8/1 Sunday
Once again, the gang returned to Futaba´s Palace, they entered the following chamber, once inside; they found a stone slab and Makoto read its content
-¨When red and blue align, an illusion will rise. Only proper guidance shall form a path¨
-¨Huh? What is it talking about?¨ Ann asked
-¨I haven´t the slightest idea. It may be some kind of hint¨
They decided to drop the subject for now and continue their exploration, until they encountered Shadow Futaba
-¨You´re late¨ she said a bit pissed off ¨What took you so long?¨ she began to walk away
Ryuji groaned in irritation ¨That´s it! I´ve had it up to here with her!¨
They tried to go after game, but then, the pyramid began to shake
¨Wait, this shaking…¨ Makoto said, realization hitting her
A boulder appeared and began to roll towards them
-¨Of course¨ Ren said, not surprised at all
-¨Shoot, this is bad! ¨ Morgana said ¨Get back!¨
They run back to where they came from, the boulder passing and falling on a hole into nothing
-¨I´m sick of this bullshit!¨ Ryuji said annoyed ¨What the hell is she thinkin!?¨
They tried to take the path again, but the pyramid shook once more
-¨Uhh, is this what I think…?¨ Ann asked, worry because she knew what was coming
Another boulder appeared, so they had to run away again
-¨We can´t proceed on like this¨ Makoto said ¨We need to do something about that giant boulder¨
They find a small vent between the walls, so they crawled through it and found another room with lots of coffin-like things
-¨This seems to be backside of that giant boulder trap¨ Yusuke pointed out ¨We should survey this place¨
They explored the area for a few minutes, until…
-¨A button and a slab, huh?¨ Morgana said
-¨There´s nothing visible on the slab¨ Makoto said ¨What do you think we should do?¨
Ren tried to push the button, but it wouldn´t budge
-¨Nothing is happening¨ Yusuke said
-¨That´s odd¨ Makoto said ¨Is it broken? Or could there be another step to this mechanism…?¨
Upon further investigation, they found another stone slab
-¨There´s a stone slab here too¨ Makoto said ¨But… there´s nothing legible inscribed on its surface¨
-¨Sounds pretty useless to me¨ Ryuji said ¨Whaddya wanna do, Joker? ¨
-¨Let´s take a closer look¨ he said and touched the slab, which it began to bright in blue
-¨Ohhh! It´s shinin!¨ Ryuji said impressed
-¨Hm, the devices controlling the murals seemed to react in a similar fashion¨ Makoto added
-¨Something showed up! ¨ Ann said ¨it says B01010!¨
-¨That may be a clue of some sort¨ Yusuke said ¨Either way, we should search to see if anything has changed¨
They return to the previous room, which it shook a bit
-¨Wh-What the…!?¨ Ann asked surprised
From the left line of coffins, holograms in the shape of giant spheres appeared, one was blue while the others were yellow
-¨So this thing´s link to the stone slab is what powers it¨ Morgana said
-¨Quite the impressive contraption¨ Yusuke added ¨Why don´t we examine it closer?¨
They went towards the coffins
-¨It seems the hologram´s coming from this coffin¨ Makoto pointed out ¨Should we try fiddling with the control panel?¨
Ren touched it and it turned off
-¨Try touching it again, Joker¨ she said
He did what he was told, and it turned on again
-¨I see… So it´s possible to turn it back on as well. It looks like we should be able to turn the holograms on or off by accessing each control panel. Do you think is related to that code from earlier¨
-¨Puzzle Time! ¨ Ren said with a bit of excitement
And indeed, after playing with the lights a bit, they managed to make the lights coincide with the code, so they went to push the button from before
The pyramid shook and the blue door opened
-¨Ah! The door opened! ¨ Ann said
-¨I suppose this is the first step in this process? The next device must be beyond this point¨ Yusuke said
-¨By the way¨ Ann said ¨What´s up with these things? Are they all because of Futuba-chan´s mental state? ¨
-¨It´s hard to say¨ Morgana said ¨But it does prove that she might not be as simple a target as we were hoping she´d be¨
-¨I wonder about the meaning behind that stone slab as well¨ Makoto said
-¨Hey, our path´s open now¨ Ryuji said ¨Can we just keep goin? ¨
They explore the new room, where they found another stone slab
-¨Look, there´s a stone slab here too¨ Morgana said
-¨Touching this one will probably activate it too¨ Makoto said ¨What do you want to do Joker? ¨
He pressed the slab, which it began to bright in red
-¨Woo! It´s lit up now, just like we were expectin!¨ Ryuji said
-¨There are red inscriptions on there this time. They say… R01100 and B10011¨ Makoto said
-¨If this code is similar to the prior one, these would surely be hints for those buttons¨ Yusuke added
They returned to the main room
-¨Aha! Look!¨ Morgana said
Both lines of coffins began to showed big spheres, one line started with a blue one while the other started with a red one
-¨Something changed in the room, just like we expected¨
-¨There should be some connection between that and the code that appeared on the stone slab¨ Makoto said
After solving the puzzle, the pyramid began to shake
-¨Whoa, what´s going on!?¨ Morgana asked alarmed ¨This is a stronger reaction than anything up to this point¨
-¨Guys, look! ¨ Makoto pointed upwards, where they saw lots of giant boulders rolling down
-¨Are those giants boulders rolling down the corridor? ¨ Morgana asked
-¨Dude, this ain´t stopping! ¨ Ryuji yelled ¨Is this gonna be OK!?¨
Ren pushed the button again, but the boulders moved faster
-¨Ngh! That only made it worse¨ Yusuke said
-¨Do something about this, Joker! ¨ Morgana yelled
-¨Time to kick it¨ Ren thought, deciding he had enough, he kicked the button, which stopped the boulders from rolling
-¨Did it… stop?¨ Morgana asked nervously
-¨Is this what the slab could have meant by ¨form a path¨?¨ Makoto asked
They climbed the wall, where they saw that all the boulders were piled up in a line
-¨God damn! Talk about a mess! ¨ Ryuji yelled surprised
-¨It´s broken. Well, I guess it would be a little more precise to say we broke it¨
-¨Meh, it will be fine, she can send us the bill for the damage¨ Ren thought
-¨We can´t get through like this! What´re we gonna do!?¨ Ann asked
-¨Perhaps we could walk over the giant boulders? ¨ Makoto asked ¨Let´s try it¨
And indeed they could walk over them, and found another room with another control panel as well as the pedestal reflecting a beam of light
-¨This is the same mechanism as the one we saw before¨ Makoto pointed out
-¨Then we just gotta touch it and make something happen, yeah? C´mon, let´s try it out¨ Ryuji said
Ren press the control and it display a scrambled puzzle
-¨Oh hey, it came on¨ Ryuji said ¨This one´s kinda hard to tell though¨
-¨It must be scrambled as well¨ Morgana said ¨Let´s use the controls to put it back together¨
After moving the pieces, the puzzle was rearranged; it showed the image of a woman jumping to a car while certain girl was crying
-¨It seems it is complete¨ Yusuke said
-¨Is she jumping in front of a car? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨Could this be the moment when Futaba´s mother committed suicide…? ¨ Ann asked concerned
They started to hear voices
-¨F-Futabaaaaaa¨ a young woman voice said ¨Y-You… aaaaaaaaareee…¨
The pedestal began to reflect light on the puzzle, causing it to disappear and illuminating the gate at the main staircase
-¨She died right in front of Futaba´s eyes¨ Ryuji said, angry at the situation
-¨That´s horrible¨ Makoto said with sadness
-¨So, did her desire to forget those memories cause her to repress them? ¨ Yusuke asked
They climbed down and went towards the door at the stairs, which it began to open
-¨All right, it opened! ¨ Ryuji exclaimed ¨That was a breeze! ¨
-¨We´re pretty far in now, right? ¨ Ann asked ¨This has to be past halfway¨
-¨Yeah, the Treasure is definitely close. You better be excited! ¨ Morgana added
After climbing up the stairs, they entered to the following chamber and then
-¨Wait up! ¨ Ryuji said ¨Look, there she is¨
In front of them, there was Shadow Futaba
-¨You´re late. I thought all of you had died¨ she said annoyed
-¨Thanks for the vote of confidence¨ Ren thought with sarcasm
-¨We almost did thanks to you! ¨ Ryuji complained ¨I mean, do you really wanna help us!? Make up your goddamm mind! ¨
-¨I´m not sure¨ she said ¨There´s not much at this point though¨ and then she disappeared
-¨Oh… Not again! ¨ Ann said worry ¨This is all because you picked on her, Skull! ¨
A Shadow Coffin appeared
-¨Your short temper has created more work for us¨ Yusuke added
-¨This is my fault!?¨ Ryuji asked outraged
-¨Leave the guy alone!¨ Ren said
-¨Thanks Joker¨
-¨That does not change the fact that you should keep your cool¨ he added
-¨Dude, which side are you on?¨
-¨WHO DARES INTRUDE UPON THE PEACE OF THIS HOLY GROUND?¨ the Coffin said ¨THIS IS THE PHARAOH´S TOMB. NONE MAY DISTURB HER SLUMBER¨
-¨Ngh, we can´t retreat now¨ Makoto said ¨We´ll just have to do this!¨
After the battle was over, the gang analyze their situation
-¨Dammit, the hell´s up with her!?¨ Ryuji asked annoyed
-¨Can you just try to calm down? Nothing good will come of letting your temper flare up like that¨ Makoto said
-¨Moving on¨ Yusuke said ¨She did say ¨There´s not much left¨ though. The end of this Palace may be drawing close¨
-¨Then let´s move on¨ Ren said
After more exploration, they found another with a pedestal reflecting light
-¨The mural should display on the front wall now, right? ¨ Ann asked
-¨I´d expect so. Joker, if you please¨ Makoto
-¨Your wishes are my command, your highness¨ he said with a smirk, she only rolled her eyes
After pressing the tablet, another puzzle showed at the screen
-¨Wait, what?!¨ Ann asked confused ¨I can´t even begin to tell what this one is¨
-¨It may be a rather difficult puzzle for us to solve¨ Makoto added
-¨Professor Layton would be so proud of this¨ Ren thought
After some minutes, the puzzle was solved, showing the image of Shadow Futaba grabbing a woman by her shirt, like she was begging for something
-¨Yes! We finished it! ¨ Ann exclaimed
-¨A child pulling on her mother´s clothes? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨Mom¨ a girl´s voice said
-¨More voices¨ Ann said
-¨I´m… I´m tired of eating dinner alone all the time¨ the girl´s voice said ¨It´s always just convenience store bentos. I wanna go somewhere, take me on a trip! ¨
-¨The one clinging to her mother would be Futaba-chan, right? ¨ Ann asked
-¨Don´t be so selfish! ¨ the young woman´s voice said in an annoyed tone ¨You know I´m working hard to support you, right!? Ugh! ¨
The pedestal began to reflect light on the puzzle, which it opened and reflected on the door at the main staircase
-¨She seemed pretty angry¨ Makoto said with a sorrowful tone ¨Is that the maternity neurosis the voice from earlier mentioned? ¨
-¨I thought it was pretty normal for a child to want to spend time with their parents though¨ Ann said
-¨Yeah. Looks like Futaba was a pretty lonely kid growin´up¨ Ryuji said
-¨So these incidents compounded, forcing her mother to suicide? ¨ Yusuke asked, depressed for the situation
Shadow Futaba appeared
-¨I must die¨ she said
-¨Huh? ¨ Ann asked confused
-¨I killed her… that´s why I´m here in this tomb
-¨Don´t say that! ¨ Ann said angry
-¨I will die¨ and she disappeared
-¨Futaba-chan! ¨ Ann yelled
-¨Why´d she get so quiet all of a sudden? What happened to that snarky personality? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨Could her heart perhaps be growing weaker? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨We have to hurry and save her! ¨ Ann said
They went to the gate that blocked the staircase, which opened
-¨It´s open¨ Ann said ¨But what´s this!?¨
There was some sort of door covered with yellow tapes that said ¨caution¨ and a sign that said ¨Private, do not enter¨
-¨Hey, this ain´t openin…¨ Ryuji said ¨Think there´s a way to open it somewhere else¨
Makoto put her hand on her chin ¨Hm? This door¨
-¨It looks familiar¨ Morgana said
-¨Oh! Futaba´s Room! ¨ Makoto pointed out
-¨That´s it! ¨ the cat added
-¨Why ain´t it openin? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨It must be her cognition that no one can enter it¨ Morgana said
Shadow Futaba appeared once more
-¨I´m surprised that you made it this far. Beyond lies the Pharaoh´s Chamber¨
-¨So the Treasure´s through here? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨Indeed. However, you need my permission to open this door¨
-¨Then open it for us¨
-¨I cannot. You must have her invite you in¨
-¨What the eff. Ain´t this your Palace? ¨
-¨What´s she mean, Mona? ¨ Ann asked
-¨The Shadow is Futaba, but not Futaba herself¨ the cat informed ¨In other words, we need the real Futaba´s permission¨
-¨So we need to have Futaba-chan open her room and let us in? ¨
Shadow Futaba began to disappear ¨Considering that you made it all the way here; you may be able to do it¨
-¨Looks like we´ll have to return to reality once¨ Ann said
-¨But I remember Boss saying that she won´t let anyone in¨ Makoto said
-¨Right. She´s a serious shut-in¨ Ryuji said
-¨How will we convince her to allow us entry? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨Standing around here won´t help¨ Makoto said ¨We´ll just have to give it a try. That´s what she wants, after all¨
-¨I think we should do it too, even if it means we have to force ourselves in¨ Ann said
-¨Someone sure is stoked about this¨ Ryuji said
-¨We have no choice but to sneak in again¨ Yusuke said
-¨Joker, it´s your call when we do this¨ Ann said ¨Make sure you think of some excuses just in case Boss catches us¨
-¨Leave it to me¨ Ren said
-¨We´re countin on you, leader¨ Ryuji said, filled with confidence on his friend
-¨On that note, is everyone clear on what needs doing? ¨ Morgana asked
-¨Oh, that reminds me¨ Ryuji said ¨Gimme the calling card. The one that Alibaba sent us¨
-¨What are you going to do with it? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨We´re the Phantom Thieves, you know? We gotta announce this. If the Treasure´s there when we get the room open, givin this to her will let us take it right away¨ he looked at Makoto ¨Queen, help me think of what to write¨
-¨I suppose¨ she said
-¨We got this covered! ¨ the blondie exclaimed with confidence ¨You decided on a good time we barge into her room! That´s all you!¨
And they left the Palace in order to prepare for what is next to come
8/2 Monday
They meet at Ren´s room, in order to discuss the calling card
-¨Oh, so you´re set on doing this? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨Looks like it´s my turn to unlock the entrance¨ Morgana said ¨Forgive me chief¨
-¨How will we convince Futaba to let us enter into her room though?¨ Yusuke asked ¨Even Boss is forbidden entry¨
-¨We´ll be honest¨ Ren said
-¨Yes, that is the best course of action¨ Makoto agreed
-¨You know a method? ¨ the artist asked
-¨I think it´s quite straightforward. Futaba doesn´t know what we´re doing inside her Palace, correct? Hence, if we tell her we´ve come to steal her heart, she´ll surely open the door and let us inside¨
-¨Wait… That´s it?¨ Ann asked
-¨Futaba wants to have a change of heart. After all, she contacted us for that express purpose. That desire should lead her to open the door as well¨
-¨You´re right¨ the blond girl agreed ¨Our feelings should get through if we just try and talk to her¨
-¨All right, I believe in Futaba! ¨ Ryuji exclaimed with confidence ¨C´mon, let´s get this done¨
Meanwhile, at Sojiro´s house, Futaba was at her room checking her phone
-¨An eyeball…? What´s this? When did it get on here? ¨
She touched the app a bit and the environment began to distort, after that, Shadow Futaba appeared in front of her, surrounded on red flames
-¨Wh-Whoaaa…¨ Futaba gasped in surprise ¨Wh-Who´re you…? ¨
-¨I am the other you¨ Shadow Futaba said
-¨Is this some kinda hallucination? ¨ Futaba asked ¨It´s different from usual¨
-¨How long will you continue blaming yourself and shutting yourself away from the world? ¨ the shadow asked
-¨Blaming myself for what…? ¨
-¨For your mother´s death¨
Futaba looked away
-¨Don´t you think it´s time you grasped the truth of that moment? What happened before your eyes, what happened to your mother¨ The shadow said
-¨The truth¨ Futaba repeated
-¨Why did you choose to rely on the Phantom Thieves? ¨
-¨That´s…¨
-¨Are you simply going to shut yourself in and do nothing? Are you going to aver your eyes from the true answer? ¨
Futaba remained quiet
-¨If so… I will kill them in your world¨
Shadow Futaba disappeared
-¨I-I… What should I do…? ¨ Futaba asked herself
Back with the gang, they were standing in front of Futaba´s room door
-¨We´re sorry for sneaking in so many times, Boss¨ Makoto said with regret on what they are doing
-¨There´s no mistaking it¨ Morgana said ¨This is the same door as in the Palace¨
Makoto knocked the door ¨Hello, Futaba? You´re there, aren´t you? Please answer us¨
-¨I doubt she´d answer¨ Morgana said
-¨Alibaba, we know you´re there. It doesn´t matter if it´s through chat messaging, just answer us¨ Makoto pleaded
Ren phone ringed, it was Futaba/Alibaba
Alibaba: You should´ve told me you were going to come here
-¨In order to steal your heart, we need you to open this door¨ Makoto informed ¨We can´t change your heart otherwise. Please let us in¨
Alibaba: I´m not mentally prepared!
Ren: You have to do this
Alibaba: That´s easy for you to say
-¨The other you within your heart told us to have you open it¨ Makoto said ¨Deep down, you want to open this door, don´t you? ¨
Alibaba: The other me?
-¨Right¨ Makoto said ¨We´re trying to uphold our promise, but you´re the one resisting us¨
Alibaba: Give me some time
-¨Ten seconds¨ Makoto said
Alibaba: That´s too short! At least minutes. Please!
-¨Fine. But if Boss come home, we´ll kick down the door and enter if we must¨ Makoto said
-¨And we are not paying for the damage if that happens¨ Ren added
Alibaba: Fine
-¨Time´s up, Alibaba¨ Makoto said
Alibaba: All right, I´ll open it now
-¨We need to change her cognition¨ Makoto said ¨Better to be completely safe than sorry¨
-¨So she has to be the one to invite us in¨ Yusuke said
-¨Futaba, please open the door¨
The door opened
-¨All right, let´s go in¨ Ryuji said
They entered Futaba´s room, which it was a whole mess, there were books, papers, manga and some CD´s scattered on the floor, plastic bags filled with soda cans and who knows what else
-¨What is this? ¨ Yusuke asked astonished at the state of the room
-¨Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology… These are all technical books…¨ Makoto said
-¨She keeps herself cooped up in a room like this all the time? ¨ Ann asked with disbelief
-¨Where´s Futaba? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨Where could she be hiding? ¨ Ryuji asked
They heard a noise coming from the closet
-¨The closet!?¨ Makoto asked in surprised
Yusuke shook his head ¨She´ll shut herself in to the bitter end, hm? ¨
-¨Even if that door´s opened up, we´ll get stopped again inside¨ Morgana said ¨I bet a fence or something formed right in front of the Treasure now¨
-¨TH-This makes no sense! ¨ Futaba yelled ¨Explain yourselves! ¨
-¨Whoa, she talked¨ Ryuji said surprised
-¨We need to change your cognition. Unless we do so, we can´t steal your heart¨ Makoto said
-¨I highly doubt she would understand it even if we explained it to her…¨ Yusuke said
-¨So basically, my cognition is being a hindrance, keeping you away from the core of my cognitive world? ¨ Futaba asked
-¨Huh? She understood it? ¨ Ann asked
-¨Why do you know about that? Who are you? ¨ Makoto asked
She remained quiet
-¨Why´d you call yourself Alibaba and make things more complicated? ¨ Ryuji asked ¨If you wanted help, you could´ve just asked for it¨
-¨Was… rrassed¨ Futaba said
-¨Huh? M-My bad. I didn´t catch that¨
-¨Cause I was embarrassed¨
-¨I think I get it¨ Ann said ¨Asking someone for help isn´t that easy¨
-¨Futaba, can you tell us more? How do you know about the cognitive world? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨Cause I knew about it¨
-¨Oh… that reminds me. Boss was talking about ¨cognition¨ or something before, right? ¨ Ann said
-¨You think this is related to how he was gettin grilled by that one lady? ¨ Ryuji suggested
-¨Perhaps her mother was researching this cognitive science that was mentioned? ¨ Makoto suggested
-¨Cognitive psience with a PSI in front! ¨ Futaba corrected ¨Less science, more supernatural. That´s important¨
-¨Well that certainly got her attention… it seems we are on the right track¨ Yusuke said
-¨So, cognitive… psience? ¨ Makoto asked ¨Futaba, what was your mother working on? ¨
She remained quiet
-¨Please tell us. What happened? ¨
More silence
-¨She´s not answering¨ Yusuke said
-¨Shouldn´t we do this later? ¨ Ryuji suggested ¨She seems to have gone through some shit in the past¨
-¨True… she did say things like ¨die¨ Makoto said
-¨Hold on¨ Ann said ¨Futaba-chan, did you really killed your mother? ¨
-¨Whoa, you moron…! ¨ Ryuji said, shocked at Ann lack of subtleness
-¨Wasn´t her death an accident? What actually happened? Maternity neurosis? Is that really true? ¨
-¨Ann¨ Yusuke said
-¨We saw what your heart is like, but we still can´t figure anything out. The mother that Boss told us about is completely different from your condition¨ she got closer to the closet´ door ¨We want to hear the truth from your mouth¨
-¨M-My mom… was¨ she said with hesitation ¨The… one who killed her… was… Nngh…¨
-¨It´s possible that she can´t remember because her heart has become distorted¨ Makoto deduced
There was silence
-¨I´m so sorry, Futaba-chan¨ Ann said, regretting her previous attitude ¨I, um… A lot happened, so… I´m sorry¨
And in the blink of an eye, Futaba came out of the closet, stretching her arms as if she was giving them something
-¨Th-There! Now steal it! ¨ she said, voice filled with both fear, rage and embarrassment while shaking
The others simply sweat nervously
-¨What´s gotten into you all of a sudden? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨C-C´mon, hurry it up! ¨ she demanded
-¨We did come to steal your heart, but it´s not really done right here at this moment¨ Makoto said ¨All you really had to do was open that closet door… I´m sorry we made you jump to conclusions. You don´t have to be like that¨
Futaba lowered her arms ¨I-I see…¨ she looked downed ashamed and entered the closet and closed the door
-¨She went back in! ¨ Ann said
-¨Wh-What´s the meaning of this!?¨ Futaba asked ¨Did you guys trick me? ¨
-¨No! Please listen! ¨ Makoto yelled ¨There´s a reason we had to do this! ¨
-¨She´s aware of the cognitive world, but it seems she doesn´t understand how a change of heart occurs¨ Morgana said
-¨Um, Futaba, how much do you know about the cognitive world? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨I know there´s another world based on cognition. But I don´t know how to get there. Can you guys go there? You said you ¨saw my heart¨ earlier¨
-¨We use a smartphone app¨ Makoto said
-¨An app? ¨
-¨Yes. By entering the required information, we can go to the cognitive world¨
-¨A name, a place, and a distortion, those three¨ Ryuji said ¨So in this case, ¨Futaba Sakura¨, ¨Sojiro Sakura´s house¨, and¨
-¨Futaba, you don´t happen to have this app, do you? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨This… I don´t¨
-¨Thank goodness…¨ Makoto sighed in relief ¨OK then¨
-¨Can you take me with you too? ¨
-¨No¨ Ren said
-¨I gotta agree. Just leave this to us¨ Ryuji said
-¨I´ll leave it to you then¨
-¨Good. And you better not forget about our promise, all right? ¨
Ann and Yusuke headed to the exit, Ryuji was about to do the same, until
-¨Oh yeah! Almost Forgot! The Treasure´s not gonna appear if we don´t have her read this! ¨
He slid the calling card through the closet
-¨Hm? A calling card? ¨
-¨It´s the one you prepared. Read it¨
-¨I can´t. It´s too dark¨
-¨You could just come out¨
-¨It´s embarrassing¨
-¨I´ll make sure she reads it, so you guys go on ahead¨ Morgana said
And so the others left while Morgana hid, Futaba came out and began to read the card
Futaba Sakura has committed a great sin of drowning in sloth. Thus, We will rob every last bit of those distorted desires.
Morgana came out from under Futaba´s bed
-¨Good¨
-¨Eek! ¨ Futaba yelled and fell to the floor, the cat ran away ¨Kitty! You again!?¨ she yelled annoyed
The thieves finally arrived to where the Treasure was located, it was a room illuminated by green neon light and in the middle of it there was a coffin
-¨The hell? This ain´t what I was imagining! ¨ Ryuji yelled disappointed
-¨Were you expecting a mountain of treasure or something that sort? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨There IS that over there¨ Ann said while pointing to the coffin
-¨That´s it? ¨ Ryuji dropped his head more disappointed
-¨The Treasure must be inside¨ Makoto said
-¨All right, let´s take it! ¨ the blondie said and began to walk towards the coffin
-¨Be careful¨ Yusuke said
Meanwhile, Morgana began to jump in excitement ¨T-Treasure…! ¨ and ran towards the coffin as well, but then, the room shook
-¨There´s something here¨ Yusuke said
-¨I got a bad feeling about this¨ Ryuji said
The roof of the room broke, and now there was a hole where light came in
A giant woman´s face appeared ¨Fuuuutaaaaaaabaaaaa!
-¨Is it a Shadow? ¨ Makoto asked in shocked at the monstrosity ¨No… then! ¨
-¨It´s not Futaba! ¨ Yusuke said
-¨Don´t tell me! ¨ the cat said and then
The creature used its giant paws and began to destroy the walls completely, now the room was completely illuminated and now in the air there was a giant winged sphynx creature with the face of Futaba´s mother
-¨This is insane! ¨ Ann yelled
The creature let out a powerful screech and flipped its wings with such a force that the wind generated started to make the things to fall back slowly
-¨If it´s not a Shadow, then what is it!?¨ Ryuji asked while grabbing the floor in order to prevent him of being sent away
-¨It´s a… cognition! ¨ Morgana yelled ¨A monster that Futaba´s cognition created! ¨
-¨Couldn´t have been a puppy or something a bit smaller¨ Ren thought annoyed while covering his face from the wind
-¨How can that be!?¨ Makoto yelled covering her face as well
A pillar crumble and was about to fell on Makoto
-¨Hey, look out! ¨ Ryuji yelled
-¨Queen!¨ Ren yelled worry; he jumped towards her and put her out of the way before the pillar fell on her, landing on top of her
-¨Are you all right?! That was dange…¨ the Trickster tried to said but
-¨Yes, thank¨ Makoto tried to say but
They both stop what they were going to say because they realized that their lips were only mere inches from touching
The two thieves ignored what was happening right now, their face turned slightly red, their hearts beating too fast but yet they couldn´t look away from the other
-¨Here it comes! ¨ Ryuji yelled, this brought both Ren and Makoto back to reality, he helped her to get back on her feet, it was time to face the cognition
-¨Do not approach the pharaoh´s tomb! ¨ the monster yelled ¨Misfortune will fall upon you! ¨
-¨Ugh, look at it fly about! ¨ the cat yelled annoyed ¨We can´t reach it like this! We´ve got no other option. Let´s take it down with our guns and skills! ¨
-¨Sandman! ¨ Ren summoned a Persona, a red body creature with a moon-shaped face and holding a sack and used Sukunda, creating black-reddish orbs that wrapped the monster and reduce its strength
-¨Persona! ¨ Morgana summoned Zorro, the masked vigilante using a wind attack against the winged creature
-¨This is my other self! ¨ Yusuke summoned Goemon, who throw ice blocks to it
-¨Persona! ¨ Makoto ride her bike and used a nuclear attack against the cognition
The cognition charged towards Yusuke and slammed him with its paw, causing some damage, it then slammed Ren as well
-¨Jikokuten! ¨ the leader of the Phantom Thieves called another Persona, this time it was a samurai with a greenish armor and a moustache, which used a spell to boost the team´s attack
-¨Zorro! ¨ Morgana called its Persona once more and again released another wind attack
-¨Persona! ¨ Yusuke used another ice attack
-¨Johanna! ¨ Makoto called her Persona and used another nuclear attack
The creature slammed Makoto and then it flapped its wings, causing a little tornado that damaged them
-¨Let´s go! ¨ Ren used Rakunda, creating black-blue orbs that wrapped the creature, reducing its defense
-¨Persona! ¨ Morgana called its Persona and proceed to heal its teammates
-¨I am thou! ¨ Yusuke called Goemon once more and used another ice attack
-¨Persona! ¨ Makoto used another nuclear attack
The winged creature started to ascend towards the sky, the thieves losing sight of it
-¨H-How far did it fly up!?¨ Morgana asked ¨What´s it gonna do!?¨ the cat realized then ¨Don´t tell me… Is it gonna dive attack us!?¨
-¨In that case¨ Ren called Lachesis, a creature with a red female body and a blackish cape, which he used to heal his teammates so that they can stand what will come
The others took their guarding stances, but nothing happened
-¨Damn that thing¨ Morgana cursed ¨When´s it gonna strike!?¨
-¨Persona! ¨ Ren used Lachesis again, but this time he used a blue glow in order to increase his friend's defense
But the creature did not attack again
-¨Nngh… It´s still not attacking? ¨ Morgana asked annoyed
Finally the creature dive them, and even though they guard themselves, they still took quite the damage
-¨Persona! ¨ Ren called Lachesis once more ¨There¨ he healed his teammates
-¨Ngh… This isn´t good, I can´t tell at all when it´s gonna attack¨ Morgana said, worry at the situation
-¨Y-You can´t tell…!?¨ Yusuke asked shocked ¨Mona, you have got to tell us! ¨
-¨I-I can´t help it! There are some things that even I can´t do! ¨
-¨It´s all right, is not your fault, we´ll figure something out¨ Ren said in order to calm down the cat, although he himself was not sure what to do ¨We have to keep fighting and whenever that thing flies up, we cover ourselves¨
Meanwhile, away from the battle, Futaba had use the app in order to enter her own Palace
-¨So this is inside my heart¨ she said in amazement of the place layout ¨I didn´t think it´d be like this…¨
A giant mural appeared in front of her, showing Shadow Futaba talking to owl like man with back tuxedos
-¨Huh! ¨ she yelled confused
Shadow Futaba show itself ¨Do you remember? ¨
-¨This is the suicide note, the men in black suits red it right after Mom died…¨ Futaba said with sorrow
-¨That´s correct. Look at the next one¨
The following mural appeared, this time it was showing Futaba´s mother jumping in front of a car
-¨This…¨ Futaba hug herself ¨This is… when Mom jumped in front of that car¨
-¨That´s right. Now to the next¨
The last mural appeared, this one was of Shadow Futaba clinging to her mother
Futaba knee down ¨No¨
-¨Don´t Run. I thought you made your mind up after you talked to The Phantom Thieves¨
After a few moments of silence, Futaba spoke ¨Ok… I´ll look¨ she got up ¨It´s me complaining. Mom scolded me for bothering her¨
-¨Yes¨
-¨I knew it. It was me who killed Mom. I was a bad daughter… I weighed her down, and she hated me for it. It´s just like I remember¨ she began to cry
-¨Are you sure? ¨
-¨Huh? ¨
-¨Remember everything. Don´t avert your eyes. When did this happen? ¨
-¨Just a little before Mom died… I whined about wanting to go on a family trip… But she scolded me and said no¨
-¨Was that all she said? ¨
-¨Mom said… I´m too busy right now. I need to finish my cognitive research as soon as possible¨
-¨And what did you do? ¨
-¨I threw a tantrum. Told her she thought her research was more important than I was, that´s when she scolded me…¨
-¨What did she say afterwards? There was more¨
Futaba remained quiet, until ¨Did she say…?... My research is almost over. Once it´s finished, we can go wherever you like. I´m sorry I´ve left you alone for so long, Futaba. Please try to understand though. This research is really important. I need to complete it, even if it costs me my life¨
-¨Did she hate you? ¨
-¨She didn´t…? ¨
She look towards the mural, it began to shine and it showed
-¨Wh-What? She smiled…¨ she began to feel pain on her head ¨Agh! My head… It hurts… Which is true? ¨
Shadow Futaba began to disappear ¨Your memory is…¨ and she was gone
The pyramid began to shake and Futaba heard a screech
-¨Huh…? It´s calling me…? ¨ she began to run towards the source of the sound
Back with the Thieves, all of them were drained out, despise their best efforts, they were not making any progress against the cognition
-¨The hell!?¨ Ryuji yelled while panting ¨We ain´t doin shit to it! ¨
Futaba appeared on the battlefield
-¨Huh? Futaba!? ¨ Makoto yelled surprised ¨You came into your cognitive world!?¨
-¨Mm-hm¨ the hacker replied
-¨The person themselves coming into their own Palace? ¨ Morgana asked ¨If that happens…¨
The creature let out a screech
-¨That´s…¨ Futaba said
Suddenly, the environment around Futaba changed, now the figures of persons were showing
-¨You killed her! ¨ a man yelled while pointing to her
-¨No…¨ Futaba hug herself
-¨Why don´t you say something!? ¨ Another voice asked
Futaba began to crumble
-¨It´s your fault! ¨ a female voice yelled
-¨It´s my fault…¨ Futaba said ¨It´s my fault that my mom…¨
Makoto ran towards her and knee down
-¨That´s right! ¨ the monster said ¨You killed me! ¨
-¨Wait, is that monster her mother!? ¨ Yusuke asked in amazement
-¨Futaba´s desires and guilt must´ve distorted her cognition of her¨ Morgana said ¨The wish that her mother was alive again is mixed in as well, along with those eerie jeers…¨
-¨You are nothing but a demon who stood in my way! ¨ the creature yelled ¨I wish you had never been born! That way I could´ve announced my results without having to waste my time on you! I poured my heart and soul into that research! It would´ve been the discovery of the century! ¨
-¨What does she mean by that? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨Could she be talking about cognitive psience? ¨ Morgana asked
-¨You´re going to die! ¨ the monster yelled ¨There´s no meaning to your life! No one needs you! ¨
-¨Nobody cares about me…¨ Futaba said
-¨I would never have had Futaba… She was always such a bother…¨ the voices kept blaming Futaba
-¨Ngh…! ¨ Futaba was in pain
-¨Hey, we´re gonna be in deep shit if this keeps up! ¨ Ryuji yelled
Makoto began to stroke Futaba´s hair in order to calm her down ¨So because she thinks she killed her mother… and because she thinks she deserves to die… Futaba gave a birth to a Palace where her mother wants her dead…? ¨
-¨Futaba-chan, look! ¨ Ann yelled ¨There´s no way that monster is your mother! It´s just an illusion you created! ¨
-¨B-But¨
-¨She never abuse you, did she…? ¨ Makoto asked ¨Boss told us! He said she did her best to raise you alone! ¨
-¨Isn´t this a false memory that´s been imprinted upon you? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨A false memory…?... Aagh…¨
The voices accusing her kept raising
-¨M-Mom… I-I…¨
Shadow Futaba appeared
-¨Futaba Sakura! Remember! ¨ the shadow yelled ¨Why did you think it was suicide? ¨
-¨Because of the note¨ she replied
-¨Exactly, what was written on it? ¨
-¨All of her complaints… about me¨
-¨Yes. The shock and pain led you to avert your eyes, but they kept reading it aloud in front of your relatives… Think hard. Was that suicide note real…? Would the mother you loved so much truly have written that? Did she ver say such horrible things to you? ¨
Futaba began to lift her head and stood up ¨No! She scolded me whenever I had tantrums, but she cared for me! ¨
-¨Then what about the suicide note? ¨
-¨A total lie! ¨
-¨You were used! They forged her suicide note and laid blame of her death upon you! They trampled all over your young heart! Get mad! Don´t forgive those rotten adults! ¨
Now she was sure about what to do
Back with the other, Futaba stood up ¨Ah…¨
-¨Futaba-chan!?¨ Ann asked
Futaba grabbed her head in pain once more
¨What denies you is an illusion¨ a voice in Futaba´s mind said ¨A curse put upon you by the heartless… You knew from the very beginning… And yet, you cowered in fear…
-¨That´s right. I knew, but I…¨
-¨It´s all your fault…! ¨ Cognitive Wakaba yelled ¨This time, you´ll be the one to die! ¨
¨Will you die as you are told…? Who will you obey…? Cursed words spat out by a seething illusion? Or the truth within your own soul? ¨
-¨It´s your fault! ¨ the monster kept yelling
-¨I won't let those distorted lies deceive me anymore… And I won´t be led astray by other´s voices either... I´m going to trust my own eyes and my own heart to distinguish the truth from the lies¨ she glared at the monster ¨There´s no way you´re my mom! You´re just a fake created by those horrid adults! I´ll… I´ll never… I´ll never forgive them! ¨
After a glow, a UFO with a metallic gargoyle statue crouching on its top, its exterior decorated with lime green glyphs of various origins was floating above Futaba
-¨What is that!?¨ Ann asked
Tentacles began to came out of the UFO, wrapping Futaba
-¨Huh? Whoa! ¨ the tentacles began to carry Futaba towards the UFO
¨Contract… I am thou, thou art I… The forbidden wisdom has been revealed…¨
Futaba was now inside the UFO, wearing her Trickster uniform of a skintight black bodysuit with fluorescent neon green glowing strips and matching black boots with neon green soles. Her mask is a pair of big black goggles with orange lenses.
¨No mysteries… No illusions shall deceive you any longer¨
-¨Futaba!?¨ Makoto yelled worry
-¨I´m OK! ¨ the hacker answered ¨Please help me! That´s gotta go! ¨
The thieves nod in agreement, now with their spirits up, it was time to take down the monster
-¨This is my heart´s world, right? ¨ Futaba asked ¨Hacking into my distortion should be no problem for me! ¨
Futaba used her Persona and created
-¨A-A ballista!?¨ Morgana asked in surprised
-¨Shoot it down with this, then beat the crap out of it! ¨
-¨I´ll shoot it! ¨ Yusuke offered himself
-¨Run towards the ballista! ¨ Futaba ordered and the artist did so
-¨Joker, we need to distract the cognition in order to give Fox time! ¨ Makoto yelled
-¨And we will, Jikokuten! ¨ Ren called his Persona and used Rakunda in order to decreased the monster´s defense
-¨Persona! ¨ Morgana called Zorro and attack with a wind attack
-¨Persona! ¨ Makoto ride her back and used a nuclear attack
The winged creature tried to slam the cat, but he managed to dodge it
-¨Change direction! Aim the tip at her! ¨ Futaba telled
-¨Understood! ¨ Yusuke did what he was told
-¨Take cover! ¨ Ren yelled, they all took their guarding stances
The creature used its wing to create a little tornado, damaging the others
-¨Adjust vertical alignment! ¨ Futaba yelled ¨All right, Fire! ¨
Yusuke shoot the arrow to the creature, which let out a pain screamed and landed near the thieves, who pointed their guns towards it
-¨Nnngh…! How dare you…! Children that defy their mothers should… DIE! ¨ the creature said while panting
-¨Shut up! You are not my mom! ¨ Futaba yelled
-¨Nnngh…! Futaba… Futaba…! If only I had never birthed you…! ¨
-¨No matter what you say to me… I will live! Fire! ¨
And the thieves fire with their respective guns, the creature let out one final screech and fell down the pyramid, finally defeated
After that, Futaba came out of her Persona
-¨Futaba! ¨ Makoto yelled both surprised and worried
-¨Damn, you´re freaking incredible! ¨ Ryuji yelled
Futaba got up and look at her outfit ¨Whoa! What in the world!?¨
A glow appeared, reveling Wakaba standing in front of her
-¨Mom? ¨ Futaba asked shocked
-¨Futaba¨ Wakaba said ¨Thank you for choosing to remember the real me¨
-¨I´m sorry for being so selfish…. Mom…¨ she began to walk towards her
-¨Don´t come over here. This isn´t where you´re supposed to be, is it? ¨
-¨But I finally got to see you again…¨ she was hurt
-¨Are you being selfish again? ¨
Futaba remained quiet for a few seconds, until ¨Um, I… I love you, Mom¨ she said, tears forming on her face despite her mask covering it
Wakaba smiled ¨I love you too, Futaba. Now, you should get going¨
And now, she was gone
-¨…¨
Now she turned towards the others ¨Oh, right. Medjed¨ she said annoyed
-¨Where are you going? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨Home. I know how to use the Nav now¨ she kept walking
-¨Huh? Oh… Right¨
-¨That girl marches to the beat of her own drum, doesn´t she? ¨ Yusuke asked
-¨But if we have her on our side… Wait, what about her Treasure? ¨
They checked the coffin, which was empty
The pyramid shook
-¨Eek! ¨ Makoto yelled
-¨Futaba herself was the Treasure! ¨ Morgana yelled ¨And she´s gone, so of course it´s empty! ¨
The pyramid shook even more
-¨Shoot… This is bad! Not only did the real person come into her own Palace, she awakened to a Persona while she was here! This place could collapse any second now! ¨
-¨We should hurry back to reality! ¨ Makoto yelled
They began to run down the pyramid as quickly as possible, since right behind them the pyramid kept going down
-¨It´s catching up to us! ¨ Yusuke yelled
-¨Runnin here´s a bitch! ¨ Ryuji yelled
-¨Mona! Turn into a car already! ¨ Ann yelled
-¨I know! I know! I¨
Ann grabbed the cat and threw it with all her might towards the sky, the cat yelling aloud
-¨Meow! ¨ the cat finally turned into a car
The wave of dust and pieces finally catched up yo them, but this sent them flew away towards the car, Morgana open the back of his car form to let the others inside and with all her might, Makoto step up on the pedal to go as fast as possible, dodging rest of the pyramid along the way, but fortunately, they managed to return to the real world
-¨Hey, you guys still alive? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨I thought I was gonna die in¨ Ann said, but then she realized that Yusuke had his arms wrapped around Ann waist ¨HEY! Will you let it go already!?¨
-¨Eeeeeek! ¨ Makoto yelled since Ren had his hands around her waist
Both slapped the boys away
-¨Ah, sorry! ¨ both yelled in shame
-¨N-Not again…¨ Yusuke groaned
-¨Now I feel your pain Yusuke¨ Ren groaned
-¨Ren, I am really sorry¨ Makoto bowed
Sojiro came out of LeBlanc ¨What was that sound? What´re you guys doing out here? ¨
-¨Oh, ummmm…¨ Ann tried to came up with an excuse
-¨That reminds me, where´s Futaba? ¨ Ryuji asked
-¨What about Futaba? ¨ Sojiro asked
-¨Ah, yes! We came all this way, so how about we enjoy some coffee? ¨ Makoto suggested changing the topic
-¨Oh! That´s a great idea! ¨ Ann yelled
-¨That´s fine, but…¨
-¨I´m not thirsty though¨ Yusuke said
Makoto quickly walk towards him and punched him in his stomach ¨Oh, I almost forgot! I have some business to take care of, so you guys go on ahead¨
-¨O-OK, gotcha¨ Ann replied nervously, the others went in the café, except for Makoto, Ren and Morgana
-¨Let´s go see Futaba¨
They went towards Sojiro house, Futaba sit in front of the gate
-¨Can you hear me? Please, say something! ¨ Makoto said
No answer, she frowned worry ¨Could this be our fault? Is it because we defeated her monstrous mother…? ¨
Ren put a hand on her shoulder ¨No, I am sure she is fine¨
-¨Hey, don't you know a doctor? ¨ Morgana asked Ren
Makoto lifted up her head ¨You do? Can you contact them?¨
They took Futaba to her room and called the doctor, also known as Tae Takemi
-¨A house call is going to cause you, you know¨ Tae said with a serious tone
-¨How much will it be…? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨That was a joke¨ she replied with a smirk
-¨A really funny one¨ Ren replied with his own smirk
-¨So, um… how is her condition? ¨ Makoto asked
-¨Her pulse, breathing, temperature and blood pressure are all normal. No ocular abnormalities either. I´m not sure why, but it seems this girl is in some kind of light stupor. Furthermore, she lacks muscle for her age. I doubt she has much stamina either¨
-¨I see. The rebound from her awakening was too strong… We simply cannot keep quiet about this. We should let Boss know, shouldn´t we?¨
-¨Let´s go get him¨ Ren said
-¨By the way¨ Tae said ¨What happened to your face kid? ¨
Ren looked at himself in a nearby mirror and noticed that there was a red hand mark on his cheek ¨Long story¨
Tae notice that Makoto covered her face with her hands, totally embarrassed, she simply let out a chuckle
They called Sojiro to her room, along with the others
-¨Hey, Futaba? Heyyyy? ¨ Sojiro tried to wake her up
Nobody said anything, concerned for the situation
-¨Oh dear…¨ Sojiro let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head
-¨Um… About Futaba ¨ Makoto tried to say but
-¨Hm? Why you guys look so down? ¨
-¨Futaba-chan´s condition¨ Ann said
-¨What, this? It happens every so often¨
Their eyes went wide in surprise
-¨It´s like she run out of batteries. I think it happens ´cause she doesn´t get enough exercise¨
Ryuji dropped his head ¨What? ¨
-¨She stays like this for a few days whenever this happens. I´ll make sure she gets plenty of rest. Here, keep an eye on her. I´m gonna go close the store¨
And he left
-¨It´s hard to describe how I feel right now¨ Makoto said
-¨Yeah, I´m feelin pretty frustrated ¨ Ryuji said
-¨I´m glad she´s OK… but what are we gonna do about Medjed? ¨ Ann asked
Futaba opened her eyes ¨Ah¨
-¨She´s up! ¨ Ryuji yelled
-¨Medjed¨ she whispered ¨Tired. Gonna sleep for a bit¨ and she fell asleep again
-¨For a bit? How much is she planning on sleeping? ¨ Ann asked ¨We probably shouldn´t wake her up either¨
-¨It´s too late for us to find another hacker¨ Makoto said
-¨All we can do is wait for her to wake up¨ Morgana said
And so, they began to wait, hoping that Futaba will wake up on time
And that´s the end of that, and hoo boy i am beating but hey long chapter is cool right
Now you may ask why, well i wanted to wrapped Futaba´s palace in this one because it felt that dividing it into two was going to be a pain in the ass, so that is cool right? But yeah, we have reached the awakening of Futaba (favourite P5 hacker, not wanting to insult Fuuka from P3)
I apologize for taking so long, college is getiing thougher everyday with so many things so that is my priority and also sorry for the lack of romantic moments here, but since this is a retealling, I have to focus on the story and the characters corresponding to the arc, but be happy because Futaba will play an important role on joining our two heroes together, so look forward to that. Anyway, the next chapter will be about Futaba´s therapy as well as the trip to the beach and boy it´s gonna get hot in many ways
As usual, thank you all for reading, leave any reviews or comments and I will gladly answer
See you all later
Peace