Part 126: February 13 Part 2: A Poetry Slam

You don't think that you're dragging us all into this, are you? We WANT to help.
Her memory...It must have been hard for Marie-chan...
I thought this was snow, but these are flower petals...What kind of flower are these from?
These are haniwa, right? Seeing so many is actually kinda creepy...
Emmy-chan's like I was back then...She must be thinking that she doesn't deserve to exist...
She said Marie-chan was from "that side"...What does that mean...?
What kind of memory could have caused her to do this...?

This dungeon is shit. Total, total shit.

It's not because of the music or the aesthetics, which are both beautiful:

-Memories-



It's because of this:

> You hear a voice from somewhere...

Where am I going, you ask? Don't ask stupid questions.
I don't need a map.
I throw away my compass. My heart will show me the way.
I walk by myself.
Am I not lonely, you ask? Yeah, right?
I scorn the company of my own shadow.
Why don't you try and hold me down?
I will die magnificently in front of you.
No one can break my wings.
I don't need anything.
I just walk by myself.
That was Marie-chan's voice...Hey! No way! Senpai, look! All your items are gone! Marie-chan just said, "I don't need anything. I just walk by myself"...No way...This place is being affected by Marie-chan's denial...?
Senpai, be careful! This place is definitely strange! I can't put my finger on it, but I've been having a bad feeling ever since we got here...









While you're in the Hollow Forest, you don't have access to any of your items or equipment. It could be worse--your Personas can compensate for the most part, and you get everything back when you leave. It does suck to not have any Chest Keys, but losing your items means something far, far worse:



NO. COSTUMES. What was Atlus thinking!? I will definitely spend the rest of my life ranting about this wherever I can, using really gross and overwrought metaphors about totalitarian states and sodomy.

Between that and the fact that certain Persona-users are just straight-up superior here, there wasn't much point in a vote this time. I'm sorry.


Wait, that's not what I meant. There ARE Shadows. I can feel them, but I don't see them...
On some floors of the Hollow Forest, Shadows don't wander around like normal. Instead, you have a chance to get jumped whenever you open a door.

























Kaguya, the moonlit night's visitor.


The Shadows can attack when you cut the rope here. Senpai, stay alert!
Huh? Hold on! Everyone's spirit is really depleted...Why...? Why are you so exhausted?
After every combat here, your party's current SP will be cut in half. This might sound like serious trouble, but it's really not that bad. Most fights still only take a round or two, and Rise can keep the team running on fumes indefinitely. Thanks to Kaguya's Victory Cry, Sanzo is more or less locked in at 50% SP, so he can do the heavy lifting. More so than usual, I mean.









Many of the Shadows here have high defense against their weaknesses, but their HP is low enough that it doesn't make much difference. You need as many Shuffle Times as possible, anyway--Cups and Temperance are a huge help here.





Among other things.


You regain spirit during battle. Maybe you can use that to stay ahead in the battles to come. I wish you could recover a little more, though...




What can we do...?






Why don't you make sure to use the items you get from treasure chests and beating Shadows?
Check and see if you have anything you can use!
I feel kind of dirty actually using loot instead of selling it, but there's no choice here.



One consequence of the weak Shadows is that the XP and money rewards are crap. They drop special items that you need to win, though, so you've got to fight. Sentou Seeds and other plant parts restore SP. Breakers remove an enemy's elemental resistance, just like the skills of the same name. There are also Sacred Branches (Goho-Ms) and elemental Bells and Dotakus (grenades). You'll lose them all once you clear the dungeon and get your normal stuff back, so don't be afraid to go nuts.

There's also special Hollow Forest-only equipment.






You are a murderer.
By your silent smile, by your composed voice,
By your dark eyes, by your bashful fingers I am slain.
I am a corpse.
Foolish, wretched, happy.
Surely, I'll simply rot away...
Because you killed me...
Huh? I can see Shadows here...Where are we...? What's with this place...?







Shadows will hide in locked chests here.


For mornings when I can't see you
Spicy mint tea...
For brunch a marmalade muffin.
A touch of bitter fits my mood.
A sigh is stardust.
It's like our own Milky Way.
I can't catch up to your distant back.
Look! Twilight creeps up on us.
The distance to you is like an eternal night...
An eternal pre-dawn...
Hey, Senpai...What is all this stuff Marie-chan's saying? What does it mean?
It may be her poems.
I see, Marie-chan's poems...Maybe it's because of this place...but I feel that these words have some deeper meaning...
I dunno, what does Marie's Tumblr say about it?




I've reached the scene!




Hey...
How long you gonna wear that ugly mask?
You know you ain't got the guts for this task.
Cover yourself with paint
You're actin' like you ain't
Afraid of whatcha got in store for your fate
You think you got me? Well, that's too bad!
'Cuz I ain't stupid enough to get had!
So drop the pathetic act
I wanna dance and that's a fact
I am a clown.
A pathetic clown dancing forever.
...Senpai. Marie-chan created this place, right? Look over there. That's the Junes sign, isn't it? I see other stuff from the shopping district here and there...What does this all mean?


It looks like you can be attacked by Shadows when you cut the ropes here, too...Are you ready, Senpai?









The Hollow Forest's bosses can't be killed without Element Break skills, or Breaker items.



This is also where not using Sentous will bite you in the ass.


































The hated.
Cold things.
Living a lie.
People wearing a mask of deceit.
...That is me.
...And that is you.
The liked.
Warm things.
Living a straightforward life.
Kind people who engulf everything.
...That is you.
Senpai, are you all right? It looks like we still have a ways to go. Don't let your guard down!






The fallen angel is chained down.
Her wings torn off, eroded by prejudice,
her last breaths full of black despair...
Do you know her name?
Will she eventually return to nothing,
forced into the realm of oblivion...?
No!
Her requiem will become a roar
And tear away the mask of hypocrisy!
You should know her name, she who closes
her eyes and dozes off into a dream...
Hey, Senpai...You said that Marie-chan found the memories that she'd forgotten, right? So...then, this place is her memory? That's...That's sad, but I can't explain how...






Release yourself!
From desire! From impulse!
Release yourself!
Your heart's voice! Your internal scream!
In exchange for a lost voice!
Grab hold of proof of your life!
And with that proof in your heart,
come with me...








That voice...Marie-chan?
We've been looking for you...What's with that getup? Something wrong?


We've come for you.
That's right, Marie-chan. We're all here to take you back home. Come on, let's go, okay?


Dude...That eye...

-I'll Face Myself-


Marie-chan, listen. We don't know what memories have come back to you, or how bad they are. But nothing good's gonna happen if you lock yourself away in here!
We know we're being meddlesome. But we want to help you!


You thought that I was in danger, didn't you? That I might get killed by the Shadows.
...It'd be better that way. This is a grave...my grave. I'm going to die here.
We won't let you.
Yeah, Senpai's right. We won't let that happen to you!
Shut up! You don't know anything!
Emmy-chan...
Emmy, Marie...Neither of those is my name!
I remember...I remember everything. My real name is "Kusumi-no-Okami." You guys fought Kunino-sagiri and Ameno-sagiri, right? I'm the same as them. I'm your enemy, one of the ones who covered your town with fog.
Marie-chan...is our...enemy? N-No way!
You serious...? Kunino-sagiri and Ameno-sagiri were those...
Fog monsters.
I remember them, too! They're those guys that came out from Adachy-baby and that Namatame guy!


...That's right. Sneaking into the human world...Sensing the will of man...My role was to inform the Sagiri what the "wish of the people" was.
That's why I'm the only one of them that looks human...Even without my memory, my body fulfilled my role. In your words, I'm a spy.
You were spying without knowing it...?
That's so cruel...
Do you understand now? Plus...I'll tell you something good.
If I don't die, then your world will disappear. So...don't come chasing me.




What does she mean by that...? We know that she's one of those monsters, like the ones that came from within Adachi-san and Namatame...She may have a valid reason for shutting herself in this area.
Now's not the time for deduction! She IS trying to kill herself! We can't leave her like this!
At any rate, let's hurry.
Yes. Either way, we cannot leave her be...Let us hurry.

-Memories-


Does she really want us to not come after her that much? Is that what she really thinks?
But we've come this far. We're not going to let her have her way here. Right, Senpai!? Are you ready? When you cut this rope, you'll be attacked by Shadows!

At the end of this floor, you'll find the most contemptible asshole in the whole game. Use Sentous liberally after every door you open.

















Are you seeing this nonsense? Three turns before I could even begin to fight him.
































I am the queen.
This world belongs to me.
I don't need anyone else.
My world is already complete.
I am the queen.
This false world belongs to me.
The lonely queen...
No one knows the real me.
Don't take away my cape.
Because underneath, I am nothing.
Don't chase after me.
Please...
...Marie-chan said that she needs to die or our world'll disappear, huh...? Senpai...What would you d--Sorry...I shouldn't ask you that at a time like this...This isn't the time for this kind of thinking! Marie-chan is trying to die; we can't leave her like that! Right, Senpai!? Let's go!






Do you not get it yet?
This is the day the world changes.
The unprepared will be left behind.
I am already ready.
There is nothing I can do anymore.
If you're scared, close your eyes.
Shut that gibberish-spouting mouth.
I'm going.
To a world that you don't know.
To a world where you can't go.
Goodbye...
Let's meet again...
Oh, I can feel her...Marie-chan's close! Senpai, just a little more! Let's go!



Wait what was that first one--






We're here, Senpai! Marie-chan is up ahead!
Now for a smoke break.


Oh yeah, Senpai! Your things...Huh? What's going on? You have them.
There's something wrong with this place...Our usual methods won't work...










Senpai, are you ready? Here we go!








I told you I'm your enemy...That you don't need to bother with me. Why did you come this far...?
I'm not done talking to you.

-Girl of the Hollow Forest-


You're still searching for the truth, aren't you. Sorry, I forgot. But I'm tired. I...I just want to end it all.


You think we're just gonna lie down and let you do that!?
Marie-san, please listen. Even if you are one of those creatures, that's still no reason for you to end your own life. The two Sagiri have been defeated. That means you're--


That's not true...I'm not like you. I don't have freedom.
What do you mean?
I told you already. If I don't die, then your world will disappear...Our role was more than to simply find out the wishes of man. Our true role...is to control the fog and bring that wish to fruition.
..."Control the fog?"


...The Sagiri created the fog, and I absorbed it. The fog that changes people to Shadows.
W-Wait! Then...The reason the fog cleared was...
...That's right. When Ameno-sagiri was defeated, the fog covering your town was no longer needed.
Then I heard a voice...and all the fog flowed into me. The fog isn't gone. Even now, it's raging inside me...
No way...So the fog isn't gone after all that!? It's just in you now!?


I am..."A being destined for nonexistence." That's the memory that came back to me...The world will be saved.
So that's the reason you hid.
Yes...Now we know the true reason why she hid herself in the Hollow Forest.
...Of course, I cannot agree with the conclusion she's drawing.
Hell no! She's saying that we can only have world peace in exchange for her life!? Screw that!


Because there's no point in seeing you...! We'll just hurt each other!
...It's okay. It's all okay. I've already made enough memories of my own...Fun...Happy...Memories...
If you're not going to leave now, then I'll have to make you leave by force.
Please, just understand...




We're stopping her.
O-Okay! We're saving her! If we give up here, then why the hell did we even bother coming all this way!?
Yeah! We're not going to let anyone else suffer from that fog! We have to do it!
Let's go!
Everyone: ...Yeah!

-I'll Face Myself: Reincarnation-













This fight is a lot like the Marukyu Striptease boss fight. Marie is more of a cutscene than a proper enemy.















































Marie is now universally repellant.



You don't actually have to fight her anymore, so don't go wasting your Breakers yet. Just heal up and get ready for what's coming next.

















Easy, Kanji. Little TOO violent there.


It doesn't matter what happens to me...You're stupid...Hurting yourselves like that. If my death keeps you from being happy, what am I dying for!?

-I'll Face Myself-


Don't worry. It'll be okay. I used to be just a Shadow, too. But even I could change...Emmy-chan, you have to believe!
I keep feeling like this whole arc could be really emotional and touching, and then somebody chimes in with something completely silly about fog monsters or "Emmy-chan."


Believe in us.
...What good comes of belief? You save me, and your world is going to disappear! Is that what you want!?
That's what it means when you tell me you want to live!


Thinking that maybe I could remember something, and then I'd have a life worth living! It's funny...I remember now. I already have a role...and it's to disappear! I shouldn't have ever remembered...It would've been better if I'd never remembered!
Marie-chan...


What's wrong!?
That's right...There is no need for the truth. Ignorance is bliss...There will be no pain if you never try to find out...


Is that what she meant by "her mind being overpowered!?" Hey! Snap out of it!


Go home! Please, just go home! All you losers...You just don't know when to quit.
I never should've met any of you! Especially you. I hate you...!
Hate me all you want.

-Girl of the Hollow Forest-


You really aren't true to yourself, are you? You need to work on your acting skills.
Stop lying to me!
It's not a lie.


This tomb, and the flowers all over it...
Your resolve to die is what created this scenery.
......!
However...On the way here, we saw things that don't fit a grave. Junes and Souzai Daigaku signs, the bench on the hill, the electric poles, mirrors, school desks. It's all from the town...The home of the people you say you hate so much.
What, you want us to bury you with all that stuff? If you like 'em that much, why don't you come see for yourself, huh?


...I can't. I have to die...
That's not true.
Huh...?


You don't have to go away forever. The only thing that needs to go is your fog.
Is there a way to do that?
It's impossible...There's no way. If we waste any more time, the fog will take me over and be set free...If that happens, I won't be able to take my own life. I'll become a monster...
And if we defeat that?
Are you saying we should wait for Marie-chan to be controlled by the fog, and then defeat her!?
Senpai, wait! I mean...It's still her body, right? If we fight the monster...!
Yeah! Er...So, what'll happen?


Maybe right now...Y-You might be able to.
I'll put my mind to sleep before the fog overpowers it. Of course, the fog will then take over my body, but my mind will still be safe, beneath it.
...The rest comes down to luck, I guess. Which will give out first: the fog, or my life?


...I'd rather not have to do that. But if there's no other way, then we'll just have to have faith that it'll work.
Yeah, it's gotta be better than just sitting here and watching her die!
She's not gonna die! We won't let her! This is our friend's life on the line. We can't fail now!


Are you alright with that?
...Okay. I trust in you all. Even if I do die, it would be a better way than letting the current situation continue. But...please, don't any of you die.

-I'll Face Myself: Battle-







W-Will this really work!? Emmy-chan won't die if we fight her!?
Marie-chan believed in us...We have to believe in her!
Let's do it!
Everyone: Yeah...!

-I'll Face Myself: Reincarnation-



























Kusumi-no-Okami uses Ma-dynes and Run Amok, a multi-hit physical with multiple random targets.





I mentioned that you need items to win here. This is the reason.



Without some sort of Element Break ability, you're screwed. This is also why I said certain teammates are best--there's no way to break Physical or Almighty resistance, so Chie, Kanji, and Naoto are completely crippled in this fight.



























This is Kusumi-no-Okami's other special ability, Draining Fog:







I'm not sure how it's supposed to threaten you at all.




















U...gh...Ahhhhhhhhhhh...!














Marie-chan!
Waaaaaaaaaah!
H-How is she, Senpai!? She okay!?



> Marie isn't moving...

-I'll Face Myself-

No way...This can't be real...
No...This can't be! We...!
Emmy-chan...? Come on...You're such a sleepy-head. It's time to wake up, okay? Emmy-chan...!...No! This isn't happening! What did we do wrong!? Emmy-chan, wake up! Don't die!
G...
Ge...t offa me!


Marie-chan!?
Thank goodness! She's alive!

-New Days-

Oh...
I...That's right...
Welcome back.
...Thank you...


......You think that's long enough for a moving hug? Shouldn't you let go now?
Nope. I'm tired of moving! Enough with getting up! Good thing there's someone even I can hug!
Hey!
...Here we go again. Why is it all our friends are like this...?
You know, there aren't a lot of people who can really mess with Rise-chan.

*BOOOOM*


This isn't the time for stupid comments! What's going on!?
Don't tell me! Is this like in the movies where once the bad guy's defeated, his evil fortress self-destructs!?
I'm sorry, I forgot to mention...I don't need to be in this place to die anymore, so it's going to disappear.
Why the hell didn't you say that sooner!? It's gonna take us with it!


Just get to the exit! Hurry!

Despite the urgency, the team still finds time to change into their winter clothes.


I forgot how tiny the TV here is...
I feel like this has happened before...
Are these really your friends?...They're so weird.
It's your fault to begin with!

*SPACK*


That was never a television. The Hollow Forest has vanished.
Because...there's no more reason for it to exist.
We did it! So? How does it feel to have your fate changed?
Well...It feels weird. After all...I'm alive.
Haha, well, yeah. That's why we went all the way there and everything.
Um...Thank you for saving me. And, I'm sorry...
Wh-What? Why are you looking at me like that?
You...You just said "sorry," didn't you?
She did. Very politely.
Huh?
Uh...It's just that you never seemed like the type who would say that.
Huh!? Y-Y-You stupidjerk! Fine, then!
F-F-Forget it! I take it back!
Oh, well.
Listen to me! What the hell...What is with you people!? You risk yourselves to save me...
You don't get anything out of it! I don't understand you!
We don't need anything out of it.
...Really?
To be honest, we were hesitant at first. Learning that you were from the "other side" was kinda confusing. But to not save you just because of that...That's not how we roll.
If we blamed things on someone else and looked the other way, nothing would change.
You were in trouble, and we saved you. That's all that counts.
I don't understand you at all...
If not knowing us bothers you, then you should start getting to know us.
All of us want you to learn more about this world.
Yeah. Like Valentine's Day!
Valen...tine?
Ah, so you don't know what that is, either. Huh.
It's an awesome day when a girl gives chocolate to someone she holds dear. Oh, and I already reserved Senpai.
Whatever. No cheating. Reservation canceled.
Why, you...!
...That was quick. Well, let 'em get to it.
Hey, it's clear outside!



-Youthful Lunch-

My back is killing me...Hey, how 'bout we get some grub?
Sounds good! On you, of course!
Arrrrgh! Stop expecting me to buy you lunch all the time!


Let's go. Everyone's waiting.


What's wrong?
Well...When I gave my body up to the fog, I thought I heard a voice. Um, what did it say...? "Humans don't want to know the truth. What they truly desire is a peaceful world filled with fog"...Something like that, anyway.
Whose voice was that?
I don't know. But it was familiar...
The same voice I heard when you defeated Ameno-sagiri and the fog flowed into me...Wait...Maybe not. I felt like it was my voice. Maybe it's something I said long ago?
...Oh well. The fog is gone. I probably just misheard it.
In that case I'm sure the mysterious eldritch voice from above is nothing to worry about.

*WHIFF*



-Youthful Lunch-


The weather's nice, there's snow all over, what more do we need?
Oh, yeah. You ever been in a snowball fight, Marie-chan?
......
Hey, how are we gonna split the teams?





*WHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFF*


Whoa, what the--hey!?


Perfect.
Okay. I will bury him.
Hold on! You have the eyes of a predator!
The teams will be women versus men. Now begin!


Kanji, Teddie! What the hell, guys...?




Get him, Marie-chan!
Ahahahaha!
Why are you only going after me!?

> You enjoy the snowball fight...Later that day...

And then Sanzo has a fun, sane evening on the mountain with Marie and the rest of the team. There definitely isn't another goddamn bath scene! Nor does Marie literally smite the boys with thunderbolts in response to Yosuke and Teddie's usual bullshit.

-Signs of Love-



> You escorted Marie back to the Velvet Room and returned home...

You seemed pretty busy yesterday and today. Did something happen at the ski slopes?...Hm? What's wrong? You smell a bit burnt.
Haha, you get struck by lightning or something? Still, you seem pretty happy about whatever it was that happened.