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Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://alltrees.org/archive/).

Published on 2009-05-02 11:13:48.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on May 16, 2012 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

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Yukimura and Sanada discuss the future a little. AU, Drama, I-3

Yukimura lay with his head turned to look out the open screens, into his garden. Spring sunlight, softer and lighter than the heat of summer, made the small leaves glow and skipped over the water of the pool as the breeze ruffled its surface.

It was beautiful and serene, and normally Genichirou would have shared an appreciative quiet, complimenting his friend silently on this space. Today was not normal, though. They hadn't had normal days since the start of winter.

Yukimura turned his head back to look up at the ceiling. "I may not be with you at Kawanakajima this time." The curve of his mouth could not be called a smile.

Genichirou frowned. "Yukimura."

"Have you seen?" Yukimura asked, quietly. "The peach blossoms are already passing." His expression was calm. "As everything does."

An unaccustomed chill settled in Genichirou's stomach. Yukimura could be chilling at times, of course, but it was the brutal, living cold of spring water--something that never froze and always moved. This... this was the dead chill of ice. His own years of study and meditation told him it was a good and suitable thing, that Yukimura realized the passing nature of all life. But the hotter core of him insisted it was wrong.

Attempting to balance his own thoughts, Genichirou found himself remembering another afternoon in this garden, years ago. "You promised you would lead us back there as many times as victory required," he said, and his lips quirked wryly as he looked down at Yukimura. "It isn't like you to break a promise."

Yukimura blinked and his eyes refocused on Genichirou at last, wide with surprise. They were silent for long moments, watching each other while birds called in the garden.

Finally Yukimura smiled, and this time it was genuine. "Of course." The breeze lifted the leaves of the maple beyond the screen, and sunlight poured over them showing gray eyes gleaming and alive again. "I'm sorry to have troubled you, Sanada."

Genichirou waved a hand, disclaiming any trouble, and they both relaxed, looking out once more into the strong, serene lines of the garden.

End