Professor of Gallifrey: Yes, it is awesome, and no, it's not OBVIOUSLY Harkness. *rolls eyes* It COULD be Sparrow.
As Yohime saw her son for the first time in a century, her mouth dropped.
My son is drop-dead gorgeous.
And indeed he was.
Tall, muscled, vibrant red hair tied in a low tail that hung down his back to his knees, laughing green eyes. The curl of his lip, much like Nura's, the fine silks no doubt made from a youkai, and the two swords at his hips.
His face was that of a man's, smooth and chiseled, a scar partially hidden by his bangs, blended in with his eyebrow.
As she descended down the stairs, she lost sight of him as everyone else was much taller than her. Quickly cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, leaking some of her reiki out.
"Shippo!"
The more observant youkai noticed the pressure on their heads caused by the Great Lady's powers, and parted to make a path, dropped to one knee, others following.
She ran through and held out her arms, signaling the youkai to rise, almost tripping at the speed her son used to appear in front of her.
"Okaa-san!"
With a huge grin on his face, he swung her around, much like Chiyo, before planting a kiss on her forehead. His eyes roamed over her, taking in the slightly different features, wedding ring, and happy light in her eyes.
For the first time since he was a child, he felt tears pricking his eyes, as he stared into the already wet eyes of his long-lost okaa-san.
Reaching around her shoulders, he pulled her to her and buried his nose in her hair. Sakura, the tingle of lightening from her powers, Sesshomaru, Rin, Kohaku, Chiyo they were all there.
And the smell of an ayakashi who had claimed her as his.
Shippo was raised by Kagome for a decade so he had human tenancies, but he had been trained in the ways of his kind by Masaru, and the ways of nobles by Sesshomaru. Not including his weapons training, combat training or such, there was things youkai in nature that did not mix with his human acknowledge.
The one thing his senses were telling him was the woman he was hugging, was claimed. She wasn't his to protect anymore.
Yes, she was still his mother, but she belonged to someone now. That also meant he had a new Alpha. While Sesshomaru had been his up to this point, he had never thought of the inuyoukai as a father.
"I'm so happy to see you, Shippo," she said in a hoarse voice.
"I am too, okaa-san."
Pulling back, he swiped at the lone tear that had escaped and smiled knowingly at her.
"So? Where this father you got for me?"
She blushed and swatted at him, cranking her head from side to side as she did.
"Nurarihyon!"
"Hm?"
"Gah!" She startled at how close Nura was to them, and she hadn't sensed him. She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out.
"Okaa-san," he whispered in her ear, "don't tempt the man! I want to be introduced first."
Her mouth dropped open and she sputtered turning crimson.
"You! Shippo!" She growled his name as the ayakashi laughed.
Putting on a serious expression, he turned to the ayakashi who had married his mother.
"I'm Shippo."
"Nurarihyon."
They both analyzed one another. Red to blonde and black, emerald to topaz, one slightly shorter, yet both strongly built. Sighing heavily, Shippo's shoulders sank.
Worry flashed over Yohime's face.
"What's wrong Shippo?"
Shaking his head sadly, he looked at her with mournful eyes.
"Okaa-san, people aren't going to believe me when I say my mother is the Great Lady and my step-father is the Lord of Pandemonium. And they'll be even less inclined to when I say Sesshomaru is my Uncle."
Yohime missed the glance shared by them, and the nod that followed. Shippo had acknowledge Nurarihyon as his mother's husband, thus making him a step-son. He had also established his place under his mother and stepfather, while giving his approval.
"Mou! I thought this was serious!"
"Okaa-san! This is serious! Look at Ren, my second-in-command! He's floored at what he's seeing and hearing! Speaking of which, Ren! Get over here and met my mother!"
All eyes shifted to the kitsune still standing by the gates. In a flash, he was by his Commander's side.
"Ren," glazed eyes landed on his face and Shippo sniggered, "this is my mother, the former Great Lady of the Western Lands, and her husband, Nurarihyon the Lord of Pandemonium. Okaa-san, Nurarihyon, this is the Second-in-Command of the Band of Seven."
Nurarihyon only nodded, while Yohime flashed a bright smile before turning to her son.
"Band of Seven?"
He shrugged.
"I seemed like a good name at the time. There's more than seven members, actually, by now there should be around 30-40 in our ranks."
"Kitsune?"
"Nah, most of them are foxes, but there's some wolves, some hanyos and even some from Kohaku's village."
"And you're the Commander?"
He nodded.
"For about forty years now."
Yohime's eyes gleamed.
"Any children?"
Shippo smirked.
"No, my mate and I haven't had any yet."
Yohime squealed.
"I have a daughter-in-law! Tell me about her!"
Shippo's face softened.
"She's like her mother, likes to cook, sings when she bathes and gets along well with my men."
"Her mother? What's her name?"
"Her name is Mai, she has a twin, Mei, and she's the daughter of a monk and a slayer woman."
Yohime blinked.
"Sango's daughter?"
He nodded.
"You married Sango's daughter?"
"After you went for you travels, I stayed and trained under Masaru until I could hold my own against Sesshomaru. Soon after that I left for the village and about ten years later I formed the Band of Seven. We were traveling when I came across Mai and Mei slaying an ayakashi. They were nineteen years old, and I didn't recognize them at first."
Shippo chuckled.
"They pointed at me and said, 'It's Shippo!' and their scent hit me. After that they stayed with us and no matter what I said, they never left. I asked her to mate me about two years later."
"Ah! I'm so glad they're alive! I take it Mei mated a youkai as well?"
"Something like that," he hedged.
At her pointed look that clearly said, 'Tell me', he held up his hands.
"It's not my story to tell. Anyways, the others should be arriving soon, and there are some that know you."
She simply nodded.
"Ah, I forgot to tell you! I go by 'Yohime' now."
"No problem, I never told them your name anyways, and those that already know you will just call you, 'Great Lady'."
Yohime smiled and linked her arms through her son's and her husband's before turning to walk back to the castle.
"I'll go speak to the head housekeeper about the feast we'll hold tonight."
Shippo nodded, before throwing over his shoulder.
"Are you going to stand there, Ren, or are you going to come and met my family?"
Ren quickly fell into step behind his Commander, still surprised that his Commander's 'family' consisted of Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, and the newly crowned Lord of Pandemonium, Nurarihyon.
A/N SANGO'S DAUGHTER! Isn't that brilliant? I think it's brilliant! *dances happily*
OMG THERE'S A POLL ON MY PROFILE, WHO PUT THAT THERE?! Oh, I did. No matter. GO FORTH UNTIL THE PROFILE AND VOTE.
Thank y'all for reading, reviews are the cream cheese frosting to my graham crackers. . *drool*