Mine by Angelic Memories

Scroll One - Please Save Me!!

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Disclaimer: The Wonderful World of Inuyasha does not belong to me or I would not be writing this story for free....

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Scroll One: Please Save Me!!

"Go Inuyasha, she might be in danger," Kagome looked off to the forest where she and Inuyasha sensed the dead miko. Kagome pushed her own changing feelings aside, as usual, while she watched through the corner of her eyes. Inuyasha nodded before heading to the forest they were to pass through tomorrow.

Sango came and patted her friend on the shoulder offering comfort which Kagome declined. Miroku announced that he would gather wood for a fire. This left Kagome to help Sango prepare for the meal they would make when Miroku returned with the wood.

Kagome glanced towards Shippo, who played in the small open meadow before them. A butterfly just out of reach fluttered teasingly among the young kitsune hands. His orange fluff of a tail move back and forth balancing the kit as he walked, ran, and crawled to chase his prey. Kagome long to be as carefree as she had been before but too many things had happened. She had to take precaution if she wanted to take care of the kitsune properly. Too many demons were now seeking the group out to gain the jewel shards since they were at the end of their quest. It was only a matter of time now before there were no other shards available except the ones that Koga, Kohaku, Naraku, and Kagome held.

Miroku returned shortly with wood from the forest. Kagome was so deep in thought while at her task she didn't register what she exactly she was doing. But, subconsciously, she managed to complete her task of making dinner. After serving everyone, she too sat down to enjoy her meal in the fading daylight.

"Sango, is okaa-san alright?" Shippo had taken to calling Kagome his mother after he slipped one night before bed, not realizing what he had done until the next morning, when Kagome said she accepted the responsibility of being his mother.

"I think she just has a lot on her mind. Inuyasha is being ignorant and once more not considering Kagome's feelings. I don't think he will ever realize what he does every time he leaves," the kitsune absorbed the response he received but could help but wonder if Sango was wrong. He could shake of the feeling that something else was bothering his new surrogate mother.

The sunset slowly and Kagome watched it change the blue sky to hues of purple and pink, the clouds transformed from white cotton fluff to blue wisp of near nothingness. Her sapphire eyes glittered with the reflected light of the stars when the sun finally descended below the horizon.

"Sango?"

Sango looked up from polishing her Hiraikotsu. She turned her head slightly to look at the girl staring at the sparkling darkness. "Hai?"

"Do you know if there is a hot spring near-by?" Kagome was from the future so she obviously wanted a bath, since she hadn't been able to get one the day before. Sango and the others didn't understand the need to keep clean. They were completely use to washing once a week at most. Well Inuyasha was a different matter. He appeared to take a bath maybe once ever few weeks unless he was extremely filthy after a battle. Kagome couldn't understand that behaviour at all. Anytime she mentioned a bath to Inuyasha his ears flattened to his head and he would growl lowly. Later he would deny the fact. Who would want to smell so disgusting? With hot springs at your beck and call, and for free, who could ask for more. Back in her time you had to pay an arm and a leg to soak in a natural hot spring; or even a manmade one at that.

"Hai, just beyond the boulder there, it's hidden behind that group of trees," it was not too shocking that Miroku answered her question. Kagome stared into the direction he was pointing before getting up and gathering some bath supplies from her large black backpack. Her yellow onewas not cut out for travelling between times any longer. It had many battle scars, well, tears and her mother soon replaced it will a new, more enduring one.

"Arigatou Miroku. Would you care to join me Sango?" Kagome asked but Sango shook her head declining the offer.

"I would love to keep you company lady Kagome," the monk's eyes twinkle with exciting that soon vanished when the two women of the camp stared fiercely at the hōshi. "I only kid," this remark was followed immediately by a nervous chuckle.

Kagome passed by Miroku who headed to the nearby forest while noticing a certain someone was trying to get closer to the demon slayer still polishing her weapon. As the miko past the tree line of the forest she could hear a distinct slap followed by "hentai". Kagome shook her head.

The woman found the hot spring and wasted no time getting in to soak her aching muscles. Inuyasha had pushed them hard for the past three days. However, she too was anxious to get off of the western lands ruled by Inuyasha's older brother. Well half brother. She knew that he would discover them if they were on his lands too long and she didn't want to have a confrontation between the two siblings. But this wasn't for Inuyasha welfare. No, it was the other way around. How was she suppose to tell all that she was falling out of love with the immature brother and crushing on the more sophisticated of the two. Kagome was beginning to think that she was never in love with Inuyasha to start will. He was just the first male she was constantly around. Inuyasha saving her only made matters worst and she had soon began to think it was love even though it was no more then a puppy crush. He was like a prince in shining armour for a while but the half demon's attitude was grinding on Kagome's nerves. She couldn't handle it anymore and so she made the decision not to deal with it any longer. The only thing that hurt Kagome now was that Inuyasha couldn't get it through his head that Kagome was not Kikyo. That and the fact that Kikyo was scheming against Inuyasha.

All this thought was making her more and more confused and she just wasn't sure if she could really tell anyone. A quick shake of her head cleared all the thoughts away until another time. She reached for her shampoo and conditioner then started the process of wetting, washing, and rinsing her hair. With her hair done Kagome wash the rest of her person before jumping out and wrapping a towel around herself. She rummaged through her bag once more in order to retrieve clean clothes. She had gotten tired of replacing her school uniform so had replaced it with street clothes. Kagome picked a pair black flannel pyjama pants and blue tank top but before she could start the act of dressing for the night a scream could be hear in the distance.

"That's from the direction the camp is in," Kagome stood and began to run towards the camp completely forgetting she was in only a towel.

Almost to her destination, Kagome heard the scream once more but this time she could identify it. She broke through to the clearing to see her kitsune son pinned to a tree by a tentacle wrapped around his neck.

"Shippo!!!" Naraku turned his head to face the new member of the battle. Kagome glared at him after noticing Kirara, Sango and Miroku all unconscious and several feet from the evil hanyou. "Release him Naraku!"

"When have I ever done what you shout at me little onna?"

"Let him go now!"

"Poor me, I am being threatened by a weaponless, weak, human," the air was soon filled with the sound of Naraku's evil chuckle.

Too busy thinking of a way to get her bows and arrows to save Shippo, she never saw the tentacles that had moved behind her. When she realized her mistake it was too late and she soon found her vision going black.

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A pain in her side caused her to open her eyes. The darkness was so thick she was unable to see anything right away. A few moments later and her eyes adjusted enough to see outlines of things an inch in front of her face, the darkness acted as a blindfold.

Sometimes I hate being a human. More then once Kagome had wondered what it would be like to be a youkai or even hanyou. These thoughts were shifted once more to the pain on her side. Sitting up she was able to determine she had a gash on her side. Thankfully it wasn't life threatening. Yet. If it were to get infected she would die from the infection without the antibiotics from her time.

She moved her hand to her side putting a slight pressure on it. Warm stickiness told her that her wound was still bleeding. The movement of her hand was weighted down and she was able to assess that she was chained by both wrist. Kagome tugged on the chains to determine how far she could move. The chains bound her to the wall she was currently leaning against and she knew she wouldn't be moving very far anytime soon. The chains left enough room to stand and walk a foot or two from the wall but that was it.

Kagome sighed heavily with frustration. Inuyasha wasn't going to be too pleased about the predicament that she was in. She could only hope that the shards she hid in her pack were not found by Naraku, or any other demon that would pass by the hot spring where she was sure she left her backpack.

A few hours passed by slowly, although Kagome had no idea how much time actually went by. Minutes felt like hours, hours became days. She wasn't even sure how long she was unconscious for, her only clue was her wound which had stop bleeding a while ago. She knew that the wound was fresh so she must have received it from Naraku when he knocked her out. Since it was still bleeding when she woke she couldn't have been out for that long.

Sitting in the darkness for so long was becoming unnerving though. Especially alone. Her heartbeat would speed up at the slightest silent sound. Her eyes would see invisible shadows in the darkness. Then there was the issue of the thick blanket of black constantly changing becoming thicker and darker as the time continued. Soon Kagome figured sleeping would be better then scaring herself witless. So sleep over took her; faster then she expected.

She didn't know how ling she was out but when she opened her eyes once again she wasn't surprise to see that her situation hadn't changed. She was a little surprise to feel a tray and pitcher beside her. Kagome didn't trust it though and pushed both of the objects away. Naraku could have poisoned it. On cue a chuckled filled the room. The walls bounced the sound around making it hard to pin point the located it originated from.

"Now, now little miko. What need do I have to poison you? There are more entertaining ways to kill you."

Kagome thought about this. Naraku wasn't one to let his enemy out the easy way. He was a deranged soul who enjoyed breaking his enemy. Painfully manipulating a person to the point when they begged for death. Even then he would push them further with his sick twisted plots until he got what he wanted or their entertainment was not enough to amuse him. Poisoning was just too easy, so she could safely assume that her food and water were safe.

"Eat you will need your strength as I slowly taint your body, mind, and soul. Soon you will be mine to command priestess," with that Kagome could feel Naraku's presence grow near. She could hear the tray scraping along the floor as it was pushed to her once more before the presence vanished.

Reluctantly, she ate and drank but refused to sleep afraid of the words Naraku had seen fit to leave her with. He was up to something and she didn't want him getting to her while she slept. After a few hours passed Kagome knew she was going insane. There was nothing she could do in her cell. She couldn't see anything and felt like she was suffocating. After a while she thought she was seeing things in the darkness and not the outlines or shadows that she had imagine before. At first she thought that Naraku had something to do with this but then she though better of that idea. More time passed and Kagome found herself creating images in the ongoing darkness. After all, she couldn't see where she was so she was able to make the room as large or as small as she wanted. She would fill the room with images of her family or friends. Sometimes she imagined rooms filled with luxuries she wished she had at the moment.

Another few hours and Kagome fell asleep out of boredom. When she opened her eyes she saw a lake. The stars from the night sky filled the lake with small reflected glittering lights. Millions of stars dazzled the sky above and the lake below. Kagome looked to her left and right looking for her friends. Where are they? They were not ones for leaving her alone for a long time on her own. Sango was the only one who knew of Kagome's true fear and knew not to leave Kagome for long periods of time. The scene changed and Kagome was once again in a vast darkness.

"Tell me miko, what is it you fear?"

Kagome recognized Naraku voice and knew she was in a dream state.

"I'll never tell you!"

"You don't have to speak it. Only feel it. Think it. I can make it real."

"Hasn't anyone told you, it is rude to be trespass into a person's dream?"

Naraku chuckled once more. "I see you are not answering my question. Do you think that will save you? I trespass, not into your dreams miko, but a reality I have created in your head. Let's see if you can handle your fear."

Emptiness took over Naraku's presence and Kagome realized he had left. Leaving her all alone in the place he created for her. He left her one clue though. She didn't have to fear anything if it wasn't real. It's all in my head, It's all in my head. Kagome chanted this over and over until her eyes opened to the cell she was occupying. She stood with her back to the wall.

"Poor little miko. That doesn't solve your problem at all. You are still very alone. Here or there."

Kagome shivered at the thought of Naraku reading her mind. Naraku presence was always going to be there pressing the truth into her heart. She was alone in this cell and she was alone in the reality he created for her. No matter where she went she was alone and she couldn't help but be a little frightened with this realization. She hated and feared being alone. Being useless. As these thoughts drifted through her head another though struck her. Naraku was near and, although he was not one she cared for and she hated his guts, he had to be near and watching if he was able to come at just the right moments. She wasn't alone if he was near even if he was evil he was a presence and this kept her fear at bay.

"I'm not alone," Kagome whispered into the darkness.

"You are always alone. We both are. You and me, we are not so different. We surround ourselves with people; friends, minions, companions, enemies. But do these people really know you or are they there because you need them for something else. To fill a space of emptiness perhaps. If they leave they will not be harmed, but you will. If they leave to serve another purpose you will be useless and alone. You are using them. Just as I use and manipulate the people around me."

Kagome's eyes widened. Those were not words she wanted to hear. Words that made her hate herself.

"You see miko, I understand you. I have watched you for a long time now. I underestimated you when I tried to control you before. Or so I thought. I observed something that has led me to believe I was wrong in searching to taint you through your hatred of others. Every person can be tainted. I know this, you know this. Yet, I did not succeed. Have you guessed why little miko?"

Kagome closed her eyes, not wanting to hear the next words that would come out of Naraku mouth. Tears squeezed through her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks. "Please... stop," her voice was weak and broken.

The plea was desperate but Naraku continued in his smooth cold voice. "To taint you I needed to seek something more personal then that fool Inuyasha and his dead, clay pot, lover Kikyo. To taint you I didn't have to look so far to find the hate I needed. I only had to watch you for a few days. I watched as you interacted with those fools. The taijiya, hōshi, kitsune, and hanyou. They all think you are innocence but you your actions give you away," a cold finger traced the trail of tears on the right side of Kagome's face. She flinched at the sudden contact. "You hate what you are doing to them. You hate how you use them. You hate yourself and what you do everyday. How you hide and lie to them. You deceive them everyday and this fills you with guilt," the clawed finger continued to trace a path down to her collarbone before adding pressure to leave a small trail of blood from the right of her collar bone to her left. "Soon miko this hatred and deceit will be use against you and you will be mine," Naraku chuckled once more. The sound of metal on stone could be heard before Naraku left once more.

Kagome slide down the wall of her prison. The cold was getting to her now due to her agonized state of dress. Her towel was still damp from her bath ages ago and the air around her didn't help.

If I ever survive this I am going to be a very sick puppy. Kagome touch the new wound across her collarbone, it wasn't very deep. She let her hands drop to her sides but one brushed against something metallic. At first she thought it was the chains but her hand reached further. Her fingertips grazed another pitcher and tray explaining the sound before Naraku left. She ate the small bits of scraps left for her once more. She could not see what she ate but she was sure some of it was fruit from the sweetness and bread from the texture. Again she tried to hold off sleep for as long as possible. She didn't last long before her eyes shut in exhaustion.

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Ja ne

angelic memories

© 2008