With their activities decided, the student council set about gathering their supplies. The gods were tasked with collecting water bottles, towels, and other outing items. The sisters took care of sandwiches and food items. They insisted they do so as they had more experience with the human body. In reality, both sisters knew they simply couldn't trust the god of light with any sort of fragile or perishable items. All were collected from the school store. Despite visiting once before, Nari was still amazed by the quite literally endless selection of goods.

Once they had everything they needed, the student council set out on their journey.

The trip itself to the pasture was pleasant, filled with casual conversation and occasional questions regarding various aspects of human life. It was a decent distance from the school grounds, but not too long on foot. Their travel time was made slightly longer by the five taking in the sights, stopping for lunch, and helping a fallen Balder up from the ground multiple times. The appreciation of the ecosystem, however, took up the most time.

Aside from their horseback overlook, it was the first time that any of them had really left the school grounds. Blue skies stretched along an endless horizon and spring flowers bloomed within seas of wild grass. Birds and butterflies flitted about above and the occasional wildlife was visible darting into the trees upon their arrival. While none of them were entirely happy about being trapped against their will, they couldn't deny their astonishment at the sheer wonder of Zeus' creation. He hadn't just crafted a high school. He had created an entire world outside of it. And it was beautiful.

Upon arriving at their destination, the student council looked around at their new surroundings. It was exactly as they had imagined, large verdant fields surrounded by wooden barriers on different sides. "Aw, they're so cute." Balder smiled, looking over the fences at the various animals. There was such a variety; goats, pigs, horses, and cows all quietly grazing in the pastures. "Where's the entrance? I want to go in and pet them."

"Ah, look!" Apollon shouted.

The other four turned their attention, following his pointing finger to the skies. What they saw was nothing short of mythical. Soaring up above was a large, flaming bird, tossing ash and embers with every beat of its mighty wings.

Nari stared, mouth open at the magical bird, her mind drifting immediately to its depictions in human cinema. "Holy crap… is that a —"

"Phoenix. It is a bird that can give humans eternal life and eternal youth." Tsukito answered her unfinished question, following it with a detailed explanation. "It is said that as its body decays, it flies into fire and burns to death, only to be reborn from the ashes… or so it is written here." A long finger tapped a wooden sign posted near the fence.

"No way…"

"It's… beautiful… I never thought we'd see something like this…" Yui mumbled, her eyes following the mystical bird as it drew a burning path across the skies.

"That be true. However, the discovery of this animal alone cannot possibly deepen the bonds between us." Tsukito reminded, forever remaining on task.

Apollon disagreed. "That's not true! This just means we haven't truly appreciated the wonder of the pasture yet! Therefore, Tsuki-Tsuki, we just have to jump the fence and meet the animals ourselves!" Without a care in the world, the god of the sun strode forward, grabbing the fence as he made to leap over it.

Nari's open mouth closed and turned into a concerned frown. He was up to his antics again. "Apollon, I'm not sure that's a good idea… There could be other mythical creatures in there. It sounds really —"

"If those are the president's orders…" Tsukito gave no thought to the older sister's concern. Walking forward, he vaulted the fence and stood on the other side, waiting patiently for further orders. Nari halted her complaint and stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

"Tsukito!" Yui exclaimed. She wasn't sure whether to be amazed by athleticism or disturbed by his willingness to blindly follow Apollon's command. A brief look was exchanged with her sister before a shake of the head. It seemed they were doing this after all. Yui made to move forward only to find herself being stopped by a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"I'll help Fairy get in too. Tsuki-Tsuki! Catch her, okay? You have to catch her."

"What?!" Yui's eyes blew wide, looking frantically around as Apollon hoisted her from the ground.

"Apollon!" Nari shouted.

"Ahh!" Yui was tossed into the air, clear over the fence and into the pasture. She soared for a few moments before landing safely in the other god's arms. It had had happened so quickly, she barely had time to be afraid. Instead, she looked up at her savior with a nervous expression. "Th-Thank you…"

"What is wrong with you?!" Nari demanded, stomping toward the beaming sun god. Her anger was nearly visible, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. But Apollon was undeterred by her indignation

"Don't worry, Siren. I'll help you too!"

"Don't you dare." She growled, warding him backward with a look that could kill. It was bad enough that he had them running off on a field trip with no warning. She was not going to tolerate him throwing her and her sister around like bags of luggage.

"I-It's okay, Nari! Really, I'm fine!" Yui insisted, slowly lowering herself from Tsukito's grasp. She could see her sister's temper flaring, as it often did whenever she was in discomfort. If she didn't intervene, Nari may throttle the unsuspecting god.

Shooting him another dirty look, Nari emulated the moon god and vaulted over the fence, landing gracefully on the other side.

"Wow, Siren! That was amazing! You hopped the fence so easily!" Apollon complimented. Balder nodded in agreement, making his way over the fence as well.

"I do most of my own stunts." She muttered, wandering in Yui's direction.

"…Stunts?"

"Ladies first. Why don't we deepen our bonds with the animals here?" Balder smiled, strolling forward into the field. "Which one would you like…?"

"I don't… huh?" Nari stared in utter disbelief.

Balder reached his hands forward towards a horse grazing nearby. No words escaped his mouth, and no other action was taken. Yet the animal lifted its head and slowly lumbered towards them. Within moments, the others had followed, all of the creatures surrounding and standing happily in his presence. It was the most bizarre thing she had ever seen. He was like blonde male version of Snow White.

"Is that a trick? Magic? They're coming so eagerly; it must be magic." Apollon watched in curiosity as a cow gently nuzzled Balder's arm.

"I've been liked by animals since I was young. Isn't convenient, no? Sometimes, they come over and help me up when I fall."

Nari blinked. That was convenient.

"Wow! So, all animals love you? Even wild ones?" Apollon asked, growing excited as he finally joined them on the other side of the fence line.

"Yes. Every…" Balder paused for a moment, a thought suddenly entering his mind. There was one animal his energy didn't affect. But it was so long ago…

"Come here, come here to me. I'll give you a pet too." Apollon had already grown distracted as Balder trailed off into his thoughts. He reached forward to pet a nearby goat, frowning slightly as it backed away from him. "Why?! Why? Let me pet you too!" Startled by the sudden noise, the animals scattered in every direction, bolting away from him into the open fields and over the hills. "Wait! Wait! Wait for me!"

"Apollon!" Nari shouted, running after him as he ran forward towards the horizon. How did Yui have the patience for him? He was like an excitable child.

Her calls went ignored; Apollon running along after a particularly nimble pig. Giving up, Nari came to a stop and sighed as he vanished over the hill and out of sight. Shaking her head, she turned back to Yui who only shrugged in defeat. The sun god was always like this. There was nothing they could do about it.

"Ahh!"

The four students turned back to the hillside in confusion. Apollon's terrified scream echoed over the fields as he quickly reappeared, running much faster than he had been when he left. Within moments, they could see why. Charging behind him was a furious animal, a mythical creature that the sisters had never seen outside the pages of storybooks. It was a beautiful white horse with a flowing silver mane and a horn perched atop its head. And apparently, it was very angry.

At the sister's shocked expressions, Tsukito launched immediately into another explanation, utterly disregarding the fact that a fellow classmate was running for dear life. "A unicorn. A ferocious, one-horned beast, known for its incredible vanity."

Ferocious it was. Running downhill, it didn't take long for the unicorn to reach him, lifting its mighty head and tossing the sun god clear over the fence. He landed on the ground with a thump. How he had managed to do so without being skewered was a mystery.

"An animal that savage, even I couldn't control…" Balder mumbled, making his retreat toward the fence line. Tsukito mirrored him, with the Kusanagi sisters quickly following suit. Unfortunately, Yui was standing a bit farther from the safety of the fence than the other two. Nari was even farther than that, having chased after Apollon.

"Yui!" Nari rushed back down the hill, trying to reach her.

"Ah!" The younger sister was frozen in fear, trembling as the angry creature turned its attention towards her. She knew she needed to run, but she couldn't. Her body was rooted to the spot, with no control over her own limbs. She could only stare wide-eyed and terrified as the unicorn approached her, switching its tail. "…Huh?" A silent exchange was made between them, with Yui gazing into the eyes of what, moments before, was a wild beast.

"No need to be frightened. It will not cause you any harm."

"Wha?"

Tsukito nodded towards the now gentle creature. "Assuming that you are a virgin."

"Virgin?!" The sisters chorused, utterly floored by this new revelation. Finally regaining control, Yui stepped away, trembling as the giant horse reached her. The dangerous tip of its horn was merely inches from her face… but all its ferocity had subsided. It bent its knees and sat before her on the ground. It was calm.

"It's tame…?"

The moon god nodded. "Unicorns will only trust virgin women. That's what is written here. You are safe from its ire because you are a virgin —"

"I got it! Thank you, Tsukito."

"Understood."

Balder looked upon her with amazement. "Incredible. It chased Agana Belea to the entrance, but with you it is truly docile."

Nari looked between the pair, slowly inching her way around them towards the fence line. Her movements were careful and slow; afraid to even take a breath. So long as it didn't notice her, she could escape. Almost there. Only twenty more feet…

"Nari!" She froze. "It's okay! It won't harm us."

"Yui, no!"

It was too late.

Turning its head, the unicorn took notice of her, its eyes returning to a vicious color. An angry huff escaped its nostrils as it rose slowly to its feet. A hoof beat scraped threateningly the ground, its gleaming horn shimmering in the sunlight. Nari looked quickly between the horse and the fence, measuring the distance to safety. It was out of reach.

"…Oh, shit."

Turning, Nari bolted in the opposite direction, the unicorn charging off after her. Yui's voice sounded from behind her, but she couldn't afford to turn around. The sound of hoofbeats was drawing closer, nearly right behind her. Instinct began to take over, throwing herself to the side as the animal rushed past. She had evaded it, but at a cost. Having wrapped around the hillside, Nari was rolling freely downhill. She curled into herself, trying to avoid further injury as she fell, tumbling along the grass until she collided with a hard, solid object.

"Fuck…" She hissed, forcing herself upright. She had tumbled her way to another part of the fence. Unfortunately, her pursuer had followed. The unicorn trotted toward her, its nostrils flaring. Nari scrambled to her feet to make for the fence line. She had barely risen before she collapsed again; pain shooting through every inch of her leg. "Ah…"

She was trapped.

Nari slid along the ground, backing against the fence. She didn't dare turn her back on it. Perhaps if she remained very still, proved that she wasn't a threat, the animal would leave her alone. No such luck. The unicorn charged; horn angled downward. It was going to kill her. She was going to die in a pasture on an island in gods know where, by the horn of a magical horse. Lifting her arms, she shrieked, trying to ward it off in a helpless last-ditch attempt at survival. "Noo!"

The unicorn roared, its hooves sliding as it skidded to a stop. It reared upward onto its hind legs, shaking its head from side to side. Nari remained still, body trembling at the terrifying sounds. But rather than grow closer, the hoofbeats grew quieter… and quieter… until, finally, they were no more.

"What?" Nari slowly opened her eyes, wondering if perhaps she was already dead. She wasn't. Her back was pressed against the fence and her legs sprawled outward. The unicorn was gone.

"Nari!"

"Siren!"

"Kusanagi!"

Yui, Apollon, and Balder called out to her, rushing along the fence toward her. She had never thought she would be relieved to hear the sun god's voice. Their footsteps drew closer until they reached her. Apollon leapt over the fence, his feet crunching along the ground as he crouched before her.

"Oh, thank the gods, Nari, you're okay!" Yui was nearly in tears. Her heart had come to a complete stop when the animal targeted her. She had thought that it would be safe. It wasn't. And it was her own fault. Nari had been gone for years… of course she wasn't the same person she had been before. Yui didn't know. She was naïve. And that naivety had almost killed her.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." Apollon helped Nari to her feet, grabbing her shoulders when she stumbled forward. "Siren?! What's the matter?! What's wrong?!"

"My ankle… I must have twisted it when I fell."

"That's okay, I'll help you!"

Nari groaned as Apollon lifted her into his arms. It seemed he was going to get to throw her today after all.

After a begrudging approval, Apollon tossed her over the fence into Balder's arms, where she remained for the rest of the trip home. The five students decided it was best to end their field trip for the day. They spent the walk back in relative silence, with the exception of Yui's desperate apologies. Nari reassured her every time that she wasn't angry with her and didn't blame her for an honest mistake. When she finally stopped groveling, Nari fell silent, her mind drifting back to all that had transpired.

. . .

The school day came to an end.

Apollon and Tsukito went their separate ways, returning to their dorms for a bit of rest. After accompanying the party to the infirmary and a great deal of arguing, Nari was finally able to convince the gods that she was perfectly fine and all she needed was a bit of rest. They reluctantly agreed, leaving her with Yui and her unofficial transport. Balder remained for a short while longer, hovering around them until they convinced him that his classmate was going to be fine.

When he finally left, the sisters conversed amongst themselves in the empty ward, giving and brushing away yet another series of apologies. After being thoroughly convinced that her sister wasn't upset with her, Yui rushed about, trying to locate a doctor, nurse, or whoever the equivalent might be. Nari waited patiently on her bed, unable to do much more than watch her sister zip around like a maniac.

It took a few minutes of scouring the medical area before Yui gave up, realizing that she wasn't going to find anyone. It seemed that the hospital was deserted, without so much as a spirit or human attendant to care for them. Assuming it to be an oversight, she decided to leave for the headmaster's office to inform Zeus of the matter. Nari stayed behind, lying down in the hospital bed. Finally left to her peace and quiet, she slowly drifted off into a restless sleep.

When she woke, she opened her eyes to an unexpected visitor.

"Ah!" Nari gasped, jolting at the appearance of an unfamiliar face.

The woman before her watched with an amused smile as she scrambled away, pressing against the headboard. "It is nice to see you have awakened."

Her kind pleasantries fell on deaf ears. Her eyes looked back and forth around the room, searching for any sign of a familiar face. She found none. Yui was nowhere to be found, and the other gods' locations were a mystery. Vulnerable and alone, Nari turned her gaze back to the woman before her, narrowing her eyes in what she hoped was an intimidating display. The woman, however, was undeterred.

"Fear not, young one. I pose no threat to you, and only wish to help."

"Help, huh…?" Nari frowned, pressing further against the head of the bed. Many people claimed to help her throughout her life. It was accepting that help that had landed her in her current position. Yet, as she shifted, she realized something unusual about her leg. The feeling of it was foreign to her, or rather, the lack thereof. It hadn't occurred to her until that moment, that she could no longer feel any pain. It was as though the injury had never happened in the first place.

The woman smiled gently at her, standing at her bedside with graceful poise. She said nothing as Nari went through her process, waiting patiently for her to come to her own conclusion. Slowly, the woman's chocolate brown irises shifted, lifting to meet her own. Then, they widened as realization dawned over her features. "I trust you are feeling better?"

Nari blinked, confusion evident on her face. "I… did… you did this?" The woman only nodded in response, her lips never faltering from their tender smile. Alarmed, Nari slowly reached downward, gently running her fingers along her ankle. Only hours ago, it had been swollen to the size of a large apple. Now, it looked no different than it normally did, without so much as a bruise or discoloration. Her eyes quickly lifted, meeting the gaze of the woman once more. And finally, for the first time, she took her in.

There was no word that could describe the woman's beauty. Her fair skin was like porcelain, soft, smooth, and free of blemishes. Her golden locks trailed over her shoulders and down her back, with small braids framing the sides of her face. She had pink lips, a straight nose, and long full eyelashes that put even Nari's to shame. But what caught her attention above all else was her eyes; golden and piercing, as though looking through her very soul. This woman was not human. No human could possibly possess such perfection. "Th-Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"I… sorry, but… who are you?" Nari's eyes lowered sheepishly to the bed. The woman's kind gaze suddenly made her painfully aware of just how rude she had been.

"I am Eir; goddess of healing."

Of course. Her abrupt recovery could have only been possible through divine intervention. And for her to use such power on a human like herself… she was truly gracious indeed. Nari bowed in gratitude and apology once more for her earlier reaction. Eir waved her away, beckoning her to lift her head. She could see the look of confusion in her eyes, a question on the tip of her tongue that she dared not ask. "I was summoned by Odin to assist in your recovery."

"O-Odin…?" The very name nearly turned her heart to stone. His was a name that had reached even human media. The All-Father himself. Supreme Ruler of Asgard and easily one of the most powerful gods in existence. What could possess such a being to spend even a thought on someone like her, she wondered. Yui had said that she was going to inform Zeus of her predicament, but what did that have to do with Odin? Were the two of them in contact? Was it possible that he was involved his plans as well? Just how far did this scheme go?

"Well… I, um… would I be able to — is it okay if I…"

"You may leave any time you wish." Eir responded, saving the stammering woman from her fumbling. She could visibly see the look of relief wash over her, anxiety slowly fading away. With another smile, she stepped away and watched the woman climb carefully out of bed, gently testing her leg before placing down her full weight. The look of pure astonishment almost made her chuckle. What an interesting human.

"Thank you… seriously. I really appreciate it." Nari offered one last time. Eir merely nodded, turning, and vanishing behind the curtain. With a shrug, she turned and made her way out into the hallway.

. . .

The sun had set at some point during her rest. Nari had no idea exactly how much time had passed since falling asleep, but apparently, it was enough for day to turn into night. Walking briskly through the halls, she contemplated whether questioning Zeus was a good idea. It was true that he had kidnapped everyone at the school for the sake of his own goals, but it was also true that he had sought out assistance for her. He was the ruler of the heavens and was under no obligation to go out of his way. He could have just as easily left her to hobble around the school with a limp and punish her should she refuse to do so.

Even still, she wanted to understand his plans. She wanted to know, not only the true extent of them, but their purpose as well. He had mentioned a great disaster would follow should gods and humans not rekindle their connection, but why exactly did the gods require an education on humans? And why had he chosen the two of them to do it? She didn't know… but in the end, she decided that she would save that conversation for another day. To barge into his office demanding answers not even hours after his intervention would be just plain rude, even for her. No. She would ask him about it later in the week, after a short time had passed. Allow everything to smooth over.

Changing her mind, she abruptly shifted course and turned for a different corridor. Her plan of action was to return swiftly to the dorms… but instead, she collided face first with another person coming around the bend. Both fell to the floor with a loud oof, a loud clattering sound echoing through the empty halls.

"Ugh…"

"You should really watch where you're going."

Nari's eyes shot open immediately at the sound of a familiar voice. She would recognize that taunting lilt anywhere. Her stunned gaze twisted quickly into a look of annoyance, aimed toward the redheaded god climbing to his feet in front of her. "Someone could get hurt, you know?"

The words almost denoted concern, but Nari knew better. She recognized that dangerous glint in his eye. The same she had seen upon their very first meeting. But she was not in the mood. Jumping to her feet as well, she crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze into a full glare. "You weren't watching either."

"Of course, I was!"

"Really?"

"Yup."

"So, what, you plowed into me on purpose?" Nari's voice lowered, aggravation beginning to set in. She was growing tired of this interaction, and his smug expression was only making it worse. She wanted to wipe that look right off of his face but thought better of it.

"Hmm… Perhaps. Or are you the one who ran into me? So clumsy."

"That's —" Nari halted her rebuttal and instead took a deep breath. She wouldn't play his game. That was exactly what he wanted her to do. "Whatever."

Loki tsked at her, dancing around her and strolling his way down the hall without a care in the world. He had won this round. Or at least, Nari would allow him to think that he had. She was too tired for his nonsense; just wanted to go to bed. She watched his figure grow smaller and disappear down another hall before shaking her head. That guy had issues.

'Hm?' Nari turned back to continue onward, only to pause again. A small light caught her attention from the floor, reflecting from a moonbeam. There was something on the ground. Stepping forward, she knelt and retrieved the item, carefully balancing it in her palm. "A bracelet…?" It was warm to the touch, alarmingly so, as though fire itself was radiating from every ruby gem. It was breathtaking. But where had it come from?

She didn't have a chance to find out.

Enraptured by the accessory, Nari didn't hear the sound of rapid footsteps approaching from behind her. Within moments, the bracelet was gone. Loki appeared, snatching the garment from her hand, and fixing her with a venomous glare. The disdain in his eyes was so potent, it actually frightened her, forcing her to take a step away from him.

"What were you doing with that?" he hissed.

"Wha — nothing! It was on the floor, I —"

"Don't touch it."

Nari flinched at the sound of his voice, her mouth hanging open at the sheer hatred in his words. If not for the choker around his neck, she had no doubt that she would have already burst into flames. "I-I'm sorry… I —"

"Tch." Loki didn't give her a chance to finish. Placing the bracelet securely in his coat pocket, he spun on his heel and stalked away, leaving Nari standing alone in the hallway.