Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.


As Lucy left the store, staring intently at the jewel, the woman shook her head. A sad smile on her lips. Her crystalline blue eyes holding worry and hope in their depths, as the face around them gradually become younger. Once the change was done, she let out a slow breath as she made her way to the back of the store.

"It's done, Layla." she thought to herself as she stepped through the curtain.

"Madam, madam... I'm ready" A high-pitched voice greeted her, pulling her from her thoughts.

She was turning her gaze towards the voice, seeing a small woman, no bigger than her hand hovering a few inches above the back of her couch. Short black hair, dyed a rainbow hue through her bangs, while her petite, tan-colored body was dressed in pale greens, looking like tiny leaves. The iridescent wings on her back left a glittering powder in their wake each time they were moved. While a small cream-colored tail swished back and forth, almost unnoticeable behind her.

With a smile, the old woman spoke up, "Yes, Mai, you can go follow her since there is only one place she goes now."

A lilting chuckle was all that was heard, before the small creature spoke up again, "Okay, Kagome! I will make sure she goes down the well."

Blinking a few times, before she started to laugh at her small companion, Kagome was happy for how blunt the little fairy woman was. She had enjoyed Mai's company for the past 18 years since Mai had come with the little dragon slayers 400 years in the future.

Watching as Mai flew up and flitted about before zipping from the room to do her task in all of this, Kagome began to reminisce. Mai had arrived six years after she, herself, accompanied by five small children from Fiore's past. Having an understanding of time travel, Kagome herself had been somewhat in shock at seeing the massive stone doors being opened by Layla Heartfilia. Who she had become quick friends with.

Giving a small sigh, Kagome pulled out of her memories, just as Mai squealed happily and phased through the dusty window while she started to get ready to finally start living her life once more, now that the shop had finally served its purpose.


Each step Lucy took, put more distance between herself and the strange little shop. The small jewel in her hands, keeping her attention entirely focused, so she didn't notice that her feet were taking her to the edge of the Magnolia wood. When she came to a halt in front of a small, run-down wooden well. When her feet bumped the wooden boards at its base, Lucy looked away from the jewel. A small smile forming on her lips as she turned and sat down on the edge of it. Lucy was surprised at how sturdy it was compared to how it appeared. Giving a happy hum, she let the Shikon no Tama drop, so it rested just below her collarbone. Looking up into the treetops, letting her mind mull over everything that had just happened.

"Luce! Hey Lucy!" Came Natsu's voice.

Startling her from her thoughts and causing her to shift her weight, causing her to overbalance. Throwing her arms out in an attempt to keep from falling backward into the well, Lucy suddenly felt a dull ache along with her left rib cage as if something just slammed into her. With a shout of surprise bursting from her lips, Lucy tumbled backward, arms flailing into the well. The last thing she saw was her teammates rushing towards her as a bright blue light burst up around her.

As she flew through the odd blue light with its random white motes of lights, she tried to rationalize what was going on. At least until there was a brief flash of a darker blue that revealed a black haired girl with a pale heart-shaped face and very familiar crystalline blue eyes that looked as shocked as she was feeling before vanishing from her line of sight.

In the next instant, Lucy felt herself land on the cold hard ground. She was pulling a soft, yet pained sounding groan from her. Reaching down and rubbing her now tender bottom, Lucy began to look around the hold she was in. Seeing cobbled walls covered in ivy vines that climbed up and out.

Narrowing her brown eyes as she stood up, dusting herself off, being extra careful of her sore but. Once finished, Lucy walked over to the vine-covered walls, grabbing a vine and giving it a quick yank to test its durability. Finding that there was no real give, Lucy licked her lips and started the short climb up and mentally thanking her teammates for all their crazy antics and adventures over the years. Because now she had some good upper body strength.

As she climbed up, it dawned on her that her friends hadn't come to help her out. Wrinkling her nose as she finished the last few feet, Lucy already had a sarcastic comment for her friends. Only to swallow it as she pulled herself over the edge of the opening. Her brown eyes were going wide at seeing a very unfamiliar forest in every direction she looked.

Swinging a leg over as she crawled the rest of the way out of what she now presumed to be the well. Feeling panic start to well up inside her chest because she couldn't even feel an ounce of magic in the air or land. Swiftly she stood up, looking around wondering f if she had somehow been transported to Edolas again before quickly dismissing that idea. The blue light had felt like anima, except it was gentle and calming, almost soft as it surrounded her, now that she thought about it.

The sound of grass and leaves rustling drew Lucy from her thoughts. Her hand was instantly going to her side, hovering just above her whip at her waist. While her other hand dropped to the pouch containing her keys. Narrowing her eyes, as she warily watched where the sounds were coming from. Her patience was rewarded when a small figure dressed in what appeared to be an orange kimono half-ran and half-stumbled into the clearing.

Blinking slowly as the small figure righted itself, shouting, "You are back. Rin is happy!" While giving a gap-tooth grin. That quickly faded at seeing Lucy, who could only stare at the small black-haired child, that was a girl.

Minutes began to stretch between them as they just stared at each other. Before the girl gave an innocent laugh, clapping her hands together. She was causing Lucy to draw her hands away from her whip and keys. Watching the girls antics for another minute or two before sliding off the edge of the well and stepping closer to the girl. Once she was a few feet away, Lucy knelt to the girl's height, causing the girl, named Rin, to quiet down and look at her in what seemed to be an amusement from her dark brown eyes. Eyes that showed Lucy, the girl herself, had seen a lot of pain in her short life.

Again the girl, Rin, gave a gapped teeth smile, that was gentle to Lucy, before opening her mouth to speak. Only to stop and shut it when an almost tangible dark aura washed over them. Not liking the feel of raw power coming from the dark aura, Lucy stood up and pulled Rin behind her while her free hand went down to her side and unsnapped her whip, grasping it in her hand.

Fear began to roll in the pit of her stomach as the aura got stronger the closer it came. Though no sound of movement could be heard, and the wildlife that had been making soft sounds seemed to fade away, Lucy refused to drop her guard. Eyes were darting to and fro, while her mind recalled the training exercises with both Leo and Capricorn. Taking a few slow deep breaths to help calm herself, she focused on her sixth sense, since her main five were unable to tell her where the aura was coming from.

Soon enough, her heartbeat slowed, body relaxing as she let her survival instincts kick in naturally. It was a mere second, but she located the most concentrated place that the aura was coming from. Spinning and lifting her whip in one fluid movement as it came alive in her hand. Expertly flicking her wrist with little movement and expanded outwards to lash in warning on the ground was a tall, odd-looking man wearing white clothes appeared. His amber eyes narrowing dangerously at her in a dark, imperious glare.

Not giving a damn about herself, Lucy glared back as she spoke, "I do not know who or what you are, but I will not let you harm this child."

At her words, a smug and very arrogant sneer curled the man's lips, as he arched a well-manicured eyebrow at her. While a soft, peeling laugh came from behind her. Frowning at both the look the man was giving her and the girls amusement, Lucy took a step back and placed a hand on the girl, to try to keep her from aggravating the man.

"You are funny, Miss. This Rin is Lord Sesshoumaru's ward. He will not harm Rin." The girl spoke before pulling away from Lucy's hand.

In the next second, Rin was running around Lucy, towards the man. Stopping once she was beside him, looking as pleased as a cat that caught the canary. The odd man just reached down a hand, petting the girl's head as a parent would reassure their child. While never taking his cold, disdaining gaze off her. Causing a cold chill to run down her spine, like the feeling he could kill her without trying washed over her.

"Hey, what's going on? Is Kagome back yet?" came a loud, slightly irritated male voice, breaking the tension that was building just as another strange-looking man appeared.

Keeping the first man in her line of sight, Lucy took a glance at the new person. Quickly noting he had white-silver hair with what appeared to be dog ears on top of his head. Eyes that were the same shade of amber as the first man, though his outfit was red and the same cut as the other man as well. The information she got brought her to the theory that they were somehow related, as well as that they were not human in the least.

Again her body tensed when the second male looked at her. His amber eyes were narrowing in surprise, anger, and suspicion. And before she could react, he was in her personal space, sniffing her as his hand reached up to her chest to grab the jewel that was sitting there — making panic and fear well up inside of her. Trying to step back, a poof and pink smoke obscured her field of vision.

"You will not touch Hime." Came a very familiar female voice.

Blinking, Lucy felt an arm wrap around her waist as the pink smoke cleared, revealing a rather comical scene before her. Where the dog-eared man had been was Virgo looking pleased, while out of the corner of her eyes was the flash of orange hair framing a rather severe face. While behind Virgo, the tall silver-haired man just seemed to look bored, though she could tell that there was a glimmer of interest in his eyes.

Muffled curses came from beneath Virgo, where the only sounds in the growing silence. Causing Lucy to feel slightly awkward as she wondered if this day couldn't get any crazier than it already was.

Knowing the moment that crossed her mind, she wished she could retract it. Because the forest edge appeared to more people with two small animals, or at least she was sure they were both animals. Again silence filled the air as they all stood there staring at one another.

"Well, this is a pleasant shock. Who might you be, Miss?" The tall, dark-haired man asked as a smile twitched at the corners of his lips as he looked down at the white-haired guy Virgo was still standing.

Giving a shake of her head as she felt a smile start, Lucy spoke, "I am Lucy Heartfilia. And these are my friends and spirits, Loke and Virgo."

"Who cares who the wench is. She has the fricking Shikon no Tama and is here whereas Kagome is not." came a more than an irritated voice from under Virgo's feet.

Distinctively Lucy came up and grasped the pink jewel nestled against her breast. Sure, that confusion was showing on her face before she leaned back into Loki. Who she felt was very tense and ready to fight in an instant.

Hime, what would you have Virgo and I do?" He whispered in her ear.

Unsure of what to say or do, Lucy just shook her head as her brown eyes flickered from person to person in the clearing. Lucy felt very stressed and tired due to the tension that was rapidly drained her mentally and emotionally.

"I suggest we adjourn to the village before we start interrogating each other." The one, the girl, called Sesshomaru said, as he turned walking out of the clearing.

Lucy wasn't the only one who watched him leave only to see him stop and speak again, "and Inuyasha doesn't act so foolishly again; the woman has quite the fighting skill."

At the man's words, Lucy felt the eyes of everyone in the clearing looking at her, as heat flooded her face. She had the distinct feeling that she was paid a compliment by the man, who usually didn't give them. Her head as Loke's arm tightened around her reassuringly.

"Virgo, please step off of him, and would you all be so kind as to show us the village. So that we can get this all started and sorted out safely." Loke said in his politest voice.

With a step forward, the woman who had shown up with the dark-haired man spoke for the first time, "Of course! It's just a small distance from here. Please follow us. Come Kirara and Shippo; we are going to return to Kaede's hut."

"Okay, Sango," came the reply in a childlike voice.

Looking around and trying to find where it comes from, Lucy saw the one that she thought was it was a little boy with a fox's tail. Causing her jaw to drop as the little girl named ran over him slip her hand into his. The sheer amount of cuteness me Lucy smiled widely as she internally cooed at it.

Stepping away from Loke as Virgo finally stepped off the male named Inuyasha, her dark gaze darting down and meeting his slightly belligerent amber one directed at her. Knowing that no good can happen as a cruel smile appeared on Virgo's face, Lucy snapped her finger to get the least her spirit's attention.

"Let us follow them to the village, Virgo, you can go back now. Loke will be more than enough for now." She said as she reached out her hands.

When Virgo spoke," Of course Hime. Punishment?"

Shaking her head swiftly, knowing the amount of heat radiating in her cheeks that were red before Virgo vanished and another book of pink smoke. Not missing the mischievous smile on her spirits face. Telling Lucy she had been teasing her this time. Causing Lucy to decide exasperatedly at just how random her spirits be at times.

"Oh, different. Shall we go now? Because I am curious about what happened and where. The pink-haired woman just vanished to." The black-haired man said pausing before speaking again, "also, my name is Miroku." With that said, he turned and made his way into the forest.

Putting on her trademark mask a warm smile, Lucy started to follow him, only to stop and offer a hand to Inuyasha. Earning a baleful glare before he brutally slapped her hand away, standing up and vanishing into the trees with a jump. Causing Lucy to blink as she did her best to keep the smile on her face as Loke at her continued walking after Miroku and Sango.

Letting her brown eyes roam and take in everything around her as both Loke and hers stepped into the tree line seeing a well-kept but partially hidden. When the sun mostly set, Lucy couldn't make out much but could tell it was beautiful and serene. As if there was some type of spell that had been cast to keep it that way. It was allowing her to relax as her mind began to sort through everything that had occurred so far today.

The walk wasn't a long one, no more than 20 minutes at best. Which was the perfect amount of time to get her thoughts in working order? The fact it was quite the whole time helped immensely. So when they broke them into the forest overlooking a sloping path that led down to a small village, whose hut's not houses were quite possibly made of sticks, straw, and mud, Lucy couldn't help but giggle as the story of the three little pigs came to mind.

"Lucy?" Loke whispered to her.

Lifting a hand, Lucy shook her head and waved his question away as she followed Miroku down to the village. The closer she got, she could smell food and smoke from the fires telling her this place was more primitive as people wearing simple handspun clothes stopped to stare after passing. He was leaving Lucy feeling a bit awkward and out of place. Especially in her little barely-there blue pleated miniskirt, white backless halter top, and brown combat boots.

A soft squeeze to her hand had her looking up at Loke smiled at her reassuringly with confidence. Making tension, she hadn't noticed ease from her shoulders. If she looked strange that Loke had to be even odder. His height, orange hair, green-tinted sunglasses on top of his black tux, made Loki stand out.

Giving the nod, Lucy turned her attention forward to see Miroku standing by a cloth-covered doorway looking at them in curiosity. Unable to help it, Lucy let out a peeling laugh at the look, realizing the spectacle she'd been making of herself.

"It's nothing, Mr. Miroku." She quipped, winking playfully, "just me being a ninny."

The flush on his cheeks at her set Lucy off on another fit of laughter. He was causing the man to waive them to into the door before ducking into himself. Deciding to take a second or two to collect herself, Lucy looked up at Loke to see him smiling through his face was shadowed; he was contemplating something seriously.

"Shall we enter my Princess?" He asked again and whispered voice.

"Yes, let's!" She whispered back.

With that, Loke steps forward, moving the heavy cloth to allow her to enter first. Flashing a soft smile at him, Lucy stepped through the doorway. Her eyes were having to adjust to how bright it was on the inside from the small fire. When they did, Lucy looked around wide-eyed. Everyone, including the red-clothed man called Inuyasha, was sitting there looking at her. Plus, an additional in the form of an older lady wearing red and white clothing with the eyepatch.

She is bowing her head respectfully, mumbling a thank you for being allowed into space. Lucy moved to the side so loke could enter, he to nodding and saying thank you before shifting slightly to stand next to her protectively.

A few seconds went by before the elderly woman spoke up. "\We can talk after our stomachs are full."

With a small nod, Lucy knelt tucking her skirt under her before shifting her knees, so she was sitting on them. Her training as the daughter of a noble rushing back as her spine remained straight, hands clasped in her lap while she watched everyone else in the room watching her with interest at what she was doing — causing Lucy to tilt her head down and a small bit of embarrassment.

When a small plate cough resounded in the silence of the ways punctuated by just the crackling fire, Lucy lifted her head to look into the warm brown eyes of the girl Rin who was holding two wooden bowls of a savory smelling stew. Putting a gentle smile on her face as she took the bowl, Lucy saw the girl gave a gap-toothed grin as Loke took the other bowl from her.

"Thank you, Rin." She said as she watched the girls are everyone else present.

Again silence the small hut as the only silence. Each person was silently observing and thinking about the events and what was going to happen now.

TBC!