Did you all like my cliffhanger? Teehee, I know I liked it. Anyway, here's the next chapter.
PS. I'm no longer using all the Japanese suffixes. I find them annoying, and I didn't even use them when I was in Japan.
Read and Review.
Issei couldn't talk. His mouth wouldn't form words. Raynare crouched in front of him, and behind her...two jet black angel wings. Issei reached a trembling hand out to touch them.
His mind starting connecting the dots, even though he hadn't caught up yet. Her appearance had suddenly changed after sleeping...she totally manhandled Matsuda, despite his bigger size and greater strength...paying for his hospital bill by herself, despite being a 'student'...and, the fact that she had literal wings. Yes, there was no way she was a mundane human.
"So...Raynare, huh? Is that your real name…?" Issei asked quietly, not trusting his own voice. He touched her feathered wings, and was delighted by how soft they were. She nodded mutely.
Raynare wanted to cry, she was so stressed. Was this the right thing to do? How would he react? Would he hate her now? It wasn't too late, if she just used some hypnotism...
No, she made her choice. She had to stick with it, no matter what. Even if he hated her, so be it. This had to happen eventually, so she might as well have done it now.
Issei ran his hand down the length of her right wing. It was as soft as silk.
"You're an angel…" Issei said, softly. Raynare bit her lip. He did hate her, didn't he? How could he not? She'd been keeping a secret from him this whole time, even after she asked for his trust. Not just one secret, either. She wondered how he'd react if he knew she was originally supposed to kill him. Probably not well.
"Please don't hate me…" Raynare said, shaking.
Issei scoffed at her words. "Hate you...? How could I ever live with myself if I hated my angel…?" Issei said. He picked up his head, and looked her in the eyes. She was on the verge of tears. His face was red and his eyes were puffy, but no tears fell. He was out of tears to shed.
He took both her hands in his, surprising her.
"I-Issei?" She said, afraid of what he would do next. Would he tell her to leave, maybe get mad at her for lying to him? She wasn't ready. She didn't want to leave him!
She started to tear up. At that moment, she wasn't an angel, or a fallen angel, or anything supernatural. She was a girl in love, afraid of her soulmate leaving her.
Issei realized how scared she was.
So, he didn't hesitate at all when he leaned forward and kissed her.
Raynare's mind went blank. She was so stunned, that even after he pulled back, she almost didn't even register his next words.
"Yuuma...no, Raynare. How could I ever hate you? You're...you're the only one I have left. Even before I knew you had wings, you were my angel. You could've sprouted frog legs and a lion's mane, and you'd still be the girl who saved me."
Raynare started smiling, then she started laughing, and then she started crying. She threw her arms around him, and she cried. He rubbed her back with one hand, and put the other one on her head, trying to comfort her. She laughed in between sobs. He wasn't really sure how to handle the situation, but he knew he was done being scared.
"Issei, you're the best! I love you!" She said, in between her happy tears. She didn't care anymore. He was hers, and she was his.
"I-I…" Issei couldn't say it, at first. He choked on the words. He steeled himself, and powered through. If he had anything to say about it, he'd never stutter again. He'd leave it behind, just like his ex-family.
"I love you too, Raynare." He said. They sat there, hugging, for quite some time. They were both shrouded by her wings, and Issei enjoyed every second of it.
The door to his room tried to open, but they were still on the ground in front of it.
"Issei. You've got ten minutes. Collect your things and leave, already." His mother's voice said through the door.
Issei sighed. He'd almost forgotten his situation, for a minute there. His head fell back against the door. Raynare withdrew her wings. Issei's brown hair shrouded his face, and she wasn't sure what he was feeling, until she saw a single tear slip down to his cheek. Raynare huffed.
"No. No, no, no, no, no! You're never allowed to be sad again!" Raynare declared, and she wiped the tear off his face and the hair out of his eyes, revealing his defeated expression. He chuckled, dimly.
"But, Raynare...I've got no home. No family. Nowhere to go…" She glared at him, making him wonder what he said wrong. It didn't take long for him to figure out his misstep.
"Well, I guess that's not entirely true, is it?" He said, wiping off his face. She tilted her head, and made a face that said 'keep going.' So, he did.
"I do have a family...and she's got awesome black wings." He said, smiling brightly.
She didn't say anything for a few seconds, and it made Issei second guess what he said. "Was that too corny?" He asked, starting to feel embarrassed.
She couldn't take it anymore. Raynare squealed loud, startling Issei. She practically leapt at him, and wrapped him in the tightest hug he'd ever had.
Issei hissed in pain, making Raynare recoil. She had a remorseful look on her face, and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"Sorry, everything that's happened, I almost forgot you were hurt…" She said, apologetic.
"It's fine. Honestly, I forgot too. I'm not really feeling all that hurt. See?" Issei stood up from his place on the ground and stretched various ways, showing that he was fine. Raynare stood up soon after him.
"That's great. Whatever doctor Lisa Lisa did to you must've been top notch work." Raynare said.
"Mmhm. Well, I guess I should get my stuff. I bet I can still find a hotel room…" Issei said, and began absentmindedly throwing clothes and books into a suitcase he'd had ready by his bed.
"Why did you have a suitcase ready?" Raynare asked. She stood by the door and watched him collect his things, ready to close it if the Mom tried to come in again.
He answered her without looking away from his bookshelf. He was trying to find a book, but couldn't seem to locate it.
"I always knew I'd have to go at some point, I guess. I didn't think I'd literally be kicked out, but I guess it doesn't matter." He said. "Ah, there it is!" He snapped his fingers, and pulled a hardback copy of 'A dictionary of Angels; Including the Fallen Ones.' He flashed the title at her, showing what he found.
"See if you're in here." He crossed the room and handed it to her, and she opened the book with hesitation. Raynare looked at the book with some skepticism. Would it have her in there? She was one of the original angels, but she'd hardly done anything noteworthy…if she was, it'd be under her Angel name, not her Fallen name: Rachiel.
"Oh, hey. I am in here. It's my Angel name, though, not the one you know me by. Or...either of the ones you know me by." She handed him the open book, and pointed to a description.
Issei took it, and looked at the passage, reading intently.
"Rachiel- One of the angelic luminaries concerned with human sexuality. In Barrett, The Magus 11, Rachiel is one of the 3 angels of Friday. Also, one of the presiding spirits of the planet Venus-according to The Secret Grimoire of Turiel."
Issei nodded, absorbing the information. He only had one question, at present.
"What in the world does it mean when it says you're an "Angel of Friday?" He asked, looking up from the book. Raynare looked like she didn't know what he was talking about, and he pointed to the line in the large book.
"Hmm. It does say that...I have no idea. Humans come up with some weird stuff, I guess. Though, the rest of this is pretty accurate. I was one of the angels presiding over sexuality, though that's not really how the system works any more. Can you tell?" Raynare said, and gestured towards herself, or more specifically, to her chest. Issei looked away, sporting a healthy blush.
"Um...yeah. Anyway, I think I'm just about ready to go." Issei lifted the handle on his suitcase, and rolled it towards the door. He'd taken a few books, and few sets of clothes, and all his necessary items from his bathroom. Just as he was about to open the door to leave, he snapped his fingers.
"Ah! How could I forget, my most prized possession." He went into his closet, which Raynare hadn't seen opened until now, and retrieve something. When he came out, he was holding a small red wooden box, covered with soft white cloth. Raynare looked in confusion at the box, which was giving off a faint holy aura. Issei probably had no idea, but whatever was in that box was most likely a holy relic or enchanted item.
"What is that?" Raynare asked, curious. "I can feel the aura from here." Issei looked apprehensive. He didn't really want to open the box. Not because he didn't want to show her what was inside, he wouldn't have gotten out if he didn't, but because the latch on the box was tough to open and he always had trouble with it. He didn't want to embarrass himself by failing to open a box in front of Raynare.
"A ring, actually," Issei said, "given to me by my mother, my real mother, before she passed away. She said it would protect me in times of need. I think this is a time of need, considering everything." He said, and removed the cloth from around the cherrywood box. He began trying to open the box, but couldn't get the latch to come loose. He tried harder.
Raynare watched with a smirk while he struggled to open the small box. He was red in the face from trying so hard, and was obviously exerting himself a bit too much to be healthy.
"Almost there, I think…!" He said, pulling as hard as could. He hissed as he lost his grip and he cut his hand on the latch, dropping the box on the floor. A scratch appeared on his finger, and a drop of blood landed on the latch. Suddenly, the latch opened itself, just like clockwork. Air hissed out of the box, like it had been far too long since it was opened.
Raynare shuddered as the holy aura hit her full-force. It was potent, and felt ancient. Whatever Issei had in there was precious.
"Ah, see? All part of the plan." He said, waving his cut hand around in the air, and picking up the box with his other hand. He opened the lid, and took out a plain golden ring with a small, flat, black pearl set in the center.
The ring was obviously extremely old, indicated by the dull color of the gold. It was a simple double banded gold ring, with no defining features other than the black pearl at the center. Etched on the surface of the pearl, was a seal in the shape of a hexagram.
"Issei...that's a very old holy relic. I don't know what, exactly, but it's practically dripping with power. Where did your mom get that, exactly?" Raynare asked, looking hard at the ring. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out the purpose of the seal. It was an extremely complex emblem, but the basis of it was demon sealing. It was so advanced, she had no idea of the actual function of the ring.
"She was a treasure hunter. I assume she found it during one of her and my father's expeditions, but I'm not sure. I actually had several cool artifacts, but most of them were repossessed by my stepparents when I moved in. That sword on the mantle in the living room, for one." Issei said.
Sword? She hadn't even noticed one. On the bright side, if she didn't notice it, that meant it probably wasn't a holy sword or relic, so no one would come looking for it.
"That's amazing. So why didn't they take the ring? I mean, I'm glad they didn't, but that seems like something they'd want." Raynare asked, admiring the beautiful artifact. Strange seal or not, it was gorgeous.
"Well, I'm sure they would've, if they knew I had it. I never let them see the box. It's very precious to me, so they wouldn't have been able to take it regardless. I wouldn't let them." Issei said. He pulled the ring from the box, and slipped it on his finger. Nothing changed, to Raynare's relief.
"It's good luck, I think. Mom wouldn't have given it to me if it was something dangerous. She is...was...a pacifist. It can't be anything too bad." He said, admiring how the ring looked on his finger. He clapped his hands together, and went back to his suitcase.
"Well, that's that, I guess. The rest of my artifacts aren't anything special...at least, not that I know of. My ex-step-parents can have what's left." Issei rolled his suitcase out the door, and down the stairs to the living room. Raynare followed close behind him. When they reached the living room, she looked to the mantle of the fireplace, and sure enough, there was a beautiful sword sitting horizontally across it. She felt an extremely faint holy aura, but nothing even worth noting. A priest had probably blessed it at some point.
They passed Issei's mother on the way out of the house. She was shooting them both a smug grin, like she'd won a game they'd been playing.
'Just you wait, bitch. I'll be back in a second.' Raynare thought to herself, plotting. They left the house and stepped onto the driveway, Issei rolling his large suitcase behind him.
"So, where to now?" Issei said, looking back at Raynare. She looked back at the house, and patted her pockets, like she was trying to find something.
"Oh, I forgot something. I'll go grab it really quick, be right back!" Raynare said, and dashed back into the house.
"Ray- oh, ok." Issei said, reaching his hand out. She was inside before he could even offer to help her find whatever it was. He stood out on the driveway for a good five minutes and was just about to go back inside when Raynare came back out, holding her bag. Issei hadn't seen her bring it with them from the hospital and could only assume it had something to do with her being an Angel.
"Ok, I'm good. I called Lisa Lisa, too." Raynare said, walking up to Issei. He looked surprised. Did Angels really use phones?
"What did you talk about?" Issei asked, curious.
"I asked her if she knew a good place to go. She said that she has an empty penthouse apartment that would be perfect for us to use. It's even pretty close to your school." Raynare said. She took Issei's free hand in hers.
"That's great! Is she, uh...is she going to drive us, or should we start walking…?" Issei asked. He really didn't want to walk with hurt ribs. While he was feeling much better, he definitely didn't want to risk damaging anything else.
"I've got that covered. Don't freak out!" Raynare said, and suddenly the two of them were outside a large apartment building, all the way across town.
"Why would I freak o-" Issei stopped mid-sentence as he realized they just teleported. "That's insane." He said, amazed. He had his suitcase and everything, and people walked all around them, either not noticing or not caring about the sudden appearing act.
Raynare lead the way, and the two went into the building. They took an elevator up to the highest floor, the 20th story, and went into the nice hallway. There was an access code to get into the door, but Raynare put it in easily, like she'd lived there her whole life.
She opened the door, and they both walked in. The room was extremely nice and well furnished. The ceiling was high, despite being an apartment, and the walls were white and black. The whole room gave off a modern vibe, which they both liked. There was two bedrooms and two bathrooms, but they both put their things inside the master bedroom. Despite it being someone else's property, there was nothing in any of the drawers or dressers or closets, like it'd never even been lived in.
They'd been sitting in the kitchen of the apartment for about a minute, figuring out where things were, when the door opened and Lisa Lisa stepped inside.
"Hello, hello! You both sure got here fast! Do you like the place? Of course you do, you're young, and it's modern! What's the word nowadays...chic? Something like that. Well, don't just sit there, talk to me!" Lisa Lisa said, chuckling softly. As she talked, she walked to where they were in the kitchen and sat down with them at the bar.
"Hi, Lisa Lisa. Thanks for letting us stay here." Issei said, politely.
She laughed. "Think nothing of it! I have houses and apartments all over the world, consider this one yours! I mean it, too. It's yours." She said. She got serious and looked Issei in the eyes. "Issei, Yuuma filled me in. Your stepmonsters kicked you out on your own. I'm giving you this place. It's payed for completely, you don't have to keep up with rent or bills or anything. Just make sure to keep it tidy, hmm?" Lisa Lisa said, and tousled Issei's hair.
He smiled brightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" He said, and bowed to her. Raynare bowed to, following his lead.
She waved them off. "Don't worry about it! Now, how are those ribs treating you?"
Raynare stepped back inside the house. She'd told Issei she forgot something, and she had forgotten her bag, but in reality she wanted his step-parents to pay for making his life miserable. So, she'd hit them where it hurts.
Issei's mother came to see why they'd come back inside, only to be greeted by Raynare.
"What do you want, harlot? Why are you here?" The mother said, narrowing here eyes.
"You believe in God, right? What about Angels?" Raynare said. She clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to keep herself calm. This dirtbag of a human had made Issei's life horrible. Not to mention she'd insulted Raynare several times during her time here. So, Raynare would make her pay, naturally. And to do it, she'd use the woman's religious beliefs against her.
"Of course I believe in God. And as for Angels, they're God's tools for righteousness and love. They should be worshipped just like him." Issei's mother said, and rubbed the cross on her neck. She was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
"I agree completely. So, you'd do anything an Angel told you to?" Raynare said, and stepped closer.
The woman backed up, despite herself. "O-of course I would. Now what do you want? Leave, before I call the cops!" She said, and pointed a finger at Raynare.
Raynare smirked. She unfurled her wings, reveling in the woman's shocked reaction. As she approached Issei's stepmom, the woman fell to the ground and began to pray furiously. She started to cry as Raynare grew closer. Not out of fear, but out of repentance. She was guilty.
Raynare looked down at her, and pulled up the woman's face so she'd look her in the eyes.
"Go in there, and use that sword you stole from Issei to kill your husband, then call the police and turn yourself in. Do so, and I will spare your soul the fires of hell." Raynare said, and threw the woman backwards onto the floor. Could Raynare spare the woman from hell? Not even almost. She wasn't even a heavenly angel.
In the time it took Raynare to go grab her bag from Issei's room upstairs, the woman had already retrieved the sword and made her way into the office. Raynare didn't need enhanced hearing to hear the screams.
'Serves them right. Now Issei's free.'