Chapter 14 is here now and boy is it something. At least I think so anyway. This one was hard to start but when I got going I couldn't stop. I would once again like to thank the reviewers. Now on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. You know that, I know that, we all know that so lets just get on with it.

"Stop" shouted Kagome clambering to her feet. Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru paused just as they were about to charge each other and looked at Kagome. "What do you want with me Sesshoumaru?" she snarled.

"I have come for you girl" said Sesshoumaru, "but as always my brother was to stubborn too hear what I have to say before jumping to conclusions".

Inu-Yasha snorted and glared at Sesshoumaru. "I'm not jumping to any conclusions" he said, "I know you Sesshoumaru. If you want Kagome you aren't planning anything good".

Sesshoumaru didn't respond this time. He just stared at Kagome, his face, like always, looking like it was chiseled from ice. His gaze was Making Kagome very nervous.

By now the others were beginning to wake and one by one they fell into guard positions when they spotted Sesshoumaru. No one said anything though because it was clear to them that a single word could spark a conflict.

Finally Sesshoumaru spoke, directing his words to Kagome. "You have no idea what is happening do you" he said. It was more of a statement then a question.

Kagome frowned before saying "you mean my transformation don't you?" Sesshoumaru nodded.

"And I suppose the all knowing lord Sesshoumaru knows all about it" sneered Inu-Yasha making the title of lord sound like an insult.

"Of course I do" said Sesshoumaru ignoring Inu-Yasha's sarcastic tone. Sesshoumaru appeared to contemplate something then before saying "tell me. Did you visit a tumbled down shrine a little over a week ago?"

"What if we did?" asked Inu-Yasha. On the outside Inu-Yasha looked angry but in truth he was getting nervous. What could Sesshoumaru have found in that haunted shrine?

"Because dear brother" he said, "that is where this whole thing began. And from your ignorance it is obvious that you did not search the area very well".

Curiosity overcoming her Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru and said, "What did you find?"

"Kagome…" sputtered Inu-Yasha before getting cut off by Miroku.

"Perhaps we should listen to him Inu-Yasha" said the monk. "Sesshoumaru may be untrustworthy but it might be wise to listen to what he has to say".

Inu-Yasha huffed but quieted down. "Are you quite finished?" asked Sesshoumaru. When Kagome nodded Sesshoumaru continued. "As I was saying you obviously did not search the area very thoroughly. Not that it would have mattered had you found anything mind you as I myself could barely understand it".

"Will you get on with it" snarled Inu-Yasha getting impatient.

Sesshoumaru shot his brother an icy glare before continuing as if he had never been interrupted. "On a wall in that shrine I discovered an inscription. It outlined the true purpose of the shrine and a prophecy".

Kagome felt a shiver run down her back. She had a good idea of where this was going.

"The shrine was built to guard a tomb" explained Sesshoumaru, "the tomb of a powerful demon. In the end this demon realized the error of his ways and vowed to one day return and redeem himself of his crimes. However a wise seer was able to see into the future and saw what would one day occur. So to delay the inevitable the demons body was taken and sealed under the shrine. But as mentioned it only delayed the inevitable. The demons subjects where angry when they discovered their lords body had been stolen and attacked. The men guarding the shrine tried their best to hold back the tide but in the end only the old seer remained alive. His shrine in ruins he inscribed his story and prophesies on a wall before finally dying of his own wounds".

"And how would this demon return?" asked Kagome though she suspected she already knew.

"He would redeem himself through a mortal he deemed worthy" said Sesshoumaru looking directly at Kagome. "The power that mortal would gain as a result was the problem though. This demon lord was very strong and the seer foresaw that should his power return those who would misuse it would try to control it", as he said this Sesshoumaru raised tokijin up into attack position. "It also said that the mortal may not be strong enough to handle the changes and would become as bad or worse then the demon lord himself had been in life. I cannot allow this to come to pass".

Sesshoumaru was done talking now. He shifted his grip on tokijin and crouched down ready to spring. "This is your last chance girl" he said, "come with me or die".

"I'm not going anywhere with you" said Kagome reaching for her bow. She didn't care how important the information he had just given them was Kagome refused to go anywhere with Sesshoumaru.

"Very well" said Sesshoumaru. he launched himself at the girl then sword leading for a vicious sideways swing that would have cut Kagome in half had Inu-Yasha not intercepted it.

"I knew we couldn't trust you, you snake" snarled Inu-Yasha forcing tokijin back and swinging around from the other side with a counterattack. Sesshoumaru had no time to parry the strike and dodged to the side instead, as soon as he did though one of Kagome's sacred arrows struck him in his left side. Sesshoumaru hissed in pain and used his sword to swat the arrow away.

Knowing they couldn't help the others held back ready to jump in only if they where needed.

Inu-Yasha charged in again swinging the tessaiga down in a bone shattering blow. Sesshoumaru blocked it though and slammed his knee into Inu-Yasha's middle causing the hanyou to stagger back. Esshoumaru was about to finish Inu-Yasha off when another arrow imbedded itself in his right shoulder. Hissing in frustration Sesshoumaru backed off and stuck tokijin into the ground so he could dig the arrow out.

By the time Sesshoumaru had recovered his blade Inu-Yasha was back up and charging in again. He used tokijin to parry a few strikes before lunging for Inu-Yasha's leg. Inu-Yasha hopped over the strike and backed off again. Kagome loosed another arrow but Sesshoumaru was ready this time and easily dodged the projectile.

Sesshoumaru jumped out of Inu-Yasha's range and pointed his sword at Kagome. "Die" he said sending a pulse of energy toward the girl. Kagome threw up her arms and instinctively charged her bow with energy to reflect the attack. The attack slammed into her snapping the bow in half and sending Kagome sprawling about thirty feet back from where she had been standing.

"Bastard" screamed Inu-Yasha. Sesshoumaru was just able to get tokijin up into a guard positon to block the windscar attack Inu-Yasha sent his way. There was still enough force to send him skidding back and Inu-Yasha took the chance and leapt in. he swung again and again working Sesshoumaru's blade up high the swinging his own around low in an attempt to slice open Sesshoumaru's belly. Sesshoumaru expected this and dodged back missing getting sliced open by less then an inch.

Meanwhile Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had run over to Kagome's prone form, for some reason though Kilala had begun to growl at the girl again instead. "Kagome" said Sango shaking the unconscious girl, "wake up".

"Sango" said Miroku, "it is best not to shake her. Shippo, go to her bag and look for anything that could help".

"Right" said Shippo before hustling off to do just that.

"Come on Kagome" said Sango, "snap out of it".

Pain, humiliation, weakness, she was sick of all of it. The cold edge of a demon mind began to surface again and this time Kagome didn't resist. She had to learn to live with it eventually and if she didn't use the power now she may not live to see another day. She allowed it to fill her tearing down the barriers she had so foolishly built. In the back of her mind she heard two voices. The voice of her double calling out in triumph as she became one with Kagome and a scream of outrage from the man cloaked in smoke, "fool" he screamed, "you are a total fool. You have no idea what you have just done".

Shut up thought Kagome, I don't care. The voice faded promising they would speak again soon enough.

"I think she's waking up" said Sango. She took Kagomes head in her lap and stoked the girl's hair. "Come on Kagome wake up" she said.

Shippo had found nothing that could help and was looking at Kagome now instead. "What's wrong with her face?" he asked pointing at Kagome. Streaks of crimson where forming on her face, a small stripe on either side of her nose and larger triangular shapes along her jaw that, in an abstract way, resembled whiskers.

"I am guessing the transformation is almost complete" said Miroku. At that point Kagome's eyes flew open. Everyone but Sango recoiled at the gaze. Kagome's eyes were glowing blood red with barely contained fury.

She sprung up knocking Sango over and crouched down ready to spring. She eyed Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru's duel with a cold calculating gaze. "Are you okay Kagome?" asked Shippo edging closer to the girl. She turned and glared at Shippo sending him skittering behind Miroku.

Kilala was almost livid at this point. She had transformed and took a menacing step towards Kagome. "Back girl" ordered Sango. Kilala reluctantly stopped her advance but kept up her angry glare.

Sesshoumaru noticed this and jumped back sending Inu-Yasha, who had been in the middle of a swing, to stumble. "Look" he snarled, "it's already happened. I have to stop her now".

Inu-Yasha glanced at Kagome then did a double take. She was crouched there watching his duel with Sesshoumaru. She looked and smelled every inch the demon she had been becoming the past few days. It was still Kagome's scent but there was nothing human about it. Instead she smelled similar to someone from the panther demon tribe only a little more… could a smell be noble? He couldn't put a finger on it but he would figure it out eventually.

Inu-Yasha snapped out of it when Sesshoumaru lunged at Kagome again. "Oh no you don't" he snarled jumping in and blocking Sesshoumaru's advance.

"Out of my way Inu-Yasha" snapped Sesshoumaru, "she needs to be finished off".

"I wont let you do that" shouted Inu-Yasha pushing Sesshoumaru back with a series of lightning fast strikes. He wasn't going to give an inch to his brother. The bastard had threatened Kagome and he wouldn't let him near her.

Kagome felt differently though. She was tired of sitting on the sidelines or helping from a distance. Suddenly like a lightning strike she lunged for Sesshoumaru. "Kagome what are you doing!" shouted Inu-Yasha as he sent Sesshoumaru skidding back. Kagome ignored him and kept going colliding with Sesshoumaru, claws leading.

Sesshoumaru was just able to block but a wave of demonic energy that Kagome had charged her strike with washed ofer him causing him to stagger back a few steps. Not wasting any time Kagome lunged again scoring a vicious blow on Sesshoumaru's front shredding his armor and cutting deep.

Sesshoumaru howled in pain as blood flew from the wound and splattered all over the ground. Kagome came on again but he was able to dodge this time and backhand her sending her sprawling again. "Now I will finish this" he hissed raising tokijin. Something happened at that point though. Tensaiga flashed angrily and held Sesshoumaru fast. He struggled against the bonds. "No" he snarled, "I have to finish her".

No said a voice in Sesshoumaru's head startling him, she can still be saved. Sesshoumaru was so shocked he actually backed off and re-sheathed tokijin. Had tensaiga just spoken to him?

Inu-Yasha was shocked to. Something strange had just happened. Sesshoumaru had a look of what seemed to be pure horror on his face. Something he had previously thought impossible in the stoic demon lord. It quickly disappeared though and Sesshoumaru began to limp off. "I'll finish this later" he called back before disappearing into the forest.

"That was strange" said Inu-Yasha reshathing the tessaiga. He looked over to see Kagome was standing back up. "Are you okay Kagome?" he said running up to her.

She fixed him with a disturbing gaze and grinned, her eyes flashing red again for a split second. "Never felt better" she purred. Sesshoumaru's blood had stained her sash red.

888

"Lord Sesshoumaru" Shouted Jaken, panicking at the sight he saw before him. Sesshoumaru looked battered to within an inch of his life. "What happened my lord?"

"I failed" he said looking down at the ground. Regret was shown clearly on his face. A face that normally looked chiseled from ice. Rin was too scared to speak but worry shone in her eyes. Aun padded over and nuzzled Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

Sesshoumaru set his hand on one of the dragon's snouts and looked up at the sky. "I fear" he said, "I may have only made things worse".

Author's notes

Well here it is, chapter fourteen. Chapter fifteen should be up very soon. now if you'll excuse me I may have to hide from some fan girls for hurting Sesshoumaru so badly. Ciao!