KODACHI 1/2 - JUSENKYO MUYO! : FIRST NIGHT (and a day)

By Christopher Willmore

[WARNING TO KUNOICHI: RANMA AND AKANE DO *NOT* END UP TOGETHER IN THIS ONE.]


	Night had fallen over Nerima, and flattened it like a bug.  All was quiet, and the moon shone
unimpaired upon the Kunou mansion, sending its beams through the young Kodachi's open window and
onto her nubile, dormant form...
	With a rustle of leather (not an unfamiliar sound in that particular chamber, though it was 
usually accompanied by the clinking of chains and the cracking of whips), a figure landed on the 
windowsill, covering a small part of the night mistress's luminescent face with its silhouette.
	Scratch that.  Covering A LARGE PART of it.
	Er... No... Covering MOST of it.  Um... ALL of it? All right, so the thing was growing.
	It stretched, expanding thin sheets of tissue into shapely arms, and gangly stick-things
into legs, until at last, it stood upon its own two feet and walked into the room, a man.
	"At last," he said, in a thick Hungarian accent. "In my home country ve have long exhausted
our supply of food, but here, upon zees forsaken island, perhaps I may yet feed..."
	He chuckled softly, and drew his long black cape around him.
	"Zees one will do.. Oh, look at her... So young, and pure, and sweet..."
	The vampire walked towards the sleeping Kunou, and drew down the covers to beneath
her neck.  With automatic movements practised over years, he brushed her ponytail away and smoothed
the target area with his thumbs.
	"So soft... So soft..." he muttered hungrily.
	Not being able to resist the urge for longer, he bared his fangs, and  dug into Kodachi's jugular.
	"Huh... Wah..." The Black Rose woke, and opened her eyes.  What she saw, was a pale,
black-cloaked, refined-looking gentleman busily necking her.  What she felt was... Er... Read Anne
Rice's novels. I don't do lemons.  
	<What a MAN...> she thought.
	Kodachi glomped the Count. Then, the SCREAMS began.

					* * * * *

[Almost dawn; outside, near the Tendo dojo]

	"I've never seen a bat fly that  fast before," commented Ryouga, as he and Gosunkugi made
their way back to the Tendo dojo. "I wonder what it could've been running away from..."
	"I do not know, Hibiki-san," said Hikaru. "And I am not sure I want to know..."
	"I can't believe we made it back!"
	"Those months in Haiti were quite... Enlightening..." admitted Gos.
	"At least we got the loaf of bread Akane sent us for!" Ryouga took a paper back out of his
backpack, and proceeded to pull out a loaf of white bread. 
	He dropped it.
	It shattered.
	"I'm afraid it's a bit stale, though..." he said, blushing and rubbing the back of his head with
his hand.
	"I am sure Akane will understand," said Gosunkugi. "She is an admirable woman."
	"Er... Yeah... I... Um..." Hibiki twiddled his fingers.
	While speaking, they had arrived in front of their destination.
	"I'll let you go inside, Ryouga... I want to.. Take some air."
	"Are you sure, Gos? It's been a while since we've seen everyone... You don't want to..."
	"I will see them soon enough."
	Ryouga nodded.
	"Suit yourself, then."
	He walked up the few steps to the dojo's front door, went in, and closed the door behind him.

	Now all Gosunkugi needed was a test subject... Thanks to that little... Excursion... He had 
managed to pick up a few tricks. His voodoo dolls worked, he could cast proper charms, and best of
all...
	He strained his eyes, trying to make out details in the pre-dawn half-light.  Only a few trees,
houses, fencing.. Nothing like what he needed... Perhaps...
	There.  On the road.   That would do... Admirably...

	Ranma walked angrily along the top of the fence lining the canal. Of COURSE Akane would
splash him with cold water in the middle of the night, and of COURSE there wouldn't be any hot water
left. For a five-mile radius. It'd been two hours before he could find a working public bath, and he
hadn't had enough cash to take a bus back...  Baka. That uncute tomboy never got 'im into anything
but trouble... Why'd he ever TRY to be nice to her, any... 
	<Wait a minute...> 
	Ranma stopped dead in his tracks.
	<That can't be...  Is it?>
	Some distance in front of him, Gosunkugi Hikaru was dancing. With a dead raccoon.
	"Oh, you will be lively tonight!" he shouted, swinging the roadkill around him. "We will
have a lot of fun, you and I..."
	<This is SICK...>
	"You might be dead NOW, but I will warm you up... And you  will respond to no one
but ME!!!"
	<I *DON'T* want to know...>
	"Let us begin!" Hikaru set the animal down on the floor, hunched over it, and reached into
his trousers.
	<I think that NOW is the time to leave...> Saotome discovered at that moment that the
'Chestnut Fist' speed could also be used for running, if sufficiently motivated. Seeing  Gosunkugi about 
to 'begin' with a dead rodent made one learn such things rather quickly.
	
					* * * * *

[About noon; the Kunou mansion courtyard]

	Sasuke yawned as he watched Kunou Tatewaki go through yet ANOTHER practice session.
	"Master Kunou," he said, "Mistress Kodachi has not left her room all day; she has not had 
breakfast, or come out for lunch... Should I see if she's all right?"
	Kunou swung his bokken around him, not letting mere chitchat interrupt his training.
	"My dear Sasuke," he said. "If my sister wants to stay in her room, it is advantageous and in
the interest of all that she DOES SO."
	"But... Master Kunou! It's not NORMAL for her to..."
	At this, the Blue Thunder paused. He put down his weapon, and stared at the ninja.
	"The day that my sister is taken as the ideal for normality," he intoned, "is the day that I,
Kunou Tatewaki, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shall clothe MYSELF in mine sibling's leotard and
wield a ribbon."
	"She has not EATEN, Sire... It is to be presumed that she is not well...  And it IS the elder
Tendo sister's birthday today... If she cannot go to the party..."
	"Are you REALLY willing to go into her room after the screaming which we were witness to last 
evening?"
	The servant blinked, and began to sweat.
	"Continue your kata, Master Kunou," he said. "I will watch."
	"Just so long as thou dost not forget to wrap my present and iron mine kimono."

					* * * * *

[Later that day, at the Tendo dojo. About four PM]

	Gosunkugi smiled, albeit somewhat nervously. Everything was going as planned... The guests
had arrived for Kasumi's celebration, and for once, he had been among the invited... The birthday girl
had been drawn into the living room by all her friends, which left the kitchen empty, just as he needed 
it... Even SAOTOME was avoiding him, giving him odd looks every now and then and staying clear
of where he was. Could it be that he had finally learned to respect the power of magic? 
	Whatever the cause, Hikaru was thankful for the lack of interruption.  All he needed to do now
was present his gift, excuse himself, and it'd be over.
	"Oh, my!" said Kasumi.  "Thank-you for this lovely picture frame, Ranma!"
	Akane glared at him. Nabiki grinned.  Ranma looked down.
	"Aw... It ain't much, or nothin'... I ain't good at the artsy-craftsy stuff."
	"Or at CREATIVITY, either, BAKA!" shouted his legitimate fiancee.  "Have you ALREADY
forgotten that CHRISTMAS PRESENT?!?  AM I *THAT* IMPORTANT TO YOU, THAT YOU GIVE
*ME* THE SAME GIFT YOU GIVE TO EVERYONE ELSE?!?"
	"Akane! I..." Gratuitous Takahashi-style violence ensued, and at the end of it, Ranma's third
and fourth fingers on each hand were bent inwards, while the others splayed out.
	"Oh, my!" repeated Kasumi.
	"I... I too have a present," said Gosunkugi. <Best get this over with, before the food is ready and
they have to go get it.>
	"Hikaru! You didn't have to... We all KNOW you were away for oh, so long, and you only
came back today! You didn't even KNOW it was my birthday until a few hours ago!"
	Ranma rubbed his sore head and looked at Akane.
	"'Sall your fault, y'know. What ever gave you the idea of sendin' P-Chan over for a loaf of
bread?"
	"Stop calling me that!" 
	*WHAM*
	To add injury to insult, Saotome now had an umbrella-shaped depression
across his chest.
	Gosunkugi cleared his throat.
	"I... It's not much, but I... I hope you like it..."  He handed her a small package, loosely wrapped
in brown packing paper.
	"Oh, my! Look at this! It's a beautiful raccoon-skin cap!"
	Ranma turned green.
	"Ra... Raccoon-skin? Gosunkugi gave you a..." His knees began to wobble. "'Scuse me. I have to 
go to the washroom."  He covered his mouth and ran out.
	"I will be going as well," said Hikaru. He backed out of the room awkwardly, stumbling into
Akane as he did so.  "A.... Akane... I..." Gosunkugi turned red, tensed, then bolted towards the kitchen.
	"They really must've had to go," said Ryouga.
	"I hope it wasn't my ramen..." Kasumi cupped a concerned hand over her mouth.

					* * * * *

[The Tendo kitchen]

	Akane... She had been so... So warm... And now, he was going to... Could he?
	He had to. He HAD to go through with it. If he didn't, then she'd end up with Saotome, and 
THAT was a fate worse than death.
	Better to pick the more painless of the two alternatives for her.
	Gosunkugi reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out three vials. One was labeled, 'HCN'.
Another glowed a slimy green, and the third was a deep, blood red.
	"I'm sorry to have to put you through this, Akane," he said to himself, "but once it's done
with, you will have no more problems with unwanted suitors; you won't have to deal with a fiance who
does not love you, instead, you will be with the ONE who TRULY cares for you!"  He uncapped the
first vial, and prepared to pour it into one of the drinks that sat on the counter.
	"Stop it right there!" 
	He turned around.  Saotome.
	"So THAT'S why you were so hot on comin' to Kasumi's party, ya pervert!" Ranma growled.
"Roadkill wasn't good enough for yer hentai needs, eh?  Well, you ain't gonna have Akane! Yer gonna
have to get her OVER MY DEAD BODY." As what he had just said sunk in, the martial artist once again
turned green. "So to speak..."
	"You greatly mistake me, Saotome," said Hikaru. "But I do not have time to deal with you right
now! I am warning you..." He pulled out a doll, miniature malled and five-inch nail. "I have learned quite
a few 'tricks' during my absence..." Gosunkugi prepared to drive a nail into the voodoo puppet's arm.
	"Trick THIS! Katsu Tenshin Amaguriken!" 
	Both parties watched in horror as the 'Chestnut Fist' technique knocked the doll out of 
Gos's hands and sent it flying in a neat parabolic path... Straight to where Kasumi had been frying
wonton.
	"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" they cried simultaneously, and tried to catch
it. It was  of no avail. Hikaru only stumbled, and Ranma's near-perfect reflexes were foiled as he tripped
over Gosunkugi. The figurine fell into the frying basket.
	The magician stood back and watched, aghast, as Ranma suddenly acquired a thick layer
of breading, and then burnt to a crisp, only to crumble into ashes.
	"I KNEW those wonton had tasted overcooked... Kasumi must have let the oil boil over... Poor
Saotome... Even HE did not deserve THIS..." He glanced at his vials. "And even my new magic cannot
reanimate DUST..."
	"Are you all right?" Kasumi had walked in. "I heard some screaming... Did anything happen?"
	"Happen?" Hikaru sweated. "No... Nothing... Happened.. I just... Uh... I just burnt myself when
I accidentally touched the stove, and then clumsily knocked open the oven door..." Before she could
look, he gave the oven door a kick, springing it open. "That's... Er... That's why all the ashes came out..."
	"Ashes? Our oven runs on gas!"
	"Well... Uh.... Akane must have tried to cook something, then... And... Burnt it?" He was 
grasping at straws, here.  
	"That must be it," nodded Kasumi, then smiled cheerfully. "Go back and enjoy the party! I'll
clean up for you!"
	"You will? But.. I.." The woman had already started putting the ashes into the dustbin.
	"Don't worry, Gosunkugi-san. I'll have the garbage out and be back in no time. " Another smile.
	"Are you SURE you want to throw those away?"
	"Oh, my! Thank  you for reminding me, Hikaru! They will give a WONDERFUL smoked 
flavour to the meat!"
	It was Gos's turn to turn green.
	<Must... Remember... Not to eat... The meat...>
	"I will... Go, then..." Dazed, he began to walk back to the living room, before remembering what
he had come to do, and taking a glass of fruit punch with him. 
	<Saotome will not have died in vain.  Akane WILL be mine.>
		
	He took slow steps, pausing  as he uncorked the vial and carefully poured the hydrogen cyanide
into the drink, adding just a touch of the red liquid to slow the effects. No use having the death linked
to him.
	When he walked in, he offered the punch to Akane, who took it gratefully.
	"Thank-you, Gosun-kun. At least SOMEONE here knows how to treat a lady."
	Gosunkugi smiled, and waited.

					* * * * *

TO BE CONTINUED...