Author's Note: A while back I posted a fanfic by the name "A War Fought in Silence". At the time it was a simple slice of life piece about Kasumi, and the unusual circumstances of her life. At the time I did not consider continuing at all... it was a one shot, so to speak. However, after re-reading it, I found it would make a good prologue to a series fic. I'm trying to actually continue stuff that I started as a series... but inspiration keeps striking in the entirely wrong places. Unfortunately, I can't ignore it... so this is becoming a series. I'll be posting the prologue soon after this again... so keep an eye out if you don't remember or never read it in the first place. Thank you.
PM Productions Presents A Phillip Masters Fanfic A War Fought in Silence Chapter One: Dark Visions
"Hello Darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again. Because a vision, softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision, that was planted in my brain, still remains... within the sound of silence."
Kasumi removed her hand from the base of her neck and turned to the new occupant of the kitchen. "What was that, Ranma?" she asked after making sure to smile extra large. The young man always seemed to need comforting in one way or another. He was the front line man in this personal war. She sometimes imagined herself picking shrapnel out of his skin, then sewing up the bloody flesh... just like in her medical books.
"Kasumi?"
She focused once more on Ranma. "I'm sorry... what was that again?
For a moment Ranma simply stared at her, then he repeated his former query, "Could you make some tea or something, Kasumi? School was pretty normal... and I'm beat to death." Kasumi put a hand to her mouth as she noticed the pig-tailed martial artist was favoring his right leg an aweful lot. "Ara... are you okay?"
Ranma, of course, being the strong willed person that he was, simply waved his hand and grined. "I'll be fine, Kasumi... if I don't die of thirst." He smiled and walked out toward the living room.
Kasumi quickly turned around and began preparing tea for her fortunate soldier. He was lucky enough to make back from another day on the battlefield, the least she could do was make his down time as comfortable as possible. She just wished he didn't have to awaken every day to the thought of being killed, or maimed in some horrid way that she was loath to even consider.
Her thoughts had so occupied her, that she brought her hand down on hot metal of the kettle without a glove. She shot her hand back and sucked in a sharp breath of air. A curse tried to fight its way to her lips, but she braced against it, shutting her eyes so tightly that tears were forcefully squeezed from them. She ran over to the freezer and fished out a few icecubes, then held them in her burned palm.
After a few moments, the pain gave way to a light tingle. Moments after that, a sweet numbness set it... like a quick shot of morphine. Her eyes opened and she looked down at the quickly melting ice. She tensed her fingers a few times, then pulled a hankerchief from her apron and dressed the wound. It would blister, and it would hurt... but it was nothing she hadn't experienced before.
Kasumi discovered Ranma sprawled out on the couch when she finally finished making the tea. She set down the tray on the table next to him and smiled. "Here you go, Ranma."
He opened his eyes and looked over at her curiously for a moment. Then, his face registered recognition, and he smiled in return.
"Thanks, Kasumi," he said, then sat up to position himself better for drinking. His face grew even brighter as he noticed she had included some cookies in the deal.
Kasumi stood up, her task complete. The fighter was satiated and nourished. He would continue on to battle another day... though it pained her to think it.
As it was still almost an hour before dinner had to be started, Kasumi figured she would make sure the laundry was drying properly outside. She slid open the rear door and stepped onto the back porch.
The gentle breeze flipped her hair around lightly, and the cool temperature made it soothing to her tormented neck. The sun was making its descent, and dusk would soon come, promising the peaceful calm of the night. Unless some miscellaneous prince decided Akane was once again the center of the known universe.
Kasumi made her way to the clothes line, and before she arrived she noticed something was amiss. Across Akane's sun dress there was a small splattering of mud. Next to that, her own apron had been struck as well. It had taken her four hours to remove a stain from that apron, and someone had carelessly gone and soiled it. The sharp, stabbing assaulted her lower neck, and her hand instinctively went to rubbing it slowly. Wincing, and narrowing her eyes, she panned her gaze across the line, attempting to spot a clue as to who the culprit was.
At first, nothing seemed out of place, and nothing had been dropped in the area. Even footprints were mysteriously absent from the moist ground below. Then, it struck her. The laundry was slightly different this time around then usual. Ranma had nervously asked her to wash his rather more unmentionable unmentionables. It seems he had found it necessary to become a convincing female for the sake of thwarting Ryouga, who was attempting to win Akane over.
While Ranma still couldn't bring himself to don panties, he had figured it only proper that a bra be worn. It was the only real bra he had, and it was only of the sensible cotton variety. Of course, it was missing from the line... and, of course, there was only one person whom a finger could be pointed at. Grandfather Happosai would have to be taught the meaning of privacy... once and for all.
Kasumi smiled once more as she pulled her hand from her now dully aching neck. Pulling the dirty clothes from the line, she set about preparing them to be re-cleaned. It wouldn't do to have her younger sister upset that she couldn't wear what she knew was Ranma's favorite dress.
Later that evening, the smell of dinner wafted teasingly through the household, causing most accupants to begin salivating at the mouth.
Foremost amongst the droolers was Mr. Saotome... Ranma's father, and what could be called the "True Enemy". Kasumi never liked the man who turned into an animal to escape his problems, generally dumping them onto his innocent son. Normally she would have never thought about harming another human being, but for the first time in her life she could see herself... wishing a person dead.
Whenever she heard of another play by Genma to put his son deeper behind enemy lines, she simply hoped something horrible would happen to him. Maybe, something poisonous would accidently make its way into his food one night. Or, perhaps, he would by chance manage to suffocate himself with his own pillow. Any of a million things could occur, and Ranma would be rid of his life's greatest threat.
However, Kasumi wouldn't want to seem untoward when anyone was concerned, so she simply smiled and accepted what was. Even if the pain grew so great that she had to remove herself from Genma's presence at times under the pretense of fixing tea, or a meal. At times she felt like dunking her head into the furo, the hot water was both soothing and invigorating at the same time. There was also something about the way she looked in the mirror afterward, her hair plastered to her face, rivulets of water streaming from her forhead downward. It would flow freely, dripping from her nose and chin, down to her waiting hands, where it would turn red and sticky....
"Kasumi!!"
Startled, Kasumi leapt into the air. She whirled on whoever had disturbed her thoughts, and found Ranma looking rather shocked at her reaction. Quickly, she smiled, to calm his concerns.
"Are you okay, Kasumi? I don't think I've ever seen you jump before." Ranma was looking at her so worridly it almost broke her heart on the spot. He was so caring and gentle inside, why couldn't Akane just come to terms with that so they could live happily ever after?
Kasumi brushed the hair from her face, and replied, "I'm just fine Ranma, thank you for asking. I was just thinking, and you spooked me. You're just so quiet when you move, it's amazing sometime." She paused for a moment as she noticed the young man's pride swell slightly. "Did you want something?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment, then it came to him. "Oh, yeah! I was going to ask why Akane wasn't around. She was at school, and she didn't mention going anywhere afterward... I just figured she was coming home with a friend or something. Do you know anything?"
Ranma was right, and Kasumi hadn't even noticed. "I don't know, Ranma... it could be that she's at a friend's house. She didn't say anything to me this morning."
He nodded, and began to walk off, then stopped and turned back. "Thanks, Kasumi."
She smiled in return as usual. "Don't mention it, Ranma. Dinner should be ready soon... maybe you could search for her afterward?"
Ranma nodded and went back to sulking his way toward the staircase.
Without Akane he just wasn't whole, she hoped he came to terms with that soon.
Kasumi made her way to the kitchen. Dinner had to be prepared, and as usual it would not do so by itself. Stepping across the threshold into her world, she switched to autopilot and started the ardorous task of planning the next day's breakfast while her hands efficiently brought together all the ingedients necessary to nourish a household of loved ones. She had, of course, finished all the grocery shopping the previous Sunday, and everything she needed was at her ready disposal.
Needless to say, Kasumi prided herself on her awe inspiring organizational skills. Even Nabiki, who had to deal with mathematical figures, growth and interest, reds and parenthesis... was at a loss when it came to where she had tossed her last clean pair of socks the previous night. Kasumi knew, at all times, where everything was. Her house was a well oiled machine, and must remain so if it was to survive in the world of today. A place filled with those who would destroy such a sanctity. Placing a final garnish on the platter, Kasumi readied herself for another meal in the Tendou home. It was rougher than most, granted... however, it was home, her home, and she would have it no other way. Her neck was being benevolent at the moment, for which she was grateful. Hefting the tray, she once more threw herself into the fray.
Dinner was surprisingly uneventful. With Akane absent, Ranma only sulked and picked at his food. Genma took this opportunity and removed a rather large portion of his son's food from its final resting place.
Kasumi was ready for this trickery, and had a few extra servings to fill in the gaps as best as possible. Her warrior had to stay strong after all.
Soun and Nabiki were quiet, both seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Overall, it was an uncharacteristically common mealtime scene. Kasumi couldn't help but smile at the normality of it all.
Once Ranma had apparently ingested enough to keep his motor running for the evening he stood up and announced, "I'm going out." With that, he was gone, and no one but her had seemed to notice.
She wondered at that for a moment. Nerima... nay, perhaps most of the Eastern world seemed to revolve around Ranma. However, there was times when he was just a lonely boy, by himself and uncared for. How could someone so chased and sought after be so absolutely alone? Perhaps she knew the answer to that herself better than anyone could pretend to. What was her life after all, but a lone battle for order and tranquility? A little peace and quiet in her rather all to suddenly chaotic universe. Only when her family was gone did the sense of calm return, but it was brief... always too brief. They would come back, and hell would break loose anew. Was there any way to end it all?
Something that could be said, or a sacrifice that could be made? Kasumi doubted it, her existance was as it was, and nothing could be done to stop it. She would simply play the matron, feeding those who needed fed, clean that which became dirty, and fix the wounded that came to her with both strong and pleading eyes.
Once everyone had finished, Soun and Genma went off to hone their strategy skills. Nabiki headed toward her room, no doubt to scheme up a new way to make use of the faltering Japanese economy. Kasumi herself simply stood up and began the perpetually mundane task of cleaning the table.
About halfway through she stopped, jolting herself out of her almost zen-like trance state. Something bothered her in the air... though she couldn't put her finger on it. She walked to the back doorway and stared out into the yard. A cool breeze was blowing through her freshly re-cleaned laundry, tossing it about casually. It caused small ripples to traverse the koi pond, and what loose hairs had escaped her ribbon. She wiped them from her face as she tried to figure out what was getting under her skin.
The answer made itself apparent, as Happosai shot over the wall across the yard. A yell followed him, "Get back here you old fart!"
As crude the statement was, it was obvious who had launched it. Ranma came vaulting after the old man, in girl form. Soon after, Akane followed... then Ryouga... then Shampoo... then Ukyou... then Mousse... then Kunou... and finally Kodachi. Kasumi's eyes widened slightly as she found herself in the path of an entire stampede of crazed martial artists. Happosai bounced past her, taking the time to only ogle her in part. She quickly moved herself from the doorway, and gasped as she felt Ranma's aura as he shot in through the space she had recently occupied.
Before she could blink once more, the dining room had erupted into a battlefield. It wasn't often the war fully found its way into her walls, but when it did it promised much cleaning and repair work.
She flattened herself against the wall as Shampoo and Ukyou rolled their way to the corner of the room next to her. They stood up and leapt back into the central conflict... which had already done a good job of removing the dining table. Nabiki wasn't going to be happy, as the real hardwood styles weren't at all cheap. As it was, she had no idea how Ryouga's head had survived breaking it in half like that.
Something out of the corner of her eye suddenly caught her attention. Mousse, as usual, had managed to make his way out of the battle proper, thinking a nearby wall ornament was an attacker.
Unfortunately, the particular ornament he chose was a family heirloom, left to the three Tendou daughters by their mother.
Kasumi almost instinctually moved to stop Mousse before permanent damage could be done. Her arm reached out to stop him, and she suddenly found herself staring at the point of a dagger's blade. When she managed to unfocus from the end and looked into the eyes of Mousse himself, she noticed a fear in his magnified blue orbs. He moved the dagger and bowed multiple times while sputtering as many different ways to applogize as he could drudge up... even a few in Mandarin.
Then, a bottle flew in from nowhere to crash against his skull. He rubbed the sore spot and he and Kasumi both looked over to see Akane fuming. "Watch were you point those weapons, Mousse! Or you'll be digging them out of your own worthless carcass!" She seemed prepared to elaborate, however Shampoo shoving a bonbori into her face caused her train of thought to switch tracks.
Mousse bowed a few more times, then jumped to Shampoo's 'defense'.
Kasumi was left standing alone against the wall again, though this time breathing hard and what felt like Mousse's dagger embedding itself at the base of her neck. Her eyes casually moved over to check on the heirloom, just in time to see the small china teapot fall to the floor.
Even with a room full of fighters trying to take one another's blood, Kasumi could hear the shattering porcelain as though it were a thousand windows too close to an explosion. The sound penetrated her, slicing particularly harshly though her sensitive neck. Her knees gave out, and she sank to the floor. Her eyes burned, and she was certain tears would begin to flow from them. A tentative hand reached out and touched the broken remnants of the past, now forever destroyed.
Around her, the fight raged on. No one had noticed the pot fall, or Kasumi thereafter. They were too engrosed in keeping themselves conscious and unhurt. Af few moments later, Kasumi stood up again and brushed off her skirt. She glared at the melee coldly. Ryouga was the first person unfortunate enough to get within range of her grasp. She lashed out and grabbed his shirt collar. At first he began to use a breaking move, however, he froze as he found himself looking into the eyes of an opponent he would have never dreamed of facing.
Kasumi seemed to tower over him, her face a mask of rage. She was almost unrecognizable, and to Ryouga it caused a fear to well up in his very soul. He began to think he would die, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Get out," Kasumi whispered to him, with an icy tone that even she herself couldn't hear herself using.
Ryouga stumbled backward out of her suddenly loose hold. His eyes remained locked on her own, as if he was scared to pull away for fear that she would change her mind and end his life on the spot. This proved to be his downfall as Ranma brought a roundhouse to bear on his skull. The lost boy flew out the door to land in the pond, where an unconscious P-chan floated to the surface.
"Stop it, all of you!" Kasumi screamed at the top of her lungs. It hurt her throat, as it was not at all accustomed to having any force put upon it.
The battle came to an instananeous halt. Kunou's stick was inches from Ranma's head, while Ranma's foot was centimeters from Kunou's gut.
Shampoo was ready to lay Mousse low, and Akane had her hands around Ukyou's arm, fully prepared to launch the chef across the room. Kodachi was unconscious, as she was usually the first everyone concentrated on, in order to remove the craziest factor from the fight. Happosai was nowhere to be found, as his years of experience had long ago taught him when to fight and when to run.
Kasumi found herself being focused on by five pairs of shocked eyes. She met them with a steadfast disapproval that could be felt in each one of their hearts. "Look what you are doing to my house!" She pointed down to the pot. "Akane...." she let herself trail off, as no more need have been said.
Her younger sister looked to where she was pointing, and gasped. A hand went to her mouth, and Kasumi could already see the tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"It's just an old pot." Ranma commented, with his usual tact and flair.
Kasumi briefly wondered how the boy could be such an accomplished martial artist with his foot grafted to his tongue. She saved the poor child from death by yelling, "Ranma, go to your room!"
Akane's fist froze two millimeters from Ranma's head, and she grumpily rubbed the hand after pulling it back. Ranma sulkingly made his way to the hallways, heading for the stairs.
"K... Kasumi... I'm...." Akane tripped over her appology, knowing full well words could not cure what ill had been done.
"Akane." Kasumi cut in, causing the girl to jump, "Go to your room."
After her younger sister had exited the room, she turned her still ice cold gaze to those who were left. "All of you... you should be ashamed of yourselves. I never want to see you in this household again!" She pointed a finger to the door, a finger that demanded silence on the part of those who it commanded.
When all were gone, and the room was empty once more, Kasumi fell backward against the wall and slid to the floor. She took hold of her legs and rested her face against her knees, gritting her teeth against the agony her neck would not allow her to escape. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and she sobbed well past sundown.
END Chapter One