She didn't know how long she had been hanging there. Two, maybe three weeks. Maybe more. She couldn't tell. She was just…hanging. She couldn't remember the last time her feet touched the ground. She couldn't remember anything actually. Except for her painful, agonizing defeat.

That she'll never forget. The door to her cage opened, and she didn't even look up. She knew who it was. She didn't want to give her the satisfaction of looking her in the face. She already felt dirty. She didn't need to feel even more disgusted with herself.

The footsteps came closer. Satsuki still didn't look up. The footsteps stopped in front of her. She looked at the shoes of the person in front of her. Sneakers. Ragyo didn't wear sneakers.

No, this definitely wasn't Ragyo. This was someone else. This was someone she knew. Someone else she was related to.

"Ryuko."

It came out barely as a whisper as Satsuki's voice was hoarse from dehydration. The other girl didn't respond. Instead, she simply reached up and started fiddling with the chains that hung her older sister.

Even after knowing it was Ryuko, she couldn't make eye contact. She refused to look at her for longer than two seconds. Then, she noticed something. "You're not wearing Senketsu." She was just wearing a bedsheet wrapped around herself like a cape.

Ryuko's hair seemed to flare at the mention of her Kamui. "We're on a break." She answered flatly. Emotionlessly. As if she could care less about what happens to him. That's not the Ryuko Satsuki remembered. The Ryuko she remembered would do anything for her Kamui. What happened to her these past few weeks?

The chains gave way and Satsuki fell into Ryuko's waiting arms. "Can you stand?" She asked. Satsuki shook her head. Ryuko rolled her eyes and hefted her naked sister onto her back in a piggyback fashion. She opened the cage door again, and closed it behind them as she began to walk out.

"Why are you doing this?" Satsuki croaked.

"Why shouldn't I? Siblings look out for each other, right?" Ryuko responded monotonously with a hint of sarcasm. It annoyed Satsuki. She sensed something happened to Ryuko but that didn't mean she got to take it out on her.

Ryuko sighed. "Nudist Beach is infiltrating the place. somehow they were able to find you. It's hell out there. The Covers are fighting back hard. Not to mention Nui and Ragyo are out there. I only had but a minute to sneak in and rescue you." There was a loud boom from outside and various shouts. "Aikuro is out there. So is Tsumugu. They're fighting too."

It was silent. Only Ryuko's sneakers hitting the concrete floors made sounds. Even her breathing was quiet. Satsuki spoke up after a minute. "Aren't I a little heavy for you?"

"I would have dropped you by now if you were." Ryuko replied. "It shouldn't be much longer anyway. Aikuro is meeting us at the back entrance with a helicopter. Just please, try to shut up?" Satsuki snorted, but said nothing.

Suddenly, loud heavy footsteps and shouting could be heard behind them. "Shit, we've run out of time. Can you run?" Ryuko half shouted.

Satsuki glared at her. "I've been hanging by my wrists for a month and a half while being tortured by my psychopathic sociopathic mother! Do you seriously think I can just up and run at a time like this?!"

Ryuko started to run. "Well, when you put it that way, no." She grumbled, adjusting Satsuki on her back, Ryuko breathed through her nose while picking up speed.

"We wouldn't have to run if you had Senketsu!"

"Don't start lecturing me, I saved your ass! You would've still been hanging like a pig in a meat shop if it wasn't for me! You're lucky I even thought about your sorry butt after all the bullshit you put me through!" Ryuko shouted back.

Satsuki didn't respond. Mostly because Ryuko was right. Ryuko wasn't obligated to come save her. Sister or not, up until a month ago they had been sworn enemies. Ryuko had every right to despise her. She nearly killed her on multiple occasions, not to mention turning Mako, her one and only human friend against her just for her amusement.

Ryuko didn't owe her shit.

And yet, here she was, breathing ragged, carrying the older girl to safety. Satsuki had to hand it to her. The girl had some resolve. Ryuko hurriedly turned down a hallway and sighed in relief when she saw there was an emergency exit at the end of it. And remembering the schematics Aikuro had showed her, it was the exit that she was supposed to meet him at. They were homefree.

Then, suddenly, a deafening high pitched sound rang through both their ears. Ryuko had heard it before, but it was apparent Satsuki hadn't because she was gritting her teeth and covering her ears in pain. "The COVERS are here! Just keep your ears closed and hold tight okay?!" She told the girl on her back. She dodged the life fibers coming down to reach at her at Satsuki. She really wished now that she had brought her scissor blade with her.

The helicopter came into view and she put an extra boost in her step. Her hair flared up and she grit her teeth. She was not about to get eaten up by COVERS. She did not risk her life to save Satsuki for nothing. With one final jump, she landed in the helicopter. It took off not a moment sighed in fatigue after laying the unconscious girl in the cot they had put there for her.

Aikuro turned to Ryuko. "So, how is she?" He asked."Not good. When I found her, she was hanging by her hands. She's naked as you can see, and she's really bruised up. She said Ragyo tortured her." A chill ran down Ryuko's back. It kind of hurt her to know that while she didn't have a perfect childhood, her sister had it a million times worse. She looked out of the window at the wreckage that was once Honnouji Academy. "I'm just glad that this is over." She then glanced down at the sleeping girl, smiling a bit. "For the both of us."

Satsuki awoke in a hospital bed with bandages all over her chest and IVs in her arms. She didn't quite exactly remember how she got here. She looked to the side of her to see that Ryuko was sitting in a chair next to the bed, her arm on the nightstand table. And then she remembered. The torture, the battle. Everything.

She must have dozed off a while ago, because there was a pretty impressive pool of drool collecting on the floor. "Hey, Matoi." Satsuki croaked out. Ryuko kept on snoring. "Ryuko." she said a little louder. Ryuko didn't even flinch. "Ryuko!" She shouted.

Ryuko jumped up. "Yeah! Yeah! What?! You need the nurse?!" She shouting back in a panic. She made a motion to stand.

"No. I don't. I'm fine." Satsuki responded, putting a hand on her wrist, sitting up a bit. Ryuko sat back down and relaxed. "Why am I in the hospital?" The older girl asked her with a frown on her face.

"Well you're pretty tough, but whatever she was doing to you must have been really bad. You basically went into shock." Ryuko answered quietly.

Satsuki's eyebrows raised. "Shock…? How long have I been in here?" Then she noticed there was something different about Ryuko. "You're wearing Senketsu."

"Yeah, It's a long story." The younger girl told her. "There was this big huge final showdown. It was insane."

There was a beat of silence.

Then, "Hey, Ryuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Is our mother dead?"

Ryuko paused.

"Yes."

Tears swelled in Satsuki's eyes.

"Thank god."