Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Chained World: The Fall of the House of Kuno ❯ Calypso's Island ( Chapter 25 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi or Naoko Takeuchi.

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Ranma carefully didn't move as she woke up, lying in the massive bed in Lord Kuno's master bedroom. After a few minutes, she slowly relaxed in relief — she was alone. Except for the sound of Usagi singing out in the sitting room (and doing very well, too, Ranma briefly wondered if her new servant enjoyed karaoke), Ranma could detect a soul around. Taking a deep breath (firmly ignoring the scent of sex still in the air), the busty redhead sat up and stretched, the sheets pooling around her waist.

Out in the sitting room, Usagi's singing instantly broke off and a moment later she opened the door and stepped through, dressed in the same type of Western maid's outfit as the previous day — and like the previous day, without her slave collar. “Oh, you're finally awake!” the short-haired blonde enthused with a broad smile, walking toward the bed. “It's late, you must have had quite a night. Let's get you cleaned up and get you breakfast — well, more like an early lunch. But the cooks won't mind, they're always ...”

Nonplussed by the word-stream from the bundle of cheerful energy, Ranma allowed herself to be hustled toward the bathroom, not even embarrassed by her unclothed state until Usagi began stripping off her uniform.

As Usagi began scrubbing her back Ranma, sitting on the stool and watching her servant look her over in the full-length wall mirror, saw her frown slightly. “Ranko, you're already almost clean — did you bathe already?”

“Uh, yeah, after Kuno-dono ... fell asleep,” the redhead admitted, even as she suppressed a wince at feeling the Barrier shiver slightly.

“So why didn't you call me to help?” the blonde asked, attempting to look fierce and failing miserably. “That's my job, you know.”

“Not in the middle of the night,” Ranma growled. “I'm not so helpless as that! And just how was I supposed to get your help, run down to your cubbyhole and shake you awake? Come ta think of it,” she added, stiffening at a sudden thought, “just how did you know I was awake just now?”

“Oh, when you sat up you broke a motion sensor beam that runs across the bed,” Usagi tossed off nonchalantly. “But that doesn't activate until five in the morning — Tatewaki-sama sometimes likes an encore when he wakes up in the middle of the night.”

The girl Ranma was still watching in the mirror was blushing furiously, and the red-haired girl grinned. “And just how do you know that?” she asked. “Did his previous full-use slaves tell you?”

Usagi's blushed deepened even further. “Uh ... noooo ... a few nights after Tatewaki-sama bought me and Makoto, the alarm woke me up at two in the morning and I walked in on the two of them going at it.”

Ranma laughed. “I'll bet that was educational,” she teased, amazed at how relaxed she'd become around her fellow slave. With any other girl Ranma had gotten to know he would have been looking for an escape route long before the conversation had gotten this far. Though come ta think of it, before the elder Kuno died, with any other girl but Kasumi an' Nabiki I'd either be hammered inta the ground or fightin' a rival by now. And talkin' like this with either a' those two — not happenin'.

“Anyway,” Usagi continued firmly, “after that he offered to set the motion sensor to self-activate at six o'clock. Since he became head of Clan Kuno, that's been moved back to five — he has to get up earlier to take care of his new responsibilities.

“So, how did last night go?” she asked hurriedly in a bid to change the subject. “Was Tatewaki-sama as good as Makoto said he is?”

Ranma froze as the memories of the previous night's pleasures hammered into her, the Barrier shaking under the impact. Hastily, she closed her eyes. Remember, training, it's training, this is gonna do wonders for Akane! The storm slowly ebbed, the Barrier stilling and fading from her awareness, and she opened her eyes with a gasp of relief to see Usagi's shocked, whitened face in the mirror.

“Ranko, what's wrong? He didn't do anything ... anything wrong, did he? Makoto and the others never —”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Ranma hastened to assure her, “just ... just memories from before ... before I was bought.”

Usagi's expression instantly turned sympathetic, and she reached around from behind to pull her unofficial mistress into a hug. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you think of that,” she whispered. “Don't worry, Tatewaki-sama will help you get over those nasty memories, and if you ever need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to I'm here.”

Ranma had stiffened at the feel of Usagi's bare breasts pushing against her back, but she forced herself to relax as she reached up to lay her hands on top of Usagi's. “Thank, Usagi, that means a lot to me,” she whispered, eyes moist.

“So anyway,” she continued in a determinedly lighter tone, “just how am I supposed to call you in the middle of the night? Not that I ever will.”

Usagi broke off the hug and shifted around to take care of what little scrubbing Ranma's breasts, stomach and legs needed. “Oh, there's a couple of summons buttons on the bedstead I forgot to show you yesterday, sorry.” Dropping back to kneel on the floor, she looked Ranma over. “It looks like that does it,” she said. “Let's get you rinsed off, then do you want to soak or go get something to eat?” Ranma's stomach growled at the mention of food, and Usagi laughed as Ranma blushed. “I think that answers that,” she said with a grin as she filled the rinse bucket.

“So, what is there ta do around here after we eat?” Ranma asked after the first rinse bucket's water was poured over her.

“Well, normally there's the schooling and self-defense training Tatewaki-sama insists on,” Usagi replied as she refilled the bucket. “And after that I have my cleaning and washing to take care of. For you ... well, there's games on the house computer, plenty of books to read, and Makoto would do some more sparring with some of the Kuno retainers ...” Her voice trailed off.

“That's it?” Ranma asked incredulously.

Usagi shrugged. “Hey, I've always had my chores and taking care of the master to keep me mostly busy. Until the last month, at least ... he hasn't been here as much since becoming Lord Kuno, too busy. The games are pretty cool though!”

Ranma shook her head as she stood up, the last of the water from the second rinse bucket sluicing down her body. “Well, let's eat and get ta our busy schedule,” she said as Usagi grabbed a towel to dry her off with. “But you're gonna be gettin' some help with your chores, and maybe we'll see about teachin' ya some real martial arts.”

/oOo\

Kodachi glanced around her brother's office as she stepped through the door. Though she carefully kept the usual sardonic expression she used for meetings with her older brother, she was actually impressed by the subtle beauty of the room — her brother either had previously unrevealed insight or had been wise enough to listen to someone that did. Either way, it indicated hidden depths she hadn't suspected existed in the tradition-bound delusional idiot she'd thought she knew.

“I got your message requiring my presence when I got up this afternoon, big brother, and here I am,” she said as she sauntered toward the new Lord Kuno's desk.

“Yes, so you are,” Tatewaki replied as he expressionlessly watched her walk up and flop into one of the chairs in front of his desk. For a time he simply gazed at her until it required an act of will on her part to keep from tensing up.

Finally, the tall former would-be samurai sighed. “So, little sister, did you enjoy your month-long bacchanalia celebrating our sire's early departure?”

“Oh, more than you can ever know!” Kodachi replied, smiling dreamily.

“No, actually I know all about it — well, most of it, there was one week when you succeeded in losing the family retainers,” Lord Kuno instantly replied. “Just what depravities were you occupied with during the third week?”

The martial arts gymnast shot upright. “You had our people spying on me?!” she asked incredulously.

To Kodachi's shock, her brother snorted. “You are my sister and, all the kami help us, my heir,” he responded. “Of course I had our retainers keep an eye on your disgraceful public assault on our family honor!” Apparently unaware of the way his sister's hands were curling into fists as her face reddened in anger, he mused, “Still, considering the way that our late sire had publicly disregarded you, your response to his death was only fair — which was why I chose to allow it to continue until you returned home of your own accord.”

“However,” he continued, ignoring how she was now staring at him in stunned amazement, “while allowing you your celebration was only just, family honor requires that I show some form of public displeasure at your excesses. So now consider yourself under house arrest until I say otherwise. When you leave this office our retainers will escort you home with instructions to see to it that you do not leave. I have already arranged for the necessary tutors to continue your education, and some of our retainers should be happy to spar with you.

“Also, I have at long last been successful in freeing at least one of my true loves from that foul excrescence Saotome Ranma and driving him from our lording. Ranko, the pigtailed girl, is now a member of our household. Our retainers have been instructed to protect her from your assaults with whatever force necessary, so it would be wise of you to avoid her.”

So, a blackmailed sex toy is `a member of our household', Kodachi thought as she rose jerkily to her feet.

She whirled and stalked toward the door, but froze as her brother called to her departing back, “I did not give you leave to go! I have a final question.”

“Yes?” she managed to ask in a strangled voice after a long moment spent struggling for control.

“As I asked earlier, just how did you occupy yourself during the third week of your bacchanalia? As Lord Kuno I need to know so as to be prepared for any negative consequences that might befall the Family.”

Kodachi turned back to face her new paterfamilias, smiling viciously. “Why, I spent the first two days in pit fights, testing my skills against the brutes that normally compete in them for the mob's approval.”

Her smile broadened at Lord Kuno's slight frown of disapproval, and she continued, “And I spent the next five days while recovering from the bruising I took in those contests as a whore at a dockside brothel. Don't worry, I practiced safe sex — insisted that my clients bathe first, as well. They were more than happy to cooperate for their fifteen minutes with one of the elite.”

Lord Kuno stared at her, stunned speechless. Unable to help herself, she broke out laughing at his flabbergasted expression. Finally getting herself under control, she asked, “Why so shocked, big brother? After all, to Father I was nothing but a commodity, my only value what he could sell me for to advance his power and position. Why should I not act the part?”

She again turned toward the office door, only to freeze when Lord Kuno again spoke, voice strained. “Kodachi, wait!” She turned back around to face him, but for a time he simply stared at her, expression unreadable. Finally, when she started to fidget slightly under that gaze he sighed and said, “Sister, you have wasted years trying to exact revenge on a man that didn't care if you lived or died after you made yourself useless to him. Do not waste the rest of your life attacking his memory. Use this period of house arrest to consider to what purpose you wish to dedicate your life, or even simply to test to see if it suits you, and so long as it is an honorable cause I will devote whatever Family resources are necessary to make it a reality.”

After a long moment staring at her brother, Kodachi finally nodded, face expressionless, then turned and left for her gilded cage.

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Yes, Kodachi has some serious issues, even if being delusional isn't one of them.

The chapter title comes from the song by Robin Laing, from his "Walking in Time" album. Don't read too much into this, I picked the title more for the feel than any correlation between events. The lyrics aren't available online, so I've posted them in the forum section for anyone interested, though I couldn't get the line breaks to work.