My god, I am such a jerk. I seriously can't believe I haven't updated this story in SO LONG. I feel like a total jerkface. XD Granted I HAVE had some university shizz going on, but since it's the summer now I really need to start updating my stories more frequently. Blaaah. This chapter took me a while, surprisingly- I had the beginning and end done, I just had a hard time connecting it with the middle... (As always, thanks for all the kind words, including the mysterious anonymous reviewer that referenced my profile. :D)

Oh well, it's up now, at last! As always, enjoy it!

Rin Furishine was dying.

"Ohhhh...my heeead..."

Cracking open one emerald green eye, Rin almost hissed as the cheerful mid-spring sunlight poured into the room from the narrow slit in her curtains. Her head was pounding like a team of athletes was running around inside it, her mouth was so dry that you could have lit a match on it, and her feet were absolutely killing her, little needles of pain stabbing through the arch of her foot, rather than an overall pain.

"Stupid motherfucking high heels." Rin grunted, hauling herself upright with difficulty.

Her pillow was streaked with leftover makeup- upon arriving at Kata's at god-knows-what-time, the combined efforts of Sorako and Shirushi had got Rin into bed and there was a glass of water sitting on the small nightstand, but Rin found she was still in her outfit from last night and most of her makeup was either smeared around her eyes/down her cheeks or on the pillow. Her hair, she could tell without even looking, was a total mess.

Reaching for the water, Rin took several greedy gulps, some of it dribbling down her chin. She splashed a bit on her face to wake herself up.

"Good, you're alive."

Rin glanced over to see Kata leaning against the wall, looking amused.

Rin frowned. Kura would have killed her for coming home drunk, unconscious and at what had to be at least three o' clock in the morning, or at the very least it would have triggered off a three-hour screaming match. Kata just looked like she wanted to laugh at her niece's predicament.

"I've been checking up on your every two hours or so. Yukiko thinks you've contracted some kind of sunlight-repellent teenager disease something."

"What do you want?" Rin asked, grumpy.

"Couple of things," Kata answered easily. "First, you to clean yourself up. Second, you had no less than fourphonecalls last night, although only two people left names, and thirdly, I have a lunch meeting to go to, so I think you should probably meet up with your friend or something."

"No. I need to sleep for another thousand years."

"Why? Don't you trust me in the house on my own or something?"

"Yes, but I figure the reason you had so many phonecalls today is because your friends are dying to tell you all about last night, considering that you were already passed out drunk by the time you got home. Plus, I don't want you puking on my carpets."

"Lovely."

"Isn't it? There's some painkillers in the bathroom."

After much cajoling, some serious hair adjustment and a lot of caffiene, Rin left Kata's house. She declined her aunt's offer to make her breakfast, as her stomach was still twisting in a thoroughly unpleasant way and the thought of putting something into her mouth and making it disappear seemed utterly impossible, particularly anything healthy.

Rin walked through the park, her headache gone, but she still felt groggy and weird. She was a bit curious about last night, but she wanted to be on her own.

In Rin's hungover, cranky and tired state, she wondered how long it had been since she had just been out on her own like this. Since she had moved to Kata's and started school, her life had abruptly been invaded by all sorts of people expecting and demanding things from her. It felt, to put it mildly, very weird. Since Rin had turned about 13/14, she had much preferred her own company to other people's, to the point that it was rare for her to bring friends home from school, although Kura's query as to why wasn't answered with a satisfying explanation beyond simple teenage awkwardness.

But Rin knew it was more than that. And since she had developed the propensity to shut people out, it seemed very strange to her that suddenly she had not only friends, but ones who were so determined to tell her about one rather typical party that Kata seemed to think she was popular, or something. And while it was nice that not every person Rin interacted with were her enemies, she couldn't help feeling strangely resentful, as though it was her friends' fault that Rin was feeling oddly...invaded.

She sighed in frustration and stuffed her hands into her pockets. Beforehand, if people were getting to be all too much for her, she was an expert about drawing away and avoiding them. But with Sorako in class with her, Shirushi at the Stadium and the other people who occasionally spoke to her, Rin suddenly didn't know how to stage a tactful retreat. She gained a sour expression when she wondered when she suddenly stopped being able to do that. How much she had changed since coming her, and changes that had been unconsciously made for the benefit of other people.

"What's so wrong with wanting to be alone, anyway?" she muttered.

Suddenly, a rustling sound caught her attention and she looked up.

Mihara stood dramatically on top of a monument of some war hero, his arms spread wide as though he were a child playing airplanes. He then leapt and attempted some kind of midair flipped that just resulted in him landing rather painfully on his face, arms and legs splayed out like a bug that has been splattered on a car windshield.

"Oh. It's you." Rin grunted, showing no sign whatsoever of being impressed by Mihara's dramatic entrance.

Mihara got to his feet, trying and failing to look nonchalant as he dusted himself off and folded his arms.

"Do you ever say 'hello' like a normal person?"

Rin rolled her eyes.

"Come on. What about me so far has lead you to believe I'm normal?"

"Fair enough." he mumbled. "So, how have you been?"

"Like you care."

"As obnoxious as ever. That's good to hear, I suppose."

Rin sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"Why are you following me, anyway? Do you, like, have some kind of weird obsession with me? Don't you have meetings or other people to harass? Is work too slow or something?"

"To answer your questions: To ask you a question, certainly not, not right now, and yes."

A breeze kicked up at that moment, carrying the scent of flowers on the wind. It was strangely calming when coupled with the sunlight. Rin snorted a little bit at Mihara's obtuse speaking. It seemed oddly quiet suddenly.

"I hear you're competing in the Tokyo games."

Rin raised her eyebrows.

"What about it?"

Mihara stared at her.

"Last time we spoke, you seemed like you were ready to quit." he reminded Rin, who pursed her lips a bit at the memory of her defeat.

"I'm not a quitter." Rin told him.

"I didn't say you were."

"You implied it."

Mihara looked distinctly frustrated and Rin smirked slightly as he flung his hands up into the air in exasperation. She wasn't sure why, but something about Mihara kicked up her belligerent side and the truth was, she enjoyed messing with him. She folded her arms.

"That's it, then?" she asked, bored. "That's all you wanted to ask?"

"I was hoping for a more detailed response then that." Mihara replied, sounding tired.

Rin sneered.

"What are you, my psychiatrist?"

"If only. I'd probably be rich."

"Whatever. Don't give up your day job." She replied, quickly growing bored of the conversation. "If you're done stalking me, I'm going."

Shoving her hands back into her pockets, she started to walk past him, the wind whipping her hair and making the pearl-colored scarf looped around her neck flail wildly in the air, like it was waving goodbye.

"Wait."

Rin turned back, hands on hips. Mihara almost wanted to laugh- she looked like an annoyed housewife. But still...

"I thought you hated Angelic Layer."

"You think a lot of things," Rin answered him. "Doesn't mean you're necessarily correct though, does it, Mr. I-think-I-know-everything."

Mihara sighed, theatrically. Rin smirked.

"What are you saying, Rin? The last time you had an Angelic Layer match, you didn't exactly take it well."

"First of all, since when did we get on first names terms with each other, Ichirou? Second of all, so freaking what? I lost to a seven-year-old. In front of people. It was embarrassing, and your shitty attitude wasn't exactly welcome either."

Mihara would have been annoyed by this accusation (especially as it seemed more than a bit hypocritical), but Rin's evasive answers were confusing him.

"So you're saying, you actually want to do this now? You're competing in the Tournament freely?"

"Something like that."

Mihara let out an annoyed groan and started digging around in his coat pocket. He had evidently thought that Rin was being deliberately vague to irritate him, and she was, partly. But Mihara was the last person that Rin intended on confiding her true intentions to, and she half-suspected that he didn't fully believe that she had been converted into the "Ways of Angelic Layer" (as Rin had dubbed it in her head), so she had to be careful with what she said.

"Here."

A white sheet of paper was suddenly thrust in Rin's face. She blinked and took it, seeing the Angelic Layer emblem across the top of the paper.

"What's this?" she asked, glancing up at Mihara.

"The roster for the new tournament. I assumed you didn't have one yet."

Rin looked a bit surprised for a moment, and it almost looked like she was about to thank Mihara. Then she smirked and folded it up, stuffing the match table into her pocket.

"Careful there, Midlife Crisis. People will think you're showing favoritism or something."

Mihara grunted and turned to go.

"You really are one of the most obnoxious people I've ever met, Rin Furishine."

Rin laughed.

"Believe me; I've heard that one before."

She turned and walked off, hands in her pockets, but she removed one and waved it.

"See ya, freak."

Mihara sighed, but he couldn't help smiling slightly as well.

That kind of honesty was rare in this day and age, after all.

The next day, Rin took a slow, steadying breath as she walked through the automatic doors at the entrance of the stadium. Her belt jingled noisily as she walked.

"Rin! Hey! Rin Furishine!"

Rin turned to see a girl with dark, prussian blue hair with a blunt fringe. Sunglasses were perched on top of her head. Rin recognized her immediately- Mitsuru Kirino, the girl whose party Rin had been at a few nights ago, although Rin couldn't recall seeing her besides when she first got to the party. Her memory was a little on the patchy side.

"Oh, hey Mitsuru." Rin said, trying to sound as though she associated her with more than the host of 'that party that I don't remember'.

"Hey!" Mitsuru said, smiling. "Looking forward to the match today?"

This seemed an odd question.

"I...guess?"

Mitsuru grinned now.

"You haven't looked at the roster yet, have you?"

"I have not." Rin agreed.

Mitsuru giggled a little bit, but not in a patronizing way, more in a jokey, camaraderie-inspiring way. Her amber eyes seemed to glitter with excitement.

"We're up against each other! Our first match of the tournament."

"Oh!" Rin said, a little surprised. She had no idea Mitsuru was a Deus, too. "Kasuga didn't tell me." Rin blurted out, shrugging.

"Well, I haven't been doing it for as long as Kasu." Mitsuru shrugged, but then she smiled. "But don't take me lightly!"

"Not a chance." Rin told her, trying to sound as effortlessly confident. "What's your Angel called, anyways?"

"Her name is Shade." Mitsuru answered. "But as for the rest, it's a surprise!"

Rin smirked a little. This was getting interesting.

"Hm. I definitely won't take you lightly," she said. "But you'd better not think I'm going to be a cakewalk."

"Don't worry- you're tough! I can tell." Mitsuru said, tapping the side of her nose with a conspiratorial wink. "Anyway, I'll see you on the Arena! I'm going to go find my friends- they want to, you know, wish me luck and everything."

With that, Mitsuru waved and ran off, her gladiator sandals slapping against the tiled floor.

Rin, feeling intrigued and a little bit jitterier, walked the opposite way, smiling slightly to herself.

"Funny, I'll almost feel bad about kicking her ass." she mused as she walked, hands in her pockets.

"Shirushi!"

Sorako ran up the stairs to greet the tall, statuesque girl, (which was hard to do in a minidress) but slowed down when she saw who she was talking to.

"What's he doing here?"

Kado looked affronted as Sorako reached them, her hands on her green, denim-clad hips. Shirushi cleared her throat slightly.

"Yatsukoji here has come for the match. Same as us."

"Still stalking Rin, huh?" Sorako asked, eyebrows rising a little bit.

Kado gave her a somewhat annoyed look, his grey eyes oddly piercing.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Kushima." he told her. "All you've got to go by is Furishine's word against mine."

"Yeah, well, considering Rin's my friend and you're not, I think I'll be taking her story over yours, thanks." Sorako said, tartly.

Kado snorted disdainfully and walked away, not before calling over his shoulder;

"I'd be more worried about her opponent then me, Kushima. Just a thought."

Sorako snorted.

"I'm not surprised Rin dislikes him." Shirushi commented, after he left. "There's something about him that's so..."

"Annoying." Sorako filled in, but she had a strangely smug facial expression.

"Sorako?"

Sorako turned to Shirushi, and said, with an air of an older sister explaining something to her clueless little sibling;

"Shirushi, hon, do the words 'sexual tension' mean anything to you?"

Just breathe. Breathe. Breathe...

As Rin sat waiting for the match to start, her chest felt strangely tight. She wasn't sure if it was due to nerves (why should she be so nervous?) or because of her constant pacing, but she felt oddly short of breath, like there was not enough oxygen in the room.

This is fucking Mihara's fault. Rin decided, irrationally. If he hadn't started with the goddamn Spanish Inquisition I wouldn't be feeling so jumpy. God. Why does he have to stick his nose in my business all the damn time?

But Rin's inner tirade was cut off when a man came through the doors that led to the arena.

"Come on, Miss Furishine. It's time."

Rin nodded and stood up.

Breathe...

"I don't see why you're up here with us." Sorako complained, shooting a suspicious look at Kasuga. "Why aren't you with Mitsuru's friends if you're here to watch her?"

"For the last time, princess, I never said I came just for Mitsuru. I want to see Rin fight too."

"Oh, I'll bet."

The two of them glared at each other. Shirushi sighed, feeling oddly like she had suddenly acquired two teenage daughters. But suddenly, Sorako gasped.

"Look!"

The trio looked down to see Mitsuru walking down the walkway to her seat, holding something in her left hand. Sorako squinted, but it was impossible to make out much from their seating position.

A ripple went through the crowd as Rin came through the doors opposite Sorako's. She was not smiling and looked rather pale. Shirushi could distantly see Iolanthe's pale violet head poking out from the top of her fist.

"ANNND NOW! THE FIRST MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT! MITSURU KIRINO VERSUS RIN FURISHINE!"

The crowd whistled and roared. Rin blinked, annoyed. Did they have to be so freakin' loud?

Mitsuru drew back her arm.

"Walk the balance between light and shadow." she announced, in a clear, almost sombre voice. "Shade."

The Angel that was thrown onto the layer landed slowly, with an eerie grace. It was a tall Angel, clad in a silvery-white cloak, complete with a hood. On the Angel's body it had on what looked like light, black armour, complete with thigh-high boots. Her hair was both black and white, and it reached to the middle of her back. The eyes were a sombre grey. It was the last type of Angel you would have expected Mitsuru Kirino to own.

The excitement in the room as the Angel stood to its full height was palpable- clearly, this was not going to be an easy win.

Eyes turned to Rin, who was sitting in the egg-like seat, her pupils large beneath the glare of the spotlight. She coughed a few times, her throat feeling oddly scratchy. Her head was pounding, but she slowly lifted up Iolanthe and spoke, her voice sounding almost uncertain.

"Fall...from the sky, Ice Star. Iolanthe."

Iolanthe slowly somersaulted forwards, landing on one knee before standing also. For a moment, neither Angel moved.

"AAAANNNNDDD...BEGIN!"

Shade run towards Iolanthe, her movement surprisingly fast considering her armor. She threw out her leg in a high-kick, which Iolanthe ducked beneath, before the smaller Angel darted forwards and punched Shade in the midsection. The Angel staggered back slightly, but bent her leg, catching Iolanthe in the back of the head. She fell forwards, but Rin made her roll at the last second, dodging a pirouette-kick from Shade, before moving into a standing position, arms held before her defensively.

Shade sent a few punches Iolanthe's way, the stoic expression never changing. For an Angel that looked more like a grim-reaper, she was a surprisingly difficult opponent to budge. Iolanthe blocked most of the punches, save for one that glanced across her right cheek. She slammed her elbow into Shade's throat, making the taller Angel skid backwards. Shade jumped and span, her leg lashing out and catching Iolanthe's midsection. The smaller Angel's emerald eyes widened, before she grabbed Shade's booted foot, wrenching viciously forwards and making her back hit the floor. This didn't last long, though- Shade used her arms to push herself up, trying to kick Iolanthe as her legs lifted up into the air. One boot-tip caught Iolanthe's chin, and the lighter Angel staggered back.

Rin could feel a burning in her throat as she continued to cough, her eyes watering uncontrollable as she struggled to breathe. She raised a hand to her mouth automatically, trying to focus, but it was hard to do with her torso jerking convulsively per wheezy cough.

She was aware that Iolanthe's movements were slowing down as Rin rapidly lost concentration- her lungs felt dry and her head fuzzy. Even her opponent had noticed that something was not right, and the Commentator was saying something, but his words sounded impossibly slow, so much that she couldn't make it out.

"I can't..." Rin said- who she was speaking to, she didn't know. "...I...I can't...breathe..."

Suddenly, the Layer blurred before her eyes and Rin felt herself tilting towards of her own accord. The crowd's screams sounded like an ocean roaring in her ears, which were pounding with an alarming urgency. Her lungs were on fire. There was no air, no air, no air...

And then, she fell forwards.

Into the black.

"Daddy!"

Rin, without really meaning to, looked around.

A little girl was holding up an Angel Egg, her eyes alight with excitement.

"Daddy, this one! I want my Angel to fly!"

Rin couldn't take her eyes off them. It was like there was nobody else in the department store apart from those two, everything else rendered irrelevant. Suddenly, she felt a strange lump develop in her throat, and she turned away from them and did what she always did.

Rin ran away.

As always, your reviews are my cupcakes. Don't deny me my sugar-rush! :P