January 3rd, 1989

"I came as fast as I could." Soroi found his brother in the waiting room of the hospital, a troubled expression on his face as the man stared into space. The dark haired man didn't look up, and with a frown Soroi drew closer. "Kenji?" He asked, moving to sit next to the younger man. "Kenji, are you alright?"

The man visibly jumped, and Soroi took note of just how pale and shaken his younger brother was. Kenji looked up at him, golden eyes wide and filled with an incomprehensible terror that sat uneasily in Soroi's chest. Alarmed now, the elder brother's brows furrowed together in concern. "…Kenji?"

Kenji looked down, running his hands through his hair. "…Car." He croaked, and for a moment a blanket of horrific ice formed a ball in Soroi's chest..

An accident. He thought, slowly drawing back and breathing deeply. It finally happened. The bottle got him behind the wheel. "Kenji." His brother didn't seem to hear him, and quickly Soroi checked the younger man over for any signs of damage. No torn clothes, no injuries he could make out…aside from visibly rattled, his brother seemed uninjured, thank the Kamis. "Kenji, hey, snap out of it." The man looked up with a start. "Have you been drinking tonight?"

Kenji stared at him blankly, and Soroi stopped himself before he ran a hand through his own hair. Lady Kiryuin would not approve if he mussed his appearance any more than necessary. 'One can easily lose her credibility in the fashion district through the appearance of her subordinates.' Ragyo's words rang through his mind, and not for the first time he found himself regretting taking up the steward apprenticeship he'd been offered.

"Wasn't drinking." Kenji croaked. "Driving, sure. Wasn't drinking, Mitsuzo. You know I'm trying to quit." Kenji stared down at his hands. They were trembling. "Been dry for a month now. But then tonight…that woman, and that car…I-I need a drink, I-" The man swallowed, and speaking lowly, Soroi only just made out, "…wrong with the whole thing. Should have just left it as it was and-"

"Kenji, come here." Soroi interrupted, gesturing the man forward and bringing his face near his brother's. He certainly couldn't smell anything on his breath. Pulling back, the new butler stared at his sibling. "Tell me what happened."

His younger brother swallowed. "I was heading to a party." He said, his voice so soft that Soroi needed to lean in to hear him properly. "It was in one of the more secluded areas around town. There wasn't anyone else on the road but me, and it was getting pretty late in the evening." The man paused there, hesitant to go on, yet Soroi had learned nothing if not patience in his apprenticeship, and he waited his sibling out. His foot beating a nervous tempo on the floor, Kenji continued. "So I found…I don't know if it was a wreck or what-a bike, a car, and some woman sprawled out in the midst of it all. Right in the middle of a four way intersection."

Kenji leaned back into his chair and sighed, his gaze traveling to the ceiling. "I-I pulled over. You know, to help 'em out and everything. But the woman was out cold, and…I couldn't find anyone else around." Kenji rubbed his arms nervously, looking up at Soroi with desperate gold eyes. "You gotta believe me—she was the only person there. No one else. Not in the car, not in any ditches, nothing. I checked" The man leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. Slowly, his body began to rock. "But when I went to take care of that woman…the car, that fucking car man, it…it…it was like there was someone else inside of it! It started doing all these weird things-the engine revving to life, and the horn—it sounded like someone was screaming bloody murder! But the car was empty!"

By now Kenji was to the point of hysterics, and quickly Soroi moved in to calm the man down. "Take it easy, Kenji, lower your voice." Soroi grabbed his younger brother by the shoulders. "Kenji—people are staring Kenji, take a deep breath. Calm down, that's it." Slowly, still shaking beneath his grip, the man sucked in a trembling breath. "Good." Soroi breathed. "Now, did anyone try to follow you? The car? Did you notice anything else out of the ordinary?"

Kenji shook his head. "Too freaked to think about anything following me." He croaked. "Came here instead."

"Did you at least call the police?"

At that his brother nodded, moving to cup his chin in one hand as he once more stared forlornly out at nothing. "Called as soon as they took the woman." He said. "Then I called you." The younger man looked at him from the side, and once more Kenji's eyes widened in dawning comprehension. "Oh no." He whimpered. "Oh shit. Mitsuzo, what if they think I'm responsible for everything?" He whispered harshly, voice growing frantic with uncertain possibilities. "What if they think I'm the one who hit the woman? What if they don't find the car?"

"Kenji, no one is-"

"That car wasn't right, Mitsuzo!" Kenji continued on as though not hearing the man. "That car-it was alive! I know it! What if that car leaves the crime scene? What if it comes after me?"

Soroi sighed in slight irritation. "No one is going to blame you, Kenji." He tried, a part of him all too aware of the five other exhausted, nervous people in the waiting room who were beginning to pay more and more attention to them. "You did the right thing. You called the police and gave a statement. You brought the woman to the hospital. There's nothing more you can do right now and they can't prosecute you without any evidence that speaks otherwise."

"But-"

"How about we go and see if the nurses will fill us in on what happened to your woman." Soroi interrupted. I need to distract him before the nurses kick us out. "I'm sure if we asked nicely enough, they'd be more than willing to share some information with us."

Kenji stared. "But…we're not family." He said. "We're not family and she didn't have any ID on her and-"

"Minor details for us to work around." Soroi reassured. "Now let's go. You're scaring the children." Rising to his feet, Soroi pulled his brother up as well, half-guiding, half-dragging him up to the receptionist desk.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" The woman behind the desk eyed him wearily, though her eyes tended to drift more towards Kenji, who fiddled with his hands nervously as he tried to avoid her gaze. "We were wondering about the status of a patient who was brought in recently."

"I need a name and serial number before I can hand out any information." The receptionist said with a slight frown.

Soroi lightly kicked his brother in the leg, being careful not to scuff his shoes. Ragyo would throw a fit if he ruined his shoes, and after seeing some of the tantrums she'd thrown with her other victims, Soroi had made a silent vow not to fall to such lows. Beside him Kenji jumped, then looked over at the receptionist. "Ah…she was a-a Jane Doe that was brought in." He said. "I uh, recognized her from a-a party, but I never got her name. I wanted to see how she was doing."

"And do you have the serial code assigned to her?"

Soroi looked at his brother, who rubbed the back of his head nervously. "…No." He muttered.

"Then I can't give you any information on the patient. Our policies are meant to keep such information confidential for the protection of the patient and their family. Unless you have a serial code I'm unauthorized to give you any information on the patient."

Kenji looked away, discouraged, yet Soroi merely smiled. "Kenji, would you mind getting the lovely lady behind the desk here a caffeinated beverage?" He asked, turning to his brother. "These night shifts are far from invigorating, and I'm sure Miss…" he paused, taking a quick glance at the woman's name tag. "Satomoi would greatly appreciate it. If not know, than surely later as the night fast approaches dawn."

Eying him warily, Kenji slowly nodded. "…Right…you got it." He said, before leaving for a vending machine. Scrounging some loose yen from his pocket, the man sent a wayward glance to his older brother, watching as Soroi quietly spoke with Miss Satomi. The vending machine was too far away for him to hear anything, yet from his occasional glances towards Mitsuzo, Kenji could already tell he was wooing the receptionist. Blasted Casanova. At least he wasn't feeling quite as nervous as before. Mitsuzo had always been good at redirecting his attention.

Though his brother was twice Kenji's age, few could tell just by looking at him. The man was in his prime, a gentleman who'd always been able to outshine the younger man. Looking at him, it would have been hard to believe Mitsuzo originally came from one of the lower income families. Not with the tux he was dressed in, or his expensive shoes, or-

Abruptly he cut the thought off, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment and jumping as the vending machine dropped a canned coffee into the retrieval box. Reaching down to grab it, once more Kenji stole a glance towards the receptionist desk. Mitsuzo appeared deep in conversation with Satomoi, leaning in close to the woman as he went into detail over…something. The receptionist leaned in as well, eyes large and attentive as she hung on to his every word. "A butler." Kenji muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "He could have been anything. Instead he decides…"

Sighing, the dark haired man slowly made his way back to his older brother. With drink in hand he approached the duo, nerves running high as Mitsuzo murmured something to the receptionist, before Miss Satomoi covered her mouth in gentle laughter. Probably talking about me. He thought anxiously.

"Ma'am, your drink."

Miss Satomoi, her cheeks flushed a light and embarrassed pink, accepted the drink from him as Mitsuzo flashed her a charming smile. Gently, he took one of her hands in his, kissing her knuckles before straightening. "Madam, thank you so much for your help." He said, lightly squeezing her hand before releasing it. The receptionist drew the limb back, pink darkening into a brilliant shade of red as she nodded quickly. "Perhaps I shall see you again in the upcoming visits, as I'm certain my concerned sibling shall be making this trip often to visit his fiancé."

Kenji almost dropped. Fiance? When did-who is-what the flying fuck is he talking about?!

Miss Satomi smiled before shooing them both off with a wave of her hand. "Off with the both of you." She ordered. "Heavens, were I not ten years younger and single…" She trailed off with shake of her head, and granting her a parting smile Mitsuzo turned, grabbed Kenji by the elbow, and directed him towards the elevator.

It wasn't until the elevator doors shut behind them that Mitsuzo released a relieved sigh. Kenji stared. "Fiancé?" He demanded. "Who in the seven blistering hells is my fiancé?"

"Why your woman of the evening, of course." Mitsuzo said without pause, glancing at his younger brother from the side with a sly smile. "You poor man, already suffering so badly from a past trauma that you constantly forget your wife-to-be's face, thinking her a total stranger on the night she was unfortunate enough to be hit by a car while returning to her beloved's arms." The man gestured dramatically for added effect.

Kenji stared, his mouth hanging open in shock. Finally, he had enough sense to close it, swallowing tightly as he felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Amnesia?!" It took all his self-control to prevent Kenji from yelling. "You told that woman I have amnesia?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

Kenji sputtered out a response that sounded more like a variety of half-formed curses. "Where the hell-Have you always been this full of shit or have you been brown nosing up to that Kiryuin chick so much you-"

The elevator came to a stop, and Mitsuzo quickly hushed him before Kenji could complete his insult. The doors opened, and an exhausted nurse stared at them with shadowy eyes. "Let's go, Kenji." His brother mumbled, stepping around the nurse even as the woman moved to take their place. The doors shut behind them with a ding, and Kenji glared at his older sibling.

"You're an ass, Mitsuzo." He growled.

Mitsuzo shrugged, unconcerned. "When working for a woman like Kiryuin Ragyo, it's hard not to be." He said. "Now let's go see your future wife."

Gritting his teeth and grumbling under his breath, his nerves all but forgotten, Kenji followed his brother down the hallway and to one of the doors on their right. Mitsuzo gestured for him to do the 'honors', and with a grunt Kenji slowly opened the door.

The room was mostly dark, the lights having been dimmed to their lowest setting. Off to the far corner of the room, a heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm, with the curtains drawn over the window looking out to the streets below. The woman stirred as the two brothers entered, and as Mitsuzo shut the door behind them, the blond slowly moved to sit up, struggling as they grew near."

"Who are you?" The woman croaked, her voice harsh and rough with pain. "You…you don't look like doctors."

"We're not." Kenji explained. "I found you, I-" The man paused, then bowed in front of the blond, causing the woman to start. "I'm sorry. My name is Iori Kenji." Straightening, Kenji gestured to his brother, who gave a smaller bow from where he stood in the doorway. "And this is my older half-brother, Soroi Mitsuzo."

The woman stared at them both with wide eyes that bordered on unease, and an uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Kenji rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, sorry, it's just…I wanted to check up on you, you know, see how you were doing and everything."

"Check up on me?"

Kenji grinned lopsidedly. "I found you lying outside on a road. It looked like you were in some kind of accident, so I brought you here. How are you doing?"

The woman blinked in surprise before golden brows furrowed together in a grimace. "I…my body hurts and tingles, almost as if I was struck by lightning." She mumbled. "And my head…" The Jane Doe closed her eyes, clutching her forehead with one hand. "It…hurts. Like…I can't describe it; like something's wrong, but I don't know what."

Kenji winced. "That doesn't sound so good." He said. "Have you told any of the nurses or doctors about that?"

The woman looked up at him with one shockingly red eye. "I've been telling everyone who comes in here asking about it." She responded. "I don't really know what else to do right now."

"Right, of course." Kenji released a nervous laugh, eyes darting to where his brother stood next to the door stoically, as quiet and noticeable as, well…a butler. The man returned his gaze to the blond, who peered up at him with a frown. "So…what's your name?" He tried, only to find the woman's frown deepened."

"You mean you don't know?" The woman asked, catching Kenji off guard.

"Ah…I-I'm sorry, but no, I don't." Kenji replied. "…Should I?" She certainly didn't look famous, even with the noticeable blond hair. As far as he was concerned, she'd been nothing but a tourist in his mind.

"Well, you found me, so I was hoping you did." The woman continued. "Because I haven't a clue."

"You-amnesia?" A lump formed in the pit of Kenji's stomach, and despite himself the man looked back behind him, towards Mitsuzo who'd come up with that ridiculous story to get them in here. Mitsuzo's face was set in a very careful, neutral expression. Not so funny when it's real, is it? A voice teased in his mind, and swallowing Kenji looked back at the man took a deep breath. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"What?"

"I mean, with anything-something you need, anything you think my trigger your memories, you name it. I'll get it for you." The man took a step forward, causing the woman to jerk in her bed, back pressing against the headboard. Somewhere, the heart monitor's steady rhythm spiked, yet Kenji didn't seem to notice. "I…I feel kind of responsible for you, since I'm the one who found you. And if you don't have any memories and they can't identify you, you're going to have a tough road ahead of you. No one should face that kind of thing alone, so…"

And then she smiled.

The nameless blond, whom he'd first met lying unconscious in front of a fallen bike and a possessed car smiled, and Kenji felt his heart flutter weakly in his chest. He returned the smile with a beaming one of his own, then moved to pull up a chair next to her bed. "I…Thank you, Mr. Iori."

The two began to speak in soft voices to each other, each in rapt attention with the other as they conversed.

And through it all, Soroi Mitsuzo watched with an inward frown. For where Kenji had seen nothing but a smile, Soroi had witnessed something very different. Foreign markings on her face and forehead that glowed an ominous red before fading, eyes an equal shade that glowed cruelly in the poor lighting of the room as she smiled. Soroi saw it all, and even as the alien glow faded to something that could have been passed for his imagination, something…that cold lizard that dwelled in the back of his mind, left him on guard. This woman…I don't like this woman. He thought, watching as an infatuated grin crossed his younger brother's face.

This woman is dangerous.

Present Day

"There are several forms we need you to fill out before we can continue, Miss Matoi-Kiyruin, Miss Kiryuin." The nurse handed the two siblings each a stack a papers. "We need to know any medical history you might have, as well as things such as insurance, family history…" The woman went on, and Ryuko groaned internally as she idly flipped through the multiple sheets.

I miss Mr. Mankanshoku already. The teen thought moodily, at least there was never any paperwork involved.

Satsuki nodded politely to the nurse. "We will need some time to go through everything."

The nurse bowed. "Of course, Miss Kiryuin. Take as much time as you need. I have some patients I need to check up on, so I'll leave you two alone to take care of the paperwork. I'll come back in around fifteen minutes or so to see how you are doing. Is that alright?"

Her sister smiled slightly. "That should be fine." She said, and with a slight bow the nurse departed, leaving the small group in peace.

As soon as the nurse rounded the corner Ryuko threw the paperwork down on the table in disgust. "Medical history? Family history?" The girl snorted. "What am I supposed to say? Mom was a life-fiber hybrid freak of nature with a history of psychopathic tendencies? That she made me a damned hybrid? Or should I forgo all of that and simply say I'm allergic to starch and advil?"

Mako poked the stack of papers unenthusiastically. "Are all hospitals like this?" She asked. "Papa never asked for this kind of stuff, ever. Course, people tended to die when they didn't tell us they were allergic to latex, but…" The girl shrugged. "Our customers never had to jump through hoops like this."

"And thus the high mortality rate your father has acquired." Jakuzure piped up behind Mankanshoku, and Ryuko jumped. The girl really was a viper. Silent and deadly all the way to the point when she struck, with a bite just as venomous.

Mako seemed to take the older girl's words in stride, however. "Yep!" She chirped. "But the ones who live never need to come back to the clinic again!"

"Probably because they're too afraid of whatever's in your father's needles." The shorter girl muttered darkly.

Satsuki cleared her throat and Jakuzure sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright." She moaned.

The school president didn't even bother with a response, nose deep in papers as she dotted down one piece of information after another on the lines. "Answer what you can, Ryuko." She advised. "Put down anything you can that does not have to do with life fibers or your involvement with them. I'll take care of that part."

Ryuko scowled. "What, don't tell me the docs here can actually do something for a…special case like me."

Satsuki sighed deeply. "Someone had to look after Mother when she became…that." She countered. "The same could be said for Nui as well."

The younger sibling looked up sharply. "Oi, I ain't going to the same doc that looked over that crazy bitch."

Satsuki frowned, shuffling her papers before once more scribbling information on the forms below. "Considering that Nui killed just about anything that wasn't directly related to her, I doubt that will be a problem for you." The girl missed her younger sister's sour expression. "This hospital is familiar with life fibers, however, and the doctors here stand a better chance at properly diagnosing any ailments you might be suffering from, given your unique physiology."

Ryuko glared at her sister. "That doesn't make me feel any better." She grumbled.

Satsuki snorted, a slight smirk on her face. "I was unaware my dear baby sister was so nervous around doctors." She said lightly. "If it brings you any comfort, I'll be there right next to you in case the nurses come calling for blood samples, though considering your experience with Senketsu, I don't see how that would be a problem for you."

"Hey, I ain't afraid of needles!" Ryuko snapped, flushing indignantly at her sister's accusations. :And I'm not afraid a' no doctors either." She said with a huff. "I just think this whole thing is being blown out of proportion because you're overreacting."

"Nonsense." Came Satsuki's reply. "Besides, you're in a deep need of a hospital visit anyways. What was the last vaccination you received?"

Ryuko growled and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at her older sibling.

"That's what I thought. Now stop pouting like a five year old and finish your paperwork." Satsuki instructed. "The sooner we're finished, the sooner you and Mankanshoku can leave."

"Yeah?" Ryuko challenged. "And what about you?"

"Lady Satsuki will be staying here in the hospital with Iori and me." Nonon piped up. "We've got things to take care of here, things that don't require your presence. Or the Underachiever, for that matter."

Ryuko scowled, doodling in place of answering some medical inquiry about hereditary diseases. "Then who's gonna take us back? We got school tomorrow. Don't tell me you guys are planning to skip that too."

Satsuki grunted. "Gamagori will drive you back." She said. "While he is…familiar with Iori's mother, he is also uninvolved. As this more has to do with the Iori family than my own, Gamagori will respect Iroi's wishes and return home with you two in tow." The young woman paused to scribble some tidbit of information down on one of the forms. "Come morning, Soroi will come to pick us up and drop us off at school." The teen looked up, meeting her sister's gaze with chilled, serious blue eyes. "I expect to see you on school grounds, Ryuko."

The younger girl sniffed. "Hey, it ain't like I'm skipping on purpose or nothing." She growled. "I can't help it if I'm heaving my lungs out to the great porcelain god in the bathroom." Mako snickered beside her, gaining frowns from both siblings.

The elevator dinged, and Ryuko looked up, watching with a raised brow as Gamagori entered with several bags that smelled hot and greasy. The girl's stomach grumbled in protest at the mere scent of the junk food, and feeling bile rise at the back of her throat, the teen stood abruptly. The other three girls stared in mixed curiosity before Ryuko choked out, "bathroom". Nonon pointed in one direction, and as Ryuko bolted around a corner she could hear the girl's cackle chasing after her.

The teen raced down the hallways, almost bumping into Iori, who was exiting one of the rooms. The lad quickly stumbled back, and all but ignored Ryuko hurried past him. The teen watched the girl go with a puzzled frown before stepping back out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him. Gamagori was passing food out when the blond joined the rest of the group, the larger teen-man-sacrificing what may have been his own meal to a drooling Mako.

"Was something amiss with Ryuko?" The teen asked, making his way to the others and gingerly accepting a burger Nonon shoved in his face.

"It seems Ryuko's stomach is more sensitive than I was mistakenly led to believe." Ira said, looking past the smaller blond and further down the hallway. "This was the easiest food to come across that was not strictly from a hospital vending machine." The large man bowed to Satsuki, who waved him off. "I apologize. I did not mean to antagonize Matoi's condition."

Mankanshoku shrugged. "It's not your fault, Gamagori." She said, trying to sound chipper for someone-Ryuko's or Ira's-sake. "She hasn't been able to keep much of anything down the past few days. If she wasn't able to keep the soup Mom was making for her down, Papa was threatening to put her on an IV."

Satsuki blinked. "She's been that bad?"

Nonon stared. "What organ's did your dad sell off to get an IV drip? Is it even safe?"

Mako huffed dramatically. "Of course it's safe!" She cried. "And it's blood, not organs he sells. Organs are harder to preserve than you'd think. Blood is easier and can be accumulated a lot more easier." In a softer voice the girl muttered, "we only get organ donors from the dead. Haven't had a good dead patient in months, though…"

Nonon stared at Mako before looking down at her burger. Frowning, the girl set it down. "Well isn't that reassuring." She grumbled to herself.

Satsuki cleared her throat, and Mako jumped before nodding. "Oh yeah, for a little while it got really scary because for a day or two, Ryuko couldn't even hold water down. That's when Papa started turning away clients in order to better watch over her."

"I see…" Thick brows furrowed together, and Satsuki drummed the table top with her fingers in thought.

"Miss Kiryuin?" The teen looked up, finding the nurse from before approaching them. "Are you and Miss Kiryuin-Matoi ready?" The woman asked, drawing near. "There's still a small insurance policy I'm afraid I need to go over with you before we can continue…"

Cutting off any other thoughts for later, Satsuki stood abruptly. "I understand." She said. "Is there any place where we can speak in private?"

"Yes, if you'll follow me please?" The woman turned towards a staff room, and with a determined look on her face Satsuki followed after.

"Have Ryuko finish the paperwork while I'm gone." The youth instructed over her shoulder. "This should not take long."

Ryuko left the bathroom with an empty stomach and a raw throat, her face lightly flushed as she ran a hand through her hair. Some of the strands were wet from where she'd washed her face after ungraciously upchucking the small amount of water and broth the teen had been able to choke down for lunch. The girl's head pounded painfully in her skull, causing the youth to grimace. "Jus' had to bring in that crap." She muttered under her breath, dragging her feet as she made her way back to the table Mako, her sister, and Satsuki's little pack were sitting. "Was doing fine the entire car ride. Didn't puke my guts out or nothing. Then that overgrown toad has to come back with freaking burgers-" The girl paused, nausea returning as she remembered the god-awful smell of grease and oil that was normally so common to her. Leaning against the wall, the girl covered her mouth, glaring angrily at the ground as she swallowed back another assault from her rebellious stomach.

"Miss?" A voice rose behind her. "Miss, are you alright?"

No I'm not alright you idiot! Ryuko screamed in her mind, slowly glancing over her shoulder and seeing another nurse, this one bearing basket of some sort, in her arms. The woman looked at her in obvious concern, placing the basket down in one of the chairs resting along the opposing wall.

"M' fine." The teen mumbled, turning away and making an active attempt to leave the nurse behind her. Maybe if she could get to Mako and Satsuki, the two of them could drive the nurse away. Mako with sheer exuberance and Satsuki through intimidation. What Ryuko most certainly did not want was for this random nurse to take a vested interest in her. "Jus' tired." She tried. "Been studying for…finals. Didn't sleep 'till three last night." Not all entirely untrue. Finals were just around the corner, and the last she'd looked at the clock before finally drifting off into a restless sleep, it had been around three in the morning.

"Ah, I see." The nurse behind her said with a knowing voice. Ryuko ignored her and continued to walk, deliberately pushing herself off the wall as she ordered her body to walk a straight line back to the others. "Are you one of Iori's friends, then?" The woman continued, and Ryuko paused. "I don't think I've ever seen you before. He normally doesn't bring many people with him when visiting his mother."

This woman was really starting to irritate her. Plastering a large smile on face, Ryuko looked back over her shoulder at the woman. "Sure." She said. "Ah…Gamagori and…Satuski brought me over." Really, what the hell did this nurse want from her? A confession? Were all the nurses here so…chatty? In the back of her head, the pounding grew more intense, and the teen hid her grimace behind and even wider, faker smile. "Jus' came to drop some stuff off for the others."

The nurse smiled warmly at her. "You children are so sweet." She gushed. "Always looking out for one another and supporting each other. It's not often you find such dedication in the younger generations." The woman beamed at Ryuko, before once more picking up her basket. "Well, since you're familiar with Iori, could you do me a favor and pass this on to him?" The woman offered the dark-haired teen the basket. "It's a gift for him and his family, poor lad; a care package from all us nurses here."

The basket was made of woven straw, its contents hidden by a light blue sheet decorated with smiling white bunnies. Ryuko took the basket gingerly, the smell or roses wafting up from the basket and causing her stomach to churn violently. "Ah…sure." The teen mumbled, the scent causing her head to pound with an increased intensity. "I'll make sure he gets it."

"Thank you, Dear." The woman continued, the smile momentarily dropping from her face in concern. "You're certain you're alright though? You seem awfully pale."

The girl waved her off. "I'm good." She repeated. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." The nurse frowned. "Really, don't worry."

The nurse bit her lip, uncertainty in her eyes. "If you're sure…" She mumbled.

Ryuko nodded hurriedly, regretting it instantly as her head began to spin, and deterred the nurse nodded as well. "You make sure to get some sleep in, okay?" She said. "All that studying won't do you much good if you're too exhausted to process it."

"I'll keep it in mind."

The woman nodded slightly before turning and heading back the way she came, rounding a corner and vanishing from sight. Ryuko watched her go before collapsing against the wall once more. The girl dropped the basket, clutching her head with both hands. "Why do I feel so weak?" Spots invaded her vision, and Ryuko could feel her heart beating erratically in her throat. The girl's legs began to tremble, the strength seemingly sapped from her limbs as she gasped for breath. The hybrid grit her teeth, cursing violently as she fought to stand and finding the effort wasted as instead the teen slid into a nearby chair. "I hate this." She hissed, trying with effort to draw in a deep breath. "I hate this!" She choked out. "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

It wasn't until Mako came looking for her that Ryuko realized she'd been sitting in that chair for longer than necessary. "Ryuko, are you okay?" The teen looked up, blue eyes meeting worried brown. The dark haired girl tried and failed to smile, and Mako moved to sit down next to her. "Was it another weak spell?"

Ryuko grunted, and beside her Mako frowned. "You were gone for a while." She said. "Satsuki left to talk to one of the nurses. She wanted you to come back and finish all that paperwork, only you didn't so I thought maybe you overheard her talking and stayed back to try and avoid it." The girl scrunched her face up. "At least, that's what I would have tried to do. But then I remembered you being sick and I got worried and…"

The girl trailed off, looking at Ryuko concernedly.

The dark haired teen smiled wanly. "Thanks, Mako." She mumbled. "I'm okay, I-I'm better now that you're here." The girl hesitated for a moment, then looked over to her companion. "Do…you think you can help me to my feet?" The smile that next graced her features trembled as Ryuko fought to hold it. "I…I don't think my legs have the strength to do it alone."

Immediately Mako scrambled to her feet, nodding exuberantly. "I gotcha!" The brunette chirped, and as Ryuko offered a hand Mako pulled the girl to her feet, moving a step further when the hybrid teen stumbled and pulling Ryuko's arm over her shoulders. "There we go, all better! That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

Despite herself, Ryuko couldn't hold back a snicker, and for the first time since Satsuki had appeared in the Mankanshoku household the youth felt herself relax a bit. "Yeah, I guess I'm tougher than I thought, huh?" She joked, and once more the girl nodded in agreement. The dark haired lass sighed in relief. Mako was so…easy to be around. There were no jokes or teasing with her, just straight up honesty and warmth, even if it was a little…wild at times. No reason to put up a front, nothing to fight over unless it involved food of some sort, just a simple acceptance that Ryuko had found only in the Mankanshoku family and Senketsu himself. My own family isn't even as accepting as Mako and her folks. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true-Satsuki was making an effort to bridge the gap that had initially formed between the duo upon their first meeting, but damn it, it was hard to let some of their past battles go.

As an afterthought, Ryuko had Mako grab the 'gift basket' that she'd dropped when the weak spell had hit her. Then, with Ryuko leaning heavily on Mako's shoulder, the two stumbled down the hallway, Mako occasionally giggling as the duo's off-kilter balance caused one of the girls to stagger up against a wall. It turned out that a sick Ryuko and Mako in general did not make for good coordination when paired together, leaving the duo thumping and bumping against any obstacle they came across. At one point, Mako accidently fell against a patient's door, and with Ryuko's combined weight and momentum, the resulting slam made both girls wince.

Straightening, Mako said, "Well it's a good thing the patients are all in bed and can't open the door to yell at us or anything." Which of course led to the door opening with an indignant Iori sticking his head out to glare at them both.

Mako yelped.

Ryuko smacked her forehead.

"Is there any particular reason you two seem to be meandering around the hallways like a couple of drunk hooligans?" Iori asked in a hot whisper.

"What's a hooligan?" Was Mako's reply.

Ryuko sighed. "It's an old people word." She muttered, before nodding to Iori. "Sorry…" She muttered, feeling her cheeks flare up with guilt as Iori's glare seemed to harden. "it was an accident. Didn't mean to disturb your mom."

A brief flicker of…something flitted across the blond's face, and then the glare softened somewhat. Not by much, perhaps by two degrees, but it was something. "You weren't disturbing her." He said, then took a quick glance down the hallway. Ryuko followed his gaze, meeting the inquisitive pink stare of Jakuzure from where the hallway opened up into the main lobby. A smile, small and vicious, was slowly creeping up her face. Iori grunted. "Nonon has her Viper Smile going for her." He said tightly. "Perhaps…you would like to rest here inside where we aren't disturbed? You seem awfully pale."

Initially Ryuko stiffened, then relaxed at the escape offer. If it meant not having to feel like shit in The Runt's presence…"You sure you don't mind?" She asked, turning to the blond and finding herself suddenly hoping that no, Iori didn't mind in the slightest.

In response Iori opened the door wider, allowing the duo to slowly make their way inside. Ryuko watched as the predatory smile suddenly dropped from Jakuzure's face, and subtly dropped a rude gesture before entering the room. Entering the quiet confines of the room, the teen couldn't help but feel a small bit of guilty pleasure as Iori grabbed her a chair. "Sit." The teen instructed, and while a part of her wanted to rebel at the simple order, the rest of her body was all too willing to cooperate. The girl sank into the seat with a relieved sigh, ignoring the uncomfortable hardness of the cushion and back. Iori brought the only other chair in the room, this one pulled up next to the sleeping patient, and offered it to Mako, who traded it with him for the basket of goodies the nurse had assigned to Ryuko.

"Special delivery." Ryuko muttered. "Apparently from all the nurses or something. Supposed to be for you and your family or something."

Iori grunted and placed it on top of a small table that lined one corner of the room. "Another one." He said tightly. "Feel free to rummage through it if you wish. There's nothing in there I want or need. You'd be doing me a favor taking it off my hands."

The offer made, Mako wasted no time hopping up to better examine the contents of the basket, eagerly pulling the small sheet away and rummaging around, the slight rustle of plastic following in her wake. Ryuko sighed as Mako grew distracted, closing her eyes and massaging her temples as the headache that had blossomed continued to pound away at her skull. At least it wasn't absurdly bright here-the lights had been dimmed a bit when Iori had led them inside, and the most prevalent noise was the sound of a heart monitor and Mako's distracted mutterings as she grabbed one item over another.

"Here." Ryuko looked up, finding Iori standing in front of her with a water bottle in hand. The girl took it, finding the water bottle cold to the touch, and forgoing a drink of it instead moved to press it against her head. Iori raised a questioning eyebrow but otherwise did not comment. "I'd offer you something else, however Lady Satsuki is already trying to get you seen. I don't want to give you anything that might interfere with their diagnosis."

Ryuko frowned. "What, are you a drug dealer or something?" She muttered, the joke falling flat as in wake of her own inner pains.

Iori frowned, looking uncomfortable. "Unfortunately, there was no school nurse who could aid in injuries produced by Life Fibers." He said, looking at her with a side long glance. "…or Kamuis. Or-"

"Sewing a moron's eyes shut?" Ryuko filled in, and Iori flinched before nodding.

The teen sighed. "Among my skills as a tailor, I also gained an…acquired knowledge of medicinal aid that comes from patching up others." The blond shrugged, looking away and towards his mother, who lay motionless in the hospital bed. "I am no doctor-not even a nurse-but after the hell Lady Satsuki and the Elite Four have gone through, even some of the lowly Two Stars, I've learned a thing or two about medicine."

Ryuko followed his gaze, for the first time actually getting a look at the bedridden woman. "You look a lot like her." The girl said awkwardly.

"It's the hair." Iori replied. "For whatever reason I was cursed with her hair." The boy folded his arms across his chest, now turning to fully regard the woman. "Sometimes I wonder if it's the only thing I inherited from her."

"Cursed?"

Iori smiled thinly. "More often than not, I've been mistaken for a girl upon being introduced to someone, regardless of its length." The teen ran a hand through his hair in a practiced motion that spoke of annoyance. "Now pair that up while growing up with someone like Nonon Jakuzure constantly at your side."

The girl did…and promptly winced. "I'd have beat the shit out of her." The girl confessed. "I've still got a bone to pick with Pinky as it is, so-"

Iori shook his head. "Tell me, do I look like the type that could metaphorically 'beat the shit' out of anything?" He asked, and despite herself Ryuko slowly shook her head. He was a little on the scrawny side-like one of those kids a bully would victimize for food or something. "There is a reason I am not part of the Elite Four. I am far from the combative level of anyone else who would don a Goku Uniform."

Ryuko said nothing. That may be true, but you alone made four people into supersoldiers with those improved Uniforms. She thought, recalling the various versions of the Elite Four's Goku Uniforms. You managed to bring that damn Kamui of Satsuki's to heel after Mako freed me from it, and you built those machines to rescue people from COVERS with Nudist Beach. Yes, Shiro Iori may not have been a physical fighter, but he was far from weak.

"Would you like to meet her?"

Ryuko blinked, coming out of her inner thoughts. "What?"

"My mother." Iori replied, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Would you like to meet her? I—she'd want to meet the person who defeated Ragyo. And Nui." He paused a moment, lips pursed in thought. "Especially Nui. I-Mother couldn't stand that girl." There was an unspoken I couldn't stand that girl as well, though Ryuko decided not to call him on it. That look in his eye at the mention of Nui…she'd seen it in her own reflection upon discovery of just who it was who'd actually killed her father; that same black, icy, all-consuming rage she'd seen on Satsuki's face when they'd faced their mother together.

That black rage which was little more than a cover for the pure, unadulterated hatred that dwelled beneath.

Looks like Nui enjoyed making 'friends' of all sorts of people. Ryuko thought, hesitantly rising and approaching the bed, staring down at the woman who rested within its folds. She was relatively tall, Ryuko would have to give her that; not as tall as someone like Ira, who's sheer intimidating aura always made him appear larger than any man had a right to be, but she was certainly taller than any of the adults the girl knew. Like Iori, her hair was long and thick, falling in a wave of blond curls on either side of her forehead. Her face was vaguely Western, and…Ryuko frowned. Her forehead…and her face in general had what appeared to be some sort of scarring on it. The scars were a light pink, almost invisible in the rooms lighting, and the hybrid-teen had to squint in order to make out the marks.

"Mother, this is Matoi, Ryuko." Iori began, and Ryuko held her peace, bowing awkwardly and feeling only a little ridiculous that she was bowing in front of a coma-induced woman. It's not like the Iori matriarch could see her or anything. "She's…" the boy glanced at her, and feeling even more awkward, Ryuko picked up on his introduction.

"I'm Satsuki's little sister." She said, stopping herself before she ran a hand through her hair. "Ah…the one Ragyo-Mom, I guess, tried to…I don't know, throw away when I was a baby." The girl paused, looking at Iori uncomfortably. The teen shrugged. It's in your court. He seemed to say. Ryuko wanted to smack him. "Erm, I ended up surviving whatever it was that crazy bitch did-" Her eyes widened and inwardly she cursed, head snapping towards Iori once more and this time finding him fighting with a smile. "and I ended up being raised by my dad." She continued. "I…don't know much about you-about how much you know the deal behind these life fibers and Ragyo's involvement or anything like that, but from what little I've learned from you, it sounded like you didn't hold much love for my mom-or that crazy Nui bitch." The last part came out in an angry growl, and once more Ryuko paused.

Iori nodded.

The girl took a deep breath. "Well, they're dead. Both of them. I-I defeated them myself." She paused, letting the words hang in the air. Defeated, not killed. Ragyo had taken her own life and that of Nui's with her. Perhaps without realizing it, she'd spared Ryuko the consequences that came with taking a life. Perhaps her one and only selfless gift to her unknown daughter. "Satsuki and the others-um, her friends and some of my friends and this really bizarre group of people who called themselves 'Nudist Beach', they all helped in defeating them and all the other life fibers, like COVERS and the Original Life Fiber."

She paused, looking at Iori. He must have seen something in her eyes, because with a small smile-a very small one-the lad took over. "It's over, Mother. There are no more Life Fibers, and Ragyo is gone. Nui is gone." He paused, looking up to Ryuko thoughtfully before continuing. "I-I think we can finally relax now. Satsuki's taking over her mother's company and…I don't think anyone will be trying to kill us-you-anymore."

Well that was certainly news. Ryuko stared at Iori in surprise. "What?"

Iori looked away, turning his attention to Mako, who seemed to be feasting on some sort of rice cake. "Ragyo knew of Mother's…displeasure in working under her." He explained. "And Nui…Nui had always had a…thing against us. She's part of the reason Mother ended up here originally." The boy muttered under his breath. Ryuko wasn't sure if she was meant to hear it or not. Those last words had come awfully quiet.

Ryuko frowned. "But then why go to a hospital that's pretty much owned by Ragyo? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

The teen sighed, his face tired and worn. "Despite the fact that Mother opposed Ragyo's…work, she never openly opposed it. On top of that, before Nui took over the title, Mother was Ragyo's Grand Couturier, and was considered by outside sources as 'close' to Ragyo. It would appear suspicious if she was treated at a hospital that wasn't sponsored by the Kiryuin Group." The teen sighed. "On top of that, my uncle, my father's brother, was her head butler at the time." He looked at Ryuko, a serious expression on his face. "Would you attempt anything knowing who was serving you food and drink?"

Dark brows furrowed together. "But then why not fire your uncle?" She asked. "Or just find…" She hesitated, disliking the taste of the words in her mouth, "why not just find some way to 'get rid of him?'"

Iori shook his head. "I've often wondered the same." He admitted. "The most I could reason was that Ragyo enjoyed a challenge. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. I believe is how the saying goes." The blond scowled. "On top of that, after Mother fell comatose, well, Ragyo had an excuse to remove Uncle from his position as head butler. My own father had died some time ago, and with Mother in her current state Uncle suddenly had a dependent. And so she decided to knock out two birds with one stone. Uncle was removed from his position and placed as the main caretaker for Lady Satsuki instead under the excuse that Uncle would need more time to look out for his nephew. Not only did this put distance between them both, but it…"

The teen hesitated, drumming his fingers against his folded arm thoughtfully. "I believe Ragyo had always consider Lady Satsuki as expendable," he admitted, "and so what better way to learn of any deceit from my family than to monitor the health of her own daughter placed under her 'enemy's' care?"

Ryuko drew in a quick breath. "Son of a bitch." She swore. "Wait, you guys never-"

She was met with an angry glare. "Of course we didn't!" Iori snapped. "Uncle would never-I would never-" The boy grit his teeth, a smoldering anger dancing across his face as the blond took a deep breath. When next he spoke, his voice was tight and controlled. "Uncle loves Satsuki as though she were his own flesh and blood. He raised her Matoi. Despite any suspicions, any theories Ragyo had about my family, we never stood against her." He said quietly. "Not until the very end, where we, along with the Elite Four and every President of every Club in school, decided to place our lives on the line to take her out."

Ryuko looked away with a grimace, realizing she'd overstepped her bounds. "Sorry Iori." She muttered. "It's just-all this stuff is new to me, right? I'm-I'm still trying to wrap my head around just what kind of person my mom was before she died." She shrugged helplessly. "I ain't use to this stuff; all this political and social bull that Satsuki's been trying to explain to me. Half the stuff don't make any sense and the other half is just stupid."

The teen nodded with a sigh. "I apologize as well." He said after a moment. "I-My family has been under such suspicions for as long as I can remember." He said. "The rumors I would hear behind my back were never pretty, and such accusations are a sore spot for my uncle and I."

"Right, I think I get where you're coming from." Ryuko said, recalling her earlier years of Middle School, of the many fights she'd gotten into defending her honor, her father's honor, absent parent he was, and the heavy rumors that were always whispered behind her back.

It wasn't the same. In no way was it the same, but the irritation, the anger that came from those false words, could be likened to each other.

"Hey guys, you should really try some of these cookies!" Mako chirped, easing the atmosphere as the two teens looked towards the brunette. "They're amazing!" The girl bounced over to the duo, offering them each a cookie shaped like a cartoonish rabbit.

Ryuko took it with a large amount of hesitation, feeling her stomach churn uncomfortably at the sight of the sugary treat. "Uh, Mako-"

"Nope!" The girl cried, thrusting the other cookie hard enough into Iori's hand to make the cookie break in half. Crumbs spilled on the white blanket that covered Iori's mother, and the boy cringed. "Nu-uh." Mako continued. "You guys are making everything too serious! Everything is supposed to be getting better and you two are making everything all sad and angry!" The girl pouted. "Plus you haven't eaten anything solid for a long while, and it's only a little cookie! Eat it! You're probably feeling all weak because you don't have any energy!" The girl turned her attention to Iori before Ryuko could offer a protest. "And you!" She cried. "You need to stop dwelling on the past and start focusing on the present! Ragyo is gone and your Lady Satsuki is fixing everything, so there's no reason to be so gloomy! Wouldn't your mom want you to be happy and enjoy yourself rather than being cooped up in here all the time? Now stop sulking and eat your cookie!"

Iori stared at Mako with wide golden eyes, the two halves of the broken cookie clutched loosely in his hand. The boy warily looked over at Ryuko with a raised eyebrow, is she serious? Ryuko slowly nodded in reply. She's serious, and hesitantly Iori took a bite out of one of the broken rabbit's ears. When Mako turned her pout to Ryuko, the teen responded with lightly nibbling away at her rabbit's chin, not really tasting what she was eating. Both teens shared a look, then stared at Mako, looking very much like a pair of children who'd been ordered to eat their vegetables rather than a pair of teenagers being forced to eat undesirable cookies.

Mako nodded in approval. "There now, isn't that better?"

It wasn't. Not by a long shot. Ryuko's stomach was doing somersaults and the cookie tasted more like salty, hard bread in the wake of her oncoming nausea.

Iori just looked dumbfounded.

Seeing the cookies slowly being consumed, Mako twirled on her feet, moving back towards the basket, only to fall flat on her face as she tripped over her own two feet.

Should have seen that coming. Ryuko thought, taking the opportunity to toss the nibbled cookie into a nearby trashcan.

Grunting, Mako pushed herself up to her elbows, and with a sigh Ryuko made her way around the bed and to the girl's side. "You alright, Mako?"

The girl had a large red spot from where her face had slammed into the floor, and a small trickle of blood was coming from one nostril. Hopefully it's not broken-last thing any of us need is Mako needing treatment as well as myself. Mr. Mankanshoku would demand a pint of my blood in payment for the amount of money that would steal from him.

Mako didn't respond, not even noticing the small stream that was slowly traveling down across her lips and down to her chin, dripping onto the floor in tiny droplets. "Mankanshoku?" Iori tried, a note of his own concern on his face as the teen kneeled beside her, offering her a handkerchief from his pocket. "You're bleeding, Mankanshoku."

Again the girl ignored them. It appeared as though something had caught her attention, for the girl's eyes seemed centered on something near the many wires that connected the heart monitor to one of the room's power outlets. The girl frowned, brown eyes narrowing thoughtfully, and slowly Mako pushed herself to her hands and knees. "What is it Mako?" Ryuko asked, watching as the girl crawled over towards the many wires, earning a warning grunt from Iori.

"Matoi, what is she doing?" Iori sounded nervous now, and Ryuko couldn't really blame him for it. Mako was picking her way around a bunch of wires connected to multiple pieces of medical equipment, none of which Ryuko knew anything about. If Mako was to place her hand on the wrong cord, if her foot got tangled somewhere in the mess…

Yet despite her initial bought of clumsiness, Mako did not pull any cords from the wall. "Guys? I thought I saw something that I was really hoping I didn't see, but now I'm seeing it up close and-I think you might want to see it too." The girl didn't look up at them, instead keeping her focus on whatever it was that had caught her eye.

Ryuko and Iori shared an uneasy look. Mako's words weren't very comforting. "Don't touch anything." Iori ordered, kneeling down and carefully crawling over to where Mako was, Ryuko following a moment behind at a slower pace.

Mako pointed when the two teens drew near. "There. Right there. Do you see it?"

"You aren't touching 'it', are you?" Iori asked.

"No. But do you see it? I only caught it 'cause I caught some light reflecting off it for a moment. It's really hard to see if you don't know what you're looking for."

Ryuko squinted but could see nothing. Next to her Iori leaned forward, his own eyes searching behind his glasses. "What are we looking for, Mankanshoku?"

And then Ryuko saw it, and any headache pains or stomach nausea left her mind. Instead came a large, uneasy lump in her stomach as Mako pointed again. "What the hell?"

The girl's mouth dropped in shock, and beside her Iori suddenly stiffened as he, too, saw what the girls' saw. "Impossible." He whispered. "They-we destroyed their source of power though! The original Life Fiber has been gone for six months!"

Ryuko blinked, and then blinked again.

The lone Life Fiber, dark and obscured in the room's poor lighting, did not vanish as she so hoped.

Comments of a Madwoman: Expect things to go from odd to bad in the next chapter.