[Simon closes his eyes for a long moment. He's never heard Aura speak so openly about this before, though he'd always understood the depth of her feelings with little needing to be said. He loved Metis too, but it was another kind of devotion, and one he could never articulate for seven years. Not while he was pretending to be her killer.

So, while their situations are different, he understands how Aura feels far better than most. He chooses his words with care before replying.]

I think she loved you as well. I cannot say precisely what she felt... She was sometimes an awkward person, one who did not always know how best to convey her feelings. [Athena could vouch for that much.]

But if the two of you had not shared a special bond -- in whatever form it took -- you could not have made such unique creations as you did.

[He nods in Ponco's direction.]