Here is the last in this barrage, expect two or three more tomorrow
evening,(it's scary how it is just flowing right now, I think I have my mojo
working)

Hi guys!! This is the story that kicked off my stream of consciousness. As
of this writing, I've got over 15 stories in various stages of completion.
It all just hit me at once!! So, here is Hidden Talents 4, I really enjoyed
writing it and I think it will come as a bit of a surprise to all who read it. 

Disclaimer:  Ranma 1/2 and all characters of said series are creations of
Rumiko Takahashi and copyright to some company in Japan. Special guest star
is a property D.C. comic. More in the post.


Hidden Talents

Part, the fourth



	The door to the Tendo dojo slid open. Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome looked
up in surprise. They glanced at each other in confusion, for they had both
thought that their children all had a field trip to go to and had not
expected anyone for several hours. Before they could rise , however, Ranma,
Akane and Nabiki all came walking in. In answer to their questioning looks
Nabiki simply shrugged.
	"Happosai made a special appearance at the bus and began trying to fondle
all the girls. Miss Hinako drained half the sophomore class before managing
to nail the little leach. So they rescheduled the trip for tomorrow and let
us all out early." She sat down and leaned against the table. "It's really
ruined my day, because now I don't have anything to do." She shrugged again
and rested her head against her hand.
	Ranma and Akane could be heard arguing the merits of working out for a
while when Kasumi entered the room. "Oh, I thought I heard you all come in.
Are you all back from school?" At the affirmative nods she received, she
beamed at her father. "Well goodness father, I see that means that they can
come with us!"
	In response to the three teens blank looks, Soun cleared his throat and
said, "Yes, well, you see, Kasumi is going out this afternoon to a
presentation and we," at that he gestured at himself and Genma, "were going
to go along. I suppose that now that you are all free, you can come with us."	
	Akane looked at Kasumi questioningly, "What kind of presentation Kasumi?
How come you didn't tell us about this earlier?"
	"Well," her sister replied cheerfully, "I wanted it to be a surprise, and,
since you are all going to come along, I guess it still can be." She beamed
sunnily at Ranma and her sisters and any protests and questions they had
seemed to melt away at her look. At that moment, there was a knock at the
door. "I'm coming," Kasumi called as she went to answer it. After a moment
or two her voice drifted back to the living area. "Father our transportation
is here."
	"Please, show him in," Soun called back.
	Kasumi came back to the living area with an older man in tow. Everyone
sized him up before she introduced him. American, tall, in his mid-forties
with blond hair and a blond goatee, he had a relaxed, charming look about
him. "Everyone, this is Mr.Queen." The tall man shook his head.
	"Kasumi dear, I told you before, call me Oliver." He spoke passable
Japanese with just the slightest accent. He looked at everyone and gave them
all a nod. "Well, Ono is out in the van. I told him to wait out there
because I've seen how he gets around young Kasumi here." He grinned. After a
moment, everyone realized he was talking about Dr. Tofu. He clapped his
hands together. "Well, is everyone ready to go?"
	"Uhhh..." Ranma spoke up, "Where are we going?"
	Oliver grinned again and shook his head. "That would be telling, and this
is Kasumi's secret. You'll see soon enough." He gestured behind them towards
the door, ushering them to it. Everyone looked around uncertainly and got up
and headed out of the dojo. A light blue van sat parked in the street,  Dr.
Tofu could be seen peering at them from out the passenger side window. As
the group ambled toward the vehicle, Tofu climbed out and opened the panel
door. As they neared the van Oliver called out and gestured, "All right,
gentleman in the back, ladies in the middle seat.  I think that will work."
Everyone shrugged, nodded, and packed into the van. Ranma grumbled and poked
his father, trying to get comfortable sitting between him and Mr. Tendo. The
girls settled themselves with much less noise or arguments in the middle
seat, and Oliver bemusedly steered Tofu back into his seat, given how he had
started to babble and stammer upon seeing Kasumi and seemed quite incapable
of any higher motor control. To Oliver's eyes, the group seemed very laid
back, and got along together well.
	Thirty minutes later, Oliver was having second thoughts. Ranma was close to
fighting with his father as the three men in the back continued to jostle
and grump and push at each other, trying to get comfortable. Akane had
turned and had added a few acidic comments and started a fight with Ranma.
Nabiki kept egging the situation on, apparently for lack of better
amusement. Dr. Tofu had been turned into a complete blithering idiot and
because Oliver had been depending on him for directions they had gotten lost
three times already. The only spring of sanity was Kasumi, who primly sat in
her seat and did her best to keep the small war in the back from tearing the
van apart. She kept Ranma and Akane from killing each other, managed to
mollify Genma and luckily managed to come up with a small list of directions
to their destination. However, despite it all, Tofu remained a blithering
idiot. As a slight silence fell in the van Nabiki asked a question.
	"How did you come to meet my sister?" she queried of Oliver.
	"Well," he replied as he directed their vehicle closer to their
destination. "I was visiting Ono here," he paused for a moment and added, "I
met him a few years back when he helped me with some, ahhh... injuries I had
acquired." He cleared his throat and continued, "When Kasumi came walking
in. Ono introduced us and we began to chat. After talking for a few moments
I asked her if she had ever watched..." he interrupted himself, "Wait. That
would be telling and I think you're all about to get your answers now. We're
here."
	With a nod of his head he pointed and as he parked the van in front of a
building, everyone pressed against the windows and read the sign on top of
the buildings oaken doors. 
	Shado Dojo.
	Ranma spoke up first. "An archery dojo?"
	"Not just archery kid." Oliver replied briskly. "Zen archery. Kyudo, a
combination of zen Buddhism, archery and martial arts. We've been invited to
a demonstration. C'mon."
With that final word he climbed out of the van and walked around to open the
panel and assist everyone in getting out. He gallantly offered a hand for
each of the ladies and held the door open for the guys. Stepping beside
Kasumi he said, "All right, Ono will show you where to sit. The
demonstration is in about ten, maybe fifteen minutes, Kasumi here, " he
gestured at her, " has a special seat that I'll be directing her to. I'll be
with you in a few moments." With that he gave them a half bow and led Kasumi
off before anyone could really protest.
	Dr. Tofu watched her leave with his heart in his eyes and as they turned a
corner he turned to the small crowd in front of him. Now operating
independently he was again the competent strong individual they all knew. He
held up both hands placatingly, "Forgive Oliver if he seems a little abrupt,
but in actuality we're very close to being a little late. And today is a
very special ceremony. Please, follow me." He led them into the dojo and
everyone fell in step behind him, Akane hissing at Ranma to behave, and
luckily, before he could respond, his father accenting those instructions by
giving him a whap on the head. Ranma rubbed the back of his head sullenly
and trailed along in silence. Soun and Nabiki  stared around in a bit of
wonder, taking in the austere beauty of the large dojo. They walked to where
they could see a small gathering of people, some old, some young, and one of
the individuals at the head separated himself and headed in their direction.
An elderly man, he held himself with great poise and everyone could sense a
certain, distinguished power about him. Clasping Dr. Tofu's hand as they met
the two exchanged a few quiet words. His face broke into a satisfied smile
and he gestured expansively before him. 
	"Welcome to Shado dojo. I am Grandmaster Hiroshi Yatsuya. Please, be seated
and comfortable, the ceremony is about to begin." As everyone settled down
on tatami mats on the floor, Yatsuya walked to a slightly raised dais. After
a few minutes of silence, he turned and began to address the small
gathering. "Students, teachers, friends, " he began, "I am honored that you
were all able to attend. Here in Shado dojo, we strive to seek ourselves
through the mastery of Kyudo. As we study the way of the bow we remind
ourselves of our tenants and goals. By finding the perfect moment of
release, in discovering the moment of perfect tension when we are one with
the world, we discover Shin - truth, Zen - goodness, and Bi - beauty. Most
of us strive our entire lives for the truest discover of Kyudo, but once in
a hundred years, their is born an archer that fully embodies these virtues
as no other does. Mr. Oliver Queen, a man whose nobiai, his total spiritual
technique, is among the strongest that it has ever been my honor to see, has
informed me of finding a young archer with a nobiai that is even stronger.
An archer that is true Kyudo, the spirit of the bow. Together we are
gathered to judge if such an archer exists in the form of Kasumi Tendo."
With that he turned and directed his attention to two figures who now entered.
	The Tendo's and Saotomes's started in surprise as Yatsuya's words sunk in.
They then gaped in wonderment as they regarded Kasumi and Oliver. Oliver
walked behind Kasumi, carrying a tall, seven-foot bow. Kasumi walked in
front of him clad in an outfit very similar to Tatewaki Kuno's kendo
uniform. She sported a white top instead of a blue one and on her right hand
she wore a three-fingered leather glove. Her hair was in an unusual style
for her, pulled tightly away from her face in a ponytail. She step onto the
dais and extended her left hand. Oliver handed her the strangely shaped bow
and a single wooden shaft. Grandmaster Yatsuya spoke again.
	 "Mr. Queen, who we all hold in high regard had spoken for Kasumi, the bow
is a gift from him to her and the arrow hand made. As we witness her skill
remember what it is founded on. Shin, Zen, and Bi." With those words, the
old man stepped back, off of the dais and stood at Oliver's side.
	As Kasumi raised the bow overhead and slowly lowered it, her family was
struck by Yatsuya's words. Truth, goodness, beauty, they each silently
considered those factors and realized how apt they were for Kasumi. The dojo
fell into utter silence as she set her arrow to the bowstring and ever so
slowly drew the string back. There was an odd combination of tension and
perfect relaxation as they all watched in awe. As she drew the bowstring
past her ear, the air seemed filled with electricity. It seemed as if
thunder roared in the complete silence. Before everyone's eyes the arrow
began to flicker and shine with a blue aura. Kasumi stood completely still,
holding a blue bolt of pure power in her hands and the roaring seemed
louder. Time seemed to slow. Energy could be seen crackling over her entire
form. After an eternity that seemed to past in seconds, or was it the other
way? she released the shaft. The action occurred naturally, as the falling
of a drop of water off a leaf. One moment, she held the arrow taut nocked
behind her ear, the next, the shining bolt of blue was winging its way
across the dojo. It struck the target hanging from the ceiling and stood in
the complete center of it. The blue aura flowed through the target and could
be seen almost as a ghostly image of an arrow beyond it. It continued
soaring and disappeared through the wall of the dojo. Everyone's
open-mouthed stares were fixed on Kasumi who still stood in silence as a
statue, bow slightly vibrating before her. For a moment she looked like much
more than Kasumi. Strong, graceful, the full, utter personification of the
bow. And then she smiled and she was Kasumi again, gentle and kind.
	Everyone began whispering and talking to one another, gesturing and
pointing. Grandmaster Yatsuya clapped Oliver on the shoulder, "You were
right, old friend, she IS Kyudo. Just as Shado. Perhaps more so."
	Oliver stood, gazing at Kasumi in pride, "I knew she was, the moment I met
her at Dr. Tofu's. I knew she had that hidden talent to be one with the bow."
By this time, everyone was on their feet and congratulating Kasumi, Soun was
crying into Genma's shoulder wailing about how proud he was of her. Akane
embraced her sister and even Nabiki dropped her cool exterior to clap her
sister's hand with almost starry-eyed respect and awe. Ranma stood still,
staring at the arrow and thinking about the awesome display of power he had
seen. Kasumi simply beamed at everyone, glad that she had been able to do so
well and that everyone seemed so pleased.
	Everyone fell quiet as Yatsuya approached her and placed his hands on her
shoulders. "Thank you, Ms. Tendo for coming here and allowing us to witness
your skill. From this day forth you will be known in this hall as Kyudo. The
spirit of the bow. Our gate shall ever be open to you, and I would be
honored were you to grace us with your presence." 
	Kasumi bowed and smiled, "Thank you Master Yatsuya. When Mr. Queen
explained this tom me," she gestured to the bow held in her hand, "it
sounded like something that was already a part of me." She bowed again.
	Yatsuya turned to the crowd of students, teachers, and judges, "Well, do we
have final agreement? Kasumi Tendo, Kyudo?"
	There was an ovation of applause and a rumble of cheers.
	"Oh my."


Fini


Post

	Well? Hows this? Thanks goes to Mike Grell of D.C. comics. While reading
Green Arrow Longbow Hunters, I suddenly had an inspiration to make Kasumi a
zen archer. After doing a little bit of research I found out that Zen
Archery is the personification of Kasumi. Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. If
you liked this story, I would recommend, Longbow Hunters (beautiful art, and
incredible storyline) as well as Green Arrow, issue 0 and issues 81-84 (?)
Hunt the Red Dragon.
	
C&C to raymond.haney@mohican.mwsu.edu