Chapter Three

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The more Gray stares are her, the more he becomes convinced. Was this girl, the girl standing before him, a reincarnation or possibly a ghost of Rin? Coming back to haunt him because he had failed to save her? He clenches his fist and it slowly becomes white. He clears the scowl from his face. "So, where are you from?" he asks attempting to turn the charm on and, well, miserably failing. Loke had told him that if he turned on the charm, that he could get any information that he wanted.

She completly ignores his best attempt.
"I don't really know," she confesses to Gray.

He raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"My only known family is my Aunt. I haven't seen her in 17 years," Rin's voice shakes.

Aunt Muzumi? "What was your Aunt's name? Do you remember?"

"I'd rather not talk about her. She abandoned me. I no longer consider her my family. It's just me now."

Aunt Muzumi would abandon Rin. She loved Rin. she loved us all. Especially Mother. She would do anything for Mother. Gray clears his throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Rin looks up. "It's fine," she says nonchalantly while twirling a locket in her forefinger and thumb.

-F.L.A.S.H.B.A.C.K-

"Do you like it Gray?" his father asks him.

Gray fingers the delicate sword and traces the outline of the blade. "It's beautiful," he says with shining eyes.

"It matches Rin's. See if you fit the sword into the outline of the locket and clip this here and that there and push it in... See?" his mother shows him with a little smile on her face. "Then, the locket pops open.

-E.N.D._O.F._F.L.A.S.H.B.A.C.K-

He gazes at her intently. Her locket. Is it her? Unconsciously I reach my hand out to her. The locket. I must see for myself. "May I. See your locket?" he asks hesitantly.

"Why?" she asks narrowing her eyes keeping her lips in a set, thin line.

"Please," he begs. "It's hard to explain. Just, please. Let me see it."

She carefully unclips the locket and gingerly hands it to him. "Be careful. Please"

"I will. I promise," he also undoes the clip of his necklace, and amazing the locket, yet battered, holds a perfect fit to his sword. He clips this here and that there and pushes it in. Miraculously, the locket pops open with a small click.

Cautiously, he looks at the tattered pictures. One is of Gray and his parents. his mother is smiling while holding a baby wrapped in gray, swaddling clothes. The other picture is of Aunt Muzumi. Gray and Rin were being held by an overjoyed Aunt Muzumi. It had been taken when Rin was slightly older, so she had a little tuft of black hair falling into her eyes. Gray was frowning, but anyone could tell that he was happy. His eyes were shining.

"It opened," Rin exclaims quietly.

Gray nods. "Of course it did."

"It never opened before though. No matter how much I tried."

Gray pulls Rin into a tight hug. "Welcome home, Little Sister."

Gray rubs his cheek where Rin punched him. "I don't know what con you're trying to pull, but you're not going to fool me.

"I swear," Gray protests. "Look at this picture. That's me! Can't you tell?"

Rin studies the small picture. "So what if he look like you. I don't even know you!"

"I know you though! You were born on December 25th, X772. Your full name is Rin Fullbuster. You had or perphaps still have a mongolian spot in the small of your back. When you were small you had two things that you were afraid of. Being alone and of fire. The first word you learned was 'Ugh.'"

Porlyusica laughs. "Sounds like you."

Gray looks at the ground. "And last of all. I loved you very very much. I don't know how you survived, but I saw you, Mother and aunt Muzumi all go down in that fire."

Rin remebers now. the fire. The heat. The smoke entering her lungs. The fear.

She looks at Gray. Someone where, somewhere in her memory she saw his face. It was smiling and laughing.

Tears flow into her eyes. She lifts her hands up to her face. why was she crying. She didn't understand. What wass happening to her.

Was this man really her brother.

Could she really have a family?

She presses her small face into his chest. "Can I lean on you? Just this one time? Can i believe that I have a family? A family that loves me? Is this all possible?" she asks in a small whispers.

"Don't worry Rin. I will protect you this time. Never again will I let you out of my sight."