Chapter 16: Bittersweet

"That's the Himako I remember! Now I can truly finish you off." The middle head on Dorian opened it's mouth and shot an energy ball at her.

"No! I will avenge my family and my friends!" She dodged his attack and charged him. She spun around and kicked Dorian on his ribs with her powerful hooves. Dorian grabbed one of her back legs and bit down hard on her ankle. Phillia used her front claws and scratched his face. Dorian let go of her leg and threw himself into her. Phillia roared and grabbed Dorian's neck in her jaws. Dorian struggled, but Phillia's grip was too strong. Dorian dug his claws into her shoulders, but Phillia would not let go. She flew as fast as she could, and smashed him into a tree. She let go of him, and flew lower to the ground. Dorian followed her, shooting red energy blasts at her. Phillia dodged them all. Phillia began ascending, and when she got above Dorian, she opened her mouth and shot a stream of fire at him. He flew into the lake. It was dark and the smoke was dense so she couldn't see him. She landed on the ground, and waited for him.

"Phillia! You need to lead him away from people!" Amaya said in her mind.

"Ok." She whispered. Dorian flew out of the water, leaving a trail behind him.

"Himako!" He yelled searching the sky.

"Down here numb nuts!" She waved her tail at him.

A/N: Numb Nuts is the name I call my friend's billy goat.

Dorian used another energy wave on her. She galloped away from him. He followed her. She almost let Dorian catch up, so he would think he was gaining on her. When he got close to her she took flight. She looked around as she flew and saw that they had made it into a distant forest.

"This is good enough. Now we must destroy him."

"Easy for you to say." Phillia gathered some energy in her mouth. Dorian did the same. Their attacks met, giving off a bright light that blinded them both. Dorian took that opportunity to attack. Using his sense of smell he found Phillia. He landed on her back and bit her withers. Phillia's roar could be heard for miles. Dorian pushed her into the dirt. Phillia shot a fireball at him and it hit his wing. Dorian used a combination of fire and water and hit her neck.

"Phillia, aim for the middle head. Then aim for his heart."

Phillia did as she was told. She used little fireballs and destroyed the middle head. Now all that was left was to hit his heart. The remaining heads fought with each other constantly, and Phillia still couldn't get a clear shot of his heart.

"Hurry Phillia! Before the head regenerates!"

Phillia attacked quickly, but since the heads were fighting, they were also moving. Soon the middle head regenerated.

"Nice try Himako! You almost had me! But I'm not so easy to beat!" He flew toward Phillia, and she toward him. Dorian's paw met her shoulder, and Phillia's hoof hit his mouth. Phillia bit his arm. He kicked her stomach leaving a huge gash. Phillia kicked his ribs, breaking three of them. Dorian backed away from her, and took notice of their surroundings. He looked at her then ran away. She went after him. Phillia found herself in another clearing, and Dorian was no where to be found.

"I lost him Amaya!" Phillia searched the skies frantically. Suddenly yellow ropes lashed out from the trees, then Dorian's laugh could be heard. Phillia struggled as the ropes caught her. They were very strong and she couldn't break free of them.

"You can only kill a Hinota two ways. I don't have a blade of twisted metal. Guess I'll have to it they other way!" Dorian's voice faded away.

"No! Akito! Hatori! Momiji! Dorian you-! Don't you dare harm them!" Phillia struggled harder against the ropes.

"Himako don't! You'll make yourself tired!"

"No! I can't let him hurt them!" She cried. Clouds gathered in the sky, and heavy rains fell. "I can't let him harm," She bit the ropes, but she was shocked, "any one else I care about." She used her claws, but the ropes wouldn't break. Phillia roared. "Amaya help me!"

"There is nothing I can do."

"Leave my body."

"But if I do that, you'll turn half human again."

"I know, but I have to get free of these ropes. I have to protect them."

"You won't be able to beat him without me inside you."

"I don't care. I can at least stop him from hurting them."

"Himako if I leave, then your wounds will increase, and you won't be able to regenerate as quickly."

"Get out! I don't care what happens to me! I have to save them! Now Amaya!"

Amaya's spirit left the scar, and Phillia turned back to normal. The ropes around her loosened, and she carefully stepped out of them. Amaya stood in front of her, not as ghost, but as a real hinota.

"I can't go back inside your body. How are planning to defeat him?" Amaya asked.

"Heal me. Then take me back to them. I'll save them." She muttered, holding onto the gash on her stomach. She tried desperately not to scream from the pain. Amaya nodded then knelt his head down. He put his nose to her wounds and blue light surrounded her wounds and healed them. (Ayame wasn't tired cause for one thing he's a full hinota, and second....he's dead. .)

"Now take me to them." She grabbed hold of his mane and jumped onto his back. Amaya galloped till they reached the other clearing, then Amaya took to the sky.

Back at the lake......

Dorian arrived finding Akito, Hatori and Momiji still sitting there. Momiji jumped behind Hatori when he saw Dorian.

"Who are you?" Akito yelled.

"I'm Dorian..this is the real me." Dorian said as he landed on the other side of the lake.

"Dorian?... Where's Phillia?" Akito asked.

"She.....busy. I decided to make her death slow and painful." He flew over to Akito and pushed him against a tree. Hatori and Momiji ran towards Dorian, but they were knocked backwards by some force that Dorian used. "You'll be the first to go, since you seem so eager to die."

"Let go of me!" Akito punched Dorian, but it didn't do anything to him. Dorian laughed.

"Pathetic."

"Dorian!" Phillia flew from out of nowhere and kicked his already broken ribs. Dorian jumped away from her. Akito fell to his knees, and Phillia knelt down next to him.

"Are you all right?" She asked him. Akito hugged Phillia.

"I'm glad you are ok." Akito whispered. Phillia hugged him back and looked at Hatori and Momiji and smiled at them.

"Don't worry. I won't run away this time. I'll protect my family." She pulled away from Akito. "Stay together. Don't let Dorian single anyone out." Akito nodded and ran over to them. She smiled at them one last time. "Amaya!" The white hinota trotted up to her. "Protect them."

"But you can't beat him on your own."

"Protect them." She said more sternly. Amaya lowered his gaze, and turned to them.

"Good luck, my sister." He whispered as Phillia flew to Dorian.

"Die!" Phillia screamed , launching an enormous fireball at him. It hit him and singed his face.

"No!" Dorian shot a fireball at her. She dodged it and flew up to Dorian. She punched his face and knocked him backwards. She swung again at him. This time Dorian grabbed Phillia's arm in his teeth. Phillia used her other hand and hit his nose. Dorian bit down harder on her arm. She screamed and shot some fire right into his ear. Dorian let go of her and shook his head. Phillia backed away from him, looking over her wound. Nothing broken except skin.

"Now I'll kill you." Phillia gathered fire into her hands. They waved like banners in Phillia's palms. She threw them at him, and formed a ring around him.

"Guess I'll just have to finish you like I did before." Dorian roared.

"No Himako get out of there!" Amaya yelled.

"What?" Phillia questioned, but it was too late. Dorian used a strong wind that mixed with Phillia's fire. It spread over the whole forest. "No!" She remembered her village. It was the exact same way that it was destroyed. Also it was fire that killed the people who took her in. She began to hear their screams in her head. "No! Amaya!" She saw him running away. She knew the others were on his back. She flew to catch up with him, but stopped and looked down at the lake. She used her power and lifted the lake water. She was about to throw it over the fire, but Dorian smashed his head into her and she fell into the lake.

"Himako!" Amaya yelled as he turned around and watched her fall.

Yay!!! I don't mean to keep doing cliffie's, but that is how they turn out. Next Chapter is the last Chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How will the outcome be? Who will win??? I will!!! It's my story BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!.