AN - This is more of a side story than an actual chapter. But you know how it is... inspiration strikes, you gotta write. (Although the Chainsaw wielding Muse standing over me helps... ^^;;) Nonetheless, this segment doesn't have much impact on the story itself.
***
Kodachi was a woman on a mission. She was sick and tired of her father dodging her. He had ignored her as much as he possibly could since he returned to Japan.
Well, now she wanted answers. And if she had to break into his demented 'office' to get them, so be it!
It was nowhere near the challenge she expected. The traps were amateurish, she could have avoided them even without her new powers. She found him laying in a hammock, strumming his ukulele.
After waiting a couple minutes, she got tired of hoping he'd notice her on his own. "Ahem!"
The elder Kuno turned and saw his daughter. "Oh! So wat bring ya down 'ere, Wahini?" He asked with a grin that could have split his face in two.
Kodachi's eye twitched at her father's accent. "I will not pretend that you care to see me, father. I doubt you know, much less care, about what your son has been doing. But I will have my answers about this!"
"Wot?"
Kodachi threw the hilt of the Kuno blade to the ground. The Principal looked at it a moment before giving a small "oh. dat."
"Yes Father. That. Where is the real Kuno Blade?"
The Furinkan Principal sighed, and swung out of his hammock. "I always thought it would be Tachi who would be asking this..." he said, his accent disappearing.
"Give him time. He very well may. You might not survive the encounter. Now stop stalling and tell me!"
Kodachi was surprised to see a tear fall from his eyes. "You look so much like your mother... did I ever tell you that? Especially when your angry." He walked over and picked up the hilt. "So it was finally broken, huh? Guess that makes sense..."
Kodachi fumed. "Father..."
"There is no Kuno Blade."
That brought Kodachi short. "Wh..what?!"
Her father shrugged. "It's a pathetic tale, you know. Our blade wasn't stolen, or broke in any major battle, or some nonsense. Rather, we never had a real one, and our family preserved a lie for all this time."
"Explain, Father."
"Ichiro Kuno, newly made Samurai under Nobunaga Oda himself. He was having the finest smith of his land forge a blade for him, and it took over two years to finish it... only the smith died in a fire before it was finished. That blade was lost.
"Ichiro was in a fix, for Nobunaga was coming in only a few weeks to tour his lands, and if Ichiro let it be known that he had no sword, he would have been made the laughing stock of Nobunaga's court. Instead, he had another sword made - a quick copy, though. The steel wasn't even folded once, in its forging. It was a fancy display, and nothing more. If Ichiro was ever challenged or went into battle, he'd say it was unworthy of his blade, and take one from one of his soldiers, instead. He was quite charming and a very good speech maker, apparently, and no one ever found out that the Kuno Blade was a fake. He only told his first born son, when the time came. And, like his father, he perpetuated the lie.
"For all these generations, no one outside our family knew the truth. Perhaps that is why we became so well known for being... odd. Because we kept maintaining the mistake of our ancestor, who put his own pride before his honor. In a way, I'm relieved that it is broken, Dachi." He said, addressing her finally. "We can't lie anymore."
Kodachi wanted to laugh. What a joke. Kuno honor... there never was any to begin with.
"Maybe you make sometin' outta da family name, yeah?" Her father said, slipping back into his accent. "Or maybe you not. Get married, and close da Kuno register. You one smart Wahini, you make da right choice."
Kodachi just stared at her father as he got back into the hammock. "And yourself?"
"Da Big Kahuna gonna go back to Ha'vaii. De Islands calling him. Maybe I stay dere fo' good, dis time..."
Kodachi nodded, and walked away.
There was nothing more to say.
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(Posted Sun, 15 Dec 2002 07:52)
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