Catch-22: The Girl Called Mint
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Darkness has been Mint's friend for a very long time until it wasn't.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
My memories mean a lot to me, and I hold them close to my heart- Radhika Apte
"This is different. I'm not going to complain about free coins but…," Ann said as the group looked around at the high-level floor.
Ren agreed that it did seem grand in comparison to the member's floor.
"It feels like a trap," Yusuke said.
"It is probably a trap," Futaba said.
"She…like here some free coins but hell, I'm going to ask for a billion to get to me," Ryuji mumbled.
"I believe that you're right. She does seem to give a little and then turn around to ask for a lot," Sensei said.
Akechi sighed.
"Actually, that sounds about right. It mirrors the real world perfectly. The office has been tense as of late. Most of the staff is burned out. I fear the falling out if this continues," Akechi added.
"Guess we won't find out until we go into the next room," Makoto said as she waved the door sitting on top of the staircase above the prize counter.
"Agreed," Haru said.
"Let's go," He said to the group.
The group made it to the door and opened it to reveal a giant scale with her manager's door sitting on the other side. Nearby, there was an ATM. Curiously, he walked over, put his card in the machine and touched the buttons on the panel.
His eyes widened at what was needed to cross the bridge.
Crap. Ryuji was right.
"We need 100,000 coins to cross," He said to the group.
"Oh, hell, no," Ryuji shouted out.
"We barely got 50,000 coins…how are we going to get that much?!" Ann added.
"I don't believe there is any need for pessimism though," Akechi said.
"Crow is correct. Since this floor is high roller, the cash payout should be bigger," Sensei said.
Then it dawned on him.
"But so are the risks," He added.
Sensei nodded.
"It's a good idea to check out the games that she has on this floor before we decide our next move," Makoto said.
He watched the group mumble and nodded their heads in agreement.
They made their way down the stairs to the first room closest to them. Ann read the sign near the door.
"House of Darkness," She said.
"Sounds delightful," Haru mumbled.
"Nevertheless, we must move on," Akechi said.
He nodded as he pushed open the door to see a shadow waiting for them.
"Welcome to the House of Darkness, our puzzling labyrinth in the dark. The original intent behind the high limit floor is different from that of the others. On this floor, VIPs are encouraged to send substitutes to complete the games in their place. Consider it to be like the horses in a horse race. However,…it seems you have no substitutes," The shadow said.
"Of course, we don't. That should be obvious," Makoto said to the attendant.
"Indeed, it is! Hence, you will be vital participants in these games," The shadow added.
"Of course, we plan to do this ourselves anyway but still…" Morgana said.
"Splendid! Now, allow me to explain the rules. A straightforward maze lies directly ahead of you. I suggest you exercise utmost caution within, as the lighting is dimmed heavily. Your entry fee into the maze will be 1000 coins…But if you can manage to reach the goal, well…you will obtain ten times that amount…" The shadow finished.
"10,000 coins, just complete the maze!" Haru said in shock.
"Probably one of those death mazes that I saw in an anime once," Futaba said.
"Don't give her any ideas," Yusuke said.
"I believe Oracle is correct. I doubt that the maze will be as simple as it sounds," Akechi mumbled.
"It doesn't matter. Let's get started," He said as he headed up the stairs. By the sound of footsteps, he heard the others follow him behind him.
They climbed another set of stairs before he made it to the door of the maze. He pushed to reveal a pitch-black room.
"Freakin' hell, it is dark here," Ryuji said.
"No surprise since it is literally called the House of Darkness," Morgana replied.
"Still…" Makoto said as she shook her head.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sensei pull out one of his cards. He watched it glow for a moment.
"Hama spell. It won't last long but it should give us a start," Sensei said.
"Clever," Akechi noted.
"I can use my third eye to guide us," He suggested.
"Will it do any harm if you hold it for that long?" Haru asked.
"Don't think so," He said as he rubbed the back of the neck. He wasn't 100% sure if he could hold it that long since he only used it off and on.
"We can alternate. I have some fire cards to use as well," Sensei said.
"I can make some more while we walk as long as you don't need me on the front lines," Yusuke added.
"No need. I will guide you," Mint said as she stepped out of the shadow.
Makoto made a loud squeak noise and nearly jumped right onto Ryuji.
Mint just tilted her head at Makoto like why did you just do that?
"You're not lost, Mint?" He asked.
She shook her head no.
"No, I know the way. Ivy is up ahead. Throwing things at the attendant who is blocking his way. He was having fun," Mint said.
"And you didn't want him to die?" Futaba asked.
Mint shook her head again.
"No…not yet. I came here to remember," Mint said.
"Remember what?" He asked.
"Before you. After him," She said.
"Your boy?" He asked. He heard Mint talk about him a lot. Her boy. Her Master.
His fellow wild card.
She nodded.
"This place is like before you…and during him. Night. Endless night…endless hallways when he lets us go," Mint said before she started walking down the dark hallway. He waved for the others to follow her.
"Let you go?" Akechi asked.
"He ended our contracts. He didn't want us to be stuck with him at the end. Some of us left like dust to the wind. Some of us…stay nearby to the end," Mint answered.
"He was like Joker. A wild card. What happened if I may ask?"
"A night only a few remember. She came down like a comet to burn this planet to ash. He…he stopped it."
"How did he stop it?" Ann asked…he could tell by her tone that she was almost afraid to ask.
"They couldn't defeat her. They tried so hard and fought so hard. It wasn't enough. Finally, my boy gathered their strength…the people's strength…his will. He cast the Great Seal to be the barrier between her and the world," Mint said as she stopped to look up at the endless darkness before she moved on.
"If such an event happened, why haven't I heard of it?" Akechi said.
"Because people often forget to protect themselves. From what I read, people turned into shadows before people's eyes. People turned into ash. Bodies lying in the streets. You can research it, of course. It is on record and the news did report it but persona users and people with a strong sense of self are the only ones that can really remember it," Sensei said softly.
There was a long silence as the group traveled through the hallways.
"Could…could this happen here?" Haru said softly.
"Yes," Sensei said.
"Shit," Ryuji mumbled.
"You….can't be serious," Akechi said in shock.
"I am," Sensei said.
He knew Sensei was dead serious.
"After he released you from your contact, what did you do?" He asked.
"I watched until the end. So, he wouldn't be alone and he wasn't in the end. His friends came. I didn't want to go into the sea of souls. I didn't want to forget my boy. So, I wandered…," Mint said softly.
"He did such a brave thing. I'm sure that they haven't forgotten him," Ann said to reassure Mint.
Mint stopped, turned around, and angrily approached Ann.
"NO! They did forget him! They left him behind. HE SAVED THEM AND THEY LEFT HIM!" Mint shouted.
"They go off to school! They made shows! They become detectives! They built empires! THEY LEFT HIM! THEY FORGOT HIM!" Mint said as she cried.
The group froze at Mint's sobbing.
"For a shadow to feel such a thing…." Akechi mumbled. Haru gave him a look that made him step back. She walked over and hugged Mint. Mint jumped into Haru's arms and cried.
"Someone said to me once…grief has no time table. It comes in waves. Sometimes, it comes in like low tide…with a simple memory or jest that makes you smile or frown. Then other times, it will hit like the high tide. So consume that it crashes you. I have those moments when I think of my mother. She would really love the roses in the garden," Haru said softly.
"I do the same with my dad. He would have loved looking at schools with me. I remember the times that we looked at different campuses with sis. Always picking on the pros and cons of each of them. It became a game," Makoto added.
"I often wondered if Mother would love my paintings," Yusuke said.
"Noir is right. Grief has no timetable. Sometimes, it will make you stand still. I haven't lost anyone but I remember during my trial. I lost a part of myself that year. That entire year…I stood still. Lost in that moment," He said.
He did. That entire year defined him. His parents tried their best to protect him but it was rough. The lies…the looks…
"The same with my injury. You don't thin' that you can move on, you know?" Ryuji added.
"The same with me as well. I lost my mother a few years ago. Sometimes, if I could have done more. Sometimes, I felt like I was spinning," Akechi said softly.
"But you get unstuck. You find friends….you find your path. It takes time. It always does but you do find it. You become stronger because of it," He said.
"I was lost before I found these guys even though I didn't know it at the time. We found each other," Morgana added.
"Joker is right. These guys helped me so much when I thought that I was lost. We are here to help if you want it, Mint," Ann said.
Mint broke away from Haru's arms and stared at the group.
"You…would die for me?" Mint asked hopefully.
"Uhh…." Ryuji said as he looked at the others.
"Yes, we will," He said with a shrug.
Mint giggled softly then she turned Sensei.
"You were there. You came," Mint said to Sensei.
What was Mint talking about? He wished that he could see Sensei's expression.
"So, that is how you found me," Sensei said.
Mint nodded her head.
"You came and you talked. You knew him. It was nice that you didn't forget him," Mint said.
"Found you?" Ryuji asked.
"I wondered how she made it to that place since it wasn't as established as a palace. She was following me. No, I know of him, Mint. Kenji tells stories about him. How he helped him with his embarrassing crash in high school. How he got into some music groups…and the other side, Kenji got him to say that he liked one comic book series. I was visiting an old friend who is also buried there. So, it would be a shame not to visit him as well. From one persona user to another," Sensei said softly.
Mint's eyes widened slightly then she took her blue dress and curtsy.
"Thank you," Mint said softly.
"You're welcome," Sensei said.
"As in-depth and insightful conversation is, we must be going before the shadows spot us," Akechi said.
"Oh, no need, they are dead. They die for me. The weak shadows are all afraid of the dark. So, they stay in that little room. Cowards," Mint said happily.
Akechi's eyes widened some more.
"Uhh…thank you?" Ann said.
Mint beamed.
"You're welcome. Now, come…I want to see if Ivy killed that silly guard," Mint said as she started skipping down the hallway.
"What did I get myself into?" Akechi mumbled.
"Chaos," Morgana said.
End of the Girl Called Mint
Next Chapter: The Next Contestant