The Imperfect Reflections
As narrated by Cyprine
My sister, Ptitol and I were the first of the Witches 5. Perhaps this is why our level is so high, but we prefer to believe that status comes from our being the strongest and most dedicated. I'm sure the others would disagree, but we rarely bordering on never talk to or even see them.
Ptitol and I came into this world as conjoined twins. Our attachment to each other was not as serious as with other cases, so the doctors were able to separate us. We still have the matching scars on our hips.
I think of the conjoining as symbolic to our relationship later in life, as we remained just as close mentally as we had been born physically. We always knew where the other was, if they were happy, upset, or hurt. Not having anything to judge against, I always assumed that our mental bond was normal for twins.
Both of us were extremely athletic, and a rivalry sprung up between us through the years. Of course, the competition always remained friendly, one of up the winner yesterday, the other the winner today. As time passed, each of us became stronger in certain areas. I was the gymnast, able to able with ease on the narrowest beams; and Ptitol gained great endurance, able to run lap after lap after lap without tiring.
The shock to our relationship came soon after we celebrated our sixteenth birthday. We had just transferred to a new High School and had only a few classes together. When we were smaller, we hadn't had many friends, and we certainly never paid attention to boys.
However, I developed a huge crush on the captain of the gymnastics team. I joined his crowd of worshippers, even changing one of my few classes with my sister to be near him. The rift between us widened over the school year, until we would barely talk to one another. Ptitol had track after school and I had gymnastics practice, so I didn't see my twin until late in the evening.
I don't really know much about what Ptitol was doing them, but I remember she enrolled in intensive cross-country training at the Mugen Gakuen. It was there that she began attracting Kaolinite's attention. She took my twin under her wing, even convincing our parents to transfer Ptitol to the college.
Near the end of the school year, I finally drew the attention of my sempai, and agreed to go on a date with him. On the day of the date, I was so happy and I chattered and chattered to my red haired twin about how wonderful everything was. After silently enduring around ten minutes of my babbling, Ptitol stood up and slapped me on the cheek, telling me to shut up.
I was so shocked and hurt, I couldn't move for an hour, so I completely missed my date. I stayed in my room for half the night, having realized just how far apart I had grown from the person who should be closest to me. I burned all the silly love letters I'd written in anger, making up my mind to go and apologize to Ptitol.
I left the house around two AM, and, guided by the note my twin had left on the counter, headed to the Mugen Gakuen. When I arrived there, I found one of the tracks still lit and my twin practicing her pole vault. Her skin was shining with sweat, so I could guess she had been at it for hours.
As I approached her, Ptitol turned to me suddenly, face contorted in anger. She ran at me, shoving me to the ground. Once again, I was too shocked to move. We went through several minutes of Ptitol slapping me before I could defend myself. We had both learned judo together as children, but she just seemed to be hitting me, no technique involved. I fought back, and, being much calmer than she was, soon began to gain the upper hand. Just as I was about to win, a blast of light knocked us away from one another.
Standing in front of us was Kaolinite (I recognized her from visits she'd made to our house to talk with our parents). I wasn't dressed in her usual lab coat, but in an extremely low-cut black gown. She also carried a staff topped by a black star.
Kaolinite asked us if we wanted to become stronger and we both answered yes. She then took us deep beneath the school. Inside the room was a large pool of water, which Kaolinite stirred with her staff, making its surface sparkle and glow.
We stepped up to the whirlpool, and I stared in amazement at my reflection. Instead of my bruised face and disheveled dress, I saw a smirking girl in a blue and black fuku and blue boots. Her smirk grew wider, and I felt a stinging pain on my forehead. Rage and fury like I had never felt before flooded my body and the agony became so great I thought that I would die.
After the pain faded, leaving me weak and shaking, I glanced over at my sister. She had a black star, like the one decorating Kaolinite's staff, emblazoned on her forehead. She was very white and breathing in shallow gasps; and from the way she was staring at me, I could tell I had a black star as well.
I looked back at the pool, where I could still see our reflections. Ptitol was dressed in an outfit identical to mine, only in red and black instead of my blue. The images disappeared; and the surface of the flashed again briefly, this time expelling two globs of light that floated toward Ptitol and I. When I reached out to touch mine, it solidified and became a staff quite similar to Kaolinite's.
After the night we became Death Busters, my twin and I made amends, promising to work together and collect heart-crystals for our master, Pharaoh 90. We trained endlessly, and began attending classes at Mugen Gakuen.
A few months after we started training, Kaolinite brought in another girl named Eudial and trained her separately from the two of us. She later brought in three other girls, but I only saw them when Kaolinite wanted to talk to us or at school functions. The two of us kept to ourselves, concentrating on our level instead of bickering like the other witches.
While the others trained separately, we trained as a team; one of us always appearing first, with the other coming later to catch the target off-guard. Since we had the same attack, we taught ourselves to combine our powers and double our strength.
Tomorrow is our turn. Professor Tomoe called us to his office today and relayed the news of Tellu's death. The news came as a shock to both of us. Our fellow witches, each destroyed in only a few weeks time since the Sailors noticed our operations.
I realized recently why we have been losing to those damned Sailor Senshi. When they aren't killing us, we are killing ourselves. I know for a fact that Mimete sabotaged Eudial's car. The others wouldn't have died if they'd spent more time fighting and less time gloating. They never even considered working together, but if they had, I'm at least a few of the Senshi would dead. Teamwork is why the Sailors are so strong, and teamwork is how my twin and I plan to beat them.
Ptitol is sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed, wavy red hair strewn across the pillow. I wish I could sleep like she does, but it doesn't really matter. Sleep or no sleep, everything will be over tomorrow. I sure we can do it.
I'm sure.