3rd Person POV
It was another day of the peerage of Rias Gremory doing some training for improvement. However, there was once again, something different about them.
The queen of the peerage, Akeno, was not there with them.
This has been happening for the past few days now, which has gotten to the concerns of a few members of the peerage, including the pawn and Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou.
Issei: Hey Prez. Is Akeno alright?
Xenovia, Rias's other knight stood next to Issei.
Xenovia: I agree, this has been happening for a few days now.
Rias, the king of the peerage, turned away for a moment and sighed before looking back at the three, that was now joined by Asia.
Asia: Rias, what's going on?
Rias: Oh Asia, what is it?
Issei and Xenovia turned around to see Rias's second bishop behind them, which made Issei jump.
Issei: AH! Oh hey Asia.
Xenovia: Hi Asia.
Asia: Oh. Hello everyone.
Rias: Hi Asia. And to answer your question, Issei and Xenovia here wanted to know about what was going on with Akeno.
Asia: Oh. Actually, I've been meaning to know as well.
Rias saw the concern of the three peerage members and sighed once more.
Rias: To tell you all the truth, Akeno is.....in her time of mourning.
Issei, Asia and Xenovia all looked shocked now.
Issei: What?!
Xenovia: Mourning?!
Asia: What happened?!
Rias: I'll just say, Akeno had lost someone extremely close to her a long time ago. And I'm not talking about just her mother.
Issei: Not her mom? Then who?
Rias: *sigh* Come with me, you'll understand once you see.
Issei, Asia and Xenovia followed Rias to a room in the ORC, it was shut but there were sounds of crying from the other side.
Asia: Poor Akeno.
Rias raised a finger to shush the three and quietly opened the door.
All of them saw a room that didn't have much. But it held a futon with a small shrine of a picture.
In front of the picture was Akeno, on her knees, hands covering her face. She wore a normal black kimono to cover her body.
She was making sniffling and hiccups as she sobbed into her hands.
Akeno: *crying* R-Raika.....*sniffle* I.....I m-miss you. *sniffle* I miss you....so *hic* m-much! *wheeze* I.....I shouldn't...h-have....*hic*...left y-you! *sniffle*....I-I was....s-supposed to be a.....*wheeze*.....big s-sister.....But.....I.....I......
Akeno moved her head up for some reason, the next words made Asia nearly cover her ears.
Akeno:
I-I FAILED!!!!!
Akeno went back to her normal position they saw her in and heard her sob louder than before.
Rias held her posture but had sadness in her eyes for he best friend. Asia was sad for Akeno and was slowly trying to move away from Issei as she hid behind him when Akeno screamed. Xenovia stood still but looked like she felt bad for her fellow teammate.
Rias decided to slowly step forward.
Rias: Akeno?
Akeno gasped and froze, she hesitantly and slowly turned around. What Issei saw made him feel even more sad for her when she slowly uncovered her face.
Akeno's eyes were bloodshot red and very puffy. Her face was covered in dry tears and fresh sets of hot and salty tears.
Akeno: R-Rias.
Rias: It's almost that day again. Isn't it?
Akeno turned away, looking back at her shrine.
Akeno: Y-Yeah.
Rias, Issei, Asia and Xenovia walked and sat with Akeno. They all looked at the small shrine Akeno was crying in front of. Everyone except Rias was surprised at what they saw in the picture.
Inside the picture frame was a photo of what looked like Akeno when she was way younger, hugging a boy that looked younger than her from behind. They both looked like they were smiling.
But they see a small different between the little boy and Akeno. The boy had yellow eyes.
Issei: Akeno, did you have, a little brother or something?
Asia: It seems that way.
Akeno: *sniffles* Y-Yes.....I had, a little brother.
Asia: It sounded like you two were really close.
Akeno: Y-Yeah. You could s-say that *sniffle* we were very close. *sad smile* A-Almost inseparable.
Issei: Do you uh....want to talk about it?
Akeno: I-Issei.....
Rias: Akeno, you don't have to.
Akeno: No Rias. It's best to get it out of my chest than to b-bottle it up.
Akeno looked down and took a deep breath, and looked back at the little shrine that held the picture.
Akeno: In that photo is me, and my little brother. His name is Raika. When I found out that I was gonna be a big sister, it gave me a lot of...joy in my heart when I was just a little girl.
Asia: That sounds adorable!
Akeno just gave a soft and quiet giggle to Asia's remark, but in her head, she knew she wasn't wrong.
Akeno: After Raika was born, I helped raise him once I learned to walk and talk myself. As we got older, we used to play with each other when we waited for our....father. We taught each other how to style our hair, and I know that sounded a little girly but we did do that.
Issei's Mind: (It kinda does.)
Akeno: We used to huddle close to each other when it was stormy at night, or sleep with each other when we got too tired after playing or when one of us had a nightmare.
Xenovia: It sounded like you two were actually inseparable.
Akeno: You would be right Xenovia.
Asia: If you don't mind me asking. What happened?
Akeno began to shake at a sudden thought. Fresh tears began to fall from the Queen of Rias Gremory's face.
Akeno: One day, members of our clan arrived and killed our mother. Raika and I ran into a forest. W-Where we were found......by wolves.
Asia: Oh no.....
Issei: What happened?
Akeno: *verge of crying again* He......He told me.....to run......to get to.......safety. Being the little girl I was......I listened......and ran........At that same time, I first met Rias........But then.....I heard his scream.......
Akeno's new set of tears began to fall.
Akeno: When Rias and I........ran back to find him...there was.......n-nothing......*hic*.....Nothing but....blood covering the.....ground......T-There was definitely......one thing it made me know........He was gone...*sniffle*....I lost him....*wheeze*...I LOST MY LITTLE BROTHER!
Akeno began to cry hard once again, all Rias, Asia, Xenovia and Issei could do was feel bad for her or mourn with her.
Xenovia went up to Akeno and hugged her, which shocked the mourning queen.
Xenovia: Akeno, I don't know what it was like. To have siblings, or a true family. But that has to be one of the hardest experiences no one should be able to suffer through. I'm.....sorry for your loss.
Xenovia felt a tear slide down the left side of her face, which caused Akeno to sink into the big and cry into the wielder of Durandal's shoulder.
Eventually Rias, Issei and Asia joined in the hug. After a few minutes, they broke the hug and Akeno seemed calmer.
Akeno: T-Thank you everyone, I needed that.
Issei: Yeah, no problem. Losing someone just sucks to have to cope with. I know it would hurt me if I lost a family member or my friends.
Everyone talked about their relationships with their family, which seemed to distract Akeno from mourning. This of course happened outside the room of where the shrine was in.
Akeno left to clean her face and join everyone for the rest of the day.
Meanwhile
??? POV
I sat at the edge of a rooftop building, viewing the world before me.
???: It sure is beautiful out here.
I turned to see my cousin, Tobio.
???: Tobio.
Tobio: How's it going?
???: *sighs* I guess it's okay right now.
Tobio: Still thinking about her, huh?
I nodded.
Tobio: Still miss her?
???: Always.
Tobio: Well, Suzaku told me that they found the location of Baraqiel. Maybe once we talk with him, we'll be able to sort things out.
I sighed once more.
Tobio: Hey. You know how Suzaku gets with the clan, she just wants to be cautious before we find her.
???: I know.
Tobio: Ok. Just try not to lose it okay?
???: Understood.
Tobio: Alright, be safe up here.
Tobio left, giving me the time to take a deep breath. I grabbed a picture that I had in my jacket.
???: One day, I'll find you once again. So I can keep that promise I made to you all those years. *sigh* I miss you big sister.....
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.....Akeno.