The Knights Himura

Waking up, Tsukiko felt tired and sore. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut, and she just couldn't muster the strength to open them. Something was holding her in place, and it didn't feel like Fumiko's arms had when she'd gone out.

She tried to move her arms, but couldn't, and when she tried to move her legs, she couldn't move them either. She shook and shuddered, struggling against whatever restrained her, but it wouldn't give, Tsuki finally opening her eyes to see what held her down.

Before her sat Haruka, her face bloodied and beaten, and her arms tied behind her back. She looked angry, like she'd kill her if she could get those ropes undone. She hardly even moved, only her chest rising and falling with each breath.

"Do I have to be a part of this too?" Fumi whined.

Tsuki turned and found Fumiko to her right, tied down too. Sylvie approached them from behind, startling Tsukiko.

"You're important." Sylvie spoke.

"She wouldn't hurt anyone, you know that." Tsukiko countered, not even turning to look at her.

"This is for everyone's protection, okay?" Sylvie walked away.

Tsuki was back home, back in her kitchen. Somehow, they'd dragged her all the way there after she'd fallen unconscious. The place felt so unfamiliar for some reason.

Sylvie walked around the table and Tsuki could finally see her move over to the turntable on the other side of the room, kneeling down to look at the vinyl records stored underneath. Tsuki couldn't bear to look.

"Careful, don't ruin my records." Tsukiko cringed

Sylvie didn't touch anything herself, only muttering the name of a disc to Kazuo, and ordering him to play it. He pulled out the disc, placed it on the record platter, let it spin up to speed, and gently lowered the needle. A bump, then a quiet scratching sound left the speakers as the stylus traveled the groove toward the sombre music.

"Ahh, perfect song." Fumi laughed.

"I'm making a mood, Fumiko. Shut up." A serious look accompanied Sylvie's odd statement.

"So, what are we supposed to be doing here, Sylvie? I got things to do, y'know." Haruka groaned.

"Not enough to avoid getting destroyed by your sister." Sylvie's voice trailed off.

Haru started rocking in her chair. "What did you say, you son of a--"

Sylvie ended Haruka's shouts by walking over and hitting her in the face. "Behave!"

"I-Is that necessary?" Kazuo was startled.

Sylvie grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head, face first, into the table. Haruka still did not speak.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Fumiko looked up at Sylvie.

Haruka did not respond. Another bash, followed by another, and then another.

"Stop!" Fumiko blurted out.

Sylvie's eyes had glazed over, and it wasn't until Fumi shouted at her that she blinked and realized what she was doing. By then, Haruka's face had gone a deep red, tears streaming down her face, but she hadn't spoken a word.

"The hell is your problem, Sylvie?" Fumiko tried her best to stand up.

"Sh-She wasn't following orders, that's all…" Sylvie's voice trailed off.

Everybody went quiet, only the music cutting through the air. It felt horribly awkward, and Tsuki did her best to look away from her sister's bloodied and beaten face.

"Apparently, we all just hate each other now." Fumiko looked down at the wood of the table in shame.

"…I don't hate you." Haruka mumbled.

"I don't believe that" Tsuki couldn't keep eye contact.

Haruka's tears ran more. "No, I really don't."

"...no more lies, Haruka." Tsukiko spoke softly.

"If you really don't hate us, then why fight?" Fumi pleaded.

Haruka looked right at her sister. "Because that jacket is mine."

Tsukiko looked back at her sister. "I don't give a damn about the jacket, Haru."

"It's not like that." Haruka slouched in her chair.

"Then what is it?" Fumiko asked.

"That jacket's all I've got left." Haruka spoke quietly.

"Of what?" The two younger girls replied in unison.

"That jacket's the only thing I have left." Haruka looked forward, but avoided eye contact.

Tsuki grit her teeth. "You care more about that damn jacket than me? If you wanna--"

Haruka cut her off. "I'm sorry, Tsuki… It's hard to explain."

"You haven't lost us yet, Haru." Fumi assured her.

"Just… don't make me lose anything else." Haruka begged.

Tsukiko sighed. "Haru, I don't even know why that jacket's so special."

Haruka paused before speaking. "It's the jacket of a Knight Himura."

Tsuki narrowed her eyes. "What even is a Knight Himura?"

"It's a family title." Haruka sighed.

"A title?" Tsukiko cocked her head slightly.

"I know it sounds dumb, but it's important to me, okay? It's not just a family thing, it's a part of who I am." Haruka seemed embarrassed, yet persistent.

"Well, then it's your title. Why does it matter if I wear it? It'll always be yours." Tsuki shook her head.

Haruka's eyes widened at Tsukiko's answer, then she sighed. "...it doesn't feel like it sometimes."

"Where does the name come from?" Fumi interrupted.

Before she could get her answer from Haruka, Sylvie cut in. "It's from their aunt, Fumi."

"Our aunt?" Tsuki felt even more confused.

"Yeah, Dad's sister. She used to do the same things you and I do, get into fights, stop street gangs, that sort of thing." Haruka suddenly sat up straight.

"You know it's not that simple, Haru." Sylvie scolded Haruka. "The First Knight Himura was a legendary brawler. She was a hero to the people, man. Tough as nails."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Sounds pretty simple to me." Fumi chuckled.

"OK? What's this have to do with me?" Tsukiko held the same serious face.

"Nothing, really, it's just--." Haruka didn't get to finish.

"She needs to know, Haruka." Sylvie leaned against the table. "It's the whole reason you two fought to begin with."

Haru took a deep breath. "Sylvie says this gang is really interested in the Knights Himura for some reason."

"I-is that why they stabbed Fumi?" Tsukiko asked. "Were they targeting me?"

"No, I don't think so. I think it was just a coincidence." Sylvie shook her head. "How would they even know who you are? You're not a Knight."

"We're worried that they might go after the First Knight." Haruka finished.

Fumi looked at Sylvie, then at Haruka. "Who is this First Knight? If she's so important, why haven't I heard of her?"

Sylvie stood next to the table and stretched her arms behind her back, letting out a groan. "She was pretty well known for a while, but she suddenly retired a few years ago."

"Yeah…" Haruka frowned.

Sylvie paused to pull up a chair beside the others. "The First Knight was bound to be a legend. She could topple a whole gang by herself! Fifty dudes with nothing but her bare hands."

Haruka laughed. "I once watched her stop a car by kicking through the windshield."

"Wait, you watched her?" Fumiko frowned.

"Well, yeah, she taught me everything I know!" Haruka pulled out her familiar toothy grin. "Well, not everything."

"So you can kick through a windshield too?" Fumi asked.

"I-It... She made it up on the spot, so she never taught me that." Haru stuttered. "...not much to teach, anyway."

"Just a second ago you were crying, and now you're smiling and laughing." Sylvie teased.

"I wasn't crying, you bashed my head into the ta--"

"Wait, wait, wait, you learned how to fight from our aunt?" Tsuki leaned forward.

"What? You thought I was magically talented? Nah, I'm not that special." Haruka praised herself, just a little.

"Why didn't you ever train Tsuki? The only reason we're still alive is cuz she's picked up a few moves over the years." Fumi's curiosity grew.

Haruka lowered her head to the table. "The First Knight told me to teach you self defense and some other weird shit. I decided against it."

"Why?" Fumi asked.

Haruka leaned back, smiling. "You're small. Weak. You're lucky you've got that rack, or no one would ever take you seriously."

Fumiko laughed.

"I'm taller than you!" Tsuki turned red in embarrassment.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave this to the professionals!" Haruka continued.

"Like hell I will." Tsuki countered.

Haruka raised her voice. "Oh, should I let you do it all on your own then? You think you know how this all works?"

"I've gotten far enough alone already. All you've done so far is whine and complain!" Tsuki shouted.

"I'm keeping your dumb ass in line!" Haruka had a smile full of razor sharp teeth, but her eyes looked angry.

"Yeah, I'll learn so much from the drunk party girl. When was the last time you got in a fight anyways?" Tsuki rolled her eyes. "One you actually won."

"You've beat, what, five guys so far?" Haruka laughed.

"More than you!" Tsuki struggled in her binds.

"I've got years under my belt, dumbass!" Haruka mocked her.

"Hey, what would she think?" Sylvie suddenly cut into their conversation. "What would she think about what you're doing to her? She's your own sister, Haru."

"What would who think?" Fumi turned to Sylvie.

"What would she think?" Sylvie repeated herself, looking down at Haruka.

Haruka sighed, still smiling her strange, shark toothed smile. "I don't know what she would think."

"Yeah you do. You've known her just as long as I have." Sylvie scolded her again.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks, Sylvie." Haruka looked away.

"You know it does. That's the only thing that matters to you nowadays, isn't it?" Sylvie's eye twitched.

Haruka's smile wavered for a second, before growing even bigger.

"You should've seen me in my prime." Haruka was knee deep in nostalgia. "I gave the First Knight a hell of a good fight once."

"Pretty sure you lost that fight." Sylvie smirked. "Badly."

"...point is, that jacket is made for me. I'm not gonna hand it over as long as I've still got my breath. You don't know what I had to go through to get it." Haruka's teeth looked like razor blades.

"Quit living in the past, Haru." Fumiko mocked her again.

"Back off." Haru glared.

"What is it, Haruka? Half the time, I'm not worthy. The other half, you're talking about me replacing you. Pick one." Tsuki raised her voice.

"Back off!" Haruka shouted.

"You can't dance around the subject, Haru." Sylvie scolded her. "Be honest for once in your life, please."

"What the hell am I supposed to say?" Haruka whined.

"Tell me what you want from me!" Tsuki shouted.

"I want you to respect me again!" Haruka shouted back.

"Respect you?"

"I wanna be the big sister again!" Haruka cried out. "You slammed the door in my face when I came back. Sylvie wants to give away my own damn jacket. Just cuz I've been gone, what, a year?"

Tsuki didn't say anything back, and neither did Fumi. Haruka's tears started streaming again, and this time, there was no hiding them, no acting tough and pretending they were some uncontrollable reaction to pain.

"No way it's only been a year." Tsuki said.

A pit formed in Tsukiko's stomach, a pit of guilt deep within her. She felt powerless to stop it from growing, powerless to stop her sister's tears. Even if she wanted to, connecting with her just felt impossible. She couldn't connect to someone who wasn't honest.

"Of course I respect you, Haru." Tsuki admitted. "I just… I can't just forget all of this. I can't forget it all overnight."

"It's you, and Sylvie, and… it feels like everyone's got something against me." Haruka let out quiet sobs.

Sylvie tried to speak. "Haruka--"

"Don't you start with that bullshit, Sylvie. I know what you were doing with my jacket. I thought we were friends. Am I not useful?" Haruka asked.

"Useful?" Fumi asked.

Haruka hissed. "Everybody's fighting for something but me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sylvie prodded.

"You're fighting for Fumi, Sylvie's fighting for her gang. What the hell do I have? I can't even protect my little sister…" Haruka grit her teeth. "What the fuck am I fighting for?"

"You don't have to protect us, idiot." Fumi snapped. "We just want Haruka. We don't want a Knight."

Haruka lowered her head onto the table.

Tsukiko sighed and began speaking. "Haruka, as angry as I am, I think I get you right now. You don't have to protect me. I want you back. I don't care about that jacket. I left the top bunk empty for you all this time. Not for some damn coat."

Haruka looked at her sister.

"I'm not here to tell you what you've done wrong. I'm not here to scold you. I'm not here to replace you. I'm sorry for what I did. I was angry. I just don't want whatever this is dragging us both down, okay?" Tsuki's voice shook. "I'm still hurt by everything that happened, but… I can move on. I can forget it eventually. I'm mad cuz I lost my sister, not cuz I hate you."

Haruka bit her lip. "And what about the others? I-I don't want you guys to hate me."

"You know better, Haru. Fumi and I aren't mad at you. Dad's hit the bottle hard since you left. You really think you could just cut yourself off and we'd forget about you? I still remember all the good times we had. I still remember you as my sister, not as some stranger." Tsukiko didn't have the courage to look her sister in the eye as she spoke.

Fumiko picked up where Tsukiko left off. "That goes for me too. We practically grew up together, Haru! I've known you my whole life. I might get mad at you, but I'll never hate you."

"...you mean that?" Haru asked.

"Haru, I've never lied to you before, have I? My opinion of you hasn't changed. I'm sorry for being mad at you this whole time." Tsuki's voice cracked.

"She's right, you know." Sylvie continued. "I'm not mad at you either, Haruka. There's no way I'm trying to replace you or whatever the hell you've got brewing in your head."

"Then what are you doing?" Haruka turned to her.

Sylvie turned red. "I… thought it would be cool to have two Knights out there. I thought it'd bring us good luck, y'know?"

Haruka's frown faded, then it slowly turned into a smile. "Hah, that's kinda lame, Sylvie."

"Hey, it's true!" Sylvie insisted. "I like Tsuki. She's cool. I like you too. Why do we have to choose all of a sudden? You're our friend, Haru. You've always been our friend, even when you were gone."

"Thanks, Sylvie." Haruka blinked.

"Feeling better?" Fumiko asked.

"Yeah, a lot better." Haruka leaned back in her chair.

"Can you guys untie me? My leg's falling asleep." Fumi complained.

Sylvie paused. "Oh, uhh… alright."