Immediately following the long and dangerous climb, the Phantom Thieves peered down to find the large Shadow gone. There was not a single trace of its escape. A sign of its whereabouts could not be found. Ann and Haru attempted to revive Ryuji as Yusuke, Futaba, and Morgana kept their eyes peeled on the ground below. The Shadow of Makoto had disappeared as well. Whether it was sheer luck or a trap, the Phantom Thieves were grateful for the present safety and dismissed the possibility of an attack.
“Why are these Shadows helping us?” Haru questioned, breaking the silence. “I mean, the ones of us. Do you think Ren might be worried about us?”
“He may know by now what is happening,” Futaba chimed in. “Who knows how long we’ve been in here? It could have been days.”
“Don’t you think he would have tried to help us by now?” Ann asked.
“He has changed,” Yusuke sighed. “I believe that would not be the case. And he has been rather ill lately. It would make further sense for him to stay behind.”
“I agree with Inari,” Futaba stated. “I fear that if Ren came into the Metaverse, he might end up hurting himself.”
They sat in silence.
“His Shadow seemed to not care about us,” Morgana pointed out. “And yet these other Shadows seem to care... What in the world is up with this place?”
“When that Shadow of Ren appeared,” Ann began, “Ryuji told me it was strange and that it was as if we were seeing different sides of him.”
“These problems merely existed because of their ‘other’ selves,” Yusuke quoted. “This split in identity has caused you to crumble and waver in your own confidence. You love your friends dearly, and yet this other side of the coin causes you distress. You now understand what it is that you hate...” He glanced up at the others. “You hate the Phantom Thieves.”
“That has been troubling...” Haru murmured. “What could it mean? Ren doesn’t hate us, does he?”
“Guys,” Morgana piped up. “I think I might know. Ren and Joker are seen as separate beings here. Even though they’re the same person, they’re two different people in this palace. They’re... two sides of the same coin.”
“I can see where you’re going with this,” Futaba interrupted. “Are you saying that we’re the same way? That us, the Phantom Thieves, are a different version from our normal selves?”
Morgana nodded. “He doesn’t necessarily hate us. He doesn’t like the Phantom Thieves anymore.”
“But why would he not like the Phantom Thieves?” Ann questioned. “He was our leader!”
“If he knows he has a palace by now,” Futaba muttered, “then he would probably do everything in his power to keep us safe from his distortion. That is, he’s trying to hinder us and lead us away from his treasure.”
“So, if Ren knows, then it would all make sense why this is happening?” Ann inquired. “But how would he-” She stopped. “I remember Ren telling Ryuji and me that he’d been able to enter the palace, but he didn’t know whose it was. The only reason he probably hasn’t explored it yet would be... Queen! We haven’t seen Queen! Do you guys think she may have told him about this?”
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Of Phantoms and Thieves
FanfictionThe leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Joker, AKA, Ren Amamiya, is not in a good mood. It's been a year after the events that happened in Persona 5, and trouble has struck. Ren's parents have been arguing, and now they are getting a divorce. T...
