The Knight by psychokiller

Chapter 1

Title: The Knight

Author: Psychokiller/ sorata-chan

Rating: PG-13...may change

Disclaimer: I really believe that us fanfiction authors putting up a disclaimer is slightly redundant...of course we wouldn't own the show we are basing fiction off of!

Summary: The group stood in the background, stunned at the marvelous display of power by the woman before them, "I am sorry to have hindered you from your journey," she said in an oddly familiar voice, "Wait, what is your name?" The group minus two watched the woman, "Its Kagome" she called while riding off, "What?"

Chapter 1

The group stood in the background, stunned at the marvelous display of power by the woman before them. A snake youkai had come from out of nowhere and attacked them yelling about the sacred jewel and help. A demoness had ridden out behind him, her pure alabaster steed following closely the movement of the snake.

She slid off of the horse, which dutifully removed itself out of the battle afterwards, and began to eradicate the menace. It was then that they realized that it was she whom the rouge was trying to escape.

She sliced the demon through and stood with her sword valiantly poised before her as the youkai fell dead behind her. The fluidity of her moves stunned them yet brought upon them a nostalgic aura; she looked like a formidable foe.

Her manner of dress also told that she was of a high station in the western realms of the land. The crimson tone of her skintight gi reflected the traces of sunlight faintly, she wore a breastplate over her chest, and she also sported white hakamas with splits in the side to allow movement yet also allowed her to be covered. She silently sheathed her sword as she walked up to the bewildered travelers and bowed respectfully.

"I am sorry to have hindered you from your journey," she said in an oddly familiar voice, the nostalgic feeling grew within them as they continued their scrutiny of the warrior. It was uncommon to have warriors of the feminine sex, as women are said to be too delicate to understand the art of war, yet here stood before them a very contradiction of that statement.

"Fair maiden" the monk of the travelers acknowledged. It was quite an odd group indeed to the warrior, an apparent tajiya, a hanyou, fire cat, and a monk. Odd indeed. "If you do not find it rude of me asking, but, what are you?" he asked, he had never really seen a youkai of her breed before and he was curious, he also wanted to know of what station she had in the west, he lifted her right had and delicately kissed her wrist.

The warrior blushed at the compliment and gesture as she retracted her had from that of the monk's and answered half of his question; "Noble monk, I am neither fair, nor do I mind your question," she began, "I am but a noble knight following the orders of my lord in the Western Territories." She said with another small bow.

"Sesshoumaru has a female knight!" the hanyou yelled incredulously, blue eyes looked at him in confusion, but shifted when a pure white mare came up and nudged the demoness affectionately, neighing slightly, apparently relaying a message.

"I must return" the knight said bowing, she stepped backwards and mounted the horse with fluidity and grace only a cat could posses.

"Wait, what is your name?" the tajiya called as the horse reared,

The knight looked back at them, contemplating whether to tell them or not, she may not ever see them so she didn't see the harm in it, "its Kagome" she said before riding off the way she came, the remains of the demon she had targeted lay forgotten and rotting.

She heard a cry of 'what' as she rode off, she decided to ignore it and continue on her mission.

***

A raven-haired young woman sat in her room in a meditative posture, her eyes were closed and her mind was relatively blank as she focused on her energy. After a while she sighed audibly in defeat, her shoulders slumped and her eyes opened showing dark blue orbs, clouded gray in irritation.

Ever since that day, half a moon cycle ago, she couldn't meditate properly anymore. She kept thinking about what her training would be like and what they would have her do to prove herself and her loyalty to them. She sighed again in frustration. Why did they have to tell her?

Ever since she was a little girl, Kagome had been surrounded by miko, she was found at the tender age of three by two traveling miko. She had been attacked by a low level youkai that had killed parents she didn't know and was about to end her short life.

They said she had formed a small purifying barrier around herself, keeping the youkai at bay for a short while. It was long enough for them to get to her. They had then taken her with them to a boarding house on a small island, where they started teaching her how to use the power housed within her.

She grew up there under the tutelage of many miko, but mainly the elderly Kaede, whom was one of those who had found her. Kaede was like a mother to Kagome, and she taught her everything she knew. Kagome was taught about youkai, that everyone was good or evil, never in-between. She learnt of the way of miko and the different ways of healing, with herbs or energy.

She learnt that everything lived, everything breathed, and everything had a right to life.

There was another side to these miko however; there were few who were taught the techniques of a ninja. It is said that the training is for miko to better protect themselves and villages and such, but mainly the ninja-miko were now used to track down the whereabouts of the ancient Jewel of Four Souls, which was stolen from their protection long ago and splintered.

The jewel was said to hold awesome power to whoever held it, it was the miko's duty to protect it and purify it. If used for evil it could bring hideous consequence upon the land, if used for good, it is unsure of the consequence. For the whole jewel grants one wish to its owner then it shall disappear forever. The wish must be a pure selfless one for the jewel to ultimately disappear, if the wish is evil, or used for one's own gain, it purges the land into pure chaos.

No one knows how the jewel was stolen from its heavily protected and guarded haven, but everyone knows that it is of great necessity to retrieve it. The jewel had been shattered and scattered about the land, one shard is said to up the power of its holder by ten fold, making it a very tedious task.

Approximately half a moon cycle ago, Kagome was told by the high council of miko that she would be chosen as one to do the honorific task of gathering the jewel fragments. Kagome knew that such a task was not really honorific, but was really time consuming and tiring. She didn't mind it though; it was something to get her out of the boarding house and her new telltale signs of boredom. If she passed the tests that is.

All in all, she was just happy for something to do.

What irked Kagome to no end though was the fact that she had to leave Kaede. She loved the old woman dearly and didn't want to leave her side. Then there was the company she would be in; now that in itself was odd, in her mind anyway.

Miko normally travel in groups of three together on the hunts, but she was told (way beforehand) that she would travel with a group of outsiders that hunted the jewel for their own purposes, well in technicality; they hunted the person who stole the jewel for their own purposes. But still it was questionable, as to why they would allow, a miko to travel with a tajiya, a hanyou, a fire cat, and a monk.

Sure they were good, they had passed all the requirements of the council, but it was just plain...odd. She had yet to meet this group, having been told that they had continued the search for now and would come back once her training was finished. They had said that they had specifically asked for a miko to accompany them on their perilous journey as a source or protection and healing since miko were known for their healing capabilities.

The council had been a bit skeptical at first, but it was then that the tajiya explained that they had no use for the jewel and that they would gladly hand over the fragments found to the miko if they were granted their request. The council had granted the odd request after the group was tested in spirit. They had passed and was told that they would have to wait for a miko to be trained for them since all the others were on various missions. They had agreed and left stating that they would begin their hunt and come back to retrieve the miko given to them.

She had been the lucky one chosen to be given away, well that's how she looked at it, and they were going to wait at least a year, depending on her learning ability, for her. How lovely of them. She wasn't the least bit aggressive towards it, oh no, she was actually a bit happy, because then she'd have people to converse with, she wouldn't end up being sent off with one or two of those older miko who were stiff and megalomaniacs.

She sighed again as she looked out the window, it was nightfall already, and she should have been finished with her meditation by now and off to bed, she was beginning her training tomorrow after all.

The tatami mat which covered the threshold shifted and an elderly lady walked in. her gray hair was tied behind her in the traditional manner of a miko. She gazed at Kagome fondly with her one good eye, "Kagome ye should be in bed by now:" she admonished.

"I know Kaede-baa-chan, but I just cant sleep" Kagome replied sullenly

"Ye have no need to be nervous Kagome, just go to sleep and do not think of the morrow, you will be fine my child." She said

Kagome sighed again and lay on her Tami mat, and willed herself to sleep, not thinking of what the sunrise would bring.

That was easier said than done.

***

Kagome awoke as the sun crested the hill around the boarding house, she gurgled slightly and rolled onto her back. She flopped a heavy hand over her eyes and willed the sleep to come back to her. But that was not to be so, she was already awake and it was time for her to train.

With a groan of protest, she sat up and stretched her back, hearing small popping sounds as she did so. She moaned a little then stood up reluctantly, leaving the pulls of sleep back on her bed.

She walked over to the small basin of water that lay at the wall and washed her face clear of any lingering signs of sleep. Now that she was wide-awake she could start her day properly.

She dressed in her miko robes and left the hut into the cheery sunlight. She stopped by the shrine of Buddha; she slid the door back gracefully before stepping in and sliding it shut behind her. She silently walked up to the alter housing the statue and below it a few fragments of the jewel of four souls.

She sat on the small cushion directly before the statue and bowed deeply, her nose touching the course wooden ground. She raised herself and reached beside her for two sticks of jasmine scented incense. She lit the sticks and held them both before her, closing her eyes and holding the burning sticks parallel to her face with both hands. She said a prayer then a few minutes later she separated the two thin sticks and began dragging them through the air while quietly chanting.

Her ritual now complete, the raven-haired miko set both sticks on incense upright before the fragments of the shikon. She stood and slowly backed out of the dimly lit holy area with her head bowed. Once outside she closed the door again and made her way over to the training grounds.

She stopped in the lush grass to watch a miko older than herself shoot her bow and arrows at a target, the consistency of her aim astounded Kagome, she stood there watching the target, she hadn't realized that she was staring until a voice snapped her back to reality.

"You are Kagome are you not?" the woman asked, well it was more of statement than a question really.

"Yes I am" she answered with a bow, the woman nodded her head in return, her hair was a bark brown color, it was thick and short so it wasn't necessary for it to be tied down. The woman had kind brown eyes, eyes that regarded Kagome, scrutinized her.

"I am known as Kumiko, and I am to be your trainer for this year" she introduced herself. Kagome bowed again out of respect. "Come let us begin" Kumiko said gesturing for Kagome to come to her. "We shall begin with the simplest of weapons, the bow and arrow."

***

A group of four sat by a campfire. They were all tired from their trek across the land and their earlier battle with a few lower level demons earlier on that day. The tajiya sighed and lay on her back, her giant boomerang, her weapon of choice, lay beside her in easy reach incase they were attacked. Her doe brown eyes closed in contentment as she rested.

"Are you sure having a miko with us would be a good idea?" the monk asked

"Miroku, I am positive, besides it will help us locate Naraku quicker. Miko are said to be able to see the jewel, so all she'd be doing is gaining the fragments for her people quicker and aiding us, with both healing and whatnot." The slayer said.

"She's right Miroku, she'll sense a bunch of shards and we'll find the bastard, cause he does have most of them anyway. And from what we've seen mostly him minions have them now. So it's a fair trade." The hanyou said.

"Whatever happened to your obsession of being a full youkai Inuyasha? Wasn't that what you had originally wanted the jewel for?" Miroku asked, his dark hued orbs glinting in mischief at his friend's expense. "And then to suggest that we give the miko the jewel, what really in on your mind?" he asked.

"Oh can it Monk" he replied aggressively. "When do we go and get the wench anyway?" he asked the slayer who was off in her own little world of rest and relaxation.

"Soon Inuyasha, soon"

***

pk: wow its been a while since i last updated something...at least a whole year! u__u imj sorry, i had major exams to study for, i believ they would be the equivalent of the SATs...but much harder and for every sujject that i do...so it was hell.

ive been writing this since my last story though..and i havent gotten very far, but i still wanted to post so i could get feedback and hopefully some ideas.

well thats all i can say, im very terribly sorry...im going to try and stick to a strict updaeing method...but im not entirely sure of the days yet..i have work afteral.....standing around all day telling people what they already know..isnt that swell?

anyway..please drop me aline so i can know that at least SOMEone is reading...ciao!!