I do not own Soul Eater or Rusty Halo. They belong to their respective owners.

I do own Desmond Flint, Rain Tempesta, Catherine Zeigler, and the other random people in this chapter.

Zeigler is Catherine's maiden name.

THIS IS A FLASH BACK CHAPTER

Desmond stepped into a hospital waiting room and walked up to the main desk.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what room Catherine Zeigler is in?" she asked.

"How old are you?" the woman behind the desk asked. She was old and grouchy.

"Thirteen," she said.

The woman looked down with her eyes. "You don't look thirteen," she sneered.

"I'm small for my age. What room is she in?"

"238."

Desmond walked away from the desk and took the elevator up to the second floor. After navigating through a series of hallways she finally found the room. She opened the door slowly to see a woman with flowing blond hair, pale skin, and baby blue eyes lying in a bed watching TV. She swallowed hard and took a step in. "Mom?" she said in a small voice. The woman didn't hear her. Desmond took another step in and said slightly louder, "Catherine?"

This caught her attention as the blond haired woman looked to see who was calling her. What she found was her daughter standing in the doorway, all alone. She smiled. "Desmond what are you doing here all alone?" she asked.

Desmond walked over to a chair in her mother's room and sat down. "Spirit dropped me off in the waiting room. I convinced him that I was going to be okay without him," she lied.

"You're thirteen now right?"

"Mh-hm."

"It's been so long since I've seen you."

Desmond paused. "It's been a long time since dad died," she finally said looking down at her hands. Then she looked up again. "I can stay in your apartment for a little right? Just until I figure out what to do with myself?" she asked.

"Of course you can. What do you mean 'do with yourself'? You sound like you ran away," Catherine said.

Desmond didn't answer.

"Desmond, you didn't. Did you?"

No answer

"Desmond Anya Flint, did you run away from the Albarns?" Catherine asked more strictly.

Desmond swallowed hard. "Yes," she finally said.

Catherine sighed. "I'm going to be discharged tomorrow. We'll figure something out after I get home," she said as she started to go through a draw trying to calm down. She took a key out of the draw and closed it. "Do you remember where it is?" she asked.

"Yup."

Desmond used to live with her mother and father in the same apartment. After the divorce Catherine stayed in the apartment and a few times Desmond was brought by her dad to visit.

Catherine gave the key to Desmond, kissed her goodbye and watched her daughter walk out of the room.

Desmond put her things down in the living room of the small apartment. She decided to take the empty room that was hers when she was younger. The pink ponies weren't her style anymore but she dealt with it for the time being.

She picked up a map of the city that she had grabbed on her way to the hospital. As she scanned the list of places, her eyes landed on Light-life Teen Club. Desmond decided to give it a try. How bad could it be? She thought. "I mean worst thing that could happen is the DJ plays really bad music. In that case, I'll just leave and come back. Maybe I'll meet some new friends there," she said trying to talk herself into going. She changed into something she thought was more club appropriate, grabbed a few dollars for the cab and left, locking the door behind her.

Desmond got in the taxi and told the driver her destination. It didn't take too long to get there so the fare wasn't high. She paid and thanked the man and walked away. As she approached the doors someone tapped her shoulder. Desmond looked up to see a girl about seventeen with long black hair and gray highlights. She had raven eyes that complimented her hair. "They're not going to let you in all by yourself sweetie," she said.

"I'll walk you in. My name is Alisa. You don't even look old enough to go out by yourself. Where's your mom or dad?" Alisa asked.

"Um. Thank you, Alisa. My name is Desmond. My mom is on the corner of 14th and Wayne and my dad is six feet under," Desmond said without blinking.

Alisa looked at her new little friend. "Wait. Where is your mom?" she asked not believing what the girl just said.

"The hospital. And my dad is dead. Why?" Desmond asked confused.

"You're too young to understand why but never tell anyone that your mom is on a corner. If she is in the hospital just say she's in the hospital. A woman on a corner isn't a good thing," she explained.

"Okay."

The two walked into the club without a problem and Desmond stayed with her new teenage friend. The two took a seat at a small booth near the dance floor. Alisa looked at Desmond. The young girl was amazed at everything going on around her. People dancing so close to each other that you couldn't squeeze a piece of paper between them and kissing almost everywhere. "Are you even a teenager?" she asked.

Desmond looked at Alisa. It was hard to see the black haired girl in the dark, however Desmond was able to find the gray highlights. "Yeah, in a few weeks I'll be fourteen," Desmond said.

Alisa nodded. She was polite and believed that it wasn't her business why a thirteen year old was here by herself. Then Alisa leaned over the table so Desmond could hear her better over the loud music, "Do you want something to drink?" she asked.

"Sure," Desmond almost had to scream back.

Alisa turned away from the pre-teen and called over a waitress. "Hey Emily, can I have a coke and…" she turned to Desmond, "What do you want?"

"Roy Rodgers please," Desmond said to Emily.

Emily looked at Alisa. She just nodded. Emily walked away and in a few minutes came back with the two drinks. Alisa handed Emily some money, then drank her drink while Emily walked away.

The two enjoyed their drinks while listening to the music. With every new song a different boy walked up to Alisa asking her to dance or asking her what kind of guy she would go for. She told all the guys to leave her alone because she was trying to enjoy a nice night with her sister away from their fighting parents. Every single guy looked at Desmond happily drinking her Roy Rodgers, then walked away. After each walked away the two laughed.

After some silence between the two Desmond looked up. "Thank you," she almost screamed over the music.

"For what?" Alisa asked.

"Bringing me in, getting me a drink, and staying with me this whole time when you should be dancing with guys your age."

Alisa laughed. "They're all sleazy and all just want something that they're not going to get. I don't dance with guys here. I mostly dance with Emily when she gets off. She's one of my best friends. That's why we were able to get in quickly. Emily is the owner's daughter and I'm practically her sister so that makes me practically the owner's daughter. Everyone here knows me," she smiled. Desmond felt safe with her. She didn't know why, she just did. Then Alisa held out her hand, "Let's go dance."

Desmond took her hand, "Yeah." She smiled.

The two danced for a few songs, not like everyone else but like an older sister would dance with her younger sister. Desmond turned her head to get the flashing lights out of her eyes when she thought she saw Spirit and Maka. After blinking quickly she realized it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. Desmond was about to cry but didn't want to worry Alisa; she had been so nice to her the whole night. She just continued to dance with tears in her eyes.

Then it happened.

"YOU WANNA MESS PUNK! I'LL TARE YOU TO BITS!" a boy about eighteen yelled from a corner of the room. He was standing with a bunch of other boys his age while they all ganged up on another boy that looked about Desmond's age. Alisa and Desmond watched as the group dragged the younger boy out of the club. "Why isn't anyone doing anything?" Desmond asked.

"No one wants to get involved. That boy is bad news Dee. When he walks by, just don't look," Alisa advised.

Desmond looked back at Alisa when the group walked by, but eyed them as they walked out of the club. The younger boy was looking straight at her, as if he was asking for help. Desmond let go of Alisa's hands and started to walk past her when she grabbed Desmond's arm. "Dee, they're bad new. Yeah the kid is cute but not cute enough to throw yourself into that. Trust me. Please?" Alisa was begging her not to go. Desmond was surprised that someone she just met would do that for her. If Alisa was willing to go protect Desmond like that, then someone needed to be willing to protect that poor boy. She released Alisa's grip from her arm and looked her in the eye. "Someone needs to help him," she said before walking out of the club.

Alisa watched as she walked out of the club when she realized that Desmond didn't have her purse with her and that she had left it on the seat. Alisa grabbed the little black purse by the chain strap and said to herself, "Now I'm part of it." She followed Desmond out of the club and looked around for the little girl.

Alisa walked around until she was certain she heard the yelling of the eighteen year old boy and his friends as they beat the younger boy. Desmond was nowhere in sight. As Alisa got closer to the alley she became more and more scared because she still didn't find Desmond. Then she heard it. "Leave him alone!" Desmond yelled.

Alisa sighed out of relief and said to herself, "That girl has got major guts."

The leader of the group stared Desmond down. "What did you say to me little girl?" he asked walking up to her.

Before he got to her, Desmond walked up to him. "I said 'leave him alone,'" she said staring him in they eye.

Unknown to Desmond, Alisa was standing by the end of the alley and was watching the whole thing. She swallowed hard; there was a pay phone near by so she could call the police if things got ugly.

"Why should I?" he asked.

Desmond delivered a sharp uppercut to his stomach. As he bent over she grabbed his shirt and said, "That's why. And so is this."

She hit the top of his head with her fist knocking him to the ground. Then she stepped around him and walked over to his friends.

The young boy was on the floor, bloody and shaken. He didn't seem to know quite what happened within the past few minutes.

Desmond looked up at the older boys that stood in a circle around the bloody boy. "Whose next?" she asked with a smirk.

Two boys came at her at once from two different directions. She dodged both of them causing them to punch each other, knocking each other out. She laughed at the unintentional slapstick.

"Behind you!" the young boy yelled.

Desmond turned around in time to see the attack coming but didn't have time to dodge and the boy punched her in the stomach. She fell to the ground in pain holding her stomach. She stood up wearily, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Before she could regain her balance, he hit her across the face with a punch causing her to fall to the ground again. She got up quicker this time, ready to fight.

"Hold you your hand," he said again once she steadied herself.

Desmond did as he said unknowing of what was about to happen. To everyone's amazement, the boy started to glow and then wasn't there. None of them knew what was more amazing: the fact that the boy was glowing, or the fact that he had just turned into a bow double the size of the young girl.

Desmond stood amazed with the large bow in her hand. To her it felt light as a feather, but there was one problem. "There are no arrows! What good is a bow with out arrows?" she shrieked.

"I don't know! No one's ever made it this far!" the bow yelled back at her.

"What do you mean no one's ever made it this far?"

"Exactly what it sounds like! Just figure something out!"

"The boy turned into a bow, and the bow talks. What did she put in my drink?" Desmond asked amazed.

"You little punk!" the first boy said getting up again. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"Do you know what's going on?" Desmond asked in return.

"My name is Lucas, and if there is anyone in NYC that you don't mess with, it's me," he explained. Ignoring her question.

I'm not supposed to mess with a boy named Lucas? Is that supposed to scare me? Desmond thought eyeing the boy.

As he charged towards her she swung at him with the bow like it was a baseball bat and Lucas was the ball. She was the right height go get him right below the belt. "Homerun!" Desmond cheered as he fell to the ground.

Only one boy was left now and he stood between the two of them and the exit to the alley.

"I'm not going to let you get away with this!" he yelled.

Thinking quickly Desmond found a soft spot of dirt in the alley and charged at him. She shoved one end of the bow into the dirt and used it to propel herself up to kick him in the face. He fell down with a thud and she ran away before he could get up, bow in hand. As she left the alley she saw Alisa standing by the opening amazed. Desmond ran but realized that Alisa wasn't running. She was just standing there.

"Don't stand there trying to catch flies, let's get the lead out!" Desmond yelled back at her new friend.

Alisa came back to reality and followed Desmond.

On their way to the park Desmond fell, scraping up her right shin. Before Alisa had the chance to check if she was all right, she got up and continued to run.

They ran to a nearby park where the bow turned back into a boy. Alisa handed Desmond her purse and said, "I don't know what's going on and I don't want to be involved. Here is your purse sweetie, good luck the two of you." She walked away without looking back.

Desmond looked back at the boy. "You should go to the hospital," she said.

He looked at her bleeding leg and the small trickle of blood from her hairline, "Maybe you should too."

She chuckled. "They're just scratches. You're badly hurt. You should go to the hospital," she said again.

"They're sick of seeing my face there."

Desmond paused. "Well what are you going to do then?" she asked.

"Go home, probably take a pain killer or two, and then go to sleep. You?" he said with a chuckle.

She shrugged.

"Why did your sister leave without you?" the boy asked.

Desmond looked up at him. "She's not my sister. Why did you think that?"

"I heard her tell Lucas she was trying to spend time with you: her little sister, away from your fighting parents," the boy explained.

Desmond laughed. "It was just an excuse to not dance with boys."

He stood up and held out a hand to help her up. "My name is Rain by the way."

She took his hand. "Desmond."

Rain laughed. "That's a boy's name."

Desmond laughed. "Rain's not a name."

"True." Rain turned to walk away then stopped and looked at Desmond. "See you around Dez."

"See ya."

Desmond died her chestnut hair black with gray highlights the next day and didn't see Rain for a while.

That is until one day while Desmond and Catherine were walking out of an elevator going to their room after grocery shopping Desmond walked into Rain.

Desmond bent down to pick up the apples that fell out of the bag she was holding when she walked into Rain.

"Dez?"

She looked up.

"Rain?"

Desmond didn't see Alisa ever again after that night. But before she left NYC she left a note with Emily at the Light-life Teen Club.

The little things you do have bigger affects than you may ever know. Thank you,

Desmond and Rain

Before she left Catherine told Desmond that she'd be okay as long as the two of them had each other.

Desmond woke up on the couch in her street clothes. She must have passed out after playing basketball. "As long as we have each other," she said.

"What was that Dez?"

"Nothing."

Desmond laid back down and went back to sleep.

Now there's no light to guide me on my way home.
There's no time to shine my rusty halo.
Everyone's running from something
But we don't know when its coming
So we keep running and running…