The day couldn’t have been more perfect. Sunny day, clear blue skies, birds chirping, warm temperature and people going around with their own routines. But it was not as quite for the spunky young woman that sat in the café with her sister, her drink untouched. Ryuko Matoi was not one to easily lose heart, but that she wasn’t in the highest spirits was obvious to anyone with two eyes. And that included her older sister, who was quietly watching her while she took small sips from her drink.

- Are you going to tell me what’s this about?

Direct, blunt and to the point. That was her older sister alright. For some things she could be the most subtle person, and for other she would have the same grace as a sledgehammer.

- The thing is… I can’t tell exactly what’s about. Or at least I can’t pinpoint it exactly.

- Off to a great start I see.

- Love you too, sis.

The relation between the two hadn´t been exactly easy, but since their days at the academy things had mellowed out. Satsuki was aiming to become headmaster of the academy, while her younger sister seemed conformed with stumbling around.

- What’s your idea for your future Ryuko?

- Honestly? I don’t know. I get by with jobs here and there, but I honestly don’t know. If was wondering if you had some lead to follow, or some suggestion I could check out.

- I see. Sadly, I don’t.

- Welp.

Silence again, as Ryuko forced herself to drink some of her drink while her sister quietly drank hers, never losing her proper demeanour. However, in her mind she was worried about her younger sister. She knew she was impulsive and passionate, one that hardly gave up, but to see her in such a state broke her heart; even if she didn’t give it away. Yes, they had drifted apart somewhat, but they still held each other dearly.

- Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually.

- Thanks for the kind words sis.

- Is that sarcasm?

- Nah… Well, okay, a little bit.

Silence again as the sisters tried to get the conversation somewhere. Satsuki knew something was up, and Ryuko wanted to tell her, but bringing it up wasn’t exactly easy. Or at least it wasn’t without sounding like a damn lunatic.

- Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you Ryuko?

There was the chance she was looking for. Now all she had to do was not to throw it away.

- I… I’ve been dreaming, about Her.

Silence again, but this time it was a different silence, a serious one, as Satsuki’s expression hardened and focused on her. An expression she had not seen in long time.

- What can you tell me?

- Not much. She shows up in my dreams. She stands still and merely watches. She has this smug smile on her face and makes me feel like crap.

- That sounds exactly like Her.

- Yeah, it does… It’s been a long time since our standoff at the orbit, but after all these years…

- She still haunts you.

- She doesn’t torment you too?

- Oh, she does. She haunts my dreams sometimes, but I grew up with her, so I have set up defences in my mind.

- Any tips on that?

- No, that’s something each one has to figure out. Much like you did when you fought the Elite Four back then.

- Heh. How to forget that.

- You were capable back then; you’ll be more than capable now. I have faith in you that you will overcome this. -Satsuki said as she stood up after finishing her drink- But, should you need any help don’t hesitate to call me. Understood?

- Yeah… thanks for seeing me sis.

- Any time little sis. See you around.

- See ya.

From where she was sitting, Ryuko watched her sister leave. Some years might have gone by since that fateful day and they might had grown something, but she was still herself; the stern, strict and disciplined school head that had plotted against the true enemy while training her to become stronger. And yet, she hadn’t told her the complete truth. She had hidden the ominous messages She told her in her dreams, her mockery at her and the claims of her return. Perhaps all she needed was some peace of mind and tranquillity. She could really use some shut-eye, and it seemed a good way to ease her mind, at least for a while.

&&

Wrong, she had been so very wrong. She thought that getting some shut-eye might help her ease her mind, but it had backfired spectacularly, dreaming exclusively about her. She didn’t know how long the dream had gone on, as it was still very dark outside, but it had felt like eternity. She had mocked and laughed, all while telling her non stop that she was claiming her place in the world again, and how she was going to be front row and centre in it.
Ryuko was someone that, despite her hot-headed attitude could control her emotions as learned all those years ago, but this time they were completely out of control. She was in her nightwear, a tank top and some shorts, but she felt like she was one fire. She wasn’t sweating at all, but she would describe her condition as feverish to say the least. Perhaps some fresh water could help her clear her mind and, if worse came to pass she could try to reach out to her sister again, as Mako could take little action in something that concerned them both.

“That’s cute, but it won’t work.”

The girl was now nervous. That voice had not sounded in a dream, and if she was still dreaming it was a very real and lucid one. She punched herself in the face, and it hurt like hell.

- Nope, not a dream.

“Of course it’s not. Ugh, this youth.”

- Wha- Where are you?!

The girl spun around, looking frantically while trying to fin the origin of the voice. She was too old to start believing in ghosts, but the mere though of Ragyo returning made her blood cold as ice.

“I’m in your head dear, well, truth to be told I’m you.”

- Quit the bs Ragyo!

“Oh, but it’s not. Here, let me show you.”

To Ryuko’s surprise and horror, her right hand moved on its own, following commands she had not given, and squeezed her left breast, making the girl blush very brightly.

- The hell are you doing to me?!

“As stated, I’m merely taking back what’s mine. You are my daughter after all, so it’s only natural for you to help your mother.”

- Don’t you dare call yourself that!

“Oh, but I am. And trust me, I’m not thrilled about it either.”

Ryuko felt the heat go up, as she tried to keep control of her body and her mind. In an instinctive move, she tried to reach for her cellphone, a vain attempt to contact or alert her older sister as her other hand refused to comply.

“Naughty girl. You see, your father made one mistake, more of an oversight really, but left a convenient loophole for me to exploit.” -Said Ragyo in Ryuko’s mind. - “He fused the life fibres with your body, much like it did with that damned uniform, in an attempt to form the ultimate weapon against me”

Ryuko’s body buckled and twitched in the bed, while the girl tried to desperately maintain control of the situation. Unable to contact with Satsuki, she was on her own, and things were not going well, even with Ragyo monologuing and telling her never-ending story.

“You see, when I did the same, I ensured I had a backup. Not at first, I’ll admit, but it certainly is paying off.” -Said her mother, her voice oozing smugness and arrogance – “As I told you, life fibres expand through the cosmos, and they always come out on top, so when we left clear how things stood high up in the atmosphere, I found out that I could come back in the most delicious way possible.”

- You… you can’t… I won’t let you!

“Oh, but you don’t get a say dear. I’m far more experienced than you, and unlike you I do have a plan for the future.”

As the heat seemed to subside, Ryuko didn’t feel in control anymore, which was confirmed as her body stumbled towards the bathroom in a feverish haze with almost drunken movements. She felt heavy, as if her body wasn’t hers anymore, and when she saw her reflection in the bathroom’s mirror, she was terrified. She strongly resembled her mother while maintaining most of her own features, standing as a twisted reflection of their old relationship. Her former dark hair had turned silver and changed style, looking very much like her mother’s while retaining her front red lock; and her former blue eyes had taken a reddish colour to them, staring back like two terrified embers. However, her expression changed to one of smugness and triumph, the image staring dominantly at her.

- You and your sister took everything from me, and now I’ll rise back up again. I’ll reach my former glory while crushing my foes, starting with you, dear daughter of mine.

Those words had not sounded in her mind but in her voice. As the hair lit up in a multicolour light that came from the inside of her hair, her former red lock on the front changed to fit right in, Ragyo claiming ownership of the body while her daughter, now prisoner in her mind, threw at her every single insult and obscenity she had ever heard, memorized or could come up with. This only intensified its pace and fury when Ragyo cupped her breasts with her hands, smiling smugly in approval.

- Not bad, not half bad, you- er, I, mind you, still have some growth in me, but not a bad starting point. Shame that you have some of your father in you, or rather, had. Oh, just look at me, this simply won’t do.

Ragyo walked back to the bedroom, making the change in ownership of the body clear by the way she moved around. The caresses at her new body were mortifying to the still observing Ryuko, who watched her tear through her clothing with complete impunity.

- Ugh, the youth and their tasteless fashion. I’ll have to make it myself.

Ragyo got to work immediately, using her body and abilities only she knew how to use to tear her daughter’s clothes apart and reduce them to nothing but threads, reshaping them into an elegant and very revealing dress. In fact, the dress mostly covered her lower body, cocooning her legs and feet while it barely covered anything up her waistline, at least on the front. Two bands went up, barely covering her breasts and joining in a metallic choker that mimicked the metallic plates present in the dress’ waist. Her back and part of her arms were covered by a fluffy white fur.

- Ah, much better. Let’s have a better look, shall we?

Ragyo made her way back to the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the bathroom’s mirror, approving heartily of her new and improved appearance. Ryuko, quiet in the back of her mind, tried to come up with some sort of plan to take her down, or at least try to do so. If worse came to pass, she could go down swinging.

- You do know I feel you back there right dear? In fact, let me show you one thing so that you can think long and hard about disobeying your mother.

Pressing the choker, at to Ryuko’s horror, the dress changed and shapeshifted. As it pressed against the body’s most private areas and squeezed its breasts, the dress went from an elegant gown to a tight white and blue bodysuit that seemed to mimic the texture of latex and such. Two boots covered the feet and the tight fabric left no curve of the body to imagination, opening up between her legs and embedding itself in the most private area. The clothing covered most of the upper body, unlike its previous form, making sure every curve and the form of the breasts was perfectly visible, to end in the choker at the neck. However, right above the breasts the clothing formed two black forms, each adorned by a bright orange iris-like circle and black slits that resembled pupils, all of it surrounded by an edge of the same blue present on the suit. It may have looked ridiculous at first, but Ryuko did recognize those eyes and the gaze they projected, and along the now not-so-spread fur, gave the whole entourage a look that mixed elegancy and battle-readiness.

- Much better, and not a bad job for the first time in a long while.

Ragyo stared at the mirror, looking at the prisoner that dwelled in the back of her mind with her usual arrogance and disdain.

- You are back there, and not fully broken yet, but we’ll have plenty of time to fix that. I’m starting over, and this time I’ll make sure to amend the mistakes done before. And you, my dear daughter, will be with me the whole way.

As Ryuko kept quiet, Ragyo walked back to the bedroom and started messing with the trinketry around, Ryuko kept quiet. She would have to go silent for some time, or else any and all plans and ideas she came up with would be uncovered before taking off. Ragyo was back, and now it certainly paid off having left the scissors in Satsuki’s care. She would have to lay as low as Ragyo, and wait for the moment to strike. That didn’t make it less humiliating or infuriating though.