One favor I'll ask is if you guys can vote on a poll I'm holding. It's not for this story, but for one called 'The Italian Dragon Emperor'. Your opinion counts if you wanna leave it. Check my profile for details.
And here were are again, my fellow readers. Back as I promised with the next installment of Sonic DxD. Before we start... can we just appreciate how far the Legend known as Mark Haynes/Alvin-Earthworm took Super Mario Bros. Z second episode to a WHOLE new level? Not to mention how far Paramount is taking Sonic's next movie? In fact, I made a video on YouTube about the latter if you wanna check that out. Knuckles' pretty much confirmed to be in it, more focus on the action aspect of Sonic's universe, GUN tanks and soldiers... and that helicopter? Does that mean Shadow's gonna appear? Who knows, but I don't think so. I'm gonna call it here, either one of 3 things will happen:
A) He IS appearing and Paramount is pulling a SA2, when they kept Shadow's existence a heavily-guarded secret that had everyone staring at the Gamecube box art when they rushed into Toys-R-Us to grab a copy (rest in peace, Geoffrey). Or,
B) He's going to be a post-credits scene only, like Tails was, and will tease another sequel. There hasn't been any confirmation on a Space Colony, which is what intertwines Shadow's and GUN's backstories. There's also a possibility that Sonic's quill Jim Carrey's Eggman had at the end of the movie will somehow have something to do with it. Or,
C) He won't appear at all, and serves only as an edited thumbnail for clickbait for Youtubers. (I know you've seen that edited image of "Movie" Shadow floating around.)
But first, why not check out chapter 3 of the Extras doc? If you can't wait for Eggman to appear, think of that chapter as an appetizer before he DOES officially come out of the lab.
From xavex:
Let see odds are those people are going to meet a doctor and there is a chance they would either get turn into robots or would be held captive with a chance of experiments to be run.
Good luck making the scene with Raynare making the end game scene by kidnapping Asia or doing something desperate.
Bakuganman: That's not exactly what Eggman's gonna do at first, but good guess.
From dmandog056:
Well it looks like Egg face is back, or at least he's about to be. Makes me wonder what his approach will be this time, it seems almost like he's going for pretending to be friendly. That's the impression I get since no civilians have been attacked yet. But I guess we'll find out later.
Now the next Raynare boss fight seems like it will be a hoot, but that's only speculation.
I figure it will be a while before Sonic and Rias can at the bare minimum agree to disagree, I can understand their differences of ... let's say opinions, though it's not the best term. Having said that, I do know that they'll have to put their grievances aside soon enough. Sometimes the best remedy for that kind of thing is a common enemy to beat down and there's going to be a fresh supply of that soon. Not saying it's a magic bullet, but being united for a common goal can go a long way to mending bridges if that's how you go about it.
Bakuganman: Yeah, it'll be some time before Hedgehog and Devil will coexist without too big of arguments.
From Guest:
What will the new Sonic X-Over be about.
Bakuganman: A series that was overlooked back in 2017. Its a beautiful work of art, yet has a sad story. Its Light Novels are still selling decently though.
From Guest-Questioner:
I honestly can't believe you even included the Sonic-OVA, thats a hidden gemstone for sonic fan's!
Now for this, Nothing great, nothing bad, overall, Nice chapter.
Extra Note:
This crash-site was brought to you by E.G.G.M.A.N Industries!
Bakuganman: The only reason I added this in the shout-outs is the E.G.G.M.A.N Industries joke. That was pretty funny.
From Guest:
I did not expect that kind of drama in this fic (I mean that in a good way).
Take my honest advice, if someone keeps spamming the review section with stupid questions like that last git. Don't give him the time of your day. It's not worth it to encourage annoyance.
Now that it's slightly spoiled, I'm willing to bet they'll apologise to each other right after Sonic gets the Emerald from Fire-Fry back.
But in all honesty, Sonic might be the best thing that happened to her. Not only is she questioning her independence, but also developing a bit of a rebellious streak. I like that...
You know a fic is good when it has better character development than the actual thing.
Bakuganman: Thank you very much for the kind words. As well as the advice.
From Chaos Drago:
Hey! hey! hey! it's ya boi again! But let's to the topic here, I'm back once more and man I got to say this chapter was a real treat, THAT'S for damn sure XD. I love how the arguement between Sonic and Rias are effecting each them in different ways. I love how you added that little insight on how Sonic had to deal with threats, and on how it effects him on a mental level, we usually don't see that a lot about that of him. Hell not with other characters, like Vergil from DMC for example. Rias isn't any different from Sonic and shouldn't try to worry about the higher-ups too much.
Oh boy pieces of Eggman's ship is on Earth and things are going to get more interesting, kinda disappointed that the poll choose Infinite over Mephiles tho. Literally out of all of the Bad guys, Villains, hell Mythical creatures, Demi-gods, AND GODS sonic had faced, Mephiles was the only one who actually succeed in what others failed to do, and that's to kill Sonic. Hell he didn't even kill Sonic just because he wanted him dead, no he wanted iblis from elise the whole time. But enough about that, I can see why people want Infinite to win in the poll, but still Mephiles would have been a better choice IMO.
Anyways I'm done with the rant about the poll and all that, though I'm wondering if Rias and Akeno will not let this effect their friendship in the long run. And man oh man Rayanre is gunning for Sonic, and she wants him dead. BAD. Let's hope Sonic can't let those words from Rias' argument effect him during his (upcoming, or not so upcoming) fight with Rayanre to get Asia but won't hinder him too badly.
But other than that I have nothing else to say and hope you're safe out there and I can't wait for the next update! Cya
Bakuganman: Good to see ya again, Chaos. True Sonic is a confident person, but even they have inner demons to face. I mean after all the Blue Blurs been through, how could he not? And yes of course, Eggman's here too, but as said before, he's not getting directly involved at this point in time, but he's getting closer. Infinite winning was something I didn't expect either. Rias and Akeno have been through too much for their little spat to effect them too badly, the Devil hybrid already knows that Rias isn't herself right now.
From Nighthawk6595:
I guess it's one of Dr. Eggman's ships which means that the mad scientist is somewhere in that dimension and knowing him, he will rebuild his forces, find the Chaos Emeralds and build his empire - unless Sonic has anything to say about it.
But Sonic's backstory, he was set to marry Sally Acorn, there were times that they didn't see eye-to-eye and where Sonic's choice of taking action to do something right even though he was forbidden to do so. But the fact is that Sonic still has to understand this world and Rias may not like him, but the hedgehog did what he believed was right and rescued Asia.
Issei had a good point about Rias protecting her territory a bit better and even stood up to her when she tried to intimidate him. I'm guessing some aspects of Sonic have rubbed off on him.
But the question is, 'Will they meet Dr. Eggman and will they ever find a Chaos Emerald?'
Bakuganman: To answer your main questions at the bottom... yes. Once the Raynare Arc is completed, the real story begins.
From Draw-ze-Drawing:
I am really wanting to read what insulting things Dr. Eggman has to say in front of the ORC or any of the DxD characters. Also I am going to bet their magic isn't going to be affective against Eggman because Science vs Magic.
Bakuganman: We'll have to see when he finally makes himself known. Until then, why not check out the Extras chapter I mentioned?
From Reem519:
Everyone does have a choice. We're all born free. We can shape the outcome of our lives with just our mind and body. When faced with a task, I never weight I can or can't I just do. Whatever the results are I live with it, no regrets. That's what my grandfather and Sonic taught me.
Bakuganman: First of all, love that Profile pic of Sonic you got. Second of all, yes.
From tyfang360:
Great story thus far, while I'm intrigued about what might happen in the Phenex arc, I'm REALLY looking forward to the Excalibur Arc...and I seriously hope you bring Sonic's special transformation for that arc, if you know what i mean?
From Guest:
I hope the new arc comes up so I hope you put Sonic in a special transformation.
Bakuganman: Actually, there WILL be a Special Transformation, but it might not be one anyone will expect.
From Phantom Super Sonic:
Who were Sonic's mothers did you have mentioned in chapter 20 and are you going to mention his other family members from other Sonic media from the games, comics, manga, movies and tv shows?
Bakuganman: Like Reem519, I LOVE that profile pic. Did you make that one yourself, cause that's real talent. As for Sonic's several moms', I've already referenced two of them directly. I've also referenced Uncle Chuck from the comics, and some of Sonic's extended family in that same chapter, just didn't use names.
Chapter 17: Revenge of a Fallen (Part 2)
POV - Issei:
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!
Blue-Haired MILF Waifu (Alarm Clock): You are so damn sexy in the morning. Hmm.. what am I gonna do to get you up?... Hit me... ooooh, yes; hit me harder...
The alarm clock went off once again, but Issei didn't shut it off right away. He just rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what happened last night. After letting the alarm clock talk for a full minute, he slowly reached behind himself and shut it off as usual before lowering his hand and resting his arm on his forehead. It was a new morning, the sun coming in from his bedroom window. He kept flashing back to the night when he and Sonic were cornered by Freed, then Sonic ran out and how was the Hedgehog rewarded? With a slap to the face and was ordered to go home. At least the human was able to get Rias to watch over Asia for a bit. As long as she was safe, he didn't care what happened to him.
It was then Issei got a sudden urge of inspiration. "To hell with that!" He declared, shooting up from his bed. He went into his drawers and got on some casual, yet light clothes on, and exited his room as fast as his body would allow. He then shot down the stairs at equal speed, catching the attention of his mother and father who were already down there.
"Issei? Where are you...?" Miki began to ask, caught off guard by Issei's sudden rush to the front door.
"Sorry, Ma! Gotta go!" Issei quickly said, opening the front door.
"But don't you want...?" Miki asked again, wondering if her son wanted something to eat first. But with a slam of the front door, she stopped and he was already gone. What was up with him lately? He's been acting really strange... stranger than he normally was.
XXX
POV - Asia:
Asia had awoken from a slightly-worn, yet still comfortable bed in one of the ORC rooms, dressed in her nightgown. She had no idea how, but when she asked if there was anything to wear as to not sleep in her habit, Akeno had pointed to the ground and a glyph of some kind rose from the floor and above the nun's body. She was scared at first... but after slowly opening her eyes, she saw one of her own nightgowns had replaced her current attire.
Did she understand it? No. The most magic she's ever been familiar with was barrier magic and her healing gift.
As she arose from the bed, she saw in a corner of the room on a worn desk was her habit, folded up neatly in half. Did one of the Devils do that for her? She had to admit, they seemed like pretty nice people for beings that were supposedly evil. After putting her stuff back on, she walked out of the room and into the hallway. "Hello?" She asked with her head poking out, but there was no answer. Perhaps the Devils were still asleep, or were maybe in the main office room. Deciding to go there, Asia slowly closed the door behind her and made her way to that very room. She ended up passing a door she hadn't noticed before, one that had yellow tape all over it... what was that for? Maybe construction or remodeling?
"Ex-Excuse me?" Asked Asia, slowly opening the door to Rias' office. Looking inside, she saw that Rias herself was on one of the sofa's, fast asleep and still in her uniform. Poor girl must have went to sit down for a minute and probably dozed off. Not wanting to wake her up, seeing as she was under lots of stress herself, Asia slowly closed the door and let the Devil sleep. She felt bad in asking this Devils for a favor when she saw this, and the redhead had already showed good hospitality.
She then left the building. She'll just go for a quick walk, get some fresh air, then come back. What could go wrong?
XXX
POV - Issei:
Issei ended up in a park, pulling himself up on monkey bars. 'Sure I got some power in my arm, but I can't just sit around and do nothing! I gotta start pumping some iron and get jacked!' He thought as he worked out. He realized something after last night: he couldn't rely solely on an alien or a demon to constantly protect him or the ones he wants to protect, especially if both of them were gonna argue between differing points of view. What if that happened in the middle of battle next time? Who was gonna protect him then?... No. He had to get stronger. Not just for innocent people like Asia... but also for himself. They got lucky last time, but luck wasn't gonna last forever. He needed to be in tip-top shape in case something goes down; needed to push himself to be the best he can possibly be.
And then there was that spaceship... whether or not it was Sonic's, or his story about Pandora gemstones was true or not didn't matter right now. Either way, the reality was the Hedgehog was gonna leave this planet someday, sooner or later, so Issei can't depend on him forever, especially when he finally DOES go home and the human had to fend for himself.
As Issei continued, he lost his grip as he shrugged to pull his own weight around the 7th or 8th pull-up, and fell in slow motion. While he normally would have just landed on his feet since he wasn't that high up, the impact aggravated his ankle, the same one that was struck by Freed's holy gun. Because of this; he gritted his teeth in pain, grunted, lost his balance, and fell to the ground. He got up slowly, careful not to annoy his injury again. Did Akeno screw up?
Well... allot happened that night...
'No! I can't throw in the towel like a little bitch right now! I gotta... keep going!' Issei thought, as images of Sonic and Asia getting attacked by Freed flashed before him. What would Sonic say if he saw Issei giving up so quickly? He'd probably encourage the kid to continue, maybe crack a joke or two... He was about to jump back into it when,
"Issei?"
Issei turned around to the source of the sound calling his name and much to his shock, it was shown to be Asia, back in her normal attire. "Asia?..." he said, then upon realizing he wasn't hallucinating, ran over to the shorter girl and grabbed her shoulders, causing her to blush for she wasn't expecting it. He was also pretty close to her face, which was another reason for the blush. "What are you doing out here? You should be back with Rias and the others!" Issei said, worrying about Asia's safety. If the Fallen struck now...
"Um, I uh..." Asia said, her thoughts all jumbled up from the boy suddenly putting his hands on her. It wasn't like with Freed, but it still caught her off guard all the same. "I needed some time alone, so I figured I'd go for short walk," the nun explained, then gave an I'm sorry face. "I was gonna go back. I promise!" She said, thinking Issei was upset with her.
Issei of course, realized his mistake and backed off a bit with a sigh. "No... I get it..." he said. "It's been a crazy night... I'm just glad your ok," he added. Asia smiled at this, then got bashful again. "What's wrong?" He asked her.
"Its just... can you let me go now?" She kindly asked through flushed cheeks.
It was then Issei looked down, seeing his firm grip was still on her shoulders. "GAH!" He quickly let her go. "S-Sorry."
"N-No... i-it's ok..." Asia insisted, the blush still there. This was just like when they first met. It felt so awkward all of a sudden. Thankfully, no one else at the park acknowledged the contact they both shared. Or if they did, they decided to stay out of it.
POV - Normal:
Some time later, they found a bench to sit on. "So, where's Sonic by the way? Isn't he with you?" Asia asked, wondering where their mutual rodent friend was hiding at.
"No... he didn't come home last night either," said Issei, leaning forward and looking down at the ground. From his tone, Asia could tell the boy was worried about him. She was too. The Hedgehog did in fact save her life. "And there was that ship..." he continued, which got Asia to look over in confusion, blinking twice.
"Ship?" She repeated, not understanding what Issei was referring to.
This made Issei look at her and blink once... oh, right. Clubhouse. No electricity. She must've not heard the news last night when it came on. "Oh, yeah; the authorities apparently found a wing of some kind of shuttle in the forest last night. Was all over the news" Issei explained. "And Sonic fell out of the sky when I first met him..." he added, looking back down.
Asia was a bit surprised. She had no idea about that... wait a minute. If Sonic was an alien from another dimension... and he DID in fact fall out of the sky... then was Issei saying...? "You don't think...?" She began to ask, assuming that's where Issei was going with this. Was that whole Chaos Emerald thing a lie then... or did they power this space ship? What else was someone supposed to think?
She flinched when Issei suddenly moved. "ARGH! I don't know!" He said, grabbing his head with both hands and kicking his feet a bit. This was really bothering him. He was debating with himself with all the information presented to him. Sonic was an alien, and that was an undeniable fact... how many Hedgehogs walk on two legs and break the sound barrier? He claimed the closest thing to piloting a ship was transforming race cars, yet a large wing from a possibly larger ship was found on the outskirts of Japan? Sure the hog saved both their lives, but now they felt like they barely knew anything about him! There were still so many unanswered questions!
?: Know what?
Both Issei and Asia flinched upon hearing the sudden voice, did someone hear their conversation? Looking behind them, hanging his body over the bench was none other than the Hedgehog they were discussing. Both Asia and Issei's faces changed from shock to relief, seeing that Sonic was ok... then Issei's face changed to annoyance. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" He yelled at him.
Sonic had to rub the inside of his ear due to Issei's loud volume at such a close proximity. Then again, he couldn't blame the kid for such a reaction. He sorta left the guy in the dust, no pun intended. "Ran through the forest for a minute," Sonic responded.
'A minute?!' Questioned Issei. This crazy Hedgehog was gone for several hours!
"Sorry I left ya hanging. I'm over it now, I just... needed some time..." Sonic said, which got Issei to regret the tone he used. He was just concerned about Sonic. Maybe this was how Sonic dealt with things. He left to cool off, then returned afterwards. Wait... the forest he went to?
"Oh, back to your ship?" Asked Issei. He was doing this to see Sonic's reaction about the ship. If he reacted surprised, then it was official, the Hedgehog lied. Issei didn't want to do this, but figured he had no choice. It was the only way he could find out for certain without directly asking.
Sonic's reaction wasn't anywhere close to that. "Ha. Ha. Real funny, pal. Already told ya, I'm no pilot" he answered without a moment of hesitation, thinking Issei was just messing around and was using sarcasm to return fire. Asia and Issei looked at each other, no expecting that reaction at all. Was there nothing to it then? Was that crash sight just a mere coincidence? Or was Sonic that good of a con artist? "... What? What'd I say?" Asked Sonic, looking back and forth between his two human friends, noticing he didn't get a response and the puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Uh..." Issei started, seeing Sonic's genuine concern, then gave him a warm smile. "Nevermind. It's nothing." He said. He and Asia silently agreed that maybe the report was just a weird case of right place at the right time. Yeah! Maybe it was just an airplane that unfortunately crashed and the media just twisted the truth for ratings sake. Either way, the truth would come out eventually, but they could say with certainty that Sonic clearly had nothing to do with it.
Issei's face changed to horror, as his alien friend was back, yet out in the open. "GAH! Sonic you need...!" He shouted but then Sonic, with a smirk on his face, pulled himself over the bench and landed in-between the two humans, showing he somehow had gotten his disguise. "How did...?" Issei began to ask, but had the following fantasies:
1) Sonic was still behind the bench, but time slowed to a halt and he zoomed out of shot, then was back in shot with the disguise on where time resumed as he hopped over the bench in the same fashion.
2) Sonic running up to his house, jumped into his bedroom window, then jumped back out all dressed.
3) Sonic running up to his house, knocked on the door so his mother or father answered it, where he dashed upstairs into his bedroom... and still jumped out the window all dressed.
"Nevermind." The Sacred Gear wielder waved it off. There were many more scenarios that could have occurred, but he didn't have the mental strength to think them all up right now. They all heard a stomach growl, which originated from the middle.
"... Heheh, I am kinda hungry." Sonic sheepishly said, rubbing the side of his neck with an equally sheepish smile.
"Bro, your always hungry." Issei said.
Asia giggled at this, happy to see everyone was back together safe and sound... then her stomach growled too, rather loudly and a bit louder than Sonic's, getting both boys' attention and causing her to blush about it. "Heheh, I'm a bit hungry too." She admitted, tapping her index fingers together. To be honest, Issei was also a little hungry himself, seeing as he skipped breakfast due to a fire up his ass. Seeing as it was kinda close to lunch time now, he knew of a diner nearby that they could visit for a quick bite.
XXX
Asia blinked, several times, down at her plate. She and Issei were in a booth by themselves, and he was kind enough to order her lunch... but there were no chopsticks or silverware. How was she supposed to eat... what was it called?... A Hamburger?... She didn't want to be rude, but how was she gonna eat this without the proper utensils?
Issei couldn't help but mentally chuckle. This girl didn't know how to eat these kinds of food? That was both funny and adorable. Issei then showed her how to eat it, albeit a bit dramatically. He unwrapped the paper it came in, and took a large comical bite out of it before chewing. She was a bit surprised, having never seen that style of eating before unless it was crackers, chips or something similar to those things. "... Oh, that's how?" She said, feeling rather silly.
Issei swallowed by this point. "That's exactly how, princess," Issei joked with her. "Just... not like that," Issei then pointed behind him with his thumb to the next booth over which held Sonic by himself, gorging over at least 100 Fried Noodle Hot Dogs on his table, which he kept stuffing in his mouth, one after another... at least he had plenty drinks with a straw in each to wash them down.
Sonic: NOM! NOM! NOM! *Gulp!* *Siiiiiiiiip!* NOM! NOM!
Asia had leaned over to see... so that's not how to eat them? Got it. She unwrapped her own burger, following Issei's example, then took a small bite out of it... it was yummy! She hadn't tasted something like this before, it was a whole new experience for her. She could see why Sonic was chowing down his own meal, then again these burgers were grilled as opposed to being fried. Maybe she can try that next time...
"Hey, Asia?" Issei suddenly asked, getting her attention. "How was Rias by the way? She wasn't mean or anything to you, was she?" He asked. While he didn't understand everything yet about this new side to his life, it was still apparent that Devils and the Church weren't exactly on the best of terms.
"No. Not at all" Asia answered, honestly. "They were very nice. One of them... Akeno, I think... made me some tea, and they all took really good care of me."
Issei's initial concern vanished then. Looks like there was nothing to worry about with the ORC. "Hmm. Well, that's good" said Issei, taking another bite of his burger, normally this time. "So, what made you decide to go to the park of all places?" He then asked, finding it odd how all of them ended up in the exact some place at the exact same time. Sonic? He already showed he could go from here, to the west, and come back in mere seconds. The alien had an excuse, she did not.
"The weather was nice today, so I figured just a quick walk there and back would clear my head" Asia said.
Issei and Sonic stopped upon Asia saying that. 'Déjà vu' they both thought. They also understood why, so much happened over the past couple of days, so she just needed time to unwind... especially from last night. Issei felt bad for the girl. She really had it rough, rougher than himself. He got immediate attention, but she was taken on a High-speed express train possibly all across town before Rias arrived and helped get her and Sonic out of there. She needed time to relax a little bit.
"How about this?" Issei asked. "Since its just the 3 of us, why don't we hang out together? We did promise you, remember?" He requested, going back to the promise they made the day they first met. Of course, going back to the church probably wasn't the best idea, so they could just go around town for a bit. Asia was taken aback a bit. That wasn't really necessary. A human boy and human girl together? That sounded like a... she slightly flushed at the thought.
"... y-yeah! Sure!" She said with a smile, as embarrassed as she felt. With her confirmation, Issei took out his wallet and pulled out some bills, placing them on the table. That was enough to pay for both her's and his meal... wait. But what about...? "Um, Issei? What about Sonic?" She asked in a whisper. She didn't think an alien knew what currency was... there was that American series made by some guy named Lucas, and the galaxy he wrote about with aliens had such a form.
"Sonic said he owes me... don't know why, but he said he'll pick up his own tab." Issei said, answering her question. He would have paid for the rodent, but Sonic insisted he's got it under control when they first came in. He didn't know why Sonic was so adamant about it, its not like he stole from him or anything...
After getting up to leave, Sonic then joined them as they all walked towards the door. "Excuse me." Said a voice behind them. Looking behind, they saw one of the male waiters, who was behind a counter that held the seating charts, etc. "You think this is funny?" He asked, not looking too happy. Why?
"What?" Issei asked.
"Don't what me! Your seriously gonna leave, with a nun, without paying?" The man declared, which caught the group by surprise. What was he talking about? They left their money on the table for the waiter to pick up.
"What are you talking about? We already paid!" Issei said. The man said nothing, but held his fist up. He then opened his fist...
DING! DING, DING! DING, DING, DING, DING DING!
...
...
...
Both Asia and Issei stared at what the man dropped on the counter.
"... rings?" Asia asked.
Issei then glared over at Sonic, who had his arms behind his back, his head tilted upward slightly, and an imaginary halo above his head. The human groaned, then took out his wallet... again... took out another bill, and paid the guy for Sonic. The waiter grabbed it with a quick swipe, Issei put his wallet away, then he walked out with Asia and Sonic following him. 'Saves the world, but can't buy lunch...' Issei commented.
XXX
Aside from that last mishap, the 3 had a good time afterward. They went to an arcade nearby, which had tons of things for them to do. Asia played an arcade-style racing game with Sonic and Issei hanging over the seat as the nun "drove" to the finish line... she wasn't the greatest at controlling it, as she kept crashing into walls and the computer-controlled cars numerous times, but it was still a fun experience for her. They then went for an easier one, which was an anime yet friendly version of Mortal Kombat; yet humorously Asia beat Issei on her first try, which she giggled over as the boys mouth hung open... and she never played video games before mind you. Sonic laughed at Issei over it... then changed his tune and gave the exact same reaction as Issei when Asia beat HIM, giving the same giggle.
There was also a dancing game they played, which was co-op. Issei and Asia played it together while Sonic watched. When Sonic went to do it all himself solo...
*Pop! Boom! Hissssssss!*
Is when the machine couldn't handle the strain and shorted-out, error messages all over its screens. The Hedgehog of course got of the dance pad seconds before it blew out, the three friends leaning away and shielding themselves from the sudden noise. Once it clamed down, the glanced back and forth at each other with shocked and 'oh shit' expressions: Asia-to-Sonic, Sonic-to-Issei, Issei-to-Sonic, etc. Before anyone came over and reported this; Sonic and Issei walked away while leaning back slightly, hands in their pockets as they both whistled. Asia just simply followed them away. After getting out of a photo booth, they happened to pass some crane games called: The Catcher. The one both boys saw Asia dart for was next to maid dolls, which had stuffed yellow mice.
Huh?... Hadn't Sonic seen one like that before?...
"What's up with you?" Asked Issei with a smile as he and Sonic walked over, Asia's hands over the glass and looking in like a child. Her face was almost pressed up against the glass cage as well. Both boys' found this girl adorable, it in fact reminded Sonic of another kid he knew back in his world with a similar innocent, child-like personality.
"O-Oh! N-Nothing!" She denied, though it was clear she was bluffing. Both Sonic and Issei got a better look inside.
"You like Racchu-kun?" Asked Issei.
"Raichu? Dude, that's a Pikachu" said Sonic.
"What? No it's not," Issei said, turning his head to look down at Sonic. "His tail's flat and his ears are pointy." This was true. This 'Racchu-kun' also had black stripes along its back, with a longer one going all around its head. If you included what Issei just said, then no; it was NOT a Pikachu, though it could be.
"Pal... that's Pikachu" Sonic said, turning his head to look up at Issei, also pointing to the stuffed animal in question with his finger on the glass. He was adamant about this.
"Yeah, because you've seen an imaginary electrified rat running around..." said Issei in a low tone, walking towards the controls and putting a coin in the machine, figuring he'd win one for Asia as she clearly wanted one.
"... sometimes at me..." Sonic muttered with his arms folding. Issei carefully positioned the claw of The Catcher over multiple animals, studying them carefully to see which one he should go for. There were a few sticking out that looked good, but Issei just went over them, which confused the nun and Hedgehog. He just kept going around until he went for one smack in the middle that looked like it would never get caught by the claw, so why bother? "Sorry to say this, buuuuut... these things are kind of a scam" Sonic added, at a normal volume this time so they could hear him.
"Really?" Asked Asia. She never would have guessed. Why would someone make a game that was just a scam?
"Yeah, this one guy called the cops on my company over it..." said Sonic, then chuckled with a smirk. "He won the case, funny enough." He added, which got Issei to cock an eyebrow while he was concentrating. What kind of crazy world was this alien from? Focusing back on his own task, Issei had the claw slowly drop... color Asia and Sonic surprised when it DID in fact work, both of them watching in anticipation to see the results of Issei's choice. Will it prevail, or fall victim to the scam?
"Pretty much outing myself as an arcade nerd; but me, Matsuda and Motohama would always hang in them for hours after middle school" the pervert admitted as the claw automatically went over to the deposit side. Low an behold, he actually did it! "SCORE!" He said with a grin, making a fist and pumping it in victory! Sonic and Asia were stunned at first, but then the nun cheered and clapped.
"HAHA! Scammed the scam!" Sonic praised him, giving the human a thumbs up.
Issei got the new doll out of the slot and handed it to Asia, whose eyes lit up like a Christmas tree... Seriously. This girl was adorable. "Thank you so much! Every time I look at this little guy, I'll remember how much of a blessing its been to meet you both!" Asia thanked.
Issei nervously chuckled in embarrassment with a hand on his neck, not used to this kind of praise, especially from a girl. "I think you won more than just the little guy, eh Issei?" Sonic joked, elbowing Issei.
"Knock it off, Sonichu," Issei returned, though still looking a bit embarrassed. "Come on, lets get a drink. I'm kinda thirsty" he continued, walking towards an exit as Sonic followed him.
Sonic: Well don't do it here. At least get some privacy...
Issei: That's not what I meant, you fursona!
As both boys walked off and Sonic continued to poke fun at him, Asia looked down at the stuffed animal she was holding. "I'll never forget today. I'll treasure it always" she muttered to herself in content, hugging the little doll a bit closer. The doll itself felt kinda warm, at least she thought so, but maybe that was just her own heart swelling with happiness. She honestly couldn't recall the last time she felt so happy. Meeting these two was a blessing, a blessing she was lucky to have. Even if one of them was gonna have to go home someday, she'll always remember these past couple of days as some of the best days of her life...
XXX
Outside the arcade, the trio stood by a vending machine as Issei got out a can of soda from the bottom as it fell from the rack when he paid for it. Asia had also gotten one, holding it in her right hand while her 'new friend' was hung in her left arm. Of course, Issei paid for that one as well, not that he minded... didn't mean he didn't wish a certain alien would have had the proper currency back at the diner. How was he gonna explain to his parents where all his allowance went in one day? Either that, or he'll have to ration it out for the next couple of days. But all in all, at least Asia looked happy, if that bright smile meant anything.
"Honestly. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!" Said Asia.
"Heh, you sure your not exaggerating?" Asked Sonic.
"I'm serious. I don't think I've ever had this much fun in my life!" Asia repeated.
"Well, as long as your happy. I've had a pretty good time too" said Issei, popping open his can and took a sip. When he did, he and Sonic suddenly felt a slight pain as they held the offending locations. For Sonic, it was the side of his body, the same spot from Freed's sword. For Issei, it was actually in his ankle, where he was shot. 'Ugh, dammit. Must have aggravated it on the dance game' Issei thought to himself, feeling kinda stupid. They both wanted to help take Asia's mind off things, that they completely disregarded their own bodies.
Asia got closer to both of them with a frown, concerned for them, and whispered so no one else could hear them. "It's your wounds from last night, isn't it?" She asked them, though she already knew the answer. She felt guilty about it, as it was because of her they got these wounds in the first place trying to protect her, even though she was aware it wasn't her fault.
They went to a secluded park nearby. It had a large, beautiful sparkling pool that glittered in the sunlight and had stone benches around it. There were also pillars linked together that looked to be either made of marble or granite, and they went all around the pool, most likely for shade and/or decoration. As they sat down on one of these benches, Asia was healing them, doing one boy at a time to give them the full attention they deserved. She did Sonic first, as he had the worst of the injuries, as well as because he was unable to be fully healed at the time of getting these injuries for... reasons. As the light was shining from Asia's hands, its gentle and warm glow working its magic, Issei couldn't help but marvel at how pretty Asia was in this light, or any light for that matter.
'Man... she really is pretty' he thought.
"You ready, Issei?" Asia asked as she finished with Sonic, the glow vanishing and now looking at Issei.
"Uh, y-yeah" he said. With his confirmation, Asia got up from her seat and kneeled down, using her power again to now work on Issei's feet. It didn't take as long as Sonic's wound, seeing as it was mostly already healed by Akeno previously, just stupidly aggravated from him pushing himself. It took the nun a mere 5 seconds to completely heal Issei, mainly cause most of the work was already done by someone else.
"How's that feel? Does that feel better?" Asia asked, wanting to make sure her two friends were at 100 percent.
Issei stretched his leg out from his sitting position, moving it up and down a few times. Feeling no pain that way, he then got up and jogged in place, fully testing his ankle. "Feels great! The pains all gone!" Issei said, happy he no longer had to worry about his former injury anymore.
It was here Sonic hopped down from the bench. He twisted his body back and forth, then did some leg stretches himself. "My turn!"
ZOOM!
He dashed off... somewhere. Due to his sudden dash, wind was generated and it forced Issei and Asia to brace, with the nun holding onto her hood to make sure it didn't fall off again. Sonic returned a second later from the opposite direction, having done a quick lap. To where? Neither human knew, but assumed it was either the town, or the continent itself... at least he came back this time. "HAHA! Sonic's back, baby!" The little alien cheered. "Thanks, Asia! Your the best!" Sonic thanked Asia and with praise from both boys, it made Asia smile. She was happy to help, for it was the least she could do. "Seriously, where'd ya get this cool power from?" Sonic then asked her.
It was then Asia, after standing idle for a few second, sat back down. She was smiling, but something was off about it this time around. Seeing this, Issei glanced down at Sonic with a frown, then smacked him upside in the back of the head, hitting near the top to avoid his quills. "OW!" Sonic whined, rubbing the spot that was hit and looking back up at Issei with a look that asked: 'What? What'd I say?' After looking at Issei's expression for a bit, Sonic eventually took the hint. "Uh... sorry. I was just curi..."
"No." Asia cut him off, still retaining her kind tone. "It's ok... I don't mind..." She said, then began to tell her story. Issei and Sonic listened intently to every word.
"Before I came to Japan, I was told my mother abandoned me at the local church in my hometown in Europe. A few members of the church heard me crying one day, and there I was, right outside the door. The nuns raised me as one of their own," Asia started, holding her new doll close to herself. Issei and Sonic couldn't help but feel bad. That was awful. Sonic could relate to that somewhat. He was raised by Longclaw, then taken care of by Tom and Maddie on earth. After he returned home, he eventually met his real parents though they were... kinda robotic.
"When I was eight years old, a small puppy wandered into church one day. It was so cute, but was also really hurt and looked like it was dying. So I prayed. Prayed to God as hard as I could, begging Him to spare this poor dogs life. That's when a miracle occurred, and the puppy jumped up and started licking my face. It was so happy," said Asia, smiling at the memory. She could still feel the dog kissing her cheek that day. "A few members of the church noticed this, and claimed I had a special gift. So I was immediately taken to a larger church. Thousands of people would come visit me from all over the world when they got sick or injured, and I would heal them all. I was so glad, knowing I could help other people, even if I couldn't make any friends..." she continued, to which Sonic and Issei felt more for her. This chick had a heart of gold, even though she was abandoned at such a young age.
"One day, I encountered a man lying on the floor, outside the church, just like the puppy from so long ago. I healed him too... but..." said Asia, and THAT is when her tone changed, to a slightly more depressed one. A memory of people calling her a witch flowed her brain. "He wasn't a man... he was a Devil. I was then looked at as a monster..." she admitted and even though her eyes said overwise, she STILL held a smile. Issei felt terrible for this girl, and Sonic couldn't help but clench a fist. This chick would basically heal people for a living, go out of her way to heal people all across this dimension, only to be shunned out the moment she acted like she normally would? That was way past uncool! So what she healed a Devil, that didn't mean she was a bad person! In fact, the opposite was true! She had a pure heart and was willing to help anyone in anyway she could!
"So that's when you ended up with Freed and the Fallen Angels?" Issei asked, though he kinda pieced that together already.
"Yes. But I never stopped praying to God for this amazing gift. It gave me a purpose, and I've tried my best to live a good life," Asia said. "Though I never knew what horrible things they were doing, until that day..." she then had a few flashbacks to when she saw the mangled corpse Freed left behind, what Freed was about to do to her, then all the destruction the Fallen caused when trying to get their hands on her when Sonic took off with her in tow. "This has to be a test of my faith... if I overcome this ordeal, maybe I can finally make my dream come true. To make many friends. Do cool things, chat, have fun together..." Asia continued on, and this just made Issei and Sonic feel even more sorry for her. She's clearly been through hell and back, and all she wants is a friend. "... but I guess for now, its just a pipe dream." She said with a smile, though both boys could tell it was forced. Asia then looked at the sparking water in the man-made pond.
...
...
...
"... What are ya talking about?!" Asked Sonic, which got Asia's attention. "Look around, Healing Maiden! Ya got 2 right here!" Asia was a bit shocked at this. It was here Issei stood up.
"He's right... I mean, after all we went through, how can we not be?" Issei added, which made Asia blink... was this real? Was she dreaming? We're these boys REALLY saying... what she thinks they were saying? "I think we got to know each other pretty well. We chatted, we hung out, we had tons of fun..."
"And you won her an imaginary electrified rat in one go," Sonic pointed to Issei in a humorous tone, whom blushed at that.
"Yeah, that definitely happened," Issei agreed with a few embarrassed chuckles.
Asia couldn't help but smile a bit, genuinely this time, her eyes on the verge of crying tears of joy. Was this really happening? She was going to have friends, people that accepted her power, for the first time in her life? "I can't," she said denying them, despite the smile on her face. "No. You've both been so nice to me, and I don't want to cause you anymore trouble."
"Too late for that," said Issei. "We're friends, Asia. All 3 of us. Nothing's gonna change that."
Asia couldn't hide the happiness on her face anymore, no matter how hard she tried. All her life, she was told she was useful, but never exactly connected with anybody due to never meeting anyone with powers like herself. She had her healing, now met Issei who had this red bracer, and a Hedgehog who could scale buildings by running along them. She always felt lonely even though she was happy to help others. At this moment, she finally found people similar to herself, and were willing to not only accept her power... but her. Still, Issei and Sonic had Devils on their side and by extension, contact with anything associated with them was forbidden. "But... but Rias said..."
"It doesn't matter what Rias said!" Sonic suddenly blurted out, stunning both humans. Though he claimed to be over it, it was apparent that the alien Hedgehog still held some animosity towards the Devil in question. They could see it in his eyes, considering how big they were... not that the two humans blamed him. They were in for another surprise when Sonic quickly locked one of Asia's pinkies with his own, which got the nuns eyes to widen again. "We made a promise... remember?" He asked.
Issei didn't know what to say to this, since he hasn't seen anyone use a 'pinky promise' since 2nd grade, but the gesture had the desired effect on the nun. It took a few seconds, but she then returned it. "I... I..." she said, tears were now starting to come out of her eyes. This was REALLY happening! If she was dreaming, she didn't want to EVER wake up! "Thank you, guys... I'm so happy..." she continued through her tears.
PING!
The tip of a boot touched the water of the center of the pool, making ripples. "Oh, that; is just SO adorable..." Hearing the sudden voice, the group froze up for a quick second, not expecting it. They turned around, all 3 recognizing whom the voice belonged to, though Sonic and Issei were the more shocked of the three. Behind them, floating in the center of the pool, with excess black feathers coming off her wings...
Raynare: What's next? A start of a love triangle full of passion, hate and jealously?
Raynare taunted the trio, whom were still shocked to see her here of all places. Around them, was also the purplish void when a Fallen usually appears, but it only appeared to be some kind of barrier as opposed to another plane of existence as nothing around them seemed to stop. Also since it was daytime, the glow of the purplish void wasn't nearly as visible, but they were all still trapped in the immediate area.
"Yuma..." Issei said automatically, as that was the name she introduced herself as.
"L-Lady Raynare..." said Asia, adding a title to Raynare's name as that was how she was brought up. She was the same Fallen who took her under her wing, for a lack of better words.
"And I see your still hanging out with the furball... Sonic, was it?" Raynare said with her eyes on the humans, then she glanced over to Sonic, who matched her gaze. "For an animal that can break the sound barrier, you weren't that hard to track down either... sleeping in the forest all night. Just like a rat."
Sonic got into a defensive position in front of his 2 human friends. Having battled Raynare personally once before, he knew they weren't gonna stand a chance against her. He also heard what Raynare just said, which implied she was following him for some time, and it didn't take a genius to figure out the rest. He KNEW he felt something wrong back in the woods, so it must have been the head Fallen herself stalking him. Why didn't she just finish him off? She merely followed him around, waiting for the right moment to strike, like a predator toying with its prey.
Again, he had to give her credit. What better time to strike, than with all 3 of her enemies in one spot? She might be crazy, but she wasn't an idiot. "So when the rest of your coop couldn't finish the job, you fly outta the nest yourself?" Sonic shot at Raynare.
Raynare just smiled at him and gave a single chuckle, but both were more sinister than friendly. "In case you didn't notice, YOUR the one who kidnapped poor little Asia. They were just politely trying to ask for her back," she said to Sonic, then turned her attention back to Asia. "We were so worried about you, my dear. Why don't you come back home to us? Where the heart is?" She asked Asia.
Politely? Well, if throwing spears of light and blasts of magic were 'polite'...
"No! I refuse to be apart of your group any longer!" Asia said as bravely as she could, though was behind Issei when she said it. She didn't want to be part of a group that killed people senselessly. And to think she was raised to think Devils were the ones to do that, but based on what she's seen so far, the opposite was true.
Raynare feigned offense with another chuckle. "So that's it? We take you under our wings after you were shunned out and called a witch, and that's how you thank us?"
"The answers no, lady," Sonic interjected, his tone serious. "So why don't you do us a favor, and fly back to your birdhouse with the rest of those birdbrains?"
Raynare had to admit, although she hated the Hedgehog for getting in her way several times, he was pretty witty when it came to trash talk. She almost felt bad if he ended up dead. "Well now that you mention, it DOES get kind of cramped in there. So if you wouldn't mind..." she began, then raised her hand, where a spark of light took form. "Let me stretch my wings a bit..." she continued, her hand having formed a Light Spear and she held it at her side. It was clear to the trio that if they weren't gonna cooperate with Raynare, she had no issue getting physical... that, or she was gonna attack them anyway.
Issei couldn't help but back off a bit and shudder at the sight of the spear of light. He could still feel the burning sensation as his organs were set aflame with pain that day in the park, then the second time when she cornered him again. If it wasn't for Sonic and Rias, he would have died, but that did nothing to calm his nerves. "If its any consolation... I never liked the thought of people dying as virgins..." Raynare added, though it wasn't exactly clear if she was taunting them again or not, or maybe a mixture of both.
Sonic took a more offensive stance this time, in case he needed to counterattack. Seeing Sonic show no fear, or if he did have any he was hiding it well, triggered something inside Issei and he glanced at his left hand. He then flashed back to that day when his Gear first awakened, then back to the abandoned movie theater when he punched right through the robotic arms of the Stray. What was he doing? He didn't need to cower behind Sonic anymore, he had the power to fight back now! HELL! He could fight ALONGSIDE the alien!
'No! I can't pussy out this time! I can fight!' He thought to himself. Sonic saved him and Asia before... now it was his turn. Though still a bit nervous, he clenched his fist and took a few steps forward, getting everyone else's attention. "He's not the only one..." was all Issei said, and it was there Sonic and Raynare knew exactly what he was thinking. Sonic didn't feel it was necessary to stop him, in fact he smirked in support and stepped to the side to allow both of them to stand together. It's come to this. Issei has trained with Sonic to learn how the Gear worked, then used it in battle for the first time with Rias and her group. This was his chance to prove himself, and the Hedgehog wasn't gonna stop him.
Raynare's eyes narrowed a bit. This was a bit concerning for a few reasons. Could the horny human actually fight? She had no idea. But she DID know if he lost control of his power, it could destroy all 4 of them, making her plans fail either way. Sure she put up a barrier, but if the Gear was as strong as she'd heard, whether he mastered it or not, could very easily crumble her like tissue paper. And even if he didn't, it would still cause the barrier itself to shatter, destroy the 4 of them anyway, as well as everything within over 100 city blocks. Was this kid really that stupid though? Was he really going to take that risk and destroy himself?
"SACRED GEAR!" Issei called out, his red bracer successfully summoning itself to his call. Raynare stared in what appeared to be shock, blinking once. Sonic smirked, looks like they got Raynare off guard and had her shaking in her wings. The Fallen just continued to stare.
...
...
...
"... heh..." Raynare held in one laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She couldn't stop the rest from bursting out of her mouth, not looking intimidated at all, leaving the group confused. Gears' were supposed to be these super-powerful weapons that could destroy armies, right? So why was she laughing AT them? It didn't make any sense! "Seriously? That's ALL you've had this entire time?" She asked while slowly recovering from her laugh attack. All the weeks she spent planning, how stressful it was to go under the radar to avoid getting caught by her own superiors, then a freaky blue alien comes out of nowhere and makes everything worse, yet all Issei had... was THAT! She couldn't stop herself from having a few excess laughs due to the stress, only to learn they got it wrong! This kid was WORTHLESS! It was too funny, in a VERY twisted way. "That's only a Twice Critical! They were completely off the mark!"
Twice... Critical?... That was the Gear's name? Sounded pretty badass to them, but then why wasn't Raynare taking this seriously? "Thanks for the tip. Now Issei can 'Twice Critical' you off the map with his Scared Gear" said Sonic, trying to keep the confidence for their side. He also thought maybe Raynare was trying to psych them out, knowing her the way he does.
Raynare still did not falter. "It might be a Sacred Gear, but its so common, you can find them under rocks," she said, which of course wasn't true, just another way of taunting them. "All it does is double someone's power, and even then, only for a minute. And in the hands of a human like him, the most he could do is crack a wall."
"... that's it?... That's all it does?" Issei asked while looking at the so-called 'powerful' item on his hand. He looked very unsure of himself right now, and Sonic felt bad for the kid while looking at him. Assuming Raynare was telling the truth and not trying to manipulate them again; Issei went through all the trouble of learning how to use this thing, worked as hard as he could to control it, finally step up for himself... only to learn it was one of the most common Gears out there. Also taking the power doubling into prospective, if all he could do was break concrete and metal robots, that wasn't NEARLY enough to take on someone like Raynare! She was a supernatural entity, with more physical endurance than a normal being!
"He has a dangerous Sacred Gear, they said," Raynare said, using a deeper voice to mimic the voice of an older man, which got both boys' attention. "That was the word upstairs. Someone to look out for, a force to be reckoned with, one with the power to destroy entire worlds," she continued, normal back to her normal voice. "Why ELSE do think I put on that stupid, little girl act?" She added, revealing the only reason she went after Issei was because of his power.
Sonic cocked an eyebrow, looking back and forth between Issei and Raynare. Little girl act? What was she talking about? Raynare noticed this. "Oh? Issei didn't tell you?... Well pull up a chair, your gonna get a kick outta this," she said with a malicious grin and laugh in her voice, then began to tell the story that Sonic missed. "While he was moping to himself one day, I showed up to his school one day as a human, and he immediately started drooling over me," Raynare started, which got Issei to grit his teeth as that's NOT how it went down. She just came out of nowhere, asked to go out with him, and he was caught off guard... he never should have said yes...
Sonic didn't think that was the full truth either. Issei was a pervert sure, and it sounded like something he would do, but he wasn't a total leech either.
"Guys. This is Yuma Amano, my girlfriend. And here's the best part: she. Asked. Me. Stop whacking it and you'll find one too," Raynare then mimicked Issei's voice almost perfectly, when he told the other 2 members of the Perverted Trio the news. "A Date! This is badass! I'm so gonna see lady parts!" She continued to mock him, when he accepted 'Yuma's' offer. "Honestly! And throughout the entire date, he was trying so hard to impress me. Which was a little cute, as if he could impress anyone," Raynare went on, which only got Issei more annoyed. "But the best part was... I need you, Issei. Need you to be my boyfriend!" Raynare then swapped her voice to her alias Yuma's voice, also forcing herself to blush for the sake of the act. "Thank you, Issei. I'm really happy your my boyfriend! It was ridiculous! And he believed every word!" Raynare finally finished, then she used a more humorous tone to talk down about the poor boy one more time. "I mean, really? What girl what say shit like that out of nowhere? Least of all, to someone like him?" She concluded, mockingly laughing at the end.
Sonic felt angry for Issei's sake. Even if what Raynare said was true, that's still no excuse to berate him after using his emotions for her own benefit. This Fallen Angel now reminded Sonic of a certain fox he once knew, how she toyed with his buddy's/brothers feelings for her in a very similar way, then stomped all over his heart with no remorse just like Raynare was doing to Issei right now.
"Oh, don't give that face. If only you jumped out of your UFO an hour or so sooner, you'd be laughing too!" Raynare added upon seeing Sonic's reaction, still laughing at Issei's expense.
Sonic was ready to snap a witty response at Raynare; but Issei stepped in front of him, anger and hurt all over his face, and held his common Sacred Gear out in front of him. "Shut your face!" Issei said, sounding brave but one could still hear the hurt in his tone. Nevertheless, he put it aside to take a stand. This did get Raynare to stop laughing, but she looked very passive about it. "If you want to fight, then fight!" Issei challenged her. So what if his Gear was a common one? He wasn't going to back down. Not now!
"Heh. Looks like he's Twice Critically over you, Bird-Breath" Sonic quipped to the Fallen One.
It was here her expression got annoyed, and she now had fangs her her mouth as opposed to normal teeth. "You both REALLY believe you have a chance with that piece of garbage?" Raynare threatened them with a darker tone. Now that she knew Issei was nothing to be scared of, there was no reason she had to remain on the defensive. "I can assure you, those three IDIOTS are NOTHING compared to me! So do ME a favor; take that Gear, along with whatever's left of your masters dignity, and go play fetch in the next park over!"
"Not gonna happen!" Issei said, standing his ground. He wasn't sure if he could win, but he wasn't gonna lose either.
[BOOST!] Said the Twice Critical, seemingly responding to Issei's plight and glowing brightly, doing exactly what it was designed for. Issei could feel the energy flowing into him. "If you want either of my friends, your gonna have to go through me!" Issei yelled back, which got Asia to react with slightly widened eyes. He was going so far for an alien and a quote 'monster' like her...
STAB!
No sooner did Issei say that, Raynare's light spear went right through him, the exact same spot when Raynare first attacked him during their date. He looked down at it, the same burning feeling filled his body, as well as feeling the blood stain his shirt. Once again, he fell to his knees, his legs unable to support his weight. Both Asia and Sonic were stunned themselves, overcome with shock for a second until Asia screamed and dropped her doll.
"Issei!" Asia said in worry, running over and kneeling to Issei's side as he grunted in pain.
"Issei! Come on, pal; talk to me!" Sonic said, repeating the same actions as Asia, also concerned for the boy's well-being. He couldn't believe it! Raynare threw that spear so fast, even faster than when he fought her in his memories. Just how strong was she?
"Nice catch," Raynare said smugly, crossing her arms. "Twice nothing is still nothing. You'd better get used to that."
'Grrrr... dammit! Not again!' Issei thought as he gritted his teeth in pain as he clutched the area that was struck. This was just like before, stabbed in the heart by a woman who claimed to be interested. This was just great, now he was gonna die... again! Sonic felt angry again, his fist clenching again, much harder this time. Raynare was seriously pushing it...
A foot away from Asia, laid her doll... it vibrated once, by itself...
Raynare's eyes widened, suddenly feeling a flash of power... a power unlike anything she ever felt before. In her vision, she still saw Issei clutching himself and Asia next to him... but a different Sonic. No longer was he blue, but black. Blacker than the night itself if that was even possible. His quills were also straight up instead of hung down as they normally were, his eyes lost his green pupils and were just white; and an intense dark aura surrounded him... then her vision returned to normal, as if nothing ever happened. She went back to her normal expression... but what was that?
A faint glow illuminated from Issei's chest, a glow that felt warm. Looking down, he and Sonic noticed Asia's hands were the ones doing the glowing. "It's ok, Issei. I'm here." She said, using her own magic to heal Issei's newest wound.
"Oh, uh; thanks" said Issei, now realizing what was happening. 'This is awesome. The pains going away!' He thought. At this rate, he should be able to stand on his own to feet again. However, this was a fresh wound, so it might take a bit before he was ready for that. Raynare narrowed her eyes at this. While she had no problem attacking the prev or the alien, she couldn't bring herself to harm Asia... she was the key to her plans after all, so attacking the nun was out of the question. It would render everything that the Hedgehog didn't ruin pretty much useless.
Sonic calmed down, seeing Issei was in good hands (pun intended)... but there was still an 'issue' that needed to be dealt with. He then locked eyes with that issue, both of them staring each other down once the issue's eyes shifted from Asia to himself, neither taking their eyes off each other. Taking a few steps to get in front of the two humans, Sonic took another fighting stance while also holding a hand out to cover Issei.
"Tag out, Issei. Asia, take care of him" he ordered, making the humans look up at him. Sonic had to admit, Issei showed an incredible level courage just now, he'll commend Issei for that; but he just wasn't strong enough to take on a person like Raynare, let alone in his current state. "I'll sweep the floor of all those feathers."
"Sonic... wait...!" Issei tried to stand, but it wasn't working. He hasn't fully recovered yet.
"Don't sweat it, Issei. I'll handle this," Sonic assured, then gave his signature smirk. "Besides... I think your ex-girlfriend might be interested in a date of our own."
Raynare closed her eyes with a smile at Sonic's response. Once again, this Hedgehog showed he had a decent sense of humor, one she honestly didn't mind too much. If only he chose her side and just left Issei alone, then perhaps she could see them being friendly with each other. "Heh... flattering. But I'm just not into Hedgehogs'. It's more of a personal preference." She responded.
Sonic's grin never left his face. "Ya never know, I might just surprise ya," he began. "Ya already flew down from the nest, and you must be pretty tired, right? So why not pick up where we left off? Maybe make some new memories together?"
As much fun as that sounded, Raynare didn't have time for this aliens games. She just needed Asia back, bring her back to the church, begin preparations and get it over with. She's already spent too much time on this plan of her's, and honestly didn't want anymore delays. She could very easily just snatch Asia away, and neither he nor the worthless Twice Critical wielder could do anything about it...
Then again; she DID fly all night long, and she DID need a way to relieve her stress... She could spare a few minutes...
"... Alright then..." Raynare agreed with a confident smirk, matching Sonic's, taking the rodent up on his offer. Holding up a hand, she brought another light spear into existence. "Show a girl a good time!" She said, whipping her newly forged light spear to the side, ready to have fun on this 'date'. She and Sonic stared each other down one last time before either of them made a move. One way or another, she was going to get what she wanted...
So the second Raynare Boss Fight will happen in the next one, as this chapter's pretty long as it is; longer than I expected it to be. Over 12500 words long, with a bunch of information and foreshadowing. It'll be worth the wait, I assure you. Give me a few weeks, then Sonic and Raynare can have their rematch. I'm sure you've already seen the main foreshadow of this chapter and it you didn't... aw well, you'll have to go back and figure it out :P
Until next time, see ya! ;)