Professor of Gallifrey: Cute, ya say? That I wrote and posted an over 2,000 word chapter while I was sick? 'Cute' doesn't cover it, darlin'. And your cliffhangers are the ones that make people want to punch their computers, or bang their head against the desk, or flip over a table. My cliffhangers are those that people go like, "OMG I can't WAIT until the NEXT CHAPTER!"…
And perhaps flip over a table, but that's not the point.
Royiah:There are many things in life you must not do, and one of those is look down on your grandmother. *nods gravely*
Corn! I LOVE CORN, CORN IS ADORABLE, ALMOST AS ADORABLE AS MARU-CHAN!
*tear* You kind person, I shall feel better. I shall.
riridreaheart: Yup, baby! And yes, they will be returning soon. Think next two chapters or so.
Halley Vanaria: *laugh* Don't I always?
Guest Reviewer, Alice: French… As ever for strongly, I think. Ah, no matter! I think it's awesome!
secretsrsafehir: OMG yes! I will totally do that….just as soon as they return home.
fallingyuki: That was the most wonderful review I've ever received. *tear* You are so welcome!
Morra Renae: Well, fangirl away! There's gonna be lots more suspense, fluffies and beautiful-ness. I'm delighted you enjoyed my story!
Guest Reviewer: *sparkly eyes* YOU! PM ME! You are my kinda person! When you post your first chapter, if you ever get around to write it, I wanna read! *tear* OMG you read my Author's Note?
Guest Reviewer: Don't know if you're the same one or another person…. Either way you read my Author's Note! To me when I wasn't writing fiction, but reading them, the authors were something of a mystery to me. They were those who were above me you could say… so, in befriending them I realize they're just human. Smart, creative and brilliant humans, but humans all the same. I do try to add myself, not just in my writing, but in my notes as well. And thank you, really!
Yoruko Rhapsoodos: OMG, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO ASK THAT?! *breaks down into sobs* I don't know! *wails* I would love to write it as Otome-chan and Rihan have children, but then I want to keep it close to canon as much as possible, yet then what the heck happens with Wakana?! Rihan is my favorite character, but CANON! *sniff* I don't know what I'm going to write. I mean, either it goes canon, or some other way... Ah, well. I'll find out when the time comes to write it. Thank you for your review!
Before Yohime had a chance to met her youngest grandson, a young woman clearly a youkai, came forward leading two teenagers, and three toddlers.
She was a bat youkai, with dark skin, amethyst eyes and hair so white it had a blue tint. Yohime was immediately reminded of Shiori, a bat-hanyo she had met long ago.
"Takeshi, who is this?"
Her voice was soft and melodic, yet there was an edge of steel. Purple eyes narrowed and bore into the petite human woman who was comfortable in the presence of the most powerful youkai in Japan.
Yohime turned to Takeshi with a horrified expression.
"You have a wife?"
Slightly taken aback, he blinked.
"Uh…Kiyori?"
His mother held her hands in front of her bowed head as if apologizing.
"Takeshi, who is she?"
His mate's voice was hard, demanding an answer. Swinging a foot forward she made to move to this side, yet in a flurry of cloth, the woman was before her.
Small, yet surprisingly strong arms wrapped around the shocked youkai.
"I have a granddaughter-in-law! Grandchildren!"
The human pulled back and smiled at her, before disappearing leaving behind the small of sakura. Whirling around, she found the woman cuddling one of the children, her youngest son, Yoshimori. Her oldest twins, Tomiko and Emiko were each holding a tiny boy, confusion on their faces.
"Ah! This must be my great-grandson! Ooo, he looks so adorable!"
Kiyori flared her youkai and grabbed on to the human's wrist with the intent of breaking it, but Lord Sesshomaru intercepted her.
"Kiyori, do you not know whom this woman is?"
"Who she is in the human world matters not to me, I am youkai," she hissed savagely.
A smiled curled on the edges of the inuyoukai's mouth, displaying a flanged tooth.
"She was once known as Kagome, and I assure you, in the human world they don't know she exists," he purred delighting in the scent of fear stemming from the bat in front of him.
"Sesshomaru."
At the one word from the human, the great inuyoukai rolled his eyes and released her, stepping back.
"Kagome?"
Turning disbelieving eyes towards the human woman who couldn't be older than twenty, her mouth dropped.
"Impossible…"
"Oh, no, Kiyori, was it?" Yohime asked trading Yoshimori for another child with purple eyes and dark brown almost black hair.
"Name?"
"Ah, I-I'm Emiko," the twin on the right said nervously blinking purple eyes and twirling brown hair, "and Tomiko is the one with Daddy's eyes, but Mother's hair. The baby is Miroku, the one you were holding earlier was Yoshimori."
The girl on the left, smiled gently.
"This one is Kenshin, Lady Kagome."
Looking up from cooing to Miroku, she grinned.
"No need to call me that! Just call me Grandma Yohime or something like that."
"You cannot be the Great Lady!"
At Kiyori's shriek, Yohime turned and raised an eyebrow at her.
"I cannot? That is most surprising considering I am. Ah," she nodded to herself as if she solved a puzzle, "Perhaps, it is the illusion that I am mortal?"
She ignored the astonishment and confusion covering the youkai's face.
"Well, anyway it doesn't matter. I'm back, I have grandkids, great-grandkids and in-laws!"
Kissing the nose of Miroku, thinking to herself how strange that sounded, she stroked Kenshin's cheek and pivoted to face her family.
"Rin-chan, I and my husband will be departing soon and as I assume that Shippo's family will be here at shortly, I think a feast is in order."
Rin's face fell but she nodded and shot a glance towards Chiyo, who in turn scurried off to the kitchen. Turning back, Yohime placed a kiss on the foreheads of her great-grandchildren. Stepping back she closed her eyes and spoke a blessing.
"Of many years, decades and centuries,
may the light guide your path.
May your heart never waver,
your soul never weaken,
and may you find true happiness.
As you are of both worlds,
at times you might forget,
yet remember well,
the West will forever be
in the heart of her people. "
The singing of Yohime's reiki and words through the room brought smiles to the faces of her first family. The power that accompanied her words were unmistakable.
Raising her eyes to the taller woman, she asked a silent question. At Kiyori's nod, she placed her fingertips at her forehead.
"In the darkest night,
a light will shine.
On the highest mountain,
stars will twinkle.
In the deepest cave,
water flows.
Joy cannot be truly felt,
unless there was first sorrow."
Looking up, Yohime nodded. Rin's children were already blessed, though she didn't know how, and her reiki told her she didn't have any words to speak over them.
She turned to Akira, glomping the poor boy.
"You are so like your mother, yet I can tell how vastly different you are!"
Lowering her voice to barely a whisper, she spoke into his ear.
"Whoever that lucky woman is, tell her she has my blessing as well. Don't worry, I won't tell Rin-chan."
She smiled at the shocked expression, it quickly faded replaced by admiration. He bowed in a casual manner and grin stretching his lips.
"Honorable Grandma, you are truly a remarkable woman, and I doubt I will ever met one such as you for the rest of my life."
"Cheeky grandson of mine, don't you know? I am of the West, of the sky, of the Land, and of Time. There is none like me, and there never will be..." here her voice trailed off at the looks of confusion on her husband, Chiyo, Kohaku, Takeshi and wife and their children, Sora, Katsura and Akira.
She sighed.
Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Rin must not have told them. Well, I didn't tell Nurarihyon either.
"No, you don't know. Ah well, it's not terribly important. Anyways, I find myself in need of food."
Chiyo rushed to her side, grabbing her hands.
"Ah, Kagome-chan! You must eat since you are bearing a half-ayakashi child!"
Yohime protested as Chiyo began to drag her to a nearby door she remembered lead to the family dinning room, her eyes catching sparkling amber. Her brown eyes turned pleading, and he simply smirked slightly.
Traitor.
Although her family did follow after her, Chiyo was allowed to forcibly lead her to her destination. Her unwillingness quickly vanished when she smelled something she had not eaten in decades.
It was bacon.
Her step quickened and she passed the wolf, who was grinning from ear to ear, and rounding the corner she came to a sight that brought tears to her eyes.
It was an American breakfast!
Bacon, scrambled eggs, shredded potatoes, and biscuits!
"My lady, I hope your food met your expectations."
Sayuri bowed and straitened with a grin. Yohime lunged at the woman, wrapping her arms around the serpent and almost sobbed in her kimono.
"A goddess of the culinary arts! I am forever in your debt!"
She laughed and petting the Great Lady's head.
'Go and enjoy it, lady."
Wasting no time, she sat at the table and filled her plate, totally missing the others who came at a much slower pace.
She bit into the buttery flaky crust of a biscuit. Warmth burst into her mouth and she practically drooled. Once again, she missed the looks sent her way by the others focused solely on the food she hadn't eaten in a century.
The bacon was next, and she sobbed almost comically as she savored the flavor before moving on to the eggs.
The salted yumminess with a hint of milk, combined with the slight crunch from the potatoes that had snuck their way under the bite she had taken, was absolutely divine.
Her plate was quickly cleaned, and she finally returned her attention to her companions at the table.
Kohaku and his family were eating as if this was a special treat, (which it was as the cook refused to make this kind of food for anyone other than Kagome) though Takeshi's family was slightly hesitant they quickly realized the wonderful flavors of the strange food. Sesshomaru was eating calmly as he always did, the rapid clearing of his plate the only sight of his happiness.
Nurarihyon determined if Yohime loved the strange things that much, he would introduce her to the kitchens when they returned.
A slight furrowed appeared between his eyebrows as he thought of his clan.
Gyuki would be fine taking care of business for another day, and from the message he received from the crows lately, there was no danger to his people.
Still, he desired to return in the next day, or two. He nibbled into a biscuit, marveling at the texture and taste, glancing at his wife from the corner of his eye.
Apparently, there was still a secret she kept from him and considering the closeness they had, it was surely an important one.
If she knew how to make these strange meals that tasted so good, he would have to encourage she cook for often.
A devious smirk curled his lips up at the thought of all the other things they could do in the kitchen.
Oh, how he enjoyed his wife and all her interesting surprises. He had no doubt it would be many a year before nothing she said or did surprised him.
Little did he know exactly how many years.
A/N Four days since I updated. My break has concluded. My boy friend (friend that is a boy, I wouldn't know what to do with a boyfriend anyways. I mean what do you do with one? Stick it in a corner and kiss it once or twice?) had learned of my plan to visit my old home and a fight has been arranged between us! I'm gonna kick that sorry butt of his all around the gym! (I'm in karate, btw, so it's sparring not fight-fighting) And to do that, I must get back into shape again!
(Note: This is my excuse.)
I must also hurry back to the world of Nurarihyon, but I can't leave everyone hanging! No! Actually, wait a minute… I am the AUTHOR.
*light dawns*
Oh, I forgot about that… Must write more cliffhangers...
BUT OMG Skip-Beat! DID ANYONE read the latest chapters?! OMG! CORN KISSED HER.
*fangirl scream*
LOOK MAMMA, THERE'S A POLL ON THAT FUNNY PERSON'S PROFILE! Hush, dear, don't stare and it's rude to point.
Anyways, HONEY I'M HOME!
Thank YOU for reading, REVIEWs are the 'But I don't want to!' to my 'NOW'.