Tomoe sat before her mirror and fixed her hair back, her clothes rustling slightly with her graceful movements. She looked to her door to see the outline of Kiyosato on the rice paper. She smiled and took one final glance in the mirror. Her hair still fell out of the tie to frame her face and her face was clean as usual. Putting the cover on the mirror, she put it away in her drawer and picked up her bag, slipping it onto her wrist as she straightened out her white, cotton kimono and the dark red obi.

Kiyosato turned to Tomoe as she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"Ready?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

She nodded with a faint smile.


A Moment's Memory

Romantic Tales Before the Meiji Era


Act II: Coming of Age


The couple walked through the almost vacant streets, both quiet and their gazes' focused ahead. During their trek, Kiyosato caught sight of a group of girls Tomoe's age. His ear had caught what they were talking about as they came to a fit of giggles.

"Look, it's Tomoe. She's so beautiful." one girl commented.

"Yeah, but she's always putting on such airs like she's better than everyone else." another added.

"The only people she is ever seen with is her family, Ayumi, and Kiyosato. What a pity that there isn't much personality behind those looks." one interjected.

Kiyosato looked at Tomoe through the corner of his eyes. She looked impassive, as if she had never heard it. But this was at first glance. When he glanced over again, he could see Tomoe bow her head slightly. They had finally left behind those girls when he spoke up.

"You know, I never questioned you about it. But why don't you hang out with the other girls?" he asked softly.

"I don't care for them." she replied.

"Why is that?"

"They don't care for me. Why should I waste my time on meaningless affections?"

They walked on more in silence when they came upon some children running past them. Kiyosato patted some of the children's heads with a smile and they tugged on Kiyosato's sleeves.

"Kiyosato-san! Come play with us!" they yelled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but not today. Today, I intend to spend time with my friend, Tomoe."

The children looked to Tomoe briefly before returning their attention to Kiyosato again. In Tomoe's mind, the children reminded her of herself and Kiyosato in their youth. Her eyes had a far off gaze as she began to think about how their friendship had begun so long ago. So long ago, that it was when her mother was alive. To Tomoe, it seemed so distant in her mind yet it was there very clearly.


***


"Tomoe...you must be a lady. Keep your hair tied back like this. You look very beautiful." a feminine voice murmured as skillful hands combed her long ebony hair and tied it back carefully.

Tomoe was just a child when her mother used to do her hair. Her mother sat behind her, her hair as black as Tomoe's yet placed in a neat bun. Her black eyes were focused on her fingers as they brushed across the tie and down her child's hair. Tomoe sat quietly and obediently while her mother fretted over her lovingly.

"Tomoe?" her mother called to her.

"Hai, 'kaa-san(1)?" she answered.

"I'm finished."

The comb was placed on the little vanity table and she heard her mother rise to her feet with the natural grace that Tomoe inherited. Her light lavender kimono with a maroon obi fit her so perfectly. Tomoe's eyes followed her mother across the room and watched as she opened the door.

"Midori!" Tomoe's father's voice was heard.

"Coming!" she said not in a shout but a firm, unfaltering tone.

She turned her face to Tomoe and smiled her warm smiles to her daughter.

"Why don't you go see Kiyosato, ne?" she said and Tomoe nodded in response.

"Tomoe!" a young boy's voice called.

As her mother walked away, she shielded her eyes from the light and her eyes adjusted to see familiar brown eyes.


***


"Tomoe...?"

She snapped out of her thoughts to see Kiyosato putting a child down from his back. His smile was so reflective of the mood with the children's giggles ringing in the air.

"Why is she so quiet, Kiyosato-san?" one asked after attaching herself to his leg.

"Tomoe's just shy." he replied as he glanced over at his female friend.

Tomoe's eyes found his and she looked at him almost thoughtfully.

"Okay, kids. That's enough. I must get going." he said in order to calm their playful tugs.

A chorus of disappointed children bid him goodbye as he and Tomoe walked away.

"You're good with children." she commented with her usual impassive face.

"Well, I never had any siblings growing up. It gives me time to catch up. Besides, I want to have children of my own one day." he said as he dusted his sleeves off or the dirt from the children's hands.

She smiled subtly without Kiyosato knowing and a faint blush stained her cheeks.

"Hey, Tomoe, what do you wish to have with this new year of life given to you?" he asked innocently.

She pushed aside her reactions and her eyes drifted to him.

"Well...," she looked thoughtful for a moment while she looked for an answer, "I want my family to be happy."

"Do you always wish for other's happiness but your own?"

"Forgive me."

"Stop apologizing." he said firmly.

She noticed he had stopped walking shortly before he said the last line and turned to him. He looked into her eyes so clearly as if he were trying to look at her true self.

"Kiyosato...?" she called with concern.

"Tomoe, what do you wish for yourself?"

She remained silent, looking to him for a sign of what he wanted her to answer, but all she saw was his eagerness to here hers.

"I wish to be as good of a person as my mother, maybe even better. I would like to wake up one morning with a full heart." she replied truthfully and genuinely.

Kiyosato started walking and she watched with abiding eyes as he walked past her. He stopped, paused, and turned his head to her.

"Shall we continue our walk?" he asked with his eyes reflecting his good nature once more.

She looked to him with confusion, but it melted away to her smile. She nodded and they resumed walking through the streets.


*** *** ***


"Tomoe!" Enishi called out as Tomoe entered the gates.

At the entrance of the house, Enishi stood with a boyish smile to greet her with.

"Enishi, you're home early. Did you have fun today?" she asked, treading to the entrance.

"It wasn't bad. I made a new friend."

"I can see your change of temperance."

"Yeah, we played until his mother called him for lunch."

"Which I assume you are here for now. But to tell you the truth, Enishi, I wasn't expecting you so early." she said as she walked past Enishi, leaving her shoes outside, so that she could walk into the house.

"You were with him today, weren't you?" Enishi asked almost coldly.

Tomoe froze and stiffened at his tone. She loosened and bowed her head slightly with regret at what she was about to say.

"Enishi, I would like you to refrain from ever using that tone with me." she said unshakably.

"Hai, 'nee-san." he said obediently before walking off, his footsteps heard as he dragged his feet along.


*** *** ***


The sun was high in the sky when Tomoe walked through the open gates looking for a sign of anyone's presence in a familiar house she had always come to visit.

"Hello?" she called.

"Tomoe? What are you doing here?" Ayumi's voice asked.

Tomoe turned on her heel to see Ayumi enter behind her. In hand, she held a box wrapped in a cloth.

"I came to see you." she replied.

Ayumi nodded and walked to her.

"I was out running an errand for my mother." she explained and Tomoe followed her as she kept on walking.

"I just came to find some company. I was feeling lonely at home."

"What about Enishi?"

Tomoe looked down and breathed outward.

"He's with a friend right now."

"And Kiyosato?"

"He's out with his father."

"What about your father?"

"He's out."

Ayumi was silent as she placed the package inside her house and came back out.

"So how was your walk with Kiyosato this morning?" she inquired curiously with a sly grin.

"It's the same as always." Tomoe replied flatly.

"So you say..."

"Ayumi!"

"Forgive me. I just can't see how you two are just friends. It just doesn't make sense."

"Ayumi."

"Hm?"

"Kiyosato and I are friends because we find each other's presence comforting. It's convenient and we both like it that way. Kiyosato only thinks of me as a friend and I-the same."

"Oh, Tomoe, you're so humble. You don't realize how much you mean to him."


*** *** ***


Hideo, Tomoe's father, kneeled before the grave, his offerings of flowers placed in front of it. He had his palms touching to indicate that he was in prayer. His eyes were tightly closed and his concentration was so focused. When he finished, he opened his eyes to look at the grave.

"Midori..." he breathed almost inaudibly.

Images flashed in his mind of her smile as they talked out in the moonlight. Her hair was so shiny, her eyes reflected serenity and sincerity. She was perfect in his eyes and no one could replace her.

"Tomoe is a woman now. She looks a lot like you and has taken her role so seriously. In Edo, she is known as a cold woman. If only they could see her true self."

He paused and sighed.

"Her birthday is soon. She will be turning sixteen. I only hope that she will find a husband soon. I do not wish for her to be an old maid. She deserves so much more. As for Enishi, he grows colder everyday and he wishes to keep his sister to himself. The thought of Kiyosato angers him even if he is just a friend. I wish Enishi had met you. I still believe he would've been better with you. Tomoe can't do this on her own and I don't know how to handle him. Whatever words I say, he turns them and his hatred for me builds. I truly wish you were still here by my side. With you, I think I could over come this."

There is no sign to comfort him and he sits back on his heels.

"And still you don't answer me..." he said in defeat and looked up at the sky.

It was time to go home.


*** *** ***


The sound of the birds crowing and the flapping of wings were heard as Kiyosato entered Ayumi's family property. The birds took flight all around him, yet he kept calm as he walked towards the house. On the porch, Ayumi and Tomoe sat talking, their delicate laughter ringing like bells in his ears. He stopped and watched Tomoe's features, the way her eyes lit up at everything Ayumi had said in a whisper to her.

"Kiyosato?!" Ayumi exclaimed in surprise.

Tomoe's face snapped to his and their eyes met. She looked down a bit, breaking their eye contact.

"What are you doing here?" Ayumi questioned with a jovial presence in her voice.

"I came to see my two friends." he answered with a smile.

"Kiyosato, don't play with me. You just wanted to procrastinate so you wouldn't have to do chores that your father gave you to do before went to the special dinner tonight." Ayumi teased.

Tomoe watched the friendly exchange between Kiyosato and Ayumi as they began to joke around. Ayumi had joined them when she came to Edo to be raised by her aunt and uncle. She did not arrive until Enishi was a year old, but Tomoe and her grew up together as the best of friends.


***


A young Tomoe was sitting before the washtub, her kimono sleeves tied back as usual and her hair held back with her usual tie. She scrubbed and scrubbed, making the sheets as white as she could. But the material of the clothes didn't interest her, even though she had put much energy into it. She went to wipe the sweat of her forehead. The sun was beating down on her and it was one of the hottest summers she had ever seen in her short lifetime. That's when a shadow loomed over her. She looked up to see a little girl hunched over, her body slouched and her hands on her knees.

"Hi." the strange girl greeted.

"Hi." Tomoe replied uncertainly and tilted her head, showing her confusion, "Who are you?"

"My name is Fukao Ayumi. What's your name?" she asked with such an innocent, child-like voice.

"Yukishiro Tomoe desu(2)."

"Why do you stay in your house all day, Yukishiro Tomoe?"

"I have to take care of Enishi."

"Who's Enishi?"

"My little brother."

"Isn't that your mom's job?"

"I don't have a mother. She died about a year ago."

"Oh. I lost my mother, too. I also lost my father. They died last month."

Suddenly, the cries of Enishi interrupted the two and Tomoe rose to her feet.

"Is that your brother crying?" Ayumi asked.

"Yes. I must go tend to him now." Tomoe said almost monotonously as she began walking to the house, "You can leave if you want to. I guess I'm not a very interesting person."

"Oh no! I think the exact opposite! I find you very interesting, Yukishiro Tomoe!"

As Tomoe entered the house, she managed to have a small trace of a smile upon her lips. After that, Ayumi had been coming to see her and vice versa. Ayumi rarely played with the other girls even though she was lonely. Instead, she found her company in Tomoe.


*** *** ***


"Tomoe, sit down! I will not have you cooking on your own birthday." Ayumi insisted as she waved a blade at her.

"Ayumi, please be careful with that!" Kiyosato warned as he took the knife out of Ayumi's hands.

"Kiyosato!"

"I don't want you to accidentally kill Tomoe on her own day! Take this in the kitchen." he said as he handed it to her and shoved her in the direction of the next room.

Tomoe smiled at her two friends' expense. Kiyosato turned in time to catch her expression and a faint giggle.

"You can act like this so freely around me?" he asked seriously with a straight expression.

Her expression changed back to impassive and she looks him in the eyes.

"For years, I found it hard to act on my emotions and it's still kind of hard. Forgive me." she said with an apologetic bow of her head.

"You apologize too much." he said with his usual smile and the gleeful gleam in his eyes returning.

The gate is heard closing and Tomoe turns, breaking their moment once more, to see her father with a package in hand. He walked up to the house and walked past Tomoe and Kiyosato.

"Tadaima(3)." he said in his gruff voice.

"Okaeri nasai(4)." Tomoe responded and watched as he disappeared into another room.

Kiyosato massaged the back of his neck and gave an expression of unease.

"Are you okay?" Tomoe asked in concern.

"I was just wondering where your brother is." he answered.

Tomoe's eyes widened and she turned on her heel, running down to Enishi's room.

"Enishi!" she called and opened his door.

She gazed in to see that his futon was placed neatly in one corner and that everything was in its place, except Enishi was nowhere to be found.

"'Nee-san..." a voice murmured behind her.

Tomoe turned to see Enishi with an ink bottle in hand.

"Enishi! Don't scare me like that." Tomoe said calmly.

He handed her the bottle and brush. She looked at them with confusion.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Happy birthday." he said with a genuine smile.

"I don't have any paper, Enishi."

"You'll find uses for it. I'm sure."

He walked towards the main part of the house and she watched him leave. She looked down at the bottle and brush in the palm of her hand and heard the shouts of Kiyosato and Enishi. With a sigh, she walked into her room, placing them on her vanity table and ran back to intercept the fight between Kiyosato and Enishi. She walked in to see the reason of Kiyosato's shouts. Enishi was biting his hand.

"Enishi! Stop this instant!" she commanded sharply.

Enishi did as he was told and Kiyosato clutched his hand with a look of pain apparent upon his face. Tomoe looked to her brother with annoyance and he looked back at her as if he had done nothing wrong.

"Enishi, why did you do that?" Tomoe probed.

"He's in our home, Tomoe."

"As he is every year on my birthday."

Enishi snorted weakly and walked past Kiyosato. Bumping his shoulder against his arm angrily.

"Your brother is such a treasure." Kiyosato said in a tone that can be easily discovered as a lie with an accompanying weak smile.

"Kiyosato..." Tomoe said with a warning tone in her voice.

She walked up to him and took his hand. He had a sharp in-take of breath as she examined it. She looked so thoughtful as she traced her fingers over the bite marks.

"I'm sorry." she said softly.

"What do I always tell you?" he said equally in volume as her.

"Kiyosato, I..."

"Dinner's ready!" Ayumi called out.

The two looked up to look towards the origin of her voice.

"You were saying..?" Kiyosato said, urging her to continue.

"Dinner is ready. We should go eat." Tomoe stated and walked off.

He watched her with a warm feeling. His heart felt so strange at that moment, yet he always felt this feeling before in those some odd moments he often shared with Tomoe.


*** *** ***


Tomoe sat outside as she heard Ayumi clean up and the men chatting. Enishi was already in bed, sleeping. Tomoe had put him to bed after dinner since she saw the obvious signs of his drowsiness. He yawned a lot during dinner and he rubbed his eyes occasionally. Rising from her seat, she took Enishi's hand and led him out of the room to his bed. Once there, she tucked him in as usual and she watched him until he drifted off into slumber.

Now, there she sat on the porch, enjoying the summer night's breeze. She looked up at the moon. It was full and carried a yellow tint to it. That's when she heard her father clear his throat behind her. She heard the wood creak as he sat himself down beside her, letting his feet dangle off the side.

"Tomoe..." he began, "I'm not a man of many words. You know that."

"Hai(5)."

"But I want to give you this."

She felt a weight placed in her hands and she looked down to see a book.

"'tou-san, what is this?"

"It's a journal."

"A journal?"

"Yes. Your mother was not really good at calligraphy like you. You've had the advantage of education and I would like you to use this as something to vent to, instead of holding it within. You will find that it can be quite relieving of stress."

Tomoe traced the cover with her fingers, feeling the smooth material of it. It was hers, and hers alone. She took it and clutched it to her chest, closing her eyes while emitting a sigh. She just relished in the feeling of having this book for her personal thoughts. Her father smiled as he watched his daughter from the corner of his eyes. He had made her happy.


*** *** ***


The clouds drifted past the moon and the visitors were leaving for the night. Ayumi and Tomoe talked on the porch, while Kiyosato and Hideo conversed near the gate.

"Tomoe?"

"Hai?"

"Have you noticed how Kiyosato has been trying so hard to get to know your father lately?"

"No. I really haven't noticed, but yes, he is talking to him more than usual."

"I wonder what he's up to..."

"Ayumi, why do you think such denouncing thoughts of Kiyosato?"

"I'm not accusing him of anything, I just want to know what's going on with him."

"He is a good man, Ayumi. I trust him."

Ayumi looked to Tomoe who's eyes were fixed on Kiyosato. Ayumi knew of Tomoe's feelings and how close Kiyosato and her were. She knew ever since they were young. Kiyosato and Tomoe knew each other without even asking. Sometimes, Ayumi envied it, but she decided it was so petty to be jealous of their understanding. Truly, deep down, Ayumi wanted what they had with someone of her own. Tomoe and her were very good friends, yet there were times when she felt Tomoe wasn't venting her problems like with Enishi. She always, practically, had to shake it out of her. But gazing at Tomoe now, her heart ached. Tomoe obviously longs for Kiyosato to look at her differently, but alas, nothing has changed.

"Ayumi, we have to leave now! It's getting late!" Kiyosato yelled.

Ayumi's eyes suddenly lit up and she ran picked up a box wrapped in a cloth that Tomoe had saw her bring into her house that day. She held it in front of Tomoe.

"Here! It's from Kiyosato and I. It was my idea, his money." she said happily and Tomoe took hold of it into her possession.

She unwrapped the cloth, letting it fall to the ground, and with a held breath, she opened the box. Inside was a dark blue shawl. She carefully took it out of the bow to feel the warm material in her hands.

"It's for the coming winter, so you won't be cold." Ayumi stated.

Tomoe looked up to her friend only to find that she was already walking towards Kiyosato. She watched as her friends said their last goodbyes and departed into the darkness of night with only the fireflies left to trail behind them in the warm air of the night.


*** *** ***


"Kiyosato?" Ayumi called his attention as they departed from the Yukishiro household.

"Hai?" he answered.

"Why were you talking to Hideo-san tonight?"

"He is an interesting man, Ayumi. You should talk to him, too."

"You know that not what I mean." she said with a grim expression and a serious tone.

Kiyosato gave her an innocent smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he said with a good hearted chuckle.

Ayumi crossed her arms with a groan and gave him a suspicious look.

"You're being difficult, Kiyosato Akira..." she muttered and he just chuckled in response.


- End of Act II -



Reference for Readers:

1 – 'kaa-san - mom

2 – Yukishiro Tomoe desu. - I'm Yukishiro Tomoe.

3 – tadaima – I'm home.

4 – okaeri nasai – welcome back.

5 – hai - yes


Author's Note: There's the second part. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! It has encouraged me to keep going! I must warn you though, I'm not a mushy love story writer. Can ya tell? *.* Besides, I doubt that Tomoe and Kiyosato were really acting fast on their feelings. I think they knew it was there, but they didn't have proof. As for Ayumi, how do you like her as a new character? Tomoe must have had at least one friend in her days as a growing child. I also have plans for Ayumi. She will have importance to the future RK clan. I'm not going to reveal why, but you'll know once the story starts to come along. Don't worry! I'm not changing anything that was written by Watsuki. This is just my take on what happened before his story. I will not put a new character or make a story involving the Kenshin-gumi and what if this person came back to talk about Tomoe or get revenge and stuff like that. I'm not good at those! So just enjoy this story and tell me your opinions. ^.^ I'll see ya all around!