Title: knight to e5
Character/Pairing: Calaveras, Petz, Berthier, Koan
A/N: Written for the sailormoon villains zine. These four are one of my favourite sets of villains.
Summary: Perhaps her sisters were changing as well, in ways they couldn't understand, couldn't define. Their smiles were a little more real, their hugs warm, and their insults didn't have the same edge they used to, one promising death for failure.
...
...
...
...
"Your move." Berthier tapped the board impatiently, a confident smirk on her lips. Teasingly, she added, "Unless you give up."
Koan frowned, giving her older sister a pointed glare. "I know. Give me a moment!" Crossing her arms, she squinted down at the board once more, trying to remember if the rook moved diagonally or a single step at a time. Despite Ami's long lectures or Berthier's impatient lessons, the rules stayed in Koan for the length of a day. Less, if she was distracted.
Which lead to public humiliations whenever Berthier sat down for a match. In their small apartment in the heart of the city, barely affordable due, in part, to how much of their own products they stole, the only free space to play was in the living room. Koan was fully aware of her other two sisters' gazes, even as they pretended to watch TV and read magazines.
"You said that for the past five minutes." Berthier shook her head sadly, her tone whimsical as she gave an exasperated shrug. "You're lucky we're not timing this."
"As if I could play at that level." Koan grumbled, not sure why she subjected herself to this over and over again. Picking up a pawn, she moved it forward a spot. A safe move. "There."
"Koan." Pity coloured Berthier's voice as she covered her face with her hands. Disappointed, she sighed, her voice muffled by her palms. "That was the best you could come up with."
And here Koan thought Calaveras was the drama queen. Maybe she should send them to acting school with Minako, give them a real place to shine their talents. At the very least, she'd get peace for at few months before they were eventually kicked out. From the couch, Calaveras added unhelpfully, "You're never going to win."
"Calaveras," Petz warned, looking up from her magazine. If there was one sister Koan didn't mind keeping, it was Petz. Somehow turning human had grounded her and now she was adept at both running their business and keeping track of their finances. "At least she's trying."
"Thank you, Petz." Koan flashed her a brief smile before scowling at her other sister, lazing about in front of the TV. "It's better than just wasting our money, like you do."
"Like you haven't bought too much jewellery," Calaveras snorted, her eyes glued to the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars. "Dear sister, at least I am honest about it."
"If you were honest, you wouldn't be stealing our products." Petz's smile was razor sharp now and Koan shivered. "Your pay's docked."
Berthier cackled as Calaveras protested, almost dropping her bishop as she moved it. Setting it down with a heavy thud, she smiled serenely at Koan as she killed a pawn. "Your turn."
"My turn. Right." Koan stared at the board again, at the holes in her defense. Honestly, she should have stopped playing ages ago. By the fifth loss, it was quite obvious this game was never for her. By the tenth, it was an exercise in futility. Peeking up, she could see a small smile on her older sister's face, excitement and competitiveness warring for dominance in her expression.
This was something they'd never shared before, not while they were in the clan, not while they were fighting each other almost as hard as they were fighting Earth. Rei had told her once that just as the seasons changed, so did people. For better, for worse, but it happened nonetheless. Perhaps her sisters were changing as well, in ways they couldn't understand, couldn't define. Their smiles were a little more real, their hugs warm, and their insults didn't have the same edge they used to, one promising death for failure.
Koan could feel the same changes swirling within herself as she brushed Chibi-usa's hair, as she shopped with Rei, as she cooked with Makoto.
As she played chess with her sister, the outcome guaranteed. Rubeus had once said that there was no such thing as family, as friendship, as love. It would have killed him to see what they've become. To see who they've become.
However, she was beyond that now, the same way that Petz had stopped crying at the colour blue. Koan had learned to move on and let go. Even better, as she moved her knight and killed the bishop, she might have finally learned some chess as well. "Check."
Berthier stared at her in surprise. "You actually know what that is."
"I haven't forgotten everything you taught me." Koan beamed, excited now. Generally she lost by the twentieth move, this was the first time she'd ever gotten this far.
"Only most of it," Calaveras snipped.
"You actually said check." Berthier stared at the board again, dumbfounded. Her hand touched her king lightly, as though to confirm it was there. After a moment, an evil grin spread across her face. Picking up her queen, she killed the knight. "Guess I'll have to play a little harder against you now."
And maybe some things never changed, like Berthier's need to win. Shivering, Koan shook her hands frantically in front of her. "No, I'm good. You don't need to do that at all."
"Oh no, baby sister." Berthier licked her lips. "I insist."