Mastermind in the FranXX

by olcon

One week after the most important hours of his life, Code 016's memories unlock. Both wings remember their other. An alternate retelling, in which the Prince never forgets the Princess. Completed.

8. Episode 7

Fun facts about this chapter (stats are excluding the author's note, obviously):

* Total word count: 15,023

* Sentences: 1,851

* Paragraphs: 707

* Written through a horrid heat wave with a broken air conditioner.

* Also had my carbon monoxide alarm go off. False alarm, thankfully!

Things you should know about MitF in general:

* It will never be abandoned.

* Updates may occasionally take longer (such as this one), but there will always be a chapter in production at any given time.

Enjoy!

---

"Hey, Alpha! Look, look!" the green-haired clone called over cheerfully. Delta and the others were gathered around a communication device, watching something. "Papa sent us Iota's newest battle!"

"Oh?" Alpha remarked, walking over to join them.

"Just look at her. She's a wild beast!" Gamma remarked with an aggressive grin, gesturing to the display. Alpha watched as a frenzied Strelizia tore a Conrad-class klaxosaur limb from limb with its hands alone. The machine was literally growling.

"No better than the klaxosaurs she's fighting," Beta sneered.

Alpha brought up a finger to the chin, thinking. "That certainly doesn't look like her normal stampede state, however. Interesting!" The leader turned to look at the purple-haired member of the group. "What do you think?"

Epsilon leaned in and fast-forwarded the battle to another point. "I'm more interested in this. I watched the battle a bit earlier and it caught my attention."

The Nines crowded around the communicator and watched as a glowing, red Strelizia launched itself towards a Gutenberg-class klaxosaur, its spear charged and ready. The behemoth was annihilated with a single forward movement. The magma energy released from the spear, and it was gone.

Gamma whistled. "We've never seen her do that before! She's been holding out on us!"

"No," Epsilon countered. "I don't think that was Iota."

The others looked at the clone, their eyebrows raised.

"Explain," Alpha ordered.

Epsilon rewinded the feed to right before the attack and played it back in slow motion. "Look at that movement. That's not the way Iota fights."

"Epsilon is right," Beta agreed after a moment. "Iota would never make so normal an attack. It's almost blasé."

"She's usually all over the place, spinning and cartwheeling and such!" Delta spoke up cheerfully.

"And look at this," Gamma said, pausing the playback at a specific frame and gesturing to Strelizia's head. "She's not even in there! That's not stampede. Where's her face?"

"Hey, Alpha," Delta asked with a grin. "Who was her fodder? It must have been a fresh one, right? Probably already dead, with the power of that attack!"

Alpha pulled out another communicator and idly scrolled through the information Papa had sent regarding Iota's current assignment. "Oh?" the clone noted in surprise.

"What is it?" Delta asked eagerly, as the others gathered around.

Alpha showed them. "It seems Iota's stamen partner is still alive. The poor human has managed to survive three rides."

"No way!" Gamma exclaimed, leaning in to carefully read the details.

"The partner's squad leader has... requested a permanent transfer for Iota?!" Beta noted with barely concealed disgust.

"Our dear Iota has apparently gotten too attached to her toy and is trying to run away," Alpha explained passively. The blonde put in an order for immediate departure, then looked up to the group.

"How about we go pay a visit to this... Code 016?"

---

Ichigo had barely gotten a wink of sleep since Hiro and Zero Two were taken to the medical bloc two days earlier. And what's more, nobody would tell her where they were! They were members of her squad! She had a right to know! Nana and Hachi had told her it was nothing serious, that they were just monitoring them after Strelizia's rampage. Ichigo knew that wasn't the whole story though. She wasn't an idiot.

She'd seen the real reason for herself.

But what the heck did it mean? Why did Hiro suddenly have horns? Had Zero Two done something to-

No, no. Breathe, think. Think it through. She knew better now and she knew she didn't have all the facts. She was missing information needed to make a reasonable conclusion. She shouldn't let her worry for Hiro disrupt that.

She took a deep breath.

Okay. Something had clearly happened to him since he began riding with Zero Two. The first signs were... at the briefing, right. Hiro had always been relatively fit, but he wasn't... superhuman? Superhuman. He couldn't do what he'd done to Squad 26's leader. She'd seen his eyes glowing blue as well... she thought. If they were glowing blue, it would line up with the horns she'd seen. The horns were blue too.

Zero Two had red horns. Horns, yeah, but if she'd really done something to him, shouldn't his horns be red as well? She was obviously related - boys just don't grow horns overnight! - but maybe it was unintentional? Zero Two wouldn't hurt him. She'd never tried to hurt him, why would she start now?

So what was going on?

Ugh, she hated it when she was missing pieces! It was like the stupid memories all over again! Who could she talk to? She didn't know where Hiro and Zero Two were, so who was her next best-

Her eyes snapped open. She got up from the foyer couch and made a beeline for the library.

---

"Mitsuru! I need your help!"

Mitsuru sighed.

He was expecting this, yes. He knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, especially after her unintentional mind meld with Hiro in Delphinium. But that didn't mean he was looking forward to it.

"What is it, Ichigo?" he asked respectfully.

The girl glanced away, gathering her courage. "I... I want you to take me to Hiro and Zero Two."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow and shut his book. "Why would I know where they are? I thought you knew. You're the squad leader."

"Come on, Mitsuru, please don't play stupid. This is important, you know that!" she said, frustrated. "Nana and Hachi won't tell me anything! If there's anyone here who knows where they are, it's you."

Well, he couldn't be faulted for trying. But before he did anything, he needed to know for certain. "How much did you see, Ichigo?"

She blinked at him. "E-Eh?"

"How much of Hiro's memory did you see?" he repeated, clarifying the question. She looked away, biting her lip and contemplating.

"F-From... from the torture to the tree," she said quietly. "After that I saw the soldiers catch them and haul them away. I don't know what happened next." She paused a moment then turned to him, her expression serious.

"Please don't tell anyone, Mitsuru! I don't want anyone else to know! Those memories are private!"

Ichigo was trustworthy. Mitsuru stood up.

"I see. So you only know the first half the story."

"What?"

He beckoned her to follow him as he walked out of the library.

"Come with me, I'll take you to them."

---

She lifted up his bangs with her hand, eyeing the small blue horns with anxious wonder.

"What are they?" she asked quietly. She'd never seen anything like them. The way they shone was almost magical.

Ichigo legitimately didn't know this area existed. Mitsuru had taken her down corridor after corridor until they reached a brightly lit but empty section of the medical bloc. He'd opened the door with a key he'd pulled from his pocket and led her inside wordlessly, locking the door behind them. Inside were the missing pilots of Strelizia. They weren't hooked up that badly - only one monitoring feed wrapped around their wrists. Both of them were still asleep.

"They're the reason he's a pistil killer," Mitsuru replied. "He was always going to transform, but I didn't think it'd happen with such speed and potency."

Ichigo backed away from Hiro and looked at him. "Transform? What does that mean? Seriously, Mitsuru, what's going on?"

He held up a hand to placate the girl. "Did you see him drink her blood?"

She blinked. After taking a moment to search through her - his - memories, she nodded. "Y-Yeah."

"Zero Two is a girl with klaxosaur blood," Mitsuru explained. "And Hiro, from that moment onward, became a boy with klaxosaur blood."

Her eyes widened and she looked down to his still form, worried. "So, he's..."

"He isn't human, no. At least, not fully. It's the reason they're compatible with each other and no one else. As soon as he drank it, his fate was sealed. His body began slowly mutating as it adjusted to the new genetic code. The internal changes happened first and were probably completed once we graduated from Garden. That's why he couldn't ride with Naomi. The trigger for physical expression, apparently, was riding with Zero Two."

"So she didn't do it intentionally," she breathed, sighing in relief. Her faith hadn't been misplaced after all.

"She's probably been taking it harder than any of us will, if what Hiro's told me about her is accurate," he muttered.

A silence fell over them, but a question entered Ichigo's thoughts. "How do you... know so much about this?"

Mitsuru sighed. "The doctor made me read and study quite a few things, but over time his assigned textbooks became more specific and specialized. Biology, anatomy, what little we know of klaxosaur physiology. I suppose he's been training me for this." He paused to look over at the sleeping stamen. "Normally such a small dosage of blood would mean it'd take a while for the physical changes to activate, but..."

She gave him a confused look. "But?"

Mitsuru looked away, thinking. He was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke up again. "The doctor, he-"

There was a moan from one of the beds. Ichigo whirled around to see Zero Two groggily propping herself up and glance around the room.

"Zero Two!" she exclaimed as she rushed to her bedside. The girl snapped awake instantly and looked down at the monitoring equipment on her wrist. She growled lowly. Ichigo was confused for a moment before the understanding hit her. Right, the... the experiments! She probably hated hospitals!

"I-It's okay!" she told the recovering girl quickly. "Here, let me get that off you."

She fumbled with it for a moment before removing it from the girl. Zero Two rubbed her wrist and looked at her.

"I...Ichigo?" she asked, suddenly drowsy again. "Where's... darli..."

Ichigo moved aside so Zero Two could see him. "He's right there, he's fine. He's still sleeping."

Shakily, Strelizia's pistil got out of the bed and stumbled over to Hiro. Ichigo would've helped her, but she knew she would've only gotten in Zero Two's way. The girl had already tunneled on her partner and had tuned everything out. She watched as the girl gripped the side of Hiro's bed and looked over him.

"D-Darling!" she whispered. Urgently, she pulled back the covers and yanked up his shirt. Ichigo's eyes widened when the ugly, X-shaped scar over his heart became visible. Zero Two collapsed over him and placed her ear over his chest. Was she checking for his heartbeat?

Evidently she heard something, because her form lost all tension and she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her head towards his own, placing the other ear over his heart, and tenderly pushed up his bangs with her hand. The small horns became visible; Ichigo heard her sniff.

"'m... sorry..." she mumbled. Ichigo felt her heart squeeze and carefully approached her. She hesitated momentarily before resting her hand on Zero Two's back, rubbing it gently. The girl tensed up, but didn't push her away.

"H-Hey, it's okay," Ichigo whispered, not really knowing what to say. "He... wouldn't want you to feel bad, right?"

"I s-said I'd... protect him!" Zero Two choked out. She was starting to cry. "And I juuuuust... made him a monster!"

It felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Was - was this what Zero Two thought of herself?! Had she spent all of this time thinking she was some beast? Ichigo's behavior from a few weeks ago boiled to the surface and the girl felt something vile wash over her. How could she have behaved so cruelly? She'd been... she'd been part of the problem! No wonder she was so attached to Hiro! He had been the only one to treat her kindly, because he was Hiro!

"N-No! Don't say that!" she heard herself say. Her arms wrapped around Zero Two's shoulders. "You're not a monster! You're not! You're Zero Two and nobody else!"

"But I... I..."

"He wanted this!"

The two girls looked up at Mitsuru. Fists clenched, he was staring at the floor with an expression mixed between sorrow, betrayal and anger.

"Hiro... would've wanted this," he repeated, softer this time. "I don't think he knew what was happening. The doctor never told him and I was forced to stay silent. But even if he knew, it wouldn't have changed anything!" His head shot up and his eyes locked onto Zero Two's. "Everything he's ever done, he did for your sake and nobody else's. You're his world, the center of his universe! If he knew this would happen, if he knew this would be the result of piloting with you, he would've accepted it without hesitation!"

Zero Two gaped at him tearfully, stunned.

"Y-Yeah, Mitsuru's right!" Ichigo agreed, wiping her face with her sleeve. "All - all he wants is to be with you! He'd throw everything away if it meant he could stay by your side! So... so..."

Why did it hurt so much? Why... why was she crying? She didn't...

"So for his sake! At least for his sake, think better of yourself, Zero Two! There's nothing wrong with the way you are and there's nothing wrong with Hiro having horns, either! He did this because he wanted to be with you! So please accept him the way he is now! You two should be happy together!"

---

Was this becoming a habit for her?

He hoped it was.

They'd been released yesterday evening and had slept, apparently, for a solid twelve hours. Both of them were exhausted and that was perfectly fine. The plantation was on the move again and there was barely any klaxosaur activity in the area; for the first time in a while, it seemed like they had a moment to themselves. Once again, Zero Two was sleeping directly on top of him, sprawled out all over the place. Face in the crook of his neck, one arm was off to the side while the other was flung over his shoulder in reckless abandon, which had the added bonus of letting him mostly keep his full range of motion. Surprisingly, it was a pretty great arrangement. He had never been one to sleep on his side and the more he could smell her scent, the better.

And holy crap, what a scent it was! So fresh, like a tangy, citrus-filled fruit salad. It was like his nose had a tracker on her at all times. That was how she always found him, wasn't it? He could breathe it for days, hours on end.

He didn't know how long he relaxed and dozed like that, listening to her soft breathing and feeling the warmth of her body and the sheets surround them. Eventually she stirred; he was on the cusp of sleep again and didn't react. But he felt her get up and lift his shirt.

What was... sheeeeee... doiiiiiing...?

He opened blearly eyes to find her on top of him, kissing his scar gently. Then she lowered his shirt and moved up his body, parting his bangs with a pale hand. His eyes had shut before she noticed. For a time she stayed like that, staring at the newly grown horns on his forehead. Wait, was she panicking again? Shit, shit! He had to wake u-

He felt something tenderly nudge against the protrusions. He opened his eyes to find her face right in front of him, her own eyes closed. She'd nuzzled her horns against his own. The connection felt... warm. He could... feel her? Maybe if he tried...

He concentrated, sending the love he felt for her up to the warmth. She sucked in a breath.

"D-Darling?"

"Mmm," he groaned sleepily in reply, gazing up at her. "Mornin'."

She pulled back and looked at him, a slight pink tinging her cheeks. Then she lowered her head and softly connected their lips. After a moment she broke away and rolled off of him, onto the bed. He turned onto his side to look at her.

"How do you feel?" she asked tentatively.

He grinned. "Never better."

"A-Are you sure?"

"I have never been happier," he replied, his voice comforting. He laced her fingers with his own. "I'm the same as you now. I can protect you. We can walk side by side, now and forever."

She bit her lip, uncertain. "But... but I wanted to be like you."

He twisted his body, maneuvering himself over her. "You are like me, Zero Two. You have always been like me on the inside."

"On the... inside," she repeated.

He nodded, closing the distance. "And now we're the same on the outside, too."

Hiro tilted his head and mimicked her earlier gesture, bumping their horns together.

A foreign emotion stirred within her, something she hadn't felt before.

"Darling and I are..."

Pride?

"...the same?"

---

This wasn't really a conversation she thought she should be having. It was rude and none of their business. They shouldn't get involved! But Ichigo also knew that it was better to tell them about the situation now and prepare them for it, rather than letting them find out by themselves and freak out.

"Why are we meeting in here?" Ikuno asked. The girls had entered the greenhouse - just the girls. Mitsuru would handle the boys. That was the agreement. They figured it'd be easier to mitigate the damage if they were talked to separately. More one on one conversation, more room for discussion. She bit her lip. Was this the right call? She really hoped it was. The transfer application was still pending, but... but...

She - she really wanted Zero Two to be on Squad 13! She wanted her to have a family! Maybe then... maybe then Hiro would finally...

"The greenhouse is peaceful. It's a good place to talk about this topic," Ichigo replied.

"'Topic'?" Miku repeated. She glanced at Kokoro. "I don't like the sound of this."

"It's not bad!" Ichigo reassured hastily. "It's about the last mission."

"The one where Strelizia was acting strangely?" Kokoro asked. Ichigo nodded.

"I wanted to update you guys on Hiro and Zero Two's situation." She cleared her throat and tried to calm the nervous butterflies making a mess of her stomach. "Zero Two is fine, but Hiro... Hiro hasn't gotten out unscathed."

The pistils blinked, their expressions quickly morphing to worry. "W-Wait!" Miku exclaimed. "Is he alright? Was... was that rumor about her true?!"

"No! No, he's alive. He has no injuries, it's just... he's changed a little."

"Changed? What do you mean, Ichigo?" Ikuno asked.

She bit her lip and glanced away, then sighed. "Hiro, he - he has... horns... now."

The silence was unbearable. Ichigo turned to look at the girls. Ikuno was lost in her own thoughts and Kokoro looked worried, if a tad bit confused, but Miku was downright pale.

"H-Horns?" the redhead asked. "You mean, like... like her? She did that to him?"

"Th-The situation is complicated!" Ichigo stressed. "It wasn't her fault. She's probably taken it the worst out of all of us! She didn't want it to happen, she's been beating herself up about it since they woke up."

"Maybe it's a result of him being a p-pistil killer?" Kokoro supplied nervously. "If they're... like each other, then..."

"Did Hiro want this?"

All eyes turned to Ikuno.

"Did Hiro know the change would happen?" she clarified. "Did he accept it willingly? Was he forced?"

Ichigo swallowed. "We - we don't know if he knew. He never told us about it. You know him, he always keeps things close to his chest! But even if he did know, I don't think it would've changed anything. He cares about her too much for something like that to slow him down. He was going to pilot with her regardless. He... he doesn't care about the consequences."

Ikuno pondered the answer for a moment, then sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "If he is fine with the change, I am as well. It's none of my business anyway."

She released her held breath in relief. "Kokoro?"

The girl shifted on her feet. "It's strange, but... maybe things were always meant to be this way? He... he failed the test with Naomi, remember? Maybe it's just taken them a while to grow in?"

Ichigo blinked at her. "You think he would've grown them anyway?"

Kokoro nodded. "When you were inside Delphinium, that old doctor said he... um..." She paused, concentrating. "'Belonged to Strelizia', I think it was! Hiro's always been a bit different from us, hasn't he? Maybe he was always supposed to have horns!" She giggled. "I think it's sweet! They're cute together!"

It was... strange logic, but definitely better than the alternative. She turned to Miku. Argentea's pistil remained silent for a while longer.

"I-I wanna think about it more," she muttered. "It's a little creepy."

"Miku..." Ichigo urged gently.

"If - if he's really okay with it and if he's still really Hiro, then I'll be okay with it too!" she replied, looking away with a huff. "But I wanna see how they behave around each other first."

Ichigo sighed. That wasn't... too bad. Two out of three was good, wasn't it? It could've gone so much worse!

---

...

What?

"Hang on, Mitsuru. Say that again?"

"Yes, Goro, it's true. Hiro's grown horns from continuously riding with Zero Two. He should be exhibiting other changes as well, such as slight discoloration of the pupils, changes to his physiology and some anatomical alterations."

"What - wait a minute, hang on! Are you saying he isn't even human anymore? Did he know this would happen?"

Mitsuru sighed from his position against one of the courtyard's many stone columns. "You know him. Whether he knew or not is of ultimately little consequence. The knowledge would not have changed his actions. Even if he'd known, he would have continued to pilot with her."

He clenched his teeth, felt the anger simmer in his gut.

"Did Zero Two know about this? Did she do it to him intentionally?"

"No, on both counts," Mitsuru replied swiftly. "She reacted fairly poorly to the situation and has placed much of the blame on herself."

That... that idiot! He was a complete and utter fool! How could he have been so careless? Didn't he care about himself? Didn't he understand that his actions would have consequences?! He'd even upset Zero Two, the one he cared most for! He was so self-centered, so reckless! What would've happened if he had gotten injured, or worse? He'd almost thrown it all away for no reason whatsoever!

"That little..." he muttered.

"Hang on, hang on," Zorome spoke up from the side. "That stunt he pulled in the briefing before the last mission - is that related to this, too?"

Mitsuru nodded. "One of the symptoms is an enhanced musculature, yes."

"You mean he has super strength now?" Futoshi asked, taking a bite from his bread.

"In layman's terms, I suppose that would be accurate."

There was a moment of silence, and then:

"THAT LUCKY BASTARD!" Zorome wailed. "Hey! Hey, Mitsuru! How do I grow horns? Will horns give me super strength too? Hey, tell me!"

"You can't grow them," Mitsuru snapped, annoyed. "None of us can. It's only those two."

"Agh! That's so unfair! He gets a hot girl at his beck and call, a Franxx that one-shots klaxosaurs and awesome abilities! Why couldn't it have been meeee?!"

Goro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to have a word with Hiro.

---

"It's weird. It's like they aren't even there. I can't feel them at all unless I run my tongue over them," darling commented to himself.

She watched as he pulled back his lips and used the mirror to look at his growing canines. They'd gotten up earlier than usual due to how early they'd retired after being released, so the others weren't up when they entered the dining area. They were able to eat a quick, quiet breakfast and then snuck away into the forest. She was perfectly fine with that, mhm. She didn't want to deal with anyone else, she just wanted to... be with him.

Nnnn.

She was sortakinda confused. She corrupted him, but he liked it? If he liked it, was it really that bad? Of course it waaaaas! She wanted to be like darling, she didn't want to drag him down to her ickygross level! But at the same time she was... kinda... happy?

Darling wanted to be like... her? He didn't care? And they were the same now, but... butbutbut.

Zero Two took a moment to collect herself; she pictured the ocean, darling's ocean, washing over her and felt the chaos recede a bit. It wasn't as effective or amazinglysupergood as the real thing, but ever since that ride she'd used it as a strategy to momentarily calm her racing thoughts. It helped her 'shhh'. She looked up at him, her head in his lap. His eyes had already changed. Those icy irises hadn't changed color at all, though, and for that she was soooooo thankful. It was only his pupils - they were a deep blue now. Kinda like her own red ones. She thought they were... beautiful...

Hnnnnnnn!

She didn't know what to think anymoooooore! His scent was so strong, too! She'd smelled it even when they were sleeping and it was soooo good. But she couldn't smell it now whywhywhy? He just smelled like normal, amazing darling! Had she just dreamed it? It had made her head spin and all she wanted to do was breathe it and love it andand-

A shake of her head sent those thoughts tumbling away. Not now, notnownotnow! She had to control herself! Was it because he was changing? It was so weird! She should hate this, she'd poisoned him and corrupted him but... but he was darling so he couldn't be a monster! Darling was always perfect! It wasn't like he could magically stop being darling just because he had cute horns to rub against now and really sexy teeth and beautiful eyes and a maybe even better dream scent - seriously, what was that?! - andstoooooop! Breathe! Shhh! Shhh. Okay. Okayokay.

She watched as he lifted up his bangs, revealing his short blue horns. They were... still growing. She could tell - they were already a teenytiny bit larger than that morning, even. If they kept growing, that meant they'd get bigger, right? Rightright? Her mind visualized those long horns standing proudly on display, framing his eyes and wild bangs and his sharp jawline and those strong, fantastic teeeeeeeth and couldshejuststopfor oooooooooone minute?! What had gotten into her? Y-Yeah, he was cute and amazing and handsome and oh-so-lovable because he was darling, but that didn't mean she had to look at him like a piece of superfantastic delicious honey-drenched slab of meat all the time!

She'd corrupted darling! Cor! Rup! Ted! Badbad, not okay! SuperduperBAD! She shouldn't be feeling this! Sososo why was...

Why was she so excited?

Darling was always perfect because he was darling, yupyup. But... but if darling was perfect andand darling looked like her and darling said they were the same... did... did that mean she wasn't a...

Nnnnnn, she was so confuuuuuuused.

A beeping noise sounded from darling's pocket. Blinking, he put the mirror down and pulled out his communicator. He read the message and then grinned.

"Guess what?" he asked her with that smooth and gentle voice of his.

"Hm?"

He turned the screen to her. She read it wordlessly. What was - wait!

WaitWHAT?! with darling withDARLINGshecouldfinally eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

He beamed broadly. He had such a toothy grin now! It was... really cute...

"The squad's been given a small holiday, in celebration of our good work during the last mission. We're going to the beach tomorrow, Zero Two! And since you're now my official partner, you're coming with us!"

She launched herself off his lap and tackled him playfully, squealing in joy.

---

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=?

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=asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfadsfadsfadsfadsfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdf

---

They - they even gave them bathing suits! She'd heard about these! But which one? Which one whichonewhichone she needed to pick caaaaaaaarefully!

"Zero Two?" Ichigo giggled.

"I-Ichigo?" she turned to the other girl quickly. She'd entered the girls' locker room to pick out her own choice.

"Do you want help choosing?"

H-Huh? M-Maybe she could help with... with finding one darling would...

She nodded. "I wanna i-impress darling!"

Ichigo grinned. "I thought as much. C'mon, let's see what we can find!"

It didn't take long to rifle through the limited selection. She'd only read about these in one of the doctor's stupid books! She'd always wanted to wear one butbut they actually existed this was so coooooool! She had to make this work! It was superduper important!

"Oh, this is nice," she heard the other girl say. She looked over. Ichigo had pulled out a white one-piece with a red stripe. "It matches you, too. I wonder if it's your size?"

"L-Lemme try it on!" she replied quickly. Ichigo laughed softly as she sped into the deactivated pistil suit machine and used it as a makeshift changing room. It didn't take her long to get it on. It fit perfectly! This was so exciiiiiiiting! She stepped out and walked back into the other section, spreading her arms so Ichigo could look it over.

"How... how is it?" she asked nervously.

Ichigo gave her a serious look. W-Wait! Was it bad? It was probably bad! Nononono!

"It's perfect."

Eh?!

The other girl nodded twice, grunting in approval, arms crossed under her chest. "You'll blow his mind." Ichigo flashed her a thumbs up.

Zero Two felt her cheeks warm. Darling would... like it? "I-I'll use it! Thanks a bunch, Ichigo! After I get changed I'll help you find one too!"

---

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---

shewas

The sun! The ocean! The sky was so blue! His haaaaaaaaaaand!

at the beach

This was so great and fantastic and she could swim in an ocean with darling and there weren't any klaxosaurs or icky Nines or lyingevilAPE ororor-

withDARLING

He had brought her to the... to the beach! The ocean! It was so far away from any walls, any plantations, any stupid rules and stupid adults and stupid stupids! It was... it was...

"H-Hey, come on... come on, now," he told her softly, squeezing her hand. His eyes were moist. "Now's not the time for that. We gotta have fun, right?"

She wiped away her tears quickly and tugged at his hand. "Y-Yeah! Come on darling, let's go! Let's go!"

They began running down to the water's edge, but a thought crossed her mind and she stopped. He came to a halt beside her, his expression curious.

"Zero Two?"

Waitwait was the headband waterproof? She pulled it off her horns after a moment, eyeing it curiously. She didn't think it was. Dumbstupid thing, she wished she could just throw it away. It was so ugly but they'd come and grab her if it turned off! Ugh! And then she couldn't go to the beachwithdarling nono badbadbad!

"What is it, anyway?" darling asked.

"Tracker," she muttered, annoyed. "Doctor wouldn't let them chip me, even though they wanted to. It was originally permanently attached, but he modified it years ago, when they weren't looking. It's how they always find us after we run off. But I dunno if it's waterproof. If it turns off they'll send aaaaaaaall of the guards to look for me! And the Nines!"

Darling narrowed his eyes, thinking. After a careful moment of consideration he spoke up. "Leave it off for now, just to be safe. Don't think or worry about it, either. They'd have to kill me before I let them put that trash on you again."

His hand was so warm and strong! She nodded with a small grin, her stomach doing somersaults. But she couldn't bring it into the water, so wherewhere would she...

Zero Two's eyes landed on the girl with the glasses. Chlorophytum's pistil rightright? She was sitting on a blanket under an umbrella, a book in her lap, and didn't look all that interested in the water. Howhowhow could you not be interested in the water! Was she weird?! Butbut Ichigo was with her! That... that meant she was nice, right? Maybe... maybe she could...

Darling squeezed her hand. "Her name's Ikuno. Go on, it's alright."

It took her a moment to consider. Biting her lip, she looked from the girl back to him, silently asking for reassurance. Her confidence rose when she saw his smile and nod of encouragement. "You can do it," he said gently. "I'll be right here, okay? Won't take my eyes off you."

She nodded and let go of his hand carefully, then took off in a jog towards the two girls. They both looked up from their quiet conversation when they saw her approach. Ichigo's face broke into a smile, giving her the motivation to continue. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the nervous butterflies.

"U-Um!" she stammered, holding out the headband with both hands. "C-Could you... could you hold onto this f-for me, I-Ikuno?"

The other girl looked at her in slight surprise and for a moment, Zero Two thought she'd made a mistake in how she had asked the question. But then the pistil's face melted into a serene smile.

"Of course," Ikuno replied gracefully. She took the headband with poised composure and set it down beside her, on the blanket. "I'll watch it until you get back."

Relief flooded through her. "Th-Thanks!" Zero Two chirped; she turned quickly and dashed back to darling, heart pounding in her ears. His arms opened wide and she leaped into them, giggling. He twirled her around with a giant smile on his face.

"I'm so damn proud of you!" he complimented. The words warmed her more than the sun ever could. His scent surrounded her, coaxed the tension from her body. She... she did it! And he was proud of her! Darling was proud!

He let her down and she grabbed his hand, dragging him to the beautiful ocean. "C'mon, let's go!" Having turned back to the water, she never saw him quickly look over his shoulder and mouth 'Thank you!' to the two girls. They smiled and waved.

Zero Two barreled into the water, a girl on a mission, and she felt her spirits lift as darling laughed heartily next to her. Already she was having the time of her life, and she hadn't even gone swimming yet! It was still morning! They had all day to do whatever they wanteeeeed! She let go of his hand and jumped into the waves, feeling the coolness wrap around her. It wasn't as perfect as darling's ocean, but holycrap it was still pretty amazing yupyup! She surfaced and twirled around to face him.

"Darling!"

Eh?

Wh-What was with that look he was giving her? It was so... intense. She could feel his gaze eatingdrowningloving her wha. And she could smell his scent from all the way over here! Whattheheck why was it so strong now? It was the dream scent! It was baaack! It was so clear and... and woooow. Had she done that?

C-Could she do it again? How had she done that? She wanted to know! She'd impressed darling somehow, howhowhow? She pushed through the water over to him, his eyes never leaving her. The blush dusting his cheeks made her stomach do backflips. He... looked really good in a bathing suit. Andand waitwait! Was - was he taller? He'd always been a bit shorter than her. Nothing significant, but the inch difference was there and now it wasn't! She didn't have a problem with it obviously, darling was darling and things like that didn't matter to her, nopenope! But all the same, seeing him stand at eye level with her was an experience she was surprisingly unprepared for. He was easier to kiss now andand-

A-And...

He was... still looking at her...

She shivered and ran her hands up to his shoulders. Were they... broader than they were before? She gave them an experimental squeeze and felt a jolt run down her spine when previously yielding muscle now fought back.

H-Had she done... this... to him? Maybe this... wasn't so... bad?

"H-Hey..." she whispered. Why was she so nervous? He was darling! Yeah!

This boy was... this man was darling. Her darling.

He blinked, "Hm? Ah, s-sorry! You just looked... uh..."

Those perfect icy orbs trailed down her body. Her breath caught in her throat. If any other person looked at her the way he was now, she'd have killed them on sight, without a thought to spare. But... but darling was looking at her like that! Undressing her with his eyes! She... kinda...

She kinda liked it. She liked it a lot.

"D-Do you... like the swimsuit?" she asked tentatively.

He nodded. "It looks good." His eyes reversed their direction, searing her skin with their potency. "Your hair, too. I like that look. You wear it well."

She... wore it well? Her cheeks heated up. He liked the ponytail!

The compliment gave her some of her confidence back. She leaned into him and smirked. "You don't look too bad yourself, dah-ling."

He exhaled roughly and brought his hands up to cup her slender waist. He grinned toothily at her, unintentionally flashing his growing canines. She felt her heart skip a beat. He leaned in close, scent making her head spin. His warm breath tickled her lips.

"I'm glad you approve, my ho-ney."

Zero Two's eyes widened.

WaitwaitWAIT hecan'tjustsaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAY THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!

The heat on her face became an inferno and it had absolutely nothing to do with the sun.

"Da... DARLING! DAAAAAAARLING!" she screeched. She jumped up and tackled him into the water. He laughed the whole way down.

---

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---

She was the first one to make it over behind the rocks; she broke the surface of the water before him and looked around, giggling. Would he try to pull her under again? A sneak attack? Something else?

Ready for darling! Readyready! Defense! Defense!

They'd been having this splash war for a solid ten minutes now, but neither of them were exhausted. It might've been due to their enhanced stamina, or maybe it was just the excitement of finally being free, even if it was momentary. She didn't know and, well, didn't care! Nopenope! This was totally in her top five days ever! And it wasn't even close to being over yet! She was having sooooo much fun! She wanted to do this every single day! She'd nevereverever get bored! Just living at the beach with darling!

A figure erupted from the thigh-high shallows right in front of her, sending water everywhere and soaking her thoroughly. She held her arms up in front of her and laughed.

Sneaky darling! Sneakysneaky!

She opened one eye and splashed him in retaliation. The water careened over him, drenching his hair; his bangs were matted down to his forehead and she paused upon seeing his horns glint in the sunlight.

...W-Wow.

He grinned and approached her. His scent followed him and only got stronger and waitwait darling's scent! Wait, he was staring right at her! He was so close!

Drip. Drip.

Wait his eyes were so...

Drip. Drip.

And. Andand. Waitwait. She... couldn't think! Gotta... gotta think! Breathe breathe shhh please shhh! Why was his scent so-

Her eyes trailed a line down his body once he stopped in front of her, looking her over curiously. She watched the muscles of his shoulders ripple gently beneath his skin as he brushed off some excess water from his hair. The rest of his body had grown in equal proportion. It wasn't that much definition, barely noticeable from a distance, but... but she could tell...

B-But even so! Her eyes could be... tricking her. She had to check. Y-Yeah. Checkcheck.

After a moment's hesitation she placed her hands on his chest. It was definitely... broader. Stronger. C-Comfier? She... she could sleep on this...

Drip. Drip.

Her touch traced its way outwards to his biceps. Thicker. Good arms to be... to be held in.

"Z-Zero Two?"

Voice still darling's.

Drip. Drip.

Scent still... darling's. Darling's... scent...

Wh-Whatwas going on? No! Shhh! Why was she sososo!

She tried to resist, but her body acted on its own. She placed her nose against his collarbone and breathed deeply.

Nnnmmmmdarling's scent huhwha soso thick... stronger? Stronger! Mmm! Mmmm!

Drip. Drip.

She felt the droplets of water impact her shoulder. Following their path of descent showed her their source: they were dripping from his chin, disrupting his perfect jawline.

She blinked quickly. Nono. Not okay! Darling didn't want! She was... being so weird! She shouldn't... she shouldn't...

She swallowed. She was so close to him. His scent was dragging her down. Just a little more and she couldcould...

Should...

Tentatively, she lifted her face and ever so slightly flicked his chin with her tongue. His taste slammed into her like a klaoxsaur's charge. Pure, unadulterated darling of the highest potency yet. Her knees buckled without warning and she found herself leaning on him for support.

Darling's... taaaaaaaste... nono butttt... want more! Darling's taste! Gotta... gotta...

She wrapped her arms around his back and roughly shoved her chest into his bare torso. His gasp sparked something in her core.

Warmwarm hard darling! Gotta... impress! Impress darling, darling want! Darling want, more taste! Moremoremore... need more want more need...

Her body was on fire, everything was burning. Her head was spinning in the best way possible; she didn't want it to stop. She shoved her nose into his neck and inhaled as much of his scent as she could, actively trying to drown herself. Her body spasmed.

Darlingdarlingdaaaaaaaahling~! Licklick! Lick darling taste darling! Mmmmm!

She licked at his throat and peppered it with light kisses. He grabbed at her shoulders desperately.

"Z-Zero Two, hey!"

She straightened, rubbing herself along him as she did so, and against his better judgment he made no move to stop her. Those beautiful, icy eyes of his trailed hot fire over her skin. Biting her lip, she slowed her ascent against him, trying to make the sensation last.

Daaaaaah-*ling*! Mmmmm!

Zero Two paused upon reaching her full height and leaned back to look at him. Her mind was cloudy and muddled. He was struggling for breath as well, his face tinged crimson. Her eyes glanced up at his forehead, to where his horns poked through his wet bangs. They were incredible.

Darling was...

She panted.

Darling was darling. But. Butbut. It was... okay then? Because darling! Yup... yup and... and darling was...

Her eyes moved down his face. Those parted lips of his were awfully tempting.

...Male?

Even now, she could see those deep blue pupils drilling holes into her. The ocean, her ocean, tearing her apart piece by piece. Darling was... looking at her like that again. Did that mean he... wanted her? Darling wanted her! Wanted by darling! She... she wanted him to keep looking at her like that! So, soso if it was him, if it was her darling... then...

A strange feeling of excitement boiled within her.

Darling... male. Looking at... mmm...

With a sultry giggle, she threw her arms around his neck and pushed herself into him as sensually as she knew how. Her tongue danced across his cheek and jaw. With every pass his taste and scent overpowered her mind a little bit more. She was grinding herself on him again in slow, deliberate motions, her eyes lidded and foggy. She set her rhythm, mentally singing to herself.

Dah-ling~! Dah-ling~! Dah-ling's Zero Twooo~!

"Zero Two..." he ground out harshly.

The way he said her name annihilated the last vestiges of her self-control. Fully submerged, she leaped onto him and wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands instinctively found purchase on her thighs, easily supporting her weight. He groaned lowly, staring at her.

Im-press~! Im-press~! Impress male dah-ling~!

She dove into his lips with passionate urgency. Kissing her in return, he walked forward through the water and pushed her up against the face of the cliff. Her tongue dove into his mouth, probing for-

Big, sharp~! Male, male~! Dah-ling was her male~!

Her tongue flicked against his enlarged canines and her legs tightened around his body, securing him in place. She used the rocks against her back as support and gyrated her hips into him lustfully, eagerly.

Darling growled. Zero Two purred. They broke for air and he mimicked her earlier actions, placing his nose against her collarbone to breathe her scent. She moaned, bit her lip, and then dragged her lower body against him roughly. Glowing blue eyes came up to look at her. The spark ignited into a throbbing heat, an itch that needed satisfying.

So hot~! Wanna mate~! Mate with her dah-ling~!

"Let me... taste you?" he asked, barely controlling himself. She grinned, blushing fiercely, and continued to enthusiastically rub herself on him. Without stopping her movement, she tilted her head to one side to give him ample access.

"'kay!" she mewled.

He buried his face into her neck and licked. She gasped, feeling the pressure build in her core. His coarse tongue followed her artery. Her breath quickened when he planted a wet kiss on the underside of her jaw. Zero Two swallowed, panting, as he leaned back to look at her.

"Does darling... like?" she whispered breathlessly. Her legs squeezed him into her; she rocked her hips faster and faster. Mint green orbs maintained contact with his icy blues, loving his reaction.

"Darling... likes," he groaned. His pleasured expression made her heart race. The slight glow of his eyes, the sweat and water dampening his forehead, the way his chest heaved. He was reacting to... her. Darling was... enjoying it! She was pleasing her darling! Her excitement peaking, she slid her hands down his shoulders and to his chest. Zero Two leaned back and again braced herself against the cliff; she flexed her toned core and shoved her warmest part against him. He was so tense! Even through their swimsuits, she could feel it! Eyes lidded and quivering with pleasure, she bit her lip, checked her balance, and then dragged herself up his length with as much pressure as she could muster.

Wanna mate~!

Down.

Gotta mate~!

Up.

Need to mate with daaaah-ling~!

The methodical action left her memorized. Darling's eyes squeezed shut. Desperately he tried to resist, but at last, finally, his own instincts got to him. He closed the distance and then dove back into her mouth, pushing against her. The motion brought him into full contact with her most sensitive area. It caught her off guard, felt too good. Through the thin fabric separating them she felt him pulse and throb, and she was sent over the edge.

Holyhooooooooooooooolyyyyyyyyy!

Zero Two squeezed her eyes shut as her body spasmed against him. She returned the kiss with as much force as she could muster. His legs buckled from his last, vain attempts at self-control and they fell backwards, into the water.

But his arms never left her; after a moment, she found herself lifted back above the waves, coming down from her high. She leaned against him, gasping as she tried to regain feeling in her legs and toes. The feeling of his arms around her was indescribable. Safe, secure, happy.

"What... was..."

"Holy hell," he grunted, equally out of breath. He adjusted his bathing suit quickly. "That was... wow."

A bit of warm water moved past her legs. She blinked and shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs and get her senses back in order. "Your scent was... so good! I couldn't..."

"I'm... glad to hear that," he chuckled, exhausted. "Your taste blew my mind."

She straightened out so she could see his face. He looked tired but... satisfied? But then what she'd done hit her full force. Her eyes widened and she separated from him quickly, blushing up a storm.

"I... I..."

He looked at her, confused. She had turned away, holding her cheeks; she didn't dare make eye contact.

She... forced herself... onDARLING!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

"Whawha what the heck's wrong with me? He... he probably thinks I'm easy!" she whispered to herself in shame. "Some dumb girl who can't control herself andandandand-"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. His voice was right by her ear. With a yelp and a splash she turned around, stumbling backwards, but he reached out and grabbed her wrists. Darling gently pulled her back to him.

"Zero Two," he grinned. "There's nothing wrong with what you did. I... ah... enjoyed it."

She swallowed nervously. "But... but that's never happened before! It's never been that bad!"

His grin dissolved into concern. "What do you mean?"

She put her hands on his chest and glanced down, embarrassed. "Y-Your scent and taste have always... done things to me," she admitted meekly. "But I've always been able to control it!"

"And was this time different?" he asked.

She nodded. "I... I couldn't stop myself. It was too strong. All I could think about was... was..."

...holycrapholycrapwhattheheckholycrap

He could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. She was beet red. "Is this the first time it's happened?" he asked gently, rubbing her shoulders.

Zero Two shook her head. "O-Only once or twice before. The first time was that night at the house a few weeks ago. And even then, I was able to get it under control after a bit!"

"The night at the house..." he muttered to himself, thinking. Then he frowned and sucked in a breath. His eyes landed on her horns.

"Darling?" she asked. His shift in mood worried her.

"Let's head back to the beach, Zero Two. I think I have an idea."

"Eh? Okay!"

---

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---

Relax. Relax. Relax. Relax. He couldn't worry her. Relax. Just focus and solve the problem. He was used to this by now, he knew the drill. He knew the adults and society just saw her as a tool, he knew they were messing with her, he knew the doctor kept secrets. It wouldn't do to freak out. Today was a happy day, it was their day at the beach. Just figure out what was going on and then go back to having fun. She needed this, she deserved this. He could come up with a more permanent solution later on.

He eyed the headband carefully. She'd said it was a tracker, but was it just a tracker? If it was only a tracker, why did it attach to her horns? Why not just make a waterproof wristband or something? It was supposed to be a permanent attachment as well, right? Why would the doctor modify it so it could be removable?

"You're so cute when you're focusing, darling!"

They were sitting off away from the others on a patch of sand they'd claimed as their own. Zero Two was leaning against his arm, looking at the headband as he twisted it around in his hands. He couldn't see any switches, or even how it was powered. No screws, battery compartments, anything. The inside of the 'triangle', where the headband fitted against her horns, had tiny movable parts, presumable to attach and hold against her protrusions.

"Hmmm!"

She giggled at his loud exaggeration. The noise relaxed him, released the tense stress that had been building as they swam back to the beach. Her presence always did wonders for his state of mind, and for that he was thankful. Just another reason why he loved her so damn much.

"You think it has something to do with our... um..." she trailed off, a cute blush dusting her cheeks.

"Yeah," he acknowledged. "You took it off that night at the house, remember? I'm thinking there might be a connection."

She scrunched her eyebrows in thought for a moment before replying. "Here, lemme try something."

He handed it over to her wordlessly, curious as to what she had in mind.

Zero Two looked it over for a moment in oddly adorable suspicion. Then she glanced at him and leaned in, giving him a good sniff.

"Hmmm!" She parroted. Despite the serious topic, he couldn't help but grin and chuckle. She licked a line up his cheek slowly. Her tongue ran over her lips thoughtfully as she savored the taste. After a moment she brought the headband to her horns; Hiro watched as it clicked in place with a 'beep!'. Zero Two waited a moment then sniffed him again. Her eyes widened.

"What the heck?!"

He blinked. "What is it?"

She licked his cheek again, just as slowly as the first time, then turned away to judge the taste. Her body tensed and she curled her lips, growling in anger. Her hands came up and nearly ripped the headband from her horns. It was thrown into the sand with haste, almost like it was too painful to even hold.

"Ew ew ew nononoooo!" she hissed. The girl turned back to him and desperately shoved her face into his neck, extending her tongue as much as she could before running it up his throat roughly. She shuddered, sighing in relief.

"Zero Two, what's wrong?" he asked quickly, clearly concerned by her strange reaction.

"It's muted!" she wailed, wrapping her arms around him. "Grossgross yuckyyyy! It made your taste and smell so dull!"

He rubbed her back in a consoling fashion, even as his mind raced. "Shhh. It's alright. Let's think it through."

She made a noise halfway between a question and an anguished moan.

"Think back to that night at the house. What did I smell like back then? Was my smell like now, or was it like when you were wearing the headband?" He really hoped she remembered. If his little hunch was correct, then...

Zero Two squeezed her eyes shut, thinking hard. "I... I think it was like... in the middle? Yupyup I remember! It was like... like a half-darling! Or a quarter-darling!"

What the hell, she actually remembered? Her memory was incredible! And if his scent was a quarter of its current strength, then that meant the headband was...

She pushed herself away from him, a light bulb going off in her head. "It's suppressing darling's scent!" she whispered. Her head twisted down to the headband, eyes narrowing. "Those... those assholes! They've been hiding him from meeeee nnnnnggg!" She reached out to grab it, obviously intent on smashing the thing into pieces.

"Wait," he said gently. His arms looped around her and he pulled her back into his chest. "Not now, not now."

"But... but..." she hissed, glaring at the piece of tech with unbridled hatred.

"It's a tracker too, remember?" he murmured into her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder. "If you get rid of it now, they'll detect the signal loss and come for us."

She moaned in annoyance and collapsed against him, letting him rock her back and forth.

"I'm the same as you now," he continued. "That means my scent and taste are stronger too, right? And since the headband hides that from you, you weren't prepared for it back then. It's alright, we can deal with it. Wear it when they can see you and take it off when we know we're alone. It's not that bad. We'll find a way to get rid of it eventually."

He peppered her neck with light kisses, coaxing the stress from her body. "Fiiiine," she pouted. "But I'm not wearing it today! Hmph!"

"Fine by me," he replied into her neck. One of his hands came up to her head and he gently patted the area where her headband usually was. She pushed into his touch, a noise of contentment echoing up from her throat.

"You're even prettier without it," he added factually. She smiled proudly. "Ichigo brought us sweaters, didn't she? Let's go get them. We can carry it around in a pocket."

She nodded and grabbed the headband, holding it away from her like it was a germ-ridden piece of trash. Together they got up, walking back towards the main beach where the others were gathered and fooling around. Goro, Zorome and Futoshi had just emerged from a swim; as soon as he caught Hiro's eye, Goro's expression turned serious. He got the attention of the other two stamen and they began walking over to meet Strelizia's pilots.

Uh oh. Man talk.

Hiro gave Zero Two's hand a squeeze. "Go on without me," he urged. "I need to talk with the guys real quick."

She looked at him, confused and a tad bit worried. "Eh? But..."

He gave her a reassuring grin. "I'll be fine. Go hang out with Ichigo for a bit. I'll catch up later, okay?"

That grin Ichigo had flashed Zero Two gave him hope. He couldn't really remember what had happened that day in Delphinium, but Zero Two had been downright friendly with the girl at breakfast that morning before they disembarked, so perhaps the gamble had paid off. She'd also given them a room together, and in the madness surrounding his little tumor incident, he'd forgotten to thank her properly. He made a mental note to sit down and talk with her at some point.

After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "A-Alright."

He watched her run off, then turned to Goro as he and the others approached.

"Hiro," Goro said with no small amount of irritation. "We need to talk."

---

The silence was deafening - a fog that weighed down the atmosphere and muted their vibrant, relaxing surroundings. It provided a seriousness to the situation, something that was a sharp departure from the usually jovial and laid back group dynamic. They followed Goro, who led them to a small, private alcove further down the beach. The rocks on either side obscured them from the pistils; Ichigo had seen Goro walk off with Hiro and was thusly trying to teach Zero Two how to hit a volleyball. It was part genuine, part distraction. Delphinium's pistil could see her partner's tense stride even from that distance and knew he was all business.

"Alright," Goro muttered once they were suitably hidden. He rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. "Show us."

Hiro blinked, faking confusion. "Show you what?"

"Don't play stupid, ya dunce!" Zorome snarked. "The horns! The horns!"

Strelizia's stamen sighed, knowing the jig was up. He pushed up his bangs with his hand. Two tiny blue horns glinted in the sunlight. Zorome peered at them unscrupulously, rubbing his chin, innocent curiosity in his gaze. But Goro only grit his teeth as his worst case scenario was confirmed before his very eyes.

"Wow, so Mitsuru was right!" Futoshi exclaimed, blinking incredulously.

Zorome rolled his eyes. "Of course he was right, dude! Mitsuru's a creep, but he ain't a liar!"

Goro frowned. "What the hell have you done to yourself, Hiro?"

"What do you mean? They're just horns. I don't even feel any different."

He fought back the urge to outright slug his friend. Hiro's callous disregard for the situation was doing a clear number on the usually calm boy's nerves. "Just - just horns?! What the hell are you even saying?! Did you know that would happen? Did you know riding with her would do that to you?!"

Hiro's expression grew serious. His eyes hardened, defensive walls came up. The transfigured boy was smart enough to accurately guess where this conversation was headed and he was decidedly not in the mood. "No, I didn't know it would happen. I had some momentary side effects, but I didn't feel unusual or sick, so I decided to push through it."

"How could you be so damn careless?!" Goro shouted at him. He took a step forward, fists clenched.

"Because she was worth it." It was the honest truth, to him at least, but his childhood friend couldn't see that through his rage and worry. Goro wasn't buying it.

"Worth it? Worth it enough to scare the hell out of her?! Mitsuru and Ichigo visited you in the hospital, you know! They told us Zero Two was worried sick! She was blaming herself because you 'pushed through it' without considering the potential consequences!"

"And what was I supposed to do?!" Hiro shouted back. "Just give up? Just decide to not pilot on our most important mission yet? Strelizia was needed for that fight, you know that!"

"Strelizia caused more trouble than it was worth!" Delphinium's stamen replied intensely. "Sure, it took out the Gutenberg. But it also freaked out! Ichigo nearly had a heart attack! She thought you two were trapped in there!"

Hiro looked away with a 'tch!'. He couldn't deny the logic. Zero Two's reaction to the tumor had been decidedly negative, to say the least, and he still couldn't make sense of what had happened to Strelizia, even after watching the combat footage.

Zorome and Futoshi continued to watch the entire exchange silently, completely forgotten by the two boys. They knew better than to get involved with this. This was personal. Grievances were being aired, complaints voiced, miscommunications and worries laid bare for them all to see. Initially, they couldn't figure out why Goro had been so insistent on bringing them along for something bound to get so heated, but now they had a hunch. The two stamen were there to prevent things from getting violent. It wouldn't do if a fight between squad members was documented on a decidedly experimental vacation day.

"There are people who care for you, you know! There are others out there besides yourself, and you constantly worry them sick with your reckless behavior! Do you even know what you've done to yourself? Do you know about the symptoms, the potential complications? Is it a disease? Is it transmittable? What would've happened if you just up and died and never woke up again?! What would that do to Zero Two?!" Goro rambled on and on, letting it all out, sick and tired of this - of Hiro ignoring them and trying to do everything himself. The boy tried to help Zero Two without asking for assistance. He tried to pilot Strelizia without considering the ramifications. He was gambling with his life! And it wasn't even intentional, he was doing it willingly!

"If I can't help her, I'd rather be dead!" Hiro screamed. He was staring at the ground, fists clenched and chest heaving.

That admission brought the shouting match to a marked halt. The stifling silence descended again for a split second, but was ripped away once Hiro resumed his terrifying and oddly creepy explanation of the relationship he held with Zero Two.

"If I cannot walk with her as an equal, my life is forfeit. If I cannot protect her, my existence is worthless," he continued, voice now a loud whisper.

Goro didn't know if the boy was insane or sick or both. Had the transformation brainwashed him in some way? Was he even Hiro anymore? "Why the hell are you so obsessed with her?" he asked, horrified.

"Because she's the only one who understands!"

"She understands what! What does she understand!" Goro raged at his friend. "Tell me, damn it! Mitsuru's known for a good long while! Ichigo apparently figured it out when she was locked with you in Delphinium! Tell me! I want to hear it!"

"SHE FOUGHT BACK!" Hiro screamed, as loud as he could.

Goro's hand dropped to his side limply. "...What?"

"Do you ever wonder what happened to all those children?" Strelizia's stamen asked bitterly. "The ones who went missing from Garden?"

The rapid shift in topic sent the other three boys for a loop. It came out of left field, a mortar screeching in from their periphery. What did that have to do with anything? They couldn't make sense of it, of how it related to the horns or the girl or his aloof behavior.

"I think about them all the time," Hiro monologued. "I've thought about them for years. I was the only one to ask questions. I was the only one who stopped and asked why." He raised his head finally, staring at the taller boy. "All of our friends, Goro! Gone! Like they were fucking ghosts! Mitsuru was this close to vanishing along with them, before he signed up for the elixir! Why?! Why were they taken?! Where did they go? Have you ever asked yourself that? Huh?!"

Goro had most certainly not asked himself that question. Neither had the other two, for that matter. Hiro had always been special in an odd but comforting way. Not just to Squad 13, but the parasite corps as a whole. The boy had been the creator of the unofficial, under the table naming system common among some of the younger parasites. His behavior and caring attitude was a beacon in their cold, dark world. But for all his charm, the rest of them, at least, were still soldiers. They weren't supposed to ask questions. Why would Hiro even ask them if they asked questions? He was the only one that had ever bothered; for the longest time Goro was comfortable with that fact. Hiro would relay them his thoughts, they'd process it, incorporate it into their worldview and then go on with their merry but violent lives. It was only recently that the status quo had shifted, and they were all painfully aware of the trigger.

A classic reversal, old as time itself, but the parasites wouldn't know that. Hiro wasn't guiding them anymore. His focus was elsewhere.

Now they had the questions.

"I said we should've done something about it! Nobody batted a fucking eyelash! I was all alone! Nobody answered my questions, nobody gave me answers! Nobody told me who we are or where we came from or why we were being trained as goddamn soldiers! What the hell even are the klaxosaurs? Why do we fight them? What's the point to all of this?!"

"Hey, hey, you goddamn..." Zorome growled. The rambling parasite had gone too far now - that was treason. Papa didn't take kindly to people questioning his good will and love. He made to approach Hiro, but Futoshi stopped him with a firm hand on the shoulder. The larger boy looked at him and shook his head, his expression grim and serious.

"Let him talk, Zorome," Genista's stamen whispered. The shorter boy grit his teeth, clearly upset with the situation.

"And then one day, after the tests, I see a horned girl strapped to a table being FUCKING TORTURED!"

Zorome whirled around to face the screaming stamen, eyes just as wide as Futoshi's. Hiro was hyperventilating and sweating. His eyes and horns were glowing blue. Goro had taken a step back; something between shock, worry and disbelief twisted his sharp features. Though their lives growing up had been difficult, torture was one thing they'd never experienced. The instructors were hard, brutal even, but children had never been so much as pinched. To hear such a thing had occurred at Garden was madness itself, but the aura of raw disgust swirling around Hiro like a vicious whirlpool contested their incredulity.

"They were putting holes in her hands, Goro! They were fucking electrocuting her! They looked at her like she was a piece of meat, an animal!"

"H-Hey, Hiro..." Goro muttered nervously. The boy hadn't meant to open Pandora's Box in such a dramatic fashion, but the lion had been woken regardless. Lost in his empowered frustration, Hiro vented and vented and vented. Years of waiting, years non-answers and little white lies and empty platitudes had amounted to this moment. Countless hours trapped and caged, watching the friends he'd grown up with worship a deceiver and pledge themselves to his service. But not anymore.

The child had returned. The child was free.

"But even after all that, she fought back! She didn't walk passively down those hallways like all the other kids! She didn't let them do whatever they pleased! Every time I saw her, she was struggling! Every time I saw those horns, she was resisting! She was the only one in that hellhole I could understand! She was the only one that still cared!"

Futoshi was the one to speak up next. "S-So... what did you do?"

Hiro glanced at him, simmering. Then he turned away and stared at the ground again. "What do you think I did?"

Goro swallowed as the memories of that week, of the little he'd learned from Ichigo finally clicked into place. All that was left was simply connecting the dots. He put two and two together. He had his questions, now he had his answers.

"The day Mitsuru got the elixir... right?" he asked.

The boy nodded, his eyes still on the sand.

"I broke her out of Garden."

"You... you goddamn madman!" Zorome barked. "You're lucky they didn't shoot you on sight! Papa gave us our lives, you know! You can't just go around doing what you damn well please!"

"Why can't I?"

Zorome hadn't expected such a blunt rebuttal. The boy's gaping confusion gave Strelizia's stamen an opening, one he took.

"All they've done is give us misery," Hiro muttered. "We fight for them, bleed for them, and what do we get out of it? What's the point?"

"To become adults, you stupid idiot! You kill enough klaxosaurs and they let you become an adult, let you live the high life! That was one of the first things they taught us!"

Hiro whirled on him. "Yeah, they told her that, too! They told her she could become human if she killed enough klaxosaurs! They told her once she became human, once she lost the horns, she would be reunited with her darling, with the boy that broke her out of Garden!" He raised his arms wide. "Well guess what! Here I am! And she still has the horns! Killing klaxosaurs did jack shit!"

Zorome took a step back, a bead of sweat running down his cheek.

"Papa and the rest knew she'd kill all those stamen, Zorome!" he snarled. "Did they care one bit? Huh, did they?! They used her as a killing machine! Lied to her so she'd do their bidding! You could've been one of those stamen assigned to her, and you'd have just been another statistic!" He spit the word out like it was poisonous.

He was a zealous one to a fault and everyone knew that. Zorome had always been the one to praise Papa, to announce his commitment to the cause. The others followed lockstep with their actions but weren't nearly so vocal; that was part of the reason they'd been chosen for the experiment, after all. To have a dent, however minor, driven so readily into his steel wall of worship by someone admired among the children gave the boy noticeable pause.

Hiro turned back to Goro, sneering. "So yes! I'm reckless! Yes, I'm careless! I'm long past the point of giving a damn! All we want is to be left alone! We're not traitors, we're not gonna disobey orders! We've waited years for this, why the fuck would we risk them tearing us apart again?! We just want to be with each other! If I have to grow horns to do that, I'll grow the horns! If I have to get in Strelizia, I'll get in Strelizia! I'll sacrifice my body if it means I can be with Zero Two! I'll throw away my soul if it means she smiles for me! And I'll do it all alone without anyone's help if I have to, just like I did all those years ago!"

He grit his teeth and stomped off, his mood soured and his effort expended.

"...I'm gonna report him," Zorome muttered.

"No," Goro said as he watched Hiro go. "Don't."

"Hey, hey, don't tell me you agree with him, Goro! Everything he just said was... was insane! He's sick, damn it! Those horns are probably stabbing into his brain! We should at least get him locked up in the med bay!"

"He's not sick or crazy. He's always been like that." He looked down to the ground, his fist finally unclenching itself. "That guy..."

"Then why didn't the adults do anything about him?!"

"Think about what would happen if Hiro disappeared, Zorome. If the guy who named us, named the children, up and vanished," he replied, turning to Argentea's stamen. "What would everyone think?"

Zorome frowned and looked away, crossing his arms.

"You don't mean..." Futoshi trailed off, not wanted to consider the possibility.

"Yeah." Goro nodded, an odd thought running through his stressed mind. "I think they're scared of him."

Twisting back, he watched as Zero Two launched herself into the air and glomped his friend. The pistils watched from behind them. Ichigo, Ikuno and Kokoro were smiling and laughing cheerfully. Miku was rolling her eyes in exasperation, hands on her hips.

"Or maybe they're scared of them."

---

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---

"Goro! Are you coming?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah!"

He jogged to catch up with Ichigo as she entered one of the abandoned buildings, mind still racing. The conversation with Hiro had exhausted him, but in a... good way? He wasn't sure what constituted "good" and "bad" anymore. All he knew was that things made sense and ignorance was bliss. Part of him wished he'd just kept his mouth shut and carried on, that he should've minded his own business.

But if he did that, Hiro would be right.

He understood his friend now, mostly. All of that fevered, abnormal passion he held for Zero Two made a great deal of sense. From an outside perspective Goro didn't "approve", per se; such behavior, he knew, would result in needlessly risky actions and thoughtless decision making.

Goro also knew, however, that he was hyprocrite. He'd already done the same for Ichigo after she was injured. He had deprived himself of sleep, watched over her recovery for hours on end, missed meals and otherwise just acted irrationally.

But... was that really a bad thing?

He didn't know. Talking with Hiro had revealed to him his own emotions. Not fully, but in greater detail. He was able to more readily identify them now. He'd come to the conclusion that he and Hiro were more similar than they were different. The only divergence was that Hiro had always acted, and he had not.

Goro narrowed his eyes. He should've been the one to pull Ichigo out of Delphinium! He should've done something instead of just standing, scared, while Zero Two rushed into the danger without a second thought! He could've helped her in some way, he could've...

Soft coughing disrupted his self-critical thoughts. Ichigo's sweater sleeve was covering her mouth as dust swarmed the air. The thing was bulky and oversized, dwarfed her tiny form, even though it was the smallest option available. He thought it looked great on her.

Kinda like her swimsuit, too. He'd liked her swimsuit, though he didn't really know why. Just another thing to figure out.

"Aaaa-choo!"

The action nearly keeled him over. The sheer danger contained in the cuteness of that one sneeze dwarfed any klaxosaur he'd ever read about.

"B-Bless you," he heard himself say.

"Thanks," she sniffed. They looked around. The place was a mess. Toppled bookshelves and chairs, mountains of dust, cobwebs in every nook, cranny and corner. Mitsuru had told them about this abandoned town. Apparently he'd done some exploring while he and the guys were talking with Hiro and the girls were playing on the beach. Ichigo had told him Zero Two was a natural at volleyball. He was glad they'd become such quick friends, and he suspected Hiro was too. As a group they ventured through the forest into the ruins. The trees were incredible; Goro was surprised a forest like this still existed outside of Mistleteinn. The town was probably a remnant of the old world, before the klaxosaurs ruined everything and they were forced into the plantations.

A diseased, parasitic thought wormed its way into his head then, and it gave him pause.

Hiro said APE had lied to Zero Two, hadn't he? Truthfully, he didn't know much about Papa and the rest. Just that they were the ones who gave them life, and that it was their mission to serve. But he did know plenty about Hiro, and his friend wasn't a liar. Reckless, yes. Careless, yes. Attached at the hip and utterly devoted to his horned childhood friend he'd supposedly saved from a tortured existence, yes. But he wasn't a liar. Did that mean APE were liars?

And if they were... what if, by chance, they'd lied about the klaxosaurs, too?

"Huh? What's this?"

Once again, Ichigo's lovely voice removed him from his introspection. She was looking at an old, dusty book she'd picked up. A careful brush against the cover revealed the title. Goro joined her and looked over her shoulder.

"'Your First Childbirth'?"

---

Ichigo fiddled with the book in her pocket as she watched the sun set over the ocean. She knew it was against regulations, yeah. She knew if she was found she could get removed from her leadership role in Squad 13 or worse, yeah.

But she was curious and she had questions. So she took the book. Goro said he wanted to read it with her later, as well. It had caught her off guard, but truthfully she was just happy to see his spirits improve. He'd been in a rut all day for some reason until he talked with Hiro. Probably about his horns, or Zero Two or something. Whatever it was, their conversation seemed to give him the answers he wanted, and for that she was happy. He looked downright tired afterwards, though.

"It's a nice sunset, isn't it? Can't get this view in Mistleteinn."

It was Hiro. His hands were in his pockets. He looked tired too, but also... relieved? Maybe she could ask Goro for details later. Was their conversation really that intense? She smiled and returned her gaze to the fiery orange orb slowly sinking over the horizon.

"Yeah..."

She didn't really know what to say, so she let the comfortable silence permeate. They stayed like that for a good while.

"I never got around to asking you, Ichigo," he said at last. She looked at him curiously.

"Huh?"

He glanced down at her. Had he gotten... taller? "My plan was to show you those first few days after I met Zero Two in Mistleteinn. I don't know if I pulled it off, but you two seem to be getting along more. I figured it worked out well enough."

Honestly, how could one boy be so brash, clueless and kindhearted, all at the same time? She debated on whether to tell him the truth. But... it was Hiro, and they were his memories. He deserved to know.

"I... I didn't see that," she admitted quietly. "I saw... um... what happened at Garden."

The color steadily drained from his face as she talked. He looked like he was going to faint.

"Y-You... saw?" he whispered. Damn it! Of course he wouldn't take the news well! What the heck was she thinking? Those memories were important to him! She'd seen something she was never meant to see, she should've just gone on and kept it to herself!

"I-I'm sorry!" she said quickly, trying to salvage the situation. "Really, Hiro, I am! I know they mean a lot to you and I never meant to-"

"I'm glad."

Her racing heart slammed on the brakes. Futilely, she tried to process his words. Huh? Wait, what?

He was smiling at her. Still pale, still shocked, but smiling. "I'm... glad you saw them."

"W-Why?" she asked. The desperation was rising again. What did he mean? Those memories were... why would he want to share them with her? They were between him and Zero Two!

"I've always thought that... well..." He looked back to the sun, watching as the crimson sky slowly faded into peaceful black. "You're like a sister to me, Ichigo. We're family. I've always thought that, had you met each other, you two would've been great friends."

Like a... sister to... him? Family? She thought he... he...

"If there was anyone I'd want to share those memories with, it'd be you."

He... he was so...! He was so cruel! Why'd he have to make things so difficult! It was hard enough already!

He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning apologetically, clearly not understanding what he'd done to her. "I'm... sorry I haven't been spending as much time with you guys as I usually do. Meeting her again after all this time made me feel so..."

"I... I understand! It's okay!" she said quickly. She turned away and wiped her eyes, hoping he wouldn't see. But when she looked at him again, he was staring right at her, smiling in understanding. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks.

"Listen, Ichigo, what you've done, I-"

"Darliiiiiiiiiing!"

They looked out to the water. Zero Two was bobbing in its calm swells, waving exuberantly. Hiro beamed broadly and waved back, but then hesitated. He looked over at Ichigo.

She frowned and turned her gaze to the ground, her face still dusted pink. "Wh-What are you looking at me for? You don't need my permission. Go on!"

He laughed as he pulled off his sweater.

"And give me that! I'll bring it back to the campsite. You don't want sand getting in it, do you?" She thrust her open palm out towards him.

"Eh? O-Oh, right!" He balled up the item and handed it over.

He began jogging out into the water, but stopped suddenly. Hiro turned back to her. "Ichigo."

She looked up at him. His eyes were completely serious. "Thank you," he said, firmly. "I mean it. For everything."

The air escaped her lungs. On that beach, as the sun fully dipped beneath the ocean, she watched him dive into the water and swim out to join Zero Two.

A silent, heartbreaking moment later, she felt a hand plant itself on her head and rustle her hair. She was too busy trying to stop her tears to remove it.

"You alright?" Goro asked.

"Y-Yeah..." she sniffed quietly. But her voice grew in confidence as she recovered. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm... happy."

He lowered his hand and followed her eyes out to the water, where Strelizia's pilots were laughing and splashing each other like a pair of overgrown kids.

"Hiro told me everything," he admitted. "About what happened in Garden, I mean." His dark orbs trailed over to his partner. "That's what you saw, wasn't it? You saw them."

She nodded silently.

Goro smiled, in comfort and compassion.

"You're so strong, Ichigo."

---

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---

"Oooo, ooooooo! What's that one?" she asked. Her index finger shot up, pointing at a section of the sky with dramatic enthusiasm. He loved it - her arm was at like a ninety degree angle with the rest of her body as they laid on the top of the rocks. She was so goddamn adorable! He could do this for hours.

"Hmm!" Hiro made a show of searching for the answer and scrunched up his face. Her giggling was his reward. "Apus!" he said at last.

"Apus?" Zero Two repeated.

He nodded, trying to remember the details from that dusty old book he read in the abandoned library. "It means... 'without feet', I think? And looks like a bird of paradise. Long extinct. They thought the bird of paradise was fated to fly through the heavens forever and never return to Earth. Poor thing!"

She furrowed her brow cutely and tapped her thumb against his held right hand in thought. Her raised arm returned to her side. "Bird of paradise? That sounds familiar. Hmmm!"

He bit his lip. "I think Strelizia is named after the same thing, isn't it?" he offered.

"Yeah, yeah! That's right!" she exclaimed. "But it's the flower version, yupyup! That's so cooooool!" But she paused in her exuberation, realizing something. "Wait, but that makes no sense, darling! That book is stupid! Strelizia has feet!"

He blinked, then started laughing heartily.

"I-I'm serious! Darliiiing!" she pouted.

"Y-You're right, you're right!" he agreed quickly between gasps for air. "That's stupid!"

She laughed quietly in response to his own chuckles and the two eventually descended into peaceful, happy silence, content to watch the stars with each other. He wanted to do this forever. The day had been more complicated than he'd thought it would be. The anger, especially, had caught him off guard, and as a result he'd spilled the beans to not only Goro, but Futoshi and Zorome as well. The former two, he knew, wouldn't do anything with it, but Zorome was a different story. The boy was obsessed with Papa and devoted in his service. He'd need to watch him carefully from now on, just in case. But part of him was relieved to finally get it all out into the air. It was wrong for him to keep the details from Goro for that long. His friend deserved to know - he was there back then, when he was fighting against the suppression. He had planned to tell Ichigo afterwards so they both knew, but, well...

Oops?

That must've been why she'd been getting along so well with Zero Two, though. She was a natural at it, too. Zero Two was a lot calmer than when she'd initially arrived at Plantation 13, and he knew now that it wasn't his influence alone. He was so thankful.

But this place... this place was beautiful. The beach was one thing, but that settlement! With a little cleaning up, a bit of reorganizing and a ton of dusting, it was perfectly habitable! He didn't even know places like that still existed on the surface! All those trees, too, and he could've sworn he had heard running water as they walked through the forest. The ground was fertile. If they had seeds, maybe they could plant some crops! And the ocean still had some fish!

Maybe... maybe they could...

She squeezed his hand. "This place is incredible though, isn't it, darling?"

Her question lit a fire in his pounding heart. He swallowed, steeling himself. If she thought the same, then...

"Zero Two."

"Hm?"

"...Do you remember that promise we made, all those years ago?"

There wasn't an answer. Growing concerned, Hiro tilted his head to look at her.

Zero Two was staring at him, eyes wide and lips parted. Her bangs twisted across her cheeks and neck. Had he not been like her, he could've sworn her grip on his hand would've shattered his bones. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Yes..." she breathed.

Desperately trying to calm his nerves, he sat up on the rock. She followed him up, her eyes never leaving his.

"I... I was thinking..." he stumbled over himself. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "After we escape, after we somehow get away..."

She watched him silently, waiting for him to finish.

"We could come back here, you know? Things are still growing here. There's fish in the ocean and the buildings still look stable enough to live in. With... with some water, we could start a farm..."

He swallowed.

"And... and after we settled in for a bit, we could..." He didn't dare let his gaze drift from those gorgeous green orbs of hers. "We could get married and have a family."

...

She was crying.

Thick, ugly tears streamed down her shocked face as she tried to process his words and comprehend the thing he'd just given her.

"Z-Zero Two?" he asked quietly, nervously.

"Yes."

"Eh?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes," she whispered in repetition. Zero Two crashed into him, hugged him with all the strength in her body. Happiness washed over Hiro like a flood. Pure joy in its rawest form, drowning him in euphoria and ecstasy. Her frame shook against him, tears falling freely on both sides. Their arms wrapped around each other as the promise of a lifetime was remade under that night sky. Hiro looked up and through his blurry vision saw something dance and sparkle.

"Zero Two," he breathed. "Look. Shooting stars."

They separated. Together they watched as the night sky erupted into a display bordering on the magical. He looked at her and she looked at him.

"Make a wish," he told her.

Carefully they lined up their foreheads, and ever so gently pushed their horns together. Eyes closed and horns glowed. Separating again, they took their other's hands. Time stood still.

A kiss.

A wish.