Author's Note: So this is one of the darker chapters. I will not mince words. There will be talks of suicide, depression, bullying, and just generally dark subjects. So if for any reason you feel that this may negatively impact you, I offer you this warning now before you get started. If you would like to receive a more basic summary of this chapter should any of the above be a problem for you, please PM me and I will make sure to get back to you with a summary so that you can continue on with the story, assuming you are still interested. So buckle up, this is gonna be a harsh one.

~Noxmad

Nanako had passed out in the living room when she the sound of the front door closing heavily woke her up. Her dad's slurred voice catching her attention. He was drunk. Nanako rubbed the sleep from her eyes to see that it was 3:06 AM. Another voice caught her attention as two people left the entryway entering the main room.

"Ok, it is time to get you to bed Detective," Chie said to the drunken detective. Ryotaro simply grumbled under his breath about things being broken. "Oh, hey Nanako-chan. We didn't wake you did we?"

"Big Sis Chie? Why did dad get drunk? He usually only does this with frustrating cases," Nanako commented getting up to help Chie with getting her father to his room. After they got him on his futon they left him there. He quickly dozed off. Chie joined Nanako back downstairs where the two of them sat down at the table.

"It's the ransackings. To be honest, he hasn't seen a case this frustrating since those murders back in the day. I can't say I blame him for wanting to throw back a few after yet another unexplained ransacking tonight," Chie explained leaning against her hand wistfully.

"There was another one?" Nanako asked, shocked.

"Yeah, it happened at the hospital. Late night appointments were interrupted, one of the entrances got clogged with police vehicles, it was a bit of a nightmare. Worst of all, it happened in such a public location that if anyone could be missing like the first two cases, we probably would never know," Chie explained. "Sometimes I wish your Big Bro was still around. Yu had a knack for this kind of stuff. Y'know, problem solving."

Nanako tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean, Big Sis?"

"When I first started training to become a police officer, he was the one who helped me with a lot of the more intelligent stuff. Helped me figure out how to find and focus on the important details while discarding anything that was not useful. His goal was for me to be a prime candidate for detective as quickly as possible and become your dad's partner. I don't know if that is going to happen anytime soon, but I do hope it happens eventually. It would be great to be trained under one of the best detectives in Japan," Chie went on about her job. Nanako could not remember the last time she had ever seen Chie this passionate about something that was not a martial arts film.

"Hey Big Sis? What was Big Bro like when he first got here?" Nanako asked after a moment.

Chie laughed. "Well I was wondering when it was going to be my turn. Heard you have been quite determined to get information on him for a while now. I was beginning to feel left out!" she exclaimed.

Nanako laughed a little as well. So it seemed all of their group was still tightly knit. Did her Big Bro know about the questions too?

"Well to be honest, he was quiet when he first got here. You probably noticed it. However, it was never the shy type of quiet that usually comes with being the new kid on the block. He was analytical. There was never a time when he was not thinking and observing something. Unlike me or Yosuke, he was attentive in class and never wavered in his studies. Me and Yukiko were the first to really approach him though. However, with my finger on the pulse of popular gossip topics at school, I knew he was pretty popular with the ladies from day one. Though personal experience can attest to that," Chie explained.

"I see," Nanako said with a small nod. "Thanks, Big Sis."

"Nanako-chan, why are you suddenly so curious about this, huh? People don't just suddenly get invested in things this fast without a reason," Chie told her. "So what's up? Girl time."

Nanako remembered her conversation with her friends earlier that day. She would have to leave the Mirror World and Personas out of this. "I recently was talking with my best friend Miwa. She mentioned that it was strange how you all only knew my Big Bro for a year and yet at his request you all continued to spend time with me, even once he was gone. What started as a look at the past ended up digging up other memories. About Namatame and my… death," she explained.

Chie's face immediately changed into a sad look. "Oh man," Chie said. She seemed to be fighting with herself about something. Like there was something on the tip of her tongue and she could figure out whether or not she wanted to say it. Finally after a moment she said, "That was one of the scariest times of our lives."

"I know. It does scare me some now. I didn't really think about it when I was younger but as I got older, I don't know it just got under my skin," Nanako explained. Chie got up and embraced the teenage girl.

"Well I am here if you ever want to talk about it alright?"

"I'll be fine for now. You should go home and get some rest, Big Sis," Nanako told her. Chie agreed after another quick squeezing hug she made her way back out of the Dojima Residence. Nanako immediately took her phone out and sent out a text.

New ransacking. Hospital. Any ideas?

She set her phone down on table in the living room and decided to just sleep out in the living room. Consciousness began to slip away from her as soon as she was laying down again. Tomorrow, she and her friends would go look for the new person in the Mirror World.

The school day was dragging on and on. Ms. Matsunaga was teaching the class about History. However she decided that she wanted to spend more of the day focusing on historical mythologies. Something that caught Nanako's attention was the mention of Greek Mythology. The Primordials, which made way to the Titans, who were then overthrown by the new pantheon known as the Gods. The personas had all referred to themselves as Titans. Maybe that was something Nanako could try to look into further at another time. In the meantime, there was someone to save, and if it was anything like the last time, literally from themselves. Unlike with Miwa where her laser focus had been the reason the day had gone by so quickly, the shades of gray painted by a lack of knowledge of their target left Nanako anxious. It was possible they could even be an adult or a child who caught wind of the Mirror game.

When school finally ended, the three friends made their way to Junes quickly. They could waste no time getting there. The three of them stepped through the mirror once the coast was clear. Upon entering the world with combative intent, Nanako's giant hammer was back in her hand. Miwa was wielding some kind of ornate quarterstaff. Yuuta found a sword in one hand and a spartan style shield in the other.

"Nice weapons," a sarcastic voice said off to the side. There was Eiddet in her suit walking up to them.

Nanako then asked her, "Has anyone else been in here?"

Eiddet nodded. "Hot fresh from your world over 12 hours ago. Something weird has happened though that I should probably warn you about," she explained.

"What is that?" Miwa asked.

"Well," Eiddet started hesitantly. "This one has made a pretty significant change to this world. Remember how Miwa's shadow broke chunks out of the city? Well this one completely transformed a building!" Eiddet's tone got louder and more worried over time.

Yuuta scratched his chin. "Who could it be though, I don't think anyone was missing from school, though let's be real we're all first years, who's going to tell us anything?" he remarked.

"True," Nanako said.

"No sense just waiting around here then, Eiddet can you show us the way?" Miwa said taking charge. The group all steeled themselves and began to make their way deeper into the Mirror World. Like last time, some smaller shadows got wise to their presence and attacked but they were just as easily dispatched as ever. After some time the group saw the Hospital and Eiddet had not been lying when she said that this building had transformed. The only reason they knew it was the hospital was because it matched the location in all other aspects. Position in the town, nearby landmarks. Everything simply made sense. Except the building itself was changed. Decrepit and looking like a hospital but if it had been designed by some kind of horror novelist or mangaka.

"So," Yuuta started awkwardly. "I am not the only one completely terrified of this place right? Right?" The people traveling him did not answer but no one moved any closer. Finally after a while, Yuuta stepped forward shield at the ready. "Let's go." The made their way closer to the hospital and standing at the doorway was a familiar figure. Blonde hair, two canes in hand and strangely enough two complete legs in a soccer uniform.

"So, its you three. Now I feel like I shoulda known that if anyone was going to be involved in something like this, it would be you. So tell me, you like my hospital? I had to renovate pretty heavily but now it matches the one I went to," the yellow eyes seemed to shine. This Shadow Shima was far too energetic and that was probably the thing that unnerved them most. The Shadow simply smirked and headed into the hospital spinning the canes in his hands. He quickly disappeared behind closed doors.

Another pause. "So it was Shima," Miwa summarized. "Why the hell would a guy like that play the Mirror Game? He seems far too 'I-don't-care-about-your-conformity- games,' to play a game like the Mirror Game."

"Wishful thinking maybe?" Yuuta commented. "Might prove to him that he is not a total reject?"

Nanako looked at him angrily. "Is this really the time for that Yuuta?" This outburst caught both of her friends off guard. "And even if that was the case, is it such a bad thing to want to know if there is someone in the world for you?"

"What?" Yuuta asked. "I mean if the guy hasn't figured it already, YOU know that people don't care about him. He acts all high and mighty when he is just some punk who would more likely end up dead in a ditch before showing up for school."

Nanako's mouth simply hung open looking at him. Regaining her composure enough to walk away, she then turned and headed for the door. Miwa close in tow. Yuuta still slightly shocked by her response brought up the rear.

Heading into the building was strange. The temperature dropped drastically and they found themselves in an obnoxiously ordinary looking hospital. Pictures on the walls showed a young Shima was dark brown hair holding Trophies, a soccer ball, everything that a sports kid could have ever dreamed about. There was even copies of the trophies on shelves a soccer ball in the corner. It was definitely a hospital but it was decorated like a museum exhibit.

"It is just a hospital on the inside?" Miwa asked after taking it all in. "It cannot be that simple right?"

"Let's find out, it is just a hallway and a flight of stairs," Nanako said walking down the hall. The others followed her.

The second floor was the disturbing turn they thought it was going to be as the pictures were changed. Bloody smudges replaced Shima in the pictures, accidents in the background of cars smashed together. Many of the important items had been replaced with medical equipment. IV drips stood ownerless, empty hospital beds littered the hallway, and toolds had replaced many of the smaller objects.

"What the hell?" Yuuta felt the words escape his lips.

"So was it a car crash that took his leg then?" Miwa asked.

Nanako nodded. "I think so. And if I am following the pictures correctly, I get the feeling he was not in a vehicle when it happened. Shima showed up in Inaba with a prosthetic right?"

"It would explain why I never heard about him being some kind of superstar player," Miwa commented. There was a door that led into a room with a hospital bed. There was a blood stained sheet laying over something vaguely leg shaped. It was just there out in the open in an otherwise empty room with a bright light shining down from above. "Oh god, is that what I think it is supposed to be?"

Before anyone could answer they heard Shima's voice which seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It said, "They told me they were happy to have me in town. That I was going to be a great addition to the team. Then the accident happened. My first year as a High Schooler was pure hell. I became a target of ridicule, especially from the team. I finally had to act out enough to get my family to transfer me again. So here I am in Inaba…"

The voice fell silent. "God, I hate teens sometimes," Miwa remarked bitterly.

Nanako nodded. "It just isn't fair that they would attack him like that for his accident," she added. Yuuta remained silent.

The three of them left the room through the other door and found themselves in another hallway. It was lined with wheelchairs and crutches. On the far end another door stood in their way. The group continued heading forward. Opening the door however revealed another horrifying sight. A single noose hanging from the middle of the room, from what appeared to a never ending darkness above them and a still standing chair.

"Does this mean-. Uh," Yuuta started. Nanako looked at the things in front of her and saw a side to Shima that was starting to become painfully clear. He was in misery. His voice then sounded again.

"It's not that I didn't like them. My classmates I mean. I just can't stand the way they always look at me. The pitying look. Or that superior look. I just see it, and I feel this overwhelming need to wipe it off their face. The adrenaline from fighting taking over like some kind of pain numbing drug. Some wonderful release. A terrible temporary relief. Because then it starts to hurt again… and I want to look for something more permanent."

The group was quiet. "Shima-senpai wants to kill himself?" Miwa asked.

"It looks like he did want it. Maybe now it something more of an always open option for him," Nanako suggested. "Let's keep going. We have to find him."

"Nanako?" Yuuta asked aloud.

Nanako looked at him quietly.

"I just wanted to say that I am sorry. For my remarks earlier. I just have a bad history with guys like him and I may have unfairly judged him."

"You did unfairly judge him. But you don't need to apologize to me. I just need you to promise me that you aren't going to do it again," Nanako responded seriously. Kanji had been far too good a person to Nanako for her to let someone who reminded her so much of him be spoken about so harshly. Shima was troubled he needed someone to treat him like a human and not like a patient, a display, or a freak.

Yuuta nodded. "I promise."

Nanako looked at him for a moment longer and finally replied. "Ok."

"Can we get going?" Eiddet asked. The group finally was ready to keep going.

Walking through the far door in the room and leaving the noose behind, the group found themselves in a strange room. Rows of seats surrounded a glass dome. Down below the dome was Shima sitting against a wall in his school uniform. He held his head in his hands and was curled up against the circular wall. To be honest, Nanako thought he looked like a cornered wounded animal. Standing on the dome was the soccer uniform clad shadow version.

"Welcome to the observation deck. Allow me to introduce you to today's patient. He is a 17 year old, asian male, with an athletic build. However there has been irreversible damage caused to his lower leg. We will have to amputate it as to prevent infections and to remove the now useless appendage. Side effects may include: social ridicule, constant pain, mental anguish, depression, and suicidal tendencies. Let's give it up for Shima Okazaki!" Shadow Shima said gesture with one of the two canes to his other self down below. It was a learning hospital set-up and Shima's shadow was presenting it more like a ringmaster at the circus than a medical procedure.

"Shima-senpai?" Nanako called out ignoring the shadow. "Are you alright?" This caught his attention and he looked up to see the three first years from Junes.

"Dojima?" she heard him respond quietly.

His shadow suddenly slammed his canes down. "Excuse me. Did I give me permission to speak?" he declared. "Besides, who says you deserve this? This rescue attempt? We both know you don't."

"Shut up," Shima replied.

"Why?" the shadow taunted. "What do we have to hide, huh? That we're weak? That we can't deal with pain? That we have wanted to-"

"Shut up!" Shima yelled louder.

The shadow's eyes narrowed at the outburst. "Why run from your past, buddy? It isn't going to fix it. It isn't going to fix itself! Why bother worrying about it?"

"What do you know about my pain faker? You have both your legs!" Shima yelled pushing himself onto his feet.

"Shima, shut up!" Yuuta yelled. However his warning fell on deaf ears.

Shima's confidence rising, "What could you possibly know about me? You aren't me!"

The shadow's sick smirk took everyone off guard. "Well I suppose you are right. I am me now." Shadows swelled and the Shadow Shima began to rise into the air as he transformed. Nanako, Yuuta, and Miwa all began to take on a faint glow of blue and they all called forth their Personas.

"So? Which of our children have you corrupted this time?" Themis asked casually.

Hyperion simply laughed. "It matters not. Bring forth the enemy!" he called jovially.

Rhea simply shook her head and replied, "Calm yourself Hyperion. Your bloodlust is showing."

The swarm of shadows finally cleared and beneath the miasma was a terrifyingly angry looking figure. Skin shown as a deep and burning red. Long jet black hair fell around its body wildly. A tattered toga was all it wore. His hands and feet seemed to glow like burning embers that seemed to grow brighter when he snarled. Within his grasp a giant flaming blade.

"I am the Shadow! The true self! With the power of Menoetius I will make the world burn in the flames of fury that it has stoked within me!"

The three teens found themselves as the current source of this giants ire.

"Oh, Menoetius… what has happened to you dear child?" Rhea commented gently. A mass of ice gathered upon the head of Rhea's staff.

Hyperion gave a hearty laugh and as he drew his shield he gathered lightning within his grasp. "Ah, now here is one I can sink my teeth into!"

Themis remained quiet as she readied her hammer.

"Ok, Miwa!" Nanako called to her friend. "Try to keep him still. If this one gets going, I doubt even Yuuta's shield is going to hold him back. Freeze him in place as much as possible." Miwa saluted Nanako and she let loose a flurry of ice from her Persona. Nanako looked at Yuuta. "I need you to try to blitz him. The less he gets to act the better off we will be in this fight," she told him.

"You got it leader!" Yuuta responded and Hyperion drew his chainsaw blade and flew forward at the flaming giant.

"Nanako," Eiddet began. "I will try to keep you all up to date on what this one can do if I am able to keep up with it. You are in charge, go get your friend." Nanako nodded. Themis charged forward with her hammer. The giant was already feeling the force being wielded against it. However with a massive swing of his arms, Hyperion was thrown back into the stream of ice. It then charged forward at Themis.

"Ok, he is going to try to attack your persona with multiple attacks. If possible, try to prioritize evasion or defensive combat!" Eiddet called out.

Yuuta then focused on his Persona and shortly after a green aura emitted from Hyperion and was absorbed by Themis. Themis proceeded to dodge most of the attacks getting mildly skimmed by some swings. The giant hammer swung through the air knocking the giant back. Miwa redoubled her efforts to freeze the giant now that he was off balance allowed Hyperion to swoop into the fight to push the giant on its back. The giant became stuck on the glass dome.

Eiddet then cheered, "He's down! Get him!"

"Yuuta, Miwa! Let's try to force him through the dome, limit his movements in a smaller space," Nanako ordered. "I am going to go get Shima out of there."

"At your order child, we will lay into that poor titan," Themis said to her wielder. Nanako ran towards a downward staircase leading into the operation room. Nanako got to the door and it was locked. The lock on the inside.

"Shima! I need you to get out here!" Nanako shouted through the door. "Please! I know it is scary having to face up to reality like this. But we need your help. I promise you that things will be better if you can come to accept this side of yourself. It won't be easy. But you won't be alone! So please, help us save you!"

Miwa appeared at the top of the stairs. "Nanako, the giant is starting to get up again! We are running out of time!"

Nanako looked at her best friend and then looked at the door. The door knob was turning. It swung open and otherside was Shima, but at the smallest she had ever seen him. Nanako reached forward and grabbed his arm. "Thank you, Shima. Your strength is what is going to make this possible," she said to him as she pulled him slowly through the doorway. Closing the door behind her she called out. "Do it now!"

Themis and Hyperion both flew high up. With hammer and golden wheel extended, the two Persona fell from the sky slamming their weapons down on the shadow enemy. Glass shattered and scattered about reflecting both spark and frost alike the room looked like some kind of firework display inside a snowglobe. Nanako and Shima made their way up to the top of the observation room. The giant managed to get back onto his feet. Shima stared at the monster his shadow had become and Nanako could see something change in his gaze.

"So this is me, huh?" Shima asked aloud. He walked forward towards the giant. "Hey! Asshole! Let's just sit down and talk this out yeah?"

The giant looked down at Shima. There was a limp to his walk as he was off balance without his cane. "We have nothing to talk about. Afterall, I am fake. Not real right?"

"No you are real. We are real. So let's be real. Afterall, how strong can either of us be if we are just lying to ourselves? A friend of ours once told us that," Shima replied. The giant reeled back and readied an attack against Shima. Shima however did not flinch and blocked the attack with his arm. "I get it alright? You think I want to be doing this? With all these people here? Look, I always knew you were there. After all the shit we went through as first years, I get it. It hurt. The words were too loud, the lights were too bright. It honestly didn't get any better when we got to Inaba. Ridicule turned to isolation. I still remember the day I took the rope out of the garage, put it in my backpack. I figured if people were gonna watch me from afar, that could be their last memory of me. So far from them at from the top of the school. Then we met her. She treated us like a human. Suddenly a whole world of emotions and interactions that had been gone came back. I don't think that if she knew what we had been planning that day, if she knew everything she did for us… I don't think this is the second chance she would have wanted for us. Yeah? So let's actually try this time, yeah? Cut the bullshit. Let's make sure that Shiho's time and effort was not wasted on us." Shima began to talk on a blue aura as figure appear holding back the giant's arm revealing how he had blocked the attack.

Shima's Persona made itself seen. A powerful man covered in scars and rippling muscles. Posed beneath the arm and lifting it up it was revealed that this man was wearing an animal pelt armor with long flowing blonde hair.

"For it is now that I reveal myself. I am Iapetus. For it is in passing that we achieve immortality.(1) However one must be fully aware of their living mortality to get the most out of this life. Let us settle this now!"

From his belt, Iapetus drew a cane looking device. Pulling on the handle, a blade was revealed from within. The Persona stepped forward and then with a quick dash, removed the giant's head from it's shoulders. As the being faded, Shima's Shadow levitated to his counterpart and landed. The shadow was missing its leg now. With a moment of begrudging respect, Shadow Shima handed over one of the canes. Shima leaned on it as he energy was already beginning to fade.

"Together," the shadow demanded.

"No exceptions," Shima responded. A simple handshake sealed the deal as the Shadow faded away. "You're still an asshole though." Shima added afterward.

Nanako approached him. "Shima-senpai? Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" he responded. "I'm just tired. Can we go?"

Yuuta stepped forward, "I'll lead the way, Senpai."

"Thanks, Minami," Shima said to the underclassman.

The group filled Shima in as best they could on their way through the Mirror World back to Junes.

"Well suddenly your always being there makes a lot of sense," he commented dryly. "I need rest. Can we pick this up again later?"

"Of course, Senpai," Miwa responded.

"I'll help you get home," Nanako told him.

Eiddet pulled on Shima's sleeve. "So which high school student are you?" Shima asked.

"I am not one. My name is Eiddet I was wanting to ask if you remember what happened when you got in here?" Eiddet asked him.

Shima nodded. "I was standing in front of the mirror at the hospital. For whatever reason I remembered the Mirror Game. I dunno if it was just a moment of desperation or delusion but I just needed to try it. Next thing I know I am here. I can't remember anything else, though."

"Thanks," Eiddet replied. "Now everyone leave. I got snooping to do!"

The teens all said goodbye to Eiddet. Stepping back out into Junes, Shima stumbled and ended up on the ground. "Damn it, I am a third year, I shouldn't be acting like this," he joked. The other three underclassmen looked at him as he got back on his feet and laughed at the joke, harkening back to the day they met. Nanako waved to the other two as she walked with Shima since he still seemed a little unbalanced.

"So, how are you feeling Shima?" she asked him after a moment.

Shima responded, "A little embarrassed. Just had to spill my guts in front of a bunch of people. You all got to see the parts of me that I am not proud of…" Shima replied honestly.

"It is alright," Nanako told him with a smile. "Can I ask you about something though? Do you still feel like you want to kill yourself?"

Shima became really quiet. The two of them walked in silence for a period of time. Nanako opened her mouth to apologize when he said, "I can't say that I want to. I won't say that I haven't thought of it as an option. But I have not wanted to die since then."

Nanako nodded. "Good."

"Doji-... Nanako? I, uh…" Shima started to say but it seemed like the words could not get in order.

"What is it?"

Thank you. He is trying to say thank you. Themis's voice said in her ear.

Nanako stopped walking and Shima followed suit still trying to find the words. "Shima, you're welcome," Nanako told him. He nodded slowly and she smiled at him. She then proceeded to continue walking. As she passed him she teased, "Clearly you are too tired. Let's get you to your house, alright?"

"Yeah," Shima agreed with a warmth radiating through him.. He followed her into the setting sun. After a moment, a small smile landed on his face. For the first time in a long time, he was happy.

1: This is a direct partial quote from the internet series RWBY. I had meant to getting around to uploading this chapter sooner (about 16 days sooner). For those who may not be aware, the creator of RWBY was a man named Monty Oum. A great inspiration of mine and part of the reason that I decided to start posting my Fanfics to this website. He unfortunately passed away a few years back on February 1, 2015. My biggest regret being that I never got the opportunity to meet him. So I wanted to just give a dedication to him and his memory. Thank you so much for all the inspiration Monty.