Disclaimer: All rights belong to Higuchi- Tachibana sama.

This story though, belongs to me.

Hey guys!!! Its been a while!!! A loooooong while actually. I'm so sorry I havent uploaded for so long T_T. I've been really busy with college and studies and exams and projects and trips and had kind of given up on my fic, but then I thought- NO!!! Im on vacation now!!! Its time to get off my ass and get on my ass in front of the computer!! Time to reconstruct the pieces of what were and here is a new chapter, all shiny and reconstucted and fresh and....who am I kidding...It is new though...hope you like it!!! Do review and rant about what a lazy ass I've been if you'd like. ^_^

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RECAP:

He shook himself mentally and turned to Luca.

"She hasn't reported us, because of that Sakura Mikan. She thinks I saved her or something. Who is she kidding? I almost killed her with my Alice."

"You did protect her after that, though. That shelf would've done her some serious damage, but you took its weight and shielded her from it. In the end, that's what counts, I guess."

Natsume couldn't help but stare. His best friend had just said the same thing that Hotaru had the day before.

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Chapter 13: Deja vu

Natsume was walking down the cobbled street, his head bowed, not really looking where he was going. He bumped into a couple of people and mumbled a hurried apology before continuing as before. He was thinking of his brief victory over Persona that morning and of how Luca had taken the news about Hotaru. He grinned as he remembered what Luca had said to him after that.

"Seriously Natsume, that girl is trouble. She's dangerous. I know she's your friend and all but…I don't know, she kind of freaks me out."

Yeah, Hotaru Imai was dangerous alright, but her 'dangerous' he didn't mind. That Mikan girl on he other hand…he gave an involuntary shiver. He looked up suddenly as if seeing his surroundings for the first time.

"Where the hell am I?" he swiveled his head to the left.

"Why the hell am I here, of all places?!!"

Natsume was standing in front of Ohsaka library. At first he thought his mind had tricked him into thinking it was the library, but the stone he kicked ricocheted off the stairs leading up to the library door.

It's the stress. You're thinking way too much about Persona and the library and you walked here out of sheer instinct. You are NOT going crazy.

"I wish…" he muttered, glaring at the library door.

Oh well, now I'm here, might as well, he thought with a sigh, climbing up the steps. He sighed once more as he reached the top, wondering what in the bloody world had possessed him today of all days, when his gaze fell upon the door.

CLOSED

"What the fu-??"

Why the hell is the damn thing closed? And the day I decide to visit too!! Is that girl trying to piss me off for no reason again?? He raged furiously inside.

"No, wait. Wait." he said to himself, struggling to keep calm. "The reason the library is closed is because she's probably cleaning up last Saturday's mess. She's so stupid; she probably doesn't even realize that she pisses me off. Its just bad luck that I end up taking the fall all the time." he reassured himself. He looked up at the brick-clad outer walls of the library, green ivy climbing them up.

"Ha ha!" he laughed quietly to himself "She's so stupid she probably even forgot to lock the library door!!" he said out aloud, pressing his palm lightly into the wood of the door and

"Ah…" as it swung open with a tiny creak.

He stared in horror at the door.

She really IS that stupid!!!

He stared into the library's reception and all he could see was darkness. He looked behind him into the street. All the people on the street were walking around and weren't concerned with him in the slightest, preferring to mind their own business' , except a couple of annoying girls who were staring at him and giggling…and now making their way towards him!!! If it was anything at that moment, it was those girls who solidified his resolve. He muttered a curse and quickly entered the library closing the door shut behind him.

The room was so dark; he could barely make anything out.

"Why is it so dark? It's afternoon dammit…" he muttered, searching for the light switches.

He glanced around a couple of times and with his experience and instinct, knew that nobody was around.

He lit a tiny blue flame in his palm and made it dance around the room close to the walls. Finding what he was looking for, he switched it on and the room was flooded with light.

"Much better." He said softly to himself not without satisfaction. He looked around and realized why the library was so dark. The curtains weren't drawn back.

But why? If she was here, she would've drawn them when she came downstairs. Don't tell me she's gone out and forgotten to lock the door. And why the HELL am I so calm even though this is supposed to be shocking?

He sighed. Seriously, anything this girl does wont surprise me anymore. She's so thick-headed and irritating…wait. WHY am I thinking of her now?

Don't tell me you've fallen for her or something whispered Persona's words in his head.

Hell no. Not in a million- what was that?

He heard a loud thud from where all the books were kept and his pulse quickened.

Stupid girl. He cursed. You should've locked the door! Thieves can easily sneak into this place and steal something; or worse, be in waiting for you and hurt you! Haven't you learned anything from last Saturday??

He ran silently to the bookshelves in the main library area and hid himself, all the while watching for anyone suspicious. The thudding noise came again as well as a loud cough. He stiffened. The noises weren't coming from up here!! They were coming from the basement!! It could be…no it couldn't. The opposition?! Natsume raced towards the secret door and found it to be slightly ajar.

If they're here, they're going to trash the place and not finding that book, might just end up hurting that girl. I've got to take them out before that happens!!

He crept down the stairs warily watching out for anything out of the ordinary. The basement light was on, flickering dully, and the shelves were upright. He silently jumped onto the shelf nearest to him and made his way over to the noise, jumping quietly from shelf to shelf. He saw the mess he had made a week ago and winced in guilt. It looked like a war had raged in the library basement with the books its soldiers and the pages their blood.

He shook his head from side to side.

Concentrate.

The noise seemed to be coming from the same desk as before and when he reached the shelf overlooking it, he flattened himself on the shelf an odd feeling of déjà vu washing over him as he did so. He glanced down and smiled in triumph. He was right after all!! A hooded figure was crouching on the floor opposite the shelf he was on sifting through the numerous books on the floor, scrabbling around as if it was searching for something.

Many thoughts raced through Natsume's mind, the foremost one being that if he nabbed the intruder, he wouldn't owe that girl anything…much.

He kept his eyes fixed on the intruders' back and made his mind up in a flash. Crouching on all fours, he poised himself over the intruder, balancing on his toes and fingers, like a stalking cat. The intruder looked to its right, stretching its grubby, bandaged fingers towards another book.

And Natsume jumped.

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