Yo! Well, there's not really much to say, but I do want to say to eastsidegeorgiaboy that I appreciate your lengthy reviews and your offer to give me IY episodes. I'll probably email you tomorrow. I'm glad you reviewed, cuz you gave me hope. You showed me that I'm not as bad a writer as I think I am. Thank you for that. But I'll shut up now, so everyone can read.

After ungluing Sesshoumaru from the floor, the three of them left to go get his new kimono. On the way, they met with the others again, who were slightly surprised to see what Sesshoumaru was now sporting.

"Sesshoumaru…is that…a rosary?" Sango said.

Sesshoumaru grunted a reply. He was still very ticked off at Kagome for going back on her promise, and he wasn't very social. Miroku whapped him on the head with his staff to get his attention.

HROWWRR!

An actual roar came from deep within Sesshoumaru and he bared his fangs at Miroku.

"Do not dare to assault me with that staff again, monk! I will not stand for it!" he snarled, all traces of complacency gone from his voice. He slashed at Miroku with his claws and successfully injured the houshi before Kagome sat him.

"See, this is why you need the rosary!" Kagome snapped.

"I hate you! I hate everybody! Why will you not just leave me alone!"

Sesshoumaru snarled and stomped off to the kimono shop.

"Oh. You are back. Your kimono is done, sir," the woman said as he entered.

Sesshoumaru nodded. He took the clothing and went into a small dressing room that was labeled clearly. When he came out, the Inu-gumi had already returned. They took one look at him and did a group double take.

From his toes to the tips of his ears and his shaggy, mismatched bangs, Sesshoumaru's outfit and looks were all but normal. He was wearing a prussian blue haori which was embroidered with dark purple flowers. His hakama were of field variety, but instead of gripping at his ankles like his normal hakama, these blue ones flared out like Kikyo's. His tail was thrown over his shoulder as it normally was, and yet he looked like a normal villager. Were it not for his markings and youki, he would have passed as a resident of the village.

"Sesshoumaru…you look so normal…" Kagome said.

The demon turned his nose at them. He was still quite angry with Miroku and Kagome.

"Feh. It is not your concern, onna!" He snapped. "You are reminding me why it is that I was reluctant to join you. I order you to remove this rosary so that I may leave."

"Sesshoumaru, no! It's too dangerous! You're ill…"

"I do not require your help to heal. Take it off!"

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's empty stomach began to gurgle loudly once more. He winced.

"Take it easy, Gurgles Mc Noodle Pants!" Shippo said.

The whole group laughed raucously at that.

"My name is Sesshoumaru, not Gargles Mc Noodler Prance!"

"I said Gurgles Mc Noodle Pants," Shippo corrected. "Listen to your stomach!"

"I do not care! Ugh, you are all so…so incorrigible!"

Sesshoumaru stormed off into the forest.

"Hey! Get back here! Damn!"

Inuyasha was in a towering temper now.

"That damned youkai bastard! He's a load of problems!"

Sesshoumaru growled ill temperedly. He didn't care if he was being obsessive-compulsive; he was tired of it! Tired of being a Were-Dog, tired of being told what to do, and tired of being picked on.

And he was hungry!

A dull pain in his heel alerted him that the Shikon shard was embedded there. His stomach gave an obstinate gurgle as he pulled his boot off.

"Grr…why must I tote this damnable shard around?" he grumbled, pulling it out of his flesh.

His ears lowered slightly in apprehension as he studied the shard. It was a very dark purple.

"It's…tainted…"

Sesshoumaru didn't put much stock into the Sacred Jewel, but he somehow felt that he was corrupting the shard. Now that he though about it, his blood could've done that. His blood was filled with poison and demon powers.

But no, this shard was feeding on his rage and irritation. It was his behavioral pattern and emotions that were corrupting the jewel shard.

Somehow, that depressed him. He never thought of himself as corrupt. Perhaps not fully pure, but he never did anything that wasn't right by him. He always followed his instinct and did what he thought was right.

Well, the arguments with the group didn't settle too well with him. Was that it?

Furthermore, was the jewel normally neutral because he did what was right by him but not what was right by all standards?

"This is puzzling indeed…unh!"

He gasped as the jewel absorbed itself into his hand.

No! he thought in alarm. If I become one with the tainted Jewel, who knows what will happen…?

Suddenly, the forest became deadly calm.

Sesshoumaru felt a change in his body. His claws grew to 3 ½ inches and his fangs also lengthened.

This isn't like being a Were-Dog, he thought. The jewel is furthering my taint!

"Sesshoumaru! There you are! I came…to apologize…"

No! Kagome!

Sesshoumaru felt a burning in his abdomen and clamped his hand over it.

"Ouaghh!" he moaned. "The claw marks…"

Inuyasha's claw marks to his gut reappeared in vibrant red streaks. The taint was now spreading like wildfire. He could feel his heart race and his body felt so overpoweringly hot that he tore his haori off in a mad attempt to cool down.

"Sesshoumaru, what's going on?"

"Shikon…no…Kakera…" he managed to say. His eyes then took a crimson hue and he knew no more.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

"…It smells dangerous around here. Shippo, you'd better hide. It's gonna be bad."

Suddenly, Kagome burst out of the forest, looking very frightened.

Out from behind her burst Sesshoumaru, but he was hardly recognizable.

He had taken a form much like Inuyasha did when he transformed, only Sesshoumaru looked much more deadly—the Shikon Jewel had caused an awful metamorphosis in his body. His feet had become enormous dog paws and large, very un-doglike spines were growing from his back. His tail whipped around furiously and foam rimmed the edges of his mouth as he growled menacingly.

"Inu…yasha…!" he said in a very slow snarl. "I…will…kill…"

He slashed at his brother, successfully cutting his arm.

"You!" Inuyasha snarled. He made to draw Tetsusaiga…

"No!" Kagome said. "He's absorbed the Jewel Shard by accident! It's not his fault!"

Inuyasha growled.

"Fine. But how do you propose we take him down!"

R & R pretty please! And that Gurgles Mc Noodle Pants thing came from my friend Roger's mother. I told them I'd use it, and so I did.