The team burst through the curtains, seeing their target ahead. Rise was kneeling on a podium, with her Shadow leaning against a stripper pole.

"There it is!" Chie said.

"And the real one's here too." Yosuke added.

"Rise!" Sayaka called out, but the other idol didn't seem to hear her.

Rise's Shadow let out a sultry laugh. "They're all watching! All eyes are on me now!"

"Stop it!" Rise yelled.

"Awwww! What's the matter! You wanna show your stuff, don'tcha? How's this!?"

The Shadow began to dance around on the pole, making several gestures that made everyone uncomfortable.

"Please… stop this…" Rise begged.

"Oooh, she wants me to stop. That's so funny!" Her Shadow giggled. "As if that's even close to what you're really thinking, you little skank! You're me! And obviously, I'm you!"

"No… that's not true…!"

"Ahahahahaha! C'mon, look! You can't tear your eyes away!"

"This is disgusting." Kyoko said, frowning.

"Yeah." Yosuke remembered the other Shadows. "The others weren't anywhere near this bad."

Sayaka was clenching her fist, anger growing at Rise's Shadow.

"This is me! This is who I really am! Not Risette, the fake celebrity! Look at the girl right in front of you! I'm sick of being some airhead cliche who chokes down everything she's fed and takes it all with a smile! "Risette?" Who the hell is she? There's no such person in this world! I'm no one but myself! C'mon, look at me-!"

"Shut the hell up!"

Sayaka had run forward and threw a punch at the Shadow, who grabbed onto the pole, hoisting herself up to dodge the punch.

"Sayaka…?" Rise realized.

"Coming up with all these slanderous lies, you're disgusting!" Sayaka yelled. "You're nothing more than another jerk us idols deal with every day!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that~" Rise's Shadow taunted. "Especially since I am her, and her is I~! And I can prove it! I'm gonna show it all off! Let my naked truth be burned into your brains!"

"Stop! Stop it!" Rise scrambled to her feet, screaming. "You're…!"

"No! Don't say it!" Chie yelled.

"You're… not me!" Rise shouted.

Kyoko reacted quickly, as Rise's Shadow began to laugh and transform. "Sayaka! Get Rise to safety! We'll handle this!"

Sayaka nodded, pulling an arm around Rise and jumping off the stage, just as Rise's Shadow finished transforming. She looked back briefly, cringing as the others engaged it in battle.

"I am a Shadow… The true self…"

"Ew. It's all painty and still strippery…" Sayaka groaned.

She set Rise down next to Teddie. The bear was distracted, calling and supporting the team from a distance. She managed to tune out most of the spells and shouts, as she focused on helping Rise.

"Rise. Rise, are you with me?" Sayaka asked, gently tapping the girl on the shoulder.

"That thing… that thing can't be me…" Rise muttered. "And you… you all saw…"

"All saw the load of crud it came up with, right?" Sayaka asked. "We did. But we all know it's not true."

"But what you saw…"

"Rise, you don't have to feel guilty." Sayaka said. "That thing just took something you hid deep down, and it just took that and twisted your words."

"So then… it's still…"

"...yeah, it is you. Just a really crappy version, misrepresenting you." Sayaka said. "You just have to prove it wrong, y'know? You know what the real you is, right?"

"The real me…"

"I… found my real me." Sayak confided. "I thought all the… things I did to become an idol was what I truly was, but I realized it wasn't true. It took friends, real friends to help me, and I'm sure it'll be the same for you."

Rise looked down at the floor quietly. Deciding to give her some space to think, she turned her eyes back to the fight. Widening her eyes, she saw that none of the team were managing to land a single hit. Rise's Shadow was dodging every one of their attacks, even if she realistically shouldn't have been able to predict it.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Sayaka called.

Yosuke landed nearby. "Damn, it's like it's anticipating our every move…"

A green light flashed across the room, going across everyone.

"What the-?!"

"That power… I think it's scanning us! Ohh, this is not good!" Teddie shouted.

"When you say "not good," what exactly does that mean!?" Kanji yelled.

"Woohoo...! Analysis complete! Okay, here comes my counterattack! See if you can dodge, hmm?"

"S-Stop it!" Teddie yelled.

Sayaka threw her arms in front of Rise to shield her, as a huge explosion filled most of the room.

"Everyone!" Sayaka stood up in frantic panic.

When the smoke faded, the team were all knocked over, having taken a ton of damage from the Shadow's attack. One more hit like that would spell the end for them.

"You gotta be kidding…" Yosuke groaned.

"How're we supposed to win...!?" Chie hit the ground.

"A-Are we...going to die...?" Yukiko asked, dread creeping up.

"Kyoko, if you have any crazy plans to get us out of this, now would be a good time to bust it out!" Yosuke said.

Kyoko was lying on her front, her eyes were hidden by her hair, as she made no effort to move. "...I'm sorry."

Yosuke was shocked that Kyoko had given up. The analytical leader must've realized that with an opponent that knew all their moves, defeat was an inevitability. He looked down at the floor, sweat dripping down his face.

"That's not like you!" Sayaka yelled. "You guys can't give up!"

"You guys can't die!" Teddie agreed. "What can we do… what can we do…"

"Get… out of here…" Kyoko barely got out.

"A-Abandon you?" Teddie asked. "Only I'd get away…? I can't do that! Am I going to be all alone again...? No...That's not what I want!"

Sayaka was clenching her fist so hard, her nails dug into her palms. Unbeknownst to her, blue energy was starting to gather around her hand. No one noticed, as Rise's Shadow flashed green again.

"Shit! It's winding up again...!" Kanji called.

"I...I…" Teddie was stuttering.

"Okie dokie, here we go again!" Rise's Shadow wound up the attack once more. "Good bye...forever!"

"Aw shit… It's coming!" Yosuke said, bracing himself for the end.

"I'm not letting it end like this!"

Sayaka had run in front of them, holding out her arms protectively.

"Sayaka!" Kyoko pushed herself up. "Run!"

"I'm not running away!" Sayaka said, holding up a hand. To everyone's surprise, a familiar tarot card appeared above it.

"Is she…?!" Chie realized.

"Heed my cry… Benzaiten!"

Sayaka shattered the card in her hand, causing a huge flash of light that briefly flashed everyone, even distracting the Shadow. When it faded, it revealed what appeared to be a woman garbed in red and white robes, carrying a staff in one hand, like a magician straight out of fantasy.

"Wh-What the hell?! Who said you could steal my spotlight like that?!" Shadow Rise demanded.

"Shame for you, because this is my stage now!" Sayaka smirked. "Let's go, Benzaiten! Hama!"

Benzaiten raised its staff, shooting a beam of light that Rise's Shadow barely dodged. There was an explosion once the light hit the wall.

"Keep it up! Hama!"

Benzaiten was shooting beam after beam of light at Rise's Shadow, which was frantically doing its best to dodge everything. Unlike the more confident and graceful movements earlier when dodging the rest of the team, this was completely erratic, an effort to survive. Sayaka wasn't giving the Shadow any opportunities to strike or scan her, keeping it on its toes. This caused hope to flow through the team.

"Yukiko, can you heal us yet?" Kyoko asked.

"I might need a bit more time…" Yukiko winced, holding her arm.

They had to hope Sayaka could hold out until then. As Kyoko started trying to formulate a strategy, Sayaka kept up the pressure.

"I won't let you hurt my friends! Hama!"

One of the beams grazed the Shadow's shoulder, as it let out a small cry of pain. It quickly ran a hand across the nick, causing it to disappear as if nothing happened.

"You might've surprised me with this new act, but sooner or later, you're gonna run out of gas, and then your performance will be over!" The Shadow mocked.

Sayaka would've snapped at the Shadow, but it was right. She could feel herself tiring with how much effort she was putting into it.

"Benzaiten, Mabufu!"

Benzaiten raised its staff, shooting out shards of ice, but Rise's Shadow easily dodged all of them. It didn't help that the attack seemingly was spreading out to the entire room instead of being focused. "Man, you're gonna need way better aim if you're trying to hit me!"

"That wasn't my only aim!" Sayaka smirked. "Mahama!"

Benzaiten shot multiple beams of light this time, but at the shards of ice. The light was reflected off the surfaces, bouncing off them all and creating an inbounding laser grid that completely occupied Shadow Rise's attention. But this was finally her limit, as Sayaka fell down to one knee, breathing heavily.

"That's it. I'm out of juice…" Sayaka winced, before looking up to see Teddie walk forward. "Teddie?"

"Your resolve inspired me, Sayaka!" Teddie had a determined look on his face. "I don't know what's going on, but I feel like I'm going bear-serk!"

It was like a flaming aura had surrounded the bear to show off his power. Except Teddie was literally burning.

"Grrrrr! I-I'll do it! Take a good look...at Teddie's last stand!"

The light beams from Sayaka's attack had faded, and Rise's Shadow turned back to face them, only to see Teddie powering up.

"This high-energy reading… Is it coming from that weird thing...!?"

"Teddie! The hell are you doing!?" Kanji shouted, standing up.

"Roaaaaaaaaaaawr!" Teddie charged forward. Rise's Shadow tried blasting him back, but her powered straight through her attack.

"Teddie!" Yosuke called.

BWOOOOOOM

There was a massive explosion that blinded them all, as Teddie crashed into Shadow Rise. Despite having taken a lot of damage from their fight with Rise's Shadow, the team all ran up once the explosion faded. The Shadow was now back in its original state, seemingly knocked out. As for Teddie… he was covered in soot, and now flat as a pancake.

"Teddie!" Kanji shouted. "You idiot… You coulda died…"

"Did I… Did I help?" Teddie asked weakly.

"You didn't just help, you saved our lives!" Yosuke said.

"Neat...! I'm so glad… I didn't want to be alone anymore…" Teddie smiled.

"Teddie…" Chie said, touched.

"And Sayaka too." Yukiko said, as the Ultimate Pop Sensation smiled, making a pose. "Without her, I don't know if Teddie could've been able to pull it off.

"Thank you, Sayaka." Kyoko smiled, feeling the bond with her friend become stronger.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Sayaka grinned, giving a thumbs-up. "But does this Persona make me a full-on member now or what?"

"I say it does." Chie grinned. "You kicked total ass!"

Teddie groaned and stood up, before noticing his state. "Wh-What in the world?! Nooo… My fine, silky fur… I was so proud of it! Waaaahh…"

"Looks like he's gonna be just fine… I guess." Yosuke shrugged.

Sayaka looked over to see Rise sitting up, and looking at her seemingly unconscious Shadow. She and the rest of the team walked over to her.

"You okay?" She asked her fellow idol.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault…" Rise apologized.

"It's not your fault." Kyoko reassured her.

"No… it's still something that "I" did."

She stood up, dusting off her legs before looking at her downed Shadow.

"Here, stand up."

Her Shadow shakily stood up, now silent as it stared at Rise.

"I'm sorry. You must've been in a lot of pain up to now." Rise apologized. "You're part of me, but I kept refusing to admit you existed. I was trying to figure out who the real me was. But I realize now that I was on the wrong track. There is no "real" me. It just doesn't exist."

"There's no… real me...?" Teddie repeated, as Rise continued.

"You… me… even Risette… They were all born from me. All of them are… me." Rise finished. Her Shadow nodded, before glowing blue and transforming into a more elegant form with a white dress, with a satellite-like head and a visor in her hands. It shifted into a form of a tarot card, which landed in Rise's hands before disappearing. After catching it, Rise fell to her knees, but Sayaka was there to catch her.

"Easy there." Sayaka said. "You alright?"

"Better now." Rise admitted, before looking at the others. "Hey, you're the ones who came to the store, right...?"

"That's right." Yosuke nodded, as he and the others briefly introduced themselves.

"I thought I recognized you guys. Thanks, everyone…" Rise thanked.

"They're the coolest, huh?" Sayaka said.

"You were pretty cool too." Rise commented.

Chie cleared her throat as she turned around. "We'll explain everything later, but for right now-"

Yukiko noticed her friend had stopped speaking. "What's wrong, Chie?"

The group all turned around to see Teddie standing, but something was… off.

"There's… no real me…?" He said to himself.

"H-Hey, Teddie…" Kanji stepped forward.

"No, get back!" Rise shouted. "Something's coming out of him...!"

True to her word, blue mist emerged from behind Teddie, forming what appeared to be a larger version of himself… but with chilling yellow eyes.

"Real? Me? Such foolishness…" A monotone, yet deep voice spoke.

"What is that thing…?!" Yosuke said.

"Ah balls." Kanji groaned.

"D-Don't tell me...Is that the other Teddie? Teddie's hidden thoughts!?" Chie realized.

"I believe so, but it seems like there's more. I felt some powerful presence intervene…" Rise noted.

"Wh-What's going on!?" Teddie turned around, seeing his Shadow self. "Wh-Whoaa!"

"The truth is unattainable… It will always be shrouded in fog. Though you reach through the murk and the gloom to grasp something, you have no means to know it is the truth… In which case, why...? What sense is there in yearning for truth? Close your eyes. Lie to yourself. Live in blissful ignorance… It is a much smarter way to exist."

"Wh-What're you talking about!? I don't understand a word you're saying! You're just making it sound difficult because I'm not that smart! How rude! Maybe you can't tell, but I'm thinking as hard as I can!" Teddie shot back at his Shadow.

"It is those efforts that I am calling useless… You are hollow. Empty. At your core, you know this… You just cannot accept it. So you seek an alternate form… a denial of your nature. You have no lost memories. If you have forgotten anything, it is this truth."

"Th-That's… a lie…"

"Shall I spell it out for you?" The Shadow said in a baritone drawl. "You are but a mere-"

"I said shaddup!"

Teddie tried charging at the Shadow, only to bounce off, since he was now completely flat.

"Teddie!" Yukiko shouted in concern, seeing him fly off.

"It is the same for you all…" Teddie's Shadow started to address the Investigation Team. "You undergo suffering because of your search for the truth. This world is filled with thick, heavy fog… How can you find something when you know not what you search for?"

"There's a way to find it." Kyoko argued. "Every case has a solution."

"And thus, you invite more suffering upon yourselves…" The Shadow spoke."It is beyond my comprehension. Obtaining the truth is simple. All you have to do is believe that it is the truth… Then I will grant you one truth… You will all die here. You sought the truth, only to find death…"

"No, that's wrong!"

Both Kyoko and Sayaka had spoken at the same time, both of them pointing at Teddie's Shadow.

"Dying here is something we refuse to do." Kyoko declared. "We've reached despair before, but now that we have, our hope to find the truth will carry us forward."

"And Teddie not having a true self? That's pretty rich, since you're not so truthful yourself." Sayaka added.

The team looked at her, as Shadow Teddie's eyes seemed to bear into her soul, but she stood strong.

"You said that Teddie is hollow. He has no real him. But Shadows, as twisted as they are, are some part of our real selves." Sayaka deduced. "Your own existence means that Teddie isn't hollow at all, and you are Teddie's truth. So either you're just spewing out a bunch of crap, or you're just a faker pretending to be Teddie's Shadow!"

Teddie's Shadow said nothing, as a dark aura started emanating from it, as it started increasing in size, becoming more monstrous in the process.

"You know, maybe you should't piss off the sociopath monster bear thing." Yosuke reasoned to the two, before looking back at the Shadow. "Dammit… How are we supposed to fight something like this without Teddie...?"

"It's all right…" Rise stood strong. "Get ready, everyone."

"Hey, don't tell me you're fighting with us!" Chie said. "You can't take it!"

"I'm okay… I should be able to take that bear's place!" Rise said, a Himiko manifested behind her. "It's my turn to save you all!"

Sayaka grinned, and held up a hand. "Let's do this, Rise."

Rise nodded, giving Sayaka a hi-five for luck. They turned back to Teddie's Shadow, as the rest of the team stood ready.

It was time for the stage debut of the Investigation Team's idols, and they were already in for the fight of their lives.

Kyoko's Social Links:

Magician (Yosuke Hanamura): Rank 8

Chariot (Chie Satonaka): Rank 7

Priestess (Yukiko Amagi): Rank 7

Emperor (Kanji Tatsumi): Rank 2

Star (Teddie): Rank 1

Hanged Man (Sayaka Maizono): Rank 2

Justice (Nanako Dojima): Rank 3

Hierophant (Ryotaro Dojima): Rank 3

Fool (The Investigation Team): Rank 4

Hope (Hope's Peak Academy Students): Rank 3

A/N: Yup! We got two Persona awakenings in this chapter! And one in a more unique way.

So initially, I was gonna have Sayaka's Shadow manifest as a tag-team boss fight against Rise's Shadow (as for how Sayaka's Shadow would act, it would be based on the erm, questionable things she's done to get where she was, use your imagination), but I realized that there were too many things going against it. Namely how the Investigation Team is supposed to lose against Rise's Shadow, and that Teddie's Shadow being right after meant there would be three Shadow fights in two chapters.

So instead, I opted out of Sayaka's Shadow, and instead had her awaken it Persona 5 style, where it wakes up thanks to a certain desire. I did mention how Sayaka here is a post-character development one that's already embraced her flaws, so the likelihood of her Shadow appearing is far less.

Benzaiten is a Japanese Buddist Goddess (also known as Benten), who's the Goddess of water, music, arts, wisdom, wealth, and fortune. I went with this because Sayaka's whole idol thing is heavily focused on music and arts, with the wisdom being part of her innate intelligence (and her psychic claims). The design heavily takes from the Valkyrie class design in Fire Emblem Awakening, just reimagined with elements from something like Tokyo Mirage Sessions.

This chapter took a bitch to finish, but I'm glad I finally did. Hopefully the wait won't be as bad for the next one. As always, thanks for sticking around.

Feel free to leave a review. See you all next time.