A\N -- CHAPTER THREE IS UP! HA, Bet you all never thought you were going to hear from me again, didn't ya? Lol. This chapter is all about Kagome, so that's good for you Kagome lovers out there. Or maybe it isn't. Well, either way, it's still an update, so...

REVIEWS! (YAY!)

Kaome-207 - Oh cool, maybe I'll take a look at it when I have a bit more time (I'm really kinda busy at the moment). And don't worry, if I do continue "Chained" further, there will be NO Naraku\Inu in it. This isn't a yaoi story, never planned on making it that way. I also don't know when I'm going to update again because I'm having a MAJOR writers block with this story at the moment. You're more than welcome about me putting your story at the top (even though I got a bit confused sometimes, I was genuinely enjoying it, something that doesn't happen too often considering I don't have a lot of time to read them)!

Nassica12 -Lol, I'll take that to mean you are liking the story.

Mustluvkits -Lets out breath that's a relief. I was really unsure if people would like this chapter, because it portrays an entirely different sort of mood than the last one (in my opinion anyway). Plus there was apparently indication of Naraku\Inu (which I had no intention of putting there) and a lot of people get worked up over that kind of thing. Anyway, I'm rambling and once I get going it's really hard to stop, so I'm going to shut up now. Thanks for reviewing!

ultimateromantic - Lol, thanx I'm glad I can keep the suspense up (even though I don't have any idea where this is going either). I hope to be updating soon, but if I can't get this writers block to lift then it could take a while.

DISCLAIMER: (Do NOT continue on with the story before reading and fully understanding this!) I OWN NOTHING! Well... maybe not nothing, this particular story and one of the characters in it is mine, but everything and anything else associated with the anime Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I am making no money off of this, so I'll have none to give you if you want to sue me! Everybody got that? GOOD! Then one with the story...

Alone in the Darkness

The dungeon was dark and cold.

Those were pretty much the only words to describe it. It stunk well enough too, but that was just a minor part of it's foulness.

It was the darkness that got you.

Kagome had been down here for weeks, yet she barely was aware of the passing of time. She hadn't seen the sun or the moon, or any kind of light save the faint flicker of the torches the guards used, and those lights never made it past the door to the dungeon.

The guards came once every two days to bring her food and water, though they never spoke to her. She had come to yearn for those visits, for they were her only contact to the outside world, her only proof that things existed beyond that dank little door that kept her secured down here.

Today was different though, somehow.

When the door cracked open to let the guards into the dungeon, only ones set of footsteps reached her ears. Being in the dungeon for so long, she had learned to rely more on her ears than her own eyes. Her eyes played tricks on her. Tricks that made her believe for fleeting, blissful moments that Inuyasha and her were still free, that the world was still alive... that they were still together.

Her eyes had adjusted to the dimness in the room, and it became easier to see in the dark, but she still relished the faint flickering of the torches that cast an orange glow all along the stairs that led down here.

Her eyes fell on the figure that had just entered, and she stared at her in confusion. Instead of the two big surly men who usually came to bring her food, always in pairs, there was a single woman, dressed entirely in black, with long dark hair trailing down to her waist, and cold dark eyes that stared and Kagome unmercifully.

But there was something else in those eyes. A touch of warmth. And Kagome only saw it because she had been locked in the cold and dark for so long that she craved any sign of any warmth desperately, and grabbed onto it with both hands when she found it.

The woman opened the small door built in the bottom corner of the bars of her cell and slid the plate of food and the flask of water through to her.

Kagome forced herself to scramble over to the bars, clinging to them so she wouldn't drop to the ground again in her weakened state.

'Please...' she said as the woman closed the door, drawing her dark eyes to her. 'Have you seen a hanyou by the name of Inuyasha? He's got silver-white hair, and yellow eyes, and ears that stick out of his head like a dogs--'

'We're not supposed to converse with captives.' The woman said coldly, before turning and moving back toward the stairs.

'Wait!' Kagome near shouted, and, much to her surprise, the woman waited, stopped, one foot one the bottom most stair. She didn't look a Kagome, just waited.

'Please... I haven't seen him in weeks...' She said quietly, trying to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. 'I don't know what's happening to him, or if he's still alive or...' She couldn't finish, and the tears she had fought so hard to hold back began to pour down her cheeks in rivers and steams of sorrow and misery.

The woman looked back, her nose slightly wrinkled as though Kagome was some vile creature not worth the dirt she stood on. Still, after a moment, she sighed, aggravated, and asked 'What did you say his name was?'

Kagome sniffed and swallowed the tightness in her throat, forcing herself to speak even though it hurt. 'Inuyasha.' She said quietly.

The woman's eyes narrowed for a moment as she pondered this, then widened again as she frowned and looked up at Kagome.

'You mean that half-demon whelp Naraku drags around all the time calling his pet?' She asked, her tone disdainful and slightly angry.

Kagome didn't care. She was too happy to know that Inuyasha was alive, that this woman knew who he was.

'You mean you've seen him?' She asked.

The woman snorted. 'Seen him? Nobody's seen him. You just hear things from time to time. Nobody's got the time or cares enough to try and go see that worthless little runt that Naraku has taken such a liking to. No, I haven't seen him.'

Kagome's face fell almost instantly at the woman's words.

'Do you know where he is then?'

The woman eyed her a moment, then shrugged. 'He could be anywhere, it is not my job to watch him. I am not his keeper-- that is Naraku's job.' She added with a slightly smirk as Kagome's eyes heated slightly. 'He is usually kept in Naraku's private chambers, I believe.' The woman said, taking some pity on her.

She stared at Kagome for a moment, before the ice returned to her eyes, and she turned and began to ascend the stairs.

'Wait!' Kagome shouted, bringing the woman to a stop again. 'Please... can you tell me... what is your name?'

The woman turned slowly to face her, her eyes watching Kagome suspiciously for a moment, before she finally spoke, the dark paint on her lips glittering slightly in the torch light that backlit her from the top of the stairs. 'I am Amaya, a dark sorceress in these lands and the servant of Naraku.' She stared consideringly at Kagome for a moment, her eyes bereft again of any warmth or kindness. 'And you would do well to remember not to question so eagerly those who hold your life in their hands.'

Kagome stared up at the woman and sighed. 'My life is already over.' She said quietly. The sorceress raised an eyebrow, before turning away.

'Thank-you.' Kagome said quietly. Her only answer was the sound of the heavy door slamming shut, a sound the echoed around the dark chamber, before it filled with silence once again.

END

Well? What'd you think? Want me to continue? Well then let me know by reviewing! It's the only reason I continue posting this stuff! There's no point in posting a story if no one's going to review!

MAJOR THANKS GO TO: Kaome-207, Nassica12, Mustluvkits and ultamiteromantic, who are the only reason there's another chapter up here!