.:All of My Tomorrows:.
chapter six : brightness of truth

"I doubt even a very strong and talented miko would be able to remove this seal… and no youkai will be able to." The ancient hawk eagle youkai peered intently at the Tetsusaiga, his talons clutching at the dirt in an anxious gesture. "It is a beauty. Very, very beautiful."

Sesshoumaru pursed his lips together in a frustrated gesture. If Tsume did not know of a way to break the seal, then it was very likely that the seal could not be broken. Once again, Sesshoumaru felt his father's greatest treasure slipping from his grasp.

"When I was a hatchling," Tsume began, "there were many strong and talented mikos. Now there are very few. The last strong miko I knew of lived almost a half century ago. Very talented, that one."

"She's dead."

"Yes, yes. Killed by that abomination. Yes. I heard a tale that she was resurrected."

"She was," Sesshoumaru said dryly as he plucked a bit of lint from his robes in an attempt to not have to look at the hawk eagle. Even in the human form that Tsume assumed, he still maintained his eagle eyes. They never settled on one spot. His eyes constantly searched and danced about in frenzy. One could easily mistake his rapid eye movements for fear or excitement, but it was just Tsume's nature. Regardless, the shiftiness of his eyes bothered Sesshoumaru on an instinctual level. It made him want to slash at him.

"I see. Well then, I do not know of anyone who can break this seal for you. It's a pity." He paused and looked at Sesshoumaru, his eyes filling with mischief. "Your father was a rascal, wasn't he? Placing a seal like this on the sword. He had quite the sense of humor, did he not?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing as he shifted his eyes from his clothes to the sword. He did not care to discuss his father with anyone, especially Tsume. The bird had a knack for pulling just enough information out of a person to toy with them psychologically. Sesshoumaru had known the youkai since he was a child, though he had not seen him in over a century. Sesshoumaru learned early on the best way to deal with him was to ignore him when he started to act… ornery.

Tsume noticed Sesshoumaru's shift in mood and forged on with the relevant subject, an amused grin filling his face. "You say your brother was able to wield it?"

Sesshoumaru glanced back up at Tsume. "Half brother."

"The hanyou."

Amber eyes glared at the bird. He knew very well that Sesshoumaru's only sibling was a hanyou. Tsume was being obtuse specifically to annoy him.

"Hmmm," Tsume absently smoothed his feathers lining his face. "That's odd."

"And why is that?"

"Well," the elder youkai drawled, "your father was a funny one. Very crafty. He requisitioned two swords to be created, one for each brother. Inuyasha inherited a youkai slayer and you, Sesshoumaru, inherited a sword that bestows life. Crafty, very crafty… but your father was always trying new things and experimenting, wasn't he?"

Sesshoumaru's claw shot forth, slashing Tsume's collar as he held the bird in a chokehold. His limit of patience was close to being reached and Sesshoumaru wanted nothing more than to decapitate the annoying youkai.

Tsume coughed and gagged, but the smile in his eyes did not dim. Sesshoumaru felt a tremor move through him and he hastily dropped Tsume, causing him to stumble backward and land squarely on his behind.

"Your games are as bothersome now as they were the last time I saw you."

"And you are as an easy a target now as you were the last time I saw you, too."

Sesshoumaru clenched his jaw, his rage sparking within him again. If the youkai before had been anyone else, he would have been nothing more than a mess soaking into the earth. It was only the last few shreds of respect that Sesshoumaru held for the ancient bird from his youth that protected Tsume's life.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru called, his eyes never leaving Tsume, "gather the sword. We are taking our leave."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin is coming!"

Tsume stood and dusted himself off carefully. "I wasn't done yet, Sesshoumaru."

"I do not care."

"I think you do. I have an inkling you may wish to hear." The bird let his eyes wander over the young girl gathering up the sword. "She looks tasty, she does. The young ones are delicious. She is wasted on you."

Sesshoumaru rested his hand on Rin's shoulder in a possessive gesture. She seemed wholly unaware of the implications and subtle threat of Tsume's comment as she smiled at him happily, mesmerized by his sparkling eagle eyes and feathered body. Sesshoumaru squeezed her shoulder gently, prompting her to stare up at him wide-eyed, the sword and bird youkai instantly forgotten. He pushed her behind him in a protective fashion, forcing Tsume to look at him again. "Say your peace."

"Ah, yes. What was I saying?" He smiled with false innocence. "Yes, yes… your father sealed the Tetsusaiga and hid it in his grave where neither you nor your brother could draw it, but a woman could." Tsume tapped his cheek with a talon-like finger as he paused. "Don't you think that's odd?"

Rin kept poking her head around Sesshoumaru to get a look at the bird youkai, who would peer back at her just as intently. She wanted to play with the strange looking being talking to her Sesshoumaru-sama, and he most certainly wanted to play with her. A quick flick to her cheek caused Rin to immediately calm down and she stood quietly behind her guardian, waiting for him to finish.

Sesshoumaru was growing impatient once again. He simply wanted an answer. He wanted to know if the seal could be removed or not, and if so how. It was a simple, reasonable request but Tsume was more interested in salivating over Rin and playing detective on Sesshoumaru's time. He would none of it.

"I find it odd that my father would take a human mistress to keep, impregnate her, and then bring her to our home to live, permanently."

Tsume's eyes stopped dancing about erratically to regard Sesshoumaru, a smile playing about his lips. "I am angering you again, am I not?"

The dog youkai said nothing as he peered back at Tsume, intensity in his eyes.

"So protective. Very well. You assumed the seal was placed upon the sword to prevent just any youkai from wielding it, correct?"

"I assumed the seal was placed upon the sword to protect my father's human whore after he passed on."

Tsume smiled, amused. "And yet, she is dead. Is she not? Died unnaturally, yes?"

Sesshoumaru breathed deeply, waiting.

"What I am seeing as I examine this sword has nothing to do with protecting mortal lovers, nor does it necessarily relate to preventing specific beings from wielding the sword. The seal may act that way, but that is not the true nature of the seal."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, "Continue."

"It chooses its master," Tsume said, crossing his arms over his chest.

An eyebrow shot up and amber eyes sparkled angrily, "Are you saying it chose that girl?"

"Yes. She was able to draw it out; therefore, she must have some level of control over it because it gave her that control. The seal is now related to her." His hand hovered a few centimeters over the sword as he examined it again. "She must have wanted the hanyou to be able to use it. That's my guess."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "That does not make sense. I was able to wield it and tap into its power using a human arm. If what you say is true, I should not have been able to use it."

"How were you able to use a human arm? You should only be able to use youkai flesh."

"Shikon no Tama."

The hawk eagle emitted a high pitched chortle-like sound which Sesshoumaru recognized as laughter.

"Your heart must truly ache for this sword then!"

"Why are you trying my patience?"

Tsume shrugged, but his smile did not fade, "I'm too old to fear death." A ping of sympathy stabbed at Tsume and he cleared his throat, "I am sorry, Sesshoumaru. I meant no offense."

"Tell me what you wish to tell me so that we may be on our way."

"Fine, fine," the bird nodded, "I'm not sure why you were able to use it. I'm just telling you what I see here." He paused again, "Perhaps it is because she believed as you do regarding the nature of the seal? On the other hand, it could be that the girl was able to change the nature of the seal during a desperate moment. Again, I do not know… but she is connected to the sword. Tetsusaiga appears to have a will of its own. You may never be able to wield it -- but as far as this seal goes, I can see the threads within it linking it to her. There is no doubt."

"What do you suggest then? The girl of whom you speak has no will to live and no concept of her abilities."

"Is that so? She seems to be very gifted." The bird paused, staring deep within the sword, "Tell me about her."

"She was my half-brother's bitch." Sesshoumaru said, not bothering to keep the venom from his voice. He wanted nothing more than to leave the mountain and return to his home. Seeing Tsume reminded him too much of his youth. "Her name is Kagome. She comes from a distant land, I know not where. She was not trained. That much is obvious. She was rumored to be the reincarnation of that miko called Kikyou, but her scent does not match. She killed Naraku, the miko corpse and Inuyasha. Apparently she now possesses the complete Shikon no Tama and it resides within her body."

"Oh, ho!"

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the youkai.

"Reincarnation, indeed! She is the Shikon no Tama." Tsume's eyes began to dance once more, this time his excitement was palpable. "I suspected that the jewel would assume the flesh someday. No wonder the sword is connected to her. She is the jewel."

Tsume stepped closer to Sesshoumaru, his voice low and intense. "If you want this seal removed and wish to be able to wield this sword, she is the one to do it. No one else can do it but her."