Yukio began to sob into my neck, his fingers clutching at my waist so tightly that I felt his nails dig in. He rambled incoherently, and my arms moved up to wrap around his shoulders. My fingertips ran through his messy hair and I cooed softly, trying my best to calm his relentless tears. His grip on me tightened unbearably and I briefly lost the ability to breathe before he himself took a deeper breath. When he exhaled, I could tell he'd piled every emotion he felt into it. The tension in his shoulders eased but he still held me firmly, clinging to me like a float while stranded at sea. He continued to hiccup, but after a while, his mumbling calmed down and his sobs turned into sniffles. Eventually, he withdrew a bit, placing his forehead on mine and giving me another gentle squeeze. "God," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Thank you." He drew in another deep breath before slowly blowing it through his quivering lips. "Thank you for choosing me, Nii-san. For choosing us."

He reluctantly released me, taking a step back and wiping away his tears. My mouth opened, but I didn't have a chance to respond before I was suddenly pulled in another direction. A gust of air escaped my lungs as I was yanked into a bone-crushing embrace. My eyes widened and I realized it was Bon who had snatched me. "Don't ever pull this shit again, Okumura, you hear me?!" He ground out before setting his chin on top of my head as he huffed. "I'll kill you myself before that happens." Despite the contradictory statement, the assurance entangled in his words made it impossible for me to doubt him.

I grunted, but the sound was muffled by his suit jacket.
I wiggled slightly before responding with sarcasm. "Those are some big words coming from the guy who literally told me to off myself a few months ago."

He stiffened, no doubt recalling the events of that night. His chest vibrated as he tried to clear his throat. "Yeah, I know. I was being a complete ass. And before you can say anything about it: Yes, I'm sorry, and yes, I still feel guilty. You can do both at once, you know."

I chuckled at the familiar verbiage. "Yeah, I know. I'm just pulling your tail."

"My figurative tail, you mean."

I couldn't hold back the urge to roll my eyes, trying to push away from him. Reluctantly, he allowed it. "You know, it was a lot funnier before because-oomph!" Something collided with me and I staggered, falling backward onto my ass. My vision swam once more and I moved to hold my head as the world righted itself. Still shocked, I looked down at my attacker. Shiemi's blonde hair was all I could see, her small arms wrapping tightly around my body as she sniffled. "Hey, it's okay." I shushed, placing my hands on her shoulders. She shook her head and buried her face into my stomach. She started talking, but her voice was muffled. My shoulder shook lightly with laughter and I pried her arms from around me. "You know I can't hear you, right?"

She pushed herself into a kneeling position before me. Blood was smudged against her cheek and I took a moment to glance at the ruined dress clothes both Bon and Yukio now sported. Remorse flashed through me, knowing no amount of cleaner or washings would fix the stains. Eventually, I returned my guilty eyes to Shiemi, who was wiping at her eyes and sniffling some more. My hand shook as I raised it to run my thumb over her cheek, wiping away some of the blood. Her lips trembled as she spoke. "I'm so sorry, Rin! I didn't know you were so depressed! I'm a horrible friend." Her hand reached up to grab at my own, clutching it as another sob tore through her.

I went to go correct her, but I was cut off. "I'll second that," Ryuji stated from above me. I flickered my gaze up to him, seeing Shima walk up behind.

The pink-haired teen nodded, "third."

"Fourth," my eyes snapped over to Izumo, who was still standing far away. However, my sight was blocked by Shura.

"Me too, I fucked up." She admitted.

Koneko's voice chimed in next, "I'm sorry, Rin."

I shook my head, glancing around at all of my peers. My eyes settled on my twin, who was scratching the back of his neck. "Well, horrible brother. But same here."

"I didn't realize we were taking attendance," I muttered, feeling a bit sheepish under their gazes. My eyes flickered over to Shura. "And I don't know if I'd exactly call us friends." She flinched at my words, but quickly nodded, understanding my reasoning.

"You're my friend," Renzo-san stated. I quirked an eyebrow at him and he dared to look hurt. "Dude, we've gone to the same classes for months. We are on a team together - hell, we kick demon ass by each other's sides!" He shifted on his feet, bringing his arms up to cross over his chest. "Bon and I even stayed over at your place to play games and watch movies. We also went out for lunch!"

Bon chimed in, "we were also there when you kicked that one dude's ass. And we're gonna watch Star Wars together, remember? I made you promise me." Bon turned and gestured to Koneko. "You came out and ate dinner with us, too. We may not be best buds, but you're still my friend."

I dropped my gaze, my cheeks starting to burn. "I know what friendship is, you don't need to explain it to me like a kid's show."

"Yeah, I think we do." Kamiki-chan piped up. Soon after, I heard her footsteps come closer. My eyes darted upwards to watch as she huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Friends rely on each other when they are down. I know I wouldn't have had any issues if you turned to me." She scoffed, jutting a hip to the side and crossing her arms. "Actually, I would've preferred you came to me instead of doing any of this. I would've stayed up all night if I had to."

A chorus of agreement echoed in my ears and I straightened, waving my hands at them. "Okay, I get it. We're all friends here and I was stupid not to talk to anyone, alright?" There were a few grumbles around me, most of them not buying my words. I wasn't expecting them to lecture me on something as trivial as friendship, but then again, I'd planned on being dead right about now. My depression still clung to me, even now. I could feel it weighing me down by the bones. I sighed, looking down at my maimed forearms. Just as expected, my wounds were healing, but even in the dim light, I could see the disfigurement of scars that were left behind under the fresh blood. Exhaustion flooded my body and I briefly closed my eyes, still at war with myself, before returning my gaze to those around me.

Bon and Shima exchanged a glance a few moments before both of them took a step forward. Bon held his hand out to me and I grasped it, letting him help me to my feet. He had to steady me as I began to sway, a barely contained look of concern flashing in his brown eyes. I swallowed my guilt and turned to look at my friends just as Shima pulled his partner up, as well. "So... what now?" I questioned sheepishly, rubbing my hands against the back of my wounded arms. Suddenly, there was warmth on my shoulders and I cast a glance over to Bon. He'd pulled his jacket over me, and I was reminded of the last time he'd done so. "No, don't." I stated in a rush, shifting to remove the fabric. "I already ruined your shirt, I don't want to stain this, too."

Suddenly, Bon grabbed the lapels of the jacket and firmly tugged it back over my body. "Like I give a shit. You're shaking like a damn leaf, and you've lost enough blood to put anyone else in a coma." His fingers tugged once more at the fabric, securing it over my shoulders. My eyes flickered upward and I saw his features soften slightly. "I can buy new clothes, Rin." His kind action and gentle words caused what little blood left in my body to burn at my cheekbones.

A sharp exhale left my lungs and my lips quirked slightly. I turned back to the group just as Yukio picked up my discarded, muddy clothes. "Same as last time, I guess?"

.oOo.

Yukio pushed open the door to our bedroom and I walked inside first. Kuro jumped off of the desk, his elated expression quickly dissolving into concern. His eyes followed me as I walked over to my bed and threw myself down onto the mattress. My peers filtered into the room and Kuro took the moment to hop onto the bed. He moved to my lap and stared at my injuries. Finally, he met my eyes. "I'm assuming you told Yukio about your eating habits?" His tone was uncharacteristically guarded, as was the rest of his expression.

I snorted, "I didn't tell him shit, he attacked me on the way home. He knew, but needed proof."

His eyes were wary and his ears twitched backward, "What kind of proof?"

Sighing, I brought my hand up to push my bangs out of my face. "He jammed his fingers down my throat and made me throw up, but I didn't throw anything up."

My feline was quiet for a few moments, his tails lazily flickering behind him. "Because you'd thrown up beforehand, I assume." I nodded and he sighed, turning his gaze back to my wounds. "That's definitely not a symptom, though."

"Yeah," I muttered, letting my eyes drop down to my forearms. The injuries were healed, all that remained was dried blood. However, while they had scarred, they were still a dark purple color. Several bite marks trailed up my arms, and long, gnarled gashes ran from my wrists up to my elbows. There was no doubt in my mind that the lash against my neck looked just as bad. They looked a lot worse than they were, but I guess that's what happens when you don't get stitches. "Remember what I said about being stressed?" Kuro nodded, his eyes were emotionless as he waited for me to elaborate. However, I didn't know how to describe tonight's events. Yukio seemed to understand my dilemma and took a step forward. He picked up the feline and started walking toward the hallway, whispering in his ear. Just before my twin left my sight, I saw Kuro's face contort in despair.

At that moment, Koneko emerged from our bathroom and walked up to me. In his hands, he held a damp washcloth. I thanked him quietly and grabbed it, shrugging off Bon's jacket and wiping away the dried blood on my skin. I had just gotten done wiping my neck down when frantic mewls erupted in the hallway. My eyes darted over to the doorway, just in time to see Kuro race inside. My twin wasn't far behind him, panic written on his face. He reached out and tried to snag the sidhe, but my familiar was agile and escaped his grasp. The feline pounced and my eyes went wide as he flung himself into my chest. The momentum he carried made me fall back and my head knocked into the wall as my back was splayed onto the mattress. The black demon rose his hackles, his pupils narrowing into slits. "How could you?!" He screeched as a low growl emitted from his chest. "You were going to kill yourself??! What would I do without you?!" His lips pulled up as he hissed at me, his teeth small and pointed. "First Shiro and now you? Why?! Why would you even attempt to do such a thing? You were going to leave me behind..." His breathing hitched and the slits in his eyes dilated slightly. "You didn't even say goodbye to me." My heart panged with guilt and I rose a hand, petting the top of his head. He lashed out, turning to the side and batting my hand away. His claws snagged into my skin and I flinched. "Why?!" My familiar turned back to me, his ears pinning against his head. "Why?!"

"I'm sorry!" I sputtered, feeling a weight push down on my chest until it became crushing. "I didn't plan for any of this to happen, okay?! It just did. I would've said goodbye if I had known, Kuro. Trust me."

The black sidhe panted, and his pupils dilated until they nearly engulfed his eyes. His lip began to tremble and the hair on his back relaxed. A small whine escaped his lips and I moved to sit, pulling him into my arms. "Don't die, Rin! Please!" I hushed him, stating that I wasn't going anywhere. He sobbed into my chest and his nails dug into my bare skin. I flinched but kept my voice level as I calmed him. Not too long after, someone sat on the bed beside me. I looked over in their direction and saw Izumo. Her worried expression twisted the knife that was lodged in my heart and I sighed. She reached out and stroked Kuro's back, continuing where I left off by consoling him.

Glancing around the room, I realized just how many eyes were on us. I chewed on my lip and adverted my gaze. "Damn, I'm really depressing, aren't I?" I meant it more as a joke, but no one seemed to find humor in it.

"Mainly because you are depressed, Nii-san." My sibling walked over and sat on the other side of me, leaning back on his hands. His bloodshot eyes assessed me and I felt my cheeks heat under his gaze. "We should really talk about therapy at some point." My nose scrunched up at the idea and my twin chuckled quietly. "Not tonight, I know. But you seem hellbent on keeping the rest of us out of the loop, so maybe an unbiased person would be nice to talk to."

I sighed and felt Izumo's hands as she pulled Kuro from my arms. I looked over at her, seeing her coo at the familiar just as Shura walked into the room and straight up to me. My eyes flickered to hers, spotting the stack of papers she held out to me. Reflexively, I grabbed them, giving her a curious look as I shuffled the stack in my hands. I set my sight downwards, reading the documents. I blinked several times, flipping to the next page and scanning it. I flipped through the rest of the stack, my jaw slackening as I digested what I was reading. "Holy shit," I whispered, releasing a breath I hadn't known I was holding. "That's... a lot of information to take in."

"I told you I wasn't lying," Shura stated softly.

"It's not that. Well," I shrugged my shoulders, "yes that, too. But I didn't think there would be so many entries. Like right here," I shifted in my seat, moving to point at several sections. "January 29th, 20XX: Subject portrays the ability to manipulate what they call an 'aura.'" My fingers moved to another section, much farther down the page."February 07th, 20XX: The subject emits flames and a nearby object catches fire, but the subject shows the capacity to control the temperature of flames and the object remains unharmed. Accompanying Exorcist is able to handle the object immediately after exercise without injury. And, let's see... here. February 9th, 20XX: Unrecorded incident. Exorcist on duty verbally reports that the subject used flames during an exorcism. Exorcist claims the subject had complete control over their abilities despite emotional duress due to demonic affliction. Exorcist claims no intervention was needed and all other members of the team remained unharmed. Exorcist verbally reported that the subject appears to have an undiagnosed mental illness. Exorcist verbally reports the subject has engaged in self-mutilation." I flinched slightly, hearing it spoken aloud in such clinical verbiage felt invalidating.

"Under their own jurisdiction, the Exorcist canceled all future practice sessions with the subject." I flipped to the next page, scanning for a particular section. "March 17th, 20XX: Unrecorded incident. Accompanying Exorcist verbally reports that the subject successfully used flames. While the subject used their abilities, the subject was able to speak and direct the team, showing that the subject is coherent and capable of taking/giving orders while flames are emitted. The verbal report states that the subject was injured during the mission and subsequently fainted after the exorcism was complete" I skipped to the next line. "March 19th, 20XX: Initial court hearing opened. Case number: 20XXSB005074 Vatican vs. Okumura Rin." I flipped through several pages, not caring about the fine details. I got to one of the remaining pages and paused, my eyes reading the words before I spoke. "April 2nd, 20XX: Final verdict reached. Okumura Rin is to be cleared of any and all charges. Okumura Rin deferred from execution indefinitely. Okumura Rin is to remain under supervision until Meister completed. Further court proceedings will resume once the subject has gained certification."

"I almost fell asleep while you read that," Bon stated whilst yawning. He paused for a moment before snickering, "imagine the absolute mind-fuck it would've been if they announced your freedom on April Fools." He began cackling as he leaned back on Yukio's bed. He himself looked a mess with his tarnished and wrinkled dress shirt. "Hell, I wouldn't have believed it myself if that were the case."

Joking aside, something began to fester in my mind. I quirked an eyebrow at the larger teen before moving my eyes over the rest of my classmates. "Wait, you guys knew?" I blinked several times as they all nodded, unsure how to process the information that I was the only one left out of the loop.

"Of course, we knew." Shima stated, following after Bon and leaning back on my twin's bed. "Yukio wouldn't shut up about it when the news broke."

My eyes flashed over to my brother, and he sighed when he saw the betrayal in my expression. "I didn't tell you because someone said they already did." His eyes flickered over and I knew he was staring daggers into Shura. After a few moments, he sighed again before returning his gaze to mine. "When you didn't bring it up, I figured you didn't want to talk about it. To be honest, I thought you didn't want me to celebrate with you because you may have held resentment toward me. I didn't do anything to prevent your death sentence in the first place, after all."

"You're so stupid," I blurted out, and my twin flinched slightly. However, despite the insult, I felt a bit of humor bubble up inside of me. I cackled and glanced over at my mentor. "You've been keeping shit from me. And you" I directed my eyes back to my brother, "have been holding things back, too." I cackled, feeling all the tension over the situation flowing out with my laughter. "Here I thought I was the only one keeping secrets, but goddamn — we all have been hiding shit."

"No more," my twin promised. His regret was apparent, but heavily outshined by his resolve. "We've made the same mistakes over and over. It's time to change."

With a sad smile, I couldn't help but agree.
________________________________________

The end, kind of.
This is where the original story pretty much stopped, so for consistency, it's the same here as well. It's not wrapped up in a pretty little bow like most other stories, but then again; life doesn't always end happily either.
I'll mark this as completed, and I won't take offense if views plummet after this part because of it. Don't forget to vote for the new story at the top of the fic!
There are still more story parts after this one, but they are entirely new and will flesh out parts of the plot that weren't addressed before. These can be viewed as a side story, but with the amount of content I'd say it is its own arc. It'll focus on the reality of recovery, Rin x Izumo, and friendships.
Don't be fooled, though. There will still be heavy and graphic scenes.

See you next chapter!
-Shay <3