Yui found herself standing in a bamboo forest, just like the one she saw in her dream. At first, she thought it was snowing, until she realized that the snowflakes were actually flower petals, floating down and coating the earth. Strewn along the pathway were clay statues, known as haniwa, that marked the border of gravesites.
"Whoa! What is this place?" Yui asked herself.
"Ah, there you are." A voice called.
Yui turned to see Margaret walking toward her with a briefly serious expression that quickly turned into a polite smile.
"Margaret!" Yui said.
"This is the first time we meet outside the Velvet Room." Margaret stated.
"What are you doing here?" Yui asked.
"Normally, it is my duty to observe the fate of our clients, without getting directly involved. However, this is a special case." Margaret explained.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, it seems your friends have arrived."
Yui's friends all came running when they heard Yui talking.
"Yui-san! Where the hell are we?" Yosuke asked.
"You will know the truth, in due time." Margaret told the others.
"Who are you?" Chie asked.
"Ah...everyone, this is Margaret. She's a...friend." Yui said.
"Yes, let us leave it at that." Margaret added.
"A friend?" Naoto asked curiously.
"It's kind of a long story." Yui stated.
Yui explained to her friends the Velvet Room and her experience with its residents. It left them perplexed, but also with better understanding.
"So...you're here to help us?" Chie asked.
"Within my jurisdiction." Margaret replied.
Margaret pulled out a bamboo comb, which she had tucked into her compendium like a bookmark.
"I believe this will jog your memory." Margaret said, giving Yui the comb.
"Hey, that's the comb I had! The comb I got from-" Yui began to say.
Yui's pupils dilated as memories rushed back to her.
"Marie-chan!" Yui exclaimed.
Her friends gasped as the name resonated with them.
"Marie-chan! I remember her!" Yosuke said in surprise.
"Marie-chan was my girlfriend?!" Rise shrieked in shock.
Everyone looked at Rise as she recovered from her shock and ran up to Margaret.
"Ah, you must be this 'Rise' I've heard about." Margaret said.
Rise grabbed both of Margaret's hands and looked at her with desperate eyes.
"Miss Margaret, do you know where Marie-chan is?" Rise asked.
"She would be in there, as it happens." Margaret answered, looking at the entrance to a temple.
Yui and the others looked at the overarching doorway that led further into the forest.
"She's in there? But why?" Yui asked.
"This is the Hollow Forest. This is the closed realm created by her in the TV world. After Marie-chan left us, she shut herself away here." Margaret explained.
"The Hollow Forest. I think I've heard that somewhere before. But why did Marie-chan do this?" Yui asked further.
"I do not know everything. But she was searching for her memory. She eventually regained that memory by being with you. It would seem what she found...was not what she was hoping for…" Margaret said eerily.
"What do you mean? This is the TV world! She could be attacked by those Shadows!" Rise said with worry.
"I will not say she is not in danger. But needless to say, pursuing her will also be dangerous." Margaret warned.
"We're willing to take that risk." Yui said firmly.
Everyone else nodded in agreement. Margaret looked towards the entrance again.
"The Hollow Forest is open for the time being, but it won't be for long. Once it closes, it will be sealed forever, and Marie-chan's existence will be completely expunged from your memories." Margaret stated gravely.
"We won't let that happen!" Yui stated.
"I understand your resolve, but I do not wish for you to believe that you must risk your lives for her. I'm sure she would not wish that for you either." Margaret warned.
"I don't care! She's my girlfriend! Don't you think I have every right to want to rescue her?!" Rise angrily said to Margaret.
Margaret sighed, but still gave a smile.
"Even now, the bond you have created with her remains unbroken. I envy your dedication." Margaret said to Rise.
"So if we don't rescue her, she'll be gone forever?" Yukiko asked.
"Yes, but you will go about your lives as though you never met her. That is the only reason I say that it is unnecessary to go after her. But it would seem that I cannot persuade you."
"No. You can't. Though, we appreciate you laying out our options." Yui said.
"What are we waiting around for? Let's go save Marie-chan!" Kanji said with determination.
"I wish you the best of luck." Margaret told them.
Margaret walked away, seemingly disappearing into thin air. With that, Yui and her friends all rushed into the Hollow Forest. As they approached the entrance, they heard a chiming bell, and Marie's familiar voice.
Listen
To my voice…
My shouting, bellowing voice…
Here I am
Pouring my blood into my words
Yelling at the very edge of the world…
I am the little mermaid…
Unable to return, the little mermaid…
Fated to foam, the little mermaid…
"That's Marie-chan!" Rise exclaimed.
"Is she reciting...a poem?" Yui asked.
"Let's hurry!" Chie stated.
Memories of Parting
When they entered the forest, the group found that their ski clothes had changed into their school uniforms, much to their confusion.
"Huh? Why are we wearing our uniforms?" Yosuke asked.
"It's because...these were the clothes we wore when Marie-chan met us…" Yui said in realization.
The path was littered with petals, the sky filled with a thick fog, and the nearby sea was a pale expansion. The bell and Marie's voice rang out once again.
Where am I going, you ask?
Don't ask stupid questions.
I don't need a map.
I throw away my compass.
My heart will show me the way.
I walk by myself.
Am I not lonely, you ask? Yeah, right!
I scorn the company of my own shadow.
Freedom! That is the rule!
Why don't you try and hold me down?
I will die magnificently in front of you.
No one can break my wings!
Yui began to tear up upon hearing this.
"Yui-chan?" Chie asked in concern.
"This is the first poem she ever showed me…" Yui stated.
As they went further, they saw depictions of Junes, primarily the food court. While it was mostly intact, it was crumbled and offset, as though it were plucked from the real world and dropped into the TV world.
"This is Junes. Is this here because of Marie-chan's memories?" Yosuke asked.
"I imagine so. This place was created by her, after all." Yui answered.
The team suddenly saw transparent silhouettes of Marie along the path, speaking to nobody.
"Please, don't let this be our last memory together…" The phantasms muttered.
"We won't Marie-chan. We won't." Yui stated.
Memories of Pain
Yui and her friends continued to press onward, but found that they were getting unusually fatigued.
"This place is draining our spirit, senpai. I don't like this…" Rise stated.
"I know. But we have to keep going." Yui responded.
"Oh, I never said I was going to give up!" Rise replied.
Bells chimed, and Marie's voice rang out once again.
You are a murderer.
By your silent smile, by your composed voice,
By your dark eyes, by your bashful fingers
I am slain.
I am a corpse.
Foolish, wretched, happy.
Surely, I'll simply rot away...
My last words...
Adieu, au revoir... mon cheri.
Yui sighed with melancholy at first, before chuckling to herself.
"What's so funny, senpai?" Rise asked.
"I remember when I heard that poem from her. I asked her how much French she knew, and she told me that was all she knew." Yui explained.
"That's about as good as my English." Rise said with a smile.
They saw some withered buildings that recognized as structures in Okina City. The theater, the coffee shop, the clothing store, and even the karaoke bar, were all on display.
"She had so many memories here. She really liked shopping with us." Yukiko stated.
"We had a lot of fun here too. I took her everywhere. Except the theater, I didn't feel like buying tickets." Rise told everyone.
"You took her on a date here?" Chie asked.
"It was great! The train ride back was quiet, but so romantic. I'll uh, leave it at that…" Rise stated, a blush growing on her cheeks.
As the group walked further, another poem rang out.
For mornings when I can't see you
Spicy mint tea...
For brunch a marmalade muffin.
A touch of bitter fits my mood.
A sigh is stardust.
It's like our own Milky Way.
I can't catch up to your distant back.
Look! Twilight creeps up on us.
The distance to you
is like an eternal night…
"I can't tell if she was hungry or melancholy when she wrote that one. She didn't know either." Yui told her friends.
"They're so beautiful. She truly has a way with words." Rise said with a sigh.
The phantasms of Marie appeared again, mostly depicting Marie clutching her head in pain, straining to remember. But there was one image that depicted Marie being nursed by what appeared to be a phantom of Rise, bandaging the cuts on her fingers.
"Marie-chan was in so much pain. But she remembers the time I helped her ease it. It must have meant a lot to her." Rise muttered.
"We're not done helping her ease her pain." Yui declared.
Memories of Grief
Yui and her friends came across some ropes that blocked the path forward. They appeared to be spirit seals, the same ones used to ward evil spirits. Seeing no other way past it, Yui severed the seal, causing Shadows to swarm their location. The team summoned their Personas to fight them off, further exhausting them.
"I can keep you all energized with Kamui, but it's pretty tiring…" Teddie stated.
"We appreciate it, Teddie. We have to keep going." Yui said.
The team came across the Inaba Municipal Hospital, worn and covered in petals. They could barely see inside to watch a phantasm of Marie, curled up with a phantom of Rise, crying. Yui understood it as the moment Nanako was declared dead, and it rendered her tearful and choked up.
"That day...that day still haunts me…" Yui sobbed.
The others also cried a little as they remembered that night.
"It's incredible that Nanako-chan survived." Chie said with tears.
"She barely even knew Nanako-chan, and she grieved all the same." Yukiko noted.
"She's more emotional than she lets on." Kanji stated.
"Yes, I definitely know." Rise mentioned.
Memories of Sorrow
Yui and the others watched as a phantom of Marie wept in front of a phantom of Yui by the river, and saw the phantom drying its eyes.
"I'd never seen her cry before. Even though she was yelling at me, I knew it was a cry for help." Yui explained.
"She really hated not having her memories, didn't she?" Yukiko asked.
"But now that she has them again, she seems to hate it more." Naoto stated.
"What could she have possibly remembered that it made her go and do...this?" Rise asked.
"Can you see her anywhere up ahead?" Yui asked Rise.
"This fog is so dense. More than we've ever seen. Even with the glasses on, we can only make out the path and the surrounding buildings." Rise stated.
The group walked by what appeared to be the rooftop of Yasogami High, witnessing the phantoms of Marie and Rise hugging each other and crying.
"What were you two crying about?" Chie asked.
"...Maybe I'll explain it some other time. It's a bit of a touchy subject." Rise replied.
Memories of Love
The team heard yet another poem as they arrived on the next floor.
The Hated
People who are all talk. Lying grown-ups!
Keeping up appearances.
Hypocrites!
Myself! I hate myself! Dumbass!
The Liked
Animals. Only cute ones, though. Like cats.
Milk tea. I like lemon, too, though.
Black. Blue. Grey, too... Only dark grey.
"She seemed to really dislike herself. Yet she still had love for so much else." Yui stated.
"I'd like to think we helped her learn to love herself more. At least, I really hope so." Rise said.
"Not enough, obviously, if she's gone and done all this." Kanji commented.
The team passed by what looked like an abandoned train, with two phantoms seated inside.
"Ah, please don't look, everyone!" Rise said sheepishly, her face growing pink.
The phantoms of Marie and Rise were engaged in a tender kiss, and the others couldn't help but stare intrigued.
"Your first kiss together...of course she treasures that memory." Yui stated.
"I couldn't believe it when it happened. It was like something out of my wildest dreams. But when I dozed off, she shook me awake, and that's how I knew it was real." Rise muttered.
"You'll be together again, Rise-chan. I promise."
Memories of Anger
After fighting off more Shadows, Yui and her friends stood by to collect their breath, and heard yet another poem ring out.
The fallen angel is chained down.
Her wings torn off, eroded by prejudice,
her last breaths full of black despair...
Do you know her name?
Will she eventually return to nothing,
forced into the realm of oblivion...?
-No!
Her requiem will become a roar
And tear away the mask of hypocrisy!
Do you know her name,
she who will strike down the cowards
and tear down the lies?
That's right, her name is...
What is it?
"I've never heard this one before! Did...did she write this one recently?" Yui asked.
"It sounds so tragic. It must be about herself, isn't it?" Rise said.
"Come on! We have to hurry!"
After rushing forward, the team came to a stop when they saw a figure standing up ahead.
"Is that?" Yui began to say.
As they got closer, they saw who it was, gasping in surprise.
"Marie-chan!" Rise cried out.
Marie was wearing a hooded white robe, very different from her usual clothes. The hood obscured her face, as if she did not wish for them to see her.
"We've been looking for you, Marie-chan! Come on, let's go home!" Yui told Marie.
"No. I can't." Marie said plainly.
"Why not? It's dangerous here! There are Shadows here!" Yosuke asked.
"I don't care." Marie said rudely.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kanji asked.
"I have no home. I have nowhere to go. You don't understand…" Marie said ominously.
Marie slowly lifted away her hood, revealing her left eye. Instead of it matching her other eye, it had taken on the appearance of the eye of Ameno-Sagiri. Seeing this caused everyone to gasp in shock.
"Marie-chan...your eye!" Yui muttered.
"I can't believe this. Why? Why did you come here?" Marie said in frustration.
"Marie-chan! You remembered, right? Who you were?" Yui asked.
"Yes. I remembered. Who I am. Why I was in that place. I thought I wanted to know. But now I wish I never did." Marie stated.
"Marie-chan! I don't know what kind of memories you regained, but staying here won't help you any!" Chie pleaded.
"We know we're being meddlesome, but please! We only want to help!" Yukiko added.
"Meddlesome? You're right." Marie said rudely, but also sadly.
"Please, Marie-chan! The Shadows here could kill you!" Naoto urged Marie.
"I've made peace with that. Why do you think I came here?" Marie replied.
Marie stretched her arms out, gesturing to the Hollow Forest.
"This is my grave! This is where I will die!" Marie stated.
"Don't you dare say that! Don't even joke about that, Marie-chan!" Rise shouted.
"I'm not joking!" Marie shouted back.
Marie breathed a heavy sigh.
"For heaven's sake, please go home…" Marie asked quietly.
"Marie-chan! I know how you feel! When I remembered that I was a Shadow, it shocked me as well! I was so sad and lost!" Teddie told Marie.
"Please, Marie-chan! We came all this way to help you!" Yosuke pleaded.
"My name's not even Marie!" Marie shouted.
Marie sighed again, her eyes fogging up.
"My true name is 'Kusumi-no-Okami'. Kunino-Sagiri. Ameno-Sagiri. They are the same as I. I covered your town in fog. I am your enemy…" Marie stated firmly.
Everyone was greatly disturbed by this revelation, their minds racing at lightning speed.
"What are you talking about?" Yui asked.
"It was my job to sneak into the human world. To sense the will of humanity, and to inform the Sagiri what the humans wish for. In your language, I am a spy." Marie explained, covering her face to hide the pain that draped her.
"You're a spy?!" Rise asked in horror.
"You understand now, don't you? Bringing me back to your world is pointless." Marie stated.
Yui clenched her fists and her teeth.
"Are you mad at me?" Marie asked Yui.
"Yes, actually. Livid." Yui replied.
Yui pulled out the bamboo comb and showed it to Marie.
"You gave me this comb. I promised to hold onto it for you. That implies that I'd eventually give it back. But then you just...up and disappear on me!" Yui said as her hand shook, nearly throwing the comb to the ground.
Marie seemed to recoil at Yui's display, unused to her being angry.
"You told me we'd make more memories together after you went and made some with Rise-chan. So was that a lie? Did our friendship mean anything to you?!" Yui said, raising her voice.
"I'm not your friend anymore! I'm your enemy! Have you not been listening?!" Marie responded.
"I don't give a FUCK!" Yui roared.
Marie shook from this outburst, and the others also stared in surprise.
"To me, you're still my friend! I didn't come all this way for you to tell me not to be your friend anymore!" Yui said with tears of both rage and sadness.
Yui pointed towards Rise.
"And what about Rise-chan?! The girl you gave your heart to! Who gave you hers! Does she not matter to you anymore either?!" Yui asked angrily.
Marie continued to shake in despair, unable to respond. Her silence would eventually be met with Rise's words.
"So that's it then? It's over for us?" Rise asked Marie.
"I…" Marie muttered, her voice shaking.
"When you went and took away our memories of you, did you at all think about how we'd feel? How I'D feel? How much it would hurt me?" Rise asked angrily.
Rise was beginning to tear up.
"Do you know what you did to me when you did that?! I woke up crying for weeks! Months! Mourning the loss of a lover I didn't even remember I had! Why?! Why would you do that?!" Rise sobbed.
Marie started to laugh in sorrow, her efforts to hide her pain futile. She stared at Rise with tears in her eyes, which left Rise forlorn.
"Of course I thought about how you'd feel, Rise-chan. And it gave me an unbelievable amount of pain, knowing you'd suffer for a while. I had to tell myself that it would work out in the end, because you'd stop remembering our time together." Marie said weakly.
Marie hugged herself, trying in vain to hold herself together.
"The crazy part is that after all this time, I still love you. You did this to me, you beautiful idiot. And even after you've forgotten me, I'll take that love with me to the grave. If that means anything to you, then please leave me be." Marie whispered.
Marie backed away into the fog.
"Don't chase me anymore, please. I've already said my goodbyes…" Marie told the others, her voice fading.
Rise ran towards Marie, desperately reaching out to her.
"Marie-chan! Marie-chan!" Rise cried out.
Marie disappeared into the fog, leaving Rise knelt down on the ground. Rise burst into tears, her heart aching like never before. Yui knelt down next to Rise, offering to help her to her feet.
"Rise-chan...we're going to save her. I promise." Yui said firmly.
"We have to, senpai. We have to…" Rise muttered.
"We will!"
Memories of Meeting
Yui and her friends had almost reached the temple, a large stone sphere that dwarfed everything else in scale. They fought through armies of Shadows, ghost women in vases, birds carrying lanterns, stone sentinels, and each fight wore them down further and further. But not once did it ever cross their minds to surrender. The team finally entered the temple, and saw Marie knelt down in front of what appeared to be her coffin, muttering her final words.
"Close your eyes, and you should know the name of the girl who dozes off in the world of fiction…" Marie muttered.
Yui and her friends walked into the temple, breathing heavily, some even limping with exhaustion, yet remaining strong. Marie stood up and turned around to see them.
"Why? After everything I said, you still came?" Marie asked.
"Marie-chan, please! You don't have to fight this alone!" Chie pleaded.
"Why won't you give up?!" Marie shouted.
A few bolts of lightning struck near the team, startling them.
"This was my decision. You have no right to get in my way!" Marie declared.
"Well, can't deny that." Kanji admitted.
"It's true that we have no right to reject your decision. Even so..." Naoto stated.
"You absolutely cannot die alone! I refuse!" Rise shouted.
"Why not?!" Marie asked them.
"Because you're our friend." Yui stated firmly.
"To me, you're so much more…" Rise said, trying to put on a smile.
Marie's mouth briefly curved into a smile before she corrected herself and turned away.
"Stop! Just stop it! If your happiness is compromised, what would I be dying for?!" Marie asked desperately.
"Marie-chan...what are you hiding from us? Why would you go this far, to steal our memories?" Yui asked patiently.
"Just leave already! Please, I'm begging you! You guys are the worst! Can't take a hint! If you're going to be like this, then I wish we'd never met!" Marie said harshly, doing everything she could to dissuade them.
"Marie-chan...come home with us." Yui said firmly, reaching out her hand.
Rise also stepped forward, offering her hand as well. Marie shook her head stubbornly.
"I hate you! I hate you all!" Marie shouted.
"Then kill them…" A voice suddenly rang.
Marie and the others all jumped at this.
"Troublesome fools wishing to force upon you a truth you do not want to see. Fools like that can…" The voice continued.
Suddenly, a whirlwind of fog and red lightning swirled around Marie, enveloping her. In her place, a giant goddess with red eyes and a red robe appeared. The goddess was kneeling, clutching her head in despair, wailing in anguish.
"What is that?! Is that Marie-chan?" Yukiko asked.
"Ahhh! These voices! I hear their voices." Teddie whined.
"What is it, Teddie?" Yui asked him.
"The voices of people saying they don't want to see the truth! A mass of fog!" Teddie stated.
"I see her! I can see Marie-chan in there!" Rise said, using Kanzeon to peer into the goddess.
"Then that means we gotta beat this thing to free her, right?!" Kanji asked, fired up.
"We can't be certain if it will work. But we must try!" Naoto stated.
"Let's do this!" Yosuke said confidently.
"Persona!" The team shouted, calling upon their Personas.
Kusumi-no-Okami slammed the ground in despair, shaking the very foundations of the temple.
"What good is it to learn the truth? You want me to throw away my worthless self-satisfaction in exchange for eternal suffering and despair?! I don't need it! I don't need any of it!" Kusumi-no-Okami shrieked.
Kusumi-no-Okami unleashed a torrent of lightning bolts upon the team, but Yumiko flew in and absorbed the brunt of them, sustaining minimal harm. Yui knelt down in minor pain, but managed to stand back up after a brief moment. Susano-o released a furious tornado upon Kusumi-no-Okami, disturbing her, but seemingly doing very little. Amaterasu unleashed a burning petal attack, filling the room with extremely hot fire and scorching the goddess. Kusumi-no-Okami shrieked in pain, retaliating with heavy strikes of her fists. Rokuten Maou and Suzuka Gongen both struck back with heavy melee attacks, launching the goddess backwards and into the wall of the temple. Yamato-Takeru attacked with a furious flurry of slashes, creating cuts in the goddess' armor, which was followed up by Kamui casting a deep freezing spell upon her. After breaking free from the ice, Kusumi-no-Okami summoned a black vortex of fog that began to drain all matter from the room, sucking up stones and tiles from the temple. The team's Personas were unavoidably pulled into the vortex, draining them of their energy as well. One by one, they fell unconscious, until only Yui remained standing.
"No...it can't end like this…" Yui strained.
Despite her struggle, Yui too fell to the floor, losing the strength to persevere.
When Yui regained her senses, she found herself seated on a train, but where it was headed could not be known, as the windows showed only a pale fog. When she stood up to process her surroundings, she saw Marie from behind, walking towards the front of the train.
"Marie-chan!" Yui called out, running up to her.
When Yui put her hand on Marie's shoulder and turned her around, Marie was wearing the mask of Kusumi-no-Okami, her red eyes glaring into Yui's soul. Her body turned into a mass of shadow, her hands wrapping around Yui's throat and choking her, pushing her to the floor.
"Marie-chan...it's me!" Yui groaned.
"I wanted to disappear by myself, alone! But now that you're all here, there's no point anymore!" Marie whined, her voice echoing through the train, alternating between her own voice and a voice that did not belong to her.
"Marie-chan...why did you disappear? What happened?" Yui asked calmly.
"I told you already. I am the same kind of being as Kunino-Sagiri and Ameno-Sagiri." Marie restated.
"It doesn't matter anymore! We defeated those two!"
"Exactly…"
"What?"
"We respond to human desires and control the fog. Didn't you find it strange that the fog in Inaba lingered for months, yet never spread outside the city? The Sagiri gods produce the fog, and I absorb it. That is my role."
Yui's gaze softened in understanding to Marie's situation.
"Even after losing my memories, I was subconsciously carrying it out. I absorbed the fog, the fog that led humans astray!"
Marie's grip on Yui tightened, straining Yui further.
"Why do you think the fog lifted in your world? Because you defeated Ameno-Sagiri? Wrong! If anything, defeating him should have caused the fog within him to flow outward. Where did that fog end up? Back to me."
For a moment, Yui swore she saw a glimpse of Marie within the searing red eyes.
"Even now, the fog is roiling within me. I feel as though I am about to go insane! If the fog were to leak out of me, the world would be covered in fog. And then…"
Marie chose not to finish that sentence, leaving Yui to fill in the details herself.
"That's why I'm going to vanish here, along with the Hollow Forest! By doing that, the world will be saved! That is my job."
Yui stared into Marie's eyes, and despite losing more and more of her strength, she put on a sly grin, chuckling in ridicule.
"So...that's what this is about?" Yui asked.
"What are you laughing for?!" Marie shrieked.
"You hate me, huh? Hate all of us? You're a terrible liar, Marie-chan."
Yui pulled out the bamboo comb from her pocket, suddenly realizing its usefulness as it took on a new sheen. Marie noticed this and shrieked in terror.
"No!" Marie screamed, in a voice that wasn't hers.
Marie slammed Yui against the wall of the train, causing the comb to go flying out of her hands. Marie threw Yui to the floor, temporarily rendering her unconscious. On the other side of the train, another girl picked up the comb.
"Rise-chan?! Why are you here?!" Marie asked in shock.
Rise examined the comb in her hand, then looked up at Marie-chan.
"You brought me here, didn't you?" Rise asked gently.
"Get away from me! Stay away!" Marie shouted.
"No. Never again." Rise stated firmly.
Rise ran towards Marie, thrusting the comb forward like a knife and stabbing it into the mass of shadow. The form dispersed, and Yui regained awareness. In that moment, the two of them were transported out.
Yui found herself standing before Kusumi-no-Okami once more, and Rise was now stirring awake. Rise looked at Yui from the floor, and Yui looked back at her with a smile.
"Good job, Rise-chan!" Yui stated.
"What's wrong with turning a blind eye to suffering? I don't want a truth full of pain! I want a peaceful lie!" Kusumi-no-Okami wailed.
"Taking away our memories...who told you to do such a thing?" Yui asked her.
Yui summoned Yumiko once more, trading blows with the goddess. A strike with a chain was met with a punch. One electric shock was met with another. Rise struggled to stand back up as she watched them fight back and forth.
"What are you really thinking, Marie-chan? Tell me!" Yui asked.
Rise finally managed to stand back up, staring at Kusumi-no-Okami defiantly.
"Just shout it out, Marie-chan! With all of your heart!" Rise called out.
Kusumi-no-Okami wept, in a voice that was undeniably Marie's.
"Of course I don't want to die! Why wouldn't I want to stay with you longer? With Yui, my best friend. With Rise, my love. I want to live! Save me, please!" Marie cried.
"We will!" Yui responded.
Yumiko spread her arms wide, casting a holy light upon Yui's other fallen friends, allowing them to stand once more.
"What happened?" Yosuke asked, a bit dazed.
"Hey everyone! Let's save Marie-chan!" Yui said with a confident grin.
Once everyone recollected themselves, they summoned their Personas and stood ready to fight Kusumi-no-Okami.
"Marie-chan! Think back to all those good times we had! Think of Souzai Daigaku and their beef skewers!" Yosuke cheered.
Susano-o transformed into Takehaya Susano-o, with yellow robes and a fiery sun on his head. Takehaya Susano-o summoned a powerful whirlwind that sent Kusumi-no-Okami crashing into the ceiling.
"Remember those times we had in Okina City? Shopping together with you was so much fun!" Chie said happily.
Suzuka Gongen transformed into Haraedo-no-Okami, with golden armor and flowing white hair. Haraedo-no-Okami flew up to Kusumi-no-Okami and punched her at rapid speed before following it up with a devastating kick.
"Staying over at the Amagi Inn was fun, wasn't it? Think of all the other memories we could make!" Yukiko told Marie.
Amaterasu turned into Sumeo-Okami, a golden goddess with metal wings and twin swords. Sumeo-Okami ignited a pillar of fire underneath Kusumi-no-Okami, scorching her armor.
"Be strong, Marie-chan! You can do it!" Kanji cheered on.
Rokuten Maou turned into Takeji Zaiten, with hulking red and white armor and a massive red blade. Takeji Zaiten swung his blade at Kusumi-no-Okami, which she was able to dodge just in time to leave a scrape on her body.
"Believe in the truth, Marie-chan! That's what I did! I won't let you be alone!" Teddie cheered.
Kamui became Kamui-Moshiri, gaining a king's crown and cloak. Kamui-Moshiri flew up to Kusumi-no-Okami and launched her upwards with a rocket, sending her crashing through the roof of the temple and into the sky with a massive explosion. Kusumi-no-Okami survived the attack, but her armor was now crumbling away.
"The truth can be painful, yes. But we're here for you to be able to face it! You can go on living, Marie-chan!" Naoto told Marie.
Yamato-Takeru became Yamato Sumeragi, with a bold red suit and sleek helmet. Yamato Sumeragi slashed at every chink in Kusumi-no-Okami's armor, debilitating her further.
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you of all the memories we made together, Marie-chan. The concert, our first date...our first kiss. Wouldn't you like to make more of them with me? Then please, keep on living! I'm here for you! All of us are!" Rise stated happily.
Kanzeon turned into Kouzeon, gaining four extra arms, a telescope for a head, and miniature planets orbiting her body.
"Sorry about this, Marie-chan…" Rise whispered.
Kouzeon fired a searing beam of light from her face, striking Kusumi-no-Okami in the air and disintegrating what remained of her armor, leaving her defenseless.
"Marie-chan!" Yui called out, lifted up by Yumiko.
Kusumi-no-Okami stared weakly at Yumiko.
"Your voice of truth, I hear you. I'm going to shatter these myths!" Yui shouted.
Yumiko launched her chains at Kusumi-no-Okami, tearing open her chest and revealing a void.
"Fear not, I'm coming to save you!" Yui stated.
Yui leaped into the hole in Kusumi-no-Okami's chest, transporting her to Marie's prison. Yui found herself standing in a bamboo forest with a metal coffin in the middle of it suspended in wards. She rushed towards it with katana in hand, slicing it open. Yui smiled brightly when she saw Marie fall out of the coffin. Marie looked at Yui with joy and relief on her face.
"Marie-chan!" Yui called out.
"Yui-chan!" Marie cried out.
Yui caught Marie, giving her the tightest hug she could. Tears streamed down Marie's face as she hugged Yui in return.
"Welcome back, Marie-chan." Yui muttered.
"I'm home…" Marie whimpered.
Kusumi-no-Okami disappeared, and in her place, Yui and Marie floated down to the ground. When their feet met the floor, they released each other from their embrace and looked towards their friends. Everyone cheered in celebration, with Rise in particular crying tears of joy.
"Marie-chan!" Rise cried out as she ran towards Marie.
Rise pulled Marie in for a heartfelt hug and kiss, cherishing every second of their reunion.
"I'm so glad to be alive." Marie told Rise.
"Me too. I missed you like nothing else." Rise whispered.
Rise slowly let go of Marie, but Marie continued to hug Rise.
"OK...you can let go now." Rise told Marie.
"No. I'm never letting go again." Marie insisted.
"*giggle* I guess I'm fine with that." Rise laughed.
Suddenly, the temple began to quake, startling everyone.
"The ground is shaking! What's happening?" Yosuke asked.
"This place was going to be my grave. But since I don't need it anymore, it's going away." Marie stated.
"Then we gotta go!" Yui urged everyone.
The team rushed out of the temple and ran straight back to the entrance, the Hollow Forest breaking down around them. Rise pulled Marie by the hand as she ran, filling both of them with a new sense of joy.
There used to be a rusty swing beside this house
It used to creak on windy days like yesterday
When violently the raindrops blew against my window pane
But they made no sound, the triple glazing kept it out
Yet in my mind, I heard that old swing, thinking 'bout
How can we know the sound of wind if nothing moves around us?
In this hard, shiny world
Can our voices still be heard?
Or like the wind, have we become a bit more silent in our ways?
In this clean, modern world is it harder to discern
What we're trying to communicate?
Just like the wind, could it be that we need a swing?
There used to be a rusty swing beside this house
It used to creak on windy days like yesterday
When violently the raindrops blew against my window pane
But just like the wind, what we need is a moving thing
Everyone made it out of the TV world safely as the glass of the old TV shattered before them, sealing the path to the Hollow Forest, not that there was a Hollow Forest to return to.
"Whew! That was close!" Yosuke exclaimed.
"Hey, everyone?" Marie spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at Marie.
"Thank you for rescuing me from the TV world. And...I'm sorry…" Marie said gratefully.
Marie's friends gasped in surprise at this apology, which embarrassed her.
"What? What's with that reaction?!" Marie asked.
"I'm surprised to hear such a genuine apology from you, Marie-chan!" Rise stated.
"Yeah, that's not like you." Yosuke added.
"What?! Can't I apologize like a normal person?! Fine, I take it back!" Marie shrieked, blushing furiously.
"Ah, there we go." Chie said with a chuckle.
"You all got hurt trying to rescue me! Nothing good came out of that!" Marie argued.
"Of course something good came out of it. You're here with us again." Yui stated with a smile.
"And thank god for that…" Rise muttered, her cheeks turning pink.
"Hey guys! The storm's gone!" Kanji told everyone.
Everyone stepped outside the cabin and saw that the sun had come out, shining light upon the beautiful snowy landscape.
"Let's go get something to eat! What do you say?" Chie asked everyone.
"When did we decide that? Oh well, I guess I could go for a bite." Yosuke replied.
Marie stayed behind with Yui, contemplating something in her mind.
"What are you thinking of, Marie-chan?" Yui asked.
"When you guys showed up, I thought I heard someone else's voice coming out of me." Marie stated.
"You know, I thought I heard a different voice too. Who was it?" Yui asked further.
"I don't know. It might have just been my own voice." Marie replied.
"Marie-chan!" Rise called out.
Rise ran up to Yui and Marie with a smile.
"Don't just stand around! Join us!" Rise told them.
"We were just talking. We'll be right there!" Yui said to Rise.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Marie spoke up.
Marie reached into her bag and pulled out the blue coat Rise bought for her at Okina City.
"This should keep me warm." Marie stated.
"You kept it!" Rise said happily.
"Hey, Rise-chan?"
"Yes, Marie-chan?"
"Remember when you asked me to move in with you?"
"Yeah? Why?"
Marie looked at the ground shyly.
"I...I want to...take you up on that offer…" Marie told Rise.
Rise gasped in delight and wrapped her arms around Marie.
"Really?! Oh, Marie-chan!" Rise squealed.
"Hey! OK, I get it!" Marie replied awkwardly.
Yui laughed at this display of affection.
"So Rise-chan, how does it feel to know you won the heart of a goddess?" Yui asked Rise.
"Honestly I...didn't really process that." Rise replied.
"I'm pretty sure I got demoted to a demigoddess after you all beat me. I felt most of that." Marie stated.
"Well either way, you win the romance contest, Rise-chan. You don't meet a girl like Marie-chan every century." Yui joked.
"Have I told you 'I love you' enough times?" Marie asked Rise.
"Nope!" Rise said with a grin.
"Then I'll keep saying it until it is. I lo-"
Suddenly, a snowball hit Marie on her hat, catching her by complete surprise.
"What the fuck?!" Marie shrieked.
Yui stifled a laugh at this vulgarity, turning to see who threw the snowball.
"Sumimasen! I was aiming for Yui-san!" Yosuke apologized.
"Headshot!" Teddie cheered.
"Come on, Marie-chan! Join us for a snowball fight!" Yukiko told Marie.
"You know what a snowball fight is, right Marie-chan? Let's split up into teams!" Yosuke asked.
Yosuke turned around to organize the teams, but was suddenly hit with several snowballs.
"Hey! What was that?!" Yosuke shouted.
When Yosuke turned back towards Marie, he was shocked to see Marie telekinetically controlling a whirlwind of snowballs. Everyone else was just as awestruck at this, with Rise in particular gaining a sparkle in her eyes.
"Woah! How are you doing that, Marie-chan?" Rise asked.
"I...I think I can control the weather somehow!" Marie stated.
"OK, you DEFINITELY win the romance contest, Rise-chan. Even Chie-chan can't control the weather!" Yui exclaimed.
"Wait! That's cheating!" Yosuke said in terror.
"OK, Team Marie vs Team Junes! Go!" Chie told everyone else as they surrounded Yosuke.
"This isn't fair!" Yosuke shouted.
"Well, it was nice knowing you, Yosuke." Yui said with a mischievous grin as she rolled up a snowball.
"Unleash hell!" Marie shouted as she launched a flurry of snowballs.
Yosuke was pelted mercilessly by snowballs, requiring a visit to the hot springs to recover from. Even so, everyone was in high spirits.
Everyone was about to go to sleep in preparation of them leaving tomorrow morning, and Rise was about to do so until she realized that Marie wasn't sure what to do with herself.
"Are you alright, Marie-chan?" Rise asked.
"I'm fine. I'm just...thinking about a lot." Marie replied.
"You should get some sleep. You can sleep, right?"
"Time doesn't exist in that little room, so there's not really any point in sleeping. I've...never tried it."
"Well...you can try it now."
"There's no more beds to use though." Marie complained.
"Yes there is…" Rise stated.
Rise patted the bed she was sitting on, inviting Marie under the covers. With a blush, Marie lay on her side as Rise hugged her from behind.
"Isn't this nice, Marie-chan? I get to be the big spoon!" Rise flirted.
"What do you mean, 'big spoon'? We're the same height!" Marie said in annoyance.
"That just means I'm the one hugging you from behind. Did you want to be the big spoon?"
"Not really. This is fine…"
"Try to get some sleep if you can, OK Marie-chan?"
"OK."
Rise and Marie curled up tighter, their warmth resonating between them.
"I told you, Marie-chan!" Rise whispered.
"What do you mean?" Marie asked.
"I told you nothing would come between us." Rise clarified.
"You weren't kidding. But I'm guessing even you didn't know how far you'd go for me…"
"It didn't matter. When push came to shove, I came running. Those dreams I had, where I woke up from them crying, that was you calling for me, wasn't it?"
"It might've been...I'm not sure."
"I'm so happy we're together again." Rise said with tears in her eyes.
"You have no idea…" Marie said with a smile.
"Remember when we confessed our love on the school rooftop?"
"How could I forget?"
"I have to be honest. I sort of said that in the heat of the moment, not really thinking about how important it was. I wasn't lying though, you meant a lot to me at the time. What I said back then as a playful thing, I mean it more than ever."
"I understand. As I was saying…"
Marie flipped around to look at Rise, and was met with a loving kiss.
"I love you, Rise-chan." Marie whispered.
"I love you too, Marie-chan." Rise whispered back.
After saying goodnight, Marie flipped back around, allowing Rise to hug her and clasp their hands together. As their fingers intertwined, Marie found herself lulling to sleep, dreaming for the first time.
Author's Note(12-22-23): Got this done just in time for Christmas. Getting this chapter right was very important to me, and it helped to listen to songs like "Key Plus Words" and "Just Like the Wind". They're songs that I didn't even know existed until recently, and it was like falling in love with Persona 4 again. Just another reason to see Persona 4 as a masterpiece of storytelling. Its themes and characters still resonate with us to this day. I truly hope this chapter was worth getting this far.