Gold eyes filled my vision and I blinked, backing up. "Inu Yasha," I said and touched his face. "I'm back again." I looked around my room as if it may disappear any second. When it stayed there I stood, looking determined at the two boys sitting on my bed. I pulled Inu Yasha up by his hand and then did the same for Taomaru. "Come on! I gots me and idea!" And I ran down the stairs and began packing. We were running out of time and had a lot to do.

By the time we were done, we were all being weighed down by bursting-at-the-seams packs. I left a note for my mom and family, explaining why the house was now missing its portable generator, all the lamps, the stereo, almost every CD in the house- those were only a few things; the list went on and on. I didn't list everything we took- didn't want to make them worry or anything. I left it on the table and watched as Inu Yasha carried more stuff through the well and into the Warring States. Because Inu Yasha could hop back and forth through time with no problem, he was playing grunt and ferrying things through the well. I had gone shopping, briefly, leaving Inu Yasha and Taomaru to pack. I prayed I was right as I jogged up the Shrine steps, weighted down with shopping bags filled with walkie talkies and batteries of all shapes and sizes to power all the modern marvels that were going with us.

Everything we had packed had made it Sesshomaru's castle- there was just a few odds and ends to go now. I beckoned Taomaru to come with me, into the almost forgotten garage that housed most of my dad's belongings, the stuff mom couldn't part with after he passed away. I hoped that she wouldn't be too pissed that I was dragging most of it through time. I flicked the lights, looking at all the dusty sheets that took up the floor. So many memories, so many old dreams that never had a chance to come true. It was depressing standing among them, tearing away their covers and baring the old boxes to the world again.

"What's that?" Taomaru asked, running his hand over the handles of my father's motorcycle. It was a 1975 FXE Harley, a trinket my father had picked up one day while visiting the United States.  Taomaru caressed the seat, smoothing his hands over the soft leather. Some nights, every now and then, my mother disappeared into the garage. I had asked her when I was young what she did in here and I always got the same reply. "Reminiscing." She'd say with a smile that was sometimes sad, sometimes happy. The motorcycle still ran, the leather always oiled, so I guess my father's motor head ways had rubbed off on my mom in their own way. I grinned as I touched the bike, reminiscing in my own way. Dad had loved his bike, as much as he had loved me and mom and Sota after he was born several years later. Memories of 'helping' my dad work on the bike accompanied me as I flipped the kickstand up, balancing the heavy bike as I rolled it out the door, the silver flame paint job flashing merrily in the sunlight.

"Something I hopefully won't have to use. You can lift this right?" Taomaru nodded, looking at me with raised brows. I parked the bike again and went back inside the garage, picking and choosing boxes after looking at their labels. I found the gas cans, filled in case of emergency, and left them near the bike. When I was done I clicked off the lights, and picked up the boxes, carrying as much as I could while Inu Yasha lifted the rest. Behind us, Taomaru brought the bike, hefting it as if it weighed nothing. The two guys watched me strangely; a look that didn't leave their faces even after everyone and everything was in the Warring States.

A half hour later, in the Higirashi home.

Sota Higirashi came home, his mother and Grandfather in tow. The boy was happy to be home but was unable to express it verbally. As soon as the front door was unlocked, he ran inside jogging up the steps to check if Kagome was home. He could hear his mother downstairs, calling his sister to the living room. No answer was forth coming- aside from the recently returned trio, the house was silent and empty.

He poked his head into Kagome's room, hoping that she was just taking a nap and that was why she did not answer their mother. He was disappointed by the unoccupied room but alarmed by the state it was now in. At a glance, it appeared as if Kagome's room had been hit by a small tornado. Clothes were strewn about all over the furniture and floor. Dresser drawers had been pulled out and leaned precariously from their settings. The closet had been pulled open, displaying haphazardly arranged boxes that had previously been neatly stacked. Kagome's huge backpack was missing and Sota assumed that the destination was her doing. Her personal stereo was also missing along with all the CDs that were usually stacked around it. All her perfume bottles and make up were gone.

Sota frowned and, on a hunch, went into his room. Sure enough, the ransacking had reached in here as well. He was relieved to see that all his special possessions and treasures had carefully been left alone, the path of pillaging only centered around his closet, and boxes of old sporting equipment. Some of his older clothes were missing but aside from that, his CDs and the equipment, everything else had been left alone.

Still frowning and wondering what was going on, he went downstairs, stopping in the kitchen on his way to find his mother. Sota looked in the fridge, noticed they were out of milk and reached for the pen and paper on the table to write a message for his mother. He paused and read the paper, realizing it was a note from his sister. Sota forgot about the contents of the fridge and ran to give the note to his mother.

He raced through the house and out the door, jumping up and down in front of his mother to get her attention. Sota shoved the note at her and took the small suitcase she was carrying away when she told him to wait. "Sota! What could possibly be… so… important?" Mrs. Higirashi stopped talking and read the note. Her father came over and read the paper over her shoulder. The three looked at each other anxiously and then went to the shrine proper to pray for Kagome's and everyone else's safety.

'Dear Mama, Grampa, and Sota (if you're home),

Sorry I missed you and couldn't say good bye properly but something important has come up. I won't be home for a while because war has broken out in the Feudal age. This war is different from the ones that mark this time- it's not humans fighting against each other this time (that would be too easy) it's a fight between youkai.

An army that has already conquered the Southern Kingdom now has its sights set on the Western Lands- the area Inu Yasha and I travel around in our search for the Shikon shards, the place where Tokyo will one day stand as well as our shrine. We've teamed up with most of the youkai in the area, including Inu Yasha's brother Sesshomaru. He's the ruler of the Western Lands and needs our help to defend them.

We've taken a lot of stuff from this age to fight them- Sota's old sporting stuff, medical supplies, and food. You may notice that all the CDs are gone as is the family stereo as well as the emergency generator. Mom, you're going to have to put a hold on reminiscing for a while- I took most of Dad's stuff with me. Sorry. I'll bring back everything, hopefully intact, and tell you all about what happened.

If you're wondering about the dogs, I brought them with me. I didn't know when you would all be back from the hospital so they had to take a trip through the well too. Sota, if you're home, I hope you feel better soon. Gramps, you better come up with more plausible excuses- if all else fails tell them the truth. The worst that'll happen is that they'll think you are senile. Mama, please don't worry- Inu Yasha will keep me safe. I love you all and will see you soon.

-Kagome

XOXO

PS. We're out of milk.'