The Will of Tenseiga

Sesshoumaru looked at the broken and lifeless from of the miko before him frowning as the familiar rush of adrenaline and satisfaction did not accompany his kill.  He felt as if he had stolen a life that had no right to be taken, as if this woman did not deserve the death she received.  Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru cleared his mind of the unwanted and unbidden thoughts.  She was a human and an obstacle in his way of Tetsusagia, she had to die.

Turning away from her body, Sesshoumaru once again bent to pick up the coveted sword only to be once again forcefully thrown from Tetsusagia.  He did not understand.  Even in death the woman maintained her power over the sword, deeming her an even more powerful master than his hanyou half brother.  As the thought passed through his head, he felt the Tenesiga begin to awaken at his side.

Useless sword he thought to himself.  Although the sword had been crafted for him, he was not its master.  It came to life when it wanted to, it saved the lives of those it wanted to save and slept when it wished for the dead to remain so.  He did not understand why the Tenesiga chose only certain people and it infuriated him to no end that it never responded to his commands.

Pulling the sword from the scabbard at his waist, he felt the healing power in the blade awaken to force he had yet to experience.  It gave off a soft blue glow as its power intensified, reacting to the dead form lying only a few feet away.  It seemed the Tenesiga wanted to save the miko he had just slaughtered.  Indeed, the sword's desire for the woman to live was so strong that it did not even wait for Sesshoumaru to slash her body and kill the little creatures already taking her soul.  Light spilled from the sword in a blue wave, washing over the girl's fallen body, evaporating the creatures and reviving her.

Re-sheathing his sword, Sesshoumaru watched as life filled the woman once more.  She was unconscious, and would probably sleep for awhile.  Pushing aside the anger and frustration that threatened to overtake him, Sesshoumaru approached this new development with the logic and coldness he was known the world over for. 

It seemed the Tenesiga had a reason for bringing this woman back to life, which was evident in the sheer power it released to secure her revival.  He also grudgingly acknowledged the fact that he needed this girl if he ever hoped to possess the Tetsusagia.  If he could not hold the power in his own hands then he would harness it through her.  There was another reason, one he would not admit to but one he felt nonetheless.  Despite the fact that she was human, she had earned a certain amount of his respect.  She had not run from him when she was afraid, she dared to defy him when it most certainly ensured her death, and she did not cry when she died, no, she had smiled.  She was different from other humans; she was a mystery, one he intended to solve.  He would not allow a mere human perplex him so, he would uncover the mystery that surrounded her and he would forget her.

With that resolve in mind, Sesshoumaru picked up the miko, noticing that the Tetsusagia had found its way into her hands, and took off into the sky and towards his castle.  The miko would stay with him until he could figure out her the nature of her bond to the Tetsusagia and the way he could break it.

As her scent surrounded him Sesshoumaru silently cursed the sword that had him carrying a human in his arms. 

It was powerful, the will of Tenesiga.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome woke up disorientated and confused.  She had died, she had felt it, she remembered.  But then why was she now sitting in the middle of a gigantic bed in the midst of the most beautiful room she had ever seen. 

The room was large and spacious, with ceiling to floor windows making one wall.  Shimmering gold silk curtains draped the magnificent windows, smooth hard wood floors polished to a high sheen, and the other walls were white, dusted with gold glitter.  The bed was heavenly, molding itself to her every curve to ensure the greatest amount of comfort.  Laying her head back down on the pillows, Kagome caught a flash of blue above her.  Sitting up again to examine what had caught her eye, Kagome found herself staring at a very familiar insignia etched into the wall over the bed, it was a blue crescent moon.  A rush of fear ran through her as she contemplated the implication of the symbol on the wall, her brain coming to only one conclusion.  She was not dead, she was alive and she was in a room of a castle that obviously belonged to…

"Sesshoumaru" Kagome said out loud, finishing the sentence that had formed in her mind, unable to believe that she was now in the home of the demon Lord who had just killed her.

"Yes" she heard a masculine voice say behind her.  Slowly Kagome turned her attention from the crescent moon on the wall to face, for the second time that day, Sesshoumaru, but this time, she refused to be afraid, he had already killed her once, what more could he possible do to her? 

Crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head up in a defiant position she calmly asked, "Why am I here?"

"I, Sesshoumaru, do not answer the questions of a human" he replied casually. 

He had been standing in the doorway for awhile now.  He had watched as she slept, unable to draw himself away from her.  He did not understand why he felt drawn to her now, perhaps it was the mysterious power she held over the Tetsusagia, perhaps it was the bravery she displayed, a trait he had never seen among humans, perhaps it was the crisp clean scent that surrounded her, or perhaps it was the ethereal beauty she possessed. 

That flawless creamy skin, the long raven hair that sparkled with the light, the brilliant blue eyes that defied him, and the full rosy lips that begged to be kissed.  NO!!  He screamed in his head.  Surely he, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands had not just commented on the beauty of a…human?  It was not possible, true she was a miko and was more powerful than the ordinary human, but she was one nonetheless.  His thoughts had been interrupted when she finally awoke.  He watched the confusion, wonder, amazement, fear, and finally anger light up her face.  She feels so much he thought, silently envying her ability to feel and express.

He was slightly amused when she asked, no, demanded to know why she was here, in his palace.  Amused?  Rin has made me soft.  Indeed, the small human child he had revived one day had softened him, opening doors to long forgotten feelings and experiences. 

"Fine" he heard her say, once again bringing him out of his thoughts, "If you will not answer my question, then I will just leave" she ended, getting off of the bed and walking straight towards him, intent on leaving the room.

"You will not" he replied forcefully

"Yes. I. Will" she grated out through clenched teeth, "Kill me if you must, you already have once, but I refuse to stay here with you!" she yelled.

"I cannot kill you" he replied calmly to her fiery outburst.

"What!!" Kagome yelled, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"It is not within my power to do so" he replied dryly, recalling the power of Tenesiga, "leave if you want, but I will find you again and bring you back here, you cannot out run me, and you cannot hide, escape is futile and useless."

Kagome could only stare at the demon Lord as his words sunk in.  He could not kill her and escape was impossible, she was stuck here.  But why does he keep me? She wondered.  The Tetsusagia, he wants the sword she remembered suddenly.  Even as the thought passed through her mind she felt the presence of the sword , turning to look in the direction in which the feeling was the strongest she saw the fang, sheathed in its scabbard lying on the bed, next to where she had been sleeping.

"You want Tetsusagia" she finally said, "You cannot have it, I am its master"

"I will have it and I will be its master and when it is mine you will die" and with that he walked out of the room, the door closing behind him, automatically locking it to prevent her from leaving.

God I hate that demon! She fumed in her head, throwing herself onto the bed in frustration.  Replaying the last scene in her head, she pictured the demon Lord in her mind.  Long silver hair, impossibly beautiful, flowed down his back, gold eyes that were always so cold and hard, a deceptively lean body that hid the immense power within.  His face was striking, finely chiseled cheek bones with matching crimson stripes on either side, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead.  He was magnificent in his power and his masculinity.  She hated to admit that Sesshoumaru was probably the most gorgeous male she had ever seen.  She found it ironic that such beauty and perfection could hide such malice and hate.  Pushing the demon out of her head she sat up and looked around the room once again, sill in awe of its beauty.

What am I supposed to do now?  Sit in this room until Sesshoumaru figures out a way to take the Tetsusagia?  Am I supposed to rot here, waiting for the day that he can kill me…again? She thought in her head, getting angrier with each word.  No.  I will not sit idly by while he finds a way to destroy me again. 

As her hands clenched at her sides with determination and anger, she cried out in pain as blood started to pour from her hands.  Raising a hand to her face to examine the reason for her injury she saw four identical puncture marks in the palm of her hand.  Then she saw them, the long vicious sharpness of them.  She nearly fainted at the sight of the deadly weapons that had grown out of her fingers.  She almost cried when she realized exactly what had happened. 

She, a miko, a human, had grown the claws of an inu demon.