+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy. Wednesday, +15.

Having freed Verðandy to introduce her to Maya and explain even more of what had become of his life, Shinji agreed that he would return to class so long as Ðandy could sit in the room with him as an 'aide'. Verðandy and Maya got along almost immediately, the latter gushing about how beautiful and lovely the former was, and the former thoroughly pleased at how Maya's heart was filled with positivity and Shinji. All of this led to Shinji's attitude being upbeat as he walked into his classroom to surprise Hikari and Washu.

"Shinji!" Hikari shot up, coming over and hugging him happily. "I didn't know you were going to return today."

Alone in the classroom with only Verðandy, Washu, and Hikari he gave the truth instead of a sanitized version, "Misaki and Funaho agreed with Ðandy and Washu to help me try and catch up so I don't feel so stupid. I'm mostly here to…kind of make friends."

"You're here," she assured him, "that's all I'll ever ask of you."

"I will be sitting in the back, helping him understand as best I can the subjects that Washu is discussing," Ðandy announced happily. "She is an outstanding teacher, but her focus does need to be on the class and not just the student. Shinji insisted."

"Fair enough," Washu accepted. "We can have some one-on-one time later during your homework, and I'll make sure that your fellow students exceed expectations." The door opening drew everyone's attention, the student stepping in quietly bringing a change in the room's atmosphere. "Good morning, Ayanami-chan. It's good to see you alive and well."

With everyone's eyes on her, and Hikari holding Shinji's arms in close proximity to him, Rei hesitated before responding, "Good morning, sensei. Shinji-san…could we speak for a moment, alone?"

"Of course." Shinji looked back to Hikari and ran a thumb along her cheek with a warm grin, then moved over towards Rei's desk so they could talk as alone as he could offer. When the bluenette set her bag down, he gave her his full attention. "What can I help with, Rei-chan? Did Soryu-san bug you again?"

With her crimson eyes considering him carefully, she answered his question with a question, "Are you seeking to protect me because we are on the same team, or do you have some form of ulterior motive?"

While the question was blunt, it fit perfectly with how he saw the albino beauty. "I seek to protect you, as you put it, because I won't stand by and let you be bullied. You did your job, you did more than your job. I would not hesitate to have you at my back in a fight, and to hear someone try to shove their faults off on you is unthinkable. You and I have bled together," he ended with a shrug, "I'd like to think that makes us more than just acquaintances."

Finally speaking to someone who hid nothing behind confusing masks, Rei approved of his answer. "I have recently done some research regarding interpersonal etiquette. My apology for striking you was insufficient, and I feel that I would be wise to offer you an appropriate act of contrition. Would you be willing to accept a second effort at doing what is correct, if only by societal definitions?"

"While I don't think you need to apologize again, Rei, if it will help you feel better I would be glad to let you try again."

"Thank you." Stepping slightly to his side, she rose to her toes with inhuman grace and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek she'd slapped. After holding for a couple of heartbeats, she settled back on her feet and moved to her previous position. "If I understand correctly, that should heal whatever wound I caused you."

His heart wanted to break from pure delight. He had come to understand through their brief interactions that Rei was almost as socially stunted as he was. For her to engage in such a ritual, one that even he had seen in his life, made him want to shelter her forever. "A kiss from you would heal anything." Stepping forward, he gave her a soft hug and held her long enough for her to figure out how to place her arms around him in kind. "Thank you for being who you are, Rei. We'll protect everyone, together."

She breathed in deep, taking in his scent and finding it to her liking. "I enjoy this activity."

"Hugs are really good. They're even better with people who have good hearts, like you."

"Hey!" Morimoto's cheer drew Shinji's gaze but didn't end the hug. "Good to see you, Shinji man! TV was saying that you two saved the day again, great job Ayanami-san!"

As more students piled in, Shinji stepped out of the hug enough to put the spotlight on Rei. "I had to be held in reserve, because during the last fight I'd hurt my back. When the new pilot…discovered that this Angel could split in two, she got knocked out of the fight. That means that Rei here," he lifted her arm up in victory and gestured towards her, "held the line for a full minute while they launched me up slower to avoid breaking my spine. If it weren't for her, I would have arrived to another two on one, but instead she held her ground and the two of us were able to win!"

Below the cheers of their fellow students, Rei whispered to Shinji, "I fell, you had to fight them alone."

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Shinji disagreed, "You held the line, and helped us learn how to win. You were there, and you fought as hard as you could. You deserve credit for your bravery." Looking back along the class, he raised his voice, "Let's hear it for Rei!"

Washu applauded along with everyone else, joy suffusing her core at watching Shinji shove the spotlight on someone else and then hold it there. Sharing the moment with Ðandy, she spoke silently, Can we share him? You have to see what we have here.

The blue-blonde Norn nodded subtly. I intend to speak with him this evening…there is much we need to discuss.

I look forward to good news, then. Motioning for everyone to settle down and take their seats, she resumed control of the classroom. "Ok, ok, kids. We have limited time today for first period. If you can make it through History without chaos, I'll give you a long break between History and Physics to pump the heroes for more details."

+++++ NERV Tokyo-3. Wednesday, +15.

Maya eagerly shared what had happened in Shinji's class that morning, showing Ritsuko and Misato while completely failing to stifle her own good cheer. "He is such a natural leader! Look at him giving Ayanami-chan her due." The display she was showing had been given to her via Nanako recording the scene on her phone, the two women still discussing 'the rules' for being a part of Shinji's life long-term.

"That is actually so cute," Misato cooed happily. "Oh my goodness!" Flapping her hands under her eyes, she tried to stop herself from crying happily. "He comes out of yesterday, angry and spitting fire, and turns it all around to push Rei-chan into the spotlight instead. We should get him involved in some classes with NERV's Academy, help him learn more ways to effectively manage and lead."

The only woman aware of the truth of Rei Ayanami, Ritsuko had to struggle hard to not pale in fear. Where the others simply saw two teenagers being teenagers, she saw the clone of his mother becoming romantically interested in him. "I…hate to break up their celebration," she began, thinking on her feet, "but I do need Ayanami-chan back here in a few hours for an exam and medication management." She would talk to Rei, feel her out. If Rei was just 'making a friend', that would be fine. A facsimile of a mother befriending the son she once had wouldn't endanger anything. An angel-human hybrid clone of a dead mother falling for a dashing war veteran son…that was a much different story.

"Aww, senpai," Maya pouted, "can't we let her enjoy her day in the sun?"

"I wish we could, but the medications she takes are what stop her from missing out entirely on school. I can push out her departure until their lunch break, but I'd rather have her healthy and available to pilot, wouldn't you?"

Misato blew out a sigh through her lips. "It's a good point, Maya-kun. Shinji isn't lying when he said that she was a big part of the victory." Patting the young lieutenant on the shoulder, she continued, "I'll go get her myself. Give her a pep-talk and a chance to enthuse about being the center of attention if she wants."

+++++ Tokyo-3 Academy. Wednesday, +15.

From a practical standpoint, much of this would not be useful on a daily basis. Verðandy was happily walking Shinji through his classes, sitting in the back of the room taking notes for herself later. However, in your case you will want this knowledge to help you understand relative motion. If you are moving towards Rei, to stop an enemy from hurting her, and an enemy is closing in on you at the same time, how might this impact you? If the speeds involved are beyond simple observational guessing, how could you apply relativistic motion?

Shinji tilted his head slightly, looking at the board and the drawings upon it with fresh eyes. Would he be able to close the distance before the enemy did? Could he take a different angle and change the outcome? Would he perhaps be able to clear a firing line instead? The question was no longer about something abstract like elevators and invisible watchers, it was a concrete thought experiment about how his motion would change other entities' motions, and how best to use that to accomplish a goal. Mentally moving the circles around, he began to nod as the subject implanted itself in his mind.

"All right, this is all going to be on the exam," Washu concluded the lesson. "Practically verbatim. Now, eat lunch and get ready for PE." Pointing over to Hikari, she tipped her head towards the front office. "You and I have a meeting with the principal. Let's go."

Patting Shinji's hand, Hikari gave him a sad smile and left the room. Before Shinji could get his lunch out of his bag, he caught sight of Misato walking in and blinked several times in confusion.

"Ayanami-chan." Instead of looking at Shinji, she simply wiggled her fingers towards him with her focus on Rei while standing near his desk. "Doctor Akagi needs you to come in for a medical eval."

His plans had been to try and speak further with Rei during lunch, which caused him to frown slightly with irritation as he watched Rei pack her books into her bag and stand up as if nothing was wrong. "Do I need to come in, as well?"

"No," Misato shook her head slightly with an apologetic smile, "you're flight cleared. Rits found something that she needs to check, and I wanted to give Rei someone friendly to ride in with instead of having one of the typical gorillas come and get her."

The new knowledge that Misato was doing something kind for his friend mollified his irritation at missing out on a chance to further his friendship with Rei. Then he remembered Misato's driving. "Rei…good luck."

"I believe I know what her concern is," Rei stopped near his desk, speaking in her quiet monotone. "It will not be a matter of luck, merely time." Not giving him a chance to amplify his statement, she walked out of the room with Misato just behind her.

Now alone on his side of the room, the closest desks all empty for a variety of reasons, Shinji blew out a heavy sigh and began to unpack the lunch that Verðandy had made him. Before he was two bites in, Maya Amano once more took Hikari's seat and joined him for lunch with a bright, playful, grin. "Oh, hello Amano-san," he said with more surprise than anything.

"You looked lonely," the young woman declared with a confident smile. "Thought you might like some company!"

He had spent several breaks working with her on hand coordination, finding her to be personable, if easily distracted. Regardless, it wasn't a burden in his eyes to spend more time with her. "Thank you." Displaying the manners that made him so popular in the class, he nudged the container of black olives towards her, "Would you like some?"

"Sure," she leaned towards him and opened her mouth, "feed me!" The whimsy of her request brought a smile to his lips, and with a deft motion he brought one to her with his chopsticks. Chopsticks she subsequently closed her mouth around the ends of. With her eyes 'innocently' lolled up and to the left, she thoughtfully chewed for a moment before releasing his utensils. "They taste sweet. I've never had sweet olives."

"Is it sweet?" Lacking wisdom and knowledge in the world of teenage socialization, Shinji went back to using the chopsticks without doing anything about what his 'lunch date' had done. Plucking another olive and putting it in his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully.

Several of the ladies in the class began to murmur to one another, while most of the men in class groaned in disapproval of the successful 'indirect kiss'. Watching Shinji try and find the sweetness that she'd declared, and knowing that she'd only said as much because she was flirting about the taste of his chopsticks, Amano bit her lower lip and blushed lightly at how innocent Shinji came off as. "Thank you for sharing, Shinji-kun." Eagerly tearing into her own lunch, she started the conversation moving again, "So, what do you want to do when you graduate?"

"Hmm?" Replaying the question in his mind, now distracted by the sudden and violent rainstorm pouring outside of the classroom, Shinji shook his head. "As far as I know, I'll be a pilot forever. We don't know where the Angels come from, and we can't be certain they'll ever stop attacking. That means I have to stay and fight, like it or not. What about you?"

"Journalist," she answered without hesitation. Gesturing with her wrist as she held her sandwich, she asked, "So who's the blonde?"

Turning back to see Verðandy smiling what even he could tell was an entirely paste-on smile, Shinji gave her a curious look and a careful wave. "That's Ðandy. She's my…uhm…what did Maya call her?" Turning back to Maya Amano, who was now giving him a confused look, he explained, "Maya Ibuki. She's one of the scientists at NERV who helps me during combat. She's nice, you'd like her. Oh, Executive Assistant! Ðandy is my 'EA'. She's going to be joining me in class from now on to try and help me catch up on everything I've missed."

"So…her name is Ðandy?" Frowning slightly, she glanced between the blue-blonde Norn and Shinji. "Is that short for Verðandy, by any chance?"

"Wow, you can pronounce it," he was genuinely impressed. "I can't get my tongue around that first part no matter how hard I try."

"…As in the Norn of the Present?" Maya began to focus entirely on Verðandy in the back of the room. "As in, the goddess responsible for telling people what they will become?"

At the word 'Norn', Shinji felt his heart grow still. "I…uh, I certainly feel like she's been sent to me by heaven. She manages to make my life a whole lot easier just by helping me understand things I'd otherwise miss." He felt something odd take his mind a few centimeters to the left. "I'll have to ask her if her name is common where she's from. She said something about her two sisters visiting soon, too. Urd-san and Skuld-san." Why the fuck did I just say that? He realized he'd never once asked about her family's names. How do I know her sisters?

"Urd…and Skuld?" Amano looked back to Shinji with an open question.

"Mmhmm," he replied, unable to control his own voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Has she…done anything you would…maybe consider…." It was clear that the young woman was dancing around something.

"She's from Norway," he said with a light chuckle. "Pretty much everything she does is a little odd to me. We're getting along pretty well, though. When I'm getting ready in the morning, she's reading through what I have scheduled. On the ride in, she's prepping me for the lessons. I'm really lucky to have her around, with everything I have to deal with daily." Taking another bite of his meal, without his wanting to, he chewed in a way that seemed as if he was thinking through something. "With how strange my life is anymore."

"Norway, right."

Brace yourself, Sugar. This is going to hurt. The unmistakable voice of Hild purred the warning through his thoughts, My enemies are now kind of yours too.

The door exploding inward was not something he anticipated happening. The speed with which a strangely colored man moved into the room was both far too fast and seemingly in slow motion. There was no doubt as to his target, his gaze set upon Shinji with pure malicious hatred. The thing that set Shinji's fight, flight, or freeze reaction to 'Rip and Tear' mode, however, was the way the man reached for Maya Amano's head in a very ungentlemanly manner. Without thinking through the consequences of the act, he summoned a Light Hawk Blade and cut the oddity in half from hip to shoulder with one smooth motion.

Time resumed its normal pace in the room, his fellow students all frozen in fear and confusion. The blood splatter from his attack now coated the entryway, the unnaturally shaped stranger's insides creating a sickly miasma. Without dismissing his blade, Shinji carefully looked out into the hall and found that Nanako was bleeding from the side of her head. When he looked back into the room he saw that everyone was now asleep sitting up or standing as they had been. "Ðandy, do I still have wishes?"

"This doesn't count as a wish, since you're wanting to restore the veil of normalcy," the blue-blonde Norn replied from behind him. "I've taken the liberty of using the System Force, and I'll help explain why we needed to. We have…twenty minutes before they wake up thinking they had a wonderful lunch and feel energized for their physical education."

Sprinting down the hallway, Minaho slid to her knees and began treating Nanako's injuries. The raven-haired granddaughter of the Empress looked back over her shoulder briefly to make certain Shinji was ok. "This was a probe. We found four others, they're all dead too. We have wounded, and can't remain here to treat them without causing a scene. Grab your gear."

Shinji ducked back into the room, carefully packing his lunch up before noticing that one person hadn't joined everyone else in taking a sudden nap. Looking directly into the eyes of Maya Amano, he knew that his day wasn't over yet. "You…should be asleep."

"You summoned a sword made of light," Amano replied in an abstracted whisper.

"Ðandy, can you?" The last thing he wanted was for someone to become aware of everything. That way lay only terrible endings.

"I did!" His personal goddess came back to his side, lightly taking Maya Amano's chin and appraising the situation.

From Shinji's shoulder, HIld's familiar voice added her opinion to the mix, "Take her with you. You're running out of time before this place becomes a battlefield."

Looking to his right, Shinji saw a miniaturized version of the stunning Greater Demon standing on his shoulder and looking at him seriously. "We need to talk."

"Yes. But now, I think retreating is a better course of action." She gestured meaningfully to Amano. "Take her with you, and get to your new house."

+++++ Ikari Manor. Wednesday, +15.

The ride to his 'new home' was filled with a great deal of arguing. Sig wasn't pleased that Shinji had Hild riding on his shoulder. Ðandy was insisting that Hild had set all of this up, somehow. Shinji was upset because he was fairly certain that Hild had been the one to take control of his own body away from him, but was otherwise focusing all of his attention on keeping Maya Amano from panicking or getting in the way of anything. As much as he wanted to tell Ðandy, Sig, and Hild to shut up he knew that it was their bickering that kept his unexpected new guest from asking questions he wouldn't answer. The one thing that distracted him from his course, though, was their unexpected arrival at the seventh home Sakura and Hikari had shown him.

The car came to a stop briefly in front of the gate protecting the driveway leading up to the manor home, giving Shinji, Maya Amano, and Ðandy time to climb out. A middle-aged man that he didn't recognize bowed in greeting to him, then opened the man-door built into the gate itself. "I apologize for asking that you walk, my lord, but the only people authorized to enter the premises at the moment are those who will live here or those related to them."

Shinji froze, considered arguing how he was being addressed, then looked to Amano. "She needs to be kept safe," he began, seeking some form of reassurance.

The man once more seemed apologetic. "She is to accompany you, my lord. Her Imperial Majesty insisted."

Asking which Imperial Majesty would ultimately be pointless, as Shinji well knew. Both he, and the man he was speaking to, were sworn to serve either, or both, in matters far more dangerous than simply bringing a stranger into the situation. "You…did say 'who will live here', didn't you?"

"It is as my lord says."

"We're standing out in the open," Hild urged him with a slight pinch of his deltoid muscles.

Crossing through the gate, Shinji shook his head in frustrated irritation. Someone was making decisions for people near him again, and that was going to lead to a great deal of anger. It took a few steps for Amano to catch up to him, and when she did he offered what he could, "I do not know what's going on, Amano-san. Please, just a little more patience, ok? I know you didn't ask for any of this, and I promise I'll do what I can to make it right, but for now you're…in more than a little danger."

Rather than fear or concern, Maya Amano instead seemed to be trying to stifle her excitement, "Are you human?"

The odd question made Shinji look over at her with confusion plastered across his face. "Y-yes. I'll try to explain more later, ok? For now, we need to-"

"Shinji!" Standing at the top of the long driveway, Yasuji Suzuhara waved his hand in a beckoning motion.

"-I need to focus, ok?" Changing what he'd meant to say, hoping that making it seem as if he was handling the situation would cause her to be quiet for a bit longer, Shinji broke into a jog and reached the father of his most recent crewmember while leaving his unexpected guest with Ðandy. "Was anyone badly hurt?"

"Three serious injuries, yes," the lean man nodded grimly. "They'll make it, don't worry. Something's up, but we haven't been briefed yet. I was ordered to come and keep you here while Their Majesties speak with Washu and some ambassador."

"An ambassador?"

"Haven't been briefed," he repeated with a shrug. "While I have you here, though, I wanted to thank you for accepting my daughter."

"I should be thanking you," Shinji coughed out a laugh. "Sakura is far too good for me, especially considering…."

"Our ways are not yours, I understand." Patting Shinji on the non-Hild bearing shoulder, he gave a knowing smile. "I just want you to know that I will always be available to you, should you need…more masculine advice."

Blinking, the realization that he had actually tied himself to Yasuji through accepting Sakura clicked into place. "I…y-yeah, thank you. I have…wow."

"Shinji!" This time, the voice calling him was distinctly feminine. He managed to turn his hips just in time to catch Hikari as she jumped up and planted a firm kiss to his lips while wrapping her arms behind his neck and nearly sending Hild tumbling off his shoulder. She held the kiss for a time, then broke it to give him a stern frown. "You forgot to accept me yesterday."

He had. His heart was in his voice as he begged forgiveness, "I did, and that was unacceptable of me. I swear, from now on, you will only ever receive my best."

With a smoky alto that belied her age, his newest crewmember promised him things he'd only dreamt of, "Oh, don't worry. I know exactly how you can make it up to me later." Giving him another kiss and dropping out of his arms, he noticed her throw a victorious glare past his shoulder before sashaying into the house.

Yasuji was laughing quietly before tossing a thumb towards Hikari's direction. "My friend, I apologize. I should have warned you that Toshiro-san's daughters are all just as hot-blooded as their mother."

"Hey," Nanako's voice drew Shinji's attention back towards the path leading to the main road, "I heard you cut the fucker in half."

Excusing himself from Yasuji, Shinji jogged down to wrap both Nanako and Minaho in one enormous hug. Picking both women up and clutching them close to him, he let them know how he felt, "I…am terrified."

"Shh, shh, shh," Minaho soothed him. "It's ok. I wouldn't let our best girl go like that."

"But it's nice to know you care," Nanako giggled, happy to see Shinji's love on public display.

Setting them down, he pushed himself to regain focus. "We've got about a million problems piling up, but right now I'm being told to just stand around here doing nothing."

"You're being told to stand here because they are trying to explain to Tyr's little henchman that if a wing of Valkyrie shows up on Earth, they'll consider it an invasion." Hild reminded Shinji of her presence, "The rest of me is currently trying to track down who wanted to make a push for the throne. I didn't recognize the one you split in half, which is odd because I recognize all of our subjects."

Minaho snorted her disapproval of the situation, "If you're going to use the royal plural, at least use it consistently."

Rolling her eyes, Hild waved off the Juraian. "I said 'our' because I meant 'our'. My Shinji is my first and only consort, a Hellknight."

When Minaho made a grab for Hild, Shinji intercepted her arm at the wrist and took a step back. "Stop!" Scowling between the antagonists equally, he repeated himself for emphasis, "Stop. Whether we like it or not, we're stuck together. I have enough of a fucking headache dealing with Soryu going after Rei-chan, I don't need it from the goddamned adults too."

"You are not a Hellknight," Minaho growled, glaring at Hild.

"Stop." Throwing her hand down, he stepped back to gain distance and gave his own glare to everyone. "Whether I am or am not anything anyone calls me, I know that I am becoming really fucking angry." Gesturing over to Verðandy and Maya Amano, he lowered his voice, "Why is she able to resist the System Force? Why am I being ordered to bring her here, where only people that are going to live here or those related to them are? How did they surprise the people defending us? Hild may want any number of things, but my death is not one of them. That…I killed, was only reaching for Amano to get to me. It looked at me like it wanted to kill me."

"Shinji, sweetie," Nanako tried her hand to calm him, "we can't be certain of anything Hild says."

"You can when I say it in his soul," Hild responded casually.

Shinji cut off the rapid and appalled rejection of that possibility with another, "STOP." Breathing heavily, he clamped his eyes shut. "I do not care if you believe her or not. Believe me. She doesn't want me dead. She would die if I died, and that doesn't make any fucking sense as a plan." His emotional reserves were finally failing him, the truth of his life becoming ever more clear to him. "I just killed someone…just…just leave me alone." Turning away, he chose a random direction and walked. He needed to breathe.

The grassy lawn gave way to fertile grassland, after several minutes of slow walking. The greens seeming dull in comparison with those in the twilight lands, but nonetheless comfortable to walk upon. A gentle downward slope kept drawing him ever closer to the lake that dominated the northern third of what was now his home. A walled compound, with guards, and guests, and expectations…and a lake. Finding a nice solid rock to sit upon, several feet from the shoreline, Shinji just sat and watched the water move. Lessons regarding gravity and its effects upon objects tried to replace the simplicity with which he'd killed a sentient being. He hadn't tried to speak to them. He hadn't tried to defend to seek out compromise. He attacked.

A gentle song of shared mourning announced the arrival of an unexpected guest, sitting on the non-Hild shoulder. Looking down towards her, Shinji gave a weak smile of welcome. "Hello."

Holy Bell, her face a portrait of calm sympathy, waved sadly back. Meaningfully glancing over at Hild, she pointed firmly and declared something that rang of unwavering certitude.

"I agree, little one. I have agreed since it happened." Unlike how she felt for the other women in his life, Hild held no contempt or disdain towards the miniature angel. "I want what I want, but I have no need or desire to hurt our dear Shinji to get it. You have my promise, I will not be the instigator of any conflict with regards to him."

"What do you want," Shinji asked quietly.

"Freedom," she replied with a small shrug. "A perfectly ordered existence, all decided and forced upon you long before you were born, is a type of torture that even I am not sadistic enough to force upon anyone. The small bubbles of freedom created by those goddesses like Tsunami, Washu, or Tokimi are nice, but limited. You have to serve as an adherent to their religion, their eschatology, or you don't receive their protection. As the little one will tell you, that freedom allows the choice between good and evil actions." Holy Bell nodded firmly. "Which is why Tyr doesn't want that freedom for anyone. He wants everyone to love him, to trust him, and to leave their brains switched off as they stumble through his bucolic soap opera."

He frowned, seeing a contradiction, "Then why did you take control of me?"

"Because you suck at lying. Instead of having you bumble your way through a situation that would have brought more attention from Philemon's chosen to you, I tried to dissuade her with a perfectly rational explanation that only implied things instead of you outright confirming them." Hopping down to his knee, Hild sat herself astride his leg with a scowl of her own. "Then we were attacked. I only sensed it when your dear Dojima was assaulted. She was about to be killed when I made my presence known, drawing that idiot into the room for you to kill instead."

"Why didn't I hear them?" The question was mainly rhetorical, as he doubted she knew the answer. He had been mere feet away, and yet didn't hear someone he cared for dearly being hurt. Every single thing about the day was making less and less sense. "Why would demons try to kill you? Aren't you their…ruler? Queen?"

"I am a Greater Demon. The most powerful Greater Demon that I've ever seen, at least. That doesn't necessarily mean I am the most powerful anywhere, only that nobody has managed to try for the title without losing their life. We're demons, Sugar, our politics are much more blunt."

Holy Bell had climbed back up atop his head, hugging him and murmuring a song of consolation and affection. Her presence above them both wasn't intended as a slight, simply a matter of her having found something comfortable and meaningful. Letting out a titter of laughter, she made a comment that even caused Hild to laugh.

"Dear Verðandy is quite right, there," Hild agreed. "Urd, if she were to somehow figure out how to balance her heritages, would outclass even me. But, still, she is not a Greater Demon. She's a half-breed, with the benefits and drawbacks of one. I am proud of my daughter, don't misunderstand me."

With the conversation constantly being pulled away from darker places, Shinji's heart had begun to settle. "Did I have a choice?"

"No." The beautiful demoness shook her head slowly. "No, I wouldn't say you did. Whoever that was, it was a demon. It had already committed to igniting a war by assaulting a Juraian, there was zero chance of you convincing it to vie for peace the way you did the day you met Verðandy."

"…I wish that made me feel better."

"No, Sugar, no you don't." Pat-patting his leg, she drew his gaze back to her. "I know that this might seem strange coming from me, but the last thing you want to ever do is become accustomed to taking a life without trying to avoid it. You aren't a killer. You're not some monster in sheep's clothing. I have stood in your soul, and let me tell you…I wish I had met you back when I wasn't quite so angry. Keep looking for compromises. Keep being who you are where it matters."

Holy Bell agreed from above him. Crowing about how wonderful it felt to have someone be able to touch her without causing her pain or fear. His heart was pure, and that purity was justification enough for the decision he had made to take a demon's life. She hoped that someday he might find his own spirit of solace, but prayed that he never gave up on being pained to take a life.

It felt wonderful to be the center of their attention, and that joy kept soothing over the pain in his heart. "Shouldn't I try and find a compromise between you and this…other guy," Shinji asked with a hint of sardonicism.

"There can't be one there, I'm afraid." This time, it was Verðandy that answered, approaching softly and alone. "My father does not have a history of compromising. The first, and to my knowledge only, time he has ever compromised with anyone is with you. Why you, I haven't the faintest clue. Why not the woman who gave him his firstborn child? Why not that child? Why not me? Every decision he has ever made has been made with the unwavering commitment to being absolute and universal truth. When he swore that there would never be a union between heaven and hell, that was that." Picking up Hild, she sat down sideways on Shinji's lap and held the demon gently on her own. "It wouldn't matter what Hild wanted, he won't give it to her."

Spreading her hands, Hild added, "And that's coming from his own flesh and blood."

Shinji's scowl was accompanied by him drawing the women close to his chest. "Who died and made him the boss?"

"Even we don't know that. We know there was…something before we became aware, but not what it was."

"He has always told us that his father created everything," Verðandy offered. "But I've never met my grandfather, not once."

"He's full of it." Hild hopped up to sit on Verðandy's shoulder instead, making it easier for Shinji to see them both. "He opened his eyes at the same time I did. He was standing in front of Yggdrasil, just like I was. We came into being as we are, and if we had 'fathers', then we would have felt something of them. If there was something before us, and I'm not arguing there wasn't, then he has just as much idea about what it was as I do, exactly none."

"He's still her father," Shinji rebuked Hild without any heat. "I'm grateful you two aren't at each other's throats, but I'd like it if we…the three of us that are tied together like we are, didn't hurt each other."

Surprising Hild, Verðandy shook her head. "She was hurt by him long before I was born. I don't know what I feel, but I know that I can't feel angry with her for hating him. She has a right to feel that hurt, and I…."

"You don't deserve to be treated like some…object to just be passed around," Hild replied, and unlike Shinji she did so with fire. "He doesn't own you, girl, and if it were anyone but our man here that you'd been tied to I'd do everything I could to evict you." With a saucy grin, she patted Verðandy's cheek. "But since he's fond of you…I'll take it easy on the 'I told everyone' stuff."