Disclaimer:
I do not own Rurouni Kenshin no matter how much I wish. It belongs to its respective owners and I'm only playing with the characters .

Summary:
A tale woven in silk and memories.

Pairings:
Saitou x Tokio

Author Notes:
Story is a prequel to another story I'm writing called "A Wolves Honor and Commitment", so it will only be a few short chapters long. The reason I've decided to write it is to cover Tokio's first meeting of Saitou and her father's death.

Tokio: Age 15
This is not historically correct.
(Chapter 1 Revised slightly)

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Oboruzuki

Hazy Moon

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oborozukiyo ni niru mono zo naki

When the hazy moon shin­es dimly, the is nothing that can compare..

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A Tale of Silk . . .

I miss the tales my grandmother use to tell me when I was little. She grew up surrounded by luxury in a world where the Takagi family held its rightful place. A powerful place in Aizu.

I remember being held in her arms as she pulled out beautiful robes, telling me the tales of imperial court associated with the kimonos. She told me the kimonos were an heirloom passed down through the family as she fingered the precious silk. They were onced owned by her grandmother, my great great great grandmother she said. And were eventually handed down to my mother.

And now it was my turn to own them.

It was saddening for her to be handing them to me. I could see it in her eyes.

She had hoped to be able to present them to my little brothers wife, when he eventually married but the fever that took my mothers life also took his.

I remember trying to refuse them but she silenced me with a sad look.

"They contain the history of the Takagi family, Tokio", she told me sadly, "It seems fitting that you should recieve them. After all the name of the Takagi family ends with you. Your father will never marry again."

And so here I sit clutching the kimonos tightly in my arms in my bedroom. Wishing for the past as my father weaves my future.

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The room in the inn looks dreary to me, though I see little of it beyond the screen I sit behind as my father talks to a marriage broker. I am glad for this small amount of privacy though father was reluctant to indulge me in this silly request.

"You remember to many of your grandmothers stories," he admonishes me. "Times have changed and there is no need for unmarried women to hide their faces when in a room with men."

"But father." I told him, "I will be in the meeting with the marriage broker for some time as you overlook potential suitors. There is no need for them to see something they most probley will not have."

He agreed with me there. Though my presence is not required father is indulgent of me. Such sorrow and pain surrounds us in the middle of war and I know he tries his hardest to hide it from me. That is partially the reason for the rushed proceedings of an arranged marriage for me despite my young age. Father is not getting any younger and his position as an offical of Aizu puts us in danger. He wants me to marry a husband that will able to protect me.

I see that my father has dissmissed another potential suitor for me. I can here the marriage broker getting impatient. Already father hasn't even considered any of the six interviewed so far.

Suddenly shouts drift up from outside. "Shinsengumi! Open up!"

Father and the marriage broker quieten at the shouts and I stiffen as I hear those words, though not out of fear. Afterall father is a major sponcer of them.

Thoughts of Ishinshishi spies and assassins run through my mind though. Could one of them be near by?

I stare fearfully at the shoji when a sudden movement near the open window catches my attention. Turning I see nothing though only the bustle of kyoto below.

Shutting my eyes to calm my fears and imagination. A knock at the door brings me out of my thoughts. And I sit still fearing even to breathe as the shoji is pulled aside fast. Footsteps of many can be heard entering and I start to wonder my father or the marriage broker have not said anything.

I can hear footsteps walking towards me and am not surprised when the screen is pulled away from me. I let out a startled gasp as I stare into the amber eyes of a shinsengumi member before me. Before I can say or protest I find a blade against me throat.

"So what have you found, Saitou?" says a brash man from behind.

The man refered to as Saitou pulls me to my feet and answers the man.

"Just a child", Leaving me to turn and face the room.

I feel the blood leaving my face as I stare in horror at the sight before me. On the ground lies me father and the marriage broken surrounded in a slowly growing puddle of blood. Arrows embedded in their throat and face.

"Father" I manage to choke out before I start to feel faint and give into the darkness engulfing me.

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Another of my attempts of mine to write fanfiction, I'm an anime artist, not a writer ". A short chapter but I felt it ended there well. Hopefully I will actually finish this since I have some time on my hands.