All Kagome could see around her was darkness. It felt thick and heavy and seemed to encompass her. It was suffocating her. Her sense of smell returned and suddenly she knew why. Smoke! She was completely surrounded by smoke. It filled her lungs, causing her to cough and drop to the ground, gasping for breath. She crawled on her hands and knees, hoping to find some escape from the black smog that seemed to fill everything. As she crawled she could hear screams and cries sounding all around her. She pulled herself away from the smoke, to a clear area where she could breath again. She attempted to stand and gasped as pain shot through her legs. She looked down. Her knees were bloody from crawling over the rocky terrain. With a cry she pulled herself up and looked at her surroundings.
It was a village. A burning village. People scrambled as roofs blazed and ash rained down. The screaming grew louder. Kagome put her hands over her ears to try and block it out. It was the sound of people being burned alive. Desperate, she looked around for someway to help but it was no use. The fire had raged out of control. Every building appeared to be on aflame and there were charred bodies littering the streets.
Panicked, Kagome's gaze looked frantically at the people running through the streets. She called out to them, trying to ask what had happened, but they didn't seem to hear her. She heard something behind her and whipped around. There, at the edge of the village, stood a man in a white baboon's skin, chuckling softly.
Kagome opened her mouth to scream. No sound came out. Instead, she was enclosed by darkness for a second time. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself staring at Naraku.
"You," she was short of breath, as if she'd been running for miles, "You burned that village." Her voice picked up momentum as she spoke. "You killed all those people." Naraku watched her, his gaze unflinching.
"Just to get a jewel shard," Kagome continued, "You killed all those people just to get a jewel shard!"
She stared up at her captor, loathing and unbelief apparent in her eyes. Naraku stared back at her. He didn't try to hide his smile or the satisfaction in his eyes. Both were cold.
"Excellent job, Yume." The old youkai merely bowed. "Kagura." Naraku's voice was sharp, "Take Kagome to her chambers."
Kagura stepped towards the door, motioning for Kagome to follow her. Kagome hesitated. She had to escape. Her gaze swung to the window, the only exit that wasn't blocked. A noise from Naraku caught her attention. He was watching her. She'd never make it to the window in time. Escape would have to wait.
Very slowly, Kagome made her way over to Kagura. Whatever this Yume had done, it had drained most of her strength.
"Wise choice." Naraku commented as she walked across the room, making her all too aware that he had been anticipating her escape plans.
As Kagome followed Kagura out the door, Naraku called out to her. "I hope you find your chambers adequate. You're going to be staying here for a very long time."
Kagome's steps faltered for a moment, but she refused to look at her captor.
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Kagome was silent as she followed Kagura down the dimly lit hall. She tried to piece together what had just happened to her. She remembered the demon, Hideo, by the well. He had fought Inu-Yasha, then kidnapped her.
Inu-Yasha. Was he okay? He had been badly injured during the fight, not to mention the wounds he had suffered beforehand. Could his body survive that kind of abuse?
Tears began to form in her eyes, but Kagome quickly wiped them away. Of course Inu-Yasha was alive. He had suffered worse and survived. He was a survivor. One battle wouldn't stop him. Besides, she thought cynically, if he had died, Naraku would have been oh too happy to tell her about it. No, he was alive. Injured maybe, but alive. And he would come for her.
Kagome's heart felt a leap of hope at that thought, but it was short-lived. Yes, Inu-Yasha would come for her, but he would have to recover before he could do anything. That could take weeks. No, it was up to her to try and escape as quickly as she could. She also needed to figure out what Naraku was plotting.
She ran over the events in Naraku's chamber in her mind. She had been in his mind. Of that she was sure. That burning village wasn't just some image that had been projected into her mind. It had been a memory. Naraku's memory. Somehow, that Yume demon had placed her inside Naraku's head. Why, she didn't yet know, but if she was cautious, maybe she could figure it out. Maybe...
"This is it." Kagura's voice interrupted Kagome's train of thought. The wind demon stood at the entryway of what Kagome assumed must be her "chamber". Prison cell was more likely. Knowing it was inevitable, Kagome stepped into the room. As expected, it was a small room. There were no windows or decoration of any kind, but it appeared clean and devoid of bugs or rats. A futon, the room's lone piece of furniture, was placed along the far wall. She sat down on it, she suddenly felt tired and no longer had the energy to stand. Kagura knelt down on the floor beside her.
"Here." The wind demon placed a candle and holder on the floor. "This should provide you with enough light to see."
Kagome said nothing, just stared dejectedly at the floor.
Kagura observed her for a moment, then she spoke again. "I'll bring you a pitcher and some water shortly."
Kagome nodded, but remained silent.
Kagura tapped her fan against her palm. "It gets cold in here, so I'll bring you some blankets. I doubt your weak human body can stand the chill."
The miko looked over at her, confusion evident in her eyes. "Are you being nice to me?"
Kagura looked away. "Don't be ridiculous." she said, her voice sounding annoyed. "I'm merely making sure that you don't die during the night. Naraku wouldn't be happy if you did." She glanced over at Kagome. "He's got big plans for you, you know."
"I don't suppose you know what those plans are, or that you'd tell me about them."
Kagura's gaze cut to hers. "No. I don't know what they are and I wouldn't tell you if I did."
They were silent for a moment, then Kagura spoke again. "I'm going to fetch you that blanket now. Want me to bring you something to eat while I'm at it?"
Kagome nodded. "Thank you. I'd appreciate it." She smiled at the Kagura. "You are being nice to me. There must be some good in your heart after all."
Kagura laughed at that. It was a harsh sound that drew Kagome's gaze to hers. Kagura stopped laughing and grabbed Kagome's hand. Silently, she drew the girl's hand up to her chest and placed it inside her kimono, atop her left breast. Kagome stared at her in confusion for a moment, then gasped. Kagura smiled and dropped her hand. She rose and exited the room, locking the door behind her.
A shudder ran through Kagome. There was a draft in the room, but it wasn't the cold that made her shiver. Kagura had had no heartbeat. Where her heart should have been, there was a great nothingness instead.
Kagome shuddered again. No, it had been worse than that. She had been able to look into Kagura. She couldn't explain how, she could only guess that it was another aspect of her new powers. What she had seen inside the demon was what caused her to shake. At the center of the nothingness had been one emotion. It was buried deep, so deep that Kagome had hardly been able to sense it at first. She had had to dig through layers of nothingness to find it.
Kagome let out an unsteady breath. Hate. At the center of Kagura's being, hidden under layers nothingness, was an intense and consuming hate.