The Knights Himura

"Hey, Tsuki, wake up."

Tsukiko let out a strange sound. "Whuh?"

"It's morning already, get up." Fumiko nagged her like it was any other day.

Tsuki stretched out her arms. "It's Sunday, Fumi…"

"I'd like some privacy, madame." Fumi put on her best noble sounding voice.

"Fiiiiiine."

Tsuki stretched her arms out as far as she could, before slumping back down in the chair. She blinked once, then twice, then her eyes closed and she started falling back asleep. Fumi hit her again.

She shot up like a rocket, different parts of Tsuki's body all cracking and popping back into place. Sleeping in that uncomfortable hospital chair had not been kind to her back.

In an effort to look a bit more presentable, Tsuki ran her fingers through her hair, then down her now wrinkled clothes. The light from the window struck her face, stinging her eyes, blinding her for a moment. Her throat was dry, and her head hurt.

Through the window came the clear, hopeful white light of a mid-morning sun, with the deep blue of the sky and the whites of massive clouds floating across all of it. A few more seconds of this powerful light was enough to wake Tsuki right back up.

Tsuki stepped up to the window and looked down. The people of Tokyo were nothing but black specks wandering around below, walking in orderly lines like rows and rows of worker ants leaving the hive.

Massive skyscrapers dotted the skyline, reflecting the world on their glass facades. They were like massive mirrors, projecting the rest of the world before her.

Fumi fidgeted impatiently. "Can you go already?"

"Why?"

"Cuz if you don't leave now, your parents'll call and the staff'll get mad and blah blah blah, you know the drill. Just get out." Fumi was well and truly adamant.

Tsuki shook her head. "Fumi, you know my Dad's too drunk to care."

"What about your Mom then?" Fumi retorted.

"She moved out, remember?"

Fumiko sighed. "If you don't go now, you're gonna plop down next to me and waste the entire day. Don't make me feel like a burden. Just go live your life, OK? The doctors'll take care of me."

Tsuki was almost offended, but Fumi had a point. "Fine, I'll... bring over a souvenir or something. I'll be back later, alright?"

As she turned away, Fumiko grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Don't get hurt, alright? Please, just stay safe. Don't get dragged into anyth--" Fumi held onto Tsukiko's sleeve.

"I won't, I won't. God, trust me a little, Fumi. If you start worrying now, you're not gonna last a week in here." Tsukiko pulled off Fumi's arm and walked out. "Trust me. All that worrying's gonna make it harder for you to recover. Alright?"

Fumiko frowned, turning to look out the window, then back down at her own wounded body.

–

Tsuki'd lied to her. The first thing she did was return to the crime scene to satisfy her own morbid curiosity. Her legs had carried her there, but her eyes avoided the place all they could. She tried to fight off the urge to look.

She walked past the alley where it'd happened, only looking through the peripheral edge of her vision at first. She could see a few other people walking through there, like nothing had ever happened. The sight of it bothered her.

Finally, she turned. She took a good look down the alley and saw nothing. There wasn't a police officer standing guard, or even any yellow tape to indicate something had happened there, that a crime had been committed there. She leaned in closer, but turned away when she thought she'd seen the red stains on the ground.

Tsuki walked away, just walking in any direction, the one that would take her away from that place the fastest. Beyond that, there wasn't anything for her to do. She couldn't just wander around aimlessly all day to keep herself entertained, and going home definitely wasn't an option. She felt so alone.

Instead, she wanted to move. Tsuki's legs begged to walk, to carry her some place, all in an effort to help her clear her thoughts. She scrounged through her wallet and her pockets, grabbing whatever money she had and started for the electronics district. She'd promised Fumiko a souvenir, after all.

Living in Tokyo her whole life, there were a few places Tsukiko felt truly at home in, and the electronics district was one of those places. No matter what time it was, or however many times she'd run up and down and through each shop, it was still a somewhat exotic, interesting place. She always had a childlike excitement for what awaited her there.

Everything there was always new and shiny, whether it be some new revolution in technology, or a new pretty girl or handsome guy there to sell it. No matter what, Tsukiko always found something to catch her eye every time she visited.

Sure, from the outside looking in, the culture was probably a bit strange, even questionable, but she really couldn't complain about it. She loved every moment of it, especially the way that even she could fit right in, no questions asked.

Each shop had its own fun twist to it, all of them selling a mix of useful and useless. Shopping itself was the spectacle, each place had merchandise stacked from the floor all the way to the ceiling, and everything was going to be plucked clean by the end of the week. Life moved fast in the electronics district.

Tsuki looked all over, her eyes scanning for whatever place would sell something she deemed worthy of Fumiko's approval. After a while, she opted to head to her favorite otaku novelty shop, since her friend had a big soft spot for the strange and bizarre. That, and her wallet was a bit too light to afford a real gift.

Just as she was about to enter, though, a scream echoed from down the street. Going against Fumi's word, and her better judgement, Tsuki ran after the sound, ending up at the edge of a large crowd formed in front of one of the other stores.

Tsukiko did her best to look through the cracks and gaps between all the customers and tourists, catching a glimpse of the people in the middle, a man and a woman. There was a middle aged woman fighting desperately for her purse, the thief wearing a black robe and porcelain mask.

The crowd fell aside as Tsukiko muscled her way through, pushing through them with no hesitation. The robed man was too preoccupied to notice, now kicking and stomping on the poor woman. Her shouts and screams grew louder as the rest of the people around her watched in concerned silence.

"You asshole!"

Tsuki lunged forward, punching the robed man in the head. He stumbled, but didn't even look in Tsukiko's direction as he moved forward to stomp on the woman one last time and finally snatch the purse away.

A gap formed in the crowd at one end, letting the robed man slip out undeterred. Tsuki chased after him, but the crowd reconnected and stopped her. She had to resort to pushing, shoving, and squeezing her way through the mass of people.

The robed figure ran down the street at immense speed, and Tsuki ran after him, doing everything she could to gain on him. An unusual grace settled itself in her legs, letting her effortlessly dodge the upturned trash cans and passersby in her path as she pushed closer and closer to the masked man. She hardly even had to think about what she was doing, it all felt like she'd done it a million times before.

Once she'd caught up to him, the man in the white mask turned and ran into an apartment building, Tsukiko only slowing down to avoid knocking down the people walking inside. She watched him desperately run up a tall set of spiral stairs at the end of the main hall, and as he slowly left her view, she could hear his stomping steps echo back down.

Tsuki took a second to catch her breath, then grabbed a railing and forced herself up the stairs, around and around the spiral. She could still hear him getting higher and higher, till she heard him swing open a door and break into a run again.

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At the top of the stairs, Tsukiko found a door with a small red light above it, and forced her way through. Sunlight broke through, and she found herself on the building's roof, cornering the masked man.

She watched the masked man take a few steps like he was going to jump to another nearby building, but he stopped himself at the last second. Tsuki'd run up at least a couple stories, and a jump that high would surely break his legs, or worse.

Out of options, all the robed figure could do was turn around and look at Tsukiko, who stood there, watching him. He raised his hands in a panic, surrendering to her.

"I-I get it, okay? I fucked up. Just stay back." The hooded figure finally spoke.

As Tsukiko approached, he reached into his cloak to pull out a knife, but fumbled. The knife's blade opened, but it slipped out of his hands, hitting the roof, then falling down to the pavement below. Even from up there, Tsuki could hear it hit the asphalt.

"G-get outta here, kid!" The robed man shouted.

Tsuki approached him slowly. He tried to back away, but they were already so close to the edge.

"What'd she do to you, huh?" Tsuki stared at the mask.

"Nothing, I just… needed the money." The figure held his hands up.

Tsukiko grabbed the man's arm, before jabbing him in the stomach. "What the hell did she do to you?"

"I just wanted some quick cash! The purse is over there just take it and--"

"No. Why did you stab my friend?" Tsuki struck him again.

"Stab? I didn't--"

"Why'd you stab her?" Tsuki shouted

"I didn't stab anybody!" The man pleaded.

Tsuki pulled her arm back again, and the man tried, desperately, to cover his face with his free hand. He wasn't quick enough, and parts of the porcelain mask broke apart, cutting up his hand and face. He let out a pathetic little yelp and cried as he fell to his knees. Tsuki almost felt guilt. She thought he'd be a little tougher.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… please… I didn't stab her, I couldn't. She just wouldn't hand it over--" The now partially unmasked man stumbled over his words.

"Hand over what?"

"Her bag. Somebody was talking about this rich blonde lady, so I--"

"Blonde?"

"Yeah, tall and blonde, she--"

Tsuki punched him again. "My friend isn't blonde! What, you swing around a knife everywhere you go?"

"No, no, that wasn't me, it must've been--"

"Tell me!" Tsuki looked down at him.

"It wasn't me!" The man pleaded.

"Then who was it?" Tsukiko punched him in the side.

"The other guys in the group… There's a bunch of other guys in masks! It's like a gang!"

Tsuki grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer to her. "And where are these other guys?"

"I-I don't know! Honest! They move from place to place!"

Tsukiko pulled her fist back. "Yeah, right."

"I don't know anything! Please! I don't know who stabbed your friend!" His voice cracked.

Tsuki pulled off the mask and found an average looking face underneath, not the face of a killer. He looked young and scared, not a day older than twenty, maybe even younger than that. He had the eyes of a student, not a grown man.

It was obvious, in hindsight. He didn't have that same terrifying aura as the man in the alley, and he'd carried himself like a clueless fool the whole time. He didn't even know how to use a knife. Tsuki grabbed his mask and tossed him aside.

"I'm taking this. Go tell your friends to watch their backs." Tsuki turned around. "The next time I see one of these, I won't hesitate."

As she walked down and opened the door that led back to the stairs, she could hear him sobbing and whining. He didn't seem like he'd go back to crime, but she still decided to call the police.

--

Tsuki returned to the hospital with a slight smile on her face, with newfound confidence carrying her every step. The adrenaline had numbed away all her worries, so she didn't even feel that bad about betraying Fumi's only real request of her.

No matter what, she couldn't deny that taking a stand for herself felt good. It was cathartic, seeing some criminal begging for mercy. Even if she didn't find the man who'd attacked Fumi, she'd made some progress and even helped return a stolen purse at the end of the day.

"Yo, Fumi, I got a surprise…" Tsuki's voice trailed off.

A young girl, maybe half their age or even younger, sat in the chair next to Fumiko's bed. She had an almost otherworldly look to her, almost like she'd just jumped out of an old impressionist painting, or another time, in her little white shoes, flowing white dress, and unkempt black hair. The only thing about her that felt modern was the little hospital name tag pinned to her chest.

The girl heard the door and turned, smiling at Tsukiko. Tsuki didn't really know how to react. The smile on her face still hadn't faded, but she couldn't hide her bewilderment either. She paused, for a moment, making eye contact with the girl, then looking her up and down.

"Uhh, who's the kid?" Tsuki pointed.

"Not sure." Fumi was almost as confused as Tsuki was. "Maybe she's a doctor's kid or something."

"I'm Lily!" The girl smiled as she introduced herself.

"Hi, Lilith." Tsuki said with a gentle smile as she approached.

"How did you--" Lily couldn't finish

"I can read name tags, y'know…" Tsuki scratched her head.

"Oh, well, hello!" The girl looked up at her with bright green eyes.

"What painting did they pull you out of, Lily?" Tsuki said with a tender smile, patting the girl's head.

Lily just laughed. "Hehehe."

Fumi straightened up. "D'you think you could give us some privacy, Lily?"

Lily understood immediately. She just got up, ran to the door, waved to Fumiko and Tsukiko, and ran off.

"Ugh, what is it with you and kids?" Fumiko groaned.

"C'mon, she's so cute." Tsuki laughed. "You thought so too, didn't you?"

"Just don't do anything dumb. I know you're playful around kids, but have a little restraint for once, alright?" Fumi smiled a little too.

"But she's just so cute!" Tsuki laughed.

"So you're a bad girl on the streets, and good girl--"

"Shut up."

"You're never gonna get over that, are you?" Fumi chuckled to herself. "You seriously need to lighten up."

Tsuki groaned. "Quit tryin' to make fun of me all the time, will you?"

"I'll stop when you learn to live with yourself."

"I'll figure it out eventually, but first… a gift for you." Tsuki proudly presented a broken mask.

Fumi gasped at the sight of it. "Where the hell did you find this?"

"Masked dick struck again, tried to take a lady's purse. Someone caught him and gave him the beating of his life." There was a hint of pride in Tsukiko's voice.

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?" Fumi scolded her.

"What was I supposed to do?" Tsuki defended herself. "You should've seen it. That poor lady was getting beaten half to death and nobody else did a damn thing about it."

"So, it's over?" Fumi looked up at Tsuki.

"No. He said it's a bunch of people. Not just one person wears the mask, I guess." Tsuki felt bad to be the bearer of bad news.

"A color gang, huh?"

Tsuki sighed. "I think so."

"Oooh." Fumiko tried to lighten the mood by putting on the mask.

Fumiko pressed the porcelain against her face, and Tsuki's hand polishing efforts had made the white gloss and gold really glow in the hospital light. Fumi's bluish green eyes gleamed through the broken half of the mask. From the little of her face she could see, Tsuki could see that her friend was happy again. She wanted to burn the image into her mind.

Her joy was contagious, even in that miserable room. Tsuki tried to resist, but Fumiko's laughter made her smile again. She'd done a lot of smiling, so much that the edges of her face were starting to feel sore. It helped her forget everything, for just a moment. Whatever was happening outside didn't matter. It was just the two of them, together, happy.

"Nobody cared who I was until--"

"Shut the fuck up, Fumi." Tsuki didn't let her finish her embarrassing joke.

Fumi faked a frown. "Fine."

Tsuki moved in closer, lifting the mask off of Fumiko's face and kissing her on the cheek.

"What's that for?" Fumiko turned a bit red.

"Aren't you the one telling me to lighten up?" Tsuki spoke quietly. "It's… It's because I love you."

For anyone else, this would've been a warm, tender, intimate moment shared between two people. Fumiko, on the other hand, just couldn't stop herself from ruining that moment.

"Can't keep your hands off me? Maybe after I'm outta here, we can--"

Tsukiko hissed. "Not like that, idiot. It's a good luck kiss."

"Didn't you make fun of me for doing that?" Fumi frowned and hid her face under the mask again. "Now you're stealing my thing."

"Yeah, and?"

They both went silent for a second.

"Yuck. This thing smells weird, like sweat and cheap perfume." Fumi tossed it to Tsuki. "It probably looks better on you anyways."

"You think?"

Tsuki put on the mask. One of her bright, red eyes peeked through the open gash.

"Yep, white mask on black hair. It's all about contrast. I'm a fashionista, you know." Fumi sounded like she was really proud of herself.

"Yeah? Well, it just looks like I just left a sketchy temple, or a fancy party, or something." Tsuki played with the mask.

"You're definitely divine."

Tsuki took it off and put it in her bag.

Fumiko reached out and put her hand on Tsuki's shoulder. "Keep it and remember that time you chased down a criminal for me."

"H-huh?"

Fumi frowned. "I'm not an idiot y'know. Don't put your life on the line like that again, OK? I almost lost you once already."

Tsuki laughed nervously. "You know you don't have to worry about me…"

Fumiko looked down at her own body, at the thin medical gown that did a terrible job at covering the wraps around her stomach. Sure, she'd avoided serious damage, but it wasn't like her wounds would just go away. Tsuki knew that. She looked away from her, and Fumi looked out the window.

Tsukiko quietly excused herself. She had to go home. She waved, turned to the door, and left. Fumi's words bounced around in her head as she left the hospital.