The Knights Himura

After the rain came a strong, harsh sunlight that dried the streets and seemingly lifted away the sorrows of the world. Haruka's face was the first thing Tsuki saw that morning, with a big toothy smile that felt like her own joy was the one who'd forced away the storm.

Still, the air was still heavy, humid and horrible, as if to remind both Fumi and Tsuki that their actions hadn't disappeared with the rain. Tsuki could still hear the man's voice in her mind, still panicked when she remembered the time she spent standing at the wrong end of a gun.

Being dragged around by the wrist wasn't what Tsuki'd expected from her older sister, but without a direct goal in sight, she couldn't reasonably refuse her. First they walked the city streets, then ended up in the city's back alleys and underpasses, weaving through some of the most deteriorated and dilapidated Tsukiko had ever seen.

Haruka led Tsukiko to an abandoned warehouse near the outskirts of the city center. The outer shell of the building was painted white, but it was starting to peel off, and the exposed metal underneath was starting to turn a rusty shade of orange brown. A huge metal door stood at the front, Haruka approaching it and pulling on the handle. The door squeaked and squealed as she forced it open, revealing the dimly lit inside.

A strong wind blew from inside, seemingly produced by large industrial fans hanging from the ceiling, a loud wobbly drone echoing from their old frames. It wasn't an awful noise, but it was a hell of a lot louder than what was needed for the few people standing inside.

A small crowd of masked people stood around inside, all of them on alert, and all of them watching Tsukiko and her sister. Tsuki felt sick under their gaze, not knowing whether to run or fight. She followed Haruka's lead as she kept walking deeper inside.

Behind the masked men was a big wooden stage, with a microphone stand at the center. Their leader, Sylvie, stood with the microphone in her hand, centimeters away from her mouth.

"Yo, yo, yo! There they are, the two toughest brawlers in town!" Sylvie shouted into the microphone, her voice followed by harsh ringing feedback.

Tsukiko turned toward Haruka. "Brawlers? We're not here to fight, are we?"

Haru laughed nervously. "N-No, of course not."

Her toothy grin and narrowed eyes betrayed her.

"Get up on stage, girls!" Sylvie's voice bellowed from the huge speakers on stage.

Tsukiko and Haruka cut through the crowd slowly, Tsuki taking great care to look out for any sudden movements as she passed, but they made it through without a hitch.

Sylvie addressed the crowd. "Yo, this is Tsukiko…"

"Himura Tsukiko." Haruka awkwardly corrected her.

"This is Himura Tsukiko!" Sylvie shouted again.

No sound came from the masked people, no reaction or even stirring from the crowd, just blank stares back at Sylvie. Any excitement they could have would probably be drowned out by the fans overhead.

Haru nudged Sylvie. "Try not to make a big deal about her. She's just a kid."

Tsukiko tried her best to ignore the comment.

"She's helping us fight off the other guys!" Sylvie's voice blared once more.

Almost half the audience applauded, albeit slowly. There was still an awkward air in the room, with Sylvie trying her best to appeal to a dead crowd. Their blank faces made it impossible to really read their mood anyway.

"Hey, c'mon! One of those guys stabbed her best friend!" Sylvie tried her best to appeal to their empathy.

It only got worse, as they looked around the room, silently and awkwardly, some even shuffling around quietly. The tension that was in the room went uneasy, feeling more like shaded grief. Luckily, there were a few quiet murmurs that indicated that Sylvie's audience was at least somewhat invested in what she'd told them.

Sylvie approached the two uncomfortable guests. "Alright, I got a job for you two."

"What is it?" Both Himura sisters asked in almost perfect sync.

"Haruka, you stay here." Sylvie then turned to Tsukiko. "…and you take care of Lily for me."

"Huh?" Tsuki was caught off guard

Sylvie continued. "I wanna see if the so-called Second Knight Himura still has what it takes."

Tsukiko interrupted them. "Second Knight Himura?"

Sylvie turned to Haruka. "She doesn't know?"

Haruka shook her head. "Why would she?"

"Seriously?"

"Sorry."

"Whatever." Sylvie whistled and Lily came running to her side. "Your big sis Tsukiko here is gonna take care of you for the day."

As strange of a job it seemed, Tsuki couldn't really complain. A day with Lily sounded fun.

"Tsuki!" Lily cried as she ran up and hugged her.

Tsuki was about to ask what exactly she needed to do to care for Lily, or what the job entailed, but before she could speak a word, Lily had already dragged her off the stage.

--

"Wait, wait, what do you need me for?" Tsuki pleaded.

"I need you to protect me!" Lily stomped her feet, but her face still carried a defiant smile.

Tsuki stopped for a moment. "From what?"

"From those weird masked guys!" Lily shouted back.

Tsukiko paused for a moment before she replied. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"C'mon, hurry up!" Lily dragged harder.

Lily slowly but surely dragged the much larger girl toward the city's center.

"What're you doing with those guys anyways? You could get hurt." Tsuki started.

"Sylvie's my friend!" Lily replied, interrupted by her voice straining with each tug on Tsuki's arm.

"…is she protecting you from the other guys?"

"Yeah, but she calls them something weird." Lily slowed down to talk.

"They have a name?" Tsuki shrugged.

Lily dragged her around a corner. "They're called the Damascenes and Shakudos, I think."

"Wait, which one's which?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Lily struggled to pull Tsuki along. "Sylvie's gang is the Damascenes. The other guys are called Shakudos."

"Those names are kinda lame, not gonna lie."

Without realizing it Tsukiko'd been dragged into a classic style ramen shop, the owner standing behind a counter, watching her and Lily enter. The whole place was lit in red and orange light, just bright enough for the few customers in the dining area to see what they were eating. Everything inside was authentically old, with all wood furniture and warm colors on the walls. A nice scent escaped the kitchen, embedded in the thick steam, like a savoury, tasty fog.

"Oh, is this girl your sister, Lily?" The older man turned toward Tsuki and smiled.

Tsuki waved to the man. "No, I'm just taking care of her for the day."

Lily spoke to the man quietly before he turned to Tsukiko once more. "Oh, you must be Haruka's sister! Take good care of Miss Guillemot, will you?"

The ramen show owner reached down and tousled Lily's hair, before turning back to the counter and placing three boxes into a plastic bag. He motioned for Tsukiko and gave her the bag, the smell of food wafting up and out.

After, the chef pulled Tsuki aside and spoke quietly. "Be careful out there, okay?"

"Don't worry about me, I can handle it." Tsuki smiled.

"If you're anything like your sister, I know you'll be fine. Still, you never know what's out there." The Chef whispered.

"My sister." Tsuki asked. "...is there something she's not telling me?"

The chef stood in thought before replying. "Himura Haruka, right? She's a good person, you know. I owe her a lot."

"...why?"

"If I told you, I'd be here all day, telling you all her stories." The man answered. "I can't waste your time here, Lily's got places to be! Take good care of her, y'hear?"

"Oh, uhh…" Tsuki took a moment to respond. "I'll do my best."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "That girl's been dealt a bad hand, and I don't want her to suffer any more than she already has."

"Alright, alright, jeez." Tsuki backed away.

The chef laughed. "Sorry, us old guys like to ramble, too many stories to tell. Get going now, alright?'

"C'mon, let's go!" Lily shouted.

"Coming!" Tsuki shouted back.

Tsukiko nodded to the restaurant owner, and he nodded back. Lily started shoving Tsukiko out the door, so she waved and turned to let herself be dragged away once again.

–

"How do you know all these people, Lily? The hospital staff, Sylvie, that ramen shop guy…" Tsuki struggled to keep up.

Lily turned back with a grin. "I like to walk around. I meet people. It's fun."

Tsuki couldn't find fault in her observation. "Well, my Dad always told me the world was all about making connections."

Again, Lily led Tsukiko to some strange part of town, something Tsuki was starting to get used to. Still, it seemed that no matter where she went, Lily rarely ever strayed far from a river, always ending up not far from the water.

"Where're we heading, Lily?" Tsuki's arm grew sore from carrying the bag.

"Not much further. I'm meeting some friends!" Lily didn't turn around, she just kept moving forward.

Their surroundings deteriorated the closer they got to their destination, with emptier streets and more litter scattered around, their colors all faded from the sun. The road at their feet was a patchwork of hasty repairs to pot holes and cracks in the asphalt and pavement.

Lily eventually turned into an empty lot nestled between two buildings, with sheet metal and tarpaulin shacks sitting on the grass. Two women and a man stepped out of their shelters as Lily shouted for them, covered in worn and damaged clothes, all repaired over and over with patches and thread. Over everything, they wore loose, oversized coats and old hats to protect themselves from the sun.

"Lilith!" One of the women ran forward with her arms out.

Once they'd had their brief hug, Lily pulled the plastic bag out of Tsuki's hand and placed it on the ground in front of them, and started taking out the boxes, handing them to the people.

"These two are for you guys." Lily smiled.

The other woman approached Tsukiko. Remarkably, she had long hair that reached down to her knees.

The long haired woman took Tsukiko's hand and shook it. "Thank you, hon!"

Tsukiko struggled to speak. "n-no…"

"Dear, there's nothin' to be afraid of. If anything, we should be afraid of you." The woman chuckled. "Please, we're not gonna hurt ya."

Her jolly nature seemed infectious, and a smile spread onto Tsukiko's face. "No, no, I'm not here for any trouble."

"See, darling? Smile more, you look cuter." The woman winked.

Tsukiko wanted to keep talking, but Lily called her back out onto the street.

"Oh, I gotta go." Tsuki bowed her head and turned around.

"Don't be so formal! See ya later!" The woman shouted.

The people waved to Tsuki as she left.

–

Lily took Tsukiko to a small bank under a bridge, overlooking the river. To get there, they both had to kneel down, Tsuki almost crawling, to enter a small opening. Inside was a small, boxy shelter, made of sheet metal and pieces of wood. As Lily crawled inside, Tsuki could see that the interior was much nicer than the messy exterior.

The floor inside was lined with a plastic tarp, keeping things surprisingly dirt and dust free. At one corner, Lily had organized cans of food, and at the other end were cardboard boxes and plastic filing bins full of old photo albums and what looked like memoirs. A pillow and a blanket served as Lily's bed, and the far wall had an opening so she could look out to the water whenever she wanted.

"Is this where you live?" Tsuki asked in shock.

Lily opened up the last box. "Yep. Now let's eat!"

The box opened up to a mess of assorted meats and noodles. It looked like it was a mixture of whatever the chef had lying around. Lily shoved a fork into Tsuki's hand, urging her to eat some. Tsuki was hesitant, but when she finally got some in her mouth, the taste was sensational.

"So… how do you know those people?" Tsuki asked between bites.

"They let me stay here." Lily replied with her mouth full.

"And the ramen shop guy?" Tsukiko dug her fork back into the food.

"Met him last year. I was hungry." Lily scratched her head.

Tsukiko paused to think, before finally replying. "It's amazing. You've gone through so much and you still drag yourself up. You're tough."

Lily kept eating, with no response.

"I wish I was that strong…" Tsuki stopped eating for a moment. "I still get depressed when I think of Fumiko."

Lily stared off into the river. "Why? You should be so happy. You should be so glad."

Tsuki sighed. "No matter how much I try to forget, I always remember how scared I was when she got hurt… I felt so helpless."

Lily turned to her. "But things worked out in the end. She's still here. You don't have to be scared anymore."

Tsuki looked down at her feet. "Well, yeah, of course."

Lily muttered something in her native tongue. "Accroche-toi à ton rêve."

"What?"

Lily cleared her throat to do a dramatic voice. "It means 'hang on to your dreams'."

"Huh." Tsuki turned to Lily.

"Even though you're scared, you keep going. You're strong. You don't give up, even when you feel helpless." Lily smiled. "You're strong."

"I'm not that strong." Tsuki slurped up some food. "Only cuz I was given a second chance. I'm nowhere near as tough as you. Even after all you've lost, you're still fighting to survive out here. It's not easy, is it?"

"Yeah, it's hard sometimes." Lily answered bluntly.

"...don't you get scared?" Tsuki asked.

"Sometimes."

"...do you miss your parents?" Tsuki looked at her.

"I'm not sure." Lily spoke quietly. "I can't say I lost them if they were never there to begin with."

"...sorry." Tsukiko frowned. "You're a lot more mature than you look."

"I want to be stronger too." Lily hid her face.

"Why?"

"So I don't have to lose anyone. So I never have to be afraid of losing them like you were." Lily sniffed.

Tsukiko put an arm around Lily. "That's noble."

"But, I have no family, no--"

Tsuki stopped her. "Of course you have a family, Lily. All your friends. Me, and Haruka and Sylvie. We're all your family."

Lily teared up a little. "I know… I just… It still hurts. I don't know if I should be sad. I feel like I hardly even knew them."

Tsuki hugged the girl. "You're too young to be so sad. You're already tough as nails. C'mon, smile."

"I'll try." Lily wiped her face.

Tsuki shook her head. "I'll make sure you'll smile. I'll make sure you're not sad anymore. I'll do my best to be the big sister you deserve."

Lily forced back her tears and hugged Tsukiko.

They sat like this for a while before they heard a strange voice. "Uhmm, Miss… Himura?"