Chapter 8: Let Me Hear

Rin's POV

It had been a week since Yato went out for his walk and hadn't come back. I don't know whether this was a regular occurrence, but Kofuku and Daikoku kept saying that Yato would up and disappear only to reappear again a few weeks later. Yukine didn't seem to care that his Master had gone missing and was still routinely doing what he does when Yato was around. I mean that's great that he's okay, but not taking Yukine with him ... isn't that dangerous; even for a God?

The first few days we didn't think much of it, but then both Hiyori and I started to worry. Yukine told us that he'd probably fallen asleep drunk at Tenjin's shrine. He does that!? How is that allowed!? After the week had passed I finally couldn't take it anymore; though Hiyori had been continuously asking about Yato's whereabouts to Kofuku and Daikoku yesterday which seemed to make Yukine a little more aggravated. I guess Yukine really is upset that Yato went missing; he even said something about Yato going to someone called 'Nora'? I know that Hiyori said he was lazy, but this was too much. He's meant to be watching me while I'm here not go gallivanting off to who knows where!

I trudged over to my bag and grabbed out my white jacket and pulled it over my blue hoodie. I haven't worn this thing since the old man's death. I looked at the ground with sorrow in my eyes before shaking my head, straightening my jacket out and turning around to head for the door.

"Where are you going?" I stopped and turned to face Yukine; who looked just as bored as usual. I guess he's probably the one keeping an eye on me since Yato is … absent. But Yukine is forever fourteen! He's younger than me! I don't take orders from someone younger than me! Just look at how I react to Yukio! And he's a MINUTE younger than me!

"I'm going out to look for Yato," I told Yukine. I might as well tell him what I'm doing.

A sigh escaped his lips and he went back to his studying. "Just don't get into any trouble."

"You're not going to try and stop me!?" I exclaimed, shocked at his attitude.

"I can't stop you from looking for Yato. It was his job to watch over you. He's disappeared and now you're going out to look for him as if repaying him for that," Yukine replied and I kind of understood what he was saying. I did want to repay Yato for what he's done; looking for him may be what I need to do for that. His amber eyes looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "Just be careful out there."

I gave him a smile and threw a thumb at myself. "I have my sword and flames! Nothing can touch me!"

"With an ego like that you may bite off more than you can chew," he stated bluntly, earning a groan from me.

I pouted at him before grabbing Kurikara and swinging it over my shoulder by the strap. "Well, see you when I get back." I turned and left the room, headed down the stairs; waved to Kofuku and Daikoku; telling them where I was going and left to find Yato.

I wondered out of the house, around the corner of it and onto the street. I looked up at the sky and frowned. The sky was getting cloudy which meant it would rain soon. I held onto the strap tighter and began to walk down the path of the street. I hadn't been outside of Kofuku and Daikoku's house much and when I was I would try and get familiar with the area as much as I could. All I knew about the area was that Hiyori's school was a few blocks away, a park was at the end of the street, a few stores were nearby and there was also a shrine near the park; probably belonged to another God. I knew that the park had a pond because Hiyori had told me about it. A frown creased my features and I began heading in that direction as if I had a feeling that Yato had been there.

Once I arrived at the park I wondered over to where the pond was, leaning over the fence and looked into it at my reflection. I glared back, turning away from it and leaned on the fence. "I still can't believe Yato brought Shiemi over for her to apologise to me…" A small smile spread across my face. "I should remember to thank him when he comes back."

"You know Yato?" I turned to my right and saw a girl with black shoulder-length hair and black eyes, wearing a white kimono, staring at me … eerily.

I swallowed, trying to think up a reply to her question. My eyes drifted to the names on her arms and I blinked. Yukine has one on his shoulder and I noticed Kazuma had one on his hand. Why does this girl have so many? "Y…Yea, I know him. Why?"

"You have such pretty eyes." A red flush appeared on my face at what she said. She ignored my question! Who is this girl!? How does she know Yato?! "They remind me of Yato's. His are a lighter shade of blue; like crystals or the sky; yours are deep blue like the ocean or night. They're very pretty."

"Umm … thank you. I guess," I stammer out. Why do I get such a creepy feeling from this girl?

She came a little closer to me and her black eyes were dull of any emotions, but her lips held a smile to make up for it. Her head was now right by my ear as she whispered, "Mind if I … have one?"

My eyes widened at what she just whispered into my ear. "W…What?!" I exclaimed in shock.

Before I could move I saw a knife come from behind her back. Where had she been hiding that!? It was clean and slim. She thrust it towards me. I fell backwards in shock and landed on my backside and she stared at me for a moment before coming towards me once more. I tried to get up onto my feet again, but felt a pain burst through my leg. I looked down and saw a blue wolf with a mask on its head. The wolf bit down harder and I held back a cry of pain.

"Yato doesn't need you people. You make him weak." Her voice had suddenly changed from sweet and innocent to … menacing. Was she going to kill me? "Let's see what he'll think when I take your eye and give it to Father?"

Another shot of pain, but this time through my left arm. I looked to see that another wolf was holding my arm out. My eyes widen and look back at the girl. These things are trying to stop me from running! As the girl came closer I realised I needed my flames more than ever if I needed to save myself. I needed them. I REALLY needed them!

She grabbed hold of my dark hair, roughly with her spare hand to hold my head still and lifted her other arm up; aimed at my right eye and thrust the knife forwards; her smile never wavering from her emotionless face. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" It was too late. The knife made contact with my eye and then … I screamed. I screamed as loud as I could. The pain. The knife made contact with eye and ... it burned. It seared with pain I have never felt before!

Once she ripped my eye out with the knife and let go of my hair, stepping away from me as blue flames enveloped me from the pain I was experiencing. The wolves let me go and I clutched my eye as it began to bleed profusely. I could tell because once I put my hand up to it to try and stop the bleeding I could feel the amount of blood gushing from my eye; like a waterfall. I panted, hard, a glare aimed at the girl as she took my eye off of the knife and looked at it in interest.

"So pretty," she muttered to herself. She turned to look at me as I coughed up a bit of blood. "I would take the other, but Father told me one was enough and I only follow Father's orders."

"You … little…" I choked out, unable to stay conscious from how much blood I was losing.

She approached me and leaning near my face with an amused smirk on her lips. "I'm sure, Yato, will enjoy seeing this." She held up my eye to my face and the remaining eye I had widened. She just giggled, stood back up and began to walk away with the wolves following her. "…until we meet again … demon spawn."

I growled as her figure grew blurry as my vision started to blur. I was going to fall unconscious. I…I can't … not yet … I need to get back to … Kofuku's…

I stood up and began to limp through the park towards the street. I clutched my bleeding eye to make sure the blood-flow would stop, but it didn't. It kept coming; dripping down my face and onto the ground. I looked around the street, trying to find a familiar face. I spotted someone with brown hair with a purple uniform. That's the uniform Hiyori always wears! I sighed in relief though it came out as more of a cough. I limped over to her and tried to catch up, but she was walking too fast. Dammt! I won't make it before she crosses the road!

"H…Hiyori…" I choked out, trying to grab her attention. I fell on my knees and coughed as my world began to blur again and I heard footsteps before an arm was slung around my shoulders and helped me up.

"Rin, what happened to you!?" I heard the panicked voice of Hiyori.

"Just … get me back to Kofuku's … I'll explain later…" I managed to get out in between coughs. She nodded and helped me limp, but I noticed our direction had changed and we were heading towards a shrine. "Hiyori … why are we heading … this way?"

"It's the closest place to get you treatment right now. If I take you to Kofuku's you might lose too much blood!" she exclaimed, sounding panicked. Man, why are girls so emotional about this kind of thing?

As we walked past the park and I saw the two pillars for a shrine I noticed a figure outside; sweeping the pavement. She looked up when she saw us and gasped, running over to us. "Hiyori! What happened?"

I groaned and began to waver in-between conscious and unconsciousness as I could barely make out what I was seeing, "This is a friend of mine. He's hurt real bad. Please, help him!"

I heard another pair of footsteps coming over to us with my hearing; it being another female, "The Master sensed something strange about him. Are we sure we can trust him?" My vision was too blurry now. I couldn't make out who was talking; only their voices.

"I'll explain later; just please help him!" Hiyori exclaimed, sounding desperate.

"Hiyori … I'll heal…" she looked down at me; at least from what I can tell from my slouched stature leaning up against her. "You know what I am. I just…"

"You're bleeding too much to recover!" Hiyori exclaimed and I bit my lip; lowering my head and began to stare at the ground.

"Why do you have to point out the obvious?" I growled out in annoyance. She gave me a warm smile; knowing I was still myself before I fell off from her shoulder and landed on the hard pavement. "RIN!"

2 hours later~~~~

I opened my eyes to find myself on a futon. I sat up, still feeling slightly groggy and looked around; noticing I was in a small room, similar to Kofuku's house, but at the same time not. I gingerly rubbed a hand over my right eye and felt fabric there. I guess my eye was wrapped with bandages to stop the bleeding. I noticed there was also one on my left arm; the jacket sleeve being rolled up which meant there may be one on my leg too.

A light sneeze caught my attention and I looked over to the corner of the room and smiled when I saw Yukine and Hiyori sitting together, napping. I guess they were waiting for me to wake up. I probably freaked the living daylights out of Hiyori with the condition I was in. They will probably want answers once they wake up I can only guess. Great…

"So, you're Rin?" I turned around to see an old man with grey hair and a beard, wearing a black yukata. "My name is Tenjin; the God of learning. Hiyori told me about you." Another God? My eyes grew wide at hearing this.

"She did?" I questioned; looking back to the sleeping pair.

"I sensed great power coming from you, so I told my regalia; Tsuyu to see what was going on. You're not like Hiyori are you?" I turned back to the old man with wide eyes before looking down and shaking my head.

"No. I'm not."

"Hiyori's soul is able to separate from her human body and become a spirit after an accident she was in." I blinked at this in shock. She could do that? "Judging from your reaction she never told you." I nodded and he smiled before continuing. "Well, my question for you is … are you human?"

"What makes you ask that?"

"Have you been told that Gods can sense powerful supernatural beings?" I nodded at the old man's question. "That's why Yato can take down phantoms, because he can sense where they are. So, what are you?" Tenjin asked me as he lifted an eyebrow.

I narrowed my eye at him and gritted my teeth together. Nosey old geezer! "You Gods and your damn nosing around in other people's business like it's nothing…"

This seemed to surprise him; making him reel back in shock. "Excuse me!" He exclaimed before quickly regaining his composure and continued. "Young man, you; like Hiyori have been connected to the far-shore for too long and look what's happened."

I scoffed and looked to him as a frown crossed my face. "It's not like something like this wouldn't happen anyway." I then, turned my head away from as a solemn look crossed my face. "I'm meant to be executed."

This seemed to catch the old guy's attention as he looked me over with a frown on his face. "Why would someone execute you? Is it because of what I sense from you?"

I shrugged my shoulders at his questions as a light sigh escaped my lips. "Possibly. You might as well know. Yato and Kofuku know. What's one more God?" I looked to Tenjin with anger ravaging through my one eye. "I was born half-human and half-demon; that's why I'm meant to be executed. My birth Father is Satan."

Tenjin's eyes widen at hearing this; but he remained calm about hearing this. "You're basically saying being involved with the far-shore is no different than what you're involved with now?"

"Exactly. Demons and phantoms are similar, but phantoms are corrupted spirits, right? That's what Yato told me." A nod from Tenjin told me I was right. "Demons are from another dimension that creates havoc in our world." I look away from the God; now feeling I shouldn't be in his presence. "And I have to be the spawn of the worst one ever known…" I clench the sheets covering my body in anger as I bite my bottom lip.

The old guy began stroking his beard as if thinking things over. Maybe I shouldn't have told him what I was. Who knows what he'd do with this information. I don't even know if I can trust him! Well, I mean Hiyori brought me here so she obviously does, but … I DON'T KNOW! "When Hiyori spoke of you it was certainly an impression." I turned to look at the God and he was … smiling at me. Why are these people so accepting of me? "I still believe your ties should cut to the far-shore to avoid further conflicts, but…" His brown eyes suddenly narrowed; giving the God a different aura about him. "…I believe it's your call."

I swallowed and nodded; looking over to the sleeping Yukine and Hiyori. A pane hit my chest and I clutched it, biting my bottom lip. "They were the first ones to accept me for who I was. My classmates … didn't. I don't want to have my 'ties' cut with them especially after everything they've done for me. Hiyori just saved my life, Yato's helping me out and Kofuku's allowed me into her home. How can I repay them for that?"

I felt Tenjin's eyes burning into the back of my skull and I heard a heavy sigh from him. "There are many things you can try on how to repay them, but the main thing a God always wants…" I turn around to face Tenjin with anticipation on my face; waiting for the answer. "…is to never be forgotten. That is Yato's greatest fear since he's an unknown God."

So, you know in the first chapter when I said I pictured a scene with Nora and Rin ... that was this chapter. Yep. I don't know why but ever since I read/watched Pandora Hearts I like putting characters through this kind of torture (even my own original characters) it just makes for great character development. I know lots of you are going to hate me for doing this to Rin (I kind of hate myself for doing it) yet I feel like it adds more to the story. It gives Rin a motive against Nora and Yato's Father since he's been kept in the dark so much on the Far-Shore. So, hope you enjoyed!

NOTE: Rin is one of my favourite characters in Blue Exorcist, so putting my favourite characters through pain and suffering shows their growth in a story. That's how I see it.

D0A OUT