Summary: She was different, much different than any other living creature in Middle Earth. Gandalf decided upon meeting her that he would take her under his wing- for her sake and the sake of Middle Earth. Burdened with secrets she dare not speak and a jewel that is all too dangerous, Kagome realizes her fate is much bigger than she could ever anticipate.

Pairing: Undecided.

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:
Wizard(ess)!Kagome.
[Slight] Non-canon for the end of IY.
Flashbacks/past written in bulk Italics.

Prologue

The black locks that cascaded down to her thighs ruffled a bit as a generous breeze wafted through the area. Her robes swayed, and as did the decor that hung off the tip of her hat. She smiled and fixed it back into place before picking up the pace to chase after the old man several paces ahead of her already.

It took a few long strides from her, but she managed to make it back to his side easily enough. He gave a chuckle and glanced her way when she bounded up next to him. It was then that she realized he had dashed ahead of her on purpose, and she pouted blatantly.

"Rude," she whined and folded her arms across her chest, mindful of the staff she toted haphazardly in one hand. The end bobbed up and down as she walked.

"What could you ever mean?" Gandalf chuckled again.

"You know very well!" Kagome felt her pout deepen. A second later she bushed it off as her gaze drifted upwards to the end of her staff.

A familiar pink stone was placed in the end and held in place by an unseen source of pressure. It glittered each time the sun bounced off of it, lighting up and giving off a pure brilliance that spread to her, as well.

Her blue eyes darkened a bit in remembrance of how the jewel had even come to be in her possession, her mind choosing to settle on memories of her last moments in that life. As if sensing the weight of unease that fell over her, Gandalf looked down at her with a worried gleam in his eyes.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. His voice won over her attention almost instantly, and she turned dutifully back to him without waiting. She blinked a few times before nodding.

"Yes!" She paused. "Well…" The silence that followed kept Gandalf's attention on her as he waited for her to say what was troubling her. Those words never came, however, as she turned away with a short apology tumbling from her lips.

It brought him more worry, and he let out a thoughtful hum.

"If you are certain," he said then, not pressuring her to say what was on her mind. In the years he had known her- and it had been many thus far, Gandalf had learned she bore many secrets that kept her mind clouded. It did worry him. It worried him for her sake, and it worried him for those who found their way to her side.

She was no normal Lady, after all.

For one, he had not seen her age a single day since their first encounter. Her physical appearance was that of a human, but her youthful features had not aged in the fifty years she had been at his side. For another thing, she bore powers that were not matched by any other creature he had seen. A strong air was around her, clinging every fiber of her being.

He would be lying if he claimed to have no fears concerning her. He feared the possibility of someone finding a way to manipulate her strange powers and capabilities, along with the strength she possessed. Despite how she sometimes was overcome with an overbearing pressure of griefs, she was often chipper and easygoing and carried a vitality that could be matched by very few. She was innocent and pure, that much was painfully apparent, and innocent things are often always sought by things intent to taint them.

He glanced her way one last time, letting a wise eye scan over her muddled expression before she abruptly turned to him. That look on her face faded away and got replaced by innocent curiosity.

"Where are we heading, anyway?" she asked, cocking her head to the side just enough so her hat didn't fall in front of her eyes.

"We are on our way to the Shire," he said. Her mouth curved into an 'o' shape as she nodded.

"Are you sure we'll find what we need there?" she asked then, uncertainty peeking into her voice. "I doubt a hobbit will have any interest in a quest. Especially one that's chock-full of risks, like this one is."

He chuckled and a twinkle invaded his eyes. "Never doubt what's plausible, my dear apprentice," he said. "With a little push, why, anything can happen."

"Uh-huh, so you're gonna find a way to make it happen, then?" Her flat tone brought a gleam of amusement to Gandalf's eyes.

"A nudge won't hurt anything."

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention forward then. "If you insist."

Auroua-chan: I'm going to start this by saying I am working on an update for Desolate. It's taking more time than I expected, and I'm sorry for that.

Pairing for this- I'm undecided. Bouncing between Legolas and Thranduil. As always, I'm open to suggestions!

Second, I have something that I need to say;
The next few days or so, I won't have much time to do any writing. I'll be heading out of town to my brother's house. My sis-in-law is having the baby soon, and I'll be away for a little while. I might do a little writing there, but it all depends on what's happening.

Now that that's out of the way, sorry I've been away for a while. Again, busy time. Hopefully things will settle down in the next month.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but, if not, apologies.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!

Bye for now~

Happy belated New Year!