Much to Tsukiko's surprise, the doors in Aurelia's bar really did lead back out to Tokyo. That, or they led to a very convincing replica of the city. Either way, her shift was over, and walking seemed like the best way to get home.

Aurelia had given Tsukiko a trench coat to wear on the return trip. It wasn't the most stylish thing, but something about it made her feel cool. Deep down, she wondered if that was how Kazuo felt in his own coat.

Though she was clearly still in Tokyo, it was an area of the city she wasn't entirely familiar with. Even with years and years of experience walking the city streets, she could still find herself getting disoriented from time to time. Not confident enough to set off on her own, Tsuki reached into the coat and produced her phone.

Her device did the best job it could giving her directions home, a mechanical feminine voice ordering her around from the speaker. The voice it had was somewhat irritating, but Tsuki figured the directions would lead her to a major landmark or familiar spot and she could find her way from there.

Even the phone struggled to find its way back to familiar ground, giving her the most bizarre directions. Tsukiko would be ordered to turn left into an abandoned building or into a wall, or to somehow walk all the way through a convenience store before her phone would stop, start to stutter and then give her a new set of directions. It seemed to prefer strange paths through dark alleys, something Tsukiko wasn't too fond of.

Brilliant, white light from a dazzling full moon dominated the sky above. Multicolored neon filled the streets, leaving the road ahead a battle between pinks and blues, and inky blacks. As she moved, the darker spots seemed to grow larger and larger, leaving Tsuki a bit unsettled.

As she walked, the robotic voice on her phone kept begging, practically pleading her to stick to the lesser traveled parts of the city. As soon as she neared any crowds, it would desperately call out to her.

"Please, turn around and walk straight down this path." Her phone chirped.

"What the hell is this thing doing?" Tsuki muttered to herself.

"Please, turn around and walk straight down." It repeated.

Tsuki swiped the notification away. "Must be the network. I'll figure this out on my own."

"Avoid crowded areas, as they will slow your journey." The voice spoke strangely, ignoring Tsuki's dismissal.

"Enough." Tsuki tried to get rid of the directions, but something caught her off guard.

"Walk into the alley." It said.

"Huh?" Tsukiko stared at her phone.

"Walk into the alley to your left."

Tsukiko turned to her left. The alleyway dead black, with a blue light at the very end illuminating an intersection that only led left or right. Something about it made her feel strange.

"Please." The phone asked once more. "After a short walk, you will arrive at the intersection. Make a right and go down the stairs."

Every rational thought in her mind told her not to, but she found herself moving toward it, doing exactly as she was told. Each step of her heels reverberated off of the walls, making the journey much more harrowing. There was nothing but a pure, inky black darkness at her sides, so thick that even the screen of her phone struggled to illuminate it.

An unusual frigid air swirled under her coat, making her legs cold. A strong wind came from the intersection ahead, strong enough to blow her hair around. She could hear it carrying around paper scraps and empty plastic bottles, but she couldn't see them.

There were definitely things around her, but it was much too dark for her to figure out what they were. Nothing felt like it was moving, but the growing fear and tingling in her body made her doubt her own instincts.

"Keep going." Her phone urged her.

"Seriously... What the fuck is going on?" Tsuki complained to herself, a habit she'd picked up from Shizuka. "Why the fuck am I doing this?"

The walls to her sides muted the sounds of the city. The only thing she could hear was the sound of a crow's cry coming from the far end of the alley. It was as if the intersection was beckoning to her.

Tsukiko started walking faster as her fear began to settle in. Something was seriously wrong. Her body began to ache and her limbs felt tight. The end was still in sight, though, and the walls around her grew brighter.

She wanted to look back. She wanted to turn around and see how far she'd come, but her body didn't respond, it only marched toward the intersection before her.

After what felt like an hour, Tsukiko bathed in the light of the intersection's sole light. She held her head up high, basking in its purifying light. It warmed her up from the inside, restoring within her whatever the alleyway had drained from her.

Once her heart had calmed, Tsuki looked back and saw that the alleyway was rather short, and the light illuminated the entire path.

To her side was a figure, standing and watching. Slowly, she turned to look. A familiar redheaded girl stood, smirking. Tsukiko was annoyed, but not visibly.

"Did you do that?" Tsuki stomped toward Claudia.

Claudia narrowed her eyes, approached the alleyway, then shrugged.

Tsukiko took a moment to catch her breath. Claudia watched with a new face of concern, approaching the Knight slowly. As Tsukiko regained her composure, Claudia grabbed her hand and squeezed.

Her gloves were as soft as silk. Tsuki could feel her tense expression loosen into a slight grin, as did Claudia's

The redhead began to walk, leading Tsukiko to something just down some stairs. Their path was obscured by darkness, but Tsukiko was no longer afraid.

"Where are we going?" Tsuki tried to ask.

Claudia didn't respond, obviously.

The darkness around them began to scratch away. It was as if it was being scraped away, like a layer of filth.

Claudia held Tsukiko's hand tightly and closely. Before them stood the front facade of a grand church. Bells tolled solemnly under a deep but dull orange sky. A dirt roundabout with a fountain in the middle blocked their path

"What is this place?" Tsukiko spoke to herself.

Claudia, again, did not speak.

The church's exterior was made of a mixture of cracked concrete masonry and peeling paint revealing the wooden construction underneath. A path made of white cobblestone came out from the church's dark wood doors and split to make a roundabout around an old dead oak tree.

A couple of old foggy windows flanked the doors, several cracks running through them, but they weren't broken yet. Up above, a tall spire with a rusted metal bell stood high above the rest of the structure.

Most plant life around the church had dried up and died long ago, leaving only stiff yellow grass and dead black bark trees. A jagged, thin metal fence surrounded the church, separating it from a dark, dense forest that formed an impenetrable barrier all around.

"Tsuki!' A voice called out.

Tsukiko looked around and saw Lily running toward her. Lily practically leapt onto her, wrapping her arms tight around Tsuki's waist.

"Hey, hey!" Tsuki nearly fell over, laughing the whole way. "What're you doing here, huh?"

Lily finally let go. "I missed you so much..."

Little Lilith Guillemot had grown quite a bit since she'd first met Tsukiko. She was a little taller and a whole lot tougher, her face almost always curled up into a cute smile. She seemed happier than Tsuki'd ever seen her before.

"I know, I know. Sorry." Tsuki lowered her head a bit. "It's been a while, huh? I've been really busy."

"Me too." Lily nodded, then sighed.

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"...yeah, Haru told me." Tsuki frowned. "I hope you're not workin' too hard."

"Can we.... Can we hang out?" Lily hesitated for some reason. "I know it's late, but--"

"Of course we can." Tsuki reassured her. "It's a special occasion, so we can stay up late, right?"

Lily grabbed Tsuki's hand. "Yeah!"

Claudia watched them with a smile of her own and crossed arms. The little redhead still hadn't gotten any easier to read. Her silence was always the loudest thing in the room, but in the rare times she spoke, her words were powerful.

"You wanna come too, Claudia?" Tsuki called out.

Claudia moved her head from side to side, as if she were mulling it over, then shrugged and nodded.

Lily eagerly tugged at Tsukiko's arm, pulling her toward the church's front doors. The Knight went along with it, but she kept her guard up, not feeling entirely safe in this mysterious new place.

The church had no real recognizable religious symbols on the outside. In fact, Tsuki wasn't quite sure if it was a church after all. There were no burial plots outside, nor were there any signs of a congregation, but the bells still tolled.

The trio stood before the door. Slowly, Claudia stepped in front of them, pulling the doors open. The interior revealed itself slowly.

There were dozens of rows of pews and tables, alternating. There was a raised platform at the far end with a podium, and to its right was an old piano. Looking up, the place did have a second floor, but it was quite high up.

Everything had a thin layer of dust, but there were signs of recent use. Little handprints cut through the caked-on powdery dirt, and the pews had been wiped clean. Each seat had several copies of an old, yet cared for book.

"Let's sit down here." Tsuki suggested.

They all sat down at a pew. Lily sat next to Tsukiko, with Claudia at her other side. It was a bit of a tight squeeze as they all huddled together, despite there being plenty of space for all of them.

"Uhmm. What're you wearing?" Lily started.

"Oh, this?" Tsuki looked down at herself. "It's..."

"It's..." Lily repeated, trying to coax an answer out of her.

Tsuki sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. "Well, I got a job with Aurelia. So it's like a uniform. I guess."

"What kind of job?"

"Well, it's not technically a job..." Tsuki stalled. "Bartending."

"That sounds really cool..." Lily seemed somewhat impressed.

"Yeah, it's kinda fun, but I've gotta wear these weird clothes." Tsuki laughed a little. "I'm so used to wearing a jacket that it felt weird at first."

"I like it." Lily laughed a little. "It looks really cool."

Tsukiko felt happy to hear it. "Y-y'think so?"

"Yeah!" Lily nodded. "...you always wear white and red, but this is white and purple."

Tsuki smiled. "...maybe I should ask Aurelia for some more outfits, huh?"

"Maybe..." Lily looked her up and down.

"Y'know, I actually got interviewed at work tonight." Tsuki said playfully.

"Really?" Lily seemed quite interested.

"Yeah." Tsukiko nodded. "I might show up in the newspaper again."

"Wow! You're getting famous..." Lily remarked.

"Nah, don't think so." Tsuki shook her head. "I'm not a celebrity or anything like that, right? Not yet."

Tsukiko noticed Lily blink. There was a very slight darkness to her eyes. Her hair was slightly messy, and her dress was a bit wrinkled. Typically, she was in immaculate form, so it was definitely out of the ordinary.

Her clothes were simpler than usual too. She wore a plain gray dress, with little in the way of decoration. Her shoes were buckled and made of a shiny black leather. Tsuki was used to seeing brighter shades.

"You sure you're not overdoing it?" Tsuki looked her over. "They might take you more seriously if you've got a Knight as a bodyguard. Anyone I need to punch?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Don't worry!" Lily smiled at her, then yawned. "It's been a busy week, that's all."

"C'mon, I told you about my day, you tell me about yours." Tsuki said with a big Cheshire cat smile.

"M-My day?" Lily joked. "You sound like Haru."

"Do I?" Tsuki was taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's... a lot of paperwork and forms and stuff." Lily groaned. "It's almost over, though. Then I'll get to take a break for a while."

"Finally gonna earn yourself a much deserved vacation?" Tsuki joked. "Gonna go to Hawaii?"

"Mhmm." Lily nodded. "...maybe not Hawaii, though."

"Maybe you and I should go on a trip one of these days." Tsuki nudged her. "We'll take a bullet train all the way to Sapporo and find out if it's really as cold as Kaz always says."

"Heheheh, yeah! Sounds like fun!" Lily's face lit up. "Hopefully, Haru and Kaz won't be busy and then we can all go together. Shizuka too!"

Lily's joy rubbed off on Tsuki. "Heh, yeah. Sounds like a plan. I could use a break myself, it's been too long since I've had some time to myself."

"Yeah..." Lily still had a big smile on her face.

"Y'know, speaking of work..." Tsuki paused. "I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to the whole... detective agency thing."

"Huh? Why?"

"I can't imagine Haru being a detective. Growing up, she was always irresponsible and getting herself into trouble." Tsuki reminisced. "Seeing her all grown up feels weird, y'know? There's no way she can pull it off."

"Everybody grows up eventually." Lily reminded her. "Right?"

"Well, yeah, but... I'm not used to it yet." Tsukiko struggled to find the words. "It wasn't too long ago that we couldn't even stand looking at each other, and now... she's not my dumb big sister anymore. She's not even a Himura anymore, it's Shimizu Haruka."

"Hmm..." Lily didn't know what else to say.

"I should be happy for her. I know I should. She's in a good place now, she's happy, she's married..." Tsukiko let out a melancholy groan. " But it all happened so fast..."

"...are you sure?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? Sure about what?"

"Haru hasn't changed at all!" Lily said with a raised voice and a slight grin on her face. "She's always getting into trouble. Even Kaz tells her to grow up all the time."

"Pffft." Tsuki couldn't hold back her laughter.

"...you haven't been spending enough time with her." Lily accused.

"...yeah, I know." Tsukiko's hand had subconsciously squeezed into a fist. "I thought we were gonna be Knights. That's all she really wanted, that's what she said. Now she's doing... whatever it is she's doing. I don't know how I fit into all that."

"Hmm..." Lily took the words in, but didn't say anything back.

"...you don't have to deal with my problems, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Lily assured her. "I just want everybody to be happy."

"...thanks."

"Please, just talk to her." Lily asked. "If that's how you feel, be honest!"

"...I want to." Tsuki promised. "But... I don't know if it's a good time. Especially with what happened to Sylvie."

"It's always a good time." Lily assured her. "She's your family. She needs you. You need her too."

"...you're right." Tsuki admitted. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. I'll explain everything."

"Good." Lily smiled, then hugged Tsukiko.

"Yeah." Tsuki pulled away.

Without saying a word, both of them understood one another. Tsuki's internal guilt was replaced by a need to act.

"Oh, there's a piano..." Lily said rather suddenly.

"Oh yeah, there is..." Tsuki turned to it. "Mmm... It's been a while."

Claudia tapped on Tsuki's shoulder, then handed her a note. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." Tsuki turned to Claudia. "Sorry for all this."

Another note appeared in her hand. "It's alright. You needed to talk about it."

"Well?" Lily nudged. "Are you gonna play?"

"Seriously?" Tsuki sighed. "...one song."

Tsukiko got up and approached the old piano at the side of the podium. At first glance, she had her doubts over whether or not it'd make any sound. The wood was aged and the white paint had a few scuffs and marks from years of prior use.

There was a distinct lack of dust on most of the ivory keys. A sheet of composed music sat right at eye level, the corners of the pages curled and the paper itself yellowed. The condition of each part was questionable, but they all seemed to be there.

Tsuki pressed one key, then another, and then another to get a feel for the sound, all of them out of tune. She worried that whatever she played would sound quite odd, but when she turned around, all she saw was Lily and Claudia's excited faces looking back at her.

"I hope I can remember how to do this." Tsukiko spoke to herself.

A song began to escape Tsukiko's fingers with little prior thought or effort, as if it was being pulled from her very sound. It was slow and quiet at first, each note like the first drops of a weak rain, a pause between each one. The rain slowly but surely became a storm as Tsuki's emotion swelled with the music, carrying it with triumph.

The notes echoed up and down the church's main hall. Tsukiko could feel Lily and Claudia's eyes watching her intensely, but it didn't seem to bother her. Her head and body moved rather naturally with her fingers, her entire being working in tandem to let the music out.

The song heaved up and down, the keys turning louder and louder. It was a song of quiet pride and new beginnings. It kept repeating itself, but like wind blowing through leaves, each time was just a tad different.

It built up to a strong climax. Tsukiko put all of her effort into this moment, bringing the piece higher and higher. Painfully, it fell back down, but it lost none of its power, its low notes rumbling like the sound of a proud march.

The music shook Tsuki to her core. She shuddered as the once triumphant song fell into melancholy. Her whole body ached for a moment, then it loosened. Every limb was on autopilot, save for the fingers playing so carefully.

Once again, the song settled back down to a calming pace. Each movement grew quieter and quieter. There was peace in this final act, as some great emotions were released. Tsukiko sighed and let the song slow itself down to utter silence.