Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. Sadly, Rumiko Takahashi hogs them all to herself.

A/N: Sorry, these chapters are getting a little inconsistent in length!

Inuyasha groggily awoke in the same place he had fallen, dried blood making his face feel a little on the cakey side. He groaned, his voice hoarse (well, more hoarse than it already was), and looked around for signs of danger. Silence. Okay, he needed water. And a bathroom break. But you need to find Kagome damnit! His inner voice told him as memories flooded back to him. He jumped up, ignoring the pain in his back. Old man… His inner voice snorted at him. "Why you!" Inuyasha said, completely startling a young girl cautiously approaching him. She seemed to be about Kagome's age, tall and muscular, wearing a demon exterminator outfit, and had the biggest damn weapon he'd ever seen, making him immediately defensive—it made him feel small. He glared at her, saying the first thing that came to mind "What the hell do you want, wench?" Her face turned red and her shoulders hunched up, her face giving the expression of rage he knew to be so often found on Kagome's face after a similar conversation. She brought her hand back and slapped him across the face, a loud SMACK echoing throughout the clearing

"Hey! What's the big idea you jackass! I was gonna see if you were hurt!" the girl said, giving him a death glare so often associated with two year olds that were being left with a babysitter. "And do what, rob me!" He yelled, springing up from his position on the ground he found himself so often in. "I WAS GONNA HELP YOU!" she screamed.

"WELL I DON'T NEED YOU HELP!" he yelled back, withholding the stream of curses due the enormity of her weapon. "I'm sorry," he sighed apologetically, "I really don't know what got into me, I just lost my best friend and I'm a little out of sorts." He said.

Her expression immediately softened, "Really?" She said, dropping her hands at her side from the karate chop position they were in.

"NO!" He yelled, sniggering slightly. Okay, so he did use his terrible predicament for a sick joke, but he really didn't want this girl hanging around. Plus it was worth it to see her face redden again.

"I HATE YOU--," she paused, "Erm, What's your name again?"

"Since when did I tell you my name?" Inuyasha said, digging his grave deeper.

"WELL if you TOLD ME I could YELL at you properly!" She said, annunciating every other word.

"Wouldn't YOU like to know?" He yelled.

"You're IMPOSSIBLE, I can't BELIEVE I even tried to rescue you!" She stormed off.

"RESCUE ME! I DON'T NEED NO RESCUING!" He yelled after her, hearing a satisfying "Brargh!" in response. It seems Inuyasha had made a new friend.

Inuyasha strolled into the busy town nearby after cleaning the blood off his face (wouldn't want to be burnt at the stake for eating someone now would he?), attempting to find some food, hopefully glancing into stalls for telltale signs of Ramen. Damn future food. He thought, giving you a taste then just up and disappearing! He tried to look cool, but that didn't stop mothers from clutching their babies a little tighter when he walked past. He caught the wafting scent of something mouthwatering, not stopping to think what it was, just following his nose. His nose snuffling furiously, he navigated through the town square, ignoring various hagglers trying to sell him nail products.

The delicious scent originated from a small cantina, open during the day as a restaurant. He strolled inside, noticing the title of the restaurant, "The Happy Taijya". That's a little weird he thought, having the name of a restaurant be "The Happy Slayer". He walked up to the bar, clearing his throat and saying, "Excuse me, miss." To the girl with long black hair that was stirring a pot with her back turned to him. She turned, wiping her hands and saying "Welcome to The Happy Taijya, how can I help yo--" she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing. "YOU!" She hissed, glaring at him. She whipped her towel at the floor, and pointed towards the door. "OUT!" she yelled.

A man with a receding hairline and muscular arms rushed over and said "Sango! I'm surprised at you! That's no way to treat a customer!" The man said, immediately turning towards Inuyasha and saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, my daughter is a little upset right now, her fiancé just died at the hands of a terrible youkai." Sango fumed silently, a look of utter horror coming onto her face as her father told her worst enemy about her personal issues.

Inuyasha nodded, a gentlemanly gesture, knowing how it felt to lose the one you loved to a demon. "I think it's best I leave," he said, heading towards the door.

Sango frowned, an idea forming in her head. What if this guy (whatever his name was) could help her in her quest for revenge against the demon that killed her fiancé. It's not like she liked the guy, but her honor said that she had to get revenge. And the easier the job, the faster she could get back to her normal life. "wait!" she yelled, waving him down. He turned a bemused expression on his face. "Could you uhhh ummm…..well you see…." She stuttered, starting to think it wasn't such a good idea. He sniggered, "Cat got your tongue?" He said. She was furious. "NO, but its got YOURS!" she said, a giant fire cat leaping out from behind her. The deadly cat launched itself at Inuyasha's chest, pinning him down. The cat's red eyes glared as Inuyasha closed his eyes, waiting for the worst. He felt a large, sandy tongue slobber upon his face.

"Ptoo!" he said, wiping slobbery goo from his cheeks. "Get off! Get off!" he said, barely suppressing a chuckle. Sango laughed outright saying, "It seems someone likes you!"

He pushed the giant cat off him, hearing a poof! noise as Kilala changed back into a small, innocent looking kitty. Inuyasha grabbed it by its scruff, eyeing it. "I'm Inuyasha, pleased to meet you." He said seriously to the cat, smiling when it mewed. So that's his name!