He and Nai are well protected, it's true. The chances of anyone trying to take advantage of them the way Shardik was are pretty slim, especially now that they know what can happen. Or some of what can happen anyway -- Vash is pretty sure that that's a complicated question just means that Shardik doesn't want to talk about it, and that's fine. If he'd been made to blow up a whole city, of -- what did he say? Two hundred thousand people, and some were his friends? -- he wouldn't want to talk about it either.

Every other older self he's met has been a hugger so far. Hopefully Shardik won't mind having a little plant wrapped around him. "I'm sorry."