Tsuchinoto of Lightning

Part 4 - Twins and siblings

At the age of five, Yuki became an older sister.

- Yuki, meet your sister, Tsumugi, and your brother, Yun. - Whispered Fumiko, holding them in her hands and showing them to Yui.

- Wow... Are they gonna be with us forever?

- Yes, forever, Yuki, from now on, you are their big sister...

She grew up to think that her siblings always needed protection.

This happy family would often do things together, sometimes chopping wood together to campfire stories.

Time flew, and before she realised, her 10' th birthday came around.

One day, Yui got a pleasant surprise.

- Yuki, sunshine, come here, come, I've got a little surprise for you - Said the old lady, gesturing at Yui to come in. The old lady was a client of her's, often commissioning her to chop up some more wood for her.

- Yuki, since you work so hard, I've decided to sew this for you. - She said as she held a neatly folded pair of black, hakama pants in her hands.

- Oh, Mrs. Hamakishira, I can't take these, I have to pay you! - Yui insisted.

- Yuki, you've worked so hard for me and for your family, you have to take it!

- Mmm, alright, but don't hesitate to ask me to bring you wood again! I'm always happy to help!

Yuki started dressing differently, since now she was the main wood bringer of the family. She enjoyed it much, so much that she was willing to spend most of her time up hill using the axe.

Instead of wearing her haori loosely, she wrapped it around her, wearing is somewhat like a kimono, tucking it into her new Hakama pants.

Two years later, Fumiko's family got even bigger, welcoming a baby boy named Terumi.

Terumi wore the old clothes Yun wore when he was a toddler. After the twins were born, Hikari and Fumiko had to buy a second kimono, a light blue one.

Talking about clothes, Yun and Tsumugi wore very different clothes. Yun wore the pants Yui wore before she got these hakama pants, and a haori, the colour of a dark, washed away blue. Tsumugi wore the kimono Yui wore when she was younger, now fitting perfectly on her. They both had white socks and zōri sandals with dark ribbons. The twins were almost identical. All of these clothes were given to them by kind people who got helped by them in the past.

After Terumi, Fumiko and Hikari decided not to have any more kids, since raising more would be a trouble for both their little money, and for their health. Fumiko's healing time after each birth has gotten longer, and they predicted that if she would get pregnant again, she wouldn't get better after that.

We could say that they lived a happy life, because they did. Of course, they lived in slight poverty and if Fumiko showed herself in the city the Ogimoto house's master would force her back, but they were happy. Nobody hit each other, all siblings played along, the parents loves each other.

One thing they loved doing together was cooking.

Yun and Tsumugi loved making onigiri, since they both got to do the same thing. Forming the rice into triangles and stuffing them with fish was calming for them. Yuki also liked making onigiri with them, wince she liked how after all that hard work, they ended up with a snack. It's her favourite food.

***

One day, Hikari died.

The circumstances of his death were unknown, one day he went out to get the firewood, and came back all happy and excited, yet the next morning, he was found dead. The family's happiness took a heavy blow. Now, there was nobody really outgoing in the family, no one who loudly proclaimed jokes and laughed at everything.

Sure, the family eventually healed, yet Fumiko couldn't get over his death, since he was so young.

***

- Yuki... - Fumiko whispered.

- Yes, mom? - She said as she turned back to look at her mother, as she sat in the middle of their house as the younger children slept well around them. Yui was up at that time since it wasn't uncommon for her to stay up late and gaze at the stars.

- Tell me, do you want to get married?

- Yes, why do you ask?

- Then we should start looking for a husband for you, Yuki. I don't want you to waste your life with me.

- Mom, what are you saying?! I'm not in a rush to leave you here, I can even get married laye just to make sure you're happy.

- Are you sure? Yuki, you can't take care of us forever...

- But dad just died, and I wouldn't want to leave you in such a state.

- Alright, Yuki, let's go to bed.

***

Their sweet and calm life was once interrupted by someone very strange...