Chapter Nine

There was a storm rolling in and it had already started raining. Someone stood on a tall, tall hill that overlooked the village. He was focusing in particular on the house that demons, half demons and humans lived with peace, the same house in which Lana, Minkania and Karmila were staying with their parents.

The wind and the rain pounded on his back fiercely but he failed to really notice. He could hear Lana talking and could see her walking past various windows. She looked like a celestial being in the kimono she wore.

We will meet again …I promise.

Lana stopped and looked out one of the windows. Minkania noticed this and looked up at her friend. "What's wrong, Lana?" Frowning a little bit, the teenage half demon just shook her head. "Never mind. I thought I saw something. It was probably just the storm playing tricks on my eyes, though." The others girls nodded a little bit and then the priestess slowly opened the door.

"Tomorrow is a big day for ye all so ye should get some rest." Karmila looked up, blinking a little bit. "Why? What's so special about tomorrow?"
"Lord Taiki or ye brother, Karmila, should be arriving tomorrow and tomorrow ye training starts." Lana looked over.
"Training? Why do I need training? Why do any of us need training?"
"To hone the skills you all have already inherited." A deep voice came from the doorway, answering and silencing any more questions. Karmila nodded a little bit.
"Yes, father." Sesshomaru smiled a little bit, turning to leave. "Get some rest." He told the three teenagers just before he walked to his own quarters. Little did Karmila know that tomorrow would also be the day that she would finally meet her birth mother.

From outside, the man from before smiled a little bit, nodding a little. "Yes, sleep well, my bride." No one heard the words he uttered because the wind took them, whipping them around until there was nothing left, not even a whisper.

When the girls finally awoke, it was about mid morning. Lana was the first to awake and she yawned, getting up and sleepily walking towards where breakfast was served. That was, until she saw Miroku. Lana blinked a little bit. He was never up this early. He was lucky that Sango saved him some food otherwise he would constantly be going without breakfast. "Miroku-San?" She asked curiously, going over to him.

He turned around and grinned. "Ah! Such a lovely young woman!" He exclaimed, being dressed in his usual robes. Lana blinked a little bit. "Miroku-San, are you feeling alright?" Before her question was answered, she felt something groping her bottom. Making a face, she turned slightly to see it was his hand! Letting out a shrill scream, there was an equally loud slap that scared the birds from the nearby trees.

Everyone came out, most dressed but some still in their night robes, including Miroku. "What is going on here?" The priestess demanded. Lana turned around and saw Miroku and blinked a little. "How did you -? You just? But... All right! Will someone PLEASE tell me who I just slapped for groping me!" Lana yelled out.

Just then there was a little poof of smoke and something that looked like a cross between a raccoon and something else was lying on the ground, a hand to his cheek. The raccoon … thing … spotted Miroku and quickly got to his knees, bowing and apologizing. "Master Miroku!" He cried. Miroku held up a fist, the annoyance point showing.

"HATCHI! I TOLD YOU NEVER TO IMPERSONATE ME AGAIN!" The creature now known at Hatchi, bowed over and over again, muttering apologies but InuYasha had no patience with him. He had quickly gone over and smart gave him three different sized lumps on his head.

"Grope my daughter again and I'll do more than just give you some lumps!" InuYasha snarled, taking his daughter into his arms. "Are you alright?"

Lana nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Miroku sighed a little, crossing his arms.

"Why are you here, Hatchi?" Before he could answer, his little fox friend, not being so little anymore, stepped out. Kagome and Sango gasped a little bit.

"Shippo?" Kagome asked. Shippo wasn't so little anymore. He had grown up, a lot, considering he was only a child when InuYasha, Kagome, Sango and Miroku had met him. Minkania's jaw dropped a little and her heart started pounding. Both Lana and Karmila looked at her but she just blushed and looked away quickly.

Shippo noticed them and his own jaw dropped a little bit. "Kagome? Sango?" It had been years since they had seen each other, seventeen to be exact. Sango had noticed the look on her daughters face and smiled a little bit. "We haven't seen you in years, Shippo. How have you been?"

Shippo smiled a little bit. "Pretty good, actually." The priestess, Lady Natsume, smiled a little.

"How about we all go inside and discuss all this over breakfast?" Everyone nodded their agreement, even Hatchi who still had the lumps.

"So you and Hatchi have been sticking it out together, huh." InuYasha summed up. Shippo and Hatchi nodded a little bit. Shippo looked at them all.

"I see that you've all started families." At everyone's nod, he finished his cup of tea and set it down. "So, why are you two back, Kagome?"

Kagome smiled a little. "Well, let's just say that it's a family reunion." Sango chuckled a little bit and nodded.

"Shippo, this is my daughter, Minkania. Dear, this is an old friend of ours, Shippo." Minkania blushed a little bit, bowing slightly. "It's nice to meet you."

Shippo blushed a little bit and smiled. "It's … nice to meet you, too." Sango smiled a little bit, getting up and putting a hand on Miroku's shoulder and walking out of the room. Miroku looked up at his wife and nodded, the other adults following, taking their children. Eventually, the only two people that were left were Minkania and Shippo.

Minkania blushed, looking down at the table. Shippo did the same. "So .. um .. what brings you to our village?" Shippo cringed a little bit but cleared his throat, trying to look important in front of a very pretty young woman.

"Well, we heard of the jewel's state and are trying to collect the pieces before they fall into the wrong hands." Minkania nodded a little, rising.

"Um … would you like some more tea?" Shippo blushed a little, nodding slowly. "Yes, thank you." Just as Shippo was going to assist her and Minkania tripped over her own feet and found herself quickly in a pair of strong arms. Blushing madly, she slowly looked up at him. Shippo looked down at her, also blushing.

They stayed like that for several minutes before Shippo slowly smiled.

"You know … I saw you a few weeks ago, at the market. I knew you were Sango's daughter. You look just like her." Minkania blushed again.

"And … is this a good thing?" Shippo nodded slowly, not noticing that they were slowly getting closer to each other. "It is."

"Why?" She queried softly. He smiled a little again.

"Because you're so beautiful." Slowly, as he leaned down, she rose up, they're lips connecting.

Miroku was standing outside the door and he quickly bopped Hatchi again, this time for spying on his daughter. Once he had dragged him off, he looked in before closing the door and smiled.