A weasel youkai was admitted through the enchantments of the Western Lands with terrible news a year and a half after the demise of Naraku. Lady Kagome was pupped again, and she had a feeling in her soul that this was the beginning of the attack of the kami. Midoriko and Hideo were staying in the Western Lands at the time, and were present in the throne room when the weasel youkai, named Koukatsu, made his report. He bowed to his liege Lord and Lady and began his story…

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Kagome, please forgive this lowly vassal for interrupting your conference with the Lord and Lady of the Eastern Lands."

Lady Kagome silenced the weasel youkai with a shake of her head and a raised hand. "Please spare us the pleasantries, Koukatsu. Tell us why you are here, and what news you bring to us."

"There has been a problem in one of the villages outside the enchantments, on the very border of the East and West. It is probably fortuitous that the Lord and Lady of the East are here too. This may spill into their land, and they would not want this problem…"

Lord Sesshoumaru narrowed his amber eyes at the weasel youkai. "Get to the point, you try the patience of this Sesshoumaru."

The weasel youkai took a breath and started again. "I walked through a village and was confused because there were no humans, and no scent of death, either. I made a more thorough investigation and found the problem. All in the village, and all around it were indeed dead, but looked as if they had been dead for centuries, which is why there was no scent of death. The huts and other buildings also had a look of disuse and decay." Koukatsu seemed to cringe, as if expecting a blow.

Lady Kagome was the first to react to the news verbally. All around her seemed stunned. "Are you sure this is not a village that was simply abandoned because of some plague, or battle years ago?"

"No, my lady, I was through the same village a week ago. It was quite prosperous, and all in it were healthy, and all structures seemed rather new and sound."

Lady Kagome looked at her mate with questions in her eyes. "What do you think of this, Sesshoumaru?"

Lord Sesshoumaru seemed to be thinking, not even hearing his mate's question. He remembered the youkai tree, Bokusenou telling him that time was crushing his mate when she could not be awakened, that traveling through the well, which bridged time, had caused her unnatural sleep. Sesshoumaru came out of his musings and looked at Koukatsu, "Leave us."

Lady Midoriko smiled at the weasel youkai and told him they were thankful for his help and information. She looked at her friend, the one who had released her from centuries of battle and torment within the Shikon no Tama, and had given her back her chance at a happy life, "What do you think, Kagome?"

"I am not sure, Midoriko, but I wonder if it is the kami I saw while I slept."

Midoriko thought about it a bit. "For one to be able to direct time as a weapon, to make time speed up in one village, and make a century out of a week, is a frightening thought."

Kagome thought of her vision, of the kami set against them, of her raven hair and blood red lips, and was afraid. She clung to the hand of her mate, and her claws seemed to take on a pink glow.

"Calm down, Kagome," Sesshoumaru soothed. "You will hurt the pup with your fear, if it can so easily be turned to power."

Her claws continued to glow, and her hair began to swirl in a wind of her own power. Kagome thought of the power to use time like a laser beam, to point it at one place, even at one person, and take their life, make everything go by so fast. It seemed, to her, worse than a clean death. In a clean death, as she had dealt as Lady of the Western Lands more times that she would like to count, a person was done, gone, their life snuffed out like a match. To use time as a weapon, you would make that person experience the whole course of their life, still in minutes, or seconds if you were powerful enough. What horror, what sadness…

Sesshoumaru grabbed her from behind and pinned her to his body, mindful of the pups she carried. He used his low growl to calm her, because he could see her powers swirling around her. He still thought of the day when he would not be able to bring her back. He worried what she would do. He would forgive her any trespass…he was not sure she would be able to forgive herself. He must be able to keep her true youkai under control, as he had tight control over his true form. He had been lax in teaching her, and his new inuyoukai children this control, and thought that perhaps the sooner he did this, the better…

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Kujokokugen saw the weasel youkai run in horror from the bit of fun she had with the small village. She saw him tell the Western and Eastern royalty. She knew that soon, the fun would begin. Soon, she would be at peace, and alone, with all of time collapsed. She would walk through the halls of her palace that is betwixt and between time, and look at her treasures, and be alone with them, always…

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The kami watched the happenings on our plane of existence with horror. They had seen what Kujokokugen had done, and were now convinced they would have to do what Aikougisei had proposed. The sacrifice must be made. The balance between random and purpose must be restored. They were saddened by this turn of events. They knew who the sacrifice must be made by, and knew how happy she was, how powerful, and how good, and felt bad about separating her from her family for all time, but to save all of time, they felt that one willing sacrifice was worth it.

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Kami do not realize how sad it is, to be asked to give up all that you love. To give up holding new life close to you, to feel strong arms around you, to give up hearing about how you are loved…kami do not realize…

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A/N: I hope you liked it! I will try to update more frequently, but can make no promises!