Author's notes:

Whoohoo! I am totally in love with the response this story is getting. I didn't expect people to be quite so enthusiastic. And some of your suggestions (Tinuviel!) make me want to rewrite parts. So you can consider that to be a good or a bad thing, depending on how soon you want your updates. Writing has kind of slowed down the last few weeks as I try to do some more direction-y type stuff, but there's lots of material yet to be posted, so don't worry. That reminds me, if any of you are interested in beta-ing the second arc for me, drop me an email, ok? That would be cool.

And finally, in response to Hyper Godzilla, who said:

"i'm almost positive that in order travel back in time through that well the person has to have a piece of the jewel with them"

I have this... Inuyasha is almost never carrying any fragments of the jewel on his person, but he is able to travel through the well. Also, in one episode, Shippo runs into the well to escape from wolves, and is carrying almost half the Shikon jewel with him, but doesn't move through time. The jewel does seem to be necessary in order for Kagome to do so, but in that same episode, she doesn't actually have a jewel fragment on her, but draws on the power of the piece Shippo has in the alternate time.

Since this phenomenon hasn't been explained (to my knoweldge, and I have seen the anime up to episode 102), it seems to me that the time travel requires a certain level of ReiKi (or spirit energy, as they call it in the YYH dub). Inuyasha, as the son of an insanely powerful demon lord, has high ReiKi, so he can do it. Kagome's power on her own isn't quite enough because she hasn't properly trained as a priestess, but the Shikon jewel amplifies her powers enough that she can do it. Shippo is still a child, and his powers are accordingly too weak, even with the help of the jewel. Same goes for Souta, who also tries to go through the well in "Terror of the Noh Mask." But the four YYH boys all have high ReiKi. That's pretty much the foundation of the YYH story.

In other words, Miraii knows what she's doing, pshaw. Don't be second guessing me, foo!

However, I do appreciate the fact that you took the time to be critical. It's a good sign...

Enough... On with Part Five.

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Part Five

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When the sun was over halfway down, Kagome called a halt, and the little caravan gathered into a closer group to hear her. "It's no use going on in the dark," she pointed out. "Maybe some of you youkai types can see ok, but the rest of us can't, and besides, I'm sure we're all tired. I say we make camp here. There's a stream not far where we can refill our water supplies, and we've camped nearby before without trouble."

"You want to STOP?" Hiei stared at her. "Do you actually plan on catching this thing, or are you on vacation?" He was pissed.

But so was Kagome. She wasn't about to be insulted by some obnoxious boy who hadn't had one nice thing to say since she'd met him. She stalked right over to him and slapped his face.

"I knew the little girl who died this afternoon," she hissed. "Her name was Sayako, and she was eight years old, and she died in horrible pain. I made a promise today to avenge her, and I intend to keep it. But I still can't see in the dark, nor can I go all night without sleep. If you say anything like that again, you won't be welcome here anymore." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away to set her bag in the clearing she'd picked for them to camp in. Hiei stood, holding his cheek in shock. A human girl had struck him. He didn't actually know how he could react to that unexpected turn of events, so he didn't do anything.

Kuwabara let out a low whistle. "Wow. I think I like that girl."

"Shut up, idiot." Hiei felt a new flush of anger. That girl had humiliated him. He turned to Kurama. "We can't just stop. If it keeps traveling, it could get out of tracking range before morning."

"That's true. But then... if it's supposed to find the Shikon no Tama, and we have part of it with us," -he dropped his voice, not wanting the others to know that he was aware of that fact - "then it ought to head back toward us, I'd think. It's probably only running because it's hungry."

"All the more reason to catch it before it comes after us," Yuusuke pointed out. "Hiei, if you want to go on ahead, go, but report back here at sunrise and let us know what you found. I'm hungry, and wouldn't mind a nap before I do any fighting, anyway."

"Yeah, I'm going to stay here, too," Kuwabara agreed.

"Nobody asked you to come along," grunted Hiei. "I'll go alone, I can move faster that way anyway."

"But don't go out there spoiling for a fight," Kurama warned. "Track the bird, but don't get sidetracked picking on anything else."

Hiei nodded. "Right, I know. I'll be back in the morning." And with that he was gone, moving with the shocking speed that rendered him nearly invisible.

"So Kurama," Yuusuke kept his voice low. "Now may not be the best time to bring this up, but about that Shikon thing... You haven't forgotten the second part of our mission, have you?"

"You're right, Yuusuke. This isn't a good time to talk about it."

"Just making sure that love hadn't driven it out of your mind," shrugged the other boy with a smirk.

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to bother responding to that."

Miroku glanced up from where he was starting a fire. "What happened to the angry one?" he inquired as the three remaining Reikai Tantei strolled over to the camp.

"He's going to run recon so he doesn't feel tempted to kill anyone," Yuusuke said cheerfully, flopping down on the grass.

"He was worried that the trail would go cold during the night," Kuwabara added.

"Plus he wanted to save face after Kagome-chan smacked him," laughed Kurama. "That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Sango took a sip of water from the skin she was carrying, and shook her head. "He was very cruel to say that to her."

"Hiei doesn't concern himself with the feelings of others very often," Kurama said, shaking his head.

"Very often? When has he ever?" asked Kuwabara, perplexed.

Kagome sat down by them, then, with her backpack in her lap. "Now it's time to see what Mama packed for us!" she said, pulling several bento boxes out. "She sure gave us a lot," she said with surprise. "Good thing, since there's more of us then normal. Inuyasha, stop pacing around and come and sit down - oops! Gomen nasai, Inuyasha, I didn't mean SIT- Gomen!" she clapped her hand over her mouth. Inuyasha pulled himself off the ground and crouched down near Miroku, glaring at Kagome as he did. "I really didn't mean it, Inuyasha!" she insisted. "You don't need to get so mad at me for something I did accidently!" She sighed and opened the first box, and immediately squealed with delight. "Mama! Arigato gosaimasu! Look! She made us rolled sushi!" She set it down and opened the next box, which contained riceballs. "She must have been making it for a special supper to celebrate the end of the term. I bet she did. And then when it turned out I had to leave early she packed it up so I could still have it!"

It was a great feast, indeed. Kagome's mother had packed up a massive amount of food for them, and they passed it around, eating ravenously.

"This is delicious! Your mother made this?" Yuusuke said. "I want to live at your house. You eat this well all the time?"

Kagome laughed. "No, I'm usually here, where the food isn't quite so refined. But I'll tell Mama you liked it when I get home."

After the initial feeding frenzy, during which they were mostly quiet, Miroku asked if they had any sort of battle strategy, and if so, would they fill him in?

Kuwabara pushed a riceball into his mouth. "What strategy? We find it, we kill it."

Yuusuke grinned. "Yeah, that's pretty much my plan."

"It's like fighting with a lot of Inuyashas," Sango remarked to Miroku.

"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Relax, inu-boy, being compared to me is a compliment," Yuusuke picked up a piece of sushi. "Not a compliment I think you deserve, but I'll let that go this time."

Kagome interrupted before Inuyasha could insult Yuusuke back, asking for more information about the bird they were chasing. "Where do you think it's going?"

"Who cares?" Inuyasha flexed his fingers, admiring his sharp claws. "Just as long as we can follow it and stop it from hurting anyone else."

"That depends," Kurama said to Kagome. "If it's wounded - and I believe that Sango-san did wound it?" He looked to the taijiya for confirmation, and she nodded, obviously uncomfortable under his gaze, her cheeks flushing. Kurama gave her a gentle smile, which resulted in her rapidly looking away and murmering something unintelligable about having hurt the bird's foot. He went on, "If it's injured, it's probably looking for a meal and a place to rest. After it's gotten those, it'll start going after the Shikon no Tama, or any fragments that it can sense." He noticed Kagome's hand stray to a barely noticeable lump underneath her shirt. The jewel shard she was wearing, he assumed.

"A meal?" Miroku asked. "You mean a person?"

Kurama nodded. "Probably. It also eats livestock, cattle and such, but it eats humans when it can. But it probably isn't accustomed to the people of this world, who are so strong against demon attacks. The fact that you drove it out of your village is very encouraging."

"The praise for that should really go to Sango," said Miroku. The two-tailed cat put her paws on his knee and mewed. "Ah, and Kirara, of course," he amended, patting her head. "Gomen ne, Kirara. I spoke without thinking."

She mewed forgivingly and rubbed her head against him before bounding over to Shippo, who was being uncharacteristically quiet as he ate, and climbing into his lap.

Yuusuke yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "Anyway," he said, "we'll probably catch up with it tomorrow, and then we kill it. Unless Hiei finds it and kills it tonight," he added thoughtfully.

Everyone was tired, and the darkness made sleep seem especially welcome. Yuusuke and Kuwabara both fell asleep almost immediately after dinner, sprawled out on the ground looking dirty and peaceful. Sango stretched out where she was and rested her head on her arms, as Kirara curled up nearby, with her tail covering her nose. She lay still and watched the fire drowsily, until she noticed Miroku's hand creeping along the ground near her. She slammed her fist into it, pinning his hand to the ground, and growled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Ah- ah, nothing!" the monk insisted, scuttling a ways away and settling with his back against a tree. "Just, uh, checking to see if you were awake!"

Kagome spread out her sleeping bag and crawled inside, but wasn't quite ready for sleep yet. Inuyasha was sitting near her head, as he often was before she fell asleep, and she reached out and squeezed his hand, feeling an overwhelming desire for his company. He looked down at her with his golden eyes quizzical.

"Nani?"

"Nothing," she murmured sleepily. "Just making sure you're really there."

"What are you talking about? Of course I am. You're weird."

"Mmm," she agreed. But she didn't take her hand away, and neither did he. Her eyes fell closed and she yawned deeply. "I always sleep well when you're there to protect me..." she was starting to drift off.

"Go to sleep, Kagome," Inuyasha tucked her arm inside the sleeping bag. "You're going crazy with the strain." He stroked her hair with a rush of affection and protectiveness. Kagome was really beautiful when she slept, he thought. So peaceful and trusting. He looked up and saw Kurama looking in their direction, and he narrowed his eyes at him, feeling a territorial desire to beat the creep up. But Kagome's sleeping sigh redirected his eyes, and he gazed down at her with tenderness again.

Kurama turned away from the private moment and tilted his face to the starry sky. It had been a long time since he'd seen so many stars. The sight gave him a strange feeling of longing that he couldn't place.

He was distracted by the light touch of a small hand on his knee, and looked down to see Shippo, hesitantly resting his little paws on him. He smiled benevolently. "Aren't you tired?" he asked.

"Not really," the little one replied. "I rode on people's shoulders most of the way." He shied away a little. "Am I bothering you?"

"Not at all."

"It's just... I haven't been around any other foxes in a while," Shippo explained. "Not since Papa died. So I thought, if it was ok with you..."

Kurama set his hand on the small boy's head. "I would be glad for your friendship, Shippo. It's been quite some time since I knew another fox, too."

Shippo smiled brightly. "Great!" He sat close by and looked up at the older boy's face admiringly. "You like Kagome, huh?"

He smiled. Children could be so direct. "Don't you?"

"'Course. She's my best friend! She has been ever since I first met her. That was after my tousan got killed, and she and Inuyasha helped me avenge him." He smiled in a sad little way.

"That must have been very painful."

"It was. But at least I met Kagome. And I like travelling around with everybody. Even Inuyasha." Shippo yawned, stretching his arms high over his head. "And Kaede keeps Otou's fur for me, so when we go back to the village I can always tell him what's been happening."

Shippo's resilency was astounding, thought Kurama, remembering with a tremor his human mother's illness and near death. Could he ever have been so strong, had the fate of Shippo's father befallen her? He feared the answer.

"I do miss him, though," the fox-child confessed after a long silence. "I wouldn't want to give up my friendships with everyone, but I wish Otou hadn't had to die."

Kurama nodded. He had nothing to say that would bring comfort to his young friend. "Perhaps we should speak of happier things," he suggested. "Talking about one's sorrows before sleep can give bad dreams."

Shippo agreed, and settled in to tell Kurama stories about his friends. Soon, however, his eyes began to droop, and his bushy tail sank from the upright position it usually held. He rubbed a tiny hand across his eyes and yawned mightily. "Maybe I should... go to sleep," he mumbled almost inaudibly, curling into a ball where he sat.

"I think that's a good idea."

"Goodnight... Kurama-niichan."