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ikeromantic · 2 months ago

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Entwined, Ch 15

Part 15 of a multipart series. Mai has been reborn in the modern age after a full life in the Sengoku. The warlords as spirit animals find her again after 500 years of searching for her soul. Approx. 3000 words.

Chapter List

Kaiya had a bad feeling as she watched Mai and Ayami leave. She couldn’t point to any real reason, just a general anxiety. Something was wrong. Or it would be wrong.

She tried to ignore unease and focus on the work. Hand beading was one of her favorite crafts, and she was good at it. The corset for this wedding dress was elaborately beaded and should have absorbed her completely, but instead, she found herself glancing at her phone and the door all morning.

That was why, when her phone went off, she was ready for it. Ayami’s message was cryptic, but clear that Kaiya was needed. She put down her sewing and left in a rush.

The hypnotherapist’s office was easy to find. Kaiya took a shaky breath and then went in. She was immediately assailed by incense and the hum of white noise. It disoriented her for a moment, and she put a hand on the wall.

“Are you alright?”

A man’s voice from a doorway she hadn’t even noticed. Kaiya shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts. “Yes. I’m fine. Who are you? Where is Mai?” The guy was older and a little on the heavy side. He didn’t look threatening but made her nervous all the same.

“You must be Kaiya, Ayami’s friend.” The guy ran a hand through his hair. “Come on back. I’m Bo, by the way.”

Kaiya glared at the back of his head as he led her into his office. This was his fault, she thought. He shouldn’t even be practicing fake, stupid - her thoughts stuttered to a stop as she caught sight of Mai. “You idiot! What did you do?” She rushed to the chair and knelt down.

“I - nothing! The session started normally. Mai was speaking, telling me she was training with someone. Mitsuhide? I think? But she stopped talking, and then I couldn’t get her to wake.” Bo looked genuinely distraught. “That’s never happened before! Never!”

“Well, you ought to have some kind of emergency plan B,” Kaiya muttered. She took Mai’s hand. It was cool to the touch, and twitching weakly, like a dreaming kitten. This was impossible, she thought. Hypnotherapy wasn’t even real. But real or not, something had happened in this office.

Bo hung his head. “I suppose I should. It’s just, this isn’t - it shouldn’t be possible. Not without medicated sedation or - or - I don’t know. Maybe an underlying medical condition?”

Kaiya turned to look at him. “You don’t know?” She wanted to tear into him, but stopped herself. This was just her frustration at seeing her friend hurt and being unable to do anything about it. Her fear. She took a breath. “Ok. Ok fine. Let’s not worry about how. What can we do for her now?”

“I’ve tried waking her up. I even cracked open my emergency kit and got out the smelling salts.” Bo gestured toward a small table where a spill of items covered the surface. Bandages, antiseptic cream, the smelling salts, tweezers, scissors, and a handful of other items. “I - I shook her a little.”

“What about cold water?”

Bo jerked to attention. “That’s a good idea!” He hurried over to his desk and opened a mini-fridge. Then he brought over a chilled water bottle.

Kaiya took it from him and opened it, splashing a little water on Mai’s tear-streaked face. There was no reaction. “Damn.” She sighed. “I’m guessing you already tried loud noise? A pinch?”

“Please don’t pinch my little mouse.” The silk-smooth voice took them both by surprise. Kaiya jumped to her feet and Bo spun around to face the door.

“H-how did you get in? I didn’t hear the entry tone!” Bo sounded as if he was reaching his limit.

The man at the door was tall, with pale hair and eyes so light brown they looked golden. Kaiya placed him in a blink. “You’re Mitsuhide.”

He gave a slight bow. “I am. And you must be Kaiya. I am glad to meet any friend of Mai’s, though I wish the circumstances were less dire.” His eyes found Mai, slumped back in the chair. “How long has she been like this?”

“Wait. You are Mitsuhide? But . . . her past life . . .” Bo ran a hand over his face. “

“This is your fault.” Kaiya stood, all her frustration boiling back up. “She came here because of you. Because of her weird memories and the headaches! Passing out! All of that started after she met you!”

His gold eyes gleamed in the soft light, the hardness going out of them for just a moment. Just long enough for Kaiya to see a darkness there, a deep sorrow. A well of regret. And then it was gone. “It is my fault, I suppose. But I could not turn away from her, once I found her again.” He leaned down, too close for comfort. “500 years of searching. Hoping. Longing. Five centuries worth of long, cold, nights and empty sun-stricken days. I could not simply let her go, because disaster might come.”

Kaiya found herself breathless. His proximity was frightening. Intoxicating. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go.

“Mai taught me that. Hope. It is as much a part of me now as my beating heart.” Mitsuhide smiled a thin, sharp smile. He stepped back, and gestured toward the door.

She didn’t need the invitation. Kaiya sped toward the lobby and collapsed into one of the chairs. All her senses screamed warning, but this was as far as she could go. Any further would be abandoning her friend. And now, she at least was certain this Mitsuhide guy would do nothing to harm Mai intentionally.

Bo followed her out, a bottle of water in hand. “Here.” He sat across from her.

“Thanks.” Kaiya took a drink, trying to calm herself. She felt out of control, her emotions jumping all over the place. It was not normal for her, and she didn’t like it. Unfortunately, it seemed her upset was not going away any time soon.

The door burst open and a harried looking man stormed in, his expression one of righteous rage. “Where is she?” The guy was tall, with large grey eyes and a mop of unruly brown hair. He was drop dead gorgeous, despite looking furious.

Bo leapt to his feet. “This is getting out of hand! I have a sick girl in my office and the last thing she needs is a parade of -”

The guy grabbed Bo by the collar and lifted him off his feet. “I didn’t ask for your opinion. Now, where is the angel?”

Kaiya sighed and stood. “Put the hypnotherapist down, big guy. I’ll take you back. But you better cool it. If you plan on like, dueling for her hand or something, take it outside.”

“Dueling for her -” The man’s expression gentled with a slight smile. It sent Kaiya’s pulse racing. He set Bo down and took Kaiya’s hand. “I did not know there was a gathering of the divine here. What might your name be? Wait - is it goddess of love and beauty?”

“Umm. No. I’m Kaiya.” She pulled her hand back, hoping her face didn’t look as hot as it felt. “Now come on. Mai is this way.”

The guy followed her back. He sucked in a breath at the sight of Mai, slumped in the chair, tears still running down her face.

Mitsuhide was kneeling beside her on the floor, speaking to her. His voice was so soft that she couldn’t make out what he was saying. He stopped and looked up as they came in. “Takeda.”

“Akechi.” The man’s lush lips pressed into a thin line of distaste. “What happened? Is she alright?”

He ran a hand through his pale hair and shook his head. “She is trapped in memories from her past life. Our life together. I had hoped I could . . . draw her out. But she doesn’t appear to hear me.”

Takeda took a breath, clearly shaken. “We need a doctor. Or . . . a priest.”

Mitsuhide gave a grim smile. “Don’t you happen to know one, Shingen? Think you can call in a favor?”

Kaiya eyed them both. “What exactly are you two proposing?”

Shingen gave her a reassuring smile, one that sent her heart galloping off again. He really needed to stop doing that, she thought. Smiling. “We need to get through to Mai, to bring her back. I don’t think medicine can help us.”

“Uh huh. Go on.” Kaiya put a fist to her hip.

“We are turning to faith,” Mitsuhide said with a dry laugh. “The true sign of desperation.”

Shingen sighed. “I’ll text the abbot.”

***

Ayami glanced nervously between Keiji and Nobunaga. “So. Ummm. Why aren’t we going back to see Mai now?”

Nobunaga gave her a smile she found less than reassuring. “I need to know what you’ve been told and what you have determined on your own.” He rubbed his chin. “This hypnotherapist was your idea, was it not?”

She swallowed. “I-it was. Yes. I mean, I’ve done it loads of times.”

“And why is that?” He leaned forward, his carnelian gaze relentless.

Ayami could feel those eyes drilling into her, compelling her. He was like a force of nature, as easy to deny as a summer storm. “I . . . in high school I started smoking. I thought it would make me look mature. Sexy.” She let out a nervous laugh. “But it really didn’t. I went to Bo to quit. And then to help me eat better and workout more and . . . you know. Self improvement.”

Nobunaga sat back, his gaze now traveling over her in a slow, thorough sweep. She felt like she might as well be naked, with the way he saw her. Like her clothes and attitude were peeled back, and he saw right through to the person underneath. “You do not look as if you need improvement.”

Keiji chuckled. “Second that. Our girl has pretty friends.”

Ayami felt her face get hot. “Would you two cut it out? I feel like I’m in some kinda pageant!”

“Do you not enjoy being complimented?” Nobunaga raised a brow.

“I do! Of course I do. Just . . . you’re really intense, you know?” She frowned at him. “And this isn’t exactly the right circumstance? I mean, my best friend is sick and I’m sitting in a conference room in some posh office and you didn’t even get me a drink!”

Ayami was afraid she’d said too much, been rude. But Nobunaga just laughed. “You’ve got as much attitude as my little fireball. Trust me when I say, Mitsuhide will do all in his power to help Mai. She could not be in better hands. We can do nothing for her, besides wait. Do you trust me that far?”

She wanted to say no, to tell him there was no way she’d trust her best friend to someone that was practically a stranger. Yet she found that she did trust him. There was such certainty in him. As if he’d said the sun would rise or that the sky was blue. Ayami nodded.

Keiji chuckled. “You sure do have a way with people, Lord Oda. It took me a lot more to get her to trust me. And she threatened to punch me!”

“That wasn’t a threat. I was just letting you know,” Ayami shot back. He was grinning ear to ear like this was funny. “I liked you better as a pig,” she huffed.”

Nobunaga laughed at that. “It is an improvement, to be sure. Now. You mentioned a drink. What would you like? I wish to put you at ease.”

“Oh! Really?” She looked for some sign he was mocking her, but he seemed completely serious. “Ok then. How about an iced coffee? With caramel syrup and extra cream?”

“I’ll grab it. Anything for you, boss?”

“One of the same, but make sure Hideyoshi doesn’t see you bring it in. He’s decided sweet drinks are worse than candy.” Nobunaga sighed. “I’d rather not get a lecture this afternoon.”

Keiji’s grin widened. “I dunno. He’s pretty observant . . .”

“I’ll owe you one.” Nobunaga said.

“Hideyoshi? You mean Mai’s ex-boyfriend? He lectures you?” Ayami’s eyes widened.

“He lectures everybody,” Keiji interjected. “For our own good, of course.”

Ayami looked between them. “But aren’t you his boss? Isn’t he a school teacher?”

Nobunaga chuckled. “He does teach and I do own the school, yes. Hideyoshi works for me in his way, and sometimes that includes lecturing me, and others. He has a strong sense of -”

“Superiority? Mothering?” Keiji’s voice was almost sharp.

“Aren’t you getting coffee?” Nobunaga glanced at him.

Keiji nodded with alacrity. “On my way.” He slipped out of the room and disappeared down the hall.

Ayami was not at all sure being alone with Nobunaga was an improvement. “So. Umm. Thanks for the coffee.”

“It is a small thing for a friend of Mai. Now. Tell me all you know, and what you believe.” He leaned forward again, and Ayami felt compelled to speak.

By the time Keiji came back with coffee, she’d told Nobunaga everything she knew, and all the ideas she and Mai had. It really didn’t amount to much. “So, we thought if Mai could get her memories back, she’d understand everything with Mitsuhide. I didn’t know it could go so wrong . . .”

“Of course not. But Mai is a special case. She was born into this era once before, and taken back to our time. We did not know when or how she would be reborn. All of us followed the signs, searched for lifetimes.” Nobunaga looked pensive, his gaze turned inward.

“Lifetimes? But how are you still here? Alive?” Ayami sipped at her coffee.

Keiji answered. “When we died, we did not die. We woke again, divinely blessed, or cursed I guess. Spirits that can take the form of man, or animal. Pulled to tasks we don’t always understand.”

“That is enough.” Nobunaga’s voice cracked into the space between Keiji’s words. “She does not need to know every aspect. Only that we are here, and that Mai is precious to us.”

Ayami nodded, accepting that. She didn’t understand what Keiji meant about tasks, but living forever could be a blessing or a curse. She’d seen enough movies about that. “So. What are you guys to her, exactly?”

“Friends, I suppose. My luck charm was more than that, though.” Nobunaga took a breath. “She was a princess of my clan, my rescuer. A confidante.” He gave a melancholy smile. “I have missed her immensely.”

Keiji nodded. “Yep. She’s one of a kind.”

“Huh. Well. I mean, she is pretty special. I didn’t know she was that important though.” Ayami sat back, feeling a little overwhelmed. She’d known Mai since childhood. Mai was smart and kind and cute, a good friend. But she’d never guessed past-life Mai had such an impact on these powerful people. It was a strange thought, and one that left an odd, bittersweet feeling in her chest. As if she didn’t really know her friend at all.

Nobunaga seemed to sense the drift of her thoughts because he reached out and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. “I want to show you something.”

“What?” She stumbled after him, confused by the sudden change in conversation.

He didn’t reply, only led her forward. Up a flight of stairs hidden behind a paneled wall, and into an area that looked more like an apartment than an office. Shelves with delicate porcelain, painted wall scrolls that were old enough to probably be in a museum, elegant, simple furniture glimpsed through open doors.

“Do you live here?” Ayami tried to peer into every room they passed, but Nobunaga was walking so fast.

“At times.” He did not pause his steps until he pulled her into a small, narrow room with a high ceiling. There were no chairs here, or sofas, only shelves and hanging racks. The racks held swords, some sheathed and others with their blades bare. Several were beautiful, the patterned lines of folded steel gleaming. Others were chipped and dull, or even broken altogether.

The shelves held helms and decorative buckles, a similar assortment of seemingly random memorabilia. Ayami walked around the room, looking at them with curiosity. “I wish I’d paid more attention in history class,” she muttered.

“You still would not know most of them,” Nobunaga said from behind her. “These are my friends. Men with nobility in them, who served me or my allies. They helped bring about my dream, though they often could not understand it. They died for it nonetheless.”

He ran his finger along one of the nicked blades, barely touching.

“So this is like some weird trophy room? To remind you of what? Your victories with them?” Ayami looked at him from the corner of her eye, trying not to be obvious about studying his reaction. You could tell a lot about a guy by how he reacted to a question like that.

Nobunaga shook his head. “No. These are not trophies. They are reminders. The cost of my dreams, the value of a life. The distance between humans, no matter how closely allied.”

Ayami saw no regret or pride in him as he spoke. Only acceptance. A grim sort of forbearance that saw the consequences and did not shy away from the action regardless. “Would you do it all again, then? Knowing so many people died?”

“Yes. I know my actions, bloody as they were, brought my world closer to a peaceful one. Mai is proof of that. As are you.” He gave her a slight smile.

She understood then what he was trying to say. That friendship and loyalty didn’t require you to know each other’s heart and mind, only a willingness to try. And to care. Ayami smiled back at him. “Thanks.”

“Ah, I see now I am allowed to compliment you. Excellent.” He led her out of the room. “I don’t suppose you play go? I can teach you if not.”

#ikemen sengoku au #ikesen mitsuhide #spirit animals au #fanfiction #otome #fanfic #otome guys

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