Well hello my friends! Been quite a while! For those that may have missed it, I started grad school this past fall. Busy is not only a four letter word, it's apparently a way of life I never want to experience again. Only a year left. *SIGH*

I'm also getting married in a month… Soooooo no pressure or anything. lol.

Here is the long-awaited 7th chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own nor profit from anything to do with Inuyasha. I'm lucky I can feed myself each week… when I remember to eat that is.


Despite the excitement earlier in the day, Inuyasha stuck to his resolve about talking to Kagome that night. If he waited any longer, mistakes might be made. Not that the progression of their relationship would be a mistake. He just knew there were certain rules he had to follow to make sure Kagome's life was bound to his so he wouldn't lose her in fifty or so years. He had told her the truth when he hoped that they would be able to last long enough to necessitate adapting to her time. He knew he was likely to live much longer than a human. And he would never think to be as reckless in battle as he had been in the past with the boys and Kagome to protect, relying on him to care for them. On the other hand, he was only half youkai, there was no telling what his life-span might actually be.

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome asked with muted eagerness. She was nervous, but not about the part that Inuyasha feared. She had no qualms about tying them together, life and soul. It was the body part that clearly made her nervous, even though she didn't seem to fear kissing him whenever an opportunity presented itself. Or petting his ears. Or touching his chest if his kosode came a little loose. Focus on what she's asking! Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"When it comes time, we'll have to share a bit of blood, nothing dangerous. There are... specific words we have to speak. I guess it's pretty much a spell in its own way." He took another, deeper breath. "The marking with scents is more important for inuyoukai than other youkai."

As usual, showing how perceptive she was, Kagome picked up on his nervousness and reflected it. "And that is the... when we..."

"Yea." Inuyasha closed his eyes against the anxiety-laced heat that rose off of his wife. "Look, it's the most important part, but it's not like there's a," he paused, trying to think of the right words, "traditional way we have to do it. That's entirely up to us."

Nodding slowly, Kagome kept her gaze lowered. "That's a good thing I suppose." She sighed, letting out a slight laugh. "Our lives are so not normal, you know?" Inuyasha turned his gaze away, embarrassed. He knew she didn't mean it that way, but it reminded him how normal her life could have been if it hadn't been for him in it. Without him and the jewel to ruin her life, she would have finished her schooling at the top of her class, she would have gone on to the bigger school she'd told him about to study for a career. An important job like a doctor or a teacher. She would have married a human man with a good job and money to provide for her. A stable life. No demons trying to eat her, no hanyous to make her cry… "I know that look," she interrupted his thoughts abruptly. Her soft hand slid along his cheek, which he pressed into almost without meaning to. "I'm happy to finally be with the man I love," she said in such a soft whisper, he almost wasn't sure of what he'd heard. "We've just had to go about this so backwards. The boys came before we'd even had our real first kiss." Her little lopsided smile made him smile too.

"When have we ever done things the way everyone else does?" he murmured, carefully nuzzling her cheek. Gathering her into his lap, he was able to absorb some of her warmth, soaking in her scent. "I wish this could have all gone like it was supposed to..."

"Hush. All that matters is that we're together and that the boys are safe and healthy, alright?"

"Yea, alright."

...

A slightly wobbly barrier stood between them as Inuyasha inspected her work. "Well, I'm not going to touch it," he told his wife.

"Come on Inuyasha. It's not going to hurt," she wheedled.

"Keh, I know that. I just don't feel like being human today," he replied with a sarcastic lilt. Kagome grinned at her husband with a seductive look in her eye. "Hey..."

"I'll make it worth your while," she purred in his ear. Said appendage twitched nervously. She was promising a great deal and it was well worth the short stint as a human, but he didn't like the idea of leaving his family more or less defenseless for any period of time. Well, maybe not completely defenseless. Kagome was more than strong enough to fend off most youkai, and he was not a total weakling while human. "Please?" Snorting at his lovely wife's manipulations, the inuhanyou handed over Toga before stepping away from her.

Rin was focusing pretty hard in the center of her barrier, clearly nervous about the strength of it, both in it's protective quality and in the likelihood of it hurting her lord's brother. Inuyasha edged closer, gently nudging the wall of miko energy with his youki before he was even in range of touching it. If it couldn't stand up to the strength of his youki alone it was unlikely to stand up to him putting his hand through it. He glanced at Rin once more before flaring his youki a little more fiercely. The barrier wobbled severely, Rin grunting at the strain, but held. "Not bad kid." He waited a moment before stepping closer, flaring his youki a moment before touching the barrier with a fingertip. The crackle against his finger was irritating but not painful and the barrier snapped out of existence like a popped soap bubble. "Try for a smaller area next time. Your power won't be stretched so thin."

"Very good Rin-chan," Kagome complimented with a smile. "Inuyasha's right. Stronger is always better than bigger." Rin nodded slowly, taking in the advice in the same quiet way she seemed to take everything now. Kagome kind of missed the bubbly child they'd all known, but understood and appreciated how seriously Rin was taking her training.

A burble came from one of the twins and the other responded with a soft giggle. Kagome smiled at the way they seemed to communicate with each other. Right now they were mostly using "human" sounds with each other and "inuyoukai" with Inuyasha. They tried to communicate with her in grunts and growls but seemed to be learning that she couldn't respond in the same way their father could. "They think the tickle from my youki is funny," Inuyasha said with a shake of his head.

"They did not say that," Kagome said with a laugh, not believing him for a moment. Inuyasha blinked at her in that way that let her know he didn't understand why she could possibly think he was joking. "You're serious?"

"Keh. They're getting more fluent all the time."

Kagome sighed. "I wish my ears were sensitive enough to hear the differences when they try to talk to you." Inuyasha gave her a lopsided grin. "Rin-chan," she called, quickly changing her focus, "Try one more, then you can take the rest of the day off." Rin nodded resolutely before closing her eyes in concentration. Again a too-large, wavering barrier popped up around her. "Smaller, Rin-chan, smaller," Kagome reminded her. The young woman took a deep breath and scrunched her nose as she focused the barrier down, shrinking it slightly and losing some of the instability. A sharp rise of youki startled them all, sparking against Rin's energy. Her eyes flew open and she almost lost the protection completely.

"Your concentration leaves something to be desired," Sesshomaru intoned, stepping up beside his brother. Inuyasha flicked his eyes over before focusing on Rin once more. Rin's eyes reflected her disappointment but she quickly regained her determination. Her energy became a slightly more opaque pink as it shrunk again, clearly not wavering in the slightest this time. Sesshomaru, face blank, let off another, stronger burst of youki. It crackled along the outside of Rin's barrier without affecting it or the girl inside. "Better."

Hitoshi on the other hand became agitated, forcing Kagome to hand Toga to his father and comfort him. His violet eyes were damp and wide in his pale face. Kagome hushed him gently while tucking his nose into her neck. Just like it did for his brother and his father, the scent of her calmed Hitoshi right away. "Hush now, Love," she whispered as his sniffles died down.

"Oi, Fluffy, you're upsetting my kid," Inuyasha called with a frown drawing his dark brows down over his eyes. The taiyoukai's gaze sliced to his nephew curled against Kagome just before he allowed his youki to subside. Inuyasha grunted something that could have been grateful. "Come on, Kagome. Leave them to it." Kagome glanced at the young woman who had let her barrier down yet stood without moving, her eyes locked on her youkai lord. She chewed her lip a moment in worry, but her husband nudged her in the direction of their home before she could decide what was bothering her. "It's been a week since he last visited, let them be."

"Are you sure..."

"Kagome, she's too young. He knows that. He's not a complete beast."

The young miko giggled. "Don't let your brother hear you say that. He might think you actually like him." Inuyasha snorted in response, nudging her a little more urgently toward the house. Once in the house, they put the twins down for a nap. They both fell asleep fairly quickly, a blessing in and of itself, leaving Kagome time to fold diapers.

"Leave them until later," came a whisper in her ear. Kagome jumped slightly before relaxing back into her husband's hold. "You made me a promise, woman," he reminded her.

"You're right, I did."

"I intend to collect on that promise." His hands slid over her hips in a slow, enticing manner. "Have I ever told you what a blessing the pups have been?" Confused by the direction of his question in contrast to the movements of his hands, Kagome only nodded slightly. "You were definitely meant to be a mother," he clarified with press of his hips against hers and the slight pressure of his claws against the front of her thighs. Kagome grinned and shook her head, returning his pressure.

Turning to face her husband and push him into the other room, Kagome gave him a sly and analytical look. "You seem pretty serious about taking this further." Inuyasha didn't miss the slight nervousness beneath her flirtatious bravery. They had made several attempts at intimacy in the last few weeks but they were either interrupted or one of them backed out. Inuyasha feared hurting her more than anything and each time she gasped, his heart rate jumped. Granted they were usually gasps of pleasure or surprise, but he wasn't quite used to it yet. Kagome was nervous about baring all to someone who may not want to see it. She knew he'd never meant it when he called her ugly, and she knew he definitely thought she was attractive now, but still she worried. She hadn't lost all of her baby weight yet and she knew the stretch mark cream her mother had given her had only been able to compensate so much. Most women didn't grow to fit twins in less than five months. And what if he really only felt obligated to her, to their children?

At that moment, that seemed to matter less and less. "Only if you're ready to, Kagome," he murmured while nibbling her throat. Kagome sighed softly, tilting her head to the side to give him more room to taste and explore. Inuyasha let out a low growl of approval, licking and kissing his way toward her shoulder. Kagome felt the edge of the futon against the back of her heels, unsure how she'd lost her tenuous control over her husband. "We'll go slow," he promised. "You tell me to stop." Kagome took a deep breath and nodded. Inuyasha gently lowered them to the bed, losing his haori a moment later. Kagome grinned slightly, tracing her fingers along the line of his kosode. Not wanting to startle her, Inuyasha sat back and let her explore with tickling caresses before she finally leaned forward to press kisses to his exposed skin. When she eventually worked up the nerve to part the fabric, he helped her pull it from his shoulders and from his hakama. Kagome let out a shuddering sigh. "You alright?"

Nodding, Kagome let out a little laugh. "You're just so perfect. I forget that sometimes."

"Keh, ain't nothing perfect about me. You on the other hand..." Kagome grinned when he leaned her back until she could rest comfortably on the futon. While most men, from what she had read or heard from friends in the future, went straight for the breasts or between the legs with grabbing hands, her hanyou was far more intent on exploring her everywhere with his nose and tongue first. "This is my favorite spot," he finally muttered before licking the crease along the edge of one breast. Kagome stifled a gasp of surprise, not wanting to startle him like in the past. She knew Inuyasha thought he was hurting her, even when he wasn't. "Kagome..." he groaned slightly when she reached up to gently pet one ear. His nose had followed the gap in her yukata down to her navel, parting the fabric as he went.

She reminded herself to keep breathing normally as he peeled her out of the yukata completely and even reached shaking hands to touch the soft skin of his shoulders and back. She was always so jealous of how smooth and unblemished his skin was. That hanyou healing ability certainly kept him looking untouched by the injuries inflicted on him. The only scar was the place where two mikos' arrows had pierced his chest. Kagome softly touched there as well, an apology in her eyes when Inuyasha glanced at her.

"Don't. It wasn't you."

"Technically..." Inuyasha cut her off with a fierce kiss, effectively distracting her from whatever she was going to say. Both of them relished the feeling of bare skin pressing together for the first time, the heat flaring between them undeniable. Inuyasha didn't seem satisfied until he had sniffed or licked almost every inch of her, which Kagome quickly realized was partially his way of marking her with his scent. It felt great too, so she had no complaints. He gently removed her underthings, particularly careful with the nursing bra she'd reminded him was very expensive.

He really liked it when she bit his lip, she discovered by accident. His knuckles had found a particularly sensitive spot while he was peeling off her underwear and she'd bitten down to hold in her whimper while he kissed her. Inuyasha let out a low groan and his kiss intensified. "Again," he growled to her, his lips nearly bruising hers with their ferocity. Kagome gently sucked his lip for a moment before taking hold of it with her teeth. When he pulled away to gasp for breath, she didn't let go right away. "Fuu…." he groaned, unable to finish the thought aloud with Kagome's mouth catching his.

Inuyasha found himself more desperate than ever to complete their mating. Despite his body's urgency, he went slow. He had to make sure the marking was done properly and that the exchange of blood and energy went smoothly. If he gave himself over to his desires, they would probably both have finished already and… That's not the goal here. Later, not now, he had to remind himself. Before he lost his train of thought, he began speaking the words he had practiced for months. "With this mark I share my life, my strength and my protection. I offer my soul."

Kagome sighed and whimpered as he spoke against her skin, his tongue occasionally darting out to catch a patch of skin, the curve of her ear, a strained tendon in her neck. When he finished his part, he gave her a look, warning her that he intended to mark her. "I accept your mark, your strength and your soul," she whispered. "I will protect that which you give and give what you would have of me." Inuyasha's eyes glittered with pleasure before an apology swept across his amber eyes. The claw on his thumb sliced across her left shoulder, just above her collarbone and her heart, drawing blood.

"Then you are my mate in word and bond," he murmured, gasping when her free hand took hold of him and guided him where he needed to go. "Kagome," he breathed, closing his eyes tightly. He felt her small hand grip his larger one, pushing a claw against his own chest. He'd gotten so caught up in feeling her touch, he'd almost forgotten. He let her guide his hand, but had to be the one to actually slice his own skin since she wasn't strong enough on her own. His blood welled up more slowly than hers had and he pushed a little deeper in case it began to close before they could finish.

"Heart and soul," she completed the necessary words. "I love you," she whispered as he sank into her. Golden eyes wide, Inuyasha gasped softly as he found he could go no further.

"Kagome…" She smiled up at him, a wince pinching her face when he began to move. He growled at her pain, wishing it away. He again found the spot which had caused her to bite his lip earlier, brushing over it with the back of two knuckles. It was his lovely wife's turn to gasp, her back arching up off the bed. He continued the pressure there while resuming the movement of his hips against hers. Leaning down to kiss her brought a whimper out of the beautiful woman below him and he found that their bodies slid together much more easily.

She finally cried out, her body's reaction sending a shockwave through his system. Inuyasha didn't think he would last very long at this rate, glad when Kagome gasped and whimpered his name. He took her right hand, quickly slicing into her thumb before doing the same to himself. They each pressed their thumbs against the marks over each other's hearts. Her scent flooded his nose and he felt himself falling off the edge of his release.

Only to be caught by the sensation of their energies wrapping around them both. Kagome's reiki swirled with his youki as an iridescent semi opaque bubble. The bubble shrank until it melted into them, healing the wounds on their chests and thumbs, remaining as a glow over each spot for another moment. When the light faded, his name, in bold kanji, remained behind. He was barely able to look down at his own shoulder, but he could see the very edge of the black writing on his own skin. "Wow," Kagome breathed, still catching her breath. Inuyasha grinned down at her. "So… So it's done then?"

Inuyasha felt a chuckle rise in him, rumbling in his chest, before kissing his wife and mate. "No Kagome, it's just beginning."

...

Tiny snores let her know the twins were out. Not surprising. They'd had their first experience with somewhat solid food and they had been so thrilled, they'd worn themselves out. She couldn't help smiling at the memory despite the angry squeals she got from both boys when she had to scrub them head to toe afterward. Toga had even managed to get some inside his ear. Luckily she had the modern convenience of a bulb syringe to flush and then suction anything out that shouldn't be there. Needless to say, Toga was not her biggest fan after that. Kagome finished folding the clean diapers and towels from her basket before glancing over at her silent companion. "Everything alright, Rin-chan?" The young woman startled at her question, looking sheepishly down at the scroll in her hands after getting caught staring. "What is it?"

Rin's mouth screwed up, a clear sign she wasn't sure what to say or if she should say it. Kagome had become more and more familiar with her small facial cues the longer she stayed with them, a plus since Rin had started displaying the same kind of emotional attributes as her lord. In other words… none. "Kagome-sama?" She took a ragged breath before letting it out between pursed lips. "I can't help noticing that we look quite like one another."

Knowing the issue would arise at some point was not the same as being prepared to face it, Kagome realized. "There are similarities, yes. Does that bother you?" she tried to reply calmly.

"No... perhaps."

A small smile twitched at the older miko's mouth. "Rin-chan, there is a lot that has happened and that will happen that is hard to explain."

"I know you are from a future time, Kagome-sama. What... What if I am to be reincarnated into you someday," she blurted, clapping a hand over her mouth a moment later. "I am sorry, that was rude." The poor girl looked like she was about to burst into flame, she was so flushed with embarrassment. Kagome couldn't help being glad for the normal, human, reaction.

Trying to find the right words was difficult, but Kagome tried to think of how best to explain their situation. "I don't think that is what will happen. And don't worry about offending me." Kagome went on to carefully explain how Kikyo had been revived and what that had made her feel. "I constantly worried that I was only meant to come back here to bring her back for Inuyasha."

"But you are meant for each other, Midoriko even said so, did she not?"

"Yes. But I didn't know that then. I was the same age as you. I was caught up in how I felt and how Inuyasha did or didn't feel about me." She smiled a little. "Now that I'm older, I still worry about those kinds of things, but not as much. I was selfish then, immature. I've learned that there are much bigger things in this world than a teenage girl's crush."

"So I should be resigned to my fate..." Rin's face fell.

Kagome shook her head, brown eyes wide. "Not at all. If I had just given up that first time, I would have lost my soul. Inuyasha didn't know what he was doing to me, but I fought hard to stay here. I always have." She reached out and took Rin's hand. "It's too soon to know what your fate will hold, but I bet you it will be spectacular, Rin. And I'm sure Sesshomaru will be with you every step of the way."

Rin looked a little miserable at that. "There has been pressure in the court for him to find a mate," she breathed, as though voicing it to Kagome might make it more real. "They wish for him to ally himself with another inuyoukai clan, one of the few left. There is a female who is not any older than I am that they want him to make his lady." Kagome fought the urge to flinch at the news. Practically, she knew how things worked in the Sengoku Jidai... it didn't make it easier to swallow with her upbringing shaping her attitudes about the age of consent. At least with Rin, as Inuyasha had explained, she knew Sesshomaru understood that she was not yet an adult. She had a feeling it did not work the same with youkai, who physically matured much faster. Mentally is another story, she thought with a sardonic grin, thinking of her mate.

She tried to come up with something comforting and honest to say. She thought over how she had seen Sesshomaru interact with his young ward and couldn't think of a moment in which he hadn't shown her some particular attention or clear affinity. "It doesn't look like Sesshomaru has much interest in an inuyoukai child for his mate." She looked at Rin's face, which didn't seem convinced. "He shows you a very particular gentleness that I certainly have never seen him treat anyone else with."

"The lower courtiers do not care if I hear. They think he will claim her as his mate and will keep me as a concubine, then be rid of me when I age too much." Kagome dropped what she was doing, her hands numb at the thought. He wouldn't... He wouldn't dare! She felt the fury at the very idea try to bubble out of her and she had to consciously quell her rising aura.

"Unacceptable," she hissed.

"Kagome-sama..."

Sesshomaru picked a very inopportune moment to arrive in the village, his youki easily discernible from his brother's. Inuyasha was out with the villagers and Miroku, fixing broken and rundown fences. He was calm and busy. Sesshomaru was clearly eager and impatient, which was so different from how she had read each of them in the past. It barely fazed her that she could so definitely read their youki, too intent on finding her brother-in-law and telling him off. "Please keep an eye on the boys," she growled at her apprentice and stomped out of the hut.

Sesshomaru was taken aback by the glowing miko who approached him as he came looking for Rin. Kagome was near spitting pink flame in her anger and he had no idea what had garnered such fury. He had a feeling he was about to find out though. "Miko..."

"Don't you 'Miko' me! Are you going to claim some child bride youkai and then keep Rin on as a concubine?" The directness of her question was appalling, but he had to appreciate how clearly protective she was of Rin. He folded his arms over his chest.

"This Sesshomaru does not answer to you, Miko."

"Oh, you'll answer to me alright! If you ever plan on seeing Rin-chan again, you will damn well answer me right now!" She took an angry breath, slightly overwhelmed by her own emotions. "That young woman in there adores you!" she hissed, pointing back toward her hut. "She would jump to the moon and back for you, if she could. And you're going to take advantage of her love and loyalty to use her like a... a..." She couldn't say it out loud.

Sesshomaru fought down slight amusement at her sudden tongue-tied state, as well as anger at what had apparently been spoken of in front of his ward and what she had obviously asked for advice about from her mentor. "It has never been the intention of this Sesshomaru to a woman in the manner you imply. It is most likely the intention of the lower court to upset and frighten Rin."

Kagome's ire cooled a little, but she still stared at her brother-in-law in simmering anger. "So you do not plan on marrying some inuyoukai female barely out of diapers." He simply raised an eyebrow at her. Kagome waited a moment for him to answer before putting her fists on her hips and shifting her weight. "Sesshomaru, I understand that you think this regal thing will work on me and I'll just cave and drop it, but I imagine you've known me long enough at this point to know I'm not going to just let it go."

A faint look of irritation flitted across his features. "You know very well why Rin was brought here and why it is so important that she learn to control her abilities in the same manner that you have gained control over yours."

"So you do plan to make her your mate someday." He didn't outright agree, but he didn't deny it either. "Good. I would hate to have to maim family," she said, turning on her heel and heading back into her hut. Sesshomaru stood in the path for some time without moving. Her power had increased at least by half of what was already more than impressive. Had mating his brother increased her aura? Some remnant of the jewel still influencing their lives?

"Certainly told you, didn't she?" Sesshomaru didn't have to look at his brother to know he was smirking at him from where he was perched in a nearby tree.

"It would do you well to teach your mate better manners."

Inuyasha chuckled, hopping down from his branch. "Why would I do that when it means I get to see her fluster you?" Sesshomaru swiped at him and the two partook in a short mock battle. "Are the courtiers really trying to push you into a mating with another inuyoukai?" he asked when they slowed, both losing interest in the "game."

It took a moment for the taiyoukai to respond. "It has been suggested... often. The daughter of the other clan is barely more than a child. She is of age, but one would not know it for her behavior."

"Spoiled?"

"Obscenely." Inuyasha grunted. "There are few voices calling for it, but they are the loudest."

"Kagome usually says something about the squeakiest wheel getting the grease in that sort of situation."

"She is not inaccurate. However, it is not in this Sesshomaru's nature to give in to the... squeakiest wheel." Inuyasha fought a snicker at his brother using Kagome's analogy. "Once Rin is in control of her abilities, then she will return to the fortress and they will not be able to threaten her as they have in the past."

Inuyasha stiffened. "They actually had the balls to threaten her? When she is openly under your protection?" His brother was a very powerful youkai, even he could admit that. To think some of his lesser nobles had threatened harm on his ward...

"Rumors have spread that this Sesshomaru has gone... soft," he nearly spat the last. "Rin's presence gives those who would usurp power leverage."

"You know she's not a weakness."

"No, she is not."

Inuyasha studied his brother's stiff form. "You're still worried that she's making you weak." No response, but the silence was telling. "I worried that Kagome was making me soft, less of a warrior," he admitted after a few moments of silence. "I heard it from too many bastards to count that she made me weak because I cared about her safety instead of just winning the fight at any cost." Only a pair of golden eyes turned his way, no other indication he was hearing what he was saying. "Protecting Kagome is what gave me strength, what made fighting and living worthwhile. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to use Tetsusaiga without her." He chuckled, resting his hand on the sword at his hip. "I could have died in a hundred battles. But Kagome needed me. I could have let something happen to her... but what point would there be to living afterward? Kagome made my life worth living and without her I would have died years ago, even if I'd made it off Goshinboku another way." He sighed, studying his brother. Something came to his mind and he couldn't keep it to himself. "Do you have someone to protect, Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha was startled by the sharp response in his brother. The taiyoukai turned to look at him suddenly, his eyes wide with surprise. "What did you say?" came his low whisper.

Frowning, the inuhanyou thought about what he'd asked and wondered why it would affect his stoic older sibling so acutely. "Do you have someone to protect? I don't know why, I just... needed to say it."

It took a long time for Sesshomaru to school his features again and then gather his thoughts together well enough to speak. "Father asked me that once, when I demanded Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha stood, stunned, never having heard his brother drop the formal address before. Then he thought about what his brother was admitting to.

"It popped into my head and I had to say it." Both of them froze and stared at the sword at Inuyasha's hip as they felt the pulse of its energy. "Alright you old coot, we get the hint," Inuyasha was the first to speak, patting the hilt affectionately. "I guess Oyaji is still trying to help us both along."

"Chichi-ue was always trying to teach a lesson when you least expected it." Inuyasha smirked. "Tetsusaiga has continued to grow stronger as your desire to protect your miko has risen," he said after a moment, as though conceding a point. "It stands to reason that your youki has as well." Inuyasha shrugged. "This Sesshomaru... I," he amended, "thought I was at the limit of my own capabilities before finding Rin."

"Amazing what you can make yourself do when you have someone relying on you, isn't it?" the older inuyoukai grunted something that could have been an agreement. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what's right. I just know that if you're supposed to be together, the kami will make it happen. You might have to get yourself nearly killed for it to make sense, but if it's meant to be, you'll know it." Inuyasha thought about all the omens and indications he'd ignored when he'd first met Kagome. Everything pointed to their future being together but he'd been too stubborn to see it until it was shoved under his nose.

A squeal of laughter from one of the boys made his ears perk in the direction of his hut and a smile curl his mouth. "Their youki is quite strong for ones so young." Inuyasha nodded and explained what had happened before. He hummed, remembering how much stronger her aura had pulsed at him when furious. "She is stronger as well." Sesshomaru looked thoughtful. "The jewel is no longer in existence. It should not still be affecting your mate."

"Shouldn't be. Doesn't mean it isn't. She was born with the damned thing inside of her and it stayed there until her fifteenth birthday, when she came here." He stared off in the direction of his family. "Kagome's power may directly come from Midoriko herself. It may be that the boys siphon off the youki of Magatsuhi as they grow. We just don't know."

"That may explain why it was their birth that was needed to destroy the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha nodded, confirming he'd had the same thought. The unknowns were making them a little crazy, but there was little to nothing they could do about it. The boys were still developing as normally as could be expected and they hadn't displayed any strange behaviors that were cause for worry. Kagome was stronger than ever, no more fainting spells after the first. Inuyasha was guessing, and hoping, that it was partially due to the completion of their mating and the strength that provided her. Her aura consistently flared around her when she was agitated, something she was learning to control again. Luckily it didn't seem to affect him or the boys. He was reminded of his conversation with Rin regarding power and the heart's wishes.

"I would speak with Rin now," Sesshomaru spoke after a moment, striding off without another word. Inuyasha just smiled and shook his head before following his brother.