The Family's Yougest

Author's Note: Just trying out a new look for writing. It should make reading easier. Tell me what you think. And check out my new story Inuyasha's Spamalot!

An hour or so later I was swimming around the perimeter of the pond. Someone knocked gently on my head. I had been under water. In fact, I had been under water most of the time, only coming up for air. Poking my head up, I smiled when I saw my Mama. "Mama!" I exclaimed happily.

She laughed. "Having a good time swimming Kameko?" Mama asked. "What a treat! Your brothers were nice to invite you to come with them."

"Yeah!" I replied grinning. Mama is so pretty. She's got big purple eyes and light brown hair with matching ears. Papa told me that she used to have her hair down to her ankles, but now she keeps it at her elbows. Usually it's up in a braid or pony tale, but today she had left it down.

"That's good." Mama said smiling back. When ever mama smiles at me I feel so good. It's like I'm the best kid in the world. Of course this is the truth, but it feels even more so when she smiles at me. "I ran into Kurozena and she told me you were out here, so I thought I'd bring you a towel. You usually forget one. Today's no exception."

I looked over to the shore where I had run in and saw that Mama was right. I had forgotten my towel. "Thank you." I said, "But Mama, I'm not finished swimming yet! It's only been a little bit and I'm not even pruney yet!"

She frowned in a playful fashion. "But I had a bit of free time on my hands and thought that I'd take a walk with you. I feel bad for not spending much time with my little daughter!"

"I'm not little anymore." I told her, "But I'll go on a walk with you if you want."

"Great! And of course you're not little anymore. You're a big girl. Ten now! Double digits! What a big age!"

I pulled myself out of the water, and Mama enveloped me in the big fluffy towel she had brought with her. This had been another gift from Aunt Kagome. Alright. I have to admit I don't dislike Aunt Kagome. She's pretty nice. She always has all sorts of presents for me that I could never imagine existed. I've spent my whole life hearing about her amazing time. I really want to go there one day. Maybe I'll ask when we visit. The only problem with that might be that I'd have to spend time with Uncle Inuyasha. From the times we've visited Aunt Kagome, I've seen that Uncle Inuyasha is almost never not with her.

Mama and I walked back over to where I had left my clothes. "Hey Mom!" Raidon called from the middle of the pond. He had just immerged from underneath the water, where he had been for our whole conversation. That's a cool thing with full demons. They can spend a long time underneath the water and still not need to breath. Sure, I can spend a long time underwater myself being a half demon, but Raidon can do double what I can.

"I found some free time off from work." Mama told him, "I'm going on a walk through the gardens with Kameko. I was able to talk her into getting out of the water. Do you want to come? Toshiro, how about you? Your choice. I'm not forcing you to leave if you don't want to."

"No thanks." Raidon replied. "I'm fine here in the water. It's been a while since I last swam."

"Nope." Came Toshiro's response, "What he said." He jabbed his thumb at Raidon behind him.

She smiled at them. "Alright. But don't spend too much longer in the water. Dinner will be soon. I don't want you two being late. Okay?"

"Yes Mother." The two replied at the same time. Then in a splash, they both dissappeared, going back under. Really they acted like little kids. Five year olds, splashing about in the water like that.

I pulled my shoes on and fashioned my towel around my waist like a skirt. I was still too wet to put my clothes back on over my swimsuit so I just picked them up. Then I followed Mama towards the gardens.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Mama asked as we started our walk around the gardens. Unlike my Grandmama, who had spent almost all her free time in the gardens and taking care of them without the help of gardeners, Mama doesn't spend much time here except for walking. Usually it's because she just doesn't have the time Grandmama had to give. It's her choice of course. Somehow mama made alliances with the other demon ladies in the land. Because of this she gained more power than Grandmama ever had, therefore much more work. But Mama does try to spend at least a little time in the gardens when she can, pulling weeds and watering plants.

"Tutor's been teaching me all about math." I told her proudly, "She's helping me master long division now. I finished with multiplication"

"That's wonderful!" Mama praised, "You know, when I learned about long division it was in my siblings school books. I taught it to myself."

"Really?" I asked amazed, "I don't think I'd be able to do it that way! I'm having enough trouble with help as it is!"

She laughed. "You'll get the hang of it soon."Mama assured me, "It took me a while to understand it as well. But as soon as you understand just what you're doing, it'll become just as simple as small division."

I nodded. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I found those stories that you wrote in your library."

"Now did you really?" Mama's expression was one of complete interest, "What did you think of them? I finished them a long time ago and I had almost forgotten about them."

"You've had such wonderful adventures Mama!" I exclaimed happily, "And I learned so much about you! And Papa! And everyone else! I wish I had adventures like that!"

Mama laughed again. "I'm glad you liked them." She told me. "But not all my adventures were wonderful. Some of them were really scary. And some just aren't thinks I'd like to talk about… Like my mother."

I frowned, remembering reading about it. Mama still had a scar on her stomach where, as she had explained in her first book, her mother had hit her. "But you met Papa." I pointed out, trying to lighten up the mood.

It worked. Mama smiled and nodded. "Yes." She agreed, "I did meet Mikoto and I'm glad for that." She laughed. "I suppose I could almost thank my parents for getting me here, however they did it. By doing it I got the best life I could ever wish for. And you and your brothers."

I beamed. Of course she could be thanking her parents for abandoning here in the feudal era if it meant she got me. What better daughter could Mama ask for? And I knew Papa loves Mama just as much as he does me. Mama's lucky.

"So are you excited about visiting Aunt Kagome and Uncle Inuyasha?" Mama continued.

"Yes." I half lied. I was excited about getting a chance to ask to go through the well. I was not excited about visiting my stupid uncle who was always in a bad mood, ready to insult anyone who came close but Aunt Kagome.

"I'm sure Kagome will have plenty of new things to give you." She told me. "New clothes, sweets, maybe even some toys!"
The way Mama said it made me almost glad to be visiting. She was right. Aunt Kagome always had bunches of new things to give me.

"How long will we be visiting?" I asked.

She thought about this for a moment. "I really don't know." She admitted, "At least a week. Maybe a little longer." I nodded.

"Why do you ask?"

Oh I don't know… because I wanted to spend as little time with Uncle Inuyasha as I could? But I couldn't tell Mama that. She would get mad at me. "Just wondering." I replied, "No one had told me and I was curious."

Mama laughed. "Curiosity killed the cat!" she waned.

"What?"

"But satisfaction brought her back." Mama finished, "It's a saying. It means to be careful of what you get curious over, but if you know what you're getting into it's okay."

I nodded, not really understanding what she said, but liking the ring. I'd have to remember that.