Chapter 1

"Synchronised Decapitation Mode!"

The three words rang throughout the Kiryuin estate. The dual roars emanating from the Kiryuin Grand Bath quickly began to harmonise Ryuko and Satsuki's scissor blades were swung in motion.

As the sisters swung their blades with all their might, in the back of their minds, all they would do is laugh. Separated at birth, polar opposites yet two sides of the same coin. The red and purple scissor blades reflected the sisters perfectly from their personal aspects, their past and their destiny. Just at the scissor blades were destined to reunite and defeat the life fibers, she was also reunited with the little sister who she thought was dead with the two coming together to save the fate of mankind.

Satsuki didn't notice the smile that crept onto her expression from her realisation that there would be something she could look forward to once everything was over; and that was treasure she would never let go of.

The two scissor blades finally connected with their target, their paths almost overlapping. Ragyo's head fell with no trace of tissue and fiber left uncut. As blood poured out from the now headless neck, cracks and scarring began to adorn the walls of the Kiryuin Grand Bath following the path of the blades, destroying the grand pillars decorating the bath.

Moments passed without either sister moving, waiting for some macabre reprise. As another minute passing without change, the two fell to their knees, finally allowing themselves to display their exhaustion and also their relief. Their heavy pants and breathes for air doubled as sighs of relief at the realisation of Ragyo's permanent death.

"Finally, it is done." Satsuki managed to say between gasps. Ryuko nodded in reply.

"Heh, what's wrong Satsuki? Tired already?" Ryuko called out, maintaining her bravado in front of her long-time rival.

Satsuki turned her head to face away from the short haired girl to hide her smile, "I'll admit it Matoi. I am tired. My shoulders sore from carrying you throughout that fight."

Ryuko let out a defiant laugh. Using her scissor blade as a crutch, she slowly made her way to the taller of the two. "And here I thought you weren't smart enough to steal my line."

Having sensed her sister looming over her right, the white-clad girl began to stand only to falter. Seeing Satsuki lose her balance, the looming girl moved to catch her. Holding onto her red scissor blade with her right hand for support, Ryuko caught Satsuki's right arm with her left. With a nimble crouch and one swift motion of her arm, the younger girl was able to sling Satsuki's arm around her neck. The motion had awkwardly brought the two closer to each other, forcing Satsuki to lean against Ryuko for support.

With her arm wrapped around her neck, Ryuko could feel the fatigue Satsuki had been hiding with her own bravado. The lack of tension in the elder girl's muscles as she struggled to support herself told her everything; that Satsuki was just only human and had been pushing past her limits.

"Thanks though," Ryuko said softly, ending her bravado and conceding her next insult.

Satsuki turned to face the girl that had just spoken only to be surprised at Ryuko's unusually soft expression. She had only known the red-streaked girl to be brash, crude and defiant. Satsuki would never admit it but seeing Ryuko smile had tugged her heartstrings. Although her mind was resolute to not admitting anything, her body displayed more honesty as a blush crept up on Satsuki's face.

"If this is what it is like to have younger siblings than I definitely have to get stronger," thought Satsuki as she smiled back. With some of her strength returning, Satsuki repositioned herself to stand before moving her right arm up to top of Ryuko's head and ruffling it. Ryuko quickly withdrew herself from the half-embrace to escape the child-like treatment.

"H-hey! What'd think you're doing?!" Ryuko barked back red faced and arguably mad from the unfamiliar form of skinship. All Satsuki could do in reply was let out a short dignified chuckle.

The light hearted moment between the two did not last long. A sudden, overarching feeling of dread and unease began to wash over Satsuki, not unfamiliar to the feeling when COVERS had revealed themselves at Honnouji Academy. Her body stiffened and her expression turned stone cold.

"Satsuki, what's wrong?" asked Ryuko, concerned about the sudden change in mood.

"Ready yourself Ryuko. Something is coming," replied Satsuki as she brought up her scissor blade to move into a defensive stance.

As Ryuko did the same, both girls began to survey their surroundings, making sure to absorb every detail in order to predict the next attack. As they stood, they could hear a faint noise ahead of them. In an instant, thin, red life fiber tendrils pierced through the walls of the Grand Bath, filling the room like spider's web. The two sisters jumped back reflexively, swinging their blades to deflect any tendrils that threatened to pierce them.

"Don't let your guard down yet Matoi," Satsuki warned as the two girls landed. The two then began to watch a more terrifying scene unfold as more tendrils pierced through the wall. Instead of being directed the guarding pair, the thin tendrils focused on piercing Ragyo's decapitated body. The pair of sisters watched on in morbid curiosity as Ragyo's body began to twitch and then contort as if it were a poorly strung puppet. Soon, writhing bulges began to appear along the once inanimate corpse.

"What the hell is going on?" Ryuko asked out aloud. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see a look of disgust on Satsuki's face.

"I don't know but if I could hazard a guess, it could be breaking down organic life forms to provide the Original Life Fibre energy. It might be desperate. We must hurry," Satsuki responded.

Without a moment's notice, thicker life fiber tendrils violently erupted from Ragyo's abdomen, sending her limbs flailing wildly. Ryuko reacted first with a quick jump backwards, parrying and slicing the thick threads which attempted to leech her life blood. On the other hand, the sense of dread that Satsuki had buried deep earlier had resurfaced as she realised she couldn't move from the thick threads which homed in on her.

Time seemed to slow down for Satsuki as panic began to set in. As her eyes darted to left and right to find a way to move and parry the oncoming attacks, a small area of seemingly empty space had stuck out. It wasn't a way out of the rut she was in but thin blue glint could be seen contrasting against the backdrop of the red life fibers approaching; a mind stitching string. Unknowingly planted and activating on sheer luck, Satsuki's already worn mind began to feel crushed.

In another unperceivable instant, a call rang in her ears, "Satsuki!"

Ryuko's call had caused the white-clad maiden to refocus. Using all of her remaining strength, Satsuki began to move against the strings. Pain wracked her body as if she had been struck by lightning over and over. With a loud cry, she had endured it all, finally committing mental treason. Forcing her sword arm as high as she could, Satsuki performed a reserve, diagonal swing with all the strength as she could muster. The weak downward stroke of her scissor blade was enough to cut through the blue thread responsible for her paralysis. Free of the mind stitching, Satsuki made the best of what time she had left to react swung her scissor blade counter-clockwise across her body.

Ryuko turned towards her face the other girl after having called out to her earlier. Her face blanched as she saw the remaining thick threads Satsuki had missed drive their way through her arms and legs. With rage and desperation fuelling her movements, Ryuko dashed towards her newfound companion. Using impeccable finesse, Ryuko swung her red scissor blade in several arcs as she landed before Satsuki, simultaneously cutting all of the life fiber threads pinning down her down as well as any other threads approaching.

Ryuko quickly grabbed a hold of the taller girl and began ripping out the three life fiber threads which had speared her limbs. "Satsuki, can you hear me? Satsuki?!"

"Ryu…ko…" Satsuki weakly uttered. Slightly relieved at the sound of her sister's voice, Ryuko continued.

"Satsuki, I know it's a big ask but can you move?" Ryuko immediately regretted asking the question as it left her bound. Just like before, she could feel already feel the older girl's lack of strength. The only purpose that question had served was to waste time. Deciding not to waste anymore, Ryuko reversed the grip on her scissor blade and scooped Satsuki into her arms and ran.

Satsuki lay powerless in Ryuko's arms as she ran through the estate halls and dodged threads whenever she could. As the sharp, penetrating threads whizzed past, the Kiryuin could feel her saviour stagger as their glancing blows cut into her skin. Half dead as she may be, she could easily see the end result if Ryuko continued the way she did. Her pace was too slow to outrun the unrelenting network of threads behind her and she was too encumbered to move nimbly enough to dodge, let alone fight back. Swallowing up the sadness which began to well up within her, Satsuki spoke.

"Leave me. Run…" Satsuki commanded with what little resolve she had left.

Ryuko didn't bother to look down at Satsuki. "If you still have the strength to talk then save it for when we get out of here."

"Save your bravado. I'm not blind. If you leave me, you can make it out," Satsuki retorted weakly.

"Can it Kiryuin. I'm not one of your Devas, you don't own me," the younger sibling immediately fired back.

"Ryuko…please…" Satsuki murmured once more.

"No means no. Just shut up already," came Ryuko's frustrated reply.

Ryuko the rounded the next corner and entered the first door she saw in an attempt to hide from the pursuing life fibers. Setting Satsuki down, Ryuko turned to face the door, readying herself for the next attack.

"Imouto…" said Satsuki softly as she placed her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "Live…"

With her eyes becoming damp, Ryuko turned to face Satsuki to see her mirroring expression. As she leant in to comfort her newly found sister, Ryuko suddenly felt herself pushed to the side by Satsuki. The mixture of exhaustion, sadness and desperation had sent her into a daze and created a moment of weakness. By the time she was able to collect herself; there was nothing she could do. All Ryuko could do was watch as her sister stood to push her out of the way as a thick life fiber tendril slipped past her before piercing Satsuki's stomach.

Coughing up blood, the long haired girl turned to face Ryuko with solemn eyes. "Sorry...Ryu-…" was all she could say before another thread pierced her solar plexus and another impaling her through the chest.

Ryuko's eyes widened in shock, her mouth gaping in disbelief. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. They were so close. The life fibers were almost defeated and there was only one last task left. Ryuko could only ask herself how a sure victory could turn so bittersweet.

Ryuko didn't think anymore and swung her scissor blade on reflex and intuition alone, severing the oncoming life fiber tendrils coming after her through the wall as well as the ones still attached to Satsuki. Rising to her feet, Ryuko let out her swelling rage and despair with a scream, caring not as her body became engulfed in a bright light.

Author's Notes:

This is my first fanfic in quite a long while. I've only written one other fic for a completely different series a few years back and I apologise to anyone who had hopes for me writing more fics based on FiM.

I can't say it's good to be back writing. Honestly, I'm tired as hell pumping out a storyboard and a chapter itself before the next episode comes out which is a complete fanfic canon wrecker. Anyway, I hope you readers enjoy this chapter.