Rekindle

Chapter 11: Inverted Sight

Assiah: True Cross Academy

Year: xx10

"Why?" Amiomon's question wasn't searching or accusing, just simply honest. The pair had relocated from the roof top to Amaimon's favorite spot, a small, wooded lot within the school's campus. Being the King of Earth, he gravitated towards the more natural areas in his older brothers keep. Rin did not particularly mind the change in scenery, so long as it was dark, and he could be above the ground he did not care where they went. He would only get one of those things.

He needed no more than a second to answer Amaimon's question. Rin had been doing nothing but dwelling on the subject since that night in the woods.

"I'm sick of being used." A simple answer to a simple question. Though he may not have been one of them, he could have lived with that. After all everyone is different but that does not make them inherently evil. But he was not part of their team. He was pushed further away every time he tried to interact with them and the veteran exorcists were keeping him tightly by leash. At this point he was surprised he was even granted free roam. It was only a matter of time before they locked him away and chained him down. He could barely move as it was. The little bit of mock freedom he was given was nothing more than to keep what little peace there was between the exorcists and Mephisto.

Rin was now aware that his current living standards were only thanks to the Mephisto, his first ally he realized. Had his situation been left to Shiro, his foster father, the exorcists would have shackled him on sight if not worse. But they wanted Mephisto's loyalty and power and for that he had wanted custody of the twins. Though he was only more interested in the one that could wield the blue flames. The older demon had admitted one night when he came to check on Rin that he had once tried to take Yukio under his wing as well, but Shiro would have none of it. The late Paladin had seen all to clearly through his scheme and ended it before he could even get a hand on the boy. He believed he had been helping the twins by keeping Rin in the dark and training Yukio to be a protector of sorts. Mephisto could see the damage it would cause long term and with a demon's life span, that was not an outcome he was looking forward to settling. So, he had to write one twin off as a lost cause in hopes of being able to reach the other. Apparently, he had waited a little too long or perhaps this was going precisely as planned. Rin could never get a straight answer out of him. That was something he appreciated in Amaimon. He was simple and direct. He could ask a question and get an answer or at the very least a reaction.

Rin's sharp nails began to scratch slowly into the tree branch on which he had taken residence. Amaimon glanced briefly at the action, ignored it then pulled a sucker out of his pocket. He undid the wrapper rather loudly catching Rin's attention for a moment. He pulled another out of his pocket and tossed it over. Rin had not realized how deep his nails had been ingrained in the wood until he pried them loose to catch the candy thrown at him.

"What do you want to do then?" Amaimon's voice was slightly muffled with the candy in his mouth.

This time the answer did not come as easily. He was vaguely aware that once he had immediately wished death upon his foe, but now he was not quite sure what he wanted. His rage was real, but he could think more clearly and rushing in to blindly kill somebody who did not even remember would not settle this instinct. He would still go through with it, but he needed to be more concise. He could also see the repercussions this would have afterwards. Staying would no longer be an option, but he certainly could not pick up and move to Gehenna either. Even if he was now getting along with Mephisto and Amaimon, that still would not be where he belonged.

"I know what I want to do, I just don't know how." He sighed and undid the wrapper on the candy and held it up to his mouth. It made him aware that he had also been clenching his teeth. He was grateful in that moment that his fangs had not grown any longer or he would have been tasting blood.