CH-72 Marked my Gland...

After swapping stories with Amelia for a spell, I bid her farewell and mosied on over to the loo while Arle was sawing logs like a lumberjack.

I gave my chassis a good scrubbing and gave my dental grenades a polish before slipping into a black skirt that could pass for a wooly sheep and a noir shirt with underthings as white as fresh laundered linens.

"That dragon sure knows how to catch some Z's." I chuckled to myself, deciding to let sleeping lizards Arle lie.

Into the dining room I traipsed, only to find Gwen getting her culinary groove on in the kitchen.

"Look who finally roused from her beauty coma! Fancy a little hair of the dog to kick off your day?" she shouted over the sizzle of the skillet.

Since we are close, I gave her a thumbs up, figuring some hangover elixir would do me right before breaking my fast.

Where the devil was the waiter at this roadside inn?

Had the proprietors plumb run out of gold coins?

Just then, the parental units ambled in and situated themselves at the table, eyes glazed over like they were awaiting an aristocratic feast rather than quelching a commonplace hunger pang.

"Hmph!" I huffed, shooting a stink-eye their way before unlocking my mobile and diving headfirst into the time-honored tradition of ignoring one's parents by gaming instead.

Ten minutes later, someone snatched it from me.

"Who is…" I was about to summon my most withering glare when I noticed the culprit was none other than Ely, who had materialized beside me like an affectionate ninja.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Where's that munchkin daughter of yours?" she chirped.

"Hibernating." I grunted.

Ely arched an eyebrow. "Why did you go filling up the brewski tank again when you know it messes with your brain?"

Ely had been an absolute angel to Arle last night from what I heard, so I figured I'd make a good relationship with the nosy but well-meaning busy-body.

Though we may bicker like squabbling siblings, she's a solid person.

Laying it on thick, I sighed dramatically. "I'm hopelessly addicted, sis. This frail form simply cannot resist the siren song of the sauce."

Rather than get all preachy, Ely just looked plain tuckered out. "Oy vey, you lush. Lucky for you, I've got a plant medicine that will help you to leave this habit within a day. Down the hatch and no more scotchy-scotch- scotch for you, okay?"

I tried and failed to suppress a grin, punching her lightly. "You're the best, Elster. I'll be a rec-spec soberano before you can say 'bleary-eyed barfly.'"

"You got it, sista!" I grabbed a glass and took a few gulps, keeping one eye on Ely as she leaned back in her chair.

Something seemed… off about her midsection. Like there was a little something cooking in that oven, if you catch my drift.

A bun in the oven? A pot of stew simmering on the stovetop? Is she pregnant… pregnant? I penetrate the reality, checking the activating inside her stomach….

—Cough!

I nearly did a triple gainer spit-take as the realization hit me like a ton of maternity bricks. Coughing to clear the Stream of Life from my windpipe, I eyeballed Ely's abdomen again, using my superpower.

… 'Yep, there was definitely a pea strategically positioned in that particular pod.'

Ely continued rambling on about sobriety potions or whatever, utterly oblivious to my mind being officially blown. I cut her off with a finger waved theatrically in front of her face.

"Elster, Elster, Elster. Before we have any further down the conversation..." My gaze dropped meaningfully to her belly region. "Is there maybe, I dunno, something you must like to share with the class?"

I widened my eyes comically and slapped on my most exaggerated awed expression, like a kid who just found out where babies actually come from.

Ely blinked owlishly for a few beats before following my line of sight.

"Oh! You mean this little ditty?" She patted her stomach. "Surprise! I'm pregnant. A month and two days. I wanted to tell you first when I found out tomorrow."

"Ohhhh!" I threw my arms around Ely, embracing her for the first time, overcome with excitement. She tensed initially, caught off guard, but then relaxed and patted my back.

"Tee-hee-hee, finally someone gets to call me auntie," I murmured, pulling back to study her with a crazy gaze. "But if you ever try to hurt my little niece or nephew, I'll end you."

A heavy silence hung between us as Ely froze by my words but instantly she asked with an expectancy. "So… does this mean you're accepting me as a sister now?"

"Consider it a reward. You never once treated me like a ghost, sister." A warm smile spread across my face as I settled back into my chair, folding my hands under my chest.

I paused, "From the moment we met, you've shown me genuine care and concern even after how I've brushed you off. I'm grateful you never turned your back on me."

"Don't worry, Gwen and I will love you like family for as long as we're all breathing," Ely replied, her own smile faltering as her gaze shifted to her parents.

"Truth be told, I hadn't planned on telling anyone just yet." she confessed, voice lowering. "But since you've figured it out… Yes, I'm pregnant with Gwen's child."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "After last night's interaction. I also conclude a scene. Which is why I hope you'll keep your distance from me. I don't want any… undue influences around my baby."

Sam stared unseeingly at the table, seeming dazed by Ely's words.

Nisho, on the other hand, looked torn between anger and elation at the prospect of becoming a grandmother.

"But aren't you breaking all the ancient White family laws?" she said tightly. "No female member is permitted to have children before the age of thirty, even if married."

Ely shook her head. "And who made that ridiculous rule? It sounds like you're treating your children as pawns to be controlled."

"In any case, I haven't broken any rules. Do you really think a woman of twenty-five could reach the Transcendence Realms?"

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach as she spoke those impossible words. Even in my previous life, after years of arduous training, I had never been able to attain such lofty realms of power.

While I had sported it on campus and been intrigued by Ely's immense spiritual energy, I never questioned the truth behind it.

Since I have my suspicions. Either she had traveled extensively through myriad dimensions where the flow of time differed…

… Or she had used some forbidden demonic arts to accelerate her cultivation.

The latter seemed highly improbable, with the odds being functionally zero.

Sam and Nisho could only gape at her in stunned silence as Ely pressed on relentlessly.

"The truth I wanted to share with you last night is that I'm fifty-one years old. Thanks to Gwen, I was able to journey across many realms where the timelines vastly diverged, using high-rank spirit essences to propel my cultivation to this level."

Her gaze launched to the kitchen, where Gwen was coming, and she reached out to take her wife's hand. "We became partners two years ago. And she has already marked me permanently… in my gland."