Broken Mirror Reflecting
By: Shadow/Li
Disclaimer: I don't own any anime, only the plot ideas.
Summary: The spirit to be reincarnated as Tendo Kasumi turns out to be unavailable when it is called, so another is sent in her place. This soul, however, remembers everything of it's many past lives, a female otaku in the most recent. Armed with the knowledge of what the future of Nerima holds, she begins to plan for the future while trying to forget something in the past.
A/N: I plan to turn this into a mega crossover, but nothing major. Characters from other series many appear and have a part, but that's kind of the pointof this fanfiction. Pairings will be discussed in future chapters, and so will what animes will be included in BMR.
Enjoy the story!
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Chapter One: Silver Forest
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In an old, old part of a deserted town, in a run down warehouse not far from the coast, a corpse could be found. It was the body of a young woman of unknown origin, mostly because of the bruises to her face and the diterioration of tissue. One could see her, however, if one was attune to the spiritual plane.
In her unisex soul form, she had longish transparent hair and an average face, undescriptive save for the only color on her astral person: piercing blue eyes.
She remembered not how her living self had come to be here, or her name or past before death. All she could bring to mind was the endlessness of her time in the warehouse and something called the 'Internet' and computers.
No one had yet to come for her soul, or a living being. That is, until he began to appear at random times. He being in front of her at that very moment.
He started out as a nice enough fellow, if a bit too enthusiastic. But then he asked questions, excepting her to know the answers when she didn't. Like her previous name, who she wanted to be reincarnated as, etc...
This time, instead of his usual casual smirk, he wore a half grim, half grinning expression. Unlike her, though, he was in full color; fluorescent color. Short, pale hair cut to be longer in the front than the back, always perfect, and bright eyesof undeterminable color alight with wonder.
"I've talked to some friends of mine, sister, and they made an offer," stated the spirit. He had yet to give his name.
Maybe his curiousity was rubbing off on her, but she just couldn't resist, though skeptical. "What kind of offer?"
The spirit's grin widened as he regarded her, as if sharing a private joke with himself mentally. "The kind of deal that will give you both your body and your memories back."
"Mine is unusable," she pointed out, still untrusting of the stranger. "And if I agree, what is the cost?" For some unknown reason, she seemed to know how to handle this type of situation easily all of a sudden.
The multicolored man regarded her for a moment, face blank, before breaking out into a wide grin. "I knew you were just what we need!" He clutched her shoulder in a friendly manner, grip surprisingly solid. "Now, here's the deal..."
He explained to her that a body in another dimension needed a host spirit since the one for it had been captured and therefore unable. This person, a Japanese female to have two sisters, was an important member of the Larger Plan, which would otherwise destroy their universe if she simply didn't exist. Of course, with him having a counter argument for every point she brought up, it felt right to except.
"I agree, then," she said after a great deal of thought. "I just hope I may help in this other world you have described to me."
"Oh, you will," the astral figure said, smiling a mysterious smile. "All you need now is to go there. Your new identity is waiting."
He finally released her shoulder and pulled a bag of sand from somewhere within his eye blinding jacket, and blew a pinch in the transparent girl's face. She suddenly felt very sleepy, as if she'd been hypnotized.
She saw him pull out two objects, both jewelry, with hooded eyes; one, a western dragon necklace with curved horns and a pointed snout. The other, a small piece of metal used as an earring, designed with Celtic wave symbols. He placed both in her hand, closing her fingers gently around them.
"Use these well: the necklace for protection, and the earring for focus." He smiled at her, face fading as her vision blackened.
"Remember, even in chaos there is order. Have fun in Nerima, Tendo Kasumi-san." Her jaw unhinged in shock, though vision almost consumed by darkness.
Her last sight was of the mangled body of her former identity. Then she dreamed of comforting warmth.
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Let me tell you, readers, that it is never a good decision to trust someone so annoying when they offer change out of the blue. Sure, I remember everything from my life, and the one before that... and the one before that... and the one before that (you get the idea), but I also felt everything all at once. Needless to say, I hardly remember what happened time after that.
When I came to, though, it was to what can only be called the 'light at the end f the tunnel'. But in reality, Tendo Kasumi's body was just being born. I, unsurprisingly, had the overwhelming urge to cry, and did so. My new mother, Tendo Soun's wife, held me after the midwife was done checking the baby body over. I was starting to regret agreeing to this even more.
How was I, an only child, going to handle two sisters and a depressed father when oka-sama (I decided to call her that for no apparent reason) died? I couldn't even take proper care of my step-dad's pig, even though she depended on me only for food. And another mother?
The only reason I was dead was because that naive best friend of mine, affectionately called Bijin, decided to give her mob-related boyfriend another chance. I, having just graduated from college and rooming with her while she completed a last term, went along and ended up getting beaten and shot. It bloody well hurt, too!
I'm angry, annoyed, confused, sleepy, and ranting at people who did nothing but join me in my new adventure. I'll apologize when I feel better.
It was nice being cooed over for a change. Mother was smiling tiredly and holding my body tenderly. Soun was crying, ranting on about how lucky he was to have such a beautiful wife and child. And here I thought he'd only turned crybaby after the death of his beloved.
"What a beautiful girl she'll grow up to be," commented my mother.
"Our little heiress," cooed my father. He was immediately backhanded by his wife. I guess aggression ran in the Tendo females, all except me. I really don't know how I'm going to have the innocence and obliviousness that series Kasumi had.
What did her spirit do, anyway?
"Our little princess," father corrected himself. Oka-sama smiled in approval. I personally wondered when they would begin to spoil me, and if my new self would like it.
Sure, I would always be the core me, but with my child's mind my personality would develop according to the environment I was raised in. Kind of like planting seeds (what your born with) and nurturing them until they become whatever they do. At least I'm flexible and can adapt easily. I can make Soun and oka-sama's first experience with a child a bit easier, too.
Did I mention I'm more like Nabiki than Kasumi? Kami help Nerima. I may turn the place upside-down even before Ranma and the rest arrive.
I was so tired and content in my mother's arms, I fell asleep right then and there. Needless to say, I was set for the moment.
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Being a baby is hard. I gave into my crying urges more often than not. Though I must say, by the time I could walk I was potty trained. Mother bragged to her friends, and so did father. He wanted to begin me in martial arts at one and a half, but Oka-sama persuaded him otherwise. (I could never hurt anyone like she could. I wasn't made that way, unless a serious need arose, and even then not consciously.)
Everything was perfect, until Soun decided to go on his first training trip in over five years. Though his wife opposed it, she eventually yielded. I was surprised to learn there were many students learning Anything Goes, and that they helped each other when their master was gone.
When I walked in with mother to see myfather and his current apprentice (a special one wanting to broaden his horizons), Father gave a teary goodbye. I didn't cry, just gooed at him cutely and got my message to come back soon to his family across.
As their backs turned into dots in the horizon (dramatic as Ranmaverse standard), the students bowed to them as one. It inspired a sad smile to my mother's lips.
She said to me, "Never marry a martial artist. They'll love their sport more than they would you." I took her words to heart.
Truly, I had no intention of finding anyone here. In all my past lives that I could remember, I either got dumped early on, was murdered by my husband, or otherwise perished in a way related to those I loved. Not to mention there was always three people of the same gender, and one of the opposite involved.
I stayed in the dojo and watched the twenty or so students practice with fascination. Reading and seeing were entirely two different things, I decided. It was much more amazing to be up close, with a chance to learn just as those you observed were than to sit at home and read out of a manga or watch anime.
The youngest student, a scrawny nine or ten year old who loved more geeky than anything else (I have nothing against them, really. I was one.), approached me after going through a series of kata. His belt said midlevel, so I assumed he had been bullied and was now trying hard to get stronger to protect himself.
He bowed politely before speaking. "Tendo-sama," he addressed me.
"Goo." Translation: What the Heck! (I've always tried to reframe from swearing if not truly upsetting.)
I seriously have no idea what Japanese babies said. I was American, the last time around. An otaku in love with Ranma and the like, too. (The manga, not the person.)
"I wish you good luck in the future." I wasn't sure what he said next, but it appeared to be a blessing in Chinese. I really need to learn that language, since I already knew English, American, Latin, Ancient Greek (Roman variation as well) and a few others not so fluently.
Then the boy, who I later found out was named Li Mein, continued his dojo chores. The rest of the practicers either didn't notice me or just ignored the baby and went about their business.
Mother found me soon after that, and took me to the living room and dressed me up in cute baby clothes that I soon grew out of in the next two weeks. She was pregnant again, though, and Nabiki would be able to wear them next.
Life wasn't interesting at the Tendo School, not since father was gone and mother took care of me as the students did themselves. I did wonder, however, how I would do in school. But that was years away; I had plenty of time.
Oh, did you know that Kasumi had a photographic memory? Who would've thought? And since she had it, so do I. Or maybe it's just a side effect of being a grown woman trapped in a baby's mind.
Whoknows? I certainly don't.
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Tendo Kumiko was worried for her baby. Not the one currently kicking in her stomach like pangs of hunger, but her darling eldest, Kasumi. The 22 month old had yet to say anything other than the occasional baby babble, but even that was beginning to become rare.
Kasumi became expressive in other ways, however. When she wanted a story, she'd pick up a book and waving it right under her mother's nose. When hungry, she'd wait patiently in the kitchen for something to eat. If she became upset or offended, which wasn't often, she'd sit in a corner quietly and sulk.
Soun noticed nothing wrong, and somehow always got a smile out of his favorite daughter no matter what he did. She giggled with him, her mother, and some of the students who actually played with her and found her silence natural, not unusual.
If she had something to say, she'd speak up, right? Kumiko wasn't so sure.
Unlike what her mother thought, Kasumi just wasn't used to speaking Japanese. She would also follow her mother around almost anywhere, even to bathe, wanting to have stories to tell Akane when she asked in the future. The child knew everything about her mother, including oka-sama's well-hidden secret hobby.
Kumiko practiced the occult.
It was a big deal to have a woman practicer, since most were men. But she'd learned from one of the best monks, and Kasumi learned from just watching. (Photographic memory, remember? I also always remember everything said to me, if important.)
This time, when she went to the secret room within Akane's future bedroom, still eastern style, oka-sama tried to see why I would not speak. She came out with only a vague answer: I wasn't ready yet. Discouraged from approaching the subject publicly, Kumiko resigned herself to the facts.
Around my second birthday, in the fall, oka-sama hit six months of pregnancy. Three more and my sister, Nabiki, would be born. I couldn't wait see what she was like as a kid.
Yet, already I noticed that I acted more and more like Kasumi. Sure, I was more assertive, and would most likely be just as out-going in a subtle, hinting way when I got older --again.
I wondered, passingly, if there were any other anime from my former world here. I could be surrounded by all those possibilities and not even be aware. But now, I know, was the time to focus on my new family, and maybe later on other places and people.
It was interesting, though, that I never got the name of the one who sent me here.
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A/N: Interested in the story? Hopefully! I'll try to have another chapter up in a week or so, though I don't promise anything.
Sister Shadow/Li