The young gymnast’s face was frozen in a mask of pure terror, with her eyes
locked open, staring into the darkness.  Even Kasumi’s ears could not hear
any blood moving through the girl’s veins.
	Despite herself, Kasumi felt a tear run down her cheek.  She should have
known this would happen.  Of all of the girls chasing Ranma, Kodachi was the
most unforgiving.  Deep inside, she knew Kodachi would never admit that she
had poisoned Akane.  But Kodachi was the only person that could have done
it, and Kasumi had learned through experience, that Kodachi always had an
antidote for her poisons.  That was why she had come.  She had prayed that
she could convince Kodachi to give her the antidote, or at the very least,
scare the girl into running so that she could search for the antidote.  But
no, Kodachi had denied everything, and Kasumi had lost control.
	<Lost control!  Lost Control!  Killer!  Killer!>
	Kasumi covered her ears against the awful words ringing in her mind.
Shouting at the top of her voice, she tried to justify what had happened.
She tried desperately to convince herself what had happened was unavoidable,
that it wasn’t really her fault, but nothing changed the facts.  Nothing
could change what she had done.
	Reaching down out a tentative hand, Kasumi gently closed Kodachi’s eyes to
avoid her stare.  Even though her own skin was slightly warmed from the
feeding, Kodachi’s was cold as ice.  With trepidation, Kasumi gently cradled
Kodachi’s body in her arms and, standing, carried her to her bed.  Gently,
Kasumi laid Kodachi’s body on the soft mattress.  Reaching down, Kasumi
gentle tried to make Kodachi appear to be resting comfortably, but the look
of terror remained.  Turning to one side, Kasumi gently pulled one of the
roses from its vase.  Reverently, she placed the black flower on Kodachi’s
breast.   
	"I… I’m sorry, Kodachi," Kasumi stammered.  
	Turning from the Kodachi’s still form, Kasumi slowly made her way out of
the room.  Moving through the house, she found it ransacked.  Like Kodachi,
she knew the destruction was her fault, but she stoically refused to think
about it.  For better or worse, killing was part of her nature now, and she
could do nothing to change that fact.  Shaking her head, Kasumi made her way
through the wreckage to the greenhouse.  She had come here for a reason.
	Outside, Kasumi surveyed the destruction of the yard.  Like the inside,
everything seemed shattered.  Spotting Sasuke, she rushed to his side
quickly.  Kneeling, she was relieved that he was unconscious, but otherwise
unharmed.  Standing, she quickly entered the greenhouse before anything else
could distract her.  
	Inside, she found the mixture Kodachi had been working on boiled over and
the flame of the burner extinguished.  Sniffing it, Kasumi recognized the
mixture of nightshade mixed with a form of sleeping powder.  Looking through
the shelves, Kasumi found numerous notes and mixtures.  
	"Oh god," she said, "I don’t know what could be the right one!"
	After continuing to search for several more minutes, Kasumi still was no
closer to finding the antidote.  Finally, she did the only thing she could
think of.  Exiting the greenhouse, she reentered the mansion and searched
for a phone.  Calling the hospital was going to be extremely risky, but she
could not think of what else to do.  
	Finding the phone, she dialed the hospital number quickly.
	"Hello, Nermia General."
	"Yes, my name is Kasumi Tendo, my sister was brought in earlier."
	"Your sisters name?"
	"Akane Tendo."
	"Umm….," the voice trailed off and Kasumi could hear the sound of paper
ruffling.  "Oh, I’m sorry miss Tendo, your sister was released about ten
minutes ago."
	Kasumi felt the world crash down around her as she listened to the nurse.
"What… what happened?"  Kasumi asked.  "What was wrong with her?"
	"Um… your sister had hard hitting case of food poisoning.  Very common
lately it seems.  Some kind of virus in fish I believe.  Hits hard, acts
like a severe poison and works its way out of the system in about two hours.
Her chart however was accidentally mixed up with that of another girl named
Akane who had ingested rat poison."
	"T-T-thank you, I… I’m sorry to have bothered you."
	"No trouble, Miss Tendo, have a pleasant evening."
	As the nurse hung up, Kasumi felt her grip on the telephone go numb.  A
moment later, it slipped from her nerveless grip.  She had been wrong.
Kodachi had denied poisoning Akane, because she _hadn’t_ poisoned Akane.  
	"What… what have I done?"
	<Killer! Killer! Killer! Killer!>
	Grasping the sides of her head, Kasumi fell to the ground screaming.

***

	Gabriel listened in shock as Kasumi concluded her tail.  The story she told
him seemed similar to one of his own experiences, but the story was far
worse than the actual experience.  What had unnerved him more than anything
else was the emotionless tone with which she told the tale.
	"Kodachi was my first kill, Gabriel," Kasumi said.  "Who was yours?"
	Gabriel stared at her oddly.  In his lifetimes, he had only known the names
of a few of his kills, but even those where difficult to remember.  Who had
his first kill been?  For that matter, _when_ had he made his first kill?
	"In all honesty, I do not remember my first kill," Gabriel answered truthfully.
	"I see," Kasumi replied.  "In that case, do you remember how many you have
killed?"
	Shaking his head, Gabriel answered, "I don’t know that either.  I lost
count somewhere near twenty."  The last sentence had been added as a joke,
but if Kasumi was amused, she did not show it.
	"Gabriel, after Kodachi’s death, I’ve killed only one other person," Kasumi
continued.  "That other, was a hunter who tried to take my ‘life’
approximately fifty years ago.  I would have spared him, but he left me no
choice other than to take his life."
	Averting his eyes, Gabriel screamed at himself.  If what Kasumi told him
was true, then she was among very few kindred who could make such a claim.
Suddenly, Gabriel felt lower than dust.
	"Things change when you become a killer," Kasumi continued.  "Kaneda told
me that soon after he embraced me and taught me the traditions.  He always
told me to keep the beast chained as deep within my being as possible, but I
didn’t listen."
	"That isn’t true!" Gabriel exclaimed.  "The girl attacked you!  She…"
	"No, Gabriel," Kasumi calmly interrupted.  "Kodachi was innocent.  She had
nothing to do with my sisters predicament, but because she knew poisons, I
assumed she was responsible.  In doing so, I sealed her death."
	"But…"
	Shaking her head, Kasumi motioned Gabriel to silence before continuing.
"Kaneda once told me that when you are embraced, you loose half of your
soul.  Later, he told me that you lose the other half the first time you
take someone’s life.  If that is true, than I no longer have any form of
soul to call my own."
	As she finished, Kasumi drank deeply from her glass and turned her gaze
once again from to the window.    
	"Kasumi," Gabriel ventured.  "I doubt that is true, before I was embraced,
I knew something of religious beliefs, and I know that without a soul one
cannot live… either in life or unlife."
	"I know, Gabriel," Kasumi replied.  "Kodachi’s death is on my hands and I
accept it.  That death was horrible to be sure, but that was nothing
compared to what happened after her death."
	"What do you mean?"
	Leaning back, Kasumi gazed out into the storm.  "As you can imagine, I was
horribly distraught after Kodachi’s death.  Before that, I had hardly ever
raised my voice to someone, let alone lashed out at them.  To have actually
taken someone’s life sickened me, Gabriel.  I walked home in a daze.  When I
got there, father greeted me, asking what I had found out." 
	Gabriel cringed slightly as Kasumi laughed quietly.  In his long years, he
had met numerous people with horrid, grating laughs; much like how his
Primogen had described Kodachi’s laughter.  He prided himself on being stoic
minded;  Kasumi’s innocent, childlike laughter, however, unnerved him more
than anything he had ever heard.  
	"I don’t even remember what kind of lie I told to my father, all I know is
that he accepted whatever it was at face value.  Whether it was out of
habit, or some unconscious desire, I fell into my old routine and went to
check on Akane.  Once I did that, I returned to my room and slept.  When…
when I awoke the next evening, I almost had myself convinced I had dreamed
the whole thing."
	"But you didn’t, did you?"
	Shaking her head ruefully, Kasumi continued, "No, I didn’t.  I was able to
forget everything that happened for a while.  That is, until Akane and Ranma
came home from school two days later."
	"I don’t understand."
	"I had been out all night as usual and had slept most of the day because of
my ‘job.’ That’s when it happened," Kasumi replied.  "Ranma and Akane where
unusually late that day; I woke up at sunset and they still weren’t home.
When they finally did make it home, it was well past dark, so I was up and
about going through my usual routine.  Washing dishes, I believe."
	Gabriel could not help but snicker.  Everything he had heard of Kasumi
suggested that she was a high born lady of quality.  The longer he listened
to her tale, however, he was beginning to understand that her nobility had
been earned, not inherited.  Still, the thought of a Primogen doing
housework amused him.
	Ignoring Gabriel, Kasumi continued, "They were talking about how their day
had gone, but sounded unusually melancholy.  When I heard that note in their
voices, I knew something was wrong and that stirred the memory of what I
did.  Of course, it was still just on the edge of my mind and I couldn’t
grasp the whole thought.  I listened closely and I finally caught Ranma
saying that he could not believe what had happened."  Pausing Kasumi turned
back to face Gabriel, her face streaked with bloody tears.  "When I asked
him what happened, he told me that Kodachi’s brother, Tatewaki, had told
both he and Akane that when he had returned home from his Kendo tournament
to find Kodachi at home dead."
	"Go on, please," Gabriel pleaded.
	"I… I don’t know whether it was some kind of ungodly trick of fate, or
merely some bit of my former existence that I hadn’t lost yet, but I managed
to keep myself from running in terror and responded with an ‘Oh my,’ they
way I used to.  I don’t know whether I fooled them or not, but I guess they
where too disturbed to say anything.  They weren’t half as disturbed as I
was, though."
	"What did you do?"
	"Even after they told me that, I couldn’t grasp the fact that _I_ had been
the one who had killed Kodachi.  That fact set in later.  When it finally
did… I don’t think I’ve ever been so horrified in my life.  I, somehow,
managed to make it up to my room before I collapsed."
	"I see," Gabriel responded.  "I remember something like that happening to
me once.  It may well have been after my first kill.  But… I did eventually
pull myself out of that terror, Kasumi."
	"So did I," Kasumi replied.  "But that wasn’t for a long time.  And…"
	"And?"
	"And, it was not until after I did something I regret even more than when I
killed Kodachi."

**

	Kasumi cautiously peeked her head out from beneath her sheets.  Carefully
cracking open her eyes, she faced her self-imposed prison.  The darkened
room greeted her as it had done some many times before. She had long since
lost track of the passage of time.  How long had she been here?  A day? A
week?  An hour?  
	Shaking Kasumi wrapped her blankets around herself more tightly as she
stared into the room.  The room itself had become completely dark, and she
felt as though it where no more than she deserved.  Black curtains covered
her windows keeping the light at bay whether the sun was shining or not.
Across from her, the broken remains of her mirror stared at her accusingly.
The sight of the room was horrible.  A horrible reminder of what she had
done, of what she had become.  Why?  Why had she been so stupid?
	 Even the thickly padded comforter offered no warmth anymore.  Idly, she
wondered why.  Her mother had made the comforter for her on her fifth
birthday and it had always been soothing.  Now though, even it was rejecting
her.  
	Closing her eyes, Kasumi swallowed hard.  She could feel the hunger growing
deeply within her; could feel the beast roaring beneath her skin.  How long
had it been since she last feed?
	Raising up slightly, careful to keep the blankets tight around herself, she
gazed at the empty room.  Even though it was dark, her eyes could still see
every detail, just as she could hear every noise within the house.  Akane
and Ranma seemed to be arguing about something downstairs and she could hear
Nabiki busily typing on her calculate in the room adjacent to her own.  
	Knock! Knock!
	Surprised, Kasumi jumped slightly.  The noise had come from her door, but
she had not even heard anyone approaching.  "W-who is it?" She asked timidly.
	"Hey, Kasumi, Akane told me to tell you that dinner was ready."
	Nabiki.  Kasumi desperately wanted to leave the room, but she could not
risk doing so.  One person was already dead because of her.  What would
happen if she lost control around her family?
	"I… I’m not hungry, Nabiki," Kasumi lied.  She was hungry, very hungry.
Although Akane’s cooking had grown steadily better since Kasumi had
originally moved out, it would not satisfy her anymore.  Kasumi could not
risk loosing control when in the presence of what she needed to survive.  
	"Kasumi… come on," Nabiki replied through the door.  "You haven’t been out
in three days.  What’s wrong?  Are you okay?"
	<No, I’m not,> Kasumi thought.  "I’m fine Nabiki, I… I’m just not hungry."
	"But…"
	Reaching out, Kasumi tried to exert her will over Nabiki to make her leave
before something happened.  For some reason though, the powers where
responding slowly and it took several moments of concentration before
Nabiki’s footsteps began to echo down the hallway.  Leaning back heavily,
Kasumi tried to clear her mind, but it wasn’t working.  Turning, she gazed
at her pillow as though it would come to life and devour her.  She couldn’t
go back to sleep.  She had to feed, but couldn’t take the risk of doing so.
But what would happen to her if she didn’t feed?  
In all truth, she didn’t care anymore, just as long as her family stayed
safe.  Reluctantly, she laid back down and closed her eyes.  Immediately,
her memories flooded her again.

*

It _had_ been three days since it happened.  She had left the house to feed,
but the moment she found someone, the impact of what Ranma told her finally
settled in.  How close had she been to the person?  Not far… that much was
certain.  She had stopped herself a the last moment and ran until she was
safe within her room again.
The moment she had arrived, she slammed the door heavily and leaned against
it.  What had she been thinking?  She was almost ready to attack someone.
It had been easy before… back when Kaneda was still alive.  The two of them
would go out, find a couple of solitary walkers, drink a small amount of
their blood and be on their way.
But Ranma’s words held her back.  Something in them seemed to stir a memory
within her.  For her life though, she could not remember what.  Valiantly,
she tried to remember what Ranma had said exactly.  

<Sorry we’re so late, Kasumi.  Akane and I stayed late to help Kuno.> 
<Why?>
<He came home from his kendo competition and found Kodachi dead.  She was on
her bead
    with one of her roses on her chest.  From what Kuno told us, she had a
really bad bruise on 
    her neck and not a drop of blood in her body.>

In horror, Kasumi brought her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
The memory of the two nights ago made itself known as Ranma’s words rang
through her ears.  <Kodachi… dead… no blood…>  
Shaking in terror, Kasumi felt her legs fail her, causing her to slide down
to the floor.  Taking her hand away from her face, she could just make out
the tiny, almost useless veins beneath her skin.  With a snarl of rage, she
extended her fangs and tore a small chunk of skin from her palm, just below
her thumb.  Her blood quickly flowed from the wound.
Only it wasn’t her blood.  She did not _have_ blood any longer!  This was
someone else’s blood.  It was… it was Kodachi’s blood!



Kasumi snapped awake suddenly as a knocking sound echoed through her room.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
With a trembling hand, Kasumi wiped her cold skin, praying for sweat to once
again be flowing from her brow.  As expected though, no sweat marred her
face.  Within her, she could feel something clawing against her skin.  Too
afraid to speak, she quickly forced herself from the edge of her bed until
her back was pressed firmly against the wall.  She could only pray that
whoever was outside her door would leave.
"Kasumi?"
<Oh, god.  Please, not her!> Kasumi thought as she heard her sister’s voice
echo through the wooden portal.  
"G-go away, Akane," Kasumi whimpered, too scarred to raise her voice.
"Kasumi?  Come out, please."
Kasumi curled herself into a tight ball and buried herself deeper into the
blankets.  She was too tired to force her will onto Akane and make her
leave.  She could only pray her sister took the hint.  These hopes, however,
where quickly stamped out as she heard the door knob turn slowly.  A moment
later, the hallway light flooded her room.  In pain, Kasumi threw the
blankets over her head.
"Kasumi?"
"Go away, Akane!" Kasumi replied, trying to sound cold.  <Oh please let her
listen for once!> she thought.  
But Akane didn’t listen.  
Kasumi could hear her footsteps moving across the room toward the bed.
Already, she could smell the blood coursing through Akane’s body.  A moment
later, Kasumi made a sharp intake of air as Akane sat down on the edge of
the bed.  The burning within her began to grow as she heard Akane’s blood
flowing through her veins.
"Kasumi… what’s going on?" Akane asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I- I’m fine… I can’t…," Kasumi stammered, she could already feel the beast
clawing at her. Kasumi stiffened suddenly as Akane placed a warm hand on her
shoulder.  It took every ounce of willpower which remained in her body to
keep from screaming.
"Kasumi!" Akane yelled, "You’re freezing!  What’s wrong?"
"I- I’m okay…" Kasumi stammered.  <Have to hold on… have to keep control.>
Even as she thought the words though, Kasumi could already feel her control
slipping. Wordlessly, Akane reached forward and took hold of Kasumi.
Lifting her gently, Akane shifted her sitting position and cradled Kasumi’s
body against her own.  
"A-Akane… don’t!" Kasumi stammered.  "I-I’m alright!"  <Damn it!  Why… why
does she have to do this!?> Kasumi screamed at herself.  
As Akane held her, Kasumi’s head rested against her younger sister’s chest.
Through the thin material of Akane’s clothes, Kasumi could her the rapid
thumping of her sisters heart.  Her sensitive nose could already smell
Akane’s warm blood… and it smelled so good!
"Kasumi!  Your sick!  Let me help you okay?!"
"Akane… y-you can’t h-help me!"
"But…"
Kasumi could feel the talons of the beast clawing under her skin.  Even
though Kasumi knew the "claws" where only psychological, she felt as if the
pain she was experiencing was physical as well.  Her sister’s blood, the
only thing that could satisfy the beast, was inches away from her.  All she
had to do was lunge.
"No… I- I can’t give in!  I can’t give in!"
BUMPA! BUMPA!
"Kasumi?"  Akane questioned.  
BUMPA! BUMPA!
The beasts claws tore into the tender flesh of Kasumi’s body.  The sound of
her sisters heart pounded in her ears, taunting her.  The warm blood flowing
through Akane’s veins called out to the beast, begging it to strike.
"A-Akane… you… you have to get away!" Kasumi pleaded.  "I… I don’t want…"
"Kasumi! Talk to me! What’s wrong with you?!"  Akane begged.  
Kasumi could hear the pain in Akane’s voice… the concern.  It only served to
further enrage the beast within her.  <Akane’s my sister!> Kasumi thought,
pleading with the beast to calm down.  <She’s my sister!  You can’t hurt
her!  Please… don’t hurt her!>
BUMPA! BUMPA!
The blood flowing through her sisters veins could not be ignored.  The heat
coming from her skin was comforting, yet infuriating.  The object of the
beast’s desire was inches away and Kasumi was hard pressed to keep it under
control.  Akane’s blood smelled so good!
"Akane… please…" Kasumi pleaded.
"Kasumi I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong!" Akane begged.
BUMPA! BUMPA!
Kasumi heard the blood flowing and so could the beast.  Although she could
no longer sweat, it seemed that her room was quickly becoming unbearably
hot.  Within her, she felt pain explode as her control slowly slipped away.
Why did Akane have to be so stubborn!?
"Akane… just…!"
BUMPA! BUMPA!
"Kasumi!  I’m not leaving!"
BUMPA! BUMPA!
As Akane’s works reached her ears, Kasumi felt the reigns of the beast give
way.  Three days without feeding, coupled with the trauma of Kodachi’s death
was just too much for her to cope with.  Without a pain of remorse, the
beast burst forth from it cage.  No matter how much of her will Kasumi tried
to exert, she was no longer strong enough to stop the attack.  Even as she
screamed, she could do nothing but watch.
In a flash of movement, to quick to follow, Kasumi pounced on her sister.
The beast, so enraged that it had been denied it’s sustenance for so long,
paid no attention to the pleadings of its host.  Without warning, Kasumi
tore away Akane’s collar and threw her against the wall.  Although her mind
pleaded with her body to stop, the beast had full reign.  Kasumi could hear
Akane’s scream, trying to find out what had happened, but the beast wound
not let her explain.  
When Kasumi had killed Kodachi, it had been a frenzy, pure unbridled rage.
Now though, after three days of denying the beast its food, she had entered
into something far worse; a blood frenzy.  
Pure, animalistic instincts made her extend her fangs.  Bestial logic made
her tare away her sister’s shirt.  Cold hunger drove the fangs into her
sister’s exposed neck.
Akane screamed.
Kasumi felt the scream move through her very being, just as she felt Akane’s
arms pounding against her back, trying to pry the frenzied vampire loose,
but the beast did not care.  The moment Kasumi’s fangs left Akane’s skin,
she began to drink.  As the warm blood flowed from the wound into her,
mouth, Kasumi felt Akane’s attacks lessen in intensity as her skin became cold.
"What the hell?!"
Somewhere in the recess of her mind, the tiny part which still maintained
intelligence registered another presence within the room.  A moment later,
Kasumi felt another set of hands grab her shoulders, trying to pry her loose
from Akane.  With a swat of her arm, Kasumi sent the interloper flying away
from her and slowly stood up; still drinking from Akane’s now limp form.  
Removing her lips from Akane’s throat Kasumi cast her sister into the bed.
Akane’s limp form crumpled like a rag doll as she hit the mattress.  Without
a pang of remorse, the beast looked toward the interloper.  Ranma, dressed
only in his silk pants and muscle shirt, holding his head from where he had
impacted the wall stared back at her, a look of horror on his face.  Licking
her lips, Kasumi cleaned the still warm blood from around her mouth and charged.
Ranma, although strong enough and quick enough to avoid any mortal’s attack,
was not fast enough to stop the frenzied vampire.  Kasumi, a prisoner within
her own body, could see Ranma’s cold fear through the blood tinged vision of
the beast.  Ranma dodged all of her attacks, to avoid hurting her.  The
beast, however, had no such hindrances… or concerns.  
As Kasumi’s body lashed out against Ranma, her mind screamed that this was
wrong.  That Ranma had only come to help Akane.  The beast, however,
stubbornly refused to listen; all it cared about was its still unabated
hunger.  
Finally, Kasumi managed to pin Ranma’s arms to his side.  She could feel his
muscles, tight as piano wire, pushing against her, trying to break free.
However, even Ranma’s exceptional strength could not overcome the increased
power the blood frenzy gave her.  Lunging forward, Kasumi sank her fangs
into his throat.  Unlike her previous victims though, Ranma did not scream;
if anything, the bite only strengthened his resolve to get away.  
The moment Kasumi tasted Ranma’s blood, however, something within her gave
way.  She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was a noise that made the beast
hesitate in its feeding.  The mistake was tiny, but a mistake nonetheless.
Concentrating, Kasumi forced the newly acquired blood to flow through her
useless veins, strengthening her willpower.  A moment later, Kasumi released
Ranma.
As her willpower forced the beast to return to its chains, the bloody tinge
left her vision, letting her see her room for what seemed like the first
time in months.  Ranma, no longer restrained by her, slumped to the floor,
his hand pressed tightly against his shoulder; hopefully to staunch the
blood flow which had already saturated much of his shirt.
Turning her head ever so slightly, Kasumi gazed at the open door of her
room.  Framed by the light of the hallway, Kasumi could see her father,
Nabiki, Genma and Nodoka all crowded into the doorjamb.  Shaking her head,
Kasumi back up quickly, bloody tears already streaking her face.  It
couldn’t be true.  She couldn’t… she didn’t… it wasn’t possible.  
Turning to her bed, Kasumi could see Akane’s still form laying like a broken
toy.  An ugly bruise covered much of her throat while a small trail of blood
moved down her chest.  Kasumi brought both her hands to cover her mouth to
keep herself from screaming.  As her hands covered her mouth, she feel the
still warm blood which covered her lips.
 She was wrong, the unthinkable had happened.
<No!  This can’t be right!> She screamed at herself.  <I locked myself up in
here to keep this from happening!>  Kasumi could hear the barely audible
heartbeat coming from Akane, but it was very weak.  Turning in horror, she
faced her family while taking an involuntary step back.  All those he stared
at her, stared with a mixture of fear, shock and confusion.  As she stared
back, Kasumi felt head shift, still trying to deny what had happened, as her
body begin to shake as in an earthquake.
With a primal scream of pain and self-loathing, Kasumi spun on her heel and
launched herself at the window.  Ignoring the calls of her family, she
jumped forward, covering her face with her arms.  The glass of the window
shattered easily against her and the oppressive heat of her room was quickly
replaced by the cool night air.  The moment her feet touched the ground,
Kasumi sped off into the night, not daring to even look back.

**********

	The midnight streets of Nermia moved by in a blur as she ran from her home.
For the first time since she was first embraced, Kasumi could again feel the
blood coursing through her veins.  For the first time, she could again feel
her heart pounding in her chest.  The sensation was strange, frightening,
and completely unwelcome.  
	The night air felt cold against her skin.  Overhead, storm clouds gathered
in the distance and an arch of lightening flashed through the air.  Still
she kept running.
	Had she still been human, Kasumi was certain her lungs would be screaming
for oxygen.  She was, however, no longer human and she new it.  For so long,
she had tried to hold on to the humanity that had been stripped away from
her when Kaneda embraced her.  When she _asked_ Kaneda to embrace her!
	All vestige of that humanity had been stripped away however, the moment she
set eyes on her sister’s still form.  She was a killer now.  Even if Akane
survived, she would never be the same.  She had hurt her sister.  She had
become a killer, in body and spirit at least; if not in mind as well.
	The empty streets of Nermia seemed more suited to her now.  Cold, empty…
and alone.  
	She did not know how much time had passed since she fled the dojo, and she
did not care.  She had hurt her family.  She had hurt the people who she had
always tried to nurture and protect.  In her mind, she no longer had the
right to call them her family.
	It was not until she found herself in the park near Tokyo, nearly ten miles
from her home, that she allowed herself to slow down.  
	Like the rest of the places she had passed through, the park was cold, dark
and deserted.
	"Good," she said out loud, certain no one would hear her.  The fewer people
she had around her, the less likely it was she could lose control again.  It
was more than she felt she deserved.  
	Leaning against a tree, Kasumi let herself sink to the ground.  Looking
down at herself, she found her thin nightgown streaked with blood, both
Akane’s and Ranma’s.  Even though the garment was thin, it seemed
oppressively heavy because of the blood.  
Pulling her knees to her chest, she crossed her arms across them, praying to
find some warmth within herself she could hold onto.  Finding none, she
cradled her head on her arms and cried.  And she could hear the beast
laughing at her.
	<You can never deny the beast, Kasumi.  Not giving it its nourishment only
strengthens it while at the same time weakens you.  The longer you keep it
from feeding, the more dangerous it becomes when it finally breaks its
chains.  When that happens, it will attack any who are near; lovers,
friends… family.>
	<Family>
	The word stung Kasumi more than any knife ever could.  Looking up, she
could see the darkness around her, the swaying of the tree limbs as they
moved to a soft breeze.  She could smell the cherry blossoms on the trees as
they danced in the cool night air.
	This was her family now.  The night.  The darkness.  She would never know
light again and would never see her family again.  No matter what, she could
never put them in such a danger ever again.  
	Suddenly, Kasumi’s sensitive ears picked up a noise in the trees above her,
interrupting her dark musings.  Looking up, she barely had time to dodge as
shuriken embedded itself in the tree trunk where her head had been seconds
earlier.  Leaping from her sitting position, Kasumi spun in the air and
landed to face her attacker.  
	As the attacker jumped down from the tree, Kasumi immediately recognized
Sasuke’s small form.  He still wore his black ninja garb, but it was torn in
many places, as though he had been living in the same suit for several days
now.  Several cuts and bruises covered his face.
	"Sasuke?" Kasumi asked.
	In reply, Sasuke charged at Kasumi, a wakazashi held high over his head.
Without a word or battle cry, he buried the blade into the ground near
Kasumi as she jumped away.  <Oh god!> she thought.  <Not again!>
	Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Sasuke slashed again,
catching her across the shoulder.  Kasumi screamed in pain and reflexively
brought her hand to cover the wound.  Jumping backward to avoid another
slash, she landed hard, twisting her ankle and sending her to the ground.
As she landed, she realized that Sasuke was a perfect way to end her
suffering.  If she allowed him to kill her now, she would no longer pose a
danger to anyone.  Her mind made up, Kasumi steeled herself for the final
blow to be delivered.  
	Only the strike never came.  Raising her eyes, Kasumi could see Sasuke
standing over her; his sword posed to strike at a moment’s notice, his whole
body shaking silently.  Whether he was shaking from fear or indecision,
Kasumi had no way of knowing.
	Lowering her head, Kasumi silently brushed her hair away from her neck,
aware of the tears falling from her eyes as she did so.  "Just make the
strike painless," she pleaded.
	Seconds passed like an eternity as Kasumi waited for Sasuke to strike her
exposed neck.  But, again, the strike never came.
	With a cry, Sasuke reared back and threw the sword as far from himself as
he could.  Looking up, Kasumi stared at him, her face a mixture of sorrow
and confusion.
	"W-why?" She stammered.
	Sasuke didn’t answer right away.  Instead, he fell to his knees, tears in
his eyes.  "I… I can’t…, I can’t just kill someone in cold blood," he replied.
	Kasumi marveled at Sasuke.  For so long, she had thought the strange little
man to be a weak-willed fool who could rarely do anything right.  Now
though, she saw him differently.
	"Sasuke… why did you attack me?" She asked, although she already knew the
answer.
	"You… I thought… I had to get revenge…" Sasuke stammered, looking at her
fearfully.  
	Scooting across the ground on her knees, Kasumi made her way to Sasuke and
cradled his small frame in her arms, casing him to stiffen quickly.  Looking
down at him, Kasumi knew this little man was not weak, indeed, he was
stronger than she would ever be.
	"I understand, Sasuke," she said soothingly.  "But, why didn’t you strike me?"
	"I… I couldn’t do it," Sasuke answered.  "I know that you did not mean to
kill Mistress Kodachi.  I… I just thought that… that if I could destroy the
one who killed her, Master Kuno would allow my return to the mansion."
	Like a slap, Kasumi realized what had happened to Sasuke.  The small ninja
had been assigned to the defense of the Kuno mansion and had failed.  From
what Kasumi knew of Kuno, he did not take failure calmly.  Now Sasuke was
paying for her mistake; for her failure.  Because of her, Sasuke had also
lost his family.  
	"Master Kuno told me never to return," Sasuke continued, his voice strained
by sobs.  "He told me that the only way he ever wished to see me again, was
in either a coffin, or with the blood of his sister’s killer on my sword.
But… I… I just can’t do it."
	Pushing away from Kasumi, Sasuke bowed sullenly.  "Forgive me," he said,
his mouse-like voice cracking in pain and sorrow.
	"Where will you go?"
	"I don’t know," Sasuke replied.  "I’ll wander until I die I suppose."
	With that, Sasuke turned and began to walk away.  As he did so, a thought
came to Kasumi’s mind.  She could give him a new lease on life, a new start.
But would he accept?  For that matter, could she really go through with it?  
	"Sasuke?" She asked quietly.  
	"Yes?" The young ninja replied, not turning.
	"There… there’s another way."
	"Really?"  Sasuke replied, turning to face her.  "What?"
	"I… I can make you like me," she answered.  "I can embrace you."
	For what seemed like an eternity,  the two stared at each other.  Kasumi
stared at Sasuke’s pained face, streaked with almost invisible tears.
Sasuke, likewise stared at Kasumi’s bloody tears.  There expressions gave no
quarter to the thoughts moving through their minds.  After what seemed like
hours, Kasumi stood silently as Sasuke bowed his head.
	"I… don’t know," Sasuke replied at length.
	"You have very little choice, Sasuke," Kasumi replied.  "You know what I am
now, you know about the Masquerade.  If you aren’t embraced, you have to be
killed."
	Even as the words left her mouth, Kasumi began to wonder if death was not a
better choice for the young ninja.  She had been so willing to let Kaneda
embrace her and now she regretted that act more than anything in her life.
Kaneda had offered her love, but Kasumi could not offer that to Sasuke.  Was
a second chance _truly_ worth eternal darkness?
	"I… will you let me think about it?" Sasuke asked, his voice cracking.
	Kasumi smiled as warmly as possible.  "Of course."

*********

	"Yes, may I help you?" Asked the nurse.
	"Yes, I’m looking to see if Akane Tendo has been brought in." 
	Kasumi waited patiently as the nurse flipped through several folders hidden
behind her desk.  As she waited, Kasumi could not help but feel a pained
nervousness rush over her.  What would she say?  What could she say?