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She had a sapphire ring.

It was beautiful and often admired by others, because only a few gems like this one--mined in Switzerland by the LVO company, famous for its wealth and remarkable jewelry--existed in the world.

What was strange was that she did not like it all that much. She had gotten it when the rings were not quite as rare, and the pretty angel who had exchanged the ring for a trinket she had found had gladly given it to her. Two years later, the ring was worth millions more than the trinket.

The only reason she had held onto it was because it was blue, her favorite color.

However, the ring clashed with everything she wore. Her hair, her clothes, her shoes... It had much more sentimental value than material value. Because it was blue.

Its value grew higher and higher and higher...the months went by...

She still disliked it, but now she wanted a rose. She held onto the ring--clung to it, obsessively, compulsively, and waited until its value grew past the rose. But then, for all doubts and reasons, she disappeared for awhile... Her heart had found a new passion, and her eyes left the ring, but only momentarily.

She reappeared again, and the ring seemed to shine with new vigor. But now she had a new mission, a new objective. She wanted beauty.

And she found it. Visual beauty, of course, and perhaps her soul was as much obsessed with that beauty as she had once been about her ring--about the awe from others she had received by possessing that ring. But she found yet another beauty.

She found it in the words of the woman whose name was like snow, and the girl with the lilting voice, and the shadow moon so unhesitant to give, and the laughter she felt in the confusion of a male not really, and the open shredded jacket with welcome in every expression, the princess with the skilled hand, and the excitement and the disappointment and the feelings that seemed to warm her from deep within.

She wanted to give back.

And she did. Or at least, she tried, because it felt as if she was never doing enough.

But then there was one occasion where she felt completely moved, where the words of appreciation felt as if they could draw tears. She had never seen someone express themselves in such a way. It was at that time that she took a breath and glanced at her ring and wondered.

She did not even consider it all, at first, but she was prepared too. However, as the hope grew and the comfort, she grew more relaxed and began to think that perhaps the ring was not needed after all.

The ending of the occasion all the materials were needed for crept closer. She set up a stall for taking offers on the ring now, and as she solicited her reasons for selling she felt better, for it was that she considered kindness much more important than materialistic values. And she intended to stick to that, even though it was difficult at times.

When you're trying hard to be your best, could you be a little less?

But then something unexpected with the event occurred, and suddenly she found herself thrown out of equilibrium. Her palms were sticky with sweat, and she hurriedly rushed through preperations and pleaded an audience with those who could hold an opinion.

The ring glittered in its encrusted box.

Her audience came, and they were able to assemble something appropriate, although the confusion had not yet quite cleared. However, she was able to hand the planning over to a trustworthy person, and feeling nervous but content she let herself slip into the world of sleep, the ring still unsold.

The next day she eagerly went back to check on what had occurred in the final hour of the event. She stopped, quite stunned, at what had happened. Then a wave of guilt hit her, and her hands clenched tightly around the ring. There had been a loss, but...it could've been prevented with the ring's sale.

She opened her palm again, staring at the ring. It looked like a teardrop.

Carefully, she turned back and walked for a long time, her grip loosening as she went on.

You make me shine, you make me feel...

~