First Time, Last Chance

Chapter 3

Her breath was ripped from her throat as Kagome turned to face the monstrous grip on her shoulders. The shock barely registered within her mind, leaving her unable to think, let alone realize what was before her.

It couldn't be a real demon that had its claws digging into her arm. It couldn't be.

Yet, the glowering eyes of the demon assured her otherwise. At first glance, the demon seemed a woman, but from her lower torso dangled several centipede-like limbs that wriggled about as the demon's body twisted and moved about. Kagome did her best to keep down her nausea.

"Give it to me!" It hissed into her ear suddenly. "The Shikon Jewel!"

Stifling a gasp of pain as its grip tightened forcibly on her arm, Kagome tried to wrench herself away from the horrible creature. "Let...go! You're not real!"

The demon's face contorted wickedly and began making a series of noises that Kagome could only assume was laughter. Shivers of disgust coursed through her body as the creature extended an abnormally long tongue and licked the side of her face.

"Yes, the power! I feel it!" The demon shrilled in continuation, "Hand it over, girl! The Shikon Jewel!" When the claws sank unbearably into her flesh, Kagome cried out, and felt something odd stirring within her.

Something was inside her, and it demanded to be released. A sea of striking lavender descended upon them in the deep abysmal dimension of the well, and it was only then that Kagome realized it was actually radiating from her body. Her eyes widened in shock as the demon shrank back from her, open-mouthed in horror as it disintegrated into nothing.

And after what seemed an eternity, Kagome hit the ground with a painful thud. It was now the other side of the well, the opening to an entirely new world she never thought would have existed.

Yet, the young girl, who could hardly believe the previous event, failed to notice the absence of the dark shrine hovering about the well. Instead, Kagome winced as she stood up, brushing off the dirt from her skirt. "Grandpa was right...there are demons..."

Musing to herself about the strangeness of it all, she planned to climb out of the well and immediately alert her grandfather. But the fluttering of wings caught her attention, and Kagome blinked as a golden butterfly gently floated onto her outstretched fingers. Only then did she notice the rays of bold sunshine streaming in through the well.

Confusion caused her brow to wrinkle, and hoisting herself up by cleverly using cracks and spaces missing bricks, Kagome pulled herself out of her old life and into her new one. The intensity of the sun blasted her with a harsh, yet beautiful reality. She inhaled sharply.

A breezy ocean of green paradise met her gaze, rippling like the surface of a pond being disturbed as the wind caressed the open space. "Where...am I?" she asked herself, mesmerized by the untamed wildness that greeted her. The soft echoes of nature reached her ears, surprisingly gentle compared to the everyday blaring of city life.

But the knowledge that she was alone in this foreign land strangled the serenity of the area. Panic arose in her, and she knew that she had to go seek another person's aid. That is, if there were any people existing in this demonic place. She finally seemed to realize the weight upon her shoulder, blinking in surprise at the backpack she had been wearing. Kagome had forgotten all about it. What was she going to do about school? And her family?

Exhausted by these distorted thoughts, she pushed them away, wanting to deal with a more current problem. What had that glowing light been in the well? It had come from her body, but why? This was giving her a serous headache...

Luckily for her, something across the horizon caught her attention, and she trudged wearily towards it, her hand shading the sun from her weary eyes. Maybe she could get some help and find out where she was.

It was a village. Kagome's hopes rose. There had to be people there! Her hair whipped past her fast as she ran with all her might, a frenzied desperation in her heart arising.

As she entered the village, however, she could easily sense that something was quite amiss. It was completely deserted, and the huts had been clearly ransacked. Biting her lip, it was all Kagome could do to keep from losing her cool and breaking down into tears. She was still straining to get a grip on herself when the hum of voices tickled her ear. Her heart rose once more.

Someone was still there! She strained to catch wind of the voices' origin, and, brow wrinkled in concentration, wandered further into the village. As she neared the people, it was hard to make out the figures. All that Kagome could tell was that they had their backs turned. Finally, some people!

Only a few feet away from the figures, she reached out towards one of them. Yet, before she even had the chance to utter a single word, Kagome's voice died in her throat as one turned around to face her.

Never had she seen such eyes...

A brilliant shade of azure blue met with cerulean, melting into separate divinations of color and emotion.

It was obvious that they were not ordinary humans. Like the one she had encountered in the well, these were demons standing before her. The one whom had turned around stared at her intensely. His eyes had widened for only a split second, barely noticeable. But there was something that disturbed her by his reaction. The sounds of the magical forest interrupted the silence with the soft sounds of birds and rustling trees, as if it understood the dark silence that stood between Kagome and the demon's breathing.

He was a wolf...

She stifled a gasp, eyes widening at the still new spectacle to her. There was an unmistakable handsomeness to this young demon, who also possessed a well toned body. He stood with a firm posture and a defiant air. Yet, it was his eyes that drew her in the most. Those eyes that iced over with uncertainty gazed at her deeply, almost as if he were drinking in her presence as much as she was his. He seemed so...alone...

Shaking her head, she tried to come to her senses.

Confused and disoriented, Kagome felt her grip on reality slipping past her fingers. The idea of demons existing was all so new to her, and yet, she felt almost a trace of familiarity with this demon. How was it possible to feel all these conflicting emotions at once?

"A ningen girl...?" he suddenly muttered in a rough voice.

Two of his companions turned and looked towards her, both in the process of stuffing food into their mouths. "What's that?"

This moment was disturbed by a spreading coldness in Kagome's body. Why did she feel like she knew him? Impossible! But as the strange silence overwhelmed them, both assessing the other, Kagome felt a strong presence in him that comforted her. It was hard not to drown in those deep eyes...eyes that possessed her with confusion, defiance, and protection.

This particular wolf demon was obviously a leader of some sort, for he held an air of unmistakable power about him. There was a deep feeling of authority and command that overwhelmed the curiosity in his gaze. He watched her silently, suddenly stepping forward. "What's a ningen still doing here?"

He turned with a suspicious quirk of his brow towards the other two demons. "I thought you said all the villagers abandoned their houses and left the food for us." His two friends winced, but Kagome noticed the amused quirk of his lips.

"Well, there was no one here when we checked, Kouga. Honest!" One of them replied, his lips forming a confused pout. So his name was Kouga...

All three of them suddenly directed their intense gazes upon Kagome, who was well beyond panicked now. She took hesitant steps backwards, preparing to make a run for it.

The wolf demon sensed the alert in her stance, and moved closer towards her with a solemn expression. "You're not from here, are you?" he asked suddenly.

What? Why was he asking this? She didn't know what to reply, and stood there nervously as he stepped closer and closer. "I...I don't know what you're talking about..." she stammered.

Without warning, he bent in to look her straight in the face, the haunting shade of his eyes examining her. He sniffed at her gingerly, pulling his body back but remaining unnervingly close to her. "You smell...different." His analytical eyes swept over her briefly, though deeply. "And your clothing, it's not typical of a villager living here. Who are you?"

And suddenly, those beautiful eyes flickered, changing once more along with his emotions. His expression gathered further confusion, but this time, there was more. He seemed frustrated with himself, appearing to wrestle internally with some secret knowledge.

"Have we...met before...?" he whispered huskily, sending dark chills down her spine. His two friends shifted uncomfortably, obviously unused to this type of approach from their leader. The mood shifted abruptly with his question.

"...No...we haven't..." Kagome answered, but at the quickening of her heartbeat, she suddenly wasn't so sure. Hadn't she seen him once before? His face? Those eyes? Perhaps once...in her dreams...

"But...I feel like we've met once before..." he murmured. "Tell me, then. Where are you from?"

There was no escape, Kagome thought frantically. Just when she had about given up all hope of evading this awkward and frightening situation, a earth shattering rumble broke the strained atmosphere. Kouga, if that was his name, immediately turned towards the direction of the noise.

One of his friends, who had a spiked hairstyle, had dashed off to scout the premise. He came rushing back, breathless. "It's a huge demon!" He attempted to indicate just how big it was with the flailing motions of his arms, but he soon realized that it wasn't working out quite as well as he'd hoped.

Kouga scowled. "Damn! What's another demon doing here? This is our territory!"

The other companion nodded. "Seems strange, the way that these demons have been popping up everywhere around this area so suddenly. They've never messed with our packs' territory before..."

"There must be something that's setting them off," Kouga muttered darkly. "Ginta, when did these attacks start?"

"Just a few days ago," the pack member replied.

Kouga looked towards Kagome, and she swallowed. Why was he looking at her like that? But before he could say anything, the ground was ripped apart before them as a furious demon tore out of the earth. With an appearance resembling that of a sea serpent, its shrill cry echoed through the deserted area and nearby forest. Its tail hovered above Kouga and Kagome for a split second, but the wolf demon was as quick as the wind.

Lifting her up into his arms, he sped off towards the clearing of forest that Kagome had briefly observed earlier. He set her down with an ease that she hadn't thought he was capable of. "Stay here. You'll be safe," he ordered.

She nodded. "Hai. Thank you..."

A faint smile touched his lips, and before she had time to say anything else, let alone blink, he was gone, back towards the demon for a battle well worth fighting. The nagging feeling that they knew each other was becoming a sickening sense of dread within her, and Kagome sighed deeply.

She had to clear her head. Kagome stretched her arms out, hoping to relieve some of the stressful tension in her body, when the soft rustling of the wind directed her attention towards the forest. A gentle presence was calling out to her. Knowing that it was not the wisest of decisions, she began stepping timidly towards the forest. There was just something that needed her to find it. More chills crawled up her flesh. Ever since she had stepped into this world, she had nothing but shivers at the sheer fantasy of it all.

Nothing seemed right here...

Yet, Kagome admitted with a soft sigh, she admired the subtle beauty of the enclosed realm as she wandered among the emerald fence of leaves surrounding her. The path which she was walking along was illuminated with patches of sunlight that broke through the mystical canopy of leaves that towered above her. But the sunlight flooded a tree in front of her in an unusual fashion, almost as if by some otherworldly force.

"Hmm?" Kagome wondered to herself as she noted the unfiltered light's focus. As she shuffled closer to the towering oak, she fought hard to keep her body from trembling. There was someone there...

Shocked, she cautiously stepped forward, hardly daring to breathe. The sunlight seemed so natural, dancing in a celestial ceremony across the unmoving form. Vines ensnared the body from touch, yet they shrank back when Kagome neared them.

It was a hanyou.

His face was so familiar...

Kagome approached the figure, holding her breath all the while. Her eyes widened at the soft, flowing silver hair that fell across his face in an unkempt manner. There was a serene expression on his face, giving him a sort of adorable innocence. He looked almost peaceful, despite the current state he was in. His body hung limply against the bark, cruelly fastened there with an arrow piercing his flesh.

There was no ignoring the sudden chill that wove itself violently around her body as she reached out and touched his ears, immediately pulling back with a gasp, as if she feared he would awaken at the very touch. Yet, he did not stir. The lack of reaction provoked Kagome to move back towards the dog demon, more curious than cautious this time. Her old habit overtook her, and she did the unthinkable.

She played with his ears. And oddly enough, it felt satisfying. Her hand jerked back as a new sensation of familiarity possessed her, making her stomach lurch uneasily. What scared her the most wasn't realizing that he was, indeed, real, but that he seemed so familiar. Like she had once known him. Her fingers tingled with the sensation, chilling Kagome to the bone.

How had she known to do that? And who was this guy? A frown crinkled her lips as she seriously pondered the question.

He looked so peaceful...

And yet, the handsome face revealed the subtle characteristics of some darker pain. She could swear that she felt this heavy foreboding pulsing from his body.

Without thinking, her fingers wrapped around the protruding arrow, and with a mighty tug, she yanked it free from the demon's chest. The demon's body slid lifelessly to the ground, and it seemed now that he was only sleeping. His hair fell over his face in a tangle of silver wonder. Kagome's hand moved towards his face, curious to know if he was truly real, when the sounds of battle brought her to her senses.

Kouga!

What if he was in danger? The arrow pulsed between her fingertips, and she knew that she had to go back and aid him. With a last mournful glance at the newfound demon, the raven-haired girl rushed towards the place where she had first encountered the wolf demon.

It was her first encounter with a new life, and his last chance with destiny.

A pair of white, furry ears flickered and twitched as their owner stirred, lifting a clawed hand to brush away the errant silver bangs that had fallen over his eyes. Closed eyelids flickered, opening a few moments later to unsheathe pupils that imitated the heated, lush glow of sunlight on a summer's day. Slightly disoriented, he stretched his body, relieving his stiff joints of the dull ache pulling at his muscles. He was in the midst of flexing his powerful claws when it all dawned on him.

He was awake.

Instinctively, his fingers reached his heart, where the arrow was. Where it should have been. Even though he already knew that it was not there, its physical absence shocked him no less.

No scar.

No trace of the arrow's trail after piercing through his chest to his back and into the tree behind him.

No scent of his blood splattered all over the tree.

Nothing.

Someone had released him from the spell that Kikyo had placed on him. But...how? How was it possible? The only person who could break the enchantment was...

Kikyo herself.

Could it be...? Was she the one who had set him free? But why would she release him after she had tried to kill him?

The gravity of betrayal that had been weighing him down before he had been charmed was lifted, and rising in its place was a stirring craving for vengeance. It was only then that he picked up the raw, fresh scent of the miko, plunging him into a realm of cynical amusement. While the odor had mostly faded away, the lingering trace of Kikyo was still tangled in the mix. There was another element to it, almost like the slight spice of a new smell; while Inuyasha was vaguely bewildered by the unusual addition to the miko's aroma, he convinced himself that Kikyo was Kikyo. There was nothing more to it. Or so he thought.

His ears flattened suddenly against his skull, and he growled, wondering what the hell was wrong with them. They felt rather peculiar, in a satisfied sort of manner, and he felt the lightest remembrance of a gentle caress of fingers against his ears...

The thought seemed so real; he could almost feel his ears being touched. But this subconscious content was soon forgotten when his ears flickered and swiveled, scooping up the distinct sounds of battle. Sure enough, the reek of demon slammed into the hanyou at full force, causing him to snort violently. In the foul stench, he picked up the sweetness of another fragrance, one that he could only identify as Kikyo's. It had to be her.

Had to be.

His lips curved into a smirk as he took off to the sky, his body working to savor this feeling that he had been denied so long. The feeling of freedom. Of excitement. He had been awoken, which meant that his life had a purpose. He could theorize nothing more than that being to avenge his death. Kikyo had killed him. At least, she had tried to. Now that he had been brought back, perhaps it was his mission to kill her first. He flexed his claws.

That wench would rue the day she double-crossed him.

"I'm coming for you, Kikyo!" he yelled gleefully, his echo spilling into the forest.

Inuyasha had returned.