Chapter 20: Realizations. A desperate plea.
Opening 1: Sequentia - Asriel.
Aristides finished his story of his training with Son Wukong. It was two hour long tale. Needless to say, Kunou and Kuroka were beyond shocked of what they heard.
"That was quite a story, nya." Kuroka admitted.
The girls were speechless, unable to think of how much Aristides suffered.
"You came back to me in about an hour after you left. Amaterasu told me Son Wukong picked you up for training." Kunou said.
"The time in Gaia is different than in Earth. If anything, I'm just surprised that an hour past from my departure." Aristides admitted.
Kunou soon held Aristides close to her body. She recalled the painful memories of him suffering from the Geostigma crisis, especially his hopelessness. When she heard those parts of the story, the kitsune nearly broke down. Kuroka sympathized with her as well, hearing of his altruism.
"I may have suffered a lot from that time, but I'm not willing to give up. I'll have to embrace my dreams so I can continue to the future." Aristides said.
"What dream is that, Aristides-kun?" Kunou asked.
"It might sound silly, but I want to protect Kyoto and Greece. Kyoto is where my mother was born in and where I was also raised. The people there saw me as their own and I want to repay them for guiding me. The people in Greece raised me as a warrior for the purpose of protecting the people I'm close to. I'm forever grateful for what they have done." Aristides explained.
Kunou and Kuroka gave a soft smile, hearing his explanation. It had his altruistic mind expressed.
"That's just like you, Aristides-kun. You protected Kunou and me, nya." Kuroka said.
Kunou merely hugged him close, pressing her chest in his body. Aristides blushed in response till Kuroka joined in, making his face equal to that of a tomato.
"That's a part of you that I love. You help others without care of yourself. I don't want to lose you, Aristides-kun." Kunou said with a soft smile.
Kunou kissed him on his lips. The demi-god melted in the kiss and closed his eyes in bliss. Kuroka watched with jealousy as the couple continued locking their lips.
"Mou, don't leave me out from this, nya." Kuroka playfully pouted.
Kunou and Aristides separated from their kiss with a healthy blush in their faces. Kuroka took the initiative and quickly kissed his lips. The demi-God's face turned a darker red from heavy blushing. He noted the taste from the kiss, much to his bashful mind.
'It's sweet... Kunou's was sweeter, but Kuroka's has a different flavor...' Aristides thought.
Steam was visibly puffing out of his ears. Aristides barely remained conscious as Kuroka kept holding her kiss long enough with bliss.
'He feels so warm and bright... I can see why Kunou loves him dearly.' Kuroka thought.
Aristides could barely stand, fatigued from lack of stamina and blushing red. He collapsed on the floor, lightheaded.
"Ara, He always faints when he gets too excited or his blushing goes too hard. Its okay, Kuroka. He'll be waking up in an hour or so." Kunou reassured.
Kuroka only giggled as she looked at the goofy expression on Aristides's face.
######
During the night, Aristides woke up from his recent fainting. He realized it was 6:45 PM.
'Oh no...! I forgot that I had to cook tonight!' Aristides thought.
However, he felt his left arm being held on tightly. Underneath the covers, Kuroka was holding on to him.
"Awake, sleeping prince?" Kuroka teased.
"Gah, Kuroka! Don't surprise me like that..." Aristides pouted.
"Nyahahaha! You looked cute if you kept pouting." She laughed.
Aristides gave a deadpan stare as Kuroka laughed. She held the demi-god close, pressing her assets on his body.
"Does my body excite you? Kunou and I have the same size and allure." Kuroka commented, emphasizing her figure.
Aristides blushed red. He quickly dashed outside his room while Kuroka had a sultry smile on her face.
'He's such a cute, innocent boy. I might end up teasing him with Kunou.' Kuroka thought.
######
Aristides was nervous from his recent teasing moment with Kuroka. He was frantically cooking dinner to sort his thoughts out.
"Δεν αποκαλύπτω στις επιθυμίες μου... Δεν αποκαλύπτω στις επιθυμίες μου..." Aristides spoke in a mantra in Greek.
He began cooking by using a special soup with rice on the side. The main course was lentil soup with carrots.
"Ελπίζω να μην μου συμβαίνει αυτό συχνά." Aristides comically spoke in Greek.
He was still flustered, which made him start speaking Greek. However, the cooking helped calm him down. Aristides eventually regained enough control to revert back to Japanese.
'Finally, my mind is calm... For a minute, I thought I would be a nervous wreck.' Aristides thought.
Soon, Kunou sneaked up behind him and clamped on his back, pressing her body on him. Aristides shrieked in the sudden response.
"Kunou-chan! Mou, you don't have to do that." Aristides complained.
"I like it when I do. Plus, Kuroka was the one who did the same thing to you. I don't want to lose to her." Kunou declared.
'Since when am I a prize for a relation?' Aristides thought.
Kuroka came downstairs and smelled the Greek cuisine being prepared. Her mouth dropped from the aroma.
"Wow... I never smelled something this delicious before, nya. This is not a Japanese meal, nya." Kuroka guessed.
"Nice guess. It's a Mediterranean style meal. It's a lentil soup, but it has rice as a side serving. The people in Greece often eat bread and feta cheese in almost any meal. I just kept the tradition for the Japanese meal instead." Aristides explained.
Soon, the soup was finally prepared. Kunou and Kuroka has their first taste of the soup. Soon, they gasped with a bright blush on their face. They had a pleasured expression.
"It's so good..." Kunou said with bliss.
"So...savory..." Kuroka followed.
Both girls were enthralled by the taste. They nearly screamed with pleasure upon tasting it. Soon, they began scarfing the soup.
'I guess they never had a Greek meal before... I didn't expect them to react like this though.' Aristides thought with a sweat drop on his head.
The girls had a satisfied, content expression after eating their meals. Aristides also had his fill and ate sincerely. He gave a few glances to the girls whom are lying in the floor with a blissful look.
'I guess Hestia's teaching of housekeeping and cooking made it seem lively here.' Aristides thought, chuckling to himself.
######
Aristides finished his meal and began washing the dishes. Kunou barely stood up from the experience of pleasure from eating the demi-god's cooking.
"L-Let me help take care of the dishes, Aristides-kun." Kunou said with a stutter.
(Play Final Fantasy IV OST - Rosa's Love Orchestral Remix)
Kuroka soon got up and went upstairs to his bedroom. Aristides and Kunou had a confused expression before focusing on washing the dishes. Kunou likened the action of a newly married couple.
'It does feel like we're a family. Aristides and I...married together...' Kunou thought.
Her face was lost in a daydream for a moment till she composed herself, much to her embarrassment. Luckily, Aristides didn't noticed as he was busy washing the dishes.
'Thank goodness he didn't notice me...' Kunou thought, embarrassed.
She wiped the dishes Aristides washed dry with a drying cloth. A few minutes have passed and all the dishes were washed. After taking a short breather, Kunou looked at Aristides, who was resting on a sofa, looking outside. It made her feel more inclined to be near him. She scooted closer to the demi-god, pressing herself in him. Adding further to her alluring charm, she let her ears and tails out.
"Kunou-chan?" Aristides questioned.
"Aristides-kun... Do you ever regret being with me?" She asked.
The demi-god was surprised of the question. He held her close, causing her ears to move up in awareness.
"It's a no brainer for me, Kunou-chan. I never regret being with you. We've known each other as kids and stayed close together. You were there when I nearly lost myself." Aristides explained.
Kunou remembered when he looked hopeless after his mother's death. She held him close before leaning in and kissing his lips. Aristides didn't hesitate and returned the kiss.
'It's so warm... I love his aura and his spirit when he's happy.' Kunou thought.
Kunou held his arms tightly, blissful of the sensation. Aristides didn't faint nor blushed. They soon parted, staring at each other's eyes for a moment.
"I'm not certain of what we will have to face in the future... However, I know we will have to prepare ourselves. Kunou... I don't want to lose you..." He said, holding her close.
Kunou couldn't help but hold Aristides close. She felt his heart waver from his speech. She knew he had some scars from the battle in Gaia.
"Don't worry, Aristides-kun. I will be with you." Kunou said.
The couple shared a kiss, showing their love with each other. A small tear escaped from Kunou's left eye. This made Aristides wipe the tear off. She looked somewhat tired.
"Are you okay, Kunou-chan?" Aristides asked.
"We should head to bed, Aristides-kun." She said.
"I know. We got to deal with school tomorrow." Aristides said.
"Um... If it's not too much, can you carry me to our bedroom? My legs started feeling a bit numb." Kunou asked.
Aristides gave a soft smile. Soon, he held Kunou up like a princess. He walked his way to the bedroom, holding the kitsune near him.
(Rosa's Love Orchestral Remix OST ends here)
######
Kuroka heard Aristides and Kunou coming inside. She was waiting patiently till she saw them open the door. The nekomata noticed a soft glow of light from both the demi-god and the kitsune.
"Ara... Aren't we glowing for the night, nya?" Kuroka teased.
"Kuroka...!" Aristides blushed.
"We had a heart-to-heart time back in the kitchen. I'm the alpha female since he chose me first." Kunou said.
'She had to say that to Kuroka in such a manner? Wait a minute, which means...! Oh no...' Aristides thought with comical dread.
"Nya, that doesn't mean I'll be giving him up. I need him to repopulate my kind. His genes are what will lead my kind's revival, nya." Kuroka said.
Aristides looked away from Kuroka, flustered. Much to the nekomata's amusement of teasing him, his face turned like a ripe tomato.
"Please don't tease him too much, Kuroka..." Kunou pouted.
Aristides was still flustered. He eventually collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. Kunou and Kuroka leaned close to him as he was sleeping quietly. Both girls fell asleep.
######
Today was Friday and it was morning. Aristides was walking his way to school. Kunou was with him, holding his right arm close.
'I'll never get used to this...' Aristides thought, blushing.
Soon, Issei noticed the couple and came up to them.
"Miyamoto-san! Inari-san!" He called out.
The couple turned their heads and saw Issei heading to them.
"Hey Hyoudou-san. How are you doing?" Aristides asked.
"I'm doing okay. How about you two?" Issei asked calmly.
"We're both okay." Kunou responded.
Issei still felt somewhat tense from his ordeal with the demons. Aristides and Kunou noticed his tense posture.
'I don't blame him if he feels uncomfortable. I pity the poor guy.' Aristides thought with sympathy.
'He was suddenly thrown into the world of the supernatural without knowing anything. I don't want to know what might happen to him.' Kunou thought with concern.
Issei managed to calm himself down, remembering Aristides protected him.
"That's good. It's okay if you two call me 'Issei.' My friends often do so." Issei replied.
"Same for us, Issei-san. 'Aristides' is okay for me." Aristides agreed.
"Me too." Kunou said.
Issei felt comfortable with the couple. He still had the shapeshifting sword with him in its pen form. The trio walked into the school, not noticing two Devil peerages were watching them.
"It seems that we will not be able to recruit that boy." Sona said.
"That demi-god is not one to underestimate... He's powerful... I don't think both of us would stand a chance." Rias shivered.
Their peerages recalled the sensation they felt when Bahamut was summoned to aid Aristides. They knew to keep away from him.
######
During lunch break, Aristides, Issei, and Kunou were eating lunch in their classroom. The classmates had their time talking with their friends.
"I still can't get over the fact you two came from Kyoto." Issei said, comically shaking his head.
Aristides and Kunou chuckled in response. Hearing the same reaction from the class during their first arrival in Kuoh proved to be amusing to them. Issei also chuckled in response.
"We get that a lot. Though I find it funny when some people do that." Aristides admitted.
"It's our home though. If anything, it represents the culture of Japan itself." Kunou said.
As the trio talked with each other, Rias and Akeno have a few glances to them.
"I don't think we can recruit the transfer student to your peerage, Buchou." Akeno said.
"I have to find a way... My life is tied because of that man's contract. I won't let him dictate my freedom nor will I want to be with him." Rias said, desperate.
######
Classes have ended for the day. Aristides, Kunou and Issei were walking their way to the school gates before they suddenly felt several presences near them. Aristides and Kunou knee they weren't alone.
"Whoever's hiding, show yourself." Aristides demanded.
Rias and Akeno showed themselves. Immediately, Aristides equipped his Fusion Sword in response.
"You... It seems you haven't learned your lesson. What do you want from us?" Aristides asked with a snarl.
"I need your help..." Rias said, sounding hopeless.
Aristides held his sword, watching Rias for a brief moment. He was gauging her to make sure she wasn't lying. There were no signs of deceit.
"Why are you asking me for help?" Aristides questioned warily.
"My life is bound by a contract and I want my freedom... I've been chosen to an arranged marriage with someone I don't love." Rias revealed.
"And...? Why are you asking us for help for this?" Aristides asked.
Rias was already at the brink of breaking down. Everyone noticed tears were collecting in her eyes.
"I don't have much hope left for me... I needed to find someone capable of fighting off this person..." She said.
Aristides could see the tears streaming from her eyes. Though his hate for the Devils lingered, his heart said otherwise.
"Who is the person arranged for your marriage and when will he show himself?" Aristides questioned.
"The groom-to-be's name is Raider Phenex. He will show himself in a few months." Rias said.
Aristides pressed a button on the Fusion Sword, turning it into a pen with multiple ink slots. He pocketed the pen in his pants.
"Don't mistaken my actions for mercy. I have no qualms of assisting your kind, no matter the situation. I also don't wish to receive anything from you." Aristides warned.
Rias knew she was on thin ice. Seeing how he acted hateful yet composed, Rias calmed herself.
"Thank you." She said with hope.
"You shouldn't... By the way, who arranged this marriage to you? I can tell that this is someone whom you don't want to be with." Aristides deduced.
"My brother and my father decided to arrange the marriage to me. They believed it was under the rule of providing more pure blood Devils to the Underworld." Rias said.
Kunou could see Aristides slowly overcoming his hate. She smiled, seeing that he was starting to let go of his hate.
"Mind if I ask who your brother is?" The demi-god asked.
"Sirzechs... His name is Sirzechs Lucifer." Rias revealed.
Immediately, a sudden flood of Aristides's aura suddenly washed at Rias. She felt the powerful force overwhelm her, causing her to fall to her knees. Akeno responded by quickly reaching to her, glaring at Aristides.
"So... It's THAT MAN who failed as a leader to discipline his kind... Now he is causing grief to his own sister..." Aristides spoke with an eerily calm voice.
Rias and Akeno were shaking. They could feel his hatred within the aura. Kunou and Issei weren't fairing any better due to their close proximity.
"Consider this ordeal as though it didn't happen... Also, Rias... Don't come back to me looking for help, even if it's the last stand you have to make." Aristides forewarned.
Rias could only nod in response. Aristides, Kunou and Issei left the premises of the school. They could tell the demi-god was still tense.
######
Back at their safe house, Aristides was able to calm himself down. Kunou held his right hand close to help alleviate his stressful encounter.
"Its okay, Aristides-kun. They didn't do anything to us." Kunou reassured.
"I just feel awful for helping them. It's still unforgiving of them to let their members wander astray like that." Aristides said.
Kunou held Aristides close to her. Kuroka also came, sensing Aristides's distress.
"Nya, looks like you had a bad day today, Aristides-kun... What happened?" Kuroka asked.
"We recently have been contacted from one of the Devil peerages for a task. She was at wits end." Kunou informed.
"What kind of task did she assign, Nya?" Kuroka questioned curiously.
"She wanted us to dissolve an arranged marriage that she's in. From her, all she wishes is freedom for choosing who to marry." Kunou explained.
Kuroka frowned from hearing the explanation. The nekomata heard of the Devil's customs for marriage between pure blood Devils, though it was an outdated performance.
"That does sound surprising but also concerning. We don't know who the bachelor is.
"We do. It's Raider Phenex." Kunou answered.
Kuroka had her frown turn to anger in response. The name was like a trigger to her.
"That person is one of the Devils whom hunted my kind... I will never forgive him for what he had done..." Kuroka replied with a hiss.
"Looks like we have a shared grudge. Kuroka, I don't mind helping you take him down. If you want to fight alongside me, then I don't see any reasons to refuse you." Aristides smiled.
Kuroka has a surprised but happy expression on her face.
"Aristides-kun, thank you. It makes me feel happy to hear that, nya." Kuroka said, rubbing her face to the demi-god.
Kunou poured for a moment before she began rubbing her face to him. Aristides had his head sandwiched from the nine tailed fox and nekomata.
"I intend to keep my part of my promise. However, I know the Devils won't appreciate your presence very well. You were able to kill the one that almost attempted to recruit you." Aristides warned.
"I know... I'm no longer afraid of them. If they find me, I will fight back." Kuroka stated.
Aristides rubbed her head, causing Kuroka to purr loudly. Kunou felt somewhat left out, but she then felt her head being rubbed gently. She saw the demi-god looking at her. This made her smile in response.
"Since today was Friday, we should call it a day before going out tomorrow. We may need to shop for some clothes for you, Kuroka." Aristides said.
"Nya? What is wrong with my clothes? They don't cause any problems." Kuroka said.
"Well, you can't just wear a yukata all the time. Perhaps we can show you the clothes that the humans have made. It can be something to your liking." Kunou suggested.
"Okay, nya. I like that our man is willing to shop for some clothes for me. Mind if I come?" The nekomata asked.
"Do you really need to ask?" Aristides chuckled.
Kuroka had a happy smile and lunged at Kunou and Aristides. They all laughed as they held each other close.
(Ending 1: Gundam Seed Destiny OST - Kimi wa Boku ni Niteiru)
Note: to the new reviewers.
Neonlyphe: I like that you binge read my story. Stay tuned for more chapters.
Rawrking: If you don't like the story then don't read it. Also, the original scene showed the elder wizard drinking the potion, not the young one. There's your difference.
Now for the Greek Translations:
I won't indulge in my desires.
I hope I don't have that happening to me a lot.