InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Light in Guiding Darkness ❯ An Angel By Her Side ( Chapter 5 )

To: Lily1121 and ACrimsonNight: Thanks so much for reviewing! Another update's on the way!

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't go suing and crap. I can't afford it! (sniff) But if anyone's willing to give them to me, I'll gladly take them. Oh, and just to let you guys know, I named this chapter wrong in the last chapter. It's not A Demon By An Unlikely Name. It's…

_Chapter Five: An Angel By Her Side_

"Have you seen a young girl, fifteen years old, with dark blue eyes, long black hair and pale skin?" she asked as she approached another villager. He took one look at her chain mail armor and sword and panicked, hurriedly scurrying away from her and toward a nearby hut.

She sighed in aggravation. 'Why is no one willing to help me?' she wondered as she walked the empty streets of the village. 'I just want to find my little sister,' she thought as tears welled in her eyes. 'She's all I have left in the world. Why must we suffer? Is it something we did? Are the gods angry at us?' She blinked as another villager stepped into her field of vision and quickly brushed aside her self-pity to flag her down.

"Excuse me! Hey, I need to ask you something!"

<>

Kagome sat crossed legged in the middle of a meadow, her cape serving as a make-shift picnic blanket as she rummage around her bag for dinner. "Aw," she grumbled as she pulled out a single rice ball. "That's all? I could have sworn I had more. Great." She reached inside the backpack once again, this time pulling free a small purse. Kagome shook it first, then opened it before groaning and tossing it back to the bag.

"Now that's just great. Not only have I run out of food, I've run out of money too!" Kagome flopped back onto the new spring grass and sighed. "What do I do now?"

`Look down mistress…a village…`

Kagome sat up and looked down the hill without a second thought. 'I don't know if the voice is real or just some part of my imagination, but I'm willing to listen to it.' She jumped up excitedly and danced in a circle when she spotted the village that sat at the base of the hill. "Yay! Maybe I can get some food there."

Kagome merrily skipped down the hill, but her happiness quickly disappeared when she entered the village gate. A sense of foreboding crept down her spine like chilly fingers as she observed the townsfolk. The ambled around her like lost souls, and some visibly wept as she walked past.

"What on earth is going on…" Kagome smiled when she finally spied a street vendor. "Hey! Can I have a word with you?"

"Make it quick lassie. The sun's about to set and I'm not about to stick around afterward."

"Ok, um, I was wondering if you had any food to trade. I don't have any money, but I'm sure we can come to some sort of-"

"I don't have time kid," the vendor growled at her before shoving a handful of oranges in her direction. "Here, just take them and get. You don't want to be around here when the sun goes down."

"Why? Hey!" Kagome called after the man as he frantically shoved his cart down the street. "I asked you something! What's going on here?"

"They're afraid," said a man sitting on the porch of a hut behind her. "We're all afraid."

"Of what?"

He stood, his humped back contrasting greatly with his youthful face. "Of the night of the full moon. It's tonight you know."

"What's so ominous about tonight?" Kagome asked as she moved to stand in front of him. "What makes it different than any other night?"

"Years ago, on this very night, a were-oni stalked our village. It plundered and murdered anyone in its wake, massacring both women and children. It did this for two months before deciding to make a treaty with us."

"What kind of treaty?"

He sighed and sadly hung his head. "On the nights of the full moon, we are to leave one child outside our village gates." He paused at Kagome's gasp, but soon continued on. "We did as requested while sneaking what children we could to neighboring villages. Tonight, we have no child to give. Tonight will be our last night."

"That's horrible," Kagome muttered softly. "Has no one tried to stop it?"

"Many have tried and many have failed. You must leave us child. The sun sets in two hours. If you don't leave before then, you won't leave at all."

Kagome reached out, placed her hand on the man's shoulder and shook her head. "I can't leave. Not yet."

The man's eyes widened in shock and confusion as Kagome smiled at him. "Bu-but why not?"

"Because you need help," Kagome replied as she shrugged her pack off her shoulders. "I intend to help you."

"But you can't!" the man argued while Kagome set her pack on the porch beside him. "Men from far and wide have tried to assist us, and they've failed! What makes you think you will succeed?"

"Because," Kagome began as she reached inside her pack for a ribbon. "I intend to pay you back for the food you spared."

"Take it and go," the man told her as she pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. "We will have no need of it soon enough."

"Which side does the were-oni normally come?"

The man eyed her curiously, as if questioning her sanity as he looked her over. Kagome waited patiently, dressed in jade green hakamas, haori and a darker green cape that brushed past her ankles to sweep the ground. The bow in her hands did little to impress him, but the determined look in her eyes did.

He pointed toward the way she came. "That way child. The way you came in." Kagome bowed in thanks and retraced her steps to the village gate. The man watched her as she went, his eyes misted with tears as he whispered

"Go forth if you must. I hope you will see me again."

><

"What I don't understand is," Myouga began as he, Sesshoumaru and Jaken gazed into the mirror. "why she would feel obligated to help a village she's not a part of? After all, she's putting herself in harm's way for nothing."

"It's because she's a stupid human!" Jaken complained from Sesshoumaru's left. "No youkai would do such a thing!"

"No human would either," Sesshoumaru dryly added to the conversation. "So why is she?"

"She is different Sesshoumaru," Kanna answered from the other side of the plane. "All the humans you know-"

"This Sesshoumaru is not familiar with creatures lesser than himself."

Kanna sighed in frustration, wondering to herself why the two weeks with the former taiyoukai suddenly felt like an eternity. "Of course Sesshoumaru. As I was saying, all the humans you've heard about don't compare to her. She is a good soul. That's why she was chosen after all."

Sesshoumaru said nothing more, choosing to return his attention to the mirror as Kagome set up outside the village gate. 'Good soul or not, the girl is foolish. Her rash decisions of mercy and kindness will get her killed.'

><

`Mistress, why are we staying here exactly?` Kagome's companion asked as she took off her cape and draped it over a nearby rock.

"Because these people need me," Kagome answered. "Yes, it's inexcusable for them to have handed over their children like that, but they had no choice. They don't deserve the life they've led."

`And so you wish to save them…`

"Hai," Kagome nodded as she plucked her bow string. "I do."

`Then I will not leave you…`

"No," Kagome said with a wry smile as the sun went down. "I didn't think you would."

The world darkened around her, leaving Kagome cast in the shadows provided by the lit torches along the gate's perimeter. She listened to the night sounds around her, her ears twitching slightly at the sounds. She could feel the presence of the villagers from behind the gate, and their curious eyes as they watched her from their supposed safety.

`My lady, why do your ears move? Are you youkai?`

'No,' Kagome answered as an owl sounded from somewhere in the darkness. 'It's something my father gave to my sister and I. As far as I know of, we're hu-'

Kagome stopped, listening intently to the suddenly quiet forest.

"It's here."

The wind surged around her, lifting the edges of her haori sleeves and whipping her hair about as it blew past. Kagome looked up as a single cloud drifted across the moon, moving as if in slow motion from one side to the other. She gasped when she looked back down, taking a quick step back as glittering silver eyes glowed back at her from the darkness.

Kagome slowly reached for an arrow as it stepped into the light, revealing a hideous spider / wolf hybrid. It's dog-like snout snarled at her and what looked to be poison dripped from it's fangs. It sniffed the air gingerly, then glared down at Kagome and growled as she nocked an arrow and aimed. "No child for you tonight," Kagome muttered as she pulled the bowstring back. "Tonight, you deal with me."

It hissed in answer and charged at her seconds before Kagome loosed her arrow. It burned toward the oni in a bright purple streak. The arrow itself missed but the ki surrounding it charred the underside of the spider's belly. It roared in agony, it's cry piercing the night air before spitting its poison at her. Kagome ducked just in time and rolled clear. The acid luggie splattered into the wooden gate, the corrosive poison melting a large hole into the flimsy structure on contact.

'Ok,' Kagome thought as she ducked one of the spider's legs. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.' The were-oni chased her relentlessly, it managing to ignore the burn inflicted on it earlier.

Kagome screamed when a hairy leg stomped down in front of her, and turned to run when another punched her in the stomach. She sailed across the clearing and landed on her back in front of the gate, the air leaving her lungs in a shaky whoosh. The were-oni pounced instantly, springing into the air and landing with it's legs surrounding her.

Kagome winced unaware, her eyes closed as she struggled to catch her breath.

`My lady, you must get up. You are in danger.`

"I'm trying," she wheezed aloud as she struggled to sit up. She reached around for her bow, and groaned when she spied the broken weapon at her feet. "That's just gre-ahh!"

She raised her hands just as the spider moved to bite her, it's enormous jaws closing in around her. 'This is it,' Kagome thought as she closed her eyes. 'I'm so sorry everyone. I tried.'

><

"She's giving up," Sesshoumaru commented. "How like a human."

"Wait my lord, do you see that?" Myouga asked from Sesshoumaru's shoulder. Sesshoumaru looked back just as a red and green flash of light went off between Kagome and the oni.

"What just happened?" Myouga wondered aloud. Kanna chuckled softly. "It is as I said," she said when Sesshoumaru looked up at her. "She is not an ordinary human."

'No, she is not,' Sesshoumaru agreed as he looked back to the mirror. 'But why would she raise a shield that looks like an outstretched wing?'

><

Kagome opened her eyes just as the were-oni blasted away from her and watched as it collapsed a few yards away.

`Make haste my lady,` the voice told her as Kagome struggled to stand upright. `You need no weapon now. Finish him off.`

Kagome stumbled toward the creature, her slow progress quickly becoming a run as the spider struggled to consciousness. She reached out and grasped the nearest leg, her hand instantly burning a bright pink as she began to purify him. She held on with both hands as it struggled to free itself of her, it's thrashing and bucking finally able to shake Kagome loose. She fell back to earth once again, but the damage had been done. Kagome and the villagers that began to straggle out of the village watched as it flashed a vivid pink once, twice, three times before bursting into gray ash and fluttering away on the night breeze.

Kagome smiled while the villagers cheered around her, too weary to join into their celebrations. They poured from the gate, each either cheering or singing as the humped man from earlier kneeled at Kagome's side.

"Are you injured miko-sama?" he asked as he checked her over. Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Please, call me Kagome."

"Thank you so much Kagome. My name is Jinichi, and I'm the seer of this village." He helped Kagome to stand, with one arm wrapped around her lower back to steady her. "Is there anything we can do to repay you?"

"Yeah," Kagome breathed with a lopsided smile. "Catch me."

Kagome fainted without another word.

><

Sesshoumaru looked on as the village elder called on the younger men for assistance. 'How like a female to faint after something as little as that,' he thought with a smirk. 'But I will not say that I'm not impressed with her little show. She seems perfectly capable of taking care of herself, if you overlook her-'

"Spacey-ness," Kanna finished for him, then smiled when he glared at her. "What?"

"Do you often intrude on the thoughts of others?" Sesshoumaru growled heatedly. Kanna shrugged. "Not usually. You seemed to be looking for a word there, so I thought to help you."

"If I need your help, I will ask for it."

Kanna sighed so herself. "If that is your wish Sesshoumaru-sama." She turned her attention to the lands around her and the cliff ahead. The cliff was a part of a different landscape, and separated from her land by a deep chasm that lead to the river below. She could see the devils on the other side and hear their growls and snarls as they glared at her 'guests'.

"What keeps them back?" Myouga asked as he jumped on her shoulder.

"It's the barrier surrounding this place," Kanna answered. "It keeps stray souls out. No ordinary weapon can pierce it, and no one that I do not wish to help can enter it."

"I see. They're interested in us aren't they?"

"Not us," Kanna said before glancing over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru. "Him."

Myouga looked back in confusion before the obvious reared its head. "Kikyou knows."

"Yes," Kanna nodded. "She does. She searches for him, and is looking for a way to break my barrier so she can return him to his former torture. Sesshoumaru knows not of this, as it should be."

"Hai, that is true," Myouga agreed. "He would wish to rush into battle. It would be dreadful."

"If he were to step out of my barrier now," Kanna replied. "Kikyou would have him, and there would be no saving him once that happened. No matter what happens, he must stay inside the barrier."

><

Kagome awoke the next morning, not to the heights and leaves she was accustomed to, but to a soft bed and a scratchy; but warm comforter. "Where am I?" she asked aloud as she slowly sat up. She winced at her body's protest, realizing belatedly that last night's little 'scrimmage' left her a little worse for wear.

"How are you miko-sama?" a young woman asked as she stepped into the room. Kagome nodded slowly, her hand to her head as she felt the workings of a headache begin.

"I'm alive so I think I'm pretty good, don't you?"

The young woman laughed, a happy carefree sound that lifted Kagome's spirits considerably. "You're quite right miko-sama. I find myself agreeing with you on this morning."

"Please, call me Kagome. I like it better than miko-sama."

"Alright then," the woman appeased. "I'm Myra, and I'm the village nurse. Are you feeling ok?"

"Just a slight headache," Kagome answered as she tossed aside the blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She gaped when she finally caught a glance at her clothing, the rips and tears in her haori and hakamas let her know just how close the were-oni came to her.

Myra smiled at Kagome's unease and passed her a nearby mug. "Here, drink this. It should help you feel better."

Kagome took the mug graciously and brought it to her lips, only to jerk it back and gag a split second later. Myra tisked in disapproval and pushed the cup back to her. "You must drink it all Kagome. I know it's an acquired taste but it will help you."

"Alright," Kagome gasped. She glared at the mug one last time, then held her nose and slammed the foul liquid to the back of her throat. She ignored the slight burning as it went down, and found herself feeling better the moment the cup was dry.

"See," Myra said as she took the cup away and helped Kagome to stand. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yes," Kagome disagreed with a smile. "It was. Thanks."

"You're quite welcome. Now, here's your bag," Myra gestured to a chair in a nearby corner where the black canvas pack sat. "You'll find that it's been replenished of anything we thought you would need."

"That's very kind of you," Kagome said as she searched inside her pack for something to wear. "But I don't have a way to pay for it al-"

"Nonsense," Myra countered with a wave of her hand. "You've done more for us than we ever could for you. We're the ones that should thank you." She watched as a curious look crossed over Kagome's face, then smiled when she pulled out an unfamiliar outfit.

"What's this?" Kagome asked as she held it up. It was a sea green fighter's kimono with black sakura petals splashed on the right shoulder. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome. The village seamstress insisted on creating that for you. It took her all night, by candlelight."

"I'm honored," Kagome whispered as she traced one of the sakura petals. Each were rimmed with silver thread, giving the petals a soft shimmer that she was certain would complement her eyes.

"I'm glad," Myra interjected. "The blacksmith made a few adjustments to the silver brush inside as well. A few village girls collected some ribbon for your hair. It would greatly please them if you wore them."

"I would be glad to," Kagome agreed as she finally pulled out a amethyst pair of hakamas and a white haori. She looked around her bag for her brush, and found that multicolored strands of ribbon were tied to a metal ring welded to the handle. Kagome decided on a deep plum one to match her hakamas and turned to Kira. "Would there be someplace I could take a bath?"

"There's a basin in the corner. Please feel free to use it."

"Thank you," Kagome said as Myra excused herself. "Now," Kagome sighed as she turned to the basin and the water jug. "Let's get this over with."

She washed quickly, grimacing every so often at the black blood that was splattered on some of her skin. "How on earth did that get there?" she wondered as she scrubbed furiously. She quickly sent her ki in search of infection in her bloodstream, and sighed in relief when it found none. 'That's a relief,' Kagome thought as she dried and dressed. She saved her hair for last, grinning to herself at the little metal ring on the end of her brush.

"I wonder what it's for," Kagome mused as she gave it a gentle tug. She gasped when a small blade whipped out of the handle with a zing. 'Oh, so that's the difference. This will be useful, I think.' She attempted to purify the blade, and smiled to herself when it quickly glowed a soft pink.

"Kagome," Myra called from outside the room. "Are you ready?"

"In a moment," Kagome replied as she quickly pushed the blade back into the handle and brushed her hair. She tied it into a low ponytail, found her shoes and stepped outside. Myra led her off the porch and toward the center of the village. Myra managed to ignore the stares of the villagers as they stood around them, but Kagome found herself blushing in embarrassment.

"Where are we going?" Kagome whispered softly.

"The village seer wishes to speak to you," Myra answered as she stepped onto the porch of a hut in the center of town. "He's right in there."

"Miko-sama?"

Kagome turned just as a man with a heavy black apron approached her with a long bundle in his hands. "I…I made this for you. Please accept this gift," he beseeched as he kneeled before her. "It's nothing like the bow you had, but hopefully it will do."

Kagome's blush deepened considerably. "Please, don't bow," Kagome said as she helped him to stand. "I'm no one to bow to, and I'm sure the weapon you've given me will be wonderful." Kagome unwrapped the bundle and exhaled sharply. Inside was a long bow with a quiver filled with arrows. The bow itself was made of painted black wood, with silver tips on each end. The arrows were painted black as well, with silver tips and red and green feathers.

"They're beautiful," Kagome said as she gave the man a hug. "Thank you so much. I will always treasure them."

"Come Kagome," Myra said as she opened the door of the hut. "The seer waits."

Kagome nodded and followed Myra inside with the bow and quiver in her hands. Jinichi sat in the middle of the hut, his back to them as he tended to a fire in the fire pit in front of him.

"That will be all Myra," Jinichi said. Myra bowed and left the hut without another word. "Come Kagome-san. Sit by me."

Kagome did as she was told, sitting cross-legged beside him before un-strapping her pack and setting her weapons on the floor. Jinichi glanced over to her and smiled before pointing to a shelf on Kagome's left side. "If you please, hand me one of those bowls over there."

"Sure." Kagome handed him what he requested instantly and blushed when his fingertips grazed hers. "Um," she stammered suddenly. "Wh-what's the bowl for?"

"You have to eat don't you?" Jinichi said with a smile. Kagome nodded in thanks while he filled the bowl and passed it to her. "Miso soup. It should fill you up quickly."

"Thank you," Kagome replied before drinking from the edge of the bowl.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here," Jinichi began as he watched her eat. "Everyone else in the village has given you something, and I feel that I should be no different. I can help you with your quest."

"Quest?" Kagome sputtered as she nearly choked on her soup. "How do you know-"

"I know that you don't know what you're doing exactly," Jinichi interrupted. "But I know that you will be successful."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you've been Touched."

"What?" Kagome squeaked. "What does that mean?"

Jinichi said nothing more, but handed her a hand mirror from somewhere near him. Kagome gazed at him doubtfully, then at reflection. She blinked in disbelief, then stretched open her left eye. "Oh my God," Kagome gasped as she finally let it go. "What happened?"

"You've been Touched by the gods," Jinichi told her. "You're been commanded to do their holy work. You're also connected to another being."

"Like this isn't bad enough," Kagome muttered to herself, then bent to look at Jinichi. "Connected to who?"

"Connected to whom dear, and you will know them when you see them," Jinichi answered.

"So there's more than one person?" Kagome asked. Jinichi shrugged. "Perhaps. It depends on you. I know that one is tied directly to you. That one is the one you're looking for."

"Can you tell me where to find him?" Kagome pleaded. "I don't know where to look, and I'm worried I won't be able to find him!"

"Don't fret Kagome," Jinichi told her as he patted her shoulder. "Things will come together in time. For now, continue going straight. Strong forces lead you forward. You will get there soon."

"OK." Kagome looked down at her bowl, surprised to find it empty before she passed it to him. 'Funny,' she thought as he handed her another serving. 'I don't remember eating the first one. Maybe I wasn't paying attention.'

"Eat up," Jinichi told her as she began. "Soon, you'll be on your way, and I doubt you'll be comfortable along the road."

<>

"Thank the gods for night," Inuyasha growled to himself as he scoured the forest around him. His sage green eyes searched the lands for anything that would mark a trail. A single cotton thread, a stray scent on the wind, anything to keep him from wandering aimlessly like he had for the past couple of months. It was starting to grate on his frayed nerves.

'This makes no sense,' Inuyasha told himself as he passed over another village. 'There should be some sort of sign, some hint of her, yet there's nothing.' He looked down and spotted the remains of a burned out village. His nose twitched as he recognized one of the many scents surrounding it. 'That Aloyoshenka and his men were here. This is the village she lived in.'

Inuyasha landed smoothly, his hair billowing around him in a white cloud before settling on his leather clad shoulders. He glanced around slowly, his nose breathing in the death and decay that permeated the very ground he stood on. 'Those boys certainly know how to get the job done,' Inuyasha thought with a grin.

He sniffed about, ignoring the scents of tears and blood as he searched for a clue as to where to go. One scent teased him, the sweetness of it creating a heady feeling and warming his frigid blood. He followed this one to a shallow grave on the outskirts of the village. A rosary lay on top of the grave, and a single wooden marker served as a gravestone to those that passed by.

Inuyasha crouched down on all fours and inhaled deeply, shoving aside the blood and death for the sweetness and a scent he recognized. "Wool and…sunshine…" he growled softly. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and the red that infused his vision glowed menacingly.

"So, you were here too Aragon," Inuyasha snarled as he leapt to the dark skies above. "You may have been first, but you've left a trail for me." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles loudly, the sound breaking on the midnight breeze. "I'll have to thank you when I see you."

<>

Kagome stood in the middle of a river weeks away from Jinichi's village. Her backpack sat on the river's edge, along with her bow and her discarded clothes. She kept her quiver on her back, no doubt finding the idea of being completely defenseless unnerving. She searched the area with her ki and sighed with relief when she felt nothing but the presence of the woodland creatures around her.

'Now on to matters at hand,' she thought as she gazed at her reflection in the water. Four days of knowing had done nothing for Kagome's curiosity as she stared in awe at herself and remembered what she used to look like. Her right eye was still the blue she was born with, with small flecks of gray that danced in the sunlight. Her left eye was what concerned her, it being a deep aquamarine with flecks of blue and gold. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that the dual eyecolors made her look more youkai than human.

'But how,' Kagome wondered as she touched the cheek beneath it. 'It…has it always been like this?'

`No mistress,` her companion whispered softly. `It did not change until the night I first called you.`

"That would explain the weird looks I've been getting lately.' She sighed and swiped at her reflection, only to watch as it changed. Her reflection stood as it always did, but a little to the side of it stood what looked like the back of a man. Kagome turned around quickly, her hands covering her bare breasts as she glared around her. Her brow furrowed in confusion before she shrugged and turned back around. Sure enough, the man's reflection was still there. Kagome glanced over her shoulder one last time, then made a small sound of confusion as she stared at the new reflection.

His back was to her, which gave her a perfect view of the back of his head. Straight brown hair was held back from his face in a ponytail, the tip of it just grazing the area between his shoulder blades. He seemed to sense her staring at him, for soon he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her.

`There is no need for such my lady,` the voice called out as the man nodded. `I am not a threat to you.`

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, and in her moment of awe forgot her modesty. She reached out to touch the reflection, watching as it rippled but remained where it was. "I…you're the voice…"

`That I am,` he said with a smile. `Forgive me if I startled you.`

"It's no problem, I think. How come I can see you now, but not with the other times I've bathed?"

`You're bathing in an enchanted stream,` he answered as he turned to her fully. `That is why things are as they are. You normally do not see me without these conditions.`

"Oh, ok then," Kagome said with a nod. "So, you're not really here?"

`I'm here, then I'm not. It all depends on how you look at things.`

"Ok," Kagome drawled before quickly deciding to drop it. "What's your name?"

`My…my name,` he stuttered out with a flushed look on his face. `Why would you wish to know that?`

"Because it makes me uncomfortable to call you 'hey you'," Kagome responded sarcastically. "Besides, I'd like for us to be friends since you've helped me and all."

`I'm…Raphael,` he answered with a nervous smile. Kagome smiled back. "I'm Kagome. Nice to meet you."

`The pleasure is mine, I assure you.`

"Tell me," Kagome said as she continued her bath. "What do you know about this Touched thing? What is it and why have my eyes changed?"

`To be Touched is a great honor,` Raphael explained. `It means that you're in the service of the Most High.`

"Haven't a clue as to what you're talking about," Kagome said with a shake of her head. "But I thought you said something different. I'm confused. What woke me up and why am I here? What am I supposed to be looking for?" She watched as Raphael sighed heavily, and took notice of the odd cape around his shoulders. It glittered in the sunlight, and looked to be made of red feathers with green ones collected at his shoulders.

`Who woke you is not important,` Raphael answered finally. `Why you were allowed to be awakened is. The gods-all of them, including my Master-have decided that you're mission is holy and to help you as much as they can. They have long awaited for a chance to rid the world of the vampires, and those that awakened you have given them a way, of a sort.`

"Then who am I supposed to get?" Kagome asked before dunking herself underwater. She emerged a few minutes later and shook the water from her hair. "Do I know him?"

`No, you do not know him,` Raphael admitted, his brown eyes closing in thought before opening again. `However, he knows you.`

"Does he? I thought youkai stuck with their own kind?"

`They do, but it would seem that he's…curious about you…`

"OK," Kagome replied nervously. She glanced down at her hands and frowned when they started to prune. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

`I am…sorry, for your village. I know they meant a lot to you.`

Kagome nodded sadly, sniffing slightly as she brushed a stray tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry too."

`You could not have been there for them.`

"But I would like to have tried."

`He will help you find your vengeance,` Raphael assured her. `All you have to do is find him. You will not have to do anything more afterward.`

"As if," Kagome grumbled as she finally left the water. She reached for a towel lying beside the shore and dried off, then searched her pack for something clean to wear. She stayed as close to the water as possible, making sure to be able to see Raphael out the corner of her eye as she dressed.

`You would fight,` he asked her as Kagome put on her undergarments. `Even though you know the danger?`

"I would," she replied before pulling out the fighter's kimono she received from Jinichi's village. "Well, I have nothing else to wear so…" She hurriedly tugged it over her head, marveling to herself at the way the material clung to her curves. It fell two inches above her knees, with a split on either side of her legs that stopped mid hip. The sleeves were looser, widely hanging from her shoulder to her wrist. The collar was high, yet there was a sort of cut out that exposed a tiny bit of cleavage to the naked eye. The sakura petals she noticed days earlier gathered at her right shoulder, but a few made a straggled line from her shoulder to her left hip.

Kagome blushed at her reflection. "Wow," she thought as studied herself. "It's beautiful, but does it have to be so tight?"

`It will help with running, mistress,` Raphael told her. `And I think it's quite becoming.`

"Thanks," Kagome blushed in answer. "Do you mind if I call you by your name?"

`Of course not,` Raphael replied her with a wry smile. `It is, after all, one of the reasons I told it to you.`

"Right," Kagome said, instantly feeling embarrassed. "Well, are you ready to go?"

`Only if you are.`

"Good. Let's go then."

Kagome re-clasped her cape to her shoulders, picked up her backpack and bow and resumed her journey west. So deep in thought was she that she didn't notice another presence join Raphael in the water.

`Do you think it wise,` he asked Raphael sternly. `To allow her knowledge of your name?`

`I see no harm in it,` Raphael responded. `She seems comfortable knowing that the voice she hears has a face.`

`A face she was not meant to see, by the way,` his companion reprimanded with a shake of his head. Curly black hair sprung wildly back and forth, then resettled onto his green and red caped shoulders. Raphael merely shrugged.

`The harm's been done now. No turning back I suppose.`

His companion sighed in frustration. `This is a serious situation. There is no time for you antics.`

`I assure you, I am not playing any tricks. I merely wish to comfort the girl.`

`Do what you will, but do not compromise her mission. Our God will not be happy with you if you do.`

`I won't,` Raphael assured him with a smile. The other merely rolled his eyes and lifted his arms. The cape around him suddenly expanded to wings, the red and green feathers shimmering in the sunlight.

`Remember Raphael; do your job. Nothing more, nothing less. These human females will be the end of you yet.`

`I promise Michael,` Raphael said as the other flew away on the passing wind. `I will behave myself. Why would you doubt me?`

<>

She walked into the village slowly, pausing mid step at the enormous hole being repaired in their main gate before continuing on. Each villager she passed greeted her with a smile and a deep bow. She could hear the whispers above the slight clink of her armor, but decided to ignore them as a young man with a humped back stepped before her.

"Welcome traveler," he said with a bow and a smile. "I'm Jinichi, and I am the seer of this village. Please allow us to assist you in any way."

"I've come looking for my sister," she responded immediately. "She's a little shorter than me, fifteen, with dark hair. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"I assure you, we haven't seen you sister. Perhaps the miko could help you."

"What miko?" she asked curiously. Jinichi smiled. "Why the miko that was just here. She exterminated a were-oni for us before leaving. Perhaps she could help you find your sister."

'Miko are rare in this day and age,' she thought as she nodded her head. 'Maybe it was Kagome. Nah, Kagome's always been afraid of youkai and oni. It couldn't have been her.' "What did she look like?"

"A little like what you described, except she had the funniest eyes."

"Funny eyes?" she repeated, remembering that Kagome's blue eyes would appear funny to some. "How so?"

"One eye was green and the other blue. She had the eyes of the Touched."

"Then that is not my sister then," she said with a sigh. "But maybe it wouldn't hurt to find this miko. What direction did you say she went?"

Jinichi pointed toward the other side of town. "West, I believe, toward the town of Kyro. Surely you will find her there."

"I suppose I will. Thank you." Jinichi watched as she left the village, recognizing instantly what the tiny symbol on her left shoulder meant. "A vampire hunter…interesting. All in the same family as well. No wonder the miko showed such courage."

<>

Kagome walked on easily, her gait happy and cheerful as she listened to the birds chirp around her. She silently thanked Jinichi and his villagers now that the weather was hotter. The fighter's kimono they gave her was considerably cooler than her heavy haoris and hakamas, so she opted to only keep one gi in her bag and wear the kimono constantly. She would wash it during her baths, it and her talks with Raphael her only solace as she traversed the wild and dangerous countryside.

She'd taken to exterminating recently, something that she would have frowned upon months before everything began. Each village she helped insisting on rewarding her despite her protests to the contrary, and soon she had many more of the fighter's kimonos she loved so much. One village even offered to replace her bow with a sword or sturdier weapon, but she refused it.

'After all,' Kagome thought to herself as she held the weapon close to her bosom. 'This was one of my first gifts. I'd never part with it.'

Today she was dressed exactly like her bow, with a kimono similar to the one Jinichi's people gave her. The only differences were the sleeves, which stopped in a tight silver band along her forearms, and the deep v neckline lined with silver silk thread. Her hair was loose today, falling in cascades of onyx waves against her back. Her cape was inside her pack, it and her quiver soundly strapped to her back.

`I am sure he who gave it to you would be most pleased,` Raphael laughed teasingly. Kagome stopped in the middle of the path and pouted, her bottom lip poking out slightly.

"Now that's just mean," Kagome whimpered. She frowned as Raphael only laughed harder. `I assure you my lady, it was not meant in malice.`

"Sure sure," Kagome muttered and continued on her way. She continued on quietly, her thoughts a million miles away until

`Mistress, stop!!!!`

Kagome halted mid-step, and was opening her mouth to ask why when a silver ball of light dropped right before her eyes. The sunlight bouncing off it momentarily blinded her. She stepped back and shielded her eyes with her arm as malicious laughter rang out over the forest around her.

"Wh-who's there?" Kagome called out nervously. The silver ball disappeared, leaving a rich, deep voice behind.

"Little sheep, little sheep shall you baa until noon? You are surrounded by your flock…….but no one can hear you…" He laughed again, the dark sinister sound chilling Kagome to the very bone.

'What do I do Raphael?' Kagome wondered, a hair's breath from panicking as the laughter drowned out all other sounds.

`Mistress…`

Kagome shrieked when another ball appeared mere inches from her face. The razor sharp blades protruding from it glittered brightly in the sunlight and Kagome screamed again when it jerked toward her.

`RUN!!!!!!!!!!!`

----

Sesshoumaru2: Does everyone get what the voice is? {smiles when everyone nods} Good.

Silver Fox: Hey, I was wrong!

Sesshoumaru2: Wrong about what…(under her breath) not that it's a surprise.

Silver Fox: I thought that the voice talking to her was the Tenseiga!

Sesshoumaru2: Can a sword talk genius? Gah! But that's what you get, you Know-It-All!

Silver Fox: Whatever. I think it would have been better if it were Tenseiga. Hey, where is that sword anyway?

Sesshoumaru2: {::flips fluffy tail over her shoulder::} [Curious as to what's going on? Check the bio page!] Don't worry about it. For right now, just know that things are changing rapidly for Kagome and those she'll come in contact with. Don't worry, everything's pulling itself together.

Kagome: In the next chapter, Aragon finally catches me, but can he bring himself to do as Naraku commands? The next chapter of A Light in Guiding Darkness is…

Chapter Six: Curiosity

Sesshoumaru2: Oh, and mad props goes to anyone who can guess where the sheep line came from. I'll give you guys a hint: I've recommended her story once before. Oh, and to her: HI!!!!

Responses:

Dark Neko-chan: He does love them, and we're just now finding out what color they are. I think Jeff's Kagome had brown eyes but not mine. (shakes her head) Nope, my Kagome is different. Her eyes remind me of a story my grandfather used to tell us before bed. And Sesshou should be more understanding about the eye thing. Shame on him.

UgLyDaRkFaErIe547: I'm sorry about that. I know a lot of things aren't really clear but if you'll stick with me I promise everything will be explained!

Kagome: You should make yourself heavier so he can't walk away so easily. Just a thought. I think it would be funny personally. I'm sure I have some weights around here somewhere, so grab them if you want.

NoLabel: You read me like a book. You're right of course, but don't guess what it is! I want you to be surprised. Unfortunately, Aragon is fated to catch Kagome unawares, as I'm sure the bottom of this chapter hints at. Don't worry though, because Kagome's guardian is well prepared for such a thing.

BelleDayNight: You're telling me! Here I thought that the dark and mysterious would be easy but no....I just want to tell every secret in this story! There's so many and they're hard to keep up with! I don't want to give too much away before the right time. I feel bad for Kanna too, but it seems like Sesshou will be calmer now that he has the mirror. Aragon is going to try to hurt her. Those are his intentions anyway. You're right, the mirror is like IM. Cool! I never thought of that.

LittleBlackAngel: Nope, I've never read it. What's it about?

Father Malvado: I would. I don't like that little toad. I'm going to have all kinds of things happen to him in this fic. I agree with your score though. No perfect 10 because the toad still lives...but if you think about it, he's dead so it's kinda impossible to kill him. I'm fond of the alternate dimensions too, and I hope I can make them tie together well. Oh, and >Zap!< one kitsune zapped, per your order!

Tessa3: You're right about that. Nothing I do is normal. I worry about that sometimes, then I shrug it off and find a bag of Cheetos. Inspiration comes from those little bags of cheesy goodness. I like Sun Sipper a lot more too, but Daywalker sounds better.

KouseiJL: So sorry to disappoint you, but they don't go boom. Are you really starting to? If you are, let me know what you're thinking. I may have overlooked something that you didn't.

Tokia: You have Vegeta and Sesshoumaru breathing down your neck? You poor girl. I feel bad for you. It you thought that cliffie was bad, I'm sure you're ready to throttle me about this one. I'm so sorry. I intended it to happen, but I still feel bad about it. You really should read Jeffs story though. It's really helpful (on top of being really good).