Last time;
"Hey there Peko. Nice to see you again, even though I've seen you four times this week and its only Tuesday."
This Time;
Peko Pekoyama was a petite 20-year-old woman who had red eyes, short white hair, and also happened to be carrying what looked like a shinai on her back but which Sona knew was just a katana in disguise.
She was a Knight under Sona's older sister Serafall and a self-proclaimed guardian for Sona ever since she was born; as soon as she had lain eyes on Sona she had sworn to protecting her with her life if it ever came to it, and Serafall openly encouraged it, much to Sona's chagrin sometimes but didn't mind it too much in the long run.
Of course, growing up around her sister and peerage was an interesting experience in itself as protective of her as they were. She knew they meant well, but it didn't change the fact that it could be smothering.
Noticing how close Sona was to the boy, who after paying closer attention noticed he was the one that had been putting out the power she'd been sensing near Sona for the past year, and why she had been keeping a closer eye on her lately, she started internally wondering if she should do anything about it.
She finally decided against it for the moment after seeing Sona smirking as if she realized what she was thinking. "Ever since last year whenever I would check on you I would always notice both ice and fire magic near you but never could determine who it was, and I've been worried they might try something. But now," She said with a light smirk on her face looking at how close they were again, "I see you and the boy I was looking for cuddling on the couch together as I check on you."
Deciding to ignore it for the moment she took a second to get her thoughts together where it wouldn't cause any issues hopefully down the line. "Issei and I have become close friends over the last year, and I would say both him and Tsubaki tie as my best friend of all time. Even though he denied my request to reincarnate him last year, we've become inseparable most of the time we're together. Also, you can ask any of my peerage members and they will agree with me that we've become very protective of him." She said still carding her hand through his hair feeling relaxed as his magic did its work on her aching muscles.
After rolling the words around her head, she only nodded in response, but paused as she realized something else. "Ok I'm with you so far, but I just realized that he reminds me of Grayfia now that I'm closer and can feel his magic better." She replied stunned at the last point. 'Could he be…' she wondered.
While she only looked to be in her twenties, Peko was actually in her forties and had been reincarnated into Serafalls peerage not long before Sona was born so had been around for a while but had changed her appearance to be able to fit in better around the Academy whenever she came to check in on Sona and could feel a subtle presence she recognized in him, but she put it aside for the moment with Sona's next words.
Sona sighed as Peko pretty much put the nail on the head of her thoughts. "He's partial devil at least from what I can tell, but I've wondered that myself as sometimes he reminds me of Grayfia when he smiles or concentrates on something. I remember her smile when I used to hang out with Rias all the time. Plus, he does try to keep people at arm's length, but one could say that's partially due to his illness."
Sighing once more as she made a decision she'd been pushing off for a while, she asked Peko to do a favor for her. "Can you go and ask Grayfia to come by for an important matter for me?" She asked getting a nod. "If she asks why, let her know I've found a student a year behind me with ice magic that is tearing his body apart fighting against his Draconic Sacred Gear." While thinking in her mind, 'Peko had the same thoughts as I do with only seeing him once and with the fact I can't find anything else out without help, this could also be a good chance to possibly get some closure for everyone on his birth parents.'
Nodding her head in acceptance, Peko just had a couple more questions which were lingering in her mind. "I can do that for you, but what would you like me to say if Grayfia asks why her? I can also guarantee to you that she will try and discern why he is so important to you." She said letting her words hang in the air as she prepared to make the jump to the Gremory Mansion to find Grayfia.
"Unlike Serafall and I he has little to no water magic, all ice. I asked him once about it and he said that if he did try to use water magic it would always cause an attack so stays away from it," getting a nod from Peko as that made sense. "While sis has ice magic, hers came from training her water magic to where she could use ice magic, and Grayfia is all ice magic." Making Peko nod again as it made more sense now than when she asked the question why Grayfia would be the better person to ask.
Stepping back to a corner to hide her magic circle she asked one more question looking up at Sona. "And why he's so important to you?" But when Sona answered the question it caused her to fall back in shock and land on her ass when she reached her destination. "He beat me at chess."
Sona happened to notice it though and smirked at her protector falling back in response to her answer. She hadn't told anyone in the supernatural world that wasn't a part of Kuoh in some way or other of her connection to Issei partially due to how they would react but she still found it funny to see.
Returning back to Peko we see her dusting herself off as her King, as well as the other two occupants of the room, Sirzechs Lucifer and his wife Grayfia looked up at the teleportation. Sirzechs and Serafall had been joking around and just having fun while Grayfia looked annoyed at the two of them not doing any actual work when they noticed her pop up in the room and were all surprised to see her on her ass.
"Peko? Is everything alright? I've never seen you fall on your ass unless you were in combat," she started before her Siscon tendencies kicked in with another question due to where she had been. "You weren't in combat, were you?" She asked worried.
Smirking at her reaction, Sirzechs had to throw a jab at her. "Siscon." Getting a smirk from Peko, a glare from Serafall and a roll of the eyes from his wife.
"That's hilarious coming from the Siscon king. At least Sona doesn't mind it if it's just us as much as when there are strangers around." Sera smirked getting him back and he couldn't refute it as Rias had gotten to where she couldn't stand it at all no matter who was around.
Coughing to get everyone's attention back to her and why she had come back, Peko said, "Sona is fine but she did ask me to run an errand and ask for your help," she said turning to Grayfia with the last bit making the three raise an eyebrow at that.
"Is everything ok?" Grayfia asked going through her head why the Sitri heiress had requested her help out of everyone, getting the same reaction in varying degrees from Sera and Sirzechs.
Realizing her possible error at wording Peko quickly stepped in, stating, "No no everything is fine at the school. Everyone here knows I would never leave if it wasn't," getting a nod of confirmation from them as well as seemingly calming them down.
"Sona requested me to come get you due to the fact she has found a student at the school, a boy named Issei Hyoudou who is a year behind her that has both ice and fire magic, which from what I can feel of the fire is most likely a Draconic in nature Sacred Gear that is tearing his body apart as they fight each other for control." Noticing the shocked looks on their faces she continued. "From what I've heard when I check in on Sona, the attacks are strong enough for blood to come out when they hit and the doctors give him less than a year of life left before it kills him."
While shocked, all three could agree that it was a terrible situation for someone to be in but were also wondering how he could have two opposing Magic elements which was unheard of.
Serafall though couldn't help but notice that Sona hadn't asked for her help considering that she had ice magic too and could have done something possibly about it. "If he has ice magic, why would Sona not ask for me? She knows I have ice magic too." Making Sirzechs and Grayfia nod their heads at the valid question.
"I had wondered the same question when Sona asked me to make the trip and asked it of her. From what she said the boy has little to no water magic, all ice. She asked him once and he said that if he tried to use water magic it would cause an attack so he did his best to stay away from it," getting a nod from everyone at that point, "with that fact in place she felt that with Grayfia's natural affinity to ice magic, she would be the better person to ask for help in this situation since he does already have some training in using his magic before he met Sona." Getting another nod from the three, as they all agreed now that it would make more sense for Grayfia to help the boy out, but only Sirzechs thought he heard something in her voice that there was more behind it that wasn't being said for a reason, but decided to put it aside for the moment till after they met the boy.
Nodding her head in acceptance to what Peko had told them, Grayfia just had one more question. "Ok, I can see and agree with why she would ask me now for help, the only question I have now is why is the boy so important to her." She asked before quickly catching what looked like a grimace coming from the knight and wondering what else was being held back, even if not intentionally.
Trying to stop a grimace from showing up on her face, but not being fully able to she looked over at her King before commenting knowing how she would react, and knew she should give some history. "Last year she brought up the request to him to reincarnate him into her peerage but he turned her down not wanting to risk having to deal with his illness, which we now know is his magic working against him," getting a nod from everyone at that, "causing issues for him the rest of his life as long as devils live, but he did agree that she could reincarnate him if he died by any other means except his illness, and they've kept a very close friendship since then. From what I hear the whole Student Council is very protective of him, and even the Kendo club is the same, and Sona even once knocked some teeth out of a kids mouth after the boy hit him," having to pause at this point as Sera let out one of her well known phrases, "That's my Sona for you." Before Sera realized another thing that was that it seemed Peko was keeping information back. "It also seems like the boy has won against her… in… chess…" having to pause after each word as she could feel her King's power rising at the words spoken before it all came out in a burst of massive power, and she screamed "WHAT?!" Bringing in the rest of her and Sirzechs's peerage from the hall outside.
"Serafall! what happened?" Her queen, Mukuru Ikusaba, asked, along with one of her bishops, Ibuki Mioda, as they rushed into the room looking around but seeing nothing different from when they were last in the office besides Peko being back, and everyone else that had been in here looking shocked.
Rushing over to Ibuki and throwing her arms around her, something the woman had grown used to by now, she cried out, "I just learned that Sona got engaged to a boy from her school." Making everyone that had just come into the room shocked as well as thinking they understood the looks on those that were in the room from the beginning besides Peko who must have just brought the news over.
"Say what now?" One of Serafall's pawns, Behemoth, asked looking not as surprised as everyone else but still a little shocked knowing how good Sona was at chess.
"A student beat Sona at chess who also happens to have both ice magic and a fire type Sacred Gear." Peko commented for Sera who was still crying.
Coming out of her shock the quickest, Mukuru had only one thing to comment which made Peko Face palm. "Looks like we'll be making a trip soon to the Academy," with a look on her face that depending on how it went wouldn't end well for the boy.
Stepping in trying to calm things down some, Peko had only one thought, 'am I the only sane one in this room?' Saying out loud she could only sigh, "Please remember she's trying to keep the boy alive, not have him killed by her sister's peerage."
Nodding his head at Peko's words, Sirzechs just had one thing left to comment, which earned him a flick on his forehead by Grayfia. "While that may be true it's not easy for someone to win against anyone in the Sitri family in a game of chess. I think I'll go with you since it seems like Grayfia will help the boy. Isn't that right honey?" Wrapping an arm around her, before getting the flick to his head by her. "I told you I didn't like being called that while on duty," she commented getting a sorry in return from him.
Sighing at her husband's usual antics, Grayfia made a magical circle appear underneath everyone while commenting, "Shall we go and meet Sona's new fiancée?" Getting a nod from everyone present she teleported them all to the Occult Research club which was empty at this time of day due to classes still going on and was the safest place to teleport to at the school. Looking over to Peko who knew where the two were last she asked her to lead the way.
Nodding her head, she led them off towards the Student Council office. "When I left them, they were both in the Student Council office as they have a free period currently," getting a nod of acknowledgment from everyone.
Once the group reached the office, they were greeted with the sight of Sona's peerage standing outside the door, looking in at whatever was going on squealing and looking pleased while Tsubaki was taking pictures and snickering.
Confused with the site, and curious as to what was going on, Sirzechs stepped forward and startled the girls, "What's going on here?"
After calming her heart down as she hadn't realized anyone was behind them, Momo Hanakai, one of Sona's Bishops, commented, "Sorry to block your way sir, but it's just too cute." As the girls moved out of the way for the adults to see inside.
"What is?" Sirzechs asked as the adults looked into the office. Sona had fallen asleep sometime after Peko had left with Issei laying down on top of her with his face buried in her chest and arms wrapped around her holding her in place, while she was spread out on the couch with her head on one of the armrests, one arm in his hair like she had been carding it before she fell asleep and the other over the armrest barely holding onto a pen which made it look like she had tried to get some work done, but the adults could understand why she fell asleep after feeling the warm and cold magic flowing off of him; it had to feel like a massive icy/hot pack for her and it would help ease her muscles considering how tense being the Student Council president could be.
Seeing how her King was about to possibly do something stupid, Peko went to her side and held her back while sending a look to Ibuki to put a hand over Serafall's mouth to cover anything she might do, which could be anything from squealing out loud to running and jumping onto Sona as the peerage had seen before, but it was Sirzechs and Grayfia's reactions that had everyone confused.
Frozen where they stood, they were looking at Issei with shocked faces as they realized he looked just like Grayfia in his facial shape, but also looked like Sirzechs with his hair but was more colored like Sirzechs's mother's hair. The biggest shock though was how familiar his magic felt to them and seemed to be calling out to them in response to how close they were. They couldn't see his eyes but with the magic calling out to them as well as the amount of power it had… had Grayfia falling back in shock before getting caught by her husband and scaring everyone else.
Stuttering a couple times before finally getting the word out she wanted, Grayfia finally said one thing while still holding onto her husband while also starting to shed tears. "Takumi," as well as the same thing starting to happen to Sirzechs.
"Grayfia? Are you ok?" Tsubaki asked her as she looked over, becoming worried at what she saw when she looked at her and Sirzechs, while Peko had a look on her face like she came to a realization just now. 'I had that thought earlier when I first saw him, he might be the abducted kid of Grayfias, but I wasn't sure. I'm glad I was right,' while Serafall and her peerage looked stunned at what that meant.
"That boy… we named him Takumi." Surprising Sona's peerage as Sirzechs and Grayfia had another son besides Millicas and they had never heard of it.
Serafall had come to the realization pretty quickly of what Grayfia was talking about due to what had happened in the past. "Takumi… isn't that the name that you gave-" She started before getting cut off by Sirzechs as he answered the unspoken question. "He's our oldest son."