You all know who I am by now, {and if you don't, I have NOT been doing my
job right} so i'll skip the long preamble. Here's a little holiday fic I
though up earlier today, and since I've had to branch out into other forms of
ran- er, expression beyond Top Ten Lists...

Lunatic Fringe Fanfic Productions {Where the voices in your head count as
dependents} is proud to present....


Kasumi's Christmas Angel.

It was once agiain Christmas at the Tendo Dojo. And, as the Tendo's were wont
to do, a Christmas party was in full swing. It was not, however, your
traditional type of Christmas party. Nobody was preforming on stage, or
exchanging presents, or playing poker. All the guest's could do was sit and
stare in awe. At the Tendo family Christmas Tree.

And oh, what a tree! Soaring up to the eves of the dojo, it was perfect in
every way. Full, bushy, the ornaments perfectly distributed, simply perfect.
However, the tree itself paled before the item adorning it's crown; the Angel.

Words cannot describe it's ethereal loveliness. It glowed with a soft, holy,
light, that seemed to fill all those around with a sense of well-being.
Exquisitly formed, with snowy white wings and a gorgeous little halo. There
was something not quite right about it's expression, however...

"Wow," breathed Akane softly. She turned to her sister, asking, "Kasumi, where
did you ever find something like..." She stopped. Kasumi was leaning against
the dojo wall, soundly asleep. And as she slept, she dreamed of a time earlier
that day....

---------------------------------

"Kasumi! Your soup, it's boiling over!"
"Hey sis, could you go over my figures for decorations one more time?"
"Kasumi dear, please help your father with his laundry..."
"Kasumi!"
"Kasuuuuummmmiiiiiiii!"

"Please, everybody, be calm! I'll be right there!" Oh my, thought Kasumi as
she rused oward the many impending crises, it surely is a great deal of work
preparing for a Christmas party. It almost isn't worth it. "Father, you'll
find a clean set of cloths under your bed. Nabiki, i'm sure whatever figures
you have are quite all right. Now Akane, as for my soup... <SPLORSH> Oh my!"

Kasumi had, unwisely, left Akane alone in the kitchen with food that needed
tending. The results had been quite explosive, and Kasumi was now standing in
the kitchen door covered in what had once been miso soup.

"Oh no, Kasumi! I'm so sorry! Please, let me help clean you up..." Akane
seemed genuinly remorseful.

Kasumi trembled. Her new blouse... ruined... she'd spent twenty minutes
ironing... all because her violent litle sister couldn't leave well enough
alo... calm down. It wasn't Akane's fault. Breath. That's right. "It's quite
all right, Akane. I'll simply go upstairs and change..."

Kasumi's footfalls were perhaps a bit forced as she headed for her room. She
selected a new skirt and blouse combination... but not as good as her new one.
It wasn't Akane's fault... No, it was that so-and-so Santa Clause's for coming
to her last night and insisitng she do this again when she had so little time
already and there was so much work and those other people were all so
incredibly incompetent they couldn't do anything right at all...

Sighing softly, Kasumi went back downstairs and resumed her work.

---------------------------

Kasumi stood, stretching to ease out the crick in her back. It had taken the
better part of an hour, but she had decorated the dojo's south wall *just* so.
It was undoubtedly one of her more difficult chores, but now it was done
and...

<CRASH>

"Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the Tendo Dojo?" said a slightly
disheveled Ryoga Hibiki, as he stood among the remains of the dojo's south
wall. "I seem to have lost my way... Oh, Kasumi! Good, that means i'm...
Kasumi?"

Kasumi stood stock still, one of her eyelids twitching slightly. With a smile
that seemed extremely forced, she slowly turned to face Ryoga. "Why.... hello
Ryogaaaa. So... glad you could... make it. If you stop by the house, i'm...
sure... Akane... would be glad... to see you."

"Okayyyyy...." Ryoga was more than a little freaked out, and beat a hasty
retreat.

Kasumi stood silently for several minutes. It wasn't that nice Ryoga's fault.
He simply had a very poor sense of direction. Yes, that was it. She certainly
didn't feel like she was going to scream, the result of so much labor being
laid waste in under a second like that, noooooo, of course not. Turning on her
heel, Kasumi began the task of cleaning up the rubble.

-----------------------

"Father! Mr. Saotome! Stop playing shogi, if you would, and come help me
finish hanging these wreaths!"

"In a minute, Kasumi!"
"Growf!"

Hmph. Slackers, the both of them were. She couldn't understand why she cared
for them and fed them day in and day out with out stop. Maybe she was a little
too nice for her own good....

Complaints won't get the work done, she chided herself. Deciding to finish
herself, Kasumi perched atop a ladder and spent several minutes meticulously
arranging several wreaths and a great deal of ribbon. When she was done, she
climbed down and admired her handiwork. A very lovely line of wreaths was
positioned above the front door, all connected together by some very festive
red ribbon. Truely some of her best work.

"What do you MEAN we should use my Christmas cake as a doorstop!"
"Well, whatta you THINK I mean- uhoh."

Right at this moment, Ranma came tearing about the corner, with Akane in hot
pursuit. He leaped up, ricocheted of the wall, and headed down the corridor
towards the stairs. Unfortunatly, one of his feet happened to snag a wreath...

<RIIIIIIPPPPP!!!!!>

Ranma didn't even register the weight as he bouded up the stairs, now with a
long line of wreaths trailing on his feet. Akane failed to notice too, so
intent was she on her attempts at malleting him into the next prefecture.

What they both also failed to notice was a now completely-and-utterly-incensed
Kasumi standing next to the doorway. How dare they? How DARE they? She gave
and did and gave and helped, and what was her thanks? This!? WHY THOSE
INCONSIDERANT, INSENSITIVE BAKAS.....

Of course, that was the moment it choose to happen. The door slid open and
there it was, the most beautiful tiny angel ever, carrying quite incongrously
to it's size a christmas tree, one perfect in every way. The tiny angel smiled
beatifically.

"Hello, Miss Tendo. In express gratitude for all the tribulations you have
ndured during this glorious holiday season, we have decided to present to you
with this very special christmas tree. All you have to do is tell me where to
stick it."

------------------------

And THAT, dear friends, is the story of how the angel got on top of the Tendo
family christmas tree.

The End.


I'm a bad, bad man. Maybe I should have spent longer than an hour working on
this... but we crazy people can't be held to normal conventions. If you
thought THIS was bad, wait till my next one!!! Kuno fans beware!! BWAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

-Mercutio
"A plague 'a both your houses!"