Miss Violet: It's time to continue the tale but it's going to start a little differently this time around. Time for class to start!

Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Sixty-Four

[Opening Scene: Aoharu – Amamiya Residence (Evening)
Theme of Somberness: Reverie from Persona 4]

Amamiya Minako was a upset.

Her son, her sweet, kind-hearted son was reported missing by her good friend, Sojiro and Minako couldn't stomach it. He had gone through so much pain and misery, not only caused by herself and her….

Minako frowned.

Not husband.

No, he lost the right to be called that.

Minako stared at herself in the mirror, her long auburn hair spilling down her shoulders, her normally striking red eyes looking dull due to exhaustion, her skin, once a healthy color, was frightfully pale with bags under her eyes, and she was underweight.

Ever since that day, she watched herself wither away from the deep and heavy shame that she felt. How could she even live with herself, knowing that she had participated in that man's sick desire of ruining her own son's life?

How could she live with herself knowing that the man she shared her home with willingly sided with that man in destroying their son's future?

She could hear the man she once loved talking on the phone, laughing into it as if everything was fine when it wasn't. Was he talking to that man? The man that promised him riches and influence beyond his wildest dream if he helped betray his own son?

Minako couldn't stomach the sick hatred she had for her son's father. He didn't show any sort of emotion when she told him what Sojiro had told her. This man, the man she had once given her all to, didn't even look phased when she started to cry.

He just stared through her like she was talking nonsense.

And so now, Minako stood at a crossroads. Should she stay here and wait for Sojiro to call with either good or bad news? Or, should she do what Sojiro suggested and come down to Shibuya to try and help find her son and his two missing friends?

Minako looked at the mirror again and took a deep breath. "Kotone, what would you have done in my place?" She asked her reflection.

Minako then chuckled, because she knew what her younger, deceased sister would have done. If Kotone was in her place, she would have put her betraying husband in his place, driven to Shibuya, and turned the city upside down to try and find him.

Because that was Kotone.

Brave.

Dependable.

Tough.

And intensely loyal to her friends and family.

Something that Minako had never been since Kotone's death…..

Minako heard the imposter's laugh once again but she managed to make out his word through the bathroom door. "Shido-san, what you're asking for is very doable. Minako and I will be on your yacht for the meeting first thing tomorrow. I'll talk her out of that Shibuya business she talked about."

Minako recoiled at what she heard.

The gall of this man. He stared through her when she asked if they could go to Shibuya and help search for their son, and yet he readily promised the man who forced them to betray Ren that they would go on his yacht?!

Her disgust for the man she shared her marriage vows grew. There was no way in this world or the next that she would allow herself to be in the presence of the man who put her son in harm's way.

She let her husband's intimidating nature browbeat her once before and it cost her Ren and her self-respect.

Never again….

She looked at her phone and dialed Sojiro's number. With a shaky hand, she lifted the phone to her head, placed it against her ear, and waited. 'Ah, Minako. That was awfully fast," Sojiro commented. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll be there," Minako whispered. "Just me."

"Hm, alright. That detective stopped by and said that they were still looking for the kid and his two friends. Hopefully, we get results tomorrow."

"I'll drive through the night if I have to," Minako promised.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow," Sojiro told her and then disconnected the call.

Minako slowly walked out of the bathroom and saw the man that wore her husband's face chuckling on the phone.

The man was tall and he was very toned. He looked exactly like Ren, even down to his gray eyes, but his raven hair was slicked back, and he wore round glasses and a three-piece dark gray suit.

The only difference between her son and his father was the scars went from his left jaw to the middle of his left cheek. She crept passed the living room and into her kitchen.

Minako grabbed the car keys that were hanging haphazardly off the counter, walked out the backdoor to her two-story home, and made her way to the brand-new car that Shido had gifted her husband the night after their betrayal.

As she got into the car, she saw the man she once adored in the living room window and saw that he had noticed her in the car. Without hesitation, she turned the car on, backed out of their driveway, and drove away.

It was time for her to finally do the right thing again.

[Scene Change: Shibuya – Okumura Residence (Midnight)
Theme of Sadness: Persona from Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth]

Makoto stood out on Haru's balcony and gazed out at the city in front of her. She wanted to commit this sight to memory because she wasn't sure if she would ever see the city like this again.

Two weeks.

That was all she had left to live.

Despite the calm air that she put out, inwardly, she was devastated. Why had this happened to her? What did she do to deserve the countdown on her life? What was she supposed to do to keep her life?

"When two weeks pass and the clock hits 6:37 P.M., it will no longer matter if you wake up to your truth or not. I will be coming back, and I will leave you as I left Haru's table…. Shattered," Her shadow's voice echoed in her mind.

Wake up to her truth?

What did her shadow mean by that?

If only that stupid thing wasn't so cryptic!

But that didn't matter because that was the one thing that Makoto agreed with her shadow on. She didn't know what truth she had to wake up to, so she would not be able to wake up to it by the time the two weeks were up.

She was fated to die.

What a miserable life she led.

Her mother died during her birth, her father was killed by a gunshot wound to the head, and the killer was found innocent, despite her being a witness to him doing it, her sister despised her, and everyone saw her as the principal's loyal pet.

She would never get to have the life she longed for. She would never complete her dream of getting true justice for her father and her family. She would never get to be a cop. She was going to die as she lived.

Useless….

That's what everyone called her.

Her shadow, Hifumi's shadow, and her sister had all called her useless or worthless. Makoto could even bet that her friends thought she was useless as well. It was then Makoto recalled something her shadow had said so long ago.

"Don't you think you should prove your worth somehow? You know what you have to do…The Principal needs a dog. An excellent dog who will turn in the Phantom Thieves. Don't you think that will prove the students wrong? Would prove Sae-Nee wrong?"

While Makoto would never betray her allies, her shadow made a point.

Maybe it was time to prove her worth. Maybe it was time to prove her shadow, her sister, Hifumi's shadow, and everyone that doubted her wrong! She would prove her worth, so at least when the time came, she would die being useful to everyone.

And she knew a perfect way how.

"Kaneshiro Junya. That's the only name I managed to catch before they started to really scare me," Eiko's voice echoed in her mind.

An image of a chubby, brown-haired young adult flashed in her mind. The image changed to the muzzle of a smoking gun and then changed into the cold eyes of her father staring up at her.

"Kaneshiro Junya," Makoto voiced as she balled her fist.

Before her time comes, she was going to bring him to justice.

"Makoto?" A voice called out from behind her.

Makoto didn't have to turn around to know who was behind her.

[Theme of Tenderness: Brand New days -The Beginning- from Persona 3: FES]

"You should be resting, Ren," Makoto told him as she continued to stare out at the city.

"I couldn't sleep," Ren revealed. "Ryuji started to snore. I love him, but man, he can make some chainsaw noises. But what about you? You should be resting too."

Makoto offered a small smile and said, "Couldn't sleep. Nightmares."

"Ah, been there," Ren chuckled as he walked to her side and eyed the city.

"How are you feeling?" Makoto asked.

"Sore," Ren replied as he rubbed his wrists. "Even though my hands are free, it still feels like I have those chains around them."

"It must have been terrifying being in that place," Makoto softly commiserated.

"Honestly? I was sleeping the entire time," Ren answered. "The last thing I remember before waking up was locking Ann and Ryuji out of the palace. Then nothing. It might sound stupid but it felt…. Nice."

Makoto frowned and couldn't help but ask, "It did?"

Ren nodded and answered, "I can't remember the last time I slept so deeply. I'm always woken up by dreams of that man ruining my life and turning everyone against me. Being able to just have a dreamless sleep was serene in a way…. Terrifying as well because I could have died and been in heaven, none the wiser."

Makoto nodded to herself.

Maybe if she had a choice, Shadow Makoto would put her into a sleep as deep as that before she killed her. It would be nice to have a dreamless sleep before it all ended for her. "Ren," Makoto voiced. "I want to thank you."

"For what?" Ren asked.

"I once told you that I didn't have many friends. Truthfully, I've never had friends at all," Makoto revealed."Then we met, and now, I feel like I do. And it was because of you lending me an ear about my shadow. Despite the danger, all of this was….fun."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Makoto," Ren told her, his voice thick with sincerity. "You gave me a chance when you let me become a student council member. You gave me a chance to prove myself instead of judging me on my past. You then listened to me spill my guts about fearing love…. That talk helped me save my friendship with Shiho and any potential relationships. I couldn't have done that without you."

Makoto finally turned away from the city to look at Ren. He looked so handsome with the soft lights of the city hitting his face.

It reminded her of Shiho's gentle glow against the city's lights.

And it reminded her of the strange feelings she got with both of them every time she looked at them. It was those feelings that made Makoto hold Shiho throughout the night. And it was those feelings that made her decide to do something bold.

"You're a great person, Ren," Makoto softly told him. She then stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek, her face heating up at her own boldness. "I hope everyone will realize that."

She pulled away and saw Ren's face was surprised but his cheeks were also red. "Goodnight, Ren," Makoto whispered.

And then, she walked away.

Miss Violet: So, We had some RenMako fluff and a surprising twist with Ren's mother, Minako. I decided to use Minako for the name because even though I prefer P3P's FemC's name to be Shitomi Kotone, I do adore the Minako name and figured, what the hell? Give Ren's mom the Minako name.

Also, I know that in canon, Makoto's dad was hit by a truck. Since this is an alternate timeline, I wanted to put a deeper stake in Kaneshiro's palace and Makoto as a whole.

The next chapter will be the group officially reuniting, Makoto starting her plan of action against her target, and gearing up for the finale of the two palaces. Until then!