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Fifty Years	By : nika1280 Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 27198 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Per Request: List of children and ages

Keiji and Akeno (twin boys, 20 years old but look 10, look like Sess and Inu's father)

Mareo (boy�18 but looks 9, has golden hair and eyes with no markings)

Kameko (girl�12 but looks 7, looks exactly like Sesshomaru with dog ears)

Izayoi (girl�11, but looks 6, looks exactly like Inuyasha's mother with lavender stripes on cheeks)

Inuginsenshi (boy�10 but looks 5, looks exactly like Sesshomaru)

Time Frame: Year 22 of 50 years

Important: FarAwayEyes has nominated me for Best Yaoi at the Inuyasha Fan Guild. I�m so happy!

~*~

Sesshomaru cradled his sick mate in his arms as he flew toward the nearest spring. He refused to take his mate home smelling of wolves. He�d slaughtered the lot of them that he found on his way into the cave, but he didn�t want any trace of their presence to remain upon his mate. Once there, he quickly stripped both himself and his mate of their clothing before submersing them in the warm waters. He didn�t want to look at his mate�s body, afraid of the damage he would see, but he knew it was necessary.

This disease had ravaged his mate, and he owed it to Inuyasha to see the damage his foolishness wrought.

Sesshomaru started with Inuyasha�s feet. Propping his brother upon the spring�s bank, he took one foot into his hands. The demon lord marveled at his mate�s ability to walk upon such callused and cut appendages. There were blisters underneath his toes, as if the movement of his feet against the earth had rubbed the skin raw. A protruding vein stuck up from the top of one foot while a bunion happened to be upon the big toe of another. Caked dirt and dried blood was everywhere, and Sesshomaru took his time carefully cleaning his mate�s feet.

Sesshomaru tried to breathe but found it difficult to do so around the heaviness in his chest.

From the feet, the dog demon made his way to his mate�s legs. Legs that were once long, slender and athletic were now bruised, brittle and flabby. Sesshomaru could hear Inuyasha�s joints creak when he moved his right leg to clean the inner thigh. He saw the evidence of the disease in the raised contusions that littered Inuyasha�s legs and the inherent tenderness that was associated with any movement. The demon lord heard the gasps of pain his mate unconsciously expelled when too much pressure was applied to his legs. Once Sesshomaru had cleared the dirt and debris from his brother�s lower extremities, he glanced at his mate�s genitals.

He tried to breathe, but the lump in his throat made it difficult.

The Great Dog Demon, Ruler of the Western Lands of Japan, almost broke into tears at the sight of his mate�s damaged privates. Not for the first time, Sesshomaru cursed himself for not slaughtering that brute of a wolf when they crossed paths months earlier. Inuyasha�s testicles were swollen from being aggressively squeezed, if the crescent indentations were accurate. His penis was red and enlarged, blood leaking from the tip. But that wasn�t the worst injury. His anus appeared completely shredded. The cheeks were red with large welts covering them. The perineum was so distended that it was almost unrecognizable. Blood flowed freely from the injured rectum, and dead tissue hung out of the hole.

Sesshomaru found himself close to tears, and for that, he was angry.

His mate didn�t need his pity�he needed his support. Steeling his will, Sesshomaru cleaned his brother and repaired the damage to the best of his abilities. He cut away the dead tissue and rubbed some of the anti-infective into the wound. Once the most grievous injury had received attention, he lowered his brother into the warm waters of the spring, hoping that the natural restorative properties of the minerals would aid his brother in healing.

Prying his eyes away from his mate�s privates, Sesshomaru continued his examination of Inuyasha. He trailed his hand lovingly across Inuyasha�s bloated abdomen. He could see the bruises, old and new, that littered his beloved�s torso, and he could smell the nauseating odor of Inuyasha�s diseased blood. It was an inexorable part of his mate�s scent.

As he revealed more of his mate�s body to himself, Sesshomaru desperately tried to contain his tears.

Gingerly, as though his brother was made of glass, Sesshomaru poured water across Inuyasha�s chest, lightly running his hands along the skin. He removed most of the dirt and grime with relative ease, giving him a better look at his mate�s torso. What he saw shocked him. The blemishes were more pronounced now that Inuyasha was clean, and Sesshomaru was able to count his mate�s ribs. He could see several raised contusions along his mate�s sides, as well bruising that looked to be weeks, maybe even months old. The arms were heavily bruised, with raised welts attesting to his recent abduction. His stomach was bloated, but not with the softness of fat but with the turgidity of fluid. Inuyasha�s abdomen looked like he was a few months pregnant, although Sesshomaru knew that was untrue. It was merely a side effect of his illness. With great trepidation, Sesshomaru turned his attention to part of his mate that he had missed the most: Inuyasha�s face.

With one glance at Inuyasha�s swollen visage, Sesshomaru felt his resolve crumble and his sorrow rain in tears of regret.

If he didn�t know better, Lord Sesshomaru would have thought he was holding a stranger, not his beloved brother. Inuyasha�s face was a conglomeration of color. Blues, blacks, yellows, purples and greens defiled his face. There were abrasions all over his face, and Sesshomaru was afraid to touch them. They seemed so painful, and he was loath to inflict any more harm upon his mate. Tenderly, Sesshomaru cupped his hands and scooped water over his love�s battered face.

The once succulent lips were thin and drawn with pain, something that Sesshomaru thought was a far too regular occurrence. His cheeks were sunken and hollow, a far cry from the rosiness of years past. His eyes were closed, and for that Sesshomaru was immensely grateful. He didn�t think he could take seeing his vibrant brother�s eyes in any state other than liveliness.

Sesshomaru paid no attention to the tears that ran unchecked down his face. He only focused on caring for his mate. He poured his love into his caresses, hoping to soothe both the physical and emotional pain. And the tears kept falling. They trickled down Sesshomaru�s cheeks and dropping all over his brother. Some fell onto his face, others onto his shoulders. Many found respite in Inuyasha�s hair. It was as though Sesshomaru were baptizing Inuyasha with his sorrow, trying to cleanse them both of their sins.

"Inuyasha, what has happened to you?" Sesshomaru whispered. He knew his mate was sick, but knowing and seeing were two different things, and Sesshomaru was definitely surprised by his mate�s frail state.

"Oh, Beloved," Sesshomaru gasped, appalled at the clumps of hair webbing over his palm and fingers.

Sesshomaru could feel the dread mounting inside of him. If his mate were in such a terrible state, would anything be able to help him? He doubted that the antidote Jinenji provided would be of service, but he knew he had to try. He�d lost ten long years with his precious Inuyasha, and he wanted to make up for his foolishness. They had a family, and Sesshomaru resolved that neither one of them should miss any more of their children�s lives.

As Sesshomaru continued to bathe Inuyasha, he couldn�t repress his anger. His mate literally looked half-dead, and had been struggling with this horrid disease for years, yet he refused to come to him for help. They were mates, bound by kinship, blood and love�even if Inuyasha hated him for his irrational outburst, he should have told him of his predicament. He could have helped Inuyasha before it got this bad! Sesshomaru scrubbed furiously at his mate�s body, anger clouding his actions.

Once Inuyasha was sufficiently cleaned, he laid his mate on his mokomoko-sama, drying him with an inner kimono. He looked at his brother�s body and stopped, hands frozen in place. On Inuyasha, new bruises, fresh marks had appeared. Sesshomaru looked at his hand, horrified with himself. He had injured Inuyasha! He had hurt his mate in a petulant fit of rage. He was unfit to be anyone�s mate, especially Inuyasha�s. It seemed all he was capable of doing was hurting his brother. The tears came, uncontrolled, as Sesshomaru put his head in his hands and sobbed. He couldn�t do anything right by his mate!

The Western Lord didn�t know how long he had given into his self-deprecation, but it was too long. His mate needed his help, not his self-pity. Sesshomaru looked into a bag that he�d tied on his sash and found one of the vials of antitoxin that Jinenji had given him. He looked from the bottle to his unconscious mate, wondering how he was going to get Inuyasha the medicine. Smirking, he decided on a little bit of subterfuge that helped him in the past. Sesshomaru bent down toward Inuyasha�s face, breathing in his mate�s unique smell, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Mate, wake up. I need you to drink this," Sesshomaru whispered against Inuyasha�s lips.

Inuyasha didn�t budge.

"Inuyasha, you will awaken," Sesshomaru commanded, forcefully kissing his mate.

Still no response.

"Inuyasha, wake up right now!" Sesshomaru bellowed, hoping that his mate would hear him.

Inuyasha moaned weakly, but otherwise gave no indication that he had heard Sesshomaru.

Realizing that his mate�s illness had progressed far beyond his suspicions and that Inuyasha needed the medicine as soon as possible, Sesshomaru made a quick decision. He popped off the cork and parted his mate�s lips. Tipping the vial, he took a small amount of the liquid into Inuyasha�s mouth. The hanyou swallowed some of it, but the rest spilled out his mouth and down his chin. Not wasting any time, Sesshomaru tipped the vial to his own lips and took in the antidote. Without swallowing, he leaned toward his beloved brother and captured his lips. Parting his mouth, Sesshomaru allowed the life-saving liquid to flow from him into his brother. Using his hands, he gently caressed his mate�s throat, encouraging him to swallow. Sesshomaru repeated these actions until Inuyasha had ingested the entire contents of the vial.

After he�d given his mate the medication, Sesshomaru dressed himself and his brother then took flight once again. They were several hours away from home, and he wanted to return to the palace as fast as he could. His mate�s life depended on his swiftness.

Halfway through the flight, Sesshomaru felt his beloved stir in his arms.

~*~

Inuyasha felt safe and warm, protected almost. It was a feeling he hadn�t enjoyed since he�d taken his children and fled his brother. If he sniffed hard enough, he could smell his mate�s calming scent.

�I must be crazy. There�s no way in hell Sesshomaru is here,� Inuyasha thought. Snuggling into the warmth that surrounded him, he decided to welcome this delusion, as it was as close as he was going to get to his mate.

�Too bad he�s not here�I would have liked to have seen him one last time,� he sighed sadly. It was all he ever wanted, even if he couldn�t admit it to himself.

"Inuyasha," a calm voice stated, "I know you are awake."

"Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha questioned, still unsure if he were awake, dreaming or delusional.

"Yes, mate," Sesshomaru replied.

"What are you doing here? Wait�where�s here?" Inuyasha asked, finally realizing that they were moving.

"I have been looking for you, Mate. I found you with that offensive wolf�" he paused when he felt his mate shudder, "and have taken care of him and his followers. As for where we are�we are on our way home."

"No!" Inuyasha protested, panicked. He refused to go anywhere with someone who wanted him dead.

"No?" Sesshomaru repeated, not understanding what his brother meant.

"I�m not going back to the palace with you! You can�t make me!" Inuyasha yelled, terror raising his voice several notches.

Inuyasha tried to calm his breathing, but it was futile. He couldn�t go back to the palace. His brother had almost killed him before when he was healthy. What was to stop Sesshomaru now? Inuyasha knew that he was dying, that his body could barely hold itself together. Who would protect him from Sesshomaru if he wanted to harm him? Who would defend his children? What if Sesshomaru tried to hurt Izayoi or Inuginsenshi? All of these thoughts swirled around his mind, making Inuyasha hysterical.

"Why not? Would you prefer to languish in these woods? Or perhaps you enjoyed the wolf�s attentions?" Sesshomaru snarled, instantly realizing he had gone too far with that last comment.

He didn�t mean to get angry, but it infuriated him that his brother would refuse to return home with him after being gone for ten years. Inuyasha needed his help. He was sick, possibly dying, and he wanted to fight Sesshomaru over something as simple as coming home. Sesshomaru also had to admit that he was angry that his brother didn�t trust him enough to come to him when he first got sick. It was a pointless argument; their children were already at the palace, and Inuyasha was too sick to care for himself, let alone his children. Sesshomaru refused to leave them in the care of that kitsune and nekomata, no matter how attached they were to each other.

"That�s right�I forgot," Inuyasha sneered. "I�m nothing more than a half-breed whore who takes his pleasures from any demon willing to give them."

Sesshomaru recoiled slightly from his mate, remembering the harsh words and accusations he had thrown at Inuyasha their last night together. Inuyasha�s words were more painful than any strike against his person. Sesshomaru had been letting his anger and frustration talk that night, but apparently his mate had taken his callous words to heart.

�Of course he did, idiot. Why else would he have taken our kids and left the safety of the palace for the unknowns of the countryside?� that treacherous voice muttered darkly.

Since Inuyasha�s absence, he had been unable to silence the inner voice that doubted his choices and pointed out his failings. It was part of his ever-increasing weakness�his inability to contain his emotions.

"I apologize, Inuyasha. I should not have said those things to you," Sesshomaru told him, remorse heavy in his tone.

"You can take your apologies and shove them up your ass, Sesshomaru! How could you accuse me of being unfaithful?! You know how much family and honor mean to me, yet at the poisonous words of those vipers you call courtiers, you doubt me, doubt my fidelity and attack me and our unborn child! How dare you think to come here and tell me what to do!" Inuyasha demanded. He was angry, and with good cause.

"What do you want me to say, Inuyasha? Do you want me to beg your forgiveness like a commoner? Do you want me to grovel at your feet? I was wrong, but so were you? You had no right to take my children from me!" Sesshomaru shouted.

"Rights? I had every right! You were a danger to me, and to our children. I�ll be dead and in my grave before I let anyone, and I mean anyone, hurt them! You should be thankful that I didn�t tell them the real reason we left," Inuyasha growled. His head ached and his throat hurt, but he�d be damned if he would let Sesshomaru win this argument.

Sesshomaru quickly realized that the situation was getting out of hand. His brother was ill and needed the safety and healing of the castle. He needed to end this argument, and soon. If it meant that he would have to sacrifice his pride, then so be it. His family and his mate were worth the world to him.

"Inuyasha, please. Now is not the time for us to indulge in such discussions. I know you are angry, and you are within your rights to be angry, but you need help. Help that I can give you. Will you please come home with me?" Sesshomaru asked, hoping his voice didn�t show his repressed indignation.

"What?" Inuyasha prompted, unable to believe that his mate would say that word to anyone, let alone himself.

"I have come to realize that I was remiss in my dealings with you. I have greatly yearned for your presence these last ten years, and I have missed much of the children�s lives. I wish for you to accompany me to our home, so that we can get you medical help and heal our relationship," Sesshomaru said.

He didn�t mean for his words to come out so stilted and formal, but he couldn�t help it. It was enough for him that he managed to tell his mate of his feelings.

Needless to say, Inuyasha was shocked. He would have never imagined his mate capable of such feelings. Yet, here Sesshomaru was before him, asking him to come home, telling Inuyasha that he had missed him and their children. The answer was obvious.

"Yes, Sesshomaru. I�ll come home with you, but things have to change," Inuyasha told him.

"Of course. We can work out the details later. For now, we need to get you well," Sesshomaru said, tightening his hold on his mate.

~*~

Servants and nobles crowded the foyer when Lord Sesshomaru made his entrance, but they all stepped back upon seeing who was in his embrace. The Lord�s estranged mate had returned, looking much worse for wear. It was not a complete surprise�the children had already arrived and been taken to their rooms, so they figured that their Lord had to have found his mate, but the half-breed�s condition startled them. It was clear to all who saw him that he was indeed very ill, if not dying, and needed immediate medical attention.

"My Lord," Jaken squawked, "the children have been settled in, as well as the kitsune and nekomata. Is there anything else I can do to help, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes. Summon the healer, Kimi, to our chambers and keep everyone else away from our wing," Sesshomaru commanded.

"Right away, Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken replied, as he scurried to do his master�s bidding.

Sesshomaru proceeded to their bedchambers, a room that had been devoid of his mate�s presence for ten years. He entered, closing the door behind them, and gently placed his mate upon the bed. Inuyasha sighed at the comfort, and Sesshomaru smiled. He desperately wanted to slip into the bed beside his mate, but decided against it. Kimi would arrive soon, and Sesshomaru seriously doubted his ability to leave his mate�s side if he were to lie next to him.

"It feels good to be home, Sess," Inuyasha confided. "I�ve really missed this place, and you. I didn�t think I�d ever see you again, not after our fight."

"I am glad you are home, Love. I was lonely without you or the children," Sesshomaru told him.

Inuyasha smiled and gazed at his mate. He was surprised by what he saw. Sesshomaru looked a little thin, nothing that anyone outside of his closest confidantes would notice, but obvious to those who knew him. His face had a gaunt appearance about it, attesting to the many days that Sesshomaru spent worrying over his mate and children. The most striking change, however, had to be the carefully concealed circles underneath Sesshomaru�s eyes. They told of the sleepless nights Sesshomaru endured without Inuyasha by his side. Inuyasha wanted to say something comforting to his mate, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," Sesshomaru called.

"Lord Inuyasha, so good to see you," Kimi smiled as she walked into the room. She started checking his body for any signs of fever or other complication, having already been apprised of his illness by Lord Sesshomaru.

"Likewise, Kimi. I could have really used you nine years ago when I had Gin," he said, grinning. "A few herbs to knock out the pain of birth would have been wonderful."

Kimi offered up a chuckle at his joke, and continued to examine her patient, frowning slightly at the pain he experienced when she pressed on his abdomen and joints. She also noted the pallor of his skin, thin and veined like dragonfly wings, signaling that his blood was rather weakened. There was a blue tint to his fingers and paleness under his nails that alerted Kimi to his weakened heart. The bruises and thin mucosa did nothing to alleviate her suspicions about the gravity of his condition, but she continued the examination.

"Lord Inuyasha, how have you been feeling lately?" Kimi asked, her keen eyes daring him to lie.

Inuyasha was uncomfortable answering the question. Even though he and his mate had somewhat reconciled, he still did not want Sesshomaru to know the extent of his illness. Inuyasha already knew that he was too far gone for any medical intervention, but he didn�t have the heart to voice his suspicions in front of his mate. Kimi, noticing his hesitation, turned to Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru, if I could have a word with your mate alone?" she asked, hoping he would agree, but knowing he wouldn�t.

"No," came the flat reply.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kimi sighed, "I will not be long, but there are certain things I have to discuss with your mate about his condition that I would prefer to talk about with only him for now," she said.

"Anything you have to discuss with him can be done in my presence," he calmly insisted.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it is difficult for me to work with your overwhelming youki in such proximity. I will be better able to help your mate if you are not here," she stated, hoping to get through to the stubborn demon.

Sesshomaru looked as if he were going to argue, but then relented.

"Fine," he responded with a nearly imperceptible huff, turning on his heel and leaving the room, "I will be with my children if you have need of me," he scowled with obvious displeasure.

The two demons listened to his retreat until they were sure he was out of hearing range. Once they knew he was gone, Kimi turned once again to Inuyasha.

"How long?" she asked, her face sympathetic.

"A day, maybe less. I would have been dead already if not for some antitoxin that Sesshomaru received from the healer Jinenji," Inuyasha stated, absolutely brokenhearted.

"He will have to be told, as well as your children," Kimi informed him.

"I know�It�s just�I can�t bear to do it. We�ve just found each other after so long, and now I have to tell him that I�m leaving again, except this time, it�s permanent," Inuyasha sighed.

"I can tell him for you, if you wish, Lord Inuyasha," Kimi offered.

"Thank you�that will make things somewhat easier. It�s just�I�m not ready. I don�t want to say goodbye, not yet. My kids need me, he needs me�I�m letting them down," Inuyasha whispered, his voice choked with emotion and defeat darkening his eyes.

Kimi soothingly rubbed his arm. There was nothing she could say to make the hanyou feel better and she knew it. She was no fool�her Lord would be lost without his mate. He was a wreck when Lord Inuyasha was only missing. She shuddered to think what he would be like with his mate dead and beyond his reach. Not to mention the children�they�d spent the last ten years with only their mother. It would be catastrophic for the royal family.

Inuyasha composed himself after a few minutes. Kimi said nothing of the tears on his cheeks as she handed him a wet cloth to clean his face. She made sure he was presentable before leaving the room to talk to his mate. Kimi carefully brushed his thinning hair, taking time to cover the bald spots that dotted his head. Although the antidote had relieved some of the swelling, there was still visible bruising on Inuyasha�s face. Kimi arranged his hair so that the worst of the damage remained hidden. She cleaned his sallow cheeks, adding a bit of rouge for color. She had Inuyasha lightly suck his lips to plump them, then she helped him change into some of his older and bigger clothing, hoping to hide his diminished body. Stepping back from the bed, she took in Inuyasha�s appearance. He looked marginally better. At least he wouldn�t scare the kids. With a smile to her patient, she walked to the door.

~*~

Sesshomaru knew that Kimi and Inuyasha were keeping something from him. He just didn�t know what the secret was, and ignored the small, foreboding voice in the back of his head, whispering portents of doom. Sitting here, surrounded by his children, however, he refused to dwell on such negative thoughts. His family was with him once again. Sesshomaru had never realized how much he truly missed them until he had seen them again. It was as if all those years of pent up longing were released, creating a torrent of emotion within the demon lord.

"Look, Papa�see what I can do," Izayoi said, waving her hands in front of Sesshomaru�s face.

"What can you do, dear one?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Mama showed me how to make lights," the little girl crowed, happy with her new skills.

Izayoi extended her hands, palms flat, in front of her. She wanted to impress her father with her special talent. Wrinkling her brow and twitching her nose, she focused heavily on her empty palms. Soon, orbs of light appeared, dancing in the air above her open hands. One by one, Izayoi added more balls of light until she had twenty spheres dancing around herself and her father. Everyone sat enthralled with the display.

What happened next, no one can really say. One minute Sesshomaru was watching his daughter, enchanted with her powers. The next minute, his hair was on fire. Somehow, Izayoi lost control of the orbs and ended up setting her father aflame. The little girl was aghast at her actions.

"Papa, I�m sorry. I�m so sorry," Izayoi cried, horrified at what she did to her father. She was seriously afraid that he would become angry with her and send them away again.

Fortunately, her younger brother helped her out. Inuginsenshi saw his sister�s mistake. When she was showing everyone her lights, she broke her concentration to smile at their father. Without a focus point, she had lost control her powers. Inuginsenshi could feel his sister�s upset, and he wanted to help her. Summoning his energy, he attempted to douse the flames with water. He was successful, though not precise, and managed to put out the fire, while inundating his father with water.

"Sorry, Father. I�m not that good yet," the boy said, looking down with shame.

Sesshomaru regarded his two youngest children, ignoring the roaring laughter of the others. They looked ashamed and afraid. He couldn�t understand their reactions. As far as he was concerned, it was amazing that they were able to handle their powers so well at such a young age. And if he were honest with himself, he�d have to admit that the situation was somewhat humorous.

"Izayoi, Inuginsenshi, come here," Sesshomaru commanded, once again seating himself on the floor. The children complied with little hesitation.

"I am not upset with either of you. In fact, I am impressed. There are not many adult demons that could handle such power the way that you two do have done," Sesshomaru praised.

The children raised their heads and smiled at him. Izayoi gave him a tight hug, all feelings of fear and shame disappearing. Sesshomaru readily returned her embrace, reveling in the feel of having his little girl in his arms once again. Gin stood aloof, still uncomfortable with this demon that everyone said was his father. When Izayoi walked over to Kameko, Gin shyly approached Sesshomaru and held onto his hand. It was enough for both of them, that miniscule touch. Right as Sesshomaru was about to say something to his youngest son, a knock sounded and the door opened.

"I must speak with you, My Lord," Kimi said.

At her countenance, Sesshomaru�s heart plunged. Sesshomaru knew from the tone of her voice that whatever she had to impart was not going to be good.

~*~

"Why did you not tell me?" Sesshomaru demanded of his mate, his pained countenance staring into Inuyasha�s eyes.

"I�m sorry, Sesshomaru. I didn�t know how to tell you. I didn�t want to admit aloud, to you and myself, that I�m dying," Inuyasha confessed.

"You should not be sorry, Beloved. If it were not for my foolishness, this debacle would not have occurred," Sesshomaru admitted.

"No, Sess. My illness is not your fault. I guess being a half-breed finally caught up with me," Inuyasha chuckled, alarmed when his nose began to bleed.

Sesshomaru took a handkerchief and wiped the blood away from his mate, noticing how much paler he appeared now than he had earlier. He felt as though he were being ripped apart from the inside. When Kimi had told him of Inuyasha�s condition, his first thought had been one of disbelief. There was no way that some mortal ailment was going to take his mate away from him, away from their children.

�But it is not just a human sickness,� the voice in his head commented, �it is also your poison.� At that thought, Sesshomaru almost became lost in his despair.

It was his fault that Inuyasha was dying. Had he not lost his temper that night and poisoned his mate unintentionally, none of these things would be happening. Briefly, Sesshomaru considered the Tenseiga, knowing that the sword had the ability to resurrect the dead, but those thoughts were halted in their tracks. Tenseiga only revived selected persons, and one could never be certain of the outcome. It was not prudent to lay his hopes in the sword.

Painfully, Sesshomaru accepted the fact that his mate was dying and there was not a damn thing he could do about it.

"I do not want you to leave me, Inuyasha. I have missed so much, and now that we are together once again, I am expected to let you go?" Sesshomaru said, sliding into bed next to his mate and wrapping his arms around the shoulders and waist of his beloved brother.

"I don�t wanna leave you either, Sess, but I don�t have a choice. I�ve lived with this thing for a long time, and I�m tired. I want to rest, and even though I want to be with you and the kids, it seems the only way I can escape this hell is death," Inuyasha told him, clutching Sesshomaru�s hands as if they were his anchor in life.

"We should tell the children, Saiai. They deserve to know the truth and have a chance to say goodbye," Sesshomaru choked out, not wanting to admit defeat.

"Bring them in, Sesshomaru, and we�ll tell them together," Inuyasha decided. Sesshomaru left their bed to retrieve their children.

When he reached the door, Sesshomaru looked to his beloved and noticed, to his dismay, that Inuyasha�s nose had once again started bleeding. Kimi had told them to expect the nosebleeds as they were a result of Inuyasha�s weakened state. Sesshomaru swiftly returned to his mate, taking a cloth and tenderly wiping away the blood. Kissing Inuyasha gently, he left the room. The time for denials had ended. The children needed to be told.

~*~

Thank you for reading and reviewing. Special gratitude goes to SP777 (twice), neko, Demitria Miriam, ArchNemesis, nette, Princess Sin, mcdgoddess, Ren, Atomic, Meg, ayonoi, Amy (twice) for leaving me such wonderful reviews. You all are the best!
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Fifty Years