TomoSara

"What's the occasion? It's strange for you to invite me at a restaurant" Tomoki said as Allen and he took their seats at a restaurant in Inazuma City.

"Nothing special, it has been a long time since we don't have some time around that doesn't revolve around training" Allen excused.

"I suppose that an occasionally change of airs is good..." Just as Tomoki finished the sentence, the door of the restaurant opened and a very familiar woman entered.

"You!" Tomoki growled turning to Allen who quickly turned over the woman.

"Captain Sara! What a coincidence!" Allen shouted gaining her attention.

"Didn't we promised to me-" Kujou Sara made a confused face, but Allen quickly reacted, taking her by the hand, shutting her up and guiding her to the seat in front of Tomoki.

"H-hello, Tomoki-san. I didn't know that you will be here" Sara said a little shyly.

"Y-yes. Hello Sara. Long time not seeing you" Tomoki quickly glared at Allen "What the meaning of this, Allen?!"

"Oh! I forgot my meeting with Ayaka" Allen clearly faked surprised "Sorry but I must leave" Allen quickly stood up "Have a good time!" Before Tomoki or Sara could even recover from the shock, Allen was already running away, leaving them.

"Allen and his strange antics" Sara smiled "What would you like to have Tomoki-san?"

...

Allen returned home, thinking about the lunch between Tomoki and Sara. He hadn't been too subtle and of course, it has been already planned, having invited Sara to the restaurant some days before while one of their archery class while bringing Tomoki to the restaurant.

It was clear to everyone that Sara was in love with Tomoki. Her stern and powerful character in the army, completely evaporated when Tomoki was around making her seem like a young maiden in love.

On the other hand, even if less clear, Allen knew that Tomoki has feelings for her, even when he tried to keep them hidden. Somewhat Tomoki tried to avoid her and hide his feelings but Allen could see his true smile when he was with her.

So that's why he had decided to create this little trap, as a little push for them to force them to at least talk about it alone, to make them clarify their feelings.

...

"So how did it go?" just as Tomoki returned home, Allen asked with a grin that quickly froze.

"Allen" Tomoki called him with the most frosty tone that he had heard him before "Never do that again."

"S-sorry" Allen apologized, really shocked by Tomoki's tone and sad aura "I wasn't tr-

"Allen" again Tomoki called him "Don't talk to me for some time" He said leaving for his own room and shutting the door close.

"Why that bad humor?" Allen scratched his head, not really expecting such a reaction to his little trick.

"What have you done this time, little Allen?" Honoka asked from behind "It has been long since I saw Tomoki like that" She said worriedly.

"I simply prepared a meeting with Sara" Allen answered "I didn't know it would be such a deal."

"So it was that..."

"Honoka, what really happened between Tomoki and Sara?"

"Master won't be happy about it, but knowing you..." Honoka sighed "Better to tell you than you continue doing of your things to find it out."

"As you might already know master's parents were adventures that decided to stay at Inazuma as his father's ancestors came from here" Honoka started explained "I started serving them when the master was a child due to being in debt with them for saving my life and since they died from an illness, I took care of master."

"Even losing his parents, master still kept his smile and his charisma and leadership made him quite popular with the children from around and one of them was Kujou Sara"

"Sara is a Tengu adopted by the Kujou Clan as Takayuki's daughter, however, she did never receive any love of him. Rather than a daughter, Takayuki thought of her more as a weapon to increase his own strength due to Sara's talent and Vision."

"That caused Sara to become a very closed child. She only trained to become stronger for the Kujous and for the Shogun who she thought had saved her life, giving her the Vision when she was about to die. It could really say that her childhood was forcefully taken."

"Once master saw Sara, he couldn't let it be. Being so righteous as ever, he started interacting with her, firstly forcing her to stop training and playing with him. It took some time, but he finally broke Sara's shields and she slowly started opening up to the others and started smiling again."

"I still remember her following the master all around." Honoka said with a smile "It was clear that she developed a huge crush on him that it still lasted even now from what I heard and Tomoki really liked her, maybe it was more like a young sister, but she was certainly special for him. Having lost their parents only making them closer."

"Unfortunately, when Sara was 14, Takayuki intervened, forcing Sara to stay away from master." Honoka said with melancholy "Sara passed a lot of time with master, even affecting her training time, and Takayuki couldn't accept more child plays as she was already old enough and couldn't waste her time with an orphaned child without any possession at his name and that wasn't even from Inazuma."

"Are you saying that Sara was the reason of Tomoki's travels, wanting to be recognized?" Allen asked 'Is his obsession with swords styles for that? To become stronger for her?'

"I don't think so" Honoka shook her head "I knew master and was never someone to stay quiet, he was bound to leave some day. But being forced away from Sara clearly affected him so it might have made his decision faster."

"Then he went away and didn't return for 7 years. When he returned, the first thing that he did was going to the Amenoma Smithy. There, under everyone's eyes, he forged a 4-star sword using the seemingly lost Isshin Art and went directly toward the Tenryou Commission headquarters while wielding it."

"There, he declared himself as a Niwa, with the seal and its techniques nobody doubted it, and challenged the elder son of the Kujou Clan, the general Kujou Masahito."

"It was a close fight but master was able to attain victory even without using his Vision. Then, he gift his sword to Sara before leaving."

"For that time, people thought that it was master's declaration for Sara, showing his strength, talent and name to be recognized. Takayuki was one of them and since then he had tried to push master to marriage with Sara, wanting the Niwa and Isshin's fame."

"But it wasn't that. It was master's parting gift, it was his way to close that chapter of his life and also his way to tell that Sara wasn't wrong to choose to be with him when they were young, that he was enough."

"Why did Tomoki do that?" Allen asked "There's clearly still something there."

"I don't know, but when he returned he was no longer the same" Honoka said sadly "His cheerfulness had disappeared and a melancholy aura followed him. He seemed to have a great weight over him."

"With his fame and skills he resurrected the Niwa Clan and started isolating from everyone. He even tried to push me aside, giving me a lot of money as thanks for taking care of him all these years. Of course, I negated him." She smiled with melancholy "And decided to still serve him as a servant to be next to her."

"In his state, anything closer would damage him, that's why I opted to take care him as a servant as he wouldn't negate me to try to repair a debt and that's why I always call him master. Taking care like this being the most I can do for him."

"That's also why I was quite happy when you came. It might be impossible for me, but you might be able to make him open. He is clearly different with you. You are his family."

"I'll try" Allen nodded seriously "Thanks to explain it, Honoka."

'But really, what can I do?'

...

Over his room, Tomoki laid sat in a corner in the dark with his right hand covering his face "So you ended up explaining it, Honoka." Tomoki sighed and thought about the lunch with Sara.

Their childhood, their time together, her smile...

*Coug!* *Coug!* Tomoki coughed over his hand, lifting it and seeing traces of black blood.

He clenched his hand "It's really too late..."

...

Three days passed without Tomoki leaving his room when finally Tomoki called for him at his office.

Entering carefully at the office, Allen was worried seeing Tomoki's serious but calm face.

"Are you okay, master? Sorry for-"

"It's not important, Allen. I've already forgiven you." Tomoki quickly interjected "There's something more important" Tomoki said showing a letter in his hand "It's from Snezhnaya."

"What happened?" Allen asked with a mix of worry and curiosity.

"It's an order from her Majesty. She is commanding your return to Snezhnaya."