My profile name changed because I realized that unless Sesshomaru is on, I'm usually completely bored with the show as of late, but the stories I'm still addicted too.

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

Thank you for the kind words and feedback: TheBigW, Bellflower, Borrowlover (the flashbacks allow me to help define/explore characters and their relationships without messing up what's currently going on. Otherwise this would be a damn long story and would have begun waaaay back before Inuyasha is born-smile), Taijiya (I love Sess and Inu flashbacks/stories too), Xblubbugx, and Icygirl.

I'm a lover not a fighter, okay that was bad, but anyway, there won't be descriptive fight scenes in my story.

Sango hopped off of Kirara, "It's…"

"I know." Miroku held her Hiraikotsu in his hand. "Do you know where Inuyasha…"

"Inuyasha says he will be in a nearby tree" she answered, taking her weapon with a thankful nod.

"I should have known you'd realize where he was."

Sango took the time to blush slightly, cursing silently that she really had to right to slap him because of words.

"It picked up speed suddenly." Miroku explained, his eyes surveying the area.

Sango turned, looking as Amarra went to the other side of Miroku just as a dark cloud covered the moon above them.

Like lightening, Inuyasha suddenly appeared. He wasn't just going to leave his friends to hang out in some tree he decided. He stood in front of his group, igniting a scream of "DEMON!" from a few people strolling by.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha ordered. He wanted to be completely focused….

"Up there!" Miroku called out. Everyone looked up, but…

"There's nothing up there." Sango and Amarra said in unison, even as their hands tightened their weapons in preparation.

Inuyasha couldn't see anything either…but his other senses told him better. He could hear…smell…movement but it was coming so fast he couldn't pinpoint…

By the time Miroku realized where the demon was headed, it was too late, and suddenly he flew back, as the invisible enemy struck him, landing hard against the wall of the hut. With a wince, he fell to the ground. "Miroku!" Shippo ran over from what they thought was the relative safety of the doorway as Sango looked over at him to make sure he was all right. His jaw twitched in uncharacteristic anger at what Kagome would call a sucker punch, but otherwise he was okay. Sango moved up, gauging by the angle at which he flew, from what direction he was hit. "That way…" she guessed quietly.

Inuyasha nodded. "Have some honor and show yourself coward!"

Miroku stood his hands on his beads in case the wind tunnel was needed, "Shippo get back…" he ordered, not noticing as his words stopped Amarra from edging closer to Miroku as well

Stopping her advancement towards the monk she had already felt the desire to protect from harm for some reason that was unknown to her, but she didn't question.

Why would he do something that stupid and show himself? The invisible demon smiled to himself, a breathy chuckle coming from its lips as he moved towards his next target...

That was all Inuyasha needed, and he started to smirk, until a gust of wind gave him an idea of who the demon's next target was. "Stay away!" he ordered as he jumped in the air "Iron Reaver…"

Sango gasped as she suddenly found herself pushed not so gently out of the way by Inuyasha as he landed,

"Soul Stealer!"

A scream pierced the air, and two jewel shards suddenly appeared, as the invisible demon grew visible as it fell to the ground in death.

"We'll be taking those." Inuyasha caught the falling shards, putting them with the rest.

"How in the hell did he…" Amarra began to herself.

"Seemed to think knocking you down was funny." Inuyasha teased Miroku, unknowingly giving Amarra the answer to her question. She surely didn't hear it, but that dog hearing must run in the family….

"Yes, well, glad to have been of help." Miroku nodded. "He was rather easy for you to defeat."

"Did you have any doubt!" Inuyasha cut his eyes. "Everyone is easy for me to defeat…"

Sango rolled her eyes until Inuyasha held his hand out, even as he still looked at everyone else while he finished

"…but the rest of you need to pull your weight, or I'm just going to leave you behind!"

Sango took Inuyasha's hand and he pulled her from the ground.

"Pardon…"

Miroku put his hand on Amarra's shoulder stopping her annoyance as he shook his head. "Inuyasha is what our friend would call all bark and no bite. He says things he does not really mean."

"Feh."

"See." Miroku smirked. "So, our first battle went off without a hitch."

"Yes, it was rather boring." Amarra sighed. "Are they all that way with the glory hog?"

Sesshomaru always allowed her to fight during battles….

"Hey! You can't talk to me that way!" Inuyasha snapped.

"I am not speaking to you, I am speaking of you." Amarra answered simply.

"You know…"

This time it was Sango who placed her hand on someone's shoulder; Inuyasha's. "She's probably just wondering if you will allow her to speak her mind. I am sure that your brother did not."

To prove he was better than Sesshomaru, as Sango figured Inuyasha would want to, he decided to let Amarra's attitude slide for the moment, something that only made Amarra's anger grow.

She hated the way those two spoke of Sesshomaru…as if Inuyasha were better than him somehow. They knew nothing of Sesshomaru…or their relationship, yet they had the gall to think he was better than HER Sesshomaru…

Miroku noted the ever-growing hostility radiating from Amarra and sighed. He said a silent prayer…

Suddenly Amarra's eyes grew. She turned her head slowly, and though Miroku was looking up at the sky, his hand continued to stroke against her rear. At least Sesshomaru hadn't shown up from nowhere. Now Miroku just had to wait for the smack he knew was coming.

But suddenly she just laughed.

Miroku looked into her eyes, and Amarra shook her head at him as her giggle continued. "You…are a rather un-monk-like monk." Amarra smiled as Sango's description of Miroku ran across her mind. She moved his hand from her body and with another small laugh, walked back into the hut.

Leaving everyone,

Especially Miroku

Completely dumbfounded.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He could have stayed with the others. But he had too much pride for that. These people didn't want him in the village before he killed the demon, he wasn't giving them the satisfaction of staying there now. Fuck them.

He liked being in the trees anyway. He thought best when there was the slight rustle of leaves in his ear.

And right now the rustle had formed this thought in his mind: No matter what Sesshomaru was like, Inuyasha refused to take attitude from a human. Next time Amarra was getting a….suddenly his thoughts turned, and his anger at that dead demon rose a bit once more.

Inuyasha could smell Sango's scent coming even though she wasn't yet in his view.

That damn demon was headed straight for an unknowing Sango before Inuyasha struck him down. He had the nerve to try and attack Sango on his watch…

Feh.

Inuyasha didn't think so….

Sango's scent grew closer. She was probably going to take a bath in the hot springs across from him.

She was by herself; Amarra's scent wasn't anywhere around. She reached his view, and as he figured she headed straight for the steaming water. She glanced around, and Inuyasha figured she was looking for Miroku.. Finding it clear, Sango reached up and lowered her clothes from her shoulders

As Inuyasha's eyes grew.

She had no idea he was here…and if he were perverted…his body stirred a bit as more of her skin showed…

Automatic reaction he told himself as he jumped down from the tree, landing at her feet. He refused to think there could be more to it. She was Sango…and he didn't see her like that…

Right?

"Inuyasha!" her voice brought him from his thoughts. He didn't have time for this…

"I was here first" he pointed at her accusingly as she hurried to cover herself completely. "I didn't see nothing,"

that was that bad…nothing private per se….

"and I wasn't trying to"

though he could have showed himself before she even began undressing….

"I'm not Miroku" his last sentence was almost the same as her dream of him earlier in the evening, and she had to look at the ground to stop her face from flushing in remembrance. "I was here first."

"I would not accuse you of spying." Sango stated. "I realize that you are not Miroku."

And I am not Kagome or Kikyo.

"So therefore I do not expect you to spy."

"Okay then…long as we got that straight."

And before Sango could answer, Inuyasha had jumped into the trees once more. There were some sounds, growing more and more distant by each nano-second, and she could tell he was moving so she would be out of his view and she could bathe safe from his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now that an hour had passed since the battle, Miroku's body ached from the hit he took. He had offered to join Sango in the hot springs before she just left, and she had, of course, slapped him across the face before storming off in a huff.

He had only asked her out of habit really. Not that he wouldn't have gone had she for some reason agreed…of course he would have. He wasn't blind to her beauty or too stupid not to take a chance to see her naked if she allowed it. However once he realized he could not be the man she deserved, while he went through familiar actions with her, there was no real intent behind it anymore.

But really, he did need to take a trip to the hot springs. He hoped she came back soon. Perhaps he would meditate until then…"What?"

"I asked if you were all right." Amarra repeated. "You look like you are in pain."

"I am fine." Miroku smiled, but it faded as Amarra cut her eyes at him. This was odd. He could grope her, and she would laugh, but he would give her a simple answer to a question and seem to anger her. "Amarra?"

"I did not ask you only for you to tell me what you think I need to hear."

Shippo stopped playing with Kirara and looked at the two adults in the room, wondering what was brewing. He guessed nothing as Miroku got up and left the hut. With a shrug, Shippo went back to his previous activities, not connecting the dots as Amarra mentioned she was going to for a walk and followed Miroku out.

"Everyone has their burdens." Miroku answered the moment Amarra stepped outside. She stayed behind him, noting as his cursed hand moved from his side. She knew he was looking at it now. "Some more so than others, but all of them burdens just the same."

"So, why bother others with your burdens?"

"Yes."

"I did not ask you to pour your heart out to me. I merely asked if you were in pain. I would not have asked if I did not want to know."

Miroku turned, looking at Amarra now. "So you always answer honestly when people ask you if you are well?"

"Never." Amarra smiled.

"Yet, you are upset because you feel that I am lying."

"I know you are lying, Miroku. And yes that upsets me. It may not be fair. It just is."

"Then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does that upset you, even though you know it is not fair."

Amarra shrugged. She didn't think about such things. Living with Sesshomaru for these past couple of years had stopped certain 'pointless' questions from entering her mind. Why she felt something, was the primary one. "It just does."

Miroku stared at Amarra for a moment. "Yes" he finally stated.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I am in pain. But it is nothing that some time in the springs will not cure."

"I have a feeling if you go to the hot springs now Sango will make sure you are in even more pain."

Miroku smiled. "I do not mean with Sango. However, speaking of, if you conversed with Sango and were nicer to Inuyasha then you wouldn't have to be so concerned about my well being" he teased. "You would have others to speak with."

Amarra did not answer because she already knew that was not the case.

Her automatic reaction when Miroku was attacked, had been to protect him. To stay near him to make sure he was not attacked again.

She doubted speaking with Sango more, or being "nice" to the hanyou would change that instinct. Other people might have wondered why.

She had lived with Sesshomaru, and that experience stopped that question from forming in her mind.

She did not know why.

It just was.