InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Anastasia: The Lost Princess ❯ Awakening of New Feelings and A Dangerous Jewel ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Four: Awakening of New Feelings and a Dangerous Jewel

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Night was beginning to cloak the whiteness of the plain winter sky as a hanyou and a young man sat leisurely on the roof of the old building that they were currently staying in. A sigh escaped the hanyou, turning into a cloud of condensation from the chill in the air as he leaned back on his elbows to resume a more comfortable position. His amber eyes kept drifting down to the window of the room the girl that had broken a precious jewel shard hours ago was staying.

Violet eyes observed his companion stealthily as he let a breath of hot air leave his body as well, turning to meet curious honey colored eyes. "Mine was bigger," he commented, giving a foolish grin.

"Miroku," Inuyasha told him quietly, his mouth turning up in a shy smile. "Shut up!" he barked, shaking the brittle boards of the roof beneath them. He then let out an annoyed sound and then started to pace lightly on his toes across the given premise, stopping every now and then to stare intently at Ome's window.

"That was quite a display earlier," Miroku said softly, to try and generate conversation between the two of them. He also wanted the inside story of the hanyou's changing feelings towards the orphaned girl that they had bumped into and were now currently companions with.

Inuyasha stopped momentarily, crossing his arms in his sleeves as he glared in a scrutinizing manner at the lecherous young man. "Whaddya mean?" he asked impatiently, not really wanting to answer many questions about it.

"The jewel breaking, of course," Miroku informed him, watching as his hanyou friend went back to pacing nervously, if not anxiously. Kami-sama, he is so irritated! I should not have as much fun as I do tormenting him, he thought wryly, clearing his throat and returning to the matter currently at bay. "She must have been righteously angry. You were being awfully possessive and child-like about it-"

"Stop your babbling," Inuyasha snapped, staring up at the blackening sky, his chest drawn up tightly and stubbornly. "She busted it because I pissed her off," he added after a short beat of silence on his part. Miroku nodded, closing his eyes, taking the position of a wise sage for a moment.

"I can empathize with her," the young man mused, sighing contentedly as he leaned back to rest on his elbows. "You were being a rude, obnoxious and selfish bastard, Inuyasha. I won't lie to you," Miroku supplied as he looked up at his friend who was currently distracted. These words brought the hanyou back to life and boy was he angry.

"Don't you think I know that? The look on her face…" Inuyasha trailed off, his voice sounding defeated as opposed to the defensive tones he had been using towards the young man before. "I got so wrapped up in my hopes for joining the two shards of the jewel and becoming full youkai… that I stepped all over someone who was just…" he did not finish his statement for fear that he would not be able to.

"Trying to be your friend?" The young human man who was sitting on the old roof asked rhetorically, knowing that this was what the Inu-hanyou was trying to put into words. A nod was the curt reply and Miroku nodded in response. "I see that you two have gotten over a few of your differences though," he whispered, watching as the hanyou's silvery hair whipped around along with his head, his face horrified.

Inuyasha scrambled down to his knees and crawled, using magnificent speed until he was nose to nose with Miroku, his face malicious and his cheeks blazing. His eyebrows narrowed down angrily. "What. Did. You. See?" He demanded, his eyes so wide and so close to the young man's violet eyes that he could feel his breath on his nose.

"If you respect my personal space then I will tell you, Inuyasha!" Miroku snapped, struggling away from the hanyou's extremely close proximity, straightening his clothes in a vain attempt to make himself look more presentable.

Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms in his sleeves again, looking out over the city whose lanterns were now being lit.

"You held her while she cried. You comforted her," Miroku told the hanyou solemnly in all seriousness, watching as his friend's face flushed scarlet. "You enjoyed it… Didn't you?" He asked, watching as Inuyasha stood to his feet and began to pace again. "Who wouldn't? Such a delicious, skinny little-"

"Shut up, Miroku you old LECH!" Inuyasha barked, silencing the lusting babble of the young man. He didn't dare hear what Miroku had to say about her. It would defile the pure and homely self-image that her body portrayed, but her scent told a different story… her sweet scent…

**

"Your servant," Naraku said softly from beneath his baboon pelt, his crimson eyes trailing up the form of the Inuyoukai beside him. "He still lives?"

"I believe so. How he was not trapped in the curse along with me I will never know," He added, his voice sounding slightly impatient as he and the hanyou strode carefully along the darkness of the swamp in disguise. There was the splashing of water and the faint sounds of voices they approached a few figures in the water.

"So he has a family," Sesshomaru mused to himself, wondering how the obnoxious toad youkai had found a mate. I suppose there is a mate out there for everyone, he thought as he motioned for Naraku to halt.

"Are we not going to kidnap him?" The hanyou asked, his voice holding condescending promises and the like. Sesshomaru glared down maliciously and impatiently at him and let out a growl.

"He was my vassal and I am fairly sure that he will still do service for me," The Inuyoukai snapped, striding forwards, approaching cautiously towards the family of toad youkai. "Jaken," He called out evenly, watching as the largest toad that was in the water looked up in alarm.

"S… Sesshomaru-sama?" His bulbous yellow eyes widened dramatically in shock as he exited the water, staring. "Can this be you?"

"Yes, Jaken," Sesshomaru replied, falling back a step when his vassal cried out in alarm and in what sounded like horror and shock. "You do not seem happy to see me," he growled impatiently, a wry smile on his lips to try and hide his urgency in this situation.

"Oh no, M'lord! This Jaken had thought you died that night all of those years ago!" The toad spluttered in defense, bowing briefly. He looked back to the other toad youkai who were currently swimming in the water. "However… Even though this Jaken would love to be in your services, Sesshomaru-sama, there is a family that needs tending to."

"I understand. This is why I shall only require a few small things from you," Sesshomaru told him in stoic understanding. His face was bland but his eyes held a fierce intensity that demanded respect. Jaken nodded and continued to bow to his lord, assuring himself that he was here in the flesh and not a ghost.

"This Jaken with serve you, M'lord," the toad finished, looking up for a moment.

"Very good," Naraku sneered, approaching the two quickly.

**

"Aw, hell. I'm going inside because we're getting no where with this!" Inuyasha growled, bounding down onto the balcony below the roof with agile, practiced grace. "I'm not fessin' up to ANYTHING, Miroku!"

Inuyasha burst through the unlocked window of the room that Miroku was currently occupying to see Shippo all ready sound asleep in a mat in the corner. To not disturb him, he made an effort to exit the room and then strode down the hall, nearly bumping into Ome.

Her cheeks blazed momentarily because she remembered the earlier encounter but she straightened herself, hoping that she wasn't letting him know anything about what she was feeling at the moment. "Oops! I wasn't paying attention," she said softly, averting her eyes from the rather handsome, silver haired hanyou before her.

"Um… yeah… Me either," he replied just as awkwardly, his hand going to scratch at his neck in a nervous gesture. He cleared his throat and made an irritated sound. "I'm hungry," he snorted, glaring at her briefly as he went around her, hoping to mask the stiffness of his actions because of her presence.

Ome turned and watched him go, catching his gaze before he left her eyesight completely. His amber eyes were somewhat dark as he looked her over and the young woman couldn't help but blush under his intense gaze. Kami-sama… What is that look? She thought in wonder, shrugging it off as she continued down the hall, nearly stepping on something as she started going up the second balcony.

"Ow!" she hissed quietly so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping Kitsune as she picked up the small piece of pink glass. Wait… Pink glass? A bell went off inside the orphan girl's mind and she raced down the stairs, slipping a bit on her stocking as she slid across the granite floor of the main ballroom, tearing down the corridor to the kitchen where she found Inuyasha snacking. "Jewel… Shard!" she panted, nearly collapsing in the doorway.

At the mention of the Shikon no Tama, the hanyou's ears perked and he was in front of her in an instant and nearly snatched the small piece from her hand but quickly drew his arm back, realizing that he was about to disregard her again. He cleared his throat and tried to keep the anxiety and confusion out of his visage. "Where did you find that?"

"It was on the floor of the castle!" Ome wheezed, catching her breath the best she could as Inuyasha helped her up carefully. "These little pieces could be anywhere, you do realize this," she told him softly and gently, hoping that he wouldn't yell at her at all about her breaking her half of the jewel.

"Yeah, I guess so," he mumbled but suddenly felt heat from his pocket. He gasped when the scorching temperature from his pocket began to get unbearable. It rendered his leg unmovable and he crumpled onto the floor, moaning and retching in pain.

"Inuyasha?" Ome cried, falling down to his side, seeing the fragment of the jewel in her hand glow brighter than any light she had ever seen. Suddenly, the light channeled into one stream, shining at the fallen hanyou's pocket and it started to pulse. Inuyasha cried out, squeezing his eyes together in agony.

"Get it out! GET IT OUT!" He screamed. He had never had a low tolerance for pain and even when he had been inflicted with serious injuries he had never succumbed to them. Why now was this so agonizing? "Ome!" he shouted at her, his eyes wide and bleeding in ire. "My half of the jewel! Get it out of my pocket!" he ordered with a yelp, gritting his teeth to suffice his pain.

The orphan girl quickly started to rummage through his pocket, finding the hot jewel shard. Her chocolate eyes grew wide as she feared to touch it. "It's going to melt!" she cried to him, watching him, not knowing what to do. Inuyasha was in far too much pain to speak at the moment but Ome knew she had to take the jewel shard out of his pocket it order to save him.

"Ome!" Shippo cried as he burst into the kitchen in alarm. All of the screaming and the sudden burst of energy in the castle had woken him. "Ome! What's going on?" he yelled, suddenly feeling dizzy. "What… What's happening to me?" he slurred, collapsing weakly on his side, falling into an unconscious sleep.

"Oh no! Shippo!" Ome shouted in fear, reaching again into Inuyasha's pocket, pulling the raging half of the jewel out of the hanyou's pocket, watching with confusion and aw as the jewel tamed in her grasp. Her breath was shaky as she examined the pink orb, seeing that it had returned suddenly and oddly to normal. What is going on here?

"Lady Ome! Inuyasha! Shippo!" Miroku yelled, bursting into the kitchen, ready for battle. Seeing the two collapsed youkai on the floor and Ome holding the Shikon no Tama, his brow worked together in confusion. "What's happened here?" he asked, his breath growing somewhat limited. His legs felt rubbery and he sank down onto the ground, much slower than Shippo had.

"Oh Kami-sama! What is happening here? Why am I not affected by this?" Ome cried out, tears of fear and worry spilling from her eyes. Suddenly, the contact of her tears with the jewel caused the small shard that was in her left hand to join with the large half of the shard in her right hand. She gasped at the conjunction between them and held the jewel to her chest, wanting answers. She looked about her, seeing that all of her companions were now unconscious.

"Ome…" Inuyasha managed to get out weakly. Ome looked over to see his staring at her with all the strength that he could muster and crawled over to where he was lying, running a hand carefully through his mussed and sweaty bangs. "What-"

"Don't talk," The orphan girl whispered, continuing to stroke his hair and ears softly, watching as she lulled him into a restless sleep as she watched over the others, hoping they could help her figure out some things that had to do with the Shikon no Tama and the strange behavior.

Kami-sama… What is happening here? Please help us, Kagome thought as she closed her eyes, the jewel still clutched to her chest in worry.

(A/N: Oh no! There's another thing wrong with the jewel! Why you ask? Well you will just have to see! DUN DUN DUN! *Warning* upcoming affection between two certain people! Aren't you excited? From this point on the chapters will be much longer I promise. I'm just trying to work out the kinks of everything right now. I can't promise the update of this story any time so I'll update when I update! Luv ya!)