Disclaimer: Persona 5 is a preexisting property, developed by P-Studio and published by Atlus, Atlus USA, and Deep Silver. I only intend to add my own little piece to the existing world, and seek no monetary gain or to claim the characters, world and setting as my own. I only wish to write, and have others enjoy Persona 5 as I have.
Additional: I've named my protagonist Ryuga Toshiki, and did so before I knew Ryuji existed. Sorry for confusion, but I'm sticking to the course and will be using this name in all my Persona 5 works. Thank you
Persona 5: A world of choice: Chapter 1
The loft above Leblanc had never felt so empty as it had on Christmas Eve for Ryuga Toshiki, leader of The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He sat in silence, the store long since closed and the condescending voice of Morgana painfully absent. This was his last night of freedom, the only compassion Prosecutor Nijima could give to Japan's most wanted criminal. Joker, leader of The Nightwalkers, had no more cards to play. Falling snow danced along the windows, and devoured all in a veil of white. The world was hushed and frozen, but Toshiki's mind was afire with the last words he heard.
"You're hiding something from me…aren't you?" The first words came like a hammer.
"I wish you had just told me…Goodnight." Ann's knowing farewell shattered his heart in a flash. Ryuga looked down at the earmuffs he had been given; they felt heavier with every second. He knew of the futility of trying to lie to Ann, the one who knew him better than anyone, the one he loved. There was no alternative, however, because the moment she asked him not to go through with his resolution, he would have obliged. Her tears would have been real, and her soul would be laid bare, her heart unmasked.
"This is the only way." He whispered to himself, clutching them tighter. She would be safe and free, and that meant the world to him. And his world was the price he had chosen to pay. His fiery, cake loving world. His smiling, laughing, supportive and loving future, sacrificed to ensure the downfall of Masayoshi Shido.
"Shido…" Ryuga whispered to himself. "…Of course, you had to ruin my life one more time."
By Shido's hand, Ryuga had met Ann and the others. By Shido's hand, he had the chance to fall in love, and find a new home. And by Shido's hand, it was all taken away. By Shido's hand, Ryuga Toshiki would once more be made to rot in a cell, and lose everything.
The familiar jingle of his phone finally broke the hours long stupor. After glancing at the screen, he held it to his ear.
"I knew it would be you. You never did get rid of that software."
Ryuga was met with light whimpering.
"I have to do this, Futaba."
"…Don't go, Ryuga." Futaba finally spoke out. Her shuddering voice was as untameable as the heat of the Sahara, and burned Ryuga deeply.
"How is this fair?! How can this world still punish you and torture you after all you've done?! Every person on this planet owes you their lives, but more than that, their freedom!"
"Futaba, please-"
"You saved us all! You don't deserve this! Please, please Ryuga!"
Ryuga waited until Futaba's panting slowed.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I have to protect you guys."
"I'll tell Sojiro!" Futaba screamed in desperation. Ryuga squeezed his phone firmly.
"Tell him I won't be any more trouble. I'm sorry."
He hung up before another word could be spoken and placed his phone at his side. He did not look at it again.
"This is the only way." He whispered again, the earmuffs once again in his hands.
"This is…" He sank into the now-familiar mattress. Once more, he was alone with his thoughts; the weight of them increased without mercy.
"Ryuga…Ryuga…I love you."
"This is the only way."
"Let's come back to Hawaii sometime! I mean…just the two of us."
"This is the only way."
"Ryuga, you're…my light."
"This…this is…"
"You know, you're actually a pretty dependable guy."
"This is…so painful."
"We're counting on you"
Ryuga curled up, holding the earmuffs to his heart.
"We're counting on you."
"I know, Ann." Ryuga spoke, as he sank into his tear soaked pillow.
At the break of dawn, Ryuga heard knocking on the door to Leblanc.
"Toshiki-kun, are you ready?" a woman asked from downstairs, calm yet firm. He dragged himself from the fleeting warmth of his bed, and approached the stairs while still in his pyjamas.
"I need to get dressed," he called down to the café, "just wait a minute, Nijima-san. I put a key beneath the plant." The door quietly opened, the bell offering an empty jingle.
"…Understood, just don't dawdle." Said Sae. Ryuga heard a chair drag across the floor, followed by a heavy sigh. He quickly dressed, and threw his pyjamas and a few extra sets of clothes into his blue duffel bag.
"Hey…" A gentle voice called from near Ryuga, "…Are you sure about this?"
Ryuga sighed and stood up, not turning to face his guest.
"So, you came too, Makoto?" he asked as he walked to his work-desk.
"Well, at least The Phantom Thieves aren't around to need a leader anymore." He said with a hollow smile, picking up a broken lock-pick half and placing it next to his bag. He was about to clamber to his feet when Makoto knelt before him; the pair stared at each other with lustreless eyes.
"The Thieves are gone, but your friends will always need you, Ryuga." Said Makoto as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "This may be the only way, but…why must you always be a sacrifice?"
Her faintly wavering voice was enough to shake his will, but he was prepared for this. He mirrored her actions and mustered all his will.
"That's what a leader does." He said, struggling to stifle the thoughts of the red body suit, crimson mask, and sky-blue eyes of his beloved Ann. "If it means doing what's right, I will pay the price whenever I'm asked."
Makoto allowed herself to smile, albeit briefly and with the same intent as her friend. Ryuga stood, and resumed gathering what bits and pieces he could find. The bag sat on the floor, with a glaring amount of space left inside. He placed his earmuffs beside it as he thought of what else he should bring. After a quick whip around his room, he recovered a blank card, the broken lock-pick, his ramen bowl from Ogikubo, and an annotated social studies essay. He quickly placed everything inside, while scanning desperately for more.
"Toshiki-kun? Are you nearly done?" Sae asked, causing Ryuga to freeze.
"…Yeah, coming." He finally replied, placing the earmuffs gently on top. He had just zipped his bag when he heard the front door swing open; the bell flung off and clinked against the floor.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing, Prosecutor?" Yelled the embodiment of crankiness, Sojiro Sakura. Ryuga and Makoto quickly made their way down to the café. Sojiro and Futaba stood side by side, challenging Sae with determined auras.
"Of all the nerve! After all this time and all your bull, after everything he's done, you're still trying to ruin his life?!"
Sojiro's rage was unbridled, and Ryuga wondered if his own father would ever react in such a way.
"Please Master," Sae spoke, "don't make this harder than it already is."
"You're the one making this hard, Nijima-san!" replied Futaba, just as indignant as her guardian.
"Futaba-chan, I know how you're feeling," spoke Makoto, just barely the calmest presence, "but sis has no other choice."
"It doesn't have to be this way, Makoto…" Futaba quietly spoke. She did not resist as Makoto wrapped her arms around her. The latter took the chance to allow a flash of anguish to colour her visage, a moment witnessed by the man of the hour.
Ryuga stood at the back of Leblanc, staring silently. He noted Sae's inability to lift her stare from the ground. He swallowed forcefully, taking the first of his final steps. The battle continued unabated, and without his strength.
"This bullshit stops here!" Sojiro spoke. "I don't care what I have to do, what hoops we have to jump through, you're not taking him!"
"It's not your choice to make, master!" yelled Sae with passion.
"You should be able to take down Shido without using him!"
"You know better than anyone that that would be impossible Sojiro!" came Sae's fiery reply. The row had halted, and only then did the assembled hear Ryuga clear his throat. Sojiro's wizened face wore a sombre gaze as he softened his stance. Futaba could look nowhere else but to Ryuga. Makoto took on the heavy burden of breaking the silence.
"You're doing a brave thing, Toshiki-kun," she spoke, without her usual tranquil smile adorning her face. Futaba's face was scrunched up, her eyes welling with glistening sorrow. Makoto's fists and teeth were clenched as well.
"I'm so sorry that we-"
"I'm sorry." Ryuga spoke, dropping his bag and grasping Makoto's shoulder. Futaba gasped as she was gently held as well. Ryuga pulled the pair into him, holding them with what strength he had.
"Queen, Navi, thank you." Said Ryuga. "Please, sit and rest. Master, take care of them."
After a lengthy pause, Sojiro nodded and ushered the girls to a booth without looking back. Ryuga grasped his bag and made for the door; Sae followed shortly after. The door closed behind them, without the familiar ring of the bell, leaving only the wildcard and the judge stood in an ever-growing void of white.
"Thank you, Toshiki-kun." Sae said with a smile. Her eyes remained on the floor.
"Nijima-san," said Ryuga, "just promise me something." Sae's smile disappeared.
"Protect everyone." He spoke. "You saved me once. Now save them. Bring Shido down."
The two saw each other eye to eye. Sae nodded, her face adorned with conviction.
There was nothing to say as the pair drove to the station. Ryuga was sure that the others would be arriving at Leblanc shortly. His thoughts turned to Ryuji, and to his excitement at the Christmas party that everyone wanted. Ryuji would have had grand schemes in mind; Ryuga wondered if he had accosted Haru yet about taking over Destinyland again. He allowed himself a chuckle.
"What are you thinking about, Toshiki-kun?" Sae asked.
"Christmas, huh?" Ryuga muttered. "We were so busy fighting for our lives. We tried so hard to stop Shido, and struggled against the world order itself. We never even realised it was Christmas Eve until we beat Yaldabaoth. And still…" The car lulled before the traffic lights. Sae glanced over to Ryuga, who had begun to shudder.
"And still, Ann found time to get me a Christmas present. She held me in her thoughts, and thought of making me happy, even with all this going on."
Sae sighed heavily, while Ryuga slowly opened his bag.
"I got her nothing…but I can give her a life."
The light turned green. Ryuga retrieved and slid on the earmuffs as the car ambled on. His trembling ceased as Ann's warmth embraced him.
The car came to a halt before the police department. It had almost become nostalgic, though Ryuga was far from happy to have returned.
"I'm trusting you to turn yourself in, Toshiki-kun. I'll know if you haven't." Sae spoke softly.
"We made a deal." Ryuga spoke. "You can count on me."
Sae smiled at him, and offered an outstretched hand. Ryuga took it, shaking it slowly, and returned a transient grin. He left the car without a word, and walked towards the police department.
Every step was heavier than the last, but he pressed forward. His body grew numbingly cold, yet he did not waver. Ann's gift gave him limitless will, and carried him when every cell in his body had since abandoned hope. Before he knew it, he was before the door. All he had to do was open it, and it would be over. It was as though gravity had intensified for him, and left him paralysed before the end. He thought of Ann once more, of her innocent and trusting smile, of her scarlet cheeks and lustrous eyes, of her soft and sweet hair, of the weight of her life in his hands.
"We're counting on you." Her voice came to his mind, full of hope and full of faith.
"Leave it to me." Ryuga muttered, smiling to himself as he approached the door.
He opened the door to the barren department, and was greeted by the sounds of hushed whispers and scrawling pens. A few men in suits were in a quiet discourse on their own. One turned to Ryuga as he entered; a younger man than his fellow cohorts. His hair was blond like Ryuji's, spawning a yearning nostalgia in Ryuga's heart. The man gave Ryuga a half grin, then returned to his conversation. The boy remained frozen in place, before a mirthless voice beckoned him.
"Can I help you?" A sullen officer sat at his work desk, lethargic in dealing with his paperwork. He remained in his own world as Toshiki cautiously approached. The name plaque on his desk read "Det. Edo Torune".
"What's your problem kid? Anything to report?" he asked, not even looking up once.
"Here to finish what I started."
The officer sighed, glared at Ryuga, and slowly clasped his hands together.
"And what might that be, brat?" he asked, his bag-riddled eyes fixed on the boy's. He jolted awake as he stared.
"Wait, you're that kid, you're-"
"I'm the one who changed the heart of Masayoshi Shido. I want to testify against him in court, and accept what that entails."
Torune immediately stood up, scrunched his face, and whipped a pair of handcuffs from his belt.
"Ryuga Toshiki, leader of The Phantom Thieves," he spoke loudly, drawing the undivided attention of the rest of the staff. "You are under arrest for crimes against the state. You're going down you son of a bitch."
"I know," Ryuga spoke, "but I won't be alone."
Torune only scoffed as he forced Ryuga onto the desk by his stomach, and wrenched his arms behind his back. Ryuga gasped as his bag was confiscated, which only prompted Torune to smash his head against the desk. The clinking of the cuffs as they bound him sealed the last vestiges of his hope, and he allowed his jailer to violently drag him away.
Ryuga was unceremoniously thrown into lock-up. The once languid officer was all too quick in stepping over the beleaguered thief and pinning him down.
"Hope you enjoy this Christmas," he said through his teeth, "I swear you'll never see another."
He slammed the cell door shut and strode back to his desk, leaving him cuffed and broken on the floor. When he heard footsteps swiftly returning, he braced himself. No cognitive loophole to save his life this time.
"So, are your superiors coming to throw me in solitary?" He asked, but found no answer. "Or maybe they're coming to kill me? More of Shido's lapdogs trying to cover their skin, is that right? Maybe you just want the satisfaction of doing it yourself?"
He was met with silence again. "Well?!" he yelled as he opened his eyes. Immediately he noticed the head of sunflower yellow before him. "Ryu-" He stopped himself and gave himself time to adjust his sight. There was a reluctant relief when he deduced that his friend had not come for him.
"So, you're one of The Phantom Thieves, huh?" asked the blond man. He gently held the cell door bars as he asked, brushing some of his hair from his eyes with the other hand.
"Opinions of you are divided here, Hell they're divided everywhere." Ryuga remained silent and stared up at his visitor. He had calm features, and lacked the wrath of Torune. He knelt at the bars, and before Ryuga could react, he had prostrated himself.
"Thank you, Toshiki-kun!" he said. "The Phantom Thieves have been doing our jobs for so long. We forced a child to take up such dire matters, to put his life on the line. Well, I'm not too proud to admit that we are a sorry excuse for law enforcement. I am grateful for all you've done."
Ryuga knew not what to say in the wake of that outburst. All he could do was look at this man, by all counts his enemy, bow down before him.
"Torune-kun doesn't speak for all of us," he said as he stood up and opened the cell door. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket, and released Ryuga's restraints.
"I heard why you're here," he said pocketing the keys, "and I commend your resolve. I will try to support you as best as I can…for all the good that is."
He stood up and shut the cell door quietly, leaving Ryuga within.
"Thank you." Said Ryuga as he rubbed his aching wrists.
"No, thank you, Phantom Thief." Spoke the yellow haired detective, before walking back into the precinct.
Ryuga sat alone, ambivalent and silent. He shut his eyes and thought of Ann, and knew that he had done the right thing. He couldn't deny the other truth, however, that what he had done was the most painful decision of his life, and that his heart wouldn't be the only one being torn asunder. All he could do was have faith; that his friends would be safe, and that Shido would burn with him.
Author's note: To those who made it this far, thank you for reading and giving me your time! This is the main story I'll be working on, and I hope you'll enjoy. I'll be adding a couple of characters of my own, as this time will focus on an area of the game where we are incarcerated. I will include main characters when I can, though most likely in the protagonist's memories beyond this point, I'll see what I can do. Once more, thank you for your time! I look forward to writing the next chapter and starting a journey with all of you!