Chapter 9: Lullaby for a deadly night
Author's note: Sorry that it's been a while for this story. Some of the followers of my other stories may know that I'm on a costume course, which is a very demanding course and requires a lot of creative energy, so I don't have a lot left over for my personal projects. And, I find it easier to focus on one story at a time, rather than multiple.
I want to try and get this story to some sort of end though, even if I don't put as much work in as my other stories.
"Ugh!" Rin groaned as he finally completed the paper in front of him.
The woman sitting next to him laughed.
"That's the last of them today." She said.
"Thank god." Rin said, slumping in his chair.
"I know tests are so boring they're painful, but these are important, we need to know what level you're at currently, so we know where to resume your education from."
"Yes, sensei." Rin sighed.
'Sensei' reached into her bag and brought out a bag of sweets, setting them down in front of Rin while ruffling his hair.
"For your hard work today." She said.
Rin's face instantly lit up at he tore the bag open and started eating the sweets inside.
"Thank you, sensei." He said after eating a handful, remembering his manners.
"You're welcome. I'll see you sometime next week, Rin." Sensei said.
She left Rin's room, soon meeting up with Shiro, who had returned home briefly to get some rest before returning to the case.
"So, what's the results, Brook-san?" He asked the young woman.
"It's too early to say, these tests need to be analysed first." Miss Brook said. "He does seem to be behind for someone of his age from what I can gleam from his answers, but hopefully not incredibly so."
Shiro sighed at the news, just another thing Mami had done to Rin.
With being in a survival situation for seven years, Rin had obviously not continued his education. Though the continuing his education was not a large problem due to Rin being the same age as he had been taken at, the real issue lay in that there had been nothing to reinforce his education and keep hold of what he had already been taught.
Which was where Miss Brook came in.
Someone with knowledge of demons but not an active exorcist herself, and being a regular teacher, Shiro had hired her to evaluate what Rin did remember of his education and be his private tutor to get him back up to the level he should be for his age and then continue his education for the foreseeable future, as they couldn't exactly send Rin to a normal school with Mami on the loose.
"But Rin also seems like a smart kid, so I think he'll get back up to speed fairly quickly, no matter what the results are." Miss Brook said. "I'll be back next week with the results and start evaluating what the best way to teach Rin will be."
"Thank you, Brook-san." Shiro said.
Miss Brook smiled and waved before leaving.
With the tutor gone, Shiro walked into his son's room, when Rin was still sitting at his desk and eating his sweets.
"Oh, what's this." Shiro grinned. "Is Brook-san spoiling you?"
"Dad!" Rin cheered.
He stumbled out of his chair and ran over to Shiro, wrapping his father in a hug and knocking the wind out of him as his legs finally lost their strength and sent him barrelling into his father.
"Oof!" Shiro wheezed as he tried to get his air back while hugging Rin. "It's good to see you too, Rin."
He expected Rin to try and step back, but the boy remained clinging to him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Shiro asked gently.
Rin shook his head, not wanting to answer.
Shiro sighed and moved them so that they both on Rin's bed, the young boy still hugging his father.
"Feeling a bit lonely?" He questioned.
It took a minute, but Rin eventually nodded.
It was no surprise, even if the other priests and Kuro were there, Yukio was now gone and Shiro himself could only manage extremely brief visits if he was lucky.
It wasn't fair, but Yukio couldn't be expected to give up the opportunity he had been working so hard toward to look after Rin and Shiro had to work on the Beldam case to protect Rin in the long run.
"When this is all over, I'll spend all the time in the world with you." Shiro promised Rin again.
"Why can't it be over already?" Rin muttered childishly.
"Unfortunately, it's not that easy, Rin." Shiro said, rubbing his son's back.
"And why can't it be?" Rin pouted.
"Because, unfortunately, this demon is very good at hide and seek." Shiro said.
Rin nodded.
"Mami was always good at disappearing." He said.
Kuro, who had been sleeping on Rin's bed prior, came over and curled up on Rin's lap, offering comfort.
Smiling, Rin stroked his back.
"We never really got to play hide and seek, though." Rin continued. "The creatures outside meant that our games were limited to inside the house. But Mami made sure that we had other games, she loved playing games. She'd usually win, but she's always let Suzie win just to make her…" Rin trailed off.
"Rin, are you alright?" Shiro asked in concern.
"Suzie, she…" Rin's eyes welled up.
"Shh, it's okay." Shiro pulled Rin into a tight hug as he comforted.
It didn't take long for Rin to break down yet again.
The name 'Suzie' didn't ring a bell to Shiro, but it was easy to guess that she was one of the Beldam's victims who didn't make it, and someone who Rin knew during his time captured.
Then, Shiro realised something that deepened his hatred for this 'Mami' even more.
The children who didn't make it.
According to Coraline, and how long the recovered children had been missing, children taken by a Beldam were lucky to last a year before they were all used up, Rin obviously being the exception. And Rin had been held captive in Mami's little nightmare world for seven years.
Just how many children, how many friends, would Rin have witnessed lost to the Beldam's hunger? For those seven years, how many children did Rin grow attached to only for them to be cruelly torn away while he continued to live on?
"It's alright Rin. We won't let it take anyone else." Shiro promised his son.
An empty promise, maybe. But it was the first thing Shiro could think to say.
And Shiro didn't intend to let it be an empty promise. He'd put an end to Mami and recover the stolen children, no matter what.
Like the few times before, Rin had tired himself out through crying and fallen asleep. Though he was making great strides in his recovery, he still got tired very easily.
Sighing heavily for what felt like the millionth time since Rin had been found, Shiro tucked his son into bed.
"Look after him, Kuro." Shiro patted his familiar on the head before leaving the room.
It was already time for him to leave again, even though he had just arrived.
Breaks only netted Shiro a few minutes with his son, but he'd take every second he could to assure Rin that he wasn't being forgotten.
Nagamoto was standing outside to greet Shiro as he left Rin's room.
"Rin's sleeping again, make sure that there's some food for him when he wakes up." Shiro said.
Nagamoto nodded.
"And…put effort into finding Rin a good therapist who's safe." Shiro added. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to look myself while dealing with this case."
"Yes, Shiro." Nagamoto said.
Hopefully, with the help of the right person, Rin would be able to return to normal life once the Beldam was dealt with.
With one last look back to Rin asleep on his bed, Shiro left to continue the investigation.
Rin lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
It had been hours since Shiro had put him to bed, but after he'd woken up and ate the food that was left for him, Rin found it hard to return to sleep.
The room was just too empty.
Sure, Kuro was there, curled up next to him on the bed. But he wasn't enough.
Rin turned over to look at the bed across the room, which was perfectly made and undisturbed now that Yukio was off to school.
With Yukio in that bed, Rin had managed, despite being used to sleeping with everyone, the presence of his brother being just enough to allow sleep. But now he was gone.
Huffing, Rin sat up in his bed and dropped his feet to the floor.
Kuro stirred slightly, letting out a quiet mewl.
"I'm just going to the toilet." Rin assured the familiar.
Kuro lazily gazed up at Rin from squinted eyes before settling down again.
Smiling at the cat, Rin quietly made his way out of his room.
The halls were dark and silent, it being the middle of the night with all the other priests also being asleep.
It was only a short trip to the toilet, meaning that Rin didn't have to go far in the darkness to reach his destination.
After doing his business, Rin walked back into the hallway, but just stood there instead of going back to his room.
It seemed that Rin had used up a good chunk of his energy for his short trip, and now the short return trip seemed too far.
So, Rin slumped to the floor, waiting to gain back enough energy to make it to his bed.
Pulling up his knees, Rin rested his heavy head on them, tears welling up in his eyes over how tired he was but unable to get to sleep.
He knew that it was wrong, but Rin craved Mami's lullaby.
Maybe if he sang it to himself, it would work.
"~Watashi was asa no yume wo miru~"Rin sang quietly, remembering the familiar lyrics off by heart.
"~Mada dame yo~
~Mada dame yo~
~Nani iro no asa ga kuru~
~Mada dame yo…~"
Rin trailed off.
It just wasn't the same without Mami's voice singing.
She always had a calming voice that made the children forget all their troubles in the city, allowing them to sleep despite the monsters just outside the door.
"~Mada dame yo~
~ Mada yoru was tabekake yo~"
Rin smiled. Yes, her singing was so beautiful.
His memory played as if she were there, singing to him now.
"~Nemutteru ko wa doko ni iru?~"
Rin turned to the window.
The singing was muffled, too quiet. He needed to hear it properly.
So, he opened the window and smiled even wider as Mami's lullaby came clear as day.
"~Saa ohayou Nightmare~
~Warui oyume wa korekkiri~"
Then the lullaby repeated, but this time Rin could hear other voices.
Daisuke and Kiki, it was them he could hear.
Rin bit his lip.
He missed his friends so much. He hadn't seen them since they had all been rescued.
And now, they were just outside.
Rin needed to see them.
Not thinking twice, Rin went downstairs and opened the door, giving no mind to whatever energy he did or didn't have, the need to see his friends overpowering.
As soon as he was outside, Rin saw them.
Across the street stood Mami, Daisuke and Kiki standing next to her.
They all smiled when they saw him, continuing to sing Mami's lullaby for him.
Mami herself knelt to the ground and opened her arms, ready to embrace Rin.
And how Rin longed to be in those arms again.
He longed for the comfort and safety Mami brought.
Rin wasn't even aware that he had started stumbling towards Mami, whose grin grew ever wider the closer he came.
Rin had only just passed the protective barrier that surrounded the monastery when the spell was broken by a large black mass imposing itself between Rin and Mami just before the demon could take him.
Mami grabbed Daisuke and Kiki and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the giant paw that swiped at her.
Blinking rapidly, as if there was sleep in his eye, Rin looked up at the giant black cat that was now guarding him.
"Kuro?" He questioned.
Kuro looked back at him and gave an affirming meow.
The giant cat then used its tails to nudge Rin back towards the protective barrier.
"But…" Rin tried to protest, but then paused as he wondered why he was protesting.
"Rin, my little angel." Mami cooed.
Rin's attention turned to Mami.
"We need to go home now." Mami said gently.
Kuro growled at her, making sure that the other demon wouldn't be able to get around him and get Rin.
"Mami." Rin looked at his 'big-sister'. "Why…?" He didn't know what to ask.
"Because we need to be together." Mami took the question and applied it to the moment. "I can't keep you safe if you're not with me."
"But…I want to stay." Rin began crying. "You took me from home, and now you want to take me again."
Mami frowned.
"My little angel, they've been filling your head with nonsense." She said. "They just want to turn you against me. You know I'd never hurt any of you."
"Liar!" Rin shouted.
Mami flinched, taken aback by Rin's sudden outburst.
"Akiko, Yamato, Chiro, Isamu, Kagami, Ken, Suzie, Cho, Hana, Naoko, Mai! Everyone! You took them all away!" Rin listed off some of the children he had know while in the city.
Mami's face hardened.
"The monsters took them away, my little angel." She said, calmly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save them but-"
"You're the monster!" Rin interrupted. "You're the reason they're gone. You're the reason they're dead!"
Rin was full out sobbing now.
Daisuke and Kiki were crying as well now, unable to understand what was going on under the Beldam's spell, only that Rin was upset, so they were upset.
All trace of kindness and gentleness disappeared from Mami's face, a look of anger replacing it.
"Rin, enough of this." Mami hissed as her limbs elongated.
Rin stepped back in fear as Mami shifted into her true form.
"Stop misbehaving and come home!" The Beldam demanded.
She reached for Rin but was stopped by Kuro, who snarled and scratched at the demon.
Rin fell back at the sight of the fight, which fully brought him back into the protective barrier of the monastery.
Rin was paralysed as he watched Mami and Kuro battle brutally.
It was obvious that neither of them were aiming to just wound.
Then, a living scarecrow joined the fight.
Rin blinked as the scarecrow attacked Mami.
Then, there was chanting, though Rin couldn't find it in himself to turn away and see who it was.
Mami howled in pain under the assault, eventually disengaging from the fight to back away.
Rin felt himself being picked up, but he still kept his gaze on Mami.
Mami gathered Daisuke and Kiki into her arms, backing away as she was advanced on.
With the children in her arms, Kuro and the scarecrow couldn't risk attacking anymore.
"Put the children down." One of the priests ordered, Rin couldn't identify which.
"You will not be able to keep my child away from me forever." Mami hissed. "I will come back for you, my little angel."
Rin watched as Mami turned and fled, pursued by some of the priests.
"Take Rin inside!" One of the priests told the one holding him as he ran after Mami.
Rin still stared at where Mami had ran off as he was taken inside, Kuro following, shrinking down to normal size.
"It's okay, Rin, you're safe now." The priest set Rin down on his bed once they were inside.
Rin said nothing.
Kuro hopped up onto Rin's lap, trying to offer some comfort and protection.
Rin pulled the familiar into his arms, but otherwise didn't react, face now blank.
"Are you alright." The priest questioned.
Rin didn't react at first but then nodded slightly, pulling Kuro tighter into his arms.
The priest sighed and then reached for his mobile.
"Shiro," He spoke into his phone. "We have a problem."