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After a busy few weeks, Nobunaga and Mai finally had some free time to spend together. They rode out at midday to an open field to do some hawking. Purple and white flowers dotted the field, which swayed in the cool breeze.
At Nobunaga’s sharp command, their horse came to a stop. After gently helping Mai in her dismount, Nobunaga signalled to Haguro, who had been catching a ride on his shoulder like a parrot, to perch on his arm.
Haguro jumped down with a shriek and wrapped his talons around Nobunaga’s arm. Then he lifted his arm to get his hawk to take off. He spread his wings, loosened his grip and launched off of Nobunaga and into the air in an instant.
Nobunaga reached for Mai’s hand and they began walking side by side, watching Haguro soar through the sky hunting for prey when suddenly the sky darkened, the once brilliant blue was nowhere to be seen. Fat raindrops fell and soaked everything. Mai covered her head with her hands and Nobunaga looked around for something to shield them but there was nowhere to cover.
And then just as quickly as it appeared, it went away, announcing its departure with an ear splitting thunderclap. The world was still, with only the smell of petrichor in the air left as evidence that there had been a storm.
“How strange” Nobunaga said, looking around at their surroundings. If not for that unmistakable scent, he could almost believe it was a shared illusion.
“It reminded me of a wormhole” added Mai with barely concealed fear in her eyes from her past confrontations with them. Nobunaga squeezed her hand to comfort her. “Where's Haguro?” She shouted suddenly.
They both scanned the skies, alarmed, looking for his brown form. “Oh thank goodness” with a hand on her chest, Mai sighed in relief, when they spotted him, he was circling high above a large rock.
“Looks like he's found something” Nobunaga stated. After a whistle from Nobunaga, Haguro glided down to where they were walking towards the boulder and perched on Nobunaga's arm again.
They rounded the rock to find a child sitting there. He was dressed expensively, like the son of a lord would be. “Are you okay?, why are you by yourself?” Mai asked the black haired boy, kneeling down to his level.
“I'm fine but I don't know how I got here” the small boy answered, he was pretty relaxed even though you'd think it would be the opposite considering his answer.
Nobunaga stared at the boy, studying him. “That's alright, can you at least tell me your name?” Mai requested, concerned.
“Kipposhi” the boy said with certainty. Mai gasped, she laughed awkwardly and turned to look at Nobunaga. “What a coincidence huh, you had the same name and he kind of looks like you” Mai said before turning back to Kipposhi.
“Nice to meet you Kipposhi, do you know where you live?” She asked, a little perturbed. Nobunaga began to quietly speak. “Mai, I don't think it's a coincidence” he stated.
“I think that boy is me” “Owari”
They said at the same time.
Sometime later, Nobunaga and Mai were back at their castle, walking into the tenshu and right behind them was the little boy named Kipposhi from Owari.
Mai fetched him a drink and worried over him, hovering around him like a helicopter. Nobunaga stared at him, annoyed.
“So you're telling me that guy is me?” Kipposhi questioned, unbelieving, pointing a small finger at Nobunaga. “And this is my castle? And the country has been unified?” he added.
“Yes, can't you believe it?” Nobunaga replied with a slight bragging smile.
“Well, if this was the future, I would not be as old as you when I finally completed my unification” little Nobunaga announced, hurling a jibe at his adult self with no fear, he definitely couldn't be anyone but Nobunaga himself to have the guts to do that.
Mai had to hold in her laugh at this tyrantlike child, with his young high pitched voice. Both Nobunaga's glared at her and then she really couldn't hold in her laugh anymore, she giggled loudly at their expense.
“I'm sorry” she coughed, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye. “Here, I'll give you some konpeito to apologise” she said, opening a draw and pulling out her secret stash of candy. Big Nobunaga’s face fell whilst little Nobunaga’s face lit up.
“Wait, hold on” Nobunaga caught her arm and her attention before she could open the drawstrings of the tiny pouch, He wordlessly expressed his dislike of the idea with a pout on his face.
“Oh come on Nobunaga, he’s you!” Exasperated Mai, as soon as she saw that pout, she knew why he'd stopped her. After all their time together, perhaps they knew each other too well.
“You said those were just for me” he reminded her, taking the bag from her hand and holding it behind his back. He wasn't often childish so she wasn't mad, she was thrilled.
“What happened to me?” Kipposhi gasped in disbelief at the display before him, his small mouth forming an ‘O’.
“You leave me with no choice” Mai said with a wicked smile on her face. She reached out both hands towards Nobunaga's face, heading for his ears.
Nobunaga dropped the bag in defeat, throwing his hands up to cover his ears. While her lover was preparing for an attack, she moved to retrieve the pouch from where it had fallen.
Little Kipposhi was left stunned that someone knew his greatest weakness. As he watched his supposed future fiancée head towards him, he feared for his ears too but all she did was slip a sweet sugary konpeito star between his lips.
“You can stay here until we figure out how to get you back home” Mai promised as mini Nobunaga chomped down on his candy and big Nobunaga collected himself.
“If you're my fiancée then I say it's fine if I use your lap as a pillow” he yawned, he may be just as confident and commanding but he still had the energy of a six year old. A small yawn came from Kipposhi again, his eyes began to droop and he was leaning to one side. Mai sat down beside him and rested his head on her crossed legs. He yawned once again and succumbed to sleep.
Nobunaga convinced himself he was content as he watched Mai gaze down at his past self with a smile. At least he now had a visual picture of what she'd look like with their children.
The sun started to set and Mai was also becoming tired, blinking bleary eyes. Nobunaga moved to sit on the other side of her and brought her head towards his shoulder. She thanked him and soon all three were enjoying a cheeky evening nap.
When she woke, it was morning. She was cuddled close to Nobunaga in their futon. Mai sat up and looked around but there was no child in their room anymore.
Something touched her hand and when she turned around, Nobunaga was holding her wrist. She looked at him confusingly.
“Where's Kipposhi?” She asked, scanning the room again worriedly.
“Who?” Nobunaga queried. “I think you've been dreaming, you were mumbling in your sleep” He revealed with a stroke of his hand down her hair.
“It seemed so real” she whispered disappointingly, shaking her head to clear the dream from her mind and to re-enter reality.
In a way, she was glad it wasn't real, as past selves should stay where they belong. However, she would treasure that dream, meeting tiny Nobunaga and spending that short time with him.