Chapter Thirty-Two - (Epilogue 2) Moving Day
The evening was like all the other's for Vin. He'd come to know life in Azazel's apartment as a rather comfortable, if slightly impractical life. But the Governor General was an interesting person to talk to, and the two got along well, Vin certainly wasn't complaining.
No, in fact, he rather enjoyed the life he had for himself now. However, when he sat down at the table for dinner, it seemed like fate once again had come to reap his satisfaction.
"Hey Vin," Azazel swallowed down a gulp of red wine, "I'm planning on kicking you out."
Vin choked, sputtering on his mouthful of water. Quickly swallowing his drink with wide eyes, Vin turned to face his boss with shock.
"What?! What do you mean?!"
"You can't stay here forever, Kiddo," Azazel reiterated, "You have to have known that."
"I mean, sure…" Vin acknowledged, "But what's the plan? I don't have a place to go, do I?"
"That you do, actually," Azazel smirked, "I've been talking to 'Zechs a lot more, and we've decided a few things."
Vin poked at his steak with his fork, "Such as..?"
"Well for one, I wanted to get you back in school, starting next semester," Azazel pointed his fork at the teen sitting across the table, "You're a bright kid, and to keep you out of school is basically just wasting that talent."
"Fine, that makes enough sense," Vin admitted, "So what else is happening?"
"For one, a few days ago, I suggested that the entirety of Rias Gremory's peerage moves into the Sekiryuutei's house," Azazel explained, stroking his chin, "'Zechs was in agreement with that one. After all, it seems the Sekiryuutei this time grows more powerful with the promise of oppai. Hah~ A man after my own heart."
Vin looked down at his dinner and frowned. Sure, Issei was a good person… Honestly, Vin considered him a friend already. After all, nothing built friendship quite like experiencing tribulations together. Still, the thought of Xenovia, his girlfriend, being ogled up sparked a little blossom of ugly emotions in the pit of his gut.
"However, I suggested that you move in as well."
"Huh?" Vin looked up from his dinner in confusion.
"What, did you think I wouldn't?" Azazel asked, "C'mon kid, there's no reason why I wouldn't want you with them. First of all, it's good for you to be around kids your own age. Not to mention, it never hurts to have eyes and ears in there."
Azazel's eyes gleamed, "Plus, an unknown Sacred Gear, and the Boosted Gear that managed to steal Divine Dividing… I'm curious how prolonged exposure may cause those two to change…"
"So I'm going to be a lab rat or a spy…" Vin groaned.
Azazel barked out a laugh, "It sounds terrible if you put it like that, Kid! I'm asking you to be with your friends, that's all. Speaking of which, are you up for a field trip after dinner?"
"A field trip?" Vin raised a brow.
"Well, if you're going to move, you need your stuff, no?" Azazel grinned, "Like I said, I've been in contact with the other factions, which means we've got the go-ahead to pick up a few things you've left behind…"
"You don't mean.."
"Yep, hurry up and finish eating, Kid. We're taking a trip to Italy."
Rome, Italy
1:00 pm
Vin stepped out of the dingy, empty building that once was the storefront for A and V Electronics. Breathing in the air, and relishing in the warm afternoon sun, a wave of emotions welled up within him. Longing, regret, satisfaction, nostalgia, and above all else, a distinct feeling of being homesick.
"Never thought I'd be back here so soon…" Vin muttered to himself.
Rome hadn't changed nearly as much as he thought in the time since he'd left. It was to be expected, he supposed. In all reality, he'd been gone for maybe a month now, but with everything that happened during that short period of time, it might as well have been a lifetime since he set foot on Italian soil.
A hand clamped down on the teen's shoulder, turning around, Azazel's concerned gaze met his eyes.
"Are you ready to go?"
Vin blinked out of his stupor, "Yeah, lead the way."
The two men walked out into the busy afternoon streets of Rome. People passing by every which way, each and every person on their own journeys. Frankly, it was a nice, memorable feeling for him, being back amongst his own people, in the country he truly called home. Vin let his thoughts wander as he mindlessly followed his boss down the street.
Turns out that was a bit of a mistake, as a moment later, the feeling of colliding with something roused him from his mind with a jolt, all while he fell to the sidewalk on his bottom, with a groan. The poor person who walked into him was also sitting on the ground a pace away from him, nursing their head as they groaned.
Looking by his feet, Vin spotted an assortment of different items scattered from a tan leather purse, some makeup, lipstick, a small pocket mirror, a coin pouch.
Quickly, Vin scrambled to pick up all of the items, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."
"That's alright, it's my fault too," Came the feminine voice of Vin's fellow victim, "I was running to catch up with my friends, and totally body-checked you there."
Vin's eyes widened as the voice passed his ears. That tone, that inflection… It was all too familiar. No, no, no… It couldn't be her, he wasn't ready, he didn't know if he'd ever be ready to see her again.
Slowly, Vin tilted his head up from the pavement, and his breath caught in his throat.
Lisa.
How long had it been since he'd seen his sister, nearly a year? All that time had changed her, she seemed a bit taller now, probably since her birthday had passed since he'd been gone. Her hair now sported a fade into a gentle orange highlight. Overall, she exuded a vibe of maturity that Vin hadn't ever seen from his baby sister. So much about her had changed, and yet, she was still so like the same little girl that he had to choke out a goodbye to all those months ago.
"Uh… Hello?" Lisa waved a hand in front of Vin's face, startling him, "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
He might as well have, honestly.
"Sorry, I'm alright," Vin lied through his teeth, all while that painful reminder searing itself into his mind.
She doesn't remember who you even are anymore…
"Cool, cool…" Lisa drawled, before her eyes lit up, "Oh, you grabbed all my stuff for me! Thanks so much, that's sweet of you."
"You're welcome," Came Vin's stilted reply, as he dropped the items back into Lisa's purse.
"Hey, Lisa! Are you coming or what?!" Another voice called out from the crowd, another girl that Vin recognized as one of Lisa's old friends waved.
"I'll be right there, Melissa!" Lisa scrambled to her feet, before turning back to Vin with a smile, "Thank so much, uh…"
"Vin."
"Right. Sorry about all of that Vin," Lisa apologized with a grin.
The girl turned around to walk away, before freezing for a brief moment.
"Vin… Vin…" Lisa murmured, before she turned around, "Hey, I know this is going to sound weird, but have we met before? That name sounds familiar, and I've got like, the biggest case of Deja-Vu fight now."
Vin's body halted immediately. There was no way… The memory wipe must have still left behind some trace feelings in a person, his rational side concluded. But the rest of his mind began to twist itself into knots. Was this his chance? How easily could he possibly let her know the truth? Maybe Azazel could help them all remember, or even reverse the spell…
But… But that wasn't ideal was it? Vin's mind flashed with memories and images of his friends, his found family. Xenovia, Irina, Ezekiel, Jafar, Vanessa, Ethan, Griselda, Issei, Asia, Rias, Akeno…
As much as it pained him to admit it… As much as it threatened to crush his heart to smithereens. His place was no longer with his birth family. That time had come to pass, and he couldn't turn back, no matter how much he wanted to.
Vin slowly got to his feet, slowly shaking his head, "... No, no, you must have me mistaken for someone else."
"Really? Damn, I really thought… You know what, never mind," Lisa waved off, "Sorry about all that, and the weird question, see you around!"
Vin watched Lisa run off to her friends with eyes that threatened to spill over into tears, a small, fragile smile coming to his face as the group of girls left laughing and joking with each other.
"Yeah… See you around…" Vin whispered, his fist clenching by his side, "...Someday…"
"Vin!" The gruff voice of Azazel called out, "We're going to miss the bus. Wait, are you… Did something just happen?"
Vin wiped his eyes on the long sleeve of his shirt, "I'm fine. Just… Had a little blast from the past for a moment there."
"I see," Azazel nodded, "Anyway, c'mon kiddo, we're burning daylight here!"
"Right, right, coming!" Vin took off, following his boss, as he walked further and further away from his sister and her group…
"Do you think they're here yet?" Irina puffed from her perch on top of a large crate.
Ezekiel pinched his brow, "Irina, you're only going to drive yourself into the depths of insanity if you continue to broach the topic."
"Well I'm sorry," Irina pouted, swinging her legs back and forth, "Management told us they would come to pick up his stuff at 1, and it's already 1:17, so where are they?"
"They'll arrive when they arrive," Ezekiel hummed, looking to the sky while flexing the mechanical fingers of his right hand, "Sinclair has always been an avid believer that patience is a virtue."
"Mouuu~" Irina deflated, her chin dropping into the palms of her hands, "I just want to see Vinny again, already!"
"Well, it would appear that your prayers have been answered," Ezekiel's nose twitched, as he leveled his gaze towards the crowd, "I can feel them coming."
"Really?! Where, where!?" Irina sprung up, gazing around like a hawk, before her eye locked onto two figures approaching the steps where they sat, "Heeeeeeyyyy! Vinny, over here!"
"Irina? Zeke? What are you two doing?" Vin gawked.
"Well, we were told that you were coming to pick up your stuff, so we thought we'd see you off!" Irina beamed.
"Seriously?" Vin blushed, rubbing the back of his head, "Thanks guys, you didn't have to do that."
"It's quite alright. We wished to do so," Ezekiel nodded, "Griselda wanted to join us, but unfortunately, she's been called away for work."
"Really?"
"Indeed. Something related to a scouting operation in Romania," Ezekiel shrugged.
"Romania?" Azazel hummed as he emerged from the crowd by Vin's side, "That's Vampire territory, why the hell would the Church want to start edging into there?"
"Ah, Governor General Azazel, a pleasure to see you," Ezekiel bowed his head in respect, "Unfortunately, I'm both lacking in information on the matter, and even if I perhaps held such knowledge, I would be unable to disclose any of it."
"Nah, it's cool," Azazel waved off, "Just wondering. I'll ask Michael about it if I get the time later."
"So Vinny, what's your plan with all this stuff?" Irina asked.
"Oh, he's moving into the Sekiryuutei's place," Azazel idly mentioned, his attention absorbed in his phone, as he typed a quick message, before pocketing the device once again.
"You mean Issei's house?" Irina questioned, "How are you going to do that? His family has a pretty big house, but not that big…"
"That's what I've been wondering," Vin grumbled, "But apparently, Azazel's already gotten the go-ahead, and they're ready to take me in tonight."
"Yep. Best not to leave them waiting after all, Kid," Azazel butt in, walking up to the crates, "You wanna say goodbye to your friends while I take care of these?
"Sure, how are you going to-"
Vin's words died in his throat as Azazel planted his hand on one of the crates, causing the box to disappear in an instant.
"You can do that?"
"Kid, I can teleport the two of us across the globe in an instant unharmed. Warping some boxes is so incredibly easy compared to that."
"... You know what? Fair enough," Vin replied.
"Vin," The emerald-eyed teen turned around to find Ezekiel's extended fist standing before him, "'Till next we meet, my comrade."
Vin smiled, as he reciprocated the fist-bump, "Of course, I'll see you soon. Both of you."
"Aw~! Come here you two!" Irina jumped behind the two boys, looping an arm around each of them, and pulling them into a tight group hug.
Vin floundered for a moment, and Ezekiel grew a titanic blush. Irina's head dropped down to their level as she whispered, breath tickling their ears.
"You guys are the best, you know that?"
The three wrapped their arms tightly around each other, until Azazel eventually called out for them.
"That's the last of them sent over. C'mon Vin, it's time to go."
Breaking off from the hug, Vin stepped back, a peaceful smile decorating his face.
"Thank you guys, I needed that."
"No problem!" Irina's grin was as bright as the Italian sun, "Now remember to keep in touch alright? Don't be a stranger!"
"Indeed," Ezekiel nodded, "Farewell, my friend."
Vin stepped over to Azazel's side, a small magical circle appearing around their feet.
"Likewise. Goodbye you guys."
And in a flash, the two Fallen Angels vanished without a trace.
The very first thing Vin noticed was that Azazel had certainly not sent them back to the apartment. Instead of the familiar modern furniture and grey walls, all around him was pavement, buildings, and darkened skies.
But what really caught Vin's attention was the gigantic mansion that seemed to clash with the rather quaint neighborhood in which it stood. Like a monolith, it stood tall, reaching high into the sky, eclipsing even the moon in its wake. It stood wide like a fortress, easily the length of at least three of any of the other houses that stood next to it on the block.
"Azazel, where the hell are we?"
"What do you mean, we're out front of the Sekiryuutei's place."
"We… Are..?" Vin gazed at the building in awe, completely and utterly lost for words, "It… It looks a little different from before…"
"Well, they did need more space," Azazel shrugged, "Anyway, c'mon, let's head on in."
"Wait, just like that?" Vin gawked, "What about his parents? Are they just going to accept all this lying down?"
"Sure they are, they get a mansion for free, after all," Azazel smiled, already mounting the pathway to the door.
Slowly, Vin followed behind. That was, until a horrible thought entered his head.
"Hey… Didn't Issei have neighbors?"
Azazel turned back to his subordinate, eyes gleaming in amusement, "Don't think too hard about it kid."
*Clink!*
"Kanpai!"
Everyone brought their lips to their drinks as they spiked away at the variety of sodas, juices, and other beverages in their hands.
As soon as the two had made it into the door, found himself swept inside, the entire group setting up what basically amounted to a party for him. Which was equal parts heartwarming as it was unexpected.
It wasn't anything massive, but being surrounded by friends on the large sectional couch in a room that looked like it came out of a showhome certainly wasn't a bad thing.
"My, it's so wonderful that we have a few more men in the house," Mrs. Hyoudou smiled, "Perhaps a few decent boys his age will do Issei some good."
"Mommmm…" Issei groaned, "Are you really doing this right now?"
"Oh shush, it'll be good for you," She replied.
Vin rubbed the back of his head, "Again, thank you for having me."
"Oh, that's quite alright!" Miki reassured, "I must say, your Japanese has gotten so much better than the last time! If I didn't know any better, I would think you grew up here."
Vin laughed awkwardly, "Well, I thought I'd take some lessons, and I guess I'm a bit of a quick learner."
"Ah, allow me to help you with that, Miss."
Vin stood up from his seat, grabbing the tray of food from her hands, and setting it down on the huge coffee table in the middle of the ring of couches.
"Miss? Oh-ho-ho~ Quiet, you little flatterer," Miki blushed, "I'll be back in a moment. Honey, would you like anything?"
"Maybe another beer here for me, and Mr. Zael here?"
Vin lounged back in his seat, a sense of peace and satisfaction filling his body.
Gently, the warmth of another body pressed up against him, a familiar head of blue hair coming to rest on his shoulder.
"Hey," Vin whispered.
"Hi," Came Xenovia's simple reply, "... I'm glad you're here. I missed you."
Slowly, Vin's fingers lucked with Xenovia's. A genuine smile gracing his features.
"I did too."
I'm finally done with my first year of university! It was one hell of a grind in the end, but I'm glad it's behind me. Along with that, this arc is now fully behind us as well, which is great. This arc definitely felt a little stranger to write than the others, mainly from the fact that I was both very busy and somewhat lacking in ideas for exactly what to write, which did result in quite a bit of canon-rehashing, I admit.
Don't worry though, the Underworld Training arc, as I've come to call it, has been something I have indeed planned out pretty thoroughly, so expect quite a bit less of the same-old, same-old there. I can't wait to get into writing that arc, and with the major commitment of university out of the way for nearly five months, I imagine it certainly won't be long before I'm writing to you all like this again!
Next time, we're going to be jumping right into the beginning of BoRn, and the Underworld Training arc! Expect a lot of exploration of characters, and also, a fair amount of new faces as well. It's going to be a fun arc to write, and I hope that you all will enjoy it as well.
Like always, if you enjoyed what you've been reading, please do consider leaving a follow or a favorite, as those will help let you know when I upload a new chapter. Also, please do consider leaving a review, I love to read each and every one of them, and they really do mean the world to me!
That's all from me for today, so until next time everyone…
Rock on!
