Well here's chapter nine. Enjoy

Disclaimer: do I really need to say it?

Sesshoumaru looked around for any clue as to why the tensaiga had drawn him here. It was just the tubled down ruins of a shrine after all. What could possibly be here? He leaned over and examined a small chip that had been taken out of one of the walls. "Interesting" he muttered. It looked to him like something small and sharp had been embedded here.

Jaken piped up from behind him at that point. "Lord Sesshoumaru look at this" he said.

Sesshoumaru turned to see the imp pointing at five deep furrows in the ground. He bent down and examined one if them. They looked exactly like the pattern of damage from the wind scar. In fact he was sure of it. His brother had been here.

Then it dawned on him and Sesshoumaru glanced back at the chip taken out of the wall. A jewel shard was probably imbedded there he thought standing back up. He noticed Rin was examining one of the other walls. "What is it Rin?" called Sesshoumaru.

Rin pointed at a section of the wall and said "cat".

Sesshoumaru and Jaken went over to her and, sure enough, there was a picture of a lion engraved in the wall. Sesshoumaru frowned a bit as he examined it. There was something about the picture. He paced to the other side of the wall. "There is writing here" he muttered kneeling back down. He brushed the moss away and read it growing more concerned by the second and for once it showed on his face, though only slightly.

Sesshoumaru stood and motioned to his companions. "Come" he said, "were leaving".

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Ginta sat up from where he had been lying when he caught a whiff of something. "Hey" he called back to the others, "they're back".

Hakkaku came sprinting up with Shippo perched on his shoulder and Kilala close behind.

Hakkaku waved when he saw the group and was about to call out to them when he noticed something was wrong. He caught the smell of blood, Kagome's blood. "Something bad happened" he said. Ginta and Shippo nodded in agreement.

Upon catching the smell from Kagome herself though Kilala had a much different reaction. She snarled and transformed into her larger form. By now the others where close enough to see Inu-Yasha was supporting Kagome. They couldn't see her face or hands though because they where buried in Inu-Yasha's haori. "What's wrong with you Kilala?" aked Shippo noticing it was Kagome that the fire cat was staring at. "Why are you looking at Kagome like that?"

Kilala just kept growling as her fur began to stand on end. "Stop that Kilala" scolded Shippo, "can't you see she's hurt?"

At length the two groups where standing face to face and the three noticed the vicious gash in Kagome's side and where to worried to pay much attention to the difference in her scent. "Kagome" shrieked Shippo hopping down and running over to the girl, "are you okay?" that was when Shippo noticed the difference in Kagome's smell and he froze standing stock still. "Kagome?" he asked tentatively.

The girl responded by buring her face deeper in Inu-Yasha's shirt.

"Perhaps we should sit down" suggested Miroku.

Inu-Yasha nodded in agreement. Kagome couldent hide it forever and she felt like she was going to topple over any second even with him supporting her. "Kagome" he said as gently as he could, "you need to let go of me".

Kagome shook her head violently. "you have to let go eventually" said Sango laying a comforting hand on the girls arm and gently pulling it away.

Ginta and Hakkaku gasped and would have fallen on their butt's had they not already taken Miroku's suggestion and sat down. Her hand was covered in blood and razor sharp claws tipped each of her fingers. "Kagome…?" stuttered Hakkaku.

Kouga looked at them sharply. "Quiet" he growled. Hakkaku's mouth closed with an audible snap.

Eventually Sango managed to pry Kagome off of Inu-Yasha and lowered the girl to the ground. Once there she helped Kagome bandage her wound. Once she was done Sango noticed Kilala glaring at Kagome. She went over to the cat and stroked her head. "Calm down Kilala" she said, "you aren't helping. It's just Kagome". Kilala stopped growling and settled down on the grass turning back into her smaller form but she didn't take her eyes off Kagome.

Kagome just looked down in her lap and kept sobbing quietly. Shippo had finally gotten over his shock and leapt to the girls shoulder giving her a gentle hug. Kagome flinched a bit but settled back down. "Thank you Shippo" she whispered her voice sounding raw. She patted the Kitsune on the head with her left had which was blood free.

After a long uncomfortable silence Kouga turned to Inu-Yasha. "Spill it mutt" he said, "what happened".

Inu-Yasha just glared at Kouga and was about to say something rude when Kagome said something. "Just tell him Inu-Yasha" she whipered.

Inu-Yasha frowned not wanting to say anything to Kouga but not wanting to upset Kagome further either. With help from the others he quickly relay the story about the tumbled down shrine and the battle with the snakes to Kouga and his companions. When he came to what had occurred after however he clamed up again still berating himself for not telling his companions what he had smelled that day.

Kouga looked increasingly concerned and moved to comfort Kagome but stopped when Inu-Yasha snarled at him. "Don't even try it wolf" he said.

Kouga snarled back at Inu-Yasha. "Stop it" said Kagome looking up, tears streaming from her eyes again. "No more fighting". Shippo, Ginta and Hakkaku flinched when they noticed Kagome had fangs now. Kouga and Inu-Yasha settled back down and looked away from each other. Kagome looked at Inu-Yasha then and asked "what are you leaving out?"

Inu-Yasha looked at her and shook his head. "Isn't it obvious?" he said.

"I still want to hear it" she said almost pleading.

Inu-Yasha hung his head. "Alright" he muttered. "After the incident with the snake you smelled normal again. I was going to tell everyone the next day about how you had smelled like a demon but I decided not to".

"Why would you not tell us Inu-Yasha" asked Miroku.

Inu-Yasha shook his head. "For whatever reason Kagome was feeling better the next morning, I didn't want to make her feel bad again".

Kouga snorted upon hearing this. "Fine time you picked to actually keep your big trap shut for once".

Inu-Yasha just looked down at the ground and picked at a blade of grass.

"What's done is done" said Miroku, "there is no point dwelling on it". With that he stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Inu-Yasha.

"To fetch some firewood" Miroku said, "we had best stay right here for tonight".

"I'll go with you" said Sango standing up as well, "come on Kilala". The cat hopped up as well and followed her master but not with one more backward glance at Kagome.

Kouga was deep in thought for a while but eventually stood up. "I'm going" he said.

"Why?" asked Kagome looking up at him.

"I'm going to try and find out anything I can about what happened to you". Truth be told he didn't really want to leave at all. Not with what was happening to his Kagome. But more then that he wanted to help her and he couldn't do that with Inu-Yasha breathing down his neck.

Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Kouga standing there. "don't worry" he said, "ill be back soon".

Kagome smiled but anyone could have told it was forced. "thank you Kouga" she said weakly ignoring Inu-Yasha's growl.

Kouga let go of Kagome and turned to Ginta and Hakkaku. "Let's go you two" he said. Then he was gone, headed for where Inu-Yasha had said the tumbled down shrine was. It was as good a place as ant to start looking.

"Wait up Kouga" Shouted Ginta and Hakkaku running off after their leader.

It was then that Kagome noticed how utterly exhausted she was. She began to sag and Inu-Yasha caught her. "Thank you Inu-Yasha" she muttered before falling asleep for the second time that week in his arms.

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Kagome's dream

Kagome was standing back at the edge of the cliff overlooking the crystal vale, the red moon high above casting its dancing light through the crystal.

"Ah your back" came a voice from behind her. she turned to see the man wrapped in smoke standing behind her. "I see you have changed since the last time we met" he said indicating Kagome's hand.

Kagome looked at it and saw her claws. "Yah" she said softly then looked at the man. "What's happening to me?" she asked him.

His eyes sparkled but there was also a deep sadness there as well. "Come" he said waving his staff. A portal appeared at the side of the road and he stepped through it. Kagome hesitated before following him.

They found themselves in a vast green field dotted with the occasional leafy tree. The sun glowed brightly overhead in a cloudless blue sky. Everything was a scene of total tranquility except for one spot. Out of the ground a few meters away a massive black crystal thrust up towards the sky. The trees and grass around it where grey and twisted but didn't look dead. The spot practically oozed corruption and demonic energy. Actually now that she thought of it Kagome could feel demonic energy all through this place. It was just near the crystal that it was corrupt. "What is this place?" asked Kagome. It felt so familiar.

"You don't recognize it?" asked the man heading for the crystal. Kagome followed reluctantly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If the previous place was a representation of me in life then this place is undoubtedly a representation of how you are now" he said.

"This is me?" said Kagome looking at the crystal. "Then where did that come from" she said indicating it.

"Where do you think?" asked the man.

Then it dawned on her. The crystal pillar looked exactly like a sacred jewel shard. "This is the energy I absorbed from the jewel isn't it?" she asked.

The man nodded. "And the twisted land around it?" he asked.

Kagome frowned a bit. "I would assume it's because of the corrupted energy from the jewel" she said.

"It is true that started it" said the man, "but it is not what caused it to spread".

"What does that…" began Kagome but she stopped cold. She had done it she realized. She had done this when she attacked the snake demon and then later the lizard demon.

"I see you understand" said the man. "The crystal also did one other thing" he continued, "what do you suppose that was?"

Kagome looked over the endless green fields and it clicked. "The demonic energy" she said.

"Very good" said the man.

"But how?" said Kagome, "I'm not a…" she stopped then and looked at her hand again.

The man's eyes sparkled again. "You are the reincarnation of Kikyo are you not?" he said.

Kagome nodded, "yes" she said.

"However" continued the man holding up a finger, "that does not mean you are a descendent of her family".

"That makes sense" said Kagome, "but what are you saying?"

"What if" said the man, "just what if; one of you ancestors was a demon. What would you say to that?"

Kagome looked shocked. "I don't know" she said honestly.

"Think" said the man, "among other things the jewel can unlock hidden potential".

"So the jewel did this to me?" said Kagome looking back at the crystal pillar.

The man nodded again. "To an extent" he said, "you already had the potential. It just needed to be jumpstarted. But the extent of the power that shard had…" he trailed off shaking his head.

"What?" said Kagome turning back to the man, "what does that mean?"

"Your transformation is far from over" he said, "look". He indicated the reflective surface of the crystal.

Kagome looked and gasped. Her ears where longer now and came to a soft point and her pupils had begun to look more catlike.

"What is this" she said touching the reflective surface of the crystal. No sound came from behind her and when Kagome turned around the man was gone and the world was beginning to dissolve. "No" she shouted "I need to know more". The ground disappeared and she fell.

She fell and fell and fell until she landed on a flat black surface. Her double was waiting for her there. "You have arrived" said her double, "at last".

"What do you want now?" demanded Kagome getting mad. She was tired of the mind games this thing had been playing.

"Come now" said her double, "can't you guess? I am you after all. I am what you will become. Do not doubt that". With those words her double turned and walked away and Kagome finally say what the design on her back was. It was the Kanji meaning demon. Then she fell again.

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The real world

Inu-Yasha looked down at Kagome. She was sweating heavily in her sleep. Not only that but her transformation had started again. Her ears were pointed now and her grip was much harder.

"How does she fare Inu-Yasha?" asked Miroku looking at him from across the fire.

"I'm not sure" he admitted, "she doesn't seem to be suffering from any nightmares but that doesn't mean anything".

"Agreed" said Miroku lying back down. "I just hope she is strong enough to stand what is happening to her".

You and me both Miroku thought Inu-Yasha looking at the stars. Kagome smelled like a demon now but what kind he wasn't sure. It was like the scent he had just before tuning human on the night of the new moon, or as he changed back after it.

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Kagura landed and tucked her feather back into her hair. "I know you're here Sesshoumaru" she called.

The demon lord stepped out of the trees signaling for his companions to stay where they were. "What do you want sorceress?" he said coldly.

"Come now Sesshoumaru there is no need for a hostile tone" said Kagura "I just thought you might want to know what is happening concerning Inu-Yasha's little group".

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and said "what do you know?"

"Only that the girl, Kagome, has undergone some…changes".

"Changes?" said Sesshoumaru. So she is the one he thought.

"You will see" said Kagura drawing her feather back out and flying away.

Author's notes

Well there's chapter nine. It ended up being one of the longer chapters in the story. As for updates I may or may not have chapter ten up later today. Homework and all. Well cya.