‘Oh Kazuya,’ Gengo Aoi inwardly groaned, ‘I should have known that you would bring this up with me sooner or later.  I partly hoped that you would never ask this of me.  Oh well…no more putting it off, I suppose.’  Gengo took another sip from his drink before responding.

“Why are you so adamant about this topic, Kazuya?” he asked as he broke eye contact.  “You DO know that your parents have their own gravesites, right?  So it’s obvious that they’re dead.”

“There are tombstones, that much is certain,” replied Kazuya.  “But for all I know, there is either nothing in the ground underneath those tombstones, or perhaps a pair of empty coffins, or maybe coffins with either dummies or prop corpses within them.  I’ve never dug up their graves, mainly because I was always barred from doing so.  And everytime I insisted on having it done, I was always prevented from doing so…on what I assume to be YOUR orders, of course.  And besides…”

“Besides?” asked Gengo.

“You aren’t looking me in the eye anymore, Grandfather,” stated Kazuya plainly.

Gengo simply closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, exhaled deeply, took another drink, and then faced his grandson once more.

“What, pray tell, does eye contact have to do with anything regarding this conversation?” asked the older Aoi.

“I told you that I wanted you to answer me honestly and directly,” replied Kazuya.  “In my case, I want you to look me square in the eye as you say that.  Look me in the eye and tell me that my parents are in fact dead and nothing more.”  Kazuya stared intently at Gengo the whole time like a statue, barely blinking the whole while.

Gengo slowly turned his gaze towards Kazuya after setting his drink down, taking in the seriousness of the situation, given the cold gaze Kazuya shot his way.  As the older Aoi’s eyes made contact with Kazuya’s, Gengo couldn’t help but inwardly tremble as he slowly opened his mouth with the intention to respond.

“Kazuya,” said Gengo slowly as he struggled to get the words out, “your parents…they’re…”

‘Goddammit you fool, just say that they’re dead, plain and simple!’ thought Gengo to himself as he stared back at Kazuya.  ‘He’s better off thinking that they’re dead, for both his sake and for theirs.’

Kazuya’s eyes slightly widened as Gengo’s facial expressions betrayed his attempt to declare Kazuya’s parents as deceased.  As far as Kazuya was concerned, the fact that Gengo was hesitating in getting the words out was all the proof he needed that something was off.

“I thought so…” whispered Kazuya.  Gengo simply paused as his brow tightened upon hearing Kazuya’s response.

“You can’t do it, can you?” asked Kazuya.  “You can’t bring yourself to straight-up lie to me on this, even if you really want to.  You’ll say they’re dead, but you won’t look me in the eye WHEN you say it.  I guess I should be grateful that you still have some semblance of a conscience, at least when it comes to family business anyway.”

‘If by chance I ever end up meeting Kami,’ thought Gengo, ‘I’m going to take a swing at him for burdening me with something as useless as a conscience.’

“Kazuya,” said Gengo, “even entertaining the notion of your parents not being dead, what good would it even do for you to know that information?  Doesn’t the fact that you can’t recall anything about them imply that they ended up abandoning you and Kazuha?  And if so, why would you even want to know anything about them, period?”

“If that truly IS the case,” countered Kazuya, “I’d bet my very life that you know something - if not EVERYTHING - about why things turned out that way.  And if that’s the honest truth of it all, I want to know about it.”

“Again, what good would come of you knowing?” asked Gengo.

“It’s my right, goddammit!” declared Kazuya.  “They’re MY parents.  Don’t I have a right to know SOMETHING about them?  Even if they abandoned me, I still want to know, all the same.”

“And if the truth of the whole matter crushes you, Kazuya,” countered Gengo, “would you have been glad to learn about it?  Or would you in hindsight end up agreeing with the old statement that ‘Ignorance is bliss’ once you heard the truth?  Sometimes it’s simply better to let the past stay in the past and not dig it up, no matter how curious you may initially be over it.”

“So you’re going to decide what I have a right to know about when it comes to my family history.  Is that it?” asked an irked Kazuya.  “Best to keep me in the dark in order to…what, protect me?  Want to keep me from going to pieces and having a breakdown if I happen to know the truth?  I’m not a little kid anymore, and forgive my arrogance when I say this, Grandpa…but frankly, I think I’m entitled to know about them and why they were never there in my life.  And I have no intention of leaving this room without you telling me SOMETHING worth hearing.  So if you plan to make that otherwise, you’ll need to call security and have me forcefully escorted out of here in order to do so.”

Gengo breathed deeply once more, sighing in exasperation at Kazuya’s stubborn insistence.

‘He has a point,’ thought Gengo, ‘he’s not a little kid anymore.  I would have liked for him to enjoy his childhood for a few more years, but I suppose I owe him something after all this time.’  As Gengo pondered on his next choice of words, he recalled the memory which gave him nightmares on-and-off for more than a decade…

The one involving Orie and the gun.

Back to the group in the living room, with Orie in the center of it all, revolver in her hand.  Gengo, his son Ryuuichi, and a very young Kazuha all try to do their part to keep Orie from doing something rash and impulsive, while the towering buxom blonde Pandora sits down with an infant Kazuya nestled against her bosom.  Despite the efforts of the others, it appears as though Orie’s mind is made up.  She is simply too distraught to accept her place within the family dynamic as things stand…

And she wants out immediately.

Raising the pistol, hammer cocked back, Orie prepares to fire at her intended target.  Is it Gengo Aoi, who she detests greatly?  No.  Is it the Pandora she speaks of in a rage, the one who she begrudgingly declares as Kazuya’s rightful mother?  No.  Is it perhaps Kazuya himself, who she feels a sense of betrayal from for not returning the motherly love she attempts to shower him with, despite her best efforts?  No.

Orie raises her arm higher, bending her elbow as she does so.  She only stops when her gun is aimed at the intended target.

The intended target being Orie’s right temple.

She presses the gun’s barrel into the side of her head as she slowly forms a trembling smile, tears streaming down her face all the while.  Gengo, Kazuha, and Ryuuichi all make a dash for her as her index finger slowly pulls on the trigger.  From Orie’s perspective, time itself seems to slow down.  The two men and the little girl all cry out to stop her and make a dash for her, but it’s highly unlikely that they’ll be able to intercept her in time before she fires.

“Goodbye, Ryu, Kazuha,” whispers Orie.  “I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I just can’t go on with this charade…”  Orie closes her eyes as she prepares to bring her torment to a grand conclusion.

The gun goes off.

But nobody is killed.

In a flash, Gengo and Ryuuichi are suddenly knocked off their feet as a large mass rushes past them in an instant.  The air itself changes current rapidly as if a freight train had just barreled through the living room.  Within less than a second, the gargantuan woman had crossed the threshold and made her way to Orie, snatching the gun single-handedly while still cradling Kazuya securely against her bosom all the while.  Within that time frame, the Pandora jerks the gun rapidly skyward and away from Orie’s head, with the bullet firing off through the ceiling.  Of course, the gunshot alerts Kazuya, which results in him crying immediately, but the tragedy had been averted, at least for the moment.

Gengo, Ryu, and Kazuha all simply stare dumbfounded at what just happened.  The Pandora had managed to dash across the living room in a crouched position while securely holding an infant, snatched a small item out of the hand of another person, and managed to prevent that person from committing suicide…in less time than the average human heartbeat is completed.

“Cassandra,” whispered Gengo in awestruck surprise from his position on the floor.  Ryuuichi was in an equal state of shock, never having seen ANYBODY move that fast.  Kazuha was in an equal state of awe, standing there like a deer in the headlights at what she just witnessed.

For her part, Orie stood there motionless for a few seconds, staring up into the golden eyes of the large-chested beauty who nearly held her up completely by her wrist as the smaller woman’s feet nearly dangled off the floor.  Obviously the larger woman was ridiculously stronger than anyone else in the room (hell pretty much anyone else on the whole planet!), so fighting against her grip would have been a useless endeavor.  At that very moment, Orie was completely at Cassandra’s mercy.

After a few seconds, Orie glanced back and forth between the Pandora and the infant nestled in the larger woman’s embrace.  Instinctively acting to soothe Kazuya’s crying, Cassandra yanked the revolver out of Orie’s hand, crushed it to pieces in her grip, then pulled down the sundress she was wearing in order to expose her nipple and proceed to breastfeed Kazuya in order to calm him down.  The gesture had the intended effect, given how quickly Kazuya went from crying to suckling at the giant woman’s breast within seconds.

“Why?” Orie quietly whispered, making Cassandra turn her head to the smaller woman.

“Why must you torture me like this?” Orie asked.  “Must you really shove this in my face?  How he suckles from your bosom so readily and willingly when he turns away from mine every single time?  How he slumbers so peacefully in your embrace as you hold him while he only cries in mine?  Does it please you to torment me with these gestures?  To prove that you’re more of a mother to him than I’ll ever be?”  Orie proceeded to quietly whimper.  She would have buried her face into her hands, but only had her left arm free, given that Cassandra still had a hold of Orie’s right wrist.

“Please…please just let me die,” whimpered Orie.  “Let me end this nightmare already.  You’ve already won, so just let me be free from this torment, I beg of you.”

As he watched the dialogue unfold before him, Gengo pondered just what Cassandra would do.  Given her size and her Pandora abilities, it would have been child's play for her to throw Orie against the wall as if she were some ragdoll, or for her to wrap one hand around Orie’s throat and either suffocate her or even break her neck with a single ‘pop’.  The power dynamic between the two was simply too great, like an ant going up against an elephant in a competition of pure strength.

To Gengo’s genuine surprise, Cassandra acted in the opposite direction.  She simply knelt down, wrapped an arm around Orie’s torso and pulled the smaller woman in for a one-arm hug, holding her securely as possible while still holding Kazuya with her other arm to continue breast-feeding him.

In response, Orie started to quietly cry into Cassandra’s stomach, her cries becoming louder as she pressed her face against the Pandora’s torso.  Orie’s own torso shivered and trembled as she unleashed all the angst and frustration of her situation into Cassandra’s stomach, at times crying almost as loudly as Kazuya was crying just a moment ago, wailing strongly into Cassandra’s abdomen as she did.  In response, Cassandra simply rubbed her hand up and down Orie’s backside in an attempt to comfort her.

“Shhh” whispered Cassandra as she gently stroked the smaller woman in her embrace.  “Please don’t cry.  We are family…all of us…so please don’t leave us.  That will make everyone…sad, and I don’t want that.”  Cassandra’s voice was particularly heavenly, as if motherhood was baked into her very DNA.  It had such a calming effect mixed with just a touch of raw power and authority behind it, as if she were a veritable goddess speaking to a mere mortal (which given her size and abilities, it wasn’t too far-fetched of a notion among some around the world to perceive Cassandra as a goddess and thus worship her accordingly).

From what Gengo could make out of Orie’s reaction (given that her face was buried in Cassandra’s torso), the smaller woman’s emotional state was a proverbial whirlwind.  Given her vocal reactions and body language, Orie seemed to outright despise Cassandra while at the same time grateful to have a shoulder (more accurately a torso) to cry into.  It was as if Orie detested Casssandra for being the mother to Kazuya she couldn’t be, yet she simply couldn’t bring herself to hate the woman entirely, given that Cassandra was the one who could provide for Kazuya’s nourishment and development.

Perhaps that was an aspect of unconditional love which mothers could have for their children.  Even if Orie couldn’t be Kazuya’s provider when it came to coddling and breastfeeding, she was grateful in a roundabout way that there was somebody who could serve in those roles for Kazuya’s sake.  Or to put it another way, “I want my child to be safe and happy, even if I cannot be the one to provide him that safety or happiness.”

Once Orie had calmed down (or at the very least stopped her wailing into Cassandra’s torso), Cassandra had let up somewhat on her grip, repositioned her seating, and placed Orie within her lap as if she were a small child (which was understandable given that Orie stood no higher than Cassandra’s hips in terms of height) while still holding Kazuya with one arm against her gigantic bosom, breastfeeding him all the while.  The way Gengo analyzed things, Cassandra had a very rudimentary concept of familial love compared to others that bordered on child-like by its very nature.  She simply wanted for everyone to be calm, at peace, happy, and together.

Cassandra turned her gaze to Kazuha, smiling warmly at the girl and gesturing with her arm for Kazuha to join the others in Cassandra’s collective group embrace.  Without skipping a beat, Kazuha made her way over and ended up sitting on one of Cassadra’s thighs with Orie nestled on the other thigh, and though Orie was still in a somewhat rattled state overall, she at the very least wasn’t attempting to kill herself at this point.  Using one arm (well, more like her forearm than her whole arm), Cassandra had held Kazuya gently against her bosom to continue breastfeeding him while wrapping both Orie and Kazuha (who was hugging Orie at the time in order to help calme her down) against her torso with her other arm.  In Gengo’s eyes, it was clear enough to tell that Orie simply wanted to bask in the presence of ALL of them, meaning Kazuya, Kazuha, and even Orie.  Hell, if she were even larger than her current size, she’d probably go so far as to rope in both Ryuuichi and even Gengo himself into the collective group embrace.  If there was one thing Gengo Aoi knew when it came to Cassandra, it was that she most definitely liked group hugs whenever the opportunity for one presented itself, and as far as she was concerned, ‘the more the merrier,’ as the old saying went.

Once Orie was no longer in jeopardy of killing herself (at least for the time being anyway), Gengo turned to his son to discuss where to proceed from that point onward.

“So then,” said Gengo, “we need to evaluate where to proceed from here on.”

“That’s all this is to you, isn’t it?” asked an incredulous Ryuuichi.  “My wife almost blew her brains out and you’re thinking about chess moves.  You’re unbelievable sometimes, you know that?  Sometimes I’m ashamed to be your son.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” said Gengo, trying not to be so analytical to the point of sounding completely dispassionate and uncaring.  “I didn’t mean to sound cold-hearted or unfeeling.  I just…I felt it prudent for us to proceed accordingly from this point now that a disaster has been averted.  Believe me, I’m glad that it didn’t come to Orie…doing something that would have hurt you, as well as her children.  I know that I tend to come off as somewhat cold and too direct, but please believe me when I say that I’m glad that my daughter is still with us.”

“Don’t you mean ‘daughter-in-law,’ assuming you would even refer to her by that title…” grumbled Ryu in subdued admonition to his father.

“Look,” Gengo interjected, “while she may technically be my in-law, I consider her my daughter, especially since she’s the woman you love as well as the mother of two of my grandchildren, understand?  I know I can come off as rather cold at times, but she’s part of my family, and I DO care about her…even if I may struggle in showing that.”

“You say she’s the mother of two of your grandchildren, even though that’s not exactly the case,” said Ryu with venom in his voice.

“Listen, I told you before,” countered Gengo, “Kazuya is different.  In a way of putting things, he has…well, two mothers, in a way of putting it…a conception-based mother and a ‘birth mother,’ so to speak.  It just so happens that Orie could only serve as the first and not the second, which is where Cassandra factors in.  Like I told you before, Kazuya’s stigmatic body presented complications for Orie.  She almost assuredly would have died if she tried to bring the pregnancy to full term, and that might have jeopardized Kazuya’s own survival to boot.  Therefore, it was necessary to have Orie’s uterus transplanted into Cassandra in order to save both of their lives.  I know it’s not what you wanted, Ryuuichi, but it was the only way to make sure that both Orie and Kazuya survived, understand?”

“I KNOW that!” declared Gengo’s son in a subdued shout, akin to that of intense whispering.  “You think I would have allowed that unless it was absolutely necessary?  I love my wife, and I love my children - both of them.  If Orie could have birthed Kazuya just as she did Kazuha, I never would have allowed that procedure to occur otherwise.  Though I regretted it at the time, I want my wife to live!  I want my children to live!  I want us to be a family, goddammit!”

“And you CAN be,” replied Gengo.  “It’s just that given the circumstances, our family is…well, significantly different from that of others, to say the least.  There was no other option but to have Kazuya transplanted into Cassandra’s womb, plain and simple.  Please try to understand, son…in order for both my daughter and grandson to survive, there was simply no other option than the transplant.  If you resent me forever over it, I’ll bear that hatred if I have to…but just like you, I intend to protect my family, and I’ll do whatever it takes and bear whatever cross I must in order to make that happen.”

Ryuuichi stares in bitter silence at Gengo for a good long while, not sure how to respond for at least a minute or more.  Feeling the urge for either a strong drink or a cigarette, he storms off towards the kitchen (most likely for both to help alleviate both his stress and the vindictive bitterness he feels towards his father).  During that time, Gengo simply stares at Cassandra and the rest of the group which she has essentially roped into the collective group hug, thankful that she ended up being the one to avert a catastrophe and prevent a member of his family from making a rash decision and ending her life prematurely.

Fast-forward several months later…

“Listen,” said Ryuuichi to Gengo, “I know that you want what’s best, but the way things are going…I’m afraid that there’s simply no other way…not if you want to save both Kazuya and Orie.”

“Please, son,” replied Gengo, “there must be some other way.  Surely, you and Orie don’t want to be separated from your children?”

“Of course I don’t,” said Ryuuichi, “but with circumstances as they are, I cannot fully speak for Orie as things stand.  While I know that she would never harm Kazuya or Kazuha, I can’t say with absolute certainty that she won’t attempt what she tried to do in the living room not that long ago.  Her emotional state is still fragile as things stand, and I’m pretty sure that she resents that woman to some extent, even now.”

“You mean Cassandra?” asked Gengo.

“Who else would I be talking about?” asked Ryu.  “Orie obviously resents her for being the mother which she always desired being, and even with Kazuha to help alleviate her concerns, I don’t think it’s enough.  Orie wants to be mother to BOTH of them, and with Kazuya being the way he is towards her…it’s gotten no better, no matter how much time has passed.  And with things being the way they are, I’m certain that it’s only a matter of time before Orie acts on impulse and ends up taking her own life again, despite our best efforts.”

“She just needs more time,” countered Gengo.  “Once Kazuya is old enough, he’ll understand the uniqueness of his situation.  While it might be odd to tell a small child that he effectively has a father and two mothers, I believe that in time, he’ll learn to accept that dynamic.  He’ll have to be taught that he comes from a rather unique situation regarding his birth, but I have faith that it’ll work out in the end.  It just takes time, that’s all.”

“I wish I shared your optimism,” said Ryu, “but I’m afraid that I’m too much of a realist to be so naive over such a thing.  Orie’s emotional state is like fine glass by this point.  It’s only a matter of time before she tries to kill herself once more, most likely when nobody is keeping an eye on her…and if it comes to that…”

“It won’t,” Gengo interrupted, trying to alleviate his son’s concerns.

“You’re so certain and so sure of yourself,” grumbled Ryu in contempt, “always thinking you can control everything and keeping things from getting out of hand.  I KNOW Orie, and I say to you now that with the way things are progressing, it’s only a matter of time before she tries to end her own life once more.  The only difference is that she’ll do so when nobody else is watching her, so that she’ll succeed the second time.”

There was a long pause between Gengo and his son before the older Aoi spoke up once more.

“If that really is the case, what do you suggest we do in order to prevent such a thing from happening?” Gengo asked.

Ryu paused as he took a drag from the cigarette he was smoking.  From what Gengo could tell, his son already had a solution in mind; he was just mustering up the courage to state it.

“I think…” began Ryu, “I think it would be best if Orie and I took some time away…”

“You mean leave?” asked Gengo.

“Not forever…per se,” replied Ryu, “but for a good long while…just enough time for Orie to get her mind right.”

“Son, you do hear yourself, right?” asked a somewhat incredulous Gengo.  “You’re talking about abandoning your own children!”

“You don’t think I know that already!?” Ryu shot back.  “You don’t think if there was another way that I would have chosen it by now?  You think I WANT to resort to this!?”

“Look, we just need more time,” said Gengo.  “In a few years, once Kazuya is old enough to communicate, we can help him to understand the uniqueness of his situation.  And once we’ve reached that point, I’m sure that he’ll return Orie’s love for him…I just know it.”

“I’m afraid there’s not enough time for that to occur,” countered Ryu.  “I’ve seen her mental and emotional state.  I see it in her eyes.  It’s written all over her face, despite her best efforts to mask it.  It’s only a matter of time before she has another episode and does something hasty, most likely ending in her death.  Whenever she sees Cassandra with Kazuya, Orie can’t help but feel envious and jealous that the role of mother has been taken from her.  And despite Kazuha’s best efforts to fill the gap in her heart, I’m afraid that it’s only buying time…and not very much of it at that.”

“If you’re truly concerned,” said Gengo slowly, “there are certain courses of action we could take to prevent Orie from…”

“I’m not having my wife committed to an insane asylum, before you go any further,” interjected Ryu, “nor am I having her sedated, overmedicated, or strapped down to a bed for the rest of her life.”  Gengo paused in response as he sighed before replying.

“It would only be for a relatively short bit,” said the elder Aoil.  “Just a few years if need be.  Once Kazuya is old enough to walk and talk, I’m sure that things will improve and we can truly become a fam-”

“I love my wife, and I’m not going to simply cast her aside out of sheer convenience!” declared Ryu with raw anger on his face and tears in his eyes.  “And forgive my arrogance, old man, but I just KNOW that Orie is almost certainly going to lose all control and do something reckless within the next year or two at the most.  The sight of Kazuya in that other woman’s arms sets something off within Orie, and I fear that she’ll make another suicide attempt sooner rather than later.  Whether it’s with pills, a rope, a razorblade, a car crash, a long jump, or some other method, she’ll make that attempt, I just know that she will.  You know I’m right.”

Gengo paused in quiet reflection.  Some small part of him couldn’t help but believe that his son was correct, or at least analyzed the situation aptly enough to make a prediction that had a high likelihood of occurring.

“So then, what do you propose?” asked Gengo.

“For the time being, I believe it’s best that Orie and I…take some time away.”

“You mean leave?” asked Gengo bluntly.

“Not permanently…but yes.”

“Abandon your children?”  Ryu quietly winced in response at Gengo’s words.

“If I could, I would take Kazuya and Kazuha with us, but we’ve seen how Kazuya reacts at Orie’s touch, how he cries…that kind of thing is detrimental to Orie’s emotional state.  And though I know Cassandra means well and only wants what’s best for Kazuya, the sight of her being the mother Orie desires to be…it’s too much for her to bear.”  Ryu took a drag from his cigarette before resuming.

“Look, the situation as it stands is this:  If you keep things as they are, my wife is almost certainly going to end up killing herself when nobody's looking, and if that happens…”

“Then what?” asked Gengo, sensing that he already knew the answer deep down.

“I think you already know…” Ryu quietly responded as he looked at his father with a sullen deadness in his eyes.  “You’ll be attending a double funeral.”

“You would actually kill yourself to spite me?” asked Gengo.

“Not out of spite, but out of sheer hopelessness.  I love Orie, despite her flaws and her outbursts.  She’s the woman I want to grow old with till my last day, and if I end up losing her…I’ll…”  Ryu took another drag, finishing off the cigarette right there and then.

“And don’t you dare suggest that I can just replace her with Cassandra or some other woman to fill the hole in my heart,” said Ryu with a subtle growl in his voice.

“And what of your children?” asked Gengo.  “You’re going to abandon them in order to save your wife?  Is that it?”

“You can look after them in our absence.  I know it’ll be hard on Kazuha for a while, she may even come to resent me for it, but in time I think she’ll understand why I did it, even if she can’t agree with the choice.  And Kazuya is still a baby, so he hasn’t had any interaction with us that’ll imprint on him mentally speaking.  You obviously have the resources to see that they’re well looked after, so I know I won’t have to worry on that end of things.”

“Please, Ryuuichi, just think this over,” said Gengo.  “I’m sure we can find a way where you and Orie needn’t be separated from your children.  I know you don’t want that, so just-”

“Of COURSE I don’t want that!” shouted Ryu.  “But what other option is there!?  If you want everyone in this family to stay alive, then this is the only option.  I told you that I’m not going to have my wife medicated up to her eyeballs or chained to the bed or locked away in a psych ward.  She’d effectively be reduced to being a caged bird and I refuse to have any part in that.  If I had a magic wand to help make Kazuya imprint on Orie, I’d use it in a heartbeat, but there’s no other way…and you know I’m right.  You just don’t want to admit it.”

Gengo simply stared at his son, biting his lower lip in frustration.  Even as smart and clever as he was, the elder Aoi figured his son had a point that was at least somewhat valid.  There was simply no conceivable way to keep Orie alive AND within the Aoi household without the strong possibility of her lashing out in some way and doing harm to either herself or someone else…not without effectively limiting her freedom to some extent.  And if Orie died, there was a good chance that Ryuuichi might do something rash in turn, given how deeply in love he was with her.

‘It seems as though the Transcendent Will is testing me,’ thought Gengo.  ‘If only Orie’s DNA was compatible with the stigmata, then this whole dilemma could be averted.  Perhaps in a few years, if we manage to refine the process, she can become a Pandora and then become the mother to Kazuya she always desired to be.’

Eventually, sensing that his son’s resolve was strong, Gengo Aoi ended up acquiescing.

“If you really plan on going through with this,” said Gengo, “there are some things that will need to be done.”

“Them being?” asked Ryu.

“Well, given that you plan for the two of you to effectively become estranged from our family for an indeterminate amount of time, I’ll need to be in-the-know regarding your physical whereabouts.  As for your living arrangements with regards to expenses, there’ll be no need to worry on that end.”

“I don’t want handouts from you,” Ryu quietly chided.

“You’re my son, so at the very least let me cover the expenses okay?  It’s not as though I’m going to shower you with wealth in order to bribe you into staying or anything like that.  I just want you to focus on helping out your wife, so at the very least money won’t be a sideline distraction.” Gengo stood his ground in his reasoning.

“Fine,” grumbled Ryu.

“Also, I will be making occasional visits from time to time.  I feel it prudent to see how the two of you are doing while you’re away.  I’ll also have personnel I trust keeping tabs on you during your absence.”

“Spying on us?” scoffed Ryu.

“Out of concern,” replied Gengo.  “Heaven forbid that Orie has a serious breakdown and you’re not able to handle it on your own.  I know that you love her and you want what’s best for her, but if you’re really hellbent on devoting your full time and attention to her, then you’re going to acquiesce on this, understand?  Besides, it’s not as if you’re being imprisoned under house arrest or anything like that.  I’m just going to be kept in-the-know in the event something gravely concerning ends up occurring, that’s all.”

“Fine then,” said Ryu.  “I’m not exactly comfortable with the idea of having monitoring equipment or armed guards keeping regular tabs on us, but I get your reasoning.”

“You’ll also want to keep a low profile and away from the public eye if you’re going to live separately from us,” Gengo continued.  “My political enemies and rivals on the world stage might see you two as viable targets to capture and use as hostages against me, so I’m going to have to keep you hidden away from the rest of the world as best as I can, and I’ll expect the two of you to do your part in playing along with that masquerade.”

“What are you thinking exactly?” asked Ryu.  Gengo paused in deep thought for a few seconds before continuing.

“While this may sound preposterous…I think it’s probably best that we fake your deaths,” answered Gengo bluntly.

“Come again?” asked Ryu.

“We have an incident play out, some kind of vehicular crash…probably an automobile, though I could pull off the same thing with aircraft if need be.  A plane crash would probably be more advantageous.  Plane goes down, hits a mountainside hard, explosion and fire take care of the rest.  Bodies hardly recognizable, burnt and mangled beyond recognition.  Once it’s confirmed there are no survivors, have a small funeral and burial service, and then the two of you simply disappear from the public eye.”

“You really think such a stunt would work?” asked a skeptical Ryu.

“The neat thing about having the kind of power and clout which I possess, Ryuuichi,” said Gengo, “is that I can tug a LOT of strings.  Bribes, blackmail, intimidation, and of course with the amount of money I have at my disposal, I can make a LOT of things happen.”

“I’m not going to have others killed just so Orie and I can go into hiding,” warned Ryu.

“I can have the vehicle installed with an automated flight computer, so that it effectively flies itself.  No need for a pilot or driver.  In fact, nobody will actually be aboard it.  Just vehicle with a bunch of dummy corpses placed within it, plain and simple.  Once the wreckage is discovered, the prop bodies play their part and fool the world into thinking the two of you are dead.”

“Dummy corpses?  Prop bodies?” asked a skeptical Ryuuichi.

“With modern medical technology, I can effectively have a brain dead clone of you and Orie placed aboard the plane.  Your blood type, your organs, literally everything packaged up and ready to be disposed of.  If you’re concerned about the ethics of it all, rest assured that the clone will be functionally brain-dead, meaning that it was never alive in the first place.  We’ll just be destroying a dummy made of real organs in order for everyone to THINK you died in the wreck, the same for Orie.  Nobody will actually die in the crash, but the world will think otherwise.”  Ryuuichi paused for a moment before responding to Gengo’s plan.

“And Kazuha?  Will she be in-the-know about this?  Or will you tell her that we’re really dead?”

“It’s my intention to tell her, lest she believe that her parents are actually dead and she becomes emotionally scarred by such a thing.  While she may be young, I trust in her judgment that she’ll understand why this is being done.  She’ll certainly not be in favor of it, that goes without saying, but she’ll come to understand the necessity of it all, as hard as it may be to do so initially.”

“And Cassandra?” asked Ryu.  Gengo paused once more in deep thought before responding.

“She’ll probably be harder to convince.  Cassandra has a VERY simplistic view of familial love, bordering on child-like at times.  She’ll not want you and Orie to leave us, even if that means she gets to spend more time mothering both Kazuha and Kazuya in the process.  To her, everyone is important, including Orie who she seems to love like a sister.  But don’t worry, I’ll do my part to help her understand.”

“And if you don’t succeed in convincing her?” asked Ryu.  “If you don’t manage to persuade an eleven-foot-tall supersoldier to not pursue us or keep us here against our will, what happens then?”

“Then I may have to ask for the assistance of a certain someone to help her understand if it comes to that,” replied Gengo.

“That person being?” asked Ryu.

“A woman by the name of Maria Lancelot,” answered Gengo bluntly.  “Figured that if it came down to it, if Cassandra won’t listen to us, then she’ll listen to her, given that it’s a bit trickier blowing off somebody when they’re your size or larger.”

“Who is Maria Lancelot to you anyway?” asked Ryu.  “I mean, I get that she’s the ‘First Pandora’ and all that, but what is she to you specifically?”

‘The mother of my children and my soulmate,’ thought Gengo, feeling the need to keep his son in the dark on some things…for the time being anyway.

“She’s someone very near and dear to me, son, and let’s leave it at that for now,” replied Gengo.  Sensing that his father wouldn’t elaborate any further, Ryu relented in his questioning.

“So then…when can you make this happen?” asked the younger Aoi.

“Between setting up the safehouse for you and Orie, getting the plane ready, creating the clones, having an airtight backstory, keeping those in-the-know to a very select and trusted few…I’d say around six to nine months…a year at most.”  Everything should be ready by then.

“Alright,” Ryu quietly replied.

“You’re certain you want to go through with this?” asked Gengo.

“Right now, my priority is looking after my wife.  Hopefully, in a few years, once her emotional state has calmed down, then perhaps she can see her children again.  I just hope that they won’t hate her for this.  If they despise me for it, I can shoulder that pain.  But Orie, if her children end up despising her for this…I don’t know…it might be best if Kazuya NEVER meets her.  Maybe tell him that she died in childbirth or something.  Or else tell him that we really DID die in the crash.  I’m honestly not sure how he’ll take it if he hears the truth.”

“He’ll have Kazuha there for emotional support, and in turn he’ll be there for her.  They’ll have each other for the emotional support they’ll need, and of course I’ll do my part to help where and when I can.  For now, just focus on your wife, if you’re really dead set on being there for her.”

“I am,” stated Ryu directly.  “I can’t imagine life without her.”

“Then I’ll make preparations.  Just do what you can for Orie’s sake, and make the most of the time you have with your children between then and now, because aside from the occasional visit from myself or Kazuha, you’ll be having VERY limited contact with them once we make this happen.”

“Got it,” replied Ryu.

Fast-forward to the airplane incident, which went just like Gengo had planned.  Plane goes down over mountains.  Fiery explosion after crash.  No survivors found.  Bodies burned and mangled horribly.  Small, private funeral.  Ryuuichi and Orie whisked away to a hidden safehouse which is closely monitored by Gengo and a select cadre of trusted individuals.  Months pass, then years pass.  Kazuha makes visits to Ryuuichi and Orie no more than twice a year.  Kazuya is kept in the dark the whole time, being told that his parents are dead.  Cassandra stays on as Kazuya and Kazuha’s mother effectively until Kazuya reaches the age of three, at which point she must be “hospitalized” as Gengo puts it, and disappears from the public eye, just like Maria Lancelot.  Initially against the idea of Ryuuichi and Orie being apart from the family, Cassandra is kept in check by a mix of persuasion on Gengo’s part along with Maria serving as the muscle if need be in order to keep Cassandra from rushing off and bringing Ryu and Orie home by force.

And the rest, as the saying goes, is history.

So it was, thinking back to the recollection of those memories that Gengo decided to tell Kazuya a good deal of what became of his parents, though he did leave out some key elements in his explanation.  As Gengo recollected the events of what happened back then to his grandson, he left out anything involving Maria or Cassandra from those events, feeling that the young man didn’t need to know about them just yet.

“So…my parents are still alive?” asked Kazuya.

“Yes,” replied Gengo quietly.

“Where are they?” asked Kazuya.

“Sorry, Kazuya,” said Gengo, “but I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

“Can’t or won’t?”  Kazuya shot back.  Gengo merely sighed through his nostrils in response.

“It’s better that you don’t know where they are for the time being.  Just know that they’re alive, they’re safe, and that they’re being well looked after.  And even if you try to beat the answer out of me, I still won’t tell.”  The look on Gengo’s face told Kazuya that the old man wasn’t bluffing.

“So…my mother had a nervous breakdown…because of me?” asked Kazuya.

“Essentially, yes,” explained Gengo.  “Due to the fact that she couldn’t breastfeed you during your infant years, she was on the verge of emotionally collapsing back then.  And if something ended up happening to her, chances were good that it would have severely affected your father in turn, given how devoted he is to her.  If Orie died, then Ryuuichi may very well have ended up joining her.  So in order to keep them from dying, I had them hidden away.  In an ironic twist of things, I basically ‘killed’ them so that I could keep them alive, so to speak.”  Gengo referring to the faking of their deaths on this last part.

“So then, it’s my fault that my mother almost died?” asked Kazuya.

“No, Kazuya, nobody is at fault, understand?” replied Gengo, feeling the need to nip this in the bud before Kazuya ended up having another guilt trip forced upon him.  “It was simple biology and nothing more.  You have a unique body and your mother wasn’t able to provide nourishment for it at the time, that’s all.”

“Well then, how was I provided for during those early years then?” asked Kazuya, feeling that something was off in Gengo’s explanation.

“That’s not important, Kazuya,” said Gengo.

“You’re not being upfront with me,” replied Kazuya.

“You asked me about your parents, and I’ve answered accordingly, Kazuya,” Gengo replied, holding his ground.  “If I choose to be economical with some details here and there, know that I have my reason.  And even if you hate me for it, even if you outright loathe or despise me for it, know that I DO care about you all the same and I’ll shoulder whatever animosity you have for me as a result.  Just know that your parents ARE alive and well and that they’re being well looked after.  And besides…”

“Besides what?” asked Kazuya.

“Even if you were to meet them, do you know what you’d say to them, especially your mother?  Would you scream that she abandoned you and that she’s a terrible person for doing so?  Do you think that would help her emotional state?  To hear her child basically calling her a monster?”

Kazuya simply stood there, eyes slightly widened as he stood still like a deer in the headlights.  In that moment, his mind was a flurry of emotions, given the information Gengo had conveyed to him (leaving out key details here and there, of course).  Though he hated to admit it, his grandfather did have some valid points.  After a minute or so of awkward silence, Kazuya spoke up once more.

“Just answer me this last question, Grandpa,” requested Kazuya.  Gengo cocked an eyebrow, awaiting the question.

“In time…would you…would you let me see them?  It doesn’t have to be right away, but perhaps in the next few months…a year from now at the latest…would you let me see my parents?”  Kazuya’s tone was far more controlled and respectful as he spoke, making the question come off as a genuine heartfelt request rather than a demand one might make in an interrogation.  There was another pause from Gengo as he made his way over to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a generous amount of booze, took a sizable gulp, and then turned to face Kazuya.

“In time…perhaps, Kazuya,” answered Gengo.  “Though I cannot give you an accurate timetable as to when exactly.  Maybe in a year or so, but that’s a rough guess for the time being.  For now, focus on your time here as a Limiter and forming meaningful bonds with your Pandoras - all of them.  Because, frankly speaking, Kazuya, it’s of high importance to me that you start bonding with all of them rather deeply and as soon as possible.  Which reminds me,”  Gengo turns to Margaret as he speaks, “Sister Margaret?”

“Sir?” she asked.

“How long is it before Kazuya’s Baptism?”

“If I remember correctly, I have it scheduled for less than four weeks from today,” she answered.  For a moment, Gengo considered having the timetable shortened to less than two weeks, given how adamant he was about having Kazuya bonded with his partners as soon as possible.  But in the end, he figured that four weeks would be an adequate waiting time and let things stay their course.

“Very well then,” replied Gengo as he turned to face Kazuya once more.

“On that topic, since we’re here and all,” said Kazuya.

“Yes?” asked Gengo.

“Why are you so adamant about having me paired up with so many women?”

“Because it benefits multiple parties, dear boy.”

“How do you mean?” asked a confused Kazuya.

“First off, it helps the Pandoras whom you are currently partnered up with by having them becoming bonded to their ‘One,’ which in this case is you, Kazuya.  You may find me arrogant in making such a declaration, but you’ll simply have to trust in my judgment when I say that I know what I’m talking about.  In time, once you’ve become Baptized to ALL of your partners, I’m extremely certain that your biggest dilemma will be in figuring out how to gently fight them off of you, given how enamored they will all be with you as their bonded soulmate and future husband.”  On that last part, Kazuya couldn’t help but blush somewhat, given how forward and direct his grandfather was being.

“Grandpa!” said Kazuya  “Must you be so blunt about that sort of thing!?  Can you really be so certain that things’ll go the way you’re thinking!?  Me being married off to so many women!?  Honestly!?”

“Not only am I certain about that, Kazuya,” stated Gengo, “I’m pretty hellbent on having it become a reality in the relatively near future.”

“Grandpa, I’m fifteen years old.  I’m a highschool freshman.  I’m too young to be getting married.  I mean, what next, having kids?”

“Within the next few years, sure,” chuckled Gengo, “preferably with ALL of your partners, of course.”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” chided Kazuya as he turned his gaze to the three Pandoras sitting on the couch, feeling embarrassed on their collective behalf.  From what he could tell, Chiffon was mildly embarrassed, but not against the concept, Margaret was somewhat flustered, and Su-Na felt rather awkward, given her normally all-business way of approaching things and was now hearing about topics like marriage and childbirth.  The blushes on their cheeks were certainly an amusing thing to witness from Gengo’s perspective.

“Not in the slightest, Kazuya,” stated Gengo.  “It’s my hope that within a year or two, every Pandora you’re paired up with will carry the surname Aoi, give me a great-grandchild, and ideally be tied for first place as your favorite wife.  While that last part might have a touch of wishful thinking to it, all I can say is ‘A man can dream,’ in my defense.”

“Honestly,” sighed Kazuya as he closed his eyes and started massaging his eyelids using his thumb and forefinger, trying to alleviate the stress and mild angst from hearing his grandfather effectively declare himself matchmaker and having Kazuya married off to a small army of women.  While Kazuya had an inkling that was Gengo’s plan all along, it didn’t make him feel any better to have his suspicions confirmed in this case.

“And how many Pandoras do you intend to marry me off to?” asked Kazuya.  “A hundred?  A thousand?  A million?”

“Why stop at a million, Kazuya?” joked Gengo.

“That’s not funny,” grumbled Kazuya.  “These aren’t collectibles we’re talking about.  They’re women, they’re people, with personalities, likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, with their own lives to live, not possessions to be acquired and paraded around like trophies.”

‘Ever the gentleman at your core, Kazuya,’ thought Gengo in amusement.

“Joking aside, my dear boy,” replied Gengo, “if it’s any consolation, I’ll tell you this much:  With the Pandoras I have in mind, we’re looking at a group of no more than fifty…scratch that, less than forty.  Does that alleviate your concerns?”

“Not really,” muttered Kazuya, hearing that there were more Pandoras waiting in the wings which Gengo planned to saddle the young man with.  “And you’re so sure that these women will WANT to be paired up with me?  You’re not just goading them into this arrangement via bribes or blackmail of some kind?”

“Kazuya, I’m hurt,” replied Gengo.  “I may be something of a puppetmaster in certain fields, but when it comes to setting up my grandson’s future, at least regarding matters of romance and companionship, I’d never sink so low as to resort to such tactics.  You’ll just have to take me at my word when I tell you that the women I have in mind to pair up with you will MOST CERTAINLY take an interest in you, given your sensitive nature and your natural charm.  Like I told you earlier, you have something of an innate gift when it comes to drawing women towards you, like moths to a flame.  The only thing I’d worry about is having enough…stamina to make so many women happy and satisfied.”  The innuendo Gengo was dropping was only too obvious, making Kazuya blush somewhat in embarrassment.

“Grandpa!” groaned Kazuya in awkward angst.

“And while we’re on that topic, Kazuya,” continued Gengo, “here’s a little advice regarding your partnerships:  While it’s all well and good to be focused on your studies and training as a Limiter, don’t bury your nose so deep into the books that you ignore your lovely ladies.  Spending quality time with them and letting your relationships with them blossom should be of the utmost priority.  In fact, if you have to sacrifice study time and minor scholastic duties in order to strengthen your partnerships, that’s not a problem in the slightest as far as I’m concerned.  You won’t be held back a grade or anything along those lines.”

“I don’t want special treatment, especially on the grounds of nepotism,” replied Kazuya.

“Listen, broadening your horizons is all well and good, Kazuya, and there’s nothing wrong with opening up your mind to new information and committing yourself to your studies.  But don’t let that get in the way of your chief duty as a Limiter here at West Genetics:  Your main task is to perform Baptism with your partners and strengthen your abilities to their utmost in order to help fight off the Nova, and that involves deepening relationships with all of those lovely ladies.  From what I gather, the younger Miss L. Bridget and Miss Linchen are clearly smitten with you already.  It’s my hope that soon enough, EVERY Pandora you’re paired up with will love you just as endearingly, with friendly competition among the whole lot of them over spending quality time with you.”  Gengo turned to the three Pandoras on the couch once more, smiling at the mild blushes they sported in response to hearing such a statement.

Feeling awkward given how direct and straightforward his grandfather was at basically telling him to marry and impregnate the platoon-sized group of towering beauties he was surrounded by, Kazuya felt that it was time to wrap up the conversation and take his leave.

“I’ve heard enough,” said the younger Aoi.  “Thank you for being open with me about…well, everything.  It’s a lot to take in, but I’m grateful for your candidness.”

“Sure thing, Kazuya,” replied Gengo with a grin.  Opening his arms to gesture for a hug, Gengo was glad that Kazuya returned the gesture, even if his response was somewhat slow, stiff, and reluctant.

“I’m ready to go,” said Kazuya to the three Pandoras, who proceeded to stand up once more and casting the two men in their collective group shadow.

“Very well then,” said Margaret.  “Thank you for making time for us, Mr. Chairman.”  Margaret bowed slightly towards Gengo as she said this.  Su-Na and Chiffon also politely bowed alongside her.

“Please, Margaret,” chuckled Gengo, “when it’s just us in private company, feel free to refer to me by my first name, though I’m hopeful that in the near future, it’ll simply be “Grandfather” or something along those lines.”  Once again, Gengo’s forwardness in how adamant he was about having this group pair-up turn into a group marriage had Margaret and the other three all blushing in embarrassment.

‘Honestly,’ thought Margaret, ‘he’s too direct when it comes to sensitive matters like these.  A little finesse and subtlety wouldn’t kill you, Gengo.’

Amused that he had managed to get such a reaction out of the group of four, Gengo bade them farewell as they took their leave out of his office and soon after out of the administrative building.  Sipping his drink once more, he turned on an intercom to call someone.

“Yes, Love?” asked the femine voice on the other end of the line.

“I told Kazuya,” said Gengo.  “I didn’t tell him the WHOLE truth of the matter, but enough that I felt he was comfortable with hearing.”

“Did you mention me?” asked the voice.

“No, I left you and the others out of it.  He’ll undoubtedly want the blanks filled in at some point, but for now, he seems content with what I told him.”

“Pity,” said the voice, “I was considering stopping by to pay my grandson and my future granddaughters a visit.”

“All in good time, Maria,” replied Gengo.  “All in good time.”

“Well then, if your business is wrapped up, will you be joining me in bed then, Darling?” asked Maria.

“I’ll see you in less than ten minutes,” said Gengo with a grin.

“I’d prefer less than five, ideally,” replied Maria with an amused tone in her voice.

“As you wish, my goddess,” said Gengo with earnest passion in his voice.  With that, he cut off the intercom and made his way towards his bedroom with a little extra pep in his step, eager to spend some quality under the bedsheets with his wife.