Here's Part Three!  This is, as with the previous Series, based
heavily on events and situations from the preceeding
stories, which are available on my Web Site:

http://www.geocities.com/coutuva

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy.
Coutuva.





The Death of a Dream - Part 3                   <WARNING - LIME>
-----------------------------------------------------------------



	It was cold and dreary in the streets of Nerima, the
morning atmosphere matching closely the state of Hitomi's heart.
Before her were the gates to the Tendou Dojo, and beyond them the
first steps to the 'new future' Joy had spoken of before she
disappeared.
	She looked at the doors sadly, knowing that she had to
open them to begin her preordained journey, but something kept her 
from moving.  She puffed a long, sad sigh as she figured it out.
	After returning to the remains of the house to check on
Shampoo, and finding the Amazon and most all of her personal
effects missing, she had become even more depressed.  Suddenly, 
she faced the prospect of life without both the woman she loved 
and her best friend, which left her feeling lost, sad, and 
terribly, painfully alone.
	It hadn't helped that Joy had sent her on ahead, stating 
that she needed to consult with higher-ups about some details, 
and had instructed her to meet up with Ranma and wait for her 
return.
	Looking at the doors once more, she tried to raise her arm
to pull them open, but found she just didn't have the will.
	With a frustrated sigh, she spun her back to the wall and
slumped to a toe crouch, not caring that she was still wearing her
'dress Mini' from the ill-fated supper.  The tears that seemed so 
much a part of her life began to gather again, briefly surprising
her. 
	She was sure she had long ago used them all up.
	Down the street a distance, a tall, attractive, dignified
woman walked happily, humming softly to herself until she saw the
crouched form in the distance.  Her humming stopped as she tried 
to confirm what her soft cinnamon eyes were telling her.  Noticing
the figure's obvious distess, she quickened her pace to see if she
could help.
	As the woman approached, Hitomi picked up her presence but
didn't raise her head, hoping that whoever it was would just leave 
her alone.  She sensed the woman stop a few feet from her and gasp
quietly, then heard the rustle of fabric and plastic bags as she
raised her hand to her mouth.
	"Oh, My..."  Kasumi breathed, scarcely able to believe her
eyes.
	Hitomi raised a severe look, about to issue a suitable
epithet.  As soon as she made eye contact however, a strange feeling
swept over her.  It felt almost like being wrapped in a big, comfy
blanket, bringing with it a great sense of peace and contentment.
The sensation seemed to emanate from the woman before her, drawing 
her like a moth to a flame.
	Her lower lip starting to tremble, she rose slowly and
stepped right up to her, looking at her with reddened, shimmering
eyes.  "Okaasan... " she breathed in a soft, wavering voice, 
unable to keep herself from melting against the woman and
dissolving into racking sobs.

	


	"You're kidding me... Destroyed?  When?  Hmm...  Well, 
keep it under surveillance anyway.  I want to be sure - <beep>  
Kuso...  wait a minute," Nabiki cursed, lifting the cell away 
from her ear and stabbing the send button.  "Hai.  What?!?  Where 
is she now?  Masaka...!  Get some more bodies and keep that place
buttoned down!  If someone so much as changes their mind, I want 
to know about it!  Great work Tanaka-san...  You just bought 
yourself a raise.  Ja," she smiled, closing the phone with a 
wicked giggle.
	Just as she put it down to look up another number, it
trilled insistantly, reminding her of her other call.  Snatching it
from the desk, she flipped it open sheepishly.  "Gomen...  I just
found out that she's here in Tokyo, so stay with that place for
about another week, and see if the girlfriend or the Amazon show up
again.  If nothing happens, cut back to occasional checkups.  Yeah,
that's it.  Ja,"  she stated, again closing the phone quickly.
	Digging out her little black electronic organizer, she
scanned through it to find a number she hadn't used in over a year.
	She could barely contain her excitement as she waited for
the call to go through, hardly able to believe how things were
falling into place.  When the other end picked up, her face
darkened momentarily as she listened to the greeting.
	"Yeah, Yeah...  Save the sales pitch.  I need to talk to
'her majesty' pronto.  Tell her it's Kuno-san," she droned, then 
rolled her eyes as the hold music came on.  Fortunately for her 
sanity, she didn't have to wait long.
	"Ahh...  Konnichiwa.  I have a matter...  Oh, that figures.
How soon?  Good, I'll be here.  Ja," she smirked, hanging up the
phone.  Shaking her head, she pushed a button on her desk console 
and waited for a response.
	"You summoned me, Ma'am?" a thin, weasly voice asked over
the intercom.
	"Hai.  I'm expecting an important guest this morning, and
I do not wish to be disturbed, Sasuke.  Can you arrange that
without any great difficulty?" she asked, knowing the answer
already.
	"Yes, mistress.  I can amuse your husband, and mistress
Kodachi is away today.  You will not be disturbed," he replied
emphatically.
        "Arigato, Sasuke.  Your assistance is invaluable," she
noted, smiling.
        "I can only hope, mistress Nabiki.  Thank you very kindly,"
he stated, the tone of his voice bespeaking the truth of his words.
Nabiki secretly felt sorry for the hapless ninja, and made it a
point to reward his work for her well, but discreetly.  She knew
it would only make his life more miserable if either of the Kuno
siblings had a clue about the practice.
	Putting such thoughts aside, she rose from her desk and 
walked to a filing cabinet a few feet away, there to take down a 
framed picture of herself and her sisters from days gone by.  
Touching her younger sister's face with her finger, her face 
darkened a bit as she thought about her next move.
	"I promise you imotouchan...  You'll have him back."
  



	"Something's wrong... she should have been here half an
hour ago," Joy frowned, looking over at Ranma.
	"Well, there's been no sign of her...  I didn't even feel
her presence, and I would have if she'd been here."
        "Kasumi's late too...  And that's not like her," Akane
interjected, looking out the window toward the gates.
	"Maaa...  I don't like this.  They've made one attempt on
her already, and in her current state she'd be an easy target,"
Joy warned, drawing stares from both Akane and Ranma.
	"So that's why I had that 'episode' last night.  What
happened?" he asked, walking up to Joy and looking her in the
eyes.
	"An assassin tried for her yesterday.  It missed her,
but got Kikyo and their baby.  Kikyo's in a regenerative cell 
right now, and Shampoo left, probably figuring they were both dead,"
Joy explained, then her eyes suddenly widened.  "Masaka...! Hitomi
has nobody to 'regulate' her!  If she runs into the wrong person,
it could be catastrophic...!"
	"Then why would you leave her alone?" Ranma abruptly
snapped, startling both Joy and Akane.
	Joy shrank under the outburst, but still managed a reply.  
"I...  Misjudged how upset she'd be...  I thought she'd follow my 
instructions and come here while I spoke with the Fates.  Had she 
done that, everything would have been fine."
	"Chikusho...  We'd better go looking for her.  After 
what I saw from her over Elysse, she must be totally devastated.  
Kikyo and that baby were her entire world," he cursed, shaking
his head.  "Let me see if I can pick up anything," he grumbled, 
glaring at the Spirit-Child.
	"I'll try too..." she replied, closing her eyes.  "Ha!  
Got her!  She's not far away...  And she's amazingly calm.  We 
better go get her *now*," she emphasized, opening her eyes and 
looking at Ranma expectantly.
	"Hai.  Akane-chan, I'll be right back.  I have to go get
her," he explained, then kissed her forehead and vanished from
sight.
	"Gomen..."  Joy bowed quickly, then vanished herself.
	Akane simply stood in the empty room for a moment, then
sighed.  She then turned and walked toward the kitchen, figuring 
she would have to make a fancy breakfast now that they had all 
this company.  Abruptly, she stopped in her tracks and shook 
her head.
	"Masaka...  I'm turning into my older sister," she
groaned, frowning.




        "You poor dear...  I can't imagine going through that,"
Kasumi responded wide-eyed, looking across the table at the
downcast redhead.
	She raised her gaze from her coffee cup and flashed
a small smile.  "From what Joy-sama tells me, that was nothing."
	Kasumi shook her head slowly, her heart going out to the
anguished girl.  "Don't worry...  Nothing is ever as bad as it
seems, no matter how bleak it looks at first," she assured,
displaying her trademark smile.  
	Hitomi, meantime, felt compelled to smile back, no 
longer able to feel sorry for herself around this amazing woman.
	"Thank you, Kasumi-sama...  I didn't mean to dump all 
my problems on you, but...  I'm awfully glad you let me," she 
sighed, reaching out and taking the woman's hand in hers.  "And
I'll wash that blouse for you," she added, flushing.
	"No need to trouble yourself, Seirei-san," she 
deflected with a grin, squeezing her hand.  "And I was glad
to help.  One thing troubles me though...  Do I really look 
like a 'mother' to you?"
	She had to blush.  "No...  It's...  Kinda hard to 
explain.  That's just...  What I felt when I looked up at you."
	Kasumi, much to her surprise, flushed at the compliment.
Before she could respond further however, a voice from beside 
them interrupted the moment.
	"So here you two are...  No wonder you're both late," 
Ranma admonished half-seriously, walking up to their table and
striking a pose of disapproval.
	"Gomen...  It's my fault, Saotome-sama...  I kinda 
attacked your sister-in-law," Hitomi admitted quickly, not 
wanting to get Kasumi in any trouble.
	"Attacked...?" he gasped, flashing a worried look at
Kasumi.
	"No, no, Ranma... She just... Hugged me.  She was very
upset and lonely, and I happened to be there."
	"Hmm..." he responded, looking at Hitomi thoughtfully
for a moment.  Deciding not to make an issue of it in front of
Kasumi, he opted to change the subject.  "Well, I'm just glad 
that of all people, you ran into Kasumi, Hitomi-chan.  Do you
feel any better?"
	"Hai.  She's wonderful...  I almost feel like myself 
again," the redhead smiled, looking back at her appreciatively.
"I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't come along,"  
she added, patting Kasumi's hand.
	"Glad to hear it," he smiled, winking at Kasumi.
"Ready to go?  We have some pretty important things to talk 
about."
	"Hai.  Might as well..." the redhead agreed somewhat
grudgingly, then turned to Kasumi and flashed a smile.  "Want 
a lift?"
	Kasumi didn't quite know how to react, especially 
since she didn't see any means of getting the 'lift' in 
question.  "Lift?  Whatever do you mean, Seirei-san?" she 
blinked, only to be further confused by Hitomi's knowing
 smirk.
	"This!" the redhead exclaimed, as she took both of 
Kasumi's hands.
        "Oh my..."




	Akane smiled happily at her presentation, duly proud 
of the job she had done on short notice.  Her table was laid 
out to perfection, with all of the little touches that she 
didn't usually bother with.  Just as she set the last holder 
in place, she was startled to see her sister and a certain 
red-haired girl appear in the middle of her family room.
	Once fully materialized, Kasumi let go of Hitomi's 
hands, stepped back and made a face, fluttering her hands 
before her.  "I... I'm not entirely sure I like that, 
Seirei-san..." she stammered, much to Hitomi's unconcealed 
amusement.
	"Gomen, Kasumi-sama...  I just didn't want to leave 
you there alone," she smiled, bowing.  As she rose from her 
bow, her face dropped as she caught sight of Akane.  
	"Kawaii..." she breathed, unable to take her eyes 
off of Akane's trim, shapely form.
	She could feel her cheeks flush as her heart rate 
rose, especially once she met Akane's powerful brown eyes.
	At that moment, Ranma reappeared beside Akane, and
immediately noticed the look on the redhead's face.  Before 
he could help himself, he burst out laughing.  The act 
snapped the two women out of their eye-lock, and instantly 
incurred the wrath of Akane.
	"What's so funny?" she demanded, getting up in his
face.
	"Ano...  Kasumi-sama...!  Who is that?" Hitomi 
whispered urgently, clasping Kasumi's arm tightly and 
pulling the woman down toward her.
	"Why...  That's Ranma's wife, Akane."
	"Masaka..." she whispered, slumping into a nearby 
chair.
	Meantime, Ranma had ushered his fuming wife into 
the kitchen, and finally managed to stop giggling.
	"Okay, Saotome...  Explain yourself," she growled, 
setting her hands on her hips.  "Why was she looking at me 
like that, and why are you laughing?"
	"Baka ne...  Remember how she was created?  From 
my body and essence?  It's obvious, especially when you 
look at her face.  She loves you," he sniggered, losing the 
battle to stifle his amusement.  "She loves you exactly the
same way I do," he added, taking her shoulders and trying 
to look her in the eye with some semblance of seriousness.
	"Oh, Gad..." Akane whispered, her face both falling 
and flushing as she remembered where she had seen the look 
on the redhead's face before.
	Ranma lost it.




	Nabiki leaned back in her chair, toying with the
pen in her hand.  A wicked smile still parted her face as 
she considered the words of her guest.
	"Are you *sure* it's that easy?  According to my 
sources, she's supposed to be some kind of goddess or 
something..."
	"Hai, Kuno-san.  It is.  The difficulty lies in 
creating the circumstance.  Both of them are well aware of 
this, and neither of them will permit it to occur," the 
hooded woman responded, her sloe-eyed gaze downcast 
slightly.
	"Let me worry about that.  And what else was it you 
said you found out...  Something about a 'plan'?"
	"Hai.  In my session this morning, I picked up some
rumblings about her being part of a master plan, one 
concieved by the Fates to battle a threat from a faction 
tied to the Dark Realm.  Interference in this plan will not 
be looked upon lightly.  I feel I must advise you against 
any such action...  For your own safety."
	"MY safety doesn't matter," Nabiki abruptly snapped,
startling her guest slightly.  "Sorry...  I get a little 
excited when I think about all this.  Anyway, thanks for 
the assist, Miyo-san.  I do appreciate it, and I believe 
this should cover it.  Oh, and as always, we never had this 
conversation," she continued, sliding an envelope toward her.
	"Arigato, Kuno-san.  I wish you luck; fortunately, 
the cards are with you," Miyo smiled under her dark hood, 
and then rose to take her leave.  "Be warned...  You seek 
to alter a course set by the Fates - there will be a price."
	Nabiki simply smirked wryly.  "I can afford it," she
intoned, resting her elbows on the table and entwining her 
fingers under her chin.
	As Miyo closed the door behind her, Nabiki reached 
for her phone and punched up a familiar number, still 
grinning as it rang through.
	"It's me.  Yeah.  I have a job for some of your 
friends...  Someone is going to have an accident," she 
indicated, her grin fading.





	After breakfast, Hitomi slipped away from the family 
and headed for the bath, feeling uptight and somewhat grungy 
after her experiences.  Since Joy had still not returned, 
she felt she had plenty of time to indulge herself.
	Walking into the room, she broke out in a wide grin 
at the sight of a real Japanese bathroom, and wasted no time 
in peeling off her Mini and tossing it aside.  Starting the 
shower and the bath, she grabbed the cloth and soap and 
scrubbed herself from head to toe, happily anticipating a 
good, warm soak.
	Rinsing off, she stepped into the tub and settled 
into the seat, groaning as the heat worked its way into his 
weary bones.  Closing his eyes and smiling, he decided he 
could get used to such a thing.
	A few minutes later, he could hear someone moving in
the outer room, and before he could say anything, the door 
slid aside to reveal Akane, standing before him completely 
nude, except for the towel she had draped over her arm.
	"Aha!  You fink...  You decided to take me up on it 
anyway, ne?" she smirked, shaking her head.  "Just a minute... 
I'll be right in," she purred, putting down her towel and 
turning on the shower.
	Hitomi didn't know what to do.  One side of him wanted
to speak up and tell Akane who he really was, but another, 
more powerful side wouldn't let his mouth do anything more 
than gape open.  Slowly but surely, urges he couldn't control
began to rise as he watched the woman moving under the water
stream, alternately soaping, washing and rinsing her trim, 
athletic form.  Making matters worse was her habit of flashing
him a sultry look when she would be turned toward him.  He 
honestly thought he was going to have heart failure.
	Then, Akane turned off the shower and turned to face
him with a wanton smile, her powerful eyes smouldering as she
stepped into the bath.  Hitomi swallowed hard.
	Sliding herself over beside him, she immediately 
leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, sending skyrockets
through his already overstressed brain.  Too far gone to stop 
himself, he took Akane in his arms and returned the kiss so 
passionately she began to moan into it.
	"Masaka...  What's gotten into you...?" she breathed
huskily, having broken the kiss to catch her breath.
	"You..." he replied, his voice low and quiet.
	"Mmmm...  Then we'd better not waste the opportunity, 
ne?" she responded, grinning as she swung astride Hitomi's
legs.




	"So everything turned out okay?" Joy asked, puffing 
out a sigh of relief.
	"Hai.  I found her exactly where you said she'd be, 
having a coffee with Kasumi.  Turns out that she's sort of 
'attached' herself to her.  She's barely left her side since 
they met."
	"Oy...  Thank the Fates.  I was worried she might 
fall apart, or worse yet run into someone or something 
'unscrupulous'," Joy noted, her eyes widening slightly as she 
considered the possibilities.
	"Well, she's fine...  Luckily."
	"Ranma...  Have you seen Akane?  She's not in the 
kitchen, and Miyabi-chan is asking for her," Kasumi asked as
she walked up to the pair.
	"Hai. She went to the bath about 20 minutes ago.  She
didn't get a chance to before breakfast," he indicated, 
tipping his head in the direction of the bath.
	"Oh...  Okay then.  I'll tell Mi-chan to wait," she 
smiled, then returned to the kitchen.
	Joy watched her go intently, then turned to Ranma 
nodding her approval.  "She's perfect.  Just the kind of 
calming influence Hitomi needs."
	"I know...  She's always been like that," he 
seconded, thoughtfully.  Turning his gaze back toward Joy 
for a moment, he caught a look in her eye that he hadn't 
noticed earlier.  "Something wrong, Joy-sama?"
	"Iya.  Just thinking about some things," she replied,
appearing to Ranma to be slightly caught by his question.
	"Hm." he nodded, not quite convinced by the reply.





	A few minutes later, Akane wandered into the kitchen 
wearing a yukata and a dreamy smile, which was immediately 
noticed by Kasumi.
	"That bath seems to have done you wonders, Akane...  
I can't remember seeing you looking so relaxed," she 
commented, happily.
	Akane flashed a knowing grin over her coffee cup.  "It 
was *wonderful*..." she sighed, turning and walking out the 
door.
	As she stepped into the hallway, she heard a movement 
from the vicinity of the bath and turned toward it with a big 
smile, expecting to see Ranma stepping out.  She froze in her 
tracks as she saw *Hitomi* step out and then flush 
embarrassedly.  Stunned, all she could do was stare 
gape-mouthed at the redhead.
	Hitomi finally broke the trance by closing the 
bathroom door, anxious to get the inevitable over with.
	Face contorting in anger, Akane stormed down the hall 
toward her, while she set herself and stood her ground.
	Stopping mere inches from the unflinching redhead, 
Akane glared into her sapphire blues.  "Don't you *dare* tell
anyone about that...  Ever!" she hissed, her gaze saying what 
her words had not.  Hitomi glared back at her for a split 
second, then her expression softened to one of profound 
sadness.
	"We need to talk, Akane-chan," she indicated, then
reached out and took Akane's hands in hers.  Before Akane 
could react, the two of them vanished.


 

	"Why are we out here?!?" Akane blurted, quickly 
adjusting her yukata and dropping to a sit.
	"We need to talk about some things, Akane-chan... And 
this felt like the best place," the redhead replied, looking 
about the roof.  Drawing a long breath, she turned and looked 
deep into Akane's still slightly wide eyes.  "I love you, 
Akane-chan...  Even though I've never met you.  I assume it's 
because a lot of who I am came from your husband, and since he
loves you so deeply..." she trailed off, a small frown crossing 
her face.
	Akane didn't respond, still considering Hitomi's words.
The entire concept of a woman being in love with her still 
didn't sit well, especially since that woman was Hitomi.
	Hitomi took Akane's thoughtful silence as a cue to 
continue, and settled back into an all-too-familiar pose.  
"Akane-chan, I haven't told anyone this, not even your sister...
But I feel somehow that I can confide in you," she began, 
drawing another breath.  "I'm angry...  Angry, depressed and 
confused.  Since all this happened, I'm suddenly feeling like 
I'm being pulled in a hundred different directions...  And 
none of them are where *I* want to go," she explained, a hint 
of bitterness in her voice.  "All I want...  All I ever wanted...
Is a nice, quiet life.  Living with Kiko-chan and raising our 
child; working with my kids at the Centre.  I don't want to go 
chasing mamuno all over the Spirit World, or whatever the Fates 
have in mind for me," she continued, dropping her chin to her 
knees.  "What happened in there...  Happened because I couldn't
resist what I was feeling for you.  I don't *want* to be in love
with you...  I didn't *want* to make love to you...  But this 
body...  This soul that I have...  Just took over and loved you
for all it was worth," she indicated, her voice starting to 
waver.  Closing her eyes for a moment, she sniffed once and 
cleared her throat.  "It feels awful to have that little control
over who and what you are, Akane-chan.  Especially when it hurts
innocent people...  Like Kiko-chan, our baby...  And you," she 
sniffed, starting to lose the battle to retain her composure.  
"I've tried to accept the fact that I'm little more than your 
husband's girl-side come to life, but I can't.  Something inside
me keeps shouting that there *must* be more...  I live...  I 
love...  I have children...  Dammit, I have a *life*!" she 
almost yelled, clenching her fists and jamming her eyes closed.  
"Yet...  When things like that episode in the bath happen...  I 
realize that I'm just kidding myself.  I'm *not* a person... 
Just some convenient collection of used parts.  Hell, I can't 
even be sure I've ever had an independant thought!" she sobbed 
bitterly, finally breaking down in tears.
	"G-Gomen nasai, Hitomi-chan..." Akane breathed, after
swallowing her heart.  "I never meant..." she began, but Hitomi
silenced her with a tearful look.
	"Don't apologise...  *You* did nothing wrong.  Truth 
be known, it was incredible," she rebutted, flashing a wry grin
through her tears.  "I should have...  Spoken up," she sobbed,
wiping her face on her kimono sleeve.  "L-Like I said...  It's 
my fault," she sniffed, brokenly.  Suddenly, she burst out in a
tear-soaked, humourless laugh.  "Kuso...  Saotome-sama was right
all along...  This body *is* a damned curse!" she blurted, 
flashing Akane a look she couldn't fathom.
	After turning her face away and staring out at the yard
for a moment, Hitomi lowered her head and covered her face in 
her hands.  "I...  I'm sorry, Akane-chan," she whispered, 
raising her face to the sky and sniffing.  "I must sound baka,"
she continued, wiping her eyes.
	Akane bit her lip and touched Hitomi's shoulder, unable 
to think of anything to say.  Hitomi turned looked into her 
eyes, noting her sympathy - and her consternation.
	A smirk crossed her face as she huffed resignedly.
"Thanks for trying, Akane-chan," she stated, flashing a quick,
sad smile.
	"Hitomi-chan...  I..." Akane began, but the words 
wouldn't come.  She felt sorry for Hitomi, but at the same time 
she realized that a deeper part of her was actually happy...
Happy to see the one who took her husband's body so miserable.  
She tried chiding herself for being so vengeful and heartless, 
but it didn't work.  After all she had been through, she *liked*
seeing Hitomi suffer.
	Hitomi, after waiting a moment for Akane to speak, 
turned her face away and closed her eyes.  Based on what she 
had just seen in Akane's eyes, she had the sinking feeling that 
her 'makeup' had just betrayed her.  Sighing, she raised her 
hand and held it in the air for a moment.
	"Go back to your family...  I'll be there soon," she
stated flatly, and waved Akane away.
	Now alone on the roof, she raised her shimmering 
sapphire blues to the sky and sniffed once more, then allowed 
her heart to speak for itself.  "Kiko-chan...  I miss you."
	Closing her eyes, she was about to zap herself off of 
the roof when she heard a familiar, pleasant sound coming from
the yard below.  Leaning forward for a closer look, a tender
smile soon lit up her face.




	"What?" Ranma asked, not entirely sure he'd heard right.
Akane looked back at him from her seat in the middle of the family
room floor and nodded.
	"She did!  We were on the roof talking, and she just...
Sent me in here."
	Joy's face darkened slightly.  "I don't like the sound of
this..." she remarked, and faded from sight.  Reappearing on the
roof, she frowned when she discovered Hitomi wasn't there.  She
could still feel the redhead's presence, which relaxed her a little,
but the fact that Hitomi was acting so odd still concerned her.
	Reappearing in the family room, she cast a worried look 
at Ranma.  "She's not up there...  She's still around, but she's
not on the roof," she explained, in response to his questioning
expression.
	"Oh, Hitomi-chan?  I know where she is," Kasumi chimed, 
walking to the side door and sliding it open.  Out in the yard, 
Hitomi sat in plain sight, apparently telling Miyabi and Masao
a story.
	Joy grinned.  "I should have guessed..."




	Finally, everyone assembled in the family room, Joy 
pacing back and forth before them gathering her thoughts.  After
a few moments, she stood in front of them and threw up her hands.
"I had this nice little speech prepared to fill all of you in, but
the plans have been changed.  It's made things a lot more cut and
dried, but it's also made them a lot tougher," she began, her face
serious.
	Ranma and Akane both shifted in their seats, while Hitomi,
in the midst of getting her hair braided by Kasumi, simply huffed.
	Joy, noting the tense responses, sighed.  "Well, here goes.
As you know, Mu Lin was supposed to put a stop to a conflict that 
threatened to escalate into a war.  While she accomplished her 
goal, those responsible for the escalation in the first place 
haven't given up.  They've started a new campaign to gain control 
of the Triumvirate Realms, using very similar tactics," she 
explained, resuming her pacing.  "One thing we have in our
favor is that they don't have the direct support of the Dark any
more, since they got booted out after their failure.  That means
that if we strike now, before they can stir up more support, we can
mop it up fairly quick," she indicated, stopping and facing
everyone with her pixie-grin firmly in place.
	Ranma and Akane looked at each other, but before either 
of them could speak, Hitomi piped up.
	"So what are you saying, Joy-sama?  What *exactly* do they
want us to do?"
	"Cliff notes version, they want us to take them out...  For
good.  The attack on you reinforced the Fates' notion that 'they'
won't take a hint, so there's no other way to ensure the balance
of power."
	"Hai...  If that gets disrupted, then the whole thing
collapses on itself," Ranma noted, solemnly.
	"For lack of a better explanation, that's it.  Okay, now 
comes the complicated part.  Hitomi here came about as away to 
keep your body around until Mu Lin gained enough strength to
take it over.  But after they saw how strong she was, they 
arranged it that she could exist as a separate being, just in case
they needed her for something.  Since she's primarily a creature of 
the Spirit World, they knew they could activate her at any time, 
and take advantage of her presence on the Mortal plane," she 
expanded, alternating her gaze between Hitomi and Ranma.
	Hitomi frowned. "Just like a damned marionette."
        "No...  That was never the intention.  I think 'Secret
Weapon' would be more like it," Joy shot back, concerned by the
vibes she was picking up.
	"Secret Weapon...?" the redhead echoed, face falling.
	"Hai.  When that 'Anita' kidnapped Kikyo-san, you made a
wish, remember...?  Well, that sort of accelerated the unlocking
of your capability.  You also had a bit of an awakening in here,
didn't you?" she noted, pointing to her forehead.  "You just
'knew' how to use your powers...  And that you were destined to
protect the world you lived in.  That, Hitomi-chan, was your
'activation'," she continued, nodding for emphasis.  Noting
Hitomi's blank stare, she walked up and looked her in the eyes.
"Anita basically gave you cause to hand the Fates an excuse to 
bring you up to full power early," she reiterated, becoming 
somewhat exasperated.  "Get it?"
	Hitomi blinked. "I guess..."
	"Good.  The 'Secret Weapon' part was that you have all
these powers, and were supposedly unknown to the faction that's
raising all the 'you know what'.  That's pretty much out the 
window now, though.  They know you're around, and won't stop 
attacking you until either they get you, or you get them.  You 
have the power to take them out all by yourself, which is why 
they want you out of the picture."
	Hitomi's eyes darkened.  "Let me guess...  Their 
desire to get me is at all costs, right?"
	Joy, sensing where Hitomi was going with her remark,
replied hesitantly.  "H-Hai.  They're from the Dark.  They don't
care what it takes, they just want you out of the way."
        Hitomi's expression didn't change.  "Hm," she grunted, 
then settled back.
	Ranma, noticing the same thing as Joy, decided to attempt
a redirect.  "Then where do I fit in?" he asked, drawing a quiet
gasp from Akane.
	"You...  You're the other third of the team.  Hitomi is 
like the 'raw power', you're the 'aiming control', and I'm the 
'mission coordinator' so to speak.  Your battle experience, 
tactical expertise and your 'connection' with Hitomi-chan will 
make you two unstoppable.  In fact, you two should be able to 
function as one."
	Hitomi deflated.  "That explains a lot..."
	"I guess it does..." Akane agreed, surprising everyone
by speaking.
	"Hai...  Well, that's the story, such as it is.  All 
we do now is wait for the word, then we go.  And in case you're
wondering, this is a one-shot deal.  When it's over, it's over.
If we don't strike fast and get the job done, then other methods
will have to be used.  They'll be too powerful for just us to 
stop."
	Ranma sighed.  "That means an escalation, doesn't it?"
	"Hai...  I guarantee they'll use our failure as extra
ammunition for their plot."
	"Masaka...  No pressure, ne?" he quipped, rolling his 
eyes.
	"We'll do it.  With you and Hitomi-chan together, they
don't stand a chance.  We'll wipe the ether with them."
	"I hope so..." Ranma replied, shaking his head.  After
a moment of thoughtful silence, he raised a serious gaze.  
"Joy-sama...  I need to ask you about some stuff.  Will you 
guys excuse us for a minute?"
	"Sure... " Hitomi shrugged, followed by a nod from 
Akane and a wave from Kasumi, who was still working on 
Hitomi's hair.
	"We'll be right back," he stated, then curled a finger
at Joy before fading from sight.  Joy simply shrugged to the 
others and followed suit.
	Rematerializing in the middle of a large feild, his 
face darkened as he awaited Joy's arrival.  Thankfully, he 
didn't have to wait long.
	"Okay.  What did you want to ask me?"
	"Everything you just told us was bullshit, wasn't it?"
he snapped, crossing his arms.
	The Spirit-Child's face promptly fell.  "What..?"
	He huffed, then glared down at her.  "Let me put it 
this way...  Hitomi is the one with all the power, and I'm 
supposed to be the strategist.  I take it there was a *need* 
to separate those functions, instead of just giving me the 
powers?" he asked, his tone accusatory.
	She sobered.  Drawing a deep breath, she lowered her 
eyes and answered in a subdued voice.  "Hai.  A very definite
one.  First, you didn't even figure into this until after you
came back.  Second, 'Spirits' can't use this power because 
its nature requires a body... For a 'conductor'.  And third, 
the amount of power needed to do this 'job' is massive... 
If any normal human, as in one without any regenerative 
ability, were to be given it, it would fry them the first 
time they used it," she explained, slowly.
	His eyes narrowed.  "Hitomi has a normal body... 
It's only her being that's 'supernatural'.  Does that mean 
what I think it means?" he growled, clenching his fists.
	She sighed, then raised her eyes to his.  He was only
slightly surprised to see tears.  "Hai..." she replied, 
her voice almost inaudible.  "That's what I found out when
I was called away to talk to the Fates.  When they told me
about the 'one-shot' mission, I got to thinking.  Then, I 
went back and asked what was to become of Hitomi if it 
failed...  I was sure they wouldn't want to let someone with
that kind of power just wander around," she began, her voice
wavering.  "Well, I was right.  They told me that this 
operation is the only reason Hitomi exists.  The Fates knew
from the beginning that even if Mu Lin succeeded, the 'bad 
guys' wouldn't just give up," she continued, her voice 
choking as she wiped at her face.
	He continued to stare at her for a few moments, torn
between offering her a hug and lighting into her.  Suddenly, 
he wished he hadn't asked.




====================================================================
END - The Death of a Dream Part Three   A Ranma1/2 Fanfic By Coutuva


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com