Out in the vast jungle of concrete monoliths and neon signs with the bustling population of a thriving city going to and fro about their business in the tightly packed streets below, something sinister was stirring behind the scenes, out of sight and mind from the ordinary denizens of Earth who otherwise had no means of witnessing the supernatural goings-on happening around them, with only a select few individuals who knew the truth behind the thin veil separating reality from another plane of existence known as the Metaverse; a world built out of the collective unconscious of mankind, recreating a vast section of Tokyo in a multitude of warped constructs based upon the cognition of each separate individual, akin to a collection of art pieces submitted by every living human in the city mashed into one crazy piece taking the form of an ever changing network of subway tunnels, with separate branches extending outward to unique segments known as Palaces, where the exceptionally strong emotions of an individual was allowed to grow into its own plane in the Metaverse.

And such a world broken apart into disparate pieces was bound to be rife with danger. Without the unique ability to wield a Persona; a manifestation of one's personality, any ordinary person would soon find themselves at the mercy of the savage locals of the Metaverse; Shadows, arguably one and the same as a Persona, with the exception of its entire being constructed from the darkest recesses of the human mind where denial, rage and other negative emotions were at their strongest.

While the Metaverse was kept separate from the real world for obvious reasons,the boundary separating the two would oftentimes falter, allowing for the two worlds to come together as one, distorting reality itself with unpredictable consequences. Whether on its own or by the will of a strong enough individual within, it was simply chalked up to be yet another unexplainable occurrence within the other world.

Despite the dangers however, the aforementioned group of people aware of the Metaverse's existence continue to dive into its treacherous depths. Whether it be for personal training or scouring Palaces in an effort to reform the heart of the individual behind it while continuing to unravel the threads of a greater conspiracy. Some would call them fools, while others, brave. But they didn't care one bit, simply pushing on to discover the mastermind behind whoever or whatever had caused the string of events that had touched all their lives in one form or another.

And it was this same naivete that would cause a certain trio within the group to fall victim to one such instance of a boundary break in the Metaverse. While they would ultimately succeed in their cause just like in other timelines, they would soon find their lives irrevocably changed once this particular slight was over as they strode down the empty shattered subway system somewhere in the Metaverse after a suggestion by the auburn haired lady for some quality bonding time spent training had gone awry, leading to the girls being sent to a strange place they had never seen before.

A place they shouldn't have been able to reach so soon…

The first of the group was Haru Okumura; clad in a light pink fluttery outfit reminiscent of the Cavaliers of old with a halberd in hand and an ammo belt of grenades around her waist, a dainty little flower with a heart of gold, while many knew her to be a reserved young lady who barely spoke a word to others much less look them in the eye, they never knew of her other side in the Metaverse, with even her own teammates beginning to grow wary of her and what seemed to be a growing sadistic streak in an effort to vent her frustrations out on the poor Shadows that were her enemies. But who could blame her after a life of being forced around with the path ahead of her seemingly set in stone by her overambitious father? Everyone needed a way to vent, and for Haru, it was beating on Shadows. For all the nervousness she seemed to display before a fight, it was a far cry to the wanton bloodlust in her eyes that needed no words to convey.

Walking ahead of them was Makoto Nijima; the cool, collected head of the group adorned in a skintight midnight black bodysuit akin to a dominatrix. While some would argue that Makoto seemed a bit too arrogant at times despite her kind nature behind a toughened shell, it was because they hadn't managed to brave the bristle and ire of her anger and high expectations. Frustrated by the world around her, the student council president has finally had enough of twiddling her thumbs while wasting away in a more of self degradation. Taking up arms in the Phantom Thieves who had wasted no time in becoming her closest friends. Being an intellectual and overly analytical to a fault, it had fallen to her to become the group's strategist, planning each and every move they took and finding one when there was none.

And last but not least treading safely in the middle was Futaba Sakura; the shortest of the group with a slender build (in more ways than one much to the others chagrin), the air she gave off as she strode slowly while keeping constant watch around her in the shadow of Makoto was like that of a mouse in hiding, darting eyes keeping constant lookout in the dark for anything that could be watching them. For a former shut-in and suicidally depressed young girl, it was only natural for her to feel this way when the very atmosphere of this new segment of the Metaverse seemed to weigh down on her shoulders like an overbearing presence. Despite her shortcomings in the physical and confidence department however, Futaba was a natural with computers and other similar devices, able to hack into virtually anything to do her bidding with, even Makoto herself was afraid to do anything that could potentially turn her into an enemy. But animosity for sex appeal aside, Futaba wasn't the type to use her talents for evil, preferring to spend her time in the comforts of the digital realm playing games or watching her favourite sci fi shows as evident in her Metaverse attire taking after an advanced techsuit complete with neon lights tracing up and down the contours of her body.

While they were here with the intent of training, something about the derelict subway they crept through was sending bad vibes up all of their spines, but with the Navigator seemingly broken and no way to contact Morgana, escape didn't seem possible. Left with no alternative, they could only press on at Makoto's suggestion after assuring Haru she wasn't at fault for suggesting they enter alone.

"Better we look for a way out than just sit still and do nothing…"

Unbeknownst to the trio however, the oppressive atmosphere of Mementos wasn't just for show. It was indeed an early warning that something lurking within the enormous complex had taken notice of their entry into the Metaverse, masking the dangerous Palace that housed the rest of Tokyo's collective unconscious as an otherwise normal destination in the application.

And once all three of them had willingly sent themselves into Mementos, their fates were sealed as the disembodied will decides to act, forcing a sudden earth shattering shockwave through the maze of tunnels that sends the trio to their knees, struggling to get a proper grip on the floor beneath their feet shaking like mad, as if a child was playing with the section of the tunnel they were in. And just like a child did with their toys, the tunnel around the Phantom Thieves were beginning to crack under the stress of it all, raining dust and debris down on their heads as they struggled to run for cover with Makoto shocked to find that her Persona would not answer her calls, left to her own devices alongside her fellow Thieves.

But it wasn't enough, and with a few more seconds of fruitless crawling, the girls could only scream in a mix of terror and frustration as the ground beneath them finally gives way, collapsing not into darkness, but a pool of searing white light that obfuscates the other side from view as they plummet downward alongside a cascade of rotted supports, rusted rails and shattered concrete…

Landing in a heap in the middle of what looked to be her own room shrouded in complete darkness, Haru shakes her head before looking around slowly, hefting her halberd defensively while calling for her friends only to receive no response, just utter silence. She knew this place had to be an extension of the Metaverse, nothing more than a twisted fabrication judging from how her normally opened curtains and windows were shut and locked up tight, allowing for not even a peep of sunlight to come through.

But something else was strange about her room, because where her table used to be was a large spacious computer table  complete with a glow in the dark keyboard and desktop with multiple monitors arranged to face the user comfortably. Moving over towards the table with her fingers tracing the smooth pale wood, Haru sets down her weapon before fiddling around for the desktop power switch, thumbing it before the screen glows white with activity, momentarily blinding her before instinctively reaching for the wide rimmed glasses set down on the side of the table, donning them without finding anything off with how her eyesight seemed to adjust perfectly to the thick lenses, as if she always had terrible vision in the first place as memories of using the computer well into the wee hours of the night slowly trickle into her head, eating away at her scholarly knowledge earned at school as the tense feeling of being alone in the dark lessened on her mind.

Because for as long as she could remember, most of her life had been spent indoors, shut away in her room after…after something dreadful happened to her, but that was of no concern to her now, while she had learned to leave the confines of her safe space thanks mostly in part to her friends in the Phantom Thieves, some part of her still had the sense to cling to the tragedy as a reminder of what lay ahead; her future and the unknowns it offered.

With her mind slowly adjusting to the life of a depressed shut-in learning to rehabilitate herself, Haru comfortably seats herself in the chair before placing both hands on the keyboard as a login page pops up, calmly typing in the password she now knew perfectly while the posh room around her continues to warp and contort in the dark, crushing in on and itself until the spacious bedroom had become a cramped den befitting of its status in a cheap apartment flat. Gone were the expensive bottles of makeup and lotion, the embossed mirror on the wall and the tea set on an elegant table, replaced by shelves stacked full of manga, light novels and figurines, looking more like the room of a nerd than one for a daughter of a well off family raised and groomed to be used as a bargaining chip in barters between corrupt politicians.

And with the vanishing of Haru's weapon as her Thieves outfit fades away to leave her old clothes behind; the last part of her original identity. The life she has lived until now was irreversibly warped with someone else's, someone close to her. Haru Okumura no longer existed, instead? Haru Sakura had taken her place, sitting comfortably at her table, having just come home from another exciting outing with her newfound friends, ready to game once more as her auburn hair extends downward, losing the curls until they grew long enough to tickle her back and drape neatly over her shoulders.

But it wasn't just a hairstyle change that afflicted the young lady, to match her newly ingrained memories of a life lived in isolation and without much physical activity, her body began to shrink a little, losing its curvaceous figure for a more skeletal, lithe frame. Thankfully, not much had been taken from her to affect the beauty she had been famed for in her previous life.

With the last pieces of this new reality settling in, a knock on the door along with a strangely familiar voice calling for her, hollering about dinner being prepared. But of course it was familiar, after all, she'd known the lax sleazebag of an adopted father for half her life now, and although their relationship had been somewhat distant, she had it in her to improve that, opening up to him like she had to Ren and the rest.

Setting down the headphones that had at some point snapped itself around her head, Haru unlocks the door to her room, heading outside with a warm smile on her face as if nothing had ever changed…

"Damn it…Haru? Futaba?! Anyone there?!"

Makoto had found herself wondering alone in the middle of a dark void after the tunnel collapse had separated the three Thieves, the last she had seen of her companions told her nothing good; Futaba was panicking and Haru simply resigned herself to her fall with a wince on her face, and then she too had lost her grip before being dropped into the white light below.

And now here she was, alone, but not afraid…definitely not afraid. If anything came tumbling out of the dark, she'd be ready for them. Or at least, she hoped so, biting back her fear while continuing down in the same direction, calling out every so often for her companions in an effort to assuage her fears more so than locating them.

Eventually, the disparate Queen sees something in the distance, a pale speck far too small to make out the details of. Stifling a yelp of fear as her eyes widen at the sight while her legs instantly freeze up at the thought of what it could be.

'Calm down…there's no such thing as ghosts…there aren't any ghosts in the Metaverse…none at all!'

Shutting her eyes, the hesitant Makoto resumes her steady pace, stumbling every so often with one hand held out in front of her as if to probe her way through the empty space all around her. Whether it really was an ethereal specter or something else entirely, she would find out soon enough as her gloved hand finally feels the cold surface of…

"A door?"

Indeed it was, fashioned from high quality oak and painted over in lustrous white with a polished metal knob. It looked like one fit for the entrance to a high class hotel room or something. But what was one doing out here in the middle of nowhere?

Taking one cautious loop around the door, Makoto clicks her tongue in frustration, there were just too many variables at play here, and with the seeking randomness at which the Metaverse operated on, she had found her earlier question to be a stupid one. A random door attached to nothing wasn't the most unusual thing she had seen from this twisted world.

Thinking better, the Phantom Thief spins on her heel before passing the door, ignoring the thing and choosing instead to continue walking through the void. Something about it made her feel…wrong…just like that terrible mimicry of a subway in Shibuya.

Unbeknownst to the over cautious Makoto however, her fate had been sealed the moment her hands had made contact with the door as the thin velvety gloves adorning her hands slowly disintegrate, leaving her bare hands exposed to give a clear view of her clean nails lengthening slightly before being painted over in a thin layer of pink gloss all while the rest of her Phantom Thief attire continues to fade away, leaving behind her original drab vest and long sleeved shirt with a fluttering skirt hanging down over her legging clad legs. But that too, would soon begin to change into something more trendy and flirtatious for a girl her age as her long sleeved shirt vanishes, leaving her body exposed temporarily before her vest turns into a girly grey singlet alongside her prim skirt morphing into a summer dress, looking more glamorous than before as her hair trembles with energy before beginning to extend in long wavy threads that grow just a tad bit longer to grace the nape of her neck.

"Huh? Isn't that...That door again!"

By the time her eyes had graced the strange white door, any sense of caution and fear in the Makoto of old was no longer present in the peppy young girl as she picks up her pace, keeping a watchful eye out for traps and other dangers no longer mattered just like the small arsenal of weapons she once had by her side to defend herself with. But the closer she got, the more her brain seemed to incline itself to believe in the trickle of new memories and thought patterns slowly overwriting the old, where she once thought of the white door as nothing more than an oddity, she now knew it to the entrance to her room, vaguely remembering the spacious interior and what lay within it as her hands finally grace the handle before pulling back out of instinctive shock from what little was left of Makoto's old stringent self, pouring inquisitively in a way she never would have done so in the past.

"This is my own room but…why do I feel so…hesitant to go in?"

And in that short span of time spent standing still in silent thought, the void around the warped Phantom Thief begins to fill with light and color; bright sea blue wallpaper, polished floorboards, a sparkling white ceiling, the warmth of the midday sun, all of it was filling in like paint on an empty canvas, materializing around Makoto as she shakes her head at the glare disrupting her vision, snapping her out of her confusion while looking around her in a state of surprise, then calm upon realizing she was standing in the corridor of her own home right outside her room.

"Silly me…what was I even doing? Gosh, I really need some rest, today was such a tiring day…"

Pushing open the door and entering the familiar comfort of her room, Makoto proceeds to set down the purse she had been carrying around under her shoulder on the table before moving over to her bed, flopping down on it with a heavy sigh of relief, enjoying the sensation of her aching body sinking into the fluffy warm sheets in tune to her athletic body losing most of its muscle as memories and moves learned from Aikido training leave her entirely, ending with her already beautiful figure earning some extra curvature and tender fat especially prominent around her arms and hips.

Despite the relief however, something else was eating away at Makoto's heart, as if she was forgetting something incredibly important to her while her furrowed eyes scan over her room; from the embossed mirror hanging on the wall, the giant painting depicting a serene countryside forest above her to the plants that bordered the corners of her room near the window. Just what was she missing?

“Ah right…Father…I should tell him I'll be missing dinner tonight but will that even matter?"

Sinking herself deeper into bed at the remembrance of her parent and the flood of memories she still felt conflicted by coming to mind, Makoto Okumura slaps her hand over her face with a dreary sigh more deeper and deadened than before. And right after a fun time being a free student with her companions too…not being tied down by familial duties and responsibilities set for her by her father. He used to be so kind, but looking at him now? She couldn't see any of that left in the greedy, overreaching politician that had taken his place, treating her as a pawn to be used rather than a daughter to love and raise as his own.

Groaning in frustration as she rolls over on her side, a flustered Makoto wills her eyes close, scrubbing her head of all those pesky thoughts before relaxing, feeling herself drift off to sleep. While she still loved her father, she wasn't going to let him disrupt her ability to get a good night's rest. After all, she still had a case to solve alongside her fellow Phantom Thieves, and if they were going to do it, she needed to be in tip top shape!

Plus whacking and blowing up Shadows as they wailed for mercy made for an excellent way to de-stress from her problems so it would be terrible if she were to miss such an opportunity were she to fall ill…now that just wouldn't do. Giggling to herself as she slowly drifts off to sleep.

'Hehe~ I wonder what Ren would say to a special training run together…I hope he doesn't fine me too unappealing, Ann always did say it was unbefitting for a girl like me~'

The last of the trio that hadn’t been claimed by the reality warp that saw the lives of Haru and Makoto swapped and outright replaced, Futaba had spent the past few minutes lying still, slumped over on a leather chair as if she'd simply fallen asleep after a night long gaming session without breaks, and not the fact that she has fallen through a gaping hole in the floor through a white light to an unknown locale.

But this wasn't her room, and the laptop before her certainly wasn't the command station she had grown to call home. Futaba was a massive nerd and technological wiz, not to mention a recluse, so having a prim and proper room with shelves chock full of literary works and not game discs, manga and figures from her favorite franchise was highly unusual. Add to that how everything seemed so neatly arranged with barely a speck of dust to be found anywhere, and the fact that Futaba was a stranger to this place couldn't have been any more clear.

As she slept however, her scrawny body would begin to twitch, growing slightly in height as muscle alongside toned layers of flesh began to fill in her body, bestowing the ungainly Futaba with firm calves, plump thighs, widest hips and powerful arms as her petite navel hardens over into a firm core, ripe with muscle just as her chest protrudes further outward, matching up more or less with Haru's bust size as they begin to strain the techsuit now struggling to bear Futaba's increased mass, outlining her expanded curvature and height before unraveling in an explosive manner to reveal a comfortable singlet colored her signature indigo green alongside a pair of hot shorts that showed off her long shapely legs, ending off with dainty feet that twitched ever so slightly while Futaba continued to sleep, unaware of her drastically altered physique, accompanied by a subtle jolt to her rounded shoulders as her long flowing mane of bright orange hair begins to recede back into her scalp with extra threads doing themselves up into a braid that ties itself neatly over the top of her head. By the time it's over, Futaba had traded her silky locks for a cute bob cut that seemed to lend her an air of seriousness about her.

"W…What the…where am I?"

Like the others, Futaba had retained her original voice, but also unlike them, hers had earned a slight guttural quality to it, as if she was trying to force a bit of roughness into her otherwise gentle, high pitched voice. Which made sense after all considering Futaba Nijima's role as student council president. She had to be strict, to be a role model for all to follow.

But as the sudden recollection of her past comes to mind, the haze of weariness hanging over Futaba quickly fades as anger begins to bubble inside of her, gritting her teeth while her blurry vision adjusts to the open laptop before her. No longer concerned about her list glasses because in this new reality, she never needed them in the first place. The time she spent in front of a digital screen was close to null, and so her eyesight had remained in tip top condition, and in the place of her encyclopedic knowledge of games,technology and anime, academics, military strategy and a fondness for literature had taken their spots now left vacant in her brain. Finding nothing wrong as she glances up toward the painting hanging by her side on the wall for some inspiration before sighing, running a hand over her deeply troubled face while glancing at the time.

"8pm huh…wonder whether sis is home already…"

But despite the wishful thinking, Futaba knew her sister; Sae Nijima, and either already ate without her or was yet again, staying back late at her office working a case. She had often wondered what life would've been like if their father hadn't lost his life doing his job but ultimately never got any further than speculation, focusing instead on the heavy burden of expectation she felt every second of her life. Even when said people who propped her up on a pedestal were lazy oafs that embodied the term 'knowing how to talk but not knowing how to walk', it infuriated her to no end.

'It's not like I'm totally free from criticism either…'

Shaking her head before slapping herself harshly on the cheek before she got into another of her self detrimental thoughts, Futaba pushes herself off the table, closing her laptop before shuffling over to her bed, not caring one inch about the rumble in her tummy as she flops lifelessly over it, wanting to shut her brain off and go to sleep. She had another busy day at school tomorrow and she couldn't afford to give herself a migraine.

But the thought of school springs new emotions to mind; anticipation, hope and excitement as the faces of her fellow Phantom Thieves come to mind, the only ones who had cared enough to have seen through her harsh exterior and befriended her despite their initially rocky relationship. Being with them felt much more liberating than being at home.

And although she wasn't sure of it, some part of her was feeling a bit bothered by the way Haru and Makoto seemed to be getting abit too close to Ren, it would be bad for unit cohesion if their relationship got close enough to result in rivalries after all, but that was shuffle to cross whenever it came up, no need to make a fuss about something that might also be a boon for the Thieves after all.

"Wonder if I'll ever get the chance to fall in love as easily as they do…pfft, what am I even saying? Need… to get to bed…"

Mumbling her last words in an incoherent mess, Futaba's consciousness slips away just as the door to her room opens slowly without a sound, watched from the darkness outside by keen yellow eyes staring emotionlessly at her younger sister before moving over to drape her in her warm sheets, tucking her in properly like a mother would her child, sighing despondently before quietly taking her leave just as fast as she had entered…

With the temporary merger between the real world and the Metaverse coming to a close as the boundary between the two worlds assume their former consistency. Haru, Makoto and Futaba's lives were now permanently entangled with each other, having swapped their respective personalities and existences with one another with no one besides a being of higher power able to tell anything had been different in the first place. But this was far from enough to hinder the Phantom Thieves efforts in stopping the conspiracy threatening not just Tokyo itself as they would soon realize. Sending a god of all things back into the hole it had crept out of after twarthing all its efforts to puppeteer mankind as their all knowing shepherd. With their work done, the Phantom Thieves each went on their separate ways while making sure to remain in contact with one another after seeing their leader and dear friend back to his hometown after clearing his name of all charges.

Haru Sakura would soon go on to make a recovery from her many years spent isolated from physical contact with the outside world, becoming a student at Shujin Academy, the very same place her peers studied at before her, experiencing first hand the life she had missed out on for all those years spent locked away in her room. And her adoptive father couldn't have been any happier for it.

Makoto Okumura and Futaba Nijima would end up leading more or less similar lifestyles with the two enterprising young women entering college together, and as the sole Victor that had snagged Ren's heart for herself, Futaba had taken to watching Makoto constantly fawn over her phone, constantly chatting up her boyfriend in their temporary long distance relationship together whenever they were together.

Unaware of the drastic mixup, the girls would continue leading their new lives in bliss, content to live with the knowledge that they’d each done their part to protect the lives they held dear to them in addition to saving the world from a mocking god. A feat that would go unnoticed for the rest of their lives as time ticked on across the world…

THE END