This is, as with the previous stories, based heavily on events and situations from the preceeding ones, 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. Hell Hath No Fury - Part 5 of 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hitomi sat in silence on the bench a few blocks from Anita's home, staring off into nothingness. She felt utterly paralyzed by the battle raging in her mind. Despite her words to Anita, she was actually very worried. Hitomi knew full well that Anita was not just baka. She was obsessed. Obsessed with Kikyo, obsessed with winning, and obsessed with control. Unfortunately, she had the wherewithal to act with impunity, and couldn't care less about consequences. As the anguish in her heart continued to torture her, she abruptly had to smirk at a stray thought. She actually caught herself wishing she was more like Mu Lin. From what she had been told, she guessed that Mu Lin would have easily solved the problem by now. The smirk faded quickly however, as she realized that Mu Lin didn't have to live in her town. "That'd be great... Just do one of these, and zap! No more Anita," she muttered aloud, waving her arm toward a trashcan. Her eyes widened as she saw the trashcan react as if hit by a truck, flipping several yards down the waterfront. "Kuso..." she breathed, holding her hand up before her face. "Iie... I'm seeing things," she abruptly deflected, closing her eyes tight and shaking her head. However, on further thought, the possibility intrigued her. After staring at her hand for several more seconds, she decided to try it again, and raised it at the same can. Flicking as if trying to spin a penny, she was stunned to see the can spin on the spot -- just as if she'd walked over and kicked it. Her shock melted away to an excited smile as she tried a few other tricks, each more spectacular than its predecessor. Before long, she was even moving cars around in an adjacent parking lot, barely noticing the effort. Smiling, she settled back onto the bench and looked at her hands, still awestruck. Her smile soon became a gape as she noticed an extremely faint blue aura, almost undetectable in the light from the nearby streetlamp. Curious, she held one hand up in front of her and concentrated on it, recalling the 'energy spheres' Mu Lin had been able to create. She knew it was a long shot, but reasoned that everything else she'd just done could be considered just as impossible. As she concentrated, her palm began to glow brighter and brighter, but failed to generate anything. Concentrating harder, she saw the light begin to moved from her hand to the air above it. She began to feel strained from the effort, but ignored it and grit her teeth. She fought hard for several more seconds, and was about to give up when the energy just 'popped' into a ball shape, and settled back to her palm. She had to smile. It was warm, soft and pleasant to the touch, and she swore it even made her feel better. Holding the tennis-ball sized orb up, she found her gaze drawn deep into its dazzling blue. She gasped aloud as she discovered that it seemed to go on forever within itself, and looked as if it was alive with movement. Suddenly, she understood why it had been so hard to control. Shaking off the almost hypnotic hold the orb had on her, she grasped it and rose to her feet. Looking up and down the waterfront for boats and canoes, she took a deep breath, launched the ball out over the river and awaited what she hoped would be some decent fireworks. She didn't bank on just how decent, however. In the time it took her to realize that, she was blown off her feet and thoroughly drenched by the very wet, hot shock wave. Upon picking herself up from the puddle, she looked at the mess and her very wet clothes, and broke out laughing at her own stupidity. "Ranma, who are you talking to?" Akane asked, regarding her husband nervously. He jolted and turned to see her standing in the doorway, looking down at him as he sat, apparently alone, on the walking deck. "Ano... Akane-chan, I have someone I'd like you to meet," he replied with a sigh, rising to his feet and stepping around to face his wife. "This is Joy-sama," he indicated, gesturing to his side. As he did, a smiling young girl in a green satin China Mini appeared out of thin air. "Hajimemashite, Saotome Akane," the girl bowed pleasantly, a bright smile on her face. "Masaka..." Akane gasped, lifting her hand to her gaping mouth. "Sorry about that..." Joy responded, flushing. "I just dropped in on Ranma to bring him up to speed on a few things... I didn't mean to spook you," she assured, clasping her hands behind her. Akane felt her heart sink. "What... Do you mean?" she stammered, her mind filling with all kinds of frightening scenarios. "That's what she was explaining to me, Akane. Remember that girl that took over my other form?" "Hai... That Mu Lin, ne?" she responded, not taking her eyes off of Joy. "Iie... The one who still has it; Seirei Hitomi. It turns out that..." "I don't want to hear it!" she abruptly blurted, then turned and dashed down the hall. Joy looked up at Ranma sadly, as he looked back at her and nodded a confirmation. "See? I told you this would happen," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'd better go to her. Stick around, Joy-sama... I'm gonna need you to back me on this." "No worries, Ranma. She's still pretty shaken up over it all, ne?" "Hai. She still can't accept me like this. I know she tries, but I can tell. She thinks I'm going to be taken away for good any minute. Kuso, sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been easier the other way," he stated, lowering his eyes. "Ranma... Don't think like that. The Fates don't like being second-guessed. Go to your wife... Hitomi is still just playing around, so we have a little time." Ranma studied the Spirit Child for a moment, then lowered a corner of his mouth. "Hai... See you in a minute," he finally said, then zapped off to see Akane. As she stood in the middle of the grass wringing out her braid, Hitomi suddenly shuddered as a feeling of terror ran her spine. It took her a few seconds to discover the significance, however, but once she sorted it out, her face instantly darkened. "Kikyo... " she whispered, realizing the she was 'sensing' her girlfriend's panic and fear. Closing her eyes, she cleared her thoughts and allowed her mind to open. What she felt only made her angrier. "Anita... This time you've pushed it *way* too far," she growled, feeling her skin start to tingle. "Nobody... Hurts my family...!" she added, her fists clenching tightly at her sides. As she considered her next move, her mind abruptly began to flood with thoughts she knew were not her own. Images of battles; wispy, cloud-like creatures; her alter-ego surrounded by a family; Joy; Mu Lin; Elysse; Shampoo; it was like watching a video on fast-forward. Slowly, she began to feel a strange surge building in her chest, almost as if she was being 'charged up' somehow. The sensation made her legs go weak, and she felt herself gently collapse to her knees. The tableau of images continued to play in her mind, and as they did, she began to feel very odd. She wasn't scared, nor was she even angry any longer. She just felt - different. She tried to figure out what was happening to her, but was unable to get her mind to follow a thought while the images still blurred through it. She was becoming concerned when the images abruptly stopped, only to be replaced by a solid white field. Outwardly, she found herself unable to move, but that didn't worry her. Somehow, she had the feeling that she simply had to wait, and her answers would come. Within a few moments, her thoughts were proven right. In her mind, she began to sense a presence, one that seemed to be made up of several individuals. Together, they seemed to be speaking to her; but not so much to her conscious as her very soul. The experience both intimidated and excited her, leaving her feeling almost euphoric. Again, her mind became a jumble of images and feelings, although this time they were far too difficult to follow. The process felt like it went on forever, and when it was over, she found herself standing as she was before it all occurred, only she was now dry. A confident, assured smile replaced her surprised gape as she realized that she finally understood herself. And with this understanding came the only thing that no one had so far been able to give her, not even Kikyo. A true sense of purpose. Suddenly, she felt totally complete... And despite what that meant, better than she had in her entire brief life. Smiling gently, she closed her eyes and bowed deeply. "Arigato, Kami-sama. I will do my best." It was like a scene from a fantasy; or perhaps a really bad dream. Kikyo found herself in the midst of a massive, cathedral-ceilinged room, ringed with huge windows and decked out with expensive, quality antique furniture, including a bed bigger than the entire floor area of her parents home. As well, it had a somewhat unnerving decor, featuring strange statues and unusual paintings. Yet, despite the room and the attentive, discreetly apologetic household staff that came with it, she couldn't stop crying. All she could think about was Hitomi. Anita had come to see her arrive, and even personally set up the bed and blankets for her to be placed in it. She was so sweet and caring that Kikyo found it hard to believe that she was actually the same person who just had her kidnapped. The woman left, however, upon finding her unable to even talk through her tears, but promised to return soon. She didn't find that thought particularly appealing. Knowing the room was loaded with security cameras and microphones, she deliberately kept up her tears despite having been long left alone. In fact, under the circumstances, she found that it wasn't very difficult at all. Aside from the anger and uncertainty over her own fate, she was scared for her girlfriend, knowing that if she was still okay, she'd probably lose it when she discovered what happened. In a way, she hoped she would, thinking that it might intimidate Anita into backing off. On thinking it over however, her optimism faded as it occurred to her that Hitomi had probably already tried that, and it apparently hadn't worked. Reaching to her side for another tissue, she jumped as she heard the large doors open and the clack of heels coming toward her. She could tell even without looking that it was Anita, since she was the only other native Japanese in the house. As well, the rapid, tight spacing of the clacks indicated the 'proper', short-strided walk of the 'genteel' set. Inwardly, she had to smirk at the wasted effort put into teaching Anita to be proper. Just as she turned back to face her 'host', a thought hit her. "Kikyo-chan...? Are you feeling any better?" the woman asked, seeming genuinely concerned. "Hai... " Kikyo sniffed affectedly, deliberately not looking at her. "Why am I here... why did you do this?" she asked, trying to indicate her displeasure. "I couldn't see leaving you at that dreary, dingy hospital. Even though it is one of ours, it's still no place for someone as special as you," she smiled, winking. "I thought you'd be much more comfortable here, so I invited you," she added, quite seriously. Kikyo had to suppress an urge to shriek her indignance at being 'invited' in the manner that she had, but bit her tongue. It was obvious to her that Anita had her own way of looking at things, and she wouldn't be receptive anyway. Instead, she opted for the question that would hopefully put her mind at ease. "What happened to Hitomi?" "Ano... she came to speak to me, and then left when she realized that I was the better person for you, Kikyo-chan," she replied, looking pleased. Kikyo blinked as she took the statement in, then blinked again as she realized that Anita truly believed what she was saying. The observance really unnerved her. "So... She's okay?" she sniffed again, trying to sound unaffected by Anita's words. "Hai. She left willingly. That means we can be together from now on, without worrying about her," Anita replied, smiling. "Oh, Kikyo-chan... I'm so happy. I've missed you all these days since we met, and my life hasn't been the same. Now that we're together, I can make you the happiest girl in the world... As happy as I am right now," she gushed, her eyes shimmering as she reached for Kikyo's hand. Kikyo used the excuse of wiping her face to move her hand away before Anita could touch it, then snuffled loudly and affectedly to clear her nose. She noted happily that Anita cringed slightly at the sound. "Kazagaya-san, I don't think you're going to be very happy with me for long..." she began, lowering her eyes in an attempt to look meek. "There is something about me that you may not like... but someone with your station should know," she continued, softly. Anita blinked. "Hai, Kikyo-chan...?" she finally asked, looking perplexed. "Ano... It's painful for me to say this, Kasagaya-san... But... I am... Burakumin. If... You 'associate' with me, it will bring you nothing but shame," she stated, her accompanying sniff all too real. She could hear Anita's stifled gasp, and glanced up in time to see her shudder. Inwardly, she prayed that she had hit a nerve. For a long moment, Anita looked back expressionlessly, then lowered her eyes. Drawing a heavy sigh, she lifted her gaze and forced a small smile. "I ... Knew that, Kikyo-chan. It is something... I will have to deal with," she responded softly, her voice talking an odd timbre. "I... Must attend to affairs of business. I will be back soon to see how you are doing," she abruptly flustered, then bowed quickly and took her leave. Kikyo watched her depart, wondering what to make of her reaction. She obviously cared about it, but it was also obvious that she was willing to overlook it... At least personally. The thought brought back the tears as she realized that her biggest gamble had quite likely failed. Akane looked back at Ranma with reddened, puffy eyes, her voice so broken by sobs she could hardly speak. "Then why is she here...? If she's this 'Hitomi's' guardian, why does she need to bother you?" she finally stated, again wiping her face. "Akane-chan... She's just letting me know about some things that are happening... So if I 'feel' anything, I'll know what it's from. She wanted to tell me some other stuff, too, but hasn't got there yet," he assured gently, reaching up and placing his hand on her flushed cheek, wiping a stray tear away with his thumb. Akane only looked back at him sadly, searching his eyes for assurance. Noticing how concerned he was, she sniffed back her tears and wrapped him in a tight hug. "Ranma... I'm scared... I'm scared you'll be taken from us again... And this time you might not be back," she sobbed, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. "No. I won't ever let that happen, Akane-chan. I swear it," he insisted, lifting her to look deep in her eyes. "Like I said before... I came back to be with you and my family. I'm not about to leave now," he added, firmly. "Not now or ever." Abruptly, the emotional silence in the room was broken by the sound of someone clearing her throat. "I hate to disturb you Ranma-san, but things have just escalated; she's been matured. That means..." Joy began, only to have her sentence finished by a surprised Ranma. "She's fully aware..." he breathed, shaking his head. "I can feel it," he added, smiling. Akane blinked. "Ano... And what does that mean?" Joy smiled mischievously. "Things are going to get exciting," she quipped, as Ranma rolled his eyes. "Wake up, sleepy head!" a startlingly familiar voice chimed, shocking Kikyo out of a sound sleep. "Ano... Who..?" she blurted, discovering suddenly that she must have cried herself to sleep. Lifting herself onto her side, she almost shrieked when she saw who the voice belonged to. "Hitomi-chan!!" she squealed, as quietly as she could. "Hai! I missed you so much I just had to come see you," the redhead smiled, kneeling beside the bed and wrapping her in a huge hug. "Are you okay, Kiko-chan?" "Ano... Scared, worried and sore, but okay, I guess... Masaka, Hitomi-chan...! How did you get in here? And how did you even know where I was!?" Hitomi smiled indulgently as she leaned back from the hug. "Let's just say I learned a few new tricks," she winked, settling to a sit. "In fact, I'm going to use them to get you out of here and back home... With me," she added, taking her girlfriend's hand and holding it tight. Kikyo studied the red-haloed, smiling face for a few moments, then broke out in a smile of her own. "Hell, I don't care if you came out of thin air... I'm just so relieved you're okay! Anita said you just walked out, but I didn't believe her... I was sure something happened to you," she babbled, her hand seeking Hitomi's face. "I did. I told her that I knew I had nothing to worry about. I also told her you loved me, not her, and nothing she could ever do would change that." Before Kikyo could respond, the huge doors to the bedroom flew open, admitting a very angry Anita flanked by at least two dozen armed guards. "Well, you have something to worry about now, koneko... You're trespassing again, and that gives me the right to use whatever force necessary to remove you. And you can kiss that little Centre of yours good-bye, too... Evidently it needs a new manager," the woman growled, waving the guards around her into position. Hitomi simply looked over at her and sighed resignedly. "Just a minute, Kiko-chan... I'll be right back," she smiled, as nonchalantly as if going to answer the phone. Rising, she turned to face Anita and took a stance. Kikyo simply watched her, blinking in surprise. "Hah! Is that supposed to scare me? Wake up, red... you're surrounded by guns... You'll be dead before you take two steps!" Hitomi smirked knowingly. "Kasagaya-san, there are two things you will never defeat with brute force, no matter how much you possess. The spirit of Love..." she began, only to vanish into thin air. A heart beat later, she reappeared immediately behind Anita and tapped her on the shoulder. "And the Spirit World," she concluded, grinning. "Ah...!" Anita gasped, spinning to face the tap. By the time she did, she felt another tap, again from behind her. "Wrong way, Baka... I'm over here," Hitomi chimed, again grinning. Again, Anita spun around, only to see Hitomi fade out and reappear leaning on a nearby guard's shoulder. "You see, Kasagaya-san, there are some things you simply shouldn't mess with," she remarked, startling the hell out of the hapless woman guard. "And I'm one of them," she added, a wry grin spreading across her face. Turning to face the stunned and gaping guards as a whole, Hitomi cleared her throat. "Gentlemen; and lady; I advise you to quietly lower your weapons and leave the room... If you want to see your next paycheque," she advised, cracking her knuckles. The guards looked at each other, then at Anita, then back at each other. Anita, meantime, recovered the power of speech and snarled at them. "Take her OUT!!" she shouted, pointing toward the stunned female guard. She blinked as she noticed that Hitomi wasn't there anymore. In the same second, she felt another tap. Eyes widening, she shuddered and turned to see Hitomi standing beside her, wagging a finger reprovingly. "Tsk, tsk. Wrong answer," the redhead smirked, and gestured over the gathering of guards. Noisily, they all groaned and collapsed to the floor. Anita paled as she watched the scene, then turned toward Hitomi. The redhead only smiled. "Kasagaya-san... The way I see it, you only have two choices; fix up everything that you've done and leave us alone, or make me mad. It's up to you," she indicated, walking up and looking the shaking woman hard in the eyes. "I... w - won't," she finally stammered, summoning what remained of her indignance. "I... Love Kikyo-chan. I won't give her up," she insisted, trying to display her best tough face. "I was afraid you'd say that," Hitomi sighed, resignedly. "Then you leave me no choice," she continued, fixing Anita's widened eyes in a fearsome stare. As she did, the room suddenly became dark and cold, and all of the hidden video cameras began to explode around them. A glow began to emanate from Hitomi's eyes, at which Anita shook her head violently. "No... This isn't real... You're hypnotizing me...!" she protested, grabbing her head and closing her eyes. "This is no game... It's what happens when you anger a Spirit. And when you anger *one*... You anger them *all*," Hitomi menaced, leaning closer. "You just bought yourself a one way ticket to the Realm of the Dark, Kasagaya-san... Enjoy the ride," she continued, with a thin smile. At the same moment, a yawning chasm opened under Anita's feet, a powerful red glow spilling from it as it widened. The odour of sulfur filled the room, and flames licked at the top of the chasm, the bursts of heat and stench sending the horrified Anita into abject panic. As the now terrified and shrieking woman remained somehow suspended above the widening opening, Hitomi walked up to her and grabbed her chin, forcing her wild eyes to focus on her. "Last chance, Kasagaya-san. Undo what you've done, or I send you where you belong," she snarled, again staring hard into Anita's tear-filled eyes. "I... Will... P - please... By the Kami... Don't let me fall..." the woman whimpered, grabbing Hitomi's arm. "Do you swear... On your life?" she responded, eyes narrowing. "I do! I do! I beg of you...! Spare me...!" Anita repeated, her eyes showing her fear plainly to Hitomi's searching glare. "Hm. There *may* be hope for your soul yet. Although I warn you... You have no more chances. Go back on your word, and this *shall* be your fate," she pronounced, moving Anita away from the chasm and lowering her to the floor. Instantly, the room returned to normal, with no sign of the chasm or it's effects. "Now... Sleep, foolish Mortal, and when you awaken, you will reverse all you have done, and by way of compensation to her, get Citizenship for Lin Shan Pu. Then, you will bother us no more. Oyasumi," she commanded, then snapped her fingers. Anita collapsed with a long sigh, leaving the satisfied Hitomi standing alone among a sea of unconscious bodies. Smiling, she walked back over to Kikyo, who was staring back at her over the blanket she pulled up. Her eyes were wide with fear, and shimmered with nascent tears. Hitomi's smile faded as she noticed her girlfriend's look, and she immediately bit her lip and settled to her knees. "Kiko-chan...? Is something wrong?" she asked, reaching for her arm. Kikyo jerked her arm away and leaned out of reach. "Ano... Who... Are you?" Hitomi lowered her head and sighed, suddenly understanding. "It's really me, Kiko-chan... Your Hitomi," she assured, softly. "Really...? You're not... Mu Lin?" "Hai. Really," she smiled, meeting her lover's still fearful gaze. "I'm sorry if I scared you, but she left me no choice. Had I not..." she began, but Kikyo cut her off. "If you're not Mu Lin, then how... Did you..." "Kiko-chan... It's a long story. I'll explain the best I can after we get home. C'mon... I don't know about you, but this place is getting to me," she smiled, rising and offering her hand. "I... I..." Kikyo stammered, still keeping her hands under the blanket. Hitomi frowned and set her hands on her hips, then abruptly smirked mischievously. "I know how to prove it to you..." she breathed, then flung the blanket away and planted a huge, passionate kiss on her surprised lips. It took only a fraction of a second for Kikyo to make up her mind, turning the kiss into an impassioned release from the fear, worry and heartache. "Lin-san, you wouldn't believe it if you saw it yourself. Hitomi was even nastier than Mu Lin... She really surprised me; Hell, she scared me to death. I thought for sure it *was* Mu Lin," Kikyo express, shaking her head over it all. "I'm still nervous about that, actually." "Hai... She did seem a bit different today... Is she okay?" "Far as I can tell... But, now that you mention it, I noticed that, too. Even this morning," "Probably from the troubles... She'll be okay in a few days, I bet you. So... What happened to Anita?" the Amazon asked, taking and then setting down the teacup Kikyo handed her. "I don't know and I don't care. She got you your papers and fixed Hitomi-chan's banking, and that's all I know. I'm just glad this is all over," she affirmed, dropping her head back against the chair. "Hey, speaking of 'what happened?', you said you got away from those guys, but you never said how. And where did you go?" "I went back to the Center, but you two were not there. Since I didn't know where else to go, I stayed there until Hitomi came to work today. I didn't think they would send others there," she indicated, shrugging. "And as far as the getting away, let's just say that there is more than one reason I am called 'Shampoo'," she grinned, wryly. "Well, Ranma? What do you think? Not bad for a first effort, ne?" Joy smiled, proudly. "Hai... but she'll need more than illusions to deal with the big guys. Does she know about that yet?" he replied, sipping his tea. "Iie... She still needs a bit of experience, and that's what you're being counted on for. I just hope that this convinces them to lay low for a while longer." "Me too. I ain't looking forward to this. Akane's still freaked about you being here, and I can just imagine how she'll feel when I give her that news," he noted, sighing. "It kinda makes me wonder why the Fates chose this method though... Why not just do the same things as the other guys? You know... The possessions and stuff." "As I understand it, this whole thing was the result of a combination of good and bad circumstance. Mu Lin's..." "Ranma...! Breakfast!" the sweetest voice Ranma knew called out, interrupting their conversation. "Hai, Akane-chan!" he responded, smiling. "Gotta go, Joy-sama. Keep an eye on my body, huh?" he smirked, then rose to his feet. Joy smiled broadly. "Hai. That's my job, ne? Ja Ne!" she winked, fading from sight. Ranma huffed bemusedly at the remark, then turned and headed into the house shaking his head. Inwardly, he was still nervous about what was coming, and sincerely hoped that the Fates knew what they were doing. ================================================================== END - Hell Hath No Fury A Ranma1/2 Fanfic By Coutuva Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished! coutuva@gmail.com