Later that night, they all attended the next Midnight Session. Minako shook Nanako awake, but the two of them knew they didn't want to wake up. Nanako sat upwards and sighed.
"Good evening, I guess." the tiered child rubbed her eyes. "Where's Adachi-san?"
"He didn't want to come, he said it was a waste of time constantly paying Margaret a visit." Minako stood back up, sighing. "Marie-san and Teddie are already waiting in the halls for us."
Nanako got out of bed, stretching her body. "Well, we better not keep them waiting."
The two of the made their way into the hallways and, once giving Maire and Teddie a nod, the rest of the group knocked on the door to the Velvet Room.
Margaret appeared on the other side, as usual. "Good Evening, is there something you need?"
Maire walked in front of the child. "This couldn't of been a coincidence. I got better when I wanted too, wanted the car to stop before it killed me,and I did when I had too. It only happens with the weather."
Margret thought for a moment, she then gestured her hand. "It seems you ability has enhanced to another level."
"Excuse me?" Marie looked down, she made a confused yet angered face.
"Your previous ability could only change weather but now, you have the will to change faith as well. This is called; Wishful Thinking."
"What does that mean?" Marie said, but in Japanese as 'Nani Sore?!"
"Your mind, is connected with everyone who resides in this world, I don't know how but it seems that your ability to change weather still remains. Please use it wisely, it may come in handy."
"That sounds beary, beary cool!" Teddie commented unnecessarily, despite the honesty.
Everyone who was present exchanged nods with Margret before moving onto the next topic.
"The hourglass in the Time Chamber when you land on the other side of the dimension. I wish all of you the best of luck."
It was as quiet as a walk through a cemetery, their footsteps echoed around the empty house. Adachi, who was slouched on the couch, stood up from his position and stood by the TV.
"So, what was it?" he asked, half of his interest heading south.
"Wishful Thinking; the ability to change faith by making a wish." Minako talked in Nanako's place. She knew that Adachi probably was still on edge. "Her ability to change weather simply grown into also being able to change faith."
"You guys do too many things without me." Teddie wasn't mad at all, he just didn't like missing out on such excitement and if it ment a break from working, he'd gladly take it. Working at Junes was fun, but it was tiring.
Adachi stuck his hand in the TV. "We better get going then."
Each person took what seemed like a leap of faith into the TV, Minako stayed behind and stared, Adachi still kept his arm in.
"We're really doing this again huh?" she was quite worried.
The young man looked over at the young woman. "Are you seriously still afraid of jumping into a TV?"
Minako's face was flushed in red. "Y-yes of course! Safety is one of my biggest concerns!"
Adachi laughed. "Get your ass in or I'll push you."
"F-fine!"
The two jumped through the television and made it to the other side and, without further notice, made their way to the Time Chamber. There, they could hear the sounds of their footsteps disrupting Teddie's, Nanako's and Marie's conversation.
" Remember, Margret told us each dimension is made from a negative emotion so, which ever dimension we go through, we will have to face it head on, with a positive emotion." Nanako instructed. "It's the only logical plan we have."
"Don't forget, there is an artifact we need to get, don't break it." Marie added.
They turned around to face the vortex, and took a step inside. Going through felt like riding a fast-paced rollercoaster at an amusement park. Gasping for breath was hard, vision would be blinded by color bars of a static TV screen, and entering the other side felt as if you woke up from a nightmare, sweating all over. The area had no light to lead the way. Darkness was spread across the landscape, but it appeared as if they were back at Inaba. There was no hesitation with their instincts, they went into the home that would resemble Nanako's residential neighbourhood. The room was empty, the walls were gathering the hollow aura, concealing it inside the building. The only light that seemed to be illuminated was the flickering static of the TV screen. There laid a man slouching on the couch, with a remote in his hands. Glass bottles were scattered about, a child stood beside him dressed in the clothing of a maiden.
"It reeks of booze." Minako commented, looking over at Nanako who pinched her own nose.
"Actually, it's sake but whatever." Adachi seemed to be fine with the smell of the alcohol, especially considering the fact the he occasionally drank. He then took a closer look at the slouched man. "Isn't that Dojima?"
And so it was Dojima, half-passed out because he overdosed. But then, who was the child? The answer was soon given by the question of curiosity by Teddie.
"Nana-chan, that's you right? That's you when Senpai first came to Inaba. You were 6? 7? Why are you a maid?"
"I-I dunno." she said, finally letting go of her nose. She knew she couldn't hold onto it for long since her hand would be sore, no matter, she let out a sigh. "We should get closer."
They walked closer, analyzing the scene. It was already quite frightening to look at their expressionless faces. The maiden was as still as the moon gleaming at its highest peak, the drunkard could only moan.
"Nanako, get me another drink." he demanded.
She nodded without a word and headed into the kitchen. As she walked, she didn't seem to have a care in the world about the safety hazards around her. She stepped through glass and let her foot bleed, she occasionally banged her head on the cupboards but didn't make a sound. Was she even breathing? No one knew, but yes she was breathing. She handed the bottle over to her father and returned to her former position. Once chugging another bottle, he gave out a shameless burp.
"Go away Nanako, to your room and don't come back."
She bowed obediently. "Yes father."
She walked upstairs slowly, leaving her father to stare at the empty television screen. Everyone looked at one another and exchanged glances., following the maiden to her room. The room was just as empty, it contained only a bed with a side table. Nothing more, nothing less. The fluorescent light bulb failed to keep its glow, it flickered every second. The maiden's back faced the entrance, and everyone who dared to take a step in the room. She then sat down, started to rock back and forth, talking to herself, but obviously, this was supposed to be targeting.
"Daddy never spends time with me, he at work or he's drunk, Does daddy love me? Is it because imma kid?"
The lights turned off for a brief second and flickered back on, revealing an ebony piano. The child was now sitting on the stool, constantly pressing the a black key. C Sharp.
"Daddy doesn't love me!" she sang in a monotone octave. "and no one has time for me. I'm very, very lonely, Adachi should've killed me."
The lights shut off once again, but when they flashed once again, it revealed the maiden as an older figure, similar to the present-day Nanako.
"Everything I've done, was it even worth it?" she paced around her true self. "Learning how to cook because I was always alone, staring at the TV screen so I could fake my happiness. Singing made me happy, but..was I always happy?
Now, you could consider this Nanako as a Shadow, but that was it really? Sure, the other Nanako was speaking the Nanako's true feelings but did the same rules apply? Yes, she was a Shadow, but it was created by the negative aura of her past. The Shadow thrust her knee against Nanako's stomach and caught her as she fell.
"W-why are you doing this...?" Nanako gasped for breath.
The other self whispered in her ears. "I can give you what you want, a happy life, a brighter future. I can restart the entire world just for you, for me. We are the same after all s, ha! What does it matter!"
The Shadow dropped her true self on the floor and burst into hysterical laughter. Nanako held on to her stomach, struggling to push herself upwards. Instead of putting up so much effort, she swung her right leg, tripping the Shadow.
"We are two different people. Your not me, and I'm not you." She grabbed onto the shoulders of the maiden and pinned her against the wall. "So stop trying to break me and leave me alone!"
"Nana-chan, don't watch what you say!" Teddie called out, a bit too late.
"Ooo." Adachi had his special tinge to his voice. "Not a good choice of words kiddo."
The Shadow reached for her own sleeve and seathed a blade. She then stabbed it through the chest of Nanako. In that moment there was a brief stop in time where Nanako could realize what had just happened. She was trembling, her eyes widen in fear. She looked down at the wound but there was no blood. Looking back up at the Shadow, she could see that things haven't gotten worse. The Other Self wore the widest grin on her face, it stretched across slowly. Time resumed as if the moment had always been flowing. Thick strings of darkness split from the blade and wrapped around the child rapidly. She was now swallowed by the endless hollow. On the outside, the Shadow bursts itself into splashes of dark ink that stain the walls as blood would, revealing its true figure; a human like figure with an emaciated rib-like protrusions and series of bone that pierced through its back, it's head was the skull of who knew what, only one eye was covered. Adachi and Teddie raised their arms, ready to summon their Personas while Minako drew out her spear and got into a battle stance, ready to charge.
"Persona!" both males said in unison, Teddie adding a bear pun.
They crushed their cards in their hands but nothing seemed to come out of it. There was no Persona in sight.
"What?! This is beary strange, why isn't Kintoki-Douji coming out?" Teddie was half heartedly serious.
"What the hell?! What type of crap is this?!" Adachi pulled out his gun.
The skeletal figure whipped its arms towards the useless Persona users, knowing a successful hit would deal an abundance amount of damage, but the attack was blocked by the spear of a fellow woman. Minako knew she wouldnèt be able to hold the creature off for any longer, she still held on.
"Mina-chan! You can fight?" Teddie was amazed.
"Sure can." the adult kept pushing upwards, sliding her dominant foot behind her. "and I could sure use your help too."
Marie was looking around, she had nothing to do. Already, she felt useless but she didn't show it. Taking a closer look, her vision showed something else. But what was it?
"Do you see that?" she pointed upwards.
To a normal person, it'd look like she was pointing at nothing. But to her, there was something. An element surrounded the creature in a different colour.
"Thunder." she mumbled, after realizing what this could mean, she repeated it once again. "It'd weakness is thunder!"
"Thunder huh?" Minako took a glance behind her. Seeing the two men helpless, the young adult came up with a plan. "I'll handle this, Marie, continue analyzing that Shadow."
Adachi placed his back on the wall, slouching as he put his gun away. "Well bear, I guess all we can do now is sit back and enjoy the show."
Teddie was still worried. "Are you sure Mina-chan? We can still fight!"
"What you can do is find the artifact. Look around, I'll shoot my gun in the air if I need you." She positioned both of her feet at 90 degrees, a bit off but to her comfort. She focused on casting the exact spell that would do her what she needed.
"Zio!" She commanded, throwing her hand in the air.
A bolt of lightning hit the deformed being, petrifying it. "Marie, info!"
"It's weak points are the chest and the eye." she informed.
"Alright then." She held her spear to the side of her waist. She charged for the Shadow, using her legs to spring herself upwards. She wasn't high enough to reach the eye but she was closer to something else. She stabbed her spear into the chest and swung herself upwards, pulling out her Evoker. She knew she couldn't summon her Persona, but her silver rod gun could still shoot bullets. The swing of her spear brought her above the Shadow, she aimed carefully, as if it were a movie in slow motion. The second she shot the bullet, the second the impact of the hit illuminated the room with a blue light. The same blue light that would emit when summoning your Persona with an Evoker. The Shadow disintegrated with the blinding light that could only burn the enemy and out fell a child with her hands over her mouth, covering her nose as she kept her breath in. Teddie, who was just returning from the outdoors, rushed towards the battlefield, and intime, he caught the child in his arms.
"Nana-chan! You okay? Nana-chan!" He slightly whispered to the child in his arms.
She finally let go of the breath she held in and rubbed her eyes. "Teddie?"
As soon as she realized where she was she hugged him. "Teddie! Thank god, I don't know what was going on! I just felt a lot of pain and I knew I wouldn't be able to breath for any longer. To be honest, I was frightened to death. There was so much going on at once, my thoughts, my vision."
"You should Mina-chan instead! She's the one who saved you, we didn't do anything!" Teddie put down the child and looked over at the adults who consoled each other.
"You did pretty good out there." you could hear Adachi half-heartedly complimenting her.
"You sure did!" Nanako called out, walking towards her.
Minako wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Thank you, all of you. Especially Marie, I couldn't have done it without your assistance."
Marie nodded. "Have we found the artifact yet?"
Teddie looked upwards. "Me and Adachi here tried going out of this neighbourhood but there was some sort of invisible bear-rier that block our way. That was beary annoying."
"A transparent barrier that surround this home, which means the artifact can only be here." Adachi thought.
The thought soon spread as if they all shared one mind. Together, the team looked over at the ebony piano that stood as tall and grand as a daring act of walking a tightrope in a midnight breeze. Adachi, who was the tallest, reached into the piano and pulled out two ornamental bells shaped like tears, tied together forming the shape of a heart.
"Oooo's" filled the room as everyone, except for the man who held the artifact was in awe at the sight of the ornament. Adachi frowned.
"Stop ooo-ing and let's head back. This isn't even that pretty anyways."
"But how are we supposed to go back, we fell from the sky" Nanako asked over Teddie saying "It is beary pretty!"
"We'll try goin' through that TV Dojima keeps staring at. That's how we get places." Adachi was felt overconfident in his plan.
They had no other choice, that was how they got around anyways. The team made their way to the television that would only display static, each of them jumped right in, Minako took her sweet time, Adachi teased her hy almost pushing her in. After another trip through that faced paced roller -coaster ride of feelings, they arrived back at the Time Chamber, facing The Great Anima Tree. Tye artifact levitated on its own, floating its way to the centre of the tree where a symbol with the same depth was carved.
Cick
The artifact sat cozy in its place, the tree glowed the same turquoise colour it did when the first arrived.
"Well, that's all, I'm heading to bed." Adachi waved goodbye behind him. "Tomorrow we talk to Goldilocks about our Persona's."
It wasn't long until everyone else made their way back home as well. They were all tired, and didn't plan on anything else. Without further ado, they all headed to their beds. I believe they earned a good night's rest.
But don't think it ended there, because there was only a little bit left remaining in the day. Nanako walk down the halls, towards the room when a familiar hand tapped her shoulder.
"Dojima." it said. "Come with me for a moment."
The child turned her head, finding Margret as calm and collected as she usually was. "Hm?"