The trees shook as the helicopter's blades swung at extreme speeds. It hovered above the street before landing, allowing its passenger to exit. A nearby police officer was about to stop the person, but stopped himself. Seeing the mistress herself, he dared not barge into her doings.
Satsuki didn't even get a chance to knock before the door burst open and her sister engulfed her in a hug. The older sibling balanced herself out, taking the younger sibling into her arms.
"Thank god you came," Ryuko sniffed, nuzzled her face into her sister's shoulder.
"Anything for my younger sister," Satsuki smiled softly, finding it odd how her sister was acting. She couldn't blame her though, her child was missing and she was frantic.
"P-Please come in!" Ryuko gestured, breaking away from the embrace.
"Ryuko, there's been a change in plans," Satsuki stopped her, and she turned to her.
"What do you mean?"
"The triggers at the old mansion have been set off. There's a possible lead to Kenta," Satsuki replied, and Ryuko's eyes widened.
"W-We need to get going immediately then!"
"Very well," Satsuki nodded before turning and heading for the helicopter. Ryuko turned around, back into the house. Senketsu had been standing not far from the door, having heard everything.
"Will you...?"
"Go and get Kenta back. I'll look after Ren," He reassured her, stepping before her. She tried to give him a smile, but ultimately failed when her heart was set on other things. Smiling sadly at her, he came forward and wrapped his arms around her, embracing her.
"Be safe out there," He murmured to her.
"I will," She murmured back before breaking away and running out of the house, slamming the door behind her. The mere power from the aircraft shook the house, but Senketsu didn't worry.
The door to Ren's room opened up, and he turned to see her standing in the hallway, avoiding his gaze.
"How do you feel?" He asked solemnly as she stepped over to her.
"Hurt," She muttered, still avoiding him.
"Hm. If the pain starts to get worse, let me know," He replied, brushing a strand hair out of her face.
"Was that Aunt Satsuki just now?" She looked up at him, and he nodded. Knowing that her aunt was now getting involved made the emotional pain all that much worse. If only, if only she had not taken Kenta to that pond, they wouldn't be in this situation right now. She blamed everything on herself, she failed to protect her younger sibling overall.
She seethed when pain traveled up her arm, faltering which alerted her father. Grabbing her by her uninjured shoulder, he led her back into her room.
"You need to get some rest. I don't want you overdoing yourself with that arm," He spoke as she sat down on her bed.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Do you blame me for Kenta's kidnapping?" She asked wholeheartedly and he blinked at her with a frown.
"Ren, me nor your mother blames you for this. These things happen,"
"Getting captured by a shape-shifting wolf is not a 'normal' thing that just happens! It's all my fault for taking him to that pond when I know I shouldn't have!" She was shouting now, feeling her throat start to clog with tears. She sniffed, leaning over as her emotions overtook her. Letting out a light sigh, Senketsu kneeled down and wrapped his arms around her shivering body, letting her cry into his chest.
Whatever was going on, it was splitting his family apart...
"How much longer till we get there?"
"Not long. Thankfully your home was closer to the mansion than mine,"
"Tsch," Ryuko snorted, leaned back into the chair next to her sister, her arms over her chest as they flew through the air. Clear signs of storm were starting to become noticeable in the sky, dark clouds filtering out the sun.
Satsuki had attempted to start a conversation with her younger sister, but the woman was too focused on the job at hand to get far into them. Her main concern was her son's safety. Even while the two hadn't seen, let alone speak to each other in a year, the dire situation occurring right now was more important than small talk. They could talk later, for now, they needed to get to the mansion.
Five years after Raygo was defeated and had killed herself, Satsuki had finally been able to burn down the mansion that she had grown up in. A dark history lingered over the old building, such secrets that are to never be spoken outside the remaining Kiryuin family. While Satsuki had since recovered from her traumatic childhood, she had made it clear that all reminiscent be destroyed that her mother had previously owned.
The mansion was the main housing for the original life-fiber as well, an alien race of red thread that had mystical but powerful effects. It had been destroyed in the final battle against Raygo Kiryuin, but remains of the alien fiber had still lingered in the household. Burning them proved to futile unless the heat was extremely hot, in such cases that some uniforms could be burned under certain conditions. However, the single threads proved to be fire-proof, and all that remained were taken away and stored.
Since the burning of the house, Satsuki had set down triggers, encase a unlucky trespasser wanted to get their hands on any threads that had not been found. Chances of a second war uprising with the threads could be a bloody one, in which either sister wanted to encounter again.
"Lady Satsuki, we are nearing the premises," One of the pilot's voices came over the intercom.
"Prepare to land," She ordered and both obliged. Even as a woman who had all but excluded herself from the military, she had inwardly prepared herself for any future clashes.
"You'll never lose the leadership streak, huh?" Ryuko smirked at her older sister. Satsuki chuckled, looking out the window as the helicopter started to hover over a clear spot of grass.
Upon landing, the side doors were all but yanked open as Ryuko jumped from the chopper and running towards the ruins. A white flash and a small blade sliced past her. She looked back, seeing that her sister had thrown the small blade.
"Don't be foolish. We don't know what were dealing with. Here," Satsuki brought out another blade, not as treated as her own, but a weapon nonetheless. Throwing at her younger sister, Ryuko caught it without flinching, sheathing the sword into the air. Unsheathing her own sword from its holder, Satsuki gestured to the sister to enter quietly.
When the wolf heard the blades of the helicopter, its head lifted up from the pile it was digging from, loose red threads sticking from its jaws. Its eyes narrowed before it ultimately let the threads disappear completely, a few flashes of light appearing as it entered into the wolf's chest. Locked away, this gave the wolf the opportunity to now fight. Leaping onto a pile of rubble after another, it stopped on a tall piece of wall, sticking into the sky. Below, it could see the helicopter outside the burned remains, two women entering inside.
Letting out a growl, it lunged off the wall, jaws open wide with teeth bared.
Ryuko didn't have much time to react when she saw a creature lunge at her at full speed. Within seconds, she sheathed the blade in front of her, blocking the creature's attack. Teeth met metal before the animal leapt back a few feet, landing and facing the two.
"A white wolf..." Satsuki noted, her eyes narrowing as her gaze locked on with the wolf's.
Vibrant fuchsia.
In a deep part of her mind, she had seen this color before, the vibrant color having been apart of one's eyes. But alas, her old mind could not pinpoint who.
Settling, the wolf rose its head, a smile creeping along its jaws.
"Well well well, what do we have here. Seems like two mice decided to come play with the cat," The wolf spoke calmly, tilting its head towards them.
"Did it just-!"
"It did. If you can understand how to speak, then you should understand what I'm saying! Leave this property at once and never return!" Satsuki flashed her blade out towards the wolf, but it did not flinch.
"So even animals aren't allowed on the premises? It's a shame, we do nothing to harm this burnt down garbage pile anyways," The wolf responded, clearly not giving into her demands.
"A wolf that speaks is not a normal animal. Whatever you are, you must leave immediately," Satsuki warned, stepping forward.
"Like you two could ever do harm to me. How pitiful. But alas, I guess I must give into your commands, as I no longer have the desire to be here. Now that I have what I needed," The wolf spoke, smirking at the end of its sentence.
"What you needed?" Ryuko voiced her thoughts.
"I'm sure you know why I'm here in the first place," The wolf replied nonchalantly before turning and leaping, disappearing over a pile of rubble.
"After it! It must have life fibers!" Satsuki yelled before both women ran after it, both their speed no match for the wolf. Running to the top, they saw the wolf standing on another wall, across from them.
"I'm surprised you two were able to even make it up here. Both of you are too old to fight me," The wolf spoke again, before jumping off the wall.
"Old my ass!" Ryuko growled, jumping off the pile, and running after the canine.
"Ryuko, don't-!" Satsuki shouted at her, but the younger sister did not listen. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she went after her. Jumping over the next wall, she was about to yell out to the sister again but stopped short to what she saw. In a clearing, the wolf stood over an unconscious boy, a few feet across from where Ryuko stood.
"Give him back!" She was shrieking, blade out towards the wolf. The wolf did not speak, simply standing its ground.
"I said give him back!" She shrieked again, running out towards the wolf. Within only a few moments, the wolf had completely stopped the blade with its jaws, a deep growl coming from its throat.
"W-Wha-"
"RYUKO, GET AWAY FROM IT!" She heard her sister scream behind her, but didn't react. Suddenly, the blade was ripped from her hands, the wolf throwing it to the side.
"I don't want to waste my time with you," The wolf spoke before a flurry of feathers broke out, large wings replacing arms. One wing collided with Ryuko's stomach, knocking her back and she hit the ground, watching in shock.
Within a few seconds, the wolf had completely transformed into a white eagle. Letting a screech, its talons grabbed Kenta's arms and entered the air. Trying to get one hit in, Satsuki threw the small blade from earlier, it spinning rapidly as it went for the bird. The eagle screeched when the sharp edges sliced its side. Blood streamed down, but disappeared seconds later when the wound healed up. The blade landed a few feet away, blood dripping down the metal.
"N-No... no no no NO! KENTA!" Ryuko broke away from her shock and got to her feet, screaming after him, but to no avail.
"N-No..." She sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself. She collapsed to her knees, kneeling over.
"Ryuko..."
"STAY AWAY!" She screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks in her rage. Satsuki backed away, not sure of what her sister was capable of right now. Stepping aside, the older woman went to go retrieve her blade. Leaning down, she grabbed its handle when she noticed the blood. Thinking, she figured that this would later come in good use, so, digging into her pocket, she brought out a small, glass capsule. Opening it, she let a few drops of blood drip inside before closing the capsule and slipping it back into her pocket. She wiped the rest of the crimson with her handkerchief.
She turned to her sister, watching the younger sibling lose herself to her own emotions. After a minute or two, Ryuko had finally settled down, wiping away her tears with her sleeve of her jacket. She begrudgingly stood up, staring at her sister with red eyes and puffy cheeks.
"It seems that I was able to knick the creature with the tip of my blade. I've got a blood sample, so maybe we could possibly discover what this is that we're dealing with," Satsuki spoke, and Ryuko nodded slightly.
"I'll do anything to get Kenta back," Ryuko murmured, just high enough for Satsuki to hear. The older woman smiled sadly at her sister.
"We'll get him back," She promised.
The two turned, heading out of the burnt home and back to the helicopter. Upon entering the aircraft, Ryuko sat beside the window, looking out with tired and red eyes. Satsuki glanced at her, but knew that her sister needed space, so she didn't question it.
"Where to now?" She heard her sister speak.
"I was thinking we could visit the Inumatu's. If anything, Houka could have something to test the sample of blood," Satsuki replied, and a groan came from her sister.
"Of all the people I have to see, it had to be them?" She hissed and Satsuki smirked. Her sister's personality clashed violently with one of the two Inumatu's, also known as two of her previous Elite 4. Not that Ryuko didn't respect them, it was the fact that two of the four were people she did not like.
"You said you would get Kenta back no matter what?" Satsuki inquired and Ryuko sighed.
"Yeah, anything... Even as going as far as to seeing her again," Ryuko wasn't amused at all, while her sister was the complete opposite. Her best friend and her sister were rivals to say the least.
The blades started to turn on the helicopter, signaling lift-off as it flew to its new destination. Ryuko settled into the chair, hugging herself close as she watched the dark clouds gather in the skies. Lightning could be seen in the far distance, but Satsuki was confident in her pilots skills. A thunderstorm would be nothing.
As they gained air, Satsuki took a deep breath, her hand absentmindedly resting on the tip of her sword.
She hoped her former Elites didn't mind some unexpected visitors...
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