MoB characters belong only to their author, Kuwabara Mizuna.
I had the idea for this fic when I was watching the first two-thirds of the series, when we discover the relationship between Naoe and Kagetora but also their long and tumultuous past. The brief allusions during the show weren't enough for me and I wanted to write about this interesting period of time, when Naoe realised little by little his feelings for his lord.
Alas, I discovered shortly after that Kuwabara-sensei had already written four books about the early years of the Yasha-shuu. Well, we'll all be dead when the books are translated (if that ever happens), so I decided to write this story. Of course, some things will be inspired by the summaries I read about those books.
The story takes place in a feudal Japan, in 1587, about ten years after Kagetora's death.
Spoilers for the whole series.
Warning: English is not my first language so I apologise for any mistake you may find.
I thank Lady Nara for her corrections.
XxX
Mirage of Beginning
by Karura
Prologue
Kagetora opened his eyes and didn't know where he was. He frowned. His surroundings were strange and covered by a dense fog. The air was odourless and he didn't feel the ground under his feet. Well, he didn't feel his body either. He raised his hands and the gesture seemed artificial; there was something amiss but he didn't know what. He lowered his hands and looked around himself. Fog as far as his eyes could see and not a sign of life. He was about to call -- he didn't really know who to call but anything was better than the silence surrounding him -- but then a figure appeared in the fog. Kagetora immediately took a defensive stance and his hand lifted to his belt in order to take a weapon he realised he didn't have. His sword's absence puzzled him briefly, but then he resumed his stance. He would deal with it later; the newcomer was more important for the moment. Friend or foe, that man could tell him about this strange place. The figure became clearer and Kagetora opened his dark eyes wide, recognising the approaching man. All will to fight left him and he fell on his knees. "Kenshin-sama!"
The former lord of the Uesugi clan appeared and stopped before his adoptive son without saying anything. Kagetora didn't dare to look up. He couldn't believe it. Or maybe... "Father, am I dead too?" He briefly remembered flames around him and a deep despair then a dark resolution... "They didn't let me see you," he suddenly sobbed. "I wanted to pay my last respects to you but Kagekatsu... my brother... he didn't let me see your body..." He would always remember that awful moment. Already pained by the death of the one he had come to consider as his father, he hadn't even been allowed to enter the fortress. Kagekatsu hadn't come in person, he had let his vassals inform Kagetora that Kenshin had named his other son as his successor. It hadn't mattered to Kagetora then. He had just wanted to see his father for the last time. It was only later that the question of the succession became vital.
Kenshin was silent and that silence was worse than anything. Kagetora finally dared to look up at his adoptive father. The old bushi had changed his armour for a monk's robe but excepting that, he was still the same as Kagetora remembered: the same dark and brilliant eyes, filled with an unusual intelligence, the same grey hair and beard. Kagetora lowered his eyes again. "Why don't you say anything? Are you disappointed in me?" He closed his eyes to repress his pain. All his life, he had wanted to please Kenshin, the only man who had offered him a true home and family. Unfortunately, everything had shattered after his death. Surely Kenshin thought he was the only responsible, that he was the one to start the Otate no Ran. How could he tell him that it wasn't like that? How could he tell him that Kagekatsu was the one responsible? After all, Kagekatsu was also adopted but he still shared the same blood as Kenshin, being his nephew. Kagetora was the only true stranger, the outcast, the child of the Houjou. He had always been...
Kenshin inhaled suddenly and Kagetora held his breath. "My son..." Those first words lifted a great weight from Kagetora's shoulders. Even if Kenshin was angry at him, he still considered him to be his son. "... I'm not proud of you." Kagetora looked up at Kenshin with incomprehension. He waited for the rest. "I'm ashamed of your actions as a vengeful spirit..."
Kagetora inhaled sharply as the memories came back at once. Yes, he had returned as a vengeful spirit to torment Kagekatsu. But he had ended up striking out at his brother's troops, lashing out with indifference and a madness he hadn't shown when alive. Now he was remembering, he was also mortified by his actions. He had hurt innocent people just because he couldn't accept his defeat and his death. It wasn't the true behaviour of a bushi. He bowed deeply before his father. "I'm ashamed of myself," he said with contrition. "I'm already dead so I cannot repent with seppuku..."
Kenshin frowned. "You won't be able to redeem yourself like that," he said severely. "You are like a caged beast, my son. When you died, your true self was revealed... You wronged a lot of people and it shall take time for you to redeem yourself."
Upon hearing those words, Kagetora stood up, his eyes full of hope. "I can make amends?" he asked. "I can make up for it?"
Kenshin smiled kindly. "No one is beyond redemption, provided you really want to redeem yourself." Kagetora nodded eagerly. Kenshin's smile widened. "I never doubted you, my son. But you have to know that it will be a long and hard task."
"I would do anything for you, father," said Kagetora, bowing again.
Satisfied, Kenshin nodded. "Then your new existence begins right now. Like yours, other spirits have refused purification and are still haunting the world of the living. This is not acceptable and these souls must be helped to find the other world. War god Bishamonten assigned me this duty and he allowed me to call some pure and honest souls. The Sengoku era will soon come to an end and we must begin our work as soon as possible. Do you understand what I'm expecting of you, son?"
Kagetora seemed puzzled. "I understand that my task will be to send the avenging spirits to the other world, but how? I'm a warrior, not an onmyouji."
"You surely don't realized it, but you have a very strong spiritual power. You just need to learn how to use it. The divine Bishamonten will help you to discover your hidden abilities. You will then get a new body in order to achieve your task better. Other spirits from the Uesugi will help you later. You will lead them and, on my behalf, you will purify the world of the living.
Kagetora stiffened, then bowed. "Yes, father!"
Kenshin smiled again, then waved to him. "The god is waiting for you, my son. I'm sure we will meet again. I leave it to you..."
Moved by his father's trust, Kagetora wanted to reply but he felt a huge presence and he blacked out.
To be continued...