Ranma 1/2 - Kasumi: Freedom in Infancy

Chapter 2
Chapter One: First Day! Trying to live in a new world

---

Chapter Description: Kasumi's new life experiences.

---

Chapter One: First Day! Trying to live in a new world

"Huh?" Kasumi said awakening to a vastly different room that she had

remembered. "It wasn’t all a hallucination?" She said slowly, the wish had actually been granted. That meant...that meant mom was alive.

"Okaasan!" Kasumi yelled as she ran down the steps.

"Ohayo Kasumi-Chan, I’m in the kitchen." The reply came. Kasumi made a beeline for the kitchen and burst through the door. Grabbing her mother in a fierce hug. The whole display was completely unlike her, but having her mom back was unfathomable.

"Wow, what’s gotten into you?" Kimiko Tendo asked, mussing her daughters’ hair a little.

"I had a dream you were gone..." Kasumi said realizing that if the wish had been granted this would probably be normal to everyone else. Then she noticed something odd, her mother was a lot bigger than her. A lot, I mean, this was the way she remembered her mother, but they should be about the same height now.

"Did you wet honey?" Her mother asked. Kasumi just looked confused as her mother pulled open her pj bottoms and stuck to fingers down her panties. "You should go get changed before your sisters wake up if you don’t want them to know."

"Oh, yeah." Kasumi said, suddenly realizing she was wearing a diaper. This didn’t make any sense. She hadn’t noticed anything she was so excited that her mother was back, but her bedroom had looked more...childish. I mean, she had some stuffed animals before, but the plastic ponies had been a stretch.

She nodded, grudgingly leaving her mother’s side and headed to the furor. She stripped off her pjs and found herself wearing a soaked Oyasumi. ’So I’m a bed wetter, no big deal.’ She thought, she was clearly younger too which she had no explanation for. In fact she remembered she’d wet the bed until she was nine or ten the first time around so it was probably normal.

She tossed the diaper into the trash and showered herself off quickly. Cleaned up she headed to her room and took a quick look through the closet. No uniform, well that meant she was still in elementary. She threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and headed down for breakfast.

"So then Yuka said, oh morning Kasumi-Chan!" A tiny version of Akane said.

Kasumi nodded to her little sister and Nabiki who were chatting in front of the T.V.

"Morning father," Kasumi said, and Soun lowered the paper to give her a smile.

Kasumi finding herself bored decided she should see what her mother was doing. She didn’t want to act to differently than she normally did, but then she didn’t know what normal for this version of ’Kasumi’ was.

"You want some help mom?" Kasumi asked sticking her head in the kitchen.

"Sure, how nice of you to offer." Her mother replied, handing her a knife.

"Here, be careful with that and cut some green onions for the miso."

Twenty minutes later breakfast was ready and Kimiko was wondering what had gotten into her daughter. Kasumi was being ultra subdued today, she’d never offered to help before, and she’d done an amazing job for a nine year old. ’Oh well, it’s probably just me, maybe she’s growing up’ Kimiko considered as Kasumi helped bring the dishes to the living room.

"Soun, you should have seen Kasumi this morning, she was a great help with breakfast." Kimiko said, Soun returned with an approving grunt, looking the part of the stoic Japanese husband. Kasumi hadn’t seen her dad so emotionally balanced since... well her mother died.

"Suck up." Nabiki said out of the corner of her mouth. Kasumi felt an amazing urge to hit her but managed to contain it. ’That’s odd, I hate violence’ was all she could think, but her body screamed that Nabiki needed a lesson in pain if she was going to mouth off to her big sister.

"I know this is weird, but what year is it again mommy?" Kasumi asked between bites.

"Why, 1988 of course, what did you think it was?"

"I don’t know, for some reason I couldn’t remember if it was 88 or 87..."

Kasumi replied, her mother nodding and returning to the food. 1988, that was the year it was before the wish. So why was she nine if it was the same year?

"Mom, how long were you married before you had kids?" Kasumi asked tentatively.

"Why are you asking?" Kimiko said, a little surprised at the question

"I don’t know, I just wondered what was normal." Kasumi was worried about whether she should ask these questions, but she wanted to figure out how her wish had changed everything.

"Well, okay, we were married twelve years before we had kids." Kimiko started.

"But that’s not really the norm. See, we were really young when we got married, your father was nineteen and I was seventeen. We had planned on having kids later, but there was this scare when I turned eighteen. There was a lump in my breast, and we thought it might be cancer." She said, Kasumi gave her a horrified look. "Oh well, it’s nothing to worry about, it turned out to be benign, but me and your father agreed that if it was cancer, we’d have some kids quickly, so our family could continue even if the worst happened to me. Since I was okay we decided to wait until we were older to have kids, so we could give you a better life."

"Oh, that’s scary that you almost had cancer.." Kasumi said, fighting the tears threatening to appear. It was scary to find out that her mother had been sick all along, but it must’ve been slow because she lived for seven years after Kasumi was born the time before.

Breakfast finished Kimiko hustled her children to their bags and threw them out the door to go to school. Soun simply went back to the paper. He taught classes mainly in the evenings so he was open during the afternoons. The school’s name was good and business was bustling. He was known as a hard but skilled teacher the way he liked it. The only one he ever let see his soft side was Kimiko. Well, he and Genma had been close but he hadn’t seen his old friend in almost ten years.

"This is stupid." Kasumi mumbled as she finished the math sheet five minutes after being handed it. SHe been at the top of her class in high school and could’ve gotten into a decent college if not for her family obligations. Elementary school was nothing compared to the National Exam.

"Hey Kasumi are you done already?" A girl asked her.

"Yeah, why?" Kasumi asked the girl whose name she should probably know.

"Already, dang I knew you were smart, can I copy it?" She asked, as if it were a normal practice. Kasumi didn’t feel like making waves so she handed it to her classmate. Ten minutes later it was handed back with a fifty yen piece.

"Thanks Kasumi, standard pay right?" The girl said, Kasumi nodded and pocketed the money, though she felt rather guilty. The new her clearly was much loser on the moral scale.

She sat through the rest of classes, though throughily bored. Finally the day was over, and she hadn’t made a mistake on anything. ’Well, maybe I can get into a better school this time, I mean Furinkan’s not horrible, but I could do way better.’ Kasumi thought as she slipped on her outside shoes and headed out the front of the building.

"Hey Kasumi!" Akane said running up to her.

"What is it Akane?" Kasumi said turning to her.

"Can I walk home with you today, Nabiki has to stay late for club."

"Sure" Kasumi wasn’t even sure she wanted to know what club her mercenary sister was involved with. Then again the new Nabiki could be different.

Akane and her left Toshi elementary and started back towards the dojo. Akane looked so thrilled to be around her big sister Kasumi was wondering if she’d ever walked with her before.

"Tendo Kasumi!" A gruff voice stated from behind her.

"Huh what?" Kasumi said turning to a very angry looking boy just a little bit taller than her.

"Don’t give me that shit, you beat up my brother yesterday. I’m going to pay you back for that."

"What, there’s no way I did that." Kasumi said startled. The boy grabbed her by her collar. This was insane. Kasumi didn ’t fight. As the boy grabbed her though the childhood training in Anything Goes was coming back to her. Still it was a major jump to hurt someone. In the world she was used to everyone knew of her status as a non-combatant.

"Hurt him Kasumi! You’re the best!" Akane said said, looking both afraid and enthused at once. Time was up as the boy pulled his fist back. Kasumi sucked in a quick breath and slammed her knee into the boy’s stomach. He grunted and fell back slightly.

He shook his head to get some air and ran at Kasumi again. Kasumi fell into the standard attack stance and timed her punch. The boy was just moving sooo slow.

Maybe it was watching Ranma and all his friends, or maybe it was the style she’d been used to as a child, but this boy had no chance of hurting her.

Her fist flicked out in full speed and caught the boy square in the nose. Blood spurted out quickly and the boy fell to the ground crying.

"I’ll get you Kasumi!" The boy said between sobs. Kasumi simply took Akane’s hand pulled her along as they walked home.

* *

"And then Kasumi punched him right in the face!" Akane said excitedly as she relayed to their mother and father the story of her fight. "There was blood and everything."

"It’s not something to be proud of." Kasumi said quietly, looking at the floor. She felt really bad about hurting him, but she’d hadn’t really had other options.

Soun and Kimiko simply stared at their daughter in utter amazment.

"You not bragging after a fight Kasumi?" Soun said, "I mean, I agree you should be humble, but you’ve never taken that to heart before. Usually I’d punish you for fighting, but since Akane was there I know you didn’t start this one."

"Huh, my daughter the neighborhood bully. You know Hitoshi’s mother will be calling as soon as he gets up and gets home." Kimiko said exasperated. "I know you’re the heir to the school honey, and I’m proud of you, but good girls shouldn’t have to beat people up."

"I promise I’ll fight less mommy." Kasumi said, meaning it.

"Good girl, but if the other kid starts it, whomp him good for me okay?" Kimiko said smiling, she was proud of her daughter, just a bit worried she’d bite off more than she could chew eventually. Kasumi just nodded, surprised that her mother would condone any violence.

"Well, want to get in some practice before my classes start?" Soun asked flicking off the T.V. It was as much a suggestion as a statement. Kasumi nodded and they headed to the dojo.

An hour later Kasumi realized why she was getting into fights. Her father had worked her to exhaustion and told her that she only had to practice once today because he had extra classes. The scary thing is that meant she usually worked twice as much.

Her body actually wasn’t to bad off though, it was clearly used to strenous effort. She was embarrassed at her performance though. Soun had constantly smacked her in the back of the head for failing to pull off moves her felt she should do with ease. That was the oddest thing, her father hitting her. He didn’t do it hard, but the man she knew couldn’t bear to even tap her when she had been trained as a little girl.

Soun was surprised. Kasumi had been like a totally different person in training today. She seemed to have a better concept of balance and movement than she had the day before, yet simple moves had been forgotten. She was more graceful and yet less skilled. It didn’t make any damn sense. Of course, she had more potential this way, maybe he should just drill the basics more...

Having finished all her work in school Kasumi found herself at 4pm and nothing to do. She sat in front of the T.V. with an incredible urge to do chores, but knew her mother was already handling them. Nabiki had just gotten back from her club and was up in her room doing homework.

"Mom?" Kasumi asked going into the kitchen.

"Yes honey?"

"Can I go to the park, I’ve already done my homework." Kimiko eyed her daughter skeptically, Kasumi rarely did her homework even when she stayed home. Still she did well on tests so Kimiko didn’t bother her daughter about it too much.

"Okay, be home by six thirty for dinner."

"Can I go too?!" Akane said sticking her head in the door.

"Sure, if mom’s okay with it." Kasumi said looking back to her mother.

"Okay, but you watch out for your little sister." Kimiko said, wondering to herself why Kasumi was being so nice to Akane. Kasumi never even gave her the time of day, and though she was glad to see Kasumi being nicer she hoped Akane’s feelings weren’t hurt went Kasumi went back to normal.

Kasumi and Akane walked down to the park that was just a couple of blocks from the house and Akane ran straight for the jungle gym. Kasumi was put in an odd predicament. She knew kids came to parks to play, but having taken over her mother’s duties so early in life, she really didn’t remember how to play.

Kasumi sat on a bench nearby and watched Akane playing happily. ’Well, the weather is pleasant and mom’s alive, I can’t really ask for anything more’.

"Kasumi!" Akane said, grabbing her sisters hand. "Come on, why aren’t you playing." This shook Kasumi back to the present.

"Hai, Hai. What should we play?" Kasumi asked

"Let’s play animals, I get to be a tiger, what are you?" Akane said as they walked over to the jungle gym.

"Okay, I’ll be a wolf then..." Kasumi sure hoped she was playing correctly.

Two hours later then sun was setting and Kasumi knew it was time to be heading home. Playing pretend was definitely not her forte anymore but she was starting to get the hand of it. From a pyschological standpoint it was clear the game was trying to reinact things from life that were hard for children to understand.

She signaled to Akane it was time to go, and after only a slight pout they were on their way. They hadn’t gotten a few feet before Akane, suddenly gripped her crotch.

"Akane, do you need to go potty?" Kasumi asked, realizing neither of them had gone the whole time they’d been there. Akane simply nodded. "Can you make it home?"

"Uhh huh." Akane said biting her lip. Kasumi nodded and they started a brisk pace towards the Tendo home. A block later Akane stopped and they both knew it was over. Tears streamed down her cheeks as warm pee streamed down her legs leaving a puddle on the side walk. Akane’s jeans were stained all the way down the back of her legs to the ground.

Akane sobbed loudly as Kasumi put her arm around her and tried to get her to calm down. "It’s okay, Akane-chan, lots of kids have accidents. Come on let’s just get home."

"You’re not going to make fun of me?" Akane asked sadly

"No, why would I do that."

"You did last time." Akane said, a little bitterly

"Well, I won’t again, and I’m sorry for last time, now let’s get home so you can get cleaned up." Kasumi said, gently pushing on Akane’s back.

"Thanks Sumi’" Akane said, sniffling as the tears stopped. Akane had always known she had the toughest big sister in the world, but now she was also being really nice too.

"Well, you two are back in time..." Kimiko said opening the door for her daughters. "Akane, young lady, did you have an accident."

"I’m sorry mommy, I thought I could make it." Akane said, on the verge of tears again. Kasumi wanted to come to Akane’s defense, but if it’d been this unlike her just to be nice, defending her would make her parents know something was up.

"No excuses, I’m not mad, but you know the punishment." Kimiko said sternly.

Akane looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"No, no I’m not a baby!" Akane screamed. Kimiko ignored her daughter and calmlu picked her up and placed her under her arm all the while Akane was kicking and screaming.

Kasumi was so shocked she just walked into the living room to sit down and think about the days events. Her dad had opened the shogi and was toweling himself off, bare chested. Kasumi was impressed at how much better shape her father was in. The man actually had a six pack. ’I guess that’s what comes from actually working’ she thought, giggling to herself a little. Her dad had been a bit to lazy without her mom to keep him in line.

"I heard you took Akane to the park. I’m glad to see your being a good big sister Kasumi." Soun sad firmly. Kasumi nodded and blushed a little at the compliment. Seeing her dad so strong and full of confidence made her feel... safer than she had in a long while. She briefly wondered if he might be able to take Ranma in a fight.

"Hey Kasumi." Nabiki said walking in the room. "You hear the baby peed her pants again."

"I was with her." Kasumi replied

"Bummer for you. Oh yeah, Shizuka-chan called for you earlier." Nabiki leaned in closer to whisper, "She said thanks for letting her copy your work. Also if you wanted to go to the sweet shop after school tommorrow."

"Thanks Nabiki-chan" Kasumi whispered back. At least she knew who the girl from today was.

Akane walked into the room with a sullen expression on her face. Kasumi saw why the girl had been crying, she was now wearing only a diaper and a t-shirt. She plopped herself onto the couch.

"Aww, looks like the little baby couldn’t make it home again." Nabiki teased, poking her sister in the side,

"Stop it Nabiki!" Akane said, obviously trying not to cry.

"What, you gonna pee on me?" Nabiki said, poking her again. A tear fell down Akane’s cheek and she stood up and ran out the room.

"Nabiki, let her be." Kasumi said, Nabiki looked as if she’d been hit in the face.

"You’re on her side? You’re the one who got me to start teasing her." Nabiki said, quietly enough that their dad wouldn’t hear it.

"Well, I was wrong."

"What the heck’s gotten into you?" Nabiki said. "You don’t wait for me afterschool, you take Akane to the park and don’t make fun of her. Do you like her better than me now?" Nabiki said, sounding really desperate and hurt.

"No, no, I love both of you. You’re my sisters. Why can’t we all get along?"

Kasumi asked. Nabiki looked at Kasumi in surprise. She just sat there for a few minutes before answering.

"I’m fine with that, I don’t understand what changed your mind. I’ve always been the one to say we should be nicer to Akane before now." With that Nabiki shrugged and headed upstairs. Kasumi however went to the laundry room and found her mother.

"Mom, I know this may sound wierd, but am I really that mean to Akane?" Kasumi asked

"What a question!" Kimiko lowered herself down to Kasumi’s eye level. "Do you want an honest answer?"

"Yes, please." Kasumi responded

"You’ve been an absolute devil to her and yet she loves you all the same. Nabiki and Akane get along when you’re not around but when you show up you turn them against each so they do what you want. I don’t blame you honey, it’s a standard thing for the oldest and youngest to fight a lot."

"Well, I’m sorry, and I’ll try harder to be nicer to her." Kasumi answered

"I think that’s very mature of you honey. Why all the changes today?"

"I dunno, anyway is dinner ready?"

"It’ll be on the table in a minute." Kimiko said, Kasumi excused herself and headed back to the table. That was a close one. She really had to act more like she was supposed to and change slowly.

Dinner was a standard affair with far-beyond-standard food. She had thought her cooking was good, but her mother’s made her realize she still had farther to go.

Akane was sullen through the whole affair, probably due to being forced to wear a diaper for the rest of the day, which was the standard punishment for accidents in the Tendo household. Of course, it was really only meant to apply to Akane, and only because she hated it so much. Kimiko considered it a good encouragement to be more careful in future.

After dinner was bathtime. That wasn’t that unusal, but bathing with both her sisters was. Her mother made it clear she was to keep it civil in their and put some towels in the outer furo.

"Nabiki wash my back?" Kasumi asked and her sister obliged. Kasumi had Akane come over and soapped her up. Akane started to brighten a little since having to wear the diaper around.

"Thanks Nabiki." She rinsed Akane off "Into the bath with you." Akane nodded and hopped into the bath. She then turned and washed Nabiki’s back for her.

Kasumi sat in the soothing bath, trying to think as Nabiki and Akane splashed with toys. Nabiki was so much more mature than Akane, even though there was only a year difference between them. Still, the fact that Akane was the youngest probably made a big difference. The responsiblities of the big sister was nothing compared to the responsiblities of a surrogate mother.

Dried off and ready for bed, Kimiko put her youngest daughter to sleep. Akane mumbled her usual complaints but was clearly readyu for sleep. Nabiki got an extra half hour and Kasumi could stay up til 9pm.

Nabiki’s bedtime came and she went up to her bedroom which left Kasumi with her parents.

"Kasumi-chan, why don’t you go get ready for bed now." Kimiko said and Kasumi nodded heading upstairs. She found a cute pair of pink pjs and heading back down the steps. Sitting on the couch between her parents.

"Honey did you remember your oyasumi?" Kimiko asked her daughter.

"Ohh, uhh I forgot." She said, though Kimiko just eyed her harshly.

"Don’t try to pull that on me, you know you need them you had an accident just last night,"

Kasumi bite her lip, trying not to be upset at being chastised by her mother, but her mother was still a goddess in her mind. She ran up the stairs in a bolt to do what her mother asked.

"Good girl." Kimiko said as Kasumi pulled down the side of her pj bottoms so her mother could see she had her diaper on. Kasumi watched T.V for another hour resting her head on her mother’s lap until her mother annocced it was time for her to go to bed as well. Kasumi gave her mother a big hug and her father a kiss on the cheek and headed up to her bedroom

"Well, she’s been much better behaved than I’ve ever seen her." Kimiko said

"I know, I wonder why?" Soun replied. "I hope she’s not getting soft."

"Soun! You should be pleased your daughter is acting like a woman."

"Hmmph. She should be a good sucessor, anything else is icing."

Kimiko sighed and moved over to lean against her husband. "Still it’s nice to see them all getting along."

"That is true." Soun replied planting a kiss on his wife’s lips that would inevitably lead to more.

Kasumi stared at the ceiling above her bed, trying to get used to the feeling of the diaper. It was making it hard for her to go to sleep. ’Well, I guess it’s kinda comfy’ she though briefly. Her thoughts turned back to Akane’s accident earlier today. ’She’s lucky, the extent of her responsiblities seem to be getting to the potty on time.’ Things were seeming pretty good right now, though where they would lead was anyone’s guess. ’I wonder what it felt like for her to pee her pants?’ Kasumi wondered ’What they hell am I thinking, time for bed’ and she cleared her mind and fell quickly asleep.

 

---