This is it everyone, the end of the Epilogue is here; meaning the first season of Anthony's journey is about over. The only thing left from him to do, is to let go and move forward. So let's answer some reviews, and then close the cover on this chapter.
1) Guest: 3 people with this title had left long reviews, but my instincts tell me that they are the same person due to the wording used in all of them. So let's break it down...
A1) Asia in the fanbase: As I said once before, since she is/was a nun, it's a trigger to some people. Becoming one made her indirectly sign an agreement to be married to the church. Therefore, she is not allowed to have feelings for others or... "engage" with them, if you catch my drift. The hate was actually one of the reasons I gave Asia a different backstory, since it clashes with both her feelings for Anthony AND her religious upbringing. I feel this one gives her more of a reason to act the way she does, and I'm sure even some Asia-haters [if any are reading] could agree on this.
A2) Upon doing some more research on this topic, many think she's a cock-blocker or cock-redirecter (is that one even an actual phrase?) due to her personality. The same with Xenovia, Irina and Koneko; and I understand why. With Koneko, she is still a kid basically... though in her defense, she is a minor along with Issei, so it's not against any law; Japanese or American. Xenovia and Irina are also church members. People are cool with Irina (most likely since she knew Issei during their childhood), but not Xenovia since she had admitted to Issei that she wanted the life of serving God... upon learning the truth about Him in this universe however, she changed her mind. I've said this before, High School DXD mixes itself with religion, so its expected some people would get defensive.
B) Asia's/Anthony's future in my story: That's a good point you brought up. As of right now, I can't tell you, but all I can say is it will be different than what the books did (and which the anime might do since the creators have stated they will follow manga material more closely). Still haven't read them, but I have heard that Issei proposed to Rias and each girl individually. Anthony will have a harem in a different way.
C) Original Arcs: I do have one planned, with a surprise character. The one you suggested about Koneko and Anthony looking for fruit is ok, but I already have planned on how Anthony is gonna find out Koneko is a Nekomata. It has been foreshadowed indirectly. Perhaps I might write something similar to this with another character for him to bond with.
Epilogue - Page 7
Together, the ORC opened the door. As soon as it opened, a wave of hot air washed over them... which was expected since the air conditioning hadn't run in lord knows how long. After a few seconds, Anthony took one step into the house. The group could tell by his face and the slow step he took that his emotions were running high, and rightfully so. This WAS the house that he grew up in, and where his life changed forever. Once he stepped in, he stopped, taking in all that was around him. The ORC joined him inside after he had been motionless for a minute, and they were able to see why.
In front of them was a sunken-in living room that looked half-renovated (like the rest of the house might look). Some of the paint of the walls didn't match the coloring, which was probably because like Anthony said before, this place was abandoned and the work never got finished. More proof to that was the fact that some furniture was still in this living room. A wall unit that looked like it could hold a large TV was in the far corner, and the floor was nothing but half-wood and half-foundation (ya know, the cement below the ACTUAL floor you step on). There was a couch, thought covered in plastic to keep the dust off. And behind that was a small room that you can get to with a step, but it gave no indication of what it used to be for... though maybe it was like a movie theater? Possibly, they'll have to ask Anthony later. Finally to their left, was a set of stairs that went to the second floor of the house, and to the right was a pathway to the next room.
Sure it wasn't a Gremory Castle, but it was still impressive to see where Anthony had come from. Even Asia felt this way, as she's never actually seen the home, only heard bits and pieces about it from her conversations with Anthony and/or Irina during their childhood.
"Welcome to my humble abode" said Anthony, trying to lighten the mood for himself and his friends, but the flatness in his tone made it hard. This was clearly tough for the poor human to deal with, but he claimed he needed this to finally get a sense of closure, so the ORC would stand behind him and lend him their strength. "You guys can explore if you want, I just... need a second..." Anthony said, a single tear sliding down his face.
Only Rias was in the right spot to notice this... the poor guy. She felt so useless in this situation, unable to offer anything of value for her dear Pawn. She was born a Devil, and was protected by many armed guards and magic her whole life. What did Anthony have?... Nothing. Nothing but 4 walls and a roof... then a Fallen One came to burn it all down.
Anthony eventually gathered the mental and physical strength to move along with the "house tour." The ORC had silently agreed that they wouldn't go ANYWHERE in this establishment without Anthony first. Taking the pathway to the next room, there was a door on the right side. All that was in there was a sink, so it was pretty obvious what that room used to be. There was another door next to it, but it was closed. Turning to the left, the ORC was met with a big surprise... then again, they should have expected it knowing Anthony as well as they do.
It was a VERY large kitchen, complete with 3 large sinks on the left with a long window to look outside, and a granite table that had a rectangle in the center of the room. Getting a closer look, it was a 3-stove oven, each having a hanging light system over it that also had a vent on its underside, most likely to let out a bunch of steam if necessary. Further down was a long room, which HAD to be where the dinner table was located. There were windows all the way down there too, this way people wouldn't feel like they were boxed in. At the very end however, was a fireplace, but the ORC couldn't figure out why.
Again, they'll have to ask Anthony to fill in some of the blanks.
Anthony began walking down this long room, with the ORC following behind him. Once they got past the sinks, there was a long sliding-glass door that they couldn't have seen before. It lead outside to a large pool in the shape of an infinity sign... though it looked greener than the grass... ew. It's at this point the ORC saw something else. The backyard was HUGE! It wasn't enclosed by gates, and a bit further out was a hill with a white flag on it and a pathway... was that a golf cart that just went by?
"You lived on a golf course?" Asked Rias, impressed. She had learned in her time in the human world that living was in places like these was VERY expensive. That also must have meant this might have also been a gated community, which made the price that much higher! Again... not a Gremory Castle; but to think Anthony lived such a luxurious life and not be a stuck-up, spoiled rich kid was surprising.
The only reason she was made aware of this type of behavior was because there was a video sharing website that Anthony mentioned one time. Humans created it very recently, and had uploaded "spoiled kid" compilations constantly. She couldn't recall its name, but its tagline was 'Broadcast Yourself' or something...
"Why? You geloso?" Anthony said with a smirk. Rias couldn't help but give a small smile back, the Anthony she knew was starting to slip out of the cracks. Of course, not wanting to be outdone, she fired right back.
"Jealous? Me?... Please, I live in a castle" said Rias.
"Ooooooooh. Yona has a castle; so does my uncle Damian" said Anthony, waving his hands while walking away, of course having the last word. Rias had to hold in her laugh. Anthony was coming around again... maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
-TIME BREAK-
The ORC walked back downstairs, having completed the house tour with upstairs... though you couldn't exactly call it that. It was mostly a large space with some doors leading to rooms, 4 in total. One of these doors lead to a bathroom, another was empty though Anthony clarified it was a guest bedroom, and finally the master bedroom. What's that? The 4th door, you ask? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell... Anthony froze when he got to this particular door, then announced that was the end of the tour.
Obviously, that room was a soft spot; but this was Anthony's home, so the ORC wasn't gonna force him to show things he doesn't want to show or READY to show. As they all took the final step off the stairs, Anthony felt a hand on his shoulder. Craning his neck, it was shown to be Akeno.
"Can I talk you for a minute?" She asked and much to Anthony's surprise, there wasn't an undertone of flirtation like there usually was. She seemed to simply want to talk with him.
"Uh, sure" said Anthony, not wanting to turn down a friend in need. "Just hang out in here, guys. I'll be right down" said Anthony, walking back upstairs with Akeno following him. Asia's cheeks puffed up, which was expected. Koneko didn't care about that, and walked over to the wall unit in the corner of the room, her curiosity got the better of her. Rias however... she stared at Akeno's backside with narrowed eyes. What was she up too?
"President? You ok?" Asked Kiba, seeing Rias' expression.
"... huh? Oh, I'm fine" said Rias, which Kiba believed... even though it was FAR from the truth. The second Akeno began to follow Anthony, Rias felt something she never felt before. Her heart began to race slightly as her best friend followed her favorite Pawn. But for the love of her... she couldn't figure out why. 'What's wrong with me? Akeno's just going upstairs with Anthony and...' upon saying this to herself, she felt her heart rate quicken and her blood boil. 'Why is this... upsetting me?' Rias asked herself but again, she couldn't find an answer.
On the second floor, Anthony and Akeno stopped in the center of the wide room. "Sorry there's nowhere to sit... but don't worry, the walls are soundproof" Anthony said, tossing in a joke to lighten Akeno's mood. She seemed to be a little nervous. Upon hearing Anthony's quip however, she giggled as she always did. It didn't matter what time or place, Anthony always found a way to make her laugh and/or smile.
"Oh, good. We don't want Rias getting upset, do we?" Akeno said, joining in.
"Nope. We do not. So what's up? What'cha wanna talk about?" Asked Anthony, getting back to the main reason why he and Akeno were up here.
Akeno started blushing, which was a first for Anthony to see. It was adorable, but also unexpected. "Well... I, uh... need help with something" said Akeno.
"O-K, with what?" Asked Anthony.
"Uh... you know..." said Akeno, still blushing.
"Uh, no. I don't" said Anthony, jokingly.
"You know... with... uh..." Akeno said, trying to get the words out, but they kept getting caught in her throat.
"With a project? With a recipe? Come on, ya gotta give me more to work with here" said Anthony.
"It's... it's a... girl thing" Akeno finally said.
..
...
...
"Uh... I don't think, I'm the best person for that" said Anthony, rubbing his neck after recovering from his confusion. A girl thing? In his experience, girls go through ALLOT of things... most of which have to do with their anatomy, so he wasn't the best person for advice in that department. All he could say was to: pack plenty of missiles in your purse... assuming that's what she was talking about. Wouldn't Rias or any other girl be the better person to ask about that, not a human that didn't know if Devil girls go through the same stuff since they can barely conceive?
"No. You are. You stood up to Riser Phenex... and defeated him, which no one has done before. He's only lost a Rating Game twice, which was only out of respect for families his was close with. But you... you got up, time and time again. Devil or not, that's something that no one had the strength to do when faced with his power. You even crashed the party to save Rias, the definition of manliness" Akeno said, while short flashbacks played of the times Anthony fought Riser. When they first met in the club room; then, despite the Burst effect from the Boosted Gear, Anthony refused to go down; and finally when he went one-on-one with the so-called Immortal Bird, he weakened him by using the same weakness that all Devil's share.
Anthony couldn't think of a response to that, though he was thankful for the praise. "I have to ask... would you... help me too?" Asked Akeno, her blush deepening.
"Duh! Of course! If anything's bothering you Akeno, you can come to me" Anthony offered, which Akeno appreciated.
"Thank you, Anthony. That means allot to me" she smiled, feeling some weight lift from her chest. Thinking this might take a while so he might as well make the senior Devil comfortable (or at least, as comfortable as possible); Anthony put up an index finger, telling Akeno to wait a second, and went into a room... the room that he stopped in front of before. Akeno questioned this, but Anthony then came out carrying a small ottoman, though he had to turn himself to get out of the room with it.
Anthony put it down in the middle of the room, and invited Akeno to sit by holding his hand out, which she accepted. They sat next to each other, quite close together as a matter of fact, since this piece of furniture was small. "So what's bothering ya? Let Poppy Anthony know" Anthony said.
"I'm... There's this... but I don't think... me" said Akeno, attempting to say what was on her mind; but for the love of her, she STILL couldn't get the words out! She muttered half of her statement.
"Listen, Akeno. Poppy Anthony might be cool, but he's also stupid. He's not gonna be able to help ya unless you tell him what's bothering you" said 'Poppy Anthony'.
"You know, it's... it's a-... it's a bo-..."Akeno started again, desperately trying to convey her message.
"It's a bowl of spaghetti? It's a brochure? It's a...?" Asked Anthony, both jokingly and seriously.
"I'm having trouble, ok!" Akeno blurted out, then clashed her hand over her mouth with her face getting even redder.
"Heh, trouble? What possible trouble could y-...?" Anthony went to ask, but then it clicked. There WAS a reason she chose a boy to speak to and not Rias. The reason she asked Anthony... a boy... was, "Are you... having... boy trouble?" Asked Anthony, more than surprised if this was true. Akeno didn't seem like the type to worry over boys, just tease and flirt playfully with them. The only response Anthony got was a nod of her head, the deepest shade of red her face could possibly get.
...
...
...
Anthony burst out laughing. Akeno didn't know whether to feel offended or join in with him. "You? Boy trouble? Come on, just look at you! If I'm the definition of manliness, your the definition of assordante!" Said Anthony, the pun was entirely intended. Akeno felt flattered at that remark.
"Oh. T-Thank you. I'm just not sure if he'll find me attractive" said Akeno, to which Anthony gave her an are you serious look. He got up from the seat, and went behind Akeno. She froze up, not knowing what was about to happen, as she was usually the one doing stuff like this and not being on the receiving end.
"Again, LOOK at you! Long silky hair," said Anthony, running her long ponytail with his hands. As soon as he made contact with her, she felt a wave of peace wash over her.
'Is this... how Rias felt?' She couldn't help but ask herself.
"All natural figure, sparkling eyes? Akeno! You. Are. Amazing! Right Ddraig?" Anthony told her, then brought Ddraig into the conversation as he sat back down. He also gestured to those areas this time, not touching her in those locations. Sure they were friends and playfully teased back-and-forth like he and Rias did, but he wasn't the type of guy to swoop in and attack.
[Exactly. She could be Miss America if she wanted too] the dragon agreed. While Akeno had no idea what Miss America was supposed to mean, she felt exalted nonetheless.
Anthony then grabbed her hands, gently holding them. Akeno drew blanks, having no idea how to respond when something like this happened. "Rias is red hot, Asia is always glowing, Koneko can be cute when she's not bitchy... but you? Your... ELECTRIFYING!" Said Anthony, making several puns that were also intentional. "All I'm saying is; whomever this guy is... he's a lucky bastard" Anthony finished, smiling at Akeno. The Senior was mesmerized, no one had ever... ok, that was a lie. Many of her 'admirers' had said similar things to her as she would walk the halls of Kuoh Academy... even a few teachers, creepily enough. But with Anthony... it sounded more genuine, more passionate; not just a comment from a nameless nobody. He spoke those words not just to make her feel better, but make her more confident.
This reminded her of when Asia told the story of his first, thought chronologically second, time using his Boosted Gear. Before this Scott person attacked them, Anthony had said similar words to Asia to make her feel happy. Akeno felt all fuzzy inside. It was a welcome feeling ever since... it happened, but what exactly was this feeling? Was it just a simple crush, or could it be... something else?
Akeno then scooted into Anthony, giving him a tight hug.
[Holy marshmallow heaven...] said Ddraig, as the hug from Akeno added some simulation in a certain area. Anthony would have called Ddraig a name, but was also distracted by Akeno's sudden display of affection. Not knowing what else he could really do, he just returned the hug. Just like with Rias in the office that one time, Akeno sank into the hug. She never felt this way before, and it was a welcoming feeling. In doing this however, she didn't take into consideration that they were currently sitting on a chair with no support for the back.
Anthony and Akeno: WAAAAH!
SMOOSH!
Both high schoolers crashed on the floor, with Akeno right on top of Anthony. [DAIRY PILLOW JACKPOT!] Ddraig said, excitedly.
'KNOCK IT OFF, MUSHU!' Anthony thought back. "H-hey, you ok?" Anthony asked, chuckling lightly while repressing his hormones. What can he say? He was a guy with a girl on top of him.
"Oh. I'm fine" said Akeno, lifting herself up... but that's when her face was inches away from Anthony's. Akeno never saw him up this close before, but she liked what she was seeing... and feeling. Her hands were currently on top of his chest, allowing her to feel his torso. It wasn't overly muscular, but muscular enough to catch her attention; she could also feel his heartbeat, pressing up against her palms. Anthony was also cute from a distance, but looking into his brown eyes this closely was something different altogether. Likewise, Anthony couldn't deny Akeno was highly attractive, up close or at a distance. Neither teen knew how long they stayed like this.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The sudden scream snapped them both out of it. Akeno immediately got up, allowing Anthony to do the same. Anthony ran downstairs in a blur, his basic instincts taking over to try and help whoever was in danger. Akeno, after getting her bearings and emotions together, followed the Italian as he rushed out.
"IT'S ADORABLE!"
Akeno came down to see Anthony, who had taken out his Boosted Gear, stare at the 3 remaining ORC members. His jaw was wide open, not expecting what he was seeing. His friends were on the floor (the completed half), looking through what looked like a photo album. He recognized it, as it had a picture of elephant on it, which was his mothers' favorite animal. She kept it inside the wall unit where the large TV used to be, that only meant one thing...
The girls...
Were looking...
At his BABY PICTURES!
"Wow, he's naked" said Akeno, who had joined the girls. She did this mostly cause she could tell from Anthony's face this bothered him, this made teasing him that much easier.
"The naked truth, he was smaller than me" said Koneko, giving Anthony an evil smirk. Apparently, she was the was the one who found the album. Both sets of eyes made contact, with Anthony silently messaging her: "I hate you" through his sockets. Koneko just went back to looking at Anthony's naked days with the girls.
"Raynare... please kill me again" Anthony grumbled to himself, his hands clasped together as if praying.
"It's a tiny, itty-bitty Anthony! It's too much!" Said Rias with a slight giggle in her voice, never once imagining she'd get to she her Pawn's baby pictures. Sure Anthony was a good-looking guy, but he was such an adorable wittle baby. Ddraig wasn't kidding when he said Anthony was small.
"I agree. Itty-bitty and cute" said Asia. Anthony started pulling his hair sideways. Out of ALLLLLLL the things that could have survived the blazing inferno... THAT was it?! REALLY?! HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT HAPPEN?! Anthony felt for sure that his mother had arisen from the dead to troll him, or at least God was as punishment for hanging out with Devils.
"OHHHHH, KAAAAAAAAAY! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Said Anthony, dashing in the middle of the circle and grabbing the album, putting back in the unit where it rightfully belonged. In his rush however, he didn't notice that one of the slots was missing a picture.
[It's not like they're laughing AT you] said Ddraig with a chuckle.
"Yeah. They were laughing at my ass hanging out in the kitchen" said Anthony.
[Well, you were too small for the batht-...] Ddraig began.
"SHUT UP!" Anthony yelled, cutting the dragon off. He didn't want anymore of his tiny lifestyle revealed... it was embarrassing. Just then, he realized someone was missing. "Hey... where's Kiba?"
At the other end of the house in front of the fireplace in the back, is where Kiba stood. He was looking at an empty plaque over the fireplace that looked like it used to hold something. Looking down at his hand, was a picture of a young Anthony with some kid with chestnut-colored hair. Both were holding a pair of Gameboy Colors, unaware they're picture was getting taken. This wasn't what Kiba was interested in. In this picture, Anthony and the friend were sitting in front of the fireplace, and on the very same plaque was a cool-looking sword. It seemed familiar somehow...
"Yo, Kiba! Where'd ya go, man?" Called Anthony's voice. Eyes widening, Kiba stuffed the picture in his pocket. Good thing too, because Anthony appeared a second later. "There ya are. Why ya back here?" Asked Anthony.
"Oh... just admiring the scenery. This seemed like a great place" said Kiba.
"It was... this room was always pretty cool, me and Irina would play with our Gameboys back here after a holiday meal or something" said Anthony, not seeing Kiba twitch. This confirmed what the picture showed him. "Come on, the girls are waiting for us" said Anthony, turning around to walk away; but Kiba put a hand on his shoulder, causing the humanoid dragon to stop and crane his neck in Kiba's direction.
"Actually... I was curious about this. You have any idea what it was?" Asked the Knight, pointing to the empty plaque.
"Oh, that? My dad had a hobby of collecting antiques with ancient history. Used to be a sword there, he claimed it was Excalibur... or at least, a piece of it. He also had this long spear hanging in his room, saying it was used to stab Jesus Christ thousands of years ago" Anthony said.
"Really?" Asked Kiba, looking back up at the empty plaque. So it was true... it was here.
"Yeah... he sold it to Irina's dad, and the spear was gifted to a close friend of our family... but really? A legendary sword that magically spilt into smaller swords? Crazy stuff, right?" Joked Anthony. As he said this, he felt a wave of dread wash over Ddraig and by extension, pain in their shared arm.
'Nrgh... Ddraig, you ok?' Asked Anthony. [... uh... y-yeah. I-I'm fine] said Ddraig, though Anthony could feel nervousness in the dragons voice. But why?
"Don't touch anything else please! Anthony might get mad!"
"What's the itty-bitty Italian Dragon gonna do? Cry me a river?"
Asia and Koneko spoke, in that order. What was going on now? *GASP!* More baby pictures? HELL NO! Anthony ran back down to the other end of the house, leaving Kiba alone. With Anthony gone, he pulled out the picture he was looking at before, staring intently at the sword above the young Anthony and his childhood friend.
"Yeah... crazy stuff..." said Kiba, putting the picture back in his pocket and walked out of the room, but not before giving the empty plaque one last glance... this time full of anger.
-TIME BREAK-
Back by the front door, there was a wooden shelf that had nails inside of it. A single key was hanging on one of the many nails, and the ORC girls were curious about it. Koneko stood on her tip-toes to acquire it. "Don't touch anything else please! Anthony might get mad!" Said Asia, warning Koneko they shouldn't really be touching anything without Anthony's permission. While she like seeing Anthony's cute baby pictures, he looked upset upon finding them going through them. "What's the itty-bitty Italian Dragon gonna do? Cry me a river?" Asked Koneko in typical Koneko-fashion.
[BOOST!]
Directly behind her, stood Anthony with Ddraig's arm out again, outstretched and open. Looking slowly up at him, she saw him give her an evil smile himself. "Nope. He'll give you a shot" Anthony said. While Koneko was a tough girl, even she was wary of receiving a Dragon Shot at point-blank range... she heard Riser's Bomb Queen suffered a cruel fate. Anthony simply reached over Koneko's shoulder and took the key from her grasp, she gave no resistance. As much as she hated to admit it... Anthony got her... this time anyway.
"And what is it with you and going through my shit like a cat after a ball of yarn?" Anthony joked, which made Koneko avert her gaze, looking upset. The group didn't know why... well, everyone except Rias. "... was I something I said?" Asked Anthony, feeling a little bad he made Koneko upset. As much as the kid annoyed him, that didn't mean he didn't feel guilty about making her sad. She was still a friend.
[My last master was a horny moron, and made me one too... but your just a complete idiot who can't read context clues] said Ddraig
"What's that supposed to mean, Pete?" Snapped Anthony.
[After these last few weeks, you STILL haven't figured it out?] Questioned the dragon.
"Figured out what?" Asked Anthony, trying to understand what Ddraig was saying.
[... My point exactly...] sighed Ddraig.
"What point?... Come on, dude; not the silent treatment again!" Complained Anthony, since his pet dragon went silent. "Whatever... the thing hasn't run in years anyway" said Anthony, dropping the subject and going back to hang the key back on the nail. Before he could, Akeno spoke up.
"What hasn't?" Asked Akeno, curious.
"The car. What else?" Said Anthony, surprising everyone. He had a car? And he never used... actually, never mind; the ORC answered that question themselves. He wasn't the legal age when he ran away from here, so it's not like he could have used it to drive to his church after the inferno.
"You have a car?" Asked Koneko.
"You never told me that" said Asia.
"You never asked" said Anthony, spinning the hoop of the key around his finger.
"Mind sharing?" Asked Rias, a bit interested in what kind of car Anthony drove.
The Italian smiled in response, walking over the to door next to the small room that had the sink, and opened the door. This room went straight down and had a few tubes sticking out of the wall on a side, it obviously used to be a laundry room. Next to the tubes was another door, which Anthony also opened. On the other side was the inside of the double-door garage. A shelf of tools littered the right side, also having a work bench next to it. Dead center of this garage, was the type of vehicle Anthony apparently used to drive...
It was a white golf cart, which the ORC thought this had to be some kind of joke on Anthony's part. However, this wasn't your normal golf cart. It was fully customized, rivaling the ones you'd find at a Home Depot. For starters; it was a six seater, having enough room for each of them; tiny doors that opened just like a normal car (or at least a Fisher-Price electric one); and rear-view mirrors on the sides (gotta be safe), including one hanging on inside of the cart itself. It kinda looked like a Jurassic Park Jeep, just without the T-Rex skull or the striped paint job.
Oh... and a license plate with "Italian Stallion" on the front... to no ones surprise.
Of course, due to being cooped up in a closed garage for half Anthony's life, caused it to become very dusty and dirty. And since there was no electricity, Anthony had to open one of the garage doors by hand. Those things looked heavy, but he lifted them up without difficulty, though it was noisy. Climbing in for a second, he made a noise from inside and then came back out to push to cart into his driveway. Obviously, he must have put it in neutral. Once he was out, he held his hand straight out at the cart, a magic circle on his hand on it... what was he doing?
SPLASH!
He soaked himself from above by accident, he was dripping wet, and his face was hilarious. He looked so annoyed that it was adorable. Rias, Akeno, Asia began giggling... heck, even Koneko did! Kiba just smiled at the scene, also finding it funny.
"... Do ya mind?" Anthony asked dryly, not looking in the ORC's direction. Getting over her case of giggles; Akeno expertly soaked the entire cart, and wind-dried it through the use of magic. Sadly, there was no form of magic that had soap, but at least it was clean enough to sit on.
"You said you owned a car, liar" said Koneko, also recovering from her giggle fever. "Still runs on benzina..." Anthony shrugged. Koneko wasn't in the mood to make a comeback for that.
-TIME BREAK-
After getting the cart filled with electricity courtesy of the Thunder Priestess (as this model ran on both gas and/or battery), the ORC took a ride in Anthony's golf cart. Anthony was driving and Rias was next to him, Asia was next to Koneko and behind the Anthony and Rias, and Kiba and Akeno sat in that last row. Speaking of the golf cart, it moved allot faster than they expected; though it was unclear if it just had a good engine, or if it was due to Akeno's electrifying prowess used to recharge it since it was MIA for so long. Regardless though, Anthony had taken the ORC up and down the golf course which unlike his house, was taken care off. The lakes were clear, the animals were friendly, the bridges they had to take had a few sharp turns... which Anthony took told advantage off the scare the ORC, as it felt like the cart would roll over and into the water.
Rias hugged him for safety this way, which he enjoyed and made fun of her for; to which she called him an asshole or the like, who didn't know how to drive. Each time she did, Anthony would brake hard, making the golf cart quickly stop and the group would rock forward due to the G-Force. There were even a felt long hills that seemed roller coaster-like, giving Anthony the brilliant idea to floor it and make the cart bounce up and down as it climbed like The Little Engine That Could on weed... then it would speed up like a supercharged Herbie due to gravity.
But hey, they all laughed and had smiles on their faces... though Koneko tried to repress those emotions, they cracked through her normally stoic face. Anthony looked like he was having the time of his life, and it was VERY noticeable. They've seen Anthony smile before, but something about the one he gave now seemed... brighter, in a way. They went all around the golf course, and ended back in Anthony's backyard. Anthony stopped the cart, and just took a breath.
"Anthony, what's wrong?" Asked Rias, getting concerned.
"Nothing... I just... haven't feel so free in a while now, ya know?" Said Anthony. The ORC understood his feelings on the matter, this place was the home of a VERY painful memory. "... Thanks guys... for everything..." he continued, turning to face the rest of his passengers. After doing that, he drove back around the house and back in front of the garage. The Devils knew this meant the ride was over, and got out along with Anthony. Once again lifting the garage door open, he hopped back into the cart and drove it inside.
As Anthony pulled his car into the garage, he noticed a box in a corner that had the top of a brown ushanka sticking out of it. "Shit, it's still here?" He asked out loud after taking the key out of the golf cart and putting it inside his pocket, figuring he'll put away later. Curious as too what he was doing, the ORC just watched him. Opening the box flaps, "Son of a bitch" Anthony said, pulling out a shotgun with a cork in the barrel. At first, the ORC got a little nervous, but say the cork was connected by a string still attached the the gun... it was a toy. He putted out the hat next, and out fell a few plastic bunny-ear headbands from inside.
"I remember this. Me and Irina used to play Tune Tag with these" said Anthony.
"Tune Tag?" Asked Rias with a raised eyebrow, unfamiliar with the term. Anthony just smiled.
-TIME BREAK-
Rias was red with embarrassment. She felt ridiculous because Anthony forced her to wear one of the pairs of rabbit ears. The ORC was in Anthony's backyard again, with him wearing the ushanka and carrying the toy gun on his shoulder using a sling. After all the shit she put him through, it was his turn. He demonstrated a game he and Irina used to play whenever his favorite cartoon wasn't on, or he needed to feel better after a stressful day of elementary school. He told Rias to hop away and when she turned her back, he fired the toy shotgun... he actually cut the string this time around, so the cork hit Rias square in the back, causing the redhead to yelp.
Asia innocently thought it looked fun and wanted to play too. While Kiba, Akeno and Koneko wanted to sit this one out; Anthony said it would make him feel better if they played with him. It was tough to know if he was serious, or just using this to toy with the group's emotions. So dawning the rest of the bunny ears (which Koneko hated, though Akeno thought was cute), Anthony turned to count to 10 as the "bunnies" hopped away into hiding.
Once he was done, he slowly walked like a certain hunter from a certain show, and looked at the camera. "Shhhhhhh... be wery, wery quiet... I'm hunting Wevils... Dahahahahaha!"
FLOOSH!
"YIKE!"
Anthony felt a burning sensation on his bottom. Looking behind him, Rias was peaking out from behind a tree with a small Destruction Spell in her hand. "Your it" said Rias with a smile.
"No. I'm already it! You can't tag whose already it!" Said Anthony, then a bolt of lightning shot past him, barely missing his right ear. It was from Akeno, smiling and giggling while poking out from behind a different tree. "Look, I don't know what underworld rabbits do, but EARTH RABBITS don't shot lighting or blow fire!" Said Anthony, then he heard the sound of roots uprooting.
Koneko was holding an entire tree above her with both hands. "All bark, no bite" she said, tossing the tree towards Anthony. His pupils dilated in shock, the giant footage missing him narrowly due to his quick reflexes. This was probably payback for forcing her to wear bunny ears, or threatening her with a Dragon Shot... likely a bit of both. Looking at his toy gun, he dropped it in the grass.
"Aw, elica questo" he said, summoning Ddraig's arm with a [BOOST]. The game now turned into a playful frenzy, with Anthony firing small non-lethal blasts at his friends instead of using the toy gun. The ORC was giggling and laughing as this went on, turning this game of Tune Tag into a supernatural version of Laser Tag.
Unknown to them however, someone was watching them from atop of Anthony's roof... it was Lezaza, balancing himself with his cane. How did he get up there? He looked down at Anthony, and saw how happy he looked. After all these years, he was able to move on thanks to that redheaded Devil. Suddenly, he dropped the cane, being able to stand on his own without any issue. A magic circle started below his feet, and slowly worked its way up, causing a startling transformation. His old, slim figure became taller, more refined and young; with the wrinkles on his body disappearing entirely, he looked like he had gotten 60 years younger. He also grew a black goatee, and his hair magically grew back on top of his head, with a patch of yellow hair enough to cover his forehead. His suit he was wearing had also changed to a dark red V-neck long-coat.
With his disguise now shed... he smiled down at Anthony.
-TIME BREAK-
The sun was now starting to set, and the ORC was ready to leave. They were waiting for Anthony to come out though. "What's taking him so long?" Asked Koneko.
"Give him some time, he probably needs to get his bearings" said Asia, giving Anthony the benefit of the doubt. It's not that everyone was annoyed with Anthony, but they DID have school tomorrow. What would be they're excuse? Sorry we didn't come to class, we went halfway across the world to an abandoned house to help a friend move on with his life?... Yeah, that'll fly with the teachers well; as much as telling them the dog ate their homework.
"I'll go check on him" offered Rias, walking back into the house. She looked in the sunken room, the kitchen, the fireplace in the back and the garage; but he wasn't there. That left upstairs... where did that ottoman come from? Disregarding that, Rias was about to look in the rooms Anthony showed before, but something told her he wasn't in any of them. Instead, she felt herself being drawn to the one Anthony DIDN'T show. The door was a crack open, which was weird as it was closed before. Putting her hand on the knob and pulling it...
It was a kids room, like for ages 5-10. There were shelves with books that you'd read to your child before they fall asleep on you; a game system connected to a TV, both of which were gathering bunnies and not the kind Rias cosplayed as earlier; toy boxes filled with colorful (and dusty) playthings; Mickey Mouse wallpaper that had the rodent playing various sports... anything you could think this room had, it did. This was obviously why Anthony avoided this particular room, it clashed his good memories with his bad ones. Speaking of whom, he was outside the room itself due to a balcony that overlooked the golf course. Plus due to the setting sun, it was a beautiful sight to see.
Her Pawn was leaning against the bars of the balcony, apparently taking one final look at his childhood home before deciding to move on. Rias walked out of the open sliding-glass door to Anthony. "Anthony?... You ok?" She asked, becoming concerned again.
"Yeah, I'm fine... just taking one last look" said Anthony, not turning to face Rias, but she could tell in his voice that he was ok. He finally did turn his neck to face her. "Come on, I wont bite... too hard" he said. Rias took this opportunity to look out beside him, it was a breathtaking view.
"Ri?" Asked Anthony.
"Yes Anthony?" Asked Rias.
"I wanna say... thank you... for coming here with me" Anthony said.
"You don't have to thank me. You came here by yourself to put this all behind..." said Rias, but she was cut off.
"No... your wrong" said Anthony, looking at Rias with an intense amount of emotion in his eyes. "If it wasn't for you... I don't think I could've left Lezaza's office with those keys. You gave me the strength I needed to finally move my scared ass... you, Asia, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko... you all gave me support when I needed it most, even though I tried pushing you away and do it myself" he continued.
[What about me?!] Asked Ddraig, in a playfully upset tone.
"Heheh... yeah, you too, Ddraig" chuckled Anthony, then spoke to Rias: "Looks like I owe you again, huh?"
Rias stared at him. She didn't realize she had a big part in him finally coming around. "Y-You don't owe me anything, Anthony..." Rias tried to explain, but Anthony wouldn't have any of it and cut her off again by gently grabbing her hand. She blushed at this, not knowing why he was doing it.
"I do... Rias, I..." Anthony said, then kneeled down on one knee. Rias raised an eyebrow, what was he doing? "This might sound strange, but I... I feel like we have a connection, ya know?" Said Anthony, making Rias even more confused. "You saved my life without knowing me, then I saved you from laying eggs for the rest of your life despite only knowing you for... its like, what? Almost a month now?" Said Anthony with a slight chuckle. Rias was really puzzled now. What was Anthony...
Wait. He just mentioned her marriage to Riser... now he's on one knee... no way, no freaking way! He's not asking to...?
At this point, Anthony placed his other hand on top of the one he was holding from her, sandwiching her soft hand in between his own. "In that time... I felt, happy. Something I haven't felt in a VERY long time. And as we kept hanging out, I felt... this feeling... get stronger..." said Anthony. Rias was getting red in the face. This had to be a joke, right? There was no way Anthony was asking her... that, was he? "I mean, you feel it too, right? Teasing me by sleeping naked, be it at night or randomly when no ones around? It almost... feels like tension" said Anthony, continuing to ramble.
Rias could not believe her ears. This had to be a strange dream... yeah, that was it. She was already home in Japan, in bed with Anthony naked, Asia and her probably had a fight, and she was probably knocked out and was just having hormonal thoughts... yeah, that's EXACTLY the reason! RIGHT?!
Anthony gave her hand a gentle squeeze, informing her this was NOT a dream. "I never felt this way before... it feels great. Though some people will send us death threats, at least we'll be happy, right?" Asked Anthony, his eyes glazing over. It was true! Anthony... was asking her... to marry him! This was all so sudden, she didn't know what to think. Sure she liked Anthony, but could she really say yes to him... hell, could she even say no?! He's done so much for her in these last few weeks, and did so by giving up a piece of himself to a LITERAL... God-slaying DRAGON!
"Rias Gremory... I, Anthony Messuri, have to ask you... will you..." said Anthony, his voice cracking with passion. Rias just stared down at him with shock, her heart beating faster than it normally does... this was it, it seemed. He was actually asking her. She awaited the magic words Anthony was about to say...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Tell me your favorite color?"
Rias: ...
Anthony: ...
Rias: ...
"YOU ASSHOLE!" Roared Rias, not caring if the entire neighborhood heard her. Anthony quickly got up to avoid a slap to his face, but Rias started swinging. Anthony just ducked away and leaned back against the balcony, a huge silly smirk plastered on his face. Rias then started beating his chest with her fists in blind anger at Anthony's stupid joke... or was it because she fell for it? Regardless, Anthony still laughed as Rias beat his chest.
"You should've seen the look on your face!" Laughed Anthony. Rias just keep hammering Anthony's chest while calling him names like "Baka" and "Jāku", up until Anthony wrapped his arms around her; making her stop.
"All jokes aside... thank you, Rias... from the bottom of my heart" Anthony said, genuinely this time. Pulling back, they stared at each other's eyes. "Honestly, I couldn't have done this without you..." Anthony said. Both teens were silent as they locked orbs with each other. Subconsciously, their faces edged closer...
"ANTHONY! RIAS!" Came the voice of Akeno, making the teens stop and snap out of it.
"YOU CAN DO THE NASTY BACK HOME! LET'S GO!" Was the voice of a cranky Koneko, wanting to get back home. They both called out pretty loudly, and the sun in the distance was barely in sight anymore...
"Geez. We better get going, before short stuff pops a gasket" Anthony joked.
"Uh... y-yes... of course" said Rias. The Pawn and his King left the building, with Anthony locking it back up... the past along with it. Stepping into the Gremory magic circle, the ORC headed back to Japan... closing the cover on this emotional chapter.
End of Season 1
Phew. Finally... the epilogue is done. Wasn't that wholesome? Now Anthony can finally move on with Rias and his new family. You also can't deny its all original. Sure I borrowed the 'baby picture incident' from season two, but I twisted it around while also adding an extra layer... or in this case, an extra weapon. And how many DXD fanfics have the main cast riding in a golf cart, or playing a game of tag based on a slapstick cartoon? Plus, the ending with Anthony supposedly asking for Rias' hand in marriage was comedy gold, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.
While most of this seems ridiculous (and that was the point), I think I executed it pretty well.
Season Two is now officially on its way, though I can't tell you exactly when it will be released. It could be next week, or maybe the next 2 weeks; there's no exact time frame. I'm putting together all my ideas to try and make them flow with the story, as well as what new words/phrases to teach you and poke fun at my nationality along the way. Thanks for all the support each and every one of you have shown. Looking forward to your reviews and until next time, I'll see you in the sequel... pace fuori!
Anthony's Italian Dictionary:
1) Pace Fuori: means "peace out"
2) Assordante: means "stunning"
3) Benzina: means "gas" or "gasoline"
4) Elica Questo: means "screw this"