Ch. 11

I enjoyed birthdays about as much as I enjoyed Christmas. Another year older? Big deal, you age every day! But turning seventeen meant one step closer to leaving Spiker and Sponge. Unfortunately, that was also the day I learned WHY the old hags wanted us- or to be more specific, James- to stay with them.
~

In like a lion, out like a lamb. Rin didn't know why that saying only applied to March, but it had always pleased her. The heavy rains and howling rains of the third month had never daunted the young half-demon; if anything, they were something to look forward to.

"Won't beat me," Rin growled as she wrestled the heavy tarp to the ground and struggled to tie it down. A yank of the hemp rope and there! The tiny garden at the back of the house was sheltered. Rin lifted a fanged grin to the sky as a swirl of wind and rain assaulted her. Oh would that she could take to the sky right now and feel the strong wind under her wings. The power of the gale forces trying to beat her back to the ground as she rose higher and higher! Oh, there was nothing like it!

"Get inside!"

Rin growled as Spiker's shrill voice carried over the rising storm. True, there was also nothing like a hated voice to bring her mind back to earth while her body struggled not to take to the air.

"God, you look like a drowned rat." Spiker's lip curled in disgust as her niece tromped up to the house, rainwater streaming from her clothes. "Dry off in the root cellar, you filthy creature."

"Gladly, Ama Obi-san," Rin muttered.

Rin squelched down to the basement and shook herself off. Water splattered from her lean body against the jars of preserves and bundles of dried vegetables and fruit. Glancing behind her, Rin grabbed a few apples, a few leaves of lettuce and two carrots and tucked them into her kitsune bag. Better than nothing.

Hurrying back upstairs, Rin dodged the kitchen and made for the attic. Entering her bedroom, the first thing the young half-demon noticed was that the tarp she had strung over the window was starting to come loose. The second thing she noticed was the small form huddled on the bed under the sole blanket.

"James-chan?"

"Rin?" Rin's ears drooped at how hollow her brother's voice sounded.

"Hai, it's me. What happened? Are you alright?" As if to answer the half-demon's question, a particularly vicious gust of wind made a corner the worn piece of tarp strung against the bedroom window snap free.

"One second, James. I'll fix this." Rin turned to fix the loose tarp and as she did, her sharp ears caught the sound of James poking his head out of the blanket.

"Is the rhino coming back?" he asked.

"No, James-chan, it's not," Rin replied. "That rhino can't hurt you. Neither can the storm."

James was silent, but Rin heard the unspoken words. The storm hurt Mum and Dad. Unspoken, yes, but also true.

"Let's get the fire going again, too." Rin tossed a few pieces of wood into the fireplace and struck her flint against the steel frame. James slid off the bed to join his sister as Rin laid out the siblings' meager dinner.

"How come you're not scared of storms, Rin?" James asked, nibbling at one of the apples. His eyes were wide in his thin face, no doubt reliving the stormy night months ago when his world was utterly destroyed.

"Can't say for sure, but probably because I was born on a night like this." Rin gestured at the covered window, where howling winds and pounding rain continued to assault the tarp. "My grandfather died during a storm, so when I was born during a similar storm, my father and uncle saw it as a good omen."

"Like your grandfather was being born again too?" James asked.

"Something like that," Rin agreed, taking a bite out of her apple. "Although speaking of being born, my birthday is in two days."

James tilted his head, his brown eyes scrutinizing his sister. "I thought you didn't like celebrating your birthday. Mum said that she tried to throw you a party when you turned six and you flew away for the whole day."

"Hai, I remember that. I still have nightmares about the way Okaa-san decorated the living room in balloons and pink streamers." What Miranda had been thinking in trying to throw that kind of party for Rin, the half-demon couldn't be sure. What she did know was that Miranda had also waited alone in the decorated living room for the whole day despite Rin refusing to re-enter the house. Miranda had waited until sundown before slowly taking down all of the decorations, deflating the numerous balloons and removing the unlit candles from the birthday cake.

"Anyway, I'm not looking to celebrate," Rin clarified. "But the fact that I'm turning seventeen means that I could be considered an adult. Which means we won't be needing Spiker and Sponge."

"Really?" Hope lit up James's face like the rising sun.

"If I can manage it. Mary Williams promised to help with this too. I'm sure my uncle and his family will too, provided we can manage to reach them."

"Have they written to you?"

"Sadly no, which probably means here's some kind of war going on and communication is more or less impossible at this point. While the possibility is there, we can't count on Takashi Oji-san right now."

"A war?" James asked.

"Hai, but that happens a lot in demon territories. We like to fight is all. Unfortunately, an invading horde picked the wrong time to try and conquer my uncle's lands. I last heard from them before... before everything happened. I don't know how long it'll be before my uncle can risk sending a letter to us and that's if I'm right about a war. But believe me, Takashi Oji-san would come looking for us if he could."

"But he can't now, can he?"

"No, I'm going to have to start this process by myself. And if needs by, I'll finish it that way."

"I'll help you," James promised. "I'll do whatever you want me to do, Rin."

Rin smiled at her little brother, wrapping her arm around him as he snuggled against her side. "I know you will, James-chan. And who know? Maybe you'll be the one who convinces everyone that Spiker and Sponge are the worst guardians on the face of the earth."
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"Happy Birthday, Rin!"

With a groan, Rin cracked open her eyes and peered at her brother, who was already up and dressed.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Only a little while. I wanted to give you your present."

Rin stretched and sat up. "My present?"

James nodded. "I know you don't like birthdays, but I made you this anyway." James reached under his bed and brought out a piece of paper. "I know it's just another picture, but-"

Rin waved a hand at him. "Don't be sorry, James-chan. I love your pictures." The half-demon reached for the picture James handed her and glanced down at her brother's artwork. Right away, she recognized herself and James, who were drawn walking through a sunny green field dotted with trees. Here and there were various smiling people waving at them and in the distance was a small white house with a path leading up to it.

"Well, don't we look happy."

"Yes. We're in Central Park," James clarified.

"People sure look happy to see us," Rin said with an amused grin. Most people would probably be running away in terror if they saw her; trust James to think new neighbors would take to her.

"Mum said people in cities are more used to people who are a little different," James said, his voice a little heavier.

Damn. "I guess we'll find out. But I think this picture should be the first thing we hang in our new house."

"Really?"

"Yes. It'll be a reminder of the life we earned. And... I guess people in New York would be used to a stranger sight than a half-demon, right?"

"Right. I know people will like you, Rin." James gave his sister a wide smile that all too soon turned to fright as the sound of foot steps thundered outside the door. In one swift movement, Rin folded the picture and slipped it into her bag just as the door swung open.

"Calm down. We're awake and ready," Rin growled before her aunts could say a word.

"Then get downstairs and light the fire," Spiker snarled. "It's freezing in here."

"You want us to catch our deaths of cold?" Sponge asked, glaring at her niece and nephew.

We should be so lucky. "Go on, James," Rin gently urged her brother out of the room. "I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

"You will get to work right now, half-demon!" Spiker snapped.

"We have to talk," Rin growled, baring her teeth.

"Watch yourself," Sponge began, but Spiker held up a hand, cutting her sister off.

"About what?" the thin woman asked. "You should know what we expect of you and the boy at this point. And we're not entertaining any more talk of outside schooling for your brother. Goodness knows it's enough that Sponge and I have to provide for the two of you."

"That's what we have to talk about." Rin took a deep breath. "Today is my seventeenth birthday."

"And you expect us to celebrate?" Sponge asked, her thick lips twisting into a sneer.

"No I don't. But I was told that when I turned seventeen, I could start the process of becoming James's guardian and relieve you of the burden of providing for us."

"Oh really?" Spiker asked, her voice dangerously soft.

"Yes really. You've made it no secret you can't stand my brother and I. I'm old enough now to become James's guardian and an old neighbor of ours promised to help me with the process. We will leave and I give you my word that once we do, you will never hear from us again." But even before Rin finished speaking, Spiker gave her niece an almost gentle smile and shook her head.

"You stupid, foolish, half-demon. I told you once before that you are free to leave, but that your little brother will stay here. The boy is to remain with us until he is eighteen and here he will stay."

Rin couldn't take it anymore. "But why?" she cried. "Why do you want to keep James here? You don't care about him one bit and there's only so much a little boy can do for you! It's wonder he's lived this long under your care and I don' think you'd care a bit if he died. You've done nothing but complain how much of a burden we are to you so why, when I'm offering to remove that so-called burden, would you refuse?"

Spiker scowled and marched up to her niece, looking her right in the eye.

"What we do is NOT your business, girl! I say your brother, stays here and so he will! I say he doesn't leave the property and so he doesn't! And if Sponge and I decide that you are too much of a danger to us, I promise you that I will do EVERYTHING in my power to ensure that you never see your brother again!

"You claim to be an adult? Well, adults don't need guardians to look after them! So go, leave our home if you want to so badly. But a creature like you will never be able to survive in the civilized world and no sane lawyer or judge would ever give you custody of a child! So if you leave, you leave alone! If, however, you want to stay with your brother, than you better make up your mind now to behave yourself! Sponge and I allow you- a grown woman now, or so you claim- to remain under our roof, but believe me, we can revoke that right at any time!

"So I'm telling you for the last time: keep your ideas and opinions to yourself and begone from here. But if you leave, even for a little while, you will NEVER be allowed to come back. Understand?"

Rin stared at her aunts, her ears ringing with Spiker's threat. Her last hope of protecting James, her last speck of light, had been snuffed out like a candle's flame between two fat fingers. No matter what she said or what she offered, Spiker and Sponge were not going to let her- or more specifically James- leave. But why?

Never mind, that wasn't important. James was important. No matter what, Rin was determined not to lose her little brother. And if that mean remaining at this horrid house until he turned eighteen (or until whatever was keeping her uncle away was taken care of), then so be it.

Meeting Spiker's eyes, the half-demon intoned,

"I understand."

"Good. Then let's never have this little talk again." Spiker and Sponge stepped aside to let Rin pass, a clear indication that she should join her brother in completing the day's chores. With a growl, Rin stalked downstairs, her fists clenched so tightly, she could feel her claws digging into her palms. As she rounded the corner to turn into the kitchen, her eyes happened upon a pile of opened mail from the night before. The half-demon snorted; what use did she have for letters now? She couldn't risk sending one to her uncle and Spiker and Sponge would be sure to check through their outgoing mail to make sure Rin wasn't reaching out for aid from the neighbors.

Rin's eyes narrowed as she spotted a heavy envelop with a government seal. The half-demon paused and listened for her aunts; from the sound of it, they were in the bedroom getting dressed. Picking up the envelope, Rin inspected the slit and pulled out the re-folded letter.

To the guardian/guaradians of James Henry Trotter:

Enclosed please find this month's stipend of 10 pounds for the care of the child...

Below that was a blank space where a check had been. A check that, despite being granted by the government to care for James, had likely gone to the care of Spiker and Sponge.

I stand corrected. NOW I understand. Now it all made sense. Spiker and Sponge needed James here not as a source of labor, but as a source of income! And in the meantime, both she and James had provided hours of unpaid labor, ensuring that Spiker and Sponge would not only be able to live a life of ease, but have the money to indulge in whatever luxuries they wanted!

No wonder they hadn't cared if Rin left! She was close to adulthood and, even if the government was paying her aunts for her care, Rin knew that Spiker and Sponge understood they could exploit a much younger child than a nearly grown one.

Oh, she understood alright. Rin understood the hard truth now! So long as they lived, Spiker and Sponge would do whatever it took to keep James in servitude. Rin clutched the letter, feeling the paper tear under her strong claws. Well, in that case, there was only one solution.
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Night fell and Rin waited for the darkness to envelop her. The young half-demon sat against the rough stone wall, her left knee drawn to her chest and her left hand dangling on top of it. She could hear James's soft breathing as he slept. Good, she didn't James awake for what she had to do.

The hours slipped by, but Rin didn't allow herself to fall asleep. Instead, she kept her ears trained for Spiker and Sponge's movements. Thankfully, neither of them bothered checking on their niece and nephew, obviously believing they'd won yet again.

Rin's sharp ears caught the sounds of her aunts moving about in their bedroom and, soon enough, the sound of their breathing as they slipped into whatever passed for dreamland for them. She waited a few moments before rising to her feet and padding to the door. All the while, James slept. Rin just hoped that he wouldn't hear anything. Rin lightly ran her fingers over James's hand, recalling the conversation they'd had earlier that morning.

"They'll never let us leave, will they?" he had asked as Rin had stalked into the kitchen that day. Clearly, he had overheard the entire conversion.

"They'll let ME leave, James-chan," Rin had said, helping his light the kitchen fire. "But there for some reason, they want to keep you here." James had bit his lip and before Rin could react, had thrown his arms tightly around his sister.

"Don't leave. Please don't," he had whimpered.

"Hey, hey, of course not," Rin had assured him, holding her brother tightly. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere. We came here together, we'll leave together. We just... we just have to be patient a little while longer is all." James had raised his face to his sister, his brown eyes beading with tears.

"Until your uncle comes?"

"If needs be," Rin had replied. "But who knows, the day we walk out of this house may come sooner than you think."

Oh yes. Yes it would.

Tip-toeing down the hall, Rin came to the door of her aunts' bedroom and carefully pushed it open. Luck was on the half-demon's side and the hinges didn't creak. Rin peered inside. Across from the door, pushed up against the wall, were two beds occupied by Spiker and Sponge. The young half-demon nodded to herself and slipped into the room, shuddering at the scent. The whole chamber reeked of her aunts' makeup and the sickly-sweet scent of the perfume that clung to their skin. Well, she could take care of that later.

Rin eyed both sleeping forms. Who first? Hmm, well, probably Spiker. Sponge wasn't all that fast on her feet and her bulk made it harder for her to move quickly. Spiker was a bit more agile and Rin didn't need to risk Spiker trying to run or worse, going after James.

With a low growl, Rin stepped up to her aunt's bed. Unaware of her niece's presence, Spiker continued to sleep. The older woman's head was wrapped in a blue head cloth and her pale face was devoid of makeup. The young half-demon flexed her claws, shifting her left hand close to Spiker's mouth, ready to bring it down hard should the old woman scream. Rin's vision took on a reddish hue as she raised her right hand over Spiker's chest, holding her clawed fingers close together.

You brought this on yourself. You and Sponge both. Yes. And now, strike the heart...

... Rin didn't move.

Do it! Do it now! Her hand was quivering slightly, the claws sharp as daggers and ready to taste blood!

Kill them!

The blood of her kin.

Kill them! They deserve it!

Kill her aunts- her own flesh and blood- while they slept?

Do it! Make them pay for what they've done!

Spiker and Sponge betrayed the bond of blood they shared with her and James. Would she stoop so low?

Never mind that! Kill them!

Never mind that? What was she thinking? The Kurosaki family held their kin's safety above all else.

Kill them!

To kill or betray your kin was the worst crime a Kurosaki bat demon could commit. And whatever Spiker and Sponge were, they were kin.

KILL THEM!

...No.

And just like that, Rin knew she couldn't kill Spiker and Sponge. Not like this, not in so dishonorable a fashion. The half-demon gritted her teeth, her heart pounding. Below her, Spiker groaned and rolled over, blissfully unaware of the clawed hand above her. Rin stared down at Spiker for a few moments, then backed out of the room. Carefully closing the bedroom door, Rin padded back to her and James's bedroom. Sliding back to the floor, back scraping the stone wall, Rin allowed her heavy head to fall into her hands.

Why? Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she protect her poor little brother? Why couldn't she do what had to be done and kill her aunts already? Kin though they were, they didn't deserve her family's protection and James's safety meant more to her than her honor right now! Killing them would end this nightmare and ensure that James's future would be secured! So, why? Why had she faltered?

Why?

Because Spiker and Sponge might have committed the crime of betraying their kin, but Rin Kurosaki, daughter of Tomoko, would do no such thing.

With a sigh, Rin leaned back against the wall and shut her eyes. Her heartbeat had slowed and now the organ felt like a ball of lead in her chest. Through half-closed eyes, she glanced at James. Tomorrow, he would be forced to slave away for the two women who were supposed to be parental figures to him all because his big sister had failed to protect him. Tomorrow and the next day and the next day, all would be filled with pain and suffering for her poor little brother because Rin knew- she knew- she would not be able be able to kill their aunts.

"What do I do?" she whispered. "What can I do to protect my brother?" Rin closed her eyes and looked within, feeling for that spark of demon fire that burned in he core of her soul. "Please, Father, if you're with me, help me. I have to do something to get James away from Spiker and Sponge, but even after everything they've done, I can't bring myself to kill them. Please, help me, I... I don't know what to do anymore."

Outside, the moonless night reigned on, the stars indifferent to the plight of the brother and sister. Rin eyed the tiny specks of light before allowing sleep to claim her.

She didn't bother making a wish.
~

Happy Birthday alright. But I guess sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can start climbing back up.