Mirage of Change

by Karura

Second arc: The seventh bride

Chapter five

In Masayuki's room, Baba was cleaning the blood from her master's face with a damp cloth. The man's eyes were glassy. He had completely lost the lucidity he had showed during the past hour. His memories were gradually fading. Just what had he done with that katana lying now on the floor? Who were the two men he had spoken with? Even as he tried to cling to those memories with all his willpower, they were slipping through his fingers. And a small part of him, still a bit lucid, was whispering to him that the woman who was cleaning him while warbling in a rasping voice had something to do with his condition.

"There, it's alright. Forget about that slut, she wasn't right for you anyway, neither were the other women. Only the best for you, Masayuki-dono, only perfection. And I will do my best to create it, just for you." The woman suddenly paused, narrowing her eyes. "He's back," she grumbled. "Excellent." She seemed then to be thinking so intensely that Masayuki thought about taking the opportunity to run away. But her gaze pinned him down again, and she smiled mischieviously. "The time has come to begin the last part of my plan," she said, reaching out and touching her lord's rough cheek. Masayuki repressed a shiver of terror. "Soon," she whispered, like for a lovers' promise. "You'll be free very soon."

XxX

Neither Naoe or Kagetora were able to react. The man they considered as dead had just reappeared before their eyes, like a flower. Nagahide had yet to provide them with an explanation, waiting for their shock to subside. Kagetora was the first to pull himself together. "You own us some explanations," he said.

Nagahide bowed slightly. "Things are rather complicated, my lord," he warned. "I had a hard time, trying to figure out that mystery, and still I don't know everything." He looked around him. "So, this is the room. I looked for it everywhere in the house, and never found it. Have you already brought Natsume-san here?"

"She died here."

Nagahide frowned. "Are you sure?" He asked. "Because I'm pretty sure she is the spirit who haunts this place and killed the other women."

"We rather thought," Naoe argued, "it's the old servant, Baba-san."

Nagahide looked puzzled. "The granny? No, she's completely harmless. Besides, she wouldn't have been physically strong enough to kill her young mistresses..."

"Natsume-san has been killed by her husband," Kagetora informed him.

This time, Nagahide didn't conceal his disbelief. "Masayuki-san? It can't be, he's so old that he can't even leave his own room!"

"Have you ever seen him?

"Oh yes, but not for too long. I had to battle very hard with Natsume-san for a brief interview with her husband."

"He's not as old as they say. Besides, the murder occured before our very eyes," Kagetora said regretfully. "Natsume-san's body disappeared shortly later, along with the blood traces. And you, you were dead not so long ago."

Nagahide smiled hammily. "You can't die for real here. Actually, nothing here can kill us... for real..."

"Speak," Kagetora urged him.

Nagahide bowed. "I'll spare you with the details of my first days here, and my various guesses. You must have realized by now that this case is extremely complicated. By the way, I'm glad you've decided to come with Naoe, my lord."

Kagetora rose an eyebrow, while Naoe closed his eyes and mentally cursed. He did not dare to meet his lord's gaze, feeling those tiger eyes staring at him. Kagetora would surely ask him to explain himself later, and Naoe could feel it would be a very bad moment for him. Well, what was done was done.

"To sum up," Nagahide went on, oblivious of the silent exchange between the two other possessors, "I got finally convinced Natsume-san had made killed Masayuki-san's previous wives, because she wanted him for herself. She seemed very in love with him, but a little too possessive. Now that she's dead, my theory falls through. But there's still something I know for sure: it's not the real world here."

He paused, giving time to the men to react, and Naoe didn't miss this opportunity. "I told you so, my lord! This is just an illusion!"

Kagetora was about to retort, but Nagahide forestalled him. "Not an illusion, a dream."

The other possessors looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "It's not possible," Kagetora argued. "I don't feel like in a dream! Everything feels so real."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's your average dream," Nagahide corrected, raising his hands before him. "The spirit knows how to manipulate dreams, she's very clever at this game. She can make you believe this is reality... but Naoe was in true reality earlier. I tried to warn him against it, and not to let her make him sleep again."

Naoe nodded. "And I though you were the one prisonner of a dream!"

Kagetora kept silent. "How to know which world is real?" He mused aloud.

Nagahide had an answer ready. "I'm dead in this world, you have seen it, yet I'm back. So I believe this world is not real. You too..."

Naghide abruptly fell silent, and Kagetora looked at him questioningly. "I too what?"

"She's done it," he said. As the two other Yashashuu were staring at him, waiting for him to explain his cryptic comment, Nagahide smiled wearily and resignedly. "She has just broken my link with my body in the real world. Now I'm a disembodied spirit," he explained.

"What?" Naoe exclaimed.

"First, I will finish telling you of my investigation. After Natsume-san's dream and my fruitless search for the spirit, I tried to enter the dreamworld, to catch it. I didn't know how to do, so I tried several meditation techniques, until I found the right one."

"Your spirit left your body," Naoe said, "but both were still linked."

Nagahide nodded. "I was still under her grip, and it took me some time to get free. I only managed it today."

"That's when we though you have died," Kagetora noted.

"I had no idea you were in the house," the other possessor went on. "Then I realized the link with body was weakened, and I guessed it was the spirit's doing. I was taking a look at the house—actually, it's an old ruin, devastated by a fire from a long time ago—when I heard some noise. I run and saw Naoe. Before I could reach him, he got asleep once again, prisoner of the world created by the spirit. Your body lies beside him, my lord, and I saw no other one in those ruins, excepted a stray animal that fled when I came close."

Kagetora winced. "No other one? You mean all the people in this world would be only... fakes?"

"All, but the spirit who made all this."

"It would explain why Natsume-san's body vanished, and also why we couldn't feel any spiritual presence since we arrived here. But why would the spirit break the link with your body?"

"I think she wants it. My body is still alive, and it will stay so for a while, until a new spirit possesses it."

"Or until you get it back," Kagetora said firmly. "I will not let a spirit steal your body!"

Nagahide shook his head. "It's already too late, my lord. The link is broken, and my former body will reject me now."

"How can you tell?"

"I just feel it. She had like... munched the link between my soul and my body. They can not be mended together again, unless you do a big knot, but it won't work. It's like that."

Kagetora frowned. "Whatever, we'll see that once we leave this dreamworld. If nothing is real here, no murder or anything else, then this case is not our problem."

Kagetora and Naghide were ready to drop the case, but Naoe intervened. "We can't leave just like that!" He protested. He couldn't explain his outcry, but he felt he couldn't drop the case without knowing what was behind it. The two others possessors turned to him, stunned by his reaction. He tried to justify himself somehow. "Are we really sure we are the only prisonners of this dream?" He asked.

"I searched the whole house," Nagahide replied. "There was no one else."

"You didn't see anyone else," his friend qualified. "It doesn't necessarily mean there is no one. I think two people here at least are real, besides us: the spirit and Masayuki-san."

"And we should save the man?" Kagetora intervened. "Should I remind you he has killed a woman before our eyes?"

"A woman who was but an illusion."

"I'm not sure he can tell the difference."

Nagahide intervened, breathing a heavy sigh. "Why don't we go and ask him then? We can leave this place anytime, after all, so we can go to the bottom of things, to be sure we didn't miss anything important."

Kagetora weighed up the pros and the cons for a moment, then sighed. "Very well, but let's not waste time."

XxX

The three possessors headed to the house master's bedroom. Naoe wondered for a brief moment at the simplicity of the way. How could have they gotten lost in such a short distance? The corridors, that had seemed so long before, now had somehow shrinked. It took them only two minutes to walk to Masayuki's door, and they didn't even have hesitated a moment on which direction to choose. "I think this house is less labyrinthic than before, but still so dark." He noticed aloud.

At his side, Nagahide shrugged. "Now that we know the truth about this place, maybe the spirit can't manipulate us any longer," he ventured. "Or maybe she's loosing her energy. Whatever."

"You're right, this place looked less clean than when we arrived," Naoe agreed. Stains were gradually appearing on the walls, along with several cracks that Naoe could have sworn they weren't here in the morning. The global state of the house seemed to deteriorate with each passing minute.

Naoe slided open the panel closing the room. The bedroom was very dark, like it was when they first came. Naoe had thought to take a lamp with him this time, and he used it to light the place. The room was empty. Only the bloody katana remained, a grim reminder of the recent tragedy.

"Our bird flew away," Nagahide said, "or maybe he never existed in the first place."

Kagetora looked thoughtfully at the red blade. "Let's find him," he merely said.

"We are not able to feel his presence," Nagahide insisted. "That means he's one of the illusions made by the spirit. She surely has created an image of the man she loved."

Kagetora silenced his objections with one glare. "Let's find him," he repeated. Nagahide didn't dare to reply again.

Naoe and Nagahide went outside first. Kagetora was about to join them, when a hand abruptely grabbed his shoulder. An odd tickling run through his body, and he turned quickly to face... "Masayuki-san!"

Hearing his cry, the other possessors entered the room back, and came between the two men. "Where are you coming from?" Naoe hissed, ready to use his exorcims powers on that scum who dare to attack his lord, twice.

Lost, Masayuki stared at his hand. He seemed to be older than the last time, some grey strands were mixed with the dark of his hair. The man looked at Kagetora like a child who didn't get the desired gift. "It's not the same," he said. "You're empty now." Kagetora frowned. He didn't know what the man was talking about, but he was beginning to have a very bad feeling about this.

Nagahide broke the silence. "Masayuki-san, where were you just a minute ago?"

He looked around himself vaguely. "Here," he answered grimly. "I'm always here."

"We didn't see you," Naoe insinuated.

The man looked at him, at loss. Nagahide's eyes suddenly widened. "I think I understand. Kagetora-sama, did he touch you too the first time you saw him?"

"He did." Kagetora didn't understand what he wanted to say.

Then Nagahide turned to Naoe. "Give him your hand."

"Have you lost your mind?" Naoe retorted.

"Not my mind, just my whole body. Let him touch you. You're young and healthy, it won't hurt you."

Reluctantly, Naoe reached out to Masayuki who grabbed his hand almost avidely. Naoe felt a tickling running up his arm, nothing more. Nagahide separated them after a brief moment. "Enough, you should have enough." The possessors noticed with astonishment that Masayuki was visibly getting younger; the white stripes in his hair turned to grey, then darkened to merge with the rest of his hair. His gaze was sharper. In a moment, he was back to the man Kagetora and Nagahide had seen at their first encounter. Nagahide gazed at Masayuki, smiling smuggly. "I understand now," he said. "Oh yes, I understand everything now."

"Maybe you can explain us," Kagetora intervened.

"Just one thing before: Masayuki-san, could you tell us who is the person controlling all this, and why do they hold a grudge against you?"

The man breathed heavily. "When I was eight," he began his story, "I went to a hunting party with my father. He was dealing with a whealthy merchant. I strayed from the party, and I found... a vixen, hurt at one paw. I cleaned its injury, and it was gone. I thought I would never see it again... Ten years later, my whole family had passed away, and I intended to marry. I met a beautiful woman, living alone since her family was away. I married her but... on the wedding night... I find a scar on her leg, the very place where the vixen was hurt. I have always heard some tales about foxes taking human forms to deceive people. I never truly believe in them.. until that night. Of course, I pushed her away. The next morning, I realized all my household had somehow disappeared. I was alone with her... and her doubles. She may have fed me with drugs to weaken me gradually and to steal my sense away, for I never managed to run away from this place."

"A vixen," Naoe said in a low voice.

"You mean, all the women in this house are one and only one person," Kagetora said. "Even Natsume-san."

"Even each of the six other women, when she tried to seduce me under their disguise. The only way to end this nightmare is to kill them... but she keeps coming back under another disguise. It's endless!" He buried his face in his hands.

"It's not all," Nagahide intervened. "It's only a guess, but I'm pretty sure of it: you are dead, Masayuki-san, and the vixen has trapped your soul in this dream, preventing you to fade away in the other world."

Masayuki shuddered, staring at him with disbelief, as a tremor shook the entire building. "Dead? No, it's impossible, I'd know!"

"I think you forgot the moment of your death. Do you know that your house is actually the ruins of a terrible fire? Doesn't it ring a bell?"

Masayuki thought hard, frowning.

"A... fire? My family died in a fire when I was twenty, but I survived. I built this house again, to carry on my lineage, and..."

Nagahide shook his head. "Sorry to break the news to you like that, but I'm afraid you died along with your family."

Kagetora suddenly realized something. "So she wanted to separated your soul from your body so that... Masayuki-san could take your place!"

Nagahided nodded. "I also think so. Of course, she has yet to confirm my intuition."

"I don't believe you!" Masuyuki suddenly dashed out to the corridor that began to look run down.

Naoe started to follow him, when Nagahide grabbed his arm. "Let him go, we are in a dream anyway, and he's already dead. He is in no danger." Naoe's gaze turned to Kagetora who nodded. Nagahide looked all around him. The walls were getting stained with dampness, the tatamis looked more coarse and worn out. "She created all this place just for him, and he's not even grateful", he mused aloud.

"Love can make you do foolish things," Naoe whispered.

Kagetora shook his head. "Don't start to philosophize," he interrumpted them. "Nagahide, how did you know that Masayuki-san was dead?"

"I first took him for an illusion by the vixen, but when I realized he meant to steal your energy, I knew. A disembodied spirit can't remain in this world for too long, unless he got some energy from the living. In this dreamworld, it's as though we are in spiritual form, so we can give him energy by touch alone. He knew it unconsciously, but he can't admit to himself what it really means."

Kagetora frowned. "In that case, why couldn't he take my energy just earlier? It worked the first time."

"But you had that outbreak just after, my lord," Naoe reminded him. "Your spirit may have built some defense against the man."

"I fear there's another reason," Nagahide said softly. "I'm sorry you have to hear it like this, Kagetora-sama. Before coming back in this dreamworld, I checked on both your bodies: Naoe is fine, but you... you are dead, my lord, and just recently."

Kagetora froze. For a moment, the world around him took really a dreamlike quality. Nagahide's words resounded in his mind, but they were more and more muffled, as though his subconsciousness was trying to prevent them from getting to him. He felt a bit dizzy, and swayed. "Jirou, Ukio," he thought. "I'll never see you again."

He had knew. He had knew it the moment he had bade them farewell. He had felt deep inside that it would be the last trip in this body. He had lied to Naoe about the earlier fit. Yes, he had already suffer such outbreaks, but it usually took him several days to recover. That time, the pain he had experienced after leaving Masayuki-san's room had not faded away, it had just stopped right away. It had worried him at that time. That should be the moment when his body died in the real world, but he had been unable to feel it.

He breathed in—what was the point of breathing when you were dead?—and looked up to meet the two other possessors's worried gazes. "Well," he simply said. "We are returning to the real world." Nagahide nodded reluctantly, while Naoe didn't take his eyes off him. Around them, the walls were beginning to crumble. The whole universe created in that single dream was about to collapse.

It took Nagahide only a second to deal with Naoe; he merely look straight into his eyes, and the other man fall asleep on the spot. "What have you done?" Kagetora asked, surprised by such a quick measure.

"Naoe is still linked to his body," the possessor explained. "He just has to sleep in this dream if he wants to wake up in the real world. That's how he was able to see me earlier, excepted he thought he was in a dream then. You may have noticed that you have been unable to sleep since a while."

Kagetora nodded. "So how do we do?"

"It's a bit more complicated, but I'm sure you'll manage." Nagahide showed him how to enter in a transe and to leave this world. He had already done it, and the transition between the two worlds went without a stitch. Behind them, the imaginary world collapsed in a deafening spiritual bang.

XxX

Naoe opened his eyes, and breathed in deeply. He hadn't realized until now, but the air tasted differently here, in the real world. In the dreamworld, everything was odorless, and the food tasteless. He stood up slowly, feeling his muscles protesting after that long period of inactivity. Then his gaze rested on his lord's body. His face was pale and, like Nagahide said, life had left it. Bitterly, Naoe told himself that Kagetora once again died during a mission. He had sworn to protect his lord, but only to fail again.

The vassal looked up and saw his friends' souls. They soon had to go looking for a new body to possess. "What do we do now?" He asked anyway. Kagetora looked all around him. Naoe watched him with rapt attention. In his spiritual form, Kagetora looked the same as during his first lifetime. It should have been disturbing to see him change from old to young in a moment, but Naoe realized he didn't care at all. Kagetora was still Kagetora, whatever his physical appearance. His identity wasn't limited to his looks.

Nagahide, Kagetora said mentally. Lead us to your body. I'm sure you can still possess it.

Nagahide's face showed his disbelief, but he wouldn't dare to contradict his lord. As you want.

Some noise was suddenly heard, and Naoe turned quickly. He just caught a glimpse of a red figure disappearing behind a torn panel. "The vixen!" he cried out. So she did exist in the real world too, just like them. Not taking the time to think, Naoe started after her, followed by the two other possessors, still disembodied. Like Nagahide said, the house seemed to have been burnt in the past. Layers of soot were clinging on the walls, and there was still some kind of burnt smell, even though the fire occured several years ago. Looking down, Naoe saw human footprints in the soot staining the floor as well. They should belong to Nagahide, when he had explored the house. There were also pawprints, and Naoe followed them.

He ended up in a corridor where a huge beam had burst the ceiling. According to the pawprints, the vixen had woven under the beam. It was a narrow way, but Naoe didn't think twice before getting in. As for Kagetora and Nagahide, they merely passed through the obstacle. Sometimes, it was advantageous not to have a body.

After the beam, a new part of the house was available. The walls were completely black, indicating they were getting closer to the location of the fire. Naoe didn't see the vixen again, but he still could spot her pawprints in the soot. He followed the trail to a room in the back of the house. That's Masayuki-san's bedroom, Kagetora realized. Naoe entered, already knowing what to expect.

The fire must have taken very close to that place, so it was surprising that some part of Masayuki's corpse still remained. The features were scorched, and almost mummified with time, but the face was still recognizable, and Naoe shudderred. That was the man they had seen in the dreamworld, a faithful copy made from the vixen's memories of him. Wearing the same black kimono, although that one was burnt in many places, Masayuki was huddled up in a far corner of the room, as though he had tried to escape the fire.

Curled up into a ball on his knees, the vixen looked at them with veiled eyes. Her breathy was heavy, almost strained. You have found me at last, she said. Are you going to kill me? Her voice showed no fear or threat, only resignation.

Kagetora floated to her. Before that, I'd like to know what you intended for us, he asked.

The animal closed her eyes for a brief moment. I wanted to get a body for him. I wanted him to live again in this world, to be happy with him.

You mean you wanted to chase after him, even though he's dead. Kagetora's voice was incredulous. Naoe found himself feeling like shouting at him. How could he be so blind and not see the beauty of this love? "He doesn't understand," he suddenly thought. "He can't understand because he has never experienced love." In that case, how could Naoe understand? Was the vixen right when she had said that...

He died before I could see him again, the vixen answered. He had already been dead for days, before I could smell of the fire. No matter how fast I ran to here, I was too late. He had already become a vengeful spirit.

He had? Kagetora seemed shocked.

He was attacking the travelers passing near his home, to feed upon their energy. I know he has done that to you too. Nagahide nodded grimly. So he had guessed right. Unlike him, Kagetora was having a hard time believing the vixen had nothing to do with Masayuki's death. I have remained here for years, watching him attacking people. When some exorcists were around, I distracted them, so that he came unnoticed. I have been protecting him like that for years... or maybe decades, I don't know anymore.

Naoe felt his eyes stinging. He could very well imagine the vixen's devotion towards the man she loved so much.

Recently, the animal went on, a man came to me. He told me how to get a new body for my beloved. He explained me that he had been able to live on for centuries, taking another body whenever he died.

The Yashashuu froze. Another possessor, Kagetora whispered.

I'm sure he's the one I was after, Nagahide insisted. I arrived here while following his trail!

He promised me that another man like him was coming, and I had to trap that man in a dream. My mother was an ordinary vixen, but my father was the son of a genuine ninetails. I have inherited only a part of his powers. I don't know how that man knew it, but he was very confident when he spoke to me. He told me I also had to take Masayuki-san in the dream, and once I had broken the link between the body and the soul of the other man, I could place Masayuki's soul inside, so he would live again.

She stared at Nagahide with gentle and shy eyes. I didn't mean to hurt you, but as long as it's for my beloved, I'm willing to do anything and I don't care about other people. Besides, it was my last chance. Naoe couldn't help but understand her very well. I wanted a child from him, I wanted him to accept my presence by all means necessary. So I used various appearances in order to seduce him. But he always suspected something eventually, and killed my illusions.

How could you have a child from him? Kagetora asked, almost mockingly. He's only a spirit! It had been very long since it last happened, but Naoe really wanted to punch his lord, because of his insensitivety. It was rather ironic, by the way, since it usually was Naoe who was taxed with insensitivety!

Even souls can reproduce, the animal explained patiently. When two people really love each other, the mating of the bodies is only to ease the mating of the souls. Kagetora said nothing, but he was clearly disapproving of that scandalous theory.

"What are your intents now?" Naoe asked. Kagetora gave him a pointed look. Naoe had the feeling that his lord intended to definitively prevent the vixen from acting, but the vassal really wanted to dissuade him, even though he didn't know how to do.

Nothing matters anymore, the vixen said wearily. I used all my energy to protect my love and to build that dream. Everything is shattered now. My beloved's soul had flown away, far from my reach. I only ask for one thing: let me die by his side, so maybe I would have a chance to join him in the other world. My death is coming, anyway.

Naoe bit his lip. Indeed, when he took a closer look, the vixen showed visible proofs of old age. The white veil on her eyes indicated a late cataract, her fur was drab, and her body was sickly. He could tell from her jerky breathing that her end was very soon.

Just let me die by his side, she begged.

Kagetora was about to retort, when Naoe spoke first. "Very well." He could feel the glance his lord was giving him, and turned around to face him. "We should let her die in peace," he just said.

Kagetora repressed a reply. Humph. Nagahide, let's go and see if you can get back into your body.

Nagahide shook his head, despondant. He took a look at Naoe, to check if he was alright. His friend silently nodded, and Nagahide went after their lord. Naoe crouched down near the vixen. She had now only eyes for her beloved, even though he had already left this world. No words were exchanged. The animal's breathing started to become more and more wheezing and laborious, as the end was drawing near. Eventually, she let out her last breath, and her triangular head rested on Masayuki's chest. Thank you...

Naoe nodded gravely. "I really hope you'll find him again in the other world," he whispered. "A love like yours would deserve a better happy end." He stood up and remained like that for a while, unmoving. Then he moved to go back to his lord. There was his place, after all.

XxX

When he joined them, the two spirits were in the middle of an argument. This is the most ridiculous idea I ever heard! Kagetora was angry.

If you could just take a moment and think about it, Nagahide argued, you would see the perfect logic of it!

Kagetora had that stubborn and peeved look of his, and Naoe knew he wouldn't be easily convinced, whatever idea Nagahide got. "What's the matter?" He intervened, after clearing his throat.

Kagetora darted a furious look at him. What about the vixen? Don't tell me you've left her alone!

"She's passed away, my lord. You know I would never desert my post. Would you rather tell me why you are arguing with Nagahide?"

Naoe, his friend said, I'm sure you'll agree with me. Like I said, I can't go back into my body. Naoe's gaze rested on his friend's corpse. Although pale, it was still breathing. A frail filament, looking like it was chewed, dangled from his belly. No matter how I try, the link won't be reformed again. My body will eventually die without a soul within. So, either we kill this body—but I don't know whether we are allowed to do so—or we are risking for a vagrant spirit to take it over, as the vixen intended to do. So, here's the idea: what about Kagetora-sama taking hold of it?

Naoe frowned. "It's... a rather strange idea," he admitted. "You're talking about a body, not some clothe or an object you could give or take just like that." Kagetora nodded. For once, Naoe agreed with him!

But Nagahide hadn't finished his argumentation. We are facing a pretty serious threat these days, he said. Already twice, we ended up in a trap laid by the mysterious possessor. He seems to know a lot of things about us, while we don't even know his name. If Kagetora-sama and I were to perform possession on newborns at the same time, it would let roughly fifteen years for our ennemy to attack the rest of you, while you're missing the two most powerful Yashashuu.

For the moment, none of those traps were deadly, Kagetora argued. I don't see the urgency to deal with that possessor.

You'd rather wait for one of us to be killed for real? Or for one of the living to be killed or badly hurt? Kagetora remained silent, but the argument had obviously hit home.

After listening to Nagaghide, Naoe couldn't but share his views. If both Kagetora and Nagahide were to possess a new and young body, only Naoe, Haruie and Irobe would remain to protect Japan for several years. Besides, they still hadn't heard from Haruie since Kagetora failed to contact him. As it were, he had to perform possession too. In usual circomstances, it wouldn't have bothered Naoe to fill his duty alone, but if the ennemy possessor took the opportunity to launch a large spiritual attack...

Kagetora suddenly sighed heavily. Anyway, he begun to give in a little, there is no guarantee that your body will accept me.

But Naoe is here, Nagahide argued. He had definitely thought about it thoroughly. Don't forget he has the power to make you possess any body, even those you couldn't usually take.

True. Kagetora shoot a dark glance at Naoe. I still wonder why my father entrusted him with that power. Naoe had wondered too, until he found a likely answer: if he ever had to use that power, it would be necessarily against Kagetora's will. And he was the only one of the Yashashuu who didn't fear to cross their lord.

"What is your decision, my lord?" He asked.

Kagetora laughed shortly. What else could I decide? Let's do it. The last words held a barely conceiled reluctance, and Naoe sympathized with him. Their mission sometimes required heavy sacrifices, and Kagetora was never one to draw back.

"Such a true leader," he thought. Naoe gathered his hidden power, while Kagetora closed his eyes in resignation. Orange blaze surrounded Naoe, as well the body intended for his lord. The transfer was brief and unresisted. Kagetora opened his eyes in his new body, and got on his feet, stone-faced.

Naoe thought it was very strange. He had rubbed elbows with Nagahide in that body for years, and now he had to tell himself it belonged to his lord. It was disturbing to see Nagahide's former body using mimickings and behaviours that were only Kagetora's. "Are you alright?" His voice was solicitous.

The former Nagahide glared at him. "How do you think I'm supposed to feel?" The voice was still Nagahide's, but the tone gave away the new owner. Naoe would need a period of adaptation.

Above them, Nagahide sighed with relief. Good, he said. Now that it's settled, I'll go and look for another body.

"Go," Kagetora just said. Naghide shrugged. His lord might be mad at him for the moment, but he would eventually realize that Nagahide's decision was right.

Kagetora walked out of the room, wanting to get used to this new body that was so alien to him. Instinctively, Naoe started after him, but Nagahide placed himself before him. By the way, before I left, I'd like to know if you were able to talk with Kagetora-sama.

Blinking, Naoe couldn't understand what he was talking about. Then he remembered that, just when they parted, Nagahide had exhorted him to have a talk with Kagetora. Naoe had eventually speak with his lord about his lack of trust in him. "Yes," he answered.

So?

"He said he'll think about it."

Nagahide stared at him for a long moment. Really? My, my, every day brings its surprise. I thought he would turn you down right on the spot.

Naoe looked at him with surprise. "Why would he have turned me down?"

I don't know, really. He's very secretive, so it's hard to figure him out. Naoe agreed. Well, I'd better go before I loose too much energy. Take care of you, and be wary of that possessor. I have the bad feeling that we haven't heard the last of him!

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Nagahide vanished then, in the quest for another body to host him.

Naoe left the room to meet his lord. He found him in the room where they wake up. He was gazing at his former body. "My lord?" Naoe called. Kagetora turned to him, and Naoe realized with a start that he had already accepted his lord's new appearance. It didn't matter that the body had hosted Nagahide earlier, now it was Kagetora and no one else. Even though Kagetora's present appearance was rather different than the other bodies he had possessed in the past. Nagahide always had a predilection for mixed-bloods, a reminder of the gaijin's presence in Japan before they were forbidden access to the whole country. Once, Kagetora had strictly lectured him about the importance of passing unnoticed and inspiring faith. Since then, Nagahide had toned down his extravagant tastes for bodies, but he was still far from choosing typically Japanese hosts, unlike Kagetora and the other Yashashuu. However, it didn't really matter now.

"How do you want us to deal with... your former body, my lord?" Naoe said.

"We are cremating it and bringing the ashes back to Edo."

"My lord?" Did Kagetora really intended to see the family he had gathered there? He had, however, assured Naod that he regarded the mission as far more important than those people.

"You'll gave them to Jirou," Kagetora explained. "Even though he may already know it, he deserves to know what happened to his father."

Naoe bowed, reassured. "I'll obey, my lord. Will you be alright?" He was referring to the change of body.

Kagetora stared at him silently for a long time, looking weary. It was the first time he wasn't conceiling his emotions before his vassal, and Naoe appreciated this token of trust. "No," he answered, "but I'll make do."

Naoe nodded. He began to gather some wood, to erect the funeral pyre for his lord's former body.

Changes... they could be difficult, but also very pleasant.

To be continued...

The mystery of the seventh bride is finally over! I hope the explanation stands up. I tried to scatter some hints in the previous chapters. For instance, concerning the vixen, you may have noticed that Kagetora and Naoe never saw two women of the house at the same time. They always appeared one by one. Besides, they were sometimes speaking the same words, but not at the same time. No, it wasn't a lack in my writing, it was intended!

There is also a deep change in Naoe, who so far regarded the spirits as a plague to exterminate. He has now sympathized with a vixen. At the beginning of the anime, Naoe always wore a black suit because, like Chiaki told later to Takaya, he dealt with dead people. Everybody changes.

As for the next chapter, it's something you have been waiting for a long, long time...