~Unknown POV~

In the few moments before I passed out, the recent day's events flew back into my mind with stunning clarity.

I had woken up first thing in the morning to work on a damaged sword that someone had delivered to me the previous day. "Damn…No human being should be awake before dawn." I murmured to myself as I heated up the giant oven. Minutes later, I was pounding on the metal with a hammer, bending and banging it into its former shape.

There was a whisper in the back of my mind, telling me about how it had become this retched piece of existence. It was horrible! Just horrible! You can't even imagine how I felt. Some stupid children took me from my perch above the temple altar and used me to hack down a tree. Can you believe it? Hacked, is how they used me. I'm an elegant sword used for slicing open the bodies of mortals. Not to hack a tree! The distressed weapon complained.

"That must have been terrible. I'll make sure that the monks at the temple keep those kids away from you." I replied, dipping it into cold water. A hiss of steam rose, adding to the almost suffocating air of the forge.

"Now all you need is a good sharpening and you'll be good as new." That was met with many professions of gratitude that I ignored. I was too busy looking out the window at the ever-darkening sky. It ought to rain today. I thought. I hope Shuusuke gets here before it starts.

At that thought, I totally freaked. "Ah hell! He could get here any minute and I'm covered in soot. Sorry, I'll sharpen you tomorrow." I unceremoniously threw the blade to the ground and ran out of the forge before I could hear its yells of protest.

I ran into the main house and hurried over to a sink where I proceeded to clean off my filthy face and arms. Afterwards, I went into my room and found the thing I was looking for: a dusky blue kimono with a grey obi. I slipped it on and brushed out my hair before looking at my appearance in the mirror. Not half bad, if I do say so myself. I hope he likes it.

I shook my head at my pathetic thoughts. Shuusuke had been the only person besides Muramasa that I stayed in contact with after fleeing the Mibu. He was a powerful shaman who specialized in healing, not battle magic. So powerful, in fact, that he could get away with leaving the Mibu compound without being searched down and destroyed. His influence was the only reason I hadn't been burned at the stake. He couldn't care less what I wore.

I knew that I had an almost unhealthy crush on the man but I couldn't help it. He was tall with pale skin and sparkling blue eyes that put sapphires to shame. Short black hair made his toothy smile all the brighter. However, it wasn't just his looks that garnered my attention. Shuusuke was dominant and yet somehow kind. His rare attitude made him quite a treat to be around, though it had made him many enemies over his relatively short life span. Muramasa and he had some differentiating opinions, so the closest thing I had to a father wasn't too fond of him. However, they respected my opinion and didn't hate me for it.

I pondered all this as I wandered out into the front yard, grabbing an umbrella on the way. The house was invisible from behind the huge expanse of trees but had a perfect view of the surrounding area. The castle of Kumamoto was in the distance, separated by a sea of vegetation. The main road was visible, but the impending rain kept it relatively empty. I fidgeted nervously as I peered as far as I could, looking for Shuusuke. Oh, stop it. It isn't as if he hasn't stayed over at the house before. I scolded myself. Another part of me retorted, but it is the first time it was just the two of you.

That just made me feel even worse. I didn't know if I could hold a conversation on my own with him. The both of us are smart, but in different areas. I'm a master smith and a fighter. There is a reason people call me Rengoku Senken. The Purgatory of A Thousand Blades is a pretty big name to live up to. Purgatory may be the meaning of my given name, but the last bit was added for my ability to make and use every weapon imaginable. 'If you can forge a blade, you can wield it' Muramasa always says. And like him, I can read thoughts. His Satori is much more powerful, allowing him to read the thoughts of humans, animals and weapons alike. My ability was solely with the deadly crafted metals.

Shuusuke is a master healer and a big shot politician of sorts in the Mibu clan. His ability to heal almost any wound with a drop of his blood was handy and valuable. And not being automatically killed for voicing his opinions to the highest powers of the clan takes formidable cunning and confidence.

Back to the point, how could the two of us, so different in our ways of life and backgrounds, hold a conversation together for 5 minutes, let alone the few days he planned on staying? That is it. I have to move. So I walked down the winding path of dirt through the trees to the clearing. It took around ten minutes before I even breached the mass of green into the open sky. A shiver went up my spine for a second. Stay out here and wait for him, or go back up to the house? The house is nice and warm, but I want to greet him. If I stay out here, I might seem too eager to see him, as if I'm desperate. Moreover, it is going to rain any second. Damn it, I don't know. A compromise clicked in my head.

Why don't I start a fire out here to keep warm? I may seem desperate, but I won't be cold. I'll also have something to do to keep me from going insane. I did just that, gathering tree branches and stones to make a big circle. Taking two stones in my hand, I knocked them together, making sparks. The tiny fire smoldered quietly for a moment before a gust of wind ignited the pit with a whoosh. Might have over done it a bit. I thought as I looked at the now raging bonfire in front of me.

I waited. And waited. And waited. A couple of times I sent out my consciousness, trying to sense the sword or the knife he usually carried with him. Since I hadn't forged the first, I could only look for it in a 5 square mile radius. The knife I had made especially for him, and couldn't even feel its energy in Kumamoto Province.

With a sigh, I started to head back to the house, not even bothering to put out the fire that was already flickering from the gently pattering showering. Just as I turned around, a figure appeared in the entrance of the field. It was Shuusuke, a walking staff in hand.

Consciously stopping myself from running to his side, I gave a small wave and walked towards him. His smile made butterflies erupt in my stomach.

As he got closer, I noticed how his hair clung to his face and his normally crisp, clean shaman's robes were dirty and wet. "Oh, gods above, Shuusuke-san, you are totally soaked and you look exhausted!" I ran the last few feet, offering to share the umbrella.

He shook his head, water flying in all directions. "Thank you, Rengoku-san, but if I do, you'll certainly become as wet as I."

I frowned. Taking a little initiative, I stepped closer to him, holding the scant shelter above both of our heads. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind. We can't have you catching your death, now can we?"

Another flash of white rewarded me. "Thank you, Ren-chan. I really appreciate it." He stepped closer, his arm brushing up against my shoulder. I gasped at the sudden contact and the informal use of my name.

"I'm sorry," Shuusuke muttered, pulling away quickly. "I went too far. Forgive me."

A little rush of courage filled me. Tentatively, I reached out with my other hand and laid it on his shoulder. "Didn't you hear me? I said don't worry about it." I blushed madly at my audacity.

Suddenly there was a thunk as his staff hit the ground and a clatter from the umbrella following suit. Once again, a gasp escaped my lips. Shuusuke's arms were wrapped around me, pressing me up against his chest. When I tried to look up at his face, he just pulled me closer. I breathed in the smell of herbs and his personal fragrance.

"Ren-chan, you don't know how much I've missed you. I need you to be with me. Please…" He whispered, his warm breath a stark contrast to the rain falling all around us.

I hugged him in return, feeling complete. The man I loved returned my feelings. "I'll always be here for you," I replied, "I promise."

The moment I uttered those words, a mind-blowing pain erupted from between my shoulders. I looked up in shock to see a completely different face. The features were the same: blue eyes, high cheek bones, a defined chin and perfect pink lips. But those lips were twisted in a maniacal smirk. And the stunning eyes that usually were filled with kindness instead held a wicked gleam.

I tried to croak out something. Anything at all. Blood replaced my words. Shuusuke still held onto me, though it felt like being wrapped in pulsing lightning. Every breath I took sent shock waves up and down my body. The pain almost made me pass out. He was the only thing holding me in place. From a distance, we could have looked like a couple dancing in the pouring rain. With a jagged tug, he pulled the knife out of my back, keeping me up with one hand.

"You might wonder how I snuck up on you like that. A clay blade, my dear 'Ren-chan', prevented you from sensing my intentions, didn't it? That knife you made me and my sword wouldn't even let me near them when they heard what I was going to do to you." He smirked venomously, licking the crimson liquid from the weapon of my demise.

Again I tried to speak, to move, but remained silent. He continued. "You might ask why I did it. It is simple; the other Mibu find you as a liability. I have to admit that I agree. Moreover, they are generous enough to offer me a high position on the council in exchange for your life. Any person would have done it."

Tears stung my eyes but were washed to the ground along with my life's blood. Betrayed for power. Am I just a pawn to be thrown away? Finally, a sound made it past the blood pooling in my throat. "I thought…I…you…"

A laugh erupted from the man. "It amazes me how gullible you are. All I had to do was be nice and here you are, waiting in the rain for your own murderer. Ironic, no?" Another bitter laugh flashed through the air. "It is so pathetic!"

Shuusuke brandished the clay knife in one hand, using it to accent his words. "A woman smith who fights and doesn't listen would never make a suitable wife for someone climbing the pillar of success. Even if you were, just look at you. You're covered in scars and burns from fighting and working in a forge. You could have kept yourself eternally sixteen but you refused and now you are already twenty-three in appearance. You're hair and eyes are the blandest color I've ever seen. You wouldn't even make a good mistress. Women who can't do either won't be missed."

I could feel myself losing consciousness. I tried to fight the darkness, beat back the waves of death beating at me in turn. My body didn't want to keep feeling this unbearable pain, but with each second I stayed conscious, the more the it intensified.

"Burn in hell, Rengoku Senken." At that, I felt myself falling. I tried to reach out to grab onto anything, but he was the only thing there. With a crash, I hit the remnants of my bonfire. I couldn't stop it anymore. The pain in my back on top of the flames tearing into my flesh caused me to emit a blood-curdling scream. My throat tore open as I continued my cries of agony, until finally, I blacked out.

For a moment, in the haze of what must have been death, I felt something familiar coming towards me. It was the comforting presence of metal and power that must have been made by my master, Muramasa. So the angel of death carries a sword. Interesting. I'll have to ask him about it. My drifting mind then detected a human being. A Mibu to be exact. With what seemed like herculean effort, I gripped onto this man's ankle. Who else could it be besides my murderer?

The shadow looked down at me with disgust and disdain. It swung up the sword and said with no emotion, "Prepare yourself". When I saw I wasn't dead yet, I said the first thing my tormented mind told me.

"I'll kill you." My throat was raw and throbbing. I tried to crawl on my less agonizing side towards him. "I'll kill you, Shuusuke Mibu, if it is the last thing I do. I swear it."

Then I was consumed by the painless, peaceful calmness of the dark.