A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter!

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Dream of Me
Chapter Three

"I understand, Sesshoumaru. There is more than one person at that castle that needs saving, right?" Sango smiled.

Sesshoumaru glared at her.

"Shutting up!" she promised.

"Hey, Kaede! Give me that blue stuff, okay? I absolutely refuse to make Kagome stay in Naraku's company any longer. Hell, it's killing me, so I know it has to be awful for her!" Inuyasha frowned. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

"We're right behind you, Inuyasha." Miroku nodded.

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Kagome was completely stumped as far as her life was concerned. She didn't understand a damn thing that was going on around her…and something just plain didn't feel right. Kagome noticed no one other than Kagura, Naraku, Kanna, and herself that inhabited the castle, despite its large size. Kagome was very curious about what was outside the castle walls, but she got the impression that she wouldn't be able to get off of castle grounds even if she tried.

Kagome rubbed her cheek spitefully. Earlier that day, she had found a bow and quiver in the corner of one of the castle rooms. She picked up the bow, and a tingling sensation traveled through her fingers. She studied the intriguing weapon in her hands. When Naraku entered the room and realized what she was doing…that was when it happened.

"Hello, Naraku…" she smiled in confusion. "Who's is this?" she asked him.

"Put it down!" he commanded.

Kagome blinked. "But…I thought…"

He growled from somewhere deep within his throat, snatching the bow away from her and knocking her across the room with one hit. When she landed, she didn't move. She didn't want him doing that again. It was completely unexpected.

Once he left, she stood, still holding her cheek. There was a gash in it, it was bleeding, and Kagome was sure she was going to look worse than Quasi Modo soon. She was right.

"It had to have been an arranged marriage…" Kagome whispered to herself. "I wish I could remember my parents. This is their entire fault. I would never allow myself to…I would never let anyone…" Kagome felt the tears stinging her eyes, and blinked them away quickly.

She heard the shoji door slide slowly open. She did not turn.

"Kagome?" she recognized the voice as that of Kagura.

"I do not want to talk to anyone at the moment, Kagura. I am sorry." Kagome answered shortly.

Kagura gulped. "Kagome?" she repeated. She took a step closer to the girl. When Kagome still did not answer, she grabbed the girl's shoulders and turned her to face her.

"I said leave me be!" Kagome demanded.

Kagura gasped. "Kagome…he hit you?" she whispered, grabbing hold of Kagome's chin to examine the bruised gash on her cheek. It was swollen, and Kagura prayed that the poison that coursed through Naraku's veins did not somehow leak into the open cut on the girl's cheek.

"It's fine." Kagome snapped. "It doesn't hurt anymore. My pride is the only thing that is hurt."

Kagura frowned. "But Kagome, you ought to have that looked at…"

"Do you see anyone else around this damn castle, because I haven't. I don't think there is anyone else. I feel like a damned prisoner here! I can't remember anything, even when Naraku tells me what happened…and I just don't understand how all this happened in the first place. I don't know who to trust anymore, and Naraku scares me…" she admitted. "I never thought I would ever just let a man hit me like that, but I was so surprised…and I didn't do anything about it…"

"It'll be okay, Kagome." Kagura whispered. "I just hope that they get here soon." She whispered to herself.

"Who is they?" demanded Kagome, staring into Kagura's eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"It is best that I try not to confuse you." Kagura shrugged, waving nonchalantly as she left the room and slid the shoji door shut behind her.

Kagome sat on the floor and fumed for several minutes, until she suddenly felt the already quiet castle grow even quieter. She shivered. The completely empty feeling of the castle gave Kagome an eerie feeling somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach…as if she was going to be sick.

She got a similar feeling every time she was in the vicinity of Naraku. She felt pulled to him, and even swore that she could see a purple light glowing somewhere in the center of his body. She thought of it as an odd sort of sixth sense…but when she told her uncaring mate about what she had seen, she was told to dismiss it and pretend as if it had never happened.

"I can't stand it anymore!" Kagome growled in anger. "He is going to give me answers, and I want answers now!" she stood quickly, slid the shoji door open forcefully, and stalked down the hallway with her hands balled into tight fists.

She followed her instincts. Whenever her gut told her she needed to take a turn, she did. She could feel that odd sensation at the pit of her stomach again…the one that had pulled her to Naraku before. She stopped suddenly when she came to a large shoji door at the end of the hallway. She could hear Naraku speaking with Kanna inside the room about something. She strained her ears so that she could hear the conversation.

"I told you to make sure that all of the items from her old life were discarded!" Naraku screamed at her. "Did you misunderstand? If she was to remember everything, then all of my plans would be ruined! I cannot have that happened! I cannot watch everything I have worked so hard for go up in smoke! If she goes running back to Inuyasha with even the slightest hint about her old life, then it is over!"

Kagome gasped, jumping back in surprise. Her old life? Inuyasha? What was going on? He had lied to her! What was she supposed to do? She couldn't remember anything…there was something he was trying to keep from her. What had he said about Inuyasha? Did he actually exist? Was he really more than just a figment of her imagination? What was her connection with him? She had to get away from here, fast!

Kagome turned, running as fast as she could. She was almost to the castle's front entrance.

"The girl…she heard everything. She was outside of the door…" Kanna whispered in a monotone voice.

"What?" Naraku screamed. "I will take care of this!" With that, he quickly disappeared.

Kagome reached out, grabbing hold of the door. She began to pull at it when someone grabbed her wrist and her throat, pulling her roughly backwards. She yelped in pain, looking up into Naraku's angry eyes. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. He growled from deep within his throat.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he demanded.

Kagome gulped. "N-Nothing. I was going to go outside for a walk is all…" she whispered timidly.

"Liar!" he accused, tightening his grip on her.

She groaned. "Ah…please…you're hurting me!" she cried.

"You heard me talking, didn't you? You were listening in to my conversation, weren't you?" he snarled. "Well?"

"No…I wasn't…I…" Kagome stammered. His grip was getting tighter still. Kagome yelped in pain. "You're hurting me!" she cried.

"You're so lucky that's all I can do!" he screamed, dragging her away from the safety of the door.

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"This has to be it!" Inuyasha announced. "Who else do we know who uses such potent barriers?" He unsheathed his sword and stepped up to the barrier. "Hang on, Kagome!" he screamed. "I'm on my way!"

Slashing through the barrier, Inuyasha ran forward, followed closely by his brother and the rest of his odd little pack.

Naraku stepped out of the room, slamming the shoji behind him. Kagura stood a mere ten feet away. He glared at her. "What the hell are you looking at, Kagura?" he demanded. "Do you have something you wish to say to me?"

Kagura shook her head. "No…but I would love to know what you plan to do if the girl dies from the beating you just gave her?" she smirked.

"Shut up. If I wanted your opinion, I would give it to you. Besides, the girl is mine. I can do with her as I please." He smirked.

Kagura shook her head, stomping away in disgust.

When Kagome awoke, she was surprised to see herself surrounded by a blue barrier. What the hell? How did that get there? Naraku is trying to keep me here…

Kagome groaned in pain.

Inuyasha growled as he stopped in front of Naraku's castle. It was quiet, and reeking of Kagome's scent…and her blood. He growled. In front of them stood Kagura. He unsheathed his sword yet again.

"Kagura, get out of the way right now, damn it! I don't have the time to deal with you." He threatened.

"I have no intention of fighting with you all." She frowned.

"What did you say?" gasped Sango.

Kagura took a deep breath. "I do not have the time to fight with you today. I have my own problems to deal with…like staying alive. Inuyasha, the girl is inside the castle, in the first room on the left. She has been beaten, but she somehow managed to protect herself with some kind of barrier. I will help Sesshoumaru distract Naraku while you are trying to bring her back to herself…"

Sesshoumaru blinked. "You're going to fight against your creator?" he asked.

She nodded. "I may not be of much help, as he has my heart, but I will help for as long as I can breathe. Hopefully your brother will liberate the miko by that time."

"But," Sesshoumaru gasped. "You would be sacrificing yourself!"

"It is better than living in this shadow," Kagura answered dryly.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I understand."

Inuyasha ran into the castle, followed closely by Miroku and Sango. He ran through the hallway, finally coming to the room where Kagura claimed Kagome would be. He slid open the door.

"Kagome…oh my god…" he whispered.

Sango blinked. She gulped back the lump in her throat. "Inuyasha…just…see if she'll let you inside her barrier…"

Inuyasha nodded, cautiously approaching Kagome and her barrier. He knelt in front of it. "Kagome…Kagome? It's Inuyasha..." he whispered. "Come on, Kagome. Please. You have to let me help you…" he pleaded.

After a few seconds, Kagome's barrier slowly began to weaken, and Inuyasha was finally able to take her hand in his own.

Sango and Miroku eyed the door of the room with suspicion. Kirara, Sango's pet demon cat, transformed to her larger form and growled threateningly, placing herself between the door and her owner. Sango and Miroku stood behind her, directly in front of the barrier that had just appeared in front of Inuyasha and Kagome.

Miroku watched with interest as the barrier around Kagome and Inuyasha slowly grew in strength. Inuyasha was still holding tightly to Kagome's hand, and Kagome was unconscious. The barrier that had formed began to fill with a thick gas, and there was a thud as Inuyasha fell into a deep sleep.

"Good luck, Inuyasha…" Miroku prayed, balling his cursed hand up into a tight fist. "I hope you are able to bring Lady Kagome back to us safely…"

"So do I." Agreed Sango, readying her boomerang bone in case anyone dared to interrupt what Inuyasha was trying to do.

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A/N: Shorter than the other two chapters so far, but I thought it got to the point, and I wanted to leave it here. I really hope you liked it. Please review and let me know what you think:D