The sound of a woman's grunts and groans filled the dimly lit house as a little girl tried hard to listen to the crickets chirping outside. The girl kept a calm facade with her hands placed neatly in her lap and her feet planted firmly on the ground. Her alabaster hands stood out of the darkness as the moonlight streamed down upon her. This young girl looked like the very image of an obedient child as she stood there without any emotion showing, but inside, a turmoil was flowing throughout her. In her pitch black eyes resided worry as she heard another sharp scream.

"She's bleeding." a gruff voice stated softly.

"Doctor, what can we do?" another voice, assumably the assistant to the doctor who had just spoken, asked with concern.

There was a pregnant pause and the woman inside began to sob. The silence was so tense, that the girl found herself relieved when the Doctor finally answered.

"We have to get the baby out-no matter what." the gruff voice stated, cutting through the heart-wrenching sobs, "Push, Yukishiro-san(1)!"

The sobbing weakened and the groaning began again. A final scream was heard and from that dying voice rose another voice, one full of innocence and fear. The baby was out, yet the girl could still hear the sobs of the woman. Her sobs were dying down, but the baby wouldn't stop crying.

"Doctor!" the assistant yelled.

"Get her husband!" he commanded sharply.

Rushed footsteps were heard and the shoji door opened. The girl didn't turn her back even when the assistant ran past her to get to the husband on the other side of the house. She just looked down at her hands that were still neatly on her lap.

"Yukishiro-san, please stay with us-at least until your husband enters the room." the doctor urged.

The doctor's eyes widened as the hand went limp in his hands. With a saddened look, he placed her hand down on the futon and stared at the blood staining the white sheets. Two pairs of footsteps were now heard and two men rushed past the little girl. They ran into the room only to discover that the woman had already slipped away.

"Midori?" the new man's voice called.

There was a few seconds of silence hanging in the air when she heard the man drop to his knees. The little girl looked up to the moon with her shiny ebony hair pooled about her shoulders. The baby was still crying. It's shrilly cries filling her ears. She got up to her feet and walked into the room to tend to the child in what little way she could. The child stopped crying as she lifted him out of its small bed in the corner of the room and held him in her arms. And that's when Yukishiro Tomoe(2) began her new life, which changed her forever.


A Moment's Memory

Romantic Tales Before the Meiji Era


Act I: Day After Day


Tomoe walked through the streets with a sack of food in hand. Just at the young age of fifteen, she was already a young, admirable woman. Clothed in a plain, dark blue, cotton kimono with a black obi wrapped around, she sauntered through the crowds with a natural grace on her black tabi and geta adorned feet. Already at her age, she held the air of a girl wise beyond her years. Having to raise a child that her mother had left to her, she treated him as if her were her own. He was all that was left of her mother to remember her by, so of course she would treat him dearly.

"Tomoe..." a voice called out to her.

She stopped and turned on her heel to see a young man catching up to her.

"Kiyosato..." she acknowledged softly.

She watched him as he approached. Secretly, Tomoe admired her friend for many years. He had this boyish smile that made her want to smile to. She admired how many people had become fond of him. But being Tomoe, it was hard for her to be so outgoing as he and personally, she didn't care for what people thought of her anyway. All she cared about was taking care of her family and those she called friends.

"Tomoe, you always walk so fast when you're in the market. I saw you at the fish stall, but you disappeared among the crowds." he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Gomen nasai(3)." she said with an apologetic bow.

"You don't have to apologize for every little thing." he stated flatly.

"Gomen nasai."

He sighed and they both started for her home. As they walked together, Tomoe examined him from the corner of his eyes. To many, he was considered as handsome as she was beautiful. With his black hair tied back in a small ponytail, some of his hairs came loose, becoming bangs that were scattered about on his forehead. He really was a sight to behold. He caught her gaze and turned to her, to meet her black eyes with his own brown ones.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Enishi isn't getting along with the other children." she replied.

"Well..., he is a sort of stubborn boy, isn't he?"

"Kiyosato..."

"Sorry."

"I know Enishi's faults. I'm not blind to that. But what I'm concerned about is my duty as his older sister and his mother. Have I failed?"

"No. As long as I've known you, you've always done the best you could. You can't help who he is."

"It must be or why would he be like this?"

"Tomoe..."

"The sun is setting, we should hurry home." she said almost monotonously.


*** *** ***


Night took it's place in city of Edo. That night, Tomoe was working on dinner as usual. With a lack of warmth within the house, she pushed aside her feelings of hurt and placed the dishes before the males sitting down at their small table. She looked to the young boy seated at her left. With his short, unruly, black hair and his turquoise eyes focused downward, she felt an uneasiness with him. He fidgeted with his hands in his lap as he heard the man across from him cough. She looked to her right. There was her father. A man who had gotten so old in almost seven years time. His once thick, full, black mane was now receding, and graying, pulled back in a ponytail at his nape. His turquoise eyes were fixated on the food before him, but his gaze seemed so far off and his eyes had lost its luster from his days of youth. Tomoe had noticed this after her mother died. His attitude had become so cold and demure. It made her heart ache to think of what he would be like if she were still alive.

She sat down with them as they began to eat and she noticed the usual tense silence with them. She put her bowl down to refill her father's cup again with sake.

"I'm sorry. I just noticed that I made the fish bland." she spoke as her eyes wandered to both of the men in her family.

"I didn't notice." her father replied with a shrug and picked some more of the fish up, "I think you cooked very well today."

Tomoe's head bent a bit to eat and she smiled faintly.

"Arigatou(4), otou-san(5)." she said softly and placed the rice in her mouth with the chopsticks.

"I agree." her brother spoke up.

There was a brief silence as she finished her bite.

"Arigatou, Enishi." she said to him and they continued to eat in silence.


*** *** ***


Tomoe watched her brother in the dim candlelight. He had fallen asleep and was breathing silently. With her finger, she traced his cheek downward with her finger and lay her palm on the top of his head. With a faint smile, she blew out the candle and rose to her feet. She exited the room, closing the door softly behind her. With an impassive face, she looked up. The moon was so round and white. It was a new moon.


*** *** ***


The next day, Tomoe was sitting before a wash tub, scrubbing away at the clothes. As she tended to the laundry, she watched as Enishi made his way out the property gate. She brushed some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand and continued working. That day, she wore a lavender cotton kimono with a matching lavender obi. Her kimono sleeves were held back by the binding she usually puts on before working. Her hair was also tied back at the base of her neck, but her hair was kept back by the cloth covering her head like a bonnet, tied underneath her hair.

"Tomoe!" a voice called.

She ceased scrubbing as she heard the gate open and a woman walk in. She had shoulder length black hair and eyes the color of mud that reflected a kindness within her. The woman reflected an innocent air to her as she strolled through the gate, her getas sounding every step on the dusty ground. She wore a dark blue kimono with a pair of white birds embedded near the hem of it. Her hands were in a fist held to her lavender obi as if she were a bit meek to show herself, yet her face showed the exact opposite. She had a confident and self-assuring look all shown from her smile.

"Ayumi? What are you doing here?" Tomoe asked as she stood up and flicked the water off of her hands.

"You're working hard as usual. Where did Enishi go to?"

"He went to play with the children."

"Really? I just saw him walk past them."

"Heading where?"

"I don't know. Maybe down to the market."

"Hmm...I wonder why."

"Who knows." the girl replied with a shrug.

"I'll confront him when he gets home."

"So, how have you been?"

"I've been okay. What about you? Didn't you just come back from a trip to Aizu?"

"Yeah. My father is healed now. The doctor gave him the medicine he needed."

"Good."

"What about your birthday?"

"My birthday?"

"Yes. You will be turning sixteen if I'm not mistaken, right?"

Tomoe nods and starts untying the binds to her sleeves after taking the cloth covering her hair off.

"What will you do?" Ayumi asks with curiosity apparent in her voice.

Tomoe shrugs and starts walking towards the house. She stops before she enters and turns to Ayumi.

"I'm going to get some radishes from the market. Do you want to come with me?" she offers and Ayumi nods.


*** *** ***


The two young woman walked among the crowded streets and they stopped at a stall where Ayumi was buying a few items. As she waited patiently, Tomoe's eyes scanned the area around her. The market was so full today. It wasn't unusual to see it so full, but it was just an observation at the time. A faint breeze made it's way and Tomoe held her hair back from going into her face. That's when she caught sight of Kiyosato and Enishi. Ayumi had come to her side and called to Tomoe, but she had not answered. She finally lay a hand on Tomoe's arm. She turned to her friend calmly and Ayumi looked curious.

"What is it?" she asked with concern.

"It's Enishi and Kiyosato." Tomoe replied as she looked back to the two across the way by a restaurant.

"What are they doing together?"

"I don't know."

Tomoe's eyes were fixed on the unlikely pair. Even more attracting of her gaze was that they looked to be in a heated discussion. What was going on?


*** *** ***


The three Yukishiro family members were seated once again at the dinner table that night. The same silence lingered about them as they ate.

"Enishi." Tomoe called, breaking the silence.

She put down her bowl on the table and he looked up to her with a timid demeanor.

"Hai, 'nee-san(6)?" he answered .

"Where were you today?"

"Nowhere." he replied with a shrug and put some rice in his mouth.

"Enishi, don't lie to me."

"I would never lie to you, 'nee-san."

"Enishi." a deep voice interjected.

Tomoe was surprised to hear her father speak and turned to him to see that he had his bowl down on the table.

"You will answer your sister when she asks you a question." he stated firmly.

"I wasn't anywhere. I was just out playing with the other children." he replies with his head tilted down.

"Enishi..."

Tomoe had never really heard her father's voice so demanding of Enishi. In fact, he rarely spoke to his son. She looked at her brother as he flinched at the sound of his name from his father. She saw her brother subtly grind his teeth and clench his fists underneath the table.

"I was nowhere." he states, giving each word a clear, crisp sound, almost detaching them from each other.

"Enishi..." Tomoe says softly and puts a hand on his clenched fists.

His fists dissolve back into loose hands and he stands up.

"I'm not hungry anymore." he states with a firm, anger-filled tone and stalks out of the room, his footsteps heard every step of the way.

"Tomoe."

She turned to her father who looked at her with tired eyes.

"I will retire for tonight. Please forgive me." he says and stands up as well, leaving the room.

She sighs in defeat and looks at both their bowls, unfinished.


*** *** ***


After cleaning up, Tomoe exited the kitchen only to be greeted by a cool breeze and the presence of Kiyosato. She smiled at the sight of him. He was standing underneath the cherry blossom tree on their property, looking up at the stars. With a casual stride, she walked over to him and he turned to her, hearing her footwear behind him. He smiled to her and she nodded her head, acknowledging him.

"Tomoe, don't be angry with Enishi." he said softly.

"You were with him today. Forgive me, but I saw you when I was in the market." she informed.

"Ah."

They both looked up at the sky and Kiyosato found himself peeking at her from the corner of his eyes. He turned to her finally and she turned to him.

"Tomoe, your brother saw your father with another woman." he said almost reluctantly.

"Oh."

Tomoe's expression failed her and she seemed saddened by the news. Her eyes averted to the ground as Kiyosato continued.

"Enishi saw your father leave the restaurant with another woman last week when he went to buy you tofu. He has been following your father everyday since. I was with my father at that restaurant when I caught sight of Enishi and the object of his gaze. I took Enishi outside and told him to calm his rage. I was afraid he might embarrass his father or hurt him in some way."

"Arigatou, Kiyosato."

"Tomoe?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I'm just disappointed in my father."

"It's been almost seven years..."

"It's not that. I thought he loved my mother."

"Tomoe, you have to understand. No matter how much you love a person, no other can replace them. Even though he is seeing this woman, he has never forgotten his first love. No one can ever forget the memories they hold with their first love."

Tomoe looks up to Kiyosato to meet his eyes. She nods in understanding.

"I must go home. I'm tired from accompanying my father today." Kiyosato explains and turns on his heel to leave.

"Oyasumi nasai(7), Kiyosato."

"Goodbye, Tomoe."

She watched him as he left and turned around herself to go put herself to bed.


- End of Act I -



Reader's Guide

1 – san – a suffix for respect

2 – I'm using the Japanese order of names

3 – Gomen nasai – I'm sorry, excuse me, forgive me

4 – Arigatou – thank you

5 – Otou-san - father

6 – 'nee-san – big sister

7 – Oyasumi nasai – Good night



Author's Notes: There's the first chapter! I hope you liked it. I tried to portray the characters as best as I could given the little information I knew. I tried to do some research on the characters on their fan sites. Why do this fic you ask? Well, I noticed that a lot of people do Tomoe/Kenshin fics, but what about the man she truly loved before Kenshin? Tomoe was in love with her best friend from childhood, she grew to love Kenshin after the fact that her love had died. I mean, I prefer Kenshin/Kaoru and Kiyosato/Tomoe, but I also love Tomoe/Kenshin, don't get me wrong! I mean people do Kiyosato and Tomoe as background couples for after Kenshin divorces Tomoe, but I decided to try my hand at a before-Kenshin fic. Sometimes, I think I'm the only one who really prefers it that way and actually like K/T. And with this fiction, I hope that I can get you to at least warm up to the idea of Tomoe and Kiyosato. ^.^ The story may be slow at showing their affection at first, but I'm also attempting to show her interaction with her brother, father, and other characters. Please enjoy the fic and review. Also, when I wrote the fic, if you must have mood music for one part, it would have to be after you first read the title, listen to "On the Pier" from the Seisouhen soundtrack. I can so see Tomoe walking through the crowds with a shot of her face flashing briefly.