Fate Series: Oda Nobunaga Oneshots

A Flame to Hold

        He kept his distance from the wooded area as he walked along the empty path. It was far too late at night for anyone to be walking here. He knew this, but he was in a state of turmoil that drove him to act out of his norm.

        He stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. His breath condensed against the air in a slowly rising puff. His frustrations didn't vanish, but the mix of nature's sounds crossed with the bustle of the nearby city made him feel a little better. He felt a bit of a chill, but he ignored it before continuing on his way.

        He was about to continue his walk, but he noticed a light blink out of the corner of his eye. He would have completely dismissed it if it hadn't come from the direction of the untamed wilds. Uncertainty kept him frozen there, but he was already considering numerous possibilities for the unexplained source of light.

        It happened again. This time, (y/n) was able to see the momentary light. It was tiny and brief. Before he could make sense of it, another blinked from a different direction. Unconsciously, he tilted his head in confusion at the little lights that began to appear in great number.

        "They're fireflies."

        Up until that point, (y/n) had been unafraid of the way things were playing out. The sound of the voice startled him so much that he very nearly yelped in surprise. He frantically searched the area for the source, but no one was in the area. Well...until he looked up into a tree.

        The woman casually sitting in its branches laughed a bit and offered a friendly smile. (Y/n) simply stared at her from behind the long strands of hair that haphazardly flowed down her face and over her shoulders. She was clothed in a hoodie, a pair of shorts, and a bright red scarf. No shoes although a hat that one wouldn't consider to be common attire was atop her head.

        Her red eyes held a fierce aura, but she didn't give off any hostility. (Y/n) found himself staring for longer than he intended.

        "Who are you? What are you doing up there?" he uttered. He didn't feel the need to flee from her, but he was pretty sure she hadn't been in that tree just moments ago. "How long have you been up there...?" he added, his voice slightly shaking. From the cold of course...probably.

        "Are you lost? Folks don't usually walk all the way out here." She tilted her head. "This trail is usually pretty abandoned."

        "I could ask you the same thing," (y/n) retorted. He frowned at her finding her question a tad bit offensive. "Do I look lost to you?"

        "Very." Her expression softened. "Not sure what's on your mind, but it's pretty obvious that somethings bothering you." She slipped down from the tree and landed soundlessly. Her hat fell from her head as well, but she caught it with ease before it hit the ground. "I brought them here by the way."

        "Huh...?" (Y/n) blinked at her. "What are you talking about?"

        She grinned. "The fireflies of course. I brought them here." The little bugs lit up around her as if drawn to her presence. "I caught a bunch of them and let them go out here where no one will bother them."

        "Is that so...?" He felt a bit awkward with how she casually approached him as she spoke. "Do you like fireflies?"

        "No. I can't stand them." (Y/n) frowned at her contradictory words. "They aren't actually on fire. It makes no sense for them to be called fireflies if they have nothing to do with fire." She looked at him searching for his reaction. "I just like when they glow. Their name is stupid, but they're not so bad when you don't think about it."

        "Uh huh." (Y/n) wasn't sure what to make of the strange girl, but he did enjoy the light that the bugs gave off as they floated around in the air around them. He watched her circle him before she stopped in his path. "What?"

        "Did they cheer you up?" She seemed genuinely interested in his current mood.

        "I guess so. Why?" He took a slight step back and frowned a little.

        "Oh..." she noticed his skeptical look and stepped back as well. "You have no idea who I am, right." Maybe (y/n) was imagining things as well because she briefly appeared disappointed at her own realization. "Would you believe me if I told you that I might have known you at some point."

        (Y/n) thought about it and glanced around at the fireflies. "Sounds kind of far fetched. A little strange too but it could be possible that you have. Or maybe I just look like someone you know?"

        "I'm sure you're not just a lookalike." She looked off towards the direction of the city. A breeze blew past the both of them as she did. (Y/n) shuddered at how the wind grew colder even through his clothes. The action immediately caught the woman's attention. "Are you cold?"

        "Just a little. It's just a little chilly tonight."

        "Hmph." The deadpann she shot at him felt oddly familiar. "Don't freak out, got it?"

        He almost asked her what she was talking about, but his words got caught in his mind as her hair began to not only change colors but also glow. The dark strands faded into a red just as bright as her scarf. When the color reached the tips of her hair, flames sparked to life. They didn't burn her hair away either. She reached up and touched her scarf and it erupted into flames when her fingers made contact with it. The fireflies began to scatter at the sudden presence of fire, but the woman paid them no attention.

        "How are you doing that??" (Y/n) could hardly believe his eyes. He watched her turn to him with a slight smirk.

        "Here. This'll warm you right up." She pulled the flaming scarf off of her. The flames put themselves out, but the tips of her hair remained on fire. She stepped closer to him with the scarf held out to him, but he had stepped back again. He hadn't meant to. It was an unwilling and instinctive action. "It won't burn you. It's not on fire anymore," she assured him.

        He merely nodded and let her approach with the warm fabric. She draped it over his shoulders and stepped away from him as quickly as she could. The most content look he had ever seen crossed her face as she stared at him.

        (Y/n) reached up and adjusted the scarf around his neck not even realizing that he was smiling at the warmth it provided. It felt comforting yet borderline dangerous. There was a faint sense of familiarity in all of it. The flames, her hair, the scarf...

        "Thanks, Nobu," (y/n) said as he looked down at the scarf. He missed the grin she displayed when she heard his words of gratitude. When he looked back towards her, she was gone. Embers and a vanishing gold dust were left in place of where she stood.

        He kept staring not understanding what just happened or why he had called her by a name he didn't know. The only thing left to prove to him that he was not dreaming was the scarf that he still held between his fingers.
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Nope, not gonna explain it. Best to be left up to your imagination...probably. Until next time you awesome readers!