Rise gasped as she entered Naoto's hospital room. Wires connected with her arms that led to drips and other medical equipment, an oxygen mask covered her face as well as a small white plaster over her cheek and the idol was rather glad she couldn't see were the bullets had hit her, which were most likely bandaged. She felt fresh tears slowly fall down her checks as she watched the pint-seized detective's chest gently rise and fall as she breathed.

"Hello Nao-chan." Her friend's grandfather sat down on the chair next to her and held her hand. "Rise-san is here to see you as well not just me." He turned to her before adding, "Your voice can do wonders to anyone my dear. Especially when they're in a hospital." Rise hesitantly stepped forward as he turned his gaze back to Naoto.

"H-hi Naoto-kun..." she chocked back a sob. "I'm so sorry this happened... I-I... Thank you Naoto-kun!" She sobbed that last part. Kashikoi smiled at her as he could tell how worried she was. If the two of them hadn't agreed not to mention Tantei before they had entered then she probably would have mentioned him by now. It felt wrong to deprive her of knowledge about her beloved companion, but she knew it was for the best. That sort of news might put her in a worse condition...

"I um... Everyone's outside waiting to see you. They're seriously worried about you, ya know!" She forced her voice to stay as cheery as possible. "Er... Yakushiji-san's here to!" Sighing she turned to Kashikoi with a look that just said 'can I go?' He nodded before gently kissing his granddaughters forehead.

"I will return later on my dear. I believe your friends may wish to see you." Rise took one final sorrowful glance back at her sleeping friend before leaving with the same friend's grandfather.

"How is she?" Yukiko's soft, gentle voice urged her to smile calmly. Well as calmly as you can get after crying so much...

"She's fine... are you going in?" her voice shook despite her efforts to keep it steady and remain calm. She desperately wished she had Naoto's calm mind...

"We probably should... Come on Yukiko." Replied Chie as the two of them stood up to take their place.

"Do not fret Yakushiji-san. She'll pull through. You know she will!" The elder Shirogane's voice seemed to reassure the secretary as he relaxed slightly.


"Hmm? Where am I?" her voice echoed around her as she stood in what seemed to be empty blueness. Naoto spun around at the sound of voices. Familiar voices. "Damn it! I was shot wasn't I?!" The realization hit her like a brick to the face as she finally understood what was going on. She was shot, fell unconscious and is most likely in a state where she can hear and sense other people but she cannot respond to them... at all... "Oh great... Wait is that Rise-san? And Grampa?"

"Hello Nao-chan." She smiled as she heard her Grampa. Her father figure for many years. "Rise-san is here to see you as well not just me." There was pause as she felt something grip her hand gently. "Your voice can do wonders to anyone my dear. Especially when they're in a hospital."

"Ah... She probably thinks this is her fault... And she's most likely crying..." She could have sworn she hadn't said that allowed... "Wait, this is my mind so..."

"H-hi Naoto-kun..." Naoto felt a slight burst of triumph as she now knew her assumptions were correct. "I'm so sorry this happened... I-I... Thank you Naoto-kun!"

"Hey Naoto-chan!" She spun around and gasped as her shadow self stood a few feet away, smiling brightly. "Don't worry so much! I'm you and you're me! I'm not going anywhere! After all I am from your heart. It's only normal to see me here." The shadows tone got peppier as she spoke. The detective prince smiled uneasily at it before her attention flew back to Rise.

"I um... Everyone's outside waiting to see you. They're seriously worried about you, ya know!"

"Yay! They care about us Naoto!" Naoto nodded in affirmation at her double.

"Er... Yakushiji-san's here to!"

"She wants to leave... I suppose she doesn't like seeing me like this..." This time it was the shadows turn to nod.

"I will return later on my dear. I believe your friends may wish to see you." She felt something soft touch her head affectionately.

"Aww Grampa's worried! Do they have to go?" The shadow pouted slightly as the sound of footsteps got more distant.

"Afraid so... It may not be visiting hours." She looked at her other pouting self. "Don't worry. Remember were not alone right?" The shadow smiled brightly again as she realised what the original meant. A few moments passed before they could her more footsteps approach.

"Oooooooo who do you thinks there? I bet its Grampa or Yakushiji!"

"No... There's two people here and they're walking much too softly to be them... Hmm..." A small gasp interrupted them completely giving away who it was.

"Chie." The two Naoto's spoke in perfect unison.

"Holy crap! I thought she said she was fine!"

"Chie calm down. I doubt Naoto-kun would want to hear that..."

"Hmm so Yukiko-senpai and Chie-senpai are here..." She turned to her double who looked equally annoyed at the steak loving girl's first words.

"Yeah... I guess your right... Sorry Naoto-kun. Its just I wasn't expecting you to... well..."

"Is she overreacting or being completely serious?! Do I look like a monster or something?!" Naoto's double just shrugged at her reaction.

"Hello Naoto-kun. We umm... we heard what happened." Yukiko's soft voice sounded devastated.

"Yeah! You sure are brave! No wonder you're an ace detective!"

"Suck up..." Naoto glared at her double. "What? Chie-chan's clearly worried and trying to make you feel better! So she's a–"

"Yeah. You and... Umm you saved Rise-san's life!"

"'And?'" she gasped in realisation. "Tantei! Oh god is he ok?!"

"Well... It's great to see your still fighting! I guess... Um don't forget! We haven't had that movie night we said we'd do yet! Right?"

"I thought she forgot about that!" The shadow smiled excitedly.

"And I was thinking about inviting everyone to the inn soon. You'll know why when Yosuke tells you."

"Tells me what? And what about Tantei?"

"Aren't I supposed to be the annoying shadow here? NOT you?" Naoto glared at the shadow again.

"Well we should probably get going now so C'Ya later Naoto-kun!"

"Why won't they stay longer?" Shadow Naoto pouted again.

"I told you its probably not visiting hours." Her shadow had helped calm her down slightly. She was right... It's not her job to be annoying.

"Get well soon Naoto-kun! And like I said, Yosuke will explain everything so...umm goodbye Naoto-kun."

"He better..."

"How's he gonna know about Tantei?" Shadow Naoto rolled her eyes in annoyance earning herself yet another death glare. The two looked up again as different people took the place of the last. The footsteps were heavier for one person and light for the other.

"Is it Yosuke? Naoto is it Yosuke?"

"I hope so. Its most likely Kanji with him though... Strange... He can barely look at me normally and yet he's here..."

"His face probably looks like a tomato!" The detective chuckled at her shadows comment.

"Quite likely."

"Er... Hey..."

"Aww you were right! It is Kanji-kun!"

"Hey Nao-chan! You don't look to good..."

"What did you expect? She was shot! Damn it! Thee times!"

"Ugh... Why does he always insist on yelling...? And did he say 'three times'?"Naoto was beginning to worry a lot more then she should. "Is it really that bad?"

"Kanji! I don't think Nao-chan likes it when you shout."

"Yeah? Suppose your right Ted. Sorry Naoto."

"Is his face red?" questioned the shadow curiously as if Naoto could see. She shrugged in response suddenly curious herself.

"Anyway. Doctor said ya' ain't gonna be out for a bit. So were gonna come visit ya' here!"

"Yeah Nao-chan! We'll come visit you till you can leave here! We wont leave you all by your bear-some! Nope! Never!"

"Bear jokes! Their bear-rific!" Her childish self squealed in excitement. "Tell us more Teddie!"

"Please don't..."

"Hey Ted... We should probably go so Yosuke-senpai can explain that... thing and so that Yakushiji-san can see 'er."

"Okey Dokey! Bye Nao-chan! Get bear-tter soon!"

"Yay! More bear-tatstic bear jokes!" Naoto couldn't help but slam the palm of her hand into her forehead.

"Imbecile..."

"Hey Naoto-kun..."

"Greetings Naoto-sama. Oh my..."

"Uh ha ha... um well I didn't know wires were used like that..."

"Wait, what? Wires?" Shadow Naoto shrugged as she stared in disbelief at her.

"I hope she knows you mean the tubes for the drips Hanamura-san..."

"A drip?" The detective turned to the shadow again. Who simply replied:

"Plural."

"What?!"

"Yakushiji-san said drips not drip. See? Plural."

"Well at least its not wires..." She mumbled obviously relieved.

"Perhaps you should tell her the news. You did make sure that you would be the one to inform her of it."

"But what if she can't hear me?"

"Then just tell her again later."

"Just tell us! Yakushiji-san, make him tell us!" The shadow was growing impatient.

"Fine... Okay so... Um since its nearly golden week, our friend from out of town should be visiting. You know who I'm on about right? Well you two, do have a thing going on right? I mean come on! It's been obvious for ages!"

"What?! Souji-senpai? Does he mean senpai? How did he know about that?!"

"Every time you guys got close your watches would bleep and when I asked the time and you showed me it, you kinda gave it away there... Sorry by the way..."

"Is he forgetting I still have a working gun?"

"Hahaha! If he told the others then he's dead steak for Chie's next lunch!" The double giggled with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Agreed." Naoto smirked in agreement.

"Er... Well I told him about this just a moment ago..."

"He's dead." The twin detectives spoke in perfect unison.

"Sorry about that... But if it's any consolation, he's coming back as soon as he can! Seriously! He said he was gonna go call Dojima-san and ask if he can come back any day now!"

"Hmm... Yep he's still steak to-be! He told senpai! I don't want him to worry about me!" They grinned at each other as they said that last part in unison.

"Anyway I hope you get better soon! I'll come visit of course but still..." He paused. "Well C'Ya later Naoto-kun!" He left...

"Well Naoto-sama, I'm glad to see your pulling through this. I should leave you to rest. Goodnight."

"So what now?" Naoto stared at her double curiously as it spoke. "You wanna play a game?"

"I thought I was supposed to rest..." Stupid answer. If this was a dream then that would mean she was resting.

"It's a dream! You can do anything you want! Your always asleep until the end of it!"

"Hmm..." a thought suddenly came to her head. Anything? Really? An image of an incredibly tall tree came to mind. Focusing on that image the blueness around them began to morph into the scenery from her mind. "To be honest I didn't expect that to work."

"Last one to the tops a rotten egg!" The two of them instantly began scrambling up a huge oak tree, bounding from branch to branch in their haste to reach the top first! Their breathing never changed. No tiredness dragged them down as they scurried up the tree like squirrels!

...

...

"How long do you think I've been asleep?" asked Naoto curiously once they'd both reached the top at the same time.

"How should I know? If you wanna wake up why don't you let me fight you?"

"F-fight?" She couldn't keep the slight nervousness out of her voice.

"Yeah! It'd be fun! As soon as you feel pain you should wake up! Lets see how long you can last!" Shadow Naoto's excitement seemed contagious as she stated the challenge.

"Lets." She quickly focused on the idea of a decent fighting arena. The only thing that came to mind was the area at the exit out of the TV world. "Will this do?"

The two of them quickly stood up as the ground materialized beneath their feet.

"Great! Bet you can't beat me!"

"Let's find out shall we? Wait! Your not going to turn into the cyborg from before are you? That wouldn't be fair!"

"Of course not! I'll just have my fists! Same as you!" That brought another idea to mind... focusing on another image the two of them began to morph. The pair of them now had laser blasters and hover boards. Childish yes but oh well! This was her dream and she was going to take advantage of it!

"How about this instead?" The shadow laughed excitedly as her original spoke and the morph completed. Naoto swiftly launched of the ground on her hover board, whizzing past her shadow before shouting, "Race you to Yukiko's castle!" she laughed in delight at this ridiculous dream! Glancing back at her double she grinned as she noticed her catching up. She focused again on something a little more calm and before she knew it Tantei was barking in excitement in a hover cart nearby! This was by far the best dream she had ever had! She could do anything she wanted to do! Go anywhere she wanted to go and see anyone she wanted to see! But this was enough for her. A hover board race between Naoto, her shadow and Tantei... Yep! Best dream EVER!


Authors Note!

I'm SORRY if I went to overboard with this! It just goes to show how crazy my mind really is... But yeah I did say that Souji and Naoto were together. I am playing through Persona 4 Golden for the first time so its actually part of the timeline for me. DONT WORRY I WILL NOT PUT ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE OR ANYTHING OTHER THEN REALLY BAD TALKS! This story is also set after the game. Anyway please Read & Review! It always makes my day to see that people actually read this stuff! :D :D :D !

PS.

Tantei isn't mentioned much in this chapter because of reasons to do with the story arc I am trying to create! He cant show up in a hospital anyway! But he can appear in his master's dreams... o_O