I blink my eyes open, and feel pain wracking through my body. Strands of my black hair fall over my shoulders, and I feel blood pouring from some wound on my head. My arms are bound, and they ache with pain. I force my chin up and scan my whereabouts. I'm in a room, with two large windows, and a door in front of me. Directly beside the door sits Kagura, Naraku's reincarnation.
I gasp, and Kagura looks up at me, clicking her fan close.
"Well, it took you long enough," she says, sighing. "Naraku will be glad to start his plans, you've kept everyone waiting, Kagome."
"W-what are you talking about?" I ask my voice cracking.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten about the forest scene? Or is that jewel shard in your back blocking out the pain?"
I furrow my brow. "Jewel shard?"
She smirks, and saunters up to me. "Allow me to refresh your memory." Kagura places a hand on my forehead, and my mind goes completely black for a moment.
The village is on fire. I cough, sputtering blood, and notice that I'm covered in InuYasha's robes. Once my eyes adjust, I realize that this is not a village, but a place covered in ashes. It is rocky and hollow, echoing with the sound of burning flames. I cough, covering myself in the robes and struggle to look around me.
Naraku's laugh is present, low and raspy, dripping with evil.
"Burn," he says.
I am completely surrounded in flame. A body collapses next to me. I scream and see that it's Kikyou, coughing and sputtering.
"Kikyou!" I yell, "You can't be here! You can't die in here!"
She throws me a puzzled look.
"Who cares if I die? My family has my brother, and InuYasha has you. One of us has to survive this hell, and it has to be you."
Out of my quiver, there remains one arrow, almost fully consumed with flame. I extinguish it in the robe, burning my uniform sleeve in the process, and bury it in the ground. With every fiber of my being, with every muscle in my body, I pray on the arrow. Kikyou breaths are staggered, uncomprehending.
I wrap the robe around her, and feel the ground beneath us beginning to shake. A hole forms in the ceiling and from it descends Naraku. Water rains down, extinguishing the flames and enveloping me. Kikyou seems to remain fine, but casts a worried look at me. I swim upwards to the surface, but am knocked against the side of the cave by Naraku's disgusting tentacles.
"What have you done?!" he screams. "Kikyou is mine!"
My chest burns and my mind screams for air. I push against the tentacles and swim upwards again, gasping for air. Drenched and cold, Naraku plunges downward with a tentacle aimed straight for my heart.
Just before impact I shut my eyes and scream, "InuYasha!"
The tentacle stops, and the water subsides. Naraku laughs then, the sound bounces off the walls. "Let him come. Let him try and save you. But let him also know of your pain and suffering."
He slices a gash in my arm and blood pours down onto the floor. Then, Naraku gathers me in his arms and with a flourish of darkness, I'm transported away.
