I'm soooo sorry I'm making you guys wait, I'm just having a bad time of updating lately. My family is acting like a family and doing stuff with me. But here's the next chapter, and hopefully I'll update soon!

Sesshoumaru groaned. He wished he could be back in the limbo from before; at least it was less painful, even if there was still pain.

Now, he could feel a burning in his chest, an awful burning that he couldn't alleviate. It made his heart skip, which in turn made his chest ache badly.

"Kagome…Sango…anybody…" he muttered. "My chest…hurts…"

"Just relax," Miroku said. "We'll put some numbweed on the wound."

What Sesshoumaru heard was "…lax…numbweed…ound…" He took that to mean that they would be using numbweed.

"Thank you…"

And with that, he let sleep overtake him, however restless it was…

"Sango, help me carry him. Miroku, you get plenty of numbweed, because Inuyasha needs it too," Kagome ordered.

The houshi nodded and walked off. Sango carried Sesshoumaru's torso while Kagome took charge of his gangly legs.

"He can't stay in the hut, Kagome. We need to treat him and take him far away in three hours, or we risk the entire village when he transforms.

Kagome gulped. Yeah, this is gonna be some race against time…

It took the better part of an hour to get Sesshoumaru conscious, and even when he was, he still complained of chest pain.

"Lemme take a look," Inuyasha said; he felt a lot better after having the numbweed put on his wounds. He peeled back his brother's haori and looked at his chest. The wound was healed, but the hanyou could still pick up irregularities in his brother's heartbeat.

"I dunno what's goin' on, Sesshoumaru, but if it don't quit soon, you're liable to have a heart attack with all those skipped beats."

"It's like he has a heart murmur…" Kagome thought out loud. "Only it's a bit worse…"

"Kagome…please take me…from here," Sesshoumaru mumbled. "I can feel it…the power of the Were-Dog calls to me…"

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru. I'm so sorry…" Kagome said softly.

"Take me out…" Sesshoumaru said. "It is becoming hard to divert the transformation…and I feel…so ill…"

"Help him onto my back!" Inuyasha ordered. "Now!"

Sango and Kagome did as he said and soon, Inuyasha was bounding deep into the forest.

"Inu…Yasha…hurry…" Sesshoumaru told his brother in a quavering voice. "The moon…only the clouds hide it now…"

Sesshoumaru's insides writhed as he could feel some moonlight seeping through the clouds.

If Zanmaru said the moon doesn't…he began to think. But the clouds parted to reveal a moon after that and he screamed in agony as he began to transform.

"IIIEEYYAGHHH! INUYASHA, RUN!" he shrieked.

Inuyasha set his brother down and bolted.

"I'll be back, Sesshoumaru. Don't worry, and try to control yourself!" the hanyou called as he ran.

Sesshoumaru roared primally and instantly, his fangs began to lengthen. His face elongated into a snout like always and he claws dug deep trails into the ground as the moonlight quickened his transformation.

In a minute's time, he was transformed fully and with that, he gave a primal howl.

AAAAAAWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"Inuyasha, you're back!" Kagome cried. "Is he…?"

"He's transformed, Kagome. There's nothing we can do now…"

"Is he far?" Sango asked.

"Far enough, but if he wants to get here, he can," Inuyasha said. "Let's hope he doesn't want to…"

Sesshoumaru roared once more, lumbering dazed and confused. His mind told him to kill, to attack, but what could he kill and attack? There was nothing!

Unable to contain his rage, he sunk his fangs into his own flank, howling in pain as he did. His rational Inu Youkai mind was alarmed at the impulsive masochism, but unable to respond.

The Were-Dog gave a snarl as he scented a tribe of demon wolves.

You shall be my prey, ookami scum! He thought in his Were-Dog telepathy.

Within mere moments, he ran into them. Pupil-less eyes rolling madly, he charged and pinned a wolf under his massive paw. It yelped in surprise before he swallowed it whole.

In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of a charging figure a split second before it clawed his right eye, rendering it useless.

You cocky little bastard of a wolf!

Sesshoumaru turned to the ookami.

"You! Who are you to slaughter my children!" he snarled. "Ginta, Hakkaku, back up. I'll handle this!"

"But Koga, are you sure you can?" Hakkaku asked uncertainly.

"Are you doubtin' me!"

"No, boss!" Ginta said quickly. "We're just worried…this isn't a normal Inu Youkai…and that moon on it's head…It's definitely Sesshoumaru…"

"I know that, you dopes! His scent is Sesshoumaru's! But I think the idiot got himself bitten by a Were-Dog!"

"B-b-b-but…" Hakkaku stammered. "I thought they were just a myth…"

"A Were-Dog is just as real as me!" Kouga snickered. "I've seen 'em before. They ain't no pretty sight. I had to flee, but this one isn't going to encroach upon my territory, Lord of the West or not!"

You believe you can beat me? Laughable, and yet I shall enjoy eating the flesh from your bones…

Sesshoumaru charged and tried to pin Kouga down, but it was impossible. The wolf youkai was much too fast.

Those shards…

Sesshoumaru's left eye widened as Kouga drop-kicked him in the nose. He yelped in pain—his nose was very tender.

As he rose, he let globs of drool run from his jowls, which caused his miasma to rise from the ground in a noxious green fog. Kouga could not avoid this, and was considerably slowed by it.

"Damn!" he cursed. "This poison…"

He ordered his wolves to attack and they latched onto Sesshoumaru's legs. With a roar, the Were-Dog toppled. He bared his massively elongated fangs and snarled at Kouga.

You little bastard, I am one, and you are many! He thought-spoke to the wolf prince.

"That's just your fault, isn't it? You picked a fight with the wrong person. Or maybe," Kouga said, looking into Sesshoumaru's one good eye, "Perhaps you've picked just the right person."

What are you talking about?

"You are pretty far in the Were-Dog stages. I don't know much about cures, but I know enough that a Were-Dog this strong should be kept down until his transformation reverses."

You cannot bind me! How dare you!

Sesshoumaru struggled to his feet, flinging Kouga's wolves in all directions, but at Kouga's command, they pinned Sesshoumaru back down with all their strength.

"Sesshoumaru, just calm down. I know you're in there. I know it. I can't claim to really give a damn, but you're covered in Mutt-face's scent, and Kagome's scent, so obviously she does care.

Do not talk to me about the WOMAN or the MAN. They might as well have done this to me, degraded me to this! And yet, a Were-Dog's power is unrivaled!

"That's where you're wrong, Sesshoumaru. Dead wrong."

I know, mean cliffy. But please R & R!