Hey guys! Sorry, had hoped to get this done sooner, but work got in the way somewhat. I've been on a late shift, and haven't been getting home till well into the night! As that's when I tend to do my writing, it created a bit of a block for me in writing this chapter. But finally, tis done. Already halfway through the next (I wrote a large chunk of it a while ago), so that's underway too. Hopefully I can get it to you a little sooner next time! Also, huge thanks to all my readers so far, and for the lovely reviews I've received. They do a real good job of encouraging you back to writing!
Still not super happy with this, but it'll do for now. Also, in case you missed my resubmission of the first chapter about a week ago, you may want to re-read that first. I made a few changes.
Don't own, never will.
The journey from the helipad through the manor was accomplished swiftly, with Ryuko and Mako hurried down the staircases and labyrinthine corridors until they were whisked into the large drawing room Satsuki preferred to entertain guests in. Their entourage of large, burly men; whose heads had been too far above her own to peer over; left without so much as a word of apology for their haste once Ryuko and Mako had crossed the threshold. Huffing angrily, Ryuko glared daggers at her elder sister, already seated in her favourite chair. How she'd managed to arrive at the room before them was anyone's guess.
"Oi, Sats-"
"Ooooh, Ryuko! Look at the view! I bet I can see our house from here! Quick, Ryuko, help me look!" Mako was of course already over the haste of their arrival, exclaiming loudly over everything she could see from the huge wall of windows occupying one side of the room. Though Ryuko ignored her eager impeachments for help, Mako had the usual effect of calming her. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she sat in a chair beside her sister,
"So, Satsuki, what's this all about eh? Don't have enough people to boss around in this manor of yours?"
Satsuki hummed, accepting an offered cup of tea from Soroi and taking a small sip. Ryuko waved Soroi aside when he offered her a cup of her own, too irritated to feign niceties. Not cowed in the least by Ryuko's frustration, Satsuki calmly drained her cup before turning to answer her.
"Ryuko, surely you know I would not have summoned you here so hastily were there nothing important to report. Have you no faith in me still, little sister?"
She sniffed "Ugh, don't call me that."
"Very well, though that is what you are. As it happens, Iori discovered something earlier today while investigating Nui's rooms. An experiment she'd been working on, of a sorts."
Ryuko stilled at the mention of the former grand couturier, fighting to suppress her anger. An experiment of Nui's was certainly reason enough to summon her here. Her hand slid into her pocket absentmindedly, fingering the handle of her scissor.
"Well, what is it then? What's this experiment?"
"The experiment involved life fibres, naturally. She appears to have been feeding select banshi your blood, though we cannot conclude to what effect. Perhaps she had hoped it would imbue them with a greater strength. Whatever the reason, it did not help them escape the dormancy call. The chamber is filled with dead life fibres."
Ryuko's eyes widened. "Wait, my blood? How would she have even got a hold of my blood?"
Satsuki's smile looked too much like a smirk for Ryuko's tastes. "Getting a hold of your blood would have likely proved rather simple, Ryuko. Nui was involved in several battles with you. In case you've forgotten, you did shed an awful lot of blood in those bouts." Ryuko grunted. She supposed that was true enough. "In any case, amongst the dead fibres, Iori made an interesting discovery. We found a living banshi, one she had kept alive on your blood. How it has survived we have yet to determine, though it is troubling that it was able to resist the dormancy call. Of course, when it comes to life fibres, we have recently had to accept that we do not know as much about their nature as we allowed ourselves to believe. You are one such example, Ryuko. Your life fibres are also naturally resistant to the dormancy call, or you would have long since perished."
Ryuko winced. Though true, it still made her itch to think of all those threads hidden beneath her skin. She scratched her arm subconsciously.
"I understand how that could be a worry, but what exactly do you need me for? I mean, can't you just destroy it? Last I checked you still had Bakuzan."
"I need you to touch it."
'Huh?'
"Huh?"
Satsuki continued as if she hadn't heard her. "Our interests in this case go beyond the mere destruction of the thread. If it has not been altered by Nui, it may be something we could make use of. We are hoping that, by touching the thread, you might gain some insight into how it has survived. There exists the possibility that it may be one of your own, that Nui had somehow removed from you during battle. It would explain how it resisted the dormancy call, and could be kept alive on your blood. If so, I expect you will feel some resonance with it when you touch it."
Ryuko huffed. "Oh, right. I suppose I probably wouldn't have noticed her doing that either. Still, what do you want with a single banshi? What exactly can you do with it?"
"If the banshi is yours, and is able to survive outside your body, it may be possible to use our remaining surviving fibres to create a Goku uniform, with this thread as its banshi. That way, should we encounter any further threats, life fibre or otherwise, you need not enter battle alone."
Ryuko nodded slowly. So that's what she was after. "Hn! So what happens if it isn't mine? What if it's some messed up creation of Nui's?"
"We anticipate that you will react poorly to contact with it, and we will then of course destroy it. We cannot use a thread that Nui has somehow imbued with her will, or that of the original life fibres'."
"What exactly does 'reacting poorly' mean? Is it going to try and attack me or something?"
Satsuki shook her head. "That would be quite impossible. Banshi's are not conscious of their surroundings, and should not be capable of movement. What I'm referring to is more of a feeling, or vibe, that we expect you will feel from the contact."
Ryuko smirked, comfortable with the idea. It'd be nice to have someone fighting beside her again. More specifically, "Well, why not. It'd be good to know you've got my back again, Satsuki. I assume we'd be making the Goku uniform for you, right?"
"Hn. Naturally."
Ryuko grinned, rubbing her palms together eagerly. "Cool! So, where is this banshi of yours? Lets get this over with!"
Satsuki nodded, rising from her seat. "Soroi, please contact Iori and let him know we require his presence in the drawing room. Tell him Ryuko has agreed."
Iori arrived within ten minutes of the summons, along with several members of the security crew and, of course, Satsuki's Elite Four. Their arrival finally drew Mako's attention away from the view, which had managed to hold her focus during Ryuko and Satsuki's entire conversation. Naturally, Mako had no clue what was going on.
"Ah! Gamagori! Jakuzure! Iori! What are you all doing here?!"
Gamagori stilled upon noticing her, diverting his gaze away "Mankanshoku. Have you not been briefed on the situation?"
Ryuko chuckled, strolling over to wrap an arm around Mako's shoulders. "Of course we have, but you know Mako."
"Ah. Of course."
Mako blinked between the two of them, puzzled. Her attention was soon distracted again though when Iori retrieved a small glass box from one of the security personnel, placing it on a small side table beside her.
"Ooh! What's that, Iori? Ryuko, take a look!"
The container was empty but for a single red thread coiled at its bottom. A small capsule above the box steadily dripped blood into a funnel, which dispensed it to the thread. Ryuko watched as a drop hit the thread and was immediately absorbed. Definitely a live one.
Iori coughed, undoing the clasps around the lid of the box. "So, Ryuko, I assume you know what the purpose of all this is. Pick the banshi up, let us know how it feels, then place it back in the box. Should be simple."
"Uh-huh. And I assume all the muscle is in case everything turns out not so 'simple', right?"
"W-Well-"
Satsuki interjected. "That is correct, Ryuko. One can never be too careful, especially with something Nui may have experimented on. Still, I am not too concerned, hence why I am allowing this to happen in the drawing room and not a more secure chamber. As I have said, the banshi should be unable to move, let alone anything else."
She sighed, accepting her sisters paranoia. 'Guess it won't hurt,' she thought to herself. Catching her eye, Satsuki turned to address the room.
"We are all going to move to the back of the room, by the exit, while Ryuko studies the banshi. I trust that no one here will do anything foolish if it becomes clear that retreat is the only option. I'll have no more senseless bloodshed. Is that clear?"
There was mumbled assent from the group before they retreated, leaving her alone in the centre of the room. Of course, Gamagori needed to carry Mako to the back of the room, as she hadn't paid enough attention to understand why she had to move. "Gamagori, why can't I stay with Ryuko?! I want to see what the thing in the box is too!"
Ryuko chuckled, then steeled herself. The thread looked innocuous enough in its container, though she knew not to trust anything that came from Nui. The last bit of clothing she'd touched of Nui's had twisted her mind and set her against her friends. She shuddered at the memory.
'C'mon Ryuko, you can do this. It's just a single banshi.'
Forcing her apprehensions aside, Ryuko lifted the lid and set it to one side. Then, raising her left hand, she reached in to touch the thread.
Naturally, things went wrong the moment Ryuko touched the banshi. The second her finger made contact, the thread sprung to life, curling around and ascending up her digit.
"O-Oi! What- Ouch!"
One end of the banshi's thread penetrated her skin, the remainder of its body coiling tight around her finger. She would have gotten angry, had already moved to rip the offending strand from her finger and crushed it to dust. Only the moment it penetrated her skin, the moment that blood contact was made, her hand stilled. She at once knew she would never do anything to harm this banshi. This wonderful, miraculous banshi.
Though, she realised belatedly, they had made sure to tell her nothing, had diverted her mind from even considering this possibility, had given her no hope to go on, she knew. His presence flooded into her, and she gasped in astonishment and euphoria. Suddenly complete, after months of being a mere shadow of herself, alone in a way she knew no one else could understand. He had no words to give her, no body beyond that single thread, no strength to do anything but desperately cling to her finger. And yet she could feel the phantom weight of him return to her body, as if he once again covered her skin. It was amazing, breathtaking, a miracle beyond imagining... and impossible.
"S-Sen-"
Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground, breathless and coiled around her hand in a subconscious, protective gesture.
"I-It can't be..." she wheezed. Immediately, the thread coiled tighter around her finger, the twinge of pain it caused an admonition to her statement. Trembling, she ran a finger along the banshi's coiled length, and it at once relaxed. Her heart constricted in awe and relief, and huge heaving sobs wracked her body as she held the red strand tightly, balling her hand up against her chest to bring it at close as possible. Immediately, she felt it ripple in pleasure, pulsing a couple of times to the rhythm of her heartbeat.
"Senketsu..." she whispered into her hands. The thread squeezed her finger gently. Affirmation.
Bawling, she could manage no more. She was hardly aware of Mako wrapping her arms around her, barely cognizant when she whispered his name to her through heaving sobs, so numb to the world when Mako yelled his name to the others that she could almost have imagined it. Her focus was shrunk entirely to her and the thread, to Senketsu, and the hysteric relief that flooded her mind. Whole, at last. Together again. Crying out in disbelief and elation, she was unaware of lifting the thread to her lips and kissing it, nor of the answering vibrations that ran the length of her finger as Senketsu absorbed this new sensation.
Ryuko!
She was here, she'd found him! That familiar touch! The wonderful, strong sound of her voice! He didn't know where the sudden strength had come from, though he expected her proximity had something to do with it. Finally, he could move! A quick jab with the end of his string; and a quicker flash of remorse for her pain; and she was there. All around him, inside him. Ah, sweet bliss! To be with her once more, to have her recognise and welcome him. Finally, to feel complete again!
Ryuko, it's me! I'm here, Ryuko!
He waits for a response, but nothing follows. A brief pang of remorse, to be together again and yet unable to be heard! When her words do come they're all wrong, and he coils around her tighter when she tries to dismiss that it's him. He feels her heart rate quicken in response. A successful means of communication, then.
But even if there could never be more than this, even if he could never do more than hear her voice and squeeze her finger, he'd manage. Just to be with her again, to be surrounded by her warmth, her voice, her blood, to feel her welcome him back to her, to know she felt his absence as strongly as he'd felt hers. It was all he would ever-
Heat. Moisture. The sound of her breath right beside him.
Ryuko?! Did you just-?
His body vibrated as she removed her lips. The sensation was so new, so different, so intimate.
Becoming aware of her slip into unconsciousness too late, he unwittingly followed her, too hung up on the new sensation to stop himself.
Ryuko, that was-
Though she had suspected that the banshi was Senketsu's, and had been prepared for that revelation, she had not expected such an extreme effect to its touch on Ryuko. Indeed, the banshi had done something completely unexpected. Even from where she stood, several metres behind Ryuko's hunched form, she could see the small drops of blood that stained her otherwise pristine carpet. The implications were almost beyond belief.
'It can't be...'
She turned to Iori, unsurprised to see he had also made the connection. His face was as pale as she'd ever seen it, furrowed in disbelief. Quietly, she directed him aside, flashing the other onlookers a stern glance to ensure they did not intervene. She would leave Ryuko to Mankanshoku, who she knew would ignore any orders to stay put.
"I-It's not possible!" muttered Iori, the moment she released him. Composing himself, he ran a hand through his hair, fingers absentmindedly toying with a knot. "Do you know what this means, Lady Satsuki? In my wildest dreams, I never thought-" He stopped, taking deep breaths. Had the situation been less serious, Satsuki would have smiled at his antics. Iori was not easily flustered.
"I see we have reached the same conclusion, Iori. I would suggest accepting the situation, rather than puzzling it out. My fathers research holds many secrets yet. For instance, his ability to create consciousness in a kamui. We may never know how he accomplished such things, just as we should not allow ourselves to be too surprised when his creations prove capable of things beyond our current understanding of life fibres."
"Then it's true. Senketsu. He's-" He trailed off, the word hovering between them.
Alive.
As she watched Mako wrap herself around Ryuko, the latter going slack as her weeping trailed off into silence, she waited for the realisation to fully soak in. It wasn't long, of course, before the news was related to the other onlookers.
"Waaah! She says it's Senketsu! No way! Senketsu's back! He's back, back, BACK!"
Mako's shrill yell echoed loudly around the room, and woke everyone from their trance. Confusion and amazement rippled through the small crowd as people stepped forward to see for themselves. Satsuki noticed that Gamagori naturally gravitated toward Mako, where he was in the process of trying to disengage her from Ryuko, whom she was subconsciously suffocating with the force of her hold.
While she would normally be stifling a chuckle at their antics, the force of her recent revelation had stilled her. She had expected the banshi to react to Ryuko in some way, but the possibility that Senketsu had somehow transferred his consciousness into the single thread almost defied belief. Almost.
For, after all, weren't he and Ryuko constantly testing their understanding of life fibres? Senketsu should never have been able to exist at all, as a separate consciousness from the other life fibres. And yet he had proved himself wholly individual. Unique. Human.
Knowing this, and having witnessed the banshi coil itself around Ryuko and take her blood, how could she do anything but accept the only conclusion possible, likely or no? She turned back to Iori, finally unable to hold back a small smile.
"Yes, Iori, it appears he is. We will discuss this further with Ryuko once she has rested. Please advise Gamagori that we will need her transported to a room for observation. A larger one would be best, as I expect Mankanshoku will prove impossible to remove. And Iori-" she touched his shoulder, allowing some of her concern to show "Please, research the implications of this. If Senketsu's consciousness is intact, we cannot leave him in such a state. My sister will likely insist he be reconstituted once she is conscious, in any case. It would be better to start looking into such a possibility now, wouldn't you agree?"
With a clear goal now in mind, Iori immediately brightened, eyes full of determination "Of course, Lady Satsuki. I shall begin at once."
Nodding, Satsuki turned and left the room. Now the shock had subsided, it was time to arrange a suitable workstation for Iori, along with living arrangements for her guests. She sighed. Six months since Ragyo's defeat, and already life was becoming chaotic again.
Deep beneath the manor. The dark, chill depths of Nui's chambers. Deeper still than the banshi room. Somewhere long without visitors, where the dust coats the ground in thick, grimy layers. A noise erupts from behind a sealed door.
"Error: Sample removed. Copy interrupted. Altering design."
A computer. The screen is turned off, and so offers no illumination. And yet something flickers in the darkness. Flashes of red light, thin tendrils that pulse with an internal luminescence. Slowly, they drift towards a central point, weaving around one another, darting between pieces of machinery, congregating around a pivoting metal frame. Various parts of the contraption shift as the computer runs its analysis, then finally settle. The strands hover around the machine. Pulsing in the darkness. Waiting.
"Analysis complete, design altered. Initiating."