Her first experience in this world was waking up trapped inside some kind of metallic pod. She was wearing something like a hospital smock, or something similarly starchy and loose. The walls were lined with copper circuitry, tracing patterns up to her head. Just above eye level, a ring of lights and needles hovered ominously. The top of this coffin was covered in a foggy green glass, out of which she could just barely see a figure to her right.
After a few moments there was a hiss as the glass above her parted, and slowly slid off to the side. She attempted to lean up and see what was outside, but her body was heavy, sorer than she had ever been. Had ever been…? She couldn't remember having been this sore before.
Before she could ponder that thought any further, a brown-haired woman leaned over her, with a worried look, "Hang on, you might not want to do that yet! The doctors said it would take a while for the anesthesia to wear off."
"A-Anesthesia?" The word came out croaked and forced. Her throat felt dusty and unused. It didn't sound like her own. She made a futile attempt to lean up again.
"You woke up a lot sooner than we were expecting, but it's going to be okay! Don't move around too much. I know this is probably surprising but, just don't worry, you'll be better soon!" The girl gave a forced smile. Her voice sounded reassuring, but practiced, "Now they gave me a quick checklist to go through with you to help calm you down. Let me just see here…"
"Checklist? W-what do you mean?" Her eyes went wide with fear as she realized her voice didn't just not sound like her own, she didn't recognize it. She could feel her breath quickening. Her head started to hurt.
"Hey hey, you're safe, you need to calm down. The doctor said you might be suffering from minor brain damage, and they didn't want you to get worked up. Let's just go down this sheet, okay? First, you still have anesthesia-"
"B-brain damage?" Her heart was pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears. She had stopped paying attention to the kindly woman attending to her. Her head felt like it was going to split open, like a hatchet was trying to force its way out of her head through her eyeball. She knew they called this a migraine. How did she know that? She couldn't remember having one before now. She couldn't remember...
I can't remember anything. She felt tears stream down her face as she made that realization. Panic set in as she an alarm started to sound, fast beeping - a heart rate monitor was going off. The woman leaned down and gently tried to stroke her shoulders to calm her down.
"I can't – I can't!"The girl in the coffin cried, gripping onto the woman above her. She tried to say something back, but it went unheard as the girl with no memories blacked out.
The next time she awoke, she was no longer in a dark pod. Now her surroundings were brilliantly and starkly white, clean and completely spotless. She was on a bed, a surprisingly comfortable one at that. As she leaned up she could see a few nurses milling around the room. One, on the far side of the room, had long, wild purple hair and was staring directly at her.
Turning her head she was briefly startled to see a figure to her left, sitting at her bedside. A freckled woman, with black hair down to her shoulders, sat next to her and gave her a smile when they made eye contact. She looked relieved and worried in equal measures.
"It's good to see that you're awake." Her voice was soft, wavering, like her every word was unsure. A far cry from the woman she'd met earlier, whose confidence felt rehearsed.
"I... Where am I?" Her voice was still disconcertingly foreign to her. The black haired woman's eyes darted to the side for a moment. Following her gaze, the amnesiac saw a heart rate monitor hanging on the wall. Her pulse had just risen a bit.
The woman put a calming hand over her own, "You're somewhere safe. This is an infirmary in the Future Foundation's 14th Branch headquarters."
"The Future Foundation? I don't-"
"It doesn't matter too much, I can explain later," The woman interrupted, "Now, I know you're confused, but I need you to take a few deep breathes before we continue, okay? I don't want you to go through another panic attack."
A panic attack? Somehow, she knew she'd never had one of those, unlike the migraine from before. Pushing that thought aside, she sat up in her hospital bed and did as the woman asked, taking a few slow, deep breathes and bracing herself for whatever she was about to hear.
Feeling that she had sufficiently prepared herself, the woman continued, "I need you to tell me if you can remember anything. Anything at all."
"I… No, I can't. I can remember the sensation of having a migraine, and I knew I've never had a panic attack just now, but I haven't been able to remember anything else."
"That's okay, and to be expected. You're suffering from total retrograde amnesia; certain knowledge and skills might remain, but you've forgotten everything about yourself and your past. I-I'm sorry, I truly am," The woman stopped for a moment as she felt her emotions getting the better of her, "The machine you woke up in before was intended to help you, and to recover your memories, but it doesn't seem to have done the job. I'm so sorry."
"It's… It's okay." The girl was struggling to calm herself down. No past? Who was she then? What had led to her having no memories? She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes again.
The woman grabbed the Nameless's hand and wrapped it in both of hers. "I know this is scary, but this isn't all bad. There's still people here who care about you. You can still have a whole, full life for yourself," The Nameless looked unsure, but wiped away her tears and nodded, "The world outside is very dangerous. For now you'll need to stay here, in the Future Foundation facilities. You'll also need to go through some physical and psychological examinations. But for now you can just rest. I can answer any questions you might have."
"The woman from before mentioned I had some brain damage, is that true? And who was she?"
"Yes, that is true. You suffered… an accident, leading to a head injury. You shouldn't worry about any loss of cognitive abilities, though. Some of those tests are to make sure of that, but you'll likely make a full recovery, aside from your amnesia. That woman was Aoi Asahina, by the way. You can trust her, she's a friend of both of ours, from before the accident."
"Then… Who are you?"
"Mukuro Ikusaba. I know this might be hard to believe, but in addition to working as an agent for the Future Foundation, I'm also..." The woman now seemed deeply shaken, her voice catching in her throat as though she might cry. She quickly steeled herself, before returning to the gentlest smile she could muster, "I'm also your twin sister."
"I-I have a twin? I have a twin!" the Nameless's surprise quickly turned to excitement. Mukuro flinched as the young woman's arms shot into the air triumphantly, before quickly wrapping around her, "Oh thank goodness, I have a family…"
Mukuro hesitated. She was not used to so much physical affection, but eventually wrapped her arms around her disoriented sister. They held that hug for a minute or two, with the Nameless's worry evaporating by the second. Mukuro's however, remained.
Mukuro glanced up and saw a kindly brown haired young man in the doorway. He gave a friendly wave before leaning against the door. Mukuro pulled away from her sister. Her voice was now even more choked than before, "Sorry, it looks like my partner is here. I need to go, we have some reports to fill out now that you're awake."
"Wait!" the Nameless asked, betraying more urgency in her tone than she intended, "You haven't told me my name yet."
Mukuro turned back to face her sister. She gulped before croaking out a single word, "Ryoko."
"Ryoko…" She mulled over the name in her head, before smiling to herself, "Ryoko Ikusaba! Thank goodness, that's a good name! Okay, I'll see you later, bye-bye, sis!"
"Bye… Ryoko. I'll be back soon, I promise. Try to get some rest."
Ryoko waved happily, before leaning over to her bedside table and looking for something to read.
Mukuro walked out the thick metal doors, past the Ultimate Nurse, who glared at her as she passed. Makoto was waiting next to the exit, which she closed behind her in case of eavesdroppers.
Makoto gave her a gentle smile and Mukuro felt her heart flutter. Makoto was her trusted partner in more ways than one, and even after all these years seeing him smile at her brought her heart peace.
"So where did Ryoko come from? It's a cute name," Makoto asked, holding his hand out to her. She took it eagerly, webbing her fingers through his.
"It was a fake name she used a long time ago. I… I wanted to at least give her an answer."
Makoto looked worried, "Kyoko gave us specific orders not to say anything about her past that could jog her memory. She was willing to make an exception for you reminding her of being sisters, but… Do you think this is a good idea?
Mukuro went quiet. To the average passerby, she likely looked stoic and calm, like always, but Makoto knew better. She was nervous, it was plain as day to him. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, an affectionate reminder that he loved her and whatever was on her mind wouldn't change that. Mukuro finally sighed, "I don't know, but… My sister, for all her love of despair, always left a glimmer of hope in all her plans. Now Ryoko is in there and… it just seems fair to leave a glimmer of despair for her to eventually overcome. It's only fair to Junko."
Makoto shook his head, before giving her another gentle squeeze and a smile, "Okay, if you say so sweetheart. I trust you, and I trust Ju… Ryoko. I have full faith that this will all be worth it."
"I just hope it'll be worth the tongue-lashing Kyoko is going to give us," Mukuro's voice was as deadpan as ever, but over the past year she'd gotten a lot better at jokes.
Makoto laughed and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Mukuro's normally pale skin went flush pink in an instant, "Hopefully that makes Ryoko even more worth it. Now come on, we have to let Kyoko and the others know what happened."
Mukuro nodded, and took one more look towards the infirmary that held her sister Junko - no, Ryoko, she reminded herself. That would take some getting used to. The Ultimate Soldier, former Ultimate Despair, felt some hope well up inside her. Hope that she could truly have the little sister she always thought she did.