Yeesh, it's been a while since I've written an Authors note, huh? anyways, Hello everyone! Sorry about the lack of messages; I've been distracted by a certain author taking my work from me. If you've read my profile, you'll understand that a bit more. I had quite a time writing that last chapter, and I apologize if it doesn't read well, writing those fight scenes was a little difficult, as I'd just read a very somber Fic just before starting it. Probably not my best idea ever. This one finished up where we left off, and you'll see what happens afterwards. Sorry if I've been moving too fast again, life seems to want to get in the way, so I become a little more distracted each time I try to sit down and write. Anyways, here's chapter 32. I hope you enjoy!

To say the battle with Ameno-sagiri was underwhelming would have been an understatement, though it hadn't started out that way.

The Investigation team was exhausted, their energy was drained, and they felt battered and bruised from their latest fight. The sagiri in front of them definitely didn't look as if it would make it easy for the team to succeed, and the teens darted around as they tried to avoid meteors, laser-beams, and spells of all kinds. Their weapons barely made a dent in the beings thick shell, and many times they were saved from certain doom thanks to a quick burst of healing from Rise's Persona.

The twins were at a loss as they danced away from another meteor that buried itself next to them. "You know, those words of yours were really inspiring and all, but I'm thinking that we might be SOL here." Yu said, cutting at Ameno-sagiri's body again.

Souji shook his head. "Yeah, well I don't see you coming up with any useful plans here, smart ass!"

Yu let go a short bark of laughter, followed by a grunt of pain as he was struck by a bolt of lightning. "Maybe we should try falling asleep, then? Didn't you say that was always a good decision?" The "elder" silverette turned to repel a blast of fire that was headed for Souji as he spoke, protecting his brother.

Souji shook his head, and was about to give Yu another sarcastic response when an idea struck him. "Yu, you're a damned genius!" he said, and took off to stand in front of Ameno-sagiri's large eye. "Yo, cyclops! Down here!" he yelled, gaining the beings attention.

The sagiri turned to look at the silverette, intent on burning him to a crisp, but stopped moving as its gaze rested on two glowing objects. Morpheus was holding his single staff in front of him, both ends glowing brightly as multi-colored mist poured forth. "Well, the guardian of humanities desires isn't as impressive as I'd have thought." Morpheus said with a hint of sarcasm. "Fortunately, your claim of relation to humanity is true, otherwise, this'd never have worked." The Dream-lord began walking towards Ameno-sagiri, slowly twirling his staff as he moved, spinning the mist round and round.

The Investigation Team, no longer having to fend off the many attacks that had been battering them, came up to see what had happened, and stared in awe as Morpheus came to a halt a few feet in front of the large sagiri.

Morpheus cackled, the sound disturbing yet comforting at the same time. "I can't stress this enough. The dreams of humanity are my domain. None may interfere in my realm. You cannot hope to understand the wishes of humanity, just as you cannot begin to see the dreams they hold! Out of all the beings here, I know what it is they seek." Morpheus raised the staff above his head, spinning it faster and faster, creating a vortex of silver, purple, and white mist. "Humanity seeks a peaceful truth; they do not wish for a peaceful lie, nor do they want a painful truth. They naively seek the best of both worlds. However, I believe that their natural obstinance will allow them to reach their goal. The humans have a saying." Morpheus slammed the staff into the ground, and the mist collected into a small sphere at the head of the white staff, which was upraised.

"Nothing's impossible."

Morpheus' mist shot forward, wrapping around the sagiri. "I can only hold him for so long!" yelled the Persona. The team nodded, and sent their personas forward to attack. Susano-O and Yamato-Takeru cast wind spells, lifting the impossibly large being off the ground. Suzuka-Gongen and Rokuten-Maoh slashed viciously with their weapons, cutting at Ameno-sagiri's thick shell. Kamui and Amaterasu pounded the enemy with their own ice and fire spells respectively, battering it back. Izanagi flew forward, sword held in front of him. The blade pierced the sagiri's shell, and was embedded deep into it. The tall warrior reversed his grip on the swords' handle, and shot upwards, travelling the length of Ameno-sagiri's body. The personas pulled away after a few moments as Morpheus' mist dissipated. Souji looked exhausted, and fell back onto the ground, breathing hard. Kanji helped Souji back up, and supported his weight as the sagiri spoke.

"I see...Your powers are strong. Power comes from the heart...You have proven to me human potential...Very well. I will lift the fog from the place where you will return to. Mankind's desires are my desires. If mankind so wishes, I will return at any time...I am always at your side, watching..." The sagiri rumbled softly as it started to fade.

"Don't hold your breath…" Souji murmured, feeling weakness in his legs. If Kanji hadn't been holding him, he likely would have collapsed again.

"Easy, Senpai…" the ex-punk said, a concerned look on his face.

Souji chuckled softly. "Well, at least I'm not having to stare at you almost completely naked this time" he said, thinking that this situation was very similar to the scene at Kanji's bathhouse. Kanji's face flushed, and he punched Souji's shoulder in response. Yu chortled at the sight, shaking his head as his friends began to laugh quietly.

"Well, I think we actually did it this time." Souji said, leaning on Kanji for support. Looking around, he noticed Adachi laying on his back a few feet away. The silverette motioned for Kanji to move him over to the detective, the others following him. Souji knelt down with some help and looked at Adachi.

The detective was awake, but couldn't move his body. "Leave me here. You came to kill me, right?" Adachi spat weakly, and Souji shook his head.

"That isn't how we work, Adachi…" he said softly.

Kanji nodded behind him. "You're a dumbass" the tailor said gruffly.

Yosuke came over to look at Adachi squarely. "If we leave you here dying...and a dead body eventually appears, then what? What's that accomplish for anyone...? Your stupid game's over. We're taking you back. Live and face your punishment...That's how it works in our world." The brunette said sternly.

Adachi let loose a short bark of laughter. "You dumb brats. Fine, I'll go back and serve my time." Adachi's eyes looked a little sad as he turned to look at the twins. "Maybe if I had been more like you, things wouldn't have gone this way..." he mumbled, then closed his eyes as he fell unconscious.

Souji made to stand, leaning on his brother for support as Kanji hefted Adachi onto his shoulder. "Let's head home" said the silverette. Teddie nodded, and beseeched Kamui to cast Traesto, taking the team, and Adachi, back to the apartment room near the studio.

Souji wiped his forehead of the slight sweat he'd managed to work up. It was December 23rd, and he was in the process of baking a small cake. Naoto had sent him a text in her usual format.

"SEE U TOMORROW? Y/N
PLZ REPLY ASAP"

Souji had looked at the calendar, and immediately rushed to Junes to pick up supplies, having forgotten Christmas Eve was tomorrow. The past few days had seen him working around the clock at the Inaba PD, helping Naoto out now that she had been allowed back within the building's confines, to help sort the work they had in building a case against Adachi. Dojima was still in the hospital, so the chief had tasked Souji with sorting through the paperwork the elder detective had piled up in order to get it ready for his uncles return. The busy schedule, combined with frequent visits to check on a recovering Nanako and happy Dojima, had distracted Souji from recognizing the passing days.

Yu came downstairs, yawning a bit as he smelled the baking cake. "Morning…" he said drowsily as he sat down at the table, seeing a plate of breakfast and his mug full of coffee at one of the open spots. Souji turned and grunted a morning greeting to his brother before turning back to the bowl of icing he was preparing. Yu quietly ate his breakfast, glancing up occasionally as Souji wandered back and forth between their room and the kitchen, looking a bit frantic. "What's the matter?" asked Yu as Souji came back into the kitchen for the fourth time.

Souji shook his head. "Well, Christmas Eve is tomorrow, and I forgot to get Naoto a gift…" the silverette trailed off as Yu flashed a knowing grin.

"Ah, I take it you're going to have a visitor tomorrow night then, huh?" he said mischievously, enjoying the look of embarrassment on his brother's face.

Souji started to reply before realizing what Yu had said. "What do you mean, 'you're'?" he asked, turning to stare at Yu.

The other twin grinned even wider than before as Souji caught on. "Well, I'm most certainly not going to be here. Rise's invited me over for Christmas Eve, and I'd be a horrible boyfriend if I didn't go." Yu stood up and walked over to the wall behind the couch, producing a small, elegantly wrapped gift from the space behind the box of booze Dojima had. "And, unlike a certain someone, I'm already prepared." Yu's grin widened even more at Souji's look of annoyance, and Souji thought that if his brother smiled any wider, he'd have to have surgery to fix his face.

"Fine then."

Souji scoffed as he turned back to the oven in front of him, checking on the cake he had inside; it was almost done. Yu chuckled as he came up behind his brother, placing his arm on Souji's shoulder as he leaned against him. "Don't worry, I'll help you figure something out after you've finished up here." Souji rolled his eyes, but thanked Yu nonetheless. The timer dinged as it finished counting down, and Souji reached forward, removing the hot pan from the oven, and placed the pan on a thick pad, gently removing the cake and placing it on a metal wire rack to cool. After a shot while, Souji pulled the bowl of icing and a box of candied fruit from the fridge, and began spreading the icing across the cake, delicately placing each fruit in a circle on the top of the cake to give it some color.

Yu nodded as he observed his brother; Souji was a master cook by all rights, and his dedication to the craft made for excellent meals, though Yu was no slouch in the kitchen either. Souji finished with his decoration, and placed the cake on a small platter, covering it with a glass lid he'd bought at the store before putting it into the fridge for safe-keeping. The silverette then made his way over to the couch, plopping down on it as he thought about what he could get his girlfriend for Christmas.

He knew nothing stereotypically feminine would be appropriate; Naoto wasn't one to wear a bunch of jewellery, nor did she like perfume or other such "girly" things. Souji shook his head; finding a good gift for Naoto might be harder than he thought.

"I'm going to the bookstore…" he mumbled as he stood up.

Yu looked at his brother, eyebrows raised. "Okay…? Make sure you grab a coat; it's getting pretty cold out there." Souji nodded as he grabbed his robe from the hook in the front hall, throwing it on as it morphed into the winter coat from before. He stepped out and looked around, noting the small bit of frost gracing the ground, and set off towards the central shopping district.

Souji entered the bookstore with a sigh; this was his favorite haunt whenever he felt stressed or simply wanted some quiet. He nodded a greetings to the owner, who tipped his hat welcomingly at his favorite customer; Souji had bought any and every book that had been released over the past year.

Souji walked through the aisles a bit aimlessly, eyes searching the books without really seeing them. He sighed as he thought about the next day. Here he was, wandering without a purpose, without a gift for the girl he loved for Christmas, and was unable to come up with any good ideas for one. He leaned against the end of one shelf and looked at his feet. What was he going to say to her? "Hey there, Naoto! Merry Christmas! I baked you a cake, but I didn't get you a single gift! Aren't I great!?" Souji snorted as he thought about that. Yeah, that definitely would go over well with the sleuth.

Souji looked up, noticing the section he was in; Mystery. He shrugged his shoulders and walked through it, scanning the books. Maybe he could find a good book to distract him for a bit while he thought. He browsed through the many leather and paper-back books, finding nothing of interest. Suddenly, Souji came to a stop as he spied a book that was out of place amongst the many modern books.

An old cloth-bound book sat under a pile of books in the back, seemingly forgotten and covered with dust. Souji reached a hand out, removing the books on top of it, and pulled it out delicately. It was very old, without even a title on the front or spine, and the pages were yellowed. Looking up, he noticed more similarly bound books hiding around the shelves, all bearing the same design as the one in his hand, but each varied slightly in color. Soon, Souji had a small pile of the books, having searched for any more and found none. He gingerly opened them one by one, and the expression on his face grew into a large smile as he saw what was contained within.

He ran back to the front to borrow a small wicker basket the owner had at the front, then returned to the pile and swiftly, but carefully, placed each book into the basket before carrying them to the counter. The owner looked surprised at the contents of the basket, but shrugged and gave Souji the cost while placing the teens purchase into a large bag. Souji gladly paid the man for the books, thanking him before leaving, and carried the books swiftly home. He'd found something better than he could have ever hoped for.

Souji smiled as he heard a knock on his front door. He opened it to reveal a somewhat cold looking Naoto, carrying a small duffel bag. "G-Good evening, Senpai!" she said, looking up at the silverette's face.

"Good evening, Naoto. Would you like to come in?"

Naoto nodded swiftly. "I-If it's not too much of a bother…" Souji shook his head, his smile growing as he stepped aside to let the ace detective inside. He closed the door and turned to take her coat, placing it on the hook next to his own. Naoto sat on the couch in the living room while Souji prepared some hot chocolate for the two of them.

He handed Naoto a cup of the beverage before placing his on the tea table, and joined her on the couch. Naoto blushed deeply at the proximity of her boyfriend, and chose to stare into her drink as she spoke. "Thank you…for inviting me over, Senpai…" she murmured, blowing softly on the drink to cool it before she took a sip.

Souji smiled as he watched her, admiring her features before responding. "I'm glad you could make it…" he said quietly.

Naoto placed her cup on the table, and held her head down as she reached up to pull down the brim of her ever-present cap. "Err…" she began "are we alone…?" she asked, earning a small nod from Souji.

"Yu went to Rise's, and Nanako and Uncle Dojima are still in the hospital, so we have the house to ourselves."

Naoto nodded. "Ah…" was her quiet response. Souji stood up and offered the sleuth his hand, which was taken with some hesitation. He led her upstairs to his room and sat her down at the small table before returning downstairs to retrieve the cake from the fridge, along with some silverware and, of course, the cocoa they had left on the tea table. He returned to his room to find Naoto looking around, having placed her bag by the model shelf. Souji leaned against the doorframe as he watched her, chuckling a bit when a small gasp escaped her as she registered his return.

He placed the cake down in the middle of the table; their cups were placed on opposite ends of the table, along with the silverware. Naoto looked down shyly, then raised her head as she attempted to make small talk.

"U-Um… It's pretty cold outside!" She blushed and looked back down as Souji only smiled in response; the teen was having a hard time finding any words as he stared at her, lost in the simple beauty that was Naoto. "Ah, well, uhh…I-I'm sorry… I guess I'm nervous… because, um, we're the only ones here…" Naoto shifted in embarrassment, earning a small laugh from Souji.

"It's alright, Naoto, don't be so nervous. I don't bite…much." Souji's eyes twinkled as Naoto's head snapped up, a dark blush covering her face.

The frazzled detective managed to stammer out a compliment about the cake, then apologized. "I'm sorry I was late…I made you something, and had to run home to go get it…" Naoto pulled a small box out from her bag, and handed it to Souji. She watched apprehensively as he opened it, smiling at the contents. "I customized this watch. It has the normal functions of a digital watch, but…" she trailed off, looking down as she spoke softly. "It can also tell you where I am…It's just a toy, though, so it only has a radius of a few meters." She looked up at Souji, eyes gleaming. "And… J-Just so you know, my watch has a similar function…" Naoto blushed as she continued. "My watch can tell me… where you are" she murmured quietly, revealing the same watch on her right wrist.

Souji nodded, feeling his eyes sting a bit as they began to water. "I love it, Naoto. Thank you…" The detective blushed at the praise she received, and looked up to see Souji remove a medium-sized box from behind the twin's futons. Souji handed it to her, and Naoto stared at it, suddenly unsure as what to do. "Go ahead and open it." Souji said, smiling gently. Naoto, shocked into action, slowly removed the wrapping and opened the box. Her eyes widened as she lifted one of the books Souji had bought from within, and she gingerly opened the book to read its contents.

"The Hounds of the Baskervilles

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1st edition print"

Naoto held the book to her chest, closing her eyes briefly before turning to gaze at her boyfriend. "Wherever did you find these?" she asked, and Souji beamed at the adoration he saw in her eyes.

"The bookshop had them. They were buried under other books, so they were a bit hard to find. I was surprised when I found all of his works just sitting in there, especially since they were so old."

Naoto nodded, and carefully placed the book back into the box. She stood and walked over to Souji, who was now standing himself, and wrapped her arms tightly around him, the silverette embracing her close in return. "Thank you, Senpai." Naoto's voice was slightly muffled by Souji's Yasogami gakuran, and the boy noticed for the first time that Naoto was also dressed in her school uniform.

She broke away from Souji and glanced nervously at her bag, shifting a bit on her feet. "U-Uh…I have something to show you." Naoto blushed as she spoke, and slowly walked over to her bag and pulled out a bundle of folded clothing. Souji raised his eyebrows as he sat down on the couch.

"Err…What would that be?" he asked, suddenly feeling very nervous as he looked at the ever-deepening blush rising on Naoto's face.

Naoto shook her head and spoke very quietly. "I…I'd like you to see me in a school uniform…"

Souji tilted his head a bit. "Umm…aren't you already wearing our school uniform? What do you mean?" The silverette's eyes widened as he realized what Naoto was talking about, serving to cause Naoto to flush a deep crimson as she excused herself to the bathroom to change. She walked back in a short while after, and Souji had to do a double-take to make sure he was looking at the same Naoto from before.

She was indeed wearing the girl's uniform from Yasogami, and looked a bit uncomfortable in it as she stood, arms held up in front of her and legs close together, bent slightly. Souji's jaw dropped as he took in the view; his former idol-turned-friend-turned-girlfriend looked positively stunning, and he stop the heat he felt rising to his cheeks as he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, trying to somehow remember what words were.

Naoto still held the same shade of crimson she'd had when she left the room, and spoke very softly. "Yakushiji-san prepared it for me…I know this is what all the girls wear, but, um… Isn't the skirt too short…?"

Souji finally managed to remember how to speak, and shook his head so as to bring himself back to reality. He turned his head away slightly to compose himself before giving her a small smile, eyes shining. "It…it looks really cute on you, Naoto" he said, causing Naoto to stammer out a denial.

"P-Please stop! Don't embarrass me…" the sleuth looked down at the floor, trying to lessen the heat she felt in her face before continuing. "I-I think I'll stick with my normal outfit…I'd feel awkward all day if I wore it at school." Naoto smiled however, looking back up at Souji appreciatively. "But I'm happy that I showed it to you. Thank you, Senpai."

Souji nodded, and stood up to embrace his girlfriend lightly. "Why don't you go change back into something you're comfortable with? I'll clean up here." Naoto nodded lightly as she returned the gesture before grabbing some clothes from her bag, heading back to the bathroom to change again. Souji, in the meantime, cleaned up the dishes he'd brought up, grabbing the cups and cake platter, and brought them downstairs, storing the cake back in the fridge and putting the cups in the sink to be washed later. He came to the foot of the stairs to see Naoto coming out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of loose fitting pajamas.

Souji froze on the spot, as did Naoto when she glanced down the stairway and saw him. Neither spoke, and Naoto's eyes were wide as she tried to think of a reasonable excuse as to her intent. Souji quickly got over his small shock and smiled warmly at the young detective, taking the stairs two at a time before coming to a stop in front of her.

"S-S-Senpai! I, err…that is…"

Naoto began to stutter nervously until she noticed Souji's shoulders shaking as he failed to hide his laughter. "It's not funny, Senpai!" she said indignantly, which only caused Souji to laugh harder. Naoto stalked into the room, gathering her bag up in a huff, but stopped as she felt two arms wrap gently around her waist.

"Leaving so soon, then?" Souji asked quietly, tickling Naoto's ear with his breath as he spoke.

The sleuth blushed as she sensed how close his face was to hers before answering. "I…I was hoping…that I might be able to spend the night with you…" she murmured softly, causing Souji to give her a gentle squeeze with his arms before he turned her around to face him.

Souji's silver eyes met hers, and Naoto saw the passion in them as he spoke. "Of course…I'd love that." Souji moved closer, cupping Naoto's cheek with one hand, wrapping his other arm around her to hold her left shoulder. Naoto tilted her head slightly, eye's half closed as she moved closer to Souji, and the two teens fell into a deep kiss, each grasping the other tightly as if to pull them closer together. In what seemed like too short a time, the moment ended, and Souji and Naoto pulled away from each other, gasping slightly as they did so.

Souji smiled softly, and led Naoto to his futon before leaving to change into his own pajamas. As he came back, he saw that Naoto was still sitting where he'd left her, fingers raised to her lips as she smiled, a dreamy look in her eyes. Souji shut off the lights and walked over to her, laying down beside her as they pulled the covers over themselves. As they looked at their watches to take them off, they smiled at the reading on them, a small beep emanating from the devices.

"Distance: 1m".