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400 Years Apart	By : Cynthermes Category: +M to R > Mirage of Blaze Views: 4238 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mirage of Blaze and its characters solely belong to Kuwabara Mizuna. I’m just going to creep into a corner of her sand box and play the part of a wannabe historical writer. No profit has been made in the construction of this story.

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Working Title: 400 years Apart

Genre: Drama/Historical/ Time Slip

Pairing: Naoe/Kagetora

Era: Late Heian Period to MOB present day post Hojo Arc

Disclaimer: Mirage of Blaze and its characters solely belong to Kuwabara Mizuna. I’m just going to creep into a corner of her sand box and play the part of a wannabe historical writer. No profit has been made in the construction of this story.

Summary: After the successful exorcism of his blood brothers, Saburo Kagetora, in a troubled state of mind, contemplates on the possibilities of what if’s… if he, Hojo Saburo DID NOT become Uesugi Kenshin’s adopted son, Uesugi Kagetora.

A/N: The opening italicized dialogue is directly taken from the anime… definitely not mine too.

This could be somewhat AU to most. This story completely diverges from MOB canon.

400 Years Apart

CHAPTER ONE:

Wishes to ashes, dusk to dust

He is silent, almost too silent from the Takaya I am used to. Naoe studies the outline of the person directly in front of him. His mind had been violently turbulent in the aftermath of his failed attempt to seal this person and himself inside the Tsutsuga mirror. His decision in the last moment might have been the right one but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a trace of regret left. Still in the outside he exhibited the epitome of calm: a façade, mimicry of the panoramic view of the tame mountainside, the soft glow of sunset, and the tranquil murmuring of the glass-like waters of Lake Ashi.

He doesn’t notice the beauty of his picturesque surroundings. His eyes, his mind, his body, his heart and his soul were only riveted and focused on one person, the one whose back he has reached his hand out countless times. A longing, a want, a desire that had gone far too twisted to be contained and to be concealed behind a very fragile mask; a mask about to crack… if Takaya doesn’t break the silence.

…Or perhaps the person before him is not Takaya?

Could it be that…? He swallowed nervously,

Kagetora-sama…?

“Naoe,” He called, freezing the other’s breath. A cold, encompassing sound that stirs something deep at the bottom of the listener’s soul.

That was definitely not Takaya. Naoe shivered.

“You had to kill members of your family. I can understand how you must be feeling.” He had no idea why he was saying this: a band aid to cover a mortal wound. “I respect you for being able to proceed with your duty without being hindered by your emotions.”

Kagetora stiffened. How could this man so blatantly speak in behalf of himself? It’s as if Naoe had wrenched his heart out and exposed its darkest, vilest chambers without mercy. “That’s not what I…”

His hands trembled and he clenched them to his sides. “That time… Why did you release me from the mirror?”

Ah, so that was it. Naoe half-turns almost relieved to be proven wrong about his assumptions. Kagetora could not be troubled by his decision to exterminate the Hojo. He was more intrigued of his retainer’s actions.

“I was going to join Lord Kagetora in the mirror.” Naoe crushes the ever-blooming regret by this admission. He is glad he fools Kagetora still with Takaya’s naiveté. “I had intended to sink to the bottom of the lake for eternity and end everything.” He swallows a half-sob, half-laugh, “You and I were supposed to die together in an ideal prison… but I couldn’t do it.” What a horrible, horrible lie.

A shred of him is in denial of the outcome.

“Why?” Another unfeeling inquiry,

Naoe was almost safe to say that this dialogue, this intimate conversation had no other purpose than to sate the tiger’s curiosity.

“I don’t know. It’s just…”

“It’s just…”

“I couldn’t bring myself to take Takaya’s life.” This he knew was undisputed truth. But more than that…

Takaya was trembling again and he was beginning to hug himself. And Naoe the ever intuitive protector who reads his master like an open book moves closer. Just his nearness bleeds inexplicable warmth into Takaya. For him this illusion of closeness was more than enough.

But for Naoe it never satisfies. “I love you.”

He shrugs his black coat and drapes it around Takaya’s cold shoulders. “Please be careful on your way back.” He spoke his parting words and the warmth clinging to Takaya diminished with Naoe’s retreating form.

“Nao…” Kagetora stops himself before he begs the other to stay. He only watches as his retainer departs and leaves him alone once again with his maelstrom of thoughts.

End of Anime Excerpt

The little warmth that lingered on the black suit coat reminds him of their exchange.

Naoe was such a fool.

How could he not feel a thing as he exorcised Ujiteru-ani? A suffocating heaviness in his chest threatened to bring him on to his knees.

When he was in peril against Ujimasa-ani, Ujiteru-ani came to his aid, acting as a deterrent until he and Naoe called forth the power of Bishamonten to send both to the afterlife.

The day he was made Kanshousha he feared for this very day to come. And now with these hands…

“Saburo, you have such beautiful hands.”

“Never did you know what they were capable of.” Kagetora cursed under his breath.

Disgusted to the mere sight he shoves them under the black cloth. He was cold and he desperately wanted Naoe to take him home. He wanted to pour all the aches and pains of his heart to the one man he knew would understand but he dismissed that as wishful thinking when the words that sprung out of Naoe’s lips made him doubt his decision all over again.

I am Uesugi.

No, I am Hojo.

I am Kagetora.

No, I am Saburo.

“You are Takaya.” Yuzuru’s voice rings clearly in his memories. No Yuzuru. I am…

Such a failure… He doesn’t even know what to do with himself anymore. If Nagahide, Irobe, or even Haruie could look into his mind right now he wondered if they would still have faith in him as their virtuous leader. “Have I really done the right thing, Father?” He asks the empty lake.

If he knew having this second chance at life would bring such an end all he could wish for was to start from scratch. If such a thing were possible he wanted to remain as the untainted Hojo Saburo. Perhaps Naoe was right. To him this self-torture was nothing more but a childish want, a thirst for unattainable answers. He wanted to know…

He wanted to see an alternative outcome. Another fool’s outlandish dream…

If,

If he remained with his family,

If he was solely Hojo Saburo could such a tragedy be prevented?

If Uesugi Kagetora had never come to existence could he have led a very different life?

Such turmoil was his state-of-mind that he neither heard the rumble of something stirring in the water nor saw tendrils of water spouts seizing his ankles and wrists.

He was dragged down under the lake before he realized what happened.

XxXMOBXxX

Naoe quickly slammed on the breaks, his car screeching into a halt when he felt something delicate snap inside himself. An immediate feeling of cold dread washed over him like a bucket of ice water. Gut feeling told him, Kagetora is in danger.

He could not have driven far and fuelled by protective instincts he quickly manuevers the car in an almost reckless fashion to retrace his tire tracks.

An empty dock confirmed his fears. Takaya was nowhere to be seen.

Where are you? His mind started to race and as he put the car in a jerky stop he was already scouring the area for his master’s spiritual presence.

There… in the lake? There was a faint spiritual signature that was definitely Kagetora but it was fading fast. He tried to establish a mental connection but his lord’s mind was shut tight like a clam. A strong spiritual interference prevented them to reach each other’s thoughts.

But how could his lord possibly end up in the water? Did he do something reckless? Was his master ambushed? Were there other enemies in the vicinity he failed to detect? Panic was overriding rationality as he fought with his seatbelt in his haste to get out of the car.

XxXMOBXxX

Takaya fought the invisible force that steadily pulled him deeper into the heart of the lake. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold his breath. He was starting to asphyxiate and a malevolent tightness in his chest was bordering on extreme pain. His heart was beating in stuttering irregular beats and his brain was least helpful when the somatic response forced his lungs to breathe water instead. He gagged and he attempted once again to call forth his powers.

Survival instincts and the abilities of a Kanshousha were keeping him conscious but he knew it won’t be for long.

He coughed and retched, a sharp pain threatened to split his head in two and he heaved pitifully. Another attempt to summon his powers failed… Something kept him severed from his chakra points as if he was going through another out-of-body experience.

His last coherent thought was a prayer and a name.

Naoe…

Then his consciousness went blank like a knocked out candle.

XxXMOBXxX

He called.

It was unmistakably Kagetora and Naoe heard his voice uncannily clear coming from the lake. Without an ounce of care for his well-being he dives into the water. No second thoughts, the faithful retainer goes in search for his lord. Dress shirt, slacks, tie, and shoes still on Naoe swims surprisingly well and spots an unmoving pale figure with a black suit coat waving hazily around like a flag.

He had to hurry. Dusk is falling and darkness would blanket everything soon.

Takaya-san! He prays for the still form of a young man to hang on… Hang on to life. Please.

I can’t lose you again.

Naoe kicks more strongly as he glides in the water seeking desperately to reach Kagetora.

XxXMOBXxX

Kagetora regains consciousness in a state of motionlessness. He finds with a start that his eyes had remained open for some time now. It was definitely darker than before but a disturbance to his far left alerted him.

He came back.

There he saw Naoe encircling his arm around his limp body protectively yet carefully before hoisting him up and swimming hurriedly back to the surface.

“Wait! Naoe I’m not…!” The words died in his throat. He could speak clearly but Naoe seemed not to hear.

Most strange, he thought… unless!

Was he… DEAD? Panic threatened to engulf him. If his soul had separated from his body and he wasn’t confined to any medium that could contain a strong spiritual presence intact… It would mean that his spirit is now wandering on its own without his consent.

His body would still die.

He needed to return to Takaya’s body.

Naoe could not leave him!

Just as he was about to follow, a void appeared beneath his feet and sucked him into a whirlpool of a more distant past.

XxXMOBXxX

Naoe inhaled a lungful of much needed air as he and Takaya finally reached the surface. The retainer wasted no time and carried his unconscious master on the shore where they could rest. Adrenaline fading, Naoe felt the tell-tale signs of fatigue beginning to send muscles spasms in his arms and legs but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Takaya would always be first. His safety was top priority.

Kagetora’s body is nowhere near safe. Naoe couldn’t even feel a pulse fluttering on his wrist or even his neck. And to make things worse, Takaya wasn’t breathing. “Takaya-san!” His first illogical action was to shake the young man’s cold shoulders. Of course that had no effect whatsoever.

Shit was an afterthought when Naoe placed both hands on Takaya’s lithe chest and began compressions. What comes next was definitely inevitable. Don’t think I’m taking advantage of you, was his silent permission before he placed his open mouth against Takaya’s parted lips to give him the breath of life.

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400 Years Apart