Disclaimer (sung to the tune of Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone):

Oh why, oh why can't this manga be mine?

Oh why, oh why can't it be?

But I guess I'll have to be satisfied,

With driving the characters crazy!

Chapter 5: Painful Memories:

Why do I always seem to be ending up running through the forest? God! No. Please don't let me remember! She had stopped running once she had reached a small clearing in the forest. She sank to her knees as flashes of pain erupted in her. Mom. Souta. Grandpa. Never again will I see you. The tears were welling up in her eyes. No! I don't want to remember! But no matter how hard she tried, the memories were ever persistent until they broke through her barrier and consumed her.

Flashback

"Mom! We're going to be late!"

There, at the doorway of her mother's room, stood Kagome, already for the famous ball that her family was holding. She was wearing an elegant ball gown, fit for a princess. For that was what she was. The princess of her country.

"I'm coming, darling. Just let me fix my hair" her mother said, laughing at her daughter's impatience.

As soon as her mother was finished, Princess Kagome grabbed her mother's hand and dragged her to the top of the ballroom stairs. From there, they met with Kagome's grandfather and her brother, Souta, who escorted them down to their respective thrones.

"The former King, the Queen, her son, our Prince Souta, and our future Queen, the dear Princess Kagome" boomed the announcer as they descended the staircase. As elegant as ever, they made their way across the dance floor and commanded the ball to begin. It was her first ball, in honour of her coming to age and she was beyond excited. But she, knowing how princesses were supposed to behave, hid her emotions behind a solemn mask. She sat down gracefully in the little throne in between her mother's and her brother's.

"Let the ball begin!" came the strong, clear and musical voice of her mother. At once, the musicians picked up their instruments and waited for the conductor's signal before breaking out into a waltz.

She marvelled at the elegant beauty of the ball, how the male and female counterparts glided as one, wishing she could join them. She was unsure of whether she would be allowed, being a princess, and. Unsure of what the true situation was, she sat in her throne, gazing at the dancers, wishing she could be one of them.

"My Lady, may I have this dance?" came a voice. Startled, she looked up to see a young man with black hair in front of her. Uncertain, she glanced at her mother who gave a slight nod. Satisfied, she replied.

"You may" she said, before making her way down to the dance floor. They danced to the waltz, gliding hither and thither.

"Ahhh, my Lady, you are truly beautiful. I am blessed to be in your presence. Your hair is pure ebony," he said, the flattery so thick that one could cut it with a knife, "your eyes, twinkling like the stars above. Heaven must be missing an angel tonight if you are here."

"Really, kind sir, there is no need to flatter me so much! How will I know that you really think of me as such?" she replied, wryly. He chuckled.

"Oh! So the angel has wits to match her exquisite beauty!" he exclaimed, smiling widely as her gazed upon her. She did not know what to think of this man. He was way too flattering and it was starting to get annoying. Thankfully, the waltz stopped soon after that.

"I thank you for this wonderful dance…" she paused as she did not know his name.

"Prince Kouga" he said, supplying him with his name and title.

"Prince Kouga." She said graciously nodding her head towards him and then made her way back to the throne.

"How was he?" asked Sango, her friend and advisor.

"Boring. He flattered too much." She replied, sending her friend into a fit of giggles.

"My only worry is that our lecherous friend is doing no good." She said, after the giggles had subsided.

"You mean Miroku? Probably with some girls…" replied Sango, sighing. Immediately, Kagome felt guilty. She knew that her friend was in love with the perverted monk and also that Sango would never admit it, especially when confronted. Kagome accepted this and knew that Miroku also loved Sango back. She trying to get the two of them together, but all was in vain. She knew how they felt about it and had stopped pushing them, knowing that they both were as stubborn as mules.

"Kagome? Kagome! Wake up!" said Sango, startling Kagome out of her thoughts, "Something bad is happening and I don't like it." Sure enough, there were screams coming from the far side of the ballroom.

"Kagome! Kagome!" called her mother.

"Yes, mother?"

"Go and hide! Quickly! And take Sango and Miroku wit you!"

"But…"

"No buts! Just do it!"

"Yes, mother." She replied sulkily.

"Come on" said Sango and grabbed her hand.

"Sango! Kagome!" came a voice. It was Miroku!

"Miroku!" they cried, "What's going on?"

"There are some intruders and they are killing people here. Quick! Kagome! Where's the nearest secret entrance and where does it lead?"

"There's one behind the throne. It leads to my room." And with that, she grabbed the hands of her two best friends and dragged them through the hidden tunnel.

"We're here. We'll take another secret passageway out of here and into the gardens and escape from there. We should be able to reach the lands of Princess Kikyo in three days, maybe two, if we organise our time correctly."

Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. Kagome whirled around.

"Quick1 go down the passageway. I'll leave a hidden note for my mother."

"But…" protested Sango.

"No! We won't leave you!" argued Miroku.

"Go! You don't have much time! In case I get killed, I name you my heir, Sango! If you leave now, at least the kingdom will still have their rightful heir to guide it! Miroku! You stand witness to this claim! Take these papers with you. It is the declaration of Sango's inheritance and a map of the hidden passages here, so you don't get lost. Now no more buts and GO!"

They crawled into the tunnel and she closed the door behind them. Then she grabbed her dagger and her bow and stood ready for a fight. BAM! The door burst open and there stood a man with dark black hair which was horribly greasy and messy. There was an aura of evil around him.

"Greetings, your highness, I am Naraku. I am to take you to safety."

"Then why did you break my door down?" she retorted. She still did not trust this man.

"I only feared for your highness' safety. I was afraid that you were being…manhandled in there."

"I still don't trust you." He sighed.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this" and with that grabbed her and tucked her under his very smelly armpit, along with her bow and arrows. Her dagger remained hidden.

"Argh! LET ME GO!" she screamed, struggling with all her might.

"NO! You are a vital part of my plan!"

She was dragged all the way back to the ballroom, where several men were standing in specific posts. Then she realised. They were soldiers. Her kingdom was being invaded!

Then it happened.

"No!" she screamed as she caught a glimpse of her grandfather's mangled body lying next to her brother's corpse, "No! No! No! No! No! N…" she would have gone on if it wasn't for a hand roughly covering her mouth. Muffled sobs broke through now and then but the worst was yet to come.

"Unhand my daughter!"

"Mother!" she tried to scream through the hand, trying to warn her mother of the danger behind her. But it was too late. A sword sliced through her mother's stomach and slid out of her, covered with her royal blood. She fell, ever so gracefully, like a floppy rag doll.

"NO!" and she broke free of her captor and ran to her mother's side.

"Take care of yourself, darling. Avenge me…"

"I will. I will. Mother, don't go!" Kagome sobbed, bent over her mother, covered in blood. Tears fell, hard and fast and surprisingly, they left her alone.

End Flashback

They had taken her to Prince Kouga's castle, where she soon realised that Kouga was nothing but the pawn of Naraku. He had tried to force her to marry Kouga, knowing that only through marriage would he gain control over her lands. Naraku aimed to rule over all the kingdoms of the east. She had doubted he would be satisfied with that. She had escaped soon afterwards from his grasp and that was when she met Inuyasha.

The images of her family's death replayed in her mind, over and over again. She wrapped her arms around her and cried, the grief pouring out after being locked up and denied for so long.

Woohoo! Long chapter! My first really long one! Yay! Long way to go kiddos!