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[A Weird Stranger]
Strangers don't suddenly pour out their life stories to each other out of nowhere, after all.
[Tokyo, Japan: Year 2012]
The rain had stopped from this morning, so the ground was still moist, and the smell of grass and soil lingered in the evening air.
No… It wasn't just the smell of the earth, grass, and soil. Something else, too, stained the air.
Death.
His hands shook as he glided his bruised fingers over the gravestone. It shook so badly.
It would be all so easy, to just tear this blasted thing apart, to kick away all the dirt and heavy soil, and reach out to grab that coffin.
Because Shiro Fujimoto could not be dead—he should not be suffocating in that damn claustrophobic space—he should be with him, with Yukio…
He was suppose to be scowling him for getting fired at another part-time job. Suppose to be scowling him for getting into street fights. For not eating. For skipping school.
So many, many other things…
He reached into the pockets of his suit and pulled out a cell phone. The old man had given it to him just before his death, and explained how someone would pick up and offer him protection.
But did he even deserve protection from a bunch of people who claimed they were Exorcists? He wasn't even human, and he was a failure at everything.
He didn't belong anywhere.
His dark eyes became wet, and they started to burn. Hating this feeling, he hastily wiped the tears before they could fall.
He was not going to cry again.
Allen bit his lip, extremely worried. He walked past several restaurants and video game stores, but he was no longer excited and curious. The fun had worn off an hour ago, and he was anxious to know what was happening back home at the Black Order.
He terribly hoped that his friends were all right. He had faith in them, and believed in their strengths, but he was not ignorant enough to disregard the fact that anything could happen.
And it didn't help that he was stuck here, in a place he barely knew, in a place where he seemly wasn't suppose to exist.
He didn't know how to get back; the Ark didn't work, and he couldn't understand why. Did the Ark not work in the future? Had it already been destroyed years ago?
Allen didn't understand the time thing, either. How did it work? How exactly did Komui Lee manage to build something so complicated?
He sighed, and continued walking around the neighbourhood. A Japanese neighbourhood, Allen reminded himself.
It was one of those rare moments where he appreciated learning from General Cross. Sure, aside from his Exorcist work, his Master had spent most of his time in bars flirting around with boisterous women, but Allen was glad he took the time to learn about the world as he slowly rode along. His journeys with Cross had been painful and suffering, but he gained a lot from it.
And by "gained a lot," he meant "actually knowing enough to conclude where he was."
Yen was the currency of Japan, if he was correct. He remembered seeing the currency signs on his Master's ridiculous heaps of bar bills when they had visited Edo.
Allen assumed he didn't recognize it right away when he saw the vending machine because everything seemed to be printed, as opposed to being handwritten, and honestly, it made a big enough difference to freak him out.
Another thing that confirmed his suspicions was the language that was being spoken. It was quite fast-paced, and although he knew enough Japanese to get by, certain honorifics and verb conjugations were used. Allen supposed as time went on, the culture become advanced and the Japanese updated their prose.
He would eavesdrop on people, and at first he would understand what they were saying, but then somehow they pull out some fancy, magical verb or adjective and he'll just suddenly become lost.
Like when he would talk with Kanda. Kanda would sometimes mutter things—or maybe insults were a better word—about him. Like "moyashi," for example. Allen had been so pissed off that he actually researched the word and became even more furious to discover it meant "bean sprout."
Allen sighed. At times like these, he wished Master Cross would've educated him. That would've been asking for a ticket to an instant coma, but still.
He was so lost! And lonely! Things wouldn't be so bad if he had Timcanpy, but even Cross stole his precious golem from him! General Cross! Cross Marian! Everything was about Cross at this moment!
He was going crazy.
Allen sighed again, accidentally walking into a puddle.
"Great," he murmured, now watching his miserable expression in the reflection. "What am I suppose to do now? I'm on the hunt for Akumas, but there doesn't seem to be any. On top of that, I barely have yen, and I'm not even suppose to exist in this timeframe. Allen Walker, what are you going to do, huh? How are you going to survive in this place? Get a job?"
Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea. He did need to survive in this place; he could only go so far without food and water. But then again, he definitely had no time on his hands to be standing at some random store, checking out groceries. Allen grimaced as he pictured Lavi laughing his head off. The thought of the trouble-making redhead made him homesick, and he groaned.
He had to find those escaped Akumas, and return back to his own time.
But Fate was being a nuisance to him, and decided to twist things by dropping him off here.
The white-haired boy sighed again for the umpteenth time, and walked on, and on, leaving the pretty street lights of Japan and entering the dark isolated areas.
He saw a cemetery sometime later, and he stopped short.
A cemetery…
His silver-gray eyes lost focus, and he saw the image of a smiling Mana before him.
And honestly, it made his heart squeeze in sorrow. How long had it been since he last visited a cemetery? Allen's eyes traveled towards the field. It didn't look any different from the cemeteries he'd visited before.
Such a nostalgic feeling…
"You're finally home, Rin! So? Did you manage to get the job?"
He sat on the moist earth, his head on his arms, his knees brought together, his old man's voice echoing over and over in his mind. His clothed demon-slaying blade—nicknamed Kurikara— lay beside him, unguarded and unwanted.
He knew he had been here for too long; his pants were getting dirty, he smelled like soil, and the night was turning darker and darker.
But he couldn't go home. Not there. Not where he'll have to face Yukio.
Because what could he possibly say at this point? What could he possibly say to comfort his younger brother? That the old gramps had died because of him?
Sorry Yukio… He died because of me, and I couldn't protect him because I was in shock, and I just discovered that our real dad is Satan.
Even in his head, it sounded stupid.
He knew he was being a bad brother, by leaving Yukio alone, letting him do whatever it is that he was doing at this moment, but…
He just wasn't ready.
Soft footsteps were ringing around the cemetery, but he didn't care. Plenty of people had died, and everyone needed their own quiet time to themselves.
"Excuse me?" a voice nearby him spoke.
Rin glanced up, about to shoo away the speaker because he was not in the mood to converse. But when he saw the face of the teenager before him, his mind went blank.
The stranger was bending down at him, a gloved hand extended as if saying that it's alright for him to grab it. His hair was the colour of falling snowflakes, and it was visible in the darkening night. His pale eyes were beautiful, but they were glazed with sadness and sorrowful concern, and one of them had a painful, red scar-like mark etched upon it, as if someone had attempted to carve his face, only missing his eye in the process.
He looked so kind, yet so melancholy; so pure yet so dark.
And it made Rin forget his own troubles and worries.
"Hey," he said, his voice hoarse because it had been a day since he last spoke. "Are you okay? What happened to your face?"
The stranger shook his head. "More importantly, are you alright?" His words had some sort of accent to it, and the way he phrased the sentence told Rin that he was speaking outdated Japanese.
The white-haired stranger gave a sad glance at Shiro's gravestone.
"Did… something happen?" he added, his words still carefully phrased, as if he hoping he didn't say anything wrong.
Rin usually wouldn't be talking to people in this circumstance, but the stranger's soothing voice somehow captivated him, and he seemed like such a pure guy that Rin would feel pretty bad about shooing him away.
"Yeah," he murmured. "I lost someone dear to me."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that." There was a soft sound as the stranger sat down next to him, his long, odd jacket gleaming in the night.
The dark-haired fifteen-year-old mumbled something inaudible in reply.
Then he spoke.
"What about you?"
"I happen to be travelling, and I caught sight of the cemetery."
So he was just here for tourist-viewing purposes? Rin didn't know whether to be offended by this or not.
"And I suppose it brought back rather unpleasant memories," he added.
Rin was quiet for a moment, and then, maybe because of the fact that they were in a cemetery and that he felt mentally abandoned, he asked, "Have you lost someone dear to you before?"
He hoped it wasn't an offensive question, despite how personal it was. He couldn't think of anything else to say, and he didn't fancy making small talk either.
But the stranger replied anyway, and he stared at Shiro's gravestone as he did so.
"Mana. My surrogate father. I…" There was a sharp intake of breath, and Rin turned around, worried of what he was going to say next. For some reason, the stranger was holding a hand to his scarred eye.
"I did a horrible thing to him."
Rin's eyes widen. He completely understood… he glanced down at his bruised hands, the same very hands who took Father Fujimoto's life. He was willing to tell the boy everything he had been through, but of course, that would just be plain wrong.
Strangers don't suddenly pour out their life stories to each other out of nowhere, after all.
"Sorry," Rin mumbled. "I didn't mean to ask such a question."
"It's okay. Everyone does it."
There was a pause.
"You know," he began quietly, slowing turning to face Rin and giving a slight smile. "I don't know what you're going through, but I can definitely tell you that there is a brighter tomorrow, and a vast future ahead of you. After all, for every second you spend feeling remorse, you lose happiness. So… don't look so down. Don't you think it's better to walk forward and see how far you've come?"
Rin didn't comprehend. Was he trying to encourage him?
He lowered his head toward the ground.
"There's nothing for me…" he muttered. "I don't belong anywhere."
"Not necessarily true," the boy said slowly. "Something that really helped me was figuring out the answer to this question: what do you live for?"
Rin didn't say anything. Of course he meant no disrespect by all means, but he already knew the answer to that sorrowful question.
Nothing.
A familiar face popped into his mind.
Yukio.
"It probably won't help me," Rin muttered, waving away the image of his smiling twin in his mind.
Damn. His eyes were starting to burn again.
"I suppose so..." his white-haired companion was silent.
The Okumura wiped his eyes hastily.
"But you know, maybe that is a question to think about. Thanks."
His companion smiled, and then the two of them looked at the grave.
Silence walked by, seeming like decades. There was only the sound of nearby vehicles driving past.
"Am I being bothersome?" the companion spoke up again, somehow focusing hard on Shiro's gravestone.
"No, you're not," said Rin. He was being honest; he rather enjoyed the awkward company. "It's getting late, so maybe you'd like to return home before it gets seriously dark?" he asked, genuinely more concerned about the dead of night and not trying to push the stranger away.
The stranger gave a shudder.
"I-I would, but I'm lost!" he babbled out, and then sighed. "I've been stuck here for ages and I can't find my way out."
His answer was so random and out of place that Rin almost laughed.
"Whaddya mean lost? Where are you from, anyway?" Rin said, also looking at Shiro's gravestone.
"London. Perhaps you've heard of it?"
London? Rin racked his brain. Didn't he hear that name somewhere in junior high? London... London...
"Nope. But do they have clothing like that in London, too?" Rin asked, nodding at the stranger's black-and-white jacket. He had never seen it before.
"Oh. This is a specialty," said the companion, wiping off grass stains on his sleeve. "London is similar to Japan, I guess, but it is more western, so residents there dress differently on special occasions."
"Really? How is it that different?"
"We have more taller building structures. I've seen many clocktowers, and there are large amounts of train stations."
"Seriously?! I never been anywhere outside of Tokyo." Even in his sadness, Rin felt slight envy. "I want to visit. It sounds cool."
"Actually, I am looking to return to London. Somehow I ended up being lost here," the stranger admitted, looking sheepish.
So that was why he ended up wandering around into this place! Rin gave a sympathetic nod. Poor guy!
He lifted his head up at the sky.
"Thankfully it isn't too late," he said. "I'll help you find an airport centre. Maybe we can get you home."
Astonished swept over the stranger's face, making the scar on his eye more large than ever.
"T-that would be most wonderful! But you mustn't, really! I didn't intend to intrude on you and involve you into my situation!"
Images were suddenly pouring into Rin's mind...
... his days in junior high...
... being called inhuman...
... a demon...
"I just want to help, so let me help!" he persisted, getting up and wiping the soil off.
"Then, I shall accept your offer," said his white-haired companion, also rising.
With a smile, he extended out his gloved hand.
"My name is Allen Walker. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."
Sadness.
Why was that? That as soon as he shook this stranger's hand, somehow he felt connected in more ways he could not have imagined.
"Rin Okumura." The grin was not the brightest he could give, but it was something.
"Um..."
Rin noticed Allen looking uneasily at Shiro's gravestone.
"It's alright," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trousers out of habit.
"It's not that. I wish to pay my respects..."
The white-haired companion lowered himself down in front of the stone and clasped his hands together as if in prayer. Rin watched, his sadness mingling with something close to appreciation.
"Thank you," he said rather awkwardly, as the two of them departed the cemetery.
Allen was slightly taller than him, and Rin soon noticed that the blood-red scar that scraped his eye was not very frightening to look at. On the contrary, he was more attracted to the kindness in those pale eyes, and more than anything, having this stranger by his side made him feel very secure and protected.
Of course, it was not something Rin would admit so easily, but those were his honest inner feelings.
"I really am grateful for your support," Allen said, as he walked by several passersby. "Please, if there's a way where I can repay you, let me know."
"Thinking a bit too far ahead, aren't you!" Rin gave him an incredulous stare as his companion laughed.
There was a young toddler who was approaching them down the sidewalk with her parents, and Rin felt his worries slide away once more when he saw her carrying a kitten plush. He gave a small wave in her direction, and as she returned the cheery gesture, her jovial face met Allen's.
She screamed, dropping her plush and dashing toward her father's leg. Several people who were walking by had stopped in their tracks and stared in confusion.
"Honestly!" Her mother, who was a chestnut-haired young woman, twisted her charming facial features in anger. She rounded on Allen. "What do you think you're doing with this"—she was clearly trying to conjure up a description of Allen's appearance—"this whole get up! Teenagers these days!"
"Hey—shut up! It ain't his fault!" Rin retorted back just as furiously, as Allen tried to stop him from coming at the mother. "Hey!" Rin shouted at the little girl, who squeaked, her angry father trying to cover her eyes. "This person here is really nice! You don't have to be so afraid!"
"It's okay!" Allen burst in, holding Rin back by the arms. "Don't—ouch!"
The two males fell onto the ground, and the mother, after giving both of them a disgusted look, stormed away with her husband and crying daughter.
"What the hell was up with her?" Rin spat onto the ground, wiping his mouth. A furious expression was electrocuting through his face. "Are you alright, Allen?" he gave his companion a concerned and apologetic look.
Allen managed to smile, as he stood up and extended out his gloved hand.
"Yes."
The midnight blue orbs were staring at the white gloved hand.
Acceptance.
Why was that? That as soon as he took the same hand, there was something within his heart that trembled. Whatever it was... Rin stared as Allen scratched his head at an elderly woman who passed by and gave them mint candy. Whatever it was...
... he'll figure it out soon.
The Okumura smiled slightly, seeing Allen plop a mint into his mouth.
This white-haired stranger... was pretty weird, indeed.
"ARGH! IT'S SPICYYYYY!"
A piece of green mint soared out of nowhere and chucked itself nicely into Rin's eyes.
He screamed so hard he almost erupted his blue flames.
"IT BURRRRRRNNNS!"
The apologetic look on his companion's face was so terribly agonizing to stare at.
Indeed, it was so apologetic Rin found himself giving a Allen-I'm-really-okay-seriously-don't-stare-at-me-like-that-or-I'll-cry face.
"But I'm truly sorry!" Allen said, for what felt like the hundredth umpteenth time. He threw his hands around—probably out of habit, and Rin found it very hilarious. "I'm not accustomed to such sweets in this world!"
"It's okay!" Rin closed the door to the washroom. "But out of all places, it had to be this..." he sighed.
Damn. If she saw him one more time... there was no doubt he'll probably be sent overseas for a court trial.
Beckoning Allen to follow him, the dark-haired boy ducked and began to slowly side-step his way out of the supermarket.
"Why are we doing this?" Allen's confused voice met his left ear.
"Shush! She'll kill me if she finds us!" Rin whispered frantically, his ears turning red. He crept over to a Bakery aisle, Allen mimicking his actions, an expression of why-am-I-doing-this lingering on his face.
"Okumura-san, have you done something bad?"
"I was fired," Rin explained, as they side-stepped closer to the entrance, where thankfully, he could not see his tiny, short-tempered ex-boss in sight.
"It smells good in here..." There was a growl.
"H..." Rin dropped his mouth open at his companion. "Hungry?!"
"I am so sorry," Allen replied in his strange, outdated accent. "I haven't ate for awhile."
But the Okumura did not mind at all. He, too, was becoming famished; neglecting his health while mourning for the old man was his activity all week.
He tip-toed away from his acquaintance for a brief moment before returning in a flash.
"Here."
Allen stared at the packaging. "Soba noodles?!" His silver-grey eyes widened with surprise. "Kanda eats this kind of food!"
"Kanda? Who?" Rin scooted closer, prepared for the expression. "Try it!"
"But you haven't paid—"
"—i'll pay later, just try it!"
Allen held the packaging down, where brown depressing fluid splashed against the container. "It doesn't look very lively..."
And Rin knew he hit the jackpot, as the poor guy started shuddering.
"Bad, right?!"
And then vomiting.
"Crap! Allen! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
When Rin was younger and his junior high teacher had screamed herself hoarse at him for being a "monstrous child with no skill nor talent", Rin almost cussed her out. After all, who would've wanted a grumpy old bat as their homeroom teacher all year? She often threatened to whip him with her stick, but Rin scoffed. He told himself that he was no demon, and that the bat herself was possessed.
And to this day, he still backed up his word, even after his furious ex-boss dumped Allen and him right out of the supermarket.
"Well, she was never nice to begin with," Rin commented lamely, patting Allen on the back who was still nauseous.
"Okumura-san, I appreciate your support, but I didn't think you'd poison me," Allen's feeble voice was shaky. "That was nasty."
"Right?! Who would eat such a thing! But don't worry, I got something to make up for it big time." Rin patted his back once more. "And call me Rin. I hate formalities."
With the grocery bag full of ingredients in his hand, Rin led the way, Allen by his side.
"I'm sorry that I poisoned you."
"It's alright. I have a big appetite but it's the first time I ever ate something so horrid."
"Really? What's your favourite food?! Mine's sukiyaki!"
"Sukiyaki? What's that?"
"It's like hot pot! Lots of meat, good soup, and seafood! My old man makes..."
Rin stopped short.
Allen turned around slightly, his pale face full of worry.
"Are you okay?"
Old man... You really made the best sukiyaki.
"Actually, I didn't intend on coming home," Rin admitted slowly. "My brother recently moved out on his own, but since our father died, he's returning back today. I couldn't bring myself to meet him just yet."
His grip on the plastic grocery bag tightened as Allen spoke.
"I see..."
"I'm also sorry I couldn't bring you to the airport centre. I pretty much wasted your entire day," Rin went on, scratching his head because he was feeling really bad and he didn't know what to do.
"No you didn't. I am very happy you defended me earlier from the mother awhile ago," said Allen. "In fact, I have been roaming the streets for hours, and no one but you have offered me company. In a dark world such as ours, those things really matter."
Dark world... Somehow... it felt that Allen Walker was no ordinary person.
"Thanks for understanding." Rin grinned. "I promise I'll make it up to you for sure! I'll treat you to dinner and have you riding home to London before you know it!"
A kind smile graced his companion's face. Again, Rin could not help but think that the scar on his eye truly suited him.
"By the way, Rin," Allen began, as they continued down the road toward the monastery. "I've been curious about this for awhile, but do you know what year it is?"
"It's 2012, where have you been?!" Rin gaped at him. Was Allen all right? "That soba didn't mess you up, did it?"
"Ah. Because I'm a traveller, I tend to lose track of time," was the white-haired boy's manner-of-fact answer.
"That sounds like the stupidest thing I ever heard of!"
"I remember one time I was gathering apples, and somehow, it was already 1843."
"What the hell!? What time system does London even use?! Actually, how old are you even?! Your hair is white!"
Allen seemed to be taking the conversation into his hands, and Rin soon gave up commenting. Instead, Rin told him the process of cooking sukiyaki. The white-haired male was very curious, and the talk lasted almost an hour until they saw two policemen scouting the neighbourhood.
Rin ceased his walking, and stared rather uneasily. He had a bad reputation with the local police, and both of them preferred not to cross ways, although the rebellious teenager kept throwing himself into incidents. But today was different. Today should not be one of those days.
"That's the police," Rin explained to Allen. "You'd better be careful around them..." he eyed Allen's attire. "Unless you tell them you're from London, or something," he added as an afterthought.
"Are they carrying weapons?" Allen asked, cocking his head to the side. "Interesting. So the gun have been entirely advanced and remodelled..."
"Yeah, they always carry stun g—"
Kurikara.
"Shit!"
He burst off at the speed of light as humanly possible, Allen hot on his trail and looking most bewildered.
"Rin?!"
"I forgot something at the cemetery!"
Rin looked over to his shoulder to tell Allen to stay back and wait—
"So it's this way, right!?"
And the son of Satan stared, wondering how the hell Allen ran past him already.
The old man had kept it safe for him...
Rin sighed in relief, seeing the untouched and unmoving blade on the grass.
"Thank goodness you found it," said Allen happily.
"Yeah." He tried to heave the clothed blade onto his back. "Now I won't forget!" He flashed a whimsical grin and Allen laughed.
"Thanks for coming with me. You should've stayed ba—crap!"
Allen caught the grey mobile phone that slipped out of the pocket of the blade, both to their relief.
I want you to use this. It's the number of a friend of mine.
Shiro's voice rang in his head, but Rin dismissed it.
"Wow! This is really cool!" Allen said, waving the phone around like a wand.
"Don't tell me you never heard of a phone." Rin deadpanned, wondering if Allen was waiting for the device to squirt magic or something of that sort.
The dark-haired boy smiled. Allen appeared more as a kid than anything, even with his white old man hair. The way he fiddled with the buttons and exclaimed was truly heartwarming to watch. It reminded Rin of himself and Yukio as kids.
Now was not the time to worry about Exorcists. He had to get Allen home first...
Rin's smile faltered very slightly.
And after he would get Allen home... it was time to return to his life. Nothing to be sad about, right? He was the son of Satan. Allen was a regular human.
Those two... don't mix.
There was a beep that interrupted his thoughts.
And Rin's smile slid off his face like ink in an instant.
Allen stood, frozen. The phone was trembling slightly in his gloved hands as his wary eyes scanned the cemetery. Surrounding them were men and women dressed in black, their faces covered by fabric.
They paled in comparison to one man who was dressed in an almost—was ridiculous the right word?— manner. Everything he wore, even his top hat and cloak, was white, purple, and pink, with polka-dots. He was scary tall, with dark purple-ish hair, and a look of delight was swimming in his green eyes.
Rin seemed to be just as lost as he was, and Allen had to mentally call himself stupid for pressing that green button.
"Hello hello hello~!" The man's voice was full of ecstasy. "You called me out rather late~" he directed the words at an utterly-lost Rin. "My name is Mephisto Pheles. I am a friend of Father Fujimoto. You have my sympathies for what you've been through tonight."
I don't think he sounds sympathetic at all, Allen thought to himself, seeing the man Mephisto eyeing Rin with great interest. Was he a leader? He seemed to stand out from the rest, and all of them seemed to be waiting for his commands.
Allen didn't know what in the world was going on, but if things suddenly became violent, he had to protect Rin, an innocent bystander. In situations like these, General Cross would've told him to screw everything and just attack these nutters, but he chose instead to stand aside suspiciously, paying attention to the conversation between Rin and Mephisto.
"Are you people Exorcists?" Rin asked skeptically.
Exorcists? Allen's eyes widen.
"We are known as the True Cross Order," Mephisto replied, in the same joyful voice.
Something like extreme panic suddenly struck the white-haired teen as he took in this discovery.
"Wait!" Allen burst out, and the clown-dressed man took notice of him, the size of his orbs increasing when they landed on his scar.
"You people are Exorcists of the True Cross Order?" Allen said incredulously, as murmurs filled the cemetery; the men and women behind Mephisto seemed to be taking in Allen's odd appearance.
The True Cross Order... the Black Order... it could not simply be a coincidence! Allen stared hard at the man until Rin's voice shook him.
"Wait, you know these people, Allen?!" Rin took several steps back. Fright and suspicion were drawn across his face, and for some reason, his hands enclosed themselves tightly around the clothed item he carried on his back.
"I don't!" Allen assured him, confused at the not-so-friendly atmosphere between him and Rin.
Rin's expression softened. "Oh. Yeah, these guys are Exorcists. They're kind of dangerous, so stay back, okay?"
Staying back was something that Allen could not absolutely do, but he nodded anyway, secretly glad that General Cross was not here to bust his chops for being a "stupid timid pacifist".
"Now, now~ let us all be civil about this." Amusement seemed to override Mephisto. He turned to Allen.
"May I have your name, Mister…?"
Allen considered this for a moment. Should he give these people his name? Komui had warned him that if he revealed important information, he could possibly end up changing the future, and put himself at risk. But on top of that, these so-called Exorcists seemed to be after Rin, and he didn't approve of that action either.
But what choice did he have? If he lied, it would've made things worse, especially since Rin had already cried out his name.
He'd just have to deal with whatever was coming next.
"Allen Walker." He did not intend to glare at Mephisto, but he definitely needed answers at this point.
Mephisto seemed to have understood his message, because he chuckled.
"Well, well, Mr. Walker~ the True Cross Order is not here to bring you harm. Yes, we are Exorcists," he said, and Allen's eyes flashed. "However, you are not our main objective, so I daresay you'd better keep yourself out of this little situation."
"I refuse," was his immediate reply.
"Oh?" A glint was in the man's eyes. "So, what connections do you possess in regards to the True Cross Order, Mr. Walker?"
"Listen, you better not go around involving innocent people!" Rin cut in for him. "Don't target him; I'm the one you're after! The old man said you'd offer me protection right?"
"Rin Okumura, you have misjudged the situation~" Mephisto stroked his beard, and said, " I have dispatched my party in order to have you killed before you present a threat to humanity."
"What?!" Allen cried. The True Cross Order had demands and purposes of that caliber?!
"What do you mean!?" Rin demanded, his hands now gripped tightly on what Allen assumed was his weapon.
"You are the son of Satan," Mephisto announced, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
S…atan? Allen moved his head to the side to see Rin looking unfazed by this news. He didn't understand. If he had to guess, this must meant that Akumas—or demons, he should say—have evolved. Satan was considered the powerful ruler of demons, if Allen remembered from historical facts.
But how was Rin the son of Satan? Allen's pale orbs drifted up and down: Rin looked very, well… normal, with his dark-coloured hair, sharp electric-blue eyes, and his air of being a rebellious teenager.
"You have two options available to you," Mephisto informed the Okumura. "One, allow yourself to be killed by us. Two, kill us and flee, and ah~ there's even a third option: suicide." He gave a whimsical grin. "Now, which one will you pick?"
"I'll join you!" Rin abruptly shouted, causing Allen to be baffled by this declaration.
"Ho~ and what would you do if you became an Exorcist?" The man wanted to know.
"Beat the crap out of Satan!" Rin's yell echoed all around the vicinity.
Mephisto suddenly cracked into such laughter that he was literally incapacitated with mirth, his mad cackles echoing around the cemetery as all the exorcists, Rin, and Allen stared at him, afraid for his sanity.
"Oh this is wonderful!" he screamed, practically tongue-rolling as he wiped away several tears. "I haven't laughed like this for an age!"
Allen blinked worriedly as he saw the dark-haired boy's hands balling themselves into fists. This was not good…
"You're out of your mind!" The still-laughing man commented, trying to stop another fresh wave of guffaws.
"I'm serious!" The look in Rin's eye told Allen that Mephisto should definitely shut up soon—
"Satan's son, an Exorcist…" The clown-like man seemed to have calmed down. The playful glee was gone, and on his face sat an expression of mischievousness. "Very well~ I like it!"
"Hold on," Allen interrupted, surprising Mephisto and Rin. He didn't like this feeling of foreboding one bit.
"How do I know that you're not going to kill him once he joins?"
Rin looked taken aback as Mephisto cackled.
"Mr. Walker, you're quite the protective one, are you not?" A devilish grin graced the replier's odd features. "Why don't you accompany him, then~?" he professed.
Yikes. Allen didn't manage to think that far.
You stupid apprentice!
"Uh," he said intelligently, trying to wave away the image of General Cross.
"Don't drag him into this!" Rin rounded on Mephisto.
"It was a suggestion after all~" replied the still-amused man. He snapped his fingers, and all the exorcists responded with a tilt of their heads.
"I'm afraid I must get going~ plenty of responsibilities to take care of, you know! Rin Okumura, the path you have chosen is a long and treacherous one. Don't come running to me with regrets now~! And Mr. Walker." Mephisto gave a nod in Allen's direction. "I have to say, your presence rather attracts me, and I'd love to see more of it at the True Cross Academy."
"Wha—?" Allen barely finished his sentence as Mephisto gave a hearty wave, and then, in a blink of an eye, vanished.
"Creepers," Rin murmured under his breath, seeing the cemetery now empty except for him and Allen.
"Um," Allen began slowly, now that the tension was over and an awkward silence filled the air. That had gone too fast for his liking, and he felt the need to sit down.
Rin sighed, ruffling his messy hair.
"I meet someone for the first time today, only to have them practically know my life story," he muttered to himself. "Listen, I know this sounds ridiculous, me being Satan's son, but I can explain—"
I don't think he knows how to explain…Allen waited patiently, seeing Rin mumbling inaudibly, and then scratching his head, clearly messing up on whatever explanation he was spewing out.
"W…wait!" Rin stopped whatever he was doing. His electric-wired eyes nearly ogled out of their sockets. "You… believe me? That I'm … not human and all?"
Allen noticed the strain in his words, and he understood. It must've took a lot for Rin to admit such a thing.
"I believe you," he said. "Or do you not want me to?"
"No, do!" Unless the night was fooling him, there was a twinkle in the Okumura's eyes. "Y'know, it's the first time I told someone this. Don't tell anyone," he said hastily.
"I assure you I won't."
With the most eventful incident done for the day, the both of them plopped onto the grass in utter exhaustion.
They spent awhile there, mostly because Rin complained that his legs were sore from all the running, and Allen heartily agreed, despite the hunger that gnawed at his insides.
Stars were appearing in the night sky, and as Allen looked up, he could not help but think about Mana.
"Rin."
"Hnn?"
"Thank you very much."
Allen smiled.
"And so the little boy fell into a deep sleep...Among the ashes of grey within the shining flames... First one... then two..."
It was okay that the Ark did not appear.
The white-haired Exorcist stood up and gently heaved the sleeping Rin onto his back.
"I might get lost..."
A second smile.
"... heck... that's okay, too."
"Rin?"
The midnight blue eyes slowly opened, to greet pale silver-grey ones.
"Allen!" The Okumura bolt upright, and glanced around frantically as Allen sighed.
"I'm in my room!" Rin burst out, recognizing his desk and messy snacks that were thrown all over the floor.
"Yes. It's four twenty-six in the morning. This might sound ridiculous but it took me three hours to find your house." Allen sighed once more. "Actually, is this even a house? There is a monastery right next door."
"Ah, my old man ran a monastery. He was an Exorcist himself," said Rin. "But Allen, you're amazing! Thanks a ton! I'll be sure to totally repay you for everything!" The dark-haired boy slid out of his bed and proceeded out the door. "Wait here, I'll be back with food!"
As soon as he was out of sight of his companion, he mentally slapped himself. To think he fell asleep out of the blue for no reason! How embarrassing! He shook his head.
He ran down the stairs, and stopped.
"Brother!" Someone suddenly ran up to him and checked his forehead. "Are you okay?!"
Damn...
"Yukio," Rin nearly staggered. "I'm fine." He tried to avoid his twin's eyes.
"I'm relieved." Yukio sighed. "Why didn't you tell me we had a guest? He even had to go through the trouble of carrying you home."
But Rin was already making his way toward the kitchen.
"I was asleep so how exactly could I? You could've woken me up."
"Asleep?! I thought you were hurt! I was so worried! I stayed up for hours trying to reach you! It's about time you get a phone!"
Rin reached for a mug without thinking.
"You were worried...?"
"Why would I not be?" Yukio crossed his arms. "I don't want to lose you, too."
Damn...
"Brother?"
"It's nothing." Rin tried not to cry any more tears.
Apparently Allen did not think the trouble was a big deal. In fact, the stranger—or acquaintance Rin reminded himself—spent most of the time slurping the soba noodles that Rin cooked.
It made him genuinely pleased that Allen pleaded for five more extra bowls, even if he himself didn't receive much of a serving.
"This is so delicious, Rin, I swear," Allen claimed weakly, as he finished his final bowl. "How can I ever thank you? You have saved me from starvation. Really!" he added, seeing Rin's amused expression.
"My brother let me use our meats we usually reserve for special times," said Rin, also placing his empty bowl on a coffee table they had decided to set up in the middle of the messy room. "He says it's to thank you for your kindness."
"Japan beef really is amazing. Why can't he join us?"
"He's studying for tomorrow. He's going to be a freshman, so he's nervous." Rin rubbed his nose, feeling proud of his younger brother.
"A freshman? How old is Yukio-san?"
"Fifteen. I'm also fiffteen as well."
Allen nearly choked on his juice.
"I'm also fifteen!"
There was a silence.
"Whaat?! You act older than Yukio! You act like you're forty-five!"
"Eh?! That's really mean!"
"It's the hair!" Rin insisted, as Allen sighed, admitting his defeat and forfeiting any comment he had in mind.
He noticed that Allen had removed his long jacket to reveal a simple white dress shirt underneath, but kept his white gloves on. It was something that piqued his curiosity, but he decided it was unnecessary to trigger as a question.
"But I think the jacket is really cool," Rin said enviously, seeing the said jacket placed on the bed. He briefly wondered if Allen was part of some organization, and he grinned, his respect for him growing.
"Do you get to eat soba in London, too?" he asked Allen, hoping he could bring his field of expertise there and meet their standards—or go beyond that, if possible.
"Of course! I know someone named Jeryy-san who is an amazing cook!"
"Seriously?! Don't think tell me he could cook something way more delicious than this!" Rin was baffled.
"Hm... I like your soba, but Jeryy-san makes more varieties. So it's your loss," Allen said bluntly, and Rin snickered.
"Hey, I'm not gonna lose to anybody in cooking, you know! It's my one and only natural talent—no wait, I take that back!" Rin exclaimed hastily, as Allen burst into laughter.
"What about you?"
Allen pondered for a moment.
"My natural talents? I can juggle," he mused. "And very good at that. See that?" He pointed at Rin's basketballs that were jumbled in a corner. "I can juggle four of those. Maybe while even on a tightrope."
"The hell?!" The Okumura's mouth dropped open like a fish. "That's insane! Are you human?!"
"Some people say I'm not, so I do wonder." Allen's sarcasm was sweeping through, and Rin grinned, agreeing.
But for some reason, as the hour turned 6:32am, Rin was steadily growing more depressed.
"Soon you'll be able to return back to London. Man, I'm jealous... it sounds amazing!" Rin laid on the bed while Allen sat in his desk chair.
Allen's heartbeat thumped louder, but he said, as reserved as he could, "Rin, I am reconsidering about that."
"Huh?" He saw Rin lift his head up.
"I want to attend True Cross Academy," said Allen. Of course, what he just revealed was very risky indeed, but he could not think of other ways to phrase it. Simple and short was the way to go.
For now.
Rin didn't reply right away, yet for some reason his voice was more light as he responded.
"Not like I can say anything, right? It's not my place to. I mean, I feel like you're not anyone ordinary."
Faster heartbeat.
"Ordinary?"
"You actually know a lot about Exorcists right?"
"Yes..." said Allen slowly. He's pretty insightful...
"You believed I am Satan's offspring, so I'm not surprised you know about Exorcism," Rin murmured. "But can I just ask... what exactly is your job?"
"I don't know."
Rin sat up and looked at him, probably deducting that he was trying to cover up a story, but it was partially true.
His words had struck home, because Allen truly didn't know what his job was. Between his desire to return to the Black Order as fast as possible, to saving the massive army of Akumas, Allen felt that he was now being sucked into investigating Rin's world.
In fact, investigate to the point where he truly wanted to know the truth to everything. Rin being the son of Satan were one of them.
But he hadn't seen anything yet. No Innocence. Nothing. No powers that could relate to Akumas or the Ark.
It was such a twisted predicament Allen half-wanted to bang his head along a wall and sleep.
So there it was. His answer. He really did not know.
"You're not alone."
Allen stared as Rin heaved a sigh.
"I don't know what exactly I have to do either. So that makes the two of us. I won't mind having you as company for awhile!" he grinned. "Until you sort out what it is that you have to do, you're free to stay here and join me."
"Rin..."
Allen sniffed.
"You're so kind."
Somehow, Rin managed to convince Allen that he would sleep on the floor so that the white-haired teen could take the bed. He lent Allen one of his recently washed hoodies, something he never did, not even with Yukio.
He tilted his head up slowly, seeing the asleep silhouette of his companion.
It was the first time that he actually brought someone over. A feeling of giddiness took over him. So Allen was not returning back to London just yet...
He was a pretty terrible person, he'll admit. Perhaps it wasn't in his nature to be good at making friends, but he didn't want Allen to leave just yet.
There was something about him that he wanted to know.
A yearning, really.
From growing up only to be detoured away and yelled at by other kids, Rin couldn't understand humans. The old man said he raised him as a human, and Rin, ultimately knowing the love behind that wish, still felt abandoned, deep down.
Perhaps it was why he was so attached to Allen.
To have someone converse with him and genuinely carry on the conversation.
To have someone worry about him.
To have someone join in on his ridiculous plans and acts.
To have someone extend their hand out to him, twice, and accept it.
Yukio did those things of course, but Yukio was his brother.
It seemed so surreal. To think that in a whole day, he went from sulking and feeling like an outcast, to suddenly making friends with a stranger who drastically made him experience new whole insights in life.
Rin laid back down.
What did he live for?
And as he thought about it... he slowly figured it out.
He lived for not only Yukio...
... but for himself.
To find self-purpose...
Self-acceptance... as Rin Okumura, not solely the guy who is the son of Satan.
"To think I was devoid of purpose less than twenty four hours ago." Rin laughed silently. "Guess I've got Allen to thank for that."
Of course, he was still upset over his old man… and he was bothered by how Yukio seemed so nonchalant, not bringing up any mention of the topic. But he couldn't deny that he felt grateful to Allen, despite having just met him hours ago.
Strangers don't suddenly pour out their life stories to each other, after all.
But, Rin had to say, Allen Walker was no stranger.
He was just a pretty damn weird stranger, that's all.