Hello my Darling Readers!
To commemorate the passage of Never-Ending Questions into the realm of over 200 hits, and over 100 in the past few days, I'm releasing the first chapter of this story! This story goes along-side NEQ, is mostly stand-alone, and provides extra back-story and explanation for NEQ. As promised, "Because the Needles of Time Won't Stop" is backed with reflection and planning. This story can be read on its own, before, after, with or without NEQ. Set in the same world or events but in a different time, this story begins roughly ten years before the first chapter of NEQ.
I would like to dedicate this story to one of my most devoted readers who has kept me planning and writing this story with constant support. (You know who you are ^_~* -{N-TEIK})
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!
KEY of symbols::
|-ж-|-ζ-|-ж-| -- Indicates small changes (Point of View, Location, Small Time Jump)
|-Ж-|-§-|-Ж-| -- Indicates large changes (Change of Scene, Large Time Jumps, New Chapters)
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Inuyasha growled, seething. Kagome was supposed to be back by now. It was just a few days ago that she'd convinced him of letting her go to a shrine for training in her Miko skills that she desperately needed prior to the battle that was to come. She'd warned him against visiting or following her, to prevent her from getting distracted in her training.
Inuyasha hadn't put up a fight. Where she was training was strictly against demons, and it was such an elitist society that she'd have to prove herself again and again. He didn't have any intention on spying on her in a place that would just as soon purify his ass as set eyes on him.
He'd agreed only on a few conditions, there were to be NO side-trips, NO dawdling, NO getting herself killed. His anger at her fizzled and simmered before he began to turn that anger in on himself. He was the one who had let her go too far away from his protection, He was to blame for her absence, and now He was the one who couldn't do enough to get her back.
Tears sprang to his stubborn gold eyes that swam with sorrow and frustration that he'd been unable to do what he'd promised. She couldn't have taken that long to train, right? Kagome was strong, independent, and no matter how many times he said otherwise, she really was an intelligent girl. Miko training couldn't be that intensive or difficult, could it?
Kagome should be back by now, of this, Inuyasha was certain.
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However, as it happened, Kagome never got within sight of their walls. Kagura had ambushed her and threatened harm to Kagome's friends if she refused to cooperate, courtesy an image from Kanna's mirror sporting a laughing Inuyoukai surrounded by Miroku, Sango, and Shippou. Kagome was furious, How dare this witch threaten MY friends?! But there was nothing that could be done to ensure their immediate survival except to go along with whatever Kagura had planned, and hope that she lived long enough to get out of it.
Kagome's irritation blistered and fumed as she was flown into Naraku's stronghold. It hurt her pride to be escorted in as a prisoner when they were so close to having found it and destroying it on their own. If only Kagura had found her hours later, Kagome would have been able to beg support from the other Shrine Maidens, found sanctuary, been trained, and returned to Inuyasha, stronger than ever and ready to strike down Naraku.
Of course, fate has her own sense of timing to accommodate, and the rest just falls into place around it. At least she'd left on good terms with Inuyasha, she mused to herself as she was escorted into the compound by Naraku's servants, he'll be kinder to Shippou for longer and hopefully there won't be so much strife that they are driven apart. Schooling her face out of hope and into one of indignation and appall, Kagome was bound by special rope that bound her spirit more securely than it did her wrists, and she snarled at Kagura, earning herself a defiant wink from the wind witch.
"Be a good girl, Kagome, or Naraku might decide not to kill you," she warned cryptically in a sickly-sweet tone.
Kagome scruntched her nose as her mind presented her with a thousand options that would be worse than death by Naraku's hand. Shivering involuntarily, Kagome was shoved into the room where Naraku waited, and with an unsteady balance, somehow Kagome managed to not land on her face. Twisting around to preserve her modesty as she sat up, the young Miko was confronted with a very large wave of nauseating youki. Fighting with herself, Kagome steeled her resolve and became determined to live and escape from Naraku, no matter what.
His snake-like voice slithered over her, making her cringe, "Hello Kagome," even as she was punished for cringing by Kagura's fan, Naraku smiled at Kagome.
Failing to respond to his cordial welcome, Kagome was struck again. This time she lost her balance and sprawled out in front of the dais that Naraku sat upon. She hissed at Kagura for striking her before turning her neck to glare up at Naraku and spat out, "Hello Naraku."
His laugh slithered over the room, and his smile formed on his too-perfect face, twisting the angles into malice that chilled her to the bone. "That wasn't so hard, was it Miko?" in a tone too soft for his harsh nature, Naraku crooned at the young woman crumpled in front of his 'throne'.
Kagome stilled in anticipation for the action that hung in the air. Certainly, she was pulled up roughly by her hair at the hands of Kagura before being struck again by the wind witch's fan. Kagura spat hatefully in her ear when Kagome managed to keep her balance, "Answer when he speaks to you, Miko."
Kagome bit her lip at the bruise that was beginning to form on her arm where Kagura struck her repeatedly and shook her head silently. At an unnoticed nod from Naraku, Kagura struck the Miko again, elicting a surprised cry of pain from the young woman bound at his feet. "You have many manners yet to learn Miko," Naraku explained as he stood, forcing Kagome to crane her neck to look up at him.
With a raised fan and a threatening tone, Kagura hissed, "What have you to say, girl?"
Kagome wanted to snarl at her, but her fan sent waves of pain rocking through her with the unwanted contact, and Kagome knew better than to test her usefulness with Naraku by pressing his patience with a rude reply. Against her spirit, she bowed her head and spat out, "Yes, Naraku," unwilling to bend to his demand anymore than that.
Naraku exited the room, and Kagome was hauled to her feet by her already smarting limb, courtesy Kagura who wore an almost apologetic expression of disgust on her face. Full of hatred for her confines and those who kept her there, Kagome was roughly shown to where she was to stay. Only when she got to her room, and the binds were rearranged to accommodate more movement, did she begin to weep.
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Before you ask, no, this story is not about Kagome brutalizing. I'm very unhappy with myself for having to write this portion of her history. However, not much more than this little preliminary introduction will be necessary, most of the subsequent updates with Kagome that we will see will be more like status updates, keeping up with the flow of time, rather than the topic of emotions. The emotions from Kagome while she is in Naraku's captivity will not flex from the ones mentioned here. She is a strong person, and is unlikely to be swayed to view him as anything but vile.
I apologize to the readers who may have been looking forward to an Inuyasha/Kagome pairing. There will be hints throughout of the nuances of this pairing, but, since Kagome has been separated from her group, this pairing will not be witnessed through anything except memories, dreams, and one-sided expressions there-of. I want to make this clear now: This story does not exhibit Kagome interactions with main characters other than Naraku, Kagura, and momentary mentions of Midoriko. It will put emphasis on the fact that Kagome is missing, and flesh-out the interactions and developments with other key characters.
If you are looking for interactions with Kagome and other main characters, I urge you to look to my other story set ten years ahead in this same plot-line. In it, Kagome has been found, and the story continues from there.
This story also contains the epic battle with Naraku, lamentably, several characters die. AS IS NATURAL. There will be some other bouts of Character Death, and strong notes of melancholy and depression. I STRONGLY advise against reading this story while sad (unless you need to cry or something), or if you are particularly against reading about character death. I will make a note of chapters in the intro of chapters where such melancholy and mention of dying/death occur. It will be sufficient to note in these instances for plot purposes that "oh, -such-and-such- has passed on," or "oh, -this-person- is sad because of –this-reason-,". At the end of such chapters I will make a note of the name of the passed-on, or the person that is sad and for what reason. I will try to make these notes as dry as possible.
Following this particularly long, but necessary, Author's Note, I thank you for reading, and encourage you to leave comments and questions of all types, flames included!
Next Chapter: Kouga on the Prowl!