Ren and Akechi entered the auditorium of Takuto Maruki's Palace. Across the sterile, white, round room stood the man himself - not a Shadow, as was typical of Palaces, but the Maruki from the real world. Ren wasn't sure what made him more uneasy about confrontation: that this was Dr. Maruki, a friend of Ren's that he knew was manipulating the Metaverse for a noble end, or that his only support was a man that had made numerous attempts to claim Ren's life while his actual friends remained blinded by this false reality they had been engulfed in.
Ren wondered if Dr. Maruki could recognise the inner turmoil he was going through as he casually thanked the two intruders for coming on the appointed day.
While the blue throne Dr. Maruki stood beside blended in fairly well with the stark white aesthetic of the facility, the doctor's new white suit and the cognitive people filling row after row of dull grey seats behind him, the bright red coat Sumire wore as she sat in some sort of stupor did not. She had been in Dr. Maruki's custody for an entire week at this point and Ren had no idea what he might have done to her mind in all that time.
Ren swallowed as the blazing red coat reminded him of Ann and he almost lost his nerve. But Ann also had a way of bringing out Ren's inner strength, even when he was only thinking about her. He looked down at his bright red glove, a secret ritual he performed when he felt nervous during Phantom Thief operations, finding that the colour reminded him of his girlfriend's Panther attire, which made him feel at ease. "What did you do to Sumire?" he demanded.
"She's only sleeping," Dr. Maruki assured him. "I've never had any intention of harming her. Once her inner turmoil begins to settle, I'll have her remember her life as she wishes to live it." Despite his words seeming virtuous in nature, be it his inability to hide a darker motive or Ren's opposing viewpoint painting his perception, Ren couldn't help but hear the tone of a supervillain monologue flavouring Maruki's words sourly.
"The life she wishes for, huh?" Akechi said from Ren's left. His disdain for this false reality had been made abundantly clear a week ago, and it was quite evident that not a single thing he had seen since then had changed that in the slightest. "Call it what you like - you're merely brainwashing people for your own satisfaction."
Maruki sighed, seeming genuinely saddened by Akechi's words. "I'm wholly aware that some will interpret my acts that way-"
"Yeah, until you brainwash them to change their stance," Ren interjected bitterly, the face of his friends flashing through his mind. These words seemed to make Maruki's expression even more dour.
"I was hoping you, at least, would understand where I'm coming from with this, Amamiya-kun."
"Oh, I do. I understand that it's wrong. You're changing people against their wills to suit your vision of reality."
"You don't think it's a tad hypocritical to call this wrong when you and your friends have been doing much the same for the better part of a year?"
"Yeah, to bad people to save the innocent people they were victimising. You're changing those same innocent people to suit your own vision. How can you possibly compare our work to... to this?"
"I compare them because both our actions serve the greater good. If I understand correctly, you went and checked in on your friends this past week. This reality is the one that they all wished for. Did any of them seem troubled by that fact?"
Images of Ren's friends once again flashed through his head - Makoto, Haru and Futaba enjoying life with their respective loved ones back, Yusuke showing off his art accompanied by the Madarame he always wanted to believe was the real him, Ryuji being praised as the ace of the school track team, Morgana finally living as a real human, Ann...
"This reality is the 'true' reality," Maruki continued. "All you have to do is recognise it as such. Your friends don't just want to live these lives - they want you to choose this reality for yourselves and live happily too."
"And let's say I do."
"Joker-" Ren held a hand up to cut off Akechi's stern attempt to dissuade him. If anything, Ren was amazed he'd allowed him and Maruki to debate the matter as long as he had.
"Let's say I do. What will my new history be? What will you make me believe is the reason I moved down to Tokyo alone and lived in a stranger's attic for a year? What will I believe made me awaken to my power and become a Phantom Thief? If your reality really is a world without pain or suffering, then what are the Phantom Thieves even here for? A perfect world doesn't need the Phantom Thieves. And without the Phantom Thieves' gravitational pull bringing Ann, Ryuji and the others into my life, then what fantasy will you use as a replacement for everything I've been through this past year to earn those friendships!? What the hell is the point of everything I've endured if I don't even remember a goddamn thing about it!?"
Not only Maruki, but even Akechi seemed taken aback by Ren's outburst at the end. Ren's typical demeanour was that of a laid-back, unflappable quipper, who always knew just the right thing to say to make those around him feel better. But rarely was he the focus of that same kind of attention from others. While he'd always done his best to conceal what he truly felt about his life - the almost crushing depression and disdain for the world that had given up on him - those feelings had always remained untreated beneath the surface, even as his gained more and more friends he could rely upon, and a girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. People rarely asked Ren how he was doing, and it had become a struggle to keep it all bottled up over time, especially when facing Akechi, Shido and Yaldabaoth. And now, before him stood Dr. Maruki, a man Ren had once counted as his friend, standing there trying to justify brainwashing his friends into forgetting all of their struggles and victories that had made Ren respect them all so damn much.
He looked at his glove again and took a breath to calm himself. Despite everything, he still considered Dr. Maruki his friend. His actions were misguided, not malicious. There was still a chance Ren could talk him around to his way of thinking, and blowing up at him right now was definitely not the right strategy to achieve that outcome.
"Call me selfish, but I... I know better than anyone that we are, all of us, the sum total of our past experiences - good and bad. What you've done is deny their struggles, their perseverance and their victories over their circumstances - denied and covered up the integral, defining moments of their pasts that make them the people they are today. Pain and loss and how we push through them, more than anything else, are what define who we are. When I look at my friends in this funhouse mirror of a reality you've cooked up, well-intentioned though it may be, I just can't see them as the same comrades I saved the world with.
"When I look at Ann with Suzui, both happy and blissfully ignorant of what they endured from Kamoshida and the rest, I don't see Ann Takamaki, who endured so much negative attention and outright abuse aimed at herself and her friend, who put her life on the line so many times for friend and stranger alike, whose refusal to submit to her anger and whose strength of will to force Kamoshida to face his crimes rather than killing him inspired me to push through my own struggles and to not let them corrupt me. It's not just Ann who is defined by her struggles and her ability to endure - so am I, and the Phantom Thieves' entire creed is too. Her strength is our strength and none of us would be the same people were are- were, now, I suppose - without those trials. And the real Ann from before all this is the one who showed me that.
"That is the Ann Takamaki I fell in love with, and while it kills me to tear her, Suzui's and everyone else's happiness away, I know deep down in my heart that it's far more disrespectful to Ann and her accomplishments to let her live in ignorance of what makes her the powerful, inspiring, utterly spellbinding woman she truly is, than it is to take away this band-aid you've placed over the wounds her heart has persevered through all these years. And so I'm going to stop you, for her, for my friends, and for everyone else whose struggles you're trying to erase, including your own!"
At this, Maruki was left truly, utterly speechless.
"You certainly haven't lost your way with words," Akechi said with the closest thing to a genuine smile Ren had ever seen from the ace detective. "I'm almost touched."
"No, you're not."
"No, but I respect your commitment to truth. I wouldn't accept any less from the one who beat me. Now, let's end this sterile façade, Joker."
"Right!"
A monitor high up in the Palace's lobby area displayed the confrontation between Ren, Akechi and Maruki. The rest of the Phantom Thieves had arrived a while ago, but stopped in their tracks upon seeing this feed above them.
"And so I'm going to stop you, for her, for my friends, and for everyone else whose struggles you're trying to erase, including your own!"
Ann's heart tightened in her chest. It had already felt like it was being slowly crushed in a vice since she'd realised what she had allowed herself to forget, but this was far more excruciating. If Ren were here with her now, he'd probably make a pun out of 'tighten' and 'titan' to convey the massive difference in the power of this heartache. If he did, he'd say it in such a charming way that she was sure would alleviate it entirely. Such was the kind of man Ren Amamiya was - the coolest man in the world even when he was saying the lamest thing in the world.
But he wasn't here. He was up there, fighting for her past and future, and for every other person whose reality was being rewritten by Dr. Maruki, whether they had earned his defence or not. But even apart, he continued to protect her, not only from the false reality, but also from her doubts that opposing these changes was the right thing to do. But Ren had always had such a profoundly powerful way with words that he could make a complete stranger open up about her very delicate situation, give her the strength to break free of the chains of that wretched affair, and now push aside her doubts and do what her heart knew to be the right thing.
That was why she loved him so very much. She didn't have the words to tell him exactly how much she did, not like he always seemed to, but she knew exactly how she could show him.
"Come on, guys!" she commanded in a rare display of authority, already rushing up the steps before her, fists clenched and ready to put her life on the line for the man who deserved so much more than she could give him, but had still honoured her by returning her love tenfold.
Despite his inability to retort to Ren's declarations, Dr. Maruki had no need to do so. Sumire had taken it upon herself to defend the doctor to keep her own reality as Kasumi from completely breaking down. The poor girl was distraught at the idea having to live as herself, rather than hide from the guilt of the real Kasumi's death. She faced Ren in a one-on-one duel, but was unable to best him, prompting Maruki to offer her power - mutating her Persona, Cendrillon, into a red-hot berserker state. Even Akechi was disgusted by what Maruki's actions had done to Sumire. Not that the disgust the two felt did them any good, as the power Maruki was fuelling Cendrillon with made it functionally undefeatable, even when attacked by both Loki and Ren's most powerful Personas.
Maruki referred to this power as "her refusal to accept the truth," which clearly was quite potent, even without Maruki's interference. As such, when Cendrillon charged up another attack, Ren was genuinely concerned that he and Akechi might not be able to take it head-on. Luckily, they didn't have to, as the unmistakeable silhouette of a young woman in a skin-tight catsuit dashed between the two and blocked the attack with just her own two arms.
"Lady Ann! Are you okay!?" called out a boyish voice from behind them.
Ren turned to find Morgana, Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba and Haru standing ready, all in their Phantom Thief gear. "You guys came," he said before he could stop himself, sure that his surprise was unfortunately clear in his voice.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long," Ann said as she stepped back, moving closer to Ren and Akechi. "I'm sorry for not realising sooner."
"We can worry about that later," Ryuji interjected. "The hell's up with Yoshizawa's Persona!?"
"I've got no idea," Morgana, the resident Metaverse expert, replied.
"I'll try and find a weakness," Futaba declared. "You guys keep it busy until then!"
"We'll keep Oracle covered," Haru said as she and Yusuke moved to defend her.
"Be careful, everyone!" Makoto commanded.
"Please let us make up for-" Ren placed a finger over Ann's lips to silence her. He then put on his business face, and Panther did the same.
The battle went a lot smoother with the full team backing Ren and Akechi. They managed to weaken Cendrillon enough for the tentacles holding Sumire in place to recede and for her to revert back from her Joker-inspired Metaverse outfit to her normal clothes. She collapsed, exhausted, into Ren's arms. He felt about as energetic as she did right now, but he managed to hold her upright with support from Ryuji.
Dr. Maruki was in disbelief. "I can't believe you've all thrown away your happiness just to come here and... And how? It's impossible. All of this was done for your own joy."
"Our joy?" Yusuke parroted, showing the rare disgust Ren hadn't heard from him since... probably when he'd learned the truth about Madarame.
"I only wanted to grant your wishes. Each and every one..." Once again, against his better judgment, Ren found himself sympathising with Dr. Maruki. But he couldn't let sentimentality cloud his judgment now. What Maruki was doing was wrong. He had to hold firm in that belief, for the good of everyone, especially those closest to him.
"Wishes?" Ann repeated, as irate as Yusuke. "What are you talking about? We didn't wish for any of this."
"Is that really true?" Maruki replied, having once again found his own conviction. But despite this, he chose to leave the group with this thought, rather than elaborate upon it himself. "Either way, you all intend to deny the reality I've created for you."
Ren took note of the wording there. Dr. Maruki, no doubt shaken by their defiance, had perhaps unwittingly exposed a selfishness behind his plans by referring to the reality as his own. Which it was.
"Yes, the reality you created for us," Makoto interjected, voicing Ren's thoughts perfectly. "Because that's what this is. It isn't the reality or simply a reality, it's yours - one you have decided for the rest of us, for seven billion other people. So far, you've only given Ren-kun and Akechi the opportunity to choose. A friend and an associate of said friend. But what about everyone else? You say we've chosen, but have we? Did we get to sit down and consider the implications before our wants overrode our sense of reason, and then simply forget that decision happened? Did everyone get that choice and nobody said no? Somehow, I find that difficult to believe."
"Well, of course they-"
"And if our wants conflict with someone else's," Ryuji challenged, "then what?"
Futaba then jumped on Ryuji's point. "Yeah, if thousands of people wanna be in a relationship with their favourite idol, and it's all the same idol, what do you do? Do you let them all to live in one giant polyamorous relationship where none of them can possibly get the attention they wanted from her?"
"Do you make them okay with that lack of attention?" Yusuke continued. "Or do you cut it off at the root and give them all new desires against their wills?"
"I-"
"And what about when you die?" Haru interrupted, knowing full well how short a life-long plan could last. "Have you thought that far ahead? While your ability to raise the dead so far has been... impressive... that can't possibly last forever."
Morgana continued the thought for her. "One day, your ability to maintain this reality will give out. And will you allow it to fade and let all the suppressed pain that no one has been able to confront and overcome just come rushing back? Or will you choose someone else to inherit your power and continue your work?"
"And what if their ideals don't align with yours?" Akechi added. "Will you change them too? What if they lack the competency to continue as you wish them to?"
Ren concluded: "How can you possibly think this project of yours could last long-term? There are so, so many flaws with your plan that you have to be able to see them! Wake up, Dr. Maruki!"
"I... It's you who needs to wake up, Amamiya-kun. You think I haven't had years to think about the implications of my work? You think I haven't already considered every argument you've just made? I know what I'm doing, but I won't force you to accept my reality."
"You already forced us to," Ryuji shot back. "We don't want it, an' I'm willin' ta bet there're millions of other people out there who wouldn't if you actually asked 'em first."
"And how much say do any of us really have in this matter?" Makoto once again spoke up. "Either the real world or the reality you have chosen for us? I don't see that as much of a choice."
"And if we choose the old reality, then what?" Ann asked. "Do you leave us in this reality, knowing it's wrong while everyone else thinks we're crazy? After what Ren managed to do for us, I doubt you'd risk letting us do the same for anyone else."
"...If you plan to fight me, then so be it," Maruki responded after a pause, clearly knowing he was getting nowhere. "If you plan to change my heart, that's fine too. But before that, I think there's still room for discussion here. For now, taking care of Yoshizawa-san should be your priority, I think."
This brought everyone's attention back to the girl in Ren and Ryuji's arms. She tried to say something in response, but only a tired moan escaped her lips. While everyone's attention was on her, Dr. Maruki disappeared. But despite this, his voice could still be heard from somewhere in the Palace.
"There's still time. February 3rd. I'll hear your final decision on the 3rd. Until then, I'll restore what I've given you all, but you'll still remember the old reality. Take a few weeks to experience what I offer more objectively and then make your decisions. If your views can't align with mine by then, we'll have no other choice but a physical altercation. As much as I would loathe that, I can't give up what I've started."
"...I've lost his signal," Futaba informed the team after a moment of silence.
"I want to pursue him, but I doubt that's even possible right now," Makoto said in tired defeat.
"Let's get outta here," Ryuji proposed. "Yoshizawa's gotta rest, anyway. Ren too, from the looks of it. Here." Gently, Ryuji took Sumire from the grateful Ren, who staggered a little once the weight was taken off of him.
With the battle now over, the adrenaline that had pushed Ren through the pain of his injuries finally wore off and he felt his legs give out. His fall was short, however, as he landed not on the cold marble floor, but in Ann's warm embrace as she ran over and caught him. She staggered under his weight, having probably the lowest physical strength of the team aside from Futaba, but she managed to keep him up straight.
"Woah, Ren, are you okay?" Ann asked, her concern warming his heart in a way that he couldn't quite express. There had been something cold about Ann and the others since this new reality started. It wasn't that any of them necessarily did or said anything harsh or cruel that would normally be described as 'cold'. Instead, there was a chilly eeriness about the way they had so fully embraced their new lives. Ren's nights had been plagued by nightmares of his friends consumed by their new lives, sporting black opera masks that covered their true expressions, or lacking faces entirely save for those creepy, soulless smiles he saw everywhere he went now. And vapid zombies were only the tame versions. It was when they became hostile that he felt like his heart would explode out of his chest.
But here she was, Ann Takamaki, not standing at a distance with a friend who was as brainwashed as she was - she was here, by his side and holding his tired body up, letting her warmth restore his faith in his friends. And remind him how hurt he'd been by their submission. It wasn't their fault, he knew, freely admitting that he may well have done same had Ann not inspired his worldview so strongly. And yet, he'd been unable to escape the feeling that all of his friends and teammates had abandoned him, left him behind as a madman in a world of lies. For the duration of that week, Ren had felt more alone than he had even when he'd first moved to Tokyo and begun living in the dusty attic of a man who did not care an ounce about his well-being. He truly hadn't known what loss was until he'd lost something worth having.
"I'm okay," he mumbled, not even sounding convinced himself. He pushed himself back and looked into her eyes. Even now, staring into this bright blue ocean of concern for his well-being, above even his guilt for making her feel this way, Ren couldn't help but think the life restored to her eyes after over a week of glazed bliss made her look more beautiful than she ever had before. He leaned in again and he kissed her.
Ann, having lived much of her life in the west, was typically the least flustered or embarrassed of the group when it came to expressions of affection, but she seemed completely caught off-guard by Ren's kiss. Sensing her hesitance to return the kiss, Ren pull back again. She averted her gaze, blushing, but not in embarrassment. No, Ren knew Ann's gorgeous face and its million tiny expressions well enough to recognise what she was feeling: shame.
"Are you?" he asked, turning her question back on her and only succeeding in making Ann turn away completely.
"Uh-huh," she lied. "L-Let's get Yoshizawa-chan to safety ASAP." Ren reluctantly agreed to shelve the issue for now, needing to prioritise the redhead's well-being above everything else.
Outside, Akechi made clear his intentions of working with the group, since their goals now aligned. He then left them to consider his proposal, which they opted to table for now.
"We can discuss the matter in the group chat," Makoto decided. "For now, I think we should head home."
"I'll make sure Sumire-san gets home safe," said Ren.
"Not alone, you're not," Ann insisted. "You're barely standing as it is. I'd even insist that you go back with Futaba if I knew where Yoshizawa-chan lived. And if I thought I could come up with a good excuse for her being missing for a week..."
"I really am fine, but I'd be glad for the company," Ren replied with a smile.
"Will you three be alright by yourselves?" Haru asked.
"Yeah," Ann replied. "It shouldn't take too long."
"Mona and I'll wait at Yongen Station then," Futaba declared.
"Alright, see you later, Futaba," Ren said as he stroked the younger girls' head.
The group saw the trio off to the station to catch their train. Sumire was able to give them directions, but she was out like a light almost as soon as they were seated on the train. The two were concerned that they wouldn't be able to rouse her by the time they reached her station, but they did manage, somehow. Ren had an excuse lined up by the time they reached the Yoshizawa residence. Her father, however, seemed to know she had been spending the week in Dr. Maruki's care, just not quite aware of the specifics. Ren and Ann then had to wonder if Mr. Yoshizawa was not only aware of what Dr. Maruki had done to her, but had also given permission.
But this was a topic to consider later. What mattered was that the girl was safely home and could rest. By the time the two were aboard their next train, their carriage being otherwise empty, all thought of the Yoshizawas, Dr. Maruki and everything else faded from their minds, leaving only each other in their thoughts.
"Thanks for coming with," Ren said quietly.
"I know you always try to put on a brave face in front of us," Ann replied, concerned, "but you're clearly not doing well."
"I have some of Dr. Takemi's supplements."
"Those don't work IRL like they do in the Metaverse."
"No, but they do give me an energy boost, all the same."
"It's talk like that that makes me worry about you, you know."
"...Sorry."
"No. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"I knew I recognised that face before."
"You noticed, huh? I hope the others didn't."
"I don't think the others know you like I do. Plus, I'm pretty sure they were too caught up in their own feelings of guilt to notice yours."
"Yeah, maybe... Look, Ren, I... I feel awful about this last week."
"You shouldn't-"
"No. I should. Don't pretend like it doesn't bother you. I know it does. If, like... you were the one who fell for Dr. Maruki's illusions and I was the one who remembered everything... I'd feel like you'd given up on me and what we've made for ourselves, you know? I dunno, maybe I wouldn't see it that way without the things you said in that atrium-"
"You guys saw that?"
"Yeah. There's this big screen in the lobby that showed the whole thing. And the things you said made me feel... I feel so grateful and it's, like, totally unreal that you think so highly of me, especially after this last week. But it also made me realise how lonely you must have been all this time. Not just this week, but ever since the allegations. And I've been there, kinda, for years, and I guess that's what made me so weak-"
"Stop." Ren's tone and expression were severe. It was a manner he reserved only for those he was done listening to in the Metaverse. Honestly, it scared Ann. "Ann, I want you to listen to what I'm about to say and forget everything you think about yourself right now. Okay? You are not weak. You heard what I said to Dr. Maruki and I meant every word of it. You are easily the strongest person I know. You're stronger than I am, and every day since we took down Kamoshida, I've striven to live by your example. You are the heart of this team, no contest. Yes, you gave in to your desire to remove the worst things that have ever happened to you and your best friend from history. Who the hell could fault you for that? It was your strength that led you there, your desire to help your friend by erasing the pain she's still suffering from. Your strength, okay? Not your weakness. I may disagree with it, but I can't judge you for it. If anything, your commitment to your friend is-"
"Please stop," Ann interrupted, not nearly as forceful or wilful as Ren had. Her request was more pleading. "You don't need to go so far to make me feel better about it. I messed up and I should feel bad about it. I feel like pretending I didn't is just running away, same as I did when Dr. Maruki created this reality. Shiho was still moving forward before all of this happened. Even after everything she'd been through, she didn't lose hope.
"My strength came from her. That's why I told Kamoshida he couldn't run away from it all. All that strength you think comes from me actually comes from her. And I let her down. Dr. Maruki wanted to erase her pain, erasing her perseverance along with it. And I'm the reason he did it. He only did that to Shiho because I let him, because I wanted him to. I betrayed Shiho's trust and I betrayed yours too. How can I face either of you after that? I let down my best friend and my boyfriend when you both needed me most. I don't know- I can't-"
Ann's words finally gave out. She couldn't handle the pain anymore. She couldn't hold back her tears.
"Don't run away from this," Ren insisted, causing Ann to freeze on the spot. He gently wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, letting her tears dampen his coat's shoulder. "I'm sorry for telling you not to feel bad. That clearly isn't what you need right now. I think it's for the best that you do feel bad about it. Because it's a sign that you're improving. You've seen where you went wrong, and now it's time for you to make things right."
"How? After what I did-"
"You're talking like a little humanity makes you unforgivable. I forgive you, Ann. And I know Suzui will too. Even if you make mistakes, you still try your best at everything you do. Well, everything except studying."
Even with everything weighing down on her, Ann couldn't stifle a snicker.
"Go see her tomorrow and help her live life to the fullest while she can. Then, when everything's back to normal, carry on helping her like you have been until now. I know you can do it."
"But what about you? How can I make things right with you, Ren?"
"Just stay by my side. I'll need your strength to get through this."
"Mmm... I guess going up against Dr. Maruki's different from Kamoshida or Shido, huh?"
"Yeah. He's my friend, you know? If possible, I want to talk him down like Makoto did with Sae-san, but..."
"You think his convictions are too strong for you to talk him down."
"Yeah."
"Mm. Well, at least the change of heart is still an option. When you see moral dilemmas like this in movies and stuff, the other option is usually killing the other person, but we can just throw that option out entirely."
"...I don't know if we can."
"HUH!? Wait... What?"
"This isn't just one school or one city. This is the world. All of it. Everybody's realities are at stake and if... If it comes down to it, and we can't talk him down and the change of heart doesn't work or we run out of time... I don't know what I'd do. Or what I might not be able to."
"I... can't really tell what you're more worried about here. That you'll have to kill Dr. Maruki to stop him, or that you won't be able to."
"I don't... really know either. I wish I knew exactly what to do, how to proceed here. The only reason I could lead us so confidently before now is because it was always easy. They were just bad people that had to be stopped. But this is completely different. The scale is so much larger but I know he's still a good person inside. I just... I'm not sure I can get us through this."
"That's the thing, Ren. We don't need you to get us through this. We'll all get each other through it. As a team. Like always. I know you have that special destiny thing with your power and your ability to see through the lies right away, but you always try to shoulder too much by yourself. I want to help you carry the load. We all do. So please, don't feel like you have to do all of this by yourself. Even from the start, it was never just you. You had Ryuji and Mona, and not long after, you had me. You have me. And I hope I've been able to show you since then that you're not alone anymore, the way you showed me that I'm not-"
Ren kissed her. She was a little annoyed that he hadn't let her finish, but she supposed she should take his inability to hold himself back as a sign that her words had gotten through to him. Unlike earlier inside the Palace, Ann did return the kiss this time.
Ann's expectations for what a romantic relationship with a Japanese boy would be like were constantly defied by Ren. She had always assumed it would be much more reserved than in the west, that she would need to be the aggressor while also respecting her partner's boundaries as a being far more shy when it came to such matters. Not with Ren, though. He pursued her possibly more often than she did him. He made things unpredictable, exciting. But he also birthed in her a sense of pride and accomplishment from being the person most able to ease the mind and sooth the soul of this hero she had come to respect more than almost anyone else in the world. She smiled into the kiss.
Ren noticed and reluctantly pulled away. "What's the smile for?"
"I was just thinking about how far we've come since we met. I honestly didn't know what to make of you at first. The mysterious transfer student with a million bad rumours flying around him, obviously lying about why he was late on his first day, who chased after me when I told him I didn't want to talk about my problems-"
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Don't be. It annoyed me at first, but I really appreciated it after you heard me out. Here was this weird new kid who everyone said was bad news just coming over and offering a total stranger a shoulder to cry on. Honestly, I was kinda thinking about convincing Shiho to talk to you too after you letting me vent made me feel better. Only, you know, the next day... Anyway, you stuck by me ever since, helping me with my modelling and inspiring me to keep supporting Shiho with everything I had. And then, you told me I had you when I felt like I was alone all over again. You have no idea how much that meant to me, that this super cool, super thoughtful, super... hot... guy said he'd always be there for me."
Ren grinned. "And then you blurted out that you loved me."
"Y-Yeah, well... It was true. And it still is. And I'm sure it always will be."
"Only sure?"
"Oh, hush. I'm trying to tell you how much I love you and you're just making jokes."
"It's the only way to show you I'm okay. Thanks to you, of course."
"Wait, really?"
"Really. Good as I am with words, I don't think I could find the words to convey how lucky I am to have found a girl as wonderful as you, even if I had a million years to try."
"Wow. How can you be so corny and smooth at the same time?"
"It's an acquired skill. I'd be happy to teach you some time."
"That could be useful for my modelling career."
"Always good to diversify your skillset. But I think you can succeed on your looks alone."
"Hey, I'll have you know modelling is hard work. It's a very competitive field and it takes more than looks to succeed. I have to take it seriously."
"And just how recently did you start taking it so seriously?"
"Uh... Shut up, you! You know when it was. You were there! You were always there... And that makes me feel even worse about accepting this reality. So I promise you, I'm never going to lose my way again. From now on, I'm going to face reality, no matter how painful. That's what you and Shiho taught me."
Ann's gaze shifted from looking into Ren's eyes to staring through them. For a moment, panic struck Ren as he thought Dr. Maruki might have lied and reapplied his power to her and the others, but the smile that spread across her lips was far from the vacant beaming of the brainwashed girl who had never known a real struggle. No, this was the rapturous expression of one who had reached a joyous epiphany.
"Célestine," she said under her breath. There was no doubt about it: Ann had developed and matured enough to obtain a new Persona. Her eyes slowly closed and when they reopened, she was back in the room, teary eyes staring contentedly into his own. With conviction, she told him, "I'm ready to move on! Thank you for everything, Ren."
This time, she was the one who pursued his lips. And he was more than happy to reciprocate, both safe in the knowledge that the other would always be by their side and that nothing would ever come between them again.
I was already working on this before #ShuAnnWeek2022, but the event seemed like the perfect time to finish it. The event may have influenced a greater emphasis on Ann; she was always going to be the girl Ren was in love with, because of how much influence I like to think Ann had on Ren, but the original idea for the story was just the confrontation with Maruki and the team seeing said confrontation.
That aside, all that changed during the writing process were that the team's interrogation of Maruki were originally from Ren and Akechi before the others showed up, but I couldn't find a place to include it without disrupting what I already had written; and that the closing scene occurred on the way to Sumire's home, but she was asleep the entire time, which made her feel redundant.