Chapter 1: Familiar yet different.
April 9th. 2016
It was with a startled gasp Ren woke up. Looking around, he found himself on a crowded train with a crowded suburbia outside the windows. Glancing at his clothes, he found himself wearing the uniform of Shujin Academy. It was hard not to with the plaid trousers. He looked at his bag, noting it looked less bulky than he was used to until he remembered why.
Right. Morgana is currently trapped in Kamoshida's Palace. That's going to be a 'fun' experience again… Unless that was all a fever dream?
He shakes his head at that traitorous thought before a vibration comes from his phone. Taking out of his pocket, he is greeted by an all too familiar name and icon. One that brings a smile to his face.
Alibaba: You with us, Joker?
Ren: I'm with you, Oracle.
You have been added to the group chat: [Return of the Phantoms!]
Oracle: We have drawn a Joker! \(^^)/
Skull: Hell Yeah!
Queen: Glad to see you with us, Joker.
Joker: Like I would leave you guys behind. Everyone here?
Fox: Indeed. All present and accounted for.
Panther: You're forgetting one person, Fox!
Noir: That's right! Joker. Is Mona-chan with you?
Joker: Unfortunately not. Looks like he's back in Kamoshida's Palace. You guys are gonna have to break him out. Skull, think you remember where he was being kept?
Skull: Yep! Just checked my phone as well. The app is already there. Still 'effin creepy looking.
Panther: I'll come with you Skull. Safety in numbers, after all.
Noir: I'm currently on the academy roof. I'll join, too.
Queen: Well, I'm currently in the Student Council Room. And it is unnerving seeing Kamoshida and Kobayakawa walking around here again.
Panther: As much as I would like for us to blitz through Kamoshida's Palace now, it's better to wait for Joker to join us. Especially so he can build his roster again.
Fox: I apologise that I am unable to join. Madarame is having me help with his upcoming exhibit. It's vexing that I work under him once again.
Joker: Don't worry, Fox. Once we're done with Kamoshida, We'll hit Madarame next.
Fox: I appreciate it, Joker. But please, do not rush. I am in no danger for now.
Noir: Oracle? You've been awfully quiet. Is everything alright?
Oracle: Not really. I thought I was imagining things, but... I think my Palace is back. :(
Skull: For real!?
Panther: How is that possible!?
Joker: Are you absolutely sure, Oracle?
Oracle: Yeah, I am. I just did a test on the nav. I'm a hit (T^T)
Noir: But how can that be?
Joker: This is just me guessing, but I think Philemon sent our souls back in time into our old bodies. That could explain why Oracle has a Palace even though she awakened to her Persona. But again, I'm only guessing.
Queen: Should we start your Palace instead, Oracle?
Skull: As much as I want to take down Kamoshida, helping our own comes first!
Oracle: Thanks, guys, but I'm okay for now. The hallucinations didn't really start to get bad until June. I'll be okay before then.
Joker: If you say so. But the moment it turns for the worst, let us know.
Oracle: You got it, big bro!
Joker: Going to have to leave now. Coming up to Shibuya. Should be at Yongen-Jaya soon. Really wish Boss would remember us…
Queen: Give him time, Joker. He'll be the Boss we know and love soon. Stay safe okay?
Joker: I will. You stay safe, too. *heart*
Queen: *heart*
With a sigh, Makoto puts her phone away as she leaves the Student Council room. Makoto would be lying if she said she wasn't bothered by seeing Kamoshida walk past the room with a passing gaze at her, but the less she knew what was going through his mind, the better. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she heads down to the first floor before beelining towards the entrance.
Ren's record had already been leaked, so nothing could be done about that. But there was one thing that could still be done. Shiho Suzui.
That day was burned into their minds for numerous reasons. Not only was it the day that Ren and Ryuji decided to go with Morgana's plan and steal Kamoshida's heart despite the risk of a Mental Shutdown, but it was also the day that Ann joined them. But it was also the day that hammered home just how much power Kamoshida had acquired, that he could do what he did and walk away while expelling students without so much as a whisper of protest.
Even if Ann had forgiven her, Makoto had not let that incident fade away. This time, they WILL save Shiho from that fate.
"Mako-chan! Over here!" Haru's voice broke her from her thoughts as her gaze turned to a small alleyway not far from the entrance. Standing in the shade of the alleyway, unnoticed unless you were looking, were Haru, Ryuji and Ann. Makoto smiles are them as she quickly walks down the steps to join them, noting Ryuji on his phone.
"Is everyone ready?" She asks as she readjusts her bag.
"Not exactly looking forward to going back into THAT place, but I'm ready as ever." Ann replies as she pushes herself off the alleyway wall. "Also, I'm more than ready to stop him before he can lay his hands on Shiho."
"Don't worry, Ann. That bastard won't get a chance to lay a hand on her." Ryuji replies with an angry glare. His grip on his phone tightens even more, that the plastic squeaks in protest.
"We were just waiting for you to join us, Mako-chan. Ryuji-kun has already got the app open." Haru informs, tilting her head to the charge commander.
"I've already put in two of his keywords. Ready to go whenever." Makoto nods at Ryuji as she takes a breath, narrowing her eyes.
"Let's do this." At Makoto's words, Ryuji levels his phone at his face. Unaware of two people watching them from the entrance.
"Castle."
Conditions have been met. Beginning navigation.
Crossing over into the Metaverse went as smoothly as it always went, with the usual warping of reality with red and black lines obscuring their vision. While the alleyway around them remained unchanged, what lay beyond was a sight that Skull and Panther had wished they never saw again.
Towering brick walls that seemed to glow gold, with two bastion turrets overlooking a brown drawbridge leading up to the gate of a large castle that reached towards the purple-clouded sky.
Kamoshida's Castle of Lust.
Looking at her hands, Makoto was surprised to see her holding onto the Brass Knuckles she started with when she first summoned her persona. Same with the replica revolver and not the Judge of the Dead. Glancing at the others, it was a similar story for them. Guess we're back to square one in terms of weapons and armour. Joker put a lot of time and effort into giving us those! She shakes her head as she glances at Panther, who is staring at the Castle with a look of disgust.
"Urgh, I feel dirty just looking at it again…" Panther moans as the group stands at the drawbridge. Skull puts a comforting hand on her shoulder as he gives her a sympathetic look.
"I know, Panther. I 'effin hate that we're back to this hell pit again, but we don't have a choice." Panther shakes her head as she groans in annoyance while Queen glances over the entrance.
"So, how did you and Joker enter this place? I highly doubt we could just walk in through the front door." She looked at Skull, who was avoiding her gaze. It only took her two seconds before she gave him an exasperated look. "Really, Skull?"
"Hey! That was the first time we came here! We didn't even HAVE personas back then!" Skull argues before crossing his arms in thought. "That being said, should we check how our personas are doing?"
"Skull makes a good point." Panther admits as she places a hand on her mask. "Hecate feels weird… I know Philemon said our personas would lose some of their strengths, but…" She gently pulls it off, summoning her other half behind her.
"How are you doing Hecate?" Panther asks, staring at her persona before her, holding two chains connected to floating dogs. The others look on with concerned looks as Queen raises a hand to her mask.
I fear I have lost some power, my dear. But it is not as bad as you would think. Hecate replies. While it is true that I have grown weaker from our journey back in time, I have not lost all of my strength. If we were to put a pin on it, I would say as strong as when we entered Futaba's Palace.
"Not sure if I should feel comfort from that or not, but at least we aren't starting from complete scratch. Especially against Kamoshida." Panther replies as Hecate returns to her heart. She turns around to the others before nodding to Queen, who sighs with mild disappointment.
"I won't lie when I say I'm not surprised at how much power we have lost, but I wish we didn't." She shakes her head before looking back to Skull. "Anyway, I think we have wasted enough time as it is. We have a little brother to rescue."
"Yeah." Skull replies before rushing up the drawbridge. "Follow me. I know where we can enter."
"I know as well, Skull!" Panther cries out as she chases after him, with Queen and Noir following suit. Queen glances over to Noir, noting her silence while her gaze wonders about.
"Is everyone alright, Noir?" Queen asks softly as they follow Skull and Panther towards a grate located near the large doors leading inside the Castle. Noir was seemingly caught off guard as she jumped slightly at the question before readjusting her hat.
"Sorry, Queen. It's just." She glances around again before letting out a sigh. "It just doesn't feel right without Fox, Joker, Oracle or Mona-chan standing with us." Queen had to admit that Noir had a point. After spending nearly half a year fighting beside their sides, it now felt strange to be doing an infiltration without them. Especially without her boyfriend and leader, Joker.
"I know what you mean." Queen admits as they watch Skull stand on Panther's shoulders as he pries the metal grate off. "It does feel awkward to be doing this without them." She leans over, gives Noir a one-arm hug, and smiles. "But don't worry, after today, we will have both Joker and Mona with us, and as soon as we're done with Kamoshida, we will be getting Fox back. Then we can work on helping Oracle again." Noir smiles a Queen's assurance as the two glance at Skull and Panther, who have managed to remove the grate.
"You're right. We became a family once. We can do so again." Queen nods as she and Noir follow Skull and Panther into Kamoshida's Castle. The room they found themselves in had some bookcases, tables and chairs, while the door leading to the hall was wide open. Outside, Panther and Skull were glancing down the hallways, keeping an eye out for any Shadows or Kamoshida himself.
"Alright, looks like we're clear for now…" Skull says as he leads them to the right, stopping before a Grand Hall complete with a Grand Staircase, along with the large self-portrait of Kamoshida wearing golden armour.
"If Fox could see that, he would be tearing it to pieces." Noir comments as the Thieves rush across the hall, staying close to the entrance and in the shadows.
"For real. Just looking at it hurts my eyes." Skull agrees as the four rush down a set of stairs, arriving at a wooden door. "Okay, the dungeon is just past this door. Probably be some guards on the lookout."
"Let's just go in and rescue Mona and get out. We can worry about climbing the rest of this Castle later." Panther quickly adds as she opens the door. It opens up on quiet hinges, a surprise for her and the other girls but not for Skull. Climbing down the spiral staircase, they find themselves in the underground dungeon. A river rushes through the centre, splitting the hall into two parts with cells lining the walls. Cages hang from the ceiling, hovering over the river, each holding a cognition of a member of the volleyball team.
With the one common detail being they were all males.
"Even though they aren't real, it still makes my blood boil seeing them like this." Skull hisses through clenched teeth as they walk down the path, glancing into the nearby cells. More members of the volleyball team lay within, groaning in pain.
"This is where Joker first awakened, right?" Noir asks as they pass through an open gate. Skull nods his head before holding up a fist and ducking behind a nearby crate. The girls copy him, hiding behind their own barrels and crates just as the sound of heavy armour approaches them.
"Hmmm… I thought I heard something…" A shadow wonders aloud as it passes by the hidden Thieves. It was covered in dull silver armour, with a large hector shield on its left arm and a long silver sword in its right hand. Covering its face was a grey mask, hiding its true form. It looks around, unable to see the Thieves as they hide in the shadows.
Time to see if I can pull it off. Queen thinks to herself before leaping onto the knight's shoulders. She bends down and grasps the mask with her right hand as the knight looks up in shock. "Show me your true form!" She shouts as she rips the mask off its face. Queen leaps back towards the others as the Shadow dissolves into a black puddle before sprouting into new forms.
A couple of Pixies from the Lovers Arcana.
"Did you really have to say that when you pulled its mask off, Queen?" Panther asks with a smirk as the four enter into their fighting stances. Queen smirks at Panther before aiming her revolver at the Pixies, stunned at the sudden ambush. Two shots at both were enough to send them falling to the ground, leaving them open to an All-Out attack from the four Thieves.
The fight was over before it had even begun.
"Compared to what we faced later in the year, those were hardly a challenge." Noir comments as the four continue on, reaching a lowered drawbridge.
"Well, to use Oracle's words, this is the 'starter area'. Can't be too hard right out the gate." Skull points out. Noir admits with a nod of the head as the four hurry on, reaching the second draw bridge before a familiar voice calls out to them.
"Hey! Guys, over here!"
The four recognised that voice anywhere as they rushed over to a secluded jail cell south of the drawbridge. And standing behind, holding onto the bars with his paws, was Mona. His big blue eyes showed relief at the sight of the group.
"I am so glad you're here. And one day early to boot." He looks around the area, eyes blinking. "I take it Joker, Fox, and Oracle are unable to come?"
"Joker had just reached Shibuya when we came in to rescue you. Fox is stuck with Madarame and Oracle…" Queen pauses in her words as Skull opens Mona's jail cell. "Oracle is stuck with her Palace again." Mona's eyes widen as his pupils shrink in alarm.
"WHAT!? But how can that be?! She had awakened to Prometheus before we came back in time! So how—!?" Mona's rant was cut short as the sound of armoured greaves echoed down the hall. From farther down the dungeon. "On second thought, tell me when we're out of here."
The Thieves quickly begin to leave the way they came, using the boxes and barrels as cover as they skirt around the armoured Shadows. While more than strong enough to take them on, they would be wasting precious time engaging every Shadow they saw. And risking the chances of Kamoshida's Shadow finding them sooner than they want.
Returning to the main hall revealed no Shadows on patrol, but the Thieves were not going to take chances. Especially Skull, who remembered the last time they tried to escape through the hall.
And there would be no guarantee that it would be Bicorns who would be attacked by this time either.
Sticking once more to the shadows near the entrance, the four Thieves and non-cat make their way to the exit, once again ignoring the portrait of Kamoshida in his armour. Hoping on through the vent, the five quickly sprinted away from the Castle and into the nearby alleyway, with Skull hitting the Nav on his phone.
Ending Navigation.
You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.
"Ahhhh, the smell of fresh air." Morgana purrs as he stretches himself out. "Well, cleanish. This alleyway stinks, but it's better than that cell in terms of smell." He scrunches his nose before looking at the four around him. "At any rate, thanks for getting me out of there, but what now? I can't go back to Leblanc right now. Boss will kick me out. He was already wary of me the first time Ren brought me home."
"I actually have a plan for that." Makoto replies, picking him up in both hands while using her right arm to support him. "Kobayakawa is planning a meeting with Kawakami-sensei and me to talk about Ren today. I'm hoping that they will agree to let you be Ren's therapy cat, the same as last time. That way, Boss won't put up as much of a fuss as he did last time, right?"
"But are you sure?" Ann asks as she plays with one of her pigtails. "Kawakami-sensei was okay with Morgana, and I think the other teachers were indifferent, but Kobayakawa…"
"Will allow it. I'll make sure of it." Makoto replies with narrow eyes. Any arguments Ann had died at the look she was getting from Makoto. Even if it wasn't the Nijima-Death stare.
"On the bright side, Kobayakawa won't be bossing you around like last time." Ryuji points out, rolling his right arm. "Won't he be in for a surprise?"
"I think the whole school will be Ryuji-kun." Haru adds with a smile before turning to Makoto. "What time is the meeting supposed to start?" Makoto tilts her head as she remembers the time.
"I think it was about an hour after school had ended. I should have time to make it." Ann takes out her phone while ignoring the Navigation App pulsing on her screen.
"It's been about fifty minutes." She closes her phone before looking at Makoto. "You better head there now."
"Right. We'll see each other again later." With that, the group disperse as Makoto puts Morgana into her bag. "How did Ren put up with carrying you, Mona? You're not exactly light."
"Are you calling me fat, Queen?" Morgana asks indulgently. Makoto chuckles at his response as she heads to the Principal's office on the second floor. There were no loitering students as far as Makoto saw, although she did spot a few members of the volleyball team limping their way from the PE Faculty. She forced herself to hold back a frown at the thought of what Kamoshida was doing behind those doors, but she powered on, entering Kobayakawa's office.
"Ah, Nijima-san. You're here early." Kobayakawa states with his usual smile as Kawakami stands near the desk. She greets her with a tired smile that doesn't reach her eyes, with Makoto remembering about her 'side job'.
Another thing for us to fix soon. If only they could remember us, it would be so much easier. "I just like to be on time, is all, Kobayakawa-san." She greets him with a bow, hiding her annoyance at greeting him like this again.
"All the better. Now that you are here, it's time we discussed one of the transfer students, Ren Amamiya." Kobayakawa's demeanour changed in an instant as he said Ren's name with contempt.
'One of'? Isn't Ren the ONLY transfer student? What's going on? While her mind raced at the new information, Makoto kept her poker face on as she spied Kawakami, giving an apprehensive look.
"As agreed upon, we will be taking him in during his year-long probation. Kawakami-san will be his homeroom teacher, and you are to report any deviant behaviour. No exceptions."
"Of course, Principal." Makoto replies calmly. She glances at the ground, getting her thoughts in order before meeting Kobayakawa's gaze. "By the way, I had a thought about how we could keep him in line." God, I hate saying that.
"Oh? What is your idea?" Kobayakawa asks with interest, and Kawakami looks on. Makoto unzips her bag, allowing Morgana to poke his head out and look at the two as an innocent cat. "A cat?"
"Yes. Considering what he has been through, it is possible that he may have trauma from his 'incident'. That's why I think he should have a 'Therapy Cat' with him at all times. Looking after him will also keep him out of trouble as well. Wouldn't you agree?"
Kobayakawa stares at Morgana as though he is looking at a foreign item. Makoto had to hold a scoff at the way he looked, but it was Kawakami's gaze that caught her eye. The way she looked at Morgan was as though she both recognised him yet at the same time was seeing him for the first time.
It was honestly an interesting expression.
"Kawakami-sensei?" Makoto's voice seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as she looked at Makoto. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes. I am. Sorry for spacing out like that. I have been feeling a bit more tired than usual." She replies while rubbing her eyes. "It's strange. For a moment, I thought I recognised that cat, but…maybe my mind is playing tricks on me." Kobayakawa raises an eyebrow at her remark while Makoto looks on with a neutral look, while on the inside, her thoughts run wild.
Could this be what Philemon was talking about? No, too early to jump to conclusions like that. Better wait it out. Makoto silently watches as Kawakami glances once more at Morgana before turning back to Kobayakawa.
"Either way, it is fine with me. If it will keep him out of trouble that I won't oppose." Kawakami states as she looks at Kobayakawa. The walking egg sighs deeply before levelling his look at Makoto.
"Alright. We will allow it. I'll inform the other staff members tomorrow. However, you will be taking him home today. You will hand him over to the transfer tomorrow. I will explain the situation to his guardian." Makoto smiles at seeing her plan work, even if it did go a bit too smoothly.
"Thank you, Principal." She bows once again. "If I'm not needed for anything else, I'll be heading home now. Good day." With that, she turns to leave. Entering into the empty halls of Shujin, Makoto makes her way back to the entrance before going home, not noticing two people watching her from the shadows.
As she turns to head to the station, the two people enter into the light of day.
"What do you think they were doing?" The girl asks quietly, her eyes dull with unhappiness yet still holding a trace of light while a bruise covers her eye. The boy next to her shakes his head, his own face covered in bruises with the same dull eyes.
"I don't know. But, we should keep following them." The boy replies. "I don't know why, but it's something my feelings are telling me. That, and it's strange seeing Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-san acting like this again after what Kamoshida-san has done. Even more with Okumura-san and Nijima-san hanging out with them so suddenly."
"Ann…" The girl mumbles quietly. "What are you up to now?" Her thoughts playback to when they saw Ann and the others vanish in the alleyway like ghosts, only for them to appear again later with a cat. That seemed to talk to them?
She had noticed earlier in the day how Ann was acting differently all of a sudden. The gloom that had been hanging around her suddenly vanished as a fire lit up behind her eyes. How could she not be curious as to what she was doing? The boy looks at her with quiet eyes before gently taking her hand with his own.
"We'll find out together, okay, Suzui? Whatever they are doing, we'll find out." The boy reassures her. Shiho Suzui glances at him before smiling softly in return.
"Thank you, Mishima." She glances upwards, thinking for a moment before turning her gaze back to him. "You know, you've gotten a bit more bolder today as well. You even stood up to Kamoshida-san a little as well. Did something happen?" She asks Yuuki Mishima. He pauses before looking up to the sky with a faraway look as he ponders her question. It was true how, at one point today, he felt as beaten down as ever, even more so after Kamoshida forced him to expose the transfer student record. But, for some reason, a confidence he had not felt had arisen in him, giving him strength to stand up to Kamoshida.
It was so sudden that it even gave the corrupt adult a moment to pause, never expecting such a thing to come out of the weak-willed Mishima. Something that even he did not understand.
"You know…I don't really know." But I have a feeling Sakamoto-san does. At least, that's what my gut tells me…
Well, here I am. Ren thinks to himself, standing outside Café Leblanc. Strangely, when I first came here, I didn't realise how attached I would get to the place. Now, it feels more like home than home ever did. He sighs to himself as he grips the handle and opens the door with a jingle.
Inside, he was welcomed by the warm, cosy atmosphere of the small café, the booths lining the left wall empty apart from the small couple in the middle. The counter stretches out from the right as the smell of coffee and curry fills the room as a gentle tune plays from a nearby radio while the small TV on the wall plays the current news channel.
And sitting on a stool, holding a newspaper with a pen, was the owner. Sojiro Sakura.
"And down is… the name of a shellfish used in pearl farming…" He mutters to himself, looking at a crossword on the back.
"I think the answer is 'oyster'." Ren says calmly. Sojiro pauses as he bounces the answer around his head before nodding to himself, all in his own world.
"Yeah. That makes sense." He says as he writes down the answer. Before glancing up towards Ren and letting out a quiet sigh. "Right. They did say it was today…" He mumbles to himself. Ren forces himself to remain stoic, hiding the fact that he had forgotten him had hurt him.
The old couple sitting at the table had just finished their tea and bid farewell to Sojiro before leaving the old owner to groan to himself.
"Four hours for a single cup of joe."
"Has business been slow today, sir?" Ren asks, testing the waters. He knew it would be hard to earn his trust, but he did it once he could do it again. Sojiro looks up to him before crossing his arms as he stares at him with an intrigued look.
"No need to worry about that. Anyway, you are the guy I'm in charge of, huh?" He asks as he places a hand on his chin. "Have we…met before? You seem vaguely familiar…"
"Hmm?" Ren replies, eyes widening slightly. He recognises me? But at the same time, he doesn't. I wonder… "I'm afraid this is the first time we met, sir. My parents had mentioned you a few times but stayed largely silent."
"I see…" Sojiro replies, stroking his beard. "I wondered what type of person they sent me, but you… you don't scream 'delinquent' to me…" He shakes his head as he places his hand back on his hip. "Anyway, I'm Sojiro Sakura, as you have probably guessed, and you'll be in my care for the next year."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san." Ren replies, bowing slightly to the old man. Sojiro motions for Ren to follow him to a set of stairs at the back of the shop. Following him upstairs, Ren finds himself in a large attic room littered with boxes, books and other random items. A blow-up bed was placed on top of some plastic crates are the far end of the room under the windows with a folded-up blanket and pillow.
The box filled with his belongings was lying in the middle of the room as before, along with the layer of dust and cobwebs covering the place. Looks like I'm back to cleaning the room again. At least I know where everything is going to go this time.
"This is your room." Sojiro reveals as he turns to Ren.
"It's bigger than my old room." Ren replies casually.
"I see." Sojiro replies coolly. "It's on you to clean up the rest, however. As for the rules, I'll be leaving the shop at night so you will be on your own till the morning. But don't do anything stupid. Otherwise, I'll be forced to kick you out."
"I understand." So far, everything seems the same. But he does seem to have less hostility than before. Maybe it's due to that feeling he has?
"Now then, about your situation…" He folds his arms as he looks at Ren. "I got a gist of it. You stepped in to save a woman from a drunken man, but in the commotion, he got hurt. He filed for a sue and getting you marked with a Criminal Record. That true so far?"
"Yes, Sojiro-san. While I do admit the result was not what I was thinking would happen, I don't regret stepping in to help her." Ren replies. Sojiro nods slowly as he strokes his beard.
"I see. At least you have no regrets." He folds his arms again as his look slightly hardens. "Even so, you are lucky to be on probation. I heard the prosecutor tried to have you tried as an adult and not a minor. You're really lucky your lawyer got you a probation instead of juvie."
"I know. I suppose hiring that lawyer was the one good thing my parents ever did for me." Ren acknowledges while looking away with a scowl. Sojiro wisely stays quiet before walking back to the stairs.
"We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow to introduce us to the staff there. So make sure you're up."
"I will." Ren replies before turning to his 'luggage'. I had better change into my normal clothes. Then it's time to clean this room.
"Hope you don't mind, but you'll be staying in my room, Morgana. Sis will be back later on, and I don't want her catching you." Makoto tells the non-cat as they approach her apartment.
"I don't mind. I'll even hide under the bed to be safe." Morgana assures her. Makoto smiles at him and rubs his head, drawing a mew from him as she hits his favourite spot.
"Thanks, Mona." She replies as they reach the door. She reaches for her keys and opens the door, only for her surprise to see someone she was not expecting. "Sis? What are you doing back so early?"
Standing before her was Sae Nijima, her older sister and prosecutor with a distorted desire. Only the look on her face was not the stoic look she had come to see for the past half year. Instead was the look of someone racking their brain for answers.
"Oh, Makoto. Welcome home." She greets absentmindedly before noticing Morgana. "Why do you have a cat in your bag?" She asks, going into her questioning stance.
"It was a decision at Shujin for a Therapy Cat to be given to the transfer student. I was told to look after him today before handing him over tomorrow." Makoto replies. Sae looks her over, looking for any hints of a lie, but finds none on her sister's face.
"I see." She replies evenly. "If that's what they decided, then I see no room to complain. But he cannot leave your room, understand?" Makoto nods quickly to Sae's acceptance before turning her eyes back to the cat. "What is his name?"
"He's called Morgana. Why do you ask?"
"'Morgana'…" Sae places a hand over her mouth as her eyes narrow. "It's strange, but I feel as though I recognise that name. And that cat as well, for that matter…" She moves her hand from her mouth to her head as she sighs deeply. "Truth be told, I have been feeling strange all day. It's why I'm home early."
Sis is feeling the same as Kawakami-sensei? Then does this mean… Makoto watches as Sae goes over to the bathroom with a weary look.
"I've probably pushed myself more than I realised. I'm going to pour a bath. Could you make tea for us?" She asks as she disappears into the bathroom. Makoto lets out a small yes as she heads over to the kitchen, Morgana still in her bag.
"Wonder if this is what Philemon meant when he said that our confidents would be affected." Morgana wonders aloud as Makoto begins to cook dinner.
"Maybe. Do they only have vague recollections of everything? Or do they have the memories of that year but are being suppressed until something unlocks them?" She replies as the sound of running water echoes from the bathroom. "If it's the latter, then I wonder what will unlock them… And if Akechi is feeling the same…"
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Akechi did die, after all." Morgana replies wearily. That moment was a shock for the Thieves, seeing Akechi throw his life away when they could have helped. "Whatever it is, we can't rush them. Maybe it will be gradual? Either way, let's take things slow, one day at a time." Makoto smiles at Morgana before giving him another head scratch and returning to the counter.
"Yeah. You're right."
He was already expecting it, yet the moment he opened his eyes after falling asleep, Ren was still startled by what he saw. A confined cell painted in deep blue, chains hanging from the ceiling. A toilet nestled in the corner while he got up from the hard wooden bed.
Looking at his clothes, he frowns internally at the tattered and stained prisoner garb and brown shoes he was forced to wear. The manacles hanging from his wrists were thick and heavy yet were not tightening around his wrists like what happened in November. He suppresses a shudder at those memories as he stands up before a couple of chuckles draw his attention to the bars of his cell.
Beyond the chain-wrapped bars, two small girls wearing identical blue shirts, black shorts, boots and gloves, along with blue caps, stood outside. While they both had the same silver blond hair, they were both missing one eye while having an eyepatch covering the missing eye, emblazoned with a golden V.
The one on the left, holding a clipboard and missing her left eye, looks at him with neutrality. The one on the right, holding an electric shock baton and missing her right eye, smirks smugly at him.
Standing to his feet and noting the ball and chain attached to his left foot, Ren moves towards the bars to gaze beyond the girls, towards a man sitting in a velvet chair leaning onto a rich mahogany desk.
The long-nosed man with wide, bloodshot eyes and a wide grin meets his gaze as he extends his right arm out in greet. His voice, deep and foreboding, rumbles from his mouth.
"Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet room." Igor introduces himself. But while Ren looked at him with his best confused face, inside, he was seething in anger at the figure before him.
Yaldabaoth. We meet again, bastard.