This story is based off of the things that occurred in chapter ninety-six of the Blue Exorcist manga. While I think it may be possible to read this and understand what is happening based off of the anime, I would seriously recommend reading the manga as well. Anyway, enjoy!

 The fight had not ended well for Rin. Though he had survived, and that in itself was a major accomplishment, he had, in the end, lost his brother to the Illuminati. On top of that, he was left with many life threatening wounds. The people who found him rushed him to the True Cross hospital, few people believed that he would survive. When Rin awoke, he could hear the people outside of his room talking in what, he assumed, they thought were quiet voices,

"Only the son of Satan..."

Rin healed very quickly and was permitted to go home. He couldn't stand to even look in the room that he and Yukio had shared, so he decided to stay in another one. The bed was too soft and the room was in the direct path of a streetlight. The light cast eerie shadows through the window panes and caught on the many dust particles that floated through the air. He hid from it. He lied in the shadows of the walls and he hid from the light. That night, there was a thin layer of icy rain that pittered and pattered on the old windows.

Despite everything that had happened, Rin wasn't crying for his brother, or crying for himself. He was crying from pain. A horrible pain had overtaken him, making it feel as though his heart were being ripped out. He clutched at his chest pointlessly.

Breathe, he reminded himself, you have to breathe.

He wished Kuro was with him, though there was nothing the cat could really do to stop the pain. Well, the physical pain anyway. Regrettably, Kuro was running around the dorm like a psycho, as he often did at three in the morning. His frantic footsteps echoed loudly through the empty halls.

And suddenly the streetlight went out.

And Kuro stopped running.

And the pain in Rin's chest subsided.

The only thing occupying any part of his mind was the sound of the rain on the window. Pitter... patter... pitter. Rin lifted himself off of his bed and stood in the middle of the room. His eyes stared at everything, and yet, he himself saw nothing. There was a pawing at his leg, and Rin looked down to see Kuro.

Rin, the cat said, there's someone on the roof.

Rin cocked his head.

"Why," he asked vacantly, "would there be a person on our roof in the rain?"

I don't know, but he's scaring me! Hurry Rin! Kuro was becoming frantic, jumping around Rin's feet in an unchoreographed pattern.

"Alright," Rin said, and he grabbed his sword from where it leaned against the wall. He followed Kuro up the stairs and his entire demeanor spoke the words that bounced around his head. I've given up. Kuro stared at him from a spot in front of the metal door to the roof. The sound of the rain rang through the stairwell, pitter... patter... pitter.

The door groaned as Rin pushed it open and stepped into the freezing downpour of water. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. Just as Kuro had said, there was a man on the roof. His large frame sported a black Shihakusho and he sat, cross legged, on the railing.

"What are you doing?" Rin's voice took on a fierce tone that his heart could not copy. The man heaved a sigh.

"I, I'm not sure," he spoke slowly, as if trying to remember how to pronounce the words he was saying. He stared blankly off the side of the building, looking at the ground he couldn't see past the sheets of rain.

"Who are you?" Rin asked. He had obviously lost interest in the conversation, but on the chance that the man was a demon or spirit, he had to make sure everything was safe.

"I don't know," the man said, "I think that I'm dead." he raised a chain that connected to his chest and disappeared into darkness below.

Rin raised his sword, his senses became alert, "Alright-"

The man interrupted him, "I think that I'm a Soul Reaper. They are the people tasked with reaping the souls of the dead before the Hollows get to them."

Rin let his stance go and sighed, "What?"

The man chuckled, "It's strange, really, I can remember everything about Soul Reapers, and I vaguely remember that I was one, but I don't remember anything about being one."

Anger began to well within Rin's chest, "Listen, man," he tried and failed to keep it out of his voice, "I don't have time for this, start making sense or get off of my roof."

The man turned around and looked at Rin placidly. His bright blue eyes took in everything. A bittersweet smile appeared on his face.

"How about I tell you tomorrow, when we don't have this rain?" he turned back around.

"Alright," Rin didn't care anymore. He wanted to go back to sleep, "Do you want to come in? I have more than enough rooms."

The man shook his head, "No, I'd like to stay here in the rain, if you would let me."

Rin shrugged, "Alright."

Rin no longer cared about the man. As far as he was concerned, the man could kill him, maybe then he could see his father.

His adoptive father, he meant, of course.

Right?

The wind blew over the two males as they laid under the big tree whose branches spread over a considerable part of the True Cross courtyard. In the walk over, Rin had learned a considerable amount of information about the man who was on his roof. He understood some of it, and other parts were completely lost on him.

Rin understood that the man was dead, but Rin did not understand what the man was saying about becoming a hollow. He understood that the chain had something to do with the hollowfication process, but not why that was a bad thing. The man knew everything about Soul Reapers, and for some reason he thought that he was one, but he had no recollection of any part of his past except for that. For lack of his actual name, Rin had decided to call the man, Yamada Taro.

"Would you explain to me what Soul Reapers are?" Rin let his eyes wander over the clouds in search of shapes. There weren't very many, and none of them had a particular shape.

"I told you last night," Taro sighed, his eyes, much like Rin's were looking for something in the clouds, though he could not say for sure if he was looking for shapes, "Soul Reapers are the people tasked with sending dead souls to the Soul Society before they become hollows or food for the aforementioned demons."

"What makes you think you are one?" Rin asked.

Taro shrugged, "Because a hollow called me 'Soul Reaper'. That would make sense, right?"

"Alright," Rin wasn't following, but he figured that if he kept asking questions something would begin to make sense, "why were you on my roof last night?"

"I was looking for my zanpakuto, the weapon of the Soul Reapers." Taro adjusted himself, there was a stick digging into his back.

"How does that have anything to do with you being on my roof?" Rin was becoming impatient.

"I was wondering that myself," Taro pulled himself into a sitting position, so that his back was to the tree and Rin's head was at his feet, "It really made no sense to me that I was pulled to your dormitory in search of such an ancient weapon. Until you came out onto the roof, that is. When I saw you with my own eyes, I knew that the sword you carry was once my zanpakuto."

Rin creased his eyebrows, "That can't be..." he faltered, realizing that what Taro said could very well be true, even though it sounded insane.

A shadow fell across Rin's face. He squinted up, and into the angry eyes of a boy, not much older than himself. The boy had bright orange hair. In his younger days, Rin would have teased him for it relentlessly. But not now, not anymore.

"Rukia," the boy called, "is this the one setting off the alarm?"

"No," another girl called. She walked up behind the strawberry boy, "it's the other one, Ichigo."

Ichigo's fierce gaze slithered to Taro, "Him?"

"Yes," Rukia looked back to Rin, who, by this time, had stood up, "Are you with him?"

Rin didn't answer, instead he observed their stances. The boy, Ichigo, was ready for battle, while the girl, Rukia, was more relaxed.

"Come on," Ichigo sighed, looking at Taro "we have to send you to the soul society."

"Ichigo!" Rukia punched him in the arm.

"Ow, that hurt!"

"I don't care," she turned to Taro as well, "I'm sorry for his attitude. Anyway, I know it's difficult to believe, but you are dead. Ichigo and I want to send you somewhere safe."

Her voice was kind and comforting. Even Rin, who wasn't being spoken to, couldn't help but feel safe in her melodias tones.

Taro pushed himself off of the tree trunk slowly. His stance was a controlled lazy, there was something underneath, in the muscles.

"Rin," he said, his eye meeting Rin's as he stood to his full height, "run."

Rin didn't wait for his mind to process the words. He turned and ran as fast as he could into the crowds of people, narrowly avoiding running into them. Taro quickly caught up to him.

"They're too fast," he huffed. His eyes lit up with an idea, "Rin, pass me the sword."

Rin faltered in his step, why does he want my sword?

"Hurry!" Taro reached over and grabbed the hilt from Rin's hands and pulled the blade out of the sheath and turned around, stopping in his tracks. Immediately Rin flared.

"Hey!" he slid to a stop beside Taro, "What are you doing."

Taro ignored Rin's yelling and focused, "Comfort and destroy, Kowareta Jikan."

The sword exploded into a cloud of stars in Taro's hand, and he let them drain to the ground. They made small ringing noises as they fell. Ichigo and Rukia slid to a stop in front of them. Their swords were drawn.

"Look," Ichigo growled, "We can't-"

His words were silenced by the little stars. The ringing sound they made grew louder and they continued to bounce. Eventually they froze in the air, making the shape of a woman, her hair was the almost the same color as Ichigo's, but not quite.

"Hello, son." she smiled and held out her arms. Ichigo stumbled back,

"Mom?"

Rin and Taro didn't stay to see what else would happen, they turned and ran. They didn't stop until they were well away from the people behind them.

Taro doubled over, "They were Soul Reapers."

Rin stared at him, "They could have sent you to the soul society, right? Why did you run from them?"

Taro stood up, towering above Rin, and still breathing heavily. His light blue hair moved slightly in the gentle breeze. With all of his muscle, Rin thought, I wonder why he's so tired.

"Because," he averted his gaze and lifted the chain on his chest, "I have to go back."

Rin rubbed his eyes and groaned. He wanted to go back to sleep, "Go where?"

Taro pointed to the top of a mountain that loomed above the town menacingly, "I have to go back to the place that my chain is connected to."

Rin considered, for a moment, leaving Taro to his own devices and going home, but something on the dead man's face made him falter.

"Why? What is up there?"

Taro shook his head violently, "I don't remember. I've been gone for so long." he looked at Rin desperately, "But that's why I have to go back. Something is waiting for me, I-I just know it."

Rin looked into Taro's eyes and he realized that he was scared. Taro was afraid that he would go up there and whatever it was that he left would be gone when he arrived. Rin felt a pang of pity strike his heart. He knew what it was like to have your greatest fear realized, and have to go through it alone.

"Okay," Rin sighed, "I'll go with you."

If you noticed any grammar or spelling mistakes in this chapter, please let me know! Thank you so much for reading!