Demons and Ghosts, Hell's King and King of the Dead

Visiting What Was Once Lost

Everybody's breath hitched and Rin almost let out a sob. "Are...Are you serious?"

"Very. You have to understand, though, that you must not try and save him. He died for a reason," Clockwork told the boy.

Rin's stomach tightened at that, but he nodded in understanding. "I know."

Clockwork gave a nod and turned back to his screen as it flickered and became a portal. He slipped a time medallion on Rin's neck. "Go."

Rin nodded and stepped into the abyss.

__________________________

"Who are you, and why are you here, demon?" The voice was so painfully familiar, and it warmed Rin's heart even as a gun was pressed to his temple.

Tears sprouted from the half demon's eyes, dripping down his cheeks despite all the effort he put in to dry them.

Rin turned to look Shiro in the eyes. The hard, cold look dissipated at the sight of Rin's face. "...Rin? No, that's impossible! Rin's a mere child and still human!" Even as the old man said this, the gun trained at his head dropped to the Paladin's side.

"Dad..." Rin's voice shook with sadness.

"You're not Rin!" Shiro barked.

"I'm not your Rin, I'm Rin from eight years in the future. If...If you don't believe me..." Rin trailed off, a blue flame covering his hand.

Shiro stared at it, eyes wide. "I failed to keep you human."

"That doesn't matter! Even with my powers sealed, I was never normal! I don't care about that! Maybe in the beginning I did, but I don't care about that anymore!" Rin shouted, tears pouring down his cheeks. "I wanted to apologize! Dad, I'm sorry! I'm a horrible son, I never deserved the love you gave me because I threw it in your face!"

"Rin, what are you talking about? You and Yukio were the best things to ever happen to me," Shiro said.

Rin continued to sob. "If only I had been strong enough, if I hadn't lashed out, you would still be..." Rin choked.

Shiro frowned and took a step forward, pulling the shaking demon into his arms.

Rin hugged the man back, crying harder, tears soaking the man's uniform. "I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry, Dad! I never got to tell you I was sorry!"

Shiro knew by his son's words that he had died in the future. It was obvious something involving Rin had happened.

"I yelled at y-you, and you were o-only trying to pro-protect me! I was being childish and-and stupid! I love you, I don't hate you, I never could! Please, please don't hate me! Please, don't think I could ever hate you!" Rin sobbed, tail curled tight around his thigh in fear.

Shiro pushed the boy back, gripping his shoulders. "Rin, I could never hate you! Not even if you drove Kurikara through my head! I could never hate you, no matter what! I don't know what happened, but I do know that I died. Rin, it's not your fault! I protected you until the end, and that's enough for me to have died in peace! I can't believe you spent years thinking that I ever thought you hated me! I know you love me, Rin, even with your temper! I love you, alright, and that's never going to change, you hear me?" Shiro told the half demon.

Rin couldn't stop crying. "Dad, I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing, brat! You grew up into a good, young man, I can tell that much! I'm glad I died protecting you! I couldn't wish for anything better!" Shiro smiled, trying to cheer his son up.

"It's not that...I'm not allowed to save you. I can't change anything..." Rin blubbered.

"You shouldn't change the past, son. I'm not mad at you." Shiro smiled.

"I...I did it, you know..." Rin whispered.

"Did what?" Shiro asked softly.

"I defeated him...I defeated Satan..." Rin didn't want to say the phrase 'I avenged you.' It would reveal things that shouldn't be revealed, couldn't be revealed.

"I always knew you were strong, Rin. I never doubted it. I never believed you couldn't defeat him," Shiro murmured.

Rin didn't know what his father would say if he discovered Rin had taken the place of Satan. Rin decided it wasn't important.

"I love you. I'm sorry I never said it much as a child, but I do. I never said it much, but I loved you so much." Rin choked on his words.

"I know, Rin. I love you, too." Shiro pulled the boy into a hug, Rin clutching to the man as tight as he could without breaking him.

The medallion on Rin's neck started to glow, and Shiro stepped back. "What...?"

"It's my time to leave." Rin swallowed thickly. "I wish I could stay here forever."

"That's impossible, Rin." Shiro frowned sadly. "Though I wish, too."

Rin nodded, eyes closed. "I know."

A light illuminated his body, and Rin looked up to the man he would always consider his real father.

"Bye, Dad."

"Goodbye, Rin."

Three words echoed as both males spoke.

"I love you."

A flash of bright light later, Rin was gone, and Shiro could let the tears fall.

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Rin appeared in front of Clockwork, Maddie, Jack, Sam, Tucker, and Danny. They took in his appearance of tear stained cheeks and puffy, red eyes, but that was to be expected after seeing your dead father you loved so much.

"How did it go?" Danny asked softly.

"You didn't see...?" Rin wondered quietly.

"It was a private moment," Clockwork replied simply.

"So, are you okay? Did everything work out?" Sam asked.

Rin said nothing for a moment before turning to Clockwork. "...Thank you."

Clockwork simply smiled at the King of Gehenna.

The Observants might give him an earful later, and while it would be severely annoying, Clockwork wouldn't have changed his decision.

Clockwork believed Rin had suffered just as much as Danny, if not more. The boy deserved a chance to go back and help lift a regret that sat on his shoulders for a long time.

The burden of his dead father would always be there, but with the closure he had gotten, it was the start of moving on.

Chapter Thirty-Three complete! I cried while writing this! I know a lot of you probably wanted me to save Shiro, but Shiro was a catalyst, so his death was necessary, even though I hate it as much as I hate Thomas the Train and Justin Bieber (which is a lot).

Jazz wasn't in this chapter because Danny is sixteen, so she has to go to college. She was visiting, so that's why she was in the others. She went back to college, but she might be back near the end.

Lizzy isn't here either because while she knows of Rin's demonic nature, she knows nothing of Danny being Phantom.

If you need an explanation for something, ask me in the comments! Bye my doggies!