Author Notes:
Part 2 - This is a continuation of the events seen in Episode 19
* The chapter references the events of Lucifer Rising (novel)
Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 27
OP Song:
仮面ライダーBLACK RX (RIDER CHIPS Ver.) · RIDER CHIPS
Insert Song: Start
Dies irae - Animation OST: Ewige Wiederkunft
Part 1
Flashback
"Lady Sitri, this is Azazel, I want you to come by my laboratory for the time being if you aren't busy."
"Why, if I may ask?"
"A little personal discussion relating to a certain important person that both of us have a duty of care for."
That was all that Sona Sitri needed to hear. That was the sudden call of Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels. Sona was currently sitting down on a chair and is somewhere in an office room. Sona had been here before, accompanied by Rias. This time, Sona was alone, and it was only her alone that Azazel had called. Now, her beautiful face was sporting a frown, if because of the main topic that was now under the table of discussion.
Her husband-to-be. The man she is currently betrothed to. Shidou Itsuka. Who is currently not here but somewhere else.
Azazel, wearing his scientist attire, had both of his hands behind his back. Currently, he was looking at a picture that he took from his pocket. A minute passes. A frown was seen on Sona's face as she waited patiently. One of the things that makes Sona Sitri special was her intellect. In one sense, she can see everything. Literally. If Sherlock Holmes can spot the details easily, Sona can do it just as much if not more so. Her violet eyes were narrowing upon Azazel's figure, looking for anything to tell from his body expression and aura.
Something of deep sighs and regrets was felt by Sona. Not surprising. Azazel was in fact a war veteran, and from what she understood now, so much more.
Azazel, with his serious face, now turned towards her, and with file folders in hand, would begin to head towards his office chair. He would raise his hand, one that was holding the picture, towards Sona. His expression was telling her subtly to take it, offering his hand. Sona in turn would take it and would begin to examine the photo.
The photo itself was of a technicolor type, one that reminded one of a blend between the 80s era and the modern 2000s. Clear but evokes a strange sense of the past. Sona would knit her eyebrows, and her eyes slightly widened a bit.
She would see Shidou Itsuka, who looks a little taller and older than how he is now, with grey sides seen around the edges. He wearing a worn-out Raizen High School school uniform, one that was clearly modified. He was also wearing a bandolier and a belt with military equipment attached or placed into the pockets of the belt. His amber-brown eyes look more sad and war-weary, like they had pretty much lost their innocence and color, something that made her heart ache. Something that Sona noted was the presence of a red helix symbol seen on the sides of his shoulder. And she also noted at least nine more individuals alongside him, most of them male, and two of them female. They all carried advanced sci-fi-esque rifles and weapons in their person. The common expression among them, despite some of them smiling, was a sense of grim determination to survive and fight, and the sense of loss was clearly present in all of them.
"That would be Shidou back in the day along with the rest of his squad under his command," Azazel explained, making Sona look at him.
"What was the squad's name?" Sona asks.
She remembers clearly. Standing right before her was Shidou Itsuka...though he seems a bit older, estimating about college years in height, due to not only the little traces of white around the edges of his hair but also of his eyes, ones that seemingly lost that spark of light that she knew that her Shidou Itsuka possessed. He was wearing a very worn-out and modified Raizen High School male uniform, along with a bandolier, a belt, and military equipment. There was also a red helix symbol found on both sides of his modified blazer. And he even has a kind of advanced rifle strapped to his person, and two advanced pistols that were found near the holsters of his belt.
"Crisis Squadron. It was a squadron directly under my and my wife's personal command during the War. Compared to me and my wife, these were all pretty much kids to us, those who had everything pretty much taken from them. They were the elite, the best of the best. They used their traumatic experiences and became as hard as steel, but never lost who they were for the most part. All they thought of at that time wasn't winning, for they knew better than to think of that. Because the War was never about winning. It was about surviving it," Azazel muttered softly.
Now, Sona had some idea about the War from Shidou, at least the general gist of it, but naturally, getting the idea of how larger than most is the scale of this conflict, she figured that she needed more info. Azazel would be one of the most vital individuals who could inform her of such things due to probably having seen some of the worst, ones that could leave even the most sane devils riveting mad. Perhaps that was why Azazel called for her, to be informed of Shidou's exact level of circumstances.
"Here are the folders that you need to know about Shidou," Azazel gestured to the pack of folders that were on the table. "These would help you get a pretty good idea of how to profile him. Now," Azazel puts both of his hands together, with both fingers placed in the same conjoined manner, his entire arms forming a kind of triangle. "I would not put it past you to immediately understand the gist of why I called you here. You and I both know that this is about Shidou, the man who is my responsibility due to being his superior officer, and also...someone who would now become your husband in the future."
Azazel continued. "For the past few months, I've been monitoring your relationship with Shidou, and I do not need to explain why. With you being this close to him, you need to know how to at least handle him...and..." His eyes turned sad, looking at the folders. "...He honestly needs some company in his life. And I am not just simply talking about his old friends and family either."
"A woman," Sona answered with not a hint of embarrassment. She understood what Azazel wanted to tell her. Relating to Shidou and his issues, especially when she remembers clearly the darkness that is hidden underneath, the old man who had seen too much in his lifetime, the man who tries to be better despite the trauma and whatever problems surround him.
"Yes," Azazel confirmed. "I once said to him before that it was not good for a man to be alone. And I was more than right. The man had lost his entire family, his entire home universe, everything that he knew, gone in the blink of an eye. It...It changed him, twisted him. Not to the point of evil, of course. But now, the man is fully capable of making more greyer but necessary decisions than his past innocent self if the situation calls for it, but that in itself doesn't mean that he likes it, far from it, he hates it actually. The War...made him a soldier, forced him to be one, and forced him to fight when everything around him was written in the cold letters of death, and stripped him of the pure optimism that he wanted to grab back, the desire to save instead of simply to kill."
Azazel continued. "The way I see it, knowing now of the closeness that you have made with Shidou, you should know more about him from others, not just from him, getting the full picture, for I fully believe that you are the only one that can help him in his struggles."
"Why just me specifically?" Sona asks. "There has to be more than just me being his wife-to-be that you are giving me such personal and classified information."
Azazel smiled a little. "Well, I trust you first and foremost, knowing what you are like in my old world."
"Your old world?" Sona could not help but ask.
"Yes..." Azazel would sit up straight on his chair, with his two hands placed on the armrest. "Most don't know about this, but my origins are also of a different kind of reality, the same condition as Shidou's."
"...You...You're also..." Sona's eyes widened, now understanding the implications of what is now being said.
"Yes," Azazel nodded a bit. "What you are looking at, Lady Sitri, is the survivor of one's previous universe and is now currently sort of copied and pasted to this one like something out of a word processor. I don't really want to explain this kind of backstory to just anyone, so...consider yourself a part of the circle of trust that I have built over the years."
"...If you do not mind me asking, what was your universe like? And am I in it?" Sona asks.
"Oh yes, you were in it, and so are many of the people that we know in this convergence universe," Azazel made a saddened expression. "...Although, things there are different from here. Some elements are fundamentally the same despite the differences. The Great War and the Devil Civil War for example still happened in my universe. And then, well, there's you, meeting someone that you seem to have grown attracted to, which did not in fact happen in my reality."
Sona would be very quiet at that and sported a troubled look that came with a frown. Azazel continued. "Yes, I can definitely tell from the look on your face. And yes...I can confirm a bit that...in the world that I come from, you, Lady Sona Sitri, do not really have anyone else that you married. You stayed single up to the rest of your days even as you fulfilled your dreams. You were far too single-minded and focused on the latter to the point where...well, trying to fulfill your dreams, that in turn becomes your one constant regret."
Sona did not like this information. It made him uncomfortable, yet it also gave her an epiphany. "...This is not just about Shidou, is it? You also want me to at least experience love and happiness, and not make the same mistake as my alternative self."
"Yes," Azazel nodded. "If it were possible to do so. I'm not really that much of an expert in choosing the right kind of man or woman for someone. I'm a scientist, licensed medical doctor, and a soldier, not cupid, and there are plenty of them running around out there. Love is just as complex as it is the most constant in any universe. Hell, I didn't even think that you and Shidou ending up together was possible and yet it happened anyway, which brings me to my point. My goals are twofold. For you, Lady Sitri, to find true happiness amidst your many constant worries, without letting yourself live with regrets, and can still fulfill your dreams. For Shidou, I want to at least try to heal from the scars of a War That Never Ended, and for him to find someone to that he can relate on the most intimate level possible. It's the only practical way for him to truly heal."
"And there's no catch?" Sona could not help but ask, not because she does not trust the Governor-General, but because she suspected that there was something that Azazel wanted to achieve.
"The catch is the common goal of a much more preferable and brighter future for everyone in this universe. That is all," Azazel answered with a grim tone. "If there is one thing the War had granted me an insight on, it's that I can at least ensure that things that did get bad in my universe and others whose histories all smashed into this one don't happen again. Some, I cannot truly change, at least not without risks. But most I can bend like a flexible stick. And well...considering Shidou's transformation into a cyborg, as Kamen Rider Black, his...natural lifespan increased."
"By how much?" Sona asks.
"Over 50,000 years, and that's merely one approximate limit as I figured that the man is pretty much immune to natural death anyway, and this is in spite of the fact that the man is naturally long-lived as a side effect of the War. He can still die just like any other human and sentient being, but he's a whole lot harder to kill or take down permanently, especially with what he can do with his Kingstone that grants him such great power that potentially gives the chills to even the mightiest of the sky gods and the tenacious dragon deities. And as for you, knowing how much devils have increased natural lifespans, ergo you have plenty of opportunity to spend time with him, which would also be beneficial because I figured that Shidou needed someone who would live just as long as he has and doesn't need to worry about that someone growing old and dying in the next 80 to 90 years, systems like the Evil Piece and the Brave Saint aside," Azazel said.
Sona would begin to look at the old picture again, especially paying attention to Shidou in the photo. Her eyebrows were knitting towards one particular female among them. There was a young woman with short dark blonde hair that reaches her neck and yellow eyes. She was seen smiling the most, waving cheerfully, a contrast to the entire picture which was more or less sober in tone. She was wearing a military jacket that also had the red helix symbol seen on both sides of the shoulder.
"Hold on..." Sona muttered, her face laced with concentration. She looks up to Azazel who smiled a little, but it still maintained that sadness.
"You recognized her, don't you," Azazel said.
"...Yes," Sona muttered softly. "The woman here, she looks like a fellow classmate from Kuoh."
"Because she is," Azazel confirmed as his tone turn a bit proud but also still sad, making Sona pay attention. "Shidou isn't the only one who got isekai'ed into this universe. Most of his squad followed him into this universe too and had lives of their own. That woman you see there, you'd know her as Hashida Suzuha, a fellow classmate of yours, the cheerful type that you wouldn't think had some kind of depressing past. Though, during the War, she was known by the codename: Attractor Converter, with the rank of Corporal, Shidou's second in command. She was one of the best on the squad and still is. Perks for coming from a dystopian future of an alternate universe. Even before the War, circumstances had forced her to become a soldier, a resistance fighter against those who ruled the world in her time, preparing her in hindsight for the War ahead."
"...What kind of dystopian future was this?" Sona asks.
"The kind where you don't get to say no, unfortunately," Azazel muttered with a sad smile. "And which reminds me, she couldn't go home either, not because her universe was destroyed, but because she's all by rights a temporal anomaly that shouldn't exist due to the worldline configurations of her universe changing drastically, making sure that her dystopian future no longer passes away, but it also prevents her from going back there unless she wants to cause a temporal paradox by her mere existence. Another long story that I don't want to bore you with the details with, and which is explained in the files that I would give to you anyway."
And Sona continues to look over the picture. She at least recognized another person there. A young man with black hair with grey sides and pale gray colored eyes.
"Hold on, isn't this man-" Sona said.
"Slash Dog, or as I knew him then and now, Ikuse Tobio," Azazel sadly smiled. "I remember you meeting him at the party that I hosted several months back. About him, he's not from my universe and timeline, though I did know a version of him. The Slash Dog that you know however came from an alternate timeline where things were slightly different due to a few messes surrounding time travel that was enacted by Loki, my Loki, and alien gods from another universe. It's a long story that I don't want to bore you with the details for. Like me, Slash Dog became the only survivor of his universe, and during the War, he was known by the codename: Lion's Den. with the rank of Private First Class."
"...And, what of the others, I don't recognize these people?" Sona asks as she pointed to several faces.
"Well, those two on the left would be Eugene Thompson - codename: Grim Frown and Abel Rotomaster - codename: Phantom Drive. They were the mostly serious among the bunch. Not that I and anyone else can blame them since they lost their home universe and well, life not really working out for them too well. Right now, they're living in their universe, having been restored at least, though even with similarities, there are still some differences from the previous iteration, so these two more or less got the fortunate stick. Another one on the left would be Fujimaru Ritsuka - codename: Magister Zero, originating from another destroyed universe, the one that tends to keep things from becoming too grim and make a few lighthearted kicks. Right now, he's secretly working as an agent in the Chaldea Security Organization, something that I believe that you are at least familiar with."
Sona nodded silently in response.
The Chaldea Security Organization. Short for Chaldea. Yes, Sona would know who or what they are. Her father and Serafall had once discussed in passing it from time to time. They were a very secretive type of agency, one that most aren't even aware of, who are tasked with monitoring potential temporal anomalies and other existential threats in this universe and a few others in their jurisdiction. Only those in high positions among the supernatural know of their existence.
"And then on the right, there's Niko Bellic - codename: Sharp Shooter. Tragic family backstory, doesn't take any nonsense, follows orders to the letter, and earned his codename by picking off enemies as fast as you could blink. Right now, he lives in the same city as Shidou as he and this world's version of his family are immigrants to Japan who came from a war-torn Yugoslavia. And then there's Kazami Yuuji - codename: Jade Apple, the secretive of the bunch, who lost his older sister and pretty much the life that he was supposed to have led which the War derailed, which I still don't know whether it was a good thing or not due to the mixed bag that is his life. Right now, he's living in another universe where he gets to start afresh, though he tends to have his own troubles to deal with. The girl near Suzuha is Ai Astin - codename: Memoriam, the youngest of the squad, coming from a post-apocalyptic Earth where the dead did not have any form of rest and it's just as messed up as that sounded. It's a world where beings called the gravekeepers are summoned to that world to give rest to the dead when the God of that universe had pretty much just abandoned the world. Ai is one such gravekeeper, born from a human and a gravekeeper. The War did not spare her world either, not that there isn't anything left to burn down because pretty much everybody in that world was suffering one way or another, and couldn't really die unless a gravekeeper buries them with dirt and a shovel. Right now, she's living a quiet life in the same universe where Kazami is stationed, the latter keeping an eye on her from time to time. And well, you already know Shidou - codename: Little Remnant, so I don't really need to explain who he is to you."
Sona would in turn have her attention on a specific individual in the photo, right beside Shidou, Suzuha, and Ai, somewhere on the right.
There was a young man with black hair and sharp blue eyes that were tired yet determined, wearing a modified school uniform and a blazer of black color. with a military belt and equipment, along with the same red helix symbol found on everyone else.
"Who is this one? The one besides Shidou, Hashida, and Astin?" Sona asks.
"...Oh, him," Azazel sported a grim expression, with shades of a darker demeanor. "That is Jacob Wescott - codename: Splinter Cell. He and Shidou were as close as brothers, completely inseparable, a well efficient team. And well..."
Azazel's thoughts hesitate for a bit. Silence reigned just for a minute. Sona was patient. She had a feeling that this would be quite a revelation that she needed to know.
"...I think Shidou had already told you about his best friend, Takamiya Shinichiro," Azazel explained.
Now, Sona was smart enough to catch on without needing to be explained further. And as Azazel would provide the hint, Sona would begin to realize something.
"...Takamiya Shinichiro is Jacob Wescott, isn't he?" Sona stated with narrowed, concerned eyes.
"...Yes, he is," Azazel nodded grimly. "Currently, he's in a comatose state at the Tenguu City General Hospital. Ratatoskr Valkyrie Legion Pilots would tend to be on standby and guard him with their lives due to the fact that he, along with Shidou, were the two individuals that had been taken by Gorgom several months back. Shidou was at least saved by the brainwashing. Shinichiro was saved as well, with the brainwashing yet to be completed, but the problem of his comatose state still remained, meaning that Gorgom may as well want to finish the job due to being the most vulnerable of the two."
A revelation comes. But also a cruel and painful irony settled in. Two individuals, Shidou Itsuka and Shinichiro Takamiya, both of whom were all but brothers-in-arms in a War For The Sake Of The Multiverse. Both of them are born in the time of the unnatural solar eclipse, fixing their inevitable destiny in the new world that they both live in. Both of them experienced the same post-amnesia life, and until they were ready, they would only think of the positivity and innocence of bygone days.
"You would not mind if I tell Shidou what you told me?" Sona asks.
"Do it. I'm more than happy that you should. You two did promise to be completely honest to each other after all," Azazel nodded with a soft smile.
There was a whirlwind of emotions that were within the mind of one Sona Sitri. Anger, outrage, disgust, empathy, sadness, heartstrings pulled together, and other positive and negative emotions within the spectrum.
In her private study of her house that was somewhere in Kuoh, she would study about her husband-to-be. Everything about his past was laid bare before her very eyes. Many of the things that her husband had honestly told her were confirmed when she read his files.
How...? How can this man be still so...kind...so gentle...so understanding?
Can she be blamed for thinking this?
"...Shidou," She muttered softly.
This was...admittedly a basket full of problems. Where to start? How can she, Sona Sitri, take care of what is essentially an old man in a younger middle school body that came out from the worst war experienced by anyone and lost everything he held dear?
At that point, it made Sona remember to herself that she was...was far too young, not just in the sense of marriage but also because of the age of her experiences. Yes, she was intelligent, but she knew that it alone is not enough, experiences and other factors are necessary. In a sense, it's why her husband to be managed to beat her in one simple game of chess. He's old and had plenty of experiences before she did. She has yet to reach his level, much less reach the level of her older sister.
"Sona-chan~! Onee-chan has finally arrived after a long week of hard work and I get to spend quality time with you for the night~! YAY~!"
Speak of the devil, Sona thought to herself. Serafall Leviathan had arrived so suddenly, teleporting herself through the use of a magic circle seen on the floor. In normal circumstances, there may be times when she's a bit ruffled by her sister's presence. But now, she was less focused on her sister and more focused on something else.
Serafall, wearing her magical girl uniform and twirling her Kaleidoscope, was sporting a curious look on her sister. "Hmm?" Naturally, she could not help but walk towards the back and sees...something that made her frown with a grim demeanor due to the contents of the folder. Her hand was placed in the back of the chair and she was slightly leaning to get a good look. Sona did not mind. In fact, her sister being here would be more than beneficial.
"...Azazel gave you that, didn't he?" Serafall spoke with a sure tone.
"...He did...And it seems..." Sona would place one of her hands on the side of her glasses. "...That he trusts me fully in taking care of Shidou."
Serafall smiled softly a bit, her eyes dropping to sadness. "...You know, if it were any other man that fell for my Sona-chan, I would do everything in my power to thoroughly check his background and see as to whether or not he was actually worthy of your hand, putting the fear of Maou on him. But now...Now I can't do that...Not...Not to him...Not after...Not after everything..."
Serafall was still reminded of what Azazel had told her and the rest of the Satans. And it still left an impressionable view on the man who was now her potential and actually more than preferable brother-in-law.
"Onee-chan..." Sona would look towards her sister for advice. "...What do you think I should do?"
"...Hmm," Serafall shakes her head. "...That...is something that I cannot truly tell. Only you can think of what to do. After all, Shidou-kun is rather close to you. And yes, I've seen it and the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. The times that he was with you are the times when I saw him genuinely happy. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Shidou-kun has an interest in you as a person on the level of a romantic kind and perhaps...something more. Well, not surprising really, he's older and has probably had more experience at this point"
"...How odd," Sona seem to muse a little, but there were still traces of sadness. "I never pictured you to be the type to encourage me to pursue a man and have a relationship with him."
"...Well," Serafall instantly made a smirk before putting both hands together. "Since this is Shidou-kun, I'll make an exception. Besides," The smirk turns to a teasing look. "From what I heard from Sebastian, you seem to have gotten better at cooking, even better than before."
Sona would in turn blush a little bit in embarrassment, putting her hand to the bridges of her glasses. "That...That is something that I definitely owe to Shidou."
Yes, Sona was grateful at least that Shidou, even with his busy schedule, finds the time to teach her the ways of cooking. It's not that Sona herself is terrible at cooking, it's just that she treats cooking in the same way she treats a science experiment in a laboratory. It's one of the flaws that she vehemently tries to correct. Sona could in a sense be a perfectionist at heart, not wanting to make a mistake that could slight her reputation that she had worked long and hard for. If it weren't for Shidou...
...If it weren't for Shidou.
Her embarrassment instantly melts into a frown on her face.
Yes, from what Azazel told her, she may never even have met Shidou had circumstances been different. Azazel's universe, Shidou's universe, Azazel's wife's universe, and many others all form to conjoin this present-day reality, the present iteration of all combined universes that all should not have fit the mold, but somehow managed to work and adapt.
Her original past, in Azazel's universe, was that of a woman with no importance, just fading into the background, not missed, forgotten, not even able to marry and have children, living the rest of her days with regret. That...That was wrong. That was not something she wanted. She does not want to live with the regret that Azazel had spoken of.
She...She could not really imagine a world without Shidou in it. The young man that she met at that party, the man that she had plenty of lively conversations with, the man that she comforted in his darkest hour when he was beating the dead body of the rogue exorcist for killing devils, and plenty more. Shidou...became someone that she grew fond of, grew attracted to, grew attached too. Her devil instincts were purring within her like a female cat every time Shidou was present.
She...She does not want to live in a world without Shidou Itsuka. Her mind was already made up. She cannot live without him. The man made her feel many things, but most especially, desire, passion, love, and other sorts that she never fully experienced before.
Call her cliché, maybe naïve, but Shidou Itsuka was the only one for her. And right now, as she knew more and more about the past, she understood that she needed to be the one who would take action, to be by the side of the man who made her smile and be happy for once amidst all of her stress to manage everything in the name of Sitri.
On the next day, somewhere on the rooftops of a school building in Kuoh, when the afternoon sun was seen on the horizon, there was Sona Sitri, wearing her high school uniform. Her clothing was blown by the ominous winds in the east, her hands were placed on the edge of the balcony, and her eyes were looking at the horizon, seeing the nearby tall buildings of the town and other cars buzzing by.
She was currently waiting for someone. And that someone was now opening and closing the door.
"Ohhh Haaa~! You called for me, kaichou?!~"
Sona would turn around, sporting a serious expression. She was looking at a young, beautiful woman that was wearing the same uniform as Sona's. She had long brown hair and yellow cheerful eyes, raising her hands in an energetic manner.
"Yes," Sona would put her hand to the bridges of her glasses. "I'm glad that you came here on short notice, Hashida-san. Or..." Sona turned serious. "...Should I call you by your other name, Attractor Convertor?"
"?!" The young woman, Suzuha Amane, would sport a shocked expression for a quick moment before turning serious, but she was still smiling a little. Impressive, Sona thought, considering that Suzuha was quite the brilliant actress when it came to covering up her actual past. Not even Sona would know if it were not for the context that Azazel provided. As she knew Suzuha, Sona had some level of suspicion that this woman was not the kind of cheerful and innocent girl that most would know her by, but Sona did not pry more into it, thinking that it was none of her business...
...Well, at least, until she met Shidou, the man that she admits has some feelings for, and considering the information, makes Suzuha's personal life her business as well.
"...Who told you about me, kaichou?" Suzuha asks.
"Azazel-sensei did, even gave me a couple of files for me to personally study and research," Sona explained.
"Ahh, Avenging Eagle," Suzuha spoke with a respectful tone while nodding in understanding. Then she made a big sigh. It was a combination of relief and exasperation. She was walking towards Sona's position and begins to casually turn back and put her back to the edge of the balcony and closed her eyes for a bit, before she eventually opened one of them. She smiled. "How much did he tell you?"
"More than enough, along with the rest of the TSOF's Crisis Squadron," Sona explained.
"I see, I see," Suzuha nodded. Her smile would turn soft as she explained. "Well, since you know, I suppose I should probably tell you that Sarge had told me plenty about you, whether in personal conversations or on the phone."
Sona didn't need to second guess who this "Sarge" is. It was her Shidou Itsuka, and Suzuha was his second in command.
"What did he tell you about me?" Sona's tone turn soft, wanting to know what Shidou thought of her.
"...Well, he told you that you were the most beautiful, the most intelligent, and the smartest person that he had ever met, and the most stubborn and fearless, the type of woman who knows what she wants and doesn't hesitate to express that with her actions," Suzuha spoke. She noticed that Sona blushed a bit, and Suzuha would lightly smirk. "Yes, Sarge is blatantly honest when it comes to you, that I noticed. He talks about you and how you tend to brighten up his day. He talks about all of the conversations you both have, on how utterly brilliant and stubborn you are, a woman that makes him lightly forget the more...sadder parts of his life," Suzuha's tone turned sober, and Sona felt that her heart stop as the conversation turns serious.
Suzuha continued. "...From what Sarge probably told you since he pretty much told me that he told you, along with what Eagle probably told you, you'd probably know that he was married once upon a time."
"I do know..." Sona muttered, lowering her eyes, one out of empathy and out of silent respect.
"Then knowing all of that, you probably know what you're getting yourself into, right?" Suzuha asks, raising an eyebrow of inquiry.
Yes, Sona knew perfectly well what she was getting herself into. Sona, as she acknowledges her level of interest in Shidou, would realize many things. The man she loves had a wife and a daughter once upon a time. Had being the past term. Meaning that Sona was currently dealing with an old widower who is still loyally faithful to his wife. Now, Sona has no actual experience in dating a widower, let alone an old man that is thrice her age, and let alone a man who has a bundle of mental, emotional, and spiritual issues.
The scars of the War still remained for Shidou Itsuka. Each veteran of the Time War was different and unique. Some took it well and just try to bury it and move forward. Others cannot just let go of the scars and need a lifetime of healing. Some would have rounds of nightmares, lacking sleep. Some would even feel like they were back in the War even when they are awake and not sleeping.
Shidou Itsuka, from what Sona can understand, was a man who hides his suffering and hesitates to be honest with people. Not that Sona could blame Shidou for not being honest. The idea of the Time War was already downright unbelievable and unimaginable even by the supernatural standards of her universe. Shidou couldn't just randomly talk to a therapist or psychologist, telling them of his life experiences. Some may think he's suffering from illusions or worse. No, only a handful of people can truly understand just what Shidou is going through. Fellow War veterans or people who knew about the War. The rest may as well be dust in the wind.
Now, Shidou and Sona are currently in a secret engagement. Before that, Sona would admit that she had grown rather fond of the first-year middle school boy who offered her a dance. Sona smiled a bit at that memory. It is one of the most unforgettable moments in her life. A special kind of memory that she would treasure. She met the man she fell for.
"...You know," Suzuha continued, bringing Sona's attention, looking at the former who was looking straight ahead to the heavens. "I was quite surprised that Sarge would fall in love with another woman. All of us in the squad were when he told us about you. We knew that Sarge loved his late wife and we knew that it wouldn't be that easy for him to just move on from the hurt, to just find another woman to be with. He really did love his late wife, more than anything."
"I knew that the moment when Shidou brought her up," Sona said, sporting a saddened expression.
"Which makes me really surprised that Sarge would choose to settle for you," Suzuha made a contrite expression. "No offense of course, kaichou."
"None taken," Sona shakes her head
"And well, I gotta ask, be honest with me," Suzuha's expression turn serious. No, Sona thought. It was also a bit overprotective, but not like another woman having feelings for the same man, but rather that of a bond of sisterhood and brotherhood. Sona is quite good at reading people, and this moment was no exception. "Do you really love Sarge?"
"...Yes," Sona would stand properly, with a determined expression on her face while the winds were blowing her uniform gently. Of course, she does love Shidou Itsuka. This was no time for her to get embarrassed over such a fact. She and Shidou had been meeting each other for several months. She knew what and where her feelings lie. Sona considered all of that. And she was empathetic and concerned more for Shidou's plight.
"Yes, I do love him. I know that he had a wife and a daughter before, and I fully accepted that. The more I had gotten to know him, the more I want to stay by his side. I want to be there for his support, to be someone that he can rely on, to be someone that he can be honest with and no one else, to be someone that can comfort him, even offering my body and soul to be with him through even a special kind of intimacy. I cannot fully replace the woman he loves and I do not intend to. I can only offer what I am, Sona Sitri, the Heiress of the House of Sitri, nothing more, nothing less," Sona declared.
Suzuha, as she listened to this honest declaration, could not help but smile a bit in response after mulling it over. "Wow...Sarge was right, you are rather stubborn and fearless."
Sona in turn sported a saddened expression. "That declaration is only based on how I truly think and feel about Shidou."
"And I can only be relieved more than anything, since considering who you are, I feel that I can safely leave Sarge in your hands. Although..." Suzuha made a darkened expression, one that is slightly comedic and slightly serious. Both of her hands were placed on her waist. "...If you try to break his heart, I will kill you. I do not care if you are from the House of Sitri or a High-Class Devil or the fact that your older sister is one of the most powerful of the Satans who would probably kill me so easily like a human foot stepping on an ant, just know that I would, that I can promise you."
Sona, instead of being offended, would actually sport a reassured smile on her face. It wasn't really a threat to her life. Sona knew that if Suzuha was anything to go by from the files that Azazel had given to her, she was worried about her sergeant, which is understandable. The feeling was more than mutual for Sona. In fact, if Shidou's heart was in fact broken because of her, Sona would feel like she'd kill herself too.
"...Thank you," Sona spoke gratefully, with a genuine, reassuring smile.
"Huh?" Suzuha made a surprised expression.
"Thank you for taking care of Shidou, even back during the War up to now, you've always been keeping an eye on him, and if you were not by his side during the War, I'd shudder to think of what could have happened, and I may probably not meet the man that I love today if it were not for you...or of course, the rest of Crisis Squadron," Sona spoke further, her smile not wavering.
Suzuha made a raised eyebrow. "You know, you're pretty weird. I just threatened you to your face and you're just thanking me?"
"Well, a woman has her secrets and her priorities straight," Sona made an amused smirk, putting her hand to the side of her glasses that showed a flash of her violet eyes.
Suzuha could not help but smirk a little. "Now that I thought about it, I should have expected this. You're not the type of person to cower in fear and be a pushover. Knowing who you really are, you'd probably be able to keep up with me as I try to kick your ass."
"And I feel that you would be a worthy opponent for me to match in physical combat, and yes, I prefer to fight fairly when it came to that point," Sona smiled.
"Well, I sometimes need to fight dirty when it comes to my enemies," Suzuha said.
"And I don't blame you for that, knowing the kind of enemies you have gone up against," Sona continued.
"But I feel like you have some trick or two up your sleeve even when you fight fairly. You're not the type to want to lose," Suzuha continued.
"You're right, I'm a woman who wants to win, though that doesn't mean that I would make a fuzz of a loss and accept them gracefully. Losses have value because of the open lessons it provides for a pleasurable learning experience," Sona continued.
"You know, you sound like a teacher when you say that," Suzuha continued.
"It is my dream after all, to be an educator who would help my people in the Underworld. Someone needed to say enough to the discrimination that runs rampant even to the higher levels of the government," Sona explained.
"And I can only say good luck on the people trying to piss off this woman right in front of me...or not, especially when you'd eventually be Sarge's wife at some point," Suzuha continued.
"I can take care of myself just fine, no need for Shidou to worry for me," Sona explained.
"Oh, I know, you put the fear of Hell on most of the people in this school, which makes me more confident that you can take care of him just fine," Suzuha continued.
"Hmhmhmhmhm~"
Both Sona and Suzuha laughed a bit, raising their spirits a little.
"...Hmm," Suzuha sported an interested look on her face. "That reminds me, how far have you gone with Sarge?"
Sona inevitably became silent. Though there was a slight blush on her face, with her natural reaction being to put her hand to the bridge of her glasses. She knew what she meant, but she could not admit something that private. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Oh, you know, kissing, making out, that kind of stuff," Suzuha spoke bluntly while her interested expression never wavered.
"...Umm, well..." Sona muttered.
...Actually, Sona had kissed Shidou before. And their first kiss was a very long one. It was a special kind of moment that she can never truly forget.
Shidou had offered Sona a drive with his motorcycle and the two basically took a trip down the roads and see the natural surroundings of nature and city stone blocks, along with passer-by people. They drove from Tenguu City all the way to the private beach that Azazel planned just for the two of them, somewhere where they wouldn't have to worry about getting spotted and outed as everyone probably knows Sona by now as the younger sister of one of the most powerful Satans and Shidou being known as a famous superhero. She clearly remembered the look on Shidou's face when Sona was wearing her personal beach bra and underwear which were black in color, modest but straight to the point. Though her breast size was a constant itching annoyance to her.
...But.
"...You look beautiful, Sona."
That was the only response that Shidou had while of course looking like he zoned out and was a little mesmerized by how she looked. Unbeknownst to Shidou, that made Sona a bit giddy and a little confident, along with gratefulness settling in. And thus, they had fun at the beach, being able to relax and talk together without any interruptions.
And well...she remembered the first time that they kissed.
It was bitter but no less sweet. It was sudden but no less preferable. She remembered the afternoon sun bathing its rays upon their surroundings. They were sitting on the beach. Shidou and Sona were just talking to each other when...well, one could say the spark just clicked in, instincts took over, and they would kiss. It was very passionate but knew what lines they should not cross. Sona felt her nerves being more than electrified. Her natural instincts were kicking in. They were now in a sitting position, with Sona on top and Shidou holding her, never wanting to let go. She can feel her hands placed near her man's face, and they would begin to play with their tongues, showing a desiring side that Sona had never felt with anyone.
They kissed for many hours until the sun came down and the night fell. They both felt that they could never want to let go of their taste, the mystery, the thrill, the emotions, the sharing of thoughts, and everything that they laid bare upon one another. Sona recalled being a bit embarrassed by this situation even as they kissed.
Truth be told, nothing really happened besides the long, passionate, drawn-out kissing and tongue twisters. But Sona couldn't really deny the urge that was there due to being a Sitri natural born instinct among females. But the rational thought of Sona's mind thankfully made the lustful side being reigned in. Sona thought that would be very inappropriate at that point in time. Putting aside the fact regarding complications of age, with Shidou still being in middle school and about two to three years apart from her, and this is in spite of him being much older than her thrice the amount, Sona knew that Shidou was still grieving for his wife.
In fact, their first kiss did not start out lightly. As they were kissing, Shidou would speak...
"...Sona...I...I love my wife..." Shidou said, sporting a heartbreaking look.
"...I know..." Sona would begin to raise her hand to his face with a comforting touch of a woman and a reassuring smile that says that they can stop right here if he does not feel comfortable with doing this.
But Shidou never stopped. As his breath gasps, he would move forward and kiss Sona even more so. The man would draw out all of his pent-up feelings, his negative dilemma, his driving thoughts, all of it which Sona accepted as they kissed.
Sona made a heavy sigh as she remembered. "Yes, we did kiss. Once. It was during the time when Shidou took me to the private beach that Azazel-sensei owned."
"Ohh, that time, Sarge told me about that," Suzuha made a clenched fist and put it in the other palm of her hand. She was also nodding in understanding, remembering that particular event.
"Yes, that was...admittedly the first time we kissed..." Sona's expression turns sad. "Though I would personally see it as less erotic and more of someone wanting to find love again."
Suzuha in turn would sigh. "Yeah...that really does sound like Sarge. Even when he has you, he still has some personal issues about what his relationship with you is now."
"And I more than understood it, even reassure him that it was okay," Sona explained. "As I said before, I have no intention of replacing his wife. That would be an impossible feat for anyone to accomplish and it is also blatantly insensitive. I can feel and understand the genuine love that my husband-to-be has for his wife. I encouraged it even. I do not wish for him to let his love for her go. And I reassured him that I will never stop loving him in my own way."
Suzuha smiled a bit. "You know...I've said this before already, but you're surprisingly honest, kaichou. Slightly embarrassed, but honest when it comes to the one you are really interested in, Sarge in this case."
Sona smiled a little. "When you are in love with Itsuka Shidou, you would realize that he would need a more honest woman in his life."
"And you'd be right on that, Sarge really needs an honest woman to keep him straight at times," Suzuha nodded.
"In any case, I would have to wonder, can you tell me at least what Shidou was like during the War, from your perspective at least?" Sona asked.
"I would have thought that the files that Eagle would send you were enough," Suzuha raised an eyebrow.
"My father once said: 'Better to ask the person themselves instead of merely relying on second or third-hand accounts.' Information on record is different from personal interviews," Sona explained.
"...Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can tell you my side of the story then," Suzuha's smile turns sad.
And so, Suzuha would explain to Sona the usual gist of her situation, as much as she could anyway because it is rather admittedly long and thought to shorten it to very important points. Sona noted it all down with her tactical and brilliant mind, never forgetting one detail.
It was sometime during the night.
Tenguu City General Hospital.
It was one of the best hospitals in the city. And this building of about five floors, one of many buildings, has a special kind of room reserved only for a comatose patient that was on a life support system. The beeping sound from the monitors would continuously begin to resound upon the ears, like one moment away and there was a passing trepidation that knocks into the back of one's mind.
Shidou Itsuka, with a grim expression on one's face, one that should never belong to a middle school student, sitting on a chair and was silently watching his old friend. No, his kyoudai, Shinichiro Takamiya, or as he knew him before he was reborn, Jacob Wescott, a fellow war veteran, the Other Last Man Standing, and the other person who was with him before they both got surgically operated on by Gorgom. Shidou would twitch a little, recalling the dark atmosphere and surroundings. He can still remember the defiant scream that carried and echoed through the chasm, the denial of losing his loved ones, if for a brief moment of an epiphany.
The moment he finally awakened. The moment he finally remembered. And that moment had to coincide with the fact that they were destined to become mortal enemies. If it weren't for the brainwashing process being halted, Shidou dreaded to think of what could happen. His dormant memories of his past life and the War ironically saved him from that kind of fate.
...But Shidou was still rather conflicted about this.
Did something like this need to happen for his memories to awaken?
He was not sure.
A knock on the door would begin to bring him out of his thoughts. He would turn to find the door opening, revealing someone he would never expect. A beautiful young woman who looks like a dame, with short bob-cut hair, and violet entrancing eyes that were seductive and mysterious, a comforting look that would ease his heart, and memories of a first kiss would still usher in upon his mind, biting his lip a little. There was also the school uniform that she wore, accentuating her appearance as mysterious and attractive.
Sona Sitri, the woman that he acknowledges to have feelings for, and the woman that he kissed on the beach, one that lasted from the afternoon sun up to the twilight of the moon. A peaceful and heavenly atmosphere that cooled down his many grievances. Remembering a desire for love, for female companionship, for a woman to embrace, as if a twinkling star was granting his wish. Oh, how he had wished that the kiss would last forever, his heart being at ease for what felt like the first time, the cool lips that he tasted which made him forget. More than anything, he wanted her at that moment. But of course, things did not go any further than just long intervals of kissing.
Even now, he was still unsure if he should do that kind of thing. It's far too quick, not to mention highly inappropriate. He did not love Sona Sitri just for that kind of thing. He refused to use that situation to just relieve everything. Intimacy was a special kind of moment between two lovers. It was not something that should be taken lightly. It should not be tainted with driving away the guilt. It should be free and without any coercion. Shidou would also think about the parents of this woman, on how it would be very disrespectful to do that kind of thing, especially without consulting the parents first.
Yes, even as he admits to the desire, he still has a rational mind to learn and remember self-control. Self-control was one of the naturally honed instincts that he had acquired as he grew up, as he became a soldier with over nine people under his command, as he led people to survive in the hellfire that never seems to burn out.
"Sona..." Shidou muttered under his breath.
As he sees Sona close the door, she would step close to Shidou as she glances at Shinichiro's comatose body, and much to Shidou's surprise, give him a hug.
"Sona?" Shidou was surprised but did not mind the embrace. In fact, he very much preferred it. The warm body heat, the female companionship, and the many characteristics that Shidou had missed were now there for him to hold. And naturally, he reciprocated as he slowly raises his arms and puts them on Sona's back. And he can feel Sona ease her position, making her sit on Shidou's lap to make the embrace a little easier.
They stayed like this for a few minutes. Then Sona would lightly let go of his embrace and would begin to speak as she raises her hand to Shidou's cheek.
"I would not ask if you are doing fine. You clearly aren't, especially with your friend currently in this state," Sona would glance at a comatose Shinichiro, pointing to the reason why Shidou was down to his thoughts right now.
"...It's just like you to be insightful," Shidou smiled a little.
"That and I know, I know everything, Azazel told me a little more about the War from your past perspective," Sona explained.
"Oh...of course you did," Shidou did not seem too surprised. If he knew his old superior, he would not put it past him to pass on whatever information is needed to understand the situation. Azazel, he thought, had been very supportive of his newfound relationship. Shidou figured it was because Azazel worries in his own way, which was really appreciated. Even now, after the War, his superior was still keeping an eye on him.
"I also had a talk with one of your subordinates, your second in command to be precise," Sona explained.
"Convertor?" Shidou remembers Suzuha Amane, the second-in-command that was almost always by his side during the War. He sported a curious expression on his face. "Oh, so you finally knew about her. I'm sorry," Shidou apologetically spoke.
"Whatever for?" Sona made a kind, reassuring smile, putting her hand to his face.
"For not telling you that one of your classmates just so happen to be one of my subordinates. I just did not think that it was my place for me to do so," Shidou explained.
"Actually, I'm not bothered by that at all, so you don't have to worry," Sona smiled. One of the things that Sona would love about Shidou was how very considerate the man is. He does not think for himself and always thinks about others. It was sad but nevertheless endearing. Especially when Sona knew the context of why. Shidou, aside from his altruistic nature, would walk the path of atonement and move forward to the unknown future. He does not want to repeat the mistakes of the past nor change the past, instead, he would carry on, to soldier on, to carry the cross that laid upon his shoulders.
Sona in turn would glance at Shinichiro, sporting a sad smile. "Being considerate is one of your more endearing traits, my dear husband-to-be, whether if it was your second in command...or this person who is probably just as close to you during the War, to the point of being brothers-in-arms."
"So you knew about that too," Shidou smiled sadly. "Yeah, Takamiya Shinichiro is just like me. He's not from this universe, but rather from a universe that is similar to at least my own. That universe had its own Spirits and its own history. Though..." Shidou's expression turned dark. "...Even before the War, that universe turned out darker than most."
"Because of Yatogami Tohka...or rather, an alternate version of her," Sona showed a grim expression as well. Shidou would follow as well in looking at his old friend.
Based on Shidou's account and the files that Azazel gave her, there was a universe that is different from the universe that Shidou came from. When it came to official inter-universal coordinates, Shidou's universe is designated as DAL Universe-Prime. The universe where an Alternate Tohka came from was designated as DAL Universe-1. That was the home universe of Shinichiro Takamiya, formerly known as Jacob Wescott. He had a very different appearance compared to his present self. Comes with the perks of being reborn and retconned into this current universe's history.
Shinichiro Takamiya, the son of this new world's version of Shinji Takamiya and Reine Takamiya, would also be Jacob Wescott, a different person born to a different father.
"...You know, I worry for him," Shidou spoke with a sad tone, making Sona pay attention. "If my experiences of getting my memories back are anything to go by, I wonder how it would be for him when he finally gets them back. Though, I figured that Shinichiro isn't the type to want to be ignorant of something he preferred to know."
"If what I have read on his file allows me to understand, I believe he will be more than fine, and that he would be more than happy at least that he is not alone in this endeavor," Sona reassured.
Shidou smiled a little. "I suppose so."
Suddenly, a knock came on the door, making the two pay close attention. Sona would suddenly hop away from Shidou's lap in a quick-paced motion and make a proper posture. Shidou in turn would begin to sit properly as well, not making it obvious that he was just recently embraced by Sona. Someone would now begin to enter the door, and opening it would reveal a man that made Shidou's eyes widened.
"Ah, Minami-sensei?!" Shidou muttered in shock, making him stand up out of respect.
Sona would take note of the reaction. Her eyes would look upon this man and she noticed an overall similar power signature to Shidou, if not even more ancient and powerful, one that greatly but subtly intimidates her. He looked older, a man with black hair and deep brown eyes, appeared to be in his 50s or more, wearing a white jacket and dark blue trousers, with white fingerless gloves on both of his hands, and white shoes.
And hold on, Sona thought. She would remember what Shidou called this man just now. Minami. She can think of only one person that carried that name. Kohtaro Minami, the original Kamen Rider Black RX, and Shidou's assigned sensei among the Kamen Riders.
'Shidou-kun, good to see that you are well," The man smiled before turning his attention towards Sona. His smile turns a little brighter. "And you must be Lady Sitri," As Sona's expression turn to surprise, the man humbly bowed his head. "My name is Minami Kohtaro," He raises his head and continues smiling. "Thank you for being there for my student when I am not around. He clearly needed some preferable company all things considered."
Sona smiled a little. "The pleasure is all mine, Minami-sensei," She bowed her head and gracefully lifts the side of her uniform's dress, acting like a noble princess of her rank. "My name is Sona Sitri, heiress to the House of Sitri, and of course, I am Itsuka Shidou's fiancée. Once again, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, for my husband to be has told me stories about you and your exploits."
Kohtaro smiled, looking at Shidou who was a little embarrassed, putting his right index finger to his cheek. "You were not mistaken when you told be about her, Shidou. She is truly a fine woman for you."
As Sona blushes a little, Shidou would smile a bit in spite of his embarrassment. "...Yeah, she really is, sensei." He looks at Sona with a grateful expression, which in turn made her feel a bit at ease, and smiled in kind.
Kohtaro in turn would smile as he can definitely see the genuine spark between the two. "("Just as Azazel told me, Shidou appears to have finally found someone that he could relate too and someone that would support him. I'm glad for you, Shidou-kun. The scars of the War still remain for you, for me, and for the rest who fought in it, but nevertheless, the healing of those scars is not impossible. This newfound discovery that you are experiencing right now is proof of that.")"
Then, Kohtaro would look towards a comatose Shinichiro, sporting a grim expression. "("Hmm. I am now badly reminded of my own past when I was Kamen Rider Black. If I did not come in time, the brainwashing of Shidou-kun and Shinichiro-kun would no doubt be complete and with that, this world would have been doomed by the inevitable conflict between the two, destroying the men they once were. As much as it is possible, I prefer that Shidou-kun and Shinichiro-kun would not follow the same path as I and Nobuhiko had experienced.")
Yes, Kohtaro would remember as if it were yesterday. When he and another person that he was close to had also been surgically operated on, with him being chosen as "Black Sun" and the other person as "Shadow Moon". Both of them were born a special kind of solar eclipse, the same as Shidou and Shinichiro, and he wonders whether destiny follows a similar path for his successors.
"("No, I refuse to let that happen. I will not allow my student to suffer the same fate as I have. My student had experienced far too much already. Losing his universe, the Time War, and everything else. This is one moment that I refuse to back down on.")"
Yes, Kohtaro Minami would do everything he can to ensure that the outcome would not be the same as that of him and his Shadow Moon. There would not be a repeat of that bloody and tragic conflict again. This time, things are different. Shidou, his student, can choose and forge his own path, and Kohtaro would not allow anyone else to dictate it forcefully on their terms.
Part 2
Flashback
It was very quiet and peaceful. Somewhere in the spacious bedroom in the TARDIS, there was Shidou Itsuka, resting on the bed, covering himself with the blanket as all of his clothes and another person's clothes were on the floor. His eyes slightly opened. He can feel the familiar, calm breath that would reach upon his neck, giving him a kind of sensation that he thought would never feel. He looks to his left and sees a resting Sona Sitri, without her glasses on, with her bare chest placed on top of his, and also covered in a blanket. Her smile made her more attractive in his eyes.
"("Oh...right...We had quite a long night together...")" Shidou thought as his left hand was placing itself gently on his wife's soft back. His eyes would inevitably look towards the window where he could still see the Earth-like habitable extrasolar moon Pandora and the gas giant Polyphemus.
He recently remembered the first time that he had with his wife. It was...quite a special kind of experience. It was the first time he managed to relieve himself of the burdens that he carried. All of his guilt, all of his pain, all of his suffering, he gave and offered everything to his wife who in turn gave him the most comforting and pleasurable experience in his life.
Was this what it was like to finally be happy?
Shidou would like to think so. Yes, he still loved his first wife, Rinne Songami. He truly loved her with all of his heart and remained steadfast to that love for about over three hundred or so years. And now, he is in love with another woman, his next wife, Sona Sitri, the woman that he gave everything to, body and soul, in an act of intimacy, one that had ratified their love to the fullest extent, becoming one, sharing one's thoughts, experiences, and everything else.
A pleasant and soothing experience. Now, Shidou desires to not let the woman of his embrace go anymore. Now, this woman was his. She was his.
Shidou, looking back at Sona, would raise his right hand and would touch his wife's soft hair up to her perfect face, smiling lightly. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. To have this woman by his side. His heart felt eternally grateful for this woman who had given herself over to him, comforting him, driving his passions, giving her all for his sake.
"("...This time, I'll do this right. I won't lose my family again...")" Shidou thought with resolve in his heart.
Sona Sitri was a member of his family now. She was his wife, his woman, his significant other. As a desire to protect her goes, so does her trust in her. He knew that Sona can take good care of herself just fine, is no pushover, and can keep up with him.
At some point...
"...Hmm."
Sona would slowly awake, her violet eyes dimly shining, smiling and humming peacefully and satisfactorily as she noticed the gentle touch that graced her hair and face.
"...Good morning, my love," Sona spoke softly.
"...Good morning, my honey," Shidou spoke back.
And so, they would raise their faces and kiss, with a more gentle and chaste touch, one that took their breath away for what felt like a minute. But that minute was more than enough. And they would release their mouths and smile.
"...How was last night?" Shidou asks, with a tinge of worry, caressing his wife's cheeks.
"...It was quite wonderful, my love," Sona reassured, putting her left hand on her husband's hand. Then, Sona would put another hand on her husband's bare chest as she felt the caressing manly touch upon her back. "For someone who is only having their first time, you were quite the man in bed."
"...I can say the same for you," Shidou smiled a little.
"...Yes, well, I thought of how...strange the experience was. Some part of me seems to be moving at its own pace, it's like instinct," Sona spoke with a softer smile and look. "
"Please don't let it be a fatal instinct," Shidou joked lightly.
"No, of course not," Sona caught the reference to a certain film immediately and sported a smirk. "Well, I do have a faithful and loyal husband after all. I may not even need to worry about such a scenario."
"Such a scenario being too extreme in that case," Shidou still joked lightly.
"True, true," Sona would begin to kiss Shidou again in a gentle and chaste manner. Her heart soared and thumping upon her chest. Now she felt like she truly belonged to someone, to the man that she loved, the man she preferred, the man she was attracted to, the man she felt empathy for. Then her lips released and she spoke kindly but sadly, the smiling expression on her face conveying such feeling. "...As much as I want to continue where we left off, I feel that we should probably take a look in the main console room and see how Lord Doctor is doing."
Yes, since this is their honeymoon road trip in the TARDIS, they would naturally be concerned about the driver.
Shidou made a similar look of concern. "Yeah, we should probably check on the Doctor, maybe ask him about the repairs, since I think it's been a while since well...we've been doing it, and yet..."
"...And yet, Lord Doctor never seems to call us back, interrupting us as it were," Sona continued her husband's line of thought.
"...Yeah, you're right, we should definitely check on him," Shidou nodded with a grimace.
The thing about the Doctor, as Shidou knew the latter over the years, was that pretty much anything can happen, even the random chaos or unpredictable element that was sure to follow.
And with a resolve on both of their hearts, which of course is followed by a simple loving kiss first before starting the day, Shidou and Sona would begin to take turns in the shower that was nearby. And then, they would begin to don a new set of clothing.
Shidou was wearing a black blazer with a white shirt, along with grey pants. He has his black fingerless gloves on as well as black shoes. Sona was wearing a brand new white shirt with pinkish lines and a dark pink long skirt that touches the knees, along with black female shoes. She would also wear her trademark dark violet glasses again. Both look brand new after taking a shower. Shidou had thought that his wife looked stunningly beautiful as ever.
And, both hands held together, they would walk towards the main console in order to find the Doctor.
And a few moments later, after passing through several corridors, they arrived at their destination.
The main console room felt like a techno-design of the past. More computer-based and with logical precisions, but still maintained a magical feeling. A straightforward six-sided console.
The TARDIS console itself returned to the look of earlier designs, covered in tones of teal and aqua. It felt more computer-based and less organic but still maintained a magical feeling. It was a straightforward six-sided console. The layout was darker, moodier, and more technical, giving the sense of the TARDIS actually being capable of flight. On the top center, there was a contra-rotating time rotor. The large circular features at the roof of the console room revolved suggesting that the TARDIS was computing the time co-ordinates and setting a course through time. Each ring of the rotor is divided into eighteen parts complimenting the eighteen ribs of the TARDIS structure. Each of the eighteen parts is finished in silver and contains a Gallifreyan symbol.
And within their line of sight, there was a man standing in the console, looking at the monitor with a pondering face. He was wearing a burgundy frock coat with black collars forged from sheep fur, a single-breasted waistcoat of plum purple velvet with a pocket watch. There was a violet-purple bow tie decorated with two flowers. The man was youthful looking and handsome, though his green eyes beg to differ as hidden underneath was an old soul that had seen the turn of everything else, the various schemes of madmen and conspiracies riffed with dreaded ambitions that he all put a stop to, and right now, a Lonely God.
The Doctor.
And now, he silently glances back to see two of his students.
"Ah," the Doctor muttered with a smile. He claps his hands in anticipation. "Shidou, Sona, good to see you two love birds up and about."
"Doctor? Are you alright?" Shidou asks, looking concerned for his old teacher.
"Oh, yes, yes, of course, don't mind me, just thinking about what to do and where to go ever since I repaired the TARDIS," the Doctor reassures Shidou before stepping around to another position of the console, putting his hand on the lever, causing the console to activate and rotors moving. The TARDIS would begin to move through the Time Vortex now. "Now, where do you suppose we should go next? I'd figured we'd visit the planet Lucifer located in my universe, out of accommodation for Mrs. Itsuka of course."
"Lucifer?" Sona sported an interested look. "I've seen that planet before when I was reading a few books in the library, but never saw it personally."
"Well, then, next stop, Lucifer, it is," the Doctor smiled a little.
A few traverses in the Time Vortex later, finally arriving on the Doctor's universe, Sona Sitri would see the most spectacular view that was ever graced upon her as she peered beyond the TARDIS doors.
A gas giant orbiting a red giant was seen from the skies, nearing the very end of its life, about 280 light years away from Earth. About four moons were seen as well, orbiting the gas giant in a wonderful pattern, giving its atmosphere a kind of glow, one that would be known as "the Ring of Lucifer". The surface of the gas giant was covered with a combination of cloud and zelanite.
Sona would know of its history. She did not need much explanation. Her hands were placed on Shidou's chest. Shidou in turn would hold his wife tight as he smiles, both the heavenly scenery and Sona's sparkling face of curiosity that made her cuter and nerdy, but also very attractive.
"Ah, Lucifer," the Doctor would stand by with a nostalgic smile on his face. "I once came to this orbit with Ace and Bernice. Bernice insisted that I'd bring the TARDIS here as it was the site of a scientific expedition. She always wondered why: The exploration of alien artefacts on Lucifer came to an abrupt halt three centuries before she was born. And well, little did I know then that we get ourselves involved in an adventure full of sabotage, murder, and the resurrection of eons-old alien powers. Yes, quite a fun time indeed."
Shidou and Sona were looking at the Doctor with a troubled expression. As the Doctor was briefly talking about his past, the couple could not help but feel a sober atmosphere emanating from the man, as if the Doctor was trying to tell them something.
"Shidou," the Doctor muttered with a sad smile while looking at the orbit. "Now that you have found happiness again, don't ever let that go, no matter what the odds. True love is a rare gift for one to find, one that should not be squandered. Treat it as if you found the greatest treasure and never spend it on anything, knowing the price of its value. Do you understand?"
Even as Shidou tried to understand what the Doctor is saying, nevertheless, he can only make a positive answer as he glances at Sona who smiles at him. "Yeah, I will," He said with a smile of his own.
The Doctor would smile a bit happily. "Well, that's that then," As if the sober atmosphere was lifted, the sober look on the Doctor's face turn to a look of joviality, like an excited kid ready for adventure. "So, after we leave this orbit, where do you suppose we should go next? Well, I figured that we could visit Courage in Nowhere. Oh wait, too chaotic. A lot of crazy stuff happens in nowhere. Oh, oh, how about...no, not Frobisher, I may as well run into Dogbolter somehow, I always do. Oh wait, I...nope, nope, too risky, I may find myself and you two getting caught in a three-way war between the Sontarans, Rutans, and myself and Strax. Oh, there must be something that I can think of that is at least more peaceful than my usual adventures..."
As the Doctor tries to think with an exasperated face, the couple couldn't help but lightly laugh. Yes, they very much prefer a happier Doctor instead of a sober one. It at least eases the mind on things.
Insert Song: End
ED Song:
Dareka ga Kimi o Aishiteru
Incarnation(s)/Regeneration(s) of the Doctor:
The Eleventh Doctor - A: Matt Smith
New Characters:
Suzuha Hashida (Amane) - VA: Yukari Tamura