"Dude, if you got even one scratch on ya, you have my permission to kick me in the nuts."

Minato stared blankly at Kanashi. Okay, he might've thought that he never wanted to go riding with him again, but that was because he thought before, and now knew that he couldn't handle it. He decided that perhaps high speed motorcycling just wasn't his thing, and he would stick with just running, walking and going on public transport. It wasn't as intense and blood pumping like Kanashi's rides.

"Man, I'm not gonna do that," Minato said with an affronted expression. Protect men everywhere!

"Eh, well cool for me. But I really should be kicking you in the nuts for even doubting my driving skills," Kanashi huffed.

"Hey, I didn't doubt you, I was just you know… scared shitless by that time that you were drifting on the road and the time that you nearly crashed into the trail of crossing students," Minato deadpanned at Kanashi. "You give a new meaning to cutting things close and that just isn't my style man."

"Haha, wuss. I guess a high riding style just ain't for everyone," Kanashi laughed.

Minato barely even noticed the fact that he was being teased by Kanashi, and just sighed. Minato knew as well as Kanashi that he was just trolling. He did that a lot. "Yeah, so I'd rather not go on another trip with you. That is all. Especially if they somehow involve high speed chases. Then I'm out."

…

"Kids these days are irresponsible brats!" Ekoda turned up his nose as he once again, began his spiel on how awful the newer kids of society were. "Just yesterday, my brother who was guiding a couple of brats to cross the street got smoke right in his face, courtesy of two punks. The one who was driving was horrible!"

Kanashi had definitely not been paying any attention to what boring-ass Ekoda was saying, but the last part about a motorcycle had caught his attention. Of course he would pay attention to something like that. And he stood up.

"Baru, sit down!" Ekoda demanded with gritted teeth.

"No! I'm a great driver goddammit!" Kanashi growled.

"So you were the one that disrespected my brother eh?" Ekoda smirked. "Hmph, it makes sense that the one that had blown smoke and had been driving that badly was the one of the most unassuming dogs that has ever graced this school."

"You calling me a dog?" Kanashi said as his eye twitched madly and glared at the trashy literature teacher with a vengeance. "You calling my driving skills bull?"

By now, everyone in the classroom sans Nyx was staring wide-eyed at the verbal scuffle that was brewing between Ekoda and Kanashi. Minato had no idea that Kanashi could take something like this so personally, and if he didn't know any better he thought that a fight could break out between the two of them.

Minato didn't think that Kanashi's driving skills were bad. He was just uncomfortable with how fast he was going and how close he cut the road while he did. In fact, taking that into account, he thought that Kanashi was actually a really good driver. And doing that while Minato had been freaking out at the back? Now that was an accomplishment.

"Hmph," Ekoda scoffed. "Maybe I am. But what are you going to do about it?"

Kanashi glared daggers at him, and it was starting to put the literature teacher on guard. He had never been this ticked off about anything before, besides the assassin that had attacked him previously.

"There are a ton of things that I could do to you that you couldn't even imagine," Kanashi smirked, venom seeping into his voice. "But of course, I only do them if someone, like you, strikes first. So what's it gonna be teach? You gonna be a wuss!?" he roared, making the once composed Ekoda back away.

"Fuck off, you don't insult me or my driving skills!"

Ekoda ran.

Kanashi's face had a satisfied grin as Ekoda tucked his tail between his legs and ran out of the class. "Hmph, looks like we get a free period because of that coward," he grinned.

The class erupted in roars of cheer.

…

Nyx sighed deeply, breaking away from all of the cacophony that had been erupting around her due to the arrival of school's end. Everyone around her was talking about how badass Kanashi was in one of the earlier periods, however she admittedly wasn't impressed. She never could be.

Actually, she hadn't been making that much contact with any of Minato's friends since the party. Minato had thought it best to keep her out of the situation because they were coming after her. She couldn't exactly get involved, just like that. It could cause more difficulties if she were fighting alongside them.

And she didn't mind that. She wasn't looking to get involved in conflict. From what Minato had told her, dying sounded like a painful ordeal. Not only fearful, but painful.

One could ask whether Nyx knew the sensations of bodily or mental pain. But she knew what it was. She felt it for once when Minato had first blocked her from that accursed seal of his. Nyx wasn't looking to feel pain, if that was it, again.

In any case, she had been left out. Filled in on the plans, but left out.

But for some reason that she could not comprehend, she felt something; an ache in her chest. She didn't know what it was, but she didn't want to feel it. The dull throb of her human form's heart was normal however there was something behind it. She felt it quaking underneath the bone for a completely different reason.

When she thought about why she had been left out, she felt it harder to breathe although she knew that her body was functioning just fine. Nyx felt that there was a weight upon her, and that was what crushed her chest so.

She wanted to know what it was. Nyx had felt rage and conceit up to this point, and she knew what they were all too well. They were some of the only reasons that she ever did anything. Rage because of Zeus, conceit upon humans… concern, for her sons and daughters. Concern for nothing else.

Curiosity.

Nyx could ask Minato. He had taught her most about anything up to this point. He could explain it.

She stopped herself however. Nyx was starting to realise something. Up until this point, she had been relying on others to explain things to her and relying on other people to- gasp –help her. She was growing reliant on Minato. Dependent.

She was sure that she was feeling anger to have to rely on someone that was a human of all things, and even a robot, but somehow, she couldn't feel angry at herself for it. Perhaps there was a small, ever present sliver of displeasure, but overall she felt nothing else, excepting that small light. Yes, a light.

When she concentrated on that 'light' she felt that weight being lifted from her form, and she too felt light.

But that wasn't what she was curious about at the moment.

And that curiosity caused Nyx to ignore that small part of her that held ire at the prospect of asking Minato for help.

So she asked him.

"Minato."

The blue-haired teen turned to face the goddess with a blank expression, as always. Then he sighed. "What is it Nyx?"

Nyx felt something, a stab of something when she heard him sigh, almost as if he didn't want to deal with her. But she pushed on. "I wanted to ask you about something," Nyx said quietly, biting her lip. Why did she feel pain when it felt like he didn't care about her?

"You can't ask here?" Minato said.

Again, another stab. Couldn't it just stop? "I feel that you may need some time to explain it," she replied, keeping down the trembles that were starting to come through. What were they? Why couldn't she tell him about them? Did she feel… reluctance? She had seen it many times, the example being Junpei when he was 'studying.'

Minato scrutinised Nyx's expression before he nodded. "Alright then," he sighed.

He led her to the rooftop of the school, and they sat at a bench that faced the sparkling waters around Port Island. Nyx felt something of a leap when she eyed the beautiful water, dancing with flickering light. Why?

"So, what is it?" Minato looked with a tired expression.

"I understand that you wanted to keep me from joining the attack on Strega's base perfectly and I see your reasoning," Nyx started, unsure of where to go from there.

"There's a 'but', isn't there?" Minato said.

"Y-Yes," Nyx said, concentrating more on the view than Minato's face. Darn, she couldn't keep that quake down.

Minato blinked. She never stuttered when she spoke. This was new.

"To be frank, I felt something that I hadn't felt before, weigh over me when I think about why you wanted to keep me from joining, and I don't know why," Nyx tried to explain, pausing several times as she tried to figure out how to say it.

Minato's eyes widened. She was asking him about feeling! "What does it feel like, on you?" he asked, also having a hard time putting it into words, however Nyx had gotten what he meant somehow.

"I feel like there is a weight of some kind, crushing my heart and chest," Nyx said slowly. "And stabs of some kind of pain, even though I know that my body is completely fine…"

Minato searched through her eyes, finding dullness deep within her blue eyes. "Nyx…" he said in wonder. "It's sadness."

"Sadness?" she asked, trying the word out as she thought about that certain weight, and the stabs. "It fits, I think," Nyx sighed.

"Sadness is a basic human feeling, that even we, as humans, have a hard time describing."

Nyx looked to Minato with a questioning gaze.

"I mean, that even though it's a completely human feeling, we have a hard time describing any of them. It's different for every one of us, but I think that you're feeling sadness," Minato explained.

"Why do you humans feel sadness?" she asked.

"We feel it…" Minato began, searching his life for the reason behind it. "We feel it when people forget about others, when people lose something that they don't want to…" he trailed off, starting to remember the times that he did feel it, and water of some kind started to build up at the sides of his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Nyx asked.

"I'm fine," Minato chuckled, wiping away the liquid. "They're just tears."

"Tears?" Nyx asked sceptically.

"Yeah. They come out from our eyes when we feel sad," Minato said.

"I see…" Nyx nodded, wondering whether that could happen to her.

"Thank you for telling me that."

And for the first time in that conversation, Minato smiled.

Nyx's eyes widened, and the weight from before completely disappeared. What was that?

AN: So, liked the last chapter? Hopefully you like some filler, because I wanted to play out some jokes here. Plz box me yo thoughts if ya feel inclined and imma see ya guys later.

Yoshikunitsu: Yeah, in a few chapters.
And yeah, though was a bit of a catch. Yes, tell Junpei to ride with Kanashi. *rofls*
Yup, and it took that long. *pokes myself* Nyx will get some more stuff to do, but for now I'm focusing on the OCs' Personae, since they haven't been awakened yet.
Indeed, and I will!

Raidou: Indeedly so. I hope a lot of people like it… And yeah, that'll be fun!

Nights: Yeah, I laughed a bit at it too.
Mmhm, she'll be an interesting choice. Yeah, it's something I kept secret. Whoops.
Will do!

Guest (32): Well, good luck with the funds and have fun on the dark side I guess.
Haha, I thought so too. It'll be epic.
Ah, well, when I get a chance. They are going to later on in this arc, but not quite now. The counterattack that's coming up will eat up a few chapters with filler and stuff. Though I do agree with you, their interactions can be downright hilarious. Or scathing.
Yes, yes he does.
Hopefully! My updating habits in the holidays come and go very easily!

Guest (33): Indeed. I thought it was hilarious too. And yes, it was something I left out in one of the previous questions because it was that unexpected.

Eivexst (32): Ahaha, well, we can only just see ne?
A tiny, tiny bit. And the girl knows sarcasm! Sure.

Eivexst (33): Oh lol, at least you're alright!

Anakin: YES! I agree!
And actually, Nyx isn't going to get a Persona at all. Besides, she's good on her own as well.

Q/A SECTION

(Kanashi) Question 1: Why don't you trust people? Did something happen in the past to make you feel that way?

Kanashi: Oh you see, I lived in London and then shit… You know what? Beat it brat!

(Kanashi) Question 2: And at what price would you be willing to sell your bike?

Kanashi: I said. Beat it, brat!

(Kanashi) Question 3: Do you respect anyone of Minato's group?

Kanashi: Respect? Well, I do respect Minato. He's a certified hero at seventeen years of age, plus he kinda saved me as well, along with all of humanity. Oh yeah, I respect Mitsuru as well, an heiress at such a young age, that's pretty cool.

(Kanashi) Question 4: Are you aware Nyx can easily kill you if she loses her cool?

Kanashi: Yeah, I know. If Minato couldn't beat her, I have no chance in hell but she must have some messed up godly brain cells if she thinks I'm gonna just smile when she stomps over me. Am I signing my death warrant? Probably. Do I wanna die knowing that I was no-one's bitch my whole life? You're damn right.
So whether it's Nyx, her husband Erebus, her son Thanatos or even her daddy Chaos, I will not stand being treated like a bitch!

(Nyx) Question 5: When you are going to man up and admit that you might like Minato?

Nyx: Oh, I love Minato.
…In another universe, maybe. Come back and check in two months, maybe my thoughts will change.
In the matters of love, it would take a millions years before I could consider him.
But for now, I merely tolerate him better than some of the other buffoons that he's surrounded himself with.

(Minato) Question 6: How much does your voice hurt after practically shouting your head off?

Minato: *cough* Could be worse.