I own nothing. Monika does.
Sayori's feet weren't touching the ground. At first, she found this normal. She used to have pleasant dreams of floating endlessly, drifting in the void without a care in the world. But this time it was different. She strangely felt like gravity was still trying to push her down. Everywhere Sayori looked, she could only see the black void she was used to in these kinds of dreams. Why was this happening?
Terrified, Sayori began to suffocate. She struggled and thrashed, lifting shaky hands to remove whatever was blocking her oxygen. With each passing second of her failed struggle, her body grew more weak, quivering as she tried and failed to take in a breath. Sayori tried to scream for help, but all that seemed to come out was a raspy gurgle. Finally going limp, the girl began to cry. A pounding headache threatened to knock her unconscious, but Sayori found she didn't care. There was truly no hope now.
Sayori burst up, clutching her throat, and taking deep and heavy breaths. As air filled her lungs and Sayori realized she was still alive, tears began to fill her eyes. She didn't think she had ever felt more terrified in her life. When she removed her hands and began breathing normally, a sob escaped her throat. Tears spilled over her face, and soon Sayori was crying so much she found it once again becoming difficult to breathe. Of course, this only served to make her cry harder.
Suddenly, the lights turned on, nearly blinding the crying girl. She barely felt the couch shift as Goro appeared beside her, a tired but worried expression on his face. He was quick to wrap his arms around the girl and attempt to quiet her wails. This only made Sayori more distressed as she sobbed out quiet words.
"Please, go back to bed. Don't worry about me. I'm not… I'm not—"
"Sayori, calm down. I'll go back to bed when you're asleep, too. We both have a busy few days ahead of us, after all," Goro assured. Sayori nodded numbly, recalling the visit to the TV station they would soon be making. She tried to stifle her sobs for a few more seconds.
"I've… just got a headache," Sayori said quietly, giving him a weak smile. This was honestly an understatement. In truth it felt like her brain was pounding inside her skull. Sayori couldn't understand why though. She felt Goro shift, and get up from the couch. When he was sure she was laying down, he put his hand on her forehead.
"You don't feel sick. I'll get some painkillers. They'll help you sleep, too," Goro left the room, leaving Sayori alone with her thoughts.
Why do I always feel so horrible when I'm around him now? It's just a silly crush, after all. Thousands of girls, maybe millions, have a crush on him. Sayori felt tears gathering in her eyes again. It was times like these, when she truly had trouble understanding her feelings, that she wished she could just fall asleep, and never wake up.
Sayori's class was on a field trip to the local TV station. She could practically feel the nervous pit in her stomach. As of late, she had been trying hard not to worry about her recent concerns involving Ann. Doing so might lead to her accidentally mentioning it to her detective room mate. She didn't want Ann to get in trouble unless she was absolutely positive that it was the necessary thing to do. But now they would all be in the same place together for an extended period of time. Sayori remembered she had told Goro she would try to let him speak to her fellow classmates, but right now that didn't seem like an option.
"Hey, Matsu-chan!" Sayori couldn't help but cringe. Ryuji had found her, and if Ryuji was there then that meant Ann, Akira and Akira's cute cat couldn't be too far off. Putting her usual small smile on her face, she turned to greet them.
"Hello, Sakamoto-kun. I hope you are doing well today," Sayori waved at them happily, only to frown when she noticed the sour expression on Ryuji's face.
"Man… this trip sucks!" Ryuji complained. He perked up and stared at Sayori. "Hey, what happened to you? Did you fall down or something?" Sayori shook her head, a confused look on her face.
"What he's trying to say, Sayori, is that you look messier than usual," Ann said as she joined the forming group, Akira following her. Sayori looked down at herself, a look of understanding passing over her features. Her hair was a tangled mess, her bow about to fall off a strand of hair. The uniform was wrinkled and had small stains all over the collar.
"I overslept, so I was in more of a rush than usual this morning," Sayori explained. This was only partially true. Goro always made sure she woke up on time, but when she had woken up that morning, she could barely function for some reason. Her already drifting thoughts were interrupted when Ann grabbed her wrist.
"I'll help you freshen up, then. We were all about to head towards the bathrooms anyway. Right, Ryuji?" Ann gave Ryuji a deadpan look, before pulling a protesting Sayori towards the bathrooms. The boys shrugged and went towards the bathrooms themselves.
Ann had left Sayori in the bathroom after she had deemed her presentable enough to continue her day. After taking a few more minutes for herself to make sure everything was to her liking, Sayori headed back into the hall. For once, she didn't really feel like skipping. Goro had said she wasn't sick, but the pit in her stomach made her think otherwise. Trudging down the hall to meet her friends, Sayori froze when she saw Goro's familiar suit and briefcase. Deciding to interject if needed, Sayori edged closer to see what he was talking about with them.
"My apologies, I truly was just passing by. I must be going," Sayori heard him say politely. She sighed in relief. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Smiling, the girl decided to greet Goro. She would be heading home earlier than him, due to the briefing, anyway. As she walked up, Sayori heard the last bits of conversation, and an idea started to form in her head.
"Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes—" Goro was interrupted as Sayori enveloped him in a sudden hug.
"Hi, Goro! I was hoping I would run into you!"
"Oh, hello, Sayori! I suppose you would be on this trip, after all."
"Yep, I sure am! I wanted you to meet my friends sometime, but it looks like I didn't have to worry. You got in a few words on your own!" Sayori let go of Goro and gestured to Ann, Akira, and Ryuji. "Anyway, I hope you get through your briefing quickly. See you later, Goro. I wouldn't want you to be late."
"It's nice to run into you too. I'll be going then. Have fun with your friends now," Goro said with a quick smile. After straightening out his clothes from her sudden appearance, the detective quickly walked to his meeting. Sayori watched him turn the corner, the blush that formed on her face not going unnoticed by the other three.
"So, is that your boyfriend or somethin'?" Ryuji asked, startling Sayori out of her stupor.
"D-Definitely not! H-He's just a good friend," Sayori stammered. She was starting to get frustrated at all of the people bringing that up. Looking at the clock, she realized happily that it was time to head home from the TV station for today. Walking away, her idea planted firmly in her head, she pretended not to hear Ryuji's astounded "For real?"
The moment Goro walked through the front door, he could tell that something was not right. The smell of smoke and the noticeable lack of Sayori in the living room were his first hints. It was the large crashing sound that had him running towards the kitchen.
"Sayori!?" Covering his face with a handkerchief, Goro waved away the smoke starting to gather around him. He went over to the window and pried it open, letting the room air out so he could see better. It was a small improvement, so the instant he heard loud scraping noises over by where the stove was, he was quick to investigate. It was a decision that he would regret less than two seconds later.
"Surprise! I decided to make dinner tonight. I heard you talking about pancakes, and I also knew you were bound to be tired after today… hey, are you feeling alright?" Sayori, adorned with Goro's favorite apron, had quite an innocent look on her face for someone who had somehow managed to ruin pancakes in such a catastrophic way. The lumpy brownish-black things on the serving plate looked far from edible, and was it just him, or was something moving around on the plate?
"Um… I'm perfectly fine, Sayori. But did you just say you were making pancakes?" Goro asked, thinking maybe he had misheard. The normally sweet looking smile and nod that Sayori gave him sealed his fate. I'm beginning to believe her story about how she almost burned her house down the last time she cooked, he thought as he nervously sat down. When he poked his fork into the mess on his plate, he hardly found the uncooked batter that leaked out promising. Looking up, he noticed Sayori smiling at him, probably his ultimate weakness, waiting for his feedback.
Well, I've lived… something that could be considered a life, I guess, Goro thought as he brought the fork up to his mouth. Choking back a sob as he swallowed, he smiled at Sayori. "It could use some syrup," the detective spoke quietly. Sayori beamed, and ran to the cabinet to get some. As soon as she had her back turned, the detective dumped his plate into the trashcan by the table.
"Hey, Goro?" Sayori asked as she rummaged around the cabinet. Goro thanked his lucky stars he put the syrup on the top shelf, out of the girl's reach.
"Is everything alright, Sayori?" Goro had wanted to ask about last night, but hadn't had the time until now. Sayori had something to say first, though.
"Are you happy, with me here?" Sayori seemed to have more to say, but didn't continue. Instead, she focused on getting the footstool over to the cabinet, having finally found the syrup.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm happy with you here. I'll be a lot happier when you're reunited with your family, though. They must be worried about you, after all," Goro rambled on, not noticing the way she cringed. Finally getting the syrup, she went back to the table, only to be confused when she found he no longer had a plate.
"Oh, I suppose I kept you waiting on the syrup. I'll go make more pancakes!" Sayori put the syrup down and started to head back to the stove.
"No!" Goro shouted, springing up from the table. Sayori whipped around, startled. Sweating, he quickly came up with an excuse. "No, no, that's quite alright. I'm pretty tired right now, Sayori. I'm going to go to bed, and I suggest you do the same. We'll clean up tomorrow. Thank you. It was… a wonderful meal."
Goro Akechi was having quite a good day, but he didn't know why. Sayori's case still hadn't progressed after months, and his second job remained as unfulfilling as ever. He had no reason to be happy, and yet he was. As he strolled into Tokyo's police station, he spotted his associate Sae Niijima, who was perusing some legal documents.
"Hello, Niijima-san!"
"Akechi-kun. You're looking pretty cheery today."
"Indeed! It feels lovely." I hate it.
"I'm… glad to hear it. Look, we need to talk." Sae was flustered. Something was clearly on her mind.
"Oh? What's going on?" You know what's going on, you idiot.
"Haven't you seen the news? Ichiryusai Madarame just confessed to multiple counts of plagiarism, theft and abuse. Furthermore, those 'Phantom Thieves' from that Shujin gym coach investigation? They left calling cards everywhere in his latest exhibit. Both men confessed their crimes in the exact same way too."
"Oh my… I saw the news, but I didn't think it would be connected to that case..." Goro was shocked. Sayori…
"I was surprised too. We've got work to do. These thieves are committing a crime, multiple crimes, most likely. Criminals don't just admit their misdeeds on live television without some form of coercion involved." Sae was stalwart in her claims.
"No doubts there. But what could their methods even be?" Goro questioned, putting a hand to his chin in deep thought
"Breaking and entering, threats of violence, blackmail, who knows. Point is, we need to figure it out, and catch them."
"I agree wholeheartedly." Those symptoms… It can't be!
"Good. The investigation starts today, thank goodness. I can't sleep knowing that these thieves attacked the same school my sister goes to."
"Quite a noble reason to be involved, Niijima-san. I hope I can assist in the investigation." What a fake piece of trash.
"I hope so as well. You're one of the smartest people I know, believe it or not. I really want you on the team."
"Oh, is that so? Thank you." Goro beamed from ear to ear. At least she respects me.
"Plus, maybe this investigation could be the one that finally gets me promoted." Sae finally managed a real smile.
"Ah. I hope so. You really deserve it." Knew it.
"Thank you, Akechi-kun. We seem to be complimenting each other today." Sae said, continuing to smile lightly.
"I suppose it's just a side-effect of my happiness today. They do say that happiness is infectious, after all." Is that your attempt at humor?
"Well, hopefully I can stay affected throughout the rest of the day. I have lots of work to do." Sae was about to walk away when a thought hit her mind. "Hey, Akechi-kun?"
"Hmm? What's up, Niijima-san?"
"How is your roommate doing?"
No, no, no. Not now. Please. Goro tensed up slightly upon hearing her question.
"I suppose you do have the right to know, considering I'm borrowing Makoto's clothes for her. Well, to answer your question, Sayori is doing quite well. She's gotten much better from when we first met. Her wounds have healed, and she's even going to school and making friends. I'm incredibly happy for her." Grr…
"I'm glad to hear it. Any leads yet?"
Stop talking!
Goro's tone grew sadder as he clutched his briefcase tighter. "None. Honestly, it feels more hopeless by the day. It's been months, someone should have put out some sort of a sign that they were looking for her. She isn't… easy to miss." And it's all your fault.
Sae looked disheartened at the news. "Ah. I'm sorry to hear that. I won't say anything, just like we agreed. I hope you find her home soon."
Goro loosened his grip as he calmed down. "I hope so too. I really do." He looked forward and into nothingness. The rest of the world disappeared as he lost himself within his own consciousness for a moment. It was in that great expanse of his mind that he found her. But why was she there?
You want her, don't you?
Goro couldn't answer.
I bet you're happy that this investigation has been a complete failure.
Nothing.
You don't deserve her. She's so much better than you could ever hope to be.
Goro was lost in the dream. He wanted to leave, but at the same time he wanted to stay. Eventually, his forceful exit arrived. The vision began to dissipate as Sae's voice slowly faded in.
"Akechi-kun?"
Goro was startled awake from his thoughts. "W-what?"
"You were staring at nothing for a bit there. What's up?"
"Erm, nothing. I was just… thinking about something. That's all."
"Hmm. I hope it was a nice thought then."
"I guess you could say that." Goro said with an incredibly awkward chuckle.
Sae smiled back. "Well, I'll be on my way now. It was nice talking with you."
"I feel the same. I'll see you some other time."
Goro Akechi was having quite an awful day, and he knew exactly why. Sayori's case still hadn't progressed after months, and his second job remained as unfulfilling as ever. He had no reason to be happy, and so he wasn't. As he stumbled into his office, he found himself unable to escape from the thought of her.
Sayori.
Sayori.
Sayori.
"Akechi-kun!"
Goro was startled awake from his work-induced haze by the voice of Sae. "What is it, Niijima-san?"
"You might want to brace yourself." She laid down her laptop, which was open to an unfamiliar website.
"What is this?"
"This is a fansite devoted to the Phantom Thieves that popped up just a few weeks ago. They request targets to have a change of heart."
"Alright. Do we have anyone examining all of the requests?"
"Yes. Yaguchi is examining all of them one-by-one. He's the one who showed me this."
"Showed you what, exactly?"
"Scroll down."
Goro took hold of the laptop's touchpad and scrolled. It was at that moment that his heart sank to its lowest possible point.
Please help phantom thieves!
I think my friend wants to kill herself. Her name is sayori matsu. Shes depressed all the time and lonely too! I can't really describe it in text but I mean it. Shes always talking about some school festival she wanted to go to and how she wanted to make everyone happy with her performance. I guess it got canceled and shes super broken up about it. Now shes living with some dude named goro akechi at his apartment. I think hes the one from the tv? Rly strange. I dont know what to do. i need your help phantom thieves!
- Anonymous
Akechi wanted to vomit. He felt as if he was going to crush Sae's computer into pieces right then and there. The anger boiling inside of him was indescribable.
"Who… posted… this?"
"We don't know yet. We're having someone track it as we speak."
Akechi was bright red. He had failed at everything he had set out to do when he brought Sayori into his home. This post was proof.
"I'll…" Akechi had trouble speaking through his self-hatred. "I'll sort this out. I'll find them."
"Find who? The poster or the thieves?"
"I'll find… somebody! Anybody! I'm not going to take this bullshit sitting down!" Akechi shouted as he rose from his seat, fuming like an active volcano.
"Akechi-kun, this isn't like you, calm down! We'll figure this out together, okay?"
Akechi couldn't stand that word. Together. Just hearing it made him sick. He was very close to refusing Sae's offer when something in his heart stopped him. It was that familiar pink hair. That red bow. That loving smile. That caring personality. That adorable… everything. It was the thought of Sayori. I'll fix this… I'll fix all of it… for her. He opted to take Sae's offer. He breathed in and exhaled.
"...Okay. Let's do it. Together."
A few days later, Ann walked into class to find Sayori doing something rather unusual. The normally cheerful girl was listlessly rolling a pencil up and down her desk. Somehow, she looked even messier than the day before. It had continued like this the past few days on a constant downward spiral. Ann got to her seat and stared at Sayori for a few moments, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Akira was doing the same.
"How long's she been doing this?" Ann whispered quietly. Akira shrugged, quiet as usual. Morgana probably couldn't tell her either, considering he was hidden under Akira's desk and couldn't see Sayori very well. Ann decided it would have to be up to her then. She tapped on Sayori's shoulder.
"Huh? Oh… Hi, Takamaki-chan. How are you today?" Sayori attempted a smile, but it seemed to fall flat. She went back to focusing on her pencil. Ann tried to smile back.
"Hey, Matsu-chan. I'm doing alright, but I'm more concerned about you. It's hard to believe you could have overslept so many days in a row. Do you want to get snacks after class? They'll be on me," Ann knew she was skirting the main issue, but she also wanted to talk to Sayori in a more private place.
"Don't be concerned about me. I've just had a rough week. It would be a waste of effort to care so much." That was definitely a concerning sentence to hear. Ann couldn't fathom how she could respond to it. Even as she watched Sayori practically wilt in her seat as the bell rang, she couldn't say a single word in reply.
Instead, she quietly got out her phone, sending out a quick text. Ann now knew who she wanted their next target to be. She would never forgive herself if what happened to Shiho happened to someone who sat right next to her in class.
That afternoon in the library was probably the most tedious afternoon Sayori had ever had. Mai was running late, leaving Sayori to deal with the incredibly rare rush of students that came into the library. The whole experience left her feeling drained. So when Mai finally arrived, it was a surprise to both girls that Sayori hadn't retreated into the back room and locked the door.
"Sorry for being late, Sayori. Something came up. I promise I'll make up for it tomorrow. Tell you what, you can head out early if you want." Mai finally took a moment to look at her pink-haired co-worker, who was incredibly disheveled. "Hey, are you feeling alright? You look a little bit, well, put out," Mai took a chair and sat next to Sayori at the desk. Taking a few moments to clean the ransacked workspace, Mai waited anxiously for an answer.
"I'm fine, Mai. It's just been a long week. No need to worry about me," Sayori replied, having said the same words to many different people all day. At least two teachers had tried to send her to the clinic, but that was the last thing Sayori wanted. If she got sent to the clinic, chances were they would have Goro come. The same Goro that was investigating the Phantom Thieves, worrying himself over a second case involving her, and the same person she had a stupid crush on! It was only when she noticed Mai's smug face that she realized she must have said, at the very least, that last part out loud. It was the only possible reason for such a look from the girl.
"So, I was right," Mai said with a proud smile. "I'd rub it in your face a little bit, but it's almost time to go." Grabbing her things, Mai walked towards the library doors. "Hit me up if you need a wing girl. I'll try and assist, depending on how busy I am. See ya!" Sayori was alone yet again.
"Mishima sent me another request. We've got a new target. Ann, Ryuji, brace yourselves." Akira said, in his typical calm leader voice. The three were confused.
"Wha… what do you mean?" Ann said, puzzled.
"Yeah dude, what's up?" said Ryuji.
Akira read the request out loud, with each additional detail disturbing Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke more and more. When he finished, they were speechless.
"Matsu-chan…" Ryuji was dejected.
"I had my suspicions, but I didn't think it was this bad…" Ann said, melancholy
"No!" shouted Yusuke, shocking his friends almost as much as the request did.
"Yusuke-kun?" asked Ann, surprised at his reaction.
"She inspired me to paint something incredible…" Yusuke said glumly.
"So you knew her too… I guess she touched all of our lives."
"That's right. She's our friend. All of us. It's our duty as the Phantom Thieves to take a look," said Akira, inspiring as ever.
"Y-yeah! Let's change her heart! Sayori's a great person, she doesn't deserve to be so miserable!" Ann returned to her normal sprightly self.
"I won't let this stand," Yusuke looked as strong as his warrior persona.
"Alright! Let's check the nav then!"
"So we're all in agreement, then?" Yusuke asked. Everyone else nodded. Ryuji opened the MetaNav on his phone. As he spoke Sayori's name into the app, a hit was registered.
"Alright, Mementos." Nothing happened. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. "Uh, why's Mementos not working on the Nav?"
The Phantom Thieves fell into a thoughtful silence, none of them wanting to address what this meant. However, a thought began creeping into all of their minds. A most surprising thought. It was Ryuji who would be the first one to address it.
"Dude… She has a freakin' palace!"
RT: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this super-power-ninja-turbo-neo-ultra-hyper-mega-multi-alpha-meta-extra-uber-prefix chapter, as the Gravity Falls fans would say! We made this as a gift for a special reason, I'll let my partner explain.
DP: What's up! Co-writer here. I haven't really made myself known quite as much as my lovely partner, but I've actually been writing half the fanfic. I may have PM'd a few of you out there though… Anyway, I'll spill the beans. My partner and I are going on a vacation together this week, after nearly a year of LDR waiting. So, we decided to make an ultra-chapter to tide you guys over till we return to normal. I really hope you enjoyed it.
RT: Yup! We're both really excited, but we didn't really want to leave any of you hanging, as it were. Anyway, as always, please read, review, and we will see you all next time! Bye!
DP: See you space cowboy!