A/N: Hi there, fellow reader! Just want to welcome you to the penultimate chapter of this story - and technically, the last chapter for this year! I can't believe this story has gotten this far with this much support. But for now, I'll save all my sentiments for the final update next chapter!

So without further ado - let's get on with the final battle!

P5: The Bond That Makes Us One
Episode 30: THE EMBODIMENT

-Episode Summary -
The final battle continues as
Morgana and his team face off against
the Embodiment of Hate.

- The Spirit Palace -
Gardens

A long battle ensued within the palace's gardens. Attacks of different elements flew left and right as the heroes fought against the chaotic mess of shadow particles thrown at them by the Embodiment of Hate. The group constantly had to take cover behind the palace garden's statues and greenery as the massive shadow threw swarms of black particles at them that struck with deadly force.

"Look out, Yukari!" Ken shouted, watching from a distance as another barrage of shadow particles were thrown in her direction.

"Gaaah! Not this time!" Yukari stated, quickly turning around as she utilized Isis' wind abilities to shoot at striking arrow through the black particles as they dissipated upon contact.

"Yukari! Behind you!" Rise yelled, forewarning her of another attack.

"Huh? Wha-AGGGH!" Yukari screamed as she was suddenly hit in the back by another swarm of shadow particles – these ones taking shape of a humongous hammer as it swung in her direction and hit her with full force – launching her body into the air.

"I've got you!" Haru shouted, jumping out from cover as she called out Astarte, using its Psychokinesis powers to catch Yukari mid-air and gently lowered her back into the ground. Haru immediately rushed up to her side. "Takeba-san! Are you alright? That was a huge blow you took back there."

"Ugh… I'll manage." Yukari groaned. She knelt on the ground as she rubbed her back, feeling immense pain rush downwards. "Grrrgh… I don't know if I can move much."

"Don't worry, I'll stay by your side until you recover." Haru assured her.

Suddenly, a large swarm of shadow particles dropped around Haru and Yukari. The particles slowly shifted into multiple forms of a shadow beasts – each one appearing to walk on all fours, with the entirety of their heads being made up of a huge mouth with sharp teeth and a tail with a pointed edge for stabbing its prey. The beasts circled around Yukari and Haru as they growled ferociously at them, ready to pounce.

"What the heck! Since when could the shadow spawn creatures like that!?" Yukari yelped, eyes widened in shock.

"I'll keep 'em at bay!" Haru assured her. Focusing with her Persona's powers, Haru waved her axe around in the air and slammed it down, causing a Mapsiodyne wave to emit from the blade. The psychokinesis wave hit each shadow beast as they roared in pain while being thrown back, disappearing in the air as they succumbed to the damage.

"Haru! You're amazing!" Yukari complimented. She looked over to Haru, noticing that she was breathing heavily and her shoulders slumped down. "Hey! You okay? That attack looked like it used a lot of your energy."

"I'll… be fine. Just feeling a bit exhausted." Haru tried to reassure Yukari. In reality, Haru's stamina was gradually wearing as the battle continued on.

Without warning, a shadow beast spawned from behind and jumped right onto Haru, causing her to drop her axe. Haru screamed as she struggled on the ground, attempting to keep the shadow beast from munching on her with its vicious jaws.

"Shoot! Haru!" Yukari yelled, watching in horror as her comrade was being attacked. In response, Yukari scrambled to take out her bow and arrow. Aiming her weapon, Yukari shot an arrow of wind towards the shadow beast, piercing it through its head as it barely missed Haru's. The shadow beast disappeared – leaving both girls catching their breaths.

"Th-Thank you, Takeba-san." Haru gasped, taking a moment to lie down on the grass as she recovered from her near death experience. She looked up to the Embodiment remaining in the air above them as it continued to grow. "How long… do we have to battle this monstrosity…?"

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Makoto and Kasumi were fending off another wave of shadow beasts together. The two took a more physical and up-close approach with their enemies – with Makoto utilizing her aikido abilities mixed in with her Personas Nuclear powers as she punched and kicked the shadow beasts away. On the other hand, Kasumi slashed away at the beasts with her rapier whilst dodging with fluidity using her gymnastics abilities.

"Kasumi! I've got another one for you!" Makoto yelled over to her partner. She had managed to grab another shadow beast by its tail as it struggled to escape her grasp. Makoto managed to spin around and throw the beast in the air towards Kasumi's direction.

Kasumi looked over and noted where the beast was thrown. Utilizing her gymnastic abilities, Kasumi gained momentum as she jumped backwards, connecting it with multiple back hand springs as she soared into the sky and sliced the shadow beast in half – its body disappearing in a cloud of particles from contact by Kasumi's rapier. Landing perfectly on the ground, Kasumi nodded over to Makoto with a thumbs-up. "Heheh! Beautiful execution, Niijima-san!"

"Bark! Bark!" Korumaru's pleas of help were heard from the other side of the garden. Makoto and Kasumi looked over to see their comrade surrounded by multiple shadow beasts, trying their best to keep the enemy at bay with his Cerberus' fire abilities.

"Hold on, Korumaru! We're coming to help!" Kasumi called over to him. She and Makoto ran towards Korumaru's directions, parkouring across the garden as they fought their way through multiple shadows that interfered in their trek.

Out of nowhere, a humongous wave of shadow particles fell from the sky, knocking Makoto and Kasumi backwards by force as it crashed through the garden's statues and shrubbery. A large crack was left on the ground as the shadow particles began to form into a much larger beast, taking form of a gigantic monkey-esque shadow.

"Huh? A g-gorilla?" Kasumi yelped, staring back at the newly formed shadow in front of them. She quickly got up and kicked her rapier into the air, catching it as she immediately conjured up a powerful Bless skill – shooting a beam of Makougaon with Cendrillon and directly hitting the gigantic shadow ape in its stomach.

The shadow roared loudly as it took damage from Kasumi's attack. Managing to maintain its ground, the shadow raised both its arms up and slammed them into the ground, crushing the ground around them and creating a shock wave that shot directly towards Kasumi – knocking her backwards into the air as she screamed.

"Kasumi!" Makoto yelled out to her partner – relieved that she managed to land safely in a large patch of shrubbery that softened her fall. Makoto sighed in relief, right before calling out Anat to utilize her Nuclear powers. "Grrr! How dare you hurt my partner like that!"

Makoto felt a surge of power course throughout her body as she called out Anat's powers once more. She rushed up towards the shadow ape and yelled with ferocity, pulling her fist back before lunging it forward directly into the shadow's body. Upon contact, a huge energy of Mafreidyne shot out from Makoto's fist, knocking the shadow backwards with immense power. The shadow roared in pain as it flew past Ryuji and Yusuke, before disappearing into thin air from the damage it succumbed to.

"H-Holy shit! Did that just come out from Makoto?" Ryuji paused, staring back in Makoto's direction as he watched her help Kasumi up.

"Keep your focus up, Skull!" Yusuke reminded him. At the moment, the two of them stood back to back as a shroud of shadow particles began to circle around them. Yusuke kept a hand on his katana at ready, while Ryuji held his bat up in the air, keeping an eye on the shadow particles in case it lunged towards them.

"Grrrrgh! These shadows particles are too unpredictable! First they were just flying around in the air for us to hack away at - now they start taking physical forms! It's getting really annoying!" Ryuji yelled in frustration. "How the hell are we supposed to stop this mess?"

"Its as if this cloud of darkness is continuously replicating its mass." Yusuke gave his observations. He and Ryuji looked upwards into the sky as the Embodiment of Hate continued looming above them in the gardens – its chaotic shape spiralling in the air as more and more black particles shot out and aimed towards the heroes below. "There must be a source of power somewhere. But where could it be?"

Suddenly, the shadow particles circling around them duo closed in. Expecting the attack, both Ryuji and Yusuke swiftly swung out their weapons – slicing and whacking away the particles as they constantly flew towards them.

"GAAH!" Yusuke yelled out, being knocked downwards from a stream of shadow particles that hit him from the back. He ended up dropping his katana as the shadow particles enveloped him and began to choke him out.

"Yusukeeeee!" Ryuji screamed out. Before he could react, Ryuji felt his leg being pulled as the shadow particles formed into a tentacle and began to drag him on the ground away from Yusuke. Ryuji attempted to whack the shadow particles away with his bat – to no success.

"I've got you!" Ken yelled. Coming from the other side of the garden, Ken pulled out his spear as he called upon Kala-Nemi's powers. His spear was soon covered in electricity as Ken threw it towards the tentacle grasping Ryuji – stabbing through the shadow particles and releasing him from its hold. Ken rushed over to Ryuji's side as he helped him up.

"Damn, nice shot! I owe you one." Ryuji thanked Ken. The boys turned over to Yusuke, realizing that the shadow particles had formed into a giant serpent creature as it wrapped around Yusuke's body. "Shit! Since when did it turn into that horrible thing?"

"The enemy is getting smarter and learning new ways to battle against us." Ken commented. He looked back into the sky, witnessing the Embodiment of Hate continuing to send out shadow particles into the gardens below. "This shadow appears to have no restrictions in its powers whatsoever. I don't know how we'll beat it."

"Why you gotta be so negative! Come on, we've gotta help Yusuke!" Ryuji argued as he grabbed his bat from the ground. As he rushed his way over to Yusuke's aid, the shadow serpent noticed Ryuji and quickly swatted him away with its extensive tail. Ryuji fell back and groaned, before quickly getting back up. "Damn it! I can't get any closer!"

"I'll help out!" Futaba's voice emitted from above. She was currently within Prometheus as it hovered down to Ryuji and Ken's side. Futaba scrambled her fingers around Prometheus' control console as she provided the boys power-ups. "I've got the buffs all set up! Now's your time to strike!"

"Let's give 'em a shocking surprise, Sakamoto-san!" Ken exclaimed, pulling out his spear from the ground.

"Couldn't have said it any better myself!" Ryuji nodded back.

Calling out their respective Personas, both Ryuji and Ken aimed their weapons towards the shadow serpant as it continued holding Yusuke hostage. With the additional buffs granted to them by Futaba, Ryuji and Ken's electric powers skyrocketed to higher levels. Each of their eyes sparked with electricity as a loud thunderous sound came from the clouds. Whipping down their weapons towards the shadow serpent, a large bolt of lightning struck down, electrocuting the shadow creature as it hissed in pain – eventually disappearing as it let go of Yusuke.

"Dude! You okay?" Ryuji called out to Yusuke. He and Ken rushed up to his side – only to be shocked to find him lying unconscious on the ground. "Huh? Nooo! Yusukeeeee!"

"Wait, lemme check on him," Ken said, kneeling down to feel Yusuke for a pulse. He nodded over to Ryuji. "Don't worry, it looks like he just passed out. He was stuck in that serpent's grasp for quite awhile."

"Here! I'll get him to safety!" Rise assured them. She ran up to the boys as she summoned Kouzeon – utilizing her abilities to create a forcefield to protect and carry Yusuke out from harm's way.

"Risette! Any idea if we're making any progress?" Ken asked, referring to their efforts against the Embodiment of Hate.

"I… I don't know yet. Every time we seem to make a dent, the shadow just keeps on multiplying its powers." Rise responded. "Futaba and I are still analyzing the shadow looming above. All I can really say is just to keep fighting!"

"Dang… we're getting no where." Ken gripped his spear in frustration. No matter how much they fought, the Embodiment of Hate appeared to remain unfazed by their attacks as it spawned out more and more shadow particles against them.

"We can't give up! Not yet, anyway!" Ryuji exclaimed, noticing that Ken's spirit was slowly diminishing. He pumped a fist into the air as he nodded over to Ken. "Come on, dude! Shiho wouldn't want you to throw in the towel anytime soon! Where's that athletic spirit in you, man?"

"Yeah! You're right!" Ken nodded, his spirit immediately reignited by Ryuji's encouragement. The duo rushed back onto the battlefield to fight against more shadows.

On the other side of the gardens, Korumaru continued fending for himself as he was cornered by a large group of shadow beasts. Using Cerberus' fire abilities, Korumaru did his best to keep the shadow beasts away – creating a tornado of fire around his body for protection. At the touch of the flame, the shadow beasts would burn away within the snap of a finger. Regardless, Korumaru began to show signs of weariness as he continuously consumed energy for his attacks.

"You're not alone, buddy!" Tatsuya reassured, coming to Korumaru's aid as he blasted away a large portion of the shadow beasts with Apollo's flaming abilities. Jumping over the remainder of the shadow beasts, Tatsuya came over to Korumaru's side, quickly giving the dog a pat on the head for motivation. "Who's doing good! You are! Yes you are!"

Korumaru simply gave Tatsuya an unamused look - before utilizing Cerberus' Maragidyne skill to burn out another wave of shadow beasts that were about to sneak up behind them.

"Right, maybe that kind of talk doesn't work on you. No biggie." Tatsuya replied, cringing at his own mannerisms.

"Tatsuya! Korumaru! I need a little more fire power here!" Ann called over to them. At the moment, she was taking cover from behind a broken piece of the garden's wall. Looming over her appeared to be another form that the shadow particles took – this time, taking from of a shadow dragon as it blew out dark purple flames in her direction.

"Hmph, there just seems to be more surprises coming our way, huh?" Tatsuya commented. He and Korumaru rushed over to Ann's side, sliding behind the cover she was currently using. "So, got any plans for the hot-head over there?"

"Yup! We're gonna fight fire with fire!" Ann replied.

"How so? Our fire abilities won't do anything to an enemy that's mainly fire-based." Tatsuya reminded her.

"Don't worry, we've got a secret weapon working on it!" Ann reassured.

Peering over from behind cover, Ann, Tatsuya and Korumaru watched as Ren made his way over to the shadow dragon. He whistled in order to get the shadow's attention. As the shadow dragon turned around and shot a blast of fire back, Ren utilized Arsene's abilities to grant him additional speed. Summoning an unknown spell, Ren's knife was suddenly shrouded with a red aura. With Ren's enhanced abilities - given to him by Arsene - it allowed him to jump high into the air and slice through the shadow dragon using his enchanted knife. The shadow dragon roared in pain as its fire resistance disappeared. Ren landed below as he shouted for the next move.

"Go for it, Ann!" Ren called out to her.

"Let's go boys!" Ann directed Tatsuya and Korumaru. The trio jumped out from cover as they summoned their Personas. Hectate, Apollo and Cerberus floated above the trio as they began to power-up their fire abilities. On Ann's command, the trio shot out a powerful flame towards the shadow dragon – its damage tripled with their combined efforts. The shadow dragon was scorched as its entire body smoked in the air – eventually crashing into the garden below before disappearing.

"Alright! Nice one guys!" Ann congratulated, giving Tatsuya a high-five.

"Gotta give your boyfriend props, he was a complete badass for giving us that advantage." Tatsuya commented.

"Bark! Bark!" Korumaru agreed.

"Good teamwork, everyone." Ren came over to quickly congratulate them. He looked up to the sky, gritting his teeth at the sight of the chaotic shadow still looming above the palace. "Damn – it doesn't look like the Embodiment is giving up anytime soon."

"What are we going to do, Ren? We've been at this for so long," Ann asked. She looked throughout the gardens, seeing her friends pulling out their best efforts as they continued fighting against the swarm of shadow particles brought to them. She could easily tell that they were tiring, and noted that some of them were even off on the side recovering. "We seriously need a game changer right now. Our friends can't keep on fighting forever!"

"I'm still working on it." Ren replied. In reality, he had no idea on how to finish off the Embodiment of Hate. This shadow just kept on spewing out more and more enemies for them to battle without an end in sight.

Ren could only wonder - would they be able to defeat this chaotic mess, or eventually succumb to the Embodiment's plague?

Near the centre of the garden Morgana and Charlotte fought against a bulk of the shadow enemies, taking refuge around the fountain. Morgana utilized Mercurius' powers as he made a perimeter around them with a shield of wind that would knock the shadows away. At the same time, Charlotte called up Seiryu's aquatic abilities, washing away the shadow beasts with huge waves of water at them.

"If you haven't noticed, we're not getting anywhere with this!" Morgana called out to Charlotte, taking out another wave of shadow beasts with a gust of Magarudyne. "These shadows just keep coming at us!"

"I know!" Charlotte responded, taking out another group of shadows with a powerful blast of water. "I cannot fathom how much longer we can keep fighting, Morgana. Its as if the Embodiment above is toying with us."

"Is there anyway to stop it?" Morgana asked, only for Charlotte to give an uncertain look. These new enemy had come out of nowhere – and with proper knowledge of its motives or origin of power, Morgana and his team were lost on what to do. Attacking the shadow particles seemed to make no progress, as the Embodiment was able to spawn more at disposal.

They needed to find the enemy's weakness somehow.

"Huh? What's Futaba doing?" Ryuji suddenly yelled. He and Ken had joined with Ren, Ann, Tatsuya and Korumaru as they continued battling. For a moment, the group looked up and watched as Prometheus began to pilot itself directly into the giant mass of shadow particles in the sky.

"Is she really that crazy to fight the Embodiment herself?" Ann shouted.

"She's not going to survive long enough," Ren spoke in fear. He cupped his mouth and shouted, attempting to get Futaba's attention. "Futaba! You don't know what you're getting yourself into!"

Receiving no response from Futaba, the group continued to watch as part of Prometheus entered the mass of shadow particles – basically entering into the Embodiment's domain. In retaliation, the Embodiment spawned out shadow particles that formed into tentacles as they wrapped around Prometheus in attempts to stop it.

"Futaba! What is she doing?" Haru yelled in shock. She and the others continued to watch in shock as Prometheus began to take damage by the shadow tentacles that violently struck against it.

Out of nowhere, one of Prometheus' compartments opened up as a large missile loaded out and aimed directly into the mass of the Embodiment. With a press of a button, Futaba fired away directly at the Embodiment. The missile launched into the air at breakneck speed, immediately colliding into the Embodiment and causing chaotic damage

Unfortunately, Futaba was caught in the deadly explosion due to Prometheus being entangled in the Embodiment's tentacles. Her Persona immediately dissipated from the shockwave, causing Futaba to sustain immense damage herself. Her body helplessly plunged back into the gardens below – no motion or sound coming from her throughout the fall.

"NO! FUTABAA!" Kasumi yelled, catching a glimpse of her falling friend.

"I've got her!" Charlotte responded, quickly utilizing Seiryu's water-based abilities to shoot out a column of water towards Futaba's body – which safely landed within the floating body of water. Charlotte slowly directed the body of water into the palace's fountain and gently released Futaba's body inside it.

"No! Futaba!" Ren yelled as he and the others rushed over to her side. Jumping into the fountain where her body was, Ren crouched down and brought Futaba into his arms as he attempted to awaken her. "Come on, Futaba! Stay with us."

"Grrrrrrgh…." Futaba could only moan and cough. Her body had taken severe damage from the explosion as it was battered with smoke and parts of her skin and suit singed. Blood began to drip out from her mouth as tears began to build up in her eyes from the pain she was enduring.

Futaba could only gave her friends a weak stare as she she slowly lost consciousness.

"Noo…. Futaba, why would you do that?" Kasumi sobbed out as she knelt beside Ren, grabbing to Futaba's hand as she looked over to her fallen friend. "I-Is she..."

"Don't worry, she's still alive," Tatsuya assured them, kneeling down to check on Futaba's pulse. "I'll see what I can do to help heal her wounds – but it may take awhile. She appears to have succumbed to a lot of damage from the very missile she created."

"Hey guys! You might wanna check this out!" Ryuji spoke up, pointing into the sky.

Above them, the Embodiment appeared to have taken damage from Prometheus' missile – exposing its mass interior. Revealed inside the Embodiment's centre was a glowing crystallized pink heart. Parts of the heart sprouted out with black veins that connected to the shadow particles spiralling around its mass.

"What is that thing up there?" Morgana asked.

"It's the life force of the Embodiment," Charlotte managed to figure out. "Regardless of the Embodiment being born out of shadow attributes, it still requires a life force to drive its purpose. Within that heart is all the energy of the shadow attributes lying within."

"So basically – that is the Embodiment's weak point?" Ren guessed.

"Yes… If we want to win this battle, we need to destroy its heart." Charlotte concluded.

"I see… So Futaba managed to figure it out and decided to expose the Embodiment's weakness herself – without even telling us?" Ann added, looking back down to Futaba as the girl struggled to hang on to dear life in Ren's arms. "Why… why wouldn't she tell us anything?"

"She did it to protect us. To give us one last fighting chance." Morgana assumed, his fists clenching tightly to his sides. "We can't let this opportunity go to waste. We need to end this now!"

"So how the hell are we gonna get up there then?" Ryuji questioned. "The shadow particles are already chaotic enough down here in the gardens. We'll pretty much get teared apart if any one of us tries to come any closer to its core."

The group looked around to each other – hoping that one of them had a solution.

"It has to be me," Charlotte suddenly spoke up, much to everyone's surprise.

"Huh? W-Why?" Morgana turned to her with uncertainty.

Charlotte's face appeared to be one of acceptance to this eventual fate. She turned over to the others and did her best to present a look of reassurance. "Part of my soul consists of the seven other shadow attributes – akin to the Embodiment itself. If I go up there, I'll have a window of time to deal enough damage before it figures out who I really am while inside it."

"So, you're going to camouflage yourself with your shadow energy whilst inside the Embodiment's core?" Ren concluded. He took a moment to consider Charlotte's plan and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like it could work."

"But that sounds like a one way trip for Charlotte." Ryuji brought up.

"Charlotte! You can't do that. How will you come back then?" Ann argued.

"Heheh, I appreciate your concern, Takamaki-san. But right now, there's no other way for us to win, and we're running out of time." Charlotte reminded her. She looked over to Futaba's worn out body and shook her head. "Too many of our comrades have been hurt throughout this on-going battle. If we don't stop the Embodiment now, then more people are going to get hurt."

"No! W-We've got to figure out another way!" Morgana demanded, unable to accept Charlotte's solution. "Do you realize how you're sounding like right now? This would be a complete suicide mission on your end!"

"Morgana… Please, let me have this chance to rid of my wrongdoings," Charlotte spoke in a comforting tone. Initially, she hesitated to approach Morgana. But understanding the short amount of time she had left to live, she eventually figured out her feelings and what to say to her partners.

Charlotte eventually approached the worried Morgana and gently caressed his check, staring directly into his gaze.

Her yellow gaze that usually pierced into the soul – now brought a soothing comfort for Morgana.

"You and I, we've both been blessed with a chance to bond with such compassionate people," Charlotte began to express, taking a moment to look over to the others. "But I've still done so many terrible things to you all. See this as a way for me to repent for my actions."

"But this isn't fair to you though! You were never given a chance to live out a full life!" Morgana argued back. "This entire time, you've been bound by all this darkness, fueled by hatred. And now that you've been given a chance to turn around and see the light, you have to sacrifice yourself? That's not right at all!"

"I wouldn't have come to this conclusion if it weren't by your selfless example, Morgana." Charlotte continued to explain, remaining in her calm state. "Throughout my time of knowing you as we fought one another within this palace – you've displayed a great act of sacrifice for your friends. You did it out of love for them."

Charlotte paused for a moment to look down to the Spirit Amulet around her neck – its eight stones continued to glow in harmony.

"And now that I understand this emotion of love for others – I am compelled to bring out one more act to showcase what I've learned." Charlotte smiled. For a moment, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a single tear suddenly rolling down her cheek as she felt overwhelmed by this new feeling. "Please understand. This feels like the right decision for me to sacrifice myself. So all of you can continue strengthening your bonds."

Suddenly, Charlotte slowly took the Spirit Amulet off her neck and placed it around Morgana's – who remained speechless after hearing Charlotte's reasoning.

"I believe this belongs to you, Morgana. After everything you've done up to this point - you are the amulet's rightful owner after all." Charlotte spoke, giving him one final smile.

"Charlotte… You've changed so much within these past few days," Morgana finally spoke up. "It's just so surreal right now. Just what made you have this complete turnaround?"

"Let's just say, my heart has finally opened up a new desire." Charlotte replied. She took a moment to stare downwards, her face suddenly blushing as her heart began to skip a beat. "You may not know it Morgana, but you've impacted my spirit in so many ways that even I didn't realize until now."

Charlotte took one last glance at the Spirit Amulet now around Morgana's neck – a symbol of the battles and trials they both shared together – albeit, the majority of the time they had been pitted against each other. Their adventures shared within the last nine months helped them both grow to become the individuals they were at this very moment.

A guardian who fought to protect the bond of two people he cared very much for.

And a shadow, hell bent on destruction, now learning the attributes of what makes a true relationship prosper.

"Morgana, I wouldn't have understood my feelings if it wasn't for your dedication – you've helped both of us realize the treasure of sacrificial love between two people." Charlotte expressed. "I am truly grateful of all the battles you've overcome… That... is what I love about you."

To Morgana's surprise – Charlotte closed the gap between them and laid a soft kiss upon his lips. All Morgana could do was strike open his eyes in surprise. He remained standing there as he took in Charlotte's gesture – unsure of what to do.

"W-W-W-Whaaaaaaat!?" Ryuji stammered in complete shock, almost falling over at the surprising sight.

"The hell is going on?" Tatsuya raised his eyebrow.

Ren and Ann simply looked at each other – being the only ones to really understand the underlying bond that Morgana and Charlotte had made throughout their adventures in the Spirit Palace.

Eventually, Charlotte released her kiss upon Morgana. The boy simply stared back in awe as he took a moment to process what happened.

"Ch-Charlotte..." Morgana stuttered, remaining in a fazed state. He hadn't notice that his own face had turned red as blood rushed up to his cheeks – as if Charlotte's kiss had suddenly unlocked a new desire within his own spirit.

"Goodbye, Morgana." Charlotte nodded over to him as she took a few steps back. "Thank you... for everything."

In a swift motion, Charlotte summoned her Persona for the final time – jumping on top of Seiryu as she flew towards the Embodiment.

"Noo! Wait! Charlotte!" Morgana yelled out to her. He reached out as he continued calling out to her – only to watch helplessly as Charlotte flew towards her demise.

Morgana - along with everyone else in the gardens, witnessed Charlotte making her way into the storm of shadow particles and reaching the core of the Embodiment. As she flew directly towards the crystallized heart – Charlotte prepared a final almighty attack with Seiryu's powers, conjuring up every last ounce of energy as she prepared to finish off the enemy.

In defense, the Embodiment's shadow particles began to close around Charlotte and the crystallized heart, preventing the group in the gardens from seeing her final moments.

After a few seconds, the Embodiment's entire shadow form began to shake violently within the sky, reacting to the action happening within its interior. Shadow particles began to fly around chaotically as beams of blue light shot out from various parts of its form, which ended up destroying sections of the palace's garden and causing more ruin throughout the entire area.

"Everyone! Watch out!" Ren shouted. He quickly carried Futaba's body as the group began to flee from the garden for safety.

"Cendrillon! Protect us!" Kasumi commanded. Using her Persona's entire energy, Kasumi managed to create a forcefield of light around her friends as the Embodiment's reaction continued to cause mayhem around the garden.

Suddenly, the Embodiment's entire mass of shadow particles began to implode towards its central life core. In the blink of an eye, the Embodiment exploded in a fiery blaze of shadow particles, lighting up the sky above the palace gardens. The shockwave of the explosion caused parts of the palace's walls and pillars to fall into the garden.

Fortunately, the group remained under the safety of Cendrillon's forcefield. After enduring the heavy shockwave emitted from the Embodiment exploding, the group looked up in the sky, witnessing a surprising sight.

"What the… what's that falling down?" Ryuji commented.

Within the shadow particle explosion, glimmers of light blue sparkles covered the sky around, eliminating the particles and ceasing their destruction. The group kept their gaze up into the sky as they watched the blue glimmers gently float down around the garden – similar to a quiet rain fall.

"This blue light. What is it?" Haru asked, holding her hand out to try and catch the shimmering sparkles.

"It's Charlotte's life force… at least, what's left of it." Morgana explained with a defeated tone. He felt the presence of Charlotte's spirit floating around them as the blue sparkles continued raining down around them. Morgana sighed as he kneeled on the ground. His spirit remaining in pain at the comprehension of Charlotte's sacrifice. It took Morgana several moments for his mind to allow reality to sink in.

The final shadow attribute of Hatred, now destroyed – meaning that the Spirit Amulet had no forces to reckon against it. Meaning that their adventure was now over.

A victory that Morgana thought he would be celebrating – but this moment was only filled with heartbreak at the loss of a newfound life mere moments ago.

A bond that Morgana had realized was ever so important to him.

A bond that Morgana realized he had taken for granted.

- The Spirit Palace -
Room of Attribution

The group took refuge in the Spirit Palace's safe room – standing atop the altar in the middle of the fountain room. Taking a moment to rest, the Persona users reflected on the battle earlier as they figured out their next course of action.

"So, you think you'll be okay?" Tatsuya asked Futaba, having combined his Persona's healing abilities with Makoto and Rise's to replenish her energy and restore her body to normal condition.

"Yeah… I should be good. Thank you everyone." Futaba replied with gratitude. At the moment, she reverted out of her Oracle outfit, seeing as they were not in battle mode anymore. He turned over to Morgana, watching as he sulked at the centre of the altar. "So… Charlotte gave her life to save us?"

"Mhmm… It was the only way to stop the Embodiment from causing any more harm in the palace and reality." Ken answered. He sat along with Korumaru resting his head atop the boy's lap. Ken continued patting the dog's head as it slept in order to recover from the battle in the gardens.

"A being created out of the shadows, willing to sacrifice their own life for the greater good – a poetic ending, in my book." Yusuke commented. He had reverted out of his Fox outfit in order to rest up and heal after being knocked out from battle.

"Morgana, will you be alright?" Yukari asked, walking up to him as she set a hand on his shoulder. She could easily tell that Charlotte's sacrifice bothered him the most. "Listen… Ken and I know what it's like to lose someone you've grown a strong bond with. And I know in your case, you and Charlotte only came eye to eye in her final moments. But personally, me being by your side throughout this adventure since the summer, I could sense an underlying bond between you and Charlotte since she became sentient."

"I'll be fine Yukari. Thanks." Morgana tried to reassure her. Still, Charlotte's sacrifice continued to take a toll towards Morgana's spirit. He never thought that an enemy he made recently would impact his life in so many ways.

Memories flooded back to Morgana on their mission to when they defeated Ryuji's shadow cognition back in the palace's garden as they unlocked one of the spirit attributes. The shadow had began to display its first signs of becoming sentient, which began to form into its own character with emotions after absorbing Caroline's life force in the palace's library on a separate mission.

From that day, Charlotte managed to become an important influence in Morgana's life – one that he shared a mixture of emotions as they started out fighting against one another, only to gradually earn each other's respect and feelings.

"I'm still in awe that Charlotte managed to turn good in the end," Haru brought up. "I mean, yes – we only knew of her just recently, but for Morgana and the Spirit Guardians, it must've been a surprise for a shadow to sacrifice their life for them."

"I mean, it was all thanks to the amulet that Morgana aimed to power up," Ann reminded the group. She looked over to the centre of the altar where Morgana had just placed the Spirit Amulet. It floated in the air as its eight stones glowed in harmony – its full powers now realized. "Whatever powers the Spirit Amulet contained, it seemed to influence Charlotte's heart while she wore it."

"A short time for her - but nevertheless, created a powerful impact in her soul that caused a change of heart." Ren concluded. He looked beside the Spirit Amulet, watching as it floated beside the palace's main treasure of the; the bond of his and Ann, represented by a glowing heart of light. "Who knew that this entire adventure all start because of a palace holding our bond as its treasure."

"Yeah… Still, I feel bad that our relationship caused so much problems for everyone else." Ann added, a look of guilt flooding over her face.

"Stop that, both of you." Morgana spoke up, shifting from his mood of sulking to one of sternness. "I told you before, none of this is your fault. This has been all my doing for delving into an unknown power. You guys shouldn't put the blame on your shoulders."

Ren and Ann remained silent, nodding over to Morgana as they accepted his choice to take accountability for all that had happened. Although, the couple sensed a greater burden currently on his mind.

"Morgana, are you still thinking about Caroline and Justine?" Ren asked. His question caught Morgana by surprise, confirming their suspicions.

"Am I that obvious?" Morgana replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Seeking answers, he turned over to Lavenza's spirit. "Hey… so the Velvet Twins. Is there any way we can bring them back?"

Lavenza's spirit remained silent for a moment. An expression of regret overcame her.

"Unfortunately, once the life forces of my other halves are used up, there is no way that the process can be reversed. The Velvet Twins that you have known for a long time are no more." Lavenza's spirit answered.

"Oh… I see." Morgana's head lowered. Even with victory in their team's grasp, Morgana felt this outcome to be bittersweet for him. The two other partners that helped him begin this journey in the Spirit Palace were no longer here to celebrate their efforts.

Lavenza's spirit sensed Morgana's guilt and decided to give him a few uplifting words in order to cheer him up.

"Which is why I request for you to continue living out your life, Morgana." Lavenza's spirit encouraged him. "My other halves had yearned to experience the joys of living in reality. Our minds initially thought that divine intervention, such as utilizing the spirit amulet and its powers, would help us succeed in attaining that desire. But I now realize that we were wrong."

Morgana continued listening to Lavenza's explanation of her prior halves.

"It is true that Caroline and Justine received their first exposure to reality through the Trickster, but it was you that gave them the true understanding of building relationships through the attributes of the Spirit Amulet." Lavenza's spirit continued to explain. "You taught them joy, service, loyalty, honesty, patience – among other attributes important in a bond. Throughout their last remaining days, you gave them new life that no one else could. And for that, I am eternally grateful of your efforts."

Lavenza took a closer look at Morgana – reminding herself of the transformation and growth he had made in the past few months.

"Alas, this human form that you also currently stand in. See it as a gift from them to invest in your own opportunities to create bonds in reality." Lavenza's spirit encouraged Morgana.

"If I may add - having known the Velvet twins myself, I know they would say how grateful they are that you spent time with them, Morgana." Ren assured him, patting his friend on the shoulder with a proud look. "Just like us, they were blessed by your investment with them. Don't forget about that."

"Thanks, Ren." Morgana smiled back, peace finally settling in his heart regarding the twin's fates. Just like Lavenza's spirit said – he needed to live on for their sakes. Otherwise, Caroline and Justine's sacrifices would have been wasted.

"So what now? I'm guessing that our job is done?" Rise asked, looking over to Yukari, Ken and Korumaru – the four of them having been involved in this adventure the longest. "The Spirit Amulet has been completed. Meaning we won't have to worry about coming into this palace anymore, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Morgana replied. He looked over to his four new comrades – the original Spirit Guardians, and began to give his thanks to them. "I'm really grateful that you guys have been by my side since the very beginning of this nonsensical adventure. Although, I'm sorry for all the trouble I put upon you all and for wasting your time too."

"Wasting our time? Oh please! This is the most fun I've had in such a long time!" Yukari affirmed Morgana, coming over to his side to wrap an arm around him in reassurance. "I'd never pass down an opportunity on a Persona adventure! Plus, I got to reunite with some old friends along the way."

"It was truly an honour to work along your side, Morgana." Ken spoke with sincerity. "I also agree with Yukari – it was nice to utilize our Persona powers once again. Although, it would've been nice to have called on the other S.E.E.S members."

"Woof! Woof!" Korumaru awoke, barking in agreement as he shared his friend's enthusiasm.

"Totally! It would've been nice to have the rest of the Investigation team back in Inaba to help out! But I'll take what I can get!" Rise added. She turned over to Ryuji and the others, giving them all a wink. "Regardless, it was also really exciting to work alongside the infamous Phantom Thieves!"

"Oh shiiiit! Risette actually acknowledging her satisfaction in hanging out with us? This is a dream come true!" Ryuji pumped his fists in excitement and infatuation.

"Dream? Since when did you dream of this happening?" Haru asked, raising an eyebrow at Ryuji.

"Way too long, Haru. Waaaay too long."

"Well, I guess this means the end of our collaboration," Makoto brought up, nodding over to the Spirit Guardians. "Although our time together was short, we managed to accomplish a lot as a singular force. I hope this won't be the end of our partnership though."

"Likewise, Niijima-san." Ken nodded back to her.

"I am truly grateful of your combined efforts," Lavenza's spirit expressed to the entire group. "Even with the short notice, you have all managed to work together to stop an almighty threat. I can truly tell that all of you have been blessed with the powers of Persona."

"Thanks, blue butterfly girl!" Yukari replied with positivity. "So anyway, mind taking us back home? I was in the middle of a movie marathon back in my living room when you called me, heheh."

"Certainly, I will ensure that you all return back to reality at the corresponding moment you left. It will be as if time hadn't passed in your respective lives." Lavenza's spirit assured them, much to everyone's joy.

"Cool! I won't have to worry about losing time on studying ahead for finals coming up!" Futaba exclaimed as she stretched out her arms in relief.

"WHAT!? Oh shit, I forgot that tomorrow is December!" Ryuji immediately panicked. He recalled the countless number of assignments and essays that were long overdue for his attention. "I haven't even started on any of my final projects! Shit, I'm so screwed..."

"Oh Ryuji, seems that you would need a study partner." Kasumi chuckled. "Uhm… I don't mind helping you out, if that's fine with you. I still owe you for carrying me up all those stairs earlier."

"Awwh yeah! That would be awesome! You're a lifesaver, Kasumi!"

As the groups said their goodbyes to one another, Lavanza's spirit created a portal to each of their respective homes and times. Eventually, Ren, Ann and Morgana were the last ones remaining in the Room of Attribution.

"Well, time for us to get some well-deserved rest." Ann smiled, clinging over to Ren's arm.

"Definitely," Ren agreed. Turning around, he noticed that Morgana remained at the centre of the altar, staring at the Spirit Amulet. "Hey, Mona – are you going to join us?"

Morgana remained silent – his mind running endlessly on other thoughts. Sensing their friend's troubled state, Ren and Ann walked over to Morgana to check up on him.

"Hey… Anything else on your mind?" Ren asked, putting a hand on Morgana's shoulder.

"Sorry… I was just thinking about Charlotte and the last words she spoke to me." Morgana explained.

"You mean… if she loved you?" Ann managed to figure out.

"Y-Yeah..." Morgana replied, finding himself blush in embarrassment.

"Hmm, Lavenza… could you help us understand? For Morgana's sake." Ren asked her spirit, also intrigued by Charlotte's words. "All Morgana wants is closure. Please, if you are able to – let him understand what Charlotte felt."

Lavenza's spirit paused for a moment, reflecting on the words that Charlotte had spoken to Morgana before her sacrifice. "Charlotte was just like you, Morgana. Young in spirit and just learning to understand these emotions granted to her by the Spirit Amulet. Yet, even when both of you were on opposing sides, you each showcased a genuine heart in the attributes you sided with – both spirit and shadow. I can confirm that her words had meaning to them."

Morgana took a moment to process the information given by Lavenza's spirit. It was all coming to fruition in his mind. Throughout the battles he had fought against her in the Spirit Palace and reality, he had also created an underlying bond with Charlotte throughout their encounters.

The only other time Morgana remembered this same outcome was between Ren and Akechi – both fighting on opposing sides, only to realize how vastly similar they were in character, the difference being the upbringing they each had...

One who was fortunate enough to establish a strong bond with the friends he made over the last year.

The other – born into a situation out of their control, shrouded in dark circumstances and dictated by an evil influence – only for them to learn the goodness in others when it was too late.

Having started this entire journey seeking affection and purpose, Morgana realized that he had it all in one embodiment born out of the shadows.

But now – she was gone.

"So… the one time someone did say they loved me… I lose them." Morgana uttered in grief. He felt his hands shake as the realization was finally settling in his mind.

"Oh…. Morgana, I'm so sorry." Ann quickly sympathized with Morgana. Recalling his desire to receive affection, Ann understood how heartbreaking this outcome was for him.

"Still… it's weird. To actually lose someone you've invested so much time with… I… I don't know how I should handle this." Morgana expressed in a confused state, looking over to Ren and Ann for answers.

"Sometimes… just letting out your feelings to those close to you is the best way to handle your emotions." Ren said, giving Morgana a reassuring pat on the shoulder once more.

"Right… If you need to talk to us about anything, we won't hesitate to come to your side!" Ann stated with a smile.

"And besides – you've sacrificed so much of your time in keeping Ann and I together throughout the many problems our relationship faced." Ren reminded him. "It'd only be fair for us to help you out with your own troubles."

Morgana – overwhelmed by the support of his friends, suddenly felt tears well up in his eyes. The calm composure that he attempted to maintain in front of the others began to break as he now understood that he had a safe haven for his emotions.

This haven was within the very people he desired to protect.

"I…. I'm just tired of being alone." Morgana began to break down. His emotions began to spiral out of control as he lost the willpower to keep them inside. "I… I mean, I know I have you guys… B-But I just… want someone of my own… to lean on…"

"I know… It's okay, Morgana. You will always have us." Ren spoke softly, embracing his friend in a hug to comfort him.

Morgana began to cry as he hid his face into Ren's shoulder, tears soaking into their clothes as he finally allowed all his emotions out.

"I promise, Morgana. We'll be here for you until the very end." Ann reassured, joining the two boys in their hug. She did her best to maintain her own composure, otherwise both her and Morgana would be a weeping mess for Ren to deal with. "It's okay for you to cry… Just let it all out."

Morgana continued to weep for his lost love – releasing all of his sorrows out onto Ren and Ann.

.

..

…

To be concluded!

~ I do not own any Persona-related material. Any relation to real world events or persons are coincidental. This story is purely for entertainment usage only. The sole property of the Persona series and characters are respectively owned by Atlus Co., and SEGA ~