Deciding that maybe they should be more careful, this time it's the present group and past group who decide to go through.
Mayro (Present Mario) is actually getting along decently well with Mario (Past Mario). Glitchy (Present SMG4) and Snitchy (Present SMG3) have already had to stop SMG4 (Past SMG4) and SMG3 (Past SMG3) from having fights about six times now. After briefing the past group on that they really, REALLY need to be careful with what they say and do even if they're in a different timeline. They do not want to get imprisoned.
Anyway, they go through and crash right down into the middle of a party happening in a very familiar (to the present group) manor.
And a very familiar avatar, with her usually straight hair now curly and covering one eye and a red dress with floral patterns. A single blue eye glaring down at them with contempt.
So yeah, their first impression of this world is getting thrown into jail since Tulip is currently running for the position of the now vacant Red Minister spot. Yup, they're in the evil Tulip timeline. It doesn't take the present gang a lot to realize what happened, even the kids can realize that this is the version of Tulip that never got Dale's guidance, and they therefore decide never to mention this to her.
Eventually, they are released from the prison after a few hours, because Tulip 'decided that they were just idiots who had a bad stroke of luck'. But they are warned not to anger her any further, as lately she's become extremely obsessed with things regarding time and other such things. It takes no genius to figure out what's going on, and it's surprisingly Mario (past) who connects the dots.
"You-a said that this crazy-a lady is dating John Persona?"
SMG4 pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ren Amamiya, Mario. Ren Amamiya. Get it through your thick skull."
Glitchy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his past self. "Yes, Mario. John Persona."
Mario tilted his head. "Then won't-a he be a part-a this timeline in a major way?"
"... he's kinda got a point there."
They do manage to find Leblanc and after giving the poor Thieves the scare of a lifetime (thanks to SMG3 just being blunt as hell and also trying to threaten them, which doesn't go well as he gets smacked by Abyssal) before they explain what's going on. And then they get the explanation they were waiting for.
The Tulip of this timeline was actually a friend of theirs and wasn't really looking forward to going into politics. However.. that all completely shattered when her version of Dale was murdered. To this day the Thieves don't know if it was the Black Mask or someone sent by her parents. Regardless she was absolutely SHATTERED by what happened, and it absolutely didn't help when a woman named Goma Adachi appeared following the deaths of her parents and Archie. Suffice to say that Tulip was shattered in this timeline, and following an accident with a machine that's left her blind in one eye, she has gradually been turning from the fun and upbeat girl they knew to someone far crueler.
With what's already happened, it does not take the others long to figure out that this Goma Adachi is probably someone working for the Abyss.. and then Abyssal realizes it's prrrrobably Admin Gohma.
The Thieves tell the group that Tulip has become especially obsessed with time and other things, and Elanore reasons that it's likely the Hourglass piece that's changed her, and its gone and made itself her Treasure. Luckily for them, the Thieves are more than willing to help out as they've already pretty much mapped out the way to Tulip's Treasure, and they were making the calling card then. It's made, and Abyssal offers to go and deliver it, which they take because everyone knows that they'd be caught pretty easily, especially Morgana.
Tulip halted when she spotted a simple red card on her bed. She whipped her head side to side, eye narrowing.
".. no. This is some... terrible joke."
She slowly approached it, and grabbed it. Her breath caught, eyes widening.
Madame Tulip, the grief-stricken sinner of cruelty.
Once a girl who cherished others, you now trample hearts beneath the weight of your own despair, lashing out at the world that wronged you.
Blinded by loss and consumed by bitterness, you’ve allowed your pain to twist into something far more dangerous. We have decided to make you confront the truth you’ve been running from.
Come tomorrow, we will take your distorted desires without fail.
From, the Phantom Thieves
Tulip's breathing began to come in panicked hitches. "Take.. take MY desires?! No.. NO! This is a pathetic- stupid- NO!"
She threw the calling card to the wall. "I won't let them.. I won't! I don't care! No one will take it! No one will take time from me ever again!!"
The past and present groups join the Phantom Thieves to Tulip's Palace.. and to say that the fight for the Treasure is rough is an UNDERSTATMENT. Goma Adachi is there, and of course comes the reveal that she is Admin Gohma and the fact that she was not only behind the deaths of Dale, Tulip's parents, and Archie, but she also orchestrated the entire machine incident that blinded her.
This sends Tulip's Shadow into a complete meltdown and transforms into a large machine/coyote hybrid. The Palace itself starts changing, and Admin Gohma admits she may have taken some artistic liberties when messing things up. SMG3 says he's gonna kill her because ts is annoying. Snitchy agrees for once. And it turns out she also took artistic liberties with Shadow Tulip herself, making the boss fight way harder than it should be.
They only manage to get through to the Shadow when Joker appeals to her memory of Uncle Dale specifically, calming the Shadow down enough for the past and present groups to realize that the Treasure is literally embedded into Shadow Tulip, the Treasure is the Hourglass Piece, and there's the very real threat of her having a mental shutdown.
The Thieves are obviously reluctant to do so but also know that they need to, because if they leave the Treasure in her Shadow shes just going to get worse. And unfortunately, Abyssal can't help them out here either with godly shenanigans because shes currently fighting Admin Gohma still.
Finally, its Hex who just goes "this IS still a comedic universe. What if we just... ASK HER to take it off?"
No one thinks it'll work.
It does. Rule of Funny, losers. This is still SMG4 guys.
Of course, the Palace begins to crumble, and they all get out of there. In the real world, Tulip is passed out and does need to be hospitalized due to the Piece hurting her Shadow immensely when it was removed. Admin Gohma, of course, flees. Glitchy hopes this won't become a recurring theme. Snitchy tells him to not be stupid. The others return with the next Piece, but Abyssal notices something.. off.
There's an eighth door. She tries pushing it open, but it's just.. not moving. Not even a budge. What makes it especially concerning, though she doesn't bring it up immediately, is that she can faintly tell what's behind that door.
She doesn't like what that entails.
