Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but that doesn't matter

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but that doesn't matter. What really matters is that I've finally updated the story. As you read in the last chapter, Kagome has been captured by Naraku. This chapter will explain some parts of this event.

Kagome's Pain

Chapter 14: Explanations

"Inuyasha!"

"Huh... What?"

"Inuyasha, snap out of it!" Shippo slapped him across the face one last time.

"Ugh. My head." Inuyasha sat up and looked around, trying to remember what happened. It was dark, probably around midnight. The hut was destroyed again, Miroku was helping Sango out from under some rubble, Shippo looked like he had just been crying, and he felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. That's when he remembered all of it. 'Kagome...'

"You alright Sango?" Miroku asked getting the last wooden plank off of her.

"Besides a pounding headache, I think I'll be fine." She slowly stood, taking a few steps before crumpling to the ground. "Ow!" She yelped, rubbing her ankle softly.

"You sprained your ankle." Miroku helped her to get up again. "Here, lean on me." She did as she was told and Miroku walked her off towards another hut.

"We will be able to stay at that hut until this one is rebuilt." Kaede said, from behind Inuyasha. "Come. I have something I need to explain to ye all."

"There's no time for this! We have to save Kagome!" Inuyasha sniffed the air, trying to pick up Kagome's scent. 'There! She's about two days of running to the east. Wait, Two days! Naraku must've used her to enhance his speed as well!' "I've picked up her scent. If we keep a fast pace, we should be there in two days."

"It will have to wait until morning, Inuyasha." Miroku stated calmly. "We need to make sure there was no extreme damage around here and we need our rest. Naraku is undoubtedly stronger because of his use of Kagome's powers. If we are to head out and fight Naraku, we'll have to be at full strength."

"Besides, Sango's sprained her ankle. She can't fight like that." Shippo added.

"I'll be fine." Sango said. "It's a small sprain. If we leave in the morning, I'll be in fighting condition by the time we get there. She looked at Inuyasha. "When you said it would take two days, did that include rest stops, or just flat out running until we got there?"

"Uhhhhh-"

"My thoughts exactly, so we'll take, at most, three days. I'm sure my ankle will be fine by then. I am a fast healer, you know."

"Fine! We'll leave first thing in the morning." Inuyasha said walking towards them. "But we'll have to move fast. There's no telling what could happen to Kagome if she stays with Naraku for long."

'Ugh...my head.' Kagome thought, as she woke up, she didn't bother to open her eyes. She remembered everything that happened and was too afraid to do so. She was afraid of what might be there once she did open her eyes. She was leaned against what felt like a brick wall, her hands chained above her head. She tried to move, but soon regretted it. She winced as the shackles on her ankles began to cut through her skin. She readjusted herself to the way she had awoken, relieved that the sharp pain had ceased. It was cold and dank, and although she hadn't opened her eyes yet, she could tell she was in a dungeon of some kind.

"Ha. I see that you have awakened."

"Leave me alone, Naraku!" Kagome yelled out, finally opening her eyes.

Naraku merely laughed at her, noticing the fear in her voice. "Calm down. I won't kill you or anything like that."

"What do you want from me?" Kagome asked, trying her best not to seem scared.

Naraku walked and kneeled in front of her. He smirked when he sense her fear growing. He lifted a hand to her cheek, causing her to look up at him in confusion. "I said that I was in need of your assistance." He stood and walked off to a table in the corner. Kagome stretched out her neck to see what was up there. She saw nothing but bottles of...

'Wait... What is that?' She thought, becoming more nervous. She moved to get a closer look, ignoring the pain it caused her. The bottles were about the size of soda cans, green, and she heard a slight fizz when Naraku opened one of them. He took the bottle to Kagome and kneeled in front of her again.

"Drink this." He said calmly. She stared at the bottle, still wondering what it was. "I know what you're thinking. Trust me. It's not poisoned." He put the bottle to her lips, which were squeezed tightly together. "It's going to help you recover. You've used a lot of energy within this passed day. Something tells me that you'll need all of your strength later on."

Kagome still refused. She didn't trust him in the least bit. She turned her head away from the bottle, giving Naraku an evil glare. "What is that stuff?" She asked.

"It's a special remedy that I made myself. It works wonders, believe me." He put the bottle to her lips again, but she simply turned her head again. "Don't make me force you." He said rather menacingly. He grabbed her chin and turned her head back to the bottle. "Drink it." He gave her jaw a firm squeeze, making her yip in both surprise and pain. He took this chance to pour nearly half the bottle of liquid into her mouth, quickly covering her mouth and nose to keep her from spitting it out.

Kagome gave a muffle whine, trying not to swallow the odd tasting drink. It fizzed in her mouth, reminding her of a soda, but she didn't trust it. She didn't know what it would do to her, but the need for air soon took over. She tried to ignore it and continued to hold her breath. She tried to move her head and free her nose from his grasp, so she could breathe. Naraku simply held a bit tighter. She began to feel lightheaded; everything was spinning before her eyes. She whimpered again and began to silently cry. She gave in to the need to breath and swallowed the drink. Naraku released her and she gasped for air.

"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?" He said smirking down at her.

Kagome continued gasp frantically, before calming herself down. As she did so, she suddenly felt rather tired. She relaxed; her eye's closing slightly. "Wha... What did you do to me? What was that stuff?"

"Don't worry. You'll be just fine in the morning." Naraku walked up to her and removed her chains and shackles.

"That doesn't answer my question"

"I answered it already." He said, picking her up and carrying her out of the dark and dank room. "It's just an herbal remedy to help your powers along. You used a lot of energy. That's why you're so tired. I'm surprised you haven't passed out already."

Kagome relaxed a bit more. She had the strangest feeling that she should believe him on this one. She still didn't trust him, though. She looked around, as Naraku carried her through the long and dark halls of the castle. 'This place is so big!' She thought, looking at how tall and wide the doors were. They passed at least ten rooms, before stopping. The set of doors before them were at least ten feet wide and nearly the same length in height. It was lined with gold, shining brightly in the dim light.

"This will be your room." Naraku said as he pushed the doors open.

"Wow." Kagome said, barely above a whisper. The room was beautiful; light pink satin curtains hung over large windows, a large closet, filled with some of the most beautiful kimonos she had ever seen, and a queen-sized bed that was probably fit for and actual queen. The entire room was aglow with the candlelight, only enhancing its beauty.

Naraku set her on the bed, letting her snuggle sleepily into the sheets. "Get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you." He blew out the candle and walked out of the room.

'What am I going to do?' Kagome thought as she hugged her pillow close to her, staring into the darkness. She thought about what happened before she was taken to the castle. She remembered hearing Inuyasha's voice, but was too out of it to even open her eyes. She remembered how Naraku had drained her energy to use against her friends. 'I hope they're alright.'
"Okay." Inuyasha said impatiently. "Start explaining Kaede." They sat in a new hut, the sun just starting to rise.

Kaede sat in the hut looking at the others. "Well, ye all know that Kagome's powers have grown. According to what Inuyasha has told us about her dream, it would seem that her powers have grown too quickly and she cannot handle it."

"I think I'm catching on to this." Miroku said thoughtfully. "Her powers grew so suddenly, her body hasn't had the time to adjust. It's too much pressure for her."

"I get it." Inuyasha added. "That's why she's always so tired lately. Her body is overworking itself to keep her powers in check."

"Inuyasha, according to what ye said, the dream caused her great fear. Her emotions are what sprung her powers into action. Fear, anger, deep emotions such as those can cause her to lose control of her powers. That is what happened yesterday. She will need training. Without it, she could destroy everything near her, and possibly kill herself."

Sango and Shippo gasped at the thought of Kagome being that powerful. Sango began to worry a bit more as she thought about the situation. "Naraku said the he could use her powers. Does this mean he's more powerful than before?"

"Ay. I'm afraid so, Sango. Ye all must be aware of this. Be on your guard, for Naraku is now more formidable than ever."

"One more thing Kaede." Inuyasha said, looking at the ground thoughtfully. "Kagome mentioned something about strange voices in her dreams. What does that mean?"

"Hmmm. I am not sure, very interesting though. Her powers must have something to do with it. Ye can go ahead and find Kagome. I will look further into the subject while ye are gone."

"Fine." Inuyahsa said as he stood. "Let's go." He looked down at Shippo. "You stay here, alright?"

Shippo shook his head. "No! I'm going with you and helping to save Kagome!"

"Shippo, it would be best if you stay where it's safe." Sango said, looking at him sincerely.

"No! My mind is made up. I'm going to help!" He gave his best look of determination and bravery to put emphasis to what he said. Miroku gave a small sigh of frustration.

"Shippo, we will let you come, but you must be very careful."

Shippo gave a small yip of happiness and ran over to Kirara, who was transformed and ready for battle. "Let's go!!"

Kagome woke up to the bright sun shinning in her eyes. 'When did I fall asleep?' She thought about what happened the night before. 'Inuyasha...' She remembered how Naraku had drawn her strength during his fight against the others. 'I hope they're all okay.'

"You're awake." A voice said from behind her. Kagome gasped and turned her head, only to meet with the red eyes of Naraku. She froze, not knowing what to do. "Good." He handed her some clothes. "Change into these. I'll be waiting outside the door." He walked out of the room, leaving her to gawk and glare at his retreating form.

Kagome sighed. "Now what?" She looked at the clothes she was given. It was a two-pieced, red kimono, with pink and white roses designed on the front and back. The top was buttoned closed by gold flowers, adding to the beauty of it. The bottom half was designed more like a pair of shorts, a small split neatly placed on each side, just above the hem. Kagome looked the outfit over a few times. 'This uniform reminds me of something, but what?' She quickly changed into the clothes, looking over herself when she was done. 'Now I remember! I saw a uniform a lot like this in one of Souta's video games.. This is almost like the uniform that swordswoman wore…Wait a second...' There was knock on the door, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Are you done?" she heard Naraku's voice say from outside.

"Uh... Yeah." She looked towards the door, watching Naraku, as he walked into the room. He was still in his usual outfit, behind the mask of a baboon.

"Good." He said turning around and heading back to the door. "Follow me." He walked out, knowing that she had no choice other than to do as she was told. He walked through the large halls, Kagome close behind him. They made a few turns, here and there.

"Where are you taking me?" Kagome said, hoping to get some answers. She didn't. All she got was silence. "Hey! I asked a question. You could at least give me an answer." she said, becoming rather irritated. Naraku gave a small, disdainful growl, too low for her to hear. Kagome didn't really like being ignored like this. 'If he's going to hold me captive, he could at least show a little consideration to my questions.' She glared at Naraku as they made another right. They'd been walking for a while now, this castle was more of a maze; she lost track of where they were and how many turns they made. Kagome sighed in frustration, watching as Naraku began to speed up. "Hey! Wait! Where are we going?" He didn't answer. He merely made a swift turn to the right, far ahead of her. "Wait! Don't just leave me here!" She yelled, running towards the corner. She peaked around to find the hall empty. "Hello? Naraku, are you there?" She began to walk through the hall, looking to see what she could find. 'Just great; he left me here. Now I'm lost in this stupid maze.' She began to walk back in the direction she came, hoping to remember where she had turned. "That jerk." She huffed, as she made the last turn that she could recognize. The halls were so silent, not to mention big. She wondered if she would be able to find a way out.

"Inuyasha, slow down!" Miroku called from Kirara's back, as Inuyasha sped far ahead.

"We don't have time! I have a bad feeling that Kagome really needs us now!" He said moving faster. 'I hope she's alright...'

"I don't believe this!" Kagome yelled, her voice echoing through the halls of Naraku's castle. She was hopelessly lost by now, but she'd continued to wander around for almost an hour. "How could that creep just leave me here like this!" she growled out in frustration. "If I ever get out of here I'll- "

Before she could finish her sentence she found herself knocked against the wall, the wind knocked out of her. "You'll what?" Naraku said, holding her tightly against the wall. She could see the anger in his eyes, not to mention hear it in his voice. Kagome managed to catch her breath and began to struggle, her feet not touching the ground. "You'll do nothing, because you're not going to leave this place." He hissed, pushing her harder against the wall. "I suggest that you learn some respect and hold your tongue when talking to or about me." Kagome looked down at him in pure terror. "Do I make myself clear?" He said in a low, menacing voice.

Kagome didn't say a thing. She started kicking again and screamed with all her might. "Put me down!"

Naraku wrapped a hand around her throat, stopping her screaming and making it hard for her to even breathe. "Answer me!"

Kagome gasped for breath, fearing what he would do next, if she didn't do as told. "Okay! I get the point! I'm sorry!" She choked out. Naraku dropped her to the ground, somewhat satisfied with the answer he received.

"You will do as you are told, without complaints, or there will be consequences."

"Yes, Naraku." She answered in a low voice, on the brink of tears.

"Good. Now follow me. Your training is about to begin."

"Taining? For what?"

"To help you keep control over your powers. I wouldn't want you losing control and destroying my castle." He stalked over to a large door, signaling for her to follow.

Kagome followed, as instructed. As she walked into the room, she looked around. There wasn't anything of interest to her. The room was extremely large and there were a few weapons hanging on the wall here and there, but other than that it was empty. Kagome looked towards the weapons. There were a few swords, a rod that reminded her a lot of Miroku's staff, and a set of bows and arrows. Naraku walked over and grabbed a bow and some arrows, tossing them to Kagome.

"Now, shall we begin?"

I'll have to stop there. I don't have time for more. I hope this didn't bore anyone, but oh well. I'll be starting my next chapter some time soon. I'll try to be finished by June 18, at the earliest. I promise that it will be a bit more interesting the next chapter. I hope I don't get too much at school before then. I don't even finish school until June 23. Bye for now