Part 7: Hallelujah

"We'd been training and it started to rain, so we decided to go inside after we realized we didn't have our keys to get Shiemi back home…"

Rin proceeded to tell the event from that point on, recalling as many details as he could, which was hard because everything seemed to be clouded in a dark haze of grief and barely recountable, but he managed as best as he could, though he had to pause many times to gather his thoughts and push back the negative emotions that came with each turn in events.

Rin couldn't remember at what point in the story Yukio had completely stopped him in order to punch Rin in the stomach and slap his face, telling him he was an idiot. No, Rin couldn't remember whether it was when he'd told Shiemi about Izumo, or when he'd abandoned her, or when he discovered Amaimon and Shiemi in the bathroom, when he'd transformed…No, none of these points did he know. He didn't know anything anymore at that point. He didn't care what happened to him then, so long as God or whatever other deity, if there was one, that seemed to stand watch over his chaotic life, would make Shiemi be okay. No, Rin didn't really know anything, didn't care, didn't resist.

He just knew he was an idiot.

When they'd finally reached Shiemi, a group of Doctors were tending to her gently, and she looked much worse than Rin remembered with her sickly pallor and ugly bruises. Dried blood now matted her hair and clotted around areas meant to be private on her body. Her eyes were sunken in and swollen bags dragged at the underneath of them. Grime seemed to have smeared itself along with the blood across her skin, giving her a filthy look. Over all, the poor little female Exwire had a battered appearance.

Yukio gazed at her rugged looks with what appeared to be indifference, but his twin knew that on the inside he was forlorn. Rin turned his gaze away in shame, disgusted with Amaimon and his own self for not being able to protect the girl he loved.

I should've been there, dammit! Rin cursed himself, clenching his teeth and attempting to shut out the pain by closing his eyes tightly. "I should've been there! I should've protected her, kept her close, watched her. I should have prevented this from happening in the first place! I'm—"

Slap!

The sting of Yukio's hand wanted to make Rin wince. But he kept his head hanging there to the side to take in all of the pain from the blow. All was silent save for a white noise pounding in Rin's ears as he quietly watched a panting Yukio drop his hand back down to his side and stand up straight to meet his brother's gaze. Rin straightened up as well and silently told his brother "thank you" with his eyes.

Yukio took a step forward, reaching a hand toward him. Rin closed his eyes, readying himself for the impact of another slap.

But instead, he found to his relief and masochistic dismay that the young Exorcist had merely rested his hand on Rin's head, ruffling his hair softly, comforting Rin like Yukio was the older brother.

"We'll get through this," he quietly breathed. He pulled away, a grimly determined, though exhausted, expression set on his face.

Rin knew his brother was not one for physical affection or contact, even in the most emotional of situations. So he knew that his younger brother was feeling the effects of the event. However, it was likely that Yukio partly comforted Rin for Rin's benefit, and the half-demon again silently thanked him for that.

Nonetheless, there was a tension between the brothers that was palpable in the air when Yukio nodded to him and stalked off with the rest of the Doctors as they towed away Shiemi's unconscious body. Rin watched Yukio close the door behind him with a click, leaving his older brother to himself in their dark room.


Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist-Kazue Kato

This part is like an intermission, or something like that I guess. Hell if I know. But it's pretty short. But you probably already figured that out. This part was edited, too, to act like some sort of buffer for the intense emotions/hormones raging in the next part...I guess.

I wanted to draw on the theme of "grief," "regret," and "remorse," so my song choice this time was "Hallelujah" by Rufus Wainwright (from Shrek). The song makes me think of Rin reminiscing about Shiemi and how her silly qualities grow on him and cause him to fall in love with her and then losing her. The song itself is kind of melancholy so I thought it fit the theme. Close seconds were "Hero" by Nickelback, "Hide" by Red, "Inside the Fire" by Disturbed, "It's Not Over" by Chris Daughtry, "Kryptonite" by Three Doors Down, "Let It Burn" by Red, "Your Guardian Angel" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, "Losing You" by Dead by April, "Rain" by Breaking Benjamin, "Reverse This Curse" by Escape the Fate, "Whatever It Takes" by Lifehouse, and etc. These are just suggestions for what to listen to when you read this. Or not.

More to come...