Haha, sorry this chapter kind of took a while.
Okay, so the quotes from the manga:
1. "Before I go, let me tell you something. The Knights of the True Cross are the same as the Illuminati." This is from the infamous chapter 96. Yukio says this to Rin.
2. "What happened to Yuki-chan? It's the same smile he always gives me...but to me, it feels more like a sign saying, "just leave me be." Shiemi tells Rin this in chapter 69. It's around the time that Yukio starts his very dubious training.
3. "I won't rest until I'm certain it's safe. I won't accept your power!" This line's from Yukio in chapter 37 from the fight with the kraken.
4. "I began training when I was seven. I was infected with Temptaint by my twin brother at birth. I've been able to see demons since before I could crawl." Yeah, sorry, it's this quote again, from chapter 2.
5. "We're brothers but we're completely different! I forgot that! Sorry for being so loud. Good night, Nii-san. Just forget about this." Yukio says this in chapter 90 when he's fighting with Rin about wanting to know their past.
Yay, only five quotes this time. I thought I wouldn't put as many in after the first three parts of the series, but I couldn't resist adding these in. ^^
"I— I want," Rin grips his shoulder tightly, and suddenly, he's afraid to hear Yukio's response, "I want to know what you're planning," he clenches his jaw, fighting to keep his temper down, "I can't stand when you keep everything inside, when I—" the rest of the sentence dies in his throat as Yukio pushes his hand off.
"I need you to do this first," Yukio says impassively, "I can't risk waiting any longer." He stands, pushing past Rin to retrieve the uniform from the floor, "Then, we can talk."
Rin backs away a step, "Fine, but you better tell me when I get back," he says, leaving the room reluctantly, "don't run away. I'll chase you down."
Before I go, let me tell you something. The Knights of the True Cross are the same as the Illuminati.
Is that what this is about? Why else would he want to be so sneaky about this?
"Make sure you don't forget anything on the list," Yukio yells through the door, "I'm counting on you!"
Rin turns back quickly, deciding he wants to confront Yukio about it after all, but he sees a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye, and he jerks back—
His younger self crashes into him and Rin throws his hand out, grabbing the back of his shirt before he falls.
"Crap, sorry I didn't see you there," Rin mutters, kneeling to check if he's okay.
Younger Rin holds out a demure cardboard box, "There was a knock on the door and someone left this here."
Rin takes it curiously, "Thanks," he says, squinting at the smudged, illegible label.
He wants to open it a little, but he's reasonably certain Yukio will get his feathers all ruffled if Rin doesn't hurry and get the things he asked for.
He gives his younger self a pat on the back, "I'm leaving to run an errand but Yuki's going to be in his room. Go nag him if you want anything, okay?"
"Okay!"
Rin climbs the steps to the supply store nervously, tugging his hood down a bit more.
Luckily, it's freezing outside, so he doesn't look too horribly suspicious swaddled in this scarf and coat, but he's still worried. Wouldn't Yukio have been better at this? Why did he send Rin for something that obviously requires discretion?
The shop smells the same as always, an odd mix of fragrant tea and the astringent bitterness of dried herbs and plant roots.
Rin tugs at his scarf again, looking around curiously. Really, nothing has changed here at all.
"Oh, welcome to Futsumaya. Have you been helped yet?"
Rin jumps a little, and it takes him a second to recognize who's speaking to him. He's never met her before, but Shiemi had shown him a photo once—slight, with greying hair pinned neatly into a bun and deep crows feet lining her eyes as she smiles kindly at Rin—this must be Shiemi's grandmother.
Don't you think your friends deserve better? If you could stop the gates from opening in the first place, how many would you save?
Not just them, Rin realizes; he can save more, change more than just stopping the Illuminati.
If he could go back further, he might even be able to stop the Blue Night from—
"Just these," Rin hands Yukio's list over.
"Oh, I'm afraid we're out of dolomite for the time being. Would you like to place an order? We can ship it to you if you like."
"…Uh, no it's fine," Rin mumbles.
She waves a hand, "I can ring you up over here."
Rin stays frozen in place as Shiemi's grandmother gives him another polite smile, words dying in his throat as he forces his legs to move forward.
What could he possibly say? She lives healthily for at least six or seven more years. How does he know anything he says now will have any effect?
Is it unfair, if he only tries to save the people he knows?
"Your total is 47," she says, "I've separated the talismanic agents from the other items, so here are these two bags."
Rin takes them, settling a hand under the heavier one as the paper crinkles worryingly. "Thanks."
But he stands there for a few more seconds, paralyzed by indecision.
"Um, uh, I noticed the garden outside," Rin mentions awkwardly, "it's great, and all the things are growing really well, even though it's winter."
Shiemi's grandmother smiles widely, "Why thank you, dear. That garden is my pride and joy."
She's cut off by the shrill ring of the phone, "Ah, I need to take this. Is there anything else you needed?"
Rin shifts the bags in his hands, "No, I'm good," he swallows the cloudy hesitation constricting his lungs and takes a quick breath—he owes it to Shiemi to at least try. "Be careful—uh, I mean, you know, because it's winter...sorry, I—just don't work too hard on your own," but it doesn't feel like enough and—
But he can't say more, not when he promised Yukio to keep his identity hidden.
Rin dashes out of the shop without looking back, face burning with embarrassment. He yanks the scarf off as he runs down the steps, all but shoving the key through the door to get back home.
More than anything, he is infuriated with himself—how is he supposed to save these people?
It feels like too much. He doesn't think any one of his friends hasn't lost someone.
Where—no, when does he even begin?
Rin gets back to the monastery and he sets the stuff Yukio asked for on the counter.
His attention is drawn to the box he left there earlier. It's heavy, and as he shakes it, he hears the sound of paper sliding around along with an indecipherable clinking noise.
There's no harm looking inside, is there?
Rin peels at the edge of the tape with his fingernail and after several minutes—this probably would have been faster if he wasn't too lazy to go find scissors or a knife—he pries it open, pulling the letter on top out.
There's an eyeglass case and something in a bag, but he figures he should check the letter first. He doesn't know whose stuff this is anyway.
To Okumura Rinka, it says.
Rin tears the edge quickly, grabbing the box as he hurries back to Yukio's room.
That was the last thing he expected. How does anyone know—
Has someone found out where they came from?
"Yukio," Rin yanks the door open, "this box came—"
Rin can only see his back, but Yukio has his arm up, head tilted back—what's he doing? Yukio lowers his arm, setting a small, brown-tinted glass bottle down, blinking as he turns toward Rin, and a tear trails down his cheek.
"Oh, sorry, did I, did I come at a bad time?" Rin sets the supply shop key down on his desk.
Yukio smiles, "It's fine. What's inside?"
What happened to Yuki-chan? It's the same smile he always gives me...but to me, it feels more like a sign saying, "just leave me be."
Rin hesitates, hands hovering over the box as he glances at Yukio. He wants to know what Yukio was doing while he was gone—what if he sent Rin on a supply run just to get him out of the way?
He can't afford to be too obtrusive. It's annoying, because if he asks directly, he's not sure Yukio will tell him, but he's not any good at being subtle.
It still feels like he doesn't know Yukio very well anymore.
Rin jerks the rest of the tape off with more force than strictly necessary, and slides the box over to Yukio, pulling the letter out.
(ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧Congratulations!
It seems you have cleared up enough previous changes; you should not encounter any problems altering the future from here. Now that you have arrived, I would not suggest you use the key too casually. There is a limit; although not explicit, per say. It would do you well to conserve the remaining chances.
My sincere apologies for this afternoon's discourtesy. That demon was one of mine. I assure you his presence is merely a means of observation and vigilance on my orders. The Vatican is distastefully restrictive of my influence. As such, the reins are out of my hands and I cannot assist you any further.
Truly, how curious your circumstances have become, Okumura-kun. I must thank you for continuing to provide such spectacular entertainment. As a show of my appreciation, I have included gifts for you! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Please feel free to visit me to chat over tea anytime,
Mephisto Pheles
Yukio peers over his shoulder, holding a letter of his own.
Greetings Okumura Yukio,
I must admit, you are not the first mortal to outwit my reign over time, but rather, one of the most audacious. For that, I applaud you.
I have taken the liberty of masking your presence from my brothers; they will not sense the disturbance as I did. As you must have surmised by now, that does not mean our father is unaware.
Good luck, for I am intrigued to see who you will become henceforth. Know this, even when time does not heal all wounds, all wounds need time to heal.
Do tread carefully,
Mephisto Pheles
Yukio hands Rin his letter back, "You should definitely go have some tea together," he says casually. "Who knows, he might give you more helpful things."
"...I'd rather not," Rin mutters, "why don't you go then?"
"I think he likes you better than me."
Rin shudders, "I can't decide if that's good or bad."
Yukio reaches into the box and opens the eyeglass case with poorly hidden anticipation. A pair identical to Yukio's sits in the case along with a small slip of paper that falls out.
These are a little experiment of mine. They may serve you better than your current pair.
"What does he mean?" Rin asks impatiently as Yukio tries the glasses on. From the look on his face, Rin can tell, there's probably nothing different, but Mephisto has never given them anything normal so far. To say the least, Rin's surprised Yukio has the guts to wear them on his face without knowing what they're capable of. He must have really been missing his glasses.
Yukio gives Rin a small smile, "Do you have the things I asked for?"
Rin hands the bag over, "They were all out of uh, this dolomite you asked for, but the rest is all in there."
Yukio nods, "Thanks, I'm just about finished with the preparations." He pulls out a stick of chalk and starts drawing runes Rin's never seen before, so he just goes back to looking through the box.
As he somehow expected, there are two coats—the convenient green ones Rin remembers from before—and a thin metal chain.
He picks it up, fiddling with the clasp for a moment, before he looks to the scrap of paper included with it.
It has come to my notice that you may need this. It will hide your demonic nature. Unlike the Koma Sword, it will not seal your power. Use it for any purpose you wish.
Rin sets it aside, gathering a stack of papers from the bottom of the box. He flips through them, confused on finding a photo of himself, his school records, a resume...and then things start to make sense.
"Yukio, look," Rin says, passing the papers to him.
"One second," Yukio says as he lights three candles in the middle of the room, snapping the chalk in half with one hand. His small bowl of herbs and whatever suddenly catches fire, and much to Rin's chagrin, the flames climb high, higher still, until they leave a black scorch mark on the ceiling.
"Dude, the old man's going to give you crap about that—"
But even as he says it, the mark shifts, and black ash flakes off, fluttering downward until they dissipate, more intangible than dust.
"What'd you just do?"
Yukio blows out the candles, picking up the smoldering metal bowl gingerly with his sleeve pulled over his fingers, "I warded the room. From now on, we should only discuss our plans here." He peers over at the papers Rin is still holding, "Oh, he made credentials for us? I was just starting to get worried about this. This is good; we can take the exorcist exam soon—"
"Wait," Rin demands, "why do we have to be so secretive about this? Couldn't it help, if we told them?"
Yukio shakes his head, "That's not what this is about. We should complete this on our own for now. In a few years, if we haven't made progress, we can consider other options."
Yukio sets the identification papers down, "Tou-san and the others...if the Vatican finds out about us, the consequences could be severe. I don't want to implicate them if we don't have to. It's only a matter of time before someone realizes who we are."
"Really?" Rin asks doubtfully, "How would they ever find out?"
"Time travel isn't as implausible to us—I mean exorcists—as it is to regular people. You're not the first that Mephisto has sent back."
Rin frowns, "How did you get here? Could you do it again?"
He's been thinking about that line in the letter. Now that you have arrived, I would not suggest you use the key too casually.
Does that mean he can't go back any further?
"It's not likely. I…wasn't certain it would work in the first place," Yukio pulls another chair over to the desk, grabbing a notepad as he gestures Rin sit. "Do you remember the Phantom Train we fought with Shiemi-san?"
Rin crosses his arms, "A little. It was the one with the souls inside, right?"
Yukio nods, "Phantom Trains are kin of Samael, and they have the ability to travel dimensions."
"But you traveled back in time—"
"Exactly," Yukio draws two boxes on paper, labelling one as "2018" and another as "2008" as he adds a circle in the middle, "it's been hypothesized that Phantom Trains don't just travel between one location of Assiah and Gehenna, but rather several locations in Assiah."
"I don't get it," Rin declares, "isn't it just going to different—"
"I'm not finished explaining," Yukio prods his glasses up with his index finger, tapping the page. "This train was travelling between Gehenna and the same station, but from two separate points in time. That is how I came here."
Rin frowns, "Man, how'd you figure all that out?"
"I didn't. Like I said, I didn't think it would work," Yukio sighs. "I knew the Illuminati had been investigating it. Nearly eleven years ago, they noticed small objects appearing unexpectedly. Mostly, they were personal belongings, but once or twice, people found tickets from nonsensical dates."
"Crap, does that mean other people will come back too?"
"No," Yukio traces his circle on the piece of paper thickly, with dark, heavy lines, "because they don't survive the trip through Gehenna."
Rin pauses to think for a few seconds and then it comes to him with startling clarity.
Words refuse to leave his mouth though.
The hauntingly vibrant blue that was mirrored by Rin's own flames; the strange power Yukio had—that Rin knew nothing of—and Rin almost couldn't recognize him.
The one standing on the bridge, with eyes so frighteningly cold, as though Rin was nothing to him at all; as though they were less than strangers—Rin never wants to face him again. He was not Yukio, not the one Rin knows—the one he wants back—the one who would never say such things.
But that's not right either.
I won't rest until I'm certain it's safe. I won't accept your power!
Rin can't help the soft, self-deprecating laugh that escapes. Now that the tables are turned, it's weird that he finally knows how Yukio felt.
"It's your eye, isn't it?" he says finally. Does Yukio have the same powers? How does he still look human?
"My left eye," Yukio agrees, "can be used by Satan to see into Assiah. I didn't inherit flames or anything like your powers."
His tone of voice is steady—too steady to be natural.
He breaks eye contact, twirling his pencil absently, "I asked you to buy me supplies because I've been making something that will suppress the Temptaint in my eye. My equipment is sadly lacking compared to what I had before, but for now it seems to be sufficient. Before, I only used holy water, but I'm trying a different approach. If it works well enough, I'll be able to administer it once a day."
Rin starts to nod, but an unpleasant thought occurs to him. "What about your younger self?"
"For me, the first time I felt it was when in Kyoto during the Impure King incident. As long as he doesn't run into a life-threatening situation, there shouldn't be any issues."
It sounds awfully uncertain when he says it, but Rin doesn't want to push him any further. He's talking about it now, and that's good enough. Yukio's always been the capable one. If Rin managed to get a handle on his powers, he's sure Yukio will turn out okay.
It's unsettling though, that he's known since the Impure King. He hid it for more than half a year and Rin couldn't even guess what was wrong.
It doesn't come as much of a surprise. Yukio's always been good at keeping secrets. The more important they are, the better he keeps them.
I began training when I was seven. I was infected with Temptaint by my twin brother at birth. I've been able to see demons since before I could crawl.
What else has Yukio been keeping from him? How many more secrets does Rin still not know?
In truth, he's afraid if he offers to help, Yukio will reject him, like before.
So, he won't ask more, for now.
For now.
Yukio's been spinning his pencil, staring fixedly at the sheet of paper for the past minute and it occurs to Rin...it might be a little farfetched, but what if Yukio feels as he did; to want to be accepted?
His head is a mess right now. He needs some time first, or he's going to say the wrong thing.
Rin shifts in his seat, deciding to switch subjects. There's one more question he needs answered anyway.
"Then, do you think we could go back further? I don't think my way will work, but what if yours—"
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Rin swallows. He had a feeling Yukio wouldn't agree, but from how quickly he responded, odds are, Yukio's been thinking about it too.
No matter how hard he tries, he's never managed to talk Yukio into anything he doesn't want.
Still, he doesn't want to think about why he insists on trying, "There's more people we could save, if we go back. Like our mom and all those exorcists, and the monks from Suguro's temple—"
"And what?" Yukio cuts in, "Are you seriously planning on stopping the Blue Night?"
"Yeah, it was partly our fault," Rin protests, standing so quickly he feels lightheaded, "and we can't just let them die, not if we can do something about it!"
He knows he's being illogical. His mind was made up earlier but right now, more than anything, he doesn't want-he can't stand his own reluctance; the hesitation he felt earlier when he couldn't do anything for Shiemi's grandmother-to regret not having tried, to be so afraid of failing.
"Nii-san, I can't let you do that," Yukio says, voice callous and bitter. "Even if you could travel back in time again, which is unlikely, you'd die trying to save them."
"Why—"
"Do you have an actual plan?" Yukio asks with a tinge of irritation lacing his words, "I think you must have forgotten who caused the Blue Night in the first place. Can you really defeat Satan, all by yourself?"
"I…" Rin unclenches his fists, "How can we pick and choose? It's not right if we save some people but—"
Yukio stands as he seizes Rin's wrist, furious rage flashing behind his glasses—it's not like him to lose his temper so quickly.
His fingers close tightly around Rin's wrist; so tightly that Rin imagines he can feel the infinitesimal tremors of his frustration, "Can't you spare a thought of how I feel when you try to save others without the slightest care for your own safety?" Yukio seethes, lips pulling back into a snarl.
"Quit trying to play the hero when you don't have the strength to back it up!"
The accusation hits him like a slap across the face and Rin stumbles back instinctively, "Then," he breathes, "tell me, what I'm supposed to do? I can't—"
The instant the words leave his lips he feels incredibly drained, like saying it aloud meant he can't deny it any longer.
"I can't save anyone. I don't know how."
Yukio's grip on Rin's hand doesn't waver, but the silence floats between them with an uncomfortable, diffident air.
"This is what you were beating yourself up about?"
Rin grinds his teeth as his own temper flares, scornfully hot and indignant as he holds himself back. He's not going to punch Yukio in the face—in his new glasses—for being such a jerk.
Yukio laughs though, and Rin really wants to hit him now.
"Nii-san, it's just like you to do something like this," he mutters derisively. "You said it must be tiring for me to worry so often, but I'd say the same of you. Is it not exhausting, to care so much?"
"What—what are you saying?"
Yukio looks away, and he pushes his glasses up again, smiling quickly, "I'm sorry for my outburst. I shouldn't have yelled."
We're brothers but we're completely different! I forgot that! Sorry for being so loud. Good night, Nii-san. Just forget about this.
His grip on Rin's wrist slackens and he pulls away, composing himself in the next second.
"We need a solid objective. It's too much, to try to make the future flawless. We'll save the ones we can, right now," Yukio says adamantly. "We need to focus on stopping the gates from opening. Otherwise, all of this will have been for nothing."
It's as he expected anyway. Deep down, he knew he wouldn't be going to save them.
He hasn't grown a bit. Rin's always looked to Yukio for help. Even before he became a teacher, Yukio has always known what to do, he's always been able to make the hard, painful decisions that Rin couldn't commit to.
He knew Yukio wouldn't agree, but he still wanted to say it.
It's dumb because Rin wanted to say it so he could let go of that hope; he'd probably known—from the second he stepped out of the doors to the past and seen their past selves—that he couldn't go back any further.
It shouldn't be like this though. It feels far too selfish.
Rin chops the Napa cabbage swiftly, letting the familiar motions cloud out his harried thoughts.
Yukio is sitting on the couch with their younger selves, reading some story to them, and for the moment, everything is too calm for the turmoil in his head.
Just then, the phone rings and Yukio hurries over to pick it up.
Rin pauses in his work, trying to hear who he's talking to, but Yukio doesn't say much at all, just a few murmured words as he listens to the other person speak.
It's taking a long time though, so Rin goes back to chopping more ingredients.
He feels like he forgot something important though. He was supposed to do...something. It's a gnawing, anxious feeling he can't seem to get rid of.
Rin prepares the sukiyaki ingredients all too quickly, and even when he's finished, Yukio is somehow still on the phone.
Rin walks over to the couch, picking up the story book absently as he sets a plate of persimmon slices on the table, "Don't eat too many or you won't have room for dinner," he warns as Younger Rin and Yukio scamper over.
Yukio comes back and he waves a hand a Rin to follow him.
"Who was it?"
"Ah, Father Fujimoto was just checking if everything's going okay. Their mission is going to take a while this time."
"I don't remember this happening before though," Rin leans against the wall, trying to keep an eye on their younger selves. "Did they ever leave us alone at home?"
"Last time, Tou-san probably stayed behind to look after us," Yukio suggests. "Now that we're here, he doesn't need to."
"Did he say what they're doing?"
Yukio nods, "A set of Demon Karuta was stolen. Usually it wouldn't be an issue since they're used for Aria certifications all the time, but this one's reading cards are possessed—"
"Oh! I know that one. Suguro played it before," Rin exclaims, "it ends up in Lightning's hands later."
Yukio raises a finger to his lips, turning to check that Younger Rin and Yukio are still occupied by the persimmons, "That's odd. Perhaps it was given to him by the Order."
"Did the old man say anything else?"
Yukio points down the hallway to his room.
"Just some instructions about going to preschool, their bedtime and a few others," he replies as he gestures for Rin to go inside first.
He locks the door with a sharp click and Rin watches as the chalk lines appear on the walls in slight awe—why does Yukio know how to do all this cool stuff? They didn't teach these things in class.
Yukio opens the drawer holding the stuff Mephisto gave them, "Now that we have those documents from Sir Pheles, we should take the exorcist certification exam."
Rin agrees as quickly as he can, "Yeah, sure. Then we can help the Order to stop the gates later."
He's noticed before, even though it doesn't happen often; Yukio can't think right when he's frustrated, and he's unbearably stubborn once he starts to think he's losing. Rin had been worried that Yukio might try something radical because he being infuriatingly unpredictable now, but this is straightforward and that's the best—
"Yes, but you need training, Nii-san," Yukio smiles thinly, "you won't be using your flames, after all."
"Oh," Rin's heart sinks, "crap, that's bad."
"It's usually in March, so we have two months," Yukio offers, "but you need to study for the written exam too. I suggest you start as soon as possible. We have lots of time now. I'll tutor you personally."
Rin laughs nervously, "Ahh, I have to uh, go check on Rin and Yukio—"
Yukio frowns, turning serious as he flips through the identification papers, "We should get this straight. You slipped up twice, Nii-san. From now on, we should get used to these new names. I am Yuki and you are Rinka."
His hands shake minutely as he hands Rin his pages, "We can't be Yukio and Rin any longer. If someone were to discover our identities—that's a mistake we can't afford."
Rin accepts the papers, "I know."
Yukio shakes his head, "Not only for their safety and ours. The consequences could be even worse. If the Illuminati finds out, think about it, what would happen...if they could time travel?"
Rin tucks Younger Yukio's blanket tightly around the sides until he's cocooned well enough and Yukio peers over, frowning disapprovingly, "Nii-san, that looks uncomfortable."
Younger Yukio shakes his head hurriedly, "It's okay, I don't mind."
"Can you tell us a story?" Younger Rin asks eagerly, "Tell us something cool!"
"Alright, Yuki's going to tell you a super cool one," he leans close and whispers in Yukio's ear, "use your teacher skills to make them fall asleep," he grins cheekily.
Yukio glares but as he turns, he smiles indulgently, "Sure," he pulls a chair over to their beds, "this story is about a…carriage driver."
Rin throws him an incredulous look, "What are you doing? Just tell them a princess one! They have to sleep at eight," he whispers, "you only have six minutes, you know!"
Yukio ignores him, "This carriage driver had two horses and he switched between them by day and night. He worked long before the sun rose and late after it set. The day horse was sturdy, and the carriage driver knew he could depend on it even when he tired himself. On the other hand, the night horse was swift. It ran with the wind trailing behind it; faster than thunder through air."
Younger Yukio's eyes widen excitedly, "Ahh, cool."
Yukio nods gently, "The carriage driver specialized in escorting guests from the border of the kingdom to the center of the nearest town. His route was always the same and at times he would doze off, trusting his horses to know the way."
Crap, Rin thinks, something bad is going to happen now. He's getting worried. What if Yukio makes the story too sad or something and they can't sleep?
"It was a quiet winter dusk when the carriage driver received a strange request from one of his passengers," Yuki lowers his voice. "A young girl dressed in a thin shawl and torn shoes asked him to take her beyond the border, to the next town outside the kingdom. She told him, 'In exchange, I will reward you extravagantly,' and the carriage driver agreed."
At least it's boring enough that Younger Rin's eyelids begin to droop, and Younger Yukio nods a little too. It helps that Yukio drones on and on evenly and Rin almost feels like he's in class again, listening to one of his lectures.
"He doubted the young girl would be able to pay him at all, but she seemed to need his help, so he decided to make an exception."
Yukio glances at his watch, "The sun sets completely, and the carriage driver realized his dilemma. His day horse had worked many hours already, but the night horse was sure to tire before the end of the journey beyond the border. Still, he decided to risk it. He would take both horses to lessen their burden."
"The night was cold and as they neared the city, the horses' pace slowed. 'Only a little further,' the driver thought to himself, 'I've come this far now.' By the time they reached their destination, the carriage driver was exhausted and so were his horses. The roads of this new town were unfamiliar to him and he had been forced to travel precarious paths slick with snow and ice."
Younger Yukio bites his lip anxiously and Rin crosses his arms, giving Yukio's chair a light kick, "Don't you dare make the ending sad," he hisses.
Yukio grimaces as he continues, "The driver brought his horses to a stop and opened the carriage door, but the girl nowhere to be seen. She had left a meager pile of coins for him, and the driver realized, she had intended to trick him from the beginning. 'That's fine,' the driver thought, 'I've helped her and that's enough.' So, he searched for his next customer to take across the border. However, this city was wealthy, and no one wished to visit the small, destitute town the driver came from. Without any other options, the carriage driver decided to return home, determined to work more tomorrow to make up for tonight's loss."
Yukio clears his throat, flicking a speck of dust off his sleeve as he stalls, "So…the...carriage driver left the city only to discover both horses had been overworked. He couldn't return home," he pauses again, "he...he'd made a careless mistake that would cost him more than a night's pay, and now, since he took unfamiliar roads to reach the city, the driver was lost—"
"Hey," Rin murmurs, "I think they fell asleep," he says bluntly. "See, I knew you'd be effective."
Yuki shrugs, "I forgot the moral of this story anyway," he whispers, easing the door shut. "I thought it was supposed to have a happy ending, but I must have remembered wrong."
Notes:
Hello!
To start, I have to say this chapter was horrible to write. I wrote it from Yukio's perspective initially, then rewrote it from his perspective again. But it sucked, so I switched to Rin's. Only, that wasn't much better and I had to scrap a bunch of stuff, so what you read just barely is the result of much struggling. XD
Part of the reason why I was having such a hard time was because I had this big section about Yukio making his fancy eye drops. Like, I was thinking, because salt and holy water repel demons and stuff, he could make eye drops with them and it'd probably be isotonic too, if he added salt. Then, in chapter 67, in the volume 15 extras, there's a little part about the stuff Yukio puts in his bullets. One of the herbs, which he orders from the supply shop in episode 4, chapter 3, is hypericum erectum. It treats Temptaint, and I was thinking, since Egyn mentioned there was a lot of Temptaint in Yukio's left eye (chapter 110) he could try blocking it with stuff. After all, it seems really inconvenient to use the eyepatch, particularly because he's a dragoon, so sight is really important to him.
The part I added about the Demon Karuta is from chapter 71 when Bon is cleaning out Lewin Light's room. It was interesting, so I wanted to put it in this. :)
Also, the thing Yukio did with the room was just something I made up. In episode 2, Shiro does something to lock Rin in the basement, but interestingly enough, it wasn't from the manga. Ao no Exorcist is actually super strict with its supernatural elements-like, no hand-waving crap-and I really like that, but I felt like this was somewhat necessary, so I just added it in for convenience. :D
The last part of this chapter was something I added in afterwards. I wanted to write something fluffy because the chapter was kind of depressing, but somehow, it didn't turn out like I wanted it to. Sorry that it's not very cute.
So far, I've managed to make a little timeline. You may have noticed in this chapter, I wrote that they were in 2018, and when they went to the past it's 2008. This bodes well guys. I'm going to try outlining this fic properly. XD
Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Your support means so much to me. *O*
I have a bad habit of leaving my works unfinished (most of them are for Original Sin...but I'm waiting for season 2 so I have zero motivation T.T) but I promise I'm going to work really hard on this one. I've never had this many people read my stuff before and everyone is so nice and encouraging, I totally owe it to you guys to make sure this one is completed! ^^
I hope you'll like this chapter!
- bluewindfall