InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ In Pursuit of the Green Dragon ❯ Sacrifice ( Chapter 24 )

Musashi's Domain, 16th-century Japan

Edward emerged, panting, into the clearing that had once held their camp, to find the fire scattered into smoldering chunks of wood scattered around the dirt, great gouges torn in the grass, and their gear scattered as if a giant wave had swept it away.

Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the clearing, a battered-looking katana in his right hand. He was peering skyward and paid no attention to Edward's arrival.

"Sango! Kirara!" he yelled, hoarsely. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Then the beam of Ed's flashlight touched a figure sprawled amidst the crushed grass, light gleaming off short, golden hair---and he suddenly couldn't breathe.

"Al!" Ed flung himself down on his knees at his brother's side.

Too much blood! This is bad. This is really, really bad. He rolled his brother over onto his back, feeling the shirt clammy and sticky with blood under the palm of his flesh hand, and fumbled frantically at stubborn buttons. Where's he bleeding from? How do I stop it?

Ed wasn't aware that he was speaking aloud, until a hand dropped on his shoulder.

It was Miroku, looking considerably the worse for wear, his long robes torn, and his face bruised.

"Let me see," he said, with gentle firmness, and pried Ed's hands away from the fabric of Al's shirt.

Ed heard Miroku inhale sharply as he saw the deep wounds marring Al's pale, muscled chest and torso. A second later, the monk had composed his features.

"Edward-sama, there are bandages and a medical kit in Kagome-sama's backpack," he said, giving Ed a small shove in the proper direction. "Bring them."

Ed scrambled for the heap of backpacks, which had been scattered under the trees, trying frantically to remember which one was Kagome's. Gotta hurry--gotta stop the bleeding--

He unbuckled the flap of the nearest bag, and began digging through the contents with reckless abandon, pulling out clean shirts and underwear. This one belonged to Al. No medical kit.

He pushed away the pack impatiently, and turned to open the next one.

The third try was the lucky one. Medicine box in one hand, and several crinkling packages of large gauze pads in the other, Ed turned back to where Miroku was kneeling over his brother.

With a whoosh of flame, a giant cat landed in the clearing, blocking his return. Ed tensed, ready to fight off another attack.

Then he saw Sango, dressed in dark leathers, her giant boomerang slung over her back, slide off the cat's back just as it stumbled forward and collapsed, its shoulder and neck bleeding from three long gouges.

With another whoosh of flame, the giant cat shrank in on itself, and transformed back into the small, two-tailed kitten that was Sango's pet. Holy crap. What kind of a youkai was that?

"We lost him," Sango said, wearily, her shoulders drooping. "He doubled back and attacked us--I couldn't use Hiraikotsu, because the dragon had Kagome-chan in his grasp, and I was afraid of hurting her. Then, Kirara got hurt, and we had to return--" She scooped up the kitten and cradled it protectively to her chest.

"Was Kagome okay?" Inuyasha demanded.

Sango nodded, and the hanyou finally sheathed his sword.

Ed shouldered past them, and dropped the packets of bandages in Miroku's lap. He knelt at Al's side, and opened Kagome's medicine box, examining each packet and bottle by the light of his flashlight.

Fuck. No suture kit. But the antiseptic would come in handy...and that bottle contained pills for pain and inflammation...

He scooped out the two bottles and looked over at Miroku. The monk was holding two of the gauze pads against the deepest wounds.

At Ed's gesture, he shook his head. "I'm truly sorry, Edward-sama. But injuries of this magnitude...there isn't much we can--"

"No!" Ed interrupted with quiet force. He stared, horrified, at the uneven rise and fall of his brother's chest under the steady pressure of Miroku's hands. The gauze was already soaked through with blood.

Miroku just looked at him, his keen, intelligent features softened now by sorrowful compassion. "It's only a matter of time. If there are any prayers--"

"No," Ed said again, with greater force. "I won't accept this--I can't. I'll save him. I can do it," he said, his voice dropping down to a ragged whisper.

He raised his head, and looked straight at Inuyasha. "I can save Al--with alchemy."

ooOoo

"Please," said Edward.

Inuyasha looked away from the starry sky, startled out of his brooding, and found the blond sorcerer standing in front of him.

Edward's face was ravaged by grief, and his eyes burned with a desperate energy that Inuyasha recognized. "Please, Inuyasha. Help me save Al. My brother's..."

He looked away, and Inuyasha could smell Ed's rage and terror, overlaid with the heavy, rusty scent of Alphonse's blood.

"What do you want me to do?" Inuyasha asked, though he already had an inkling.

Edward spread his hands in appeal. "I have to--I mean, the only way to help him is alchemy. Medical alchemy."

The word alchemy hung between them, with all its terrible consequences.

"I wouldn't ask if he wasn't--Miroku says that Al won't--" Edward said, hoarsely. "It's the only thing I can do for him. So...please."

Inuyasha looked away, a little repulsed by the raw need in Edward's voice. He hadn't been able to transform Tetsusaiga just now, but he was definitely getting stronger.

If he refused Edward's plea, Inuyasha knew he would be back to normal by morning.

But if he agreed to let Edward draw on his strength for his spell, then he'd be too weak to go after Envy and save Kagome.

And yet, how could he refuse to help, when a life hung in the balance? Even if it was a rival's life...

"That dragon hurt Kagome," Inuyasha said, the taste of failure like bitter steel in his mouth. "He hurt her, and took her with him, and I couldn't fucking protect her!" He looked over to where Miroku was crouched over Alphonse's bleeding body. "I couldn't protect anyone."

"It's not your fault," Edward protested. "It's mine. If Alphonse and I hadn't been with you, then Envy might not have attacked. And if we hadn't closed the well, then you wouldn't have been--uh, at such a disadvantage."

"Okay, I'll do it," Inuyasha heard himself say, and stopped in horror.

Fuck, had he really just volunteered? Ed's sorcery had nearly killed him last time, and for what? It had been Alphonse who had managed to open the well, and to bring himself and his companions through.

Alphonse. Who lay dying, only a few lengths away.

Alphonse, who wanted Kagome for himself.

Alphonse, who was Inuyasha's rival.

And who might possibly be the only person who could defeat the dragon and rescue Kagome.

Inuyasha dropped his gaze to his hands once more--his useless hands, soft, clawless, unable to wield his sword--and shuddered, feeling gooseflesh crawl from his chest down his arms and knees as he recalled the coldness and violation of powering a transmutation.

But it would be worth it, if only to make sure that Kagome was safe.

"Thank y--" Ed began, his expression blazing with fierce triumph.

"But there's--" A price. But that didn't sound right. Inuyasha stopped, and started again. "I want a favor in return. You have to save Kagome. And get the jewel away from that dragon." Because I'll likely be dead.

Inuyasha saw understanding dawn in Edward's eyes. "Equivalent exchange," he said, solemnly, holding out his gloved hand.

Inuyasha reached out, hesitantly--is it going to happen now? Doesn't he need to draw one of those circular spells first?--and felt hard metal surround his fingers.

"I swear I will do everything in my power to rescue Kagome and retrieve the jewel," Edward said with conviction. He squeezed lightly, and released his grip.

Inuyasha gave a sharp nod. "Then do it. Save your brother." He clenched his jaw, and fought down the twisting of his gut, trying to hide his shameful terror at being asked to go through that again. "Do it now. There's no fucking time to waste."

Canon and Historical Notes

Though my crossover is primarily based on the Fullmetal Alchemist anime-verse, I found the concept and practice of medical alchemy from the FMA manga, specifically Chapter 77, too good to pass up.

All hail the wonderful kokoronagomu, beta reader extraordinaire!