"Well…" the man began.  "My name is Kaneda.  What’s yours?"
	Kasumi stared at Kaneda skeptically.  Although her mother had always told
her that she shouldn’t talk to strangers, Kaneda didn’t seem like he meant
her any harm.  Reluctantly, she said, "I… I’m Kasumi."
	Smiling, the man offered her the Jacket again.  "See, we aren’t strangers
anymore," he said.  "Here, better put this on before you freeze."
	Reluctantly, Kasumi took the offered jacket and wrapped it around herself.
On her small body, the jacket looked more like a robe, but it was warm at
least.  Eagerly, she wrapped it tighter.  With some trepidation, she took a
step closer to Kaneda, letting him raise the umbrella to cover them both.
	"What are you doing her, Kasumi?" Kaneda asked, a note of worry in his voice.
	Kasumi raised her head to look at Kaneda in confusion.  The man acted like
he had known her for a long time, even though she had never seen her before.
But, something about him made her feel at ease.  With a mournful glance, she
pointed at the tombstone.
	"Your mother?" Kaneda asked.
	"Uh-huh," she answered.
	As she watched, Kaneda kneeled down beside her and turned her around to
face him.  "Kasumi, is that why you’re crying?"
	Biting her lip, Kasumi nodded silently.
	"Listen to me, Kasumi," Kaneda said.  "I know that it is tough, but you
have to be happy for your mother."
	"How can I be happy!?" Kasumi screamed.  "She… she’s cold and… and alone… and…"
	"And free," Kaneda interrupted. 
	"Free?" Kasumi asked.
	"Yes, Kasumi," Kaneda said quietly.  "You’re mother is free from all of the
bad things that can happen to her.  Do you understand?"
	"No."
	"Just think of your mother as sleeping, Kasumi," Kaneda replied.  "You’ll
see her again someday."
	"You mean it?!" Kasumi asked, brightening considerably.
	"Yes," Kaneda answered.  "It may be a long time, but you will see her
again.  Until then, don’t let this sadness hurt you.  Your mother wouldn’t
want that."
	Kasumi listened to his words and felt herself begin to cry again.  Rushing
forward, she hugged Kaneda tightly, crying into his chest.  A moment later,
she felt his arm tighten around her protectively.
	"Thank you," she whispered.
	"You’re welcome," came the reply.  "Come on, lets get you home before you
freeze."
	Reluctantly, Kasumi released her hug and stepped back.  
	"Where do you live?"
	"The Tendo dojo," Kasumi answered reflexively.  
	"That’s a pretty long way," Kaneda commented.  Turning around, he kneeled
again and motioned Kasumi to get on his back.  "Come on, piggyback."
	Grinning despite her sorrow, Kasumi walked forward and wrapped her arms
around his neck.  Kaneda’s skin felt cold, but it was a comforting cold; not
like the rain that had hammered against her earlier.  
	"Hang on now," Kaneda ordered.
	"Okay," Kasumi responded, tightening her arms around his neck.
	A moment later, they sped off into the storm.

********

	Turning to Gabriel, Kasumi offered him another glass of the wine.  Reaching
forward, Gabriel gratefully accepted it.  Raising it to his lips, he drank
deeply.
	"That was my first encounter with one of our kind, Gabriel," Kasumi said,
casually.  "Although I didn’t realize it then."
	"What do you mean?"
	Leaning back, Kasumi sipped at her wine quietly, contemplating her answer.
	From his position across from her, Gabriel could see nearly a dozen
emotions play across her face as she thought.  Over the years, he had grown
quite empathic to others of his kind and had no trouble noting the emotions
in his Primogen’s facade.  Sadness, remorse, pain, longing, joy and
confusion seemed to be the most dominate.
	In an effort to be polite, Gabriel turned his gaze from Kasumi to look at
the room as he waited for her to collect her thoughts.  It was no surprise
to him that the story had left him confused.  If his Primogen meant it to be
a lesson, then the moral was lost on him.  Ruefully, he wished he had been
gifted with is lover’s sixth sense about such things.
	"Gabriel?"
	Snapping to attention, Gabriel turned sharply to look at Kasumi, certain he
had made her angry.  To his surprise, she remained smiling.  Mimicking a
sigh of relief, he settled back into his chair to let her continue.
	"When Kaneda took me home, I could… I could almost sense that there was
something different about him.  You understand, of course, that I was very
young – only seven years old – and I knew nothing about vampires, werewolves
and the like.  To me, they were just fairy-tales told to frighten children."
	"Kaneda took me home and was thanked profusely by my father," despite
herself, Kasumi smiled sadly.  "I can still remember how he ranted about
being glad his ‘little girl’ was okay.  Kaneda even stayed there for a
while.  He was so kind then, just like he was when I met him again so many
years later."
	"Again?" Gabriel asked, surprised.
	"The next day, I was surprised that I was the only one that remembered
Kaneda.  I told everyone about him, but they all said I just came back on my
own and that I must have dreamed the whole thing.  I was, needless to say, a
little unnerved by what had happened, but I had other things to concern
myself with other than where he had disappeared to."
	"What happened?" 
	Smiling sadly, Kasumi returned her gaze to the storm outside.  From their
vantage, Gabriel could see that many of the city’s lights had gone out.
Mentally, he thanked Kasumi for still using candles for lighting.  
	Almost in response, the candles in the room dimmed, leaving the two of them
in a pale twilight cast by the storm outside.  Idly, Gabriel wondered what
had happened.  A moment later, he heard Kasumi laugh quietly.  
	"You shouldn’t think so much about the candles, Gabriel," she commented.
"They tend to dim when you do that."
	"What?"
	In answer, Kasumi waved her arm slightly.  Immediately, the candle flames
grew and once again bathed the room in their light.  Gabriel whistled
appreciatively and Kasumi laughed again.  
Shaking her head, Kasumi turned back to Gabriel and asked, "You asked what
happened to Kaneda didn’t you?"
"Yes," Gabriel answered.
Sighing, Kasumi answered, "I didn’t know what he was, Gabriel, and I didn’t
care.  Twelve years passed between the day I met him and the day I saw him
again.  Those twelve years are somewhat fogged now, but I still remember all
of the good memories.  Even a few of the bad ones.  The thing was,
throughout those twelve years I always felt like something was missing.  I
had long since learned to deal with my mother’s death.  So, I knew that
wasn’t it."
"What was it?"
"It was, like I was trying to remember someone," she answered.  "I had
almost forgotten about Kaneda, but his memory was there in my mind.  I could
still remember his kind words and the calming feeling he gave me… _that_,
Gabriel was what I was missing.  I was missing someone I could love."
"You fell in love with him?"
Nodding solemnly, Kasumi continued, "I didn’t realize it at the time, but I
did when I saw him again on my twentieth birthday."
Gabriel watched sadly as Kasumi told him of her birthday.  Her voice was
happy, but her words seemed sad.  Sometime, empathy was a tragic gift; her
story intrigued him, but he was finding it very difficult to stay focused.
The sadness in her words seemed contagious.  
"I remember that day vividly, Gabriel," Kasumi continued.  "I came home from
shopping and there he was; completely unchanged.  He had the same voice, the
same face, everything.  When I saw him, I realized what his memory meant to
me… I fell in love all over again."
"It was… a strange feeling," she added comically.
"What happened?"
Smiling, Kasumi replied, "Gabriel, for me to tell you everything that
happened in the twelve intervening years, would take all night.  When I saw
him, I had to speak to him.  I had to find out why he hadn’t aged.  And a
number of other questions I can’t quite remember.  Suffice to say, I found
out what he really was, but after all the strange things that happened in my
life, I didn’t care."
Gabriel raised his eyebrow skeptically.  He had always heard of strange
things happening in a person’s lifetime; being embraced and brought into a
society of the undead certainly qualified as such.  For some reason though,
Kasumi acted as though she had grown up with such things.  He made a mental
note to ask about sometime if she would grant him another audience.
 "But… how did you come to be embraced?" Gabriel asked.  He had a fairly
good idea of the circumstances, but he wasn’t certain.
"I asked him to embrace me," Kasumi answered ruefully.  "But, he had a small
surprise waiting for me before he agreed."
"A surprise?"
"He asked me to marry him."
Despite himself, Gabriel whistled in surprise.  For a long time, he had
believed himself to be a romantic sort, but such a bold act put him to
shame.  He smiled as Kasumi continued.
"We were married five years later on my twenty-fifth birthday," Kasumi
added, interrupting his thoughts.  "It was certainly strange, trying to
organize a wedding at night.  My father was adamant against it at first.
Kaneda explained that it had been a tradition in his family for years.
After that, father agreed.  The wedding was brief, but elegant."
	"I see," Gabriel answered.
	"Gabriel do you remember what it was like to be embraced?"
	"I could never forget."
	Shaking her head solemnly, Kasumi replied, "Neither can I."
	Gabriel nodded; there was little else he could do.  One could not forget
the pain of the becoming.  At first, the kiss of the sire’s fangs seemed
like the ultimate pleasure that one could experience.  But, after that,
after the progeny tasted the sire’s blood.  After the progeny invited the
beast into their being, the pain set in.  You could feel the pain erupt
inside as life slowly drained away to be replaced with the insane hunger of
the beast.  Gabriel shivered involuntarily.
	"Where is Kaneda now, Kasumi?" Gabriel asked.  He had never heard of his
Primogen being married.  Briefly, he wondered why.
	"Not long after we were married, an old friend of his asked him to come to
England for a few days," Kasumi replied.  "Kaneda agreed, but I had to stay
in order to help my sisters with a something they had set up at their
school.  He said that was okay and that he’d come back in a few days."
"Kaneda never returned to me, Gabriel," Kasumi continued, choking back a
sob.  "The Sabbat tried to make him attack the Prince and he refused.  The
Sabbat took Kaneda’s life in retaliation."
	Turning her gaze from Gabriel, Kasumi stared past the glass and into the
storm beyond.  As a flash of lightening struck ground nearby, Gabriel could
see her beautiful features accentuated by the pale light with two tiny
rivulets of blood falling across her cheeks.  Immediately, Gabriel regretted
his question.
	"Forgive me," Kasumi said solemnly.  "I… I always cry on nights like this.
Sometimes I think the rain cries with me."
	"I… I did not mean to stir unpleasant memories, Kasumi."
	Turning back to face him, Kasumi smiled wanly and wiped the blood from her
face.
	"Don’t be sorry, Gabriel," she responded.  Reaching forward, she retrieved
her glass of wine and held it before her.  "I don’t like to dwell on how
Kaneda died.  He and I where together for less than a year after he embraced
me, but even that time is precious.  I’ve learned to live with it, even
though it is very difficult.  Two-hundred years dulls the mind and body, but
not the spirit, after all."
	Gabriel nodded, unsure of how to respond.
	Swirling the blood red liquid within her glass, Kasumi contemplated the
areas of light and dark within it.  Like her and all others of her kind, the
liquid matched the nature of the Kindred.  When moving, it was like crystal;
translucent, pure and tantalizing.  When it stopped however, it became dark
and nearly opaque.  No light touched the unmoving liquid, just like no light
touched her soul.  When the liquid was dark, it was cold, impassive and
vulgar to look at.
	"Do you remember your first kill, Gabriel?"
	At the sound of her voice, Gabriel snapped his head up to meet her eyes.
If he had still been human, he was certain he would be blushing crimson.  He
had been so entrapped within her story he had not realized she had stopped
speaking.  
	"I… I don’t understand," he said slowly.
	Placing the glass back upon the table, Kasumi leaned back and stared toward
the window.  As Gabriel watched, a stray strand of hair pulled itself free
from her ponytail to fall just behind her cheek.  In the insane dance of
shadows caused by the candles, Gabriel was certain the hair was a scar of
some kind.
	"Gabriel," Kasumi ventured.  "Do you honor those you have killed?  Do you
even remember them?"
	Unwilling to let his shame show to his Primogen, Gabriel averted his eyes
from her face before speaking.  "I… do not honor my ‘victims,’ Kasumi," he
answered, still reluctant to call her by name.  "I rarely know their names.
Most of whom I take are homeless waifs, people cast out from society."
	"Just like you where?"
	"What?"
	Turning back to him, Kasumi smiled coldly.  "You take from what you where,
when you become what you are, Gabriel.  Or, so the saying goes.  Do you
remember your first kill?"
	Closing his eyes, Gabriel mimicked the motion of taking a deep breath
before answering.
	"No."
	Nodding, Kasumi returned her gaze to the storm which raged beyond her window.  
	"I remember mine," she said calmly.  "I remember it just like it was
yesterday."

******* 

	It is often said that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Such were her thoughts as she re-arranged her room for the twentieth time in
as many minutes.  With a disgusted sigh, she sat down heavily upon the bed.
At one time, simply re-arranging her room had been more than enough to bring
her happiness.  But that ‘at one time’ seemed ages ago.  She would still
smile merrily and pretend that nothing was wrong, but it was all a show and
she knew it.  For a time, she had been worried the charade would be picked
up, but thanks to her dark gifts, that worry had been eliminated.
	Ever since Kaneda’s death, very little could bring her joy.  When the news
of his death first reached her, her first thought was that it was a lie.
Next, she believed that it was merely a clever ruse perpetrated by the
Sabbat to hurt the Prince emotionally.  Neither one of those thoughts had
been true.  She remembered vividly how long she had cried when Yakamo… when
the Prince… had brought her the news.  
	Leaning back on the bed, Kasumi slowly ran her hand over the empty space
beside her.  Although they had been together less than a year at the time of
his death, to Kasumi, it felt like a lifetime.  At the funeral, she had been
devastated and had thanked heaven it had been raining that day.  She would
not have been able to attend the funeral otherwise.
After the ceremony, her father had seen the terrible mental condition she
had acquired and insisted that she return home for a little while at least.
That ‘little while’ had already become a year.
	Her family had been a big help, more help than she felt she deserved.  But
things had still been difficult.  Most noticeably, was the fact that she was
awake all hours of the night, and slept during the day.  For some time, her
father and sisters had driven her crazy about it.  Finally, she had gotten a
phony job that had her working at night, that way she had an excuse for
staying awake.  The story was enough to keep her family for worrying about
her, mostly.  Still, things where not as happy as they had been during her
time with Kaneda.
	Turning to one side, Kasumi put her face close to the empty pillow and
whispered, "I miss you."
	"Still thinking about Kaneda aren’t you, Sis?" 
	In surprise, Kasumi bolted upright and faced the door.  Leaning against the
doorjamb, dressed in her usual jeans-shorts and light blue short-sleeve,
rested Nabiki.  Kasumi did her best to smile, and was rewarded by one of her
sisters lopsided grins.  
	"Yeah, I guess I am, Nabiki," Kasumi replied.  Although on the outside she
retained a cheerful appearance, on the inside, she was cursing herself.  She
had retreated too deeply into her thoughts.  If Nabiki had been a hunter,
then the final death would have been delivered before any action could have
been taken.
	Nodding grimly, Nabiki walked to the bed and sat down.  "Don’t worry, Sis,"
Nabiki said comfortingly.  "Kaneda was a great guy, but you’ll be okay,
Kasumi.  I don’t think he’d want you to quit living just because he died.
	Kasumi smiled inwardly at her sisters ignorance.  Nabiki, who was always
the most observant of the Tendo family, was telling her to keep on living.
Stifling a laugh, she smiled and nodded.  <If only you knew, little sister.>
Kasumi thought coldly.
	"I know I haven’t been getting out much lately, Nabiki, but I guess I’m
just used to it.  My job keeps me a busy most nights.  That, and Kaneda was
always a night person so I always stayed up to be with him," Kasumi paused
at Nabiki unhidden smirk.  She did not even need to use Auspex to tell what
her sister was thinking.  "Don’t think like that Nabiki!" Kasumi scolded.
	"Who me?" Nabiki asked, with mock indignation.  "Kasumi, I would _never_
speculate on what a married couple did with their ‘nighttime.’  On no, not me."
	Despite herself, Kasumi laughed out loud at Nabiki’s joke.
	"There now," Nabiki commented.  "That’s the big sister I know and love."
	"Thank you, Nabiki," Kasumi replied.  "Its been a while since I had a good
laugh."
	Smirking, Nabiki answered, "On that count, how do you think Ranma and Akane
are doing?"
	Kasumi could not help but smile again.  After seeing her and Kaneda so
happy together, Ranma and Akane had finally begun taking their engagement
seriously.  Then, after Kaneda’s death, it had seemed their relationship had
grown even more.  Kasumi remembered probing Ranma’s mind once after the
funeral, a far more difficult task than she had expected.  
What she found had been surprising.  Ranma genuinely loved Akane, but he
also hoped that seeing the two of them together would somehow help Kasumi
take her mind off Kaneda.  Kasumi had looked at him in a much nobler light
since that day.  
"Oh… I’m sure they’re doing just fine," Kasumi answered, still smiling.
<They had better be!> She added to herself.  After finding out about Ranma’s
plans to ask Akane out from Nabiki (from whom he had borrowed money to pay
for said date), Kasumi had made it her quest to make the date go smoothly.
By now, the Gangrel and Toreador, along with their ghouls should have the
Cat Café and the Ucchan packed so tightly that neither Ukyou nor Shampoo
would have much time to blink, let alone interfere with Ranma and Akane.
Despite her precautions, however, Kasumi could not help but think she had
forgotten something.
BRING!  BRING! 
"Oh my!" Kasumi exclaimed, her reverie broken by the phone ringing.   "I
wonder who that could be."
Grinning, Nabiki stood quickly and said, "Probably, Mister Saotome telling
us to make plans for a wedding."
"I thought he and father agreed to leave Ranma and Akane alone."
"Dad did, Mister Saotome didn’t though."
Giggling softly, Kasumi stood and said, "You go answer it, I’ll be down in
just a moment."
"Okay."
As she watched her sister leave, Kasumi carefully smoothed the sheets of her
bed and muttered, "Goodnight my love, where ever you are."
Turning, she exited her room and descended the stairs.  As her foot left the
last step, her heightened senses told her something was wrong.  She could
her a rapid thumping coming from the direction of the kitchen.  Immediately,
she recognized it as a heartbeat.  Resisting the urge to rush into the
kitchen, Kasumi strolled inside and asked, "Who was it, Nabiki?"
To her surprise, Nabiki was not holding the phone.  Instead, her father held
it in a death grip several inches away from his ear, and was staring
straight ahead.  His breath, to Kasumi’s sensitive ears, sounded erratic and
strained.  Before she could ask what was wrong, however, her father spoke.
"We have to go to the hospital."
"What?" Kasumi blurted out, almost yelling.
"It… it’s Akane," Soun stammered,  "They have her in the emergency room."
"Why?"
"They… they don’t…"
Pushing self-control to the side, Kasumi rushed her father and, grabbing his
shoulders, shook him hard.  "Don’t do this to me, father!" She shouted.
"What happened!"
"They say it appears to be some sort of poison."
Kasumi’s eyes widened in shock.  After all of her preparations, all of her
precautions!  How could she have been so stupid!?
"Kasumi, we have to get to the hospital right away!"
"You go ahead with Nabiki, Father," Kasumi said, trying to sound firm.  
"But…" Soun stammered.
"No buts, father!" Kasumi replied.  "You go, Nabiki can go with you.  I know
someone who knows something about poison, I’ll go over there and see if they
can help us."
"Excellent!" Shouted Soun.  
Quickly, Kasumi probed her father’s mind and inserted a few commands to keep
him from loosing control.  A moment later, Nabiki entered the kitchen
saying, "I just heard, lets go."
Ushering them to the front door, Kasumi said, "I’ll hurry as fast as I can,
you two just go and make sure nothing else is wrong."
"Kasumi, are you sure this friend of yours can help, Akane?"
Grinning maliciously, Kasumi answered, "Oh yes, I’m certain of that."
"Good, just make sure he understands we will pay well for his services."
With that, Soun and Nabiki sped off into the night.
Kasumi stood stock still as she watched them exit the gate.  The pale light
emanating from the front door made its way to her and cast a long shadow
over the ground before her.  She wasn’t sure, but she could almost see the
deadly gaze of her white irises burning in the misbegotten darkness.
Looking upward, Kasumi leapt into the air, executing a jump that would have
made Ranma jealous.  As she landed on the dojo roof, she looked around
quickly.  The nighttime sky of Nermia was dark with clouds and the light
wind caused a chill to run down her spine.  Ignoring these, Kasumi scanned
the darkness for her objective.  Spotting it, she crouched low and sped off
into the night.
"Don’t worry, Father," she said, her voice dripping ice.  "I’ll make sure
they are paid well."

******

	Knock, knock!
	Kasumi stood impatiently before the lavishly crafted gates of the mansion.
The wooden doors, stripped by bands of wrought iron silently watched her as
she waited.  Above them, carved from stone, stood the ancient semblance of a
Tori gate.  The wall could be little more than twelve feet high, and easy
obstacle for her to overcome.  She did not, however, no what sort of
security the grounds contained and could not afford to be delayed longer
than necessary.
	Raising her hand to the iron rings, she raised it high and again brought it
down upon the door.  To her ears, the melody of the knocker sounded more
like a grating laugh.  The same laugh of the person she had come to speak to.
	Finally, after several moments, the massive doors slowly crept open.
	"Yes?" Inquired a tiny, mouse-like voice.
	Kasumi looked down at the voice.  Just behind the gate, she could make out
the form of a small man, dressed in solid black save for a red cowl around
his head.  Immediately, she recognized the small man as a Sasuke, the
mansion’s ninja caretaker.
	"Good evening, Sasuke," she said, straining to keep her voice calm.
	"Ah, Mistress Tendo," Sasuke responded.  "What brings you to the noble
house of Kuno at the late hour?"
	Smiling as warmly as she could manage, Kasumi answered, "I would like to
speak to Miss Kuno."
	"Uh… I’m sorry, but Mistress Kodachi left me with strict orders not to be
disturbed."
	"Sasuke," Kasumi began, her voice growing cold.  "I _will_ speak with Kodachi."
	"But…"
	"Now," Kasumi added, her voice icy.  Before Sasuke could protest again,
Kasumi forced her will into his mind, making him obey her request whether he
wanted to or not.  As the commands settled within the man’s mind, Kasumi
could not help but smile.  How could this simpleton call himself a ninja?
According to legend, Ninja where masters of their minds, able to control
others simply by looking within their eyes while stoically keeping others
out of their own minds.  For this fool to call himself a ninja… the very
idea seemed truly humorous, even though the situation was not. 
	"Right this way," Sasuke responded, bowing and motioning Kasumi inside.  
	"That is not necessary, Sasuke," Kasumi replied.  "Just tell me where
Kodachi is and how to find her."
	"She is in the greenhouse, Mistress Tendo," Sasuke answered.  "If you walk
around the edge of the mansion, you will encounter it near the rear."
	With a curt nod, Kasumi strode past Sasuke and onto the elegant lawn of the
Kuno estate.  As she past him though, she turned and gave one last command.
"I was not here.  No one was at the gate when you arrived."
	Leaving Sasuke behind, Kasumi slowly made her way around the edge of the
mansion, her senses straining for the sounds of any other servant.  Hearing
nothing, she quickly made her way to her objective.  As she walked, she
could not help but marvel at how much the Kuno estate seemed so much like
her own home.  The contours of the walls, the shape of the structure,
everything.  Almost everything.
	Kasumi’s sensitive noise could smell a strong, ancient scent of disuse and
despair that permeated every board of the mansion.  The smell was so unlike
her own home, where the scent of life and happiness still held strongly.
Kasumi did not know what could have caused the scent to be so strong, and
she did not care.  In another time, she may have been curious about the
scent and eager to find a way to remove it from the premises.  Now though,
she did not have time for such things.
Finally, she found the greenhouse from within it, soft light played softly
from between frosted glass panels, illuminating yard.  Moving stealthily
between the shadows, Kasumi found herself looking through the windows before
she realized she had even moved.  Inside, row upon row plants presented
themselves for her.  Black roses, seemed to be the most prevalent, but
Kasumi could make out a few nightshade blossoms and Venus Flytraps.  At the
far end, dressed in a black skirt and white blouse, stood Kodachi.   	
>From her vantage, Kasumi could make out a tiny pillar of smoke wafting
upward from in front of Kodachi.  Her ears caught the last notes of a
strange melody and could just barely smell a strange concoction which the
insane gymnast was obviously brewing.  Suddenly, Kodachi’s laugh pierced the
night.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!"
Unable to suppress her natural reactions, Kasumi cringed as the laugh sent a
chill up her spine.  <By the blood,> she thought. <How can anyone have such
a horrible laugh?  That could probably make a wraith cringe!>  Shaking her
head, Kasumi steeled herself and walked to the door of the greenhouse.
Taking hold of the latch, she lifted it an stepped inside.
"Sasuke!" Kodachi screamed.  "I thought I left orders not to be…"
Surprised, the young gymnast trailed off suddenly as Kasumi stepped into view.
"Hello, Kodachi," Kasumi deadpanned. 
"Who are you?"
With mock indignation, Kasumi stepped closer to Kodachi and said, "What’s
the matter, Kodachi?  You where at my wedding.  Don’t tell me you’ve already
forgotten that."
As Kasumi continued to walk toward her, Kodachi’s face scrunched up into a
disgusted look.  "Oh, its you," she said.  "The elder sister of that harlot
Akane Tendo."
"I want the antidote, Kodachi," Kasumi commanded, ignoring Kodachi’s slight
against Akane.
"What antidote?"
"Don’t play stupid with me, Kodachi, I want the antidote to the poison you
gave my sister."  Kasumi paused and, in a dangerously low tone, added, "And
I want it _now_."
"My dear, Miss Tendo… I have no idea what you are referring to," Kodachi
replied, her face confused.  "I have not left this greenhouse all evening."
"Then what is that you are making?"
"Not that it is any of your concern, but is my latest means of stealing my
Darling Ranma from that harlot who calls herself your sister."
"You will not speak of my sister that way!" Kasumi retorted.
"Who are you to demand anything of I?"  Kodachi returned, her voice haughty.
"I am the rising young flower of St. Heberake’s, and a member of the noble
Kuno family!  How dare a lowly peasant such as you barge into my home and
demand something of me?!"
"If you do not give me the antidote, Kodachi, I’ll show you exactly what a
‘lowly peasant’ can do to you."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  You!?  Do something to I?" Kodachi cackled.  "You who
can do little more than cook and clean house?  My brother has told me of
you, he says you have no training in the glorious rules of combat, and yet
you claim to be able to do something to one such as I?"
"I don’t have to claim anything, Kodachi," Kasumi replied. "Just give me the
antidote and I’ll leave you be."
Again, Kodachi’s insane laugh erupted to fill the greenhouse, and before
Kasumi could respond, the young woman had taken a ribbon from her desk and
used it to slash Kasumi across the cheek.  With a slight yelp of surprise,
Kasumi raised her hand to the cut, feeling a small trickle of blood.
"HAHAHAHA!!  That was merely a taste of my skill, if you do not wish to
taste more of it, you will leave now."
Removing her hand from her cheek, Kasumi stared daggers at Kodachi.  For
some reason, her disciplines where not effecting Kodachi, and that was
causing her anger to raise quickly.  Already, Kasumi could feel the talons
of the beast clawing its way up to the surface of her being.
"That was a very stupid move, Kodachi," Kasumi deadpanned.
"How dare you, you insolent peasant!" Kodachi retorted.  Stepping forward,
she lashed out with the ribbon in random pattern of deadly slashes.
"Give me the antidote, Kodachi!" Kasumi screamed, dodging the slashes as
best she could.  Unfortunately, one year of increased physical abilities
could hardly compensate for twenty-two years of non-aggression.  Thus, most
of Kodachi’s slashes made contact, tearing at Kasumi’s cold skin.
"I have done nothing to harm that harlot… at least not yet!"
"You’re lying!"
The moment, Kasumi spoke those words, Kodachi’s face darkened even more so.
Kasumi could hear the rapid pumping of Kodachi’s heart with the realization
of what she had been called.  She could smell the blood that had already
surfaced as a red flush of indignation coloring her face.  A moment later,
Kasumi heard the ribbon snap soundly and felt it wrap tightly around her
throat.  Reflexively, Kasumi brought her hands up to her throat to pray the
ribbon loose.
"You dare to call _me_ a liar, when it is you who have entered my home
unbidden while making false accusations!?"
Kasumi did not respond, she could feel Kodachi pulling the ribbon tighter
around her throat.  Beneath her skin, Kasumi could feel the claws tearing at
her flesh, trying to surface.  Despite all her willpower, she could not hold
out much longer.
"As I said, I have not harmed your sister, but your actions I will not
forgive!  No one accuses the Black Rose of that which she has not done!"  As
she finished, Kodachi pulled the ribbon, hard.
Kasumi felt a scream escape her lips as the ribbon bit deeply into her
throat, drawing blood.  The sound of the beast pounded in her ears as she
tried to keep it contained while fighting the death grip of Kodachi’s
ribbon.  Still, no one, not even the ancients could contain the beast
forever when wounded.  With a final thought of regret, Kasumi let herself go
and embraced the beast.
Opening her eyes, she stared at Kodachi through red-tinted vision.  She
could see the girls surprise that she had stopped struggling, but the
surprise did not last.  Immediately, Kodachi pulled the ribbon tighter, but
Kasumi was much quicker.  Grasping the ribbon in both hands, Kasumi pulled
it hard.
With a yelp of surprise, Kodachi was pulled forward into Kasumi from the
entire length of the greenhouse.  As she looked up, Kasumi could see the
overwhelming fear emerge as she saw her white irises reflected in the young
gymnast’s eyes.
"What… what the hell are you?" Kodachi stammered, fitting against Kasumi’s grip.
"You will soon find out," Kasumi heard herself say, her voice emotionless in
the frenzy.  Baring her fangs, Kasumi reared back and flung Kodachi into the
glass wall of the greenhouse.  Kodachi screamed as the glass shattered,
sending razor shards tearing into her skin.  Springing through the window,
Kasumi pounced on her prey.
"Sasuke!" Kodachi screamed, panic ringing in her voice as she fought to
escape the frenzied vampire.  A moment later, the Kuno ninja appeared,
charged into the fray to try and help.  Kasumi, her senses heightened beyond
all possibility, felt him as he moved to strike and immediately backhanded
the poor man across his face, sending him sprawling.  For Kodachi, however,
the momentary break was all she needed to escape into the house.  Wasting no
time, Kasumi gave chase.  

*****

	Kodachi ran through the Kuno mansion haphazardly, not caring what came into
her path, just so long as she escaped Kasumi.  Trying to fight of the terror
which plagued her mind, Kodachi tried vainly to remember where she had
hidden some of her other weapons.  As she moved though, she could hear the
sounds of furniture crashing behind her and knew she did not have much time.
	What in the name of heaven had happened to that girl?  The eldest of the
Tendo sisters was know throughout the city as someone who never raised her
voice, let alone attack someone.  And what about her eyes?  They had been
completely white!  What kind of demon could give a person _white_ eyes?
	Reaching her room, Kodachi bolted the door solidly and began rummaging
through her weapons.  A giant mace, a wooden mallet, swords and ribbons
where all good for fighting a human opponent, but what could she use to
fight a demon?  Fervently, Kodachi wished that her brother was home instead
of being in Kyoto for that blasted kendo tournament!
	Suddenly, she heard something crash against the door to her chambers.  In
surprise and fear, she overturned one of her vases, sending a bushel of
black roses all over the floor.  Again, something struck the door, causing
it to buckle.
	<Impossible!> Kodachi thought.  <That door is solid oak and is over three
inches thick!>  Backpedaling, Kodachi screamed as she stepped on one of the
roses, jabbing its thorns into her foot.  Unable to balance, she fell to the
floor with a thud.  A moment later, the door shattered and Kasumi stepped
through.  
For a moment, she seemed to sniff the air and then turned to face Kodachi.
>From the floor, Kodachi could still see the white eyes of the demon before
her and the sight made her cringe.  In a last ditch effort, Kodachi pulled
to batons from the wall and made a cross before her.  For some reason, she
remembered hearing that a cross could keep away demons.
	The belief died, however, as Kasumi swatted the makeshift cross away from
Kodachi’s hands.  Bending down, Kasumi grabbed Kodachi’s arms and raised her
high into the air.  Using her added vampire strength, Kasumi began to
squeeze the young woman’s arms causing her to cry out in pain.  A moment
later, she slammed Kodachi against the wall and let her slide down it until
her feet 
touched the floor.
	"I gave you a chance to save yourself, Kodachi," Kasumi said, her voice
filled with mirth.  Before Kodachi could respond though, Kasumi gripped the
front of her blouse and tore the collar free.  With a cry of embarrassment,
Kodachi brought her arms up to cover her breasts.  Soundlessly, Kasumi
basked in the terror the young girl felt.  Deep down, she could feel herself
screaming that this was wrong, but could not stop herself.  The beast had
full control of her, and she could do nothing but watch.
	Kodachi whimpered as Kasumi lowered her face to the girls exposed neck.
With a smirk, Kasumi began to nuzzle Kodachi’s neck as she sought out her
corated artery.  Kodachi began to cry as Kasumi sniffed along her throat.  A
moment later, Kasumi found her objective and ran her tongue sensuously
across Kodachi’s skin.  Extending her fangs, Kasumi bit deeply into the vein. 
	Kodachi screamed.

****    

	<W-what happened?> Kasumi asked herself, unsure of where she was.  The
surroundings seemed familiar, like she had been in them before, but she
could not remember when.  She was sprawled out on a thickly padded carpet,
but she did not know where.  Sniffing the air, she found it smelled of blood
and of death.  <Death?>
	Suddenly, reality came crashing into Kasumi as she realized what she had
done.  Bolting upright, Kasumi snapped her head from left to right quickly.
Unlike usually, her vision did not cloud over from the sudden change of
position.  That in itself was a terrible sign, attesting that she had feed
_very_ recently.  Looking around, she found herself in an elegantly
decorated room containing a four poster bed, a desk and numerous vases of
black roses.
	"Black… roses?" Kasumi stammered.  In horror, she spun around quickly to
look at one wall.  There, at its base, lay Kodachi’s limp body.  In horror,
Kasumi covered her mouth with her hand and backpedaled in shock, trying to
get away from the scene before her.  As her back finally reached the wall,
she stopped.  Shaking her head, she prayed she was dreaming.
	<The beast rests in all of us Kasumi.  Even though we always try to control
it, sometimes it breaks free.  Beware those times, Kasumi.  When the beast
breaks the chains you place on it, you never know what will happen… or who
it will hurt.>
	As Kasumi remembered Kaneda’s words of caution, the gravity of her
situation finally made itself known.  She had lost control, allowed the
beast to break its chains.  In desperation, Kasumi rushed forward to
Kodachi, praying that there was still life within her.  As she neared her
though, the hopes quickly faltered.
	Kodachi’s dress was torn from her collar to just below her breasts.  Just
to the right of her throat, a dark purple bruise seemed to glow in the
darkness of the room.  From the soft light seeping through the window,
Kasumi could see that Kodachi’s skin was completely pale.  That was not the
worst though.