This story is a work of fiction.

Any similarities to people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

…the world is not as it should be.
"Ruin" has begun to encroach and will soon bring calamity.
Yet, there are those who would oppose such "ruin" in desire for change.
Since time immemorial, they were known as…
"Tricksters."

Persona 5: With the Stars and Us

Chapter 1:
The Phantom

It was utter mayhem.

Without any warning, nary a sound or hint of what was happening, sirens and alarms began to sound inside the casino. The people gambling away their money in the hopes of fortune and dancing with lady luck were thrown into a state of disarray. Around them, men in black suits were moving around and searching the premises, offering no explanation behind the loud noises.

The only thing that would make sense would be if an intruder had appeared and did something to warrant the alarm, but that made little sense. These men were armed to the teeth and were out for blood, their black-and-red eyes promising pain to their target and any who stood between them and their quarry.

In the central area where the guests first entered the casino, greeted by the golden luster of the place, the pools of wealth begging to be taken and the countless slot machines all lined up, there was a stir of activity. The men were focusing their efforts here.

"What's going on? Did something happen?" asked one of the guests.

"I-I don't know!" another replied, equally as confused as the rest.

As the alarm continued to sound off, one of the men suddenly stopped and looked up, narrowing their eyes as a black blur moved through the chandeliers suspended from the glass ceiling above them. A sign of their target. The blur was moving too fast for the guard to determine any features, but he notified his comrades regardless.

"The target is in the Main Area. I repeat!" the guard spoke into the ear bud in his left ear. "The target is in the Main Area."

More guards began to congregate into the area. One man rudely brushed aside a guest, knocking him against the roulette table and spilling over a stack of chips. "H-hey, what's going on here?" he asked timidly. "Can somebody explain what's happening?"

"Wait, look! Up there!"

A woman caught sight of something moving as it stopped and rested atop a chandelier. All eyes turned upwards and saw what caused the stir.

It was a man, standing boldly in plain view before the guards of the casino. He was dressed in Victorian attire, red gloves covering his hands and a white-mask with a shape reminiscent of a bird sitting over the upper half of his face, eyes dancing with mischief and a smile sitting on his face. Tucked beneath his arm was a silver briefcase, obviously an item of great importance.

The man was a thief; the one responsible for causing a ruckus and throwing the guards into such a fit.

"Target spotted, moving in to capture."

The guard spoke again into his ear bud, coordinating his efforts with his colleagues. In spite of the roaring confusion and excitement expressed by the sudden appearance of this stranger, the man somehow heard the guard's words clearly and grinned before he took out a gun, aiming it at one of the nearby chandeliers.

He pulled the trigger. The sound of thunder cracked the air as the bullet was released from its chamber, flying through the air and shattering the links holding up one of the chandeliers. In moments, the remainder of the link groaned and broke from the strain. It fell from its bindings and smashed into the blackjack table directly beneath it, causing all guests near it to jump back in shock.

With the attention of the guards now on him, the man jumped off the chandelier and out into the balcony to his left. The second his boots struck the ground he took off in a run, though not before he slipped the briefcase in his possession into an open grate that had been prepared beforehand.

"Package is secure and waiting for pickup." The man had no communication devices on his person or any such equipment on him, yet spoke as though another was present with him as he ran.

A voice, distinctly cool and feminine, spoke into his ear. "Nicely done, Joker. All eyes are on you. The show is all yours."

"I must agree with Shogun, that was a most excellent distraction," another voice belonging to a smooth-sounding male chimed in agreement. "This is our only chance."

"Don't worry about us, Joker! Just keep running and follow the plan!" Joker could practically hear the grin in the cheery-sounding woman's voice. "Hehehe, look at 'em run~"

"Just remember to stay calm and get out of there safely," a boyish voice told him. "We can't afford to lose you."

A third female voice spoke up, sounding mature and with authority. "Skull and I will retrieve the briefcase on our end. Don't worry about us, just-"

"-hostile con-bzt-rying to deter-bzt-its are en ro-btz-"

"The heck was that?" a vulgar-sounding male asked.

"No time, just run!" the cheery-sounding woman shouted.

Joker nodded. The path the corridor was leading him on ended as he reached another balcony. He did not hesitate for even a moment as he stepped atop the railing and leaped forward, coat blowing in the wind. He landed atop one of the glass platforms supported by steel cables and did not cease his movements at all.

A part of him enjoyed this sensation. The excitement, the rush of the chase, the thrill of danger lurking just around the corner; he loved every second of it. Yet despite this feeling, he could not afford to be careless. He had to follow the plan, lose the guards, and make his escape.

"I must say, though, that move where you revealed yourself was very impressive. I expected nothing less of you, Joker."

"I bet Skull couldn't have pulled it off that easy~" a new female voice said in a teasing tone.

Another male voice, baritone and eloquent, grunted. "That's because he has a lack of aesthetics."

The vulgar-sounding male squawked indignantly. "Nobody asked you, Inari!"

Joker rolled his eyes. Even at a time like this where their lives were on the line, they still had the time to bicker with each other.

God did he love these guys.

"There he is!"

Joker cursed, spotting a group of guards on the veranda closest to him. He quickly sprinted across the arches leading into the far back of the main area, stopping momentarily after he reached a wall and ran up its surface, grabbing hold of the railing and hoisting himself onto the second level.

He attempted to run towards the stairway. His path was swiftly blocked by two guards, both wielding stun batons.

…no, not guards. These men were something else entirely.

To the guests, they only appeared as muscular men trained to handle any unruly customer or situation that came their way. To Joker, their forms were something else. Their upper body was disproportionate to their lower half, shoulders large and broad with steel-blue masks bearing cold yellow eyes staring down at him in malice.

Joker glared before glancing behind him. Another Shadow managed to pull its way onto the second level, barring the route in which he came.

The two in front of him charged. The one on the left reached him first, swinging its baton at his head. Joker dodged it easily, body ducking underneath the swing and flowing below the monstrous guard's arm before something slid out from his coat sleeve and swung at the guard's unprotected side.

In Joker's hand was a small blade, big enough to fit in one hand with a curved edge, its blade covered in reddish-black liquid. The guard he struck collapsed to a knee, clutching its side. Before it could get back up, Joker whipped out his gun and fired two shots. One hit the monstrous guard in the back and the other struck it in the back of the head.

Its body froze for a moment before it collapsed to the ground, losing its shape and was reduced to a puddle of the same liquid that coated Joker's knife.

The second guard attempted to strike at Joker after he killed its comrade and leaped into the air for an overhead strike. Joker saw it coming and rolled to the side. The monstrous guard landed and rolled into a crouch, turning and rising up to its feet when Joker took aim and fired three rounds at its face.

The masked cracked and shattered to pieces while the body melted away into a pile of reddish-black muck.

Unlike its fallen comrades, the last guard made no move to strike at Joker or rush him. Instead, it looked at the remains of its allies and looked at Joker, seemingly making a decision as it cast aside its baton and gripped its mask. It tore the mask off its face, revealing a featureless black shape underneath. No mouth or nose, merely a surface that barely resembled a "face." The only feature it had were blood-red eyes.

The monstrous guard's movements turned jerky and twitchy, hunched forward as something inside of it seemed to push out from its back. Joker watched as the guard's back exploded into a gory shower of red that flew through the air like a geyser before it stopped mid-air and fold in on itself, forming into a new shape.

From the explosion of red came a being that was definitely not human. It wore a green waist-coat with a dress shirt and black tie, but the being wearing bore the face of a snarling bull, mouth filled with fangs and green steel covering its neck and lower body, forming into a long tail that swished behind it.

"You won't be making it out of this place alive, punk!" the Shadow snarled.

Joker stared at the monster, unimpressed as the cheery voice from earlier chimed in his ear. "Already checked. It's a scrub. Feel free to Rip and Tear, Joker!"

He smiled viciously as he raised his hand over his face. The white mask began to burn away into blue embers, tuffs of flame forming across his ensemble. Around him, visible only to his eyes, were ghastly chains binding the power within him.

He need only break them to unleash it.

"Ravage them."

Two simple words, spoken with equal amounts of anticipation and rage, but they were enough to set the rebellious soul free; the chains snapped and shattered as his mask vanished. The flames that burned over him suddenly flowed behind him, manifesting into a towering crimson visage with a jet-black face bearing a flaming toothy grin.

The Shadow roared and challenged Joker, opening its maw and releasing a breath of inferno. It threatened to swallow Joker whole and reduce him to ash, but the red phantom behind him danced around him and stood in front of the impending torrent of fire. The phantom let out a haunting laughter, seemingly taunting the Shadow as it swung its leg.

The wall of flame that threatened its charge was blown apart. Growling in frustration, the Shadow lunged at it, stomping and turning as it swung its tail straight at it. Another kick intercepted and countered, knocking the tail away. Now at close range, the Shadow opened its mouth to consume the phantom and Joker in fire.

It was a fatal mistake.

No sooner had the Shadow opened its mouth did the red phantom ram its hand into its mouth, dark red energy flowing through its fingertips. It laughed again, this time in triumphant victory as it tore its hand through the Shadow's skull, creating a shadowy claw that utterly decimated the monster's upper torso and neck in the process. Like the two before it, the Shadow collapsed and became a dark smear on the carpets of the casino.

Its purpose fulfilled, the phantom broke down into azure flames and returned to Joker. The flames coalesced on his face, wrapping around his eyes and reforming into the white mask that vanished when the phantom had appeared.

There was no further sign of the enemy, but Joker didn't want to relax just yet. He wasn't out of the woods.

"Looks like you defeated them with ease," Shogun noted. "A well-aimed attack at the mouth when it was about to spew flames… A daring tactic, but I'd expect nothing less of you, Joker."

"Save the flirting for later! I'm picking up enemy signals! Start hauling ass!" the cheery voice snapped.

Joker chuckled. "Roger that."

He made his way up the stairwell and continued to run until he reached the doorway leading into the maintenance area. Compared to the grandeur of the casino, the walls and floor were cold gray with graffiti spray-painted along the walls, the pipes showing a lack of maintenance and glass panels partially cracked.

As Joker was about to move into the corridor, he stopped and ducked behind the corner. Two guards rushed down the hall.

"Hurry up and find him, dammit!"

Joker narrowed his eyes.

"Joker, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he slipped into the corridor and made his way for the stairwell leading further up.

"Oracle, how much further?"

"You're almost there!" the cheery female, Oracle, told him. "And good news! We're all out safely, and we got the Treasure! Maaan, I can't wait to see the look on everybody's face when they hear 'bout this~"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm and continued onwards. He ran up the steps as fast as he could, though in his haste he didn't notice that the guards had found him and were chasing after him until he reached the sixth floor. Scowling, he decided to make a quick detour and darted down the right corridor the moment he reached the top of the stairwell. His feet carried him as fast as he pushed them.

He looked over his shoulder. The guards were chasing. Good!

Joker hanged another right and slipped out of view. The guards caught up and turned the corner, just in time to see Joker strike them with a double-lariat to the throat. Their necks caught onto his arms and were thrown straight into the ground with incredible force, much stronger than what scrawny arms should have been capable of.

Smiling at their downed forms, he gave them a mock-salute and continued following the path Oracle laid out for him during the preparations for the heist. He found the stairwell leading up to the next level and ran up the steps. He could hear the angry shouts of the guards that were pursuing him from the lower levels.

Upon reaching the top of the stairwell, Joker rammed his shoulder into the door and spilled out into a hallway. He scrambled up to his feet and quickly made his way outside, only to stop when he saw that he was once again back in the Main Area.

"This is..."

"What's wrong?" Oracle asked. "The exit should be right in front of you."

Joker looked up. On the other side of the room was a giant stained glass window. "Through there?"

"After all that commotion, the bottom's floor completely closed off. This is your only option."

"Will you be alright, Joker?" the smooth-sounding male asked with concern.

Before Joker could answer, he heard the guards shouting, "Hold it right there!"

He looked behind him and saw the guards approaching. As he suspected, these people were clearly human and not the Shadows that were prowling the area, though whether they were flesh-and-blood humans or cognitions he wasn't sure. Nonetheless, they were too late to stop him now as he smirked and jumped atop the railing, quickly making his way towards the stained glass window that led to freedom.

"Stop him!"

The guards opened fire. Whether because of skill or poor aim, Joker evaded each shot easily until he was in front of the window. He turned his head to the guards, now rushing to stop him, and grinned.

"See ya~"

The crowd down below gasped as he threw himself into the window, breaking through the glass. He was greeted with the sight of the city and the empty street below him.

"Sheesh, so reckless…" the teasing female sighed in exasperation.

Shogun giggled. "What did you expect? It's Joker, after all."

"And an exit worthy of a phantom thief!" the boyish voice approved.

Joker felt the wind rush against him and braced for impact. He angled his body just right so when he landed he fell into a somersault and absorbed the impact, lessening whatever pain he might have had when he hit the ground. Of course, any ordinary person that did this would have likely broken more than a few bones than come out unscathed like he did.

Then again, Joker and the rest of his crew was far from normal.

He stood up and dusted off his coat. "Is everybody out safely?"

"We're all accounted for!" the mature female voice informed. "Let's rendezvous at the entrance and-"

Joker's advisor was abruptly cut-off when dozens of spotlights suddenly fell on Joker. The sudden bright lights all aimed at him caused him to wince and shield his face with his arm.

"W-what the heck?! Where'd all these readings come from?!" Oracle cried. "J-Joker, are you okay?! You need to get out of there!"

Joker lowered his arm as he became accustomed to the light. Behind the spotlights were dozens of men wearing riot uniforms, armed with rifles and tower shields and helmets.

He recognized them immediately.

The police.

"Leader of the Phantom Thieves!" a man Joker assumed to be the commander of the police force gathered before him bellowed on a speaker. "We have you surrounded! Surrender at once!"

Joker looked at the amassed army of men in blue and took in his surroundings. Open space with little cover or obstacles. Escape by means of his power was out of the question against human opponents that lacked the supernatural endurance the Shadows and his crew did. He weighed his options carefully.

"H-hey, Joker! What's happening over there?!" the vulgar male asked him worriedly. "Dammit, man! Answer me!"

Internally, Joker sighed.

Sorry, guys.

He stepped towards the police officers and raised his hands, palms laid open.

TakeYourTime

"Unbelievable. To think that a kid like this is the boss, it's like some kind of sick joke."

Joker groaned and awoke to the sound of a man speaking with arrogance and irritation. His body ached with pain, angry red bruises all over his face and his eye swollen black. His mind was in a haze, barely cognizant and able to make out what was happening. He could not recall where he was or why he was here, only that he had apparently been given a brutal beatdown that left him with an agonizing headache.

"Hey, is this kid gonna be okay?" another voice, this one soft-spoken but no less condescending, asked in concern. "If the dosage is too high, he might have an overdose. Can't exactly get a confession out of him if he's dead."

"He'll be fine," the first man scoffed indifferent to Joker's current state. "Somebody wake his ass up."

Joker felt his senses return when ice-cold water spilled down atop his head. His vision became clearer and was more aware. He was sitting uncomfortably in a wooden chair, hands bound in handcuffs behind him and in a dimly-lit room. In front of him were two men in black suits, one holding a clipboard and wearing glasses while the other had a ruggish face and cold eyes that glared at him.

"No dozing off yet, brat."

Joker glared at the man before he tested his bindings. The cuffs didn't budge and cut into his skin.

The man chuckled darkly. "Still don't realize your situation yet? Give it up!" He swung his fist at the bound teen, hitting him square in the jaw and sending him sprawling onto the cold metal floor. Joker groaned in pain, the blow feeling as though it broke his jaw. The man stomped his foot on his head, pinning him to the ground. "If you know what's good for you, you'll cooperate."

Joker gritted his teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction and scream. Instead, he looked at the camera that gazed apathetically back at him from the corner of the room.

Seeing where Joker was looking, the man snorted. "What? You think that'll be used as video evidence for your case?" Joker didn't say anything. His silence infuriated the man. "Answer me, you little shit!"

He kicked Joker in the stomach, knocking the wind from his sails. He gasped for air, coughing and wincing from the pain.

Bastard…

"Ease up, senpai. If he's too injured, there'll be complications," the man in glasses advised.

The man glared at his companion before he relented and stepped away. The man in glasses approached Joker, staring at him neutrally as he began to read off what was written on his clipboard. "Amamiya, Ren. Age: 16. Currently undergoing a probationary period under the watch of Sae Niijima. It's impressive, really. To think someone under the eyes of a prosecutor could accomplish what you did. Assault, possession of weapons, obstruction of justice, defamation, blackmail. Murder, too."

Ren remained silent. He adjusted his glasses and kneeled down, flipping to a new page and turning it over to him. "This is a confession form. If you want to make it out of this alive, you need to sign this."

Ren weighed his options. He tried to think through the pain clouding his mind. There was something he needed to do, something important. But it was so hard to think, he could barely remember what it was.

He sighed. He grabbed the pen from the clipboard before jumping in surprise when the man in glasses grabbed his wrist. "Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece," he warned the teen. "We will make you understand that one must take full responsibility for their actions."

Ren said nothing in response, patiently waiting until the man released his grip. He put the pen to the paper and began to sign. As he did, the man who brutally beat him smirked.

"You have your teammate to thank for this, brat." Ren looked up after he finished signing the document in confusion. "Don't you get it yet? You…were sold out."

TakeYourTime

Sae Niijima's head was in a state of disarray. The elevator could not arrive at the underground interrogation room fast enough. Ever since word came in about the successful arrest of the leader of the Phantom Thieves, codenamed "The Phantom," she had been incredibly uneasy.

On the one hand, she was infuriated that she was not present for the arrest. She dreamed of arresting the thieves herself and the fact that she had been forced to sit on the sidelines was infuriating. What was her boss thinking pushing her off to the side just because she couldn't produce results fast enough?!

On the other hand, there was something unsettling about all this. All her assumptions throughout the year since she began investigating the case was starting to push their way into the forefront of her mind. All those whispers and thoughts she had regarding a certain person that had come under her care, someone she considered one she could trust.

She was determined to see this case through to the end, even if it meant forcing her way through. She needed to confirm this with her own eyes; the identity of the illustrious Phantom that garnered such overwhelming attention across the world. Above all, she needed to solve the mystery of how it was possible for someone to enact a "change of heart."

After a long period of insufferable silence, left to stew in her troubled thoughts, the elevator doors opened. Her feet carried her into the dull hallways faster than she realized, heels clacking loudly against the floor. She soon arrived at her destination as two men were standing outside the door at the far end of the hall, one dressed in familiar blue garbs with a gold badge pinned to his chest and the other dressed in a black suit with sunglasses.

"Hey, who're you?!" the plainclothes detective demanded. "This area is off limits!"

Sae glared. "My name is Sae Niijima, from the Public Prosecutor's Office. I'm here to see him."

"The Prosecutor's Office? What business do you have here?"

"It's urgent."

"Not happening, lady. This isn't even your jurisdiction. Besides, aren't you-"

"Niijima-san?" A middle-aged man approached Sae from behind, his expression a mix of annoyance and wary. Judging by the way the detective stiffened upon seeing him, Sae assumed this was his senior officer or superior. "You should be expecting a call from Arisawa-san. Do hurry it up, you're being an inconvenience for us."

The woman silently seethed with anger, unsure of whether they were hogging the glory, annoyed with her because she was female or because they were hiding something. As the senior officer said, her phone began to ring and listed the SIU Director as the caller. She answered.

"Niijima speaking."

"Good grief. I thought I told you to wait on stand-by." Arisawa's voice was befitting his age, old and wizened, utterly exasperated. "Shouldn't you let the police handle this?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, sensei, but am I not in charge of this case?" Sae asked angrily.

"That's primarily the reason why I'm calling you, Niijima-kun. I'm sure you're aware of who it was they arrested." Sae fell silent. Arisawa continued, "I don't have to tell you how this looks, Niijima-kun. If we want this case to stick, we need to play this carefully."

"That's precisely why I need to do this, sensei. Regardless of my connection to him, this is still my case."

Arisawa was quiet for a moment before he sighed again, this time in resignation. "…very well. But, I'm not going to get my hopes up. I just hope you realize what it is you're getting yourself into."

The call ended afterwards. Sae returned the phone to her purse. Before she could head into the interrogation room, the senior officer stopped her. "Ah, Niijimasan, one more thing. We'll have to limit your time with the suspect. We can't allow you to speak with him for very long."

"I assume this is because of my relation with the suspect?"

"Partially, but the other reason is simply how dangerous he is," the man grimaced. "We still have no idea how he can cause the mental shutdowns or psychotic breakdowns. For all we know, it might not even be safe to speak with him."

"I understand." Sae nodded.

The detective stepped aside, no less pleased by the turn of events than his superior. The policeman guarding the door nodded to her as he opened the door, allowing her to step inside.

Like all interrogation rooms, the room in which the notorious Phantom was being held was barely the size of a two-by-four cell. The walls, the floor, the ceiling; every inch was made from metal to prevent the suspect to try any means of escape no matter how ridiculous the method. Security cameras sat in the upper corners of the room, watching from every angle and recording every movement, preventing any blind spots from appearing.

Only one entrance, but no windows. They were effectively trapped with no means of escape; even if they did somehow evade the police occupying the area, the only way to get to the main complex and complete their escape was a single elevator.

In a way, this underground facility was a prison all on its own, and it was built for the most dangerous of criminals.

Even in a room as dimly lit as this one, Sae could still see the Phantom clearly. When she saw the state he was in, she was filled with anger.

The Phantom, leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, was nothing more than a 16-year-old teenager with frizzy black hair with fair skin and dark gray eyes, wearing a Shujin Academy uniform that was soaked around the neck and shoulders. Droplets of water cascaded down his face and hair, skin covered in red bruises and his left eye swollen and dark.

"…as much as I wanted to deny it, I had a feeling it was you, Ren-kun." Sae's voice was eerily calm, though internally she was screaming. She closed the door behind her and approached the table, taking a seat across from him. Up close, the injuries were more serious than they looked.

Ren looked up, expression dazed and eyes cloudy. "N…Niijima-san…?"

Sae narrowed her eyes. He looked sluggish, as though his mind was taxed. She glanced down at the floor and saw a syringe, tip leaking.

Her rage skyrocketed and dug her nails into her skin to prevent her from lashing out. They actually drugged him?! And judging by how pale he looked, they gave him quite the dosage. Were they trying to kill him?!

"Damn them." Sae cursed under her breath. She took a moment to calm herself down. She had to remember why she was here. She couldn't allow herself to be swept up by her own emotions. "Ren-kun, can you hear me?"

He nodded.

"Good, you're coherent at least."

Sae took a moment to think. The cameras were observing her even now. She couldn't allow to show even a moment of weakness nor show any hint of kindness or compassion. If she did, the case would be in jeopardy.

Especially given that Ren Amamiya was under her care even now.

"Listen, Ren-kun. I won't lie to you. You're situation is very bad. Almost anything can happen in this place as I'm sure you found out. And I won't be able to do anything to help you." Sae began, tone even. "As things stand right now, you're looking at the death penalty. Unless you want to avoid that, I need you to tell me everything. I'm not exactly good on time here, either."

Ren looked at her in confusion, features scrunched. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you go to such great lengths to cause an international incident like this?" Sae began. "I never believed it was anything more than a simple prank, but I was never able to build a case up until now. After all, I never knew how this was all capable, though I'm still skeptical about what was written in those reports. That's why I want to hear it from your own mouth, Ren-kun."

Sae leaned forward. "How did you learn about this so-called "other world"? How did you obtain the power to change a person's heart? Start from the very beginning."

…You are held captive.
A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance.
This is truly an unjust game...
Your chances of winning are almost none.
But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you...

...I beg you.
Please overcome this game...and save the world...

The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds—the truth that you and your friends grasped.
It all began that day...when the game was started half a year ago...

For the sake of your world's future...as well as your own...you must remember...

"Fucking brat! I'll sue you for this!"

Ren was startled awake at that moment, stirred by the sudden jerk of the train. In his daze he nearly forgot where he was as he looked around, finding himself surrounded by dozens of people, trapped in his seat in a cramped train car. Outside the window, the passing cityscape zoomed by almost instantly, offering little chance of him taking in the view.

Realizing that he wasn't in any danger and that he was safe, Ren sighed deeply, shoulders sagging in visible relief.

Just a dream.

Ever since that fateful event several weeks ago, Ren had been plagued by the memory whenever he fell asleep. Some nights he'd wake up restless and uneasy, thinking that the police would arrive at his front door to take him away. On the worst days he'd wake up screaming, caked in sweat and in a frightful frenzy.

Thankfully, he did not awake screaming like a deranged madman. He didn't realize he had dozed off during the ride.

[Attention, passengers. We will be arriving at Yongen-Jaya station shortly. Please gather your belongings and wait behind the yellow line. I repeat, we will be arriving at Yongen-Jaya station shortly. Please gather your belongings and wait behind the yellow line.]

This is my stop.

Ren stood up from his seat, pushing his way through the crowd of people and waited patiently by the sliding doors as the train began to slow down. A few minutes later, it reached its destination and came to a screeching halt. Once the doors opened, he and everyone else inside began to pour out from the cars.

Free from his box-shaped prison, Ren took a moment to look at the signs to make sure he arrived at the correct station. Once he was sure he made it to his destination, he took out his phone and began searching for the message issued to him the day he left town.

[9:25 AM / Niijima / I will come to pick you up from Yongen-Jaya. Wait at Café Leblanc.]

Ren slipped the phone back into his pocket and left the station, entering the narrow backstreets of the place he was told to meet his new caretaker and guardian for the next year. Unlike the open streets of his hometown, the buildings and apartments were jam-packed together and were practically touching each other's walls. The streets were barely big enough for a group of people to come and go and for bikers to come riding down through the streets, but nowhere big enough to allow a car to pass through.

It was in the late morning, the sun shining hanging in the air but cloaked by dark gray clouds that looked ready to start pouring down rain any second. The air was chilly enough that Ren could see his own breath if he breathed hard enough. His jacket did little to offer him warmth.

Not wanting to be left out in the cold waiting for someone he's never met before, Ren began his search for Café Leblanc. It did not take him very long to find it, given it was located in such a small community packed away inside the big city. In fact, he was embarrassed to learn that he had walked right by it.

Café Leblanc was as inviting as it was retro. Flowerpots with tall green plants sat off to the right side of the entrance, the banner hanging over the front entrance with its name spelled out in bold English. When Ren stepped inside, the wondrous aroma of coffee beans greeted him. The atmosphere was pleasant and relaxing, the air musty and warm enough that the cold plaguing him since he stepped outside began to vanish. To the right were various sofas lined against the wall, separated by wooden pales and tables. To the left was a counter with stools, a shelf and kitchen directly behind it. In the far back was a staircase, no doubt leading up to the second floor of the place.

Upon entering, Ren took a moment to see if his guardian was here. Only three people were in the café. Two sat together at one of the sofas, an elderly couple that was enjoying a small plate of curry with a cup of coffee half-finished, paying rapt attention to the television. At the counter was a man wearing a pink button-up shirt and apron, skin wrinkly with a pointed beard and hair swept-back.

Judging by his attire, he assumed that the man was the owner of the café. Though a bell chimed upon his arrival, the owner paid little to no attention to Ren and instead focused on the paper in his hands.

It looks like she isn't here yet…

What was he supposed to do now? Sit around and wait?

"…hey, kid. If you're just going to stand there and gawk like an idiot, you can at least try to order something." Ren winced when the owner addressed him without looking up from his paper.

"S-sorry."

The owner waved his hand in dismissal and stood up, setting his paper down on the stool and turning towards him. "Whatever. Are you going to order or what?"

"N-no, I'm waiting for someone."

"Even so, you should at least order something. I don't particularly like it when people just loiter around here, even if they are waiting for somebody." Not wanting to go back out into the cold, Ren nodded and took a seat at the stool closest to the entrance. The owner slid behind the counter. "Alright, what'll it be?"

"Coffee. No preference."

"Comin' right up."

The owner went to work, grabbing a jar of beans from the shelf before moving over to the pot. As Ren waited for his drink, he went over what he knew about his guardian.

Admittedly, he knew remarkably little about his guardian for the year. What information he did have came from his parents, who he hadn't seen since he began to distance himself from them after he entered high school when they became too demanding. Sae Niijima, a public civil servant, was the daughter of an old friend of theirs and worked a respectable job for the government. What that job was they never said, only that he would be in big trouble if he did anything unseemly in front of her.

While he did understand that his situation didn't leave many options for him, he did not understand why his parents agreed to leave him under the care of a stranger, much less his own probation officer. Still, he would admit that he was curious.

The café owner set a saucer and coffee cup down in front of him. Almost immediately, a rich aroma began to flow into his nostrils.

"Here. That'll be 200 yen."

Ren pulled out his wallet, setting some coins down on the counter. The owner took the money and returned to what he was doing previously.

As the frizzy-haired teen waited for his probation officer to arrive, he looked up at the television. It was currently showing a news report, complete with an anchor and an image of a massive car crash.

"Earlier this morning, a transit bus suddenly lost control and began driving down the opposing lane with its passengers still on board. According to eye-witness reports, the driver appeared to have gone comatose. Officials state that the driver is currently undergoing questioning, but so far there's still no answer."

"My word, how frightening!" the elderly woman remarked. "Didn't something like this happen just the other day?"

Her husband sighed, "It feels like these accidents are getting more and more frequent. I sure do hope a car doesn't come barreling through here anytime soon." He turned to the café owner curiously. "What do you think, Boss?"

"Sorry, what? I wasn't listening."

Ren sighed deeply as he drank from his cup of coffee. While he was not an avid fan of the stuff, he would not deny the caffeine concoction in front of him tasted divine.

The door opened, bell chiming and alerting everyone in the café of a new customer. Ren turned his head slightly to see who entered and immediately knew whom it was.

She was stunningly beautiful, hair dark silver and falling past her shoulders with piercing red eyes, wearing a black suit with a golden pendant around her neck in the shape of two "s" crossing over each other.

The woman glanced around, as if searching for someone, before her eyes landed on Ren. Their eyes met.

"Amamiya-kun?" she asked. He nodded and stood up from his seat. "Good. Did you manage to get her without any trouble?"

"No."

She nodded, pleased. "I'm sure you probably guessed who I am, but I'm Sae Niijima. I'll be looking after you for the next year."

TakeYourTime

After leaving Café Leblanc, Ren was led out of the backstreets and into the wide-open streets of Tokyo. Sae had parked her car not far from the station and ushered him inside. Once she was sure he was buckled in safely, she pulled away from the curb and began driving off.

The entire time Sae was driving, she never spoke to him or said a word. She was entirely focused on keeping her eyes in front of her whereas he was entirely too nervous and uncertain. The air around this woman told him that if he didn't watch his step, he would be in a great deal of trouble.

An hour later, they arrived at their destination. It was an apartment complex, recognizable by the flight of stairs running up the side of the building and the fact that Ren had lived in a similar complex prior to his arrest. Sae wordlessly led him into the building, the automatic doors leading inside sliding open and closing behind them after they entered. As they stepped inside, a woman approached them.

"Oh, Niijima-chan! Perfect timing!" the woman said with relief. "The apartment next-door to yours is ready for use. The movers came by earlier and dropped the tenant's belongings inside."

"I see. Thank you, Sugimoto-san." Sae bowed deeply in gratitude.

Sugimoto, who Ren assumed was the complex manager, giggled. "Oh no, it's fine." She then turned her sights on him. "I take it you're Amamiya-kun?" He nodded. "My name's Sugimoto, the manager here. It's nice to meet you!"

"Were there any complications when the movers brought his belongings here?" Sae asked.

Sugimoto shook her head. "None at all. Honestly, I'm surprised he brought so little with him here. He is staying here for a year, isn't he?"

"Assuming he stays on his best behavior." Ren winced at the blunt, if not cold response. "At any rate, do you mind if I check and see if the room is fine for myself?"

"Go right ahead, no skin off my nose." Sugimoto dug into her pants pocket and held out a key for his probation officer to take. "This is his room key."

"Thank you." Sae looked at Ren. "Come on."

He wordlessly obeyed and followed after her. Sugimoto watched them leave before she sighed deeply and shook her head. "As cold as ever…"

TakeYourTime

Ren's new lodgings were situated on the third floor, the second-to-last room off to the right side of the building. Apartment 005.

By apartment standards, it was slightly bigger than his old one. A bathroom was located near the front entrance, complete with a sink and bathub. Further in laid the living room, with a sofa sitting against the wall adjacent to the entryway and the veranda on the opposing side. An open window next to the sliding glass door leading into the veranda, drapes blowing from the breeze outside. No doubt the movers had opened the windows to air it out. To the left was a door leading into the bedroom.

Scattered about the room were cardboard boxes, all marked with his name and former address.

Sae inspected the room carefully; judging to see it met her standards. She appeared satisfied as she left the bedroom. "It looks like everything is in order," she said to him. "I'll leave you to unpack. I'll come by later tonight to see how you're doing." She handed him the key to his new apartment. "Take good care of that. Tenants are only allowed one key. If you lose it, you'll have to pay for a replacement with your own money."

After Ren accepted the key, he flinched upon seeing Sae's eyes narrow into a glare. "I believe this goes without saying, but if you cause any trouble for myself or the other tenants here, you will be kicked out. I already have my hands full with my job and looking after my family, I don't need you making it harder for me. Is that clear?"

"…yes, Niijima-san." Ren nodded.

"So long as we have that cleared up." It was clear that she wasn't entirely convinced by his words, though she didn't press the issue. She paused for a brief moment as if to think about something. "Now then… I got the basic gist of your situation from your parents, but I'd like to hear the story from you."

Ren stared at her. If she already knew why he was on probation, what was the point in asking him about it? He told his side of the story so many times, from his former friends and classmates to the teachers, his parents and even to the officers in his hometown. The result was still the same; no one believed him. In their eyes, he was the troublesome child who violently attacked a man without any reason. An opinion like that would not change unless something happened to make them change their mind.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Sae's glare caused him to falter. She would not budge until she heard the story from him.

He sighed and caved in, recalling the incident that robbed him of his future…

TakeYourTime

It was early March, the night air much colder than normal to the point where Ren was forced to wear a coat that day. The streets were relatively quiet with nary a person in sight, barely illuminated by the street lamps lining the road. By now, everyone either turned in for the night or was working late.

Ren finished with his late-night shift at the florist shop and made his way back to his apartment, only to stop briefly as he heard the sound of a woman screaming in protest.

"S-stop! Let go of me!"

Worried and concerned, and perhaps a little curious, Ren followed the source of the noises. Parked by the side of the road and in front of a bar was a black sedan, clearly still running with its headlights illuminating the darkened streets. Given that he lived in a rather small community, Ren learned to recognize whose car belonged to who and could safely say that he did not know the owner of the car. A glance at the license plate also told him it was someone from out of town.

His attention shifted to the poor woman struggling against a man who had her by the arms. His face was cherry red, movements sluggish and swaying. Even from where he was standing, Ren could clearly smell the heavy scent of alcohol from his person.

"Shut up and get in the car, you dumb bitch," the man slurred, unsteady on his feet as he tried to pull the woman towards the car. "You think you're worth all this trouble?!"

"L-let me go, please!" the woman begged. "I-I'll call the police!"

"Go ahead, they won't do jack shit." The woman briefly succeeded in escaping his grip and made two steps before he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back towards him. His grip turned more firm and perverse, tearing of a few buttons from her shirt and exposing some of her cleavage. "The police're my bitches."

Ren stared, uncertain what to do in this situation. What should I do? Call for help, get in the middle of this?

"Stop it!" The woman's struggle became more frantic. She saw Ren. Their eyes met. She stared pleadingly at him. "Help me!"

It took those two words for his body to make the decision for him. His feet moved towards the drunk and the poor woman, getting in between them and grabbing the man by the shoulder. "That's enough!" he yelled and pulled the man away from her.

The man stumbled back, incredibly unsteady before his body fell to the side. Ren gasped in horror as the man struck the ground face-first, head colliding with the curb. On impact, the orange-tinted sunglasses on his face were knocked off and bounced into the street. Behind him, the woman's face paled and her hands over her mouth.

Ren looked down at his hands and saw them shaking, reflecting his own state of dismay. He looked up and at the man fearfully, uncertain whether he was unconscious, dazed or dead. To his relief, the man gave a sign of life as he groaned, pushing himself up to his knee with a hand over his face. That relief vanished when he saw blood spilling down his forehead and between his hands.

The man glared at Ren, causing the latter to recoil. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"Fucking brat! I'll sue you for this!"

TakeYourTime

Ren finished recounting the tale with a somber expression. Not long after the man had started ranting at him with bloody fury, the police had arrived and took him away. After a period of interrogation, questioning and a court meeting two weeks later, Ren was charged with assault. Thankfully, he was still a minor when this occurred and got saddled with a probationary period instead.

Unfortunately, that was only the start of his troubles. Somehow, word of the assault reached his school. While some of the teachers did try to convince the principal otherwise, their attempts fell on deaf ears and was expelled the day after the court hearing. His parents distanced themselves from him as well; their expressions the day they came to pick him up from the station telling him that they were immensely disappointed. While his father did come to believe him or at least give him the benefit of a doubt, his mother was another story.

He still has not heard a word from her, not even since he left for Tokyo.

Sae stared at him, listening to his every word with rapt attention, discerning what was true, and what was false. After he finished recounting the day of his arrest, she spoke in a surprisingly even tone.

"I see… To recap, you attempted to stop the man from harassing her any further, but he ended up tripping and busting his head open on the curb. After that, you were sued for assault and arrested. Not long afterwards, you were expelled from your school and told to come here to continue your education, do I have that right?"

Ren nodded. She more or less summarized what happened to a T.

"It seems to me like you were dealt a bad hand," Sae remarked before she scoffed. "Then again, that's what happens when you meddle in adult affairs. Let this be a lesson for you when you go back out into society. Even if you try to do the right thing, chances are you'll end up being given the short end of the stick. You have to learn to play smart, otherwise you'll be eaten alive."

Ren said nothing, instead offering a nod of understanding. Internally, however, he was seething. So, what? I was just supposed to leave her be?! He wanted to scream in protest, but the words failed to leave his throat. All he could do was rage with indignation in silence.

"At any rate, try to rest up once you finish unpacking." Sae continued. "I have work tomorrow, so I'm having my younger sister show you the way to Shujin Academy – the school you'll be attending for the next year. The rules about bothering the tenants also applies to her as well. Try anything funny, and you'll have to worry about more than just being sent packing to Juvenile Hall. Are we clear, Amamiya-kun?"

"…yes, Niijima-san."

"Glad we have that established." The woman turned on her heels and began to walk away, shoes clacking against the hardwood floor. "I'll come by later tonight to see how you're doing. Good luck with the unpacking."

She shut the door behind her, leaving the frizzy-haired teen alone in his new apartment. He stayed rooted on the spot for a moment before he let out a tired groan, glaring at the cardboard boxes as if they were responsible for his latest predicament. He wished they would just spontaneously combust and set the place on fire as if to respond to his rage before running a hand through his locks of hair.

He felt dead on his feet as he made his way to the bedroom. No sooner had he reached the foot of the bed did he collapse on top of it, face buried in the comforters.

…I can't believe this is happening to me. If I had just taken a different route home, then I wouldn't…

The panicked and pleading look on the woman's face flashed in his mind. The thoughts in his head refused to finish when he recalled how desperate she was.

Ren sighed deeply and flipped onto his back, staring up at the plain white ceiling over him.

"So, I'm stuck here for a whole year…"

Unexpectedly, simply lying on a bed in his state proved to be his undoing. He should be unpacking his belongings, but he was so tired that his eyelids turned to lead and closed on him. No matter how hard he tried, they wouldn't stay open. Similarly, his body would not remove itself from the bed. In the end, Ren gave in to temptation and allowed himself to drift off into blissful unconsciousness.

TakeYourTime

Blue…

That was the first thing Ren saw when his eyes fluttered open. An unfamiliar ceiling, but different from the one he was staring at moments prior. At first, he wondered if he was dreaming due to his weightless his body felt. The fatigue that plagued him seemed to have vanished and the dismay in his mind was wiped away. For the first time in a very long while, he felt at peace.

Yet that did not stop the feeling of shock running through him when he realized that he was no longer in his bedroom at his new apartment.

He rose up from the bed that proved to be extremely uncomfortable in stark contrast to the one he fell asleep on previously. Panicked, he looked at his surroundings.

The floor, the ceiling, the walls… Everything was painted blue; a deep ultramarine color that strangely put him at ease. The panic that manifested in his heart was swept away as he began to register what he believed was the sound of music playing through a speaker. A beautiful piano piece, accompanied by a divine woman singing an opera that would put even the best performance on stage to shame.

Oddly, the room he awoke in was not a room at all. Rather, it was a cell barely large enough to house a single person. Chains dangled from the ceilings like haunting decorations, a disheveled toilet that had seen better days sitting on the wall and a discarded ball-and-chain left discarded at the far corner of the cell. A steel gate surrounded by bars was left open, allowing him to leave the cell in favor of a wide-open space.

Ren found himself standing in what he thought was a prison-block. Like the cell he awoke in, everything around him was colored deep blue. The floor was emblazoned with an emblem; a golden V encircled by a reed. The block was circular, surrounded by three sections of walls containing prison cells identical to his own.

There were a number of questions Ren had on his mind. What am I doing here? How did I wake up in this place? Why am I in a prison? Was I kidnapped? Yet strangely, none of those questions came to the forefront of his mind. Instead, his attention was solely focused to the two people in the center of the prison block.

"My, my. It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny. Hmhmhm~"

A bizarre man sat at a desk with his hands neatly folded atop its surface. In contrast to the fine black suit adorning his person, his features were outlandish. His eyes seemed as though they were bulging, bloodshot and full of curious mania matched by the ear-to-ear grin that seemed permanently glued to his face. His nose was exceedingly long, perhaps as long as his hand.

At his side was a young girl barely older than 12 with a face bearing great maturity. Her platinum-blonde hair fell down past her shoulders and close to her ankles, garbed in a dress that matched the color of the prison. In hand was a tome that looked bigger than her own head.

Ren stared at the two in bewilderment, and they in turn stared back with fascination and intrigue.

The odd man's smile grew. "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man."

TO BE CONTINUED…?

Aaaaaaaaaand I'm finally done! Sheesh, this took a while. For those of you reading this, welcome to the rewrite of "Persona 5: Hoshi to Bokura to," which I'm hoping will be much better overall than the original version. And before you say anything, yes, I am aware I skipped the Shibuya crosswalk scene.

I don't really have much to say here, other than what you guys can expect from this story. Namely, it will not include any material from Royal. This is strictly focusing on the original Persona 5 storyline. That will be saved for my P5R fanfic, which will be released as soon as I'm done playing the new content…which, as I've said, won't be until New Game Plus.

Ugh, as if I don't have enough stories to worry about already. Seriously, y'all really need to lay into my ass and keep me from writing anymore new stories. I really don't want to purge more fanfics that I've left collecting dust just because I lost the drive to work on them, coupled with a serious bout of depression.

…except "Rising of the Straw Hat Pirate." That is going to be one of my mainline fanfics!

ANYWAY! lease leave a review and tell me what you think. Is With the Stars and Us' debut chapter good? Bad? Give me some kind of feedback, please.

See You~