Author: Ri-Ryn

Chapter: Age: 15

Word Count: 1877

Rating: M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens)/ +T

Disclaimer: Ao no Exorcist belongs to Kazue Katō.

Warnings: Disturbing thoughts. Graphic Situation. Blood, language. Bullying. Domestic abuse, cannibalization of children.

A/N: I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, it feels like a letdown in comparison to the others, but it's also setting up chapter five where Rin's last 3 years of preparation are finished. What do ya'll think? And yes, Rin ate a baby in classic demonic portrayal.

Song: " Mad Hatter " by: Melanie Martinez

Mephisto glanced at the reports, baffled by the activity that was happening now. He'd purposefully placed the paladin's monastery in a high traffic demon area, but within the past couple years, the last five especially, it had dwindled to virtually nothing. But when it did move? It moved as one, small or medium spikes that were a constant, persistent presence until they dropped off without any discernable reason. There was not a cause nor reason the great Samael could find. Except for one, plausibly, because human crime also was also to be found in spades in this area. Drugs, prostitution, and murder, once rampant, mirrored the demonic side with no interference by local law enforcement.

Nothing.

Mephisto could feel the ghastly, feral grin splitting his face, spreading his demonic aura over the area and prodding for his upstart younger brother.

He found him, and oh… Oh this…!

The demon of True Cross snapped his fingers, the report shredding itself out of existence and burning. How would everything play out in the end, the exorcists? Satan? Or Rin?

Samael brushed away the paper's ash, keeping this secret a moment longer until its time of fruition. He had but to keep Angel and the Snake Princess from investigating.

"You what?" Yukio stared dumfounded, Rin leisurely spinning upon his desk's pivot chair.

"Yeah, I'm gonna' try for True Cross like you. They have more than one scholarship, some of them sports orientated." The half demon turned back to his work, a pleased hum passing his lips.

"Rin!" The younger was exasperated. "Have you seen your own grades!?"

The elder twin shuddered in his chair, his pencil going askew on the review's surface. "I'm gonna' raise 'em. Or," Rin peered over his shoulder, mentally imprinting Yukio's reaction, "do you not want me there? I won't go if that's it."

The dragoon/doctor in training froze. It was there again, that intensity not human and not demon, fully battering against his will. Call Yukio crazy, no matter how much he loved his brother and wanted to protect him, but something was wrong, something wholly ill about Rin.

And he didn't know what; he wasn't sure he ever wanted to know, from all the incidents as young kids to now.

"I…no, I mean do what you want Nii-san." Yukio shifted uncomfortably, messing with his glasses for time.

"What made you change your mind, Nii-san, about schooling?" Why now of all times.

The half-demon beamed, nodding without meaning. "I need to go farther in my 'education.' It's what I decided, that's all."

"If this is what's right for you, you'll just have to work hard. You can't slack like you have in middle and grade school." It wasn't safe at True Cross for Rin, with his identity as one of Satan's illegitimate heirs, especially if the seal weakened completely on Kurikara. If Rin asked, Yukio wouldn't help. For Rin's own sake, even if he resented him for it.

Rin smiled, one of those reminiscent ones that came out seemingly with Yukio and Father Fujimoto only, the one that masked every fear the two had concerning Rin- that his demonic side was overtaking his mind. "Well duh, I know that. Now get going, the old man's calling for ya'."

Yukio startled, sure enough hearing the Paladin below, chalking Rin's hearing to side effects of heritage and the exorcist's muddled thoughts. A muttered 'I just want you safe' passed his lips before an intentional thank-you to his brother, leaving for downstairs.

Rin stared out the window, picking up the unintentional admittance with his hearing. "And I don't want you to lie me, Yukio." He picked up his pencil, opening his mouth and feeling the back of his throat convulse. The creature Bael, bleeding pus and putrid blood as Rin's saliva ate at him, slithered out with legs clinging to the flesh of Rin's esophagus to tutor its young master again, safe from knowledge of the exorcists.

He started writing again, bored. "But we can't all have what we really want, now can we otouto? Oyaji?"

Ideals do not exist.

(1 Year Ago)

At fourteen, Rin had well come into his position as the leader of the area, smothering any and everything that could be a negative influence on Yukio or harm the old man. That was why something was dying tonight, after Yukio got home. Unlike previous bullying, the shorter boy's shoulder was dislocated, scratches and lacerations bled raw, infected. He was ragged, breathing heavily.

Rin scrutinized it all, the slit red iris flashing, widening before slivering and dispersing again.

"Yukio. Yukio what happened?"

Had the exorcist in training been in a more stable condition, he would have noticed just how sweet Rin's voice was, like syrup or the cookies Shiro baked from a package around Easter when they were children. He wasn't, though, foregoing the warning Rin slipped with a dazed glare.

"I'm fine. I just got ruffled up coming from the library. Father knows and he is calling the police now." The twin scrunched his face, recoiling at the dispersion of blood across his tongue. He hadn't noticed before.

Rin stiffened, teeth bared yet veiled by his lips. They didn't; I'll kill them all. "Who did it?" I should've been there! "What did they look like Yukio? I'm sorry, so sorry." He would flesh them, eat them, alive. Blood, he would drink them dry.

Rin knew something wasn't aired in the open right now. Maybe Yukio lost his book bag. And those clothes weren't Yukio's library or school clothes. It was street wear, reminiscent of Rin's.

"It doesn't matter, just leave it alone." Yukio snapped, catching only the shattered face of Rin. "Rin-"

It was subdued, inviting, the demon's voice. "That's fine, Yukio; I won't bring it up anymore." Rin left his bed torpidly, hugging his fraternal twin that gradually reciprocated it, burrowing his face into Rin's shoulder. Rin nuzzled the other's neck, breathing in deeply the scent of rot and decay.

An agitated ghoul…? No. An exorcised ghoul. The smell of holy water was a nuisance at best and Rin knew guns, knew the handles protruding into his stomach from underneath Yukio's sweatshirt. Yukio was lying and that was fine for now, the old man too.

Because right now, a ghoul nest was going up in flames.

"I'm gonna' go take a walk right now, 'kay?" Rin shook his head, impeding Yukio's protests. "I'm a much better fighter than you, Yukio, I've made grown men limp away. Besides, I'm not heckling for a fight, you told me it was taken care of. I'll be back in an hour, going the scenic route." Through the unmarked cemetery near the edge of town.

It was five minutes in, an alley way where the lowest society had to offer, fluctuated among demons. "We're in business today." It was rag tag, rough. Humans he had purposefully given spirit wounds that had weapons doused in hitched holy water from nearby churches; demons who feared and revered him, at his beck and call. Rin set off, cracking his neck to breaking, hollering, yowling beasts trailing behind him. "Maim, don't kill."

That was his lust to partake in, but his generosity knew boundaries; forgiveness was in store today. "Eat if you want."

(Present)

"What do you mean Sir Pheles said nothing was going on! Paladin Fujimoto, we both have demons sacrificing themselves on missions for us. Drug addicts keep stalling us en route and by the time we get there? Nothing is left!" Yukio sucked in a breath. "It has to be him, Rin."

Shiro chewed on his lips, feeling Yukio's frustrations as both a seasoned and young exorcist. Demon activity only, perhaps Rin, but organized humans? This appeared more complex than he thought Rin capable of. Sure, the paladin caught those moments of his adopted oldest, but what did one say? Quit thinking with your head? What a hypocrite he'd be. This was well organized, even if methods and personnel were crude.

"Mephisto isn't giving us the full report, but he's saying it's nothing to worry about." Shiro didn't believe that, but going to the Grigori or Angel was asking karma to maul his ass. The demon would sell the paladin out faster and more convincingly than anything he could string together.

Yukio tapped a foot, fingers digging into his palms. "So we do what, exactly?"

Shiro gave an exasperated breath, ruffling his trim gray hair in frustration. "I don't know." He held up a hand, halting Yukio's coming outburst. "If we bring attention to it, Mephisto will cover it up or sell the church out. That includes you, Yukio, even if Rin is the only one with an inheritance."

His opposite hand clenched, grabbing purchase on the counter next to him. "We could tell them our suspicions anyway, if we bypass Mephisto."

Yukio sucked in a breath. But-

The paladin glanced out the window, seeing clouds and the oncoming rain. "We can't have our cake and eat it, too."

He left the choice open. If Rin fell, they all fell. If he lived, the future was uncertain and murky at best. At present, the fallout couldn't possibly be deemed acceptable or not yet.

Yukio's head was spinning. Why, why did he have to die for something he couldn't control? For someone he couldn't control? Then that begged the question, was he really an exorcist considering he was contesting the question to begin with?

"Boss?"

Concentration on his ears broken from eavesdropping miles away, Rin's lids parted, cobalt eyes amused and irritated. "Don't worry Yukio, old man," he cooed softly, "don't worry about the Grigori or Mephisto or Satan."

His pupils darted over, addressing the sleazy man next to him. "What?" He hissed.

"Kotoko's here."

Rin raised an eyebrow, noting the scent of blood in the air. He stared straight, seeing the prostitute with a red dripping bundle in her hands. Mascara was smeared prettily over the entirety of her face, bruising and cuts mingling with the marred make up.

"Rin-san…he, he beat me…"

She hugged the bloodied mess closer to her chest and Rin studied closer the red rivulets down her thigh and onto the pavement.

"I miscarried."

Ah, he figured it would end that way. "I'll take care of him then," the half-demon hummed, watching half interested as the prostitute began to see hope in this world.

Kotoko stepped forward, offering the bundle to Rin who graciously accepted the expiation.

Rin lapped at the cold, slimy flesh. "I'll right this world for next time, Kotoko," he murmured in sincerity. He opened his mouth, fangs showing, "I promise," and bit into the fetus's stomach, rupturing tiny, premature organs. His tail flicked, signaling a group of armed humans coupled with a demon or two to follow Kotoko back to her former mister.

She left smiling at his blood splattered face, scraps of her unborn child decorating his teeth and lining his stomach.

Rin laid back, watching the heaven's break and rain begin to pelt humanity, washing blood into earth and sins down to Hell. After he got into True Cross, after he got ahold of his brothers and father, after Yukio and Shiro were safe, then the world would be virtuous again.

"Elysium," Rin probed.

He adored it.

Elysium: his worldly paradise, this wretched Earth reincarnated.

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Ch. 5

Age 18

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[A/N #2: Seriously though, I'm curious as to what this chapter feels like and or what your thoughts about it are. Did it get you thinking, show a little bit more how unhinged, deranged and yet pure Rin is in his ideals. Chapter five will cover a lot. Look forward to it.]