"Masamune?" Megohime stopped and cupped Masamune's cheek. "What's wrong?" She asked gently, her eyes no longer steely, but soft, and holding concern. "Are you hurt?"
Hidemune laid in the infirmary, eyes dull and void, refusing food and drink and even healing. He had failed Minehime and wanted nothing more than to wither away and die. He didn't know what to do, he felt heavy and vile.
Images of young Minehime flashed through Hidemune's head, her caring for his wounds, the both of them in the infirmary after a rough day of training, her asleep sprawled out on his bed, leaving him to sleep on the floor, only to nearly cry about it in the morning out of guilt.
"Mini..." He whimpered softly. The door opened and Masamune stepped in. Hidemune glared and looked away.
"We're going to have her reforged in a couple days..." Masamune started, "but if we can't find Minehime, we're going to have to head back home."
"What are you saying?" Hidemune huffed. Masamune made a noise.
"Just a little heads up.."
Megohime had been waiting in the room they were graciously loaned while in the capital, sitting on the bed and nervously rubbing the stump of her arm. They were so close to making her whole again.
Masamune came back after a while and sat with her, "Sorry, I went and requested the forge's services and he said it would be a few days.." He told her.
After a couple days, Hidemune was finally out of the infirmary and out and about. The whole time, he was thinking on what Masamune had said and tried to figure out a good way to get Minehime back. She was probably so scared.
The forges where running hot that day, hotter than usual, and he smoke could be seen for quite a distance, was Megohime already being forged back together? Perhaps Masamune had been lying? Or maybe, it was Minehime being reforged.
He headed to the forge, wanting to see what was happening. He knew the forge was busy making a huge order for Hideyoshi but maybe there was an exception being made?
Something seemed to call Hidemune, becon him deeper into the forge, further and further until he reached a back room. The first thing he could smell was the overwhelming blood and smoke in the room, the slender figure of a small woman standing over a dead forgemaster.