Tensions

Seeing Eva for the first time, Arika couldn't help but make comparisons between herself and the infamous Demon Queen. She wanted to understand what made Eva so special that Vahn would even traverse between worlds and through time just to 'save' her...

Realizing the direction of her thoughts, Arika internally rebuked herself before forcing a polite smile onto her face. She was actually very grateful toward Eva, as, without her, Vahn might not have ever come to this world. Without him, her mother would have died, her Kingdom would have fallen, and, up until the moment of her disappearance, she would have been compelled to make countless compromises. Thus, despite a feeling of perturbation in her heart, Arika did her best to maintain a polite smile as she bowed toward Eva and said, "It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell."

Though she hadn't missed the momentary glower that flashed across Arika's eyes, Eva offered an amused smile of her own as she said, "You must be the current Queen of Vespertatia. Vahn has told me about your ambitions...I won't tell you to give up, but, at your current level, saying you have even a one-percent chance of success is a stretch. Are you going to just keep relying on Vahn to solve all your problems...?"

Hearing Eva's words, Arika's smiled melted away into a neutral expression as she instinctually replied, "Are you...?" before realizing what she was saying.

The moment Arika retorted Eva, a palpable tension spread throughout the room. Eva's smile faded away in an instant, but, before she could lash out and do something regrettable, Vahn stepped between them, saying, "It is normal for some awkwardness to exist in the beginning, but, regardless of what happens, I want the two of you to remember that you are allies. Even if you don't see eye-to-eye on some things, your ultimate goals are similar. If you are honest and forthright, I know you will be able to reach an understanding..."

With Vahn's intervention, Arika was predisposed to back down. She had come to place a lot of value in his words, and, though it wasn't at the level of calling him Master, she greatly respected him as a Mentor. Eva, however, didn't back down so easily, her expression turning slightly severe as she said, "I understand what you're trying to say, but your way of doing things isn't exactly forthright, Vahn. If you put your foot down and properly considered the responsibilities you assign-"

Shaking his head, Vahn adopted a somewhat pained smile as he said, "Eva...please, think about your next words properly. This isn't the real you. You're letting Arika's words affect you too much..."

Eva didn't appreciate being interrupted by Vahn, but, with everyone focused on her, including three versions of Vahn, she ultimately succeeded in calming herself down enough to say, "Fine...just don't forget what you promised me..."

Though it wasn't the best answer, Vahn nodded his head in understanding, adding, "You're a good person, Eva...I believe in you..."

Hearing Vahn's 'heartfelt' words, Eva just snorted as she crossed her arms and asked, "Are we going inside or are we just going to idle around here all day? We have a lot to talk about, so don't dawdle for too long."

With her words finished, Eva took the initiative to enter the diorama, not out of a particular sense of urgency, but in an effort to calm down. She knew she was just being petty, but, knowing there were two other golden-haired girls eyeing her man, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Vahn was, in many ways, the first person she had ever thought about spending the rest of her life with. Even if it was only until they defeated the Mage of the Beginning, she wanted to at least keep a version of him to herself...

Understanding Eva needed time to cool down, Vahn prevented the others from following after her too soon, saying, "I know it won't be easy, but please try and consider the type of life Eva has been forced to live. She has been suffering for nearly six-hundred years, unable to form bonds for fear of having to watch everyone she cares about dying from old age. She was forced to bear unspeakable pain and hardship, denied the opportunity to even take her own life. I understand Eva's pain better than most, so, while it might be unfair of me...I must prioritize her happiness and mental well-being over others...I refuse to become another source for her suffering..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Arika and Theo felt extremely conflicted, but, in the end, neither tried to say anything to change his mind. Asuna, however, tightly gripped his sleeve, unwillingness visible in her gaze as she said, "I don't want things to change. Will you make other people sad for the happiness of one person? Don't you care about us, Vahn?"

Seeing the look in Asuna's eyes, a pang of guilt spread through Vahn's heart as he kneeled down and gave her a firm hug, answering, "Of course. No matter what happens, I will keep my promises to everyone. I just can't be responsible for everyone's happiness, Asuna. Eva needs me a lot more than most people...don't worry, once she begins to open her heart, I'm certain we can all find our happiness together. Besides, you don't have to worry about things changing too much...it will just be a little more complicated than it was before...I'm not going to leave you behind and disappear, okay...?"

Though there were still some visible misgivings in her eyes, Asuna ultimately nodded her head as she returned Vahn's embrace. She knew how important promises were to him, so, hearing him say he wouldn't leave her behind, she felt a little better. Her biggest fear these days was waking up to suddenly discover his familiar warmth nowhere to be found. She might not have cared if he never appeared, but, now that she had spent more than three-hundred days alongside him, she couldn't even comprehend how devastated she would feel. He had become her most important person, and, after talking with her mother, Asuna had already decided to spend the rest of her life with him...

Feeling Asuna's unwillingness to let go, Vahn released a silent sigh as he picked her up into a koala hold, lightly patting her back as she clung to his neck. A lot of her 'selfishness' had faded away after she began attending the Academy, but, at times like this, she was the same spoiled princess he had promised to protect nearly seven years prior. He couldn't even imagine actually abandoning her, as, more so than Arika and Theo, combined, the adorable pig-tailed girl had really grown on him...

While lightly bouncing Asuna in his embrace, Vahn turned towards everyone else, his other selves included, saying, "It's already been a few minutes. Eva has had a few hours to calm down by now, so it should be safe to enter. Please keep my words in mind...I know it won't be easy, but you are both strong, kind, and capable...I believe in you..."

Though Arika merely combed her fingers through her hair without responding, Theo seemed quite taken with Vahn's words. A wide smile had spread across her face as she puffed out her chest and boldly declared, "Leave it to me, Vahn. I'll show you just how quickly I can melt the ice around Eva's heart. When I do, you'll have to give me plenty of rewards, okay~?"

Toward the end of her words, Theo pounced on the closest Vahn, her modest breasts pressing into him as she rested her cheek against his chest and added, "Just let me recharge real quick...mmm..."

As skinship wasn't exactly uncommon between him and Theo, Vahn didn't mind her behavior too much. She was a very hard-working girl, and, though it would probably earn him a few needlessly harsh words from Eva, he still stroked her head with a smile on his face. He didn't have to heart to suddenly start shunning her, so, while certain changes would undoubtedly have to be made, things like this were simply a matter of course.

Understanding that every minute outside equated to twenty-four within the diorama, Theo released Vahn a little earlier than she would have liked. The fact he still allowed her to hug him already made her feel greatly relieved, so, with a smile on her face, she sent him a playful wink before making her way over to the diorama and disappearing in a flash of light. This left Vahn with a wry smile, shaking his head before looking towards Arika and asking, "Do you also need to recharge...?"

Though the thought had certainly crossed her mind, Arika quickly shook her head before making her way over to the diorama without offering a verbal response. This left the three Vahn alone with Asuna and Fenrir, the latter taking the opportunity to say, "Don't worry too much, Master. Just like her Memory Fragment, Eva is a 'good girl' at heart. She just feels like her happiness is threatened by people who haven't had to experience real suffering. Once she sees them making an earnest effort to grow stronger, she will slowly open up to them. Stay strong, okay...?"

Finished with her words, Fenrir offered her best smile by using her fingers to comically push up the edges. This caused tensions Vahn hadn't even been fully aware of to slowly melt away, his shoulders relaxing slightly as a sincere and appreciative smile spread across his face. Then, with an approving nod, Fenrir flickered next to the diorama, placing her palm against its surface and vanishing in much the same way as Theo and Arika.

Seeing Fenrir vanish, Vahn repressed a sigh as he gave Asuna a few firm pats on the back, his voice gentle as he said, "It's time for us to head inside. We still have much to discuss..."

---

With a time dilation of 24:1, the five-minute interval preceding Theo's arrival was experienced as the passage of two-hours from Eva's perspective. This gave her plenty of time to explore the interior of the diorama, her expression turning from anger to intrigue as she inspected the resort-like facilities that had been constructed within. Not only was there a fully furnished beach house, but, for reasons likely related to pure recreation, a short pier had even been constructed. There were several smaller vessels moored at the side, similar in structure to jet skis, but, what really caught her attention was the fishing vessel moored on the opposite side.

Though it wasn't impossible to trap living creatures inside a Sub-Space Orb, the majority would die off relatively quickly unless they had inordinately high vitality. Even growing plants was exceedingly difficult, as, without a proper catalyst to maintain their growth, even the most resilient forms of flora would quickly decay. This was the main reason countries didn't use Sub-Space Orbs to compensate for a lack of arable land, as, in the most extreme cases, even people would begin to fall grievously ill after staying inside for long periods of time.

She had already noticed 'something' was different about the diorama during her preliminary search, but, after seeing the fishing vessel, Eva finally realized the source of the incongruity. She suddenly became aware of the sounds of nature in her surroundings, complete with the chirping of birds and the rustling of small fauna going about their daily lives. Kicking aside the upper layer of dirt even revealed several types of soil creatures, fragile creatures that were virtually never found within Sub-Space Orbs.

After absentmindedly staring at the thriving sub-surface ecosystem, Eva began to 'recall' all of the effects Vahn had on the lifeless space he had shared with her Memory Fragment. She had forgotten just how ridiculous his capacity for nourishing life was, turning a place where life shouldn't be able to exist into an area rich in flora and fauna. This had originally confounded her Memory Fragment, but, after hundreds of years, she had slowly grown desensitized to the abnormality.

Now that she was seeing the changes to a diorama she had constructed, Eva couldn't help but feel a little shaken. Vahn had already told her that he was close to becoming a God of Creation, but, as it was difficult to truly comprehend what that meant, it hadn't really resonated with her. Now, sensing the utopian levels of vitality present within the diorama, she began to seriously consider what kind of impact he would have on the Magical World as a whole...

Sensing a fluctuation in the surrounding space, Eva teleported to the location of Theo's entry into the diorama. The small smile that had appeared on her face quickly faded away when she realized it wasn't Vahn, but, by the time Theo had noticed her presence, Eva had adopted a lazy smile as she casually remarked, "You certainly took your time...I trust the others are on their way?"

Hearing Eva's question, Theo returned a vibrant smile as she spiritedly exclaimed, "Don't worry, the others shouldn't be too far behind. Vahn will be a little late, though. Asuna was pouting a little bit, so he'll probably spend a few minutes calming her down. She was worried you were going to take Vahn away from her; she is quite attached to him, ehehehe~."

Furrowing her brows slightly, Eva couldn't stop herself from asking, "And you're not...?"

With an even larger smile on her face, displaying most of her pearly whites, Theo rather shamelessly stated, "I'm actually super attached, you know? I just decided to prove to both of you how serious I am, so get ready. Even if you are mean to me, I'm determined to become your friend so that we can all be happy together, shishishishi~."

Not expecting Theo to say something so bold, Eva was at a momentary loss for words, waiting until Theo stopped snickering to ask, "Are you an idiot...?"

As if she had just been given the highest form of compliment, Theo's already massive grin seemed to reach its maximum size as she unhesitantly exclaimed, "Isn't it normal to act like an idiot when you're in love? Doesn't Vahn just make you want to try all kinds of new and fun things? Even if you told me you haven't done anything, I wouldn't believe you, you know~?"

Recalling some of the things she had done with Vahn, Eva couldn't stop her face from becoming slightly ruddy, further fueling Theo's laughter. This made her feel extremely annoyed, especially since she couldn't easily refute the shameless woman's words. Thus, instead of trying, she adopted a provoking smile as she stated, "I'm not an idiot because I am actually able to do whatever I want with the man I love. You're just a brat pining after something-"

Before Eva could finish her words, a small ripple occurred in the surrounding space as Arika's figure came into view. Immediately thereafter, Theo preempted Eva's attempt to continue, plainly stating, "You should remember those words. Vahn cares about you a great deal, so it is a little annoying to see how you behave. Arika and I have been trying hard to slowly win Vahn's affection...you have no right to look down on our emotions when you can't even be honest with yourself..."

Not expecting Theo to suddenly turn serious, Eva experienced another momentary loss for words, her mouth parting slightly as if she wanted to say something but simply couldn't. Then, despite not understanding the situation completely, Arika gave a small nod, her expression turning serious as she resolutely added, "Don't underestimate us..." in a decisive tone of voice.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This ain't no cold war','Vesperina is the mastermind!?','Theo ain't playing...')

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