Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Blue Exorcist

Mephisto had explained the rules of the school, told Rin he'd be living in some old dorms with only one other student, and gave him a key to the school he'd be attending for exorcist classes. When Rin had asked about the strange living arrangement, Mephisto had said someone needed to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't go berserk on the school. Rin insisted he was in control, but it wasn't up for debate. The exorcist watching him wouldn't even know the truth, so Mephisto cautioned him to be extra careful. All the exorcist had been told was that Rin was a problem student that simply couldn't get along with others, so he had to be kept alone, and under supervision. So, basically the exorcist was being told he was Rin's babysitter. The concept made him glare in irritation. Just because he looked like a kid still didn't mean he was one. He just had to stop aging for six years because of Zeref's stupid curse mixing inside of him.

Now, Rin was sitting in class, since apparently the discussion with Mephisto ended just on time for him to attend. Mephisto assured Rin that he'd catch up in no time, and had just tossed him a bunch of books and sent him on his way. Mephisto had said his teacher would show him to his room afterwords, since it'd be his instructor rooming with him. That almost made it worse in a way. He'd be having a teacher nagging him about homework both in and out of class now, which would just suck. It was making him wish he'd just given up on finding Yukio before and stayed with Fairy Tail…but his brother was worth it. He had to find Yukio, and warn him about the exorcists in the first place.

The other students were rather quiet, he noticed. A group of guys sat together kind of in the middle row, towards the edge of the room. A girl with dark purple hair sat towards the front, studiously reviewing her notes. Rin didn't know who to talk to or what to do, so he just took a seat alone, in the center of the room. Another girl entered not long after him, dressed in a kimono rather than an actual uniform. "Is that…a new student?" A shy voice spoke, making Rin look up with a smile.

"Yeah, just go take a seat." The purpler haired girl waved her off, shaking her head. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything. People switch schools all the time, you know."

"Sorry." The blond apologized, moving towards Rin and sitting down. She held out her hand, giving him a small smile. "I'm Shiemmi. It's nice to meet you."

Shaking her hand, Rin smiled. "I'm Rin. It's nice to see at least one person here that isn't a jerk." He glared over at the back of the other girl's head, who seemed to be pointedly ignoring him.

The guys in the back of the room didn't seem to even hear, staying lost in their own conversation. "Aww, don't say that. They're all really nice, once you get to know them. Izumo just takes some time to warm up to you."

"Like I want any friends like him. That guy is a weirdo. He came in with the headmaster, and no one knows a thing about him. Rumor says he got in because he bribed Mephisto, not like he'll believe it." How had rumors spread about him already? Rin stared at the girl, blinking for a moment. Then, he realized it was probably her starting them in the first place.

Scowling, Rin looked away. "I'm here to become an exorcist, just like all of you. What about that makes me a bad guy?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Izumo didn't look convinced, shrugging. "If you can actually be useful unlike all the other newbies that keep dropping out before even becoming exwires like the rest of us, maybe I'll change my mind."

The door opened again, while Rin was getting ready to respond. Shiemmi turned to the front of the room, and Rin did the same with a scowl. He would prove her wrong. After everything he'd gone through, Rin knew he could get past this too. Yet, his eyes slowly began to widen at the person walking in. "Greetings class. Since we have a new student today, I shall be introducing myself once more. I am—" He broke off, his gaze landing on Rin and his eyes widening. "R-Rin?"

"Do you know him, Mr. Okumura?" One of the guys in the back frowned at Yukio, the man that was supposed to be there teacher. Rin was staring with wide eyes, uncertain of what to say. "I didn't think anyone knew him. He apparently just got to the academy today, and he was thrown into our class without any kind of warning."

Glancing back, Rin saw the guy speaking seemed to be some kind of rebel, at least in appearance wise. He had a stripe of blond hair down the center of his other-wise black colored short hair. With ear piercings to emphasize it all, Rin wondered if he'd somehow gotten this guy angry without realizing it. "I knew it wasn't possible…they all said you were dead, but I just knew it wasn't the case." Yukio smiled, walking forward. "Rin…it really is you, isn't it?"

Swallowing, Rin looked around. This…was weird. Sure, he'd been excited to see Yukio again, but he didn't expect to run into him in a class where he was a complete stranger. Still, he could overhear people talking. The kid next to the first one, the one without hair, leaned close to his friend and spoke. "I think I remember Mr. Okumura mentioning Rin before. Supposedly, Rin was his brother who died alongside of the last paladin."

"Do you think that means this kid trained with Shirou too? With how awesome Professor Okumura is already, I didn't think it'd be possible to have another prodigy." The red-head joined in, and Rin was starting to think he was getting more attention than he wanted.

Looking towards his brother, Rin rubbed the back of his head. "Uh…hey, Yukio. It's been a while, right?"

Yukio looked like he wanted to say something, opening his mouth for a moment. Then, he glanced around, seeming to remember where he was at and what he was doing. Taking a deep breath, Yukio nodded faintly, stepping back to the front of the room. "We'll…talk later, okay?" Rin nodded, and he focused on the class once more. "I apologize for the interruption. Now, today we were focusing on goblins. They are a demon of…" It was the beginning of his first lecture on exorcism, but Rin really couldn't focus. Yukio was teaching him. He was going to be living with his brother again. Rin found himself smiling at the thought, zoning out for the rest of class. He didn't even notice when it ended and the others all cleared out, leaving just him and Yukio behind in the room.

Yukio walked towards him, giving him a small smile. "You really haven't changed at all, have you?" Blinking, Rin looked over at him. Yukio was definitely older, Rin noted. He was taller, yet he still was clearly Yukio. He had that same mole on his cheek, and still wore his glasses proudly. "I'm willing to bet you can't recall a single thing from this lesson, with the way you spaced out the entire time."

"So? You know I never learned well like this. I don't do…sitting around and reading stuff."

It made no sense, what he said, but it was a bit late to reword things. Rin huffed, looking away. Yet, Yukio only chuckled faintly. Rin blinked as arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. Rin's face ended up pressed into Yukio's dark coat, crinkling the fabric as Yukio sighed. "I missed you so much, Rin. When they said they couldn't find you or Father…it nearly broke me. I was alone, and…they kept saying it was likely you two were both dead. I just couldn't accept that…I knew you had to be out there, somewhere."

Inhaling slowly, Rin closed his eyes. "Dad…really is gone, Yukio."

His brother didn't reply, only rubbing his back. "That…that's alright." Yukio's voice wasn't quite as even as before, but it was still calm. "At least one of you came back." Yukio was quiet for a moment, just holding his brother. Rin wondered if he could feel the tail hidden underneath his shirt, or if Yukio had noticed the way his ears weren't quite as rounded as they used to be, even with his sword sheathed. Yet, his brother said nothing about it, pulling back with a frown. "Where were you? I looked everywhere, Rin! Your old jobs, the school, that playground you'd go to when you were upset about something that happened…I checked everywhere I knew you'd be, and you just…weren't there."

Looking at Yukio, Rin swallowed. "Would you believe me if I said I was in another world?" Yukio stared at him, and Rin laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah…it's a long story, but to kinda shorten it…Satan tried to drag me into Gehenna, but someone else interfered and brought me to some other world. I've been kinda living there for a while…but it's really different from here."

"Rin, this isn't the time for some fantasy of yours. I need to know the truth."

"That is the truth, damn it!" Rin glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "There was magic in that place, and this weird guy said he brought me there to…" He broke off, realizing that Yukio probably wouldn't believe even that much. His brother likely didn't even realize who their real father was…or what Rin was now. "Well, what he wanted doesn't really matter. But, he wanted me there to do something. And by bringing me there, he kinda wiped away all my memories too…so it took me a while to remember where I even came from, and why I wanted to come back."

Staring at him, Yukio pinched the bridge of his nose. "You expect me to believe that magic is real?"

"Not here, duh. But it was there." Rin shrugged, gesturing to the board in front of them that still had Yukio's notes on it. "I mean, is it really all that different from saying demons are real? I bet the people over there wouldn't understand a thing about the demons you talk about, Yukio."

"You say that like there were demons in this other world."

"Well…I never met any of them, but they were there. Some wizard made them…"

"Of course. Because magic explains everything, right?"

The sarcasm was not missed, and Rin gritted his teeth together. He had forgotten how often he argued with his brother. This wasn't the reunion he'd imagined, not by a long shot. "Look, I get that it isn't easy to believe. I'm not expecting you to just say it all makes sense, Yukio. But that doesn't change the fact that it's what happened." He locked eyes with his brother, taking a deep breath. He was better than this. He wouldn't lose his temper. "I'm sorry it isn't the answer you wanted, but I can't change the truth, and you know I wouldn't lie to you."

Yukio met his gaze, hesitating for a moment. He studied Rin, before letting out a long breath of air, inclining his head and dropping his hands to his sides. "I suppose I'll just have to believe that for now, then. Really, when I think about it, you aren't bright enough to come up with an elaborate excuse like that."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing." Yukio smiled faintly, grabbing his bag and slinging the strap over his shoulder. "Just that you are still as much of an idiot as you used to be, Rin. Though, you do seem…more mature, at least. I was honestly expecting you to start yelling nonstop at me about all of this, but you actually managed to stay calm for a change. You really can control yourself when you want to, can't you?"

"Of course I can." Rin glared at him, shoving his brother playfully. "I've always been able to! I just never really bothered with it. After all, what's the point in being able to yell if I don't complain about things I don't like?"

"And that's the kind of logic that always gets you into trouble. Really, why do you think the headmaster ordered you to be watched over like this? Keeping that kind of attitude is just going to ensure you're forever treated like a child, Rin."

Pouting, Rin shook his head. "So? Besides, it's not like I can't act mature when I want to. Maturity is so boring, Yukio…it means following boring rules and having to read books and not do anything fun." He glanced at his brother, who was smiling faintly. "And of course, you went ahead and embraced all of it. Really, when did you become such a grown-up? Heck, when did you even decide to be an exorcist? I thought you were going to be a doctor, Yukio!"

"Actually, I've been training to be an exorcist since before Dad died." Yukio glanced over at Rin, smiling faintly. "There's a type of exorcist that specializes in treating wounds caused by demons though, and that's often referred to as a doctor. That's just one of my specialties, though. After all, it isn't that great when it comes to actually killing demons too."

That made Rin feel oddly cold. He looked away, staring at the ground and becoming more aware the weight of Kurikara on his back. "Right. I figured as much. Of course, my little brother went and got all strong while I disappeared for years, huh? Seems like I'm always the one falling behind." Yet, he'd been ahead for a while. He may have had an unfair advantage, having Zeref's magic, but for a little while, Rin had been the one that pulled ahead. At least, it felt that way…before he remembered he had a brother to impress at all.

"You'll catch up in no time, Rin. The others in your class may be exwires, but that doesn't mean you can't work hard and join them soon." Rin still had no idea what that meant in terms of exorcism, but he didn't bother asking. "In fact, since we're living together, that just gives me more time to help you study. We can get started right away, if you'd like!"

Groaning, Rin shook his head. "No way! I'm tired of reading books all day long, and doing nothing but work. I want—" He broke off, seeing Yukio glancing at him.

"You've been studying? What were you working on then?"

Hearing the interruption, Rin dropped his gaze, swallowing. They left the room, walking around the academy towards their shared room. "A bunch of stuff. It wouldn't interest you, though."

"Rin, I want to hear what you've been up to. We haven't seen each other in six years, after all. While you still act like the brother I remember…right now, I'm starting to think there's a lot you're hiding."

For a moment, Rin saw Grim's face. He saw his master, and felt those stabs digging into his skin for hours on end. In his mind, his own screams echoed around him, while he stopped moving completely. People were around him, but it didn't help. No, they could be part of Grim…and that made him close his eyes, leaning forward with a shudder. Grim was gone. He wasn't in that world…yet those memories still haunted him. "Rin?" Yukio's voice called to him. Yet, he heard another voice as well.

"Let's hear your answer, boy. You ready to tell me how it's done? This'll all be over once you do…"

He flinched, jerking away as Yukio grabbed his arm. Breathing heavily, Rin turned and started picking up his pace, needing to get away from the crowd. Yukio followed, swearing under his breath, though Rin didn't care. Before long, he found himself in a new building, empty and away from everyone. Yukio joined him, and Rin collapsed in the hall, closing his eyes. He hadn't broken down like this over Grim…ever. Even right after it happened, the worst it had been was nightmares. Yet…maybe that was why it came now. He had forced himself to keep moving forward, to forget it all…and now it just kept building, to the point where he couldn't escape it.

"Rin…I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. Please…whatever it is, let me help. I'm still your brother, Rin, no matter what's changed."

"Just…give me a moment." Rin managed to breath that out, pressing his hands to his ears. The images were slowly fading away, and his breaths were evening out. They were alone, and it looked like Rin had collapsed in the hall of some dorm room. Yet, no one tried walking past them so he figured it was abandoned anyway. "Sorry." He looked up at Yukio, taking a deep breath. "Recently…some stuff happened over there, stuff that didn't really turn out so well. Kinda trying to forget about those memories, actually." Rin rubbed the back of his head, shrugging. "Really, I don't even know what triggered them. I mean, it's not like anything here is anything like him."

"Rin…" Yukio watched him, reaching forward and holding his shoulder tightly. "This isn't something you just write off like that. A reaction like this isn't the sort of thing that happens from just a bad day."

"Promise you won't freak out?" Rin watched Yukio, and his brother slowly nodded. Rin ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes and taking a deep, slow breath. "This…guy over there, he thought he knew me. Some weird stuff happened, I kinda used someone else's magic, and that guy decided he wanted to learn how to use it too. He…kidnapped me. Away from the people who I'd been staying with, the people that were almost like family to me. I was afraid of what he'd do with that power, Yukio…the guy talked about wanting to take over the world, for god's sake! People don't just say things like that calmly, do they?" Rin was getting louder, and he blinked for a moment. Yukio was watching him, still calmly kneeling on the ground in front of Rin.

Taking another deep breath, Rin looked away. "He…didn't like the fact that I refused. He tried to get his answers anyway…and I kinda don't remember a whole lot of details after that. It just hurt a lot…and I didn't think it'd end." Rin couldn't bring himself to say any details. Yukio…would go into a panic attack if he heard. Yet, even with the vague comments, Yukio's hands clenched into fists, glaring at the ground.

"Someone tortured you? Rin, this isn't the kind of thing you just come back from and write off as nothing!"

"Well, it did happen a few months ago…I mean, I've been busy researching ways to travel between different worlds instead. The whole event kinda timed out with when I started remembering where I cam from, so I had other things on my mind, Yukio."

Yukio shook his head, rising to his feet. "That's even worse! You recover, and immediately just try diving in to some other problems? Rin, why are you always rushing into everything? People suffer from mental disorders after torture! PTSD, anxiety, haven't you heard of anything like that?"

"Uh…" Rin had, but he didn't think Yukio would be so angry about it. "Look, I'm alright, Yukio! I promise, I'm not rushing into anything. And, really, having something to focus on made me feel better, honestly."

"Of course it did, because you just kept repressing your emotions and memories again." Yukio shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I have no idea how you got by without me. The things you get involved in when I'm gone…"

"Well, I did meet some good friends over there." Rin smiled at Yukio, with Mira's face flashing in his mind. He already missed the takeover wizard, and he'd hardly been here for a day. "You would've liked them, I think. Well, at least some of them." For some reason, Rin just couldn't imagine Yukio dealing with Natsu that well. The dragon slayer's antics would irritate Yukio, who would try and calmly refuse to fight…slowly, Rin was grinning, wanting to actually see them meet. Yet, that grin faded as he realized it probably wouldn't happen. He wouldn't see them again…now that he had gotten away. "I…I kinda wish I could go back, to visit. I know I haven't been here long…but I felt like I'd found a place where I actually belonged for a change. They didn't hate me because I had a short temper…and they were willing to do anything to help me out."

"But that wasn't your home, Rin." It didn't make it feel any better, hearing Yukio's logic. His brother wrapped an arm around his shoulders, sighing and rubbing Rin's arm. "You're home now, and that's what matters. I'll make sure you find your place here, Rin. You know I'd never abandon you, right?"

Meeting his gaze, Rin smiled weakly. His brother was an exorcist, and he was a demon. If he learned the truth…if anyone did, he'd be dead. It wouldn't turn out like it did with Mira, who responded with kindness and sympathy for his situation. Here, demons were nothing but evil and he'd be attacked on sight. Still…he needed to protect Yukio, somehow. If the exorcists wanted to open a Gehenna Gate of the size he'd heard them discussing, they'd need a lot of blood from someone related to Satan. He doubted Mephisto would do a thing to help, but someone who had no clue what would happen? Rin wasn't going to let them manipulate his little brother into their games. So, he nodded, and let Yukio lead him down the halls to their shared room. Rin remained quiet, sleeping with his clothes on and wondering how he'd hide his tail while living with his brother. Either way, it was a problem to deal with later. Exhaustion won over him, and he fell asleep wondering what it'd be like if he'd stayed behind in Fiore instead, with his brother coming to find him instead of the other way around.

So, I'm somewhat messing with the timeline of the Blue Exorcist anime here. I wanted Rin to be returning and still meet the others in class (since I really am not fond of incorporating OC's), so the class is still here and still learning more under Yukio. I hope you don't mind the change too much. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!