Meet the Family

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"...Are we there...?"

"Ash I swear if you ask one more time...!" Sam snapped

"Oh what, you'll finally put that holy water in my food?"

"If we were there, would we still be driving?!" Sam snapped at his best friend.

Two groans escaped the front.

Emiko and Yori's patience was beginning to ware out. The kids may have fallen asleep, but with the two men arguing, it was almost worse.

"We are...FINALLY...here." Yori announced.

Sam and Emiko let out sighs of relief as Ash hopped out. As much as she hated the situation, the adult Onryou was grateful. She went to wake up her daughter and help her out of the car as Yori did the same with the twins.

After yawning and stretching, Erma's eyes widened at the beautiful forest she found herself in. Yes, she had explored the creek with her friends, but this? THIS was pure forest, no city for miles! Which was kind of a shame, because she did want to see Akihabara; it looked so interesting!

"Race ya!" Momo and Mitsu dared their cousin, their lower forms shifting into a rail of ghostly smoke. Erma was quick to fly off after them, a determined smile on her face.

"Girls!" Yori shouted after her daughters

"Erma, wait!" Sam begged as he raced to catch up to his daugther. Emiko raced past him to chase her daughter. Not wanting to be outdone by his wife, Sam whipped out his case and pulled out a vial which he downed. The second it was empty, he caught up to his wife.

Ash smirked as he manifested his wings and looked to take to the air before he spied Yori in the process of prepping to catch up to her daughters.

"Would the lovely lady like a lift to her little girls?" He asked Yori, who smirked.

"...You think you're fast enough?"

"Oh hardly, madam." Ash assured her. "But, having babysat the little munchkin, Iam aware help is often appreciated..not that you need..."

He then realized she was already halfway and sticking her tongue out at him while she pulled a lower eyebrow down.

"Oh, you wanna race, huh?!" Ash smirked.

He was so focused on catching up with the others, he failed to notice a root he stepped on glow and then fall into the earth...

Meanwhile, elsewhere

As the two guardians kept their vigil, for the first time since they began this containment their concentration was broken.

Two trinkets, one on each of them, began to shake and in the man's case, glow.

For Shaun, it was a talisman. Not one of actual archaeological value, however. No this one was that of a child's Arts and Crafts project. More accurately, it was four hand-prints connected by colourful yarn, each a different colour.

"...Boys?"

For Hika, it was a small strand of hair that she had kept in a locket. The hair had belong to her first born niece; the same niece who was among the reasons she had stood at this post so valiantly.

"...Emi-chan? Why would she...?"

Had these not caught their attention, they'd have noticed the crack in the sealing and the now dead root that fell to the ground in front of them.

It couldn't have been more than half a second, but that was all the force they were fighting to keep back needed.

A maniacal laugh filled the air as a green, grey and red face burst from the seal and dashed out of the cave before they realized what had happened. In fact, they only realized the presence escaped because the cave painting had suddenly disappeared.

"...WHAT IN THE NAMES OF SHELLY, STOKER, POE, LOVECRAFT, JACKSON AND KING JUST HAPPENED?!" Shaun shouted, in spite of knowing full well.

"SOMEONE LET HIM OUT!" Hika snapped, angry at both herself her partner for letting this happen. This anger vanished when she saw the root on the ground. "...Oh no. No, no, no, no, noooo! Osa-chan, you baka!"

In spite of everything, mostly his incredibly weakened state and exhaustion, Shaun reached for his partner.

"Don't blame your brother, it must've been a hiker or something..."

"These woods are for Yokai only!" Hika reminded him before composing herself. "No. We can't blame ourselves anymore. We have to leave now. Warn Osa and the others. Get you back home."

A sentiment both had thought and lamented as not being possible, but now wished was an impossibility.

"Well.." The old man mused. "On the upside, we finally get to move. Downside? My legs have been asleep for a decade and I REALLY gotta use a bathroom."

A disgusted look crossed Hika's face

"Wait until I leave!" The Spider-Demoness begged as she scampered away. "Wait until I leave!"

"OI! AT LEAST GET ME BACK ON MY FEET!"

He suddenly fond his form being zipped upwards and his formerly crossed legs now dangling in their slumbering state.

"...Not exactly what I meant, but it'll do."

(AN: AND FROM THAT WE ARE MOVING ON!)

'I pity whoever comes across this sight...' Hika groaned as she crawled outside for the first fresh air in decades.

Flash-forward to the future!

30 years later

"OH GOD WHAT IS THAT HORRIBLE SMELL?!"

"ITS EVERYWHERE!"

Flash-forward end

'...How much have I missed? Oh Kami, I hope Osamu-chan didn't end up with that twat Amaya!'

Somewhere else, two beings sneezed.

ETW

It happened so fast the little half-ghost was unsure what happened.

One minute she had overcome her cousins, the next she was alone in a darkened room surrounded by strange people.

"EMIKO!" The large horned male beamed at Erma, revealing sharp teeth. In spite of this, Erma felt safe around him.

"Kentaro..." The woman in a kimono sighed. "That is NOT Emiko, she's far too small."

"BUT SHE'S SO CUTE!" The woman with a floating head beamed as she pushed Kentaro out of the way to hug Erma. "Hi there, Erma! I'm your auntie...!"

She found herself being pulled back and Erma was back on the ground, helped back up by a teenage girl who did not seem to have a face and simply waved as the door opened.

Now Emiko was there and the only reason she did not scoop up her daughter was the sight of her siblings after so many years.

Sam however, helped his little girl up and smiled, happy for his wife as she caught up with her siblings...before suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

"Um...?" He started, only to be silenced by his attacker; a scarred yet still beautiful woman's face attached to a snake's body.

"Who are you?" She hissed. "How did you..?"

She smirked.

"Hello, big sister."

"Rin." Emiko growled. "Let. My husband. Go."

"Um? Emiko, I'm right here." Sam said.

This got the attention of everyone, confusion clear on their faces.

The 'Sam' that was in Rin's embrace suddenly smirked and melted, revealing...

"Why hello, beautiful..." Ash smirked. "Shouldn't I at least buy you tea or dinner?"

Rin untangled herself and used her tail to whack Ash to the ground

"Ooh, I like her!" He beamed, although said beam vanished when she got up into his face and sniffed around him.

"...He smells...odd." Rin noted. "He's not human..but not a Yokai, either..."

"Yeah, I've known Ash since I was eight and I still don't know what he is." Sam said, getting the attention of all...particularly as the potion he had used vanished from his form, leaving blackened wisps on his feet.

"Everyone." Emiko announced. "This is my husband Sam. He is a Monster Researcher, Warrior and Protector."

To be continued...

HOWS THAT FOR AN UPDATE?!

A little twist Tim Curry's Toxic Love suggested at this story's beginning. Git ya hooked now, I hope.

Read and review, keep warm and safe