Chapter 1: Chains

Well, let me know what you all think about this! It's a new idea I had that I just had to start on!
NOTE: Italics means its a flashback.

"Put her down Naraku!" Inuyasha's voice roared through the night, his fangs aggressively peeking out. His eyes traveled back and forth from the evil demon's pale, grinning face to Kagome, who was being held tightly by Naraku's demonic grip.

However, the black haired half demon just squeezed, causing the young girl to scream out in pain as the pressure threatened to shatter her ribs. The smile on his face widened as he took in the sound of her sorrow. He had not been entertained much by her pain before, but seeing the way her screams terrorized Inuyasha, he realized that he would love to just torture the girl in front of him.

Naraku's barrier had prevented the silver-haired hanyou from getting to him and tearing him apart, but Naraku managed to grab the girl and pull her in, wanting to use her to collect the jewel shards.

"Inuyasha, you fool!" He shouted, though still amused, "Do you think I want this woman dead? I have better plans for her..."

"Let me go!" Kagome wrestled in his grip to no avail. While her skills with the bow and arrow had increased exponentially, she was still, well, just a 15 year old human girl. With the average strength of one.

"I am done here." Naraku mused, letting his grin disappear all while still enjoying the upper hand he had against his enemy. But he knew he needed more than just to use this woman against her. He needed to make her obey him.

The last thing Kagome heard before being whisked away in Naraku's flying protected bubble was the shouts of a desperate Inuyasha calling at her. She watched from above as the hanyou attempted to follow them on foot. But he slowly faded from view.

The memory of Kagome's last interaction with Inuyasha played in her head like a movie on repeat. Once and a while, it would still creep up on her like a ghost and torment her while she was chained to the wall in a small dungeon.

But still, it was not just the memory itself that caused the pain to swell up in her chest, it was the overseeing eye of a reality that pushed her to move on from them. She had not seen the hanyou in five years. In fact, she hadn't seen her family, her friends or anyone she had known for five years. And she knew she had to be prepared not to see them again.

Her body began to shake and the sound of the colliding chains that held her arms high above her head rang through the room. Not that anyone would hear anyways. She knew no one was looking for her.

She drooped her head, knowing her only form of solace was in remembering the times she was free. Knowing that she had once been able to travel and enjoy her days allowed for her to keep in mind that it existed. There was a real world outside of her prison.

She missed the days she believed Inuyasha would come running to save her. The first week without him, she would anticipate his arrival every second, sword in hand, ready to take her home. She relished in her past blissful ignorance, thinking to when her faith in his abilities. Her story played through her racing mind.

After Naraku had kidnapped Kagome during a seemingly average nighttime encounter, he had shoved her into this stuffy castle, claiming that Inuyasha would never find her here. However, she refused to believe that. Her heart was lit up by the certainty she felt that he would bust through the door at any moment.

Naraku locked her up, planning on finding one way to corrupt her soul. She was left in a small and empty gray room, with nothing but a violet blanket sprawled out for her to sleep on. But it hadn't mattered to her because she knew Inuyasha was out there looking for her.

"Hmm, so there's the great reincarnation of Kikyo..." Kagura hissed as she opened the door, holding a glass of water and a pear, "You'd think you would be able to save yourself." Her red eyes narrowed in on the priestess's brown ones. Kagome stayed quiet.

"What is it? Do you like playing damsel?" The demon raved, "Does it satisfy some fantasy when your beloved half demon comes to your rescue?" She lightly set the water and fruit down for Kagome to eventually eat.

In truth, Kagura used those words to mock Kagome's confinement, but she truly wondered if the girl had the powers to break out. She almost wished she did.

The reincarnation's mouth slowly opened, "You'd think someone in this castle would realize that I'm not gonna help Naraku!" Kagura just chuckled.

"You think it all depends on what you want?" The ice in her voice froze time to a stop, "He has his ways, girl. You don't have to want to help him. What happens depends on your ability to fight him off."

The demon had exited the room, questioning whether or not she could put any faith in this girl. After all, it was Naraku who held her own heart. And she craved to hold it in her hands, like grabbing onto freedom. But she knew she had to be careful, too.

Days passed, but Kagome's faith in her hanyou campanion did not waver. She ate her fruit and drank her water when Kagura delivered them to her. She slept only a few hours a night and began getting weaker.

Hakidoshi, as expected, eventually attempted to corrupt Kagome's soul by exploiting the jealousy she felt towards Kikyo, the dead woman who roamed the Earth, still claiming part of Inuyasha's heart. She was out there, still, but Kagome refused to feel hatred for the woman. It had been a week since her kidnapping, and she had less energy then normal.

"He will never love you like he loves her..." Hakudoshi commented briefly, hoping to push her off of the edge and into a storm of insecurity induced rage. And, while she was overwhelmed by the wave of emotions his comment had caused her, the feelings were of mostly saddness, not of bitterness or anger. While the lack of sustenance and sleep meant she was more exhausted than usual, she had still not yet wavered in her trust of her friends. Not yet.

She felt the tension increasing as even more days went by. Hakudoshi tried three more times to exploit her love for the half-demon. However, each time she thought of him, she missed him too much to feel any negative feelings.

"You are too blindly in love." The child demon exclaimed, "But it won't matter. If you do not give into the darkness now, you'll surely suffer later when you realize that you'll never be enough for him."

He had not even expected that comment to break her down. In fact, he was ready to give up on the idea that Kagome could be so easily manipulated. Those words were mostly meant to just sting a little, which they did.

At this point, it had almost been two weeks since she had been trapped inside of her room. She sat impatiently, wishing for anything to happen. For someone to save her. Days had blurred a bit after being forced to deal with her feelings for Inuyasha and her jealousy of Kikyo.

"I could never hate them just for being in love..." She whispered, and the light in her soul shined bright for a moment. She was secure in her pureness, though unsure of where to go from here.

"Damn priestess." Kagura's voice seemed strained as she entered the room, "You resisting the corrupted jewel really got the man pissed off. Now I gotta deal with it." She gently placed the fruit and water down as she did routinely.

"I told you I wouldn't." Kagome whispered, reaching for the glass of water, "I like my freedom too much to let him control me."

Kagura froze in place, just staring at the girl.

"You've got it lucky." The demon hissed, "You were born free. You just have to maintain your freedom, not go out and get it."

The two seemed to be wrapped up in a different world for a second, as Kagura accidently exposed her true desires to the young girl. And, in response, the priestess just raised an eyebrow.

"You don't want to do this, do you?" Kagome questioned, leaning in closer as rage begin to poke its way through to Kagura's expression.

"Of course not!" She blurted out, "But I am not a fool! And don't think for a second that you can use me to betray Naraku."

Kagome nodded, "Kagura... what is stopping you from leaving?"

The demon turned away from the girl, "I don't have time for this... I don't need to vent to a damn helpless human."

Kagome stood, "I am not helpless! I have fought evil! Even in this room, I'm free to make my own choices."

The air in the room flowed swiftly between the two woman, both unadmittingly feeling connected to the other. Almost like a small, thin ribbon was binding them together. Their desires acted as a glue that kept the demon still. She hesitated, feeling jealous despite Kagome's current situation.

"...My heart. He has my heart." She spoke softly, "Without it, I am not free."

Kagome relished in that moment, wishing even now that she was back in that small room all those years ago. She was twenty years old, now. Mature. Wiser. But still just as helpless.

Her eyes trailed down her body, noting the scars that were still somewhat visible. Instead of her schoolgirl outfit, she wore a maroon metal brassier decorated with gold lines that swirled over it. Her stomach was bare and thin, with pink lines wrapped around it to remind her of her suffering.

She was also adorned with a long scarlet skirt with a gold waistband. The skirt had two long slits that rose all the way up her thighs, revealing much of her legs. Underneath was a thin cloth that worked like underwear. She knew that, beneath this skirt, she would find more marks on her thighs, but was happy that she could not see them for now.

"WENCH!" A loud voice boomed from outside the dungeon. It was deep and rusted, like that of an older man. She recognized the tone to be aggressive, meaning she was in for a rough day.

The door slammed open, revealing a tan man presumably in his late 40's with a round face and beady eyes. He wore nothing but a tan robe tied together with rope. She knew him to be Goru, a hard headed guard with a liking for harassing the woman.

"King needs you to clean the throne room..." He grinned as he noticed her sigh. He pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the chains that held her in place, eager to deliver her over.

Kagome lowered her head, "Walk, dammit." He slapped her ass like a horse and she quickly began moving towards the exit. There had been a time when she would have challenged Goru, and she knew it too, but she was too exhausted to really care about anything besides just making sure she did what she was told.

The two traveled up a spiral staircase that clearly indicated how far below the woman's cell was. It seemed as though they had to walk a mile in order to get up to the throne room. There were times where Kagome contemplated shoving the dirty old man down the stairs to his doom. But she knew it would be in vain. The King had eyes everywhere.

"They don't starve you enough, damn bitch." Goru noted, "Those damn thighs ain't bone thin like they supposed to be. And that ass ain't flat either... Heh, but I'll take this view." He had always made her walk in front of him when it was time to take the stairs.

"You don't deserve the scraps you're given, but I guess it works out. Slaves ain't supposed to have full bodies like yours." He continued, groping Kagome, who had been used to this abuse, "But it sure does make for a pleasing sight."

Kagome had learned not to snap back at the man, despite wanting to. He would run and tell the King, usually exaggerating what she said. But the results would be catastrophic. She feared the King more than she feared anything else. He made her insides twist and turn.

So, she patiently walked onwards.

When the two made it to the room, Goru made sure to knock. Slaves were not allowed to announce their presence. A guard opened the door, hissing at the woman, but allowed her entrance. He moved out of her way and back to his original position.

"Oh, how delightful to see my little Kagome!" When she heard his voice, she looked down, not wanting to make eye contact. His sweet tone carried through the wind like petals, but she knew them for the thorns they really were.

"My King, I am happy to serve you." She said, automatically. It was practically routine to greet the King that way.

She could feel his eyes penetrating her skin, "Good. Because I need you to clean this room completely. Start with the wall decorations and we can go from there... And do not waste any time."

She gulped.

Goru handed her a rag and a bucket of water, smirking as he did, before rushing out of the room as to not irk the King.

Kagome began cleaning, making sure that no movement was wasted. She needed to be precise, yet quick, as to appease the man in charge, who watched her every move.

"You know, you are more beautiful than the others..." He mused, sitting straight on his throne, "The other slaves are so plain. But you've got those doe eyes and that silky long hair. Mmm, those legs."

She did not pause in her cleaning, just merely spit out a quick "Thank you, my Lord" before returning to her task. She despised the way he talked to her. He did it every time she cleaned the throne room. He enjoyed the power he had to say those things without consequence.

The King, Ninken, had many other slaves that were all priestesses. He was a fire demon who despised all of their spiritual powers. So he developed a spell that suppressed their powers within the castle and enslaved any he could get his hands on. He dressed them in revealing outfits as a form of humiliation, although, he never seemed to take interest in actually assaulting anyone sexually, but rather just took pleasure in verbally abuse.

The other men in the castle got more physical. Goru would grope Kagome whenever he got the chance, although he never took it further than that. However, she has heard the screams of the others while chained in the dungeons. She knows what some of the men have done to those women. She was grateful that none of those men had access to her particular cell, only Goru and one other did. While the King forbade any fornication between slaves and guards in order to prevent romantic relationships between them, some men knew that the slaves would never tell, anyways.

The other female fire demons in the castle mocked the enslaved priestesses as well. They cursed them and even spit at them when no one else was around. Kagome was all accustomed to it, though. Her soul was not corrupted, just weak now.

"If you are too slow, you know what will happen, damned priestess." The King's voice lowered, becoming more threatening. She forced her arms to speed up until she could not feel them as they rapidly moved across the various decorations on the wall.

There were two types of punishments for priestesses at the castle. Physical torture and mental torture. The first usually consisted of a few men with whips taking turns hitting the woman as she was chained. Mental torture was worse, though. Priestesses, despite having their powers suppressed, still had a plethora of spiritual energy inside them. The spell that was on the castle only prevented them from using their abilities, but did not destroy them in anyway. King Ninken used his demonic powers to manipulate the energy of the enslaved women to make it act more as a parasite, attacking the brain without causing any physical damage. It is more painful than being whipped.

And for some reason, it became one of the King's favorite ways to torture Kagome. The scars the woman bore were not recent, as for almost a year, he insisted on using mental torture, which Kagome noticed to be quite odd, especially considering the amount of time she sees guards walking around with their blood covered whips.

Physical torture was more practical, since the King himself had to be the one who manipulated a priestess's spiritual energy, but still, she had been subjected to only that method of punishment as of recently. And it even made her miss the sweet stinging pain of the whip.

"Kagome, why is it that you think I despise your kind?" He asked, leaning his head against his throne, closing his eyes and looking especially relaxed.

"Because we are low and pathetic creatures." Kagome answered, not even caring about her dignity. She had none here.

The sound of a soft, but annoyed sigh filled the room, causing a shiver to race up the woman's spine as she struggled to keep up the pace, "Dear girl, don't give me the easy answer. Of course I think you are pathetic, but why?"

She knew he was asking her to think harder about the question, which was hard to do while putting so much effort into cleaning, "...Our abilities make us... lesser?" She had hoped that answer would be better.

"Ugh, that is too simple." He groaned, prompting a quick apology from the slave woman.

"Stop cleaning, slave." He ordered, and immediately, Kagome dropped her arms, unsure of whether or not she should be feeling relieved or nervous.

She turned to face him, while avoiding looking into his eyes.

"Priestesses are low creatures to me. They use this pure power that rivals with the nature of not just demons, but even weak humans, as well." He leaned in, cocking an eyebrow, "It is almost like they are trying to be better that what demons and humans are. Imperfect. And you are imperfect, too. Yet, you draw your powers from a pureness that shouldn't exist in demons or humans. I want to knock you off of your wretched high horse to show you that you are nothing."

Kagome nodded, unsure of what to say or do next. Should she speak? He didn't ask her to. Although, she did find it peculiar that his reasoning for capturing priestesses and enslaving them had to do with the fact that he didn't agree with the type of powers they had, how it was pure and spiritual. She didn't really think of herself as higher than anyone, but there's no way he'd consider making an exception for her.

For a moment, both slave and master just soaked in each other's presence, not speaking and yet focused. The rest of the room faded away for a bit, as King Ninken's black eyes wrapped around her body. His pale skin contrasted with his black hair and he lifted a finger to scratch his head, messing up the strands.

"... Guard! Get Goru!" The King shifted his gaze away from Kagome and to the guard standing near the doorway, who swiftly ran out and fetched the older man.

"Yes, sir?" Goru bowed before him.

The King reverted back to watching the young woman, who stood silently with her head down, "Take Kagome back to her cell, I am done with her."

"Of course, my King!" The older man bowed before grabbing Kagome's wrist and tugging, "Come wench! Back to your prison."

In truth, the woman was happy to be heading back to her cell. While she was constantly uncomfortable being chained the way she was, she felt sort of safe, wrapped up in her loneliness where her thoughts could carry her to places she could no longer go.

On the way down the stairs, Goru teased the woman, lifting her skirt and calling her disgusting names. But she prefered his harassment to the pressures of dealing with King Ninken.

"It is getting late and I am too tired to be bothered by you again, wench." Goru started as they approached her cell door, "So, I am going to get you all ready for bed, now... And you better be damn grateful!"

"I am. Thank you." Kagome spoke gently, not showing her true excitement.

Being chained with hands behind her head meant she was constantly on her feet all day, unable to become comfortable. This is meant to be part of the punishment for being priestesses. However, since the women still need energy to do all the dirty work they are told to do, they are allowed to sleep on the floor at night. Their ankles are loosely chained just enough for lying down to be possible. It was on the cold ground which was unpleasant, but it was much better than standing all day with arms in the air.

Goru followed protocol, chaining her ankles and scoffing before leaving her alone.

"Finally..." She sighed, "Sleep." Her head rested on the hard floor, but she was used to sleeping like this. She bunched up her long hair so it would act like a pillow under her head. It was one of the perks to having such long hair. It made sleeping more manageable, although she did not want to think about ever having to brush the mess again. They were allowed to shower and wash their hair, but they weren't given combs or anything similar.

"I am not even free enough to brush my own hair..." She mumbled, staring up at the gray ceiling, wondering if she could ever released from captivity.

Freedom.

The word bounced off of the walls in her mind. Why had that become such an important theme in her life? She had thought that adventure, romance, and self-discovery was what was in store for her when she was after Naraku. Had she been so naive as to think she would never have to deal with the loss of her liberties? Had she not even been grateful?

Her eyes slowly closed. Would she always be subjected to such regret?

"I should have been... more appreciative..." She whispered, as she drifted off.

"Kagome, you like to cause me quite a bit of trouble." Naraku hissed as he entered her room, "I might have to kill you."

The woman stood strong, eyeing him without fear. It had been weeks since he captured her and he was unable to break her down. Some days he even forgot she was there. But she had grown a bit discouraged. What was stopping Inuyasha from finding her? Was this castle really impossible to reach for them?

"You won't kill me because I am your best bet at winning!" She sneered, confident that, at least for now, she was safe. Naraku did need her to have an edge over Inuyasha, especially considering the fact that Kouga, Sesshomaru and other demons also wanted Naraku's head on a silver platter.

He needed some other advantage, but until he found it, he would keep Kagome just in case. With her, he would win no doubt.

"You're a pest, child." He snickered, "But you may not be able to rely on your possible 'usefulness' forever. I will kill you someday."

He took a seat on the ground across from where Kagome stood, "Tell me, girl, why are you still so sure that everything will end up well for you?"

The 15 year old girl managed not to sigh. She really didn't know why she was so confident. She just felt optimism swelling insider of her.

"...Because it has to."

"That's not true." He reached out his hand towards her and demonic energy shot out from his fingers and wrapped around her throat, "It could end up slightly better if you obey me, but you will never travel with your friends again." A cocky grin spread across his white face.

She struggled to breathe as the grip around her neck grew stronger and tighter. Naraku stood up, not withdrawing his demonic energy. Rather, he just watched her struggle, seemingly enjoying it.

When she had grown pale enough he released her, "There will come a time when you feel like this all the time. Suffocating. I wonder how long it will take before you crack and beg for relief."

Kagome just stood there, letting her fingers glide across her neck while she breathed heavy. But she didn't understand what he was talking about? What more would he be able to do to her? She had assumed that Naraku was relying on Hakudoshi and the isolation to drive her insane.

"Kagura will deliver your meal soon." He mumbled, no longer amused by the girl, "I suggest you think about what I have said."

He left her still gasping for air.

A few hours passed before Kagura entered the room, just watching the girl, "You know, it's been a month in here. And you haven't even tried to escape." He hands steadily held her small, daily meal.

"You are correct, Kagura." Kagome hissed, "And it's been longer for you."

Kagura paused, her eyes narrowing down at the girl. But she knew she didn't have a clever response this time. She lowered herself down to put her food on the floor.

"Tell me..." Kagome began, sitting still, almost as if she was meditating, "Do you not know where your heart is?"

The demon stiffened, "You've grown a little colder, haven't you... My heart is protected by Naraku who could kill me at any moment."

"I am beginning to feel... like you." Kagome whispered, realizing that she had been relying on help that most likely wouldn't come. She could resist Naraku, but for how long would she have to? What would be the point of living in this stuffy room, hoping Naraku didn't find another advantage against his enemies?

Kagura shook her head, "You are nothing like me."

"You're right. I am more powerful." Kagome shot back, looking up at the woman whose red eyes were poking and prodding at the girl.

"Just because you have the powers of a priestess does not mean you know how to use them." The demon had truthfully, grown slightly fond of Kagome, despite her attitude. She wanted to challenge her into trying to escape. She needed Naraku to lose.

"I can use them." She sighed, "I just don't want to, yet."

Kagura did not quite know what that meant. Was she waiting for the perfect moment to try to escape? To the demon, any time seemed like the perfect time when you are locked up in a small room, isolated from everyone you love.

"You are...peculiar."

"What makes you say that?"

Kagura cocked an eyebrow, "You are the reincarnation of a powerful priestess. You surely have the ability to resist corruption even in the face of cruel imprisonment and yet you are willingly sitting in your prison cell like a helpless maiden, claiming that you can escape when you want, but you don't want to yet."

Kagome looked down at the ground, "I am still a girl, you know. Not a wise one. And I'm not even trained! I guess I still have thinking to do."

"Don't sound so vulnerable and sad." Kagura mumbled, "I am a girl, too. There are plenty of them. Act like a man."

"There isn't anything wrong with being a girl who thinks before she acts...I can be sad and strong at the same time." Kagome shifted and straightened her posture, "I had been waiting to be rescued... Now I'm discovering that I have to be my own hero." She bit her lip at the thought of relying completely and only on herself.

"It's a lonely realization, isn't it?" Kagura teased, wondering how long this girl would sit in this castle like lost princess.

"Yes, but I wish it wasn't."

Kagura turned her back to the girl and began walking out of the room, "We both do."

"Saying we makes it less lonely, doesn't it?"

But Kagura didn't respond. How could she? It is not like this girl was her friend. She had nothing to gain from forming a real bond with her. Nothing to gain by even entertaining the thought. She wanted Kagome to escape to spite Naraku. And she wanted Naraku to die so she could find her heart and finally have the freedom she truly desired. But this girl was as interesting as she was difficult to understand. And she had never imagined her as being anything other than an annoying damsel.

She left the room, wanting to look back but refusing to do so. And Kagome sat in her place, reaching down to the powers she had deep within her. Uncertain of what she could do or how she would use them, but confident that she would not die in this castle.

So, what do you guys think?

I know it might be a bit confusing to follow this timeline, so here's how everything went:

1. The beginning was a flashback to when Kagome was taken by Naraku
2. After, it was present time as we are introduced to Kagome's current situation
3. We continue with a flashback to when she was taken to Naraku's castle, where she was locked in a room while Naraku begins his plans to corrupt her.
4. We are brought back to the present where we see where Kagome is and learn about the time gap as well as her imprisonment by a fire demon king.
5. We are brought back to her time with Naraku.

So basically instead of just summarizing what happened before she ended up with King Ninken, I am going to use flashbacks to tell the rest of the story. If it gets confusing, let me know!