Disclaimer: Why would I own anything?
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Kagome had known something wasn't right when she looked into Inuyasha's face, waiting for the annoyed look or the, "What are you doing Kagome?" but nothing like that happened. She backed away, letting her eyes trail over him, trying to figure out what her mind thought was so wrong about the person in front of her. Then it hit her. Her eyes stopped at his neck, scanning it a few times to make sure that she wasn't mistaken. She wasn't. The rosary was indeed missing . . . .
Kagome backed away slowly, her eyes widening as she leaned against the door, hand reaching behind her for the knob.
"What is it Kagome?" he asked, mouth curving into a smirk, and stepping towards her.
"Wh-who are you?" she whispered, even as her mind dimly registered the presence a large amount of the Shikon no Tama.
"Don't you know me Kagome?" he said, arms snapping out to catch her wrist and pull her forwards.
Kagome fought him, her wrist held in an iron grasp. She knew what this was now. It was just like he had done fifty years ago. . .
"Naraku. . . " Kagome hissed out, at last wrenching her arm from him. She massaged her wrist carefully with her other hand, mind racing as she tried to think of how she would get herself out of this situation. She didn't even see him move. Naraku was behind her in an instant, clapping one hand over her mouth and wrapping his other hand around her body. Kagome reacted instantly, slipping one hand into the pocket of her skirt, groping around slowly.
Naraku lifted her, clamped to his body, as he jumped from the window. She struggled against him, as he carried her to the well house. Naraku, apparently growing irritated with all the fidgeting, turned her, setting her on her feet. But before she could move, he brought his hand back, slapping her sharply across the face and sending her into the side of the well.
Kagome winced, letting her hand fall open, spilling the now blood-tipped pieces of glass and Shikon shards on the ground. She scratched into the ground, hoping that Inuyasha would come soon and find her message. Naraku lifted her by her hair and the last thing she saw was the back of Naraku's hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome awoke lying on a thick woven mat. She sat up quickly, regretting the motion almost instantly because of the dizziness that it had caused. She held her head in her hands, trying to force away the pounding in her head. She groaned as her efforts seemed to only increase the pain.
"You are awake."
Kagome's head shot up at once, eyes scanning the darkness in an almost wild fear, for the owner of the sudden voice.
"No need to worry, you will be safe here," someone stepped out into view. Kagome's eyes narrowed when the tall figure, clad in a baboon skin continued to speak, "How are you feeling?"
'I know this person,' she thought instantly, distrust forming in her almost immediately.
'But why?' she questioned the sudden hateful mindset that was forming towards the figure and growing alarmed when no reason came to mind. She looked around suspiciously, trying to register where she was and why she was there. A sudden jolt in her head brought her attention, and horror, to the fact that her mind was muddled enough so that she didn't remember anything.
"Where am I?" she asked, determined to retain a calm facade, wincing when the words came from her mouth dry and thin.
"You do not remember anything?" the question was a little to calm and uncaring for her to try and shake off her discomfort.
Kagome shook her head slowly, her head still spinning too much for her to try and recall anything at the moment. Instead, she stood, turning slowly, trying to take in her surroundings. A small shiver of fear ran through her when her eyes met only black stone. The only color in this place was the white of the baboon skin that the person wore, and even that seemed to be cloaked in deep shadows.
She walked to the wall, lifting both her hands and pressing them lightly against it. She winced suddenly, her attention brought at once to the thin, cloth bandages that wrapped her hand. Thin lines of blood appeared through it. Kagome closed her eyes, feeling a warm sensation inside her. She embraced it tightly, urging it to grow and fill her, to push away the pain in her head. A feeling of euphoria swarmed through her almost immediately, clearing her head for a few blissful seconds, before the warmth was ripped away from her. The walls seemed to laugh at her, closing in around her, she looked up, through the only way to escape from this place.
She gasped as it felt like her head was ripping apart, the warmth had left and was being pushed farther back by the knives that drove deeper and deeper in her mind. She fell to the ground, gasping.
The cloaked being stepped towards her, offering her a glass filled with a thick reddish liquid. She just stared into it suspiciously, unsure of what it could be.
The glass was pressed against her lips. "Drink," she was told, "It will help."
There was no way out of this and her head was hurting too much to even attempt resist any opportunity to heal it. Kagome drank, feeling the hot liquid slide down her throat, clearing enough of her headache so that she could think clearly now but despite the fact that her mind was cleared, she still could not recall anything. She glanced down at her clothing, noticing for the first time the black hakama and white shirt.
'Miko. . . ' The word sounded in her thoughts. She clung to it, hoping desperately for something that she could be sure at. An image came to her. A woman with long black hair, tied back in a high ponytail. She, it seemed, was also a miko. Her hakama was red and she had a bow, ready and aimed in her hands. But who was she pointing towards? She stretched her mind, trying to see beyond the blurred outline of the edge. Nothing came to her.
Kagome turned to the cloaked figure, a little unnerved that it said nothing, just staring at her silently. She jumped when it spoke suddenly, "How are you feeling?" it asked her again, the voice seeming to be male more than anything else.
"Why am I here?" she asked, ignoring his question and determined to get her answers first.
"You had lost control over yourself and we were forced to bring you here," was the simple answer that she got. There was an aura emanating from this figure that she didn't trust at all.
"Lost control?"
"Yes. Bandits attacked your home. You lost control over your powers and everyone was killed."
Kagome remained silent, contemplating this explanation. A part of her urged her to accept this as what had happened, if only to regain a portion of her memory. She ignored it stubbornly; a larger part told her not to trust this person under any circumstances.
"I am tired," she said slowly, trying to figure the way to bide her time until her memory returned, "I would like to get some rest."
"Very well," he vanished, leaving no trace that he had ever been there at all.
Kagome lay down on the mat, fingering the frayed edges. She closed her eyes to focus on returning her mind to its rightful state.
'Who am I?' she asked herself, squeezing her eyes closed tightly and curling up. She saw that person again, that woman in the miko garb. There was someone else with her, her image was blurred but she was suddenly swamped by betrayal and sorrow, without knowing why. She focused hard on this new person, making out the crimson robes but nothing else. The image faded away quickly, despite how she tried to hold it.
A pair of golden eyes flashed in her mind. Her eyes snapped open with a start, there was something about those eyes that she remembered. She imprinted them in her mind, trying to remember the rest of the face that went with it. She stood suddenly, the image giving her the courage to look for a way to escape from this prison.
She noticed, for the first time, a long bow and a single arrow resting against the wall. She was hesitant to touch them. It seemed that the shadows that seeped from the walls were leaking in to the weapon as well. But there was nothing else that she could try. Besides, they were perfect for the escape plan that she had in mind.
She kneeled next to the mat, picking out the longest strand of the fray and pulled. It came loose instantly. Kagome pulled it until the mat lay unraveled at her feet. She grasped the new string, tugging to test its strength. Satisfied that it would hold her weight, she picked up the arrow, almost dropping it when a jolt went through her and the arrow glowed pink. Kagome shook her head, firmly tying the end of the string to the end of the arrow. She picked up the bow, ignoring how the same jolt went through her and the same response that the bow gave.
Kagome prayed that this would work, knocking the arrow and taking careful aim to the edge of the small opening. She shot, squelching the urge to shout in triumph when the arrow buried deep into the side of the opening, right where she had wanted it. She pulled the bow over her head, resting it securely across her chest.
Kagome picked up the end of the string, hoping that it wouldn't break when she was in the air. She held it firmly, holding her weight with it and walking up the side of the wall. Her eyes widened when one strand of the makeshift rope broke. She took the last few steps quickly, grasping the arrow. She stuck her hand through the opening, wanting to cry out when she realized that it wasn't big enough for her to fit through. She slammed her hand against the wall in frustration, surprised when the edges around the opening crumbled, widening the hole.
She was even more surprised that she hadn't broken her hand with the force of her swing. She didn't stop to worry about it for too long, scrambling through the opening before her rope broke on her. She pulled the arrow out with her. She took her bow in her hand, knocking the arrow but holding the point down. She didn't know if she would need it or not.
She looked around her, breathing in the fresh air happily. She walked through the clearing, to step into a thick grove of trees that seemed to call to her. A force pulled at her mind. Almost a memory but not quite. She slowly at first, but a sense of urgency made her strides longer, to have her moving at almost a run to the unknown destination.
'Move!' something in her mind screamed.
Kagome stumbled, startled at the sudden command. She tripped falling to the ground and freezing instantly as she heard something slice the air where her head had been.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile:
Inuyasha's hand clenched over the shards, jumping through the well to try to trace her scent to where Naraku had taken her. He only prayed that he wasn't too late to stop him.
He wondered what Naraku had done to be able to get through the portal and what he had in mind for Kagome.
Inuyasha leapt from the well the instant his feet touched the earth, his ears and nose twitching furiously but as he thought, there was no sign that Kagome had been in this time.
He was more than willing to search for Naraku himself but stopped himself as he realized that the chances of them finding Kagome were greater if the whole group searched. Inuyasha growled, not wanting to waste anymore time but still raced to the hut to gather everyone else.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome turned, peering up at the stranger, who appeared to be trying to kill her. She didn't think that she knew this person but there was something vaguely familiar about the stripes across his face and the crescent moon that marked his forehead.
He glared at her as if she had done something wrong, as she picked herself up, watching him curiously. She sword that hung loosely in his clawed hand explained the sudden slice in the air. She returned his glare. She hadn't done anything wrong and he was trying to kill her.
"This Sesshoumaru," he said, "will kill you, human."
A black cloud swirled around him, rising into the sky and carrying him with it in a spiral of dark energy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"NANI??" Sango was up on her feet the instant Inuyasha had told them that Kagome had been taken, her face livid.
Miroku's face was grim as he stood. They already knew, from the anger that crossed Inuyasha's face and the shards that he showed them, who had taken her. Without another word, Sango and Miroku were mounted on Kirara, weapons in hand, ready to leave.
A slight breeze blew in front of them, bringing a much wanted scent to Inuyasha's nose. He ran forwards at immediately and for once there were no shouts for him to wait. There was no time to waste if Naraku had Kagome. The others knew this and Kirara was urged forwards, flying above him, searching for her from the sky.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome had come upon the clearing, scanning the area for what was causing the pulse that drew her there. She saw it. Kagome stepped up the roots of the enormous tree, tracing an area worn in the bark with her fingers. She traced the lines of the bark, pausing when her fingertips met a small indent in the wood and an image flashed once in her memory, there had been someone pinned to this tree. The wind was blowing, the white strands of hair blowing gently. She winced when a sharp prick went through her finger and pulled her hand down. She stuck her finger in her mouth immediately, sucking away the small droplet of blood that had formed.
She lowered her head, shaking lightly as she removed her finger. Something grabbed at her awareness. Her head shot up. She whirled instantly, her bow coming up and her arrow ready. She tilted her head, puzzled when she saw who it was. It was a boy. A boy with the golden eyes
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jap. Translations: miko: priestess hakama: the formal baggy pants
Author's Note: Second Chapter complete at last. I hope you liked it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome had known something wasn't right when she looked into Inuyasha's face, waiting for the annoyed look or the, "What are you doing Kagome?" but nothing like that happened. She backed away, letting her eyes trail over him, trying to figure out what her mind thought was so wrong about the person in front of her. Then it hit her. Her eyes stopped at his neck, scanning it a few times to make sure that she wasn't mistaken. She wasn't. The rosary was indeed missing . . . .
Kagome backed away slowly, her eyes widening as she leaned against the door, hand reaching behind her for the knob.
"What is it Kagome?" he asked, mouth curving into a smirk, and stepping towards her.
"Wh-who are you?" she whispered, even as her mind dimly registered the presence a large amount of the Shikon no Tama.
"Don't you know me Kagome?" he said, arms snapping out to catch her wrist and pull her forwards.
Kagome fought him, her wrist held in an iron grasp. She knew what this was now. It was just like he had done fifty years ago. . .
"Naraku. . . " Kagome hissed out, at last wrenching her arm from him. She massaged her wrist carefully with her other hand, mind racing as she tried to think of how she would get herself out of this situation. She didn't even see him move. Naraku was behind her in an instant, clapping one hand over her mouth and wrapping his other hand around her body. Kagome reacted instantly, slipping one hand into the pocket of her skirt, groping around slowly.
Naraku lifted her, clamped to his body, as he jumped from the window. She struggled against him, as he carried her to the well house. Naraku, apparently growing irritated with all the fidgeting, turned her, setting her on her feet. But before she could move, he brought his hand back, slapping her sharply across the face and sending her into the side of the well.
Kagome winced, letting her hand fall open, spilling the now blood-tipped pieces of glass and Shikon shards on the ground. She scratched into the ground, hoping that Inuyasha would come soon and find her message. Naraku lifted her by her hair and the last thing she saw was the back of Naraku's hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome awoke lying on a thick woven mat. She sat up quickly, regretting the motion almost instantly because of the dizziness that it had caused. She held her head in her hands, trying to force away the pounding in her head. She groaned as her efforts seemed to only increase the pain.
"You are awake."
Kagome's head shot up at once, eyes scanning the darkness in an almost wild fear, for the owner of the sudden voice.
"No need to worry, you will be safe here," someone stepped out into view. Kagome's eyes narrowed when the tall figure, clad in a baboon skin continued to speak, "How are you feeling?"
'I know this person,' she thought instantly, distrust forming in her almost immediately.
'But why?' she questioned the sudden hateful mindset that was forming towards the figure and growing alarmed when no reason came to mind. She looked around suspiciously, trying to register where she was and why she was there. A sudden jolt in her head brought her attention, and horror, to the fact that her mind was muddled enough so that she didn't remember anything.
"Where am I?" she asked, determined to retain a calm facade, wincing when the words came from her mouth dry and thin.
"You do not remember anything?" the question was a little to calm and uncaring for her to try and shake off her discomfort.
Kagome shook her head slowly, her head still spinning too much for her to try and recall anything at the moment. Instead, she stood, turning slowly, trying to take in her surroundings. A small shiver of fear ran through her when her eyes met only black stone. The only color in this place was the white of the baboon skin that the person wore, and even that seemed to be cloaked in deep shadows.
She walked to the wall, lifting both her hands and pressing them lightly against it. She winced suddenly, her attention brought at once to the thin, cloth bandages that wrapped her hand. Thin lines of blood appeared through it. Kagome closed her eyes, feeling a warm sensation inside her. She embraced it tightly, urging it to grow and fill her, to push away the pain in her head. A feeling of euphoria swarmed through her almost immediately, clearing her head for a few blissful seconds, before the warmth was ripped away from her. The walls seemed to laugh at her, closing in around her, she looked up, through the only way to escape from this place.
She gasped as it felt like her head was ripping apart, the warmth had left and was being pushed farther back by the knives that drove deeper and deeper in her mind. She fell to the ground, gasping.
The cloaked being stepped towards her, offering her a glass filled with a thick reddish liquid. She just stared into it suspiciously, unsure of what it could be.
The glass was pressed against her lips. "Drink," she was told, "It will help."
There was no way out of this and her head was hurting too much to even attempt resist any opportunity to heal it. Kagome drank, feeling the hot liquid slide down her throat, clearing enough of her headache so that she could think clearly now but despite the fact that her mind was cleared, she still could not recall anything. She glanced down at her clothing, noticing for the first time the black hakama and white shirt.
'Miko. . . ' The word sounded in her thoughts. She clung to it, hoping desperately for something that she could be sure at. An image came to her. A woman with long black hair, tied back in a high ponytail. She, it seemed, was also a miko. Her hakama was red and she had a bow, ready and aimed in her hands. But who was she pointing towards? She stretched her mind, trying to see beyond the blurred outline of the edge. Nothing came to her.
Kagome turned to the cloaked figure, a little unnerved that it said nothing, just staring at her silently. She jumped when it spoke suddenly, "How are you feeling?" it asked her again, the voice seeming to be male more than anything else.
"Why am I here?" she asked, ignoring his question and determined to get her answers first.
"You had lost control over yourself and we were forced to bring you here," was the simple answer that she got. There was an aura emanating from this figure that she didn't trust at all.
"Lost control?"
"Yes. Bandits attacked your home. You lost control over your powers and everyone was killed."
Kagome remained silent, contemplating this explanation. A part of her urged her to accept this as what had happened, if only to regain a portion of her memory. She ignored it stubbornly; a larger part told her not to trust this person under any circumstances.
"I am tired," she said slowly, trying to figure the way to bide her time until her memory returned, "I would like to get some rest."
"Very well," he vanished, leaving no trace that he had ever been there at all.
Kagome lay down on the mat, fingering the frayed edges. She closed her eyes to focus on returning her mind to its rightful state.
'Who am I?' she asked herself, squeezing her eyes closed tightly and curling up. She saw that person again, that woman in the miko garb. There was someone else with her, her image was blurred but she was suddenly swamped by betrayal and sorrow, without knowing why. She focused hard on this new person, making out the crimson robes but nothing else. The image faded away quickly, despite how she tried to hold it.
A pair of golden eyes flashed in her mind. Her eyes snapped open with a start, there was something about those eyes that she remembered. She imprinted them in her mind, trying to remember the rest of the face that went with it. She stood suddenly, the image giving her the courage to look for a way to escape from this prison.
She noticed, for the first time, a long bow and a single arrow resting against the wall. She was hesitant to touch them. It seemed that the shadows that seeped from the walls were leaking in to the weapon as well. But there was nothing else that she could try. Besides, they were perfect for the escape plan that she had in mind.
She kneeled next to the mat, picking out the longest strand of the fray and pulled. It came loose instantly. Kagome pulled it until the mat lay unraveled at her feet. She grasped the new string, tugging to test its strength. Satisfied that it would hold her weight, she picked up the arrow, almost dropping it when a jolt went through her and the arrow glowed pink. Kagome shook her head, firmly tying the end of the string to the end of the arrow. She picked up the bow, ignoring how the same jolt went through her and the same response that the bow gave.
Kagome prayed that this would work, knocking the arrow and taking careful aim to the edge of the small opening. She shot, squelching the urge to shout in triumph when the arrow buried deep into the side of the opening, right where she had wanted it. She pulled the bow over her head, resting it securely across her chest.
Kagome picked up the end of the string, hoping that it wouldn't break when she was in the air. She held it firmly, holding her weight with it and walking up the side of the wall. Her eyes widened when one strand of the makeshift rope broke. She took the last few steps quickly, grasping the arrow. She stuck her hand through the opening, wanting to cry out when she realized that it wasn't big enough for her to fit through. She slammed her hand against the wall in frustration, surprised when the edges around the opening crumbled, widening the hole.
She was even more surprised that she hadn't broken her hand with the force of her swing. She didn't stop to worry about it for too long, scrambling through the opening before her rope broke on her. She pulled the arrow out with her. She took her bow in her hand, knocking the arrow but holding the point down. She didn't know if she would need it or not.
She looked around her, breathing in the fresh air happily. She walked through the clearing, to step into a thick grove of trees that seemed to call to her. A force pulled at her mind. Almost a memory but not quite. She slowly at first, but a sense of urgency made her strides longer, to have her moving at almost a run to the unknown destination.
'Move!' something in her mind screamed.
Kagome stumbled, startled at the sudden command. She tripped falling to the ground and freezing instantly as she heard something slice the air where her head had been.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile:
Inuyasha's hand clenched over the shards, jumping through the well to try to trace her scent to where Naraku had taken her. He only prayed that he wasn't too late to stop him.
He wondered what Naraku had done to be able to get through the portal and what he had in mind for Kagome.
Inuyasha leapt from the well the instant his feet touched the earth, his ears and nose twitching furiously but as he thought, there was no sign that Kagome had been in this time.
He was more than willing to search for Naraku himself but stopped himself as he realized that the chances of them finding Kagome were greater if the whole group searched. Inuyasha growled, not wanting to waste anymore time but still raced to the hut to gather everyone else.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome turned, peering up at the stranger, who appeared to be trying to kill her. She didn't think that she knew this person but there was something vaguely familiar about the stripes across his face and the crescent moon that marked his forehead.
He glared at her as if she had done something wrong, as she picked herself up, watching him curiously. She sword that hung loosely in his clawed hand explained the sudden slice in the air. She returned his glare. She hadn't done anything wrong and he was trying to kill her.
"This Sesshoumaru," he said, "will kill you, human."
A black cloud swirled around him, rising into the sky and carrying him with it in a spiral of dark energy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"NANI??" Sango was up on her feet the instant Inuyasha had told them that Kagome had been taken, her face livid.
Miroku's face was grim as he stood. They already knew, from the anger that crossed Inuyasha's face and the shards that he showed them, who had taken her. Without another word, Sango and Miroku were mounted on Kirara, weapons in hand, ready to leave.
A slight breeze blew in front of them, bringing a much wanted scent to Inuyasha's nose. He ran forwards at immediately and for once there were no shouts for him to wait. There was no time to waste if Naraku had Kagome. The others knew this and Kirara was urged forwards, flying above him, searching for her from the sky.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome had come upon the clearing, scanning the area for what was causing the pulse that drew her there. She saw it. Kagome stepped up the roots of the enormous tree, tracing an area worn in the bark with her fingers. She traced the lines of the bark, pausing when her fingertips met a small indent in the wood and an image flashed once in her memory, there had been someone pinned to this tree. The wind was blowing, the white strands of hair blowing gently. She winced when a sharp prick went through her finger and pulled her hand down. She stuck her finger in her mouth immediately, sucking away the small droplet of blood that had formed.
She lowered her head, shaking lightly as she removed her finger. Something grabbed at her awareness. Her head shot up. She whirled instantly, her bow coming up and her arrow ready. She tilted her head, puzzled when she saw who it was. It was a boy. A boy with the golden eyes
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jap. Translations: miko: priestess hakama: the formal baggy pants
Author's Note: Second Chapter complete at last. I hope you liked it.
