"Then, one day, about 3 years later, she was killed. She died trying to protect me. That's the reason Rias could sense the Boosted Gear, was it had already been awakened."

The look in his eyes was pure torture. He looked away, the tears pouring out of his eyes. Very rarely did Ise cry, and here he was, crying enough to fill a river. "She died in my arms, Koneko. I had the chance to protect her, but I didn't. I was more definitive, if I was stronger, if I was smarter, maybe, just maybe I could have saved her. Maybe, if I had been stronger, I could've saved her! But I was so weak! I was too weak, and I lost the one woman who made my shitty corner of the world bearable." He finally met Koneko's eyes again. The look in his eyes… Koneko couldn't identify it, but something inside of it was… broken. No, that wasn't strong enough a word. It was shattered, destroyed beyond belief, beyond repair. How could someone so unfailingly kind be in so much pain?

"And for a long time, I blamed myself. I still do. Honestly, not a day goes by where I don't think about it, where I don't curse my existence. You see, Koneko, you may not be as strong as you want to be, yet. But you are still strong. And you still have time to become stronger. You have all the time in the world. You won't ever have to deal with that agony, not ever, because I will protect you from it. Even if it costs me my life, I won't ever make you go through that."

And then Koneko looked down. "Baka. Don't you know that something happening to you would make me just as sad? You are the only one to sit down and just talk to me. You are the only one who took the time out of his day to give me some chocolate and just sit down and try to talk." Ise felt tears on his lap. She was crying. "So, don't ever leave me, ok?" She said that with such a voice, such a face as she looked up, that Ise's broken heart shattered a little more.

"Never." He promised. He stuck out his pinky, and Koneko gasped. She smiled softly and wiped her eyes.

"I'll hold you to this." She said and stuck out her pinky. As their pinkies curled around each other, Koneko smiled. "I'm sorry, for saying that I'm worthless. I know I'm not. I just needed a little eye-opener."

"Good. I'm glad I could help." Ise smiled. Then, he noticed something in Koneko's eyes as she looked at him. The look in her eyes would've been unreadable to most people, but to Ise, who had often worn a similar face, knew that Koneko was weighing out a certain set of options in her mind.

"Do you want to know how I became the person I am?" She asked softly, her face flushed.

Ise smiled. "I'd like to know, but you don't have to tell me."

"No, no, it's okay. I actually kinda want to." She paused, then began to talk.

"I'm a nekoshou, one of the last of my race. My big sister and I might be the only ones left. We were found abandoned when we were little by a devil, and he took us in. One day, my big sister went downstairs to the basement of the house we were living in at the time, with the rest of the peerage members at the time. I don't remember why they were always down there, but every time she came out of there, she was injured. Kuroka taught me healing senjutsu and I would try to help her recover. Kuroka never let me down there, even though I insisted several times. She always said that it was too dangerous.

"Then one day, she went down there, and she was down there for a lot longer than usual. Too long. When she came up, she did so with blood on her hands. The words she spoke were sad and angry and loving and heartfelt and all at once. Kuroka said 'Shi-shi(pronounced Shy-Shy), I have to go. There's a lot of bad, angry people that are mad at me. I'm afraid me sticking around would only make things worse, so I'll leave, but I promise I'll come back. Then, once I'm back, we can be sisters again.' I was her little Shi-Shi. It was her nickname for me since my birth name was Shirone. Mom and dad had started calling me Shi-Shi shortly after I was born. They disappeared three months later.

"Kuroka left after that. I found out what she did after everything settled down. After they hunted my kind. After I was used as a gift to the youngest Gremory from the Satan Lucifer. She had killed her master and then ran away. That's what they told me. That she was a monster who killed someone who was nothing but kind to her for no reason. Because she went mad. They said that it was the overuse of Senjutsu. Anyone who said otherwise was marked as an enemy."

"Do you believe that?" Asked Ise.

"What?" Said Koneko.

"Do you truly believe that your sister killed for no reason and then left you like that, just because she wanted to? Do you think she went mad? Do you think that something as pure as Senjutsu could drive a person to commit murder? Do you think she really did it for shits and giggles?" Ise asked. He wasn't asking in an aggressive tone, he was just curious as to her response.

Koneko looked away. Then she looked up into Ise's eyes, and once again, tears poured out of her eyes as she cried out, as if begging for an answer, one that at the time, didn't exist. "Why? Why did she leave me? Why did she do it? WHY!" Her final question wasn't a question, but a demand, a demand for an answer, a plea for help.

Ise didn't know what to say, but not for lack of trying. So, thats what he decided to do. "I don't know, but I do know this: if it will help Koneko, I will do anything. Because after all, Koneko is one of the people most important to me, and I will do anything for those most important to me. Even if I have to hurt someone else again, I will let that hurt me, if only so it doesn't hurt Koneko. So Koneko, what do you want me to do?" Ise asked, trying and failing to hide the pain in his voice. Koneko took note of the way he said 'again.'

"Ise,"... she paused, "Ise, I hate to ask you, but you're the only one that can help. Please, help me find out the truth about my big sister? I know I've been mean to you, but please, will you help me?" Koneko exclaimed, begging.

Ise was amazed at the desperation in her eyes. He knew that no matter what, he would help her. "No need to beg, Koneko. I'll find out what I can." As he stood to walk away, Koneko once again spoke up. This time, her voice was soft and quiet. "Wait, Ise."

"What is it Koneko?" He asked, confused. He was surprised to see her cheeks turn red.

"Can we talk some more?" She spoke softly, as if embarrassed to speak.

"Sure." Ise time sat on the bed next to Koneko, which clearly made her happy, as she purred a little bit. "What do you want to talk about?" He said.

Koneko looked at the ceiling a bit, before speaking, softly curiously. "So, I was just wondering. Not to be mean, but why did you start acting like such a pervert? I mean, there has to be a reason, right?"

"Simple. If I just act like a pervert, then maybe, people will just leave me alone."

"Then… have you ever really peaked on anyone?"

Ise laughed at the question. "Fair enough. To answer your question, the closest I ever got to peeking was with the kendo club girls, I was sitting outside in the shade reading when they showed up. They just assumed. They always do. What they didn't know, is when I was younger, me and… the girl I was telling you about, we would always hang out by the big tree where the kendo club is now. I spend my time there whenever I can. Just to at least be a little bit closer to her. You see, when she was alive, we talked to the principal, because the tree was technically on school grounds, and he gave us permission. After that, every day after school, we would sit under that tree every day. One day, she tried to climb it. I warned her it was dangerous, but she didn't listen. She was stubborn like that." He laughed darkly, before continuing. "Anyway, her foot slipped on a branch… I don't think I had ever been that scared before. She never got the chance to try again." Ise finished, saddened and yet happy that for once he could finally tell someone about the girl that he promised his life too.

"What was her name, Ise? If you don't mind me asking." Koneko asked, not a little jealous. Ise, in his melancholic state, didn't notice.

"That's… I don't know if I can, Koneko." Ise said, and his eyes were filled with that same heart-wrenching expression, like a child mourning a loved one.

"Ok, Ise. You can tell me when you're ready, OK?" Koneko said. Then she paused. "Oh." Said Koneko. "So then all those times I was mean to you and beat you up, there really was no reason then? Ise, I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I promise I didn't know. I just thought you were trying to be funny." She said, her voice breaking a bit, as her actions caught up to her.

"It's ok, Koneko." Ise spoke, the sadness still clear in his voice.

"No it's not. But I'll make it up to you someday, I promise." They sat there in silence for a while, until Koneko spoke up. "It was Emma, wasn't it?" Koneko asked. She instantly regretted it.

Ise's face quickly grew dark. Koneko quickly went to apologize, but Ise raised his hand. "How do you know her name?" He asked.

"I overheard Kokabiel…" She started, before he cut her off.

"No, don't worry about it. I trust you, so I think it's okay.

"Her name was Emma. We met when we were seven. We were each other's first… well, everything. First crush, first love, first time. The best day of my life was when we took this picture. It was July 15th, 2 years ago."

"Emma. That's a really nice name." Said Koneko, stunned issei could remember a single day like that. Then she realized that she didn't know what the picture inside the necklace was. "Can I see the picture?" She asked softly.

"It might be a little shocking." Said Ise, smirking sadly, before slowly opening it.

Inside was a stunning dirty blonde in a beautiful white dress and what was very clearly a happier Ise, wearing a tux.

"Wait, a white dress?" "Wait, did you and her…"

"It was a shotgun wedding. Since I was 16 and she was 6 months older than me, it was just barely ok. It was a rainy wet sunday afternoon, and it was the best day of my life. Kind of ironic she died on the same day a year later."

"She's beautiful." And the girl, Emma, was. In the second picture, (because there were too), she looked even prettier. She was wearing jeans and what was very clearly one of Ise's t-shirts, one she had seen before, but not on Ise. It was sitting in his closet, she had seen it while looking for his porn stash. She never had found the stash, and now she knew why.

Anyway, the girl was even prettier in the second picture. She was smiling, a beautiful, wide smile, even though two of her teeth were chipped. Ise noticed Koneko staring at the second picture and spoke up. "That was taken the day after the fight with her dad. He got us good, but we got him better. I had a broken nose. It didn't properly heal till I became a devil." He said.

"She was beautiful."

"Yes, yes she was. She was more than that though. Too bad I couldn't protect her." And here the tears came out once again, as he started to tell the story.

"It was in July about a year ago.

"It was a particularly dark day. The rain was coming down quite rapidly, as it beat on us as we were returning from the park.

"Come on Emma, we have to run or we'll get soaked!" Yelled Ise to his… well, everything. His world would be nothing without Emma, just as Emma would be nothing without him. Their parents still didn't know about their biggest secret, involving a priest, a rabbi, and a shit ton of alcohol, all in all, creating the best day of Ise's life. And Emma's too, he was sure.

"Then catch me if you can!" Yelled Emma, laughing. Ise laughed good as they sprinted down the road, before a woman appeared in front of them, the typical horror movie kind, tall, dark, and scary. Her ears were pointy, red eyes, and ten wings. SHe walked out and tried to grab Ise and Emma, but years of experience fighting anyone who got in their way told Ise to hit her in the face, so he did. Apparently Emma had the same notion, so the girl got hit with a left and a right hook, one to the face, the other to a man's most sensitive region.

"Ah, son of a bitch, you nasty ungrateful brats!" Ise countered the woman's insults with another punch to the face, followed by Emma's kick to the groin. As the least liked kids around, fighting for the pair side by side was second nature. Ise laughed. "Hey Emma, look, you're soaked!" He laughed, a roar like sound a seventeen year old normally didn't have, as his mind filled with dirty humor. Not that a laugh would stop him from swinging an uppercut. The woman tried to block, but Emma swung a kick at his shin, before plowing an elbow into her rib cage,while Ise sunk his elbow into the man's nose. The woman quickly fell under the two's assault.

"Oh Ise, look, I didn't know boys could get wet!" This time it was Emma's turn to laugh as Ise turned away and pouted. It was always funny when her boyfriend was upset.

Ise laughed. "It doesn't matter, if memory serves, you were at least twice this wet last night!" Emma blushed a really, really bright red. Then, a flash of light, and Emma stopped laughing.

The woman was standing up, with a spear made of what appeared to be light in her hands, and Ise quickly put two and two together. And simultaneously his eyes and arm began to glow.

"Partner…"

Ddraig's voice was wasted. Issei only spoke two words…

"BALANCE BREAK!"

"You monster. You MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU! YOU HURT MY Emma! YOU HURT HER! HOW COULD YOU!?!" He yelled, all the while the armor that had enveloped him chanted "BOOST!", and each and every word got louder and louder, before he swing his gauntlet clad fist into the womans face, crushing it instantly, probobaly killing her. Then, Ise took his foot, and slammed it into the womans pelvis. He threw the woman a couple of feet, listening to the crunch of the bones. He vanished, before appearing in front of the woman, and put his face in front of him. "Dragon Shot". When the light faded, there was nothing there.

And then, consciousness slammed back into Ise. He began to throw up, but all that came out was blood. "This is what happens when you force me to step in. I am the ONLY reason you're not in the juggernaut drive." Came the voice.

He didn't care, he had only one goal. He had to get to Emma. Then, summoning his strength, he stood and began to walk over to Emma, the only good thing he had left. His armor collapsed, and he coughed not a little bit of blood. His parents hated him, and had no other friends. He fell to his knees at her feet. "Come on, Emma, stay with me, goddamn it, stay with me! EMMA ROSE HYOUDOU, I'VE TOLD YOU, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE!" He yelled, the tears pouring out of his eyes.

"Ise, it's okay. It's okay. Just stay strong Ise. Don't forgot to have lots and lots of children. After all, isn't it your greatest dream? Just remember, fulfill your dreams, and know that I love you, I will always love you, and I have always loved you." Emma said, her voice faint.

"No, no, no, no, NO! No, come on, you have to stay with me, come on Emma, please, come ON! You need to stick around so we can accomplish each other's dreams, together. But for now, you have to stay with me. So come on!" Ise panicked.

"Silly Ise. Don't you know we've already accomplished my dreams? All I ever wanted was to be away from my father, and to love and be loved by someone, and maybe marry them. So, we've already completed my dreams. So now, all you have to do is Just stay strong. I love you, Issei Hyoudou. Till death do us part, and even then some." And like that, she died in his arms.

"No, no, no, no, NO! Emma! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Emma!"

"Emma?"

"Emma, wake up."

"Emma."

"I who shall awaken,

Am the heavenly dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from god

I laugh at the infinite and grieve over the dream

I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination and I shall sink you into the depths of crimson purgatory

JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!

His transformation would last two days, while inside, Ise cried. His emotions were the fuel for the drive, so his life force remained intact. That was something he had learned a long time ago, senjutsu. A substitute fuel for the drive.

The following Explosion engulfed the two in a cloud of red, as Ise's rage exploded around him. When the smoke settled, two days later, in the center of a mile wide crater, was Ise and Emma, standing on a rock in the middle of nowhere, Ise holding her body, just shaking and crying. He would remain like this for the next 5 days, before finally, coming out to face the world, holding Emma's body. According to the news, there was an altercation, and Ise barely survived with his life. Nobody could explain the explosion, or the outcropping of rock that the two had been apparently standing on. It was an unexplainable mystery to the normals. This was good. The less they knew, the better. Nobody should be subjected to the absolute hell that the supernatural world caused.

They wanted to bury Emma at a cemetery, but he didn't allow it. So, he took her body, and buried it in the one place her soul had always been strongest.

The day they cut down the cherry tree, he'd have to be dead. And even then, the magical protections infused with the power of a dragon would be difficult for even some immortals to break. The Great Red had even helped him on that one. Ise just guessed that he and Emma truly were fated to always be together.

So that brings up the question. Who was strong enough to figure out his fate and change it? He didn't know, but he knew one thing for certain. He'd be damned the day he truly trusted a supernatural. The one exception was Ddraig, who had given him what he had needed in his moment of need.

"But still, don't you see? She was my everything, and then she died in my arms. All because I couldn't stop him, because I forgot to make sure he was out, she died. In her final moments, she was the one comforting me" spoke Ise, the tears pouring out of his eyes. Koneko sat up in bed and hugged him, for the second time. "I thought I was a monster. Killing people, it's no easy task. It takes a lot. Maybe too much. Maybe I can't be fixed. Maybe that's the world's repayment, is letting me suffer in the knowledge of knowing I killed a man in one of the most brutal ways possible."

"NO! No, that isn't true. You're not a monster. The other guy, he was the monster. He just walked up and stabbed a 17-year-old girl, after trying to attack her. You are no monster, Ise, you're kind and nice and always put a smile on everyone's faces." Koneko said, looking up from her hug.

"To hear something like that, especially from you, Koneko, makes me almost believe it. But still…" Ise trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.

"Ise, can I ask a favor?"

"Sure thing, Koneko." Said Ise, drying his eyes.

"Can you help me learn to use my powers? So that way I can be stronger?" Koneko asked. Ise wasn't surprised, he knew this was coming.

"If it's to help Koneko, then I'll do anything." He responded simply.

The 2 sat in silence until it was time for dinner. Ise wanted to take Koneko's food to her, but she flat out refused. Eventually, the puppy dog (kitty cat?) eyes of Koneko won and she walked down to the table. Issei followed close by just in case, before smiling a wicked grin. He stopped all of a sudden, before picking her up and putting her on his back piggyback (kitty cat?) style. She squealed like a little girl, which Ise found adorable. He carried her down the stairs, which allowed her a minute to concentrate and pull back her tail and ears. "You don't have to do that." Said Ise.

"I know. But I'm not ready quite yet." Said Koneko.

Ise nodded. "So, how does it feel to be tall?" He asked with a grin.

She pouted the rest of the way to the dinner table.