Never More

by Jenna Riedell

When Aika Nakamura moves to Inaba at the start of the school year, a series of impossible murders shakes the sleepy town to its core. But things aren't what they seem, and before long, Aika, along with a few of her classmates, is forced to awaken to the power of Persona to solve this mystery. Persona 4 featuring a female protagonist.

8. Chapter 8

I know I said this at the end of the last chapter, but shit gets real in this chapter. Brace yourselves, dear readers. NOVEMBER IS COMING.

---

"I don't see why I can't go to school today," Naoto said stubbornly, crossing her arms as she sat up with her back against the wall, frowning petulantly. "I am not an invalid."

"No," Aika said bluntly. "You're not going to school today. You're going to stay here and rest."

"But Senpai—"

"Uncle!" Aika yelled as she thrust open her room door. "Can you call Naoto-kun in sick?"

"Sure thing!" he yelled back, and Aika simply raised her eyebrows at her underclassman.

Naoto sighed. "Senpai, you can be absolutely terrible when you want to be," she said.

"It's for your own good," Aika retorted. "Not even Yukiko came back to school until two days after we rescued her. And I had to skip a day of school after I first went into the TV. Then again, I'm not really the best example…"

"I see no reason why I have to—"

"If you'd like, I can stay home and take care of you. If you want."

Naoto sighed as Aika smiled infuriatingly at her. "Fine. Just go to school. I will recuperate here."

Aika giggled and ruffled Naoto's hair affectionately. "Good girl, Naoto-k—chan."

"You don't have to force yourself," Naoto said. "If calling me 'Naoto-kun' feels more natural, then by all means, go ahead."

"What do you want me to call you?" Aika asked.

Naoto shrugged. "Either one is fine. Or just 'Naoto' would work too."

"Okay," Aika said, smiling and nodding. "Then Naoto it is." The faintest of smiles appeared on Naoto's face, and Aika took it as progress. "Well, I'm off." And with that, she left the house without incident.

As she was walking to school, after parting ways with Nanako, someone ran up to her. "Aika-san!"

It was the boy from that Chinese restaurant Aiya's, but Aika couldn't, for the life of her, remember his name. "Oh… um…"

"Yu," the boy supplied helpfully. "Yu Narukami."

"Oh… S-Sorry, Yu-kun. It's been a while."

Yu smiled gently. "Yes, it has. Listen, you're friends with Yukiko Amagi, right?"

"Yeah," Aika replied.

"Can you pass on a message to her for me? We've both been so busy that neither of us can find time to meet." Aika raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. "Can you tell her that we're willing to cater for the event on the twelfth, should the original caterers be unable to do so."

Oh, so it was inn business. For some reason, Aika was disappointed. "Sure, I'll pass the message."

"Thank you," Yu said. "And… can you come find me and tell me after you do? I know it sounds a little silly, but I'd feel much better if I knew when exactly my message was delivered."

"Of… course…" Aika said slowly. And, true to her word, she told Yukiko exactly what Yu told her to say, and barely got a reaction from her at all. So, by the end of the school day, Aika resorted to circling the school hallways, searching for Yu.

Thankfully, he was rather easy to find, since he was so tall. "I passed on the message like you asked," she told him.

"Thank you very much," Yu replied, bowing his head to her. "I'm sorry for the trouble." He chuckled and stared pensively out the window a little ways away. "This sort of correspondence between us used to be so easy… Of course, everything was simpler back then."

"So you guys are childhood friends?" Aika asked.

Yu smiled gently. "You could say that. I really have known Yukiko-san all my life. We may have… drifted apart over the years, but I'd like to think that we can still be friends, if we put in the effort."

"Good luck," Aika told him. "I hope you guys do settle things." And then…

Thou art I… and I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Strength Arcanum…

Oh… I see… How many more do I have left? Yu bowed his head to Aika respectfully. "Thanks again, Aika-san."

---

"Would you stop fidgeting?" Aika asked as Naoto once again tugged at her skirt. "You look fine."

"This is surely against the dress code, combining the boys' and girls' uniforms like this," Naoto muttered.

"Yukiko wears a bright red sweater, and Chie wears a bright green jacket," Aika pointed out. "Kanji barely wears the uniform at all. You don't see them getting in trouble."

Naoto sighed. "I suppose…" By now, they'd reached the school gates, where Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko were standing and talking.

Yosuke raised his eyebrows and smirked as he saw Naoto. "Well, Naoto-kun, look at you!"

"You know, the boys' shirt and the girls' skirt actually look really nice together," Yukiko complimented.

"Hey look, it's the 'Detective Prince'," a student passing by sneered.

The boy he was with scoffed. "More like princess. I heard 'he's' a 'she'!"

Chie put her hands on Naoto's shoulders and spun the smaller girl around to face them. "Take a look for yourselves, assholes!"

The boys gossiping about Naoto briefly regarded her, and Aika laughed at the way their eyes seemed to bug out of their heads as they jumped. "Wh-Whoa!"

"Looks like the rumors are true," Aika said blandly, smiling. The boys both blushed furiously, before making some lame excuse and leaving.

"My, my…" Naoto said. "Rumors spread so quickly."

"Stop it, Naoto," Aika admonished. "You're giving Kanji way too much competition!"

"He's going to kill you if he hears you saying that," Chie muttered. "You do know that, right?"

"At any rate, I'd like to discuss the case with you all," Naoto interjected. "We're dealing with a kidnap-and-murder case perpetrated by someone lurking in this very town. And it isn't over yet… We shall discuss this in more detail after school."

And, as usual, the group, plus Naoto, made their way to Junes once the last bell had rung. "First, I heard the doorbell ring," Naoto said. "But when I opened the front door, I saw no one there. Just as alarm bells sounded in my mind, someone grabbed me roughly from behind and covered my mouth with something. Immediately afterward, I was put into something like a sack and most likely carried on the culprit's shoulder."

"Wow, how could you remember all that?" Rise asked, sounding impressed.

"The culprit seems to have used a chemical to incapacitate me," Naoto continued, "but luckily I wasn't completely unconscious. I had been expecting a trick along those lines, so I was somewhat prepared. And of course, I was desperate to gather as much information as I could."

"No wonder you're an ace detective!" Teddie gushed.

"That ain't something to be proud of," Kanji muttered. "You're too damn calm about all of this…"

"Judging by their actions and body type, I'd say the culprit is definitely a man," Naoto concluded. "I heard no conversations or voices, so I believe he is acting alone. It's after that that things get murky… I felt a single impact, which I assume is when I was thrown inside the TV… But the time from kidnapping to that point seemed too short… It was a matter of minutes."

"Could there have been a TV on the side of the road?" Chie asked in all seriousness.

"Regrettably, my memory from there on is a blur," Naoto said glumly.

"So it's just like with everyone else…" Aika said quietly. "The killer came up to the door and rang the bell… and that's when everyone was kidnapped."

"I finally understand why you all testified that you couldn't recall much of what happened," Naoto said. "Such a bizarre experience, with mental and physical fatigue on top of it… It's only natural to be confused. And, going by the surrounding circumstances, my kidnapping and everyone else's were near identical. There is no question that the culprit is the same in each case."

"So that Mitsuo guy…" Chie said slowly.

"I can't make any conclusions until I obtain more evidence," Naoto said, "but Mitsuo Kubo's only victim was Mr. Morooka. It was a copycat killing that mimicked the culprit's true method."

"No wonder King Moron's death broke the pattern in so many ways…" Yosuke mused.

"Wait a minute!" Chie interjected. "Mitsuo could enter the TV, right? Then why didn't he kill King Moron that way?"

"So we know that Ms. Yamano and Saki-senpai were definitely killed on the other side," Aika said. "That's why no one could say what exactly the cause of death was. But Naoto mentioned earlier that Mr. Morooka suffered a blunt trauma… Did… Mitsuo not know about the TV world?" She sighed. "Maybe we should just ask him in person."

"Unfortunately, I have been taken off this case," Naoto said, "so I cannot."

"They wouldn't admit that it wasn't Mitsuo in the first place…" Rise grumbled. "Once you've said something on TV, it's not easy to admit that you were wrong."

"The police won't readily concede that they made false charges," Naoto pointed out.

"Even if it's someone our age…" Aika said quietly.

"The general sentiment is that the police wanted to end this case with his arrest," Naoto said. "Even if it means that another killer may be at large."

"Those dickheads…" Kanji said in a low voice. "I had a feeling that would be the case. Not that I trusted 'em in the first place."

"But uh, Naoto…" Yosuke said uncertainly. "If you were that calm when it happened to you, couldn't you have… you know… I'm not saying you should've caught him, but isn't it kinda sad for an ace detective to go down that easily?"

"Um…" Naoto mumbled. "To tell you the truth… I was really scared… I-I'm sorry…"

"It can't be helped," Yukiko said helpfully. "None of us could resist the culprit either."

"Hell, even Kanji couldn't, and he was screaming death threats at us the day he got kidnapped," Chie deadpanned.

"What're you trying to say, Senpai?" Kanji demanded.

"We're saying you're a badass," Chie replied automatically. "It's a compliment."

"You know, Naoto…" Yosuke said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you've really got balls."

Aika giggled when Naoto's face flushed scarlet. "Stop teasing her, Yosuke."

"R-Regardless…" Naoto stammered. "I have no doubt that the culprit will continue with his attacks. But this is no longer a mere job or someone else's affair… I want to know the truth of why we were targeted."

"So…" Aika said slowly. "Does this mean you'll join us?"

Naoto smiled. "Absolutely."

"Since I'm the King of the Geniuses," Teddie quipped, "I knew it would work out this way…" He pulled a pair of blue-rimmed glasses out from behind him. "Ta-da! Nao-chan's glasses!"

"Thank you," Naoto said as she took the glasses from him. "They told me about you, Teddie. I can sympathize with your drive to find yourself. If I may help in any way, let me know."

"Wow!" Teddie gushed. "What a nice girl!" And, for the rest of the evening, the conversation degenerated into small talk, and, for the first time, the group felt whole.

---

Aika couldn't believe her luck. Not only did she face no opposition whatsoever when she entered Inaba's detention center, but it was also rather easy to find Mitsuo's room… or whatever it was.

And, as expected, Mitsuo recognized her instantly. "Y-You!" he gasped, pressing an accusing finger to the glass pane separating them.

Aika sat down in front of him and clasped her hands firmly in her lap. "Me," she said. "So I take it that you remember me."

"You're that stupid bitch who—"

"I can see this isn't going to end well," Aika said, standing up promptly. "Maybe I should go."

"No, don't!" Mitsuo yelped. A look of confusion crossed his face, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just said, but then he sighed, and there was something so sad and lonely and desperate in his eyes that Aika felt more sorry for him than ever. "Stay. Please?" Aika sighed as she sat back down. "What do you want from me? I already told you – I did it all."

"No, you didn't," Aika retorted. "You only killed Mr. Morooka – not Ms. Yamano or Saki-senpai."

"No, I—"

"Tell me the truth." Surprisingly, Aika's voice came out firmly, but calmly at the same time. "Remember that place, where there was that thing that looked like you and talked a little like you? Each and every one of my closest friends has gone through exactly what you went through over there. Don't you think I have a right to know what's really going on?"

Mitsuo turned away, frowning. "Why should I tell you anything? You don't care about me…"

"Honestly? It's hard not to care about you when you keep sulking like that."

Mitsuo sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging as if he was trying to hold the whole world up with them. "What do you want from me?" he asked again, though he sounded so much more tired that Aika seriously contemplated just leaving him alone.

But she didn't know when she'd get another opportunity like this again. "The truth," she replied. "Start at the beginning. Why did you kill Mr. Morooka?"

"Aren't you gonna ask about that announcer lady?" Mitsuo asked.

Aika shrugged. "There's no point. I know you didn't kill them."

Mitsuo gave a long, drawn-out sigh and stared upward. "He was a rat bastard, you know. Always so smug and superior, looking down on others just because he was this special philosophy teacher or something, treating the rest of us like…"

Aika averted her eyes downward. "Yeah… I can imagine…"

"He used to pick on me, you know. Me. I mean, sure I've been picked on at school, but he should've been different. He's a teacher. He should know better!"

"But killing him won't solve—"

"He's gone!" Mitsuo yelled, slamming his hands down on the table in front of him. "And I'm glad he's out of my life! Now he can't bother me anymore!"

"But was killing him really the best—"

"What else was I supposed to do?"

Aika sighed. "Please don't yell. I'll get in a lot of trouble if I get caught visiting you." She sighed again. "What about the TV world? How did you end up in there? Did you run there after you got caught?"

"Run… where?"

"The place where we fought your Shadow!"

Mitsuo turned away. "I-I don't remember… I was in the interrogation room one minute, and then the next, I was there… I really don't remember anything."

"So you didn't jump in on your own?" Aika asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Inside the TV?" Mitsuo asked, his eyes widening in wonder. "Is that really possible?"

Aika grasped her arm tightly. "Never mind that…" She stood up. "I should get going. Um… thanks for talking, Mitsuo-kun."

"Hey," Mitsuo said. "You're… not that bad. Come back later… if you want…" Aika smiled faintly at him as yet another Social Link formed.

Thou art I… and I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Tower Arcanum…

Aika just shook her head. Why am I not surprised? "I'll try," she promised Mitsuo. "Until then… just don't give my uncle a hard time, all right? I'll see you later." When she left, she couldn't ignore the guilty yet somehow simultaneously warm feeling in her gut.

---

Aika sighed as she stepped out into the hospital's hallway. Once again, she was the last person to be checked up on. "Hey," Yosuke said as soon as he saw her. "How'd it go?"

Aika shrugged. "It was just an ordinary checkup," she replied. "Nothing's wrong with me."

"Ugh," Kanji groaned. "Hospitals suck balls."

"Was there really a point to this?" Rise asked. "The doctors looked confused too…"

"I think it's sweet that Naoto-kun's worrying about us like this," Yukiko said. "Besides – the main reason we're here is because of Teddie ."

At that moment, Naoto and Teddie walked up to them, both of them looking somewhat confused. "I'm very sorry for the wait," Naoto said.

"I'm bear-y sorry for the wait," Teddie said.

"What's wrong?" Aika asked. "Did they find out anything about Teddie?"

"They did indeed…" Naoto sighed. "They found out that they can't tell anything about him. I even had them take an X-ray, but nothing came up on it. No matter how many times they tried, it would always be too blurry to read. A visual examination and standard palpations indicated that he seems perfectly normal. Since the machine could be malfunctioning, they told me to try another hospital if we're still worried about him. I felt bad for making them go through all this…"

"So he is different…" Yukiko mused.

"Oh my," Teddie said, not sounding upset or confused at all. "What should I do? They took a look at everything inside me."

"She just said they couldn't see anything on the X-ray, you dork," Chie said.

"But at least they didn't find anything wrong with him, right?" Kanji asked. "Man, we know as much about Teddie as we do those Personas and Shadows…"

"Oh yeah," Yosuke quipped. "I tried looking them up on the internet. Persona means something like, another personality. And I think they listed Shadows under the related terms."

"I performed my own research after the incident," Naoto said. "'Persona' and 'Shadow' are common psychological terms. Of course, the ones we are familiar with don't quite fit those definitions. I came about this in an unofficial report: a Shadow is suppressed power, and it becomes a Persona when controlled by one's ego."

"That makes sense," Aika said. "You all didn't get your Personas until after you faced your Shadows."

"Yeah, but that doesn't really explain you either," Chie pointed out. "Oh yeah, I forgot Naoto doesn't know."

"Aika has the power to use multiple Personas," Yukiko explained. "She doesn't use it very much, though…"

Naoto raised her eyebrows. "Interesting… Did this come after you faced your Shadow, or…?"

"Actually, Aika didn't have to face her Shadow," Yosuke said. "She awakened to her Persona right as my Shadow went berserk."

"Perhaps you can give me some details on this ability, Senpai?" Naoto asked.

"Um…" Aika mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Well… I-It's called the Wild Card. I can either find Personas from Shadows I defeat or fuse the ones I already have to make new ones. I feel more comfortable using my initial Persona, though, so I don't use the Wild Card so much anymore, and I kind of stopped fusing new Personas a while ago."

Naoto walked over to Aika and stared at her square in the eye. "It sounds like there's something you're hiding."

Aika shrugged. Only Social Links… "I just… don't feel comfortable using this power. That's all."

But Naoto appeared unconvinced. Before she could get another word in, Teddie stepped in between them, grinning mischievously. "There's some things we do know, though…" He pulled out a small stack of papers. "I got a bunch of awesome data with me! It's kinda embarrassing that I'm the only one who had personal details shown to the world, so… nowadays, information wants to be free! Therefore, I'll break the ice by announcing the results of everyone's physical exams!"

"Wha-?" Chie shrieked. "No you won't! Give 'em to me now!"

"Ooh," Teddie said as he sidestepped Chie. "First place in the 'shortest legs division' is… huh. Who would've guessed?"

"It's probably me," Aika said. "I'm the shortest one here."

"Look, if you're gonna blab it all…" Yosuke said, and Aika really didn't like that smirk on his face. "You might as well tell us the girls' measurements!"

"What?" Chie shrieked.

"No, please don't, Teddie!" Aika begged.

"Go right ahead," Rise said confidently. "My profile's been public knowledge for ages. Oh, but my bust size is two centimeters smaller than they print. My agency insisted."

"D-Don't say mine!" Yukiko yelped.

"Aw, don't feel bad, Senpai," Rise said. "Besides – modestly sized breasts like yours would definitely make it easier to wear a kimono." Rise peered over the shoulder. "Oh, Naoto-kun's is in here too, huh? Let's see, Naoto-kun's is…" She gasped and jumped back. "Is this… for real? Wait, isn't this measured wrong?"

"A-Anyways…" Naoto interjected, swiping the papers from Teddie's hands. "The important thing is that according to the examination results, nothing's wrong with our health! So we won't be needing these anymore!"

"Let's go shred them," Aika suggested.

"I'll take care of it, Senpai," Naoto said in a sickeningly sweet voice as she ran off.

Teddie sighed. "They still couldn't find out anything about me…"

"Don't worry, Teddie," Aika said. "We'll figure this out."

"C'mon, man," Kanji said, slinging one arm around the shorter boy. "Let's go get some Topsicles."

---

The day Aika finished her last midterm, she went home straight after school to get some sleep, as she'd stayed up rather late the previous night to study. "I'm home," she called tiredly, but there was no response. Nanako wasn't by her usual spot at the table, either. "Nanako…?" Aika sighed as she plopped down on the couch and leaned backward. Guess she's not home yet…

Suddenly, the front door opened. "I'm home!" Nanako called. Aika stood up and made her way to the front of the house to greet her younger cousin. "Welcome back, Big Sis! There was a letter for you in the mailbox!" Nanako handed Aika a small white envelope. "Oh, my show's on!"

As she ran to the table and switched on the TV, Aika examined the envelope closely. Though it was addressed, "To Miss Aika Nakamura," the sender's name and address were nowhere to be found. That should have been her first clue that something was wrong, but she opened the envelope anyway, hoping that it was just a hoax and that everything was all right. Only one sentence was printed on the note inside with characters cut out and pasted from magazines and newspapers: "dont rescue anymore". Aika's breath caught in her throat as she read and reread the sentence over and over – "dont rescue anymore". And the more she read it, the more convinced she became that it was a warning from the killer, instead of a prank. And all the while, she couldn't stop shaking or hyperventilating.

It was all she could do to put the letter aside and wait until lunchtime the next day to show it to everyone else. Yosuke's arm was draped comfortingly around her, but she still trembled slightly in fear and anxiety. The killer knew where she lived, and he knew what she was doing, and everything was going wrong. "Is this a warning?" Naoto asked, sounding worried.

"No punctuation or capitalization…" Chie observed. "What a cliché."

"Ain't this just a prank?" Kanji asked. "The kinda stuff that only happens in movies?"

"I-I don't know…" Aika mumbled, wrapping her arms protectively around herself.

"Did you tell your uncle?" Yosuke asked her.

"H-He didn't come home last night, b-but…"

"Senpai…" Naoto said quietly. "Dojima-san is trustworthy, but it may be best to keep this to ourselves."

"B-But—"

"He worries about you quite a lot," Naoto continued. "If he were to find out this letter, he would no doubt put you under surveillance, and our hands would be tied." But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, Aika couldn't bring herself to agree. Her uncle would protect her for sure. Maybe if he knew exactly what was going on, even everything about the TV world, he'd be able to help…

"About this letter, though…" Yukiko piped up. "What worries me is that it was delivered directly to Aika's house. Doesn't this mean that the culprit knows exactly what we're doing?"

"Maybe not exactly, but he might have a pretty good idea," Chie answered.

"Yeah, and he delivered the letter to Aika-senpai's house," Rise pointed out. "Her uncle's a detective."

"The text is only a warning," Naoto said, "while the subtext expresses the culprit's confidence that we can't use it to pinpoint his identity."

"Cross your fingers it's just a prank…" Yosuke said, hugging Aika closer to him.

"I think the chances of that are slim," Yukiko said glumly. "The message is too specific, too perfect to be a prank."

"But how could the killer know so much about us?" Rise asked. "Is he… watching us from somewhere? Didn't Teddie mention something about him sensing someone watching us in there?"

"Wait…" Yosuke said. "Every time we went to the other side to save someone, did we end up on the Midnight Channel ourselves?"

"I haven't heard any rumors at school," Chie said. "Even the people who I know check that channel haven't said anything, and the only gossip I heard was about the people who disappeared."

"So… we just wait?" Aika asked quietly.

"Sounds about right," Kanji muttered.

"You okay?" Yosuke asked her. "It must've been kinda scary, having that sort of letter addressed to you."

Aika leaned against him. "I-I'm fine…" she lied. "Don't worry."

"Mind if I change the subject?" Chie quipped. "The Culture Festival's just around the corner. What's our class doing again?"

"I heard we'll be voting on it soon, but aren't they still gathering ideas?" Yukiko asked.

"Ooh, I just thought of something!" Yosuke said suddenly.

"This doesn't sound good…" Chie grumbled.

---

"You better have a damn good explanation for this!" Chie yelled several days later on the school rooftop.

Yosuke crossed his arms and laughed innocently. "For what?"

Chie stomped her foot angrily. "The cosplay pageant! You signed us up without asking us, didn't you?"

"I-It wasn't me!" Yosuke protested.

Aika crossed her arms and looked him square in the eye. "I'm very disappointed in you, Yosuke."

His face turned red. "Gah, okay, it was me… B-But it's not that big of a deal! If you don't want to do it, then just don't!"

"We wouldn't be so pissed if we could do that!" Chie screeched. "With Kashiwagi planning this year's events, even those who got entered by other people can't back out!"

"Seriously? Must've been something in the fine print I overlooked…"

"Why the hell did you sign us up then?" Yukiko demanded.

"I-I just thought it would be fun, okay?" Yosuke said. "We've got an idol, a Detective Prince, and Yukiko's pretty popular too…"

"Yeah, but what about me?" Chie yelled. "And Aika too!"

"Look, I just thought this would be a good time to get a little team bonding in!" Yosuke tried to explain. "And it's a cosplay pageant, so you can be whatever you want!"

"It's not an all girls' pageant, is it?" Aika asked, tapping her foot in front of her.

"Uh…" Yosuke mumbled. "No?"

Aika smiled at Naoto. "I'm on it," the first year said.

"Wait, what?" Yosuke yelped.

"Ooh, we're signing them up too, aren't we?" Yukiko asked. "This is going to be great!"

"You better get ready, Yosuke," Chie said, smirking. "I am not going down without a fight."

"Boyfriend privilege doesn't extend to this pageant, unfortunately," Aika said, smiling. "I'm still going to kick your ass… not literally."

"H-Hey, I so didn't need that image, Senpai!" Kanji yelped.

"Oh, you're in too, Kanji," Rise said. "This'll be great!"

Naoto ran up to the rooftop at that point, out of breath but smirking. "Mission complete."

"Yes!" Rise cheered.

"This appears to be a problem," Naoto sighed. "It seems unfitting for someone like me to appear on stage…"

"I-I… don't think it's a problem at all," Kanji said. "I-I mean, just do it! Y'now… Seriously!"

Rise giggled. "Silly Kanji. Just tell her you want her to be in the pageant!"

"Um…" Kanji mumbled, his face red. "I beg you. Please be in it. If you do, my… doubts… will finally be cleared. C'mon, make me a man!"

"Doubts?" Naoto echoed. "What are you talking about?"

Aika outright laughed at them. "What he's saying, Naoto, is—"

"Shut it, Senpai!" He clenched his fists and stared at Naoto with a strange expression. "C'mon, just do it! You're an ace detective, aren't you?"

"Wha—" Naoto gasped. "What does that have to do with a cosplay pageant?"

---

All in all, everyone's costumes turned out spectacularly. Through some miracle, Aika managed to find enough things in Rise's enormous closet – namely, a white shirt with long, loose, flowing sleeves, an orange jumpsuit, and a corset – to piece together a costume. Naoto and Rise really put a lot of effort into their costumes (though Aika suspected that Rise had a lot to do with the reason why). Naoto wore a short blue skirt with a white top with blue sleeves and a white cape on her shoulders, while Rise wore a frilly pink dress with puffy white sleeves and a lot of pink ribbons, along with pink ribbons in her hair. Yukiko wore a loose lavender sweatshirt and dark blue sweatpants, though Aika couldn't quite tell who she was trying to be. Kanji had painted his face blue and donned a large black cloak decorated with red clouds. Yosuke wore a V-neck white T-shirt, a black jacket with a fur trim collar, black leather pants, and black boots and gloves. Finally, Chie wore a white headband tied around her forehead, along with a sleeveless green turtleneck and tan shorts.

"Everyone looks amazing!" Rise gushed.

"I still do not understand why you forced me to wear this," Naoto grumbled, fidgeting with her skirt.

"It's our theme, Naoto-kun!" Rise said exasperatedly. "You and me are from the same anime, just like Yukiko-senpai and Kanji are from the same anime. Then Aika-senpai, Yosuke-senpai, and Chie-senpai are all from the same video game."

"Different games in the same franchise!" Kanji, who was avoiding looking in Naoto's direction at all costs, corrected.

Rise waved her hand dismissively at him. "Yeah, that."

"Wow, Naoto," Yosuke said, sounding impressed. "You look a lot like a girl… more so than how it's been so far. So, are you a man yet, Kanji?"

"Sh-Shut up!" Kanji yelled. "… but yeah."

Chie screeched something straight out of a kung-fu movie. "Thanks for the cosplay tips, Kanji! I love my character!"

"Yeah, thanks for helping us piece all these costumes together, Kanji-kun," Yukiko said.

"Everyone…!" Teddie was at the doorway with a camera hanging around his neck. "Everyone looks so wonderful!"

"Take lots of pictures of us, okay Teddie?" Rise asked excitedly.

"I-I don't think I can do this…" Aika mumbled.

"It's all in the attitude, Aika!" Chie whispered, putting her hands on Aika's shoulders and pushing her forward. And, before long, they were back stage.

"Are you guys ready?" Yosuke asked.

"Ready!" everyone replied.

"All right," Yosuke said, cracking his knuckles and smirking. "Let's wreck the competition!"

---

"Wow!" Rise gasped as she entered the hot springs. "This place is huge!"

Nanako giggled as she stared up at the sky above. "Wow, you can see the stars!" She ran forward with Rise, laughing.

"H-Hey, don't run!" Aika called after them both.

"Huh?" Chie mumbled. "Where's Naoto?"

Rise gave a mischievous smirk as she ran back inside. "C'mon, Naoto-kun! No need to get shy now!" She dragged out Naoto, who was dressed in a towel like everyone else. Except…"

"So, the truth comes out…" Yukiko mused as she bent down and stared at her—

"What has gotten into you all?" Naoto wailed, blushing furiously. Aika and Nanako entered the hot springs, followed by Yukiko, and then Rise and Chie forcibly dragging Naoto in.

"Wow, Naoto-kun," Rise said. "Your skin looks so soft! Can I touch? Can I touch?"

Yukiko made her way over and rubbed Naoto's shoulder. "Wow, it really is smooth."

"You're so lucky!" Chie said. "You have such fair skin and silky hair…"

"No unneeded body fat either!" Rise added.

"And you don't look like you're ten years old, either," Aika finished.

"You're really pretty, Naoto-kun!" Nanako said.

Naoto cleared her throat, blushing, and escaped the crowd of girls that now surrounded her. "So, Nanako-chan… A-Are you okay with staying over at someone else's place like this? Aren't you scared?"

"No, it's lots of fun!" Nanako replied. "I sleep over at my friend Mana-chan's house all the time! And at home, I'm always alone until Big Sis comes back." Aika looked downward guiltily, but she couldn't think of anything to say. "But I'm good at staying home alone. I always do what my dad tells me, like not opening the door for strangers."

"I bet he's so proud of you!" Chie said encouragingly.

"Hey Nanako-chan," Yukiko quipped. "Do you want to swim around?"

"Can I?" Nanako asked excitedly.

"Of course!" Yukiko replied. She let Nanako grab onto her arms, and the two of them started swimming around the hot springs.

Aika sighed contentedly as she leaned against the rocks. "Hey, you're not getting dizzy already, are you?" Chie asked with a hint of concern to her voice.

"No, I'm fine," Aika said. "I just… I don't know. This feels really nice, being here with everyone."

"More so than what it usually is?" Naoto asked.

Aika smiled and nodded. "This is my first sleepover at a friend's house, and…" She giggled. "I feel like I'm at the school campout again."

"You were sick for half of it!" Chie pointed out.

"I mean after that…" Aika said quietly, gazing up at the stars. Then, the illusion of peace was shattered.

"CANNONBALL!" Teddie dived into the hot springs, splashing Aika with water.

"H-Hey, what the—" Aika heard Yosuke gasp, and she gave a mortified shriek as she sank underwater.

"Y-You guys?" Chie gasped.

"Wh-Why are you guys here?" Yosuke yelped.

"Th-That's my line!" Chie shrieked.

"Okay, everyone calm down," Naoto said. "I believe there's been a major misunderstanding here."

"Oh!" Yukiko gasped. "It's actually the guys' turn to use the hot springs now! I got the times mixed up…"

"So…" Rise drawled. "Should we get out, then?"

"Oh, maybe we can all use the springs together!" Nanako suggested.

"S-Say what?" Kanji yelped, his face turning a furious shade of red as he avoided Naoto's gaze at all costs.

"If we give our word to not try anything funny, will you let us come in with you?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't like this…" Yukiko mumbled.

"I'm being serious here!" Yosuke said, before clearing his throat. "I, Yosuke Hanamura, do solemnly swear that I will not touch any girls in this hot spring – not even Aika-chan. I also swear that I will not look at any members of the opposite sex lecherously or with any perverted intent whatsoever."

"M-Me too," Kanji said.

"Aw, no looking at girls?" Teddie whined. "But I do want to stay in here… Okay! Teddie agrees!"

Rise looked to the other girls. "Well?"

"I-If they promise not to do anything…" Aika said quietly.

"I guess it should be okay…" Chie mumbled.

"I-I just won't tell anyone this happened," Yukiko said.

"Sweet!" Yosuke cheered as he leapt into the hot springs, followed by Kanji cannonballing in.

All in all, it was a good day.

---

"It's cold today…" Nanako said the next night, shivering.

"Yeah, I know," Aika said. "I didn't think it would get so cold so soon…"

"And now for our next story," the announcer on TV said. "Mr. Kozai of the Environmental Concern Society visited a local elementary school to investigate the effects of the fog. Thick fog has appeared frequently in Inaba over the past few years, and the cause of it has yet to be determined. There's been much conjecture on the origin of this fog, and some are concerned about its effects on the human body. Town officials believe it highly unlikely that the fog could be harmful. One official suggested that the concern is largely tied to public anxiety in response to the recent murders. On hearing about the phenomenon, Mr. Kozai visited the local elementary school to investigate its effects. He interviewed the children playing happily in the fog about their health and any anxieties they were facing…"

"Oh, that man came to my school," Nanako quipped.

"Upon completing the investigation," the announcer continued. "Mr. Kozai issued a statement: 'In this day and age, one must stay aware of even slight changes in the environment and react politically. Today, I talked with a young student who spoke her own mind, free from the influence of those around her. It was an attitude and an example that we as adults can learn from. Our primary concern should always be to protect these children's futures.' On that note, Mr. Kozai ended his statement. The assembled parents applauded, but some raised concerns that it was a show to attract voters in the next election…"

At that point, Nanako sneezed. "Are you okay?" Aika asked, looking to her cousin in concern.

"My head hurts…" Nanako complained. Sure enough, her face was pale with a slight red flush to her cheeks.

Aika made her way over and placed one hand on Nanako's forehead and the other on her own. "You have a fever," she said. "Let's go upstairs." She helped Nanako stand up and the two made their way upstairs. Aika unrolled Nanako's futon and instructed her to lie down before going to find cold medicine. "I-It'll be okay," Aika said, though she couldn't help but wonder if the reassurance was for Nanako or for herself – while Nanako had caught colds during the school year, she'd never been this ill. "It doesn't look too serious, so I think you'll be okay by tomorrow. You should stay home from school anyway, just in case. And… I-I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow if you're still not feeling well."

"Big Sis?" Nanako said quietly after taking some medicine. "Are you… going back home in the spring…? It's going to be winter soon…"

"I…" Aika said quietly. Actually, the prospect of leaving Inaba hadn't occurred to her in a long time. And honestly, she didn't want to leave. "I want to stay here with everyone…"

"If it snows, can we make a snowman?" Nanako asked.

Aika couldn't help at smile. "Yeah, of course. We'll make a big one… and we'll even get Uncle to help."

"Let's play all the time until spring," Nanako said tiredly, her eyes drooping shut. Before long, she was fast asleep, and Aika left her room, flipping off the light switch as she did so.

---

A few nights later, the doorbell rang shortly after dinner. "Did Uncle forget his keys?" Aika asked.

Nanako ran to the door, then came back shortly afterwards looking forlorn. "It was the deliveryman," she said. "He wanted to know where Mr. Takahashi's house is." Then, the phone rang. "Hello, this is the Dojima residence. Oh, hi Dad!" Nanako's face fell. "Uh-huh… okay, I know it's your job… Bye-bye…" She hung up the phone and sighed. "Dad's coming home tomorrow…"

Aika sighed as well, shivering. It was barely November – how could it possibly be so cold already? "Hey, Nanako… didn't Uncle say we could bring out the kotatsu if it got too cold?"

"Yeah, let's do that!" Nanako agreed, smiling cheerfully. Somehow, the two of them managed to pull the heavy kotatsu out from the closet, along with a large blanket. But, when Nanako flipped the switch, nothing happened.

"Hang on a sec," Aika said as she crawled under the kotatsu. It didn't feel any different at all, which meant… "It looks like it's broken," she said, sticking her head out from under the kotatsu. She crawled back out, but decided to sit next to Nanako instead of going back to her original spot. "Hm… I wonder if Uncle will let us buy one…"

"Huh?" Nanako asked excitedly. "We can buy one? At Junes?"

"Sure! Maybe Yosuke can get us a good deal, too." And the rest of the evening passed by uneventfully. When midnight finally rolled around, it was still raining, so Aika sat in front of the TV in her room, waiting for something to happen. And, sure enough, a silhouette appeared on the Midnight Channel – but it was so blurry that Aika couldn't tell what gender the person was, let alone who it was to begin with. Somehow, that made her feel even more panicked.

The next morning, her parents called first thing in the morning. "Good morning, Aika-chan!" her mother said cheerfully.

"Morning," Aika said tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "Um… I have school in few hours."

"Oh, then you have plenty of time," Masami said. "Listen – there's something I need to tell you. Remember how you said you wanted to come back with us a couple of months ago? Well, basically, our work here in France is almost over, and we're heading back to Mikage-cho at the start of the new year! You'll be attending St. Hermelin High School starting in January!"

That sufficiently woke Aika up. "Wait… what?"

"We'll be coming back earlier than we expected, and you won't have to stay in Inaba for the rest of the year!"

"Wh-Wha—no!" Aika yelled. "I don't want that!"

"Sorry, sweetie, but it's already been decided," Masami said fleetingly. "It's okay. You just have one more year of high school after this."

"But Mom, you promised I could stay for the whole year, at least!"

"And you said you didn't want to!"

"No I didn't! I just said I missed you, that's all!"

"Huh…" Masami said, a hard edge to her voice. "So you're really choosing that shithole over your own parents."

"Mom, that's not what I—"

"I can't believe you're being so selfish about this, Aika."

"Mom, please let me stay…"

"No can do, Aika. I'd suggest you start packing soon so that you won't be scrambling at the last minute like you always do." Her mother hung up the phone at that, and Aika knew at that point that it was going to be a bad day.

---

"I watched the Midnight Channel last night as you suggested," Naoto said after school the next day. "To think a master of deduction and evidence would strain her eyes over an urban legend like this… And yet… I definitely saw someone."

"Could any of you tell who it was?" Yosuke asked.

"From a fuzzy picture like that?" Kanji retorted. "No way."

"How about the regular TV?" Yukiko asked. "Has anyone become famous lately?"

"There was that thing about that environmentalist," Aika pointed out. Of course she'd remember something like that – that was the day Nanako got sick. "Mr. Kozai, right?"

"But the chances of him being the one are slim," Naoto said. "He returned immediately to the city after his inquiry."

"From what I saw…" Teddie said slowly. "Wasn't the person on TV last night pretty small?"

"I dunno," Chie replied. "It was too blurry to make out any details, including how tall or short they were."

"Did you sense anyone on the other side?" Aika asked.

"Nope," Teddie answered. "No one's come so far."

"Then we might have to wait one more night and see," Rise suggested.

"There's one more thing I'd like to discuss," Naoto said. "Aika-senpai… Social Links. What are they?"

Aika froze as everyone's eyes were suddenly on her. "Wh-What?"

"It's a very simple question," Naoto said. "What. Are. Social Links?"

Aika looked downward, wishing she could just melt into the floor. "H-How did you…?"

"I ran into a friend of yours," Naoto explained. "Margaret, I believe her name was? She asked me if I was one of your Social Links. Well, Senpai? Am I?"

Aika couldn't stop shaking. Was this how Mitsuo felt when everyone was interrogating him after they saved him from the TV? Why was everything going wrong? "I… I…"

"Just tell us, Aika," Yosuke said.

"What, is it so bad that you can't trust us enough to tell us?" Chie demanded.

"N-No, I-I…" Aika sighed. "Social Links… th-they're part of the Wild Card… I-I'm not sure how exactly it's supposed to work, b-but b-basically, each of you corresponds to a different Arcanum in the Major Arcana. Y-Yosuke's the Magician, Ch-Chie's the Chariot, Yukiko's the High Priestes, K-Kanji's the Emperor, Rise's the Lovers, a-and Naoto's the Wheel of Fortune… a-and it's not just you guys, it's lots of other people too. Th-The more time I spend with you all, the stronger these Social Links get, a-and then I can summon more powerful Personas…"

"So you just hung around with us so you could get more powerful, huh?" Kanji asked, sounding disappointed, but not angry.

"N-No, I…"

"So who else was there, besides us?" Yosuke asked, a hard edge to his voice that Aika couldn't remember him using any other time besides when he was interrogating Mitsuo.

"I-I…"

"Tell us the truth!" he exploded, and Aika wanted to die.

"Uncle, N-Nanako… my parents… N-Naoki-kun, Saki-senpai's Shadow…"

"What?" Yosuke said in a low whisper, and he just sounded so hurt and betrayed that Aika mentally kicked herself for saying anything at all. "You met Saki-senpai's Shadow? And you never told me?"

"Sh-She asked me not to…" Aika stood up quickly, and it was becoming harder and harder not to cry. A dozen possibilities flew through her mind – her friends abandoning her, ending the school year completely alone yet again, moving to Mikage-cho within the next couple of months with only bad memories of Inaba left behind… "I-I have to go…" she said before her friends could say anything else, before they could take back everything they'd given her for the past several months. And as she started running, the tears began to fall.

"Senpai, wait!" Rise cried, but Aika didn't stop.

---

Nanako, Aika deduced, was uncannily good at noticing when there was something wrong. Then again, Aika wasn't doing such a good job of hiding her own anxiety herself, as she kept sniffling, and every so often, her mind would drift back to Naoto asking what Social Links were and Yosuke's hurt and betrayed expression, and then she'd start crying again and she'd have to excuse herself so that Nanako wouldn't see. Everything was going wrong. Uncle coming home, albeit rather late at night, did lift her spirits a little, though.

"Dad, the kotatsu's broken," Nanako said immediately after welcoming him home. "Can me and Big Sis go buy a new one?"

"The kotatsu…?" he echoed. "Oh, so it's that season already. Yeah, the weather has been pretty odd lately…" He smiled. "All right, I'll leave it up to you two. Get whichever kind you want."

"Thanks, Dad!" Nanako said cheerfully.

"Oh yeah, by the way…" Uncle pulled a single white envelope – again, addressed only to Aika, without the sender's name or address – out of his pocket and handed it to her. "This came for you in the mail." All Aika could do was stare at it, and she shivered, though not entirely from the cold. If there was any doubt before that the killer knew exactly how involved in the case she was, there was none now, and now, more than ever in her life, Aika was terrified. "What's wrong? What's…?" He sighed. "Let me see that." He opened the envelope, and Aika hugged her knees tightly as she tried not to panic. "'if you dont stop this time someone close will be put in and killed'…" Uncle read. "H-Hey… What the hell is this?" He looked to Aika, frowning though not necessarily at her. "It doesn't look like this is the first letter like this you've received… So someone's been threatening you? Why? Since when? Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"I-I don't know…" Aika said in a quiet, shaking voice.

Now, Uncle looked absolutely furious. "No, I'm starting to think you do know."

"D-Dad…?" Nanako whispered.

"Tell me the truth," Uncle said. "You're involved in the case, aren't you?"

"U-Uncle…"

"So you and your friends do more than just talk about it, huh? And now it's…" He stared at the letter for a few seconds before crumpling it in his fist. "Come on. We're going down to the station. If someone's threatening you like this, I can't just sit by and do nothing." He turned to Nanako as he shoved the warning letter in his pocket. "Nanako, can you look after the house for a bit? We'll be right back." Nanako looked to Aika for reassurance, but all Aika could do was sit there, shaking, half wanting to call Yosuke and tell him what happened, even though he probably wouldn't be able to take anything she might've said to him well, and half wanting to just tell Uncle everything right then and there, even though Naoto specifically told her not to.

---

"Damn…" Yosuke muttered as he shelved various items in Junes. "Why'd she have to run off like that…?"

Teddie walked over to him at this point. "Yosuke, why are you sad?" the bear, now in his human form, asked glumly. "Are you really that worried about Aika-chan?"

"Damn it, she didn't even give us a chance to say anything!" Yosuke ranted. "I mean, I guess it did sort of look like we were ganging up on her, but…" He groaned in frustration and slammed his fist against the wall. "She should know better!" He sighed. "And she should've told us about those Social Link things too…"

"So, why don't you call her and ask her?" Teddie suggested.

Yosuke sighed. "Thanks, Teddie. I never thought of doing that." But, nonetheless, he pulled out his cell phone and called her number. "Guess I just needed the little extra push…" The phone rang five times before going straight to Aika's voicemail. "Hey, it's me… I… guess you really don't want to talk now, huh? That's okay. Just… call me back when you feel like talking, okay? I'm not mad at you – none of us are. We just wish you'd trust us enough to tell us… those kinds of things. So… call me." But somehow, despite the fact that Aika didn't answer, Yosuke felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he finally pressed the end button.

"She didn't pick up, huh?" Teddie asked glumly.

"No, but she'll hear the message," Yosuke said, smiling. "Speaking of which…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flip phone. "I got you a cell phone. I already put in all the numbers you need – mine, Mom and Dad's, Aika's, Chie's, Yukiko's, Kanji's, Rise's, Naoto's… you know, the usual."

"Yosuke…" And, all of a sudden, Teddie's arms were wrapped tightly around Yosuke's waist. "Yosuke, I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"Okay…" Yosuke said slowly and awkwardly. "Lots of love here. Great."

"So Aika-chan just needs a lot of love right now, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"I'm gonna call her and tell her how much I love her!" Teddie flipped open his phone and frowned at it confusedly. "Uh… How do I call her?"

"Read the buttons," Yosuke said impatiently.

"Okay, okay," Teddie grumbled. "Let's see… menu… contacts… Aika-chan!" Yosuke smiled faintly as Teddie put the phone to his ear, but then Teddie's face fell slowly. "She didn't pick up!"

"Leave a message," Yosuke said.

"When do I—oh, after it beeps!" Teddie cleared his throat dramatically. "Hi there, Aika-chan! Don't be sad, okay? I'm going to give you a bear-y big hug the next time I see you! Okay, bye!" Teddie proudly pressed the end button and beamed at Yosuke. "I wanna call Nana-chan next!"

"Hang on, I'll do it," Yosuke said as he pulled out his own cell phone again and dialed Aika's home number. "Hello, Nanako-chan?"

"Hi," Nanako said, sounding glum.

"Hey, is your sister home?" Yosuke asked.

"No…" Nanako replied faintly. "She… She got a weird letter and got really scared… and then Dad saw it and got really upset…" Yosuke froze, and his phone slipped out of his hand.

Teddie dived toward it and caught it before it could hit the ground, before putting it to his ear. "Good evening, this is your Teddie speaking… Let's get together and eat snacks again!"

"Weird letter…?" Yosuke thought aloud. "Does that mean…?"

"Wh-What?" Teddie gasped. "Aika-chan's at the police station?"

"Don't tell me…" Yosuke's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Did Aika get another warning letter?"

"U-Uh…" Teddie said faintly. "Everything's going to be all right, Nana-chan! We'll go check up on your sister and your dad, okay?"

"Teddie!" Yosuke shouted. "Give me the phone back! I need to call the others!"

---

Aika was scared out of her mind. She couldn't, for the life of her, stop shaking and crying as she sat across from Uncle in an interrogation room in the police station – incidentally, the one where Adachi first brought her when he accidentally arrested her. Uncle picked up the warning letter, which was sitting on the table in front of him, and frowned at it. "What were you thinking, trying to hide something like this…?" He sighed and clasped his hands together, looking straight at her. "Look, I'm not trying to interrogate you or anything. I just want to know what's really going on."

"I-I'll tell you," Aika choked. "I'll tell you e-everything…" Her mind had been made up for a while now – the second warning letter just reinforced her decision.

"Get her some water, Adachi," Uncle said.

"Right away, Dojima-san!" Adachi replied. "Don't worry, Aika-chan. You're safe here."

Uncle nodded. "Right." As Adachi left, Uncle sighed again. "So tell me. What have you gotten yourself into?" And so, Aika told him everything – about the Midnight Channel, about the TV world that she, Yosuke, and Chie accidentally discovered, about rescuing everyone who'd been kidnapped and somehow trying to solve the case at the same time… and all the while, Uncle's expression grew more and more incredulous. "Persona…? People going inside a TV?"

"I-It's true," Aika said, sniffling. "I know it sounds crazy, b-but I can prove it."

"W-Wait… You're not seriously going to…" Aika took a deep breath and walked over to the TV a little ways away. It wasn't a particularly large screen, but she'd be able to fit into it – no problem. She pushed her hand inside easily and effortlessly, and were the circumstances not so serious, she would have laughed at her uncle's dumbfounded expression. "You've gotta be kidding me…"

"Everything I said was the truth," Aika said much more confidently and calmly than before. "And I told you everything I know."

Uncle stood up and reached into his pocket, before frowning as he pat each of his other pockets. "Damn, I left my phone in my office… Do you have yours?"

"I left mine at home," Aika told him. "Sorry."

He sighed heavily as Adachi came into the interrogation room, holding a plastic cup filled with water. "Here you go, Aika-chan! Hey, you're looking a lot better."

Still, Aika accepted the cup and sipped it slowly. Now that Uncle knew everything, he'd surely be able to help her. Everything was going to be okay – the case was going to be solved. "Adachi, wait here," Uncle instructed. "I'll be back in a bit. Aika, I want you to say everything you just told me again, so that I can record it."

Aika nodded firmly. "Okay." And with that, he was gone.

Adachi's eyes widened. "Wow, so I'm guessing things went well?" he asked.

"Yeah," Aika replied. "Um… should I tell you what I told my uncle?"

"Nah," Adachi said, smiling casually. "I'll just listen when you explain everything again."

And, all of a sudden, the TV whirred to life. Aika gasped as she backed away from it, squinting so that she could see the silhouette that appeared on the Midnight Channel – was it really that time already? The silhouette was small – it was a girl, wearing what appeared to be a dress, and her hair was in…

The girl's identity hit Aika like a punch in the stomach, and she covered her mouth, her eyes widening in horror. "Oh… my god…"

"Oh hey, so that Midnight Channel thing's legit, huh?" Adachi asked as he stepped toward the TV, leaning toward it so that his nose was almost touching the screen. "So Nanako-chan's my soulmate? That's weird…"

"Nanako… She…" Aika shook her head furiously to clear it. "Adachi-san, I need to borrow your phone." While she still didn't have Naoto's number memorized yet, she could remember Yosuke's at the top of her head, at least. She'd be able to convince him to listen – if Nanako's life was on the line, then he'd come for sure.

"Huh?" Adachi asked, whirling around. "Why?"

She stepped forward, and Adachi took a step back, towards the TV. "I need to—" And then she saw it – the TV screen shimmering, white waves swirling out to the edges of the screen from where Adachi's hand was partially submerged. Aika froze. "Y-You… You can do it too…"

"Huh?" Adachi said faintly. He turned to look at the TV, and then something changed in his eyes that filled Aika with a cold sense of dread as he quickly withdrew his hand from the TV. "Oh. That."

"B-But… how?"

Adachi smirked, but there was something deranged about it, and Aika couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in more danger now than she ever was back in the TV world, fighting Shadows. "How indeed?" he sneered.

He stepped toward Aika, and she kept moving backward until her back was up against the wall. "A-Adachi-san…"

His finger traced the edge of her jaw, and his hand finally settled under her chin, which he propped up so that she could look into his eyes. "Cute little Aika-chan… What am I going to do with you? When will you ever learn to mind your own business?"

Something clicked in her mind – and she wished it never had. "It was you," she whispered, mortified as everything she didn't understand about the case suddenly fell into place. "You were the one who sent those warning letters."

Adachi's smirk widened, and a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh yeah? Where's your proof?" She couldn't think of anything that would prove, beyond a shred of a doubt, that Adachi was the one who sent those warning letters – and yet, somehow, she could just tell that it was him. Maybe it was his sudden change in demeanor. Maybe it was the way he was telling her to stay out of police business, so different from the way Uncle did. And he wasn't denying it either… But then he chuckled, putting his hands on her shoulders and pressing his forehead against hers. "Okay then," he said, and no matter how hard Aika tried to pull away, she couldn't because he was holding her too tightly. "I'll humor you, Aika-chan, since you can be annoyingly persistent. Yes, I sent those letters."

"S-So you're the one who murdered—"

"'Murdered' is such a strong word, don't you think?" Adachi asked tauntingly. "It'd imply that they're my victims. I prefer the term test subjects." It was too much. Aika could feel her knees giving out under her, and it was only Adachi's hands on her shoulders, pressing her to the wall, that held her upright at all. "And do you know why I'm telling you this, Aika-chan?" He leaned in close, and whispered in her ear: "Because you won't remember any of it."

What happened next wasn't something she'd be able to recall years later, and really, her almost-murder wasn't something she'd want to remember – but at the moment, all she knew was that she was falling, lower and lower and lower, as if the ground didn't exist. Maybe Adachi really did smirk cruelly down at her as she fell – or maybe it was something her mind had conjured later to fit in with the facts. But after a certain point, the real world and the TV world blended together, and everything turned black.

---

Chie sprinted to the Dojima residence, clutching her phone so tightly that she felt it might break if she held it any tighter. "Wasn't that Nanako-chan on the Midnight Channel just now?" she panted. "How could it be her?"

"I know what you're thinking," Naoto said, sounding panicked, "but Nanako-chan does fit the pattern. She wasn't seen… but she was heard."

"What?"

"Do you remember the politician who visited a local school and made the news several times? In those interviews, he always quoted a particular student he spoke with. The child became well known while remaining anonymous… That girl was Nanako-chan! A reporter who took interest in this released her photo and interview using her real name in today's evening paper."

"And everyone probably knew who she was already! Oh my god…"

"I should have realized it much sooner! I was so hung up on the idea of people who were 'shown' on TV… It didn't occur to me that this would qualify…"

"Wh-What are we going to do? Nanako-chan's home alone right now, isn't she?"

"I'm on my way there as we speak to check on her! Yosuke-senpai is heading to the police station! He said he called Kanji-kun too. They'll explain the situation there."

"All right. I'll join them right away! And I'll let Yukiko and Rise-chan know!"

"Yes, please do!"

"Aika!" Yosuke yelled as he ran through the police station's corridors. "Ai—" He ran straight into one tired-looking Ryotaro Dojima, and they both crashed to the ground.

"What the—what do you think you're doing here?" Dojima asked.

"Yosuke!" Teddie called from somewhere behind. "Wait up!"

"Missing?" Kanji yelled into the phone. "What the hell? Already?"

"Missing?" Dojima echoed. "Who? Who's missing?"

The three boys averted their eyes downward. "N-Nanako-chan…" Yosuke said quietly.

"Wha—" Dojima gasped. "Tatsumi, give me the goddamn phone!" Kanji handed it to him without protest. "Shirogane, you there? What the hell's going on?"

"I'm at your house right now," Yosuke heard Naoto say on the other line. "The front door's open and there's no one inside… I'm afraid that Nanako-chan has been kidnapped by our serial killer."

"Dojima-san!" Adachi came running from the opposite side of the hall. "Dojima-san! Dojima-san! Aika-chan's gone!"

It was heartbreaking, watching Aika's uncle just collapse to his knees at that. "Wh-What…?"

"Sh-She started watching that Midnight Channel thing…" Adachi explained. "A-And then Nanako-chan showed up, and she… Dojima-san, she jumped into the TV. I don't know how it happened, but… she did it." Something jolted in Yosuke's chest, and he couldn't say a word. What was Aika thinking…?

At that moment, Dojima looked so, so tired. "Both of them… They're… gone…?"

"Aika…" Yosuke whispered.

Kanji growled in frustration. "Yosuke-senpai, Dojima-san, snap out of it already! Aika-senpai and Nanako-chan need us!"

"You're right…" Dojima said as he stood up. He reached for the phone on the table in the interrogation room. "There's been a kidnapping!" he yelled into the phone. "Get your men on it immediately! Start with checkpoints along the highway!" He gave a brief pause, in which his expression turned absolutely livid. "Quit griping, and get to it! The victim's a seven-year-old girl… My daughter! This could be connected to that multiple murder case!" He slammed the phone down within a few seconds.

"Man…" Adachi muttered, exhaling sharply. "That was freaky, what Aika-chan did…"

"Damn it…" Dojima muttered.

"Dojima-san, Aika-chan will be fine," Teddie assured him. "She's really strong!"

Dojima looked to Yosuke. "You…" He sighed, putting one hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Make sure she comes home safe."

Yosuke nodded, despite his panic. "Y-Yes, sir."

"I'm gonna look for my daughter!" Dojima announced, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. "If this is connected to that murder case, the top brass won't accept the facts until it's too late. I don't have time to wait for those clowns!"

"But do you even have any ideas or leads on who took her?" Adachi tried reasoning with him. "If they used a car, there's no way—"

"Shut up! That's why I'm hurrying!" And with that, Dojima was gone.

Adachi sighed. "What am I gonna do? Dojima-san and Aika-chan ran off half-cocked…"

By now, Yosuke's nerves had calmed down considerably. "Adachi-san we'll go look for her, too! And we'll find Aika."

At that moment, Chie, Naoto, Rise, and Yukiko finally reached them. "So what's going on?" Chie asked hurriedly.

"Hey, hey, hey, I don't think you all are allowed in here…" Adachi said.

"Quit your bitching!" Kanji yelled. "Now ain't the time for that shit! The hell are we sitting here when that whole family's in danger? You gonna own up when something happens? Huh?"

"Kanji-kun!" Naoto snapped.

"I know how you feel, but if you don't tell me what's going on, there's really nothing I can do…" Adachi said much too calmly.

"In any case, if we run out blindly, we'll have no idea where to begin," Naoto said. "Let's all take a moment to stop and sort out the situation. Perhaps this will help Adachi-san understand as well."

"All I know is that Aika-chan can go inside TVs…" Adachi mumbled. "And I'm guessing that you guys can, too."

"There's no doubt in my mind that this is a kidnapping by the same culprit who was behind the others," Naoto said. "Now, consider that the front door at Nanako-chan's house was open. I examined it, and found no trace that entry had been forced."

"You mean…" Chie gasped. "Nanako-chan opened the door herself?"

"Precisely. The culprit didn't sneak in – he came boldly up to the front door and pressed the doorbell."

"Like how it was for all of us…" Yukiko mused.

"U-Um…" Adachi mumbled. "'For all of us'…?"

"But the circumstances are different for her, as compared to us," Naoto continued. "Remember what Nanako-chan said when we were at the hot springs? 'I always do what my dad tells me, like not opening the door for strangers.'"

"So is the killer…" Teddie quipped. "… someone Nana-chan knows?"

Naoto sighed. "If only Aika-senpai were here…" She cleared her throat. "Yosuke-senpai, do you have any insight into this possibility?"

"Hm…" Yosuke mumbled. Aika didn't talk much about Nanako's school friends – to his knowledge, Aika hardly ever saw them to begin with. "Sorry. My mind's drawing a blank."

"I don't think we can limit ourselves to just people Nanako-chan knows," Chie pointed out.

"I agree…" Naoto said. "Then let us change our perspective slightly. We know for certain that the culprit must be using a large-screen TV."

"Huh?" Adachi piped up. "TV? What?"

"Each victim was taken at a different scene, yet was thrown into a TV almost immediately after being kidnapped," Naoto explained. "I would go as far as to say that it took place in front of their houses. Therefore, the culprit must be taking a TV with him as he goes."

"You think he's using a car?" Yosuke asked.

"Given the efficiency of the culprit's methods, I would assume a vehicle larger than a sedan," Naoto answered. "However… No unusual vehicles have been sighted. I'd expect someone to notice, since most of the victims vanished during the day."

"So it's someone Nanako-chan knows, who has a car…" Rise said slowly. "But it's a car that can't be seen?"

"I think we can rule out the possibility that no one happened to see the vehicle," Yukiko said. "Especially since it's happened so many times now."

"A car no one would notice…" Chie said slowly. "What could that be…?"

"Well maybe not a car that no one would notice," Yosuke said. "Maybe it's something that people normally wouldn't pay attention to? Like a taxi, or a bus, or…" His eyes widened as he realized the answer. "Or a delivery truck!"

"That's right…" Kanji muttered. "Now I remember… A delivery came! It was a delivery truck!"

"No one looks twice at a delivery truck, no matter where it's parked," Rise pointed out.

"And if it were a local company, it'd be the same deliveryman every time so he's not a 'stranger' to Nanako-chan," Naoto concluded. "She must have received packages from him during the time she was home alone, meaning we wouldn't know his face… Adachi-san! Is there anyone who fits this profile?"

"A profile formed by a bunch of kids talking it over?" the detective deadpanned. "Let's see… A delivery company, huh? I dunno, take it from a detective… I think this is gonna be… a lot more difficult than…" He looked down at some papers discarded on the floor – Yosuke remembered that Dojima was carrying them before. "Hey! Maybe you're not too far off base… Dojima-san put this stuff together to reinvestigate the first case – you know, that announcer lady's? And there's a deliveryman mentioned right here… I better go tell Dojima-san!" And then, he ran towards the end of the hall.

Naoto bent down to pick up one of the papers. "After resigning from his last job, he took up the family delivery business… Before that, he was… a council secretary! Taro Namatame!"

"The enka singer's husband!" Yosuke interjected.

"All we know about him is his occupation," Naoto reminded everyone, "but I'd say that's enough of a lead to tell us where to go next. The address is… It's not far from here!"

"Then let's go already!" Kanji yelled.

"Wait, but Aika—" Yosuke protested.

"She'll be fine, Yosuke-senpai," Naoto assured him. "Even if she doesn't have her glasses, she still has her Persona… multiple Personae, at that. If there's one thing we can be sure of, it's that she will be able to survive on her own in that world, at least for a short while. Now let's go."

---

They found Adachi crouching by a collapsed Dojima, half under the ruins of a quite literally smoking car. "Dojima-san! Are you all right?"

"A-Aika and Nanako…" he grunted, his eyes refusing to focus. "Where are they…?"

Naoto was already on her cellphone. "Hello? We need an ambulance, quickly! There's been an accident! One adult male is injured."

"That's right," Adachi said. "I should call backup, too! We gotta find Namatame!"

Dojima was panting now as he struggled to stay conscious. "Aika… Nanako…"

The rest of the group finally reached them at that point. "What happened?" Chie gasped loudly.

"… was on my way to Namatame's house…" Dojima muttered. "… when I saw him… drive past me… I… I gave chase… and he… dammit… Where's Aika and Nanako…? And Namatame…? Find them… please!"

"Let's check the truck," Yukiko suggested. "There must be some clues in there."

"Wait, you can't!" Adachi warned them. "We need to preserve the scene!"

"Then allow me," Naoto said, stepping forward. "If it rains again while we wait, the information we need will be lost regardless." With Kanji's help, she opened the back side of the delivery truck, and, sure enough…

"Look!" Chie exclaimed. "There really is a TV in there!"

"Yes, large enough for persons of any size to fit through," Naoto observed.

Rise ran toward them, waving a brown leather book in the air. "This was in the driver's seat!" she announced.

Naoto opened the book and began reading. "'I learned of the existence of a new world. Thus, I must save people…'"

"'Save'?" Kanji echoed. "The hell's he mean by that?"

Naoto flipped to the next page and gasped. "This… It's a list of the victims' home addresses! Mayumi Yamano, Saki Konishi…" She flipped to the next page. "Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa… Even the victims who survived and were never released to the public are written here! I note that Mr. Morooka's address is absent from the list."

"Wow…" Adachi gasped. "Then that settles it."

Naoto flipped to the next page. "The last date is today's," she said. "'I can't believe such a small child appeared on it. I must save this child, no matter what.'"

"Is that…?" Chie whispered. "About Nanako-chan?"

Naoto's eyes widened as she continued to read: "… 'especially since the child is Aika-san's younger sister'…"

"Wh-What the…?" Yosuke mumbled. "Don't tell me Aika had one of those Social Link things with this guy too…"

"'I managed to take her to safety,'" Naoto continued to read. "'The police have been active lately. This will probably be the last time I write in this diary. I've done everything I can.'"

Yosuke clenched his fists in frustration. "It's clear now… He used the same trick on all the victims. He'd just ring the bell, like he was making a normal delivery, then throw the victim into the TV in his truck… Namatame's the killer!"

"We need to go save Nanako-chan!" Chie interjected. "Here, let's use this TV and—"

"W-Wait a sec!" Teddie protested. "We don't know where we'll enter through this one! What if we end up somewhere dangerous? And Aika-chan's probably lost too…"

"It doesn't look like it's going to be foggy tomorrow," Rise told them. "We'll just go in tomorrow, the same way as usual!"

"But—" Kanji protested.

"If we fail, who's going to save Nanako-chan?" Rise shot back.

"A-And Aika-chan could be lost forever without our help!" Teddie added.

"We'll leave Namatame's whereabouts to the police," Naoto said with a sigh. "As for Nanako-chan and Aika-senpai… Perhaps Nanako-chan should be our top priority for now. At least we know for a fact that Aika-senpai can take care of herself for the time being." And at long last, they could finally hear sirens echoing in the rain.

---

"Something's weird in here…" Teddie observed as soon as they all landed in the TV world the next day. "I think all the commotion in town about the fog has been affecting this world, too."

"We need to hurry," Yosuke said. "Rise, can you both try and find Aika and Nanako-chan?"

"Both of them?" Naoto asked. "But Senpai—"

"I know we're going after Nanako-chan first, damn it!" Yosuke suddenly exploded. "I just want to know if Aika's okay!"

"Yosuke-senpai…" Rise said quietly. She exhaled sharply. "Okay, so we're looking for Aika-senpai and Nanako-chan, right? Both of them should be easy to find, since we know both of them really well." And at that, Rise summoned her Persona. "I sense Nanako-chan…" She pointed to her left. "That way. And Aika-senpai…" She paused for a few seconds before gasping. "No…"

"What?" Yosuke demanded, sounding panicked. "What's wrong?"

"Senpai, she's… I-It's like how it is with Nanako-chan, except she's somewhere else! N-Not just Nanako-chan too… It's like Naoto-kun, and that Mitsuo guy too!"

"We should split up," Yosuke said urgently. "Half of us will go after Nanako-chan, and the rest will go after Aika."

"No, we can't!" Chie yelled. "We've never separated like this before except for training! We can't take any chances with either of them, Yosuke!"

"So you're saying we should just abandon Aika—"

"We won't be abandoning her!" Chie yelled. "It's not going to be foggy for another few days, at least! We have until then to save Aika too! And we don't even know if she needs to be saved!"

"Yosuke-senpai, please calm down," Naoto said. "Aika-senpai will be fine – I'm sure of it. It's because she's familiar with this world, and she knows how to survive here. Nanako-chan doesn't, so, by default, we have to rescue her first."

Yosuke sighed. "All right… Let's just hurry."

---

When consciousness finally returned to Aika, all she could see was fog. And it was so thick and oppressive that she felt sluggish and tired and ill, much like how she did when she first entered the TV world. Still, she managed to stand up and walk around a bit, though she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere – she didn't know where she was to begin with.

"Oh, that's right!" she said to herself. "I should…" Then, something slowly occurred to her. "Wait… How did I even get in here…?" She paced back and forth, running the events immediately preceding the time she came into the TV world. I got the warning letter, and Uncle saw… so he brought me down to the police station because he was worried… And then I told him everything, and then Nanako appeared on the Midnight Channel… She stopped. Did I… jump in after her? No, that can't be it, I wouldn't… But her mind hit a wall right then and there. Did I…?

Her head started to throb the more she thought about it, so she decided to think about something else – anything but how she ended up in the TV world… but then her mind invariably drifted back to the previous events of that day – her mother calling her and promptly telling her that she'd have to leave Inaba at the end of the school term, her friends finding out about the Social Links…

"I can't believe you're being so selfish about this, Aika."

"So you just hung around us so you could get more powerful, huh?"

And then, the last voice Aika thought she'd hear resonated in her mind – Aoandon's.

Thou art I… and I am thou…

There was a shrill ringing in her ears, and she was suddenly afflicted with a splitting headache.

Thou art I… and I am thou…

What was Aoandon doing? Aika had already awakened her months ago, so why was she giving her trouble now?

Thou art I and I am thou thou art I and I am thou thou art I and I am thou thou art I and I am thou thou art I and I am thou…

And then all Aika could see, think, feel was Aoandon's voice in her mind, getting louder and louder, reaching a point where her Persona was practically screaming. The ringing in her ears made it impossible to hear anything else, and her head burned with searing, gradually intensifying pain.

Then, all of a sudden, it was over. The ringing in her ears disappeared, her headache was gone, and the only evidence of Aoandon's strange behavior was the shaking in her limbs and the near crippling dizziness and weakness she felt. But something was wrong – she could feel it. "Well, isn't this sad?" The voice that Aika somehow managed to hear while struggling to remain conscious sounded a lot like her own, but it was distorted, somehow. "I mean, you've always been honest with yourself, right? And yet, here I am."

She could see a silhouette approaching her in the fog. It was a Shadow for sure – its eyes were glowing yellow – and it walked toward her with slow, purposeful steps. But when Aika could finally see the Shadow's face, she mentally kicked herself and simultaneously wanted to die, because the Shadow's face was her own. "N-No way…"

The Shadow smirked almost tauntingly. "What's wrong? You didn't think you were so perfect that you'd never have a Shadow, right?" The Shadow reached behind Aika and somehow managed to grab onto the Wild Card, which it was now waving in the air infuriatingly. "This is the source of all your problems, right?"

"Wh-What are you doing?" Aika shrieked as the Shadow proceeded to rip the Wild Card to shreds. And the worst part was that she felt relieved now that it was gone.

"What? I thought you wanted this."

Aika squeezed her eyes shut and put her head in her hands. This was her Shadow for sure, so… "You're me, and I'm you. You're me and I'm you. You're me, and I'm you…"

The Shadow waved its finger infuriatingly, smirking. "Ah-ah-ah, now that's not going to work…" It crouched before Aika and wrapped its arms around her, hugging her tightly, almost suffocatingly so. And it leaned in close and whispered in her ear: "You have to mean it…"

---

The group paused by two ornate gates inside Nanako's heavenly, yet too quiet dungeon. "No…" Rise said. "Something's not right… There's someone else here!"

"Could it be Namatame?" Yosuke asked.

"Wait a minute," Yukiko said. "Could he have come in here after being cornered like Mitsuo?"

"It's certainly possible," Naoto answered. "Perhaps by a TV near the scene of the accident, or by the one in his truck. Regardless, Nanako-chan is in grave danger! We must hurry!"

"Say…" Yosuke said slowly. "Uh… Rise, is Aika…?"

"She's not here, Yosuke-senpai," Rise said sadly. "She's… Well, I can't tell where exactly she is right now, since I'm not looking specifically for her, but…"

"No…" Yosuke said. "We'll save her after we save Nanako-chan. So let's just go." He opened the gates and ran forward, and, sure enough, at the top of a flight of stairs was both Namatame and Nanako. Namatame had his arm wrapped tightly around Nanako so that she couldn't move, and Yosuke didn't miss the way Nanako scanned the crowd, looking for her sister.

"Y-You mustn't go!" Namatame stammered. "I'm going to save this girl…"

"Taro Namatame…" Naoto said quietly. "It's definitely him! Then he did come in here…"

"So you're the killer…" Yosuke whispered.

"Let go of her!" Yukiko yelled.

Namatame chuckled. "You're the ones I saved… Don't worry… I'll save this girl too…"

"Huh?" Kanji mumbled. "Is this dude high or something? Quit talking shit and let go of the girl!"

Namatame took a step back as Kanji charged toward him. "D-Don't come near me… This is what Aika-san would want. Her sister's life was in danger, so I'm going to save her!"

Nanako whimpered in me. "Big… Sis?"

"Nanako-chan!" Chie yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kanji roared. "You think Aika would want this?"

"Calm down, Kanji-kun," Naoto said calmly. "We can't predict his behavior! We have to keep him talking. If we can discern his intentions, perhaps we can somehow deal with him."

"Allow me," Yukiko said. "Namatame-san, why are you doing this?"

"To save them…" Namatame whispered, his eyes growing wide.

"Okay, then what exactly is the Midnight Channel?" Chie asked, stepping forward.

"People needing to be saved appear…" Namatame whispered. "That's why I put them in the TV… Th-Then Aika-san's sister came on, so I had to save her…"

"Shut the hell up!" Yosuke yelled. "Let her go!"

"No!" Naoto snapped. "We must pull his attention away from Nanako-chan!" She cleared her throat. "So you admit that you put the people you saw on the Midnight Channel into this world."

"They all…" Namatame said faintly. "… want to be saved…"

"Did I ever ask you to save me?" Rise demanded.

"And you didn't save us, dammit!" Kanji yelled. "It was the exact opposite!"

"If I hadn't put you in the TV…" Namatame said quietly. "… how would you have ended up…?"

"How would we…?" Yukiko echoed.

"Are you trying to say we wouldn't have been able to face ourselves?" Rise asked.

"What?" Yukiko shrieked. "But we nearly died!"

"Yes…" Namatame said. "Exactly…"

Yosuke clenched his fists, his expression so absolutely furious that it put Dojima's worst to shame. "You kidnapped them… Yes or no?"

"Yes…" Namatame answered.

"Why did you target local residents who became known through the media?" Naoto asked. "Why do these people appear on the Midnight Channel?"

"On rainy nights…" Namatame mumbled. "… on TV… they signal me… to save them…"

"You keep saying save this and save that…" Yosuke said exasperatedly. "Are you saying murdering people is your idea of saving them?"

"Murder…?" Namatame echoed faintly. "No… I'm saving them…"

"How's that different, huh?" Yosuke exploded. "All you're doing is killing people!"

Namatame laughed bitterly. "If you want to think that, go ahead… I know… You chased us all the way here to kill…" He laughed again, sounding more deranged. "Too bad… I'm… gonna save her…" At that, Nanako whimpered.

"You asshole!" Kanji yelled. "You're not gonna get away with this!"

"Shut the hell up!" Namatame yelled back. And then, a dark aura surrounded his body, and his eyes started glowing yellow. "What a wonderful world…" he said, his voice sounding distorted. "An unknown, unreachable places… filled with pleasant fog… I'm a savior… It's filthy over there… So many evildoers… That's why I'm going to save them! I'm a savior! A righteous hero!"

Nanako coughed and wheezed weakly. "I can't… breathe… Big Sis…"

"That does it!" Yosuke yelled. "C'mon, Kanji!" They both charged toward Namatame, who promptly dropped Nanako as they approached him.

"Nana-chan!" Teddie yelled as he caught the small girl before she could fall.

"Nanako-chan?" Yukiko said, shaking Nanako's shoulder, but the girl was completely unconscious. "Nanako-chan!"

"Bastard…!" Chie snarled. "How dare you!"

"Give…" Namatame said in a low, dangerous voice. "Her. Back! I'm… I'm going to save her!" Darkness swirled around him, as more and more Shadows attached themselves to him. And, at long last, a large figure loomed before them – a figure with black skin and white robes, and something red and circular orbiting its head. "I… I'm going to save her! Don't interfere!"

"How solid is his grasp on reality?" Naoto asked.

And at that, Yosuke brandished his swords and charged forward.

---

"You're me…" Aika said for the umpteenth time that day. "… and I'm you…"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" her Shadow asked tauntingly. "That's not going to work."

Aika was completely exhausted. She felt sick to her stomach, and her head was throbbing so badly that she thought it was going to explode. And having her Shadow there with her just made everything so much worse. "But you're not going berserk, so I guess it's doing something."

The Shadow shrugged. "Touché."

Aika drew her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms. "Just leave me alone already!"

"Come on…" the Shadow said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You of all people should know that it doesn't work that way."

Aika just groaned at that.

---

The group waited at the hospital, outside Nanako's room. The battle against Namatame was successful, and both he and Nanako had been brought safely back into the real world – only Nanako wasn't waking up. "Nana-chan's so small…" Teddie said quietly. "So her other self didn't appear like everyone else… And she got caught in all that craziness… I hope she'll be okay…"

"Are the doctors going to be able to help her?" Yosuke asked from his chair, his head bent low.

Teddie wailed. "I'm worried about Nana-chan!"

"But there's nothing more we can do for her," Chie pointed out.

"A deliveryman named Namatame…" Naoto mused. "The possibility of Nanako-chan being targeted… If only I'd been more thorough in putting the facts together! Then Nanako-chan wouldn't have had to go through this…"

"That goes for me too," Yosuke said sadly. "If I hadn't stood there like a lump in front of that bastard, Nanako-chan might've been okay…" He leaned his head back until it hit the wall behind him. "And Aika's still missing…"

"I hate myself…" Chie grumbled. "Why do I always panic when it matters most?"

"I should've noticed sooner that something was wrong with that guy," Rise lamented.

Naoto slammed her head against the wall. "Why did I waste time listening to what Namatame had to say? If I hadn't tried to engage him in conversation, and we'd rescued Nanako-chan immediately… This wouldn't have happened!"

Kanji exhaled sharply. "All right! Enough with this pity party. Is standing around and whining really what we oughtta be doing now? Feeling pathetic, consoling each other… That gonna solve anything? We gotta believe in her! So stop rehashing what's already done! Get it together, Naoto!"

"Sorry…" Naoto said quietly. "You're absolutely right."

"This is all that bastard Namatame's fault, and he's behind bars, right?" Kanji asked. "And it ain't like we were too late for Nanako-chan."

"Yeah, that's true," Yukiko conceded.

"I'll come see Nana-chan every day so she'll get better faster!" Teddie announced.

"We have to go back in there tomorrow and look for Aika-senpai," Rise said. "We've done all we can for Nanako-chan… Aika-senpai needs us right now!"

"Huh?" a new voice said. "You guys still here?" Adachi stood before them, looking tired.

"Adachi-san…" Yukiko said. "Um… Did they find out anything?"

Adachi shook his head sadly. "Dojima-san's speaking with the doctor right now, but they can't say anything definite until they run some tests on her. Not just Nanako-chan, but the perp, too… Who knows when we'll be able to hear his story?" He sighed. "And he's still tearing his hear out over Aika-chan, too… Well… It's getting late, so hurry home. The last thing we need is for you guys to collapse too." And with that, Adachi walked away.

"We're going back tomorrow, right?" Yosuke asked.

"Yes, of course," Yukiko replied.

"Wow, Yosuke," Chie teased, poking him in the arm. "I didn't have you pegged for a worrier, of all things. Aika really made you all fluffy and cuddly on the inside, didn't she?"

Yosuke simply raised his eyebrows, but he let out a quiet laugh nonetheless.

---

The group unanimously decided to skip school the next day, and they headed into the TV world first thing in the morning. "All right…" Rise said. "Aika-senpai's…" She pointed straight forward. "That way. And she's definitely alone. But…"

"But?" Yosuke repeated.

"Something's not right…" Rise frowned. "Not like how it was for Nanako-chan, but… more like how it was for Naoto-kun and Mitsuo."

"Wait, does that mean…?" Chie gasped.

"Come on!" Yosuke yelled. "We have to hurry!" They ran in the direction where Rise pointed, not stopping until they reached what appeared to be a train station.

"Oh my god…" Yukiko whispered. "So this is Aika's…"

"Is this the train station?" Chie asked looking around. "It looks like the one in Inaba…"

"This is definitely the one in Inaba, without a doubt," Naoto confirmed. "But why would Aika-senpai…?"

"Did anyone check the Midnight Channel last night?" Rise asked.

"How could we?" Chie asked. "We were in the hospital with Nanako-chan 'till almost one!" And then, voices started echoing through the station.

"I can't believe you're being so selfish about this, Aika."

"So you just hung around us so you could get more powerful, huh?"

"Wh-What the—" Kanji gasped. "Was that… me?"

"It sounded like you," Chie said. "But who was that other one? That woman?"

A man's voice echoed: "How many times do I have to tell you, Aika? I can't just take off work whenever I want! Yes, she's my sister, but I don't have a choice! I can't believe you're being so selfish about this!"

The answer came to Yosuke quickly, even though he hadn't met Fuuji and Masami Nakamura once. "… Her parents…" he whispered.

"Huh… So you're really choosing that shithole over your own parents."

"It's a very simple question. What. Are. Social Links?"

"Ryo-chan will be fine! He has Nana-chan with him, so he won't be completely alone!"

"Tell us the truth!"

And, at the end, Aika's voice came, small and quiet and weak. "I wish everything would just disappear…"

"This…" Rise mumbled. "These are Aika-senpai's feelings… aren't they?"

"W-Wait!" Teddie yelped. "I-If you can sense Aika-chan's feelings, then that means…!"

"Come on!" Yosuke yelled as he ran forward. And, for a while, the group just kept running, never stopping until they finally reached an empty clearing. Aika lay crumpled on the ground, her eyes only partially open. "Aika!" Yosuke crouched down before her, picking her up off the ground and shaking her so that she'd wake up.

At long last, her eyes focused, and she blinked several times. "Y-Yosuke…?"

"Are you okay?" he asked her concernedly.

"N-No…" Aika mumbled. "Y-You have to leave… Th-There's…"

"About time you guys finally showed up." A figure identical to Aika, wearing the Yasogami High School uniform, walked forward, smirking. "I was getting bored."

"What the—" Kanji muttered. "No way… Senpai can't have a Shadow! She already has a Persona!"

"Oh?" the Shadow said tauntingly. "Is that so…?"

Aika groaned in pain, and Yosuke's grip on her body tightened. "How do you even exist?"

"Oh, I don't know," the Shadow said fleetingly as it paced around the group. "Maybe something came up that she tried to hide? Maybe she got so stressed out that she lost control of me? Something like that, I guess."

"S-Stop it…" Aika mumbled. Using Yosuke for support, she managed to get up onto her knees, and she glared at her Shadow. "Leave them alone…"

"Yeah, but that's not what you want, isn't it?" her Shadow taunted her. "I mean, you dealt with all of their Shadows, so it's only fair that they deal with yours too."

"Wh-Why are you even here…?" Aika whispered, struggling to stand up. "I'm not trying to hide anything!"

"Oh, you're so lucky I'm not going crazy right now," the Shadow retorted. "Come on. Think. You are hiding something, and you hid it so well that even you aren't aware of it."

"I'm… hiding something…?"

"Why doesn't anybody care about what I want?" her Shadow ranted. "Mom never did – all she cares about is her stupid job, and staying as far away from Inaba as possible. Who cares if I love it here? Who cares if I actually took what Mom said at the beginning of the year seriously, that I can stay here now that I finally settled down here?"

"N-No, that's not—"

"And Dad! He's such a doormat! Why can't he stand up to Mom, huh? I know he doesn't like moving around so much! And Uncle can't stand up to Mom, either. Because she's his psycho sister, remember?"

"Aika…" Yukiko said quietly.

"And that stupid Wild Card!" the Shadow ranted. "I never asked for it, okay? So just shut up and leave me alone!"

"S-Senpai, we never meant to…" Naoto said shakily.

"Why is everyone in my life such a useless piece of shit?"

"Stop it!" Aika shrieked. "Don't… Don't talk to them like that!"

"Why? It's what you want to say, isn't it?"

"No, it's not!"

"I mean, that's what I want to say, and I'm you."

"Sh-Shut up!" Aika screeched. "I'd never say something like that, and you're not me!" She didn't realize her mistake until several seconds later, when Shadows started swirling into her own. It felt like something was being ripped out from inside her, and she collapsed to her knees. "No… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"I am a Shadow… the true self…"

"It's okay," Yosuke said calmly, his hands around her shoulders. "We'll handle this. Just take it easy."

And, all too quickly, the battle was over, and Aika's Shadow had reverted back to its initial form. "Aika, are you okay?" Chie yelled.

Aika's head felt so, so heavy, and yet her body felt light as a feather. Still… "I-I'm okay…" Leaning heavily against Chie, she stood up shakily, her knees threatening to give out under her.

"Senpai, what were you thinking?" Naoto asked. "Diving straight into the TV after seeing Nanako-chan on the Midnight Channel was foolhardy and reckless."

"I didn't dive in after her," Aika said. "… did I? I… I don't remember…" But now, more than anything, Aika felt calm as she broke away from Chie and staggered toward her Shadow. "I'm sorry. You were right – I have been angry with everything that's been happening… and I tried to keep it all inside because it's just easier to hide my feelings… but… That's not really a good way to live, is it? What's the point in being honest with myself if I can't be honest with my friends and family?" She took a deep breath and turned around to face her friends. "My mom called me earlier… She said she and my dad were coming back from France early, and that we'd be moving to Mikage-cho at the start of the next school term."

"Say what?" Kanji spluttered.

"I don't want to move again," Aika said. "I want to stay here, in Inaba. I told my mom that, but she said I was just being selfish… and I hate her for it. And… I'll tell you all about the Wild Card and the Velvet Room later. That'll take a while to explain." She faced her Shadow once more. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would've been able to open up to them like that." Her Shadow nodded once, and a Persona appeared in its place – but it wasn't Aoandon. A light, airy, yet warm voice echoed in her mind – and there was no crippling headache accompanying it.

Thou art I… and I am thou. Your bright light shines even on the darkest night… I shall be your strength. I am Kaguya… May your light never fade…

Warmth bloomed in Aika's chest as Kaguya disappeared into a single card. When Aika saw it, she noticed that the number on the card was different – XX instead of IX. "Thank you, Kaguya…" All at once, strength left her body, and she collapsed to her knees. Her friends rushed up to her, all with concerned looks on their faces. "I'm sorry I lied to you…"

"We're not mad," Rise told her with a giggle. "We never were – at least I wasn't."

"If we were mad, it was more because you didn't trust us enough to tell us," Chie said. "Not because of the weird conditions on that power of yours – you can't control any of that, right?" Aika simply shook her head.

Before Aika could process what was happening, Yosuke's arms were around her, and he hugged her tightly. "Don't ever do that again," Yosuke said. "Jumping in after Nanako… What were you thinking?"

Aika gasped as reality suddenly came back into focus. "Nanako! Where is she? Is she okay?"

"We saved her yesterday," Naoto told her calmly. "However… the fog seems to have had an adverse effect on her body. She is currently recuperating in the hospital."

It was as if a huge weight was lifted from Aika's shoulders. "But she's safe, right?"

Naoto nodded. "For the time being."

Aika smiled. "Thank you… Thank you so much…" Her body teetered, and she almost fell forward.

"We need to get Aika-chan out of here!" Teddie said. "Yosuke—"

"I'm on it," Yosuke said as he lifted her onto his back. Aika wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder because it felt so heavy. "Let's go."

---

No matter how heavily Aika breathed, she couldn't seem to get enough air. Her whole body felt weak, and she felt exhausted and ill. "Hey, are you okay?" Yosuke asked concernedly. "Aika!"

"Damn it, not again!" Kanji yelled. "First with Naoto, then with Aika-senpai… What is it with you people?"

"I-I'm okay…" Aika somehow managed to say.

"No, you're not," Chie deadpanned.

"Wait, she's going to be all alone, isn't she?" Yukiko asked.

"She can stay with me until she feels better," Naoto said simply.

"N-No, it's okay…" Aika mumbled. "I-I know Uncle doesn't come home until really late, usually, b-but…"

Everyone in the group exchanged anxious looks. "Um…" Rise said slowly. "Senpai… Your uncle's in the hospital too. He got into a really bad car accident while trying to chase down Namatame, and—"

"Uncle…" Aika whispered. "A-And… Namatame-san?"

"Oh right…" Chie mumbled. "We still need to tell her everything that happened…"

"Can you walk?" Naoto asked Aika.

"Sure, I can—" But when she tried to stand up, she just collapsed again.

Yosuke sighed. "I'll come too," he said. "See you guys tomorrow." And, for a long while, he and Naoto walked, with Aika on his back.

At long last, they reached an apartment, which Naoto unlocked with a key. "Please excuse the mess," she said, though apart from a few papers and articles of clothing left here and there, the apartment wasn't messy at all. Naoto unrolled a futon, and Yosuke laid Aika down on it – Aika was fast asleep before her head even hit the futon. "Yosuke-senpai… do you know how to get in touch with her parents? I have no doubts that Adachi-san told them about what has transpired here. We should tell them that their daughter is safe and sound."

"I don't know…" Yosuke said slowly. "We can ask Dojima-san later."

Naoto nodded. "Right." She sighed. "I may take off the next few days from school, depending on how long it takes for Aika-senpai to wake up. I know I couldn't awaken until almost a whole day after my kidnapping."

"Yeah, and her Shadow wasn't exactly normal either," Yosuke pointed out.

"She'll be safe here, Senpai," Naoto told him. "You can relax now."

Yosuke exhaled sharply. "Yeah, you're right. I don't know why I'm still so tense."

Naoto smiled at him. "These past few days have been very stressful for all of us, and on top of that, someone you love was in a dangerous position beyond her control. It's only natural to worry."

"Yeah…" Yosuke said slowly. "Thanks, Naoto. Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

Naoto nodded. "I will."

---

Cosplay Pageant

Aika: Garnet Til Alexandros XVII (Final Fantasy IX)
Yosuke: Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII)
Chie: Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII)
Yukiko: Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto)
Kanji: Kisame Hoshigaki (Naruto)
Rise: Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Naoto: Sayaka Miki (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

---

So… longer chapter than the past few, but it's mostly plot-relevant stuff. So… shit happened.

According to the Malevolent Entity in Persona 4 Arena, a Persona will revert into a Shadow if its user experiences extreme psychological stress – even worse if the user denies his/her Shadow. So Aika kind of got put through the wringer in this chapter, which brought out her Shadow, and, as a result, she can't use the Wild Card anymore. Her deal was that she was so angry and upset and stressed out about everything, much like Saki Konishi, that her Shadow manifested. Also, some facts about her Shadow that didn't make it onto the page: it excels in Light, Dark, and Almighty spells, as well as status debuffs. It's annoying in the sense that it has a higher chance of insta-killing you than Aoandon does of killing Shadows with Hama, Mudo, and the like. But, much like Aoandon and Aika herself, its physical stats are low, so you'd be using Chie and Kanji like crazy in this fight, however, because its evasion is slightly above average, you'll be missing a lot.

So, in place of the Wild Card, Aika got her Ultimate Persona, Kaguya. Yes, I'm perfectly aware that Kaguya is a Persona you can fuse and summon in Golden, and this story's version is similar, but different. Like the original Kaguya, it can learn a couple healing spells (Mediarahan, Amrita) and a couple Light-based spells (Hamaon and Mahamaon). She also has ONE status debuff, Delibitate, and one status buff, Heat Riser. Then she has Morning Star and one passive skill, Spell Master (which halves the amount of SP required for all spells). However, Kaguya's more susceptible to physical damage because, while her defenses are slightly higher than Aoandon's, her speed/evasion rates are significantly lower. Also, Kaguya is of the Judgment Arcanum instead of the Hermit. It's definitely possible for characters to change Arcana – Reiji Kido in Persona 1 went from Devil to Death, Kei Nanjo from the same game went from Hierophant to Judgment, and… you get the idea.

And I know Aika was really irrational in this chapter, regarding her friends' reactions to the Social Links. But think about it - these are the first friends she's had in a really long time. She thinks that, at the slightest mistake, they'll leave her, just like that, and that TERRIFIES her, more than anything. So when she runs away from them, it's because she doesn't want to hear them reject her, and she doesn't want to deal with that at the moment, even though... they really aren't going to reject her anyway.

And why a cosplay pageant instead of a beauty pageant like in the game? Really, the only reason is that it would be too unbalanced – too many girls and too few guys. So everyone participates in the same pageant (which Naoto won). How I picked who each character was going to cosplay… basically, it started with Naoto, when I thought it would interesting to see her dressed up as Sayaka Miki. Then I thought: "Hey, if Naoto can be Sayaka, then Rise can totally be Madoka too! She even looks like her!" And then I ran through a bunch of somewhat well-known animes and games in my head and finally came up with the rest. Speaking of which, Naoto is really proactive in following what her Shadow tried to get her to do, hence why she ends up combining the boys' and girls' uniforms. I always thought Naoto hiding her gender was more like how Mulan hid her gender when she joined the army, rather than actually being a transgender.

Just so you know, there will probably be only about two more chapters left in this. WE'RE ALMOST THERE, YOU GUYS, SO KEEP READING AND REVIEWING. Thank you :]