The sunny forest clearing fell silent. No unusual sounds or meteorological forces had proceeded in which to cause the wildlife to pause in their day. Nor was there a reason for the continued suspension of their animation. It was as if all of nature was holding its breath in preparation for some unknown spectacle.
All at once, the smell and pressure of ozone filled the clearing; causing the smallest of creatures to run for safety in the shadow of the surrounding tress. Light flashed – but not from the sky. A normally unassuming well, that had been nestled in the middle of the clearing for as long as the local humans could remember, was now filled with an eerie, blue light. Not too unlike the crackle of lightening, the supernatural light gave off a tangible vibration that hummed in its frequency. With each second that passed, the humming grew stronger. Once it seemed to have reached its crescendo, the humming stopped and the light faded away. Silence dominated the clearing once again. Unexpectedly, the stillness was broken by a foreign noise echoing its way up the wooden structure.
“Oof!”
A long, drawn-out groan followed it. Then, the rustle and sway of the trailing vines indicated movement from within the well. Accompanied by unintelligible muttering, one hand appeared and then another – grasping at the flora in a white-knuckled grip. With a face twisted in effort, the form of a young woman was finally revealed. With a final grunt, she swung her knee up to the lip of the well and lifted herself the rest of the way out. The calm emergence of the girl from the well seemed to release the spell, as the forest came back alive – as though the events of the past several minutes had never occurred.
The sounds of birdsong greeted Kagome as she stepped onto the grass and took in her new surroundings.
Where in the world am I?
“Mom?! Sota?! Grandpa?! Is anyone there?!”
Kagome moved through the untamed forest, looking for the slightest hint of anything familiar in such a foreign-looking place. However with no evidence of the well house, or of her familial shrine and home she was beginning to wonder if it even existed here at all.
There is no way that this is right...
Scanning her surroundings, Kagome’s eyes widened as she suddenly spotted the hint of a beloved landmark above the tree line: The God Tree. Rushing toward it, Kagome convinced herself she’d be able to find her home now; ignoring all the previous signs that hinted otherwise. Upon reaching it, however, she was surprised to find, not her home, but the form of a young man sleeping against the trunk of the tree.
Noticing the arrow protruding from this shoulder, she hesitantly began to approach him.
Please don’t be dead…please don’t be dead.
“Hello? Are you alright?”
Edging closer when she didn’t get a response, Kagome took note of the boy’s red-stained traditional dress and his unnaturally long, silver hair. Immediately, she felt compelled to run her fingers through his tresses.
I wonder if it is as soft as it looks…
At the first stroke through his hair, she was in disbelief. By the second pass, she’d become envious that a boy should have such nice hair. Prepared to make a third turn, Kagome lifted her hand only to pause at the sound of a gruff voice coming from the form in front of her.
“You will cease assaulting This Sesshoumaru’s person any further.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: Surprise! By now, some of you might be seeing where I'm going with this...but you might be surprised. All I can say - without revealing my evil plans for this story - is how intriguing I've found it to think if one simple fact about the 'Inuyasha' narrative changed, how could the rest of the story unfold to accommodate it? All I ask is that you stick with me in this experiment because I think things are going to get interesting... Reviews and suggestions welcome! Also, virtual cupcakes {|] to the fellow geek(s) that catch where the inspiration from the chapter title comes from.
Much love my Darlings,
*Sabra Jane*