[ FIC : FIVE PLUS ONE - MATORYOSHIKA ]
Because I doomed myself with putting up a meme and subsequently writing a fic out of it. Prompt from Michele - five times Date hung out with Vergil and one time he didn't'; based on the game's alternate bad TYL timeline, with extreme liberties taken here and there. Obviously, all of this is non-canon... kind of. (unsure)
matoryoshika
1820 words oneshot.
one. the first meeting
The first time Date met Vergil, the warlord could tell that the other showcased an intense drive, a steady motivation that refused to back down. Back then, he couldn't figure out what that exact motivation was - but regardless of what it was, it had been so strong and so powerful that Date couldn't be helped but be impressed. Even when passions and dreams constantly burned across the battleground in Hi-No-Moto, the drive that Vergil possessed was nothing short of amazing. It showed in every move he made, every strike he gave, every swing he did. Everything about him was focused onto that one path he decided to take - and that was truly something Date could applaud upon, really.
At the end of their little 'duel' it was decided that they would work with Genesis separately, and leave it to the end for the Weapon to decide who would get to be his Meister. But by then, Date didn't care so much for the result - he had met a spirited rival of sorts, and that was what mattered the most. The rest was secondary.
two. a moment
They had both joined the Watch and landed in the same shift, something Date hardly found surprising at all considering everything. It was fun working with Vergil too, if only because Date could count the other as something of a rival not unlike the way he could see it in Sanada Yukimura as well. But Sanada Yukimura was not here, as with the rest of Hi-No-Moto. He was still very much alone, a single warlord brought out of him time, like a fish out of the water. Still, Date knew he had to cope, somehow. There was no other way around it anyway.
During one of their patrols - after having subdued a gang of thugs - Vergil promptly asked Date why he had deliberately held back and not struck out with full force instead. Date only stated the obvious in return, saying that it was worthless to kill people who were powerless. The look in Vergil's eyes hardly seemed to agree though, although the other had said otherwise.
The topic was quickly dropped after that, but Date still remembered that look quite well, even as the years went by. Perhaps back then, he should have realized.
But he didn't.
three. oncoming storm
The death of the Deathscythe had been a huge blow, and the following attacks after that even moreso. With each passing day now Date could see the situation getting worse and worse, and with each second their hope slowly diminishing. BREW was spitting out less and less people these days with even longer pauses in-between, and now there were even rumours that perhaps it would even shut down completely one day, leaving them here all stranded and alone and stuck in a place and a war that wasn't even theirs.
Date didn't know what to think of it; he had been here for about half a year already. Six months, and he was still alone and without any familiar faces he knew from his own world. The warlord was thinking about giving up hope on waiting altogether now, these days. It would be easier to go on with life if he did anyway.
Vergil too, was harder to talk to these days. The other had all but withdrawn now, rarely appearing unless needed or necessary. He rarely spoke to anybody now, and perhaps Date was one of the only people who could still get a word out of him aside from Genesis. Things had been hard - terribly so - and Date didn't blame Vergil for how he was acting; but still, something about his actions bothered him.
One day he finally decided to ask if anything was up with Vergil, and the other only asked him a question back in return.
Do you ever desire more power, Date?
The samurai couldn't respond.
four. prelude to an interlude
It's been a week ever since Shibusen made the evacuation to underground, and Date isn't sure if he can ever get used to this. Living under the earth, without the sky and the sun (which he had long since gotten used to) and with nothing but the barren earth staring at him... well, it certainly wasn't a way Date had imagined himself living. Sometimes it seems as if the walls could tumble down on him any moment, burying him in tonnes of dust and dirt. A living funeral, of sorts.
Maybe in way, he already was dead. How long had it been since he came into this new world? A year? Over a year? Nearly two? Date wasn't quite sure now, these days. It had been so long already, at times. BREW was slowing down even further too, these days - perhaps it would really stop too, and then it would be certain that he would be stuck here forever. It's not a happy thought to think of, and Date instantly dismisses that thought in his head.
He goes to find Vergil, and it takes a bit before he finds the other in the spot reserved for the canteen. The samurai pointedly ignores China's talking in the distance to a crowd of people over something about the mountains and a splinter group, and goes to sit beside the other without a word. The silence that hangs between them is almost deafening, and Date isn't sure if he likes that - Vergil's always been quiet, but ever since they came here he's almost too quiet even for his tastes.
Things are falling apart now, he says.
Date agrees, of course, but he couldn't help but add on. We'll get through it, like always.
You make it sound so simple. A derisive snort.
Not much else we can do at this point, was the returning reply, and that was that.
five. the end is only the beginning
Everything hurts, but nothing hurt more than the memory of a foot pressing against his palm to the point of near-unconsciousness, and the pain that was his partner being pried out of his numb fingers. It had been an ambush, a fucking ambush - out of the blue and so sudden, and Date had no time to react at all before he was beaten down to the ground and his partner forcefully taken away from him. Why he wasn't taken, Date didn't know - but being not taken only put a deeper stab into his pride, reminding him of his failure as he lay in the infirmary and stared at the ceiling above him.
Vergil had visited him while he was still recovering, the expression on his face as neutral as ever as he glanced at the warlord and dryly remarked at his condition. Date grunted back, not quite in the mood for anything. He had lost the partner he had been working with, just as so many others had. China and a whole group of others had long since left the tunnels for refuge in the mountains, the CWC established and going strong enough that now messengers were running there and back whenever necessary. Of course, Date didn't have anybody there - then again, he really didn't have many people these days now.
As they both sat in silence, Vergil spoke up again eventually, asking a question Date remembered from long ago. Do you ever desire more power, Date?
This time, he had a response. I don't, because I know what's it like to be consumed by power. Indeed, he does desire to get stronger and better so that he can aid Shibusen better - but at the same time he knows what its like to lose everything else for power. He's been there before once upon a time back in Hi-No-Moto, when he was sixteen and had lost his father, mother and brother all in one go because of his own hands. For power he scarified his family, and now he knows better than to lose himself in that again.
Vergil doesn't say anything in return, but he suddenly stands up and says that there is something he has to do. Date nods, and says he hopes to see the other again soon.
He doesn't.
plus one. endgame
It's fire and madness and insanity and chaos everywhere, but for the first time in years Date feels clearer than ever, his mind no longer jumbled as it had been all these years. He feels Genesis at the corners of his mind, helping him and giving him all the power he can provide for this final showdown. Perhaps he had been expecting this to happen eventually, or perhaps he knew that this would happen one day. Regardless, the reality was here and now, and Date frowned as he prepared himself for what was to come.
His former friend's standing across him now, no longer the person he once knew before - Madness has all but consumed him, and there's barely a shadow left of the person he used to be. Vergil's lost himself in his drive for power, sacrificing even himself in order to become the strongest there is. Date knows he's strong, this is the person who killed Mifune - but still he stands his ground even as his knees threaten to buckle from the exhaustion of the fight, five claws and Genesis in hand as he channels his powers through the blades again, tendrils of electricity crackling across them.
"This is hardly a party anymore, Vergil," the warlord managed out, speaking through laboured breaths as he forces himself to stay upright. "Once its over, the its over. You know?" He knows that Vergil's just as tired out as he is, their fight having dragged on for so long - but still there's no news of their objective yet, no orders to withdraw; and until he hears that, Date's resolved to give it his all. He promised Vergil that much, at least.
Vergil doesn't speak - having long since been taken over by the insanity in his mind - and only readies to fight against, pushing his body to the limit just as Date is pushing his. The warlord only smirks, recalling the many times when he and Vergil would spar and place their beliefs on the line - but now its different, and more than their paths and drives, this time its their very lives. Right from the start, Date knew that only one of them would walk out of this alive, or perhaps neither of them would. But still, he's going to put everything he could into this fight.
Straightening himself properly now, the warlord gets into stance, readying his blades as the air practically crackles with electricity. He looks right at Vergil, gaze never faltering as he speaks. "Are you ready? The head of Oshu, Date Masamune, is going to get serious now!"
And with that cry he charges forth, pouring his soul into his attack as explosions and howls rock the tumbling factory down.
matoryoshika
1820 words oneshot.
one. the first meeting
The first time Date met Vergil, the warlord could tell that the other showcased an intense drive, a steady motivation that refused to back down. Back then, he couldn't figure out what that exact motivation was - but regardless of what it was, it had been so strong and so powerful that Date couldn't be helped but be impressed. Even when passions and dreams constantly burned across the battleground in Hi-No-Moto, the drive that Vergil possessed was nothing short of amazing. It showed in every move he made, every strike he gave, every swing he did. Everything about him was focused onto that one path he decided to take - and that was truly something Date could applaud upon, really.
At the end of their little 'duel' it was decided that they would work with Genesis separately, and leave it to the end for the Weapon to decide who would get to be his Meister. But by then, Date didn't care so much for the result - he had met a spirited rival of sorts, and that was what mattered the most. The rest was secondary.
two. a moment
They had both joined the Watch and landed in the same shift, something Date hardly found surprising at all considering everything. It was fun working with Vergil too, if only because Date could count the other as something of a rival not unlike the way he could see it in Sanada Yukimura as well. But Sanada Yukimura was not here, as with the rest of Hi-No-Moto. He was still very much alone, a single warlord brought out of him time, like a fish out of the water. Still, Date knew he had to cope, somehow. There was no other way around it anyway.
During one of their patrols - after having subdued a gang of thugs - Vergil promptly asked Date why he had deliberately held back and not struck out with full force instead. Date only stated the obvious in return, saying that it was worthless to kill people who were powerless. The look in Vergil's eyes hardly seemed to agree though, although the other had said otherwise.
The topic was quickly dropped after that, but Date still remembered that look quite well, even as the years went by. Perhaps back then, he should have realized.
But he didn't.
three. oncoming storm
The death of the Deathscythe had been a huge blow, and the following attacks after that even moreso. With each passing day now Date could see the situation getting worse and worse, and with each second their hope slowly diminishing. BREW was spitting out less and less people these days with even longer pauses in-between, and now there were even rumours that perhaps it would even shut down completely one day, leaving them here all stranded and alone and stuck in a place and a war that wasn't even theirs.
Date didn't know what to think of it; he had been here for about half a year already. Six months, and he was still alone and without any familiar faces he knew from his own world. The warlord was thinking about giving up hope on waiting altogether now, these days. It would be easier to go on with life if he did anyway.
Vergil too, was harder to talk to these days. The other had all but withdrawn now, rarely appearing unless needed or necessary. He rarely spoke to anybody now, and perhaps Date was one of the only people who could still get a word out of him aside from Genesis. Things had been hard - terribly so - and Date didn't blame Vergil for how he was acting; but still, something about his actions bothered him.
One day he finally decided to ask if anything was up with Vergil, and the other only asked him a question back in return.
Do you ever desire more power, Date?
The samurai couldn't respond.
four. prelude to an interlude
It's been a week ever since Shibusen made the evacuation to underground, and Date isn't sure if he can ever get used to this. Living under the earth, without the sky and the sun (which he had long since gotten used to) and with nothing but the barren earth staring at him... well, it certainly wasn't a way Date had imagined himself living. Sometimes it seems as if the walls could tumble down on him any moment, burying him in tonnes of dust and dirt. A living funeral, of sorts.
Maybe in way, he already was dead. How long had it been since he came into this new world? A year? Over a year? Nearly two? Date wasn't quite sure now, these days. It had been so long already, at times. BREW was slowing down even further too, these days - perhaps it would really stop too, and then it would be certain that he would be stuck here forever. It's not a happy thought to think of, and Date instantly dismisses that thought in his head.
He goes to find Vergil, and it takes a bit before he finds the other in the spot reserved for the canteen. The samurai pointedly ignores China's talking in the distance to a crowd of people over something about the mountains and a splinter group, and goes to sit beside the other without a word. The silence that hangs between them is almost deafening, and Date isn't sure if he likes that - Vergil's always been quiet, but ever since they came here he's almost too quiet even for his tastes.
Things are falling apart now, he says.
Date agrees, of course, but he couldn't help but add on. We'll get through it, like always.
You make it sound so simple. A derisive snort.
Not much else we can do at this point, was the returning reply, and that was that.
five. the end is only the beginning
Everything hurts, but nothing hurt more than the memory of a foot pressing against his palm to the point of near-unconsciousness, and the pain that was his partner being pried out of his numb fingers. It had been an ambush, a fucking ambush - out of the blue and so sudden, and Date had no time to react at all before he was beaten down to the ground and his partner forcefully taken away from him. Why he wasn't taken, Date didn't know - but being not taken only put a deeper stab into his pride, reminding him of his failure as he lay in the infirmary and stared at the ceiling above him.
Vergil had visited him while he was still recovering, the expression on his face as neutral as ever as he glanced at the warlord and dryly remarked at his condition. Date grunted back, not quite in the mood for anything. He had lost the partner he had been working with, just as so many others had. China and a whole group of others had long since left the tunnels for refuge in the mountains, the CWC established and going strong enough that now messengers were running there and back whenever necessary. Of course, Date didn't have anybody there - then again, he really didn't have many people these days now.
As they both sat in silence, Vergil spoke up again eventually, asking a question Date remembered from long ago. Do you ever desire more power, Date?
This time, he had a response. I don't, because I know what's it like to be consumed by power. Indeed, he does desire to get stronger and better so that he can aid Shibusen better - but at the same time he knows what its like to lose everything else for power. He's been there before once upon a time back in Hi-No-Moto, when he was sixteen and had lost his father, mother and brother all in one go because of his own hands. For power he scarified his family, and now he knows better than to lose himself in that again.
Vergil doesn't say anything in return, but he suddenly stands up and says that there is something he has to do. Date nods, and says he hopes to see the other again soon.
He doesn't.
plus one. endgame
It's fire and madness and insanity and chaos everywhere, but for the first time in years Date feels clearer than ever, his mind no longer jumbled as it had been all these years. He feels Genesis at the corners of his mind, helping him and giving him all the power he can provide for this final showdown. Perhaps he had been expecting this to happen eventually, or perhaps he knew that this would happen one day. Regardless, the reality was here and now, and Date frowned as he prepared himself for what was to come.
His former friend's standing across him now, no longer the person he once knew before - Madness has all but consumed him, and there's barely a shadow left of the person he used to be. Vergil's lost himself in his drive for power, sacrificing even himself in order to become the strongest there is. Date knows he's strong, this is the person who killed Mifune - but still he stands his ground even as his knees threaten to buckle from the exhaustion of the fight, five claws and Genesis in hand as he channels his powers through the blades again, tendrils of electricity crackling across them.
"This is hardly a party anymore, Vergil," the warlord managed out, speaking through laboured breaths as he forces himself to stay upright. "Once its over, the its over. You know?" He knows that Vergil's just as tired out as he is, their fight having dragged on for so long - but still there's no news of their objective yet, no orders to withdraw; and until he hears that, Date's resolved to give it his all. He promised Vergil that much, at least.
Vergil doesn't speak - having long since been taken over by the insanity in his mind - and only readies to fight against, pushing his body to the limit just as Date is pushing his. The warlord only smirks, recalling the many times when he and Vergil would spar and place their beliefs on the line - but now its different, and more than their paths and drives, this time its their very lives. Right from the start, Date knew that only one of them would walk out of this alive, or perhaps neither of them would. But still, he's going to put everything he could into this fight.
Straightening himself properly now, the warlord gets into stance, readying his blades as the air practically crackles with electricity. He looks right at Vergil, gaze never faltering as he speaks. "Are you ready? The head of Oshu, Date Masamune, is going to get serious now!"
And with that cry he charges forth, pouring his soul into his attack as explosions and howls rock the tumbling factory down.