Sae Niijima gets a taste of her own medicine.
[Fifteen Minutes Ago]
As soon as they entered the PE faculty office, Makoto closed the door and turned towards Akechi.
"There is something I have been meaning to tell you." He said in a somber tone, not wasting any time.
She narrowed her eyes. This was it. She was pretty sure he would finally expose what he knew.
Makoto mentally prepared herself.
Akechi seemed concerned. "Your sister has been acting odd lately. I'm genuinely worried for her wellbeing."
That took her a little aback. 'Why is he talking about sis?'
"What do you mean?" She prompted him cautiously.
"About a month ago or so Sae-san was quite frankly… Obsessed with her pursuits of the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown cases."
Makoto felt rattled at the clear reminder of her sister's former actions.
He sighed. "But then, out of nowhere, she had a sudden shift. Not many noticed since she kept a low profile, but I have been close to her for a while now, enough to know that she has changed."
So he noticed…
"Have you noticed anything amiss at home?" He inquired objectively when she said nothing in response.
"…A little, back when she was on forced leave, but I chalked that up to her enjoying some time off from her stressful job." She told him, being careful to appear clueless.
A deflection on her part.
"I see. I'll be direct then." He told her as he adjusted his tie.
Makoto's eyes narrowed in response.
"Did you ask the Phantom Thieves to change your sister's heart?"
That sent a shock through her whole body. Makoto tried her best to mask her nervousness. "What? No!"
He seemed surprised…
…Then he told her something that she did not know.
Makoto froze, her face morphing from panic into genuine, raw shock.
"…What are you talking about?" She asked, her eyes wide.
He gasped. "Oh my… So you don't know?"
"Know what? " She pressed him urgently.
He seemed regretful. "That's… I'm sorry, I don't think I should've let that slip, but…"
"Akechi," She growled menacingly. "Just tell me already!"
He sighed, and started talking.
[10/26, The Present Day - Afternoon]
"I'm resigning from the Phantom Thieves. Permanently." Makoto told them, her voice cracking up with a strong surge of devastating emotion.
'I have no other choice.' She thought, desperately. 'I must protect them at all costs…'
"Makoto… I don't understand. What is going on?" Ren asked, his voice full of hurt, frustration and confusion as he crouched before her, gently touching her face. "What did Akechi tell you alone? Does he know who we are?"
She shook her head furiously, shrugging off his hand. She averted her eyes as she saw Ren's look of hurt.
"That's the problem. He didn't… He didn't say anything about the Phantom Thieves other than to ask if I knew their identities or if I asked them to change sis' heart. I already denied it." She muttered.
It was true.
However, what he had told her instead… If that was true, Makoto didn't know what she would do.
She would never forgive Sae if it was.
"Then why are you resigning from the team? That doesn't make any sense!" Ren demanded with ever growing distress.
"Ren…" Morgana muttered in concern.
"T-that's my decision. I'm sorry. But I cannot stay in this group any longer. I'm sorry."
Ryuji crossed his arms, and a pissed off look formed upon his face. "Dude, this is bullcrap! Did that guy threaten you or somethin'?"
She merely shook her head again.
"Makoto… Come on, we can help, just tell us what is going on…" Futaba asked imploringly, her eyes tearing up in hurt and confusion.
She couldn't waver . This was for their own good.
She hated this. She hated this, she hated this, she hated this…!
'I cannot adhere to this choice… My priestess, please…' Anat pleaded. 'Trust your bonds to navigate this crisis together… I am thou.'
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you know I can't do this anymore… Someone is going to get hurt if I do. I can't control my own body any longer…'
"Mako-chan." Haru stepped up, touching her shoulder slightly with a supportive look. "I think you are not quite thinking straight. Please, reconsider your words."
Morgana also approached her. "Haru is right. Won't you at least think about it?"
"Please, do not withdraw from us, friend." Yusuke begged. "I implore you."
"Yeah, we'll get through this together, please!" Ann also pleaded with her.
In response, she shuddered out a heavy breath. "You don't get it… You don't get it at all!"
"Then please, make it make sense." Ren pleaded with her one more time.
"I'm losing control over myself… It'll be a matter of time before I hurt you guys…" She choked out.
Makoto had no other choice. She was losing control.
"Please, respect my decision." She said as she got up. "Enjoy the rest of the festival, I'm… I'm going home."
Makoto hurried to the exits. She had to get out of there.
"Makoto!" Ren called out, and hugged her from behind just as she was leaving.
Her body sagged against his strong arms. She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice.
"It's okay if you want to step away from the team for a while. But please, talk to me. Talk to us. Don't shut us out." He begged, his voice shaky with emotion.
"Ren." She whispered sadly, leaning against him for one final bout of comfort. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Then she shrugged him off, and left the backstage and all her friends behind.
'This only happened because you listened to Anat. You let her guide you into this folly.' The voice taunted her as she made her way across the corridors, and out of the school.
'Anat had NOTHING to do with this, YOU did!' Makoto thought viciously as she shoved some people out of her way, glaring at them. 'Why did you take over MY body, and provoke Akechi like that!?'
'Because I wanted to. Are you gonna cry, now?' It said viciously.
'I don't want you here, get the hell out of my head!' Makoto thought desperately. More onlookers looked at her with judgmental eyes, and gossiped. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"Out of my way. Move!" She barked out imperiously to the crowd blocking her way, white hot anger coursing through her veins as they stared at her like a circus freak.
'Let me take over. Let me take over. Let me take over. Let me take over!' It insisted viciously, over and over again.
Makoto clutched her head and left the school. Wobbling all the way to the train station, her mind full of racing, uncomprehending thoughts.
Ishikawa was a piece of shit.
He scolded her today again for the lack of results in the Phantom Thieves investigation. What the fuck did he expect? It hasn't even been a proper week since he gave her the position of heading the investigation.
In any case, she called her uncle Katsuya earlier, and arranged for him and Tatsu to have official capacity in the investigation. She has to finalize it with Kounan PD's head tomorrow, but it's guaranteed that once her uncles arrive in town, they'll be allowed to be a part of the task force under her.
She needs more people she can trust on her side.
Her thoughts turned to her sister and the kids. Sae knew Akechi's panel was today, and she was a little worried. She still hasn't seen hair nor hide of the little asshole, but she is certain he must be scheming now.
A part of her… A part of her still wanted to believe Akechi was not malignant, and that there was some sort of wild misunderstanding here, that perhaps he stumbled upon the metaverse the same way she did, and that in the end he is a good guy.
But that is not a certainty, either. The ambiguity of the situation was eating away at her.
So for the rest of the afternoon, she decided to focus on work, glad that this upcoming month she would only have a single court trial. However, she decided to stop for the day as soon as evening arrived and go home. Sae had no more intention of staying up late in this shithole, she'd rather live her life a little.
Her phone rang just as she entered the elevator. Carelessly, without checking the id, she took the call. "Niijima speaking."
"Sae-san." Amamiya spoke, sounding distressed. "Something is off with Makoto."
Her blood immediately ran cold with dread.
"What happened now? Did he say or do anything to her?" She asked, feeling both concerned and irritated at the same time.
"I don't know. I… I don't know, she wants to leave the team." He told her, voice full of sadness and worry.
Her eyes widened in utter disbelief. "What!? Explain!"
Makoto stared ahead as she sat stiffly on the couch, feeling dead inside as the voice laughed madly in her mind.
Anat was roaring too, trying to fight off the other presence, but to no avail.
Funny how the demons on her head - even the helpful one - were so keen on driving her insane for good.
…No matter. She only had one question now. Just one question.
She heard the click of the front door as someone entered the apartment.
"Makoto!" Sae said as she rushed to hug and comfort her. "Thank God you're home. Amamiya-kun called me. What is this I hear of you wanting to quit the team!?"
Makoto closed her eyes as she leaned her head on her big sis' shoulders just like she used to as a little child. Sae's arms were the closest thing to a mother's embrace that she had ever known in her life.
But she had to ask. She hoped he lied.
It could not be true. No matter how awful Sae had been before, this was before the whole metaverse debacle ever distorted her sister.
If she did what Akechi claimed she did…
… Makoto would hate Sae forever.
It would be her fault. It would be her fault!
She teared up.
"Hey," Sae started, her voice full of concern and love. "Talk to me, baby sis?"
Makoto loved her sister with all her heart, but sometimes she couldn't help but feel like she was living with a monster.
"Sae. What did you say to dad?" Makoto asked, her voice hollow.
Her sister stared at her uncomprehendingly. "…What?"
She looked at Sae firmly. "The day before he died, you stormed in the precinct and you had a fight. What did you say?"
Sae's eyes widened and she paled. "Makoto…Who told you this?"
Makoto clenched her fists.
"Tell me what you said. Tell me!"
Her sister wasn't listening to her. "Was it Akechi? Fuck, I knew that little bastard was digging around for a reason…"
So it was true.
Akechi told her the truth.
"Tell me! Tell me Sae!" She demanded viciously as she started to hyperventilate.
"Breathe! You're having a panic attack! Stay put. I'm going to find your medication!" Sae said in alarm instead.
Makoto didn't let her, as she grabbed her sister's wrist forcefully.
"Makoto. Let go." Sae ordered, her voice a mix of stern and regretful.
There is regret. There is fucking regret in her voice…
What did she say to dad?
What did she say to dad!?
"No. Tell me!" She demanded again, almost running out of oxygen as her voice faltered. She felt the world turn cold all around her.
"You need to calm down." Sae pleaded.
'This bitch thinks she can lie. Make her say it, Makoto, make her say it!'
Makoto finally gave in to the voice and grabbed her sister by the collar. "Just tell me the fucking truth already, dammit!"
Silence ensued her violent statement, and then, Makoto froze, regaining her senses again.
She felt Anat rev her engine and ward off the evil in her mind for a moment.
What was she doing?
She let go, ready to apologize. But then, Sae started to cry. A couple of silent tears first, full of shame, then finally breaking down into painful sobs.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Makoto. Forgive me."
"Tell me." She pleaded. "Please."
"…I tried to stop him from going into that undercover operation that saw him killed. They were trying to go against Kaneshiro. I think deep down, you already knew this, but… It was Kaneshiro that ordered dad's hit. He supplied the drugs to that truck driver to get rid of the evidence later. The killer was one of the junkies in his service."
Kaneshiro. Kaneshiro had her dad killed.
…She should feel enraged that she missed an opportunity to get back at her father's true killer. But she didn't. Because now Kaneshiro is a long time behind bars, and justice has already been dispensed.
It no longer mattered . She wanted the real answer to her question now.
"…That is not what I want to know. Tell me. If you love me, give me the truth. What did you say to dad the day before he died? What were your last words to our father, Sae?"
Sae started to cry earnestly, looking vulnerable and full of remorse.
"I… I said I hoped he died for his recklessness…"
Sae broke down further and Makoto only felt numb inside.
"Forgive me, Makoto. Forgive me sister…" She begged. "I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't."
Sae embraced her against her chest, seeking comfort in her arms as she bawled her eyes out.
But Makoto only felt white, hot rage.
All consuming rage.
Sae wished their father was dead. Their only remaining parent.
Then when she got her stupid wish, she proceeded to take her issues out on Makoto, making her feel like she was a burden.
Their father died with Sae's hateful words as his last memory of his elder daughter. He must have been heartbroken.
He must have been distressed, and his selfish, bastard daughter's wishes came true because of that.
Sae Niijima was no longer her sister.
Makoto lost the capacity to reason afterwards. She was no longer human, Sae gave her the final push she needed to become the monster.
"YOU…YOU FUCKING BITCH! I HATE YOU!" She yelled out viciously as she shoved Sae off her, then pounced on her again to attack her.
Sae, who was still vulnerable and not expecting the flurry of blows, was caught completely off guard.
She hit her in the face repeatedly. Makoto felt euphoric as she did it.
See if Sae likes it now, getting beaten the same way Makoto was beaten by her shadows.
She laughed maniacally. This felt great.
Makoto heard a crack. She broke something.
God she hoped she broke something. The face in front of her was a mess after all.
She was about to hit the thing in front of her again when it caught her wrist, and viciously headbutted her back.
"Fuck, that hurt!" She yelled out viciously.
The thing just grabbed her in a chokehold and started to cut off her air supply.
Makoto started to struggle. She was going to lose consciousness.
Her response was to laugh in amusement, until she finally blacked out.
[?]
"Persona, Persona, come to me." A little child chanted.
"Persona, Persona, come to me." A young teenage girl chanted next.
"Persona, Persona, come to me." A highschooler on the cusp of adulthood said finally.
A nameless soul found that she was in a dark, cold, and endless pit.
But that was fine.
She was no longer afraid. The darkness held all the truths she forgot about her life.
"Philemon." The soul whispered. "I am undergoing a transformation."
In the background, a thousand arcane voices whispered with her in a chorus: " Persona, Persona, come to me."
Behind her, a masked gentleman with a black ponytail, and a butterfly's mask materialized, and he sighed mournfully.
"Is that truly your choice? Ruin may await the fated trickster if you choose to listen to the demiurge instead of your true selves, Moonlit Priestess."
"My resolve has been broken. There is almost no more Priestess left in me." She said as she hugged herself. "I am now solely the Moon."
"A Black Moon, eclipsed by evil influences." He muttered. "I cannot run true interference, as the Velvet Room is under malign forces. This radical path to liberation is your choice and yours alone."
She closed her eyes. It was equally dark in her mind's eyes. "I remember the mountain, the Alaya shrine, now. I was seven years old, alone and afraid of this place."
"Indeed. You are still that frail child, terrified of the sea of souls." Philemon chimed in. "A pity. It gave the demiurge the opening it needed to taint your suppressed, other Persona."
The Moon looked mournful. "I know. I don't have much time. The demiurge is taking over me. I cannot protect myself forever. The Priestess Persona is also on the cusp of breaking under the strain of the dark forces influencing the Moon as well."
"That is a shame." He mourned. "That was your initial Persona."
The Moon turned to the master of the Velvet Room. "Philemon. Let the Priestess navigate the sea of souls. I implore you."
"That is no mere common Persona, but a manifestation of your true self from this side. Would you let it navigate like a lost, vagabond, nameless soul?"
"It will die permanently otherwise if the demiurge reaches it as well. A preservation of the self is the only answer."
The revving of a motorcycle could be heard in the distance. It knew its fate.
"If that is your wish." Philemon finally said, as it looked at her. "Before we let it go… Do you remember your name, child?"
The child, the youth, the young adult nodded, and whispered: "Makoto Niijima."
"Then let us break your contract, Makoto Niijima."
She nodded.
"I'm ready, Master Persona."
On the other side of town, Ren Amamiya was quietly lying on his bed, feeling worried for his girlfriend, when he felt a sudden pain hit him forcefully on the chest.
"Ren!" Morgana shouted in alarm.
But he paid his friend no mind. Everything inside his being was on fire as he felt an excruciating pain beyond any other in his life.
Then, he heard a faint voice in his head:
"I am thou… Thou art I…
Thou hast lost one of thy vows…
It shall pave thy road to ruin,
And tighten thy chains of captivity.
With the death of Priestess Persona
I have lost the winds of blessing that
were leading to freedom and known power…"
Ren fainted from the strain of the broken bond.
Morgana looked wide eyed as Joker fainted right after a sudden bout of pain. The not-cat used his claws to open the window, and bolted out of the bedroom, running across the streets of Yongen to quickly reach the Sakura residence.
He found Futaba's open window and jumped, then held on until he managed to crawl inside.
"Eep!" Futaba squeaked out, holding her hand in front of her chest in fright. Then she blinked. "Hey, don't scare me like that!"
"Futaba! Go get Boss, Ren just fainted out of nowhere!"
Futaba's eyes widened in alarm as she heard him.
Sae was on the cusp of blacking out, and she felt faint as her face started to swell.
Makoto had passed out after Sae choked her out. She didn't want to do it but she had to make sure her sister was neutralized.
She was feeling devastated.
Checking Makoto's pulse, she realized her sister was still breathing, and had merely blacked out as she intended. She let out a breath of relief.
The prosecutor was starting to lose her ability to make out shapes properly as red spots filled her field of vision. She swiftly picked up her phone and dialed the first favorite contact that appeared in her phone. They needed help.
"Sae-chan?" The woman she dialed questioned as soon as she picked it up. "Didn't expect you to call so soon hon. If it's about that-"
" Maya. I need help. Medical help." She choked out.
"What!? Where are you?" Her aunt asked urgently.
"Home. Door's open. Don't call an ambulance, I w-want to keep a low profile." She said as she started to feel faint. "Please, hurry."
"…Hang on, honey, I'm coming."
Sae lost consciousness right after.
Sojiro and Futaba arrived in Leblanc with doctor Takemi in tow.
She swiftly checked over him. "One of you will have to seriously tell me what is going on. This is the second time in the span of a few days that I'm being summoned to an emergency right here."
"Honestly, doc. I don't think you wanna know." Sojiro supplied.
Takemi sighed. There was no use snarking at them, this was likely the result of her guinea's pigs adventures.
You see, Tae suspected he was a Phantom Thief. She didn't have any form of concrete proof, but she had started to deduce a lot of things thanks to all the little clues he left behind for her to pick up here and there.
And she would bet all her money the suit girl knew it too. She wouldn't just randomly befriend a group of teenagers without an ulterior motive. Sae was too much of a grump for that.
"He is fine." Tae said, after finalizing her checkup. "Seems like he is somewhat fatigued, is all."
She heard the cat meow extensively, while Futaba-chan nodded at whatever it was saying.
Huh. Peculiar.
"W-well we were at his school festival earlier today but… He isn't exactly the kind of guy that just faints out of nowhere. Ren is a tough cookie!" Futaba said.
Not exactly. Some of the concoctions he has tested for her knocked him out in mere seconds, but she shouldn't be admitting that out loud, as it would be poor form in this situation.
She settled for tranquilizing the room's inhabitants. "Don't worry, Futaba-chan. He'll be as good as new soon. Let him sleep until it passes. Call me if he shows any other kind of symptoms, though."
Sojiro ran a hand through his hair in tiredness. "Alright, doc. Thanks for the help."
"No worries at all, Boss."
Maya urgently barged in on the girls' apartment, and gasped out loud when she spotted both of them lying on the ground, passed out.
She hurried to their side, and checked their pulses. Mako-chan had strangulation marks around her neck, whereas Sae-chan's whole face was bloodied and swollen.
Both alive, but roughed up. Maya shuddered out a breath of relief, while tearing up at their state.
"Oh girls…" She whispered.
She closed her eyes and expanded her senses, letting Artemis wash out over the room.
'Our power is too faint nowadays to do anything of significance here.' Her persona told her. 'We must take them to proper aid.'
"I know, but there must be a reason if Sae doesn't wish to involve actual physicians." She muttered to herself.
Sae groaned finally and opened her eyes again, crying out in severe pain. "A-Auntie…"
"Hey girl, easy, easy." Maya cooed.
She cried out in pain again when Maya gently guided her to sit on the couch and she moved her head too abruptly.
"Oh hon, what the hell happened here?" The older woman asked as she went around the apartment trying to find some ice and first aid supplies for her niece.
"Makoto attacked me. She lost her mind. I knocked her out for the time being."
"Damn, Sae-chan…" Maya muttered, horrified. "Why would she attack you?"
"Heard about something I was keeping away from her. From everyone, really." Sae said in a trembling voice. With the disfigured way her face was, it looked almost as if she was having physical pain while trying to cry.
"We'll circle back to that some other time." Maya muttered as she set down the supplies, then put a pillow under Makoto's head, and turned back to Sae.
"Honey, I know you said you want to keep it low profile, but we need to take you - and her - to a hospital. Please, this is way too serious for home attendance." Maya pleaded.
Sae shook her head, while wincing at the pain of doing so. "No. No, please, they'll ask questions. I can't let them take Makoto away from me."
Maya furrowed her eyebrows, not quite understanding her niece's fears. "Why would they do that, hon?"
"She is not well mentally. And… And there is a lot going on."
"Like what?" Maya asked as she passed a cold compress for her niece to hold.
Sae remained quiet and just clutched the compress to her swollen, busted eye.
Maya crouched before her and took her free hand as if she was a little girl again. "Like what, sweetheart?"
Sae shuddered. "Like…Things that are strange. And odd."
Maya froze in her tracks. Odd?
Like… The presence she sensed on Makoto the other day?
"Auntie… Please… I'll trust you, if you can trust me back. Can you do that?" Sae pleaded.
Maya closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath. "Okay kiddo. Okay."
Sae smiled with a grimace. "How do y-you know Wakaba Isshiki, A-auntie…"
Maya groaned. "Oh you sly little snake. Your entire face is swollen and you're more focused on interrogating me?"
"Sorry. Had to try." Sae said while wincing.
"You truly are the worst parts of Mi-chan, Sae." Maya muttered with fond exasperation. "Your mother would use dirty tactics like that all the time, even when the world was ending."
It wasn't really a figure of speech, but Sae doesn't have to know that.
"That's why I miss her. If she were here , Makoto would never have suffered and become like this. This is all my fault." She sniffled out.
Sae started crying at being reminded of her mother. She was clearly having an emotional breakdown.
Maya hugged her and soothed her by running circles on her back. "There, there."
She continued to treat her niece afterwards, cleaning all the blood and making sure she was comfortable.
"I'll be right back, I just have to check on your sister now."
"Alright. Thanks auntie." Sae responded, already calmed down.
Maya nodded with a supportive smile and approached Makoto. She crouched down and touched her face. Her breath was even, and other than the marks in her neck, she seemed otherwise fine.
"She's fine. But her neck is bruised and her forehead has a bump." Maya said regrettably. "You girls really did one hell of a whoop-ass on one another."
"I know. But I had to restrain her…" Sae said with remorse. "…What time is it?"
"Almost ten. Why?"
"Fuck. Too many people out in the streets yet." She mumbled.
Maya stared at her niece with puzzlement in her eyes. "Huh, what for?"
"…I need to get myself and Makoto to a clinic."
Maya let out a breath of relief.
"Thank god you finally listened. Come on, I'll take you guys there." She offered.
Maya saw Sae visibly shudder and toss her phone in her direction. "…Please dial Okumura-chan instead. We'll need her help for this."
"Why?" Maya inquired.
"Because I don't trust your driving skills."
Ren Amamiya woke up in his bed, feeling desolate, but otherwise well.
"Ren!" Morgana and Futaba both cried out.
"Something has happened to Makoto." He muttered in blind panic.
The hacker and the not-cat shared curious, apprehensive looks with one another.
"What do you mean?" Morgana asked.
"I felt it… Our bond has been severed." He said gravely, almost mournfully. "I need to go see her."
He stumbled out of his bed and swiftly put on his shoes and grabbed his backpack, his mind already set for the train station.
He had to go to Makoto.
He had to go to Makoto now.
When Haru received a call from Sae-san so late in the evening, she didn't expect it to be Amano-san on the other side of the line.
"Okumura-chan." The older woman said with a heavy, tired tone of voice. "Sae-chan needs your assistance. If it's not too much of an imposition, could you and your driver come to her apartment? I'll text you the address in a bit."
"Of course, but… Is something the matter?" She asked, worried sick.
"The girls had an altercation and brawled, and Sae-chan is requesting transportation to a private clinic."
Haru covered her mouth with her free hand. That doesn't sound good. At all.
"I see. I'll arrive with my driver shortly. Please, stay put." Haru said resolutely.
"Thank you." The older woman replied with relief in her voice.
Several minutes later, Sae and Maya heard a knock on the door, expecting it to be Haru.
Turns out, it was just Amamiya.
"Makoto!" He said with desperation as he barged in.
Sae raised her eyebrows, then winced in pain for doing that. "…How the hell do you know where we live?"
"I'm here with him!" Morgana butted out from the boy's bag. "Whoa, what happened to your face!?"
Right, that explained it. For a second, she almost feared Makoto had sneaked Amamiya into their home while she was none the wiser.
It would be way too damn awkward if she did.
"Who is this?" Maya asked curiously.
Sae shook her head slightly. "That's Clown, Makoto's boyfriend. And his cat."
"Ace, come on! You know I'm not a cat!" Morgana protested.
"…His name is 'Clown?' And he carries his cat around?" Maya asked, puzzled.
Sae shrugged. She was pretty sure Makoto's blows gave her a light concussion, as she didn't feel too good in the head and kept shifting moods and saying whatever came to mind.
Ren walked past them, crouching by her sister. "Oh Makoto…"
"She is fine, I just knocked her out cold." She muttered.
Ren finally turned to Sae, his face fierce and likely ready to scold her, but he was taken aback as he realized she looked much worse than Makoto did. "What the hell happened to your face!?"
"Hey, I asked it first!" Morgana exclaimed.
" Makoto happened to my face ." She said tiredly.
Ren finally seemed to recognize that Sae was not the only one in the room, despite looking distressed. "Oh. Sorry, I'm just… My name is Ren Amamiya, Ma'am. The little fellow is Morgana."
"Hi sweetie, I'm Maya Amano, the surrogate auntie of these scoundrels." She said with an exasperated sigh.
Ren seemed like he had more to say, but with Maya there, he stayed put.
Not even five minutes later, they heard a knock on the door again. It was Haru, finally.
"What on earth happened to your face, Sae-san!?" The heiress asked in horror, as soon as Maya opened the door.
Sae sighed. It was going to be a long night.
"Don't worry about it. Please, have your driver carry Makoto to the car. Maya, can you accompany him?"
"Of course." Her auntie prompted, as the driver swiftly picked Makoto up.
It was just the Phantom Thieves left in the apartment now.
"Alright, the reason why I called you, Okumura-chan, is because we're not going to a clinic. We are going to mementos." She said,
Ren sighed. "What about Amano-san?"
"We either tell her the truth or get rid of her. You're the leader, it's your prerogative. I just panicked and called her here because that was the first number on my phone, and I blacked out from the pain for a while."
Ren seemed pensive. "Do you trust her?"
"I do… Most of the time, anyway, as long as there are no vehicles involved. She has known me and Makoto since we were little kids."
"I see. It's a gamble letting her know about us, even if indirectly. Futaba told me she knew her mother."
"Yes. I'm not entirely sure, but I also have a hunch she knows about the conspiracy, and has been keeping a low profile because of it. She always gets a little paranoid if you try to mention Isshiki."
He hummed to himself. "Alright. One problem at a time."
"I don't think it matters at this point since Amano-san is a friend. It's best that we take you to mementos, or questions will be asked in your workplace if you show up like this. Right?" Haru said.
"Indeed. Now, help me out, I cannot walk by myself like this, I can barely make out your shapes." She asked both teens.
Maya had a lot of questions running through her mind, but she decided to not pry for the time being.
Sae-chan seemed to shift her moods from sad to sarcastic during the whole ride. Makoto still didn't wake up. Amamiya-kun looked beside himself with worry while fussing over her.
Okumura-chan also seemed apprehensive. The kitty wouldn't shut up and meowed loudly during the entire ride, with Okumura-chan and Amamiya-kun talking to him as if he were a person.
'That's a fun party you've got here.' Her persona joked.
'Tell me about it.' She thought sardonically.
Soon, they arrived at the "clinic".
"The clinic is in the subway station?" She questioned.
"Yes." The kids and Sae said in unison. The cat also meowed with them.
Maya blinked. That was one hell of a smart cat.
"Oh well, lead the way." She said.
The three youngsters - and the cat, don't forget him, Maya! - looked at her with pointed looks.
"Actually, why don't you stay here with Koichi-san?" Amamiya-kun suggested.
Maya frowned. "Why?"
"Because we can explain later. Please?" Sae asked.
Maya shared looks with the driver, who just shrugged.
"Alright. But don't take too long… Whatever this is." She muttered.
She and the driver waited around awkwardly. She tried to tell him some dad jokes, but they really fell flat and he seemed a little out of his depth, so eventually she shut up.
Maya's eyes widened, however, as the trio soon returned, with Amamiya-kun carrying Makoto in his arms, and Sae-chan completely good as new.
Her face was unblemished.
Beside herself, the driver had his mouth open in shock.
"What the…" He muttered.
His employer just shook her head. "Don't tell a single soul, Koichi."
Koichi quickly recomposed himself. "… Of course not, young mistress."
"How on earth did you manage this?" Maya asked in disbelief.
Well, She had a hunch. This smelled like the Wakaba brand of crazy.
Philemon, Igor, Velvet Room brand of crazy, even.
Sae sighed. "I'll explain… Well, only if you tell me how you know Wakaba Isshiki, that is."
Maya sighed. Sae truly was a persistent little shit.
"Hah, nice try again. But I'll just pretend I didn't see this… Whatever this was." She chose to respond instead.
The silver haired woman pouted. "…Are you really not going to tell me?"
Definitely not yet. She needed time to process this and make some conjectures before she opened up all her knowledge.
Besides, she knew Sae, the moment she talked about Masayoshi Shido's conspiracy, her niece would drag a task force to his doorstep. She needs to gauge Sae's ability to control her impulses first before she opens up fully. And also, probably wait for Katsu and Tatsu to arrive so she has reinforcements to stop her if need be.
"… If you don't ask me questions, I won't ask you questions. Fair enough?"
"Fine. But this isn't over." Sae grumbled,
Amamiya-kun turned to her. "Don't mind Sae-san, she is just…" He trailed off. "Can we trust you to really not tell anyone?"
Maya wanted to believe Mako-chan was innocent, but the fact that she assaulted her sister further cemented her suspicions of her being Wakaba's volunteer…
God, she just wanted to be wrong about this. Makoto cannot be the murderer.
"Of course not, Amamiya-kun. I love those girls. I'd never do anything to hurt them directly." She said with a sigh. "But keep me posted about Makoto, I… I'm worried for her."
Ren and Maya crossed gazed directly, both sensing something about one another.
'There is something about this boy…' Artemis whispered in her mind.
'I know. I think he noticed us somewhat as well.'
He had an excellent poker face, however, and didn't precisely give away that he knew something.
Eventually, he just nodded. "Of course."
That was enough for her, for now, while she tried to make sense of things.
And for the girls, Maya Amano would feign senility and pretend she just didn't realize that some of them - if not all four of them, if you included Makoto - are fellow persona users.
Koichi dropped them all off back to Sae and Makoto's home. Maya had left as soon as they arrived, promising once again that she wouldn't tell a single soul.
Sae knew she would keep quiet, but she would not give up until Maya told her all she knew about Wakaba Isshiki.
"Thank you for the assistance, Okumura-chan." Sae said, feeling drained. "I don't think I would be able to move for weeks if we didn't go to mementos to heal us."
They were inside Makoto's room, watching as she slept profoundly on her bed.
"That's no problem at all, but… What truly happened?" Haru asked.
Morgana, whose tail was swishing and flicking around, also perked up.
Ren stayed quiet, his face grief stricken.
Sae hung her head down. "When I arrived home… Makoto was distressed. She asked me a question in regards to a fight I had with our father. And I confirmed her worst fears."
She told them the full tale of her fight with her father. The urge to cry hit her full force again, regret and shame returning alongside the desire to bawl her eyes out.
"That must've been difficult for you." Haru said in response, hugging herself as she likely remembered her conflicts with her own father.
"There is not a single day that I don't regret my words." She choked out.
Morgana approached her, and headbutted her legs. "Don't blame yourself. I… I know it can't compare, but I said a lot of things I didn't mean in a fit of anger too."
She crouched down and petted Morgana. "Thank you, Mona."
Ren, who was watching Makoto attentively, sighed. "I don't know what your relationship must have been like, but I doubt you really meant it. Makoto however…"
"She took it the worst way possible. That's why she attacked me." Sae confirmed.
Ren averted his eyes. "I see. The thing is, I came here with Morgana's help because I sensed something wrong with Makoto. Remember how I talked about my confidant bonds back at the Crossroads?"
She looked at him. "Yes, I do."
He closed his eyes. "Earlier today, I had felt my bond with Makoto break. Not regress, break. It was as if there was never a bond in the first place now."
Sae looked horrified. "You don't think…"
"I think the moment she completely lost and attacked you, something must have happened. I have an ability called the third eye where I can check my bonds in reality, and…"
"…And?" Haru prompted.
Ren was completely crushed.
"When I arrived here and checked Makoto's tarot card… It was completely blank."
[10/27, The Present Day - Early Morning]
The next day, Makoto opened her eyes in slow, hypnotic blinks as she took in her surroundings, almost like a newborn meeting the world for the first time.
She wondered. Was there something she wasn't remembering?
The teenage girl eventually gave up thinking too hard and got up and readied herself for the day, applying some light Makeup on her face, and wearing her uniform a bit more casually.
Inspecting herself in the mirror, she smiled at her reflection.
No, she beamed at it.
Makoto Niijima looked and felt great.
Outside her room, Makoto found her older sister nursing a cup of coffee. She clenched her fists and sneered.
"Makoto!" Her sister said, getting up from her chair and staring in a mix of shock and apprehension at seeing her.
Makoto decided to silently walk past the traitorous asshole, and just open the fridge and pick up something to drink.
Not caring for her sister's opinion, she drank milk straight from the carton.
"…What are you doing?" Sae asked in puzzled alarm.
Makoto ignored her again.
"I'm talking to you." Her annoying sister tried again.
The girl rolled her eyes. "What do you think? Drinking something, duh. I'm thirsty."
"… Alright. But listen, about yesterday-"
Makoto stopped drinking again and looked Sae up and down as she interrupted her sister. "Yeah. How come your face is perfect this morning?"
"I went to Mementos to heal us. I took you there too…"
"Right." Makoto said dryly.
Her sister's face was full of hurt. "Makoto. I understand you were upset, rightfully so. But… Never before have we ever assaulted each other like we did yesterday. This is not something we can sweep under the rug."
"You have some gall to lecture me about this, huh? You're a hypocrite, Sae. For months, almost years now, I was treated like shit by you. Not once have I ever retaliated until recently." Her sister said.
Makoto then put the carton of milk down and crossed her arms as she leaned against the fridge, her face full of hurt and resentment.
"Weeping and moping around… Being apologetical to assholes like you and the other rotten adults won't do anything for me now. It's time for me to take the reins of my life and do whatever I want, however I want. I owe you nothing." She declared boldly.
"What? Makoto, this isn't like you!" Sae retorted, her voice laced with desperation. "You…You've changed…"
"Changed, huh?" She wondered out loud, then found that she liked the irony of the situation. "Maybe. But you raised me, so now I'm a monster of your own making, big sis."
"You can't be serious…" Sae muttered in horrified disbelief. "Makoto, think of what you just said!"
"I don't have to. It's the damn truth." Makoto said unapologetically. "I am the consequences of your abuse and neglect. You broke me."
Her sister looked choked up with emotion as she approached her, trying to close the distance. Makoto shrugged her affectionate gestures off.
Sae hugged herself in desolate rejection. "I know I wronged you Makoto. And trust me, I will never forgive myself for the things I have said to you and dad both. But we need to find a way to navigate this crisis together, we have never hurt each other to this level before."
Makoto scoffed. "Doesn't matter to me anymore. It's too late, you stupid bitch. I don't give a damn about patching things up with you, and if you cross my path and piss me off again, I'll make you pay once more."
Sae looked up, a mix of sad, hurt and alarmed on her face. "Is that a threat?"
"No hon, that is a promise." Makoto said sweetly. "Now, get the hell out of my way, I have to go to that worthless school of mine."
Sae stepped aside, but Makoto saw the utterly crushed, devastated looks on her face. Makoto found that she didn't have a single shred of sympathy left for her sister.
Then, she finally left for school.
'Time to show Shujin how it's done.' She thought maliciously.
To be continued…
