On Mon, 27 Jul 1998, Coutuva wrote:

As promised, here's Part Two.  I'll be releasing

so noted.

The Death of a Dream - Part Two                   <WARNING - LIME>
------------------------------------------------------------------


	Hitomi wiped her moist forehead and puffed out a breath,
her afternoon's efforts finally showing some progress.  Smiling,
she looked proudly over the almost half-completed garden, wishing
she had the rest of the materials so she could start planting.

So this is spring or early summer?  Timeline!

	Packing up her tools and supplies, she cast another longing
glance over the project, able to picture it's completed form in

"its"

herself, as she had not yet even seen 'The Man That Conquered The
Amazon', despite the frequency of Shampoo's rendezvous with him.

Hmm, odd that...

	Kikyo broke out laughing and tossed a magazine at her, then
shook her head in mock disgust.  "Hitomi-chan, what am I going to
do with you...?"  she followed, crossing her arms and regarding
the redhead sideways.
	"Simple... just love me,"  Hitomi beamed, leaning over and
kissing Kikyo's forehead gently.

Now she's quoting "Camelot"...

        "No problem there,"  Kikyo smiled, winking.  "So, would you
like some help getting ready?  I've already made sure all my 'toys'
are put away... " she added, slowly sitting up and moving the
ottoman aside with her foot.  "I don't figure I need to be packing
tonight,"  she added, glancing toward Shampoo.

Wrong!

	He had developed a strong, sincere affection for Shampoo in
the time they had been dating, and he knew that it wouldn't take
much for him to admit that he was actually falling in love with her.

There's sonmething wrong with this man....

She was everything in a woman that he had always wanted, and had
become convinced that he would never have.  Even now, after numerous
dates and many, many sparring sessions, he still couldn't believe
that she was real, and that she was actually interested in him;

She isn't real.  She's an anime character :-)

A nobody who spent his life travelling China in the pursuit of
Martial Arts, hoping to gain some self-esteem.  He sighed sadly at
the irony of it happening as it had.

hmm...

	The situation he now faced made him regret even more deeply
his 'moment of weakness' several years ago, and the vanity and
self-pity that made him give in to the tempting offer.  It had
improved his life, there was no disputing that, but he had come to
feel that the price he had agreed to pay for that improvement was
far too high.  It also made him wonder, deep inside, whether it was
the real reason Shampoo was attracted to him.  Sadly, he realized

Yes.

that if he carried out his instructions, he would probably never
know.

Because Shamps will be dead....

	The moment had at last arrived, and Hitomi, Kikyo and
Shampoo all stood in the entry, waiting for the doorbell to ring.
Hitomi helped Shampoo with her last-minute primping and preening,
and was about to check herself over once more when the bell
finally tolled for them.

ominous, yes.

        "Thank you," he replied politely, bowing slightly as he
stepped in.  He knew from various conversations that Hitomi and
Kikyo were both Japanese, despite Hitomi's Chinese appearance, and

Not that the average Canadian could tell, and technically, Hitomi was 
born in Canada.//

	Kikyo, Phil and Shampoo to a person all turned and gaped at
Hitomi, who only looked back at them and shrugged.  "Ano... I could
understand him, so I tried to talk back," she explained, shrugging.

Let ovcer from Mu LIn?  Though in that case it should be a dated accent.

        "Something's not right, Kiko-chan,"  she abruptly stated,
quietly.
	"Ano... what do you mean?"  Kikyo blurted, caught looking
by the statement.
	"Phil... something's not quite right about him.  I've felt
uptight and edgy ever since he got here, and it's been getting
worse.  And I have this sickening feeling of foreboding... it's
really spooking me, Kiko-chan,"  she responded levelly, looking
back into the living room at Phil all the while.

He's wearing a "I am just too perfect" sign on his forehead.

	"I dunno... maybe that's it... he's too perfect.  Perfect
manners, perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect
body..."  she responded, her sapphire blues narrowing slightly.
"It's just too... perfect,"  she added, all seriousness in her
tone.

And my ability to sense evil is going off...

	"I see... " he responded, looking at Shampoo curiously.
"I won't ask,"  he finally stated, shaking his head.  Shampoo only
smiled knowingly.

Deceit on Kikyo's part.

	"Lin-san... I think she's going to set the hook,"  Kikyo
replied, wagging a thumb towards the door.
	"Kuso..."  Hitomi responded, biting her knuckle.

hmm...

	Finally, she broke the empassioned kiss and snuggled into
his broad chest, sighing appreciatively.  "Phil... I love you,"  she
breathed at length, tightening her hug for emphasis.

aww///

	Phil instantly forgot his pact, his fears and his doubts,
and responded from his pounding heart.  "Lin Shan Pu... I am in
love with you, too.  More than I have loved anything else in my
entire, miserable life,"  he whispered urgently, placing his hand
on her head and holding it to his chest.
	"I prayed for this moment..."  Shampoo smiled, lifting her
head and again meeting Phil's lips in powerful kiss.

When I am eviscerated by the hidden claws of your true form...

        "Hai!!  It *is* wonderful to be told that... especially by
someone who really does!"  Shampoo almost squealed, her own
excitement escaping her guard.

Well, Mousse really loves you too....it's just a different kind of 
love...and probably safer for you.

        Hitomi meantime, sat alone at the dining room table,
finishing the last of her dessert.  She already suspected what had
transpired, based on Shampoo's euphoria and Phil's silly grin.  Her
face darkened as sighed resignedly, unable to shake the feeling that

"as she sighed"

	Almost as if in reaction to that thought, Phil's eyes
widened as she felt the urge to complete his task suddenly
becoming more and more pronounced.  He fought the urge with
everything he had, but could feel himself starting to lose control.

bad bargain!

	"Well, I didn't notice anything, Seirei-san.  Shall we go?"
he smiled, gesturing for her to precede him up the hallway.  She
lowered her eyebrows for a moment, then slowly turned and started
back up the hall.  As soon as her back was to him, Phil's expression
instantly changed to a wicked sneer.
	Hitomi, sensing something, stopped and started to turn, but
it was too late.  Phil grabbed her viciously by the base of her neck,
his fingers sinking into her flesh.  She screamed in agony, grabbing
uselessly at his hand.  As the scream echoed down the hallway, she
felt her entire body suddenly go limp and slump back against the
wall, trembling.

uhoh.

living room.
	Kikyo was already racing toward the scream in a panic when
she saw Phil dragging Hitomi's limp, twitching body into the room.
Without even thinking about it, she reached behind her back and
pulled out her .45, levelling it on Phil.

Hi, Hammerspace!

	"Begone, Human!"  Phil snarled back, launching a bolt of
energy at Kikyo, narrowly missing her.  Kikyo dropped behind her
chair and squeezed off a shot, catching Phil in the shoulder.

So now the "there is no (human), only Zuul" schtick is on the other foot 
for Kikyo...

Instantly, his face changed to a soft, pleading look, and she froze
in her tracks.  She had seen him blast Kikyo, but when she saw his
face, she hesitated, torn with indescision.

uoops.

just... very weak..." she breathed, barely able to find enough
energy to speak.  "He's... trying to... kill me... stealing...
my life force..." she gasped, closing her eyes briefly.
	"Why?  Why would he do that?"  Kikyo replied, upon shaking
off the shock of the statement.

He's a youma!  Call Sailor Moon!

	"Not Phil... demon.  Realm... of the Dark..."  she explained
weakly, to the chorussed gasps of the other girls.  "Wants me
dead... don't know why..."

Because you're a Servant of Light, silly!

	Shampoo meantime, sat gape mouthed and completely stunned,
arms hanging at her sides.  She was utterly shattered to think
that her wonderful Phil had actually been a demon, and had used

not completely...

	"Lets get you out of here, Hitomi-chan... I'm scared for
you..." Kikyo stated, extending a hand to help Hitomi rise.  Just
as Hitomi reached toward it, Kikyo shreiked in pain as she was

"shrieked"

        "Bitch...!  You interefered in things beyond your

"interfered"

what was happening, she fired a blast of solid energy at it that
tore it's arm away from it's shoulder, and sent the demon itself

"its" twice.

screaming across the room, leaving Kikyo and it's arm to fall to

"its" again.

lip still trembling as her fingers gently traced it's outline.

"its"

	As her tears of grief and panic dampened the material of
Kikyo's blouse, she didn't notice the air around her begin to fog
over, slowly thickening until nothing more could be seen through it.

Another demon!  Kill it quick!

	Suddenly, she felt a presence near her and looked up, only
to gasp aloud at who she saw.
	"Joy-sama...?"  she sniffed, wiping her wet cheeks.

Umm, too late, she's already dead...

	"Hai, Hitomi-chan.  Looks like it's finally started, ne?"
the Spirit Child remarked, glancing at Kikyo's ashen form.
	"Started...?  You mean...?"  Hitomi gasped again, her eyes
widening despite how much they stung.

Yes, at last we will finally start the main plotline?

	"Hai.  This is far from over, Hitomi-chan... it's just the
beginning.  I'll tell you more in a little while, though... First,

Promises, promises...

	"She's only going to die if you let her.  You see,
Hitomi-chan, real humans can't regenerate like we can... the only
way to help her now is to give her back her energy,"  Joy indicated,
gently.  "The tricky part is that she's pregnant... because the
baby draws it's life from her, this needs to be done very

"its"

	"That means we have to put her in a special kind of
suspension.  The process takes time, and she'll have to stay in
it until both her life force and that of the baby's are normalized.
If it's done too fast, the cure would be worse than the condition.
And don't worry... her physical injuries will be healed at the same
time," Joy noted, flashing a small smile.

In other words, she's out of action for the rest of the story.

	"Hai... you certainly do.  But you'll be surprised at how
strong you really are, Hitomi-chan... especially after we get where
we're going,"  Joy replied gently, regarding the redhead knowingly.
	"Going...?  Where are we going?"  Hitomi sniffed, abruptly
realizing what Joy was telling her.
	"Back where it all began... Tokyo,"  she announced,
emphatically.

	Ah, I see.  This is yet another fudge to keep Kikyo from ever 
having to face someone who won't hold back from confronting her with her 
actions....

	 > 
	The entire livingroom was totalled, with one wall completely
missing.  All that remained intact of the kitchen was the small rear
section where she currently sat.  Her eyes widened in horror as
she realized what that meant.

"They're dead, Lin!"

	Staggering back out to the livingroom, she noticed a heap on
the floor near where the large fireplace used to be.  Her heart
started to beat again as she moved toward it, recognizing it as
Phil's body.  However, once she arrived beside it, her heart again
sank.  It was all too apparent that he had not survived the incident.

Oops.  This is gonna be hard to explain to the authorities...

        In an instant, she had lost everything she held dear; her
two best friends, whom she cherished as sisters, and the only man
she felt had a chance of replacing Ranma in her heart.
	Even for an Amazon, it was too much to bear.

gratuitous torture...

	That done, she headed for her bedroom and rummaged through
what few posessions she had, locating and then pulling out a

"possessions"

carefully wrapped package.  Opening it and gazing at it's contents

"its"

	Sitting back on the bed once more, she looked over at the
phone on the nightstand, wondering if it even worked.  She was
almost surprised when she found that it did, and immediately called
a cab to come pick her up - and take her to the airport.

hmm...

	A small smile came to her face as she remembered that
night, followed immediately by a sad frown as she realized that
the picture in her hand was all that remained of the two
incredible women that she had come to respect, honor and even love.
	Suddenly, she was startled by the wet splat of a tear on
the glass of the picture, and before she could think to prevent it,
she sobbed out loud and broke down completely.

Awww....


SKJAM!