I own nothing. Monika does.

The thought of potentially being a shadow had taken hold in Sayori's mind recently, its talons digging into her skull and not letting go. It was a rather illogical thought, but in her mind, everything had become illogical as of late. However, there was one logical thing she knew. She couldn't face this alone, and that she would need to talk to a few friends. Luckily, there might be one friend who could understand her concerns.

"So, Mona-chan, what's up?"

Sayori had dropped by Cafe LeBlanc so that she could ask Akira if she could chat with Morgana. After an initial look of confusion, Akira allowed her into his room, where Morgana was doing much of nothing. He sat upright on a chair in next to the television, his posture appearing vaguely humanoid in the process. His tail drooped down the front, occasionally flicking from side to side. Sayori was sitting across from him, awaiting an answer to her question.

"Nothing much. I had some delicious curry earlier, and I watched Akira read a book too. It was pretty nice."

Sayori began to wonder why exactly she had asked a cat what he was up to that day.

"Ah. That's… good. I'm glad."

Morgana began licking his paw, staring as Sayori sat still in her chair. "Is there anything else you need? I'm a very busy man, you know."

"Oh! Sorry about that. I was just thinking about something." Sayori was thinking about nothing at that particular moment. "Um, Mona? Can I ask you a weird question?" SHe looked down nervously, not quite sure how to go about this conversation.

"Sure! Go ahead. Anything for a teammate," Morgana's cheerful reply served as a small reassurance to Sayori. Gathering her wits, she asked the question.

"Do you ever wonder where you really came from? I've been having… doubts, recently."

"No, not really. I already know the answer, after all. Earth, of course! I used to be human, so I must've come from Earth," Morgana sat up taller, a proud smile glued to his feline face.

"Yes, but… What if you didn't exactly come from Earth?" Sayori, aside from the shock at seeing such an expressive cat, was beginning to think she should have brought cue cards for this awkward conversation.

"Well, I don't have any antennae. I'm furry, sure, but that's just temporary. I certainly can't be an alien, if that's the case. Sayori, what exactly are you trying to get at?" Morgana, confused, was trying to get the girl to be more clear.

"It's… just… I don't… I don't know. I don't feel whole. I don't feel like myself anymore. I feel like I'm not the Sayori I know. Sometimes, it feels more like I'm from that Mementos place more than I am from here," Sayori confessed, the words seeming to tumble out all at once. Putting her head in her hands, she took a few deep breaths.

Morgana tensed up ever so slightly upon hearing this. "Well, that doesn't make any sense. If you were a shadow, we'd feel it. Besides, you look pretty human to me. Maybe you should worry less about what you are, and focus more on who you are. Like me! I might be a cat right now, but I know I'm human, so I'm not bothered!"

Sayori looked up and smiled slightly, the expression not reaching her eyes. "Hmm. Maybe you're right. I just wish the idea would get out of my head."

"I can't exactly help you with that. I've already been inside your head, and I don't think I can get in there again anytime soon. Hopefully, at least." Morgana began to ponder as to a solution for Sayori's woes. "Ah! I've got it!"

"Got what?"

"Maybe you should go talk to Lady Ann! Why, seeing her always cheers me up. Maybe she can do the same for you."

Sayori thought about it for a moment before agreeing. A bit of girl talk couldn't hurt anyone. Besides, she needed to touch base with Ann after everything that had happened recently. They had a lot to talk about. Saying her goodbyes, the girl quickly left the cafe.

"I gotta be honest, I don't think I get it."

Ann was incredibly confused. Sayori was yet again having trouble discussing her emotions.

"I give up, then. Mona didn't understand, you don't either. I don't even know why I bother anymore," Sayori grumbled.

"Well, maybe you could try being a little more direct. All of this 'reality' stuff, it's confusing me." Ann raised her hand to her chin, assuming a thinking gesture.

"I-I don't think I'm real, Ann! It feels like my entire life up to this point has been one big lie! Nothing around me is right anymore. It all feels… fake."

"Uhm… Okay, but why does it all feel fake?"

"I don't know. Think about it this way. Remember that movie we went to see the other day, 'Love Possibly'? I feel like one of the characters in it."

Ann perked up upon hearing this statement. "Oh! So you're in love with someone?"

Sayori went red from frustration. "No! That's not what I meant. I meant that I feel like I'm just a character on a screen. Everything I see feels manufactured. The buildings, the people, everything. It's like I'm being watched by someone from afar, like I'm just their plaything."

"Oh. Um…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you with my ramblings. This is ridiculous. I'm going home." Sayori began to walk away before Ann spoke up.

"No. Sayori, listen. I won't lie and say that I can understand what you're going through. I can't even begin to imagine it. But, I couldn't understand what Shiho was going through either. All I could do was stay with her and be supportive. Even at her lowest point, I stuck with her. You're my friend, Sayori. I'll stick with you, too. I hope that, at the very least, our friendship is real."

Sayori didn't have a response. She couldn't think of one.

Ann, ever the optimist, managed to produce a kind smile. "Hey, why don't we go get some crepes? They're my favorite. I'm sure you'll love them!"

Sayori begrudgingly agreed. While she didn't know if it would make her feel any better, she did know that she would rather be eating crepes than arguing in the middle of a crowded mall.

The next day, Sayori was hanging out with Akira, Ryuji and Ann in the school courtyard. Ryuji and Ann were bickering, as usual. Ryuji had been aggravated about the threats that Akechi had made towards the Thieves at the TV studio, but now he was more preoccupied with Ann's questionable eating habits.

"Hey, you really just gonna keep eatin' and eatin' and eatin' those things all by yourself!? Gimme some!"

"Sorry, just ate the last one," Ann said snidely.

"You shouldn't try to get in the way between a girl and her meal, Ryuji," Sayori piped in.

"See? Sayori understands me," Ann smiled.

Mona poked his head out of Akira's backpack, fed up with the present immaturity of the thieves. "You guys are too laid back. The police are getting involved now, you know."

"So you think it's true…? We'll be OK if we keep doing this… right?" Ann pondered, worriedly.

"We can't let the cops scare us outta bein' phantom thieves," Ryuji grumbled.

"But… what about that weird guy from Madarame's Palace…? Or the fact that Sayori had a palace too? Isn't there a lot we don't know?"

Sayori, who was fiddling with a nearby vending machine, was unable to warn the thieves of a certain young lady arriving at their position. The flash of a phone camera did the job for her.

"You four seem to be having so much fun. I'm a little jealous."

I hope you liked the chapter. Please read, review, and I'll see you all next time!