A/N: Here's the long awaited battle with the Empress and Emperor full moon Shadows and also my final update for 2014. Even though this fic is no where near finished, I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading and following this story, and special thanks to those who took the time to review. Your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated.

I know the last few chapters probably haven't been as interesting since there hasn't been much shipping going on, and the buildup of Fuuka's arc might be too familiar, but I assure you the coming chapters will have extra content not seen in the game.

For a sneak peek of what to expect, I will mention that following an interlude of 2 chapters, which will formally introduce several important characters, will be the infamous Shirakawa Boulevard sequence. Since this is after all, a Minato & Mitsuru story, I will be changing what happens in that hotel to suit the shipping. I won't say anymore till the chapter is posted here but I hope you all look forward to what I have in store.

Once again, hope you enjoy this chapter and Happy New Year!

Junpei parried the strike of another Shadow and pushed it back. Dazed, the Shadow could not react and was soon crushed to nothing as Akihiko's fists rammed it from behind. More blood sprayed everywhere, painting the stonewalls a deep black. They took up defensive positions again, surveying the area. Fortunately, there were no signs of any more Shadows.

"Well as fun as that was, I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again," Akihiko said.

Wiping the muck off his katana, Junpei nodded. Their assumption of being taken to a random floor in Tartarus by waiting in the gym was correct. But they were not expecting to be separated from Minato.

Or to be hurled right in the middle of a group of Shadows.

It was hard to tell which party was being ambushed but either way, Junpei and Akihiko had settled the skirmish relatively unscathed. Junpei thought he had done a good job in taking out three Shadows but after seeing Akihiko fight, he was not so proud of those three kills. The boxer had darted from one Shadow to another (Junpei had never seen a person move so fast), obliterating the group in a matter of seconds.

Well, he's called the Gekkoukan Boxing Champ for a reason.

Even though Junpei knew that Akihiko had a rigorous training schedule and had been at this job for a long time, a part of him was green. It was the same with Minato. The sense of inferiority had been tugging at him with every visit to Tartarus and it only grew stronger. Watching them fight so effortlessly, Junpei had no idea why he was comparing himself to them. Both had extensive combat experience while he had next to none.

He sighed, shaking off the thought. He would prove to them that he was not dead weight. But first...

"How are we going to find Fuuka?" Junpei asked, following Akihiko down a corridor. "Or Minato."

"I'm not sure," Akihiko replied with a grimace. "And now that I've lost contact with Mitsuru, we're going to be wandering around here blind. Something must be jamming Penthesilea."

"Penthewhat?"

"Mitsuru's Persona. The disturbance must be huge for her Persona to be ineffective."

He stopped and looking up, Junpei noticed they had run into a dead end.

"Man, our luck's really bad today," Junpei said. Akihiko didn't respond. "Something wrong?"

The boxer stood aside and showed him the green spherical device that was wedged into the wall. Walking closer to inspect it, Junpei could see a small image. It was fuzzy but he could make out the figures of Yukari and Mitsuru.

And, to his despair, two larger figures.

"We gotta go help them!" Junpei said.

"And leave both Yamagishi and Arisato trapped in here?" Akihiko growled. "I'm not going to be the one responsible for letting yet another person die!"

"They'll be fine. Knowing his luck, he probably found her and is already heading back."

Akihiko looked away from Junpei's gaze and frowned.

"I don't like it but, alright," Akihiko finally said.

Junpei closed his fist around the image and a glow enveloped them. As they teleported, he couldn't help but grin at the thought of his heroic entrance. At the thought of his Persona taking on the Shadows and winning after a dramatic fight. At the thought of what Yukari and Mitsuru would think of him and say to him once it was over. He would be the one to save them this time. Well, Akihiko too but, Junpei would ensure that it was mostly him. His heart thumped in excitement and when they arrived at the lobby, he readied his Evoker.

Then he squeezed the trigger.

And smiled.

Because, there was no damsel in distress that could resist being rescued.

"Are you awake?"

A pair of large blue eyes stared into his own and Minato sat up with a start. It was the boy again. And still dressed in his striped pyjamas. Will he ever change out of those? Standing up, he looked around and noticed that apart from the boy whom he knew would disappear soon, he was alone.

"Where are the others?" Minato demanded. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted asking. The boy would just answer his question by not answering his question.

"Really, you should work on your manners. You're always so kind to her..." the boy replied. "Anyway, you shouldn't worry about your friends. You'll be seeing them soon." A cheeky smiled flash across his face. Minato didn't like that look. "You know, this is the first time we've spoken outside your room."

"Is that supposed to mean anything?"

"No, I was just making an observation."

Minato suppressed a sigh. Talking with this kid never ceased to infuriate him. And he did not know why either. "Why are you here?"

"I told you remember? I'm always with you," the boy said, chuckling. He then turned serious. "But we don't have much time to talk. Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face. You should hurry. She's waiting for you."

"She? You mean Fuuka?"

The boy smiled. "Perhaps."

He vanished.

Minato frowned. What could the boy have possibly meant? Wasn't Fuuka the only girl who needed rescuing?

Maybe it's just another one of his riddle answers as usual.

Telling himself that was most likely the case, he hurried through the nearby corridor in search of Fuuka. This particular block of Tartarus was unlike the one they had previously explored, with a sinister purple haze taking the place of the murky green glow that filled the lower floors, and walls looking to be comprised of ancient stonework that dated back to the middle ages. Every now and then, there would be the occasional metallic sculpture of a face carved into the wall. The face itself wasn't frightening; what made it so was that every face he passed was identical.

Arriving at another clearing, Minato stopped. He heard a voice. A feminine voice.

"Is someone there? Please answer me..."

That has to be her. Minato stormed across the junction and into the next hallway, all the while keeping an ear out for her voice. Reaching a clearing where the voice seemed to be the loudest, he looked around. He swore it was emanating from here. So where was she?

"Who are you? Are you human?"

Minato pivoted and saw a short young girl with teal green hair slowly edge out from behind a corner. While she was dressed in the girls' uniform of Gekkoukan, she wore a flower patterned turtleneck coloured the same as her hair instead of the usual red ribbon on the collar, and white stockings instead of knee-length black socks. She eyed him, looking to flee at any moment.

"Are you Yamagishi Fuuka?" Minato asked, sheathing his sabre.

The girl nodded and approached. "Where are we? I was at school, and then..."

"It's a long story. I'll explain to you once we get out of here," Minato replied. Quickly introducing himself, he added, "By the way, are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm alright," Fuuka said. "I've managed to avoid those strange creatures in here."

"Really? How?" he asked, his eyes widening a little. Sneaking past Shadows was already difficult enough (trying to preemptively attack them was even harder) but being able to avoid contact with them completely for that long? Her Persona must have an ability like Mitsuru-senpai's.

"Umm, it's hard to describe but, I can sort of tell where they are."

"So, like a radar?"

"Yeah, something like– Behind you!"

He seized his Evoker the moment she shouted and pulled the trigger. The snake-like Shadow that had crept up on them melted in a blaze, its remains sizzling with smoke. Seeing there were no more hostiles, Minato dismissed Orpheus and turned to Fuuka. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Believe me, everything will make sense once we leave," he said. When Fuuka nodded, he continued, "Now, do you think you could use your...power...to find the location of a spherical device? It should be somewhere on this floor."

Fuuka closed her eyes and after a few moments, she opened them again. "It's this way."

Minato followed her down the corridor on his right and after a couple of turns, they arrived at a dead end that housed the device. He walked towards it but felt Fuuka stop in her tracks.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking at her.

Fuuka held her head in her hands. "What is this thing? It's much bigger than the others. And it's attacking someone."

Thing? Bigger than the others?

Minato rushed over to the device and an image of Tartarus' lobby was displayed. From it, he could make out several figures that had to be his friends struggling against two much larger figures. The boy had warned him tonight was one of those nights and once again, his prediction was correct.

Two Shadows eh? This should be interesting.

"I'm going down there to help my friends," Minato said. "Make sure you stay a safe distance away from those...creatures."

"O-Okay," Fuuka replied.

Sheathing his saber, Minato took her hand and closed a fist in front of the image. The area around them glowed a bright green and they felt themselves being drawn into the device. As they teleported, something struck his mind. He had seen three small figures in that image. Someone was missing. The question of who baffled him until he was there in the lobby, seeing the situation with his own eyes and feeling his heart sink.

The boy's words echoed. She's waiting for you.

Mitsuru let out a strangled gasp as the Shadow tightened its grip on her. It was strange. Her captor's arms were so long and floppy that it puzzled her how it had the strength to apply so much pressure. It certainly wasn't stupid like the regular Shadows, seeming to know a tightening of its grip was in order every time she wriggled in its grasp. She gasped again as the Shadow reapplied the pressure, feeling the pain pulsing through her body.

I...can't...breathe...

Weakly, Mitsuru cast her gaze down to where the fighting was taking place, wishing she hadn't been so careless. She should have realized something was off the moment her Persona could not pinpoint the boys' location. That, and she should have believed him straight away. Minato was confident in his theory that each full moon would bring a much stronger Shadow and all she had done in response was to tell him more evidence was required. Well, now that the evidence was holding her in its fist, she had to admit that doubting Minato was foolish. So very foolish.

A sudden shout pulled her out of her thoughts and she could only watch in horror as Akihiko, Yukari and Junpei recoiled in pain as their Personas were hit by her captor's fat partner in crime. Mitsuru tried to cry out but the air escaped her lungs as her captor leapt forward to seize the opening its partner made. It slashed at the stunned Personas with its short sword, causing them to dissipate and their owners to crumple.

The two Shadows cackled at their near victory and using what anger she had left, Mitsuru once again tried to break free. But it was no use. The Shadow's grip was too strong and as a reward for her troubles, it gave her another squeeze. The pressure crushed the breath out of her lungs but she knew she had to hold out. Distracting the Shadows was all she could do to prevent them from killing her unconscious comrades.

Her captor then brought her closer to its face. Mitsuru mustered as much spite as she could and glared into its hollow eyes that were hidden behind a spiked purple mask. The Shadow seemed indifferent to her act of defiance and continued to inspect her with the same blank expression all Shadows had. She was glad this particular Shadow had no mouth to smirk with. It would have only made the wave of despair clawing at her that much stronger.

Her captor then called its bulbous partner over and held her in front of the other Shadow's staff. A black glow began to form on the tip of the staff and for the first time in years, Mitsuru felt absolutely helpless. She braced herself as the darkness of dread slowly seeped into her. She would not give in to her fears. She would stay strong. For S.E.E.S. For her father.

Her father. What had her father once told her? She searched her mind for his words and found them. No matter how bleak the circumstances are, there is always a way out he had said. You won't notice at first but it will be there if you look hard enough. But where was it? Her friends were unconscious and she was trapped. There was no one available left except for–

Streaks of lightning descended and struck her captor in the head. Disoriented from the shock, Mitsuru felt the Shadow loosen its grip and after a few more strikes of lightning, the Shadow let her go. Relief washed over her as she plummeted. She was not afraid of crashing into the ground. She knew he had arrived and would do everything in his power to protect her. At least, that was a trait she hoped he still retained .

She felt a pair of metallic hands catch her seconds after she fell. If it weren't for the white hair, dark face and red eyes, Mitsuru would have thought she was being carried by Minato himself. The very image of him doing so made her blush and she blocked the thought out, focusing on the task at hand. Daydreams could wait.

Orpheus returned to Minato's side and set Mitsuru down. She nodded in appreciation and acknowledging, the Persona flew up to join the battle.

Mitsuru turned her gaze on Minato, who stood in front of her with his Evoker raised. She then looked at the scene before her, watching in amazement as Orpheus and two other Personas (a cute snow elf with a blue pointed hood and an armored knight on horseback) danced with the Shadows. She noticed that the Personas were more relentless this time round, working as a team and barely giving the Shadows a chance to retaliate. Through the successful hits of Orpheus' lyre and the knight's spear, both of the Shadows were pushed back and then encased in a pillar of jagged ice created by the snow elf.

With the Shadows frozen, Minato dismissed his Personas and knelt beside Mitsuru.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a trickle of sweat sliding down his cheek. He looked exhausted and judging by the way he had juggled three Personas simultaneously with so little effort, Mitsuru could only wonder how he was not unconscious.

"I'm alright," she replied as he helped her stand. "You made it just in time."

"How are the others?"

Mitsuru glanced over at Akihiko, Yukari and Junpei, who were beginning to stir, but before she could reply, she heard another voice.

"Is it safe to come out now?"

Mitsuru shifted her gaze towards the voice to see a young girl with teal green hair emerge from underneath the staircase and slowly approach them. This must be Yamagishi. Thank goodness she's safe.

Minato nodded and when Akihiko, Yukari and Junpei made their way over, he quickly explained how he had found Fuuka and how she was able to detect the Shadows' presence and avoid them.

"She has the same power as Mitsuru," Akihiko said once Minato finished telling his story. He turned to Mitsuru. "It's probably even stronger than yours, right?"

"Since mine is more suited for battle, then I–" she started but cut off as they heard the sound of ice cracking.

Everyone pivoted to see the two Shadows, who were supposed to be frozen, break free of their imprisonment and ready their weapons. Mitsuru grimaced and the others did the same. The fight was meant to be over. Minato's Personas had made sure of it. So how?

"Fuuka, stay back," Minato instructed. "If something happens to us, run as far away from this place as you can." Fuuka nodded and Minato turned to the others, who raised their Evokers. "Ready?"

The lobby of Tartarus reverberated with the summoning of Personas and the fight began again. As the Shadows were seared by tongues of flames, sliced by blades of air and zapped by bolts of lightning, Mitsuru knew just as well as the others that this time, they would win. They were coordinated. They were ready. The odds had flipped into their favor and blinded by the thrill of victory, she almost did not see it happen.

It was unnoticeable amidst the destruction laid forth by their Personas but when she saw Minato flinch, she knew something was wrong. Directing her eyes to the fighting, the Shadow that had held her managed to reflect an incoming fireball, hurling it back to Orpheus who had fired it. Orpheus fizzled before vanishing and from the corner of her eye, she saw Minato clutch his chest in pain. Then Yukari. Then Junpei. And the moment Akihiko fell to his knees, the invisible shockwave that arose from the abrupt shattering of the connection between a person and their Persona slammed into Mitsuru as Penthesilea dissipated.

The sharp, pulsing pain that coursed through her body was unlike any she had experienced before and if it hurt this much for her, she did not want to think how Minato was coping with it. She watched as he remained standing in an effort to protect her and everyone else, squeezing the trigger every time Orpheus disappeared. As valiant as the act was, Mitsuru knew there was no way he could keep it up. Not when he was already tiring from whatever Shadows he had to face alone in the upper levels of Tartarus as well as the energy spent in rescuing her from the Shadow's clutches. His resistance finally ended once the Shadow punched him, sending him across the lobby and landing beside Mitsuru, and his Evoker out of reach.

It's over, she thought.

Using what strength that remained in her and fighting back the despair that crept into her bones, Mitsuru moved over towards him and held him steady in her arms.

"Fuuka," Minato rasped as he sat up Mitsuru's embrace, "get out of here!"

Mitsuru glanced over at the base of the stairs and saw Fuuka, unmoving. The girl looked paralyzed and the cause of it confused Mitsuru until she turned in the direction Fuuka was looking in.

"Moriyama?!" Mitsuru gasped.

"Why the hell is SHE here?" Akihiko growled as he tried to stand.

Natsuki made her way towards them like a zombie, and Mitsuru could see that the bully was in a trance and mumbling what looked to be the word 'Fuuka' over and over again. She continued to drag herself along, arms swaying, unaware of the fact that the two Shadows had decided to target her.

It was at that moment that Fuuka decided to run. But instead of towards the exit as Minato had instructed, she ran to Natsuki, evading the attacks of the Shadows as she did so.

"Moriyama-san!" Fuuka said, placing her hands on Natsuki who fell to her knees. "Please, get out of here. It's dangerous."

"I...I wanted to tell you...I'm sorry," Natsuki said. "I'm sorry Fuuka."

Before Fuuka could respond, she felt the towering forms of the two Shadows cast a shadow over her and she turned to see them staring at her impassively. As the taller Shadow raised its short sword, Fuuka swiped Minato's Evoker off the ground and placed herself between the Shadow and Natsuki.

"Wait! That's not a weapon!" Mitsuru shouted as Fuuka raised the Evoker to her temple.

"I know," Fuuka replied, pulling the trigger. "Come, Lucia."

The instant the Shadow's short sword came slashing down, a blond-haired woman whose eyes and throat were covered in bandages appeared. She shielded Fuuka in a large glass sphere that was her lower body, and caused the Shadow's strike to ricochet. The Shadow almost toppled backwards but it managed to regain its footing and raised its sword once more.

She won't survive the next hit. Her Persona isn't suited for battle. What can we do?

Unable to move from her position, Mitsuru watched as the sword came down for a second time, ready to slice Fuuka and her Persona apart–

–when she heard the shattering sound of an Evoker being fired.

Mitsuru glanced at Minato, whom she was holding, and saw that he had taken her Evoker. She then shifted her gaze to see Orpheus parry the Shadow's strike with his lyre, before pushing the Shadow back and kicking its chest.

"I'm not out of this yet," Minato said, returning the Evoker into Mitsuru's hands and wincing a little as she helped him to stand. He then recoiled in surprise, and so did everyone else, when he heard Fuuka's voice in his mind.

"I can see... Quick, hit the tall one with fire!" Fuuka said telepathically.

Minato complied as soon as her words entered his mind and he commanded Orpheus to blast the sword-wielding Shadow. Bars of fire erupted and as the Shadow's torso burst into flames, they saw it. A colourful aura that spun in front of both Shadows.

"They're changing weaknesses," Fuuka said. "Someone, hit the other with wind!"

"I'm on it!" Yukari said, summoning her Persona. Io called forth a raging whirlwind and directed it at the bulbous Shadow, disintegrating its blue dress and green cloak.

The aura in front of them spun once more and Fuuka called out the order as soon as it vanished.

"Thunder!"

Blue lightning discharged from Akihiko's Persona (a bulky blue humanoid with long blonde hair and a needle for a right arm) and struck both Shadows.

"Ice!"

Shards of ice pierced the Shadows from Penthesilea's blizzard.

"Physical attacks!"

Hermes glided across the lobby and slashed at the Shadows, creating deep cuts in both and causing them to topple backwards.

"Their vulnerable now! Finish them!" Fuuka shouted.

Everyone commanded their Personas to attack one last time, with ice, wind, fire and lightning culminating in a deadly spiral that swirled and smashed into both of the Shadows. An explosion of black blood followed and then, there was silence.

Mitsuru holstered her Evoker and sighed. They had won. And it was only because of Fuuka. As she spun to see the girl's Persona dissipate and joined the others in approaching her, she couldn't help but let the feeling of curiosity rise alongside a sense of indebtedness.

"It's over, right?" Fuuka asked weakly.

"Yeah, it's over," Minato assured.

Fuuka swayed and Junpei darted forward to catch her. "H-Hey, is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine," Mitsuru said, her mind still in disbelief that they were alive. "She's just exhausted."

"Thank goodness. I feared the worst," Yukari said.

"Just give her a few days and she'll be good as new," Akihiko said. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Mitsuru. "Those two Shadows, did you know where they came from?"

Mitsuru exchanged glances with Yukari before meeting Akihiko's stare. "From somewhere outside Tartarus, just like before. They must have been the ones interfering with my scanning as I didn't hear or see them approach at all."

"I thought as much," Akihiko replied.

"Regardless, we should save the questioning for another time," Mitsuru said, and everyone nodded in agreement, too exhausted to think. "Iori, will you be alright in helping Yamagishi out of here?"

"I'll manage," he said as he carried Fuuka into his arms, resisting a smile.

Yukari eyed him but considered it prudent to not comment. "Um, what are we going to do about Natsuki?"

"Don't worry about her," Akihiko answered as he helped the sobbing girl, who was still mumbling her apology to Fuuka, to her feet. "She's not like us so she won't remember any of it."

As Mitsuru watched Akihiko lead them out of Tartarus, she glanced to her right to see Minato approach and gestured for him to walk alongside her.

"I suppose you're going to bring Fuuka on board?" Minato asked, a few minutes after they had passed Gekkoukan's front gate.

"As much as I want to, I won't be forcing her to join," Mitsuru replied, keeping her eyes forward. She did not want to look at him. Not when she knew those thoughts she had had after being released from the Shadow's grasp would resurface. "I'll leave that for her to decide. Though if tonight has proven anything, it's that her support will definitely be invaluable."

Minato nodded. He seemed to understand just how important Yamagishi would be in the coming battles.

Though what concerned Mitsuru more as they followed the others back to the dorm was whether Minato himself understood just how important he was. To the Student Council. To S.E.E.S. To her. He had always been someone she could rely on and while it was comforting to know that he would be there for her, she knew that there would be a time when he would not. Mitsuru did not want to think about how she would cope in a life without him yet again but she hoped she would be ready when it happened.