The Knights Himura

Tsuki watched as the paramedics loaded Fumi onto a stretcher, and then onto an ambulance. She watched them all working as fast as they could, shouting orders at one another, and watched Fumi's still body disappear behind the van's two back doors.

Then, the police took Tsuki away in the police patrol car that'd followed the ambulance the whole way there. They didn't put her in handcuffs, but the treatment she got was still cold nonetheless. She hadn't expected any better from the police.

When she arrived, not a soul spoke to her before she was shoved into a cold interrogation room. She sat there, alone, for hours, sitting on an uncomfortable metal chair, at a scuffed up wooden table surrounded by mirrors.

It was clear that the room was designed to break the spirit of anyone unfortunate enough to end up there. Besides the uncanniness of seeing one's own form repeated over and over in the mirrors, there was a constant droning buzz of fluorescent lights hanging overhead and bathing the whole room in an unpleasant, bluish white light.

The sound of it all drilled into Tsuki's brain, not just the fluorescent, but the constant ticking of the clock hung over the door hammering into her head over and over with each passing second. Every minute spent there felt like an ungodly eternity, as though it was she herself who'd committed some great crime.

Finally, a police officer entered the room, sharply dressed, even for someone of his position, in a suit and tie and clean shaven with slicked back hair. He walked in quickly, then closed the door behind him, running his hands down his shirt and pants to straighten himself out.

He turned suddenly, as though he hadn't expected Tsuki to be there, waiting for him. He stared at her for a second, sizing her up, then narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. Tsuki stared back up at him, a sense of dread settling in.

After an agonizing moment of silence, the man in the suit finally sat down across from her, sighed, then placed a clipboard down onto the table. "So, your name is… Himura Tsukiko, correct?"

"Yes." Tsukiko answered as formally as she could, just like she'd been taught.

"...haven't heard that name in a while." The officer muttered under his breath.

"Huh?"

"You friend was stabbed, right?" His voice was cold and blunt, uninterested.

Tsuki tried her best not to let her emotions get the better of her. "Yes."

"Nakano… Fumiko? That her?" The officer didn't even bother to look away from the clipboard.

"Uh huh."

"So, do you know who did it? Did you see his face?" The officer asked rather bluntly.

"No, I couldn't. He was wearing a mask. Didn't I already tell you guys this?" Tsuki replied.

The officer leaned forward. "So a masked man stabbed her in the middle of the street."

Tsuki nodded. "…Yes, sir. It was a man in a white mask and black robes. He pulled out a knife and tried to mug us."

The officer leaned forward further, moving his head past the fluorescent bulbs. Deep, dark shadows obscured his face, with the light giving the rest of his head an otherworldly glow. The only detail Tsukiko could make out was his narrowed eyes and irritated look. Tsuki realized that, in his mind, she was already guilty.

"Y'know, I've heard stories of kids bullying each other, and it can get real bad." The man replied without care. "Sometimes, it gets so bad, people can get hurt. They can get hurt badly."

"What, you think I'm making this up?" Tsukiko looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"I can think of plenty of reasons not to believe you."

"Then why don't you ask Fumiko? She was there too, y'know!" Tsuki grit her teeth.

"So you're saying I should throw your ass into a cell and hope the victim gives me some real answers?" He spoke with an inhumane coldness.

Tsukiko shivered. "Y-you really think I did it?"

The man paused before speaking again. "You seriously think I'm going to take some high school girl's word? You had more blood on your blouse than she did on hers."

In the middle of the chaos, yes, Tsukiko had gotten blood on her own clothes. Still, she knew that it didn't matter. Fumiko wasn't dead, and the man who tried to kill her had gotten away.

"I held her!" Tsuki cried in frustration. "I was scared, I had to do something!"

The man reached forward and grabbed her by the hair. "And what about the knife?"

"Let go!" Tsukiko tried to swat his arm away.

"You're telling me someone left a knife covered in your fingerprints at the scene of a crime? A stabbing?" The officer tightened his grip.

This only angered her more. "He let go of the knife when he ran off! What the hell was I supposed to do? I panicked!"

"And he did it for no reason?" The man ignored her.

"Yeah!"

He tugged on Tsukiko's hair. "What are you involved in?"

For a moment, the light revealed the man's face again, and up close, Tsuki could finally get a good look at him. His voice sounded old, but his face was too young to be a detective, maybe even too young to be a police officer.

His face got so close to hers that she could feel his warm, disgusting breath. She wanted to fight him, to just go rabid, to break from his grasp and beat him to a blood pulp, but she knew better. Any trouble with the police now would doom her.

Suddenly, the door swung wide open, and a large man with greying hair and a badge on his chest stepped into the room.

"Officer, what do you think you're doing?" The old man bellowed.

The man in the suit finally let Tsuki go, hiding his hands behind his back like he was a misbehaving child. Tsuki nearly fell to the floor, barely managing to stop herself at the edge of the table. The old man walked over and grabbed the officer, tossing him aside.

"I don't care what you think, no officer worth his salt ever treats a young woman like this!" The old man shouted louder and louder.

"B-but Chief!"

"You're a disgrace! You think you can get away with abusing people just because you can hide behind your badge? Huh?" The grey haired man was nearly blind with rage.

"N-no, sir, you don't--"

The old man marched forward, slamming the young officer against the mirrored wall and held him there, shouting orders into his face. He then tossed him aside like he weighed nothing, sending the officer to the ground. All he could do was hold up his hands and beg for mercy.

"...and if you can't show people common decency, then get back to your desk, grab your things and get the hell out!" The aged man kicked the officer on the ground and forced him out of the room.

Tsuki let out a sigh of relief. Just one look at the old man and she knew she was finally dealing with someone of some importance. If anyone could help her find Fumi's would-be killer, it'd be him.

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He slowly paced over to the table, sitting down at the table across from Tsuki, where the other officer had been. His eyes looked tired, but he put on the kindest looking face an angry old man could muster for her, his lips curling into a little smile.

It was a shift so sudden, it was almost off-putting, but it was just the look of a professional. Even behind that, though, Tsuki could tell he was still pissed.

"Sorry about that, ma'am. Some of the recruits run around acting like they own the place. Brings my blood to a boil…" His hands were still squeezed into fists.

"...no, thank you."

After that, they both went quiet. The conflict was over, but it happened so suddenly that neither of them knew how to get the conversation going again. Tsuki would've spoken, but it felt like there was something in her throat, choking her.

The old man faked a cough, as if to try to break the ice in the most pathetic way imaginable. They both looked away from one another, their faces both deep red in embarrassment. Tsuki laughed, and then he laughed, and they could finally speak.

"I read about your case. I'm sorry about what happened. This is way too much for a kid like you to be going through right now." The old man put his hand near Tsuki's. "If you wanna just go home right now, I understand. I won't hold it against you. We can talk again tomorrow."

His gesture was wrong, ill times and out of place. In any other situation, Tsuki would've flinched and pulled her hand away. From the look in his eyes, though, she could tell he was just trying to do his best. She could see his sincerity.

"I really didn't mean to cause any trouble. I wanted to cooperate, but I just couldn't get through to him." Tsukiko admitted meekly.

"I heard most of it, don't worry. I would've done something earlier, but I couldn't. Legal tells me I should wait till he does something illegal. That's the rules." He seemed almost regretful as he pulled his hand away.

Tsuki shook her head. "It's fine, really."

"You don't have to act polite." The man chuckled. "You can be angry. You should be angry. You're not some push over, trust me, I can see it in your eyes."

"Sorry."

The old man tried to get back on topic. "He... had good reason to doubt you. Most people think it's just a myth."

"...I was starting to doubt myself, too." Tsukiko muttered.

"It's real, alright. Just... don't go around spreading any rumors, okay?" He paused. "I shouldn't say this, but we don't have many solid leads. Too many… other things to focus on. Even then, it's better if you just leave it to us, okay?"

"...of course." Tsuki nodded.

Another silence settled and this time, neither of them was brave enough to try to break it. The old man looked like he realized he just said something he shouldn't. He wanted to take it all back, but it was too late.

The old man got up, motioning for Tsuki to get up too. He led her through the station, past all the other officers and detectives, straight out the door without another word. Before she returned to freedom, though, he handed her a ragged old hoodie.

"What's this?" Tsuki asked.

"I need you to change out of those bloody clothes. I can't have you making a scene, okay? Head home before you head anywhere else. Your parents'll be worried sick."

"...right."

–

She had to head home before going to the hospital. Those were the rules, but Tsuki knew there wasn't going to be anyone waiting for her. She just marched into her room and changed into the best clothes she could muster. She wanted to look sharp before heading to the hospital.

Tsuki hoped that, maybe, Fumi'd already made it out of surgery and she could get to see her. She hoped that if she dressed up all nice and pretty, she could bring a smile to her face. Nothing else really mattered.

The hospital Fumi'd been taken to was far, and the trains were busy that hour. It'd take forever to push through the crowds and get onto the subway, so she just started walking. She was already exhausted, but she didn't feel much better just sitting around. She dragged herself through the hospital doors, ignoring the strange looks she got from limping the whole way there.

It was the homestretch, just a few more steps till she made it to the front desk. Mercifully, there wasn't some long line or absurd wait, just a young man in an office chair, distracted by something on his phone.

He didn't seem to notice her at first, standing here, waiting for him to look at her. She gave him a few seconds before she knocked on the desk, startling him and making him nearly drop his phone. He gasped when he saw her, then cleared his throat and did his best to regain his composure.

"Tell me where Fumiko is." Tsuki muttered as the worker quickly bowed his head.

He did his best to quickly don a professional smile. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. Could you be a bit more specific?"

"The one that got stabbed. She's my friend."

Something in his head clicked. "Ahhh, Nakano Fumiko. Poor thing, huh? I'm surprised nobody from the news has come over yet. I guess stabbings aren't a big deal in Tokyo anymore."

"Yeah, just lemme know where her room is." Tsuki responded blankly.

The receptionist was seemingly caught off guard by Tsukiko's harsh tone. "Room five-oh-eight, ma'am!"

"Uhh…"

"Fifth floor, Last room on the right. She's just out of surgery, so she might be asleep, okay?"

Even with all the big, inviting windows and nice paintings lining the walls, a hospital would always be a hospital, cold and sterile. It was always going to be a dreadful, white-walled prison where people went to die. Nothing could change that.

There was a cold air in the place, with a powerful chill that could cut all the way down to the bone, and an ever present chemical smell. It wasn't sweet, or sour, or bitter, just… strange. Every room in the hospital was filled with beeping or ringing phones or some other kind of irritating noise.

When Tsukiko reached room five hundred and eight, she burst in through the door. The sounds of the rest of the hospital went silent. The cold air was now warm. The red and orange glow of a sunset bathed the white walls in color.

It was as if this room existed in its own little nook, detached from the rest of the world. There was a sense of bittersweet peace in knowing that that horrible day would soon be over, despite everything that'd happened.

Nakano Fumiko laid in a hospital bed in the far corner of the room. She sat, watching the sunset through a massive curved pane of glass. Fumi could see the entire Tokyo skyline from her bed.

Tsukiko approached Fumiko, half her face in shadow, the other half a deep amber and crimson. Fumi's bluish-green eyes gleamed, reflecting the gentle sunlight as she turned to Tsukiko, a tired smile on her face.

For a moment, they both forgot their pains, feeling satisfied knowing that the other was safe, but it didn't last. The sunset was still gorgeous, yet far detached from the awful situation at hand. It was cruel, as if the sights outside existed just to tease them and remind them of how it was almost all torn from them.

Tsuki approached the glass, trying her best to clear her mind. She wanted to let her skin soak up the last few moments of the day's precious light. It wouldn't be long before the sun was at the end of the horizon and the moon would rise in its place.

"Tsuki." Fumi's weak voice tore through the numbing sounds of medical equipment. "You came."

"Of course I came, Fumi. Why wouldn't I?" Tsuki turned back to Fumi, approaching her slowly.

"I was afraid." Fumiko admitted.

"Afraid of what?"

"I don't know. I knew you'd be worried about me, but--"

"I was worried. Now that you're safe, I'll be here, doing my best for you, okay?"

The two girls soothed each other with their presence. Just seeing that both of them were okay was enough to take a great weight off of both of their shoulders.

"I would've been here sooner, but… I got dragged into some trouble with the cops." Tsuki sighed.

"Huh? What happened?" The bedridden Fumi asked.

Tsukiko took a deep breath and explained. "Some rookie cop thought I was the one that stabbed you. He was about to try to beat a confession outta me."

"What the hell?" Fumi laughed. "Please, I would've slapped that knife out of your hand."

She laughed harder, 'til she started coughing.

"You alright?" Tsukiko approached Fumi, placing her hand on the wounded girl's chest.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay, but it still hurts." Fumi took a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. "What happened next?"

"This old dude saved me." Tsuki continued. "Seemed like an alright guy. Sounds like they're having trouble finding the guy that did it, though."

"Couldn't even stab me right. Probably just some kid in a mask." Fumi smiled through the pain. "C'mere."

Fumiko motioned for Tsuki to lean in close, and made her turn her head as if to whisper, before kissing her on the cheek.

"Hey, don't trick me like that." Tsuki backed off.

"It's a good luck kiss. Madame Jeanne told me they'd protect the people I love."

"Madame Jeanne?"

"My fortune teller." Fumi explained.

"Fumi, you think every foreigner you meet is some sort of magician or witch or whatever." Tsuki chastised her.

Fumi raised her voice a little. "Hey, she's legit! She even runs a little shop."

"Uh huh." Tsuki rolled her eyes.

Fumiko chuckled. "You're too serious sometimes, Tsukiko. Lighten up, it's okay."

Tsuki lowered her head. "Fine, fine. Just… don't do it too much, it's embarrassing."

"As if you have anything to hide." Fumi chuckled.

Tsukiko and Fumiko talked until the sun was just a light golden sliver on the horizon. They kept talking for a while after moonrise. They held each other's hand. Tsuki enjoyed the time spent with her friend.

Deep down, though, she felt all wrong. Her mind settled on the stabbing, on how it happened, and what happened immediately after. Not knowing who did it, knowing that he got away, all of it kept her unsatisfied and worried and scared.

Over and over, Tsuki found herself distracted by the thought that she had done something wrong. She blamed herself for what happened. She felt frustrated. She felt like she hadn't done enough. She felt helpless and afraid, and she hated it.

As she watched Fumiko fall asleep, Tsuki made a vow to herself to protect her. She forced herself to come up with ways to be strong again. She needed to know why it all happened. She let these thoughts linger in her head until she blacked out in the chair next to the hospital bed.