Radiant Eclipse by W1shfuL Dr3am3r

Woe to the World, We need a Miko

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

W1shfuL: Enjoy!

Radiant Eclipse

By: W1shfuL Dr3am3r

Chapter One: Woe to the World, We need a Miko

Jaken slowed to a calm walk, his scent concealed with the spell he had received from the...kind...dragon. Making sure he was downwind as a precaution, he spied on the worthless group that followed his master's half-brother around. Following that hanyou...one can only hope for some with a small portion of the Great Sesshoumaru-sama's intelligence. Moving the Staff of Heads slightly so that he could lean his diminutive 2 feet small body upon it, his bulbous eyes feel on the young miko. 'So she is the one...she looks like a common ningen though...but who am I to question the Lords?' Sighing with an air of self-importance, the little toad youkai set off to accomplish his mission. After all, only the best for the Great Sesshoumaru-sama.

*

Kagome's left eye began to twitch, slowly at first, a small warning sign, and then the twitching picked up speed to become a full irritated throb.

"Miroku..." She said, falsely sweet. "Remove your hand from my ass before I remove it for you!!!"

"My dear Kagome-sama, I was merely trying to save you from a rather large-"

"Save it monk, just take the pain like a man!" Inuyasha grumbled from somewhere in a tree.

"Inuyasha, your words wound me. You believe that I was lying? I assure you-"

"Thank you Sango-chan." Kagome said smiling softly at the taijiya who was standing over Miroku glaring down at him heavily. Hiraikotsu was held loosely in her hand and her checks were a flaming red.

"Damn pervert." She mumbled before sitting back down.

*

The small group had just finished eating when Inuyasha dropped down from the tree he was in.

"I'm going for a walk."

Kagome looked up mildly.

"Have fun...come back Inuyasha. It would sadden me greatly if you were to go to hell so soon." Her voice was calm, and sincere, yet not sorrowful.

"Feh," was his reply as he disappeared into the woods.

"Ah...Kagome-sama, you are not...angry?" Miroku asked carefully.

"Yea Kagome-okaa-san! Usually you would get all tight-lipped and pale and...and like this!" Shippo said, tightening his lips and narrowing his eyes. It would have been a good imitation, if not for the fact that his nose was scrunched up and his foot kept twitching. Kagome began laughing and swooped him up into her arms.

"No. I love Inuyasha...but not in the way I would my...mate. We've been through too much together, and I would never want to ruin our relationship because I was too blind to see that he would never love me the way I wanted him to." She said.

Miroku and Sango blinked, then looked at Kagome closely. She had definitely matured over the past 3 years. The now 18 year old girl was strikingly beautiful. Her obsidian black hair fell in small waves down her back which she wore in a low ponytail. Instead of the utterly revealing 'school uniform', she opted for...slightly...traditional miko garb. Instead of the normal white and red though, hers was completely black, with white kanji down the side saying her name.

Her face had lost its 'baby curves' and took on a more mature definition. But her eyes were her best feature. Her unique sapphire blue eyes speckled with white were windows into her over kind, too trusting, too helping, and too generous soul.

"We're happy for you Kagome-chan. I wouldn't have wanted to see you suffer so much." Sango said quietly.

"Yea..." Kagome whispered back, finishing with a small yawn.

The sun was setting quickly, and a chill was starting to come over the small clearing they were in. Maybe it was the sudden chill, or the absence of sound, or most likely the furious hissing sounds emanating from Kirara's throat, whatever it was everyone had jumped up, and were quickly looking around them in three seconds flat.

Kagome had grabbed her black bow in another three seconds, and grabbed her white arrows in two. Shoving Shippo behind her and placing a small barrier around him (that, to Shippo, glowed a strange pearl color) she joined her friends in their back-to-back battle circle and quickly opened her senses to see who the intruder was.

"Kagura." She whispered. Sango and Miroku stiffened behind her, and remained tense, waiting for the wind witch to show herself. And show herself she did. In a gust of wind she appeared in front of Kagome.

"What do you want?" She asked calmly, an iridescent white arrow with black feathers notched and ready.

"Peace miko. That's really all I want..." She said, a tired note in her voice, and in her stance. The usually smug smile was replaced by and frown of confusion.

Kagome faltered. 'Is she really sincere? Or is this all a ploy?'

"Fear not miko. This is no ploy." At the look of disbelief Kagura laughed lightly. "No I cannot read minds...you are very, very easy to read though."

Kagome nodded. 'Sesshoumaru told me that once.'

"Why are you here Kagura?" Kagome repeated softly. Her friends were still tense beside her, yet their aura's screamed curiousity.

"I have...departed from Naraku's control."

"Control?"

"Naraku is an evil bastard. He gave me life...without a heart, forcing me to do anything and everything his twisted heart desired."

"Is that why you betrayed him every chance you got?"

A simple nod.

"I don't believe her." Sango said quietly. Kagura smirked.

"I did not think you would taijiya. But I have not come here for your trust. I come to the miko for a favor, if granted I will forever be in your debt."

"What makes you think that Kago-"

"What favor Kagura-san?" Kagome asked, interrupting Sango. Kagura hesitated slightly before holding out a small pulsing red...lump(for lack of better words).

"Is-is that your heart!?" Miroku asked stunned. Sango blinked once. Twice. Three times before looking at Kagura expectantly.

"...Hai."

"You want me to put it back in for you...don't you?" Kagome asked.

A wistful look overcame her face, making her look small, vulnerable and distantly beautiful.

"I just want to be free...to fly with the winds..." Her voice was full of longing, and Kagome's 'too kind, too trusting too generous' heart began to melt.

"Alright I'll do it! But I'm afraid that I might keep you from being free. We could really use your help in defeating Naraku, and while Inuyasha might not like it...he'll learn to deal with it."

Kagura looked thoughtful for a second before slowly nodding.

"I...suppose I could...join... you. Your friends will not mind?"

"You are free to join us Kagura-san." Miroku said, his eyes slowly traveling over her lithe body.

Sango's eyes harden, and she nodded tightly. 'I am going to trust Kagome-chan on this...The more the merrier...but Kagura? I will keep an eye on her. Naraku and she could have planned this all.'

"See? Now about your heart..." Kagome walked forward, attempting to take the small red lump before Kagura drew back her eyes wide.

"I'm going to try to put it back...in." Kagome said awkwardly. The red 'lump' was handed over reluctantly, and Kagome put down her bow and arrows. Walking forward slowly, her obsidian tresses grazing her knees and placed both hands over Kagura's chest imagining the heart being there instead of out here. Her hands glowed a soft pearl color before Kagura 'eepeed' and took a deep breath.

Opening her eyes, she noticed that Kagura was looking at herself with wonder.

"It worked?" Kagome asked.

Kagura could only nod.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama...Sesshoumaru-sama!!"

"Quiet stupid girl! Lord Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't have time for you, you stupid little ningen."

"Nu huh! Jaken is wrong, because Sesshoumaru-sama loves Rin, and Rin loves her Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Raising the Staff of Heads, and preparing to hit the boisterous little girl over the head, he stilled when a cold aura entered the child's room.

"Jaken."

Turning around slowly, his bulbous yellow eyes widened in terror. Sesshoumaru-sama was smiling. 'Here goes another 100 years off my life. What did I do to deserve this treatment?! Hundreds of loyal years! Even now, I-'

A clawed hand around his throat, and exactly 2 seconds later he was flying over the western forest, screaming out his apologies.

"Come Rin, your lessons are beginning."

"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama."

*`*

Sesshoumaru stared at the Lady of the Eastern Lands, his face blank, but his eyes curious.

"I do not lie Sesshoumaru-sama. The hanyou is currently in my lands, and he is trying to release Aku." The soft dragon youkai stated.

"How do you know this Mameha-sama."

Sesshoumaru glared at the arrogant Lord of the South.

"Excuse me...I forget that you are but a young pup and do not know the story of Aku Lord of the South," Mameha hissed. Sesshoumaru looked at her, and could see her reptilian eyes shaking. 'ameha will have to control her dragon bloodlust...' "Aku, Lord Hiro, was a terror to all of Japan several hundred years ago. He was unfortunately a Black Dragon, and therefore it was my clans duty to kill him. We could not, however, because he was of our clan so we did what we could and put him to the Eternal Rest."

"How noble, don't kill someone of your clan." Hiro said with a sneer. Mameha growled and her black eyes glittered dangerously.

"Lord Hiro, tell me, what have you done to prepare for the upcoming war?" Lord Kiyoshi broke in, the calm kitsune Lord of the North seeking to divert Mameha's wrath.

Sesshoumaru, however, would have loved nothing more than for the Hiro to know what a real battle felt like. The arrogant dog had inherited his lands from his father, whom Sesshoumaru barely tolerated. He was the weakest of the Lords and Ladies, and showed disrespect to all. More so to Lady Mameha because she was a demoness and according to Hiro 'unfit to rule', he seemed to overlook the fact that she was second only in power to Sesshoumaru, and that her army could annihilate his lands 10 times over. Hiro was a fool.

"I have many plans being put forth; my spies have said that Naraku has been in his castle since three months ago." Hiro glanced at Mameha, a smug smirk forming on his lips.

"Since you seem unaware, Hiro," Sesshoumaru finally cut in "Naraku has the ability to be many places at once. Mameha's clan sealed Aku in his prison therefore they would know if any tried to tamper with it." His voice was icy and the overconfident young inuyoukai shrunk back in his seat.

"There is more." Mameha said, her naturally soft voice a great contradiction to her species. "The seal on Aku's Eternal Rest is weakening. It is at the point of release, and with Naraku's tampering I fear it will break soon."

"How long?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Mameha closed her eyes. "About two weeks. Depending on the amount of 'tampering' Naraku does to it. What is that fool hanyou trying to do?"

"He will try to absorb Aku into himself..." Kiyoshi said softly.

"Something we cannot let happen." Mameha said sternly.

"What can we do to strengthen the seal?" Kiyoshi asked.

"We need a miko, one of high caliber and willing to help. But I know not of any such miko."

A sight resounded around the black marble table. The statue of a great white inuyoukai with glittering rubies for eyes seemed to roar in anger.

"I might know of one such miko..." Sesshoumaru said, with a hint of reluctance he called Jaken in.

"Kagome-sama is it er...healthy to have sat Inuyasha so many times?" Miroku asked, looking into the deep 'Inuyasha Crater'.

"He'll live." Kagome said, bandaging up Kagura's arm. After the hanyou had arrived to see Kagura standing in the camp, he had rushed forward, Tetsusaiga out, and swung. Kagome had barely had time to say 'sit', before his blow landed on Kagura's arm. She merely blinked and sneered.

"Impulsive as always, I see, Inuyasha." Kagura had sneered. She might have to travel with him, but that didn't mean she had to like him.

"SHUT UP YOU OLD HAG!"

"Inuyasha. Sit, sit!" And so on and so forth.

*`*

"Damn it Kagome! Who are you going to invite next huh? Naraku maybe, Sesshoumaru?! KAMI FORBID KOUGA!?!?!" Inuyasha screamed after Kagome 'informed' him that Kagura would be joining.

"Inuyasha maybe you should go cool off." Her sapphire eyes were still glued to her task of bandaging Kagura up.

"NO! I DON'T NEED TO DO-"

The sound of a throat clearing had everyone turning their heads to the left. Eyes falling on a two foot toad youkai who was vaguely familiar, it stepped closer to the firelight, and Inuyasha growled.

"What do you want."

"I'm not here for you hanyou, I'm here with a request from the Lords of Japan." The bulbous yellow eyes fell onto the beautiful miko. "We need your help."

W1shfuL: Whoa! My first fanfic! Please REVIEW and tell me how you like it!