I own nothing. Monika does.

The thieves stood in shock as they looked upon Sayori's shadow. She was adorned with what appeared to be a school uniform quite unlike Shujin's own, albeit seemingly modified to function as an elaborate dress. A torn, unbuttoned, warm grey dress jacket lay atop a brown sweater. This transitioned into a long, tattered, dark blue skirt, which looked closer to a flowing bordeaux dress. Atop the shadow's head was a large, bright red cartwheel hat. Her trademark bow was nowhere to be seen. In comparison to the other shadows the thieves had met on their journey, it was a far more conservative outfit than anything they had faced so far. As she rose from her seat on the stage, the piano music stopped, as did the crowd's chatter. An eerie silence filled the room as a replacement.

"Well… what do we have here?" Shadow Sayori finally spoke up as she faced the thieves, menacingly gesturing towards them. A small smile was on her face. She looked at the thieves with a mocking innocent look.

Akira's mind was racing as he tried to come up with an escape plan. He motioned the team to stay silent.

"Giving me the silent treatment, huh? That's alright. I don't need you to make noise for me. I've got all the noise I need right here." She faced the crowd and spread her arms wide, as if to hug them. "Isn't that right, everyone!?" The audience of shadows all broke into a raucous, joyful shout. "Don't you see? They love me."

The thieves scanned the audience in greater detail as Sayori spoke, and were shocked as to what they found. They could recognize almost everyone in the audience as being from their school and around the city. Students, faculty, various adults from the streets of Tokyo, and even unfamiliar faces, everyone was seemingly lumped into the giant auditorium haphazardly.

Mishima, Student Council Prez Makoto… Ms. Kawakami!? Thought Ryuji, disturbed.

The exterior of the auditorium had expertly hidden the state of the theatre itself. Dust lined the crevices and holes of the walls, while the broken glass ceiling let in copious amounts of moonlight. The decaying room was clearly far over its capacity limit, with hordes of people crushed into every spare inch left. Worse still were the conditions they were in. Those who managed to find a seat were bound by iron cuffs, while mechanical apparatuses forced their eyes open and facing towards the stage. In the upper levels of the auditorium, balconies lined the peeling walls. In those balconies sat the thieves, in their casual wear, bound and forced to watch the shadow's performance. Strangely enough, nobody seemed bothered by their restraints.

At the very top was a box marked Special Guest. It glowed with gilded trimmings and an opulent, solid-gold throne, adorned with jewels, contrasting the rest of the room heavily. Special attention had been made so that the person in there would be in relative luxury. In the throne sat none other than Goro Akechi, glazed over and seemingly comatose, bound with dark red strings. Every few seconds, he would glance at the stage, a look of slight interest in his eyes, only to lose it and go back to his malaise.

Shadow Sayori looked towards Goro dotingly, then faced the thieves yet again. "I'm all they'll ever need. They have no reason to live if they aren't happy. I'm just saving them. I shall enthrall them with my poems, serenade them with my songs, and captivate them with my affection. And when the performance is over… Well, death's just the greatest happiness of all, isn't it? No cares, no worries, just… nothing." She said as she smiled.

"We love you, Sayori!"

"You make us so happy!"

"Please, never leave us!"

"SAYORI! SAYORI! SAYORI!"

"Those are the cheers of people who understand. They've learned the truth through my performance. If all that faces you in life is misery, why continue going on? They've learned that I, Sayori, can give them what they need. My happiness is their happiness, after all."

The thieves stayed silent. Shadow Sayori's eyes began to glow brighter. "You aren't going to accept my gifts after all, are you?" Her smile turned into a frown. "Then I shall smite you where you stand! GUARDS!" She cried as two shadows appeared to her side.

"Guys, run!" Akira shouted as he threw down a smoke bomb. He directed the thieves toward an exit he had seen earlier. As they ran, they could hear the continuing shouts of the shadow audience echoing through the halls.

Sayori had finally managed to get her bearings, but her head was still spinning. She had just been transported from Goro's apartment to somewhere completely different. Goro himself was nowhere to be seen. But even with these incredible circumstances, it was when she looked up at the building in front of her that she felt the greatest shock.

"Is this… my old school!?" The building, even when disguised in a coat of darkness by the night sky, was still recognizable. She looked up at the banner above the door. "Festival today, tomorrow and everyday… there's no way!" Sayori turned around and looked toward the horizon. The road outside her school continued on for a bit and then stopped, enveloped by a black void that stretched on forever.

Where did my neighborhood go?

Sayori peeked around the corner of her "school", and was chilled to find even more darkness. It seemed that she was on a solitary, floating island. Deciding that she had no other options, she went through the door under the banner.

What the...

Inside she found a massive, sprawling field, coated by darkness. The only light to be found was that of the moon and a large building in the distance. Wooden carny stalls with large advertisements were closed for business. Various souvenirs, food items and soft drinks coated the grass. There was not a single soul to be found as far as Sayori could see. In the distance stood what appeared to be a massive auditorium. After much deliberation, Sayori decided that it was the best place to look if she wanted a way out of this place.

In the darkness, the fairgrounds became far more frightening. The shadows and creaks of the wooden stalls made Sayori feel as if she was being hunted by monsters. The freezing cold and the blowing of the wind through the endless grass of the field did not help matters.

This is horrible… where is Goro?

Sayori began to call out for him, hoping for a response.

"G-Goro! Where are you!?"

For a few minutes she continued, but to no avail. The only response she received was that of her echo in the night. Still, she continued.

"Goro! I… I need you! Please!"

Eventually, Sayori received a response.

"Oh my… and who do I have the pleasure of finding here today?"

That voice… Natsuki!?

It was indeed Sayori's friend, albeit in a completely different outfit than she was used to. Gone was the energetic school girl Sayori had come to know. Instead of her uniform, she now wore a pink dress with puffy sleeves and a flat collar. Her hair was done in pigtails. Natsuki's childish appearance seemed straight out of the 1940's.

Natsuki stood in front of Sayori with her hands cupped at her waist. Her new look did nothing to hide the nasty look on her face as she studied Sayori.

"N-Natsuki!? What are you doing here?" Sayori backed away with shock.

"Oh, dearie, I'm here to make sure everyone enjoys their time at our festival, and gets to see the performance."

"Festival? But it's closed…"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Simply a security measure. Some thieves were trying to ruin the show earlier, but we have everything on lockdown now. Now, come along, it's almost time for the performance to begin!"

"But, Natsuki! We've gotta get out of here! Something is horribly wrong!"

"Yes, what's wrong is that you won't come with me to see the performance. The club president has put so much work into the performance, and you're going to disappoint her."

"Club president? But-"

Natsuki started to get angry. "Stop. Talking. We have to get moving."

"No! We have to leave!"

Natsuki growled in frustration, then began to scream as she went through a horrifying transformation. Bloody tears spilled from her eyes, taking the form of a pallid mask. Coal black spots appeared where her eyes would be. Her mouth a horrifying and exaggerated smile below. The final touch to the horrifying transformation, was Natsuki doubling in size. Sayori stood in horrified shock as her friend rushed towards her.

"YOU MISERABLE WRETCH! WE ARE GOING TO WATCH THE PERFORMANCE, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Natsuki, now transformed, grabbed hold of Sayori and dragged her into the auditorium. Sayori could do nothing but scream.

This accursed darkness… Wish I brought a flashlight. Goro mused to himself as he roamed the halls of the massive auditorium, sneaking past shadows in the process. He needed to find a way to fix Sayori from the inside. This palace simply wouldn't do.

Perhaps I could figure out what those Phantom Thieves do and change her heart… Ridiculous.

Goro opted to follow the sounds of the massive crowd and piano sounds that were somewhere in the building. In his experience, areas such as that were where the palace ruler happened to reside. However, he regretted his decision as soon as he found Sayori's shadow.

Sayori… is this how you truly feel?

Goro felt as if he was going to puke as he saw the apparent state of Sayori's mind. She had done an incredible job hiding it.

You made this worse, y'know.

Disregarding the massive shadow audience, Goro found himself only able to watch Sayori's shadow from the dark corner he hid in. As she carried out her pitiful performance, all he could feel was unbearable agony.

She's been trying so hard, and you didn't even see it.

He felt even more miserable as he looked toward his own shadow, forced to watch her attempts to make him happy for all eternity. The uninterested version of him seemed to glance over for a second, before looking away. The red strings that trailed from the seated shadow lead somewhere out of the room.

Is this what she thinks I am? Just a mindless husk who hears none of her affection? That's a lie!

This realization caused him to flinch. Something had to be done. He just didn't know what.

C'mon, ace defective, come up with a plan.

Goro couldn't come up with a plan. He opted to continue exploring till he could think of one. He needed to leave this nightmare behind him.

As he continued down the dark hallways of the auditorium, he came across a most curious room. He could hear a slow, soft piano melody, different from that which was playing in the theatre, leaking out from under the door. However, as he opened the door, the music ceased.

Upon stepping in, the detective found the room abandoned. The only sign of any life in the room was a single swinging lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. To the back of the room was a large, black piano. Patterns in the dust indicated that it had been recently used. On top of this piano lay a piece of paper, folded into an envelope with a small heart sticker sealing it. Goro decided to investigate. He picked up the letter and began to read.

"Dearest Ace Detective,

I regret to say that I am the one who helped bring this nightmare into existence. I have been watching her for as long as you have, perhaps even longer, but now I find that I no longer have the will to inferere. She is in your hands now. Please make the best of it.

However, there is one last interference I must make before I take my leave. Please, read carefully. To your left are two notebooks. The pink one is yours to keep. Take the black one and place it backstage. That is all. The purpose shall become clear in time."

Goro placed the note down, firmly in shock. True to the note's word, two notebooks sat on the bench to his left. He could've sworn that they weren't there before.

...What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Sayori continued to scream as Natsuki dragged her through the halls. Despite her efforts, it seemed that no one was coming to her aid. She nearly had resigned to her fate when she heard a voice break through the silence.

"I'll reveal your true form!"

She felt a rush of wind as someone, dressed in black, leapt on top of Natsuki.

"What the!?" Natsuki shouted.

Suddenly, Sayori felt Natsuki's grip begin to loosen. She ran towards the wall to safety before looking back. A team of people, armed with various weapons and dressed in fantastical outfits joined the first man. They all watched as Natsuki seemingly melted in front of them, before transforming yet again into a massive, bipedal red creature wielding a large, silver weapon. She began to shout once more in an incredibly deep voice.

"DO YOU SEE NOW, THIEVES!? I'M NOT CUTE! I'LL DESTROY YOU! NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU DEFY THE CLUB PRESIDENT! NOW THEN, LET'S PLAY!"

Natsuki began to charge at the man in black, who managed to swiftly dodge. Sayori watched in shock as he took hold of his mask and shouted, "High Pixie!" Suddenly, a woman with wings and white hair materialized behind him. She cast a powerful, green gust of wind at Natsuki, who recoiled in pain. This process continued with the rest of his teammates, who all summoned their own creatures of various shapes and sizes.

"Witness my resolve!"

"Dance, Carmen!"

"Whip 'em, Persona!"

"Goemon, strike!"

Sayori felt as if she was going to faint. What was ensuing in front of her was more like a spectacular light-show than a fight. Gusts of wind, bursts of flame, bolts of lightning and gigantic icicles were all converging upon what was once her friend, who was showing signs of fatigue.

"Team, let's finish this! I'm going to try and knock her down!" The man in black stepped forward, a determined set on his features.

"But dude, she resists everything we've tried!" One of his comrades tried to argue. Sayori, looked at him in confusion from where she cowered. She hadn't expected that any of them would talk like that.

"Not everything! Obariyon!" A strange red creature appeared. "Ravage them!" The creature summoned a large orange boxing glove attached to a spring and launched it at Natsuki. She fell to her knees. "Let's go! All-out Attack!" The team leapt into the air in a coordinated fashion, before launching a series of lightning-fast attacks against Natsuki. Sayori could hardly pick out their physical forms as they darted from place to place. Suddenly, they returned to battle formation as Natsuki's monstrous form exploded. It soon melted yet again, transforming back to Natsuki. The battle was finally over.

"B-but… her happiness… no…" Natsuki lay on the ground, defeated. She glanced at Sayori, giving her an apologetic look.

"Eff her 'happiness!' It's a load of bullshit!" Shouted the yellow-haired one, arrogantly. Sayori didn't know whether or not she should be offended.

Natsuki could only laugh. "Heh… criminals say the damnedest things. I'm nothing compared to her power, anyway..." She turned around on her back and looked towards the sky. "Sayori... I… I'm sorry… for forgetting… G-Goodbye…" Natsuki groaned as her form began to fade away. She soon disappeared.

"Shit… now I'm kinda depressed…" Spoke the yellow-haired one yet again. The red-suited girl and the white-tailed man could only nod in agreement. The black-suited man and the strange, cat-like creature came up to Sayori.

"Hey there. Seemed like you needed some help. The name's Joker," the man said with an air of coolness.

"Morgana, at your service!" The cat creature stepped closer to her, only for Sayori to curl further into the wall.

"Sup, I'm Skull," the yellow-haired one lightly pushed Morgana behind him, the creature aggressively objecting to it.

"Panther here!" The blonde girl winked, giving Sayori a friendly smile.

"My name is Fox. I'm pleased to meet you," the one with the tail merely pointed to himself. Sayori couldn't help but think it was a bit awkward. She wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Real smooth intro there, dude." said Skull, sarcastically.

"Did you think so? I quite liked it myself." Fox smiled. Skull could only groan.

Sayori was still quivering on the floor even after the introductions. "W-who are you? And what the heck did I just witness? What happened to Natsuki!?"

"We're the Phantom Thieves. You may have heard of us. We're here to change a heart. Your heart, in fact." Joker said suavely.

"My… heart?" Sayori was still confused. She looked around the hallway, trying not to hyperventilate.

"Yes, your heart. It seems that one of your deep seated desires has become so strong and distorted that it created this place. It's called a palace." He explained. "We're in an alternate dimension called the Metaverse, where palaces are formed." He could still see the look of fear and sadness in her eyes as she looked over to where Natsuki once lay. He kneeled down to Sayori's eye level. Even through his mask, she could see bright, kind eyes. "Don't worry. None of this is real. That girl we just fought? That's what your heart thinks she is, deep down. That's why she looked and acted so strangely."

"But, but…" Sayori had so much to say, but she couldn't get any of it out.

"It's alright. We're gonna get you out of here soon enough. Then, you won't even need to think about it." He promised, confidently. Sayori nodded. "Alright, guys, we've got a guest. Be extra careful. Let's go." He offered her a hand up. The thieves, with Sayori in tow, started to backtrack towards the entrance of the palace.

The thieves were about to exit the auditorium when they heard a noise. It was a strange sort of rustling. They went on alert for any threats when suddenly their exit was cut off. A massive sheet of paper covered the window they had broken in through. They tried to destroy it with their Personas, but to no avail.

"Foolish thieves. Did you truly think that you could escape?" A voice echoed throughout the room from a loudspeaker. Sayori knew that voice very well. Yuri!?

"You will see the performance. The club president wills it. Her word is law."

"Oh yeah!? Whaddya gonna do about it!? Turn into some big monster like your pal Natsuki!?" Skull sneered.

"Ohohohoho, no. No, no, no. Natsuki was a petulant little girl. I am far less uncouth. I would never resort to transforming into some foul beast. My plan is far more elegant." Yuri laughed. "Guard! Pull the lever!"

Suddenly, pink-tinted smoke began to flood the room. The thieves and Sayori started coughing, then began to feel incredibly numb. Sayori felt fear beyond imagination as her view became nothing but dark. Right before her heavy eyelids closed, she saw a pair of sandaled feet strutting towards her.

The thieves awoke, back on the auditorium stage. They were individually tied to wooden posts, gagged and bound. But what was more immediately alarming was where Sayori was trapped. The gallows from before had been brought on stage, with Sayori chained only centimeters away from the noose. No matter how much she wriggled, she couldn't break free from her bonds. Shadow Sayori, now blinded by rage, began to preach yet again as the crowd grew ever louder.

"Witness! These are the fools that reject my happiness! They continue to fight, even in these circumstances! Do they not see the joy of giving up!? Of ending their pathetic attempts at living!? Perhaps they will never understand. However, as you all know, I am kind and loving. I still intend on giving them the ultimate happiness. The greatest gift that I can give, that of death!" Shadow Sayori shouted. The crowd nearly exploded with shouts.

"SAYORI! SAYORI! SAYORI!"

Meanwhile, Sayori herself began to shout. "No! Don't kill them!"

"Oh, I don't intend to kill them. At least, not directly. No, I have a much, much better plan. You are the source of this world. Even above myself. So, if I kill you, then everyone will experience the pure joy of death, all at once. A lovely plan, don't you think?" Shadow Sayori walked up to the frightened girl, slipping the noose around her neck with a smile.

The captives all then noticed an unsettling detail about the noose. The rope it was made from trailed from the back, leading all the way across the audience, trailing up to the balconies. Spilling onto the floor of the one marked Special Guest, it bound the shadow of Goro Akechi. Sayori, horrified, began to scream.

"Stop this! This isn't happiness! This is torture!" The real Sayori tried to lean away from her shadow's reach, to no avail.

"Is it any less tortuous than continuing on living? This pain, this misery, it is only temporary. It shall be over in just a few moments. However, to continue on living, that is the true torture. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet, you burden. You are truly useless. You actively make other's lives harder just by existing. Those thieves there? They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. And Goro too… You've brought him so much pain. The only way that you can make anyone happy now... is with your death," The shadow gently gripped Sayori's chin, lifting her head up so they could face each other. Her voice had taken on a sweet lilt.

"I… no…" Sayori was starting to feel the truth of the shadow's words. She didn't know what to believe bowed her head in resignation, tears slowly falling down her face. Maybe… Everyone can be happy now...

"Don't believe her, Sayori!" Joker shouted.

"Yeah, it's all bullshit!" Skull added.

"You need to hold onto the beauty of living, Sayori!" yelled Fox.

"We all have a purpose in living, you just need to find it!" cried Morgana.

"Please, Sayori! Killing yourself isn't the answer! It never is!" Panther screamed, a look of desperation illustrated clearly on her face.

"They say that now, but when you are finally erased, they will not care that you are gone. One less burden to worry about," Shadow Sayori sounded calm, but Sayori could feel her grip tighten around her jaw.

"That's not true!" All of the thieves began to scream in unison. Sayori tearfully looked up, wondering who to believe.

"Don't listen to her!"

"She's just a damn phony!"

"She's not real! None of what she says is true!"

Sayori heard the thieves words and began to feel an incredible flame within her heart. Not Real…

Something was building up within her. Something very, very powerful. Sayori began to quiver. White noise erupted in her ears, turning into a loud melody. Not Real… Those words were like a constant heartbeat in her head as she tried to process everything. She opened her eyes, only to be blinded by a bright light.

Then, very suddenly, she heard a voice.

Nothing is real, after all.

RT: Hey, sorry for posting late. Due to some minor complications, we had to edit last minute. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

DP: Hey there! I have to admit, this chapter was tough. If not for my lovely partner, I don't think I would've ever gotten it done with any semblance of quality. However, the power of teamwork prevails! I really hope you enjoyed it.

RT: Anyway, for a lot of people, school will be starting soon. I wish anybody who is going back soon the best of luck. As always, please read, review, and we'll see you next time!

DP: See you space cowboy!