Yo, I have returned!
BreakingBen don't worry about catching up! Read at your own pace. I'm glad you're still with me :D
AStoopidPerson XD Hahaha Ren's not THAT crazy, but he's not sane either that much's true. Well then! Here comes the next chapter!
Guest no worries! Discussions are nice! :D
Alright, here you all go!
January 2nd, 2017 [Monday]
He wakes up to Mochizuki singing under his breath, low enough to not disturb Goro, but loud enough for the words to be clearly heard.
Fates, weave their threads. Our lives are sewn,
Born, to a life, all but our own.
His voice is soft, sorrowful. Ren could feel something that is not one of the Personas he's ever seen or heard of before strumming its instrument in tune with the words, creating a melancholic melody that fills him with a deep sadness. But that sorrow is tinted with a bit of hope and warmth. He doesn't sit up right away, instead choosing to remain on the bed, listening to the lyrics and the low, barely audible notes he now recognizes to have come from a lyre.
We feel it inside, our bones.
It's in the blood, oh, it's in the blood.
It's in the blood.
He chances a glance, and is mildly surprised to see those blue eyes, now shining like the northern stars in the dead of the night, strangely untainted by the usual sadness that he'd always see in them, looking straight at him. He blinks before giving Mochizuki a smile, and the boy nods slightly in return before closing his eyes and continuing to hum in time with the lyre, played by someone or something from the Sea of Soul itself.
Loves, in your life, live ever on.
Home, is not where you live, but who cares when you're gone.
He lets his mind wander, pondering over the words. He finds that it describes him – all of them – almost too perfectly. That home is where the heart is, and Ren's heart is with them, with the Thieves, with Sojirou, and Goro… and now, that includes Mochizuki, too. And Ren remembers, that this Yuuki person is just the same as he is; that his home is where his friends are.
They'll follow you to, the beyond.
It's in the blood. It's in the blood.
…From what little Mochizuki told them, of Yuuki spending the following years after becoming the Seal drowning in the Sea, where the voices of man manifest as Personas, Ren has to wonder if he remembers it all, if his love and his friends (his life) have followed him there. He hopes they did, because it would be maddening, to sacrifice himself only for nothing but darkness to dominate his thoughts.
But, Ren thinks, that the thoughts of his friends are always there for him. He has no solid proof of this, but his heart just knows. And, as if to confirm his musing, the lyre strums a little louder than it used to, and the name of a Persona that doesn't belong to anything he's seen enters his mind, and his lips move and utter the name before his heart even registers it; Orpheus.
Mochizuki looks up at that, but doesn't stop murmuring, his lips stretch into a thin smile at the name.
Run all you like, from the place you belong.
It's always there, it's in the air,
Your dearest kin, below your skin.
The song reaches its finale, and as the sound of the lyre dies down, Ren sits up, looking into those pool of shimmering blue that seems to ease his mind almost against his own will. They remain there, staring into each other's souls in the dark, for what feels like an eternity. Mochizuki then smiles. "He played the song to you too, hadn't he? Orpheus, I mean."
"…Yeah," Ren murmurs, a hand on his chest. He feels Raoul shifts and stirs as the strange Persona – the Master of Strings, Orpheus – sits inside his chest and drums the strings softly, nameless soothing melody bouncing around his soul. It feels like cool, fresh water washing over his skin. "…Orpheus, the Master of String…"
"According to mythology, his songs could charm even stones into doing his biddings. But, sadly, he failed to retrieve Eurydice from the underworld, and later was killed by Dionysus' maenads – his female followers, if you will – who were tired of his mourning for his late wife," Mochizuki whispers softly, his fingers running over the cover of the book Ren's seen him read multiple times before – Greco-Roman Mythology.
"He belongs to Yuuki?" Ren asks, throwing his legs off the bed and setting his feet against the cold, hard wood. But, if he does, then Mochizuki should be able to find the boy—
"He used to," Mochizuki hums sadly. "Makoto let him go when he answered to the call of another. His dear friend. Aigis was – is – her name."
That blonde girl who was with Kirijou. Ren remembers.
"…Wait, if he's Yuuki's original Persona, then how…?" Ren asks. His experiences might've been limited regarding the matter, but Personas are a person's other self. Wild Card simply can change their faces to suit the situations, but his own Persona – Raoul – is his true self, so how? "Personas are a person's sense of self, even for a Wild Card. So how—"
"Aigis woke up to the power of the Wild Card after his death, becoming his successor by pulling Orpheus away. And since he's the Seal, and that he's ready to let go, Orpheus answered," Mochizuki smiles. After a moment, he continues quietly. "He is not just the Fool. Makoto is also the Universe – he encompasses all, he could call for anyone and anything. His heart is just that big, that kind. And… I'm not quite sure, but it seems like his true self is yet hidden inside the Sea of Souls, waiting to be called upon."
"Igor told you this?" Ren asks.
"That, and my own deductions, too," He says, placing the book down on the table. "But I cannot be certain. My connection to the Sea of Souls right now is very limited, in no small part due to Makoto's predicament. I want to save him right away, but I don't know where he is…"
"We'll find him, I promise," Ren says sternly. While Maruki's bullshits are an urgent concern, he has to keep reminding himself that so does Yuuki's captivity. Who knows what's being done to him? Even if he's alive, being in pain and discomfort all the time doesn't bold very well. "Shit, now I just want nothing more than to find Maruki and beat some senses into him."
"Thank you, Amamiya," Mochizuki says, standing up, curling his yellow scarf tightly over his neck. "I know you're doing your best. The faster the better, but without any information, I suppose this is the best we could've done. Not to mention that we still need Futaba-san's skills. But—"
"She's stuck in this ideal reality," Ren finishes flatly. "Yeah… I'll check this reality Maruki-san mentioned. And then, on the 9th, we'll give him our answer."
"You've come to your own, correct?" Mochizuki says with a small smile.
"Yeah," He breathes, a grin on his lips. "We're in the same boat on this one. Don't worry."
When Goro is awake, Ren offers him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you," The boy hums, taking the cup in between his palms after he curls a scarf around his neck. Ren nods and sits on his bed, legs crossed, eyes on the phone as the Thieves start chatting up their usual shenanigans, fingers gently tracing the edge of the scar on his knee. Goro seems to have muted his phone, for it to not have buzzed crazy like his is doing. As for Mochizuki, he doesn't have one (yet), so he's free from all of that.
"We have to wait until the date Maruki-san has set to strike," Ren says, taking a sip from his own cup, the bitter taste of caffeine washing away any remains of his unrest down his throat. He puts the cup down on the floor as he swipes on his phone, opening up their social pages. And, true enough, their realities have been changed, and their cognitions of such events have been corrected back to as earliest a point as Maruki could manage.
"Check in with the others, then? See if they're really happy living in this reality?" Mochizuki offers from Ren's study desk, dozens of shortened pencils left lying on the woods. The boy seems to have taken some researches upon himself, and whenever he comes up with anything, he'd write them down. And those numbers of stationaries on the desk alone is pretty jarring.
"I think they might be, on the surface," Ren says, putting his phone away and leaning back on his palms, his eyes up at the light in the ceiling. "But I know them better than that. Deep down, even if it hurts, they would've wanted for the world to stay as it was. Because without that world, without their pain, they would never have grown to be who they are today."
"Blind faith," Goro hums. Ren throws him a dirty look, but the boy just casually shrugs him off. "But I will have to take your words for it. You know them better than I do."
Ren lets silence takes over for a moment. He then looks at Mochizuki, then at Goro, before he says loud enough for both of them to hear. "I have faith that they will regain their free wills. And when they do, we fight."
"You don't want to," Goro states simply. He must've noticed Ren's unease. While it is true that this world cannot be allowed to continue, he still doesn't enjoy the idea of fighting the therapist. The man means well, not to mention that he's helped the Thieves plenty of times before.
So, Ren sighs and murmurs. "I don't. But I have to, and rest assured, I will."
Goro glances up at the ceiling before turning his face downward again, lips against the edge of the cup. He inhales once before taking a long, careful sip. Then, he murmurs. "I'll trust you on that."
"Thanks."
The next fifteen minutes are spent in hushed whispers and contemplations. But even without those, Ren is already certain that he will decline Maruki's reality. He will not allow his will, his determination, to bend ever again, no matter how tempting it truly is. Raoul hums, content, as he says lightly. This is the reason why you and I are one and the same, boy. We are the Spirit of Freedom. Without liberty, there is no life. Neither god nor man will chain us down.
Ren smiles, shifting off of his bed and joining Goro on the couch. The boy doesn't protest much except for some weird eye and a tense shoulder. Ren just laughs and waves before leaning back into the backrest, his arms draped over the couch carelessly. After another minute, he says softly. "You know, Goro, I'm glad you're here with me right now."
Goro tilts his head. "How so?"
"Aside from you being a blunt, sarcastic murder bird with no regard for social cues," He begins, earning himself a snicker from Mochizuki, who promptly looks away upon receiving a glare from Goro. The boy then smacks his leg hard, and Ren half-laughs, half yelps at that. "Ow! Anyways – aside from that, you've been steadfast since we, you know, made up inside Shido's Palace. My survival up 'til now is in no small part thanks to you. You too, Mochizuki!"
Death laughs lightly, giving him a thumb up before returning his attention to the tome in hand. Goro, on the other hand, seems to actually mull over what he's just said. Before Ren could say anything more, the detective snorts out a laughter before shaking his head. "You're unbelievable. It's me who should be thanking you."
Ren tilts his head. "What for?"
"Saving me," Goro hums, his smirk melting into a rare, gentle smile. Ren absently thinks that, indeed, that smile is the most genuine one he's ever seen, and it makes butterflies flutter wildly in his stomach. Goro then shifts his scarlet eyes upward towards the rafter. "You've done that more times than I could thank you for."
"…Wait, wait, hold up," Ren quickly backpedals when his mind has stopped admiring Goro's smile (god fucking damnit, hormones! And he's so fucking gay and head over heels for no obvious reasons, too!) and starts catching up to his words. "Dude, I only, like, saved you once. Not to mention that you've helped me plenty before, too! Nope! You're not thanking me more than necessary!"
"I'm not," Goro quickly defends, and gives Mochizuki a glare as the other boy fails miserably at hiding his peals of laughter. Ren wants to hide under the blanket at the way Mochizuki watches him, so amused and so teasing. "You—"
"We're not doing this! No getting emotional now, the time's long since passed, man!" Ren quickly says, throwing his pillow into Mochizuki's face. Death just laughs harder before putting the pillow neatly down at the foot of his bed. "And you, Mister Charming, stop laughing for no good reason!"
"I have a reason, though," Mochizuki grins, mirth dancing in his piercing blue. He then shrugs. "But, oh well, I'll concede. It's not often I'd see you all flustered and panicked, you know."
Ren only does what he thinks, at the time, is best; pouting.
They all, even Goro, fall into a fit of laughter afterwards.
It is quite unfortunate, that the light atmosphere they've managed to build up crumbles right after they've all seen just how blissful his friends seem, living in this alternate reality.
But, as he's promised to himself before; he will not falter. Never again.
"Maruki-san really means the best for you all," Mochizuki hums as they find themselves inside a park not too far from the station. The taller boy plays with his scarf a little before exhaling softly, the puff of white mist encompassing his frames. "This is what makes choosing the right thing so hard; what would it be, an ugly truth, or a beautiful lie?"
"I'm not going to live under someone's control any longer," Goro says, crossing his arms. "My life is my own. I've spent enough years under the control of my own hatred and anger and Shido. This time, I'm going to make a path for myself."
"Same," Ren agrees, leaning back and watching the night sky. "Living in a lie is just running away. If I have to guess, Maruki-san might've been just that; the victim of the Fates. All it takes to break a person is either a lifetime of abuse, or one bad day."
"Still doesn't justify his actions," Goro snarls under his breath. "I'm not going to kill him, of course, but you can be sure that I'm going to beat his sorry behind back to where he came from and then some."
"Violent much, are we?" Ren laughs, hitting Goro lightly with the back of his hand. He then lets his chuckle dies down as he shifts his eyes away towards the general populace, oblivious to the lies before them, living their days in peace. "…But, even if it's the right thing, it still feels painful – to rob the people of their peace like this."
"Don't think like that," Mochizuki offers. "You're not robbing them of their peace; you're stealing back their freedom."
"…Huh," Ren hums, a finger under his chin, running it along his lower jaw lightly. When Mochizuki puts it that way, it makes all of this hurts a little less. So, he smiles, and takes those words to heart. "I guess you're right. Alright; then, next week, let's take back our freedom."
"Before that," Goro interjects, pulling out a phone that's not his own out of his pocket. He then thrusts it in Mochizuki's direction. The latter just stares at the device, undeniably dumbfounded, mimicking what Ren's feeling.
"Um… what is this?"
"I bought the cheapest model for you to use," Goro says, successfully shoving the device into Mochizuki's hands before quickly pulling away, as if to deny any chance to return. "No, you're not going to be paying anything, since that barely costs me anything."
Mochizuki blinks a few times, alternating his gaze between Goro and the thing in his hands. Then, his lips stretch into a warm smile as he bows his head lightly. "Then… thank you, Akechi-san. This is a very kind thing of you to do."
"Hmph."
"I didn't know you were saving up for this," Ren comments, leaning into Goro's personal space. "You coulda just told me. I wanna chip in, too."
"I'd rather you not," Goro says quietly. "It's… a thank you, for saving me back in Shido's Palace, intentional or otherwise."
"Ah," Is all Mochizuki says as he starts fiddling with the phone. He's been out of the loop for seven long years, but he seems more at ease with it than Ren thought he would. And, as if managing to read his mind, Mochizuki says, "I've seen you using yours for months, Amamiya. It's only natural that I'd be comfortable with it."
"…Well, that's true," Ren says. "But it's not often (if at all, rather) that you'd meet someone who has died and then came back to life years later, you know."
Mochizuki laughs. "Fair point."
After that, Death just busies himself with getting used to his new device, while Ren and Goro sit there, side by side, the latter seemingly more relaxed than he's ever been. Ren hums, closing his eyes and letting the cold wind of winter ruffles his hair and biting lightly on his skin, the strange itch he's always felt on his skin tempered under the breeze.
There is a second of nothingness, light and carefree, before Goro breaks it with a whisper. "What is this Maruki Takuto like?"
He's surprised Goro would ask that, since he has never, ever inquired about the enemies before. He's the type of person who'd judge a man by his own standards, something Ren finds both disturbing and charming – to be unflappable in the way he looks at the world is something he'd never be able to do, after all.
Ren tilts his head slightly before saying his thoughts out loud. "Let's see… I think he's a pretty socially awkward. Not that it's wrong or anything, but kinda funny, if you've had the chance to see him struggling with talking over a mic."
Goro snorts. "Go on."
"He's also soft-spoken and caring," Ren continues, recalling all of his sessions and talks with Maruki. The doctor is someone who cares a lot more than maybe he should, Ren just knows this. He's reminded of Mochizuki's description of Yuuki Makoto, and he only just understands now why that boy sounds so, so familiar to him – because he reminds him of Maruki, in a sense. "Kind unlike anyone I've met before. Very patient and understanding, too."
Goro only nods, arms crossed. He seems to be pondering over something, and if Ren has to guess from the glint in his eyes, he'd say that Goro's trying to understand the man. "That actually reminds me of Mochizuki-san's description of his friend."
"I know, right?" Ren hums, smiling slightly. "Aside from that… I feel like he's regretting something he's done – or maybe unable to do, I don't know – in his life. It's hard to miss the shadow of remorse that's following his footsteps, you see."
"Aren't we all, though?" Goro says, looking down at his feet as he absently scruffs his soles across the concrete. "We all regret something we did or didn't do. It's just something human. It's our nature."
"…Yeah, good point," Ren hums, patting Goro's shoulder lightly. "But, in all seriousness – it feels like that guilt is eating at him more than it should. Maybe, if we know more, we might be able to understand him."
"I see," The other says slowly, red eyes flickering his way. "Let me ask you this, Ren; I'm trying to do what you've always done before – trying to understand your enemies. Can I ask you—"
"—Why would I waste time doing that, right?" He finishes. Goro is, by all account, easy to understand. Note that being easy to understand doesn't mean he's easy to get along. But he finds Goro's company quite valuable (not to mention his secret crush?) (Fuck you, Mochizuki, don't laugh, thanks), and that he's easy to tease the hell out of.
Goro blinks, surprised, before nodding slowly.
Ren laughs. "You know, the world isn't all black and white. It's all shades of gray. When you get to know, to understand someone… you might be able to find a way that could help you both."
Goro takes a minute, nodding along once, head tilted to the side. He then says, "I see… you're interesting, as always."
"Thanks," Ren hums.
Right now, all they can do is wait; for the promised date, for his friends to remember.
Ren also doesn't miss the way Goro's looking at him, but he isn't quite sure what to make of it, so he just leaves it be.
January 9th, 2017 [Monday]
Maruki is waiting patiently, Yoshizawa on the chair beside him.
His eyes are watching Thanatos, who keeps to his human form, with curiosity. Ren chances a glance, to see that Thanatos is clenching his fingers hard around his arm, nails digging into his flesh, even if his face still retains a small smile – smile that doesn't reach his piercing pair of sapphire blue that seems to go straight through the soul.
"…May I ask who you are?" Maruki directs his question at Death, who forcibly takes his hands off his own flesh, fingertip-shaped folds left on the sleeves of his shirt. "I believe you are the new transfer student at Shujin, although I've already left it before then."
"Why would you want to know?" Thanatos says, his voice frigid cold. Ren shivers, his body taking a step back on its own. Raoul shifts and stirs again, roused by the sudden hostility this gentle soul suddenly gives out. "But I'll humor you. My name is Mochizuki Ryoji."
"It's a pleasure knowing you, Mochizuki-kun," Maruki says with a smile. Crow scoffs at that, probably thinking it fake, but Ren knows better – that expression is as genuine as it comes, even if the person wearing it has ulterior or questionable motives behind it. "I'm surprised I didn't detect your presence in my reality. Would you not also like for the world to be kind?"
"As tempting as that offer is," Thanatos says slowly. "I will not accept it. I cannot."
"Neither will I," Crow adds. "Word it as you like – you're merely brainwashing people for your own damn satisfaction. Help people? Don't be ridiculous. All that you're doing is forcing people under a life of lie and deceit."
"…I'm afraid some people would see it that way, but I assure you, my sole objective is to save everyone from pain and suffering! Wouldn't you also like to live such a life, where there's no pain?" Maruki says. Ren glances to see Yoshizawa looking at them with pleading eyes – for them to accept this reality, perhaps – as Maruki continues. "So please… for the sake of Yoshizawa-san and your friends, accept this gift of mine. I beg of you."
"No," Ren shakes his head, and as soon as he does, he sees a ghost of the blue, glowing butterfly floating by him before disappearing into specks of light. When Maruki gives out a surprised hum, Ren continues with a small smile. "Maruki-san, I know you wish for us to be happy, but this is not how happiness is obtained. To live is to face your own pain and conquer it, no matter how long that process may take. I – we will not run from the truth, from our darkness."
"To live is to die, to experience both joy and sorrow, happiness and suffering," Thanatos adds. "One cannot exist without the other. If you rob them of their memories, of the times they bond over their trials and vanquish their weaknesses, that would've meant that they've never lived at all."
Maruki seems to contemplate a little before he shakes his head, steeling his eyes. "I know that is how you see it, but I can control reality as I see fit! I can help you – all of you!"
"And yet, my friend, my light, is not here," Thanatos says, making Maruki looks at him in confusion. "You said you want to save everyone, but Makoto isn't here. I still couldn't find him, except feeling him in pain and distressed. You cannot save everyone, Maruki-san. That is not how the world works. And even if you have saved him – I still cannot allow you to reshape the world and rule it under your own thumb."
"But that is not my intention, not in the least! I don't wish to govern the world as a god—"
"But that's exactly what you're trying to do, Maruki-san," Ren says. "You're forcing us to accept the world that will rob us of our free will, to live as you see fit, no matter how good your intentions are."
"You're asking us to put you on a throne and revere you as a god," Crow sneers. "We can't do that."
"…I see," Maruki murmurs, looking down, eyes casted with regrets. "We still haven't reached and understanding then, it seems."
"There's no understanding to be reached," Crow spits out. Ren decides not to stop him – much like how his friends talk to Crow, Maruki needs to hear the flaws in his logics and actions, as well. "You are not even trying to understand us. You just want us to dance in your palm, Maruki-san. As long as you maintain that little belief of yours, then there's nothing left to talk about."
"I see," Maruki hums as he glances towards Yoshizawa, who's looking at him pleadingly. "But with that, you're denying her of her wishes. She wants nothing more than to live as Kasumi, and I can do that for her! She wants that!"
"He's right, Amamiya-senpai," Yoshizawa says as she gets up from her seat on shaky legs, her eyes wide and begging him to reconsider something he's already set his mind to. "Please, don't get in my way! I don't – I can't live as someone who killed her own sister!"
"…Joker," Crow whispers, stepping back. "Do you want us to help?"
He looks at Crow, then at Thanatos, both of whom are putting some distances between him and them, their expressions steeled. They're ready to help, but they also know – maybe even better than Ren does – that this isn't something as easy as to beat some sense into someone like he did Crow (Goro) before. She is refusing the truth because it is painful, and she's blindly escaping the wisps of the harsh reality that's reaching out to her to accept it.
This is something Ren has to get across on his own, because if anyone's going to be able to get through to her – it will have to be him. Crow and Thanatos can, but they don't know her – at least, not her personality, not who she truly is – as well as he does. So, Ren shakes his head, lifting up an arm as he steps forward, his blade ready as Yoshizawa's clad in her Metaverse uniform.
"I've got this," He says, walking carefully forward.
"Please… don't make me do this," She says, her voice breaking apart like glass, shattered and scattered onto the cold floor underneath their soles. "I can't stop this! I refuse to live as Kasumi's killer!"
"You didn't kill her," Ren says, not leaving his feet or changing his stances as her rapier comes flying his way. He merely defects it with a flick of his wrist, sometime possible only because she's not coming at him like she wants to kill him. She's terrified of changes; somethings he's experienced before himself. "Yoshi—no, Sumire, you're not her killer. You're the sister who feels responsible for her death because she saved you. That doesn't mean you want her to die, doesn't mean you killed her."
"There's no difference in that, is there!?" She says, her mask shattering into Cendrillon. "It's the same thing! I killed her because I ran off into the traffic, and she died saving me!"
"She did, didn't she?" He smiles slightly as Cendrillon charges at him. Raoul's roaring laughter shakes his being as he springs forth from his mask and flings Cendrillon away, fracturing her back into the Sea of Souls. "Then ask yourself this – why did she do that?"
"Because—" Yoshizawa stops at this, her hands trembling. "Because I forced her—"
"No," Thanatos cuts her off as Ren takes a step back. Then, gentler, Death whispers. "Because she loved you. I don't think she had ever blamed you for all of this. I think she's glad that you're safe and sound."
"How could you know something only the dead could answer?" She says weakly, eyes darting back and forth between him and Thanatos, who only smiles sadly at her.
"Because Life and Death are two sides of the same coin," He says quietly. "I know because I'm the conduit that connect both sides together. Trust me, Yoshizawa-san… your sister loved you. Loves you. She has never blamed you for any of this."
"But I…" She murmurs, nails digging into her own arm. "I can't… I can't go back there, go back to being Sumire. Even if she forgave me… I can't forgive myself. I can't live as someone who stripped away a bright future from a sister who deserves better than I do…"
Ren opens his mouth – they're getting through, a bit more, then perhaps…
But Maruki, who's been silent all this time, steps forth. Thanatos suddenly tenses up, and Crow steps up beside him as the man says. "Yoshizawa-san… I can give you strength, so you don't have to suffer!"
"Doctor…"
"Your wish…" He says, wisps of foulness rising from the floor. Ren is about to move forward, but Crow stops him. "If you want your pain to end, and desire to live as Kasumi… I'll actualize it!"
Then springs forth from the ground are tentacles, maddening whispers of muffled cries and beating of vile, violent drums and flutes echoing alongside their blighted, flawless skin as they whip around and curl their shapeless form around Yoshizawa's shivering body. Ren could only watch in terror as the things lift her off the ground, and one of the hand-like tip reaches for her mask and rips it away, forcing her other self to manifest, dragging and beating it alongside the road of the Sea of Souls and into the world against her will.
Cendrillon is tainted, tolling of midnight clock striking against his eardrums and vibrating the very air like drums of war. She writhes and cries, cinders of resolve and soot of denial covering from her fingertips to her toes. Raoul comes out before Ren could utter the word, and the gentle Thief draws out a blade from his cane, slender fingers touching along the sharp edge like a man would to fragile glass.
"I refuse to go back! I'm happy here… This is where I belong!" Cendrillon cries.
Raoul's response is sharp and immediate, the wisps of smoke rise through the gap in his mask like mists as he says. "No, my dear Cinder-Princess. The bell has already tolled, and your reality beckons. You mustn't deny your own origin. If you do, then what is left?"
"Shut up! Shut up! I refuse to turn back into that soot-coated pathetic weakling I once was!" She cries, blades of smoldering flames shifting and descending down on them with speed that could rival Raoul's own quick-draw—
"Oh, I don't think so!"
The flash of light blinds them momentarily, but something stops the blades from advancing, and they shatter into oblivion. When the light dies down—
Ren grins. "Took you guys long enough."
"Our apologies, Joker, Crow, Thanatos," Fox says, drawing the katana from the sheathe and brandishing it with grace, flakes of snow drawn across the thin air like a painting.
"What the hell are all these!?" Skull says, growling. "This makes no sense, but that ain't the point now – we gotta deal with this now, right, Joker?"
"Yeah!"
"Don't run away!"
Crow snaps as Maruki turns his back to them. Ren wants to do the same, but Yoshizawa takes priority – her breath is quick, unsteady. Warmness on her forehead, sweats rolling down her brows and encasing her feature in weariness that doesn't seem intent to leave any time soon. He glances over at Queen, who takes a knee beside him, her hand carefully administering Diarahan through her palm.
Maruki turns to them, a slight frown adorning his feature, shoulders tense, voice controlled. "We can get back to fighting, if you really want… but I think you're rather exhausted at the moment, are you not?"
Crow clicks his tongue. Maruki just spoke the truth that they can't deny.
Thanatos walks over and pats Crow's shoulder lightly, the latter responding by a scoff as he shakes the hand off his arm. Thanatos then walks back over to him, his expression leveled, before he looks back at Maruki, who is holding his curious gaze at Death. Then, Thanatos speaks slowly. "…As much as I'd like to settle this as fast as I'm able, that would only put these guys at risk."
"I can fight!" Ren says, but stops when he feels Crow's shaking hand on his. He looks down, then back at that black visage of madness and resentment, only to see a calm look and scarlet pools that reach into the deepest corner of his souls. "…Crow?"
"You can barely stand on your legs, Joker," Crow murmurs before turning to Thanatos. "…But, your friend's safety—"
"Yeah," Thanatos sighs.
At this, Maruki whirls around, a deep scowl unbefitting of his kindness plasters deep into his skin and settles onto his lips. The man then says, curious, confused. "…I could not feel you – could not influence you, even when I hold this much power within."
"Because I am the same as the thing that you took that position from," Thanatos replies flatly, brows furrowed, jaws tense. He forcibly relaxes them. "…And Makoto – he is much, much stronger than I am, I ever will be. But he remains trapped somewhere, in captivity, in pain."
"Who is he? Where is he? I can help!" Maruki rushes out, panicked. But that concern is genuine, Ren could tell. "Please, Mochizuki-kun, I might not know what you were talking about, just now – but I do want to help, I really do—"
"By bringing back the dead and allowing criminals to have their ways with my light?" Thanatos bites out with foulness and sounds of soul-string and warmth being sundered. "By creating this world of yours, you are running away from the truth. You are taking me away from him. You're giving people who do not care for others' sakes lives that they are using to trample on the weak!"
Maruki gapes, taking in the words Ren thinks have never crossed his mind. Ren glances to Crow, who seems as taken aback as he is, agreeing to Thanatos' cold outburst. Then, as if to diffuse the cold fury that has already made itself home inside the coffin-wings and the serrated blade, Maruki begins. "That—"
"This discussion is over," Thanatos cuts him off, shaking his head. "Maruki-san, you mean well, I know that much. But you're harming him. You're killing him. This is not the way the world works."
"…I cannot stop, not now," Maruki says quietly. "I'll use this power to save lives. All of them, including yours and your friend's. I cannot back down from this."
Thanatos seems about to spit out curses, but he stops, closing his eyes and digging his nails into his flesh, drawing life-blood out of his being and letting the drops fall to the ground. Then, quietly, he murmurs. "I see… we'll never agree on this, then."
Maruki pauses. "…There's still time for you to see what my research can do. February 3rd. I'll hear your final decision on the 3rd."
"That's too long—" Ren begins. Yuuki won't have that much time.
But Maruki's already gone.
Queen looks at him, Crow, and Thanatos, her eyes saddened. Ren offers her a smile and shakes his head, forbidding her from worrying. She smiles then whispers, her voice loud and clear against the still air of the Palace. "…I want to pursue him, but he's right. We're all exhausted, especially the three of you. It looks like we'll have to wait."
Skull grumbles. "Let's get outta here, Yoshizawa's gotta rest anyways."
"I agree," Thanatos says, and the Thieves' attentions are on him. His smile is gentle and calm, a stark contrast to the winter-cold rage and the biting fangs of his cindered shadows from earlier. When he sees their expressions, their eyes that say but we need to hurry for you, he only shakes his head. "We cannot pursue a man like that as we are now. We know nothing of him – not as an enemy. And I'm chained down by the fact that I've lost my Corridor of Souls with Makoto, so I am not much stronger than any of you here, at the moment."
"But Maruki's date is almost a month away," Panther says, worry clear in her voice as she exchanges looks with Noir and Fox, who both hum in agreement. "We've already wasted too much time, and taking away too much of your attention with you helping us—"
"It's alright, Panther," The boy says, eyes casting downward, half his face hidden under the fold of yellow that's now pale and battered. "We could just explore his Palace and find out about Makoto during that time. I'm useless anyway, with no connections to speak of, no information to work with."
They couldn't say anything, so, silently, Ren nods, using the detestable app to pull them out of the Palace and back to the living world once more.
(Time is running out, but we have no ways to speed things up. I have no other ways to find you.
Please… hold on a bit longer, Makoto.
I will save you, without fail. I promise.)