Welcome ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all will enjoy the revisions and review my work. Thank you all for visiting.

I do not own Inuyasha or the characters from it, but this story line is mine; please keep it that way.

Your humble serving author,

Pearl Knight

Kagome was moved from her small room to a larger room once training had started. The small 9 year old girl was given two rooms attached to one another; a den, so her to study in and sit with Kaede when the older woman saw fit to spend her 'day off' with the child and a bedroom that was much larger. This was all done because she was no longer allowed to walk freely around the palace. She was confined to her room and watched like a criminal. They seemed to expect the child to try and run at any moment. Kagome on the other hand was determined to make them all happy. Perhaps they would love her again if she could do what they wanted her to do… Kagome worked harder and harder and studied as much as she could. Yuka, as cold as she was, even noticed Kagome's hard work and as a reward called her by name instead of as if she was a thing. Kagome grew older and as she did her sun kissed skin faded to a pale sort of complexion. Her thick hair thinned slightly and her thick healthy toned body became thin and weak. It was at 14 years old that Kagome greeted Kaede at the door with a somber expression.

"Good evening Kaede, I'm glad you came." Kaede entered the young girls room and watched her carefully.

"Is everything alright child." Kagome nodded and gestured for the woman to sit down.

"I've been studying Kaede. I've been working very hard to understand and adapt as quickly as possible and at some point I had forgotten why I was going it… then I realize I had never known. So I looked again at my books and notes. Kaede I feel that I am very lucky." Kaede sat slowly and tilted her head.

"Ye speaks in riddles child. What is it that ye are getting at?" Kaede watched as Kagome smiled… the look on her face was somber but peaceful.

"I know my purpose Kaede. I know my fate and I'm finally able to understand." Kaede looked to the floor as her eyes welled up.

"Kagome…"

"Don't," Kagome moved to sit on the floor in front of the woman, "Don't cry. If there is anything I can do to save them I am happy to do it." Kaede looked to her as the tears came crashing down.

"Why!? Why would ye be willing to save these retched people who so easily disregard a life?"

"Kaede what a silly question. I would do this a million times over if it meant I saved you and your real family. I know about your sister and your children… A million times Kaede, without hesitation or question. A million times and more if need be." Kagome hugged the woman tightly. "But I know that something within me will cry with time. Kaede make me a promise that you will keep me strong. Believe in what they are doing as I do in this moment."
"Child ye are mad! I can't!"
"There is no changing what is to be. For me Kaede, make me believe. Silence me when I fight this. Promise me now to do this for me. What they are seeking is protection. There is no reason that I should be called upon for this unless the Guard fails. Protection Kaede, don't let me forget that."

Kaede held the fast maturing child to herself and cried.

~3 years later~

Kagome watched as the wind brushed by the canopy of her bed… how the colors highlighted in the sun and the fabrics crinkled in the breeze… The simplicity of the bronze canopy made her feel warmer somehow… The smells made her relax and sounds of birds and children outside on the grounds… they all had such a soothing effect…

"Kagome?" The door spoke and Kagome's smile slowly faded.

"Come in," Kagome sat up while moving down the bed to let her legs fall off the base so she was sitting up and in front of the red oak door in the front left corner of the room.

"Kagome, we have breakfast for ye," a young woman with long black hair opened the door, she was dressed in dark tight clothing and red painted makeup covered her eyelids peeking out at each corner. Kagome always liked how it pointed and reach for the edge of her perfectly arched brow… she wondered as she watched her what her culture was like to make such an interesting face…the angle of the eyes… the make up, was everyone like that? Even her skin was incredibly different from her own… "We have fresh fruit and oatmeal and-" The old woman who hobbled in stopped speaking as she noticed Kagomes' disinterest, and intense scrutiny of the foreign Guard member that preceded the older woman "Please child, I know that look in yer eyes." The old woman had a thick accent that never seemed to fade with time. Kagome had always found comfort in this woman. She was everything Kagome had thought a mother would be… She was as close to a mother as Kagome would ever have… Such thoughts reminded her that a mother is one thing Kagome would never be… Kaede felt her heart pang with guilt and pain knowing the conversation to come would not be pleasing for either woman.

"Kaede, I can't take much more of this…" Kagome down cast her eyes to gaze upon the autumn colored rug upon her floor, "I can't be trapped here any longer… I fear not the end but my soul is breaking trapped in this room!" Kaede set the tray of food on the cherry wood table to the right of the bed and sat on the wine red sofa alongside that wall. Kagome had seemed to lose that last spark she had left…

"Come sit child." Kagome stood and moved noiselessly across the floor, "You can'not say such things. You are kept safe from all the darkness out there. Ye must keep looking to the goods" Kagome sat hesitantly. The woman at her side had always been kind through her childhood… but she was getting older and slower… Kaede didn't like to confine Kagome anymore then Kagome liked being caged… but Kaede knew that they needed to do it… "The Guard keeps close to the walls and protects our people… all the people ask is assurance that if the Guard fails, hope isn't lost. If you dwell on the negative of it then you'll fall into depression and life will lose was little worth it has left."

"I don't have the power they want me to have!" Kagome jumped to her feet, "I can't protect the city! I can't even protect myself!" Kaede stood unwaveringly before the now crying child.

"You have not reached the point of ascension; you will have the power then child. Now stop this nonsense! Acting in this way we will never be able to get ye freedom enough to walk the grounds. Ye act out oft enough to keep 'em on edge 'bout ye." Kaede left without another word leaving a very distraught Kagome in her wake. The ground seemed so inviting as Kagome crumbled to her knees between the table and the couch. The tears started and she feared she wouldn't be able to stop them. Her sorrow overwhelmed her a moment and seemed to seep out of her form…

"I wish to be free… please free me…" Kagome's broken voice stirred something within the only other woman in the room. Moving away from the doorway Sango approached the girl slowly.

"I think… I might be able to help you Miko." Kagome looked up startled by the stiff low voice.

"You can?" Kagome's breath jammed in her throat as she considered what this women was implying, "You would take that risk?" The woman moved towards her leisurely but rapidly her legs were long and muscled needing little effort to cover ground quickly. As she knelt down Kagome noticed her arms were toned and their small size was actually misleading… she was in fact exceptionally strong that much was obvious...

"I have been a part of Guard for a long time… I have never seen someone in need of a savior more then you." Kagome latched onto the woman crying mutely as she normally did when distressed. Kagome had many books a comfortable bed and food as needed… her body was petite, her muscles almost nonexistent, and her skin unnaturally pale. Though she lived in the palace she was never allowed much time out of doors and she was never allowed a childhood… No toys, no gifts, no birthdays, no holidays… but training. Kagome was going to be a weapon, a tool to fight back the Darkness, an object. Kagome didn't know what it meant to be selfish, never was she spoiled; Kagome only knew the meaning of self sacrifice. The world was her ward…

"My name is Sango." Kagome nodded weakly.

"You were my guard when you turned 15…" Kagome smiles weakly, "They were talking about you when I was in the room once… before you were brought to me. Then I got to meet you the first time with Yuka…" Kagome had been 9 at that time. That was right after her outdoors privileges had been stripped from her. That had been the day she felt she died as a person. That was when they realized she couldn't use her power the way they wanted her to… Imagine their outrage when they found out she could not use destructive abilities… she could only use barriers and restore health. Her body's strength meant nothing to them anymore with this realization, only her spiritual abilities. They didn't understand why they were not growing as rapidly as they thought she should… When she was younger she had shown great potential but slowly over time her advancement slowed…

"That's right," Sango pulled the girls small form up and sat her on the sofa, "I remember how they spoke about you… as though you weren't there and then as though…" Sango watched the child with sympathy in her eyes… her own family had been very loving and kind… Kagome's had been killed when she was just an infant as many families were by the Darkness then… "Eat up, you'll need the energy." Sango stood very abruptly, "I will get what we need when my relief comes… you will hide it here under your bed." She made her move to leave. "Come tomorrow you will be free of this place. We leave tonight."

Kagome called to her, "You are coming with me?"

"I would not allow you to go alone into the dark of night unarmed and unable to protect yourself."

"Thank you…" Kagome whispered in awe. Sango paused at the door.

"Will you return?" Sango pauses, "I would not blame you if you didn't considering…"

"I know what my duty is… I am not afraid of death, I am afraid of not living." Kagome's words touched something much deeper within Sango. "I will return after I have tasted life." Sango left unable to take it if another word was said… her heart was bleeding for the child.

Kagome looked at the food for a moment as the smell of brown sugar wafted up to her nose. For some reason she was not sure of, the food suddenly smelt horrible… She pushed the plate away and looked at her surrounding. She would be gone soon… She would only come back when it was time for Shield to commence… She would carry on with her training while out on her own. Excitement built up… she would see the world outside…

"Kagome, Yuka calls for you. I will take you to the training rooms as soon as you have changed." Kagome looked to Sango and saw the wheels turning in her head. For the first time in a long time Kagome smiled softly.

"I will be ready in a moment."

Kagome walked silently at Sango's side as they always had. The only sound in the hall was the swish of her white and red priestess garb. The halls were nearly empty… The palace was heavily guarded and few were allowed in due to the fact that the palace itself was built into the wall surrounding the city within. If somehow the demons were to get in, they could hold them back within the palace. They had left her bedroom and walked through her small den area and out the double doors in the middle of the wall straight across the room… a left turn, a long empty hall, and one stairwell down lead them to the 'dojo'. 'Today,' Kagome promised herself, 'today I will pay extra consideration to learn how to continue on my own.' Kagome bowed to Yuka and knelt at the door while she awaiting permission to enter.

"Kagome, I hope you slept well." Yuka walked across the padded floor with ease in each step, "We will commence expansion of the barrier you've already mastered."

"May we also work on my healing at the end if there is time and we are done?" Kagome had done most of her healing work on her own, Yuka felt the barrier was much more important then silly healing… healing would not help when it came time for Shield.

"If there is an ounce of energy in your body then we are not done." Yuka began her lessons hastily.

Sango glared at the slip of a woman as she started in with Kagome rather annoyed by her dismissal… then again, nothing was about what Kagome wanted… when relieved she snagged backpacks and such they could use… she slid them under the bed trusting Kagome would find them…

Amber eyes watched the world pass by. The pathetic humans had fallen so hard. It was to the point where he had withdrawn from the battles. Their cities had once bustled with hubbub. Their numbers grew by the millions day by day… and now their gold and silver cities were dark and desolate… their metal mammoths decaying and fallen to the earth that rejected them as their hearts fled their bodies leaving evil selfish creatures in the wake of their escape.

Small cities encased within walls were erected quickly as a measure of safety… the fools thought they were safe… their precious Guard hunting in the night to keep the darkness at bay… fools. They took amusement watching the ants mill around in erratic and frantic fashions… nothing they did would change their mind… They foolishly believed in this… 'Darkness' and pushed the source of their anguish upon the youkai in the world.

The night stretched its great hand across the sun and brought darkness upon the world before his eyes. It was their time to rise. The cities were over run with death as bodies animated after the end had taken them, creatures of their so called 'darkness' sucked the nectar of life from the beings they deamed their prey that had strayed from their havens of safety and left them with twisted and tortured expressions… empty…

Some still wished to aid in the survival of the few humans left but most that had come before his eyes were same…

"Please don't kill me! Take her! She is younger she will give you more nutrition! I can show you more! Please!" The man before him squirmed and screamed as he offered the Youkai before him his only daughter of 5 years old in exchange for his own life.

He silently moved forward

"Please! Say something! Anything! Don't hurt me!" He shoved his child at the creature and ran. The man never stood a chance.

It was creatures like that, which made him uncaring in the battle of Youkai vs. Human. It was creatures like that in the end that forced him to withdraw his protection.

The blanket of night spread over the nearest city and he moved silently from his perch in a tree stepping away from the solid mass and dropping easily onto the forest floor.

"Sesshomaru-san?" a small voice called, "Are we leaving?" a young girl of 12 asked. Her face as he gazed upon her had changed much in the 7 years he had taken care of her… his last ward in the forsaken land…

"No. Stay." Two simple words but the girl sat immediately and obediently. The girl always had… she always would.

Amber eyes hesitated for only a moment before turning away from the innocent child's form. Humans would rather blame the invisible 'darkness' as their enemy, then the impurity of their own souls… its that blind assumption and vanity that leaves such a small innocent life to burn out long before it blooms…

Kagome packed her things quickly as night drew close packing what she felt was most important. Her books were among them, just a few; a book detailing step by step how to train her healing abilities, one on her defensive abilities, one on herbology, one on physical emergency medical treatment in case of being energy drained and needing to help someone, and a few educational and etiquette books. As she slipped to her knees she moved the bed skirt to reveal a large back of hay yellow. It was filled nearly to the brim… Looking at her makeshift bag she considered the space in the large yellow pack… Opening her pack she started to stuff the yellow bag to the max. She looked about once more nervously and decided to hurriedly write a letter…

I have demanded of my Guard to take me out, threatening to take my life if I am not obeyed. She has listened only to protect the good of our people. I will be returning to give any and all aid I may when the time has come. Rest assured that I will return…

Higurashi Kagome

Kagome looked at her work carefully making sure it would protect her new friend from punishment. She would be sure to let Sango know what she has done. Kagome leaned on her desk just left of the book case across from the door… she looked into the mirror and wondered why she looked so little like her friend. Sango was tan and shapely thick… not plump… not twigish… perfect. Kagome noted her pale skin… her stick like arms and tiny legs… she wondered why her body wasn't like her friends… She ran a brush through her tailbone length raven black hair never breaking the lock on her own stormy blue eyes. She ran her hands along her emerald gown knowing it would be the last time she wore such niceties… her gaze shifted ever so slightly to the pack now almost ready to burst and let her mind wonder to thoughts of her adventure to come and lost track of time…

Sango slipped into her room seemingly late and early at the same time,

"It's time." Two soft spoken words shifted Kagome's world…

Sango moved in the darkness like a wraith guiding her ward slowly through parts of her home she had never seen before. Her black attire made her melt into the surroundings easily… Kagome shifted the pack nervously as a small sheen of sweat erupted on her forehead.

"There will be a door that we go through leading to the court yard, stay close to the bushes and be as silent as possible. We will head North West; there is a village there that we may hide within." Sango moved so easily that Kagome almost felt jealous.

"There is a letter on my desk in my room… I've told them I forced you to do this, I hope that it will help you when we come back. I told them I threatened to kill myself if you didn't help me." Sango appreciated her thought to her well being but she wasn't planning on returning to this backwards city. It was dark and repulsive… no other city could be worse then this one… Kagome stopped suddenly as Sango faltered by the door she had indicated. "There are Guard members there!?" Sango cursed in a whisper she turned to see if they could back track but it was no good patrol was closing in on them… Kagome would be dragged back and they would remove Sango from her Guard promptly…

"S-Sango?" Kagome's voice came out shaky and scared.

"Run when I tell you; don't come back unless you are ready. You will never have the chance to escape again. Do you understand?" Kagome nodded slowly her body trembling. Sango jumped up and screamed, "Go now!" She charged forward and tackled the Guard by the exit of the courtyard, it was a large draw bridge style door, it was only open to receive Hojo leader of a near by city. Night was a dangerous time to travel but sometimes it had to be done… Sango cursed silently in her mind praying for Kagome's safety, she never considered Kagome leaving on her own…

Kagome ran blindly out onto the bridge then across and into the darkness… Sango smiled as she made it to the other side, and then disappeared into the darkness heading in the correct direction. She would be fine… she is a smart girl… she'll be fine. Sango rolled off of the Guard member with a faint trace of a smile on her lips.

"That was Kagome! After her!" Sango watched as they scrambled out towards the forest surrounding the. There was no way with that lead that the girl would be caught… although weakened over time by their treatment of her, her Miko abilities allowed her an edge that leveled the playing field with the Guard… Indeed she would be fine.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sango stood and turned to face the speaker. It was Kikyo, head of this city.

"The Miko demanded I aid her in an escape to see the outside world and other villages, I was supposed to accompany her as protection however the other Guard members got in the way…"

"You let her escape! Helped her even!" everyone let their intense stare land on Sango.

"It was either that or I allow her to commit suicide…" Sango clenched her teeth tightly, they all thought it was perfectly fine to keep the child against her will and sacrifice her this way… Backwards indeed.

Kagome ran like a bat out of hell. The world blurred as the moonlight cast shadows of deception across the land and the obscurity struck fear into her unacquainted heart. There was no stopping for her in her fit of panic as branches seemed to convert to hands reaching out with long deranged nails to grasp and slice at her body. The ground had sticks that jumped at her ankles and gown; animals could be heard running in fright at her sudden movements. Her mind jumbled it all up to the Darkness. She never saw the Darkness before… this must be it… it's coming to destroy her! She'll die! This can't be the end! She stumbled in her attempted to escape and looked up panting wildly. She had doomed her people in her fit of selfish desire; she would never be able to return now! The Darkness will have her any moment!

Kagome saw a tree that was rotting on the side with large gnarled roots… she slid the pack off her back so she could fit and take refuge there hoping the darkness would lose her and she would find safety… she curled her body into the tree pressing the pack tightly to her chest as though it were a shield while she watched wide eyed into the night afraid of her own shadow…

I hope you all liked it, please review. All suggestions are welcome, but please be respectful. Thank you all!

Pearl Knight