Scenario:Persona 5: Thievery in Blue - Chapter 4: Foundation of the Heart - Episode 2

Persona 5: Thievery in Blue - Chapter 4: Foundation of the Heart - Episode 2

Eventually the thieves and the crew arrive at an apple tree, but it seems to have withered. Discouraged, Lyria suggests they go to the shrine where Vyrn and (Captain) first met her. There Lyria and (Captain) find an apple, but when they pick it up, shadowy versions of themselves appear and attack.

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The party proceed through the forest while wrestling with their own anxiety. They finally find the apple tree.

Skull: It's all dried up?

Fox: It barely has any leaves left, and it seems rather sickly. I wonder how it came to be like this.

Most of the tree's leaves have fallen. It bears no signs of life, much less fruit.

Lyria: This place is supposed to hold special meaning for Vyrn and (Captain). Why is it in such bad shape...

Panther: It doesn't make sense. All the other trees around here are doing fine except for this one.

Mona: Yeah. The irregularity surrounding this tree is definitely pointing to something important.

Fox: What could it be hinting at?

Rackam: Now where do we go from here? Is a tree enough to help figure all this out?

Mona: I can't think of anything at the moment. But since it seems to have some sort of meaning, I'm guessing there's more to it...

Skull: How 'bout we scope out some other places?

Skull: (Captain) and Vyrn grew up in the village next door, so this whole forest is probably full of memory spots.

Katalina: Good point. We're not licked yet.

Lyria: Okay! Let's go find some more clues!

They all scour their surroundings again, unsurprisingly seeing nothing but distorted trees. No one says a word.

Lyria: That's...

Mona: What? Bad guys?

Lyria: Oops, sorry. I just thought something over there looked familiar...

Lyria is referring to an old shrine that has existed for many generations in Zinkenstill.

It's the same shrine where she first met (Captain) and Vyrn.

Lyria: It's kind of weird though. It hasn't been that long since we left it...

Rackam: Hm? Someone's made an offering to the shrine. Is that an apple?

Fox: The luster of the peel is proof of its ripeness.

Katalina: First the apple tree, and now an actual apple. What is the significance behind it?

Lyria: It must be that this apple is actually Vyrn's Treasure...

Lyria: Shouldn't that mean that he'll come back if we take it?

Mona: Uh, hold up. That means the apple really is the Treasure...

Mona: But I thought Treasure's not s'posed to appear until we send out a calling card...

Lyria quietly reaches for the apple.

Suddenly the ground beneath her feet begins to undulate as if it were liquid.

Lyria: Eeek!

Panther: What is it, Lyria-chan!

Lyria: How strange! The ground is swaying...

Lyria: Aaah!

Lyria can bear it no longer and leaps back from where she stood.

Two figures, darker than the night, surface from the ground.

???: ...

Lyria: Huh? You're...

???: ...!

One of the figures raises their sword and takes a swing at Lyria without warning.

Panther: Lyria-chan!

Panther's quick reflexes pull Lyria to safety just in the nick of time.

Panther: Are you okay? Did you get hit?

Lyria: I-I'm okay...

Skull: Son of a... It was a trap—

Skull: Wait, what!

Skull is the only one to vocalize his outrage, but everyone is visibly surprised.

The two figures reveal their true selves to be (Captain) and Lyria.

Copies: ...

Rackam: Uh, what are we looking at here?

Skull: What now? Can we attack them?

Mona: The real ones are on our side! Those are probably fakes posing as Shadows!

Katalina: The real (Captain) would never attack Lyria.

Skull: Damn it! Got no choice!