String of Fate

Description: A red string of fate tied their destinies together. They would compliment one another, understand one another, and be destined to find one another. Even if there was no sense in it. (SessSan)

Chapter Two

"Tenseiga is not useless. I see that even after all of this time, you have yet to learn anything, Sesshomaru. Your father never truly mastered tenseiga, and you shall never manage to either. It is a weapon crafted beyond your capability, it seems."

But what about this weapon made it so truly fearsome?

The weapon was useless once again, only able to save lives. It had been created by his father to be a fearsome weapon, a counter to the tetsusaiga that he had craved in his time. But this weapon was not the weapon of his dreams. Even in his deepest and darkest desires it remained a mere anomaly. He carried it with him as one of two blades, and although bakusaiga was now a weapon feared throughout the lands, the tenseiga drew the true fear of all who seemed to see it. Something of the weapon and its capabilities remained locked to him. It had been years since he had received it, as some sort of inheritance, and yet it remained completely hidden. Sesshomaru was no more capable of understanding the true purpose of the weapon, as it had only been useful twice – once to save Rin, and once to give Inuyasha his meido zangetsuha. These techniques were usable only once, especially the ability to revive. Clearly, he had missed some sort of information about the legendary tenseiga, some sort of detail about it that his father had concealed especially well.

But who would know? Who would even understand the power behind the weapon? Most who were close to his father perished following his death. The ones who did not were not privileged to knowledge about this weapon. Sesshomaru himself recalled nothing of its true power. He had never been privy to his father's knowledge, despite being his heir. Instead, the tenseiga was shrouded in more mystery, and he continued to carry it with himself simply for the sake of carrying the mysterious object around. No one understood the tenseiga, and no one else could possibly wield it. He cared little for the actual reputation of the weapon, but the mystery surrounding it continued to consume him. How was the power used? Who could possibly use it? What was it so capable of that other creatures feared its mere presence?

As stoic and uninterested as he seemed, the curiosity lead him from Totosai to his mother, Inu no Kimi, who was more than aware of many of his father's darkest secrets. He only called to her in times of dire need. Although he was not in danger at present, the weapon eluded him. His desire to have a fresh approach to it consumed his thoughts. On arriving at her sky castle, he was vaguely aware of her amusement. His presence rarely failed to bring some sort of reaction from his mother. Although she was outwardly as stoic as he, he knew her emotions were far more static. She would rush into boughts of amusement and anger. He had yet to experience as much amusement as she, but he had inherited her haughtiness.. Though he despised his mother at times, her information on tenseiga was precious. He would learn what he could, and if the weapon simply refused to reveal its true nature, he would leave.

The steps to her throne were stone. He found her watching him intently. Though words were not spoken between them, the mutual understanding that this visit was simply for knowledge was apparent. Sesshomaru did not, after all, offer his mother any sort of powerful indication that he was affectionate towards her. His mother had similar sentiments, although at times she offered him assistance as a mother would. He could recall her saving Rin, perhaps one of the most dangerous moments of his existence. Rin was a human who he had come to care for, perhaps to his own disadvantage. Begging for her life before his mother had been a moment of shame, but at the expense of losing the girl, he had given up his shame. The brief lapse had been enough to convince the Inu no Kimi to save her. In the moment that he did, he learned that tenseiga only worked once. He could not save Rin more than once. Her life now was precious enough that he allowed her to remain among humans, until the time that she should find a suitable human mate.

There was no true way to force his mother to divulge the information to him. Still, he took out tenseiga and presented it to her. It glistened under the sunlight. Her hand reached out, fingers carefully touching the blade. It glistened. Although it was not used on physical beings, he felt some of the weight of the weapon. It was beginning to feel heavy in his grip. While she peered at it, he saw the familiarity glint in her eyes. She recognised her mate's weapon, after all. It was the sword he had used to revive, while tetsusaiga killed. While Sesshomaru had his own fang, he still felt an unusual need to have the tenseiga fully operational. There had to be something.

"I see, you finally want to know about the tenseiga. I never thought you would ever realise it was capable of more."

He did not expect the words she spoke. Did they all assume he would merely cast it aside? Perhaps he might have. Had he not encountered Rin all that time ago, and learned the importance of the tenseiga. He had learned that while his father's two swords seemed simple, they were not so. The reputation the tenseiga had was ominous. It was created for far more than simply reviving someone once. "I know, you want to unlock its true power. But, Sesshomaru, I'm afraid it is far beyond your capability," she spoke.

Her words stung his ego. Perhaps he was easy to anger, as his eyes narrowed and he felt the beginnings of his temper uproot. He would never have been able to withstand an ordinary demon saying those words to him. But his mother, one of the only remaining great inu yokai in the world, would never stand for his temper. He had been more than capable of brandishing his own powerful fang. He was able to end the lives of demons who were far older than he. He had stopped Naraku, a threat beyond any that his father had ever encountered. How did she assume he was unable to unlock the power of the tenseiga? He was the most powerful of all demons, more so than his father and mother. And yet she could say he was incapable of truly unlocking his father's weapon.

Temper aside, he saw her glance up at him, and her expression was far more serious than he had originally perceived. Had she never expected this question of him? Did she assume he would caste aside this weapon for another?

Only a fool would throw aside power. "Let me tell you something, Sesshomaru, that you might not understand. Your father did not love me, nor did he leave me," Inu no Kimi spoke. Her hand drifted to her side. "We mate with the most powerful demon in our reach. I was the most powerful, your father mated with me, and then we both separated. Do you understand why?"

Now the questions that plagued him as a child truly erupted. His father had been dedicated to his mother at first. But he assumed that through time, the human woman had come between them. The human woman who would become his half-brother's mother. There were questions he had thought would be answered with time, but overtime he simply ignored or forgot them. Now, as someone who had grown far too much beyond the petty thoughts he had as a child, with no remaining hatred for his brother, he could only picture this conversation being key to unlocking tenseiga. His father had ben a man with intent to teach him lessons through his swords. The sword he had in his grip, the tenseiga, already taught him one such lesson. Human lives were precious, and he had come to view one as more innocent and untouched than all others. Tenseiga had permitted him to save those lives. He had become somewhat of a different demon in the time since, unable to shake away the attachments to humans.

She had more to reveal. "Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, was not his mate. But she was his soulmate," his mother continued. The word soulmate was unusual. Sesshomaru had heard it among humans. He had heard his brother use it with regard to the human miko, who travelled to her other time and never returned. There was a sense that it came beyond the ties of physicality. The people who called one another that looked beyond their society and reputation. This word was not associated with Sesshomaru, who would eventually mate once he found an inu yokai powerful enough to be able to be his mate. He would only mate and then go on his way. A child was the way to continue his hold over the western lands, and his child would inherit both of his swords. He felt that such words were ill suited to a yokai of his stature, and a soulmate was founded on a basis that was unrealistic for powerful yokai. His half-brother was not a full demon.

"They went to a village in the East, where a demon can see the strings of fate. Theirs were connected. And because of this connection, their demon offspring was to be as powerful as a full yokai, if not more so," his mother continued. This information had never been divulged to Sesshomaru. Although he was aware of this village, he had never visited it. His mother, presumably, never had either. But the more he watched her, the more aware he became of the unusual ways in which demons did work. This demon likely hid their village from others, and only allowed individuals deemed unharmful there. His father that that mortal woman Izayoi had to have been allowed because of this string of fate connection. Though he cared little what it was, learning that a hanyo child could be more powerful than a yokai child interested him. It certainly explained his half-brother's tendency to be powerful, even more so than many demonic entities. Sesshomaru could admit his brother had outmatched him on more than one occasion. His particularly strong demonic powers were an anomaly, as Sesshomaru had seem many hanyo in his travels and none were so capable of being powerful as he. Indeed, this explained Inuyasha and his more than epic capability in battle.

His father had found the mate who would bear him a child that would no doubt surpass all others. "Although it was never told to me, Sesshomaru, tenseiga will only unlock its true potential once you find your soulmate," his mother explained. "And that is why I know you will fail. You seek power, not a mate who is beyond power. You can barely attach yourself to that little girl you begged to save. How do you hope to find someone, who may be a human, and mate with them?"

The words were striking melancholy onto his plans. He stared at his blade, never revealing his thoughts, but in his mind he replayed each word carefully. The only way to find tenseiga's true potential was to find the mate who would surpass even a yokai mate. This mate would help him unlock his weapon. But as he assumed based on her words, his mate could be human. He would need to search. He would have to find a way to truly understand their emotions, regardless of how benign they were. There was some sort of a key to the legendary ability that tenseiga had hidden, and like the lesson taught to his brother through tenseiga. His father meant for him to find this mate, and to see why he had done what he did.

Sesshomaru did not decide immediately. Such a step was beyond unusual for him. But in his mind, he already knew that unlocking tenseiga would mean finding yet another way to save Rin's life. And he would have to do this in order to be sure she would not be able to die from injuries again. Perhaps his biggest strength in finding this mate would be to do as his father did. But he had never learned how his father found Izayoi, who had otherwise been a noble lady from a small village. His mother had never spoken of such either. When the Inu no Kimi looked to the ground, eyes half fluttered, she thought though, pacing through in her mind. "I do not believe you have yet to encounter your soulmate, Sesshomaru. Your father encountered his many times within her human life, and only then knew there was far more to their connection than circumstance," his mother continued.

He had heard enough. He turned and walked away from the sky pavilion. But his mind continued to replay every step and every word his mother had spoken. There was nothing more dangerous than the simple idea that he would have to find a mate. He had learned long ago that he worked better when he was alone. Proximity to other beings, as he had with Rin, increased his own likelihood to be drawn into others affairs. Now, he knew his father had never truly wanted him to earn the blade's abilities. He was beyond aware of his father purposely setting it beyond his reach. To find a mate who may be human was beyond his abilities. He was a demon who had spent his entire life alone, and after what he had witnessed his father do, he would never find a human mate. Humans were creatures with no power, no capabilities. All of the humans he had encountered, including the woman his half-brother had been in love with, were weak. He could ultimately end their lives in an instance. Such power, and such balance, made him understand that bakusaiga would be his only weapon. Power to wreak destruction was more important than the power to save lives.

Still, a part of him had hoped it would be easier. He made his way to the ground, landing at level with the ground. His irritated look, his cool exterior, all coupled into what was likely a pristine image of himself. He had never wanted connections to humans. Rin was the only one he had, and once she was betrothed, he would not have to play a prominent role in her life. She would be safe, age, and die naturally. In the village where Inuyasha was likely to reside, he would not have to worry about her safety. She now had someone to protect her who would be stationary, whereas Sesshomaru would desire movement. She was a child who needed nurturing in the correct direction. Sesshomaru would never allow her to travel with him again, risk her life again.

Steps lead him away from foliage, until he emerged into a clearing. His attention had been distraught, caught up in the mixture of thoughts about the various strings of fate and information he had gathered from his mother. Strangely, at his side, he felt tenseiga pulse. The weapon was calling out to something again. He could not sense Rin nearby, nor a threat of the undead. Instead, he could feel tenseiga pulse again and again. It was unusual that the blade would become so active at such an unusual time.

However, the distraction proved an irritation. As he came to attention again, a centipede like creature leaped at him. Various arms and legs, long black hair, and a tongue that slipped out through a protruding set of teeth. The creature appeared to be malicious, and it was drawn to the blade he had tucked at his side. Sesshomaru had known that one of his blades would draw the eye of other demons. Bakusaiga was the most powerful demonic blade in all of their world. Though a creature could not strike him, he had been distracted enough by thoughts of tenseiga that the demon grasped tenseiga out of his grip. Bakusaiga remained with him, while his other blade was in her mouth. The mistress centipede, an otherwise powerful demon, stared at him with the sword in its grip.

Sesshomaru did not move. Instead, he took in the black skin that was forming on one side. The demon had been revived. He could not explain its unusual power, but he could feel the slightest crack from tenseiga when it pulsed. It would break. He had never encountered the mistress centipede here before. This was close to Rin's village. He could risk attacking it, destroying it, but before he could, tenseiga would break. Any opportunity to learn its secrets would be lost. He would have to sacrifice power in order to destroy it. Unlike his foolish brother, Sesshomaru never intended for his weapon to break. He had learned long ago that mastering his father's fang would require much more of his prowess than he could muster. He would have to find another way. He would need to lure it into the clearing.

"Give me the bakussssaiga," it hissed, leaning forward. It swayed back and forth. The cracking sound came again. Tenseiga pulsed, the painful sensation striking his arms and making him see this would not last long. Sesshomaru felt the odd sensation again.

He stood as he was, unmoving. He calculated a plan in his mind, but he saw no way to slip behind. The blade would break. Just as he decided to take his chance, he heard a shout from behind him. The strong, feminine voice was followed by the spinning of a weapon, that cut through mistress centipede. The spinning weapon was forged from demon bone, and too quick for the demon to react quickly enough. As it sliced through skin, sending a calculated shower of blood in all directions, the very sound of mistress centipede screaming filled the air. The ruckus drew the ire of the centipede, that turned around to stare at its assailant. As it did, tenseiga dropped to the ground. It clammered onto grass, and the giant weapon, a seeming boomerang of demon bone, reeking of the demonic power it had, went spinning back to the owner of the weapon. Someone had arrived in time to end mistress centipede, and with a calculated practice.

Sesshomaru watched as the centipede attempted to reform. He stepped forward, and drew bakusaiga. He had been prepared to swing at it, to use his blade to destroy the filth this demon created, but then he noticed why the giant boomerang had been so powerful. Something glinting, blue, slowly killed off the growing spurt, and the centipede crumbled.

He had seen tokijin for the final time when it failed to destroy Moryomaru. Now, looking at the power it had once had, the way it had been subdued by a human creation, he could not help but marvel at its destructive technique. His blade, the one he had created using fangs from a creature that destroyed tetsusaiga, he found that it could truly be used by a human. And it had the same capability it did in his grasp, if not more potency now that it was in a different form.

He looked up, and his eyes met the eyes of the other woman who travelled with Inuyasha. Not the miko, who Inuyasha loved, but the other one who had almost allowed Rin to die. This woman, who had seemed weak and seeming less, had mastered his weapon, and allowed it to become one with her own blade. The way she had caught her weapon, with two fingers, showed her mastery of the weapon. Her fearless eyes, her strong figure, and above all, her ability to look at him without any intimidation, were unusual. He had noticed her in the past, as an accessory to his brother. Never had he assumed this would be someone who would help him, although he had not required it. In an utterly unusual way, she had taken his power and added it to her own. Glancing at her uniform, at the pads and the black outfitting, he then remembered what had made her stand out among their group anyway.

A taijiya, a slayer of demons who had otherwise seemed muted with Inuyasha. As he had suspected, she was the one who had been betrothed to the hoshi, who travelled with Inuyasha. And yet, unlike other women who would mate and become subdued, this woman did not look so. She had taken the time to forge tokijin into her blade, obviously intending to use it. He could not see pieces of his blade, although the scent was there. Perhaps it had helped ward off the demon she had fought moments before. Although it was inferior to tenseiga and bakusaiga, he could admit that in this form, it was powerful. A human was wielding power of a daiyokai.

When he reached down to secure tenseiga, it pulsed in his grip. The pulsing was constant, especially with the taijiya nearby. Although she made no movement, he could see the tension now. She did not want to battle. Did she assume he would? He had never truly spoken to her, and never intended to. But his preoccupied mind understood this much, when tenseiga appeared to be far more active than it had been in the past.

She was different from other women, yokai or not. They would all become subdued as his mother did, once mating. A woman who wanted demonic power in a weapon made entirely from demon bones was not one who wanted to be subdued. She wanted to battle. Taijiya, as he had understood, were not subdued people. The ones who were taijiya would leave their home and travel to destroy demons.

"I've paid my debt," she called out, at last. "You have your blade, and I have my life, yokai. Don't forget that."

"You have my blade in your weapon, taijiya," he cut through. Perhaps a petty approach to the topic. Sesshomaru knew he discarded tokijin, and he had a better weapon. But he wanted to get a rise out of her. Make her attack. Her weapon was one he had never encountered in the past, and to have a human wielding so much power was strange. All in all, it was not the weapon that interested him in any case. It was her mastery over it. She was able to forge, to wield and to battle in ways that had been a threat to Naraku. Perhaps to himself, should be battle her.

Why was he receiving such a rise out of the idea of battling a human woman?

"You disregarded it. Now its been cleansed, and it's a part of hiraikotsu," she answered, in a voice that cut through his. She was calm, steady and serious. All previous notion of women as soft was gone. He had to admit, she was a warrior. She carried an intimidation his mother and all other women thus far had lacked. This taijiya had no intention of being weak, even in her words.

Tenseiga pulsed again. He did not know why it did, but he did intend to challenge her.

He stepped forward, and held tenseiga out. Unusually enough, she did not resort to the hiraikotsu, relying on instead taking out a wakizashi hidden at her side. Now that he peered at her, he understood she had many weapons concealed on her form. She was a master of weaponry. He had no doubt she could be a threat to many lower levelled demons. Ultimately, she would not be one to him. If battle was his interest, he would have attacked her a long time ago. But his interest was in seeing how she reacted to a threat. He assumed, as his brother did, she would use her weapon immediately. But her carefulness was a regard for looking him over, seeing what he would do. She was calculative, as he was. She was assessing him, the same way he was. A taijiya who was so aware of her surroundings, unlike anyone else he had battled, was intent on making him see she was far more powerful than he. She was powerful, if only because Sesshomaru was unable to truly understand why she was.

Why did this woman feel a need to be powerful, when others would protect her?

It reminded him of himself. He could feel the unusual sensation now in his mind, his neck, his back. She was like himself, despite being his total opposite. A human who looked for power, to slay other demons. She was not afraid of powerful demons. She used their tools against them. She improved her weapons. She travelled.

Sesshomaru remained aloof, but inside, he had already calculated that she was unlike any other threat. This threat was more apparent on his psyche, and the questions plagued him.

"Show me your resolve, taijiya. This Sesshomaru will test you."

And then she broke off into a sprint, her footsteps fleeting. The tenseiga continued to pulse, until it seemed to want him to strike out at her. This woman, who had forged his weapon into her own, combined his power into her own, was someone who made the tenseiga react. He had never felt such thrilling excitement from tenseiga, not until now. Not even when he had saved Rin that first time, nor when he had created meido zangetsuha. He had learned that tenseiga desired the thrill of a true challenge, not a mate. And it desired this woman's power.

As she came close, he slashed out at the air, as tenseiga desired. It created an opening, one that he had never seen before. The opening shocked him, even as he attempted to step away from it. But the suction force it created pulled him in. He did not resist, if only because he never feared anything. But the woman was pulled in along with him, the yell from her revealing the uncertainty she experienced. As they were tugged into this unknown space, he was not consumed by black. But he did see her, and her inability to see left her truly vulnerable. And yet, she did not appear afraid. She did not approach him. Instead, she reached out with her wakizashi and attempted to stick it onto the walls of wherever they were. And to his surprise, it did. Something held tight, until he could make out what it was.

A skull.

Perhaps he should not have been surprised. Tenseiga did, after all, belong to his father. It reacted, sending him and a human to the tomb of his father. To be in the vast space where Inu no Taisho had died was truly unusual. When his vision was guaranteed, he landed on his feet. He could make out his surroundings. And looking up at her, the woman who was hanging from the sides of his father, from a sword nonetheless, he could tell she did not want to drop. If she did, she would be injured.

He had no regard for humans. Still, he approached her. His footsteps were soft. But she could hear him. She had likely been trained to watch demons, know their approach. Sesshomaru was more and more curious about her abilities. And so, when she looked down at him, and he looked back, he felt an unusual connection to the woman.

As if they did not need to speak to read one another's thoughts. She understood what he meant, if evidenced by her intent nod. And he had conveyed, without words, that he would not let her die. For curiosity over her abilities.

When she dismounted the wakizashi and used her legs to propel off of the side of the wall, she dropped to the ground. The sixty or so feet drop would have been fine for her, he assumed, had it not been covered in skulls of various demons and humans. An injury here would be fatal. She was relying on him, likely considering it a debt he owed her for saving him in the past.

As she dropped, he grasped her by the arm just in time, and caught her. Her form was lightweight, but what was astonishing to him was the weight of the weapon he had to catch too. Far too heavy for a woman, far too heavy for most demons. And when he did, he had the opportunity to look at her. Her feminine features, her lithe body. She was still a woman after all. Everything aout the past few moments disturbed him. He had gone from truly despising humans, not knowing this woman, to now being entirely enthralled by whatever game his father had set for him.

And now he had no way out of it. He was trapped here.

He slowly released her, allowing her onto her feet. When she was standing normally, they both peered up at the distance they had dropped from.

Although he had no intention of leaving here alone, he noted that she secured the wakizashi and then stood at his side. As if she was an equal to him. She intended to see where he would go, judge him. A human, walking with a demon.

And every time he thought so, the unusual feeling returned. Tenseiga was reacting to all of this.

Perhaps, he even considered, tenseiga was warning him that this might be the way to unlock its power.