Heh, well sorry for not updating. Truth is i was just experiencing some writers block and had no real drive to overcome it. :P

Oh, and to answer a question about last chapter: Yes, she was being bipolar and since i haven't worked the explenation into the story yet (shame on me) I'll just tell you. One half is her human side, the other was her demon side. Her two souls were sort of "duking it out' and in this chapter they sort of settle down a bit. She is still learning things about her true form and is learning to let go of old memories and emotions. (I hope yall wouldn't think she would just wake up knowing how to obliterate the world and deal with this new power, heh)

As always, Enjoy!

Daedal

Ch.4

It had been a long night and an even longer morning. After Sayuri had remained still long enough to convince Inuyasha that she was indeed asleep, the rest of the group padded lightly into the cramped space. They remained half asleep through out the rest of the night, wary of her actions. At one point she had sensed the little fox demon's curiosity spike as he crawled silently towards her, only to have Inuyasha ruthlessly pull him back by his tail. As the sun's rays wisped across the horizon, announcing the coming of dawn, she barely caught the faint patter of feet before she was once again alone.

Mulling over the events that led up to now, Sayuri felt ashamed at the lack of control she had displayed. Coming off as friendly and considerate, only to turn around and gnash her teeth in their perplexed faces. "Maybe today I'll start off on a different note." she decided. "I could start by apologizing to the demonslayer. I'm not so sure about how to approach to other two, though."

Propping herself up on her elbows for better comfort, Sayuri drew in a steady breath, tasting the dank air of the hut. With a few more whiffs and the help of a lazy breeze that floated through the doorway, she located Sango's presence nearby. Unfortunately Miroku was also there, "how to separate them? Hmm, maybe that is a question better left answered after I get up." Sayuri decided that it was time for her body to be recovered, whether it thought so or not. Smirking lightly at her stubbornness she pushed herself up into a sitting position and braced herself as the blood drained from her head. The room spun slightly before stabilizing and Sayuri couldn't help but take a few desperate gasps to resupply her depleted stores of oxygen. "If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you will get. But I'm afraid you are on the loosing side." Sayuri taunted to her body. The muscles in her body ached with the new energy coursing through her veins, giving her a clever thought. "Maybe this energy can be centered or harnessed to certain parts of my body. Hmmm…" Sayuri sat immobile while concentrating on the harmonious ebb and flow of the power within her. In her mind she swayed back and forth with its tide, the movement resembling that of a dance. While letting her breath out she mentally moved her arms to grasp the rippling energy and thrust it off of its natural path. In response, the air crackled around her and she quickly opened her shut lids, taking in the ethereal surroundings. Thin strings of blue light played across the walls, similar to the patterns that the sun's rays make in water. A tingling sensation traveled up her neck and behind her ears as her hair began to levitate, tickling her as it ascended. It seemed as if invisible gusts of wind were blowing from beneath her as she caught sight of the objects in the room climbing steadily towards the ceiling.

Sensing the gathering youki, Sango and Miroku jumped up from their post outside the hut and dashed to the front of the door way just as Sayuri stretched her legs beneath her to support the weight of her floating form. And just as soon as the youki gathered, it was gone, sending the contents of Kaede's hut crashing back to earth.

As soon as Sayuri had reached a level she considered high enough to stand, she dropped her legs and simply let go of the electrified blanket of energy she mentally grasped. Raising her head she peered into four faces that reflected the same amount of shock she held in her own actions. Sango and Miroku stood in front of Inuyasha who had a curious Shippo hanging off his shoulder.

"What did I just do?" Sayuri could only whisper the words that ran relentlessly through her own mind and most likely through everyone else's. Sango's expression relaxed knowingly, having already heard the whole story from Kagome about Sayuri's past, while Inuyasha and Miroku looked on in confusion; Shippo just smiled, happy to see this new demon awake and well.

"How should we know? You're the one who just did it," retorted Inuyasha before anyone else could even take another breath.

This time Sayuri could feel her energy come willingly into her hands as her temper rose, but quickly reigned it back, stubbornly refusing to break her resolution so soon after she made it. She attempted a smile to lighten the moods of the two males before her. The monk's response was immediate, sighing lightly and looking on with that knowing question in his eye 'would you bear my child?' However Inuyasha continued his glare, not trusting the demoness standing innocently within the hut.

Smirking slightly at his pointless rebudle, Sayuri replied, "I was hoping that since you have been a demon far longer than my measly two days, that you would know. I guess not." "At least I was civil" Sayuri thought to herself.

Inuyasha turned a bright red as the other three around him expertly held in their own giggles. Giving a slight humph Inuyasha pivoted in place and shot off in the direction of his forest.

"Where did he go?" Sayuri felt that maybe if she opened up a bit they would accept her and forgive her for her brash actions earlier, and through her experience people liked it when you held up your end of a conversation.

"Most likely to sulk by the well and wait for Kagome's return," Miroku answered solemnly.

"You better go after him, Miroku. He might try to go after Kagome," advised Sango. She turned to glance worriedly at the monk who in turn brought his finger to his chin in thought.

"I believe you are right…and I would be forever in your debt, my dear Sango, if you would get to know this pretty woman for me while I am away." Miroku sent Sango a sly wink before escaping her wrath into the trees. The demoness went from being stunned to turning bright red and muttering about the unholy pervertedness of said monk.

Sayuri continued to gaze curiously at the demonslayer in the doorway who had become the new perch for Shippo. She could actually smell Sango's anger rolling off of her and was quite intrigued by her new senses.

"Hi, I'm Shippo! Kagome already told us all about you," squeaked the kit, bringing both Sango and Sayuri back to the present.

"Nice to meet you Shippo," Sayuri replied warmly. She was glad that the emotions of her first day as a demon had calmed down enough for her to hold a simple conversation without emitting any hostile gestures.

"If you want, I could teach you a few tricks so that you could help us in battle against Naraku," the kit offered jubilantly. His little fangs poked out over his excited smile.

"Thank you, Shippo, I'll hold you to that, but right now I was wondering if you guys could tell me what is going on. I mean I know what I have become, but it seems there is more that you haven't told me yet." Sayuri couldn't help but let her worry slip past the mask she was slowly building.

With a gentle smile Sango gestured for the woman to follow her outside and sit next to her on the bench where she and Miroku had sat earlier.

"We are fighting a hanyou by the name of Naraku. He has affected all of us here and he seeks to gain all the fragments of the Shikon Jewel." Sango then proceeded in telling the full tail of Inuyasha and Kikyou, along with the stories of how each member of the group was brought to seek revenge against Naraku. Like a patient mother she would pause her stories to thoroughly answer each of Sayuri's probing questions.

Sango sighed in finality as she finished describing their quest. "So now that you know what we are up against and that you wish to stay in this time, I welcome you to join our quest. I'm sure Kagome will offer you the same invitation when she returns." The demonslayer looked tentatively at Sayuri as the demon seemed to weigh the pros and cons in her head.

The demoness readily absorbed all the information that Sango relayed to her and was honored that Sango would invite her to join them against Naraku. While she wasn't excited about getting along with Inuyasha, she could see that this quest was not only an inviting adventure, but also a tool to help her acclimate to this new era.

With a broad smile she replied, "I would be honored and I would like to apologize for my short temper earlier."

"Don't worry about it, I should have known better as a demonslayer that you would act that way." There was a brief connection of understanding that passed between the two before it was interrupted by a suspiciously charming voice approaching them.

"How are you two lovely ladies doing?" Miroku expertly strolled up to Sango and Sayuri, followed by Inuyasha who kept going into the hut after the monk stopped.

Sayuri noted the warning glare Sango aimed at Miroku, but he was too busy gleaming into her eyes. Curiously, the monk abandoned all earlier feelings of self boundaries between Sayuri and himself, stepping closer to grasp her hands and gaze down into her eyes.

A little startled by his actions she asked worriedly, "Miroku are you okay?"

Behind him Sango twitched angrily as the monk answered, "Only if you agree to bear my children, lovely Sayuri."

Miroku leaned closer, anticipating her reply. In Sayuri's mind, she was absolutely appalled at Miroku's actions. She barely even knew him and he was already coming on to her. Scratch that, they hadn't even been officially introduced. "The nerve! What does he take me for?" She started with a low warning growl, since the monk had failed to release his grasp.

Inuyasha's head peaked around the corner to asses the level of damage the monk was in for this time. Behind him Sango reached for her Hiraikotsu and began to lift it above her head. At the same time the air around them began to chill as a low growl emitted from the demoness in his arms. "Well Miroku has really done it this time, I wonder if I should step in before that baka gets himself killed." At that thought Inuyasha dropped the problem at present to debate with himself which female would be the one to kill the monk. "Sayuri is a demon, however, the wrath of Sango is not to be trifled with."

Sayuri tightened her claws on the monk's hands, since he wasn't getting the hint, but was only rewarded with an astonished smile from him, thinking she was answering his question with an affirmative. "Can he not hear my growl? Can he not feel my claws digging into his flesh?" She opted to give him one final warning and raised her growl to a more audible level just as the monk leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. The world froze.

Three things happened simultaniously: Sayuri's eyes bled red as her youki spiked and her demon was released, Sango swung her Hiraikotsu towards Miroku, and Inuyasha lunged for Sayuri in panic as she brought her claws to rip off the monk's head. It played out that Sango saved Miroku's life by pushing him below Sayuri's swing and Inuyasha caught her just as she was correcting her miss to strike the top of the monk's head.

That is how Kaede found them on her return from gathering youkai calming herbs. (She had decided that they were needed, due to the events from the day before)

"What are ye doing to each other?" the elderly miko questioned as she put the puzzle together: a fuming Sango with a beat up Miroku beneath her weapon and Inuyasha holding down a recovering Sayuri.

"Miroku 'ought ye know better than to ask that question to a demon?"

The monk emitted a bashful grin as he brought himself to his feet. "Obviously not!" scoffed Inuyasha in an irritable voice. He scowled back down at Sayuri as she ceased her struggling and appeared under control again. With a nod from the demoness, Inuyasha got off the ground and left her to stand on her own.

Sayuri fluidly picked herself up and dusted off her cotton kimono before starring down Miroku. "I promise you monk, if you ever try that again I will not allow Inuyasha to subdue me." Giving the reaction she desired, a shiver ran down Miroku's spine. Not sparing the perverted monk a second more of her time she approached Kaede, "Would you like some help with that, Kaede?" The elderly miko greatfuly handed her the basket of herbs and entered the hut, followed by Sayuri and Sango.

"Eh, what were you thinking you baka?!" growled Inuyasha as Miroku still stared off in the distance, frozen by Sayuri's promise. "She was telling the truth you know…" he paused in indecision and Miroku trained his eyes on him, but still locked in a daze.

"What do you mean?" the monk prompted hesitantly.

Inuyasha sighed in defeat, dropping his gaze to his clawed hands. "She was holding back…" with another sigh he looked at Miroku as if to attempt to drill into him with his eyes alone, the danger he had been in, "she let me hold her back."

Yaya, I know. This chapter didn't really go anywhere, but they can't really go anywhere till Kagome gets back and she had to get to know the group and form a sort of base for their relationships before they began their journeying. Maybe I won't take so long to get the next chapter up? I don't know...heh. ;D