Demons That Haunt Me

Prologue

{Disclaimer} I don't own ao no exorcist!

Also, this chapter is a rewrite of the trial scene from the manga. If you will get easily bored, please skip it! It just provides background, and the plot will not be any different without it. ^•^

"What's the child of Satan doing at a school for exorcists?" A male sporting a two toned cockscomb spat out, glaring at the demon across from him.

Said demon stared sorrowfully at his companions on the other side of the bridge. His gaze lingered on the person who had just spoke; Suguro. They were his friends, so shouldn't they accept him for who he is? Apparently not.

"Rin..." A quiet voice caught his attention, and he shifted slightly, opening and then closing his mouth uncertainly.

He finally broke into an extremely false smile, and called out, "Shiemi! You're not hurt?"

Tears welled up in her sparkling green eyes, and her bottom lip wobbled.

"What's the matter? You hurt somewhere?" Rin adopted a worried expression and made to run over, but refrained because the Paladin himself was holding onto the back of his shirt.

Rin could vaguely hear the adults behind him talking about how he would be used as evidence for Mephisto's trial. Hoping that didn't mean anything horrible would happen, he diverted his attention back to the situation before him.

"Suguro's over reacting!" Rin, realizing the problem, rushed to defend himself, "I'm basically just a regular guy!"

As if to further disprove his point, his tail started lashing, making it completely visible. He grinned, laughing nervously, before grabbing it and stuffing it behind him.

"Not convinced?" He huffed, letting loose another low chuckle.

Shiemi sucked in a quick breath as tears began to trickle down her cheek, "Why...are you laughing?" she cried, "There's nothing funny about this!"

Okumura~Sensei walked up to Shiemi and grabbed her hand, gently pulling her after the rest of the students, who had already left. He was alone with the Paladin, Shura, and Mephisto. A shiver went down his spine at the thought.

"Shiemi.." Rin called out after her, only to have the hand on his shirt jerk him roughly backwards with the gruff command of 'move it!'

Arthur Aguste Angel, the Paladin, shoved a key into a door that lead onto the bridge, vainly flipping some of his long blonde hair out of his face before announcing, "This will exit through the Stage Door of the Accused, at the Opera House Court."

He left no time for anyone to speak as he turned the key, and the door that was supposed to lead to a staircase now opened into a grand hall. It was gigantic, sporting billowing curtains decorated with tassels, the fabric embroidered. There were pillars supporting viewing points, where you could see dozens of high class exorcists awaiting the trial. The walls had mosaics of angels on them, incredibly detailed down to the feathers in the wings. Two giant crystal chandeliers hung magnificently from the ceiling, lighting up the whole room with fragments of colors.

Up ahead sat three staircases. The one in the middle was closest, and it lead up to a small, circular deck where you could stand at eye level with the biggest viewing platform. On the platform rested three heavily robed figures; most likely the Grigori. The other two led up to the other viewing areas, and–

Rin was yanked out of his thoughts when he got roughly shoved out of the doorway and into the hall. Immediately, quiet murmurs and whispers started up, and Rin hunched his shoulders under the weight of almost every gaze in the room.