Series: Kill la Kill
Type: Ongoing Fanfiction, AU
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Pairings: None (currently)

Chapter Summary: A young Ryuko Matoi joins her father on a trip to the Kiryuin mansion to visit for the first time in months. Satsuki strives to maintain their sisterly bond, but her efforts are in vain. A heavy burden weighs on Satsuki and Soichiro's shoulders, and Ryuko solidifies her role as a loner.

Author's Notes: This was initially a drabble request I responded to, but I was so fond of the piece that I decided to turn it into a series. This will be quite different from how the canon plays out, but I'm excited to see some of our favorite characters in new positions and situations. If you enjoy this chapter, please do let me know by leaving a review, even if it's short! I'm happy with critiques, but every single word of encouragement helps me find the motivation and drive to keep on writing! Thanks for reading.

Chapter One: Play Date

No amount of huffing, puffing, and pouting would get Ryuko Matoi out of this dreaded visit. The child clutched a stuffed pig in her arms while staring out of the window next to her in the backseat of her father's car, watching the familiar trees pass by. Well aware that they were moments away from being at the mansion she and her father used to call home, she turned her sights to the rear view mirror to stare at Soichiro, whose gaze was already fixed on her.

"You could have brought your toys, Ryuko. I bet Satsuki would like to play with you," Soichiro said optimistically, smiling in hopes he could draw at least a bit of enthusiasm out of Ryuko.

"No way! She already took our last name, she ain't getting her grubby little fingers on my toys too!"

The father was taken aback, though slightly impressed at his daughter's vocabulary. Ryuko was always a smart girl, and a quick learner, but she refused to use any of those natural abilities on her actual schoolwork. At least, not since the divorce. "Alright, alright. Just, give her a chance, okay? She's always asking to speak with you when we talk on the phone," he said, training his eyes back on the road as they pulled up to the gated entrance of the Kiryuin estate, "Satsuki is a smart girl too, she knows all the excuses I give her for you not coming to the phone are too convenient."

Ryuko turned her nose up and huffed in response. "Convenient excuses, huh? Sounds like something you and mom would say."

As the gate slowly opened, Soichiro sighed, the burden on his heart growing even heavier. Even if Ryuko knew the truth of what happened, it'd make no difference. If anything, she would just despise him and Ragyo even more. The wages of their sins were being paid off by their daughters, and there was nothing he could do about it at this point.

The damage was done years ago.

The next few minutes were spent being ushered into the mansion, with Ragyo being too preoccupied with her work to greet her daughter she'd not seen in three months at the door. Ryuko neglected the hand her father offered her to hold and made her way down the hall, pig tucked tightly beneath her arm. "Ryuko-"

"I know, play nice with sis, right? I'll try. Go on, I'll be fine."

Soichiro watched as Ryuko marched on to the mansion's Library, a room designated for these little play dates. She was hardly knee high to a grasshopper, but Ryuko was stronger than he could imagine. He thought of offering her more assurance, some sort of comfort, but his hardheaded daughter didn't want to hear it. He couldn't blame her.

Ryuko entered the library with as stern a face she could muster, but the hardened features melted into confusion as she walked in on a castle of books built around one of the couches across the room. "W-what is this?" The confused girl stared in wonder for a moment as Satsuki emerged at the top of a makeshift tower, a closed umbrella in hand which she placed tip-down before her, assuming a position of power. The way the sun poured in through the window behind the elder Kiryuin daughter made it appear as if she was glowing.

"Ryuko Kiryuin!"

"Satsuki Kiryuin!" Ryuko squeaked back, before becoming flustered and grimacing at the sound of her original last name. "You shouldn't call me that! Don't you know, I have a new name now." Placing a hand on her hip she stared up at Satsuki, squeezing her pig tighter.

"Very well then, Ryuko Matoi!" Satsuki's serious face was betrayed by the slight curling of her lips. Ryuko blinked in response, realizing that Satsuki was having fun. She shook her head and made her way towards the fort of books, blankets, and pillows.

"It takes more than that to win me over," Ryuko huffed, "What kind of royal greeting is this, I'd at least expect-" As Ryuko passed through the sheet which served as a door into the fort, Satsuki was standing there, a plate of cookies in hand. The elder sibling had all of her bases covered, it seemed. Ryuko begrudgingly took a cookie, mumbling her thanks as she found her way over to a pile of pillows and stuffed animals, placing her piggy down to join in with his former comrades.

"It's nice to see you, Ryuko. It's been so long, I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten all about me. I was worried, I thought perhaps father hadn't been feeding you cookies." Satsuki absentmindedly twirled a piece of hair around her finger while looking away, smiling at Ryuko's acceptance of the baked peace offering.

Ryuko focused on her cookie, too embarrassed to make any sort of eye contact with her sister. "Dad said I didn't need to get carried away with eating sweets...and if you do, then your butt is going to get big, so don't scold me!" Scarfing down her cookie with a satisfied look on her face, Ryuko risked peeking at Satsuki to see her getting frustrated and embarrassed.

"I think the words you were looking for were 'thank you, big sister', and maybe a hug to go with it! I baked these myself you know!"

Ryuko laughed, and rubbed the back of her head for a moment. "Yeah yeah, I'm just teasing, calm down," Ryuko said, "Thanks for the cookies. I'm sure you worked hard on them." At least, she knew Satsuki would have had no help from their mother, and was too stubborn to ask for help from those who worked at the mansion. Satsuki took a seat next to Ryuko, placing the cookies between them. "Can I ask you something, Satsuki?"

"Of course, anything." Satsuki's eyes lit up with anticipation, finally, sisterly bonding!

"Why did you stay with her, and leave me and dad all alone? How could you choose her over us like that? That woman is mean to daddy, and the people who work for her, and soon she's going to be mean to you too! Whenever she's done with her stupid work, what do you think is going to happen?"

Satsuki was silent, and she looked away at the first sign of tears in Ryuko's eyes. She hid behind a veil of black hair, unwilling to let Ryuko see the ugly face she was making for fear of her seeing the truth. "Ryuko, I..." She couldn't be honest. Honesty in this matter would only serve to create an even greater rift in their already shattered family. "Why do you think I stayed? Surely you have some sort of idea in that head of yours. Any sister of mine wouldn't be incapable of coming to her own conclusions."

Ryuko stood, fist clenched as her face grew red. "Would you shut up with your stupid words and riddles! Why can't you just answer me, huh? Is it so hard to just admit that you enjoy being a spoiled brat!?" Satsuki kept her head down, incapable of offering a worthwhile response. Down the hall, more yelling could be heard, this time from the enigmatic Ragyo Kiryuin. She was barking insults at Soichiro, who now stood in the doorway of the library.

"Ryuko, sweetie, we've got to go. Satsuki, I'm so sorry I didn't have time to see you, but your mother says-"

"As if I'd let you soil my precious daughter any further! Get out of here, now!" Ragyo Kiryuin pushed Soichiro towards the front door, and Ryuko was quick to run after him, brushing past Ragyo on the way. Satsuki followed, only to have her shoulder grabbed by Ragyo to prevent her from going any further. "These visits are over, dog. Don't come sniffing around anymore. Do so, and there will be dire consequences."

Ryuko's hand was clutched by her father's as they made their way to the front door, and she dared to take only one glance over her shoulder. Satsuki stood there, head down and bangs in her face, Ryuko's stuffed pig in her hand. The door closed behind them, as did the door to any kind of relationship with the sister Ryuko wished to keep by her side.

It was minutes later before Soichiro addressed Ryuko again, on their drive home. He was staring in the rear view once again, watching Ryuko stare blankly out the window. "Oh, your toy...we left it there, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'll buy you another, we can stop at the store before we head home."

"Don't. I don't want another. Some things are better off left behind, dad. That's what you taught me today."

Ryuko's words pierced him like a dagger. To hear such a young girl say something so cold, so jaded, and so painfully true broke his heart. He could only hold on to the hope that he'd done the right thing by taking Ryuko as far away from Ragyo as he could. One day, he'd help her make sense of everything that happened, but for now, he only wanted his little girl to have whatever peace she could. One daughter had already taken on more responsibility than he could have ever asked of her, the least he could do was give Ryuko the chance at something resembling a normal childhood...

...because one day, her life was going to be anything but normal.