Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto or Fairy Tail

Morning

Kagome woke up when the sunlight started to turn the inside of eyelids red and it was too loud and hot to catch any blessed figment of sleep.

So, eyes still closed, she gave a stretch that would've put Kirara to shame and opened her eyes.

A face with huge brown eyes and a smile to match them filled her vision.

Nothing alarming, obviously, but she was so surprised that she floundered away from the child, tangling in her sleeping bag to get away and ended up in an unceremonious heap.

Then she heard the child speak.

"Did I scare you, Kagome-sama?" a pause, most probably for a bow. "Apologies!"

Kagome wanted to die of mortification.

Maybe a youkai will come and eat me. Or I will get heart attack. Or something…she thought rather inanely as she untangled herself from the synthetic fiber with whatever was left of her dignity.

It had been a bad decision to sleep in the sleeping bag, in such heat. Her clothes were drenched with sweat, and Kagome was thirsty and hot.

Finally getting into a sitting position, dressed in sweat drenched clothes of last day, for she had been too tired to change when Inuyasha had finally located his disturbingly elusive brother, Kagome looked at the child before her.

The kid wore a checkered kimono, of bright, warm tones and was quite grubby. There was mud in her hands and under her nails and her mouth sported berry-stains. No older than eight years, she guessed.

"Hello", Kagome said." What's your name?"

Sango was tending to her fire cat, checking for any wounds for the battle of last night. Inuyasha and Shippou were nowhere to be seen.

But Miroku was doing the most dangerous and strangest thing in the small meadow at the moment.

Attempting to talk to Sesshoumaru.

Kagome stared at the bright, insincere monk with a mixture of horror and alarm. What was Miroku doing?

But then Sango looked at her and blinked, indicating Miroku at the moment was out of danger, but Kagome couldn't stop staring.

True, Sesshoumaru looked perfectly benign, well as benign as he could possibly look, drinking tea and listening to the monk, but then he looked benign even when he was moments away from slicing someone's head off.

Rin was saying something, but in her fear for Miroku's life, she hadn't heard the child speak.

"I'm sorry", she said." Could you say it again?"

"My name is Rin!" the child gushed," I travel with Sesshoumaru-sama, and Jake and Ah-un! What do you do?"

Kagome's curiosity was piqued.

"What's an Ah-un?"

Rin pointed at the far-edge of the meadow, under the shadows of a huge tree. Kagome could see the glint of scales, but nothing more.

"What's that?"

In reply, Rin gave a shrill whistle, the note bubbling from her lips like brook water.

The glint of scales started to shift. It moved and squirmed and then suddenly two throats were thrust out in the increasingly uncomfortable sunlight. Kagome gasped as she saw the throats originated from a single body. Thunder blue eyes glanced at Rin, then there was odd chirping noise from behind the back of the muzzles of the dragon, and then it retreated back to its shady nook.

Surprises never end in here. Kagome thought.

"That was very nice", she said.

"Yes it is," Rin agreed solemnly, "but what do you do?"

"me?" asked Kagome" well, I collect shiny thing around here with my friends and Inuyasha."

That had to be the lamest explanation of her mission here that she had given to anyone, ever.

"What's an Inuyasha?"

"I'll show you when he comes", Kagome promised. Ugh, she smelled. She needed a bath. She needed an air-conditioner.

Rin's attention was deviated to the purring Kirara.

"I like your cat", she said.

"It's not my cat." Kagome told her." It's her, Sango's."

"Her names Sango?"

"Yeah."

Rin fiddled with her kimono uncertainly. Sango caught her eye and smiled and beckoned.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Kagome urged.

But at that moment Inuyasha and Shippou sauntered inside the meadow, looking immensely pleased about the batch of fish hanging from Inuyasha's hand. Kagome was immensely pleased too because it meant a river and pond was nearby and she could take a dip.

Rin's eyes were round with curiosity.

"Oh", Kagome said, pointing at the red-clad figure walking towards her and smiling at the little girl. "That's an Inuyasha."

The girl nodded." That's nice."

Kagome smiled." Yes, it is."