Ophis' Inquisitiveness

Some years have passed since the wedding of Issei Hyoudou to his many wives and their tale ever expanding. Some children have even been born, but not a whole lot, and some on the way still. But one person, or rather dragon, still can't truly understand marriage, and this would be Ophis.

At this moment, Ophis is observing Issei from within his home. She sits on a railing and watches him below with Xenovia delivering the news that she has become pregnant with Issei's next child. She watches him with her emotionless look while he smiles warmly as does Xenovia and they embrace with Irina and Asia happily watching with smiles on their faces. Asia is even holding her own child with Issei, who was born a year ago.

While observing, Ophis stoically says "You didn't think I wouldn't notice you instantly, did you?" and doesn't turn her head to see Kuroka sitting on the railing next to her.

Kuroka sits more casually and is also watching Issei with the church trio and their reactions to Xenovia's news. "He's always smiles every single time. He smiled when I told him, he smiled when Akeno told him, and he definitely smiled when Asia told him. It just makes him so happy every single time." She comments while rubbing her stomach.

Ophis, curious about Kuroka, asks her "And what about you? Doesn't the idea of having a heavenly dragon's child make YOU happy? Isn't that what you desired?"

Kuroka shakes her head slightly and answers "It was my plan from the beginning. When Vali rejected having children with me, I did in fact tell the man I was willing to do him if it meant having powerful children. But that's changed now. Because I love that man, and I'm proud to say I'm having his child simply because it's who he is and not what he is."

Ophis stands up and comments "But why bother with marriage when no less than ten women are his brides. I fail to understand that label when it means nothing."

Before Ophis leaves, Kuroka retorts "But if it means nothing, then shouldn't you of all people understand it?"

Ophis smiles a little more and utters "Touché" before disappearing from sight.

Sometime later, Issei is in his room and getting ready for bed as he yawns. Life is busy for him these days but it does feel good to come home to his many wives as they lie asleep in a massive bed with him when they can, but this is one of those rare nights when he's alone because they have duties to attend to. He doesn't like sleeping alone as he's spent so many nights with Rias, Akeno, and Asia but with the added company over the years, he's really grown attached to having more than person sleep next to him.

He lies on his back and then says "What's up, Ophis?" and then Ophis reveals herself under the sheets of the bed next to him but in her adult form rather he usual small form.

Ophis looks towards the wall rather than Issei as she asks him "Issei, why did you marry all these women? I, don't understand the point when it's evident that what they wanted were children."

Issei doesn't even think when he responds "Well, Ophis, I really thought you'd be able to understand, at least a little. What exactly don't you get?"

Being born from nothing, Ophis doesn't understand marriage in the slightest and she can only reply "If I understood, I wouldn't be questioning you."

Issei smiles and then presents his own question "Then why did you ask me? Why not ask Azazel or Michael since they're way older and smarter than me. Heck, Azazel has had tons of harems from what he's told me. So why me specifically, Ophis?"

Ophis' eyes widen a little and now she looks at Issei then thinks for a minute. After searching herself, Ophis answers "I'm not sure actually. I am fond of you, but I have no desires to call myself a wife, nor do I desire to have a child with you."

Issei sighs and shakes his head to tell her "Ophis, being a husband isn't about calling yourself something or even having kids, but I guess that second one is definitely in the cards for me. It's about promising yourself to a very special person. I just happened to find several special in my life. Rias, the woman who saved me and cared about me, Asia, the woman who I rescued and gave a home, and the others are all people who are very special to me. What other reason did I need?"

However, Ophis rebukes "But you didn't marry Yuuto Kiba, and I thought you and him were very close, so why not marry him?"

Issei gets a few flashbacks about peoples insinuations of him and Kiba and replies "Yeah, well, that's uh, a bit different."

Ophis thinks for a moment again and says "I, still fail to see any of your points. Although, this may be my own fault, I still fail understand your reasoning." She disappears as soon as she finishes her statement.

It's not long after this that Ophis makes her next visit to get more answers. Akeno is her next person of interest as she has birthed the eldest child, Kurenai Himejima. Akeno is currently at her family's temple showing him around. Kurenai has his mother's black hair and is wrapped in a red blanket as his mother carries him around.

While explaining to her child about her own time with her family, Akeno senses Ophis as the dragon appears behind her. Still in her adult form, Ophis approaches as Akeno turns around to greet her.

Ophis gets to the point as she asks "Why did you marry Issei? I don't see the point since he has multiple wives, but you birthed a child first, so I figured you may have had him first."

Akeno giggles a little and replies "Well, having a child first doesn't mean I've had his virginity…in the normal sense that is." She replies while lightly tickling her son. She then says "Someone needs a nap" while Kurenai giggles.

After putting Kurenai down for a nap, Akeno invites Ophis for tea to further talk about this matter. After pouring some tea, Akeno then starts the conversation again "So, why bother questioning a relationship that has nothing to do with you?"

Ophis sips some tea, and then adds sugar, while answering "I'm curious because Issei is someone I've become attached to and I want to understand his feelings, or at least understand this love he supposedly feels towards you all."

Akeno finishes her cup and then explains "Then I think you're doing this in the wrong way. It's not just that he loves us, we love in a special way that we've never felt before. He's always had feelings for Rias, but then he proposed to us with different feelings in each confession, so, you'd have to ask him about all of us, and ask all of us about him to even get an idea. But if I'm being sadistically honest, I really doubt you'd understand then."

Ophis suddenly disappears without Akeno so much as seeing it, but her words did have an impact. Ophis is now at Kuoh Academy sitting on the roof and watches people down below until she catches something, a guy walking near an empty area, near the incinerator of the school, holding a love letter, and she becomes curious.

She studies the situation as a girl shows up and the two have typical "love letter" scenario and Ophis wonders if this may to do with anything, but decides it's not Issei's thing considering his marriages didn't involve this.

However, she does come up with an idea as she thinks "Maybe I'm approaching this in the wrong manner. Maybe I'm better off understanding what doesn't work. The love letter scenario didn't work in Issei's love life, so maybe I should make a list."

Before she can move on, Ophis hears "Well, you've become very curious these days, haven't you?" and she recognizes the voice immediately when she looks and sees Vali standing behind her.

Ophis turns and tells him "I don't have time to listen to you, Vali. I have more interesting things to look for."

Vali shrugs and tells her "You're not going find an answer to Issei's love for his wives, and not certainly by studying teen romance. Just not how it work."

Ophis looks further down again and sees similar scenarios in different areas, like a couple going into a storage room, another breaking up, and even a stalker scenario. While the storage room has happened to Issei before, the other three have not and she thinks that Vali might be right in this regard.

Still, in spite of this, Ophis makes one more effort to at least understand and make her own contribution to his family. She talks to all of the girls Issei has married from Rias all the way to Rossweisse and during each of their conversations, Ophis takes something from them as each girl has a serpent-shaped light removed from their bodies Each one gets a unique color that Ophis holds in her palm creating a rainbow.

The colors are, Red for Rias, Purple for Akeno, Green for Asia, Yellow for Irina, White for Koneko, Black for Kuroka, Blue for Xenovia, Orange for Ravel, and Pink for Rossweisse. She condenses the serpents in her palm and the many colors turn to small gems of each color and another light emits from her other palm.

Ophis actually smiles at seeing the light while she looks at the gems in her other palm. Now, she's ready for the new meeting with Issei. He's in a hotel room while just getting back from a panel about discussing new changes in the Brave Saints and Evil Pieces system being adjusted for balance purposes.

He sits on his bed, dead tired, and asks "What do you want now, Ophis?" His voice tired from his long day as he falls onto his bed next to a nude Ophis, still in her adult form.

She bluntly states "I'm here so that you can put a baby in me."

Issei looks confused when he asks "But aren't you genderless?"

Ophis answers "Yes, but I have shape shifting abilities, so creating a uterus for myself is really simple for me."

In spite of this, Issei puts an arm around Ophis and tells her "Sorry, but I've promised to stay loyal to my wives. Otherwise, I'd totally take you for a ride."

Ophis gets on top of him with her blank look and responds "I know, I was just having fun at your expense. Rather, I have a gift for you." She summons the gems and they are now formed into a pendant that Ophis places around Issei's neck.

Issei sits up as Ophis moves aside and looks at the beautiful gem in awe "Whoa, what's this thing about?" he asks with wonder in his voice.

Ophis now has her clothes on and tells him "That's a memento of my promise to stay by your side, and a reminder to you of your wives and the promises you have to each of them. Cherish it, Issei. It's their feelings given a solid form.

Issei nods and promises "Okay, then I promise to never take this pendant off as long as I live."

Ophis lays him down and then suggests "Now go to sleep."

Issei's eyes become curious while he asks "Wait, why do you say that?"

Ophis waves her arm and Issei falls asleep instantly and then he falls on the bed snoring soundly. While he sleeps, Ophis crawls closer to him and then places her lips and his and thinks "So, this is what a kiss of affection is like." While she kisses Issei, a final dragon-shaped light comes from his hand and Ophis extracts it and puts it in her palm.

After finishing her kiss, Ophis sits atop Issei's sleeping form and wonders "Maybe I could afford to have a little more fun, but then again…" The evening goes by with some thinking needed to be involved.

A few months later

Ophis, back in her child-like form, approaches an egg-shaped object in a secret room she created as housing for her little project. She views what appears to be the forming of a small sphere. She holds the lights of Issei's wives she took and then the light she took from Issei and then places them in the egg-like object.

Ophis gazes as the lights enter the egg and they combine and form around inside of it as the rainbow lights then shine as a singular dark purple slit forms giving the object the appearance of an eye. Ophis then smiles and assumes her adult form once more and she says "Good, now for the final step."

Ophis then takes the egg and holds it to her body as she absorbs it into her stomach and she estimates "It'll probably take years, but it'll be worth it when my child is born. My child will understand love the way I can't. In fact, I can't wait for you to be born." She rubs her stomach a bit as the light fades and she stares blankly at the wall with her mind wandering.

Ophis then appears atop her place from when she first talked with Kuroka, who is holding a baby girl in her arms as she asks "So, feeling a bit better about the love talk?"

Looking at the happy newborn girl, Ophis nods and says "I don't have my answer yet, but I'll get it eventually. I just need patience and time, which I have plenty of at this point." Kuroka wondering what she's talking about. But Ophis will be more than happy to wait as she rubs her stomach more, making Kuroka wonder about what Ophis is up to, but she stops when her newborn daughter gets cranky and wants her meal. Ophis watches as Kuroka leaves and then stares down at Issei lovingly hold his son Kurenai, who is learning to walk. She envisions a similar future for herself, and the potential birth of a new dragon god.