Disclaimer: Guess what I'm going to say next? I don't own Inu Yasha.


Chapter Twelve: The Failed Collection

Throughout the rest of the day, Yuki was obliged to stay in the center of that maze with Rin and unfortunately right where Sesshomaru could see her. Every now and then, she would ask the young miss if she wanted to maybe go and do something else, but the child knew she had the power to keep Yuki in Sesshomaru's sights and she was going to use that capability to its full extent. What that girl was planning, Yuki would probably never know, but she was growing weary of it.

She even tried her best to ignore this new complication and do her duty of entertaining Rin. However, this task was not a difficult one to perform. Usually Yuki would play with her or sit quietly as the ladies of the court talked to and admired the precious child. But as she watched the noblewomen, something seemed off about them. It wasn't the demonic traits that they had acquired from their branch of demons, but something in the way that they smiled at Rin and when they looked over at or talked to Sesshomaru that bothered Yuki.

It was something in their eyes… but Yuki couldn't quite put her finger on it at first. It was hidden so well... Then only a moment later, she caught it. It was after one of the women had dropped her smile that Yuki realized that all of the other grins were false as well. This entire time they had been smiling at Rin just as they had been smiling at Yuki earlier in the garden. Their care towards Rin wasn't real… It made Yuki wonder why they were causing such a huge commotion over the child then. If they didn't care about her, why the fuss?

Then, Yuki's pondering was interrupted by a chorus of giggles erupting from the girls as one of them whispered, "Look! Lord Sesshomaru is coming over!"

Some of the girls reached for their fans and casually opened them. "Good evening, Lord Sesshomaru," one of them chided in a coy fashion, "What brings you over here?"

Turning his attention over to Yuki, he almost seemed to completely ignore the others. "May I speak with you… alone?" he requested.

The muscles in Yuki's body seemed to instantly stiffen with a nervous reaction. The rest of the ladies seemed utterly offended by this comment and many gave quick and jealous 'hmph's. But all the same, Yuki took this as a command and obeyed as she rose to her feet and followed after Sesshomaru as he led her away from the others and out of the clearing and back into the labyrinth that was the maze.

The silence that occurred between them for the first minute or so seemed very frightening to Yuki, seeing as how she had plenty of time to think about what was motivating him to do this in the first place. 'He couldn't really like me as Rin said, could he?' Yuki pondered, 'I'm sure that it's all in my head… right?'

Then, they came to a dead end, partially bordered with a solid wall. As Yuki was about to question why he had brought her there, Sesshomaru pressed a hand to the wall and slowly a heavy door began to open under his forceful push. Sesshomaru then walked through the passage and waited for Yuki to follow. She did just that only to find that they had now exited the castle completely, the setting sun's light darkening the trees beyond.

But as Sesshomaru took her away from the castle's barricade and out into the forest, Yuki surprisingly didn't think of trying to escape. Instead, her curiosity urged her to follow him. Now that the great demon seemed at unease, it made her want to know what he was going to do all the more.

Soon, they came to the smallest of clearings in which Sesshomaru came to a halt. He then turned to Yuki and stared at her, trying to summon up what words to say. Yuki, on the other hand, could not so much as look at Sesshomaru as he gazed upon her. She would have no part in encouraging any sort of these supposed feelings that Rin had suggested existed… which they absolutely could not have.

Sesshomaru looked down at the ground and closed his eyes as he began to form the words that Yuki had been wanting to hear for the longest of times. "Tonight… you will discover what all this trouble has been about," he announced.

Yuki froze in her place. This was it! All of those questions she had been asking herself for so long were finally going to be answered!

"But I have something else to tell you first," Sesshomaru went on, "You see, I don't want to tell you the first reason of why I have kept you with me quite yet."

With these surprising words, Yuki's face seemed to drop. "Excuse me?" she fumed, having had her happiness delayed, "And why the hell not?"

Sesshomaru finally looked back up to bravely meet Yuki's glare and told her, "If I tell you your purpose here, you'd hate me and… I wouldn't be able to stand that."

"I… don't think I follow you," Yuki replied, lightly shaking her head and squinting her eyes at him with confusion and suspicion. This was odd…

Slowly Sesshomaru began to approach Yuki, taking his time with each step. And with each inch that he came closer to her, Yuki couldn't help but to feel nervous at his approaching. What was that look in his golden eyes? That deep, yearning stare... it was enough to line chills up her spine and send her pulse racing with suspense.

As he finally reached her, Sesshomaru only stared down at Yuki with that exact gaze that she had always hated. In previous cases, it had only sent her into a state of uneasiness. But this time, everything was different. Those shining orbs had never watched her as intensely as they did now. The two of them had never stood so still, looking into the other's eyes. In the preceding cases, they had never been alone before… and Yuki had never been so scared before because now she was absolutely sure of what Sesshomaru was thinking behind that gaze.

But Sesshomaru saw this privacy more as an advantage than a curse. On top of that, that hypnotic stare had Yuki absolutely spellbound. Under this enchantment, she could no longer see her captor, her master, or her enemy. Instead, in those pleading eyes Yuki saw the longing of an admirer… and she wasn't sure if she disliked it or not.

She didn't know what to do in a situation such as this. She was totally lost in her mess of thoughts and any hope of being able to sort them out would be slim until she was able to stop this panicking.

Then, much to Yuki's fear, Sesshomaru finally made a move, lifting his hand to gently place it tenderly on her cheek. "Lord… Sesshomaru?" were the only words that Yuki could get out of her mouth. For another moment more the couple froze, neither daring to move a muscle.

At first, Yuki felt very frightened of what Sesshomaru was doing. But as time went slowly on, she continued to stare into his eyes, not able to tear her own violet ones away. There was something entirely captivating in Sesshomaru's expression. It made Yuki finally relax at his touch and return the same emotion that the man was portraying.

But this sweet moment came to an abrupt end as something began to spill from the cover of the trees surrounding them. This something was a small mist of purple toxic miasma. Sesshomaru instantly let down his hand and straightened, becoming alert as his eyes darted around for the source, knowing full well who it was using this distinct entrance.

A figure soon became apparent through the purple cloud, slowly approaching the couple. "What do you want, Naraku?" Sesshomaru snarled, his hand tensing, preparing to slash out at the threat if necessary.

The man named Naraku stepped out of the cover of the miasma to reveal long black hair and a smirking expression. "You know what I want, Sesshomaru," he replied, turning his maniacal eyes towards the human woman, "I want my prize."

Yuki gasped at that comment. This man was here to take her away? But why? It was then that Sesshomaru stepped in front of Yuki, blocking her from the challenger. "You can't have her, Naraku," he protested, his eyes narrowing.

"But Sesshomaru…" Naraku argued, "We had a deal…"

"I don't care," came the snapped reply, "Things have changed now."

Cautiously Yuki peeked from behind her protector to see the new arrival, his face as cold and emotionless as Sesshomaru's had often been many times before. But then, a humored quirk of the mouth appeared on the stranger's countenance. "I never thought that you, of all people, would ever dare such an act as you are now," he commented, "But no matter. I shall return for the human another day when you have come to your senses."

With that, a huge outpour of the poisonous fumes began to form around Naraku, shielding him from sight as it encased the two other figures and himself. At first, it only caused Yuki to cough a bit. It felt as if it was suffocating her and worse, spreading through her entire being. Her heart beat strongly as it ached for oxygen, her veins pulsing at every thump. But with each passing second that she stood there, she began to feel all the weaker in both mind and body until she finally blacked out entirely.