New chapter. Yays. Anyway. Here we go. And I'll try to update as quickly as possible. Maybe I'll update on Sundays?

Save Me From Myself

Chapter Twenty-One: A Change of Heart

I couldn't remember what happened once I woke up, but what I saw was as shocking as finding out that the Jewel transformed me into a youkai. And for once... I was...

- - -

Kagome sliced through Naraku's body, sending herself through it as well and flying out of the other side along with blood and carnage. The pieces of flesh bubbled together a bit and then inched itself back to where Naraku was standing in a mass of organs, looking like the monstrocity that he was.

"I'll kill you!" Kagome shouted, her voice sounding less like a monster's and a bit more human.

"Stupid wench," Naraku said, trying to hit her with his green tenticles. Kagome avoided each of them, and glared back at her allies, all of them standing there in awe.

"If you're going to fight, do it!" Kagome shouted at them, sending her hand in Naraku's stomach.

InuYasha snapped out of his stupor and sent a Kaze no Kizu towards Naraku, knowing that Kagome would easilly avoid it.

Sango covered her Hiraikotsu in Miroku's sutras and threw her weapon at Naraku, the weight of the Hiraikotsu making her scream to send it flying.

Miroku started to pull the extra bits of flesh into his wind tunnel and avoiding the samiyoshou that would fly at him.

Kagome jumped up in the air and started collecting youki in her right palm before throwing the ball of energy towards Naraku, effectively piercing him through the stomach. Naraku glared and sent his tenticles at Kagome once more, but she just smirked and dodged them.

Kagome's youki attack went straight through Naraku and towards InuYasha, who readied his sword.

He brought his sword down, shouting out, "BAKURYUUHA!"

The youki of InuYasha and Kagome combined and went flying back towards Naraku, who got the full force of the blast.

Sango, Miroku and Shippo shielded themselves from the debris flying around, and Kagome watched from above, nearly reaching the ceiling of the mountain cave.

Once the dust settled, the group gasped simultaniously.

Where Naraku had been, he was there no more, but in the giant hole that he had resided in was a small black jewel.

InuYasha's eyes widened.

"The Shikon Jewel," InuYasha said, taking a few steps forward.

He was right. The nearly complete Jewel sat in the center of the small dip where Naraku had stood.

Kagome landed next to the jewel, not looking surprised in the least.

"Damn coward. Runs away right when I was gonna get my revenge," Kagome said, turning and clenching her fist.

"Kagome?" Shippo asked, still afraid to be around her.

Red eyes landed on the kitsune and he took a few steps back.

Kagome's gaze washed over each of them, making them either flinch or step back. Except for InuYasha.

"Hanyou," Kagome started, walking towards InuYasha, one of the fangs she now had sticking over her lower lip. "Are you not afraid of me?"

"I could say the same to you," InuYasha said, folding his arms.

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Why should I be afraid?" she asked, sounding a bit childlike and smirking a bit.

"Because, I'm the one who can make you normal; I can change you back into a human," InuYasha said, looking at Kagome like she was dumb.

Smirking some more, Kagome said to him, "You're quite a piece of work... I suppose I won't kill you... yet." Kagome turned around and walked towards an exit before staggering and having to catch her balance.

"Kagome!" InuYasha said, running over to the girl.

Before the hanyou could reach her, she fell over, the side effects of being a youkai vanishing.

Once there, InuYasha kneeled down next to Kagome. She was still concious.

"InuYasha... You came," said the miko before passing out.

InuYasha smirked and, even though he knew that she couldn't hear him, said to her, "'Course I did. If I didn't, I'd be breaking my promise, wouldn't I?"

InuYasha moved Kagome onto his lap so she could recouperate better.

The monk walked over to the Shikon Jewel, which was only a foot away from Kagome, and knelt down to touch it.

Miroku put his hand out and stopped right before touching it.

"Houshi-sama? What's wrong?" Sango asked, coming up behind Miroku.

He frowned and said, "I can't touch the Jewel. It's too impure."

"I suppose we have to wait until Kagome-chan wakes up," Sango said, kneeling next to Miroku.

Miroku looked at Sango, sadness reflected in his eyes.

After looking at the jewel for a moment, Sango felt a pair of eyes watching her and turned to meet them. "Houshi-sama?"

Without waiting for a question, Miroku answered, "I couldn't protect you. When Kagome was being controlled, I couldn't protect you." Miroku looked at Sango sadly.

Sango frowned and said, "You were too far away. You wouldn't have been able to reach me anyway."

Miroku looked at Sango for a moment when a third voice inturrupted the silence, "Sango's right, monk. Besides, I saw you waving that cursed hand around and sucking in attacks so they would come towards you instead." InuYasha was being smart for once, but he didn't realize how much good he had done.

"You really did that, Houshi-sama?" Sango asked, eyes wide.

Miroku was about to protest when InuYasha chimed in with another comment. "Those attacks could have killed you, Sango. If he didn't do that, you would probably be the one laying on the ground instead of Kagome."

Sango smiled and leaned against Miroku slightly and saying to him, "Thank you, Houshi-sama."

Shippo popped up next to InuYasha. The hanyou asked in a whisper, "What's she doing?"

Shippo answered, "Idiot."

"What?"

"You're an idiot, InuYasha," Shippo said, folding his arms and turning his back on the hanyou.

Shippo's insults were met with a fist to the head.

Though beating on the kitsune made him feel better, InuYasha was still concerned over Kagome. What was going to happen to her now?

And once Naraku was defeated, would the Bachiatari Jewel come out of her back? Or would they be forced to find a different way?

InuYasha tried to push the thoughts of dread out of his mind.

They had someone to get rid of before they could take care of the cursed jewel that was always in his thoughts. No doubt it was in Kagome's.

If I was in her position, I don't know if I could be cheery at all. But she manages to stay kind and somewhat happy. Kagome transforms when she feels 'bad' emotions, so why isn't she always transforming? InuYasha asked himself, looking at the girl in his lap. The large nekomata laid down behind InuYasha and allowed him to lay against her, so he did.

"Thanks, Kirara," InuYasha said, leaning his head back.

The cave they were in startd to dim, and the top of the mountain had a hole in it where they could see that it was dusk.

And as soon as night fell, they were all sound asleep; the black glow of the Shikon Jewel was the only light in the mountain that they slept inside.

Chapter End