bloodsong1 | I have been having so much fun with this!

Sarah sat up, listening hard. There. Someone was knocking at the door. She put on her glasses and checked her kiddos, snoring softly on either side. Crawling over the futon, she tiptoed to the door and opened it a crack. On the other side stood a man in ancient samurai garb and glowing with a cold blue nimbus.

"What brings you here, Samurai-san?" She whispered. The ghost bowed and extended his hands. Resting on his palms was a wakizashi in an elegant black saya.

"I am the kami of the Kume no Heinai-do shrine. I used to be a samurai, now I am considered a god of matchmaking," The ghost gave her a very self-deprecating smile. "You are an excellent matchmaker, Reiki-san. You have earned this."

"I...have read your story, Kume no Henai and I am surprised at your transformation," She said, opening the door fully. The spirit shrugged.

"It is my karma. Please, take your reward."

"I accept this humbly and with much honor," Sarah said, using both hands to take the wakizashi. She turned it over and studied the inscription carved into the saya. "Um, what does this say?"

"Dai-kichi tabidachi, great blessings for your travels. I thought it best." Sarah nodded, and partially unsheathed the blade. She wasn't an expert, but she could see it was sharp and well made. She looked at the ghost, then deliberately cut her finger on the edge, hissing at the pain. A bead of blood rolled down the blade and disappeared. Kume no Henai nodded.

"Well done. Now it is truly yours. Keep it close and it will be a good friend to you."

"Thank you, Kume no Heinai," Sarah sheathed the blade and pressed the cut into the saya. She felt a funny tingle race up her arm. When she looked, her finger was healed. She looked back at the ghost, astonished. He smiled and nodded.

"Well done."

"May I offer you a blessing?" She asked, tucking the saya into the waistband of her shorts. Kume no Heinai shook his head.

"I am content, Reiki-san. Thank you for offering. Sweet dreams." He disappeared. Sarah closed the door and returned to bed, laying the wakizashi next to her pillow.

------------------

"Good morning!" Shippo caroled through the door and knocked three times. There was a grumble from Reiki, a whine from Marc about being too early. The door opened and Reiki blinked up at him, still in her sleeping clothes and holding a wakizashi. His focus zeroed in on the sword, which hummed with Reiki's blood scent. "Where did THAT come from?" He demanded.

"I really thought it was a dream," Reiki said, turning back and beckoning him inside. He shut the door quickly. "Could have sworn it was just a dream, but then I wake up and it's here! Still here!"

"Reiki! Where did that blade come from and why does it have your blood on it?"

"Kume no Heinai showed up last night," Reiki said, kicking her son gently in the leg. The teenager groaned and buried himself in his blankets. She kicked him again, harder.

"WHAT?!" Marc yelled, sitting up.

"Get up and get dressed, we're leaving soon," Reiki answered, motioning to the closet. Marc grumbled his way to the closet, fetched clothes and grumbled to the bathroom, barely acknowledging Shippo, who was starting to feel very impatient.

"Kume no Heinai? The matchmaker from Asakusa?"

"The very same. He said I was an excellent matchmaker and the sword was my reward. Between this and Waka-chan's pearls, I feel like I've begun an excellent collection of souvenirs to leave behind." Reiki poked Becca in the tummy with a toe. Her eyes popped open.

"Is it time to go?" She asked sleepily.

"Very soon, you need to get up and get dressed. Your clothes are in that room," Reiki gestured to the closet.

"Okay," Becca sighed. The little girl stretched, flopped around a bit, then wrestled off her covers and stumbled to the closet. Shippo went to the window, shaded by bamboo blinds, and peeked through the slats.

"That doesn't explain the blood," He growled.

"I cut myself. Can't let a blade like this be re-sheathed without it, especially since a kami gave it to me," Reiki explained. He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. "What was really weird was the saya healed the cut. Is this like Tetsusagia's saya, it protects?"

"It's not a fang blade, Reiki," Shippo said firmly. "However, marking it with your blood has made it powerful, so it's not surprising that the sheath would heal while the blade destroys."

"Huh. You can turn around now." Shippo turned back to the room. Becca was dressed in a blue short set with flowers on the shorts. Marc emerged from the bathroom in jean shorts and a black T shirt with a large Pokemon character on the front. Reiki put the wakizashi on top of her suitcase, went to the closet and retrieved her clothes; a floral skirt of white, green and yellow and a peach short sleeved blouse. She disappeared into the bathroom while Becca tugged on his pant leg.

"Shippo? I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"