Rekindle

Chapter 4: A Twisted Fate

I LIVE!!!! You guys have been incredibly patient with me and I really appreciate it. You all are the best readers anyone could ask for. I'm not promising to update more often, but I'm going to try.

Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!

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Gehenna: Satan's Castle, Library

Year: x115

Rin hated this part of his training. If someone had asked him a hundred years ago if demons had to do homework, he would have laughed. But that is exactly what was happening. Rin was sitting in the library of Satan's castle, book in hand, while Azazel sat across from him. He apparently needed "supervising" as his brothers would say.

The book he was reading wasn't particularly interesting. It was something to do with a war fought between demons. He found it just a little boring because most of the demons mentioned were all still alive, after all a demons lifespan was nearly infinite. If he needed to know something about an event in Gehenna's history couldn't he just ask a demon that was there? Why did he need to learn every little detail. Though he already was aware that if he asked Azazel he would simply state that it was a prince's duty to know all of Gehenna's history. That and the fact that he wasn't born during these times made it a necessity for him to learn since he couldn't experience it.

Besides why he had to homework, Rin had another question on his mind. He felt a little awkward asking, like it was taboo since no one had ever brought up this topic. But since when had being blunt ever stopped him.

"So, what happens when a demon dies?" Rin curiously peeked over the book he was supposed to reading to observe Azazel's reaction.

The King of Spirits nearly choked his tea. Rin would have laughed at the display, had he not been so worried about why his older brother made that expression. Azazel blinked in confusion for a moment, set down his cup and composed himself.

"And what brings this on little brother?" He asked cautiously.

"Well you see, I was reading this book and it got me thinking about how you said you would not be able to find their souls since they were exorcists and all." He paused. Azazel wasn't sure he liked the direction this was going. "So it got me thinking, what about demon souls?"

Azazel sighed. This was going to be a long talk.

"It doesn't quite work like that."

"Then how does it work?" Rin was a little to quick to respond for Azazel's liking.

"It doesn't." He knew that wouldn't suffice the curious half demon, but he wasn't quite sure how to explain it.

Demons were born with this knowledge, it never needed to be explained. He hadn't really thought about Rin's lack of understanding. The boy was making such excellent progress in his studies, combat, and controlling his flames that sometimes it was easy to forget that he wasn't a full demon and wasn't born knowing certain fundamentals. Rin still had a problem with his instincts too when Azazel thought about it. Sometimes the demon half and the human half would try to resolve things differently and that left Rin often fighting with himself. But he could worry about that later, the inner peace would likely come in time, the longer Rin stayed in Gehenna. Now, however, he had to deal with the immediate problem of explaining death.

Rin narrowed his eyes.

"Any time you want to start making scenes dear elder brother I'm listening." Rin closed his book and placed it on the table with a bit of annoyance.