AN: I can't help myself! I don't even know if how I ended this was anywhere near decent, but I did it anyway. I read this Inuyasha and Kagome fic today (that was cruelly unfinished!) and just reminded myself how much I love the two of them together. They're such great complements! *squeals*

As some of you (lovely, lovely reviewers) have pointed out, I haven't announced a pairing. I don't really plan to - although feel free to send me your thoughts or guesses on it! At least, not until closer to the end, where it becomes pretty obvious. Isn't anticipation fun? No? No takers?

So, once again, here you all go! I hope you enjoy this little bit of non-plot fun-ness.

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Kagome awoke to the soft chattering of birds and gentle murmurs outside, and in this manner she knew she was no longer in the twentieth century. She opened her eyes slowly, allowing the gentle wash of light gradually adjust her vision to the new day, and turned sideways. Right, this was Kaede's hut. Inuyasha had picked up her pack last night and headed straight here, stopping only briefly to allow Kagome to say her goodbyes to her mother.

Well...that was considerate of him.

She had been falling asleep on his shoulder during their trip home, and by the time she had the chance to give Mama a quick hug, Inuyasha was practically supporting her whole body. She must have agreed to come back however, since she was dressed in her night wear. Inuyasha would never even try to change her, too caught between embarrassment and annoyance - plus Kagome could vaguely recall shuffling through her bag last night for the outfit. She just didn't remember that all this had occurred here specifically.

Kagome sat up and yawned, stretching her arms behind her head and arching her back until she heard a very satisfying pop. The murmurs outside ceased for a moment, and then the front door of the hut swung open.

"Mama!" Shippo shouted, bounding over to her and, with a big leap, crashing into her midsection. He had heard her get up. "You're awake!"

Shippo had taken to calling her this about a year ago, after a particularly brutal attack on the group involving a lot of unconscious bodies. Kagome's had been one of them. She had woken up in a similar manner, the young kit curled up on her abdomen, muttering to himself through big, heaving sobs that he couldn't lose another parent. Ever since then, Kagome had taken the role more seriously. Shippo deserved the best she could give him.

"Hey there darling," she wrapped her arms around his small body, curling into the hug "it's good to see you."

He smiled up at her, his arms around her. "Inuyasha let you sleep in. He said you needed the rest."

She frowned to herself. "Did he say anything else about last night?"

Shippo shook his head. "Nope, he just went and sulked in a tree."

Kagome laughed softly. She was certain that Inuyasha was indeed sitting on a branch somewhere, but he was likely just ruminating on everything they had been told and had told last night. It was kind of him to wait until she could share her point of view though. "Well c'mon then. Let's go get breakfast and later, I have a very cool story to tell you."

He grinned. "Okay!" He let Kagome keep him in her grip as she got up, but made sure to let his weight rest on his own feet. He had grown a lot during the three years since she had first met him, and came up to just above Kagome's hip - sitting perched on her shoulder was impractical now.

She ran a hand through her hair, trying to work out some of the grosser tangles she had accumulated over the night, wondering if Inuyasha was up to letting her shower before they left. Shippo appeared to read her mind, twisting out of her arms and over to the giant yellow backpack that was leaning in the corner. "Inuyasha said that there was gonna be a spring somewhere at the end of today's trip so to not make a fuss." He picked up her regular outfit, the black, skin-tight fighting suit a big change from the green uniform she used to traipse around in, and handed it to her.

Kagome smiled at him. "Wow that was nice of him."

Shippo nodded sagely. "That's why we all thought you were hurt pretty bad."

Despite the brave face he was putting forward, she could see the worry in his eyes. Taking the uniform from him, Kagome crouched down so that she could look Shippo straight on. "Hun, I am okay now." He looked suddenly quite somber, searching her face for any hint of a lie. "I'm practically indestructible, hey?"

He nodded, but cast his eyes downwards.

"I'm not dying."

He didn't say anything for a minute, and spoke to the floor when he did. "You have to keep coming back."

Kagome took his face in her hands, gently guiding his gaze back to hers. "I will. For as long as I am allowed to Shippo, I will come back to you."

They all knew that at the end of the journey, it was not up to her whether she stayed here or was forced back into her own time. Kagome didn't dwell on this often though, since there was little her powers could change about what the magic that sent her here did. For now, she was guaranteed a little bit more time with her friends.

Shippo sighed deeply, letting go of the anxiety he had been feeling for the last few days, and smiled bravely at Kagome. "Okay."

"Okay." She repeated, bending down to lay a soft kiss on his forehead. "Now why don't you go pass along the message of my longevity to Sango and Miroku, and I will meet you outside."

He nodded, blowing out a deep breath to expel the lingering apprehension from of his body. "Alright!"

He grinned at her, and then bounded out of the hut, throwing open the door and loudly declaring that Inuyasha was a giant dog turd who couldn't be trusted. Kagome laughed out loud as the door swung shut, and all she could hear were the muffled responses of her other two friends. Poor Inuyasha was going to get the brunt of their annoyance, just for being lenient on her.

She did appreciate it though. Going over everything had taken forever last night, and it had spent a great deal of her energy. Dwelling on all of the events that had led them here was fine, but to then try and see where they would go after? It was vexing, not having a decent plan, and she didn't care to share her discomfort about it. There were still a fair amount of shards out there that did not belong to their group or to Naraku, but that number was slowly dwindling. She was nervous and frustrated, but so was everyone else, and rather than talk about a situation that had no solution, they just let it hang over their heads, weighing more and more each day.

For the first time in weeks however she was feeling refreshed. Kagome pulled the top half of the suit on, taking a deep breath as the collar pushed past her head. Maybe it had to do with the knowledge of demons in her time and the possibility of this all ending, of the solidification that there was an ending, even if it did not go well for them. At least it would be over. She slipped into the pants - it was a nice outfit that Sango had instructed her on how to make, and a lot better equipped for moving in than her old uniform had been - and tied back her hair. Walking over to her pack, she pulled out the last piece of her daywear, a light shift that tied in the middle with the aid of a sash. It was easily removed should a battle occur suddenly, and acted much like Sango's kimono did; giving Kagome a demure appearance should it prove necessary to hide her fighting experience. Not that she was in any way on the same caliber as Sango, but nevertheless.

Time to face the proverbial music then. Kagome opened the door and walked out into the light.

The sun blinded her for a moment, and through squinted eyes Kagome made out the blurry forms of her friends. Inuyasha really had let her sleep in; it had to be near noon already! Everyone was sitting around a fire pit nearby, cooking what looked like soup. Kagome blinked a couple of times to clear her vision and focused her gaze on Miroku first. "Hey there!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning Miss Kagome." He smiled and rose off of his seat, walking to face her. "It is great to see you healthy and happy, as usual."

She beamed at the monk. "Thanks Miroku. It's good to see you guys too. How have things been?"

She had only been gone for the weekend, but a lot could happen during those few days. Especially if Inuyasha already had plans to move out.

"We've caught tale of some unusual demon activity west of here." They didn't waste time in simple pleasantries, not when the only thing anyone ever truly was asking about was Naraku and the jewel.

Sango, who had been sitting closest to the fire, stood up and walked over so that she was next to Miroku. "It isn't much, but now we have a direction at least."

Kagome nodded. "It is plenty."

She could see Sango inspecting her face closely, and Miroku had yet to make a perverted comment to her. Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Gosh, did Inuyasha say I was dying?"

"Not exactly, but you know how he acts. He only sulks like this when something big has happened." Sango said, her eyes returning to Kagome's once she was certain there was nothing critical about her condition.

Kagome laughed. "Well I guess you can say something big did happen, but it isn't a bad thing. Still, I think it's a better tale for the end of the day, not the middle. Are we leaving soon?"

Miroku nodded. "You should grab a bite now, since I believe Shippo ran off to go call Inuyasha a rat-bastard. They will surely join us quickly."

Heavens, that kit was picking up some Inuyasha's more unfortunate qualities. Kagome took a deep breath in, inhaling the crisp Warring States' air, and headed over to where the soup was simmering.

As she walked she could feel two pairs of eyes following her.

She quietly took a bowl and scooped some soup into it. It wasn't the most appetizing thing to eat upon first waking, but she was grateful for the warm food to give her energy for the day. They had been on worse rations before, and anything was better than eating that weird boiled broth that Sango made when supplies were low. Kagome sat down on one of the logs that encircled the fire pit and blew on her lunch to cool it down. She did all of this while maintaining a perfect air of silence, but there was only so much staring one could endure.

"Guys." Kagome whined, turning her gaze back up to her friends, who were still standing. "I'm fine."

Really, she loved that all of her family here was so concerned about her well-being. She loved that they worried about her so much that they refused to take her own word on her health. She did. But trying to convince everyone that she was not in danger anymore without taking them step by step through the day she had had was difficult.

Sango stayed quiet, although her face softened, and Miroku just shrugged embarrassedly. "We know. It's just a difficult change to get used to."

Kagome raised a hand so it rested on her chest, over her heart. She nodded solemnly. "I know."

Sango sighed, her eyes clouded as she studied her friend. Kagome was the glue that held this group together. She was the only reason that after three years of this futile struggle they could face each day with a little bit of optimism. Having the reality of death thrown in your face like that was harrowing, even if they had faced it many times before.

"But," she continued "there isn't much to be done about it now! So come on, I know I can't be the only one eating here."

Sango shared a look with Miroku, a sort of helpless smile, and the two made their way over to the campfire.

"Can you at least give us a hint of this great tale you have in store for us Miss Kagome?" Miroku asked, picking up his previously abandoned bowl.

Kagome smiled slyly over her soup, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, I don't know, it may be too intriguing to just stop with a hint."

He grinned. "But I can that you're yearning to tell me anyway."

She let the comment turn over in her head once or twice, knowing Miroku was right. She was just dying to get her friends' ideas on everything. "Well let's just say I now know where all the demons in my world went."

Sango gasped. "Really?" At Kagome's answering smile, the demon slayer asked, "Then, you did run into one?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, that was the unfortunate part. But it's really an interesting story - just terribly long I'm afraid."

Miroku bobbed his head decidedly. "Alright, well I will just have to anticipate it then."

"Mhmmm." Kagome spoke around a big spoonful of soup. Now that she had grown used to the idea of lunch for breakfast, it was delicious, and she was starving. When had she eaten last?

She didn't have long to think about this however for she could already hear the muffled argument fast approaching the little clearing. She cocked her head, making out at least two dog-turds and one responding shit head. "Ah, we will be leaving soon then."

Sango chuckled. "One cannot stay Inuyasha's patience for long."

Miroku shot the two girls a deadpanned look. "He has patience?"

Their ensuing laughter was not the most calming sound for Inuyasha to walk in on, but Kagome would be damned if the look on his face, their amusement positively deafening as they spotted him, wasn't funny. His ears swiveled, lying flat against his skull, and Kagome quieted. She almost felt bad.

He looked over at her, eyes blazing in a steadfast glare, causing a few more giggles to erupt from her chest.

Almost.

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"Wow."

Kagome nodded.

"Three worlds?"

She nodded again, this time accompanied by a yawn. The only light in their camp was from the fire, the sky too clouded to be of much use, and she could feel her eyelids drooping.

"That's just-"

"Amazing!" This was from Shippo, who was apparently entirely unaffected by the day's travel. Inuyasha had ridden the group hard, still upset about this morning's incident. Kagome couldn't find it in herself to regret the small bit of good humor her friends had gotten from it however, so they had endured it without complaint.

"I was going to say incredulous, but that works as well." Sango said, a small smile on her face.

"Feh, it wasn't much to look at."

Inuyasha was sitting with his arms crossed and his shoulders hunched, everything in his posture annoyed and defensive. Kagome shot him a small look of apology. She was sorry that he had to feel insulted by their behavior, but he knew that there was no malice behind it. He met her eyes begrudgingly, a mutual understanding passing over them. "The portal was pretty cool though." He added, as if it was only an afterthought.

She nodded. "The entire day was surreal."

It had been difficult to comprehend in the aftermath, once she was rested and away from Reikai and the Spirit Detectives. But, Kagome had always had a knack for accepting the unbelievable - she had been pulled down a time-travelling well when she was fifteen for heaven's sake! - and she wasn't too troubled by this latest turn of events.

At least, not by the supernatural aspect of it. The new people however, were a little bit trickier.

"Well worth the wait I would say." Miroku told her.

She smiled. "Right!"

They sat in contemplative silence for a moment, Shippo jittering anticipatedly in her lap, until Sango broke the quiet once again. "And these people you met...the detectives. They're the good guys?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but they have only been good to me so far. I don't have any reason to distrust them."

"And one's a fox!" Shippo exclaimed, excited. Kagome had made sure to include this little tidbit of information when she was telling her part of the story, up until Inuyasha had arrived. She had known the idea of another kitsune in her reach would bring some joy to the young cub.

"Yes Shippo, he is. Sort of." She cocked her head. "Well, I will definitely have to get the whole story from him and then I'll tell you about it."

"But a silver!"

She hugged him closer, grinning into his hair.

"I don't trust 'em." Inuyasha grumbled, thinking back to the panic he had felt when had first reached Kagome. Anyone who just let her sit there and bleed out without trying something wasn't any good in his head.

Kagome, who was sitting next to the hanyou, reached out and patted his leg. "I know."

Sango agreed with him however. "He has a point. We have no idea what they're capable of."

"Or what they're after." Miroku said, looking cryptically at Kagome. Once again she felt the urge to shield the small fragment she knew was part of her.

It was hard for them, growing up in the era that they had, to trust people just based on the authority they showed - particularly when no one besides Inuyasha and Kagome could ever meet these new intruders in their lives. Kagome knew this, and knew that above all the safety of their mission and the jewel had to come first.

And yet...

"This is a group decision, but I don't believe they mean us any harm. Koenma only seemed motivated to help honestly. He even assigned some of his team to make sure I was protected in my time."

"We trust your judgment Kagome." Miroku said, although it was not without reservations. "Just be cautious."

Sango nodded quickly. "I do like the idea of you being safe back in your home."

Kagome felt a twinge of resentment, but swallowed it down. She turned to Inuyasha. "And you are still okay with this?"

He feh'd once more, but looked at her with an unusual amount of seriousness. "I know I can't keep ya from fighting our battles now, but you be careful 'bout this. They're strong."

She knew it was a big deal for him to admit it, in front of the whole group no less, but agreed. The power she had felt emanating off of some of the detectives, just in response to Inuyasha's presence, was astounding; most definitely not something she would trifle with. "I will." She turned to look at the rest of her friends "And I promise I will keep you all informed about what goes on with them. I know it's hard not being able to interact without a proxy."

Her vision was getting a little bit more blurry, due to the dropping eyelids and smoke from the fire, but she heard Miroku's staff clang as he shifted. "We appreciate that." He said.

She hmm'ed into Shippo's hair, letting her head rest on his. "How do you feel about this all Shippo?"

He tilted his head back a bit, enough so that she felt it but didn't feel the need to remove herself from him. "I think it's cool! We're in a legend!"

She smiled. "Yup. All of us on this big scroll..." she trailed off, wedging her eyelids open so she had a moment of clarity to think. Maybe Koenma would let her bring a photo of it back to the Feudal Era. She knew that were all sorts of awful implications about what it would mean for the future to be revealed to the past, but really, she was already giving everyone the information. What could one little photo hurt? Shippo would love to see how brave he looked, his face furious and determined, his entire body encased in energy.

She sighed a little to herself. Wouldn't that just be awesome?

Inuyasha looked over at the girl, recognizing the signs of exhaustion on her body. They had covered a lot of distance today due to their late start, and she already been through so much last night - no one was really certain what the effect of the jewel healing her was, but it did seem to tax her energy. He felt a little bit guilty about pushing everyone, but the thought of getting even a little bit of an advantage over Naraku was too much for him to allow much leniency.

"Look," he said, catching her wavering attention "just remember that you're that things guardian."

From the way he was talking she didn't think he meant Shippo. "I know Inuyasha. I couldn't forget that."

"I don't mean..." he growled, frustrated "just don't do anything risky."

Kagome could feel all three pairs of eyes steady on her, even if she was too tired to really see them. "I promise I won't risk the jewel."

Sango's grim face - or what Kagome could make of it - broke into a wry smile. "Or yourself."

She laughed. "Right, that too."

The firelight flickered, and Kagome wondered in some small recess of her mind if bed was a far off option. She didn't think she'd get a second day to sleep in. Miroku seemed to read her mind, or possibly her body language. "I have one last question then, before we all retire for the evening."

She raised her head off of Shippo's, giving the priest her full attention. "Go ahead."

"In this scroll of us," he asked, his voice serious "did it do me proper justice?"

She blinked at him for a moment, uncomprehending. "Pardon?"

Miroku nodded. "Well, my dashing good looks are renowned around Japan. I just wanted to make sure our legend did my face it's full due."

Before Kagome had a chance to reply there was the echoing sound of a dull thunk from Sango's corner of the campsite. "Houshi..." she threatened, raising her hand once again.

Miroku rubbed the back of his head, grinning unashamedly at the demon slayer. But the comment had done it's trick, for Kagome was dissolving in soft laughter. "You look great in it Miroku, don't fret."

"That's all a man can ask for."

Inuyasha recalled his earlier satisfaction at seeing his own face in the portrait, and silently agreed with the monk. Not that he would ever admit it.

Kagome stretched her back, yawning deeply. "If that's everything then, I'm going to head to bed. We still have a lot of ground to cover."

"You can sense the shard more clearly now?" Sango asked.

"Mhmmm," Kagome hummed "but it's still a little fuzzy. I think we can get to it by tomorrow."

She had noticed the feeling halfway through their trek this afternoon - the pinprick of the shikon just barely on the edge of her senses. Ever since the shards had made a home out of her chest cavity, her ability to pick up on the energy of the other pieces had become stronger. This newest bit seemed to be in the direction where they were headed anyway, so all she really had to do was fine-tune their course. It didn't take long after her comment, for the group to clear things up and head off to slumber.

Tomorrow they had a chance to win back a piece of their war. Tomorrow they had to fight, not quite sure who the opponent was, but always knowing what they were fighting for.

As Kagome drifted off to sleep, Shippo curled up next to her, she smiled ruefully to herself. Just another day to the legendary shikon-hunting group. Her soft chuckles that followed soothed the young kit as they both fell asleep, safe for the moment.

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