3 First Day of School Part 1

Akeno was the first to wake up next morning. As her eyes slowly flitted open, there was something noticeably different. Whereas her head had been used to a soft pillow that she always used, this morning it was resting on something a bit harder. As she found her bearings, she looked down and saw a muscular chest, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. Soon, however, the memories of what happened the night before came rushing back to her. She traced it back to the face and smiled as she saw Elros resting comfortably and peacefully. She brought a hand up to his cheek and gently caressed it, listening quietly to the sound of his even breathing. She couldn't deny that he was nice to look at, even when prone. He had a pair of kind, deep brown eyes that softly reflected whatever came into contact with them. Akeno thought about the scope of all that they had seen; worlds that one could likely never dream of, places still unknown to travelers of the stars, things that someone could never comprehend - it was endless, much like space itself. Even though they had met just around twelve hours ago, as soon as he got his bearings, Elros had a smile that seemingly never went away. Even now, in his asleep, his parted lips were curved into the ghost of a smile - it truly appeared as though he didn't have a care in the world, despite his memory loss and what he had learned last night. It was bordering on haunting at how at place he looked, Akeno thought. She wondered if he had traveled so much, so often - that there was really no place he could call home anymore? The thought made her frown slightly - at least until she remembered how happy he seemed.

She couldn't deny that she felt some sort of attraction to him, despite not knowing him all that well just yet. After all, it wasn't often - if ever - that you met someone in his line of work. Akeno had known that Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Gods existed from a very young age, so nothing ever really surprised her. However, she had barely ever given thought to the fact that there were completely new and unknown worlds out there - worlds that had their own rules, their own lives, their own politics, cultural systems, beliefs, and everything else that might've made the Earth special. It didn't take much convincing to sway her, she admitted; she had never seen powers like his and there was no way that the other factions had something like his Power Ring in their hands, otherwise it would completely shift the power structures at hand. The thought of all the aliens lands excited her more than anything else she could think of - certainly more than anything in recent memory. She exhaled as she looked back at his chest and saw the scar; however powerful he was, he still wasn't invincible, proof positive of that visible just a foot away. She began to trace the smaller ones on his shoulders and ribs, wondering what the stories were behind them? She sighed deeply as she brought her head down to rest on him again, still caressing his chest.

When Elros woke up a few moments later, he smiled wide as he saw Akeno still resting on him. He brought his hand up to her head and began weaving it through her hair as he had done the night before.

"Good. It wasn't a dream, then" he said happily as she giggled in delight.

"I'm afraid not. Are you disappointed?" Akeno asked teasingly with a smile.

"Not in the slightest. Can't think of anything better than waking up in bed with a beautiful woman," Elros replied as he put his arms around her and slowly began to get up, his body still aching. As they sat up, Elros cradled Akeno in his arms. She was still resting gently against him, happiness etched into her face. Finally, however, she knew that they had to get ready.

"Why don't you go get ready first? I'll put on some tea for us," Akeno said as she stood up and stretched.

"That sounds wonderful," Elros said. As he stood up, he admired Akeno again; her hair was somehow still neatly falling down her back, cascading like a black waterfall as it almost brushed against the floor. Her porcelain white skin reflected the sunlight that penetrated through the open curtains on the other side of the room, illuminating her as an angel would be. Her lavender nightgown reflected the sunlight, which he saw dancing on the floor behind her. As Akeno caught him staring at her, she couldn't help but blush slightly.

"What is it?" she asked softly, snapping Elros out of his funk.

"Sorry. It's nothing. Just… you look extremely beautiful," he replied quietly. Suddenly, he swooped in low to her cheek and kissed it gently.

"And again, thank you," he whispered as he took his leave and went to the bathroom. Akeno blushed deeper than before and burned red on the spot where his lips connected with her cheek. She brought up a hand and gingerly touched it, a look of surprise on her face. This was her first kiss, on the cheeks or lips, and it had happened so suddenly she didn't know what to make of it. She stood rooted to the spot as she gently felt the spot; she wouldn't have been surprised if it began to burn red. The look soon turned into a smile however as she turned and went into the kitchen, her mind a flutter with what just happened.

-o-

As he looked at himself in the mirror again, the whirlwind that was the night before came back to him.

'Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels… Fucking hell, what a night. But then, I guess it's not surprising. After all the stuff that I've seen out there… Hell, including all the stuff that I've seen on the Earth - of course, they exist. Never knew Devils could look so good, though. Definitely a far cry from whatever shit John's always getting himself into,' Elros thought as he rubbed his chin gently. He turned the handle to let the water flow, pulling the small cap that redistributed it from the faucet to the shower head. He watched the cool water stream down and watched it as it slowly grew warmer and warmer until he could see steam coming out. He saw the mirror begin to fog and he soon stepped in, letting the hot water run over his body.

'Finally. Time to rest these weary bones for a bit,' he thought to himself as he let out a deep exhale. Few things were better than a piping hot shower after a hell of a night, Elros thought. As he relaxed, he thought again about the members of the peerage; the blonde healer, Asia, was gentle and shy; the platinum-haired Koneko was deadpan in her voice but strong; Issei was the pervert of the group, but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders; Gasper was a fucking Devil-Vampire who could stop time - enough said; Kiba was a swordsman and seemed to be well mannered, at least more than Issei; Xenovia was extremely attractive, with striking blue hair and a heavy broadsword to boot; Akeno and Rias were like the big sisters of the group, looking out for everyone, both extremely attractive as well. They had a certain air about them that just exuded confidence and power, something that he found captivating whenever he saw it. While they all had different personalities, Elros could tell one thing in an instant: they all loved and cared for each other. And it didn't seem to just be something they put on for appearances. They appeared to genuinely care for other people as well - after all, who else would take someone who fell from the stars and demolished a house into their home without hardly a second thought; and follow that up with an offer to stay with them? No, Elros was certain that these were good people.

For the moment, however, he pushed those thoughts out of his head as he put his hands on either side of the showerhead, simply letting the hot water cascade over his body. The world could wait for a few minutes.

-o-

Half an hour later, Akeno heard Elros finally get out. As she turned to look at him, she was caught off guard by what he was wearing. As opposed to the t-shirt and jeans from the night before, he was wearing what appeared to be a green uniform.

It ranged from his neck to the bottom of his toes, only his face left uncovered. Akeno saw that the outfit gave off the slightest bit of a glow; she wasn't sure if it was a feature of the uniform or if Elros was exuding some of his power. From his to his shoulders and down his torso, the uniform was green, stretching tightly against his chest and abs; she could make out the finer points of his body. Set between his pecks, just off center of where his heart would be, was a white circle with Green Lantern symbol embossed in the center. From the bottom of either shoulder, stretching about eight inches to the elbow, the uniform turned black. From his elbows to the tip of each hand, he wore white gloves, punctured on the right side with his power ring. Waist down to just below his calves, the uniform was again black, skin-tight just like the rest of it. Capping it off, he wore green shoes that ranged from his calves, all the way down to the tips of each foot. It appeared to all be a single piece, but Akeno couldn't be sure. Regardless, she set the tea down and walked over in wondrous excitement as she put her hands on his chest and began rubbing them all over. She endeavored to touch every inch of him, working her way to his broad shoulders and down his arms, squeezing either hand gently in either of hers.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Elros asked with a grin.

"You have no idea. I don't think I've seen anything like this. Now hush," Akeno answered with a light smile as she brought her hands back to his chest and ran them down his front. She reached around back and did the same thing; the story was the same there. Surprisingly, she couldn't even feel the outline of his scars in the uniform; it did an amazing job at keeping everything covered. Finally, she finished up, resting her hands gently on his shoulders.

"It's a bit much, but considering I don't have any other civilian clothing on me; and the fact that I don't typically go out in public naked, this was my only option," Elros told her.

"Ah, if you told me then I would've asked Rias to bring an extra set when she comes over," Akeno said.

"Yeah, that's my bad I guess. Is she on her way now?" Elros asked as he took a seat on her couch and spread his arms on it.

"Yeah. She should be here soon," Akeno said as she set out a cup plate in front of him. It was quite lovely, Elros thought; stark white china with a golden embroidery around the edges. She set the teacup in it as well, which was similar in design. Akeno poured some tea out for him and waited for him to taste it.

"Aww, that's so good," Elros said as he took a sip, allowing the warm drink to fill him to his core. He felt as though it warmed him up from the center. He took another sip, albeit slower, and endeavored to taste as much of the tea as he could.

"I'm happy to hear it. Rias is going to be here soon, so I'm going to get ready. No peeking," Akeno said with a smile as she turned to leave.

"Awww," Elros answered in mock frustration as he watched her go. Akeno answered with a giggle as she was finally out of sight and locked the door behind her. Elros turned his attention back to his delicious tea and swirled it around his cup for a moment, smiling. He watched the light green decoction swirl upon itself as it exuded a small stream of steam, evidencing how hot it was. As he continued with slow sips, he finally heard a knock at the door. Quickly, he opened it. Rias was standing there in the same uniform from the day before. He deduced quickly that that must be the schools uniform. The uniform consisted of a white long-sleeved, button-down shirt that had a black ribbon on the collar, worn under a black shoulder cape and a matching button down corset; she also wore a short magenta skirt that cut off far above the knees, white crew socks, and brown shoes.

"You look stunning," Elros whispered as he saw her, making her blush a bit.

"Hello, Elros," Rias replied with a smile. Much like Akeno before, however, as soon as she saw his outfit her lips parted in wonder. She quickly entered the apartment and closed the door. In short order, she began rubbing him like Akeno had done earlier. Elros simply grinned as he allowed her to feel him to her heart's content; after all, who was he to deny a woman what she wanted? Rias gripped him here and there gently and even tried to pinch the uniform off, to no avail. It seemed as though it had replaced his skin.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Elros asked after allowing her to go on for a few minutes.

"Very much. Are you?" Rias asked with a coy smile as she rested her hands on his chest and leaned in a bit closer, looking up at him. Height wise, he veritably towered over her - as well as over there rest of the peerage.

"I am. Please, free to feel as much as you want, wherever you want. I'm happy to offer you a guided tour as well, should you choose," he said with a dramatic nod of his head. Rias giggled and continued for a little while longer. Just as she had seen the night before, there was no doubt that his physique was well defined, evidenced by how well the uniform hugged his body, exemplifying his physical traits like his pectorals, his abs, and the muscles that ran through his arms. Like Akeno, she noted that she couldn't feel the scars through the fabric, which was surprising considering how tight it was. She took his right hand in her own and examined the ring again with a look of wonder on her face.

"Where's Akeno?" Rias asked as she walked with Elros to the sofa and sat on a small chaise that lay adjacent to it.

"Showering right now, I think. I can't be sure because she instructed me not to peek. Dunno why. I'm a perfect gentleman," Elros said with a mock sigh of disappointment. Rias smirked at that and took a sip of the tea that was poured out for her.

"Did you enjoy your night here?" Rias asking, hoping in earnest that he did.

"Are you kidding me? Best nights sleep I've had in a while. Akeno is quite the host," Elros replied.

"Did she tell you why I'm here?" Rias asked as she licked away a few drops of tea that were stuck on her lips.

"Nope. Just that you wanted to talk to me. So, what's the deal?" Elros said in interest as he leaned back.

"I do want to talk to you. This might come off as… a bit brusque, especially considering the circumstances of the night before and the short time we've known each other. But, I thought that the direct approach would be best. I wanted to ask you if you would considering joining my peerage as a Devil," Rias said. She could feel her heart beating loudly as she asked, hinging herself on the response that would come. She looked at Elros direct in the eyes and tried to discern what - if any - emotion was playing across his face. There was a long, quiet pause.

"What? Really?" Elros finally asked in surprise as he crossed one leg over the other, scanning Rias.

"Mmhm. You would be a part of and employed by the Gremory Household and would act as my servant. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about what that means, though. Within my peerage, servants are more like great friends and family than anything else. You'd be reincarnated as a Devil, which means you'd also get the added benefits of being a Devil, which I think might even be able to help you in your other duties; easy transportation, understanding any language, the ability to modify your appearance, the ability to use magic, an extended lifespan, and much more. It'd be like a paying job, really - you would be salaried, have benefits, and would be given a variety of other perks. You could also raise yourself within Devil society to an Ultimate Class Devil," Rias said with a smile as she explained what it meant.

"Wait a second. Salary? Benefits? Are you telling me that being a Devil is like… a job?" Elros deadpanned, extremely let down by how boring that particular bit sounded.

"That's a small part of it, but yes. That's how it is for Reincarnated Devils - that is, Devils that aren't born as such but are made by Pure-Blooded Devils," Rias said. Elros noted a hint of disdain in her voice as she ended.

"What's the difference between the two?" Elros asked, a bit intrigued by the divide.

"Pure-Blooded Devils are descended from the 72 Pillars, which are the 72 prominent Devil families. Each family is more like a clan, made up of several smaller families and they possess a significant amount of power in our society. In reality, though, there are less than 72 families - the actual number of truly pure families is maybe half that number, while others have lost their status due to having a mixed heritage or rendered to near extinction with only a few surviving members. The Great War had a tremendous effect on our political and cultural landscape; almost all the Pure-Blooded families are eventually going to go extinct, I think. We can talk more about that later, though - there's a lot to Pure-Blooded Devils and I don't think I can do it justice right now. Reincarnated Devils are a lot easier to explain. They're newly made Devils, created by High-Class Devils. They're usually a part of a High-Class Devil - yours truly - peerage and can work their way up through Devil society become High-Class or even Ultimate-Class Devils," Rias explained, giving Elros a broad overview of what the job entailed. He was silent for a while longer before he smiled at Rias.

"It's an interesting offer, but I'd have to decline," Elros said.

"Oh… mmm… why?" Rias asked, feeling her heart fall down into a deep, dark abyss. This was most definitely NOT the answer she was looking for (although she probably should've expected it).

"I'm not inherently against it - actually, it seems like a really interesting opportunity. But if it interfered with my duties as a Green Lantern and I had to choose between the two - even if it was a dire situation, I would have to choose the latter There are just too many lives at stake out there. Plus, not to brag, I'm already strong enough as it is, I think. My Ring already lets me easily translate any language in the universe, except a small few; and I can already get to wherever I need to be without a problem," Elros said, smiling.

"Still… consider how much longer you could be a Green Lantern if you do become a Devil - thousands of years added on to your lifespan; you could save countless more lives, I think. Being a Green Lantern seems like a really important job, and I don't want to get in the way of it; truth be told, I still don't really understand. But if that's your biggest point of contention, I'm more than happy to let you place it first," Rias said, obliging surprisingly easily. But she thought that with Elros, the benefits far outweighed any conceivable risk.

"That's kind of you, Rias, but would that really be fair to the rest of you guys?" Elros asked.

"Absolutely. Even though the others are my servants, they still have their own lives, as well as dreams that they want to fulfill. It's not as if when you accept, you give up your entire life as it is and devote yourself to me; far from it. It's more about creating a balance; and if I can help you somewhere along the way, it'd be my pleasure and honor to do so," Rias said passionately. Elros could sense the love and compassion she had for her servants.

They were both silent for a long while. As he sat there, Elros pierced Rias's gaze with his own with a ferocious intensity. After several minutes of his look, Rias couldn't help but begin blushing deeply. His warm, brown eyes were inviting, but there was something there that she felt cut through her very soul and being, to the heart of her person. She couldn't describe the feeling accurately in words; it was more intense than a stare, but not quite a leer. She felt as though he was dissecting her soul, making sure that what she told him was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. She didn't mind that; she wanted him to make an educated and informed decision.

"Give me a bit to think about it. I'd be remiss to not consider the off," he finally said as he leaned back with an intrigued look on his face. Rias smiled wide at that, hope refilling her.

"That's fine with me. Could you let me know by, say, noon tomorrow? Or is that too soon?" Rias asked.

"That's enough time for me. I'll have an answer for you by tomorrow," Elros said.

"Wonderful! There is one other thing that I wanted to discuss with you. I hope you don't mind, but I spoke to my father about you…," Rias said, trailing off a bit as she felt slightly uncomfortable.

'Is this the best time to ask him? Am I going to fast? I don't want to make him uncomfortable?' Rias thought.

"Oh?" Elros asked in surprise. He wasn't expecting that.

"He's really interested in meeting you if you decide to become a Devil," Rias said.

"It's a bit early to meet your parents, isn't it? I mean, I haven't even wined and dined you and we're already meeting the family," Elros said with a laugh.

"What? No! Not like that!" Rias whined, blushing slightly as Elros laughed a bit louder.

"Sorry. Anyways, you were saying?" Elros said as he calmed down.

"Well, like I said - he's interested in meeting you if you decide to become a Devil. But before that, I told him that you didn't really have any idea what to do next unless you're called on for a mission or something. So… he took the liberty of enrolling you in Kuoh Academy - the school that Akeno, myself, and the others go to. You'd be in your third year," Rias said.

"Wait. What?" Elros deadpanned. Rias gasped in embarrassment, her hands flying to her mouth. Now that she really thought about it, it did sound pretty weird - enrolling someone you barely know in a school that they know nothing about in a country that they just happened to land in due to some bizarre stroke of luck.

"I'm so sorry! I just figured that if, you know, you had nothing to do you could go to school or something! It was stupid of me; you probably have to go save a planet or something… I just thought that…," Rias continued nervously as she blushed in embarrassment. However, Elros interrupted her with a laugh.

"Relax, Rias. It's fine. Thank you for being so kind," Elros said as he smiled warmly at her. Rias recomposed herself and smiled back at him.

"So what do you think? You'll be in the same classes as Akeno and I," Rias said.

"It's an interesting proposition. God, I can't even remember the last time I set foot in a classroom," Elros said as he looked up at the ceiling, reminiscing.

"What do you mean? You grew up in the states, right? Didn't you have to go to school there?" Rias asked, a look of shock crossing her face.

"I became a Lantern at a young age, so this is really the only life I know. It was never really a concern, though; the ring stores a ridiculous amount of information on virtually any subject you can think of, so I did manage to keep learning - it was just a more self-styled learning as opposed to a classroom. I've honestly no memory of classroom teaching beyond maybe kindergarten," Elros said sheepishly.

"You're kidding!" Rias roared in shock, unable to believe that in particular.

"Nope. Sure, I've visited a few college campuses but those were for more… personal… reasons," Elros said, as he suggestively raised his eyebrows and smiled at Rias who blushed as she assumed what she was thinking of. He chuckled as he saw that.

"I can see the gears in your head are turning. What're you thinking about?" Elros asked teasingly.

"Oh stop! Anyways… what do you think?" Rias asked, quickly changing the subject to some more innocuous.

"Hmm… you know what, fuck it. Why not? I have nothing else to do right now; no pressing matters to attend so, so I guess I'm a free agent. Besides, this sounds like fun," Elros said, grinning at Rias.

'A chance at a somewhat normal life? Well… as somewhat normal as I can get. Let's see where this goes,' Elros thought to himself. He always did want to go to school - to have a chance at living a life that was similar to his peers, but there was always something else that he had to concern himself with. Now an opportunity that gave him a sense of normalcy just fell in his lap - he knew that if he didn't at least make an attempt at it, he would regret it for the rest of his life. No, this was the right thing to do, Elros felt - even if it was only for a little while.

"That's wonderful! We'll get you some clothes once we get to school, alright? We'll head on over as soon as Akeno gets finished," Rias said, her voice positively boisterous as she had an affirmative answer. She remained ignorant to the gears that were turning in Elros's head.

"Oh yeah, weren't you guys on break or something before I crashed into that place?" Elros asked.

"It's time that we took off personally. We've had several incidents in the past few months and I thought that everyone deserved to finally get some time off to take a load off; they've all worked really hard. So, we planned to spend a few days up there," Rias explained.

"Until I crashed down. Yeah, my bad," Elros said as he grinned sheepishly.

"It's fine. I think I preferred how things played out," Rias said, putting him at ease.

"Yeah, I'm cool with it I guess. Who knew that Devils were so beautiful?" Elros wondered aloud. Rias blushed again and was thankful that the door to the bathroom flew open so that Elros looked in that direction instead of towards her. Akeno had finally stepped out, fresh as a daisy and ready to go to school. As Rias got up and stood next to her best friend, Elros took a moment to admire their uniforms.

"I must say that I approve of the dress code at this school. Different from the laissez-faire attitude in the states, but still great," Elros said.

"Do you want to give us a once over like we did you?" Akeno asked seductively as Rias smirked.

"But of course. But perhaps we can wait until after school. That way, I don't have to rush," Elros said as he finally got up as well.

"So, are you becoming one of us?" Akeno asked, getting to what she really wanted to know.

"I'm letting you guys know tomorrow. It's an interesting proposition to be sure," Elros said.

"And you agreed to come to school with us?" Akeno asked.

"I did. My first day. So excited. Well, as excited as one can be before their first day at school," Elros said as he quickly dipped into the bathroom to get changed again into the tattered clothes from the day before. His jeans were still fairly torn up; thankfully, the shirt was intact if not a bit small. While they left a lot to be desired, they would have to do - he couldn't go out and about in his uniform in broad daylight.

"Handsome in a punk way," Akeno said with a smile as Elros stepped back out to meet up with them.

"Very," Rias added.

"Ha, thanks. I hope the uniform doesn't make me look like a tool. But, nonetheless, thank you again Rias, Akeno," Elros said as he stepped outside into the hallway with them.

"Not at all. Let's get going. I'm sure the others would love to see you again as well," Rias said. Elros walked over to them and held his arms out for them. Rias and Akeno giggled and each took an arm.

"Why thank you," Akeno said with a cute curtsey as she held on to it tightly.

"A gentleman, it seems," Rias said, doing the same.

"I try my best," Elros said as they made their way downstairs.

As they stepped out into the rising sun, Elros took a moment and closed his eyes. sighing deeply. He smiled wide as he turned his face up to the sun, allowing it beat down upon his face, stars filling his thoughts. When he was on Earth, he liked to do little more than relax unless something urgent was about.

While seeming rather lackadaisical on the surface, it helped him work better as a Lantern; after all, even heroes needed some time off. Laying down in the shade of a large tree on a crisp day while the sun shone was one of his favorite past times; but on a day such as this, with the cool wind whipping gently about his face, the shade wasn't necessary - only the star that gave this planet life.

"Is something wrong?" Akeno asked worriedly as she saw him pause.

"Not in the slightest. It's just been a while since I've been able to enjoy a peaceful sunshine. Plus, with two beautiful women by my side - just making sure I have an image of this moment to keep," Elros said quietly, eyes still closed. Rias and Akeno smiled at each other as they patiently waited for him to finish, each hugging his arm a bit tighter. Finally, he opened his eyes and they continued to walk towards Kuoh Academy.

"Man, this place is quaint," Elros said as he looked around at the sights of Kuoh Town. His head went from side to side in a rapid fashion as he took in the sights; he saw a park off in the distance, children swinging and climbing a small rock wall as their parents looked on with smiles on their faces; cars drove by, hustling and bustling to get where they needed to be. They soon veered off the path and went down a row of houses, each with a gate and a small garden up front. Some people were just exiting, dressed to the nines in the proper attire for wherever they worked.

"Anything like where you're from?" Akeno asked curiously. While they knew a bit about what Elros was like, they knew exactly nothing about where he was from.

"Not at all. This place is nice," Elros said, avoiding answering her question directly. Akeno noted that but decided to drop it for the moment; she didn't want to pressure him.

"The town belongs to my family, so there's a significant devil presence here. We have some Angels and Fallen Angels as well, but they typically stay out of the way. It's a tentative peace, but a peace nonetheless," Rias said.

"Recently, we've been trying to make it work. Leaders of the three factions recently got together and worked out a peace and we're trying to keep it going - and that includes coexisting in a town like this. One of the advisors of the ORC - the Occult Research Club - is the governor general of Fallen Angels - Azazel; a show of peace, of sorts," Akeno explained.

"Interesting. What's he like?" Elros asked.

"Don't ask us. We don't know what goes through that man's head," Rias said with a sigh, knowing she'd have to explain Elros to him. She ain't looking forward to that, but it was going to happen regardless.

"Sorry if I got you into any trouble," Elros said as if reading her mind.

"No, not at all. Let's stop by the ORC first before we head to school. Everyone should be there by now as well," Rias said. Elros and Akeno nodded and they made their way to the building the ORC occupied. As they approached it, Elros finally got a good look at it. It was surrounded by a forest, large evergreen trees on every side with a few standing sentinel right in front of it. There were some stone steps that led to the entrance, a large oaken door with an awning jutting out a few feet to protect the front from any rain that might fall. Above it were two windows with triangular awnings as well as a large triangular roof. Spreading out to the sides were two sizable wings with plenty of windows to allow light in. Towards the center top of the building was a clock tower with a clock face on all four sides. It ended with a long, thin spire extending towards the sky atop the clocktowers roof.

As they entered, they found Koneko, Gasper, and Asia assembled, sitting comfortably on the couches. Sitting in Rias's usual high-backed chair, however, was a man that Elros didn't recognize. His hair was blond except for the black that topped it; his goatee was sharply cut and he had a grin on his face as the three entered. Wearing a red cloak over a black button down shirt, black pants, and red shoes, Elros couldn't help but smile at the power that radiated off him; he wasn't someone to mess around with.

"Ah! You must be Elros. I heard about your entrance last night from Rias's dad. That was something else," the man said, grinning at Elros.

"Word spreads fast but thank you. I certainly try to be as dramatic as possible," Elros said with a laugh. Rias stepped in front of Elros, a hard look in her eyes as she looked at the man.

"To be clear, Azazel, Elros is with me," Rias said in a clear cut, decisive tone.

"Wow. You sure work fast," Azazel said with a laugh. Rias blushed bright red at that.

"Not like that! You know what I mean!" she said exasperatedly. Azazel winked at Elros who simply smiled in return.

"Don't worry, Rias. I'm not going to make a move on your boyfriend. In fact, I'll even hold off on seeing what his power is until he makes the choice of whether he'll join you guys. I just wanted to see what the next big thing looked like," Azazel said as he got up.

"And what do you think?" Elros asked curiously.

"I'll have to wait until I see what you're all about, my friend. Until then," Azazel said as he left the room.

"That man…," Rias sighed in exasperation. She didn't like dealing with Azazel if she could help it. They didn't notice Gasper come up to Elros, looking up at him.

"Hey, Elros?" Gasper suddenly asked nervously.

"What's up, Gasper?" Elros asked with a kind smile as he squatted down to his height.

"Do you think we could play around later?" Gasper asked.

"Sure. What'd you have in mind?" Elros asked with a grin. Gasper smiled wide at that.

"I have this Nintendo 3DS we can take turns on!" Gasper said excitedly.

"It's been a while since I played any Nintendo. Hell yeah, sounds good to me. I'll come over during lunch, alright?" Elros said as he ruffled his hair. Gasper nodded excitedly as he ran to his room.

-o-

Rias and Akeno led Elros out and towards the main campus building, just a short jaunt away. They couldn't help but smile wide at how Elros interacted with Gasper. Gasper was always extremely shy, even amongst members of the peerage - so to see him interacting so happily and readily with Elros was not just a huge surprise, but something cheerful for them all to witness.

"That was really sweet of you," Akeno said as she brought her hand up to the back of Elros's head, gently stroking his hair.

"What was?" Elros asked as he looked at her, confused.

"Playing with Gasper. He has a hard time connecting with people other than Issei and Koneko. It's nice to have another friend for him to play with. I don't think he's ever warmed up to anyone so quickly," Akeno said with a fond smile.

"He's a good kid. Plus, a fucking Devil-Vampire with the ability to stop time. Come on - that's fucking awesome," Elros said with a massive grin; he couldn't get over that ability in particular. Sure, wielding a massive sword was awesome; so was being able to heal people and controlling the elements and having the soul of a dragon on your arm - but a Devil-Vampire who could stop time? You didn't get that often, if ever. Rias and Akeno giggled as they continued leading him towards the building.

From what Elros could tell, it was a large campus. There was a short bridge leading to the entrance of the school, with lampposts on the railings on either side. He saw students in the school uniforms going in, passing through the large iron gate that was swung open inwards. There was a long brick wall that seemed to go around the length of the school with iron spikes on top, going the length as well. There was a short, circular garden area in front of the main building that had a small fountain in the middle, spouting water happily. The main building was quite large - around three stories it seemed with plenty of windows for light to get int through. There were two parapets on either side of the long column like building in the middle, as well as spires on either end. As Elros looked around, he saw that there was a relatively small male population.

"So, what do you think?" Akeno asked as they crossed the bridge slowly.

"The sex ratio seems skewed in the favor of the fairer sex. In a word, this is perfect," Elros said with a grin.

"Well, it used to be an all-girl school. We only recently started allowing guys in. After all, you're a bad influence," Akeno said teasingly.

"Well, that might be true if all the other guys are like Issei. However, you will find that I'm a perfect gentleman," Elros said.

"Mhm," Akeno hummed sweetly.

"I'm offended that you don't believe me," Elros said dramatically.

"Whatever you say Mr. Let's-wait-until-after-school-so-I-don't-have-to-rush," Rias said teasingly.

"Hey, that's me being a perfect gentleman! After all, you want me to be thorough, don't you?" Elros asked as he undid his arm from Rias and put it around her waist, pulling her in a bit closer to him. Rias blushed deeply at that, eliciting a laugh from Akeno and Elros.

"And here I thought you were a gentleman," Rias grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Forgive me, Lady Gremory. That was unkind of me," Elros whispered to her. Rias felt a pleasurable shiver go down her spine as he said that. Turning to him, she smiled.

"You're forgiven," she replied, taking his arm in her own once more. As they walked along, they noted that they were getting quite a few glances and whispers from some of the students who paused as they watched the three.

"Who is that?" a beautiful blonde whispered to her friend, looking Elros up and down. Elros noticed and winked in her direction, earning him a smile.

"Dunno. Look at him, though. He's hot," her friend responded as she licked her lips sensually. Elros flashed her a quick smile as well.

"Come on! Rias AND Akeno?" a guy complained as he watched the two beauties in interwoven around him.

"Who the hell is he?" another guy asked, his voice slightly brusque.

"Huh. I probably should've changed before coming. I feel so underdressed, and it seems as though the rumor mill has already gotten started. People really don't mind their own business, do they?" Elros wondered as he looked around at the student populace; he was getting a few lascivious stares from the women, some daggers from the men, but mostly looks of curiosity.

"I guess not. You're a handsome guy, though. You'll probably get the attention of a few girls here," Akeno said with a giggle.

"Ah well, in that case - the more the merrier, right?" he asked. Rias and Akeno simply turned red at that, deciding not to answer his question.

"Let's go get you a uniform," Rias said as they entered the building. They went over to a room that served as a large closet. Several uniforms were hung on a wheeled rack that was against the wall. Disentangling his arms from Rias and Akeno for the moment, Elros quickly took his shirt off and tossed it to the side, his jeans and shoes following. Rias and Akeno were silent for a moment as they looked at his back, the tattoo and the massive 'X' scar visible. Elros smiled sadly as he felt their stares burn into him; no doubt he'd get questions about it soon enough.

"I'm guessing you two have a few questions?" he asked as he flipped through the clothes, looking for something in his size.

"We understand if you don't talk to talk about it," Akeno said quickly.

"It's just something that I don't get asked about often. But if you want to, go ahead and ask. I'll answer what I can. Some things I'd rather not delve into right now, though," Elros said as he pulled off a pair of black slacks that seemed as though he would fit him.

"The tattoo. Why did you get it?" Rias asked. 'Fortuna Audaces Iuvat' was written in a large, bold typeface across the back, cutting through the 'X' scar; it most certainly came after it. She wondered why he would get it in such a sensitive area.

"Mostly as a reminder. Sometimes, one needs a small nudge in this particular direction to get something done. The tattoo does it for me, I guess," Elros replied as he pulled the slacks on. They were a bit loose, so he took them off and began looking for another pair.

"Why did you get it after getting that scar? It seems to be a sensitive area," Rias continued.

"That was mostly preference, actually," Elros replied sheepishly as he pulled on another pair. These were perfect. He took the belt out of his pair of jeans and ran it through the loops of the slacks, fastening it up front. Next, he began his search for a dress shirt.

"What about… the scar?" Akeno asked. Elros stopped moving for a moment, a motion that didn't go unnoticed by Rias and Akeno. They glanced at each other nervously, waiting for something to break the silence.

"I got it on a mission a couple of years ago," Elros finally replied as he covered the scar up, pulling a shirt over it.

"Were you successful?" Akeno asked uncertainly.

"No," Elros replied simply as he buttoned the shirt up and tucked it in his slacks; it fit him well.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too… bring up any bad memories," Akeno said worriedly.

"No, it's fine. Like I said, go ahead and ask," Elros said, turning and smiling at them. Rias and Akeno smiled back, but they noticed something in his smile; unlike the cheerful one he had had since he woke up the night before, this one was much sadder - as though he was forcing it.

"You have some scars on your left shoulder. Where did you get them?" Akeno asked.

"Torture. Same with the smaller and closer grouped ones on my back," Elros replied nonchalantly as he picked out a black tie and tied it carefully around his neck. As he answered, Rias and Akeno exchanged another nervous glance; his tone of voice in responding was slightly unnerving to them.

"They're really small. What I mean to ask is…," Rias trailed off, wondering how best to approach the subject.

"How long ago did I get them?" Elros asked for her.

"Yeah," Rias responded.

"Hmm… probably around five or six years old, I think," Elros replied.

"What?" Rias asked in shock.

"Who'd torture a child?!" Akeno asked, her anger flaring as she heard that. Rias looked at her own friend in worry; she knew about her troubled past. Gently, Rias rested a hand on her shoulder. Akeno looked at Rias and nodded, calming down although she was still silently seething. Elros noted as well and turned out, worry evident in his eye.

"Are you alright?" he asked, the infection evident in his voice as well.

"Yeah… sorry. It just… surprised me," Akeno said. Elros could tell she wasn't telling him the whole truth but nodded nonetheless; now wasn't the time to prod. He turned back to the rack and pulled off a blazer to try on.

"But Akeno is right… who'd torture you at such a young age?" Rias asked.

"That I'd rather not answer just yet if it's all the same to you two," Elros replied.

"Of course," Rias said quickly. She hoped that they would have plenty of time later to learn more about him. Finally, Elros found the perfect fit for his blazer. He squatted down and started going through the shoes, choosing out a few black pairs that seemed to be in his size.

"I think that's enough for now," Akeno said, looking at Rias who nodded.

"You sure?" Elros asked, surprised the questioning ended so quickly. Finally, on the third pair, he found a perfect fit. He moved in front of a mirror and looked at himself. He sighed in relief as he saw the reflection; he most definitely did not look like a tool.

"Yeah. I hope we'll have more time to talk about those things later," Rias said. The hint didn't go unnoticed by Elros, who smiled as he turned to face them. They smiled appreciatively as they went over and gave him another once over, much like they did while he was wearing his Green Lantern uniform.

"What do you think? You like?" he asked as he pulled his blazer slightly forward and stretched out a bit, getting comfortable in his new clothes.

"Definitely handsome," Akeno said, taking his arm again. Rias nodded in agreement as she took the other. The three walked out and began to head in the direction of their classroom. As they did so, they attracted more stares in the hallways, mostly from girls who were looking at the new kid. It wasn't long before two approached them - however, they spoke to Rias first.

"Hello, Rias," the woman greeted. Elros deduced that she and Rias were friends, judging from how happy they looked to see each other. The woman had soft, beautiful features, Elros thought - with black hair falling gently around her face in a bob cut, down to her shoulders. She had striking violet eyes, covered with purple-rimmed glasses. She was accompanied by another gorgeous woman - also bespectacled, with aquamarine rimmed glasses covering her heterochromatic eyes - a violet left eye and light brown right eye. Her hair was as long as Akenos, falling all the way down her back, just slightly past her calves. Both ladies looked at Elros for a moment, neither smiling nor frowning - merely in interest. Elros, however, grinned wide at both of them.

"Hello, Sona. How are you?" Rias asked.

"Well. I wanted to speak to you about something in private. Do you have a moment?" Sona asked.

"Certainly. Let's speak in here," Rias said, leading Sona into an empty adjacent room. Akeno and Elros meanwhile were left with the other woman.

"How are you, Tsubaki?" Akeno asked pleasantly.

"I'm well, Akeno. Yourself?" Tsubaki responded.

"Just as well. Showing our newest transfer around," Akeno said as she hugged Elros's arm a bit closer to hers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss. Elros Eärendil," Elros said as he extended a hand to her.

"The pleasure is mine. Tsubaki Shinra," she responded, finally giving him a small smile.

"So what did Sona want to see Rias about? Do you know?" Akeno asked.

"I do," Tsubaki said as she looked sideways at Elros who simply smiled in response; he had a feeling he knew.

The three stood in silence as they waited for Rias and Sona to emerge, which they finally did after several minutes.

"So you must be Elros. My name is Sona Sitri," Sona said, smiling lightly at him as she held out a hand.

"I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, miss," Elros said as he bowed slightly to her, brushing his lips against her hand. Sona was obviously caught off guard by his approach, evident from her blushing a deep red. She apparently wasn't accustomed to such treatment from strangers. The others were no less caught off guard; Tsubaki, Akeno, and Rias all turned a different shade of red; Elros for his part just smiled on.

"My apologies. I didn't think that would be so offensive. Obviously, I misjudged," he said cheerfully as he looked around, not apologetic at all.

"You don't sound particularly apologetic," Tsubaki said after a short pause. He simply shrugged in response.

"Moving on! Rias has just informed me of what happened last night," Sona said, still blushing as she flustered to move on to her point.

"Yeah, I surmised as much. I take it you have questions as well, Miss Sitri?" Elros asked.

"Please, just call me Sona. And yes, I do. However, Rias has asked me to hold off on any until you've made your decision as to whether or not you will join her peerage. So until then, I've nothing to ask," Sona said.

"That works with me. So I take it that you two are Devils as well?" Elros asked, looking between her and Tsubaki.

"Indeed. I'm from the Sitri Clan and Tsubaki here is a part of my peerage; my queen, in fact. The rest of my peerage also consists of some other students here," Sona said.

"Are there many Devils in the school?" Elros asked.

"A fair few. Most of the students are human, however; and ignorant of our existence. We'd prefer to keep it that way. It does get a bit difficult when a large green glow is cast over the entire town, though," Sona said, looking over her glasses with a critical eye.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Elros said sheepishly.

"It's fine. Just make sure it doesn't become a regular sighting. That's all I wanted to say for now. Until you make a decision, Elros," Sona said before she walked off with Tsubaki. Elros watched them go, a small smile on his face before he continued walking with Rias and Akeno.

"I never knew that Sona could blush like that," Akeno giggled as she remembered him kissing her hand.

"Neither did I. It seems like you had an effect on her," Rias said to Elros.

"I tend to have that effect on women. Don't think I didn't notice both of you blushing as well," Elros said with a chuckle as he unraveled his arm from theirs and put it around their shoulders, bringing them in. Rias and Akeno whined slightly as they gently punched him.

"This school is pretty nice," Elros said as he looked around the cavernous main hall as they walked to their classroom.

"It's state of the art, except the pool. That… needs some work," Rias said with a sigh.

"We should probably clean it out. With the help that Sona and the others gave us with Kokabiel, it's the least we can do," Akeno said.

"Agreed," Rias said, nodding.

"Who is Kokabiel?" Elros asked in interest.

"A Fallen Angel. We had a fight with him recently. We won… but needed help from Vali Lucifer, another Devil - and an extremely strong one at that. That reminds me, when Vali hears about you…," Rias said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. Elros comfortingly rubbed her back. Rias felt a shiver down her back as he did that. She enjoyed the touch and motion very much.

"Yeah, Vali's obsessed with fighting strong people. He wields Albion, the Vanishing Dragon - the counterpart and rival to Ddraig, which is Issei's dragon. He'll probably end up trying to challenge you when he finds out," Akeno said. Elros sighed deeply at that.

"As much as fighting is a part of the job description, I think I'd prefer to avoid them wherever possible. I'd much prefer a peaceful solution. It's usually always better for everyone involved," Elros said.

"We all would," Rias agreed.

Finally, he and Akeno led Elros to their classroom, where much of the class was already assembled. As they entered, the teacher greeted them happily - particularly Elros - and asked him to give the class a short introduction.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Elros Eärendil. I'm a new transfer here, from California. I hope to get to know you all very well over the year," Elros said as he grinned at his new classmates. He weaved through the desks, shaking hands here and there. He took a seat near the window in the far back right corner, next to Rias and behind Akeno, who turned to look at him with a smile on her face.

"You said you're from California, right?" Akeno asked.

"Yup. Beautiful, sunny California," Elros said with a smile.

"Whereabouts in particular?" Akeno wondered.

"A few miles southeast of a small city called Crater," Elros responded.

"Crater? That's an unusual name," Rias said, wracking her brains. She had never heard of a city called Crater - but considering she never went to California, it probably wasn't all that surprising.

"Where are you two from?" Elros asked, noting that he hadn't asked anyone that.

"Well, I was born in the Underworld, but everyone thinks that I'm from Europe," Rias answered quietly, leaning in to answer.

"And I was born and raised here in Japan," Akeno answered.

"Seems like Devils really do come from all walks of life," Elros said as he leaned back with a smile and looked out the window to his right, looking at the mountains. Finally, the teacher began to talk and they all settled in for the hours ahead.