//------------------------------// // 4/11 (Tues.) // Story: Persona 5: The Phantom Thieves of Crystal Prep // by Golden Flare //------------------------------// 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy Early Morning You wake up well rested and head down for breakfast, just plain cereal this time, as you and Cadence got ready to head out the door, your head felt like it was thrown into the ocean as you lost your balance and hit the floor, Cadence panicking the whole time. 4/11, Tuesday Velvet Room You find yourself in your cell from the other night and Caroline, Justine, and Igor were before you again. "About time you've come to. On your feet, inmate!" Caroline ordered, banging on the bars with her baton. "Our master has something important he'd like to discuss with you." Justine said. "To start, I apologize for abruptly bringing you here against your will, and would like to celebrate our reunion. It appears that you have finally awakened to your powers. Your rehabilitation can now begin." "Powers?" you ask. "There is no need to understand for the time being. You will be training the power of Persona, the power that you have awakened. A Persona is like a 'mask'—a facade that you use to shield the real you as you face life's trials. I have high expectations for you." "What do you mean?" "Do not worry yourself. You will come to understand it when the time is right. By the by, have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between realities and Palaces." "Metaverse? Navigator?" "...I bestowed upon you so I could train you as a thief." "The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from our master! You better take care in using it, inmate!" Caroline said. "Devote yourself to your training and you will become a fine thief." Justine added. Igor took back over, "It must be disheartening to use the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who are beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief." Once again, the loud bell rang. "Hmph, it's time. Go back to your daily routine, inmate." The Velvet Room fades out as you return to the waking world. 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy Early Morning You open your eyes to find yourself back in your temporary home with Cadence pressing against your chest and giving you mouth to mouth. She stops when she sees you come to, "Oh, thank the creator! You're okay!" "Ugh...sorry, I don't know what happened." you lied. "It's okay...you don't have to go to school today." "No. I have to. Cinch is pretty much holding me at gun point about this." She sighs, "Alright, let's go then." You two head out to the car and to the school. 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy Morning The teacher begins his morning lecture. "Alright, class, today we're going to be talking about mythical gods. Hey! Kid!" You completely focus on the teacher. "It's been said that Zeus is the God of Thunder, but what is he also the god of?" "...The Sky." "Hm! I see someone has done their homework! Yes! Zeus is the God of Thunder AND The Sky! Good work!" It seems you are recognized by your classmates. You feel your knowledge grow. 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy After School As you walk down the steps to the front gate, you see Indigo conversing with Cadence. You can't hear what they're saying, but walk to them anyway. Cadence turns to you, "...And there he is now. You two be careful." With that, Cadence walks away and you ask Indigo why she just left. Indigo answered, "I convinced her to let me walk you back home." "Why?" you ask. Indigo narrowed her eyes, "Because there's something we need to talk about." You sigh, knowing that this was going to happen at some point, but you didn't think it would be this soon. Indigo pulled you to the side so nobody else could hear you two, "Look, I tried to tell myself that what we saw was a dream, but I couldn't. It was too real for me to dismiss, so I need your help." You thought about this for a moment... "Okay, I don't have any homework tonight, so I'm free." you answer. "Really!? Alright!" Indigo cheered, then went back to keeping her voice down, "So, after doing a lot of thinking...I think your phone might have a link to that armed base." You pretended to look skeptical, since you remember what Igor said. "I'm not playing around! Here, lemme borrow your phone for a sec." You pull out your phone and she just swipes it out of your hand. She scrolls through the applications in it until she find the red app marked with a weird eyeball. "Huh? What's with this weird-looking app? Is that supposed to be an eyeball?" "It looks kinda cool." you comment. "I don't think that's the word I would use to describe this thing...wait." she taps it and it comes up, she proceeds to check its search history and finds what she's looking for, "I was right! This is a navigation app! This is the thing that took us to that base! Look!" she shoves the phone in your face, "The search history doesn't lie!" You read the search history to yourself as it comes up and it shows that you were indeed that base, "...So it is." "Let's try it out!" Indigo taps the selection on the search history and it reads back what was said yesterday. "Cinch...school...strict...camp...beginning navigation." the Metaverse Navigator spoke. "Sweet!" Indigo said, "Now we just gotta follow this and..." Suddenly, a familiar warping sensation surrounds you and Indigo as the armed base appears again. "Hey, did you feel that...?" she then looks at the base, "It worked! It's the base from yesterday!" Indigo ran up near the front entrance, "We made it back...that means everything that happened yesterday was real!" Indigo noticed your attire changed back to the black disguise, "Gah! Your clothes!" You look at yourself and nearly jump out of your skin. "That happened last time too, didn't it!? What's with that getup!?" "No clue, honestly." you answered. "What the hell's going on here!? This makes no goddamn sense!" "Hey!" you both turn to see Morgana approach you two, "Stop making a commotion." "It's you!?" Indigo asked. But Morgana continued like he didn't hear her, "The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be...to think you two would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape." "What is this place? Isn't this our school?" "Yup." "But it's some kind of army camp!" "This camp IS the school. But only to the camp's admiral." "The camp's admiral...?" "I think you called her Cinch. This is how her distorted heart views the school." "Cinch...distorted...?" Indigo got frustrated, "Explain it a little better please!" Morgana sighed, "I shouldn't have expected a muscle-head to get it." "What did you call me!?" a scream came from inside the base, "What was that!?" "It must be the prisoners captive here." "You serious!?" another scream came out, "Shit...it's for real! We didn't see many of them, but they looked like some of the weaker hearted students of CPA." "Most likely on Cinch's orders. It's nothing out of the ordinary; it's like that every day here." Morgana turned to you, "What's more, you two escaped yesterday. She must've lost her temper quite a bit." "That bitch...!" "Indigo...?" "...This is BULLSHIT!" Indigo ran up and started pounding on the door, "You hear me, Cinch!?" Morgana sighed, "Doing that isn't gonna open the door, you know...still, it seems you have your reasons." Indigo walked up to him, "Hey, Gormana!" "It's Morgana!" he corrected, irritated. "You know where those voices are comin' from, right...?" Morgana looked unsure, "You want me to take you to them?" He turned back to you again, "...Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if he comes with us." You nod with no hesitation, "Let's go." Morgana jumps, "It's settled then!" Indigo looked genuinely excited as she spoke, "For real...!? Thanks man." "Alright, let's do this. Follow me!" Morgana lead the two of you back to the vent you escaped from the first time, giving a brief explanation about how to go about entering the camp. "This is our infiltration point." "Hey, isn't that where we escaped those prison cells last time...?" Indigo asked. "That's right. Not barging in through the entrance is one of the basics of phantom thievery." "How are we supposed to know stuff like that...?" Morgana started crawling into the vent, "I'll make sure to teach you as we go. Come on, follow me!" As Morgana continued in, Indigo turns to face you with a slight regretful look on her face, "So, uh...sorry for, you know, dragging you into all this." She then looked fierce, "But I can't forgive that bitch Cinch running us ragged just because we sided with Canterlot High during the Friendship Games!" You believe you have found the answer to your question from before. Something major happened during the Friendship Games that caused Principal Cinch to be much more strict and ruthless. But at the same time, you still do not have an answer for what EXACTLY happened that day. Indigo's expression shifted into something like gratitude, "Really though, thanks for coming along. I owe you big time!" It seems you will have to ask about what happened at the Friendship Games another time, right now you and Indigo had a mission. Indigo suddenly blushed when she remembered what almost happened last time, "Well, a-anyway, you go on in first." You raise an eyebrow in confusion. Indigo narrowed her eyes, "Do you seriously wanna look up my skirt?" Your eyes widened in realization, making you blush as you shook your head furiously. "Good choice." Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block A After crawling through the vent, the group of three reentered the cell block they previous escaped from. "Geez, this place is as creepy and depressing as always." Indigo commented. "I know. Now, make sure you guys do exactly as I say, alright?" Morgana advised, then ran in a certain direction, "...Follow me!" You two did as told and followed Morgana to what looked to be the main lobby inside the base. "Uh...didn't we come here when we went through the front door...?" Indigo asked, then jumped as both the base and the school shifted together for a moment and went back to the base, "What the...!? Was I drugged or something at lunch!? I just saw double! Was that Crystal Prep!?" "I told you already, the place is your school." Morgana explained again, "Regardless, we don't have the time to stand around. You never know when a Shadow might pop up out of nowhere. Come on, let's go!" The both of you followed Morgana once again and found a different stairway that led to the lower cell blocks. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block B You three climbed down the steps into the second cell block, but then had to hide when a military guard was patrolling the area and nearly spotted them. "Damn...I had a feeling there would be guards here...it looks like we won't be able to avoid conflict from this point forward." Morgana griped. "Y-You serious?" Indigo asked, suddenly not so sure this was a good idea. Morgana then developed a determined expression, "Oh well. I'll just teach you the basics of battle right now. You had better remember all of this. As a rule of thumb, try to ambush as many enemies as you can. Attack them from behind whenever possible. You'll need to rip off their masks to momentarily break the control the Palace ruler has over them. If you succeed in doing exactly that, the enemy will be caught off guard, allowing us to move in for a preemptive attack." You process all the information at once, and in a way, it makes sense to you. You mentally noted all of the intel and prepare yourself to launch a sneak attack. "So we're gonna ambush them and go for the first hit...I like it!" Indigo said, regaining her confidence. "Uh, you do know you're just going to be watching, right? You can't use a Persona." Morgana pointed out, "Anyway, let's go!" You nod and wait for the guard to turn its back, once it did, you charge in from behind, jump onto its shoulders, and tightly gripped its mask. "I'll reveal your true form." you say with finality. With one firm yank, the mask ripped clean off the guard, making it morph and beginning the battle with, not surprisingly, another jack-o-lantern. "Great job! The first move is ours!" Morgana said. You nod and summon your Persona, calling down a lightning bolt on the enemy. Morgana was up next and summoned his own Persona, "Witness my resolve!" with that, a gust of wind tore through the Shadow, destroying it. "Yeah! Victory!" You felt yourself grow stronger, and even more money weighed in your pockets, along with an item or two as you three pressed on forward. Your group continued through the prison block, Indigo immediately realizing that the prisoners were missing. "Where they all go!? Dammit, they were here last time!" "Quiet down!" Morgana hushed. "Wait, I remember there were more of them deeper in...!" Indigo ran off after saying that. Morgana turned to you, "They must've been transferred already..." Indigo rushed back to you two, "Crap, I hear a lot footsteps coming this way!" "It would be a problem if they discovered us now." Morgana went to the door across the hall from where you stood, "Hey guys, let's hide in this room. We should lay low until they pass by." With no hesitation whatsoever, you all ran into what seemed to be a safe room. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block Safe Room Once you've all settled in, Morgana spoke again, "The Shadows probably won't come in here." "What makes you say that?" Indigo asked. "There's a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler's control over this area is weak." The room briefly warped into a classroom in the school before returning to its usual state, shocking you and Indigo, "A classroom...!?" she asked. "Do you get it now? This place is another reality that the ruler's heart projects." Indigo looked around, "This is Cinch's reality...? This shit makes no sense at all!" "One could say it's a world in which one's distorted desires have materialized. I call such a place a 'Palace'." "A Palace...?" "This is happening because she thinks this school is her own base of operations." "So, it became like this because she just thought of it like that!? Hahaha...that selfish whore!" "You must really hate this Cinch gal." "Hate doesn't even cover how I, or the rest of the school feels. EVERYTHING is that bitch's fault!" Morgana turned away, "I don't know what happened between you, her, and the rest of the school you go to, but don't let your emotions get the better of you. Her flunkeys are everywhere inside." Morgana then addresses you, "You're curious about your outfit, aren't you?" Indigo faces you, "Yeah, I'm curious as hell about it too." "That's also because of this world." Indigo sighed, "More junk that makes no sense." "Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his or her Palace. A school can turn into a camp like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It's the image of rebellion that you hold within." Indigo groans in frustration, "UGH! I'm so fed up with all of this! I'm more curious about you than his clothes! What the hell are you anyways!?" Morgana glares at Indigo, "I'm a human—an honest-to-god human!" Indigo glares back, "No, you're obviously more like a cat!" Morgana looked unsure, "This is, well...it's because I lost my true form...I think." "You think?" Morgana smirks, "But I do know how to regain my true form. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means." he then frowns, "Well, I ended up getting caught though..." his gusto returns, "Besides, I've been tortured by Cinch too! I'm gonna make her pay for sure!" "What is this, a comic book? This is seriously crazy..." "If we're gonna keep going, we should hurry along." Morgana faces you once again, "I'll be counting on your skills this time too, rookie. Got it?" Indigo turned to you again, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna force it all on you. I thought it might help, so..." Indigo pulled out a pistol, surprising you, "I brought this just in case! It's a model gun though, so it only makes sounds!" "That's a toy!" Indigo looks confident, "But it looks totally real, so it'll at least fake them out. I brought some medicine too. You know what they say: 'You can't be too prepared.' Huh? Huh?" Morgana deadpanned, "So you were planning this from the start...well, fine. If you're ready to go, we'll resume our infiltration." You walk over to Indigo and take the medicine and farce weapon. Morgana spoke again, "Hm, there are probably still troopers making their rounds outside. Let's use this time to sort through our current situation." Morgana began the explanation, "Well...the prisoners aren't in their usual cells, so I would have to assume that they've been moved to a different location," Indigo raised a hand to speak, "and no, I don't know where or why." she lowered her hand back down, "So I say we eavesdrop on the troops and see if we can gather some more intel. But we have to be quick and quiet, got it?" You nod and inch yourself near the door, pressing your ear against it until you heard voices... Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block B Luckily, there were three guards standing just outside the door conversing with one another. "Hm, I thought I just heard something move over there...probably just imagined it." Guard #1 said. "And what of the prisoners?" Guard #2 asked. "They're all in the Torture Chamber, being interrogated for information. I'd assume they'd be shrieking in pain by now." Guard #3 answered. "Very well. By the way, I heard we may have intruders in the base. Be on alert." Guard #2 advised. The three guards split up to search for any intruders as your group exited the safe room. "Did you hear that?" Morgana asked. "They said Torture Chamber, right?" Indigo asked to confirm. "I think that's just below the third cell block. Let's go!" You pressed on ahead, but then stopped when you saw a little roadblock. "Shoot. There's a guard on duty here...the way to the Torture Chamber should be just down the few rows of stairs its guarding..." "So...now what? Should we fight it?" Indigo asked. "Seems so. Just don't let it notice you beforehand...if it does, the Palace's security level will rise." You make a mental note to stay hidden from enemies whenever possible. "A-And what do we do if that happens? Run away?" Indigo asked, nervously. "Well, the security level will go back down if we can beat more enemies without getting noticed." Morgana answered. "That's...pretty complicated." "Fine...I'll put some info together about the security level." Morgana began, "Understanding this is crucial to Palace Infiltration, so make sure you read it carefully, okay?" Morgana passed around some notes about security levels and the like, we read through them carefully, and you both handed them back to Morgana, ready to take on the next enemy. Once the guard's back was turned, you rushed forward and pried at its mask. "Show me your true form!" you say. You tore the mask off once again and began another battle with two opponents, both of which were some kind of walking flowers, summoning Zeus as you had the first attack, launching a bolt of lightning at one of the enemies. "Take this! Persona!" Morgana declared as Odin attacked the same enemy with a blast of wind, but didn't kill it. It was now the enemies' turn as they each attacked you and Morgana once. It was time for your retaliation as you fired yet another bolt of lightning, killing the first flower thing, "Go down!" Morgana spoke, "Okay! Scratch one enemy!" But the victory was brief as the other freaky flower attacked him, forcing him to heal himself with his Persona. Your turn came again as you brought down another lightning bolt on the enemy, who retaliated by attacking you, but it missed. "Nice one! They can't land a hit!" Morgana complimented, then charged at the enemy with his sword, dealing significant damage. You did the same with your knife, slicing and stabbing until the enemy died, making you two victorious once more. "Nice work, team!" Morgana said as you felt more strength, money, and items come to you. You all then went down the stairs to continue finding the prisoners. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block C "The Torture Chamber is just further down, right?" Indigo asked. "Yeah. Just make sure you watch out for any guards along the way." Morgana advised. You three made your way across the third cell block, but had to stop when you almost got spotted by two troopers. You all hid behind the corner of the wall and eavesdropped on them. "Hey, seen any intruders so far?" the first guard asked. "No, nothing yet..." the second guard answers. "Shoot..." Morgana whispers, "I had a feeling that there would be a lot of enemies. It'd be impossible to dodge all of them..." "So what's the plan? Take them down like before?" Indigo asked. "It's not that simple. We still have a ways to go, so we need to conserve our energy." "Damn...I wish I had one of those Persona things...maybe then I wouldn't be so useless...but all I got is a stupid toy..." "Huh? You mean that gun?" "Yeah, it may look real, but...it doesn't shoot anything." Morgana looked starry-eyed, "I see...maybe there IS a way...we can use it to take down those enemies!" "What!?" Indigo whisper-shouted, "Are you even listening to me!? That thing doesn't even shoot pellets, let alone bullets!" The troopers started walking in your direction as Morgana spoke with confidence, "Don't worry, I'm sure this'll work. Attack away, kid!" You nod, "Leave it to me." "Wait, man!" Indigo protests, "I just said it's not gonna work!" You charge at the enemies and attack, starting yet another battle, this time with another walking flower and a new enemy, a pixie-like one. "You have the gun, right?" Morgana asked you, "Point it at a Shadow and fire!" You were confused at first since you knew it wouldn't work, but you trusted Morgana enough to know that he knows what he's doing, so you took aim and pulled the trigger, firing off a few bullets at each of the Shadows, the pixie-like one dropping flat while the flower hardly felt it. "How about that!? Surprised?" Morgana began, "Be mindful of how much ammo you have left!" You nod and call forth your Persona, launching a lightning bolt at the pixie thing and killing it. "Alright, I'll show you my weapon too!" Morgana pulled out a large slingshot and fired multiple rounds at the flower, but didn't defeat it. The flower charged at you and dealt some damage, to which you returned the favor with a knife attack. Morgana finished it off by calling Odin and attacking with a gust of wind. With yet another victory, you felt stronger and even more money filled your pockets, but no items this time. Indigo rushed up to you two, "Whoa! Did that stupid toy shoot real bullets!?" Morgana faced her, "This is a cognitive world. As long as our opponent sees it as real, it becomes such. It's a good thing that toy was so realistic looking." Indigo looked confused, "...You lost me." Morgana smirked cockily, "I wasn't expecting someone with your brains to understand." Morgana then turned to you, "How about you, kid? Did you get what I said?" "It's simple logic." you reply. "Heh, just as I was expecting." "Wait, if it's better having something realistic, then why do you have a slingshot!?" Indigo began asking him, "And it was just as strong as a goddamn gun! What about your whole cognitive whatever!?" "W-Well, um..." Morgana sighs, "Fine, you can choose to understand it however you want." then it looked like something had just popped into his head, "Oh by the way, we should decide how we divvy up our roles in battle from here on out." Indigo sighed, "He totally dodged my question..." But Morgana continued regardless, "As you can see, there are quite a lot of enemies. It'll be important to coordinate our moves well. I can keep providing intel for us, but you should decide how we fight, kid." "What do you mean by, 'how we fight'?" "Basically, what we do in battle. He can order us directly, or let us decide what we do...though I guess I'm the only other one fighting right now..." You take note of Morgana's advice for team tactics and how you can control the tide of battle. After that was over, you all moved on to find the prisoners and eventually find the door to the Torture Chamber just below one more set of stairs, but it's being guarded. "A guard...I'm pretty sure that's where we need to be going too..." Indigo looked excited, "You guys gonna take it down again?" "I guess that's our only choice...but wait, this might be a good time..." Morgana smiles, "Okay! I've decided! I'm going to teach you two a special way to fight enemies!" "Is it a new technique?" you ask. "Something like that! Let's go!" You charged at the trooper guarding the stairs and attacked, initiating another battle with another pixie-like Shadow. "Listen, there's a distinct flow to battles. Let me show you. After all, seeing is...something? First, knock down all the enemies! Everything starts at that crucial step!" You nod and fire your gun, knowing it's this particular Shadow's weakness, knocking it down. "Alright! Now rush on in for an All-out Attack!" You two charge forward and relentlessly attack the enemy until it died completely. "The show's over." you say. You felt even more strength and money come to you as the battle ended. "Mm, that went really well! You're definitely fit for this." "Wh-What was that super-move thing you just did!?" Indigo asked. "I told you, it's called an All-out Attack." Morgana began, "If you manage to knock all the enemies down, you might be able to use it to beat them all at once." "Yeah...that was over quick..." "It's a concentrated attack on defenseless enemies, after all. Now as I mentioned before, I want you to be the head of our command. You can decide when we use this." "Alright." you respond, taking note of this "All-out Attack" tactic. "Strike the enemy's weakness, knock them all down, then do an All-out Attack! That's the ideal pattern!" You all climbed down the stairs and found the entrance to the Torture Chamber. "Alright, this is it!" Indigo read the label on the door, "Crystal Prep's...Torture Chamber...of Interrogation...? What kinda bullshit is this!?" You ignore Indigo's outburst and enter through the door with your teammates. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Torture Chamber of Interrogation The moment you three entered, you heard shouting down the hall. "That voice...where's it coming from...?" Indigo asked. You all followed the voices down the hall to a set of iron bars, where they have gotten louder. "Hey, is it coming from in there!?" Your group looked through the bars to see the prisoners either getting beaten or electrocuted by the troopers, torturing them for intel. Indigo stomped a foot, "Dammit! This is bullshit!" "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down!?" Morgana chastised her. Indigo growled, "But this is BEYOND messed up!" she looked around the wall of bars, "How do I open this...?" "Stop it...!" a male voice meekly said, making you all turn to him, you recognize him as Trenderhoof, "Leave us alone...it's useless..." Indigo was shocked, "Huh!?" Another prisoner walked over, this time it was a girl, you recognize this one as Frosty Orange, "If we stay obedient, we won't be executed like you guys!" Indigo gripped the bars and glared at the mindless prisoners, "Are you telling me you wanna stay in a hellhole like this!?" "Wait a minute...were you planning on taking these people out of here?" Morgana asked. "We can't just leave them here!" Indigo argued. Morgana shook his head, "How stupid can you be...?" "What!?" "These are only humans in Cinch's cognition. They aren't real humans that have entered from reality. They're different from you two." "Cognition...?" "It means there's no point in saving them! They're different from the real ones in the real world. You could say that these are extremely similar-looking dolls." Indigo slumped, "The hell!? Why does it gotta be so complicated!?" she stood straight, "So the school's a base of operations, the best students are soldiers, and the weak ones are prisoners...It's so on point that it almost makes me laugh." she scowled, "This really is the inside of that skank's head...!" Morgana gets closer to the bars and cringes at the display of torture, "Still, this is horrible. It must mean she treats them as prisoners in the real world too." "In the real world too...?" Indigo thinks for a moment, then a lightbulb goes off in her head, "Wait, I know these guys..." Indigo went wide-eyed, "They're students of the trigonometry class—the one Cinch supervises!" "They must be physically abused every day...there's no way they'd be so beat up normally." "Don't tell me..." Indigo became angry, "They're going through similar shit in reality!?" "Most likely. I mean, this proves that Cinch think of them as prisoners." Indigo furrowed her brows in thought, "So it might be for real...I heard that Cinch is using physical punishment. They're just rumors, but...if they're true, wouldn't this be something to report to the police...?" Indigo pulled out her phone, "I'll use these guys as evidence. If it all goes well, we can take down that skank Cinch...!" then she noticed something weird, "...Huh? It's not working!? We can use the navigation app, but the camera's a no go!?" "A navigation app...?" Morgana asked, confused. "That's what we used to come here." she turned to you, "What about yours?" You pull out your phone and try to access the camera. ......? But the camera app won't open. Morgana began to get fidgety, "Whatever you do is fine, but we're gonna get caught if we stand around like this. We need to head back!" "Hang on a sec!" Indigo pressed her head against the bars, "There's no other way...I'll just memorize their faces before going home!" Indigo looked around the interrogation cells to see multiple student being dealt many kinds of physical abuse with you and Morgana following her. "Hey, are you done yet!? We're cutting it close here!" Morgana complained. Indigo jumped, then scowled at Morgana, "Don't freak me out like that, you goddamn moron!" she calmed down and spoke again, "Anyways, I got all of them!" "Then let's stop wasting time! We need to scram!" You all got back to the exit of the Torture Chamber and left the area. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block C The second you three reentered the lowest cell block, Indigo spoke up, "Alright, we gotta get outta here, and fast!" You all jumped when you heard a trooper's voice nearby, "The watch post near the Torture Chamber has ceased reporting! Chances of intruder activity are at a code red! All personnel, tighten security, and if you see anyone not in uniform, shoot to kill!" A trooper ran into the cell block searching for intruders, gun in hand with an itchy trigger-finger. Morgana cringed in fear, "Tch, we've stayed here too long...come on, let's get out of here!" Your group ran away and climbed all of the stairs back up to the first cell block of the camp. Palace: Crystal Prep Military Camp Area: Prison Block A "The exit's this way! Let's hurry!" Morgana shouted as you all continued running. It seemed like you were going to get away without any repercussions...but fate had other plans, unfortunately. The moment you got near the vent, you, Indigo, and Morgana were surrounded by troopers and none other than Cinch herself...no, not Cinch, her Shadow. Shadow Cinch snarled, "...You brats again? To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're completely brainless!" Indigo stepped forward, "The school ain't your army camp! I've memorized their faces real good. You're going down!" Shadow Cinch smirked, "I guess it's true that some people don't know the saying 'let sleeping dogs lie.' How far the star player of the Friendship Games has fallen." "The hell are you talking about!?" "I'm talking about the 'Friendship Failures' who took the side of those CHS punks, ending everyone's dreams." Shadow Cinch innocently put a finger to her chin, "Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the other students who were dragged under with yours and your friends'...traitorous act." "Ngh..." "'Friendship Failures'?" you ask. Shadow Cinch sneered, "I'm actually surprised. You helping this rebellious soul without knowing anything about her? She and her friends betrayed me and crushed any hope for friendship for everybody in Crystal Prep, yet they still try to understand it, not realizing it's just a measly distraction from one's studies." Indigo cringed in frustration, "T-That's not true! You're the one who nearly killed everyone!" You and Morgana were genuinely surprised by that last comment. You now felt an even greater urge to know what happened that day. Shadow Cinch continued, regardless of Indigo's accusation, "You've come along with this juvenile delinquent and now you're about to be dead...quite the unlucky one, aren't you?" Shadow Cinch scowled and turned to her troops, "Shoot them dead. And don't get blood everywhere, if you would be so kind." One of the troopers that appeared to be a Troop General ordered the other troopers to attack, making them transform into tall, black goats with red eyes, green horns, white manes, and red veins glowing around their bodies, almost appearing to be demonic. "Dammit!" Indigo growled. Morgana charged forward to shield her, "Indigo, move!" You went forward as well and begun another battle, except there was a downside to this one. "Ngh...we're surrounded!" "I'll kill you!" one of the troops bellowed, "I'll kill you because Admiral Cinch told us to! I'll kill because that's what she wants! It's our duty to obey her!" The trooper charged at you and Morgana, nearly knocking you two out, but you two stayed stronger and tried to retaliate. But your attacks weren't getting you anywhere. Morgana noticed the obvious, "There's more of them? This is bad..." It was true, more troopers started coming out of the woodwork and attacked you and Morgana, finally knocking you both to the ground, unable to continue fighting. The battle was over before it had even started. Shadow Cinch walked up to the downed Morgana and stomped on his back, "Rgh...you piece of—" You tried to prop yourself up, but the general stepped on your back and pushed back to the floor. Shadow Cinch sneered at her victory and proceeded to taunt you all further, "I'm willing to bet that you came here on a whim and ended up defeated. Am I wrong?" "No..." Indigo tried to say. "What a worthless piece of human waste, letting your emotions take control...how dare you raise your hand at me. Although it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness during the announcement just after the Friendship Games?" Indigo pounded the floor, "That's wasn't no announcement—it was a threat! And it's not just you physically abusing your own students, you just didn't want us to have friends!" Shadow Cinch scowled as grinded the sole of her boot into Morgana's back, "Friendship is nothing but a distraction AND an eyesore to boot! I have friends in high places, and that's the only friends one should have in order to succeed!" she smirked again, "That Coach Wind Rider that got fired was hopeless as well. Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would've only settled it with only increasing the school's curriculum by miles." Indigo looked shocked, "...What?" "Do you need me to deal with your little friends as well?" Shadow Cinch asked, talking about the other girls, "The school board won't do a thing about it anyway! I have complete control! I could even demolish Canterlot High if I so wished!" Indigo groaned, "Dammit...am I gonna lose again...? Not only that we all can't make friends...the whole school's gone to hell because of this bitch...!" "So that's why..." Morgana realized before grunting in pain by Shadow Cinch grinding her boot against him again. "Once these two are dealt with, you're next." Shadow Cinch grinned devilishly, "Hahahaha...!" "Indigo!" Morgana called to her. "Stand up for yourself!" you shout. Indigo looked conflicted, but then scowled in sheer determination, "...You're right. Everything that was important to me and the school taken by her...I might never get it all back...!" Shadow Cinch smirked, "Stay there and watch. Observe as these juvenile scum die for absolutely nothing because they sided with a traitorous failure like you." Indigo began to stand up, "No...that's what YOU are...all you think about is using other people to fulfill your own goals...you're the real scumbag, Cinch!" Indigo walked towards Shadow Cinch, making her scowl, "What are you doing? General, kill her!" Indigo pointed at her and proceeded to yell, "Stop looking down on me and everyone else with that FUCKING STUPID smile on your face!!" ... ...... ......... You made me wait quite a while. Indigo felt a massive pressure in her head as her eye color turned yellow, making scream and roll around the floor in pain, clutching her head all the while, "A-Aaagh...!" You want strength, right? Then the time has come for us to form a pact. Since you've been branded as a failure, why not spread your wings and change your fate...? The "other you" who exist inside demands it...I am thou, thou art I...there is no turning back...the wings of freedom are your strength henceforth!! Indigo raised her head to reveal that a mask had appeared on her face; it looked like a pair of spread out black wings. The Troop General glared at Indigo's defiance, "Hmph. What can you do...?" he pointed his gun at your head, "Cower in fear and watch!" Indigo stood up and pried the mask off her face, making her bleed like you did and a burst of blue energy exploded from her as she roared, "Nnnngh...Hraaaaaaaaagh...!" The rush of energy pushed Shadow Cinch and the Troop General back away from you and Morgana. After it had subsided, Indigo was hunched over, breathing heavily as something hovered over behind her; a woman with blonde hair, piercing yellow eyes, wearing draconian armor and robes, wielding a staff glowing on both ends, and bearing dragon-like wings on her back. After she had caught her breath, Indigo whipped her head up, showing a toothy, confident smile. Shadow Cinch growled, "Rgh...this one as well...?" "Sweet...so this is what having a Persona feels like...this effing rocks!" Indigo took brief stock of her new outfit as you and Morgana stood back up; it was similar to the jumpsuit she wore during the Friendship Games, except it was ink black and around her neck was a bright yellow scarf bearing her mark: a dark purple cloud with a pink star in the center and a light blue lightning bolt below it, "Now that I'm even stronger than before, it's time for a little payback...alright, guys...let's rock!" Her words seemed to greatly irritate the Troop General, "Ngh...don't taunt me, you little shit!" he slammed his fist down and morphed into a Japanese knight with red armor and horns on his head, wielding a spear and riding a horse of the same colors as the goats from before. Indigo pointed at him with her smile still present, "Let's take him down...Parvati!" The battle begun with a slight banter from the Troop General and Indigo. "What insolent children that insult Admiral Cinch with irrelevant matters!" he ranted. "Cinch's cognition isn't changing, right?" Indigo began, "Then I'll act like a real friend for everyone at CPA!" she then wore the mask she ripped off, "Game on, Parvati!" The Troop General reared his horse back and two more of those goats appeared from plumes of dark mist. Indigo took the initiative and attacked with her Persona, "Let's rock, Parvati!" she struck down one of the goats with a light-attributed spell, giving her the incentive to strike again at the other goat with another light spell, "Parvati!" when it died, Indigo struck again at the horseman with yet another light spell, dealing some damage. It was your turn and you attacked the only enemy left with a lightning bolt from Zeus, which dealt quite a bit of damage. Now Morgana was up and called his own Persona to conduct a wind spell, but it didn't kill him just yet, "Time for my Persona!" The Troop General horseman attacked with a swing of his spear, nearly slicing Indigo open. "Whup him, Persona!" Indigo attacked him with a light spell again, bringing him closer to defeat as it was evident from his slouching over his horse. You tried to use your gun to finish him, but it either missed or he resisted the onslaught. Morgana used his Persona to heal Indigo from the damage she took earlier. The Troop General charged at Morgana, almost killing him with a slice. Indigo retaliated by finishing the Troop General off with another light spell. "I am...the general...of the honorable Admiral Cinch..." the Troop General droned as he was close to death, "So why...did I lose...!?" Indigo smirked under her mask, "It just prove that Cinch is just a sadistic, old witch!" The Troop General toppled on his horse, eventually morphing back into his original form as Indigo was exhausted from the battle, proved by her gasping and panting. "...How'd you like that!?" she gloated. Morgana looked surprised, "Whoa...so Indigo had the potential too..." Indigo panted, "Even if you apologize now...I won't forgive you...!" Despite her failure, Shadow Cinch smirked, "I've already told you that this is my camp. I guess you still don't get it." Suddenly, Dean Cadence, Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, and Sunny Flare, wearing the camp uniforms, walked over to Shadow Cinch, got on their knees, and started bowing to her as if she was their ruler. "Wh—girls!? And Dean Cadence too!?" Indigo said in surprise. Morgana seemed to be interested in Sunny, "Oh...! Wha...what a meow-velous and beautiful woman...!" "What's going on...!?" "Something's...off." you say. "Yeah, I agree, why are the girls and Dean Cadence here!?" Indigo asked as Shadow Cinch leaned down and smirked at her admirers, "Hey! Quit reveling this, you bitch!" "How many times must I tell you in order for you to understand?" Shadow Cinch asked with her smirk still present, "This is MY camp—a place where I can do as I please. Everyone wishes to worship me." she then scowled, "...That is, everyone except slow-witted thieving brats like you." "Girls, Cadence! Say something!" "Calm down, Indigo! It seems those women aren't the real ones." Morgana intercepted, "They're the same as those prisoners—beings made from Cinch's cognition of them!" "Hmph. Are you jealous that YOU are not being worshipped as I am?" Shadow Cinch sneered, "Personally, I'm not surprised. Real people don't worship problematic children like you." Indigo growled, "Dammit...!" Shadow Cinch's sneer intensified, "Troopers! Time to take out the trash!" And just like that, many more troopers appeared out of the floor, serving as a wall to guard Shadow Cinch. "We're outnumbered..." Morgana took note, "Let's scram before we get surrounded!" But Indigo didn't like that idea, "We're not gonna do anything and just run away!?" "Indigo, we can't die here, we gotta go." you said. "Thank god you've got a level head." Morgana complimented. Indigo hesitated, but then relented, "Ngh...fine." Indigo faced Shadow Cinch and glared her down, "We'll expose you for the witch you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us...!" Shadow Cinch smiled deviously, "Hahaha! I was starting to get bored of torturing the prisoners here!" she looked even more devilishly gleeful, "Come at me whenever you want, if you truly wish to die! Haaaahahahaha!" Morgana turned tail, "Ignore her. Let's go!" To make sure Shadow Cinch doesn't know of your infiltration point, you, Indigo, and Morgana decided to book it out the front door. 4/11, Tuesday Metaverse The three of you were hunched over, trying to regain your lost breath from running away, you DID run from the first prison block all the way to front gate, after all. Indigo finally stopped panting as she spoke, "Anyways!" she finally realized what she was wearing, "I don't remember changing into this!" You smile, "It looks good on you." "R-Really!? Ya think so!?" Indigo seemed a little too enthusiastic at your compliment. Though you kept your smile, you felt yourself sweat-drop. "Did you find them!?" a trooper's voice inside the camp bellowed. "Quiet!" Morgana quickly said. "No. Search over there!" another trooper ordered. "So what's going on!?" Indigo asked, exasperated, "I'm completely lost here, dude!" "I told you already." Morgana began to explain again, "When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It's to prevent you from being affected by distortions." Indigo looked at her mask, "Is this...a pair of wings?" "Your appearance reflects your inner self. It's the rebel that slumbers within...not that you'll get it." Indigo reluctantly agreed, "Nope..." "Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is." Indigo grumbled, "Easy for you to say." she gasped as she realized something, "Wait, we're in deep shit!" "I said to be quiet!" Morgana whisper-shouted. "We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Cinch at the real school..." "That's quite sharp of you...for being an idiot." Morgana taunted, "Relax. The Cinch in reality can't possibly know about what happens in here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed—a side of one's personality they don't want to see." "...So, we're good?" Morgana raised an eyebrow, "Did the Cinch in reality remember anything about the execution?" Indigo jolted as she realized he was correct, which made Morgana smile, "There you have it." "Alright!" Indigo fist-pumped, "Now that we know that, all we gotta do is—" "Wait." Morgana halted what Indigo was going to say, "I guided you as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me." you and Indigo were confused, "That's why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything." "Huh? Cooperate?" "Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my true form! That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and—" "Whoa, hold up a sec. What the heck are you talking about? We never said anything about helping you out." Morgana looked surprised, "Huh? Don't tell me...are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you?" he then turned to you, "Especially you! You're going to up and leave, even though you're already part of my master plan!?" "Let me think about it." you say. "Really?" "Dude, of course not! We're busy!" Indigo said, interrupting your thoughts, but then smiled at him, "But thanks for everything, cat. You got guts, being a cat and all! See you around!" You and Indigo ran off, leaving Morgana shocked at how this had progressed, "Hey! What the hell!? Ugh, seriously! Why're you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory!?" Morgana then had an outraged glare, "Oh hell no! Get back here!...Grr...GRAAGGGHHH!" But the both of you paid no heed to his outburst as you returned to your own world... 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy After School "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." Your phone said. Indigo breathed a sigh of relief, "...Thank god. We're back." she turned to you, "I dragged you around a lot, huh? Sorry, pal. Ugh, I'm dead tired...how are you holding up?" "I could use a nap." you reply. "Me too...damn, I'm gonna sleep like a rock when I get home." Indigo then became excited, "But seriously, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good! I totally remember the faces of the people Cinch was treating like prisoners. The second we make them fess up to any physical abuse, Cinch is finished. So...wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?" "Sure, I'll help." you said. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Indigo suddenly looked uneasy, "Hey, so...if you're thinking of laying low because you got a record, I don't think that'll help. Everyone already knows. They totally have you pegged as a criminal." "How'd that happen?" Indigo looked peeved, "Cinch opened her damn mouth!" "Seriously?" Indigo nodded, "No one but a teacher could've leaked it that fast! It doesn't matter if it's a student or a club; that bitch just wrecks things she doesn't agree with. Just like she did with me and my friends...!" Indigo appeared to be upset, "No one will take anything we say seriously anymore." she then got angry again, "Still, those rumors about her getting physical might be for real. And after seeing Cinch's distorted-heart thing in person, there's no way I'm just gonna sit back now!" You nod, "Of course." Indigo fist-pumped, "I'm counting on you! Don't worry; I'm psyched about this too!" You can sense a faint bond of trust coming from Indigo... Present Day You conclude your flashback with another clutch of your head. Twilight Velvet looked thoughtful, "Acting as a Phantom Thief would've been more efficient alone. You could've gone about it that way...however, you did not. There are merits to having associates...that's what you decided." Twilight Velvet leaned forward, "Am I wrong?" I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Chariot Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power... Indigo's stomach growled, "Oh...right. I haven't eaten anything since lunch. It'd be awkward to split up now, so whatcha say we grab a bite somewhere?" "Sure, what kind of food, though?" you ask her. "Meat, man. Just follow me." Indigo then smiled eagerly, "I totally gotta hear about your past!" You nod and follow your new friend to the nearest meat restaurant. You and indigo were chowing down on beef bowls as you explained your situation and how it landed you in Canterlot. Indigo looked incredulous, "WHAT!? The hell, man! How much shittier can that asshole get!?" "I'm still eating." you say. Indigo instantly became sheepish, "Oh. My bad." she went back to eating as she spoke again, "So...you left your hometown, and...you're living here now, is that right?" you two ate a little more when Indigo voiced her opinion, "Ya know, we may be more alike than I thought." You had a look of curiosity on your face, "How do you figure?" Indigo smirked, "I don't got a record like you do." then she relented, "I mean, that's not it." she sighs, "I guess it's how we're treated like outcasts by everybody around us, like we don't belong." she closed her eyes, "I did something crazily loyal at the Friendship Games that Cinch didn't like." Indigo finished her food before she spoke up again, "You're living with the dean now, right? Cadence? It's rush hour right now, even in the suburbs, you should kill some time before heading on back." Indigo looked at your plate and served you more food, "What's up, man. You barely touched your food." "I'm not helpless, you know." you say. She just smiles, "Just let me do it. I gotta thank you for lending me a hand. Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from this day on." Indigo then looked serious, "As long as we do something about Cinch, I'm sure we'll both feel better about learning in school." You nod. Indigo jolted, as if she remembered something, "Oh, yeah!" she whipped out her phone, "Tell me your number. And while we're at it, your Chat ID too." You pull your phone out of your pocket and exchange information with Indigo. As of right now, you have gained access to the Chat app, and will occasionally receive messages from those close to you. You two had finished exchanging each other's information when Indigo spoke once more. "Just you wait, Cinch...we're gonna start right away tomorrow. First, let's hit up those guys and gals that were being kept as slaves. School Spirit Day is tomorrow, right? That bullshit was recommended by Cinch herself to keep the school board in the dark. Makes me absolutely sick. But thanks to Cinch's 'cover-up', we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can move freely around the school. Well, I guess we can work out all the details tomorrow..." Indigo smiled, "C'mon, you gotta eat, dude. There's tons of beef there." You felt yourself sweat-drop at Indigo eagerness, but proceed to eat anyway. Meanwhile... A lone boy left the trigonometry classroom with an exhausted expression on his face; he had light golden skin, purple eyes, black hair that reached his shoulders, on his face he had a mustache and a goatee along piercings on both ears and his left eyebrow, wearing a similar Crystal Prep uniform to most of the student body. He had just finished showing his work for a massive equation that Cinch left behind deliberately for him, he was the best in the class and she wanted him to stay on top of his studies. This poor student goes by the name of Bronze Wing, and Cinch believes that he should thank his lucky stars that he's the only one that doesn't get physically abused by her. Okay...keep it together, Bronze...you still have a few more days until the weekend...just hold on a little longer... he thought to himself. 4/11, Tuesday, Cloudy Evening After you and Indigo went your separate ways for today, you returned to Cadence's home where she waited for you on the sofa. "Oh! You're home." Cadence smiled, "So, how did it go with Indigo? Did you two have fun?" You nod. "That's great!" she then became somber, "But don't forget why you're here; you aren't exactly a free man right now, so please stay out of trouble." "I understand." you reply. It was at that moment your phone started chiming, you dug it out and checked who it was. Unsurprisingly, it was Indigo. Hey, I decided to message you to check if I got the right Chat ID. Can you see this? Yup. Sweet! I'm gonna be counting on you tomorrow, got it? Got it. You're a real pal, dude... Welp, see ya tomorrow! Let's save the students from being used and abused by that bitch. You and me. You end your chat with Indigo as Cadence keep the concern on her face, "I'm glad you're making friends, but don't dig yourself into a hole you can't dig yourself out of." You nod. Cadence stands up from the couch, "Tonight is Leftover Night, so grab whatever you want from the fridge and head for bed, School Spirit Day is tomorrow, and we both need our rest. Don't worry about leaving me anything to eat, I already ate a while before you got back." she walks up to you and plants a kiss on your forehead, making you blush slightly, "Good night." She heads upstairs and you grab a quick bite to eat, a small snack though, you're already pretty full from the meat place you and Indigo ate at. With that done, you head upstairs as well and into bed, thinking about everything that has transpired today. You just started harnessing your newfound powers. Indigo had awakened to a similar power to yours and Morgana's. And Morgana...he seemed pretty steamed when you and Indigo left him behind. He mentioned something about "Mementos"...what could he have meant? Either way, you'll probably find him tomorrow and apologize... ...After you and Indigo find evidence of Cinch's abuse and expose her during School Spirit Day.