Part 8. A couple of people are putting this on their
pages. If they could contact me with the details or
notify the FFML, that'd be great.

End! Love, Trust and Hope.
By Kagami

Wide blue eyes stared into teary pools of darkness. Akane's
heart swelled with hope and joy as she read confusion,
recognition, and an emotion that made her pulse race like
the wind. Love. Her Ranma's love.

"Ranma?" she breathed, hardly daring to hope.

"A..Akane?" Ranma replied. "What happened? What's going
on? I remember the temple ..." he trailed off uncertainly.

"Ranma, you're back! Thank God!" Akane buried him in a
tight hug, ignoring his muffled protests.

Watching them was the most painful thing Zelgadis ever
had to do. Tears rolled freely down his cheeks as he
stared at the redheaded woman who had been his wife,
trying to impress the vision of loveliness into his
soul. His beloved was no longer.

Beside him, Lina stood like stone as a welter of
emotions battered at her heart.

---

"She isn't gone," Ranma said quietly, after a short
explanation.

Hopeful expressions rose on the faces of those seated
around the table. Zelgadis was quick to ask, "What do
you mean?"

"It's like there's something else with me. Sealed
away inside. Something I can't touch." He seemed
uneasy. "I don't really want to try," he admitted.

"But that means we have a chance to save both Lina's
mother and you, Ranma-san," Amelia suggested. "If we
can separate the two of you ..."

"But how?" Gourry asked.

"I don't know. It's awfully tricky ..." Lina snapped
her fingers suddenly and snatched out a folded piece
of parchment. "I'm an idiot."

"That note ..." Akane realized.

"'Lina, by this time you're probably wondering what to
do'," Lina read out aloud, "'You have one chance to
put things right. Use the Mirror of Changes, not ours,
that can't work, but the one in Ranma's world. You
can use the Gate to get there but it hasn't been
brought to Zefielia Castle yet. Instead it's at Mount
Phalos, where Rei Magnus died, and where I found it.'"

Lina cleared her dry throat before continuing, "'I
think I always knew I was wrong, I just wouldn't admit
it. Not even to myself. But if it's worth anything,
I'm sorry.' She didn't sign it."

She looked up at the line of concerned faces. "Well,
what are we waiting for? Let's go!" she said brightly.

"No! I won't let you!" a high voice broke in.

---

Fourteen-year old Luna Inverse looked frightened, yet
determined. "Who are you? Why do you look so much like
Lina? Where are you taking my parents?!"

"Sis ..." Lina breathed in dismay. "Luna, it's okay.
I can explain ..."

Luna gasped as she realized who was facing her. "It
can't be ... Lina?"

"Luna, it's all right. We're just taking a short trip,
that's all," Lina attempted soothingly.

"She's right, Luna-chan. Your mother and I have to go
and find something. Just go to back to bed," Zelgadis
said, trying to placate his daughter.

"I don't ...," Luna stopped in confusion. "No, there's
something wrong here. Mom, why did you scream just
now? Lina, why are you all grown up?" She shook her
head in negation. "I'm not going to let you go until
you tell me everything."

"Luna-chan, please ..." Zelgadis started before being
interrupted.

"Sleeping!" Lina snapped out, the spell catching Luna
cold. Betrayal coloured her eyes as she slumped over,
unconscious.

"Lina!" Zelgadis protested.

"How were you going to explain things, Zel?" Lina
asked. "It's better this way. Let's go."

Akane stared at Ranma in disquiet. He had been silent
throughout the entire confrontation with Luna, and now,
perspiration trickled down an unnaturally white face.

Then, Ranma cried out and doubled over. Zelgadis and
Akane lunged to catch him.

"Ranma!" she exclaimed, grabbing him to stop him from
falling. Zel propped him up from the other side. They
both felt the tremors pulsing through him.

"It ... it hurts, 'Kane," he whispered when the
seizure left him. "Felt like ... my mind was tearing
apart."

"We better hurry," Lina said decisively.

"I'll put Luna to bed and leave a note," Zelgadis said
in a resigned tone, necessity overcoming his qualms.

---

The journey to Mount Phalos had been quick. Even so,
Ranma had suffered more seizures along the way. Finding
the lost Gate had taken a bit more time. But grimly
determined to succeed, they had overcome all the
obstacles in their way.

At last, they stood before the Mirror of Changes in
Japan.

"My sister argued that my appearance in the past was the
anomaly that could be changed but she was wrong and she
knew it. That's why she gave in so easily. The anomaly
was the appearance of both of you," Lina said as she
pointed at Ranma and Akane. "If we use this mirror now
before Ranma does then it'll change everything. Ranma can
turn himself back to normal. I can transport us back to
our world, and Ranma and Akane into their future where
they'll take the place of their counterparts after they
arrive to find a broken mirror."

"But that'll mean you'll lose your mom forever!" Amelia
burst out.

Zelgadis gazed steadily at Lina. "Yes, what about your
mother, Lina?"

"There is one more thing I intend to try but I'm not sure
if it will work or if I should try it. I'll be straining
the power of the crystals as it is." Lina seemed uncertain
and doubtful.

Akane looked determined. "Do it, Lina. Ranma's recovery
may rely on this but I wouldn't feel right if it cost you
your mother."

Ranma nodded slowly. "Ranma ... the other Ranma is real.
She's like a part of me. It'd be wrong not to give her a
chance. You have to try, Lina."

"Thank you," Lina said quietly. She brushed at the wetness
that threatened to overflow from her eyes. She looked at
Zelgadis, who kept a strained distance from Ranma. "Trust
me, Zel- ... trust me, father."

"You used to say that a lot when you were practicing with
low level Shamanic spells, Lina," he recalled fondly. "I
seem to remember a lot of explosions. But I do trust you,
Lina ... chan."

Lina smiled briefly. "Ready?" she asked Ranma. "Just think
about returning to normal. I'll handle the rest."

Ranma nodded her head. "Let's do it."

Then, both Ranma and Lina pressed their hands against
the silver mirror. I wish ... Lina thought. I wish ...
Ranma thought.

Everything vanished in a blaze of white light.

---

"Ranma? Ranma?! Are you okay?" The intruding voice sounded
frantic.

"Owww ... not so loud, Akane. My head hurts like hell,"
Ranma whispered. "I'm fine. I'm back to normal."

"That's g..great. You idiot, I was so worried." Akane's
voice trembled.

Wetness splashed upon Ranma's cheek. Akane? Was she
crying. Ranma squinted in the darkness. "Heh, it's all
right. I'm okay." Her hand tightened over his in
response.

Lina woke to see Gourry bending over her, his face grave
with concern. "Lina, you're all right!" There wasn't
anyone beside him.

"I'm o..okay." She tried to firm her voice. It hadn't
worked. Her plan had failed. She blinked the tears from
her eyes. Damn ...

"Hello?" A soft voice called out. "Lina-chan, how are
you feeling?"

Incredulous, Lina bolted upright, nearly bowling Gourry
over in the process. "M..Mother?" she asked anxiously,
eyes focusing on the figure making an unsteady way
towards her.

"I'm here, Lina-chan," Ranma Inverse answered, a smiling
Zelgadis standing beside and supporting her.

"Mother!" Lina wrapped her mother in a tight hug. "I
didn't think ..."

"Tsk, that's right. What were you thinking?" she said,
returning the hug. "But it seems to have worked out
okay. Ranma is back to normal as well."

"But, Lina, why are we still here in this world? I
thought you were going to send us all back?" Gourry
puzzled.

A brief pause ensured as Lina scratched the back of
her head in mild embarassment. "Whoops! I guess I kinda
forgot what with all the other things I was trying."

---

An epilogue to come. Comments?