Abigail caught up to him easily. Jaw clenched, she gripped his shoulder and forced him to a stop. 

"Don't you think that was too harsh?" She asked angrily. The uncharacteristic hurt in Morrigan's eyes when he walked out was still fresh in her mind. She understood the situation, but..."You could've been kinder, asshole!"

Roland turned to peer at her. "And just what kind of scum would I be if I did that, hm?"  He asked back calmly. "Do you have any idea how much more painful it'd be for her if I gave her that kind of hope? Gave her daughter that hope?" He continued off, casually raising and waving his hand in a show of total disregard. "That's why I don't do wives or children," He stated with a tone so cavalier Abigail was struck dumb by how anyone could be so indifferent.

"I have friends and lovers, thats it." He went on. "Anything more complicates matters and causes too much pointless heartache." He shook his head. " Its better this way." The man finished, nodding to himself. And he truly believed so. 

He sounded careless, but he actually wanted to spare them the pain. Even if they got over him losing his memories every time, there's no gurantee they'd find him. It was easier in this life because he was wildly powerful, enough to meet people like Loki, Sol and Ares. But he could also end up very weak in his next life.  And even if that not, Creation was so vast it could be hundreds of billions of years before they next met.

It was a long time even for Gods. Finally, lets say those last issues were solved or accepted, endured.  Would the Rolands after him even want to be with them? He already found the idea of being a husband. a father, very burdensome.

He had headaches just thinking about it. Honestly it all sounded so exhausting. 

So, yeah. Not for him.

"You..." Abigail pursed her lips. She wasn't a great friend to Morrigan, but even she felt sorry for the woman. Like, who'd expect that she, the White Bitch, actually had a man? No one really believed Dagda. Plus, she's such a...well, a bitch! So cold and surly, not to mention creepy.

It was shocking. Even more shocking was the story here. Felt like a tagic love novel. It was so...sad.

She wondered if she'd accept this from him, though. Abigail frowned. I'd feel bad stealing another woman's husband, too.

She took another glance at the man and gulped. Ah, sweet temptation...how cruel you are.

Abigail sighed to herself. Well, it looks like my plan to slowly seduce him into licking chocolate sauce off my nipples won't be going anywhere.

She hated being the bigger woman, but girl code and all that.

"You can go back and tell them you slapped me on their behalf," Roland said. "I'm going to wander around a bit, feel free to head back to the academy on your own."

With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

 ***

After he left, Mother had sat there in silence. She looked utterly lost. Her eyes were dull, hurting. Once agin, it was an expression Grace had rarely, if ever, seen from her. But then it vanished, all emotion freezing over.

"He's putting on an act. He's not that kind of man."  She stated. " He'll warm up to us in time." She smiled. "It doesn't matter if he doesn't remember, his heart won't ever change."

Grace felt disgusted by her naivety. "He openly denounced us," She reminded her through gritted teeth. 

Morrigan was patient. "He says such things to spare us heartache. Did he not tell us of his situation? But he thinks of it from the perspective of a mortal. I can make all these memories with him again." She explained. "Don't hate him for the things he said only in consideration for our feelings."

Grace looked a her mother in disbelief. She sounded insane.  That man, considering them? That's truly how she interpreted it? No. Grace rejected that with her whole being. He didn't care about them at all. Why would he? He didn't care enough to disclose this to her mother in his other life. To help prepare her for his disappearance. Maybe that was an indication of some emotional attachment then. 

But he told her this time. Why? Because he didn't care. He never would again. This man didn't have the same experiences with Mother his last iteration did. That will never change. Mother was no longer weak and vulnerable, he didn't need to feel the urge to understand and protect her.

Hence, even if he had the same personality, he wouldn't treat her the same. Love her the same. Yet her mother still treated him the same way. It was like he had some hold on her that Grace hated. 

Maybe he wouldn't take advantage of it, she didn't know, but....with every fiber of her being, she hated how much he was hurting her mother. His careless words, his indifferent, casual expression. 

....They didn't need such a man in their lives. Not then, not now, not ever. 

***

It was a very distinctive feeling, hostility. Like needles to the skin. Roland was used to that. e made a lot of enemies. Either from jilted lovers of his one-night-stands or the families of assholes he'd killed trying to take revenge. 

The causes of enmity didn't matter. 

He noticed it a tad late, distracted by an old crone with a familiar aura about her. He was about to approach the old lady when he felt the danger. 

Then. before he knew it, a singular wave of azure blue light swept towards him. He chuckled, turning to meet this attack. As expected, it cut into his hand as he raised an arm to block. 

A lesser version, but still powerful enough to wound my physical body...not bad.

Then, just like that, he crushed the power held within and scattered the attack into the ether. 

What he found much more amazing than its power was the control. It had swept through many innocent people, yet only effected him....this showed great energy manipulation skill on the part of the attack's user.

"Quite good!" He praised. " But the power is lacking. It should be done like this!" And he sent back a wave of pure Chaos, utterly destroying the natural laws of the world. From a mile away, a small girl felt her cheek being cut. 

The sky behind her was split. No, not merely the sky...space, itself, was torn apart. And within it were gigantic creatures cut in half.

They let out agonized, guttural wails before disappearing from existence.  She turned and witnessed them. A few seconds. That was all. Yet within that time, she saw beings so alien and horrifying that merely glancing at them nearly drove her mad. She could feel it, at the edge of her consciousness. Those things, worming their way inside.

It was only with excruciating effort did she expel their influence from her mind.

Grace felt sweat drip down her back. Before Creation, there existed the Void. Within the Void were the Absence, and they reviled the arrogance of Creation, devouring all.  So Creation separated them behind walls, exiling them from its light. 

That one move separated the boundary between Creation and revealed what lay beyond. It was so uttely beyond anything Grace had ever witnessed that she felt as if she was not facing a man or god, but something far greater. 

As she was still reeling by the invasion of her psyche by those things,  he appeared in front of her. 

"Guess blood doesn't lie after all." He laughed. " You're a decisive one. I like that. But thinking you can erase me with such an  immature technique..." Roland shook his head. "Well, you've got talent, at least. Now that you know how it's supposed to be used, try better next time."

Roland stroked her head in mocking affection, as if he were humoring a child. 

Grace felt nothing but cold disdain. "Just kill me," She clenched her jaw  stubbornly."I'd have done the same to you."

"You'd try," He nodded his tone so damn condescending she wanted to slash his face open.. 

"Bastard." The word was thrown with such hate that Roland, for the briefest of moments, felt a small pang in his chest. 

But he was nothing to her. Could never be. All he could do was guide her a bit like he would do Reina. Such was the bare minimum he could do for his own flesh and blood.

For a while he stood there and regarded her. She looked like a small version of her mother, with long white hair the color of snow. A tiny cherubic face containing charm and arrogance that didn't befit her age. 

Yet her eyes....they so mirrored his own. 

How can such an adorable child exist? 

He killed the thought as soon as it sprouted. She wasn't meant for him.

"Educating the next generation is the responsibility of the adults." He smirked. "I suppose you'll make a good student. Enough to give that little shit a good beating, at least." Roland smiled at the thought. Reina and this kid were going to be his secret weapon, it seemed.  "Alright, you're coming with me.  Loki, if you would."

Silence. Roland got annoyed and snapped his fingers. A small shockwave echoed forth that rattled Grace's ears slightly. From a couple feet away she heard a miserable cry.

"Fuck!" Loki cursed. 

"Always snooping." Roland cast a baleful eye at him

"Hah?" Grace exclaimed. "Headmaster?"

Loki pulled at his pained ears. " You asshole. I just got here, I wasn't snooping."

"You were watching ever since my talk with Morrigan, you lying shit."

Loki wanted to feign ignorance but that wouldn't do any good anyway. "I wanted to witness the reunion between man and wife, so what?"

A frown. "You knew?"

"The kid looks just like you." Loki snorted. "Blue is a common color, but your shade is pretty damn unique." A shrug. "Plus, her abilities are similar to yours.  Not just anyone has the Authority to affect Creation in such a way." He looked towards where the void had been torn open from Roland's attack. "Damn near pissed myself. You know you're not supposed to do that," He shuddered, "Ro, please restrict yourself to attacks that don't threaten to destroy the very fabric of our existence by letting in pre-Creation monstrosities beyond our comprehension."

Roland rolled his eyes. "I told you before, it'll take a lot more power than what even I can dish out to make that happen."

 "Yeah, well the last time you pulled that kind of stunt one of them did get out and me, Mephisto and Sol became its chew toy."

"It was a small one. It happens. Besides, you're the ones who kept egging me on to do it."

"Sol was the one who wanted to study the thing, not me!"

 "So? Guilty by association."

"You dick, I still have nightmares. You could've killed it at any time, but no. You let it play with us...I was inside its stomach!"

As Loki and the others were existences who didn't hold the level of Authority required to combat such creatures, their attacks couldn't harm it at all and they had a miserable time just trying to run away.

Only Roland, as a semi-Primordial, so to speak, could kill it. But it was harmless enough since it was a small one, so he just let it mess around with them to teach them a lesson. Seems Loki still held a grudge...and a trauma or two.

"Why are you thinking of teaching her something like that? Fucking  overkill, isn't it?"

Grace looked between them utterly lost at the conversation being unfolded. She knew the words individually, but she didn't understand anything!

"Its her birthright." He replied. "Unlocking her full potential...well its the least I can do. And..." 

Grace felt the full weight of his eyes settle on her.

"And...?" Loki swallowed, suddenly feeling the air grow deadly serious. 

"...Isn't she cute?" He finished grimly. 

"The fuck does that have to do with anything?!" Loki exploded. "You're going to teach her something so dangerous just because she's cute?!"

Roland rolled his shoulder yet again. "Imagining someone so small and adorable kicking your ass brings me insane amounts of pleasure."

Loki felt his blood pressure rising.