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Having fallen into the center of the bedding with her hands spread across its expanse in what seemed to be an exhausted sleep, Sesshomaru regarded Kagome dispassionately. He had allowed her to follow him on an impulse earlier and now he regretted his imprudence. Pursed lips and a displeased frown told of the woes in his heart because now he had an unwanted companion with an injured spirit, and if he allowed the situation to escalate further she would no doubt burden him with her afflictions. However, his conscience spoke of loyalty and honor as an opportunistic memory prodded at his mind. He hissed angrily as if to rid of the thought, but the retention persisted giving him a swift jolt as it surged through the cloudy mess of indecision raging inside him.

It was a little over thirty years ago that he'd come upon a scene involving Jaken and some rogue demons who had wanted to steal the magical staff that he'd carried so faithfully all these years. His vassal had fought bravely but was outnumbered ten to one. His entry into the melee had turned the odds in Jaken's favor as he'd obliterated the enemy with one strike of Bakusaiga, however, Jaken was already gravely wounded much to his dismay, and saving his life hung in the balance.

Hurriedly in the midst of despair he had pulled the Tensaiga to heal him before his light passed from this world to the next, but his fortitude had been too late as Jaken had died within moments. Through the despair he had felt over the imp's passing he had sensed his brother's aura close by and had wondered at the time what Inuyasha was doing in his lands. A few moments later he had spun around to see the hanyou covered in the shadows of the forest staring at him.

No amount of caution could have prepared him for what he was about to see next as his brother strode from the shelter of the trees and into the clearing. His eyes had followed him as he'd walked slowly coming forward, his feet struggling to keep stable on the pebbled ground which made him appear more tired and feeble from making the long journey.

He'd opened his mouth in surprise by the strange sight. Gone was the brash and foul mouthed brother that he'd known, and in his place was a subdued aging half demon. His once thick whitish grey hair had thinned out an ashen grey, his defiant golden eyes, the mark of the silver Inus of his race were muted with age. The shock that had widened his eyes he could not hold back as his brother drew nearer.

"Sesshomaru," he'd said then as he'd approached with a wide beaming smile on his face, "you haven't changed at all, still an arrogant ass I see."

"Inuyasha," was the only thing that he could manage to say at the time, seeing his brother so changed from the shortcomings of his mixed blood.

"Keh, you can stop staring," he'd responded in a tone both young and old, "pretending like you didn't know that I would grow old and die like a common human."

He'd nodded, a faint smile on his lips and had pointed to a spot under a tree for him to go and sit because he could see that Inuyasha was tired. His breaths were harsh and constantly he'd gulped for air, a softened sensation had entered into his heart with the awareness that his brother's spirit still burned bright from within.

Somehow he had known that his brother's visit was to say goodbye among other things, his emotions had stood strong and transparent in his eyes. Whatever he wanted must be of great importance for him to seek out an estranged older brother. The years of bad blood and their innate brutal pride being dog demons still stood between them. He had to take everything into account considering their colorful history which would definitely be a deterrent, and yet Inuyasha was here. There was no question in his mind that Inuyasha had traveled this far and alone for amusement sake.

As Inuyasha padded towards the barren Ume tree Sesshomaru watched him with feelings of disappointment and guilt which had made him uneasy. Was it the blood of their father running through their veins that had made him feel pity, and if he must admit it sorrow for the inevitable demise of his only sibling?He had never thought on the matter before now, but coming face to face with the issues he found that he could not ignore them. Inuyasha sat while he remained standing, although he had closed some of the distance between them with a couple of strides.

Inuyasha sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly. "I want you to promise me something,"he said and paused, his eyes focused on his brother.

Sesshomaru nodded after realizing what his brother's motives were for seeking him out, and observed silently that Inuyasha's strength was rapidly wearing away so that he had to lean heavily on the tree for support. He watched as the half demon closed his eyes and took shallow breaths, and for the first time in as many years since Rin's death he felt the strong pull of their familial bond and was saddened now that Inuyasha would die.

The call of their father's blood that ran red and potent through their veins was powerful and it drew him to his brother's side, both of their backs touched as he sat. He had felt a deep yearning straight down into his very soul, and for once he did not feel like fighting it, he would embrace it.

Inuyasha also felt the tugging on his consciousness and was astounded by it. Was it there because death was banging on his door? Whatever the reason was he did not dwell on it because as far back and as long as he could remember he had always loved Sesshomaru as his older brother in secret. All he'd ever really wanted was to be acknowledged by him. It was shameful that only death and dying could speak to their hearts, and back to back now they sat as brothers for the first and final time.

Inuyasha sighed and then had spoken solemnly. "For a long time now I knew that I would die, there are few things I regret and yet I would change nothing...except maybe my relationship with you."

Sesshomaru got up suddenly and gazed down at his brother with mystification. "Why?" He questioned.

Inuyasha chuckled by the look on his brother's face but more from the question that he'd asked and then had replied quietly. "I could tell you that's what the old man would have wanted but that would be half of the truth,"he replied honestly."My reasons for wanting us to be real brothers are my own."

Inuyasha pulled Tetsauiga from his waist and used it as a crutch to stand, what he needed to tell Sesshomaru would be from a position of equality and not of one brother looking down on the other.

He'd struggled to his feet and then had placed a hand on Sesshomaru's right arm to straighten up; the pain in his joints had gotten worse. Sitting and standing for long periods made the situation all the more uncomfortable.

Sesshomaru stared at the clawed hand on his arm for long, looking closely for the first time and saw a hand much like his own without the markings, and then had looked in his brother's face studying him silently. Inuyasha did not look away although both of them felt uneasy as they'd dove into untried waters.

"Brother tell me, have you ever wished that as siblings we could have been more than we were?"Inuyasha asked candidly.

"Yes," he'd answered truthfully, before they'd both looked up into the sky on hearing a hundred pairs of wings flapping in early migration. A white feather fell through the sky dancing and twirling in the mild breeze before it settled on Inuyasha's face.

He'd scowled and had removed the feathery item from his face and then had turned to his brother again. "Promise me something Sesshomaru," he'd said anxiously.

Perplexed by the strange urgency in his tone Sesshomaru frowned. "What do you want me to do," he'd asked, clearly unable to wrap his mind around his brother's state and now his insistence in holding him to a promise.

"Take care of my wife when I am gone," he had said then and had hobbled away quickly without a backward glance.

Sesshomaru gaped at his back in shock as he'd made his way out of the sun and into the seclusion of the forest but could not find it in himself to say no.

Even more perplexing than Inuyasha's odd request was that he'd dropped the Tetsauiga and then had thrown the feather in the air, a strong breeze blew it over to him and it had stopped by his feet.

Inuyasha had turned around to face him once more when he was some distance away and had smiled. "I have no more use for the sword; put it to good use," was his parting words to him.

That was the last time he had seen his brother alive. Long after Inuyasha had left he'd stood staring after him. Everything afterwards had happened in a blur. He'd buried Jaken in the shade of the forest, wrapped his brother's sword into his yukata so that he could hold and secure it properly, while wondering at the same time why Inuyasha would've bequeathed him a blade that he didn't need or could use.

On a whim he'd picked up the feather and had taken it along with him. He had walked away slowly thinking about his brother and what had just transpired between them.

His mind gradually drifted back to the present as he heard the woman's sickly groans. He knew instinctively that something was wrong with her and drew nearer. He didn't need to touch her to know that she had a fever and was burning up; for he could feel the heat of her illness wafting to him.

He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in an attempt to stop himself from falling into the core of an emotional abyss. But this time there would be nothing to anchor him, every redeemable foothold of pride and self-esteem that he had clung to in the past was being whittled away by the day's unwelcomed events and a memory. A deep sigh left him before he glanced around the room anxiously, almost as if he wanted to make a quick exit. Kagome moaned louder and he was forced to focus on her again. He sighed wearily for the second time in a minute, and with a false sense of self assurance he approached the sick priestess lying on the bed still wearing her wet clothes from earlier.

Ume/Plum Tree