It had felt like only yesterday that Michael had begun to train Rin during their availabilities.
But time waited for no one. The years went by as they always had. Pictures were proof, as were their yearly post cards to Satan.
He should have known that it was too good to last. Metatron, while was Rin's guardian angel, was still an archangel. He knew God would alert him if Rin needed help. But he had other jobs to do as well.
Rin was twelve when he experienced the first call away from his job to get to Rin. A desperate clawing. With God's speed, he flew to his responsibility.
Rin didn't quite know who he was staring at. He just knew the boy looked upset. Sitting all alone in a playground much like Rin used to do after a fight. Well, not exactly alone considering the small lizard on the boy's lap. But he still looked despondent. Rin ignored the slightly ominous air around the park and took the oppertunity and sat on the swing next to the boy. The boy didn't react.
"So, bad day?" Rin asked, not used to being the "comforting" one in his family. The boy's head shot up and stared at Rin with steely grey eyes. From shock to something akin to joy, his eyes shined.
"Not anymore," he sang in an innocent tone. Even teeth smiled back at Rin as the child grabbed Rin's arm.
Rin yelped when an absurd amount of pressure was added to keep Rin within the child's reach.
"What the- Hey kid let go!" Rin growled as he tried to escape the boy's tight grip.
"Now why would I do that Rin-chan?" the boy asked cheekily. Rin froze, slightly terrified.
"How do you know my name?"
The child giggled. Rin could feel his hair stand on end.
"Is it so surprising I know your name when you can see me?"
"You're a demon? You don't look like one."
The boy rolled his eyes and his form began to shift. Normal play clothes became essentially a loincloth and a pair of wings, similar to Metatron and the other archangels, but with grey feathers littered among the white. His small lizard morphed into a small red dragon with coals for eyes and smoke vapors curling out from its nose.
"I'm not a demon Rin-chan."
"You don't exactly strike me as an angel either," Rin muttered. The hand tightened for a brief moment.
"I see. Well, I am an angel-"
"Get away from him Volac!" Metatron's voice cut through the air to Rin's relief. Volac tsked and darted away from Rin before Metatron could strike. Rin jumped off the swing and stood by Metatron. Metatron kept his eyes on Volac, but spread his wings to block Rin from view.
"Really Metatron?" Volac asked with a slight crack in his voice, "You're going to fight me here? With so many humans around?"
"I will protect Rin," Metatron stated. A daring move letting the small boy take control. The boy grinned wickedly.
"You know the mass hysteria that will occur from all these temptaints?" He cackled, "You think you can actually protect everyone?"
Metatron whistled a small tune.
"Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava," Metatron began to chant with a pure and unearthly tone Rin had never heard before. Volac hissed and attempted to strike Metatron, "that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves," Rin was shocked in seeing how nimbly Metatron could avoid Volac's attack. Well, Volac's and his dragon. "Our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entrea-"
"Ein, Zwei, Drei!" A new voice broke in. Rin jumped back and into someone's leg as a giant cuckoo clock appeared out of nowhere. A large bird appeared from the clock and snatched Volac and his dragon right out of the air. Metatron grew silent. His wings grew still and he dropped to the earth, surpringly gently. He turned to face Rin, his eyes seemingly glowing.
"Back away Samuel."
"Ah Metatron," the voice said from behind Rin, a hand resting now on Rin's shoulder, "I thought you'd be happy to see me."
"Samuel," Metatron growled, something Rin had never heard before. Heck, he had never see any of the Angels angry before.
"Come now. We're on the same side here. I helped save Rin didn't I?"
"We stopped being on the same side when you fell."
"Ah, but neither of us want to see Satan take over Assiah," the man sang.
"I'll say it again Samuel. Let. Rin. Go."
"Fine," the man whined and lightly tapped Rin forward. Rin ran over to Metatron before turning to face the mysterious man.
"Why do you look like a clown?" Rin blurted out. The man's smile drooped slightly as Rin really took in his appearance beyond his strange clothes. Long pointy ears, blue hair under a top hat, and strange narrow pupils.
"Child please, I look fabulous," the man gloated while striking a dramatic pose.
"What do you want Samuel."
"I wanted to see father's heir. Catching Volac not listening to me again was just a bonus."
"Volac listens to you?"
"Father did direct half the fallen to follow me. Volac is one of mine."
"So... Lucifer-"
"He didn't want any," Samuel waved off in a bored manner, "He has the Illumanti anyway."
Metatron shivered slightly.
"Metatron? Who is he?"
"Ah! You never told him?!"
"Rin hasn't been told about any of you."
"But he knows you. Well, I'll just have to remedy that."
"No you don-"
"I am Samuel! Your eldest brother Rin. On father's side of course."
"You're Satan's son?" Rin tried to say calmly.
"Mmhm."
"Don't tell Father Fujimoto," Metatron told Rin, "And don't you dare either-"
"Now why would I do that?" Samuel asked innocently while turning on his heel, "Things just got more interesting."
"At least remove the time barrier Volac placed," Metatron said. Rin looked at his angel confused.
"Fine," Samuel whined. He snapped his fingers and something thin and opaque evaporated from around the park, letting unaware mother's and children enter the park freely.
With that, he and his cuckoo clock vanished. Rin looked up at Metatron.
"What was all that about?"
"That... Was a sign."
"A sign?"
"Yeah. To speed up your training with Michael. I think you're going to need to start carrying around a sword."
"I'm twelve. How am I supposed to carry around a sword?" He questioned with a touch of sass.
"You know, I think Michael may have a solution for that."
And we finally have villains! Sort of...
Volac. A fallen angel who appears like a small boy with wings on a dragon. Subdued by Ezra 8:21-23. Well almost.
And well, we all know Mephisto Pheles is Samuel. And a little shit. And now Rin has met him.
I think I'm losing it guys. But let me know what you're all thinking as I question my life's choices with this.