Vessel

Disclaimer: Konami has Silent Hill, Takahashi has Ranma, this is just for fun.

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“I don’t see why we have to go to this!” Akane fumed.

“Akane’s right Kasumi.” Nabiki griped. “These things are usually just designed to make you give up your money to some guy with a worthless ‘self-help’ plan.”

“I think Mother would have wanted us to do this.” Kasumi said.

The two younger girls went silent. If Kasumi was willing to play that card then that meant there would be no argument. Also, Nabiki figured that this might be a good way to find some more marks, or even some blackmail material. She was a little surprised at Kasumi though. Grief counseling was, while admittedly a valid practice, NOT something Japanese did, much less a proper Japanese housewife life Kasumi was. Judging by the loaned tea service in one hand and the letter Kasumi was holding in her right Nabiki could guess that this must have been an idea of Dr. Tofu’s. Well, if the good doctor had gone through all the trouble to get them to go there Nabiki supposed she might as well grit her teeth and bear it. She’d go to the first meeting, keep Akane in line, and then she’d do what all Japanese did with their feelings. Shove them out of the way and get on with life.

The program was being held in one of the multipurpose halls that were dotted around Nerima. They were built by people who were unfortunate enough to have been saddled with real estate that, for one reason or another, couldn’t be used to build apartments and wasn’t in the right place for any kind of commercial business either. But, build four walls and a roof, put in a floor, and then open it for rent for martial art tournaments or exhibitions and it was an entirely different story. Even Nabiki had to admit that it was a clever idea.

There were a lot more people present than any of the girls expected, thirty, forty, maybe as many as fifty people were there. They were all divided up into smaller groups, a ring of people sitting in a circle of folding chairs. Nearly all of the people here were women, and a good deal of them weren’t Japanese. Still there were enough to make the sisters not feel too out of place.

A very nice woman got up and introduced herself to the girls, guiding them to join one of the smaller groups. They didn’t force them to talk or open up, mostly they just waited, listening to the others and trying to participate in the group exercises.

After a while Kasumi, who was growing slightly tired of trying to find her ‘power animal’ inside her ‘cave,’ decided to go get a cup of tea from the refreshments table. In her typical manner she asked if anyone else wanted anything. Everyone else politely declined and she went to the table to get a cup of her tea.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” A soft voice said next to Kasumi as she poured herself a cup. She looked up and saw a man in a white button down shirt and black pants. He was Japanese, but his voice had a strange accent to it, telling that while he knew the language, he had been living somewhere outside of the country for a while. He had the kindest grey eyes.

“Thank you,” She gave him a soft smile.

“Gregory Itori.” He extended his hand in greeting. American, no doubt, if the name wasn’t enough his boldness and form of greeting were hallmarks of his culture.

Kasumi didn’t take his hand, bowed deeply, and introduced herself. Mr. Itori apparently realized his faux pas, withdrew his hand, and returned the bow.

“Did you make the tea?” He asked.

“Ummm, yes.” Kasumi looked around for Nabiki or Akane.

“It’s excellent.” He took a sniff from the paper cup in his hand. “Ginger and orange peel accents correct?”

Kasumi blinked and turned to the young man. “Yes.” She was mildly surprised. True her blends were no great secret, but having lived with the Saotomes she was unused to seeing a person who actually savored their food, rather than just bolting it down as fast as possible.

“It’s a good blend, maybe a little too bitter.” Itori continued, he blushed again and looked away. “I apologize.”

“No, no.” It was Kasumi’s turn to blush. “It is a little overly bitter. I was actually trying for a counterpoint to the cookies.”

“Oh,” Itori nodded. “That’s tricky.” He took another sip.

“Yes it is.” She smiled. “Do you make tea?”

“No, well…a little.” Itori returned the gentle smile. “I’m a botanist. I just opened a little nursery here. I make tea as a hobby.”

“Oh so you work with plants?”

“Yes,” He handed Kasumi a business card accompanied with a traditional bow. Kasumi happily and dutifully accepted. “Please don’t hesitate to come by my business some day. I think your friends are waiting for you though.” He pointed towards the door at the other end of the auditorium.

Akane waved across the room for her sister when she saw her looking at them. Nabiki was right behind her staring coldly at nothing in particular, both girls wanted to leave as soon as they could. The counselor had actually managed to get through to Nabiki and Akane, and both girls had responded in their usual ways to feelings of vulnerability. Akane became hostile, not to the level of physical force that certain-unnamed-ponytail-wearing-sex changing-would be fiancée-jerks did, but enough that she just got up and left, not wanting to deal with it. Nabiki just turned on the ice, bouncing each question back at the counselor making sure that there wasn’t any more headway in the conversation. Both of them had had more than enough and were more than ready to go.

“Are you related?” Itori asked.

“Yes.” Kasumi said. She was a little upset with them, making a scene like they were.

“I can see the resemblance.” Itori gave her another kind smile. “Sometimes people become scared of their feelings. They think it makes them look weak. So they go into the role people prefer to see because that makes them feel accepted. Be it aggressive, or cold or…” He looked at Kasumi. Then he looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry. That was a little much.”

“No, no.” Kasumi said. She looked at the group of people quietly talking, then at her two sisters standing near the door. Akane staring and waving at her, and Nabiki coolly looking away from everyone, then she looked back at Mr. Itori and his kind grey eyes.

“I…I have to go.”

“I hope you come back. This really does help the soul.”

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Mr. Itori’s nursery had that smell of earth and dirt that seemed to be in every one of these places. It was full of small plants and flowers in neat orderly rows all clearly labeled with signs in clear writing. In once corner of the room was a greenhouse made out of clear plastic sheeting. Kasumi thought it was rather quaint.

“Miss Tendou, how nice to see you.” Mr. Itori came out from the greenhouse area of the store. He gave her a bow, and then gestured at the bags of groceries she was carrying. “Can I take those for you so you can look around?”

“Thank you.” Kasumi said. “Can you show me your selection of herbs?”

“Of course,” Itori carefully set the bags down on a table. “Please tell me what you are looking for.”

A few moments later Kasumi paid Itori for a few small planters. A few flowers and herbs, nothing special, Itori placed the planters in a small box, and looked up at her. “Thank you for your purchase. I was wondering, do you have time for a cup of tea?”

Kasumi smiled and nodded. “Of course, but just one, then I have to get back home.” She smiled at him. “Also, how can you make any money with prices like these?” The plants had cost only a third of what Kasumi had expected.

“I’m not concerned with money. I get more happiness by helping people, but please, we can talk over tea.” Itori took the young woman into his small apartment in the nursery building, and brought out a small pot of tea and a few cups. Kasumi and Itori made small talk, then something a little odd caught her eye. “What’s that?” Kasumi pointed to a strange red symbol painted on a piece of felt hanging from the wall. A circle in a circle and inside it there were three circles in a triangle formation. Strange runes and symbols covered the entire thing.

“That’s the symbol of my faith.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Itori nodded. “That’s not surprising. My faith is primarily from the West, it’s not well known all the way over here.”

“Oh.” Kasumi nodded and returned to her tea. Any further questions would have been improper. She finished her cup and rose. “Thank you very much Mr. Itori.”

“Come by anytime you’d like Miss Tendou.” He rose and returned her bow. “I very much enjoy your company.”

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Over the next few weeks found Kasumi visiting Father Itori, as she had taken to calling him out of respect, about once a week. They would talk, swap recipes, play some cards, and other similar activities. No one minded, Itori was a pleasant enough fellow, and everyone thought it was nice that Kasumi had found someone outside of her home to talk to. The typical craziness of Nerima quickly drowned out the harmless actions of the quiet man from America who grew plants to sell to housewives.

“You seem a little sad today Miss Tendou, is something wrong?”

Kasumi sighed and nodded, Itori was very perceptive. “Today’s my mother’s birthday.”

“Oh, well.” Itori smiled. “Do you need to get her a gift?” He paused noticing the look on her face. “Oh…I’m so sorry.”

“No, no.” Kasumi sighed. “It was a long time ago.”

“She must have been someone special. Would…” Itori paused, and rose to get a small vial of a milky substance from a cabinet. “Would you like to see her again? Your mother?”

“Excuse me?”

“I have something that could help you.” He set the little vial down upon the table. “This is something that can help open your eyes.”

“Is it some kind of a drug?” Kasumi gasped.

“Oh no no no. This is a herbal extract.” Itori said. He gestured to the white flowers in the vase on the table. “It’s the crushed oils from these flowers. It’s harmless and perfectly safe. It’s a major ingredient in some sleep aids in America. The official name of it is White Claudia. But I prefer to call it Grace,”

“Is it dangerous? “ Kasumi stared at the little tube.

“Of course not,” He held up the vial of white liquid. “This is just something that can help enhance memories. Let’s you truly relive them.” Itori placed the small vial in her hand. “Keep it, just in case you change your mind.”

Later that evening, after dinner, and the after dinner fight, Kasumi sat on her bed staring at the little vial in her hand. The sounds of Ranma and Akane still arguing drifted through the walls, Father and Genma were out drinking, and Nabiki had gone out on one of her ‘dates.’ She was all alone, in a large empty house. She took a deep breath, and in one fluid motion, she poured it down her throat. She fell back onto her bed, and slowly a wide smile crept onto her face, a small speck of crimson appearing at each corner.

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A few weeks later Nabiki knocked on her elder sister’s door. “Kasumi? Mr. Saotome wants to know what’s for dinner.”

No answer.

Nabiki knocked again. “Kasumi?”

No answer.

She knocked again, harder this time. “Sis? You okay in there?”

The door opened a crack into a darkened room. Kasumi’s voice came through the crack.“I’m sorry Nabiki,” A slight cough. “I’m not feeling too well, just a cold.”

Nabiki frowned. “Sorry. Anything I can do? Get some medicine?”

“No.” A pause. “I just need a night to rest. I already told Akane she could handle dinner.”

Nabiki visibly paled. “Oh…you did…well…” Her mind was already going through escape routes and deciding which restaurant to go to tonight. “IhopeyoufeelbetterKasumiseeyoutomorrowgetplentyofrestgoodnight!” She rattled off quickly, sprinting for the door to escape before the others noticed her gone, or the smells that were emerging from the kitchen.

Kasumi just closed her door and sat back on the bed. She took out the rubber strap and the needle. It was getting harder to find a vein in her right arm, she for a moment wished she could go back to where she could visit Mother just by drinking it. But such was life, and if Mother told Kasumi that this was the only way they could see each other, then so be it. Her mind drifted back to the last time she had visited Father Itori’s.

“So you see,” He said to Kasumi closing his book. “God hasn’t deserted us, she just is regaining her strength.” He took the money Kasumi had placed on the table and dropped a small plastic bag of white powder on the table. “And when she does return, and brings us into paradise there will be no death, no pain, no suffering, everyone will love each other. We will all live in bliss,” He paused and smiled at Kasumi’s rapt gaze. “And your Mother will return to you, and be with you forever.”

“Praise God.” Kasumi whispered staring up at the ceiling.

And a Voice answered in her mind, “Amen.”

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The next day Kasumi went out to do her normal shopping. It was a rather nice day, a little quiet with Ranma and his friends gone to meet some people called the Musk, but she liked quiet. When she finally arrived home she found Nabiki on the phone.

“Yes, that’s the spot. You need anything else or was what I gave you enough. Alright, great. Thanks Saito, and don’t worry about that money you owe me, I’ll give you another extension, with only 2 interest. Alright. Thanks. Bye.” Nabiki hung up the phone and noticed Kasumi. “Hey sis, welcome home.” Nabiki said humming to herself as she grabbed an apple from the kitchen. “How was your day?”

“Very nice,” She looked up and smiled. “You seem to be in a good mood.”

“I just did something nice for the community.” She chuckled.

“Oh really?” Kasumi smiled at her sister as she put the groceries away. “What did you do?”

“Well, you know my friend Yumi?” Nabiki said casually biting into her piece of fruit. Kasumi nodded, she vaguely remembered her, she had blue hair in pigtails, and she wasn’t so much a friend of Nabiki’s as an employee. “She got hooked on some new drug, she overdosed two days ago.” She frowned and sighed. “I told her she needed to reel in that impulsive streak.”

“Oh my! Is she alright?” Kasumi asked.

“Yeah, thank God.” Nabiki said sitting down on the table across from her sister. “She’s in the hospital, it looks like she’ll pull through.”

“So how is one of your friends troubles good for the community?”

“Well, nobody messes with any of my girls, so I called up Saito. He graduated last year and became a policeman, you remember him?” Again Kasumi mechanically nodded. “Well he owes me a bunch of favors, so I had him tell me what he knew about the drug and the bastard behind it.”

A light bulb went off in Kasumi’s head, accompanied with a blast of raw fear. She managed to keep her voice level. “What’s the name of this drug?”

“It’s a kind of opiate from America, it’s called ‘Grace,’ apparently there’s a bunch of housewives all over the ward hooked on it.” She sighed and sipped her tea. “Hard to believe huh?”

“Yes.” Kasumi nodded, her mind elsewhere at the moment. “That is surprising. What did you do?”

“Well, I called around and found out about this guy, Gregory Itori. He runs this little plant shop.”

“Nursery.”

“Sorry, nursery.” Nabiki waved off her sister’s correction. “He’s from America, and he grows all these strange flowers, the new drug is from America and it’s an opiate derived from flowers.” Nabiki smiled. “Even Ranma could figure this one out.” She took another drink from her cup. “Have you heard anything from them by the way? The Musk hasn’t killed them yet I hope.”

“No, they are doing quite well.” She said mechanically, internally she was terrified. Did Nabiki know? What did she do to poor Father Itori? Was he in trouble? “What did you do?”

“I went down to that bastard’s shop, to explain to him a few certain details.”

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“Hello,” Itori came up to the front counter. “How can I help you?”

“Are you Brother Itori?” Nabiki asked calmly. She needed a moment to size up this piece of trash. Decide how to deal with him properly.

“Well that depends.” He said it with that indulgent smile that meant Nabiki would have to go into a higher gear. The bastard was clever and knew how to be charming, bad combination.

“My name is Hitomi Nakamura. I’m here to pick up something from my mother?” She said with a smile that screamed innocence and, more importantly, ignorance. “She said it was important?”

“Miss Nakamura…” Itori bit his lip trying to see if he recalled doing business with anyone with that name. “Would you happen to know what she ordered?”

“She said it was important?” Nabiki said. She had practiced that way of talking that made every word out of her mouth a question. Making her seem like just a bubble headed girl who didn’t know anything. It had been ages since she had used this trick, everyone in Nerima knowing her by sight these days. It was rather exciting. “Something about flowers and grates?”

Realization clicked to his face and the warm smile grew on it once more. “Ah, of course. Did she give you the money?”

Nabiki felt a tiny spark of respect for the business savvy of the man. It was quickly crushed by the hate she felt for the person who had placed one of her girls in the hospital. She nodded in that way that made people wonder if they could hear a rattling sound in what they thought was an empty head. “Yes sir, is this it?” She placed a large wad of money on the counter.

“Wait here Miss.” Itori left and returned with a small paper bag. “Here you are, and do tell your mother that I appreciate her business.”

“This doesn’t look like flowers or grates?” She said looking in the bag.

Itori couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think what your mother said was Grace. This is something made from flowers.”

“Why does she want it, it’s not pretty, it’s just some white powder?”

“Well, I guess your mother takes it to feel happy.”

“It can do that? You sell this Grace stuff?”

“Yes I do, would you be interested?”

Nabiki reached into her pocket and clicked off the tape recorder. Nabiki had him. He probably was good at fooling housewives and police, but he was strictly in the minor leagues. He didn’t have a chance against a serious player like herself.

“Mr. Itori.” Nabiki said, her guise of Hitomi sliding away to reveal a shark-like smile so vindictive and wide she almost hurt herself. “I am very interested. You and I have to have a discussion.”

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“So you’re going to blackmail him?” Kasumi tittered. “Nabiki…”

“Oh no, no.” Nabiki smiled. “I just blackmailed him that one time.” She chuckled to himself. “That bastard just crumbled under pressure. Begging me to leave him alone, that he was sorry, offering me that crap that almost killed Yumi.”

“So what did you do?” Kasumi was gripping the handle to the cabinet door so hard her nails were digging into the wood.

“Well I took all the money he had on him and told him he had two days to leave town.” She chuckled. “And when I got home I called the police on him. You just came in when I finished up.”

“You did what?!” Kasumi’s voice almost rose to a shriek but she managed to keep it under control.”

“Yep!” Nabiki looked very proud of herself. “Made a bundle and got rid of a drug dealer all in one day. I think I deserve a medal.” She winked at her sister, grabbed a package of rice crackers, and made her way back to her room.
Kasumi didn’t scream, hurl something, or any of the normal reactions one usually has when consumed by white-hot rage. In fact a cool calm had just washed over her. She put away the groceries silently and then began to water the window box garden she had been growing. The small white buds had already started to grow; she supposed that later on she would have to transplant them. She was fairly certain that they’d thrive. The sacred flowers seemed to grow like wildfire, and their pollen smelled so sweet. It would take a while for enough of them to grow and mature, but that was alright. Good things came to those who wait.

And Kasumi was excellent at waiting.

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“My dear, sweet, little sister…what an apt thing to say.”

Nabiki’s mind snapped back into first gear. A red-hot boiling rage surged through her body.

Kasumi gently set the pistol down on the altar next to Ranma’s prone form. “I’m sure you have a lot of que-“ She was cut off by Nabiki’s hand slapping her face hard, twice, the second time she scraped Kasumi’s cheek with her nails leaving little rows of red marks.

There was a moment of silence as Kasumi rubbed her cheek sighing. Then she smiled and said in a perfectly calm voice. “I understand how you must feel, so I’ll forgive you for that. But please, let’s behave properly here, this is a holy place.”

Nabiki just gaped. The constant throb of her many aches and pains feeding into her rage. Still she had to keep it together, keep calm, figure out what she had to do, and then she could give into that rage. Better to give that fury precision, make it useful. Her mind returning to operational speed she found that she was pointing the shotgun in her sister’s face. Kasumi calmly raised her hands and slowly walked down the aisle, Nabiki followed keeping the gun pointed squarely at her head. They stopped in the middle of the room.

“Make it stop!” She pumped the shotgun as a threat.

“I can’t, and I won’t.” She said, enraging Nabiki further by still remaining calm. “If it stopped then everything would stay like this, and I doubt anyone here wants that.” She said gesturing to the assembled corpses. “You really should be more considerate to the feelings of others.”

“Why?” She managed to ask. She was surprised at how calm her voice came out. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m fixing everything.” Kasumi smiled. “I’m going to make everything better. God is letting me put everything right.”

She’s lost it. My sister is absolutely insane, even more than Hikaru or myself. How long has she BEEN this way?!

“H-how are you going to fix everything?”

“Well, no more curses.” She counted things off with her fingers. “No Happosai, Kunos or Colonge. Mousse and Shampoo will be older and engaged. Ukyo will be a man and her two friends will be girls. I’ll fix Miss Hinako. The Saotomes will be together, Ranma and Akane will be married. Best of all,” Kasumi sighed. “Mother will come back!”

“And you can do all this?” Nabiki was doing the time old tactic of keeping people talking while she thought up of a plan. The only problem was that she couldn’t think of anything, and everything Kasumi said made her even more disturbed.

“Oh no.” Kasumi shook her head and sighed as if Nabiki was a slow child. “God will be doing this. As thanks for taking the world closer to paradise.”

This was all wrong. Nabiki’s head pounded and her ears rang. This wasn’t how it was supposed to finish. She shouldn’t listen to her. She should just keep her talking and figure something out. But…her sister’s voice would not be ignored, and even though she didn’t want to know she kept asking questions.

“Why me?”

Kasumi frowned. “You should know why sister.” She gestured to the crowd. “You were going to stab all of us in the back!”

“Is this for turning in Itori?”

Kasumi shook her head. “You were going to leave us!” She said. “I saw all those letters you wrote! You were going to back up your bags and leave us to go away!”

“What letters?” Nabiki asked honestly puzzled.

“The letters to America, Europe, begging them to take you away from us!”

A bell finally rang in Nabiki’s skull. “You mean those letters I wrote to colleges? THAT’S how I betrayed you?” The last puzzle piece finally fit together. “Kasumi, you heard Ranma and Akane’s plans after the wedding didn’t you?”

“N-no I didn’t.” She said.

“You heard that they were going to go away on a martial arts tour. A whole year away.”

“No they weren’t.”

“I would go to college. Father was going to go with the Saotomes on a trip. The others would have either followed Ranma and Akane or go back home wouldn’t they?”

“They weren’t going to!”

“And poor Kasumi was going to be left all alone.”

“NO I WAS NOT!” She shrieked into Nabiki’s face. Her visage a portrait of twisted, insane, fury. Nabiki wanted to feel triumph at that, but she really wanted to cry. Remembering Tofu’s desperate attempt to try and warn her, Nabiki almost sobbed in frustration. Were she and her sister so far gone mentally, so damaged and so good at hiding it that it took a place like this for them to face their demons? She controlled herself and noticed that her sister had also regained her composure, so she kept on with the questions.

“So you set everything up at the wedding?” Nabiki said. “You filled the entire place with White Claudia flowers?”

Kasumi nodded. “I also used it for the incense. A few changes to Tofu’s oration, and a few hanging decorations with the appropriate symbols, and everyone in the chapel was sanctified.” She sighed. “I honestly didn’t know that was going to happen. I suppose though that there was bound to be a little collateral damage when sin is brought to the surface.”

“Why wasn’t I ‘sanctified?’”

“Don’t you remember?” Kasumi said smiling. “When it started, how I grabbed your shoulder in support?”

Nabiki did recall that happening. She also remembered Kasumi holding her a special way, her fingers poking her in a rather uncomfortable way, then blackness. Nabiki blinked. “Pressure points?”

“So clever.”

“What about Akane?!”

“She did that to herself when she woke up, I tried to stop her.” Kasumi sadly shook her head and then shrugged. “Once this is finished she’ll come back and everything will be fine.”

“What about Hikaru?” Nabiki snarled. “What did he have to do with any of this?”

“Nothing, just a bit of good fortune for yourself. He came banging on the door after you left, begging me to get out of town and asking if you had already left.” She chuckles. “I was wondering how he was unaffected by Grace.”

“Yeah, why wasn’t he?”

“Oh, he had some magical talisman and had enough belief in it. Magic is very complicated. Doesn’t matter anymore. I was honestly surprised to find that he had actually came here.” Kasumi smiled and shrugged. “Serendipity, I suppose, I doubt you’d be able to withhold anymore corruption anyway. What with your own self-doubt already taking over that puppet.”

“Mercy was a puppet?”

“It’s as good a title as any.”

“What about Hikaru's parents, what happened to them?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Kasumi shrugged. “As I said once this is finished it won’t matter.”

Nabiki swallowed and tried to control her tears, shaking, and breathing as she asked her last question.

“What’s going to happen to me?”

Kasumi answered by giving her a look colder than any that Nabiki had given in her life “After how you betrayed us…I honestly don’t care.”
Nabiki jammed the barrel of the shotgun up against Kasumi’s head. Her finger hovered above the trigger.

“Nabiki…” Kasumi said. “Please, this is for the best. This will fix everything. Just stop thinking about yourself and your selfishness for once and think of all of us. Mother would have wanted this way.”

There was a pause, and then slowly Nabiki lowered the shotgun from her head to her chest. She sobbed. She tried to say something but it came out garbled. It was just too much, all the pain, both physical and psychological, had finally taken its toll. Nabiki Tendou had been broken.

Kasumi just sighed sadly and then gave Nabiki a smile gently touching her cheek. “It’s alright Nabiki, everything’s going to be okay. It’ll all be over in a moment.” She nodded with her head in the direction behind Nabiki. Nabiki turned and, if she wasn’t so completely drained of adrenaline, she would have gasped.

Ranma, eyes bloodshot and full of tears was standing. He was clearly still high from the drug. The gun Kasumi had placed next to him shaking in his hand. He had it pointed straight at Nabiki.

“Y-y-you killed them…” He managed to stammer.

Nabiki couldn’t help it. She smirked and made a small sigh before looking back at Kasumi.

“Clever.”

BANG!

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Author Notes: Well, the next chapter is going to be an end of Grace and Silver. I’d like to thank WFROSE for all his terrific editing, and all of you who put up with my extremely lengthy update times.