Author's Note: This story takes place in the present. The main couple in this story will be Rin and Sesshomaru. However, there will also be Miroku x Sango, InuYasha x Kagome, etc.

Rated M for content.

Rin sat at her vanity brushing her ebony hair and putting on her makeup. It was the first day of school and she had to look her best. After all, she spent her entire first year of 9th grade being sad and barely getting by on her schoolwork. She vowed that she would make the best of her situation this time. Last year she spent too much time lingering on the death of her parents, as she had for many years. She stared at the bouquet of flowers she got for them and the memories flooded back into her mind.

Her parents had died soon after she started second grade. It had been a typical day for a seven year old. Playing on the swings, coloring, and snack time. Then it happened. A social worker came in to the classroom and pulled her out of class. She and a couple of other people, including the principal of the school and the counselor explained to her what happened. She didn't understand at first, after all she was only seven.

She ran away from them and into the woods by the school. Her house was somewhere in them. She knew because her and her mother would walk home each day through them. She ran until she found the house. It was burned to the ground.

"Mom! Dad!" She called frantically. She headed toward the rubble, but was stopped by a fireman.

"Let me go! I have to find mommy and daddy!" She cried, desperately struggling to get out of the man's grip.

"They're not in there." He told her. She stopped.

"Where are they?" She asked desperately. He didn't reply. Instead, he took her to where two stretchers with blankets over them stood.

"They're right here." He muttered and put her down. She walked over to the stretchers and put her hand over the top one.

"You'll be okay mommy. You'll be okay daddy. Rin is here." She told them. The firemen and the paramedics watched her comfort the corpses and felt so sorry for the poor little girl. They didn't have the heart to tell her that they were gone.

They knew, though, that she would find out soon. And she did.

Remembering their death made her heart ache and her body go cold. She had to get a grip on this. That was nine years ago. She would always miss them and love them, but she couldn't possibly keep going like this. Constantly lingering on their death wouldn't help her.

She changed out of her pajamas and into her school uniform. (It's the same as Kagome's except her shoes are black and she carries a black bag.) She looked at her reflection in the mirror one more time as she picked up the bouquet of flowers off the vanity.

"I guess it's time to go now.." She decided. She opened the door and walked down the steps.

"Good morning, Rin." Ms. Higurashi said with her usual cheerfulness.

"Good morning." Rin replied, dejected. The Higurashi family had taken her in after the incident. She and Kagome had met when they were five and had been friends ever since. Ms. Higurashi had grown to respect and care for Rin's family as if they were her own, so when her parents died, she immediately took on being Rin's guardian. Rin was grateful to her, but she could never replace her mother. That's why she never called her mom. Ms. Higurashi never pressed it though. She understood without having to ask.

Ms. Higurashi looked up at her. She opened her mouth to say something when her eyes lowered to the flowers in Rin's hand. The empathetic expression on her face showed that she understood what was going on.

"Rin, do you want me to come with you? Would you like to stay home from school today?" Ms. Higurashi asked.

"No thanks. I'll be fine going to school today." Rin replied. Ms. Higurashi looked worried, but didn't press on it.

"Okay then. If you need anything you can come to me." Ms. Higurashi told her. Rin nodded and opened the door.

"I'm leaving now." Rin said as she put on her shoes. She headed out of the shine and walked down the sidewalk. After a short time, she reached a sign.

"Tanaka Cemetery"

She walked into the cemetery and walked to a small group of graves. She sat in front of them, rereading the inscription.

Nanami Kokoro Nanami Keitaro

"Mom.. Dad," Rin started as she put the flowers on the grave. Their faces entered her mind for a moment.

"It was nine years ago today.." She said. She hung her head down. She prayed over the grave for a while. What she had to say now was going to hurt tremendously even though there was no one around to hear her, not even the ones she was talking to.

"I've been grieving over you for so long and," She paused to swallow the lump of pain that suddenly grew in her throat. The tears began to fall like crazy now.

"It's time I moved on. I can't live this way. I love you mom. I love you dad." She said, getting up from the grave to leave. After a few steps, she turned her head to face the grave again.

"I'll always miss you." She whispered. She left the graveyard and headed to school, wiping the tears from her face.

Kagome had just finished breakfast and went to put her dishes in the sink. I wonder where Rin is? She usually eats with us.. Kagome thought. She reached down to the floor to get her bad when her mom put her hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome," She began. Kagome looked up and caught the worry in her mom's eyes.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" Kagome asked.

"I'm worried about Rin. She's been so dejected since the accident. It isn't strange for her to feel that way, but I would have thought she would feel a bit better after so much time. It seems as if she hasn't made any progress." Her mom explained. Rin is still grieving, but she has made some progress.. hasn't she? Could she really be just as heart broken as she was back then? She acts happy most of the time, but what is she really feeling? Kagome thought. I just remembered.. it's nine years today! How could I have forgotten? That means...

"I'll try to talk to her about it later. Maybe she's just remembering it a lot lately because it's the anniversary of their death." Kagome guessed.

"Maybe..." Her mom contemplated.

"Well I have to get going. Try not to worry too much. She'll be just fine." Kagome assured her.

"You're right. We just have to help her through this. I'll see you later, Kagome." Her mom smiled. Kagome went out the door and ran off to school.

Poor Rin.. maybe seeing all our friends again will cheer her up. Kagome hoped.