Futeki thought it was curious to see his mother at work. She always seemed to smile to herself, looking peaceful as she was hammering away at the glowing metal. Her scent always carried traces of smoke and steel, as if she herself were a part of the forge.
Personally, he didn't get it. He'd rather be out running through the trees or playing games with Ryu, not cooped up all day hitting the same piece of metal over and over again.
"Mama," he'd asked one day, "Why do you like it in here so much?"
"Working in the forge?" She asked, wiping the sweat from her brow as she stepped away from the fire. Futeki nodded.
"Well, I think it's fun," Kohana sat next to her child, "When I'm working in here, I feel like I'm being useful, I'm creating something. I can picture the weapon or tool in my mind, and with my own two hands I bring it into being. Each blade is different and unique, each has its own life and purpose. The weapons and tools I make, they all go out to make the village safer and stronger."
"So…you like creating things?" Futeki asked, "Kinda like how you created me?"
Kohana laughed.
"Yes, sweetheart, your father and I created you, but not like how I made any of these swords. We created you out of love."
"Yeah, but you talk like you love your swords," Futeki said. He yelped as his mother pulled him close and ruffled his hair.
"Silly child, I love you more than any of these rusty blades," she tickled his sides, kissing his forehead and laughing as Futeki giggled and squealed, trying to escape her grasp, "There's no comparison, you'll always be the greatest thing I've ever made."
Futeki couldn't say he completely understood her fascination in working, but he knew she liked creating things and that made her happy. He liked seeing her happy.
There were times though, when she became so sad that not even the forge could cheer her.
It always happened after one of those nights.
The first time it happened was during one of father's long absences. A few months after his father visited them, Futeki woke in the middle of the night to the sound of his mother crying out in pain.
"Mama?" Futeki asked, his voice sharp with fear "Mama, what's wrong?"
"F-futeki?" Kohana's voice was strained, she clutched her stomach in pain, "Futeki, p-please…I need you to go get Sango!"
Futeki's blood ran cold, his mother almost never asked for anyone's help. But the sharp scent of her blood was in the air, he bolted out the door into the darkness and raced across the village to find his aunt.
Sango had been startled when he woke her in the middle of the night, but when Futeki shouted that his mother was in trouble both she and his Uncle Ronuku were up in an instant. The three of them raced back across the village, but when they reached their hut Sango ordered Futeki to wait outside with Ronuku.
They never told him what happened. He and Ronuku waited outside for hours, Futeki's sensitive hearing catching every pained and heartbroken sob from his mother. When Sango finally emerged, he couldn't contain himself.
"What's wrong with her?!" Futeki blurted, tears brimming in his frightened eyes, "Is she going to be okay?!" Sango knelt to his level and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Futeki, your mother is fine," her words sounded nice, but her expression was so sad, as if she too had been crying, "She's going to rest for a while, but she's okay. Why don't you spend tomorrow playing with Ryu and Aizou?"
He didn't want to play with Ryu, he wanted to be with his mother!
Futeki obeyed though, his mother taught him that he should mind his aunt and uncle when they told him to do something. He spent the next day with the twins, but Ronuku was close by as though he were keeping close guard on them.
Sango stayed with his mother that day. He heard a few villagers whispering about seeing the two women at the village cemetery, but Ronuku silenced the men with a glare before Futeki had a chance to ask why.
Later, when he had a chance to get away, Futeki snuck by the cemetery and saw that a new grave had been dug. But it was tiny, much smaller than the others, and there was no marker. Only a few flowers were lain on top of it.
But who was it?
None of the villagers had died, everyone was still here.
Futeki knew it had something to do with his mother, but she refused to talk about it. She'd spent the next day in bed crying, but immediately following that she'd spent the rest of the week in her forge working furiously.
It was different though, she didn't work like she normally did. She didn't smile. She threw away several blades, mumbling angrily about how they 'had to be perfect', until at the end of the week she held a sword that shone brilliantly and was sharper than anything she'd ever made before.
His mother had always loved creating things.
Eventually she returned to her old self again and sung happily to while she worked. Futeki thought that she'd forgotten about that night, and he wished he could say that it never happened again.
But it did.
Five more times he awoke in the middle of the night to his mother's blood and tears.
It was always in the middle of the night. It was always a few months after his father visited. Each time a new grave was dug, and Kohana would hide in her forge crying and working angrily until she'd created something beautiful.
Futeki didn't understand it, didn't understand what was hurting her, what was making her cry. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know what to do except go get help and watch her cry. He felt so useless.
He hated it.
After the fifth time, he couldn't take it anymore. Futeki snuck away from Ronuku, he left Ryu and Aizou to go and try to figure out what was happening to his mother.
He crept silently outside their hut, pausing just outside the doorway when he heard Sango's voice. Futeki peered around the corner and saw his aunt next to his mother. Kohana was sitting up in bed, her eyes were swollen and red from crying as she hugged a blanket tightly to herself.
"We've…we've been trying too," Sango's voice was a sad whisper, "After how quickly I become pregnant with Ryu and Aizou, we didn't think it would be an issue but…it's been years."
"What are you saying?" Kohana's voice was hoarse and thick with grief "That this is the same thing?"
"I…" Sango hesitated for a moment, "Kohana, I've been talking to Kagome. The issue isn't with my body but she thinks…that whatever you and Ronuku went through when you were under the jewel's control it…it harmed you. Both of you. It's a miracle that you both survived, but your…your bodies have changed."
Kohana wailed and immediately began sobbing.
"This is my punishment, isn't it?" She wept, "I messed up, I destroyed so many lives, a-and now I'm going to lose them all!"
"Kohana…" Tears welled in Sango's eyes, "Kohana, I'm…I'm so sorr-"
"Mama?" Futeki called out. Both women's heads snapped towards him instantly.
"Futeki, how long have you been standing there?" Sango asked, "Weren't you with Ronuku?"
"I…I want to know what's going on," Futeki said, stepping inside.
"Your mother is having a rough time," Sango started, "Maybe you could go back an-"
"No," Kohana interrupted, "No. Futeki come here."
Nervously, Futeki complied and walked towards his mother's outstretched arm. She pulled him towards her, hugging him tightly as she wept into his hair.
"Futeki, forgive me, all of this must be frightening for you," she whispered, "I'm fine though. I'm okay, I'm not leaving you."
Futeki nodded, not exactly sure how to respond.
"My precious boy," she continued, trembling as she sobbed, "Mommy loves you very much, you know that right?"
"Yes," Futeki answered, "Mama, I love you too." If it were possible to hold him tighter, she did. He hugged her back, listening to her heartbeat, hoping to get some clue, some way to help her. She never did tell him what was happening though, she only said the same thing she'd said before:
"Futeki, you are the single greatest thing I've ever created. Never forget that."
He never did.