Japan...

Sometime during the 1500's...

"Haaruu-mi..." The words rolled off Edmund's tongue like bittered chocolate- it was still quite new and only those of a certain taste could truly enjoy it.

"It means 'beautiful spring.'" Harumi's hands clasped Edmund's left hand a bit tighter. His right palm lifted to her cheek tinted the colour of cherry blossoms. It felt just as delicate.

"You were born in the spring then." His tone light as if he had made a clever observation. Harumi did not understand the joke. 

"Father knew harsh winters would not last. New springs would surely come." Edmund sombered. "I was that hope."

"It's a beautiful name." A soft, melodious laughter trickled from between Harumi's lips. Her hand rose to cover her mouth, not to stifle the laugh, rather as a reflex. Edmund stared. 

The two's eyes met searching eachother and seeing themselves. The time felt indeterminable. Harumi finally lowered her head slightly abashed.... Her lover smiled.

"Edmund is?" Harumi chanced a glance at him. He took a moment to answer just looking at her questioning gaze. She wanted to know so much in those two little words. Was he worth risking everything for? Was what they were doing right? Where would it lead them? What would they do from now on?

"I'll protect you. Now and always," was Edmund's reply. 

He brought his face closer. Harumi's face turned up to his and their lips met. 

Whatever thoughts they had before, and would have again vanished in the moment. Nothing else mattered, and as her cheeks burned pleasantly, Harumi wished nothing ever would. 

 "Seven!" 

Giggles seemed to echo as they followed one after the other.

"Eight!"

The giggles continued. A voice whispered excitedly making the voice loud but the words indistinguishable.

"Nine!"

More excitement. The countdown near its end.

"Ten!"

Light filtered beneath closed eyelids before assaulting eyes previously only accustomed to the darkness. A pair of brown eyes stared unwaveringly. The more the light shown, the clearer things appeared. Vision no longer zeroed in on the one standing in front. No longer leveled with the eyes that looked on in horror. Little people outlines stood, scattered all around the sides of clearing vision- behind the boy who had since stumbled, falling on his bum. The people could have been grandparents, parents, male, or female, but they were children, children similar in age. Reflections of the ones they could be mistaken for. 

"Ey-" the fallen boy finally spoke. "Eyes.... Your eyes!"

The giggles all started up again, tiny fingers pointing with emphasis. The whispers were finally heard. Only one thing echoed now. One word sung in chorus.

"Freak."

*******

Ame lay nestled between a sturdy bough of a tree, leaning against it's trunk- thick and deeply rooted within the earth. She stared down between lush, pale pink petals of plum blossoms to a single white chrysanthemum. It's body weathered and beaten from the harsh winter that made the plum blossoms bloom so beautifully. The petals of the single flower, once pristine and white, lay crumpled, almost lost, within the snow beneath. Ame knew they were there only because she had tended to it in its life, and looked over it as it gave over to death. 

A sigh.

She turned her gaze to the sky. The world still for once as she thought of nothing, and everything.

A soft crunch interrupted as it reached her ears, audiable only because it had disturbed the fresh snow. 

A small smile bloomed on her lips as Ame turned in her perch. Two men walked erect, palms lay open on the sheaths at their sides. An older, much more dignified man strode ahead of the rest. As they reached the edge of the tree trunk Ame took it as her que. 

She leapt from her position, falling into a crouch. Her presence made known as the palms closed around the casings of the swords. Ame's feet sank into the snow, a slush hidden beneath flowed over her geta and seeped into the tabi. Ame stood to see the glimmer of sunlight reflected on the Blades of the katana; each drawn at least an inch.

When her face was visible, the men frowned removing their thumbs making the blades slide back in place. Ame smiled.