Title: Continuing a tradition
Author: Ree
Theme: OTP (Ikuko and Kenji) (honour :day
27)
Genre: General/Humor
Version: Anime/Manga
pre-storyline
Rating: G
Ikuko and Kenji and their children belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I just found some really nice paper dolls
Continuing a tradition
Ikuko hung the shiro-maku up in her room. She wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing. She had promised herself that she would never try to make her daughter wear the wedding kimono if she didn't want to.
The photo album that was at the bottom of the kimono's trunk caught her eye. As Ikuko flipped through it, she realized what an honour it was to have worn this kimono. 'I knew that Grandmother and Mom wore it on their wedding day, but I didn't know that it has been worn by at least four other generations. Some of these pictures are not even photographs. They are paintings.' The last picture in the album was of her and Kenji on their wedding day, both still dressed in the traditional wedding attire. The back of the photo album had a small note written on it. Reading it carefully, Ikuko searched the trunk until she found the scroll that told the kimono's history. After reading the scroll, she decided that she needed to try and convince Usagi to wear it.
Kenji walked into the room looking for Ikuko, but he spotted the kimono and was mesmerized by the beauty of it. The heavy white silk was richly embroidered with white cherry blossoms. When he walked closer, he spotted Ikuko. "I thought you weren't going to make her wear it."
Ikuko looked up from the album. "I'm not going to make her, but I think I will try to explain to her the honour of wearing it."
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Honour?"
Ikuko reached out and lifted the bottom hem, weighing the silk in her hand. "Yes, the honour. I wouldn't have argued as much about wearing it if Mom or Grandmother had explained that to me."
Kenji sank on to the foot of their bed. "Explain it to me."
She turned slightly to face him. Neither of them heard the soft footfalls that stopped outside of their opened bedroom door. "This kimono has been passed down from mother to daughter for at least six generations. All the daughters in the family can wear it at their wedding, but only if the mother thinks the daughter is marrying her true love. Then, it is given to the eldest daughter that wore it, so it can be passed down. According to the legend written here ..' Ikuko pointed to old scroll that was lying on the floor next to the trunk. "... if a girl wears this kimono trusting in her love, then that couple will always love each other." Ikuko felt a half smile tug at her lips. "I know... that sounds superstitious, but according to all the notes written on the scroll and in the picture album, it is true. And I know that it is true for us so far."
Kenji looked back at the kimono gracing his wall. He had not realized its age because it was in perfect repair. "Then tell her and see what she says. I think she should at least know."
Usagi backed quietly away from the door. She had come to tell them that she had found the perfect dress, but now she wasn't sure what she wanted to wear.
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Ikuko opened the trunk and pulled out the photo album. Turning to the next empty page, she inserted the picture of Usagi and Mamoru. Usagi had agreed to wear the kimono for the Shinto part of the ceremony, and had changed into a wedding dress for the rest. Touching the picture's protective covering, Ikuko wondered what Usagi's daughter's compromise would be.
