The story is mine, but the idea is Angus McSpon's.
So blame him.
=)
Please C&C.
***********************
As soon as they recovered, Ash and Brock set out to scour Nerima for any sign
of their friend. As the days turned into weeks, they had been ranging further
and further out from the Dojo.
"Maybe we should be using a more recent picture," Ash sighed as he, Brock,
and Ranma headed back towards the Dojo. They had even gone down into Tokyo
proper that day, only to be met with less luck.
"Its the only picture we have." Brock pointed out.
"How come you didn't bring a more recent one?" Ranma asked.
"Honestly? We didn't think about it. The decision to try and find her was
something of an impulse."
"I know all about that," Ranma sighed.
***********************
"How goes the search?" Nabiki asked as they sat around the dinner table.
"Not good," Ash said as he helped himself to another bowl full of ramen. "No
matter who we talk to, its the same thing. 'She looks familiar, but I can't
place her. Sorry.'"
"Its like she's a ghost," Brock said. "And we can't stay much longer. Bill
and Professor Oak will be setting out soon."
"Oh yeah."
"Perhaps Misty only passed through Nerima." Kasumi said. "She could be
anywhere in the world by now."
"That's what we thought," Brock replied. "But everyone we talked to is sure
she lives around here somewhere. They just can't place it."
"Just how old is that picture anyway?" Nabiki asked.
"Three, maybe four years old." Ash replied.
"No. That was taken at your house after you went to the Pokemon League for
the first time," Brock said. "That was about a year or so after you started
out and you weren't quite eleven then." He frowned. "Let's see, Misty was
twelve,"
"So she said."
"Misty was twelve," Brock began again, "and she's nineteen now, so that was.
. ." he trailed off.
"Seven years ago," Nabiki said as she placed some fried noodles into her
mouth.
"Thanks."
"So you're wandering around with a seven year old picture?" Ranma asked,
"Man, that's a lousy plan."
"At least they're trying!" Akane growled as a glowing nimbus began to appear
in her hand.
"Ash? Brock?" Nabiki asked as she set her bowl down.
"Well at least she's not some uncute tomboy!" Ranma retorted without looking
up from his beef bowl.
"Yes?" They asked in unison as the nimbus in Akane's hand began to take shape.
"Get back." Seeing that everyone else was backing away from the table, Ash
and Brock did the same as a loud cry filled the air.
"RANMA NO BAKA!" The table shattered as the mallet in Akane's hand came down.
"Hey!" Ranma yelled.
"Jerk!"
"Hm," Nabiki said, tapping a pencil against her chin as she consulted a
notebook and her watch. "Saturday the fifteenth, six thirty. She's three
minutes late. Must be our guests."
"Huh?" Asked the aforementioned guests.
"About once a week at dinner Ranma and Akane put on that little floor show
you just witnessed." From outside there came a shout and the sound of stone
against stone.
"Its an act?"
"Nope." Nabiki said as she moved to help Kasumi clean up. "She's really
trying to maim him."
"Remind me again why we came here?" Ash asked as he bent to pick up the
shattered remains of dishes."
"Because Misty would kill us if we didn't at least make an effort."
***********************
In Japan, Sunday is considered a day of rest. A time to sleep in.
Kasumi, a habitual early riser for many reasons was always up before the rest
of the household. Because everyone else was asleep, she always made a cup of
tea and sat on the back porch. She spent the time in reflection and light
meditation. By the time everyone else had risen, she was ready to face the
day and the rest of the week.
This particular Sunday however, she could not find the center. No matter how
hard she tried, she simply could not still the inner turmoil whirling inside
her.
Ash. Brock. Of all the people to show up, it would have to be those two and
it was taking every ounce of self control she had not to slip up and betray
that she was anyone other then who she appeared to be.
"Kamis take them both." She swore to herself and tried once more to find the
inner calm that had let her deal with the chaos that had been a part of her
life since Ranma had arrived on their doorstep.
But the peace wouldn't come.
She had dealt with many things. Mother's death. Crazy fiancee's. Sword
wielding mothers, revenge obsessed lunatics. Through it all, she had kept it
up. Kasumi Tendo. Sweet natured, oblivious, and-and-
A lie.
Angrily, she pushed such thoughts away. The part of her life represented by
the two slumbering forms in the living room was over. Done with. Buried.
"I've always admired your self control." Said a voice behind her. Turning,
Kasumi saw her father.
Who was up at least half an hour too early.
"Good Morning Father." She said as the mask slid into place. "Was there
something?"
"No. No." He said and showed her the cup of tea in his hand. "I thought we
might talk for a bit." With that, he sat next to her.
"About what?" Kasumi asked, putting sweet smile number six on her face even
as alarms were's going off in her head.
"You spent nearly ten years somewhere and when you came back, you weren't the
same person." Seeing the look on her face, he held up a hand. "I know I
promised not to pry, but the events of the past week is more then I can
stand." He looked at her. "Kasumi, as your father, I am asking-no-demanding
you tell me. What happened during those missing years? Who are those two
young men in my living room, and what does it have to do with those creatures
in the photo?"
"Father," Kasumi began, "Its a part of my life I don't want to revisit."
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Please," she said, her voice a half whisper. "I don't want to go back. Its
over for me." Seeing the distress on her face, Soun nodded.
"Very well," he said.
"Excuse me." She said as she stood, "I should get breakfast started." Picking
up her teacup, she didn't notice Soun attaching a baseball to her belt.
Turning to watch her enter the house, Soun used the Anything Goes Mimic
Technique.
"Misty!" He said, in a perfect imitation of Ash's voice, drawing on words
from when she had called out in her sleep after her return. "Behind you! Its
a Onix!"
It was poetry in motion, he would later reflect, as Kasumi turned, whipped
the ball of her belt and sent it speeding towards him with a viciously fast
underhand throw. Without batting an eye, Soun caught it, feeling the impact
through his entire arm. He didn't let it show on his face.
"Well?" He asked as his eldest turned several interesting shades of red.
"I thought I had buried it completely." She sighed as she rejoined him.
"What happened?" He asked in a much gentler tone.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Kasumi told the tale.
". . .And after the fifth night of dreaming about Mother's funeral, I knew I
had to try and get back. So I left everything behind and came home." She
stared into her cup.
"You miss it don't you?" Soun asked. Kasumi nodded.
"My life was in danger on an almost daily basis," She said. "Ash was
determined to be the Greatest Pokemon Master and he let nothing stand in his
way. I soon lost track of how many times I survived falling off a cliff,
getting shot at, falling in general, getting electrocuted, and drowning. That
was the other reason I came home. I was getting sick of waking up and
wondering if I was still going to be alive at the end of the day."
"And yet you miss it." Soun said. "The joy of being out among nature, of
risking your life because you believe in what you do."
"Yes," Kasumi whispered. "How did you know?"
"I was young once too." Soun said as he placed his arm around her shoulders.
"When I was scarcely older then Ranma, Gemma and I used to compete for
Nodaka."
"Ranma's mother?"
"Oh yes. We were both students of her grandfather and we would waste huge
amounts of time trying to outdo one another."
"But I thought Happosai-" She broke off, her eyes going wide. "You mean. . ."
"Yes." Soun confirmed. "As I was saying, Principal Kuno was an archeology
student back then and he would hire myself and Genma as bodyguards on some of
his expeditions. After each one, and especially after Laos, we would vow that
never again would we take one of his offers."
"But you always did."
"Yes," Soun said, smiling, "The lure of the adventure was too great to
ignore."
"What happened to him?"
"Nobody knows." Soun sighed. "He went on a solo expedition to a small island
in the Pacific, near Hawaii. When he came back, he was as he is now."
"How sad."
"Yes," Soun said as he stood up. "Whatever it was that he found there, it is
perhaps best left buried. As for your past, you must decide if you wish to
tell them or not."
"Thank you Father." Kasumi said and then paused as a new thought struck her.
"Father?"
"Hm?"
"How did you know?"
"A Father," Soun said as he looked back over his shoulder, "knows his
children, even from a seven year old photo."