Chapter 4

YAY!!! Holidays are here!!! Now I have time to sleep in, watch Inuyasha, read, watch Inuyasha, download Inuyasha anime, and watch more Inuyasha…you get the picture.

Inuyasha does not belong to me, but I wish he did! Gimme positive reviews or I might be axing this fic! No flames on threat of continuing it! whispers And always remember the two most important important words in writing Inuyasha fanfiction –

SUUUUGAAAAARRR HIIIIIIIIGHHHH!!!!!!! Or maybe just complete insanity.

Most of this chapter is straight out of the anime, but I've changed it enough to make life interesting.

'Ungh,' Inuyasha groaned. He tried to move, but gave it up as his muscles forcibly reminded him that they were on strike. He hurt in places he didn't even know could hurt.

What happened? he wondered dazedly. Oh, yeah…big brother attacked us again…

He became aware of a small hand dabbing something cool against his forehead. He smiled inwardly. Kagome.

Well, since he was in this position anyway, he might as well relax and take advantage of the care she was administering right now. He opened golden eyes slightly, hoping to see her familiar face and radiant smile hovering over him.

Jaken's green, warty, face was NOT what he had expected to see.

'Ah, you're finally awake My Lo-'

'AAAAHHHHH!!!!' screamed Inuyasha, pounding the toad several feet into the ground before pain reasserted itself. When he was able to move again, he got up more cautiously. He felt a slight twinge of vertigo as he stood up, feeling strangely unbalanced. Everything seemed…much farther below him than usual.

'What the hell is going on…'he started to say, brushing his hair back from his face with one hand. He froze. That hand was clawed, just like his, but it was too slender, the nails too sharp, and two red stripes ran diagonally across it.

'No…' He half-walked, half-stumbled to the pool nearby, almost falling in. At first, all he saw was a faint impression of golden eyes and silver hair in between the ripples, and he relaxed, reassured. But as the waters stilled, he saw his face clearer.

'No…' he moaned. His hand traced the purple crescent on his forehead and the two red stripes on each of his cheeks. 'No…'

This face…is not mine.

He collapsed on the rocks surrounding the pool.

This face…is Sesshoumaru's

/Flashback/

'It is no ordinary kitsune spell. With this spell, you will be able to wield the Tetsusaiga that Inuyasha possesses.' said the strange youkai.

'How?' asked Sesshoumaru, half sceptical yet wanting it to be true.

'I have heard that the Tetsusaiga was made in order to protect humans. In other words, it is a sword that full youkai such as yourself cannot even touch.'

'True.'

'But humans cannot invoke the sword's power either…' noted the figure. 'Only a hanyou – a combination of the two races – can do that. And for your father's sword, the hanyou must be of his blood.'

'So how can I use Tetsusaiga?'

'The masked figure chuckled. 'You must become a hanyou.'

'NANI?!' Sesshoumaru shrieked and swiped his claws through the baboon pelt, only to find it empty.

'Only temporarily,' said the youkai, materializing behind him.

'How will that help me?!'

'The Tetsusaiga is attuned not only to its true master's blood, but to his soul as well,' explained the youkai. 'If your soul enters Inuyasha's body for a while, it will become attuned to your soul as well, and will remain so when you return to your body. Then the sword will accept you as its master, though you are full youkai. This spell will enable you to make the switch to him and back, but once only, and only if he is within the three metre range of the spell.'

'What if he isn't?'

The figure was silent for a while before speaking. 'You will be trapped in that body forever…or switched with whoever else is in range, with no return.'

'But if I am careful, and this succeeds, Tetsusaiga will be mine,' Sesshoumaru said, almost to himself.

'That is correct.'

Eyes narrowed faintly in suspicion, Sesshoumaru inspected the stranger. 'Give me your name,' he ordered at last.

'Naraku…is what I am called.'

'Naraku, huh?' Sesshoumaru said. 'I'll remember that.'

He leapt into the air in pursuit of the kitsune Naraku had informed him held the spell. From high in the air, he barely heard the faint sound of evil laughter.

'Kukuku…'

/End flashback/

Okay! All the background's finally done! Now we can get onto the ACTION!!! Be afraid… be very afraid…