Persona Q: The Studious Theif

It was the afternoon, and the Culture festival at Shujin Academy was already in full swing... or at least that's what Twilight Sparkle would have liked to believe. In truth, while the apparance of the stalls might have been certainly grand, they were hardly anything noteworthy. If there really was something unique, it was the takoyaki stand they had visited earlier. The one behind it had spent their entire budget on the maid outfit, and not on the ingredients for the stand itself. As a result, instead of the several and questionable flavors, only the "Russian Takoyaki" was available.

"Maaan, talk about boring! a punkish looking boy complained. "Seriously, it's the second day of this thing, and it still doesn't feel like a culture festival!"

[Ryuji Sakamoto. Twilight's close friend. Regarded as a delinquent by the school, and a bad influence. Also known as "skull."]

"Oh, calm down, Ryuji." a foreign-looking chastised, a hand on her hip. "At least we have the time to actually look around instead of helping out."

The fierce-looking girl next to her nodded. "Yeah," she said in agreement. "Today's the last day of the Culture Festival. We should take this time to have some fun. After all, Akechi-san's speech is today."

[Ann Takamaki. A fellow classmate in Twilight's Homeroom, 2-D. Partially American from her grand father. Also known as "Panther."]

[Makoto Nijima. The Student Council President. Somewhat strict, but has a ferocious side to her. Also known as "Queen."]

Ryuji groaned. "Can we please not talk about that?" he asked. "Knowing our luck, it's going to be something about us, right?"

Everyone present knew what he was referring to. Unknown to the school, the group was the infamous "Phantom Thieves of Hearts," the mysterious group of thieves who were capable of stealing a person's heart, making them reform. Among their targets were Suguru Kamoshida, a PE teacher and the Coach of the Volleyball Team (and a perverted lecher on top of being a cruel son of a bitch, as Ryuji colorfully put it), Ichiryusai Madarame, a famous art painter who had been plagiarizing his students' work, and Junya Kaneshiro, a shady business dealer involved with the yakuza who had been extorting students. They were very well known, and gathered a vast amount of support, in no small part thanks to the "Phantom Thieves" channel their Number 1 Supporter set up for them. Things seemed to be looking good for them... until the untimely death of Kunizuku Okumura, the owner of a food chain company. He had been a target of theirs, and because of it, the populace believed they were responsible for their death.

The party was currently working on to clear their name, but they had an unexpected obstacle in their path: a detective who was about to make his statement.

The well-groomed student smiled slightly as he patted Ryuji on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he assured him. "I'm sure everything will be fine." He then took the time to look around the hallway, seemingly nodding in approval as he held up his hand as if he were getting ready to take a picture. "At least your guys' Culture Festival is better than mine. Much better stalls... even if the events themselves are lacking."

[Yusuke Kitagawa. A student from Kosei Public Academy. A former art student under Madarame. Also known as "Fox."]

The small girl beside Twilight gave a nod. "Yeah, kind of have to agree," she said, clearly disappointed. "I went to a few stalls, but they really weren't much. Heck, Makoto and I tried to go into the Haunted House stall, and they were just cheap scares." A teasing grin formed on her face afterwards, as she looked at Makoto, who face flushed as she turned away. "Though she still got all flustered~"

"S-shut up, Futaba!"

[Futaba Sakura. After the death of her mother, she became a shut-in. She changed her surname to match her guardian, who looks after Twilight. Also known as "Oracle."]

"What?" Futaba snickered. "It's the truth! You should have seen it, Twilight! She was soooo cute~!"

Makoto's face turned even redder as she gave a glare to the girl, but refrained from lashing out. It wouldn't do her well to lash out at the girl, despite her teasing. Twilight, however, looked amused. "As fun as this is," a boyish voice called out from her bag. Poking out from the small hole she made in her bag was a black cat with bright blue eyes. "Can we maybe get a move on? I want to see what else this place has in store!"

[Morgana. A shape-shifting cat Twilight and Ryuji met during their first time in the Palace. He seems to have lost his memories. Also known as "Mona."]

"That's right," Yusuke realized. "This is your first time Morgana has experienced the Culture Festival, right?"

Twilight nodded.

"Well, hate to break it to ya, Morgana," Ryuji griped. "I mean, when you think about it, we really didn't put much effort into it."

"Except maybe the takoyaki," Futaba pointed out. "I just hope Akechi-san's feeling better. He tried to play it off, but he was really in pain."

"Oh please, that guy should be fine."

"Well," Yusuke said. "Why not explore the Culture Festival a bit more? I hear that a new stall opened up."

"Really?" Makoto inquired. "What kind?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. I only heard about it from a couple of passing students. It's apparently run by twins wearing eyepatches."

A shudder ran down Twilight's spine. She had a pretty good idea who she was talking about, as she knew only one pair with that description. Still, what were they doing here? They usually hanged out in front of the door, rather than linger in the real world, and they were running a stall? Even more curious... and terrifying. Somehow, she pictured it's motif.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she should probably visit. She had to get a new Persona anyway. "Well, why don't we go and check it out?" Twilight asked. "It could be interesting."

Ann smiled. "I kind of agree," she said somewhat giddily. "Twins with an eyepatch? Actually, who were they? Guys or girls?"

"Girls, I believe," Yusuke answered. "They said they were dressed like wardens of some sort. One of them even had a shock baton."

Twilight felt shudder. Yep, it was them. Caroline and Justine. However, just what were they doing outside the Velvet Room? Especially at a School Festival of all places?

-Scene Break-

(Shujin Academy, Second Floor)

When the group arrived, they were treated with a rather... bizarre sight. "...now, I could be wrong," Ryuji said, gawking at the sight with the rest of them. "But is that supposed to be some kind of prison cell booth?"

The rest of the group could only agree, especially Twilight.

The booth was dark blue, velvet in color. It was fairly large, enough to fit maybe two or three people in there. However, true to Ryuji's claims, it was a giant cell, with thick steel bars as the entrance. Further proving this was the name of the booth; "Solitary Confinement."

In front of the booth, as Twilight expected, were a pair of twins, wearing matching attire; a blue shirt and black skirt, along with black gloves and a blue hat, as well as a black eyepatch with a golden "V" shape printed on it. Each had an exposed golden eyes, though their hair styles differ. One had a ponytail, who stood to the left, had a calm and composed look, while the twin on the right looked mighty fierce... and highly annoyed.

"They're children," Yusuke commented with a frown. "How odd. Does the school allow children to establish booths here?"

Makoto shook her head. "Not to my knowledge."

"Hmm..."

Twilight peeked down at her bag. "Something up, Morgana?"

"I don't know," the cat shook his head. "It's just... I feel like I've seen them before."

She looked surprised by her friend's response, and looked at the twins. Morgana had seem them before? How strange... well, then again, perhaps he was connected to the Velvet Room in some way. After all, Morgana wasn't exactly normal, and he had a Persona long before any of them acquired their power. Curious, she approached the twins.

"It's been a while, Caroline. Justine."

The twins' turned to face him. They seemed to be surprised, though Caroline smirked. "Well, well, if it isn't the prisoner," she said with a cocky tone. "See, nee-san? Told you I had the right place!"

Justine sighed. "I still believe this is a bad decision," she said in exasperation before bowing her head. "Regardless, it is a pleasure to see you again, Honored Prisoner."

"...Prisoner?" Futaba repeated, tilting her head as she poked her cheek. "Hey, Joker? Why do they call you that?"

Ah, that's right... she had nearly forgotten. This was their first time meeting the twins. This was their first time meeting the twins. "Everyone, meeting Caroline and Justine," she introduced the twins. "They're the one who help make new Personas."

"Eh?!" Ryuji's eyes widened at this, starting at the girls in shock. "So these are the girls from that Velvet Room place you were talking about?!"

Twilight nodded. When they first asked her about her ability to summon multiple Personas, she had told them the truth, that she had entered into a contract of some sort, and found herself in the Velvet Room, which allowed her to make new Personas. Naturally, she informed them of the twins, who rather... brutal methods to create the Personas.

"Ah," Justine smiled pleasantly, seeing that they now recognized them. "So you informed them of us. I wonder, what did you tell them?"

Caroline growled. "Better not have been anything stupid.."

'These girls are polar opposites...' the same thought ran thought the groups minds.

"now, now, Caroline," Justine scolded her sister before, bowing her head. "Please forgive her.. she can be quite troublesome. Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am Justine, one of our Honored Prisoner's correctional officers."

"And I'm Caroline, Justine's sister," Caroline followed up, folding her arms. "Also the Prisoner's correctional officer."

"...question," Yusuke held up a hand. "Why do refer to Leader as "Prisoner?'"

"Because that's what she is." Caroline smirked. "She is always behind bars and dressed in a prisoner's outfit."

Everyone looks at her. Twilight sighed. Really, such stares became so painful. However, as much as she would like to try and defend herself, she had other questions on her mind. "What are you two doing here at our school?" she asked "Moreover, is Igor okay with you two being out?"

"Urk!"

If the look on Caroline's face was any indication, it was clear that this visit was most certainly not sactioned by the Velvet Room's apparent warden. "Master Igor had other duties to attend to," Justine informed the Phantom Thieves. "Thus leaving us to ourselves. Unfortunately, Caroline became impatient and demanded that we find you. Your recent talk of this Culture Festival intrigued her, and wished to see it for herself."

"N-Nee-san!" Caroline shouted, cheeks tinted red. "W-why would you tell them that?!"

"Because she is our Honored Prisoner," the calmer sister replied. "Also... when Master Igor returns, we are most likely in for a scolding, thus I wish to make it clear who's responsible for this."

"T-Traitor!"

"So anyway," Justine ignored her sister as she continued to speak with the group. "We apologized for the inconvenience."

Ann smiled as she shook her head. "It's fine," she assured them. "Still, I gotta say, I'm surprised... when she told us about you two, I expected you guys to be really intimidating and serious. Your pretty young."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Caroline retorted angrily. "We're damn good at we do!"

Before Caroline rant on further, a voice shouted at them from behind. "There you all are!" Twilight and the others turned, finding a beautiful girl in pink running up to them. "I was looking for you!"

"Oh, Haru!"

[Haru Okumura. The daughter of the late Kunizuku Okumura, who ran a fast-food chain. Slightly ignorant about the real world. Also known as "Noir."]

"I've been looking for you guys. I thought you were all at the Takoyaki Stand." She replied.

"Yeah, we were, but we heard about this booth at the festival," Ryuji gestured to the stall the twins were running. "So we decided to check it out."

Haru tilted her head, seeing the twins in question. She then smiled widely. "Aw, how cute!" she gushed. "They're so adorable!"

"HAH?!" Caroline gawked. "Who the hell are you calling adorable?!"

Justine gave a quiet glare to her sister. "...Caroline."

"So cute~" Haru scooped the girls into her arms in a big hug. Naturally, the more fierce of the twins resisted, struggling to free herself from Haru's grasp while Justine merely accepted it.

"Gyah! Let go of me!"

"Hm...not an unpleasant experience."

The group couldn't help, but laugh at their predicament. It was hilarious, especially to Twilight. She had not seen that big of a blush on Caroline's face. To be Honest, it was quite...cute, in a way. If only she'd act like that more, instead of her brash and rowdy self. Still she was confused. Igor was out? What did that mean?

Her musings were cut short when Ann screamed. "Aah!"

"What's wrong, Ann?" Makoto turned to face the girl. "Is something the matter?"

"S-Spider!" she cried, shaking. "There was a spider running across my foot!"

Ryuji frowned as he looked at the floor. "...I don't see any spider."

"W-what? I'm telling you, I saw one! It was big, had long legs, and it was gross!"

Futaba looked curious. Neither she or Twilight could see the mentioned arthropod scurrying around. "It could have been your imagination."

"I'm more worried about Haru-san," Yusuke said with a look of concern. "Caroline-san looks ready to blow any second."

True enough, the more vocal of the twins was trembling, her face red with rage. Twilight could see her trying to reach her shock baton. She sighed, and intervened. "Alright, Haru, that's enough," she told her. "Can you please let them go?"

"Aw," Haru pouted in disappointment "Do I have to?"

"Haru."

"Mou..."

Reluctantly, the girl let the twins go. Caroline growled at the noble-looking girl as she turned away on her heel, folding her arms while Justine giggled, noting that it was a delightful experience. She had to admit, she rather enjoyed this. It was a nice changed of pace... though that would changed when her master would return. He would definitely not be pleased with their actions of taking their leave so suddenly. There was no doubt a lecture waiting for them when they returned to the Velvet Room. Such a shame, after all the hard work they put into making their booth. She quite enjoyed making it, truth be told.

"So, who are these girls?" Haru asked curiously, looking at Twilight. "Are they friends of yours, Twilight-chan?"

She nodded. "Mm. They're the twins I told you about, the ones from the Velvet Room."

"Ah! So these are Caroline-san and Justine-san!"

"Yes we are." Justine smiled at her. "It is a pleasure to meet you." She bowed.

"And you as well." Haru bowed in return.

Caroline grumbled something incoherent underneath her breath, likely an insult. Going by her blush, she was no doubt still embarrassed by what Haru did earlier.

Twilight smiled. Really it was-

{...BEGINNING NAVIGATION!}

...what was that? Twilight turned her head around trying to figure out what just happened.

"Eh?" Futaba blinked. "Wait, wasn't that...?"

The group took out their phones. To their surprise, a familiar application had been activated, resembling an eye with a star acting as the pupil, printed over a bright red background. "What the heck?" Ryuji frowned. "Why's the Navigation app up?"

The Metaverse Navigator app is the app that allows them to perform their profession: Take the Hearts of the Corrupted. It is the key for them to enter the Palace, a place that is constructed by the twisted hearts of corrupted individuals. To enter a Palace, one requires a password; a keyword to unlock the "door" leading into the Palace. For the app to be active tight now was strange. Why was it activating all of a sudden? She had activated it by mistake?

Then, the world around them began to distort. Blotches of black and red began to warp their surroundings, twisting and curling. "O-oi, oi" Ryuji protested in surprise. "Why are we being dragged into the Palace?!"

"I don't know!" Morgana shouted, clearly confused. "We don't even have a target!"

Caroline and Justine were also surprised by this development. "Ho?" the fiercer of the two mused, looking around. "So this is how one enters the Palace."

"...no," Justine frowned. "This is..."

Then, without warning...everything ceased. The blotches froze, as if locked in place. The crowd of people who moved about were frozen mid-step, faces left in their positions. The black and red colors faded away into gray, as had the world around them. This caused among the Phantom Thieves. This had never happened before.

"What is this?" Makoto frowned, looking around. "Why is...?"

Suddenly a crack formed beneath their feet.

"Eh?!"

The crack diverged and made more cracks. It wasn't long until they all stood above the cracked space.

"Uh.." Ryuji gulped. "This...is bad, isn't it?"

In response to his words, the cracks grew even wider...and shattered the whole world apart, breaking into fragments.

Then, the Phantom Thieves, plus the twin assistants, fell into the black void.

"AHHHHHH!"

"Well...this was unexpected."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!" came Caroline's scream as they descended with them.

Eventually, all of them succumbed to darkness.

-Scene Break-

"...finally, at last...all the players have been gather..." A voice spoke through the darkness, their tone was pleased. A small creature moved it's way into the figure's hand, resembling a metallic spider.

"Soon..." the voice continued. "Soon...time shall begin again."

-Scene Break-

"...ugh...my head..." Ryuji groaned as he and the others slowly came to, returning from the depths of unconsciousness. "Oof...my back..."

Makoto shared a similar sentiment. Whatever she fell on or slept on, her back did not agree with it. "Mnrgh...is everyone...alright?"

"I'm fine," Yusuke managed as he clutched his head. "All except for my head..."

"Same here," Futaba moaned, spirals in her eyes. "Ugh, everything's spinning...make it stooooop..."

Ann whined a bit as she rubbed her shoulders. "I feel so stiff..." she muttered. "Just what happened?"

"I...don't know..." Haru replied, tending to her rear. She was rather embarrassed to say it aloud, but she felt like she landed on her posterior rather harshly. "Mngh...what a harsh fall."

"Ah, it seems everyone is awake," came the voice of Justine as she came into view. "Is everyone alright?"

Twilight nodded as her vision started to correct itself. Thankfully her glasses weren't crack, as she managed to regain focus, she realized her surroundings...and her eyes widened. "What the hell?!"

Everyone became alarmed by their leader's exclamation, but they soon understood why. They were no longer standing in the second floor of Shujin Academy. Rather, instead, they were in what could only be called a gigantic blue space. Surrounding them was a deep blue void, similar in color to the booth the twins ran. Beneath their feet was a solid foothold, which didn't appear to be supported by anything. It shared the same color as the void around it, only a bit darker in toning, with a staircase leading up, though it was heavily fractured. Off the side three doors, heavily chained together by four locks, each with varying designs. Strangely, images of what could be considered cards danced down through the broken staircase, each having a picture with a Roman numeral on it.

All in all...it was a bizarre sight.

"W-what is this place?!" Morgana exclaimed, looking around. "Where are we?"

Caroline appeared behind her sister, looking quite angry. "This," she said with an unrestrained tone of hostility. "Is the Velvet Room."

Twilight looked confused. This was the Velvet Room? Did it go under major renovations? It didn't look like this the last time she was here...

"However," Justine added. "As our Honored Prisoner can see, it's form has changed rather...drastically."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, confused. "You mean, it didn't always look like this?"

Caroline snorted. "No, it didn't," she replied hotly. "The Velvet Room always reflects the state of it's guest's heart. When the Prisoner became our guest, the Velvet Room took on the form of a prison block, and she was locked away in a cell."

"And that's not all," Justine continued with a trouble expression. "This is not only thing that has changed."

"Eh?" Ann tilted her head. "How do you mean? What else has changed?"

The calm twin closed her eye. "...it would be best if you saw for yourselves." She walk past the ground, heading towards the curtain that lay on the other end of the platform. "Please, follow me."

Each of the group members looked at one another before shrugging and advancing forward. The correctional officer pulled back the curtain, flooding the room with light. They winced from the harsh reception, but pushed onward.

Soon, they existed the Velvet Room...and found themselves back at something utterly confused.

"Yakisoba! Come and get your Yakisoba!"

"Ooh, how about this one?! It looks so cute!"

"Takoyaki here! Come on over, we've got a fresh batch of Takoyaki!"

"We're having a concert! Come and see us!"

All around them was the clamor of students visiting booths of games, snacks, and other students advertising their own events. There was a problem, however...none of them recognized the school uniforms the other students were wearing. The uniforms were all the same; a plain blazer with a black and white-checkered collar, bearing an unfamiliar insignia resembling a "Y" within three circles. Furthermore, the hallway was completely unfamiliar to them. It wasn't the halls of Shujin Academy at all. The walls looked older, and the floors, while polished, looked to be quite aged. The space was also narrow, but still large enough for booths and stalls to be set up.

Everyone was left gawking. None of them could understand this. They were all so confused. Just...where was this place?!

"W-what the?!" Ryuji exclaimed, breaking the silence. "What's going on?!"

"As you can see," Justine said calmly, completely unperturbed this disturbing change. "This is not Shujin Academy. In addition to the Velvet Room being in an enclosed booth called "the long-nosed fortune teller," it appears we have been transported to an unknown location."

"You mean, we don't even know where we are?"

Sadly, she shook her head. "I am afraid not."

"Well, whenever we are," Yusuke commented as he held his hand in a gesture as if ready to take a picture. "It is quite the superb scenery. It has a certain rustic feeling to it.

Makoto felt a tick mark pulse above her eyebrow. "Kitagawa," she said in displeasure. "Is now REALLY the time to admire the scenery?"

"This is so weird..." Ann murmured. "What happened? Why did the app just suddenly start up like that?" Her eyes widened as a thought struck her. "Wait...could this place be a Palace?!"

"If that's the case," Haru frowned "Who's Palace is it? Moreover, how could we have entered it? With the exception of Mementos, we require a keyword to gain access, which we did not have."

Futaba nodded in agreement. "Yeah...plus, these students don't look the cognitive existences we usually see in the Palace."

True to the shut-in's words, the students didn't look like the least bit 'false' or out of place. Rather, they all looked lively, possessing an actual feel to them. If one were to compare them with something, it would be the 'princess Ann' from Kamoshida's Palace. As Kamoshida's perception of her, and given the man's personality, she was dressed in a skimpy outfit, and was more of a sex-slave, much like the rest of the cognitive existences in his "world." "Princess Ann" did not feel real. She was like a puppet, acting out a part set for her, and the only thing she knew how to play. Compared to her, the students' personalities were of great contrast. They all felt real, looked real, and not mere puppets.

They were full of life. They each expressed behavior one would expect from high school students enjoying their time of youth. It was too real to be fake.

"From the look of things," Morgana commented as he once again sat in Twilight's bag. "There's a Culture Festival going on here too." He scratch his ear with his hind leg, yet remained ever weary. "It definitely feels like we're in a palace...but it feels different."

Twilight nodded in agreement. While the atmosphere had the same oppressive, uninviting feeling as a Palace, there was something different. Rather than putting forth an unseen weight over them, there was an almost inviting aura to this place. "We should split up and see what we can find out," she suggested, immediately assuming her role as the Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. "I don't like the idea of being in a place I know nothing about."

"Mm!" Ryuji nodded. "You got it, Leader!" He clapped his hands together, earning everyone's attention. "Alright, you heard the lady! Phantom Thieves, roll out!"

Ann groaned. "Come on," she retorted. "Do you have to be uncool when you say it like that?"

"I disagree, Takamaki-san," Yusuke smiled. "He just lack aesthetic sense."

"OH SCREW YOU, YUSUKE!" he shouted at the artist. The group then erupted into laughter.

Soon, however, they parted ways.

-Scene Break-

(One hour later)

"...this school is far older than I thought," Makoto said having regathered in front of the Velvet Room's current place of residence. "The design and architecture is something back to the imperial days, but still has the rustic modern look."

"More like all the way in the boonies," Ryuji snorted. "I asked people where the heck we were. They said it was some school called Yasogami High. I asked 'em where it was, but they ignored me and said that the Culture Festival was fun." A sigh escaped him as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I tried going out from the front gate, and I ended up back in front of it."

"I had a similar problem as well," Yusuke reported. "Like Ryuji, I tried to ask where Yasogami was located, but they merely expressed how much fun the festival was. I tried to leave by jumping over the gate, yet I strangely found myself back where I started."

"It's weird. The emotion they project are real...but they are sorta sounding like NPC characters from an RPG game..."

Futaba nodded, seeming to agree with this statement. "Definitely."

"I more concerned with our predicament," Haru said as she took a drink of a tea she ordered while investigating. "All we know is that this school is called Yasogami High, but nothing about the region."

"Yeah. Like, where is this school even on the map? Is it in a city or in the country side?"

Morgana sighed. "So, in other words...all we know is that we're in another school, and if we try to get out, we end up back inside," he summarized their entire information, much to their dismay. It was disheartening to know the fact in their head, but speaking it aloud was another matter. "This is certainly one giant mess."

"I'm more concerned about whatever's inside here," Makoto said, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. "This place definitely feels like a Palace, and if these students are cognitive existences, then here's the questions." Her eyes narrowed, and spoke her next words rather seriously.

"Where are the Shadows?"

The same question ran through all their minds. If this place DID project the same atmosphere as the previous dungeons they ventured through the Palace, then there should be Shadows roaming around. And yet, so far they didn't seen even one. Twilight was perplexed, frowning heavily before turning to Futaba. "Futaba, did you notice anything out of place while you were looking for info?" she inquired. "Like something that didn't seem to fit in?"

The orange-haired girl paused to think for a moment. Something that seemed out of place, something that didn't look like it fit in...she tried to recall something that fit such a description. Eventually, she recalled something that fit in the criteria. "Actually, now that you mention it, I passed by this booth not far from here," she told him. "I didn't think much of it, but when I came back the second time around...I got a really bad vibe from it."

"Do you remember where it was?"

The hacker nodded. "Yeah."

-Scene Break-

(Yasogami High, First Floor - You in Wonderland)

"...the hell is this?" Ryuji asked, staring at the booth in confusion. "Some kind of theme park attraction?"

The set-up was rather cheesy, as the props surrounding the entrance reminded them of something like a pop-up book. Next to the door was a white rabbit dressed in a tuxedo holding a pocket watch. "You in Wonderland..." Yusuke read off the name as he stared at the attraction. "Hm, not a bad overall, but the design is terrible."

As an Artist in training, Yusuke had a critical eye for aesthetics. Suffice to say...the decorations for the booth were just poor.

"Is now really the time to be scrutinizing artwork?" Ann scolded her teammate. "Although, I have to admit...the design IS kind of cheesy."

Morgana tilted his head as he leaped out of Twilight's bag. "It's not exactly what you would call a strong signal..." he said, walking over to the entrance before pausing. "I can definitely fell it...beyond this door are Shadows."

"Why on earth would Shadows hide inside of a classroom?" Makoto questioned. "It doesn't make sense." She then turned to Twilight. "Leader, what do we do?"

Twilight mulled over the situation. They were practically going in blind here. They knew nothing about this place, nor how they found themselves here. Moreover, the Velvet Room had changed significantly, which brought forth many other questions as well. Just what happened? What could have caused the Velvet Room to change? Would it's change affect the services Caroline and Justine would offer him possibly in the future? There were far too many variables, and Shadows being in a confined space was anything but. No, they had to play this carefully.

"Skull, Panther," Twilight addressed Ryuji and Ann by their codenames as she took off her glasses, and let loose of her bun. "You're with me. Oracle, see if you can support us from the Velvet Room. We don't know what's waiting for us inside. If we all go, and get wiped out, it's game over."

Everyone nodded in approval of the plan. "Understood," Makoto nodded sternly. "Just tell us when you need us. Hopefully, we can summon our Personas here."

Twilight gave a silent agreement. It would be trouble if they couldn't summon their Personas, but this place had Shadows, so it shouldn't be too unbelievable. Futaba, as per her orders, made her way to the Velvet Room. Meanwhile, the three took out their respective weapons. For Twilight, it was her trusty knife. For Ann, a whip, a for Ryuji, a bludgeon.

"...let's go"

Without another word, Twilight grabbed the door by the handle, and threw it open. As soon as she did, a flash of light encompassed them. The three were forced to put their arms over their eyes to shield themselves from the light. Soon, the light faded away. "Yeesh, what the hell man?!" Ryuji complained as he lowered his arm. "What was with the freaky light...show..."

His voice trailed off as he stared at the sight in bewilderment. As Ann and Twilight did the same, they understood why. The sight before them was...bizarre...to say the least. It was as if they were dragged into the imagined setting of a children's storybook.

Furthermore, the sight itself was FAR larger than any mere classroom. It must have gone on for who knows how long, and given the design of the place, it was definitely looking to be larger. They also noticed the sudden change of atmosphere...something quite familiar to them.

"The Palace," Ann murmured. "Guess this is where the fight begins." She turned to Twilight, opening her mouth to speak, but her eyes widened upon seeing her form. "L-Leader, you're wearing your outfit!"

Twilight blinked, and looked down at himself. Sure enough, she was wearing the attire that earned her title as "The Phantom." The outfit consisted of a black trench coat with a gray collared shirt, black trousers, brown cuban heeled boots, Her hair now long and straight to her back, and a pair of red gloves. Over the upper half of his face was a white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes. And she was far from the only one, either. Ann was clad in her Panther attire as well, which was a skin tight red leather catsuit with a matching cat mask, cleavage cutout, zippers, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clipped on cat tail in the back. Ryuji, likewise, was also dressed in his Phantom Thief attire as Skull, which consisted of a matching black leather jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, a pair of yellow gloves, and a skull mask.

"Looks like we can summon our Personas here after all," Twilight...or rather, Joker, noted with a sly grin across her face. "Heh, this makes things easier."

(A/N: For future clarification, outside of dungeons, Twilight will be called outside the Palace, but inside, she will be called "Joker.")

Skull grinned as he looked himself over before clenching his fist. "Alright!" he whooped. "Looks like me and Captain Kidd are gonna have a hell of a raid!"

"Heh. Don't you leave Carmen and I out of this..." Panther smirked.

Joker chuckled at the two, but she couldn't help but feel the same way. She could feel her other self, Arsène, stir in anticipation. Now that they knew for certain they were capable of calling out their Personas, Joker put a hand at her temple. "Oracle, you there?"

{Loud and clear, Joker!} came the cheery reply. {Looks like we can summon Personas in the Velvet Room too!} There was a slight pause for a moment, causing her to raise her eyebrow. {A-although...Caroline-chan wasn't exactly happy about it.}

"I can imagine that..." she sighed. "Anyway, we're inside You in Wonderland. Looks like we're back in our thief outfits, so you know what that means. Can you scan the area?"

{Will do, Joker!} Oracle chirped happily.

With that, communication went silent, leaving the three to wait for her scan. "Man, this Caroline girl really is uptight," Skull commented idly. "Compared to her, Justine's like the quiet and kind onee-sama."

"Really?" Panther replied, cocking her head. "I think she's the scary one. I don't know what it is, but I don't want to find out what she's like when she gets angry. I mean, it's always the quiet ones."

Joker had to agree with her sentiment. Caroline was indeed brash and quite open in her abrasiveness, but she compared to Justine, who always looked so calm and cool like a cucumber, it was clear to see which one of them was really the one who kept the other in check. Quite frankly, she didn't want to know what Justine was like when you got her angry. {...whoa, this place is huge!} Oracle's voice came in with clear surprise. {I'm detecting Shadows all over the place! I can't quite get an exact reading, but it's shaped like a labyrinth of some kind.}

"Labyrinth, eh?" Skull chuckled. "Now it's starting to turn out like an RPG!" He cracked his knuckles, clearly wanting to get straight to business as he picked up his bludgeon. "Alright! It's time for the Phantom Thieves to crash this Culture Festival!"

Panther scowled as she unhooked her whip from her holster, and striked it right where Ryuji's feet were, causing him to yelp and jump back. "Can you stop shouting like a madman every five seconds?!" she snapped. "That kind of mouth is exactly what caused Queen to find out about us in the first place!"

"Aw, come on, Panther!"

{Heads up, guys,} Oracle interrupted their spat, much to Joker's relief. {I'm detecting Shadows up ahead.}

"Got it!" Joker brandished her knife. She then turned to her friends. "Let's go guys!"

"Right!"

The three then moved on, heading deeper into the Labyrinth.

Soon, they encountered the Shadows in question. These creatures were, in a sense, darkened fragments within a person's psyche. The best way to describe them is repressed emotion; a side of someone they wouldn't dare show to others. In the Palace, however, the Shadow is hardly any different from the actual person, as their appearance clearly reflects how they truly feel about themselves. Suguru Kamoshida believed himself to the "king" of Syujin High School, and true to that, he was dressed like a king, though only with a cape and crown atop his head. However, the enemies that were fought within the Palace are not truly Shadows, but rather demons belonging to the Sea of Souls. The Shadows corrupt them to make them forget their sense of self, thus becoming obedient pawns in their game. Normally, the Shadows would in the form of masked individuals, but the ones the Phantom Thieves encountered was far different.

One Shadow as a mass of a black pile of goo, with two small arms in the form of claws with a blue mask over it's "face," bearing the Roman Numeral I on it. Another Shadow was a black and white ball with the same blue mask strapped to it's back, while it had a mouth on the front part of it's body, bearing exaggerated lips, large teeth, and a very large tongue.

"W-what the hell?" Skull stuttered in shock. This was not what they were expecting. "These things are Shadows?"

{That's what I'm getting,} Oracle responded to his question. {It's weird, though...I don't feel any demonic presences from them at all. Anyway, just be careful!}

"Understood." Joker nodded as she rushed in and stabbed her knife into the goo shadow's mask.

Panther flung her whip and wrapped it around the ball shadow. The goo shadow tried to throw him off, thrashing around while the ball shadow vainly tried to escape. Panther, however, wouldn't allow it, as she gave a swift tug and threw it straight into the air. Skull rushed in, teaming up with the cat-themed thief as she helped him into the air, heading straight for the shadow. He grinned widely as he brought up his weapon. "Baaaaaaaatter up!" he cried a battle cry as he swung his blunt weapon down on the ball shadow's side, sending it straight into the ground. "He shoots, he scores!"

The goo shadow continued to thrash around, while Joker continued to keep her blade jammed into it, trying to dig deeper and perhaps strike at it's core. However, it soon ceased it's struggle, confusing her. She soon understand why, as she felt the air around her grow warmer, and trails of red sparks dancing around the shadow. {Joker, look out!} Oracle cried in panic. {It's about to-!}

She didn't need for her to finish. She pulled out his knife and jumped away, bringing up her arms to defend. The sparks created trails of flame, which gathered into a tightly-compact ball the size of a soccer ball. Then, the shadow launched it straight at Joker. She braced herself for impact. The blast struck her dead on, the heat exploding straight unto her. She felt flames burn away at her skin, causing her to growl in discomfort. As she landed back on the ground, however, she was revealed to be relatively unharmed. As Skull landed back on the ground as well, standing next to Panther, the ball shadow used it's tongue to pull itself up, bouncing back into the air.

"Guess they're not going down easy," Panther noted with slight distaste. She then turned to her Leader. "Joker, what's the plan?"

The thief was silent as she stood up from her crouch, dusting off the soot caused by the blast. She then looked up, and glared at the shadows. {I got the data,} Oracle chimed in. {The gooey thing is called a Cowardly Maya, and the ball with the tongue is called the Lying Hablerie.}

"Cowardly Maya...Lying Hablerie...? What kind of names are those?" Ryuji questioned.

"I don't know. But Navi, were you able to pinpoint their weaknesses?" Joker asked.

{Yep~ The Maya's weak to all elements except ice, and the Hablerie's weak to fire and lightning!}

Skull grinned widely. "Now we're talking!" he cheered as he took a step back. His hand went over the skull mask over his face, which proceeded to glow blue, and erupt into flames. "CAPTAAAAAAIN KIDD!"

The flames gathered above him and materialized into a solid form. The figure was scrawny, garbed in a pair of black trousers with rolled up pant legs and a light blue captain's coat. A pair of cutlasses were strapped to its chest in an X formation. A tattered cloak trails from its shoulders. Its right hand was in the form of a bronze cannon while its left hand was normal and yellow with sharp nails. Its head was that of a skeleton with a black eye patch with a white skull over its right eye, while the left eye was red with a yellow iris. A black captain's hat was positioned on top of its head. It stood on a small black pirate ship with that had a sharp tooth grin and slanted eyes painted at the head of the ship.

The Persona of the Chariot Arcana, Captain Kidd.

"Light 'em up!" Skull declared. "Zio!" Captain Kidd nodded as it positioned its cannon arm at the Hablerie Shadow, a ball of electricity gathering at the muzzle. A moment later, a bolt of lightning shot out and struck the ball shadow, causing it to screech in pain. The Hablerie was thrown straight into the wall, while the Cowardly Maya charged up another ball of flame. Panther, however, wasn't about to let it. As the two thieves past one another, Skull gave her a high-five. Like Skull's mask, the red face-mask over her face became brilliant blue flames.

"Alright!" the blonde cheered as she twirled around. "It's showtime, Carmen!"

Like with Skull, the mass of flames gathered above Panther's head, manifesting into a female figure. She possessed a voluptuous figure: Large breasts, narrow waist, wide hips, and a slender frame. She was dressed in a low cut, red Victorian style-like dress with black lacing. The corset she wore was a pattern of black fabric with red hearts all around. The dress exposed a large amount of of her chest, revealing her skin to be pink. A black jaguar mask with pink spots covered the upper half of her face. Her black hair was long and styled in drill-like curls. A black choker was around her neck. Her legs were covered with thigh high, black high heeled boots with red hearts. A cigarette was in her mouth. The waist of her dress was covered in blooming red roses. In her hands were green, thorn-like leashes that were wrapped around the necks of two smaller beings garbed in butler outfits with red bow ties and large, metal hearts for heads. The eyes of their heads were hearts, and they both had speakers for mouths.

The Persona of the Lovers Arcana, Carmen.

Panther didn't even need to give the order. The lustful Persona simply twirled around, and blew out a puff of smoke, followed by red sparks. Soon, flames blew outward, devouring the fireball, and exploding straight unto the Maya. It let out a shrilled scream as the intense heat began to burn away at it's body, proof that while it relied on fire, it couldn't take the heat. Panther grinned, and gave Joker a high-five. "Shows all yours!"

The Phantom grinned, tugging on her gloves. Similar to the previous two, her mask was also enveloped in flames. However, the same could be said for his clothes, which began to develop flaming tears.

"I am thou, thou art I..."

The mass of flames rose from her body and gathered into the being made manifest above. It was a being of slender build garbed in what appeared to be a black suit with a red overcoat with a high collar that was cut off below its ribs with gold chains linking the lapels of the coat together. Around its neck was a Victorian style tie with a blue jewel in the center. It's legs were also covered in red, leading down to a pair of sharp dress shoes with what appeared to be blades protruding downward from its lower calves. A black mask with forward facing horns was positioned on its face, possessing glowing red, demonic eyes and sported a demonic grin of the same color. A tall top hat sat on its cranium. On its back were two, large, black feathered wings.

The Persona of the Fool Arcana, Arsène.

Joker's smirk grew even wider still, enjoying the rush of power that flowed through her. "Eiha."

The winged master thief twirled around, and slammed his clawed hand down on the ground. Soon, a bloody red aura erupted from the ground, engulfing the two shadows. Both foes screeched as the power burned through their bodies. Soon, the darkness faded...and the Shadows were reduced to black matter.

{All enemies defeated,} Oracle reported, giggling. {Way to go, you guys!}

YEAAH!" Skull fist pumped as he jumped into the air. "Those scrubs got nothing on us!"

Panther sighed, shaking her head, but it was clear by the smile on her face that she was also in agreement. "Good grief."

Joker nodded as well, but remained steadfast. "It's too early to party guys. If those Shadows were any indication...they seemed to be small fries. Isn't that right, Oracle?"

{Yep,} the hacker nodded from her safe haven. {I'm getting a pretty strong reading deeper in. I'm guessing that whatever's down there is the boss of this place.}

"Ugh, seriously?" Skull groaned. "So what? More exploration?"

Joker shook her head. "No, I think we've surveyed the area enough. We have a pretty good idea of what to expect now, so let's"

{W-wait, hold on a second!} The group became startled by Oracle's sudden outburst. {I'm getting a reading close to you! There are more Shadows, and-and...I think there's another Persona-User here!}

THAT caught their attention. "SAY WHAT?!" the blonde muscle of the group gawked with large eyes. "You mean there's someone else here besides us?!"

{Not only that, I'm getting two more readings! From the look of things, they're not doing too hot!}

"Damn! So they're being overwhelmed by the Shadows?"

"We should hurry!"

There was nothing more to be said. Oracle gave them the directions, leading them to run deeper. Thankfully, they encountered no Shadows along the way. Soon, a white obstacle appeared in sight, resembling piano keys. {They're right past that door!} Navi shouted. {Hurry!}

The Phantom Thieves quickened their pace, and reached the door. Skull wedged his fingers into the slim crack, and pulled the door open.

What greeted them was quite the sight.

The first thing they noticed were the Shadows. Like before, there were two, only this one was in the appearance of a knight. It was armored, with it's upper torso seemingly attached to the armored horse beneath it, which lacked any legs, simply floating in mid air. It lacked any distinuishable face, except for the purple mask on the helm which resembled a crown of some sort, bearing the Roman Numeral IV. In it's hand was a spear.

The second thing were the ones fighting the Shadows. There were three people. Two of them wore uniforms similar to the students, except with modifications. The male, who had a fierce gaze with dark green eyes and curly brown hair and tanned skin wore his in a formal manner, but had a spiked collar around his neck, along with a tattered cape, as well as a blue watch on his left wrist, a crossbow in each hand. The female looked extremely terrified, as her pale green stared back in anxiety and worry. She had long blonde hair with hair clips, and wore a yellow cardigan over her sailor top. The third individual was a male, bearing neat brown hair, dressed in what looked like a princely royal outfit with a pointed red mask resembling a long-nosed Commedia dell'arte mask, much like a crow, and a short red cape. In his hand, much to their bewilderment, was a glowing saber sword.

"Che!" the caped-student growled as he gritted his teeth, taking hold of the girl as he jumped back to avoid one of the knights impaling him. "We can't keep this up." He looked to the girl in his arms. "Rei, are you alright?"

"Zen!" the masked teen called out as he dodged the shadow's lance, parrying it before leaping away. "Get her out of here!"

"N-no!" the girl, Rei, cried out in rejection. "Zen, we can't leave him!"

The boy, Zen, frowned. Going by his face, he was clearly conflicted. The masked teen was struggling clearly. Soon, he was standing in front of the caped student, a troubled expression over his face. "Looks like there's no way out of this," he murmured before stepping into a neat posture, his sword at his sword while a hand was over his mask, engulfed in azure flames. "Come to me...Robin Hood!"

The Phantom Thieves were shocked by the phenomenon, as the actions the masked teen took were the exact same as theirs. The flames gathered and materialized into a humanoid form above the teen. The Persona that manifested behind the teen was quite tall, and rather muscular as well. It was predominately white with golden trims along it's body, wearing boots and pauldrons over it's shoulders with red pointed tips, followed by a brilliant blue cape flowing behind it. It's face was obscured by a red hood, but beneath the shadows, they could see a fierce, glowing yellow eye glaring out. Around it's waist was a red belt, along with a silver belt buckle with a bird insigia printed on it. In it's hand was a bow, pure gold with wings acting as the bow itself, yet it lacked any visible string.

The Persona of the Justice Arcana, Robin Hood.

However, what shocked them most of all was the teen's face, as the mask was now gone, revealing his face. "You gotta be kidding!" Skull exclaimed. "Isn't that?!"

Panther, likewise, could hardly believe what she was seeing. "No way..."

{J-Joker,} Oracle whispered. {Isn't that...?}

The leader of the Phantom Thieves nodded. "Yeah," she answered. "It's him...Goro Akechi."

[Goro Akechi. A high school student, and a well-known detective. Apart of a special task force investigating the Phantom Thieves. Later becomes known as "Crow."]

The masked teen, now revealed to be Goro, raised his arm and commanded Robin Hood. "Hama!" The Persona pulled back the string of its bow, an arrow of pure light manifesting. It released the string, letting the arrow fly and strike the Shadow. The arrow of light was sent flying loose, and struck one of the knights dead on. It pierced straight into the shoulder, causing the horse to neigh in pain, bucking around. However, his guard was left wide open, as the second knight charged in with it's lance raised. Goro realized his mistake too late, and gritted his teeth. "This is gonna hurt..."

"Carmen!"

"Captain Kidd!"

"Arsène!"

The Knight that was close to skewering Goro spasmed in pain as fire, electricity, and blood-red energy struck it from behind. The combined force of the blast was so strong it sent the Shadow flying, colliding with it's companion. Zen, Rei, and Goro were left in shock, turning to face the new arrivals. Rei looked surprised, but looked somewhat giddy, seeing their attire. Zen, however, remained cautious, staying close to her while keeping his finger on the trigger. Goro, however, looked the most surprised, as his eyes widened. "Twilight-san?!" he gaped. "And Ryuji-san and Ann-san too!"

"Akechi-san." Joker nodded curtly. "We can exchange pleasantries and questions later. First we must deal with these two..." She turned to the Knight Shadows.

Goro blinked before smiling, abashed. "Haha, you're right about that..." he said, scratching his cheek before looking over to the two behind him. "Zen, Rei, you two okay?"

"We're fine!" Rei smiled while Zen nodded in confirmation.

Goro nodded back, and then turned his attention to the two Shadows, which clamored back up. "Oracle," Joker called out. "What are we dealing with here?"

{They're Avenger Knights,} the hacker answered. {They don't have any weaknesses, but they aren't resistant to anything either. Leader...be careful. These guys are strong.}

"Eh?" Goro looked around in confusion. "Who's voice is that?"

"Not the time, Akechi!" Skull snapped. "Here they come!"

[Persona 5 OST - Last Surprise]

The two horses of the Knights whinnied before charging at them, their riders poising their lances to strike.

{Do your best guys!}

Joker nodded, and flicked her blade into her hand. "Skull, Panther!" she shouted at the two. "Take care of the one the left! Akechi-san, let's get rid of the one on the right!"

"Got it!" Goro nodded as he called brandished his laser blade. "Here we go, Robin Hood!"

The Archer nodded as it strung it's bow again and shot off another arrow of light.

Similarly, Arsène engaged the enemy, though rather than try to engulf them in darkness, it charged straight at them, the blades on it's heels gleaming, as if ready to slice through them. Captain Kidd and Carmen took on their opponent, with canon aimed and flames dancing all around. Meanwhile, Zen hanged back, looking after Rei, observing the strangely-clad warriors. "Who are they?" he wondered. "They wield the same power as Akechi, and are even dressed strangely as well..."

"I don't know Zen. But they all look pretty cool! And look! Their kicking butt!" Rei cheered.

After the first assault of magic and physical attacks, the Phantom Thieves, plus the detective, charged in with their weapons. Rei cheered for them. Zen on the other hand only watched with silence. The armor was quite thick from his observation. The magic had done a bit of damage...but how could weapons like their hope to break through it?

His question was greeted with an answer when the raven haired teen's knife cutting into the Shadow's flesh. The Knight let out a pained cry, thrashing about violently. For a moment, Joker had a sense of deja vu, as this had been the same reaction as the Cowardly Maya. Goro had jumped atop the horse's head, burying his laser blade hilt deep into it's skull before Robin Hood once again took aim. However, this time, a yellow light began to dance around the tip of the arrow, rather than a white light covering the arrow completely. "Bash!"

The arrow was set flying, crashing straight into the Avenger Knight's "face." The force behind the attack was enough to send it to the ground, allowing Joker to jump off. "Eiha!" she called out. Arsène complied, and allowed dark red energy to shoot out, blowing across the fallen Shadow's body. It let out a pained cry, though as the energy began to fade away, the Shadow was still shown alive, but it's armor cracked. "Che...guess it won't go down so easily."

"Apparently not," Goro remarked. "That armor is quite thick."

Meanwhile, Panther and Skull were dealing with their own problem at the moment. The Avenger Knight they were dealing with was quite aggressive, as it wouldn't allow them to call upon their Personas, forcing them on the defensive. The cat-themed thief struck away with her whip, but all she did was make nicks to it's armor, while Skull tried the more direct approach. He tried to get up close and personal, but failed, as the Avenger Knight wouldn't let him get too close. It tried to skewer him, run him through with it's lance. He avoided it by diving to the side, and quickly scampered to his feet when the Shadow set it's sights on him. "Oi, Panther!" he shouted in panic. "Little help over here?!"

"On it!" Panther then turned to her Persona. "Carmen! Agi!"

The volutpuous woman gave a smirk as she performed a twirl. Soon, a blast of flame erupted unto the Avenger Knight, causing it to stumble. However, as the smoke from the attack subsided, it soon shifted its attention to the girl, who immediately froze. "...oh crap," she realized. "I think...I pissed it off."

The horse of the Shadow neighed, and it readied it's lance. A yellow glow manifested at the tip of the lance, much like how it was for Robin Hood's Arrow. However, before it could charge up it's attack, Captain Kidd rammed it's ship straight into it, knocking it off balance. With the Shadow stunned, the Persona raised its canon, the muzzle aimed straight for it's head. "Ready!" Skull called out dramatically. "Aim! FIRE!"

A burst of electric energy shot out from the muzzle of the cannon and struck the Shadow right in the face.

Like Robin Hood's arrow, the point-blank cannon fire threw the Shadow down to the ground, smoke covering it's head. Skull grinned as he flicked his nose. "Alright!" he whooped. However, his celebration was short-lived as the Shadow rised back up, shrugging off the attack. "Oh, for the love of...!" Just how durable where these things?! Everything they threw at them, they just shrug it off like it's nothing!

"Uwawawa...!" Rei grew anxious, seeing the Phantom Thieves' troubled state. "Z-Zen!"

The cape-wearing student was conflicted. From the look of things, this battle would not be easy, even if the combatants were evenly divided to combat the Shadow creatures before them. Perhaps, if he could lend his assistance, however meager it may be, they could tip the scales in their favor...but on the other hand, he couldn't leave Rei behind. He needed to look after her. It was his duty. Again, on the other hand, Akechi had defended them when these creatures appeared out of nowhere. He risked his own well-being to defend theirs, thus it should be obvious that he must repay his debt.

What to do...?

This single question, yet with two answers that will decide their outcome. For better or worse.

"Z-Zen...!"

The boy closed his eyes. He could hear Rei's concern over them. Akechi was a given, but she was also concerned for the newcomers named Joker, Skull, and Panther. If he did nothing, chances were, they would die, but the Shadows would be considerably weakened, allowing him the chance to eliminate them. On the other hand, if he helped them out, he could risk lowering his effectiveness in protecting Rei.

However...he took her own worries above his own. "Rei," he told her as he opened his eyes. "Wait here." The girl immediately knew what he was about to do, and nodded. Zen smiled thinly, and turned his attention to the Shadows. He aimed his crossbows at the Avenger Knight that Joker and Akechi were fighting, and allowed his strength to pour into them. "Akechi! Please move!" he shouted out a warning. The raven-haired teen and Goro saw what he was about to do, and disengaged, moving away as the Shadow swung it's lance at them.

A fatal mistake.

"...Bane Slice!"

He fired bolts from both of his crossbows, a mass of energy in the form of a slash materialized and tore through the Knight's defenses. As a result, a putrid gash was left behind, creating a scar in the armor. The Avenger Knight roared in pain and outrage as it stumbled back, clutching it's wound. Joker's eyes widened as she looked at Zen, then back to the Shadow. "H-how did he?!"

"If there's one thing I've learned about Zen-san in the few minutes I've known him, Twilight-san," Goro chuckled. "It is that he is not to be trifled with."

Zen then approached the two, his eyes focused on the wounded Shadow. "I can handle this one," he told them. "Akechi, Joker...please aid your comrades."

"Are you sure?" Joker asked, uncertain. "I don't know what you did...but that thing is no pushover."

The teen was hardly phased, his face even. "I am fully aware," he replied coolly. "However...protecting Rei is my priority, and I will not allow these monsters to hinder that."

The Phantom Thief wanted to argue, but then she saw the determination in the mysterious boy's eyes. He was fully focused in protecting his friend, even if it costs him his life.

Reluctantly, she sighed. "...alright," she relented. "I'll leave it to you then. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but my friends call me Joker."

"I am Zen," the boy introduced himself. "That is what I am called."

"Oracle, give Zen your full support."

{Roger that, Leader!} Oracle replied before setting up a link with Zen. {Zen-kun, can you hear me? My name is Oracle! I'll be helping you out!"

The boy nodded. "Understood."

"Alright then," Goro smiled. "Shall we help Ryuji-san and Ann-san?"

Joker nodded, and the two joined them. Meanwhile, Zen stared down the Shadow as it emanated a killing aura, directed straight at him. It holstered it's lance, as if ready to run him through. Likewise, Zen aimed one of his crossbows at it, eyes narrowed dangerously. "...I won't let you harm Rei."

His finger pulled the trigger of his weapon, allowing the magically enhanced bolt to soar through the air and pierce the Shadow in the eye. The Shadow roared in pain, it's anger raising, and then charged forward.

"Skull, on your left!"

The muscle of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts jumped off to the side at the last minute, evading the Shadow's charge as it plowed straight through before skidding around, facing the group with it's lance at the ready. "Man, we really pissed it off," he remarked wryly with a grin. "So, Leader? Got any ideas?"

Joker narrowed her eyes and observed the situation analytically.

"...Skull, how angry can you get him?"

The blonde male grinned wickedly as he cracked his knuckles. "Pretty angry, why?"

"I'm thinking we give him a Hold Up."

Both of his teammates understood what she was referring to and grinned.

Goro, however, tilted his head. "Hold up?"

"You'll see," Panther giggled. "Alright, let's get to work!"

-Scene Break-

(Yasogami High, First Floor - Velvet Room)

"Ugh, I'm so booooooored," Caroline moaned as she kicked her legs back and forth, sitting atop the desk that Igor usually used whenever he was present. "How long until the Prisoner and his merry band of thieves gets back?"

"They will return when they return, Nee-san," Justine told her sister as she sat on the sofa, toying around with a deck of cards. Tarot cards to be precise. Unlike the cards Igor used, these were based on the Tarot of Marseilles, which each card using French words instead of English. She had been doing this out of idle curiosity, and as a way to keep herself occupied. She pulled out cards at random, but soon, she envisioned the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as she began to pull the cards.

Morgana, Le Bateleur

Ryuji Sakamoto, Le Chariot.

Anne Takamaki, L'Amoureux.

Yusuke Kitagawa, L'Empereur.

Makoto Niijima, La Papesse.

Futaba Sakura, L'Ermite.

Haru Okumura, L'Impératrice.

And, of course, her guest, Twilight Sparkle, Le Maison Dieu-

She blinked. "...ara?"

The Tower Arcana...? How could this be? Wasn't Twilight's Arcana The Fool? What happened? She pictured her guest's face in her head again as she shuffled the deck, and then pulled out the card.

Le Maison Dieu.

"What in the world...?"

Caroline noticed the distress on her sister's face, and frowned heavily. It was quite rare to see the normally composed Justine so rattled. Curious, she hopped off the desk, and walked over. "What's the matter?" she asked, looking down at the cards. "Eeeeh? Tarot readings? Doesn't Igor-sama usually do this sort of stuff though?"

"Yes, but it more of a way to pass the time," Justine admitted with a troubled frown. "However...this is quite troubling."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Recently, I've drawn cards relating to those who are affiliated with our Honored Prisoner. Ryuji Sakamoto is the Chariot, and Yusuke Kitagawa is the Emperor. Thus, naturally, when I picture her face, I should have drawn the Fool, correct?" Caroline nodded. It sounded pretty obvious...though the frown on the composed sister's face suggested otherwise. "However, when I draw the Arcana, it is the Tower, not the Fool."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Okaaay?"

Justine sighed, realizing her sister wouldn't get it. She decided to drop the subject, and draw once again after shuffling the deck. The result was the same, however. Eventually, she decided to try something different. Now, she chose someone else from his group. She thought of someone close to him from the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. The image of Futaba Sakura immediately came to mind, and she drew a card.

Her breath hitched.

"Nee-san?" Caroline spoke. She received no response. Curious, she peered over her sister's shoulder.

The card she drew...was Le Mat.

The Fool Arcana.

-Scene Break-

"...ah, so this is a Hold Up!"

The group had dealt some substantial damage to the Avenger Knight, as it's armor was heavily cracked. It's body was slightly burnt from the assault of Panther's Persona, and it's lance was broken, completely shattered, courtesy of Captain Kidd. Now, the Peronsa-Users had it utterly surrounded, weapons pointed. The Shadow tried fruitlessly to stand back up, but the damage was too great. It was practically helpless.

{Alright, guys!} Oracle cheered. {Let 'em have it!}

Joker smirked. "Everyone," she shouted to her teammates. "It's time to go All-Out!"

Panther and Skull grinned wickedly, while Goro, albeit confused, nodded. They hopped into the air, weapons and the ready.

Then, they pounced, shooting off like black blurs. The Shadow had no idea what hit it. The blurs bounced around all over the place, striking it from various angles. The weapons of the thieves bashed or cut into it as they passed, dealing substantial damage. It was impossible to tell who was who, or how many times it had been struck. They continued to cut away at it, and it wasn't able to defend itself. Soon, they ceased their attack, with Joker landed on the ground, her back facing the Avenger Knight. "Sorry, but..." she said as she looked over her shoulder, having a menacing smirk on her face, eyes colored red, as she tugged on her gloves.

"The Show's Over."

The Shadow spammed before erupting in a mass of black goo.

{Good grief...} Oracle sighed. {Always with the dramatic flare, eh Joker?}

Soon, the Shadow was reduced to black liquid, slowly dissolving on the floor. The others soon landed back on the ground, clearly pleased by the results. "And that," Skull said giddily as he flicked his nose. "Is how it's done!"

"Hmhmhm~" Panther giggled. "Always a pleasure."

Goro chuckled rather awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. "So this is how the Phantom Thieves of Hearts fight," he noted to himself. "I'd hate to be on the receiving side of that." He then turned his attention over to Zen, who had defeated the other Avenger Knight. The cloaked teen was slightly roughed up, as his cape had a few more tatters, and rips along his uniform, but he hardly looked the least bit winded. "Zen, are you alright?"

"...yes," Zen answered with a nod, walking over to the group. Rei followed with him, joining his side. "Everyone...thank you, for protecting Rei." Then, his gaze became cautious confusion. "But...who are you all?"

"Well, we're known as the Phantom Thieves of Heart." Skull responded.

"Phantom...Thieves...?"

Zen's fingers twitched on the trigger, causing him to panic. "W-well, we're not LITERAL thieves! W-we're on the side of justice!"

"Whether or not that's true is debatable," Goro chimed, giving Skull a frown as he pulled his mask up to his forehead. "After all, you DO brainwash people into confessing their sins."

"We don't brainwash people!" Skull retorted. "all we do is steal the corruption in their hearts! Those guys we target are corrupted by their own sins and did some pretty horrible stuff! How could we not stop them from committing more crimes at the suffering of the innocent?!"

"Brainwashing is still brainwashing," the detective insisted, taking off his own mask. "Something of which I cannot condone."

"Yeah well who asked you, ya bastard?!"

"Ryuji," Panther snapped as she elbowed the teen in the ribs. "Enough!" As Skull groaned in pain, rubbing his injured side, the girl faced the detective, setting her mask on top of her head. "Akechi-san...we know that you might not agree, but a lot of us have personal connections with the guys we targeted."

Goro frowned, folding his arms. "...in other words, you were taking revenge?"

"That," Joker said, removing her mask as well. "And because we can't sit idly by and watch as they torture innocent people with their crimes. Panther nearly lost her best friend to a scumbag of a teacher who thought he was king of the school. Even if we are seen by you and law enforcement as criminals...we believe in our own justice. I'm not asking you to accept that, and I'm not asking you to understand that."

Goro stared at the raven haired female in the eye, trying to discern any sort of lie or deceit. To his surprise, he found none. What she had just spoken was the truth. Soon, he relented, and took off the red mask obscuring his eyes. "Well, I suppose I can't quite refute that," he said, a hand on his waist. "Besides...if you were to ask me, what you guys do is nothing compared to the ones who killed Kunizuku Okumura."

Surprise took them over, staring back at the detective. Out of all the things they had expected him to say, that was completely out of left field. "W-wait, Akechi-san," Panther gaped. "A-are you saying...?"

"That I am, Ann-san," Goro nodded with a smile. "I know you guys aren't responsible for Okumura-san's death."

Inwardly, the Phantom Thieves let out a sigh of relief. At least one person knew they weren't the culprits. But that begs to question...if they weren't the assumed assailants...then who were? "Wait, hold on..." Panther frowned. "Why do you believe we're not the ones who killed Haru's dad?"

"Before I tell you that," Goro gestured to Zen and Rei. "I think it's better if we got out of...wherever here is. I'm not exactly keen on letting Rei-chan here get into any danger, even if she has Zen with her."

{That's probably a good idea,} Oracle suggested. {I'm not picking up any more readings nearby, but I think we've got a good idea what to expect here.}

"Then it's settled," Joker said. "Alright, everyone, let's head back."

Rei tilted her head. "Back..." she muttered aloud, as if confused by the word. "Zen...c-can we...go back...?"

"...if that's what you wish, Rei."

-Scene Break-

When the Phantom Thieves, plus the two students and detective, returned to the halls of Yasogami High, they were met with bewildered stares. "A-Akechi-san?!" Haru gasped, surprised to see the detective here. "W-what in the world are you doing here?!"

"H-hahaha..." the young man chuckled nervously as he scratched his cheek. Now that they were outside You in Wonderland, he was in what they assumed to be his formal wear, which was a gray coat, black and white tie, black buttons, black trousers, and black gloves. "Funny story behind that...I was getting ready for my speech when this application on my phone started up out of nowhere. Next thing I know, the world around me cracks up, and when I came to, I was inside that dungeon-looking place." A sigh escaped him as he ran a hand through his messy mane. "I probably would have been lost, if it weren't for these two."

The group's attention turned to Zen and Rei. The former seemed cautious of them, while Rei was quite overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in front of her. "O-oh...h-h-hello!" she stuttered, bowing her head.

"Who are they?" Makoto asked. "They're wearing the same uniform as the rest of the students, but..."

"I am Zen," the dark-haired boy spoke for himself and Rei. "She is Rei. That is what we call each other."

The rest of the group were caught off guard by the teen's monotonous tone of voice, but they quickly got over it. "So, Zen-kun and Rei-chan, huh?" Futaba said before smiling. "Nice to meet you both."

"it's nice to meet you as well!" the blonde girl bowed cheerfully.

"I trust things went well in there?" Yusuke inquired curiously. "After all, you came back with three new faces."

Twilight sighed slightly as she scratched the back of her head. "Somewhat," she replied truthfully. "All we know is that place is definitely more like a Palace than the school itself."

"In other words...a Palace within a Palace?"

"Pretty much." Ann nodded.

Morgana frowned in his cat form. "First I've ever heard of that," he said. "Then again, this place is weird enough as it is."

"E-eh?" Goro blinked. "Who said that?"

"Down here, pretty boy!" Morgana shouted at him. Zen, Rei, and Goro looked down, and found the cat waving his paw at them. "Yo!"

The young detective jumped and took a step back in surprise. "A-A...A talking...cat...?" He questioned with hesitation.

"Aww...so cute~" Rei gushed as she picked up Morgana and hugged him tightly.

Zen tilted his head. "A...talking feline?" he questioned. "What in the world?"

"Oi!" Morgana snapped at the two boys, a tick mark pulsing over his head. "Who are you calling a cat?! I am Morgana!"

Goro rubbed his eyes and tapped his ears to make sure they were working properly, yet the fact was staring him dead in the face. "You guys...have a talking cat..." he said slowly. "A cat that understands, and speaks in human tongue...okay, I thought this Shadow business was one thing, but this?"

"Now you know how we felt when we met him," Ryuji grumbled as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Anyway, how'd you get a Persona?"

"Moreover," Ann added, also curious. "How do you know we're not the ones who killed Okumura-san?"

"Well, I was investigating the incident, and from what I could tell based on present evidence, that your methods do not match up to the assailant's.

Makoto blinked. "...come again?"

"From what I understand so far, you only made your targets confess their crimes publicly," Goro deduced. "Including smaller, minor incidents, you have never once tried to kill your targets. There's also the crimes of the guilty party to think about as well. Madarame was a plagiarizing artist, and according to the rumors, he was partially responsible for the death of Sayuri Kitagawa. Junya Kaneshiro was extorting money from students, and those who couldn't quite make the payment in time had suffered some rather 'curious' event in some way or another. Compared to those, there was hardly anything noteworthy about Okumura-san. He may have treated his subordinates like robots, and tried to impose a marriage of benefits unto Haru-san, but that was it. There was nothing warranting his death."

He paused.

"...that, and I had the pleasure of meeting the one responsible."

This stirred alarm and intrigue within the thieves. He met the assailant?! How was that possible?!

"Dude!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Are you serious?!"

Goro nodded strongly. "It happened around a month ago," he told them. "To be perfectly honest, my memory is still quite hazy. All I remember is that the person who attacked me was wearing a black mask. I felt terrified, like I was about to die. Next thing I know, this thing appeared, protecting me, and I was wearing this strange outfit with a mask." He couldn't help but laugh nervously. "During that time, I also learned a bit about the Palace...it was all so surreal to me at first. Shadows, Demons, Personas, a world inside a person's heart? You have to understand, it was quite overwhelming for me."

"Trust me," Twilight said. "We know how you feel."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. They all went through their own form of emotional catharsis to get their Personas.

Haru, however, looked somewhat emotional. Her heart was pounding. "Y-you...know who killed my father?" she asked, her voice barely in a whisper. "Truly?"

Goro nodded. "I have no doubt about that, Haru-san," he told her sincerely. "That's why...I have a favor to ask you." The group grew confused. A favor? From the detective who was tasked with bringing them down? Goro turned to the P5 Hero, his face serious. "Akira-san...would you permit me to join you?"

The Phantom Thieves were visibly shocked by the sudden turn of events. They did not expect Goro to make such a request. Especially given the fact that he was a detective with the police.

"...come again?"

"While I cannot agree with your methods," Goro stated his reasons with a fierce expression. "This isn't something I can ignore. Making someone forcibly confess their sins, and murdering someone are two entirely different things...and quite frankly, while I cannot stand the idea of someone brainwashing another person, the act of murder sickens me far more than the former."

The Detective's voice held nothing but pure earnest.

Makoto inched towards Twilight, folding her arms. "Kurusu-kun, I think we should let him join us," she suggested. "It would be a good idea to have someone with law enforcement with us. Plus, he's our only lead to finding out who killed Okumura-san."

"I don't trust him," Ryuji retorted. "I mean, come on! He's a cop! The moment he finds the bad guy, he's gonna turn us in!"

Twilight was silent. Both sides held compelling arguments. Makoto had the right idea, as having someone directly affiliated with the police department would allow them access to targets of higher standing, as well as more reliable information about their targets. On the other hand, Ryuji had a point. Goro had made it quite clear that he didn't quite agree with their methods. Who was to say that he wouldn't turn on them once Kunizuku Okumura's killer was arrested? However, when he thought more on that, he realized something important. While Goro had their faces as proof that they were members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, he had no actual proof.

Unless...

"Even if we refused, you'd still join us," Twilight said. "After all, to ensure our cooperation, you would need something to make us want to have you on our side."

Goro smiled widely. "You're quite sharp, Twilight-san," he said as he pulled out something from his coat. To the group's surprise, it was photographs of them pulling off one of their heists! "What do you think? I had to admit, it was coincidence that I managed to get my hands on these, but it was quite tough work, dealing with Shadows and navigating that dungeon and whatnot."

"Y-you..." Ryuji growled. "You bastard! Even if we said no, you'd leak these to the media!"

Anne gave the blonde teen a glare. "Knock it off, Ryuji!"

"Quite the complex situation..." Yusuke hummed, looking at the P5 Hero. "What do you think, Kurusu-kun? Should we let Akechi-san join us?"

For a while, Twilight was silent again. Eventually, however, she nodded. "Welcome aboard."

Ryuji looked scandalized. "What?!"

"Thank you!" Goro smiled widely in appreciation. "I promise to do my best, Leader!"

"Please do." Twilight nodded.

Ryuji scowled. While he didn't like the idea, he wasn't about to question his best friend's judgement. All he could do now was just suck it up. "Anyway," Yusuke said, starting a new conversation. "While you were investigating the labyrinth, we were making more inqueries. Sadly, it seems Sakamoto's apt description of the students being like NPC's in a video game are quite astute."

"How do you mean?" Ann asked. "Do they, like, repeat the same sort of stuff?"

Makoto nodded. "That's exactly what they do. We've been watching them for a while, and if you look hard, you start to see the same thing repeating itself, like it's on a loop or something."

"The takoyaki vendor sells a lot of food," Futaba said. "But the weird thing is, when I take a peek inside, they're doing the same routine in the same motion, and with the same habits."

"Man...so it really is like an RPG in this place...this place is full of NPCs!"

Futaba frowned at Ryuji's exclamation, but even she had to admit, it was kind of cool...and creepy.

"Actually," Goro said as he looked around. "Since I found myself in that labyrinth, I don't quite know where we are, other than it appears to be a school...and an old one at that."

"It's Yasogami High," Zen stated. "Or, at least, that is what the students say."

Goro's eyes widened. "Yasogami...wait, what?! But that can't be!"

"Eh?" Haru frowned. "Why not?"

"Because Yasogami High School is in Inaba!" he stated. "That's all the way out in the countryside!"

"Wha-The Countryside...?!" The group gaped. How the hell did they get there of all places in such a short amount of time?!

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ann shouted in shock. "But we were in Tokyo! How can we be all the way out in the countryside?!"

Makoto frowned heavily, biting her lower lip. "Even if this place is a Palace, it's far too realistic," she said. "On top of that, there's apparently another Palace inside of it...just what on Earth is this place?"

"Wherever it is, it's not cool!" Ryuji said angrily. "We've got to find a way out of here!"

Rei, who had been hugging and spoiling Morgana, much to his discomfort (and guilty pleasure), suddenly froze as she turned to the group. "Get...out...?" she repeated his words, almost foreign to her. Somehow, they sparked something out of here. "You mean...get out of...here?"

"That's right," Yusuke nodded. "We're not from here, Rei-chan. You can practically tell by our uniforms. Also, we arrived here through unknown means...so we must be able to leave this place somehow. We have something to finish back home, thus we have to find a way to return to where we came from."

"Return...to where we came..."

The blonde girl turned to Zen.

"Zen...I want to go back...I want to leave!"

The stoic teen looked at her and nodded. "Do not worry, Rei...I will protect you."

Rei's face lit up, and smiled brightly. Meanwhile, the heteromorphic member of the Phantom Thieves stared at the two curiously, as if studying them for some reason before deciding it was time to break free. "Excuse me!" he cried, wiggling out of Rei's grasp. He fell back to the floor, and gave the girl a glare. "I'd appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself, please!"

"O-oh, I'm very sorry, Mr. Kitty-Cat!"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT?! I AM NOT A CAT, I AM MORGANA!"

"But you look like a adorable kitty cat~"

Rei nuzzled her cheek against his. This, of course, served to infuriate Morgana further. Dammit all, why was this happening?! He was a man dammit! A certifiable man! Sure, he had the body of a cat, but that wasn't the point! Why did he have to be stuck in this body in the first place?! Cat's weren't manly at all! Unfortunately, his suffering caused a chorus of laughter amongst the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, much to his ire. "Et tu, comrades?!"

"S-sorry, Morgana..." Anne snickered, trying to hold her laughter. "B-but, it's just...! Snrk...!"

"It-it's so adorable..." Haru cooed while giggling.

Ryuji on the other hand broke out into mad laughter.

Yusuke was failing miserably, holding his stomach and letting out a few laughs.

Futaba was giggling alongside Haru, and Makoto snickered.

Goro seemed to be holding it in, but his body was shaking, a hand over his mouth, and tears in his eyes.

As for Twilight...

She was crouched down on the floor, her body shaking like crazy, yet no sound came out. Apparently it was so funny that she can't even laugh audibly. Her face was getting redder by the second.

Naturally, there was only one thing to say to this:

"GIVE ME A BREAK!"

-Scene Break-

"...man, this place is huge."

"No kidding...hey, how big do you think this place really is?"

"How should I know?"

"I must say, the design of this labyrinth is quite unique...Yamagishi, you said you felt other signatures here?"

{Y-yes.}

{They felt pretty strong, too! Guess we're not the only Persona-Users here.}

"So, we weren't the only ones transported to this weird-ass place, huh? What do you think these guys are like, partner?"

"Guess we'll find out soon enough. Arisato-san, you ready?"

"Pretty much...alright, let's get going."

Chapter 1...END