A/N: Here's chapter twelve! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, especially those of you who are constant reviewers! I love the comments on the story, and I am glad that everyone is enjoying it so much. This story is doing so well, and I'm proud of it. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the ones before it!

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Don't Cry for Me
Chapter Twelve

Kagome whimpered. I have to get out of this room...I can't stay here. I'm going to die if I stay here, she thought to herself. Already, she felt as though ice was making its way through her body, down to her very bones. This was no doubt one of the adverse affects of Naraku's biting her.

She pulled and yanked at the chains that bound her. They were thick. After several pulls of her arms, Kagome could feel them go limp. The strength required just to move was nearly overwhelming to her. With Naraku's poison coursing through her veins, she grew weaker with each passing hour.

"Have to get out..." she coughed. "Can't go to sleep...can't..." She could feel her eyes getting heavy, and jerked her arm forward painfully to try to keep herself awake. She yelped in pain. There was a small line of blood trickling down her arm, and her new acute sense of smell caught the stench of it almost immediately.

"Damn it!" she cursed uncharacteristically.

She took a deep breath. She hadn't heard anything, but thanks to her nose, she could tell that someone else was in the room with her.

"Kagome?" It was a woman's voice. A very familiar woman...

Kagome blinked. "Kikyou..." she whispered. "What the...? We haven't heard from you in so long...I was worried...I thought you had died. How long have you been trapped in here?"

Kikyou nodded sadly. "I was already dead, Kagome...but your suspicions are correct. I am gone. How do you think I was able to get into this room without you hearing the door open...? Especially with those sharper senses of yours...?"

Kagome sighed sadly. "How? What happened? I'm so confused..." she stammered.

"I was not killed, Kagome. I moved on. I was able to move on because of Inuyasha. He finally made his choice. He chose you, but he made his choice...and you and Sesshoumaru went after Naraku and avenged my death...or so we thought..."

"I'm sorry, Kikyou. I didn't mean to..." Kagome began.

Kagome heard her sigh. "Do not worry about it. You've done nothing wrong. I realize that now. However, this predicament that you seem to have trapped yourself in is doing neither you nor Inuyasha any good, now is it?"

Kagome gulped and nodded. "I feel as though I have no energy..."

"That is because Naraku has robbed you of it. I have come to free you...but you are going to have to hope that you can get out on your own...I can't help you there..."

Kagome only grunted her reply. Without the distraction, she was starting to feel weak and tired again.

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep..." Kikyou's voice was a whisper, and Kagome felt herself falling to the ground. "Stay awake, Kagome...dig deep inside you for your own power..."

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"It's up ahead!" Sesshoumaru pointed. "I can sense Ryo..." Sesshoumaru paused. "And Naraku was here! The trail is recent..." he gasped.

"Naraku?" Inuyasha growled. "If Naraku is behind all this, he will pay!"

"That explains why the curse in my hand did not subside..." frowned Miroku.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered. "She's in there somewhere. She's bleeding...It's weak, but I still feel connected to her..."

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Kagome found that being free of her restraints did not really help much in the escape process. The poison running through her veins was really starting to affect her, and she found that it was practically impossible to walk. She shivered.

"...dig deep inside you for your own power..." she heard Kikyou's voice in her head.

"I...Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. Growling from somewhere low in her throat, Kagome placed her fists down on the floor and pushed herself up as hard as she could. She wavered on her feet, and held herself up using the wall.

She took a deep breath. Naraku had once been nearby, but his scent was weaker now. Had he gone away? Had he left her in this room, chained up to rot? Where had he gone?

Taking several staggering steps forward, Kagome groaned in pain. She had to get out of here. She had to. If she stayed, there was no telling what would happen.

"I'm coming, Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered. She didn't think anyone was there to hear her...she was talking to herself to keep motivated.

"Be careful, Kagome," smirked another voice from the corner.

Kagome yelped in fright. "Who are you? Why do you have no scent?" she yelled into the darkness.

"I was only warning you. Naraku will not be happy when he returns to find that you have run off on him..." the man frowned. "If you plan on getting out of here, you'd better go a little bit quicker than that, or you could get stuck here and end up like us...only worse..."

"Worse?" Kagome repeated, her voice low from sickness and exhaustion. "Who are you? What are you?"

"I am part of him...as Kagura was before she was killed. We share the same essence...and I hate him for it." he replied. "You could end up worse. You must get out of here...you have to hide yourself from him. He can not be allowed to finish what he started..."

Kagome shivered at the very thought of it, and took yet another step forward. "I will get out of here..." she said to herself. "I will get back to Inuyasha..."

"Keep thinking that, Kagome. Inuyasha and the rest of your pack is close by. Keep focusing...it's making you stronger..."

Kagome shoved open the door in front of her and groaned. Her wrist throbbed where she had cut it earlier yanking at the chains that bound her. She was standing in a hallway. She took a deep breath and began to take another step forward when she felt herself go limp, and she crumbled to the floor in darkness.

"Stupid girl," the man smirked. He walked forward and gathered her limp form up in his arms. "And she was so close to making it on her own..." He carried her the rest of the way outside and set her on the ground. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had just arrived with the others, and glared daggers at this strange demon who had been carrying Kagome.

"What the hell did you do to her?" screamed Inuyasha, his sword drawn.

The man shook his head. "I have done nothing...but you would do well to get Kagome far away from this place before Naraku finishes what he has started. The poison has gotten to her, and it is far too much for the priestess in her to purify. She can survive it though, if you just make sure to..."

The demon stopped short and screamed, dropping to his knees in horrible pain. Inuyasha ran forward, but soon the demon was reduced to nothing but ash.

Sesshoumaru took a careful step forward and placed his hand near his sword. "Inuyasha...get away!" he commanded, the stench of Naraku suddenly invading his nose. "He's back!"

"I've got to get Kagome first!" he growled, running forward and scooping her up.

From somewhere above them, Naraku laughed. "That, Inuyasha, is just what I was hoping you would do. You came straight into my trap. Anything at all for the woman you love, huh?"

Inuyasha growled from somewhere deep within his throat. "Yeah. Got a problem with that, you son-of-a..."

"Good night, Inuyasha..." Naraku smirked.

"No!" Sesshoumaru yelped.

Inuyasha gasped, and fell to his knees. Everything around him was going black...

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"Wake up, Inuyasha..." Naraku's voice echoed through the darkness.

Inuyasha jolted awake. "What the hell?" he screamed. "Where is Kagome?"

"Don't move too hastily, Inuyasha. That barrier will purify you in an instant, even if you are a hanyou. I would advise that you stay where you are if you wish to stay alive...besides, you'd miss the show."

"What are you talking about? What have you done with Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded. "What did you do? Answer me!"

"Ryo!" Naraku yelled. "Bring Kagome to me, now!" he commanded.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "I'm going to kill that..." he growled.

"No. You aren't going to move if you value your life...remember?" Naraku laughed.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "If you hurt her, I swear I'm going to..."

"I have done nothing of the sort...yet..." Naraku smiled. "And if you tell me where the jewel of four souls is, I won't have to do anything at all."

Inuyasha looked at the ground. "I...I don't know where it is..." he whispered. "After we completed it, it disappeared. We don't know what happened to it." He was lying of course...what made Naraku think that either of them was going to tell him anything about the jewel of four souls?

"Don't lie to me, Inuyasha. You are going to make me very angry. That will not be good for Kagome. Do you understand what I am saying?" The glint in Naraku's eyes told Inuyasha his intentions.

"Don't lay a hand on her you bastard!" Inuyasha snarled.

"Tell me where the jewel is, and I promise I won't kill her..."

"No..." Kagome groaned. "Don't you say a damn word, Inuyasha. You understand me? Not a word? He has threatened both of us with the same thing...he's running in circles. That means he doesn't know anything...he really doesn't know anything. That's why he needed us. He is going to try to use us against each other." Kagome frowned. "Don't listen to a damn word he says, no matter what."

Inuyasha gulped. "Kagome? Are you all right? You...I can smell your blood..." He glared at Naraku.

Naraku shook his head. "Don't look at me, Inuyasha. That blood that you smell is from Kagome's own self-inflicted injury. I have done nothing yet..."

"He bit me..." Kagome whispered, her voice weak. She was teetering on the edge of sleep once again. She took a deep breath. "Everything hurts now..."

Inuyasha growled. "You are the one who removed her mark! You stupid bastard! Damn you! It could kill her..."

"Oh...I'd forgotten..." Naraku smiled nonchalantly. "That's right, Inuyasha. Kagome is already dieing. In a couple more hours, I won't have to worry about killing her. Can you hear it? Her heartbeat grows weaker...her breathing is getting labored...listen..."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled. "Kagome..."

"Don't worry about me, Inuyasha. I can handle it. I have the other side under control. Just...don't tell him anything..." Kagome told him.

Inuyasha blinked. "What do you mean? Are you all right? Kagome, I can't..."

"I can handle it..." Kagome assured him weakly. "I have the other side under control now..." she repeated.

"Huh?" Naraku scowled. "Bring the girl to me, Ryo!" he commanded.

Ryo obeyed.

"What is it that you are hiding, Kagome?" Naraku smirked to her. "You can barely stand on your own. How do you have things under control, eh?"

Kagome smiled. "Because...I have the jewel...and you do not...and now, I have the answer...I know how to get rid of it..."

Naraku reddened in anger. "What?" He grabbed her up by her kimono. "You have had the jewel this whole time? I will kill you for defying me!"

Inuyasha gasped in realization. Naraku was intimidated by himself and Kagome. Kagome knew that. Kagome had a plan. He wasn't sure what exactly her plan was yet, but he knew it had something to do with the situation that they currently found themselves in. "Naraku...have you forgotten the demon laws? You bit her. You took away the mark I gave her. True, in time the poison will kill her," he said with almost no emotion, "but most youkai mate for life. You wouldn't want her to die then, would you Naraku? Because you would go with her..." Inuyasha told him. He knew this was true for dog demons, but he did not know if it applied to all other youkai. A little white lie never hurt anyone, did it?

"That is not true! I have not completed the process!" Naraku snapped.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It does not matter...you will feel her pain..." There was almost laughter in his eyes now...or at least there would have been, had it not been Kagome staring back at him from the other side of the barrier...

Gathering all her strength, Kagome wheeled around and grabbed Ryo's sword from its sheath at his side. She held it out in front of her. "You won't...get the jewel, Naraku..." she stammered, trying to catch her breath. "It's back where it came from, now...and I've figured out how to get rid of it so that you can never get your hands on it again..."

Inuyasha blinked. Back where it came from? This sentence was a little confusing for him. Had Kagome swallowed the jewel or something?

Naraku jumped up as though he was going to lunge at her. When he did this, Ryo stepped back, but Kagome did not move at all. She still held Ryo's sword out in front of her.

"Take another step forward, and I'll put the damn sword straight through my own stomach." She threatened. Inuyasha paled considerably, but Kagome continued. "Let him go, Naraku. Now."

Naraku did not look at first as though he was going to comply. He simply stared back at her, as if daring her to do what she had threatened. However, he looked nervously from Inuyasha to Kagome and back again.

"As for the jewel..." Kagome paused a moment. "I want it to go away so that it can never hurt..." she paused again here, as if thinking how to properly word her statement, "or help anyone again." she nodded. "Do you hear that, Midoriko?" she whispered. "It is about time that you won this fight..."

Naraku looked slightly frightened at this point.

At first, nothing was happening.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped, and her body went rigid for a moment, although she remained standing. She began to glow in a bright blue light, and suddenly, before them all stood a ghostly Midoriko.

Inuyasha blinked once. Twice. But Midoriko was still there. His mouth fell slightly open as he stared in disbelief at the woman in front of him. "You're..." he began.

She nodded. "Yes, Inuyasha." She reached her ghostly hand forward and placed it on the barrier that held him prisoner. It promptly disappeared. Again, Inuyasha blinked, but he did not stop to ask questions as he jumped to Kagome.

Midoriko turned. "Take Kagome and get her out of here, Inuyasha. She has done her job well, but she is going to die...You must put a stop to the poison running through her veins. Make haste." She smiled, and the jewel suddenly appeared in her hand. "The jewel will be gone soon...and it will purify all who are too close. You must hurry if you are to get away from it."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but he nodded and scooped a now unconscious Kagome up into his arms. Before he left, he glanced at her. "My brother and the others...?" he began.

"They have been trying to get to you for some time. They are still outside. I trust that they will heed your warning. There is no need to worry. I do not intend to harm any of you..." she answered simply.

Naraku stared at Midoriko.

She turned on him. "You...you who have killed so many and done so much for this jewel...you who wanted to use the jewel for your own selfish means...will be one of the first to die..."

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A/N: Heh...yes, I know...another cliffie...but this one is much better than the ones before it, eh? It's not as evil as the other ones, and that's always good. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! I'll post the next chapter after I know how you guys feel about this one...Yes...I've wriiten a couple chapters ahead. Happy reading. :D