Welcome to second chapter of Halfling Prince XDDD I didn't expect to get good reviews out of this story, I only expect five reviews... at any rate you guys succeed to get me in good spirit for this story XDDD well, I have not run out of juice yet LOL.

"No one wants to have their path decided by something other than their own will..."
Camio- Makai Ouji

A sense of trepidation was something familiar that haunt him day and night in regards to his twin and their secret. Even so the familiarity didn't help him from being caught unaware when the dreaded time came.

"Yukio... for a genius you're pretty slow." Neither twin noticed the door to the bathroom slid open and their father walked in, demanding why they made so much fuss and taking so long to boot.

"Rin, Yukio? What are you two..."

"Everyone have secret they want to keep." Rin answered in cynical tone as he walked pass their father.

Father's hand shot up to catch Nii-san's and Yukio stepped forward, "But Nii-san! You're endangering yourself! You should..."

Rin glared at them, "Let me go, it's my business to keep my secret just like you and Tou-san..."

Yukio could feel phantom chill ran down his spine at the implication, "Nii-san, you..."

There was a smirk and then it curved up to a sad smile, "So... cram school nowadays teach kids to fight demon huh? Awesome school... "At this point the hand that was holding Rin's fell back to father's side. "So, how long were you planning to hide it from me? And also... do you know why demons call me young master?" The two exorcist flinched. "Of course you do..." He drawled, laughing softly.

There was no hate, anger nor sadness in his voice, in fact his inquiry sounded so... flat and lack any emotion.

It was father who found his voice first, "It's for your own good, Rin... we just want to protect you..."

"That's a good reason." Nii-san said again in his new foreign voice, and if Yukio didn't know better he would think his brother was possessed. "I was always in agony all these years... not knowing why I am abnormal, or why Yukio start spending so much time in his cram school... why you guys sometimes talk in private and stop whenever I was within earshot..."

"Rin... "The Paladin winced guiltily.

"Nii-san..."

Rin gritted his teeth, "I am not blind... and I have enough of being left in the dark! I have enough of being excluded for something I can't control..." That was true, had Nii-san been a normal child with normal strength, schoolyard fight won't be a serious problem that escalated to his isolation. "I don't need to be treated the same way by my own family!" Their father opened his mouth but Rin cut him off, "It's NOT about whether you have a good enough reason for it! It's not! It's about you deciding it on your own what's good for me! You think I am happier ignorant? No, I am not!"

"Rin, we..."

He snarled, "Keep your secret! Even if you tell me now, I can't trust you... so there's no point. You keep yours, and I get to keep mine."

"Rin!" The Paladin called him in warning tone, "I understand you're upset, but listen to us! It's beyond you... and what you keep as secret is dangerous, you can't..."

That stopped him on his track, and he whirled around in fury. "No, you don't! None of us can understand! You keep secrets from me! And now I keep secret from you too! How we can understand each other when those get in between?" He hissed, "I trusted you, now I can't..."

"Nii-san I..."

"Enough Yukio! Anymore and I will say something I will regret later..." He slid the door open, "So leave me alone."

BAM!

This was not how they imagined the reveal would be. Although ironically nothing revealed at all by them in the end and his brother of all people would rather keep the status quo for his own secrecy.

"Father..." Yukio turned to the Paladin, "Are we... the one at fault?"

His question snapped his father out of his thought, "That's... "He groaned, "Maybe but... regardless of whose fault, we should talk him out of this!" Guilt aside they had to set their priority straight, with that in mind the older exorcist slid the door open, mouth opened wide to call out his adoptive son. However no name passed his lips as he openly gaped at the sight of empty corridor and opened window. Yukio followed closely, mouth opened slightly as he and his father processed what just happened.

His brother had escaped.

Yukio glanced at his watch, it was 8PM pass fifteen. "He... run away?" AT NIGHT? When demon ran amok outside?

His surrogate father was paling rapidly and Yukio followed his gaze that was set on calendar they had hung on the wall, it was first of May. "Tonight is..." His lips quivered, "The night of Walpurgis? The great... Sabbath?!"

Damn it! Nii-san couldn't choose worse time than tonight to run away from home!

The rest of his thought was drowned by panicked call of his father for their clergies, telling them to prepare a search party for Rin and stand guard for rowdy demons.

How long he had been running, he wondered? He didn't even has a clue where he was now, all he thought of was to get away from Yukio and their father. He couldn't trust his self-control around them, and as much as he wanted to scream and demand them to spill he knew better. They had kept him in the dark for years, it was not like they will give in if he demanded it from them. Not without revealing his secret in return.

Although... he was not sure what was this secret he kept from them in the first place. He sort some things out already though.

First, he wanted to keep the ring for himself. He didn't really know why he was so adamant about it, but he trusted his instinct.

Second, he needed cool down time from Yukio and old man.

And third...

"Enlighten me." Rin said in his best imperious voice, chin raised high and arm crossed in haughty pose he learned from pompous rich brat like Shiratori.

In front of him a crowd of low level demons were falling all over themselves to get in his good grace. Rin had no idea how they found him, and he was relieved they were paying homage to him instead of trying to drag him somewhere unwanted.

"The exorcist..."

"Blue night..."

"Fifteen years ago..."

It was a headache to get them to speak in turn though, and to comprehend their wheezing and guttural voices. However it was better than nothing. He was pretty sure these demons were biased in regards to exorcist so he didn't trusted them fully, not until he got to listen to anything from exorcist's side.

It didn't stop him for hating when every second of puzzle pieces were falling to their places.

Apparently he was the son of Satan, and the prince of hell. No wonder Astaroth called him young master and these demons were so eager to please him. Apparently he was also a Halfling, just like Astaroth said. However Satan was their god so Halfling or not, the godly blood still flows on his veins. Rin was shocked and angry at the revelation but it numbed quickly as he reminded himself that Satan's son or not, all he got from the demon god was endless problem because of his uncontrollable power. As for what he thought of Satan? Well, so far he got all these problems because of his blood but aside from that he didn't even know the guy.

Satan was the ultimate evil, and he was told this by the father who hid the truth from him for years. It was not like he believed otherwise now, as demons themselves believed it. The demon god had not given him any direct harm yet, so Rin supposed he didn't hold anything against Satan more than any other human for now.

There was no point hating the father he never met...

Rin felt a small prick like pain in his head at the though, it was... a familiar thought.

'Do I hate my father?' The man chuckled, 'Isn't that what you want to ask to yourself?'

He was just... curious, perhaps Solomon could relate to him because...

'You hardly see him, don't you?'

He was startled to find himself questioned back, and nodded in respond.

'Then, how could you hate someone you never know?'

But that didn't stop him from feeling all this pain, all this suffering for just being the son of... for being fathered by a demon. A Halfling...

"RIN!"

The dark haired Halfling was snapped out of his trance by the voice of his father, and with the Paladin was their father and one of the clergy men.

Rin's eyes widened when he saw his father pulled a gun and fired.

With Fujimoto and Izumi

They had been searching for Rin for hours and now it was already thirty minutes before midnight. The only assurance was Kurikara he brought along was still tightly sealed, a sign that Rin was alive and safe. They didn't see even a hide of Rin in their neighborhood and initiated to look further. They split to two man cell so they could cover more ground. He and Izumi spotted a swarm of demon, and was greeted by the sight of horrible scene. Rin was sitting on the bench in a street basketball court as if it was his throne while he was surrounded by the swarm of demon.

It was unnerving to see Rin was so close, and eerily comfortable in their midst.

Fujimoto however didn't believe Rin's safety was not compromised, so with a cry he called his son's name and opened fire.

BANG!

A pained cry echoed through the air as the bullet tore through a hobgoblin, his mind categorized the demons, searching for the most fatal verse for instant kill. However any aria that was about to leave his lips died on his throat when Rin turned to face him with eerily calmness and said.

"What are you doing, old man?"

Rin narrowed his eyes at his surrogate father, eyeing the gun and Izumi who had a scarecrow like demon following closely behind him. So all of them were exorcist? He smiled bitterly, so he was indeed the only one left in the dark about all this. He tried his best to suppress him temper, as much as he wanted to shout at his father, it was not the right place or time.

"What are you doing, old man?" He said in the calmest and deadpan tone he could muster at that moment. It had its desired effect, Father was so shocked that he was speechless. Then a demon tried its luck to attack, only to be shot at point blank range. Enraged, the swarm of demon moved to attack but Rin's command held them back. "Be still!"

Rin decided he liked their obedience, but not the face his father made in respond. He stepped forward and the swarm parted like red sea for him, mentally he warned himself to not get used to this feeling of dominance of superiority.

"Rin..." His father seemed to have difficulty to decide between looking at him and keeping an eye on the demons.

Rin sighed loudly then swept his eyes through the crown, 'Leave now...'

They curtseyed- or something like that considering most of them didn't have waist- and then slowly retreated to the darkness, leaving their prince and the exorcists alone. Seeing Izumi and the Paladin were spechless at the display, Rin decided to start the conversation. "So, are you going to say something or we're going to stand here all night?" He deadpanned sarcastically, inwardly he was impressed by how nonchalant he could sound considering the circumstances.

Fujimoto Shirou had been always ready for the unexpected but when it came to his son, it never cease to catch him off guard, starting from their birth, Yukio's genius, Rin's tendency to invite trouble and now... If he didn't know better he would think this boy was no son of his. Rin should have screamed obscenities, howling to the top of his lung that Shiro was a liar, no father of his and so on. Rin didn't do any of that, but then again Rin was never predictable.

His eyes spotted the duffel bag Rin swung over his shoulder, he was too focused on Rin and the demons he didn't notice Rin had a bag with him. "Why do you have a bag with you? And when did you pack up?" The implication was not missed.

Rin shot him a look that said the boy was not impressed by his inquiry. "Well... I did open that window when I walked out of the bathroom but... I didn't jump out of the window to run off." Shiro blinked in confusion at that, "I went back to my room to pack my things when you're calling Izumi and others to look for me... waited for you and the rest to go and walked out myself."

"..."

"..."

In short they had been had, by Rin nonetheless. They knew Rin was never a complete idiot, he was the different kind of smart than Yukio was, the mischevious kind. However they never imagined they would receive the end of a simple distraction, and a product of their paranoia nonetheless.

"I almost can't believe you really buy that I jumped out of the window." He said in deadpan tone. "Idiots." He snorted, grinning the familiar grin Shiro grew fond of.

For a moment it as if Rin had forgiven him, that everything was going to be okay. It relieved him somewhat but a question still hung in the air. "Rin, where are you going to go with that bag? Running away from home and us is not a solution."

Rin's eyes rolled to the bag had on his shoulder, "Oh, this... I want to go somewhere pretty far." He answered vaguely.

"Rin." He called his surrogate son sadly, "I am really sorry but please... don't resort to this! Where are you going to go?"

Rin shook his head, "I am not running away from anyone, like you said... I am fifteen I can't stay in monastery forever... I am just moving out like Yukio." Then he eyed Izumi curiously, "So... that's what tamer do, is that Jack o'lantern Izumi-san?"

Shirou gaped at Rin and realized those demons didn't crowd around him for nothing, Rin was prying for information from them! "Rin, what they told you..."

Rin cut him off, "Everything I asked from them... they really hate exorcist by the way..." He said in light hearted tone. "But then again the feeling is mutual I am sure..." He laughed softly, "It's pretty funny when they told me I should be in the palace now because there is a banquet for great Sabath and a prince should attend such event..."

"Rin..."

Then Rin grinned, hand posed forward in decidedly imperious gesture. "Then I said, I am a prince I will do anything I want!" Rin said in faked grandiose manner. "I will be there when I feel like it and they stopped asking question and started answering. For demons they're pretty trustful..." Rin said in thoughful manner, "Lucky me, I guess..."

They obeyed him, so most likely Rin already knew about the flame too and he had it. This was bad, he had to stop Rin from being swayed by demons. "I know you're angry we lied to you but... I promise, you will get your answers." Shirou pleaded, "I will tell you everything! We're not leaving you in the dark anymore so please..." Then he held Kurikara he hung on his back out to Rin. "This sword..."

When Rin laid his eyes on Kurikara, it as if some switch was turned on. His face paled, his hand shot up and batted the demon sword off of Shiro's hand. Izumi who was a few steps behind rushed to retrieve it.

The half-demon growled, "I am sorry, but I don't want it..."

His heart sank at that, "Why? Why can't you forgive us?"

Rin groaned, rubbing his temple. "It's not about forgiveness, old man! There is no point telling me anything I can't trust! Don't you get it? I can't trust you who lied to me for my whole life, you who can't trust me with the truth! Not you! Not Izumi-san! And NOT YUKIO either!"

That was... how Rin felt? It was not the truth he desired, not from them. Shirou was reminded of sermon from his teacher when he was young, trust was like a sand castle, you could build it for so long with tedious amount of effort but it was fragile. Once it collapsed, it would never be the same.

He gritted his teeth, "The monastery was my home for my whole life! A place where I belonged! Then I found myself left in the dark all alone for years, how do you think I will feel?"

One word popped out instantly on his mind, loneliness...

Rin was never a child who liked solitude, which was why in spite of countless failures he tried so hard to make friends. It was always Rin who bothered Yukio for company, because he couldn't stand being alone for long. And now...

People he trusted for his whole life lied to him, the world he knew was crumbling to pieces.

A look of realization colored his father's face and Rin was glad at last the old man got it why he was so upset. No one liked to see their world turned upside down, and he wanted them to stop trying to force him to see it their way.

"Rin..." Rin perked up, "If what you need is time to be away from us, at least let me to introduce you to a friend of mine... he is the headmaster of True Cross Academy, he knows who you are and can provide a safe place for you... you can even enroll to the academy, you can learn anything you wanted..."

Rin snapped, and yelled at the top of his lungs. "STOP thinking you know what I want!" He panted lightly, and his patience was thinning rapidly. "Don't decide anything for me! NO MORE! I am sick of it! Have it ever cross your mind to ask what I want?!"

Old man looked really close to kneel and beg, and Rin felt really guilty but he steeled his resolve. "Rin! I just want you to be safe... you can have anything you want but please, let us keep you safe!"

He was really tempted to give in, but nothing will change if he let them to push him around. He knew that none of them wanted to hurt him with their lies. He knew all along that they just wanted what they thought was the best for him. "Even so... " He closed his eyes.

'Solomon...'

A man who was perhaps a mere memory, a vivid one but intangible presence that kept him company for short time but felt like it was since so long ago. He became an irreplaceable presence in his short life.

'I may be your master but I have no right to decide your fate...
because no one wants to have their path decided by something other than their own will...'

Once he wondered why Solomon defied God, and the answer was simple.

"I..."

GROARR!

As one they turned to the source of feral roar, and a demon much larger than usual appeared. It had spiral horns and lower body resembling that of a goat even though it stood on two feet. Rin at first thought it was a new demon but he recognized that white hair and street clothes anywhere. It was Shiratori, or rather Astaroth returned for revenge.

"Didn't your men bring him to hospital, old man?"

His father narrowed his eyes, "They did but it seems this foolish child escaped, and he is possessed by the same demon to boot."

"Rin!" Izumi called him, "You should go! You're his target!"

However Rin didn't move even an inch from the spot as the demon trodded to his direction, Shirou was about to open fire but stopped on his track when Rin stepped forward and placed himself between Shiro and Astaroth.

"Young master..." It called, "Your father is waiting... this Astaroth shall bring you to him..." It offered as kneeling. "He will show you the right path... so please relinquish the possession of the ring to him..."

Rin narrowed his eyes at the kneeling demon, "You're strangely subdued compared to this afternoon."

It grinned, revealing sharp set of teeth. "Halfling or not you're of his lineage, we will not betray Satan's blood... especially a prince with true power like you... I am your loyal servant, milord..."Shiro felt chill down his spine when the demon laid its eyes on him. "I will not betray you..."

There was a long silence as Rin stepped closer to Astaroth, and Shiro brought his gun up again to protect his son but Rin's words stopped him on his track. "Sounds nice, flattering and all..." Rin deadpanned, "But who the hell are you?"

"Astaroth is my..."

Rin cut him off, "No, it's not your name... what a demon, swearing fealthy with false name..." The demon shook, trembling in what Shiro perceived as anger. But much to Shiro's shock instead of getting away from demon he angered Rin extended his hand right on Astaroth's face.

"Rin! Get away from that demon!" He pleaded.

His cry went unheeded and in spite of how close Rin's outstretched hand to Astaroth's jaw, the demon made no move to bite the offending hand off. In fact the demon was shaking in fear. "Do you expect me to believe a demon who give me false name? You're not Astaroth..." Rin hissed in anger, "I don't take liars well today...so begone!"

"Forgive..."

"RIN!" Shiro ran towards his son as Astaroth poisonus claws were raised.

How dare this scum tried to lie to him! Shiratori was also an idiot to let himself possessed twice by the same demon. His patience was on the limit after the whole fiasco, and he was tired to deal with lies. They sickened him!

"Begone! In the..."

Rin began to chant but the next thing he knew was his air was knocked out of his lungs, his back collided with the ground painfully, a heavy body pressed to his and warm red liquid spilled on the ground.

"Old... man..." His father's legs were bleeding heavily, that was what he could see from his position under his father's body. "Your legs..." So much blood, "Why did you..." Rin stammered in shock, "I am the son of Satan, you..."

His father rose slightly from his body so Rin could see his face, a stupidly grinning face. "Because you're my son... demon or not, it won't change... "

In the end no matter how much this man hurt him with lies, it didn't change the fact this man loved him as a son. This man was the one who broke his ribs to give Rin a comforting hug, and the one who proudly call him a son in spite of his blood. In the face of all that, the pain that wrecked him tonight because of their lies was pale in comparison. Nothing matter because the most important thing was... Fujimoto Shirou loved him.

GROARR!

Fujimoto winced in pain as the mist of holy water Izumi threw at the demon dispersed, if anything it made it angrier. "Rin... run..."

"I will not." Rin declared in determined voice, "Don't ask something you can't do yourself, Dad." He grumbled as he pushed his father as gently as possible from shielding him. Ignoring his father's protest Rin stood up, and glared at the demon. "Beside... it's my turn to protect you." He raised his hand toward Astaroth. "Evil spirit, fear me, and submit!"

"STOP!" The demon cried desperately as chain of Hebrew alphabets bind it to the ground. Then it jumped as high as it could to the sky, but the trail of sacred alphabet followed.

Shiro and Izumi's eyes widened in shock, "Hebrew... it couldn't be..."

Rin eyed the struggling demon with narrowed eyes, "Worshipper of sacred Al-Babein earth, lays your eyes upon the hill of Cavalry where the sin of past kings stopped!"

The sky opened and a pillar of light struct the demon down, crashing its demonic body back to earth.

Rin panted lightly as he struggled to stand, where he was standing was very close to where Asta- not Astaroth- crashed. He was so in need for practice, he could get himself killed if he didn't learn a good aim soon. "Haa haa..." He stood up only to get his shaky legs gave out a second later. "Damn... this time it took more than... the last..." He choked out.

"RIN! LOOK OUT!"

The warning came too late, his left leg was pulled by clawed hand and Rin let out a yelp of pain as his whole body collided with the ground. "You..." Rin growled.

The demon was fatally wounded and by all right it should be banished back to Gehenna. However it stayed and had his other claws sinking to its own stomach. "Shiratori..." Rin gasped, "Stop! You're killing him!"

"A hu... man's life... worth nothing... you... our... prince who is becoming... a pawn of So... lomon, no..." The demon rasped out. " Matter what... we have to prevent you from falling... Lord Satan ordered us... to make... sure... of that!"

The Paladin's eyes widened in shock as he realized what the demon was after, he was going to facilitate Satan to open a Gehenna gate here with the blood! "Izumi! Aria!"

"Hai!" Izumi saluted and they stated chanting. "This is disciple that testifieth of...

Shiratori's blood flowed and soaked the ground, and a black expanse appeared out of nowhere. For a moment Rin wondered morbidly if human body had that much blood. His consciousness was waning rapidly and it was getting hard for his eyes to focus. He could tell that demon was in spasm as his father and Izumi-san recited verse from Bibble It didn't loosen its hold at all though, the demon seemed to be dead set to not let him go even if it cost him its life.

"In the name of Solomon... " Please! Just one spell, even a weak one should do!

"Rin! DON'T!" His father cried out, crawling to him with his hands.

He coughed, his throat felt drier than ever. "Ha... akh!" It was so hard to stay awake, never mind to speak a word. Shiratori's body began to sink beneath the pool of darkness, dragging Rin by ankle with him. His sight was blurry and Rin wondered if this was what Yukio saw without his glasses. 'Yukio... is this... will be my end?'

"NII-SAN!"

He saw something red on the corner of his eyes and out of reflex he grabbed it out of reflex. "Hh..." Then he saw blurry face, it was Yukio and his little brother was holding another end of the red stick thing.

"Nii-san! Hold on!" Yukio cried. "I will pull you out!"

"Yuu... ki... o?" He came...

Yukio was in another part of the town when he saw pillar of light fell from the sky. Then like a man possessed he rushed forward, uncaring he left his comrades behind, or how many times he ran to people in the process. He had a very bad feeling and if he didn't put his everything to get there, he would regret it. Soon he was led purely by his instinct, he just knew which direction, which turn he had to take.

When he arrived to his desired place, Yukio saw his wounded brother in the middle of puddle of blood that darkened to color of darkness. Their father was far away, crawling towards his brother as his legs bled. Yukio knew what the pool of darkness was, and it was taking his brother away. Running towards his father Yukio snatched Kurikara and used it as extention of his hand for his brother to hold to.

He cried for his brother desperately before he was answered by a firm grip on Kurikara. "Hold on! I will pull you out, Nii-san!"

"Yuu... ki... o?" For a moment Yukio almost have in to his urge to cry like a child that used to hide behind his brother's back. Rin's voice was weak, so unlike him. He steeled himself and pulled as strong as he could but Rin didn't bulge, half of his legs was already swallowed by the gate. "Ugh!"

A warm hands joined in, it was father's and Izumi-san's. "Pull!" But instead of pulling Rin in they were pulled back. The gate was sucking Rin in stronger like a quicksand.

Yukio's eyes widened when he saw Rin's grip loosened. "No! Don't let go Nii-san!"

"At..." His voice was raspy, "This... rate, you would be... pulled in too... just..."

"There is no way I wil let go!" Yukio snapped as he struggled to hold his footing on the ground.

"We're not going to leave you behind! Rin!" Their father cried.

The Gehenna gate, as if sensing their intention to steal its prey expanded. They almost lost their hold when the border of the gate almost reached their feet. As if saying, if they won't let go, it will swallow them along.

Yukio saw the look on Rin's face and he knew that was the look his twin had when he was planning something stupic. "Don't you dare letting go! I will never forgive you! Nii-san!"

"But... I already... you too..." He stammered incoherently.

"Don't give up!" Their father cried, "Rin I know won't! So RIN! This is all or nothing!"He untied the knot of Kurikara's cover revealing the azure katana beneath it. "Hold onto the sheath, and pulled the katana out!"

Their father was going to make Rin unleashed his flame, it was a gamble but better than nothing. It was a slow progress as Rin keep his hold onto the sheath and pulled the katana. Then brilliant blue flame erupted in a blast.

"Nii-san!"

So this how it felt to be on the verge of death, strength fading, sight darkening and even voice sounded so far away. He heard his father's order and even though he didn't want to unsheath the blade, he obeyed. The katana was heavy or perhaps it was hand that was losing strength? Just to pull an inch out took almost all his power, then he felt the heat.

The blue flame erupted, licking every inch of his skin. Then using the last of his strength he swing the blade down to the endless abyss of Gehenna gate.

'God... no, nevermind who... please... please save my family!' Rin prayed desperately, 'Never mind what become of me!'

Then everything in his eyes fell to darkness and all sounds ceased.

Somewhere unknown...

It was like forever in unending darkness and silence, he was awake but in the same time not quite. Then he started hearing voices, they were familiar... not as much as Solomon's but also nostalgic.

The first was deep velvety voice of an adult, invoking strange emotion within him. There was wariness, admiration, comradeship and a tint of respect. "So how is he?"

"Asleep as you can see." Said another voice, this one sounded younger and gentler. "Demon or not, that person's son or not... he was on the verge of death." Another kind of emotion bubbled to the surface, fondness, sympathy, and comradeship. "If not for the ring..." The voice shook slightly, "At least it's in our hands now, where it's safe."

A loud sigh reached his air, "The ring is important but... Why we found him near the border of limbo though? He is so lucky we found him instead of Satan's demons... "

Limbo? Wasn't that the place between life and death where people... he should pay more attention to father's sermon.

"In Limbo but not quite... more like he had from waist down in Limbo and up in Gehenna..." The younger voice corrected with a huff. "He was holding onto that demon heart though... it's his."

"That can't be!" The older, rougher voice shouted, "We are the one who keep his heart after that war... that's the reason we believe he is alive!"

"I am not sure myself... but that's how it feels... beside who cares!" Then he felt warm arms encircled around his neck. "He is our friend and he is back!"

"Oi! Don't suffocate him!" The hand was rougher and almost hot but it was comfortingly covering his. "But you're right... he is with us and that's the most important thing..."

Who were these peoples and why they welcomed him? "Ugh..." his strewth began to return little by little, his fingers flinched as they seek the warmth.

"He is waking up!"

"Don't yell!"

His eyelids were heavy but he had new found strength just to see these peoples. He wanted to see them so badly, he missed them. Cobalt blue eyes opened slowly, his sight was blurry but slowly it became clearer. What he saw first was a pair of scarlet eyes and another pair of powder blue gazing at him.

"I am..." His throat was sore and he was overwhelmed by sensation his awakened senses felt. Sight of two men sitting beside the bed, strong smell of honey from the blue eyed boy, soft mattress beneath his body. Everything was so overwhelming, new but strangely familiar.

The owner of scarlet eyes smirked at him, "It's about time you wake up... you made us wait for too long. Around... three hundred years?"

The blue eyed one hissed, "Why you!" Then turned to face him. "Believe it or not we miss you..." Then his eyes turned sad, "If Solomon is here... but since he is not..."

"You want us to do that embarrassing thing in Solomon's place? Why I..."

"Solomon would do it! He will make us if..."

"Fine! Don't sulk like a kid, and you're the oldest out of us three!" The red eyed one threw his arms to the air. "Get this sappy thing done already!"

He grinned and then Rin found himself pinned by their intense eyes, their lips silently counted from three to one.

"Welcome back... "

He didn't want to cry, as the familiar greeting was nothing special and he didn't know them at all. However he was powerless to stop warmth to bloom on his chest to the point it was suffocating, and his sight became blurry by tears. Then his lips had a mind on its own and said.

"I am home..."

Just to clear the confusion, in case you didn't catch it yet... Since I am the master of putting vague clues... Rin is reincarnation of one of Solomon's pillar not Solomon himself. That idea does cross my mind but then I think it will get DAMN messy, so I settle on one of the pillars instead. just think of them as OC if you have not read Makai Ouji... I didn't fuly integrate Makai Ouji to this fic anyway.

I know the custom was Japanese but they mention about welcoming people back anyway in Makai Ouji so who cares.

At any rate... in next chapter we will start the school year of True Cross. I don't remember the time line but in this fic it's 1st MAY... the great Sabbath, night of Walpurgis so there is one month skip ^^

If you think you need a profile to introduce Makai Ouji character, I will put it on in Author note in next chapter ^^/