"Ugh…" Nari groaned, gripping her head as she awakened from her slumber. The marble flooring felt cool against her hand as she forced herself upright. Wait. Marble?

Eyes flying open, the woman looked frantically around what used to be a storehouse. It was now… well, she wasn't entirely sure what it was. It was clearly a building, that much was certain, as evidenced by the intricate decorum and paintings lining the walls. Where in the seven hells did she end up? The last thing she remembered was… "Shit." She hissed, quickly scrambling to her feet.

The last thing she remembered was hiding in the storehouse. Tucked behind a stack of large boxes, she had been planning to continue on foot by morning once the commotion died down. But the police had followed her there, ruining her strategy and forcing her to rethink her next course of action. With a new idea in mind, Nari was about to flee when an unexpected visitor had arrived, entering the storehouse. She didn't dare to even breathe as she watched Yui through the cracks of the cardboard. Her sister was about to leave when a glowing light drew her attention. Her footsteps returned, approaching the light and presumably examining its source. She was no longer in her line of sight by that point, so Nari couldn't be sure. There was thunder and lightning and then… nothing.

Running over the course of events in her mind, she tried to piece together what could have happened. After a few moments, she concluded; Nari didn't have a single clue what the hell was going on. Scowling, she looked around, eyeing a large wooden door at the opposite end of the room. It must have been a way out.

Slowly, Nari crept to the doorway. She took a deep, steadying breath, before turning the handle and pushing it open just a crack. Her eye peered through the sliver, looking around for any other presence. There was none. Pressing the door open the rest of the way, she slid through the opening and wandered into the hall. And what a hall it was. The walls towered high above, connecting beneath gold-encrusted arches. Vines dangled from large openings where windows stretched from the ceiling to the floor. A floor that was, much like the room she had just left, crafted with intricate marble. It was beautiful. And it was terrifying.

"Where the hell am I…" she murmured, slowly looking around the area. How in the world had she managed to go from the storehouse to… whatever this place was? Was she even in Japan anymore? And what of Yui? Perhaps her sister was —

Nari's heart leapt into her throat as the realization hit her. Yui was also in the storehouse when the lightning struck. Did that mean that she had been transported as well? It was very possible, considering the situation. It wouldn't be too strange for a kidnapper to take both of them since they were together. But why had the culprit gone to the trouble of separating them? Slowly reaching upward, her fingertips slid down her shirt collar, finding the familiar necklace that she always wore. It was still on her person, so at the very least, they hadn't been robbed.

She sighed. Standing around wasn't going to get her anywhere. She needed to figure out where she was, how she had gotten there, and what happened to her sister. Once she confirmed that Yui was safe, she would figure a way out of there. Nari didn't need to speak with her. She just needed to physically see her to know she was okay, even if it was from afar. Chances were, it was for the best anyway. She was certain that her younger sister no longer wanted anything to do with her.

Her shoes clicked quietly against the floor as she strolled down the hall. She had long given up on moving stealthily, as she quickly determined that the place was utterly deserted. Of course, this only added to the confusion, leading her to grow even more frustrated about the situation. The place was massive, yet no one was inside of it. None of it made any sense.

"Ba?"

At the sound of a voice, Nari whipped around, looking frantically down the hall. Someone had spoken to her. Yet she couldn't see them. Was it her captor perhaps? If it was, the last thing she wanted to do was to appear weak. "Who's there? Show yourself." She tried her best to sound intimidating, but with the wavering in her voice, she doubted it worked. "I'm not messing around… you'd better come out here." There was an 'or' at the end of her sentence, but Nari quickly discarded it. After all, what exactly was she going to do? She was alone and unarmed. She didn't even know who was following her.

A small, subtle movement caught her attention from behind one of the massive window pillars. "Hey — I see you! Come out here!" she demanded, her eyes glaring in the direction of the concealed person. The fact they were hiding gave her confidence as her hands clenched into fists. As the shadow shifted again, Nari steeled her resolve. She didn't know what was going to come out of there. Only that she wouldn't be afraid. She refused to be afraid. She was done running. Finally, the person moved.

What came out… befuddled her.

It was a boy. Or perhaps a young man. Nari wasn't sure. What she was sure of was that the guy was weird. Very weird. His skin was beautifully tanned, and his nails painted black. He was wearing an unusual getup, a black shirt with white circular designs. The torso was cut out, exposing a flat stomach that disappeared behind of pair of baggy grey pants. His arms were covered by a white jacket of some sort, dangling around his elbows. His eyes were a pretty shade of purple and his hair… that was a different matter entirely. It was jet black and swept at the top on either side, almost like a pair of ears. In a way, it was kind of cute, and she would have appreciated it far more if she wasn't currently locked in fight or flight.

"Who are you?" she asked, watching his movements carefully.

"Bara?" he muttered, carefully stepping forward.

"Excuse me?" What in the hell did he just say?

The boy didn't respond, instead slowly stalking towards her. Nari tensed, readying herself for whatever he was about to do. He was drawing closer. He was nearly upon her. It was now or never.

But nothing happened.

The boy stopped in front of her, looking into her eyes with intense curiosity. He seemed nervous, possibly even more so than she was. How strange. Nari's logical sense told her to get as far from this person as possible… but for some reason, she didn't want to. There was no way she could even hope to explain it. That somehow, she knew; she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

He slowly reached forward, brushing his fingers against her cheek. Purple eyes bored into brown ones as the two remained dangerously still. He was examining her, looking deep into her very soul, but for what, she didn't know. Whatever it was, he must have found it. His amethyst orbs lit up with joy, his body bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Bara! Bara!"

"Um… okay?" Nari blinked, confused by his sudden change in demeanor. "Nice to meet you too, I guess?"

"Ka-bara!"

His words were utter nonsense. Possibly the most ridiculous sounds she had ever heard in her life. Yet she understood him. Not him, necessarily, but his intentions. Like they were communicating on a spiritual level. Deciding that this was her best chance, Nari smirked nervously at the bouncing boy. "Hey… have you by any chance seen my sister? She's a little younger than me, and she has long violet hair." At least, she thought she did. She hadn't seen her in a couple years, after all.

The boy tilted his head, gazing at her inquisitively. After a few seconds, she began to assume he couldn't understand her. She was about to tell him never mind when he suddenly surprised her. His body turned, his hand stretching out with a painted fingernail pointing down the opposite hall. Was he directing her?

She wasn't sure. But it was the best lead she had so far. Bowing her appreciation, she turned and started down the corridor. "Thanks. See you later, then."

"Bara!"

Nari waved as he called after her, vanishing around a corner as she set off at a jog. Her feet carried her through the endless maze of passageways, leading her to gods knew where. How far she had gone was a mystery, leaving her relatively grateful for all her excessive cardio. One of the only good things he had done for her. Unfortunately, wandering aimlessly around a gigantic building without so much as a starting point for reference really wasn't the best way of finding someone.

Or… maybe it was.

"Whoa!" Nari skidded to a stop, nearly plowing into another man as she rounded a corner. While she was able to keep herself upright, the same could not be said about the man she found.

"Wah!" Long locks of blonde hair pooled on the floor as he crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

"Holy — are you okay?!" she asked, reaching out to try and help him. Her hand had barely moved an inch when it was suddenly smacked away. "What the —" Looking up, Nari saw the culprit.

Standing to the side, now helping the other man to his feet, was another. He had eyes of silver, and hair as red as a burning flame. Although, at the current moment, one could argue that the fire was really in his gaze as he wore a dangerous smile. "Balder is perfectly fine. He just falls sometimes," he reasoned, gently nudging the taller man away from her.

Nari was about to demand to know what his problem was, but at his venomous look, she decided against it. Instead, she took a step back and looked between them, taking note of the two of them. They were nearly opposite in every way. The redheaded man wore a white shirt beneath a black and purple hoodie, with a poorly done tie wrapped around his neck. The blonde was far more proper, with a white blazer and carefully placed uniform. What the uniform was for was anyone's guess.

"Are you alright?" the blonde asked, his face showing genuine concern.

Nari nodded, carefully lifting a brow. His eyes were as blue as the ocean and his smile was straight out of a fairytale. Any woman in the world would probably throw herself at him, given the chance, and she could easily see why. But there something about him that unsettled her. Something in his gaze.

"She's fine. Come on, we need to find a way out of here."

"Wh-Wha…? But what about —"

"Don't worry about the girl. She'll be fine."

Nari watched the two of them as they spoke about her like she wasn't even there. She placed an impatient hand on her hip, scowling at them.

"Loki, you're being rude!"

"…Loki?" Nari muttered, her frown vanishing in place of curiosity. What an unusual name… yet strangely, one that she had heard before. A character in one of her plays perhaps.

The man in question turned towards her, winking at her. "That's me. Loki, god of fire."

"Wait… god of — what now?" Nari blinked, her mind running a hundred miles a minute. Did he just say god?

"Hmm~? Are you hard of hearing? I said —"

"I know what you said! I'm just trying to…" Her voice trailed off as she took note of his playful grin. His lips were pulled into a mischievous smirk. She felt like a total idiot. "Oh… I get it. You're joking."

"Eh?" This time, Loki blinked, confused by her sudden incorrect conclusion. He had been very clear, hadn't he?

"Anyway, if you don't mind, I'm in kind of a hurry. Have either of you seen a girl with violet hair?"

"Oh! Do you mean —" Balder started, jumping as he was quickly interrupted by Loki.

"What's it to you?"

"What's it to — have you seen her or not?" Nari snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You'd speak that way to the god of fire? You must be very brave…" Loki smiled dangerously. "…Or very stupid."

"I'm about to be the god of irritation if someone doesn't tell me what's going on." Nari glowered at him, her patience exhausted. She didn't have time for this. In front of her, the supposed 'god of fire' paused, a bit taken aback by her huffy response. It seemed she really was courageous. Or foolish. He was curious to find out which.

"Oh, so scary~!" Loki taunted. "We should be careful, Balder. This one's got some mettle." His eyes drifted downward to her shirt, an eyebrow lifting and disappearing beneath his bangs. "It looks like some poor sap already suffered her wrath."

Nari stared, confused by his insinuation. Slowly, her eyes trailed downward. Then, they widened. Her jacket had fallen open. More accurately, her manager's jacket. She had grabbed it on her way out the door, having no time to bother searching for her own. At some point, it had fallen open, revealing a small splotch of red on the edge of her white shirt. Frowning, she quickly closed the jacke, carefully latching the buttons to ensure it didn't happen again.

"Who, I wonder, could have garnered such rage?"

"That's none of your business," she spat.

Loki paused at the viciousness behind her tone. It was such a sudden change, so different from her mild annoyance a moment ago. Apparently, he had struck a nerve. And for a moment, he began to wonder.

Balder finally interjected, shaking his head at Loki's antics. "Yes. I saw her a little while ago in the garden."

"Wha — Balder!" The other god all but whined, looking almost wounded at the fact that he would interfere with his little game. Balder ignored him, instead looking back to the woman. She looked so upset that he couldn't bear to let Loki continue teasing her. "If you hurry, you may be able to find her."

"Thank you very much." Nari bowed, quickly maneuvered around them, and jogged down the hall in the direction Balder had gestured. Yui was a curious creature. It wasn't in her nature to sit idle while things happened around her. The overwhelming likelihood was that she had been roaming around this place the entire time she was searching for her. If she didn't move quickly, she would lose her.

After a short bit of running, Nari smiled at the approaching garden of flowers. A small structure stood in the center of it, with birds and butterflies fluttering through the area. This must be the place. Stepping outside, she looked around. It didn't seem like anyone was there. Yui must have moved on. Sighing, Nari turned to leave when a loud whinny echoed through the skies.

Wait… the skies?

Whipping around, Nari looked up. Sure enough, she saw it, a large, pink, winged horse soaring from another part of the building. It was a Pegasus. A mythical creature spoken of only in legends and lore. And it was here, in this strange place, with these strange people. She almost didn't want to believe it, now convinced that she must have hit her head in the storehouse. That she wasn't awake but dreaming. But those thoughts vanished without a trace as she caught a glimpse of violet hair.

. . .

Nari wandered through the halls, trying to figure out where to go from there. She had located Yui, possibly, but now had no way to get to her. She couldn't fly. The only thing she could do at this point was hope that they landed somewhere nearby. After a while, the halls all started to look the same. It didn't seem she was ever getting out of this place. With a heavy sigh, she slowly leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. What the hell was she going to do now?

"Nari Kusanagi."

"Hmm?" A thunderous voice called to her, startling her out of her momentary peace. "Who's th —" Nari's words died on her lips. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer standing in the empty hallway. Instead, she was now leaning against a large pillar. Why did this keep happening? Peeking around the corner, she froze. She was in an audience hall of sorts, with a huge staircase curling upward to a second floor. And from that floor emerged a blonde, older man, with a presence that sent shivers down her spine.

"It appears everyone has arrived," he spoke, his voice reaching every corner of the hall. "My beloved students."

"Cut the crap! You're behind all this?" A shorter man was shouting at him, with hair of navy blue, some shades lighter than Nari's own. She didn't need to hear another word to know that this man had a foul temper. But it wasn't his temper that gave her pause. It was the words that followed.

The older man ignored him. "Japanese god of the sea, Susano'o. Japanese god of the moon, Tsukuyomi. Norse god of light, Balder. Norse god of fire, Loki. God of thunder, Thor. Greek god of the underworld, Hades. God of fertility, Dionysus. And god of the sun, Apollon."

Nari stared, her eyes growing wider and wider with every name called. It seemed that Loki wasn't joking after all. Her first instinct was to reject this premise as it simply wasn't possible. Of course, she had just teleported from a hallway to an audience hall without moving a muscle, so perhaps it was time to rethink what she considered plausible.

Her eyes drifted across the room, watching as the other gods stared up the stairs. She stepped outward, trying to get a closer look. They were scattered all over the hall, but there was only one god that interested her. Along the edge of the room stood a man with hair as golden as the setting sun. And beside him was the woman she was looking for.

"You will all learn about humans in order to restore the ancient link between the gods and humanity," the man continued.

Up above, Loki called from the landing, a look of pure mischief on his face. "Do you really think we'll just do as you say?"

"Return my brother and I to our world." Susano'o demanded. "Or else…" Raging waters swirled around him, calling upon heavenly power.

"There will be hell to pay." Loki finished, his hand erupting in a sphere of flame.

Neither one of them gave him a chance to answer, leaping forward with a battle cry and a devious chuckle. It seemed their intention was to get compliance by force. They didn't get very far. Before they could reach him, the older god struck his staff against the step. And coming down with it were bolts of lighting, striking the other gods and sending them tumbling to the floor.

"Holy shit…" Nari muttered, watching the display with petrified eyes. They really were gods. And it seemed they were here for some form of higher education. That was all well and good. She could accept that. But why the hell was she here?

"If you use your divine powers indiscriminately, this academy will be destroyed. Therefore…" The older god's warning was accentuated with a lift of his staff. Shimmering light began to appear on the god's bodies, a different location on each one. Nari couldn't see the objects from her position, but whatever they were, they were apparently stuck.

"What is this? I can't get it off!" Loki shouted, yanking at his necklace.

Apollon nodded in solemn agreement with a tug on his ring. "He's right. It won't come off."

"These shackles seal your divine powers. No one can defy me here. Those shackles are the proof!"

Loki had had enough of the god's gloating, lifting his hand to summon another flame. It didn't work. His embers fizzled out into smoke and dissipated into the air. His powers were sealed. Susano'o attempted to summon a torrent. The result was the same.

"You will study here," the god continued, ignoring their outburst. "When you earn the right to graduate, your shackles will remove themselves."

Having finished his ultimatum, he lifted his staff to the ceiling. Nari's mouth fell open in shock. She could only watch as he summoned a gigantic glass orb from… somewhere. He continued his explanation, but Nari was no longer listening. She was still reeling from the fact that she had found herself in a realm of the gods. Gods that she had, admittedly, grown far apart from over the last few years of her life. Despite growing up in a shrine, Nari simply didn't share the same closeness with the heavenly powers as her sister did. Perhaps that was why her life had turned out the way it did. Maybe that was why she was here. Maybe she was being punished. But Yui was innocent. So why…

"Zeus, that's tyrannical!" Hades shouted, answering Nari's unasked question. The older god was Zeus.

"I shall not entertain protests. It has already been decided," Zeus stated. Hades was right. He was a tyrant. "Thoth… This man will be your instructor."

Quiet footsteps drew Nari out of her gaze as she whipped around. Another god had appeared from a different doorway, watching them from the shadows. Had he been there the whole time? He paused, his blue eyes glancing at her for just the briefest moment, before continuing on into the center of the room. "I am the Egyptian god of knowledge, Thoth." He offered nothing further.

With his introduction complete, Zeus lifted his staff once more. "Your classmates will be these many spirits." Nari jumped, looking around as other humans began to appear. If one could even call them that. They behaved no different than herself, but… the idea still bothered her. Her eyes drifted back to the older god. This was not someone she wanted to trifle with. Not if she could help it.

With the halls filled, Zeus finally completed his instructions. "Yui Kusanagi."

"Yes!" She responded, straightening her posture as she addressed him.

"Your responsibility is to lead the gods to graduation… is that clear?"

She stood silently, her eyes narrowing. It was clear she had no intention of doing so… but she didn't have a choice. And Zeus knew it. Finally, he turned his head towards the pillar where Nari had been hiding, now standing relatively exposed as her curiosity had drawn her into the open. "Nari Kusanagi. Your responsibility is the same. You will teach… and you will learn."

Nari jumped, surprised to be so suddenly addressed. She hadn't even known he was aware of her presence. Of course, that was foolish. He must have been aware. He brought her here. The only one more surprised than her was Yui. At the sound of Zeus's command, she slowly followed his eyes. They drifted towards the pillars, passed Thoth… passed Susuano'o… and passed Loki… until finally…

There she was. Standing by her lonesome, her dark blue hair sitting unevenly against her shoulders. She had cut it at some point following her departure. But it was her. Somehow, against all odds, and all logic… Nari was here. Her sister had returned.

For a moment, she stood still, unsure of whether or not to believe it. Then, she rushed forward like her life depended on it. She leapt at her, colliding with the other woman with such force that she nearly stumbled. "Nari! You… I don't… you're here!"

"Yeah. Sure looks that way," she muttered, smirking at the younger woman.

At the sound of Nari's voice, the floodgates opened. Yui wrapped her arms around her, tears streaming from her eyes. All her previous worries disappeared. She wasn't concerned about the gods, nor their schooling. She wasn't concerned about their presence in a magical school building floating in the sky. She wasn't even worried about the stories she had heard on the news prior to her arrival. All that mattered was here and now.

"I… I thought I'd never see you again," Yui sobbed.

Nari held her, embracing her little sister for the first time in so many years.

"Don't worry, Yui… I'm here now."

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks for reading! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated!