Winona sensed something deeply unsettling about Klaus upon his return to the Oceanview Hotel. Something was wrong with him. His aura was agitated, inconsistent and pulsating with rage- which made her feel on edge. Upon hearing the news about the sixteenth demonic attack, he came to the conclusion that it had happened much too close to Winona for comfort, and he insisted that they relocate to another hotel. Due to his odd behavior, she decided that it would be in her best interest not to argue with him. She complied with his wishes and checked out of the hotel early the next morning. While she was glad to be rid of the place, she just couldn't bring herself to express her happiness- not while Klaus followed her in her shadow with such aggressiveness.

She felt rather awkward. He'd been silently brooding since they'd left. Given the circumstances, she just wasn't comfortable being in the dark about how Klaus was feeling. She knew that he must have been feeling so overwhelmed as they passed the crowds of people on the sidewalks of the city. Their scent seemed to amplify his agitation to the point where his aura became menacing- and to be honest, it was beginning to frighten her. She felt as though at any given moment, Klaus would lunge at a passerby and devour their soul. So, when she spoke, she'd hoped to distract him.

"Klaus?"

Silence.

"Klaus, I was hoping we could talk."

Again, silence.

"I know you're probably angry with me." She said as she dodged a couple of giddy high schoolers who were excitedly parading the shops in the city, "You're right to be angry. I should have summoned you the second I found out about the killings. I just- you've got to consider my position. You haven't been yourself since we arrived here. I hate to say it, but-"

"-You're afraid of me." His disembodied voice sounded weak, devoid of any emotion. It didn't sound right. It was almost like she was speaking to a stranger.

"...Yes, Klaus." She admitted, "It makes me sad. A Witch should never fear her Soul Link. So, I was wondering if perhaps we could implement a rule of absolute transparency."

"Do you not trust me?"

His tired voice sent a shiver down her spine. He slurred his words and spoke slowly like a drunk. She gulped and continued to speak cautiously with a nervous laugh, "Don't be silly, Klaus. Of course, I trust you. I'd just like to know what you've been doing. How you've been feeling. You know, so I can properly gauge an appropriate way to respond to you. I'd like to consider your feelings before I speak." She smiled, "That way, we can avoid any disagreements."

He responded in a near whisper, "...Absolute transparency, huh?"

She headed across a crosswalk and intentionally turned down a less crowded street. It was a bit of a detour that would perhaps extend their walk by another ten minutes, but she found that it was worth it when Klaus's energy eventually somewhat stabilized. "Yes. Perhaps you could tell me all about your investigations, and I could tell you all about my research. It could be a bonding experience. Lovely, don't you think?"

"...Perhaps."

"So, would you like to start? Where were you the past couple of days?"

Klaus didn't immediately respond. She heard him shakily inhale as a family of four brushed past them. His vibration immediately revered back to its original malicious state. His aura was hot, and it felt like pins and needles were being poked into her shoulder blades. Winona held her breath as the family passed by. Luckily, Klaus managed to restrain himself.

"Not now." He answered with a growl, "I'm too distracted."

She nodded her head. That wasn't a good sign. Not at all. She bit her nails in her nervousness. She never knew Klaus to be so short-tempered with her. The admittance of his impure thoughts as the family passed them was enough to make her start panicking. She began to quicken her pace and she did her best to maintain enough distance from the other people on the city's streets. She would cringe every time somebody got just a little too close- especially if someone would move behind her toward her shadow. Klaus's breathing became audible and heavy, and Winona began to pray that they'd make it to the hotel without any incident.

But like always, her prayers went unanswered.

She let out a scream when Klaus grabbed her roughly from behind, digging his claws into her waist and pulling her into an alleyway. He let go of her immediately, assuming his solid form and staggering over to the brick wall of a retail store. She put a hand to her racing heart as she watched him lean against the wall. She lifted her shirt and checked her waist, thankful that she had only scratched her. Klaus was trembling and muttering to himself like a patient in an asylum as he rested his head on the wall. For a split second there, Winona genuinely feared that he was going to eat her.

"I'm sorry Princess, I'm so sorry." He grunted and punched into the brick, indenting it with his fist. He was sweating and huffing and sputtering like a maniac. She was terrified of him. Though, at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to run even though her primal survival instincts told her to. Her empathy for him ran too deep, and she worried for him more than she feared him. He'd been suppressing his natural demonic needs for so long. He'd been living in complete starvation all of his undead life. Yet, for her sake, he was willing to hold himself back. He was a predator. She was prey. She knew this, yet when she looked at the twisted savageness on his face, she could see nothing but a friend who was suffering tremendously.

"Klaus-"

"Just go, Princess. Please, just go. I'll meet up with you later. I can't be around you right now-" His voice morphed and deepened into one that was evil and completely unfamiliar, "You just… smell too fucking good."

Her face turned pale and she nodded as terror washed over her. She was too afraid to turn away from him, so she simply backed out of the alleyway and booked it toward the Hotel. She couldn't help the tears that were spilling over her cheeks- and she received worried looks from the citizens of the city as she sprinted by them. She wiped her tears only after she burst through the doors of the new Hotel.

It was a shabby place, she couldn't deny. It wasn't ideal, but she honestly didn't care about its condition. So long that she was away from Klaus for now, it didn't matter where she was. She maintained her composure long enough to check into her new hotel room. However, as soon as the door shut behind her- Winona cracked wide open.

She released the pressure that was weighing on her as she let out a long, choking sob. She'd been holding in her anxiety for so long- pushing it into the back of her mind until finally being triggered by her fear. There were so many things that sat on her shoulders. Her brother and the Chaos Emerald that he stole, the demonic killings all around the city- and now, her only companion was losing his mind. It would only be a matter of time now until he would give in to temptation and eat somebody. She sat onto the bed and attempted to calm herself, steadying her breathing with the help of a puff from an inhaler from her shoulder bag. She then laid onto her back and began to whisper incantations to herself until she was finally calm.

The next morning, she laid there on the bed facing away from him. She knew that he was sitting there at the table, waiting to greet her as she woke, but Winona just couldn't muster the courage to turn to face him. However, it seemed that it didn't even matter. He knew she was awake. And, after a while, he must have grown bored of waiting. He began to speak. At first, she couldn't tell if he was speaking to her or if he was simply thinking aloud- but his voice was calm and actually quite pleasant, so she listened until he addressed her.

"When I was mortal, I read this novel that I didn't wholly appreciate at the time. It was about a Nun who lived at a monastery that overlooked this volcanic lake. Inside of the lake lived this monster that took the form of a man on dry land. The monster fell in love with the Nun, enthralled by her purity. However, it did not understand the concept of chastity, and killed her when it was met with rejection." She could hear Klaus's fingertip tapping at the table in front of him, "I understood the metaphor, I just didn't care for it at the time. Now that I think about it, I've started to appreciate the idea that darkness cannot exist without light. One cannot learn right from wrong if there is no example to learn from." He paused, "I suppose what I mean to say is- If not for you, Princess, my undead life wouldn't have any meaning." Her head perked up and she listened as he continued, "I'm lucky to be graced with your patience. I often think that, if our paths hadn't crossed, I might be nothing more than a mindless monster."

She allowed herself to sit up and face him. She was unsure whether she should feel flattered or concerned. Klaus never spoke like this. Although it was pleasant, the fact that it was unnatural for him made it feel eerie. He also looked so abnormal with such a soft expression on his face. Usually, she'd be met with hardened eyes when she looked at him no matter what kind of mood he was in, but right now he looked so genuine. So vulnerable. Like a real Mobian. The only difference would be the lack of pupils in his beaming red eyes.

"You are not a monster, Klaus." She said with a gentle voice, "And I am not a Nun, nor are you in love with me. You're comparing apples to oranges. You're correct to say that darkness cannot exist without the light, but they cannot coexist. There will always be friction between light and dark because they will always struggle to dominate each other."

His brief hesitation made Winona feel nervous and she wondered if what she said wasn't at all what he wanted to hear, but then he let out a light chuckle, "I suppose you're right. You are so very wise, Princess." He peeked beyond the space between the blinds on the window, from which a sliver of light illuminated his face, "You like books about monsters, I was wondering if perhaps you've read that one?"

"No, Klaus. I haven't."

"I didn't think so. It was very niche, even in my time." He then looked at her with a serious expression, "I'm sorry for putting my hands on you. I'm sorry that I made you afraid. I was wrong."

She looked at him, wondering why the sorrow in his eyes looked so insincere. He said that he was sorry, but there was hardly any remorse in his voice. However, with the desire to keep the peace, she said nothing to express her suspicion of him. She continued to speak with a cautious, gentle tone as if she were talking to a child.

"You didn't mean it, Klaus. It was a moment of weakness, which is something that happens to everybody."

He nodded, accepting her response as he gazed out the window. There was a short silence that followed until a thought popped into his head. He blinked his eyes, then looked down at his clawed paws. She noticed this shift in behavior as she watched him carefully.

"I have a strange question if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

"No-" He laughed and shook his head, "It's too odd-"

"Nothing is too odd, Klaus. Remember our agreement to absolute transparency?" She smiled as she urged him to continue with the intention to determine whether or not the Klaus that she once knew was the same Klaus that sat across from her, "I promise, I'm not here to judge you."

He nodded as he stared down at the table, "I suppose I was wondering- do you think monsters can be loved?"

"Well, that depends on your definition of a monster."

"Rapists. Murderers. Child predators." He said all these horrendous things so casually as he stared into his reflection in the glossy wood table, then looked up at her as he continued, "Do you think they can be loved?"

She exhaled a shaky breath, wondering if he meant to imply something. "I-I suppose… I suppose that depends on who you ask, I think. I believe that there are some people willing to look past a lot of things for the sake of love. I've never been in love before, but if I understand it correctly, I'd say you fall in love with whoever you fall in love with. It is not a choice. My own brother is a monster, and yet my mother loved him regardless. Though personally, there are things that I could never look past for the sake of love- I could never love somebody who has committed the crimes you've listed. Not ever." She looked away, "Because if I were to love somebody like that, I would be disregarding the pain that their victims have suffered."

She hadn't expected Klaus to respond so pleasantly to her words. He smiled at her as though proud, "You are so very wise, Princess."

And, although he said that, she couldn't decide if his words were actually genuine or if the demon was putting up some sort of front. Whatever it was, she didn't trust it. Not one bit.

There was a reason why Espio only made the journey home if it was absolutely necessary- which was because it was such a long trip to begin with. He had to take four different trains, which led him through four different cities in the span of two days. And, from there, he'd have to walk the rest of the way through a canyon, which usually took a day and a half depending on how many breaks he took. Then, after that, he would continue on through farmland until he reached the mountains.

The Shinobi Clan Sanctuary was a deadly place that he called home. In order to get into their base, he'd have to cross a boobie-trapped chasm in a cave hidden in the mountainside. The path would look intimidating to any normal Mobian, but he knew all of the secrets. He was able to cross the chasm on an invisible bridge, avoiding swinging axes and flying deadly projectiles with ease. Of course, it was well worth all of the trouble, because the beauty of their little hidden community was simply unmatched.

The cherry blossom petals carried a sweet scent in the wind as he exited the cave and entered the village tucked away inside of the mountain. He was greeted by familiar faces as he followed a little cobblestone path, the soft tune of a shamisen playing in the distance. The other Shinobi that passed him bowed to him, and he returned their respectful gesture each time. He walked straight through the residential area toward the Master's temple, crossing a wooden bridge that was suspended over a thin steady stream of water, where little Chameleons played and chased each other. It was so serene, and if he weren't visiting for strict business, he would have stopped to enjoy the scenery. Alas, he had no choice but to head straight into the temple.

He was surprised to find a spread of food on a table as he entered the massive wooden building. Upon realizing that it was all of his absolute favorites, he smirked and shook his head. From the other side of the temple, his mother materialized before him. She smiled as if content with the surprise that she'd made for him and sat at the cushion across the table.

"Mother, it's not my birthday." Espio said, sitting at the other side of the table, "Surely you didn't go through the trouble to summon me just for some lunch."

"Well, I have missed you." Replied the female Chameleon as she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and crossed her legs, "A mother can only go so long without seeing her son's face. But you are right, of course. There are some more… pressing matters I must have you attend to. So I figured we could talk over lunch. The journey here from the city must be so tiring."

His mother was never so affectionate- but it had been a few years since he'd been home, so of course, he appreciated the warm welcome. Sitting across from his mother and enjoying a home-cooked meal made him feel like a child again. However, that warm fuzzy feeling was short-lived. Like the true Master she was, she wanted to get straight down to business.

"You know, I heard through the grapevine that you've become acquainted with a certain Aetherborn Princess."

Espio coughed, nearly choking on his food. "H-How-" He swallowed the food that was caught in his throat, "How did you know that?"

"You know I have eyes everywhere, son. I assume that you have plenty of questions."

"I-" He'd expected to be assigned a mission that had something to do with politics between the other Clans- certainly, the last thing he expected was his Master to be concerned with Winona of all people. He gave his Master a quizzical look, "I have many questions, yes. Winona spoke of some sort of alliance between ourselves and their monarchy- but I've never learned of any such alliance in school or during my training. Is there a reason that it was kept a secret?"

The Master shook her head and swallowed her food before she responded to him, "It was no secret. We just don't speak of it." She sighed and sat her chopsticks down, supporting her chin in the palm of her hand and looking past his shoulder as she spoke as if reminiscing, "It was a mistake to form an alliance, but even if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have done anything differently. The tragedy was an eye-opening experience for our Clan, even if it was heartbreaking."

"You mean… the genocide, Master?"

"Yes." His mother stood suddenly with a somber expression, then turned away to look out of a window to their left. He could tell as he watched her gently push aside the sheer curtain that she was recalling something painful. She sighed, then cleared her throat, "You see, when I was just a little bit younger than you, I was sent on a mission overseas to gather information about a brand new established kingdom whose expanding power intimidated our allies. I was expected to assassinate the Queen." She laughed, "However, our allies at the time left out some details. They neglected to tell us that I was facing Witches and Warlocks, who would vastly outnumber and overpower me. It was a setup- our allies sought to have me, the daughter of the Master, killed. It was going to be a declaration of war."

"I imagine they hoped to anger the Aetherborns to persuade them to join the war against us?"

His master chuckled, "You are so clever. Yes, they wanted the power of the Witches to help eradicate our race. But," She clicked her tongue, "That just wasn't going to happen. You see, the Aetherborns were too smart to be manipulated like that. Even if the Queen was a naive little girl-" Espio had never heard his mother speak so fondly of somebody, and it made him realize just how deep their relationship with the Aetherborns must have been. He continued to listen, completely and utterly captivated by her story. "She was my age. Young. Intelligent. Full of mercy. And I was going to kill her in cold blood. I planned to do it while she sat at this little terrace in a garden while she was distracted by the book in her hands…" His Master hesitated, exhaling a breath slowly, "But she saw through my camouflage. I was caught in her sixth sense. She looked me in the eyes and she said- 'If you mean to kill me, could you at least tell me why?'"

"What did you do after that?"

"Well, I ran." His mother smiled at him with strange excitement in her eyes, "How was I supposed to assassinate somebody who could sense my malice like that? I ran like a coward. She'd shaken me. There was something powerful about her that just spooked me. So, I just sprinted off without any clear destination in mind. I was young, inexperienced, and afraid- so I wasn't watching where I was going. I had run into a forest and straight into a bear trap."

Espio had stopped eating. She had his full, undivided attention. "But, Moth-" He swiftly corrected himself, "-Master, you don't have a single scar on your body. Wouldn't a bear trap leave a lasting scar?"

"Of course it would, that is if she hadn't come back to look for me, of course. I didn't want her help, but she wouldn't get away from me. I was so agitated and annoyed, yet she wouldn't yield no matter how much I thrashed her with my blade. Somehow, she calmed me, and freed me- then she forced this awful bitter potion down my throat, and just like that, I was healed. I was too tired to fight her after that. I just let her take me to the castle." His Master sat back down at her place across the table, "It took some time, but we warmed up to each other. Even if we were polar opposites, we got along quite well. I didn't have the heart to kill her after that. She just had this effect on me- I felt like she truly understood me. After a while, I realized that I was going to have to go home as a failure. But, I was okay with that. The honor simply wasn't worth taking her life, she was far too innocent. Her people were happy and thriving. Her kingdom was nearly a utopia." The Master resumed eating, "So, I left as a proud failure. Just to find out that my Master had found out about our allies' plot to destroy us- so, technically, I wasn't considered a failure at all. They were actually quite pleased to hear that I hadn't touched the Aetherborn Queen."

"So, when was the alliance formed?"

"After I became Master, of course. It was one of the very first things I did. I was interested in their talents, and they taught us many things. In exchange, I offered our services to them. For a very long time, our Shinobi were their royal guard. It was the strongest alliance we've ever had."

"So then, why do you consider it a mistake?"

"Because of Prince Varrick." His mother bit her lip, "I knew there was something wrong with that boy- I knew his heart was plagued with some sort of evil, but I neglected to say anything. A certain incident had occurred after her girls were born- our Shinobi were going missing at that castle. I knew it was that boy, but the Queen simply refused to entertain the idea. She banished us. Ten years later, the Prince had the entire kingdom slaughtered." She sighed, "When I found out that little Winona's body was never recovered, I issued a search party- but we couldn't find the Princess. Ever since then, I've kept an eye out- I knew that if Varrick ever turned up again, she would be the only one capable of bringing him down. So, that's why I summoned you here." She then looked at her son with a grim expression, "If Prince Varrick has the power to escape from the Spirit Realm, then he will be sure to devastate the Realm of the Living. Trust me when I say that it's in his nature to destroy. He will seek to eliminate Winona at all costs. My mission for you, my son, is as follows:" He puffed his chest and returned her serious gaze, clinging to her every word.

The Bride of Constant Vigil continued, "You must protect the Aetherborn Princess. You must guard her with your life. Eliminate any and all potential dangers. The survival of this world could very well depend on the survival of that girl."