Well, here goes Part 5 of the next phase of the series!  This
is based heavily on events and situations from the previous stories,
which are available on my Web Site.

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
"Miyabi" and "Masao" appear courtesy of Kunoichi, whose "Ranma
nibun no ichi" series inspired this "Paralell Universe".

All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.


Coutuva.



Mysteries of the Mind - Part 5
Unexpected Visitors     <WARNING - LIME, EXTREMELY COARSE LANGUAGE>
------------------------------------------------------------------


	The older model car cruised down the 401, it's capacity load of
six passengers either sleeping or staring nervously out the windows.  The
lot of them had just broken out of a jail transport as it was enroute to
the Jail facility.   They were a motley assortment, most convicted of
assaults and petty crimes, but the two 'leaders' were cut from rougher
cloth... one convicted of murder, and the other a serial rapist.
	"Hey, Asshole... watch your damn speed!  All we need now is to get
busted for that."
	"Shut up!  Everyone speeds on this friggin' highway... it's the
ones who don't that stand out.  Just sit back and stay outta my face." the
driver growled, glaring angrily at his cohort.
	"Hey... keep it down up there!  I'm tryin ta sleep, here."  came a
voice from the rear seat.
	"Then do it, and leave me the hell alone!"
	"Figger a place ta go yet?  We should get off this highway... the
bastards'll have a roadblock up before long."
	"I'm thinking... fer now, just take the next exit.  We need stuff,
anyway."
	The order thus issued, silence fell over the gang once again, as
each retired to their own little world.
	The driver headed the old car down the next available exit, and as
luck would have it, there was a small store at the bottom of the ramp.  His
cohort slapped his shoulder and pointed to the store, nodding maliciously.
	"Wake up, you guys... we're going shopping."  The cohort snarled,
cocking the Police nine millimeter he had recently acquired.


	Hitomi awoke to the shrill buzz of the alarm clock, and sleepily
groped for the snooze bar, which for some reason eluded her.  Finally,
after several attempts, she sat up in the bed and punched the 'Auto' button
to off, sneering at the device.
	"Ohaio, Hitomi-chan!"  a cheerful voice greeted from beside her,
which instantly transformed her scowl to a happy smile.
	Turning toward the voice, Hitomi smiled even wider.  "Ohiao,
Kiko-chan."  she responded, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend's cheek.
As she did, she crawled back onto the bed and snuggled up to Kikyo's warm,
naked form, moaning happily.
	Kikyo lifted her arm around Hitomi, smiling contentedly as she
toyed with the tangle of red locks adorning her visage.
	"Hitomi-chan... I'm so glad you're here.  I love waking up to you,
anata."  Kikyo breathed, softly.
	Hitomi's cheeks flushed at the compliment.  "I love waking up with
you, too, Kiko-chan... but I especially like what happens before that."
she intoned, a letcherous grin sneaking across her features.
	"Enough of that, you... We'll end up late for work again."  Kikyo
chided, half-heartedly.
	"I know... I can't help it.  You bring out the worst in me."  Hitomi
replied with a smile.
	"No... the best."  Kikyo whispered, leaning over to kiss Hitomi
affectionately.
	After a few more minutes of resistance, Hitomi chased Kikyo off to
the bathroom, but as she started to get out of the bed, she abruptly
stopped and stared at Hitomi's bare midsection.
        "Is something wrong, Kikyo?"  Hitomi asked, checking herself.
        "Forgive me, Hitomi-chan.  I just noticed your scar." she replied,
quietly.  "I didn't mean to stare."
        Hitomi bigsweated;  She had seen the scar on her torso, but
had no idea what caused it.  Thinking *very* fast, she came up with a story
that sounded reasonable.
        "Oh... Well, I don't like to talk about it, but my parents forced
me
to get married to a neighbour's son, and he got me pregnant.  When the baby
was stillborn, he decided that I was no good as a wife.  We were divorced
soon after."  she related, sadly.
        Kikyo's face softened with sympathy.  "Gomen, Hitomi-chan...
I didn't mean to pry."  she said, thinking back to how her own parents
had not agreed with her lifestyle.
        Inwardly, Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief.  She felt absolutely
rotten about the lie, but on the other hand, as far as she knew it could be
the truth.
        "Daijobu, Kiko-chan."  she replied, smiling weakly.
        Kikyo smiled, patted Hitomi's leg and headed off to the bathroom,
while a very relieved Hitomi went to the closet and pulled out her
Chinese-cut pantsuit to check over.  She had been leaving a few items of
clothing at Kikyo's apartment of late, as she had been spending more and
more time with her.  It occurred to her at that moment that perhaps Kikyo
was checking her out as a possible live-in, which prompted her concern.
        That thought made Hitomi smile happily.
	In the month since they met, the two had become inseperable, almost
never leaving each other's side.  Hitomi knew she was in love with Kikyo,
but still hadn't been able to come out with it... but she knew it wouldn't
be long.  She also had not yet confided her biggest secret... but that
would
have to wait for a while, as she was afraid to scare Kikyo off.
	Elysse had eventually accepted the reality of Kikyo's place in
Hitomi's life, although Hitomi suspected there was more to the situation
yet... she had seen certain looks in Elysse's eyes, and noticed that Elysse
would occasionally be distant... even cold.  And she knew Elysse was
forcing civility when it came to Kikyo, a fact which ultimately resulted in
Hitomi staying over at Kikyo's apartment, as opposed to the other way
around.
	Hitomi sighed as she thought about Elysse, wishing things could
have been different.  She liked Elysse, and still felt that she owed the
woman a debt of honor for saving her life.  However, she reconciled that
against the fact that if their relationship would have been any better,
meeting Kikyo would have been far more difficult.
	At that moment, Kikyo appeared from the hallway and looked over at
Hitomi happily.
	"It's all yours... anata."  she announced, smiling and pointing the
way.
	"Arigato." Hitomi replied, bowing deeply.  
	As she walked past Kikyo to take her turn in the bathroom, Hitomi
couldn't resist the urge to pat her lover's backside, which elicited a
predictable response from Kikyo.
	"Hentai...!"

	Once the two women arrived at work, an inordinantly busy morning
kept them both on their toes.  For some reason, all of the children were
agitated and excitable, meaning Hitomi and Kikyo were as tired as they
were by nap time.
	Just as they settled the last ones down, Kikyo's cell phone rang,
and she fumbled to get it out of her inside pocket before it woke the
children.
	"Moshi, Moshi?" she answered quietly.  A few seconds later, her
        face darkened.  "Chotto Matte." she said, looking up at Hitomi.
"May I be excused for a moment?  This is an important call, Sensei."  she
asked, voice just above a whisper.
	Hitomi nodded, and Kikyo immediately rose, bowed, and strode
quickly out of the room.
	In the back office, she took her call off hold and spoke quietly.
	"You should not call me at work... you will disturb the children."
she admonished, angrily.
	"Sorry, Kiddo, but I haven't heard from you for a while, and I
thought I'd better see if you were still around."
	"I am."  Kikyo insisted, flatly.
	"Goody.  So, any sign of our boy wonder yet?  The family's really
starting to get edgy over here."
	"No.  I have not seen or heard anything about the suspect.  No
Martial Arts incidents, no bodies turning up, and no stories about
strangers.
There has been nothing."  she admitted, resignedly.
	"Kuso... he must either be dead or have moved on somehow.  Okay...
here's the deal. You *stay* in contact with me on this... Like I briefed
you before, he disappeared in your area at first, so you should be the one
to see him.  If you do, you know what to do."
	"Hai, Nabiki-sama.  I do."  she assured, rolling her eyes.
	"Good.  If you do manage to find him, I'll see about that stuff for
your Mom... deal?"
	"I will try my best."  Kikyo replied, sarcasm edging her voice.
	"You do that.  I'll check with the others in the mean time.  Good
luck, Kikyo-kun. Caio!"
        "Arigato."  Kikyo replied, closing the phone. Sighing, she turned
off the ringer and slid the unit back into her pocket, then headed back
out to join Hitomi for a much-needed break.


	Elysse sat in front of the television, trying to concentrate on
the shows.  She wasn't having much luck, as her eyes kept drifting over to
the neatly made futon, and her thoughts to the person that normally
occupied it.
	She missed Ranma, and much to her surprise, missed Hitomi, too.
It was nice having the female company, even though she really wanted the
male version.
        Hitomi had not been home for several nights, and even now Elysse
couldn't believe how much it bothered her.
	As she sat thinking about it all, she abruptly came up with an
idea.  She hadn't been very nice to Hitomi's new girlfriend, and it struck
her that therin lay part of the problem.  She decided to invite the two of
them for a drink, and try to smooth things over before she lost Ranma
completely.
	Checking her watch, she noticed that she had enough time to hit
the grocery store before heading in for the afternoon shift.  Smiling, she
grabbed her purse and was out the door in a flash.


	Hitomi sat quietly chatting with Kikyo, waiting for the time to
arrive that they had to wake the children.  In the distance, and getting
louder, she could hear sirens wailing, and hoped that they would stay out
of the neighbourhood so the kids could sleep.
	As the wail became louder, Hitomi rose and walked to the windows,
closing them as quietly and as quickly as she could.
	Just as she finished, and had walked back over beside Kikyo, a
loud boom startled her out of ten years growth.  Before she could even
utter
an epithet, the main doors crashed open, and six big, surly, ugly men
barged through it.
	"Okay, ladies... on the floor, and don't give us any trouble."
the fat one snarled, motioning them toward the floor with the shotgun he
carried.
	"Remington Pump, semi-auto. Three to six shot maximum." Kikyo
whispered, eyes narrowing.
	Hitomi felt herself tense, and her perceptions seemed to go on
autopilot.  Instantly, she counted the men, assessed each on a threat
potential basis, was preparing to attack the largest when a panicked
outburst from one of the men distracted her.
	"Hank!  This place is full of kids!" a tall, skinny one shouted,
reacting as if frightened out of his wits.
	"What?" the fat one croaked, glancing around the room.  "Shit!
This ain't no damn good... what the hell are we supposed to do with all
these brats?"  he continued, angrily.  "Aha!  You two... get over with
the kids, and keep them quiet.  Move!"  he ordered, waving the shotgun
over the women.
	Slowly, Hitomi and Kikyo moved toward the children, some of which
were already crying.  The men moved into the room, closing the doors
behind them and stationing themselves at various windows.
	Outside, the sirens became deafening as Police cars and vans
descended on the small building, slowly surrounding it.
	All hell broke loose inside the room as all of the children awoke,
realized what was happening, and promptly began to scream and cry in fear.
Most of them ran to Hitomi, and within seconds she was covered with
panicked children, and completely overhwhelmed.
	The skinny guy hovered near a window, nervously watching the army
of Police gathering outside, and becoming more agitated by the moment.
	"Hank.. there's thousands of them out there... let the kids go!
Then they might back off...!"  he stammered, eyes wide with hysteria.
	"Shut up, kid!  I don't want to give them damn cops nothing.  They
ain't takin' me back... no fucking way."  he yelled, waving the shotgun to
a chorus of screams from the children.  "And you broads keep them damned
kids quiet, or I will!"
	"Hank... I got an idea."  another of the men announced, waving
the fat man toward himself.
	Looking quickly at the two women, who were both glaring back at
him with narrowed eyes, he sneered and stepped over beside the waving one.
	"You fucking idiot... do you have any idea how cops feel about
having kids involved?  Why the hell did you pick a goddamn Daycare??"  the
fat man snarled again, only more quietly.
	"Don't hang this on me, asshole... The car ran out of gas, and
*you* picked the building.  Now, shut up and listen.  The kid over there
has the right idea... let's get rid of the kids, and keep the chicks...
we might even be able to have a little fun with them."
	"Yeah right, you sick bastard... You'd think of that wouldn't ya.
Okay, let's send the kids out... Fuck!" the fat man cursed, noticing the
"kid" with his hand on the side exit door handle.
	Without bothering to worry about consequences, the fat man raised
the shotgun in his hand and pumped off two shots, and as the rest of the
room watched horrified, the "Kid" took both rounds, one in the shoulder
and the other in the back, his blood spattering all over the door and
hallway.  As he fell, he pushed the handle on the door, and slid down it
as it opened.
	His body was grabbed from outside and quickly dragged clear of the
door, which automatically shut itself.
	"All right... the next hero gets the same treatment!  I'm warnin'
ya... don't fuck with me!"  he shouted to the remainder of his gang, then
turned his attention back to his conversation.


	Hitomi had been keeping a close eye on the 'leader', and guessed
him to be an easy target, provided he was disarmed.  The others about the
room didn't look too challenging either, but she knew she'd have to strike
fast and hard, so they wouldn't have time to use their guns.
	Glancing over at Kikyo, she was surprised to find her mumbling
something to herself.
	"Ne, Kikyo... what are you saying?"  Hitomi asked in Japanese,
whispering under the noise of the crying children.
	"We've got five adversaries, one with the Remington, he's down two
shells... three with Police Special nine millimeters, and one with a
Smith & Wesson .38 Special.  The nine mills are the dangerous ones... they
fire the fastest.  The .38 just makes a bigger hole."  Kikyo repeated with
a wicked grin, glancing at Hitomi.
	Hitomi stared back at her, wide eyed.  Suddenly, the reserved,
demure girl she knew was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating adrenaline
junkie who really knew guns.
	"Ano... I take it you know guns."  Hitomi finally sputtered,
quietly.
	"I do.  I'm an expert marksman, too."  she grinned, winking.
        Hitomi was, to say the least, surprised.  "Great!  We can use that.
I'm impressed... where have you been hiding this?"
	"I didn't want to say anything until I knew what was going to
happen between us... I don't give out my secrets to just anyone."  she
whispered, watching the fat man again.
	"So, do I qualify?"  Hitomi asked, smirking.
	"Definitely.  I love you."  Kikyo responded, looking straight into
Hitomi's wide blue eyes.
	Hitomi felt as though she'd been struck by lightning... those three
little words burrowed into her soul, unleashing a wellspring of emotions
all at once.  She could feel her heart rate rising right along with the
euphoria she was experiencing... and it felt wonderful.
	"Kiko-chan... I love you, too.  More than anything."  Hitomi
breathed, wanting desperately to hug her girlfriend.
	"Hitomi-chan..."  Kikyo whispered, her face conveying what her
words could not, since they were rudely interrupted.
	"Hey!  What you chicks talking about over there?  Shut the hell
up!" the fat man yelled, staring at Hitomi, who returned his angry look.
	"I'm gonna kill that fat..." Hitomi hissed, eyes flaring.
	"Not if I beat you to it."  Kikyo countered, quietly.
	Abruptly, the ringing of the center's phone riveted everyone's
attention.  The fat man grumbled and stomped over to it, snatching it from
it's cradle.
	Listening intently, an evil smile parted his face, followed by
another scowl.
	"Sure.. as long as you bastards stay well back... we got over
twenty kids in here, lots of ammo... and nothin' to lose."  he smirked,
smugly.  "I want a SWAT truck... out front, all the doors open so I can see
it's empty.  And I want safe passage to the airport, with five tickets
waiting."  He ordered, pausing as he listened.  "Fuck that!  You got two
hours!"  he yelled, slamming down the phone.
	Sneering, the fat man looked at the terrified children and huffed.
"You!"  he barked, looking at one of his cohorts.  "Grab about five of
these brats and turn 'em loose.  I'm gettin' tired of havin 'em here."
	"S..sure, boss..." the guy replied, walking up to Hitomi and Kikyo,
and reaching for some of the children.  "Sorry, lady..." he whispered,
apologetically.
	As if reading from a script, both women played 'foreign',
responding with a chorus of "Nani?"
	When the children the thug selected began to protest, Hitomi
quickly explained in Japanese what was happening, allowing the release to
go smoothly.  Seeing as the 'leader' seemed to want to be rid of the kids,
Hitomi decided to cooperate with the gang, thinking that if she could get
all the kids out first, then mopping them up would be much safer.  As she
did, she winked at Kikyo, who seemed to understand, and nodded her
agreement.
	After the first release, the gang simply waited, watching the
Police outside intently for some sign of cooperation.  Thirty tense
minutes went by with no activity, and the 'leader' began to get agitated
again.  Just as he started to pace the room, the phone rang again.
	The leader smirked and picked it up.  "What?"  he spat, then
listened for a few seconds.  "Look, if I don't see a truck out there, and
damn soon, you'll get some kids all right... in a fuckin' bag!"  he yelled,
and slammed the phone down again.
	"Gimme that!" he snarled at the thug nearest him, grabbing the
nine mill out of his hand and giving him back the shotgun.  Turning, he
cocked the weapon quickly, and then leaned down and grabbed a little girl
from in front of Hitomi.  Hitomi caught the child's arm, and resisted the
fat man's effort to lift the child, giving him a look that could kill.
	The man raised the pistol and stuck it in Hitomi's temple, his
sneer changing to a wicked grin.  "Don't be a fucking hero, bitch... " he
growled, pulling squealing girl from her grip.
	Hitomi's eyes flared as she made herself a promise... this 'man'
would not survive the day.
	Smirking again, the fat man dragged the helpless child to the
doors, and kicked them open.  The little girl went into shock, her
screaming ceasing, replaced by the shakes and the occasional whimper
of terror as he swung her around in front of him, gun at her temple.
Had she not been covered with terrified children,  Hitomi would have acted
on the opening the fat man just gave her.
	"You bastards want to screw around?  Here!  Here's what yer
screwin' with!"  he suddenly shouted, laughing sadistically and firing
twice.
        Hitomi saw the child go limp in his arms just before he
shoved her out the door.  At that moment, something snapped inside her...
her eyes glazed over and she sat very still, fists clenched so tightly that
her knuckles began to turn white.
        Beside her, Kikyo noticed the change, and gasped quietly.
	The fat man, giggling wickedly, slammed the doors shut and traded
back his gun, looking back at the others smugly.  "That'll teach them...
you
watch the truck show up now."  he remarked, evilly.
	"So, what'll we do with them if it does?"  his companion asked,
pointing to the hostages with his pistol.
        "Leave the brats... but we'll bring them along... for insurance,
and
maybe even a little entertainment."
	Abruptly, Hitomi moaned and collapsed to the floor, completely
unconscious.  Kikyo gasped again and lunged to her aid, invoking a chorus
of hammer cocks.
	Quickly looking Hitomi over, Kikyo turned toward the 'leader' and
his cohort, eyes wide with panic.  "Please, to help her, sirs... room in
back with bed.  Take her, please?" she stammered, deliberately fracturing
her English.
	"Yeah, get her outta here... she was pissin' me off anyway.  You...
stay with them."  he ordered, winking at his cohort.  "This is more your
style, anyway... chicks and beds."  He sniggered, and walked to the window.
	"Okay, let's go." ordered the grinning thug, waving with his gun.
	Kikyo picked Hitomi up, draping the unconscious woman's arm over
her shoulder and walking her toward the small infirmary at the back of the
building.  Many pairs of worried eyes followed them out of the room, right
up till they went out of sight.
	Once in the back room, the thug closed the door behind them, and
locked it quickly.  Without a word, he suddenly grabbed Kikyo and wrenched
Hitomi from her arms, allowing the redhead to simply fall to the floor
like a toppled mannequin.  An absolutely emotionless expression came over
the thug's face as he threw the screaming Kikyo on to the examining table,
and then shoved his gun in her mouth.
	"Just shut the fuck up, and you might live."  He whispered,
hoarsely.  Kikyo nodded quickly, then closed her eyes as she felt his hot,
greasy hand on her breast.
	"But you shall not be so lucky, lecherous dog."  a cold,
reverberating voice indicated from behind the thug.
	"What the fuck...?" the man snarled, whirling to see Hitomi
standing in the corner of the room, eyes glazed and her body bathed in a
bluish glow.   She held her arms out before her with her hands encircling a
wispy image... the image of a dragon's head.
	"For those who would dare to kill innocents... and those who would
harm the one that I love, there can only be one fate..."  Hitomi continued,
her voice seeming to fill the room, despite her slow, even speech.
"Death." she stated, and set her feet.  Taking a deep breath, she glared
at the stunned criminal angrily.  "Dragon Fire!" she yelled, and a blast of
eldritch flame exploded from her hands with a booming roar, incinerating
the screaming thug where he stood.  When it was over, nothing remained of
him save a hole in the back wall of the building.
	Gasping at what she just witnessed, Kikyo looked over at Hitomi,
who had lowered her arms and stepped toward the table, placing a hand
gently on her knee.  Her eyes however, were still glazed over.
	"How do you fare, my child?"  Hitomi asked, in the same
omnipresent voice.
	"Daijobu..." Kikyo replied, weakly.  Looking into Hitomi's now
concerned face, she didn't recognize anything about her... even her glazed
eyes seemed to belong to someone else.
	"Who... or what... are you?" she finally asked, fearfully.
	"A friend."  Hitomi smiled, pleasantly.  "Take the dog's weapon,
child... the lives of innocents are still in jeopardy."
	Kikyo grinned and reached around her back, producing her .45 proudly.
"No thanks, mine's bigger."  She commented, happily.
	Just at that second, the first of the others burst through the door,
having heard the death scream.  Hitomi didn't even turn around, dispatching
him with an elbow to the ribs and following through by snapping the back of
her fist to his face, instantly smashing his nose.
	"Nice technique."  Kikyo commented, appreciatively.
	"It begins."  Hitomi stated, and leapt through the door.  The next
thug to appear met up with a chest-crushing kick to the sternum, and the
last, as he turned tail to run, was felled by a deftly-thrown shoe from the
previous victim, then pummeled into unconsciousness before he knew what
hit him.
	Stepping into the open room, Hitomi sought out the leader, who
stood fearfully amoung the children, holding another little girl by the arm
and pressing his shotgun to her head.
	He could tell that something was different about Hitomi, perhaps
because of the bluish glow, or perhaps from the coldness in her glazed
eyes... but deep inside, he knew he was a dead man.
	"Back off, bitch... either I get out of here, or these kids start
dying!"  he threatened angrily, wedging the shotgun into the little girl's
head.
	"There is no room for mercy in the fate of those of your ilk,
coward."  Hitomi replied, her cold voice filling the room and sending a
chill down the back of the fat man.
	"Hey!  I'm not fucking kidding, here!  I'll kill this kid...and
a bunch more if I have to!"  the fat man reiterated, eyes showing his fear.
	"That you would dare harm innocents... this seals your fate,
unclean dog."  Hitomi stated, stepping toward the fat man.
	"Stay back...!" he yelled, twitching the shotgun. 
	From behind Hitomi, a single shot rang out, striking the fat man
in the wrist, making him drop the shotgun.   Hitomi leapt forward, and as
she landed in front of the stunned thug, grabbed him and threw him across
the room, safely away from the children.
	"Child, remove the young ones to safety.  They should not be
witness to retribution."  Hitomi commanded, walking toward the cringing
criminal.
	Kikyo immediately ushered the frightened children out the rear
doors, and into the arms of the waiting Police.  Once the last ones were
out, she pulled her gun again and crept back into the main room.
	As she watched, Hitomi, or whatever she really was, picked the
fat man up by his shirt with one hand and glared at him coldly.  "It was
your will that this day claimed the lives of so many... it is only fitting
that it should claim yours as well.  Remember that you chose your own path,
dog... as you journey to the welcoming gates of hell."  she said, raising
her hand to his quivering face.
	Kikyo closed her eyes as the painful scream filled the room, and
opened them just in time to see Hitomi wrench her fingers from deep in the
fat man's face, and his lifeless body crumple to the floor.
	Hitomi then turned, looked about the room, and strode out to the
center of the floor.
	"It is ended.  Good Journeys, child."  she smiled at Kikyo, and
then promptly collapsed.
	Kikyo gasped aloud and ran to kneel at Hitomi's side.  Worriedly,
she lifted Hitomi into her lap, and brushed her hair from her face.  Hitomi
moaned softly, then opened her eyes gingerly.  "Kiko-chan..." she began,
weakly.  "Are you okay?"  she asked, raising her hand to Kikyo's cheek.
	"Hai... " Kikyo gushed, tears running down her face.  "How about
you?"
	"Daijobu... a little tired though... What happened?  Is it over?"
Hitomi asked, noticing the Police now milling about the room.
	"Is it ever... you made sure of that."  Kikyo commented, a
relieved smile parting her features.
	"Ano... me?  What did I do?"
	"What did you do...?  You saved us all... including me.  You're a
hero!"
	"A hero?  I don't understand..."  Hitomi replied, looking at Kikyo
like she was from another planet.
	Kikyo smiled, shaking her head.  "Don't worry about it.  I'm just
glad you're okay." she stated, pulling Hitomi into an affectionate hug.


	After all the dust had settled, and the Police had talked to both
of them and made out their reports,  Kikyo pulled Hitomi aside and filled
her in.  Hitomi couldn't believe the description, thinking that perhaps
Kikyo had a little too much excitement.  Even after Kikyo showed her the
hole in the back wall of the building and described the 'spell' she used,
Hitomi was still skeptical.  Although, somewhere in the back of her mind,
she noted that the 'spell' rang familiar.
	Finally, Kikyo gave up trying to convince her, and the two women
caught a cab home.  As soon as they arrived at Kikyo's apartment, Hitomi
stretched her tired muscles and groaned aloud.
	"Ohhh... I'm glad that's over, Kiko-chan.  I was really scared
today.  I thought for a while..." her voice trailed off as she had a sudden
memory flash into her head.
	"Maki... those bastards killed her..."  she breathed, her eyes
filling with tears.
	"Ya!  She didn't die! She didn't!  She's just fine!"  Kikyo
blurted, waving her hands frantically before her.
	"Nani?  I saw him shoot her..." Hitomi sniffed, her voice wavering.
	"He fired over her head!  He was just trying to freak the Police
out.  All she did was faint out of fright."  Kikyo explained, hands on
Hitomi's shoulders.
        Hitomi looked back at her with shimmering blue eyes, then wrapped
her in a huge hug.  "Oh, Kikyo... thank god she's okay!  I would never
have forgiven myself if..."
	"I know, Hitomi-chan.  They're like your own children."  Kikyo
soothed, her heart melting at Hitomi's concern for the little girl.  "But
she's fine... and will probably be back at the center in a few days."
she continued, softly.
	"I'm glad.  Sorry about coming apart like that, Kikyo."  Hitomi
sniffed, wiping her eyes sheepishly.
	"Huh...don't worry about it.  That's one of the things I love
about you."  Kikyo grinned, hugging Hitomi back.


	A short while after supper, Hitomi sat cross-legged on the couch,
dressed in only a very baggy t-shirt and a pair of cut-offs, watching the
news reports of their day.
	Just then, Kikyo wandered back into the livingroom quietly, and
happened to glance at the answering machine.
	"Oh.. we didn't check messages." she stated, noticing the flashing
light.
	"Are there any?"  Hitomi asked, flipping off the couch and walking
up beside Kikyo.
	"Looks like it..."  Kikyo indicated, hitting the play button.
	Hitomi hung her arms over Kikyo's shoulder as they waited for the
replay, and mischievously blew a gentle stream of air past her ear.  Kikyo
shuddered and giggled, then kissed Hitomi's cheek.
	The tape finally finished and began to play back, revealing only
one message.  It was from Elysse, inviting the two of them over for a
drink and to 'talk'.  Hitomi looked at Kikyo, who immediately lowered
her eyes.  "I don't want to go, but you can if you want... it sounds
important." she said, quietly.
	"I dunno... I'd feel funny."  Hitomi stated, already 'feeling funny'.
	"I know you two have some things to settle... it's okay.  Stay
over if you want, so you won't be on the street with alcohol on your
breath."  Kikyo offered, sliding her hand down the side of Hitomi's face.
	Hitomi smiled, then took her hand and kissed it.  "You're too good
for me." she said, smiling happily.
        "Not...!  *Perfect* for you is more like it."  Kikyo replied,
burying Hitomi's mouth in a passionate kiss.



==========================================================================
END - Mysteries of the Mind - Part 5         A Ranma1/2 FanFic by V. Coutu


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com





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