The hiss of hot air rang loudly through the area they traipsed. Kenshin and Sesshoumaru had made this journey alone– Rin and Jaken were left at the base of the mountain. Kenshin was struggling here, the volcanic area was too absurdly hot and each breath was painful. But she carried on nonetheless, doing her best to keep up with the demon lord.
Eventually, the home of the swordsmith came into sight. It was the skull of a very large demon with some very sharp fangs. Inside, Kenshin could see a man with very odd eyes and a very odd hammer working away on a sword. When he noticed the duo approaching, he stopped and looked up.
"Ooh, Sesshoumaru. I didn't expect to see you here," he said, and then paused. "Mmm? What's this? A human? Humans can't survive here."
"Totosai. I, Sesshoumaru, request that you make a sword for the Battousai."
"Battousai? What is a battousai? Is that something you eat?" he asked, sticking his finger in his ear, then paused. "You mean this human girl? Absolutely not!"
"Good evening, Master Totosai. This one is called Kenshin Himura, it is nice to meet you." she said, giving a bow.
"Ooh, she's a polite one. But the answer is still no!"
"May this one ask why, Master Totosai?" Kenshin asked quietly. By the gods she was feeling faint.
"Do you think I just make swords for anyone who can stand to walk up my mountain? Besides, I am working on something very important!" Totosai said indignantly.
"Totosai. Do I need to repeat myself?" Sesshoumaru said.
Totosai's weird, pinpoint eyes moved from Sesshoumaru to Kenshin. She was still wearing the kimono that Sesshoumaru had gifted her. Her face was flush, and she looked faint. "Let me see your hands, Kenshin Himura."
Kenshin walked forward, her geta clicking on the volcanic ground, and extended her hands out for him. Totosai reached out, his hands surprisingly strong, and began to examine them and flip them around.
"Hmmm! Your hands are that of a swordsman. No doubt about that. But you use a demon's sword technique." Totosai said with a slight cant of his head. "Hmmm… You've had a rough life and have taken many lives. Your hands are soaked with blood. Hmm hmm… a sword for a manslayer." he released her hands and made his way back to the forge. "Come along."
Kenshin followed him, giving Sesshoumaru a fleeting look as they made their way into the skull. Totosai sat down next to his forge, and pulled out a lump of steel. "You must be strong to make it here. Very few humans ever have."
"This one does not think she is stronger than anyone else, that she does not." Kenshin said, settling down across the forge. "What did you mean about a demon's sword technique, Master Totosai?"
"Hmm? Oh. It is easy to tell by the way your hands are calloused. Whatever technique you use is not meant for human hands. At least, not when that human is as small as you. You may not be able to make full utilization of your power that way. Sure, your skill is unmatched, but your power will always be lacking." Totosai said, and began pounding away on a lump of metal. He blew fire on it, and kept striking it with the hammer.
"... This one sees." she commented, and watched. Totosai kept hammering away, and slowly it began to take shape. What was once a lame lump of metal had begun to take the form of a sword.
"Hmm! This sword I am making you. I am making it out of a meteorite that fell nearby. But I need a medium. Tell me, do you have anything precious to you?"
Kenshin thought about it. She had nothing… except… she reached into the folds of her kimono and pulled out a small wrapped up package. She undid the little twin and opened it- and it was an old flower. A white plum.
"Will this work, Master Totosai?" she said, handing it over. Totosai reached down and picked it up, observing it with his strange eyes.
"Hmmm! A flower? Is there some significance to this?"
"Yes… it was… this one's wife. There was a battle, a betrayal, and this one took her life. It is all this one has to remember of her, that it is." Kenshin said, her violet eyes lowering to the floor.
"Flowers carry power. They carry emotions better than anything else. Yes. This will work perfectly." Totosai said, placing it down on the edge of the cherry red sword. Totosai raised the hammer high and brought it down right on the blossom. It hissed and the sword glowed a bright white light. Almost blinding. And after a moment, a perfectly crafted katana rested there. The handle was white with a golden end and a black guard. The sword was gorgeous. Of course, when Totosai lifted it, Kenshin's breath caught in her throat. On the spine of the blade, etched into the silver steel, were bright white engravings of the white plums. "What do you call it?"
Kenshin took the sword in her hands. It felt perfect. There was a tingling that went through her fingers, as if the sword itself was greeting her. A smile touched her face, and for that one moment, everything felt right. It was as if, through some veil of the worlds beyond, she could feel Tomoe smiling at her. She held it aloft, letting the light of the forge catch the blade, throwing off many different colors.
"Tomoe. That is what the name of this sword shall be. Tomoe." she said, and the sword seemed to hum in response. It was as if the sword was singing.
"Hmmm! Not a bad name. I would have called it a flower pruner, but this works." he said, reaching over to grab a wooden sheath and handing it over to her. "But do be careful. It seems that the sword has maintained some of your personality. It is sharp. Perhaps one of the sharpest swords I have ever forged. It is attached to your soul, as well. It will never break as long as you cherish it in your heart. I do not make swords lightly! If you abuse it, I will take it and melt it down and make cutlery!" Totosai bellowed.
Kenshin scrambled to her feet and bowed low- holding it there for a few moments. "This one cannot thank you enough, Master Totosai. This one will treat this sword as if it is her own child, that she will." she held the sword to her chest. After a moment of watching her, as if observing her soul, he reached behind himself and pulled out a sheath, handing it to her.
"Very well, then! I bequeath you this sword, Tomoe. Now get out of my house!"
Kenshin slid the sword into the sheath and hurried outside, where Sesshoumaru was waiting. "Thank you very much, Master Totosai!"
Outside, Sesshoumaru simply looked at her before turning away and began to walk back down towards the mountain.
"Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru. Without you, this one would not have a new sword. You have been very kind." Kenshin said, falling into step behind him. Just a little.
"Hmph. Do not say such foolish things, Battousai." Sesshoumaru said and they continued to walk.
Sometime later…
Kenshin was testing out her sword. She had switched from the gorgeous kimono to one she had fashioned more specifically for battle. It was a light red kimono with white hakama- very simple. Practical. There had been tell of demons attacking a village, and so Sesshoumaru led the entourage to the village. Kenshin felt… right. She had to admit it. The weird pig demons who stood tall with spears and tusks went down easily. Tomoe felt weightless in her hands. Under normal circumstances, she would have to try a lot harder to cut through their thick hides. But something about Tomoe, the way it sang through the air and sliced through. It felt… right.
She was able to really stretch herself in battle, and even toyed with them a bit. Parts of her were enjoying this bloodshed. Each time she swung her sword, a demon dropped dead at her feet.
"Are you sure she's not a demon, Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken asked, and Rin nodded along in agreement.
"Hnn."
Kenshin was enjoying herself. The sheer ecstasy was visible on her face. She parried a blow from a spear and her form blurred forward, with the slash of a sword she had completely cut the demon boar in half. Covered in it's blood, she turned towards Sesshoumaru. Once violet eyes now turned gold, she met his eyes… and smiled.
