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After the Fall - Chapter 9, Dark Flower Ascendant
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It was a quiet day at the Dojo. Ranma and Akane were out to dinner. Kasumi was shopping. Nabiki had left for downtown Tokyo on business, leaving Kuno to babysit little Ranko.
Thankfully, babysitting Ranko wasn't hard. Despite her boundless energy, the child didn't have her father's jumping ability yet. It was mostly a matter of being in the same room and keeping an eye on her to make sure she wasn't pulling the koi from the pond or drawing cats on the walls. Well, that and reading her favorite book to her eight or nine times. Being "Unca Tachi" was a fairly rewarding experience.
Kuno set Ranko down on the ground and left her watching cartoons for a moment while he went to the furo to take care of bodily necessities.
Meanwhile, a figure in black leotard and ninja mask jumped over the dojo wall and entered the house.
"So, you must be the brat daughter of that evil Akane girl. How DARE she seduce my darling Ranma? Never fear my love, I will rescue you from this hell. OHOHOHOHOHO!"
"Who you lady? Why you laff so funny?"
"You wicked, wicked little brat, how DARE you question me? I'll give you a lesson in pain you'll never forget!"
Kuno emerged from the furo and heard a little girl's scream. He dashed down the hall, grabbing an ornamental bokken on the way. As he reached the living room, he caught a whiff of a frightening aroma.
The ninja girl from the tournament was standing on the supper table. Holes in the rice paper walls bore mute testimony to her actions; Kuno struck the ribbon out of her hand with his bokken and stood to guard the tied-up little girl.
"Who are you and why do you attack this household? Know that you face an instructor of the Anything Goes School, and a man who personally owes the Tendo family a debt of life."
"Why brother dear, do you not recognize your own sister? I came here to find my darling Ranma, of course, and rescue him from the hell he has been in these past few years. Why must you stand in my way? You could have your Tendo Akane and be happy if you would but help me."
"NEVER! Foul, insane woman, leave this house and never return. If you come back again I, and every other member of this house, will seek your destruction."
"Brother dear, I see I shall have to rescue you too. Very well, HAVE AT THEE!" Kodachi screamed, throwing a shower of rose petals. Kuno held his breath, sure that his sister was using a powder attack. He dropped his bokken and grabbed Ranko, jumping away from the house with his ki-enhanced leaping ability and heading to Dr. Tofu's.
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Ono Tofu blinked as he heard his front door tear from its tracks. Two years ago, he would not have even noticed the sound save for recognizing the arrival of a patient. Now, he wondered what could possibly have gone wrong.
A moment later, Kasumi screamed.
Tofu ran out to his front lobby. Kuno was standing there, a small child in his arms. Tendo Ranko. No wonder Kasumi had screamed.
"Doctor, you must help her! I will stand guard at the door!"
"What happened?" asked Tofu.
"I had gone to the furo when an invader entered the household. I returned to find my evil, twisted sister attacking the child. I protected her as best I could, and ran away when she began to use her powder attacks. Ranko may have swallowed some."
Tofu turned to Kasumi. "Please prepare the antidote, then call for help."
As Kasumi ran to the kitchen, Kuno went to the front door. Kodachi had just arrived.
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Mousse picked up the Nekohanten's phone. "Nekohanten, may I help you?"
"Mousse? This is Kasumi. Kodachi attacked little Ranko, and Kuno is trying to keep her away from the clinic. We need your help."
Mousse hung up the phone. "Lin-lin, Lun-lun, grab your weapons. Shampoo, you too. I'm going ahead to Tofu's clinic, there's trouble. Kodachi attacked Ranko."
As Mousse ran out the door, Shampoo grabbed two bonbori and spoke to Lin-lin and Lun-lun. "Girl who attack little childs is for killing."
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"You twisted woman! You DARE to attack an innocent little girl? You will pay for that."
"Why brother dear, you ran away from our fight! And now you protect the hated spawn of that vile seductress Tendo Akane? What could possibly have come over you? You haven't gone and fallen for that nasty mercenary girl, have you?"
"Shut up and fight, woman! This time you have gone too far. I will end this once and for all, and place you where you truly belong."
"Oh, dear. Brother Dear thinks he can defeat me. If I must defeat you to regain my darling Ranma, so be it. ATTACK OF A THOUSAND CLUBS!"
Kuno snarled and kicked his sister's hand, disrupting her attack. 20 or so spiked clubs fell to the ground. He pummeled her mercilessly with kempo attacks as she attempted to back out of his range.
"What, no special attacks? Why brother dear, how mundane of you." Kodachi jumped clear and produced a powder packet. "This should make the battle much more fair."
Kuno retreated from the powder, keeping himself between Kodachi and the clinic. He nearly attacked the person behind him before realizing that it was Kasumi. She wrapped a surgical mask around his face.
"It's not much, but it should help."
The battle now stood two to one. Kasumi blocked the door while Kuno returned to the attack. He circled his sister, then shouted, "Get her, Ranma!"
Kodachi turned, trying to find her darling Ranma nearby. Kuno struck at that moment, focusing his ki, and delivered a devastating blow to his sister's left kidney. She flew across the street and slammed into a wall.
The Black Rose got back to her feet. "So, brother dear, you've learned to work without your weapon. I too have learned some techniques in my time away." She ripped off her mask, revealing two jagged scars below each eye. "I will have my darling Ranma back, whatever the cost. SHADOW DRAGON FORM!"
Kuno jumped back while his sister's shadow curled up and formed into a sinuous, reptilian shape. It enveloped her, following her movements. Kuno found himself losing the battle as the head of the dragon began belching black ki balls at him, forcing him to dodge. He saw one of the balls heading straight for Kasumi, and blocked it. As it hit him, he blacked out.
Kasumi stared down at Kuno. His battle aura flickered and died as he went unconscious, but the black ki remained. She pulled his body into the clinic, out of the line of fire.
Kodachi, with no apparent opponent, began attacking the clinic. Just as she broke down the door frame, clearing enough space for her entry, Kasumi managed to revive Kuno.
"Wretched girl! Prepare to lose! You won't defeat Kuno Tatewaki with the same attack twice!" Kuno charged his fist with ki and punched at his sister. Oddly, his punches had no effect.
"Fool! I've charged you with my own ki. Your punches don't even tickle!" Kodachi cried, delivering a return punch that made Kuno double over in pain.
Kuno grimaced. "Though I may lose this battle, you shall not harm little Ranko again. SHOOTING STAR!" He grabbed Kodachi's waist and charged his legs with ki, carrying his sister back out the door in a ki jump that propelled them both at high speed across the street and into a wall.
Kasumi paled. Kuno wasn't moving, but Kodachi was already getting up. Kasumi's eyes widened as the Black Rose picked her brother up by his shirt, then threw him to the ground like a rag doll.
As Kodachi prepared for another barrage of ki balls, a large spike embedded itself in her shoulder. The Amazons had arrived.
Kodachi attempted to fight the Amazons, but was quickly overwhelmed. Mousse had her pinned down with his flying weapons, while Shampoo and the girls took shots at her with their bonbori.
Kodachi let her dragon form go, forcing the Amazons to back off as the black ki shot outward. It was the break she needed. She screamed, "SHADOW DARKNESS WARP!"
When the black ki had dissipated, Kodachi was gone. The Amazons ran into the clinic just as Ranma and Akane arrived.
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Tofu and Mousse were watching over Kuno, trying to figure out what had happened to him. Ranko was fine; thankfully, she had her father's constitution. A day or two of bed rest and she would be physically fine. Kuno, on the other hand, had not regained consciousness.
Tofu retried the ki-blocking and ki-enhancing pressure points, to no avail. Mousse's experience with shadow ki was the key to Kuno's revival, if only he could remember the treatment.
Kasumi came over. "Any luck?"
Tofu shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Kasumi my dear. It seems as though the shadow ki is blocking all of Kuno's ki generation on its own."
Mousse spoke up softly. "What was the attack named?"
Kasumi looked at Kuno, fearful of the ki encompassing his body. "'Shadow Dragon Form,' if I remember correctly."
"This is very bad. Shadow ki attacks are from my school of Martial Arts. The most basic form is hidden weapon attacks. These use shadow ki to store the weapons in an alternate dimension until needed. The more powerful attacks require calling another entity into your body, and combining forces for a much more powerful attack. Unfortunately, these are not without risk. If the entity is too powerful, and it wishes to do so, it may override your body. You become an observer as it destroys things indiscriminately. Kuno was hit with Shadow Dragon ki. If he can't shake it off, he may never wake up."
Tofu nodded. "Outside ki influence can be extremely dangerous. He's probably having horrible nightmares as he tries to free himself. Someone should stay with him at all times. If you don't mind, I think it would be better to have him at the Dojo, and I should stay nearby. I'll grab my sleeping bag, if that's alright."
Kasumi nodded. Tofu left, while Mousse carefully placed Kuno on a stretcher. The Tendo family walked home in silence, worrying about their fallen friend.
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Nabiki was sitting next to Kuno, watching his face contort in pain. She worried about what her Kuno-chan was dreaming, and what she could do for him. She half-smiled; he really was hers now. His reaction when she kissed him on the cheek had proven it. She reached out, placing her hand on his, holding it and hoping he would realize she was there.
Half an hour later, Tofu arrived for his shift and found Nabiki caught in the flickering aura of shadow ki, her head resting very uncomfortably on Kuno's chest.