I'm Thornier than any Thistle!

"Ryuuko. You need to sleep." I scoff and keep on riding. "It will be detrimental to your health to continue like this."

We've been on the road for a couple of hours now, Senketsu's complaining has increased dramatically in the last hour or so, and even though I keep telling my self I love him he is working on my last nerve. "Give it a rest already! You said one of your Banshi is close so let's just get on with it. We'll take a break once we find it." I can tell he isn't happy with my decision but at least he grows quiet.

"You realize that Satsuki isn't done pursuing us yet right? She's the type to see all of her endeavors through."

"I know. By now the elite four have reported back to her about how strong we are. I'm hoping that with this next banshi thread we can be stronger than she'll expect us to be."

"It seems that you've had a plan all along." I can hear some pride in his voice. "Very well then Ryuuko, from here on I'll trust your decisions, some times I forget that you aren't the lost girl I found under the Matoi mansion."

I scoff, "you make it sound like you helped me with that. As if a perverted piece of cloth could've helped at all."

He laughs at that. "Oh Ryuuko, what you see as perversion professor Matoi saw as art. He wanted the same thing as I: to show off the best parts of you."

I almost cough, "Best parts? You show all of me!" He laughs harder. Oh. I blush and keep on driving.

[Satsuki]

It's been five hours since my elite four returned to me broken and down a member. I was foolish to believe that this was over with Ragyo. As long as life fibers exist humanity will always be in danger. However even with our species physical weaknesses, compared to life fibers humanity has one thing that they do not. Ingenuity; the ability to come up with new solutions to solve our problems. Ragyo proved that covers and life fiber infused humans were vastly superior physically to normal humans. I've found a way to change that, I open the door to my closet and after pressing a button on the left, am I'm scanned for any traces of life fibers before the reinforced hidden doors open. The interior isn't extremely large, my mother designed for grandeur, I create for efficiency. There is only one thing in the room, a single dresser. I open it and grasp the silky black threads, better than Junketsu. We made this, Iori and I. If Junketsu was a wedding dress, "This is a funeral gown."

[Ryuuko]

"It's near."

I slow the bike to a crawl. I've been driving pretty mindlessly so I take a moment to observe my surroundings. Were on a run down highway running through a small town. I stain my ears and hear nothing. Not surprising, after the life fiber invasion the people in the smallest towns were the last to go. They heard about the COVERS attacks and were able to start hunkering down and try to defend themselves before they came. I haven't heard a single success story. After the invasion many had bad memories of their small towns, of being filled with terror just waiting for the end. As a result there was large migration to the cities leaving small towns like this abandoned and in disrepair.

I slow to a stop next to a dilapidated grocery store. "Mind being a bit more specific Senketsu?"

He closes his eye for a second I presume to concentrate. "It's moving towards us." What? "It's heading towards us on the highway." He looks at me asking about our next move without needing to say it.

I start the bike back up and move it behind the store. "I doubt it's moving on it's own. Who ever it is might not even know that were here. I say we get the drop on em." I climb to the roof of the store so I can get a good view of the road. "How long till they get here?"

"Imminently, maybe thirty seconds before they are visible." I squint and can just start to see a dust cloud traveling up the dirty road. It continues into the town without slowing, and I can make it out as a van with no noticeable markings. "It's definitely there, in the front of the van, maybe in the passenger seat. I nod, I need to make sure that they don't have time to try and drive away. I wait a few more seconds for the van to be in range, and then I jump. I land directly in front of the van. With no room to turn the driver slams on his breaks, the van swerves sharply and skids on its side towards me. Before it hits me I put out my arm, bracing myself against the ground as the van slams into my hand. With little effort the van jerks to a stop.

I jump up onto the side of the van and rip open the passenger side door. There's a brief case that probably has the banshi in it, so I grab from where it's fallen on the driver. After I move it though I immediately recognize the driver. I use one arm and grab him throwing him out of the van. He lands with a grunt on the street. Standing on the van looking down at him I ask. "Why did you have this?"

He sits up, takes his glasses off, and sweeps his blue hair out of his eyes. "No need to be so violent Matoi kun."

"Aikuro Mikisugi, former leader of nudist beach and a now high ranking member of Revocs Corporation; alone driving a van with one of Senketsu's banshi threads?" I jump down to stand right in front of him. "What are you up to?"

Sighing Mikisugi stands up and dusts himself off. "I don't approve of your choice. Satsuki may be being too extreme, but her fears are backed up by data and evidence. However we were allies once, and I owe your father more than I could ever repay."

I scoff, "So what? You stole this from Satsuki to repay a debt? We don't need your help."

"Maybe but, I just want you to have a fighting chance. I'm here to give you a warning, my last act as your ally. You have no idea what you are up against. Satsuki has spent a significant amount of time and money developing anti life fiber weaponry. Yesterday she sent out a missive reorganizing nudist beach." I'm suddenly more wary of Mikisugi. "She's pulling out all the stops, I know you think you're strong but right now the entire world is about to turn on you." He turns and starts walking away. "Today nudist beach is still searching Honnoji, they move this direction tomorrow." He waves as he continues to walk away, "For your sake I hope we don't meet again Matoi."

As soon as Mikisugi is out of eyesight I rush back to the bike and start it up. "Ryuuko, where are we going? If Mikisugi is telling the truth then we still have another day."

I frown, "Do you really believe that he's the only one who could find us?"

I turn the brief case on its side and fumble with it trying to get it open, "I don't know how he found us, but if anyone else could figure it out, it would be Satsuki."

After I release the second latch the case pops open and I'm immediately aware of what Senketsu was feeling before. A single red thread lies within, perfectly preserved. "Ryuuko, when I absorb that thread it may take me a while to integrate it into the rest of my being. It's likely I will be unconscious for the duration. Are you sure I should do this here if your concerned about Satsuki?"

I nod, "We know she's coming but I'm not all that worried. Nudist beach apparently won't be with her, and I'm positive the elite four are still out of commission. What can she do? She's only one person. Just hurry up and get yourself together eh?"

I lift the thread up to Senketsu and it immediately flies into his fabric, he lets out a small grunt before his eye closes. His fabric glows brightly for a second before turning completely black. I would worry if I couldn't still feel Senketsu's life force. I drive around to the highway, I don't know how long this will take and I'll feel much safer a few more miles from Honnoji.

[Satsuki]

I walk into the tech department wearing an overcoat around my 'gown.' "Progress?"

Inumata doesn't turn to me but I can tell that his jacket unzips before he talks, "I was just about to get you, there was a spike in life fiber activity in an abandoned town east of here. Assuming it's Matoi, Using the vectors from here to there and her time of activation I can guess her speed and as long as she's consistent I can guess within ninety-four percent of where she will be over the course of the next twenty four hours."

I crack one of my rare smiles; this is why I surround myself with the best. "Very good Inumata." I turn to my butler and long time friend, "Soroi prepare my helicopter we leave in ten minutes. Inumata organize the Nudist beach forces and send them to where you think she will be headed. I want her trapped." Soroi rushes off to the helipad.

Inumata turns from his computer to face me. "Do you really plan on taking her on alone? Just say the word an I'll go with you."

I shake my head. "That's right, I forget that I haven't told you about my pet project." I turn to the smartest of my four generals and smile, "I'll be fine, I need you here to organize our forces. Besides I think your going to want to take data of our fight."

[Ryuuko]

I yawn as I continue down the road. I haven't slept since Honnoji, maybe I should just pull over a- then I hear it. Light at first, but getting steadily louder, I look over my shoulder and I can just barely see the black shape of a helicopter moving through the sky. Fuck, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself it could just be a random helicopter. I glance back again and see it's gaining on me, the Revocs logo on the side now visible. Didn't think so. I rev the bike riding as fast as I can go, I know I can't outrun it but maybe I can buy time. I glance at Senketsu and see that he's still completely black. "C'mon Senketsu, wake up!" No response. The helicopter is now easily visible, in another minute or so it'll be right on top of me. Fine then. I'm not going to run away and wait to get cornered like some rat. My bike comes to a stop and I step off. The helicopter slows to a stop and a lone figure jumps down. Even before the dust settles I know who it is. "Hey, sis."

Kiryuin Satsuki stands to her full height wearing a brown trench coat, her jet black hair blowing in the wake of the helicopter. She raises one arm and the chopper turns and begins to leave the way it came. "My sister has been blinded by life fibers and turned against her own species."

"You know that's not true Satsuki." I pull the rending scissors out of my pocket. "And you should know that you can't win a fight against me. It took some time to come to terms with, but I am a life fiber being. No human can match me, even your supped up elite four was nothing to me."

She stands up completely straight, her conviction written clearly on her face. I can almost see the blinding lights behind her, "FOOL! It is that very arrogance that shall be your undoing! Before I was constantly under my mother's watch forced to fight life fibers under the guise of promoting them. Now I have the full support and backing of all mankind. Every government turned to Revocs for life fiber weaponry. Humans will no longer be easy prey! Come, Matoi Ryuuko!" She rips off her overcoat revealing her clothing underneath. Somewhat reminiscent of the elite four's outfits she wears an all black suit made of some silky reflective material. White cords and circuits streak across it. Several pates of armor cover vital areas. Her hand goes to her back to grab the gleaming black sword attached to her. "Come and test humanity's strength!"

Her suit is certainly more impressive than the last four I saw, maybe it makes her stronger than them, but I beat all four of them. She only has one sword too, she has to know that she can't hurt me without at least two different blades right? I don't know what her plan is, but I know her well enough to know that standing here thinking isn't going to change anything. I separate the scissors dual wielding them, "Here I come, "Kiryuin Satsuki!"

I dash at her at top speed swinging both blades horizontally at her, she looks a little surprised when I get in her face, but her expression quickly changes back to one of determination, she backflips gracefully dodging my strike at the same time delivering a harsh kick to my chin knocking my teeth together, and snapping my neck upwards. God that hurts! It takes me a couple of seconds to recover. When I do I see Satsuki rushing at me. She swings diagonally but it's slow enough that I easily block it with my left sword and swing with my right. She raises her left arm and my blade stops on an armored section of her forearm. I Kick her in the stomach knocking her back to her original position and creating some space between us. The arm that blocked my blade doesn't even have a scratch on it. "While it's certainly a step above the elite four, I don't like your outfit. Although I guess it's better than Junketsu. What's it's name?"

She flexes her fingers, opening closing her fist. "Don't compare this to that ravenous cloth. Junketsu was a monster, bent on the total subjugation of humanity. This," she gestures to her clothing, "this is human made, it has no consciousness, and is a tool to be used as a weapon. It has no name."

I glance at the left arm and see a familiar apparatus. "You talk big but I can see that you've carried over some of Junketsu's fashion." On her left arm, in white is the same pinprick mechanic that she used to activate Junketsu.

She puts a hand to her ear, "Is that all you needed Inumata?…..I understand… Continue with the plan." She turns back to me. "Rest assure this is no kamui. Let me give you a true test of my power!"

She rushes me again, swinging diagonally once more. I brace to block the blow like last time; however when our blades clash her's goes straight past my guard knocking my blade aside with a tremendous amount of force. Her sword rakes across my chest drawing blood. "Augh!" Without slowing down she swings again, I try to bring in my other blade to block as well but she's too close and another line of red appears perpendicular to the first. I take a step back and she pursues relentlessly. She's trying to end the fight here! I manage to get both swords in front of me to block her next blow, aimed at my neck, and with all of my strength I'm able to fling her away. Still keeping my guard up, I take a second to catch my breath. Where the hell did that come from? I shrug off my now ruined jacket leaving me in my white t-shirt and an all black Senketsu. I can feel the blood running down my chest staining my shirt, why the hell aren't I healing?

I focus on her sword, trying to examine it. She holds it up, "I call it Kami Sori. It's even more effective at cutting down life fibers than Bakuzan or even your Rending Scissors." When I really focus on the blade with my enhanced vision, I can see motion on the blade, microscopic and to fast to tell exactly what it is but with a name like Razor I can guess. I can feel myself getting weaker, the blood loss causing the lack of sleep to catch up with me even faster. The loose blood droplets on my body suddenly defy gravity flowing up my torso, right into Senketsu. I close my eyes as he flashes a blinding light, when I re-open them Satsuki is standing stunned in front of me and my white shirt is gone, replaced with Senketsu's full top.

Both of his eyes open, looking at me, and then Satsuki. 'Sorry it took so long.'

I can't help but grin "Better late than never."

'I can see that you were right about Satsuki. Should we fight or attempt to flee?'

I grip my blades and take an offensive stance holding the right one by my chest with the left pointed straight at Satsuki. "I'm not going to run around like prey waiting to be caught." I feel him draw blood from the two cuts already on my skin. I'm filled with strength as our life fibers sync up, his form changes into a familiar shape, the only difference is that without the skirt his straps instead go over my chest and hook onto my jean belt loops. His big eyes are reassuring on either side of me. "Chuto Ittai!" (Half-way Synchronization!)

I smile feeling Senketsu's power flow through me. Now let's see what big sis can do.