Mirage of Changes

by Karura

Chapter Three

In a modest and serene room, Naoe and Kagetora were facing each other. "My father is dead," Kagetora said. "My brother has claimed to be his true heir. More and more vassals are going by his cause, as you already know." Naoe nodded. Kagetora turned his back to him and went on. "I'm on the road to ruin, unless... a fine tactician like you join my side." Kagetora half turned to him, his hands caressing his blue and white kimono with rich embroideries. "Of course, I would reward you for your loyalty," he said, and his hand slid under his kimono to denude a shoulder...

"Stop!" Naoe exclaimed.

Surprised, Hisako froze. "Is something wrong with this scene?"

Desperate, Naoe shook his head. "Why are you always talking about selling your body? Do you think it's the only way to gain allies?"

Hisako frowned. "I don't know. I'm an actor, not a warlord! I only act according to the text."

"If I knew the stupid writer of the play, I would make him pay!"

Hisako straightened his kimono. "It's the thousandth time you say it since you helped me to rehearse my part," he noticed. "You should relax."

Naoe snorted. He had let Nagahide persuade him to help Hisako to practise, in case that the spirit responsible for the incident at Sada would manifest itself. It had already been three days, but nothing had happened, except that Naoe was getting more and more tired of seeing Kagetora played in such a distorted way.

"In any case," Hisako said, "it's out of the question to delete these scenes. They are the main feature of the play: Kagetora is betrayed by every man he sold his body to, then he seeks revenge after his death. Moreover, the audience love these scenes."

Naoe grinded his teeth. "Villagers! You could show them only saucy scenes with no connection between them, and they would cheer all the same!"

Hisako shrugged. " You cannot blame them. Those people are just looking for distraction when they come to the theatre, not for a lecture nor history lessons."

"This is why they will always be peasants!"

"I think you're too precipitate to criticize them, considering you are hardly better than a peasant."

Naoe didn't reply. He didn't care about what the actor could think of him. After all, he was here only to solve the case, not to make friends. "Anyway, I don't understand why you asked me my opinion, when you just ignore it!"

Hisako sat on a log. They were in a small glade, not far from the camp. "I don't want to stay in an itinerant troupe all my life," the actor confessed. "I have it up to here with depending on villagers' whims and fearing their anger when we perform. I'm also sick of giving an unfitting image of myself. I want real parts, character studies and dignified parts! I want parts like Kagetora's... but without having to show my body that much."

Naoe frowned. "But you're talking about... male roles..."

Hisako looked up at him. "I'm tired of being an onnagata. I thought it was the only role suiting me, but maybe I was just trying to escape in a dream. It's time I woke up and face reality." Naoe didn't see how playing male parts would help the young man to face reality. "I want to be a famous actor," Hisako went on eagerly. "I want the audience to like my playing, the way I convey feelings, and not just my... my looks. I must convince myself that I can do something else than opening my legs."

The possessor must have looked shocked, because Hisako suddenly averted his gaze. "Sorry, I didn't want to offend you."

"Hmm, no," Naoe said. "But you shouldn't think about yourself like that."

Hisako met his gaze. "So you think I really have a chance to become a good actor?" He asked quickly.

"I don't believe I'm the best person to advise you, but if it's what you want to do, then it's worth trying."

Hisako smiled at him. "You're right. Thanks again for everything!"

Naoe definitely would never understand the actor.

XxX

A few days later, they arrived at the village of Miseru. The villagers were quickly attracted by the play

'that even spirits would interdict', and, in the evening, the audience was hurrying to see the performance. Naoe beheld all this, shaking his head. "Are the living so hungry for supernatural?" He asked Nagahide.

"They like anything that could change their daily round..."

"But they may get hurt."

"They like it even better if it's a little dangerous." Naoe shook again his head. Nagahide patted him on the shoulder. "Let's be on our guard tonight," he whispered. "I'm sure something is going to happen."

"So you think it has something to do with the play?"

"I'm certain of it. We must especially try to locate the spiritual presence. It's a pity Haruie is not with us; he's the best at it."

"Humph, we can very well manage without him."

Nagahide hide a bemused smile. The rivalry between Naoe and Haruie had still not disappeared, at least for Naoe.

The play started as planned, but Naoe noticed with astonishment that Hisako had made some changes. Well, Kagetora still had to sell his body in order to gain allies, but he was doing it with more dignity. It was a slight improvement, even though it was still far from the true Kagetora.

"Ooh," Nagahide said. "I see your advices have borne fruit. I wonder what methods you have used on Hisako to be so convincing..."

Naoe clicked. "Don't be stupid. Didn't you say we have to focus on the spirit?" Nagahide said nothing, but his smile spoke volumes about his thoughts. Naoe frowned. It was ridiculous.

Despite the changes, the play was still as liked, and Hisako's bare shoulders made their usual effect. Naoe grinded his teeth when he heard bystanders hailing Kagetora -- and not Hisako -- to warm their beds. He nearly wished that the spirit would kill them all. They deserved it, anyway.

When Hisako returned to the backstage during the second act -- Kagetora's vengeful spirit being played by another actor -- he saw Naoe and said with resignation : "So, what did I do wrong?"

A little surprised, Naoe looked at him. "What?"

"You're making an awful face, as if you were going to kill someone," Hisako explained. "What didn't you like about my playing?"

Naoe shook his head. "It's not you, it's them," he said, indicating the audience. "These people only came to see some flesh. It's degrading."

Hisako looked at him, as if for the first time. "And yet, it's kabuki," he said in a whisper.

"I can't believe a theatre style could degrade its actors. You deserve better than this!"

Hisako lowered his eyes, a little confused. "I... I don't know... I need to get ready for the finale!" He left quickly.

Nagahide whistled softly. "My, you manage to disturb an actor to the extant that he didn't know what to say! You will always surprise me."

Naoe rolled his eyes. Nagahide really had the knack of interpreting situations as he wished. It could be fun... if he wasn't the victim of his confabulations.

The last act arrived fastly. Hisako stood on the stage, dressed in his usual costume: an upscale white and blue kimono. Kagetora's exorcised spirit was about to receive his punishment. In the audience, men were shouting openly: "Undress him and whip him! We want to see everything!" There were other salacious things said. This audience was even worse than the one at Sada. Naoe was almost tempted to use his spiritual powers to silence them, but he hadn't forget his oath.

Naoe throw a quick glance at Nagahide, who was no longer amused. He rather looked tired and resigned. He met Naoe's gaze and shrugged. "I never said that all the living were respectable," he said. "But even if these people deserve some punishment, they don't deserve to die." Naoe nodded. He was glad his friend had admitted that even himself felt sometimes forced to protect the living.

A supernatural wind suddenly raised and the two possessors focused to plot the origin. It really seemed to come from anywhere and nowhere. Excited cries were uttered in the crowd while the wind's violence was increasing, carrying along rubble and dust. The cries became frightened when some people were injured by these flying rubble. The stones carried by the wind were as cutting as thousands of blades. Naoe tried to raise a goshinha, but he could only save a few people. As long as they hadn't precisely located the spirit, they couldn't act effectively.

Naoe turned to Nagahide, who was focusing on the spiritual presence. "It's on the stage, I'm sure of it!" Naoe turned his eyes to the scene but there were several actors on it. Hisako, of course, Hiro, Ryousuke, who was protecting Hisako with his own body, along with three other actors.

Hisako suddenly freed himself from Ryousuke's protective clasp and he walked on the stage. The rubble carryied by the wind grazed his cheeks, but that was all. The young man suddenly lifted his hands and pleaded: "Kagetora-sama, I beg you to stop it!" And the wind calmed down. Stunned, Naoe thought he was still hearing a little whistling in his ears. The other players and the audience were looking at Hisako in awe.

Excited whispers ran through the crowd. "It's Kagetora's spirit," Naoe heard around himself. "It's really he who protests against the play!"

Completely lost, Naoe turned to Nagahide, who was frowning. "I think we have a new suspect," the possessor said. Naoe was going to retort that Kagetora had nothing to do with this, but Nagahide surprised him by saying: "Hisako may be the culprit." Naoe turned then to the actor, who was still on stage, his arms lowered, whispering a short prayer of thanks to Kagetora's spirit.

XxX

On the following day, there was no performance, but the play was in the middle of all conversations, along with Hisako. The most foolish rumours could be heard. Some claimed that Kagetora's spirit wanted at first to punish those actors who dare to play his story, but then he felt in love with Hisako, who played his role. Others, more skeptical, attribued it to special effects used by the troupe. In general, these people didn't attend the performance therefore they could trivialize the incident.

Naoe and Nagahide had met near the carts, away from indiscreet ears. "So you think Hisako is the culprit?" Naoe began.

Nagahide glanced at him with curiosity. "Does it bother you I suspect him?" He asked.

"No," the other possessor said immediatly. "It's just that... Hisako has been in the troupe for years, so why would he evince his powers only now? It's not logical."

"You're going to help me to answer this question. Has something changed recently in Hisako's life?"

Naoe looked at him. "Can you specify?"

"You've recently spent a lot of time together. Didn't he tell you something personal?"

"He told me he didn't want to be an onnagata anymore."

"He wants to quit being an actor?"

"No, he simply wants to play male parts."

Nagahide rapped his chin. "Yes, and I think it would be pretty difficult to announce his decision to the others. The generated disquiet may very well have awakened his latent spiritual powers..."

Naoe crossed his arms. "Except that none of us has felt he had powers. If he didn't know how to use his powers, he also didn't know how to conceal them, so we should have spotted him since the beginning."

"You really want to defend him," Nagahide said with an amused smile.

But the remark didn't hit its target. "We can't afford any mistake," Naoe said. "We won't act unless we are sure to know the true culprit."

Nagahide shook his head. "Very well. We'll wait till we are more informed about Hisako. What about using your charm?"

Naoe was tacken aback. "What?"

The other possessor held back a chuckle. "Your charm. To me, it seems Hisako is ready to fall into your arms. You only have to insist a little more. It would be a great opportunity for you to hear his confidences."

His friend frowned. "I think you don't really understand the situation as it is," he said. "There's absolutely nothing between Hisako and me. Do I have to remember you that Kenshin forbade us to sleep with..."

"With women, yes, but Hisako is a man. How do you think I could bear two hundred years without sleeping with anyone? I'm a man, not a monk! I'm sure you too, from time to time..." Naoe looked away and Nagahide opened his eyes wide. "Never? Not even once in two hundred years? My, you are the holy man!"

"It's irrelevant," Naoe said, a tad annoyed. "It's just that I never really liked men."

"Huh? Are you kidding? I would have certainly heard about it, as I've heard about our lord."

"It's not the same. I shammed a relationship with another man who thought like me. With it, we saved face."

Nagahide shook his head. "I really find it hard to believe. You think you know someone, and then, two centuries later, he can still surprise you."

"Bygones. We have to find another way to make Hisako talk."

"Anyway, he likes you the most. So it's up to you to make him talk. I will let you choose the means." Naoe mumbled. He didn't like it but it was their mission.

XxX

Later, Naoe had the chance to talk alone with Hisako. The actor was heading to the nearby forest. He started when Naoe called him, but he seemed reassured to see him. "Naoe-san, you scared me! I thought it was one of those fanatical villagers..."

Naoe used the occasion to question him. "A fanatical villager?"

"Yes, they believe I am Kagetora's high priest, or something like that. Like I wanted to start a cult!"

Cautiously, the possessor get onto the topic that interested him. "You must admit that with your performance on stage yesterday... The spirit really listened to you."

Hisako looked at him with curiousity. "The spirit... then you're convinced it's really Kagetora? You didn't want to believe it at first."

Naoe frowned. "What I believe doesn't matter. The spirit went by the name of Kagetora, that's all I know."

Hisako sighed wearily. "Oh, I see. So you want me to invoke him... I should have expected it since you are obsessed with Kagetora..."

Naoe couldn't hide his surprise. "You... Could you really do it?"

Hisako rolled his eyes. "No, but everyone believe I can. They all watch me as if I were a priest, or god knows what. I don't think I would say it one day, but I would rather have them leer at me."

"Mmm... So you have never seen this spirit? And yesterday's speech was only spontaneous?"

"Yes, I didn't want people to get hurt. Believe me, I was the first surprised when the wind really stopped. I coud hardly believe my eyes!"

"I understand. Are you going to perform this play again?"

Hisako chewed his lower lip. "If it was up to me, the play would be burned! But Ryousuke doesn't want to stop, he said it will make us earn a lot of money..."

"So you are going to play."

"Not for the moment. I don't want to play in this place anymore, and everything Ryousuke could tell me won't make me change my mind. The people here... are too strange. I'm afraid of their reactions."

On his last words, Hisako had folded his arms around himself, like a frightened child needind solace. Without really thinking, Naoe took him in his arms. Hisako didn't protest and snuggled up against him. "It will be alright," the possessor assured him. Hisako nodded without saying anything.

XxX

Night had fallen and, as usual, Naoe was sleeping in a separated place in the camp. It wasn't that he distrusted the others, he just wanted some tranquillity. So he woke up as soon as he heard soft footsteps near him. There was a full moon, so he could see as in broad daylight. Thus Naoe couldn't mistaken the silhouette towering above him. He was rendered speechless. "Kagetora-sama?"

The former warlord smiled. "Surprised?" He simply said.

Naoe tried to stand up; it was unfitting for a vassal to be laying down in the presence of his master. But Kagetora hunkered beside him. "My lord?" Naoe worried. He noticed for the first time that something was wrong. Kagetora had the same appearance as in his first life. Illuminated by the moonlight, his skin seemed as pale as the kimono he was wearing. His hair were gleaming in a supernatural way. As for his eyes, these tiger eyes who could transfix one's soul, they seemed almost green. "You... You're not real," Naoe pointed out. He had not seen Kagetora for fifteen years. Even if the warlord had taken another body, it was impossible it would look the same as his first body. The other explanation was that Kagetora had come in his spiritual form, but...

Kagetora let a chuckle escape his lips. "I'm not real?" He repeated. He rested a hand on Naoe's cheek. "Is this real enough for you?"

Naoe inhaled. The touch wasn't chilly. He took Kagetora's hand in his own. He felt firm flesh and not a spiritual projection. "Impossible," he whispered. "Unless..."

Kagetora cocked his head to the side, still smiling. "Unless?"

Naoe shook his head. "This is a dream, isn't it?"

"No one can tell with certainty. Let's say it is what you want it to be."

Faced with these cryptic words, Naoe didn't know how to react. Kagetora suddenly leaned in, and Naoe felt a slight apprehension. This wasn't the usual Kagetora, who kept his distance from everybody and especially from him. This Kagetora seemed more... attainable. His usually so impressive presence was now softer, like a heady perfume.

Naoe suddenly made his mind: it was a dream so he could forget logic. He grabbed hold of Kagetora's white and blue kimono, and used it to pull the man towards him. Their lips collided, but neither of them protested. Naoe ran tirelessly his hands on Kagetora's back. His lungs were on the verge of exploding because of the lack of air, but nothing in the world could have made him stop. He had just discovered he was very thirsty, and nothing seemed to satisfy this thirst. With a low growl, he moved away from those tantalizing lips and striked at the neck. The fierce desire to mark Kagetora as his compelled him to bite the tender skin. The body against his tensed for a moment, then immediatly submitted to his dominance. It may be at that moment that Naoe lost it and surrendered to his desires, ignoring the little voice in a corner of his mind telling him the whole situation was abnormal.

He undressed them only to the minimum, then made Kagetora lie under him. The eyes, usually so defiant, were now clouded with pleasure; the lips were opened partway to let escape a passionate moan. It was an expression Naoe had never seen and he remained dumbstruck for a moment. But Kagetora held his hands out to him and Naoe let himself be led, forgetting everything else. Their moans soon covered the night's silence, two beings becoming one under the conniving moon. Naoe slumped on top of Kagetora's welcoming body. As he slowly caught his breath, he felt his mind gradually clearing, and he was aware of a sort of stranglehold around his chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Words were jostling together in his mind, but no coherent sentence could be formed. There was something, however, a so intense and mind-blowing emotion he couldn't name. Kagetora propped himself up an elbow and lay a finger on Naoe's lips. "Shh," he said, although Naoe had said nothing. "Sleep now." And, lulled by these words, Naoe felt his eyes close on its own. He eventually fell asleep, his mind full of questions.

XxX

When the morning sun wake him, Naoe didn't remember the night's events after a moment. When it hit him, he noticed with astonishment that he was alone, as if nothing had happened, or rather as if... "So it was a dream after all," Naoe mumbled. But why did he dream about Kagetora like that? It was ridiculous! Surely it was because of that evil play and his latest conversation with Nagahide. It was the only possible explanation, the only one! Naoe went to the camp, sighing with fatalism. Nothing worse could happen to him today.

And yet, when he arrived, Nagahide took him aside. "Something happened this night," he whispered.

Naoe couldn't conceal his shock. How could the other possessor know about it? Had he seen the whole scene? But no, it would be impossible because it was just a dream. Wasn't it?

"Naoe?" Nagahide said, worried. "Do you hear me?"

Naoe regained his speech. "Mmm, yes... what are you talking about?"

"I have overheard a conversation: last night, Kagetora's so-called spirit appeared in a few people's dream and chose them."

"Other people dreamed about Kagetora-sama?" Naoe felt indignant and even more dirty when he thought about other people having the same dream. It was unacceptable. If Kagetora had to visit someone's dreams, it should be only Naoe's dreams. Especially if it was to expose himself like that.

Nagahide looked strangely at him. "This is not Kagetora-sama," he corrected. "I'm not saying our lord wouldn't be able to appear in dreams -- you never know with him -- but given what I hear, it can't be him. The Kagetora from the dreams was rather behaving like the Kagetora from the play, if you see what I mean." Naoe nodded, understanding perfectly. "So I think this spirit has only appeared under the guise of Kagetora. I don't understand his actions."

"It's more than that," Naoe said despite himself.

"What do you mean?" His friend asked.

Had it been up to him, Naoe would have kept his dream secret, but their mission may depend on it. "I also had this dream," Naoe confessed. "I can tell you I really believed it was him. It wasn't only a spirit under the guise of Kagetora-sama, otherwise you know I would have immediatly exposed him. It was more than that, I really felt like I was facing our lord. The presence was the same... maybe a tad less intense."

Nagahide frowned. "You also had this dream? And did Kagetora also told you that you were chosen?"

Naoe cleared his throat. "Uh... No, he didn't say anything like that."

"What happened in your dream, then?"

Naoe had to conceal his embarrassment. "Well... nothing special. He was just there, that's all."

"Mmm, just there? Alright, let's say I believe you. So what is this spirit? You say it's related to Kagetora-sama, so maybe we should inform him."

"Who? Kagetora-sama? No need to disturb him!" Naoe panicked. "We would have settled this case before he even rejoined us!"

Naoe shook his head. "I wouldn't ask him to come -- I think it's better he doesn't hear about this play. I just want to ask him his opinion about this spirit."

"But if you talk to him, he will want to come, believe me! No, I would better join this batch of chosen ones, and we will see then. This spirit will soon be exposed, I'm sure of it!"

Nagahide accepted relutanctly. "Alright, we'll wait a little longer. I hope you're right, because if it gets out of hand, Kagetora will never forgive us."

Naoe nodded vigorously. "There will be no problem. I will settle this case by all means!"

"Mmm," Nagahide said, looking on the other side. "Then you should perhaps start off with questionning Hisako. I'm certain this guy is the key to all this mystery."

Naoe followed his friend's gaze and saw the actor leaving a cart, a little sleepy. "Hisako has nothing to do with it," Naoe said. "I talked with him yesterday and..."

He suddenly froze. Nagahide waited for a moment, then tapped him on the shoulder. "Naoe? What's wrong?"

It took the possessor some time before replying: "Nothing... you're right, I'll talk with Hisako."

Naoe couldn't believe his eyes, but he had to accept the truth. Above the collar of Hisako's kimono, he could clearly see the hickey he had made to Kagetora in his dream...

To be continued...

I can see you smiling: Naoe has finally let loose. After forty chapters (including Mirage of Beginning) here is a hot scene between our two lovebirds, at last! Alas, it was a dream... or maybe not? Wait till the next chapter for an answer!