Return of the Dragons

Chapter 1: Awakening

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Draig)

[Albion]

*I do not own High School DxD or any of the characters.

(Ise POV)

My memories are all kind of fuzzy from my early life. I can't really remember anything before I tapped into my powers. There is one thing that sticks out in my mind, a memory burned deep inside the reaches of my dark past:

*FLASHBACK*

"Issei honey, wake up, today is your birthday! You won't be able to have any cake or play with your friends if you don't get up!"

"I'm up mommy; I'll be downstairs in just a few minutes."

Today is my fifth birthday. In a few hours I'll be celebrating with my friends and family. I'll be eating cake and playing with my friends in the bouncy houses that my parents rented. Life couldn't be better. I quickly get dressed in a red t-shirt, some khaki shorts, and sneakers with flashing red lights that light up every time I take a step. I close the door to my bedroom and head downstairs into the kitchen of my family's home. We live in a small town in Japan, its called Kuoh town.

"Good morning Ise! How is my big boy? Are you excited to see all of your friends?" my mother says.

"Good morning mommy! Good morning daddy! I'm so excited for today; all my friends will be there. I can't wait to see Irina, Matsuda, and Motohoma, we are going to have a blast on the bouncy houses!" I reply back.

"5 years old, you're growing up so fast my son. I have something I want to give you before your party." My father says.

"Oh dear can't it wait until the party?" my mom states.

"Nonsense, what is life without a little fun in it?" my father replies in turn.

"Ohhhhh! What is it daddy?! Please mommy, can I have it now?"

My father gives me a small box. It is no bigger than a box you would put a ring in. It was carefully wrapped in red wrapping paper. I can see my father staring at me so I start to tear open the package that my father wrapped with love. As I open the box I peer inside and see a red dragon figurine inside. It is made of glass and I can tell that the toy was crafted with exquisite detail. The scales of the dragon were etched into the glass in a very methodical way. The face of the dragon was even more detailed. You could see by the definition of the eyes and teeth that it took the artisan who made the piece a great deal of time to create it. At the end of the dragon's tail there was a hole going through it.

"Thank you daddy, I love it! It reminds me of Draig, but why is there a hole in it though?" I ask.

My father chuckles "That Issei, is so we can put this chain through it. Think of it as a necklace."

I always loved dragons. They are my favorite things in the whole wide world. While other children were playing with trucks and dolls, I played with my dragon toys. My favorite toy was a red dragon, who I named Draig. I didn't know at the time why I felt so drawn to that toy or where I even came up with that name for it. I put my necklace on and sit down for breakfast.

"Issei, it looks like your guests are starting to arrive, let's go out and greet them and then you can go have some fun." My mother says.

"Ok mommy"

The party went great. I got lots of presents and got to have so much fun with all of my friends. I bounced on the bounce houses with Irina. I watched the magic show with Matsuda and Motohama. And I blew out all of my birthday candles as my mother and father took pictures for the family photo album. It was a great day and before I knew, it was over and my mother and father were tucking me into bed for the night.

"Thank you mommy and daddy for such a great birthday party, today is a day I surely won't forget. I love you both so much."

"Issei, you're very welcome. We love you as well!" my mother replies.

"Goodnight my son, we will see you in the morning." Says my father.

I drift to sleep still wearing my necklace and huge smile on my face. Little did I know that in a few hours my life would change forever.

I awake with a start, someone has me over their shoulder, but I can't see who it is. They have a mask on and are wearing clothes that reminded me of the yakuza. We approach downstairs where both my mother and father are. They are in their pajamas and are on their knees. My mother starts crying as soon as she sees me. The person who was carrying me suddenly drops me next to them. Standing in front of me are three huge men with ski masks on and they're wearing yakuza clothing and all of them are wielding guns. Two of them have assault rifles and one has a handgun of some kind. All of them are easily over 6 feet tall.

The one wielding the pistol begins to speak in a cold voice that sends chills up my spine.

"Now Mr. Hyoudou, where is our money? You know our boss doesn't like late payments"

"Please, I'll have your money soon, just don't hurt my family." My father says in a panicked tone.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt them as long as you pay up." The man replies with a cold grin.

"I just need more time, please I'm begging you!"

My mother cries out "You can do what you want to me and my husband, but please don't hurt our son."

The man strikes my mother across the face with his gun. "Shut up bitch, I'll do whatever I damn well please. You aren't in a position to be negotiating anything.

"Mommy!" I cry.

"Well, since you obviously don't have our money, I guess it is time to wash our hands of the situation. I'm going to make your son watch as I kill both you, and then after your lifeless carcasses can't do anything, I am going to murder your son in the slowest way imaginable. Maybe I'll flay him alive, or maybe I will set him on fire and put it out until he perishes, or maybe I will drown him and revive him over and over until his little lungs can't take it anymore." The man says with a sinister smile.

All of a sudden one of the men with assault rifles grabs me and holds my eyes open. I watch as my parents be killed execution style, first my mother, then my father.

The men begin to laugh uncontrollably at me sobbing over my parents lifeless bodies.

"Now kid, what's it going to be, flaying, burning, or drowning"

The men begin to take pleasure in the fact that they had just killed my parents. Then the atmosphere changes, the men are no longer laughing, the rage in my heart is unstoppable. A red dragon arm appears on my arm.

(Welsh Dragon Boosted Gear)

(My name is Draig, I am the Welsh Dragon, the Red Dragon Emporer! I've been calling to you Issei. I'm sorry that this has caused me to awaken, let me help you to avenge your fallen loved ones!)

"What is this shit! Who is this kid?" the handgun wielder responds.

(He's the current Red Dragon Emporer and holder of one of the 13 longinus wielders with the boosted gear. And this shit, as you say is your last day on this planet.)

(Explosion)

All of a sudden the men disappear and the house is nearly destroyed.

"Draig?"

(Issei, I'm sorry for your loss, partner.)

The next few days were a blur, the police came and went. We buried my parents. And my grandmother came to live with me. My life changed forever that day, I thought fate had dealt me the hand that would put me in the ground beside my parents. It would be a few years before I learned that out of tragedy would come redemption and new life.

*End Flashback*

That was the day I truly awakened. I Issei Hyoudou became the Red Dragon Emporer.

"Issei, it's time for school child, come down for breakfast!" my grandmother yells.

'Right, I forgot, I transferred schools to be with Motohama and Matsuda. They say the girl to guy ratio is off the charts, and apparently the babes there have gigantic milk jugs.'

"I'm coming grandmother!" I reply

(Be careful Ise, I have a feeling that today is going to be interesting.)

"I'll be careful Draig, I have you after all!"

(HAHAHA, I know partner…. I still worry though. We always seem to get into a tight spot, when that memory starts to resurface.)

"Thanks Draig, I'll be fine."

I put on my necklace and grab my briefcase and head out the door.

(Akeno POV)

Akeno is sound asleep, dreaming of memories long forgotten.

"H-H-Hey Ise, do you think you and I will be friends forever?" Akeno asks shyly.

"Of course Akeno, you're my best friend in the whole wide world. I could never dream about a world without you." Issei replies

"Can I tell you something?"

"For you Akeno, you can tell me anything!"

The ten year old Akeno blushes, "Have you ever heard of a fallen angel?"

"Yeah, I've heard of them but I don't know much about them."

Akeno then begins to tell him about the fallen angels who fell from heaven.

"Wow, that's interesting Akeno, you sure know a lot!"

"Ise, what if I told you I was a fallen angel?"

Issei seems confused, but he responds to her question with confidence "I wouldn't think any different of you Akeno. You'll always be my best friend."

She shows him a warm smile and then she shows him her wings.

"WOW! That's amazing; your wings are so beautiful, just like you!"

"Ise, you're so kind, I haven't experienced this kind of kindness since my mother was murdered…"

"Akeno, I'm sorry. I can relate, my parents were both murdered too…"

Akeno looks shocked at the sudden admission from her friend Ise.

"But that was the day I found out about Draig." Ise says to a confused Akeno.

Issei then activates his boosted gear.

"Issei that is a sacred gear….."

"I know, the day my parents died it awoken. I was shocked, but this is my sacred gear. It's the boosted gear with the spirit of the welsh dragon, Draig. It is one of the 13 longinus."

"Ise, that is so cool. You really are an interesting boy."

All of a sudden the dream changes and Issei drifts away.

"At last, we have found the shame of the Himejima clan! Time to die Akeno!"

Akeno wakes in a cold sweat. It's morning and time for school at Kuoh academy. She takes a warm shower and gets ready for school. She goes downstairs to have some breakfast. A girl with crimson hair and the exact same uniform as her is waiting and drinking tea and munching on a bagel.

"Akeno, did you have another nightmare? I could hear you screaming, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Rias. It was the same dream."

"I wonder why they have been happening the last few days. I feel that something strange is about to happen."

"I sensed the same thing Rias. The worst part of my dream though is when he disappears. I miss him so much, he was my best friend. I haven't seen him in almost seven years. I wonder if he would even remember me." Akeno says with a sad face.

Rias replies, "Akeno, I'm sure he does. I bet you will see him again someday, and then maybe you two could reunite."

"You're right Rias, this is why you are my other best friend!'

"Good, now let's head to school."

Little did Akeno Himejima and Rias Gremory know, their worlds were about to change…for the better.

Author's Notes:

To anyone who may be reading this: Thank You! This is my first official fan fiction story and I hope you guys liked it. I plan on making this into my first series; I have lots of good ideas for the plotline of my story. I know I may not be a great writer quite yet, but I hope that through experience I can become better. Leave me a review or message me with advice you may have.

If you can't tell I'm a big fan of Akeno and Rias as Issei's love interests, probably a harem ending, but I like the two 'big sisters' the best for Issei.