(Standard disclaimer applies.) This fanfic is written purely for entertainment purposes only. No disrespect, etc. is intended, and no profit had been/ is being/ will ever be made. Don't hunt me, don't sue me, and don't hurt me in anyway And please kindly acknowledge that the girl' featured in this story is my character, so don't use her without asking for my permission first!

Author's memo: The Clamp Campus Detectives are in the middle school division (and Utako and Nagisa are in the elementary division) when the events in this story happened.

Priceless Treasures

A Clamp Campus Detectives Fanfic

By Apus

Prologue

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"With thunder, with thunder, you'll come,

Undreamed of battles to be won!

He'll know at once your spirit strong,

Discover, sing, the earth's wild song;

And when you've taught him all you know,

With thunder, with thunder, with thunder,

You'll go"

- adapted from Thunderwith, by Libby Hathorn

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"Ugh! I hate getting wet!"

"May I remind you, kaichou, that WE would not be getting wet at all if you had not sneaked away from work in the first place!" In the distance, there was a crack of lightening, accompanied by a roar of thunder. The rain began to thicken.

"It was still sunny when I was going for a walk!" Evidently, the speaker was still trying to deny that he was guilty.

" Going for a walk' when you have not yet finished your work is, in my opinion, EXACTLY the same as sneaking away from work." Takamura Suoh retorted sternly. His opponent was about to argue back, but the blue-haired 14-year-old won't hear of it. "Do me a favour, kaichou, and save your breath for running."

The kaichou did as he was told for a moment then started to open his mouth –

"And don't complain about getting wet anymore." Suoh cut in. "Be thankful that Ijyuin had the kindness to bring your umbrella for you." Speaking of whom The young ninja glanced at the dark-haired 13-year-old running on the other side of his kaichou. "Doing well there, Ijyuin?"

Ijyuin Akira looked up at his sempai with a forced smile, and said, "Hai, Takamura-sempai! Although I'm a bit worried about the cake" Saying so, the infamous cook shifted his grip on the cake box, hugging it closer to himself. Suoh sweatdropped. Next to him, the kaichou just gave a faint smile. Poor Akira was in a very sorry state, as the wind had turned his umbrella inside out, and the rain had soaked him from head to toe – not that he seemed to notice. Miraculously, the cake box under his white school-coat was still dry.

Another crash of thunder. Their kaichou suddenly stopped in his tracks, his smile instantly replaced by a slight frown. Without any warning, he tore down the path they were presently on, leaving his companions behind.

Wh-what is it kaichou?!' Suoh and Akira shouted in surprise as their normally unathletic kaichou flew past them at an immortal speed. For a while, they stared at the figure that is quickly disappearing in the dust.

That kind of sudden athleticism It can only mean

Suoh groaned, and put one hand on his forehead. Akira, on the other hand, was sobbing over the cake which had been knocked over by the kaichou's unexpected flight.

~~~~~

"Lady, may I be of any service to you?" an elegant voice asked gently.

The lady in question turned around. She was about half a head taller than the speaker, and seemed to be only around 15 years of age. The formal business black suit she was wearing gave her a very mature demeanor. Her long flow of golden hair was tied back in a low braid. A pair of lustrous, yet unwavering emerald eyes decorated her fairy face, accentuating her special aura. However, her grace was a little dampened by her soaked form.

The speaker spoke again, "I cannot possibly leave a lady out in the rain without any protection." His elfin face was made handsome by his intelligent sapphire eyes, complete with a beautiful wave of blond hair. Like a gentleman, he took off his white overcoat, offering the warm garment and his umbrella to the girl. "It is dangerous to take shelter under a tree during a storm," he continued, "Please, take these and return home quickly"

Meanwhile, Suoh and Akira had finally managed to track down their kaichou. They found him proffering his coat and umbrella to a girl who seemed to be taking shelter under a giant oak tree.

Yes, it was the damsel-in-distress' mode.

Akira's eyes were simply sparkling at his kaichou's nobility, but Suoh could only accept defeat and muttered about the delayed paperwork. The two moved to hide themselves behind some of the big trees that are near the oak, hoping to catch some of the conversation that was taking place.

"Thank you very much for your kindness," they heard the girl say, and saw her accepting the coat and umbrella graciously. "May I have the pleasure of learning my nobleman's name?"

Their kaichou reached for the girl's right hand and bowed his head over it. Then he looked up, a certain pride glistening in his eyes, before replying with a charming smile:

"Imonoyama Nokoru."

There was a brief moment of surprise on the girl's face, but it quickly resolved into a knowing smile. "Thank you very much, Imonoyama-sama," she responded with a deep bow, "These items will be returned to you in the Student Council room by tomorrow morning." With that, she put on the kaichou's coat, opened the umbrella, and sprinted through the rain.

Seeing that the girl had gone, Suoh and Akira emerged from their hiding place. They walked towards their kaichou, who was watching the retreating girl with a gentle smile. When she had disappeared, they walked back to the Middle School Division Student Council room in a companionable silence. The rain had died down, now only a pitter-patter against their umbrellas. (Nokoru had to share with Suoh, since he had given away his own ^^;)

Suddenly, Akira asked, "Do you know that girl, kaichou?"

The Imonoyama frowned a little as he searched through the database inside his head. Gradually, his face grew rather distraught. "No" he mused, "As a matter of fact, I don't think I have seen her before otherwise I would have at least remembered her face."

"That's curious," Suoh regarded his kaichou. "Provided that there isn't even a trace of her in that mental database of yours, it means that she is not even a student of Clamp Campus. If such is the case, she could not have gotten into the school grounds at all – not with the campus's tight security system." He looked solemnly at Nokoru's worried face.

"But if she is not one of our students, how is she going to return kaichou's stuff back in the Student Council room by tomorrow morning?" Akira wondered innocently, totally oblivious to the two elder boys' concern about their school's security.

A cold wind accompanied Nokoru and Suoh's sweatdrop.

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Free-talk:

So, any ideas as to who the girl is? For those of you who think that the girl had got into Clamp Campus by breaking through the security system, YOU ARE WRONG! I am very interested to see what theories people have – please send them to me! (Hint: Answer can be found in Nokoru's paper mountains ^^;) The answer will be revealed next chapter, so please read on

That's all for now! Did you enjoy the story? C&C are appreciated, so please send them to apus000@yahoo.com.au

Thanks ^^