"Stop!" I called out to Iona.
When I came around the corner, she was already turning the corner to the main entrance. I ran to catch up, but she was surprisingly fast. Even with my speed, I was only halfway down the hall before I heard the door open and slam.
How do I keep missing these things? Not time for this now. I have to keep up with her, or I will lose her. I reached the main entrance and bolted out the door to see her running away. I ran out of the gate and chased after her through the fifth level. We weaved through back alleys, and I gave up calling out to her and just keeping her in my sights.
I ran past a group of metallic warriors with strange symbols that I saw out of the corner of my eye. I'm not sure why my attention was drawn, but the badge with a U on top of W in green and yellow pulled at me. I ran past without much more thought on them. Instead, putting my focus back on Iona.
She was still running, and even my stamina was starting to wain, but I pushed forward, not wanting to lose her. After twenty minutes, Iona started to slow down, so I decided to stay out of sight, so I didn't make her bolt again. After about five more minutes, she stopped in front of a tiny shack of a house and went inside.
I waited a little bit before I moved to the house and knocked on the door. No sound came from inside, so I tried the door, and it was unlocked, so I went inside. I walked into a room with a kitchenette and a table with one chair and nothing else. The room was bare, but as I moved into the room, I could hear muffled sobs coming from the next room in front of me.
I approached the door quietly, but I wasn't sure how to deal with this situation. I still didn't know what set Iona off. None of it made sense. I thought Iona would have wanted to stay close to me after the night we had spent together unless that was it.
Maybe she didn't want anything to do with me, and the sex was just a pity for my infliction. Nothing was making sense at this point, and I stood frozen in place with the door handle in my hand, but then I heard the sobs cut short. The sound of footsteps and the door opening blurred together, and I was stuck in shock when it flew open.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Iona screamed at me.
I didn't know what to say because I didn't have the right answer. I didn't want Iona to go, but she never seemed to want to stay. Though, as I looked into her face and seen her trembling lips and watering eyes, my heart broke. I stepped forward and took her into my arm, and she released her transformation, showing me the real Iona.
I held her close as the tears melted down Iona's face, onto my neck and shoulder. I put an arm behind her knees and picked her up, carrying her to the bed and lying her down. I kicked my boots off and crawled in with her, and pulled her back into my arms. The entire time she never hugs me back or fought me, only tears and shaking.
I didn't speak. I just let Iona get it all out. I had no idea why she was like this, so all I could do was wait until she talked to me. Finally, her breathing back more even, and her tears had stopped.
"Dave?"
"Yeah?"
"Am I important to you? Like how the other girls are?"
"Yeah, honestly, I was worried that you didn't want to be around me."
"I know I'm difficult, but you show each of the other girl's affections, but I'm just hidden."
So that's what it was. Both of us thought that the other didn't want it. We really were quite the pair. I pulled Iona closer and kissed her deeply, letting my hand tangled in my hair as I held her body pressed into mine. When we pulled apart, I didn't let her go far, keeping her face close to mine.
" I love you, Iona, the same as I do the other. In fact, right now, you and Tilly are the most important people in my life. I love Lavender and Victoria, but that's another story for another time. Just know that I'm sorry for not being more involved with you around the others."
She didn't say anything. Instead, she kissed me again, but soon I pulled away from her.
"Do you want to go get something to eat? Or maybe just walk around rather than play catch me if you can?"
"Mmmm, that would be nice, but you and I both know we didn't even really have time for this ordeal. Let's head back, and we can talk about whatever."
Both of us got up and straighten our clothes. I had a could wet spots on my black shit and some shiny spots on my red coat. Walked out of the building and started back. The twenty-five-minute run turned into almost an hour and a half walk back, but neither of us complained.
"So what class did you get, or are you even at the same level as us? The way you talked before about the demon skills and your skills make it seem like you are already above level twenty."
"No, I just leveled to fifteen like you. My ability is because of the large needle. Grace gave this to me shortly after we met."
"Do you mind if I ask how you met Miss Grace?"
"It's OK. I'm not a lot different than you. I woke up at the lower level with no home. It's was hard until Grace from me digging in a dumpster for food. Even after she gave me a room in that big house, I couldn't stay there."
"Is there a reason? For not wanting to stay in the house?"
"I have a hard time trusting people for some reason. It's like a built-in thing that I can't stop. That's why I'm so mean sometimes. It's easier to push people away."
I didn't want to push farther, so I switched topics back to my original question.
"What was your class before you leveled?"
"Field Nurse."
"And now?"
"Tehehe, Nightfield Nurse," Iona giggled, and I had to admit it was a bit funny and joined with her.
"So, do you think your new abilities will work well with mine?" I asked her as we passed a marble shop the was selling string sandals.
I turn to look beside me, but she was gone.
I looked around everywhere but didn't see her. I started to get worried, and I stepped into the shade of a building, trying to get a better view. Suddenly, I felt myself be pulled into the wall, and I tried to struggle but stopped when I heard her voice in my ear.
"See? I can do other things, but we can talk about them later. This is my new Shadowhome, a space that I can pull people into to heal them, and I can also slip through shadows."
"Wow, that's," But my voice cut off as Iona turned me around and pulled me into a kiss.
This Shadowhome was like a zero-gravity hole in reality. The perfect ability for a medic, and it would work with my new ones. After five minutes of floating and kissing, the two of us left the Shadowhome and continued heading home.
By the time we got back, it was starting to get late. The girls were sitting on the large white steps of the front entrance, waiting for us. All three jumped up and smiled at the two of us coming back, with arms locked.
"Is everything thing, OK?" Lavender asked, looking up and down Iona, no longer the short loli girl from before.
"Yes, she is fine. This is what she looks like normally."
"Yes, I'm sorry for worrying you," Iona bowed to the girls, but Tilly came up, and hand-chopped Iona's bowed head. "OWEE! What was that for?" But once Iona stood back up, Tilly hugged her fiercely.
"Don't run away like that again! I won't give up on Dave, but maybe you could…first…"
"Hehehe," Iona laughed mischievously and then leaned in and whispered something into her cat ears.
Tilly's face went completely red, and her eyes when huge, but then Iona whispered something else. Food could have cooked on Tilly's cheeks as she burned up from Iona's comments. I felt like I should be anywhere but here right now, but this was my own fault for not addressing this, so I took a deep breath to explain.
"Don't! You don't have to explain. Iona told me about the demon soul and what it did to you."
"Oh good, you had me worried there."
"Oh, no, don't relax yet, Dave," Iona laughed as The red faced Tilly grabbed my arm and dragged me into the house.
"Woah, where are we going!?"
"To my room to get even!"
"Your room? Even?"