• The long plains seemed endless to the green haired ninja-in-training, wearing only a green tank-top and kaprees that were cut at the middle, but still held together by belts on either side. There were mountains farther down the road (or what road she made since there was only tall grasses around where she walked), but they never seemed to get closer. She was starting to get tired, thirsty, and most of all, annoyed.

    Are we there yet Yuki? A spirit apparently attempted to shake the poor girl, though it was impossible with her transparent body which seemed to be only wisps from the waist down, but her long brown hair and the upper portion of her body were clearly visible, but only to Yuki, as everyone else saw nothing. Even so, she still continued to complain, I’m sick and tired of seeing grass and mountains!

    “Do you think I’m not?” Yuki asked, sighing, “For the Gods’ sake, I’m surprised I haven’t abandoned you yet, even if I am your sister.”

    You can’t abandon me! Yaiba pouted, Name one instance where you hadn’t needed my sword!

    “Well, there was. . .” Yuki’s voice trailed off when she realized that she didn’t have an answer, “Okay, you win.”

    Hah! I’m victorious once again! Yaiba pumped a fist into the air, and Yuki sighed again.

    “Really, what am I going to do with you?”

    Uhh. . .give me cookies?

    “Yaiba. . .that was a rhetorical question.” Yuki eyed her older sister.

    . . .I knew that Yaiba turned the other way, a small frown forming on her face, which made Yuki let out a small giggle.

    “It’s okay” Yuki patted the sword by her side, as if she was patting her sister’s spirit.

    Soon, her attention was drawn away from her sister when she saw a girl standing in the field. Her white skirt and blouse were blowing in the wind, and so was her icy blue hair. She also carried a large sword by her side with a charm wrapped around the bottom of the blade.

    Oooo! Let’s challenge her to a fight! Yaiba suggested eagerly.

    “Yaiba. . .” Yuki growled, then her attention turned back to the girl when she noticed that her head was turned towards her. They stared at each other for a while in awkward silence, then the girl smiled.

    “Hello.” she turned her entire body around, continuing to smile, and revealing that her skirt lacked a front, showing off the entirety of her black pants, “Do you need anything?”

    “Umm. . .I’ve been traveling a lot. It would be nice to know if there was a safe place around here where I could stay for a bit. . .” Yuki gave a small smile back.

    The girl hesitated, then pointed farther down the grassy field. “Over there.”

    “Thank you.” Yuki nodded and continued walking past her. The girl looked on, but said nothing. Eventually, Yuki saw the girl walk off, apparently losing interest.

    “Makes you wonder where she’s staying. . .” Yuki sighed.

    Let’s just hope she pointed us in the right direction. Yaiba shrugged, If not, I’ll-

    “Yaiba!” Yuki glared at her sister’s spirit, and Yaiba smiled innocently. Soon, her attention was drawn to something in the distance, and she let out a cry of glee.

    A building! Someplace where we can sleep in peace! Yaiba cried happily as she pointed to the house in the distance.

    “Why would you care where we sleep? You’re sealed inside a sword.” Yuki arched an eyebrow.

    You’d be surprised. Yaiba stuck out her tongue.

    When they reached the building, Yuki climbed up the steps and knocked on the door. For a couple minutes, there was no answer, then the door opened slightly and someone peeked through.

    “Can I help you?” It was a woman, and she seemed in her middle-ages from her voice.

    “Do you mind if I stay here for the night?” Yuki asked.

    “Of course not.” The woman opened the door fully and stepped out of the way, letting Yuki walk inside, “We don’t get many visitors here, so this place may be a little dusty, but I hope it doesn’t bother you too much.”

    “Of course not, just a roof over my head is fine for me.” Yuki smiled at her and let the woman lead her through the small wooden halls of the modest house to what appeared to be a guest room. She opened up a small room and stepped aside again.

    “I’m sure this room used to belong to someone that used to live here, though I’m afraid my memory has been acting up lately. . .” the woman explained, “I hope you don’t mind.”

    “I don’t mind at all. Thank you.” Yuki nodded and watched the woman leave, then stepped inside the room and closed the door. She set her pack on the floor and her sword near her bed, then lay on the bed herself. Taking in her surroundings, she noticed a small bookcase and a desk, which had many odd tools on it, probably used to make statues of wood or ice or something like that.

    “I’m not sure what the old man meant about this plains and that girl. I mean, this place doesn’t look suspended in time.” Yuki sighed.

    Well, who knows. We’ve had things that appeared normal, but were far from that. Yaiba shrugged.

    “I know, and that’s what irks me. . .” Yuki sighed again.

    ~

    A week ago in a restaurant in the middle of a town. . .

    “Yuki?” and old man sat down at a table across from the green-clad ninja who was cleaning the sheath of her sword.

    “You could call me that, yes.” Yuki didn’t look up at the man as she continued cleaning.

    “I have a special request for you, and it will pay big. But I must warn you, it could be dangerous.” the old man sat down a sac, which jingled when the bottom hit the table, evidently filled with coins, “You know of the plains north of here?”

    “Heard of them, yes.” Yuki still didn’t look at the man.

    “Well, according to rumor, no one has ever made it across that plain. Some people say there’s a giant monster there disguised as a girl, and others say that a girl is subduing men into not wanting to return home and keeping them captive forever.”

    “And your theory is. . .?” Yuki asked.

    “That the girl has suspended the field with her memories and wishes. Everyone who goes in there can’t go back after they’ve entered her world. When they try to, the road out seems endless, so they eventually starve.”

    “Pretty extensive guess there, old man.” Yuk finally looked up at him, “How do you know this?”

    “I would prefer to keep it a secret. . .”

    “Fine, if you want me to fail.” Yuki shrugged.

    The old man sighed, then handed Yuki a rolled up piece of parchment, “When you find a girl named Mikomi, give this to her. I think it might get rid of the girl’s world.”

    “Easy enough I guess.” Yuki tool the parchment and the money, “I’ll come back here when the work is done, so you know your money hasn’t been wasted or anything.” Yuki stood up, scooting back the wooden chair she was sitting on as she did, and walked off.

    ~

    Whatever it is, I don’t feel like dealing with it until tomorrow. Yaiba stretched her arms, then laid down on the floor next to Yuki, Night lil’ sis.

    “Night Yaiba.” Yuki smiled and watched as Yaiba’s spirit dozed off. Yuki, though, didn’t feel as tired as Yaiba probably was. She was curious about what was in the room. So, she crawled over to the bookshelf and started flipping through the books. There was one book that was different than the rest. . .

    On the inside of the front cover of one of the books, there something scrawled on it in ink.

    ‘To Mikomi. From your father, your mother, and your big sister, Eriru.’

    “Mikomi. . .” Yuki repeated, “Well, at least I know I’m in the right place”

    She looked back at Yaiba, who was sleeping soundlessly on the floor. Just watching her made her feel tired, so she crawled back over to her and patted the sword next to her as if she was patting her own sister, then crawled back into bed and went to sleep.

    ~

    Yuki woke up in the middle of the grassy field, staring at the bright sun and squinting as she did so. Cursing Yaiba as she got up, she looked around, until her eyes saw something.

    There was a boy far away, short black hair flowing elegantly in the wind. Somehow, Yuki knew this boy, but she didn’t at the same time.

    She started running towards him, wanting to see his face, to embrace him, even though she didn’t know why. There was a flutter in her heart as she saw the boy start to turn his head to her and-

    ~

    Yuki woke with a start, quickly getting up and panting. What was that dream about? She sure didn’t know, but it wasn’t the first time she had had it. She had the dream often, and always woke up before she saw the boy’s face, so she never knew who he was. But for some reason, she seemed to know him.

    Had that dream again? Yuki turned to her side to see Yaiba, already awake.

    “Yeah. . .” she sighed, “The same as last time and all the times before.”

    Well, it’s not going to get solved if you sit around and do nothing. Come on, go get breakfast, and make sure to save some for me. Yaiba smiled.

    “Of course, though I’m not going to guarantee that you’ll like it.” Yuki got up.

    Just take me with you then. Yaiba shrugged.

    “Yaiba! You know it’s rude to bring a sword to a guest’s table!”

    Say that it’s in memory of your sister and you never use it.

    “I’m not doing something that gets me kicked out of the house.” Yuki folded her arms.

    Fine, be a meany-butt. Yaiba stuck out her tongue as Yuki exited the room. She closed the door behind her and walked down the hall. She almost ran into the woman that had let her in.

    “Oh, hello again.” She smiled. “I assume your rest was well?”

    “Yes.” Yuki smiled back. “Has breakfast started or did I miss it?”

    “Oh don’t worry, we’re close to starting. The dining room is down the hall third door to the right. I’ll be there to join you in a second.” She walked off without another word. Yuki shrugged, then went where the woman had instructed her. The room was empty. . .

    “Why does she say ‘we’ then. . . ?” Yuki’s voice trailed off in a ponder of thought, debating why the woman would say ‘we’, though it was soon interrupted when the woman came back in with 4 plates of food.

    Instead of asking the question she had pondered a bit, Yuki smiled and sat down at the table. The woman set the plates down and then sat down herself, across the table from Yuki.

    “Umm. . .is there a. . .reason why there are 4 plates?” Yuki asked cautiously, and the woman smiled.

    “Ah, yes. One of them is for my husband, who’s traveling around helping make money for us. The other is an offering for my deceased daughter. She died at such a young age. . .and she was my only child too,” the woman sighed. “Have you lost any family members?”

    “Well. . .” Yuki looked down, not showing her surprise at the sudden question, “My whole family died. . .They were killed by mercenaries. . .including my sister.”

    “Would you like me to make an offering for your sister?” the woman asked, and Yuki turned back to the woman and smiled again.

    “That would be lovely.” Yuki smiled, and started eating her breakfast. When she was done, she got up and was about to exit, but then stopped and turned back to her.

    “What was your daughter’s name?”

    “Eriru," the woman replied. "Her name was Eriru."