Good news: I got a new keyboard! Bad news (for you at least): I've decided to try the National Novel Writing Month competition! I want to finish a novel in a month, but I have to come up with an idea. I have to do 50,000 words (I don't think that will be too hard), but that will seriously cut into my time for writing this. Sorry!

I also apologize for being a week and two days late on my last deadline! And for having a short chapter! Eh...

Save Me From Myself

Chapter Twenty-Five: Dust

And so the battle continued on... All of us confused and exhausted, at least the ones who had control of their minds...

- - -

Youkai InuYasha flew back about fifteen feet from Kagome's attack. He slid across the ground while dirt and dust filled the air where he had made a dent in the earth. InuYasha stood up and got ready to attack Kagome, but he stopped.

The possessed hanyou turned to see the Tetsusaiga next to him, pulsing and calling it's owner. InuYasha hesitated.

"What's the matter, hanyou?" Kagome asked, walking towards InuYasha. Her claws were held out and ready to strike.

InuYasha looked at the sword and moved his hand towards it, but at the same time watching Kagome closely.

Just as Kagome started to run to attack, InuYasha's hand grasped the sword.

His change was instantaneous, and he dodged Kagome's attack just in time. Kagome glared at the hanyou and said, "So, you've regained control. That's unfortunate."

InuYasha ran towards Kagome, his sword being pushed back in it's sheath. He dodged all her attacks and as he closed in on her, he jumped up and got ready for his attack.

He landed on her, holding her tightly beneath her. Even though she was transformed, she was still a girl, and the awkward position made her face turn red. She tried to push him off, shouting, "What the hell are you doing?!" It was no use. Soon enough, her eyes returned to normal and she transformed back.

InuYasha held Kagome in her arms, her limp and unconscious body cradled tightly against him as Naraku decided that it was his turn to fight. InuYasha dodged the attacks thrown at him and ran over to Miroku.

Miroku barely lifted a part of the barrier before InuYasha set Kagome inside. "Watch her! Make sure she stays safe! I'm going to fight Naraku." InuYasha left and the barrier was complete once more as the hanyou ripped out his sword and charged ahead, dodging all attacks thrown at him.

Today you die, Naraku! InuYasha thought, sending a Kaze no Kizu flying at Naraku's head.

As InuYasha fought alone, he thought to himself with each blow, For Kikyou! For Miroku! For Sango! InuYasha had destroyed parts of Naraku's body.

For your stupid henchmen that helped us and you betrayed! InuYasha thought as he sliced through the surging mass of flesh. He dodged another attack.

InuYasha leapt up once more and shoved his sword right where Naraku's heart was. For Kagome...

Naraku screamed in pain and sent a tentacle through InuYasha's body right when he was falling through the air.

InuYasha gasped in pain and landed on the ground, holding his stomach tightly as the tentacle retreated and Naraku turned into dust, never to live again.

"InuYasha!" Miroku shouted as he let the barrier up. The village nearby also got rid of their barrier and rushed out to help all of the fighters. Shippo helped as well, transforming into an animal to help carry everybody.

- - -

InuYasha tried to push the young human girl away from him as she took care of his wounds. "I'm fine!" he insisted, but she glared at him. He could tell in her eyes that she was frightened to death of him, but she wouldn't give up.

"Keh," said the hanyou, as he let the girl resume her work.

She finished tying up the fabric around his torso and asked, "Would you like some food?"

Smirking a bit, InuYasha answered, "Yeah!" He didn't look very happy, but he was more enthusiastic than he had ever been talking about battles. He must have been starved.

He was the only one awake in the hut after the girl left. Sango and Miroku were asleep, but were separated from him and each other by a paper wall. Miroku had tried to get the old hag that had set up the hut for them to take the wall separating him and Sango down, but she wouldn't. She knew his type.

Kagome was on the other side of him, sleeping soundly. She wasn't close to him, but the old woman had realized that it would be best to put a door between Miroku and Sango, and one wasn't needed for InuYasha.

InuYasha took his gaze off of Kagome as the young girl came back in with a bowl of some sort of soup. It smelled good, at least.

The hanyou dug in quickly, hardly even tasting what he ate.

He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up, seeing the young girl watching him. She giggled as soon as InuYasha saw her, and put a hand to her face.

"What?" InuYasha asked harshly, ignoring the bit of food on his cheek.

"You eat about as excitedly as you fight," she said, grinning widely.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow, but continued eating. Once he was finished, he set the bowl down and glanced over to Kagome, to see if anything had changed in the short time he had eaten. Obviously not, because she looked exactly the same.

"You love her, don't you?" the stranger asked, her tone making it sound like she was confirming it, rather than asking if he did.

The question took InuYasha by surprise so much that he almost didn't realize what she had said, but he answered with a high-pitched, "Huh?"

The girl could tell that he didn't know what she was talking about. "Never mind. It's nothing. I'm going to take care of these dishes. If you need anything, just call for me.

InuYasha watched the girl leave and then turned his gaze back to Kagome. Then, her brow furrowed.

Is she having a bad dream? InuYasha asked himself.

- - -

...The villagers all started to run away from where Kagome was standing, her bloodied claws held out for all to see...

...Kagome watched the exterminator as she spun the giant boomerang above her head, getting ready to attack Kagome. Sango swung hard towards Kagome's head, but Kagome ducked, smirking the whole time. Sango swung towards Kagome's feet, and Kagome jumped, and landed on the Hiriakotsu.

Kagome laughed once at seeing Sango's bewildered expression. One of Sango's hidden weapons ripped through her clothing as she tried to hit Kagome with that, getting angry. Kagome looked surprised for a second, but brought her hand up to grab the weapon before it hit her.

Sango gasped when Kagome grabbed a hold of the blade; blood started to drip down from Kagome's hand, but Kagome didn't notice it.

"Annoying wench," Kagome said, smirking, before punching Sango in the cheek and sending her flying back towards Miroku...

..."You're not a... youkai. You're a human," said a different voice. Kagome turned her said to see InuYasha standing up, blood trickling from his mouth. His wound had started to heal a little bit, but not much.

"What are you talking about, hanyou?" Kagome said, saying hanyou like it was a sin to be one.

"I-Inu... Yasha! I... I can't... control myself!"...

..."Inu... Yasha..."

- - -

Kagome bolted up as she awoke from her sleep. She was breathing deeply and was trying to figure out what had just happened. Was that a dream? she asked herself.

Her eyes widened in revelation as she thought, No... it wasn't a dream... it was...

"Kagome? Are you alright?" InuYasha asked the startled girl.

Kagome stared into the distance and said to him, "I remember... I remember the first time I transformed."

End Chapter