Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Blue Exorcist
Eventually, Rin offered to walk Mira home. It was late, and he figured she'd want to sleep…but part of him didn't want her to leave. If she left, it meant he'd be one more day closer to leaving Fairy Tail. A few years ago, that would have thrilled him to no end. Yet, now it was a bittersweet ache in his heart, knowing this place held a future that was never his to begin with. So, when he did get to her house with Mira walking silently by his side, he sighed.
Looking towards him, Mira smiled faintly. "It'll be alright, Rin." She touched his arm, and he smiled back. "Thank you, for letting me join you today. I'm guessing I wasn't all that fun with my mood…but I really did enjoy spending time with you."
"Don't worry about it, it was fun anyway." He nodded at her, and Mira smiled. He expected her to just walk away, but she surprised him, leaning over and pressing her lips to his cheek. Instantly, Rin's face was red, his hand lifting to touch his skin there as she pulled back and walked towards her door.
She stopped there, turning towards him. "Goodnight." She paused, hesitating. "Oh, and Rin?" He didn't really have much to say. She had just kissed him. Well, sorta at least. Didn't a kiss on the cheek still count as a kiss? Were there rules on friends kissing friends? Or did Mira see him as…something else? Girls were just as confusing as they had always been, and Mira was adding to the confusion. "I was thinking…you said that a portal from your world was already going to travel somewhere else. If we can't find an answer in magic…do you think there might be something from your world that could have the answer you were looking for?"
He blinked, staring at her. That…was difficult to answer. "I'll…think about it." How did that gate function anyway? Satan had made it, and Rin had gotten the man's flames. So, did that mean he could make it too? Rin didn't know. It would mean a lot of experimenting…with a dangerous power that he was already afraid of overusing. Yet, Mira closed the door anyway, leaving him alone. He went back home, sleeping on the thought through the next day.
When Rin went to the guild like usual in the morning, he was still debating the possibility. Even if he could, however, he'd still come to the same conclusion. If he made a gate, it would bring him to Gehenna, not Assiah. Yet, from there could he get back? Rin had never exactly been inside of the mirror world to his own. The connection between Gehenna and Assiah should be stronger than from this world to his, though. So, it was likely a better chance than pure magic, right? Unless he had some genius on his side to get him back, it wasn't going to happen. With Zeref wanting nothing other than his own death, Rin had grown to accept that Mira was probably right about that guy not being willing to help as well.
"Hey, Rin!" Natsu's shout grabbed his attention, making him glance towards the dragon slayer. "Come on and fight me! I want a rematch to prove to everyone that I can beat you now!"
Without his former magic, Natsu probably could. Even with his fire having demonic origins, it didn't stop the dragon slayer from eating it. Though, that didn't mean Rin was affected by Natsu's fire either. Really, it would actually be a close fight. Yet, Rin still had other things to focus on. "Sorry, I was actually going to go train on my own. I had something new I wanted to figure out…and I don't think it'd be a good idea to test it around others."
"Please tell me you aren't developing some insanely violent spell…" Lucy was sitting next to him, groaning. "I don't get what is up with you guys and wanting to just destroy everything in your path."
"Actually…I'm trying to figure out…uh, teleportation. Sorta."
"Sorta teleportation? How can it be like teleportation but not?"
Rin stared at her, shrugging. He didn't really feel like explaining the situation to everyone, though they'd hear about it eventually. If he talked about it now, they'd be upset like Mira, and he'd rather avoid putting everyone through that kind of stress. "That's why you've been in the library with Mira all the time! I knew you two were up to something."
"Really? You two were being that boring, Rin?" Cana shouted out from a nearby table, apparently having been listening in. "And here I thought our matchmaker finally found her own match!"
Thinking about last night, Rin's face immediately grew hot. "Shut up, Cana! It's not like that."
"Oh, but you definitely want it to be…" She grinned, her teasing continuing.
Before he could retort, Happy came flying over to join Natsu. "Aye. He liiikes her."
That made others burst out in laughter, while Rin just tried to ignore it. They could think what they wanted, he guessed. "Erm…well, yeah. We were just researching magic and stuff. Now, I'm actually trying some of it out." It wasn't entirely a lie. Yet, he had no clue where to even start.
"Well, good luck then." Lucy smiled at him, patting his shoulder. "And don't worry about Cana, she does that to everyone, trust me. I've gotten sick of it myself a few times."
"You say that about her, but I thought Mira was the one constantly teasing you about that?"
"No, Mira's just the one who says who'd be good to date. Cana's the one who says we're already dating."
Laughing, Rin realized she probably had a point. Yet, it still was just a subtle enough difference that it probably made her more comfortable with Mira in some ways. So, rather than sticking around like usual, Rin got up and began walking off. "I'll see you guys later. Like I said, I kinda want to be alone for practicing this." They nodded, and he went off towards the forest outside of town.
Making sure he was isolated and away from fishing areas, Rin drew his sword. His flames burst out immediately, along with the slight changes in his body that made it seem more demonic rather than human. Yet, this power that seemed so natural to him wasn't what he wanted. Sitting down, he closed his eyes. A lot of the books he'd read said meditation helped with magic. Maybe it helped with demon powers too. Yet, after sitting down for about five minutes, he began squirming slightly. Nothing was happening, and he felt nothing different. Opening his eyes, he grimaced and leaned forward. Meditating was boring. That much he was certain of already.
Sighing, he leaned back in the grass, staring up at the sky above him. If he couldn't sense that power…could he remember what it was like? That day had been fairly nerve-wracking already. He learned he was a half-demon, the son of the most powerful demon of all, and that everyone wanted to hunt him down. So many people had been trying to protect him, and he'd been dragged around and told to go to this place, not to do that, to make sure to never talk about another thing…and it was just too much. He'd been angry, confused, and he'd snapped. That, of course, was the mistake. Rin regretted the words now, but he never had the chance to tell his old man that. Father Fujimoto probably died thinking Rin hated him.
Closing his eyes at the thought, Rin gritted his teeth. He remembered the gate…forming with blood mixing with it. Lifting his hand, Rin opened his eyes and stared at his skin. Was it that simple? Jumping to his feet, Rin held his hand out. Pressing it to the edge of Kurikara, he gradually made a thin cut on his wrist. He grimaced, watching the blood drip down into the grass. Yet, with his flames burning and even the added bit of blood…nothing. He watched, wondering if maybe it just wasn't enough blood. That was what he did until the cut sealed over, and the blood stopped falling. Dropping his hand to his side, Rin groaned and plopped back down on the ground instead.
Thinking about more, he considered what else could have caused it. Satan made it look so simple, after all. Though…Satan also was a full-blooded demon, not just a half-demon like Rin. Could it be that it just wasn't something Rin could do as a result? He glared at his arm, scowling in irritation. He refused to accept that. Rin wasn't going to just give up because it was hard, after all. So, he stood up, preparing to try again. Cutting into his wrist, he let the blood drop, trying to combine it with the meditation from before. Yet, his mind just wouldn't calm down and relax like all the books said it was supposed to do. The cut sealed with nothing happening, and Rin growled at the lack of improvement.
Catching himself, Rin paused, taking a deep breath. If he did this for too long, he'd start dealing with demonic instincts kicking in. He'd be angry, impulsive…and he would lose control. Thinking about that, Rin slowly sheathed his sword, taking a break instead. As a result, a pattern was formed. Rin would try to make a portal twice, fail both times, then take a break with his sword sheathed, his body sprawled on the ground that was now charred from his flames.
The pattern continued, with Rin feeling like he still was missing something. Blood…what else did Satan use other than blood? Sure, his old man died, but that didn't seem to be a requirement. That only happened because…because Father Fujimoto refused to give in. Swallowing, Rin gazed at the ground, sighing. He wasn't going to figure it out anymore today, with the sun going down, so he'd try tomorrow.
The next day, he was right back out there, working again. He slowly became obsessed with the idea, tiring himself out and exhausting himself from overuse of his demonic power. Yet, it was at least giving him some more control over his demon side. He'd begun to notice that he was more tame like that the more he stayed in that form, that he could control the anger better. Instead of just having two attempts at making a Gehenna Gate, Rin could now try five times before taking a break and letting the demon within him rest.
After about a week of not being at the guild hall at all, Rin finally had a visitor in the forest. His flames were fanning out and he had been on his third attempt at a gate, already glaring as he saw another failure. "Rin?" He glanced over, seeing Mira watching him from a distance. Blinking, he slowly grinned, sheathing his sword and walking over. "Sorry to interrupt, but I haven't seen you around much lately. I was wondering what you were up to."
"Oh, right. I was taking your advice." She blinked at him, and Rin gestured to the burnt land around him. "Not having much luck, though. I really don't know if making a Gehenna Gate is something I inherited or not…but I figured it'd be worth a try."
"You've been working on this for weeks?" Mira stared at him, narrowing her eyes. "I thought it was dangerous…I know you said it isn't all that easy to stay in control when you give in to your demon side."
Nodding, Rin crossed his arms over his chest. "Yup. That's why I'm doing this alone. I figure if I lose control that way, no one will get hurt."
"Except you, dummy." She smacked his arm, and for a moment, Rin thought she sounded like her younger self. However, it faded and she smiled at him again. "So, how is this gate supposed to work anyway?"
"I…I don't really know." Rin glanced at his feet. "Um…I really only saw it the one time. Before that, I didn't even know Gehenna existed, so I'm really just stabbing in the dark on how to do this. I remember blood being involved, but that's about it."
"Who exactly made this gate for you then?"
That one made Rin stiffen faintly. "Satan…while he possessed my old man, at least."
"So, a demon possessing a human created this gate?" Rin nodded, and Mira frowned. "Could it be that you need human blood?"
"No. That's not how it works in my world. A demon possessing a person…I can't say I understand all the details, but basically, that's how demons existed in Assiah. The blue flames around my old man's body only proved that Satan had taken over his body…and that he had been gone."
Mira touched his shoulder, rubbing his gently. "I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"It's fine." Rin sat down, closing his eyes. "It's not like I haven't been thinking about it myself anyway." He frowned, again wondering what he'd missed.
"You'll figure out the answer, Rin. I'm certain you will." Mira shifted her arm, wrapping it around his shoulders instead and joining him on the ground. Rin glanced at her, frowning for a moment as she leaned over, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'll miss you when you do, Rin. I know that the moment you figure this out, you'll be gone…so I'm really just waiting for the day that I can't find you out here and know that you succeeded. I really hope you find happiness over there, Rin."
Slowly, Rin felt his heart rate slow and he gradually lifted his arm to wrap it around Mira in return. He gently stroked the side of her arm, feeling the soft hairs under his palm that couldn't really be seen. "I'll miss you too, Mira. You…you helped me a lot…and accepted me, even after learning about all of this. I can't imagine I'll ever find anyone quite like you, no matter what world I end up in."
She smiled, closing her eyes for a moment against his side. "Rin?" After a pause, she seemed to speak up again. "If things were different…if you had been born in this world, do you think we still would have become friends?"
Thinking about what little he'd found, he frowned. "I…actually think I was born in this world. A different me, anyway. I mean, it's too much of a coincidence…Rin Huldra, with his brother Yukio…they're both dead, but I think that was…me. Sorta."
"So, I guess not even then." Mira's head fell, shaking her head. "I always thought I was the best at seeing things like this, at knowing when…someone would be happy, with another person. Yet, I think I'm starting to see why maybe it is best…to just leave things be." Rin watched her, slowly giving her a half-smile.
"Am I finally getting to hear Mira's match making advice too? Lucy's already told me how you tried to set her up with Natsu. And Gray. And did you say something to her about Loke too?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "I didn't realize you wanted me to." He chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"I don't, not really, but I kinda feel left out. I mean, it sounds like I'm the only guy you can't see involved with anyone, Mira."
She stared at him, her eyes softening slightly. "Well, that's just a bit of a lie." She sat up straighter, shaking her head. "Really, there's only one person I can see you getting along perfectly with, Rin. Though, I think I'm a bit biased in this case, so it's not like I have the right to share it with you anyway."
"So what? I want to hear it. One last thing…to remember about Mira. I want to learn all of your expert matchmaking skills, and take them back with me. To do that…I need to know who, and why."
He gazed at her, grinning widely. Mira stared back, her smile slowly fading. "That…sounds like you're already leaving."
"Well, obviously I haven't figured the gate out yet! And stop dodging the question!"
She smiled faintly, reaching forward and gently stroking his cheek. Rin blinked, feeling his skin grow warm where her fingers touched it. "Rin…I think you just might be the only person I've met who is more oblivious than Natsu." He glared at her. He wasn't that bad, was he? He noticed when she was upset the other day, and he'd been able to cheer her up. At least, he thought he had.
He was busy trying to think of what he had missed when he felt it. Rin's eyes were wide, feeling a soft pressure against his mouth. Mira was there…kissing him. Like last time, but not on the cheek. Rin's heart pretty much stopped at the realization. Why would she…kiss him? He realized he was just sitting there doing nothing, and slowly closed his eyes, trying to at least…do what? He hadn't kissed anyone before…but he still felt warm, and he found that he wanted to. Mira was soft, yet she was strong when she needed to be. He slowly tightened his grip around her arms, and Mira moved her lips against his, with Rin hoping he wasn't too sloppy in returning the motion.
She slowly pulled away, pressing her forehead to his. Rin was breathing hard, his mind racing and trying to figure out…anything, really. What just happened? "And there's your answer. The person I think you belong with…and the memory I want you to leave with." He took a slow breath, staring at Mira with wide eyes. She…liked him. She really liked him. When had that even happened? Rin didn't know. However, as warm as his face felt, he found himself slowly grinning.
"Mira?" She blinked at him, and Rin pulled back, rising to his feet. "Don't you ever change, got it? Because I know you tend to do some drastic things when you lose someone you care about." She dropped her gaze, staring at the ground. "I want to think that if…when I come back to visit, you'll still be the same Mira I left. The same girl trying to pick out her favorite couples, caring relentlessly about her friends and family…the same girl that's willing to accept anyone and do whatever it takes to protect those around her."
She didn't have to say anything else, not really. Mira smiled at him, slowly nodding. "Don't worry, Rin. I'm not planning on doing the same thing again. After one loss…I'd like to think I learned something, about how to move forward rather than focus on living in the past." She paused again, staring at Rin. "So, I'll still be here, when you come back. And that means I should probably leave you to focus on your training now, shouldn't I?" Rin smiled, while she laughed. "Sorry for the distraction, Rin. But…thank you for letting me talk to you anyway."
"Hey, you're welcome to stop by any time. I can use a break on occasion, since it seems like I'm kinda obsessing over this." She nodded, turning to walk away. Watching her leave, Rin closed his eyes, pressing a hand to his mouth. He had never expected that he'd get his first kiss from someone as beautiful as Mira. Actually, he'd never even thought a girl would be interested in him enough to want kiss him. Smiling, he turned around and focused back on his plan. Yukio wouldn't believe any of this when he got back, but it sure would be one amazing story to tell.
And we've gotten to the point where the pairing enters the story! It took me a little bit to think of how I wanted these two to end up together, but I rather liked how this chapter turned out. I hope you enjoyed as well. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!
