Bloodborne Duties

Bloodborne Duties

An ancient curse was placed upon the Inuyoukai family: if the youngest born heir does not produce an heir-apparent before his 205th birthday, the Dogs will surrender to the Panthers. Inuyasha is the youngest heir and it is his duty to avoid the curse.

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A little under a week had passed and Kagome was doing a thousand times better. A few times, Sesshomaru caught her playing with Rin in the courtyard. Inuyasha lazed around the house at times, and at other times Sesshomaru made Inuyasha come with him during the routine run through the territory because he wasn't doing anything productive. That evening, Sesshomaru wanted dinner to be served with all members of the family present: Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Kagome, and even Rin.

"This looks good," Rin drooled eyed the hogshead. Kagome nodded too.

"It does. We just have to wait for Sesshomaru and Inuyasha to return before we can dig in."

Daiki had announced not too long ago that the Dog Generals were due to arrive home in a little bit and that Rin and Kagome should get ready to feast with them. During the course of the week Kagome's knee had healed up to ninety percent of what it was originally. If she stood on it too long it still hurt her but apart from that her knee was doing pretty good.

Inuyasha hadn't ended up telling her what was on the scroll, so she just ignored his ass for the week. It wasn't too hard though since he was out with Sesshomaru a lot; most of the time and she was with Rin—which was a good thing too because Rin had her very first monthly and Sesshomaru couldn't have been more relieved that Kagome was around.

"Can they hurry up?" Rin looked cutely up at Kagome. Thankfully Kagome had some pain killers with her so Rin did not have monstrous cramps as girls in the Feudal era would normally have.

Kagome snorted. "We're talking about the Sesshomaru and the Inuyasha," Kagome furrowed her eyebrows and failed to notice the two highly bemused Dog brothers standing at the entrance of the dining room. "Keh, shut up, wench! I've been stuck with Sesshomaru all day!"

Rin burst into laughter and crossed her arms. "Filthy hanyou."

Kagome threw her head back and her laughter echoed off of the walls. "What did you call me, jerk?"

Rin grinned enjoying this game of "mock Sesshomaru and Inuyasha" that Kagome and she were participating in. "What a pathetic excuse of a half-breed." Rin furrowed her eyebrows and tried to maintain a monotone voice as Sesshomaru usually does.

"We don't sound like that," Inuyasha mumbled dryly as he and his brother entered the dining area. Rin and Kagome glanced at each other, blushed, and burst into laughter. Sesshomaru merely shook his head and sat down across from Inuyasha—both demons took the two heads of the table.

"I see you both had fun today," Sesshomaru stated just as dryly as Inuyasha spoke. Kagome and Rin glanced at each other and grinned mischievously. Rin sat up straight and gave Sesshomaru the same look he has on his face all the time.

"This Rin and that Kagome had lots of fun today, this-that-you-Lord-Sesshomaru."

Kagome nodded seriously trying to keep her face straight. Inuyasha snorted in laughter and Rin turned to him. "Why is that-hanyou laughing?"

"Shut up, Rin! Annoying little runt. Keh." Kagome winked at Rin, mocking her fiancé. Again the two girls burst into laughter and Inuyasha had a vein throbbing on his temple.

"Will you two shut up? I don't sound like that!"

"You do." Kagome smiled innocently at him. Sesshomaru merely rolled his eyes at the immaturity of the two girls at the table.

What was pathetic was that one was his sister-in-law and the other one was probably going to end up being his mate in the future—what he was going to endure he could not fathom as of yet. And Inuyasha and Kagome would have a pup within the year too.

Father, help me, Sesshomaru thought mildly.

"Can we eat now?"

"This Rin says we can." Rin grinned and Kagome giggled quietly, eying an annoyed Inuyasha. The half-demon looked up at his brother and raised an eyebrow.

"Does Rin know ancient Japanese?" he asked in… well ancient Japanese.

Kagome glared darkly at Inuyasha. Sesshomaru glanced at Rin who seemed quite confused and looked back at his brother. "Apparently not. Doesn't your mate?"

"Not at all." They were conversing in ancient Japanese. And it was pointedly annoying Kagome.

"Well I guess payback is a bitch." Sesshomaru nodded at his brother who grinned widely.

"I guess so. Although Rin did imitate you quite well."

Sesshomaru idly glanced at Kagome and then back at Inuyasha. In modern Japanese he said: "Maybe you should stop before—" the rest of Sesshomaru's statement was needless as Kagome said the magic word that sent Inuyasha falling face forward into the table. Sesshomaru twitched.

"Miko, that was my table."

"Get a new one. Come, Rin." Kagome said, standing up.

"But I'm hungry…" the little one whimpered. Kagome side glanced at Daiki who was standing guard at the gate.

"Daiki!" she commanded like the mistress of the house. He stood up straight.

"Yes?"

"Bring mine and Rin's dinner to my room." And swiftly she walked out of the room with Rin tagging along. Sesshomaru sighed and watched his brother peel himself off the ground.

"She already acts like the mistress of the house."

Inuyasha groaned, mostly in pain. "I know. Don't remind me. After we mate she's going to be the legitimate mistress."

.xx.

After eating dinner Rin had run off to play with Jaken and Kagome was sitting underneath a giant tree in the courtyard. Her eyes were closed and she was enjoying the quiet—quiet wasn't something she got quite often. Sometimes it was rather enjoyable to be alone; to think. They had defeated Naraku merely a week ago and here she was engaged and to be mated and married to Inuyasha.

Her.

Not Kikyo.

Opening her eyes, Kagome played with the ring on her finger, her smile growing wider. Who would've guessed all of this would've happened. Certainly not her. She was so enthralled in her thoughts that she didn't notice Inuyasha walk up to her and sit down. She jumped and broke out of her reverie when she felt Inuyasha kiss her neck slowly.

"Sorry about earlier," she mumbled cutely. She felt him smile against her neck but he continued kissing.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered. She felt a shiver run up her spine. He sunk his fangs into her court mark and she moaned quietly, her arousal spiking. Inuyasha stomached his chuckle, knowing if he laughed at her she'd beat him to a pulp. Licking the wound clean he pulled away from her and pulled out the scroll from his hakama.

"Ready to read it?"

Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Does this mean I'm healthy enough now?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Yes, it does. Sesshomaru's getting our room ready for the ceremony right as we speak."

Kagome's heart stopped. "No way…"

"Yep." Inuyasha nodded. "He's kind of needed for the ceremony too." He untraveled the scroll and Kagome cuddled up next to him.

血液の 融合の儀式

血液融合儀式が正確にされなくてはならない一連のステップを必要とします、 あるいは悪魔の仲間は死で死ぬでしょう。式典の冒頭で悪魔の最も強力な家族のメンバーが詠唱呪文をに存在する必要があります。人間が無意識 に置かれたとき、サードパーティの悪魔は出発ができるとチームメイトにはセレモニーを完了するために残す必要があります。

"What does it mean so far?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha who had been reading. Looking away from the scroll Inuyasha looked down at his fiancée.

"Roughly it translates to something like: blood fusion ceremony requires a series of steps that must be done correctly or the mate of the demon will succumb to death. At the beginning of the ceremony the most powerful family member of the demon must be present to chant the incantation. When the human is put into unconsciousness the third party demon may depart and the mate must remain to complete the ceremony." Inuyasha stated. Kagome's jaw dropped and he nodded. "Yeah, that's why I said Sesshomaru's kinda needed during the ceremony. I didn't know about this either…"

Kagome gulped. "Okay… go on?"

サー ドパーティの悪魔のために呪文は、このようになります：

Watashi ga kitoku denryoku niyotte, kono ningen wa, watashi-tachi no kettō no chi o ukeire, ningen no namae o itte iru watashi wa, komando, anata no namae o iu. Kare o ireru ka, kanojo wa kare matawa kanojo wa wareware no yō ni karera no jumyō o yūgō sa seru koto ga dekiru yō ni surīpu suru.

サー ドパーティの悪魔は、人間がスリープ状態にされているので、この悪魔の仲間が貫通する必要が裁判所のマークを 列挙しているとして。

"And that means?" Kagome interrupted again.

Inuyasha sighed. "It's an incantation Sesshomaru has to say as I pierce your mate mark again. This puts you to sleep."

Kagome frowned, "But what does it mean?"

"Dammit, woman," Inuyasha cursed. "It means: By the power vested by me, say your name, so he'd say Sesshomaru, I command that this human, say the humans name—so he'd say Kagome here, accept the blood of our bloodline. Put him or her to sleep so that he or she may fuse their lifespan to that of ours."

Kagome's mouth formed an O shape and Inuyasha took the liberty to keep reading.

人 間が眠っ後悪魔は、裁判所のクレームの結果である人間の首に2本の歯のマークで、血の一滴を配置する必要があります。悪魔 は、3日間の合計のために日の出と日没一度一度この操作を行う必要があります。彼らは悪魔と融合し、その寿命で目覚める前 に、その後の人間は、さらに3日間スリープします。この悪魔の一日内でセレモニーを完成させるために悪魔との至上の必要があ ります。これは、悪魔が人間と交尾し、それらを主張する必要があることを意味します。これは、儀式が完了します。

Before Kagome could ask what that meant, Inuyasha told her. "This means, after the human falls asleep the demon must place one drop of blood on the two teeth marks on the human's neck that is a result of the court claim. The demon must do this once at sunrise and once at sunset for a total of three days. Afterwards the human will sleep for three more days before they awaken with their lifespan fused with the demon. Within one day of this the demon must consummate with the demon to finalize the ceremony. This means that the demon must mate with the human and claim them. This completes the ceremony."

Kagome slowly took everything in. She looked at the characters on the scroll—she could faintly recognize what some of them meant but she wasn't able to put together a coherent sentence. She looked up at Inuyasha. "So this is it?"

He rolled up the scroll and nodded, not looking at her. "This is it. You can…"

"I'm not turning around and leaving," Kagome sighed in an irritated manner. "Let's go see if your brother is ready."

Inuyasha watched her get up and leave. His heartbeat was racing.

It's actually going to happen now…

.xx.

Inuyasha and Kagome's room was cleaned up and there were a few candles lying around the futon. Sesshomaru was sitting on the floor, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He looked as though he was meditating. Kagome and Inuyasha entered the room and Sesshomaru cracked an eye open. "You both ready?"

Kagome nodded dumbly. Inuyasha didn't say anything.

"Sit down."

Kagome sat down immediately on the futon and Inuyasha sat down quietly beside her. Sesshomaru uncrossed his arms and breathed heavily. "As father cannot be present during this ceremony and as I am the only living relative to Inuyasha that is demon I must be the one that ministers this ceremony. Kagome," Sesshomaru looked at her hardly, "lie down."

Without arguing, she laid down. Inuyasha looked down at her and without a word swooped down and kissed her temple. "You'll be okay."

She looked at him in the eyes, her own were swirling with emotion. "I know," she whispered, "I trust you."

Inuyasha gave her a quick smile and turned back to his brother. "Ready?"

Sesshomaru nodded. The door was shut and the room was dark only aglow with the candle lights. Sesshomaru pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. He released as much of his demon energy as possible—because of this, Kagome had to lock her priestess energy so that it would not interfere with Sesshomaru.

"Kore wa ningen no, Kagome, watashi-tachi no kettō no chi o ukeireru koto o watashi, Sesshomaru, watashi wa komando niyotte kenri ga kakutei-ryoku niyoru. Kanojo wa watashi-tachi no yō ni karera no jumyō o yūgō sa seru koto ga dekiru yō ni surīpu jōtai ni kanojo o oku." Sesshomaru opened his eyes and still maintained the steady flow of his demon aura. He nodded at Inuyasha who swooped down to Kagome who had her eyes shut tightly. Sesshomaru's aura was infiltrating her being and she was beginning to feel her soul be put to sleep.

"I'll see you in six days," Inuyasha whispered quietly before sinking his fangs into the court claim on her neck. Just as he did a wave of his aura lashed out from him and surrounded Kagome. Her body glowed a faint red before she absorbed Inuyasha's visible red aura and her eyes snapped shut. Right away Inuyasha used his claw to cut his upper arm draw blood. Daintily he covered his claw in his blood and dropped one droplet into each of the pinpricks.

Kagome glowed a faint red again.

"I guess I do that again at sunrise," he mumbled. Sesshomaru nodded.

Six days, wench. Inuyasha thought to himself. I'll be able to hold you in six days…

.xx.

Inuyasha slept in a separate room that night mainly because he couldn't bear to beside Kagome when she was in a state of unconsciousness. His stomach was in jitters as he kept thinking of the moment his fangs sunk into her neck… the moment that would tie their blood together, forever.

"LORD INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha slapped his cheek irritably. "Go away, Myoga."

"You're mating with Kagome!"

Inuyasha didn't open his eyes. "I'm not. If I were you wouldn't be here right now and I'd be rutting with her like a bunny demon during mating season."

Myoga snorted. "You know what I meant, my lord."

"No I didn't. Now leave, I need to sleep."

"But Totosai sent me!" Myoga whined. "Totosai said that he is forging a new sword for you and requires your fang!"

Inuyasha opened an eye and glanced at Myoga. "My fang?"

The flea-demon nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! Just like your father required to give up his fang for the Tetsusaiga, you must give up a fang for a sword for your future pup."

Inuyasha twitched. "How does Totosai know that I'm going to have pups soon?"

Myoga twitched just like Inuyasha did. "Who doesn't know? You're almost 205, you're bound to have a pup soon."

That's true. Speaking of which... "Why the hell haven't you ever told me about the damn bloodline curse?!" Myoga blushed and looked away and Inuyasha glared at him, slowly raising an eyebrow. The stupid flea was able to tell him anything about about everything, but had conveniently forgotten to tell him about something that could potentially put his race to extinction.

"Your father told Totosai and I to not tell you-- it was Sesshomaru's place to."

Seriously?! Inuyasha thought incredulously. Father, I swear you were out to have me killed before even knowing I existed... wanted Sesshomaru to tell me my ass, keh!

"Leave, Myoga," Inuyasha growled. "I'll go see Totosai when Kagome wakes up. I'm not leaving her in this state."

Myoga nodded as if he understood. "That is true. Your mate is quite vulnerable right now."

"That she is, so leave before I squeeze your brains out."

Fearing that the half demon lord would live up to his word Myoga quickly fled from his room like the flea that he is. Inuyasha closed his eyes again.

My fang… for a sword. For my pup. An unintentional smile graced his lips. Well isn't that something.

.xx.

The Japanese in this chapter isn't Ancient Japanese. It's me typing in what Inuyasha told Kagome and copying and pasting the translated version from Google Translate *sweat drop* So to any people who can read Japanese out there, it probably is translated poorly because translators cannot compete to the raw knowledge of the language. I just thought having it in there would add to the effect.

Beta-edited: Sakura-chan Master of the Clow