A/N: Hi there, fellow reader! First of all, my deepest apologies for missing last week's update. Last Friday, I made one of the most dumbest decisions this year by accidentally deleting ALL of my writing ideas and chapters that I had completed in advance – which included this week's update and content for my other stories. Fortunately, the last two chapters of this story currently remain intact – but I had to spend this entire week rewriting this very episode that you are reading right now.

No worries though, we're almost close to the end of this grand tale – and I promised myself I wouldn't move on to any other projects until I completed this story. But with the delay of this chapter, that means the whole schedule will be postponed, meaning that the last chapter won't be posted unti January 4th.

Oh yeah, I did state in a prior chapter that this story would be completed in 30 chapters, but I ended up creating more content than expected, which means the finale will be set in Chapter 31 – meaning some more wholesome moments with Shuann and the rest of the cast!

So, without further delay, let's move on with the story! I hope you enjoy! And happy holidays in advance! Cheers!

P5: The Bond That Makes Us One
Episode 29: TOGETHER AGAIN

-Episode Summary -
Ren and Charlotte form an unexpected bond.
The Phantom Thieves and Spirit Guardians join
together for one final battle.

- NOVEMBER -
Kyoto, Japan
Okumaru Cafe
Evening

With Charlotte's powers, Ren found himself with her along the upper outdoor floor of Okumaru Cafe within his hometown. Finding a table for the two of them, Ren ordered their drinks and desserts as they took a moment to relax. At the moment, Ren's mind focused on the task to understand Charlotte's heart more, with the hopes of catering to her lighter side of emotions.

"What a magnificent venue you chose, my Trickster." Charlotte admired as she looked around the beautifully decorated cafe space. "And what good timing too – on such a nice evening with the stars shining brightly above for us."

"Yeah, glad you like it." Re replied, bringing along a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate and their dessert for them to share. He handed a fork for Charlotte. "Here, have you ever tried tried cheesecake before?"

"Not yet! But I am excited to adventure the taste of this delicacy!" Charlotte exclaimed. She immediately attacked the cheesecake with her fork, almost leaving none for Ren to enjoy.

"Whoah… She seems way more into sweets than Ann." Ren commented to himself, watching with his eyes wide open as Charlotte. Charlotte had completed the cheesecake in a blink of an eye, with not unable to help himself but be impressed by her ability to eat so fast.

"Deeeeelicious!" Charlotte cheered with her mouth still full, carelessly throwing her fork to the side as she let out an unashamed burp. She took a moment to lean back and relax, looking over to Ren with a look of admiration. "You know, my Trickster, I'm still surprised that you were willing to give me a chance. I promise to do my best so we can strengthen our bond together!"

"Yeah… of course." Ren replied. His focus still remaining on being friendly towards Charlotte, but keeping his boundaries in order to maintain his loyalty for his relationship with Ann.

Ren took a moment as he noticed that the Spirit Amulet Charlotte had taken and placed around her neck began to glow as its last stone flickered. He thought about what Kasumi had told him about the artifact and how it was currently powered up with the seven other attributes that focused on the foundations of a relationship.

Ren figured – if he could find a way to power up the last stone, would its powers be able to change Charlotte's heart?

There was only one way he could find out.

"So… w-what else do couples do together, other than indulge in eating?" Charlotte asked, looking over to Ren with a shy look. "This is all new to me, so I wouldn't know any good ideas if my life depended on it, heh."

"Hmm… let me think." Ren stated, taking a moment lean back on his chair as his eyes remained focused on the Spirit Amulet. What other ways could he show Charlotte the true attributes of a strong relationship? The only ideas that he could come up with were the things he had done with Ann.

Maybe… just maybe, that was the key to all this.

"Well, any ideas, my Trickster?" Charlotte asked, looking over to him with concern.

"The night is young, and you have your powers to travel anywhere at anytime, right?" Ren brought up. He stood up from his table as he stretched a hand for Charlotte to grab. "Why don't we go out and have some fun? Spend time and get to know one another more – that will for sure help us strengthen our bond."

"R-Really? A-Anything for you, my Trickster!" Charlotte exclaimed, kicking her chair back as she grabbed Ren's hand and almost dragged him out of the cafe balcony. "Oh my gosh! I'm super excited with what you have planned for us tonight!"

"G-Geez! You pull much harder than Ann does!" Ren blurted out as he struggled his arm in Charlotte's grip.

For the rest of the evening, Charlotte utilized her powers to teleport the two of them throughout the city and allowing them to indulge in many activities around Tokyo – such as joining a paint night, mini-golfing at Destinyland and riding within the swan boats at Inokashira Park.

Eventually, their hangout came to its close as the duo ended off the night with a leisurely stroll along Seaside Park's iconic Rainbow Bridge.

"Uhmm…. My Trickster… I must say, I've never been more happier now than I've been my entire lifespan," Charlotte confessed, remaining close to Ren's side as the duo walked on the sideway of Rainbow Bridge, overlooking the view of Tokyo along the side as the many buildings lit up in the distance.

"I gotta admit, I haven't done that many things in one night even with Ann." Ren commented, reflecting on the number of events they participated in. He looked over to Charlotte and noticed her in a deep train of thought as she suddenly remained quiet. Initially, Ren thought he had triggered Charlotte by mentioning Ann's name once again. Preparing for the worst, Ren cautiously called out to her. "Uh… Hey… Charlotte? Got something on your mind?"

To his surprise, Charlotte calmly sighed as she stopped in her tracks. Her head remained looking downwards as her back faced towards Ren.

"Trickster… Your bond with Ann Takamaki. It's… something you consider very special to you, right?"

Ren raised an eyebrow, wondering where Charlotte was taking their conversation to. He answered. "Of course… I mean, Ann and I have been through a lot together. It's natural that our bond has grown to become something more than just a regular friendship."

"I see… And all the things we had done together…. They were the same things you and Ann had done in your relationship, I presume." Charlotte said directly. "Even from the very beginning of this night, you had taken me to the cafe where you and Ann shared dessert together, right?"

Ren was surprised of Charlotte's intuition. Believing he had to be honest, Ren replied. "Yeah… I… figured that taking you to places where I've been with Ann would help you understand the bond I have with her. The activities I took you all hold a special moment that Ann and I had shared together."

Charlotte didn't answer. Instead, she walked over to the railing of Rainbow Bridge and leaned over to view the city landscape off in the distance. Ren remained where he was

"Spending time with someone helps you truly understand them better as a character, wouldn't you agree?" Charlotte asked, looking over to Ren as he nodded. She chuckled. "I understand that now – because all this time when I thought I was building a relationship with you, I was just setting myself up for even more failure."

"Charlotte… I'm sorry. But you need to understand that my heart will always be for one girl." Ren stated.

"I...I can't ever be that girl, hmm?" Charlotte asked.

Ren hesitated, but eventually took a stance as he simply shook his head.

Charlotte remained silent for a few more moments, before letting out her thoughts to Ren.

"You know, Trickster, my whole life since I've gained a consciousness within this year, I always saw you as my end goal. And that's because you were in the centre of my life – born to become my idol from the very beginning." Charlotte began to explain, maintaining her gaze out towards the city.

Ren didn't say anything – instead allowing Charlotte to continue letting her feelings out.

"As someone born out of the shadow attributes, all I ever understood were the negatives of these emotions brought about in life. That was the only way I knew how to react to events - with the tools of jealousy and anger." Charlotte noted. "Paired along with my devotion to you, I guess that's what caused my mind to be extremely obsessed and pursue courtship with you, Trickster."

Ren noted Charlotte's grip tightening on the railing bar, before she eventually relaxed and let go as she sighed in reflection.

"With the knowledge I obtained in the Spirit Palace – I grew fond of the memories you shared with Ann Takamaki. My soul yearned to just have a moment to feel the same way. To understand how happy she felt being in a special bond with someone." Charlotte further explained. "And coupled by the fact that I had absorbed Caroline's life force for my consciousness to fully awaken – the recollection of the twin's own feelings towards you exemplified mine."

Charlotte eventually turned towards Ren as a single tear trickled down her cheek.

"But now I'm realizing that your heart will always be for Ann Takamaki. No matter where I go and what I do with you, I can't ever change your mind." Charlotte expressed as her hands clenched to her side as she accepted the proclamation of her own words.

"Charlotte… Again, I'm sorry." Ren could only manage to say. For a moment, fear took over as he expected Charlotte's mood to escalate to one of violence and outlash.

But her next few words surprised him.

"Trickster… It's okay." Charlotte said, causing a surprised reaction from Ren. She began to explain. "Like I said earlier, this night I spent was one of the most happiest things I've done in my life. And its helped me understand the joy Ann has shared with you."

The final stone at the centre of the Spirit Amulet continued to flicker as Charlotte began to realize this attribute herself – the most important attribute in a relationship – Love.

"Trickster… For me to take someone's happiness by tearing them apart from the one they love most, I realize that would be wrong of me." Charlotte expressed as she reflected on her newly discovered emotions. "This whole night, I'm really beginning to understand Ann Takamaki's love for you. I'd be a wretched soul if I took you away from her.

Charlotte's words resonated with Ren for a bit, realizing that her statement mirrored the ones of Morgana. Looking over to the Spirit Amulet and realizing how his kindness allowed Charlotte to open up her heart to the influence of the Spirit Attributes, it allowed her to empathize and understand the relationship Ren and Ann currently have.

"Charlotte, I may not know you on a personal level, but I must say this. The entire night we spent together – I did not feel threatened by you by any means whatsoever," Ren stated. "You acted just like any normal individual who yearns to express their emotions with others. Not once did I ever remind myself that you are a shadow born out of darkness. But someone who's gradually learning their true self and opening their heart to creating bonds."

Ren's word began to create a bigger impact within Charlotte's soul as a shift started in her mindset. She didn't want to feel angry or jealous anymore. Charlotte desired to create even more bonds with others and to reap the joys in relationships – this desire expanding greater than her dwindling obsession with Ren.

"Trickster… I'm sorry for everything that I've done to you and your friends. I realize that I was in the wrong." Charlotte apologized, covering her face with her hands in shame. "But… w-what can I do now? With no one else I can dedicate myself to – what else do I have left? I'm… I'm just alone now."

Ren felt the sorrow that Charlotte started to show. The poor soul had gone through such a drastic roller coaster of emotions so quickly in one night – from anger to begging, happiness and sadness. With his understanding of Charlotte's character even more now, Ren wanted to give her hope.

"Charlotte, your own personal journey reminds me of someone you know very well." Ren started to encourage.

"W-Who?" Charlotte asked, wiping another tear away.

"Morgana." Ren simply answered.

"H-Huh? Y-You mean the feline I've been fighting for the last few months?" Charlotte expressed in surprise." There's absolutely no way that I relate to him at all! We've been on opposing sides from the very beginning."

"Believe me, there's a lot more common ground between the both of you," Ren affirmed. "You've both gone through your very own trials of growth and accepting that there is a greater will than your very own - as well as understanding the two different sides of a relationship – you embodying the darker qualities while Morgana has embraced the light."

"I see… I didn't bother looking at it from that perspective," Charlotte commented, taking in Ren's words.

"Funnily enough, you each had fallen for both Ann and I. But I believe that there's a connection through all this that you and Morgana will eventually figure out." Ren said. "Charlotte, you have the capabilities of creating bonds like you've showcased tonight. With your previous experience, I'm sure you'll be able to create more bonds of your own, starting with Morgana."

"But… I've done so many wrongdoings against Morgana and his team. W-What if he doesn't accept me anymore?" Charlotte expressed her concern.

"Life offers second chances – even to the those fallen under the worst of circumstances." Ren gave his words of wisdom. "I had fallen in a rough spot in the year prior – but if it wasn't for Morgana to guide me into unlocking the power of my Persona abilities, I probably wouldn't have understood how personal relationships are meant to be treasured. The door Morgana opened up for me allowed my spirit to strive through the troubles I felt with being outcast by society. Eventually, I found the greatest group of friends that I could have ever asked for."

Ren went over to Charlotte and patted a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"Keep your head up, Charlotte. There are better days for you ahead, I just know it." Ren stated with a comforting smile.

"Thank you, Trickster." Charlotte expressed, a smile slowing growing across her face as a new resolve overcame her spirit. "I feel like we finally see each other eye to eye."

Ren gave her a nod. With the short amount of time he spent with Charlotte, Ren already felt a strong connection with her. Looking over to the Spirit Amulet around her neck, Ren watched as the final stone fully lit up as the final attribute of Love unlocked.

Charlotte looked down, noticing the Spirit Amulet glowing as the spirit attributes eased into her soul and vanquishing any ulterior motives influenced by the prior shadow attributes that made up her character.

"You know, Trickster, there's one thing that I also learned when I've observed your relationship with Ann Takamaki over time." Charlotte began to express.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"That above all else, genuine love is the most important aspect of any relationship you create. It embodies all attributes together – joy, service, loyalty, kindness, honesty, patience and common purpose." Charlotte explained, feeling this newfound wisdom overwhelm her soul. "You and Ann have displayed the strongest examples to each other throughout the year. No wonder you two seem inseparable – even when I had tried all my best to utilize the power of the shadow attributes against you."

"Hmm, it seems like you've already grown to be an expert in the foundation of building relationships already. You might be able to find someone out there for you after all." Ren amused the thought, much to Charlotte's embarrassment as she blushed.

"W-Whatever! Just don't get jealous if I find someone better than you, Trickster!" Charlotte barked at him

With a newfound understanding for each other, Ren and Charlotte eventually made it to the end of their stroll. The duo decided to head back into the Spirit Palace to reconvene with the other Phantom Thieves – unaware that trouble would soon brew.

- The Spirit Palace -
Master Bedroom

At Morgana's request, Lavenza's spirit utilized her powers to bring back every prior teammate he worked with. The master bedroom was currently filled with all the Personas users that Morgana knew – ranging from the rest of the Phantom Thieves to the new Spirit Guardians that he had recently adventured with in the Spirit Palace.

"Hmm, it's been awhile since I've been with other Persona users – let alone this many in one room," Tatsuya Suou commented, overlooking the bedroom as he took count of everyone there. "Although, mark me surprised – I didn't expect Takamaki-san's friends to also be Persona users, let alone herself being one."

"What can we say, we're all full of surprise!" Futaba stated with pride.

"Remind me again how you're all connected to this, Tatusya-san?" Ken asked, coming up to him with Korumaru along his side. "I mean, Rise, Yukari, Korumaru and I have been in her palace prior, while the Phantom Thieves are her personal best friends. I'm just curious to how you've been connected to her spiritual bond."

"Right, you weren't here before when we fought against his shadow cognition," Yukari joined them as she began to explain to Ken - reminiscing of her first mission in the Spirit Palace. "Remember how whatever happens in the real world with Ann and Ren will reflect in this palace? Well, Tatsuya ended up getting caught in a bunch of drama between the couple, which ended up creating a shadow of him that we had to fight."

"I see… It must've been when I had accidentally kissed Ann," Tatsuya reflected on the experience back in the summer while they were filming their Featherman movie. "I always thought that something wasn't right with my actions, but a voice kept talking in my head, convincing that what I did was right."

"Hmph, so it must've been Charlotte's influence on you then," Ken concluded. "Did her powers really go all the way back in the summer? I thought that her shadow only became sentient around the fall season – when we had to fight against Sakamoto-san's cognition."

"Whoah what? I had a shadow of myself in this palace?" Ryuji hollered, hearing his name being mentioned by them.

"Remember when you suddenly had feelings for Ann? That was because of Charlotte taking over your mind and deceiving your emotions in order to try and break their relationship apart." Rise came up to remind him.

"Oh shit, right." Ryuji recalled. He began to grip his baseball bat in frustration. "My bond with Ren and Ann almost fell apart, and I almost got paralyzed by that accident. Man, I'm gonna make sure that Charlotte pays for what she's done to all of us!"

"I'm surprised that this sort of dimension still exists," Makoto commented, looking around the room as she was clad in her Queen outfit. "It reminds me so much of the other palaces in the Metaverse."

"Except we won't be stealing the treasure this time," Yusuke added, wearing his Fox outfit and equipped with his katana to the side. "Instead, we'll be protecting the treasure of Ren and Ann's relationship. How the tables have turned for us."

"I'm just glad I get to use my axe again!" Haru exclaimed, - fitted in her Noir outfit as she held her weapon in joy. "I've always missed chopping off the heads of shadows and hearing their wretched screams of pain – it was such a pleasant stress reliever at the time."

"Dang – I forgot how homicidal Haru is when she's in her Noir persona." Futaba yelped, slowly taking a few steps away from her in precaution.

"You know, I kind of knew that your group was something special," Ken spoke to Futaba and their group. "I figured that a close-knit circle like you guys had a special foundation – but I never would have assumed that it was due to your experience being Persona users – let alone being the actual Phantom Thieves I've heard about."

"Have you been in a Persona team before, Amada-san?" Makoto asked, interested in learning about the older group's powers.

"Yes we have!" Yukari exclaimed, running up to Ken and Korumaru's side. "We first worked together as a Persona team a couple years ago. Our group name was the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad - or S.E.E.S for short!"

"I've worked with Ken, Yukari and Korumaru before, but I had my own Persona team myself," Rise added. "I don't tell this to a lot of people – but back when I went to Inaba for my break, I made some very close friends and we'd call ourselves the Investigation team! Although, instead of infiltrating palaces, we'd explore a world within the TV."

"H-Huh? You're saying there's a world inside the television?" Futaba asked, interested in learning more about this newfound lore.

"Yeah! There was this fog that took over our town and a murderer that was on the loose. No worries though, my friends and I managed to solve the case a long time ago." Rise explained.

"Interesting - who would've known that there is a whole world beyond the Phantom Thieves regarding this Persona phenomenon." Yusuke commented, intrigued by the backgrounds of the S.E.E.S and Investigation team. "You guys must tell us about your stories – it would surely help our own team improve in our abilities if we were mentored by you.

"Yeah! Like how do you guys summon your Personas?" Ryuji asked, eager to learn more about the other team. "Do y'all have your own masks that you rip off your face?"

"Not exactly, see we have these items called Evokers that look like guns," Ken explained, pulling out his personal Evoker that he had kept for years. "We simply aim at our head, pull the trigger and our Persona is summoned."

"Oh my! So you practically shoot yourself in the head to use your powers?" Makoto answered in shock.

"Yep, it's not the friendliest way of pulling to do things." Yukari commented as she crossed her arms. "To be honest, I never was a fan the first time I had to use them."

"Damn, that's still a pretty edgy way to unlock your powers!" Ryuji "What about you, Risette? How did you team back in Inaba summon Personas?"

"Uhh…. We basically had to crush tarot cards in our hands." Rise replied, albeit a little embarrassed that her way of summoning wasn't as dramatic as the other Persona users.

"Huh.. Okay, that's cute." Futaba answered, unimpressed by Rise's means of summoning a Persona.

"Kind of reminds me of Yu-Gi-Oh, to be honest." Yusuke added. "Just by the cards itself – nothing more."

"Uhm… so do you think they're done conversing?" Kasumi whispered over to Morgana as they continued watching their friends bond over their Persona powers.

"Yeah, we should probably go on ahead with our mission right now," Ann reminded them. "Ren is still in danger. We need to figure out where he is as soon as possible!"

"Alright everyone! Listen up!" Morgana called out to them, immediately upholding his leadership role. The group looked over as they listened to Morgana's directive. "I know that we called you guys out of the blue, but I'm sure that Lavenza's spirit has already debriefed you of the severity of the situation at hand."

"Sorry, who is Lavenza again?" Haru asked, raising her hand up.

"She's the little girl in the blue dress and cute butterfly ornaments." Yusuke answered her.

"I'm right here, Kitagawa-san." Lavenza's spirit spoke, giving him an uneasy glare from the other side of the room. "May I state that I do not appreciate being referred to as a little girl. My entire life force extends beyond all of yours combined, so I politely ask you tread carefully with your words next time and rethink of your observation of me."

"Ooof! Little girl's got some big words!" Ryuji chuckled.

"Stop that! If she can teleport all of us at will, then I'm sure she's got some freaky powers that can completely obliterate us if she wanted to!" Futaba reminded him, smacking Ryuji's back to his annoyance.

"Listen, I'm truly glad to see all of you again, although I wish it was under different circumstances," Ann began to talk. "But to be honest, we're in kind of a rough spot right now. Long story short – Ren has been kidnapped by this spirit that's dedicated in destroying our relationship. They're willing to take any measures to ensure they succeed. I know I'm being a bit selfish to ask, but I'm hoping for you guys to help us find him. He could be hurt and all I want is for him to be safe."

"Geez – never thought that I'd hear this type of relationship drama," Tatsuya commented. He sighed as he took a moment to comprehend the situation at hand. "Well, I do have a lot of respect for Amamiya-san. And I do want you guys to prosper. I'll make sure that I can do whatever I can to help out."

"Same! Ever since I saw you and Ren sing and dance together at the summer festival in Tokyo, I've been a big fan of your relationship!" Rise commented. "You're too cute of a couple to be broken apart. I'll happily help out if it means that love will endure!"

"Besides, Ren is our friend too. We also care as much about his safety as you do, Ann." Makoto reassured her. "We've been through a lot together as friends and the Phantom Thieves. Hesitation on our part is not something you should not have to worry about."

"Yeah! And we're not going to let some selfish shadow tear you guys apart!" Ryuji exclaimed as he made practice swings in the air with his bat. "We've always got you back, Ann!"

"Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate all your support!" Ann said with gratitude. She looked over to each of her friends and mentors, feeling lucky to have a large group of people to support her and Ren. She turned over to Morgana and nodded to him. "Alright, leader. You've been around here much longer than any of us. We'll follow your commands."

"Sounds good." Morgana nodded back to Ann. "Alright team! Like Lady Ann said, we've got to find Ren and stop Charlotte. I'm warning you though, at the moment, Charlotte has the Spirit Amulet in possession. Who knows how much stronger she's become with the artifact in hand, paired up with her own Persona powers as well."

"Hmph, so we might have to face the very weapon that's been on our side since the start of this journey." Ken commented. "The irony is almost hilarious."

"I'll start laughing once we stop Charlotte and put an end to all this." Yukari replied.

"Woof! Woof!" Korumaru barked in agreement.

BOOM!

The whole bedroom suddenly shook violently from a mysterious force outside. Everyone struggled to maintain their balance as the furniture around them shook. The cabinets and shelves rattled in place while the various paintings that hung up on the wall slid off.

"Wh-What's going on!" Makoto stuttered.

"We'll figure it out!" Futaba said, turning over to Rise as they activated their Persona's navigational abilities to find out the source of the eruption. "It's coming from the palace's gardens! There's a huge spike of shadow energy originating there!"

"Could it be Charlotte?" Ann asked. "Maybe Ren might be there too."

"There's only one way to find out." Morgana answered. He turned over to the team and motioned them to the bedroom doors. "Alright, guess this is our moment. Let's go team!"

The entire group of Persona users made their way out of the master bedroom, beginning their trek towards the palace gardens. As they rushed through the hallways, they noticed the unusual absence of shadows in their way.

"Where are all the enemies? Wasn't this place crawling with shadows earlier?" Kasumi asked, noting the eerily quiet hallways they ran through.

"They all seem to be heading towards the palace gardens in large numbers." Rise brought up to the group, providing them updates with her navigation.

"Oh great… We're heading there right now too." Ryuji groaned, realizing the battle they would soon get themselves into.

"Keep your heads up guys! There could still be a surprise around the corner." Morgana told them.

Eventually, the group arrived outside in the expansive palace gardens without issue. Everyone was filled with immediate shock at the sight that greeted them – looming in the sky above the gardens was a giant, black cloud that constantly grew in size. On closer inspection, the cloud was made up of floating shadow particles made out of the other shadows previously in the palace as their energies were sucked in.

"What the hell is that!?" Ryuji shouted, staring up to the immense shadow in shock. The others didn't answer, caught up in the same bewildered state as him.

"Wait! Look! There's someone else in the gardens." Yukari got their attention, pointing to the centre of the gardens. Standing directly below the giant shadow were two figures. On closer inspection, the group immediately recognized the duo – Ren and Charlotte.

"Huh? Ren? REN!" Ann called out to him. She sprinted over to her boyfriend with the others following behind her. Ann practically jumped into Ren's arms as he turned around to greet them. "Ren! Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you're safe."

"I'm fine, Ann. It's good to see you too." Ren said, giving her a calm, yet reassuring smile to his girlfriend. He looked over to the others, surprised to see everyone with her. "Did you really get a whole rescue party just for me?"

"W-Well, yeah! What else was I gonna do?" Ann answered in an annoyed tone, slapping her boyfriend on the arm. "I was worried that you were being tortured or something!"

"Glad to see that you're okay, Ren." Morgana came up to him.

"Wait… Morgana? Is that you?" Ren asked, taking a moment to inspect him. Last time Ren had seen him he was screaming his head off in the alley of Yonge-Jaya before the Spirit Amulet teleported them into the palace. Ren's instincts immediately noted the familiar aura the boy presented to him, yet it didn't change the fact how surprised he was that Morgana was now human. "But… how? When did you get this body?"

"Oh right… You didn't know he was Morgana in reality yet." Ann remembered. She took a moment to catch Ren up with everything since his absence. "We just found out that he's been in his human form ever since he went missing last month. Turns out he was in Tokyo the entire time doing his own thing for a bit."

"Sorry to have made you worry for a bit, Ren." Morgana apologized. "But I didn't have much choice, seeing as I woke up with amnesia the entire time. I totally would have reached out to you guys to let y'all know what happened."

"No worries – besides, it's not the first time you ran off from us." Ren joked, suddenly patting Morgana on the head. "Still, I'm just happy to see you're okay buddy."

"H-Hey! Don't pet me! I'm not a cat anymore!" Morgana groaned, gently swatting away Ren's hand as he fixed his hair. "I'm a real human being treat me like one!"

"Look Ren, I'm just as happy to see you're okay, but what's she doing with you?" Ryuji stated, pointing over to Charlotte as she cautiously stood to the side away from the others.

"Is she the one behind the giant shadow cloud forming above us?" Yusuke stated. He and the others already had their weapons at ready as they faced Charlotte.

"Wait! She's on our side now!" Ren explained. He went in front of Charlotte and protected her with an arm as he tried to convince the others from attacking. "She and I managed to talk and work things out. Just let her explain."

"Why should we believe her? She could be influencing your mind for all we know." Yukari asked, having her bow and arrow pointed at Charlotte.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time she's played her little mind tricks on us." Ryuji stated as he had both hands gripping tightly on his bat, ready to strike out a full course of payback at Charlotte.

Charlotte slowly went over to Ren and lowered his arm – giving him a nod to back down. "It's okay, Trickster. Let me talk to them first, then I will accept whatever fate they decide to put upon me."

"Charlotte..." Ren said. Hesitating for a moment, he eventually went off to the side as Charlotte approached the entire group without a hint of fear on her face.

"First of all, I want to apologize to for my previous wrongdoings I had done to all of you – especially to Takamaki-san," Charlotte began to speak out, looking over to Ann – noticing that she was the only Persona user who hadn't taken her weapon out against her. "I was selfish for utilizing my dark powers to harm you and put your bonds at risk. I was only looking out for myself as I pushed to get what I thought I wanted.

The rest of the group remained silent, listening to Charlotte's speech.

"It's true, the whole purpose of my disturbance in your reality was so I could have the Trickster all to myself," Charlotte continued to explain. "But after gaining a new perspective on the creation of relationships, as well as having the opportunity to self-reflect, I realize that I was doing more harm to myself than good. I now understand that holding onto the one desire thing that I couldn't grasp was not productive at all – and that I needed to let go."

Morgana felt Charlotte's words hit him the most, understanding her entire struggle that she currently faced. He related with Charlotte to his previous infatuation with Ann and how he needed to go on his own personal journey to find a different purpose, while gaining a better understanding of relationships himself.

It was by then Morgana noticed the Spirit Amulet around Charlotte's neck – and that all the stones were lit up, signifying the artifact was at its fullest potential in power.

"Hey wait, the amulet around your neck. How did you get all the stones to light up?" Morgana asked, inching closer to Charlotte as he further inspected it.

"Ohh, now that you mention it, I was able to power up the seventh stone when you were gone. Mona." Kasumi spoke up, joining alongside him. "The attribute was common purpose when Ren and Ann made a promise to remain together no matter what challenges lied in the future."

"Okay, that explains one, but what about the final stone?" Morgana asked. He raised an eyebrow to Charlotte. "Did… Did you happen to figure it out?"

"Y-Yes… I did, Mona." Charlotte expressed. She turned back over to Ren, who nodded back to her. "During my time with the Trickster, he showed me the positive attributes of relationships and how my ways were incorrect. That if you truly love someone – you must let them go and sacrifice your own happiness for their own."

Morgana froze for a moment – her words mimicking his own that he had told Ren and Ann previously. There was no doubt in his mind that Charlotte did have a change of heart – seeing as the Spirit Amulet and its energy had a positive effect on Charlotte.

"She's telling the truth," Morgana brought up, which led to him requesting the others to stand down from attacking.

"How do you know, dude?" Ryuji asked. "Charlotte could by lying, you know. There's no way a shadow that's been hell bent on destroying other people's relationships can suddenly have a change of heart."

"Did you forget the kind of people we fought last year as the Phantom Thieves, Ryuji?" Morgana brought up. "Besides, only someone who truly desires to understand relationships in a positive light can power-up the amulet. I should know since I used to wear that thing for the last year.

Morgana looked back to Charlotte, sensing a change in her own spirit as well. Her expression didn't show any signs of hostility towards them anymore. She now appeared to present empathy and hoped to find atonement for her actions.

"The amulet helped me see Ren and Ann's relationship in true light. There's no question that the spirit attributes had the same effect with Charlotte." Morgana added.

"… I believe her." Yukari said, lowering her bow and arrow down. "I can attest the powers of the Spirit Amulet too. I've been with Morgana near the beginning of his journey to discover those spirit attributes. Without that amulet, Morgana wouldn't have been the stronger person he is today."

The rest of the group took in their comments as they slowly backed down and set their weapons aside – much to Charlotte's surprise at the group's mercy.

"Ann… You haven't said anything at all yet. What's on your mind?" Morgana asked as he and Charlotte turned over to her.

Ann remained silent, processing everything that Charlotte had stated in her apology. Eventually, she walked over to Charlotte and stared at her for a few moments, attempting to figure out her reply.

"Charlotte, I'll be honest. You've terrorized the relationship Ren and I have had for quite awhile. You've made our friends turn on each other, threatened the relationships of our parents, and especially put Morgana through so much trouble from your actions." Ann laid down her thoughts without holding back.

"I… see where you're getting at, Takamaki-san." Charlotte replied, turning her head downwards in shame, unable to look at Ann without guilt coming into her mind. "You… have every right to feel angry at me."

Ann sighed, sensing the girl's regret. She followed up with an additional point. "But… hearing your testimony made me realize something myself. That through all the troubles Ren and I faced helped strengthen our relationship as well. And I couldn't have done that without your help."

"Huh?" Charlotte gave a surprised look. "Wh-What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is – in any sort of relationship, there's always going to be positive and negatives." Ann explained. "Every strong relationship must be able to endure the worst of outcomes, otherwise there will be no efforts from either party for their desire to grow together. Balance is key and to experience those relationship lows is the only way we can come out on top."

"So… without my knowledge, I inadvertently helped you and Ren improve your bond the entire time?" Charlotte expressed, her mouth remaining wide open in awe.

"Heheh… you could say it like that." Ann giggled. "Life is funny that way. But to get back to our issue, I wouldn't be doing myself any good if I held on to any sort of animosity. I'm letting go and moving forward – just like how you and Morgana have learned to do so recently."

"Th-Thank you, Ann Takamaki. I.. I promise to do whatever I can to help make amends." Charlotte expressed with genuine gratefulness, bowing down to Ann.

"Did… did she really just forgive the one enemy who threatened her relationship that easily?" Rise whispered over to Yukari.

"What can I say, Takamaki-san's got a big heart for others." Yukari answered as she shrugged.

"Alright alright alright – so we all managed to kiss and make up, whatever." Ryuji groaned, deciding to accept this turn of events. He pointed his bat up towards the sky, redirecting everyone's attention to the shadow cloud still whirling in the sky. "So what the hell are we supposed to do with this thing?"

The shadow particles pooling around in the air continued to grow and grow in size, almost filling up the entire sky and shrouding the palace gardens in darkness.

"I'm surprised that you had forgotten already, Mona-chan." Lavenza's spirit echoed out as she appeared alongside the group. She pointed over to the Spirit Amulet around Charlotte's neck. "As with any of the Spirit Attributes you've unlocked prior – the final, most strongest attribute of Love is no exception. Realizing the powers of Love means that you've unleashed its opposing shadow attribute you face right now – the Embodiment of Hate."

"So, that's what we're facing right now, huh?" Morgana said, looking back up to the cloud of shadow particles floating over them. This new enemy embodied all the shadow attributes that Morgana and his Persona team had faced throughout their journey in the palace – attributes such as jealousy, deception and dishonesty – all of the negative energy faced against them as their final obstacle.

"If your team does not defeat it, then the Embodiment of Hate will permanently ruin not only the bond that the Trickster and Lover hold – but cause chaos within reality as it impresses hate into everyone's hearts." Lavenza's spirit warned them.

"We can't let that happen! A world filled with hate sounds terrible," Ann stated. She looked over to Ren as they both understood this issue went beyond their own relationship. "Babe, we need to stop this embodiment before it spreads! We can't let anyone else in our world succumb to so much negativity."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Ren answered. He immediately called upon his own Persona. Blue flames encircled around Ren as he yelled out, calling upon Arsene as he reappeared above him. His Joker outfit appeared around him – donning his black trench coat, red gloves and iconic mask. Ren turned over to the rest of the Phantom Thieves and nodded over to them. "Heh, it's good to be back."

"Yeeeees! Joker is back!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Whoah – so cool!" Kasumi commented, now seeing the Phantom Thieves all together, now that Ren was back with the group in full form.

"Well, this feels like the final battle to end all things!" Yukari yelled in excitement. She immediately called out Isis as she prepared for action. Yukari turned over to the rest of the Spirit Guardians. "Come on, guys! We've been through so much in this palace already. It's time for us to go out with a bang!"

"Got it!" Ken and Rise replied. The both summoned their respective Personas – Kala-Nemi and Kouzeon – onto the battlefield.

"Wooooof!" Korumaru barked out, calling upon Cerberus as he joined along his teammates for battle.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this again." Tatsuya commented. He felt an old flame rekindle in his spirit as he called out Apollo – fire began to erupt around Tatsuya as he prepared to go all out with his powers after a long hiatus.

"Time for the big finale!" Futaba exclaimed as she, Ryuji, Makoto, Yusuke and Haru called out their Personas. One by one – Prometheus, Seiten Taisei, Anat, Susano-o and Astarte appeared above them as the Phantom Thieves faced off against the Embodiment of Hate above.

"I've been so grateful to have bonded with all of you. Now is time to protect what we've fought for!" Kasumi said with ferocity, summoning Cendrillon out as she took out her rapier for battle.

"You ready, Ann?" Ren asked calmly as he adjusted his gloves whilst facing up to the enemy above.

"When it comes to defending our relationship, I'm always ready." Ann answered. Taking out her whip, Ann called upon Hectate's powers as she prepared to battle for not only her love – but the bonds for others in reality.

"Hey, you wanna fix everything you've done, right?" Morgana asked Charlotte.

"Of course I do." Charlotte replied without hesitation.

"Then help us get rid of this embodiment of hate. Help us defend the idea of creating new bonds and the relationships " Morgana stated.

"Consider it done." Charlotte nodded back. Facing over to the Embodiment above, Charlotte took a deep breath as she reflected on her entire journey up to this point. Calling out to her Persona – Seiryu appeared above her as her water powers were strengthened with new purpose given by the acceptance of her comrades around her.

"You don't hold me under your control anymore." Charlotte whispered, facing up to the Embodiment as she denounced its shadow attribute powers over her. "I have something greater to fight for now."

Morgana took a moment to look back at his team, recounting everything that he had accomplished with them up to this point. Within the span of nine months, Morgana had taken his bonds to new levels, adventured throughout a palace as leader of a new team, accepted the love between Ren and Ann, and most of all, gained his own understanding of creating strong relationships with others.

Now, it was time to defend everything that he had fought for.

"Alright! Let's finish this!" Morgana commanded, calling out Mercurius as the others around him lined up to face the Embodiment of Hate.

The final battle was about to unfold...

.

..

…

To be continued!

~ I do not own any Persona-related material. Any relation to real world events or persons are coincidental. This story is purely for entertainment usage only. The sole property of the Persona series and characters are respectively owned by Atlus Co., and SEGA ~