Lucy stood still, her jaw gapping in awe. The sight she saw before her was enough to steal her breath out of her lungs. The entrance was a floodgate of people coming in and out. Many of which were parents with their tiny children, or young couples walking arm in arm, or hand in hand. From inside, she could make out the roars, howls, and cries of several different creatures. Above the entrance hung a huge wooden sign, decorated with fancy lettering, framed by stampeding animals toward the onlookers. This was the threshold to the Kamakura Zoo.

"Well...what do you think," Kohta asked. Lucy was rooted to where she was standing, unable to speak or move. After so many years, Lucy still remembered this place clearly inside her minds eye. She remembered it right down to the most minuscule of details. To others, this zoo would have seemed commonplace. To Lucy, it was so much more. It was here she had been her happiest. This place held the memories she still turned to in her darkest hours, when all the world seemed desolate. Seeing this place again, her heart was crowded with something she hadn't felt for a long time.

Lucy felt something wet slowly slide down the side of her face. A tear. Lucy hadn't cried in so long. Since she didn't know when. Lucy brought a hand up to wipe it away. She had even started to believe that she was empty of tears, unable to cry ever again. But this wasn't a tear of regret. Nor was it born of sadness. No, this was a tear of rapture and of gratification.

"Is something wrong," Kohta asked, sounding concerned.

"I just...I mean..." Lucy was unable to find the words to express exactly what she was feeling. She was holding back the rush of emotion welling up in her, trying hard not to make a scene.

"Come on. We have a lot to see," Kohta said, seeming to understand. He lead her into the zoo, putting a loving arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. And Lucy gave herself fully over to his protective embrace. For the first time in months, Lucy's face formed what could almost be seen as a half smile.

The irritating sounds of chattering crowds and honking horns that came from the outside did little to help alleviate Tomo's splitting head pain. His back against the wall, hands clasped hard over his stumps that had once been his horns, he was trying hard to force back the hurt. He looked at the floor where his blood had stained it. He didn't know how long he had been out, but immediately after he regained consciousness, he proceeded to chopping off his second horn, ignoring the nausea in his belly. Experienced and anticipating the pain now, he had not fallen victim to its trauma. This was not helpful however, because now he didn't have unconsciousness to numb and relieve him of pains full force.

He sat there inside the dingy gray room, his face painted with his own blood, feeling sick and weary. Hours passed by like an eternity. As he waited for the pain to pass over him, he went through his plan over, and over, and over again in his aching head. It was so elegant in its simplicity that it almost seemed complicated.

He had to draw Lucy out of wherever she was hiding if he was to find her. So to lure her out, he would have to allow her to sense him for the briefest moment. Hopefully she would come to investigate, and when she arrived, there the mercenary would be, ready to extinguish her life. The two would fight, and at the last minute Tomo would intervene and save Lucy. And then the mercenaries role would be finished. Tomo smirked as he imagined what the face on that stupid mercenary would be like when he was eventually disposed of. It had been rather interesting that he could see the vectors, but that thought was only of mild curiosity.

That should certainly be enough then to earn Lucy's trust. Then he'd find some way to stay with her, observe, and wait for the opportune moment to act. Tomo had the funny feeling that Lucy was with humans, and was certain she was with Number 7. But who she was living with made little difference. They might even prove themselves useful in some way. But they may prove themselves to be an obstacle as well. The mystery to it all only stirred Tomo's interest in the matter.

However, there was a giant gap that needed to be mended. Lucy would have to sense him, and that might put her on the alert of another diclonius. Lucy had proven in the past that she had something of trust issues. She would undoubtly know who had sent him and why. And Tomo couldn't hide his horns forever. If he didn't want Lucy to suspect him, then he'd have to make a little sacrifice.

How are you feeling, the voice asked.

"I've been better," Tomo said bitterly, thinking it was a dumb question. Of course he wasn't feeling ok. He had just decapitated his own two horns. Definitely not a pleasant experience. If the physical pain wasn't bad enough, the hurt to his pride was worse.

"I just hope my horns will eventually grow back," he wished while trying to seize the cramping with a another tight hold.

You should not have done that, the voice criticized, Your horns were a proud marking. A blessing from God that you are a chosen one. You should have worn them with honor. You should have-

"It can't be helped," Tomo interjected, "Lucy can't know I'm a diclonius. Not yet anyway." Of course Tomo knew he'd have to reveal himself to Lucy eventually, that much was certain. But he could only do that once he was sure Lucy would listen to him. Once he was able persuade her to join him.

So what do we do now?

"Next we find out where Lucy is hiding." Tomo was fairly sure Lucy was with Number 7 and some other humans, but he wanted to confirm it with his own eyes before he planned anything further.

"But after my head stops splitting," Tomo grunted, feeling another sharp pinch. He grabbed down on his stumps harder, trying to hold down onto the pain and quell it. He really wished he had one of those pills (Aspirin he thinks) that humans take when they get a headache. Tomo felt some vomit begin to rise in his throat and forced in back into his stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so awful. Nothing at the lab had ever made him feel this bad, both physically and mentally.

Another pang inside his brain. Seconds later, Tomo shot straight up onto his feet, forgetting the burning, sickly sensation his body was feeling. Tomo ran for one of the boarded up windows that overlooked the street outside. The pain he felt had almost caused him to miss it, to shrug it off as another side effect of losing two horns simultaneously. But Tomo now recognized this feeling. It was the feeling he felt when sensing another diclonius nearby.

Lucy.

She is near, the voice chimed in. Tomo told the voice to be quiet, even though only he could hear it.

"I know that." His eyes darted to every corner of the street for any sign of pink hair or a pair of horns. Then, just as it rounded the end of the block on the far end of the street, Tomo saw a wave of pink hair flutter in the wind. Tomo jogged out of the forsaken shop, abandoning any concern for how he looked to others. He turned the corner and saw her. A girl with silk like pink hair walking intimately arm in arm with some boy. He knew this girl to be Lucy. There was no mistaking this signature he was feeling. But then where were her horns?

Strange, the voice said, She has no horns.

"Yes. Very strange indeed," Tomo agreed. He looked on as the two walked unnaturally close to each other. Tomo began to feel a heat of jealousy rise in his gut. His face twisted to match his dark emotion.

Perhaps this is not Lucy, the voice proposed.

"No," Tomo insisted, "It is her." Tomo began to trail their every step, making sure to suppress himself and keep a good even two meters distance between them. The two seemed too engrossed in the other to noticed that they were being followed. The heat in Tomo's gut rose a few more degrees as he continued to watch. He didn't like how close these two were walking together. Not one little bit.

Calm yourself, the voice advised him, You must not let your emotions get the better of you. Tomo continued on, pretending not have heard what the voice said. With every heartfelt glance she gave the boy, Tomo felt his temperature rise more and more till it could have rivaled that of a volcano. He followed them, down several streets, up some great stone step, and finally to a giant house surrounded by a giant wall. After the two had entered, he lingered by the outer door of the house listening for how many voices were inside.

He couldn't hear the details of their conversations, but he heard five distinct voices, and the barking of one dog. Oh yeah, this day just keeps getting better and better. Tomo loved it when he was right.

Satisfied, Tomo made his way back the way they had came, memorizing every step and any landmarks that might help him find this place again. Once at the elongated steps, which overlooked the entire city and shore line, he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"I think its time to get everything set up," he said under his breath, putting the receiver to his ear, listening to the line begin to ring.

Kakuzawa still stood in front of his window, looking out at the limitless ocean, the setting sun casting a haunting glow on the water. He looked as is he had turned to stone, not appearing to have moved an inch since the last time someone saw him. Kakuzawa always spent most of his time observing the sea and its alluring horizon. It reminded him so much of himself. A calm, collected thing by nature. Slowly moving along with the tides of events. Always changing its form to fit its environment. It was adaptive. Yet to one foolish enough to underestimate it, was a crushing torrent without mercy or limitation. A force that encompassed most of the world and that no one could surpass. It was powerful. Clear and sparkling, it looked like melted diamonds. It was pure. Mix these attributes together, and it was like looking into the eyes of God himself. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

He felt a silent rumble from inside his suit pocket and withdrew a small black handheld phone. He flipped it open and placed it to his ear.

"Yes," he said coolly, already knowing who it was. Only one person had access to his private line and the current moment.

"I need a few things," the voice on the opposite line said. Neither one seemed to be wasting time with formalities or friendly greetings. It was straight to business.

"I assume you have found her," Kakuzawa asked hopefully.

"Yes, but I need some things first," Number 86 replied professionally. 86 spent the next several minutes explaining the contents of his plan to Kakuzawa, while he intently listened, nodding his head in interest every few minutes and a cold smile growing bigger and wider.

"Very impressive my boy. It seems I did the right thing by sending you," Kakuzawa complimented, "You have learned from me well." There was a long silence before Number 86 spoke again.

"Yes," he said rather dully.

"I'll send you anything you need." After the equipment to be sent had been agreed upon, and deciding on the details of the drop off, both men simultaneously, and abruptly ended the call. He placed the phone back in his pocket, then walked toward his chair and pressed a red button on his public phone line which was sitting on his desk.

"Yes Director," his secretary answered promptly. Like a well trained dog being called by its master.

"Send her up," he commanded.

"Yes sir," she said before a click severed the connection. Resuming his kingly pose, he starred out his window, admiring the beauty of the view. After a few minutes of silence, the door behind him opened timidly as Doctor Arakawa entered.

"You wanted to see me," she said, her posture fidgety. It was plain to see by anyone's standards that she wasn't exactly comfortable about being in here with him.

"I did," he said suggestively. Never had the utterance of such a simple reply sounded so ominous. He turned to face her, seeing the features of her delicate face framed by glasses, which magnified the size of her eyes. He observed her slender figure from under the white lab coat she was wearing. His imagination was running wild laps with perverted fantasies. She was very beautiful. Despite his own reservations for what was to be done, he knew, at the very least, it would be very enjoyable.

He walked toward her, a cold expression behind his eyes, her body becoming ever more tense with every echo of his feet. She tried, and failed, to hide her elevating fear as he drew closer. He relished in her fear. He breathed it deeply into his very core, extracting life from it. He loved it when others were intimidated by his presence. As they should be. But when they tried to hide in some frivolous show of nerve was when he loved it most.

He now stood a few inches in front of her, looming over her with an expression colder then the devils. He simply gazed down at her a moment. Then he strode straight past her, right for the ornate door from which she entered.

"Um...sir, do you think it'd be ok if I take a bath soon," she asked tentatively, not sure how he'd react to such a request. The only answered she received was the wail of the deadbolt tightening, locking them both in. He turned slowly to face her again, a smirk across his old face. He ignored her question, walking a dangerously slow pace back to her while removing his jacket, undoing his tie, and unbuttoning his shirt.

Arakawa's mind was doing flip flops, unable to fully process the sight she was seeing. She wanted to back away from him, but her legs had turned to stone. Immobile, and fixed to the spot.

"I told you my plans for you were just beginning," he said with malice. He reached her, his wrinkled torso now fully exposed, placing a tender hand on her shoulder and guiding her off to a couch to the right. Arakawa's mind and body seemed to be out of synch with each other. Despite her best attempts to resist, her body gave itself over to his will completely. She wanted to scream, but they became trapped in her throat. Kakuzawa genteelly forced her complacent body down onto the couch as he undid the rest of his clothing, revealing himself fully to her.

A moist tear began caressing itself down Arakawa's cheek. Finally, he removed his wig of hair that covered his bald head, and his two horns. He could see her face twisted in muted terror.

"Do not worry," he consoled as he climbed on top of her, starting to remove her coat, "It will be over soon."