<In a Movie Theatre at the End of the Universe>

Carlin: Welcome everyone to the first of, what will
hopefully be many, Fan Fiction reviews by...ahem...
Carlin's Chorus. 

Smart Ass in the back row: Not too modest there, 
eh? <Suddenly an anvil falls from a hole in the ceiling 
and hits the Smart Ass, crushing him flat>

Carlin <quickly putting the remote-control back in
his pocket>: As I was saying before that unfortunate
interruption... Today the Chorus will review the Ninth
prelude to Hearts and Minds, by Gary Kleepe.

Pansuto Tarou: <Speaking up> Damn good writer too, loved 'A 
Peaceful Life', Fem-boy got what was coming to him. 

Saotome Ranma: You should talk Pantyhose, least I got a wife
who loved me. When was the last story you had with
something like that? 

Tarou: <grumbles> Not my fault Blade is the only writer 
out there with the good sense to appreciate me. 

Carlin: <Drowning out the bickering pair> MR. 
KLEEPE...has released this part today and it centers 
around the Older Tendo Sisters: Kasumi and Nabiki. 
Without further ado, we present the story... 

               HEARTS AND MINDS PRELUDE NINE
		    TENDO KASUMI AND NABIKI: SOMEDAY

		       Ranma 1/2 manga fanfiction
			     by Gary Kleppe


	Many thanks to pre-readers Matt Posner, Adrian Wong, Krista
Perry, Dave Eddy, and Lara Bartram.

	The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the creation of and rightful
property of Rumiko Takahashi. They are used here without permission.
This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered
substantially or used for profit in any way.


	SERIES NOTES: This is a prequel to "Hearts and Minds", a series
taking place several years after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga. There
will be ten of these, each centering on a particular character or two.
They lead into the main series that will be written eventually, but are
intended to stand alone as "continuation" stories. Series info and
previous parts can be found at http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics#ham.

Tendo Kasumi <From a reserved seat in the balcony>:
Where you can find all of the Kleepe-san's other nice
Fan Fiction stories. 

	This will probably be my longest and most ambitious series ever.
All feedback will be welcomed, and responded to, and any suggestions for
change will be seriously considered.


	THE STORY SO FAR (or at least the relevant bits of it): Several
years after the end of the Ranma 1/2 manga, Kuno Tatewaki returned to
Nerima. His mission: to gather together as many fighters as he could, to
help defend the Amazon village against an expected attack.

	We flashed back and looked at what some of the characters had
been doing in the intervening years. Nabiki had left Japan to go to
business school in the US. Ryoga married Akari, with help from an aged
shinto priestess/sorceress by the name of Kaede. Ranma married Akane,

Ranma: Well that explains it how he got up the nerve to ask 
her....

Hibiki Ryouga: <Leaping out of his seat> RANMA!!! How dare 
you mock my Marriage to Akari... PREPARE TO DIE!!! <BUilding up
Ki for a massive blast>

Ranma: <Standing up and getting into an attack stance> 
Let's go P-chan!!! Ugh.... <Groaning from a sudden Malleting
by his fiance, Tendo Akane>

Tendou Akane <Screaming> Ranma no BAKA!! Stop provoking 
Ryouga and You <turning to stare down Ryouga> stop encouraging
Ranma. Sheesh!! Boys...

and soon after, Cologne passed away of natural causes. Kaede revealed
her intent to teach her art to one of the Nerima bunch, and surprised
everyone by choosing Kasumi

Frohike, from the Lone Gunmen: <In a hushed, worried tone>
Watch out for the quiet ones. The ones behind the scenes, 
who no one ever suspects until it's too late...

	The UCF building towered high above downtown Philadelphia.
Tourists stood outside in the early morning summer heat, queued up like
snacks in a vending machine, waiting patiently for their chance to ride
to the top of the tallest structure in the world -- surpassing even
Chicago's Sears Tower. Built only four years ago, the building was the
brainchild of Joseph R. Kane, the well-known country music aficionado
and CEO of the UCF corporation. Kane had persuaded the city council to
help finance his company's headquarters, on the grounds that it would
add prestige to the city's reputation.

Bitter man: Not too mention the new houses and expensive
cars that the Chairman would happily pay for, in exchange for zoning
waviers and the like...

	Tendo Nabiki walked past the line of people, paying little
attention to the noisy hubbub of their conversation, pulling open one of
the doors reserved for employees only. She moved steadily across the
brightly-colored tile floor, towards the special elevator at the far
side of the building that allowed access to the upper floors.

	The usual guard sat at the security desk in front of the
elevator. "Mornin', Ms. Tendo," he said. Nabiki scrawled her signature
into the daily log. UCF's money-making activities included, in addition
to anything else one might care to name, the design and manufacture of
military weapons systems. Consequently, the company had to keep track at
all times of who entered and left.

Katherine Madigan: Tracking the comings and goings of 
employees during work hours is only logical... not to mention
during off-work hours, weekends, vacations....

	"Morning," Nabiki replied as she touched the pad to call the
elevator.

	"Hope you have a good day upstairs, ma'am." The guards that
worked down here actually had no idea what went on up in the executive
offices, nor did they ever really seem to care. Nabiki sometimes joked
to herself that she could be plotting the domination of the world
upstairs, and all they would want to know would be whether they'd still
get paid.

	The elevator doors swooshed open, and Nabiki entered, touching
the button for her floor. The doors slid closed, and the car rapidly
rose toward the top. Much like she herself had done. She knew that a lot
of people on the in-between floors resented the fact that she -- an
Asian woman in her twenties who had only a few years experience with the
company -- was in a job superior to theirs.

Spock: To ignore the talents of a person solely on the basis 
of appearence or age is highly illogical. 

Dr. McCoy: <Munching on some popcorn> For goodness' sake
Spock shut up and let the rest of us enjoy the story.

	There was no question that she had earned her position; the
company had the profits to prove it. Still, many of them constantly kept
their eyes on her, just waiting for her to slip up. That wasn't going to
happen. She couldn't let it. There was a dream at stake, her vision of a
time when things would be better.

	She exited the elevator and walked down the paneled corridor
toward her office, all the while going over in her mind the various
projects that would be needing her attention, thinking of every
different contingency that might arise. It was rare that anything could
happen around UCF without Nabiki having planned for it.

Sarcastic lad: Cue IRONY....

Ironic Woman: That's my line, kid.

	"Why, hello, Nabiki!"

	Nabiki's briefcase clattered to the ground as she gaped in
disbelief at who was in her office. She rushed forward to hug her
sister. "Kasumi? How-- how did you get here?"

Details Guy: and past the security guards, and into the elevator and
the locked door to my office. 

Carlin: Kasumi's probably the only person alive who could get that
reaction from Nabiki. Emotional first, reasoned later. Very appropriate. 

	"I came to visit my sister, silly!" She smiled warmly as she
embraced Nabiki.

Details Guy: Of course, what was I thinking? This is Kasumi. Good 
intentions and a hug explain it all. 

	"This is great! We haven't seen each other since... how long?
Cologne's funeral, wasn't it? Tell me what you've been doing!"

Puck: <Mimicking Kasumi's voice> Oh nothing much, a few
incantations, some spirit summoning, the usual. 

	"I've been studying under Kaede-sensei. I'm sorry I haven't had
much time to write."

	"Oh yeah." Nabiki stepped back and looked at her older sister.
Her hair was a bit longer than before, but in the same style, passing
neatly through a bow and spreading out over her back like a cloak. She
wore a light summer dress with a flower pattern. She still had the same
radiant smile. But something seemed different. Maybe it was her eyes.
They had a depth to them, as if the Kasumi that Nabiki was seeing was
only the tip of a very deep iceberg.

James Cameron <Standing up>: And Nabiki would be the Ship, 
right before it hit. But you know they wouldn't have hit it at all if it 
weren't for those 2 young affordable act...star-crossed lovers who 
distracted the crew from their posts. Yeah, that it and then... 
<Falling down>

Captain Kirk: <Stunning Cameron with a phaser> No one here 
cares about that movie!! We're trying to enjoy the story. Thanks 
for the loan Spock. 

Mr. Spock: <Nibbling at a piece of Popcorn> You are welcome 
Captain. I do believe Ambassador Delenn was right, this popcorn
is quite satisfactory. 

	"I suppose you've learned all sorts of arcane secrets and
magical powers?" Nabiki's tone was flip, but inwardly she had to wonder.
Kasumi had somehow gotten into her office, apparently without anyone
noticing her. Nabiki did believe in magic, but had always thought of it

Details Guy: Exactly!!! AHAHAHHA... ARGh

Carlin: That's it... <Pulling out the remote control again> No 
more insane laughing!!! And THAT goes double for you Kodachi!
Don't think I don't see what you've got going on in the back row 
between you and B-ko.

as something unreliable that usually just ended up creating annoying
problems for those stupid enough to meddle in it. That was what had
always happened with people like Ranma and Shan Pu. It was a little
frightening to think that someone might actually be able to use it
effectively.

Anazasi: A beginner, you want to see Magic, you should see
Avalon since the Gathering. 

Duncan Macloud: The Gathering? Yes, the Gathering, a time when
with the swing of a sword you can take an enemy's head.... ugh..
Methos... why? <Fainting, Macloud falls forward in his seat and the
chorus can see that he was stabbed in the back with a long sword>

Methos: <Pulling back said sword out of Macloud's back> 
Sorry about that, damn children today, always ready 
to milk any situation for a speech. 

	Kasumi giggled slightly. "Oh my, no." Nabiki felt strangely
reassured to hear her sister use her old familiar expression; it was the
same old Kasumi. "Not really."

Yogi Berra: It's Deja vu all over again. 

	Nabiki motioned Kasumi to a chair. "Then what do you do?" she
asked curiously.

	"Everything in the world around us is inhabited by spirits; this
chair, your desk, this building -- all of them are, in a sense, alive.
We can communicate with spirits, and channel their energies if they're
willing. The spirits have power. We don't."

	Nabiki stared blankly, not knowing whether to believe or not.

	"Maybe someday you'll understand. It was certainly strange to me
at first! Anyway, look at you. Vice President already! How wonderful!"

	"Thanks! They had to promote me when I threatened to switch to
another company."

Chairman Quincy: An effective power-play parlayed into a higher 
position with more power. Ms. Tendo could be Genom material,
I shall have to study the situation... personally.
 

	"Goodness, you must really be valuable to them! What is it that
you do here, if it's okay for me to ask?"

	"Basically, I'm the company's 'designated problem solver.' When
any of our division heads has a situation he can't handle by himself, it
gets dumped in my lap. Fortunately, I've been able to assemble some
pretty good staff." She leaned back in her chair. "How long can you stay

Nitpick: might want to substitute 'a' for 'some' , sounds better out loud. 

in town? There's a lot of sights to see."

	"Not long, I'm afraid. Back home, Ranma and his old friends are
meeting to go to China. I need to join them, but I decided to visit you
first!"

	"Oh yeah, Akane called yesterday and told me a little about it."
A new military dictatorship controlled parts of China. The Amazons
expected to be attacked. "I've got some time off saved up. I'll see what
I can do about joining you over there. Nothing I like better than
vacationing in a war zone!" Nabiki grinned. "Besides, Ranma and friends

Kei: How come when I say that all I get are strange looks?

Yuri: No clue. 
 
Ironic Woman: Too easy. 
 

are going to need a cooler head to keep them out of trouble." Though she
was loath to admit it, the thought of losing any of the old gang made
her sad. They were a link to a time when things were, if not better, at
least a lot simpler.

	"I'm sure they'll benefit a lot from your strategies!"

Mizuno Ami: That would be a more, diplomatic, way of putting 
it. 

	Nabiki glanced at the appointment screen on her computer. "Um,
Kasumi... I hate to do this, but if I'm going to be able to go to China,
there's a lot of things I need to finish first."

	"That's all right. I haven't been to the United States before.
I'd like to take a look around!"

	"Be careful, Kasumi. You don't speak English, and some of the
neighborhoods around here are pretty rough."

Details Guy: For anyone else alive maybe...  

	"Oh, don't worry. Why don't we meet for lunch at noon. I saw a
nice little park a few blocks down the street from here. I'll bring some
food and we can have a picnic!"

	"Kasumi, you don't have to cook here. You're a guest. I know
some really great restaurants...."

Saotome Genma: None of which could produce anything half as good as 
Kasumi's food. 

Ranma: And how would you know Old man?

Genma: I'll have you know I have enjoyed meals in some of the finest
restaurants in Asia. None of which can compare. 

Kuonji Ukyou: Wonder how many of those meals you paid for, 
you miserable thief?

	"Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Remember when you were a little
girl? You always wanted to do something like this!"

                                 ______

	"Mommy, I wanna go to the park tomorrow!"

	"Nabiki-chan," her father said apologetically, "You can go some
other time."

	"But she said we could go!" Nabiki cried in anger and

Carlin: That's trouble. Kids are worse than lawyers when it comes to
remembering inconveinent details.

Generic Bob: Tell me about it... 

frustration. It was bad enough having a younger sister; but ever since
Akane had started doing martial arts, Mom and Dad had been paying
attention to her, and only her. Nabiki couldn't even get Mom to take one
day off to spend with her.

Dr. Anna Freud: Sounds like a classic Middle Child. 

	"Nabiki, Mother needs the doctors at the hospital to look at
her, just in case there's something wrong. Someday you and Kasumi and I
will go on a picnic in the park. I promise. Okay?"

Ironic Woman: You just know this isn't going to end well. 

	"Okay, Mommy." She wasn't sure whether she really believed it or
not, but when a parent promised something you had to take them at their
word.

	Mother never came back home. Nabiki would later muse that fate
had been teaching her an important lesson: always get your promises in
writing, signed and notarized. Not that it would've done any good.

Carlin: <Sighs> I can imagine Nabiki thinking along those lines. 
Good touch. 

<The Entire Chorus sighs at the scene, except for Spock of 
course>
                                 ______

	"I remember that." Nabiki felt embarrassed by the memory of the
whiny little kid that had been her. "Okay, if you--" Nabiki turned
around. The chair was empty. Her sister had disappeared, as if she had
never been there.

Commishion Gordon: I hate it when that happens.

	Part of her hoped that Kasumi would stay gone. The eldest Tendo
sister had always been a bit inscrutable. She usually seemed blissfully
oblivious, but every now and then something would slip through, some
clue that maybe she paid more attention to what went on around her than
anyone thought. Still, as long as she stayed in her kitchen, it hadn't

Carlin: That would put this story into the 'Kasumi's got a clue' camp
of Ranma Fan-fic. 

mattered. Now it was a different story. She was a completely
unpredictable element, and Nabiki didn't like that. It put the dream at
risk.

Carlin: What dream? 

Pessimist: I have a bad feeling about this.

Professor Charles Xavier: There is nothing wrong with having a 
dream. 

Pessimist: Does the name Onslaught mean anything to youl?

	She turned back to her computer screen. There were a lot of
things to take care of before meeting Kasumi for lunch.

                               ______


	Nabiki arrived at the park, about five minutes early. Not much
of a park, really; just a fountain and statue with some picnic tables
and a few trees, extending over the space of two city blocks, surrounded
by tall skyscrapers on all sides. But it would do.

	She spotted Kasumi sitting at a picnic table, who eagerly waved
her over. "Hello, Nabiki!" she said excitedly, as if they hadn't just
seen each other that morning. Definitely the same old Kasumi.

	"Hiya, sis." She sat down on the bench. The sun overhead shone a
vibrant yellow in the cloudless sky, casting considerable glare on the
table. Nabiki was glad for her sunglasses.

Agent Mulder: Don't think that's why she brought them. Won't have
to look her sister in the eyes. 

Dr. Freud: A way to protect herself. 

	"Would you like to try some of this?" Kasumi handed her some
chopsticks and a plastic container. Inside was an assortment of food,

>from pork buns to vegetable stir-fry to noodle casserole.

	Nabiki scooped some food into her mouth. Everything was perfect.
Each dish had its own unique combination of spices, just the right
amount to stimulate but not overpower. The chefs in her favorite
restaurants couldn't have done better. "It's delicious! But where did
you cook it?"

	"Why, in your apartment, of course." Kasumi's smile widened
slightly. "It was so clean! You take such good care of it!"

	"I have a cleaning service that comes in twice a week."

Carlin: No mention of the fact that she was in the apartment?
It's Kasumi and all, but nothing was said that gave the impression
that Kasumi had permission or that Nabiki expected her to go there.

	"Oh."

	Nabiki ate more of the food, deciding there would be no point in
asking how Kasumi got into her apartment. It was just something that she
would have to get used to, like Ranma's sex-changing. This was Kasumi,
after all, and perhaps more than anyone else, she could be trusted.

	Still, Nabiki wondered what sorts of things Kasumi had been
through in the past few years....

Hiroshi: Flashback?
Daisuke: Flashback.

                                ______



	The tiny, unnamed temple stood atop a small hill at the end of a
dirt road. A dense woods stretched out behind it, while farmland
surrounded it on the other sides. The simple stone building lacked any
of the ornateness of the temples Kasumi had seen back in Tokyo; it could
have been mistaken for a farmhouse.

	Kasumi walked up the gently sloped path, toward her new home. It
was a pleasant place, but no one lived there other than her and
Kaede-sensei, and she often missed having more people around. So, as she
would sometimes do, she had just taken a walk through the countryside
and talked with some of the local farmers.

	Kaede had been teaching her the way of the Kami for the last
month and a half. Now it was time once again for her daily lesson. She
found her teacher in the living room. "Good afternoon, sensei! It's a
beautiful day outside!"

	"Hello, Kasumi," Kaede said as Kasumi sat on the floor next to
her. "Did you enjoy your walk?"


	"Oh my, yes! The farmers are such nice people. I told them about
my family and the people in my old neighborhood. I don't think they
believed me."

Ryouga: Wonder why?

Ranma: <Shrugging> Beats me

Akane: Hmpf...as if Kasumi would lie...

	Kaede chuckled. "Well, you did know some pretty unbelievable
people."

	"Yes, I really can't blame them. Though they did take a
particular interest when I described Hibiki Ryoga. Strange."

	"Strange indeed. Anyway...." Kaede brushed her long gray hair
back over her shoulder. "Today I'm going to start you on the next phase
of your training. You're going to project your consciousness into the
spirit world."


	"Goodness, do you think I'm ready for that?"

	Kaede smiled. "We won't know until you try."

                               ______


	Kasumi sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She focused her
attention on her breathing, hoping she wouldn't disappoint her teacher.
Entering the spirit world was a daunting task. Still, Kaede wouldn't
have asked her to try it if it were too dangerous.

Daisuke: Only Kasumi could make that thought work. It
would sound rediculous from anyone else. 

	She let those thoughts float free and returned to her breathing.
Each breath was like a wave on the ocean, water flowing gently to and

>from the shore over and over in a ceaseless rhythm. Her muscles relaxed.

Her mind stretched, twisting and expanding until she was looking down on
herself. Her body melted away from her perceptions. Unencumbered by form
and substance, she danced through the ether, being everywhere and
nowhere all at once.

Sarcastic Guy: Of course it's that easy.... <sighs>

	A warm white light shone from below. Kaede. Kasumi could feel
the sensei's quiet strength underneath her, a net of absolute safety for
her astral high-wire act. She noticed a small tinge of regret that
colored Kaede's spirit; Kasumi wondered what she had given up to become
what she was.

	Another sunbeam flickered, this one from on high. It was
strangely familiar; Kasumi felt as if she'd known it forever. It called
to her in a silent voice. She flew up toward the source.

	The air thickened as Kasumi ascended. She glided through a soupy
fog, fighting to overcome the invisible hand of gravity that was trying
to pull her downward. The light above beckoned tantalizingly, still far
out of reach.

	The fog became darker, and even more dense. Memories came,
unbidden; memories hidden in the fog, of a little girl who had always
wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. A hungry young girl asking *Is
Mommy making supper tonight?*

	*Kasumi, the truth is, your mother... Mommy is... she's...*
Father's words had trailed off as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Ironic Woman: Sometimes I hate being right. 

	The little girl had then stood and walked to the kitchen. *I'd
better do it, then.* Something inside her had understood, or at least
had known that Mother wouldn't be cooking for them anymore. That hurt,
in ways that a little girl's mind couldn't comprehend. So she shut out
the pain and concentrated on making something to eat, the way she had
seen Mother do.

Dr. Anna Freud: Interesting to see the defense mechanisms at 
work.

Sylia Stingray: <Looking sharply at the Doctor> Dr. Freud, 
shut up. 

Carlin: The only complaint I have so far is I'd like to see more
of Mrs. Tendo. 

Ataru and Happousai <Shouting>: SO...

Carlin: SHUT UP YOU HENTAIS!!!

	Kasumi struggled to swim through the sticky black fluid. Voices
jeered at her out of the ether. *You don't even know what's up there,
Kasumi. What makes you think it's worth it?*

	Teriyaki sauce, that's what it was. She was swimming through
teriyaki sauce. Except that she'd forgotten to stir it, and put in too
much starch, and all the water was boiling away. You needed to keep
stirring it. Mother had had to tell her that so many times.

	Being in the kitchen alone for the first time had been a little
scary. Most of the things Kasumi had tried to cook before had turned out
wrong. But she had to try, because if she hadn't, her family simply
wouldn't have had any dinner. As she worked, somehow she figured out
what to do, just as if Mother had been helping her.

	She had handed a plate of food to Father, who barely seemed to
notice as he scooped up a mouthful. As he had chewed, his eyes widened
in surprise. *Kasumi! It's-- it's delicious! Just like--* He started
crying again. *Just like your-- your mother used to....*

	On that day, Doctor Tendo Kasumi had died -- quietly, along with
her mother. Her father and her sisters were depending on her. Mother was
depending on her to take care of them while she couldn't. There was no
question of doing anything else.

Carlin: Again, more of the effects of Mrs. Tendo but none of Mrs. 
Tendo herself. 

Agent Mulder: And that in a nutshell, is how Kasumi became the 
replacement Mother for the Tendo Household. 

	*Stupid girl,* the voices called. *Have you no mind of your own?
Kasumi the mindless, obedient zombie?*

Akane <An attack aura flaring>: <Screaming> WHAT?!!?!

	The inky fluid swirled around her, coalescing into the forms of
Father, Nabiki, and Akane. They flitted about in the dark liquid,
circling Kasumi as they were joined by Ranma and Mr. Saotome. They
converged into a tight huddle, surrounding her, as the voices from
nowhere continued their taunts. *Kasumi the robot. Wind her up and she
cooks and cleans for you.*

Ranma: Akane!!! Calm down!! <Holding her back, barely>

Akane <Furious>: That's MY sister!!! <Throwing Ranma aside>
KLEEPE-SAN HOW DARE YOU?!!?! 

	Abruptly, the five silent figures grabbed onto Kasumi's legs.
With a mighty shove, they flung her upwards. *It's the least we could
do,* Father said, his voice receding into the distance, *after all
you've done.*

	Kasumi swam, kicking with all her might, desperately propelling
herself upward while her momentum still lasted. Suddenly, her head broke
through the surface. She could breathe! She bobbed around the surface,
filling her lungs with mouthful after mouthful of life-giving air.

Ryouga: <Trying to comfort Akane> See Akane, she's ok. 
Kasumi is ok. 

	She looked around as she tried to wring the sticky liquid from
her hair, continuing to savor breath after breath. Below where she was,
a simple, bare landscape sprawled out into the distance. Wisps of mist
floated in the violet-tinged air. Was this the spirit world?

	Kasumi leapt into the air. Her jump was much easier -- and
propelled her much farther -- than expected; it was the way she had
always imagined it would be like to walk on the moon. Landing gently and
deftly on a rocky outcropping, she looked back at the place she had just
come from. It was a giant woman! It smiled blankly as its huge focusless
eyes stared ahead. Healthy black hair topped its head -- that had been
what Kasumi had been swimming in, apparently -- tucking neatly into a
bow over its shoulder. It wore a frilly dress under a kitchen apron.

	*It's me,* she thought. *But how? How could I have been swimming
there? And do I really look like--*

	A voice from behind her interrupted. "Kasumi?" She felt the
radiance that she had come here to find.

	She didn't need to look; she recognized the voice. At that
moment, Kasumi was a little girl again. She turned around, rushing into
the arms of her mother.

Carlin: Finally.

The Entire Chorus <Caught up in this 5 hanky moment>: 
SHUT UP

Carlin: <GULP>

                                ______


	"Mommy, are you really here?"

	"Of course I am, Kasumi-chan. I've been with you all the time,
helping you as much as I could. I'm so glad I can finally talk with you
again. I'm so proud of you. So proud of the way you kept our family
together after I had to go."

	"I know, Mommy. But I'm tired."

	"I know you are, dear. And I'm sorry. But you can't rest yet."

	"Why?"

	"Because Akane and her friends will be depending on you soon.
They'll have a very hard, very dangerous job to do. They won't be able
to do it without you."

Foreshadowing woman: You guessed it, Foreshadowing!!

	"NO! I don't wanna!"

	"Kasumi...."

	"I wanna stay here with you, Mommy!"

	"No. This place is not for you. Not now. Please try to
understand. You know how good Akane and her friends are at fighting?"

	"Yes."

	"They're better than almost anyone in the whole world. Why do
you think that is?"

Sarcastic guy: So many answers, so little time...

	"I don't know."

	"It's what you might call destiny. Like a blessing by the Kami.
Because very soon, the Kami are going to need people like them."

	"Oh."

	"But they can't do it alone. Just fighting won't be enough. It's
like sewing clothes, Kasumi. No matter how good your fabric is, you need
thread to keep it together. Right?"

Sewing boy: Nice metaphor

Carlin: Appropriate. 

	"Yes."

	"Someone needs to be the thread that binds Akane and her friends
together. It has to be a grown-up woman. It has to be you, Kasumi."

	"Mommy...."

	"You could stay here with me and be a little girl. But then
nobody will be able to help Akane. The things that only you can do
simply won't get done. Do you understand?"

	Tendo Kasumi closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they
looked down on an adult woman. "Yes, Mother. I won't disappoint you."

                               ______

End Part One