A/N: Thank you for waiting, as well as all of the feedback :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Dearest Inara,

I’m sorry that on this day I am unable to be there, but I wanted to wish you a happy twelfth birthday. Along with that, I wish you courage and poise as you start your new chapter in life at the Training House. You are beginning a Serra family tradition that will bring you closer to your destiny in life…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I called him a backbirthed yokel that wore a brown coat.” Zaira supplied, sipping on her tea as if they were chatting carelessly abou the latest summer fashions.

“Wears a brown coat.” Mal corrected. “I still like the look. Take it you have done your homework on a search engine?"

"Decidedly so."

"And?" There was a charged pause. "Come on now, let's hear the truth of things." Mal prodded, drawling on purpose as it made the elder wince.

Zaira set her teacup down. "You are a nihilist and a marauder."

Inara's face and neck turned a dark shade of red that matched her expression. She looked ready to ruin her manicure.

"I was a marauder." He announced truthfully. "Never a nihilist, life's got plenty a meaning, just none of the meaning come from your plum colored dogmas."

"Very well then. You're a maverick and a black mar on this universe."

"I'm inclined to agree to disagree."

"As do I." Inara entered the conversation with a defensive inflection.

"Inara you know I have never been keen on union, but of all the men or women in the system you chose to bed and breed with this one?" Her mother lamented, gesturing to Mal as if he was a poorly formed horse. "My love this is a nonconformist of all in the galaxy, a pirate, a murderous Independent..."

"How dare you judge him!" Inara lunged forward from her seat, completely forgetting her daughter and how she had vowed never yell in front of her. "You do not have the right to..."

"I AM YOUR MOTHER IT IS MY NATURAL RIGHT."

"You have no natural right for my beginning was hardly natural." she responded coldly.

Zaira 's dark eyes widened, appalled at the treatment. "How can you treat me so? I've given you everything!"

"Everything but yourself!"

Mal watched with morbid curiosity, Cadoc gave Inara a look as if she were an ungrateful whelp. Neither said anything, it wasn't their fight.

"You have never understood mother hood! It's pathetic that I have to tell you that motherhood isn't a right because you supplied an egg and bought a surrogate! It's a gift and you have to give yourself to your child!" Her voice, broke, and her eyes turned red as the truth stung.

Mal heard Meilin begin to get upset, and silently reached in as Inara was too worked up and ready to battle her mother. Picking her up, Meilin snuggled against him as the fight was upsetting to the babe, and Mal was shocked at what he was hearing.

"Inara you know nothing..."

"I know that my bond with my daughter is unbreakable. She doesn't smile at a nanny, she doesn't cry for a nanny, she cries for me." Inara was enraged and hurt as years of inner turmoil bubbled to the surface. "Because she comes first. It's not about looking forward to shipping her off when she's twelve.”

”I had to prepare you for your birthright…”

“How exactly does employing a wet nurse for my first year and only interacting with me during breakfast, dinner and social functions for the next eleven after prepare me for a birthright? Or does it only make your life simpler?!”

“You ungrateful little Daicaoyuan Muji.” She spat. “If it weren’t for me you would have never entered this world.”

“If it weren’t for the invetro technician and that slave you used as an incubator I would have never entered this world!” Inara stood to her feet, fists clenched and looking as if she could in fact beat her mother out of the atmosphere. “I’m sick of you, I’m sick of you and how you think you have the right to control my affairs, to look down on me and pretend you aren’t a monster. My life is about my family….”

“This haphazard union you have with this man is not a family. It’s a mistake...”

“Buyao nin dangan wuru tamen zai.” Inara found added strength as Mal stood up and took his position behind her. “From here on, you and I are no longer talking. Tomorrow I’m taking my family, and Shan-shan, and you can go see if they can thaw an egg out of cryo to make you another heir in a Petri dish.“

Inara turned and stormed out of the room.

Mal followed with Meilin, and Shan-shan brought up the rear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commanding officer was walking the inside of the temple.

The skylight cast a silver light onto the statues and pillars, as if making them glow with a divine light. The officer walked towards a statue and bowed his head. For though being thoroughly jaded by life as a Alliance officer, he still believed in the religion his mother had brought him up on. Regardless terrorizing the monks to get information was what experience had taught him, there was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach as he did in fact believe in spirits.

‘Your mother taught you well.’

He turned around, as the voice was ethereal and echoing, as if it came from everywhere at once. “Who goes there!” His hand dropped to hois gun, though his spine rattled as he felt it wasn't human.

’Taught you to respect the spirits, pray often, play nice with others.’

The officer turned in a circle, his face feeling iced with dread.

’She wanted you to be a monk, local temple with great importance. Father wanted you the opposite. Fight, make war, no enlightenment, only strife.

He heard something, a rustle in the corner. Squinting, the room flooded with golden light, and heat as if the sun had entered the room. Hands came up to block his face from the blazing inhale and exhale. It was breathing.

’Your father was wrong Zhao Li, you came into MY temple, disregarding the sacredness of this place, threatening the keepers of it.’

Zhao Li frantically stepped backwards, tripping he fell to his knees and the glowing fire eyes came out of the light. Eyes like amber in the sunrise; brilliant, all knowing, and terrifying.

’You are just a little speck of human in a large universe.’

A hoof came forward, as large as one of the statues outside. The muscles of the leg skinned in pearlescent scales, like that of a fish, though white fur feathered above the hoof. The officer quivered in fear at the sight, a spirit beast.

’You knew what you did was wrong, yet you did it anyway, hiding under the flag of your government.’

His mouth opened, wanting to explain himself, but through the light the beast took shape as it came forward out of the bright light. It was white, with it’s own glow around it as it’s scales glimmered. It had the face of an orient dragon, but white ivory antlers as its plumed tail lashed. A Qilin, wise and normally peaceful unless angered so.

’This government means nothing to me, but your wickedness towards my temple and monks means everything.

The Qilin opened it’s mouth, curved fangs showing as it’s nostrils were inches from Zhao Li. Its snorted a burst of hot air into his face, scorching his skin like steam from boiling pot.

’Leave now, Zhao Li, leave now and never return before I judge you and your officers for your disrespectfulness. No lashing from your superiors will compare to what I can do now that I am enraged.’

Zhao Li stumbled back.

’LEAVE!’

The commanding officer raced out of the temple, praying he would be spared, muttering frantically.

Master Ryokai was walking in with fresh incense as a crazed and scared Alliance Fed bolted out of the temple. Puzzled, he gazed inside. It looked as if nothing had been going on. Only River Tam stood in the moonlight, her cat was perched on her shoulder. He came forward, puzzled as she was supposed to be hidden away. “River, what are you doing here?”

She turned and showed her ashen, exhausted face as her nose bled. "Conversing... with the spirits." River Tam exhaled heavily, a sweat gathering on her brow as she swayed. Weakened by what she had just done, she stumbled, and Master Ryokai caught her.

Boston leapt to the floor and howled in anxiety.

"River!" He watched as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Being a monk trained in the art of combat, he Ryokai was strong, and he gathered her light frame in his arms, preparing to take her to the infirmary.

"No." Grand Master walked into the room. "Follow me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoe and Jayne were in the common area with the shepherds.

Kaylee and Simon were viewable from the windows. Simon had fallen back into unconsciousness, and Kaylee remained by his side, gently holding him. They weren’t about to leave the two alone, as fear of Simon slipping away was ingrained in them.

There were footsteps in the cargo bay.

Zoe pulled her mare’s leg out and rose to her feet.

Jayne grabbed his BB gun.

Shepherd Jamie took out a pistol.

She motioned them to stay back with the shepherds, racking a bullet into the chamber and walking out with it ready to fire. There was no doubt the shootout had made enemies.

It was Colter.

Zoe relaxed, stowing the weapon.

“I brought your sleigh, along with some food.” He headed towards her, showing a container.

The second in command took it graciously. “Much obliged.”

“You can thank my wife later.” Colter followed her in. “How is he?”

“Hangin’ in there. Busted lung, veins, we have a shepherd that apparently used ta moonlight as a doctor. Won’t know if he’s gonna pull through till sunup though.”

Colter gazed into the infirmary, seeing Kaylee cradling the doctor. “How’s she holding?”

“Best any who’s in her sit-chi-ation can.” Jayne, sounding unnaturally sympathetic and understanding, muttered out.

“How’s the town?” Zoe asked, opening the food container to let out the smell of homemade chow mein and zhengjiao. “Are we being pursued?”

Jayne perked up to the smell of food.

“I’ll go get some dinnerware.” One of the Shepherds offered.

“Depends on who you’re talkin’ about.” Colter explained as the shepherd went off to retrieve dinnerware. “Most folks are unsettled, but relieved considerin’ those boys have done alotta damage. Their parents however,” he sighed “Boss and his wife came to collect them, only Will made it out alive so there was a lot grieving.” He cast a serious gaze to Simon and Kaylee. “I figured I’d help you keep watch tonight, a man with three dead sons is a man who’s mighty dangerous.”

“I’ll take the first watch.” Zoe announced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal walked in with Meilin, following the sounds on Inara into the bedroom.

He was, in every way possible, stunned. Stunned at Inara’s past, from her conception to the present day. The captain could not comprehend how it could possibly make her feel, for she was not made out of love, but necessity, and had been raised as distantly as possible by her mother, who only wanted control. As he turned, he found her pacing as if one verb from her mother’s voice would make her lash out.

Meilin fussed.

Inara turned, eyes glistening like wet pearls and immediately reached for Meilin. Gathering her up, she kissed her and cuddled her infant. It was more to do with soothing herself as it did her baby, though Meilin took readily to it. “Shhh… oh Meilin, I’m sorry you had to see that.” Tears fell freely from her eyes, and she stifled a sob.

Mal hugged Inara as well, brushing tears away. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” She sniffled.

“For ya havin’ ta live with such a flippin’ wackadoo.” Pressing his lips to her glossy curls, he sighed heavily. “I promise, I won’t ever control ya, nor will I keep at a distance.”

“Thank you.” She whispered tearfully, leaning against him.

“That woman is non compos mentis.” He told her. “Don’t let her make ya feel bad.”

“I’m sorry you had to hear all that.” Inara batted her tear laden eyes as Mal held her, and she held Meilin.

Meilin grunted, snuggling in.

“Helps me understand where you’re comin’ from.” He rubbed her back in soothing circles. “Question though.”

“Yes?”

“Why are we bringing the tiger?”

“Because eventually my mom will get bored with her and probably have her made into a coat and matching boots.”

Shan-shan, sitting on the rug, twisted her ears back. She didn't know what it meant, but it did not sound good.

“Oh. Tiger gonna eat my livestock?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay.”

Mal kept on holding them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fiyero couldn't find River.

Starting off calmly searching and turning to frantic, he tore up and down the mountain, fearing she had had a breakdown of had run into feds. Hearing footsteps, the soft crunch of leaves trodden upon, he paused and poised with his staff for an attack.

"It's us."

The Grand Master's voice made him relax, he waited as Grand Master, River, and Master Ryokai came through the bushes, Boston running in front. Fiyero didn't flinch as the cat jumped to his shoulder, he worried as River looked pale and weary. "River are you alright?"

Her head was down, hair in her face as her mind was overrun with emotion. What she had done, what she was capable of. "I'm alright." Fiyero wrapped an arm around her to help support her, and she followed him to their shelter.

The Grand Master turned to the lesser master. "Thank you for the assistance, however I must continue alone."

"Of course." He bowed and turned back, leaving them.

The Grand Master went to the hut, where he found them sitting on the bed, Fiyero trying to coax her as the cat sat in her lap. Entering, the aged man stood in front of his pupils, and watched as his Shao Long dipped her head even further. "Why do you lower your head in shame?"

She looked up at him guiltily from under black tendrils of hair.

Fiyero knit his brows, still not knowing what had happened.

Boston head butted her chest and purred.

"There's no need to feel guilty, you showed a power few possess."

"I attacked his brain." She mumbled.

Fiyero dug into deeper confusion.

"You protected the temple in a non-violent fashion, you targeted his fear and you used projection. I commend you for not using physical force. And I am startled you were able to produce such a strong mental projection." He reached out and cupped her face as he always did.

Her mouth laxed "You..."

"I monitored you, you were facing a symbol of darkness in your past and I feared you lacked enough control for such a confrontation." He reached into his robe and took out a cloth, cleaning the dried blood from her face. "On the contrary, you displayed a level of power I didn't think you knew how to unlock, as well as perfect control. I'm proud of you, you're faced a nightmare."

*** *** *** DEFINITIONS/TRANSLATIONS Daicaoyuan Muji: Prairie Hen Buyao nin dangan wuru tamen zai: Don't you dare insult them again Qilin: Lord of all beasts (third in rank only to the dragon and pheonix), often represents serenity, good fortune and the arrival of a sage. Qilin is naturally peacful, even a vegitarian, though it will punish the wicked to restore balance. zhengjiao: steamed dumplings non compos mentis: Not having a sound mind Shao Long: Young Dragon

****As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**