A/N: Thank you Hartanna for commenting!
Sorry for the confusion! I should've made it clearer! You're right! A temptant is a wound inflicted by a demon that gives the 'sight'. However, these wounds can sometimes have certain side effects. (or at least… I think so… I could be wrong ^^; ) I remember in the anime something like a ghoul temptant being dangerous and possibly leading to death. In Aidyn's case, the wound he received causes other people to feel negative emotions around him. However, no one knows what demon could've given him a temptant with such a side effect.
I hope I cleared things up for you! Sorry for ranting! ^^
Saturday afternoon and the rain pounded the campus with full force.
Rin wandered about the school grounds looking for his familiar, Kuro. He hadn't seen his friend for weeks and was beginning to get worried. Come to think of it…the little guy had been missing since the virus… It seemed like the world was upside down. Rin didn't even have to give Yukio the slip. His brother had been gone since he woke up…
Which…by the way… was actually earlier than usual…about 7:00 AM.
The teen looked around the campus – deserted…empty. It was a complete ghost town. Everyone must've been inside due to the storm. Rin was the only one in the rain.
Considering the circumstances he could've really used a friend at the moment.
'Stay back!'
'Zis has nozing to do wiz 'ou – so LEAVE!'
Those words hung like lingering poison in the young man's heart, slowly killing him from the inside. The day before was torturous. Seeing everyone discover the disease was almost too much to handle – not to mention Konekomaru passing out…dammit.
In a matter of minutes, Rin was drenched to the bone. He could barely hear his voice beneath the thundering of the rain. Even so, he continued to shout until his throat became sore and his voice cracked.
"Kuuuroooo!"
"Hey! KURROOO!"
"You out there buddy?"
No answer.
Gasping, Rin hunched over, hands clasped over his knees. In a matter of seconds, he swung his head up and bellowed.
"HEEEEEEEEEEY!"
It was useless… The thundering sky quickly washed the holler away.
"Where…huff…are – you?...huff…"
Where…?
I'm hopeless… completely hopeless…. I'm losing everyone I care about….
The young man thought about Shiemi ... distant…Yukio… distraught. He thought about Suguro, apprehensive and angry… He thought about Shima's nervous laugh. He thought about Konekomaru unconscious on the floor.
He thought about Father Fujimoto – gone.
Rin sank to his knees, defeated. He wanted to do something. He wanted to help others even if they didn't want to help him...
They were his friends…. He wanted to protect them.
Just then, Rin spotted a running silhouette in the distance. It looked like a person….a person with a skirt…
"S-Sheimi? …Wait…"
When he spotted two swirling pigtails on the figure, the young man realized it wasn't the blond, green–eyed beauty he admired. It was Kamiki.
"What are you doing here?" She asked panting.
"Huh?"
"The school was evacuated hours ago."
"What?..!"
Rin got up quickly.
"Evacuated?..! Why?..! From what?..!"
Kamiki looked back dully.
"One of the teachers caught "Noire Du Sang" and went berserk. He's somewhere in the school."
"Is – Is everyone okay?..!"
The girl looked to the side.
"I don't know…the boys from Kyoto are missing… I was sent to find them…."
"They're – And what about the others?..! – Shiemi – "
"She's fine, I saw her go off with a crowd of other students into an area quarantined by True Cross."
There was rush of relief followed by a series of nervous pangs in Rin's gut.
"Where was the last time you've seen the guys?"
"In the Library…Suguro was studying for – Hey WAIT! We shouldn't separate!"
But Rin already took off.
He ran as hard as he could towards the library. Maybe Shima, Suguro, and Konekomaru were still there? The teen had to make sure of it.
When the young man reached an entrance, he found it blocked by two exorcists in full body suits.
"NO trespassing. The student quarantine is that way."
One of the men pointed in the opposite direction of the door, but Rin's feet remained planted on the ground.
"Let me through!"
"There are no students allowed passed this area – "
"I SAID LET ME – "
"We were ordered to find the missing students."
Rin looked back confused… Oh! It was Kamiki. The girl caught up to him. And now…she was…helping him out?
The two men looked at her, then back at Rin, confused. One finally answered.
"You expect us to believe that the faculty left two Exquires in charge of finding students in such a dangerous situation?"
"The faculty is completely focused on isolating Mr. Yonegawa."
Before the guard could respond, the girl continued.
"And besides, I'm the top student in Cram School! And he…"
Kamiki turned towards Rin, trying to find something to say. The exorcists observed him more carefully. One's eyes widened when he saw Rin's tail.
"AH – That's – !"
The other exorcist looked at him confused.
"What is it?"
"J – just l – let them through! I – I'm only junior second class! I can't handle things like this…"
He must've realized Rin's lineage. The two men shifted to one side. Rin pushed open the twin doors. He and Kamiki began running down the hallway. While running Rin turned his head and grinned.
"You helped me back there. Thanks!"
The girl's face was completely red. With great embarrassment she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.
"D – don't get used to it! I didn't help you because I wanted to! Its just that – that if the boys aren't found I'm gonna be the one blamed for it!"
"Oh…uh… Well thanks anyway!"
The students finally reached the library, a maze of bookshelves and an old, dusty, paper smell. It was so quiet…. and still, the only sound was the two trying to catch their breaths. Rin was the first to speak.
"Um…by the way…"
"What?"
"The L'Écarlate siblings…are they okay?"
"I…don't know. I've never even seen them. But – why be worried anyway? Their brother is a famous exorcist."
Rin had a feeling that Isaac wasn't going to be very protective. The teen recalled him smiling at Aidyn being injured by a bully.
"Yeah but – "
"Shhhh! I hear something."
Kamiki pulled Rin by the sleeve. They both hid behind a large bookstand. She stuck her head out from the shelf and gasped.
"What?..! What?..! What is it?..!" Rin asked startled.
The girl pulled out two pieces of paper with a magic circle. Hands trembling, she pricked her finger and bled onto the sheets. She whispered a chant.
"Inari, I humbly beseech thee… To grant my request."
At that moment the girl's familiars appeared, two white foxes.
/What do you want from us today?/
Kamiki didn't respond. She only stared out into the hallway, though it looked like she wanted her familiars to attack whatever was out there. Her shoulders shook with intense emotion.
/Hm? What is the meaning behind this, woman?/
Rin was silent for a few seconds. Then, he spoke up.
"I'm goin' out there."
The teen crept out to see not a monster…but his friend.
"Aidyn!"
The timid boy looked surprised.
"Ah – Rin!"
The teen jogged over to him.
"Whaddaya doing here? Its dangerous, a teacher..."
"T-teacher…?"
"Yeah. He went crazy…. Where's your sister?"
"S – sister…"
"Yeah…sister… Arisu, where is she…?"
"U – uhh?"
"Go? Where did she go?"
"S – sister g-go o-out…"
Tch! Of course! Leave it to Arisu L'Écarlate to leave her brother alone in a dangerous situation.
Rin smiled at the boy and held out his hand.
"Don't worry, you're gonna be alright."
"Are you CRAZY?" Kamiki shouted from behind.
"Do you not SEE this kid? He can't come with us!"
Rin recalled the thug that tried to hurt Aidyn. The words he said…
'GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!'
'LOOK AT HIM! JUST LOOK AT HIM!'
Why did everyone treat this guy like he was some awful criminal? RIN was the child of Satan… he completely understood why people would hate him – but Aidyn…Why? – WHY?
"HEY!" He shouted.
"YOU TOO? What the hell is everyone's problem?"
Rin took a good look at Kamiki. She was angry, no doubt about it… but she also looked unfocused… Like she didn't really understand what she was doing or how she felt…
"Aaahhhrrg…"
The girl threw her hands to her hand and fell to her knees.
"H – hey…are you…"
Suddenly Kamiki's familiars suddenly appeared next to her, growling violently.
/We shall carry out your request!/
In that instant, the two foxes charged at Aidyn, who screamed and fell backwards. Rin knocked the demons aside.
"The hell's wrong with you? Why did you call your familiars on us?"
Kamiki weakly lifted her head from her hands… She looked like she was going to puke.
"Wh…wha? …I didn't…"
When she saw Aidyn again, she made a sharp cry of pain and the foxes charged forward again.
/We follow our master's heart. Although she does not say it, her soul screams for that boy's death!/
One of the foxes sank his teeth into Rin's left leg. The other pounced and ensnared his right shoulder.
"AAARRGG!"
"RIIIIN! RIN!" Aidyn cried. The boy stood up.
Rin held his arm out and shouted.
"NOO! NO! STAY BACK!"
The boy shook violently in place, his shoulders hunched.
Kamiki looked up again.
"W – wait! I don't want to kill anyone!"
/Your heart states differently!/
She looked down painfully.
"N – n – no… I…"
"OOWW! RIP THE PAPER! RIP IT!" Rin snarled.
Kamiki stared at the paper dumbly. Why did she hesitate? What was wrong with her? The girl's hands trembled wildly as she grabbed opposite sides of the sheets. Slowly…. slowly…. she began to tear it. The expression on her face made it seem like she was stabbing herself and dragging the knife down her flesh. When the tear finally reached the magic circle Kamiki cried out and the foxes disappeared. The girl fought for breath.
Rin approached the girl cautiously, not knowing what to make out of the previous events.
"Wh…what happened…?"
"Okumura…" Kamiki stated out of breath.
"Th…there's something wrong with t-that s-student…. I think he has some kind of condition…"
"Condition?...!"
"Yes… It's taking a-all my effort not to l-look at him. You mustn't be affected because you're S-Satan's child."
"H – hey –UH. "
Rin jolted his head towards Aidyn. The blond child stared back with confusion. His Japanese was still bad… The guy didn't understand a word they were saying.
Good. Rin thought with relief.
He knew it was wrong…and that Aidyn had a right to know… But the teen just couldn't bear it. If the guy knew who Rin's 'father' was…. he'd be so afraid.
"Wait, so you mean Aidyn has some kind of sickness?"
"S-Something that drives people crazy."
"But – "
"We need to separate, I c-can't risk my familiars attacking again."
"Are you sure – "
"GO! Before I attack again, you idiot!"
"Okay – Okay! C'mon Aidyn lets go!"
Rin grabbed hold of the boy's wrist. The two bolted out of the library. They ran down corridor after corridor. There was no solid destination for them, and the teen's mind was scrambled.
Aidyn?
A condition?
That's why?
That's why everyone hates him?
It's a demon's fault?
A demon did this…
They kept running until Aidyn collapsed. He dropped to his knees shivering. Rin kneeled down beside him.
"Hey, sorry. I didn't realize how fast I was going…And you must be terrified….hm?"
He realized the kid wasn't paying any attention to him… Instead his stricken eyes stared straight forward down the hallway. Rin reached for his sword the moment he heard faint footsteps in the distance. The teacher… Aidyn ducked behind him.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I'm ready for ya bastard.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Here he comes…
Tap. Tap.
The footsteps ceased.
Rin's hand released his sword handle.
The figure standing before them was no other than Yukio Okumura.
