Suzuka stood at the gates of Honnouji academy, her blade waiting impatiently. The other Student Council members had left on missions. As Vice-president of the Student Council it was her job to keep the place in order while they were gone. Above her, as always, was HER... Satsuki...

She turned to the students and with power and vigor she cried out, "Our enemy is there! In Honnouji Academy!" As the chaos began to erupt, she made her approach, the whole time, she could feel Satsuki's eyes upon her, as if she had been waiting for this...

The small girl with black hair was lead in by her mother, "Go say hello to her, Satsuki. Mother has some business to attend to." She was so rigid and nervous, but still, she did as she was told, "Satsuki Kiryuin, a pleasure to meet you." She bowed in greeting.

The white haired girl smiled warmly, "Suzuka Torahide, Welcome, Satsuki." She bowed in return as the parents left the room. She motioned her to follow, "Come on, let's go have some tea. My daddy just got me some lovely tea cakes!" Satsuki seemed surprised at how at ease this girl seemed, but she nodded and went along.

Making her way up the stairs, she was striking students with her sheathed blade, knocking them aside and unconscious without hesitation as fear and chaos spread like fire behind her. When she arrived at Satsuki's office, she was not surprised to see her friend standing there, the sword she had made her sheathed and held point down with authority, as she often did. Satsuki's eyes were closed and she smirked as though this were very amusing. Suzuka paused, knowing where this was going, but hating herself. Why did it have to go this way?

Satsuki slammed the cup down with enough force to break it, "What do you mean you aren't going to help?"

Suzuka let out a long sigh, trying to put her finger on it. "I am not like you, Satsuki. I was raised not to fight except to defend. Get as strong as you want, but I will not fight for you." Just as she saw her friend beginning to shake with frustration, she relented a little, "Satsuki, I... I won't fight for you, but I'll help. I want you to be safe."

Little Satsuki locked eyes with her and nodded, "Thank you. This means a lot..."

Little Suzuka smiled as soft as she always did, "I'm sorry this happened, but I could never abandon a friend."

Satsuki opened her eyes, and the shockwave sent the students that had tried to join her. Suzuka stood pat. Satsuki spoke with authority, "And this is the day, Suzuka? Not a bad strategy. But it counts on me needing the other members to defeat you. Have you lost so much faith in me?"

Suzuka swallowed hard, her only response was, "Draw your sword. I won't have them say that you died a coward's death. That Satsuki Kiryuin was too afraid to die fighting." She drew her own blade, the sword gleaming like a fang in the light of the setting sun. It was now or never.

Suzuka stood in awe in the front of her classmates as she saw Satsuki and her allies arrive on campus. Looking at her schoolmates and seeing their fear and that of the student council, she knew the battle had already been lost. Still, the least she could do was fight to protect who she could. Stepping out ahead of all the rest, she called out, "How is Bakuzan doing?" Satsuki shouted, sending all those behind Suzuka flying and even causing her to flinch. Still, Suzuka advanced, "I won't have you hurting my friends, Satsuki."

Satsuki smiled at that, as if she had an idea. Uzu pointed his bokken at her and taunted, "A girl like you is strong, but Satsuki is stronger! I'll show you, by taking you out myself." He leapt at her, taking swipes with his sword while blocking any attacks made by Suzuka. "My eyes don't lie! I can see through all of your moves before you even-" he was cut short, and all because he didn't look down. She had been captain of the gymnastics team at this school, and had used her flexibility to trip him. As he fell down, she grabbed his hair and kneed him in the face.

Satsuki's eyes gleamed with excitement as she blocked Nanon's movement with the sheathed blade. "I will spare this school further trouble on one condition." Suzuka knew that look and before she could speak, Satsuki struck the earth once more with the sheathed blade, "I am not asking for a soldier, but a sentinel. Protect the students of my academy and I shall not harm your classmates."

Suzuka looked at her with a soft smile and nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Of course, Satsuki. I would be more than happy to defend them in your name." She knelt down, accepting her new role under Satsuki.

Satsuki held out the sword, not removing the sheath. What was this? The sheath added extra weight and removed the edge. Was it mercy? Or was it disdain? Did she not view Suzuka as worthy of dying at her hand? Regardless, Suzuka drew her blade, charging at Satsuki. As the blade made contact with the sheath, she found her edge digging into the shell. Satsuki taunted, "Pathetic. The sheath you made me is so fragile it sickens me." But Satsuki's smile didn't fade. Why? Why was she still smiling?

Suzuka broke off contact, clashing again and again with the sheath, Satsuki not budging an inch. Growing tired of this, Satsuki tried to disarm her, and this was where she made her mistake. As she turned her blade, all she did was cause Bakuzan's sheath to go flying across the room and clatter across the floor, Satsuki now putting the tip of the blade at Suzuka's neck. A full second passed before Suzuka could deflect the blade, more than enough time for Satsuki to end this. Was she just playing with her?

Suzuka leapt back, her eyes locked with her friend and she began to realize what this was to her. But it was too late. Doing this alone was going to get her expelled. Satsuki spoke firmly, "It takes all of your will and determination to strike me down, Suzuka. If you hesitate for even a moment, you will never succeed. Give me an inch, and I will burn the city to the ground."

Suzuka tried to reason with her, "You are becoming your mother! The devil you seek to defeat and yet you are becoming the same kind of demon! You will be the undoing of all of your own great plans! For everyone, you must be stopped now!" But it was clear from Satsuki's face that this left no impact. As if she expected it.

Suzuka looked down at the package that Mitsuzo had just provided her, her and Satsuki's tea cups reflecting the setting sun. Satsuki spoke with benevolence, "I was wondering how the Vice President could defend the school without a proper weapon. Your uniform is your station, but this... this is your weapon. And I felt it fitting you carry it."

Unwrapping it, she saw a sword of her own. Drawing it, she saw the white blade. Satsuki smiled with satisfaction as Suzuka stared at it in disbelief. She whispered to herself, "You shall be Danketsu." She walked the floor with it, giving it some test swings. It was only now that Satsuki spoke up.

"You may have it, but I ask you only one favor in return." Suzuka turned to her, awaiting with gleaming eyes, "Should I ever become what I fight... Should I ever become a monster like my mother... I want you to use that sword to strike me down." Suddenly, Suzuka's eyes became crestfallen. Could she really? "You may take your time to consider, but there is no one I would trust more with this responsibility, and I would rather die by your hands than become her..."

Suzuka looked Danketsu over carefully and nodded, "Absolutely." Satsuki seemed a little surprised, but relaxed when she saw her friend's soft smile, "After all, you are my friend. I wouldn't be much of one to you if I couldn't save you from yourself." Satsuki met the smile with one of her own, letting out a long breath.

Satsuki pointed her blade at Suzuka, "If your claims are true, you must strike me down with all you have. To hold back is to shame us both and allows evil to thrive. Strike me down for justice with all you have, or leave here in shame like a coward! I will not tolerate anyone who dares to hesitate in my prescence!"

Suzuka cried back, "This isn't easy, Satsuki! You can't imagine what I'm feeling!" As she tried to raise her blade, all those tea times, the sparring sessions, and all the many precious memories... Suzuka couldn't. Making a run for the window, she leapt through while sheathing her sword. She ran out the front gates, escaping through the fighting students like running from a wildfire, Satsuki's eyes watching her go, but she dared not look back to see what her friend thought of her for this. She was gone now, not just physically. Satsuki would expel her and no one would take her into their school if they knew where she came from, what she was leaving behind.

Getting to her home, she began to pack, but not before wrapping her three star Goku uniform up and sending the package back to Honnouji. Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked at her gleaming white hair and sighed at her failure. Looking at the mirror for what felt like hours, she eventually made up her mind. She pulled out a bottle of orange hair dye and as she gathered a small collection of strands together she made a new promise. That until she had settled this matter, she would not cut this strand.

Little Satsuki looked at Suzuka's room and asked, "Why is there orange everywhere?"

Suzuka laughed a little, "It's probably my favorite color! It represents hope! My daddy taught me that if we are gonna change the world, we need to have hope or nothing will change."

Satsuki thought about it and nodded, holding out her hand, "Well, let's change the world together then." When Suzuka looked at her with confusion, Satsuki explained, "I'm going to make the world better! You want that too right?"

Suzuka smiled and nodded, taking her hand, "Right! Let's change the world, Satsuki!" The girls giggled and went over to her little table where cookies and tea waited for them.