Chapter Text
July in Shibuya was rather humid. The sun reached its zenith high in the sky, and with the subway crowd commuting in packs, sweat clung to skin of salarymen and students alike, with no respite.
And yet that sun paled in comparison to the raging ball of fire in the cognitive world of Futaba's Palace. The lone Pyramid stood tall in the vast desert, a distinct desolate monument. Sand swirled around, creating mounds, burying that which was never meant to be found.
Inside the pyramid, the temperature dropped. The Phantom Thieves ran along the infinite corridors, slaying Shadows and collecting treasure boxes. The Shadows were nothing like any they had seen before, posing a new challenge at every turn. However, the most intriguing aspect of this Palace was the puzzles.
Akira had solved enough of those by now. The bridges in Kamoshida's Castle, the paintings of Madarame's Museum and the vaults of Kaneshiro's Bank had each posed a strong challenge to the Phantom Thieves, but Futaba's Palace was so much more complex. Codes and holograms floated around them, processing information at breakneck speeds. It took all of them, even Makoto, quite a bit of time to understand the quests and push ahead.
In times like these, Akira was reminded of the detective. He would know exactly what to do, but would never step in himself. Crimson eyes that noticed every little detail, but never gave away their secrets. Eyes preferred to watch, only stepping in when deemed fit. The ability to push others to do better, only guiding when necessary, was something the leader in Akira truly respected.
Everything was a game between the thief and the detective; the rules unspoken. One wrong word, and it would all collapse. Akira wasn't ready for that.
The sun hung low on the horizon, but the Phantom Thieves were still stuck on a puzzle, a binary code. The next safe room was only a couple steps away, separated by what looked like a bottomless pit. The puzzle would inevitably create a bridge, allowing them to pass the abyss. Minutes passed as the Thieves gathered around the terminal screen, trying to understand the puzzle.
"What the hell... Do we really hafta solve this?! Why don't we just...ya''know, swing over the thing?!" Ryuji's crowbar tapped impatiently against the terminal.
Ann laughed, shoving him playfully. "Come on, Skull, there's no place for hooks, we checked. Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't!"
"Panther is right, you know." The ca- Mona jumped onto the platform hovering over the terminal to get a better look. "Amateurs should step aside."
"Hey!-"
Seemingly tired of this exchange, Makoto's eyebrows knitted in a frown, the scribbles on her paper indecipherable to anyone but her. "Now, now, we're almost done with the puzzle... Fox, what are you doing?"
Yusuke stood apart, his eyes focused on the ceiling. He squinted one eye, looking through a picture frame made by his fingers. "This architecture… every chamber reflects precise proportional harmony. Truly remarkable.”
"Man, ignore that guy, let's just get this o-"
Before Ryuji could finish, a bell chimed-- loud and final, echoing throughout the corridors. Not a mere moment later, red smoke invaded their vision. A familiar aroma spread about; soft hints of vanilla wafting through the air.
Akira peered through his mask, the silhouettes of his teammates were fast disappearing. Hands reached out, rying to grasp at something, anything. Red mist swirled, forming kaleidoscopic patterns in his vision, as the sound of footsteps ghosted all around him.
From the mist stepped forward an entity. Tall, it bore the shape of a woman, draped in white satin. Her eyes glimmered like jewels, changing colors with every blink. It was nothing like any Shadows or Personas Akira had seen before, even in the Velvet Room. Her presence brought forth a feeling of comfort, like drowning in the world's softest bed. Hair that flowed like cloth, the black locks enveloped Akira in an embrace. Like drowning in the world's softest bed. Her voice filled the air, like flowing water, melodious and calm.
"Le Mat..." The sound of a celestial harp hummed through his chest, as though he was forgiven for all of his sins he never confessed. Her lips moved, though it did not match the words that spilled out. The red mist seemed to get more pervasive, her voice reaching through static.
"Thou... who hast known power... do not hunger for it...
Thou... who hast known fear... do not break beneath it...
Thou... who hast known affection... thy heart craves it..."
What the hell?
And then, it began. Sharp pain coursed through him, every single vein, alive. Bones cracked, loud, twisting and turning within him. His skin burned, as though thousands of insects bit him all over. Knees hit hard ground as sounds vanished-- his ears had popped, blood dripping onto the weathered limestone. Every breath was shorter, choked. A stinging sensation set his heart on fire, as if a chain had been wrapped around it, stretching to its limits. Throughout it all, he never once lost consciousness, every single sensation vivid and full of agony.
After what seemed like hours, the pain stopped abruptly. And suddenly, as if the world had unpaused, the voices rushed in.
"Joker, where are you?!"
An arm, weak and trembling, raised from under Akira's leather coat, his voice coming out strained.
"H-hey."
There was a clatter of footsteps he could hear getting closer until... quiet.
"Oh. My. God."
Was that Ann?
"Ain't no way... dude. Is this for real?"
"J-Joker! A-are you okay?"
"I- I..."
"Mona! Do something!"
"What?! What am I supposed to do?! I've never seen anything like this before!"
"Joker... this is... quite the predicament we're in."
"Predicament?! He's not- I can't even say it!"
"Let us get out of here first. He is in no condition to continue."
Warm hands enveloped Akira, the remaining dregs of pain melting away. A sigh escaped him as the world turned dark.
The uncomfortable hardness of his mattress and the sun peeking through the bedside window woke Akira up. He stirred slowly, body drained of all strength. The action was met with a sudden barrage of voices.
"Akira! He's awake!"
"W-what happened to me?"
Akira finally opened his eyes, adjusting to the light in the room. He noticed his teammates standing awkwardly around him.
Something isn't right.
"Why...are you all so tall?" His voice was too light.
"Akira..." Makoto spoke, trying her best to sound calm. "You might want to take a look at yourself...in the mirror... or you can just look down I suppose..."
That did not sound good. The nervousness in the room, the way everyone seemed to be staring at the leader of the Phantom Thieves was, for the first time ever, suffocating. He shifted, stretching his body, which moved fluidly despite all the beating it had taken. As if every muscle moved in perfect harmony.
He glanced down.
"What the fuck."
Black fur met grey eyes. No, no, no, no what? He rushed up, only to stumble and fall. Walking on two feet was no longer a reality, not when he had four.
Morgana walked up to him, placing a paw on his... paw.
The two cats stared at each other.