Duo Maxwell strolled through a emerald green city park feeling lonely and irate. He needed to cool off, forget, and escape from anything to do with the war. Releasing some pent up stress and tention cursed under his breath as he shuffled his feet across the winding cement sidewalk. He paused for a moment to adjust his floppy black hat and run his fingers through his long dark feather soft bangs. He stared at the ground and kicked a rock down the sidewalk. Sighing heavely he shoved his hardened hands deep into his pockets and stared at the ground thinking. The rock rolled back and stopped at his feet.

"What the hell?" the puzzled boy whispered under his breath. He broke his fixed gaze on the rock to look up and see a small girl with silly pink hair tied back into pigtails and dressed in a blue sailor school uniform staring up into his cobalt blue eyes with a big warm smile. "Hey, where did you come from?!?" The dark boy stepped back half shocked half suprised.

"Hi!" The girl smiled and slightly tilted her head to one side. She confidently responded to the pilot. "My name's Rini. What's yours?"

"Uhhh...you can call me Duo." He gazed upon this girl with query.

"You want to play?" she dauntlessly questioned the mysterious boy. He was skeptical and somewhat alarmed at her request.

"Play!?! Are you crazy!?!" Startled and perplexed, he was nearly shouting at the small girl. He furrowed his eyebrows and put his hands on his hips.

Nobody PLAYS with Shinigami. He is the great destroyer...a killer...a warrior! He is to be feared...he does not play!

But he could see the girl was hurt by his outburst. Her eyes were swelling with tears and her youthful smile turned cold.

Damn. A little kid is pulling on my heart strings. Crap! Now Shinigami has a weakness...

"Alright kid don't cry," he released a desperate sigh he apologeticly waved his hands at her, "I'll play with you as long as you keep the waterworks off." He took off his hat, ruffled his bangs, and brushed back some loose hairs that had strayed from his long braid. He returned his concentration to the girl and kneeled down to her eye level. Her smile returned and her face lit up with anticipation. "Ok kid, what are we gonna play."

Rini grabbed his rough hardened hands and dragged him around the park. She was a spring of everlasting energy. She never tired! But the boy did, and after hours of non-stop excitement a panting, heavily sweating Shinigami was dead on his feet. Even his well worn hat looked worse for wear. He retreated it from his head and whiped the perspiration from his brow with the back of his wrist. Taking some deep breaths he managed to hobble to a park bench before collapsing compleately.

"Rini, I need a break." He gasped between breaths. "I better sit down before I fall down. I think the last of my energy either got left on the slide or somewhere between monkey bars." He leaned back in the park bench and relaxed his muscles. The girl skipped lively around the bench and Duo stared in amazement at her endless vigor. "Don't you EVER get tired!?" he wondered.

"Nope." She answered simply as she jumped onto the bench next to her new found friend. She played with the end of Duo's long braided hair. He smiled as he regarded this curious creature that had so suddenly entered his world.

How can she trust Shinigami? Is he not evil? Is he not death itself? Shes so innocent and pure...hey but you know what they say, oppisites attract.

"Well kid, I guess I better get you home. Its almost dark and I gotta get home myself." He lied. He had no real home to go to and no one was even expecting him anywhere, but he knew somebody was gonna start worring about Rini. She stared into his deep purple eyes, then further into his soul. He could feel her there pleading for him not to leave.

He smiled at the girl. "Alright how about I give ya a piggy back ride," he bargained with her. She squeeled in agreement and they were both content.

She scaled up his braid and onto his broad sholders where she perched ready to ride off into the sunset. The dark boy laughed and flopped his oversized hat on the girls head. Who would have guessed such an unlikely pair would have met; an angel of death and a princess from the future...