Yui managed to meet back up with her friends, but before she was able to tell them anything, the very first thing she noticed was everyone panicking as Marie had suddenly fallen ill. More alarmingly, Marie briefly flickered in and out of existence, visibly causing her anguish. Yui and the others rushed Marie over to her house, leaving her in the care of Dojima and Nanako.
"Marie-chan…" Nanako whispered with deep concern.
"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" Dojima asked Yui.
"That won't help. Not in her case. I don't have time to explain…" Yui told Dojima.
"I see…" Dojima said with a grim look.
"Just keep watch over her. We have one last thing to take care of." Yui told Dojima and Nanako.
Rise held Marie's hand with tear-filled eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly letting go and standing up.
"I'm ready, senpai. We won't lose Marie-chan again!" Rise said with strong determination.
"I know. We have to succeed." Yui stated.
Yui led her friends to Junes, prepared to enter the TV world one last time.
"Thank you for sparing a moment of your time." Margaret told Yui as she entered the Velvet Room.
"So what do you need me for? Any advice on how to beat Izanami?" Yui asked.
"You have finally found it. The sublime entity behind all of this." Margaret stated.
"My only advice to you at this juncture is to be cautious. This is a powerful threat beyond all else you have faced thus far. It is more important than ever that you never avert your eyes from the truth." Igor told Yui.
"I cannot be sure that defeating this entity will truly lead to an ultimate resolution. Though I'm sure you've made your choice long ago…" Margaret declared.
"Of course. This must be done." Yui said with a nod.
"We will wait to see the ultimate conclusion to this game. The outcome all depends on you now." Igor said with a chuckle.
Yui and her friends traversed the foggy labyrinth of Yomotsu Hirasaka, which eerily contained no Shadows, or threats of any similar nature. Only the omnipresent voice of Izanami led them forward, seemingly taunting them as they approached their doom. When they finally reached the chamber Izanami resided in, Izanami opened her eyes and smiled at them.
"So you're here now." Izanami stated.
"Indeed. Here to stop you, and everything you're planning." Yui declared.
"Your overzealous pursuit of the truth has brought you here. Allow me to show you the extent of the wrath you have brought upon yourselves." Izanami said gravely.
Izanami flooded the room with a dense fog, obscuring the team's vision for some time. When the fog cleared a new form of Izanami revealed itself: a white robed goddess with flowing black hair, bound and blinded from truth.
"The 'truth' you have been seeking is this: you shall perish here, by my hand!" Izanami's voice echoed.
"We'll see the truth for ourselves. The real truth! Not the one you've been trying to force upon us!" Yui said bravely.
"Persona!" The team shouted in unison.
As everyone's Personas appeared before them, Izanami elicited a battle cry, conjuring lightning and violent storms around herself. Kouzeon shielded everyone from the attack, allowing them to retaliate. Takehaya Susano-o summoned a spiraling wind from underneath Izanami, damaging her robes slightly, but otherwise doing very little damage. Haraedo-no-Okami struck with a violent punch, causing Izanami to grunt in pain and reel backwards. Sumeo-Okami filled the room with holy fire, setting Izanami's robes ablaze and causing her to shriek in pain and fury. Izanami created an atomic blast, which Takeji Zaiten bravely protected everyone from, sustaining moderate injury. Kamui-Moshiri summoned a frigid blizzard, encasing Izanami in a thin layer of ice. Yamato Sumeragi followed up with a series of blade slashes, dealing significant damage to the goddess.
"Yumiko...my Persona...she was given a fraction of your own power, wasn't she? That will be your last mistake!" Yui said boldly.
Yumiko conjured a hail of lightning bolts, repeatedly striking Izanami with paralyzing energy. Izanami screamed, bathing the room in a bright flash of light.
"ENOUGH OF THIS! NOW YOU WILL FACE MY FULL POWER!" Izanami shouted.
When the team was able to see again, Izanami showed her true form: a blood soaked skeleton with a myriad of limbs, covered in rot. As Yumiko flew bravely towards Izanami, determined to land a decisive blow, the image of Marie briefly took Izanami's place, causing Yui, and by extension Yumiko, to hesitate. This hesitation cost her dearly, as Izanami was able to trap Yumiko in her bloody grasp.
"A thousand curses upon you!" Izanami chanted.
Suddenly, a mass of shadowy arms appeared beneath Yui's friends, taking hold of each of them and plunging them into an endless pit of darkness.
"What's happening?! Yui!" Yosuke cried out as he was pulled under.
"Yui-chan! Help us!" Chie shrieked in terror.
Yui reached out helplessly and screamed as her friends sank into the abyss, the curse of death taking them away.
"Now you see the error of your choice." Izanami stated as Yui knelt alone.
"How dare you—" Yui seethed.
"So you are seeing her in my place. That is unacceptable." Izanami muttered.
"What are you talking about?!" Yui asked desperately.
"The one you call Marie...was once a part of me. We were once a single entity. I am called Izanami-no-Mikoto." Izanami explained.
Yui's eyes were agape in horror and disbelief.
"That's impossible! You and Marie are so far apart…" Yui whispered.
"This is the truth you have been seeking. I was born eons ago, to protect the world of man, to walk the path of man, and fulfill the wishes of man. But then, humans began to put their desires and pleasures above all else, no longer wishing for truth and life. They began to avert their eyes. Even so, their desires were insatiable, and they flocked to me in droves. Eventually, the part of me that desired to fulfill humanity's wishes could no longer be reconciled. I became even more powerful, and the other half of me lost its strength and memories, falling down to Kusumi-no-Okami. I became a tiny fragment, incapable of clearing the fog without sacrificing my life. This is the one you call 'Marie'…" Izanami explained.
Yui stood up straight, her anger and defiance burning like never before.
"It doesn't matter what you say! Marie-chan is Marie-chan! She's our friend! She is nothing like you!" Yui shouted angrily at the goddess.
"Isn't this what you wanted? The truth? And thus it proves my point. The reason people stopped pursuing the truth is because they realized that the truth would hurt themselves and those around them. You have seen this firsthand, how painful it is to seek the truth and how much it hurts others. And now your actions shall erase her from existence! Continue down this path, and her demise shall be by your hands!" Izanami stated.
With a flash from her eyes, Izanami generated a fiery blast that launched Yui and Yumiko across the floor, leaving them weakened.
"If you wish to share your life with her, you have a choice to make. Shield your eyes from the truth, and surrender yourself to a comfortable lie. Only then may you save your precious Marie." Izanami told Yui.
Shadowy tendrils took hold of Yui and Yumiko, pressing them down into the ground.
"People only see what they want to see, believe only what they want to believe. And what the people wish for now is a world shrouded in fog, an element of hope. Even you could not escape from this truth. How pitiful…" Izanami muttered.
The tendrils gripped harder and harder, until Yumiko shattered into shards of light. With this, Yui succumbed to darkness, sinking into a bottomless sea of despair.
"I can't. I can't do it. If it means losing my dear friend, I don't want the truth…" Yui's mind declared, a mere glimmer in the abyss.
Laying upon Dojima's couch, Marie's breathing began to strain as she gasped for air, her mind wracked with despair. Dojima could no longer stand to see Marie in such condition.
"That does it. We're taking her to a hospital." Dojima stated.
"Dad?" Nanako spoke up.
"I'll get the car ready. Keep watching her, Nanako." Dojima told Nanako.
"OK…" Nanako whimpered.
As Dojima left the room, Nanako went to get a glass of water from the sink, wishing to help Marie in the only way she could think of. Marie's eyes pried open as she came to a decision.
"I have to...I have to help!" Marie said weakly.
Nanako finished filling the glass and turned to give it to Marie.
"Marie-chan, here's some water for—" Nanako began to say.
Nanako gasped in surprise when she realized that Marie had completed disappeared from the room.
"Marie-chan?"
Yui's eyes were shut tight as she continued to sink into the abyss, having decided to surrender and turn away from the truth. After all she had been through with Marie, after all the joy and memories she brought to her and her friends, the pain of knowing that she could no longer have Marie in her life was too much to bear. It was only when she felt someone take her hand and start pulling her back up that her eyes flew open once more.
"No! That simply won't do." Marie stated firmly.
Yui gasped in surprise when she saw Marie staring back at her, seeing a new clarity in her eyes.
"Marie-chan…" Yui whispered.
"You cannot fall in a place like this! I will not allow it! You must stop her. Stop Izanami! If you don't, the fog will return and envelop the world." Marie declared.
Yui was rendered breathless as the gravity of the moment weighed down upon her.
"Only the truth will defeat Izanami, and become the light that will lift the fog." Marie stated.
"I can't do that. What will happen to you?" Yui asked Marie.
"It'll be alright. I'm not going to disappear. I'm just going to become one."
"Become what?"
"Someone who grants everyone's wishes and protects the people. I am going to become Izanami-no-Mikoto!" Marie declared.
"But then...what will happen to the Marie before my eyes?" Yui asked in dread.
"I'm going to become a god. The person I've been until now will vanish." Marie stated, with a smile so bright it shattered Yui's heart into a billion pieces.
Yui began to sob in sorrow and confusion, struggling to accept what was happening.
"Why...why are you smiling? You won't be able to be with us anymore! Doesn't that make you sad?!" Yui screamed.
"That's not something to be sad about. I'm going to become one with Izanami, become something even greater. Someone who protects this town, and all of you." Marie said gently.
"Marie-chan…" Yui cried.
"Yui-chan. I'm so glad I met all of you. I was bursting with happiness and love. I want to go on protecting you all. The ones who made me who I am. That...is my wish." Marie said gratefully, doing all she could to ease Yui's worries.
Yui began to cry like never before, her heart welling up with a myriad of emotions she didn't have words to describe.
"Yui-chan? What do you wish for?" Marie asked Yui and she pulled her up out of the abyss.
"Marie-chan...my wish is…"
Yui suddenly found herself standing before Izanami once again, only this time, Marie stood by her side, clutching her hand tightly.
"Oh? Still you resist?" Izanami asked.
Yui and Marie wordlessly approach Izanami, a trail of light forming behind them as they walked. Izanami reached out towards them with a tendril, only to have it shatter against their strength.
"What's this?!" Izanami gasped.
Izanami continued to claw at them, only for every attempt to be met with light. Marie in particular stared at Izanami with determination.
"It is human nature to wish for a lie. So why? Why aren't you…" Izanami asked in confusion.
"You're wrong. It's not a world covered in fog they desire. We will show you…" Marie stated.
Marie's eyes lit up as she uttered a single word:
"Persona."
Just then, a Persona took form before Izanami's eyes, a beautiful butterfly goddess with a red dress and black wings with multicolored streaks. When Izanami tried to crush it with her hands, she found that it was intangible, much to her shock.
"It turns out, I wasn't disappearing. You and I were simply starting to become one." Marie said to Izanami.
"What?" Izanami replied.
"You grant the people's wishes, and I protect the people. Because we had conflicting goals, we split into two."
"Indeed. And the arrogant wish called truth is what will harm mankind." Izanami insisted.
"No, it will not. Yui's wish is not hers alone. This wish known as truth shall eventually lift the fog over everyone's hearts, and a light shall burn brightly within them. Yui's wish will protect everyone. It will eventually unite us all!" Marie said with confidence.
"Silence! I will destroy it!" Izanami roared.
Izanami lashed at the butterfly goddess with every limb she had, to no avail.
"Kaguya! Show her the light!" Marie called to her Persona.
Kaguya spread her wings wide.
"Extreme Wind!" Marie shouted.
Upon this incantation, a barrage of shining arrows pierced Izanami over and over, crumbling away her brittle bones. Yui saw her opportunity to deliver the final strike, calling upon her Persona one last time.
"Yumiko-no-Okami!" Yui cried out.
Yumiko took on a brilliant new form, donning a shining silver robe and growing hair that flowed all around her. In a dramatic act of finality, Yui took off her glasses and tossed them aside, the truth of the world becoming crystal clear to her. Yumiko-no-Okami removed her mask, her beautiful face laid bare to all.
"Myriad Truths!" Yui shouted.
Yumiko-no-Okami unraveled her bandages and unleashed a blinding burst of light from her body, bathing Izanami in the light of truth. When Yui was able to see again, she saw Marie wrapping Izanami in a tight hug, while Izanami stood there bewildered by her defeat.
"Please...believe in humanity's wish...one last time…" Marie asked Izanami.
Izanami wordlessly yielded to Marie, and with a tiny smile, she faded from existence, becoming one with Marie. Marie turned to Yui with a pleased expression.
"We did it. We are one now." Marie told Yui.
"That's good." Yui said with a smile.
"Now I can protect the people and grant their wishes. I can walk the path of humanity once again."
Marie slowly began to glow, signaling her exit.
"I will protect this town forever and ever. That includes you, too. I'll always be close by, watching over you all."
"Thank you, Marie-chan." Yui thanked Marie.
"Tell Rise-chan I love her. Goodbye…"
On that final note, Marie departed in a flicker of energy, leaving Yomotsu Hirasaka in a tranquil state free of fog.
"Goodbye, Marie-chan…" Yui said tearfully.
"I don't understand. Where could she have gone in that condition?" Dojima asked, perplexed.
"Dad, she left this on the couch!" Nanako told Dojima.
"Eh?"
Nanako showed Dojima a slip of paper with a single wish written on it:
"I wish we could stay together forever."
Yui's friends were released from the abyss, and as they regained consciousness, Yui dried her eyes and went over to help them up.
"You're alright. Thank god." Yui said to them all.
"What happened? Did we do it?" Yosuke asked.
"We sure did. Izanami's gone now."
"What about Marie-chan? Did we save her?" Rise asked with worry.
"She's…"
Yui paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right words.
"She's alright now." Yui stated.
Rise looked sad for a moment, understanding what Yui was trying to say.
"Rise-chan."
"Yes, senpai?"
"She said...she loves you…"
Rise wiped away some tears at this sentence.
"I love her too."
"See the world you have won. The bright, magnificent future…" Igor's voice rang out.
Suddenly, the Shadow World took on a new, vibrant appearance. Yui and her friends found themselves standing before a mountain lake, surrounded by trees and a grassy meadow. The water was pristine and undisturbed, and a swing held by vines swayed gently in the breeze.
"I remember this place! Everywhere in this world used to look like this!" Teddie said with sheer happiness.
"So this is the world inside people's hearts…" Yukiko stated.
3/21
Yui stood in front of the train station with Dojima, Nanako, and all of her friends, with the exception of Marie. Even though she said her goodbyes the prior night, as a bit of rehearsal, it still saddened her to have to say it again.
"Well...this is it." Yosuke said.
"It still hasn't really hit me yet that you're leaving…" Chie stated with a sad expression.
"No more senpai from tomorrow on…" Rise muttered.
Rise suddenly burst into tears, catching many of her friends off guard.
"Wait a minute! It's too early to be crying!" Kanji told Rise.
"How can I not be crying?! I don't want her to go!" Rise whined.
"Sheesh...that stuff's contagious…" Kanji muttered as his heart became heavy.
"I don't want you to go either, onee-chan…" Nanako whimpered.
Nanako ran up to Yui and gave her the tightest hug she could before sobbing.
"Nanako…" Dojima mumbled.
Yui returned Nanako's embrace with tears in her eyes, knowing that having to leave her was especially difficult.
"It's OK, Nanako-chan. I'll come back someday." Yui assured Nanako.
"Of course you will. You're family. I'm glad you got to be a part of our home." Dojima told Yui with a smile.
"I love you, onee-chan…" Nanako said quietly.
"I love you too, Nanako-chan." Yui replied, slowly letting go of Nanako.
"Of course none of us feel like saying goodbye. Don't you have any plans for the long holiday in May? If you've got free time by then, you should visit us." Yosuke stated.
"I'll make reservations now so we can stay at my family's inn." Yukiko added.
Yui noticed a cherry blossom tree shedding its petals nearby, and was instantly reminded of the day she first came to Inaba...the day she met Marie.
"I was hoping Marie-chan would show up today." Yui said, a bit melancholy.
"I know, right? Where did she go off to, anyway?" Yosuke asked.
"She never came back home…" Rise said sadly.
"I'm sure she's fine. She's been rescued from worse." Naoto stated.
"You're right. Wherever she is, I know she's doing great." Yui said cheerfully.
Chie slowly went up to Yui, completely unable to hold back her tears.
"This is...so, so difficult…" Chie whimpered.
"You have no idea…" Yui replied, her voice shaking.
"Whatever art project you work on next, do your best for me, OK? I promise I'll do my best as well." Chie told Yui.
"I'm happy to hear that."
"I love you forever."
"I love YOU forever."
Dojima noticed the two of them leaning closer to each other, giving him the cue to cover Nanako's eyes.
"Hey!" Nanako exclaimed.
Yui and Chie kissed for a good long while, knowing it would be a long time before they'd be able to do it again. Even after they finished, they held each other for as long as time would allow.
"It's almost time." Dojima gently reminded.
"OK." Yui said with a nod.
After taking a deep breath, Yui slowly let go of Chie and started walking into the station, but not before looking back at everyone and giving them her biggest, warmest smile. Even as Yui stepped onto the train, her friends and family followed her as close as they could, chasing the train car as it started leaving.
"Thank you for everything! Stay well until we meet again!" Yukiko called out as tears rolled down her face.
"You'll always be my sensei forever!" Teddie cheered.
"Don't forget about us over there!" Naoto called as she clutched her hat.
"I love you, senpai!" Rise squealed emotionally.
"I'll do my best! You'd better not run away, senpai!" Kanji shouted happily.
"I love you, Yui-chan! I'll always remember our time together!" Chie cried.
"Distance doesn't matter! No matter how far apart we are, we're still friends!" Yosuke cheered.
As the train completely left the station, Yui waved to her friends outside, crying as they grew smaller and smaller.
"Thank you, everyone." Yui said to herself.
Yui pulled out the group photo she took with everyone, taking great joy seeing how happy they were. She also took a moment to remove the wristband around her leg and hold it in her hand, cherishing the symbol of the love she shared with Chie.
"Goodbye isn't forever…the bonds we share make us one..." Yui reminded herself.
Yui's friends stared off into the distance as the train finally left their sight. Chie in particular hugged Yukiko for comfort.
"She's gone now. But we'll be OK, right?" Chie asked everyone.
"Of course we will." Yukiko assured Chie.
"Ah damn, I just missed her, didn't I?" A familiar voice asked.
Everyone spun around in surprise and gasped as they saw Marie standing before them. She was looking at her feet, embarrassed to make eye contact with her friends.
"Marie-chan!" Rise cheered.
Rise ran up to Marie and hugged her tightly, crying tears of joy.
"What took you so long, Marie-chan? You broke my heart, leaving me like that again!" Rise whined.
"I'm sorry...I would have shown up sooner if I could, honest." Marie said apologetically.
"Well shoot, Marie-chan! You didn't get to say goodbye to Yui-chan!" Yosuke said regretfully.
"It's alright. I already did. Though I wish I could have seen her one last time."
"We're happy you're back, Marie-chan." Naoto said with a smile.
"Yeah! We should let Yui-chan know you're alright!" Chie stated.
"Actually...can you all keep it a secret? I want to surprise her whenever she comes back." Marie asked with a playful grin.
"You're seriously not gonna tell senpai you came back?!" Kanji asked.
"She knows I'm OK. After all, I'm this town's protector now."
"Wait...you don't mean?" Yukiko asked in surprise.
"I'm Izanami-no-Mikoto now. But you can still call me Marie. I don't care." Marie stated.
"So...my girlfriend is the goddess of Inaba now…" Rise restated, her eyes wide in disbelief.
"Geez, no need to make a big deal out of it." Marie said humbly.
Everyone burst into laughter, eagerly looking forward to what the future had in store for them.
8/20
Marie was enjoying the summer festival with the others, despite the silver yukata she was wearing feeling rather constricting. Everywhere they went, Rise was taking her by the hand, following Chie and Kanji to whichever food stand they were urging their friends to try out.
"Why did I have to wear a yukata again?" Marie asked Rise.
"Because you look pretty wearing one, that's why." Rise replied.
"Easy for you to say."
"Come on, I saw some boys turning their heads! It's not just me who finds you attractive."
"It kind of feels unfair though, considering who I am now."
"A goddess?"
"Yeah?"
"And you took on the form of Marie-chan instead of something else? What does that tell us?"
"OK, I see your point…maybe I was just attached to this form."
"Let's go get takoyaki now!"
8/23
Chie, Yukiko, and Rise were waiting for Marie to step out of the changing room and join them for their beach visit. Chie was wearing a yellow bikini with a short yellow skirt. Yukiko was wearing a white bikini and a light blue hoodie. Rise was wearing a frilled pink and white polka dot bikini.
"Why is she taking so long?" Yukiko asked.
"Apparently, the boys picked out Marie-chan's swimsuit for her. That kind of concerns me…" Chie stated.
"They probably picked a lewd one for her. Perverts!" Rise said in irritation.
"I'm here…" Marie muttered.
The girls all looked at Marie, who was wearing a revealing black bikini. Marie was fidgeting with nervousness, but mustered the will power to strike a pose for Rise.
"Look at me now, the summer queen!" Marie said dramatically, a couple drops of sweat rolling down her face.
"Oh wow! That's not a bad look for you, Marie-chan." Chie said with a smile.
Rise meanwhile was starstruck by Marie's swimsuit. If she were in an anime, her eyes would have turned into giant hearts.
"Sugoi! You look gorgeous, Marie-chan!" Rise gushed.
"I guess the guys chose well!" Yukiko said with a giggle.
"Hey! Let's get in the water already!" Yosuke called to the girls.
"Well, race you all there!" Chie said as she ran off.
10/21
Rise was almost ready to go onstage when her manager knocked on the door to the makeup room.
"Come in!" Rise said.
Inoue opened the door and briefly peeked inside.
"Someone's here to see you." Inoue told Rise.
At that moment, Marie walked into the room, wearing a VIP pass around her neck. Inoue walked away, needing to take care of things elsewhere.
"Marie-chan!" Rise chimed.
"Hey Rise-chan. Thanks for getting me VIP access." Marie thanked Rise.
"No problem! Are you here to see me before showtime?"
"Yeah. Must be exciting, doing another collab with Kanami."
"We've been looking forward to this one for a while now. It's gonna be fun!"
Rise stood from her chair and showed off her stage outfit, consisting of a magenta, pink and white skirt and hair ribbon, and an open white top showing off a black bra underneath.
"What do you think, Marie-chan? Don't I look pretty sexy?" Rise said flirtatiously.
"I'm...not going to answer that…" Marie replied as her face turned a deep shade of pink.
Rise giggled and gave Marie a brief kiss.
"Well, wish me luck!" Rise said cheerfully.
"I'll be cheering for you." Marie stated with a grin.
12/24
Chie was holding the Christmas Eve party at her house, as the Amagi Inn was fully booked for the holiday, Yosuke's parents didn't allow him to host a party at his house, and there simply wasn't room at Kanji or Rise's place. Chie's parents decided to leave the house to Chie for the afternoon, and the party was going well, if mildly chaotic.
"Hey Naoto-chan." Kanji said to Naoto, who was sitting by herself at the kitchen table.
"Hello Kanji-kun." Naoto responded with a smile.
"Needed a break from the others, huh?"
"Only for a few minutes."
"I'm the queen now!" Rise cheered.
"No!" Yosuke said in distress.
"Yes!" Rise taunted.
"Ooh, which number, Rise-chan?" Yukiko asked.
"*sigh* King's Game. I should've known it wouldn't last…" Naoto muttered, shaking her head.
"Don't worry, if I become King, I'll make it an easy one in case I call your number." Kanji said with a smile.
"That's sweet of you."
"Do you wanna…"
"I don't mind. We've been getting better at it." Naoto said teasingly.
"Yeah...our first one was clumsy as hell…" Kanji muttered with a blush.
Naoto chuckled before giving Kanji a careful, yet tender kiss.
"Come now. We won't be getting out of King's Game this time." Naoto stated.
"No, definitely not." Kanji replied.
"I am NOT doing that!" Marie exclaimed.
"You have to! Those are the rules!" Rise teased.
?/?
Today was a fairly uneventful day for Chie, who had invited Yukiko to her house to watch a movie. That was the intended plan, anyway, though Chie found her mind wandering, unable to decide on a movie to watch.
"Are you alright, Chie-chan?" Yukiko asked.
"I'm fine. I just...can't think straight." Chie muttered.
"That's probably because you're NOT straight." Chie's mom joked from a distance.
"Mom!" Chie shouted in annoyance.
Yukiko burst into laughter at this, causing Chie to fold her arms.
"It's not that funny, Yukiko-chan." Chie mumbled.
"I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't laugh." Yukiko said in between her laughter.
"No, it's OK. I like it when you laugh. But the thing is...I can't stop thinking about her. About Yui-chan."
"I know. She's been calling and texting you like she promised, right?"
"Yeah, she has. Not as frequently as I hoped, but I get it. She's probably busy with some big, amazing art project. I'd want nothing more than for her to give it everything she has." Chie said with a smile.
"Yes, that sounds just like her."
Suddenly, Chie's phone starting ringing. Chie saw that it was from Yosuke, and picked up.
"Hello?" Chie said.
"Chie-chan! Turn on the news! They're interviewing Yui-chan!" Yosuke said excitedly.
Chie and Yukiko gasped in surprise and quickly turned on the TV, switching to the news channel. They saw Yui standing out in the city, speaking with a female news reporter. Yui was wearing an outfit her friends had never seen her wear before, an open black hoodie, a blue shirt with a paint-splotched design on it, a checkered purple skirt, and a purple headband with a ribbon tied to it. It was a very urban style, one that instantly charmed Chie.
"Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Ms. Yumiko!" The news reporter said cheerfully to Yui.
"'Yumiko' is just my art handle. You can just call me Yui for this interview." Yui insisted.
"So tell us, Yui-san. Tell us about this project you've supposedly been working on the past few months!" The reporter asked eagerly.
"I'm about to unveil it now. The result of me working almost every day after school, using every medium that made sense to me. Big thanks to the mayor for providing me a large enough billboard to make it with! After this interview is done, I'm planning on donating it to the city so everyone can enjoy my work without needing to buy admission to a museum!" Yui stated proudly.
"Ooh! We can't wait! Let's see it!"
Yui grabbed the tarp covering the billboard and gently pulled it away, revealing the artwork underneath. It was a large, fantastic mural, made with paint, ink, and various other materials that almost got lost within each other. It portrayed a goddess surrounded by other deities, meant to represent Yui's strongest self, and those of her closest friends.
"I've decided to leave it untitled, so that people can name it how they want." Yui declared.
"It's incredible! What exactly does it mean?" The reporter asked.
"It means what people want it to mean. However they wish. As for what it means to me...that's for me to know."
"Do you have anything you'd like to say for everyone watching at home?"
"Home? Now that you mention it, I'd like to say something to the folks in Inaba, where I used to live."
Yui took a deep breath, attempting to sort her emotions before speaking again.
"I dedicate this piece to all my friends and family in Inaba, who made me into the person I am today, who I owe an infinite amount to. To one friend especially...who means the world to me. I...I miss her very much…"
Yui started to cry, and as she wiped away her tears, Chie also teared up as she watched the news.
"Gomennasai...I didn't think I'd cry." Yui apologized.
"Oh no, it's understandable. I can see how emotional you are about it." The reporter said kindly.
"I'd like to say one last thing before we end things."
"Yes, what would you like to say?"
"I've decided that...I'm going to be visiting Inaba in a couple months! I owe it to myself to be with my friends and family again, to thank them for all they've done for me."
Chie and Yukiko gasped in delight at this announcement, looking at each other in surprise.
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea! I hope you have fun!" The reporter stated.
"Arigato." Yui said with a bow.
As the interview began to conclude, Chie and Yukiko were celebrating, unable to contain their excitement.
"Yui-chan's coming back!" Chie cheered.
Chie's parents heard the commotion and gave a cheer of their own.
"This is amazing! We have to get ready for Yui-chan's visit!" Yukiko told Chie.
"Totally! Let's tell the others so we can all plan for it!" Chie stated with a smile.
"I can't wait for her to be here!"
"Me neither!"
Author's Note(3-20-24): My emotions are all over the place. But we're still not quite done here. It only seems fitting that I find it difficult to bring this fic to its conclusion, just as I found it difficult to say goodbye to the characters I've come to appreciate when finishing the game.