A/N: Final chapter! As much as I hate ending stories, it always has to end. Thank you guys, and a very special thank you for everyone who has been with me throughout the story. I still need ideas for the sequel, so, please, give me your input!

Q and A:

Q:

I thought this would be longer, did we miss something?
A: No, sadly. I had planned this to be longer, but a few things were sped up and thus, two chapters where shaved off of the length. Sorry!

Q: Will you ever abandon stories?
A: Never! I will delete any stories that I have completely given up on, but will most likely rewrite/revise them, then repost.

Q: Will the sequels to this be longer or shorter than this story?
A: I have honestly no clue. It depends on the plot, and what happens in the storyline.

Disclaimer: I not own Ao No Exorcist

xXxXx

"D-do you mean Rin is okay?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I cannot tell you, it is not my place to say." The figure said, not stepping out of the shadows.

Kuro's hackles rose again, "Who are you, you don't smell like you're from around here!"

"Nice guess, but I was actually born here in Assiah."

"Then what are you?! And how can you hear me?!" Kuro shouted, growing in size.

"Human, but with a small bit of demon blood. But, either way, I have to head off. This is not may place to hang around. Just start eating again, understood?" And with that, the figure walked away, and Kuro shrink back to normal, sitting down in front of the door, waiting once again.

Footsteps sounded and Kuro, turned his head, seeing Miwa step into the light. "Food?" The bald boy smiled.

Kuro thought back to the figure's words, and nodded his head feverishly, grinning ear to ear. Miwa silently placed the bowl of food in front of the twin tailed cat, and hummed to himself as he stroked Kuro's soft fur. Rin was going to come back for him, he knew it.

xXxXx

City lights lit the night sky, and jumbled words were heard all around them. Old Christmas decorations hung in shop windows, and snow was lightly falling. The white flakes of ice stuck to the ground, small piles forming at the edges of the sidewalks and roads, making the ground slick with newly forming ice. The air froze her breath, but even though she was wearing a thin pullover, she didn't seem cold in the least. Her eyes were wide and sharp, green eyes watching the snowflakes fall, with a smile dancing on her lips. She walked next to a black haired boy, who wore a jacket and a scarf wrapped loosely his neck. They walked side by side in silence, content with just being together. The girl shivered slightly, the boy immediately took off his jacket and put on the girl's shoulders, who protested slightly. The boy also offered his scarf, but she refused.

"Do you think its time to head back?"

"Soon."

xXxXx

"So…" Shima started, before Bon cut in.

"No. I wont give you the answer to the demonology homework, go find Miwa you idiot." He growled.

Shima promptly sat up from the bed, turning to face his friend. "It wasn't about that! I was wondering….do you…think they're alive?" Shima held his eyes downcast, not meeting Bon's eyes.

"Sure they are," Bon said, no doubt in his being, "Rin wouldn't get himself killed that easily. It's Rin we're talking about, and if Wolf was with him, then they are probably perfectly fine. In a few days, Rin is going to walk into class like nothing ever happened." Bon looked to Shima, a small smile on his usually rough face. "Just you watch and see."

xXxXx

Dear Journal,

Nothing was found at the site. Meaning my brother is still missing, so is Wolf. I'm starting to lose hope. Earlier today, I quickly made a trip back to True Cross, where I found the one person who was behind the act of telling the Exorcists that the Esquires were on a mission with me, who I shouldn't have been surprised. Shura had been laughing her head off, when she told me everything. She also confessed that she had told the Esquire's teachers that they were on sick leave as well, and the small fact that she had known what Rin had been doing from the very beginning. But, no matter how long I questioned, she wouldn't tell me if Nii-san was alive. "Only time will tell" was her only response, which left me with no leads. The last search for Rin will be later tonight, and I hope we find something soon. I will be departing from the slums in two days time, and return to teaching the Esquires. Something tells me to stay, but I cannot forget my role at True Cross.

Yukio

I sat up from the old chair, and looked around the room one last time. This would most likely be the last time I would be in this room, and the last time I would find myself in the base. Even though, Laughing Shadow's was a gang, and had done horrible things, the people here, were true. I can't imagine what it used to look like all those year's ago, when this almost abandoned place was fully used, filled to the brim with people of all statures. I started to wonder where they had all come from, from other parts of the world like Rock, had some of them been left for dead in this city like Wolf, or had lead themselves here like Crow. I smiled to myself. This had been Nii-san's family, when I had never been there for him, when things got too tough to be at the church. I looked out the window, gazing at the glittering stars, before getting ready to head out. Rin had to be alive, he was Rin after all.

xXxXx

Shiemi sat idly on her porch, listening to the wind rustle through the leaves of her garden, as she mindlessly playing with Nii-chan, who ran around her hand. Shiemi smiled tiredly. Yukio had returned to True Cross three days ago, and even she could tell, from his facial expression, nothing had been found on the final search. She didn't like to admit it, but maybe, just maybe, had Rin-san and Wolf-san, really been….killed in the fire? She had finally been making progress in being Wolf-san's friend, and she had gotten to the point Wolf would talk to her freely, but, was that all over now? She didn't like it. She hated herself for thinking such things, but, if it was the truth, what would she do?

"Shiemi, best you get ready for class!" Her mother called from the front of the shop.

"Okay!" She sat up, lifting Nii-chan to her shoulder, as she got into her school uniform, and slid her key into a random door, opening it to the long gigantic hallway of the True Cross classrooms. She slowly walked through the hallways, meeting up with Izumo along the way. They entered the class, making it before class started just with a minute to spare.

Shiemi glanced at the cold, empty seat next to her, where a usually a sleeping or goofing off boy sat, pissing off any and every teacher possible. Rin-san was a good student, with an honest heart. Shiemi smiled softly, then remembered she was still in class, and paid attention to the lesson once more.

xXxXx

Bon was honestly missing the guy. Sure, they had dozens of fights since they met each other, but Rin wasn't that bad of a guy. But, even though Bon had said that Rin would someday just show up, that chance was getting slimmer and slimmer, considering the time had passed.

Days since the incident had passed.

Days had then morphed into weeks.

Then they turned into months.

That's when everyone had given up hope.

Yukio had stopped talking to anyone outside of teaching, Shiemi had become distant, as if in a haze, and Shima had lost a tiny bit of his spirit. Izumo hadn't changed much, but would become cold whenever someone mentioned Rin or the slums. Miwa was just jumpy, and didn't voice his opinions as much. Shura had changed the most, out of this. Everyday, she waited in the training room, waiting for Rin to come back, hoping that he might show up for his daily training session.

But everyday, he was absent.

But, if Bon thought about it, Shura was the only one who still had hope.

"He'll come back." She said every time, a big grin on her face, "He'll come back, walking through the front doors laughing, grinning sheepishly. Then everything will be back to normal. It just takes time."

We all knew that Rin wouldn't just walk right in. He wouldn't. He couldn't. Because even if he had escaped the flames, and the explosion, he would've come back by now. We would have gotten word from Wolf back at the slums that they were okay. But, if they had survived, then something must've happened afterwards.

xXxXx

"Are you sure you're not coming with me inside? They're gonna want to see you." A voice said in the darkness.

"No," another replied. "I think I've spend too long away from them, and it's time to say hello, becofe I say good bye again."

"Are you really going through with the plan? It's dangerous, not only to you, but them as well."

The second voice chuckled, "You worry too much. It'll be fine, Wolf. Don't worry, now get inside, before anyone else finds us."

The first voice, Wolf, gave him a hug, and a quick peck on the lips, "Watch your back, and don't get caught."

A silent nod was her only answer. Wolf turned on her heel, walking towards her home, only turning back briefly to see her boyfriend's eyes watching her, making sure she got inside safely. Wolf slid the metal door open, and closed to behind her.

"Rock, Crow? I'm home."

xXxXx

I quickly ran through the halls of True Cross, trying to be on time to Demonology, which of I course I knew I was going to be tardy to anyways. The bell rang and I stood infront of the door. I had been away for far too long, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for their expressions yet. Plus, they probably thought I was dead.

I grasped the handle, and slammed the door open, only to find an empty classroom.

I walked in quietly, closing the door softly behind me, sitting on my desk in the front row, examing the contents of my old classroom.

Current classroom. I wasn't gone yet.

Nothing had changed much over the months, except for a few things on the chalk board. There was still cobwebs and dust on the window sills and ceiling, acient books older than time were lined on shelves in the back of the room, waiting to be read. A few of them looked touched, but not many. The door suddenly opened, and I froze. I didn't turn around, I didn't move, I didn't even breathe.

"…..Rin?" The voice asked, shock woven into their speech.

The said voice was rough and rebellious, but definitely well pronounced. Bon.

I slowly turned to look at him, a sheepish grin plastered on my face, my left hand scratching the back of my neck nervously. "Hey, Bon. What's up? I finally decided to show up to class and nobodies here. Guess everyone just kinda, moved on from being Esquires, huh?"

"Y-you…." He started, shadows cast over his eyes.

"Huh?" I looked up, questioning.

"You idiot! How could you do that to us?! We had no idea what happened to you! Everyone thinks you're dead! Do you know how much pain you put everyone through?!" Bon advanced forward, and clasped both of his hands tightly on my arms, as if I was about to just disappear in front of his very eyes without a word of good bye. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you at least call us to say you were okay? We missed you! Your brother missed you! Do you-"

"Bon."

"What?!" He shouted back.

"I'm here now. I would've come back sooner, but some things happened."

Bon grit his teeth, not happy he was cut short. I didn't blame him. It was one of the ways he showed he was worried about me. He unclenched his jaw and sighed, grabbing my writst and pulling me into the hall. "Come on, idiot. Class has already started, we moved to a another room. Hurry up."

He didn't look at me, he only stomped forward, me in tow, down the hall. A smile crept across my face, and I picked up my feet, walking behind him. But he didn't let go. Not until we reached the classroom.

I grinned sheepishly at the surprised looks of my brother and classmates, and was quickly embraced.

They held on tight, as if I wasn't actually real, as if I wasn't actually alive. "Sorry," I hugged back, a light smile on my lips.

"I'm home."

A/N: Thank you for reading! All unanswered questions will be answered in the sequel, sorry! I hope you enjoyed reading this, because I had a ton of fun writing this. Thank you!