(Disclaimer! I don't own anything besides the plot of these stories. You know the deal so please enjoy)

(After returning from Chaldea)

Issei stirred from unconsciousness. When he opened his eyes he was met with a white ceiling that he was unfamiliar with. His groggy mind tried to put together what was happening, but his body was in pain. He looked around the room and after getting his bearings he realized he was in a hospital room. He looked to his right and saw his arm in a sling. He tried to move it only to be met with pain. His hand and upper arm were wrapped in bandages and when he looked at the rest of himself, he saw he was bandaged in other places too along with an IV drip going into his arm. As his mind became clearer, he remembered where he was before. That's right, I was in Chaldea and right as we saved humanity I was sent back, he thought to himself. He remembered what had happened but as he was lying unmoving in his bed a thought crossed his mind. Was it all a dream?

"No, it wasn't partner," said a deep draconic voice.

"Ddraig? I see…. So it wasn't all a dream. Thank God," Issei gave a sigh of relief that all his struggles weren't a figment of his imagination. "How did we end up at the hospital?"

"After we were transported back you immediately passed out. Someone found you and called an ambulance where they picked you up. Once you were here and being treated, they contacted your parents and they showed up. They were relieved to see you again but were worried about your condition. Not long after that, the police showed up, trying to figure out what had happened to you. After that, it's been doctors keeping an eye on you and trying to help. You've been unconscious for three days," said Ddraig.

"I'm sure they were worried, since their son has been missing for over a year."

"Yeah, about that… Based on what I heard from talks between your parents and the police, you seem to have only been gone a couple of months."

"Huh?" Issei couldn't quite understand what was happening. He was certain he had been gone for more than a year. He contemplated what could have happened. "Maybe, the summoning tried to send me back to the point in time it took me from but didn't manage to make it all the way back that far?"

"That's about as good a guess as any. Without knowing the specifics of your summoning there's no way to tell for sure."

As Issei and Ddraig were talking in Issei's mind the door to his room opened. A nurse walked in with a clipboard and was walking towards Issei without looking at him. Issei was observing the nurse and trying to think of what to say about his situation. When the nurse finally reached him, she pulled out a pen and was about to write in it but when she finally looked up from the board and saw Issei was awake she was momentarily stunned. Issei felt awkward being stared at silently, so he awkwardly smiled as he spoke. "Uh, hi. Do you mind telling me where I am?"

The nurse snapped out of it when he spoke and immediately rushed to the door. "Doctor! Doctor! The patient has woken up!" she called out to a doctor in a panic.

Not long after the nurse ran out, she came back with a doctor. The doctor immediately began checking Issei with the nurse preparing his tools. While the doctor was checking him Issei spoke again. "Uh, excuse me. Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

The doctor stopped as if realizing he had made a mistake. "Right, my apologies. You must be very confused. You are currently in Kuoh Hospital. Someone called us after finding you wounded on the street. After we brought you here and patched you up, we were able to get into contact with your family. Thankfully your wounds weren't life threatening, and you seem to be healing at a faster than normal pace, aside from the scars on your body." the doctor explained while taking the clipboard the nurse had. "We would like to know how you got in such a terrible state. Do you remember what happened?"

Issei mentally scrambled for an excuse. Nothing he thought of would pass without being suspicious, so he just went with his best bet. "N-no, not really. I remember getting hit by something but it's all kind of a blur after that. When I try to remember I- Urgh!" Issei feigned a headache as he spoke. He hoped all his time at Chaldea helped him learn to act at least a little.

The doctor seemed to buy it as he was writing down something on the clipboard and didn't have any visual reaction. "I see. We can assume you were assaulted and taken somewhere that put your body, and no doubt your mind, under great stress. It's also possible that you received head trauma during the incident. Perhaps you managed to get away but after overexerting yourself and the mental stress, it's possible that your mind is repressing the incident to prevent a total mental breakdown."

"I-I guess?" Issei understood what the doc meant, but pretended like he was having a hard time following.

The doctor asked him a few more questions and did a few more examinations before leaving with the nurse. Issei lay in his bed thinking about what to do now that he was back. He remembered the promise he made to Mashu and the rest of Chaldea. He would find a way back. No matter what it took. As he was thinking, his door suddenly swung open. Issei was caught by surprise since it was so sudden. The people who burst into his room were none other than his parents. "Issei! You're awake! We were so worried about you! Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Issei's Mom cried.

"Don't scare us like that again, stupid son!" Issei's Dad said also with tears in his eyes but clearly relieved.

Issei felt a wave of nostalgia. It had only been a year, but Issei hadn't seen his parents' faces in a while. Seeing them again made him feel at home again. "Tou-san, Kaa-san, I'm sorry for worrying you," he said somberly.

Hearing their son's voice, the two realized they were over excited and managed to calm themselves down, although Issei's Mom was still crying. "The doctor told us that you don't remember what happened. He also told us that we should be able to take you home in a few days but, how do you feel?" asked Issei's Mom.

"A bit sore, and a little hungry, but besides that I feel fine," said Issei. He tried to lighten the mood with the last part causing his parents to show relieved smiles.

"Well, we'll make sure to tell the doctor to get you some food. In the meantime, you should get some rest," said Issei's Dad. Issei nodded and they left the room.

Now Issei was left to his own thoughts again. He was trying to figure out how to move forward now that he was back. "What should I do, Ddraig? I must get stronger in order to find a way back. Not only that but…"

"We also have to be on the lookout for the White One," added Ddraig.

"Right… They will be after my life, and there is a possibility that they will attack my parents, which means I must take steps to prevent that."

"How do you plan to do that? It's just a feeling, but after seeing them, I don't think they're going to let you out of their sight. If you try to sneak off, they may try and stop you, which could end up with them being put in more danger."

Issei scowled at the thought. He didn't want them to get hurt because of him. He couldn't live with himself if they got hurt because of him. Issei wracked his brain, trying to think of what the best course of action to take was. He thought about ways he could keep it a secret, but no matter what he thought of, if he made a mistake, it would all unravel around him. After a few hours of thinking and a hot meal, he finally came to a conclusion. "I've decided."

"What will you do?"

"I'm just going to tell them the truth."

"... Really?" Ddraig didn't seem convinced that it would work out.

"No matter what I do, having the risk of them finding out could end up making things worse. Despite the skills I've gained from the others I can't just go and do as I want without them noticing that I'm gone. If I want the best chance at being able to move around freely and protecting them, they need to know the truth."

"But will they accept that? Even if they do, it isn't uncommon for people who know about the supernatural to become sucked into it as soon as they find out."

"With our fate as it is, that's going to happen regardless. If the White One comes for my family, then they are in danger whether they know or not."

"True…"

"So it's decided. Once we get home, we'll tell them everything. Once you talk to them I'm sure they will be convinced."

"Wait! You're gonna make me talk to them?" Ddraig exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course. After all, you're the reason I'm in this predicament in the first place."

"Gnnngh, well, you're not wrong about that…"Ddraig agreed begrudgingly.

The two agreed on the plan and thus waited for their chance to talk. As the days went by the police came to question Issei about his disappearance. He fed them the same story as the doctor, and they went on under the assumption that there was a group of people out there kidnapping people off the street. Issei felt a little bad sending them on a wild goose chase, but he needed them off his back. His case was considered closed and not long after he was discharged from the hospital. Issei left with his arm in a sling and the bandages still wrapped around his right hand. Once he finally got home, he looked at his house with a great sense of warmth. His parents could see how happy he was to be home and smiled widely too. ""Welcome home Issei,"" they said together.

Issei smiled back at them. "I'm home," he responded back.

Issei got reacquainted with his room, seeing that everything was just as he left it. He looked at the calendar and saw that school was about to start again soon. He hadn't really thought about school in a while. He brought it up in passing when Mashu asked him about it, but he hadn't really thought about it. He wondered if anyone from school knew he went missing. Maybe Matsuda and Motohama would have noticed. Possibly Kiryuu too, but he doubted anyone else did or cared. When he thought about it, he remembered that the last thing that was said to him before he disappeared was Murayama telling him the world would be better off without him. Guess she got her wish, just not in the way she expected, Issei thought to himself. He tried to move his arm that was in the sling. It hurt but it wasn't unusable. He channeled some magic into it and his crest shone even through the bandages. After a few more moments of focus he managed to project a small blade into his hand. Seems all my magecraft still works fine. He swung the blade around a bit before dismissing it.

"So, are we doing this or what?"

"I know, I know. I'll talk to them when we are all at dinner."

Issei went downstairs later that night as his mom was making dinner and his dad was in the living room watching T.V. He decided to sit next to his dad, who was watching the news. Issei decided to pay attention to see what had been happening while he was gone, but was met with something a bit embarrassing. "Our top story tonight, 16-year-old Hyoudou Issei was found earlier this week and taken to the hospital after being declared missing two months ago. A civilian found the young boy at the scene of his disappearance, heavily wounded, where he was quickly rushed to the hospital. It seems like he will make a full recovery although the circumstances around his disappearance and reappearance remain a mystery. Police questioned young Hyoudou about the incident, but he claimed to have no recollection of who did this to him or why. Officials have advised civilians to be on the lookout at night, as the criminals responsible for this remain at large." Issei covered his face in slight embarrassment. Apparently, his disappearance was a much bigger deal than he thought it was, and now he knew for sure that the other kids at school were aware he went missing. Now he had to figure out how he was gonna explain himself when he went back to school.

His dad saw his embarrassment and patted him on the back. "It's ok son. All that matters is that you're safe now," he said supportively. Issei just smiled awkwardly back at him.

Later the three were all eating dinner together and enjoying being in each other's company when Issei's Mom asked something. "Is something wrong sweetheart? You look upset. Are you having a hard time eating with your left hand?"

Issei thought he was doing a good job keeping himself together, but it seems like his and Ddraig's hunch about his parents being more perceptive was right. He took a deep breath then moved forward with his plan. "Tou-san, Kaa-san. There is something I need to talk to you about." His parents could tell this was serious since they had never seen their son make such a face before. "I lied about not remembering what happened to me. The thing is, it's a bit too crazy to be believable, but I didn't want to hide it from you."

His parents were taken by surprise about their son's deceit, but they figured there must have been a reason he didn't tell the police but wanted to tell them. "Son, no matter what it is I'm sure we can figure it out together. There is nothing to be ashamed of," said Issei's Dad.

Issei had an awkward and helpless smile on. "Thanks Tou-san, but believe me when I say I'm going to sound like a crazy person, so I only ask that you save your questions for the end because there is a lot to go through." Issei began explaining what happened to him in great detail. He was watching his parents' faces as he explained about how he got summoned, how he had gotten his scars, and his time in Chaldea. How he had made a new family there and the strife they went through together. How he had been in many battles and nearly died more times than he could count. And most importantly, how he lost his memory when it happened but managed to get it back later on. Everything culminated in him saving humanity in another world before being sent back to Kuoh, where he was found wounded from his battle. Once he had gone through everything, he looked at the clock and realized it was one in the morning. His parents had been diligently listening to him talk and it was clear there was some skepticism on their faces. "I know I've said a lot, and you're probably thinking I need to go back to the hospital to get my head checked, but I can prove what I'm saying is true." He lifted his left hand up and summoned the Boosted Gear which clearly shocked his parents. "Ddraig, meet my parents."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou. I am Ddraig, one of the two Heavenly Dragons, also known as the Welsh Dragon," Ddraig greeted them, causing them to snap out of their shock.

"H-hello Ddraig-san. N-nice to meet you," Issei's Mom said hesitantly.

"T-thank you for looking after our son," said Issei's Dad stiffly.

"You don't have to thank me for anything. Partner survived because of his own skill and his allies. All I did was supply him with power."

The pair looked distressed. Their whole world was turned upside down, but Issei had to get them to focus in order to move forward. "I know this is a lot to take in but before you ask anything there is something else I have to tell you." The pair looked at their son who had a serious look on his face. "I promised everyone before I left that I would find a way back to them. Not only that but just because I'm back doesn't mean everything is over here either." Issei swallowed hard knowing that the next part was going to worry them the most. "There is someone else out there like me. As Ddraig said earlier, he is one of the two Heavenly Dragons, and the other dragon is out to kill me."

These words put great worry on their faces. "Why would they want to kill you?! You've never even met them before, right?!"

"That is because it is the destiny of those who wield the two Heavenly Dragons. Me and the White One are natural enemies. When we were alive, we fought endlessly to try and kill the other. We were only stopped when the forces of Heaven, the Fallen, and the Underworld united to seal us away. Since then, our power has been transferred from person to person endlessly, tying the two wielders to fight and continue our rivalry."

"This was the main reason I wanted to tell you the truth. I don't know who this person is or what they are capable of, and there is no guarantee that they won't try and use you to get to me," Issei said while looking down. He didn't look at his parents' faces. He didn't want to know what their expressions were right now. "That's why I want to do whatever it takes to protect you. But in order to do that, I need to get stronger."

"Stronger how?" asked Issei's Mom hesitantly.

"I need to train to get better control of my Gear. Not only that but since I'm now aware of the supernatural there is no guarantee that this town or anywhere else in the world is safe. I'm going to need to get real fighting experience in order to improve, which means putting myself in harms way again." He heard his mom slightly gasp at that which is what he expected. "I know you're both relieved that I've come home safe, but this is not over yet. If I'm going to be able to have a good life, I need the power to protect it."

Issei finished his statement and waited for their reply. He was too nervous to look up and simply waited for them to respond. After some silence Issei's Dad finally spoke. "What can we do to help?"

Issei lifted his head, surprise written all over his face. He saw their expressions and it still showed that they were unsure about this, but they wanted to protect him. "There really isn't anything I could ask you to do for me. I must get stronger on my own which means that I might be gone from time to time in order to get stronger. Considering that you just got me back I knew that this might be an issue."

"I-is there really nothing we can do?" asked Issei's Mom.

Issei could see that she didn't like the idea of him disappearing again and it made his heart ache. He racked his brain trying to think of something they could help with when something came to mind. "There is one thing you guys can do. Since I'm now aware that essentially every religion is real, I need to learn about them. So, could I ask you to help me get the materials I need to research them? It won't be anything crazy. Just books and such that are already available to the public. Reading them will help inform me about the various systems of this world."

"Then that's what we'll do," said Issei's Dad.

Issei nodded at his father's words but looked down at his hands. He was shaking slightly and couldn't stop. Apparently, his parents noticed too, because before he realized it they were on either side of him hugging him. Eventually his nerves got the better of him and he broke down and was quietly crying. "We're sorry that we made you nervous, and we're sorry that you have to go through all this. But don't worry Issei, we will never abandon you. You are our pride and joy. Our only son," said Issei's Mom.

Issei hugged them back. "Tou-san, Kaa-san, I'm sorry. This is…"

"You don't have to apologize for anything. So let's move forward together from now on, ok?" said Issei's Dad.

"Y-yes. I promise, I won't hide anything from you anymore," Issei said through his trembling voice. His parents hug tightened as they prepared for what was to come. A thought went through his mind as he calmed down. If I'm going to become stronger then I'm going to need to strengthen my resolve too.

So here is the first chapter of the Side Stories. I've decided for now that these won't have a set upload schedule like FotRD so that way I can do these stories relatively stress free. The main story is still my focus but having this on the side will help my multitasking skills improve. All that aside if you found this before reading any my other story I recommend you go read that one for context on what is happening here. With all that said I hope you all enjoy this chapter and as always I will look forward to the comments and criticisms. : )