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After the Fall - Chapter 5, The Return to Home
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Kuno Tatewaki awoke as he had for the last two weeks -- with Tendo Nabiki shaking his shoulder. "Honestly, I get the feeling you just wait for me to come shake you before you open your eyes."
Kuno sat up, shaking the haze of sleep from his brain. "I am troubled, Nabiki Tendo. I have been having dreams from which I cannot awaken."
"Care to talk about them?"
"Not right now. Perhaps later, when I am feeling more settled."
"Okay Kuno-chan, but you should get moving. Ranma's about ready to leave the furo, and you'd better get in there before one of us girls takes it over."
Kuno jumped out of the bed and raced to the furo, entering just as Ranma opened the door. Two weeks had been all that was necessary to convince him about making sure he got time in the furo -- the presence of three Tendo females led to some incredibly long waiting times, as all three seemed to love soaking in hot water.
Breakfast was eaten methodically, with Kuno slowly using his chopsticks and picking up his food instead of shoveling it in in what seemed to be the Anything Goes eating technique. Halfway through, he noticed something was odd. He looked up from his meal, to find the whole household staring at him.
Ranma was the first to speak. "Yo, Kuno... you didn't even notice when I swiped your chopsticks and you weren't getting any more food. Nabiki said something was was wrong. Wanna tell us about it, so we can help you?"
"Is that an order, or a request?" Kuno was sorry the instant he uttered the words.
Nabiki gave him a dirty glare. Ranma only grinned, then retorted "I could make it an order, but from now it's just a request -- from your friends."
"Very well. For the past week, ever since my meeting with the Kendo Club, I have not been sleeping well. I have had some rather disturbing dreams. They mostly center around my twisted sister, and my time spent running around causing trouble with my sword. In particular, it is the memory of the first time my sister gave me food with her rose extracts in it."
Nabiki was visibly upset, but Kuno wanted to let it all out. "I am unsure of what it means... but each time I have the dream, it is always in the same place. It is in the Fortress Kuno, in my sister's room. There is a portrait of our mother hanging on the wall..."
Kuno could go no further, and began to cry, though he did not realize it until a tear dripped onto his hand. He noticed a hand on his shoulder.
Nabiki watched Kuno turn towards her, then gave him her tightest hug, holding him closely. After a few seconds, Ranma whispered in her ear, "Uh, Nabs... loosen it up a bit, he's turning purple."
Nabiki backed off, and watched Kuno's color return to normal before hugging him again. Kuno idly noticed that she kept whispering "it's okay, it's okay" to him, and wrapped his arms around her in return.
"Thank you, Tendo Nabiki. I feel much better now."
Nabiki smiled. "Thanks for telling me, Kuno-chan... maybe I can think of something to help you. For now, however, I believe it's time for your lesson of the morning." She turned to Ranma. "Tendo-Sensei, if I may?"
Ranma nodded. Nabiki suddenly grabbed Kuno's hand, and began hauling him off to the Dojo.
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Kuno was astonished. He had never realized how much Tendo Nabiki knew about martial arts, having never seen her fight. As it turned out, he did not know much about their family at all. Apparently all were dan-level martial artists, it was merely Soun and Akane who had continued their training beyond that point. Tendo Kasumi was a first dan in the art of Aikido -- an art perfectly suited to her passive mood. Tendo Nabiki was actually second dan in Judo, the art of turning one's opponent's strengths against them. He began to see why she liked it; the teachings and style were so very similar to her ways of making an income.
So for the morning, Kuno was the student of Tendo Nabiki. She had drilled him in all the basic maneuvers, and several advanced tactics. She had flipped him so many times he had needed a water break to stop his head from spinning.
Now, he was really surprised. Tendo Nabiki, the true angel of the Tendo family, had challenged him to a match for the final lesson of the morning. As students filed in to prepare for their session with Tendo Ranma, they were treated to a truly unique sight.
Kuno began the match defensively, having learned what use a direct attack upon Nabiki would be. Both martial artists circled each other, watching for an opening. Nabiki attempted a few long-range kicks, knowing that they were too short, attempting to give Kuno a false opening.
At the third kick, Kuno rose to the bait. He dashed forward, and grabbed Tendo Nabiki's foot. Before he knew it, her other foot had come up off the floor and she had kicked him in the chest, using his grip against him.
"Not a bad try, Kuno-chan."
"I'll just have to make my next attack better then."
The dance resumed, Kuno rethinking his strategy. Waiting for Nabiki to open up was out of the question. He would have to force an opening. That led back to square one -- Nabiki, at this level, was able to counter any Judo attack he might launch. Then again, this was a sparring match and they were both Anything Goes students; who said it had to be a Judo attack?
Kuno shifted his stance slightly, then attempted an all-out offensive. He aped Tendo Soun's flying kick, nearly grabbed Tendo Nabiki's hand for an Aikido flip, and then attempted a low sweep. None connected, but Nabiki was temporarily out of defense while jumping. Kuno saw his opening, and smiled as he brought his hands together, driving them forward as if a sword. He saw Nabiki's eyes widen as he caught her side, pulling his blow so as not to injure her.
"Not bad, Kuno-chan. Not bad at all. Though, those weren't exactly Judo moves."
"My level of understanding of Judo does not provide enough offense to counter your defense, so I improvised. Anything Goes."
Nabiki giggled. "All right then, I see you're learning well. Next point takes the match."
Kuno nodded, and began circling once more. He feinted another low sweep kick, which Nabiki simply backed away from. She feinted a few kicks, which he wisely avoided. Both were being quite serious about the match. In the back of his mind he noticed the growing crowd; Furinkan students, mostly, here for Saturday classes, cheering either for Nabiki or himself.
He saw a possible opening, and made a hard lunging kick, hoping to use Nabiki's own attack against her. Too late, he saw her going for a sweep kick.
The only thing Kuno could do was roll away. As he fell, he twisted his body, and flipped back once to avoid Nabiki's followup. He turned to face her... and fell to his knees laughing.
The entire class began laughing as Nabiki brought the match to an end, tickling Kuno unmercifully from behind until he began gasping for air. She quickly shifted to slapping him on the back, until he smiled and bowed to her.
"Tendo Nabiki, you have bested me. It is with great pleasure that I concede the match." He shifted to a knee. "I would ask one favor. Tomorrow night, would you date with me?"
Nabiki blushed, then began giggling. "I'll think about it, Kuno-chan. For now, you get to be Ranma's training assistant." She then dashed into the house as Ranma entered the Dojo to begin class.
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Kuno sat on the porch, watching the koi pond, thinking over his day. Things had gone decidedly well. He had had an incredible lesson in the morning, been given an enormous amount of respect as an assistant, helping students to learn the basics of the Anything Goes forms even as he noted deficiencies he himself needed to correct, and then had the pleasure of sparring with Ranma to finish the day. It was nearing suppertime, and he felt physically tired but mentally rested.
Noting the soft padding of feet behind him, he stood and turned. Nabiki stood behind him, obviously dressed to travel.
"Well, Kuno-chan, I hope you're up for a little walking. I called the doctors at the clinic today, and they suggested you... well... face your fears is I guess the best way to say it. We're heading to Fortress Kuno as soon as you feel up to it."
"I do not know, Tendo Nabiki. I feel terrified at the thought... but perhaps it would be best to learn WHY it terrifies me so."
"Then let's go. Oh, and grab your bokken, some gut feeling tells me you might want to break a few things while we're there."
Two minutes later, the pair were walking to towards Fortress Kuno.
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Nabiki had begun to wonder what was with Kuno, if she'd done the right thing by bringing him to his old home. He'd begun breaking things immediately, items he connected with his former madness. A bonfire in the back was now raging with photos of her sister and Ranma's female form, but Kuno hadn't looked back. A few other things were broken as well -- mostly "traps" which Sasuke or Kodachi had installed after his entry to the detox ward, the ones Ranma had merely pointed out when the Tendos had retrieved Kuno's belongings. Occasionally he'd broken a strange memento here or there, and even a few supposed family heirlooms were now on the bonfire. Finally, he had come to a door, and stood patiently awaiting Nabiki's company.
"This is it?"
"Yes, this is... was... the abode of my twisted sister."
"Now Kuno-chan, this may be hard. I want you to try to remember what's in there, what I should expect."
"For starters, let me open the door, and have your gas mask at the ready. Doubtless it is trapped."
"Right, I had kind of figured that," Nabiki grinned, handing Kuno his own mask on cue.
"On the far wall will be photos... many photos... of Ranma. On the left, will be the photo of my mother. On the right will be a closet. That is, if the arrangement isn't changed."
"Okay, Kuno. Ready when you are."
Nabiki wasn't too surprised when Kuno kicked the door open rather than calmly opening it, and then took to destroying some things. The photos of Ranma, right where he had said, fell to his sword. The closet door was broken open in the exact place to reveal the contents -- myriad flower bouquets, each doubtless with some rose-extract poison ready to spring upon opening.
She turned to the left... and gasped. Where Kuno had said would be a photo of his mother, was instead an expanded photo of Kodachi with Ranma in a compromising position, a bouquet of flowers right under his chin. Kuno took one look, and shredded the accursed photo, revealing a hiding place, a rather insecure wall safe, behind it.
A second Kuno bokken strike, and the safe was opened, the door hanging by only one twisted hinge. The contents were most enlightening.
A photo of a beautiful woman, faded with age. Kuno's mother.
A diary. Kodachi's. It might just be the thing to show what her mind was like, though Nabiki secretly wondered if any psychiatrist would be able to help her even if he could survive that information.
A notebook. A quick inspection indicated that it was full of chemical processes. This was Kodachi's recipe book, in which she recorded all her poisons. Nabiki tucked it away with the diary, to be delivered to the proper authorities.
A small pouch. It contained seeds.
Kuno looked at the seeds, and asked in a low, solemn voice, "Shall we burn them, forever ridding the world of Kodachi's evil brews?"
Nabiki smiled. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. We have to watch the bonfire burn down anyways. We should save a bit, however, so that they're available to develop an antidote in case she should return."
"Very well, Tendo Nabiki. We will sit and watch the fire, and I shall let you decide how much to keep before I destroy the rest."
Nabiki pulled a plastic bag from her purse, and carefully measured out a few seeds -- no more than twenty -- into it. She returned the packet to Kuno, then sat on the porch and watched as he piled every last rose bush on the premises into the bonfire before tossing the seed packet in.
When the two entered the Tendo/Saotome Dojo early the next morning, they found that Kasumi had fallen asleep waiting for them. Afer carrying her to her bed, both Kuno and Nabiki retired to their respective beds.
For Kuno at least, it was the best sleep he'd had since his mother was alive.