Okee. This is pretty much all I want to do with this one, been
working on it off and on since.. ohh... November, I guess. (Writing an hour
here or there and then not writing for a couple of weeks)... Whatcha think?
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* WARNING: This is a darkfic. Not only that,*
* it's what I would term an alterniverse *
* If you don't like darkfic and you don't *
* like alternate worlds, I suggest that you *
* don't read this. Contents of child abuse *
* and psychological difficulties may follow.*
*********************************************
"Iron Roses"
Kodachi watched Ranma from outside his window. She could see his chest
rising with the light pattern of his breathing and hear the unseemly snores
from the panda who was also in the room. Her face was sad as she watched him
turn in his sleep and murmur softly, "Akane", unaware of the things that he
said in his dreams.
It had been like this for many nights now -- Kodachi, there on the
rooftop, watching over her Ranma-sama. It was almost the only way in which
she could truly get close to him for any length of time. Kodachi sighed
softly, her head dropping to her hand as she closed her eyes sleepily. She
was so very tired, her busy schedule left little time to sleep. Perhaps that
explained why it was so easy for her to laugh hysterically over things that
weren't even funny in the first place...
Kodachi shook it off, rubbing the back of her neck firmly. Ugh. She
became far too maudlin and contemplative here in the dark of the night,
but... what was that?
She turned, her hand on her razor hoop as she saw the door to
Ranma-sama's bedroom slip open, that wretched hussy Akane entering in the
dark. Kodachi scowled. It wasn't exactly that she HATED Akane, it was that
she knew what none of the others did and what Ranma-sama himself wouldn't
accept -- that Ranma really WAS in love with Akane. It was in any of a dozen
things -- the way he protected her, the way he called her name when he
dreamed, the way he moaned for her when he was doing those incredibly erotic
things late in the evening with his hands on the.. Hm. Kodachi blushed at
her own thoughts, best not to pontificate on that particular aspect of
Ranma.....although she *HAD been delightfully surprised by the familiarity
he seemed to have with his female body....
Watching, Kodachi saw Akane kneel down by his bed, looking over him as
he slept. Kodachi sighed. *SHE* wanted to be able to do that, to show
herself to him and to have him be gentle and kind to her the way he could be
to others in moments of real manhood. Her face crumpled as she moved away
from the window so as not to be seen, her hands balling into fists as she
reached up to rub away glistening tears, her heart clenching in her chest
with the agony of defeat.
She didn't notice that she wasn't alone until she bumped into the
other figure there on the rooftop. Kodachi stumbled, gasping sharply as she
began to slide towards the edge, only able to whimper as she closed her eyes
tightly, trying to halt her precipitous tumble. As she reached the edge, she
felt a hand grasp her wrist tightly, keeping her from falling. A soft
whisper came from the dark, "Y'know, it's the sharp sensation at the end of
the drop that I don't like about falling. How 'bout you?"
Kodachi rolled onto her knees before glancing up into the most
beautiful pair of dark eyes she had ever seen. More beautiful even than the
sparkling sapphire of Ranma's, she thought dazedly as she reached up a hand
and lightly touched his diaphragm, her eyes wide and just a touch stunned.
The boy blushed brightly, jerking back and hissing in a soft whisper,
"H..Hey! D..d..don't do that!"
Kodachi crawled towards him. "You're Ranma-sama's friend, aren't you?
Yes, the boy who taught them how to fight against me.." Her eyes narrowed as
she tilted her head to the side, ponytail falling across her throat. She
nodded slowly, bringing her razor hoop forward. "Yes, the one who constantly
tries to hurt Ranma-sama..." she purred threateningly, an eyebrow raising.
The boy gulped, hand going to his nose as she leaned forward,
revealing a depth of cleavage that he was sure didn't belong in something as
tight as a leotard. He muttered stupidly, "Uhhhh...Uhhhhhhh...errrrrr...."
And then it was her turn to keep him from falling off of the rooftop, ribbon
raveling around him as he toppled over in a dead faint, nose gushing thin
little streams of blood!
Kodachi sighed. "Hmph. No stamina in that boy, no stamina at all."
******************************************************************
Screaming, louder and louder now. They were fighting again, and it was
their fault, they knew. The two children molded themselves into whatever the
two fighters wanted them to be because it was easier that way, but sometimes
flashes of personality came out and then the fights began. It was too much
responsibility for such small shoulders, but the six-year old boy, small for
his age, held his five-year old sister tight in his arms. If he held her
tight enough, and built the wall high enough, then perhaps they wouldn't
have to hear this after all.
******************************************************************
Ryouga awoke slowly, the sunshine muted as it broke the horizon tothe
eastk before he realized that his umbrella was spread out, protecting him
from the dawning of the firelit orb. He brought his hand up to shield his
eyes as he yawned, coming to full awareness. It was barely past daybreak, so
the Tendo household obviously wasn't awake yet. Looking around, he tried to
get his bearings. He seemed to recall a short encounter with Kuno's crazy
sister last night, but he could see no evidence of her presence as he shook
sleep away, his hand coming up to rub lightly at his bandanna. Huh. That was
a strange girl, that one. Besides, there was no one to sabotage here, why
would she be hanging around on the rooftop? He glanced uncertainly at
Ranma's window.. He knew that Ranma had no feelings for Kodachi, that the
hair on the back of Ranma's *neck* visibly stood up when the girl came
within laughing range. Of course, Kodachi was an opponent that should never
be underestimated -- she had more tricks up her sleeve in that skimpy
leotard than Mousse had weapons in his underwear...
Then it struck him: skimpy leotard, razor hoops, fainting when she
leaned forward and revealed her cleavage. Ryouga blushed brightly, his eyes
going wide and his hand going to his cheek in an expression of comedic
shock. Oh, gods, what could she be thinking now?!
****************************************************************
The alarm was going off, over and over and over again. Fingers
fumbled from beneath the light cotton sheets to slam down on the snooze
button the first few times, and then a gymnastics pin slammed down on it
firmly, ending its blaring little life.
The Black Rose raised her head, one eye opening blearily to peek at
the shattered remnants of the clock before moaning and burying her head in
her pillows.
Morning. Ugh. It came with such disgusting regularity, it was one of
the things that Kodachi found utterly abhorrent. Couldn't she just avoid
morning altogether, at least every once in a while?
Pulling her strength of will together, Kodachi managed to lift herself
up from the warmth of her soft mattress and glare dazedly around the room.
Despite what everyone thought of Kodachi, this was her haven. Sure, she
spent a lot of time in her greenhouses and with her pets but they weren't
places in which she felt truly safe. This room, on the other hand, was.
Decorated with a light, feminine touch, the chamber was large and
airy. An English-style four-poster rested against one wall, facing the west
so that the setting sun would cast its fiery rays into the room and turn it
brilliant pinks and purples come dusk. The bed was an array of white and
green, frills and ruffles and darts and ribbons, so capriciously female that
no one would ever suspect the space to be that of Kodachi. The only sign
that this room belonged to someone who, by definition, could be considered
at least marginally unstable was a set of small branding irons in the
intricate forms of budding and opened roses.[1]
Kodachi stretched lazily in the midst of all this feminine frill,
looking as brilliantly out of place as any black rose in the middle of a
garden of white might be. Her mind wandered lazily to her childhood, when
this room had been her sanctuary, a haven from the madness that seemed to
infect the household for so long...
*****************************************************************
{Kodachi, darling, WHAT did Mommy tell you?} came the strident demand,
her mother's face twisted in anger, erasing the prettiness of it somehow in
the eyes of the diminutive Kodachi, who was cowering at the foot of mother's
dressing table, her bow twisted and half untied, hair tumbling down her back
in an array of tangles. Her white dress was smudged in places, as if she had
tumbled down in the dirt, and her knee was scraped, filled with the same
dirt as her dress.
Kodachi gave a half-sob as her eyes closed and tears began to stream
down her cheeks. {I..I'm sorry, Mommy! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to
fall, I won't play again, Mommy, PLEASE!} she finished with a scream.
Mommy's hands were already reaching for her, hands clawing into her
hair as she reached for the nearby hairbrush. {No, you won't, KODACHI, your
mother will teach you a lesson in obeying her. You will NOT follow this
absurdity of Martial Arts Gymnastics, DAUGHTER!}
And with that, Kodachi turned her cries inward.
******************************************************************
Kodachi shuddered visibly. God, of all mornings to think of that, why
this morning? She turned her head tiredly as she saw Tatewaki standing in
the doorway, looking at her curiously as she stood in only her thin lawn
nightgown before the French doors that let out into her exotic garden, a
look of concern on his face erasing the usual arrogance. Tatewaki understood
her as well as any person ever could, she supposed dully as he came forward,
lightly putting his hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, oneechan?" he
murmured, his speech normal, not his usual poetic ramblings.
Kodachi nodded, still shivering as she looked out at the garden, the
light just beginning to spill over and around edges and to give a
golden-pink quality to the light outside. Her voice was halting as she spoke
softly, head tilting to the side before she managed a smile at Kuno. Mustn't
let him know that she wasn't sleeping again, he would make her take the
medicine, and it made her nauseous. "Yes, brother-dearest," she answered
calmly, "I'm quite well. It will be a beautiful day, will it not?"
Kodachi could almost visualize Tatewaki repairing the shell he had set
around himself so long ago as he determined his reply. "Why, yes, Kodachi,
thou art correct in thy optimistic ramblings!" he declared grandly. "Today
is the day that I shall VANQUISH that demoniac sorcerer Saotome and claim
the adoration of Tendo Akane and the pig-tailed girl for mine own!
BWAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Kodachi rolled her eyes as she shoved Tatewaki through the French
doors, which swung open easily as he tumbled out and into a patch of purple
peonies. She smiled. Ah, yes, morning WASN'T so bad when one was treated to
the undeniably entertaining vision of one's brothers with a budding peony
perched above his head and drooping down to peek into his face.
With the sound of her tired laughter echoing in the still morning air,
Kodachi began to ready herself for the trying day ahead.
****************************************************************
{Kodachi, darling!} The cry echoed through the house.
A swirl of satins and velvets and silks in pastel colors of pink and
yellow and baby blue, leather soft as butter, hands turning her, trying the
different materials on, ruffles and lace and pretty ivory white gloves with
matching hats and purses and patent leather shoes. Laughter echoing in the
receiving room and down the marble halls as Mommy showed her all of the
wonderful things that she had brought back with her from her trip to France,
and even a military style costume for the seven-year old Tatewaki.
{Mommy, why did you go away?}
Only silence in answer, and then everything put away and not taken
back out again as if that question itself had been the single unforgivable one.
****************************************************************
Ryouga strolled along the streets, looking about confusedly. THIS..
was NOT.. Nerima. He knew THAT much. Ryouga sighed softly, he had to have
the absolute worst sense of direction ever handed out by the Kami. Surely,
they were sitting somewhere and laughing at him -- quite justifiably, he
grumbled to himself.
(As a matter of note, there WERE three goddesses who found Ryouga's
antics entertaining, but it was more a way to pass time than anything else,
and although Urd desperately wished that SHE had been the one to think up
such a wonderful thing with which to torture someone, the fact remained that
Ryouga himself was the largest part of his own problem.)
Ryouga turned the corner and bounced back just as someone fell at his
feet with a sharp cry, her tan school uniform crumpling around her as she
scraped her knee on the pavement and managed to tangle her ponytail up in
her bookbag almost impossibly.
"Ack! Why can't I look where I'm GOING!?!?! ARGH! This is.." Ryouga's
words sputtered out before he could finish the sentence 'all your fault,
Ranma Saotome!' as he noticed exactly with whom he had become tangled. He
mentally groaned and put one hand behind his head to chuckle sheepishly
before offering his hand to the crumpled girl. "Err.. I'm sorry. Twice in
one twenty-four hour period, huh?" Ryouga smiled weakly as she stood.
Kodachi felt tears gathering in her eyes at the feel of the scraped
skin, but she managed to repress them quickly as she put her hair to rights
and gathered her skirts around her to rise, hiding the skinned and bruised
knee behind the long skirt. She blinked *poitpoit* as and realized that it
was Ranma-sama's little friend. "Ahhh, good morning, Ryouga-sama," she
smiled brightly, folding her hands before her.
Ryouga backed up, beginning to look nervous. "Ahhh, good m..morning to
you, too, Kodachi," he managed to stutter out, wanting to get away. He'd
heard and seen more than enough about Kuno Kodachi to last him a lifetime
without getting into some kind of feud with her.
He had even seen some of Ranma's scars -- not to mention the lasting
effects of some of those drugs...
Reigning his mind in, he coughed slightly and became aware of her
Presence, the Look which she was giving him and knew that he was in Deep
Trouble.
It surprised him, therefore, when she only gave him a shaky smile and
waved her hand slightly. "Oh, it's all right, Ryouga-sama. I wasn't looking
where I was going," she murmured. {It didn't help any that I didn't sleep
last night and I have to face school today, either,} came the dark thought.
"Well, it was lovely to meet you again, goodbye!" With that, she moved
purposefully towards St.Hebereke.
Ryouga scratched his head confusedly. THAT was not the Kodachi he had
expected. Truthfully, she seemed nice...a little shy, but nice. Jumping to
the top of the wall, he followed her closely, careful not to get lost. This
would bear watching.
****************************************************************
She could hear them again, two doors down. She heard her father's
large body hit the door, imagined his muscled shoulder pressed against the
wood by that frail, female body. The thought that Mommy could do that with
so little leverage occupied her mind for a little while, blocking out all
the sounds of fighting.
She was brought back to awareness as her own door opened slowly and
then closed, shutting out most of the noise. She felt a warm hand on hers,
and he slid into the bed next to her. His face was wet with tears, the wall
broken down for the evening. It had been so long since the last fight. They
had thought it was over, and it was always harder on dearest Brother than it
was on her. Kodachi knew her mother's wiles better than her brother, having
seen more of her violent side due to more exposure.
She gripped his hand tightly and cradled his head to her shoulder as
the quiet came, the aftermath, and slept turbulently for another few hours.
******************************************************************
Kodachi stepped through the doors of the school and immediately knew
it. She could hear the snickers, see the sidelong glances, the smirks. Ah,
she knew what they thought of her, she knew the only reason they tolerated
her was that they were scared to death of her and her reputation. Kodachi
sighed. All she wanted was a friend. Just one. Or perhaps a lover, she
drifted in thought, someone to hold her and to keep her safe from these
spiteful girls. Someone to protect her, yes...
Ryouga stepped up behind her, having followed her inside. The
expression on her face was so sad, so difficult, and he wanted to offer her
comfort, even if only in his own awkward way when.... She was shaken
roughly into the real world as she felt the water drench her, splashing all
around before she heard the little "Bwee!" at her ankles. Turning, she let a
half-smile cross her face as she saw Akane's pet P-chan standing behind her
before her eyes caught sight of Ryouga's backpack, umbrella and clothing all
laying in the floor.
Kodachi blinked. *poitpoit* That was.. a bit odd. Her mind worked
overtime for a few moments until she hit the answer. Wide eyes became wider
as she picked P-chan up and checked a few things. Yep, bandanna around his
neck, little fangs, masculine genitalia... oops. A bright flush spread
across Kodachi's face as she packed Ryouga's clothing into his bag and
managed to pick it up as well as her own, swaying under the weight. She
could hear the sniggering going on around her, girls laughing at her
difficulties, but she remained silent. They shouldn't laugh at her, they
knew that she would just cook something up to make them all miserable once
they got into the Chemistry classroom....
Snuggling the adorable P-chan to her chest, she stuffed Ryouga's
bookbag into her locker and shut it, heading off for the chem lab. Oh, yes,
they *would* regret their laughter this morning.
*****************************************************************
It was the shouting again; never ending bickering, the high pitched
screams and the deep rumble that tried to soothe. She shrank back in her
brother's arms, her nine-year old face pale as she cried against his chest.
Brother's face was like ice, a wall against the shouting as he cradled the
sobbing girl to him protectively, his knitting brow the only sign of
acknowledgement that he made.
They heard the rapid tap-tap-tap of her heels down the hall, heard the
more muffled thud-thud of businessman's shoes following behind, trying to
keep her from leaving again. The heels stopped at the head of the stairs,
the follower several feet behind, standing outside the room they were in.
"Think of the children, for gods' sakes!" came the booming roar, anger
ever close to the surface for this hotheaded pair.
Kodachi stood, moved away from Kuno to open the door and peek out....
....just in time to see the beautiful woman, the woman with her face,
swirl around, hair flying brilliantly, her face bright red with fury and
then crossed with fear as she began to fall.
"MOMMMMMYYYY!!!"
******************************************************************
Sulfur dropped onto Megumi's shiny patent leather shoes, just enough
to ruin the finish. A mixture of dry chemicals dumped into Miyuki's bookbag
that would eat away slowly at only paper, for some reason. A sprinkling of
liquid that lent discoloration to Onnama's brightly colored sweater,
bleaching it. A few other girls ran into mishaps during the day, teachers
turning a blind eye to the wicked back-biting in the hallowed halls. By the
end of the day, everyone had a new and healthier respect for Kuno Kodachi --
a wise thing.
P-chan was still snuggled at her back, in the carefully fashioned
pouch of her backpack. She had seen the stunned look that crossed the pig's
face (especially when she had brushed the phenol thalene[2] onto Karumi's
bread. That had seemed to upset him a lot for some reason.)
Kodachi decided to skip practice today. It just kept getting worse,
and besides, there was "P-chan" to be considered. Grabbing his backpack from
her locker, she glanced at the umbrella. Too heavy to move. Hm, well, they
could come back for it later.
With that, she trudged tiredly outside and plodded home, head down.
******************************************************************
Father was standing there, stunned, his face white as she ran, young
feet flying down the stairs with the precision of the future gymnast,
sliding to a halt at the bottom of the marble incline, followed shortly by
her brother.
The carpet couldn't hide anything because of its light cream color.
Her fingers trembled as she reached out and almost touched the glassy, open
eyes, the head at an impossible angle in comparison to the body. All she
could do was watch as red blossomed against the threads, a slowly gathering
pool in gleaming crimson that turned to black in sluggish patches as she
knelt beside her cooling mother. 'Yes, it blooms in crimson and ebony,' she
thought with stunned precision as her brother knelt beside her. She looked
up, the understanding between them clenched, and they heard their father sob
wildly in the upstairs hall as the phone began to ring.
******************************************************************
Hmmm. Well, it would appear that the second half won't decode for
me. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong ^_^ Guess everyone'll just hafta suffer until
next week...
Ja ne!
Tzigane
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* If I die let it be with you... *
* Hold me close while the world falls in on me.. *
* Whisper my name as the darkness rises... *
* And I fall into the dream that never ends... *
* From:"The Scarlet Letters" by Scott Urban *
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