XIX

The girls held each other crying for several minutes. The air was filled with reconciliation. A gentle calm settled over them as the drama of the evening began to fade.

Suddenly, Koneko popped up from Akeno's chest. She turned to Issei with urgency. "Cream!" She demanded earnestly angry at herself for just now remembering it.

Issei raised an eyebrow.

"Er—sorry. Issei-sama. May I get the cream for Akeno-senpai's sore…" her face turned red as she trailed off.

Akeno's eyes closed and she laughed melodically. Issei barely stifled a chuckle himself. 

"Well, I think—" he began.

"Please, Master, it reaaaaaally burrrrrns!" Akeno whined.

Annoyed at being cut off, Issei decided to make her wait a moment. "Hm… well let's see what you've learned, and maybe then we'll consider it."

Akeno pouted.

Koneko looked pleadingly at Issei who flashed her a quick wink.

"So, Akeno-chan. Is it okay to lie to your juniors?" he asked pointedly.

"No!" she stated emphatically.

"And how about manipulating them? It's okay so long as nobody gets hurt?"

"No." She answered again more quietly this time. "I can't expect to know exactly how things will turn out no matter how carefully I plan. With that in mind, to play with the emotions and friendships of those I care about is both dangerous and…" she trailed off.

"Go on." Issei encouraged.

"It's also selfish and wrong." Koneko piped up.

Akeno and Issei both turned to her surprised.

"I learned something too!" she told her seniors. "Akeno-senpai made a mistake; I made one just like it. Our fears will turn us on each other if we let them."

"But if we can put our faith in each other. We can overcome those fears and get even closer to the people we most care about." Akeno finished for her.

Issei nodded.

"It's difficult sometimes to be honest with our friends because we risk those we care about most seeing a part of us that isn't a carefully tailored portrayal of what we think they expect of us. But that honesty is the very thing that keeps us strong and united as a family."

All three looked up in surprise as Rias spoke from the back of the room where she had been sitting on the floor her back against the wall. None of them had noticed her silent teleportation into the room at the start of the proceedings.

She looked at them all seriously.

"First of all, Akeno…"

Akeno met Rias' eyes ready to accept whatever Rias had in store for her with dignity.

"I won't tear you down because you've clearly been punished enough. I understand how desperately you want to be with Issei-kun. I want that for myself too, but we can't let our competition cause derision between us. We are a family." She fixed Akeno with a steely glare. "I won't tolerate such purposeful abuse of members of my family. If Issei hadn't punished you already, you can be sure there would have been severe consequences waiting for you from me."

Akeno closed her eyes and respectfully nodded.

"This time, I'll let Issei's discipline stand as it seems to have chastened you thoroughly enough, and restored your and Koneko's friendship as well." Rias smiled approvingly at Issei who nodded his thanks. She turned back to Akeno. You'll always be among my closest friends, Akeno-chan. You don't have to ask; you know you're forgiven, but please… be better than this."

Akeno closed her eyes and humbly accepted her best friend's rebuke. "I'm sorry, Rias-sama. It won't happen again."

 "Fight with all you've got, but fight fairly. And may the best woman win!" Rias challenged flashing her a smile.

Akeno laughed arrogantly. "Oh, don't think you're winning, my dear Rias-sama. You've quite a bit of ground to make up!" Her violet eyes sparkled with confidence.

Rias shook her head. Incorrigible!

"Koneko-chan." Rias turned her gaze to the golden feline eyes of her friend. Her charge.

Koneko stared at her feet. Her tail drooped along with her ears. I…I didn't get a chance to apologize to nee-sama.

"Dear Koneko, you know that I care so much about you! Even if I love Issei in a different way, I don't love you less. You have to understand that I'm pursuing him, but not at the expense of our relationship." She explained. "I understand why you were afraid." She continued gently. "But Issei was right to punish you for your disrespect, lying, and trying to turn your family against each other."

The gentle scolding from her beloved senior Rias was almost like another spanking to the already contrite kitten. She sniffled softly. "I'm… I'm sorry, nee-sama! Everything spun out of control so quickly!"

I forgive you, Koneko-chan." Rias offered kindly. But don't ever sabotage my relationship with Issei-kun again, or his hair-brush will be the least of your worries!"

Koneko squeaked fearfully, but nodded.

Issei stifled a chuckle.

"Thank you, nee-sama… and… and I'm really, really sorry." Koneko apologized again.

"I know." Rias returned approvingly. "I shouldn't be so hard on you either… you were punished quite harshly as well. Remember if something is bothering you, you can always talk to me. It's foolish to act without understanding the whole situation. You'll only cause chaos. Even if you apologize, sometimes the pain we cause can't be erased so easily. You're lucky to have someone as caring and forgiving as Issei."

"I know." Koneko whispered. They both flashed him a smile causing Issei to blush awkwardly. He wasn't used to so much praise.

 "While I will continue to oversee him, I think I will leave you in his capable hands." She turned to Issei. "Be good to each other." She ordered.

Issei and Koneko met each other's eyes.

He offered her a sincere smile. Rias just publically endorsed how I've been disciplining Koneko. I guess it's official; she has another guardian.

Koneko nodded seriously agreeing that Issei's guidance was probably best for her. When she met Issei's gaze, she quietly acquiesced, "I'll be under your care, onii-sama." And bowed slightly.

 "I'm proud of both of you girls for not only accepting the fact that you needed to make up for your sins, but for seeking out that punishment as well."

She smiled genuinely at both of her friends. She turned to Issei flashing him a sly smile. "So…" she fired at him. "In the last twenty-four hours you've managed to strip Koneko-chan and touch her butt, strip Akeno and put your hands all over her thighs and rear... One cannot help but wonder how you managed to put yourself in this position?"

Issei rolled his eyes. "Don't make it sound dirty! You know very well that Koneko-chan and Akeno-senpai were both deserving of their punishment... and both of them asked for it as well… literally!"

"And you were only too happy to oblige?" Rias inquired with a teasing smile not letting him off the hook.

"While I was justified!" Issei began his irritation showing. "I did not enjoy hurting Koneko-chan at all!"

Koneko smiled gently at his declaration. Missing the omission the other two women keenly picked up on. Akeno and Rias both raised their eyebrows.

"B-but what about—!" Rias stammered blushing before locking catty eyes with a beaming Akeno.

Issei smiled as well at the fumbling president.

"Tender ears, Pres. Let innocence reign." He nodded toward Koneko who was looking from one to the other wondering what she had missed.

Flustered, Rias rolled her eyes and expelled an annoyed breath. Clever… my worthy rival. You managed to turn even THIS to your advantage. You're one up on me now.

"Well… if all of these plots and misunderstandings are finally settled…" Rias quickly changed the subject. "Then I think I'd like to end the punishments as well. I think I can do something about the pain for both of you."

"My, my, how kind of you, Rias-sama." Akeno chimed. "But that won't be necessary; Issei was about to massage some cream into these tender welts." She lightly drew her finger across her bottom and thighs. "Weren't you Issei-sama?"

Akeno's honeyed voice grated against Rias' ears. Koneko looked up confused turning her head from Akeno to Issei repeatedly clearly wondering why nobody was saying that it was she who had been about to do that.

"That I was!" Issei quickly confirmed. He sensed a rise in Rias' magical aura and remained where he was standing however.

"That won't be necessary, Issei. Save that for when I'm not around." She turned to Akeno and Koneko. "Girls, on your stomachs if you please." She requested though her tone made it clear it was not such.

Koneko immediately obeyed, lying on her stomach perpendicular to Akeno who hadn't moved. She hid her face in the comforter as she slowly pulled her night shirt up to her back revealing a still startlingly red rear sprinkled with large elliptical brush marks.

Rias' eyes widened. Her hand clapped over her mouth as she gasped. For a moment she even forgot Akeno's mutiny.

"Issei!" She turned on him with disbelief. "She's only fifteen!"

Alarmed, Koneko turned to Rias and quickly shook her head. "It's okay!" she hurriedly proclaimed. "It… it looks worse than it feels." She said quietly. "And…and I deserved it too! You said so yourself!" she tried to placate her guardian.

"I knooow." Rias whined, "But did you have to hurt her so much?"

Koneko stifled a laugh. "Yes, he did!" She stated matter-of-factly to Issei's surprise. "But he didn't have to hold me and comfort me when it was over… and he didn't have to soothe the pain with that cream he bought .especially for me." She finished further supporting her big brother.

Issei shot her a grateful smile. Koneko closed her eyes and smiled in return. Her embarrassment was just short of boiling passed what she could endure.

Mollified, Rias sighed and nodded her acceptance. "Alright then…"

She approached the bedside and raised her hand over Koneko's blushing bottom. A red circle appeared in the air below her hand. Geometric shapes wove through the inside of the circle spinning and glowing brightly. Rias concentrated, and slowly moved her palm back and forth above Koneko's cheeks. Slowly the reddened skin faded to light pink, then their original flesh-tone.

Koneko sighed in relief.

The cream must have worn off hours ago. Issei realized. How much pain has she been in this whole time? Still she defended me? His gratitude toward his cute junior doubled. I've got to learn how to do that spell!

"That should do it, Koneko-chan. Does it hurt still?" Rias asked worriedly.

Koneko didn't lift her tired head from the bed, but shook it softly reveling in the lack of burning.

Rias smiled down at her resting charge glad that if she couldn't punish Koneko at least she could relieve her pain. She turned her gaze to Akeno.

"Your turn."

Akeno stared her in the eye. "As I said, that won't be necessary." She replied in an airy tone.

"Fine!" Rias huffed.

She waved her hand and Akeno yelped jumping from the bed and nearly falling as she tried to land on her feet. She grabbed Issei's shoulder to regain her balance.

"Hey!" Issei cried. "My bed! Put it out!"

Tiny flames licked across the comforter precisely where Akeno had been sitting moments ago.

Rias closed her hand into a fist and the flames extinguished. She turned around and wrenched the door open. As she stormed out, she called sweetly over her shoulder:

"Issei-kun… I absolutely forbid you to put any sort of cream or ointment of any kind on Akeno. She'll have to have to suffer if she won't accept my help!"

And with that she slammed the door.