Sorry I'm a day later than I promised. The wifi has been down in my apartment building. Finally got it back today!

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Sprinting

Kazuki's feet pounded against the pavement and her breath came in strangled gasps. Beside her ran her brother, a frown on his face as they following their dad through the streets. Things were chasing them, greeting them at every turn. Demons, her mind supplied. They were running from demons.

"Duck!" her dad yelled as something that resembled a flaming frog launched itself at them. Kazuki threw herself at Rin, slamming him into the ground at the frog exploded into flames where his head had been a moment early. "Get up!"

Scrambling to her feet, she dragged her brother behind her, keeping him moving even as he struggled to get his legs beneath him.

A loud burst of birdsong sounded above them and Kazuki looked up to see Asuka flying over their heads. "Asuka!" she called, fear gripping her as she watched her tiny little friend dodge demons. "Asuka go home! Go home, it's dangerous!"

Asuka let out an angry tweet, ignoring her master's words as she took point above her father. Her dad glanced up at the tit and when Asuka veered to the left, down an alley way, her dad dully followed.

"We have to get back to the monastery," their dad yelled. "Night is falling. That's when demons are their most active. We have to hurry!"

Gritting her teeth and growling under her breath, Kazuki forced her legs to move faster, channeling more strength into each step she took. Her dad had a lot of explaining to do and damn if something as inconsequential as a demon was going to get in her way.

They skidded into the monastery courtyard just as the last rays of light were leaving the sky. Her dad barked out orders to the other clergymen and they were quickly carried out with military-like efficiency. So they were in on it too, Kazuki surmised. This Exorcist business that she had always assumed was just a load of hooey.

The doors to the chapel closed behind them. The clergymen that she had thought she knew, the family she thought was hers, jogged up and down the pews. She couldn't help but feel like they were preparing for battle.

Asuka landed on Kazuki's shoulder, her feathers puffed up and twitching nervously.

"Come with me!" her dad called, having moved aside the tabernacle to reveal a hidden set of stairs. Rin and Kazuki rushed to follow him.

"What's happening?" Rin asked her as they jogged down the pews. Fear clouded his blue eyes.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"You didn't know about all of this?" he asked, clearly wondering if he was the only one that had been left in the dark.

She pursed her lips, feelings of betrayal rising up inside of her. "No. I didn't."

Their dad was standing in front of a chest that held two swords, blue and red. "The Koma Swords," he informed them. He reached inside and pulled them out. "Also know and Kurikara." he handed Rin the sword in the blue scabbard. Her dad met her eyes and handed her the sword in a red scabbard. "And Seinaruhi." Kazuki accepted the sword, the metal scabbard cold against her skin.

"They are twin demon-slaying swords from ancient times. Many years ago, I transferred your demonic powers to these swords and sealed them shut. Rin's in Kurikara and Kazuki's in Seinaruhi."

"Powers?" Rin whispered.

Kazuki looked down that the sword in her hands with wide eyes, suddenly feeling like she was holding a deadly snake. She had to resist the urge to drop it. Asuka rubbed her head against her neck in a futile attempt to comfort her master.

"These swords are more important than your lives," their dad informed them seriously. "You must keep it on you at all times and never let it fall into someone else's hands. It can never be drawn. Once drawn, your demonic powers will be awakened and you will never be human again."

Human… she wasn't human. She was… she was…

"What about Yukio?" she asked her father, Rin echoing her concern.

"The three of you may be triplets, but Yukio was born weak and frail. He was unable to sustain the power. You two alone inherited them."

Kazuki's eyes slid shut in what might have been relief. It explained so much. Yukio had always been the best of them, she and Rin both knew it. And all this time it was because they two alone had the blood of demons running through their veins. The cruel taunts she had received when she was younger were suddenly eerily accurate.

The entire church shook, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Did everyone know?" Rin asked harshly. "Did they know that we weren't human? That were the spawn of the devil?"

Their dad's silence was answer enough. The rage and betrayal built up inside of her.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kazuki snapped. Her father who had never lied to her, whom she trusted completely; why had he not told them?

"I wanted to raise you two as ordinary humans, for as long as you stayed that way."

"Oh, but now we aren't?" The rage that lived inside of her was building. She knew that anger. It had shadowed her her whole life, always bubbling just beneath the surface. It made her quick to pick a fight and even quicker to throw a punch. She thought she was starting to control it, learning to walk away when it raised its head. But there was no controlling it this time, no way to divert the betrayal that was fueling it. Apparently it was useless that she had ever tried, because in the end she just wasn't human enough.

Her dad shot her a glare. "We don't have time for this!" He shoved his cell phone into her brother's hands. "There is one number saved in that phone. He's a friend of mine that you can trust. He will hide you. You two must run. We will hold off the demons, but once they are gone you must flee." He ran up the steps of the hidden room and slammed the entrance shut behind him.

Kazuki ran after him, a scream of rage escaping her as she pounded at the locked door. Asuka squawked and flew into the air.

"Come back here!" she yelled. "We're not done talking, old man!"

An explosion on the other side of the door caused the entire room to shake. She quieted, pressing her ear against the wood, hoping that everyone on the other side was alright. Shouting voices calmed her fears.

Maruta, Kyodo, Izumi, Nagatomo. They were her family just as much as her father. They all knew, her whole life and the entire time they knew. How much of their involvement in raising her was making sure she could be controlled when she finally inherited her powers? What else had they lied about?

"Fuck!" Rin screamed, driving his fists into the wall of the room. She let him rage, knowing he needed some way to release the anger that was coursing through him.

The small room continued to shake from the battle playing out on the other side. Despite her anger, she still feared for the clergymen. Maybe they never considered her family, but they were hers. She always protected those she cared for. Demon or not.

She pushed against the door that held her captive, drawing on all of her strength. Her demonic strength, she realized. It shifted but it was remained stubbornly closed.

"Rin!" she called, continuing to push. In seconds her brother was beside her, adding his own unnatural strength to hers. The door gave way and they shot out like bullets, Asuka flying out above them.

The chapel was a disaster, and in the middle of the mess stood a huge goliath with the horns of a ram. The beast made to attack their father, but Rin was faster, grabbing the head of a broken pitchfork and launching it at the demon. Their father chanted scripture and the demon was banished once again.

Kyodo laid on the floor in the middle of the chapel, clearly injured. Kazuki quickly ran to his side, passing her father as she went.

"Kyodo, bring the car around," her father ordered.

The clergyman smiled at her concern, but stood, holding himself stiffly. "Wait! You're hurt," she accused, trying to get him to stop moving.

"Right now our first priority is to get you two into hiding," her father told her firmly. "Don't forget that it's the two of you the demons are after. Now go pack your bags."

Kazuki's fists clenched at his words and Kyodo gave her a sympathetic smile before running off to do as ordered.

"So what you're saying is that everything will be okay as long as we're gone," Rin growled.

"No, Rin, that is not what I am saying."

"That's what I heard." Her dad whipped around and at her words and Kazuki glared back at him.

"That's okay," Rin went on bitterly. "We're happy to bounce. Looks like you finally found an excuse to get rid of us. Better take it while you can." He made to move towards their living quarters, Kazuki doing the same.

"No! Rin, Kazuki!" Her dad ran forward and grabbed Rin's shoulder since he was the closest.

Rin shook him off. "You don't have to tell us that we're the screwed up ones! We've never been like Yukio! We've only ever been trouble. Just some strangers that you took off the street. You said it yourself, you'll only took us in because you had to, because we were dangerous. And now that we're no longer human you're kicking us back out!"

Their father took a step forward. "Rin—."

"Stop acting like my father!" Rin shouted. "You're not my father!"

The slap echoed through the ruins of the chapel.

Kazuki's mouth fell open in shock, unable to believe that her father, that man that had been her father, had laid a hand on her brother. Rin stood in front of him, his head bowed.

"Go pack, Rin," he father told him quietly.

"Yeah. Okay." Her brother's voice was thick and defeated.

Anger filling her to brim, Kazuki ran past her father stand in front her brother, glaring defiantly at the man.

"You too, Kazuki," he ordered.

"The man I called father swore to protect me," she hissed at him, anger and betrayal making her shake. "The man I called father would never raise his hand to us. And he would never send us away." She took a step back from him, shielding Rin from his gaze. "You are not my father."

With one last look of disgust, she placed her hand on her brother's shoulder, leading him into the living quarters so they could pack. They would leave if that's what Fujimoto Shiro wanted. They would leave so he could be rid of them for good.

A pained gasp caused her to look back.

Her father had collapsed to his knees, a pained look on his face. "No… It can't be," he gasped.

Kazuki hesitated. "Old man…?"

Izumi ran to help him but her father ordered him away. "Don't come another step closer!"

"W-what's going on?" Rin asked.

Suddenly their father started to laugh. A mad laugh that grated against her ears, causing her to flinch and take a step back. A feral grin spread across his face, and she gasped when she saw that fangs filled his mouth. Eyes snapped up to meet her own, and a great evil gazed at her from crimson depths.

"Hello, kids."

"Old man?"

"Kazuki! Get back! Father Fujimoto's been possessed!"

That terrible laughter started up again. Mad eyes looked her over with manic pleasure as blue flames bloomed to life around him. "Hello daughter. Nice to finally meet you. And you, son."

Slowly shaking her head, Kazuki backed away. This was not her father, she could not be related to this.

Her denial amused him. "I am Satan, the ruler of Gehenna and your true father!"

Izumi and Maruta attempted to charge the demon, but with a smile Satan threw an arm out and blue flame engulfed them.

"No!" she and Rin screamed.

The demon possessing her father let out a peal of laughter. "I'd hate to cut our little reunion short," Satan told them happily, "but time is running out for me. Or rather, it is running out for this body. I'm too powerful to possess anything in Assiah for long, you see." As he spoke, blood began to seep from their father's eyes and nose, his body breaking down. With a smile, Satan ripped into their father's arm, causing blood to cover the floor. It spread on its own accord until a portal opened before them. From its black depths small creatures reached out of it and tried to grab them.

"What is that thing?" Rin asked in horror.

"Gehenna Gate." Satan moved, faster than Kazuki could follow with her eyes, and suddenly his hand was clamped down on her arm. "Come, my daughter. Gehenna is waiting for you."

Kazuki shrieked, fighting against the powerful grip he had on her.

"Kazuki!"

"Rin!" she screamed. She dug her nails into the floor, flames bursting to life from within her as she thrashed in the demon's hold.

The cry of a bird was heard and then Asuka was swooping down. Except it wasn't the Asuka she had come to know. This bird was much, much larger, easily the size of a large dog, with talons to match. Those talons tore into the demon's face, causing Satan to lose his grip on her. She quickly scrambled away, screaming as Satan threw Asuka off of him, setting the creature on fire.

Asuka's high pitched screeches rang throughout the chapel.

Rin hauled her to her feet and they both turned to flee.

"Not so fast!"

Claws tore into her calf as he grabbed her ankle, and before she was fully aware of her recapture, Satan flung her through the air and into Gehenna's Gate.

"Kazuki!"

Thousands of hands clawed at her, grabbing onto whatever they could reached, dragging her down. She was too far away from the edge to stop her descent.

"Rin, run!" she yelled, fighting the hold the gate had on her. "Run!"

"Your turn, my son." Satan turned his focus on Rin. He moved in a blur of color and then he had Rin in his grip. "You and your sister are truly extraordinary. The blood of Gehenna's lord flows through your veins, yet your bodies exist here in Assiah. You should rejoice! Today is the day of your rebirth as demons, my children!"

"No!" Rin yelled, clawing at Satan's grip on him, flames bursting to life around him. "No! We're human!"

With a laugh, Satan threw him into the gate as well.

"Now, to deal with those damned swords." Satan walked over to where Kazuki's sword lay abandoned on the floor. She had unknowing dropped as she fought to escape his grasp. He picked up Seinaruhi, and grasped the pommel firmly. "I will relieve you off this burden, daughter," he announced with a grin.

By now the hands had almost pulled her under. Kazuki struggled but she couldn't break free. "No!" she yelled. That sword staying sheathed was the only thing that kept her human. He couldn't be allowed to break the seal. But hands kept pulling at her, gripping at her face now that it was in their reach. She had moments, just moments until it consumed her completely.

There was nothing she could do.

Satan pulled the sword from its scabbard.

She screamed as flames engulfed her. Pressure she had never known pressed down on her, filling her body and twisting it to its desired shape. Her fingers turned into talons and she felt the bite of fangs tearing into her lips. She heard Rin screaming her name but it was muffled as the gate sucked her further in, up to her ears now.

Satan's laughter was distant, but she could still hear it. "Welcome home, daughter."

Kazuki clawed at the hands that held her, trying to gain purchase. She tilted her chin up in an effort to stay above for just a moment longer. "Help!" she cried frantically. "Please!"

"Kazuki!" Rin screamed.

"And now for you, my son," Satan declared, walking over to where Kurikara was being consumed by the gate along with Rin.

But before he could reach it, Satan's face contorted.

"No…" their father's voice gasped. Kazuki watched as their dad fought off the madness in his eyes. "That boy is my son, and that girl is my daughter." He gripped at the pendent that hung around his neck, turning the sharp edge until it was pointed at his heart. "And I am taking them back!"

"Dad!" she screamed as her father plunged the object into his heart, her cry echoed by Rin.

The black mass of the gate rose up around her as her father's body fell in. She screamed as she finally lost the battle. The black mass closed around her head, blocking out the last bit of Assiah from her sight and sending her into darkness. She reached desperately with her fingers, the only part of her that had yet to be consumed, trying to hold onto the material world but only finding air.

It was over.

She had lost.

Everything.

And then her world of darkness erupted into the warmth of blue flames and the hands that pulled her down disappeared. She lay, shaking, on the cold floor of the ruined chapel.

Looking around her desperately, she found Rin wreathed in blue flames with Kurikara in his hands. Pain lanced through her heart when she saw he had drawn it, forsaking his humanity to close the gate. She took in his pointed ears, fangs and tail that no doubt was mirrored in her.

What had they become?

She crawled over to her father where he lay motionless on the floor.

"Dad," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Dad…"

A flutter of wings and Asuka was beside her, still in her unnaturally large form, unharmed except for some singed feathers. The bird laid its head on her shoulder, letting out a heart wrenching keen.

Kazuki collapsed onto her father's body and sobbed.

Dressed in black and soaked to the skin from the rain, Kazuki stared at Mephisto.

"Our dad said you would protect us," she told him.

"And you are the daughter of Satan. It's nothing personal, it's business. You, my dear, are a liability."

"That's it, then?" she asked him coldly. "Our dad dies to save us and you're just going to kill us anyway?"

"It is unfortunate," Mephisto agreed. "Almost tragic. You have my sympathies."

"No," Rin growled from beside her.

Mephisto to tilt his head in curiosity. "Would you like to say something, son of Satan?"

"Let us join you."

Kazuki's eyebrows shot up at this statement, but was immediately behind it. If they trained to become Exorcists they would live another day. They could become stronger. And they could make sure that no one ever hurt their family again.

Mephisto was also caught off guard by the request and burst into hysterical laughter. When his giggles had tapered off he gave Rin an amused look. "And what would you do as an Exorcist?"

"Kick Satan's ass!" Rin growled.

Another round of laughter, but then the purple-haired demon noticed the hard set on the eldest triplets' faces. "You're serious."

"We are," Kazuki confirmed.

Mephisto gave them a considering look. "The son and daughter of Satan… Exorcists." A dark grin spread across his face. "I like it." He snapped his fingers. "Very well. We will train you."

Kazuki tried to keep the shock off her face. It had been a longshot, a desperate bid to stay alive and to kill their father's murderer. Yet somehow it had worked.

"But be warned," Mephisto's face darkened and she had to stop herself from shivering under his predatory gaze. "The two of you have chosen a long and treacherous path. Your fate will be agonizing. You might come to regret not dying here today."

Like she had with everyone who had ever doubted her strength, Kazuki looked Mephisto in the eye and said, "Bring it on."

"Seinaruhi" = holy fire

Let me know what you think! See you next week!

x Cheerfully Blue