Disclaimer – InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi and Fire Emblem Series is property of Intelligent Systems and Nintendo. All characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I, TriforceandSheikahArts, merely wrote this story for amusement. I receive no profit from the creation of the story. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise relating to InuYasha and/or Fire Emblem. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note – This is a story I have been dreaming about writing ever since I began playing Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn and fell in love with the game. I already have the pairing planned for this story, so please do not make suggestions on who you would like to see Kagome end up with. I hope you all enjoy the story.

Radiant Priestess

Prologue

"Thank you so much."

"It was of no trouble."

"We owe you our lives."

"You are too kind."

"Without you, we would have perished."

No matter how many times she tried to end the praise, they kept returning stronger than before. The villagers were insistent with their comments and never regarded her responses as veritable or truthful.

"Please milady, surely you must be willing to spend the night. In honour of your bravery, we shall hold a feast."

Now was time to draw the line.

She raised her gloved hands in defence, sporting a stern look. "Thank you for the kind offers, but I must refuse." A large amount of villagers protested, as did quite a few young children. She regarded each of them slowly, observing their unhappy expressions and various groans. She bowed her head in respect. "I want to continue moving forward," she explained. "There are still quite a few villages that are in need of help."

"But milady, surely you could spare one evening." A humble young villager spoke. When he had stepped forward, it was faintly noted that a light sprinkle of pink dusted his cheeks; that caused quite a few youngsters to laugh. He regarded them irritably and focused all of his attention on the maiden before him. Similar to others, he, too, found her beauty to be radiant. Known throughout all of Daein for her compassion and remarkable combat skills, he was immediately growing fond of her.

Her hazel eyes lingered on his stature. If possible, he stood up straighter than before. She resisted the urge to chuckle. His antics were cute and comical. She bit her tongue, suppressing the urge to state her thoughts. If I do, I might end up embarrassing him, she thought to herself, smiling.

"Aiden, I must reject your offer." Noting the sudden change in emotion, her eyes softened. "I do not mean any ill-contempt; I simply need to continue moving forward."

"I understand." He sighed regrettably, all hopes burning within his heart crushed. She merely remained silent and looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

"Poor guy," one kid whispered to his friend.

"For sure," his friend chuckled. "Shot down by the Priestess of Dawn; how sad."

It has been over five years since she had arrived to this world: Tellius. Originally, upon entering the unknown world, she was transported here in a bright flash of light with no companions other than Kirara, for Naraku had killed all her remaining family. One by one on their final fight to eliminate the half demon for good, her friends fell.

Although it has been five years since their passings, I still cannot forgive myself for their loss.

Naraku had killed them all, luring each member of her team into hazardous situations. With Miroku and Sango, it involved Kohaku, Sango's treasured young brother. With Kouga and his team of wolf demons, it was through the resurrection of his past comrades. For Shippou, her beloved fox kit, it involved him and Rin, Sesshomaru's sole human companion, whom he regarded as a daughter. Naraku had ordered for one of his subordinates to capture both young children. Through capturing both children, he had managed lure Sesshomaru and Kagome into a trap. In the end, Kagome had managed to escape – with major injuries – but Sesshomaru had not been so lucky. And for InuYasha, her first true love-

Tears lined the young woman's eyes. She sniffled and concentrated on staring ahead. I must not let their deaths affect me anymore. She shook her head, attempting to suppress the memories. If I think too much about them, I'll burst into a hurricane of cries right in the middle of nowhere.

"I can't afford that… especially since I'm all alone." It was growing dark as she kept walking down the old dirt trail. She had left the village just hours ago with nothing more than a sword, and a bow and arrow set strapped to her side. Kirara, her sole companion she had in this world, was sent off earlier this morning by her to fetch some important necessities for their traveling.

Besides it's not like I can afford to let any villagers see her. If the villagers saw Kirara, a red-eyed cat with two tails, surely there would have been an uproar of some. They'd think she was a laguz. She shook her head the thought. Kirara was no laguz; she was a two-tailed cat demon, a neko. But in this world, they do not exist.

Her eyes darkened largely. Suddenly, she heard a twig snap. With lightning fast reflexes, she withdrew her bow and fired an arrow in the direction of the sound – the left. Some groaning and shouts were heard before a single body toppled out of the shadows. She leaned forward and saw that it was a man – no, a soldier… a Begnion solider to be specific.

She cursed aloud. Ever since the Mad King's War ragged on in Tellius, the country had once again fallen under Begnion control. And because the senate took great care in ruling through cruel tactics, that allowed the majority of their armies to do whatever they desire. Whether it be plundering villages, raping and harassing young women and children, even killing citizens, the soldiers were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

It was sickening.

It was vile.

It rotted her very core.

And that was why she had to end it.

Heck, her earlier stop in the village this morning was because of the reckless and rude Begnion soldiers. Had they not decided to enter the village and slay whoever got in their way, she would not had to have gotten her hands and blade dirtied and soiled in red.

She hissed aloud, remembering the sight of injured and slain people. The majority that were injured were the elderly and young. Such a shame. She had managed to save most, but some were beyond even her reach – the underworld. All she could do for their souls was offer a prayer of guidance and hope the goddess would not be too hard on them during their final judgement.

May the light guide you all; rest in peace.

She bowed her head, taking a moment to remember the deceased.

"Woman, were you the one who fired that arrow?"

She quirked a brow and looked up, noting that another solider had exited from the shadows. With the way the trees surrounded the area, it was the perfect place to hide combined with the setting sun masking their shadows.

"And if I did?" She taunted him, noting his weapon of choice: a steel axe.

The soldier grunted. "If you killed my comrade, I'll be forced to kill you." She watched him walk closer towards her, faintly noting the horn he had attached to his waist. If he decided to bring that the mouthpiece up to his lips and blow inside the instrument, it would signal for all other surrounding soldiers to come running.

"I am in no mood for fighting." She slid her bow away. "If you value your life you will let me be."

The man scoffed. "How could I let such a beauty run off?" He now stood just inches from her. Just from that distance, she could smell the alcohol that stained his clothes and the faint traces of blood that covered his uniform. Her eyes narrowed. The man eyed her from top to bottom and growled suggestively. He liked what he saw. "You are quite the catch." He spoke, enclosing the distance between them. "I think I might not need to kill you after all. In fact, for killing my partner, you can repay me," he whispered suggestively into her ear, "with your body."

She didn't like the sound of that.

Holding her head high, she refused and slapped him fiercely across the face, "No."

The man stumbled back and fell on his rear. Using those quick seconds to her advantage, she unsheathed her blade and pointed it to his neck. The man looked up, a bit dizzy and frightful. "If you value your life, you will leave!" She pressed the blade closer to his neck drawing a faint amount of blood.

The man visibly gulped, sweat running down the sides and front of his face. "I u-understand." He stuttered, nodding vigorously.

She smirked but did not sheath her blade. "Well then, get moving." She commanded her tone flat. "I don't ever want to see your ugly face again."

The man scooted away and got to his feet, "Understood."

She watched him walk off and waited. For a minute she kept silent and then turned around. When she turned around, however, she knew what to expect; that the man would come running back and attempt to tackle her.

"No such luck!" Turning on one foot, she thrust the side of her blade into his stomach careful as not to cut him in two. The man, taken by surprise, coughed up a supple amount of blood, his eyes bloodshot.

"You wench!" He cried before collapsing onto the ground, coughing again.

She rolled her eyes before kicking him violently in the chest. "I am no wench." She said stoically, her sword in hand. "I am a young woman, whom you shall address with respect." Delivering one stronger blow to the inflamed area, she smirked and sheathed her blade.

"I'll be taking this." She whispered, bending down to retrieve the horn that was attached to his side. "After all, I don't want you calling you for reinforcements." Fingering the horn in her gloved hands, she admired its smooth yet worn out surface before dropping it to the ground and stepping on it, therefore crushing it.

She smiled faintly. "There all better."

Morning was drawing near. The suns rays were peaking just above the horizon, casting a colourful array of lush pinks and oranges in the hazy morning sky. The young woman, who had been walking throughout the entire night, smiled to herself as she faintly noticed the outlines of a town emerging from just beyond the way.

She yawned aloud. "I suppose that must be Nevassa, the Daien Capital." She stretched her arms forward, eager to locate a suitable inn and spend the next few hours blissfully sleeping away under a soft quilt. Shivers of delight ran down her spine at the very thought. She could hardly wait.

Walking swiftly, she arrived to the town in a matter of minutes before stopping suddenly. Something did not feel right to her. Her eyes narrowed and her hand instinctively reached for her sword. Eyeing her newfound surroundings, she moved forward rather hesitantly.

On the outside, the town looked relatively stable. There were no people outside suffering from injuries and there was no screaming heard for miles. It looked perfectly safe. Nothing seemed wrong. But that, of course, made it even fishier to her. She mumbled to herself, "What could be happening here?" Then she heard it: a death-defying boom.

It shook the entire ground causing houses to shake and tremble. Pots and urns scattered throughout the town shattered or fell off window ledges. She, too, suffered from the sudden boom, nearly losing her balance and grip on her blade. "Crap." She managed to stable herself but the blade fell from her grasp and clattered on the cobblestone walkway.

She hissed and bent down to retrieve her weapon, then she noticed the approaching shadows.

"Well, what do we have here?" A similar gruff voice questioned.

"A woman." Another answered.

She looked up, locking gazes with two similar looking men. One carried a sword and the other an axe. Their faces, covered in stubble and sweat, made them look positively revolting. Most of their clothing was stained in red and had bits and pieces torn in various parts. She visibly shuddered.

"Tell me," she stood regally, approaching the two, "are you both responsible for that previous bang that erupted just moments ago?"

The two shared catlike grins. "And what if we were?" One drawled. "What will you do about it, woman?" He said mockingly, surveying her from head to toe. "You don't look like you can put a fight."

She arched a brow. "Is that what you think?"

The other chuckled, "Of course. Now, be a good little woman and put down that sword. If you come with us willingly, I promise we won't hurt you too much." He nearly spoke without laughing, while the other was smirking widely.

She scoffed, before stabbing the one closest to her right through the stomach. The man let out a hellish scream as he fell to the ground, his axe hitting the ground along with him. She smirked and pulled out her sword without hesitation, watching the blood drain from his body.

"You should have let me be." She stated coldly, preparing to charge at the remaining man. "Had you left me alone, I would not have killed you."

"You Bitch!" The man roared, attempting to sit up but to no avail.

She scoffed, her dark eyes glittering with amusement. "You brought it upon yourself, fiend; killing innocent people for your own pleasure." The man looked faintly surprised, but she continued, "Do not take me for a fool. I knew right away that those bloodstains on your clothes are not from you. They are from the helpless villagers you have slain for your own amusement. In order to repent for your sins, you deserve nothing more than death."

"Shut up!" The other man screamed, his sword colliding against hers.

"It's of no use to attack with rage." She spoke calmly, their blades clashing. "You'll be joining your friend soon enough." She sidestepped quickly as he withdrew, attempting to slice her in two. The man shrieked aloud, growing even more furious by the second.

"Stand still!" He bombarded her with numerous attacks—most were of him just swinging his sword senselessly with not much skill. She rolled her eyes. This fight would be over within a second.

"I'm growing tired of this." She jumped overtop of the man, successfully landing behind him. Then with a set of graceful manoeuvres, she struck him in both sides, his supporting leg and left arm—his sword-wielding arm. The attacks were overly rapid and agile, that by the time she had pulled back, her opponent had fallen to the ground atop his partner.

"D-Damn… y-you… wench…" He spoke before his eyes shut for good.

She remained silent and shook her head, "Idiots."

"Micaiah, is that the girl you were talking about?" Edward whispered, his eyes glistening in awe. He and Micaiah were standing not too far from the woman who had singlehandedly killed both soldiers.

Micaiah nodded, her silver tresses swaying. "Yes, she is the one I saw in my farsight." She clasped her hands together, her light tome placed underneath her left arm. "Edward, we must go speak to her before she leaves."

"Way ahead of you!" he exclaimed, managing to capture the women's attention. She darted around quicker than a bullet, her eyes locked on Edward and Micaiah's small frames. Edward grinned happily and moved closer towards the woman while Micaiah advanced a bit slower.

"You were amazing," Edward gushed, referring to her previous fight. "I've never seen a woman swordsmen move as quickly as you have."

Her grip around the hilt of her sword never loosened. "Who are you two?" She inquired, surveying them both. The boy who stood close to her appeared to be in his mid-teens. He had shaggy dark blonde hair and bright brown eyes. His clothing consisted of a mixture of three colour combinations: orange, brown and yellow. He wore a fair amount of padding on his shoulders and carried a sword strapped to his back. The girl who then approached them appeared to be a mage in her mid-teens, too. She wore a dark purple dress with matching black gloves and tights. She had waist long silver hair and shimmering amber eyes. The woman noted the tome the girl carried with her: a light.

She nodded appreciatively. These two will grow to become quite strong, she thought to herself.

"I am Micaiah," the young girl introduced herself.

"And I'm Edward." He thrust his hand forward. "It's nice to meet you—"

"Kagome," she finished for him.

"Kagome?" he repeated with a laugh. "Well then Ms. Kagome, it's an honor to meet such a talented swordswoman."

Kagome's eyes softened. The boy's lightheartedness reminded her of Shippou. "It's nice to meet you both." She shook Edward's hand and then focused her attention towards the carcasses. "Do either of you know why Nevassa is being attacked?"

Edward flushed a light shade of pink. "The Begnion soldiers are trying to hunt down the Dawn Brigade." He explained, one hand behind his head, his fingers playing with his hair.

"Dawn Brigade?" repeated a perplexed Kagome. She had faintly heard talk of the infamous group. Apparently, they were created not too long ago and worked together discretely in hopes of returning Daien to its former glory. "I see." Once more, she surveyed Edward and Micaiah. The two seemed rather calm given the situation. That led Kagome to one point: "You are both members of this group, are you not?"

"!" Edward fell back, stunned.

Meanwhile, Micaiah nodded appreciatively. "That is correct, Kagome. Both Edward and I are members of the Dawn Brigade." Unlike Edward, she was not taken back by Kagome's sudden questioning. From her farsight, she had witnessed Kagome's responses ahead of time.

Kagome pursed her lips together. "Since Edward said the Begnion soldiers are searching for the Dawn Brigade—meaning you two—there are most likely more soldiers." Her statement was not a question. "Do you both need help in protecting the town?" She placed one hand on her hip, waiting for their answer.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck. With Sothe not nearby and Nolan somewhere else, it would be nice to have another person fighting alongside us for the time being. It would make protecting Micaiah much easier too.

His grin widened. "Sure, we could use the help." He turned towards Micaiah. "What do you think about the idea, Micaiah?"

"I think it's a wise decision," she vouched.

Kagome faintly smiled. "For the sake of the villagers who were killed by these Begnion soldiers, we must avenge them." Both teens agreed once more. "Please lead the way," Kagome instructed to either one. "While you both move forward, I shall protect the rear."

"That sounds like a plan." Edward laughed and unsheathed his sword. "With Kagome on our side, those Begnion soldiers won't stand a chance!"

The three youngsters moved throughout the town, slaying each soldier and ruffian that dared approach them—mostly from the aid of Kagome. Halfway through their raid, they were joined by another member of the Dawn Brigade: Leonardo, an aspiring archer.

When first seeing Kagome, he leaned over and whispered to Edward, "Who is she?"

Edward grinned proudly. "She's Kagome, a soon to be new member of our team."

Leonardo's eyes widened twice their usual size. How will Sothe stomach that idea? He wondered to himself. Sothe, another member of their band, never preferred Edward's rash, decision-making schemes. Nine out of ten times, they failed, putting the team in severe conditions. If it weren't for Micaiah's farsight, they would have perished long ago due to Edward's lack of pre-combat awareness and foolishness.

"Leonardo, please don't fret. Nothing bad will happen." Micaiah chastised, her forehead drenched in small amounts of perspiration. "I'm sure neither Nolan nor Sothe will reject the idea too much."

Leonardo still looked unsure. "I don't know."

"If you three are done talking, I would be on guard." Kagome advised. "There are still more soldiers."

"We should withdraw right away." Micaiah decided, receiving a nod from Kagome.

"What?" Edward's jaw dropped, "But we're doing so good!"

Leonardo rolled his eyes, "You dummie. If there are more soldiers here, we won't be able to take on all of them. For one, look at you, you're covered in blood!"

"I can still fight!" Edward hollered, not liking the idea of retreat. "We're the Dawn Brigade. We shouldn't fall back from something as meaningless as a few cuts."

"I disagree with that point." Kagome said, interrupting their conversation. "For even the smallest of injuries should be tended to."

"I agree with Kagome," Micaiah said. "Edward, when we return to the new base, we'll treat your injuries. Now please, we must keep moving."

"Fine, fine," Edward huffed. "Ruin all the fun."

"How should we explain everything to Sothe and Nolan?" Micaiah wondered aloud. The four were gathered in what appeared to be the remains of their camp. When first walking in, Kagome easily noticed how much a disarray the entire complex suffered from. She, however, chose to keep her thoughts to herself and instead of stating her opinion, merely sat down in one of the not as broken chairs.

"It's like you said." Leonardo slid his archery set off his shoulders. "We didn't have a choice. We had to protect the townsfolk—and well, so did Kagome." Edward had filled him in on Kagome's previous "speech" before returning to their hideout.

"But I admit getting spotted by those Begnion soldiers was unfortunate. Still, I would do it all over again." Edward stretched his arms. "The worst part is they know we're near. They could find this hideout as easily as they found our last one."

"Don't worry about that. If they manage to find us, we'll just leave again."

"Sothe! Nolan!" exclaimed Micaiah as she got to her feet. "Welcome back. I'm glad you made it in one piece."

"At last, the Dawn Brigade is all present. But you are—"

"Who is she?!" The younger of two new members demanded, pointing what looked to be a Kard at Kagome. His light brown eyes were locked on her small frame, displaying a mixture of uncertainty and disgust.

"Sothe, calm down," Edward advised. "She's just Kagome, the woman who saved us back in Nevassa."

Sothe looked towards Micaiah. "Is that true?"

Micaiah nodded. "Yes. Edward and I ran into Kagome and witnessed her slay two soldiers. She decided to join us and was an immense help to our force in helping the townsfolk and fleeing from the remaining soldiers."

Sothe still didn't put away his weapons.

"Sothe, perhaps she may be of use." Nolan, who was far more relaxed by the sight of the newcomer than Sothe, rubbed his chin in thought. "Kagome, was it?" He repeated, hoping he pronounced her name right. "If what Micaiah says is true, then you mustn't be a bad person."

"Besides, she even saw Kagome in her farsight!" Edward pitched in.

Sothe's head darted towards Micaiah again. "You never mentioned that to me." He said his tone somber. Micaiah frowned, bowing her head in shame.

"I apologize, Sothe. It was wrong of me to keep that a secret from you."

"In any case, since she's here now, I propose we make Kagome a member of the Dawn Brigade!" Edward exclaimed joyfully. All four glanced towards him, surprised by the outburst. Kagome looked on, taken back by the sudden announcement.

"Edward, I don't know if that's such a good idea." Leonardo said, hesitant.

"Just let her go." Sothe rolled her eyes. "She's of no use to us."

"Without her protection, me, Micaiah and Leonardo would have lost." Edward rebutted. "Kagome's skills are right up to par with yours, Sothe. It would be a good decision to have her join the team. What do you think, Micaiah?" He looked towards her hopefully.

Micaiah looked towards Edward, then Sothe, and finally Kagome. "I don't think the decision should be up to us." She stated simply. "I think we should let Kagome decide." Then with that, all five pairs of eyes directed themselves towards her lone figure.

Oh my…

Kagome arched a brow, her lips pursed together. "I am fine with joining, if you'll want me." She said a moment later. As Edward cheered on loudly and Leonardo groaned to himself, the remaining three members stayed quiet.

"I don't like this." Sothe hissed venomously.

"I think she would be a good asset." Nolan mused. "If her skills are as good as Edward says, then it might be good to have another member join our team."

"Micaiah," Sothe grumbled, eyeing the silver haired girl, "do you think we should let her stay?" Though Sothe had made his opinion clear, if Micaiah wanted her to stay, then Sothe would go with her decision… No matter how much he may oppose it.

Micaiah remained silent for a moment, her eyes shut. "… I would like for her to stay."

Sothe inwardly groaned, but complied, "Fine. She can stay. But if she tries anything, she's out!"

"Awesome!" Edward cheered. Micaiah smiled and Leonardo rolled his eyes. Nolan watched on, amused, and Sothe continued to stare down Kagome.

"Kagome, we welcome you to the Dawn Brigade."

Author's Note - Well, how was it? I would love to hear your thoughts. I hope it didn't seem too rushed. Kirara will come in the next chapter. :) Please comment – if you want.

Until the next,

~TFSA

Written and Published: (27/02/2013)