Work Text:
Fate never meant to be trifled with. And history had a certain knack to stay true to its course -- one way or another.
When she had originally been warped into the Sengoku period, history had altered in the quake of her presence and actions. The great unifier of Japan was pulled from his fate of death due to the actions she took to save him. A ripple effect translated throughout the rest of the events that should have happened in true history, forming a Sengoku period completely anew from the one recorded in the books of her time.
Originally, the difference in time and the transition to her new life gave her an unbelievably voluminous amount of stress and grievance. Isolation, ostraisition and loneliness ate at her heart and soul. But her momentary darkness was illuminated by the grace of the saving words: “I’ll be there for you, and that’s a promise.”
Ishida Mitsunari was the epitome of all that was good in the world. He was an angel that descended upon the earth, and she often referred to him as such. He was the first to welcome her, the first to console her, and the first to love her unconditionally as he did.
When she thought she that she loved everything about him, she was proven wrong time and time again. Each day that they would spend in one another’s company led to a revelation, an insight on yet another part of him that she did not know about. From his immersion in books to the extent of self-neglect, to his naivety of worldly things that made him seem too innocent, and to his undying affection that arose at the most unsuspecting times, she loved him. And she was not alone in her affections.
And though she thought that the rest of her days would play out in peace, and that their love would transpire forever, how unfortunate it was for history to turn back to its original course.
The events conspired simultaneously.
It began with the horrifying news of Nobunaga’s passing at Mitsuhide’s hands. The traitor then in turn perished at the wrath that was Hideyoshi’s vengeance. The latter, determined to carry upon the will of his deceased lord, took upon the goal of unification and passed shorter thereafter.
Spontaneous. The events which had been wrought out of its destined course cascaded one atop another in order to catch up to a singular date in that period of time. October 21, 1600.
Both she and Mitsunari were at Hideyoshi’s side when he let out his final breath. They, alongside Ieyasu, Masamune and some other vassals, departed from the former warlord with the promise to raise his young son to be the next shogun.
And yet, to both hers and Mitsunari’s dismay, they broke it.
“Ah, this must be some kind of mistake…” Mitsunari’s usually calm demeanor had the edge of anxiety upon it. “Lord Ieyasu would never betray Lord Hideyoshi like that.” His hands clenched at the report that was just delivered. “...We promised, after all, to protect and raise Hideyori…” He stumbled across his words and fumbled with the report in his hands, scanning it twice to ensure the meaning of its contents.
“...Mitsunari…”
“A bad report. A misinformed one. There’s no way that-”
“Mitsunari.”
“Ah, Princess!” A typical occurrence as he would often get lost in thought and forget her presence. “It’s just that I-”
She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her head in his chest. “It’ll be alright.”
Ieyasu always held his ambition. His painful upbringing and the lingering darkness of his past paved his character to be the resolute and hardened character that he was. It was something that she knew from her time in the future, as well as something that came up in discussion with Sasuke.
“For now, let’s just keep Hideyori safe and out of Ieyasu’s way. We’ll still be honoring Hideyoshi to some extent.”
The crackling of paper resounded from Mitsunari’s hands. “B-but-”
She held him tighter. “Let’s just keep Hideyori safe. Promise me?”
Her eyes met his. For the first time did she see the emotions of torment and confusion in him. The pain he felt when he tore away from her gaze and averted his eyes to the side to avoid hers. His face crinkled with hesitation and conflict.
She knew the course of history was already decided. She knew the fate of Tokugawa Ieyasu to become the final unifier of Japan. And she knew the fate of Ishida Mitsunari to perish as a traitor to the nation.
She managed to stop history in its path once. And she will do it again.
“Do you remember what you promised me when we first met in Azuchi castle?”
It was a distant memory. One so long displaced in the peace of the past, that it seemed to her as a dream that she awoke from and lost in the gaining of reality.
She softly put her hands on the sides of his face, turning him towards her. Those amethyst eyes of his had lost their vigor in the conspiring of recent tragedies, but they still retained that glimmer of affection for her.
“Of course I do,” was his soft reply. That all too familiar smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “I promised that I would always be there for you.” He gently pressed his lips against her forehead. “I can think of nothing more important to me than you.”
Her heart leapt. Despite his constant presence and actions around her, she was never able to still her pulse and racing heart. “Then promise me that you won’t put yourself in danger. Please promise me, that you’ll still be here with me. And be here with me, despite all the things that are happening now?”
He met her gaze. There was a reluctance in his expression that gave a sense of falteration before he buried his head against her neck and gave a small nod.
Her fingers found themselves in his hair, brushing the silvery strands in small strokes. “Thank you, Mitsunari.”
“But of course.”
Mitsunari sat in the waning light of his candle, and looked out at the moon outside the window. His beloved had long gone to bed at his insistence and left him alone to process the according measures to take next.
A single scroll lay untouched upon the corner of his desk. He need not open it to read its contents for he already knew of what foreboding warning it held.
He, not Hideyori, was the greatest threat to Ieyasu’s ambitions. And the both of them were in danger.
The promise that he had made moments ago was a forsaken one. He clutched at the robe against his chest. The pain of an empty promise ate at his conscience and heart. It was the first lie that he told. And the recipient was one that he had never wished to lie to. Despite his heart prayed that this would be the last lie that he would tell her. He knew. He knew that it wasn’t.
To keep both of them safe, he would have to play the offensive. He never wished to turn upon his friends and had never the intention to do so. Yet the situation gave him no other alternative.
The light of his candle flickered, indicate its dying light. His mind was made up. He had to protect the both of them, despite all of the unbecoming things that he had do.
“I would resort to the dirtiest of tactics… to keep you safe.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“I’ll return to you! Don’t worry!” The guilt ate at his heart with that lie. He smiled at her before giving her yet another kiss. “I’ll be back before you know it!”
She smiled at him. She felt guilty for doubting his words. He never lied to her. He never broke his promise. He will return. Her uneasiness was overridden by the guilt that she felt for doubting Mitsunari. “Good luck!”
He begun towards his steed before pausing and turning back around to face her again.
He bore a smile that she did not think she ever saw on him. A smile barely able to mask the misery and grief he was holding inside.
“I did remember to tell you, didn’t I? How much I love you?” He engulfed her in his arms and buried his head in her neck. He clung to her with an uneasy strength.
She returned his embrace, stunned by the revelation. “You did. You said that this morning, yesterday, and the day before. You’re always told me, Mitsunari.” She relaxed in his arms. “I love you too. Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and every day that exists in this world. I love you.”
He bit his lip. He was careful not to let his eyes water from the sentiment of their final farewell. He knew, it would be the last he saw of her. This was the last time to hold her, kiss her, and tell her that he loved her. Before he couldn’t anymore.
“Me too. I love you today. Tomorrow. And every day. Forever.” He was careful not to choke up at his words. Careful to not let her know that this was their final moment together.
He kissed her. Fervently, with all the passion he could muster. Their last kiss.
When he pulled away, he gave her a final smile. He bid her a quick farewell and turned quickly as to avoid her seeing his tears. Mounting his horse, he rode off with the rest of the men under his command.
~~~~~~~~~~
The slamming of metal resounded through the dungeons.
“Ieyasu! Masamune! Please listen-!” Bruised hands slammed against the cell of her enclosure for the thousandth time that day. “Please! Don’t hurt Mitsunari! I’m begging you!”
It had been months since she bid her Mitsunari farewell. But it was only a couple of weeks ago that she found out that he hid his true intentions from her.
Ishida Mitsunari declared war on Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Multiple attempts were staged to assassinate Ieyasu, but to no avail. As clever as Mitsunari was with his strategies, he was unable to account for the large network of connections that Ieyasu held with various clans around Japan. Ultimately, Mitsunari resorted to gathering up his own allies to rally against Ieyasu in a war.
When news of that reached her ears, she made haste to meet with both Ieyasu and Masamune, who were allies in this upcoming war. Her pleas to convince them to call it off with Mitsunari were futile. Her reminiscence of the past and their relations were disregarded when it came to discussion about making peace with Mitsunari.
They would fight until either Mitsunari or Ieyasu drops dead. And that was it.
With their unwavering intent and her failure to convince her two friends of the past to withdraw from this forsaken war, she made an attempt to go find Mitsunari. Only to be stopped by both Masamune and Ieyasu.
They took to holding her captive for her own safety-- locking her up in the dungeons of their castle.
The war rapidly approached and the date of destiny was soon upon them.
Her cries lingered through the dungeons. Her eyes were dry from emptying her body of water from all the tears she spilled.
“Please…” At this point, she knew not whom she was pleading to. To Masamune and Ieyasu to spare Mitsunari, or to Mitsunari to keep his promise to return to her.
His words played back in her mind like a broken clock. “I love you. Today. Tomorrow. And every day, forever.” She recalled how he would hold her, in a gentle and warm embrace. How he would tell her that she looked beautiful and how grateful he was to have her by his side. “I’ll always be there for you, and that’s a promise.”
Her hand slammed against the bars again. Red and purple from its abuse. “....Mitsunari…” Her chest roared in an unbearable pain. “You said…” Another slam. “... you promised…”
A sudden clank sounded out. An ominous creak. The dungeon doors opened to reveal Ieyasu and Masamune, dirtied and dyed in a mixture of blood and mud. Both held crestfallen faces, and neither would meet her gaze.
She was almost too afraid to speak. “M-mitsunari… w-... w-what about M-mitsunari…?” The thundering of her heart in her ears were the only things she was able to hear.
A loosely wrapped bundle of cloth was flung to the cell’s door, unfurling as it hit and ricocheted off of the bars.
Her angel returned to her. Just like he promised he would. But he had fallen from heaven and was plucked of all the feathers from his wings.
The severed head of her beloved, covered in crimson, laid in front of her. Those amethyst eyes which had so lovingly gazed into her own so long ago stared back blankly into her own.