PROLOGUE
It is the sworn duty of a Saniwa sage to face and defeat the evil threatening to devour this world. These brave and dedicated men and women travel into the past to vanquish the malevolent forces trying to alter the course of history. Without their determination and sacrifice, the future of our very existence hangs in the balance.
Blessed with the ability to breathe life into inanimate objects, these Saniwa sages have brought to life famous historical swords to help them fight the growing evil. Along with their prowess in battle, these powerful and revered Swords, now in human form, are capable of expressing all variations of emotions. They feel love and loss; joy and pain, and, as these Swords fight alongside their Masters, they develop unbreakable bounds of friendship and love with their comrades.
But it is not all glory and triumph. The dangers the Saniwa sages and their Swords face are very real. Lives are lost in the chaos of battle, leaving their loved ones behind with only memories and the echoes of their laughter to cherish.
You see, when a Sword's blade is broken, regardless of the wounds sustained in battle, death is inevitable. Their life force is connected to their sword, and once broken, so is the tie that anchors their existence to realm of the living. It is a reality a Sword cannot escape. Or is it…
CHAPTER 1
Little by little, the sun rose, pouring light into Mikazuki's room. He'd been up for quite some time, watching his pale-haired lover sleep peacefully in his arms.
He and Tsurumaru had been lovers for close to 6 months now, and though there'd been several arguments and misunderstandings, they'd recently settled into a harmonious union. In a word, it was perfect.
As the sunlight crept over the bed, shining brightly across Tsurumaru's pale cheeks, Mikazuki could sense his lover was close to waking. Shifting and making soft rousing noises, Tsurumaru finally opened his amber eyes. He smiled sleepily up at Mikazuki, yawning widely.
"Is it morning already?" Tsurumaru asked, snuggling into Mikazuki's arms.
"It is," he replied, dropping a kiss on Tsurumaru's brow. "The sun is awake, and so we should be as well."
Tsurumaru groaned softly, doing his best to burrow deeper into Mikazuki's embrace. "But you're so warm," he complained. "And you smell so good."
Mikazuki knew exactly where this was going, and when Tsurumaru's delicate hand reach to grab his morning wood, Mikazuki barely caught his wrist in time.
"We can't," he said firmly. "We've a mission this afternoon, and we both need to be at the top of our game. Master is taking us into a new era today and there's no telling what we'll find."
"Saniwa-sama would never take us any place he didn't think we were prepared for," Tsurumaru grumbled, "and with the other Tachi's there, we're hardly at risk."
"That's dangerous thinking," Mikazuki chastised, pulling Tsurumaru's hand to his mouth and placing a kiss on the smooth skin of Tsurumaru's wrist. "We have to pull our own weight. The lives of our friends are at risk."
Tsurumaru sighed, pressing a quick kiss to Mikazuki's lips. "You're right. How selfish of me. But maybe… We could just… With our mouths…?"
Mikazuki chuckled softly, brushing the hair from Tsurumaru's brow. "You are so very, very tempting my little seductress, but we must conserve all our energy."
"Not even a little?" he whimpered.
"I will want to take more," Mikazuki replied; his voice tight with restraint. "It's never a little with you. One kiss turns into two and the next thing I know…" he took a steadying breath, forcing himself to pull away. "When we return, I promise to make it up to you. I will spend every waking moment worshiping your body until you beg me to stop."
Tsurumaru made a tiny, strangled moan. "When you put it like that," he muttered, watching Mikazuki climb from the bed, "it somehow how makes the waiting worth it."
"Isn't it always," Mikazuki winked. "Now up with you. We'll be late for breakfast and the mission brief if we don't get moving soon."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming…"
CHAPTER 2
It was chaos…
The air was clouded with so much dust and ash, Mikazuki could hardly see straight. The screams of the dying filled his ears until finally; it was all he could hear…
Suddenly, Kogitsunemaru came barreling out of nowhere, tackling Mikazuki to the ground. They rolled several feet, landing into tangled of limbs and hair.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Kogitsune roared, yanking Mikazuki from the ground. "Did you not see the arrow aimed straight at your head?"
"I can't see anything in this mess!" Mikazuki roared back, shoving the towering male. "Where the hell is everyone?"
"Shishiou's down; Izumino and Master are with him. Mitsutada is circling east with his troops to try and push the enemy west into Doutanuki's trap."
"What about Tsuru-chan!" Mikazuki exclaimed. "Where is he?"
"I haven't seen him since… since… honestly; I haven't seen him since all this happened!" Kogitsune gestured wildly to the mayhem around them. "Look, we can't just stand here and chat. Get your head in game, alright. I might not be around to save you next time."
Kogitsune took off, disappearing into a cloud of dust.
Mikazuki was in a state of panic. He knew he shouldn't leave his post or his men, but if something had happened to Tsurumaru… He didn't think; couldn't think! Grabbing the nearest horseman, Mikazuki snatched the soldier from the steed, mounting it in the same movement. He galloped into the chaos; his position giving him a better view of the battlefield.
So much death…
Everywhere Mikazuki turned, he trampled the dead and dying. Some were the enemy, but some were his own men. They were outnumbered and unprepared, and their losses were growing by the second.
"MIKAZUKI-SAMA!"
Mikazuki pulled back on the reigns, searching for the owner of the voice.
"MIKAZUKI-SAMA!"
A male foot soldier came into view; his bloodied arms flagging Mikazuki down. Turning the horse toward the soldier, he raced over.
"Oh, thank God we found one of you!" the soldier cried. "It's Tsuru-sama! He's…. he's…!"
"Take me to him!" Mikazuki shouted, jumping down from the horse.
Mikazuki had seen any number of horrible, gruesome injuries, but he was not prepared for what he saw. Tsurumaru lay on ground; his men fighting to keep area around him clear. All Mikazuki could register was how small and frail his lover look. So pale…
"H-he was crushed," the soldier said, dropping to his knees at Tsurumaru's side. "A piece of boulder… it… it…"
Mikazuki didn't need an explanation, but the soldier continued anyway.
"He said to… c-cut them off. We didn't want to, b-but he said…"
"I need to get him out of here," Mikazuki said quickly, shoving the weeping soldier out of the way. "I need to get him to Master so he can…"
"Mika-san," Tsurumaru said weakly, reaching out to him. "I knew you'd find me."
"Of course," Mikazuki said, trying to smile despite his terror. "I'll always find you, my love."
"I-it wasn't anyone's f-fault," Tsurumaru explained deliriously, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. "It h-happened so fast… a-and there was… n-no other way."
"Shhh, don't talk. You need to save your strength. We'll get you home and then…"
Tsurumaru shook his head, gasping as he tried to breathe through his pain. "Just stay with me."
"But we have to get you help!"
"There's no… h-helping me now," Tsurumaru whispered. "My sword… it's… beyond repair."
Tsurumaru's blade lay at his side, twisted beyond recognition. How it was still in one piece was beyond Mikazuki's understanding. The metal would eventually break; it was only a matter of time.
"Tell me you love," Tsurumaru begged. "Please…"
"I love you," Mikazuki said, leaning down to kiss Tsurumaru's brow. "I love you with every single part of my being."
"I l-love you, t-too. Promise not t-to… forget me."
"I could never forget you! Never! I'm going to save you, Tsuru-chan! We're going to be together forever, I promise!"
Tsurumaru closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I need you to… b-break my sword."
"NO! I can't! I won't!"
"Please, Mika-san. It hurts… so bad... I need you to… m-make it stop."
"No… no, no, no. You can't ask me to do this!"
"P-please, Mika-san."
"I can't… I can't lose you."
"You won't. I'll always be with you. I swear…" He gripped Mikazuki's arm with his blood-soaked hand. "So much p-pain. Hurry…"
It took several moments, but Mikazuki finally took the sword in his hands, gripping the hilt with one hand and the twisted blade with the other. Snapping the metal took no effort at all; the two pieces slipping from Mikazuki's hands and clattering to the ground. Tsurumaru breathed a quiet sigh of release.
Mikazuki had never seen a Sword die before. And despite the excruciating, heart-stopping pain he was in, Tsurumaru's death was almost… beautiful. His pale skin glowed brightly, turning translucent. Relief shown plain on his face, and with his last breath, he smiled up at Mikazuki.
"I love you."
Mikazuki couldn't hear the words, but he could read Tsurumaru's lips; see the love reflected in his beautiful amber gaze.
Then, just like that, Tsurumaru stilled; his body hardening into a material Mikazuki had never seen before. When he reached out to brush Tsurumaru's cheek one last time, his lover's entire frame shattered in a cloud of glittering dust…
CHAPTER 3
Mikazuki carried the fragments of Tsurumaru's sword into the room, placing them at his Master's feet and kneeling in front of them. The room was filled with all Saniwa-sama's Swords; all of them with their heads bowed in silent mourning. Saniwa-sama reached out to take the hilt of the broken blade, but Mikazuki stopped him.
"This is your fault," Mikazuki said quietly, meeting his Master's sorrowful gaze. "You knew we weren't ready to move forward, but you took us anyway."
Saniwa-sama frowned. "That's not true, I…"
"LIAR!" Mikazuki shrieked. "You knew, and now Tsuru-chan is dead because of you!"
Kogitsunemaru stepped forward, obviously prepared to drag Mikazuki away if necessary, but Saniwa-sama held up his hand to stop.
"I am sorry for your loss," he said in a calm voice. "I know what Tsurumaru meant to you. What he meant to all of you," Saniwa-sama added, speaking to the entire room. "Know that I mourn Tsurumaru's death as well, and I swear to you all that his sacrifice will never be forgotten. With that said, everyone in this room knows the reality of the danger we face. We all know death is always a possibility. But in our grief, we must never forget the reason why we fight. We are duty-bound to protect the people of this world, and dying is but a small sacrifice when it comes to the future of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives."
"I care nothing for the people of this world," Mikazuki replied coldly. "I watched all that I've ever loved die before my eyes today. These innocents you speak of mean nothing to me."
"You don't mean that," Saniwa-san gasped.
Mikazuki snickered bitterly. "Do you really think these people care about us or the sacrifices we make? We fight a war they don't even know exists! We die and they live, yet there is no one to remember us! They will never sing songs or tell stories of my beloved's sacrifice, because they don't even know he lived!"
"Mikazuki, you are stricken with grief, you're not thinking straight."
"Don't you dare patronize me," he hissed. "My mind has never been clearer than in this moment! You will make amends for this Saniwa-san, or so help me…"
"Jiji!" Kogitsunemaru growled. "How dare you speak to Master like that?"
"Silence, Kogitsune," Saniwa-san said. "I wish to hear what Mikazuki has to say. How can I make amends; tell me and it shall be done."
Mikazuki lifted his head, boldly meeting his Master's eyes. "Re-forge Tsuru-chan's blade. Re-forge it and breathe life into it once more."
CHAPTER 4
When the blacksmith entered, the entire room erupted into a flurry of whispers. Before now, re-forging a sword had never been attempted. Was it possible? Could a fallen Sword really be resurrected?
"Blacksmith," Saniwa-sama said, "do you know why I've called you here?"
"No, milord," he replied, looking uncomfortable.
"I have a special request to make; one that is… unusual. As you know, I lost one of my Swords today."
"Aye, milord, it's a terrible tragedy."
"Indeed it is, which is why I've called upon you and your remarkable services."
"I am at your command, milord," the blacksmith replied, removing his hat and bowing to Saniwa-sama. "If it is a new Sword you want, I will create for you such a weapon that evil itself will tremble in fear."
"Your dedication is reassuring, blacksmith, and I see now that if there was ever a man to accomplish this task, it will be you."
The big, burly blacksmith blushed, though his massive beard obscured most of it. "What is it that you ask of me, milord?"
Saniwa-sama, took a deep breath, glancing at Mikazuki before answering. "Do you see the broken blade before you, blacksmith?" he asked, gesturing to the sword fragments.
"Aye, milord."
"You will take it back to your smithy and re-forge Tsurumaru's blade."
The blacksmith's jaw dropped. "B-but Milord, such a thing has never been done before. To do so would be…!"
"Can it be done?" Saniwa-sama asked, cutting him off.
"A-aye, milord, but I advise against it. There's a reason we don't re-forge broken Swords."
"If it can be done, why would you not do everything possible to save a life?" Mikazuki asked in a tight voice.
"Mikazuki-san," blacksmith said, "I do all I can to salvage you Swords; repair your blades. Yes, the sword can be re-forged, but the being you seek to bring back will not be the same." He looked around the room as if searching for the right words to say. "The evil you fight is like a… a sickness. It infects all those it touches. The fragments of Tsurumaru-san's sword are now infected, and not even Heaven's fire could purge such evil."
"Tsuru-chan is as pure as the driven snow," Mikazuki insisted. "There's no possible way evil could taint a soul such as his."
The blacksmith look pleadingly at Saniwa-sama. "Please, milord, this is a path you do not wish to take. To breathe life into a flawed sword is…"
"FLAWED? HOW DARE YOU!" Mikazuki shrieked. "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF, TSURU-CHAN, NOTHING!"
"Sit down, Mikazuki!" Saniwa-sama ordered. "The blacksmith seeks only to warn us!" He turned to look at the clearly frightened blacksmith. "I understand your concerns, but if there is a way to save Tsurumaru then I must take it. Whatever consequences come of my actions, it will be I, and I alone, who deals with them. You will take the fragments of this sword, blacksmith, and you will re-forge them. When the task is complete, come and find me."
"A-as you wish, milord."
CHAPTER 5
Three days later…
Once again the entire room was filled; every single Sword watching and waiting. As promised, the blacksmith was able to piece together the fragments of Tsuru-chan's blade. And, as promised, the blacksmith had brought the sword to Saniwa-sama. There was a look in the man's eyes that spoke of sheer terror, and though the blacksmith would never voice his true opinions out loud, it was clear to everyone in the room that he did not agree with the Master's decision.
Mikazuki stood by Saniwa-sama's side, seeing the blacksmith's silent warning and ignoring it completely. He'd refused to mourn his lover's death in the days that had past, clinging to the hope that they would be reunited once more. This wasn't a time for caution or restraint. If there was even a shadow of a chance that Tsurumaru's life could be restored, then Mikazuki owed it to his lover to try. Come Hell or high water… Consequences be damned… there wasn't a single, solitary sacrifice Mikazuki wouldn't make to have Tsurumaru in his arms.
"Milord," the blacksmith said, removing his hat and bowing to Saniwa-sama. "My family has served your family for generations. I celebrated your birth and hoped to live long enough to see the birth of your own son. But I can't abide by this. You are opening the door to a new kind of evil; one that this world has never seen before. I beg you, on the souls of your ancestors, do not do this."
"I hear your words," Saniwa-sama replied, "and I understand your fears. You are an honored member of this household, and a loyal servant that I value and trust. It is for these reasons I'm giving you the opportunity to leave. Neither you nor your family will want for anything. So long as my family thrives, so shall yours. I will bring back the soul of Tsurumaru, but I will not force you to watch."
The blacksmith bowed solemnly, tears pooling in his eyes. "Goodbye, milord. And may the gods have mercy on your soul."
Mikazuki watched the blacksmith leave; a part of him sad to see the man go. There were few as talented and skilled as the man, but Mikazuki had no doubt his Master would find a suitable replacement.
"And now," Saniwa-sama said, addressing all his loyal Swords. "I will breathe life into this vessel once more. I will call forth the soul of Tsurumaru and bring him back into the realm of the living. If this works, it will bring new meaning to our war against evil. No more will any of you have to fear death."
The room quieted. Not a sound could be heard as Saniwa-sama stepped forward. Mikazuki closed his eyes, wanting to watch, but finding himself unable to. It wasn't until he heard the soft gasps of his fellow Swords that he opened his eyes.
Standing in the center of the room was Tsurumaru; his amber gaze staring up in confusion at their Master. The only difference Mikazuki could see was the color of Tsurumaru's clothing. Rather than his usual white garb, he was dressed in all black.
"Where… am I?" Tsurumaru asked, climbing to his feet and looking curiously around the room.
"You're home," Saniwa-sama replied in awe, gesturing for Mikazuki to join them. "You're home."
Mikazuki walked slowly towards his lover; his heart overflowing with joy. Tsurumaru watched his approach; his angelic face just as beautiful and perfect as day they'd met. Once again, Mikazuki felt connection he had all those months ago. He was staring at his soul mate; the person with whom he shared a love so strong it spanned the realms of life and death. They were together at last, never to be parted again. Mikazuki smiled at Tsurumaru, reaching out to touch the soft, pale skin of his cheek.
In the same breath, Tsurumaru raised his arm, slapping Mikazuki's hand away.
"Who are you?" he hissed. "And what makes you think you can touch me?"
END~