Chapter 560 “The Realm of Spirit and Time” (精神と時の国土 "Seishin to toki no kokudo") It has been four years since the shikon no tama and Naraku were destroyed. InuYasha and Kagome had married, and Miroku and Sango had three kids, two of which are twin daughters age three and one baby boy. InuYasha and Miroku started a Youkai Exorcist business while Kagome took the responsibility to upkeep the shrine and Sango enjoyed a quieter life with her children. Nothing major had happened since their fight with Naraku, and InuYasha had dropped his anxiety with regards to starting his own family.

He was in the forest with Shippo and Kagome relaxing near the river after having killed the ne no kubi monster. Shippo was skipping rocks across a pool in the river, while Kagome laid her head onto InuYasha’s lap looking out at the scenery. InuYasha caressed the side of her head with tender loving care and attentiveness. The thought had been burning in his mind for the whole day and his mouth felt dry. He licked his lips before he looked around her head. "Kagome?" InuYasha called tapping her shoulder.

She turned to him and smiled warmly. "What is it, InuYasha?" she asked.

He gulped before he leaned in closer. "Did you really want to try to uhh..." he muttered while he looked up to see if Shippo was prying.

She looked at him amused and gently bumped her head into the side of his chin. "Try what?" she asked as she sat up looking into his eyes deeply.

He stuttered, "y-y-you know…the t-thing you were talking about with Sango." He felt weird talking about this and his awkward cautious attitude about the subject made her giggle with delight knowing full well what he was going to say.

"InuYasha" she said before she leaned and gently planted a kiss on his cheek. “Do you want one?” she asked looking at him affectionately and gripped his hand. His face went completely red, and he averted her gaze nodding slowly. She immediately wrapped her arms around embracing him tightly as a reward for a correct answer. “I love you so much” she said.

A couple weeks later the Bone Eater’s Well started to call out to Kagome. When she looked into the well, she could feel a draft rise up. She bit her lip and jumped inside hoping her hunch was correct or else she would have to explain why she was stuck in the bottom of the well. When she hit the bottom, to her relief and surprise, the portal had reopened.

She saw that the well was boarded up, but she pressed up against the boards and felt them give way. “A door?” she muttered.

As she wondered out, Sota came running into the shrine with a bat before he dropped it. “Sis? Is that really you?” he asked. “Sota!? How did you know that I was here?” She asked before she raised an eyebrow. “What were you going to do with that bat?”

“Mom had Gramps, put an alarm on that hatch just in case someone went in or out of the well. She believed you would come back someday” He mentioned before he picked his bat up and slung it over his shoulder imitating InuYasha.

“Well, there’s been some weird characters around here lately. They were asking strange questions and trying to get into the well. I wasn’t gunna let them do anything to that well, so I carry this bat to scare them off” he muttered.

“Why would they want anything to do with the well?” she asked.

“Beats me! Gramps said something about them wanting to know the history of the well, like if anything came out of it. He said he did not tell them about InuYasha, but they just kept coming back” He muttered.

“That’s strange…We’ve never had that kind of attention before” she muttered.

Their mother came inside the shrine and smiled happily. “Oh, welcome back! How’s InuYasha doing?” she asked.

“He’s doing well” She said before she took in a deep breath. “Mama? Can you drive me to the store? I’m two weeks late” she said nervously.

“You’re late?” Her mother muttered in confusion before she figured out the euphemism. She grew excited and nodded. “Oh, of course, just give me fifteen minutes to get ready. I have a load of laundry to put in the dyer” she said cheerfully. She turned back and hummed to herself.

“You’re late? What do you mean you’re late?” Sota asked.

Kagome turned back to the well and smiled. “Girl problems…I’ll be back!” she said before she jumped back into the well. She was very happy to see her mother’s excitement about the news. She hoped to confirm her suspicion once and for all and announce it to her husband.

Miroku and InuYasha stood in the middle of the road looking towards the north his face cast a stern trouble look, which her mood shifted from jubilation to dread. “What's wrong Miroku?” she asked.

“Have you sensed anything strange lately? There has been some very strange occurrences happening these past months, I've been sensing youki. A strong youki very far away, it's been growing since the past few days. I thought it would wane, but I'm curious if what you think about it” he asked.

Kagome closed her eyes and faced the North, which she grew puzzled. "No, there's something there...how can you tell it's strong I can barely feel it" She asked.

"I can barely feel it, but it takes up a tremendous area. I can't even find an exact origin, it's almost as if it's leaking everywhere up north" He answered. InuYasha looked at her irritated. “Where the hell were you!? I thought you had gotten kidnapped or something!” he shouted.

“The well has opened again” she answered.

“What? The well has opened?” he asked.

She nodded slowly and closed her eyes. “Do you think we should check this youki out later?" she asked.

InuYasha growled lowly picturing what foe he would meet. "Come on! We have to get to the bottom of this before it becomes a Naraku sized problem!" he shouted.

"Hold on InuYasha, we first have to get ready. Let's gather our supplies and figure out where's the best place to start" he said before he looked towards Kagome. “If you were going to go back to your time, do you think you can bring back your advanced medicine and foodstuffs?” he asked.

“Sure” Kagome nodded before she glanced back at InuYasha curiously. “Are you coming too?”

“Eh, I’ll visit later. I’m going to see if I can find out what the hell is going on here” He said before Miroku closed his eyes deeply sensing that Kagome wanted for her husband to go with her.

“I’ll only need him for a few hours. Don’t you worry” he said as he waved her off.

Later that day InuYasha and Miroku climbed on top of Kirara and flew off to Hachiemon’s homestead where he was sleeping comfortably on a mossy log. The two jumped off and approached him, which he did not wake up or pretended to stay asleep until Miroku kicked him in the leg. “I know you aren’t sleeping!” he shouted.

“Ouch! Oh hey Master Miroku! What brings you over here?” The tanuki asked nervously.

“Do you know anything about all these natural disasters occurring recently…anything about this vast youki I’m sensing?” Miroku asked.

“Hmmm…I do recall this happening 50 years ago, but the memory is kind of hazy on the account that I was struck in the head by a large tree” he said.

“You’re talking about that time when the Panther tribe invaded?” Royakan shouted. InuYasha and Miroku looked glanced back at him oddly. He had his hand pressed up against a tree as if he had been listening in on the conversation. “I’m sorry to intrude” he apologized.

“No, no, this was before that” Hachiemon answered.

“Ah yes, the big war, that was when that no good traitor disappeared, and the Kari no joo came into power. These disasters are happening more often and the youki feels a lot stronger. That means that the boundaries between all realms are at its weakest. Crazy stuff happens around this time. Don’t be surprised if someone tries to resurrect your father, kid! I’ve heard rumors someone was going to try to do it” Royakan told InuYasha.

“Good luck! The Shikon no tama is gone for good!” InuYasha remarked.

“You’re naïve to think that the Shikon no tama is the only thing with the power to resurrect the dead. Lord Sesshomaru’s mother holds the power of the Meido Stone, and she could resurrect him if she wanted” Royakan said before he scratched his head. “Come to think of it, Lord Sesshomaru hasn’t been too happy. I would have thought that he would be excited to see his old man again” he muttered.

“Keh, maybe it’s because it ain’t my old man who’s getting resurrected! Ya ever think about that fur ball!?” InuYasha remarked.

“Let’s go InuYasha; I don’t think someone is getting resurrected. It should have happened already” Miroku muttered as he walked off.

“I’m sorry master, I wish I knew what was happening” Hachiemon shouted.

Later that day, they made it back to the village, and InuYasha took to his home to meditate on the information given. He had flashbacks of his father’s spirit when they took care of Sounga. Miroku was looking towards the north from the watch tower as youkai were flocking to someplace as if they were gathering somewhere. “There’s another horde of thousands, no tens of thousands of youkai heading north!” he shouted. InuYasha was broken out of his meditation, and he looked outside the door feeling most unsettled.

Kaede looked at the cloud of lesser youkai astonished and tried to recall such an event in her life or from stories. “What on earth is going on!? I’ve never seen so many in one horde” she said before she heard a crash, and she looked back at Miroku hanging over the edge holding on for dear life. “InuYasha! Shippo! Help Miroku!” She shouted.

InuYasha rushed out of his home and managed to jump up to retrieve him as he fell, but Miroku grabbed his side which was bleeding badly. “Thanks, InuYasha!” he said as he pulled a large splinter from his wound before there was laughter above them.

“I wasn’t expecting to meet you two here!” A fat furry youkai in a mask said before he threw them a note. “It’s better to give this to you personally” he said before he flew off on top of a bird of paradise.

InuYasha sat Miroku down and looked at him annoyed recognizing him from before but opened the note regardless, which the note said, “To InuYasha and friends. I’ve been watching you for a while now, and I know all of your secrets, and I know that I can beat you now. The New moon is coming, and if you flee the village, I will kill everyone you cherish. No one gets away with making a fool of me!”

InuYasha’s eyes widened in horror, and Miroku read the note as well, which he frowned. “Don’t worry InuYasha…we’ll come up with something!” he said. InuYasha slammed his fist into the railing and shattered it into splinters. “That bastard! I’m going to find him, and kill him before then!” he yelled.

“Wait, InuYasha!” Miroku shouted before he grabbed his shoulder. “Think about it! Where would you go? What if he’s got a trap set up? Be smart!” he said.

InuYasha glared at him. “What the hell am I supposed to do!?” he yelled before he ran off.

Miroku growled in irritation cursing to himself holding his side as he limped to his home with Kaede’s aid. She read the note along the way and sighed heavily. She sat Miroku on the floor where Sango saw the severity of his wound and began to freak out.

“Miroku! What happened!?” she shrieked as she went to his side. Their daughters were very concerned and flocked to his side. Kaede handed her the note, which she balled up her fist after reading the note. “So that was the creep spying on Kagome and InuYasha during the New Moon” she stated.

Miroku smirked and laughed cheekily. “You mean that was they did it outside!? Way to go” he said before he passed out.

Meanwhile in the Present time, Kagome was in her bathroom holding a pregnancy strip over the sink. Sota was banging on the door. “Common sis! I have to go pee really bad!” he yelled.

Kagome growled. “Will you hold on!” she yelled before the test shown a positive result. She stared at it before she ran out of the bathroom to find her mother, and Sota rushed in quickly. “Mama! Look!” she shouted before she shown her the test.

Her mother smiled and squealed. “I so happy for you!” she said before Sota walked in on them after hearing the screaming.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

His mother smiled. “Your sister is going to have a baby!” she said.

He looked at them in shock. “Seriously? You sure you can manage?” he asked as the alarm in the house started to sound off.

Kagome huffed. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked before she saw InuYasha looking around the corner. She frowned seeing his look of distress and anxiety, and she called out, “What’s wrong InuYasha?”

He frowned. “Miroku got hurt really bad…and we got a manifesto about an attack on Kaede’s village during the New Moon” he said.

She gasped feeling like she had gotten punched in the gut. She clutched her heart and collapsed to the floor sniveling. “This isn’t fair! This is supposed to be a happy moment!” she shouted. He gulped as she looked up with puffy red eyes. “I don’t want our baby to grow up not knowing their father!” she yelled. He kneeled down and embraced her tightly. “I’m not going to die!” he said.

“I grew up without a father!” Sota shouted before he looked over at his mother seeing her glare at him, which he left the room feeling that he had crossed a line.

“Sota! Your friends are waiting for you!” His grandfather called out.

“I’m coming!” He shouted beginning to make a dash to the front door. He walked outside to see Hitomi and Satoru, and they looked at him confused. “What took you so long?” Satoru asked.

Sota sighed. “My sis was in there” he said.

Hitomi’s eyes lit up. “Your sister is here? I haven’t seen her since last summer!” she said before she took a step towards the door.

Sota stopped her. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you” he said. She looked back at him annoyed, which Sota gulped. “We’re having a family crisis right now” he said before he looked towards the well house as the others looked towards it.

Hitomi walked towards the building. “Do you feel that?” she asked before Satoru walked towards it. She gulped and looked at Sota. “What’s going on here? I feel all creepy crawly” she asked him.

He walked towards the well house, and he noticed a faint white glow emitting from the bottom as well as a draft rushing out of the well. Hitomi and Satoru looked at the well in amazement. “Isn’t that the dried up well? Why is the trap door open?” Satoru asked.

There was a sudden jolt beneath their feet as a tremor rattled the buildings and set off car alarms in the nearby streets. Kagome and her family ran out of the house, which InuYasha saw Sota and his friends staring into the well. “Sota! What are you doing!?” she shouted.

He pointed at the well looking back at her. “Look! It’s glowing!” he said.

She ran over and looked at the well, which InuYasha ran after her. “Yup…It’s leaking youki into here too!” he said.

Hitomi and Satoru looked back at Kagome. “Do you think this is causing all the horrible things to happen? Do you think this is why those strange people were here” she asked.

Kagome stared at her in shock. “What horrible things?” she asked.

“Strange people?” InuYasha muttered.

Sota sighed. “This was the ninth earthquake in three days, and they seem to be getting stronger and lasting longer…also yesterday a couple of the power transformers exploded for no reason” he said. “And don’t forget how the TVs have been getting fuzzier each day, and the thunderstorms” Satoru mentioned.

She looked back at InuYasha with deep concern. “We got to find a way to stop this before people get hurt” she said.

Satoru and Hitomi began to focus on InuYasha’s ears and other strange attributes. “Who are you?” Hitomi asked.

Sota flinched and thought, ‘Crap! Should I tell them?’

Kagome saw more curiosity in them, which she held onto InuYasha’s hand. “He’s my husband” she said, which he smirked waving at them.

Satoru and Hitomi gawked at him. “Why is he dressed in a costume?” Satoru asked before he saw InuYasha’s ear move, which he flinched. “Is he a youkai I heard your gramps talk about?” he asked.

Sota smiled. “Well…he’s a hanyou actually, and he’s a real super hero” he said.

Kagome smacked herself in the forehead, but InuYasha grinned. “I’m going to take care of this youki problem…don’t you worry” he said before he looked back at her. “Are you ready?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, I need to get more supplies. Just try to stay out of trouble okay?” she said before she headed back in for the house.

InuYasha waited with Sota and the others, and the grandfather and mother approached the well. He fell to his knees going into a panic. “It can’t be happening again!” he shouted as he was reliving a traumatic event that happened earlier.

InuYasha and the others stared at him. “What do you mean it’s happening again?” he asked.

The grandfather cringed. “50 years ago during the Greater East Asia War, the same thing happened with the well before many people got sick and great earthquake. It’s even brighter than it was last time” he said.

“Just breathe father” Her mother said trying to console him. She looked towards her daughter concerned. “During the war, our family almost lost everything” she mentioned.

“When we heard the bombers coming, I remember my mother taking my hand and dragging me into the well house. I saw the bomb bay doors open and all the bombs. I felt the heat from everyone exploding. My father jumped into the well and threw himself over my mother and me. I thought I was going to die” their grandfather said as his daughter rubbed his back.

InuYasha looked to Kagome and gulped. “I’ve heard from Royakan that every 50 years the boundaries between all realms were at its weakest, and a bunch of crazy things happen during this time” he said. Kagome sighed heavily. “Did he say how long it’s going to last?” she asked.

“Nope” he answered.

A couple days later after many encounters with people from the north Kagome managed to make a map with dots indicating when the first reports of the epidemic started. Kaede watched her curiously as she began connecting dots. There was a pattern, and the concentric semicircles were honing in on Sadogashima.

"It's there Lady Kaede! It's coming from Sadogashima" Kagome said pointing on the map.

Kaede glanced at the map amazed but confused. "Do you know what you are looking for?" she asked.

Kagome shook her head and sighed. "No, All we know is that Sesshomaru has no domain over those lands, and he's not wanting to talk about it" she said.

"You think he knows something about this?" Kaede asked.

"Oh yea, only thing I got out of him was that it was not worth our concern" She finished.

“Keh, Where’s Myoga when you need him? If Sesshomaru knows something about this, then he's got some dirt on this” he asked.

Meanwhile at Totosai’s home, Myoga was sitting on the rim of a large pot looking at the lava lake bubbling and belching toxic gasses. He sneezed and fell into the pot, which he grumbled, “Someone is talking about me.” He noticed that there was a faint yellow glow inside the pot, and he squirmed about through the dust and cob webs to get a box. He opened the box to unveil a collection of many colored pearls. “Hey Totosai…one of Hosenki’s pearls are glowing!” he called out.

Totosai walked up to the pot and reached in for the box. He pulled the box out with Myoga on top coughing from all the dust, so he jumped onto his shoulder to escape the cloud of dust before Totosai managed to open the box. “Now…which one was this supposed to tell us?” he muttered while stroking his beard. Myoga looked at the yellow pearl glowing, which he hopped onto the padding seeing an old piece of paper peering out of the seam of the lining. He tugged on it and managed to pull out a folded piece of paper. Totosai looked to Myoga and gasped. "Bwa! Where did you get that!?" he shouted in anger instead of relief. The begrudgingly snatched the paper and opened it. “Hmmm, what does this say?” he muttered.

Myoga jumped onto his hand, before he shivered after he examined the note. “The yellow one is supposed to be for the Realm of Spirit and Time!?” he shouted.

Totosai scratched the top of his head. “No one was in it were there?” he asked before he looked outside. Myoga paused before he glared at Totosai. “You know full well who were in it…You have to go over there to get them out” he said.

"I don't know who were in there" Totosai rambled.

"Did you try to hide this from me!? How long have you been ignoring this!?" Myoga shouted.

Totosai shook his head. “Are you nuts? That’s hazardous to my health! Why don’t you do it!?” he shouted.

Saya appeared out from a scabbard that was set on top of a pot, and he cleared his throat. “I thought you were on good terms with him? Or did you forget to let them out?” he asked.

Totosai looked at him confused. “Forget about what?” he asked before he saw that a jet of lava burst from the lake. Myoga and Saya both glared at Totosai, which Totosai took the yellow pearl grumbling, “You are both sending me to my grave” he shouted.

"Why are you afraid of him?" Saya asked.

"It's not him I'm afraid of! It's his wife!" Totosai shouted back.

"But it was his idea! Why would she have any grievances with you!?" Myoga shouted.

"I was supposed to make a naginata for her son when he finished his training, and...I've been having trouble with finding the materials to her specifications" he said as he scratched at the back of his head nervously.

“Do you think she will find you here?” Saya asked.

“Well, let’s get going then” Totosai finally said before he grabbed Saya and climbed on top of Momo is flying three eyed bull.

Back at Kaede’s village, a young man on horseback burst into town in a full gallop, and he stopped the horse feet away from Sango. He seemed to be panicked and scared, but he was also looking ill. “Is the priestess in this village here!? I need to speak to her!” he shouted.

Kaede came out of the house. “I am the head priestess here…” she said.

The young man dismounted his horse only to fall off and twist his ankle. He grabbed his ankle and winced. “I came from Niigata, and I was the fastest rider to get here. We need your best exorcists to come quickly…almost everyone in the area is sick and weak” he said.

Kaede frowned. “What kind of sickness?” she asked.

The young man cringed. “It started out when my mother and the villagers were complaining about headaches a couple days ago, then more people were complaining about the same thing, but the children and elderly felt malaise and fatigued. It went to vomiting, fainting spells, and seizures…When the priest traveled to Sadogashima…he said everyone disappeared” he said.

Kaede looked towards the northern lands. “This is much worse than I expected” she said before she sighed. “If the youki there builds up any more or the people are exposed to it for a couple of more days at its current state…they will die” she said.

The young man growled. “Mother…” he muttered before he stood up. “What do we do? Nothing much could be done. The priests and priestesses could only hold up a barrier but once the gates of spirit and time are unlocked. Then it'll be too much for even” he asked.

“Gates of spirit and time? What’s that?” Shippo asked.

“I've heard that the Realm of spirit and time is a place where youkai can visit their dead ancestors, but it only able to open once every 50 years around this time. Though from what I heard was the realm takes a toll on the body of the living, and it’s very dangerous for even the strongest of youkai. I have not heard of a youkai stayed inside for a whole 50 years…” she said.

Kaede nodded. “The gate is only unlocked, and that is why youki has been leaking out for these past months” she said.

Shippo gulped. “What happens when that gate is opened?” he asked.

Kaede paused before she sighed. “The last time it opened, there was a great light and a great wind. That is all I remember…” she said.

The young man gritted his teeth. “Do you have a place for me to stay? I don’t have much mon left to afford an inn” he asked.

Kaede looked at the couple of mon on his necklace before she walked away telling him, “Come…I have room”

3 hours later passed and Kagome and InuYasha arrived with additional supplies. He helped carry medical supplies and food into Miroku’s home while Kagome carried a box of walkie talkies, headphones, a Gameboy light with Pokémon Gold version and batteries. She gave Shippo the game as a gift for learning how to read, and he immediately got sucked into the game.

While he was distracted, Kagome began wrapping Miroku’s side and arm. InuYasha sat the supplies in the corner, while Sango changed her son’s diaper on the floor. “Has anything new happened since I left?” she asked them.

Sango looked between InuYasha and Kagome and sighed setting her son in the cot and began washing her hands. “Totosai and Myoga came over here not too long ago. They wanted to see InuYasha, but they left in a bit of a panic” she said. She sat on a mat and took a sip of tea “I’ve had a really bad headache for a while. I think the youki's starting to affect me” she said. Kagome reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen, and she gave her two tablets. “Here…this should help” she said to her. Sango put the tablets in her mouth, and she swallowed them before cringing from the taste.

InuYasha stared outside in deep thought. “I know I’ve heard of the Realm of Spirit and Time somewhere…but who’s in it?” he muttered. He growled before he stood up. “I’m going out for a while…” he said.

Kagome looked back. “Where are you going InuYasha?” she asked.

He stopped and looked back at her. “I’m going to talk to Hosenki’s kid…for a while” he said before he ran off.

She looked back at Sango worried. “What does Hosenki have to do with the Realm of Spirit and Time?” she asked. Kagome shrugged and resumed treating Miroku’s infected wound.

A couple hours later InuYasha arrived at Hosenki’s home, which his shell was already at the surface. InuYasha stopped on the lake shore staring up at the giant clam shell. “Hey! Hosenki! Open up! I wanna talk to ya!” he shouted.

Hosenki opened his shell partially and looked down at him. “I don’t have any pearls for you! Go away!” he shouted.

InuYasha growled. “Listen I’m here for your stupid pearls! I just want to know who were given a Yellow Pearl” he said.

Hosenki completely opened his shell glaring at him. “Who told you about the Yellow Pearl?” he asked.

InuYasha jumped into the clam shell. “I heard Lady Akemi and Myoga talk about them and the gates of spirit and time when I was a kid. Since you know a lot about Pearls and gates to other worlds, I thought you would know who had one” he said.

Hosenki rubbed his forehead. “There were only 2 of them given out. Unlike the other pearls, you need two of them to open the gates of spirit and time. One would simply shatter from the immense amount youki in that realm…Father had given one to Totosai and one to Lady Akemi.” he said.

InuYasha growled. “Then who’s in the realm of spirit and time?” he asked grabbing him by his collar.

Hosenki glared at him. “How should I know? Do you think I keep track of these things!? I didn’t know someone was in it until you told me. I think you have a better idea who’s in it than I do” he shouted.

“InuGenki!” InuYasha muttered before he pushed Hosenki and released him to the ground. Hosenki shivered to that name and stared up at him in disbelief. “Lord InuGenki!? Didn’t he die in the great war?” he asked.

“Is it possible for someone from the netherworld to get to this world using the gates of spirit and time?” InuYasha asked.

“Hmm, it’s quite possible, but the Shinigami would place a bounty on whoever tried something so stupid. I’ve never heard of a spirit successfully escaping the Netherworld through those means. The Shinigami know these gates well and they place their strongest to prevent the spirits from passing into here and the living from passing into the netherworld…Although…wasn’t his mother-in-law a Shinigami?” Hosenki pondered.

“I don’t know, I thought she was a Yuki-onna” InuYasha responded.

“Strange, I was wondering where Lady Akemi got all that power from. Her father could not have produced that strong of offspring with a Yuki-onna. I could have sworn I heard father mention that she was a Shinigami” he muttered.

Meanwhile in Sadogashima, there were a many daiyoukai on the mountain range looking down at a plain. Youkai were moving human bodies towards the mountains. There was an extremely beautiful woman with long shiny black hair in an Oni mask watching the operation carefully. She wore dark purple lipstick and had a loose ruby red kimono exposing the cleavage of her well-endowed chest. A giant wolf youkai approached her grinning. “We’ve cleared the path of all innocents as you requested, what is your next command, milady?” he asked.

She frowned and looked towards the gathering crowd of spectating daiyoukai and their children they brought along. “I want everyone to clear the area. If they can set up barriers, they can stay, but only if they watch from the mountains” she ordered him. The woman looked up seeing Totosai riding on Momo, which she crossed her arms in annoyance. “I want our men to secure the parameter. I don't want any interruptions” she ordered.

The giant wolf youkai nodded and bowed. “Yes, milady”

She leaped onto Momo standing perfectly balanced on the bull’s head and looked down at Totosai. “Did you bring it?” she asked.

Totosai shivered handing her the yellow pearl, and Myoga jumped onto her shoulder. “It’s wonderful to see you again, milady” he said.

The woman beamed with satisfaction as she gave an evil jolly laugh that made her breasts slosh and bounce about in her kimono. "Very good Myoga. I would have expected to count on you to deliver me that coward, and to think I would have paid him a visit directly and freeze him and his little mountain under a mountain of ice" she said coldly. Totosai shivered as the woman jumped off and ran off towards the center of the valley where there was a lake with a maelstrom spiraling in the center. The woman walked across the ice that spontaneously formed under her feet and stopped at the edge of the whirlpool looking down to see a light in the bottom, which she pulled out two pearls and dropped them into the mighty vortex. The woman formed ice wings and immediately took flight as a huge jet of light shot forth from the bottom of the lake, and the sky grew dark swirling above. The pearls floated in the jet before electricity arched between them as they parted away from each other, and they separated almost the entire width of the valley. Myoga stared in disbelief. “I’ve never seen them separated so far apart before!” he shouted.

The woman laughed evilly once more. “You shouldn’t be so surprised that the gate has to compensate for my husband's enormous size…After all it runs in the family doesn’t it? I wonder how much our son has grown?” she asked as a line of light spanned between the pearls, and the line became two dimensional a rectangle expanding out in width wise. A powerful wind blew from the portal and leveled the villages in front as the height of the gate grew to the size of a mountain. The woman’s heart raced as she flew back to safety as the wind only grew stronger. The lake drained out, and the bay was pushed out to sea exposing the silt and mud. The grass and soil on the shoreline nearest to the gate were stripped down.

Meanwhile at Hosenki’s home, Hosenki and InuYasha both looked towards the north having and seen the column of lights in the distance, and the rapidly approaching roll cloud. Hosenki closed his shell with InuYasha inside before he submerged the shell to the bottom of the lake. “Hey! What are you doing!” he yelled.

Hosenki’s horns began to glow and illuminate the dark space. “Just wait a moment for it to pass” he said.

InuYasha looked towards his hip to see that Tetsusaiga began to vibrate and rattle in its scabbard. “What’s going on!?” he yelled.

"The gate has opened!" Hosenki said plainly.

At Kaede’s village the violent storm arrived and bent the pine trees to the point where they snapped, and some of the roofs where ripped off and thrown into the paddy fields. Lightning struck the bell tower and set it ablaze. Once the storm ceased, Kagome ran outside looking for anyone who was hurt and saw a great number of casualties. Sango ran out in a panic screaming, “Jun! Kei! Where are you!?”

Kagome heard crying in the mess hall, which Shippo had the twins clutching onto him with the tables piled on top of them. He checked himself to see if he was injured before he looked at the twins assessing their well-being. He moved the tables, and Kagome helped the twins climb over the wreckage. “Where did that come from!?” he shouted before he noticed the light in the sky. “What’s that!?” he shouted. Sango looked to see the northern lights overhead as she picked her daughters up. “The gate must have been opened” she said before she brought her daughters inside to treat their wounds.

Kagome checked Shippo seeing he had a cut on his forehead. “You did a brave thing…” she said.

“I’m fine, other people are hurt more than I am” Shippo said as he rubbed his shoulder.

In the present, the ground began to shake violently at the Higurashi shrine, and the roof to the well house exploded with a jet of light soaring into the sky. Splinters of the roofing showered on the shrine and the nearby streets. The glass shattered and car alarms and sirens echoed throughout the streets, and Sota and his friends ran to the window seeing the roof to the well house completely gone. “Whoa!?” his friend shouted looking up at the light towering over the city. Helicopters were already circling around the column of light and continued to do so as the light faded.

Sota and his friends ran downstairs where his grandfather stopped them. “What are you doing!? It’s too dangerous!” he shouted. There were power flashes, and the lights went out inside, which the three ran outside anyway.

The grandfather chased after them, and he fell to his knees seeing the well house screaming, “It’s gone! It’s all gone!”

Sota looked into the remains, and he smiled. “No look! It’s still here!” he shouted.

The grandfather rushed over to the well house and saw that the well finally stopped glowing. “At least that’s over” he mumbled before he looked up at void where the roof used to be. “It’s going to take weeks to repair everything” he said.

Hitomi frowned. “Do weird stuff like this always happens around your family?” she asked.

Sota shook his head. “There was only a couple things that happened but nothing like this” he said.

Meanwhile at Hosenki’s home, his shell resurfaced, and once his shell opened, the landscape looked very different. The ground was littered with tree limbs and debris, and the trees were stripped bare of vegetation however most were toppled over lying down like match sticks. “What just happened?” he asked.

Hosenki stroked his mustache. “Well…The strength of this phenomenon is different every time the portal is opened, but what you just saw was what I call a youki burst” he said.

“A youki burst?” InuYasha asked.

“Yea, I think of it as a bubble popping. The bubble is the boundary between this world and the realm of spirit and time. Inside is the realm is buildup of youki pressure from all the occupants inside. The portal pops the bubble, and the wind is the sound in this case. Totosai was foolish to allow the pressure to build this much” Hosenki said before he cleared his throat. “Whatever is coming out is big…really big” he said.

InuYasha gulped. “How big?” he asked.

Hosenki chuckled. “I would have to say mountain sized or at least a castle…reminds me of your father” he said seeing that Tetsusaiga was still rattling.

Meanwhile at the portal the wind died down, and the woman rushed over to see something coming out from the gate. The silhouette of two men in armor grew larger before they took a step past the threshold. The men were ants compared to the door, which one of them looked up and gasped. “Father! Why is the gate so big?” he asked. The father kept walking not saying a word, and his son growled at him. “Look!” he shouted.

The father looked at the woman who smirked at him and sighed. “Never look back, Toga! There’s always something to look forward to” he said.

Toga scowled at him. “What is that supposed to mean?” he shouted.

The woman ran up to the father and embraced him. “My husband…” she said before she lifted her mask. “Wow…you look great” she said before she planted a kiss on his lips. “I’ve waited for fifty years for you to return” she said.

Her husband sighed heavily and groaned in discomfort. “It felt like five thousand years” he said before he embraced her.

Myoga jumped onto his shoulder. “Lord InuGenki…there’s a problem with Master InuYasha…” he said.

“I’m in no mood to be meddling with his affairs today…I’m tired, I’m sore, I need a bath, and Lady Akemi needs me to be a husband right now. Is it really a big enough problem that I need to skip these things?” InuGenki asked.

Myoga shook his head. “No, I understand. You do have until the New Moon, milord” he said before he bowed. InuGenki glanced at him sternly understanding InuYasha's situation completely. After Toga ran off, InuGenki looked at his wife. “Do you want me to fly you home?” he asked.

She looked rather annoyed at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “If you’re sore…I could have someone help you…” she said firmly.

He laughed at her. “I’m sore, I’m not crippled…” he said before he picked her up causing her to blush. “I’m going to make it up to you” he said as he flew off.

She reached up and rubbed his dog ears. “I’m sure you will” she said before she closed her eyes. "I want another child" she told him as she nuzzled into his neck. He did not flinch to that request, but he did give her an amused look as if anticipating this from her.