Leaves crunched beneath hurried feet thundering across the forest path; blades of dead grass and dust spewed with every step. Nari panted with exhaustion, sweat pouring from her brow. Irises vanished behind dilated pupils, eyes straining desperately to absorb any semblance of light. Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. Yet she couldn't stop running. She had to get away. She had to escape. She didn't have a choice. If they found her, then…

"Ugh…" The woman shook her head, continuing forward through the forest to her destination. She couldn't afford to think about the possibilities right now. The only thing that mattered was her freedom. Slowing her pace for just a moment, Nari sighed and leaned forward, resting her hands against her knees. She cursed silently to herself, regret sinking in immediately as enervation caught up with her. Slowly, she reached towards her back pocket for the familiar rectangular indent in her jeans… only to find it missing.

"What?!" Nari panicked, standing straight, and twisting her body. Her head whipped back and forth, hands patting rapidly around her legs and over-sized jacket. After checking the final pocket, she groaned, exasperated beyond all reason. Of course, it was missing. She must have dropped it in her rush. "Damn it…" She growled, abandoning her lost cellphone to its fate.

Forcing her tired legs to move, Nari continued her sprint through the dark forest, fear and adrenaline pushing her even faster than before. To remain in the heart of the city was far too dangerous. It would be the first place that people would look. So instead, she returned to the outskirts near the countryside. Everything would be fine. Her tracks were covered well enough. Without her distinctive colors and heavy makeup, no one would recognize her. Once she made it, she could finally rest. After throwing them off her trail, she would hide in the last place that they would ever think to look.

. . .

One purposeful step. Yui positioned herself forward, the hardwood pressing cool against her bare feet. Her hakama billowed against her skin with every careful movement. Her chest heaved with a deep calming breath; eyes narrowing with concentration. All the world was balance. She was ready.

Her sword cut through the air with a loud hiss, leaping from her scabbard with deadly speed. She turned, lifting the weapon above her head, and bringing it down in a second strike. Another turn, her right arm lifting as she swung outward with absolute precision. Beads of sweat flicked from her forehead, her body growing weary from the strain. At the familiar sensation of sluggishness rising in her legs, Yui paused. Perhaps it was time to call it quits for today. Her sword arm lowered, twisting and slowly sliding the katana back into its sheath.

And not a moment too soon.

"Yui! The closing ceremony's starting." A young woman with chestnut hair called to her from the doorway of the room. She was a fellow classmate, dressed in their school's uniform of navy blue. Beside her stood another, with shorter, lighter locks eyeing her with amusement. They were right to come and find her, or she would have been late.

With a silent nod, Kusanagi turned and made her way to the changing room.

After getting dressed, Yui returned to her friends, walking side by side towards the auditorium. Keiko prodded her as they walked along, a teasing smile resting upon her expression. "Who practices swordsmanship right up to the morning of the closing ceremony?"

Yui shrugged her shoulders, having expected such a question. "I decided I'd practice every day."

"That sounds just like you…"

The three girls laughed, pausing as a pair of students appeared from the upcoming stairway.

"Kusanagi!"

"Good morning!"

They chorused, greeting their upperclassman with happy smiles. Yui returned the gesture and replied. "Good morning. I look forward to seeing you in the club next semester."

"Yes!"

"Of course!"

Returning to their destination, the two girls turned and disappeared down the next stairwell, leaving the trio to follow slowly behind.

. . .

Following the closing ceremony, Akane, Keiko, and Yui strolled slowly down the street, the first two chatting merrily with one another.

"In April, we'll be in our third year of high school."

"We'll start taking entrance exams."

"I can't think about my future yet…"

The two bantered back and forth, their other friend remaining unusually silent. Trailing slightly behind them, Yui was trapped in her thoughts, her mind drifting back to a disturbing news report she had heard earlier that morning. Upon coming down the stairs for breakfast, she noticed her father watching the television with a stern expression on his face. He grumbled, commenting on a tragedy occurring in the city. At first, the high school student hadn't given it much thought, shaking her head, and joining her brothers at the table. But upon hearing the words spoken by the news anchor, Yui's blood ran cold.

Surely, it couldn't possibly be true. She would never do something so heinous. It had to be a mistake. Maybe —

"What's wrong?" Akane questioned, her eyes drifting in Yui's direction.

At the sound of her friend's voice, Keiko turned to see the source of her concern. Immediately, she joined in her worries at the sight of Yui's face. "So anxious, it makes you cry?"

"Huh?" Yui blinked, confused by her friends' worried expressions. It wasn't until she felt a gentle breeze against her skin that she realized. A tear was running slowly down her face. Lifting a hand to wipe it away, she dismissed their concerns. "No… Maybe I got some dust in my eye." Forcing a smile onto her face, Yui shoved the foreboding thoughts back into the recesses of her mind. She couldn't think about such things right now. It would only upset her further.

Thankfully, her friends were more than happy to provide a distraction. Keiko nodded, accepting her excuse before suddenly changing the subject. "Aren't you taking over your family's shrine?"

Yui shook her head. "One of my older brothers will be taking over."

"Really?"

Akane smiled, hopping in front of her and walking backwards to match her pace. "Then maybe you can stay on the path of swordsmanship!"

"Haha… that's just something I've been doing since I was little," Yui replied with a grin.

"What a waste…" She teased, earning a small giggle in response.

Keiko tilted her head, a look of genuine respect gracing her features. "But it's impressive you've kept it up this long."

"You always work so hard," Akane agreed, spinning around and walking forward again. "I'll be rushing to start cram school over spring break. What a drag."

The two slowly drifted into other topics, discussing Akane's current boyfriend. Or, as she eventually learned, ex-boyfriend, as he was apparently worthless. Yui faded from the conversation again, her mind slowly drifting back to other concerns. Despite resolving herself not to think about it, she couldn't get the images out of her head. It seemed that no matter how many times she tried to forget about it, the memories would resurface, even stronger than before. And now, unintentionally, her friends were reminding her of it again.

"Oh, my goodness, did you see the news?" Akane started, her eyes widening as she turned to Keiko.

"About what happened in the city? Yeah, I heard. That's so awful!"

"I know. I can't believe she killed him in cold blood."

"It's so sad… and after he helped her come so far…"

"I guess it's true what they say. Fame really does do terrible things to people." Akane glanced at Kusanagi once again, hoping to see her thoughts on the matter. "And poor Yui was her biggest fan… she had just gotten those front row concert tickets too…"

"I guess the show is probably going to be cancelled at this point, right?" Keiko muttered, stealing a glance at Kusanagi as well.

"Of course, it is…" Akane replied. It wasn't often someone committed murder only to return to the stage in a matter of weeks. "And now I hear she's on the run. They're saying she fled the city."

"Oh wow… I hope they catch her…"

Yui couldn't take anymore. Forcing a smile to her face, she walked between them. "Well, I'm going this way."

"Oh, okay… bye!" Akane waved, watching as her friend all but bolted down the road. She hadn't even waited for a reply before she turned around. Maybe she was more upset about it than they thought.

Yui ran all the way to her home, briefly greeting her brothers, Manabu, and Jun, as she climbed the stairs. Manabu was apparently on his way to work, and Jun on his way to training school. After teasing them for a moment, she continued her trek towards the peak. Cresting the top, she greeted her father, letting him know that she had returned home. She continued passed him, running by the souvenir shop where she greeted her mother in a similar fashion.

Her mother called after her as she ran, trying to catch her before she got back in the house. "Welcome home. Oh! Once you've changed, can you organize the fortune slips?"

"Sure, got it," Yui replied, sliding open the wooden door and making her way inside of the house. She immediately scaled the stairs, retreating into the safety of her bedroom. Stripping herself, she threw on a pair of brown shorts and a green t-shirt, happy to finally be out of her uniform. Pulling her ponytail through the shirt hole, she straightened her bangs in the mirror, letting her mind wander. That was a bad idea.

Slowly, her eyes drifted to the side where a framed picture of her family stood proudly on her dresser. It was an older photograph, taken when she was only a child. Her father stood happily between four children, each wearing gentle smiles. To his left stood his two sons, Manabu, and Jun, with their jet black and dirty blonde hair, respectively. And to his right stood his two daughters, Nari and Yui, the latter proudly holding a sheathed katana.

Her eyes lingered on the image, looking at the smaller version of herself and the older child standing beside her. Her hair fell to the center of her back, flowing freely in dark blue waves. Her eyes matched the rest of them, bearing the same brown as her siblings. All five were standing in their hakamas in the shrine's dojo. Taking in the wholesome image, a gentle smile pulled at Yui's lips. That was a happier time. A time before fate had torn them apart.

Nari Kusanagi. At nearly six years her senior, she was the older of the Kusanagi sisters. Yet despite their difference in age, the two were very close during their childhood. In fact, they were nearly inseparable, with either of the pair rarely being seen without the other. Unlike many in her age range, Nari enjoyed the time she spent by her sibling's side. While Yui was a bundle of sunshine, loved by most who knew her, and popular among the student body, Nari was the opposite.

The older sister didn't really fit in very well with the other children, and she was often bullied and picked on in school. Yui could no longer remember what it was about her that made her such an easy target, but she was determined not to allow her sister to be made an outcast. Of course, there was little she could do to stop the teasing, but Nari didn't mind. She was just happy to have a family that loved her.

She never forgot that determination either. As they got older, Nari grew very protective of Yui, watching over her as she continued to grow. Even as their age gap drew them apart, she was always happy to assist her however she could; helping her with homework, providing a study buddy, and even taking care of some of her chores when her Iai kept her preoccupied. She even reversed their roles a few times, giving a stern talking to to any who dared to harm or disrespect Yui. Throughout their young lives together, the two sisters were always there for each other, even as they attended different schools.

That was until Nari graduated high school. Just as Yui had a talent for swordsmanship, at the early age of eleven, the older sister had discovered a talent for music. As it gave her a reason to avoid her classmates in the music rooms, she quickly harnessed it, focusing her attention on instruments, vocal training, and even songwriting throughout her education. Then, after seeing her love of music, at the pleading of their daughter, their parents allowed her to attend a performing arts school starting in the 10th grade. That was where their relationship was destined to change.

In her second year of senior high, Nari performed at a talent show competition representing her school. Enraptured by her voice, she was discovered by an agency scouting for talent. However, at sixteen years old, Nari was slightly too young to make any life-altering decisions. So instead, she was given the option to keep in touch with the offer to further her education. When she graduated senior high at adulthood, with her family's support, the young woman took them up on their offer and continued her study of music into university. The performing arts academy brought her out of their home town and into the big city, leaving her family behind.

It was there that everything changed.

At first, Yui and Nari spoke almost daily, texting and video chatting with each other before bedtime. The two would laugh with one another into the night exchanging stories of their days and the paths their lives were taking. Yui told her of her days in junior high and listened to tales of undergrad. The older sister helped where she could, studying over the video chat as the younger kept her spirits up with her loving support. When Nari came to visit her, they would chat for hours about her new career at the talent agency and what songs she was currently writing.

Then, finally, Nari made her debut. Under a pseudonym with heavy alteration to her physical appearance, the older Kusanagi sister took her first step into the realm of professional music. Yui's heart soared with joy for her when she found success, rising quickly to fame. After years of hardship, Nari had finally found her place in the world. But as time went on, Yui started seeing her sister less and less. Her phone dinged fewer times throughout the day. Her video requests became more and more infrequent. Until eventually, they stop coming at all. The family heard rarely from the older sister, even as Nari's graduation day came and went. Not even one of them received an invitation.

The younger sister tried on multiple occasions to reach out, but to no avail. She would always get her voicemail; leaving messages that were never returned. She tried sending letters and emails, which were met with a similar result. She and her family grew so worried at one point that they took a family trip into the city, hoping to surprise her at her apartment… but they never found her there. Yui tried traveling to the agency on her lonesome, hoping to have better luck without the prying eyes of their parents and brothers, but again, her arrival was met with rejection. Rising stars didn't take visitors from 'overzealous fans' and they left her with a message box to send her mail. Every one was met with a generic automated reply.

Now, it had been nearly three years since she had seen or heard from her older sister.

Yui liked to believe that success wouldn't change her. That Nari would always be the same girl that she had grown up with. That nothing in this world, neither fortune nor fame, would ever tear them apart. It seemed that she had been wrong, no matter how much she refused to believe it. Her sister had changed, leaving behind her old life, her home, and apparently, her family as well. But even then, it didn't matter to her. Just because Nari had given up on them, didn't mean that she had given up on her. Convinced that she would someday return, Yui remained so loyal to her sister that she had even kept her promise to her. To that very day, she remained the only person who knew of her secret identity.

And she hoped that one day, Nari would remember her own promise. That she would always be there for her as her big sister.

With a heavy sigh, Yui slowly wandered down the stairs. She needed to organize the slips as her mother had asked. It was tedious work, but if she were being honest, she was just happy for the distraction. Anything that could take her mind off of her loneliness was more than welcome, and she needed it more than ever as she wandered passed the television, still playing from earlier that morning. It seemed that her day was only going to get worse.

"Breaking new. Talent agent Akihiro Yamagata was found dead in his home at 9:00 a.m. this morning. Officials responded to reports of a fire late last night where the body was found. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, freeing search and rescue to locate anyone that may have been inside. Cause of death was initially believed to be smoke inhalation, but autopsy reports have confirmed a stab wound as the primary cause. No murder weapon has been found at this time."

Yui frowned, her eyes drawing once again to the screen.

"The case is now being ruled as a homicide. Police are searching for the culprit, but no new updates have been reported at this time. The primary suspect is believed to be singing sensation, Luna, as her cellular device was found at the scene of the crime. Anonymous sources also say that Luna was seen entering the building during —"

Yui didn't want to hear anymore. Shutting off the television, she heaved a heavy sigh. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Stomping from the room, she made her way to the front door, now in a decidedly bad mood… and that mood was about to get even worse.

"I'm sorry, but neither I nor my husband have seen who you are looking for."

The sound of Yui's mother reached her ears. Someone was at the shrine, and they didn't sound like they were there for worship. Flashing lights drew her attention from between the trees, emanating from the bottom of the hill. Were those… police cars?! Running around to the gift shop, Yui found her parents speaking with a pair of officers, both looking apologetic.

"This is a place of worship. We welcome many people throughout any given day. No one by that description has either entered nor left Kusanagi Shrine."

"What's going on?" Yui asked, slowly approaching the group with concerned eyes. She knew very well who they were looking for. She wanted to hear them say it.

The officer turned and acknowledged her, a solemn expression on his face. "Police are searching for a murder suspect. I'm not sure if you have seen the news reports recently, but —"

"I have," Yui responded. Her lips pulled into a tight line, halting him before he could finish his inevitable inquiry. Her parents looked down at her, confusion evident on their faces. It wasn't like their daughter to be so irritable. Shaking her head, she continued. "I only just returned home a short while ago. I haven't seen anything suspicious." She spoke the truth. She hadn't seen her sister in ages. Yui didn't have the slightest clue where her sister was… but she knew she wasn't there.

Yui's father nodded in agreement. "Yui is a high school student, and this kind of thing is all the rage. I assure you, if my daughter had seen a pop star, she would remember it."

The police officers nodded. "Our apologies for the disturbance. The last place she was seen was heading in this direction. If you don't mind, however, we would like to search the area, if possible." The man slowly dragged an envelope from his back pocket. A search warrant. "Typically, we would prefer to avoid private residences, but as the manhunt continues —"

"It's a manhunt?" Yui questioned, her eyes growing wide with terror. How could it possibly be a manhunt? They didn't even have a confirmed suspect.

The officer slowly nodded, a look of sympathy on his face. "I'm afraid so. The nature of these crimes is very serious. It hasn't hit the news stations yet, but the fire is being categorized as arson… and Luna is now a fugitive. We have officers in almost every corner of the city and all surrounding areas —"

"Arson?!" She nearly shouted, quickly controlling herself as her parents began to give her strange looks.

Yui's mother sighed. "I assure you, you won't find anyone here. But we have nothing to hide. You are free to take a quick look around if you wish. Yui, please go unlock the storehouse."

It took a few moments for Yui to move, forcing her legs to go forward one after the other. As the officers began to spread out, she slowly made her way to the house to retrieve the key. In the back of Kusanagi Shrine was their storage building, a small wooden structure that housed everything from artifacts to documents and random objects. It was just as well. She had some organizing to do, so she was going to be heading in that direction anyway.

Reaching the storehouse, she sighed, taking the key from her pants pocket, and slipping it into the lock. She turned the latch, frowning as she found resistance. Was it stuck? It was an old building after all. Perhaps it was time to finally get it replaced. Shifting her grip, she tested the knob to try and jiggle it freely. Then, to her surprise, it turned. Her grip loosened in shock, leaving the door to slowly swing open.

It was already unlocked.

How strange. She could have sworn she locked it the last time she was in there. Stepping inside, Yui looked around, keeping her eyes peeled for anything suspicious. For the most part, everything was in place, except for a few misplaced boxes in the corner. They had probably shifted from uneven placement the last time she stacked them, distracted by her depressing thoughts. Ignoring them, she continued searching through the area, pausing as she heard the police calling to one another.

"All clear. Nothing in this area."

Yui sighed, wandering further into the storehouse, and shaking her head. She felt tears slowly stinging her eyes as she muttered to herself. "Oh, Nari… what have you done…?" Seeing the building through blurred vision, she knew there was no way she was organizing those slips right now. It would have to be done a bit later when she could see straight. Looking around the room one last time, Yui turned to leave, pausing only when she noticed a flash of light coming from behind her. What was that?

Turning, she looked around the storehouse again, blinking as her eyes landed on a glowing box on one of the desks. When had that gotten there? Slowly, she stepped forward, eyeing the container as she approached. She could feel the power radiating from within as she reached it, tilting her head in curiosity. 'What in the world…?' It was too large to be any of their file boxes. Long and rectangular, it almost looked like —

"A sword?" Yui murmured, gazing down at the blue blade within. Where had that come from? Was it always in the storehouse? That couldn't be, surely. Reaching forward, she gently touched the flat of the blade… a terrible mistake.

The moment her hand made contact, sparks flew, bouncing around the room in large bolts. Thunder boomed all around her, the sword's glow growing with each passing moment. "What? What's going on?" She shouted, backing away from the sword.

Hold on.

The sword was floating. What was happening? Was she dreaming? Perhaps she had laid down and fallen asleep while in her room. That would explain all the bad happenings, including the police search. Yes, that must be it. She was dreaming. More likely, she was having a nightmare; one she desperately wished she could wake from.

Yui backed further away as the sword continued to rise, its blue hue shifting into a blinding white. Then, it erupted, light filling the room as a strong wind gusted towards her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to get out of there and run for the hills. But her legs wouldn't move. Her body wouldn't listen. All it could do was stand there, frozen, as the mysterious force whisked her away.

Perhaps it was her delusional mind… but she could have sworn that she heard another girl's scream.

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey everybody, thanks for reading! I do most of my writing on an on-demand basis, so feel free to leave feedback if you like the story!