Chapter Thirteen: Twin versus Twin
Keiko awoke the next morning on the living room couch with her head indented deeply in the throw pillow and feeling groggy as usual. On TV, the ever-cheerful weather woman was telling the audience that it would be a delightful day in all of Tokyo, all day long. However, Keiko was dreading this delightful day more than ever. It was a Saturday, which was usually her favorite day due to the sheer freedom that came along with it, but she sharply remembered the words of the pink-eyed woman, who said she would be strong enough to arise today, and her heart sank like a stone.
She arose, throwing her blanket off and staggering to the kitchen, searching for something to eat. She found a container of waffle mix and decided to make some waffles. Presently, Reiko entered, already made up, fully dressed, and ready to go to Souji's, but she seemed glum as she sat down at the table.
"Good morning," Keiko said sweetly as she stirred the waffle mix in a bowl. "Would you like some waffles?"
"I would." Reiko nodded slightly, sighing loudly.
"What's wrong, Reiko?" Keiko asked, worried. From her point of view, she couldn't see her sister's eyes, which were bloodshot from crying.
"Souji and I had a fight last night," Reiko began right as Rei came in, sniffing the waffle mix and smiling.
"Good morning!" Rei sang.
"Hi, Mom. I'm making waffles," Keiko explained.
"Great. I'm hungry." Rei looked at Reiko and immediately sensed something was wrong. "What's eating you, Reiko?" she queried, sitting down at the table.
"Souji and I had a fight last night," Reiko repeated. "He says that I've changed or something, that I'm not making him happy anymore." She sniveled. "But I do whatever he wants me to, it's not fair!"
Neither is the fact that his mere presence is tearing us apart, Keiko thought as she vigorously stirred the thickening mixture.
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," Rei said sympathetically.
"What should I do, Mom?" Reiko asked, her voice delicately walking the line between normal and hysterical.
"Break up with him," Keiko muttered gravely.
"What?" Reiko asked, cupping her hand to her ear.
"Uhh, nothing, just going to turn the waffle iron on!" Keiko lied cheerfully, plugging in the waffle iron.
"Keiko, you're a bad liar," Rei declared. "I heard every word. However, that might just be a good idea."
"What might be?" Reiko demanded loudly.
"Keiko said you should consider breaking up with him," Rei said.
"Mom!" Keiko exclaimed, trying to stop Rei, but it was too late.
"Keiko, you're just jealous," Reiko snapped. "You're just jealous because no boy has ever paid any attention to you, so you're trying to sabotage the one thing that's making me happy!" Keiko was so deeply offended by this comment that she slammed the mixing bowl onto the counter, producing a loud thump noise. She then stomped over to her sister and got down to her eye level by kneeling.
"Jealous, am I?" Keiko asked in a hateful tone. "How can I be jealous? He doesn't really care about you. He's just taking your energy away so this creepy woman with red hair and pink eyes can come back!" This statement sounded so absurd that Reiko started to laugh. "It's not funny. I dreamt about it last night." Keiko ran to her room and retrieved the piece of paper she wrote on, shoving it under Reiko's nose. "Read it and weep."
"Keiko, this is the dumbest thing I've ever read," Reiko replied, throwing the paper on the floor.
"Reiko, don't throw things," Rei snapped.
"But it's all true!" Keiko protested. "I saw it all. By the way, the woman in the dream told me that her human form had 'thoroughly explored' you. What sort of meaning should I derive from that?" She was pressing her sister hard for answers, utilizing the journalistic technique she was best at. "Should I, perhaps, assume that she meant you've had…" She couldn't bring herself to say the word at first, but she shut her eyes and thought peaceful thoughts, which allowed her to spit the next word out. "Sex with him?"
"What?" Rei roared. "Reiko! Have you?" Reiko remained tight-lipped. "If you have, young lady, you are in so much trouble it isn't even funny! Reiko! That could be dangerous for you. Didn't you pay attention in health class? You could be pregnant! I'm not raising any babies!"
"Mom," Reiko pleaded, her voice cracking. "He's always safe."
"Oh no!" Rei wailed. "Reiko! Don't you dare go out of this house today or you'll be grounded for so long that your real friends will all forget who you are!"
"Mom!" Reiko pleaded, louder this time, at which point an unusual thing happened that both Rei and Keiko observed with their own eyes. The mark of the kiss on Reiko's forehead reappeared, as vibrant as the day it was created, which caused Rei and Keiko's eyes to widen in disbelief. As Reiko looked confused, wondering what they were looking at, the kiss began to pulsate, causing Reiko an inordinate amount of pain. The kiss stopped pulsating, making Reiko slump over onto the table for a few moments. When she sat back up, her eyes were empty.
"I must go," Reiko declared.
"Mom, this isn't normal," Keiko whispered to Rei, who immediately nodded. "I'm going to follow her but I'll try to be inconspicuous."
"Take your transformation stick," Rei replied. "You may find it useful." Keiko nodded and walked to her room, where she immediately threw on an outfit and found the transformation stick resting on her desk, near a textbook. She snatched up the stick and shoved it in her pocket, slipped into a pair of sandals, and silently crept up to her doorway, watching Reiko put her shoes on in the foyer and step outside. Rei watched her go, looked at a clock, and allowed Keiko to leave a minute later.
Reiko knew the way to Souji's house like she knew the back of her hand. Keiko wandered behind her, walking slowly so she wouldn't catch up to her sister and be exposed. She hid outside the house when Reiko entered, making her way to a window where she could watch the actions going on inside.
Reiko entered, approaching Souji, who was casually reading a newspaper as if he were waiting at a bus stop instead of expecting company. With a pang, Keiko noted that he was, indeed, very attractive, and then she tried to concentrate on reading their lips. Souji put the paper down when he heard her enter and stood up, walking over to her and immediately embracing her. While he did so, Keiko noticed her sister growing unnaturally wan.
"Reiko!" Keiko exclaimed, clasping her hand against her mouth as Reiko's eyes fluttered before shutting and she slumped in Souji's arms. He smiled, placed her on the floor, and snapped his fingers, transforming into Astarte. Keiko's eyes widened with recognition as soon as he transformed and her heart pounded in fear of what might happen next.
"Wake up now, little child," Astarte said to Reiko, touching her forehead. The kiss lit up again and Reiko immediately stood up, eyes still empty. "Look out of the window over there." She pointed to the window where Keiko stood and Reiko obediently looked. "Now wave to your sister." Reiko did so. "For the last time." Astarte licked her lips. Keiko gasped and took out the transformation stick. It felt odd to her to be transforming alone.
"Deimos Satellite Power, Make Up!" Keiko cried, holding the stick up to the sky. She was encircled by flame and emerged a moment later as Sailor Deimos. Not wanting to run around to the front door for fear that she would be seen, she simply blasted the window open with a stream of fire and leapt inside.
"Ah, we meet again, naïve one. How are you feeling?" Astarte asked. Keiko ignored this question.
"Reiko!" she cried, holding out the transformation stick. "Take this and transform!" She threw the stick, which Reiko caught, making Keiko feel hopeful.
"Phobos Satellite Power, Make Up!" Reiko shouted, going through the same transformation and ending as Sailor Phobos.
"Beautiful, beautiful!" Astarte cheered, applauding. "Now…" She touched Reiko's forehead and the kiss shone through her jeweled tiara. "Kill her." She pointed one finely manicured finger at Keiko.
"No!" Keiko shouted defiantly, her hand cutting through the air and shooting flame at Astarte, who dodged at the last second so Reiko bore the brunt of the attack. "Oh no! REIKO!" she screamed as Reiko collapsed, a bloodcurdling scream that attracted the attention of Aiko and Suzumi, who happened to be walking by on their way to Shibuya for some shopping.
"That sounds like Keiko," Aiko observed.
"Where?" Suzumi asked. Aiko concentrated and pointed to the correct house. "Well, then, let's go!" The two girls ran to the house and threw open the unlocked door. As soon as they saw that the Hino twins had transformed, they followed suit.
"Mini Mercury Power, Make Up!"
"Triton Satellite Power, Make Up!"
"Aiko, Suzumi," Keiko said weakly. "I hurt Reiko." She pointed to Reiko, who was still writhing from the attack.
"Look out!" Suzumi cried as Astarte embraced herself for a moment, glowing with black energy, before opening her arms and sending the energy shooting forth. Aiko leapt in front of the Hino twins and made a wall of water that Suzumi froze into a wall of ice. It handily protected the quartet from Astarte's attack. Astarte screamed in frustration and brought forth another shot of energy, which also crackled against the icy wall. Aiko sat down next to Reiko and looked her over.
"Her injuries aren't bad," Aiko reported, smiling at Reiko. "Hi, Reiko. I know you can hear me, even though your eyes make you look dead. I'm going to heal you now."
"How will you do that?" Keiko asked.
"Using a technique that I discovered a few days ago after a particularly nasty fight at school left me all scraped," Aiko replied, smiling. "See my knees? They were all scraped and bloody, but then I did this and they were okay again. Suzumi, Keiko, watch my back." The two nodded and turned to the ice wall, which was still standing but was beginning to melt. Aiko turned back to Reiko, concentrated deeply, and clapped her hands together, which caused them to glow slightly. She let her hands hover over the injured areas on Reiko's body and they were instantaneously healed. Aiko thought she was done until she saw the kiss on Reiko's forehead, which she decided to heal the same way. It took a little longer, but with enough power the kiss completely disappeared and Reiko's eyes looked lively again.
"Uuugh, what happened?" Reiko asked groggily.
"It doesn't matter, as long as you're okay now. Now, stand up and help us fight," Aiko said, offering her hand to Reiko and helping her stand up.
"Aiko, this wall can't hold much longer!" Suzumi cried. "What can we do?"
"Let's all attack her at once!" Reiko suggested.
"Reiko!" Keiko said happily. "You're back!"
"Yes I am, and I'm ready to fight!" Reiko declared, flashing a victory sign.
"Get ready," Suzumi said as the wall began to crack. The quartet got ready for the wall to break, which it eventually did, but some of the shards of ice hit Astarte and a sizzling noise could be heard when they did so.
"Is she made of fire or something?" Reiko asked sarcastically.
"Maybe!" Keiko exclaimed. "Suzumi, Aiko, you two attack her this time and we'll see what happens."
"Gotcha," Aiko replied.
"No problem," Suzumi replied. "Aiko, you go first."
"Gladly." Aiko braced herself, allowing her power to build up, before sending off a devastating torrent of water that hit Astarte directly. She let out a loud howl as the water hit her. Then, the sizzling sound filled the air again and the quartet watched, partly in horror and partly in fascination, as Astarte decomposed, becoming a pile of ash that pooled on the floor before disintegrating.
"Wow," Suzumi whispered in awe after Astarte's remains disappeared.
"Come on, Rechan, let's go home," Keiko said as she pushed the button in the middle of her bow and de-transformed. Reiko nodded and de-transformed. "Hey, Aiko, Suzumi? Thanks for helping me out," Keiko said, bowing to Aiko and Suzumi before taking Reiko and leaving the area.