Wednesday, June 1, 2005

The Soul Cages: Frozen In Time
*episode 13*

[Flashback]
Rin approaches a great beast skeleton; being careful to avoid the perilous lava which surrounds it. She enters the mouth and sees an old man sleeping. She clears her throat. The old man looks up, upon seeing her; he turns back over ignoring her. The child gives a speech, clearly memorized. “Forgive me for disturbing you master Totosai. My lord wishes to speak with you on a matter of great importance.” The old man says, “I don’t work for humans. Go tell your lord to find someone else.” She says, “But master Totosai, my lord is a demon. One with whom you have a history.” It is clear that the girl is well coached; the old man sits up and looks at her. “Does this demon have a name?” “Yes master Totosai;” she says, smiling, “lord Sesshomaru.” “AHH!!!” the old man shouts. He gets to his feet and grabs his hammer. He begins looking about in terrified anticipation. The child says, “My lord is not with us, master Totosai. He did not wish to startle you into flight.” The old man lets out a huge sigh of relief. He says, “Go tell your master that I still won’t make him a new sword. He’s welcome to that abomination, what was it called again? Oh! the Tokigin. He can use that if he isn’t willing to use the sword his father gave him. But I won’t make him a new one.” The girl says, “My lord does not wish to discuss a new sword. He has a question concerning the sword you made; the Tenseiga.” This peaks Totosai’s curiosity. He asks, “What’s your name kid?” She says, “My name is Rin; Master Totosai.” He says, “Well Rin, if he really wants to talk to me about the Tenseiga; I guess I’ll meet with him. But I’m going to have to pick the right place; plenty of escape routes…” “How about right here?” says a voice from outside. Totosai jumps out of his skin. Sesshomaru walks into the cave; he turns to the girl. “Well done Rin. Jaken is outside; join him.” The lord sits down and regards the smith. He says, “I meant what I said; I do not intend to harm you and I do have a question concerning the Tenseiga.” Totosai settles back down; still suspicious. Sesshomaru asks, “Does the Tenseiga have a secret equivalent to the Tetsusaiga’s windscar? An ability triggered by an unusual human soul: perhaps something to do with a large bird.” Totosai says, “Don’t tell me you’ve unlocked the fushichou! You couldn’t possibly have found it. You won’t even use the Tenseiga.” Sesshomaru says, “That child; shortly after I met her she was killed. I used the Tenseiga to revive her. Since then, I have used it on several occasions. You must know of the swords growing power over me.” The smith looks thoughtful. “I didn’t realize it had progressed so far. Your father meant for the sword to change you. But to have made so much progress in so little time; and more then that, to unlock the fushichou…” Sesshomaru says, “Fushichou…phoenix? That is the name of the technique which restores life?” Totosai says, “Don’t be a dolt. The fushichou doesn’t restore life.” Answering the demons questioning stare, he continues, “Haven’t you thought about what the sword is? It’s the counterpart of the Tetsusaiga; the fang of destruction. What’s the opposite of destruction?” Annoyed at this guessing game, the demon says, “Healing.” The smith goes to strike Sesshomaru with his mallet. The lord grabs the hammer and embeds it into the rock floor. “What then?!?” he asks. “What is the Tenseiga?” Totosai says, “It’s the sword of creation. It embodies your father’s power to make or remake the world around him as he saw fit. Your brother’s sword is designed to subdue evil; yours is to create good. Healing is just a fringe benefit.” Sesshomaru says, “So it actually created a soul?” Not realizing that the question is not meant for him, Totosai says, “If there was need. That really depends on the supplicant.” Sesshomaru commands, “Explain.” “The supplicant?” The smith says. “That’s the human. The sword calls to the souls in the area around it. The souls call back; that’s why you can see spiritual beings when you hold the Tenseiga. A soul calls to the sword; begging for what it truly needs. If the sword accepts the request, the soul will pulse. Then you can choose to wield the fushichou. The most basic need of a soul is a living body; the sword will do that for any soul. But it will do much more if it deems the soul to be worthy. In theory, the fushichou’s power is unlimited. If the need is great enough and the soul is pure; anything can happen.” Sesshomaru says, “Fascinating.” From his voice, Totosai concludes that the demon thinks it to be anything but. “And how can this help me? Can it do anything but grant the wishes of petty mortals?” Totosai says, “It doesn’t just work on humans. It would also work on demons who it judged fit. In time, it might even accept your black soul. But Sesshomaru; I have a warning. Be careful before calling the fushichou; especially on yourself. It does not give you what you want; it gives you what you need. That is not always what you think it is.” The lord sits in thought for several seconds. Finally he asks, “Is there anything else I should know?” “Yes,” the smith says, “you should know better then to send a mortal girl into an active lava vent.” Leaving Totosai with a lump for lecturing him; Sesshomaru departs. As the demon goes, Totosai thinks, “Sesshomaru, you know everything you’re suppose to know; for the moment anyway.”
[End Flashback]
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