Work Text:
“I cannot bind myself to you,” said the maiden to the blade, “Not until my honor is fulfilled, not until my hands are clean of blood, not until I am made whole.”
”Then use me,” said the blade, “Use me, and I shall make the blood of your enemies run for you, and fear of me shall keep your adversaries at bay. Use me in your stead that I may keep your hands pure and your honor clean.”
”No,” said the maiden, “I will not use you. I must do this by the strength of my own arms; you cannot rescue me from this, I cannot lean on you, my valiant blade. Yashida is my responsibility, it must stand by my will and mine alone, and only when it is made secure may you stand beside me.”
”But,” said the blade, “I am nothing but a weapon. It shall be your will that wields me, your strength by which your enemies are felled. Here, I am a gun: point me and shoot, and I shall weigh but lightly in your hand. I shall not usurp your place, for do not all know that I am made only to be used? Here, I give myself unto you freely, because I love you. I am not a thing one must be made worthy of, but though I am not worthy to be your husband, could you not use me as your tool?”
”Hush now, hush,” said the maiden, “Do you not know that I love you? How then could I use you as so many hands have used you? You do not know your worth, my love, it has been taken from you. You are more than a gun to be pointed, more than the blood to be spilled. Listen, you are more than a blade, you will be made more than a blade. Here, I entrust my honor to you; hold it fast until I have made all things ready. I am not worthy of you yet, wait and we shall be made worthy of each other.”
And so the blade became honor, and honor waited in trust.