"Hey!" yells the dark, spiky haired child. Running towards the unfair fight occurring just a small way ahead of him.

"Leave her alone she is just a little girl!" the courageous little boy is Shuhei Hisagi. He had heard there was a group of boys from the street beating up a little girl because she had tried to steal their candy. He immediately ran to where the unfair scuffle was taking place to try and put an end to it. After finally arriving Shuhei quickly pushed his way through the middle of the crowd, shoving the boys away from the much smaller child. Ignoring their threats and protests. Looking down Shuhei sees what appears to be a small white blob in an orange and dirty ripped up kimono. Seconds go by then he sees the little white blob slowly start to raise her head up from the dirt ground and begins to look around. That's when Shuhei's eyes grew with anger and horror as he sees exactly what they've done to her. Her pale white porcelain skin all cut up and dirty, pieces of her short white grayish hair missing, blood running down her nose and lip and her piercing blue eyes are all teary and puffy. She sniffles wiping her bloody nose with the back of her hand.

Her eyes finally connect with Shuhei's, she looks at him for a few moments then in the daintiest voice Shuhei had ever heard the little girl asks him "ah yu gonna hit me too?"

Shuhei's stomach drops and he feels a pain in his chest as he stumbles to say "wha.. ah.. no, no of course not, I.. I came to help you."

"WHAT! HELP HER!? This little runt got what she deserved for trying to steal our candy!" Shuhei hears one of the boys who was participating in the little girls beating say.

Shuhei turns to glare at him. "So? That gives you no right to beat up a little girl you PUNK!" Shuhei says standing face to face with the boy. The other boy gives Shuhei's shoulder a shove and in a mocking tone asks him "so watcha gonna do about it." Shuhei glares at the boy and before the boy can react Shuhei says "this" and that is instantly followed by a quick left swing that connects with the boy's cheek with enough force to knock him off his feet and flat on his back. Shuhei immediately moves to stand over him and grabs him by his collar, balling his hand into a fist he places it in front of the boy's face and asks "you want me to do more about it?" The boy just stares up at Shuhei in shock. Slowly he looks around only to see that all his friends have fled, so he just shakes his head no. Shuhei lets go of the boy and stands up straight. "Good. Now apologize to her and then get out of here." He says pointing at the little girl who intently watches Shuhei through wide eyes. "WHAT!? Apoli…" the boy begins to say but Shuhei cuts him off "DO IT I SAID!" The boy huffs in frustration. Standing up he goes over to where the little girl is sitting and quickly tells her sorry and just as quickly runs away.

Shuhei walks over to the little girl "Not the apology I would have liked but at least they won't be bothering you anymore." He says to the much smaller child as he helps her to her feet.

The little girl blankly stares up at Shuhei before giving him the biggest missing front tooth smile she can muster "tank yu so mush! Yu safe me!" Her voice filled with gratitude.

"Oh.. ah.. don't mention it, it was nothing... My names Shuhei by the way." he says scratching the back of his head.

"Suuhei..." She repeats slowly "okay! Hi Suuhei!" The little girl squeaks out.

(Suuhei?) He thinks to himself (I guess..) "Okay well you should head home so your mom or someone can take care of those wounds." He says to her then he sees her cute toothless smile fall into a sad frown.

"I... I don't got a home Suuhei, oh a mommy oh somevon, I libe out hea in the steets and I was soo hungy so dat whai I twy to take dha candy." She tells Shuhei as a tear runs down her small dirty face.

"Oh no home... Really?" Shuhei asks sadly. (She is just a little girl, she shouldn't be out here all alone to fend for herself.) Shuhei thinks to himself.

"Hey Suuhei?" her small voice breaks through his thoughts.

"uh yeah?"

"Um… if I be weally good could I pezz go wit yu to yu house? PEEZ!" the hopeful little girl asks.

"Hmph, actually I also live out here in the street and I don't have a mommy or someone either." Shuhei says with a frown (I'm all alone just like you.)

"Oh? Um… so wheaeva yu goen can I go too? Oh peez, peez, PEEZ! I pomise Suuhei I be weally good." Her adorable toothless smile returning.

Shuhei smirks down at her. (Having her around can't be that bad right? And she's just a little girl she shouldn't be out here on her own.) Shuhei thinks to himself.

"Alright, yeah. You can come along." Shuhei finally says and somehow the smile on the little girls face grows in size and she squeaks out "oh tank you Suuhei, TANK YU!" she runs up to him and since she is only able to reach his legs she seems happy with just holding on to them as tightly as she can in a hug. Shuhei smiles down at her patting her small head then frowns at the missing patches of hair form her head and it is at that moment that he promises himself that he will never let anybody else hurt the defenseless little girl.

"Hey wait" Shuhei says pulling her away from him "you haven't told me your name."

"Runt!" the little girl says with excitement looking up at him.

Shuhei frowns and raises a brow "Runt? Your name is runt?"

The little girl nods her head enthusiastically "mhmm dat wha dha otha kids call me." Her little face still beaming with excitement.

"Do you have a real name?" Shuhei asks then the little girls smile slowly falls and she looks at him confused.

(Wow no name, really? Man… she really is all alone) Shuhei thinks to himself.

"Hmm.. let's see ah… Runt? Tsh no! am… Runt, Run? No, Ran? Ren? No, Rin? Rin?" Shuhei looks down at the little girl. "Yeah... RIN! Yeah you definitely look like a Rin! Okay it's settled, your new name is Rin, alright?"

"RIN!" the little girl repeats with excitement while clapping her hands "I'm RIN!"

"Yep your Rin."

"And yu ah Suuhei" Rin says pointing at him.

Shuhei just shakes his head and smiles "yeah I guess I am."

"Yeii! Suuhei is my fiend now!"