Hey Everybody!

I've finally come up with a new fic!!! (does happy dance) This fic is set when the Tetsaiga is too heavy for Inuyasha to wield properly and doesn't know that the sword prevents him from becoming a full demon.

Warning: There is a character death in this story, so don't say I didn't warn you

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha (Are you happy now?)

Italics mostly mean flashbacks and thoughts (I think you can distinguish which is which)

Enjoy!

Inuyasha woke to find himself in a puddle of blood.

Human blood.

The whole village reeked of a massacre; the sharp scent of copper was mixed with smoke, tears and fear. The smell of terror was the worst, speaking of the much pain and suffering that had befallen the villagers.

Lifting himself up slowly, Inuyasha looked at the destruction around him. Scorches marred the roads and most huts were now just a smouldering pile of cinders. Then there were the bodies.

So many bodies.

But it was not the fire that had killed all these people. Anger boiled inside him as Inuyasha noted the deep slashes on every man, woman and child in sight. What had happened to these people? Who or what could possibly commit such an act?

A demon?

It had to be a demon – no other creature would be able to commit such a slaughter. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember any of the attack. Had he been unconscious the whole time? Inuyasha racked his brain for memories, anything from the previous day.

Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, Sango and himself had been on their way to find Naraku, to kill him and retrieve the Sacred Jewel shards. They had been on his trail for days with no luck. So when they had finally come across a village – the ruins he was at now – it had only seemed natural to stay there for the night. Miroku gave his 'Ominous dark cloud speech' while the others waited outside the village gates. They were eventually admitted and went off in search of somewhere to stay.

That was when the demons came.

They flocked towards the village in their thousands, writhing like demented snakes. The Tetsaiga was still too heavy for him to wield properly, so he had stumbled around clumsily flaying the sword wildly, trying to hit demons. The last thing that he remembered was the Tetsaiga being knocked from his hands and Miroku calling out his Wind Tunnel. Judging by the position of the sun, high above his head, he had been out cold all night and most of the morning.

Inuyasha wondered where the others were. His friends couldn't have abandoned him. No, there was no way they would have left him, not while he was unconscious and defenceless. Then it struck him, they could be lying wounded somewhere or… or… worse.

Inuyasha tried to stand up, but his muscles were aching. He felt as though he had been running for hours, rather than unconscious all night. He grabbed his Tetsaiga, which had been lying in his hand when he woke up, and used it to push himself up. He leant heavily against its smooth surface. Strange, he thought, I don't remember getting the Tetsaiga back after I dropped it. The hanyou quickly dismissed the thought. It didn't matter at the moment; he had to go find his friends.

Inuyasha wandered slowly throughout the village looking for them, as well as any other survivors he might find. As he searched, a lifeless couple caught his eye. A mother and her child. He reached out a bloodied hand towards them.

A woman was pleading, begging, tears streaming down her face. A small girl was clutched protectively to her chest.

"Please don't hurt us," An amused growl was the only answer. Her eyes widened, "No, no, please…" a louder growl, "please, please, please…" it seemed that these were the only words she was still able to speak.

"Mummy," whispered the child, "mummy, I'm scared."

The growl rose into a loud cackle and crimson stained claws flashed toward the figures…

Inuyasha jerked backwards as though struck by lightning. Images of the violent deaths were still vivid in his mind. He now knew that there was no reason for the murder of the villagers. It was done for enjoyment, the sick, twisted amusement of some heartless demon. He looked briefly backwards, hoping to see some sign of life.

Something glinting off a body in the distance caught is eye. He knew he should keep looking for Kagome and the others, but curiosity got the better of him.

It was a small tuft of silver hair, clutched in the hand of a young warrior. A sinking feeling formed in his stomach as he reached to pick up the hairs.

"Stay back, demon!"

The man had a sword clutched in his hand, brandishing it at his opponent. A harsh laugh sounded, echoing around the small village.

The soldier was shaking violently and were his hands sweating profusely, so much in fact, that he dropped his weapon.

"Bad move," said a voice that was laced with such cruelty, that it sounded barely human.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" yelled Inuyasha, shaking his head to try to clear away the sounds of claws ripping through flesh, screams of agony and mirthless laughter. He staggered around, still clutching his skull. It wouldn't go away - instead it got worse.

"Please don't hurt them!"

This voice was familiar, it was sounded high pitched and terrified, but he would recognise it anywhere. Kagome.

"Stop! I have the Tetsaiga – take it! Stop this madness!"

He could see her now, standing in front of him. The look of terror plastered on her face… it was something that he would remember for the rest of his life. He could feel his limbs moving towards her, completely out of his control.

"Inuyasha…"

A flash of hope crossed her features. He felt his lips curl into a sadistic smile and watched as the hopeful look disappeared, determination replacing it. She steadied her feet into the ground and held the Tetsaiga in front of her like a lifeline.

"Inuyasha take the sword!"

The smile grew wider as he broke into a run, causing her to flinch slightly. Inuyasha felt trapped, he knew what was coming next, but was powerless to stop it. He felt his own bloodied hand reach out as he drew nearer to the quivering girl.

She reacted quickly, throwing the dusty looking old sword at his head. Though not transformed, the pain of the metal against his temple was excruciating and spots began to appear in front of his eyes. He roared, pulling the sword from her grasp.

But his body would not give in that easily. Ignoring the throbbing of his head, he held onto the sword in one hand and bent over Kagome, who had fallen over in an attempt to escape. Inuyasha used his free hand to pick her up and throw her against the wall of a hut.

"INUYASHA!"

Penetrating the ground with Tetsaiga, Inuyasha leant heavily against it for support. His goals achieved, the demon let himself give in to unconsciousness.

Then, suddenly as it had started, the screaming stopped. He was alone again, standing in front of the man clutching his hair. He needed to find Kagome, to see if she was all right. Following the path of his memory, Inuyasha found himself standing before the hut. There was a gaping hole in its side.

"Oh no…" he whispered, a dead, hollow feeling forming deep within his body. But he forced himself forwards, one step at a time. As he neared he saw a patch of green in to rubble.

"Kagome!" Not able to take the suspense any longer her ran to her, cradling her still body in his arms. The girl hadn't stood a chance. He had killed one of the few people he had ever cared about in his entire life.

Inuyasha's body gave a strange lurch, making his head throb painfully. He reached a hand up to his forehead, puzzled. What the hell was that? Dismissing it as his grief making him act strange, he turned his eyes to Kogome's lifeless form. What of the others, he wondered. Sango, Shippo and Miroku must have fled on Kirara while Kagome had tried to rescue him. At least her attempts hadn't been in vain; he was back to normal again now.

His body shuddered again and his vision blurred slightly. Unable to ignore the bizarre way his body was acting any longer, Inuyasha picked up Kagome's body and headed back to where the Tetsaiga still stood, ploughed into the ground.

The Tetsaiga…

Realisation finally struck him. It was the Tetsaiga that kept his demon side at bay. And now he was transforming again. He needed to get back to that sword!

Another tremor stole through him, and he had to slow his pace slightly. He looked down at Kagome, she would want him to try, to defeat his inner demons (AN: pardon the pun ;P ). He was shocked to see his claws digging into her pale arms as he ran. Scared, he ran his tongue over his fangs. They were much larger than usual, and sharper too. He just hoped that his mind would hold out for just a little bit longer.

It was just a little bit further to get to the Tetsaiga, just a few sort meters. He breathed in deeply and the scent of blood filled his nose. But this time, instead of being repulsed by it he found himself craving more. But not this old, stale blood. He needed fresh blood. Revolted by his own new desires for death and destruction, he willed himself to take a step forwards, then another, then… wait… what was he doing again? What use was a sword when his claws were perfectly able to rip a human limb from limb? No, he didn't need the Tetsaiga.

Dropping the useless body from his arms (what fun is there when your victim's already dead?), he went in search of the living. Glowing red eyes and a keen nose scouted the area around him. There was nothing alive around here; he would have to search for his prey. Not that it really mattered, Inuyasha liked to be the hunter.

He inhaled again the rich scents of destruction. This was going to be a good day, he could tell.

Done! Yay!

Please review if you enjoyed the story! And no flames, thanks.

Till next time…

Im-a-tiger