Zen, do NOT read this fic.  You have been warned.

All events labeled "Present" take place about ten years after the end of
the Manga.  All events labeled "Five Years Ago" take place about five
years after the end of the Manga.

On with the fic.

Five Years Ago...

	It was a quiet night in Nerima, Tokyo, and most of the residents had
long since retired to bed.  One young woman was preparing to do just
that when she heard a soft taping on her bedroom window.  Turning
towards the sound she was surprised, and pleased, to find a young man
knocking at her window.  
	"C'mon in," she whispered, carefully sliding the window open.  The
young man looked around nervously before silently slipping into the
room.  "So what are you doing sneaking into my room in the middle of the
night," the young woman asked, smiling mischievously.  
	"Er, well, I, um, wanted t', um, ask you a question," the young man
stuttered, putting one hand behind his head and looked around the room
nervously.
	"C'mon," the young woman said, "spit it out!"
	"I don't got a ring or nothin' t' make it official," the young man
said, "an' I'm not so good with words but..." here he paused to kneel
before the extremely surprised young woman, "would you marry me?"  The
young woman simply stood there, gaping at the unexpected proposal and at
the young man kneeling before her.  The young man felt his hope die when
she just stood there staring at him.
	"Gomen nasai," he said, bowing as he stood up, "I shouldn't've wasted
your time.  Sayonara."  With that the young man turned back toward the
window, his head bowed in despair.  Seeing his pain broke the young
woman out of her stupor.
	"Chotto matte!" she cried, grabbing his shoulders from behind.
	"Nani..." he started.
	"Yes!" she interrupted, turning him around, "of course I'll marry
you!"  With that she pulled Ranma into a passionate kiss.

HOMECOMING
Part 1 of BROKEN DREAMS
Chapter 1
Version 1.0

Ranma 1/2 belongs to Takahashi Rumiko
<...> thoughts
[...] flashbacks

Present...

	A flash of lightning marked another thunderstorm in the city of Kyoto. 
Those inside the Wild Boar Bar, however, failed to notice.  The patrons
were celebrating the Boar's twentieth year in business with a party that
seemed to include half of Kyoto.  Even the owners were getting into the
spirit of things by announcing that all the drinks were half off.  The
laughter and shouts could be heard as far as two blocks distant.  In the
relaxed atmosphere of the party the drinks flowed like water as clouds
of smoke drifted through the rooms like a thick fog.
	A sharp gust of wind found its way into the bar as another dripping wet
customer walked in.  She was young, probably in her early twenties, with
flaming red hair tied back into a loose pigtail.  Her blue Chinese shirt
and baggy slacks were soaking wet and clung to her generous figure like
a second skin.  The young woman gave the room a cursory glance before
striding purposefully to the bar, ignoring the catcalls that followed
her.
	"Yow!" someone cried, "what a fox."
	"Sweeto!"
	"I wouldn't mind wakin' up t' _her_ in the mornin'!"
	"Yo barkeep," the young woman called, once she reached the counter, "ya
got hot water?"
	"This is a bar not a tea house," the bartender sneered, "we serve
alcohol, not water."
	"Where's your bathroom then?'
	"Over there," the bartender pointed, "but there's no running water."
	"Kuso!" the young woman swore, "then get me some sake."
	"One sake coming up," the bartender said, eyeing his pretty customer.

***

	"Hey Shin!" a black clad young man smirked, elbowing his heavyset
companion, "check out that chick," he crowed, pointing towards the young
woman, "is she stacked or what!"
	"Yeah, sure, Toshi" Shin replied, taking a swallow of beer, "whatever
you..." His voice trailed off as he gave the young woman a second look.  
	"Hey Shin?" Toshi said, "you recognize her or somethin'?"
	"You might say that," Shin snarled, "she's the bitch I told you 'bout a
couple weeks ago."

[	Morimura Shinya settled into a chair at Hikaru's Café.  He was here
for his usual:  a latte and a one night stand.  He gave a cursory glance
around the café, not expecting anything new.  Sure enough, all the girls
he saw were old news.  <There's the lesbian bitch with the short hair,>
he thought, <an' the quiet girl with the green hair, ohh,> he smiled,
<there's the wild chick with the whips, maybe…>  Then he saw her, the
love of his life—at least that's what he was planning to tell her
tonight.  She couldn't have been working at Hikaru's for more than a
couple of weeks, but she danced around the cafe like a pro.  His eyes
followed her lithe form as she glided around the tables.  
	<She must be a dancer or somethin',> he thought, watching her deliver
half a dozen cups of coffee, tea, and soda at once without spilling a
drop.  Suddenly the girl was in front of him asking to take his order. 
Shin's eyes wandered over her lovely form as he pondered her question. 
They took in the bare flesh of her legs, the white and red striped skirt
that barely reached mid thigh, the near skin-tight blouse with "Hikaru's
Café" blazoned on the front, covering her heaving chest, as she
breathlessly repeated her question.
	"Are you ready to order sir?" she asked, as his gaze wandered up to her
face.  The mass of flaming red hair that adorned her head immediately
caught his attention.  <I wonder if what they say about redheads is
true,> he thought, grinning before he spoke.  
	"Yeah," he said, "I'll have a latte."
	"Will that be all?"
	"No," he said, licking his lips, "I think I'll have a couple helpings
of you."  At that he reached out with his hand and caressed her thigh
sliding his hand upward…  A sharp backhand to his face immediately ended
his exploration and sent him sprawling across the floor.
	"Get him out of here," she snapped, "before I break something
permanent, like his neck."  Almost instantly a couple of waiters were
picking him up by his arms and dragging him outside.  Growling, Shinya
shook them off and walked out of the café on his own, but not before
looking back and seeing one of the other waitresses trying to comfort
the redhead.  <Kuso,> he thought, grimacing, <I should've known she was
with th' lesbian bitch.>	]

	"The one from Hikaru's?" Toshi whistled, "I heard about her from Reiko,
she's one tough chick."
	"Yeah, well, I owe that chick a beatin'," Shin said, "no one slaps
Morimura Shinya an' gets away with it."
	"Calm down Niisan," Toshi smirked, "don't go medieval on her yet.  No
sense in wastin' a perfectly good woman before we've had our fun, ne?"

***

	The young woman in question was sitting alone at the counter, pouring
herself another cup of sake.  Several of the more inebriated patrons had
already approached her with unpleasant propositions, but her glare had
frightened them into sobriety.
	"Chikusho," she swore, her bottle empty.  With a grimace she swallowed
the dregs of her sake before pounding on the counter.  "Hey barkeep!"
she yelled, "'nother sake!"
	"You'd better take it easy on the drinks girl," the bartender said,
putting another bottle down in front of the young woman, "this crew
ain't really good at asking for permission if you catch my drift."
	"Yeah," she said, pouring another cup of sake, "tell me somethin' I
didn't know."  With defiant doss of her head, she swallowed the entire
contents of the cup.
	"Musta got dumped by 'er boyfriend or somethin'," the bartender
muttered to himself.  Unfortunately the young woman's sharp ears caught
his quiet comment.
	"Or somethin'," she whispered, before tossing back another cup of sake.	

***

	The bartender glanced back at the young woman as she swallowed another
cup of sake.  <Now that's one woman I never want to get involved with,>
he thought.  She was pretty enough.  <No doubt about that,> he smiled,
wiping down the counter, <but she's got some serious problems,> he
thought, his smile fading, <else she wouldn't be drinking like there's
no t'morrow.>  Unlike many of the men in the Wild Boar, the bartender
was looking for more than a one night stand.  <And that girl's got too
many problems for me,> he thought.  There was something else about her
that bothered the bartender, but he couldn't quite put his finger on
it.  <Something about her attitude, her speech,> he thought, <maybe the
way she walks...>
	The bartender was so caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to
notice the commotion beginning around the young woman.

***

	"Hey Baby," Shinya said, taking the seat to the right of the young
woman, "remember me?"  Silently Toshi took the seat on her left.
	"Nope," the redhead replied, taking another gulp of sake, "should I?"
	"I'm Morimura Shinya," he said, "I was at Hikaru's a few weeks back."
	"Morimura..." she said, scratching her head, "I don't think...wait,"
she smiled, "_you're_ th'  irokeganai geso who tried t' feel me up a few
weeks ago.  So, what'd ya want hentai?" she asked, pouring another cup
of sake.
	"Your...companionship for starters," Toshiyuki said from her other
side.
	"I don't think so geso," she sneered, turning to face him.
	"You don't seem to understand," Toshiyuki sneered, "that wasn't a
request."
	"Good," she said, turning back to her drink, "'cause I'm not doin' it."
	"Look baby," Shinya said, placing his arm around her waist, "we c'n do
this the easy way, or the hard way.  Your choice."
	"I'm gonna tell you this once, and only once," she snapped, "Don't. 
_Ever_.  Touch.  Me."
	"And if I don't listen t' you?" Shinya smiled, his hand sliding
upward...and felt the young woman's elbow connect with his face.  He
recovered in time to see the young woman spin around on her barstool and
deliver a sharp back-fist to his left cheek.  Dazed Shinya could only
watch as she hopped off the stool and let loose with an impossibly fast
right hook.  
	"That's it bitch," Shinya spat, picking himself up and wiping the blood
from his face, "first I'm gonna whip your ass, then I'm gonna fuck your
brains out."
	"Bring it on little boy," the young woman sneered, not noticing
Toshiyuki pull out a knife from behind...

***

	Ishihara Makoto sighed wearily as she finished wiping down the counter
in Hikaru's Cafe.  Leaving her rag in the kitchen, she headed into the
locker area and began changing out of her work uniform.
	"Finally," she sighed, blowing irritatedly at a few stray stands of her
shoulder length, blue-black hair.  "I'd forgotten what a pain it was to
work the tables alone," she muttered, tugging on a light blue T-shirt
and a pair of jeans, "Hitomi better have a good excuse for leaving me
alone with the perverts that come in here."
	"Hey Hikaru," she called, catching sight of her manager on her way out
the door, "you know what happened to Hitomi today?"
	"No clue," Hikaru shrugged, "the girl just called in sick an' asked for
the day off.  She had a couple days vacation comin', so I let her. 
Why'd you ask?"
	"No reason," the young woman shrugged, "ja ne Hikaru-san."
	"Ja ne Makoto-chan," Hikaru called.
	"Great," Makoto grumbled, stepping outside and glancing at the sheets
of water falling from the sky, "I hate rain."
	"Ya want a ride t' my place baby," a young man smirked, eyeing her
slim, athletic frame.
	"I don't think so," Makoto sneered, raising her umbrella and walking
towards her apartment.  

***

	"I wonder what's wrong with her," Makoto said worriedly, "that girl
never gets sick.  Maybe I'll give her a call t'morrow, see what's
up..."  Her musings were interrupted as someone stumbled out of one of
the local bars and into Makoto.
	"Watch where you're going," Makoto growled, standing up and brushing
off her clothes, "who do you think you..." her voice trailed off as she
got a good look at her assailant.
	"Hitomi-chan," she said, recognizing the pretty red-head, "what are you
doin' here?"
	"Hey Makoto-chan," the young woman smiled, looking up at her friend,
"funny runnin' int' you here."
	"Hitomi-chan you're hurt," Makoto cried, noticing a long, shallow cut
along Hitomi's cheekbone.
	"It's nothin' Makoto," Hitomi grinned, picking herself up off the
ground, "jus' a little bar fight."  As Hitomi stood up her right knee
buckled under her weight and she cried out as she fell onto her rear.  
	"Looks like it was more than 'a little bar fight'," Makoto said,
helping Hitomi to stand, "let me help you to your apartment."
	"N-no not there," Hitomi said, a wild look in her eyes, "not t'nite."
	"Demo..."
	"Please Makoto-chan," Hitomi pleaded, "I'll explain later, but I can't
go there t'nite."
	"All right," Makoto sighed, "you can stay at my place if you want."
	"Domo arigato Makoto-chan," Hitomi smiled.

***

	"Welcome to my humble abode," Makoto said, opening the door of her
apartment.  Inside was a small room, furnished with a badly stained
coffee table, a tattered blue couch, and a worn recliner.  Against the
wall, facing the couch sat a three drawer dresser topped with an old
television and VCR.  Attached to the main room, to the left of the door,
was a small kitchenette, equipped with a stove, refrigerator, and
microwave.  On the far side of the room was a twin sized futon bed,
another dresser, and a light blue door.
	"Arigato Makoto-chan," Hitomi said, "you don't know how much I
appreciate this."
	"Don't worry about it Hitomi-chan," Makoto smiled, gesturing to the
blue door, "why don't you go take a shower and then we'll get you
bandaged up.  The towels and the robes are in the bathroom closet."
	"Domo arigato Makoto-chan," Hitomi bowed, "I can't thank you enough for
your hospitality."
	"What are friends for Hitomi-chan?" Makoto grinned, "now get going." 
As Hitomi slipped into the bathroom, Makoto put the tea kettle on the
stove before reaching into the cupboard for the tea.  <A hot cup of
chamomile should help her to relax,> she thought.  Then she reached into
the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of red wine and a bucket of ice
from the freezer.  Placing the wine in the bucket she left them both
behind the kitchen counter, <for later,> she smiled.

***

	Once she was safely behind the bathroom doors, Hitomi stripped off her
clothes and began taking inventory of her wounds.  Besides the cut on
her face and the damage to her knee, her injuries were minor.  Some
bruises on her stomach and some on her arms were the extent of her
injuries.
	"Nothin' major," she muttered to herself, "I used t' get worse
from..."  Hitomi swallowed as a name, and a face, rose from her
memories.  Fighting the sudden rush of tears she stepped into the shower
and closed the sliding glass door.  Instinctively Hitomi turned on the
hot water and swore as the warm water washed over her body, triggering
the change.  Immediately he reached out and turned on the cold water.
	"Chikusho..." Hitomi shivered, the cold water returning him to his
female form.  "I really hate that," she gasped, scrubbing her body in an
attempt to get clean and warm.  A few minutes later she stepped out of
the shower, trying to keep her teeth from chattering, and began toweling
herself off.  

***

	Makoto had just gotten the first aid kit when Hitomi emerged from the
bathroom.  She was wearing a fluffy snow white cotton robe that barely
reached her knees.  The robe was held tightly closed by a black belt
tied about her waist.  Makoto smiled, noticing that Hitomi's flaming red
hair cascaded freely down her back.  <I always did hate that ugly
pigtail of hers,> she thought before speaking.
	"I know that western style shower's no furo, but I thought you were
gonna take longer than _that_," Makoto grinned.  Her smile faded as she
noticed Hitomi's chilled state, "Hitomi-chan!" she cried, running over
to her friend and putting her arm around her, "you're shivering!"
	"C-cold sh-showers'll do th-that t' you," Hitomi said, teeth
chattering.  
	"What in the world possessed you t' take a cold shower?" Makoto asked,
trying to warm her up.
	"H-hot w-water does b-bad th-things t' me," Hitomi smiled.
	"C'mon Hitomi-chan," Makoto said, guiding her over to the couch, "let's
get you bandaged up quick so we can keep you from freezing."  As Makoto
sat Hitomi down on the couch, the tea kettle began whistling.
	"Go take care of that," Hitomi grinned, gesturing towards the kitchen,
"I c'n bandage my self."
	"You sure Hitomi-chan?" 
	"Yeah," she said, gesturing again, "besides, I'd rather have that tea
than an extra hand t' help with the bandages."
	"Hope you like chamomile," Makoto called from the kitchenette, pouring
two cups of tea.
	"Hey, at this point I wouldn't care if ya gave me sewer water as long
as it's hot," Hitomi answered, carefully taping a strip of gauze to her
face.
	"Well," Makoto smiled, walking back with the two steaming hot mugs of
tea, "I can guarantee that this'll taste better than sewer water."
	"Arigato Makoto-chan," Hitomi smiled, taking a careful sip.  "Ohh," she
sighed, "that feels really good, domo arigato."  Carefully Hitomi set
her mug down on the table and turned to the task of bandaging her knee. 
She spent a few moments checking the wounded area with her finger tips
and gasped in pain as she found several sensitive spots.
	"Are you all right Hitomi-chan?" Makoto asked when Hitomi winced
involuntarily.
	"Yeah," Hitomi said, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile,
"I'll be fine."  <Actually I won't be fine,> Hitomi thought, repressing
the urge to sigh, <but my knee doesn't seem to have suffered any
permanent damage.>
	"You sure about that Hitomi-chan?"
	"I'm sure," Hitomi grinned, reaching for the bandages in the first aid
kit, "it's jus' some deep bruising, nothin' a few days rest an' maybe a
good massage won't fix."
	"So," Makoto said, watching Hitomi carefully wrap the bandages around
the wounded knee, "are you going to tell me why you didn't want to go
home?"  Hitomi stiffened, and looked up at Makoto, before returning to
her work, fighting to keep her hands from shaking.  
	"W-wait 'till I'm done with this," she swallowed, trying to keep her
emotions under control.
	"You want to talk about it?" Makoto asked, once Hitomi had finished
binding her knee.  
	"Not particularly," Hitomi muttered darkly, sipping at her tea, "but I
did promise you an explanation."  Makoto simply nodded.  "All right,"
Hitomi sighed wearily, "you remember when I told ya 'bout my brother,
Rohan, and his wife, Akiko, right?"
	"Yeah," Makoto shrugged, "they came to eat at Hikaru's a couple of
months ago, I think you took the day off.  I was surprised at how much
Rohan looked like you, he even had the same pig tail.  Are you two twins
or somethin'?"
	"Somethin' like that," Hitomi muttered.
	"They looked like a nice couple," Makoto continued, failing to notice
the grimace that crossed her friend's face, "your brother looked a
little sad for some reason though..."
	"Yeah well," Hitomi said, interrupting Makoto's train of thought,
"they're the reason why I didn't want t' go t' my apartment."  At that
Makoto looked a little puzzled.  "I've been sharing th' place with them,
remember?"
	"Ahh," Makoto smirked, "are they on their second honeymoon or
something?  Is that why you didn't want to go back to your apartment?"
	"No," Hitomi muttered darkly, "I wish it were that simple.  If it were
somethin' like that I wouldn't have any problems."
	"So what's wrong?"  Makoto asked, completely mystified.
	"Akiko left m-my brother t'day."
	"Kami," Makoto breathed, "why?  She seemed so happy with him when I saw
them."
	"Yeah," Hitomi sighed, "she loved m-my brother a lot."
	"So why'd she leave him?"
	"H-he was in love with someone else," Hitomi swallowed.
	"You mean he was having an affair!"
	"NO!" Hitomi cried, "he wouldn't do NOTHIN' like that!"
	"I'm sorry Hitomi-chan," Makoto said, "but you've got to admit, it is
possible..."
	"No way Makoto," Hitomi snapped, "he was _not_ havin' an affair!"
	"So if he wasn't sleeping with someone else," Makoto shot back, "who
was this other woman he was in love with?"
	"This was years ago," Hitomi sighed, "Rohan had a lot of girls chasin'
him..."
	"Hentai," Makoto muttered darkly.
	"Chishuko," Hitomi snarled, striking the couch with her fist, "why
don'tcha _listen_ t' me when I'm tryin' t' tell ya somethin'!  Kami,"
she swore, "you're as bad as Ak-" Hitomi broke off in mid sentence,
turned her head away from Makoto, and swallowed the sudden lump in her
throat before speaking again.  "N-never mind," she stuttered, barely
audible over the sounds of the storm outside.  "G-gomen n-nasai
Makoto-san, I-I  shouldn't've gotten mad..."
	"It's all right Hitomi-chan," Makoto said, sitting next to Hitomi and
putting an arm about her shoulders, "don't worry about it."
	"If you'll tell me where my clothes are," Hitomi continued, as if she
had not heard Makoto's words, "I c'n be gone in a few minutes."  Makoto
reached out and caught Hitomi's chin in her fingers.
	"Look at me Hitomi-chan," she said, turning the redhead's face so she
could look into her eyes, "I don't care what you do or what you say,
you're _not_ leaving this apartment without my say so, understand?"
	"Hai Makoto-chan," Hitomi grinned, giving her a mocking salute.
	"Don't get smart with me young lady," Makoto said with false
seriousness.
	"'Young lady' my ass," Hitomi smirked, "I'm a year older'n you, in case
you've forgotten."
	"Uh huh," Makoto said with an absolutely straight face, "does that mean
I get to call you Obaasan from now on?"  Hitomi glared at Makoto's
innocent face for a full five seconds before they both broke out in a
fit of giggles.
	"We'd better get you moved into the bedroom," Makoto said, after they
had recovered.
	"If I'm in th' bed," Hitomi asked, "where're you gonna sleep?"
	"Well, I could always sleep with you…" Makoto said with a smoldering
smile.
	"Uh, thanks all th' same Makoto-chan," Hitomi said, swallowing, "but
we've got work t'morrow, an' ya know how Hikaru gets when we're late…"
	"I guess…" Makoto pouted.  <What is it about pouting women that makes
them so _kawaii_,> Hitomi thought, swallowing again.
	"Besides," Hitomi said, trying to ignore Makoto's warm presence, "I c'n
take th' couch."
	"No way Hitomi-chan," Makoto said, "this is how it's going to work: 
I'm going to take a shower, then you and I are going to get you settled
in the bedroom while _I_ take the couch.  Got it?"
	"Hai Makoto-chan," Hitomi sighed.

***

	In the shower, Makoto faced stream of onrushing water and ran her hands
through her lustrous blue black hair, the last of the sweat and grime
following the shampoo down the drain.  Makoto smiled as she reached out
and turned up the hot water.  <Now that I'm clean,> she thought, <I can
enjoy this shower.>  Turning around, Makoto arched her back with
pleasure, the warm water caressing her flesh and easing her tired
muscles.
	"Ohhh," she moaned, "that feels sooo good."  Sighing, she lowered her
chin to her chest and let the pounding of the shower relax the tense
muscles in her neck and shoulders.  <Feels almost as good as one of
Hitomi's massages,> she thought…

[	"Calm down Hitomi-chan," Makoto, said putting an arm around the
trembling redhead, "it's all right, the creep's gone now…" 
	"I-I know Makoto-chan," Hitomi said, "but t' have someone do…_that_…" 
Hitomi shuddered with obvious revulsion.  With a small sigh of sympathy,
Makoto guided her friend towards the changing room.  Once there Makoto
sat the seething Hitomi down on one of the benches.
	"So, do you want to tell me what's wrong Hitomi?" Makoto asked, "I mean
you've never acted that violently at the other guys who made passes at
you…"
	"Th' bastard _touched_ me," she snarled in response, "like he wanted me
t'…t'…"  Hitomi shuddered violently, "an' he was a _guy_!  Another
_guy_!"  Makoto's eyebrows shot up at this statement.   "Jus' th'
thought of it makes me sick," Hitomi continued, not noticing her
friend's surprise.  Wordlessly, Makoto stood up and placed herself
behind Hitomi.  
	"Wh-what're ya doin'?" Hitomi stuttered nervously as Makoto put her
hands on her shoulders.
	"Relax Hitomi-chan," Makoto smiled, "I'm just giving you a massage. 
You looked like you could use one, after what that bastard tried to do."
	"Oh," Hitomi said, relaxing, "domo arigato Makoto-chan."
	<I wonder what she meant when she shuddered like that,> Makoto thought
as Hitomi sighed with pleasure, <could she be…is it possible…with a body
like that…>  Makoto shivered with pleasure at the thought.  Makoto was
startled out of her reverie by Hitomi's voice.
	"Are you done Makoto-chan?" she queried.
	"Oh," Makoto said, blushing, "yeah, I'm done."
	"Would ya like me t' massage you too?" Hitomi smiled.
	"Uh, yeah sure," Makoto said as Hitomi stood up, "arigato."  <Is this
an invitation?> Makoto wondered, almost shivering in anticipation as she
sat down.
	A few moments later all of Makoto's thoughts left her head as her
muscles melted under Hitomi's strong fingers.  Makoto arched her back
and moaned with pleasure as knots in her back she hadn't known were
there faded away under the redhead's gentle touch.  When Hitomi returned
to her shoulders, Makoto sighed and leaned her head back to rest on
Hitomi's breasts.  They stayed like that for a timeless instant before
Hitomi tapped Makoto on the shoulders.
	"Uh," Hitomi said, "I'm done…"
	"Domo arigato Hitomi-chan," Makoto grinned, standing up, "we'll have to
do this again sometime."]

	<Maybe if I ask her to give me one tonight…>  A shiver of anticipation
ran through Makoto's body and she hurriedly turned to shut off the
shower.  <Ugh,> Makoto shivered as she stepped out of the shower, <I'll
never understand how Hitomi can stand cold showers…>
	For a moment Makoto looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.  Steam
rose from her shapely form and water droplets glittered on her soft
flesh like diamonds, giving her the appearance of a beautiful water
spirit.  Makoto broke the spell with a regal toss of her head, water
flying from her hair like raindrops from a spring shower.  
	With swift, efficient strokes she stripped the water from her body and
wrapped herself in her favorite yellow robe.  Grinning mischievously,
Makoto left the robe slightly open, revealing a strip of flesh from her
neck to her naval visible to prying eyes, and tied the cotton sash in a
simple slip knot.  Winking at her image in the mirror for effect, she
slung her towel over her shoulder and slipped out into the living room.
	With only the whisper of cloth on flesh to accompany her movements,
Makoto made her way towards the couch where Hitomi lay.  Sliding up
behind the couch Makoto stared down at her friend's still form.  Hitomi
was curled up on the couch, her eyes closed, her head pillowed by her
clasped hands, and a small grimace marring her angelic face.  Her
flaming red hair spilled down her neck and chest--falling into the
opening of her robe, which revealed the soft flesh of a breast.  <Maybe
I should wake her,> Makoto thought, a mischievous smile crossing her
face.  The smile faded, as she remembered the events which caused Hitomi
to be there in the first place.  <What am I thinking,> Makoto frowned,
<she's already had a traumatic night, I don't want t' disturb her
anymore…>
	Makoto's thoughts were interrupted as she noticed, Hitomi shivering. 
Berating herself for her thoughtlessness, Makoto grabbed a blanket from
her closet and laid it gently over Hitomi's still form.  Unable to
resist temptation, Makoto bent over and brushed her lips against
Hitomi's cheek.  Hitomi twitched slightly at the butterfly light touch,
before returning to stillness.  Smiling gently, Makoto quietly made her
way to her bedroom.

***

	Hitomi lay back on the couch with a sigh, the hiss of the shower
relaxing her like the sound of a gentle rain on the roof tops.  Her last
conscious thoughts were of Makoto in the shower, her imagination melding
with her memories to create an image that both excited and disturbed
her…

	Hitomi opened her eyes, and found herself surrounded by inky
blackness.  <What the hell,> she thought, <what's…>  Hitomi's thoughts
were interrupted by the sudden appearance of two figures shrouded in
shadows—their backs towards the confused redhead.  Their kneeling forms
tickled the edges of her memory…
	"Why?" whispered the figure on the left, the voice sending chills up
Hitomi's spine.
	"Ucchan?" Hitomi whispered, "is that you?"
	"Why Ranma?" whispered the figure on the right.
	"Akane?" Hitomi breathed.
	"I thought you loved me..." echoed the voice from the left.
	"Can't you say it..." asked the voice on the right as she turned to
face Hitomi.  
	"Why can't you love me Ranchan…" the voice on the left asked, turning
around.  Both seemed to be in their early twenties, with glossy black
hair and expressive brown eyes that had glowed with happiness and
smoldered with anger in times past.  Now tears streaked their faces, and
expressions of pain marred their features.
	"R-ranma..."  the two figures said as one.  With trembling fingers she
reached out to touch them.  As her hands grew close, their faces twisted
into expressions of anger.
	"DON'T TOUCH ME!" they screamed in unison.
	"U-u-ucchan," Hitomi stuttered.
	"DON'T CALL ME THAT," the first screamed, "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME
THAT!"
	"A-ak-akane," Hitomi pleaded.
	"I HATE YOU!" the second cried, "RANMA NO OKAMA!"
	Hitomi looked back and forth between the two women, words of anger and
betrayal echoing in her ears.  
	"N-n-no," she protested, backing away, "I didn't mean it!  I never
wanted to hurt you!" Hitomi stumbled back, trying to escape the pain
that flared in her heart…

	"NO!  NO!" Hitomi cried, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"  Screaming Hitomi sprang
upright and into Makoto's arms.
	"Shhh, Hitomi-chan," she whispered, stroking her friends soft hair,
"it's all right, it was just a bad dream…"
	"Oh kami," Hitomi sobbed, burying her face in Makoto's shoulder, "both
of them, I hurt both of them so bad…  I never wanted t' hurt them…  I
jus' wanted them t' be happy…  Oh kami, what've I done…"
	"Shhh, Hitomi-chan," Makoto said, holding her tight, "it'll be all
right, you'll see, everything'll be better in the morning…"  Makoto held
Hitomi close for a few minutes longer, until the redhead had cried
herself out.  Gently she laid the girl back onto the couch, but Hitomi
grabbed her hand as she turned towards her room.  With surprising
strength, Hitomi pulled Makoto back towards the couch.
	"P-please d-don't leave Makoto-chan," she whispered, "I-I d-don't want
to b-be alone t'nite…"
	"N-nani?" Makoto gasped.
	"D-don't leave me alone Makoto-chan," Hitomi pleaded, "I-I don't think
I could bear it…"
	"I won't Hitomi-chan," Makoto smiled, lying down beside the redhead,
and covering them both with the blanket.  
	Neither knew who started it, all they knew was that it began with a
gentle kiss.  A soft kiss filled with passion and longing.  A kiss that
grew into a desperate hunger for more.  A hunger that replaced the soft
hiss of their breathing with the sounds of cloth sliding across flesh
and quiet sighs of pleasure.  Sighs that gave way to moans of passion
and the silken sensation of bare skin caressed by knowing hands.  They
rose slowly, circling each other's pleasure, trying to make it last… 
When the end came they tried to hold it back, giving the other their
final fraction.  
	As the echoes of their cries faded way Hitomi slipped into an
untroubled sleep, a small smile gracing her face.  Makoto smiled gently
at her lover, before wrapping her in her arms and kissing her on the
forehead.
	"You'll never be alone again, Hitomi-chan," she whispered, before
fading into slumber.  Outside the storm rumbled on.

End Part 1…

Glossary:

gomen nasai:  I'm very sorry
sayonara:  good bye
chotto matte:  wait a moment; stop
nani:  what
kuso:  shit
Nissan:  older brother (slightly disrespectful)
chikusho:  damn it
irokeganai:  sexless
geso:  ugly boy
hentai:  pervert
domo arigato:  thank you very much
arigato:  thank you
Kami:  Gods
Obaasan:  Grandmother
kawaii:  cute
okama:  fag; refers to a boy who dresses/acts in a feminine manner

Authors Notes:  Well, it took me long enough to get this thing done.  I
think I've been pluging away on part 1 of this fic for... almost a year
now...  God help me, I'm turning into Zen.  Those of you who noticed the
similarities to Lost Lurker's "Faux Existance", don't worry.  I'm not
trying to steal his idea my fic is going in a completely different
direction--at least I hope so--this particular part was inspired by
"Faux Existance" but from here on out it should be a completely
different fic.  Zen if you've gotten this far and don't know why I told
you not to read this fic, you'll understand by later parts.

Many thanks to 
Peggy Stonnell and SlayerNext for prereading,
The Eternal Lost Lurker for writing "Faux Existance" which provided the
inspiration for this chapter,
Joseph Kohle for writing "The Legacy" which inspired the entire fic,
and Zen for providing the glossary (way back in April)

Insert Stardard Fanfic Disclaimer Here