Night of the Eclipse by night flame miko

Chapter One: Kagome

Night of the Eclipse

AN: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter One: Kagome

Kagome stumbled through the inky blackness surrounding her, growling in anger. She had been at a hot spring when the eclipse happened; Sango had left a little while earlier. Kagome had just finished getting dressed when the light faded from the sky a couple hours early. At first Kagome hadn't worried, but all too soon did she realise her mistake, without any electrical lighting, and no sun to light her way, well she finally knew what it was like to be blind.

Stubbing her toe Kagome cursed fluently, using some of Inuyashas' finer words. She considered yelling for him but dismissed the idea almost immediately, for a few reasons; one: they were camped too far away from where she was,

Two: Inuyasha may just ignore her,

Three: who knew what kind of person/thing may hear her and

Four: her pride.

She would just have to wait out the eclipse. But she planned to do that in a clearing, where she could 'watch' the sky re-alight with soft grass beneath her and hopefully no rocks and twigs, such as what she was stumbling over right now.

Continuing on with grim determination Kagome wondered briefly if she was even headed in the right direction, pushing the unsettling thought away Kagome exclaimed happily as she pushed through some bushes and felt a cool breeze kiss her overheated body, meaning a clearing was in front of her. Then she realised she had walked far longer than was a good idea, she was exhausted.

Thinking of finally laying down on the grass beneath her feet Kagome squeaked in surprise when her feet managed to trip over what was probably the only rock in the whole clearing. Hitting the ground she twisted onto her back only to hear something that nearly made her heart stop.

'Watch where you are going human.' Sitting up quickly Kagome tried unsuccessfully to pierce the darkness. Resorting to her only line of defence, Kagome responded angrily,

'Well that's gonna be a bit hard considering I may as well be blind in this blackness.' She regretted what she said straight away, she had just revealed that she was pretty much defenceless. Then guilt took over as well, she had tripped over someone/thing and didn't even bother to apologise?

'Look, I'm sorry I tripped over you. As you pointed out, I am human and my eyes are pretty much useless right now.' He already knew that she was blind, so she had no need to try and hide the point, hopefully this yokai wouldn't kill her for whatever reason he came up with. I mean it's obvious he's a yokai, isn't it? He called her human as if it was an insult.

'Hn.' for some reason that 'Hn' sounded real familiar. Her day just keeps getting better, first the eclipse and now finally finding a clearing only to have it already taken and by a yokai no less. Huffing Kagome stood and dusted herself off, deciding that if the yokai wanted to kill her he would have already, she marched until finding a tree, plopping herself down she leaned against it with a sigh of relief.

'Human, you are not leaving?'

'No, yokai, I am not.'

'If you know that I am yokai then why do you not leave?'

'You would have killed me already if you wanted to and I have spent too long looking for a bloody clearing to leave when I finally find one on the off chance I'll be killed if I stay.'

'Hn.' This demons attitude reminded her of Inuyasha for some reason and man did that piss her off. It was all Inuyashas' fault she was stuck here in the first place! He had been going on and on about jewel shards and how she was a useless shard detector because she hadn't sensed a shard already, finally she had snapped and went to a hot spring she had spotted a mile back, Inuyasha had threatened that he would keep going without her, but she went anyway, Sango came with her to protect her should anything happen, but she thought she heard something and decided to leave early and now here Kagome was, trapped in darkness with some yokai opposite her probably planning the best way to torture her to death and as far as she was concerned, it was all Inuyashas' fault!

'Damn Inuyasha, when I find you, you are going to get your ass sat all the way to America.' She mumbled to herself.

'Inuyasha?' The demon asked, probably wondering who she was mumbling about, his hearing is really good; Kagome thought to herself, I mean she was a whole clearing away from him and he could still hear her mumble to herself.

'He's someone I travel with, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in this situation.'

'Oh?' This guy was the king of monosyllables. But she was glad for any form of communication at this point, plus the fact he actually seemed curious.

'Well we had an argument so I went to cool off in a hot spring when this eclipse happened, now I'm stranded till everything lightens up again.'

'Hn...I've heard of this Inuyasha, a hanyou, some say he has a sword that can slay a hundred demons in one strike.' Sighing Kagome nodded, forgetting about the darkness.

'Yeah, he does, he's so bloody protective of that thing as well, you would think it was a child not a sword. I actually got it for him, because there was a weird spell on it that stopped him from getting it, so I pull out the stupid sword and give it to him and do I get a thank you? No! He isn't anything but an arrogant jerk!'

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed out, remembering the fight between Inuyasha and his older brother, Sesshomaru clearly.

'Should have given the bloody sword to Sesshomaru, at least then I might have had some gratitude before he tried to kill me.' Kagome muttered to herself, forgetting the yokais' hearing. A chuckle resounded through the clearing, startling her.

'Yes, you should have. I... know Lord Sesshomaru, but he would not have been grateful, he has no use for emotions, those are human weaknesses.'

'Yup, but I love my weakness most of the time, sometimes I feel sorry for you yokai, refusing to feel emotions must be horrible, sometimes I wonder how yokai like Lord Sesshomaru found the need to get rid of their emotions so thoroughly.'

'What do you think of him?' Visibly startled she again tried to look through the shadows, wondering whether she was talking to Sesshomaru himself, but then realised there was no way he would ask her opinion on something, actually he probably would have killed her on sight.

'Well he tried to melt me.' Kagome stated, but she continued unaware that two amber eyes watched her from across the clearing, 'but even then I get the feeling he didn't do it for pleasure, more that he had a goal and I was in the way.' Kagome said thoughtfully, she had tried to hate Sesshomaru for attempting to kill her, but she couldn't for long, it just wasn't in her nature to hate, and as always she came up with reasons for the person to have done what they did to her, it was actually very annoying.

'You've forgiven him?' The demon asked, apparently surprised, though his voice betrayed very little.

'Well...yeah. If he had tried to torture me to death then maybe I could hate him but if I think about it I would have been dead quickly and pretty painlessly if the Tetsaiga hadn't protected me, also I was in the way of him and what he wanted...' In her mind her argument seemed better.

'He tried to melt you, I don't call that any form of painless.' The demon stated. Kagome only huffed, getting annoyed. It wasn't right to talk about someone as regal as Sesshomaru behind his back like this, though he probably gets it all the time considering who and what he is.

'Look I can think of much worse things than being melted, compared to some ways of dying I'd pick a melting any day. Also I interrupted a fight between two yokai, be they half brothers or not, if I jump into a fight like that then I have to fight and possibly die, I had it coming. I joined the fight and had what Sesshomaru wanted, he had every right to kill me, and as has been proved from further battles, if I don't jump in he doesn't try to kill me. So leave him alone. I learn from my mistakes and move on from past grievances, so stop trying to blame Sesshomaru for something he had every right to do!' Kagome was breathing deeply, her eyes alight and angry after her little speech, she had no idea why she was defending Sesshomaru when despite what she had said, he had tried to kill her! But from what she could tell he had honour and unlike some other yokai he didn't kill for the hell of it, only when the situation required him to, or he particularly hated that person (in Inuyashas' case for example and she completely understood that).

As her anger cooled Kagome shivered, suddenly aware of the cold air around her. The wind played through the trees and across the clearing, it felt like the cold went straight through her and bit at her bones. Today was just not her day. The cold must have been increasing slowly with no sun to heat the land, and thinking about it she probably just pissed off that yokai, she had spoken rather harshly and very disrespectfully.

Hunching into herself she tried to preserve what little heat she had left, wishing she had thought to bring her jacket with her. For the second time that night her heart nearly stopped (she could have sworn it at least skipped a few beats) as a voice suddenly whispered directly into her ear:

'You are cold ningen.' Trying to contain her shivering Kagome looked up to where she thought his eyes would be,

'Yeah, but don't worry I shouldn't die from a breeze.' She joked even as her teeth chattered and she started to shake uncontrollably.

'Yes, you might.' Suddenly she felt him sit next to her, pick her up and place her one armed, into his lap, soon something warm and wonderfully soft was wrapped around her.

'No, you don't have to. I know yokai don't like ningen, you don't need to do this.'

Kagome said even though the warmth seeping into her was wonderful and her limbs no longer shook. But the demon merely pulled he closer before whispering into her ear,

'This is for forgiving m...Sesshomaru. Not many understand what he is like.' Unable to stop herself she snuggled closer to him before suddenly realising something: she had no idea who this was, for all she knew it was Naraku! Feeling her stiffen a hand started rubbing soothing circles over her back through the fluffy thing.

'What now ningen?'

'I have no idea who you are.'

'Neither I, you.' Kagome blushed, she couldn't believe her manners! Turning slightly she stuck a hand out of her protective wrapping,

'Well my name is Kagome Higurashi current companion of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippou and attempted protector of the Shikon no Tama.' Gasping Kagome suddenly realised what she said, this demon may kill her for the jewel shards! But instead a strong, clawed hand gripped her own hand lightly, raised it and kissed the back of her hand. Blushing she retrieved her hand as that wonderfully deep and melodious voice said behind her,

'I am Uramohsess, Lord of the Western Lands.'

'Wow... that's a mouthful.' She felt a rumbling behind her and realised he was holding back laughter,

'You may call me Ohses.'

'Thanks Ohses-sama.' She said grinning, for some reason his name was ringing bells in her mind, but she knew she would remember such a weird name as his so dismissed the bells when she realised something,

'Ohses-sama, since you are a lord wont other yokai disagree with a ningen...um...sitting in your lap?' Kagome was once again blushing furiously and was extremely grateful to the darkness for hiding her blush, she was so distracted by the heat on her cheeks she almost missed his comment,

'You have no idea.' He had said it to himself and obviously didn't realise she could hear him, louder he stated coldly,

'If you tell anyone of this then I will kill you.'

It was said in such a matter-of-fact way that Kagome couldn't help herself, she laughed, Ohses stiffened behind her,

'I meant that in the utmost seriousness.'

Gulping air into her heaving lungs Kagome forced herself to speak between bouts of laughter,

'I know Ohses-sama, it's just I don't think you realise how much you sounded like Lord Sesshomaru right then, you must know each other very well.'

'Indeed.'

Slowly he relaxed behind her again and as her light laughter finally subsided Kagome slumped against him, feeling slightly drained, but still smiling happily. She hadn't laughed that much in ages, she hadn't realised how stifling Inuyasha could be until now.

As Kagome relaxed almost falling asleep, the hold she had over her aura loosened enough for her aura to reach out and touch Ohses' yokai, lazily it almost rubbed against his, he had again stiffened behind her, but she didn't care, the feeling his yokai was creating on her aura was too interesting. But then her aura started to do what it did best, tell her information on the emotions that the person/thing it touched felt, and she knew that Ohses felt he was missing something, something important, and he was disgusted that it was gone, she could feel it, the thing he was missing was physical, not mental like it usually is.

You see this is Kagome's empathy, she had learned the hard way that all mikos' posses the ability, this ability allows someone to feel another's emotions as their own. She had first used it by accident when Sango saw Kohaku the first time, she had reached out and soothed her friends aura as best she could, feeling Sango's grief and agony as her own, but it is not only Sango but also Shippou, when he felt happy or sad, she would feel it as well, even Miroku who is normally calm and collected (except when fondling girls) would sometimes look down at his right palm and become anxious.

Kagome had learnt that she could soothe her friends' auras by sending out her own, even Inuyasha who would sometimes look at her and feel incredible grief, and then she knew he was thinking of Kikyo.

She had healed them mentally, but this time was different, Ohses required a physical healing, and this would be hard, because she could tell the wound was old, but she would do it for him, he was after all, keeping her warm, and had as of yet, to kill her.

Turning to straddle him she felt his yokai shift from relaxed to wary immediately. To calm him she said what first came to mind,

'You are missing something important, something I can heal.' She felt his surprise and slight confusion.

'This Se...Ohses, does not require healing.' Wow, he had even picked up the third person thing from Sesshomaru. For some reason Kagome felt as if something obvious was staring her in the face, but pushing her thoughts aside (she needed to be in a slight meditation state to complete the healing), she ignored him and reached out with her aura.

Sending it out over him she tried to determine where the missing thing was, as her aura touched him she had to stop herself from shivering in fright when he growled warningly, his back becoming even stiffer.

Suddenly her aura reached the place where the missing thing was...it was his left arm. Kagome felt the world realign as understanding hit her,

'Sesshomaru.' She breathed and his growl suddenly stopped, usually a bad sign. His yokai shifted as she felt his emotions (yes he has them), annoyance, anger and finally the need to leave, to escape, she could feel as he prepared to run, what amazed her was not once did he feel like killing her for her discovery.

Pushing her arm out of his pelt, which she realised he had used to keep her warm, she placed her hand upon his chest,

'Don't you dare run Sesshomaru,' she could practically feel his eyes boring a hole into her,

'How am I supposed to heal your arm if you leave?'

Again surprise filled his yokai and Kagome supposed that he thought she wouldn't heal him, now that she knew who he was. Instead she reached out further and lightly touched her hands to each shoulder then gathering her aura to her she sent her miko aura out into him. His yokai reared and started surrounding her and her aura, trying to smother her out of existence, believing she was trying to purify it, through clenched teeth Kagome muttered, 'Control yourself Sesshomaru, I'm not going to purify you.' She could feel his anger radiating off of his aura and she started to wonder whether he could or would even control his yokai, it was the biggest she had ever felt, and right now it was using all its power to smother her...and it was winning. But then the yokai was slowly reined in, she felt as its power was drawn back, and she suddenly realised the trust Sesshomaru was placing in her, without his yokai to guard him she could purify him easily, she would prove he had not misplaced that trust.

Pushing her aura into both arms she let the aura fill his one arm and to fill his stump, then she began the healing process, using her aura she felt how his right arm was made up, then began copying the make up into his left stump, growing out veins, arteries, bones and muscle to be the left arm equivalent of the right. As she forced his body to heal she felt her already depleted aura struggling to do what she required, the fight she had had with his yokai had really weakened her, but she kept forcing it, she was already more than halfway done, but even she could tell she would not have enough power for a full healing, and angrily she kept pushing her aura to heal him, she hated doing half jobs, and this half job may just get her killed as once a healing is started it has to be completed, many mikos' die because they start a healing and are forced to use their life force to complete the healing.

But suddenly she felt his right hand move and was placed on her back, and then to her amazement Sesshomarus' yokai was pushed into her through her back, she could feel no ill intent, so taking her remaining aura she refused to let it attack him.

'Use it, miko, to finish the job.' Surprise took over her; he was offering her his aura to finish with? Did he know that he was saving her? This was way more trust then letting her just heal him, hesitatingly she touched his yokai, and when it didn't attack her, she gathered it to herself, it felt so powerful! Like a snake coiling lazily, waiting to strike. Telling it her purpose it felt almost as if his aura understood her. Just as her aura ran out she sent his own yokai back into him, with the object of healing him as her aura had done, fighting exhaustion she used his yokai to form his wrist; she created skin and bones, veins and finger-nails, and finally as his hand was done, she formed the magenta stripes on his wrist to be the reflection of his right armed ones, releasing the rest of his yokai back to him, she sat up with difficulty.

Smiling tiredly she could feel the exhaustion settle into her, she had gone way past her limits, 'All done Sesshomaru... thanks for... letting me...use your...yokai...I...wouldn't have...finished...without it...' Her eyes drifted closed and she realised she really shouldn't fall asleep in Lord Sesshomarus' lap, but for some reason couldn't bring herself to care.

Slipping, she started to fall off him, but two strong arms caught her and laid her back against his chest, the pelt was re-wrapped firmly around her, having fallen down sometime during the healing, then she heard the deep voice again, 'Sleep Kagome, I will let no harm come to you.' He was protecting her? And he said her name? It took ages for Inuyasha to use her name. Abiding his wishes she let go.

Just before he felt Kagome fall asleep he heard her soft voice,

'Uramohsses? Should have realised...your name backwards...sometimes...feel so...stupid...'

He couldn't help it; he smiled at this miko in the darkness. She really was something.