Hey! Wait!

Read This!

Keep this in mind as you read things that may trigger your sensitive sensibilities (Not all of you, just some). I have not spelled out the entire scenario. You don't know everything that's going on with each character. Keep an open mind, think about more than what is blatantly laid out in front of you.

"I miss the days like this that we had." Issei said with a content sigh. "Few as they had been." But he couldn't help the back handed remark right after.

It didn't seem to affect Gabriel much, if at all. She ran her fingers through his hair, a smile wider than normal on her face. His head laying in her lap was a comfort she couldn't quite explain or understand, but it was very much welcomed.

Eden was a place that made it near impossible to stay angry, the scents whirling together making something akin to a chemical that just induced peace.

After a short conversation with Mirana, Issei had come into Eden and felt its effects immediately. There was a fleeting thought, that perhaps Gabriel had just been waiting to encounter him in here. The same place they would often retreat to when he'd been newly reincarnated. It brought good memories to the forefront.

"As do I Ise. So, so much." Her beautiful voice a soft whisper as her eyes took in the relaxed form of her Joker.

Without his near perpetual tension around herself and the other angels, he merely seemed to be another among their ranks. So much had gone wrong, and he was the one paying for it.

"I can hardly remember the last time you sought me out Ise. Dare I get my hopes up that we can repair things?" The curiosity was near crippling for the seraph. She'd been in the midst of a different meeting in Eden, when she felt him pop into heaven suddenly. Luckily they were just going over small details at that point, and she had most of the information already.

"Like I said before, I'm trying… But it hurts." There was something in his statement this time around that made her think he hadn't told her all of what he meant, but she wasn't sure it was good to pry too hard.

Gabriel said nothing, to stay on the safe side. Issei was here with her, not angry, not yelling, not accusing anyone of anything. Now that she had been told of what was going on with him, she was keeping an eye on his energy. His normal state was lost on her, but she could see where things were problematic.

Spiking and falling in rapid succession, though in small amounts, spoke of an internal conflict. He didn't even seem to know it was happening, much the same as any normal teenager with hormonal fluctuations. The only thing that was known to help was giving him an outlet, one of two options. Sex or fighting, two things that Dragons were well reputed for.

These were things to bring up later in their time together. She wanted to speak with him without causing concern.

"You've re-arranged some things since I was last here." With one eye cracked open, Issei surveyed the area.

The garden of Eden was a sight to behold. Stretching as far as the eye could see, plant life from all over the human realm and some that were exclusive to here littered the area. Rows of sunflowers taller than any he'd ever seen, roses, daisies, chrysanthemums, fruits, vegetables and trees. All in a harmony only capable because of what God had made.

Last time Issei was here, this clearing had been surrounded by a variety of different colored roses, the tree they often sat beneath shading them from the light that was always present. He wasn't sure what that source of illumination was, but it was always there, imitating a bright shining sun at noon.

This time around the clearing was smaller, and instead of roses, orchids grew from the ground or from vines. The smell was more potent, and the colors more vibrant but still just as varied.

"I had some time to myself last year, and the Garden hadn't been altered in almost a century." Her reply had Issei curious. 'Some time' to someone like Gabriel was different than most of the world. She had likely shut herself in the garden for weeks on end, leaving Griselda to be the one to coerce her out.

Silence came over them, the only sound in the garden being the breeze shuffling he leaves on trees, the petals of flowers. It was comfortable in a way they hadn't experienced with each other in years, and neither was too enthused to break it. But Issei had come here for a reason.

"Aya saw Xuelan." The name was familiar to Gabriel for some reason, but she was having trouble placing it.

"The girl from the Chinese orphanage." She nodded when he explained further. Gabriel remembered watching from heaven, detached eyes peering down on him as he conversed with a girl bullied for her interests, getting her to laugh and smile better than anyone else could.

"She's a devil now." The hand threading through his hair paused. Gabriel looked down to him, eyes still closed and still calm. She knew better than to think that Issei was feeling at peace now, but she hoped that things wouldn't turn.

Gabriel placed her free hand that had been propping herself up, onto his cheek when she saw the way that his face scrunched. Light brown eyes opened and stared up at her as her thumb swiped his cheek lightly.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could take back so many things, but all I can do is apologize and beg your forgiveness."

Taking a breath, Issei shook his head. "That's not why I'm here. I mean yea, I'm upset about the whole thing, but I wanted to ask you for information."

A sigh of relief came from the female seraph, and she made a mental note to have Issei meet her in Eden whenever they needed to speak.

"Her master is Riser Phenex." Gabriel couldn't help the widening of her eyes, surprised at the name. "Is he part of that other thing you wanted me to take care of?" Technically, she wasn't supposed to tell him for another few days, but this was as good of an opportunity as any. It might help Issei follow through, knowing that this man had taken Xuelan into his peerage.

Looking around and casting out her senses, Gabriel wanted to make sure they were as alone as she'd previously thought. When she determined that Issei and herself were indeed the only ones around, she chose her words carefully.

"Yes Ise, Riser Phenex is who I was referring to, but this is not a simple matter." Issei rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Gabriel, if it's something you're having me handle, it's never simple." Despite herself, she smiled. He wasn't calling her master or my king. She could do this, she could finally have the connection to him that he deserved, the one she wanted.

"So what's the deal with this Phenex guy?" That question had too many answers, even from the little that Gabriel truly knew about the man. Sirzechs and Serafall had been quite forthright in their opinion on him, and Azazel of all people had frowned at his ways of gathering women. The leader of the fallen was many things, but none had ever claimed him to seek a woman just for the sake of it, to appease his own ego. Gabriel had met a few of the women, and there was always a measure of love between them.

"Riser Phenex is an ambitious devil with an immense ego, even by devil standards. His father brokered a contract to marry him to Rias Gremory years ago, and his tendencies could very well push tensions too far and foil our plan for peace."

Gabriel kept her hands running over the scalp of her Joker, remembering how it had always calmed him when he was younger. He'd once said that it felt like her fingers were pulling any bad thoughts right out of his mind. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Riser Phenex taking Xuelan into his peerage would make Issei pay closer attention to him. Issei was incredibly protective over his charges.

"I don't think it would help matters if I killed a member of a pillar family."

She was not happy that Issei felt the need to say that, though historically he had been tasked with things of a violent nature.

"On that we agree, but that's not what I am asking of you."

"Asking?" Issei said with a raised brow.

"Yes Ise, asking. According to Sirzechs, Riser has been pushing for the wedding to happen sooner than expected, something he says infuriates Rias to no end. The Devil Kings, Azazel, and we Seraphs feel that this marriage cannot be allowed to happen."

"Huh, angels getting involved with underworld politics, strange times we live in." His tone was light and yet it carried a sense of surprise, like he hadn't at all expected the seraphs to get involved in such a thing.

She did not disagree, for it was strange. The fragile cease fire had been the state of things for so long that anything else seemed a foreign concept to those in heaven, or at least that was the feeling Gabriel got when she had discretely asked around heaven.

The angels all seemed to think it an impossible thing, getting along with devils and the fallen. Not because they wouldn't accept it, but because the other two races were too driven by desire and sin.

"If Riser has his way and marries Rias, it will place him in a position of more influence. Not because he will have more power in the underworld, but because more people will be watching and listening. If something were to happen, his calls for violence could quickly spread-"

"And be a spark for war." Issei finished for her, following her line of thinking.

They didn't know for certain that Riser would react that way, but his brazen nature gave them enough doubt. Views of a similar vein were not hard to find amongst the older devils, they could easily follow suit and support his decision. She knew that Sirzechs had been a deterrent from war for his entire time as Lucifer, but there was only so much he could do.

"The fragment theft really isn't helping this situation."

"No, it is not."

Truth be told, heaven was putting more resources towards that investigation than they really had to spare. But that's just how important to the state of the three factions it was. Those blades could bring about the end to them.

"How am I supposed to stop this marriage from happening?"

Gabriel was certainly not going to bring up the way that Azazel and Serafall had mentioned, the one that Michael seemed to be leaning towards. That would do nothing but stir up problems at the moment. Sirzechs at least seemed neutral towards the idea, which was a surprise given his near fanaticism with Rias.

"Riser is said to be scheduling a walkthrough of a few venues for the wedding. At some point next week, he should make an appearance. Sirzechs has already gotten both families to agree that if Rias should still be against marrying him, 'the fate of the betrothal could be determined through a rating game.' Those were his exact words."

Issei hummed with closed eyes, enjoying the feeling of those nails against his head. With each swipe he felt lighter, less burdened, even though they had brought up things that could very well mean that he and Ray just might end up on opposite sides of a war. He would be forced to participate, but he could always try to convince her to stay out of any fights. Though she'd probably just ignore that and fight anyway.

"There's a very distinct lack of specificity in that statement."

Gabriel giggled brightly, remembering how proud Sirzechs had looked with the wording on the addendum.

"He may not have been born a Lucifer, but he fits the title well."

Issei let the information sink in for a moment, going over it with a fine-toothed comb. Devils were a tricky lot; loop holes and misdirection and intricate wording were their weapons of choice when they wanted to be subtle. The Gremory family had seen fit to arrange an engagement with their daughter to a prominent family of the underworld.

It was likely that there was some back-door deal being had. Something that gave both family's more power or more money. Not that either the Phenex or Gremory's needed it.

If he disrupted that deal, what would the consequences be? If Rias was against a marriage to Riser, she'd probably thank him. But what of the family?

Devils were old fashioned, their customs only having made it to that of the middle ages. Women were often considered commodities to bargain for power, and the only thing that upset this concept was the fact that so many of the children born had been female over the last century, or that the only surviving members of a family were female.

The shift in power was a necessity to keep themselves relevant in the world.

From what Issei had heard, Venelana had been around for a while. Born before god's death but hadn't participated in the war, people said that she was the strongest woman of the Bael family to have ever existed and was at Satan class. Those standards didn't quite hold up as they used to, not with the oddities since God's death.

Satan class was powerful, yes, but most of the three faction's leaders had surpassed that now. Because they had to, for one reason or another. Serafall and Falbium made up for it in other ways, from what he'd been told.

If he were born with the same mindset as someone from that timeframe, and his daughter was freed from a marriage he had arranged, what would he expect from the one to do it?

These marriages were set up to bring unity between two houses, influence, access to resources, power, bragging rights. Devils were not known for being particularly monogamous, so adultery wasn't really something they concerned themselves with. Besides, that was a sin, and sin was the basis of their entire existence. Marrying for love hardly ever produced the same results….

Oh hell no.

Gabriel must have felt the way that his body went stiff, rigid in comparison to the laxed way he'd been laying just moments before. He could feel the way that her legs seemed to fidget of their own accord.

Shit.

"Gabriel…Please me you didn't say that I would-"

"I didn't Ise. I promise." The hand in his hair left, and both took purchase on the sides of his face. Gabriel was leaning down to look him in the eye, unwavering and honest.

"I have asked you to do many difficult and unfair things, but I would never order you to marry a woman you didn't love."

Issei felt a weight drop off, one he didn't know had even been set on his shoulders. Not only would Raynare and Aya have been absolutely livid, but he suspected that Rias would have hated him on principle alone. And they were getting along pretty well so far.

"But it came up in conversation?"

Her hands fell down to his shoulders, and she nodded.

"Azazel seems to think that the two of you would be good for each other, and once he explained himself, Serafall seemed to agree. Sirzechs was quiet about his thoughts on the matter. If you do this, Lord and Lady Gremory might expect you to marry her, as you will have effectively stepped in as a suitor fighting for her hand."

"They would force her into marrying an angel?" That was the most surprising thing about the situation. The Gremory's had a reputation of loving their servants like family, treating others with respect. It was what had helped them stay so prominent over the ages. But this went beyond that.

"We would have demanded that you fight Riser as the Red Dragon Emperor, not an angel. Only the leaders are aware of your status as far as we know. The man that attacked me hadn't done so until after those negotiations, so we don't know how many people are aware of who you are."

And that guy just so happened to be the wielder of the most powerful sacred gear out there, was able to bring a Seraph to near death without a scratch and fight him in his base state with the wyverns. Not a dude that should be taken lightly.

If Issei ever came across him again, entering balance breaker was the first thing he was going to do. No more chances could be taken against him. Grisleda would be mad if he killed the True Longinus wielder, if only because it was a holy relic, but it was better for that to happen than Gabriel be killed.

"Issei…I must confess something." That was never a good way to start a topic.

"I told Griselda. She wanted to know why you were so angry with me and heaven… I told her how Aya… Assaulted you."

Issei was sitting up before he could even command his body to do so and Giving Gabriel an incredulous stare.

"You what?"

Once more, she was feeling as though she'd made the wrong choice. Her eyes drifted down, feeling down that she'd hurt the freshly recovering relationship with her Joker, when she heard him take deep breaths.

"Okay…okay…don't get angry. Whew." Issei let out a calming breath and looked at her evenly, concealing whatever it was he felt.

"I'm sorry Ise, I just wanted to be honest with her. She deserved to know what I did to you, how it affected you afterward. She doesn't feel the same way that the others-"

"Gabriel." Issei shut her down when she started babbling in apology, trying to get him to understand.

Her head lifted, meeting his eyes which were slowly opening.

"I get it. But there's something you don't understand."

Her head tilted.

"Aya doesn't know what the dagger does to me." A breeze swept through the garden getting Gabriel to shiver, yet Issei was unaffected.

"She's hurting enough, I couldn't tell her that I had no choice, I couldn't let her know how badly it burns when she uses it. That would kill her, knowing that it hurts the only person she has left."

Issei stood and crafted a communication circle, Gabriel watched it happen, knowing what he was worried about. Griselda was a great teacher, a good ear to vent to, a shoulder to cry on. But she had a temper about her.

"Hello?"

"Griselda…where are you?" Issei's voice was hesitant, scared of the answer.

Even Gabriel could hear the crying in the background, which made her feel worse.

"I'm… in your home. I'm sorry Issei, I didn't know."

The circle closed and Issei clenched a fist.

"I understand you were only trying to do the right thing Gabriel, and I forgive you. But I have to go before Aya does something stupid and I lose her for good."

He didn't wait for her to speak, a cross forming and taking him away before she could do so much as nod.

-LineBreak-

Raynare had not expected what she was told, or the swift change from friendly to near hostile. Her nerves had been on edge ever since she uttered that name.

Riser Phenex.

From what she could gather, that name represented the destruction of everything the ORC had come to value in their lives. She knew that the devils considered peerage members as servants, but she hadn't realized just how appropriate that term really was.

While the Gremory family was renowned for their love towards those serving the family, the system as a whole treated them as property, something that could be bought or sold at a whim of the owner.

It had taken more than a short conversation to make the devils understand why she was asking, and even once they had, it was still a chore to get the info from Rias.

What made her wary, was the way that Sona eyed her suspiciously. When Ruruko left earlier than the rest, Raynare didn't trust that she wasn't up to something. Sona Sitri had something against Issei. She wasn't sure what it was but it had been on her mind for a while now, just as it had been on his.

A womanizer, an entitled man-child, a devil. These were the things Raynare had come to attribute to the man she'd just learned of. He cared so little for the woman that he was set to marry, that he had openly shown his lust for women in front of her. Raynare wished she was allowed to thrust a spear into his gut out of principle, a few memories coming back to haunt her.

Surprisingly, at had been Akeno that had broken things down for her.

An arranged marriage since she was just an infant, while he himself had already been nearly an adult. His disrespect for anyone that wasn't obviously above his own strength was mocked and disregarded unless his mother stepped in. Lady Phenex must be quite a woman to keep that level of trash on a leash of any sort.

Rias had spoken with such venom, that she thought the redhead might start oozing her power of destruction at any moment. Not that she couldn't handle it, but that wasn't exactly on her to-do list.

Issei had been clearly upset at what she'd done with Akeno, and she couldn't blame him. The love of her life, newly acclaimed as that may be, was as monogamous as could be in his situation.

He saw no reason to seek out more women when he had her and Aya. He was completely in the dark of what was going on inside of him. Aya was entirely out of her game in this, and Raynare wasn't sure she'd be enough to satisfy the lust of a dragon undergoing such a drastic change. Fafnir had been quite forthcoming in describing just how long a maturing dragon could keep at it.

Even if he had others, she knew that Issei would never set her aside. It wasn't in his nature. He would sacrifice life and limb for her. She knew that.

Raynare was not the type to overly express emotion, at least she thought so.

But after the other day, she would happily jump into his arms and kiss him stupid in front of the entire school. He'd made her that happy. He could be stuffing that magnificent cock of his balls deep into a goddess, shooting that hot sticky cum deep into her pussy, and she could pretty much guarantee that he'd be thinking of her in some back corner of his mind.

He was too good to be true. And it made her that much more determined to keep him. Angel didn't do him justice sometimes.

On her way home, and what a weird thought that was, because it was the residence where she now stayed with Issei and Aya, Raynare caught a fleeting sight.

Brown haired twin tails, long and straight, held on a short body.

Busted.

She knew that girl was up to no good. Well, not Ruruko really, but Sona.

Raynare picked up the pace quietly, making sure that her presence was concealed and keeping to areas out of view of the one she was following.

The girl was leaping from one rooftop to another, but there was a hesitance in each movement.

To say Raynare was surprised to see one of the girls she had come to think of as a friend was clearly making a move to spy on them hurt was an understatement. It brought a cold, familiar rage. Flashes of red eyes came to mind before she could block them.

Issei knew more about Sona than she did, but was her peerage not allowed a moment of protest, or being able to voice their disagreement with a command? Surely Ruruko didn't want to spy on them… Right? Unless the usually mild-mannered girl was a master of manipulation, Raynare was inclined to say that the first year devil probably didn't think this a good idea.

There was the chance that Ruruko was doing something else, but she doubted that. What else was in this direction that could be of any interest to Sona and her group? If it were a client, they would just use magic to head there. This was a quiet neighborhood that a few of the other students lived in, none of which that were really of any concern in any way as she saw it.

Picking up her pace to keep up, yet still remain unnoticed, Raynare caught sight of something that made her thankful Issei was gone for the moment.

Aya was walking in the same direction, towards their home obviously, after her shift. Just up ahead, Aya would have to turn in order to go home.

Raynare kept glancing from the human to the devil, waiting to see where this would go. Would Ruruko follow?

There was a sinking feeling in her gut as Aya neared the intersection, and Raynare had long ago come to trust that feeling. What she didn't know, was why she had a bad feeling. Ruruko and Sona could be dealt with easy enough. Unless things went completely overboard, there shouldn't be any fighting. Issei might dish out some harsh words and his holy power might seep out and scare them, but that would be the end of that.

The moment of truth came as Raynare saw the cross-walk sign light up, Aya made her way towards the other side and turn, not at all worried. That in itself was strange, didn't the dagger alert her to when a devil was near? Perhaps Ruruko was just too far away for that to happen with her level of strength.

Violet eyes narrowed as she watched Ruruko pause on a roof top, hiding behind the parapet before turning to follow.

They're stalking Aya?

Why? She was just a human put into a bad situation she'd had no control over. Wrong place, wrong time, with the right person, and her life had taken a huge detour. What in the world were they hoping to learn or do?

The walk was coming to an end, and Raynare was still considering her options. Unless Ruruko used some sort of ranged technique Aya was in no danger, so confronting the devil seemed an option best left as a last resort. The fallen was more curious about their goal. Aya had nothing to do with the three factions, not directly anyway.

Ruruko stalled for a moment when Aya entered the house, and suddenly Raynare was having a hard time seeing her from this distance. The presence of the girl had been almost entirely erased from the air, a handy trick, and one that was impressive for how young she was.

Now that she'd concealed herself as well as she was able, Ruruko moved to the side of the house and placed a magic circle on the outside wall, one that Raynare didn't know the specific purpose of. It had to be something used for monitoring, because the pawn sat herself right next to it.

That uneasy feeling in her gut proved to have been there for a reason when Raynare and Ruruko both felt the presence of something holy appear inside moments later. It wasn't Issei, she knew that for sure. The person felt fairly powerful, but the Joker of Hearts kept his entrances discrete. This flare of holiness had her intrigued since the angels that would seek him out surely had better things to do.

The next thing that Raynare needed to decide, was whether she should go inside or get Ruruko out of there. Play along and let the girl think she was unaware of her spying, or to drag her inside and wait for Issei to get back.

As she tip-toed closer at a slow pace, that decision was made for her.

Muffled and distorted as the sounds were due to the walls and distance, Raynare could hear the yelling begin. Raynare decided to throw caution to the wind and deal with Ruruko later when that Holy presence surged. The pawn fell to her backside with wide eyes, clearly having heard whatever was stated.

"And who the hell are you to barge in here and accuse me of shit like that?!" Aya's retort was the first thing Raynare could make out.

Ruruko briefly made eye contact with Raynare, the fallen striding over with an even expression as she eyed the house.

When a female voice that Raynare didn't recognize responded, she knew things were about to change once more.

"Because that is what you are. A rapist."

'Oh shit.' Raynare thought, glancing over to Ruruko who was shivering from the power of an apparent angel in the house radiating with righteous fury.

"The moment you took his choice away with the dagger you damned yourself. You abused the love he has for you, hurting him every time you want take advantage of what was given to you." Raynare thought she should know who this woman was, but it just wouldn't come to her.

"It is fortunate for you that my status as the queen of Lady Gabriel does not mean that I can act in her stead. For I would bring upon you the might of heaven, even if Issei wished to spare your repulsive existence."

The pieces came together quickly in Raynare's mind. Griselda Quarta, Gabriel's queen, and one of the most skilled female exorcists to have ever existed. She was inside the house, berating Aya… and revealing something that her and Issei had been hiding from her since the beginning.

Raynare took large strides towards the front of the house, wanting nothing more than to make sure that Griselda calmed herself, even though it was already too late. Aya was going to ask questions.

Ruruko could sit there all night for all she cared. There were more important things to do at the moment.

"Get the fuck outta my house you feathered cunt. I would never abuse him. Anything we do is consensual and none of your fucking business." Raynare came upon the door quickly, wincing at the statement Aya just made. She opened it with more force then was necessary and strode in.

What she said was technically true, Issei would consent to almost anything she wanted. The problem was…

"And how could he consent when your will is forced upon him by the dagger?" Raynare came into the kitchen where the two were staring at each other. The pristine robes that Griselda wore, baggy and unflattering by nature, could not hide the way she was shaking in barely restrained rage.

Aya was looking like death incarnate. Her steel grey eyes hardened and sharp on the former nun. A smirk came over the human woman when she quickly glanced at the fallen that had come in.

"Tell her Ray, we've never forced Issei into anything, never left anything more than a red mark that faded in minutes."

Griselda turned then, taking in the visage that she correctly assumed was the fiancée to the joker of Hearts. It was easy to tell that the woman was of the supernatural. Face impossibly symmetrical, eyes of such clarity that those violet iris' pulled you in. Breasts larger than any normal woman of her size. Waist thin with flaring hips, leading to long legs that looked sculpted from marble.

Griselda had met quite a few fallen, but this one in front of her was the personification of their genes being made for seduction and sin.

"Ray?" Aya's smirk started to fall when her fallen friend stayed silent, eyes narrowing painfully, and lips slightly turned down. "C'mon… Tell her I'd never…" She couldn't finish the sentence as the doubt started to build.

"You shouldn't have done that." Raynare said to Griselda, who merely rose a brow.

"And she should be imprisoned." Griselda replied with an icy tone.

Raynare bit her lip, glancing from Aya to Griselda, wondering just what she should do. The chance of Aya letting this go and not asking questions was zero. The human woman loved Issei, and even with her issues she would never wish harm on him that couldn't be remedied by an ice pack and a little time.

"Issei is… protective of her." Raynare said, dancing around the thoughts in her head. She didn't want to be the one to say it, didn't want to be the one that would tell Aya just how she'd been causing Issei pain for years.

"Does that somehow mean that she is allowed to do whatever she wishes to someone who is incapable of anything but complying?"

Raynare winced, the way she worded it was too transparent, too close to the truth that Issei had hidden from her for so long. With Ruruko listening in from outside, it was already too late for things to stay out of the spotlight. It would be better for the truth to come out.

She just wished that it wouldn't have to be so painful for her friend.

"She doesn't know…"

"What?" It came from both Griselda and Aya at the same time, but with differing tones. Griselda's was still cold, and Aya's was a shaky, almost frightened one.

Raynare gave Aya a look full of pity, knowing full well how she was going to react.

It was no secret that Aya loved him. She had her problems, as everyone did. A case could be made to declare her an alcoholic, and if the truth were stretched a bit one could even say that she was verbally abusive towards Issei while intoxicated. When she was sober, Aya still had a relatively small fuse on her temper but was generally sweet towards him.

When Issei explained what made Aya the way she was, it all came together. The drinking brought out her insecurities of being left behind by those she cared for. She wanted to be in control, something she didn't have when she watched her sister be butchered along with his parents. It certainly showed in her sex life. If Aya was to feel pain, it was because she told Issei to deliver it. A slap to the ass, a hard pinch to the nipple, a bite on the collar.

"The dagger…" Raynare was finding it hard to speak with confidence as she watched Aya. "She doesn't know what it does to him."

Eyes that looked like polished steel widened slowly, stepping back as if she were being held at knifepoint.

"You're lying…" Aya shook her head, and she looked back at Raynare with pools of tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

"He would have told me!" Aya could deny it all she wanted, but the way her breathing quickened, short and choppy, and the reddening in the whites of her eyes spoke of the truth setting in.

She bumped into the counter behind her, one hand gripping its edge while the other clutched to her chest while she continued to stare at Raynare, hoping that she would say this wasn't true.

Griselda watched with a growing sense of dread, as the woman she had accused of being nothing more than a vile scourge on humanity started to come undone. She had seen many liars, one after another that tried to deny the truth with logic and reason rather than admitting what they'd done.

She could see that the grief spreading through Aya Minami was pure, entirely unaware of what she had actually done to the young man she claimed to love. Suddenly, it felt as though she was the evil one. An angel was supposed to be a being of peace, not a being to act as judge and jury.

"Ise loves you Aya." Raynare spoke softly as tears ran down Aya's face with a fastening pace.

"But not enough to tell me the truth…" After wiping at her eyes, Aya hid her face in her hands, speaking through sobs that were difficult to choke back.

"He…should have told me… I never meant to hurt him."

Raynare couldn't take it anymore. She'd only seen the woman this way once, it wasn't pleasant then, and it wasn't pleasant now. The steps between them were quick, wrapping her arms around the rather small figure, Raynare could feel the tension through her entire body.

"He just wants to protect you." Raynare whispered as a hand stroked down her lengthy locks, unrestrained as they usually were when she was off duty.

As this happened, a circle appeared beside Griselda's ear, gold and with a cross in the center surrounded by a crimson outline.

"Hello?" She spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the two in front of her.

The that came through made her stomach drop, more so after what he said.

"Griselda…where are you?"

Being who she was, there was nothing she could tell him other than the truth. She had only set out to try and make his life better after what she'd been told. Looking to the woman that he'd proposed to, Griselda had to admit that her first impressions were positive. It brought up a sentiment that Issei had spoken of once before. Did the birth of a person matter over than their deeds? Fallen, devil, human or otherwise, was it not the character of an individual that meant the most?

"I'm… in your home. I'm sorry Issei, I didn't know." That statement encompassed more than just the current situation.

She hadn't known of how he'd become an angel. She didn't know that he'd basically been tortured for the greater good because the Seraphs were concerned about what he could do in their name. She didn't know how his short incarceration had affected the woman he lived with in the long run, the things that he had to deal with on a daily basis.

She didn't know, but that was no excuse.

Griselda would make up for it, just as Gabriel was trying to do. He deserved a fair chance.

She closed the magic circle when she felt a presence outside, shifting slowly and starting to prepare some sort of magic of their own. In a flash, Griselda was at the door, flinging it open so fast that it smashed against the door stop and rushing towards the side where she'd felt the presence.

Coming around the corner and the bushes, she saw a young girl a year or two Issei's junior frantically trying to dismiss the blue magic circle.

Griselda caught her by the collar and was quick to drag her inside.

Too much had been spoken of to let her go without some questions being answered.

The former exorcist wasn't even sure if she struggled, so lost was she in her current thoughts. Before she knew it, she'd been standing in front of the twin tailed girl sitting on the couch, Raynare edging toward the living room with Aya still in her arms.

And then a golden cross with a crimson border appeared.

-LineBreak

The plane had been a fun experience, if not a little scary at first.

Brushing her golden hair away from her eyes, Asia Argento stepped out into the sunny day.

With her suit case dragging behind her, wheel broken and making the entire thing rattle and shake with each step, she made her way into the bustling airport.

Saying that this was the most densely populated area she'd ever encountered wasn't truly saying much, as her entire life had been in near isolation. Even during the sermons where she would heal the sick, Asia was set above and apart from the others.

There had only been one to truly get to know her, and he'd left long ago.

He must have known, her guardian angel, just how undeserving of God's love she was.

Healing a devil on holy ground…

She was stupid. Stupid, airheaded, clumsy, a good for nothing disappointment.

This time in exile was only the beginning, but she knew that she deserved it, knew that it was a trial from the Lord. She had misused his gift to her, and so her suffering and ensuing loneliness was the punishment.

But still… She wished to see him again, apologize for her sin, beg his forgiveness. He'd always been so kind, and she imagined that her guardian angel would offer some sort of guidance. More than that, she just wanted to be near her one and only friend.

Was this another of her sins, wishing for her friend's forgiveness above that of God's?

It was. It had to be. And it was just another example of how unworthy she was.

The doors opened with the same swoosh as the others, and the air conditioning gave way to that of a major city, wrought with people and cars and life.

There was supposed to be someone here to greet her, show her the way toward the church where she could make amends and work herself into the Lord's favor once more. She didn't know how long that would take, but she would endure.

Looking through the thick crowd, none of the signs held were written in her name.

The escort too, seemed to know that she wasn't worth helping. Truly, this was a trial of hardship.

Pulling the withered map from her satchel, Asia pronounced the name of the town she'd be heading to.

"Kuoh."

Whatever trial she was placed in, she'd accept with open arms. It was all because of her mistake.

Turning toward one of the airport staff, one that was wheeling the luggage cart from her own flight, she asked him gently.

"U-ummm… Excuse me sir, where can I find the transportation towards this town?" the small map in her hand had the name circled, which is where she pointed.

"Bus to the far left." He spoke with an accent that was nearly unintelligible to her, but the point had gotten across.

At least she could say she'd been able to find her way on her own…or mostly on her own.

When the door on the old bus closed a few minutes after she took her seat, Asia's mind wandered in directions she'd rather not think on. Her excommunication from the church.

For months she was quarantined as though she was a contagious virus, waiting for a decision to be made about her actions. As the days came and went, she wondered how they were going to kill her. They had called her a witch, and the Lord's punishment for witchcraft was death. Stoning, beheading, burning or hanging. Once the decision came that she was merely to be excommunicated, she had cried in relief, vowing to herself that she would be redeemed. It was only a matter of proving it.