Captain Blues: Truthfully, I'm not too pleased with this chapter. In fact, I'm a little unsure if anyone on even reads this anymore. Violet would be pissed if I get too into my head and delete this because of that so I promise that I won't. It's just...I don't know. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Persona V: Reversing the Wheel of Fate
Chapter Eighty-One

[Opening Scene: Shibuya – Hasegawa Temporary Residence (Evening)
Theme of Defeat/Loss: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)]

Eleonora slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at the curious eyes of a cat. She jumped in alarm as she quickly leaned off the couch.

Couch?

How did she get here?

Where was here?

"Oh! You're finally awake," a girl's voice said. Eleonora turned her head to see a red-haired girl with a bright red bow on her head stepping out of the kitchen.

"Where am I?" Eleonora asked with an exhausted tone.

"You're at Hasegawa Zenkichi's home," the girl explained. "We found you in the middle of a very bad thunderstorm near some vacant lot. It was so bad that he couldn't even get me home. Thankfully my parents allowed me to stay here until the storm passes."

Eleonora nodded and shivered. "T-Thank you," she murmured.

"You should thank Hasegawa-san. He'll be home soon. He ran out to get some food down the street since we'll be here for a little bit of time. Anyway, I'm Yoshizawa Ka—" the girl frowned and corrected, "I'm Yoshizawa Sumire."

"Yumizuru Eleonora," Eleonora introduced but admittedly, it was delivered very flately. She couldn't remember where she was. The last thing she remembered was walking with Eiko and Tsubasa and th—

Eleonora's eyes widened as the memory slammed into her like a truck.

Kaneshiro!

"I need to get out of here!" Eleonora exclaimed as she bolted from the couch and toward the door.

"Wait! But the storm!" Sumire called out.

"The hell with the storm!" Eleonora exclaimed as she opened the door and walked out into the heavy thunderstorm outside.

Kaneshiro.

He had Eiko.

He had Tsubasa!

He had her friend and best friend respectively in his slimy, cruel grasp. She had to do something to stop him!

"Wait!" Sumire's voice called out after her, the girl's voice sounding fainter as Eleonora ran through the water. Eleonora ran aimlessly through the rain as fast as she could as she struggled to remember where she and her two friends had been taken, along with where she was taken.

She had to find something!

She had to do something!

Thunder crackled through the sky, lighting the area as Eleonora looked around, only to see a silhouette through the rain. "Hello?" Eleonora called out.

The silhouette stood as lightning streaked the sky again, but this time, it was closer and Eleonora could see the glow of their eerie yellow eyes.

[Theme of Thy True Self: Bomb Shelter from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP Ver)]

Eleonora took a step back as lightning flashed again but this time, the lightning gave her a clear look at the person facing her and the reveal stunned her.

It was…Her.

But she looked…Sad.

"We won't find her," the doppelgänger said with slumped shoulders. "We won't be able to save her…It's not something we can do. It's impossible for someone like us…"

Eleonora's eyes widened before they narrowed and she marched past the doppelgänger. "I don't know who the hell you are, but I'm not staying here to listen to this. I'm a Yumizuru. Anything is possible for me!"

Once Eleonora passed, the doppelgänger lowered her head and shook it. "We can't do it. So why even try?" the doppelgänger murmured, which prompted Eleonora to stop. "Kaneshiro…He wanted Makoto. It's better if we allow her to do it…She's our leader…we know It'll get done that way once she knows about it…"

"How do you know that?" Eleonora asked as she whirled around, lightning flashing in the air. "How do you know any of this? Who even are you?!"

The sullen figure looked at her, offered her a dispirited smile, and answered, "Because I'm thy true self…"

With a flash of lightning, the doppelgänger was gone, leaving Eleonora alone in the rain, feeling more exhausted than she did when she first woke up.

Had Kaneshiro put something in her that caused hallucinations or was she going insane?

[Theme of Defeat/Loss: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)]

"Eleonora!" Sumire's voice called out as she ran into the spot the doppelgänger had just been standing in mere moments ago.

Eleonora shook her head and answered, "You shouldn't be out here."

"Neither should you. Let's get back inside," Sumire suggested as she took Eleonora's hand and began to drag it.

Eleonora allowed her to do this.

After everything she just went through today, she needed to sit down.

But first, she had to make a phone call…

[Scene Change: Shibuya – Okumura Residence (Evening)
Theme of Defeat/Loss: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)]

"Oh man, Ren, Makoto, and Ryuji are going to be so mad that they missed this session," Mishima said as he finished packing away the books he used in this DnD session. "Hopefully we can get Morgana to join us too."

"It was so fun to let loose and play for a little bit," Ann sighed. "Hopefully it'll be a full party again."

"Admittedly, I am perplexed," Yusuke murmured. "It feels so much lighter playing this now versus when we did session zero."

"It could be because of the circumstances," Hifumi offered with a shrug. "I mean, we were playing it with Madarame and my moth—Mitsuyo's palaces hanging over our heads. Now that they are clear, we're able to play without worry."

"That does sound plausible," Yusuke murmured. "Speaking of them, I wonder when their change of hearts will take place."

"If it's anything like Kamoshida, it will take three days to a week," Ann answered. "I wonder if this will change how the Phantom Thieves are perceived…"

"I'd be surprised if it didn't change at all," Ann said as she stared at her ceiling. "From what Mishima said, people were already going to the Phansite when it was only Kamoshida. Once these two reveal themselves, the site will surely have more traffic."

"Which probably means you'll be busy in the foreseeable future, Mishima-san," Yusuke said as he looked at Mishima.

"I just hope it doesn't cut into any future palace explorations," Mishima said as he sipped his cream soda. "Despite the danger, I kind of like doing that."

"Same here," Hifumi said. "I just hope Ching-Shih forgives me for stressing her out further…"

"Yeah, you went through a lot. Do you feel any different?" Mishima asked.

Hifumi looked at her hands and answered, "I can feel her power still and unlike how it felt when I first awakened to her and when I lost my mind after Haru d-died, I'm not in pain."

"Pain? You went through pain while going through that?" Mishima asked with shock.

Hifumi nodded and elaborated, "It felt like my veins were on fire and the energy in my body felt like someone was shredding me from the inside."

"That's how I felt, too," Ann confirmed. "I don't know why but I had a feeling after saving Shiho that had she not snapped me out of it, I would have burned to death from the inside."

"That sounds terrifying," Yusuke muttered with shock.

Mishima nodded in agreeance before he looked around. "Shiho and Haru have been in the kitchen for a hot minute," Mishima noticed. "Ann, should I go check on them?"

"Not yet," Ann answered. "Maybe they are talking about the cold war they are in."

"Cold war?" Hifumi asked.

"Yeah. Let's just say, things got rough during our rescue mission that put them at odds," Ann explained.

"Thank you for coming to help me prepare the food, Shiho…" Haru murmured as the two of them stood side by side in the kitchen. "You didn't have to do that."

"You needed help," Shiho softly answered. "I wasn't going to let you handle this alone, especially after cooking a meal for us…"

"Right…" Haru murmured.

The room grew quiet.

"S-Shiho," Haru began. "I-I know things have been tense since the rescue mission and I…I just wanted to apolo—"

"You don't have to apologize," Shiho interrupted. "What happened, happened. You weren't in your right mind when you said it. So, don't sweat it."

"Shiho…You can tell me not to "sweat it" but when you avoid talking to me, or even looking at me, I sweat it," Haru told her. "You may say that you don't blame me but it's obvious that you do."

Shiho grew quiet.

"I know we haven't known each other for long," Haru began. "But the minute you saved me from Kamoshida's palace, we became friends. So seeing you so distant bothers me, Shiho. Please, just talk to me. Even if it's just to yell at me. I'd rather that than whatever space we're in now."

Shiho sighed and said, "I meant what I said. I'm not mad at you, Haru. It's just…It's hard to face you after saying what you said and nearly killing me…I'm sure this feeling will pass." Shiho tried to give a hopeful smile, but it immediately fell.

"Will it?" Haru asked. "Will it really?"

Shiho opened her mouth to answer, only to close it and nod.

Haru didn't feel too encouraged. "Come on," Shiho murmured. "Let's finish the food and get out there."

"Right," Haru agreed with a reluctant smile.

[Scene Change: Shibuya – Hasegawa Temporary Residence (Evening)
Theme of Defeat/Loss: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)]

"You shouldn't have rushed out like that," Morgana admonished Sumrie as the two sat in the bathroom, with Sumire wearing a fluffy robe to keep her dry while her clothes were in the dryer. "You could have gotten sick."

"I'm sorry," Sumire apologized. "But like Hasegawa-san said to me when he brought me here, it was too dangerous out there. She could have gotten hurt in such a bad storm. Especially since she was on foot."

Morgana hummed in displeasure and said, "Alright...But no more risks. You're a newbie to this whole life and I'd rather you stay safe versus getting into danger. We've had enough of that for one day."

"You got that right," Sumire agreed with a faint frown. "All of that really wasn't a dream. I spoke to my sister...We fought together...I have superpowers..."

"That's right," Morgana confirmed. "You, like Ren and I, can use Personas. But yours seems to be a bit different compared to ours. You fight with her like she's your shadow. Not the monsters but like a shadow on the ground. It's very interesting."

Sumire opened her mouth to say something when she heard it.

[Theme of Thy True Self: Bomb Shelter from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP Ver)]

Whispering.

There were two different voices.

One that sounded like Eleonora and the other voice sounded like a little girl.

But while the whispers that sounded like Eleonora were faint, the one that sounded like a little girl was loud enough for her to make out the words.

"Must finish."

"Zenkichi must pay."

"Revenge for Mom."

"We must complete it."

"Morgana-kun. Do you hear that?" Sumire whispered.

"Yeah..." Morgana answered. "That's why I came back...Do you remember that place you, Ren, and I were in?"

Sumire nodded.

"That's a palace," Morgana explained. "It'll take a while to explain but essentially, there is a place like that in this place...It belongs to Zenkichi's daughter..."

Sumire's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't even know he had a daughter. Shouldn't we tell Hasegawa-san?" Sumire asked.

"She's been locked in her room. She doesn't want to see you or that other girl," Morgana explained. "Besides, I doubt he would believe us. I mean, would you believe me if I walked up to you one day and told you about Kasumi?"

"Good point," Sumire said. "Then what should we do?"

"We won't do anything," Morgana said. "You are still a newbie to this life and you don't need this type of adventure. Ren and I will handle this."

Sumire frowned but she nodded because Morgana was right.

She was a newbie.

And yet, something about this made her want to look into it more...

[Scene Change: Shibuya – Niijima Residence (Morning)
Theme of Defeat/Loss: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Innocent Sin (PSP)]

"Damn it!"

Ryuji was startled after his brief nap by the combination of the shout and something colliding with a hard surface.

"What was going on?" Ryuji yawned as he leaned off the couch to stare at Makoto, who had a look of both anger and hopelessness on her face. Concern immediately filled Ryuji's veins. "Makoto, what's wrong? What happened?"

"That was Eleonora…" Makoto whispered. "Oribe and Eiko…Kaneshiro has them. He took them because he somehow knew it was us… He wants twelve million yen in three weeks with the three of us to deliver it personally….If we don't…He's threatening sexual violence on me, my sister, Eiko, Eleonora, Oribe, and anyone we might know…"

Ryuji watched as Makoto looked away from the ground and toward him. "We have to stop him…" Makoto said. "W-We can't let this happen."

"We will stop him," Ryuji said. "I'll contact the others."

"No!" Makoto shouted. "No...I-I can't bring them into this...It's my screw-up, Ryuji. I have to be the one to fix it."

Ryuji looked confused at this. "Why?" Ryuji asked. "We're the Phantom Thieves. All we need to do is do a little investiga—"

"No!" Makoto screamed, silencing Ryuji. "I have to do this...I can't...I can't allow anyone else to be in danger because of me. I'll fix this. I have to fix this..."

Ryuji noticed that there was desperation in Makoto's eyes as she said, "I will fix this. Even if it costs me my life."

Captain Blues: Until the next chapter, Time to set sail.