Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Blue Exorcist

Rin's thought that the guy he had been speaking to was a clown did not change when he actually met the person. He was dressed in some ridiculous suit with a top hat and a pink umbrella, of all things. He looked weird, and Rin didn't know if he trusted the guy at all. However, again he reminded himself that he didn't have options. Rin didn't know all of what was different here since he left, and he had no place to live, let alone work to survive.

"Greetings! It is a pleasure to finally meet you." The man stepped out of a pink vehicle, smiling and giving a slight bow. "We spoke over the phone, correct? My, this place is a dump." He glanced around, shaking his head. "Do you really live here of all places?"

"Shut up." Rin glared at him, walking forward. "Now, what exactly were you planning on?"

"Taking you to True Cross Academy, of course. I run the school, and I can…pull a few strings, to get you in for now, if you don't mind. Though, before we do that, you'll have to meet with me for a bit of a …personal interview, shall we say? True Cross Academy is a prestigious place, after all. I can't just let anyone in, or my reputation would be ruined."

He was…taking Rin to a school? That wasn't what he expected. Yet, as the man opened the door to the car, gesturing for him to get in, Rin figured there wouldn't be anything too terrible about the idea. "Okay. But if you do anything funny, I'm out, got it?"

Mephisto chuckled, inclining his head at Rin. "That is quite rude, I'll have you know I am nothing but a gentleman. I assure you, you will not be mistreated in any way, at least not on my account."

That wasn't exactly reassuring. Yet, Rin didn't reply this time, taking a seat while Mephisto ended up next to him in the car. It started driving, and Rin felt uneasy. How long had it been since he was in a regular car? Around electricity? This world was foreign to him now, after so much time living in a place where magic had replaced pretty much everything. "Alright, Rin, now that we're off of the streets…I suppose this is the chance for you to ask me questions. Once we're at the school, then it shall be my turn. Does that sound fair to you?"

Nodding, Rin glanced at the guy. "You knew my name when I called. How did you even realize it was me?"

After all, even if Mephisto had known his old man, Rin figured it had been years since he vanished. This place should have thought he was dead or something. "Because no one else has that number, other than your father of course. The priest and I go way back, and when I got a phone call from one of his phones, I couldn't tell you how surprised I was. And when it wasn't him speaking…well, there was only one more option it could be."

What about Yukio though? Frowning, Rin glared at him. "Couldn't my brother have been calling then? I'm not the only kid he was raising, you know."

"Let's just say it was a lucky guess then."

Damn, this guy was getting on his nerves. He was just going to dodge Rin's questions, so what was the point of letting him ask them in the first place? Still, it wasn't a huge deal. It just meant this guy was even creepier than he first thought. "Whatever. So…why a school? I mean, I get that I asked you for help, but that just seems like a weird place for an interrogation."

"Because True Cross Academy is where the youth come to become exorcists these days." Rin stiffened at that, but did not respond. "Given your…history, I thought it might be interesting, to see how you do there. And, if you refuse, well there really is only one path I can take and not lose my job. After all, letting the son of Satan live is a big no no, so I really am taking a big risk by letting you anywhere near my school, let alone survive."

He knew. Rin turned towards him, his eyes wide. Reaching behind him, he could tell that his tail was definitely hidden. The sword was in its sheath behind his back, so he wasn't on fire. How did this clown figure it out? "Son of—"

"Oh, don't try and play dumb with me, boy. I'm older than I look, and I've seen a thing or two in my days." He gave Rin a smile, which didn't exactly look pleasant. "Father Fujimoto may have been an exorcist, but he had a soft spot for your mother. Despite knowing your heritage, he couldn't bring himself to carry out his mission and kill you. That's why I was involved in the first place. He needed someone to help cover the truth up…and as a result, someone else had to know of exactly who you were, Rin."

What could this clown do to hide it though? Rin studied the man, frowning for a moment. He didn't seem that weird…but that was when Rin saw the slightest hints of pointed ears under his hat, and a flash of sharp teeth in his grin. "Are…are you a demon too?"

"Already getting to the heavy questions, are we? Well, given the situation, I suppose I don't blame you for asking." Mephisto crossed his legs, leaning back in his seat. "I am nothing like the man that attacked your monastery, so before you even think of drawing your sword against me, I'll warn you that I will not hesitate to kill you if you are a threat." Rin hadn't even noticed the way his hand had lifted, touching the hilt defensively as he faced Mephisto. Slowly, he dropped it to his side, crossing his hands over his chest instead. "As for the answer…I suppose you could say I'm your half-brother, Rin. We do share the same father after all, though unlike you, I have an…agreement, with the Vatican. I spy for them, and they get to spy on me…all while keeping me contained in the little academy for their precious young minds to mold to their will. It is tiring, but it is something to do, after all. And, in moments like this, I get to find my true entertainment! You, Rin, are going to be quite interesting, I suspect."

So this guy was another one of Satan's kids? Rin should have figured there were more out there, that there were full demons related to his father. Yet, he hadn't really considered it. Scowling at the back of the seat in front of him, he sighed and scratched his forehead. "Are…how many kids does Satan even have then?"

"Well, there's quite a few of us, if you must know. I believe ten in all, including you and your brother of course. We're all scattered about here and there, though typically our siblings remain in Gehenna by our dear Father's side."

"Satan isn't my father." Rin spat out the words, glaring outside. "I don't care what you think. That man took my real father from me. He tried to trap me in Gehenna myself, to make me think Yukio would…" Rin trailed off, shaking his head. "If I see him again, I won't hesitate to cut him down. I'll kill Satan with my own hands if I have to."

"You? Kill Satan?" Mephisto laughed, throwing his head back. "Oh, I definitely was right about how interesting you would be! So, Rin, just how to you plan to get to that point?" He smiled, his laughter dying down. "Oops, sorry, I suppose it is not yet my turn to ask questions. Our little deal, after all. I can wait until we arrive in just a few moments anyway."

Turning towards him, Rin frowned. This man was…creepy and weird, but he didn't seem harmful. Again, it was an example of how not all demons were evil. "Yeah, I'll answer that soon enough." After all, he was going to a school where exorcists trained. Was that something he should learn? It would protect him, if Satan ever came for him again. Plus, it might actually be a decent way to hide. What kind of a demon would become an exorcist? Rin didn't know if it was smart or not, but it wasn't like he had any other plans right now. He had to find Yukio, and Satan claimed his brother was with them. "So, are all of his kids like him or something? I mean…you don't look like you're on fire or anything." Staring at him, Rin was frowning. Unless there was something really weird about that umbrella, the man didn't have anything sealing off his powers like Rin had.

"Like him? As in do we have his powers?" Rin nodded, and Mephisto folded his hands in his lap. "While I can't spill all the details…I can confidently say that none of us other than you inherited Satan's power as it currently is. His flames simply don't belong in Assiah, after all…though, we did gain other abilities. Specialties, if you'd like, in terms of what we can do and where our influence extends. No two sons of Satan are alike, and while we might not have his power, we are definitely not the sort of demon you'd want to recklessly pursue a fight with if you could avoid it."

Those words made him smile faintly. It sounded like their demon powers were like different branches of magic. He got the fire aspect of things, and the others got…something else. Thinking back, he frowned. Hadn't Father Fujimoto mentioned one of them focused on rot? That was probably one of the grossest powers he'd heard of, but still there. "And with that, it seems your time has come to a close. Welcome to True Cross Academy, Rin!" Mephisto got out of the car abruptly, while Rin watched him. After a moment, he followed after the demon, who leaned on his umbrella and gazed at what looked like a huge maze of buildings in front of them. "If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to my office where we can continue our conversation. After all, I do still have so many questions for you, little Rin. So many mysteries around you…and the obvious question of what lies in your future still remains."

With that, the clown started walking forward. Rin followed, until Mephisto stopped at a door. Unlocking it with one of more keys than Rin could count, the man walked inside. The keyring vanished into the man's suit pocket, but Rin was wondering exactly why he had so many keys in the first place. Not getting the chance to ask, Mephisto directed him towards a seat, before sitting behind a desk in the room. The door shut behind them, leaving Rin in what looked like a high-class principle's office. It was carpeted, with a dark wooden desk for Mephisto to sit at, and a huge open window behind where the demon now sat. "Alright, now where to begin…" Mephisto drummed his fingers on the desk, tilting his head for a moment. "I suppose the beginning would be a good place, after all. So, let's start with six years ago, Rin. That night is a mystery so many people have been dying to have answers to, after all. The loss of the Paladin, the fall of one of the most powerful monasteries in Japan…none of it was explained, and there were no survivors of the event. Yet, here you stand, six years later…as if nothing changed."

Had it really been that long? Rin stared at the desk, swallowing. It sorta had, now that he thought about it. He'd gotten absorbed in Fairy Tail, and without his memories, that place became his life. "It's…kinda a long story."

"And I didn't bring you here because I lacked time, Rin Okumura. If you don't wish to answer, we can just skip ahead to deciding your fate…but cooperation means for a much better outcome for both of us, I suspect."

That didn't sound good. Meeting his gaze, Rin felt himself somewhat understanding a little bit more about who this demon was. He didn't care about Rin personally, and it was technically his job to kill demons like Rin. So, if he could gain this guy's interest…he had a better chance of surviving after all. "Sorry. It's just…I haven't talked about in a while." He looked away, staring out the window and not meeting Mephisto's eyes. "Some demon attacked me…out in the streets. At the time, I didn't have a clue what was going on, but my old man came to save me. He said I was a demon, the son of Satan…and that my powers were emerging. To try and protect me, he brought me back to our old church and had a bunch of the other priests doing weird things. They were warding it against demons I think…but I didn't understand a whole lot of what they were doing. It just all seemed too crazy."

"Well, if the demons realized who you were, it isn't surprising. Father would be quite interested in you, and he would be more than willing to reward the demon that brought you to him in the first place." Rin nodded, looking back at the man that was technically his brother as well.

"I was pretty freaked out by that time. The old man gave me this sword, and told me never to unsheathe it…and not long after, things started getting really bad. The guys fighting off demons started saying stuff about Satan coming, telling me to get away from my Dad, but…I didn't understand. Satan possessed him, and…at that point it was too late to do anything." He looked down at the desk, closing his hand into a fist. "Satan opened a Gehenna Gate…he said he was bringing me with him to the demon world. I was just trying to shout for my old man, trying to figure out a way to bring him back instead…but all that did was make him strong enough…to…" Rin swallowed. "To stab himself. He died, standing inside of the Gehenna Gate. I have no idea where he ended up…but I doubt he got a proper burial there."

"He definitely did not. Demons would have been overjoyed at having a corpse to possess…likely it was gifted to Astaroth if that was his fate." Mephisto hummed faintly, leaning forward and gazing at Rin with a smile. "Still, that doesn't answer what happened to you, Rin. If Satan was stopped, where on Earth have you been?"

"By the time my old man sacrificed himself, it was too late." Rin met his gaze, taking a deep breath. "I was trapped in the Gehenna Gate too…and I fell through, despite trying to destroy the thing in the process."

"You weren't in Gehenna, so don't lie about that. I told you before, I'm the eyes and ears of the Vatican amongst demon kind, Rin. You arriving in Gehenna would have been impossible to keep hidden."

"I didn't arrive there." Rin frowned, shrugging. "It's…weird, but something happened and brought me somewhere else. I don't know how it worked, but it did. I made friends there, had a life…and kinda forgot where I came from. Eventually, I worked hard and figured out a way to get back on my own. That's when I remembered that my old man gave me a phone, and said to call you once I was…in a safe place. I didn't really know what else to do, since it's not like I have a place to go to or anything."

"How interesting." Mephisto leaned back, turning to gaze out his own window. "You ended up in a dimension even I couldn't find. It must have been something pretty powerful to interfere with the Gehenna Gate in the first place too." He turned back towards Rin, shaking his head. "But, that's a matter to investigate another time, I suppose. My next question…exactly when did you release your demonic powers? Because there's no doubt that you've broken the seal, Rin."

Realizing what he was talking about, Rin folded his arms over his chest. "I did it trying to break the Gehenna Gate. I mean, how else was I going to be strong enough to destroy something like that?"

"I suppose that makes sense. And you've likely avoided using those flames ever since…"

"No! Stop making assumptions, you stupid clown!" Rin glared at him, pulling the sword in front of him with a smirk. "I've practiced plenty, and I could probably take you on if you want." Then, his smile faded as Mephisto just stared at him with his own grin. He wasn't in Fairy Tail…and this was probably weird here. Why had he just jumped to challenging some random guy to a fight? Natsu's habits were rubbing off on him, and it made him look away, putting the sword back behind his back and sitting down with a huff. "Erm…never mind. It's not like you need to see it or anything."

"Oh, I believe you, Rin. I just didn't expect such an energetic response." He stared at Rin, chuckling faintly. "Do you normally challenge every demon you meet to a fight? One of these days, that will come back to hurt you, Rin."

"Shut up."

"No, it's still my turn to ask questions, Rin." That made him glare again, while Mephisto flexed his hands. "Now…on to important business. You've practiced with your flames, but have you learned anything beyond demonic powers? After all, in an exorcist school, such things need to be kept hidden."

He thought back. He'd practiced with gravity magic…and requip magic…but those probably didn't count. "Um…sorta? I guess I got some practice in fighting…hand-to-hand, and kinda with the sword since I used it with my flames." Though, the brawls in the guild hardly counted as purely hands-on fighting. Magic made it weird, but it was the best example he had.

"I'll take that as a no, then." Rin scowled, but Mephisto continued on. "And would we have any concerns about these people you've met in this other world? Any new enemies to watch out for, who would target this academy? Because I really am not fond of putting forth all the effort to block out humans alongside of demons. It really is tedious to do so."

Grim had been gone, and Fairy Tail would move on. Yet…Rin frowned. What would Zeref do? That wizard had intentionally interfered and brought him to Earthland. Did he have the power to get here in the first place? Even if he did, Rin shook his head. He wouldn't have magic in this world, not with the way it worked. "Not really. Anyone who gets here will kinda be in for a shock. This place is nothing like that world. They didn't even have telephones yet."

"So, an outdated society, hmm? Makes one wonder how they managed to determine interdimensional manipulation." Rin watched as Mephisto shrugged, locking eyes with him. "And one last question…would you be willing to become an exorcist, Rin? Because, as I see it, you can take one of two paths. I can agree to your former offer, and that in turn will become a fight to the death. After all, a demon such as you could easily become an enemy of the Vatican in the near future. Or…you can train here, under my watchful eye and become an upstanding member of society instead. I really have no qualms with either option…so I leave the choice to you. What do you say, Rin?"

The offer was there, and Rin was left quiet for a moment. He didn't know if he could beat Mephisto in a fight, not without knowing what the other demon could do. It would be a risk…plus, unlike Rin, Mephisto was a full demon and likely way stronger with whatever he could actually do. If he stayed…he'd get the chance to search for Yukio. He'd see his brother again…maybe. So, he met Mephisto's eyes, slowly nodding. "I'll do it. I'm going to become an exorcist."

Please review and tell me what you think!