Rain fall, in the middle of the winter in temperatures so cold it should have just turned to snow. Kagome stood outside of her village gazing at the sky; the clouds were so thick that no stars could be seen. Inuyasha and Miroku had left to go get more fire wood, a white wisp of bitter hot air stung the freezing Ora of the night as Kagome sighed. Sango groaned softly from her spot on the ground. She sat there Indian style on a palate of furs and floor pillows close enough to the fire to feel it’s warmth. Sango rubbed her growing belly and smiled a bit. It had been a long battle with naraku but he was gone, finally and she could start her life anew, by giving new life. “Come sit with me Kagome, Inuyasha and miroku shall be back soon…it’s cold at the door” Sango called pouring her and kagome a cup of tea. Kagome nodded and took her seat, she gazed into the fire. “It’s not them I’m worried about”  She thought.  “Something just doesn’t feel right..”  kagome let her thoughts slip between her lips in a light murmur. “What do you feel kagome?” Sango asked setting down her tea. The tension and unease of the air around them, the silence made the cups light clank against the wooden floor seem like a prolonged echo.

Mulan sat quietly with Liu Liao playing a game of Go “you know I am no good at this game cousin” Mulan said with a soft giggle. Liu Liao glanced up at Mulan her Amber eyes burning with a warmth of the sun. Mulan gave a soft smile but her eyes went to the window. “the rain hasn’t  let up…its been two whole weeks now” she said. Liu Liao frowned lightly “it is odd…I hope…I hope father and my uncles are ok” she said softly that warmth in her amber eyes fading quickly. Mulan waved her hands furiously and cracked a nervious smile “don’t think I like I didn’t mean to worry you Liu Liao I am sure their fine….I was only commenting about the weather” Mulan said in a stammering rush. Liu Liao nodded and made another move on the Go board. “I suppose your right…after all…Shang, Gaun yu, Zhange Fei, Father, and your father are strong…bad weather, isn’t anything to them” Liu Liao smiled with her statement as did Mulan “your right there” Mulan added giving a true smile this time. Mulan forcoused on the Go board, trying to figure out her next move. Liu Liao stood up and walked to the window “yet still…” Liu Liao thought.

Tomoe stood in the garden of her lord’s castle. Her long black hair soaked in the rain, she had just came back from from praying at the temple. Her blue and white miko robes darkend with water. “this weather…it is a bad omen” she thought looking up at the sky she closed her eyes the droplets burning against her cold skin. “Lady Tomoe!” a soft gentle voice called almost like that of a young girl. Tomoe looked behind her, her eyes where distant. “Yes ranmaru…” she said turning to face the boy. Ranmaru blushed as the Miko faced him, her otherwise loose clothing now clung to her body in the rain, showing off her curves, she stood completely still as if the edge of the cold and rain did not affect her in the least bit. While he himself shivered like a rattle snakes tail under the pressure of the cold and wet nature of the world around him. “Lady t-tomoe…its cold out, you’ll get sick. You must come inside” He managed to speak. Tomoe’s look sofend a bit and she smiled. “It’s you whom should be inside dear mori…I am sure master mitsuhide is in search for you.” She said walking past him. Ranmaru followed behind her. “He sent me Lady Tomoe…Lord Nobunaga…and Lady Noh, they wish to speak with you” He said. Tomoe stopped “what for?” she said facing him. “They’ve not spoken to me common since I refused to marry that Hideyoshi Toyotomi…” She said. Ranmaru shrugged “I suppose I do not know what for…but it must be of some importance” he said. Tomoe nodded “right lets go mori” she said gesturing for Ranmaru to lead the way.

Tomoe entered the Great hall with Ranmaru, she looked to Lord Nobunaga but only found a cluster of his generals surrounding him, As well as Allied Officers the spokesmen for the allied forces.  “ my lord, what’s going on” Tomoe asked her voice as urgent but her face as it always has failed her in the attempt to look like one of authority. Lord Nobunaga stood up from his seat. “You are here” He said. Tomoe nodded and pushed her way into the crowd, she stood next to Mitsuhide. “What’s going on….why a counsel?” She asked. “This weather is strange Lady Tomoe…and our warriors have seen strange red lighting stricking the lands…they sky is so dark that it is as if the sky isn’t there at all anymore” Oichi said nervously. “I’ve called you, being the miko you are…to tell us what you sense from this” Lord Nobunaga said. Tomoe was silent for a moment before sighing “I feel…I feel it is a bad omen” she said, the small crowd began to whisper amongst themselves.  “Although I do not know what for…I am sorry to say that…that we shall not know until whatever is on its way…is already upon us” She said darkly.

“Hey Kagome” a tall slender Kitsune called his long ponytail soaked in an auburn rope down his back. “shippo?” Kagome said standing up quickly wrapping a blanket around him. “Where are Inuyasha and Miroku?” she asked. “I don’t know a large lightning bolt struck the light was too bright. When it faded Miroku and Inuyasha were gone!” Shippo said his voice cracking slightly. “What?!” Sango called hopping to her feet, the unborn life within her not happy with the sudden move cause her to feel ill, she groaned. “sango you should sit back down” Kagome urged. “No” Sango said waving and willing away the feeling “I’m fine” she said. Kagome grabbed her bow and headed outside of the hut. “What…” she muttered gazing at the sky. Shippo helped sango to the door and carried her Hirakotsu for her as well. Kagome couldn’t find the words to describe what was in front of her eyes. Sango fallowed her friends pointed finger, her arm was quivering slightly. “Where’s the sky….”

“Damn it!” Inuyasha cursed loudly “nothing looks familiar and we’re going in circles!” he barked in frustration. Miroku looked around the forest had changed quite a bit “your right…and there is no sign of shippo” the monk added. “This isn’t good” He muttered. Inuyasha looked up a tall tree “wait here Miroku, I’m gonna climb that tree and see if I can see the village” He said. “Right” Miroku said standing at the ready with his staff in front of him. Inuyasha using his demonic abilities hopped from one tree branch to the next, until he reached the top. “What” he whispered scanning the land. “What do you see?” Miroku called up to him. Inuyasha grunted and grubbed his eyes as if it were just an illusion. “Inuyasha?” Miroku called quietly before scaling the tree himself. After some time Miroku reached the top of the tree. “What is it inuyasha?” He asked the hanyou nodded ahead of him “look for yourself” he said. Miroku looked at his surroundings. All he could see was an endless foreign forest and a jet black sky. The clouds were gone, the moons did not shine, the stars had died, and red bolts of lightning struck randomly around in the forest. “this cannot be good” Miroku  stammered.Kagome was now drenched in rain herself, same went for Shippo and Sango. “I think we should head back…They’re not out here and Sango needs to get out of the cold” Shippo said. Kagome nodded “your right” she said turning to face the two. “We’ll give it til’ morning, if they don’t show up by morning we’ll search again.” Kagome added. “We’ll never find them in this darkness” She signed butting away her bow.

Liu L

iao stirred in her sleep her arm slipped off t he Go board taking some game pieces with it. The soft clatter of the pieces hitting the ground disturbed Mulan’s slumber causing her to stir as well. Sun was shining through the windows of the house now, and birds where singing, yet the air seem unnatural. “General Fa, General Liao!” A lieutenant called bursting through the door. Mulan awoke with a start and fell back out of her chair. Liu Liao knocked the whole Go board off of the stable as she stood up instantly. “Did I win?” she asked in a confused daze. Mulan shook her head waking up fully. Liu Liao quickly caught on as well as she had been shaken awake to. “Your fathers and uncles…they’ve not returned…and no one’s seen them!” The man said clearly shaken. “What do you mean no one’s seen them” Liu Liao asked trying to remain calm Mulan rushed to the shaken man “where is shang and my father!” She demanded. Liu Liao rested her hand on her cousins shoulder “calm down mulan…he doesn’t know, else he’s have never come to us” She said. Mulan looked at Liu Liao sadly but nodded “I’m Sorry” she said to the Lieutenant.  “Its understandable general…also General Cao Ren is here to see you…lord Cao cao is missing as well.” The man said getting himself together. “Right, thank you Lieutenant” Mulan said before rushing out of the house, Liu Liao following closely behind her.

Tomoe Sat upon her horse holding the reigns tightly as it was very uneasy and distressed, all the horses had been this way ever since the storm ended. “Lord Nobunaga, Ranmaru and I shall Patrol the Lands…it’s far too strange that everything’s so clear after such a storm, we’ll report back with any news we find” She said. Lord Nobunaga nodded “very well” he said with little interest as the two rode off. “Maybe it was just a normal storm Lady Tomoe” Ranmaru said as the castle got father away. “Maybe, but something isn’t settling right with me…many of our allies and foes have come up missing, that’s not normal is it mori?” Tomoe asked. Ranmaru shook his head “no I guess not…what do you thinks happened?” He asked. Tomoe shook her head and urged her horse to ride faster “I wish I knew” she muttered. Tomoe and Ranmaru ran for hours, the land seemed deserted. The two halted their horses by a river to rest. “I’m embarrassed to say I’ve no clue which way we are headed…the land doesn’t look the same anymore” Tomoe sighed. Ranmaru cupped his hands and drank water from the river “dont be Lady Tomoe…strange things are happening I wouldn’t doubt that the lands not the same lands at all” He said standing up. The surrounding bushes begain to russle , Ranmaru drew out his Odachi and stood in front of Tomoe protectively, ready to strike.  Ranmaru held his breath as he waited. “hey call of your runt will ya, before I have to hurt him” An amused voice stated. A man with wild blonde hair that fell to his knees huge in stature stepped through the bushes. “Runt?” Ranmaru muttered slightly offended. Tomoe smiled and sighed in relief. “Keiji” she said in a warm greeting. “Hey there little Tomoe, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see you” Keiji said chuckling his laughter was short lived as be became half way serious. “Something strange is going on” He added. Ranmaru sheathed his Odachi “yes we know, the lands not the same and officers have gone missing” He chimed in. Keiji nodded “yeah but that’s not all, strange warriors have been seen roaming the lands, I don’t know who they are, but I’ve never seen ‘em around before” Keiji said. Tomoe tiled her head “strange…warriors huh” she said her mind drifting off into her own thoughts. Keiji nodded. “I’ve heard talk of Demons as well, presents and villagers have said they’ve seen demon girl traveling the land, they’re frightened of her, others say there’s a dog demon traveling the lands and a spider demon too” Keiji continued. “D-dog demon?” Tomoe stammered her eyes were wide and her posture ridged. “does it mean anything to you Lady Tomoe?” Ranmaru asked timidly, however Tomoe had zoned out. A vision of a man with thick white hair and bright amber eyes came to her mind, he had the ears of an animal and beside him another man he too had flowing white hair and amber eyes but he looked regal like a lord. “Lady Tomoe” Ranmaru called louder resting his hand on her shoulder. Tomoe came back to reality and looked down at the boy dazed. “Forgive me…” she said simply. “We should travel towards the area’s these stories are coming from and see if we can get any information.” Tomoe said. “Or see if they are true” She added. “Right then we can report back to Lord Nobunaga” Ranmaru said in agreement “you still tied down to him?” Keiji asked Tomoe as she mounted her horse. “Aren’t you?” she asked before letting him mount her horse in front of her, before they took off riding yet again.

Kagome stood outside of her hut with Sango, wide eyed and speechless, her hut was the same but the village in which it was in was not. “I don’t understand it’s like we were picked up and dropped off in a whole new town” Kagome said “and I thought I was feeling like Dorothy when I fell down the well…” she muttered. Sango nodded her head still in far too much shock to fathom just what was going on. Shippo walked out of the hut, sango’s hirakotsu slung over his back. “We might as well go take a look” he said before walking down the road. Kagome and sango followed behind him. As they travel down the road all they came across where unsettled villagers, none of whom looked familiar to Kagome, Sango, or shippo. Up ahead lay an Castle. “we must be in Castle town” Shippo said. Kagome shook her head “no it looks that way but that’s not the same castle” She said. “your right kagome, so then where are we?” Sango said absently rubbing her stomach. “I don’t know but I bet whoever the lord is of that castle will know” Kagome said.