A/N: Hello, hello. If this story seems in any way familiar, it is because it evolved from another story I wrote some time ago, but it is really quite different. I have checked and I don't believe this is in violation of site rules.

If there are any spelling Nazis in the audience, you may find I write a little differently (yet still legitimately) because I'm not American.

Also, I refuse to write a disclaimer for every chapter. Just take it as a given.

Allons-y.

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… … … … …

'Though we know that time has wings, we're the ones who have to fly.' –Rush

… … … … …

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Koenma narrowed his eyes at his most successful spirit detective team.

"Is that understood?" he asked.

Kurama nodded, Hiei remained blank and Yusuke shrugged disinterestedly. Looking around, Kuwabara rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing, Boss." He answered for the group.

"Actually, I got a couple of questions." Yusuke was frowning. "Like, where the heck does power like that come from? How can something like that have slipped under your radar for so long? It's insane!"

Koenma had the grace to look embarrassed. He fiddled with his dummy, and looked suspiciously pink.

"Look," He blustered. "I'm not perfect. The answer is- I just don't know. I don't know how we could have missed it, where the heck it's been hiding all this time, or even why something with that much power would bother hiding in the first place. Because trust me, if that thing wanted to rule the world, it would be doing it right now."

"You don't even know what 'that thing' is," sneered Hiei. "Pathetic."

Kurama, who had been silent throughout the discussion, had been having a conversation of his own.

Youko? Do you have any idea what could be responsible for that sort of power release?

I can't say it's something I've personally felt before, but I have this vague feeling that I have heard of this kind of attack … a long time ago, by human standards, that is. I feel like I've forgotten something important…Youko snarled in frustration.

That's a start, at least. Koenma has given us less to work with.

Though I hate to admit it, I agree with the human brat. What the hell has Koenma been doing, sucking on a bottle for the last thousand years? Puts an interesting spin on how safe your humans have been all this time, doesn't it? Youko laughed viciously.

Kurama was unimpressed in the face of his demon side's amusement. Knowing that you're day-dreaming about the extinction of my race just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Why would I do that? If ningen became extinct then I wouldn't be able to do this anymore-

Youko!Kurama spluttered as several vivid images of Youko's past experiences of ningen were pushed to the forefront of his mind. His past sexual experiences with ningen, that was.

You are disgusting, Fox. You call yourself a demon? I don't know how you stomach those creatures.Hiei joined the conversation.

Youko abandoned the torture of his human half and turned his attention to the hybrid, sensing a second victim.

Just because you've never tried it, runt, doesn't mean it's not great. But if you're not that way inclined you are more than welcome to-

I may just have to cut off your balls if you finish that train of thought, Fox,Hiei ground out.

That'smybody you're talking about. Don't even try it, Hiei.Kurama objected. Strenuously.

Youko couldn't resist a final word on the subject. Don't say I didn't offer, you sexually repressed bastard. At leastI have fun.

One of these days, Hiei, you are going to eat your words... Kurama predicted.

…Hn.

Meanwhile, Koenma had been trying to get Kurama's attention. The red-head appeared to be deep in thought, and had not even looked up when Koenma snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Kurama? Kurama! Kooo-raa-"

"Huh?"

"I said, does Youko have any helpful suggestions?"

"Oh, my apologies. I just asked him, and the answer is no. He says he's heard of something similar in the past but he can't remember exactly where…" Kurama trailed off. "He says if he remembers anything a little more specific he'll let me know, though."

"Alright then…" Koenma sighed, dragging one hand across his forehead. "It was a long shot in any case… Which means you lot are free to go. But I want you all to keep your eyes, ears and other more extended senses," here he looked at Kuwabara, "Open. And don't forget that I want you to meet me here for more specific details of the case before your mission tomorrow! Off you go, then."

The detectives had barely begun turning for the door when Koenma flung up his hand. He fixed a questioning stare on the black-haired punk of the group.

"Actually, I do have one last question… Yusuke, what the hell happened to your face?"

… … … … …

Kagome stared thoughtfully at a small bottle of medicine before chucking it into her back-pack alongside the kilometres of bandages and the whole oceans of antiseptic she had already packed. After all, you could never have enough medicine. Not with that lot around, anywayshe grinned ruefully, thinking of her companions.

She did a final check of the room, but she knew she was ready. She had her homework, a change of clothes, snacks, matches, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner… so why did she still feel like something was missing?

Oh, right, she caught on. Thejewel shards. I wasnotabout to try jumping down the well without them. Well, I wasn't going to go to the Feudal era without them. Because… Because the well doesn't work without them. Right!She smiled for a split second before visibly wilting. Oh geez. I'm an idiot.

"Damn you, Inuyasha. Stop screwing with my head!" she mumbled under her breath. It was quite enough that she was shutting herself down inside her own head. She didn't need any family members getting a glimpse of the steaming pile of crazy that was Kagome's Inner Monologue. No, no. Best to keep that to ourselves, eh?

Anyway, as far as she was concerned, any craziness was absolutely, one hundred and ten percent not of her own doing. It was dog-demon induced psychosis, a condition running rampant in The Little Village That Could, the one which would grow up to be modern-day Tokyo. In fact, Kagome was all too familiar with the disorder. In the Feudal Era, where dog demons were much more likely to break your bike (frequently), or sniff your hands and demand to know where you'd been (daily), and to childishly resist saving innocent villagers from homicidal youkai (yesterday), the condition was widespread.

Half dog demons, she mentally amended. She couldn't see Sesshomaru being particularly interested in smelling her fingers after a stroll in the forest. Although he'd probably do an upstanding job of ignoring any screaming villagers…

Kagome didn't quite know how it happened, but somehow Inuyasha had got inside her head. And now she was stuck with him. She was back home only after their habitual fight-sit-leave routine–Thankyou, thankyou, here all week- and yet she still wasn't thinking normally. Damn him.

What had he called out after her as she walked away? Ah, a Shard Detector. Normally she didn't let his comments stick, but every once in a while he came up with one that stung. After all, it was half-true. He needed her, because it was her sacred power that made the whole she-bang possible. She needed him too, of course, but in a way she couldn't quite quantify and was beginning to suspect had little to do with his physical capabilities. Each time she ran up against this thought she always shied away, scrunched it up tight and tossed it towards her mental waste basket, but it was an insistent little sucker.

She realized she had stopped moving, her hands resting tranquilly at her sides while her brow furrowed contemplatively. Snap out of it, Kagome.

God, it was just a stupid fight! They'd had it thousands of times before and they would have it thousands more. She was worrying over nothing. She would go back down the well again tonight, and even though she knew she wouldn't be able to live in the past forever-

No, Kagome! Bad! That is The Very Bad Thought Which We Are Pretending Doesn't Exist and Never Will, understand? Would the next in line please step forward God, she had one hell of a headache.

But what mattered now was that she would see Inuyasha momentarily and everything would be fine.

Absolutely fine.

Fine.

… … … … …

It rained the day of Sango and Miroku's wedding.

The cake was caught in the first shower and quickly rendered uneatable. Sango's hair was pulled from its carefully crafted upswept style and Miroku's fringe dripped water down his face.

Inuyasha's ears twitched irritably while Shippou ruined his new clothes jumping joyously into muddy puddles. The other guests were forced to stand, miserable and cold, as their finery disintegrated around them.

None of that mattered.

In Miroku's eyes, Sango was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. His never looked away from her face.

For Sango, this was the day she had been waiting for since she met the damn pervert. Nothing could bring her down.

It was, as far as they were concerned, the happiest day of their lives.

There was only one thing missing.

… … … … …

"I'm leaving now, Mama! I'll see you in a couple of days," Kagome called out as she left the house. She paused only to tap her foot for good luck at the front door.

Making her way briskly over to the ancient shrine, she shivered when a cold gust swept through her.

Hm… Maybe I should have packed warmer clothes? Oh, I can't be bothered. Freeze me then, wind.

She was nearly at the door to the Well House when she felt what should not have been there to feel.

Facing the Thousand Year Old Tree, the Well House behind her, she hardly dared to breathe. It was rotten, it was old, it was evil, and it was looking right at her. She knew this sensation, this creeping feeling of terror and disgust. Only one being ever felt like this, and it was not possible that he was here, and he was here.

"No." Her voice was distorted by shock and rage.

The presence under the tree quivered when she spoke. It shuffled closer in anticipation; hunched down, bent over, secretive.

Yes… That voice had always had the power to send a thrill down her spine.

"I won't let you leave here." Her tone was quiet; almost detached.

The creature chuckled, and before the echoes of his laughter were caught and twisted and torn away by the wind, he was gone.

He was gone, and Kagome was alone.

… … … … …

In front of a Warring States style dwelling on a grassy hilltop a kitsune knelt before an ancient taijiya.

"You raised me as your own, and I'll always be grateful to you. I love you like a mother, and you know I loved your husband as a father. Your family has been nothing but good to me, and I will never forget the memories we made together. But-"

"But you know in your heart it is time to leave."

"Yes."

"I understand. I won't try to persuade you otherwise- I feel it too. But you must know that it breaks my heart to see you go." The woman placed both hands on the shoulders of the demon. "Shall I make your goodbyes to the children?"

"I think that would be best. You know how I feel about goodbyes... It's better for me to leave this way."

"The dogs?"

"They both have their work cut out for them keeping the peace in the West right now, and I will see them again."

"But for us, this is truly goodbye."

"Hm."

The kitsune, who was young by demon standards, was pulled to his feet by the old woman. She smiled gently, turned him by his shoulders, and gave him a small push in the middle of his back with the gold staff she carried at her side.

"So leave already, then." The laugh lines around her eyes and mouth deepened.

The demon didn't have to be told twice. He didn't look back, but began walking evenly away down the hill and out of sight.

"Hey-" The old woman shouted after him.

"-Don't forget!"

The kitsune did not slow and or show any sign he had even heard the monk. The only indication he was listening was a slight flicker of his red ears and a tightening around his shoulders. When he reached the trees, he broke into a run.

The wizened figure watched until he was out of sight.

… … … … …

Kagome sucked in a huge gulp of air as the last lingering traces of his presence faded away. The hand clutching her bag shook, and she half stumbled, half fell, to lean against the solid wood of the well house.

She could feel cold sweat along her brow. Come on Kagome, pull it together. This is you. This is what you do. Sure, he's on vacation and the setting has changed and you're out of your depth. Sound familiar? Of course it is. Come on…

What was he doing here? More importantly, how had he come here? Did he know about the well and its deep secret? Oh God. She needed to get back to the Feudal Era, and quickly. A sacred arrow might do the trick, but it had never been a question of sheer power with him- more cunning and guile. She wanted help. She wanted friends. She wanted someone to touch her and make her forget the dark.

He was the antithesis of all that was holy - friendship, love, hope, trust, Italian coffee, long days at the beach, clean sheets, cut grass, French bread, shower radio, Lindt chocolate, cute underwear models, long runs by the river, Madonna, old jumpers, puppies, kittens, rainbows – and he was on her. There was no word to describe this feeling, the way he affected her. He affected her like none of the others. She knew because she had asked them, certain that they must be stronger than she, or more worthy, to bear it alone. Instead, she had found that she was the one who perhaps knew the most about what it was that made him. Wasn't she the lucky one, then.

It was not the monk, who wore the knowledge of his doom in his eyes and on his hand. Nor the taijiya, whose ghost was child-sized. It was not the fox-child, whose childhood was no more. It was not even the half-dog demon, whose heart was so broken by a lost love that all the King's horses and all the King's men didn't have a snowflake's chance in hell of ever putting it together again.

Kagome could only say that when that Baboon mask stood before her, something else was reaching into her. It was like nothing and everything. It was numbness but in such a way that it was all-consuming. It was probably, she thought, the void.

I've heard Kanna called a void before, and of course she is. She's the little baby void who came from the big daddy void. They're related by void, we might say.

If the shadow of his icy grip - which she endured courtesy of her latent sacred power - had melted quickly away, she might have smiled. But it was not that kind. As it was, it was all she could do to move. Yet move she must. Something, she thought, Has to be done.

Kagome had always been a do-er. After all, the Sacred Jewel hadn't broken itself.

Ever so slowly, moving like an old woman, Kagome lifted her backpack into her arms. Then she turned back to the door of the Well House –Push- and shuffled inside. She paused only to pull the sliding door shut behind her –Heave- then moved painstakingly forward until she was staring down into inky blackness and bathed in the feeling of possibility she always associated with this place. She took another deep breath, just to be sure her heart still beat and her lungs still moved. Then, grasping her jewel shards tightly in one hand and her pack in the other, she leapt in the well.

…And landed with a sickening crunch, her hair in her face and her ankle throbbing angrily. No blue light; no special effects this time.

Kagome was alone, definitely in her own era, and Naraku was outside waiting for her.

Oh my God.

… … … … …

'Here lie

Those who protected and served

Dearly beloved father and mother,

And loyal friends

May they Rest in Peace Eternal'.

… … … … …

Chapter two will be featured in the merest of moments.

Please review. Constructive criticism is key.