Disclaimer—only own the characters I create. Not Inuyasha or any of the others upon which this story is based.

I want to thank everyone for their reviews! ThebigW, Tajiya, Bellflower and Marryinelmo. You encouraged me to continue when I gave up.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Amarra and Kirara stood near Inuyasha.

They had eaten; they were packed.

Now what?

Which way to go?

Inuyasha recognized they were all looking at him for to take some sort of lead.

The thing was that Kagome always was the first one to head somewhere. And they would walk until she sensed a shard.

Without her here to start…

"If Kagome…"

The moment her name left as a whine from Shippo's lips, Inuyasha's ears flattened ever so slightly, Sango noted. She found herself stepping that much closer to him…

A movement lost on Inuyasha, but not Miroku.

"…were here we would know what to do."

"We have to get on without her." Miroku stated calmly, with his characteristic outward never-give-up-attitude. "It will be a challenge, but we're all up to it."

Amarra continued to wonder whom this Kagome was, and why she seemed to be the source of all of the demon child's whines, and the rest of the groups inactivity.

"I have a plan." Sango realized. "You and Inuyasha are the best to sense demon presences. And we've learned that those that are strongest tend to be the ones with shards…"

"You mean to demote Inuyasha to shard detector?" Miroku smirked, hoping Inuyasha would take the bait and clear his thoughts of Kagome.

"Hey!" Inuyasha bit. "She means you too!"

"I am much more than a shard detector. I am a handsome one at that."

Amarra couldn't help but smile at the inside joke she and Miroku seemed to have.

Sango looked at Miroku for a second, "Your ego as Kag…" she stopped herself from finishing the name on her lips. She glanced over at Inuyasha slowly, apologizing to him silently with her eyes.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Inuyasha wondered out loud.

Sango dropped her eyes, but before she could answer Inuyasha simply sniffed the air and just started to walk.

Shippo hopped on Sango's shoulder and Kirara on Miroku's as they followed.

Amarra stood and took up the rear.

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Inuyasha was still ahead. Sango behind him, with Shippo and Kirara on either shoulder.

She glanced back as Miroku and Amarra stood next to each other now. He was talking and she was listening intently.

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"So, if I am understanding correctly, there is this jewel…that only this Kagome girl could detect…that you are in the search for?"

"Primarily Inuyasha is in search of it now. He wishes to become a full-fledged demon, or so he says. Like Sesshomaru."

Amarra gave a chuckle that caused Miroku to raise his brow.

"What is that amusing?"

Amarra doubted that hanyou could ever be like her Sesshomaru…

Amarra suddenly flushed as the thought fluttered through her mind.

Her Sesshomaru?

She chastised herself for her stupid romantic notions and looked at Miroku once more. "And the rest of you are mainly after this Naraku?"

Miroku noted she didn't answer his question, but decided to let her change the subject. He nodded his head.

"Sango for her brother and slain village, the hanyou for his lost love…"

"You really should call him Inuyasha…" Miroku looked down, his eyes growing as Amarra took his hand in curiosity.

"And you for this?" She lifted his cursed hand, staring at it.

Her fingers were warm…soft for a warrior…Miroku pulled his hand gently away as Inuyasha's warning about her being Sesshomaru's lover played again in his hand.

"Yes."

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They became close rather quickly, Sango realized.

However, for once, Sango wasn't jealous of the attention Miroku was giving to a woman. Maybe because it wasn't his normal perverted attention.

That had to be the reason….Sango's gaze drifted back ahead to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha who had not said anything since they first left the village.

She wondered what he was thinking about?

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"And then they lived happily ever after". Kagome's voice drifted in Inuyasha's mind.

Kagome used to tell Shippo these, what she called, bedtime stories.

They always ended with "And then they lived happily ever after"

Inuyasha hated those stupid stories. Kagome used to say it was because he wasn't so called "romantic".

Inuyasha never told her it was because he considered them lies.

Kikyo used to also tell stories to the children. Inuyasha would sit up in a tree, and listen to her when she was unaware.

Her stories also always ended where everything worked out okay.

Back then, Inuyasha had loved those stories.

They gave him a sense of…faith. Especially when he found out they were true….

Or so Kikyo had said. She must have believed them too.

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Flashback

"Did that really happen?" the little girl looked up at Kikyo, her dark brown eyes wide.

Inuyasha leaned down from his branch, just a little closer. Curious as to what Kikyo's answer would be.

"Do you believe it's true?"

The rest of the children chimed in with a happy "YES!"

"Then it must be so." Kikyo smiled…that beautiful, rare smile, that made Inuyasha's heart beat just a bit faster. "If you have faith in something, nothing is impossible."

Flashback end

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"Feh." Inuyasha said to himself.

Faith his ass.

There obviously was no such thing as happily ever after.

His parents did not have a happily ever after.

Kikyo and he were tricked by Naraku and betrayed each other before they had a chance at happily ever after.

And because he would always love Kikyo, a fact that Kagome obviously couldn't accept, there would be no happily ever after for them either.

Inuyasha could not name anyone who seemed to be living happily ever after.

All lies.

In the end, someone always hurt someone.

Inuyasha suddenly jumped up into a tree.

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Sango gasped as Inuyasha landed in front of her. He tossed something to her and she caught it instinctively.

Sango glanced down at an orange in her hand.

"Can't you go a mere four hours without eating" he answered her unasked question.

Sango blushed, realizing he must have heard her stomach growl. She began to peel the skin of the fruit. "Thank you."

"Feh." Inuyasha glanced down at the enchanted beads around his neck. He hadn't even noticed them until he landed from his jump and they lightly hit his chest.

Damn beads.

Sango noticed where his eyes drifted. She stepped closer, curious…

She had never tried before, because it was how Kagome kept Inuyasha 'in check'. But now that Kagome wasn't here, Sango thought it was a cruel reminder, and wondered if…

Inuyasha looked up as Sango lifted the beads from his neck. "What'd you do that for?"

"You're welcome, Inuyasha." Sango began walking again.

Inuyasha followed her with his eyes…

And as Sango took a bite of her orange, she could have sworn she heard a mumbled "thanks" come from his lips.