Book 1: Blue Flames & Red Roses [COMPLETED]

Epilogue

A month went by, and here we are. Mephisto - uh scratch that - Johann Faust the Fifth was brought back as director of the academy and the Japan Branch. They started classes back up again.

Yukio stood before the class, writing down notes on a chalkboard.

"The mandrake has been used as an aphrodisiac since the days before Christ." The teacher explained to the now very full class. "The root is shaped like a human. Now, you have to be careful when you're pulling the mandrake out of the ground because once it's out, its voice could cause someone to die. You can avoid this by wearing earplugs, but it's still quite difficult."

For some reason, they took away Yukio's rank as Paladin. They busted him back down to Intermediate Exorcist First Class. I don't know all the details, but I heard something about Human Resources and the Vatican and stuff. However, he and Emi are scheduled to get ranked up to Senior Exorcist Second Class in two weeks. They're both pretty nervous.

Yukio stopped speaking at the sight of his brother, Rin, sleeping in class again. Yukio walked over to the ExWire, slamming his book on the desk. Rin jumped in his seat as he looked around, startled. He rubbed the back of his head as Yukio gave him a reprimanding look.

Speaking of Emi, since Mephisto's back in charge as Head of the Japan Branch, she's not the director anymore. But apparently, she did a pretty good job in the position so she's being trained to take over when Mephisto's ready. She's working her ass off on business stuff, and she works under Mephisto now. She still comes to the academy a lot. She says it's because she needs to talk to Mephisto, but we all know the real reason why.

There was a knock on the door as Yukio went to open it, revealing Emi and Nyx. Yukio hugged Emi, lifting her off the ground as a few of the students chuckled.

"Did he fall asleep again?" Emi asked. Rin shrank a bit, laughing nervously.

"I called it," Nyx smirked.

Nyx isn't getting ranked up with Yukio and Emi, but Shura told me that if she keeps going the way she is, she'll get ranked up in April. Nyx has gone back to work full time as an Exorcist, and since Emi has to focus a lot on her training, Nyx has become our grimoire studies teacher while Shura is taking over all Magic Circles and Seals classes.

Yukio placed the key into the hole, opening a door to reveal a snowy sight. Flakes of ice floated down, sticking to the ground. He stepped out, his older brother behind him. Rin followed Yukio, hands in his pockets, Kurikara by his side. His tail swished as he walked down the steps.

"So, where are we going?" He asked.

"I... have absolutely no idea."

"Nice. You want me to go with you, but you don't know where." Rin replied sarcastically. Yukio held out the key.

"Look, the Director handed me this key, and... he said we had to go together."

"Alright..." Yukio stopped in his tracks, looking back. A broken-down wooden cabin was behind them, partially buried in the snow. Rin followed the boy's gaze.

"What's the matter?" Yukio felt the gears click.

"Oh, I get it." He murmured. Rin ran after him.

"What? Wait, what d'you get?!" he questioned. They walked a while longer.

"Right before Satan possessed me, I could see all his memories like they were mine."

"Hm?"

"It was here. This is the forest where our mother gave birth to you and me." Rin remained silent. "Where she gave her life for us." Two snowmen jumped down out of nowhere.

"Whoa! What the heck!" Rin yelped.

"Snowmen, the subspecies of golems." The larger one started walking away, moaning, holding onto the smaller one like it was a child. "Let's go." Yukio declared. Rin's eyes widened. "They're showing us the way." The two followed the snowmen to a ledge. Down below was a cave entrance blocked off by weeds and roots with the occasional flower. "That's it. We were born in that cave."

"Huh?" Rin wondered. He returned his gaze to the cave.

"On a snowy night, our dad found us in there. Mom left us in his care and... then she died..." The two walked down the cave, finding an unmarked gravestone with a single yellow flower. Yukio brushed off the snow on top of it, crouching.

"Is that... our mom?" Yukio didn't reply. "So uh... you could see her in those memories, right? 'Cause if you did see her then... what did she look like?" The elder brother asked. Yukio revealed a secret smile.

"She was... really beautiful." Rin shook in annoyance.

"That's all you got?!" He clenched and unclenched his hands. "What about like... I don't know... were her eyes double-lidded?" He clapped his fingers to imitate blinking.

"Rin." The older one straightened his posture. "Have you ever thought... maybe it wasn't right you and I were ever born? If we didn't exist, then mom and dad would still be alive right now. And all our friends, they wouldn't have gotten hurt." Yukio gazed at the stone with sad eyes.

"You're such a dork." Yukio gasped, turning to face Rin. "Seriously, what about everything they believed? What about what they stood for? It's 'cause of who they were we're even here. They made us who we are. They gave us our lives." Yukio gaped, before smiling.

"You're right." He looked back at the grave. "Our parents were pretty amazing, weren't they?"

"Damn right they were!" Rin agreed. "They're our parents, after all."

"There you guys are!" The twins looked behind them to see Emi and Nyx run up to them. They stopped at the grave, kneeling. "Is this-" Nyx asked.

"Yeah," Rin replied, keeping his gaze on the tombstone.

"Oh, we brought these," Emi remembered, reaching for something in her bag. It was a bouquet of red flowers. The girl gently placed it against the tombstone.

"Roses." Yukio smiled. Nyx nodded her head.

"It's to represent the love she had for you too." She explained.

"And the love we have for you." Emi grinned, leaning her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Thank you," Yukio said, looking to both of the girls

"Both of you," Rin added. Nyx stood to her feet, brushing the snow off her clothes.

"C'mon, there's a diner booth with our name on it." She reached for her boyfriend's hand, pulling him up.

The four walked away from the grave, laughing and enjoying life as they should, leaving the bouquet by the tombstone. The flowers signified love. It was love that brought those twins into the world, love that caused the friendship between the two girls, and it was love that saved Earth. The world was saved by blue flames and red roses.

If only love was enough.

~fin~