DiScLaImEr:  Rumiko Takahashi and a bunch of rich corporations own all 
the characters in this fic.  My use of them in no way is meant to
undermine those claims, and suing me would be a huge waste of time.
If, for some reason, you actually think this meager tribute to RT's
genius deserves to be further distributed, you may do so, so long as
you: a) reprint this disclaimer; b) give me credit (blame?) for the
story and; c) don't actually sell it (Yeah, like that's a concern!).
And now, on with the fic.

*****************
* 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 uanaware of Ranma &
 Genma's curses and;  Akari, Tarou and Konatsu have not yet been
 introduced.  In the notes to the Prologue, I mistakenly said that
 Tsubasa was also absent--this was an error (after all, I said it
 takes place after the boys learn their ki-blasts--D'oh!!).  I may
 write an Omake to account for the Chameleon's absence from this
 fic...

 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}.*

                      *********************
                      * 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.

  ********************************************************

    Kuno 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 Tendo 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 unconciousness, 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.

  ********************************************************

                        End Chapter One

  You know, when I first started this story, it was going to be
 a really campy farce, no seriousness, just some strangeness I
 thought I had in mind.

  And then she killed him.  I really, really, was not expecting
 the story to go that way, but it did.  And that's how I wound
 up with a story that's gonna run about 15 chapters, give or 
 take a few.

  Chapter Two, "Heaven Cries", will be out sometime next week.
 Send C&C to me, the List, your mother or the Pope, whichever
 you prefer....

  Quick thanks to Gary Kleppe for noticing the Prologue, and
 taking time to respond--That can really make an author's day!
 
--Freemage  


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