Disclaimer: Fate and Persona are owned by different companies and I hold no ownership and all that jazz.
5/19
Hakuno was dizzy, her steps were uneven and she felt heavy as if the world was pressing down on her. She couldn't see the others but she could hear yelling in the distance.
"Oh come on~ Hakuno you should know better than this." A voice was plaguing her mind as well… it had to be in her mind after all it sounded like her own.
"Shut up." She muttered as she relied on the wall to walk in the direction of the voices, she channeled her Od into her Magic Circuits in a way to try and stay calm. Familiar blue lines spread alongside her body as she warmed up.
"Hakuno the great murderer, the one just full of Sin. I have been waiting for you to come back into this twisted dimension."
"I may not be you. But… you are me. You who are a majority of me but look at youuuu~" The voice that was just above her shoulders gave off a low whistle.
Hakuno didn't dare look behind her.
"You were given a Real Body after all, yet.. You kept the dreary look? It did blend in with the other NPCs after all. Perhaps to hide away?"
"Just one little push and you could go over the edge." Hakuno glanced down and could see the group arguing.
Seems she was on some sort of scaffolding.
She could see the group arguing and yelling.
"They aren't even looking for you… are they? They know your Sins and are happy you're gone."
Hakuno looked down and… not seeing any other way down.
Jumped.
For a split second, she saw herself in a flowing white dress with a red,blue, green sash around her waist. One Gold, one Brown eye stared back at her with a sickly sweet smile on her face.
"Hakuno!" Ann yelled as loud as she could.
"Lady Ann! We can't make much noise! We have regular people here."
"Did the cat costume just talk?"
"I am not a cat! Oh whatever…" Morgana was depressed.
"Calm down. She couldn't have gotten very far." Ryuji did not just say that.
"Calm down!? Calm down!? I'll show you calm!" Ann was furious at his lack of care.
"What even is this place?" Yusuke asked, as Morgana began to explain that they were inside Madarame's heart.
Ann looked around and couldn't see her cousin. Something had grabbed her when they entered the Metaverse.
She didn't even know that was possible.
"We need to find Hakuno!" Ann stated as her party nodded.
"Do you guys see anything!?" Ann saw Akira's eyes glint for a moment as he looked up and bolted towards a scaffold and firing his grappling hook, jumped to grab the falling Hakuno.
Blue lines spread across her body as you could see steam coming off her skin.
"What's happening to her?" Ann asked Morgana who looked so confused.
"I'm not sure…" Zorro was summoned as a wave of green energy surrounded Hakuno. The Blue Lines twisted and faded back into her body… She seemed to be unconscious.
"I must have… hit my head. This can't be Madarame's heart. This world… is far too repulsive."
"This is.. His true nature," Ann said as she took Hakuno's body from Akira.
She was a lot lighter than she looks…
"If everything you say is true, then… the Sensei I know doesn't exist…" Yusuke spoke slowly, Still.. He has kept me safe for these last ten years… My gratitude for that won't just disappear."
"You're still defending him!?" Ryuji practically yelled as Ann shifted Hakuno into a more comfortable position as they began walking through the eerily empty museum.
Why was there no Shadows?
Yusuke fell to the floor clutching his stomach.
"Are you ok?" She wasn't even sure they would safely be able to carry one normal person out of here, let alone two.
"I'm trying to be rational about this… but my emotions are overwhelming." Akira helped him up as they kept on guard for the Shadows that never came.
Ann could've swore she saw yellow eyes peeking at her from the windows though…
"So this… is inside of Sensei's heart? A vain museum such as this?" He couldn't help but mutter, countless paintings surrounded them.
Yusuke recognized the majority of them, from previous students to men in suits that came by on occasion.
Yusuke couldn't explain what was happening. He didn't want to know.
Maybe… when he wakes up Sensei will be there and it would have all been a sick dream.
"Ah this painting!" Madarame mentioned this girl often a few years ago… She had… donated a fair few paintings to him in the past.
She always made sure to split her food with him….
"Why are there paintings of them here?"
"Madarame saw 'em as objects, so that's what they are in here… We found yours too." What's his name? Scrull he mindlessly reminds himself.
Yusuke walked down some steps, a golden mockery of art stood at the base, black pools of oil erupted from the ground blocking them from continuing.
"Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame!" His… sensei appeared behind him, wearing a garish yellow kimono appearing to be made of solid gold.
"Sensei… is that you? That attire…"
"This.. this can't be… it has to all be a lie." He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act, a performance the populace loves the starving artist cliche. Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have many other homes, all under my many Mistress's names of course."
"This is absurd." He wasn't even looking at who spoke, staring into his Sensei's yellow eyes.
"If the Sayuri was stolen, why was it in the storage room? Why did you have to make copies of the Sayuri? If it is truly you please tell me!" Yusuke begged his Sensei.
He has to have a reason for all of this right!?
"Foolish Child. The painting being stolen was a false rumor I spread! Art snobs love stories like that! More so I would show them it, for a special fee of course!"
"What… what do you mean?!"
"The value of art is purely illusion! Art is nothing but a tool! A tool to gain money and fame! You helped me greatly as well Yusuke!"
Yusuke's heart broke.
"To think… I was under the care of this wretched man!" Depression turned to cold anger.
"You thought I took you in out of the goodness in my heart?" The thing laughed.
LAUGHED
"Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas… It's much easier to steal the futures of children who can't fight back."
Lies… All… of it was lies. He could feel thousands upon thousands of pinpricks across his skin. His body was becoming unnaturally cold.
"I can't believe this…" Yusuke started to focus.
"I won't… I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"
"Men! Dispose of these thieves!"
A sickly sweet voice then spoke, "Tatata, Azazel I'll take the little girl."
What the fuck was even happening anymore.
Akira couldn't believe his eyes as Hakuno came walking down the steps in a white dress. A large yellow ribbon was around her waist as the ends trailed behind her. Each step echoed in the silence.
Her eyes were yellow.
"How… How can her Shadow even make it here!?" Morgana spoke and even Shadow Madarame looked confused.
"Who the hell are you!"
"I just want the girl, you can have fun with your little thieves." Shadow Madarame took stock of the situation and then flashed the group a smile that chilled them.
"Tsk, Fine! Have the girl demon. I doubt these thieves can fight with two useless people."
"How amusing…"
"It seems the truth is stranger than fiction, hm? I wanted to believe it wasn't eyes were truly blind… Blind and unable to see the true self behind this one horrible man!" Yusuke was gripping his head now as he began grunting in pain. Ice cold mist leaked out of his body.
Seeing it twice, Akira knew what was happening. He was awakening.
Akira unloaded his pistol at a nearby shadow as it turned to Hua Po and… Nero Claudius!?
Her body was covered in black static as several dozen holes were open leaving chunks of her body gone.
Her flaming sword went straight for Ann.
Ryuji jumped in front of her as she still held Hakuno.
"Berserker! Break."
Nero did something and the heat intensified and melted Ryuji's pipe as she turned around kicking him into a Hua Po… killing it and leaving Ryuji on the ground.
A kitsune mask appeared on Yusuke as he ripped it off a pillar of ice blue flames erupted from him. "Come Goemon!"
An ice cold mist erupted from Yusuke as his Persona emerged, "Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known! Abominations are fated to perish!" Yusuke jumped into the fight, a Katana appearing in his hands as he clashed with Nero. A Blue-robed Samurai appeared beside him slashing and breathing out torrents of ice. Ice met flame as steam erupted from the three.
Akira had his hands full dealing with the multiple Koppa Tengu that spawned while Ann laid Hakuno on the ground in the middle of the three and Carmen materialized behind her unleashing torrents of flame.
"No matter what it takes! I will bring you to Justice!"
They might actually have this.
"I tire of this." The Shadow Hakuno spoke as nearly invisible keyboards surrounded her; her hands glowed as she interacted with it and his mind grew fuzzy as Hakuno turned into a ring.
A blast of wind pushed the ring into the middle of them.
One of the shadows transformed into an Ippon-Datara and swung his hammer down on him. Grunting he pushed it back with his knife, Jack Frost appearing behind him throwing multiple chunks of ice.
"Grab Hakuno! We need to leave now!" A tiny hua po managed to grab the ring! Morgana made an effort to jump and catch her but the hua po was fast.
Akira pulled the trigger of his gun.
But it was empty.
Ryuji had picked himself up off the ground as he was pushing open a hole towards Hakuno's ring body thing.
Once Nero noticed the ring/body missing she dashed towards the hua po crushing it in her hands as she claimed the ring.
"Good goooood!" The voice laughed at them.
"Now now you little thieves. I will be going, we got a lot of work to do. It was fun playing with you. Which will you do? Save Hakuno oorrrrr Punish Azazel here~" Shadow Hakuno turned into thousands of blue cubes and teleported away.
Akira… thought he saw a faint tear on Nero's face before she dropped a tiny locket and dissolved into black sludge.
The group together managed to push back the waves of Shadows and escape... while Akira put the locket into his pocket.
"That… happened." Akira was the first to speak, they managed to escape into a nearby alley, the police and private security long gone once they couldn't be immediately found.
"Coast is clear." Morgana said as Ann just. Rested her head in her hands.
"What… even was that?" She asked, "How could… Hakuno's Shadow follow us into someone else's palace?"
Morgana was pacing in front of her. "It doesn't make sense… her Shadow was calm and collected last we saw her."
A small thought wormed its way into her head, she took a breath, "Her Shadow… had yellow eyes."
The group nodded and even Yusuke nodded along as if he knew, "Hakuno's Shadow in her Palace didn't have yellow eyes."
"I.. understand I am new to this… but could someone explain what happened?"
"We should find someplace better to hide first. I saw a diner this way, let's go." Akira motioned for them to head out as he played with something in his pocket.
The diner was slightly crowded as they explained what they knew of Palaces, the exploration of Mementos, what occurred with Kamoshida… And about how Hakuno had a strange Palace… And her being an AI from another world that somehow managed to be born as a human in their world.
They avoided the topic of murder and dooming her world though. Hakuno should be the one to explain that. Yusuke's response was to just nod. Ann didn't know if the guy believed them or just chalked it up to the metaverse being real therefore anything could be real.
After they rescue her.
"Please… allow me to assist you, I wish to join as a member of the Phantom Thieves. I must put an end to his facade, for the sake of all the artist's futures that were lost. I also wish to apologize to Kishinami for endangering her life with me and Madarame's … incident."
"Wonder what the Real Madarame thinks happened, seeing a bunch of kids disappear had to be shocking."
"I did contact him, he believes I continued pursuing the two of you, he is still furious over what happened and complained about his security company… He will still be taking legal action against everyone wouldn't dream of doing something to cause bad press during the exhibition. So we have until then to do something before the police arrest us."
"Nero… did drop something." Akira pulled out the locket from his pocket, it was small in his hands, a red sash held the small shaped locket, and it had the engraving of To Protect. Inside was a tiny letter.
Graveyard
Gravekeeper is Ally
Ancient Temple Leyline
20 days
Ann checked her phone, Hakuno's Palace wasn't there anymore… "Hakuno Kishinami, Moon, Graveyard."
Candidate F̸̡̌ͅö̷́͜u̷͕͂̽n̸̠̝͛̆d̷̖́̋?̸̯͊
B̵̜͍̤̐̊̀e̴̡̞̪̅̿̊ğ̷͉̲̯͘͝ī̸̭̻͑n̵̜̆̌ ̵̭̯̣͊͂Ǹ̷̠͖̭̓͛a̴̟̲̔͂̍ṽ̵͙̻i̴̢̯̾̑͑g̶̮͎͗̍a̵̢̞̍͂͂ṱ̴̤͙̈i̴̧̯̘̊̽̕o̷͕̩̩͛ṋ̵̭͇͆̐̕?̸͈͒̿̇
È̴̳̳͇̯͗̂̅͊͝R̶̖̘̘̗̋̅͂̚Ŕ̶͔̥̽͂̂̽́O̶̰̲̬̬̠̓R̷̡̡̞̥̪̮̈́̚ ̸̡̩̰̤̺̀̒̉N̸̛̟͍̆̐͘O̸̲̗̰͙̓͛͗T̸̙͌͒͘ ̸̢̩̩̙̯̞̏̏̀E̴̛͎̠̐N̴̢͕̝̐O̷̪͇̝͂̅͑U̶͎͋G̵̢̘̱͕̺̻̅̂̈́̿̕͝Ḩ̸̛͕̺̟̓̌̇͋̾ ̴̞͉̱̖͋̈̓͗Ë̷̻́̐̈́̔N̷̛̤̐̅̔E̸̺̝̝̤͙̔̊͋͘͝Ŗ̴̹̜̝͖̔̒̓͘Ǵ̷͔̖̈́̽̑͠Y̵̜̓̐͠?̵̟̽̈́̔?̴̯͙̦͕̄̄̎͠?̴̣̄̆͗?̸̜̫̼͙̤͋̕͘
"That… doesn't sound good." Ann was slightly concerned how the Meta-Nav did not like Hakuno's Palace..
Today was not a good day.
"How are we going to hide that she is missing?" Yusuke asked.
"I know a doctor… She might be willing to write a note, as long as they don't call her parents…"
"I can handle Uncle and Aunty, they will believe me." She hopes at least.
"I know… Hakuno is in the most danger, but we should handle Madarame's Palace first." Akira stated eyes hidden by his glasses.
Ann was about to speak up before he continued.
"Nero alone destroyed Ryuji's weapon, we need more finances to cover new weapons and I should be able to get stronger Personas, Madarame's exhibition ends on the fifth. We are also halfway done with his Palace. If Nero's note is true we have until the eighth. We should hold off other than a general check to ensure the information is right. We also have to figure out what 'temple' it is referring to."
Ann hated how he was right.
"Maybe the one in Kichijoji?" Yusuke mentions, "There is an old temple there, Madarame took me once for ' the way… what is that?" Yusuke pointed at Morgana
"It's a cat."
"But… it's talking?"
"You got a problem with that?!"
"...No, not really."
What is a leyline though?
"I think… we should all call it a night, I'll check to see if Iwai has anything new in stock, and I'll try to get the doctor's note from Takemi." Akira noted as they all packed up.
Ann managed to get back to their apartment.
It felt so lonely without the brown haired girl.
Ann didn't know what to do.
She reached for her phone and made a call.
"Ann?"
"Hey Shiho… Can we talk?"
Author's Note: Yep no funny thing
Just sad thing
Though I will point out, I do like Ryuji and find him funny, I don't really mean for him to be the punching bag against the Servants, it just kind of ends that way.
With Yusuke being added it will change a few things, as his sword skill should be a kind of match for a Berserker Nero.
The locket is the Protection Charm and parts of the Scarlet Formal Wear.
I will probably slow down before i burn out. So... earliest I will see ya Tuesday
Hint Number 1! Extra Class.
