InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Mark of Brotherhood ❯ Part Three ( Chapter 3 )

“It's time,” Sesshomaru announced. Several hours had passed and Inuyasha had yet to wake up. Not that Sesshomaru expected him to. The half-demon had been through a lot and would need his strength before the night was over. His friends looked up.

 

“Do we have to?” the miko inquired. Out of the three humans, only the miko had protested when Sesshomaru explained about the ritual and that they would need to be as far away from him and Inuyasha as possible. The taijiya at least had enough sense to talk the other girl into leaving.

 

“It's for the best, Kagome,” the slayer murmured. “Come on.”

 

The three rose to their feet and slowly exited the area, taking Rin with them. The one called Kagome gave one final glance back at Inuyasha before turning away then they were gone. Sesshomaru waited for a few moments to be sure that they were gone before kneeling next to Inuyasha. Gently, he shook him.

 

“Inuyasha . . . it's time to wake up.”

 

“G'way,” he groaned. “Wanna sleep.”

 

“I know, Inuyasha,” he soothed. “But we have something to do. Remember? You need to wake up and get dressed.”

 

Sighing softly, Inuyasha opened his eyes and pushed himself up. He blinked, dark circles forming under his eyes. Sesshomaru frowned. He had slept the day away yet he looked more exhausted than what he did before he fell asleep.

 

'I'm glad I'm not waiting until we reach Edo,' he thought idly as he helped his younger brother get partially dressed then pulled his hair up into a topknot. Behind him, Jaken, the kitsune, and the neko were taking their places as witnesses to the ceremony. 'He's running out of time, quicker than what I had anticipated.'

 

“Can I go back to sleep now?” Inuyasha murmured, his eyes drooping. A small shred of doubt nagged at Sesshomaru. Was he too late?

 

“No, Inuyasha. There's something that we need to do before you go back to sleep. Remember?”

 

“Oh . . . Yeah . . .”

 

Carefully, Sesshomaru guided Inuyasha to his feet and away from the tree where he'd been curled up against before. The younger demon had a hard time keeping to his feet. He staggered around until he couldn't move anymore. Unceremoniously, he collapsed to his knees. As he did so, an annoyingly familiar voice rang out.

 

“Lord Inuyasha!”

 

Sesshomaru sighed as he heard the voice of Myouga. The flea demon had certainly been annoying, giving his loyalty to Inuyasha and not to him. Not that Sesshomaru had a use for a cowardly demon like him, anyway.

 

'How Inuyasha puts up with him, I'll never know,' he mused idly as he watched the flea bounce towards them. More specifically, towards Inuyasha and landing in his hair.

 

“G'way,” Inuyasha murmured, swatting at the old flea. “Tired. Wanna go to sleep.”

 

“What happened?” Myouga whispered, bouncing to Sesshomaru's shoulder.

 

“What does it look like happened?” Sesshomaru responded. “Go sit next to the kitsune and the neko demon, Myouga. There's something Inuyasha and I need to do.”

 

The flea demon looked ready to protest but, after he gave him a stern look, Myouga bounced towards the kitsune and neko demon. Sesshomaru then turned his attention back to Inuyasha.

He sat on his knees, the bruising on his chest and back growing darker and darker with each passing moment, and draining Inuyasha of his life. His eyes had begun to glaze over and they were nearly closed, exhaustion still taking its toll on him.

 

“Inuyasha . . . look at me,” Sesshomaru commanded. The half-demon opened his golden-amber eyes only to have them lock with his.

 

'Good,' he nodded to himself. 'He isn't too far gone then. It'll still work. He still has a chance.'

 

“Inuyasha,” he murmured. “Please understand that what I do next is for your own benefit. I do not wish to harm you or to cause you any further embarrassment. But this needs to be done. I need for you to trust me.”

 

He placed his thumb on Inuyasha's forehead and applied enough pressure to draw blood. A small whimper escaped from his brother but otherwise, he did not flinch and he did not pull away. Sesshomaru gave a small nod.

 

'The trust is there. Good. Now to continue.'

 

Sesshomaru's eyes hardened as he gazed into Inuyasha's. He withdrew his hand from his brother's forehead. The first part of the mark had been made. Now he had to be ready to make his sacrifice. And it would be whatever the ritual called for. He had no choice and there was no going back.

 

“You are my brother,” he stated, his voice becoming stronger and louder. Inuyasha's eyes widened but he made no move. As he spoke, he brought his claws back to Inuyasha's forehead and began to draw more blood from the boy, writing in an ancient script his claim on his brother and his promise. “From this day forth, every demon shall know it. Any who will try to harm you or those close to you shall meet a swift and painful end. Those who have harmed you shall be marked for the rest of their lives for the crimes that they have committed. I, Sesshomaru, swear it.”

 

With that, he plunged his hand into his own chest, going only deep enough to draw the amount of blood that he needed. His hand steady, Sesshomaru drew on his brother's forehead and cheeks in the same ancient text and over the marks that he'd already made, muttering the entire time. When he finished with that, he took Inuyasha's right hand into his and gently pressed his claw in the center. Finally, he broke the skin on his palm, using one of Inuyasha's claws.

 

During the entire ritual, the only sounds to come from Inuyasha were a couple of moans and whimpers. He never pulled away, never flinched, and, for once, Sesshomaru did not doubt his brother's resolve or his strength. He'd seen this ritual performed only a couple of times and every time it had failed. The half-demons in question had always had too many doubts, too many fears, and the greatest mistrust of the family member who wanted to save them.

 

'But Inuyasha is different,' a little voice whispered. 'You know he's always craved your attention, always wanted you as his brother and not his enemy.'

 

'I know . . . And we were brothers, once. That was no lie. I know what I need to do for him. Time to finish this.'

 

“You are my brother,” he repeated. “Now and forever.”

 

He pulled Inuyasha into a hug, the younger demon's body trembling. The marks that the other demons had placed on him would soon be leaving his body. As those marks left, a new one would take their place. He would be in for a long night but Sesshomaru had no doubts that his brother would survive.

 

Inuyasha collapsed against him, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and steady. Already the telltale signs that ritual had worked were beginning to show. The half-demon's body trembled in the cool, night air, and glistened as a fever took hold. Sesshomaru closed his eyes. He had one more thing to do and not enough time to get it done in.

 

“Myouga . . .”

 

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?” The demon flea landed on his knee.

 

“Tell his friends it is safe for them to approach him now. The ritual has worked.”

 

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru.”

 

He took off as Sesshomaru adjusted Inuyasha. The neko demon brushed lightly against his shoulder and the kitsune had brought over Inuyasha's shirts.

 

“He can rest against Kirara,” the youngster stated. “He's done that before.”

 

“He feels safe with her?” Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. The kitsune nodded, helping him finish dressing Inuyasha.

 

“He's only rested against her once and that was after a fight he had had with Kouga, the wolf demon tribe leader, but he was out like a light, that's how exhausted he was,” came the explanation. Sesshomaru eased Inuyasha onto his back, his head resting against the transformed Kirara. The kitsune leapt onto Inuyasha's chest and automatically curled up, already being mindful of the injuries there.

 

'He's changed,' Sesshomaru thought, standing up. 'Father would be proud of him.'

 

Slowly, Sesshomaru turned away from his brother and took a few steps. His brother's companions had not returned yet and he wanted to be sure that Inuyasha was safe before he set out to complete his part. He also wanted to be sure that his brother would begin to heal properly, now that the ritual had taken place and worked, and he noted with a great amount of satisfaction that Inuyasha was. The boy would be back to normal, at least physically, by morning.

 

Within moments, the miko appeared, carrying Rin. Behind her ran the monk. They brushed passed him to get to Inuyasha, though Sesshomaru caught a hint of rage coming from the monk. Why, though, he had no idea. The slayer trailed quietly behind them, coming to a stop outside the clearing.

 

“Sesshomaru . . .”

 

“The fever is normal,” Sesshomaru replied before any questions could be asked. “He has been marked by several demons. The marks must burn out of his body lest they destroy him. Another mark shall take their places, one that shall kill any who try to harm him. However, he is in for a very long night. Stay by him. Inuyasha needs you more now than he ever has before.”

 

“What about you? Where are you going? Doesn't Inuyasha need you here as well?” the miko inquired. The questions were innocent enough but Sesshomaru could tell that she knew the answers to those questions.

 

“There is one more thing that I need to do,” he answered, resuming his walk. No other questions came forth from the miko or the monk and for that, he was thankful. The more time he had to complete his search, the sooner he could make his own sacrifice for his brother.

 

“Sesshomaru,” the slayer murmured as he started to walk by. “You don't have to go as far as you think.”

 

He stopped, giving her a sharp, questioning look. She met his gaze. The answer shimmered in her eyes.

 

“We've already talked it over. For the longest time, we believed that you would never do anything for Inuyasha. Especially nothing like what you're going to do now. We've fought alongside Inuyasha. He has always stood by us, and we'll stay by him, no matter what. There isn't anything that we wouldn't do for him. I will do anything for him. Anything. For everything he's done for me.”

 

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her. “Anything?”

 

“Anything,” she confirmed.

 

“So you are offering yourself to me. Willingly.”

 

“Yes,” she nodded. “My sacrifice. For him.”

 

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. Both females were close to their cycles. He could smell it on them but he had not wanted to touch either one of them. They were Inuyasha's friends, ones not to be touched, in Sesshomaru's opinion. It was very dangerous and could very well backfire.

 

“You do realize that, by offering yourself to me, you could endanger him,” Sesshomaru growled softly.

 

“So long as there are no doubts in my mind or yours, he will live,” she replied. “Right? As long as he has no doubts about our love and friendship for him, he will live. Right?”

 

“Myouga's told you of the ritual, hasn't he?”

 

“He has. And I'm sure of this, Sesshomaru. I will do this. For tonight, I am yours.”