I own nothing. Monika does.
As soon as Sayori left Mementos, she was immediately overwhelmed with hunger and thirst. She had no idea how long she had been in there, but evidently long enough to feel like dying from dehydration. Nearly collapsing, Sayori gagged for a few long, agonizing minutes, before trying to steady herself. Even though it was guaranteed nobody saw her leave Mementos, they would probably have noticed a teenage girl collapsed and throwing up on the floor.
Taking a few deep breaths, Sayori stood up on wobbly legs and began to walk unsteadily out of the subway entrance. Her head ached as she tried to discern what time of day it was. Judging by how it felt like her skull was trying to turn itself inside out, and with how she needed to keep her eyes closed after staying in the pitch black Mementos for so long, she guessed the sun was still out.
Good… Leblanc should hopefully still be open. I just need to get there, get something to eat and drink… And then talk to everyone… She knew that last part was easier said than done, but she didn't have the time or luxury to worry about drama, or awkwardness.
Once more… deep breath. I have to get over there… Sayori released a deep sigh and slowly opened her eyes, before dragging her feet forward, one exhausted step after another.
Even on its own, Mementos had a way of draining the energy of anyone who entered. Sayori found she was practically on autopilot as she walked, zoning out and not even sure if she was going the right way. All she could really focus on was her new resolve, and what she planned to do. She trusted her body to remember the directions to Leblanc.
… I haven't forgiven them… But still, the Phantom Thieves are my dear friends,so I know I need to go with them for this… I have to do this! I have to try… Even if I can't change anything, I have to at least be there to take the mastermind down!
… And, after what happened, Goro is probably going to try to kill everyone… I have to stop that, too… No try about that… But also, I have to try to get him back, or at least away from his horrible father…
She was doing this for herself, but as herself, Sayori knew her heart was too kind. It wasn't to be self-centered… She just knew that to be kind meant getting hurt, and that others might try to take advantage of that kindness.
So… I have to try. I've been on Goro's side this whole time, but it probably looks like I was in on the trick, and… that still makes me so angry! I have to make Goro understand that! I have to get him to understand that the Phantom Thieves made a mistake because they were afraid, and they were afraid because we failed to communicate that we were on the same side…
I have to…
Sayori felt herself return to the present as she found herself leaning against a bench to catch her breath. She knew that with the route she normally took, there shouldn't be any benches on the way to Leblanc. Yet, here she was, at a bus stop that was nowhere near Leblanc…
A familiar bus stop, actually.
Sayori took a long look around, taking in nearby landmarks and buildings, noting that even though it had been a few months since the second time she had been to this place… It still felt so familiar.
Where I met Goro… and this whole mess started. Why…?
Sayori felt herself settle down on the bench, just like that first night, taking in a deep shuddering breath.
Why can't I just go home?
It was at that moment that Sayori finally realized… she had never really gotten the chance to cry about this whole mess. She had been too preoccupied with running away from it, and then when she finally got a chance to be alone in Mementos, she had only been able to feel numb. Now, along with the pangs of hunger in her body, Sayori also felt how heavy her heart felt.
I know… I know how much I need to get going… But it still feels like way too much. I lost so much… and even though I'm trying to get them back, can I even be sure that I will? It's okay to cry… just this once, right. Before everything gets crazy again…
Even as the panicked, guilty thought that she was wasting too much time tried to push her back up again, Sayori hunched over, feeling her frame begin to shake, and tears slide down her face. She quietly sobbed, secretly wishing, and secretly hoping, in the deepest, darkest part of herself, that with all of the deja vu, maybe…
I want him back… I wish so much… that we all could have been friends…
Maybe he would…
A throat cleared behind her, and Sayori didn't know how high her hopes had gotten until she felt them crash down again as she noticed who was actually staying behind her.
Mai Mori looked down uncomfortably, as if waiting for something as she rubbed her arm. After a moment, she looked up again and seemed to double back in shock. "Matsu!? I didn't expect to find you out here! I was just about to sit down and wait for my bus back home…" In the young woman's hand was a paper bag and a water bottle that was three-quarters full. Mai quickly noticed Sayori's intense stare in the bag's direction, and smiled cheekily. "Maybe I wasn't wrong, thinkin' you were some poor drunk cryin' on a bus bench. You want my leftovers?"
"Ye-" Sayori's voice croaked, and she cleared her throat, embarrassed as her hand ran across the still damp tear tracks on her face as she tried to make herself more presentable. "Yes, please," she finally whispered, as Mai sat beside her and handed her the bag and bottle.
"So… wanna tell me the reason you're out here like this…?" Mai asked, before she heard a loud crunching sound and looked beside her to see Sayori struggling to get her water bottle open. "I'll wait for you to finish eatin,' actually…" She took the bottle from Sayori and easily opened it, before handing it back to her.
Sayori took a large gulp out of the bottle, before smiling at Mai. "Thank you."
"No big…" Mai mumbled, crossing her arms and leaning back against the bench. "I guess I can tell you my situation. It's been a couple days without seein' you in school, y'know? For some stupid reason, I got scared and panicked the first day you didn't show up… I ended up forgin' you an excuse note, usin' my copies of the permission slip Akechi signed for you."
"Right… I guess I forgot about going to school…" Sayori quietly mumbled, gathering from her friend's words that she had been in Mementos for at least two days. No wonder she felt so hungry.
"Hm…? What was that?" Mai asked.
"Uh… I said, did you really have to go that far? With forging an excuse note, I mean…" Sayori corrected herself nervously, not knowing how to explain her absence in school. Whenever she had needed a break from school, Goro had always made sure her absence would be excused. I suppose I should count myself lucky that Mai did that, though. The school probably would have called Goro if they didn't get an excuse note. That could have led to an even bigger mess.
"Well, sure I did… I do stupid things when I'm panickin,' Sayori. You should know that by now," Mai replied, non committedly.
"I guess so…" Sayori replied, opening an almost full takeout container of rice. The bag feels pretty heavy… This doesn't really feel like just leftovers…
Mai hummed, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the arm of the bench. "... So, now that you've gotten a chance to get some food in you, wanna tell me where you've been the past couple days? Why I find you like this, cryin' on a damn bench and lookin' like you just rediscovered food and water?"
"That's… hard to explain," Sayori sighed, trying to think of the best explanation to give Mai that wouldn't immediately tip her off. She stuffed her mouth with rice to give herself a short excuse not to talk, considering what to say very deeply.
Mai waited patiently, tapping her fingers on the bench arm, and then her toes on the ground, waiting patiently. Sayori had to admit, she felt the most comfortable around Mai right now. She was probably the only friend Sayori had that hadn't been scheming, or plotting behind her back, at some point.
Finally swallowing her food, Sayori sighed and leaned back as well, letting as much air as she could get back into her lungs. "I guess, I've been hiding from everyone these past couple of days. A few of my friends… they did something… cruel, to me, and to Goro, and everything is messed up right now. Especially because Goro thinks I was in on the… cruel thing, and it's so hard to just process everything, right now."
"Yeah, it's been a crazy week… It began with that Phantom Thief leader gettin' announced dead on TV, and now it's probably gonna end with some Goro Akechi interview about how he's hot shit that defeated the Phantom Thieves… It feels even more crazy, since I guess I'm getting a behind-the-scenes from you, Sayori," Mai said, trying to smile and lighten the mood, only to see Sayori freeze up, before tears suddenly started welling in her eyes, again.
He's saying that on the news!? He really must have found out about everything, now… And he probably hates me now… He must think I betrayed him… Sayori felt tears roll down her face rapidly, and took another drink of water.
"I'm sorry… for being so emotional, I guess… I just don't feel sure of anything, right now. I haven't been able to help anyone, or change or fix anything, but I still feel like I have to try again… and it's so exhausting!" Sayori whispered, her words pouring out of her as she began to shake again.
"Sayori… I probably have no right to say this… But I don't want you to destroy yourself for other people. If it's too hard, then quit… relax, try to stay happy and at peace. You need to do what's right for you," Mai advised, wrapping an arm around Sayori's shoulder, smiling sadly.
"Yeah… You're probably right… I just can't quit, though. My friends… they really did hurt me, but they're still my friends… and I want to forgive them, even though I can't quite do that, right now… I just feel like I'd regret it too much if I didn't still try, and it's hard to consider which will hurt more in the end, but I think that quitting without ever trying would be the worst…"
"You know… you're too sweet, Sayori. You deserve a lot more than what you've gotten…Still, I believe in you… Don't ever think for a second that just because you're tryin' that you might fail. I believe you won't, but it matters more if you believe that… y'know?" Mai continued on, blushing in embarrassment when Sayori looked over at her in surprise. "I know right? Big words for me to use… but it's all true."
"Thank you, Mai. I appreciate you being here for me… I think out of everyone, you're the only one I can be around without feeling even a little bit horrible, right now…"
"I guess it's the least I can do… Especially since this is the last time you'll be seein' me for awhile…"
"Wait, what?!" Sayori practically jumped out of the bench in shock, staring as Mai slowly got up.
"Yeah… I wanted to tell you at the start of the week, but I guess runnin' into you now is better than a note. I have to go somewhere for 'important' business, for a little while. I'll be gone for about a month… Maybe more," the young woman stood up and stretched, before pulling Sayori into a quick hug.
"Oh… I'll miss you, then," Sayori mumbled, hugging her back, even more tightly.
"That's nice to hear… But don't feel too bad about it. You have a lot of stuff to do right now, right? I think I'd just be gettin' in your way and distractin' you. I don't think you need me for that, anymore, right? You know exactly what you want… and who you want, and I know that as soon as I leave, you're goin' to get it no matter what it takes, right?" Mai asked, separating from the hug and giving Sayori a kind smile.
"Yeah… Before I go home, I want to leave this place on good terms," Sayori said, wondering if she would even be able to accomplish that.
"Good goal to go for, now get goin' and when you see your friends, don't take any bullshit… Not that I think they'd give you any… They don't seem like those kind of people," Mai shook her head and continued. "When you see Akechi, make sure he understands exactly how you feel! That brings me to my last piece of wise advice… No more lying to yourself. You're going to love and believe in yourself, alright, Sayori?"
"Yes," Sayori said simply, stretching and looking around at her surroundings. Now that she didn't feel as hungry, she found herself much more aware than before. "I'm going to get going now, then. I hope I'll see you later, Mai."
"You will," Mai confirmed. "Trust me. I've got your back."
Sayori didn't know why the weight of those words hit her as hard as they did, but when Mai said them, Sayori believed them wholeheartedly. With a truly happy, giddy smile, Sayori turned away from her friend and began walking in the direction of Leblanc.
"Let's head to the Diet Building again right after school tomorrow. I feel we'll get it this time!" Ryuji shouted, determination shining in his eyes after what they had all been through.
Akira was pretty shaken, discovering all of this. The mastermind behind all of the Phantom Thieves' suffering, Masayoshi Shido, was the same man responsible for ruining his life all that time ago. So many new revelations in such a short amount of time, and this one honestly hit Akira the hardest. They were doing something Akira never expected they would do… After all this time, going after Shido felt right. Finally, it was his turn to settle the score.
With his mind so riled up with nerves and anger at the man, Akira had nearly begun to stop thinking about the group's other dilemma with Sayori and Akechi. Yet, as if to ground him back in reality, it was right as everyone was turning to leave Leblanc that Sayori practically ran through the door, hardly looking worse for wear.
"Sayori?!" Ryuji shouted, jumping back in terror at the impromptu appearance.
After taking several moments to catch her breath, Sayori stood up straight and nodded, suddenly looking as though she felt awkward to have shown up like this. "Yeah, it's me. I'm glad I made it on time, before everyone started to leave. It makes it easier to talk… Um, guys?"
All of the teens had frozen, staring at her with some sort of charged energy that Sayori couldn't decipher. It was intense, and honestly a little bit scary, as Sayori tried to figure out what was going on with them.
She got all the answers she needed when Haru and Futaba both began to cry, which seemed to open the floodgates in nearly everyone else, as the cafe area of Leblanc was suddenly filled with crying teenagers.
"Sayori, we're so sorry!"
"I thought we'd never see you again!"
"We really messed up! We shoulda told you!"
Then apologies filled the air, and combined with the crying, Sayori had a hard time keeping her resolve. It was touching, and it made her happy that they truly were sorry for what they did, but still… that wasn't enough. She was still angry, and her trust in them was still shattered, so if she didn't want to cave in, she was going to have to cut off their crying.
"Alright, I heard all of you…" Sayori said, trying to keep her voice steady and calm. "It makes me happy to hear all of you apologizing. It makes it less awkward, what I'm about to ask…"
"You haven't forgiven us yet, though…" Makoto deduced, causing Sayori to nod somberly.
"Unfortunately, no, I haven't… It still hurts, even after a couple of days. I… don't completely feel that I can trust all of you again, yet… Still, I share some of the blame for not telling the truth to all of you, too. So, I'm sorry," Sayori apologized, truly regretting the lack of communication that had led to this disaster of a situation.
"We've all already decided that we forgive you… It's understandable, not feeling like you can tell us that kind of stuff," Morgana assured, frowning sadly.
"Especially since we kind of proved you right not to trust us with everything," Ann added, tugging on one of her pigtails anxiously.
"That's good… Just give me some time, I think… The fact that I'm coming here now, to ask you for help, tells me I think I can trust you a little bit," Sayori said, though she still looked withdrawn from everyone. Even though it was still hard to face them, it seemed she still couldn't bear the thought of her friends being upset because of her.
"What did you want to ask?" Sojiro and Sae asked, both seeming a bit guarded around the girl. Sayori couldn't blame them. She had been missing for the past couple of days, and in that time she could have betrayed everyone right back.
"Actually, first of all, I would like to know where you've been these past two days," Yusuke stated, the other teens nodding and mumbling in agreement.
"In Mementos… Sort of just zoning out and feeling sorry for myself," Sayori admitted, knowing that she was putting that traumatic vision she had in the most pathetic terms.
"Without food?!" Ryuji questioned, causing Sayori to jump a bit at the intensity he asked it with.
When Sayori nodded in reluctance, Futaba turned to Sojiro. "Get this poor girl some curry, Sojiro!"
"Alright…" Sojiro replied, glancing at Sayori once more.
"Anyway," the girl resumed, "staying there for a couple days did give me the time I needed to think, and I came to realize that running away from all of this wasn't the right choice. I mean, the only thing I could think to do was sit in Mementos and mope… I realized that, no matter how sad it makes me feel, I need to be involved right now…" Sayori looked embarrassed, before clearing her throat to continue. "I still have things I need to do… and I won't be happy with myself if I didn't try to do those things. So I left Mementos… maybe a little over half an hour ago, and made my way over here."
"Well, I suppose out of anywhere you could have gone, Mementos isn't the worst place to go," Makoto pondered, before smiling fondly to herself. "I'm glad you stayed safe."
"So, what did you want to ask us for?" Akira asked curiously, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat.
"Well… I want to go with you into the mastermind's Palace… But only into the mastermind's Palace! Don't get the wrong idea… I don't want to be a Phantom Thief anymore. I meant it when I said I quit the team, but I need to be there when we take this guy down!" Sayori exclaimed, before looking down sadly. "Even though I haven't forgiven you, you're all still my friends, and I need to be with you so that I can help protect you."
"Protect us?" Haru asked, looking slightly nervous.
"Yeah… Since Goro definitely found out you guys tricked him, and considering the fact he's stopped talking to me… He's definitely going to try to murder all of you. So, I need to protect everyone from each other, including Goro," Sayori explained. "I… I really am scared that he's gone off the deep end, but I still want to try and save him."
All of the teens looked down guiltily at that, knowing that they were the reasons for these feelings. They had made all of this incredibly difficult for Sayori, and being reminded of that made it easy to see why she was so hesitant to forgive them.
"And lastly, this is the mastermind you guys are going after… The guy that's caused so much suffering and pain for all of us, and for Goro, too. I have to be there when we bring him to justice, and I have to try to… to get Goro back. I'd regret it too much if I wasn't a part of this… If I don't even try, I'll regret it," Sayori hugged herself, knowing how hard it must be for everyone to hear her talking like this. They must all consider Goro an enemy at this point, so hearing her say she wants to save him so badly…
"Of course you can come with us," Akira said, standing up and smiling at the girl, though something still clearly bothered him. "If Akechi really is going to try and come after us, again, I think it would be better if you were there to try and talk him out of it… Besides, I don't think it would be the same without you with us, even if you aren't on the team, anymore."
"Yeah…" Ann agreed, before looking up in worry. "Still, Sayori, I'm worried. What if you get hurt, trying to talk with Akechi. Aren't you scared…?"
"To be honest, it really hurts me right now that I can't say for certain that I'm not scared, Ann. I want to trust him, and I want to believe that he's not going to hurt me… That he still loves me… But I'm not sure. Still… I have to try to change things, even if it hurts me in the end," Sayori answered, feeling sheepish about her long answer.
"That seems like a pretty 'Phantom thief-y' line," Futaba commented with a smirk. "I want you back with us, too! Besides, how can we earn your forgiveness if you aren't going with us? We're going to be pretty busy with the Palace, after all!"
Ryuji bobbed his head eagerly, grinning at Sayori. "There's no way I'd say no! You've been on the team long enough to deserve to come and get a chance to punch Shido's teeth in! Besides, we already talked about it earlier, and I've decided to trust you from now on until forever, Sayori!"
Shido? Sayori asked herself silently. She figured it was the mastermind's name, but she also felt like she had heard it somewhere before...
"Agreed. Even though it's only been two days, we all missed you, Sayori," Yusuke said with a relieved smile. "It makes me feel so very happy that you want to spend any time with us, at all. I hope that we can work on rebuilding our friendships over the next few days…"
Morgana hopped up on the top of one of the booth seats to be as close to Sayori's eye level as possible. "You're not the first one to leave the team, Sayori, but hopefully, you'll be the last. I hope that after all of this is over, you'll be okay with all of us again…"
"Maybe…" Sayori replied, unsure about that at the moment.
"I still don't know how to feel about Akechi… Because I need to be honest about that with you, Sayori," Haru said somberly. "However, I'm very happy to have you back, too, and I only want the best for you… I hope that something like this never happens again!"
Makoto went last, looking down, feeling a bit frustrated. "I… understand why you aren't ready to forgive us, yet, Sayori… Still, it's frustrating when we've already forgiven you for cooperating with Goro Akechi…! But… I will happily go along with this, because you're right. He probably is going to try to kill us, and I think I would rather have him as an ally, rather than an enemy, right now."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Makoto," Sayori replied. "It's completely valid to think that way, but I can't help the way I feel." She turned to face the rest of the group. "Thank you for granting my request, Phantom Thieves. I really am happy to be given this chance."
"Well, I'll be the first to welcome you back on the team, Sayori… temporarily, of course," Akira clarified, quickly noticing the dark look the girl had given him. "There's a lot of information we have to fill you in on. I forgot you didn't even stick around to hear the mastermind's name."
"Have you seen the man currently running for prime minister of Japan?" Makoto asked. "He is named Masayoshi Shido, and he is the one behind all of this." The brunette was about to continue, until she noticed that the others all wanted to add on."
"He is responsible for my father's death," Haru stated, a deadly anger underlying her tone.
"My mom's, too," Futaba said somberly, her hair hiding her face as she leaned down.
"All of the things Akechi has done, was ordered by this man," Yusuke said, cautiously trying to word it in a way that Sayori wouldn't get offended by.
"And no matter what Akechi is responsible for, Shido ordered that hit on Akira in the police station!" Ryuji yelled. "And that's not even the end of his bullshit!"
"He was responsible for my arrest nearly a year ago," Akira said quietly, closing his eyes and lightly shaking. He was often very stoic and calm in these kinds of situations, but now this personal feeling of anger… It was new, and Akira tried to keep it down for the sake of their explanation.
"I see..." Sayori said, slowly. Inside, she was fuming, slowly processing all of the things this man had done. A thief that must have stolen Wakaba Isshiki's research, a murderer of many people in his pursuit for power, and a puppet master, controlling and discarding people like they were nothing. Sayori was truly shocked how far one man's despicableness could reach, and it made her so angry, knowing how many people he had hurt… How many friends he had hurt. She had already been determined to take him down before, but now, the grudge she held against him seemed to light the fires under her feet.
This puppet master controls and kills… Controlling Goro and using him to kill... Controlling his own son…! Sayori clenched her fists, before a new realization hit her like a truck, and she found her body relaxing as she took a breath to speak again. She needed to calm down…
Goro… next time we see each other, will you hate me for this, too? I know I promised to keep it to myself, and I've been trying so hard to do that. I don't want to give you another reason to hate me… But I can't live with myself if I doubt the people I rely on… It's your secret to tell… I'm sorry.
"Guys, I think there's another thing you need to know about Masayoshi Shido… and about Goro," Sayori said heavily, crossing her arms and hugging herself as she dredged up memories she had vowed to keep private. They had once been sacred confessions. An assurance to Goro that she accepted him, and could be trusted by him.
"What is it?" Ann asked, looking over at Sayori worriedly as the girl looked on the verge of tears again.
"I… When Goro first confessed to me about what he had done, working for Shido, he also told me reasons as to why… And had hinted at it a few months before, when we started dating," Sayori began, holding herself together with only a shred of self reassurance that this had to be the best.
Sojiro looked up, noticing Sayori's discomfort with the issue. He had a feeling she was about to give him the last remaining puzzle piece to confirm a picture he had been building in his head for quite some time.
"Though I didn't know it was Shido at the time… Goro told me that the mastermind is actually… his father," Sayori said, barely able to keep her voice above a mere whisper. WIth that, it felt like a weight had lifted off of her shoulders, all the while a guilty voice tried to rip her apart. Even after the words were already out there, she had to question if it was really necessary… Before, she could claim that she had betrayed him at all, but now that wasn't entirely true…
However, she needed them to understand. Even though they all knew, including her, that this was no excuse for murder, she couldn't let her friends continue to misunderstand everything.
And the reaction that followed could only be described as an explosion. The teens all yelled, or screamed, or seemed knocked back by shock. Sae was visibly sweating, looking disturbed by this new information. Only Sojiro seemed slightly calm about this, leaning heavily on his knees as he rethought over all those months he had spent in the mother's presence.
"What the hell?!" Ryuji shouted, jumping up. "You're tellin' me Shido is makin' his own son do all of this bullshit!"
"Is he really that much of a manipulative bastard?!" Ann shouted as well, matching and surpassing Ryuji in volume.
"B-But why? Why is Akechi doing this for him?" Futaba asked. "Does he… love his father that much, or…?"
"It's because he hates him," Sayori interrupted, leaning against the wall heavily. "Shido… probably doesn't even know that Goro is his son, because…"
"He's a 'bastard' child," Makoto remembered, before putting her head in her hands. "Still… To make a teenager do these things."
"I can't forgive him!" Haru declared. "A father who controls their children like that… it shouldn't be allowed!"
"I agree," Yusuke stated, before shaking his head. "I think many of us can relate to being in that kind of situation…"
"Let's let Sayori finish…" Morgana said, trailing off as he quickly became depressed by the information.
Sayori nodded, gathering her thoughts again as she thought of what to say next. "When I confronted him about… being the Black Mask we've all been searching for, and we talked about it, he said that he was doing all of these things for his father… to get revenge. Goro wanted to get Shido to his highest point possible, before tearing the man down by revealing the truth of his origins, as well as the crimes Goro did for him… Still, when he confessed everything to me, Goro said that he realized that the revenge scheme seemed foolish in the end, since Shido holds so much power."
"So that's the real reason why he joined us," Akira concluded, running a hand through his hair, exasperated by this entire situation.
"That… confirms a worry I had for a long time," Sojiro said somberly, before looking away sourly. "Still, remembering… that woman, I had hoped maybe Goro wasn't too deeply concerned about his father… that he had left that mistake of a man buried in his mother's past…"
"It was already too late for you to say anything… Getting him to let go of his vendetta won't erase the things he's done," Sae advised, before sighing and shaking her head. "Still, I can't help but feel regret, too. I've been working alongside Goro Akechi for some time now, and now I wonder if there was ever an opportunity for me to have stopped all of this…"
"Sis, you just said so yourself. You can't think that way," Makoto said, closing her eyes tightly.
"Makoto is right…" Sayori added, trembling a bit as she thought back once more. "I… I still love him… I can't change how much I wish things could have been different, but all I can really hope to do is stop him before he ends up digging his own grave… Also…" the girl started, only to trail off.
"Also what?" Akira asked, already knowing whatever she was going to say would be even more depressing.
"Again… Goro said that he realized his revenge plan was foolish, and that instead he wanted to work with us. Now that he thinks we all betrayed him, he doesn't trust any of us anymore, but now the only other plan he had for his life… has been deemed a foolish, pointless, waste of time… So…" Sayori began to sniffle. "What does that mean now?"
"Well… we're not going to find out!" Ryuji declared. "Even if he doesn't want to work with us anymore, we definitely aren't going to let him work for Shido! We'll set him straight… Beat him up until he's on the right path if we have to!"
"How would that even work?" Sayori asked, shaking her head. "The only thing waiting for him after this, if he even does come back to our side, is jail… where he'll probably get sentenced to death… Or even worse, Shido will kill him for betraying him! Or one of his other conspirators, if Shido's heart has been changed. I can't… I don't want him to die!" She yelled, shaking and shivering like a lone autumn leaf on a branch.
"He won't," Sae stated with confidence she didn't completely have. "I admit… Akechi's crimes are serious, and the future seems uncertain… but Sayori… all of you…! I'm trusting you to do your jobs! Trust me to do mine, too!"
"Are you saying that you'll protect him?" Yusuke questioned skeptically.
"I'm saying… I'll make sure he has a fair trial. Sayori... if you could give me more of your testimony, along with Akechi… and when Shido confirms it after his heart is changed, I think Akechi can be saved from the death penalty… There's a lot of other things I have to consider, and evidence I have to gather for a suitable case… But that's my job, and I'll gladly do it to the utmost of my ability, and even beyond that! So do your job, and change Shido's Heart, and get Akechi back. Don't worry about anything after that," Sae declared, crossing her arms. Already, her head was filled with jumbled thoughts of what to do.
"Oh… Okay," Sayori agreed, not wanting to worry any longer, either.
"Sayori, we're going to do this, and everything is going to turn out okay!" Ann said, her most reassuring smile forming on her face.
"We already agreed to meet up tomorrow," Makoto stated, standing up. "Our objective is to figure out the keywords to Shido's Palace, and then we'll begin the infiltration."
Ann looked over at Sayori, uncertain at first. "You'll be okay staying with me again, right?"
"Yeah… It's not like I have anywhere else to go," Sayori agreed.
"Well, for the second time, the group is dismissed," Yusuke said with a relieved smile.
The group quickly said their goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways. Sayori seemed rather happy to go with Ann, having not slept in a comfortable bed in three nights. It was a hopeful sight for the rest of the Phantom Thieves to see on their way out, making them think that maybe Sayori really would forgive them before long.
Meanwhile, Sae Niijima walked alongside her little sister worriedly, wondering if it was truly okay to raise the young Sayori's hopes like that, when she hardly thought the task of saving Goro Akechi from death was possible herself. She would definitely try with all of her might, but even clearing up Akira's assault charge with Shido's testimony would be a miracle…
In truth, too many things were uncertain for anyone to make an accurate guess of what could happen next. Even though she felt she had changed, Sayori could only hold onto the hope that she could save everyone, but she was still scared. Was she about to walk into a yet another tragedy?
"Baby, I'm sorry you have to go through all of this… and I couldn't help… No one listens, and it's all because of me…"
Goro looked down as his mother sat there, crying and sobbing, in the midst of a panic he didn't know how to break her out of. Looking at her like this, he regretted ever telling her about what had happened at school. He had told her about what his bullies had done to him before, and she had always smiled and said she would put a stop to it, and she was serious when she had said that. She had gone to teachers, parents, and the headmaster of his school. Anything that she was allowed to do, she had tried.
However, nothing ever changed. None of the adults took her seriously, and it had become clear from this recent assault that the adults were part of the problem. They looked down on Goro's mother, and said horrible things for their kids to hear.
Then those kids repeated those things to Goro, all after pulling on his hair and ripping up his books until he cried.
All of it combined and made Goro feel horrible. His mom thought it was her fault, but he knew it wasn't. It wasn't his fault, either, but then there was no one to blame… At least, no one they could stand against or try to correct. The people who hurt him and his mother had proven themselves to be untouchable. Goro had tried to fight back, but even when it was only for defense, he was the only one that got into trouble. Then, that made more trouble for his mom, so it wasn't worth it.
All of these cruelties, they made his heart want justice, even though he knew there was no hope of getting it. In this mean world, good people like his mother would be abused by strong. Still, even though he had no faith in the thought he and his mother would ever get justice, his heart yearned for it even more.
"Mama… I don't want us to be like this anymore… Stuck like this… always sad…" Goro said, his voice a small whisper that caused his mother to pause. "Please… is there no way to make things better? I don't want to see you sad anymore, and I don't like getting hurt like this, too!"
His mother paused, the tears that had once been flowing freely coming to an abrupt stop. Her hands trembled for a few more seconds, before reaching for the scissors. After a moment of hesitant consideration that confused Goro, she reached down and made one final cut in his hair.
"There, all the gum is out!" the woman said, a satisfied tone in her voice as she used her comb to try and make Goro's now incredibly uneven hair slightly more presentable. "That wasn't so bad… Maybe I can get you a hat until it grows back out again!"
"We aren't allowed to wear hats in school, though," Goro piped up.
The woman stiffened. "Oh…" She looked down for a moment, before sighing. After a few seconds, she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around her son, rubbing his back.
"Don't worry, my little prince. Someday soon, your life will get better. I'll… do whatever it takes to make sure this never happens again. It's my responsibility to make sure the son I love so much has the best life he can have…"
Goro listened to her words, and the rhythm of her pulse, and despite all of his worries and fears, felt assured. No matter what happened around others, he knew he could depend on this feeling. Even after the hard days at school, where kids hated him and the adults never looked him in the eye, he could come home and feel safe. No more anger and hate, but the feeling of finally being calm and welcomed, and loved.
So he could bear it… He had his mother, and she would do her best to get the best life for both of them! His trust and love was practically palpable as he hugged his mother back tightly and buried his face in her shoulder.
His mother kept smiling, and kept hugging her son and rubbing his back, all while keeping her body calm. It didn't shiver or shake, and her heart beat in a perfectly steady rhythm. She just had to keep this act up… She could do this forever if it was for Goro's sake.
It was her responsibility to keep him safe.
It was her responsibility to keep him happy.
He gave her his love with no conditions.
Others asked for things she couldn't give.
But, as she would write only months later, for the love and happiness her son gave her…
She would pay any price.
The cool weight of the gun rested heavy in the detective's hand. As he sat on his hotel bed, cleaning it off thoroughly with the last of his energy, he did his best to block out any emotions other than pride.
The SIU Director would be dead soon. There was no getting around his death, anymore. The deed had already been done, all for the sake of pointless revenge. There was no point in trying anything different. He had no way out, so why bother hoping for anything different?
The Metaverse had left him drained, but he had needed to work quickly through the Director's Palace in order to kill him soon enough that Shido wouldn't get suspicious. It was all in a day's work, at this point. There was nothing else to counter this thought any longer.
There was nothing else…
My mother… would never have wanted this, and I can no longer say I truly want it, either. There is no point, and no goal. There is no escape from this path I set for myself…
It's all I have now.
No more love and safety. No more assurance from a loved one. It was hard to simply fill in the gaps and imagine such a feeling when the ones that loved him would hate him for what he's doing now.
After a moment or two to fully process the thought, Goro quickly put his gun away and lay down on his hotel bed, trying in vain to sleep, and block out those thoughts. He couldn't spend his days pointlessly missing people who, alive and dead, would never want him back.
All I have left to do is punish Shido… If I can just do that, then I can at least say I did something… Instead of abandoning my goals for a bunch of random people I haven't even known for a year…
The only way he had left to go was forward, on this one-way path of misery and blood and death. Once he had been used to the feeling of having blood on his hands, but now he knew he had only been momentarily distracted.
He hated them. These horrible Phantom Thieves made him regret something he didn't have the right to regret. They made him miss them, even though he had hurt them and had been shoved away.
Yet, he didn't miss them at all, because you can't miss something you hated. It was easier to feel revulsion for something far away, then wish for something he could never have again.
Still, it was impossible to keep that mindset, when the only thing that made him feel like it wasn't pointless to live was far away memories of his long-dead mother. It was the only purpose he had now, and he knew he couldn't let go of it ever again. The lives he had taken for over two years would have been pointlessly taken. The life he had stubbornly lived would be…
Stop thinking. Shut up. Go to sleep.
Goro repeated that to himself over and over as he forced himself to lay still. It was only after a half hour had passed of his body not moving that his brain seemed to catch up, sending his body into a stubborn sleep.
The next day, everyone gathered in Leblanc once again. They planned to only be there briefly, intending to discuss their plan one last time, and make sure everyone was prepared to go into the Metaverse. Akira had set up rows of Takemi's strong medicine, as well as a pile of model weapons on the Leblanc booth counter.
Sojiro looked at the gathering of supplies and sighed painfully, rubbing his forehead to soothe the headache forming. "I'm surprised you've only been arrested twice at this point."
"You shouldn't be," Futaba said cheekily. "He can't get in trouble if he's not caught."
"He has been caught, though…" Sojiro muttered back, as the rest of the group quickly began to organize and pass around the weapons and medicine.
Sayori was given a very large trash bag to hold her new, ginormous shield in, since she couldn't hide it in her backpack alongside her small replica sword. If I get suspicious looks, it will be the same routine. It's all part of our group cosplay…
The girl ended up having to take out a few of her school textbooks, as well as her binder, to fit her new sword, along with all of the medicine being entrusted to her. She grimaced at the pile of makeup work she had yet to finish. I was only gone a few days, though…
Still, she admittedly wasn't too concerned with it right now. They had work to do. All Sayori needed to focus on was making sure that Shido got what was coming to him, and that her friends were safe. It was much the same as always, except this time she had to deal with also being incredibly frustrated with everyone as well. Basically, it just really, unnaturally upset her to hear them joke around so casually as they finished preparations and were about to head outside.
Just as Akira opened the door to lead everyone out, the group was interrupted when Sae practically slammed it open on her way in. Judging by the look of panic on her face, everyone immediately knew something serious had happened. They all backed up to let her in, as the woman barely seemed to be acknowledging their presence as she set her bag on the table and sat down, shaking her head and grimacing.
"What's wrong?" Sojiro asked, his tone grave as he went to get a glass of water for Sae.
"The Director is dead," she said, forcing the words out of her lips as soon as she was prompted, having needed to get the information out to them as fast as possible since she found out.
The sound of glass shattering echoed through the room as everyone stared at the woman in shock. They took a few seconds to process what she had said, until Makoto shakily raised her voice. "Do you mean the SIU Director?"
"Yes," Sae whispered, shaking her head to try and clear out some of the feelings of shock and fatigue.
Silence reigned for a few seconds longer, until Ryuji began to swear under his breath. Everyone came down from their shock, as a somber mood now filled the air. Many looked towards Sayori, trying to see what she thought, only for the girl to avert her eyes.
"Stop looking at me," she whispered, grabbing her school bag and flinging her trash bag over her shoulder. "...We need to get going…"
"What…? Sayori! Please, talk to us!" Makoto urged. "You know-"
"Of course I know what it means! Of course I know who did it! We can't stay here anymore with our tail between our legs to think, though! This needs to stop… I have to stop it before anything else can happen!" The girl angrily walked out the door, not bothering to wait for everyone else.
Why…? Why did you have to do this now of all times, Goro? Couldn't you have waited to do something so rash? But Sayori already knew she couldn't argue against something that had already happened.
Still, it hurt… It hurt so much to be reminded of the things her boyfriend was most likely doing. It made him seem all the more unreachable. Doubts began to try and creep in on her mind, trying to convince her to give up on Goro, and that it was too dangerous, and that even if it wasn't as dangerous as she thought it was, she wouldn't be able to reach him with just plain old her.
Sayori pushed those doubts away, knowing if she continued on like this she would only be back to her old, scared-stiff self.
Just as she began to pull herself back from that slope, she heard the pitter-pattering of multiple feet behind her, and looked behind to see her friends rapidly gaining ground to catch up with her. Right now, it wasn't much, but it was all Sayori could wish for, seeing them following after her. Even if the news Sae had shared with them of what Goro had just done may have changed their minds about him again, at least they were still here for Sayori.
The girl slowed down, letting them catch up, feeling slightly calmer already. None of them could really look Sayori in the eyes, and that made her worry that they might be about to try and change her mind.
However, she was pleasantly surprised. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Yusuke was the one to finally break the ice.
"Are you sure about Akechi… Oh, wait… that came out wrong. What I mean is, are you sure he'll listen to what you'll have to say?" the young artist asked, quickly falling into step beside her with his longer legs.
"I… I'm not… No, wait… Yes, I am! I won't take no for an answer!" Sayori said, quickly catching that doubt before it could slip out any further.
Thankfully, afterwards, her friends didn't prod her after that. All she got was a smile in return, and a few words of encouragement.
"We won't take no for an answer, either…" Haru said, a determined smile on her face.
"We ain't gonna let him try to fight you, too. I get the feelin' he might fight first and ask questions later," Ryuji said sheepishly.
"Basically, we have your back," Ann said with an amused giggle.
"And our wills are stronger," Morgana piped up from within Akira's bag.
"I think Sayori gets the idea," Akira said, walking ahead to look at everyone. "Let's get moving. I did a lot of thinking last night, and I came up with what I think are some good options for the keyword." The group nodded and began to pick up the pace.
Sayori felt shocked once again, though now it was a happier kind of shock. She felt she was slowly opening back up to them, though she still felt the slightest bit uncomfortable.
Still, before she began to walk too far, Sayori whispered a small "thank you" to the group, and then continued on in the direction of the Diet Building.
"The security guards became suspicious of us last time, so we can't stay here for long," Makoto advised once they arrived, looking cautiously at the men guarding the closed gates.
"But we still have no hit…" Futaba said gloomily.
"Akira said he had a few ideas. Think carefully, if you can…" Sayori said, looking back at the Diet Building darkly.
"Was that a jab?" Akira asked.
"Maybe."
Akira sighed, and began to think, bringing up the memories of his encounters with Shido, recalling the ideas he had come up with for the keyword.
"The citizens are secondary. He only cares about his own well-being and that of his lackeys…" Haru mumbled, trying to come up with anything to help.
"Probably more just himself," Ann added, knowing he must not have been too caring since he killed so many of his goons.
"He wants to become prime minister even if it means trampling on others…" Makoto continued in a pondering tone.
"Fortune… rich people…" Futaba muttered, deep in thought.
"Maybe think of how he views the diet building in relationship to the rest of Japan… or how he's going to use the Diet Building and his position as prime minister…" Sayori suggested, thinking of how desperately the man was vying for power, going as far as murder.
"What do you think?" Morgana asked Akira, only for the boy to give him a small glare. That was what he was trying to do, after all. Morgana nervously added, "Just try saying anything. It doesn't matter if you guess."
"Is it a ship…?" Akira said after a few moments of consideration. As soon as he said that, the world warped.
Result found…
"It was a match!?" Haru asked in shock, walking over to the phone to check.
"What!? The Diet Building's a ship!?" Ann asked, looking back at the large building.
"Makes more sense than a diamond mine… Or a… barrier?" Sayori asked, recalling what the others had told her about the days she had missed.
"Ju… Just let it go!" Ryuji shouted defensively.
"I wonder what kind of scenery this will be… The actual building is on land!" Ann exclaimed, looking back at the actual building.
"I can't even begin to imagine what this will look like…" Makoto agreed, putting her fingers on her chin.
"Let us away, then," Yusuke suggested.
"Yeah, why even try to imagine? Let's go!" Sayori shouted, somehow managing to sound cheerful despite the urgency in her tone.
"She seems surprisingly optimistic," Futaba said, watching as the girl looked intently at the MetaNav.
"Let's get closer to the wall before we go. We don't want to get caught," Morgana advised. Everyone quickly did as he told them, and Akira let his finger hover over the navigate button. "All right… Do it, Akira." Suddenly, the world once again seemed to warp, turning sideways and inside out on itself.
Beginning navigation…
"Did anything change…? We went in, right?" Ryuji asked. Their surroundings seemed exactly the same, except for a few minor details.
"This feels like the Metaverse… And besides, look at Morgana," Sayori said, causing everyone to turn and notice that Morgana was now in his mascot form. Why do my feet feel so unsteady…? She asked herself, feeling incredibly off balance.
"You're right… At least there don't seem to be any Shadows guarding the front like the guards in the real world," Makoto observed, noticing that the gates were even open now.
"Still, this seems to be similar to Sae's Palace," Haru said uncomfortably, not wanting to bring up their blunder from less than a week ago.
"The Diet Building remains unchanged…" Yusuke noticed, before suddenly cringing and clutching his stomach and forehead. "Hm...Does anyone else feel… a bit sick?"
"Maybe you're just nervous…" Ann reasoned, lightly patting Yusuke on the back. The artist nodded, though he looked unsure.
"C'mon, let's take a look around," Ryuji suggested, walking forward. Sayori and everyone else quickly split into different directions.
As she got a bit farther away from the building, things became infinitely more clear to Sayori, noticing that the ground seemed to actually be swaying underneath them. So… it's possible we're already standing on it, but then it would already be on the water if it were swaying like this. Where is the actual ocean?
No sooner did she think that, Futaba suddenly spoke up through their communication. "What the heck?" the girl asked, making it obvious that she had noticed something else. Sayori quickly ran to join everyone else, and finally, they all got a look at the ocean they were floating on.
Everyone stood in shock, watching the submerged Tokyo seemed to sail past them, though they could now feel that they were the ones moving. It was a breathtaking, yet horrifying sight, and Sayori found herself in terrible awe for a few moments.
"Even though this country may sink..." Haru said quietly, watching as the boat scraped against the side of a building, "He, alone, will survive. That's what this cognition is about, huh?"
"Hm… Let's make sure he sinks first, then," Sayori said, stepping backwards and turning to walk towards the front doors of the Diet Building.
"Sayori, how can you recover so quickly?" Makoto asked, quickly stepping in front of her path as the illusion was shattered.
"... I just want to get through this," Sayori muttered, hugging herself and looking away, suddenly looking very uncomfortable again. Makoto quickly backed away as the girl continued with a sad frown. "We've seen what this Palace is, and we already know Shido is a terrible man who can't become prime minister… But that just means that even more, we can't waste time discussing pointless things."
"We know that, but still… You're acting… not like you, Sayori," Makoto stuttered, looking uncomfortable as well.
"I'm just… over it, I guess. You can all discuss how horrible it is that Shido would doom us all if he gets what he wants, or how we have to stop him. You… You could even say whatever you want about Goro complying with all of this… I don't care anymore. We need to get inside the actual Diet Building to start the infiltration, so I'm going to get going," Sayori said, her depressed voice turning resolute at the end. She quickly began to walk towards the large doors a few meters away.
Ryuji looked down with a glum expression, sighing. "She's goin' faster than we can even keep up. It doesn't even feel like the real Sayori, anymore."
"No… I think this has been the real Sayori all along… She's just too good at hiding it," Ann said, tugging at one of her pigtails uncomfortably.
Haru shook her head and turned towards the rest of her teammates. "If we want her to forgive us… If we want to be friends again, we need to watch out for her, and work with her."
Yusuke had already begun to follow after her. He looked grim and determined as he spoke, "Well, let's stay with her, like we already decided before coming here."
"Yeah," Akira agreed.
The group began running, catching up to Sayori in a few seconds. Akira quickly assigned everyone to temporary roles as they planned to see what the actual situation would be inside the Palace first. At some point before they opened the doors, their clothes changed into their thief outfits. Sayori stretched out, remembering the uncomfortable chefes from when she had sat still for days in the outfit.
They all made sure their weapons were properly holstered and ready to draw at a moment's notice, before the boys quickly pushed open the large and heavy doors, smiling as the girls walked in and observed the front room they had entered.
All of the people there seemed to be wearing fancy party clothes, and all were wearing masks. The Phantom Thieves began to think that maybe they could blend in. They decided to use this possibility to ask the party guests about what was going on, and about the Palace itself.
"Excuse me, Miss, but would you mind telling me what this special occasion is for?" Noir asked, a polite smile on her face. "My invitation didn't mention what the event was for."
"It is to celebrate the good riddance of yet another obstacle in Captain Shido's path. Just like the Phantom Thieves a few days, ago… It's so splendid being welcomed onto this ship! With Shido in charge, we have a celebration only a few days apart from another one!"
"An obstacle being disposed of… Does she mean the SIU Director?" Queen theorized, remembering that the death had only happened today.
"It is possible. Since something so influential to Shido's goals just happened, it makes sense that it would still be affecting his cognition," Yusuke agreed.
"What else can you tell us about the party, Miss?" Noir continued, speaking loud enough to drown out the conspiratorial speech of her teammates.
"Oh, well there's going to be a special ceremony, which will honor the very special guest for his loyal work for the Captain," the gaudy woman continued.
"Special guest…?" Valiant repeated, her eyes widening in shock and horror. Everyone else quickly put together the dots, as well.
Perfectly on cue, a loud announcement boomed out of speakers bolted to corners of the ceiling. "The guest of honor has finally arrived! Once again, introducing-"
"Hide," Joker ordered, and the Phantom Thieves dashed away from the center of the room and towards a secluded corner.
"Goro Akechi!"
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please let me know what you think! See you next time!