The puppet

"Miss, Anaberu, miss Anaberu!" a little hand was shaking her shoulders, making her eyes open and feel disturbed by the day clarity.

"Is it late?" She grumbled while sitting over the earth. Soon Annabelle noticed her forehead was soaked with sweat, then she dried it with a hand. The lass wasn't sweating for the heat though, but for have been trapped inside an unpleasant dream. A Dream? Oh no, it was very real to be called like this. I don't want to think about this now. Anna was choosing to run while she could, because deep inside the guilty was infernally consuming her. It wasn't in the shadowy castle that she has betrayed Kagewaki, she realized. It hasn't even been in the woods either, when her instincts got the best of her. It had happened inside that cave, a night before that shard has been put into her flesh. In there she tended to open her heart, it pained inside to remind the tenderness that, for no reason, she has dedicate to the hanyo while the storm was pouring violently down outside.

Before such thoughts could take full control of her mind, Annabelle focused her attention on the landscape nearby. The dragon demon and the lord of Western lands weren't around, leaving her by the company of Rin and Jaken. "Is it just us now?"

"Soon lord Sesshomaru will be back, he mustn't have gone far..." the little girl smiled.

"And as always I have to keep an eye on this brat!" the green yokai complained as it was his routine.

"The morning isn't even over yet and you're already in such a bad mood.. You gonna die earlier this way, you know? Annabelle teased him, while getting up, tossing the grass and the sand off her ragged skirt.

"You look like a mess!" Jaken said, analyzing the woman from head to toes.

"Well, clothes are manageable, the face though..." Anna mocked, leaned in front of him, keeping her eyes on the same high of his goggle yellowish ones.

"Oh, you useless human, I shall teach you a lesson!" Jaken felt so outrageous that he shook his wooden stick, his tiny feet jumping a few inches above the grass. Yet, his threat was completely ignored by the two female there.

Rin took Annabelle by the hand and pulled her to a walk, leading the lass to a creek nearby. Jaken followed them against his will, but he would always be attached with his obligations.

As soon as they got into the shallow riverside, Anna started to clean herself. She undressed unworriedly, then washed her skin and hair. As the woman was rubbing fingers over her arms, she noticed that her wounds were almost healed, it was impossible to not feel surprised about how fast it has happened. Then, she remembered of the jewel shard into her chest. That must be the cause of such rapid cicatrization process. Once more she found herself diving into anguish for not being able to recall exactly what had happened. All she could see inside her mind were flashes of the conflict against her sister, with Naraku whispering commands into her ears.

The little girl by her side was playing to throw water through the air. Belle gazed attentively the child's joyful and innocent features as her feet was kicking more little drops into the distance. Contemplating that scene, the White Rose missed a time of her life, her own childhood.

Would it be so bad to just enjoy this moment? She thought, having a glimpse of golden curls instead of the black straight hair of Rin, instantly taken by a far away memoir. Then Anna sighed, directing her mind to the present moment, and threw a splash of water on the child, wetting her cheek. Rin firstly blinked her eyes, got by surprise, yet soon she just replicated Anna's gesture and when they could notice, both were laughing while playing into that shallow stream, agitating it's waters. Jaken was observing them from behind a tree. He couldn't help but blush when his big yellow eyes perceived the adult woman's nudity, his little heart jumped inside his chest. And now what? Having to babysit a child and a woman! He crossed his arms as his back bumped against the apple tree's trunk, he could feel smoke leaving his ears, such hot and red must have been his lizard's face.

After a few instants of an intense playful time, Annabelle and Rin dressed up and came closer to that tree. The kid's eyes sparkled her wish to take a bite on one reddish and succulent apple hanging on a high branch. Annabelle saw she approaching, then climbing a root, her little arm stretched, trying to reach the fruit, so the foreigner lass discretely chuckled and came by the girl's side. Even for her that fruit was out of reach.

"Do you wanna see something cool?" Anna asked her new friend and received an excited nod as consent. "Let me stand up here" She put a hand over the root, and Rin got down to give her space. So, that albescent luminosity of hers discretely shown itself around her features, and then the large root seemed to gain life while moving up at the Scottish woman's mercy, lifting her to the branch where an apple was bouncing between some leaves. Her fingers delicately grabbed the fruit, and finally the root stretched itself to it's original place. Annabelle hovered upon the grass and threw playfully the apple to Rin. "Take it" She smiled.

"That was awesome, miss Anaberu!" She grabbed the fruit with her two hands and took a huge bite on it.

"Lord Sesshomaru, at last you are back!" The faithful yokai servant, before entertained with Annabelle's brief spectacle, now was running anxiously to his master.

The daiyokai was right ahead, gazing to them in his usual mysterious calmness. Those precious aurum pools had silently beheld the 'kissed by the fairies'' act, and they were showing a distinct shine within.

Annabelle's smile faded. In some unaccountable way she always felt vulnerable when he was near. It was like she was being subjugated by his coldness. Was it possible to those golden eyes turn her into stone, if she dared to look into them a little longer? Well, Anna chosen to not let being intimidate and proceeded to stare at Sesshomaru with the same intensity of his. She noticed one of those silver thin eyebrows raise a bit. Oh, so he isn't fully expressionless in the end. The lass couldn't help but chuckle, intriguing him. "Little Rin" She finally ceased that quiet confrontation and leaned in front of the girl "I believe it's time to say goodbye" her hands rested fondly over the child's shoulders.

"Already?" The girl wasn't expecting that. "Oh, please, stay a little longer, miss" she moaned.

"I said I would spend the night, remember? Now I must go..." Anna sighed in sorry.

"And where will you go?" The deep, calm voice of the Lord of the Western Lands surprised her. Annabelle lifted her gaze to his magnanimous silhouette that never stopped studying her and in the first moment, she didn't make a sound.

"Lord Sesshomaru asked you a question, woman!" Jaken got offended in his master's name.

"I don't know, to a place as far as it is possible from here" She gave an answer so vague as her rounded cerulean orbs were.

"You cannot run forever" The daiyokai decreed succinctly.

"I know that he will eventually find me, but if I can delay it somehow..." Belle has began to give excuses without even noticing it.

"You cannot" Then Sesshomaru spoke again, looking at a willow tree top, not so far from the apple tree.

"Ku, ku, ku, ku" the chuckle echoed through the forest. Annabelle's eyes widened and her cheeks lost the color and heat.

I couldn't sense his presence again! Annabelle turned her body, facing the willow and then she saw the White Baboon moving some of those green curtains of plants aside. The whiteness of his pelt contrasting with the leaves' tones.

"Sesshomaru, it seems you have something of mine. Thank you for taking care of her in my absence, however I fear that time has come to take Annabelle to the place where she belongs" The Baboon teased.

"I'm not going anywhere in your company!" Anna's joints got rigid as her white aura intensely covered her body.

From inside the monkey's cloak, corpulent brownish tentacles has been formed and they came fast into their target's direction - the red-haired lass. She jumped, escaping from their reach. Soon, some of the willow's cascade of vines rolled over the Baboon's arms, while others started to whip him.

"Do you really believe that you can stop me just like this?" Naraku said, chuckling in disdain, while he was getting rid of the plants with almost none effort.

"Miss Anaberu!" The little girl screamed, getting the attention of the foreigner woman's opponent.

"Rin, stay behind me" Sesshomaru commanded as serious as he has always been, his fingers holding the hilt of one of his swords still sheathed.

The masked hanyo jumped from the tree to the soil, provoking some earth's dust to rise. His fast and unmerciful tentacles tried to grab Annabelle one more time, her whitish halo wouldn't be able to protect her forever and at some point, her arms, legs and waist were finally entwined by those things. She stuck her feet in the ground, yet it didn't prevent the Baboon to drag her even so, carrying sand and moss together, forming a path in where she had struggled.

"Take them from here!" Annabelle screamed to Inuyasha's brother, talking about the girl and the little yokai that he had under his protection.

Naraku's deep, morbid laughing seemed to resound inside her very ears, waving the pillars that composed her sanity. Anna was getting more closer to him and to the danger she would turn to herself, risking to surrender to such profane fantasies about him. So she screamed, shaking her every part, as the cornered animal she had became. And then, as a straight ray, Tokijin's blade has cut that Baboon in half.

Annabelle's body fell to the side, laying upon the grass. The grip around her limbs ceased. Her foggy eyes could discern the clear shapes of the elegant daiyokai hovering over a large rock. After blinking repeated times, Belle finally regained her sight's focus and noticed a kind of wooden doll parted into pieces over the ground, with a black strand of hair rolled around one fragment. She stood up, got closer to that thing and kneeled in front of it, collecting each part in one hand, trying to understand it's meaning. Jaken was faster then her mind to give an answer though:

"A puppet. As always, that coward never shows his real self because he knows lord Sesshomaru is far more stronger than him" he said with a sudden confident smile.

"You saved me, thank you..." still dizzy, Anna gazed at the gorgeous yokai while he was approaching in calm steps, his sword was already in it's sheath.

"No one tells to this Sesshomaru what he has to do" as soon as he passed beside her, Inuyasha's brother gazed at Anna and spoke a bit harshly.

Her eyes got widened and she had to muffle a chuckle of disbelief. How proud he is... She thought, and yet, the lass still felt grateful for being saved from Naraku's grip, it didn't matter if Sesshomaru's heroism act was motivated by a need of keeping his vanity intact. However, the relief Belle was feeling would be more fleeting than she has expected. Soon an infernal burning feeling inside her chest made the woman's body arch ahead, her joints tensed while she was embracing herself as it would help to make that stop. She heard Rin's voice shouting anything in a desperate tone, but the agony didn't allow her mind to understand it. Her eyes began to seal against her will, and then she fell upon the grass again, this time unconscious.

Do you think you can run from me? Naraku, evolved by his latent shouki, frowned while his crimson orbs narrowed, hands closed into fists. As long as the jewel's shard is inside you, you will be under my domain, Annabelle. He was contemplating through Kanna's mirror the image of the woman, fainted over the vivid green short leaves, locks of flaming hair covering her suffered face. Although he felt a bitter taste on his tongue, Naraku smirked, yet this illusory contentment didn't last. The Spider saw Sesshomaru approaching the lass, his eyes viciously widened and if there was blood running inside his body, the fluid must have boiled. What is he doing? The little girl was surely begging the daiyokai to not let the woman forlorn, Naraku could see.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please, don't leave her in this place like this! The forest is dangerous and she's just a defenseless woman!" Rin humbly kneeled before him and insisted. "She was trying to protect us"...

"Rin, don't be inconvenient!" Jaken scolded her. "Lord Sesshomaru has no obligation of..." He was so sure of this authority on the matter, and then he saw his master standing in front of the lingering foreigner. "Lord Sesshomaru?" The tiny yokai asked confused.

The austere demon has silently walked towards Anna, ceasing his elegant parade when he was in front of her unconscious form, so delicate and vulnerable. Golden eyes rolled, fixated on her features, gazing her lips a bit parted, her fingers softly retracted and her moon pendant reflecting the vespertine sun's light. Her breathing was slow and heavy, yet Sesshomaru could tell that she wasn't having a peaceful slumber by the way her eyes were firmly closed, and her eyebrows tensed. Calmly, he got down, and after craving his sight on her for the last time, he took the lass on his arm carefully.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin united her little hands over her chest, and then jumped in excitement, her almond eyes shinning gratefully. Jaken, on the other hand, just sighed and lowed his head, accepting his defeat on that matter.

"Come" He said to his fateful followers, and that was all. Sesshomaru walked ahead them, with Annabelle under his protection, his eyes focused on the trail that would lead him to his other companion. As soon as they arrived to Arurun's place in the woods, the daiyokai laid the Scottish lass upon it's scaled back.

To be continued...

Hey guys! What are you thinking about Sesshomaru's part in this fic? I always thought it was a challenge to write about him without making the guy too OOC. Because even Naraku, being who he is, shows some nuance of passion, rage, while Sesshomaru is placid all the time, like a marble carved statue, I don't know... He has his moments, but they are SO rare!

Well, I hope you enjoy his presence on this fic.

Of course Naraku is the number one here, just reminding. Come on, it already has many fics about Sesshomaru, Naraku deserves his moment to shine ;P

Well, see ya soon! Thank u all that are reading, please let a review too, I love to read feedbacks!

Kissuuus!