I stuck Tetsusaiga in the ground and let it return back to its normal form. I looked behind me and saw Kagome coming back with my shard. "Hey, I hear things are going pretty well."

"Yeah…" I crossed my arms, "a little too well. I didn't think I'd catch on this fast."

"Apparently Inuyasha didn't think so either. I wanted to give this back. I think you two have had enough training to last for a couple of days." She handed it to me and I held it as it shined in my hand. I grasped it and put it back in place. I sighed in relief, "Now I feel better… I guess I've held it for the past few days now that it's kind weird to be without it." I looked down, feeling a little discouraged. "Maybe I'm not so sure if I want to give it up to you and Inuyasha… I feel like I need it."

"What do you mean?"

"Something happened when I was training with Inuyasha. I feel like I changed or I was just getting too strong for my own good." I clenched my fists.

"This sounds kind of familiar… something similar happened to Inuyasha. When his Tetsusaiga was broken by an incarnation of Naraku, he was badly injured and transformed into a full-fledged demon. The third time he transformed, he fought and killed no matter what the cost."

That's when I spotted Inuyasha walking back over to us. "Inuyasha?" We both said at once. He walked past us, picked up the Tetsusaiga and restored it to its sheath. "You know what? As long as you don't use it on any of your other body parts, I suppose its all right to keep that shard where it is."

"Were you listening in on our conversation?" We both demanded at once.

"Yeah…" he sighed, "I'll be back. I just need some time to think." A few moments after he left, I asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, I just think Inuyasha's just got some inner demons to deal with. I mean, after his third transformation, he was really tormented because he killed humans and was unable to stop himself."

"Do you think he's afraid that I'll turn into what he almost did?"

"Either that, or that… nah, he wouldn't be afraid that you'd come after him."

"Yeah… I were sooner kill myself than hurt Inuyasha, especially after all that he's done for me." I held the jewel shard, "I guess because I used the shard for strength and not power, it's the one thing keeping my heart pure. It needs to stay that way or else, I don't know what I'd do. Besides, I can't reign as princess or tribal leader if my heart isn't pure."

We headed back to the camp site to have dinner. I waited around for Inuyasha to come back, but he took a really long time. I looked up and the moon was still pretty full. When it was it in the middle of the sky, I decided that it was a good idea to look for Inuyasha in case he got himself into any trouble. I followed his scent until it was interrupted by the scent of a stronger demon.

I followed the scent until I came upon them. Inuyasha was bound to a tree with what looked like a yellow/green whip. The person holding the other end had the full demon scent. I looked closer and I suddenly realized that was Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother.

I lay low in the grass as I listened to him. "So little brother, try and escape from this."

"Humph, Sesshomaru, no matter what you do to me, I'm gonna fight back. You'll never get my Tetsusaiga!"

"I'd be more careful about what words I'd use, especially in the face of a full-blooded demon such as myself. I keep telling you that you should know your place, half-breed." He sent an surge through the whip, tightening his grip around Inuyasha. I gasped when I saw that a strand was bound around his neck. He didn't faze in the face of danger; he just kept growling and staring at Sesshomaru head on, but he did look like he was running out of time.

I crept through the grass when Sesshomaru turned in my direction. "I've caught a new scent, little brother, that seems unfamiliar to me. Find another mortal to do your rescuing?"

"Humph, yeah right. Besides, not all of my friends are mortals!" That was my cue; I pounced and slashed the whip in half. I rushed quickly to Inuyasha's side as I used my well-defined claws to slash the threads around his neck and his arms. From there, I stood back as he freed himself. The threads then cut the tree he was bound to and I kicked it so it was knocked backwards.

I glared at Sesshomaru as I walked towards him slowly. Inuyasha shouted, "Don't be stupid! You don't stand a chance against Sesshomaru!"

"I'll show you what it's like when someone can actually fight back!" I charged at him, aiming to slash him, but he ducked away from my grasp a few seconds early. I stood on all four and hissed at him. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "When I'm through with you, you'll see that half-breed or not, Inuyasha is your equal, not below you like you think he is!" I pounced on him. He tried to bring out his whip again, but I grabbed the hand holding it, digging my claws in. I forced myself onto him and actually knocked him on his back. I brought the claws on my right hand around his neck. "I'm going to kill you, you know!"

"Hey! This is between me and him and I'm the one who'll finish him off!" Inuyasha shouted from behind him.

"No way! Not so he can get you in another situation like that again!"

"I could have taken care of myself. Your blood isn't worth the same as mine to him, so don't bother!"

"The hell it ain't!" I grabbed his neck and dug my claws in. "Half-breed or not, that doesn't make us below you!"

He laughed, which was unusual considering the position I had him in. "Foolish girl… I can see it in your eyes. You're more demon than Inuyasha is. I recognize you as the daughter of Kirakotsu, the great tiger demon, but your father was more demon than he led you to believe."

"I never knew my father so why are you making such accusations? You're no position to accuse me of what type of demon I am!"

"I see you have a calmness that only demons such as myself have in battle, but you're also like Inuyasha too. Your father was half-demon…" He shut his eyes and noxious fumes came from his mouth and his claws. Then he forced me off of him. I staggered backwards as he shot up, taking his whip and slashing the splint surrounding my leg. I shrieked in pain, holding onto it.

"Your eyes betray you, Princess Chihiro of the Tiger Demons. You're the product of a demon and a half-demon, but you're far from being a normal half-demon like Inuyasha. You're also far beneath me in rank, same as my brother. Your hide isn't worth anything to me. Remember your place!" He continued to whip me when I saw a red blur go back me.

"Sesshomaru, leave her out of this! Iron-Reverse Soul!..." Before he could make the final hit, Sesshomaru made himself disappear and he took off into the night. I was laying on the ground, but I was fighting with everything to get back up. I shrieked at the stars, "I'm not finished with you, Sesshomaru! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I ever do! Come back you coward! You bloody coward! Bastard!" The hair on my neck continued to stand on end and I didn't want to stop the fight. I wanted to run to find him and finish him off. The only thing stopping me was my leg, but I refused to let it slow me down. I started crawling to the spot where Sesshomaru disappeared and Inuyasha stood, watching me with eyes whose expression I couldn't determine. The pain was blinding me as I dragged my right leg behind me.