Begin
~Normal POV
Before going to bed that night, Akira got a text from Haru asking for his assistance. He went to meet her by the fountain in the park. She must have had a lot on her mind and chose to vent to her leader. It wasn't the first time she'd done something like this. Last year he spent quite a bit of time helping her with company related issues. He was always happy to listen to his friends when they needed it.
Haru was sitting on the fountain when he arrived. "Oh, hello… Sorry to call you out so late."
Akira shrugged it off and sat down beside her. "It's fine, Haru. You're my friend, and I can see how this situation is a burden on you."
"Thank you…" She replied, softly. She then took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk about Mari-san."
Akira frowned sympathetically. "You seem like you were really close…"
"Mhmm… But it's strange how I couldn't remember Mari-san until now. Even when Hasegawa-san said her name, it didn't quite occur to me who she was. But the moment she called me Haru-chan… Suddenly, it felt like a lid popped open in my mind, and my memories came pouring out. I remembered all these things about my childhood… about Mari-san." Haru's eyes got a bit misty. "How could I forget someone I loved so much?"
"It happens." Akira said, simply. "It doesn't mean you stopped loving her. Especially since you've been working so hard, risking your life in the Metaverse to save her. She was like family to you, right?"
"Of course- Of course she was! She… was like a mother to me…" Haru paused contemplatively. "...I think what happened with my father affected me more than I realized. All the times we spent together… And the moment he passed away… I must have suppressed those memories deep within my heart." She sniffled. "At some point, I got used to hiding things away, and I even forgot a good friend like Mari-san."
"You did what you could."
Haru shook her head, her curly hair bobbing a bit. "No… I feel like… Like I was running from it all over again."
She paused again before saying. "A long time ago, I remember tagging along with Mari-san and my father during a golfing trip. I was so happy running around that I ended up tripping and falling. Then, of course, I started crying. Then all of a sudden, Mari-san came up to me and said, 'Stop crying and get back up!' That shocked me at first because I always thought of her as an extremely gentle person. But because I knew she was so kind, I managed to stop crying and eventually got back up. I remember thinking Mari-san would never say anything out of place. I trusted her completely. At that point, Mari-san hugged me and said, 'No matter how many times you fall, you can always get back up and start again. Never forget that.' Heh, can you believe it? I didn't quite understand back then, but I think I do now. There's more to good character than kindness. Being good means dealing with the bad in front of you. It means to take a stand even when all you want to do is run away. To realize nothing will change if you keep ignoring reality."
Akira smiled. "Spoken like a true Phantom Thief. You're right."
"...It's too late to save my father. But it's not too late for Mari-san. This time, I can change things around. I want to tell her exactly what she told me, all those years ago."
"And you will get your chance," Akira replied, reassuringly. "She may be a politician, but she's also your friend. And I trust your judgement. We will save Hyodo, promise."
"Ok… thanks for hearing me out."
"No problem, Haru, we're family, and I'm always here for my family. Get plenty of sleep, ok? We need you well rested if you're leading the charge tomorrow."
Haru giggled softly. "Yes, Ryuji will worry about me being out late too. Good night." She stood and walked back to the camper.
Before Akira could do the same, Sophia chimed to get his attention. "Hey, Akira?"
He pulled out his phone. "What's up?"
"Why is Haru so upset over Mariko Hyodo?" Sophia asked. "I don't have a heart, so it's hard to understand. Why do people try so hard for others? I wonder if I'll ever know…"
Akira smiled gently. "You will, eventually. You've just gotta be patient."
"Ok. I'll believe you." Sophia frowned. "It may seem like a simple concept to you, but to me, it makes my mind go BZZZT. But I am humanity's companion. I am here to learn and grow."
"That you are." Akira replied, chuckling. "Good night, Sophia."
~...
8/12 - Saturday
Mariko was doing another speech today in Suzushino. But this didn't feel right to her. There was a crowd of people gathered around her campaign posters nearby. Being curious, she went to see what was the matter. Right as she approached she felt her jaw drop in shock. Plastered all over her posters were a mess of little red and black cards with a very infamous logo on one side and writing on the other. She read the cards aloud to herself.
Mariko Hyodo, the false empress with a frozen heart.
You are a cold manipulator who treats people as tools to be discarded. We find this unforgivable, and will end your reign of abuse. In fact, we will take back the Desires you stole this very night.
Of course she recognized the logo. Everyone knew it well. The Phantom Thieves had come to Sapporo. Her eyes narrowed in rage. "This is-" She could barely utter another word due to shock and anger.
"The Phantom Thieves? And they say they're going to steal my Desires? What a bald-faced lie! Those Desires are mine and mine alone! As long as I'm the Monarch, I won't let anyone stop me! Very well. I was just beginning to work up an appetite. I wonder what you'll taste like… Perhaps I should gobble you up and find out!"
~...
Making it back to the birdcage was easy enough, even with the heightened security in the Jail. Akira made a mental note to begrudgingly thank Zenkichi later for posting the calling card. Hopefully this would be the last time they'd have to ask him to. He doubted that continuing to force him to be an accomplice would make him any more tolerable to be around. The Desires manifested as usual. It was only upon entering the throne room that they encountered the unexpected…
"Sorry about the wait!" Ryuji shouted, gleefully. "We're here to kick ass and- what?!"
Yes, it was usually the case that a Monarch or a Palace ruler's Shadow looked different than their real world self, but this was perhaps the most drastic case of such a thing they'd ever seen. Mariko's Shadow looked, simply put, nothing like the real woman at all. To the point where they weren't even sure they were looking at the right person. Her Shadow was much fatter than the real her, and had cold pale skin, almost to the point of blending in with the ice around them. Her hair was also the same cold pale color. She was wearing a long white dress with flowers on it, along with a necklace of diamonds to match her huge diamond covered tiara, which served as her crown. She still had the same makeup, but with two added piercings on the left side of her face. She was sitting on her throne with a table in front of her that was covered in platters of fresh food.
"Silence, impudent whelp." Mariko commanded.
"Who the hell is she?" Ryuji asked, wholly confused.
"That… couldn't be… Mari-san?" Haru said, unsurely.
"What on earth happened to her," Makoto asked.
"This is Hyodo's distorted form," Morgana said.
Mariko ignored these comments and continued gorging herself on her private feast. "What do you people want? You had best not get in my way! I'm almost there… only a few more votes and I'll win re-election!"
"This is wrong Mari-san." Haru pleaded. "Those votes you gathered by twisting the people's hearts are worthless!"
"And if you don't stop your tyranny, your staff will collapse one by one!" Makoto added.
"I get why it's hard for you to trust people, but you still have to treat them with decency!" Ann shouted.
"Shut your impudent mouths!" Mariko shouted. "I've done nothing wrong! I will wring out every last ounce of corruption from my staff by working them into the ground! I'll silence all charlatans who betray me! And I will consume every last vote in the city, whether these people agree with me or not! Only then can I build a safe haven- a radiant snow city that sparkles like winter!"
"Believe me, lady, nobody hates corrupt politicians more than I do!" Akira shouted. "But this isn't the way to fix it!"
"Listen to him." Haru said. "When you take away someone's Desire, you rob them of their agency- the ability to make their own decisions. So what good does it do to turn your loyal citizens into mindless drones? Isn't it better to let them arrive at their own conclusions- to follow their own hearts?!"
"How dare you lecture me!" Mariko screamed.
"Good job, Noir. You tell her." Sophia said.
"Mari-san. Say goodbye to the countless Desires you stole…" Haru tipped her hat, making a pose. "Beauty Thief and the Phantom Thieves are about to take them back!"
"I love her…" Ryuji said, grinning proudly.
~...
Mariko's Shadow put up a tough fight, but the result was the same as every other Shadow they encountered. She underestimated their teamwork.
"Wait! Not yet! I won't let it end this way! I need to wipe out all of Sapporo's injustice!"
"Please stop," Haru pleaded, "Haven't you done enough?!"
"What?"
Haru approached her cautiously. "You're a kind person, Mari-san, and I know you've tried to shoulder all of this alone. The staff member who took bribes, the councilman who tried to set you up… even the girl who died in the accident… each of these things grieved you. And in order to make a city where none of it could re-occur, you took action as you saw fit. Am I right?"
Mariko was silent for a moment before saying. "As the mayor, I know very well that little girl's death was ultimately my fault. But my staff betrayed me! All for their insatiable greed! I thought I could leave that awful position behind. Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as that. Had I gone, I'd only be replaced by greedy scum! That's why I never stepped down! In this world, it's eat or be eaten! And with circumstances so cruel, I decided I'd be the one doing the eating! Even if every last one of my votes were false, at least I could use them to make the world a better place! But if I was replaced as mayor… who would be there to honor that little girl's memory? An innocent girl lost her life, yet I could do nothing to stop the evil still afoot!"
"It's not too late to set this right." Haru replied. "First, you must tell the people everything that happened! Then you can get a fresh start, but this time on your own strength!"
"...That would be… impossible." Mariko said, sadly. "I cooperated with those awful men to hide the truth… That way I could continue being mayor. There's nothing I can do…"
Haru stared down at her with a fierce gaze. "Stand up, Mariko Hyodo!"
The gang flinched at her outburst, and Mariko looked up at her with full attention.
"Are you just going to stay knocked down?!" Haru continued, fiercely. "You are a kind and strong woman, not someone who collapses over mistakes! So stand up, and hold your head up high! Because no matter how many times you fall, you can always get back up and start again!"
Mariko studied her face in shock. That voice… the hair under her hat… the eyes behind that black mask… it couldn't be… could it? "Isn't that…?"
"Yes." Haru answered. "You said that to me a long time ago. Even if you told the people the truth about the incident, there are those who would still see the good in you! Don't let your position ruin you. Think back to what you stood for!"
"She's right, mayor! You can't give up!" Ryuji added, firmly.
"If you tell everyone your side of things, they'll listen!" Ann said.
"When my father died, I felt like my heart was going to break…" Haru said, "But thanks to the Phantom Thieves, I was able to stand strong and move forward! That's why I know you can too! Remember the part of you that taught me to get back up, no matter how many times I fall!"
Mariko's gaze softened. She was right, that was Haru. Haru Okumura was a Phantom Thief. It was a surprise but not an unwelcome one. It felt right to be told such things by someone she cared for…
"Yes… you're right… Thank you, Haru-chan." Mariko took her advice and stood up again. "What I've done… was wrong. I drove my employees to the brink and used a strange power to manipulate the votes… I was so driven by my personal agenda, I lost sight of how I originally felt… and why I ran for mayor in the first place. To make the city beloved by everyone… to give back to the home where I was raised… That's reason enough to take another stand. I won't make this mistake again." She removed her tiara. "I never needed this power from the start!"
Before she went back to her body, she had one last thing to say to Haru.
"Haru-chan… you've grown so much. Your father must be so happy in heaven…"
~...
Just like with the previous Jails, this one didn't disappear either, but at least they saw the Desires return to their owners. Akira's suspicions about the situation were almost entirely proven at this point, from all the evidence given. They'd have to talk about it with Zenkichi soon. Upon returning to reality, it was now nighttime.
"That took us quite a while…" Yusuke said, tiredly.
"Haru, you were fantastic," Makoto said, smiling.
"It's only because you were all with me." Haru replied, modestly. "But I do wonder if Mari-san will be ok…"
"I'd say so," Ryuji said, reassuringly. "She seemed to really take your words to heart before she disappeared."
After some deliberation on where to go for their dinner celebration, they asked Sophia to set a course for them. While everyone else went on ahead, Ryuji hung back with Haru.
"Hey-" He hugged her close and softly said, "You did awesome today, Doll."
Haru giggled. "Thank you, honey!"
With Hyodo's Shadow returned, all they could do now was wait for her confession. Only after this change of heart… Where would they have to go next? It's not like Zenkichi told them about any other locations with possible Jails yet.
~End of Chapter
Phew, I got through this entire section without having to make a Frozen reference! Good! It was bad enough convincing myself that an Alice in Wonderland reference was necessary! I will say this though. Mariko's Shadow definitely looked like Ursula from The Little Mermaid cosplaying as Elsa, and I can't un-see that since my fiancé pointed it out to me!
