A/N: This chapter took me a while to write because, well, because of many things. Christmas, tests, homework, planning for the anime con nearby, and planning a basic outline for this story, so, yeah. But you don't care about that, since once I'm done you'll be reading this. Oh well.
Wolf: Just shut up!
Me: Hey! You shut up, bitch!
Wolf: Wow. Look who's gotten some backbone since you've last written.
Me: Y-yeah
Wolf: I was wondering when I was going to get out of that alley….
Me: hehe…well, you see…
Rock: Elusive Panther doesn't own Ao No Exorcist.
xXxXx
Blood. Blood was everywhere. Why? I didn't understand. Yet, I didn't want to understand. But, deep down, I understood everything. It was just the fact that blood covered the object in my hands, and blood slid down my arm, coating my hand as well. But it wasn't my blood, though. It was theirs. You can see them too, can't you? They just lie there, broken. And dead. Very dead. Some have bullets in their heads, some were beaten to death. I can see their souls floating around me, yet, I don't. What would he think of me? If he knew what I was going? Would he hate me? Or would he fear me, for all of the blood on my hands? What would Yukio think of me? His own brother, killing other humans? But, please understand, Yukio, that I have to. Please don't hate me. Don't fear me. Don't point a gun at me, and pull the trigger, just like what I did only seconds ago. But, the one thing I hate is their words. They called to their comrades, and shouted that the demon was coming. The monster. The devil. They even called me an unbaptized limb of Satan, in their last breath. Is it true, Yukio? Am I really a demon, a devil, a monster? Please tell me. What the hell am I?
xXxXx
Sunlight flittered into the room, making it seem a bit less bare. Unlike the other rooms though, I didn't have papers or random things here and there. I didn't have the need. Yes, I had a few manga books here and there and even a few middle school text books in my desk, if anyone wanted to use them, but, besides that. Nothing. But there was something. In my dresser. It wasn't nothing, but it wasn't something either. It was an object that could take lives in an instant.
A gun. A bloody gun, covered in the blood of others, haunting me. Destroying me from the inside. But, my own blood was on it too, as well.
xXxXx
A cloud passed over the sun and the sunlight quickly returned. I groaned at the bright light, and opened one eye. I scanned the room, and remembered the night before. They had failed. And I was the one to bring them back to the city by nightfall. My eyes caught the shine of a small glass bottle, its contents making a fiery glow cast along the walls. Ignis Venefious. My eyes narrowed. Why had I said that I would be the one to send them back? Why was I the one to 'get rid of' my own friends and my own brother? Why did I have to?
xXxXx
Screams filled the night, and laughter rang among the kitchen of Laughing Shadows base. Empty plates were piled on the table, and I quietly got up from the table to fix some drinks. I opened the fridge and pulled out some punch, and filled all of the necessary drinks, but hesitated on filling the last glass.
I didn't want to poison my friends, but, it was the rules. Anyone who broke the rules was heavily punished. But, if I didn't, then my own brother would be hurt in the end. And I wouldn't be able to suffer another loss. First was Serpent, then Shiro. But, please, not Yukio. Not my own brother.
I quickly pulled the vile of poison out of my sleeve, and entered part of its contents into each of the glasses. I smirked at the memory of Serpent shoving Ignis Venefious down our throats in order for us to be immune. That was one of the memories which brought the burning sensation to your mouth just thinking about it.
I put all of the glasses on a thick metal tray and walked back over to the laughter, and started laughing along, trying to act casual. I handed to drinks out around the table and sat down in my chair, next to Wolf. I looked over to her in the corner of my eye, and she gave a small nod. I sent my gaze over to Crow and gave him my own nod. Crow then stood up and spoke a few words for a toast.
"To life!" He shouted, and everyone said the same back to him in agreement.
"To life…" I muttered, gazing down into my glass. I tilted the drink back and drank the whole thing in one go. I set my glass back on the table, and watched as everyone watched me, in pure surprise. I gave them one of my famous smiles, and everyone took a huge sip of their own drinks. I leaned back in my chair and waited for the poison to take effect in my own body. It would slowly take effect after ten minutes, and then inch its way from your mouth, then to your throat, and then finally end up in your heart, making it seem as if someone was pouring acid into your soul. It wasn't painless, but, it didn't kill you.
I glanced once more at Wolf, who was covered in bandages. I leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"Do I want to know who or what hurt you so badly?"
"No. Just a now dead girl." Wolf smirked into my ear.
I leaned away and smiled a strained smile, but I knew Wolf could sense my uneasiness. I looked away, and could sense a pair of eyes burn into me. I searched around the table, and saw that Shima was the one. I looked at the contents of his glass, and saw that he hadn't touched his drink. He knew.
He knew of what had been set into play. But it was too late, and he knew this as well. I mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' and turned my attention to the others, as they would soon taste the effects of the poison. It was over. The end.
They grabbed their throats, and curled up on the floor, like dead flies. It was horrid. I quickly turned away. I couldn't watch it. But, I had to, so, I looked back. I saw the hate in their eyes as they looked up at me.
I didn't want this, you know.
I'm sorry. Do you understand?
Please forgive me, but, please hate me. Hate me so you won't come back.
If you come back, you'll die.
I can't suffer another loss, okay?
Please understand.
Please understand that you were some of the first true friends that I've ever made in the light.
I'm sorry.
Do you understand?
Do you understand, Yukio?
xXxXx
"Now what?" Wolf asked.
"Let's shove back over the border, ne?" Crow answered.
Rock and I stayed quiet. Rock clamped a hand on my shoulder, making me tense.
"Are you sure you want to do this? They're your friends, no?" He whispered.
I brushed his hand off of my shoulder, and took a step forward. "It's too late. They already hate me. They trusted me, yet….never mind. It doesn't matter. Whether or not we are friends is up to them. Not me."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
No. I wasn't.
I wasn't sure on anything. It was just one step at a time. Keep moving forward, and ignore the past has hard as I could.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
xXxXx
Wolf's POV
"And heave. And heave. And heave.-"
"Wait, not ready!"
"-And stop." (1)
"Ugh. Make up your mind Crow, you bastard! Instead of giving us orders, how about you lend some muscle!" I grunted next to Demon, how casually held his end of the body.
Well, he tried to be casual. He wasn't doing too well. He didn't want to do this, but he knew the rules. He knew danger first hand. He knew that he himself belonged to three worlds. (2)
I turned back to Crow.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Rock, you ready?" He called down.
We were at the edge of the slums, on a rooftop which hung right over the Boarder, by about five or four feet. Down at the bottom, Rock waited, staring up at us as we were about to drop the pink head down to him from about, um, twenty feet. Hey, we were being nicer than usual, most of the time we just dump 'em and let them crack their head open or snap their neck.
"Ready." Rock said.
"Now."
Me and Demon heaved the body down. I watched Demon run over to the edge and made sure every single of one his friends got down without an injury. Sometimes, Demon would run over so fast, he himself would slide off the end and he would have to either grab the sharp edge of the metal roof and pull himself up, or drop and somehow land on the Boarder itself, then find his way back to me.
But, somehow, even though I knew he wasn't all human, he still amazed me with his skill. When one thought of a demon, they would normally think of a beast, a creature from a horror movie or a unimaginable monster from a classic gory movie. But, no one would guess that a demon was Rin. But, Rin was my boyfriend. My demon. Mine alone.
xXxXx
Shima's POV
When I woke, I was in bed. In the exact clothes I had on in the slums. In my dorm. In my room.
I was really thinking why the hell I was in my room. All I remembered was not drinking the juice, watching everyone fall, and then Rock punching me in the gut.
I jumped out of bed, and immediately things ran through my mind a thousand miles per hour; Rin, the slums, Demon, being thrown off a roof, Crow, crazy hot girl, Bon, laughing bloody corpses, and Izumo.
I ran out the door, and into Bon's room, and then pounded on the door like no tomorrow.
A/N: Done! I'm SO sorry that it took so long. I had writer's block for a little while, and it didn't help that I had a busy schedule. Sorry that this chapter was so slow, but it will be a bit more interesting in the next chapter.
Anyways:
(1) What anime movie is "And heave. And heave. And stop." From?
(2) Who can guess what the three worlds Rin is in, or in between?
Okay, that pretty much wraps that up. I'm still surprised when everyone thinks that, in the beginning, Wolf was a freakin daisy. But, I also laugh because, well, before I started writing this, I had intended to make her a goody two shoes. I mean, I'm talking about her wearing dresses, skirts, her hair in pig tails, and no metal bat that you're all so fond of.
