A Song of the Beloved

Description: A look at the fictional relationship between Akechi Mitsuhide and Mori Ranmaru as presented in SW, told from Ranmaru's POV as he guards Nobunaga at Honnoji. Rated T for violence and references to the shudo tradition.

Disclaimer: Samurai Warriors and its characters are the property of KOEI.

Chapter Four: Lament for the Son of Glory

Somehow I am still alive.

I have lost count of the number of waves that have crashed against me, the number of commanders who have died at my hand. Everything has blurred into a never-ending nightmare of screams, blood, and death.

I cut down the figures in front of me and see only space behind them. Another lull. Thankful for the pause, I drop to one knee and try to breathe. Behind me, I can hear the roaring crackle of the flames and the occasional crash as a timber falls somewhere within the building. Is there even anyone inside left to protect?

The air is thick with smoke, ash, and the stench of death. Even so, I gulp in great breaths. My mouth is dry; my shoulders and back ache. A rivulet of sweat mixed with blood trickles down my forehead into my eyes, but my hands and sleeves are covered in blood, making it pointless to try to wipe it away.

I lift my head at the sound of marching feet. Another unit has arrived. But this group does not charge; instead they deploy into long lines along the edges of the courtyard. I watch them with deepening dread. They have been sent here to prepare and wait.

He is coming.

Slowly, rage overtakes me as I think of his cowardice. Instead of meeting Lord Nobunaga in the field, he attacks him here where we have no means to defend ourselves and no hope for rescue. And then, instead of coming to me himself, he sends all his subcommanders against me, hoping one of them will be able to finish me off so he won't have to.

I stand and survey the destruction that I created. How many died today, my lord? How many died because you could not bear to face me yourself? You who I looked up to as a mentor and loved as a friend and perhaps more.

"Damn you, Lord Mitsuhide."

"May I come in, Ranmaru?"

I turned to see Lord Mitsuhide standing at my door, almost shyly. I smiled at him. "Of course, my lord."

"I don't want to disturb you if you're busy."

"I'm not busy. Please come in."

He did as he was told, with slow hesitating steps, saying, "I wanted to talk to you before I left for Takamatsu tomorrow. I've barely seen you since Lord Nobunaga made you his bodyguard."

"I know," I replied, inviting him to sit down. He remained standing. Even though his words seemed light and friendly, his face held a darkness that disturbed me. I attempted, through my own simple chatter, to clear it away. "My days are so busy now that I sometimes feel I don't have time to breathe. I truly miss the times you and I would just sit and talk."

A nostalgic smile flickered across his face, but it quickly disappeared. "I hear that you almost never leave his side now." I nodded, but Lord Mitsuhide had not finished. "And that he keeps you with him even when he retires at night."

I jerked backwards a step, surprised that he would discuss so personal a subject. I considered evading the question or even lying, but I decided to be honest with him. It was, after all, a common practice, considered an honor by many, and I was still very young and had been blessed with a handsome face.

"Yes, that is so."

He stared at me, shocked that I would admit it so readily even though he had brought it up. I continued, "It is not something I sought, but our lord requested it and I am honored to serve him."

To my surprise, Lord Mitsuhide's eyes narrowed in pain and anger. "So it's just part of your duty, is it?" he hissed. He turned his back on me, but before he had completely hidden his face, I noticed a strong new emotion in it. It was … jealousy. My breath caught in my throat at the realization.

He had walked away from me, being drawn by the window as he often was. Quietly, I joined him. I did not try to continue the conversation; I did not even look at him. I just wanted to stand next to him, to know that he was there beside me.

After many long minutes of silence, Lord Mitsuhide said softly, "Perhaps, I should have died rather than surrender."

I looked at him then. His entire frame sagged with pain and sadness. I knew the ghosts of those we had murdered haunted him, pulling on his soul. He had always been so kind, so sensitive, and he did not have the confidence that I had to support the weight of the responsibility we carried.

"Perhaps you should have," I answered, "but you did not. We both surrendered and gave our loyalties to a new lord. Despairing over our poor decisions is no way to live, my lord. We must accept the choices we made and do our best to make the rest of our lives worthwhile."

I turned my head and gazed out into the night, speaking from my heart with an unusual conviction and clarity. "We are forced to make choices our entire lives, one after the other. If we stand still and worry about which choice is right or about the possibility that we chose wrong, we will never go forward. Happiness does not lie at the end of only one path; it is embedded in the path itself, coming forth to join us as we move along it. If we stop for too long, we will only become stuck in misery. We must move forward, my lord. Always forward."

Lord Mitsuhide's eyes had closed as he listened. When I had finished, he slowly opened them again and turned his face to me. A smile had returned to his lips, and I saw that I had successfully banished his ghosts. His expression was not happiness, but it was contentment and peace, and that was enough for now.

"You're right, Ranmaru," he told me. I held his gaze with my own smiling eyes, trying my best to strengthen him even more. After a moment, he lifted a hand and cupped my chin in his fingers, just as he had done that night in Mino. This time I did not pull away but instead stood there with the truth of my heart shining clearly on my face.

Eventually, he dropped his arm and stepped back. "Thank you," he whispered before turning and leaving the room.

A/N: I had not planned to have Ranmaru essentially convince Mitsuhide to rebel, but as happens so often with my characters, he gently took over himself and showed me where to go. Of course, Ranmaru's intent in his speech is to give Mitsuhide the strength to hold on a bit longer, to trust as he does that everything will be all right in the end. But Mitsuhide at this point is already considering taking matters into his own hands, so Ranmaru's words end up doing the opposite of what he intended.