Author's Notes: I think I'm overlevelled in my FES game, right now... I really should be finishing maxing my Academics for Minato because his intelligence is atrocious... I'm counting the points I need, but man, I'm really cutting it close since I'm almost at the Hermit and I need about 30 points left... I spent way too much time in the beginning of the game in Tartarus... Oh well... I made backup saves for a reason...

~11 JULY 2009~

Minato sighed as his phone notified him of a new text message. It was from Akihiko so he quickly read it. "Ikutsuki-san is coming tonight. He has something to tell us. We'll meet on the 4th floor as soon as everyone is back."

The boy folded his phone and grunted to himself. He lifted up his bag and was about to leave the classroom when a familiar voice called him to stop.

"Nii-san," Hamuko crossed her arms as he'd been despondent ever since the last mission. "Maiko's free at the shrine today. Let's go visit her together."

Minato blankly stared back at his sister before lowering his gaze and frowning. "Mm…" he ended up shrugging in response as he decided to follow her.

Nii-san... Hamuko worriedly frowned back at him as they passed Classroom 2-E. Fuuka came out at that time though and bumped into her. "S-sorry, Fuuka-chan!"

"Oh! Hamuko-chan!" The girl's brown eyes widened. "Sorry. Were you heading back to the dorm?"

"No, Minato and I are meeting a friend at the shrine," Hamuko smiled, pointing to the boy following her.

"Oh, Minato-kun!" Fuuka just noticed him and tried to give him a smile. Her face fell when the boy didn't acknowledge her. He'd been avoiding her for the past week but she didn't know why. "Minato-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Mm," the boy responded, staring through the walls.

"Nii-san," Hamuko shook her head. "At least give her a proper answer so she doesn't worry."

"Who's worried?" he asked.

"Fuuka-chan!" The red-eyed girl gave her brother a worried glare.

"Yamagishi's fine," he muttered.

"No, Fuuka-chan's worried about you," Hamuko shook her head.

"Oh…"

Fuuka studied the boy carefully and noticed that his blue eyes were dull. "Minato-kun?"

"Hm?" The boy stared at the pressure bandages wrapping his arms.

"Please feel better soon."

"Hm…" Minato frowned as he began picking at the medical cloth.

"Sorry about him, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko gave her an apologetic frown. "We'll see you back at the dorm, okay?"

"Okay…" Fuuka waved at the two and noticed Minato slightly lift his head in a nod. As the two disappeared down the hall, Fuuka frowned to herself in concern. That had been the first time in days Minato had actually responded to her and she wondered what was currently on his mind. She let out a heavy sigh though as even if she did know that, there probably wasn't much she could do to help him. At least, that was what their last Operation had shown her. She shook her head and tried to forget about it though as she remembered the Chairman would be visiting the dorm that day and she still had a few things to do before she could return.

As the twins left campus, Hamuko sighed as she stopped her brother from undoing the wrap around his arm. "Hey… You'll get in trouble with Senpai if you take them off. Your burns were really serious, nii-san." She frowned as she remembered the second-degree burns her brother received from the last mission.

"Hm…" Minato grabbed his arm and squeezed it, letting the pain build up. He grimaced in a way that told Hamuko he was hurting, but he didn't seem to care as he continued to agitate his wounds.

Hamuko wanted to stop him, but she doubt he would have listened as the lifeless look in his blue eyes told her he was suffering more emotionally than he was physically. "Nii-san?" she tentatively called out to him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? What's bothering you?"

Minato frowned to himself as he sensed his sister's desire to help him. After days of keeping silent, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when they heard someone sobbing nearby. Looking up, he realized they had arrived at Naganaki Shrine and the girl they befriended seemed to be crying. "Maiko?" the older brother worriedly frowned as he and Hamuko hurried to see what was wrong.

Hamuko quickly reached the young child and knelt down in front of her before giving her a comforting hug. "Maiko-chan," she soothingly tried to get the girl to calm down. "What's wrong?"

"Onee-chan!" Maiko hugged her back. "M-my dad… He…"

"It's okay, Mai-chan," the older girl comforted her. "Take your time."

Minato blankly watched the two girls as he didn't know what he could do in this situation. He was still having trouble process his own issues but seeing the small girl cry in front of him managed to pull him back to reality. He decided to simply listen and watch as his sister actively tried to help.

Maiko wiped the tears from her eyes as she looked up to Hamuko. "Dad, he… he… he hit me! I don't know what to do…"

"That's mean!" Hamuko frowned.

"I know it is! Why would Dad do that? Why?"

Minato averted his gaze. Maybe you deserved it… As heartless as his thought was, he looked down at his own bandaged arms with self loathing.

"All I did was say I wanted to know the real reason they were getting a divorce," Maiko explained. "They told me I was too young to even understand it. So I kept asking, but then Dad got angry and… and he… Then Mom said since I was so annoying, that it was my fault. I'm not sure they love me anymore…" Minato clenched his fists at the girl's words, pain shooting through his arms. "I bet they wouldn't care if I wasn't even here at all!"

"That's not true," Minato angrily spoke up. Hamuko and Maiko looked up at him in surprise, but Minato kept his head down as his body shook. "They're your parents, Maiko. Of course they love you."

"Onii-chan?" Maiko frowned at him in confusion. "Are you… sure? But then, why are they so mad?" Minato didn't know what to say in response to that but the girl seemed a bit happier as an idea suddenly came to her. "What if I ran away from home…? I want to find out… how they really feel about me." She smiled and nodded to herself. "If they love me, then they'd try to look for me, right? It's a secret, okay? Don't tell Mom and Dad I'm running away. I know you won't tell." She quickly started for the entrance of the shrine. "Well, I have to go now. We can play more later!"

"H-hey! Maiko!" Minato called out for her, concerned about her safety, but she was already gone. "You can't—!" He frowned to himself as he realized he had reached out towards the girl. He pulled back his arm and stared at his wrapped hand. "You can't run away… Everyone would worry…"

"Way to go, Minato," Hamuko sighed and crossed her arms. "You really are a bad influence to kids."

"Ngh..." Minato guiltily frowned to himself. "I'd better go after her and talk some sense into her then."

The brunette shook her head. "I'm sure Maiko will be fine. Next time though, try not to project yourself onto her."

"Yeah..." the older boy let out a heavy sigh.

Hamuko stared at her brother for a while before easing up on him. "Of course, I should probably do the same too when it comes to you."

"What are you talking about?" Minato frowned as he lifted his gaze towards his younger sister.

"Ever since we faced the Lovers Shadow you've been keeping to yourself," the red-eyed girl frowned back at him. "I've been telling everyone that you were trying to focus on recovering from your burns, but I guess you have a lot more on your mind than that, huh?"

"I guess..." Minato wryly smiled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," the boy slowly shook his head, "But I have a feeling we're going to anyway."

Hamuko rolled her eyes at how difficult he was. "I'm not going to force you, if that's what you're implying. I just want to know what happened to you during that last Operation."

Minato tensed up at that. "Nothing happened," he insisted rather forcefully but he couldn't keep himself from scowling as memories of the Shadow trying to manipulate him flooded his mind. When his thoughts wandered towards how he almost assaulted Fuuka, he quickly brought his hands up to his head and let out a frustrated growl. He felt Hamuko's stern gaze on him as he knew she wasn't going to simply let such an obvious lie go unchallenged so he decided to preempt her next question with a stubborn shake of his head. "If anything did, I don't want to talk about it with you."

"But you do want to talk about it," Hamuko stated with mild surprise. "Well, if you're not going to discuss it with me, why not talk to Fuuka-chan?"

"What the hell!?" Minato shouted while snapping his head up towards her, startling the younger twin. "I can't do that!" He paused though when he noticed his sister had visibly flinched from his outburst. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to yell," he frowned down at himself. "It's just..." He shook his head and sternly looked at the younger girl. "Why are you bringing her up?"

"I'm not the only one worried about you, you know," Hamuko seriously replied. "Fuuka-chan's been feeling a bit down ever since you began avoiding her. She told me she thinks you're upset with her because of... whatever happened between you two," she shrugged as neither teen gave her any details of the events that transpired when the twins accidentally cast Frolic. "She completely blames herself for your injuries since she should have done a better job navigating us."

"What?" Minato blinked at his sister in surprise. "But Fuuka pretty much ran the whole operation. She was the one who led you to the Lovers Shadow while I was…" He looked away from his sister as he remembered what he went through. "Ah.. never mind... Point is, she did more to help the team that night than I did, so why would she be blaming herself for my stupid mistakes?"

"If you want to know, you might as well talk to her yourself, Minato," Hamuko shrugged. "Fuuka-chan won't tell me anything else because she was afraid I'd get angry if I knew what exactly happened."

"I wouldn't mind if you did get angry at me," Minato frowned. "I totally deserve it, but... I'd rather not say anything for Fuuka's sake."

"Funny, she said the same thing about you," Hamuko dryly stated. "Well, there were a few things she did tell me, like how she sensed the Shadow completely locked her out of reaching you with Lucia. She figured that since you were the one receiving most of the transmissions from her, the Shadow thought you were the biggest threat."

"No, that wasn't it," Minato shook his head.

Hamuko frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Shadow specifically targeted me for another reason," the blue-haired boy clenched his fist. "I've been noticing for a while now that the Full Moon Shadows keep luring us out or trying to find us. The Reapers I see… They know something about it… I actually think they're attracted to it and that, in turn, will only draw more Reapers towards me."

"So that's why you've been avoiding everyone else too?"

"You know that people who get too close to me die," he scornfully sneered at himself. "I almost forgot that fact myself, but our last Operation reminded me exactly why I shouldn't rely on anyone else." He brought his fist up before him and tightly clenched it, enduring the pain that began to build up in his arms. "So long as everyone around me is safe, I don't care what happens to me."

Hamuko sadly stared at her brother. "I care what happens to you..." she muttered, making the older boy pause when he sensed the immense worry in her voice. "You're important to me, nii-san."

"Yeah," Minato apologetically smiled at her. "I know…" He hugged his younger sister as she began trembling. "I'm sorry... I know I shouldn't take you for granted like that." He pulled away from her and placed a hand on the girl's head to pat it while giving her his kind brotherly smile. "You've always been with me after all."

"Of course I have," the brunette blushed as she could feel how much her brother loved her. "We're twins... We've been together since even before we were born."

"Yeah, so long as you're with me," Minato nodded, "I don't need anyone else..." The boy suddenly trailed off as that last statement bothered him for some reason. Is that really true though? Lately, I feel like I shouldn't be thinking stuff like that, especially considering all the Social Links I've made. Even more... Didn't Pharos say I needed—?

"Hey, Minato?" Hamuko worriedly looked up at her brother as she noticed he had fallen silent. "There's something else Fuuka-chan told me about the Operation. It's about what the Shadow was trying to get you to do while you were charmed."

"Really?" the blue-haired boy tensed up. "What did she tell you?" he tentatively asked.

"She said she heard the Shadow in your mind," she answered while frowning. "It was egging you on to pursue your 'deepest of desires'... Fuuka-chan managed to snap you out of it, but she was really scared to think about what would have happened if you didn't regain your senses." Hamuko lowered her gaze as she didn't really want to think of that possibility either. "I'm truly grateful for what Fuuka-chan did because if it had been me in that position, I don't know if I could have stopped you..."

"Huh!?" Minato's face went red as he tried to get rid of the image of that night from his mind. "The hell are you saying!? I could never, ever forgive myself if I went through with that! We're twins, after all!"

Although his flustered reaction was a bit over-the-top, Hamuko smiled at the fact her brother was beginning to return to his usual self. "I know..." I just wish you wouldn't use me as your sole reason to keep living...

Minato shook his head as he desperately tried to regain his composure. "Jeez, I don't blame Fuuka for telling you that since that was a very low thing for me to do, but here I was thinking you'd be furious with me over it."

"Well, it didn't happen," Hamuko pointed out with a shrug. "And it wasn't like you were thinking straight anyway. Fuuka-chan probably sees it that way too."

"But still...!" the older brother forced himself to take a deep breath. "Ah, forget it. You have a point. I guess I should try to get over this too, for Fuuka's sake." He sighed and lifted his gaze towards the sky. "It bothers me though that she's already forgiven me despite me not having yet apologized."

"Are you going to?" the brunette asked, studying her brother's serious blue eyes.

"I don't think I can accept her forgiveness, but I should at least give her an apology," the boy seriously answered, looking back down at her. "I don't really think it's enough though."

"Yeah, it's like ever since Fuuka-chan's joined SEES, all you've ever done is just apologize to her," Hamuko noticed as her brother tensed up. "That isn't to say you're a horrible person," she quickly added, "But maybe you could be a little more considerate of her feelings? Fuuka-chan honestly seems to care about you."

"You think so?" Minato dubiously frowned.

Hamuko nodded. "That's how it looks to me."

The serious sibling shook his head. "She seriously doesn't know anything about me, yet she cares... That's... strange, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," the brunette frowned as, for some reason, she began to think of Shinjiro. "Besides, it also looks like you honestly care about her, too, right, nii-san?"

Minato became serious again as he considered his own thoughts and feelings. After a while, he let out a troubled sigh and looked away. "I don't really know the answer to that myself, Hamuko. I trust her abilities, but at the same time, I don't want her to get anymore involved with what I've already put her through. I mean, I already dragged her into the Dark Hour and you know how much I don't like seeing the Reaper on those I care about..." He smirked though as he essentially just admitted how he actually felt about his friend. "Alright," he lifted his head, "I'll try coming up with a way to make things up with her. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that yet, but I can't keep making her worry about me like this. It really takes away from her attention that should be going to the others on the team."

Hamuko sighed as he was beginning to overthink things again, but at least this was a start. His wellbeing was really all that mattered to the brunette after all. "I'm glad you're back to normal, nii-san," she hugged her older brother.

Although a bit confused by her actions, Minato returned her hug anyway. "Thanks, I guess..." When they released each other, the older twin turned towards the shrine entrance. "Hey, let's get something to eat. I'll pay for anything you want," he offered. "Seconds, thirds, dessert, whatever. I really owe you for this."

"Alright! Thanks, nii-san!"

"No problem," Minato smiled gently as his younger sister, "sis."

Hamuko smiled back as it was rare for him to address her like that. "Let's go, nii-san."

"By the way," her older brother frowned as the two began walking side by side, "did I do something to Junpei? He's really upset with me for some reason."

"I'm not really sure, but I was planning on talking to him myself since he has been acting weird lately. I'm sure it's nothing," Hamuko reassured her brother before frowning to herself. She actually didn't know what to make of her friend's behavior since the capped boy seemed to have been avoiding her too. Junpei…

Minato took a deep breath as Mitsuru finished summarizing their last Operation to the Chairman. The senior spared no detail in her account of the events and Minato was glad she had no idea what had been going on inside his head during the whole ordeal. "So, that's what happened on the night of the 7th. It was a difficult operation," she concluded with a nod.

"I see," Ikutsuki nodded. "They're getting tougher… But, it's not all bad news. I called today's meeting because—"

Yukari quickly interrupted him. "I'm sorry. Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something."

Minato raised an eyebrow as he had no idea where this came from. He glanced over to Hamuko who just frowned at her friend while Mitsuru simply looked up in surprise. The redhead frowned at the archer in confusion. "Me…?"

"Since I joined," Yukari lowered her gaze, "so many things have happened… I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know. I'm gonna ask you straight out… You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, Senpai? You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus… but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

Minato's eyes widened as he understood. This was about the girl's father. Hamuko had explained to him before that Yukari was quite desperate for answers, but their friend never came to them to formally request an investigation. Minato didn't bother to pry though as it seemed extremely personal to their classmate and he and his sister had their own secrets to keep.

Junpei knit his eyebrows in confusion as he didn't understand what was going on. "What accident…?"

"There was an explosion near our school," Yukari explained, "and a lot of people died… It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?" she continued to focus her gaze on the official leader of SEES.

Mitsuru didn't dare look at Yukari but did manage to maintain her composure. "Yes."

"Luckily, no students were injured," Yukari continued. "But… around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence."

Curious to how much the junior knew, Mitsuru decided to test the girl. "What do you mean?"

"I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting. The students who were absent…" Yukari gathered as much confidence as she could before revealing her hand to the senior. "They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka…" When the senior remained silent, Yukari stood up from her seat, wanting an answer. "There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something!" The girl tried to keep the desperation out of her voice, but Minato quickly picked up on it. "Tell me the truth!"

Mitsuru remained silent as she frowned to herself. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But…" The Student Council President was at a loss for words on how to proceed.

Ikutsuki gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

Minato frowned as something about the man's tone seemed insincere. The Reaper beside him chuckled menacingly and the boy clenched his fists to control himself. You're up to something… Are you working alone or is it for the Kirijo Group? He returned his attention to the senior and noticed that Mitsuru was nodding her head as though she were coming to a decision on something.

"Alright," she began. "I'll tell you the whole story… The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space." Minato thought this made sense given the Dark Hour and Tartarus. "We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be the source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

Yukari looked to her in surprise. "What…?"

"Fourteen years ago," the senior continued, "one man pursued that line of thinking… He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo… My grandfather."

Minato recognized the name as he remembered seeing it in some old case files belonging to his parents and other relatives. Hamuko noticed this too and shot her brother a frown. The Kirijo Group… A company often under scrutiny by the entire Kuzunoha clan, despite both families and corporations sharing many of the same allies… Kouetsu Kirijo was actually Mom and Dad's final case, the girl thought to herself.

"My grandfather was obsessed with Shadows," Mitsuru said with a frown on her face. "He wanted to harness their power, and create something extraordinary."

"Harness their power?" Fuuka was surprised.

"He assembled a team of scientists, and over several years collected a significant number of Shadows." The seniors lowered his gaze.

"He what!?" Junpei shook his head. "Damn, that's freaking crazy!"

"However," Mitsuru refused to lift her head to look at them, "Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered."

Fuuka frowned. "You mean…"

The redhead nodded at her. "Yes… Tartarus and the Dark Hour…" Mitsuru took a deep breath. "By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."

No… There's something else… Something Senpai doesn't know about… Those Shadows… Mom and Dad's accident… Minato felt a cold dread build up within his chest, suffocating him. Remembering to breathe, he slowly exhaled only to enter a coughing fit.

Hamuko rubbed his back. "Nii-san?"

"I-I'm fine. Just surprised by all this," he lied to the team when they turned to him in concern.

When she was certain her friend was okay, Fuuka turned back towards Mitsuru. "Is that why they've appeared in different places?"

"Wait a minute…" Yukari's eyebrows furrowed. "If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" She gasped as she realized something. "Don't tell me… That's where they conducted the experiment!?"

Ashamed at her family's actions, Mitsuru nodded. "Yes."

"Then…" Yukari frowned. "Those students who were hospitalized…"

"I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking," Mitsuru looked away from the brunette. "Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly-populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased… As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

Yukari clenched his fists. "Does that mean… all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess!? You lied to us?" Mitsuru had nothing to say in response to the junior's anger. Yukari quickly turned towards Akihiko. "You knew too, didn't you, Senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?"

Hamuko shook her head as she remembered Miki and Shinjiro. "Yukari! Calm down!"

"That's not true," Akihiko shook his head sadly. "I have my reasons…"

"Think what you'd like…" Mitsuru frowned to herself. "It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we—with our Personas—can fight the Shadows."

Minato crossed his arms as he agreed with the senior. "Senpai's right. There's nothing we can do but continue to fight."

Yukari looked at the boy furiously. "How could you…!?" She paused when Mitsuru held her own arm, as if trying to reassure herself.

"Besides…" the redhead quietly said. "Some of us were never given a choice. I…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Mitsuru… Don't."

Yukari's expression softened as the older girl seemed to be remembering something painful. Minato watched them before staring at his feet. Senpai must have been experimented on herself, he guessed. Kouetsu Kirijo… Perhaps it's time for me to expand on my personal investigation… This might get me closer to the truth I've been searching for all this time. Minato shifted his eyes towards Ikutsuki. It might have been the boy's imagination but he swore the Chairman had been carefully studying him throughout the entire meeting, but he couldn't confirm it as the man raised his arms to restore order to the team.

"Yukari…" the man began. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did… We're all in the same boat, here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."

The girl understood but something didn't sit well with her. "But…"

Ikutsuki shook his head. "It's been ten years since that incident… No one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned." The Reaper behind him laughed directly at Minato and the boy swore the man's eyes flickered towards him. "But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them… Do you realize what this means?" Everyone looked up at him and a few of the students shook their heads. "What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"

Minato blinked at that. No… Something about this isn't accurate. Why doesn't it feel right?

Akihiko, however, smirked. "Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…?"

"Exactly!" Ikutsuki beamed at the boxer. "That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"

"Is that true!?" Fuuka sat up, a smile growing on her face.

Minato's brow furrowed. That can't be it. There's something more. What is it that I've forgotten? The Reaper's laughter increased in intensity. I can't think with that damn thing here!

Ikutsuki nodded as no one noticed the blue-haired boy's expression. "There's evidence to support it. Now, our true battle begins." Yukari remained silent so the man turned to look at her. "Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it."

The meeting was soon brought to an end, but Minato couldn't help it as his mind and pulse began to race. Damn… He controls the entire flow of the team's investigation… The sickly boy grew pale as the man walked right past him, his Reaper cackling as it followed the man out the door. I-I can't go against him… In a way, he's got a point… But what's this building fear? The Reapers… Mom and Dad's accident… Kouetsu Kirijo… The Dark Hour… Tartarus… It's all connected, but how? Even after ten years, I've made no progress at all!

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka noticed he was looking sick. "Are you okay?"

The boy took a shallow breath and was about to reply before coughing again. "S-sorry. I'm not feeling well…" he managed to say before his lungs threatened to shoot out of him.

"Nii-san!" Hamuko rubbed his back. "I think you should go to bed for the night."

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "We all should."

The team slowly dispersed and Hamuko helped her brother to his room. She gently laid him down and frowned at him. "Nii-san… Something's not right… Mom and Dad…"

"I know… I still don't trust Ikutsuki though," he reached for the water bottle on his nightstand and moistened his dry, aching throat. "That Reaper of his is getting more unruly. It's taunting me…"

Hamuko frowned at her brother's apparent fear. "Nii-san. Tomorrow, let's visit Moonlight Bridge."

The older twin paused. "Y-yeah," he agreed with a nod. "It's been a while… There's a lot to tell Mom and Dad…" He slipped under his covers and gave the girl a grateful smile. "Thanks, Hamuko. Good night."

"Good night, nii-san," she smiled back as she closed his lights and returned to her own room. I should see Shinjiro-san again in a few days. Nii-san's investigation is really putting a burden on him and I don't want him to lose himself to the Reapers again. I really hope Shinjiro-san found something though…

~12 JULY 2009~

Shinjiro leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. He heard footsteps coming towards him so he frowned. So that girl's back, huh?

"Nothing to do as usual, huh?" Akihiko smirked at him.

"Hm…?" Shinjiro looked up in mild surprise as he hadn't been expecting him of all people to show up. "Hmph… Why're you here? If you came here to try and convince me, then forget it."

Akihiko shook his head. "It's nothing like that. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

This was new and unexpected. "Huh?"

Akihiko sat on a pile of wooden crates next to him. "We've known each other for a long time… It's been almost 14 years since we met at the orphanage… You, me, and Miki… We used to run around here until the sun went down. Back then, it seemed like we had all the time in the world."

"Heh…" Shinjiro smirked at him. "You haven't changed one bit. If you wanna get all sappy, go do it with your other friends." Like her… Shinjiro thought of the smiling red-eyed girl.

Akihiko stood back up and glared at him. "What was that!?"

The taller boy shrugged. "It's rare for you to think about the past. Usually, you just charge ahead like a damn fool. So obviously, there's something on your mind."

"I do reminisce sometimes…" Akihiko frowned. "But, what's the point?" He shook his head as he wasn't here to talk about that. "Anyway, we finally know how to get rid of Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

"No shit?" Shinjiro cast his grey eyes on the boxer seriously.

His white-hair friend nodded. "To be honest, all I've been thinking about lately is getting stronger. But yesterday, someone made me question my reason for fighting…"

"Your reason for fighting, huh…" Shinjiro frowned to himself. "That's different for every person. But, if you don't have a good one, you can always quit… like I did."

"I'm not like you," Akihiko seriously looked at him. "Man, I can't believe I'm the one getting lectured here," he rolled his eyes. "Well, see ya around."

"Tch…" Shinjiro watched as the Gekkoukan student left. "You haven't changed at all…" He sighed as he continued to think to himself. But I guess I haven't either… Damn…

Fuuka looked up from her laptop when she heard someone knocking on her door. She quickly answered it. "Yes?"

Mitsuru looked around the hallway carefully. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Senpai…" Fuuka was surprised by her visit. "Oh, please come in."

The two sat down at her table. Mitsuru kept her posture straight as she rested her hands on the surface before her, as if offering a business proposal. "Not only do you excel at providing support during battle, but also at obtaining information."

Fuuka's face went red. "Oh, I-I'm sorry for doing that without permission…"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru shook her head. "You're not in trouble. But, I do have a special favor to ask of you. I want you to find out as much as you can about that incident ten years ago."

"But, very little was made public…" Fuuka frowned.

"That's why I want you to access the Kirijo Group's database."

"You mean," the girl's brown eyes went wide, "hack into their system? That's illegal."

"I'll give you my ID and password," Mitsuru reassured her. "You'll be free from accountability. I want to know the truth, in detail."

"Senpai…" The junior was a bit unsure, but this sounded important.

"Of course, I'll understand if you refuse." Mitsuru frowned as she didn't really want to go to Minato for this. "I would ask Yuki, but his methods of investigation are rather problematic as he'll dive straight into the case without any regard for the consequences. I also believe he is performing his own personal investigation on the Shadows and there are times when he becomes quite distant, withholding information from all those around him including his own sister. Should he discover something within the database, I have no guarantee of knowing."

Fuuka nodded in understanding as Minato had been rather closed off lately. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked. When she saw no hesitation on the younger girl's face, she gratefully smiled. "I appreciate it." She got back up and started for the door before stopping. "Yamagishi… Aren't you resentful? After all, despite my good intentions, I did drag you into this without fully explaining. Certainly, you must be a little angry with me…"

Fuuka shook her head. "Not really. You see, my parents have an inferiority complex because all my relatives are doctors… That's why they're so tough on me… You must have noticed when you spoke with them about me joining SEES. It's really hard for me to be at home… But here, I feel important, and I can help you and the others…" She began thinking about the time they've spent together so far and smiled. "So, why should I be angry?"

Mitsuru smiled at the teal-haired girl. "You're right, Yamagishi. We do need you. No one can take your place."

The junior's face went red as those words were something Minato would often say to reassure the navigator of her importance to the team. "U-um…"

"Thank you," Mitsuru nodded as she opened the door to leave. "I'll see you later." She took a deep breath as she returned to her own room. Now I see why Yuki holds her in high regard and decided to split the team the way he did. She, along with everyone else, is an invaluable member in the team and we must support each other. She frowned as a thought came into mind. This makes me wonder if I should have tried harder to prevent Shinjiro from leaving…

During Lunch, Hamuko had asked Junpei to see her on the roof. Not really wanting to talk with her, the boy reluctantly went anyways. She was his friend and it wouldn't be good to let her worry.

"So what's up?" he tried to smile only to see her frowning at him.

"Is something bothering you? You've been avoiding me and my brother all week."

"N-nah, I'm just studying," he looked away, "and stuff."

"You and I both know you're lying," Hamuko crossed her arms.

"What? I can't pretend to be the perfect student like your brother?" Junpei glared at her.

Surprised at the boy's anger, Hamuko blinked at him. "Is that what this is about? You have a problem with my brother?"

"Apparently," Junpei shrugged, face heating up. "Minato's so perfect. Minato got the answer right in class! Minato's the leader! Minato's the fucking hero saving the fucking day!" The capped boy blew up at his friend. "Well, who gives a fuck about him? Half the time he's either asleep in class or staring at his stupid music player like there's something special hanging from it! He doesn't even care and he gets to play hero!?" Junpei was stunned when Hamuko slapped him.

"You can't say he doesn't care!" Hamuko glared at him. "Who's the one always watching your back in Tartarus? Every time you fall flat on your ass against a Shadow, who's the one to always cover for you until you get back up!? Minato never asked to be leader! He accepted it because Senpai specifically asked for him to be leader! He's not playing at being a hero! He's saving your ass as well as everyone else's!"

"Yeah!? Well it's not like I asked for his help!" Junpei fixed his cap. "I don't need him telling me what to do!"

"Then why don't you do something to prove it!?" Hamuko challenged him, tears forming in her eyes. The girl clenched her teeth as she couldn't help it. It was something that came naturally, no matter what she felt. She wasn't like Minato, able to hold himself together until he was completely alone. She strived to be around other people and if that meant letting others see her cry out of anger, then so be it. She would never let anyone insult her brother in such a manner though, not even a friend like Junpei. "What? You're not like nii-san? Of course you aren't! You're you and he's him! But while you're always dicking around, nii-san always has to make up for what you should be doing!"

The male junior could feel his friend's anger towards him and she had a point. He tugged his cap down to hide his face. "It's not like having you on the team helps… The two of you make me feel like crap since nothing I do compares."

"That doesn't give you the right to say those things about nii-san," Hamuko said, trying her best to calm down.

"I forget he's your brother sometimes," Junpei frowned. "I thought you'd understand but I guess not…"

"He's the only family I've got here," the girl reminded him. "We've been through a lot together and I don't expect you to understand that. Nii-san has his issues, sure, but I especially don't need to deal with your stupid self-pity on top of that."

"That's right…" The capped boy remembered that they were both orphans with nowhere to really call home. "Well, whatever…" Junpei turned his back on the girl. "With Minato leading SEES, it's not like you need me around."

"You know that's not true," Hamuko softly said, hoping he heard her as he returned into the building. "You're still my best friend, Junpei!"

That comment made the boy sneer at himself. Really…? Like that's worth something… Junpei spent the rest of the day trying to ignore the blue-haired boy beside him. It wasn't that hard since the two boys slept through each class. Or rather today, it was more like Junpei was pretending to be asleep while his perfect partner was preparing for the upcoming finals. Yeah, Junpei thought with disdain as the blue-haired boy correctly answered yet another question with absolutely no effort at all. I bet he'll get the top score again.

After class, he wandered to the movie theater at Port Island Station. There weren't that many students here today because of the upcoming testing session but that was good though. Junpei didn't really feel like dealing with anyone from school anyway so instead, he began to mull over last night's meeting, Minato, Hamuko, and his life in general.

"So," he said to himself. "Tartarus and the Dark Hour will be gone, huh… Tch!" He stood up from the steps and tossed his empty soda bottle into the recycling bin. "That's good… That's what we've been fighting for…" He paused for a moment before clenching his fist as he felt himself beginning to grow frustrated for no apparent reason. "So, why am I so pissed!?"

He looked back when he heard some students laughing as they left the theater. "Gosh, it's hot… Even for July."

The girl's friend nodded. "Seriously, But, at least we're seniors now… We won't be wearing these stupid uniforms much longer."

"Yeah, I've had enough of this. I just wanna get accepted to college and start having some fun."

"That's IF you get accepted, don't forget."

Junpei frowned as they walked away before wryly laughing at himself. "I know why… I'M the reason… I was like, 'Fighting is my duty'. But hell, it's all I'm good for. If it weren't for that… I'd be worthless." He forced out a short laugh. "My duty…? What a buncha bullshit. I can't fight worth shit, anyway… Not compared to HIM, at least. Dammit! Nothing I do is good enough!" He sighed as he remembered what Hamuko told him at Lunch. Your best friend, huh?

Yukari stared at the worn envelope in her hands as she sat on her bed. "Seems like my worst fears keep coming true… Am I stupid to believe in things like trust and friendship…?" She shook her head as she carefully pulled out the letter's contents. "Dad… This old letter of yours… I must've read it a thousand times since it came last spring…"

March 6th, 2000. To my family,

Tomorrow, I'll bring this letter to the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It'll be stored in a time capsule, and sent to you ten years from now. Yukari… You're so small right now, but in ten years, you'll be sixteen. You'll be in high school.

I know you've been sad because I have to work so late, but you still always greet me with a smile. I'm really proud of myself. Kirijo-san appointed me Head Researcher. I'll be starting on a big project soon, and I'm happy to be receiving so much recognition for my work… But, I swear to you nothing is more important to me than you and your mother.

Yukari… Are you remembering to enjoy life? Are you still bright-eyed and hopeful, like you are now? No matter what happens in the next ten years, I hope you are happy. Well, I hope this letter brings a smile to your face.

Love, Dad

When she finished reading it, Yukari quickly wiped up the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I can't lose hope… for his sake. I won't turn my back. I won't be like Mom. Not ever…"

She looked out her bedroom window and stared at Moonlight Bridge. Traffic was busy as usual, but she could make out a pair of students walking home on the bridge.

They must not know what's going on with all the Dark Hour stuff, Yukari thought to herself. I guess Minato was right. There's nothing else to do but fight… That's why I have this power, I guess… But why do I feel that's not the actual reason? What if it's something more than that?

Minato looked in the direction of the dorm from Moonlight Bridge. He tilted his head to the side. Hamuko walked to his side and stared at him. "Is something up?"

"I can barely make out the dorm from here," he pointed out. Curious, Hamuko tried to take a look for herself but when she couldn't, she turned towards her brother who shrugged back at her. "Well, I can spot its roof past the station, anyway." He turned back towards the bridge and dug through his bag. "You have a lighter?"

"Yeah, here." Hamuko tossed him a plastic lighter.

Minato lit the incense for both of them and handed her some. Both prayed together before setting it between the cracks of the sidewalk. "Hey, Mom, Dad. Sorry we haven't been around as often as we thought we would have. A lot of things came up. Hamuko and I joined a club called SEES where we fight Shadows during the Dark Hour with Personas. You've been watching over us, right?" He lifted his face towards the sky as his bangs covered his eyes. "I hope you're proud of what we're doing."

"Of course we're proud!" Hamuko watched as their father beamed proudly at his son. "You've got the family gift after all!"

The red-eyed girl shook her head. "Dad, you can't go around saying that. You're going to give nii-san a big head."

"Like that'll happen," Minato looked away. "What I'm doing is nothing compared to Mom and Dad."

"Still chasing after us, huh, Minato? You always were my precious little boy." A brown-haired woman hugged her son.

Minato paused as he felt a familiar warmth surround him. Even though he couldn't see his parents, he could at least feel their presence beside him. "Mom…"

"And Hamuko!" The blue-haired man placed a hand on the girl's head. "Are you still aiming to be a nurse?"

"Yeah!" Hamuko's eyes brightened. "I might just try to be a doctor though. I'm not as good as nii-san at investigating, but I still want to help others. I also don't like seeing him hurt either, so I'll do whatever I can to help him."

"Is his breathing better?" Their mother looked over the boy worriedly.

"His lungs cleared up fine, Mom."

Minato put on a reassuring smile. "Besides my monthly check-ups, I haven't been hospitalized as much this year," he said. "I think it's the Personas helping out, but I'm doing much better than before. You guys don't have to worry about me as much."

"But we're your parents, Minato," Takuto shook his head. "We'll always worry about you. Isn't that right, Kyoko?"

"That's right. Hamuko, tell your brother to take better care of his body. Why does he have those bandages around his chest and arms?"

"Mom wants you to explain your injuries, nii-san," Hamuko frowned at him.

"M-mom! I-I'm fine!" Minato shook his head but relented. "I made an error during our last operation against the Shadows. I-I nearly put Hamuko into grave danger because of that. I'm sorry…"

"It wasn't your fault, nii-san!" Hamuko shook her head. "The Shadow targeted you. Thank goodness Fuuka-chan was able to pull you out of it." The girl brightened as she updated her parents on their new friend. "I think you'd both like Fuuka-chan! She's really kind and smart. Also, I think nii-san fancies her."

"H-hey, stop joking around…" Minato's face grew pink.

"My son's becoming a man!" Takuto laughed.

"I'm sure she's a wonderful person if Minato thinks so," Kyoko nodded.

Hamuko laughed, making her brother's face red. Minato shook his head as he tried to be serious. "I-I don't have time for dating right now! I wouldn't even know how to!"

Kyoko hugged her son again. "If you really care about a person, you won't have to know, Minato. It'll just naturally come to you. Your father was the same way, did you know that?"

The red-eyed girl passed on their mother's message to him and Minato became silent. He lowered his head and smiled. "N-no… I didn't. But even if it does come to me, what's to stop me from being scared of the Reapers and running away? I don't want to involve people with Death. I-I'm not brave like you two."

"Minato," Takuto placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You're the 'harbor of courage'. You're not courage itself. You have a gift about you that brings out the best in others. You're never alone. So long as you inspire courage in others, they'll share it with you. Do you understand?"

After relaying their father's words, Hamuko smiled at her brother and hugged him too. "He's right, nii-san. I don't think I'd be able to do as much as I do without you there to always watch me. You can depend on me a little more. I don't like it when you're closed off to everyone else."

"Hamuko, you also need to think about yourself more," Kyoko scolded her. "It's a problem the both of you have. We're proud that you both are doing your best to protect those you care about, but I don't want you both to throw your lives away. It's too soon for your lives to end."

"We'll try to be a bit more selfish, Mom," Hamuko began tearing up as her mother hugged her. "But it's hard since we have so many people to care about."

"Then have faith in them," Takuko nodded to her. "You both have been blessed and cursed with Death. For as many people you've come to known, you've seen many of them die. Some were good friends, others were family. But I don't want you both to lose heart. Minato, you sense Death and it only reinforces how much you wish to protect those you care about. Hamuko, you see those that have passed and it reminds you that you'll never be alone. We'll always be watching you, but it's your lives. It's not our place to tell you what to do anymore. That's up to you two."

"We understand, Dad," Minato nodded.

"That's my precious little boy," Kyoko smiled as she rubbed her thumb on the boy's cheek. "Take care of your sister, Minato. You're the oldest so you have to be a good example for her. But you don't have to be perfect."

"Of course, Mom," the boy smiled.

"Hamuko," Takuto hugged his daughter. "Keep an eye out for your brother. He can do many things but he can't do the impossible and he certainly can't do everything, especially if he's alone."

"Yeah, Dad," Hamuko nodded.

"Come visit us again. It looks like you've got a long road ahead of you, but I'm sure you'll be fine," Kyoko looked at the twins once more before she faded away her with her husband.

Minato looked up towards the sky as his hair covered his eyes again. "You know, Hamuko… Even if we get to talk to them like this, I still miss them."

"I do too," Hamuko frowned as she hugged her brother. "But they're always with us."

"Yeah…" He wrapped his arms around his younger sister. "And they'll always watch over us." The two remained silent until they realized it was getting late. The incense was no longer burning and the sky was beginning to grow dark. Minato picked up his bag from the sidewalk as they started for the dorm. "So I saw Junpei head up to the roof with you today. What'd you talk about?"

"He's dealing with something personal," Hamuko answered, not wanting to give her brother the whole truth. "Everyone's been like that lately. It wasn't just you."

Minato frowned in understanding. "Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka, Sanada-senpai, Kirijo-senpai… Everyone has things they don't want to face, but will have to eventually. I don't blame them for wanting to run away. I get second thoughts myself, but it's not like me to leave a job half-finished."

"No," his sister agreed. "Even if you don't look forward to the end, you'll keep going because…"

"A good detective doesn't turn away from the truth," they both stated their family's motto simultaneously.

Minato sighed. "Hamuko… Do you think Mom and Dad would be disappointed if I said I didn't care to become an investigator?"

Hamuko shook her head. "They wouldn't want to push you into something you dislike."

"It's not that I dislike it, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it."

"That's what you said about being leader of SEES," she pointed out.

"You're already set in what you want, but I'm not like that. I've never really considered 'next year' or the 'year after'. It's always been me hoping to make it through 'this year'. But if we do end up getting rid of the Dark Hour, there wouldn't be a need for me to have that feeling."

"Nii-san, it's okay if you want to slow down and consider your options. You're always running ahead without me anyway. Sometimes I'm afraid you're going to run somewhere I won't be able to reach, no matter how hard I try."

"I won't be going anywhere, Hamuko," he reassured her. "If I ever get too far, just call for me and I'll come back. You know I'd never leave you behind." He tilted his head towards her. "Just promise you'll do the same for me?"

"Nii-san…" Hamuko smiled at him.

Pharos smiled as he sat on Minato's bed. "It's good to see you again." He waited for the older boy to sit up properly. "How long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly. So, how's life as a Persona-user?"

"Fulfiling," Minato smirked.

"Oh, that's good to hear," Pharos nodded. "I remembered something else about the coming of the end… It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago… Ten years ago, if I remember correctly. Hey…" Pharos thought of something. "Didn't your parents pass away about ten years ago?"

Minato's eyes widened. So something is connected! He wanted to ask the boy something but Pharos disappeared only to reappear in front of his mirror.

The young boy studied his own reflection before looking at Minato's. "A Persona is like a mirror. Which means, a Persona-user can never escape from his true self." Minato winced as a Reaper flashed through his mind. "Regardless," Pharos turned his body to face the teen, "I will stay with you… because we're friends."

Pharos vanished again and Minato looked around only to see that the boy was completely gone this time. "Pharos… What are you really? Who am I really? I trust you but… why can't I trust myself?"

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

Kaz and Kenji frowned as they noticed their friend absentmindedly crash into the closed door. The blue-haired junior toppled to the ground, but didn't bother to get back up. Kenji shook his head as he turned to the Track student. "It's your turn."

The short-haired runner shrugged. "Alright," he responded as he roughly sat his teammate up. "Come on, Minato. Up you go."

"Mm," the boy responded as he was once against standing.

"Where were you trying to go anyway?" Kaz asked.

"Mm…"

"Dude, I can't understand you. Why don't you say something?" The runner lightly slapped his friend's cheeks to wake him up.

Kenji sighed. "Man, he's been like that since Wednesday. Hamuko says to keep him in the classroom during Lunch so he doesn't cause anyone problems."

"You heard the man," Kaz said before dragging the blue-haired zombie to his seat.

The classroom door opened as Hidetoshi came in. "Has anyone seen—?" He spotted the school's track star trying to force Minato to sit at his desk. "Oh, there you are. Sorry, Kazushi, but I need the Hellhound."

"No can do, Odagiri," Kaz shook his head. "He's out of commission."

"Really? What happened?" Hidetoshi studied Minato's blank face.

"Nobody knows," Kenji shrugged.

"Maybe he has Apathy Syndrome?" Hidetoshi frowned. "The President wants us to alert her if any student develop it, so I'll tell her Minato-kun fell ill. She'll know what to do."

By the time the end of lunch rolled around, Hamuko returned as she laughed at Yukari's joke. They paused when Mitsuru was pacing around the outside of their classroom as Fuuka watched with worry. "Is something wrong?" Hamuko asked.

"Yuki suddenly fell victim to Apathy Syndrome," Mitsuru told her. "Odagiri notified me just now."

"He did!?" Hamuko went into the room but saw her brother dully playing with an eraser in his seat. She rolled her eyes as she let out a frustrated yell. "Minato!"

The boy looked up towards her before returning to his fascinating toy so the girl gave up. Hamuko returned to the other girls of SEES and sighed. Fuuka looked at her with worry. "Is he okay, Hamuko-chan?"

"He doesn't have Apathy Syndrome. He'll need another hospital visit if he doesn't snap out of it though!" Hamuko loudly threatened. She looked back at her brother who just got up and tried to exit the classroom again. This time, he crashed into the doorframe. When he landed on the ground, Hamuko noticed the blood dripping from his nose. "Ugh… That's not how threats work, Minato!"

In the classroom, Kenji and Kaz pushed Hidetoshi forward towards their friend. "It's your turn to pick him up," they sighed.

Final Notes: Seriously, I wish Hidetoshi was datable in Portable. I really couldn't bring myself to date anyone within SEES on the female route. Well... I did go for Shinjiro, but can he really count? It's weird... When I played as Minato in Portable, I easily went towards Fuuka and Mitsuru. For Hamuko... Junpei's not available and I see him as a friend, just like Yukari. I wasn't attracted to Akihiko since I thought he was the 'dad' of the group and he looked a lot better with Mitsuru. Ken is just not an option for me... So I went after Shinjiro, because I don't like his and Hamuko's fates at the end of the game... Still personally attracted to Theo... I'd marry his deep yet smooth voice if I could.