Bon, the first student out of the cram school classroom, stopped in shock, causing the other members of his trio to walk into him and the rest of the class to start complaining about the hold-up. After a moment of stunned silence on Bon's part, the next words out of his mouth caused a shocked reaction from the rest of the class.
"Rin? Is that you? Did you actually come back?" A mix of emotions clouded Bon's voice, causing the words to come across as more confrontational than he had intended them. As he spoke, Bon finally walked into the hall, allowing the rest of the class to move forward and blocking the way of whomever he was speaking with.
The blood drained from Yukio's face and he clutched his desk for a moment, waiting with baited breath to hear the response.
"None of your business. Now, if you would excuse me. . ." The voice that responded sounded like Rin's but the tone was completely foreign. Instead of the immature, blunt and honest tone they were used to, the voice was hard, cold, and regally polite.
Upon hearing the voice of his twin, Yukio forced his way into the hall. Bon was standing directly in front of Rin, blocking the hallway, and the rest of the cram school class were crowding in as well. However, Yukio was able to reach his brother, speaking as he went.
"Rin! Where in the world have you been? Don't you know how irresponsible that was for you to leave like that? The Vatican doesn't need another reason to kill you! Don't you even care about the sacrifice Father Fujimoto made so you could live? How could you . . ." Yukio's lecturing questions trailed off as he noticed the demon king behind Rin and the strange looking girl on Rin's back.
"Nii-san, why does everyone here seem to know you? And who is the four eyes that keeps asking rude questions?" Miri's way of addressing Rin caused Yukio to freeze. A look of jealousy crossed his face for a moment but was swiftly hidden behind anger.
"Get away from my brother!" As he spoke, Yukio pulled out one of his guns and aimed it at Amaimon.
"Make me."
"Yukio, stop pointing that thing at Amaimon. Now." Rin's voice was cold and dangerous, promising injury if Yukio didn't listen.
"But Rin, he's a demon king! He even tried to kill you! How can you defend him against me, your own brother?"
"Simple. He is my Big Brother. He protects me and I protect him. Besides, he wasn't trying to kill me, he was trying to help me. Unlike some people I could name." At this last statement, Rin sent a pointed glance towards Yukio. "Furthermore, Mephisto has given us permission to stay here for the next three days. We have a meeting with the Vatican to try and stop the conflict between Exorcists and anything non-human from spreading."
Yukio couldn't believe what he was hearing from his brother. He was also starting to notice some subtle changes in Rin. Where Rin once slouched, he now stood tall, and carried himself with a regal and confident air. His eyes seemed to hold more wisdom and experience than could be gained in the two years his twin was gone, and he was far more muscular than he used to be. There was also a sense of controlled danger about him, as if he were constantly prepared to react to any attack on himself or those around him. His ears and canines were even more pointed than before.
"What happened to you, Rin? What happened to my brother?" Yukio questioned softly.
"He learned that people only care about what you are, not who you are. He learned that humans, especially exorcists lie. He watched the very people who asked him to depend on and trust them more turn against him once they knew his secret. His was forced to live in isolation his entire life, trying to be something he was not and never would be. Then, he found a home and a family who accepted him the way he was. This new family trusted him and taught him to embrace his strengths instead of hiding them. The person you thought you knew was a lie, created to try and appease you and Fujimoto. However, it is obvious that no matter how hard he tried to fit the mold, he would still always remain a dangerous demon, someone you two could never trust with the truth. He is dead, and will never return. I have never felt happier nor more at peace in my entire life. Even though that meant giving up my human half and embracing my demon heritage, turning my back on everything I was indoctrinated with, I would do it all again in a heartbeat."
At this point, Yukio and his students were feeling a mix of shock and anger. While Shiemi looked about ready to cry, Bon was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. The others were somewhere between these two extremes.
"Father Fujimoto loved you! He was only ever trying to protect you by not telling you the truth! How can you say that about him? Why would you betray his memory like this?" Yukio was now yelling at Rin.
Surprisingly, Miri was the one who answered him this time. "Don't you know anything about demons? Their powers are a constant drain on their energy levels and is constantly fighting to be used. By binding Rin's powers, you essentially trapped them. They were constantly growing and struggling to break free and rejoin their wielder. That is why Rin was always exhausted or full of extra energy. Demons are also very protective of their family. They take any threat against a family member seriously, especially those who are weaker than themselves. However, instead of trying to help Rin use up some of his extra energy and aggression in a positive manner such as martial arts, the Paladin just told Rin that he needed to stop fighting. The problems only got worse as Rin got older and his demon powers got stronger. It was inevitable that his flames would eventually break free, but you two refused to see that. Finally, when Rin's flames did finally break out, in self-defense might I add, he was told to leave the only home he ever knew. How else was he supposed to feel but unwanted? Rin had always known that he was the troublesome child, the failure. A few words spoken in anger lead to his father figure's death and he was then told by you that it was all his fault. As the final betrayal, after starting to come to terms with his status as a half demon and Fujimoto's status as a Paladin, someone who kills demons for a living, he then learns that you have always known about him and had been training to follow in your adoptive father's footsteps. It was clear that you wished he was dead and hated him. So why are you so surprised that he changed now that he is no longer trying to fit the mold you created for him?" Miri was glaring at Yukio with all the disgust and hatred she felt towards the person who hurt her Big Brother.
Yukio was shocked. It had never occurred to him that he and Father Fujimoto were unknowingly torturing Rin and keeping him from becoming successful. He could feel the poisonous glares from Miri, and more surprisingly, Amaimon, boring into his skull. They were both standing protectively by Rin, and Miri was soothingly whispering in his ear. What really hurt him, however, was the emotionless way Rin was looking at him. There was no hatred in his gaze, but there was also no affection.
Yukio felt a wave of jealousy as Rin turned to Amaimon and affectionately said, "Let's go Big Brother. After all, I promised you and Miri that we could get ice cream."
"Okay, Little Brother. Then can we go to the candy store?" Amaimon was back to his emotionless self.
"Sure." As Rin responded, he grabbed Amaimon's hand and gently dragged him through the cram school, leaving the confused and stunned group to discuss what had just happened.