Chapter Thirteen: It all Started with Mother
Satsuki's car raced down the road, tires churning up water in its wake. She had to get to her house before Nui did, and somehow convince her mother that she wasn't going to do anything against the plan. Junketsu, who had finally woken up, spoke. Your heartbeat is quite elevated, you must be extremely agitated over something.
So your awake you piece of shit, life sucking cloth? Satsuki grumbled and the jacket smiled. Oh how you compliment me.
Satsuki rubbed her temples. She had wanted to be alone in her thoughts but now Junketsu would be bothering her the whole time. Trying to put up a mental block she let out a sigh.
She arrived at the mansion thirty minutes later.
"My dear, what brings you to the house? It's not break at college I assume?" Ragyo, the CEO of Revoc's stood in the grand doorway of the house, arms outstretched to greet her daughter. But Satsuki just passed by her, adding "We have business to discuss mother."
Ragyo's smile, at seeing her daughter, faltered at her child's frosty demeanor. "Why of course," she followed her daughter into the house adding quietly, "it's always business with you."
They sat down at a grand table in their study room and Satsuki stared her mother down. "I want you to control Nui better, she is getting into my matters at school and it is frankly irritating. I don't see why she has to be there. I'm perfectly capable of minding my own affairs."
Ragyo arched an eyebrow. "Of that I am certain but I'm sure Nui just misses her sister."
"She is not my sister and you know that. She also knows that. And the only thing she could possibly miss about me is how she used to bother me all the time."
"Ah, but that is what sisters do," Ragyo folded her hands under her chin and propped her elbows on the table. She closed her eyes and smiled at her daughter who was not amused.
"Must I remind you we are not sisters. The real sister I had was killed in an experiment you decided to carry out."
Ragyo opened her eyes and her smile faded. "That choice was not mine to make," she insisted to which Satsuki snorted with contempt and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
"Tell Nui to stop interfering in my affairs. She has disrupted my campus and is harassing this one student who she has fantasized that is her plaything and is conjuring all sorts of tales and stories around her. Quite frankly she is terrorizing a lot of my students and if we are to have them in top condition for when we implement the plan then she needs to leave. I have told her multiple times to stay out of my affairs but she refuses to listen and will no doubt rush to you, to tell you, her side of things which are undoubtedly untrue. She just wants to be a huge pain in the ass and make sure I fail in my goals so that I cannot impress you. In fact it's as if you keep sending her there, as if you don't trust me to carry out my plans and want me to fail."
"But darling I do trust you," Ragyo stood up and walked around the room to the window whose curtains she pulled open to reveal that the rain had subsided and the sky was lightening. "I do trust that we will be able to conquer this world together. Why I thought this task had been my alone to undertake, but then you volunteered and I was so delighted. A mother and daughter able to work hand in hand when it truly mattered. And you have not disappointed me since. Top in your class throughout your academics and now president of a school."
Ragyo turned to look back at her daughter who sat stony faced at the table, her expression not swayed by her mother's gentle words.
Ragyo approached her daughter and cupped her chin raising her face to look up at her as she leaned over the desk. "Smile my dear, la vie est drole, no need to be so serious."
Then she let go and Satsuki stood up. "So Nui is banned, correct?"
"Yes, I'll tell her. In fact I haven't seen her around the house or company in days, which probably explains her absence. I swear that girl is so talented but so troubling." Ragyo sighed placing a finger to her chin.
You have no idea how troubled she is, Satsuki thought bitterly and Junketsu laughed, picking up on her bad thoughts.
Satsuki paused at the doorway to the house, to turn back and glance at her mother. "Mother," she nodded her head and turned to leave.
Ragyo watched her daughters back as she entered the car and then drove away. She watched until the girl faded away into the distance before closing the door and turning to glance at Nui, who was standing right behind her. "Isn't she such a terrible liar?" Nui asked and Ragyo smiled. "Of course. She tried to turn me against you, but I know better than that." Ragyo cupped her grand courtier's face with her hands and smiled. "You're the daughter I wish I had. Now tell me everything."
-Break-
But in the deepest part of Ragyo's heart, the part that was still her, but barely, was screaming. How she hated Nui, how she hated the life fibers, how she hated her company, how she hated what she had to do, what she had done to her child, and to Satsuki. But most of all she had hated who she had become.
But the life fibers in her body wouldn't let her kill herself. They had taken over completely, making her do despicable things. At first it had started off small. A finger would twitch unexpectedly, a toe would move out of line, and then it was whole body parts and organs moving as if to an invisible puppeteers dance, only it was coming from inside her; her own body was betraying her. The life fibers had been infused into her body at a young age. Her own mother had done it to her. She had been but ten when she wandered after her mother who had left, thinking Ragyo was asleep in her bed, and descended down the stairs to the basement. Ragyo, who didn't want her mom to leave her room, but to fall asleep in bed with her, followed her mother downwards. She ended up in front of a giant door which was left ajar, an eerie orange light glowing from behind the crack. She had heard her mother talking to someone, but she didn't know who because there was no answer from the other party.
"You want me to use her?" A pause.
"Are you sure it will work? It seems kind of risky." Ragyo padded closer to the door, her tiny footsteps muffled by the think carpet leading up to the room.
"Oh I understand, it's because your time is drawing near and you need her to be prepared to lead it. I'm certain she will think of this as a great honor." Ragyo had crept up to the door and peered in seeing something that made her hair stand up. Her mother was in a vast room and in it was a giant floating ball of glowing fibers that emitted a low buzz. The door creaked as her body weight caused it to move and her mother swiveled her head around.
"Ah Ragyo darling, just the one I wanted to see," her mother approached her, her eyes glowing unnaturally in the red light. Her face looked distorted in the glow and Ragyo felt apprehension prickle her heart. "Mommy who were you talking to?" she asked as her mother picked her up in her arms. The mom brought Ragyo closer to the fibers in the middle of the room and she shrunk closer into her mother's arms.
"This sweetie, this is the primordial life form and we have been given the honor of protecting it through the ages. Me and him are good friends, and so you will be too. He says he wants you to help him with a very special mission."
"What kind of mission?" Ragyo asked as her mother had placed the two of them directly under the mass. Strings unwound themselves from it and reached towards Ragyo who tried to clutch onto her mother even harder. But her mother pried her hands away as the fibers wrapped themselves around her body.
"Mom what's going on? Stop this, I don't like it!" Ragyo cried out tears streaming down her face as she was lifted away from her mother and towards the primordial life form.
"Don't fight it sweetie, it'll just make it hurt more. You're a very special girl, you know that. You're my special little girl," her mother just smiled a resigned look as she watched her daughter get pulled in.
"Mom no!" Ragyo cried as the fibers absorbed her completely.
Ragyo hadn't remembered much of what it was like to be in there. She had blacked out almost immediately, and afterwards her mother had acted as if nothing had ever happened. But things had changed. Ragyo no longer trusted her mother.
The life fibers slowly infused themselves into her body, their fibers covering her bones, organs, even the very blood and air she used. She found that they made her invincible and by the time she was 16 she had stopped trying to fight them. There was no point; no matter how many times she pulled the trigger or plunged the knife into her body all she felt was pain, and never the warm comfort of death.
The life fibers gave her an instant connection to the primordial life force and it would speak to her, whisper to her all the things it wanted to do, all the plans it had conceived for overtaking this world. She tried to block it but it never worked. She could feel its voice like a breeze ruffling her hair, it vibrated throughout her skin.
Her mind had broken last. She had a strong will, a strong drive but there was only so much a person could take. By the time she was twenty she could no longer know which thoughts were her own and which were the primordial forces, or which actions were her own and which were the life fibers. Did she even like cherry flavored ice cream or had the fibers decided that for her?
She eventually gained control of the company and married a young handsome scientist. She wanted his smarts to advance the spread of life fibers but he was broken hearted after she had killed one of her own children by experimenting on them. She wanted to infuse them with life fibers too, but even earlier to see what the results would be. The life fiber had decided it wanted an army to help it and Ragyo was a slave to it, hurting even her own children for its gains. The scientist faked his own death and fled. Ragyo knew he wasn't really dead but let him be. He was powerless against her anyway.
So she infused life fibers into the clothes and it was an excellent plan. Her brand being so well known was worn by many, and once over ninety percent of the population did wear it, she would activate the switch to destroy the world. The life fibers had given her a gift to help out as well. They had created a girl named Nui who was a hundred percent life fibers, the first of her kind. Ragyo was delighted, the girl was like her, and would aim to destroy the world with her no matter what.
The only thing that worried Ragyo was her only biological daughter Satsuki. The girl was closed off and cold, never caring for what her mother was doing. Ragyo had told her about her legacy early on in hopes that she would attack her. She wanted Satsuki to stop her goals, to stop the evil she was about to unleash. But she had been bitterly disappointed when her daughter had wanted to help her. Her last hope was gone. No one else knew of her evil plans. The earth was truly doomed. But when Nui had told her of Satsuki's plans she had hope. So her daughter wasn't going to follow in her footsteps, instead she was going to finally destroy her. But all this Ragyo kept hidden in her heart of hearts. She couldn't let the life fibers know she was still here; if she did they would end her and then truly there would be no hope for redemption for her. If the life fibers ever found out, they would stop Satsuki cold. And so Ragyo remained as she was. On the outside she was the charismatic CEO of Revoc's, a very successful company, used as a cover for her plans of world domination engineered by her life fiber ridden body, but on the inside she was a very, very scared ten year old girl.
-Break-
Ryuko cracked open an eye only to find herself in a luxurious bed in the Kiryuin mansion.
"Ugh, my head hurts like a bitch," she groaned as she sat up. Senketsu who was laid out on the seat next to her bed jumped up glad to see her.
"Ryuko, thank goodness, it seems you didn't suffer any permanent brain damage after you ripped the string right out."
"Yea, thank goodness for that," muttered a sarcastic voice and Ryuko saw Nonon standing in the doorway of the room. Giving a contemptuous snort she turned her head and called out. "The beast's awake now." And then she left the room.
Lady Satsuki entered, arms crossed in front of her chest. She stood at the edge of Ryuko's bed. "I'll get straight to it. After you passed out on us, I decided to call a meeting with your group Nudist Beach in order to discuss the affairs. They seemed to know most of the story and have taken into consideration what I have said. However, they will not make any decisions without you. So I insist that you go speak with them."
Ryuko sat up her head throbbing and making her vision blurry. "I will, just geez get me some medicine for this headache will you. And maybe a hello, good morning and how are you wouldn't hurt."
Satsuki rolled her eyes before nodding her head and sent for someone to fetch Ryuko medicine. When Ryuko was all done and dressed she met up with Aikuro and Kinagase who were snacking at the table.
"Where's the rest of Nudist Beach?"
"They got sent away." Aikuro told Ryuko and smiled upon hearing her normal voice back.
"Let's get to discussing these things," Kinagase said standing up from his table. He had been polishing his guns there.
"Alright, well I'm guessing Satsuki told you stuff," Ryuko started not quite sure where to go with this.
"Yea, she did. She wants to know if we'll put aside our goals of fighting her in order to stop her mother's evil plans." Kinagase rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She showed us proof so it's rather hard to not believe and at least for sure we now Nui isn't a good guy."
"Yea, she isn't," Ryuko spat out anger filling her veins.
"So what do you want us to do, Ryuko? It appears our goals in fighting Satsuki were misplaced. I feel we could help her, and then we can work things out afterwards, after she sees how strong and beneficial we are." Aikuro added.
"I think we should help her, for now. But if she pulls some shit we don't agree with, we should take her down," Ryuko uttered at last.
The two guys nodded their heads. "Then it shall be done."
-Break-
Satsuki waited in her lounge room, trying to read a book as she waited for the meeting to be over.
Jealous of her aren't you, Junketsu interrupted her thoughts. Everyone looks up and depends on her. She has real friends that are loyal to her to the core; while the people close to you were forced there by your own selfish needs. They don't love you and they certainly don't need you.
Shut up, your poisonous words will not reach me. Satsuki gritted her teeth.
You can fight as you like but my fibers will reach you, they already have, take a look.
Satsuki looked under her suit jacket. Tiny blue fibers, like veins were reaching out from the material and hooked into her skin. Panic flared in her eyes.
You say your will is as strong as steel, but your body isn't. I wonder how long it will be until you succumb to me.
Satsuki pushed away her earlier panic; she couldn't let the kamui know she unnerved her. Be as that may I only need last until the mission is over and then I will end you with me, if that's the only way to completely destroy you.
Satsuki then went back to reading her book as she felt Junketsu's dry chuckle vibrate through her body.
-Break-
Ragyo sipped her liquor as Nui finally finished up her story.
"So this Ryuko Matoi, you think the life fibers created her?" She asked thoughtfully taking a deep gulp of whiskey, the slow burn sliding down her throat.
"Yes, not only that, but she must be your missing daughter!" Nui jumped up from her seat on her mother's lap. "In fact I'm certain of it. Your husband must have not died in that fiery crash but instead changed his identity completely. He created those scissors in hopes of severing life fibers with them," at this Nui touched her eye patch tenderly "and he created a kamui. Your daughter survived the trauma of having been experimented on and grew up into Matoi. It all makes perfect sense!" she twirled around gleefully before sitting down on her mother's lap again.
"Splendid work." Ragyo was overjoyed that her daughter had survived. But according to Nui, she was hard to control.
"I think we may have to invite her over for tea."
"Oui mama," Nui's giggles echoed in the large room around them.
-Break-
"How's Uzu coping?" Satsuki asked. She had lost patience waiting for the Nudist Beach members to finish talking. And so she decided to approach the room in which Uzu was hidden in.
"He's... angry to say the least," Iori informed her. "I've offered to stitch him new eyes in but he refuses. Saying it won't be the same." Iori shrugged and then excused himself. "I must attend to my other affairs for now."
Satsuki stood in front of the door not knowing what to do. At last she knocked. "Sanageyama are you there?" There was no response. She had heard his screams and pained cries during the night but he wouldn't let any of his concerned friends in.
Nonon appeared at her side. "The stupid monkey won't answer to anyone. I even offered to be nice to him. No response." The pink haired girl shrugged. "How did the talk with your mother go?"
"I seem to have her on my side, for now. Nui hasn't been seen for days, so mother didn't know beforehand. She might consider my words or she might consider Nui's once she finds the grand courtier. It is uncertain where we stand now. We must proceed with caution."
"That's good," Nonon said and then stood there awkwardly at the door.
Look even your so called best friend doesn't know how to address you. She won't ever look you in the eyes. None of them do. That's how you know they hate you. Nonon's been acting different as of late anyways. It's like she hates you.
"Has Matoi finished her meeting?" Satsuki asked not certain what else to say. They had used to talk so easily before, laughing at jokes and doing whatever girls did at that age. But then in the middle of middle school it had all changed when she learned the truth of the Kiryuin household and their conversations became business like. How she missed those good old days. Maybe after it was all over it would return to that.
"I don't know," Nonon said, visibly tensing up. "That sack of shit isn't even that important. We could do this without her. Thanks to Nui's influence on her, she got Nui drawn in and now it's all gonna go to shit." Nonon then stalked off grumbling under her breath.
Your friend clearly thinks your judgment is lacking. Maybe you should let me make the decisions for you. I'm much stronger anyways.
Satsuki knocked again on the door. "Sanageyama," she ordered. "Open this door this instant."
Ryuko approached her. "So the green guys in there. What happened?"
"He lost her eyes," Satsuki said quietly.
"Holy shit," Ryuko whistled and considered this before she added. "Well on the bright side of things, Nudist Beach wants to help, so we got your back for now."
"Excellent," Satsuki noted. Their only helping you out of pity Junketsu snarled and Satsuki bit her lip. Was Ryuko's kamui this infuriating? Did it infringe upon her everyday life, checking on her, shadowing her like a damn plague?
The door to the room opened and Sanageyama exited. He looked like he lost years. His face was sunken, his eyelids closed but swollen, and his hair a mess. He leaned against the door heavily.
"Sanageyama, my deepest apologies for what has transpired." Satsuki said but Uzu didn't respond. She didn't know what else to tell him to comfort him. Perhaps he wanted to go do his own thing now. "If you want you will released from service."
"But I wanna fight!" Uzu grunted through clenched teeth hitting the door frame with his clenched fist. "That's the only thing I've been good at. If you let me go now, I'll have nothing to return to. How will I call myself a man?"
"Oh stop wallowing in self-pity. I felt the same when I found out the truth about myself but I decided what was the fucking point in crying over something I had no control over." Ryuko looked over at Uzu, her eyes blazing with a passion.
"But they were my special eyes. Without them I'm nothing!" Uzu shuddered as he tried to control a sob.
"Special eyes my ass. They didn't help you win against me or Nui. They were probably just getting in your way of seeing things for what they actually were. Your eyes were the problem. If you had regular eyes than maybe you'd still have them. And if you really wanna fight then being blind won't stop you."
Ryuko finished her rant and then trod off. Uzu stood a moment quietly and then nodded his head. "I'm going to the nearest dojo," he said before disappearing into his room. "I'll see you all in a week."
Looks like she can even comfort your friends better than you, Junketsu sneered and Satsuki was debating whether to rip her off when her phone rang. It was from her mother.
Suppressing a cold chill down her back, she picked up. "Mother."
"Darling, I just wanted to call you to see if we could invite a guest to dinner for me."
"What guest?" Satsuki asked apprehension building. She was certain Nui had arrived and told her mother everything. Her plan to try to sway her mother had failed it seemed.
"Oh just a girl named Ryuko Matoi." Satsuki let out a small gasp but if her mother had heard, she didn't comment on it. Instead she kept talking. "Nui told me she had been very rude to that girl and so I wanted to make it up to that poor girl by extending my heartfelt apologizes, along with a good meal. She looks like she could use one."
Satsuki's hand trembled. There was no excuse she could give her mother. She had definitely failed to convince her mother. "Yes, I'll tell her. When do you want me to bring her?"
"Tomorrow afternoon would be splendid." The phone went silent as the call ended and Satsuki let the phone drop from her hand and clatter to the floor.
She gripped the wall hard as she struggled to keep herself upright. Junketsu was tightening around her crushing her lungs and ribs painfully.
Oh joy, it snarled. We're bringing a lamb to the slaughter.
Its maniacal laughs rang through Satsuki's head.