Tsuki ran from door to door within Aurelia's shop. Opening each and every door in a frenzy.

"What door is it?" Haruka shouted.

"It's this one!" Kazuo pulled open a door leading to a rainy city before slamming it shut. "Nevermind!"

Sylvie stood in the center of the hallway, holding her hands over her ears to try to focus.

They all fell silent when they heard knocking from a door near the front of the hallway.

"No shit it's this one, it's the only one with glass." Haruka sighed as she grabbed the knob. "Yo, Kaz, you're paying."

Kazuo reluctantly pulled out his wallet.

Haruka pulled open the door, and a dark haired woman with a big grin stood outside.

"Here it is! That'll be…" The woman's voice trailed off as she leaned over to look behind Kazuo. "Hey, Tsukiko!"

"Wh-what?" Tsukiko stuttered as the woman ran up to her and hugged her.

The woman pulled off and greeted her with a smile. "It's me, hon! Don't ya remember?"

"Hmm… Oh, you were in that little group with Lily." Tsuki scratched her head.

The delivery girl winked. "I knew you’d remember little old me!"

Tsuki couldn't help but smile. The woman looked clean, and happy. The orange shirt and hat matched her big smile and bright eyes.

The tight black shorts showed off a still beautiful body. She looked good, and more importantly, she looked like she was in a better place.

"What're you staring so intensely for?" The pizza girl nudged her.

"Just happy for you. You look… better." Tsuki laughed.

"Yeah, I have Lily to thank for this." she looked down at her uniform. "Lord knows I needed somethin' like this!"

"Lily helped you?"

"Yeah." The woman held Tsuki's hand between both of hers and lowered her head. "Lemme know if you ever need anything okay, hon? A friend of Lily's a friend of mine. Call up and ask for Etsuko, alright?"

Etsuko stood up and started her job once more. She took the money, and returned change before speeding off on a little motor bike.

"Who was that?" Kaz put the box down on a table.

"One of Lily's friends, I guess." Tsuki shrugged.

"She seemed pretty friendly with you, Tsuki." Haruka teased. "I wonder what Fumi would think of that."

"Shut it." Tsuki growled.

"Calm down, we've got work to do." Sylvie tore out a slice of pizza.

"Damn straight, finally get to wear my jacket again." Haruka smiled.

"Slow your roll, Haru. It’s just one dude." Sylvie slid the binder over to Haruka.

Haruka frowned.

"You alright?" Tsuki tapped her on the shoulder.

"I know this guy…" Haruka made her hand into a fist.

"Was it the guy you made me fight?" Tsuki spoke quietly.

"No, this is someone else. He was kind of an old friend." Haruka sighed.

"Maybe you can convince him this time!" Sylvie smiled at first, but her face twisted into a frown as she got no response.

"Sorry, I think it's too late for that." Haruka straightened out again.

"I can settle this for you if you want..." Tsukiko put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"No, I gotta see this through." Haruka shook her head.

"I dunno, I don't really trust you with that." Sylvie scratched her head.

"I can go with her, then. It'll be fine, Sylvie." Tsuki assured her.

"If it's both of you, maybe. I know Tsuki can get you to settle down if you start stepping out of line." Sylvie laughed.

Haruka glared at the blonde.

"We’ll be fine, seriously. You can trust her, give her a chance." Tsuki raised her voice.

Haruka looked back at Tsukiko.

"Alright, alright." Sylvie rolled her eyes.

"This isn't just about you, y'know. We all got dragged into this cuz of your gang. You could be a little more grateful, y’know." Kazuo spoke in a low tone.

Sylvie sighed. "Sorry…"

"It's alright." Haruka crossed her arms. "Let's just try to settle this quick, okay?"

"You know where to find him, Haruka." Sylvie spoke in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I kinda wish I didn't…"

--

"H-how did I get here." A half asleep Lily stumbled into the room.

"Lily?" Tsuki shot up from her seat. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lily yawned.

Tsukiko got down and hugged the girl tight. Claudia appeared in the shadows behind Lily to remind Tsuki of their prior deal.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

Tsuki pulled away and smiled. "What, I can't hug my little sister?"

"You alright, Lily?" Haruka turned around to look at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Lily rubbed her eyes.

Lily had been given new clothes. Aurelia had made her a white dress that was very similar to Claudia's own plain black dress.

It was simple, yet elegant. Her outfit seemed rather similar to the ones she wore before, with white shoes and white tights.

Her hat disappeared, and her hair hung down naturally in its place. It was unkempt and loose, with only minor trimming done to keep it from covering her eyes. Despite everything, her eyes still shined with happiness and hope.

Tsuki rubbed Lily's head. "Where'd the hat go?"

"It got burned, I think." Lily shrugged.

"She looks adorable, with or without it." Sylvie interrupted.

"Want some pizza?" Haruka held out a slice.

"Yeah!" Lily jumped up to grab the slice, devouring it in seconds.

"Whoa!" Haru slowly handed her another slice. "Hungry? Probably haven't eaten in a while, huh?"

Lily took the piece and bit into it.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Tsuki reached into her jacket and pulled out a box.

"What is it?" Lily finished her second slice.

Tsukiko reached into her jacket and pulled out the small music box. "I found this, and I thought you'd like it."

Lily stared at it in awe, Tsuki opened the box up for her.

"Wow…" Lily’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she watched the little mechanical bird dance.

"Like it?" Haruka spoke with her mouth full.

"Yeah…" Lily reached out to hold the box.

The bird danced and the tune played gently for a short while, before the little bird returned to its hole. Lily closed the music box and held it close to her heart.

"Oh, good, I thought you were gonna--" Tsuki was cut off by Lily hugging her.

"Thank you, Tsuki!" Lily cried.

"H-hey, calm down!" Tsuki tried to pry the girl off.

Lily squeezed tighter. "I love it, I love it!"

Tsukiko finally tore her off. "Take good care of it okay?"

Lily eagerly nodded.

"Hate to rain on your parade, but we've got things to do, Tsuki." Sylvie nearly ruined the moment.

"Do we have to?" Haruka groaned.

"Yep." Sylvie stretched her legs.

Tsuki patted Lilith on the head. "We'll be back soon, okay?"

"Don't get hurt, okay?" Lily looked concerned.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure none of us ever get hurt." Tsuki smiled.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

--

"Still fits like a glove!" Haruka tugged at the sleeves of her jacket.

The jacket had no stripes, which made it seem more like a military garment. It was plain navy blue, and the buttons were black. It was a very unassuming piece of clothing. The plain garment was somewhat unusual, compared to the striking design of Tsuki's.

Unlike Tsukiko, she didn't have the same type of boot. She wore blue suede ankle boots with a short heel and a buckle. Despite their years of use, they were still clean and blue, with no tears or stains. It was remarkable.

Instead of a white pencil skirt, Haruka wore a black and grey plaid, pleated skirt. Tsuki found it a bit too formal for her sister, but from what she had seen, Knights were generally well dressed. Her legs were mostly covered by a pair of black thigh high socks.

"Huh? Why do I have to wear heels?" Tsuki looked down at her own shoes.

"I guess it's intimidating? I move around a lot, so these come in handy more than you'd think." Haruka made sure her shoes still fit.

Fumiko slithered into the room like a snake, holding what appeared to be an ice cream cone. "Oh! Two whole Knights in just one room!"

"I look good don't I?" Haruka smiled at her.

"You know I’m always gonna side with Tsukiko, right?" Fumi laughed.

Haruka adjusted her hat. "We're like water and oil, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Tsukiko asked.

"You're so… clean. Your hair is cut straight, pencil skirts and pantyhose daily. I just wear shirts and shorts." Haru laughed.

"And?" Tsuki buttoned up her jacket.

"You always try to look sharp. You look like a damn business woman. Lighten up. A good pair of shorts’ll do you some good." Haruka stared at her sister with a cruel, mocking smile.

Tsuki rolled her eyes. "Here I was expecting something deep from you of all people."

Haruka looked down at the ground. "I guess it just feels like we’re back to old times. I missed seeing you all dressed up and fancy. Let me know you’re doing okay. Feels like things are better now, y’know?"

"Haru…". Tsuki approached her sister.

"C'mon." Haruka looked back up and smiled. "If you want me to be serious, that’s the most you’re getting out of me!"

--

Haruka and Tsukiko stood outside of another abandoned building. It was an old building used for shipping down by the harbour. It was still dimly lit inside, enough to see the concrete walls and floor.

The cement floor was wet, reflecting the orange glow of the sunset outside onto the walls inside. They took a few steps inside, Tsukiko’s heels echoing through the walls of the building.

"Lemme handle this one, okay?" Haruka sighed.

"I know he's your friend, but I'm not gonna let you go in alone." Tsuki refused.

"I wasn't planning on it." Haru's teeth turned sharp. "Pay attention to me, alright? You might learn something!"

"Huh? What the--" Tsuki didn't even finish her sentence before Haruka ran into the building.

Tsukiko followed Haruka. Soon, she found herself in a clearing with a large opening out to the river. Huge, empty metal containers sat against the walls, as if they were abandoned in a hurry.

Moss grew along the walls near the water, and nearly all of the metal equipment and crates showed signs of rust. Giant, shallow puddles covered the floor. Neon signs reflected off the surface of the river. The entire area was bathed in dazzling reds, blues, and greens.

"Why'd you do it?" Haruka shouted.

Tsukiko turned to see Haru in the middle of the room, standing across from a masked figure.

"Get away from me!" The figure spoke in a somewhat young sounding voice.

"Give it up, you’ll just hurt yourself!" Haru grew louder.

"Why the hell should I listen to you?" The robed figure shouted even louder.

"You told me you’d stop. You’re digging your own grave. If I don’t stop you, someone else will!" Haruka stepped forward.

Tsukiko approached slowly.

"I'm not afraid of you, or anybody else!" The figure screamed.

"You're not supposed to be, we were friends!" Haruka’s voice turned to anger.

"If you were really my friend, you’d understand! You left too, don't act like you're some sort of saint!" The robed figure’s voice cracked.

"You never should've been a Damascene either! You're gonna hurt yourself!" Haruka stomped.

"I can handle myself, Haruka!"

The figure took a swing, which Haruka dodged.

"That's not the point!" Haruka kept moving closer and closer to the Shakudo.

The Shakudo took another swing, this one flew a little closer. Haruka dodged a few more swings, before the figure managed to swipe her arm.

"That how you want it?" Haru backed away slightly.

Haruka moved forward quickly. Her momentum went into a single punch. The figure managed to take the hit without much issue.

"That all you got?" The mask taunted.

The figure sprinted toward her. Haruka dodged, spinning around before slamming the figure down to the ground. The throw didn't seem to hurt them much, as they got back onto their feet.

"Alright, that's it!" The figure started a flurry of attacks.

Tsukiko paid close attention to her sister’s fighting style. Haruka dodged each strike, her feet moving as if she were dancing. Her body curved and swung to the beat of his strikes.

Her motions became more and more smooth. She wobbled from side to side, almost as if it were a game for her. Her natural flexibility let her avoid every attack with ease.

Haruka harnessed all of the momentum she'd gathered into one crushing kick. It was strong enough to send the masked man plummeting down to the ground. She planted her foot on his chest to signal her victory.

"Maybe you should be afraid of me after all." Haruka boasted.

The figure's arm shot up and grabbed her by the calf, pulling her down to the ground. The figure then got on top of her, getting in a few hard hits before she could push it off.

"…cheap piece of shit." Haruka said, rubbing her sleeve on her face.

Haru shot up and ran up to the figure. She stumbled at first, but she was able to get a running start for a roundhouse kick. Her boot stuck the side of the figure's head, breaking off a piece of the mask.

The Shakudo nearly lost its balance, but they planted their feet down. The figure moved in desperation, attacking as fast and hard as it could. Haruka had trouble keeping up with his rapid swings.

"Haruka, move!" Tsuki shouted as he got up and ran toward them.

Haru did as her sister asked. Tsuki used her shoulder to tackle the figure and force them against a nearby wall. In the confusion, Tsuki was able to get a few good hits in before getting pushed away.

"You coward!" The figure completely ignored Tsukiko, approaching Haruka instead.

"Oh no you don't!"Tsukiko got up off the ground, before running at the figure.

"Son of a bitch!" The figure threw a sloppy punch that Tsuki easily avoided.

Tsuki's slower style was useless. If she could land a hit, she could probably have taken him down in one or two swings. She wasn't fast enough.

Haruka was agile and fierce. Every motion was a piece of a painful dance. It wasn't the most powerful of arts, but it hardly ever gave her targets the chance to catch their breath.

"You gonna fight or what?" The mask grew angrier.

The man in the mask threw a wild punch. Tsuki moved a bit to the side, then forward. The mask couldn't stop itself from moving forward into the Knight's clenched fist.

She drove a punch low into the figure's abdomen. She pushed it into him hard. It was enough force to drive him off of his feet.

"Holy shit!" Haruka readied herself again as she saw the figure stand up again.

"No more… I'm ending this now…" The figure stumbled back up, pulling out a folding knife.

"Put that away!" Haruka yelled.

"Now you're scared, huh?" The figure coughed as it spoke.

"Put it away!" Haruka demanded.

The man in the mask ran toward Haruka. He held the knife low, and close to his stomach. Haru didn't have enough time to react.

Tsukiko ran forward to try and stop him. It felt like her sister was miles away. She watched as the knife thrust forward. Her leg shot out as she tried to kick the weapon away.

She saw her sister fall down to her knees. The masked figure dropped the knife, looking at Tsukiko for a second, before taking off in a sprint.

"No. No. No. No. No. No!" Tsuki got on her knees. "Not again, not again, not again!"

Haruka coughed. "Calm down…"

"But you've been stabbed, you're…" Tsuki trailed off as Haruka held up the knife.

There was not a speck of blood on the blade. Tsukiko looked down at Haruka’s stomach and she saw nothing.

"You just knocked my wind out, I'm fine." Haruka smiled.

In the distance, they heard Kazuo's voice yelling. Then came the distinct sound of a struggle before a loud thump.

"What was that?" Tsuki turned around.

"Thanks Kaz!" Haruka yelled.

Down a path, they heard an echoed response. "No problem!"

"How did you--?" Tsuki started.

"I told him to wait for us. That guy always had a knack for running away from a fight." Haru smiled.

Tsukiko wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed tight. "Oh my god, I thought…"

"Are you crying?" Haruka laughed.

"J-just a little bit…" Tsukiko’s tears stained Haruka’s jacket.

Haruka wrapped one of her arms around the girl. "C'mon don't cry, I'm fine!"

Tsuki pulled away and hit her in the shoulder. "I-I-If I hadn't kicked it when I had, you would've--"

"Stop, Tsukiko, please. I'm alive, okay? Besides, Fumi took one, you don't think I can?" Haruka’s smile faded.

"That's not the point!" Tsukiko cried.

They sat still, in relative silence. Tsukiko’s sniffling and mumbling ruined any chance at real silence.

"Y'know, maybe I shouldn't sit around all the time." Haruka broke the silence.

"Huh?"

Haruka took a deep breath. "I mean like, I should start living life, end my break. Maybe, I'll be a Knight full time again."

Tsukiko stopped crying for a second.

"C'mon, cheer up." Haruka laid her hand on Tsuki's head and rubbed. "If you're gonna be a sad sack, then there's no reason for me to do it."

Tsuki held her sister again. "No, it's not that, I'm just worried that something like this'll happen again and--"

"This is gonna sound weird, but… I want you to appreciate me, okay? I wanna be with you, out there, fighting. Just trust me, alright? I want my little sister back, that's all that matters to me, right now. I'm not gonna stay home while you're out here fighting for your life." Haruka frowned.

Haruka’s strange argument impacted Tsuki deeply.

Tsukiko rolled over and sat next to Haruka. "I get it. Just… be careful, okay?"

"Hey." Haruka nudged her. "Didn't that sound really cool?"

Tsukiko groaned. "You watch too much TV."

"I watched you fight, Tsuki. You play too many video games." Haruka mocked her again.

"What're you talking about?"

Haruka looked her in the eye with a grin. "And those moves you use on Fumiko. They're straight out of the ones you hide under your mattress, am I right?"

"Hey, I don’t ever talk about your dirty laundry." Tsuki turned red.

"Not my fault you’re terrible at keeping secrets." Haruka wrapped an arm around Tsuki.

Tsuki sighed. "Let's not talk about this right now…"

"I noticed something about how you fight." Haruka leaned in closer.

"Which is?" Tsuki moved her head away from Haruka’s face.

"You hit really really hard. You're not super quick, but you hit harder than a freight train." Haruka rubbed her shoulder.

"Yeah, but I barely land any punches." Tsuki complained.

"You just gotta find out what works for you. Your heels seem kinda firmly planted down, y'know? They're heavy though… maybe you can kick… Hmm…" Haru got lost in thought.

"Like old times, isn’t it?" Tsuki smiled.

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember? We used to stay up till midnight, just talking, like all the time?" Tsuki laughed.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep in that damn house." Haru rolled her eyes.

Tsukiko spoke slowly in embarrassment. "Your bunk's still there, if you ever want it."

Haruka sat silent for a moment. "I'll consider it."

There was another pause.

"Uhh, we should be getting back, huh?" Tsuki shook her sister.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Haruka stood up, before reaching down to help Tsukiko up too.

--

"We're back!" Haruka exclaimed.

Sylvie sat alone in Aurelia’s shop, falling asleep. The sudden noise almost made her fall out of her chair.

"Whoa, that was quick!" Sylvie tried to regain her balance. "You find anything out?"

"No, not really. Apparently they keep everything a secret. No one’s ever seen the leader’s face, and only the higher ups know where they’re gonna be next." Kazuo put his hands in his coat.

Sylvie groaned. "God, this sucks. We’re gonna have to hunt down one of those leaders. Who knows how long that could take?"

"Don't worry, we'll find it out eventually. If you keep worrying like that, you'll go crazy." Haruka sat down with Sylvie.

"I guess, but I'm still losing people in the dozens." Sylvie sighed.

"Go spend time with ‘em, Sylvie. Can't be a good leader if you're never around." Haruka suggested.

"But… I like you guys…" Sylvie pouted.

"Then, shouldn't we all group up?" Tsuki suggested. "Y'know, manpower helps."

"Huh?" The blonde narrowed her eyes.

"Don't rival street gangs have showdowns? Maybe they’ll come to us?" Tsuki felt a bit embarrassed saying her idea out loud.

"This ain't a movie, Tsuki." Sylvie rolled her eyes.

"That never stopped you before." Haruka held a toothy grin.

"…I'll think about it." Sylvie lowered her head down onto the table to get back to her nap.