Rai and Kagome land in the well. Rai looks back, only to see a wooden ladder and a darken top of the ceiling. "Shippo? Where is he?"

"Rai, he's not there. We're in my time." Rai sees the toy still clasped in her hands. She holds it close to her, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Kagome, will I see him again?" Kagome nods and embraces her. Rai sobs in her arms.

"You will because you love him so much. It's only for three days." 'Rai, I know this feeling. I've been there before with InuYasha.'

In the midst of their embrace, a bright light illuminates the walls of the well. A dark gray-haired woman glances down at the two in the well. She spots Rai's hair and doggy ears. "InuYasha? Is that you?"

"I'm not him. I'm not even a man," Rai struggles to her feet and stares back at the woman.

"Mom, this is the hanyou samurai girl I told you about," replies Kagome.

Rai climbs up the ladder first to greet the woman. Rai stands in front of her and bows to her. "Now I'm certain you're not InuYasha. You're much more polite."

"Sorry about your father passing like this," Rai embraces her.

"He wasn't my father," Kagome's mother corrects Rai, "He was my late husband's father." "So you're Rai. My name's Saya. Saya Higarashi."

Kagome climbs out of the well and hugs her mother. Rai sniffs the air. "Who else is here?"

"My brother, Sota, his wife Hitomi, and the kids are in for the funeral. They live where you used to, Rai."

"They drove up here yesterday," replies Saya.

"From Kyoto? Wow, talk about close." Rai follows Kagome and Saya out of the well shrine and stares out across the courtyard. "Oh my. This is impressive. Is all this yours?"

"The whole place belonged to Grandpa," explains Kagome, "This whole area from this well, to the sacred tree, and to the house. That's our home."

Rai pans the area, until she spots the figure of an old man wearing a lavender kimono and steel-gray hakama. "Is that he? That old man standing beside the sacred tree."

"What old man?" asks Saya. Rai points to the decorated tree where she sees the man. "I don't see anyone."

"Rai, nobody can. Mom, I forgot to tell you she can see ghosts. Rai's got clairvoyance and is able to talk to the dead. She's most likely seeing Grandpa over there."

"I can help you to see him, Saya. You can talk to him if you'd like."

"You can? You're that good of a psychic?"

"She helped InuYasha talk with his father, and he's been dead since InuYasha's birth."

"I also let Shippo see his father. Shippo hadn't seen him in thirty years. His father died when Shippo was only a boy." Rai clasps onto the spinning top.

"Who's Shippo?" asks Saya.

"He's that little fox kid I told you about years ago. Now he's grown into a man, and Rai's been seeing him. It was hard to get her to come here."

"I understand. She's in love, just like you were with InuYasha. She's lonely without him." Rai stands still holding the toy close to her chest. "What's that in your hand?"

Rai shows the top to Saya. "This belongs to him. His father gave him this top, just before he died. He gave it to me so it's like I have him with me in this world." Rai's tears trickle down her face.

"Do you think it was a good idea bringing her here, Kagome? It's only been thirty minutes and she's missing him already."

"No. I'll be okay. I'll just have to get past these three days and after that, I'll see him again. If I can go two months without him, then three days should be nothing. It'll be okay." Rai brushes her tears from her eyes.

The women walk toward the house and Rai sees a black-haired man, the same size as Shippo, appears in the doorway of the house. Stepping outside with him is a woman with black pigtails in her hair and a protruding round stomach. "Wow, Hitomi," chimes Kagome, "You've gotten big. Last time I saw you was four months ago."

"It happens, Kagome. The doctor said I'll be due any day now."

"I could tell," chimes Rai, "I felt your baby's spirit. This one is anxious. He says he wants to see what you're really like."

"He?" asks Hitomi, "But how do you know? I begged the ultrasound technician to tell me, but he refused, said to wait until the baby comes."

"We were assuming this child was another girl," Sota replies in excitement.

Rai shakes her head. "No, I can sense the child's spirit. I see him in my mind. I see the child in there and he's definitely a boy."

"Sota, Rai is psychic. She can see things not very many people can. When we emerged from the well, she saw Grandpa's ghost right away. When I looked where she was pointing, I could see him, faintly."

"Mom, what's going on?" asks a ten-year-old girl, emerging from the house, followed by a four-year-old girl. The four-year-old clings to Hitomi's mauve maternity dress.

"That lady looks like Uncle InuYasha," blurts out the four-year-old.

"Hanna, Yami, this is Rai," chimes Kagome, "She's my other niece from the Feudal Era." "Where's Kayla?"

"Your daughter has her. Well Kayla's two and is being potty trained. You know how that goes, sis."

Yami walks out cautiously to Rai, investigating her. "What's this metal stuff you're wearing? What are these things on your belt?"

"Samurai swords. I'm a trained samurai. All this metal is my armor. It's made so if I get into battle against someone, I'm less likely to get injured."

"What's that in your hand? Looks like a toy."

"A toy?" pipes Hanna, "Let me see the toy." Hanna races up to Rai. Rai shows the top to the kids. "Can I play with it?"

"Yeah, give it to her!" demands Yami.

"Yami and Hanna!" Hitomi scolds them, "That's Rai's. Perhaps she doesn't want to hand it over."

"It's my boyfriend's spinning top. It was his when he was a kid. He said his father gave it to him. He gave it to me to keep until I return."

"See, what did I tell you girls? That toy has sentimental value," explains Hitomi.

"Mommy, can baby see toy?" asks Hanna.

"She isn't born yet. Not now. Wait until our sister is born."

"Uh…girls," smiles Sota, "There's something about the baby. Rai says the baby is a he. You're getting a little brother."

"A brother?" replies Yami in surprise, "But I was so sure this was a girl. How can it be a boy?"

"Have you prepared a name for a boy yet?" asks Saya.

"We've thought of a few, but we don't know."

"What was your grandfather's name?" asks Rai. "Perhaps giving him that name will be sentimental to you."

"Ichiro. Ichiro Higarashi," Saya sighs deeply, "Sota, I think it would honor his memory if you named your son Ichiro."

Sota extends his hand to Rai. "If you'd like to join us, ma'am, we've got lunch being served."

"I smelled it. My nose's been twitching from inside the well. It smells like beefsteak with white rice in sweet n' sour sauce, sea bass sushi, salad with carrots, yellow cheese, and tomato dressing, cherry tomatoes, and strawberry short cake for dessert."

"That was very accurate. Not even InuYasha is that good," Sota responds with a surprised look on his face.

"Rai's a cook," explains Kagome, "Preparing food is her favorite hobby."

Rai bows before Sota, and steps inside. She quickly steps out of her sandals and sets her swords by the door. She touches the swords and closes her eyes. "I've made Hiun aware you folks mean no harm. I still advice you not to touch the swords."

"Yami knows not to touch InuYasha's sword," informs Hitomi. "You girls, don't be touching anything that belongs to Rai-san. You must get her permission first. If she says no, don't bug her."

Rai walks past a decorated room with a golden casket at the base of a Buddha shrine. She glances through the glass and sees the body of the old man she saw in the courtyard. He's dressed in a white kimono and surrounded by red rose petals. Rai kneels on the floor beside him, praying and bowing to him. "Oh honorable Buddha. Bless your beloved son, Ichiro-dono. May his journey into Nirvana be a blessed one." "Ichiro Higarashi, if you'll let me stay in this house with you, I will offer you countless blessings and thank-yous." Rai leans over and kisses the portion of the glass covering his head.

"What did he say?" asks Kagome. Sota stares at Kagome with a strange expression.

"Really? Thank you sir. As long as I stay here to watch your body return to the ashes from which it came. I'll honor your request," replies Rai. "Your grandfather says I'm welcomed here and says I can stay as long as I like."

"You're talking to him now?" asks Sota. Rai nods her head.

"He saw us and followed us into the house. I watched him heading our way, but I didn't say anything because I know you most likely can't see him."

"Like Kagome said, Rai's a psychic," sighs Hitomi, "She's able to see and talk to the dead."

"Aren't you scared?" asks Yami. "Ghosts are so scary."

"I'm not afraid of ghosts. Back in my time, I train in a cave under Mount Hiei. There are ghosts all over that place. I'm sort of glad too, because it can get lonely in there."

"I know that place," replies Sota, "The government has made it off limits. It's illegal to enter. Anyone caught goes to jail."

"Jail? That's most likely the safest place. Going even inside the mouth is enough to screw up a person's stomach. Then the deity who owns the mountain sends you a horrible nightmare. The best you can hope for is wetting the bed. You need years of training to endure the hardships of the cave."

"I've had dreams where I wet the bed," recalls Sota, "It usually wasn't because I was scared. One time I thought I was walking through wooded area and I drank a bunch of tea along the way."

"You mean that dream where the water was tea," recalls Hitomi, "I remember waking up to soaked sheets. I thought I was the one who did it."

"That was a long time ago, dear."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was last month. Speaking of which, I'm going upstairs. Our son is sitting on my bladder, I think."

Sota escorts her up the steps. Suddenly a small naked child races out of the bathroom and down the steps. A black-haired young woman with doggy ears chases after the little girl. The child runs across the house and races towards the door, squealing. Rai dashes to the door and swoops down quickly, snagging the child.

"Where do you think you're going, little miss?" smiles Rai. The girl giggles and tries to flee her hold. "Who said you could go outside looking like that?"

"Can I have her?" asks Saya. She kneels beside Rai. "Come to Grandma." Saya picks Kayla up and holds her on her hip.

"Gamma!" she squeals. Kayla looks up at Rai. "Unca Asha."

"No Kayla," corrects Hanna, "She a girl."

"Goil?" asks Kayla, "See a goil ike ee?"

"Right," smiles Saya, "Rai's a girl, like you, like aunt Kagome, and like me."

"Da…ee and Asha?"

"They're boys," corrects Saya. "Guess what, Kayla. Your mommy's baby is a boy."

"Oy? Ba…ee a oy?"

"That's right, Kayla," confirms Rai, "I've got a very strong feeling you girls will be getting a little brother."

Hitomi descends the steps carefully. She pants after the last step. Kagome and Rai walk over to Hitomi. "Are you feeling all right?" asks Kagome.

"Yeah, just let me rest. I had a contraction while sitting on the toilet. But I'm fine now."

"No wonder. He's eager to come out already. He's had enough of these dark quarters."

"Well, are we going to eat?" asks Sota. Rai nods at him and he leads the group through the main entryway to the dining room.

Rai quickly discovers the table hoisted on all the four corners by legs. She examines the first chair she comes to. She rubs her hand around the sturdy oak back and kneels to feel the smoothness of the seat.

"What are you doing?" asks InuYuzu.

"What is this thing? I've seen paintings of it, but what's it's for?"

"Duh, what are you, stupid?" sneers InuYuzu. "You've got to be…"

"InuYuzu!" shouts Kagome angrily, "You've got to remember Rai isn't from this era. She's from the sixteenth century and never seen this world before." Kagome looks at Rai calmly, "It's called a chair. You sit on it. In this era, you sit in a chair at the dinner table, instead of on the floor."

"It's very interesting. To see something like this…I wonder what else this future world has."

"Go ahead and sit there," suggests Sota.

Rai pulls it out and cautiously sits on the seat. In front of her, she sees the table with a platter of beefsteak with sweet n' sour sauce, a large bowl of salad and a tray of sushi in the center. Aligning the table are prepared place settings, complete with a small bowl of rice, a hot cup of green tea, and an empty plate with a pair of chopsticks in the center. "It's just like at home."

To Rai's left, Kagome sits close to her, and then Hanna sits in her booster chair between Kagome and InuYuzu. Directly in front of Rai, sits Saya. To Saya's right, sits Hitomi and Kayla in her highchair. Next to Kayla, sits Yami. Finally Sota sits between Yami and Rai.

"Since we're all gathered here, we should hold hands," suggests Sota.

Rai nods and holds hands with Kagome and Sota, with Shippo's top still in her hand with Sota's. Rai closes her eyes. "My thoughts today are with those who can't share in this wonderful meal this family is about to enjoy. Including Ichiro Higarashi, who no longer resides in this world and the man in my life, Shippo, who hasn't the ability to cross through the well."

"Well said, Rai," comments Sota.

"Can we just eat?" smirks Hitomi, "This boy is hungry!"

"So is this one," laughs Sota. Rai retreats her hands and slides the top into a pocket on her legging.

"Rai, do I have to show you how things work?"

Rai shakes her head. "Once I see how you use something, it's easy to figure out how. Like those solid things in the salad bowl. It looks like two ladles facing each other, with some pivot in the center controlling its actions."

"That's a pair of plastic tongs," Sota points out. "You use it to grab food out of bowls." Sota demonstrates, by grabbing a serving of salad with them and putting the food on his plate. Rai watches him intently, studying his actions.

Sota offers her the tongs. She attempts to grab salad. "This is…such a challenge." She finally grabs a serving of salad and places it on her plate.

"How do you not know how to use this stuff?" InuYuzu sighs, impatiently.

"Because we serve food differently. It's usually not set on a table with grabbing aids in the bowls. You have ladles for soup, but not much else other than chopsticks. When I set a place for someone, I have the food already on their plates and bowls."

"That's how things usually are," confirms Kagome. "You must understand the Warring States era is a far different place in time than here in the 21st century. In Rai's and your father's time, people are just learning how to use things. Silverware, chairs, guns…are all new concepts only a handful of people understand yet."

"I've been looking around this room and there are things here I don't know. Like what's that thing on the wall behind Saya's head? It looks like a white box with a solid flat handle."

Saya turns to look at what Rai's describing. "That's a telephone. You use that to talk to someone long distance from you. It beats not having to walk or send a messenger to them."

After the food is passed around, Rai attempts to eat her salad with her chopsticks. "What? Why isn't this working?"

Kagome picks up a tiny silver fork. Rai finds one beside her plate. She studies Kagome's actions and mimics them.

Rai glances around the room when she feels a strong presence behind her. She follows a dark silhouette hovering slowly around the table. "Sir, do you know how rude it is to watch people eat?"

She watches a piece of sushi float in midair. "Yes, she made that. No, you can't have it. You're dead, that's why."

"Who are you talking to?" asks InuYuzu.

"Sounds like Grandpa," sighs Saya, "Perhaps he feels left out and wants to join us."

"Sounds like something he'd want to do. He'd always sit down with us for a meal," recalls Sota.

"Well he needs to realize what he's doing is just weird," sighs Rai.

"Wish I was psychic like that," sighs InuYuzu, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"It's not something that can be taught," replies Kagome, "Rai was born with the ability to do that. She's also a natural-born sorceress. Perhaps both abilities are one in the same."

"But how can she be like that? I'm a hanyou too, but I don't have abilities like that."

"I could help you see your grandfather," suggests Rai, "Maybe right after this meal you call lunch."

"You mean like forming a séance?" asks Hitomi.

"A séance is for calling forth a spirit. There's no need for one if the spirit is already present," explains Rai. "I will have to put you to sleep, though. Ghosts communicate the best when you're asleep."

"If you're going to do this…Mom can you excuse us?" asks Kagome.

"Sure dear."

Rai stands up from the table with Kagome.

"Where are you going?" asks InuYuzu.

"To the bathroom. When Rai puts you out, she extracts your ghost from your body. I don't want come back to my body with peed-on pants."

"Why is Rai going?"

"I don't even know what a bathroom is," shrugs Rai. "In my era when you have to go, you do it outside on the ground."

"Eww, gross. Like a dog," cringes InuYuzu.

Kagome leads Rai to the main room and up a flight of steps. They come to the first door on the center of a long wall. "First thing you do here is knock," explains Kagome. "That lets you know if someone's in here." Kagome slides the door open and flips on the light.

Rai walks in and sees the counter and sink on her left. She rubs her hand over the porcelain basin. She sees the faucet and grabs it. "This is new. What is it?"

"That's a sink. Twist that knob with the blue dot." Rai grabs the knob and loosens it, letting cool water pour out of the faucet. Rai draws her hand across the water. Rai sees a knob with a red dot on the opposite side of the faucet. She loosens it and feels much warmer water pouring out.

"This is so neat. You've got water whenever you want it."

"You don't even need to burn logs in a furnace to heat water anymore." Kagome moves past Rai and points to a white porcelain seat on the floor beside the counter.

"This thing is a modern toilet."

"I see. This is what you use in the future."

"This toilet comes with a lid and a seat. Since we're both girls, you'll only going to need to lift the lid. Lifting the seat is normally something Sota would do. Of course this morning after coming home from Kaede's temple, I had to lift the seat to throw up. I did that twice. Mom was wondering if we had to postpone the funeral. Strange thing was both times, barely anything came out."

"That's what Miroku said this morning." "I'll leave the room so you can…"

"Or just guard the door. I want to talk to you, still." Rai nods and turns towards the door. Kagome pulls her pants down and sits over the bowl. "So what'd you think about coming here?" Kagome asks, starting to pee.

"Interesting bunch. That girl that looks like me, I assume is my cousin."

"That's InuYuzu. Sorry about her attitude. She's usually a nice person, but she gets this snobbish attitude around people she doesn't know."

"Your brother's kids are cute."

"Yeah, you positive I'm getting a nephew?"

"When I looked into his spirit he talked to me in a tone similar to Sota's voice. I saw his body, poised and excited for entry into this world. He's eager."

"You saw the body?"

"His spirit showed it to me. I saw everything about it."

Kagome stands back up and flushes the toilet. "What did you do?" asks Rai

Rai walks over to the toilet, watching the water swirl and drain out the hole at the bottom.

"When you were at Kaede's, when you used her toilet, you had to dump it out and refill it again. Here, all you do is press down on this lever on the tank. It drains the soiled water for you and replenishes it with clean water."

"Can I try this? I want to experience this futuristic living." Rai waits for the water to settle. She slides her leggings down and holds the back flap of her skirt away from her body. She hears a tiny trickling sound clinking against the ceramic bowl. "This does beat sitting on the ground."

Rai looks across the counter and spots a couple of magazines. She picks up one and studies the picture of a woman showing off her breasts. "What is this?" She flips through it to find women showing off their nudity. "Do I turn you on? Whatever that means, no you don't, stupid wench."

Kagome gets a weird look on her face, while washing her hands in the sink. "What are you looking at?"

"Looks like a catalog of brothel paintings. These whores are posing for some sort of sexual arousal." Rai hands up the magazine.

"That's Sota's magazine. How many times does he have to be told to hide this thing? Especially with those little kids around. Hanna and Kayla are way too young to see this."

"I'm done here," Rai starts getting up.

"Before you get up, note the roll of white paper. Tear off about six inches. You clean off with that."

"That again beats rubbing myself on the ground. Okay, so now…" Rai stands up and refits her leggings. She presses her hand on the lever and activates the flush cycle.

"Now you wash your hands in the sink." Kagome grabs a bottle with a pump and squirts soap into Rai's palms. Rai rubs her palms together through the lukewarm water. Rai shakes her wet hands freely, trying to shake off the water.

"Twist the knobs first to shut off the water. It'll be reverse of how you turned them on." Rai nods and screws both knobs until they tighten and the water stops. Kagome hands her a towel.

Rai looks around the room and sees a large sliding along the wall opposite the sink. She slides it open and sees a bathtub. "What's this thing? Looks like one of those water tubs you and Miroku slept in."

"That's a bathtub. It's my comfort zone, like an indoor hot spring. Maybe later on tonight, you can bathe in it. It turns on just like the sink."

"We need to get out of here," Rai replies on alert, "It smells like your mother and Kayla are headed for this room."

Kagome nods and both women exit the bathroom promptly. They meet Saya and Kayla at the top of the stairs. Rai looks at Kayla and sees a tiny trail of white drool with food chunks leading from her chin to her chest. "What happened to you, Kayla?" chimes Kagome.

"She was eating and sneezed really big. Then it made her spit up."

"I git sic ike Aome," Kayla pipes, sticking her fingers in her mouth.

"Yes but she was sick yesterday," replies Rai, "She's all better now. Now she'll be fine for tonight."

"Tonight?" asks Saya.

"You know for the funeral."

"That's been pushed back for tomorrow night. I was concerned when Kagome came home sick. She wasn't the only one. When Sota came through, Yami had to make a mad dash to the bathroom to throw up."

"Why was she sick? She didn't look sick to me."

"Yami gets carsick every once in a while. Sota said he had to pull over three times for her."

"We've also got other family members flying in. My sister's plane had a flight delay. Cali and her husband Michael from America are flying in tonight."

"So are they coming here?" asks Rai.

"For the funeral, but Cali already knows my house is packed now. She and Michael are renting a hotel."

"It might be a blessing, Rai, for the funeral to be tomorrow night."

"I know. I don't like standing out at all."

"What's happening tomorrow?" asks Saya.

"I change into a human," sighs Rai, "More than half of my demonic powers will be drained."

"Only that much?" asks Kagome, "You are different than InuYasha. He loses it all and becomes weak and vulnerable."

"I don't become weak because I turn human. Just that the entire dragon power in my body takes a rest, which means the swords don't work."

"So you're a strong samurai, not just a random sword wielder."

"Sensei knew I was hanyou but didn't want me to rely solely on demon powers for fighting. I use powers to increase the success of a battle, but my true strength is in the martial art itself." Rai suddenly sniffs. "Saya, you'd better get Kayla into the bathroom. She's about to drop something foul."

"Yeah, I smell it too, Mom. She's passing gas," sneers Kagome, holding her nose. Saya nods and walks into the bathroom with the child.

Rai and Kagome walk back down the stairs and back to the dining room. Kagome walks over to Sota. "You left your girly magazine out again."

"I was going to tell him before that contraction threw me off," sighs Hitomi. "What if Hanna saw that? She's just beginning to read and I don't want her reading that disgusting thing."

"Sorry, I was in there earlier doing number two, and I needed something to look at."

"That's fine but then you need to put it in the cabinet afterwards," reminds Hitomi, sipping her tea.

"If I wanted to see something naked to turn me on, I'll go home and look at Shippo."

"I bet you would, Rai," smiles Hitomi.

"Rai's got a hot boyfriend? She's two years younger than me. Wish I had a hot boyfriend?" pouts InuYuzu.

"You keep chasing them off, dear," sighs Kagome, "You make it difficult for guys to hang out with you."

"All the guys I know are nerds or fatties."

"You need to make yourself available and see things from his perspective. It really doesn't matter what he looks like," explains Rai.

"So how far are you with this guy? Are you just dating?"

"You could say that. We've stayed together for two days but met two months ago. Today's the first day we've been separated since we officially became lovers."

"You should have seen it, Hitomi, that was the most tearful, romantic goodbye beside that well. The only other time was when I was fifteen when InuYasha and I first knew each other."

Rai pulls the spinning top out of her pocket. "He gave this to me so I could still feel he was with me in this world. I gave him my furry stole for the very same reason."

"That's love for you," smiles Hitomi.

"I was wondering why you had that toy with you," replies InuYuzu.

Sota sighs while looking at Hitomi. "So are we going to do this séance thing?"

"Why are you looking at me? Rai's the psychic."

"As soon as your mother gets downstairs with Kayla, we can begin this thing."

"Do you really extract our souls for this?" asks Sota.

"It's much easier to touch your grandfather if you're a ghost like he is. You won't die. A pseudo soul will be in place to keep your body alive. However they don't do much else. If you have to go, do it now." Sota stands up and walks out of the room.

"But Saya's still in the bathroom," reminds Rai.

"There's a small second one down here. It's just a toilet and a sink. It was built for Grandpa when he got sick," informs Kagome.

"I had a major pee before lunch, so I'm fine," replies Hitomi.

"You haven't finished your food," Rai points out.

"I'm not hungry. My appetite is decreasing as of late," informs Hitomi.

"That means the birth will be soon," smiles Kagome.

"So why are you doing this?" asks InuYuzu, "Letting us see Great grandpa. What's in it for you?"

"I'm a granddaughter too. I know what it's like to be loved by such a wonderful man. He's dead but because I can see him, Jii-chan has been in my life for as long as I know. I talk to him all the time. He's my best friend, my role model, and the first man I've ever loved."

"This man is your grandfather as well, InuYuzu. You ought to meet him sometime. Your father's father."

"My dad, InuYasha. Wait if Rai and I are cousins…my uncle is…"

"My father is Sesshomaru-sama. What about it?" asks Rai.

"Yeah. That guy is scary. He's a full demon has no problem killing people he hates. He attempts Dad's life numerous times. They're brothers."

"I've asked him to stop. Well actually, Jii-chan relayed the message to me to tell Chichi-ue. I told Chichi-ue it doesn't matter anymore. He loves both his sons and doesn't want them to fight. He wants them to stop."

"How did Sesshomaru react?" asks Kagome.

"He broke down. I had taken behind the ramen shop because he was going to cry. Then I held onto him and let him cry as much as he wanted."

"That's rare for Sesshomaru to do that. You must have really got to him, Rai."

"Why would you do that to him?" asks InuYuzu.

"When you're hurting or feeling lost, a good cry helps," explains Sota, returning from the bathroom. "When I heard Grandpa was dead, I felt I lost what mattered to me. I went into my bedroom and laid on the bed, crying as hard as I could. That's all I did, for three hours."

"I sat on the bed beside him and did the best I could to comfort him."

"It was as painful for me, to watch him die," sighs Kagome, "I wished he could stay a little longer. He tried, but it wasn't meant to be. So much I want to tell him." Rai touches Kagome's shoulder.

"That's why I'm doing this for you. So you cannot only see him, but you can talk to him again. This is my gift to you. I have no money for a gift. I forgot to bring it with me to this world."

"Your money is no good here," informs Kagome, "Many merchants here would think spending gold would be strange."

"You use gold?" asks Hitomi.

"That's how you buy things," explains Kagome, "It's considered currency in the Feudal Era, same way as we view yen in our era."

InuYuzu stands up and walks out of the room. "If you want to know where I am, I'm in the bathroom. I'm going upstairs to change."

"InuYuzu's starting her period today, that's another reason she's like this," Kagome whispers to Rai.

"I could tell. I smelled her essence mixed with her blood. Not that I'm going to criticize; I start mine this time next week. That's one of the reasons I opted for asking Shippo to walk through the cave with me. Carla doesn't mind the bleeding, in fact she sits me in a hot spring for the entire three days."

"I used to do that too," recalls Hitomi. "I'm even planning to give birth in the tub. The warm water relaxes your body, sometimes even better than drugs."

"I did the drugs thing," sighs Kagome, "With my two pregnancies. Did that kill my son?"

"No, he died of pneumonia," recalls Sota, "Nothing you could do for that."

Rai feels Saya enter the room by herself. "I've put Kayla down for her nap. I figured since we're all going to sleep through this, it'd be easy on her and you, Rai."

"Yeah, Hanna, you take a nap too," orders Sota.

"I don't wanna, Daddy," whines Hanna.

"Do as your dad asks," commands Hitomi.

"Why? I not sleepy. Why?" Hanna folds her arms in protest.

"Hanna, quit being difficult," scolds Yami, "Look, we're all going to sleep."

"Not me. I don't wanna. Meany!"

Sota gets out of his seat and walks over to Hanna. "If you behave, we'll go out for ice cream. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Ice Cream!" chimes Yami. Hanna turns away from Sota, pouting.

"No sleep! Meany. Wanna play dolly," grumbles Hanna.

"Sota, I can make things easy for her," sighs Rai, "I've got a spell to make her fall asleep."

"Really?" asks Sota, "You can do that?"

"Oh yeah," confirms Kagome, "If it's the spell I'm thinking of, she can put you out right away. That's the spell she and Miroku used to put us all to sleep before our ghosts entered that cave."

"Yeah, except this time, you can stay outside your body longer. You won't have to get sick again. That only happens when you visit Hell's Labyrinth."

"You've been inside that mountain? You too, sis?"

Kagome nods, "In Rai and InuYasha's time, there are no laws for entering the cave. However, even going there with just your ghost isn't easy. The trip murders your stomach. You throw up big time. Like if you had a massive stomach flu and couldn't hold anything down."

"That was after you first got back in your body. The best place for a vomit as big as that is over some huge gully. And it's best someone hold you down for it."

"I've had to do something like that," recalls Sota. "I was at this stag party with one of my buddies, who was getting married. That night I got totally wasted. I thought I was the ninja master of booze. Then I came up with the 'brilliant' idea of mixing beer with vodka, wine coolers, and scotch. Big mistake. I bolted outside to an open trashcan. Thank goodness it was lined. I totally filled up the bag. I thought all my guts were going to come out."

"I've done that," sighs Hitomi, "I love being pregnant, but the morning sickness is my least favorite part. The first few weeks, I was chained to the toilet. I couldn't move very far without throwing up."

Rai watches InuYuzu enter the room. "So are we ready to do this?" asks InuYuzu, "I've gotta meet my girlfriends at 4:00."

"I need to take Rai shopping this afternoon too," nods Kagome, "I doubt she's got a kimono for the funeral."

"If I'm reading that futuristic sundial on the wall behind Hitomi's head correctly, it's one hour past noon. I'll wake you guys up at three hours past noon."

"3:00 you mean," corrects InuYuzu, "That's all you have to say. In this world you say o'clock."

"Did you catch that, Higarashi-dono? Is two hours long enough for you?" Rai asks, as she watches his shadow float through the room. "Well you'd better pay attention. These people can't stay out of their bodies forever. We've got to prepare for your funeral tomorrow."

"Absent-minded as usual," smirks Kagome. "He was like that when he was alive."

"Are you going to sleep too?" asks Sota.

"At the cave I had to, but no. I don't need to, because I'll be able to see you all. Besides somebody has to pay attention to the time and wake you up." "If you want to materialize, it's really not hard. I'm going to ask him to do it."

"She's right about the materializing thing," confirms Kagome. "I did it in the cave."

"You really do that? I heard about something like that in the movies," recalls Hitomi. "Is it safe? What if my baby…"

"He'll be fine," reassures Rai.

"I still can't believe that's a boy in there," Sota laughs, shaking his head.

"Well, believe it. I can see him now. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and saw his body. He's got it all, including penis and scrotum. What else can that mean?"

"Okay, that's all I need to know," sighs Sota, sheepishly.

"You wanted to know, bro. She gambles too on what she knows. Just like when Rai said she would break up with Shippo and have Miroku's baby if neither one of us threw up yesterday."

"Instead both of you got sick and I spent the whole night with Shippo."

"I already know what you did with Shippo. But I can't say anything with Yami and Hanna within earshot."

"You two are at second base now?" asks InuYuzu. "Here I can't get a guy and you're already inside his pants. So unfair."

"How come you don't wait?" asks Hitomi.

"We're going to try. We're building the relationship. However every once in a while, the mood just hits. I say why fight the urge. That's how we met in the first place."

"Hitomi, this is the way her time period is. Japan is a lawless country. Civil war is all over the place. Sometimes you need to satisfy the urge and do something fun. Having sex is one way for people to relieve stress from the world around them. Sometimes it's the only time you feel alive."

"That's why brothels are so popular," sighs Rai, "The night I was in Nagasaki, the one I stayed in was packed and very busy. I went there to break my virginity, and Shippo was there for the same reason. That's where we met. He bought me and that night we spent it all together. We did everything. Then I gave his money to the manager the next morning and we said our goodbyes. That was two months ago. Then I suddenly had this incredible urge to find him. Jii-chan was encouraging me to look. I tracked his scent for the entire two months. Then when I came to InuYasha's village, I saw Shippo again. That was two days ago. Then yesterday morning, he came up to the temple to help me with preparing breakfast. We got to talking and he said he never stopped thinking about me. That's when we realized we were meant to be. Just before everyone sat down for breakfast, he called it. He declared me to be his woman."

"What a neat story," sighs Hitomi with a dreamy expression on her face. "The journey to find 'The One'. Physical, spiritual, and so heart-felt. That's why you cry for being over here and away from him. It's hard to be parted, even for three days."

"Rai, you don't have to stay here while you're human," smiles Kagome, "Perhaps only two days for you."

Rai starts to cry, but then shakes her head. "What did I come here for? I can cry after you're all ghosts. First thing, where is most comfortable place here?"

"There are sofas in the living room," Saya points out.

"To this living room place then."

"Why go in there?" asks Sota.

"Because two hours asleep on these hard chairs makes you stiff as a board," explains Kagome.

InuYuzu hands Sota a pair of overnight underwear. "Thanks but Hanna's got some on now."

"What's that?" asks Rai.

"It's special panties that prevents leakage," Sota explains, "When we put Hanna down for a nap, it never fails that she'll wet herself. So we make her wear them to keep her pants dry."

"What about Kayla?"

"She still wears a diaper for naptime."

The group sits in the living room on sofas and soft chairs. Rai stands in the middle of the group. "Old man, where are you? Get your butt in here. No you can't eat, you're dead. The dead don't need to eat. Get your ass in the living room."

"Grandpa!" shouts Kagome, "Come on. Rai's being nice enough to let us see you. The least you can do is not stand her up."

"Can you see or hear him, sis?"

"Not as well as Rai can. All I see is a shadow and hear whispers."

"If you want him to materialize and talk to you normally, just ask him. My grandfather does that all the time. I see him in both in my living and ghost forms. I'm not the only one who sees him either. Sensei does on a regular basis. He used to be scared by Jii-chan's presence, but now he's used to it. Sensei even has conversations with him."

"Your grandfather died with all his faculties together. He wasn't senile at all. He comes across as a strong individual," comments Kagome.

"Is that for real?" asks Sota. "Far different from how Grandpa lived. As long as I've known him, he's always been a senile old man. Like while Kagome was still in school, he'd come up with strange illnesses for her absence excuses. Some I never heard before. Most of them were arthritic conditions or elderly diseases."

"So what was he doing now?" asks Saya.

"Trying to eat. There's nothing he can do now. No earthly needs are necessary." "She wanted to know, old man, so quit asking."

Rai settles in the center. "First step is to put you to sleep." Rai closes her eyes and starts praying. "Nemuri." "Not you, Ichiro, you don't need this." Swiftly his family members close their eyes and fall asleep.

"Second step, drawing forth your ghosts. Ichiro, shut up." Kagome comes close to laughing in her sleep. "Rei-teki na Janpu!" Instantly each living soul leaves its body.

Saya starts to stir and opens her eyes. "What happened? Wasn't I asleep?"

"You still are," reassures Rai, "You're just out of your body." Saya glances back and sees her body on the sofa.

"Is this what it's like to be dead?"

"Yeah, but you aren't dead. See." Rai puts her hand over Saya's mouth. Saya mimics her. "Feel that? You're body's still breathing. If you listen to your chest, you can hear your own heart beating."

"Yeah I hear it. So I'm alive still."

"Just think of this as a really intense dream. This one you will remember."

Saya turns and sees Ichiro standing behind Rai. "I don't…Wha…" Rai gets out of her way and stands beside Sota, who's also stirring. Saya embraces Ichiro. "You're looking good. You feel fine, all things considering?"

"I've never felt better, Saya. It's like a great weight has been lifted off of me."

"Grandpa!" Sota shouts in delight, "It's great seeing you again." He hugs his grandfather again. "I almost asked how life's treating you, but…"

Kagome wakes up on her ghostly body. "Grandpa!" she squeals.

"You all died just for me?"

"They aren't dead," corrects Rai.

"What's this?" shrieks InuYuzu. "Rai, you bitch! You killed me."

"You aren't dead. Please refrain from swearing."

"So what's the big deal? Hanna and Yami are asleep."

"Only their bodies are asleep. Your souls are free to move about," explains Rai.

"It's like you're dreaming, except this is real," Kagome tells InuYuzu.

Hitomi stirs and looks at her spirit form. "I'm not…where is my baby?" She sees him in her arms. "He really is a boy." She looks at his naked ghostly body. He looks up at her.

"Rest assure neither of you are dead," smiles Rai. "Hi, cutie." The baby looks up at Rai, smiling at her. "I hear you'll be born soon. Are you excited?" The baby laughs and coos at her.

"You want to hold him?" asks Hitomi, "Can you even do that like this?"

Rai nods and Hitomi gives her the baby. Rai cradles him and shows him to Ichiro and Sota.

"Wow! Is that my great grandson?"

"He most certainly is, Ichiro," smiles Rai.

"Wow, this is so neat!" pipes Sota in excitement. "Can't wait until I tell the guys in the office back home.

"I wish I could touch him for real," whines Ichiro.

"If you get materializing down to a science, then you won't just touch him. You could hold him and let him see you."

"But Kyoto's so far away. I can't walk all that way."

"Walk? You don't walk. You're a ghost. You're not tied to mortal life. Takes less time to get some place. Took Kagome and I less than thirty minutes to fly from Musashi to Mount Hiei."

"You were dead in the Feudal era?"

"Not dead, Grandpa. We were alive yesterday. Now all of us are ghosts, but we're all alive."

"Except for me. Feel so left out."

"This was the only way they could see you. Kagome's the only other one able to see ghosts. Your daughter-in-law, grandson and his wife, and all your great grandchildren couldn't see you. They didn't even know who I was talking to."

"So what next?" asks Sota.

"Do what you like. Visit with him. By the way, you don't have to stay beside your bodies. You could go outside, or upstairs. I do recommend you stay close to the house. You've only got an hour and thirty minutes."

"Then what?" asks Ichiro.

"InuYuzu says she's got somewhere to be. Kagome and I are going shopping. I don't have a kimono. I need one for your funeral. I want to buy something for your shrine, too."

"So what are you going to do now?" asks Kagome, "You didn't leap."

"I don't require a spell to do that. Besides this is your family. I'll let you say what you want. I'm going to clean the dishes and watch the time for you."

"You don't have to bother with the dishes. I'll take care of that," replies Saya.

"Me too," sighs InuYuzu, "Well you did this for us."

"When we're done, how do we get back in?" asks Sota.

"You just float in," replies Kagome. "That's the easiest part."

"I might have to do that before 3:00," says Hitomi, "This body's at full term and it doesn't take long until it has to pee again."

"Your spirit will feel that. It'll feel this strong pulse, pulling it down. That's your signal to…"

"I get it."

"What about me? If getting back in your body is easy…"

"Old man, you can't. You're dead. Nothing works in your body."

"Grandpa, if you tried getting back in now, you'll just die again," sighs Kagome.

"But I want to live again."

"Then reincarnate," suggests Kagome, "At this point, it's your only other option."

"Or seek Enlightment, that way you can live forever," sighs Rai.

"She's right," confirms Saya, "Enlightment would be something you could do."

"Would you join me?" asks Ichiro.

"I can't. I'm not dead," replies Saya.

"Rai, can I have my baby back?" asks Hitomi. Rai give him to her. "I'm going get back in now."

"Sure. You can let go of him. Your baby will fly back in on his own."

"But won't he fall down."

"Not like this. Souls are weightless. Flying back to a body is easy to do. Reason why is you're alive. Your soul and body are still connected. The connection doesn't sever unless you die. Your grandfather's connection is severed; it happened the very moment he died."

"Well I've got to get back. I'm starting to feel that pull you mentioned."

Both souls enter their bodies and Hitomi quickly wakes up. "Rai, I can still see you."

"I didn't leap. You need help up?"

"Please? I have to pee again." Rai assists Hitomi to her feet. Hitomi stretches and looks around. "Where is everybody else? Everyone's still sleeping, but their ghosts? Grandpa?"

"They're still around. You just can't see them. I see your child found his way home. He's sound asleep too."

"Walk with me please," insists Hitomi. "I need you to help me up the steps."

"Why don't you just use the bathroom down here?"

"Because I want to check in on Kayla." Rai walks with Hitomi back towards the main entryway and follows her up the stairs. Hitomi pauses halfway up and winces.

"Are you okay?" asks Rai.

Hitomi starts blowing, letting her pain subside. "Okay. It's over. That was another contraction."

"Is it time yet?"

"No. There's a different pain for that."

Rai helps Hitomi the rest of the way and Hitomi staggers into the bathroom. "Could you wait outside for me? I know Kagome let you stay in with her, because you're new to all of this."

Hitomi closes the door and Rai leans on the wall. "You could check on Kayla for me."

Rai nods and walks to the room to the right of the bathroom. She sees Kayla asleep on the bed. Rai removes her armor and sits on the bed beside Kayla. "Mo-ee." Kayla starts to stir. She opens her eyes, slightly dazed.

"Mommy is going potty."

"Po-ee?" "Me go po-ee."

"You too? Hey, Hitomi. Kayla needs to go."

"There's a chair in the bedroom for her. It should be on the floor beside the bed."

"I see a tiny wooden chair on the right side of your bed. It appears to have some plastic bowl in the seat."

"That's it. Next thing you do is to remove her diaper. There are Velcro tabs on the top of the diapers." Rai unfastens her diaper and carries her to the chair on the floor. She sets Kayla down and Kayla sits upon the chair.

Rai sits back on the bed, keeping her eyes on the child. "What now?"

"You can flip the TV on, if you want. There's a remote on Sota's side."

"I see a black stick on this small table with these soft nubs on them."

"Those are buttons. Press the red one at the top left corner." Rai presses it and sees the dark screen on the TV in front of her blink on.

"Lucy! What do you have to say for yourself?" shouts an angry middle-aged man. Rai watches him storm through the room.

"What's this? Why's the picture all black like this?" Rai asks.

Hitomi flushes and walks around the corner to her room. "Oh the picture's like that because that show's from the 50's. In the 1950's, there was only black and white."

Rai watches the screen and sees a woman huddled on a couch. The man approaches her, with an angry stare on his face. "What's his problem? What has she done to make him act like this?"

"That's Ricky. He's always like that."

"Shippo sure as heck doesn't yell at me like that."

"Neither does Sota. These people here are actors."

"Like Kabuki?"

"Sort of like Kabuki. I guess you could call that 20th century American-styled Kabuki."

"But Ricky…I…" the woman shivers in fear, "You said you wanted me to clean your shirts and I did."

"You burned them!"

"Don't yell at her! She didn't do it on purpose," Rai yells back, "If you don't like it, do it yourself."

"He can't hear you. This is only a rerun. All the actors are dead now anyways."

"When did that happen? During the Kabuki show?"

"No, they all died thirty-years later." Hitomi takes the remote and presses the 1 and 7 buttons. The screen instantly changes to color and Rai sees a blonde-haired woman pacing the floor of a hospital.

"Is this more Kabuki?"

"This is what's called a soap opera. This is more modern than that other show. By the way, the one you were watching was 'I Love Lucy'. It was a comedy."

"A comedy? What's so funny about some hothead yelling at his woman for no good reason?"

"I don't know either. Somehow it was funny in America. If it was me, I'd kick Ricky's butt."

"Mo-ee, I done."

"Are you sure?" Hitomi walks over to Kayla. "Sometimes she gets up too early and pees on the floor." "But not this time. Good girl." Hitomi picks up Kayla. "Could you be a dear and remove the bowl?"

"It's full of pee."

"There's a lid on the floor beside the chair. Normally Sota does that for me, but he's still under that spell of yours."

"He won't stay like that. It wore off when you leaped out. Coming back is as simple as floating in and waking up." Rai secures the lid over the bowl. She detaches the bowl from the seat and carries it into the bathroom. "Where do you want this stuff?"

"Same place where you peed." Rai lifts the lid of the toilet, and then opens the lid on the bowl. She immediately pours the contents into the toilet and flushes it. Afterward she takes the bowl over to the sink and rinses it in the water. "This is certainly new."

"Potty training is new?" "What did you do?"

"When you had to go at the dojo, there were rooms with these wooden boxes. They were attached to the floor and had a hole that lead out to an opening in the canyon wall. You sit over the hole to do your thing, or stood if you were a boy."

"Was there any privacy?"

"When you're a child, you don't really care."

"When you were growing up…"

"By that time, I was outside or on missions. You either have to hold it or find some place to hide."

Rai walks back into Hitomi's room and sees Kayla back in her diaper. "How come you wear such skimpy clothes? Your boobs are almost coming out."

"This is really all I can have on. I've got dragon energy in my body, so it makes my skin warm, even in winter."

"You're the exact opposite of me. It can be 90-degrees outside and I get cold still." Rai touches her skin.

"You are cool to the touch."

Hitomi closes her eyes. "Could you keep it there?" Rai places her hands on her shoulders.

Suddenly Hitomi winces. "What's wrong? Another contraction?"

"No, my back's itchy. I can't…" Rai unzips the top of her dress, exposing her back. Rai rubs her claws across Hitomi's skin. "Thank you."

"So how did you feel about seeing Higarashi-dono?"

"I was a little freaked out. That was my first ghost. I'm not much into scary movies. And movies play up ghosts as evil specters wanting to cause harm. TV does the same thing."

"Most ghosts aren't scary. They're souls with great attachment to this world."

"Are ghosts always so confused-acting?"

"They can be. Ichiro has recently died, so he might have a hard time realizing he's not mortal. Sometimes you meet folks unwilling or unable to accept their own death."

"How long does it take?"

"Hard to say. No two people accept things at the same rate. Ichiro might accept it after watching his own body being burned, or it could take him years, centuries…some ghosts never accept their own death. They carry on as they did when they were alive."

"Rai, could you move over? I want to sleep." Rai nods and lets Hitomi scoot onto the bed, until her head rests on her pillows. "This boy isn't the only one who can't wait to be born. I can't wait until I'm done carrying him for nine months. I'll be able to regain my normal figure."

Rai sighs and glances at the TV. "What's going on here? This pair's making love."

"Change it. I don't want Kayla seeing that. You can go back to that previous station. Hit 6 and 4."

Rai presses the 6 and 4 buttons. Instantly the screen switches to black and white. Rai watches the woman she saw earlier standing behind a table with a bottle in her hand. Rai watches her present the bottle with the label held to the camera. "I'm your Vitameatavegimine girl. Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? All your answers are in this little bottle."

"This stuff she's selling, you might need it."

"I'm not taking that crap. You couldn't pay me enough."

"You must take a tablespoon after every meal." The woman serves herself. "So tasty too, just like candy."

"I'll bet," laughs Hitomi. "See she hates it. That's the worst tasting candy ever. It's probably not even sweet."

"Think I've had that stuff. One time I was throwing up from the end of one of my training routines in the cave. Sensei fed me this bitter white stuff. It worked fine to make me feel better, but it was the worst stuff I've ever tasted. It looked like bird droppings and tasted like it. From that time on, I ate the white berries growing throughout the mountain. That stuff does taste like candy."

"Well the stuff Lucy's taking does something else. It's full of alcohol. She gets plastered."

Rai taps the red button again, shutting the TV off and lies on her back. "Do you mind if I unfasten my top?"

"Not really. It's not as if Kayla can snitch on you. She's just learning how to talk and she won't remember that." Rai unfastens her top, freeing her breasts. "I envy you. Your stomach is small and your boobs are so round. I would do that too, if my stomach wasn't this huge or my boobs so swollen with milk. Luckily this is my last pregnancy. I'm glad it's a boy. Finally the Higarashi name can live on."

Rai looks over at a small black box on Sota's table to read 2:15. "They still have time. Forty-five minutes."

Rai removes the spinning top from her pocket and rests it between her breasts. Rai closes her eyes and feels Shippo's essence caress her. She envisions Shippo lying on top of her, feeling her breasts with his hands. "Shippo, that feels so relaxing. Please keep your hands there."

Rai feels her breasts being massaged by his hands. "Shippo, that feels good. You know the way."

"Your boyfriend's here?"

"Of course he is. He's playing…Shippo, did your hands shrink?" Rai opens her eyes and sees Kayla lying on her chest, "Kayla? Why you?"

"Was she giving you a breast exam?"

"I thought she was Shippo. He does that for me."

"You let him do that?"

"Yes. It feels great. Puts me under." "Does Sota do that to you?"

"Yes but not now. My nipples are dripping with milk. He hates touching them when they're wet like this."

Rai holds Kayla so her stomach is held close to Rai's mouth. Kayla braces herself in Rai's grasp.

"You're going to get it," warns Hitomi.

Rai blows on Kayla's stomach, tickling her. Kayla squeals and giggles. "Yo fu-ee." Rai smiles at her and blows on her stomach again.

"That's what you get for fooling me. I thought you were a boy I know."

"Oy? Ba-ee oy?"

"No he's a big boy."

"Ig oy?"

"That's right. She's got a big boy to play with. He's like Daddy."

"He's not a daddy. He's as big as your daddy."

"Ig oy ike Da-ee. Pla-ee ee?"

"No he's not here. He's at home." "Can I play with you?" Kayla nods very big. Rai looks at the clock, reading 2:30. "We've got thirty minutes. What can we play?"

"She's got an electronic game she loves to play. Kayla, could you show Aunt Rai Mr. Gator?" Kayla giggles and hurries off the bed.