Here's the final part!  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 4
----------------------------------------------------------------



	Hitomi was impressed.  As she stood before the large
mirror in the bath, she couldn't help but smile at the rich 
intricacy Kasumi had weaved into her hair.  It looked so good 
that it even made her feel a bit better.
        "Arigato gozaimashite, Kasumi-sama," she bowed, smiling.
"It looks wonderful."
	"Daijobou desu.  I had a lot of practice while Akane was
young," Kasumi deflected, with her usual polite smile.  She 
didn't fool Hitomi, however, as the redhead could sense her 
companion's pride.  She had to wonder why someone as incredible 
as Kasumi tried so hard to downplay her accomplishments, 
especially since it was apparent how much they meant to her.
	"Would you excuse me, Hitomi-chan?  I came over today to
teach Akane some new recipes, and we really should get started, 
or we won't get them all done," she asked, resting her hands on 
Hitomi's shoulders.
	She couldn't help but smirk.  "Always the helper, ne?" 
she noted, regarding the woman through the mirror.
	Kasumi surprised her with her response.  "Someone has to
keep them in line," she smiled, leaning in and winking.
	As Kasumi walked from the room, Hitomi's face darkened
as she turned back to the mirror.  She wasn't at all pleased 
with her 'role' in the upcoming events, feeling that there was a
lot missing from Joy's description.  Overall, it just seemed 
too simplistic, given how much had already gone into it.
	As she pondered the situation, she absently started to 
undo her kimono, then stopped as she realized she had nothing 
else to wear.  However, even as she debated the unpalatable idea
of going to ask Akane, an answer came to her.
	Removing the kimono, she stood facing the mirror and 
closed her eyes, imagining herself wearing one of her sun 
dresses.  Opening them, she giggled as she saw that it worked.  
Posing the dress before the mirror, she she sighed as she 
recalled how cool it had been earlier, and opted to try 
something different.  A second later, she found herself in her
slinky black cotton flares and an emerald green top.
	"Now *this* is useful," she grinned, touching her neck 
to add a choker.
	Walking out into the family room again, she passed Akane
bringing the last of the dishes from the table, and was a bit
surprised by the look she got.  Akane eyed her from head to toe,
then shook her head as she walked by.  Hitomi had to grin as she 
heard the woman muttering under her breath about how she wished 
she could wear such things.
	As she entered the family room, she was dismayed to find
that the kids were not there, and neither were Ranma or Joy.
Frowning, she went to see if the kids were playing in the yard, 
hoping to keep herself distracted as long as possible.
	Much to her relief, she found both Miyabi and Masao 
working with some kid-sized bokken out near the practice dummy, 
and decided to see if she could get in on it.  She smiled at 
Miyabi's serious tone as she instructed her little brother, and
was impressed with the eight year old's patience and persistance.
	It didn't take long for her to get involved in the 
session, offering advice to Miyabi and improving on Masao's 
somewhat wobbly stance.  She became so involved in the process 
that she didn't notice Ranma and Joy reappear just inside the
gate.
	"It's amazing how they accept her without any hesitation.
Even Masao likes her, and he ain't one to warm up to strangers,"
Ranma observed, smiling.
	"Hai.  You should have seen her with the kids at the
Centre.  She had them eating out of her hands," Joy quipped,
starting to walk toward the house.
	"Hai.  Guess she would," he agreed, watching the show.
"No...  More *forward*!" he whispered, watching Masao attempt 
an opening lunge.
	Joy snickered.  "C'mon, Sensei...  Let them play." 
	"Hm.  So, what happened to them?  The kids and the 
Centre, I mean.  If they knew she wasn't coming back..."
	"It's covered..." she responded, voice low.  "And so is
Kikyo," she added, her face becoming sombre.  Ranma, noting her
expression, opted not to explore the issue.
	"Okay...  I'll take your word for it.  Let's get back 
in the house.  I gotta fill Akane in," he responded, gesturing 
for her to follow.
	Just as he had taken about three steps, the gate bell
chimed.  "Ara..?" he remarked, starting for the doors.
	Hitomi, like everyone else, had looked over toward the 
gates, but as she did, she sensed something.  Something 
ominously familiar.  As she watched Ranma start to open the 
gate, it hit her.
	"Package for Seirei Hitomi - sign here please," the 
young man standing behind the gate droned, shoving a box and 
clipboard toward the surprised Ranma.
	"MAMUNO!!" she screamed, leaping into the air and 
firing a two-fisted blast at the stunned delivery man.  Ranma 
zapped away just as the blast connected, slamming the man across
the yard and hard into the Dojo wall.
	Just as she touched down in the middle of the walk, 
Ranma opened his mouth to ask what the hell she was doing, but
wasn't able to speak.  The crumpled body began to wrench and 
shudder, mist pouring from every opening.
	Snarling, Hitomi lit up her hand and began to trace out
a familiar symbol.  "Get the kids out of here...!" she shouted, 
still staring at the rapidly congealing mist.
	"Hai!" Joy responded, launching toward the startled 
children.
	"Hitomi!  NO!  You'll destroy half the ward!" Ranma
shouted, noticing what she was setting up.
	"Kuso...!" she spat, snatching the symbol from the air.
Just as she did, the mist finished forming and the resulting 
creature dove toward her, firing a a burst from its razor-like 
claws.
	The attempt just missed her head as she dropped low, 
but it continued past her and hit the ground very close to 
Miyabi.  The concussion of the impact tossed the little girl 
like a doll, sprawling her out on the ground several feet 
away.
	As Hitomi spun to face the creature, she saw Miyabi 
take the hit, and felt something snap inside her.
	"NOOOO!!!" she screamed, leaping to her feet.  Glaring
death at the slavering demon, she jammed the heels of her open 
hands together.  As the aura began to build around them, she 
grit her teeth -- and her arms exploded in flames.
	The demon's next volley simply vaporized before her,
and before it could even respond, the aura leapt from her 
hands and swallowed it whole, muffling its agonized screams.
	Eyes flaring and lips curled, she began to close her 
hands, crushing the creature within the shrinking sphere.  She 
ignored its shrieks as it compacted to a non-descript mass, 
instead narrowing her eyes and uttering a chilling growl.
	"This...  Is for Kikyo...  Lin-san...  And Miyabi-chan!
Shi-ne!!" she snarled, and snapped her hands shut.  The creature 
and the sphere imploded with a violent, thundering boom, leaving 
no visible trace.
	Before the sound had even completely faded, she leapt 
over to the fallen Miyabi, scooping the unconscious child into 
her arms.  Her face darkened even more as she detected the 
child's injuries, and tears began to spill from her hate-filled 
eyes.
	"Too many people have been hurt...  This ends NOW!!" 
she screamed, and suddenly disappeared in a brilliant blue 
flash.
	Joy slumped to her knees, horrified face draining.  
Ranma was every bit as stunned.
	It wasn't until Akane burst through the door carrying 
her barely-conscious daughter that either of them regained the 
power of speech.
	"Ranma...  What the hell happened?" she almost 
shreiked, face a picture of panic.
	Ranma turned toward her and tried to speak, but Joy 
cut him off.
	"Miyabi-chan got caught in the crossfire while Hitomi 
was fighting another assassin demon.  She'll be okay...  She 
was knocked out by the blast, and probably twisted her 
shoulder."
	"So where's Hitomi...?" Ranma finally asked, despite
having a pretty good guess.
	Joy lowered her head.  "She's gone after them...  By
herself," she answered, her tone ominous.
	"Then we'd better get after her...!  She doesn't..."  
Ranma blurted, only to be silenced by the sad shake of Joy's 
head.
	"We can't, Ranma...  Where she's gone, there's no way
to track her.  Neither our empathic or telepathic senses will 
work unless we're right beside each other.  The 'atmosphere' 
there absorbs those kind of energies," she stated, downcast.
"That's why we were supposed to go in together."
	Akane swallowed hard.  "So what...  Does that mean?"  
she asked, hugging Miyabi a bit closer.
	Joy raised her gaze to hers, then drew a deep breath.
"Does the name 'Hiroshima' remind you of anything?"
	"Masaka...  You mean..."
	"Hai...  And since she's alone...  It's a safe bet 
she won't survive it," she added, looking up at the frowning
Ranma.



	Hitomi rematerialized in a dark, formless space, and 
scanned as far as she could for her target.  Just as she 
discovered that her 'sense' wasn't working, sections of the 
misty atmosphere started to shift and change all around her, 
forming more of the demons she had encountered previously.
	Taking a stance, she charged her hands and waited, 
knowing the demons had to be formed before she could affect 
them.  Within moments, the 'air' around her was alive with 
bolts of energy and angry roars as the creatures swarmed 
toward her.  All she did was smirk, stand, and wait.
	As the creatures bore down on her, she became forced 
to dodge the wildly flying bolts, zipping from side to side 
neatly until one exceptionally lucky burst singed her 
whipping braid.
	"Now you've *really* made me mad!!" she snarled, and
clenched her fists hard, increasing their azure glow to a
brilliant flare.  With a battle cry that bespoke her rage, she
snapped her arms straight above her head and set off a
thunderously powerful explosion, vaporizing every last one of
the creatures around her.
	As the echo of the blast faded off into the mists, 
She looked around her for signs of any new adversaries, and
seeing none, decided it was time to stop playing around.  
Noting that she still couldn't sense anything around her, she
raised her hand, and opened it palm-up in front of her.  A 
flat, bar-shaped energy charge then appeared just above it, 
twitching like a compass needle.
	"Find them," she commanded, and as the bar swung 
around to point just off to her right, she smiled and 
vanished into the void.




	Suddenly, Nabiki wasn't smiling any longer.  She had 
just recieved word that the redhead had simply disappeared, 
and she had no idea why.  The news of the battle had also 
suprised her, making her wonder just what was really going on.
Not being one to be satisfied with unknowns, she picked up her 
phone again.
	"Hi.  Yeah, I knew you would.  You can?  Good...  And
bring your toys, too.  I need some answers, and I need them 
yesterday.  Great.  See you then," she grinned, hanging the 
phone up with a flourish.
	"Wife...  I would speak with thee," a certain annoying
voice announced, followed by the opening of her outer door.
	"What?" she responded, in no mood to deal with *him*.
	"Your activities of late smack of collusion.  Hast 
thou not learned from the errors of old?" Tatewaki intoned, 
showing somewhat more awareness than usual.
	"You worry too much, Kuno-baby...  I'm only trying to
help my dear sister Akane get her act together.  You don't 
mind that, do you?" she responded, leaning slightly on her 
sister's name.
	"In faith, I would give of mine own life to aid the 
fair Akane...  Rather that than to dabble in the Black Arts,"
he replied, his normally vacant eyes sharp -- and fixed on 
her.  She was stunned.
	"Black Arts...?  Who said anything about the Black 
Arts?" she recovered, trying to play it off.
	"You have entertained that mage within our home. 
This speaks dark intent.  I will no longer permit her 
presence," he indicated, his eyes narrow.  "And as my wife, 
you will respect my wishes and cease involvement with any of 
her ilk," he followed, raising his everpresent bokken and 
regarding it distantly.  "I trust an accord had been struck?"
he added, flashing her a look that rattled her.
	"Well, I think you're over reacting, but if it makes
you happy..."
	"I am pleased," he responded, smiling.  "I shall be
in the study...  Do join me.  We have matters to discuss," 
he indicated, sheathing the bokken in his sash as he turned 
and walked out of the room.  "Sasuke...!  Tea...  In the 
study!" he shouted, striding into the hall without looking
back.
	She puffed a huge sigh of relief and sank into her
chair.  She had been, for the first time in her life, 
honestly scared of her husband.  She shook her head in 
disbelief, wondering what had posessed him to actually 
threaten her.  Just as she completed the thought, her eyes
widened.
	"They know..." she breathed, grabbing for her phone.



	
	Hitomi had her hands full.  Immediately after 
reappearing, she was set upon by more creatures and demons 
than she could count, not only of the earlier type, but of 
all manner and description.  Leaping, doging and incinerating
creature after creature, she began to note that it wasn't 
buying her any time.  The horde kept coming, and a few of 
them even managed to land shots near her.  Becoming even more
angry, she unleashed a huge blast right through the middle
of them, succeding only in punching a rapidly refilling hole.
	Immediately, she lit her hand again and traced out the
Dragon's head, this time shaping it in a more oval pattern.   
Setting her feet, she launched a searing, thundering blast 
that vaporized the thickest horde, and went on to even punch 
a hole in the mist itself.
	She smiled as she saw how it took them a little longer
to recover.  Leaping into the air, she started firing slicing
arcs around her, trying to keep the pressure on in the hope 
of reducing their numbers.  As she landed, she prepared to
deliver another dose of Dragon Fire, only to feel a hit in the 
middle of her back.  It staggered her, but in turn, only bought
its issuer a searing trip to oblivion.
	Shaking off the impact, she grabbed her right wrist and
peppered the horde machine-gun style, trying to build a buffer
around her.  It took her a few more blasts to realize that the
creatures et al were not coming at her any longer, but only 
gathering around -- and watching her.  
	Before she could even start to wonder why, she felt the
atmosphere begin to sizzle with energy.  With a rumble that
threatened to deafen her, the ground began to shake and crack.
Before she could decide which if any way to run, the entire 
area before her feet began to fall away, expanding a chasm 
out and away from her.  Within seconds, the far edge 
disappeared into the swirling murk.
	The hole then filled with a flood of the demons, who
had begun flying into it as soon as it opened.  She gasped as
she watched them swirl together into a huge, rotating mass, 
which spun apart into three smaller masses.  As each congealed,
one became considerably larger than the rest.  And even more 
unsettling was her observation that even that made no apparent 
difference in the number of lesser demons still swarming about.
	But, before she could deal with that fact, he masses in
front of her began to pulse and rumble, vibrating the very 
atmosphere.  They twitched and stretched into massive, almost 
man-like figures, the largest of them moving to the front.  
As the foremost one solidified, it became so massive that it 
exceeded her feild of vision.
	As she gaped at the sight, the largest began a cocky, 
self-righteous, booming laughter that filled her ears.
	"You have done well to survive this long, Mortal; your
power is impressive," it stated, glaring down at her.  "You 
could be useful to us."
	"Feh; the only thing I'll be to you is the last you'll
ever see!" she growled, eyes seething.
	"Look around you, Mortal.  You must know that no matter
how many of us you destroy, it will avail you nothing.  We are
still more in number and strength than you could possibly 
concieve," the arrogant, onmipresent voice echoed.  "You are
but one naive, misguided human.  You have no chance against 
us.  Only the Fates themselves could weild enough 
power -- and survive.  Your only salvation lies in joining 
with us.  Use your strength, rather than wasting it on such 
a pathetic folly," it continued, glaring down at her with an 
expectant smile.
	Hitomi returned an angry glare, then looked around at 
the murmering, growling horde that filled the space about 
her.  As she considered that, an abrupt realization crashed 
through her anger.
	The hulking, arrogant demon had been right about at 
least one thing.  Until this particular moment, she had been 
pitifully naive.  Sighing, she dropped her shoulders and 
lowered her head, at last understanding the true reason for 
her existance.  Within her chest, her heart grew leaden.  She 
knew what she had to do -- and what it was going to cost her.
	The demon apparently noticed her sudden change of
demeanor, and didn't waste any time trying to capitalize.
	"Speak, human.  Will you become one with us, or do 
we simply kill you?  The choice is yours," it gloated, the 
delight in its voice rankling her.
	Fighting back tears, she raised her gaze to the 
grinning demon and nodded.  "Since you put it that way;
what choice do I have?" she began, with a sigh.  "It's 
obvious that I have to join you -- in a one-way trip to the
Lost Realm!!" she shouted, exploding away from the ledge 
and burying her flaring arms in its abdomen.  Before the
huge demon could react, she grit her teeth and called up
more power, soon disappearing in a brilliant flare.  
	"Forgive me Kiko-chan; there's...  No other way," she
thought sadly, just as the creature tried to grab her and pull
her out of him.
	"No way you bastard!  I'm gonna make SURE this is 
over -- FOREVER!!" she screamed, closing her eyes and pulling 
out *all* the stops.  The light that was Hitomi grew an order 
of magnitude brighter and overdoubled in size, incinerating 
the closest minions.  As they clawed over each other trying 
to escape, the radiation began to affect even the movement and
pulsations of the mist.
	The creature could only scream in agony as the massive 
buildup ripped it apart from the inside.  Its huge form 
cracked and split, shafts of light bursting from each fissure 
to illuminate the mist like miniature suns.
	Its screams stopped as its shattering form began to 
crumble, releasing huge bursts of energy into the mist, soon 
overloading its capacity to absorb it.
	With a blast so horrifically powerful it was felt 
across all three Realms, the saturated, volatile mist 
detonated, setting off a light show rivalling the death of a 
sun.
	When it was all over, absolutely nothing tangible
remained -- other than a chilling, eerie silence.





	Joy and Ranma both suddenly shuddered, each seeking
the other's eyes.  Joy rose from her seat on the floor and 
walked over to Ranma, grabbed him about the waist and buried 
her face in his shirt.  A lump came to his own throat as he 
felt her hot tears dampen his skin.
	Just as Akane rose from her mat and started toward 
him, the air in the middle of the room suddenly warped into 
a spiral, then burst into a blue, shimmering mass.  It then
settled to the floor in silence, pulsing once before taking 
the shape of a prone body.
	As the glow faded, Joy gasped out loud, zapping over
to the sorely abused form that lay helpless and shaking on 
the floor.
	"Hitomi-chan!  We thought -- you were dead!" she 
exclaimed, clasping the redhead's hand in hers.
	"Dying; but -- had to -- come back.  Tell you to help
Kikyo.  Promise me!" she gasped, struggling to even focus her
tearing eyes.
	"I will, Hitomi-chan.  I swear it," the Spirit-Child
choked, brushing the redhead's singed bangs from her graying
face.
	"Arigato," Hitomi breathed, a faint smile on her face
as she squeezed Joy's hand weakly.  "Ranma; you here?" she 
asked, turning her head.
	"Hai.  I'm here, Hitomi-chan," he responded, kneeling
close to her side.
	"Ranma...  I...  I..." she struggled, her voice 
fading to a dry whisper.
	"Nani?" he asked, leaning a bit closer.
	"Thanks...  For the loan," she smiled, then grabbed
his shirt and kissed him full on the lips.
	To everyone's shock, instead of the brilliant flash 
and loud, booming crack they expected, the two became bathed
in a soft, bluish-tinted light, which decreased in opacity
until they could no longer be seen.  A moment later, the
light pulsed and disappeared, leaving only Ranma laying flat 
on his back.  His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving, which
sent Akane into a blind panic.
	"RANMA!!" she shrieked, diving toward him.
	"Matei!!" Joy shouted, blocking the dive with her arm.
Without any further word, she zapped up a bucket of cold 
water and dumped it on the prostrate Ranma.
	Everyone's jaws but Joy's dropped as onna-Ranma 
shrieked and sputtered, then sat up and glared at her.
        "Whatja do *that* for?" she demanded, shaking the 
water off of her hands.





	Joy stood back and watched the family laughing, 
talking, and celebrating Ranma's 'rebirth', smiling at 
Akane's unwillingness to let go of her husband.  Her heart 
still ached nonetheless, as Ranma's good fortune had come 
at a high price.
	She was still amazed at how Hitomi had managed to 
conserve enough strength to come back, just so she could 
return Ranma's body.  She knew that such an act was not part 
of the plan, and assumed that the Fates must have let her do
as she saw fit, given her performance.  What bothered her most
was that it meant Hitomi really was gone, and she, for many 
reasons beyond simple friendship, knew she would miss her 
terribly.
	Despite being happy for Ranma, she wished that there 
was a way Hitomi could have survived.  She was an incredible 
person, the kind one considers themselves honored to have 
known.  She touched the lives of many people in her short 
lifetime, and most all were better for it.
	Sighing sadly, she also realized that her job was 
almost done, now that the Spirit World was at peace and Ranma 
was once again a normal human.  That meant she only had one 
duty left to perform, and wasn't looking forward to it.  It
also meant that the time had come for her to say her goodbyes,
and leave Ranma's family to the great life they had coming.
	Walking up to Ranma, she placed her small hand on his
shoulder and looked at him with a sad smile.  "Congratulations,
Ranma," she reiterated, a slight sniff escaping her guard.
"My job is done.  It's time for me to leave.  Kikyo needs me,
and you need to be with your family." 
	Ranma, upon seeing the Spirit-Child's eyes, 
immediately felt for her.
        "Arigato, Joy-sama," he opened, rising to his feet.
"I miss her too...  And I always will," he stated, with a sad 
smile.  "Like I told her a while ago; she was the only 
version of my girl-side I actually liked."  As he finished 
the sentence, he looked down at his body and sighed, then 
flexed his fingers and arms.  "I still can't believe she did 
this...  But, she was kinda known for surprises, wasn't she?"
	"Hai.  It even surprised me.  But I think she felt
guilty, especially after meeting your family.  You know how 
much that meant to her."
	Ranma looked down for a moment, then glanced at Akane 
and his children.  "Yeah. I do," he nodded, his voice quiet.  
After a moment of thoughtful silence, concern knit his brow.
"There's a couple of things I'm curious about, though; like, 
what really happened to Shampoo?  I can't see her just going 
back to China.  And Elysse...  What about her?"
        "Well, Lin-san did go back -- after a certain subtle
'suggestion'.  She took things pretty hard, and I think plans
to start a new life, as far away from her old one as possible.  
Believe it or not, it's the best thing for her," Joy replied, 
smiling.  "I honestly wish her luck."
        "So do I," he agreed, nodding.
	"For sure...  And as far as Elysse and her baby are 
concerned...  I hear she's going to be wiped out."
	"Nani?  Are you saying...?"
	She frowned.  "No...  I mean her -- and everyone 
else's -- memory.  She'll be left thinking she got preganant 
after a party, and 'Dad' somehow died.  I think they're even 
going to remove her curse.  Makes sure there are no loose 
ends."
	He shook his head.  "Kuso - had me freaked for a 
minute, there.  But even so, that's still gonna suck for her."
	"Yeah, but it beats the alternative."
	He frowned.  "Hm.  I guess.  So now that...?"
	"I'd better get going.  I have to check on Kikyo, 
and if she's recovered..." she began, but her voice trailed 
off.
	"I don't envy you that job.  She's not gonna take it 
well."
        "Hai.  She won't," she agreed, flashing a weak smile
as she stepped back a few paces and bowed.  "Sayonara, 
Saotome Ranma.  It's been an honour to have known you.  Live 
a strong life," she bowed again, rising with shimmering eyes.
"And if you ever happen to need anything..."
        He smiled, and upon flashing a glance at Akane, 
faced the Spirit-Child and returned an equally deep bow.
        "It has been an honor to know you as well, Joy-sama,"
he stated, and before she could react, picked her up and 
hugged her tight.  A bit suprised, she gasped, then returned
the hug with great affection.  Sniffing back tears, she then
whispered in his ear.
        "I already miss both of you..." she breathed, then
floated back, and with a sad, longing face, faded from sight.
	Akane, having so far remained silent, stepped up and
wrapped another tight hug around her husband.  Looking up 
into his eyes, she asked *the* question.
	"Is that it?  Is it...  Really over?"
	He could only look back and smile, his face confident
but sad. "Hai, Akane-chan.  It's over."





 
	Okimayaki Kikyo looked over the cans of vegetables 
before her, pausing only to smile at her daughter as she 
played in her stroller.  Every so often, she would also have 
to acknowledge compliments from people in the aisles, as to 
a person they would all smile and wave at the bubbly little 
girl.
        She still marvelled at the little one's ability to 
charm even the grumpiest of people, and how she was always 
exuberant and happy.  She knew it was the legacy of her 
father, who Kikyo remembered fondly as the most wonderful 
woman she had ever known.
	She only wished she had lived long enough to see her
daughter born, and have been able to love the child as she 
knew the woman would have.
        It had been almost a year since she'd recovered, 
only to be told the painful story of her lover's sacrifice.  
The passage of time had not diminshed either the pain in her
heart or the emptiness in her soul however, leaving her 
still feeling as torn as if it had all happened yesterday.
        In fact, had it not been for her daughter, and the 
child's incredible resemblance to her father, Kikyo knew 
she wouldn't have been able to go on.
	"C'mon, Hitomi-chan; we have to get home and make 
supper.  Okaasan has a garden to finish," she smiled, 
recalling how proud her girlfriend had been of that 
particular project.  She knew her own work on it wasn't 
nearly as meticulous, but something within her still 
compelled her.
        After arriving back home and finishing supper, she 
took Hitomi-ko and went out to the nearly completed garden. 
On arriving, she simply stood holding her daughter and 
looking out over the lush grounds.  Her heart twinged as 
she caught herself wondering if Hitomi liked it.
        As she was about to pick up the pouch of tools and
start edging the walk, she happened to glance toward the 
bridge at the garden's center, and was startled to see 
someone standing on it.
        It was a very pretty young woman with lustrous, 
deep auburn hair that tossed like a wave in the gentle 
breeze.  She stood about five-foot four, wore a long, 
feminine, pale green sundress, and as far as Kikyo could 
see, had an excellent body.
        Face darkening nonetheless, she set her daughter 
in her playpen and walked toward the woman, miffed that 
someone would have the nerve to tresspass -- especially
in their garden.  As she approached the woman however, she
was stunned to see her break out in a wide and unsettlingly 
familiar smile.
        As she stepped onto the bridge, the auburn haired 
woman turned into a deep bow, and as she rose, Kikyo felt 
her large sea-green eyes lock hers -- then they began to 
shimmer.
        "Kiko-chan..." the woman breathed, clasping her
hands together and biting her lip.
        Kikyo stopped in her tracks.  Gaping at the woman, 
she had to blink, then take a second look to make sure she 
wasn't seeing things.  Even with the different frame, hair 
and eyes, Kikyo suddenly knew exactly who the stranger was.
	"Hitomi?" she gasped, her heart racing.
	The woman shook her head.  "No.  Not any more.  My 
name...  My *real* name...  Is Miyuki," she almost 
whispered, with hopeful eyes.
	Kikyo didn't care.  Bursting out in tears, she 
leapt to Miyuki and wrapped her in a huge, emotional hug.  
Miyuki returned it in kind, leaving them sobbing into each
other's clinging embrace.
	Through all the tears, Miyuki managed to find her 
voice first.  "I'm back, Kiko-chan; and I'll never leave 
you again.  Ever," she sniffed, tightening her hug.





==================================================================
END - The Death of a Dream            A Ranma1/2 FanFic By Coutuva

Comments Welcomed - Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@gmail.com



&&&&


And there you have it...  The end of a saga. (snif)  This story
didn't quite go as I originally envisioned it, but I certainly
did enjoy the experience.  It proved to be quite an emotional
roller coaster ride, especially this segment.  My thanks to
all who responded along the way, for it was for them that I
tried my best.  I'm not done writing by any means, and I hope
that those who supported and critiqued my work will continue to
do so, since a writer is nothing without an audience.

Arigato gozaimashite, minna!
Coutuva.