Sango could hardly open her eyes, they were so puffy from crying all night. She realized that at some point she must've fallen asleep, but she didn't remember it. Last night hadn't been real, she knew. It simply couldn't have happened, and she'd spent all night convincing herself that the bruise on her cheek had been acquired some other way. She hadn't succeeded. The fact that Miroku, calm, stable, sensible Miroku, even if he was a womanizer a bit, could have done something so… So… Wounding to her, was unthinkable. She didn't know what was happening. Had Naraku done something? Had InuYasha and Miroku been… Switched somehow? The thought was a more pleasant one to hang on to than the idea of Miroku wanting to hurt her, even if a little less realistic, she felt.

Sango looked to Kirara. The little cat was there, and she was being herself, unlike everyone else. Sango was thankful for that, at least. Kirara nuzzled her head into Sango's chest, purring loudly. Sango laughed a little. It felt numbing, rather than what it usually felt like. Sango had to strain to remember now that laughing usually felt good, but now it just didn't feel at all. It did, however, feel better than the hole of self pity, and uselessness she was feeling any time she wasn't laughing.

She forced her eyes open, summoning as much composure as she could, then stood. The camp was barren as ever, the only things in the scenery were the one tree, InuYasha, and the ashen remains of the fire.

"InuYasha," she mumbled quietly. His ear flicked back, though he didn't look at her. In some small part of her mind she appreciated that. "Let's go," she added, after a long pause. InuYasha's gaze was firmly fixed on the fire in front of him. He trained his ears on it, too. Sango understood why. InuYasha was not the caring, sensitive type, so it must have been stressful what he'd done the previous night. Well, if that was the case, then she'd play his game this time, as a thank you. She picked up the bucket next to the fire, and dumped it. The fire made a loud hiss as it went out.

"We," she said, once she was absolutely sure he was listening. From the way he was staring at her, she was sure she had his undivided attention. "Are going," she said. InuYasha nodded dumbly, standing up.

…

The trip was going relatively smoothly. The day was hot, with the sun blaring overhead, unhindered by any clouds that would have otherwise protected the duo at least somewhat. The companions had traveled in complete silence the whole way up. There was nothing to be said. InuYasha walked in back with a distant look on his face. Sango walked ahead, as if somehow that would protect her from anyone seeing the darkening bruise on her cheek. Sango couldn't bring herself to talk to him. After what he'd done for her the night before, she didn't want to burden him any more. InuYasha probably thought that she would burst into tears again if he talked to her. This wasn't entirely unreasonable, but it was unlikely. Sango seldom cried; it simply wasn't in her nature to do so. She didn't like showing her weaknesses to others, nor did she like how it made her feel.

There were trees up ahead, Sango noted. With trees comes shade, she thought happily, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She knew about where they were now. There was a river up ahead that they would need to cross, but it wasn't for another hour.

"Sango?" said InuYasha. Sango, at first, didn't really know how to talk to him, but eventually she looked over her shoulder, hiding her bruised cheek from him.

"Yes?" she asked. InuYasha looked to Kirara, seeming to surmise his question before asking.

"Why aren't we riding Kirara? Wouldn't it be an easier trip that way?" he asked. Sango looked to the little demon on her shoulder.

"Too much weight," she said, simply. At InuYasha's confused glance, she explained further. "Well, see, Kirara can carry two easily enough, even one with as much luggage as I have, but would be a bit of a stretch. Two, and the supplies, though? She'd fall right out of the sky with that kind of weight!" Sango finished. InuYasha shrugged.

"Oh," he said mildly.

The hour passed in silence, again.

Sango looked over the river. She remembered this river was all dried up when they passed it last time. It was flowing rapidly now, cutting out all the other sounds around them, making them vulnerable. The demon that had previously blocked the river in some strange attempt to get 'elect tri-city' had been slain since then, now it was back to being a mighty river. Just why would Sango elect three cities? And elect them for what? No matter, she thought. She sighed quietly, looking for a place to ford the river, silently hoping there was a good spot nearby, even though she doubted it.

"Being a hero is too much work," she mumbled, setting her pack down. She glanced at InuYasha. He seemed to be considering something.

"All right," she shouted above the noise. "Here's the plan." InuYasha, however, hadn't been listening. He fastened his pack tighter, and straightened up.

"InuYasha!" she shouted, trying to get his attention. At three yards he couldn't hear her… Was he ignoring her? Maybe not, she thought, her hand going to pick up her pack.

But it wasn't there!

And InuYasha wasn't where she'd left him!

"InuYasha!" she shouted, even louder this time. He was already half way across the river, her pack in hand. Damn his and his demon jumps!

He dropped her back, and wiggled out of his own, then jumped back across.

"InuYasha!" she squealed. "What are you--?" she began, but was cut short by InuYasha suddenly picking her up but the waist, and leaping across the river.

It was strange how the lighting played tricks on his from this close. His skin seemed tanner, and more healthy, his hair was much more radiant, rather than just white, and his eyes… They were…

…They were a dangerous thing to look at! But she didn't really have anywhere else to look. The ground was a blur below her. She closed her eyes.

And suddenly she wasn't being held, it felt like. She was flying, gently being carried by a wind. She gripped her hand tighter, and opened her eyes.

InuYasha was next to her, slightly below her. It seemed to take forever for them to stop falling. InuYasha drew her closer, placing her on his back, then braced for landing, which came without event. Sango hopped off of the Hanyou.

"Well," she said, mostly just to make sure she still could. InuYasha was staring at her expectantly, so she continued with, "That's certainly one way to cross a river…" she said. "I would have just asked Kirara to carry the packs across, then us. But that worked, I suppose," she said. Kirara 'Pfuued' at InuYasha, who looked quiet sheepish.

"Well why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I tried. The river was too loud, and if you'd waited just a moment, I would've gotten your attention," she said calmly, picking up her pack.

"Oh," he said, his cheeks turning a little red.

Once again, they continued in silence.

…

The day had provided a long, miserable walk that had worn through the spirits of the two. However, tas if to answer their prayers, InuYasha had spotted a village they were nearing, so they digressed from their path only enough to get to it, which was only an hour's travel. The two had been too tired to enjoy the bar, or anything the town had to offer in the way of pleasantries, and had rented - retired to - their room early.

InuYasha was already nodding off in the corner, Tetsusaiga propped up against his chest. Sango found, to her great surprise, that she wasn't tired in the least. In fact, she was so wide awake, she had watched InuYasha got to sleep to try and get herself tired as well. That had failed.

She turned over to look at the ceiling, her mind buzzing with questions. Her hand traveled up to the bruise on her cheek, touching it gingerly. She winced, and withdrew it quite quickly. Somehow it hurt more than any other wound. The pain was amplified by who had dealt it.

Suddenly she was angry. What the hell had she done to deserve that? Why did she have to take InuYasha's hit! She glared at the sleeping InuYasha. She'd made up her mind.

She stood up, standing over him and glaring.

"InuYasha, wake up!" she hissed. It was quietly, but plenty loud enough to rouse the young Hanyou from his sleep.

"Wha'?" he asked, looking around as if startled. His eyes made contact with hers, and he relaxed – but only a little. "What?" he asked again, with time more coherently.

"I want you to tell me why Miroku is so mad at you," she said darkly. InuYasha shook his head quietly, standing up.

"You think he's mad at me now! If I told you, it'd get ten times worse," InuYasha snarled. "Besides, I can't tell you, I made…" his jaw worked as his brain fought to let an unfarmilliar word through. "…A promise," he blurted. "I can't tell you," he said, though this time he seemed to beg her, pleading in his voice. Sango didn't care. Her glare bore down on him relentlessly.

"You also made a promise that you wouldn't come, right?" she asked. InuYasha's mouth shot open to respond, but he shut it promptly, glaring instead. Sango had won that part, at least.

"That's different!" he snapped, eventually. InuYasha looked as if he was overflowing with insults that he'd chosen not to bombard her with.

"Oh? Do tell," she said, her voice lined with venom.

"Cause I wanted to come, and there wasn't really and harm in that… But… I don't want to…" InuYasha tried to fit his mind around the sentence he was saying. "I don't want to hurt Miroku," he said, mentally relieved to have finished that. "And I think if I told you I might."

"You need to tell me," she said. "I want to calm Miroku down as much as you – probably even more - but he's not being rational!" Sango said, pleadingly. "If I know what's wrong, maybe I could make him see reason. Please, InuYasha!" she said, frustrated.

InuYasha snorted. "No, I really don't think you can calm him down," said InuYasha. Had Sango just imagined the extra emphasis on the 'you'?

"And why not? Everyone calms down at some time or another. Wouldn't it be better if we resolved sooner, rather than later?" she asked. InuYasha looked away. "Please…?" asked Sango.

She could see InuYasha's mind working behind his eyes. His ears were flat on his head, and he was looking beseechingly at her, as if entreating her not to make him tell her, but she didn't stop staring. She could see the exact moment that he caved.

"All right, I'll tell you," he said, clearly vexed. He didn't meet her gaze for a while. "Miroku doesn't want me to, though, and it might make him even more upset," warned InuYasha. It sounded to Sango like some sort of 'last resort' ploy. She wouldn't let that slide.

"So? Get on with it," she said, non-chalantly. InuYasha took a long, and overly dramatic breath.

"I…" he said, as if forming very hard to say words. Sango waited for him to look around the room some more, biding his time in answering. "I am a circus clown," he said. Sango's expression became Stone.

"What…" She said plainly, yet somehow slipping venom into her tone. InuYasha took the deep breath again.

"I'm a--" THUNK! "Ow!" said InuYasha, gripping his head quite tightly. As Sango put her boomerang back InuYasha was checking for blood. He looked at her innocently.

"Tell. Me. The. Truth." She said, putting her face far too close to his. InuYasha stared straight into her eyes, seeming unbothered by the distance. For a moment she thought she saw his golden eyes water, but if they had, he'd blinked them back. He shook his head pitifully, imploring her not to make him tell. She even heard a whispered,

"Please…" choked out from his lips. InuYasha's eyes were melancholy, and indecisive. He shook his head again.

"I can't," he told her, whimpering.

"You will," she responded. She was already feeling guilty. She couldn't stop now though, it just wasn't an option, but he really did seem like he didn't want to tell her.

"Okay…" he said, sighing. Sango sat back down, allowing him breathing room. "I'm really going to tell you, but don't say I didn't warn you…" he said. InuYasha closed his eyes, taking a long, steadying breath. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I…" he began.
The door shattered.

End Chapter Three.

Whee!

Man, I love this story, but I really wish that I could've written it better originally. Thanks to all who read it! And extra thanks to those few who reviewed it!

Michiko.