บท 18: Chapter 17: Fox, Unblinded at Last!
(A/N: No words, just read...)
(Mari's pov)
The next day, May 19'th, Thursday afternoon, we put our plan into motion. I assisted Ann with her preparations and made Pollen swear not to jump out at Yusuke at any time unless it was an emergency. The yellow Kwami then decided to keep an eye on Morgana to make sure he was doing his job and not being a peeping tom. Morgana was offended by this but agreed since Pollen will be able to assist him by alerting him about anyone coming. Finally, when everything was set up, we put our plan into motion. And, as per usual, things didn't go as planned... again...
Joker, Skull, and I made our way to the entrance to the treasure room. We stood in front of the massively secured door and waited.
"Ya think this'll work?" Skull asked.
"What other choice do we have?" Joker said.
"Yeah, but..." Skull started. I placed my hand on his shoulder gently.
"Skull, have faith. We know Mona and Ann can do this." I reassured my friend.
"Yeah, you're right..." Skull said. In the month or so of me knowing my blonde male friend, I have learned a few things about him. He can get excited like a little kid (which is kind of cute). He also likes to act tough most of the time to hide his true feelings with mixed results. This is one of those times. I could tell he was worried about Ann, and I can't blame him. I'm concerned as well, but I have faith in her and Morgana.
(A few minutes later...)
"They did it!" Skull said when the massive door opened.
"Did you have any doubt?" I asked my friend.
"Let's go!" Joker said. He led us through the door and into the room. Unfortunately, a guard was blocking our way.
"Oh no, a guard!" I whispered as all three of us hid behind a pillar.
"This is gonna be hard with only three of us. Joker, we'll leave the planning to you." Skull said to our leader. I nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, let's attack!" Joker said. And we did just that!
(Another few minutes later...)
After a few well-placed fire attacks and an all-out-attack, we defeated the shadow. We then turned off the security system, which was easy to do. Joker just pressed a few buttons, and the whole thing deactivated.
"Huh... That was easy..." I commented.
"Hey, the lasers in the courtyard are off for good! Aren't they?" Skull said.
"They are," Joker confirmed.
"Mission complete! Let's get out of here!" Skull said. The three of us then rushed out of the room, but a security guard must have heard us.
"Hey! Who's there?!" A voice yelled.
"Oh, crap! Guards!" Skull said.
"That's our cue to leave then!" Joker said as we ran to the courtyard. When we arrived, we saw the laser emitter things retract into the ground.
"Sweet! let's go meet with the others!" Skull said. We then arrived at the entrance of the courtyard.
"We did it!" I said with a smile.
"Yeah..." Skull said. I could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his worried face.
"Skull, I'm sure Ann and Morgana are fine," I told him. The second I said that, however, Ann's voice could be heard.
"Noooo!" She was yelling. Suddenly, a red portal open overhead, and Ann (in her Panther attire), Yusuke, and Mona fell out of it. Yusuke somehow managed to land on his feet and catch Panther at the same time. Mona then nailed him on the head, and he landed on his butt, dropping Panther as he did so.
"I got you!" I said, catching the falling (not) cat.
"Owww... Thanks, Princess..." Mona moaned.
"No problem!" I said, setting him down.
"Can you get off of me!?" Panther yelled, pushing Yusuke off of her. Yusuke then fell onto his back.
"Oh, no! I didn't mean to push you that hard! Are you okay? Wake up!" Panther said, shaking the poor boy.
"Pather, give the gut some space," I said to her.
"Right! Sorry!" Panther said, standing back. After a minute or two, Yusuke finally got up.
"Morning sleepy-head~," I said softly to him.
"W-who are you all?!" Yusuke asked in surprise.
"Calm down, Kitagawa-kun. It's me!" Panther said.
"T-takamaki-san?" Yusuke asked.
"Then... you three are..." Yusuke started.
"I don't recall ever seeing this cat costume before, though..." He said, looking at Mona.
"What is this place?" Yusuke asked, looking around.
"Well, to put things simply, we are inside Madarame's heart," I told him.
"Inside... sensei's heart? Are you feeling alright?" Yusuke asked, getting up.
"She ain't lyin'. This is how that b***** truly feels. Madarame's nothin' but a greed-filled money-Gruber." Skull explained.
"Enough of this rubbish!" Yusuke shouted. This guy...
"Yusuke-kun... with all due respect... the proof is all around you! You have lived with the guy for most of your life! Have you ever questioned his actions at least once?" I asked.
"Well..." Yusuke started, but I cut him off.
"Yusuke-kun, I can say from experience that people you thought you knew can hide their true colors very well. Believe it or not, you're inside a reality shaped by Madarame's distorted desires..." I said to him.
"She's right... this is Madarame's true nature..." Panther said.
"This repulsive world?" Yusuke asked, looking around. I had to agree with him... the amount of gold and bright colors could give me a seizure.
"Just who are all of you?" Yusuke asked.
"We are people who change the hearts of criminals hiding in plain sight," Joker said.
"If what you are saying is true, then the sensei I know doesn't exist..." Yusuke thought aloud.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way..." I said to him.
"Still, he has kept me safe these past ten years. My gratitude for that won't just disappear." Yusuke continued.
"You're gonna forgive him?! At this rate, you'll-" Ryuji started, but Yusuke suddenly clutched at his stomach and fell to his knees.
"Are you okay?" Panther said as she and I bent down to check on him.
"I'm trying to be rational about this, but my emotions are overwhelming me..." Yusuke said in a slightly pained voice.
"There, there... I don't blame you. This is a lot to take in..." I said, patting his back gently.
"Sorry, but we don't have time to dawdle!" Mona said.
"The security levels are through the roof! We need to get out of here at once!" He continued. Yusuke was panting, and I was anxious.
"We need to go! Can someone carry Yusuke?" Joker asked.
"I can!" I volunteered.
"I don't think you can-" Yusuke started, but I cut him off by picking him up and throwing him over my shoulder.
"How can you-" Yusuke started.
"It is best not to question this," I said to him.
"Don't drag his face on the ground..." Mona sighed.
"Hey! It's not my fault that I'm short and he's tall!" I scolded the cat.
"Put me down, it's alright..." Yusuke said.
"Alright, but if you feel sick, don't be afraid to ask for a lift," I said to him, putting him down.
"Princess's scary strength aside, we need to get out of here!" Mona said.
"We have a non-persona user too. Let's steer clear of any fighting, alright?" I added.
We made our way through the museum, Yusuke looking more and more unnerved. I couldn't help but sympathize with him. I remember sneaking through Kamoshida's palace and feeling appalled. The first time you go through a Palace is something a person can't forget. We were just about to reach the exit when guards suddenly appeared blocking the way.
"Sacrebleu! The exit is right there!" I yelled. A distorted laugh came from behind us. We all turned around to find- OH MY GOD!! WHAT IS THAT HAIR CUT?!?! Shadow Madarame appeared with two guards at his side.
"Who is it? What the-" Panther said.
"Talk about Bulls*** clothes! First, a king, now some kind of Shogun!?" Skull said. I took out my sniper rifle just in case I needed to put a bullet through someone's head.
"Welcome to the museum of the master artist Madarame..." Shadow Madarame said with open arms.
"Huh? Sensei... is that you? That attire..." Yusuke said.
"Disgusting..." Panther said. And tacky, I thought. Seriously, no one needs to wear that much gold and facepaint.
"This... This is all one big lie, isn't it?" Yusuke asked, desperation in his voice. Those words sound familiar... when Cat Noir found out his father and Natalie were Hawkmoth and Mayura. I remember the look of confusion on his face... his cries and yells... the days after when he gave up his Miraculous. Poor Yusuke, he has to go through that pain now... and I can't do anything to ease that pain... History loves to repeat itself, doesn't it?
"My usual ragged attire is nothing more but an act. Besides, a famous person living in that shack? I have another home... under a mistress's name, of course." Shadow Madarame mused.
"Some setup you've got..." Joker mockingly said.
"Don't make me laugh!" Shadow Madarame said.
"If the "Sayuri" was stolen, why was it in the storage room? And if you had the real one, why make copies!?" Yusuke asked. Wait... if what Yusuke is saying is true, then... don't tell me...
"The painting being stolen was just a false rumor I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!" Shadow Madarame confirmed. Knew it... I can never escape these people, can I?
"So... you lied about the painting being stolen, and made copies of it and sold them to make a profit? Am I correct?" I said to the shadow.
"Correct! You're one smart girl!" Shadow Madarame said.
"Don't flatter me, you greedy salaud!" I said, spitting at his feet.
"People like you make me sick! You use people, lie to people, and abandon those who aren't useful to you. You don't deserve any of the fame or recognition you have!" I hissed.
"What a shame... a girl like you could have gone far..." Shadow Madarame mused.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Panther asked.
"That dear, little girl could have made so much money if she could get the courage to do what I do~," Shadow Madarame said. I'm gonna puke...
"You keep goin' on about money this, money that... no wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!" Skull yelled.
"Princess would never do what you do! She is above dirt like you!" Joker said. I blushed when he said that... that was so sweet of him. Not now, Marinette! You can fangirl about this when you get home!
"You're supposed to be an artist, right?! Aren't you ashamed of plagiarizing other people's work!?" Panther asked.
"Art is nothing more than a tool... A tool to get money and fame!" Shadow Madarame said... I am so close to firing my sniper rifle at him and cutting off that palm-tree growing on his head!
"You helped me greatly as well, Yusuke..." Shadow Madarame continued.
"God... P***es me off... That's your teacher..." Skull said. Yusuke was on the ground, holding his stomach. I wanted so badly to comfort him, to shield him. But, something was holding me back. I heard his pleas, and it hurt me. I saw his pain... why couldn't I do anything? As Shadow Madarame kept talking, I got angrier and angrier. I wanted to summon Joan and have her trample the disgusting shadow in front of me.
"Mon chérie, I understand your rage but please calm down. You can release your rage later. For now, watch and listen." Joan said in my mind. Joan never led me astray, so I followed her advice. It was a good thing I did too because what happened next was couldn't have helped us more!
Yusuke awakened his Persona!
(A/N: AAAAHHHH This took too long! Gomen no sai! I've been busy with other stuff and experimenting with other fandoms! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!)
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