One wouldn't know it from mere sight alone, but it was one of the
biggest events to sweep through Hokkaido this season.  Certainly, many
thought of it as the event of the year.  Not even Hokkaido's natural
beauty could compare to a star of this magnitude, some thought, and
Tomizawa Ami was one of the most sought-after idol stars in Japan
today.
     Tomizawa's promoters had planned to turn Hokkaido's splendor into
a key component of the outdoor concert.  The concert itself was an
attempt to bring in money from people who usually had to travel to
Tokyo just to hear the idol sing.
     It had all, innocently enough, seemed like a very good idea -
tickets sold out faster than anyone could hand them out.

     One of the main problems was that the site Tomizawa's promoters
had chosen hadn't really been designed with a concert in mind.  But
then, Mother Nature wasn't an idol promoter, now, was she?
     Gosunkugi Hikaru didn't care about things like this one way or
another right about now.  For he was an aspiring fan of Tomizawa Ami,
enough to spend a great deal of money on traveling to Hokkaido by
himself just to hear her sing.
     Unfortunately, he was stuck outside the primary washroom for the
entire concert setup... not much more than an outhouse, in his
opinion.  He'd spent nearly fifteen minutes waiting outside the
washroom for just *one* person to leave and listening to people say,
"Now THAT'S what a fanboy *really* looks like!"
     Hikaru, in fact, was a reserved and shy individual for the most
part - until it came to something he felt passionate about, like
Tomizawa Ami.  All this time spent waiting here could be better spent
in front of the stage waiting for Ami to make her appearance... or
*on* the stage, if they allowed it.
     He had a look on his face that would have scared even Saotome
Ranma.  "COME ON!"  he bellowed.  "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?"
Hikaru was about to break down the door - until he realized the hard
way that the door opened the other way.  A young man wearing a
familiar yellow-and-black bandanna tied around his forehead, matching
the clothes he wore below that point.

     The Eternally Lost Boy had arrived.

     "Ranma?  Is that you?"  Ryouga's voice trailed off as he realized
Ranma wasn't in the area.  Where was he, anyway?  "Uh... would you
mind terribly telling me where I am?"
     "Where ARE you!?  WHERE ARE YOU!?"  Hikaru near-exploded,
forgetting for the moment that he was speaking to someone who could
bring him back into rational sanity in a less-than-painless manner.
"This is the BIGGEST idol concert of the year, and I have to wait
FIFTEEN MINUTES out here for you to finish whatever it is you're doing
in the ONLY WASHROOM HERE!  THAT'S where you are!!"
     Ryouga cocked his head, looking at Hikaru in curiosity.  "I want
to know where I am.  We wouldn't happen to be anywhere near the Tendo
Dojo, would we?"
     "NO!  This is Hokkaido, you IDIOT!"  Hikaru continued to rant,
rivaling some of Soun's best outbursts.  Godzilla, king of monsters,
would be proud.
     The next person in line, however, took advantage of Hikaru's
temper to slip into the bathroom, flashing a quick Victory sign to
Hikaru as he shut the door... leaving a teetering Hikaru to fall to
his knees in front of the door, wailing.  Ryouga stared at him for a
moment, then finally gave up on the boy and left him to rant in peace.
     <Hokkaido,> Ryouga thought, walking on.  <I'm back in Hokkaido
again.  If I'm lucky I can make it to the Tendo Dojo before Akane-san
leaves for school next week.  Oof-->
     The latter, because someone had had the nerve to place a stage in
between him and his destination.  No problem; he figured he could just
plow through it like he normally did.  Until the track lights
dimmed...
     "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for your entire
lives..." the PA system blared to life, annoying all of those who
thought it had been dead.  It didn't matter much, as the crowd was
also roaring to life - drowning out Ryouga's attempts to ask people
where the blasted exit was.  "Sami Records is bursting at the seams to
present..."
     A long, dramatic paused, followed by an understudy which wasn't
quite as dramatic.
     "The idol concert of your year and mine... please welcome,
Tomizawa... Ami!"
     Ami took the stage to the sound of thunderous applause and a few
cat calls here and there, which she took in stride.  Ryouga was
surprised to find her alluring, with her short blue-black hair and a
fuku strangely reminiscent of one he knew a certain other Ami to wear
on occasion... What, did he have it in for girls with short,
bluish-black hair?  <Akane-san...>
     Apparently, the crowd before the stage had no similar
commitments.  In their hearts, Tomizawa was ultra-ultra-kawaii and
there were also a few nose-bleeds - though these resulted more from
angry girlfriends than thoughts of... well, you know.  If not, then
don't ask - your authors have no desire to turn this into the
slightest of lemon stories, no matter how much Nabiki pays us.
     Ami knew how to play the part well.  Too well, in fact; she was
thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere and acting cuter than ever Humanly
thought possible to encourage the crowd.  She had to let the noise
drop back down to tolerable levels before coyly announcing her first
number from behind the microphone stand.  "I'd like to thank all of
you very much for coming here today!  Why don't we begin with an old
favorite of mine... 'Warrior of the Heart.'"
     The band struck up a familiar old tune, and the crowd cheered
once more as Ami settled into her routine.  Ryouga found that even he
liked the music, although he never cared much for idol singers. 
Being lost most of the time - or as someone else in his family once
put it, ninety-seven-point-eighty-five percent of the time - he'd
been able to sample an amazing range of cultural and other brands of
music, although he was often only looking for the way back to
wherever the heck it was he was supposed to be, whenever it was he
was supposed to be there.
     He was so wrapped up in the music that he almost missed the
warning signs telling him danger was about to make an appearance. 
And here he hadn't even bought a ticket... Instinctively, he leapt
onto the stage - where WAS Security, anyway?  - and pushed Ami to
safety.  
     Seconds later, a mass of debris occupied the space where the
idol singer had stood.
     The crowd was stunned, perhaps more so than Ami.  Her jaw
dropped when she caught sight of what could very well have crushed
her.  Realizing where she was, she quickly came to her senses and
found Ryouga.  <He saved my life... gee, he's kinda cute, isn't he?>
     She made her way over to him, reassuring the crowd that she was
all right even if she wasn't sure, herself.  Neither was the crowd. 
They were all working themselves up in a frenzy of what could and
might have happened to their precious idol.  "I'm all right," she
insisted.  "...thanks to this young man."  Ami gratefully took
Ryouga's hand and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, causing the boy
to lose everything on the spot and faint.  She looked down at him out
of pure surprise, blinking... not having expected to have this kind
of effect on anyone.
     Of course, in the process she'd also managed to turn Ryouga into
the newest target of the Tomizawa Ami Fan Club.  Any and all rivals
in their quest to make Ami theirs could not be accepted... and they
went after rivals with a vengeance.

     But somewhere above the chaos of the concert and the
plotting-in-progress of a fan club to somehow do away with a new
mortal enemy, a mysterious figure stood in the shadows among the
rafters - which was theoretically impossible keeping in mind that the
stage was an *outdoor* stage, but the figure decided to go against
logic and stand in the shadows nonetheless.  
     He glanced down upon the stage, wondering if he should take
another show at obtaining more idol energy from the girl.  No, better
to not chance it.  She had a protector now, and a formidable one at
that.  Oh, well, he'd have better luck with the next idol.  There
were more than enough idol singers in Japan to suit his needs...

[OP: "The Girl is Magic" (Natsumi Title Theme)/Inoue Kikuko]

(OP sequence: An unconcerned Kasumi stands in the main walkway of the
Tendo yard, sweeping.  Soon, Ranma and Akane appear, fighting.  Then
Ryouga, Shampoo and Ukyou join the fray.  Genma appears, but Ranma
throws him into the pond.  Soun sits off to one side, crying.  Akane
slam-dunks Ranma into the pond, and the panda raises a sign that says,
"What kept you?"  Ranma takes a swipe at him with the sign.
Finally, Nabiki and Mine appear in the background, seemingly trying to
come to a business decision by various means, including
rock-paper-scissors, as a large BFC building rises out of clouds of
dust behind them all.

Still unconcerned, Kasumi changes into Natsumi and uses her powers to
sweep the whole mess away at an incredible rate, leaving a white
screen for the title logo to fade into.)

                           Richard Beaubien
                               presents
                      Natsumi,  the Magical Girl
                      Chapter 5: Idol Scramble!
               ...or An Idol a Day Keeps the Youma Away
                       (embellished by Mike K.)
               ----------------------------------------

     <Now why can't *I* live in a place like this?>
     Yukie had always been envious of people who could afford to live
in large homes, like the Tendo Dojo; on her meager salaries, she
could only maintain an apartment life.  What she could see of the
Tendo grounds from the only opening in the gate set her to wishing
once more.  Ah, this place was a dream, compared to her tiny
apartment!  It would be a lot of fun to live in a house like this...
     Still, she knew she couldn't spend the entire day daydreaming at
the outer gate - she had business to attend to here.  Besides which,
she figured she'd get a much better view of everything if she was
inside than on the outside looking in.  Yukie gathered her courage,
taking a second to make sure she was presentable and brushing the
strands of short red hair away from her face, and proceeded to open
the gate.  
     She took care to announce her presence.  Who knew if the Tendos
took kindly to unannounced guests?  "Hello..."  
     The front door opened as she approached, revealing the smiling
face of a young woman with long brown hair.  "Ah, a guest.  Welcome! 
How can I help--"
     Kasumi's words came to a dead stop in her throat as she
recognized who it was she was in the process of greeting.
     Yukie hadn't noticed the slip.  She uttered a small, coy giggle
at the greeting and proceeded to introduce herself.  "Good afternoon.
My name is Saori Yukie, and I would like to speak to Tendo Nabiki, if
I could."

                                 ****

     Nabiki peered into the kitchen in time to see an extremely
nervous Kasumi pacing back and forth.  She hadn't seen her big sister
like this since... since... hmm.  What could be troubling her so?
     "Kasumi?"  she asked.  "What's wrong?  You look... 
uncharacteristically stressed out."
     "It's her."
     "Who?  Oh, you mean Yukie?  What about her?"
     "Nabiki!"  admonished Kasumi.  "You know we've met her
before!  She saw me as Natsumi and--"
     "And we don't know why she's here, so why don't we ask her
before we assume the worst?"  Nabiki interrupted, deciding to leave
the kitchen before her own suspicions began to show.  Kasumi was
anxious enough as it was.  Had Yukie seen through Natsumi's disguise
and figured out who Natsumi really was?  <Well... it shouldn't take a
rocket scientist,> Nabiki frowned.  Those magical girl costumes never
really did much to hide the wearer's identity - although the people
around them never seemed to notice that so-and-so just happens to
look exactly like the hero they're so much in awe of...
     Nabiki knew her older sister was taking a little longer putting
together a light snack and some tea.  Probably thinking about the
implications of having her secret identity revealed to the public at
large.  While that *would* open up new business and marketing
opportunities, their family would immediately become a target of the
BFC and maybe any other monsters out there that thought they needed
to make a name for themselves.  And Daddy?  He'd lose it if he found
out what Kasumi was doing... but then, he lost it quite frequently,
and very easily at that.
     She wondered what it was Dad had lost, exactly, laughing
inwardly at her little joke.
     Oh... and they couldn't forget Happosai, either.  The little
lech left Kasumi alone now, but if he found out she was going around
in that short-skirted costume...
     Kasumi passed Nabiki in the hallway.  Nabiki guessed she had
been right on nearly all counts - she could see the strain starting
to appear on Kasumi's face.  And that wasn't a good sign.
     Yukie looked up from the table as the two sisters entered the
room.  "I'm sorry if you had to wait a while, Saori-san.  I hope you
like it."
     Yukie didn't mind; it wasn't often she had conveniences like
this at her own apartment.  Her co-stars faced similar problems.  And
besides, the snacks and tea Kasumi had prepared looked so good... 
"Thank you.  I'm sure they're wonderful."  She continued to glance
with curiosity around at her surroundings.  Were all houses this
spacious?  Or was there more money to be made in teaching martial
arts than acting?  "I have to admit, you certainly have a nice house."
     Nabiki gave a barely audible snort.  "Well, we try to keep it
well-maintained..." she said dryly.  Enough pleasantries... time to
find out why this young woman had come to see her.  "I suppose we
really should talk about why you've come, though."
     "Hai..." Yukie seemed a bit pained.  She rummaged through her
bag for a piece of paper, which had survived its stay in the bag
rather well.  "I would like to sign up to be trained as a martial
artist."
     Nabiki took the paper and scanned it.  Only one item was of
immediate concern to her: how much the... er, student... was willing
to fund his or her education.  Around here, that said a lot.  Yukie
was willing to pay more than the standard rate, too, more than what
they usually made now.  
     The thing was, business was rather slow.  Oh, sure, the dojo
attracted a *lot* of competent martial artists on a daily basis - but
these weren't paying customers.  
     Kasumi offered to pour Yukie another cup of tea.  "You don't
strike me as the type of person with the drive to go out there and
really learn the martial arts," Nabiki said.  She'd rehearsed it well
enough to say it without breaking up.
     Yukie came to attention.  "But, I am!  Really!"  Uh-oh... can't
let Nabiki see how much she wanted to do this.  Nabiki acted like
another one of those world-class manipulators she was always hearing
about... "Well.  Um, our studio's cut the budget for our show -
perhaps you've heard of it?  'Mystical Fighters Sany?'"
     Nabiki nodded.  She knew the show all too well...
     "Anyway, the cuts meant we had to let go of our stunt doubles,
so we have to do all our own stunts now."
     "But why here?"  asked Nabiki, more intent on Yukie's true
motives.  "Why not pick another dojo, say, closer to the studio or
where you live?  I know of at least two other schools that would--"
     That was when Yukie broke down.  "Because you were so nice and
helped me out when we were attacked by those scary monsters at the
Toy Fair!"  Yukie blurted, trying to hold back the tears.  She didn't
want the memories of her 'teammates' trying to kill her to resurface.
"So... I thought I'd repay you by coming here to train.  It's the
least I can do."
     Nabiki was about to interrogate her guest further when the
familiar sound of running tears interrupted her train of thought. 
"Miss, did I hear you correctly?  Do you really wish to train here,
with us?"
     Leave it to Daddy to ruin a perfectly good interrogation.  
     He was still crying buckets of water.  Nabiki often wondered if
he didn't just absorb most of that water from all those baths he and
Uncle Saotome always took.  Hot, running water cost money...
     "Yes!  Absolutely!  I really do want to train here, honest!" 
Could Yukie be any *less* enthusiastic?
     Soun slapped the shoulder of their new student, who gave him a
rather awkward look in return - once she'd pulled herself back to an
upright position.  "Do you hear that, Saotome?  We have a new
student!"  he beamed.
     Yukie wondered if she was making a big mistake.  Certainly, she
didn't *really* need to become a certified martial artist to play her
part on the show; who said reality and the 'Mystical Fighters Sany'
could mix?  She did want to repay Nabiki, however, and it wouldn't
hurt to learn martial arts... although with this group of people, she
wasn't entirely certain any longer.
     "Was there ever a reason to doubt?  We are, after all,
high-caliber martial artists!  It's a wonder people aren't breaking
down our doors to come train with us!"  boasted Genma, with the
obligatory muscle flexes.
     Breaking down doors was one thing to come to them was one thing,
Nabiki knew.  Or walls.  But to come train with them?  Well... She
hoped Daddy and Uncle Saotome could only keep that amazing bravado
after Happosai returned from whatever it was he was up to this week. 
After all, it wasn't good for business to have students see their
teachers cower in front of an incurable old pervert.
     "Well, then, let's take you on a tour of the grounds," Soun and
Genma proceeded to take Yukie away, regaling her with stories of
their supposed skills and some of the things they could teach Yukie. 
All Yukie could manage was a worried glance back at Nabiki and Kasumi
before leaving, almost as if to say, "Help..."  Nabiki didn't blame
her one bit.
     "I don't think we have to worry about your secret, at least for
the moment," Nabiki told Kasumi.
     "You don't understand," Kasumi replied, tense.  "That's not what
I'm worried about."

                                 ****

     Little did anyone know that at that very moment, the monster
that had staged the attack on Tomizawa Ami earlier was presently
seated behind a desk in an upscale office in Tokyo, reading the
latest rejection letter.  He let out a quiet sigh.  If only he'd been
able to obtain all of the energy he'd needed through using Tomizawa,
he could have moved on to stage two of the grand plan.  But thanks to
a hero wanna-be, the plan would have to be delayed a little longer
while he searched for another cute, young, innocent idol to steal
energy from... perhaps a lesser-known target?
     Sakurano Mika, his latest charge.  He planned to use an idol
singer to help control the world, gathering the energy those
ridiculous Humans expended at concerts and what-not, cheering for
their idols...  But there was one glaring fault with the plan.
     His current idol singer nominee.  "Another rejection letter?" 
Mika asked, having poked her head into the doorway before he could
crumple the letter and toss it into the wastebasket.  "Don't worry. 
I'm sure we'll have that contract real soon.  You'll see!  Bye!"
     After Mika left, he sighed again.  Sure, Sakurano was cute - one
of the cutest girls out there.  But... she had absolutely no talent
for singing whatsoever.  That did tend to put a small crimp in the
part of the plan that required using an idol as a trigger for
gathering immense amounts of energy plan.  And the dominate-the-world
plan.
     That would soon change.  As soon as... 
     He sifted through the stack of eight-by-ten glossies on his
desk.  Ah!  There was one...
     ...As soon as he paid a visit to this young candidate: Saori
Yukie.  Yes, soon he'd have control over the entire world.  The
entire mortal plane.  It was definitely time for another usual
evil-overlord laugh......
     It was the janitor's turn to sigh.  "Again with the laughing." 
Muttering, the janitor began to vacuum the floor, leaving a somewhat
embarrassed monster behind the desk.  "Move your feet.  I can't
vacuum with you in the way!"
     The monster did so.  He decided to wait until the janitor left
to pick up where he'd left off, this time within the silence of his
mind.

                                 ****

     Yes, he was hopelessly lost again.
     Or was he?  
     Why bother asking?
     Unless the Tendos had a yard bordering on an amusement park, he
was in the wrong place.  That went without saying.  Somehow, Ryouga
could wind up hundreds of miles off course in the mere time span of
one day.  One day... So where did that leave him now?
     No matter; he had to make his way back to Akane-san and save her
from her suffering alongside Ranma.  
     Directions.  He needed to know where he was supposed to go in
order to get there.
     Since he was standing a few feet from the front door of the yard
he was standing in, he walked up to the door and knocked on it.  A
young man opened the door, somewhat briskly.  "Yes?  What do you
want?"
     Ryouga cleared his throat.  "Could you tell me how to get to
Tokyo, please?  I'm looking for the Tendo dojo..."
     The young man studied him for a few seconds.  "Just a minute,"
he said, closing the door again.
     Ryouga's ability to sense danger flared up again.  He prepared
for an attack.  <Who'd want to attack me here?>
     "Hold it RIGHT there, enemy of the Tomizawa Fan Club!!!"  came a
voice from behind him.  The next thing he knew, there was a hydraulic
platform rising up in place of the lawn behind him, carrying over one
hundred well-armed and crisply-uniformed soldiers.  "In the name of
Tomizawa Ami, we will punish you!"
     Ryouga had a strained look on his face.  "What did I do to you?"
     "ATTACK, FOR THE SAKE OF OUR LOVELY AMI-CHAN!!!"  And so they
did, swarming off the platform toward him.
     Why were they after him?  He couldn't see the reasoning behind
the attack.  He, on the other hand, always had a perfectly logical
reason for whatever he did, and could explain everything.
     Or so he thought.
     "You'd better stop before someone gets hurt..." he called.  If
they were seriously intent on fighting him, he had no choice but to
oblige - although he didn't know why they were so upset with him. 
But anyone who dared attack Hibiki Ryouga was in for the fight of
their lives.
     "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WILL BE HURT, MORTAL ENEMY, WHEN YOU MEET
YOUR DOOM!"  the soldiers yelled in a blood frenzy, leaving Ryouga
wondering why they still wouldn't listen to reason.  Oh, well.

     "SHI SHI HOUKOUDAN!!!!!!!"

                                 ****

     Three days had passed in Yukie's training.
     It had all looked so easy, innocently enough, just a few warm-up
exercises, controlled breathing and focusing, and anyone could break
cinder blocks or perform stunts like actor Jackie Chan did in his
films.  But as time went on, Yukie was discovering that martial-arts
wasn't necessarily breaking bricks or using shopping carts as a
lethal weapon.
     No, there was a lot of work involved here.  Even a simple thrust
or sweep required the proper form and concentration.  She found out
that after spending two hours running through a strenuous workout, it
became harder and harder to concentrate.  
     Finally, she'd had enough, collapsing onto the floor.  "Water...
could I please have some water..."
     Genuinely worried, Kasumi poured Yukie a glass of water, which
the girl gratefully accepted.  "Are you all right?"  she asked, as
Yukie drank the water almost in one turn.
     "I'm all right, I think.  I just need a break."
     "Well..." Nabiki approached them.  "I think you've had enough
for today.  Maybe Kasumi can walk you home..." she suggested, handing
Kasumi a list.  "Oh, Daddy wanted you to get these things from the
market."
     "I thought Akane already had everything she needed to make
dinner tonight?"
     Nabiki made a face.  "It's not *Akane* he's worried about."
     Kasumi knew better.  Why couldn't anyone in this household
appreciate Akane-chan's cooking?  Akane was still learning, and
needed all the support she could get.  Why, when Kasumi was growing
up, Mother had given her all the support she could...
     Mother.........
     Yukie's boundless enthusiasm had returned.  "Thank you, Nabiki,
Kasumi!  I'll be waiting outside, okay?"  Nabiki watched her leave,
taking care not to voice her nervousness.
     "I'll be right out," Kasumi said, glancing at Nabiki.
     Nabiki grinned.  "Don't forget the onions, oneechan.  I have a
feeling we're going to need them."

                                 ****

     Kasumi memorized the list as she walked alongside Yukie.  There
was a note scribbled at the very bottom of the list - Nabiki wanted
Kasumi to prod Yukie for a few more answers, and she figured Kasumi
would have no problem in asking for them.  Interrogation wasn't
exactly Kasumi's strong point, but Yukie seemed very open with her
and willing to answer most of the questions Kasumi could put to her,
which Nabiki obviously took to mean that Kasumi was the obvious
choice to get Yukie to talk.  Why did Nabiki have to be so serious
all the time, hiding herself behind a protective shell?
     Time to break the silence.  "So...... how are you enjoying the
lessons so far?"
     "They're a lot harder than I thought they might be," Yukie
admitted in a weary voice.  "But I'm not gonna give up.  If I work
hard, maybe I'll be able to pull off some impressive stunts for the
show, like all those martial artists they always have in the animated
shows... You know, all those super-human kicks and stuff!"  Which she
proceeded to demonstrate with enthusiasm, only to end up landing on
her rear.  She pulled herself up with a nervous laugh.  "Looks like I
still need some practice."
     Kasumi smiled.  "Oh, I think you'll do all right.  Most of the
martial artists we've trained in the dojo don't turn into superhuman
warriors in their first few days of training."
     "Thanks."  Kasumi's suspicions about Yukie were slowly but
surely wearing away; she couldn't help but like the girl.  "But...
that isn't exactly why I'm doing this."
     Kasumi paused.  "Why are you doing this, then?"
     Yukie stopped as well.  "I'm not really doing this for the show
or maybe Nabiki; I'm not sure if I'd go through with it if that were
the case.  I'm doing this because of you."
     "Me?"  said Kasumi with a start.
     "Sort of.  You... you remind me of someone I know."
     <Oh, my...> Did Yukie know the truth about her secret identity? 
If so, then she could very well be at risk... and so, too, would
Yukie be... from any monster that wanted to make a name by rubbing
out any magical girls that just happened to be in the area.
     "That's my apartment over there," Yukie interrupted her
thoughts, pointing toward one of the smaller apartment houses. 
"Hey..." she had a sudden thought.  "Would you like to come in for a
little tea?"
     "Well... I don't really have the time."  Kasumi noticed she
still held the list tightly within her left hand.  "I really should
be going to the marketplace."
     "Please, oneechan?  I feel I owe you the favor," pleaded Yukie,
using the full power of the Saori Yukie Sad Puppy-Dog Eyes Technique
(patent-pending) to try to convince Kasumi to join her for tea.
     How could she say no to such effort?  "All right, but only one
cup... I really must be going soon."
     "Yippee!!"  Yukie exclaimed cheerfully, escorting Kasumi into
the apartment.
     <Oh, well.  At least I might have a chance to determine exactly
what she does and doesn't know about me.>

                                 ****

     Yukie's apartment was a small but cozy place, well-decorated
with the limited furniture choices she had to work with.  Flower
arrangements covered up some of the more sparsely-decorated parts of
the rooms, and framed posters that looked like promotional posters for
an idol singer were hanging here and there on the walls.  
     It was the latter that caught Kasumi's eye.  She could have
sworn that the idol in the posters was Yukie, yet the idol had longer
hair and a different name...
     Yukie returned with the tea, placing a cup before Kasumi. 
"Here's the tea I promised, oneechan.  So how do you like the place?"
     "It's nice," Kasumi sipped at her tea, trying to determine what
to say.  "I like the flowers.  Oh, and those posters... Is that you
in those posters?  She looks a lot like you..."
     "Yes.  It's me," Yukie said, drawing a puzzled look from Kasumi.
"I've also been an idol singer, since a few years back.  I guess I
did okay, too, except after a year or so I went on to do the show and
some small parts as voices for animated shows..."
     "Oh."  Kasumi managed, feeling sympathetic.  
      Yukie laughed bemusedly.  "It's not that bad, really.  The work
was a pain, but I managed to save quite a bit of money, and I met
some nice friends, including someone that you remind me of..."
     Kasumi could see she was trying to hold back a few tears.  "She
worked as a junior exec and part-time roadie with the record company
I was signed with, and we became friends.  She was nice and kind like
you are, and we occasionally had lots of fun on the road."  Yukie
gazed at her concert poster before continuing.  "After I lost my
popularity standing, we were still friends.  But I lost contact with
her when a big company bought the record firm and she was promoted. 
I still wonder where she went to..."
     "I'm sorry."
     "Oh, it's all right."  Yukie put on a cheerful act, wiping the
tears away.  "I've made some new friends like you and Hitomi.  I do
still miss her, but I still have many good friends to come to."
     Kasumi looked at Yukie in a different light.  All of the
suspicions she'd had about the actor had been dissolved away. 
Sitting before her was a girl who wanted to be friends, not look for
the true identity of a magical girl.  Kasumi knew she wouldn't have a
problem being a friend for her.  "Oh, dear," she checked the time,
"I really must be going.  I've got to go to the marketplace and then
help Akane with dinner."
     She stood.  Yukie seemed disappointed.  "Well, if you must..."
     "I'll see you the next time you come over for practice, okay?"
     "Sure!  Thanks for coming over, oneechan."
     "Thank you for inviting me."  
     Yukie carefully shut the door once Kasumi left, a huge smile on
her face.  She really liked Kasumi, and couldn't wait until her next
lesson.  Of course, that meant more working out, which wasn't much of
a confidence booster in her humble opinion...
     "Ah, she's finally gone.  I was wondering when she would leave."
     The voice was one Yukie didn't recognize.  "Who's there?"  she
demanded, taking up a defensive stance she'd happened to learn in the
day's lesson - and grabbing a nearby frying pan to add weight to her
words.  Good thing, too, because the newcomer apparently decided to
keep his distance as a result, hiding in shadows Yukie hadn't even
realized were there.  "Who are you, what do you want and what in the
world are you doing in my apartment!?"
     "Only an agent who wants to help you revive your career as an
idol once more," the monster laughed, stepping out of the shadows so
that Yukie could see his form.  In terror, Yukie screamed, dropping
the frying pan.  "Yes... soon you'll be the next big idol
phenomenon..."

                                 ****

     Kasumi found a broad smile had made its way onto her face as she
waited for traffic to clear at the street corner.  She liked Yukie;
the girl had made a good impression on her, and she was glad she
didn't have to report anything negative to Nabiki.  Now, if only she
could keep Yukie from getting caught up in any further magical girl
mayhem...
     "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"
     Kasumi recognized the voice.  <That's Yukie!>  She dashed back
into the building, up the flight of steps and screeched to a halt in
front of Yukie's door.  It was unlocked. 
     Just short of the foyer was a monster, trying to take control
over Yukie's mind the hard way.  It had her head grasped within the
palm of one glowing hand.  "A youma!" Kasumi exclaimed.
     Oh, no - should she have said that aloud?
     "I prefer the term 'Daimon,' actually.  I heard it on a TV show
somewhere and I thought I could put it to better use."  The monster
- er, *daimon* - laughed, tossing Yukie aside for the moment.  "Do
you want to be the first person to truly test that theory?"
     "Which theory is that?"  Kasumi asked, hoping to buy some time
for Yukie to recover and escape.  And, for her to break away and find
some secluded spot to transform.  She was becoming very aware of the
brooch pinned above her chest.  The longer she waited, the heavier
the brooch felt.  But she couldn't revel her secret in front of
Yukie...
     "Why, the theory that music is one of the most powerful weapons
in the world, of course!"  A swirl of cherry blossom petals -
human-sized - appeared next to the daimon.  A girl - Mika - appeared
within... Kasumi recognized the vacant look in Mika's eyes.  This
girl was under the daimon's control!  The daimon fed Mika a quick
burst of idol power.  "Sing, Mika!  Sing, and overtake her mind!"
     Kasumi knew she no longer had a choice.  She had to transform. 
"Love--" she raised her hand.  But that was when Mika started to sing.
     Mika's dark song worked its way through her defenses and caught
her mind in its grasp.  It had her... Absently, she dropped the
brooch and proceeded to bow before her new master...
     The daimon laughed as he looked into Kasumi's vacant eyes.  His
plan had actually worked!  So much for all those idiot colleagues of
his who thought he'd watched a little too much anime when he told
them of the plan.  This would show them... And soon, he'd have
control over the entire Zen - no, the entire mortal plane.  He
allowed himself to break into yet another stereotypically evil,
demented laugh...
     The laugh nudged Yukie out of unconsciousness, in time to see
Kasumi kneeling down in front of the monster that had attacked her,
all signs of conscious personality gone from Kasumi's face.  She
realized to her horror what must have happened.  "*ONEECHAN*!!!" 
Yukie screamed, launching an impromptu suicide strike at the daimon -
which he easily avoided.  
     Yukie hit the ground hard.  "Please, leave her alone.  I don't
want to lose her... like..." she pleaded.
     The monster seemed to turn sympathetic for a fleeting second. 
"Oh - don't worry, I'm not hurting her... in fact, you can join her. 
Listen to the music and you'll find out how..." In her weakened
state, Yukie almost couldn't help but listen to the melody... give in
to the hypnotic allure of the song... lose herself in the rhythm...
If only she could reach the CD player before... before......
     There!
     "WHAT!?"  the daimon exclaimed.  Yukie had succeeded; the music
of some of the latest top idols drowned out Mika's dark song.  "NO!!"
shrieked the daimon, preparing to strike Yukie for what she had
done, and completely forgetting about...
     Kasumi.  "LOVE POWER... TRANSFORM!"  
     By the time the daimon heard the words, he was already halfway
into his assault on Yukie.  Yukie, instead, was watching Kasumi in
shock.  "Kasumi-oneechan is......?"
     Before the daimon could connect with his final strike, Natsumi
grabbed his hand out of the air and levered him into the ground
before he could complete his strike.
     "WHO ARE YOU?"  the daimon demanded, recovering from the throw.
     "Music is very powerful, indeed.  But it isn't meant to be used
as a weapon to control the minds of others."  Natsumi paused to point
an accusing finger at the monster.  "In the name of love and justice,
I, Natsumi, the magical girl, will punish you for your crimes."
     Oh, geez... "Really?  Well, take THIS instead!"  
     Natsumi dodged the short pulse of idol energy the monster loosed
at her, and moved in close to strike the daimon in the gut.  She made
her move.  "This is for Yukie-chan!"  she announced.  "LOVE POWER
STRIKE!!!"  Her fist disappeared into an aura of bright green energy,
striking the would-be evil agent and turning him into nothing more
than a pile of black dust.
     Mika, no longer under the evil spell, slumped to the ground,
unconscious.
     As Natsumi turned around to check on Yukie, she was met halfway
by Yukie instead, who immediately gave Natsumi a great big hug,
crying "Oneechan!"
     Natsumi awkwardly stood there for a few more seconds before
returning the embrace.

                                 ****

     Two days later, the spring cleaning officially began.  Yukie
sighed; the fight had left the main room of her apartment in a bit of
a mess.  It was a good thing she hadn't been evicted, either.
     Oh, well - a fights with monsters generally didn't do much for
the interior decor of an apartment, anyway, and the place could have
used a bit of redecorating.  With Kasumi-oneechan helping as well,
she had finally convinced herself to get around to doing it.
     "It's nothing," Kasumi said.  "Though Nabiki insisted on paying
for the general repairs.  She said she'll be sending you a bill soon,
but don't worry... if she does, I'll pay for it."
     "Really?"  Yukie asked.  "But what about you-know-who?"
     "Don't worry about it."  Kasumi laughed.  "It's all right. 
Besides, Nabiki said we could use an idol singer on the marketing
team."
     Yukie's face lit up.  "I'll help any way I can," she promised. 
After all, Kasumi had saved her life again.  Kasumi-oneechan, her
friend...

                                 ****

                           (...epilogue...)

     <How in the world did I wind up here?>
     The warehouse was a rather dismal place, especially when Ryouga
compared it to the location he had fully intended to wind up at - the
Tendo Dojo.  Contributing to the beauty of the Tendo's residence was
Akane's endless beauty, of course.
     This place, on the other hand, had no such charms.  It looked
more like a landfill to him than a place someone would pick for a
home.
     Then again, he didn't have to put up with the crazed Tomizawa
Ami fan attacks he'd been enduring for the past few days.  What had
he done to the singer to warrant all this?  Still, people seemed to
imply he'd done something completely unforgivable to her.  Why
wouldn't they stop and listen to his side of the story for once?
     While Ryouga was thinking, two large robot-mechs decided to pop
up in front of him.  How had they gotten there without him noticing? 
Both mechs were almost humanoid, painted in police-issue standard
colors.  "Captain... what's this living person doing in the middle of
the target range?"  one of the mechs boomed, impressing Ryouga even
though he didn't care much for heavy machinery.
     Ryouga abruptly realized there was a uniformed man standing next
to him, smoking a cigarette.  "Excuse me, but would you mind telling
me what you're doing here?"
     "I'm looking for the Tendo Dojo," he admitted, uneasily.  "If
you could tell me where it is, I'll be on my way."
     The man shook his head.
     "Aren't you police officers?  Maybe you could help me with a
slight problem I've been having."
     "Maybe.  But this is highly irregular.  We usually don't have
people come down here to ask us for help."
     "It's an unusual case," Ryouga said.  He usually didn't feel the
need to ask others for help, but in this case... "I've got this giant
mob of crazed Tomizawa Ami fans out to get me because they think I've
done something to her, and I haven't!  And they won't listen to
reason, either!"
     "It IS you!!" one of the mechs drew its gun.  "You're the one
that stands in between us and our precious Ami-chan!  Isao Ohta will
punish you in the name of the Tomizawa Fan Club!!!"
     Ryouga hadn't expected to have to fight either of the mechs -
Ingrams, from the conversation he'd picked up.  Thankfully, the other
mech was attempting to hold the deviant Ingram back.  He'd hate to
have to take out an obviously expensive piece of police machinery...
     The Ingram broke free and began to attack Ryouga.
     On the sidelines, Captain Goto merely shook his head, wondering
how he'd fill out the report on this incident.  The chief wouldn't
accept the fact that an insane idol fan among the officers was using
an Ingram to fight a boy who claimed to be an innocent, would he?
He smirked, trying to figure out an easy way to avoid having the
image of the SV2 tarnished again...

                        (The end.  Or is it?)