Notes: Ah, I couldn't help it. I love this series too much and too many scenarios of Iku and Doujo are spinning out of control. Better get it down before I forget. As usual, I don't own any of the characters or concepts of Toshokan Sensou/Library Wars by Hiro Arikawa. All Copyrights and Trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective holders, etc. etc.

-Kero (6/20/11)

Prologue: Like The Wind

"Kasahara?" A few of her classmates turned in her direction. "Kasahara," repeated her homeroom teacher, Mr. Tanaka. There was still no response. A few giggles permeated the quiet classroom. Finally fed up, Mr. Tanaka called out in a stern voice, "KASAHARA IKU!"

She snapped back into reality and looked around. She was greeted with a few stares and wry smiles from nearby classmates. Somewhere beside her a friends voice chided, "Idiot." Iku looked to the head of the class where Mr. Tanaka was waiting for a response to his question, whatever that was. In his hand was a high school level English textbook and behind him was some sentence with his usual scrawl and a blank line. English was not her forte, but it certainly would have helped if she was awake for the question. Iku wondered when she had dozed off.

Sighing in exasperation, Mr. Tanaka moved on, and called on her friend next to her, Seiji Shimizu, who answered the question promptly. The tension subsided and time moved once more, propelling the mundane lesson forward.

Iku looked out the window, unable to focus on her teacher. Was it just yesterday? Yes, it was just yesterday that she felt the wheel of Fate turning for her, just like it does for countless heroines in her favorite storybooks. Something simple and yet profound had happened to her at the bookstore, now a sacred space in her memory. Out of nowhere, the wolves of censorship, yes, those very footmen of the Media Betterment Committe (MBC) had come to confiscate books in her little town and their obscure little bookshop. The last book in a fairy story series she had read since childhood had finally been published and Iku had waited almost 10 years for it. To her chagrin that very same book, a book that had no business being on their list, was to be confiscated as well. Then, like a fair wind that blew into her little tragedy being played out on that white linoleum floor, her savior caught her before she fell and stood like a beacon of justice to save her book. Yes, there was no doubt in her mind that it was exactly like that.

Her daydreaming continued until the end of the day when the last bell finally rang, and drew Iku back into her world. Mechanically, she packed her things, put on her shoes and exited the campus with the rest of them. It wasn't until she heard her friends calling her that she finally felt as though the dream had ended and she was awake again. She turned to see her two best friends out of middle school approach her. Minako Fujimori, trailed by Seiji, reached her first.

"What's up with you today, Iku? It's like you've had one foot in some other world. Out of body experience, perhaps?" she asked.

"Or a kamikakushi?" volunteered Seiji. Needless to say, she and her friends read the same kinds of books.

"You guys wouldn't believe what happened to me yesterday," said Iku in an anxious voice. When she recalled yesterday's events to her friends, they were both astounded.

"Who knew the clutches of the MBC reached even here?" said Minako.

"It's like no one even cares about this madness," commented Seiji cooly, "that's why they take it so far."

"But it's a miracle, isn't it Seiji? Just like a knight in shining armor, or the lone sheriff in a western who stands up to a band of thieves, he just swoops in and saves her without leaving his name," remarked Minako with a dreamy countenance.

"What did you expect?" snorted Seiji. "That he leaves his name and number and asks that she call him sometime? And what the hell is with that grin on your face? This isn't some shoujo manga for heaven's sake."

"Don't mind him, Iku, he's just jealous he doesn't have cool moves like that yet. Maybe in a few more years, Seiji," said Minako sympathetically patting his shoulder.

"It seems as though this nameless knight has stolen our friend's virgin heart," proclaimed Minako with a flourish of her hand, "and is unlikely to relinquish it for quite some time."

"Whatever," grunted Seiji. He slapped Iku hard on her back.

"Ow! What was that for?" Iku demanded as she tightened her fist and took aim at him. Seiji dodged gracefully as usual.

"Just make sure you're focused enough for this weekend's meet. It's the last competition of our high school careers, and I want to make the best of it. I don't need you tripping up during the relay." She and Seiji were both on the track team, and in their little world, they were considered track "stars." Miraculously, they were also the same height, and they both towered over their teammates and their competition. Minako, the team manager, held them both in high esteem and rooted for them both equally.

"Don't worry," laughed Minako. "They don't call her kaze no miko for nothing. She'll blow the competition out of the way, like always. It's not like she got that university scholarship for no reason."

"Right," said Seiji with a glint in his eye. "Kaze no bakemono, you better be ready. You and I will be competing for the same spot in the 100 meter." Though Seiji loved to run as much as Iku, his parents preferred that he not pursue track into his university years and that he study business and management so that he could run the family import-export business one day. Though the Shimizu's were rather wealthy, they had moved their son from a prestigious private school in Tokyo to their backwater hometown where they gave him a meager allowance that had to be reinforced by part-time jobs, and forced him to live like a normal kid. Their reasoning was to ensure that Seiji learn the value of money and how to earn it. Both Minako and Iku often made fun of him as the "pauper prince."

"I am the wind," laughed Iku. "No one can catch me."

"Right," chimed in Minako. "Unless it's your Prince from the bookshop. Then, I'm sure you'd let him catch you, right Iku?" Her laughter sounded like ripples of falling water. Though Iku neither had Minako's looks or her grace, she made up for it in determination.

Someday, she thought, I will be like the wind and catch up with you.

"Kasahara!" The familiar booming voice resounded in her ears and she shot up straight in her seat straight as an arrow.

"Yes sir!" she answered reflexively.

"Pay attention," said her commanding officer. Like a doe caught in the headlights, Iku stared at Supervising Librarian Second Class, Officer Doujo. When had she dozed off? She looked over towards Captain Genda who was still giving instructions on how to improve their combat abilities in the event of another raid by the MBC.

She looked down and saw the letter from Seiji sticking out of her day planner. Ah, that's why I was daydreaming about the old days. Contrary to her instructions not to, both Seiji and Minako were visiting her this weekend.

Iku stole a glance at Officer Doujo's profile. She had certainly caught up with him, but like the wind, she was still invisible.

Author's note:

Kamikakushi: when a spirit kidnaps a person from the real world into the spirit realm

Kaze no miko: wind priestess

Kaze no bakemono: wind monster