Allright, here is the first part of the series.  If you missed the
prologue, it outlined Kasumi's death (as well as Ranma's, Nabiki's,
Akane's, Soun's, and Genma's death).  However, Kasumi came back.  The
character's from Ranma 1/2 used in this fic are owned by good ol'
Takahashi, and Duncan Macleod is owned by someone else entirely (don't
have a clue).  I have no spell checker (and I'm too tired to use a
dictionary for every word I think I've misspelled), and I am tired to
boot, so don't drop my spelling and punctuation (unless you want to edit
the whole thing or something).  WARNING:  This fic contains some graphic
violence and some harsh language.  Reader discretion is advised.  
Nevermore 
Part 1 
By:  Phillip Masters 
America June 24, 2297 
     Kasumi awoke from her troubled sleep with a gasp.  She dragged her
hand across her hot, sweaty brow as she ordered the lights on.
Obediantly, the room was illuminated by various florescent fixtures
around the small living space. 
     She had dreamed of her death, again.  As well as the death of her
family.  It was something Kasumi had tried to forget over the centuries.
However, this was one curse of immortality, you never forget, you can't
forget.  Along with power, long life, and the promise of The Prize came
a photographic memory. 
     She breathed with her stomach in a steady rhythm until her heart
slowed to a normal pace.  It had been a beautiful summer day, the day
her life had begun.  As she glanced at the holographic clock next to her
bed she noticed it was today that she had died.  Exactly three hundred
years ago, her life had drastically changed forever.  It was a change
she had come to accept, even though it took quite a while to become
acustomed to what she had to do.  For there could be only one, and
surprisingly, there were only two left.  Her, and another.  A one Orland
Douglas.  He was born in the year 2003, and became immortal in 2025.
Then, in the year 2197, he did something Kasumi seriously wished she
could forget.  He had killed the man she had loved.  Her strength, her
passion, her Highlander.  She could only watch as his head was removed,
screaming in vain.  The Quickening had destroyed an entire city block,
there was not a window that survived for miles.  
     Kasumi shut her eyes, trying to shunt the horrid memory from her
mind through sheer will alone.  Failing in this, she tried focusing on
another memory, one more joyfull.  She looked back to where she had met
Duncan, many, many years ago, when she was young... 
Japan June 24, 1997 
     Kasumi returned for a second time with a start.  This time her
return brought a torrent of memories.  The smell of gas, the sound of
thunder, and the pain.  Her first thought was of her family.  What
happened to them?  She quickly sat up, and instantly regretted it.  A
sharp, stabbing sensation travelled up her spine to burn at the back of
her neck.  What had happened?  She thought she aught to be dead.  Other
than the back and muscle pain, she felt perfect.  She glanced down at
herself to see what sort of damage she had aquired.  First of all she
was surprised to see she was just fine.  Secondly, she noticed she was
completely naked.  She instinctively pulled her arms around her chest,
and her knees closer to her body.  Her eyes scanned the back alley she
was sitting in.  It wasn't quite an alley, per se, it was more a space
between the dojo wall and the adequate fence of the house next door.
After seeing there was no one around, she arose from the empty boxes
that littered the area.  Where had all the boxes come from anyway?  She
couldn't think of an answer, but didn't really care much at the moment
either.
     She walked out of the back alley, and glanced up and down the
street.  No one was around there either.  What happened to everyone?
Too many questions were building up inside her.  She thought she would
go insane if someone didn't answer some of them soon.  There was always
a surprising lack of traffic on their street, so she didn't worry too
much about passing traffic.  
     Extremely embarrased, she ran for the dojo.  Hopefully no one would
see her, except maybe her sisters, until she got to her room.  As she
turned the corner at the gate, she met with a sight that made her blood
run cold.  
     The dojo was in ruins!  She could barily make out the top floor,
now lying in a pile of rubble that must have once been the first. 
     She became self conscious again though, and ran quickly inside the
grounds.  Feeling reletively safe, she looked about the destroyed
remains of her home.  She felt something brushing against her stomach,
bringing her gaze down.  There was yellow police tape, which she had run
through without noticing, sticking to her abdomen.
     The thought that had been lingering in the back of her mind
suddenly came forth with severe potency.  
     "Father!"  She screamed, to the torn house.
     She ran to the back, hopeing to find a clue as to her family's
whereabouts.
     What she found was more than a clue, it was a reminder.  Blood was
splattered about the dojo wall, a grim testament to what had happened.
Her family had been killed, the explosion throwing them out of the house
and smashing them uncaringly against wall.
     She had been closer to the blast, she had been thrown clear off the
grounds.  Why was she still alive, and in such good shape?  Physically
at least.
     As Kasumi pondered these unanswerable questions, a throbbing began
in her head.  It distracted her from her thoughts, taking full control
of her conscience.  It was as if a buzz was travelling from her temples
to her brain stem.  As if this wasn't shocking enough, she also got the
strange impulse to look around for something, or someone.  Who, or what,
she didn't know but she felt it was very important.  The buzzing
increased, becoming more like a full blown headache.  Then, abruptly, it
subsided, leaving her feeling worn out and confused.  What was that?  
     Finally, the questions and what had happened caught up with her in
full force.  Tears began to make their way down her grimy face.  She
felt alone in the world, as if there was nowhere for her to turn.  So,
she was actually plesantly surprised to find a man standing behind her.
She gazed up into understanding brown eyes.  She lunged at the man and
clung to him, letting out all her pent up emotions.
(Although she'd rather cut your arm off now then to admit it, Happosai
would have suficed)
     The man simply held her tightly, as well as introducing himself in
a whisper.  "Hello, miss.  I'm Duncan Macleod, and your going to have to
listen, very carefully."
END Part 1
Expect these things to be short.  It takes a lot out of me to write this
kind of stuff in one sitting. However, there should only be a day or so
between parts, so it'll even out in the end.  Now, because of the
serious nature of this fic (something I'm not normally known to do), I
am going to add an Omake Theatre at the end of each part (give or take
according to how creative I feel).  Yes, like from Blue Seed.  Anyway,
on with the show...
Nevermore Omake Theatre
One:  Insomnia
     Kasumi awoke to find herself in bed.  *What happened??  I was just
laying down to sleep.  What am I doing here?*
     She looked around, and found she recognized her surroundings.  *How
can it be?? This place was destroyed three hundred years ago!*  Yet,
there she was, in her old bed.  Waking up as though nothing had happened
at all.
     *Could it have been a dream?*  It didn't seem so, for she had three
hundred years worth of memories to prove otherwise.
     *Oh, well.  I suppose I should make breakfast for the family now.*
She liked the sound of that.  Not breakfast, but the family.
     She got into her clothes and headed into the hallway.  She was
promptly greeted by her sister, Akane.  She was so happy to see her.
However, before she could say anything, Akane dumped a load of wash in
her hands.
     "Could you wash these?  Thanks!"  Akane called out on the way down
the steps.
     She shrugged, and began her way to the kitchen.  En route, Nabiki
dropped another load of laundry into her allready full arms.  However,
Kasumi took this in stride, and continued her journey.
     She dropped the clothing into the washroom, and headed for the
kitchen.  Once there, she began preparing the food.
     Then, most of the household entered the kitchen as well.  Her
father asked her to get cigarettes, Ranma asked her to make him
something special for lunch, and Genma just wondered when breakfast was
going to be ready.  As if this wan't bad enough, a couple of Ranma's
fiancee's decided to drop by early.  The resulting damage took out her
kitchen.
     Kasumi could only stare at the desolate remains of her once
gorgeous kitchen.  Her true home.  
     Genma came up behind her and asked, once again, what the ETA on
food was.
     She sat up in bed, flinging sweat across the room.  Her breathing
came in labored gasps.  Her eyes went to her holographic clock.  
     "4:20,"  Kasumi whispered, "I hate that dream."
     With that she fell back into her pillow and stared at the ceiling.
END of OT 1
Well, that's that.  See ya next time!  My fanfic homepage URL is below.  
PMasters (5/7/97)

"My God, it's full of stars!" - 2010 
Still in search of the Lost Chord... 
Http://www.iwaynet.net/~dr.diddy/masters   PMasters@webtv.net 
Member of the #AAS#:  Achika appreciation society and member of #WASHU#:  Washu's Acadamy of Science and Higher Understanding.