"Amazing!" Cologne stated in slight awe as she examined one of Kodachi's rosebushes. "You are right. Truly Black Roses. Not just a deep blue, but actually black!"
Kodachi's voice had a note of pride in them as she responded. "It wasn't easy to crossbreed them to achieve that color, Sensei. It took me many generations of roses before I got them right. These Black Roses are one of my finest achievements."
Shampoo sighed as she waited while her Great-Grandmother and Kodachi talked about plants.
Colonge had been more than willing to allow Shampoo to spend the night at the Kuno mansion... and had used the opportunity to visit the mansion herself and see Kodachi's herb garden. (What she called 'fair-sized' turned out to be larger than the Nekohanten.) Cologne insisted on touring the gardens, which Kodachi was only too happy to oblige. Shampoo went along to be sociable, but the experience was much diminished on her. Even with her enhanced senses, she couldn't tell most of the plants apart from each other. And to her enhanced sense of smell, the greenhouse was permeated with so many different smells that she was suffering from a light headache because of it all.
Sure, this was helping to take Kodachi's mind off the subject of her brother... but it was boring Shampoo to tears!
Suddenly, she heard something... she strained to hear it beneath the conversation... footsteps, inside the house itself!
"Rose-gir... Kodachi!" Shampoo interrupted. "you have any servants in house?"
"That is 'do you have any servants in the house'... and no. It was just me and my brother here for several years now..."
"Then something is wrong. Someone is in your house now."
Kodachi blinked. And then she ran off, racing to the house. Shampoo followed, with Cologne coming behind at a more sedate pace.
Once inside the mansion proper, Kodachi no longer needed Shampoo to tell her something was wrong. Her danger sense was buzzing at her, warning her that something volatile was nearby. Kodachi scowled... if it was that Ittan-Momen again...
Tracking the source to the room that had once been her father's study, she received a shock! "Brother?!"
Tatewaki Kuno whirled to face his sister. He looked much the worse for were, his hakama was torn and dirty. But in his hand was the Kuno family sword, still seathed. "Ah, sister. I was hoping to talk with you..."
Kodachi recovered and frowned at her brother. "What are you doing here brother? What happened yesterday?"
"I have had a revelation, sister!" Tatewaki said. "The kami have shown it too me! The empire has grown weak, Japan itself cries with the decadence and foreign filth that infests it. The time of the Shogunate has come again, sister! Follow me! Together, we shall restore this land to what it was meant to be!"
Kodachi searched her brothers eyes for many minutes. And then sighed. There was nothing but madness within them. "Brother... you are not well. The Shogunate cannot rise again. Please, brother, let me help you..."
Tatewaki shook his head. "No sister, I am seeing more clearly than ever before! It will be glorious! I will find the righteous, and we shall cleanse the land. Then I shall marry my loves and shall rule as the new Emperor!"
"I think Stick-boy gone nuts." Shampoo said, stepping in behind Kodachi.
Tatewaki recoiled at seeing her. "Sister... what is that... thing doing in our home?"
Kodachi frowned, angry now. "I invited her here."
Tatewaki gasped. "No... you have been corrupted, sister. I am sorry..."
Even though her danger sense warned her in time, Kodachi was so shocked that Tatewaki would attack her that she took the lightning bolt full on. Shampoo leapt at him, but learned the same lesson Ranma had - that striking him with bare hands was very shocking. She fell away, dazed.
Tatewaki raised the Kuno Blade high, intending to kill Shampoo. Then he heard a whistling sound, and then a snap as the blade was almost wrenched from his hands.
Turning, he saw Cologne, standing on the ground. She had thrown her staff at him. Looking in his hands, he saw that the Kuno blade had snapped in two.
Cologne snorted at Samurai wannabe. "Perhaps before you try taking heads with a sword, boy, you should find one made for practical use, not just for display."
Tatewaki snarled, and used his powers to blow a hole into the wall to escape. Cologne stayed to check on the girls. Both would live...
But how would Kodachi react to this?
(Posted Sat, 14 Dec 2002 23:50)
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