Kirin watched as Inuyasha finished off the demon before her. The demon fell, and Inuyasha turned toward Kirin and the others with that smug little grim he always displayed after a victory. He casually slid hid Tetsaiga into it's sheath. "Told ya I could take 'im. No sweat," Inuyasha boasted, probably trying to impress someone, which he didn't. "Yah, yah. Whoo hoo! You did it," Kagome cheered sarcastically. She bent over to pick up the two jewel shards that had ejected from the foul demons body when it met it's demise. Miroku quickly started up his small prayer for the demon, and Sango looked over it's remains, seeing if there was anything she could use for weapon repairs, if needed. Kirin sighed heavily and plunked down next to Shippo, who grinned reassuringly now that the battle was over. Kirin was so bored! She never had a part to play in getting the jewel shards. "There must be something I could do to help," Kirin thought. Kagome's words replayed in her mind. "We don't want you to get mixed up in our problems," she had said. Kirin snorted in a short spurt of laughter at this thought. "What's so funny," Shippo asked. Kirin had forgotten he was there. "Oh, nothing," she said. Shippo slumped and muttered in protest, "You guys never tell me anything. Kirin sighed. She sometimes forgot that he was just a kid. "Ok," she said, making something up to cheer the little fox, "I was just thinking that if Inuyasha's head gets any bigger we're ganna need one of those wheelbarrows Kagome talked about to get him around." Shippo burst out laughing. Inuyasha pricked his ears and turned around. He looked a bit angry. "My hearings just as good as your ya know," he said. "Whoops, sorry," Kirin said sarcastically, then burst out laughing herself. Inuyasha stomped over and met with her face to face. "You wanna make something of it," he said. "Careful," Kirin said, "if you lean to far forward you may become top heavy and fall over." She looked at Shippo, and Shippo at her. They broke out laughing hysterically. "That's it," Inuyasha yelled, pulling his Tetsaiga from it's sheath in order to scare the two laughing idiots. "Oh no," Shippo said, mocking him," Run! He 's going to spice us in two!" "Oh no," Kirin cried, laughing so hard her sides hurt, "We must get away from the powerful dog lord!" She playfully scooped Shippo up into her arms and began running around with him. Inuyasha put his sword away and began chasing them too, red in the face because of his hurt pride. "I'll get you for that," he yelled. Shippo and Kirin just turned their faces towards him and stuck their tongues out. "Arrrhhhgggg," Inuyasha yelled, leaping in the air. Kagome called from a few feet away, "Inuyasha….." "Oh no," he said, trying to land on the ground before it was too late. Kirin halted to a stop and yelled, "Kagome don't!" Kagome stopped, her face full of confusion. "We were only playing around. Don't blame him," Kirin said, "It was my fault anyway." "Fine. Looks like you got off easy," Kagome said to Inuyasha. Inuyasha dropped to the ground in utter surprise. Why would Kirin do that? She had saved him from a five foot free fall into the hard, unforgiving earth below. Kirin winked at him. "Guess you owe me one, huh," she said with a smirk. Inuyasha had to keep his act up, so he snorted in disagreement, "Yeah right. As if Kagome would have said it anyway." Kirin just smiled and ran off again to sit under a nearby tree and gaze at the clouds. This path two months with Inuyasha and his friends was so great! Was this the place Kirin would finally call home. With her friends. She hadn't had friends in a while. Kirin breathed in the deep, sweet scent of the plants and air around her. It was good to feel loved. She then felt Shippo tugging on the sleeve of her kimono. She looked down at him. "We're off again," he said, then bounded away to Kagome. Kirin stretched, stood up, and followed him to where her friends stood before her. She smiled. Friends.
Three days had gone by, and not a single jewel fragment had been detected. "When are we ganna find the lousy jewel," Inuyasha complained. "Oh shut it," Kirin yelled to him, "You've been whining like this for three hours strait!" She glared at her. "You looking for a fight," he spat. "You wouldn't even be worth it," she replied with a snotty tone in her voice. Inuyasha was about to throw an insult right back at her when he saw Kagome glare at him over her shoulder. She sighed. "Honestly you two," she said, "Don't you ever stop fighting?" "We weren't fighting five minutes ago," Kirin said with a cocky grin. "Oh brother," Miroku sighed. "You've got so much spirit," Sango said, "Now if only you two could stop fighting." "I swear," Kagome said, "If I had met you two at the same time, I would have thought you were siblings!" "Me, siblings with him," Kirin laughed, "There would be no one to carry on our name after we killed each other." Everyone laughed. "Siblings suck," Inuyasha said. "I love my little bro," Kagome said. "Well I say they suck," Inuyasha said. Kirin laughed. "I didn't know you had a brother," she said, "Did he pick on poor little Inudoggie and steal his binkey winkey." She laughed at her own joke. "No, he didn't," Inuyasha replied. "Now that I had one," he quickly added. "Do you have any siblings," Kagome asked Kirin. "No," Kirin answered, "And I'm glad I didn't," she told Kagome. "Why," Sango asked. "Because the probably would have ended up like Inuyasha," Kirin laughed. Everyone laughed at this, except for the sulking dog-boy. The walked a bit more, then Inuyasha let out a snarl, and muttered, "Well speak of the devil." He began to run, and everyone chased after him, wondering what was going on. "Inuyasha! Wait," Kagome called from behind. Suddenly, Inuyasha stopped, and everyone else stopped behind him. Kirin peered around him to see what they had stopped for. What she saw threw her back a step in shock so deep that her heart missed a beat, and sent a cold chill up her sine, making her neck hairs stand on end. Inuyasha grabbed for his Tetsaiga, and opened his mouth to call out to his enemy when Kirin stepped forward in hasty lunge. She opened her mouth and cried, "Sesshomaru!" Everyone turned in awe at the young woman who had just called to a man who she was never know to had met.