Traveling with my whole family was very entertaining. Inuyasha nad Kagome had begun a formal courting so some nights they sat up in a tree talking over things. I knew he was worried about whether he could have children and if he could whether her priestess blood would purify them. Kagome had come to me with those questions too. "Kagome you remember how when I mated with Mamoru I became a demon? I think Inuyasha is strong enough that if you two mate, you will probably also become a half-demon. The question you need to think about is would you want to be a half-demon?" I said looking at Kagome through the hot spring steam. On the far side of the spring Sango play with Nagisa as Nozomi kept score.
"I wouldn't care if I was a half-demon so long as I could stay with Inuyasha." Kagome said hugging herself with a dreamy smile on her face.
"Then why worry about it? You guys are destined to be together. If you weren't you wouldn't have been able to set him free or even come to this world." I said patting her shoulder before grabbing my brush and moving to the rocks that lined the springs.
Kagome smiled at me before going to Sango. Normally Sango would have been Kagome's confidant but Sango's demon-slayer up bringing may have discouraged Kagome from taking that step. Yes Sango was Inuyasha's friend but why try to bring up buried prejudices. Besides I knew what it was like to make that choice. Who better to ask?
Sango and Miroku were to be married after Naraku was killed and you could see how happy she was Miroku was also happy but he had a new sober side to him. I heard a rustling behind me and caught Miroku's scent. I back-flipped into the woods landing behind him and shoved him out into the water. Nozomi and Nagisa were sitting on the edge wrapped in towels and Kagome was almost fully dressed. But Miroku landed at the feel of a very naked, very angry Sango. Kagome and the others grabbed their clothes and snuck away while she began to berate him. I grabbed my kimono present from Nozomi and began to leave trying my best to ignore the yelling when it suddenly stopped. I glanced back then left smiling. Miroku had grabbed Sango to him and kissed her to shut her up. Oh yeah Miroku had a sober side…Sango just kept getting him drunk.
The men went to take their bath after we returned to the clearing. I sat brushing out Nozomi's hair when she turned slightly to look at me. "Mom I had a vision."
"What did you see?" I asked pausing my brushing.
"Sesshomaru and Kagura." She said quietly.
"Fighting?"
"No…they were kissing." She said shaking her head vehemently.
I blinked and then smiled. "Interesting."
Nozomi smiled at me and once I finished braiding her hair went to have weapons practice with Sango. Nagisa came over to sit beside me and I wrapped an arm around her. "I missed you and your brother very much. You know we hated to leave you don't you?"
Nagisa nodded and twined her fingers in my hair. "Rinji and I knew that you wanted to keep us safe and because we were so young it would be difficult so you put us someplace safe." She kissed my stripped cheek and tugged my hair before giving me a dimpled smile. "But you can't hide us now. We are ready to fight too."
I grinned back at her and began to tickle her. "Ready to fight huh?" NAgisa squealed and tried to get away but she was helpless with laughter. Suddenly I was thrust foreward as Rinji jumped onto my back in defense of his sister but I pulled him over my shoulder onto Nagisa and tickled them both.
"Now that's hardly fair." I heard Mamoru say behind me I had no time to escape as he grabbed me and pinned my shoulder to his chest letting the twins jump to their feet and begin tickling me back. After a few minutes as one the three of us turned on Mamoru tickling him as well.
Nozomi smiled as she listened to our laughter while battling Sango and Miroku with Ebony. Kagome gently tickled Inuyasha's side before he grinned and grabbed her arms by her side with a hug. For that night at least we were carefree.
The next morning I woke and crawled from the dogpile of my family to see Sesshomaru sitting beside the fire. Inuyasha sat across from him and Kagome was feeding Rin. "Morning Sesshomaru." I said as I moved to sit between the two brothers.
He inclined his head to me and his eyes flashed to the two pairs of eyes that peeked at him over Mamoru's sleeping body. "Your children aged extremely fast Dawn." He said in his quiet voice.
"Yes…they decided they didn't think we can handle Naraku without them." I said grinning and motioning them to come closer. I put an arm around each of them as they sat at my sides. "This is Nagisa and this is Rinji. Rinji can heal. Nagisa probably has a unique power too but we haven't seen it yet."
Sesshomaru looked over them both before inclining his head slightly. "I am the head of the Inu Clan." Rinji stood and went over to him and grabbed his empty sleeve. "What child?"
"I can regrow this."
The simple statement seemed to freeze everyone. Mamoru's eyes snapped open and Inuyasha looked up from where he had moved and was talking with Kagome. Sango and Miroku had left with Rin, Nozomi, and Sippo to fish. Sesshomaru stared at my son as if he had grown to heads. "Rinji…" I said quietly.
"I can. But I want to make a deal." Rinji said thrusting his chin foreward stubbornly.
Mamoru sat up and began crawling towards us.
"A deal?" Sesshomaru asked his eyes narrowing and his voice cold.
"A promise that you will never kill Inuyasha." Rinji said tugging the sleeve gently. "You can fight him all you like just please…promise not to kill him."
Nobody breathed as Sesshomaru's eyes drifted to Inuyasha. "Do you require children to plead for your life?"
Inuyasha growled but Nagisa jumped to her feet and fisted her hands at her side. "Inuyasha would never! But Inuyasha is a part of our family and important! We simply do not want him to die in one of your fights when he need him so much!"
Sesshomaru stared at my child and I grabbed her shoulder in support. "Sessomaru I regret my children acting this way to you but I must admit I agree with the sentiment. You are powerful Sesshomaru and once you get your arm back you will get more power. We just want to be sure that we wont lose our pack leader."
Mamoru put a hand on my back and nodded in agreement. "We know this is impertinent Lord Sesshomaru but it is a good deal to both of us."
Sesshomaru sat there for a while thinking finally he nodded. "It is impertinent but blood is blood and I think Inuyasha has proven him self worthy of a truce of sorts. But do not think you have it easy now little brother."
Inuyasha gave Sesshomaru a fanged grin. "I enjoy our bouts when I don't fear for my life Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru gave Inuyasha a nod and slipped his stump of an arm free of his sleeve so that Rinji could touch the skin. Rinji gripped his small hands a little above the edge of the cut and concentrated. A blue light surrounded Rinji and spread over Sesshomaru's shoulder. We watched in amazement as inch by inch the arm reconstructed all the way down to the ends of the poisoned claws.
As the arm was being rebuilt the others arrived including Kagura and Jaken. She sat quietly beside Sesshomaru watching fascinated as she told how he had freed her form Naraku and agreed to be her mate.
"So he killed you?" Miroku asked leaning foreward.
Kagura nodded. "We weren't sure it would work because it was debatable if I really had a soul but we risked it anyway. I would rather die then continue under his control."
"And now your on our side?" Inuyasha asked skeptically. He didn't like Kagura. He could deal with not having to fight her but her traveling with them would tick him off.
"I am on Sesshomaru's side and my own side. But just think how it will piss off that wolf to know we are now allies." Kagura said.
Inuyasha returned her grin and for a moment they were in complete understanding of each other. Then he went back to his tree and took Kagome up into the branches with him. "Wake us when he's done." He said to Mamoru and settled on a branch with Kagome held close.
Mamoru waved his hand and gripped Rinji's shoulder with the other. Both Rinji and Sesshomaru seemed to be in a trance but it would be over soon. They were halfway through the fingers. I held Nagisa as she napped, my cheek resting against the top of her head as I watched Rinji. Nozomi was holding my free hadn. "He'll be alright." She told me. "He healed a bunch of strays Souta brought to the house. He's been practicing it a lot."
"Has Nagisa shown any signs of a power to you?" I said. "You have visions, he can heal. I am worried she'll feel less important if she doesn't."
Nozomi squeezed my hand. "I don't mean to insult mother but you don't" When I looked at her confused she gave me a small smile. "You don't have any special powers. You have the abilities of a demon but nothing else. Your fighting was learned not born. Does that make you feel less of a help to the group?"
I gave her a small smile. "No it doesn't. Thanks Nozomi." I said softly. I looked over at Rinji as the blue light that surrounded the arm began to fade. "It's done Inuyasha." A moment later Rinji leaned back into Mamoru's arm and Sesshomaru lifted his new hand to his face.
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