The next day's harsh sunlight was a sharp contrast to the sorrows of the previous day. It was as if the words Tsuki and Fumiko had shared the night before had torn through the clouds, freeing the sun. Yet, the air was still heavy.

It was humid and horrible, and the events of the previous night did not just vanish like Tsukiko had hoped. The sounds of the man’s screams still repeated in her head. She tried her best to forget, but she still clenched her jaw.

Being dragged by her arm wasn't what Tsukiko expected from her older sister. Without a direct goal, she couldn't really refuse. First it was walking the city streets. They wandered through back alleys and underpasses to find their destination.

They had been some of the most deteriorated and rusted areas Tsuki had ever seen. She couldn't tell if the wear was from overuse or underuse. Even those places had charm under the white puffy clouds in the sky.

They arrived at an abandoned warehouse that had been converted into a gang hideout.

The off white paint covering the exterior was peeling off. Time exposed the dark grey and rust orange metal underneath. Haruka grabbed a massive metal door and pulled it open. The door growled and squeaked as it swung out.

The inside was cool, helped by the big industrial fans hanging from the ceiling. The fans made a constant droning and wobbling sound that echoed throughout the room.

It wasn’t a loud or distracting noise, but it was definitely noticeable. The ceiling fans were fit for a crowd, but only a few masked people stood inside.

Haruka and Tsukiko could feel awful knots in their stomachs. The few masked people turned to them. There was judgement in their eyes.

Tsuki focused on the crowd. She scanned the crowd, looking left and right. She felt like they could turn on her at any moment. The lack of any sort of violence served as a silent sign of approval, or at least indifference.

Tsukiko looked around and noticed a large wooden stage with a microphone and stand sat in the middle of it. She spotted their leader, Sylvie, holding the microphone inches 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 feedback.

Tsukiko turned toward Haruka. "Brawlers? I thought you said no fighting."

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.

The two sisters cut through the crowd slowly, taking great care to look out for any sudden movements. They got 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.

There was almost no response from the group of masked people. There were mostly blank stares, and any claps from the crowd were muffled by the fans overhead.

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

Haru laughed as 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 of the audience applauded, but there was still an awkward air in the room. The blank faces made it impossible to really read the mood of the room.

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

The masks looked around the room silently, and awkwardly. There was an uneasy feeling, as if the tension had turned into grief. After sometime, they resettled. Quiet murmurs showed a slight trust from 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 as it seemed, Tsuki couldn't complain. A large round smile formed on her face as she kneeled down for Lily.

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

Tsukiko wasn't able to ask what that job entailed. Before a word could even escape her mouth, Lily had already begun dragging her.

--

"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 scratched her head for a moment before she replied. "Yeah, that makes sense."

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

Lily slowly but surely began dragging 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.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

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

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

"They have a name? I've just been calling them masked dudes." Tsuki shrugged.

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

"Wait, which one's which?"

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."

Tsuki blinked and found herself in a restaurant. It was a traditional ramen shop, dimly lit and steamy. There was a man behind the counter, steam rising from below him.

Red and orange light bathed the dining area. There was just enough light that customers could see what they were eating. The cooking area was lit by pale, bluish white bulbs.

The dining room had a ton of old wood furniture. Warm colors lined the walls and floor, welcoming customers back in. The kitchen had cold steel furnishings and clean white tile.

Aside from Tsuki and Lily, the place was mostly empty. In the corner sat other customers, quietly chatting away. Still, for all intents and purposes, the place was completely dead.

The food smelled delicious. The scent settled into the environment. Steam from boiling broth blanketed the entire restaurant in 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?"

He kneeled down and patted Lily's head. He presented three boxes to her, before placing them into a plastic bag. The chef motioned Tsukiko over and gave her the bag. A pleasant scent wafted up from it.

After handing her the bag, 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.

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

"No, it's just…"

"It's just?" The man repeated

Tsuki took a moment to respond. "I’ll do my best."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Treat Lilith right, will ya? 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, old guys like me like to ramble. Get going now, alright?'

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

"Coming!" Tsuki shouted back.

She nodded to the restaurant owner. Their meeting was cut short by the little French girl at Tsuki's side. Lily practically shoved Tsukiko out of the shop.

--

"How do you know all these people, Lily? The hospital staff, 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 chuckled. "My Dad always told me the world was all about making connections."

Again, their walk led them to a strange part of town. It seemed like Lily was somehow attached to the river, since they never strayed far from it.

"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.

The town seemed to deteriorate the closer they got to their destination. The streets here got emptier. There was more litter scattered around, all faded from constant sunlight. There was grime on the road, leaving dark marks and filling in whatever cracks there used to be in the pavement.

Eventually, Lily entered an empty lot nestled between two buildings. A few shacks made of sheet metal and tarps were hidden in the lot.

Two women and a man appeared from the makeshift homes. They were covered in worn and damaged clothes. They had been patched and repaired meticulously over the years. Over these clothes, they wore loose, oversized coats and old hats.

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

Lily took the bag out of Tsuki's hand and placed it on the ground. She then reached in and took out two of the boxes. She carefully stood up, handing them both to the strange 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.

Her jolly nature seemed infectious, and a smile spread onto Tsukiko’s face. "No, no need to be afraid."

"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 place under a bridge. It was a small bank overlooking the river. They both had to kneel down, and almost crawl to enter a small opening. There was a makeshift home, made of sheet metal and pieces of wood. Surprisingly, the little hut was far nicer on the inside than the outside.

There were cans of food, neatly organized in one corner. Shoe boxes full of memoirs and photos were nearly stacked in another. A pillow and a blanket served as a bed for the young girl.

The floor of the hut was a rolled out tarp, covering the moist dirt below. The far wall was open, giving a clear view out to the river and the city on the other side.

"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 still get depressed when I think of Fumiko." Tsuki stopped eating for a moment.

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 still wanna fight. You're strong. You don't give up, even when you feel helpless." Lily smiled.

They both paused to eat.

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?"

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 just wish I was stronger." 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 clenched her fist. "You do have a family, Lily. All your friends. Me, and Haruka and Sylvie. We're all your family."

Tears formed on Lily's face. "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 stopped crying and hugged Tsukiko.

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