no way anyone would want that for themselves. I mean even Kayane-senpai?" Chie shook her head.

"Kayane-senpai's reasoning to come here is likely different from the others. Possibly. But he might have the same reason," Naoto seemed unsure on this point.

"I see... You're talking about the bond that the voice keeps speaking of," Yu spoke up.

"Yes, I doubt that the desire needed to enter this world is to fall into the Midnight Stage. Rather, it's the people who harbor a desire for bonds without pain the voice spoke of somewhere in their hearts," Naoto's voice spoke softly.

"So, the ones who wanted this fake-ass bond fall into this place..." Kanji said.

"Aaaah... That's why when we convey to the Shadows about this not being a real bond those ribbony things come WHOOSHing off! And they spaaaarkle away back to where they belong," Teddie seemed to finally have the idea click in his head.

"I think I can understand how they feel. We were all like that once. If I hadn't met all of you, I wouldn't have been able to show anyone my true self. It's normal to want to be accepted, while still being afraid of getting hurt." Yukiko and the others were all coming to the real conclusion and truth of this world.

"Yeah... It's like, my inner self is so uncool that I wouldn't want anyone else to see it," Yosuke said.

"Is that why it took you so long to confess to me?" Chie eyed him. "I'd say the outer you was the one that was uncool."

He turned to his girlfriend, "Was that seriously necessary!? And what does it matter when I confessed to you?"

"Oh, and what if I ended up dating someone else, hm? What would you have done then?" Chie eyed him.

"I'd just have to wait for them to be fed up with you," he shrugged.

"What was that?" Chie grabbed his arm. "You are saying no one else could..."

"-I'm saying that..."

"Will you two cut it out," Yu cut in. "Can't you two express your feelings for each other without fighting?"

The two of them go red not realizing that the pair had been getting closer to each other. Oddly I think that them being like this is definitely just how they are. I can imagine they are both incredibly passionate when alone with each other. That energy and sexual tension was a bit too obvious to us.

"Let's get going, we need to catch up with Ochimizu and then make our way to Kayane. And every minute counts," Yu redirected everyone to the task at hand.

"Ochimizu-san knew about Osada, which means I might have been right. Plus if Naoto is right and those are the rules of this world, then it might mean Kayane is more susceptible to the effects of this world than we originally thought," I quickly brought up.

"She's right. It's likely that Kayane-senpai might have subconsciously wanted that bond too. In a way to live up to the expectations we might have all unconsciously been pushing onto him. All this time we've pushed our own ideals and beliefs, to not turn away from the truth, to face things head on, but Kayane was always worried about what we all thought. He has had layers of different things he's dealt with his whole life, and the introduction to his biological sister and trying to prove to everyone that he was getting better might have pushed him in the opposite direction," Naoto surmised.

Yeah, that was exactly right. After all this time, all the progress we had made had likely ended up in the opposite direction.

I pushed those thoughts to the side and led the charge forward down the open path. When we got closer to the end... it was an actual stage. This time the traditional Japanese look was brought out further, with the stage being like that of a theater... but most disturbing was the geisha like dolls with strings attached to them that went up to the ceiling.

"Wh-What is this place!? It's like a feudal lord's house from some samurai movie! Should I be taking off my shoes!?" Teddie reacted as we all came to a stop.

"I seriously don't think that's where we are. And Teddie, you don't even wear shoes!" Chie commented.

"Sumomo-san's dollhouse, Tamami-san's circus, Nozomi-san's castle and Tomoe-san's cityscape. Piecing together what we've discovered, it seems clear that the landscape here reflects the person everyone wishes them to be. Which means..." Naoto speculated but interrupted by Yukiko.

"Look! Over there! It's Ochimizu-san!" Yukiko pointed out.

Not noticing us, but we rushed closer, hearing her voice as we did so.

"Tell me one thing... Are you Osada Yuko?" Ochimizu Kyoka asked the eerie voice.

"Well... who knows? I'm sure you can guess the answer to that, Ochimizu-sama," the eerie voice responded.

"Mmm... I see," Ochimizu shook her head and looked up to see us. She locked eyes with me for a moment.

"Ochimizu-san..." I started.

"I killed someone, you know," she looked directly at me. "I was young then... I had an opportunity and a new direction. A friend that guided me and gave me a vision to believe in. And I believed in things like doing your best and living honestly. Just the way you do now. You and your friends."

"You mean, Osada Yuko, that is what this is about," Yu spoke.

"That's right, I was her manager. A position I took over from my close friend, Tsukio Nanase. I still clearly remember the anxiety of Osada Yuko's face when we first met. It had to be hard to have a new manager, and one that was new to the position. I was enthusiastic and excited for my new path in my career and to have the chance to make my friend proud. To show she could leave things to me while she dealt with the tragedy and pain that had happened in her life. I wanted to succeed so badly. Yuko was unique... but she was talentless among the innumerable crowd of idols. She was immature as a performer, no better than an amateur. But my best friend, Nanase had chosen her over all the others. Believed in this girl. So, I did too, and the two of us worked hard together. Yuko wanted to convey to everyone how important it was to hang in there. The more I got to know her; I saw why Nanase wanted this girl to succeed. Her desire and hard work showed me that it wasn't just talent you needed to be an idol, but dedication and heart could go a long way to make up for that lack of talent. So, I worked hard, did all I could to sell Yuko's name and grant her wish to convey that message with the world. With that and my desire to see Nanase's belief in this girl... I poured long nights and every scrap of knowledge I had so that Yuko's fans could hear this girl. If her fans took even slight encouragement from her songs, it would be worth it in the end," Ochimizu had a difficult expression on her face. "She was a hit. We both cried with joy over her success. So many fans showed up at her meet-and-greets that Yuko was exhausted by the end, and her concerts always sold out. Very quickly, Yuko rose to become a top idol. But around the time that song 'Calystegia' was going to be released both of us came to a realization. Without noticing it, we had arrived at a destination very different, and very far, from what Yuko had wanted."

"I see now... those notes that we found in the dressing rooms along the way. They were cries for help, written by Yuko-san. Yuko-san came to that realization when she wrote the lyrics about morning glories... about Calystegia," Naoto voiced. "She realized that what she most wanted to convey to her audience wasn't possible in her current position. That's why Yuko-san..."

"That's why she changed the lyrics to Calystegia," Yu spoke up.

"That's right," Ochimizu nodded. "We were so desperate to win the fans' hearts that we hadn't formed anything like a true bond with them. I had focused too intently on the success, to give her the audience to listen, but had built that fan base with what was popular, what was trending, all those tricks in the industry for success. It worked, building that fan base quickly... but too quickly. As a result, the song that she poured her heart into was no longer Osada Yuko's song. She finally reached a point where she could convey her true feelings, but she lost the words to express them to her fans. But I realized something then too. Yuko's wish was never attainable from the beginning. The most diehard fans immediately turned on me. They labeled me a murderer for crushing Yuko's dream. Most going so far in that it would have never happened if Nanase had still been Yuko's manager."

"That's horrible," Yukiko head drooped.

"No, it's fine. I am a murderer, after all. I killed Yuko... so the label fits," Ochimizu wasn't joking but I could see the dark aura, that black haze forming around her, clinging to her form. She was already influenced by this place. I see, if the world still saw her that way... then she would naturally believe this to be the truth in this place. This was the power of this world at work.

"Wh-What the hell...? Isn't she acting kinda weird!?" Yosuke noticed it too.

"Ahaha..." the eerie voice interjected. "Ochimizu-san is happy. How wonderful! Now the self that others wish her to be and the self that she wishes for are in sync..."

"What!?" I shook my head. She wants to be responsible. She wants to bare the guilt and pain of Osada Yuko's death... but why? Why would she want to take that pain all for herself?

"Her bond with everyone is amazing... Here, I'll let you hear it too!" the eerie voice then provided it. As other voices began to be heard around us.

"Ochimizu is scary as shit...! She's like, some kind of hardass veteran? You'd think she was born to be hated," the first voice spoke.

"Her whole way of talking just rubs you the wrong way. That she's good at her job and great-looking too just makes it worse," the next spoke.

"I heard she's making stacks of cash preying on her idols. Then again, those are rumors that help Kanamin's group sell so much," the next one said.

"Maybe that's just how you roll when you've got actual skills? It's fun to watch... from a distance, anyway," the next voice went on.

"Those bastards...! They don't know shit about anything, so they say whatever they want!" Kanji growled.

"Well, have fun. Ahahahaha..." the eerie voice seemed amused.

"Dammit! Ochimizu-san!" Yosuke called out to her.

"Ochimizu! Don't do this! You don't have to..."

"Shut up... Shut up, shut up...! Convey how you feel? That's impossible! No one wants that anyway! If we had just accepted that at the start, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did for Yuko!" Ochimizu screamed out. Frustration and the truth of her feelings were coming to the front. No doubt, she felt she had failed as Yuko's manager, had failed her best friend. After all this time, she had never forgiven herself for Osada Yuko committing suicide. Ribbons shoot out from all sides, as if in reaction to Ochimizu's cry, and wrap all around her body, confining her and yet, unlike the other girls, Ochimizu didn't fight it. She willingly offered herself to this false bond that the voice offered. Instead it seemed to wrap around her like clothing, and instead she moved freely... her eyes becoming gold like that of a Shadow. And she stood as the ribbons replaced her clothing, exposing parts of her body as it turned into some strange and erotic wrapped bikini type outfit. "The singer's dreams and wishes don't matter at all. To hell with them... Everything will go fine as long as you tweak them to meet the audience's needs! It's fine... It's fine... From the fools who won't even listen, to the ones with nothing to say... I'll control every last one of them! Now I understand why those Shadows didn't dare lay a finger on me in this world. Look at me...! This is my true self! The me that the fans fear! More than that... this is the me that the fans' Shadows fear!"

That song was more devastating before. The power that Ochimizu's new form was amplifying its effectiveness, and it was hard for all of us to stand against it.

"Dammit! Are they this strong because she's totally accepted the way they see her!?" Yosuke was struggling to stay on his feet. With the dark aura now blasting wind over us, we do our best to stand our ground. It was insanely difficult to just keep our eyes open.

Then that dark aura wrapped around Ochimizu and she changed again... this time she was like that of a massive doll, but one with strings on the ends of her fingers... she was the one that controlle the strings. That was the reason for those dolls from before. She was the massive controlling and overbearing individual that the fans saw her as now. "That's right... This is the me the fans want! And it's the me I want to be, too...! Your words won't reach me... I have no time for whatever you naive brats have to say! Get real, you goddamn brats! Throw away your identity and everything will be that much easier to deal with!"

The eerie song rings in our minds louder than ever before, it hurts so much that I clutch my head thinking it might somehow alleviate the pain. Shadows filled the empty seats in this theater, swaying in beat with the song. All of it collectively trying to break our wills and identity.

How ridiculous. After all that I've seen and done, why would I give up here? I know these thoughts, this kind of guilt. This was the pain that Kayane felt in regard to the death of Miyuki. Ochimizu wanted all of that blame and pain to be put on her. But it wasn't because of what she was saying.

"She's lost sight of the truth," Yu yells out. "Everyone stand your ground! We won't lose here! Ochimizu and Kayane are counting on us! We will break through! Rise, get ready! I know it won't be easy... but I'll keep trying to express our feelings until she understands."

"I know you can do it, Senpai," I reply as I steadied myself. "I'm going to crank it up so show Ochimizu what you're made of!" I summoned Kouzeon and played the track. This was one song that I felt would hit the feelings that Ochimizu was feeling. This song was in a lot of ways also a parallel to Kayane and I's relationship. It is called the Composer and the Songstress. And intricate relationship between the individual with a message to convey and the one who seeks to express it.

Rise: Filled with dreams and wine
The Composer sits with time
He waits for words to come, the clock ticks away
Nightmares come and go, from a past of hate and pain
Haunted by the dark and the nothing that he's become

Kayane: Tried to forget you
Want to runaway, but I just can't get away
They keep asking of you, but your cold and gone
I'm left here, by myself
I just want to fly away from this hell
Forgive me
No one listens
No one hears
The words I write are useless, without a voice to sing them
I'm left here, by myself
I just want to fly away from this hell

Kayane: A voice with hope and love
The Songstress looks above
She waits for the song, that speaks to her heart
Battling against herself, of who she really is
Determined to keep moving on, waiting for that one perfect song

Rise: Do I know you?
I can tell by your eyes that you want to run away
Ignore the voices that pain your heart
I'm here now, by your side
I'll shield you from the dark, let your heart sing
Trust in me
I will listen
I will hear
I will give your words voice, and sing to the world
I'm here now, by your side
I'll shield you from the dark, and let your heart sing

These were words that when I first read them, had affected me in ways I couldn't have predicted. The music was darker, almost haunting in the way it is conveyed. A darker edge than maybe I had ever performed before. But the main point was the hope that was supposed to be conveyed. This was the truth of this song. There was a journey here. A message deep beyond the surface of the story of a Composer and Songstress. The pain and healing between the two are meant to be shared.

Kayane: The words I write are useless, without a voice to sing them
I'm left here, by myself
I just want to fly away from this hell

Kayane: I wish I could be like you
Smiling without effort with beauty like you
Your voice soothes me and pulls me to you
How do I begin to understand you?
Adversity surrounds you, taunts you
What would hold me down, means nothing to you
You remind me of the one that haunts me
Of pain I wish that would remain forgotten

Kayane: You're so close, yet so far away
The Songstress asks me for a song
But my mind continues to stray
How can I hope to become strong?
She tells me that I can
That I am more than a simple man
That I will Compose a dream
One that her heart yearns to sing

Kayane: Yet my thoughts are plagued
With the memory of you

Kayane: Tried to forget you
Want to runaway, but I can't get away
They keep asking of you, but your cold and gone
I'm left here, by myself
I just want to fly away from this hell
Forgive me
No one listens
No one hears
The words I write are useless without a voice to sing them
I'm left here, by myself
I just want to fly away from this hell

The Composer suffers with a past he doesn't want to remember, one that he seeks to move on from. While the Songstress asks for a future, a song to move forward. My favorite lyrics being that the Songstress telling the Composer that he is not simple man, and that he will make the song that her heart wants to sing. Without any doubt, the Songstress believes fully in the Composer. This song... how could it be anything else than one about Kayane and I?

Rise: He sits alone for countless hours
Looking off towards distant flowers
There is beauty in silence
Yet he seems to yearn for guidance
What pains his heart when I see his eyes?
I want to know so I can't help but pry
I hear his heart pains from a love long gone
Can I mend the wounds and show him a new dawn

Rise: I can see glimpses of the real you
Hiding within is a brilliance I know is you
Your voice soothes me and pulls me to you
How do I get closer to you?
Nightmares surround you, haunt you
These tortured thoughts that only hold you
Can I convince you to take a chance on me?
You will write the song that make both our hearts sing

Rise: Do I know you?
I can tell by your eyes that you want to run away
Ignore the voices that pain your heart
I'm here now, by your side
I'll shield you from the dark, let your heart sing
Trust in me
I will listen
I will hear
I will give your words voice, and sing to the world
I'm here now, by your side
I'll shield you from the dark, and let your heart sing

The Songstress never gives up on the Composer. She continues to believe that the wounds he holds can be healed. Yeah. I believe that too. And I know that somewhere in Kayane's heart he believes it. He has too. This was a song that Kayane wrote. He wrote it from both of our perspectives, or what he believed to be both of us. He was so right. I want him to come to me, to believe in me, to let me protect him. His heart has always been so fragile, and yet I've done all I could to be able to hold his heart in my hands, that I may shield him from further harm, even from himself. But that is probably the hardest thing to protect someone from... Themselves.

Kayane and Rise: Now we stand on this stage
The Composer and The Songstress
His songs have been written
Her voice has begun singing
Now his pain will become his strength
And she will stay by his side

Kayane and Rise: Now I know you
From now on we'll be together everyday
Our voices will sing what's in our hearts
We're here, side by side
Through the dark and pain, we will sing
Open your hearts
We will listen
We will hear
We will weave the words to sing to the world
We're here, side by side
Through the dark and pain, we will sing

The end of the song was one of triumph. The dark and dreary start of the song naturally changes to one of hope and happiness at the end. It was a journey, and the length of the song and the musical change throughout was meant to allow the listener to come along on that journey as well. When I looked up at the form of Ochimizu, I knew I had tears in my eyes. Please, Ochimizu, understand what this feeling is, this journey, what music is meant to truly be for people when they hear it.

"Nngh... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh...!" the inhuman form cried out as blue light surrounded its form.

"Did we get through to her?" Yukiko was getting to her feet.

"No... No...! I won't accept this... I'll never accept it...!" the form of Ochimizu fought against it, but she was clearly moved by the song and the dance done by Yu-senpai and I.

"How stubborn are you!? Just accept it already!" Yosuke called out.

"Shut up...! Why didn't it work for Yuko!? If you can convey your feelings to others, then why couldn't she...!? It's impossible to make anyone understand! That's nothing but a goddamn fairy tale! Me, the audience, the songs, the dances... They're all flimsy lies! None of them can mean anything!" She used all she could to deny what she heard.

"That's not true! Then why did you go to the trouble of having Kanami-san's group learn the song Yuko-san wrote!? Why did you ask Kayane-senpai to help finalize and revise the track if you didn't believe he could help convey it even more? Isn't it because you wanted everyone to hear her song!? Because you wanted them to understand the feelings Yuko-san never got to express, even if it's just a little bit!?" Yu yelled back.

"I... wanted them to understand...!?" the form of Ochimizu released a bright light and the monstrous form disappeared and Ochimizu appeared as her real self. She was on her knees and clearly exhausted, "How shameful of me. That song you chose to perform and your words... you just had to stomp right into my heart and show off. I had you all pegged as barely capable of participating in a school performance. No wonder why Nanase believes you all so much. You cut through all of my bullshit and right to my heart."

"I found a lot about myself in Inaba. If I hadn't taken a break from showbiz, I might have never met my friends or Kayane. That song is his tale of how much he struggles every day with the things he has suffered through. Abuse, deaths of those close to him. And likely taking on the pain to shield Kanami of the death of Osada Yuko. Do you really believe that what you did to try and help Osada Yuko was wrong? No, I don't think so. What happened to her is horrible. That she couldn't find the strength to press forward is something that can't be erased. But you did all you could for her... to get her to that stage to convey her true self to the world," I was smiling at her.

She sighed, "How many years did I waste, groveling alone and taking out my pain on all those around me? I thought, if people were going to hate me, I'd give them what they wanted. I was the worst most despicable person I could be. I even went around claiming responsibility for the lyrics Yuko changed. I was wrong. I need to apologize to all of you and to Yuko. You all expressed exactly how you felt. You proved to me that it's possible to convey your feelings to someone else. That alone is enough to release Yuko from her suffering... and me from mine."

Of course, someone else was not happy about this change of heart.

"That's no good, Ochimizu-san. Don't tell me you've been poisoned by these children too! You, who denied your true self for years and became the cold woman that everyone wanted you to be," the eerie voice sounded more irritated than ever.

"Poisoned? Ha... Yes, I suppose they have poisoned me," Ochimizu stood defiantly.

"What about your deal?" the eerie voice retorted. "If you discard every bit of the you that everyone wished you to be... you'll face the same suffering again."

"Enough! I revoke my deal with you. I'll make no more compromises," She pointed up to she decided the eerie voice originated. "The Kanamin Kitchen girls, Ikakure Kayane, these 'Shadows' you speak of, and even you. I will save every last one of you from this place!"

"What a disappointment. Do whatever you want, then," the eerie voice left.

"Hahaha," but another presence made itself known. "It is rather entertaining to see someone else's plan be dismantled by this group. But aren't you getting ahead of yourself by claiming you'll save them all?"

"The fake Shadow of Kayane," I stepped forward. "Where is Kayane?"

"Not much further ahead. But time is not on your side. That song is quite effective for getting the results we want," then just as quickly he disappeared.

"The song?" Rise blinked. "The one she's been playing to influence us?"

"For it to use Yuko's song for such vile ends... The more I think about it, the angrier I become," Ochimizu shook her head.

"Yuko's song? What is she talking about?" Chie blinked.

"Wait... Are you saying none of you hadn't noticed?" Ochimizu gauged everyone and glared. "I'm appalled... And you call yourselves professionals? You couldn't even figure that out despite hearing it so often?"

"Uh, no one said we were pros..." Kanji comments.

I lowered my head to the ground, "So that is why it sounds familiar. But something was wrong about it. I just couldn't figure out why I felt that way. If Kayane had been here he would have likely known it the first time he heard the song."

A beam of light shines down in the center of the stage, and a dressing room door appears. But this door seems different from the ones that have shown before.

"It's not like the other doors we've seen... This one leads to an edit bay," Ochimizu says. "It's something like a booth used for recording and sound editing. This one looks like the door to the room at Takura Productions."

It did look familiar. I had gone with Kayane a few times to the room when he was asked for some advice. I had used it a few times too in recording albums in the past. But Synchronicity was using a different studio for its recording, so it wasn't until we showed up in preparation for the festival that I had seen it in some time. I summoned Kouzeon and did a check on the inside of the room, but as I expected there was nothing, "It seems safe. I'm not sensing any Shadows in there."

"We should check it out," Yu spoke up. "If we really are close to reaching Kayane, it will likely be dangerous. We might have a clue or something in here that might help us."

"Please be alright, Kayane," I whisper as Yu opened the door. "If anything happens to you then I will show this fake Shadow of yours just how furious I can be. Even if it means I have to somehow break the laws of this world."


A/N:

This is going to easily date this update, but Happy Valentines day everyone! It's kind of funny that the actual origins of Valentines Day have never really been agreed upon or known. The Catholic Church has 3 acknowledged saints with the name Valentine or close to it. The one often associated is the Saint Valentine that healed an imprisoned girl but then ended up executed himself. But it isn't entirely sure if it was the same person or not. It's weird. Another association is a Pagan festival that involved a literal lottery in which men and women were paired up for sex. It was a fertility festival after all. Even after Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as St. Valentines day, it wouldn't become associated with anything romantic until much much later. First evidence of romance and Valentines being associated together was in 1375 AD.

Anyway, the reason for the Valentines day rant is mostly because I wish I had been able to write something Valentines related for Kayane and Rise. Yet we've had a lot of chapters where the two haven't been anywhere near each other. It can be a bit depressing in a way to have then apart for so long. But as we're getting ever closer to the end, I can only hope that all of it will pay off in a way that I hope.

Dancing All Night's story I think splits a lot of people. Mostly because for a lot of people there was too much of the Persona 4 crew about. Which I can agree with to some extent. But the story in DAN actually felt natural and a situation that would definitely work in the world of Persona. Every Persona game has an established amount of rules associated with it. A means in which Shadows and Persona are influencing the world.

The first Persona game has to do with a combination of things. A machine, a girl and other factors caused the town to be closed off and the appearance of what was called demons then and a game that made individuals capable of calling Persona. Although I would say that Philemon himself still made some kind of determination as to who was or wasn't going to receive the power of Persona.

Persona 2 has a lot to do with rumors, with a main mechanic is to spread rumors for your benefit or even to just advance the plot of the game. Rumors becoming true also made it possible for things to be easily explained to the general public. Or specifically that it wouldn't be seen as strange or out of place just because of the nature of what was happening. Those of you that have played through Innocent Sin will definitely know how crazy it gets, and how there is a lack of any response from police or official capacity. There is a lot to unwrap when it comes to the Persona 2 Duology of Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. If you have the capacity to do so, and have access to Playstation Vita/TV buying Innocent Sin is definitely worth your time. While unfortunate that the update for Eternal Punishment wasn't brought over you can still buy the original as a PS1 classic on PS3/PSVita/PSTV. Depending on how you like old school RPG's as these games were definitely more a product of their time, and can be difficult in usual SMT fashion. Anyway, the situation for both games still have a set up and explanation for the appearance of demons/shadows and the Power of Persona.

Persona 3 brought in the Dark Hour. And the reason for the Dark Hour was central to its overall plot. And if any of you have read my Persona 3 fic, Momento Umbrae. You know that I tried to expand on it a bit further.

Persona 4, of course, is the Midnight Channel. Created by a Goddess attempting to show humanity what they wanted to see. There wasn't any real maliciousness to making it so to begin with, and even defeating the one who created it did not get rid of the Midnight Channel.

Persona 5 is Mementos, and as close to the collective unconscious the series has come in a interactive form. Though it is more directed by distorted desires. Hence why the main Palace bosses all take after one of the seven deadly sins. It's a nice way to theme it but maybe not as far as it could have gone, as the potential here and what is implied that you could possibly change an individual in a lot of different ways. This is also shown in some of the confidants such as Mishima who you confront with the chance to steal his heart but in the end you don't. Instead they just admonish him and make him realize on his own what he is doing. It is also done along the main story and the main crux of the big gambit when it comes to Sae. Though I think that portion is also under utilized and... well that is a discussion when I get back to my Persona 5 fic of Bitter Fool.

I only bring all of this up because comparatively, the story of DAN fits right in, even with the rules of no violence being in play, as the nature of the Midnight Stage makes a lot of in world sense. But I think the fan base will be split on it, if only there are people that just didn't play it and just have a biased opinion that doesn't allow them to play or experience the Dancing All Night just out of stubbornness or pride for not giving money to a non-mainline game entry. But in regards to Last Symphony, it just fits that much more. Which is funny considering I started writing this fic before the existence of Dancing All Night. But the pieces and the background of Kayane and his adopted mother Nanase made it slide in very naturally and made it easier to bring about the final arc for Kayane's journey together.

Soon we might be learning the fake Shadow Kayane's intentions, but we are getting close to the final part of Dancing All Night and things are going to take a different direction. Those that know the story of DAN already should see the differences.

Thanks to all my readers that have stuck with me through the years. I hope you're all looking forward to the end of this story.