Saiyan God: I'm glad you like the story :) I update as much as I can; which is, on average, once a week (though this story has been progressing quicker lately).

Z.A.G: Aw, man, you weren't supposed to guess that! Seriously! Okay, okay, yes, you guessed right on that one. n.n;

Soru Skellington: Not my website! Eat anything but Kakera no Ai! n.n;; I'm glad you're enjoying the story though.

Big VEE: Wow, thank you so much for the kind reviews! That's all I can really say. Atropa is one of my favorite authors, so having you say that really made my day.

NefCanuck: Wonder no more! All will be explained in this chapter... Okay, maybe not all, but his reason for wanting to get out of the village is :)

To Everyone else: Once again, I just have to say thank you for all the feedback on this story. It's great knowing that you're enjoying it. And, as usual, I appreciate each review I receive.

AN: Nothing else to say right now, but I thought I'd give this warning since some people seemed offended with Inuyasha's language in the 'Ain't it Funny' chapter of 'Melodies of Destiny'. So, here: Warning: strong language is ahead. Though... it's nothing worse than what you'd read in the (original) manga, or hear in the Japanese version of the anime.


Inuyasha eventually slowed from his run, to a walk when they were about halfway to the taijiya village.

When Sango noticed him slowing down, she looked up at him curiously, "What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

He shook his head slightly, glancing at her, before looking ahead again, "Nothing's wrong. Don't I have a right to walk when I feel like it?"

"Well, if you're getting tired, you could put me down and I'd gladly walk beside you." She said, beginning to struggle against him again.

He only grinned and stopped walking all-together, "You're not getting off that easy. I said I was carrying you back, and that's what I'm going to do. And if you want to get back to the village anytime soon, you better stop struggling. If you don't, then I'm not moving from this spot."

"So you'd wait here all night, unless I stop moving?" She asked, not really believing him, "You can't do that! I mean, you- you can't just stand here holding me like this all night!"

"Why can't I?" He asked, looking at her once again, "It's not like I'm hurting you or anything. And, like I said before, if you don't quit moving so much, I might drop you."

"And you call me stubborn." She replied, looking away as she stopped her struggling. She really didn't mind Inuyasha's 'game' that much, after all, she was perfectly used to being carried. Though... that was carried as in riding on back of Kirara, not carried as in actually being carried by another person.

Once she stopped moving again, Inuyasha continued walking. "You are stubborn, but that doesn't mean I can't be stubborn too."

Sango remained quiet for a moment before turning back to him, and looking intently at him, as though she were trying to figure something out. Finally, she asked, "Why did you want to leave Kaede's village so quickly?"

His gaze alternated between her, and the path ahead a few times, before finally focusing on the trail, "What... do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She stated, her eyes never leaving his face, "You were so edgy back there. As soon as we got there, you were ready to leave. Why? What were you worried about?"

He was silent for what must've been five minutes, before finally speaking up again, "I try to avoid staying there too long at a time. I make sure Kaede and Shippou are fine, and then I leave. But..."

She waited for a moment, and when he still hadn't continued, she decided to see if she could get him to say more, "But... what, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou blinked, and glanced to her for a second, before looking ahead, "Sango... do you think... that the well can still work?"

At first, his question confused her slightly, but then she realized just what he meant, "The well that connects to Kagome-chan's country? I... I don't know, Inuyasha. You and her were the only ones who ever used it, so I can't say..." She looked away and sighed before continuing, "But... if you want to see Kagome-chan again, then--"

"No, no, that's not it, Sango." He said, interrupting her before she could finish, "I... don't want to see her again."

"You don't?" She asked, surprised, as she looked at him again, "But, I thought..."

"Kikyou was finally laid to rest after Naraku's death, and after that, Kagome left." Inuyasha continued, as though Sango hadn't said a thing, "No matter how much I tried to ignore it, they were too much alike. They looked alike, smelled alike, and they even had the same kind of powers used to fight... That's something that neither one of them could understand. And... and if I see her again, things will just get mixed up all over."

Sango blinked, a little shocked that Inuyasha would, subtly, discuss his feelings like that. In all the time she had known him, he had never done that, so it did come as a surprise. She knew everything he said was true. Her friend, and Kikyou were alike in many ways. She had been there when Kikyou's ashes were buried, and she had noticed the look of hurt in Inuyasha's eyes even though he tried to hide it. And, even more so, she hadn't missed the look of betrayal that showed in Kagome's eyes when Inuyasha asked for a few minutes alone at Kikyou's gravesite. She admired and cared for the futuristic miko dearly, Kagome had always been her best friend, but even she knew that Inuyasha deserved to be alone at that time.

Sighing, and without really realizing what she was doing, the taijiya let her head rest against Inuyasha's chest as he continued his way back to the taijiya village, "Inuyasha... I know that Kikyou and Kagome-chan were similar in a lot of ways, but... why did you say things would just get mixed up again? If Kagome-chan were to come back..." And she trailed off, unsure of how to complete her sentence.

Fortunately, Inuyasha completed it for her, "If she came back, she wouldn't see any problems with her being with me, since Kikyou is no longer here... But that's not how it is, Sango. A lot's changed in the past year. I can't just forget about Kikyou, and with Kagome, that would be made even more obvious. I've had a lot of time to think since we all split up, and I think it's better this way. Kikyou should have never gone though everything that happened after that bitch revived her. She should've been able to sleep peacefully in the afterlife, and that's what she's finally doing. And Kagome... she doesn't belong here. It was great having her here, and I wouldn't even be here now if she hadn't freed me from that tree, but she has her own family on the other side of that well." He looked at Sango for a moment, giving a half-smile, "So, things might've been tough at first, but I think everything worked out like it was supposed to."

She nodded slightly and closed her eyes. And, despite how much she tried, she couldn't help but smile as well. Inuyasha was really talking; telling her how he felt about a subject that she knew was rather touchy with him. And it made her glad, in a way she didn't quite understand yet, "So... you don't regret anything that's happened? Any of the decisions we've made?"

He shook his head, looking to the path, "Not at all."

After that, the two fell into silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, though; it was comfortable, in a sense. And it remained like that until the outer gates of the village came into view. Almost immediately, one of the villagers on sentry duty waved and called to them, "Sango, Inuyasha!

Inuyasha picked up his pace, jogging the rest of the way to the gates to see what was wrong, just as the villager came down from the tower.

"What's wrong? Did something happen while we were gone?" Sango asked, already fearing the worst.

The villager shook his head, "No, no, nothing like that. It's just-- are you okay?" He asked, seeing that she was being carried by the hanyou.

She laughed a little, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. What's going on here?"

"Sango." Another voice said, from behind the other man, "There is nothing wrong."

The villager looked back, the nodded slightly, and returned to the sentry tower he had been in previously, seeing that Yukio would explain things.

Inuyasha fought against the urge to growl when he first heard the man's voice, but he kept it in. His hold on Sango tightened ever so slightly, as he watched Yukio approach.

"While you were gone, a nearby village came to us for help." Yukio began, not even sparing a glance at Inuyasha, "Your brother thought it would be too late if we waited for you to return, so he took a couple of the others and went to the village. It was only a couple centipede-demons, so I am sure they won't run into any problems."

Sango nodded, obviously not noticing the tension between Inuyasha and Yukio, "Alright. Thank you, Yukio. I know Kohaku can handle it." She paused, and looked at Inuyasha for a moment, before turning back to Yukio, "Ano... Yukio, this is Inuyasha. He's going to be staying here."

"Staying here?" Yukio asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise, as he turned to look at Inuyasha. However, he was quick to shake off his surprise, "So, your name's Inuyasha?"

The hanyou nodded silently, his eyes remaining focused on Yukio. He didn't trust him... not one bit...

Yukio's eyes narrowed in a slight show of disapproval, but he forced himself to nod as well, "Very well." He turned back to Sango briefly, "I just felt you needed to know the whereabouts of your brother, Sango." And with that, he turned and walked into the village without looking back to them.

Inuyasha snorted as he set Sango down again, "What's wrong with him?"

The taijiya sighed and shook her head slightly, "No matter what we say, and how much we show them, there will always be people who hate and fear anything that has demon blood. Unfortunately, Yukio's one of those people... He doesn't even like Kirara being around him."

"He doesn't like Kirara?" He asked, glancing to Sango, "He really is a bastard, isn't he?"

"Inuyasha!" She said, laughing slightly despite herself, as she hit him lightly on the back, "Yukio may not be as trusting as others, but he's not a bad person. But..." She trailed off, and looked behind her, "Where'd Kirara go?"

He blinked, and looked back as well, then looked around slightly, "I... don't know. She was right behind us last I knew."

Sango frowned, and turned around, walking outside once again, "I'm going to look for her. Can you stay here and keep an eye on things until me or Kohaku get back?"

He seemed to hesitate a moment, but nodded slightly, "If you think you'll be all right alone out there, then I guess I can stay here."

"Of course I'll be okay, Inuyasha. I'm a professional demon exterminator, remember?" She replied, smiling, "I'll be back soon, I promise."

He nodded again, "I know you're an exterminator. Jeez, it's not like I've forgotten that since we all went our own ways." He huffed, and crossed his arms, "Just be careful." He mumbled, glancing to the side for a few seconds.

She nodded as well, still smiling, "Alright. I'll be back soon." And with that, she turned and headed in the direction they had come from. Hopefully Kirara wasn't too far from the village.

He watched her leave, before turning to walk straight back towards 'his' sentry tower. He wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up about Sango leaving. He knew better than anyone else that she was capable of protecting herself. But there was still a slight, nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him to watch out for her.

The hanyou decided it would probably be better for him to stay at the sentry tower until Sango returned. There, he wouldn't risk getting in anyone's way, and he'd still be able to keep an eye on everything. Before he could get there, however, a noise from behind caught his attention. Quickly, the hanyou turned around, bringing up his arm just in time to block something from hitting him. As he lowered his arm again, he looked at the ground to see a throwing dagger lying at his feet. Without looking up, he knew who it belonged to, and he growled lowly.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Inuyasha looked up, the growl continuing to emit from him, "Like I could be hurt by a weakling like you."

"Well, that's debatable, but I don't know how you became my target. The dagger just flew from my hand." Yukio said, bending down to retrieve his weapon, before standing up to look at Inuyasha again.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed slightly; as his attention stayed focused on the young man in front of him, "Let's cut this out, Yukio. Just what's your fucking problem?"

Yukio's put-on look of good nature disappeared instantly, being replaced by one of slight, seething anger, "You're my problem, half-breed. Why'd you come here in the first place?"

"I only came here because Sango asked me to." The hanyou replied, resisting the urge to just attack Yukio.

"Sango, huh?" Yukio asked, sounding as though he almost didn't believe it, "And just what are you to Sango?"

Inuyasha's arms crossed over his chest as he replied, "What do you mean what am I to her? She's my friend. And she has been since before you ever knew her. But I don't know why that concerns you."

"It concerns me, because I live here, and you don't." The young man replied, "So why don't you just leave? You've put us in enough danger bringing that accursed Jewel back here. Everyone wants you gone."

"Everyone?" The hanyou questioned, raising an eyebrow, "Since when did one mans wishes become the entire villages'? You're the only person who seems to have a problem with me being here."

Yukio's green eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms as well, "I'm the only one who has voiced my opinions. But, I assure you, there are more who wish you would just leave."

"Keh!" Inuyasha glanced to the side, "Well, even if that is true, that doesn't matter to me. Sango's opinion is the only one I care about, and she doesn't have any problems with me."

A suave, yet conniving smile came to Yukio's face, as he tapped a finger against his chin, "Again, it comes down to Sango? Tell me something, do you actually believe she wants you here?" His arms dropped back to his sides as he stood up straight once again, "Or better yet, what would she want with a disgusting half-breed such as yourself?"

Inuyasha's self-control seemed to snap with that comment, and he suddenly grabbed hold of the front of Yukio's clothing and pulled him closer, "Listen you bastard, I don't know what your fucking problem with demons or half-demons are, but if you want to be breathing tomorrow, you better learn to shut your fucking mouth!!"

Yukio's breath caught in his throat as he shut his eyes in surprise by the hanyou's actions. When he realized that Inuyasha hadn't hurt him, yet, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at him again, "You... can't do anything to me. The minute you attack, everyone in this village would be on top of you."

Growling, Inuyasha pulled him closer still, "You'd be smart not to provoke a half-demon, boy! I could snap your neck before you even had a chance to scream." He paused and grinned, as a hint of sinister delight began to show in his eyes, "This village is surrounded by woods, and it wouldn't take much to make you disappear."

"So what's stopping you?" Yukio asked, an eyebrow raising in curiosity despite his current situation.

Amber eyes narrowed, as Inuyasha seriously contemplated moving his hands to squeeze the life out of the young man. But... "No. No, I'm not going to do that, because that's what you want, isn't it? You want me to prove that I'm some blood-thirsty demon who can't control his own actions. That's what you want, you bastard." He let go of Yukio, pushing him back, "It's not going to work, I'm not falling for that. Just stay away from me, and stay away from Sango, and everything will be fine."

Yukio stumbled back slightly, before straightening himself again. He smoothed out his ruffled clothes, before looking to Inuyasha again, "And how, exactly, do you expect me to stay away from her? I see her on a daily basis, and we have to work together if we go on exterminations."

Inuyasha crossed his arms, his steady glare never leaving the man in front of him, "Don't be a smartass. You know what I mean. I know what happens on exterminations; I was working with Sango long before you ever did."

The cool, slightly scheming smile reappeared on Yukio's face, as he opened his mouth, only to shut it again a few seconds later. He shook his head slightly, and then nodded, "I was only stating facts, Inuyasha. There's no need to be violent." And with that, he turned and walked the opposite direction of Inuyasha. He had wanted to say something more, but he figured he had pushed his limit enough for one day. He looked over his shoulder, glancing at Inuyasha one last time, before disappearing into one of the huts.

Once he was gone, Inuyasha snorted and jumped up into the sentry tower, "Bastard..." He muttered, as he settled himself on the floor.


AN: Oh my goodness, I started writing and I couldn't stop! o.O;; This chapter was written completely out of order as well, but I'm sure none of you care about my odd writing habits, ne? n.n; Hope you enjoyed the chapter!