*****************
* Illuminations *
*****************
**************************
* A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction *
**************************
***************
* By Freemage *
***************
*Author's Note: This story draws on both the anime and the
manga. For continuity purposes, it should be noted that:
Ryouga and Ranma have each mastered their ki-blasts; Nodoka is
unaware of Ranma & Genma's curses and; Akari, Tarou and Konatsu
have not yet been introduced.
This is a dark story, with several sexually suggestive scenes,
although no outright Lemon scenes. If such material offends or
disturbs you, please consider not reading this story--Unless, of
course, you like being offended and/or disturbed....
Thoughts are denoted by {X}.
Text denoted by [X].*
*********************
* Chapter One *
* Crossing the Line *
*********************
Kodachi worked hard at her spot in cooking class, mixing
up a new brew that was sure to make Darling Ranma hers, and
hers alone. The other girls gave her a wide berth, having
learned by painful, and often humiliating, experience that
when Kodachi had *that* look on her face, you got out of
the way--and stayed there.
The school nurse came in, and told her that she had a
phone call from the hospital--something about a sick aunt.
Kodachi sighed, knowing that this had to be another of her
"patron's" ruses, for she had no aunts. Still, she had
yet to regret following the advice of this mysterious
person who gave her helpful information from time to time.
Following the nurse back to the office, Kodachi picked
up the phone. Before she could even say hello, the oh-so-
familiar voice at the other end started speaking. By the
time it finished, a black cloud had descended over Kodachi's
heart, and, as she left the office, she headed, not back to
her cooking class (the fumes that came from the boiled-over
pot would, shortly, render every girl and teacher in the
room a complete amnesiac), but to the locker room.
She was going to need every one of her tools for this
task.
********************************************************
Akane sat at her desk, barely even hearing the drone of
her history teacher's voice as he discussed in excruciating
detail some minor battle from Japan's medieval period. She
almost broke out in tears when she thought of Ranma's
taunts from the night before.
How could he? {Just because I'm not as good a cook as
Kasumi, does that mean he has the right to accuse me of
trying to poison the household? Why can't he always be
like he was over the weekend, when everyone else was out
of the house?}
They had sat, watching TV and playing Go, and had had a
really nice time. It might have even started to be more
than that, if P-Chan hadn't returned from one of his long
disappearances. Couldn't Ranma be happy that she was happy
her pet was back? But no, Ranma had to start yelling and
ranting, and getting Akane all upset.
Probably just as well. After all, the jerk had shown
his true colors again last night--She couldn't trust him
not to hurt her when he always talked like that.
Akane tried desperately to at least look like she was
paying attention.
********************************************************
In the cafeteria, Ranma overheard a couple of the
students talking:
"You say you saw Kunou this morning?"
"Yeah, but when I called to him, he just blew right
past me like I wasn't even there--And he was heading the
wrong way, too."
"I always thought it was only a matter of time before
he wigged out."
"Yeah, well, don't tell anyone I said this, but he
looked like he was scared."
"Scared? Who the heck could scare that megalomaniac?"
"I dunno, but I sure wouldn't want to cross them..."
Ranma passed on by, considering.
********************************************************
That evening, Kasumi served one of her specialities, and
everyone raved over it. Akane had to restrain herself from
letting the contrast get to her, especially when Ranma
shoved P-Chan away from his plate, shouting at the little
piggy, "Get your own food!" It looked like he was
considering making a crack about Akane's cooking, but then
changed his mind.
Kasumi announced that the hot water was out, again, but
rather than run the risk of returning to the public baths
(Soun sometimes woke in the middle of the night still,
quivering in a cold sweat at the memory), they all agreed
to heat the water over a fire outside, and have either
Ranma or Akane bring the water in to the bather.
Ranma grumbled about being a waterboy, while Genma, in
unusual form even for him, put forth on the virtues of
labor to a martial-arts student, and on how Ranma should
study the way the water swirled in the bucket and see how
to apply it to his techniques.
Ranma managed to hold out for almost an hour of this
before booting Genma into the pond, making him a blissfully
mute Panda once more.
Of course, everyone had left the house on various
errands before Ranma and Akane realized that this
arrangement meant they would have to pour for one another.
After a few uncomfortable moments, a couple of awkward
comments and a quick fight, Akane stormed out to go see if
she could impose on Ukyou. As she left she thought she
heard the jerk calling P-Chan, but then realized that
that made no sense whatsoever, so she ignored it.
When she got back, she felt much better. The bath had
helped, and Ukyou was fun to be around when she wasn't
trying to steal Ranma from Akane. {Not that I'd mind if she
did,} Akane forcibly reminded herself.
The house quiet, although she could hear the sounds of
sparring in the dojo. She walked over, and was pleased to
see that Ryouga had found his way back. Of course, he and
Ranma were going at it hammer and nails, but even they
didn't seem to be actually trying to hurt one another, for
once.
She thought about that for a minute, then realized it
would be better if they didn't know she was back. Slipping
quietly back to her room, she went to bed, exhausted. On
the edge of sleep, she thought she heard Kodachi's laughter
in the distance, but the sound faded too quickly for her to
be concerned.
********************************************************
Kunou walked through the darkened streets, a bouquet of
red roses in one hand and his ever-present bokken in the
other. He had spent the day considering his options, and
had finally reached a conclusion: {Deal or no deal, I must
come clean. If my love is to be real, it cannot be based
on a lie.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't see her
standing on the wall until she spoke: "Travelling late
tonight, Brother Dearest?"
Kodachi. Trouble.
Looking up, a slithering beast working its way through
his innards even before his head finished its ascent, his
eyes landed first on the hoop, the pins, the ribbon.
Armed. Definitely trouble.
Then she moved, graceful, catlike, out of the shadow of
the tree which had served to hide her from the light of
both moon and street lamp, and he realized that she was not
wearing her traditional battle-leotard, nor, indeed,
anything at all.
Trouble of the worst sort.
He tried to be firm, to send his words piercing through
the madness that he could see in her eyes, obscuring the
gentle, hurt soul he knew to be there.
"Your mode of dress is inappropriate for a public
appearance, Sister." Inwardly, he offered a silent prayer
to whatever powers would listen to a wretch like himself.
"Oh, Brother Dearest? You found it quite becoming,
once upon a time. Have things really changed so much
between us?" she spat out, her eyes narrowing to mere
slits. "Has the hold of that Tendou Bitch so gripped you
that you can look upon me and feel nothing?" The words
came from Kodachi's crimson lips in a torrent, stinging him
like angry hornets even as they triggered a flood of
memories.
********************************************************
Four years ago.
An innocent prank on his much-loved sister, surprising
her when she came out of the shower. Noticing for the first
time the differences between their bodies.
Mutual questions, gentle teasing.
Curious touches, probing.
Passion. Short, gasping breaths. First sweat, then
tears, then, finally, blood. Terror that he had hurt her,
relief when she told him it was alright, Mother had told her
about this before she died.
Father walking in.
Furious. Convinced, for some deep-seated reason that
would have challenged Freud, that it was all Kodachi's
fault. Screaming that it was her witch-black hair that
had driven his son to commit this unspeakable act.
*******************************************************
Kodachi made a small movement, bringing him back from
horrific past to terrifying present. A quick gesture was
all it took for Kodachi to send her wig curling through the
air and into the street. Tatewaki flinched at the sight
of the scars on her scalp.
Shaving had not been enough to satisfy Father. He had
thrown in electrolysis for good measure.
"Kodachi, I..."
"You what, Brother Dearest? You are sorry? When you
tell the Tendou bitch you love her, will you also tell her
of our `relationship'? How will you explain my visit to
that `clinic' after Father realized that there were more
lasting effects of our encounter? Will you tell her of
the nights thereafter, when you came into my room, to...
comfort me?" Kodachi slipped down off the wall, landing
with her usual feline precision.
"Did you think I would do nothing while you left me? Do
you think it will be even a moment before she tells her
sisters, or my darling Ranma? Am I to lose both my loves
to the Tendou Dojo at the same time?" Her voice cracking,
Kodachi slumped to her knees on the concrete.
Pity and guilt overwhelmed Tatewaki, and he let his
guard down, approaching her with compassion in his eyes.
A mistake.
Kodachi had completed the move before he even saw it
start. A small dart, cupped in the palm of her hand, flew
out and pricked the skin of his neck. Before he had even
recognized the nature of the threat, he fell to his knees,
his breathing labored.
He fell back, barely even feeling it when his head
struck the curb. Blood trickled down the gutter as Kodachi
pressed her lips to his, and as the darkness closed around
him, it seemed that the sound of his poor, broken sister's
laughter would follow him down into the endless sea of black
nothingness.
As he slipped into unconsciousness, he managed to utter,
for the first and last time, "I love you, Nabiki..."
********************************************************
Kodachi's mad laughter rolled through the streets, and
only one set of lips, the same pair which had spoken to her
on the phone, smiled at the sound.
********************************************************
The Chinese ship sailed into Tokyo's harbor. Clad in the
manner of his nation's military, the man on the prow hoped
he had not come too late to undo the damage he had wrought.
********************************************************
Chapter Two: Heaven Cries
Thoughts & Reflections
Hmmm...To tell you the truth, this thing is officially
out of control. I had no intention of killing anyone this
fast, and I hadn't planned on killing Kuno at all.
I wonder, honestly, which will get more of a rise: The
not-so-vague implications of incest, or the idea that Kuno
really loved Nabiki all this time. Guess the difference
will boil down to Puritan or purist, eh?
Tzigane, if you ever read this, I'm sorry, but I hope
you aren't too upset with my portrayal of Kodachi--I know
you have a much more sympathetic view of her....
Get your own Free Home Page