Note: Aurora is my own character, Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 1
Night falls over a small village. Only those in guard duty are still awake, all others are asleep. The guards have a hard time staying awake, for this village haven't been attacked by youkai for years. The nearby villages have been attacked several times, but the villagers believe that the shard of the Shikon jewel in the village protects it against the youkai.
What the villagers don't know is that the shard is actually luring youkai to this village. None of them gets into the village itself, because the village is well protected. They just don't know of their guardian.
That guardian is standing on a cliff above the village. Half moon in the sky is not shining brightly enough to reveal something more than a dark figure. This person is watching over the village and is ready to face anyone who is attempting to attack the village.
The guardian catches the scent of human blood and smoke. A village has been attacked. By night bandits or youkai, it doesn't matter. They won't get in here. The guardian has erected a barrier, but it's to warn the guardian, not for preventing a youkai from attacking.
The guardian waits for hours until just a moment before sunrise a youkai gets through the barrier. The guardian grins and leaps off from the cliff and dashes through the village to the forest on the far side. In there the guardian sees a youkai resembling a biped boar with a club.
The guardian grins again. That thing is not even worth fighting against. The youkai approaches the dark figure cautiously, before it suddenly stops dead and sniffs the air. Its eyes widen from panic and it leaves fast, leaving the guardian watching at its back.
Then the Sun rises and its light reveals the figure still standing in front of the forest. The guardian of the village is a tall woman with long golden hair. Her skin is very fair and her eyes are gold. She's wearing a white kimono (with widening sleeves) and hakama (which are gathered at the ankles). The left collar, wider parts of both sleeves, and left shoulder her kimono are dark blue. Also some golden flaming suns inside white diamond figures are visible on her collar and sleeves. Her shoes are grey flat pointed ankle-high boots. Around her waist and hips she has a fire-red long flowing sash with gold flaming suns.
Her sash holds a black sheath with a white-hilted katana. Her nails are actually sharp claws and her ears are pointed. Her eyelids are dark blue, the same colour as the one thin stripe on both of her cheeks. Her parted bangs reveal a dark blue figure of a flaming sun.
Before people would come outside she flies up to her cliff. As soon as she reaches it the first villager gets outside, without knowing that a youkai had just approached the village and been driven away.
Day passes by as the villagers do what they usually do during day, until in the evening some travellers enter the village. All the villagers (and the woman) observe the group, which seems to be led by (or at least he walks ahead of the others) a young man in red kimono and hakama. He has white hair, golden eyes, claws, and dog ears. She senses some youki in him, but to her he doesn't smell like a full youkai. Maybe he is a hanyou, a half-youkai. He carries a youkai sword. She senses something very familiar in it.
Behind him is walking a young, brown-haired girl with odd clothes. In her the woman senses some spiritual power. She has to be a miko, a priestess. She's also carrying a bow and some arrows. The woman recoils. The girl is carrying shards of the Shikon jewel.
Behind her are walking a black-haired houshi (monk), small nekomata (two tailed feline youkai), a young kitsune (fox youkai) and a young woman with a huge boomerang. Who are these people? The woman decides to observe the group for a while.
She's still studying the group as the houshi looks at her, as does the hanyou. They can't see her because she has enough time to withdraw from the cliff. When a while later she looks down, the group is gone. She senses them in the house of the village leader.
Inuyasha, the hanyou in red clothes, is talking with the houshi (Miroku) while the miko (Kagome) and Sango (taijiya, youkai exterminator) are having a conversation with a couple of village women about the shard of the Shikon jewel the village possesses.
Inuyasha looks at the woman and then looks back at Miroku. "You sense it too, right? There's a youkai nearby."
"Yes, I do. Shall we go and check it out?"
Inuyasha stands up. "You stay here with the women. I go alone." Suddenly he freezes. "The youkai's here."
For the first time before the dusk the woman has come down to the village. The villagers she passes look at her amazed. To them she looks very odd. She's not human. What is she?
She reaches the leader's house, when Inuyasha's group rushes out from it. She stands still and looks at them. "A priestess, a monk, a hanyou, a kitsune, a nekomata, and a normal human. Interesting group."
Inuyasha is about to say something, but Miroku prevents him. "Who are you, miss? You are not a human, I'm sure of it."
"My name is Aurora and I'm a taiyoukai (a greater youkai).
"Are you after the Shikon like the rest of the youkai? If you are, you will have to fight us. I know, we don't look that strong, but we have defeated stronger youkai as well."
"I'm strong enough already. I have no need for the jewel. I have been near this village foe weeks now, protecting it. The shard has lured many youkai in here. I have driven away or defeated each and every single one of them."
"That sword of yours, how a youkai can use it? This feeling coming from it… is clean? How can that be?"
This sword was given to my grand father by a monk who it was entrusted to. And he really gave it. Reason for this was that my grand father saved the monk's village. None of the carriers of this sword has ever hurt mortals. Never. That is the reason why this sword remains sacred and pure."
"Are you aware if any greater youkai are after the Shikon jewel?"
"No, I'm not. Although, I have heard of a hanyou who wants it to become a full youkai. I think his name is Naraku."
"He's the one we're after. Is it possible that you would help us in defeating him?"
"Why a youkai would get involved in this?"
Kagome speaks before Miroku can even open his mouth. "Because Naraku is evil. If he ever completes the Shikon, he will become very strong, and he won't hesitate to kill every human around."
"He will not be able to complete the Jewel."
"How can you know that?"
"I know this, because I have hidden one shard. That shard will stay hidden, until the Shikon can be destroyed once and for all."
"Then, why don't you come with us? Without the shard, the village is in safe."
For a moment Aurora looks at the setting Sun. Then she looks back at the group. "I will join you, but not until the morning. You look like you need some rest. Do not fear. I guard the village tonight."
