Update: Hey guys I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. I appreciate all the reviews you have given me and I look forward to more. At this point I have full intentions of continuing on this story and I hope you will continue to read and review. I've left replies to the reviews at the bottom. :D
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Sengoku Basara, they belong to Capcom. I own Mego and Aki however. Muahahaha.
Arrival in Takeda
The sky was clear and the temperature was just perfect on the morning Mego, Aki and Keiji were to start on their way to the Takeda residence where they would transfer Aki to the strong hands of the Takeda clan. Mego stood next to her horse, Kinfu (金風) caressing her neck and speaking to her softly as she had always done since she was first paired up with her. She'd been a wild filly to break in due to her wild spirit and speediness from her thoroughbred side of her bloodline, but Mego had an uncanny ability to communicate to animals. She knew what they were thinking and feeling and used that to calm and befriend them. She had never tamed Kinfu, but rather befriended her trusted steed through love, care and many fond memories. The two were inseparable when an outing was to be had and with Mego's blonde hair and Kinfu's golden Palomino coat they were like a copy of the other in a different species. Lady Hikari always remarked at how it seemed Mego was chosen by Kinfu the day she took Mego and Aki to pick their horses, not the other way around. Aki on the other had been running about trying to pack her things whilst attempting to maintain her excitement. Her horse, Fumi, whinnied at her flustered companion who was frolicking about like spring had come. Fumi was the same shade of chestnut brown as Aki's hair was with a white diamond shaped marking on her face. Mego, Kinfu and Fumi stood there following the movements of Aki as she ran back and forth, heads and eyes following her rushed movements. Mego couldn't help but chuckle at her childhood friend. Compared to Aki she'd brought very little with her for her journey and at her rate, they'd be leaving tomorrow morning instead. Knowing fully well that she would still be waiting at least another hour or so, she observed the saddle and bridle on Kinfu, making sure it was tight enough but not too tight as to cause girth rash or anything to Kinfu. She then went to look at her bags to triple check she had everything she needed. "Let's see, Kimonos, hair brush, geta..." She trailed off into her head as she recalled all her contents and when satisfied she had everything, she moved on to checking Fumi's preparations. Keiji sat on the edge of the verandah of the castle relaxing as we watched the girls go about their preparations which brought a smile to his face. They seemed to have started to bloom over the last couple of days through their excitement and eagerness to the adventures that were heading their way. As Aki finally announced she was ready to leave, Keiji downed the last of the sake Lady Hikari had given him returning his gratitude to her as he went to his horse and mounted giving the signal they were to start heading out.
"Mego, Aki, its time to go." Keiji announced as he mounted his steed. Both Mego and Aki followed suit mounting their steeds and turning to Lady Hikari to say their farewells.
"Thankyou for all you have done for me. I wouldn't be the person I am today without you." said Mego sincerely as she bowed deeply to her dearest Aneue.
"I will never forget you Aniue! I will come and visit soon! Until then take care!" shouted Aki with a beaming smile on her face. Lady Hikari gave them both an affectionate smile in return for their kind words. "You girls will do me proud." she said as she waved them goodbye.
Watching their backs as the left, Lady Hikari couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. They were the daughters she never had and there they were, leaving the nest to fly on their own wings. Tears rolled down her face as she waved them goodbye for what felt like an eternity. She could only wait now to see how they would grow and hopefully she'd have two weddings to attend in the near future but for now she'd have to start getting used to the quiet of a now empty castle.
~~~~ Takeda two days later ~~~~
Kojuro was readying the small group of men they had brought on their trip to Takeda for their long ride home back to Oshu whilst his lord, Masamune made his final farewell to Yukimura. It had been a much longer trip than they had anticipated but what could you expect when a new enemy starts up trouble. Besides, the young Boss of Oshu couldn't stand around when men were just capturing innocent women. That was completely dishonorable and barbaric, the sort of actions that reminded the dragons right eye of Oda Nobunaga. A devil that was long since slain which was knowledge that kept many people in Japan sleeping peacefully every night. Regardless they had many duties to attend at home and Kojuro couldn't help but feel a slight longing to spend some time on the fields. Whist he was hypnotized by his thoughts whilst preparing his horse he heard the familiar sound of clattering armour behind him signifying that the boss had finished his business and they'd be heading out shortly.
"Kojuro, it's time to leave, rally the men." Masamune demanded as he swiftly climbed onto his horse and sat in his unique riding position, leaning back in the saddle with his hands folded across his chest. Kojuro barked the orders to the men and followed suit in mounting his horse.
"Are you ready guys?" shouted Masamune, his usual way of getting his men pumped up before a ride or battle. The roaring response from his men confirmed their eagerness to get going on the long journey ahead of them. It would be a few months before they'd visit Takeda again but the men were missing home and to an extent so was Masamune. "It's going to be a few very long and boring months. I wonder if I can track down that girl... I must have a rematch with her." Masamune quietly thought to himself. Yukimura stood at the gates of the Takeda clans residence to see his rival off. With Masamune's leave everything was likely to settle down into a period of peace. For the young tiger of Kai that meant there was little to do but train and hold councils. Yukimura let out a deep sigh. "Why the long face commander" enquired Sasuke who had appeared by his lords side. Yukimura flinched away whilst turning towards Sasuke who had caught him off guard. "Sasuke, you surprised me." said Yukimura. "Commander I have news. It appears a small party consisting of Maeda Keiji, two woman and a wolf are making their way here and will arrive within the hour. From what our intel has reported, they have been traveling from Lady Hikari's residence which leads us to believe that one of the girls is Akihime, the woman we are to be taking in as our ward." reported Sasuke. Yukimura gave him a nod of approval and Masamune turned around. "Huh? Two women and a wolf you say?" he repeated to Sasuke who nodded back in confirmation. Yukimura and Masamune both had a gaping expression as memories flooded from their battle with the Kitsune hime twins and the almost invisible midnight coated wolf that accompanied them. "Of course! The wolf! That means the two woman are the ones who took Lady Hikari." thought both Masamune and Yukimura. Masamune's mood suddenly changed like lightening. He turned to Kojuro with a gleam in his eyes. "Kojuro, we will stay here a little longer. I have some unfinished business with one of those woman." he announced as his face crept into his notorious cocky smirk. Kojuro was taken back. He'd never seen his lord like this unless he knew a fight with Yukimura was coming up. Yukimura looked at his rival and saw that he too was feeling a stirring inside that was brought on by one of the girls for him. He gripped at his chest where the feeling stirred before finally shaking his head to clear his mind and turning to Sasuke. "Sasuke, we must make preparations for Akihime and inform his lordship of her arrival. Send out a welcoming party for our guests." he ordered. Sasuke swiftly made his leave vanishing into thin air whilst Masamune sat mounted on his horse running through ways of beating the blonde kitsune. Yukimura quickly made his way to the whereabouts of Shingen to inform him of Akihime's arrival. It was a bit earlier than expected especially after the event of a week ago with Lady Hikari being kidnapped and all. Shingen was sitting on the edge of the porch looking out into the garden when Yukimura made his appearance. "Your lordship, Sasuke has just informed me that Akihime will be arriving within the hour with Keiji, another woman and a wolf." reported Yukimura. Shingen gave him a grunt of approval. "Yukimura, Akihime is to be our guest here. I expect you to see that she is attended as needed." commanded Shingen. "Of course your lordship. I will make sure Akihime is comfortable and has her every need seen to." he said bowing deeply to his lord. Shingen gave Yukimura leave as he continued to watch the garden. A smile formed on his face as he was entertained by the thoughts of what new adventures awaited for their household with the addition of a young lady.
~~~~ one hour later ~~~~
Tsukiyo ran on ahead of the horses enjoying the opportunity to get some good exercise in as well as enjoying the rush of smells from unfamiliar territory. Mego watched her companion enjoying herself and giggled at how happy she looked. Aki joined into the giggles until a small escort came to greet them stopping Tsukiyo's gallivanting. "Maeda Keiji, Akihime and companions, we are here on orders from commander Yukimura to escort you to Takeda's castle. Please follow us." announced a soldier. Mego and Aki looked to Keiji for guidance who simply gave the soldier a nod of compliance as they followed them to the castle. Little did the two girls know what they were riding into.
Sasuke stood at the gates waiting patiently for their guests to arrive. He couldn't help but feel the nervous vibes he was getting from Yukimura and Masamune who were also waiting for them but for other reasons than simply greeting. Kojuro stood on the opposite side of the gate to Sasuke and both men shared a knowing look to each other as they couldn't help but feel the uneasiness of their lord and commander. Yukimura and Masamune stared down the road waiting for the first glimpse of the party to arrive. Suddenly, a black speck appeared on the horizon and slowly transformed into the shape of a wolf as it came closer and closer. Following close by was the escort and... Masamune and Yukimura's hearts both suddenly skipped a beat as the image of two familiar woman and Maeda Keiji came into sight. Mego and Aki looked ahead to see the familiar red and blue clad warriors Sanada Yukimura and Date Masamune standing at the gates as their welcoming party. Mego turned and grinned at Aki who had already caught onto the same thought, they'd been waiting for them and that meant they'd want a rematch. Mego couldn't help but give out a giggle of excitment, she'd been itching to have a real fight with this Date guy for a while and this time, she knew she could count on backup from Aki. As they finally closed the gap between them a curious Tsukiyo ran up to the duo and reacquainted their smell with her nose. Yukimura and Masamune were taken aback as the bold wolf walked around them sniffing them intently. Yukimura just simply watched the creature walk around him whilst a bold Masamune gave her a rub on her head which earned him a lick and a body rub against his leg indicating that Tsukiyo liked him. Mego seeing this let out a loud hearty laugh. "It appears Tsukiyo has taken a liking to the one eyed dragon." she said as she swiftly dismounted her horse to greet them. Aki and Keiji followed suit as they walked up to them together in greeting. "Yukimura, Masamune it's been a while! You are looking well." stated Keiji as he beamed a smile. Yukimura and Masamune returned similar greetings before taking it upon themselves to confront the two girls, Aki standing in front of Yukimura and Mego in front of Masamune. Yukimura stood frozen and unsure as to what he should say to the girl in front of him. He looked at her face, her beautiful face and into her chocolate orbs... Wait! He knew those eyes! " You're the woman from before! The one with the red kitsune mask!" He exclaimed as he suddenly came to the realisation of who she was. Aki giggled in response lifting her hand to her mouth as she did so. Mego found it admirable that he had recognized her, any girl could have brown hair, brown eyes and wear a white haori and red hakama. Without realising themselves but observed by Kojuro, both Masamune and Mego made a simular pose whilst waching Yukimura and Aki's conversing. Both had slouched with Mego leaning her hip towards Masamune and placed one hand on that hip whilst Masamune lent towards the castle with his hands folded. They both wore a grin of amusement as they watched the scene play out. Yukimura didn't know what to do, he just stood there aloof from the recent turn of events. At this point Sasuke stepped in to take over whilst his commander got his wits about him. "I presume you are Akihime. Am I correct?" asked Sasuke. "Yes that would be me. May I ask who you are? You appear to be a ninja at first look." stated Aki. Yukimura snapped out of his daze as Sasuke introduced himself his usual way. "Ah... I am Sanada Yukimura. It's an honour to meet you Akihime." stuttered Yukimura as he bowed politely in greeting. Aki couldn't help but let out another giggle. "Please call me Aki, there is no need to be so formal. I am your guest but I do not want that to hinder our friendship." responded Aki. Mego was proud of her. She could have sworn she would probably freeze up again or become too shy to even hold a conversation, but instead she'd shown confidence which was one of her strongest points as a character. Suddenly Yukimura turned to Mego. "Hello, My name is Sanada Yukimura. I am the commander of the Takeda army. Might I know who you are?" asked Yukimura. Mego caught off guard gave Yukimura a surprised look and seemed slightly flustered. "Me?" she said pointing to her nose with her index finger as people in Japan did when gesturing to themselves. Masamune and Kojuro both turned to focus their attention on her and she felt even more overwhelmed. "C'mon get it together." she thought in her mind. " My name is Mego, and this is Tsukiyo. It's an honour to meet you" she stated giving Tsukiyo a scratch behind the ear which she responded by licking her hand in affection. "Megohime is it?" said Masamune as he was now able to put a name to the face. Mego looked at him and saw he had a mischievous smile. She knew he was itching for their rematch. She flashed him back an equally mischevious smirk. " I wouldn't say I'm much of a hime but it is a title I bare. " she stated looking straight at Masamune. As a sudden stare off started between the pair a slight spark of tension began to spark between them. "Hey Megohime, it's time we have the party you promised me last time we fought. I am not going to fooled by your tricks this time, you see?" stated an eager Masamune. " What makes you think the outcome will be any different one eyed dragon? I'll just invent a new way to beat you." spat a just as eager Mego who was raring for battle. Just as they started to inch forward they were snapped out of it by the arrival of Shingen. "Yukimura, why didn't you inform me our guests had arrived?" quizzed Shingen. "Your Lordship, I am so sorry I got carried away with formalities and introductions. Please forgive me. " replied Yukimura as he bowed deeply. Shingen observed the two woman before him, a beautiful young lady who seemed as delicate as a flower to his right and a blonde haired, wild spirited woman to his left. "Blonde hair and a green and blue eye. How strange" he thought to himself. Storing that thought in his head for another day he reached out to feel their warrior spirits and sure enough was able to feel it coming from them but more strongly from a riled up Mego whose name he had overheard on his way to greeting them. "Takeda old man, I can't let you take this woman yet. I have unfinished business with her from Lady Hikari's rescue. Before I hand her over I'd like to resolve that business." requested a stirred Masamune. "Well if he is allowed to make requests then I'll make my own." stated an exhilarated Mego. "I hear that both you and Sanada Yukimura took on Oda Nobunaga together and defeated him. Well Aki and I seem to have no need to hide behind kitsune masks anymore and well if your going to have her as your ward wouldn't you want to know her strength?" she appealed to lord Shingen. "How about Aki and I take on Yukimura and Masamune to see who is the stronger team?" she finished beaming a crafty smile to lord Shingen and bowing deeply to show her respect. Shingen let out a roar of laughter. "What a woman this one was" he thought. "Very well, I accept your conditions. Lets see how the a pair of foxes fair against a dragon and a tiger." replied Shingen who was curious to see the outcome of such a battle. Aki looked at Mego in a look of slight anger. "I hope you know what your doing. How in the world are we supposed to defeat them?" she spat. Mego looked Aki straight in the eyes and grabbed her shoulders. " Get a grip woman! You and me? We're an unstoppable team! If we can best Keiji, who knows us like the back of his hand we can get these guys." Mego stated confidently. Aki looked down with a look of doubt about her face. " C'mon Aki, you know I won't let them lay a finger on you." Mego said trying to rally her friends spirit. "Besides, if you fight you can spend some quality time with Yukimura~" she said giving her wink as she flushed at the thought. Aki gave a chuckle. "You know me too well Mego. What would I do without you?" she asked as they both giggled a bit more before heading out to a more open field to take their battle stances.
Author notes:
Kinfu (金風) - "Golden wind".
Fumi - Treasured beauty
Review replies:
gEmOxOx:
I was really glad to hear you loved the story especially after watching the anime. I constantly watch scenes when I am writing to make sure I am capturing their characters as accurately as possible. I just hope I can maintain it during the romance. I myself have read just about every English fanfiction on Sengoku Basara here and thought I'd write my own as I have pictured in my head. Also it's a lot fun to read all different types of stories!
Animeforlife:
Thankyou so much! It means a lot to me truly!
Loverofanime:
Hope you love this chapter then! Don't worry I've got the next chapter is written up but I need to go through it again before I'll post it. (I was going to upload it with this one but it was going to be 5k+ so I thought I'd split it them and make sure I get the fighting scene down pact.)