Well, I suppose that we'll be finding out stuff about the jewel soon! Yup.

Oh, and just so you know, a bunch of the transformation stuff was my friend's idea... But they still sound cool.

Sorry for the shortness of the chapter... -.-; Oh well.

Save Me From Myself

Chapter Eight: Something in Common

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. This had to be one of Naraku's worse tricks yet. He wasn't just messing with my body (not like that, you sick perverts), but he was ripping my emotions to shreds!

- - -

Kagome had changed into the outfit that had been given to her and pulled her hair back. Sure, it made her look like Kikyou, but that didn't matter. She was too worried to think about that anyway.

The young miko walked outside and saw her friends talking quietly near the edge of the village. They were all in a circle, with InuYasha being the only one who could see Kagome from where she was.

She walked towards them and InuYasha looked up, his ears high on his head. The other's saw this and turned around to see Kagome, walking towards them.

Kagome sat down.

They were silent.

Miroku cleared his throat and then said, "So, InuYasha tells us that you can't remember a thing about transforming."

Kagome nodded, looking at the ground in front of her, finding the blades of grass very interesting.

"Well, I guess we're just going to have to find Naraku. If we find him, we might find some information, and if we beat him, the jewel in Kagome's back may disappear," Miroku said,

"I suppose that's our best bet," InuYasha said gruffly. He stood up and said, "Should ask around to find some rumors or something?"

Sango and Miroku nodded and stood up as well. Kagome pushed herself off the ground and sighed, pushing back her bangs before letting them fall back into her face. How was she supposed to deal with this?

"Kagome, you come with me," InuYasha ordered. Kagome didn't fight him, she didn't feel like it. The two groups, InuYasha and Kagome in one and everyone else in another, went their separate ways and started to ask around about any demons anyone may have heard of.

Kagome walked behind InuYasha, trying to stay hidden. Everyone was treading lightly around her or giving her dirty looks, everyone besides InuYasha. He was just acting normal.

After an hour of walking around, a woman walked up to Kagome, holding a basket of food items. She said to the young miko, "Kaede told me what happened to make you transform like that. I hope that you break the curse. Here, take these. You need them more than me."

Kagome took the basket of food and she smiled for the first time since she learned what happened. "Thanks a lot. You don't know how much this means to me."

The woman patted Kagome on the shoulder and left them alone, walking away from where InuYasha and Kagome were standing.

"Well, we aren't getting any information. Do you want to take a rest?" InuYasha asked. Kagome turned to him with her eyebrows raised.

"Why are you acting so nice?" Kagome asked, gripping the handle of the basket.

InuYasha frowned. "I am not acting any different from before."

"But you want to," Kagome said, walking to a nearby tree and sitting under it.

InuYasha growled. "It's just hard trying to deal with this stupid curse," InuYasha said.

Kagome scowled, replying, "How do you think I feel? I'm the one who has the curse!"

InuYasha shut up and walked over to the tree that Kagome was sitting at, and plopped down, crossing his legs and leaning back a bit. Sighing, he said, "Look, I know better than anyone else how hard it is. When I started transforming, everyone would look at me with fear and anger, like I was going to snap any minute. Even Sango and Miroku would look at me like that, even if they tried to hide it. The only one who wouldn't treat me any different was you... I guess I'm just trying to return the favor. Besides, I said I would protect you, and the only way I can protect you from the looks is by supporting you."

The smell of salt reached InuYasha's nose, and he saw Kagome crying. "Y-you're not sad, are you?" InuYasha said, alarmed. Kagome shook her head.

"I'm just glad that you're here for me," she said, smiling once more. She wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her kimono and picked up some of the food that was given to her. "Do you want some?"

InuYasha grabbed a random piece of food and bit into it, and Kagome did the same.

So they sat there, just enjoying each other's company.

Though, InuYasha was still trying to figure out why he had said all that stuff, and why it had made Kagome happy.

- - -

The decided that since they didn't get any information asking around town, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara would go to the next town over and ask around there. Sango suggested that Kagome go and get rest in her time, and InuYasha was to stay there and wait until Kagome got back. The inu hanyou had protested a little bit, but had ultimately agreed in the end.

Kagome jumped down the well with InuYasha following. Though she still had plenty of supplies, she had forgotten a couple things in her time anyway. And there was that big test that was coming up.

The two of them walked out of the well house and Kagome looked around her home, appreciating the feeling of safety that came with being here. Sure, cars and stuff were dangerous, but she knew how to handle them. Demons were another thing.

They walked inside, Kagome leading the way, and turned towards the kitchen. The young miko stopped, causing InuYasha to run into her.

"Hey! Why did you do that?" InuYasha shouted before looking at the people sitting in the kitchen.

Ms. Higurashi sat at the table with Jii-chan, both of them looking at Kagome carefully. Kagome was looking at her brother, who had a couple bruises on his face and a broken arm.

Kagome rushed over to her brother's side and asked, "Who did this?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," said Ms. Higurashi.

Souta glared and said, "And I've been saying that I fell."

"Souta, it's obvious to anyone who looks at those wounds that you didn't fall," Kagome said dryly.

InuYasha popped up next to Kagome and closest to Souta and started looking at the injuries. He pointed to one on his cheek and said, "That one was made by a fist. A boy, and he was a little bit older than you."

"You can tell all that by looking at a bruise?" Kagome said, standing up. She glared at the wound and said to Souta, "Who did this?"

"A boy in my class," muttered the child.

Kagome was shaking in anger. She walked outside and glared at the Go-Shinboku that was across from her. InuYasha walked outside after her and stood there, glaring.

"What was that all about?" InuYasha said. "Yeah, I'm mad too, but you don't have to storm out on your family!"

Kagome's voice shook as she spoke. "Y-yes I d-did."

InuYasha couldn't smell any tears coming from Kagome, but her voice sounded like she was crying... or maybe she was so angry that her voice shook?

Kagome started growling.

Just then, InuYasha knew why she needed to go outside. His eyes widened and he said, "Kagome! Snap out of it!"

Kagome turned her head towards him, her eyes now red and her teeth bared. She glared at him and then took off running, almost as fast as InuYasha could run himself. Though, he just stood there stupidly, gaping after her as she jumped up on top of some buildings, the wings in her back growing to huge proportions.

"Dammit!" InuYasha shouted, running after Kagome wildly.

End Chapter