Shift to Minako or Mitsuru's perspective.

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl for Minako Arisato, as if she had fallen into her own personal Dark Hour. She watched as Yukari turned, a lithe form of grace that stabbed at her heart with every elegant curve and nubile bounce.

"Wait...." Minako choked out.

Paralyzed, caught in the same painfully slow motion with the rest of the world, Minako watched as her friend and lover fled from her like she was a thing crawling in the depths of Tartarus. She never looked back.

"Yuka...don't...go..." Minako plead to no one.

Blinking back tears, Minako clenched her fists and started forward....

......and felt Mitsuru's hand take a firm grip on her shoulder.

"Don't. Give her space." The Kirijo girl instructed.

"But...Senpai..." Minako began.

"I know. Every instinct is telling you to go after her, explain yourself, repair the damage. But this is a wound Yukari has to heal on her own. Your part in this is the hardest role you'll ever have to play. Wait for her and trust her to come to terms with this by herself." Mitsuru whispered.

"But what she said. What if..." Minako trailed off.

"Calm down. Breath. Consider the situation. We watched you confront Aegis, naked and defenseless. For one awful instant she thought...no, we all thought that once again we were to bear witness to the **** of someone we cared about more than anything in the world. That terror and your revelations simply left her reeling. And by now you know that an upset Takeba's first line of defense is harsh words and directionless anger. Her words had very little to do with what was truly hurting her. She needs you, Arisato. More than she's dared to need anyone since her father. The thought of losing you as she lost him..." Mitsuru left the thought unfinished.

"Senpai...." Minako whispered, turning and hugging the older woman tightly. Mitsuru smiled softly as her junior let out a heavy sob on her shoulder.

"She's wrong. She so wrong. She's stronger than she thinks. You both are." Minako cried.

"Ha. Am I so transparent?" Mitsuru said.

"I'm sorry. I knew it would be a shock. I just couldn't let it happen again! Aegis...I couldn't just..."

"I know." Mitsuru whispered.

"But she's right. I shouldn't have kept so many secrets..." Minako said.

"You say that as if your the only one to hide things from the rest of us. You do recall I've made my share of confessions, yes?" Mitsuru asked.

"Mmhmm. And Yuka-chan didn't take them very well, either." Minako laughed and sniffled. "But still...."

"....." Mitsuru paused. "If you feel that way, Arisato, why did you hide it for so long."

"Sigh. I'm not sure anymore. At first, I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating or going crazy. Floating coffins and creepy little children don't exactly sound like something a sane person sees, after all. When I learned more about what I could do, I thought Pharos might just be another Persona hiding in my mind. But that's really just an excuse. I knew something was off all along. The way he'd always appear around the full moon...it made no sense unless he was something else altogether. I think, maybe, I was just avoiding it. I didn't want Pharos or Nyx or...even the Velvet Room to worm their way in. Not when I had finally started to..." Minako trailed off.

"Started to what, Arisato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Live." Minako whispered.

"....." Mitsuru paused. "Arisato...Minako...I should have realized."

"Heh. How would you know, Senpai. I've had ten years to perfect the act. The truth? Yuka-chan...everything is the opposite of what she thinks. She doesn't need me. I need her. I need you. I need my team and my family. I need this school and all its clubs and counsel meetings. I need the city and its bookstores and theaters and late nights at the mall. I need people, Senpai. As long as I listen, hear their stories and watch them grow stronger...as long as I see life through their eyes I never have to look back. As long as I'm with you...I don't have to think about myself. I don't feel alone. Or empty. I don't have to think about what I've lost. I don't have to fall into myself the way my brother did. I won't go numb. I remember what I have now and what I care about HERE. I remember that I'm still alive."

Mitsuru regarded her a long moment, then nodded.

"Come. Junpei and Akihiko have likely made contact with the Kirijo team by now. With any luck they will have repaired the damage to the bathroom without anyone being the wiser. Hopefully our diagnostic of Aegis will confirm your presumption of her breakthrough." Mitsuru said.

"And maybe they'll have a potion or something that can help with your bruise." Minako chimed in.

Mitsuru blanched. "Yes. That as well."

Minako raced ahead of her.

"Arisato...."

"Yes?"

"I will always be happy to remind you that you still live. By whatever means you require."

"...I know, Mi-chan. But thanks."