The six of them returned to the palace, with Futaba speaking in their ears.
"So this is where the other world went, disappeared, and came back." Maya hummed thoughtfully.
Lisa scratched at her clothes, the other world not changing them. Or the clothes of the other people.
"Back already? What does it take to get rid of you?" the voice of Maya came out from behind the group. "Oh and you brought-" the false Maya said as she walked up and looked over the people who came to the castle. The false Yukino hissed and swore.
"I'm here for my friend." The true Maya yelled, the aura of Artemis was stronger here, breaking up the sand and other things in the air around her.
"What friend?" the fake Maya asked.
"Tatsuya." Jun answered. The cognitions hissed at him.
"Well that was rude." Jun remarked under his breath. The cognitions backed down after hearing that.
"I didn't know we were held to your standards." The fake Yukino snarled.
"Of course you are." Jun laughed. "I hold everyone I know to a higher standard."
"That boy doesn't brush his hair." cognition Maya growled and pointed at Amamiya.
The boy felt his hair. Lisa ruffled it.
"I just met the kid." Jun didn't even blink.
"You share a name." The mirage said, mimicking a petulant child.
"...Joker?" Lisa rubbed her nose.
"Yes." Ren Amamiya nodded, looking down.
Jun clenched his jaw. "Well I doubt he was thinking of me when he chose the name."
"Enough. This isn't getting us anywhere." Maya snapped. She placed one hand on the cognitions' shoulders. "Look, we're fine. Everyone's ok."
The cognitions gasped as if in pain and backed away, but still holding onto her.
"I feel all the memories, every loss. Every regret." the voices blended together, making a deep baritone, the voice of the ruler of the damned palace, Tatsuya Suou. The two figures melted into a gray puddle with blood in the mixture.
There were bubbles in the mixture, making the fluids seem hardened. Then the solid thickened, rising up, like a pancake, Air hissing at them as it kept rising, not taking a full shape until it rose to become a large cubic, rectangle. Then the fluid began to melt down into the ground, exposing the shape of a young man, the colors coming back, showing him in tattered clothing and messy hair.
There was blood on his hands, and on his face, there were tears dripping down, staining red as it hit the ground. Brown eyes and red hair became visible as an old school uniform took shape.
Jun stepped forward. "Tatsuya, we're here to tell you it's ok. We don't hate you, resent you or anything."
Tatsuya let out a noise between a crackle and sob. "that was never the point of all this. I hate myself. I hate what I can't do, my inability to let go, my loneliness."
"we don't blame you." Jun stepped forward, almost touching Tatsuya.
"I do." Tatsuya smiled darkly and flames shot out of his eyes, boiling the blood around him and making Jun flinch back. Flames built up around the whole group. It was suffocating and claustrophobic, forcing the group to back away. Smoke as transparent as steel rose up, blocking the view to Tatsuya. "And now that you've seen my pain, you will back away as well. Leave me."
Jun glared and gritted his teeth. It wasn't hatred on his face but frustration.
"No. You are not alone, you never were. You were, you are, glued to the five of us forever. You burn us all with your desertion." Jun stepped forward, through the pain, through the fire. Tatsuya's eyes widened as he stared in shock, his mouth dropping open. "We all remember now and the world isn't doomed. We don't have to be dead to each other or even dead. We can be friends again. It's all over."
Tatsuya crumbled to his knees and the fire died off.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tatsuya whispered. Jun hugged him.
"We get it, just don't shut us out." Maya kneeled next to Tatsuya.
The missing phantom thieves rose up from the blood. They were unconscious but breathing, no evidence of where they had been on their clothing. Between where Jun and Tatsuya knelt, a lighter rose from the blood. Amamiya watched as Tatsuya handed the lighter to him.
"Keep it." He said as the island crumbled around them."it's better to watch over it."
Cafe blanc was rife with chatter as both sets of persona users talked, each missing their leader. They were in the attic. Drinking coffee sitting on the floor.
"You've got a good team." Tatsuya smiled, wistfully.
"They're my family." Amamiya said full of pride.
"That's good. Keep them that way. Don't be like me." Tatsuya frowned saddened. "It'll eat at you. Consume you."
"They won't let me. Like how your group has you, you'll never be lonely again. We just have to take care of each other." Amamiya took a sip of his coffee.
"You seem wiser than you should be." Tatsuya said, quietly.
"I've seen too many demons." Amamiya answered.
"I know that feeling all too well. Hopefully we can breathe for the moment." Tatsuya looked down towards the stairs. "And if you're going to listen to our conversation, please join in with your thoughts."
Jun walked up the stairs with an air of denial and confidence. He sat down next to Tatsuya and took the coffee from his leader.
"You too, Yusuke."
He walked up with a cookie straw in his mouth not even feigning innocence.
He sat down with grace and a notebook, sketching absentmindedly.
"We do look out for you, Amamiya, so don't even dream of thinking otherwise and pulling away. You're the only one who goes to my exhibitions." Yusuke said with a smile.
"I don't." Amamiya smiled. Then he looked at the artwork. "My hair is not that big."
"Yes it is" came a voice from the cafe.
The four laughed.
"So what will you do now?" Amamiya asked as his blushing went down.
"Rebuild."
"Oh." The leader of the phantom thieves said. "Good luck."
"Thank you. I wish you luck in your endeavors. But please do keep making coffee." Tatsuya stole his cup back.
"I won't be alone in my life, and neither will you." Amamiya stood up. "It's time we joined our friends downstairs."
The room was quiet as they walked down but not because of them, but Akechi Goro standing by the door.
"Let him be. If he tries anything you can deal with him then."
The teens stared at each other. The adults watched with tense anticipation. Fortunately, Akechi just sat at the counter his back turned to everyone.
With the return of the other world, things calmed down. People were less violent and secrets were able to be kept.
"It's hard to imagine that having secrets and lying is a good thing." The soft voice of Haru spoke up.
"It's neither good or bad. It just is." Makoto responded. "What will we do with Akechi?"
Amamiya shrugged. "Up to him. It's always been up to him."