"So Kirara, how can I learn to speak human again?" Kagome questioned. The pair had long since exhausted their discussion about demons and their beasts, and Kagome was eager to talk to Sango about the day's events.

"Hmm…considering I'm not human I'm not exactly sure about this…but, why don't you actually focus on what it feels like to be human. This whole time it seems like you've been focusing on what it means to be a demon, so it stands to reason that you can only speak in the demon tongue right now." Kirara paused, "If possible, think of your human friends back in your own time."

"I'll give it a shot," said Kagome, looking doubtful, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Kagome-sama."

Closing her eyes, Kagome called her friends and family to mind. 'Miroku, Sango, Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, oka-san, ojii-san, Souta…' she slowly chanted in her mind. Each name was accompanied by a face and swirling memories. She could feel her mind zooming all her human years as if they were simply seconds.

Opening her hazel eyes, Kagome whispered, "Kirara, am I immortal?" all of her triumph from regaining human speech was drowned in one sudden realization: she might far outlive all of her friends and family by centuries, while they grew old and died she could be stuck in stasis. The thought terrified her.

"Hai Kagome-sama," Kirara growled, "because your beast is so powerful, you are immortal."

"So I will be a fifteen year old forever?"

"No, you will not."

"But you said-"

"Your body will age at a slowed pace until you look roughly thirty in human reckoning. Also, you will grow wiser and more mature; just because your body stops growing doesn't mean your mind and spirit will as well."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, Kagome-sama," reassured Kirara, "I will stay by your side forever."

"Thank you, Kirara. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, let's go back to camp, okay?"

"Yes, let's."

And with that, Kagome and Kirara started to head back to the clearing where their friends and companions resided.

Sango sighed as she padded into the clearing where her friends sat.

"How was it, Sango?" asked Miroku.

"Well," for an instant she contemplated keeping Kagome's strange outburst a secret, 'but no, it might endanger them…'

"What is it, Sango?" growled Inuyasha.

"Kagome seemed pretty normal in general, but at one point she looked so angry…"

"Maybe her demon side was starting to take over," suggested Miroku.

"Yeah, but I don't see why it would, don't their demon sides only take over when they are in danger of death?"

"You're forgetting something," murmured Inuyasha.

"What are we forgetting?" queried Sango.

"You're basing all this information on me, but I'm only a hanyou," he spat out the hated word, then continued on, "Kagome is youkai, which means she doesn't have a demon side: she is a pure demon."

"Hmm…you're right," mused Miroku, "Inuyasha, do youkai have an alternate side like hanyous do?"

"Hell if I know."

"Well, let's assume they do for now," Miroku said, addressing the entire group, "just to be safe. Don't give her any reason to attack."

"I'm so scared," Shippou whimpered, "the way that you talk about her, it's like she's a rabid animal, not our longtime friend."

"Oh Shippou," Sango said, picking him up, "it's not like that, we just need to be careful until Kagome is comfortable around us, then I'm sure we can go back to our old ways."

"Inuyasha," Miroku called across the fire, "you must be especially careful, you have demon blood in your veins, so Kagome's instincts may kick in regarding you, whereas they would simply glide over Sango, Shippou, and I. Sango and I are human, therefore not worth her attention, and Shippou well…he's like a kit to Kagome."

"Feh, I'll do whatever I please."

"Inuyasha…" Miroku warned.

"This is Kagome we're talking about, I'm sure we'll be fine, she's no threat. Besides, if it comes to that, I will simply show her who is the alpha of this pack."

Upon hearing Inuyasha's words, Kagome's beast started pounding on the bars of her cage, "Let me teach that hanyou to respect us, master!" Kagome doubled over in fear in pain, for no matter how hard she tried to contain it, she knew her beast would win her freedom in the end.

"Oh no…" Kagome whispered, 'why did he have to say that…'

"Kagome!" yowled Kirara, "Fight it! You must fight it!"

"I'm trying Kirara!" Kagome gasped, "but I can feel her snapping the bars of her cage one by one. She'll be free soon!"

Kirara's mind was racing through her options, 'calming her beast is impossible, fighting her when it breaks free is equally futile, so I guess…'

"Kagome-sama, I'm going to go get Sesshomaru."

"No, please no. Stay with me Kirara."

"I must! He is the only being that may be capable of calming your beast."

"Fine…" Kagome ground out, and with that, Kirara was off.

'Stay!' Kagome mentally yelled, 'why won't you stay!?'

"The hanyou must be taught his lesson! If you won't teach him, I will." This said, Kagome's beast broke free of her cage at last.

"No…" Kagome whispered, but it was futile. Soon enough she could feel her beast locking her in the cage where she had resided moments before.

"Freedom!"

Now that Kagome's beast was entirely in control, her form shifted. Kagome went onto all fours, her teeth and nails elongated, and soon enough she was a tiger. A huge tiger, with claws and fangs to match. Her fur was a soft golden colour and her stripes appeared to be dark rivers flowing over her soft fur.

"Hanyou!" Kagome's beast roared in the demon language, running towards the clearing where Inuyasha sat.

"What was that!" yelped Sango, obviously frightened by the monstrous roar echoing through the forest.

"A powerful demon of some sort," Shippou squeaked, "it yelled 'hanyou'."

"That wasn't just any demon," Inuyasha whispered, "that was Kagome!"

"Hanyou!" The roar came again, but this time it was much closer, "How dare you insult me!"

"You heard that?"

"I am a youkai, not some pitiful hanyou! My senses are thousands of times more powerful than yours!"

"Why you-"

"Inuyasha," Miroku interrupted, "this is Kagome, don't fight her."

"I'll do whatever I please!" turning towards Kagome's voice, Inuyasha yowled, "come out and fight, unless you're too scared!"

In answer, a massive tiger leaped out of the woods and snarled at Inuyasha, "Was that a challenge?"

"You bet it was!"

"Inuyasha," yelled Sango, despite only being able to understand half the conversation, "stop this nonsense, this is Kagome."

"No, right now it's Kagome's beast. The only way to free Kagome is to defeat this thing."

"Fine, just be careful…"

"Let me out!" Kagome screamed mentally just as her beast was going to leap at Inuyasha.

"Silence!"

Kagome was terrified. Her nonexistent breathing would have been shallow, her heart would have been racing, but, as it was, all she could do was watch. Now she couldn't even speak to her beast, for with that one harsh command a gag was pushed into her protesting mouth.

Rid of any distractions, the tiger leapt for Inuyasha just as he was drawing Tessaiga.

"Miroku, take this, protect Sango and Shippou!" Inuyasha yelled, throwing Tessaiga's sheath at the monk.

"Thanks Inuyasha!" Miroku said as he caught the sheath, which immediately snapped a barrier up around Miroku, Sango, and Shippou.

Inuyasha had no breath to spare for a reply; instead he blocked and dodged each of the tiger's attacks. 'So fast, how will I defeat her if I can't stop dodging!'

This continued for quite some time, with Kagome's beast attacking without mercy and Inuyasha blocking as best he could. Inuyasha's movements were slowing however, and the tiger was able to land a few heavy scratches on him. Five minutes into the battle revealed a sweat soaked Inuyasha, minor cuts and bruises marring every inch of his muscular body, blocking yet another attack from a tiger who had not lost a single drop of blood throughout the whole battle.

Suddenly, Kagome's beast saw an opening in Inuyasha's defense and she lunged for his neck. Inuyasha, caught off guard, was forced to stumble backwards to avoid having his throat ripped out by those monstrous fangs. This maneuver, though effectively saving Inuyasha's life, let the tiger land her weight on Inuyasha's chest, which forced him to the ground. Now Kagome's beast had the inu-hanyou at her mercy.

"Surrender, dog!"

"Over my dead body!"

"Then I guess I have to kill you."

"No!"

"Will you beg for your life like a good dog?"

"Never!"

"Fine. Kagome," the tiger said, turning her attention the little girl in her cage, "when you take back over remember that I gave him options."

"Is she seeing this?" whispered Inuyasha.

"Yes, any last words for her, hanyou?"

"Kagome…I'm sorry."

"A waste of breath. Die, hanyou!" giving Inuyasha no chance to change his mind, Kagome's beast killed him swiftly by ripping out his throat.

"Oh no…" came a quiet voice moments later, "Inuyasha…What have I done? What have I done!?"

Her only answer was rain, first a light drizzle, then a tremendous downpour. It was as if the heavens were weeping for her.

End Chapter

That's chapter four.

Oh goodness...I killed Inuyasha...

I'm sorry about the chapter four I posted earlier, I don't what I was thinking, posting an unedited half-chapter like that. Sorry. Please forgive me. *bow*

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do however own my original plot of this story.