Rin woke me up the next day, in his usual fashion.

He came charging into my room, screaming, "WAKE UP SAFAIA WE'RE GONNA BE LATE AGAIN!" He jumped on my bed and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me until my eyes were rolling of their own accord.

"R-R-R-Rin, stooooooop!" I yelped, trying to get my eyeballs to halt. I was able to achieve that, but the room (along with my older brother's face) kept going around and around. "Ooooohhhhhhh, my head," I moaned, shutting my eyes.

"Did you not hear me? Get up! We're gonna be late!" Rin leaped off my bed and dove for my closet. "Here, put these on!" He threw one of my uniforms at me, the skirt hitting me full in the face.

I slowly pulled the skirt down. "Late, huh?" I said. "First time for everything, I guess." Slowly, I stood up and stretched.

Rin looked at me. "Hey, I said, we're gonna be late! That's the third time I've said it! Is this not registering with you or something?"

"Registering," I repeated, giving him a lazy smirk. "Look at you, using big words! Aw, they grow up so fast."

"Safaia, what's wrong with you?" he suddenly demanded, stepping forward and peering into my face. "Something's going on, I can tell. You're not usually this relaxed about being late for school. Hell, you're never late!"

Scowling, I pushed him back out of my personal space. "Nothing's wrong," I said, turning to pick up my shirt.

He caught my wrist. "Yes, there is," he said. "What's going on? Is it about Suguro?" His face darkened. "I swear, I'll kick his ass. Nobody breaks up with my sister like that and gets away with—"

"No!" I cried quickly. "It has nothing to do with—with him." Rin gave me a doubtful look.

"Say it," he demanded.

"Say what?" I asked.

"His name. I want you to say his name, and that he's not why you're acting weird."

I gulped and avoided Rin's gaze. He sighed and dropped my wrist, crossing his arms. He scowled at the floor. "I knew it."

"Look, Rin, it's not about him or anything that happened. I swear—"

"That's bullshit and you know it." Rin stepped closer, getting in my face and giving me a serious look. I blinked and took an involuntary step back, not used to this proximity, or how he was acting. Rin was almost never this serious. "Don't lie to me, Safaia. I can tell it's tearing you apart, what he said. You're not your usual self. Normally, you would've handed my ass to me about getting up late and we'd be in the classroom by now, you having scorched my back as punishment. And Yukio and the others would be staring at us, and I'd be sitting next to Shiemi, trying to make the burning hurt less, with you in front of Suguro and Shima, and Konekomaru next to you, and Izumo being her stupid self, sitting on the opposite side of the room with you two trading glares, and that stupid vegetable in the back playing with his puppet, and everybody wondering just how the hell you and I made it in time for first period."

I blinked. "How…?" I managed.

"Give me some credit," he said. "I notice a lot more than you guys think I do."

I hung my head. "It still hurts," I said in a soft, hoarse voice. The only reason I wasn't crying by this point was my sheer willpower and unwillingness to shed any more tears.

Rin wrapped me in a tight hug. "I know," he said. "And I know all the beat-downs I'll be giving Suguro for hurting you won't help, either. But we've gotta still go to school and face the others. Life goes on, even when your personal life is going to hell in a hand basket."

I clutched Rin around his middle and buried my face in his shoulder. He was, surprisingly, right. Just because my world felt like it was ending didn't mean everybody else's was. The words that…Suguro…had said still hurt, but I could soldier on. I would have to.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the hug and gave my brother a sad smile. "Thanks, Aniki," I said. "I needed that."

"Well, I was deciding between that and just giving you a whoop on the head," he said, shrugging. "But I'd figure this would have better, less painful results."

I giggled. "Look, I'm gonna get dressed, so you're gonna have to leave," I said, pushing him to the door. "I promise I'll be out in just a minute. Swipe me a bun for breakfast or something and I'll meet you in the classroom, ok?"

He looked over his shoulder at me. "You know we're not actually going to be late, right?"

I felt my face darken. "What?"

"Uh…I kinda-sorta gotyouupearlytomakesureyouwereok?" he said, rushing the words together in an effort to make me not notice.

My eyes narrowed. "GET. OUT!"

Rin yelped and ran out the door, screaming an apology and a promise to make breakfast, which would be full of bacon and pancakes with blueberry syrup, he assured, right away.

I sighed and sat down, hugging my stomach. Usually, I was starving in the morning, but I just didn't feel like eating today. I hunched my shoulders and stared at where I'd thrown…his jacket off to the side, near my window. It was crumpled and wrinkled badly. I winced when the memory of him giving it to me surfaced and looked away. I couldn't stand it.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out again, I vowed to myself that I wouldn't look at it. I kicked it under my bed. Out of sight, out of mind, I told myself. With that done, I went about getting ready for school.

Rin and I were actually on time for cram school, for once. Well, for once for him, anyway. We stood outside the door to our classroom, both of us a bit nervous. Rin was tense beside me, shifting from foot to foot and sucking down a juice pack, while I just stared at the floor. I cast a glance up at my brother.

"Did you actually comb your hair?" I asked, astonished.

He looked away from the door and nodded. "I had the extra time this morning, and, well…I kinda want to make a good impression…" He shrugged helplessly.

I gave him a small smile. "It looks good."

"Thanks. You do too. I like the flower clip in your hair." I blushed and nervously touched the clip holding back my bangs, nodding my thanks. He turned back to the door, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Well, here we go." He grabbed the handle and swung the door open wide, striding in.

"Hi guys!" he said brightly.

Three pairs of eyes (four if you count the puppet) swung to us and stared.

"Um…" Rin said, looking around as he made his way to his normal seat. "Where is everybody? Where are the guys from Kyoto?"

"They're at the hospital. Miwa had to check in," Izumo said, glancing away from Rin and locking onto me as I sat down in front of her. I gulped and gave her a small nod, but she kept scrutinizing.

"Oh, right," Rin said, sitting in his normal seat next to Shiemi. "I hope they're all right."

Shiemi made a small strangled noise as Rin sat next to her. When he turned to look at her, she quickly stared at her hands in her lap, her face red. "What's the matter?" he asked. "You still scared of me?" Even though he hid it pretty well, I could tell he was hurt by her reaction.

The door opened with Yukio and Mr. Yunokawa, Yukio exclaiming something, just as Shiemi stood up and practically shrieked, "I'm not scared!"

"Huh?" Rin asked, standing up too. "So why are you so mad? Should I apologize or something?"

"N-No!" Shiemi said, leaning back a little. "I don't want you to apologize, but…Rin, you—"

"Mr. Okumura!" Yukio broke in loudly, grabbing Rin by the collar.

Rin looked up in surprise. "Yukio!"

Yukio motioned for me to stand up and follow. "You two start a new curriculum today. Come with me."

"We do?" Rin said, surprised as Yukio forced him to back towards the door. "Hey, hands off!" He shrugged his way out of Yukio's grip but turned to follow.

"Sorry, Mr. Yunokawa," Yukio apologized. "Please, proceed with class." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure I was coming.

The Grimoire teacher nodded. "All right."

Yukio gave the class a smile over his shoulder. "Sorry for the disturbance."

"Hmph." Rin scowled, mostly at Shiemi, and ruffled his hair to make it messy again.

"Bye, guys," I said quietly, following my brothers and slightly relieved. Shiemi and Takara just stared, but Izumo gave me a small finger-wave from below her table.

"You can't go around on your own anymore," Yukio scolded as we followed him down a set of stairs. "No more running off!"

"I wanted to talk to them!" Rin protested.

"Yeah, and what about yesterday, when I went shopping with Paku and Izumo?" I asked.

"We had you followed," Yukio said.

"Followed?"

"Wait, you and Izumo hung out? Without killing each other?" Rin asked, astonished.

"I know. It was weird."

"Indeed," Yukio agreed. "Though, the one who has been most out of character in the past few days is Shiemi."

Rin suddenly became frustrated. "Shiemi," he murmured. "Argh! What can I do?" His tail thrashed, bashing my side.

I hardly noticed, considering Yukio's next, quiet words. "I've never seen Shiemi yell like that before."

"Huh?" Rin asked.

Yukio shook himself. "Nothing," he said. Rin and I exchanged glances. "This is where your new curriculum starts." He opened a door and motioned for us to go ahead.

Inside was what looked like batting cages on one side and bench presses lined up on the other. "Whoa," I said, looking around.

"I've reserved the training room," Yukio said as Rin and I explored, him going to the cages while I checked out the bench presses. "Shura should be here soon, so don't tough anyth—"

"What's this? A batting cage?" Rin interrupted, stepping into one.

"Select mode," the machine asked him.

"It simulates battles against multiple low-level opponents," Yukio explained.

"Sounds fun!"

"Careful, Rin," I advised as he selected a level.

"Beginner mode selected," the machine barked as Yukio let out a sigh and sat heavily on the bench outside the cage.

"You're always angry these days," Rin commented as the machine announced he had ten seconds until the game started. He selected one of the wooden swords from within the cage. The machine whirred and suddenly started spitting tennis balls at him at an alarming speed. "Whoa!"

"I'm not angry," Yukio said as Rin swung and missed a ball. It bounced off the cage behind him, while the next caught him in the forehead. I couldn't help but cackle.

"No, I think you are," Rin said. "When you're angry, I can tell right away. And shut up, Safaia." He leveled a glare at me and reset the machine to try again while I sat next to Yukio.

Yukio gave a faint smile. "Don't try to play the big brother just because you came first."

"Then I'll play the big sister and tell you that I think he's right," I said. "You've been more tense than usual, Yukio." I playfully elbowed his side. "C'mon, tell Aniki and Nee-chan what's wrong."

He slapped my arm away. "Do you two even understand what you've done?" he asked. "Stop goofing around and be serious for once."

I heard another tennis ball hit Rin. "Ow! Serious? Why should we be serious? I mean, c'mon, what's worrying about it gonna solve? That's not the problem. Worrying about it for a day is enough for me." You could practically hear his cocky grin. "I'll do my soul-searching in battle!"

Yukio turned to me. "Please tell me you're taking this more seriously than him," he pleaded.

I shrugged. "I'm not as laid back as he is about it, but I'm not as strung up as you," I said. "Yeah, I'm worried. I mean, the penalty for us even living is death. But don't we all die at some point or another?"

Laughter made me and Yukio look up and Rin stop playing in the pitching machine. "Well, you sure are chipper today, Rin!" Shura said, striding in. She wore a small, flower-pattern kimono and had the Kurikara thrown over her shoulder, my knives tied together and dangling from the hilt. In her other hand was a bulging bag marked "candles." "Foolishly relaxed and chipper, Rin." She smirked. "At least your sister has a more down-to-earth outlook on the situation, even if she's more relaxed than she should be."

"Shura!" Rin exclaimed.

"With your tail out, you look like a monkey," she observed, laughing. "Just like a moron, the perfect look for you!"

"Stop calling me a moron!" Rin whined. "It's constraining to hide it, so I feel better this way!"

Shura looked at me. "And you, Safaia?"

I felt my pointed tail twitch and snake out from behind me. I had the furry one follow. "It does feel nice," I admitted. "Not so restraining anymore."

"That's nice, but," Shura said, scratching her head, "with me and Yukio watching you, you're gonna feel even more constrained. You two won't ever be out of our sight, you got that?"

I nodded seriously, while Rin gave a bright smile and said, "I got it!"

"No, I don't think you do!" Yukio exclaimed, a distressed look on his face. When we all looked at him, his expression changed. "Um…I've got an hour until my next class. Mind if I watch?"

"You worried?" Shura asked, though she wasn't teasing.

"A little," Yukio admitted.

Shura nodded and turned to me and Rin. "What're we gonna do?" Rin asked eagerly.

"Well, first you need to master your flame." She pointed to the bag she'd brought. "There are candles in that bag."

"Candles?" Rin said.

I rolled my eyes. "No, Rin, all the homework you've missed since your very first day of school is in there."

"Really?" he asked a little fearfully.

"No, you moron!" I exploded.

He flinched, then grinned and gave me a thumbs up. "There's the Safaia I know!"

"Yeah…anyway," Shura said. "Line up three of the candles…" She held up three fingers "…then simultaneously light the outside two, leaving the center one untouched." She put down the middle finger. "You don't need your sword or knives, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Shura looked at me. "Yup," she said. "Wanna take the first try?"

I rolled my eyes again. "Line them up," I said, crossing my arms.

Rin hurriedly put the candles in order on the floor a few feet in front of me. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out through my nose, focusing on my flames. I opened the tiniest of holes in my mental wall and willed the flames to appear on the two outer candles.

Poof. Blue flame calmly appeared on the wicks of the candles and began to melt the wax.

"Wow!" Rin exclaimed, studying the candles. "That was cool!"

"How'd you control them so easily?" Shura asked.

I shrugged. "My power hasn't been sealed until now," I said. "Ever since I was a little kid I've had to keep the flames in check. As I got older I experimented more. Candles are easy."

"Really now," Shura said, cocking her head to the side. "Rin, Yukio, make a big circle of candles around Safaia." My brothers hurried to comply, making a wide circle of candles.

"Go on," Shura said. "Light them. I want to see every other candle lit, all at the same time." She crossed her arms waiting.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. As I let it out slowly, the candles Shura had commanded me to light flickered to life, all at the same time.

"Wow!" Rin cried again. This time he clapped. Shura was smirking in satisfaction, and even Yukio looked a little impressed.

I shrugged. "Told you it was easy."

Shura rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess you get to skip that part of the training," she said. "You get to move on."

"Hey! What about me?" Rin whined.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Trying lighting the candles like I explained earlier," she said, tossing three more at him.

He caught them and lined them up. "Okay! Got it!" He sat down across from the candles and stared hard, wrinkling his face and pointing at the outer two candles with his hands. He grunted for about five seconds before bursting into flames and making us jump. The candles melted to a wax puddle on the floor.

"I said light, not melt," Shura said as I hurried to suck up the smoldering flames before anyone was hurt or anything burned.

"One more time!" Rin cried, frustrated. We set up another three candles and he tried shooting a jet of flame, but only hit the right one, melting it.

"Are you even trying?" Shura asked.

"Again!" Rin demanded. Another three candles were set. His aim was better this time, but he hit all three.

"Nope, don't light the center one," Shura said.

"Again!" This time he lit the left, then the right.

"Nope. Can't light them one after another."

"Argh! It's too hard!" Rin howled. He pouted and glared at me. "How come you can do it but I can't?"

I scowled at him and said, "I told you, I didn't have a block on my flames like you. I had to control them ever since I could remember, so of course I have better control than you!"

"You probably had to do a lot of meditation as a kid, huh?" Shura said.

I blinked. "Yeah. Until I was eight. How did you know?"

"Meditation is a form of controlling energy," she explained. "Generally it's about controlling your thoughts and, to some extent, your energy. Since the use of your flames are connected to your willpower, meditation is a good way for a young half-demon to learn control."

"So in order for me to be able to light the candles, I need to meditate?" Rin asked, confused.

"You're too far past that stage to start now," Shura said. "While Safaia's been able to meditate and release her flames—albeit in small amounts—you haven't. Your power has been building since the day you were born, with no outlet. Your fire's been bottled up for the past fifteen years with no release. It's no wonder you go berserk as soon as you draw your sword."

"Your demon side's been repressed," I said, understanding dawning. "That's why your flames go out of control so much faster than mine."

"Which is why the candles is the best way for you to learn control," Shura agreed, looking at Rin again. "You need to let your flames out, but if you let out too much, you'll end up doing damage. The candles make you focus, doing smaller amounts more accurately. Do three sets every day until you can do it and pick your nose at the same time!"

She looked at both of us. "When you're not doing that you'll also be training your muscles and studying."

"That's all?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"What about my sword? There isn't much time!" Rin cried.

"Do you know why your flame dominates you when you draw your sword?" Shura asked. "Other than the fact you demon side has been forcefully suppressed?"

"Um…"

"Because you're afraid." Rin blinked. "So it overpowers you."

She turned to me. "Same with you."

"Me?" I said, surprised. "But you saw—"

"What I saw was you handling the small scale," she interrupted. "As long as you don't go over a certain limit, you seem to be fine. It's when you use too much, like drawing your knives, is when you lose control. The reason you never lost control before was because you forcefully sealed your flame away, in your mind, and now that Mephito put that block on you, you've become to relaxed. You have the same problem as Rin. You fear your own power. Build confidence in using your flame, both of you. Then you can used the Koma sword and your knives."

Rin nodded seriously. "All right."

I nodded as well, but still had one question. "So…do I have to do the candle exercise, too?"

"Maybe not as much as Rin, since you've got a good handle on small scale," she mused, "but try to light some at least once a week. Hell, try for a whole roomful!"

I grinned. "I know exactly where I can practice."

Shura nodded. "Good. I'll be sure to get you a supply. For now, you're going to be doing something different." She motioned me into a batting cage. "I'll set it to beginner. I want you to light every ball it shoots at you, one at a time."

"All of them?" I gulped, remembering the speed at which the balls had flown at Rin earlier.

"You bet," she said cheerfully. "Have fun!" She shoved a pair of wooden daggers in my hand (where had she gotten them?) and started the machine.

I yelped and quickly unsheathed the knives. It'd be easier to light the tennis balls if I could use the knives to channel my flames.

The machine whirred and spat three balls in rapid succession at me. I gasped and pointed to the first two with my knives, lighting them. They whizzed by my head, crackling. The third, however, I didn't have time to dodge or light, and it caught me at the point where my forehead, eyes, and nose all met. "Ow!"

Shura cackled while I growled, rubbing the spot, and the machine barked, "Select mode."

"Not as easy as it looks, is it?" Shura snickered.

"Shut up! I can do it!" I reset the machine and tried again, with similar results. This time, though, the third ball bounced off my shin.

"Just keep at it," Shura said, smirking. "You'll get it eventually."

I glared at her and reset the machine. "Piss off." Rin gave me a thumbs up from behind her back and winked. I rolled my eyes and readied myself for the onslaught of tennis balls.

I concentrated. The first ball was spat towards my right. I lit it and used the wooden knife in my hand to bat it away.

Unfortunately, I had been so focused on the first ball, the second one was too close for me to do anything but dodge. I ducked to the floor and it sailed over me, hitting the fence, and the third followed after a moment.

I scowled and kicked the balls to the side, making sure they all burnt to a crisp in the corner. I didn't like this anymore.

A gunshot made me jump and whirl to see Yukio and Shura taking on their own machines, though at a much faster pace and with more skill than me. I watched, amazed, as Yukio shot down four balls with his left hand pistol while reloading the right one. Shura merrily wacked the balls to the side with one of the wooden swords from her cage. Somehow they were able to carry on a conversation, and a serious one from the words I could hear over Yukio's pistols, while doing this.

I scowled even harder. How come they could do it while I couldn't?

I glared at the machine. "All right, you," I snarled, hitting the button for beginner mode. "One more time. One last damn time."

I closed my eyes and concentrated. If I could move so fast and be in places in the blink of an eye, shouldn't I be able to see what was happening while I was going that fast?

Something clicked inside of me and I opened my eyes. It had worked! I was going so fast everything seemed to be in slow motion, even me. The first ball was halfway to me, rotating in a lazy circle and aiming for my chest. I willed it to light on fire and, slowly, flames sprouted. It was like watching a flower bloom. The flames started from the bottom and consumed the top.

I turned my attention to the next ball. Only about a foot behind the first, it was going straight for my head. I stared at it until my flames flickered onto that one too. By this time the first one was almost to me. I lazily batted it away with my right wooden dagger and pushed the second ball away with my left.

I looked at the final ball. Heading straight for my forehead, my newest enemy was rotating forward and hell-bent on getting to me. I smirked and waited until it was about to hit me before lighting it up like a firework and watching it burn right in front of my eyes, slowly, satisfactorily.

Time sped up again. I tipped my head back as the last ball whizzed over, hitting the cage behind me. I took a deep breath, letting reality sink in. When it did, I felt giddy, better than I had in the past few days. "Rin! I did it!" I cried, straightening and turning to my older brother, a wide grin on my face. "Did you see? I got all three—"

FOOM. Bright blue flames consumed my vision and the batting cages next to me. For a long moment, I couldn't see anything. Then, I realized what was going on, and I shrieked. "DAMN IT ALL, RIN!" I snapped, shoving my hand into the flames and wincing at the brief moment of pain. I mixed in a few of my own and sucked them all in behind my mental barrier, making them disappear in a vortex. "LEARN SOME GODDMAN SELF-CONTROL!"

Three pairs of eyes, one missing glasses, turned to stare at me. Yukio and Shura were down to their underwear, but Shura was missing her bra and had her hands covering for it. Yukio was in his boxers. Rin was just sitting where we'd left him, a surprised look on his face.

Yukio and Shura turned back to stare at Rin. "What are you doing Rin?" Yukio asked slowly, still in shock.

"Um—I just—sorry," Rin said, blinking. "B-But look! I burnt your clothes, not you or your underpants! Pretty good control, huh?"

"I…don't think so," Yukio said, glaring dangerously.

Rin yelped and jumped up, taking off.

"Oh, no you don't," I snapped, catching him by the collar as he tried to run past me. "Go give Yukio your pants and Shura your shirt!"

"Why?" he whined, struggling in my grip as Yukio answered his buzzing phone.

"You're the one who burnt their clothes, so you're the one who has to cover them!" I said, shoving him back towards the two Exorcists. "Start stripping!"

"Aw, man," Rin complained, taking off his shirt and tossing it to Shura. She caught it and turned her back to put it on and button it up. "Why can't you cover Yukio?"

"I'm in a skirt, moron," I said. "I don't think Yukio'd appreciate being in a skirt." The glare from our younger brother was enough to ensure Rin that he'd most definitely not.

"But how come I gotta be the one to go around naked?" Rin demanded as he handed Yukio his pants. "Couldn't you give Shura your shirt?"

"You lit this place up like Christmas," I said. "You get to go around naked. And I'm not taking my shirt off for a bunch of high school guys to see my bra!"

"I don't think her shirt would fit me anyway," Shura said, tossing Rin a fire extinguisher specifically made to counteract demonic flames. "No offense, Safaia, but compared to me, you're lacking in the boob department."

"Don't remind me." I scowled.

"There's an emergency summons," Yukio said, ending his call. "Coal tars have infested an old housing complex in North True Cross. There are injuries. One has fallen to temptaint and dozens of others have been infected."

"What's the cause?" Shura asked, back to being serious.

"Unknown," Yukio replied. "All the doctors are gathering. You're a doctor, right?"

"Um, yeah," Shura said, scratching her head. "That's fine…but we're supposed to be watching them." She jabbed her thumb over at me and Rin, where we were currently taking care of any stray flames.

When Yukio didn't reply, Shura grinned devilishly and said, "I guess we'll have to take them with us!"