Priceless

Chapter One: Rainy Encounter

A girl, who couldn't be any older than seventeen, looked through the airplane window with the small smile she always had on when she smiled to nothing in particular. As the plane roared through the sky, she couldn't really see anything but clouds passing by like the memories she had with her friends. The excitement she felt could not be helped since this was the first time she was allowed to set foot to the only place she had truly wanted to be. She just hoped that they could recognize her for it was... so many summers ago.

She had changed, not from the inside, but on the outer layers. Her hair, which had been too long for her to be having, was now only two inches below her shoulders; but its color of a shimmering darkness was still in place. Her skin was a little paler than before from the reason she was never to be seen during the days; she could only think clearly during the night times, and, for the which that was good for her job, she stayed up at night. No, her eyes were still the dark chocolate color that sparkled each time she smiled her white-showing smile. But for some odd reasons, she could have sworn that her nose and lips had shrunk. Perhaps it was because she didn't talk or take a little breath for most of her days that passed.

Which all led to the reason as to why she was on this plane: to relax and meet up with some old friends, hoping it would do her some goods.

----

From his sitting position on the soft seat, Inuyasha grunted in frustration and annoyance. What could have happened to prevent the flight from landing on time? It was 5:25p.m. for all that he cared! She should have been here at least two hours ago! Almost three damned hours was wasted for the 'just in case.' Just in case his ass! Without that 'just in case' he could have been sitting on his nice, comfortable bed, munching on chips and cookies! All those cookies he had just bought... they were singing to him... He could see them, almost reach them, and embrace them at this moment even; and that he did, but...

Ba-Ammmp!

Ouch! His face and body landed on the floor in a very hurtful situation. His right arm that had reached out to embrace his beloved cookies was now twisted by the elbow, touching the back of his neck. And his other arm, that was trying to prevent the fall, was stretching out like a dried up seaweed beneath his body; and his chin was lying on top of his left shoulder. While one of his feet was bended in a helpless situation underneath his body weight, his other foot was in the air. 'Talk about pain... Those swan people must have it bad. Note to self. Take swan people lessons when survived through boredom and unmanly position...!'

The people around him didn't even ask if he was all right. How heartless could they be? Heartless! He told you. Just heartless! And, as you could see, there was a woman his age, sitting a seat away from him. Wait. Where did she go? Oh? By the very end of this row now, ne? She was his little woman. Great. Just great! When he thought he had her all sorted out... she changed! Changed to the point of not helping her very handsome lover on the cold, ruthless floor that seemed to forever bound him to it because of his vulnerability. Sniff. Sniff. Yes. He was whimpering. He was beginning to feel the wrath of life when his only love abandoned him for her sake of humiliation! You saw the way those people were looking at him, ne? They probably were all thinking the same thing: how foolish! Who in their right mind would be thinking of food at this time of the day?

Why them?! What was wrong with them? It was now almost dinner time! The time in which a growing man like himself needed to be feed, and if it were not too much... being stuffed up by his mother's cooking would be nice. Grrr! What were they all staring at? Did they have a problem with him like this? Hrrrrm! Alright, he would give them a piece of his mind. "WHAT? I CAN'T BE HUNGRY? I'M STARVING FOR A SLICE OF PIZZA HERE! AND COOKIES FOR DESSERT! JEEZ! YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK TO THE CORE! FOOD! WORLD DIMONATION AND FOOD! HA---"

Wank!

OoooH. Twinkle, twinkle little stars, how I wonder of which you are... Pretty colors. Was it him or was there more than ten of his love standing in front of him? "One Kagome is enough to ruin this world." he mumbled. The sad little man was basically on the blink of tears. How could fate be so cruel? Sniff. Were they trying to get back at him for whatever wrong things he had done but didn't know of?

Tapp! Tapp! CHAPTH!

AHHHH! The pain of her boot kicking! Wasn't she supposed to be loving him? He knew that love hurt, but he hadn't expected it to be this soon! Oh, the heartache! Why must the Gods be so cruel?

"Shaddup! Stop embarrassing yourself!" scolded Kagome. Her face was of pure disgust. Sometimes he could be so... childish and selfish! They were in public for Crisis's sake! Why must he always make a scene? Weren't they weird enough as they were?! "You are so stupid, Inuyasha! How can you do this to me? Why did I even listen to you? This would have never happened if I were the one who'd spoken with her! We wouldn't be waiting here in boredom if you had used that little brain of yours!"

"Nani?!" Was all he could muttered in the havoc of his swirling world that was filled by his lover's lovely faces and the echoes of many sounds, much like a herd of bulls, coming his way. Please, no. He was still too young. There were so many things he still needed to accomplish before his turn was over; and, trust this thought, he really needed it: because if not, the image he would leave behind to whomever would only be a shameful mutt, who still wasn't able to face the danger of anything alone. What would people say? He had not come out of his protective shell yet. (Ahem, the shell of which was mentioned was his father's 'care.')

Step. Step. Step. The girl steadily paced toward the arguing couple she was so accustomed to see. Always fighting. Always creating scenes that were not on the daily basics was their daily basics, she supposed. "Oi! Romi n Juli!"

The arguing couple turned around, unable to speak when they saw who they had been waiting for. She was wearing a black flared out jeans and a white jacket; and the purplish colored shirt underneath made itself known by the small space that was left between the collar of the jacket and her pale neck. She only had one small luggage in hand, they noted; maybe she still had some more mailed.

"Rin? Is it really you?! My goodness, you've grown." Kagome rambled as she hugged the petite girl, almost crushing Rin in the warm love she was giving.

"By this rate, I will shrink in a matter of minutes." Rin muffled under the pressure. Kagome with her bear hug; never go near her unless you wanted to be seriously injured!

"Sorry!" The maniac who had disguised herself in human clothing begged for forgiveness. She quickly checked the girl for any damages; even she knew she had strength of an ox. Nope. So no more conscience haunting her if to say were Rin not breathing by tomorrow, and after an autopsy was done to find the cause or causes of her death somehow related to hypoxia...

'Hehe. Just as I have planned.' A chibi Kagome whose had a little red tail sticking out was silently laughing at her dead friend's body being pulled by the police officers. No one could blame her because... (drum rolls) Rin had died due to the cause of love... Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Muwuhahaha! (Yes. That was Kagome's love theme. OoooO. Look at all the sparkling lightning.)

"Quit ya babbling and move!" Aww. Poor Inu-chan was being left out in the cold corner. He must have been feeling a lot of reluctance to have spoken his mind so boldly when the devil was so near, in fact, only a foot away. That meant she was going to...

Bampo-oah! Dude, look at all those cats and dogs chasing around his head. Was it just him or those dogs' heads seemed to have Kagome's face, while the cats had his? No way! Not fair! He was a dog! Let him be his race and she could be the cats! Dogs always won when it came to cats, but then his brain way producing those images... It could only mean one thing! In this game of love and war... he was the loser! Fwmm!

"I don't think hitting his head like that will do him any goods." Rin's eyes were all bugged out like that of a certain toad; she was beyond horrified by the suffers Inuyasha had to endure because of her lunatic friend. But she couldn't say anything to help for fear of her own safety being at risk. No one ever knew when the devil would turn her arrow toward them. The best they could hope for was to stand behind its back, so maybe someday they would be able to escape the ironic spell she had put over them. 'I hope she doesn't give him brain damage. Poor thing. He is already dumb enough as he is.' sighed Rin.

Inuyasha seemed to be reading minds lately and so he barked again. "I'M NOT DUMB, YOU IDI--"

And again came Kagome's foot. When would he ever learn?

----

Hirgurashi's shrine. Who would have guessed that the girl form of Satin was actually... a priestess? Yes, it did send shivers through everyone's bones, turning us all blue and green. Okay; okay; save the drama for later uses.

After Inuyasha eagerly dumped them off without much of a proper excuse, he and his silver Lexus practically smoked toward the horizon. The timid face of a child, the relief of a fly finally being untangled from the sticky web, which the carefully-planned-everything spider had weaved; this moment he would never forget. Oh, and the clever way he'd switched identity with the American tourist without any ties to bind, too! How could he? This was probably one of the smartest things he had ever accomplished. Noted: the word "things" was plural.

Rin was impressed, kind of gulping for air like a fish out of water. They had never mentioned to her how... amazing this place looked! Verdant leaves, tall trees, fresh winds, but what surprised her most was that in this city known as Tokyo (the city of solitude and the concrete jungle) actually contained a form of the gentleness she had only expected to find in Kyoto. It was like stepping in a greenhouse, or it was the first time she had been introduced to a world where nature had intended so.

Eyes of the devil were darting in her direction. 'What is she thinking about?' The devil loved to interfere in everything that anyone's mind was brewing before their human bodies took control. "Rin," Eee! The tone was too sweet. Was she for real?

"Y--ye--yeah?" Afraid of what was coming toward her, Rin slightly winced with her answer.

"Don't be alarmed, sweetie. It is only yours truly, this time." She spoke with a little husky sound trailing behind.

Rin didn't like it at all. Anyone could have used that tone for good, but not her, the underground worker of doom. "Get to the point." She slid a few feet away from her arm reach. 'I don't like you. You're just plain mean, Miss Devil. I hate you for possessing my best friend!' Little Rin yelled, pointing at Kagome accusingly.

"But I haven't done anything wrong, my puppet. Your dear friend was too weak and kind, so here I am. I was born through her kindness, the which she should have never owned in the first place." taunted the angelic devil.

Little Rin stretched back her lips to the sides of her face, sticking out her tongue, and blew out some childish noises. 'I don't care what you said.' Little Rin pulled up her sleeves, showing the devil her jumping muscles. "If I imagined you, you can be gone just like--" She heavily panted as she used all her might. "THAT!" she yelled, with her hands bouncing in the air like she had just defeated some fat woman in a boxing ring. "Yeah. I'm that champion you wish you could have been." she broadcasted, feeling all too proud of herself.

While the envying devil snickered in her darkness. "We'll meet again someday. You'll see." A devious smile was plastered upon her face. We could only wait to see that day, the day of the rematch. But, while waiting for that day, let's return to what was really happening, ne?

"You forgot someone." she whispered, provoking some unsure feeling in Rin.

"Who?" Please do not play trick on her, she had become very poor as up these last few days, Miss Drama.

Pi-ta-pi.

Pit-ta-pit.

Dah-da-dah.

"Me."

Someone embraced Rin from the back. A female's voice. She was about twenty-two with a very strong grip. What was this woman thinking, trying to kill her with some skim?! Rin's eyes shot up. This was--drum rolling--her end! She knew Kagome was evil! EVIL, she told you. EVIL! "AHHHHHHHHH! Violation to the petite!" she confessed her murderer's identity for all the those within hearing distance.

"RIN!" shrieked Kagome; she didn't want anyone to think she was some kind of pervert, trying to sell off her friend for some cheap shot. No, because when she wanted it to be for real, she would get more than what her cargo was actually worth. Yup, that was and would forever be... the work of a true mastermind, which she was claiming for herself. The title, the fortune, the fame, and, of course, the factual reason of why her heart had been empowered by darkness.

"Shhssshhh." That tone. That husky tone. She had heard of it before; in fact, she was familiar with it... But where...? Hrm? Very interesting... Indeed...

While the genius was contemplating, the devil and the robot-like-strength person exchanged eye speeches. The devil blinked two times in some secret codes (which the authoress, too, was left out of and would like to know as much as the readers). The robot-like-strength person nodded, loosening her iron grip on the petite girl, but not too much for she was still being held captive, not able to turn and see her capturer's face.

"What's with all the secrets?" Somehow from diminutive to humongous her eyes had become, Rin voiced. "I know it is you, Sango." What type of game were those two playing? Was Sango under arrest for some type of criminal activity and was in hiding, but she came here anyway because she wanted to see her? Rin was touched. To see all the troubles Sango had gone through just to see her for one last time. "My poor, Sango. I'll never forget you." Rin-chan waved the yellowish tissue; tears were running down her cheeks as she watched the Titanic leave harbor. Sango was on there with million of people, trying to wave goodbye to her and Devil-san.

Rin-chan turned to Devil-san. "Devil-san, somehow I have this feeling like this is our last goodbye."

Devil-san waved it off. "Nonsense. She will be fine. A toast to Sango-chan." Devil-san pulled a bottle of champagne out of no where. They drank the drinks, one after another, as the Titanic disappeared.

A few months later... Rin-chan and Devil-san knelt down by a grave with a name known as Sango, but there was no body under the ground...

"Mouya! You're no fun, Rin-chan." Sango squeezed her again before letting her go. "I missed ya so much. Why didn't you tell me? If it wasn't for Kagome here, I would have never known!" Sango's right index finger swayed left to right, tsk-ing in disapproval of Rin's behavior.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, Sango-san. I was planning to come to your house and haunt you. I'll never tell you any more secret." Rin hissed at Kagome. She should have known, Kagome was a loud mouth that could never hide anything even if it were to somehow relate to her death. She was just glad some other people didn't know, hopefully, with that big mouth going around.

Kagome shrugged. "I didn't know that was what you had planned. You should have told me. I just wanted to be the good friend, whom Sango would not to be mad of, if you weren't going to visit her."

Rin shook her head. Tell her? She wasn't that desperate yet. Kagome would only ruin her plan like the many times she had done before. Eeet! The memory of Kagome being Kagome was still haunting her, sometimes it kept her up for countless hours. Well, at least, memory of Kagome had helped her completed several novels.

Sango, thinking this was a good time as any, took the opportunity to speak. "Come to my house for supper. You do want to taste my cooking now, don't you?" It took those two many moments to realize what she was informing them; no, they weren't slow, just occupied with themselves. (What were they plotting? Please, don't trouble this lowly one, everyone. They always love to keep things to themselves. Well, at least unless they are certain that they know exactly where to carry it out.)

----

Sango had a condo with two bedrooms. The space was as large as any houses, maybe even bigger with the way she had neatly positioned all her belongings. To Rin's knowledge, she lived with her younger brother, who was two years older than Rin, because her parents had passed away in a car accident a couple of years ago.

Kohaku was a lively young man --the type that didn't understand anything at all-- she was first to meet him when they walked through the metal door. Apparently, he wasn't working today due to a little fire at the office. She had never met him before and was nervous at first, but, soon enough, the thought died down as they slowly became associated.

Through out supper, she and Kohaku conversed like long lost friends while the two sneaky girls gave each other knowing glances; their smiles were hidden beneath the glassed cups they both held.

"Thank-you for the great cooking, Sango-san." Rin rubbed her tummy, indicating what she said was true. She didn't know food could be this tasty; what a fool she was for eating takeout for so long.

"It wasn't a problem." said Sango. "I didn't cook it, Kohaku did. You have thanked the wrong person." Sango winked.

"Oh? Where is Kohaku then?" asked Rin. She and Kagome were standing out the hallway, getting ready to leave.

"I think he doesn't want to say goodbye." teased Kagome, elbowing Rin. Kagome and Sango watched as Rin's cheeks turned a little pink. Both girls knew how to play their cards when it came to Rin, but that was something that frustrated the little girl to no ends.

"Sango! Kagome! I don't think it is funny. Maybe he is tired and needed rest." Rin folded her arms stubbornly, refusing to give into the devils. Why had Sango turned to be so malevolence after a few moments with Kagome? It could be that Sango had already been poisoned but didn't show it for not wanting to scare her. This was how those two baited something. One was evil and one was nice, a perfect match to accomplish things before they switched roles, or not, both were blacks --the yin-yang circle! In every white there was darkness, and in every darkness there was purity. But she couldn't say the same for those two... because they were pure evils, a blackness that was painted white!

"Not quite right." Kohaku showed up behind Sango, holding some objects in each of his hands. "The sky is turning colors. This is for just in case." He smiled, handing them each an umbrella.

"What's the matter? Afraid of Rin's health?" Kagome joked, laughing by herself.

Sango, Kohaku, and Rin stared at her like she was crazy. Sorry. She was already crazy, but they hadn't realized that yet, until now, of course.

"I did hand you an umbrella, didn't I?" Kohaku emphasized, hoping the devil would submerge with their level. His sister... she needed to get away from the wacko before she harmed herself. He had already lost his parents, like hell he would let the devil took her too.

"I think we best be going now." Rin bowed as the siblings did the same. She glanced at Kagome who was still a little hurt, but nonetheless she was okay. She began to walk, but Kagome remained in the same spot, so she did what she could think of at that moment --headed back a couple of steps and pulled the devil along with her.

Turning the corner, they paced a few more steps before the elevator came to view. They entered the elevator that was on the outer side of the building; it showed the outside condition for it was made of glasses. They had been at the Taiya's condo for too long. Talking and eating, too engrossed with the people that they hadn't noticed the time. It was late, about six or seven in the evening, and the sky that was once a stunning color was now purple, orange, and light red. Yet that wasn't all that was in the sky, there used to be a sun that was on the verge of sinking, beaming out its colorful rays like shooting stars, but a grayish color was blocking them. The color was mixed in with the pretty purple color and the pink, fooling them at first, but it struck them all too suddenly as they realized what Kokahu had informed them was true.

The atmosphere was dense, letting those who breathed it feel the tightness in them. Rin knew they could have called a cab or take a subway, but she insisted on walking. She didn't like sitting after a nice, warm meal; it always made her feel lethargic. They were prepared; she wasn't going to let them waste any money over a such short distance because the clouds were envying her.

Evaporation, condensation... and precipitation. The liquids came down was rain but felt like sleet. This was outrageous! In the middle of summer? Was this for real? And if that wasn't enough, the pavement was beginning to get slippery as the minutes passed. Now it would have not taken them this long, nearly 20 minutes of fooling around in the ugly weather, yet they were still not even half way to Kagome's shrine! The windly air was pouncing on them with all its strength.

With their forces combined, Rin had no way to winning the fight as the first sign of her losing came --they took her umbrella. She instantly glanced at Kagome, who was trudging in the front and hadn't noticed her quickly becoming one with the violent water. Rin took the opportunity, not wanting to trouble Kagome, she chased after the laughing umbrella.

The wind turned her umbrella inside out, making it yelled in pain. If the umbrella weren't Kohaku's, she would have left it be, but it was, so she stopped her complaining and followed it, blindly. Rock like rain buffeted her skin more rapidly than before as her body produced more heat to keep her warm, fighting against the freezing temperature that invaded her flesh.

The Y shaped umbrella kept on dancing with the winds, jumping itself higher and higher as the rustle noises the wind and rain brought became louder. This was hopeless, chasing after something that was too far out of reach, but she was Rin, and Rin never quitted on the impossible. If there was a tiny ounce of hope, then that tiny ounce was her beginning; she would climb through that space in search of what she rightfully deserved.

In the end, they gave up, their strength couldn't last forever, and Rin saw that as a chance to catch her breath. Even if they were mean and had ruined the umbrella, they, at least, settled the argument between them with honor. They gave up the umbrella with grace, handing them to the ground 20 feet down the street from where she stood. She seized her chance, running hastily toward it. In a fraction of a minute of not observing the object around her, she smashed against something. Knowing what came next, her eyes shut tightly, but the impact never came.

Feeling the security around her waist, an arm, she noted, she opened her eyes; her mouth formed a perfect O. That was the impact from a person to person. She immediately pushed the person aside; the feeling of her heart racing up her throat was enough to tell her how scared and relief she was. 'The electricity.'

"Th--thank-you." she whimpered, not scared, just out of words. A flash of lightning lighted up the eerie night as her childish eyes consumed the golden gazes that stood boldly in front of her. He was dressed in black, his rain coat, at least. She carefully studied his features, pretty much like someone she knew all too well as he bent down and grasped her umbrella.

He handed it to her without exchanging any words, but his catlike eyes that shimmered intensely within the darkness were skinning her as if in starvation. By his movement, she received a never experienced feeling and smiled childishly at him; it was somewhat an uncanny yet comfortable moment.

He didn't say anything, and, with no word filling the air, he plodded past her; a small smirk appeared by the corner of his lips.

.:Pu.Date:12.24.04

.:V.2: 10.22.06

.:Partially Edited

.:Post: Sun.1.21.07

.:8 pgs