It took all the strength Zakura had to remain conscious in her battered state. Blood dripped from her forehead, her arms, and legs. If you could name it, it was damaged in some way. She had no idea how her beanie had managed to still occupy her head. It could have just been stuck on her horns, but either way, she was glad it didn't give the people who hated her any more fuel.

If she didn't know any better, she would probably assume that a large portion of her body was broken. Even with her somewhat resilient body to protect her, she had indeed had been beaten to a literal bloody pulp. How she was going to be able to function was beyond her in that moment. Every passing moment felt like more knives stabbing into her skin, more hammers pounding on her head and bones. Her left eye was barely functioning. Whether it was ripped out or just swollen, it was futile to even assume. She wanted to scream out in agony, writhe on the ground to attempt to relieve herself of the torturous agony that wracked her body, but she hadn't the energy for it. Or the breath for it.

Even though her body was been decimated by this large teenager, and the world spun, colliding with the tears and blood in her right eye, her thoughts were not on herself. She could only look forward, at the unbelievable scene before her. Darling had toppled her assailant, and not only that, he had single handedly shook the earth with his rage and revenge.

The moment her childhood friend had let out that furious sound, she knew something was not right. That most certainly was her darling, but he was not a brawler, he was not nearly that strong, that… monstrous. Something was quite off indeed, and even as she looked on with bewilderment, another feeling mixed with it. Something deep down, something she never believed she would feel in this situation - excitement. Yes, she was excited, overjoyed, adrenalized.

His low, weighty voice almost boomed across the schoolyard, although it was nothing more than the volume you'd use when talking to someone in the same room as you. It felt different, but… in a good way?

"I told you not to touch her. You brought this upon yourself," she heard the boy announce. "If anyone… any of you, lay a hand on her ever again… I'll personally hunt you down."

His words sent a chill down her spine. She was the only person she had ever witnessed be so cold. But she was a demon, so it had made sense in her mind. Aihiko, on the other hand was so… sweet, caring, loving even. Hearing him speak in such a disconnected, cold tone was sort of… frightening but… euphoric. She knew it wasn't a good indication of his mental state, but he most likely did everything in the last minute out of love for her. So why not revel in this new, masculine Hiko?

The entire school was silent at the sight of the brawl. Nobody dared speak, they were all too shocked by what had just occurred. It seemed as though hours had passed long before anything was said or done. Until -

"This kid is sort of a hunk~!", Zakura heard a girl murmur from the front of the swarming students. A dark red haired girl with purple eyes and a single, curved hair popping out from the top of her head was the culprit of the comment. She was wearing her hair up in twintails.

"Hey! I was gonna say that!", an almost identical girl called to her, turning to face the look alike. The girls probably couldn't be told apart except for their hairstyles, this one was had her hair tied up in a single ponytail. They even had the same stupid cowlick.

Of course, the annoying twins from her class. Jinx and Juju, the two class clowns slash troublemakers. They argued in class and during breaks practically every day and had drove Zakura insane, they were literally always fighting and causing problems.

Without a single ounce of worry or hesitation, the twins approached the black haired boy who had caused a scene.

"Hey, could I get your number?", the ponytail girl Jinx asked suddenly.

"No, me! I'm prettier than her!", Juju jeered at her sister.

Aihiko stepped off the mountain of a man beneath his feet and gave the two girls a disgusted look before replying with a nasty, insulting hiss.

"I'm not interested. In either of you. I have a partner. Now piss off."

If she looked closely enough, she could tell the exact moment their hearts broke in two. As her darling turned his attention to her, the twins immediately began fussing at each other, blaming one another for messing things up. Apparently, they hadn't figured out that Hiko was her's. And she was Hiko's. Mmmm, she was totally his…

She watched the private school boy draw closer as the courtyard started to buzz once again. Rumors and comments were flying to and fro, though what each one was about, she was none the wiser. Everything was lost in translation as she felt her mind start to fade. She couldn't hold on much longer. Blood loss was causing her pain to be misread as lightheadedness, the world became cold and depressing.

Until she felt his warm arms wrap gently around her body. It was almost as if he breathed life back into her. She gasped for air as he carefully hugged her, making sure not to cause her more pain.

"I'm so sorry… I should have never left you alone. And I don't plan to, anymore. I'm glad I ran back here. Who knows if anyone would have stepped in…?"

Her lips and neck were too swollen to speak properly, but she managed what she could.

"Dar… ling…", she rasped weakly. "Thank... you…"

She attempted a slight smile at the boy comforting her. His icy blue eyes had definitely changed, enough for her to notice. In the center of those cyan irises of his, his pupils had transformed into sharp, deep azure ones, still glowing gently from his encounter. Was he… becoming like her? That was impossible… right?

His eyes became watery as a few tears pushed their way down his face. There was that innocent loving boy she had become so well acquainted with. That dark, cold side of him melted away as he embraced her.

"You don't have to thank me. I'd do this for you again and again. I'm never going to let someone hurt you ever again."

He hadn't a care in the world that his hands and uniform were stained red from his hug with Zakura.

"You and I are going home. I know you hurt a lot but I have to pick you up, so it's gonna hurt a bit. Just bear with me, okay?"

Her entire body howled in pain as she was lifted off the ground by his delicate hands. As gentle as he was, even the slight and slow movements made her beg for mercy.

The situation was embarrassing and shameful. The entire world had turned against her, punished her for her actions. Everything she had done. Stealing, killing, maiming. For some reason, she still felt the punishment she received was unjust, unequal to the harm she had caused in her past. Was this how the world worked? Eye for an eye, even when she was only fending for herself in this fucked up life?

The only one who had cared to understand, the only one who could understand, he had come to face the world with her. Maybe things wouldn't go her way, but with him around, with his soothing eyes… maybe, just maybe things would be tolerable. After all, she no longer had static corrupting her thoughts, and it was because of… Aihiko.

He acted as gently as he possibly could, offering her upper back and knees support as he held her limp body and pulled himself to his feet. Zakura rested her head against his chest, and her arms had been crossed on top of her torso already.

One look around at the student body surrounding them made her quite cross. Not only had they turned against her, they had turned it into a fucking game, a show to enjoy. Many onlookers were happily munching on their lunch, she knew they had watched her get torn apart like she was part of a movie.

"What the heck is happening here?!", a loud, feminine voice called from the entrance to the courtyard.

Oh great. She's here. I'm going to be in even bigger trouble now. Just stack it on.

"All of you, disperse! Get back to your classrooms or to the cafeteria at once. I won't be having this gathering on my watch."

Her voice wasn't loud or cold, but damn if it wasn't commanding and effective. Every student that was present and conscious scrambled away like chickens with their heads chopped off. The small bossy girl remained, glaring at the few unmoving figures in the yard with her hands on her hips. Zakura growled quietly at her appearance, but a small shushing sound from Hiko silenced her immediately.

She began her approach, almost ignoring the unconscious giant on the ground, and headed straight towards them. Her soft green eyes contrasted her sharp and authoritative attitude, and her deep, dark azure hair, that was styled in a graduated bob. She was rather thin and small in stature, almost an entire head's height shorter than Zakura last time she had checked, but that certainly didn't hold her back from ruling the entire school.

"I should have known you'd be causing more trouble, Tenshi," the petite girl snapped. "It's always you or those twins."

"Wait, you've got this all wrong!", Aihiko interjected quickly. "Zakura is the victim here! She was using crutches to get around all day, since she sprained her ankle yesterday. That guy there -", Hiko nodded towards the large, black haired teen. "- he attacked her. She couldn't fight back! Look at her! He beat her to a bloody pulp!"

"Be that as it may, this is not your problem. This is my school, and I will see to it that both of these students are punished thoroughly. That's my job as student council president, after all. I have to lay down the law."

"Not my problem?!"

Zakura heard his tone immediately change, almost like someone had offended him or even worse, her. Something about his new, aggressive tone aroused her. She liked it. A lot.

"Listen up, shorty. When your students are threatening and bullying MY girlfriend, you better believe it's my problem. I was not going to stand by and let her be tossed around like a ragdoll until you decided to show up and punish her too. Try considering listening to witnesses before making executive decisions against your peers. Especially since it seems that you carry an extreme bias towards her."

The council president stepped back, in disgust and shock at the boy who dared question her authority. Zakura internally cheered for him to stand up for her.

Yes! Talk back to that little shit, darling! Show her who's really boss!

"Y-you dare have the audacity to speak back t-to me? Why are you e-even here? You don't go to this school!"

Darling kept his voice low and equally as serious as the small girl below him.

"I actually came to return my girlfriend's school ID that she left at home," he began to explain. "But, when I arrived, I saw one of your school's bullies kicking the crap out of her like some sort of twisted game of ping pong. Of course, I wasn't going to let him beat her down within an inch of her life. So I stepped in and neutralized the situation. You're welcome."

"You assaulted one of my students?! I'll have you know that I can contact your school and have them suspend you for your actions here! Both of you! B-both of you are going to be suspended!"

He took a single, intimidating step forward and lowered his gaze to the slightly flustered bossy bitch.

"I dare you to do that. I was protecting Zakura, and she has done nothing wrong. If you want to use your power to have us be suspended on illegitimate charges, by all means, chief. I won't stop you. I know I'm in the right here, and you're just a biased, corrupted student council president."

"I-I'm not corrupted! I'll g-get witness statements and… and punish accordingly!", the blue haired teenager shouted, increasingly flustered by Aihiko's words. Zakura could just barely make out a bit of red dusting her cheeks.

"Good. Now you can suspend the both of us for skipping. I'm taking her to a hospital before she passes out from blood loss, and I couldn't care less if you think I shouldn't accompany her. I'm going to stay right by her side when nobody else will."

With all that said and done, Hiko stepped around the petite president and began heading for the infirmary, only stopping to spit on the unconscious assailant and to pick up Zakura's school bag.

The blue haired girl only watched in complete and utter surprise. She had never been disputed with, her rule was absolute. Yet, this boy from another school had somehow forced her to surrender from her presidential pedestal.

Aihiko continued to carry the pink haired girl all the way to the infirmary bridal style. Blood from her was dripping onto the floor steadily as he pushed through the feelings of resentment flooding his mind. On the outside, he was simply gritting his teeth with pure hatred.

HowCoulDTheYDoTHISTOMYZAKURAI'lLKillThemKILlKILLkILl fucKInGBunchOFAssHOLes SlimyGreAseBALLstoucHedMYAnGEL sCumscUMTrashBAStaRDs! AndTHENTHENtheN! TherESThisLITTLEBLUEflaTCunT getting in my FUcKINGWay WHATtheFUcKDOYoUUUUknoW?! DiEdieDIeDIE EvERYsINGlePersONheRE ShOULD jUStDIE DIE DIE dIE!

Taking a deep breath and looking down at her beautiful jade green eyes, - or rather the only one she could keep open - Hiko attempted to calm his nerves by posing a question.

"Was that girl back there Perri? I read your notes about her in your school notebook… you said she was a bossy bitch."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head, agreeing with her notes wholeheartedly. Bossy and stuck up? Understatements.

Zakura softly nodded in his arms, confirming his query, but a pained groan from her made him feel remorseful for asking in the first place.

"I'm sorry! D-don't move if it hurts! Just relax, I'm going to get my mom on the phone and get us taken to a hospital. You need serious medical attention."

He knew quite well the girl hated hospitals and the like for some reason, but this was the only way she was going to get better after that beating. He hoped dearly that her bones weren't broken or fractured. With any luck, it was just bruises and bleeding.

"Nurse!", the boy called out as he entered the school infirmary. "Zakura needs help again! She's…! She's in really bad shape!"

To his surprise, even with their seemingly horrible history, the blond nurse came rushing to Hiko and Zakura's side with haste. She had practically sprinted to him as soon as her eyes were met with the bloodied mess of a girl in his arms.

"What the hell happened here?!", she shouted in shock at the sight.

"She couldn't defend herself. Some bully beat her into the ground. Can you please clean her up and check for any broken bones? I'm calling my mother and taking her to a hospital."

The nurse did just as the boy asked, transferring the limp girl from his arms over to a bed and began cleaning her wounds with urgency. Blood flow needed to be stopped and cuts and scrapes needed to be disinfected. As for broken bones, that was a bit more delicate of a process, one that a school infirmary should best leave to medical professionals.

Aihiko grabbed his cell phone from his bag with an equivalent measure of urgency, dialing his mother in a hurry. He tapped his shoes on the floor nervously, and those few seconds it took were way too long. Every moment that passed, her condition got worse and she was at risk for passing out from blood loss. He hadn't a clue as to how she was still conscious besides her extremely strong mental capacity.

The phone was picked up, Aihiko forced an immediate, high-priority greeting, rushing through his words to get across the point.

"Momma! Zakura got into a fight at school, she's really messed up, she needs to be taken to a hospital right away! She doesn't like medical facilities, so I didn't want to call an ambulance on her, she needs me by her side."

"Woah, hold on sweetie, you're at her schoo -"

He didn't have time for her to finish her question. Every moment was precious.

"Yes! I need you here right away! She's bleeding and bruised, might possibly have broken bones. Please, momma, we need you here, I can explain later!"

"Hiko, what about school?", she asked, clearly not understanding the priority of the situation. Aihiko growled in frustration.

"Momma! Forget about school, please! Her life is ON THE LINE!"

"I got it! I got it! I'm on my way!", she hurriedly replied. Finally, she got the message! The boy hung up immediately.

Hiko rushed to his girlfriend's side and knelt down next to her bed, clenching his teeth extraordinarily tight. How could this happen to her? Why did it have to happen to her? He knew she got into fights outside of school, but he figured that inside school, she would be safe.

He made sure not to get in the way of the nurse treating the girl's various wounds, and he held Zakura's hand as she whined in pain from the disinfectants and bandages that were applied. He couldn't imagine how much pain and suffering she was going through at that time, but each time he tried, his internal seething grew in intensity.

I swear I'll kill ThaTPIeCeOFShitFuckiNGAssHOleThatDIdTHIS! This is unnecessary beyond words! SHE COULDN'T EVEN DEFEND HERSELF!

These thoughts of pure hated were consuming him, blocking out his normally logical thought process. Sure, he was upset beyond belief, but why in the would was he thinking about killing someone? He wasn't himself and he felt it. What was going on?

CAlmCalmcalmcalm. Calm. Breathe, in and out.

He did just that as he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths and finding his happy place.

Think back to running freely in the city. That was incredible. That felt… so calming. Think about the breeze, the fresh air.

…

Much better.

He let out a heavy sigh and smiled at the girl in front of him. Everything was going to be taken care of now, he just needed to figure out the proper steps to take to ensure this never happened again. What could he do?

She could normally defend herself, but that wouldn't ultimately stop the fighting. He could notify the school about her tendencies, have them cut in if anything started, but she most likely wouldn't like being watched since she enjoyed her independence.

Now that he was thinking logically and rationally once again, ideas and solutions came and go until one stuck quite well. It wasn't fool proof, and it didn't guarantee there would be no fighting, but having a second person around her at all times would lower the chance of a total beat down like this. It could work, but it might require some effort to get the solution going. The first step was -

His mother arrived in the infirmary with haste. It must have not even been ten minutes that she had taken. She seemed stressed and worried as she barged in and saw the condition that Zakura was currently in. Though admittedly, it was significantly better than she was a few minutes prior, at least from an appearance standpoint. Bandages were covering a majority of her skin, reminding Aihiko of a mummy. Hiko had been holding an ice pack on her left eye for what felt like excruciating hours, but he knew it was not at all that long. Luckily, he was able to convince the nurse not to remove her head wear.

"Momma! We don't have time to waste. She needs a hospital," he cried out, before turning to the blond nurse who had assisted him in getting her cleaned up.

"Thank you so much uh…" Hiko had never caught her name.

"Tanaka," she replied with a smile, before turning her attention to Hiko's mother. "Your son is a good kid, taking care of her. Hasn't left her side since she came in."

Hiko smiled back and chuckled, a slight blush coming across his face.

"Th-thanks, I think I would do just about anything for her. She deserves it. Anyway, thank you, Miss Tanaka, for working with us, even though I know you two don't seem to get along."

"She's a problem child alright, but that certainly doesn't mean I don't care for her well being. Having you around will be a good influence on her."

He hadn't thought about that. Being around her might be able to stop the fighting purely due to his presence, but she also had a significant change in demeanor when he accompanied her as well. She became much less rigid and blunt from what little time they had spent together. Maybe he was rubbing off on her? Or was it just that she was glad to have a friend around? Someone she could trust wholeheartedly?

His mother sighed with relief and agreement.

"Yeah, that's my son alright," she complimented. "He's a loving kid. I'm proud of him."

Without too much hesitation, Hiko and his mom thanked Ms. Tanaka for her help, and then with Zakura once again occupying his arms, headed to the car. Right now, her condition was priority. He could tell his mother later about his solution.

As he took up the back seat with Zakura, he laid her legs across his lap delicately. He held her back up straight with his right arm and leaned her head against his chest. Gently and reassuringly, he stroked her long pink hair with his free hand and smiled, and saw her try to do the same back. Thank goodness she had gotten some pain medications, because this time moving her was much easier on her nerves, or so it seemed to him anyway.

Hiko turned his attention to his mom who immediately began to drive to the nearest hospital.

"Momma, I uh… I know I've never missed or skipped school before but -"

She cut him off quite quickly, already knowing what he was about to say. She had no need for an explanation.

"You don't have to clarify, dear. I'm so proud of you. I can tell you see the world differently now, and you're putting your heart where you need to. A day away from school to ensure that your friend lives is the right choice. I'm glad you realize studying and books aren't the only thing you should worry about."

Hiko blinked a few times in surprise. She actually didn't mind that he was skipping school for a friend? She even said it was the right choice. He always assumed his mother cared dearly about his studies, but perhaps one day away for the sake of Zakura wasn't all that bad in his mother's mind.

"About studying… um there was a big fight. That's why she's beaten up like this, but… I sort of had to step in since nobody else was going to help. The school council president made it a point that Zakura would get suspended… and possibly myself as well. J-just in case… you know, my school calls. I mean I'm also skipping the second half of the day, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was some type of repercussion."

He swallowed nervously and scratched at his nose and cheek as he explained the entirety of the situation on the way to the hospital. Everything that had happened between he and Zakura, including the preceding day, just shy of her horns, the nudity, and the visions. Those were omitted for the privacy of the two. She needn't know about their… intimacy and deeper connections on a mental level.

His mother remained silent as she absorbed the details of his explanation spanning about half of the car ride. It wasn't exactly a very long story, as they had only just met yesterday, and he could tell his mother was suspicious that he was holding some details to himself. She knew him like the back of her hand, so she knew when he was being secretive. He couldn't hide things like her horns forever.

"Well, there is sort of one, or rather two things you should know about, momma," he said, just as they arrived at the medical center. Glancing down at the half passed out girl in his arms, he believed the reveal to be the right choice. It would be better if she knew. "Zakura has… um… jeez how do I…"

He fumbled over his words, trying to procure a proper way to tell his mom about them. Screw it, he just had to show her, just seeing them would be all the information she needed.

"... just look!"

The boy swiped the black knit beanie from atop Zakura's head, uncloaking her crimson horns, which seemed to have grown since the morning, perhaps an inch or two. The horned girl's one good eye grew wide in shock at his action. She probably felt betrayed.

I really hope she doesn't hate me for this… sorry, honey. Momma needs to know.

The boy with icy blue eyes turned his attention to his mother for her response, which was surprisingly jarring. She had a relieved smile on her face, like she had known all along.

"I can't believe it," his momma sighed with a start. "She was right. I have no idea how I didn't see it all this time. You two… are certainly special."

Special? What did she mean by that? He wondered why his mother was being so vague, intentional or not. The simple, yet vague response left Aihiko a bit puzzled. What did she know?

It took the boy a few moments to formulate a reply in his mind as he furrowed his brow, but just before he could funnel his thoughts into words, she continued with a few tears in her eyes. Not of sadness, but of joy. She seemed as though she had just laid eyes on her first born child, after going through all the torture of pregnancy.

"You two are just… the spitting image of them, and it's not even subtle. How… How did I not see it the moment you brought her home?"

Hiko had enough of the vagueness and wanted some answers.

"Of who? Who, Momma?!", Hiko demanded to know what she was referring to.

There was a short few moments of silence for all of the residents of the car as his mother gathered her thoughts, wiping the few tears away. The weight of the moment was crushing the two teenagers awaiting the next words from her mouth.

And when she spoke, it seemed as every puzzle piece fell into place. It all made sense. As unbelievable and ludicrous it sounded, it just… worked.

Everything that occurred those following hours - the arrival, the way Zakura clung to his body when the doctors attempted to take her, the time he spent calming her down, the strong grip on his hand that remained even as they treated her, to when the doctors used her blood to confirm her identity as Sakura Kobayashi - all of it was a foggy, muddled mess of memories.

His mother's words had twisted something inside him, and for the life of him, he could not figure out what. He felt as if he wasn't even conscious those few hours, he was just watching her mouth move over and over in his mind; replaying those words on an endless loop, like hearing them would allow him to understand their deeper meaning.

"Hiro and Zero Two."

Who were these people? Zero Two was indeed something he had accidentally called Zakura a few times, especially during that vision in a strange cockpit they both had. She was Zero Two? But those were just numbers. It didn't make any sense!

If she is Zero Two, then I'm Hiro? But who is Hiro? Why is her name just two numbers? Why has she never accidentally called me Hiro, but instead 'darling'? Was that how she referred to Hiro? So... they were lovers? But what would that matter? How does my momma know them? I've never once heard these names except out of Zakura and I…

For some reason, even amidst the the deep confusion that Aihiko continued to struggle with, everything fit. It made sense on a level he didn't feel he was ready to accept. Her words had only brought about more and more questions, and the only person he was asking was himself. Why hadn't he just had his mother explain further about what she meant?

His exhausted mind required relief from all the mental turmoil and theories he had come up with.

Finally breaking free from his thoughts and clearing his vision, he had come to realize where he was at last. His pink haired childhood friend had fallen asleep on the hospital bed in front of him, her fingers still intertwined with his. He had never let her hand go, not once, that whole time she was being admitted and treated. She needed him to feel safe, and he made sure she never felt otherwise.

Looking around the room, he realized he was alone with Zakura, his mother was nowhere to be found. She had probably left for work since it was well into the evening, or maybe went to get some food from the crappy cafeteria? Either way, she wasn't around, and he felt content knowing his honey was well taken care of, and being monitored by professionals.

'She will recover just fine', he recalled a doctor saying earlier that evening.

I sure hope so. Until she does, I'm staying right here. Nobody is taking me away.

Aihiko took the girl's hand and lifted it to his lips, where he planted a sweet kiss on it. He gave the beanie-less girl a loving smile before sitting himself forward on his chair, and laying his head on her bed. He made sure not to let go of her delicate little hand as he drifted off to sleep, his mind once again racing to figure out what his mother had left unsaid.

Chapter Six - Singled Out / So MUcH COnFusiOn

(Well at long last, here is Chapter 6. I have at last had my motivation return to me and I find joy in writing this story once again. However, in order to avoid getting burnt out, I have decided to make sure to take ample breaks whenever I come across a hiccup, which is why this chapter took some time to come out - even though it is quite average in length.

Fun fact: Chapter 4, 5, and 6 as I've written them were originally planned to be a single chapter! :0

That's right! Mentally I had all of these events planned out to be a single, extremely long chapter. But I decided against it, as most of my other chapters were around 5000-ish words, and I knew my readers would love to have more. So I think the story as I had planned, will end up consisting of mostly chapters of this size, coming out maybe two or three times a week to keep you all interested. Occasionally, more detail intensive chapters like 5, may take a few extra days to write to ensure everything is done well. Chapter wise, if I stick to my upload schedule, may end up being around 20 chapters. Give or take a bit, I'll map out what I want to write in each one, and provide an estimate when possible.

Also, something I've wanted to try in order to reply to the feedback I've been receiving: I will quickly answer your comments or questions, making sure not to spoil too much, in a short Q&A style at the end of each chapter, following this one. Thought it might be a good way to interact with my audience. Let me know if you think it's a good idea!

First off, as a general statement to everyone who had provided me with input on doing things at my own pace, thank you. I really do appreciate the patience. I was just going through a strange dry spell where I felt a bit burnt out. But I'm all good now, and I plan to put out some good chapters soon, trust me, everything is just picking up! ;)

MiniPrinny: "I love how you've been slowly integrating Hiro and Zero Two into Hiko and Zakura and their shared shock that Hiko isn't a hybrid yet was amusing. Although I think it's clear to the audience that Hiko is becoming one in this chapter. And is there some borrowed ideas from "Mastermind in the FranXX" I see? ... this is up there with the stories I'd be all too happy to consider as the true fanon."

Yes, the idea for them to occasionally be "possessed" by Hiro and Zero Two came to me as a way to sort of show how deeply rooted their connection is. Along with how Zero Two strangled Zakura, it is a way to show that they aren't just spiritual connection, and they do have a physical influence as well. As for Hiko becoming a hybrid, well it's going to be a bumpy ride. Human and klaxo sapien puberty at the same time? Ooh boy. As for the ideas from Mastermind in the FranXX, you'd be correct. I love Olcon's story to death, and it has inspired this story in more ways than one. Where as he took a non-canon rewrite into his hands, I wished to extend on the canon, although to be honest, I myself am not... entirely pleased with what we were given. I apologize if it seems as if I'm stealing ideas from his story, as it wasn't my intention. And being considered this as the true fanon? Wow that's... incredible. I'm surprised I've gotten the level of positive feedback I have, and damn does it feel good to know my audience loves my writing. I seriously never thought writing would be my forte, yet here we are.

derpslurp: "Well looks like Aihiko/Hiro is gonna be skipping school for a couple days now."

Indeed. School is going to take a backseat for a bit here, as they have more important things to deal with. It's also a nice change of character for Hiko, as originally he only cares about studying and school, and his thoughts are now centered upon Zakura and her well being. He has shifted from the studious, emotionless private school boy, to a true companion to Zakura.

TrL4w: "... I also noticed inspiration with Olcon's Zero Two thoughts depiction, it works really well in this story as well. Idea of Hiro and Zero Two taking over them for brief moments, is really clever, thus giving reasonable cause of Hiko's 'saurification' and can lead to interesting situations in the future."

To expand upon what I explained before, about Olcon's inspiration: from what I understand, Zero Two's thoughts are a sort of gauge on her klaxosaur nature, where she has highs and lows. Here, I try to use the same style of explaining Zakura's thoughts, but more so in the way that when she's ogling his looks or getting nervous or stressed, it shows in a sort of flustered thought pattern. They are teens after all, and get flustered or emotional quite easily. In this chapter, you may have noticed someone else taking on more of Olcon's style, and that is entirely intentional. As for Hiko's saurification, there is quite a lot to explain surrounding it and Zakura's as well. She has stated she wasn't always this way, so I do hope that it has piqued some curiosity as to how exactly they are changing with seemingly no stimuli outside of being reincarnations. Speaking of, my original idea was exactly that, they become hybrids because of their connections to Zero Two and Hiro, but it just seemed too... silly? Spirits wouldn't be able to change genetics after all, but then again, consuming dog blood wouldn't make you half dog so... *shrugs*

Laserbr0: "... What is your update schedule? Do you need a beta for spelling or grammatical errors?"

My update schedule is... sort of at my own pace. I'm making sure my brain is properly rested and working before I write, and if I ever have a dry spell, I take a break that could range from a few hours to an entire day. As for needing someone to spell check and what not, I have a few friends that go over things with me and discuss problems with the narrative and how to solve them if need be. I appreciate the offer though. :)

And that about wraps up the things I felt I should respond to. Keep the comments and good reviews coming, ultimately, they are what keeps motivating me to come back and keep writing. After all, writing a story for my own satisfaction isn't exactly as... interesting as sharing it with people online. So thank you all for over 2200 views! Seriously, I never thought I'd get more than about 1000 over the lifetime of the story. 2200 by Chapter 6 is... outstanding. Well, I hope you all enjoyed, and until chapter 7, Ride on my darlings~!

-Chloie Elizabeth, aka IotaIntheFRANXX)