Totosai sat quietly in his cave, a sword in his hand and fire shooting from his mouth with short burst of flames. It had been a relatively uneventful day, spending most of his time mending and creating swords like the master he was. Sucking in a deep breath and letting loose a sigh, he raised his newest creation and placed it into the water basin at his side, watching the steam fill up his cave with a loud hiss.

"Well that one is complete." He spoke to himself before wobbling up to his feet and snatching his large mallet.

Mo-Mo let loose a low groan at his master upon seeing the older demon walking about but paid him no further mind once he saw him pick up new materials, walk back to his spot and sit down once more. He never stopped working, could easily make hundreds of swords a day and still be able to make even more.

Totosai picked up the bits of metal that he used so often, he turned them in his hands as he looked around his cave for any extra ingredient he may need; beady eyes searching amongst the vast supply of metal and hilts. Although, once his eyes fell on a certain item, the weight in his chest became heavier.

There sitting quietly in a very clean corner of his cave, sat an ornately decorated black marble urn which bore a silver howling dog and a crescent moon that appeared to have no dust or ash upon it. It glittered in the firelight and the smoothness of the urn was to be envied. It expertly handcrafted and delicately handled for a very precious being.

The urn was easily over two hundred years old and because of how much he cared for it; the vase would glitter just like the day he first laid eyes on it in the hands of his master. Totosai remembered that day like it only just happened. It was the first time he had ever seen his master, the great Dog Lord of the West, shed tears and choke upon his words as he explained the death of the being the urn held and why he was there that night.

It was the most difficult task ever asked of him.

Totosai looked away from urn and sighed before swallowing the lump in his throat. He looked upon the marble urn often, even talking to it when he would return from dealing with the master's sons. It was put into his hands for a reason he hated to think about but it was a reason that so long ago mattered to such loving being.

Before he could continue to be swallowed by his thoughts, the wind picked up in his cave and swirled around his newly created swords, jostling them until they sung upon the air like tiny bells. Totosai could only stare at the jostling metal, fixing his ears and focusing until he could hear soft yet very rapid whispering.

Totosai furred his eyebrows and rubbed his temples. "Will you slow down? I can't catch what you're saying when you're talking so fast!"

The swords rang to life even louder and the wind picked up its speed, making Totosai shield his eyes from the flurry of spinning ash. The whispering picked up their vigor but started to speak in less rapid fashion for the old demon to pick up on the words that were circling through his cave. Totosai listened as carefully as he could, letting each word pass through his ears and process what the spirit was trying to tell him. It was then a name passed through with such an airy tone that it sent a jolt through the swordsmith.

"Oh you don't say? Are you sure this is true?" He asked and when the swords sang to life and the whispers passed over him again, understanding settled in his chest.

"So he finally passed a test did he? Well I was hoping to hear it from you sooner or later." With a grunt, Totosai heaved himself up with the help of his mallet and shuffled from the cave and walked up to Mo-Mo who stood grazing quietly upon a small patch of grass away from the lava.

"Alright Mo-Mo let's get going, we a have a demon to visit." With a heave and slight a grunt, Totsai jumped onto the cows back and once he raised his head from the grass, the cow demon watched as a woman with dark red hair leap over the lava then disappear with a soft shimmer before he and his master disappeared in a bolt of lightning.


The day was too bright, filled with too much light that it frustrated the young demon lord as he sat upon a large boulder, the sounds of the crashing waves at the cliff edge giving the little comfort he would appreciate. Behind him he could hear Rin giggling softly as she placed flowers upon Jaken, the imp not enjoying it in the slightest. Turning his head to gaze over his shoulder, he watched with a ghosted smile as Rin laughed and held no care to the world; only feeling the joy that she deserved to feel.

It made his heart feel less heavy.

Once his eyes left the scene behind him, he turned to stare over the cliff out toward the breaking ocean waves and breathed in the salty scent. Closing his eyes softly the events of a few days past rushed into his mind, her face appearing behind his eyes. Pain as well as relief flowed through those red orbs when she looked upon him; his chest constricting with sorrow as well the fury of rage.

Even with his thoughts swirling around the death of the wind sorceress and the days after her departure, the Tenseiga had been restless; jostling so much that his arm shook once he grabbed the hilt. The sword was disturbed in a way and Sesshomaru had an inkling that it was because it was not able to save Kagura. The sword was mourning in a way. After being restless for the few days, he noticed that the Tenseiga had not pulsed nor shook at all within the past couple hours. It was odd and something that Sesshomaru couldn't put his finger on.

He did believe however that Naraku had something of the swords unrest.

Damn that half breed, he cursed in his mind as a flash of purple miasma clouded his mind, engulfing him with the putrid fumes. The rage swirled in his chest and a snarl ripped at his lips as he replayed Kagura's death for the umpteenth time but it shocked him, he hadn't felt this sort of fury since Eavan, since her murder so long ago.

Upon thinking of his dead love, the rage and fury slowly began to peak. He failed to save both of them; he failed to save the two people that he felt the desire to save. With Tokijin destroyed and only wielding a sword that was entirely useless, how was he going to protect his next precious being?

Sesshomaru swam in the frustration that swirled around him and soon desired to slash at something that is until a large strike of lightning struck a few feet from where he sat, and once Sesshomaru was to his feet, he saw Totosai there upon his cow.

"Hello there, Sesshomaru." Totosai asked with what appeared to be a bored expression which sent a scowl to the demon lord's face.

Furring her eyebrows, he sent a scowl to the old swordsmith. "What do you want?" Sesshomaru asked with a sneer.

Totosai looked the demon lord up and down and once his eyes landed upon his hip, he confirmed that the information he received was true. "I had a feeling that something was missing, you lost the Tokijin didn't you?"

"Hmph, even without the Tokijin my claws could tear you apart no problem." Sesshomaru raised his claws, letting the poison hiss to his finger tips and took a step toward the swordsmith but with a wave of Totosai's giant mallet, the demon lord stepped back with a sneer.

"Now, now Sesshomaru calm down I'm not here to pick a fight with you, it was Tenseiga who summoned me here!"

With golden flashing to the quiet sword at his side, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Tenseiga summoned you, did it?"

"Yes you brat, even I know that you're not stupid enough to not know that Tenseiga has been disturbed for a few days."

When Totosai received no reply from the demon lord, a small smirk reached his lips. So she was right.

"How interesting, it appears that your heart now possesses what it has been lacking for quite some time."

"What do you mean by lacking?! I'll have you know that Lord Sesshomaru's heart flawless!" Jaken squawked as he raised his staff to swing in the air with offense.

"That's right!" Rin piped in with a beaming smile. "He's strong and kind." When Jaken turned to raise his opinion onto the little girl, Totosai let out a frustrated sigh before whacking Jaken with his mallet and shutting the little imp up.

"Tenseiga has reacted to the change in your heart, Sesshomaru and it would be unwise to ignore it."

Sesshomaru let loose an annoyed grunt and turned away from Totosai but the swordsmith refused to give up.

"Your heart has only known rage as well as sorrow because of one person, the woman you lost so long ago. The Tenseiga has reacted to a new change in you, instead of feeling rage and sorrow for yourself, you felt them for another being as well."

When Sesshomaru refused to move, Totosai groaned. "Now it is time Sesshomaru, hand over the Tenseiga." That caught his attention and turning golden eyes to stare over his shoulder, Sesshomaru locked sights with the swordsmith who held his hand out for the sword.

"The time has come to reforge the Tenseiga, to use a weapon.

"A weapon?" The demon lord asked with his full attention on the swordsmith.

The wind began to pick up and soon the scenery around them began to dissipate and dissolve until they were standing a misty field, surrounded by gliding white spirits as well as glittering stars that hung in the dark blue sky. Sesshomaru looked around him and noticed that they were in a spirit like dimension.

Rin's brown eyes darted around her a small wisp of silver energy floated near, circled around her a moment before disappearing with a shimmer before Sesshomaru. This place was hauntingly beautiful but it screamed something familiar to her and the little girl couldn't put her finger on it. She felt like she's been here before but she knew that she had not, the mist rolling around her feet sending chills through her knees but once her eyes settled on her Lord Sesshomaru, his golden eyes sent an ease through her which calmed the charged nerves in her system.

She wanted to know why this place felt familiar.

"Alright Sesshomaru." Totosai called and the demon lord turned to look upon him. "Draw your sword."

Silently Sesshomaru reached for his blade and swiftly pulled it from its sheath to reveal the Tenseiga pulsing with a new found power. Once the blade was free from its confine, the ground shook with a massive shudder and upon hearing release a frightened gasp, Sesshomaru turned to see a large ogre demon pulling itself from the ground.

Totosai watched as Sesshomaru sized up the ogre demon and held the Tenseiga tightly in his hand. Just like he thought it would, the sword began to pulse quietly and a new energy was forming around it, showing Totosai that Sesshomaru really was ready for this new technique.

"If the sword really has chosen this brat, Tenseiga should guide his stroke."

He watched on as Sesshomaru charged at the demon and swung the still pulsating blade, striking the demon in the chest in the chest but no affect was seen. The ogre looked down its body and saw no damage and began to lowly chuckle at the Demon Lord.

"It didn't even cut it! What is the meaning of this?" Jaken yelled as he swung his staff

"No look Jaken, behind the demon!" Rin cried out and pointed to the space behind the ogre. A slice appeared in the form of a sharp crescent moon which glowed with a line of silver light, the same crescent shape appearing on the ogres body which was then sent crumpling to the ground.

"He opened the path." Totosai started and upon receiving looks from the little girl and the imp, he explained. "The demons body was taken to the underworld; it is made possible because the Tenseiga is sword that can connect this world to the underworld."

Totosai cleared his throat when a lump appeared. "That is why only the master of the Tenseiga is able to see creatures of the underworld, further more he has the power of bringing the dead back to this world by killing those very creatures."

Sesshomaru turned and locked eyes with the swordsmith as he continued to explain himself. "Instead of doing battle by wounding his opponent, the master of the Tenseiga cuts into the path of the underworld and sends his enemies there for eternity; that is how it is used."

Totosai sucked in a breath. "And the name for that technique is, Meido Zangetsuha."

Sesshomaru only gave a nod to the swordsmith which made the older demon's eyebrow twitch. "He mastered this technique in one swing; I hate to admit that I'm impressed, that spiteful brat but the Tenseiga has spoken. The sword has fully accepted him like it or not."

Sesshomaru silently sheathed the Tenseiga and let his eyes wander over the hilt. What a technique. This was his answer for defeating Naraku, he was just sure of it. Passing through his mind for a split moment, the image of Kagura's dying features appeared behind his eyes; her solemn features and sad smile giving him the burst to kill that wretched being. The half demon was finally going to die by his hands

He was not going to be weak again.

"I'm ready for battle; I now possess the fully reforged Tenseiga." Slowly he the wind began to pick up and wrap around the group softly, a soft hum among the breeze that caught the attention of the little human girl.

"This wind. . ." She mumbled and upon looking toward her lord, she saw the glittering image of Eavan standing at his side right beside where the Tenseiga was strapped to his hip. Her eyes were closed and nose up to the wind, her hair billowing around her face as well as her dress gliding with the breeze.

Eavan opened her eyes and looked down toward Rin and smiled, which was returned and Rin saw that her green eyes slowly looked up and she sent a nod to the older demon that stood behind the little girl. Rin looked over her shoulder to see that Totosai was looking at her as well, even returning the nod that she had given. Could he see her too?

When she turned her head to look upon her Lord once more, she saw that Eavan was gone and Sesshomaru was already walking away. Upon hearing him say "Let's go." Rin ran to catch up with him and soon they were leaving the spirit like dimension and disappearing into the woods for the remainder of their journey.