Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Star Palace Chronicles ❯ Enter Shadow ( Chapter 4 )

As the slow song ended, a faster punk rock song played, and everyone joined in with the dancing.

A servant approached Star. "Milady, a few new guests have arrived."

"Then show them in!" she smiled warmly, then turned to Rage, "Rage? Could you turn off the music for one second, please?" she gave him the puppy dog look, and he melted.

"Sure, love, anything for you."

"Thank you so so so so much." she cleared her throat when he turned off the music, drawing everyone's attention. "We have some new arrivals to our party!!"

"Intorducing, Lord Kouga."

"Kouga!!!" someone shouted from the crowd, as Firey came running up to meet him. She smothered him in a hug, and he responded, instantly pulling her in tight before letting go, and turning to join the rest of the masses.

"Lady Simon." her power was obvious to Star, but maybe not so much to anyone else. She was obviously a master of transfiguration.

"Lady Ash." Her power added small lightning bolts, seeing as she controlled storms, and they looked like electrified streamers. Star liked them, and she liked Ash.

"Lady Aurora, and Lord Marik." Star sensed that he was an evil force, but she could tell that Aurora had him in check. She chuckled thinking about how hard it would be to keep him under control.

"Lady Rhianna, and Lord Obrion." This girl had a dead smell to her, at first, but it soon dissipated. Star wrinkled her nose after Rhianna had passed.

"Lady Sora, and Lord Kenshin." This girl's appearence alone was enough to make Star gasp. Pink hair, and red eyes! She wondered if that was her natural hair color. She'd have to ask her later.

"Lady Ryui." She had elegance and grace, but she had a dark cloud surrounding her. Obviously her aura, seeing as she was a Goddess of Darkness.

"Lord Sly." This guy filled the room with a shroud of darkness, but quickly removed it. He seemed to realize that there was limited light in this hall, and obliged by removing all excess darkness.

"Lord Shadow." He walked in with an air of 'I don't really need all this publicity.' while, at the same time, he had this look on his face that screamed, 'They aren't ignoring me!! Yay!!'

Slowly, Shadow joined the group, but kept his distance from the other people, opting for a secluded corner. Upon arriving at said corner, he found it pre-occupied. Kristina stepped out from the shadows, and smiled timidly at Shadow. He smiled back, and for once in his life he didn't feel excluded. He offered her his hand, leading her out onto the dance floor as the music began to play again. They spun in semi-slow circles to the music, their hearts racing all the while.

'Is this what love feels like?' Shadow thought, as he twirled Kristina around him, catching her just before she hit the floor. Little did he know, that something along the same lines was running through Kristina's mind.

She gasped, as he caught her two inches off the ground, and swung her back on her feet. She blushed profusely, and looked away, only to have her face turned back by a finger under her chin.

Shadow then did something that even caught him off guard, he kissed her. He was even more surprised to find her responding to his kiss. They didn't even notice the entire congregation watching them. Nor did they notice the hall filling up with 'awww's as they kissed passionately before everyone in the room.

Kristina got her senses back first, and broke the kiss, finally noticing every pair of eyes in the hall on them. Her face heated up, and she shook Shadow lightly to break him out of the daze. (A/N:awwwww!! ain't it so cute!! you gotta love it!!)

He finally realized what happened, and his face heated up too. Quickly, he returned to the corner that he'd found Kristina in. She followed, as everyone else directed their attention back to the dancing, and caught up to him right before he disappeared into the shadows.

"Shadow! Wait, Shadow!" Kristina was beginning to feel like he had already rejected her, like every other guy in the universe had. Her eyes filled with tears, and she disappeared into the corner where he was currently hiding, as her tears spilled over. Shadow fliched when Kristina collided with him, not able to stop in time. He noticed her tears, and realized that they were probably his fault. 'Great, now I've driven off another one with my damned modesty.'

"Shadow?" Kristina sniffled, only succeeding in making her look more pitiful.

"What? What do you want?" he snapped at her.

"Don't you like me?" she sobbed. "I mean, I like you... even if I just met you... I like you."

He looked shocked, to say the least. "I'm so sorry..."

"Kristina." she supplied.

"...Kristina... Such a simple name for such a beautiful girl." He smiled at her, effectively drying the last of her tears.

"Come, let's join the dance again. C'mon, Shadow. Don't you like dancing?" she looked crestfallen.

He quickly recovered, "Yes, I like dancing, but... I'm afraid that I'll make a fool of myself again."

Kristina giggled, "You consider that making a fool of yourself? Man, would I hate to see you on a hellatious day." She grabbed him by the wrist, "Come out and dance with meeeee!" she whined.

She giggled again at his shocked expression, and led him out, by the hand, onto the dance floor.

~~~~~with Firey~~~~~

Firey chatted lively with the other girls in her tight little clique that she'd already formed, with the exception of Kristina, she was too busy seducing Shadow to chat at the moment.

"So, girls. Do you think he likes her? I mean, she's making her affection soooo obvious, that it would kill me to wear my heart out on my sleeve like that."

The other girls nodded in agreement, as Star strolled over. She had left Rage with Shodo, and was in desperate need of female interaction.

"Kristina and Shadow are a sure thing. He likes her just as much, if not more than, she likes him." Star commented, and the other girls looked at her, astonished.

"How can you tell?" Envy asked. "I mean, he's really hiding his feelings. I see it now, but how could you see it?"

"I'm an empath." the girls looked at Star with worried looks, "Don't worry! I only get involved if I have to. I wouldn't do that to any of you unless you desperately needed my assistance. I keep your emotions to myself, and only express my opinion if it is necessary."

The other girls released the breaths that none knew they had been holding, and turned the conversation back to Kristina.

"Do you think that she's told him how she feels? or do you think that she's keeping in inside?" Kim pressed.

"I'm not saying any more than I already have. For what I have revealed, Kristina should have told you." Star replied simply. "I shold not meddle with the affairs of others unless I'm invited. How would you like it if I messed with your love life, and you didn't even know it? Exactly. Now, where were we?"

Seeing that they would get no more information out of Star, the girls departed to find dance partners.

*~*~*~*~*

Shodo strolled over to one of the latest arrivals, Ryui. He liked the fact that she shared his power, and he was infatuated by the pull of her darkness. It was like a magnet to him. He couldn't resist anymore.

"Miss? May I have this dance?" he asked timidly.

Ryui turned around, "Of course!!" she smiled.

"Thank you. I'm Shodo."

"Name's Ryui. Nice to finally meet another darkness elemental. My mother was one, but my father was a God, so I'm not either... but I prefer to say that I'm an elemental." She beamed at him.

His smile warmed, and he offered her his hand to lead her out onto the dance floor. She took it, smiling all the while. Shodo said, "Ryui, why do you call yourself an elemental, and not a goddess?"

"I guess it's because it keeps it simple, and people aren't trying to get me to do things for them constantly." She looked at him, expecting a disgusted look to be plastered on his face, but found only a warm smile.

"You are beautiful. You know this, right?" he cupped her chin with his finger, as she tried to hide her face. "Don't hide from me, sweetheart. I want to dance, so let's dance."

They danced, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

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