Well, here goes Part 5 of the next phase of the series! This is based heavily on events and situations from the previous stories, which are available on my Web Site. As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated. "Miyabi" and "Masao" appear courtesy of Kunoichi, whose "Ranma nibun no ichi" series inspired this "Paralell Universe". All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission. Coutuva. Mysteries of the Mind - Part 5 Unexpected Visitors ------------------------------------------------------------------ The older model car cruised down the 401, it's capacity load of six passengers either sleeping or staring nervously out the windows. The lot of them had just broken out of a jail transport as it was enroute to the Jail facility. They were a motley assortment, most convicted of assaults and petty crimes, but the two 'leaders' were cut from rougher cloth... one convicted of murder, and the other a serial rapist. "Hey, Asshole... watch your damn speed! All we need now is to get busted for that." "Shut up! Everyone speeds on this friggin' highway... it's the ones who don't that stand out. Just sit back and stay outta my face." the driver growled, glaring angrily at his cohort. "Hey... keep it down up there! I'm tryin ta sleep, here." came a voice from the rear seat. "Then do it, and leave me the hell alone!" "Figger a place ta go yet? We should get off this highway... the bastards'll have a roadblock up before long." "I'm thinking... fer now, just take the next exit. We need stuff, anyway." The order thus issued, silence fell over the gang once again, as each retired to their own little world. The driver headed the old car down the next available exit, and as luck would have it, there was a small store at the bottom of the ramp. His cohort slapped his shoulder and pointed to the store, nodding maliciously. "Wake up, you guys... we're going shopping." the cohort snarled, cocking the Police nine millimeter he had recently acquired. Hitomi awoke to the shrill buzz of the alarm clock, and sleepily groped for the snooze bar, which for some reason eluded her. Finally, after several attempts, she sat up in the bed and punched the 'Auto' button to off, sneering at the device. "Ohaio, Hitomi-chan!" a cheerful voice greeted from beside her, which instantly transformed her scowl to a happy smile. Turning toward the voice, Hitomi smiled even wider. "Ohiao, Kiko-chan." she responded, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend's cheek. As she did, she crawled back onto the bed and snuggled up to Kikyo's warm, naked form, moaning happily. Kikyo lifted her arm around Hitomi, smiling contentedly as she toyed with the tangle of red locks adorning her visage. "Hitomi-chan... I'm so glad you're here. I love waking up to you, Anata." Kikyo breathed, softly. Hitomi's cheeks flushed at the compliment. "I love waking up with you, too, Kiko-chan... but I especially like what happens before that." she intoned, a letcherous grin sneaking across her features. "Enough of that, you... We'll end up late for work again." Kikyo chided, half-heartedly. "I know... I can't help it. You bring out the worst in me." Hitomi replied with a smile. "No... the best." Kikyo whispered, leaning over to kiss Hitomi affectionately. After a few more minutes of resistance, Hitomi chased Kikyo off to the bathroom, but as she started to get out of the bed, she abruptly stopped and stared at Hitomi's bare midsection. "Is something wrong, Kikyo?" Hitomi asked, checking herself. "Forgive me, Hitomi-chan. I just noticed your scar." she replied, quietly. "I didn't mean to stare." Hitomi bigsweated; She had seen the scar on her torso, but had no idea what caused it. Thinking *very* fast, she came up with a story that sounded reasonable. "Oh, that... Just a training accident. Happened a long time ago." she replied, casually. Kikyo's face softened. "Gomen, Hitomi-chan... I didn't mean to pry." Inwardly, Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. She felt absolutely rotten about the lie, but on the other hand, as far as she knew it could be the truth. "Daijobu, Kiko-chan." she replied, smiling weakly. Kikyo smiled, patted Hitomi's leg and headed off to the bathroom, while a very relieved Hitomi went to the closet and pulled out her Chinese-cut pantsuit to check over. She had been leaving a few items of clothing at Kikyo's apartment of late, as she had been spending more and more time with her. It occurred to her at that moment that perhaps Kikyo was checking her out as a possible live-in, which prompted her concern. That thought made Hitomi smile happily. In the month since they met, the two had become inseperable, almost never leaving each other's side. Hitomi knew she was in love with Kikyo, but still hadn't been able to come out with it... but she knew it wouldn't be long. She also had not yet confided her biggest secret... but that would have to wait for a while, as she was afraid to scare Kikyo off. Elysse had eventually accepted the reality of Kikyo's place in Hitomi's life, although Hitomi suspected there was more to the situation yet... she had seen certain looks in Elysse's eyes, and noticed that Elysse would occasionally be distant... even cold. And she knew Elysse was forcing civility when it came to Kikyo, a fact which ultimately resulted in Hitomi staying over at Kikyo's apartment, as opposed to the other way around. Hitomi sighed as she thought about Elysse, wishing things could have been different. She liked Elysse, and still felt that she owed the woman a debt of honor for saving her life. However, she reconciled that against the fact that if their relationship would have been any better, meeting Kikyo would have been far more difficult. At that moment, Kikyo appeared from the hallway and looked over at Hitomi happily. "It's all yours... Anata." she announced, smiling and pointing the way. "Arigato." Hitomi replied, bowing deeply. As she walked past Kikyo to take her turn in the bathroom, Hitomi couldn't resist the urge to pat her lover's backside, which elicited a predictable response from Kikyo. "Hentai...!" Once the two women arrived at work, an inordinantly busy morning kept them both on their toes. For some reason, all of the children were agitated and excitable, meaning Hitomi and Kikyo were as tired as they were by nap time. Just as they settled the last ones down, Kikyo's cell phone rang, and she fumbled to get it out of her inside pocket before it woke the children. "Moshi, Moshi?" she answered quietly. A few seconds later, her face darkened. "Chotto Matte." she said, looking up at Hitomi. "May I be excused for a moment? This is an important call, Sensei." she asked, voice just above a whisper. Hitomi nodded, and Kikyo immediately rose, bowed, and strode quickly out of the room. In the back office, she took her call off hold and spoke quietly. "You should not call me at work... you will disturb the children." she admonished, angrily. "Sorry, Kiddo, but I haven't heard from you for a while, and I thought I'd better see if you were still around." "I am." Kikyo insisted, flatly. "Goody. So, any sign of our boy wonder yet? The family's really starting to get edgy over here." "No. I have not seen or heard anything about the suspect. No Martial Arts incidents, no bodies turning up, and no stories about strangers. There has been nothing." she admitted, resignedly. "Kuso... he must either be dead or have moved on somehow. Okay... here's the deal. You *stay* in contact with me on this... Like I briefed you before, he disappeared in your area at first, so you should be the one to see him. If you do, you know what to do." "Hai, Nabiki-sama. I do." she assured, rolling her eyes. "Good. If you do manage to find him, I'll see about that stuff for your Mom... deal?" "I will try my best." Kikyo replied, sarcasm edging her voice. "You do that. I'll check with the others in the mean time. Good luck, Kikyo-kun. Caio!" "Arigato." Kikyo replied, closing the phone. Sighing, she turned off the ringer and slid the unit back into her pocket, then headed back out to join Hitomi for a much-needed break. Elysse sat in front of the television, trying to concentrate on the shows. She wasn't having much luck, as her eyes kept drifting over to the neatly made futon, and her thoughts to the person that normally occupied it. She missed Ranma, and much to her surprise, missed Hitomi, too. It was nice having the female company, even though she really wanted the male version. Hitomi had not been home for several nights, and even now Elysse couldn't believe how much it bothered her. As she sat thinking about it all, she abruptly came up with an idea. She hadn't been very nice to Hitomi's new girlfriend, and it struck her that therin lay part of the problem. She decided to invite the two of them for a drink, and try to smooth things over before she lost Ranma completely. Checking her watch, she noticed that she had enough time to hit the grocery store before heading in for the afternoon shift. Smiling, she grabbed her purse and was out the door in a flash. Hitomi sat quietly chatting with Kikyo, waiting for the time to arrive that they had to wake the children. In the distance, and getting louder, she could hear sirens wailing, and hoped that they would stay out of the neighbourhood so the kids could sleep. As the wail became louder, Hitomi rose and walked to the windows, closing them as quietly and as quickly as she could. Just as she finished, and had walked back over beside Kikyo, a loud boom startled her out of ten years growth. Before she could even utter an epithet, the main doors crashed open, and six big, surly, ugly men barged through it. "Okay, ladies... on the floor, and don't give us any trouble." the fat one snarled, motioning them toward the floor with the shotgun he carried. "Remington Pump, semi-auto. Three to six shot maximum." Kikyo whispered, eyes narrowing. Hitomi felt herself tense, and her perceptions seemed to go on autopilot. Instantly, she counted the men, assessed each on a threat potential basis, was preparing to attack the largest when a panicked outburst from one of the men distracted her. "Hank! This place is full of kids!" a tall, skinny one shouted, reacting as if frightened out of his wits. "What?" the fat one croaked, glancing around the room. "Shit! This ain't no damn good... what the hell are we supposed to do with all these brats?" he continued, angrily. "Aha! You two... get over with the kids, and keep them quiet. Move!" he ordered, waving the shotgun toward the women. Slowly, Hitomi and Kikyo moved toward the children, some of which were already crying. The men moved into the room, closing the doors behind them and stationing themselves at various windows. Outside, the sirens became deafening as Police cars and vans descended on the small building, slowly surrounding it. All hell broke loose inside the room as all of the children awoke, realized what was happening, and promptly began to scream and cry in fear. Most of them ran to Hitomi, and within seconds she was covered with panicked children, and completely overwhelmed. The skinny guy hovered near a window, nervously watching the army of Police gathering outside, and becoming more agitated by the moment. "Hank.. there's thousands of them out there... let the kids go! Then they might back off...!" he stammered, eyes wide with hysteria. "Shut up, kid! I don't want to give them damn cops nothing. They ain't takin' me back... no fucking way." he yelled, waving the shotgun to a chorus of screams from the children. "And you broads keep them damned brats quiet, or I will!" "Hank... I got an idea." another of the men announced, waving the fat man toward himself. Looking quickly at the two women, who were both glaring back at him with narrowed eyes, he sneered and stepped over beside the waving one. "You fucking idiot... do you have any idea how cops feel about having kids involved? Why the hell did you pick a goddamn Daycare??" the fat man snarled again, only more quietly. "Don't hang this on me, asshole... The car ran out of gas, and *you* picked the building. Now, shut up and listen. The kid over there has the right idea... let's get rid of the kids, and keep the chicks... we might even be able to have a little fun with them." "Yeah right, you sick bastard... You'd think of that wouldn't ya. Okay, let's send the brats out... Fuck!" the fat man cursed, noticing the 'kid' with his hand on the side exit door handle. Without bothering to worry about consequences, the fat man raised the shotgun in his hand and pumped off two shots, and as the rest of the room watched horrified, the 'Kid' took both rounds, one in the shoulder and the other in the back, his blood spattering all over the door and hallway. As he fell, he pushed the handle on the door, and slid down it as it opened. His body was grabbed from outside and quickly dragged clear of the door, which automatically shut itself. "All right... the next hero gets the same treatment! I'm warnin' ya... don't fuck with me!" he shouted to the remainder of his gang, then turned his attention back to his conversation. Hitomi had been keeping a close eye on the 'leader', and guessed him to be an easy target, provided he was disarmed. The others about the room didn't look too challenging either, but she knew she'd have to strike fast and hard, so they wouldn't have time to use their guns. Glancing over at Kikyo, she was surprised to find her mumbling something to herself. "Nee, Kikyo... what are you saying?" Hitomi asked in Japanese, whispering under the noise of the crying children. "We've got five adversaries, one with the Remington, he's down two shells... three with Police Special nine millimeters, and one with a Smith & Wesson .38 Special. The nine mills are the dangerous ones... they fire the fastest. The .38 just makes a bigger hole." Kikyo repeated with a wicked grin, glancing at Hitomi. Hitomi stared back at her, wide eyed. Suddenly, the reserved, demure girl she knew was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating adrenaline junkie who really knew guns. "Ano... I take it you know guns." Hitomi finally sputtered, quietly. "I do. I'm an expert marksman, too." she grinned, winking. Hitomi was, to say the least, surprised. "Great! We can use that. I'm impressed... where have you been hiding this?" "I didn't want to say anything until I knew what was going to happen between us... I don't give out my secrets to just anyone." she whispered, watching the fat man again. "So, do I qualify?" Hitomi asked, smirking. "Definitely. I love you." Kikyo responded, looking straight into Hitomi's wide blue eyes. Hitomi felt as though she'd been struck by lightning... those three little words burrowed into her soul, unleashing a wellspring of emotions all at once. She could feel her heart rate rising right along with the euphoria she was experiencing... and it felt wonderful. "Kiko-chan... I love you, too. More than anything." Hitomi breathed, wanting desperately to hug her girlfriend. "Hitomi-chan..." Kikyo whispered, her face conveying what her words could not, since they were rudely interrupted. "Hey! What you chicks talking about over there? Shut the hell up!" the fat man yelled, staring at Hitomi, who returned his angry look. "I'm gonna kill that fat..." Hitomi hissed, eyes flaring. "Not if I beat you to it." Kikyo countered, quietly. Abruptly, the ringing of the Centre's phone riveted everyone's attention. The fat man grumbled and stomped over to it, snatching it from it's cradle. Listening intently, an evil smile parted his face, followed by another scowl. "Sure.. as long as you bastards stay well back... we got over twenty kids in here, lots of ammo... and nothin' to lose." he smirked, smugly. "I want a SWAT truck... out front, all the doors open so I can see it's empty. And I want safe passage to the airport, with five tickets waiting." He ordered, pausing as he listened. "Fuck that! You got two hours!" he yelled, slamming down the phone. Sneering, the fat man looked at the terrified children and huffed. "You!" he barked, looking at one of his cohorts. "Grab about five of these brats and turn 'em loose. I'm gettin' tired of havin 'em here." "S..sure, boss..." the guy replied, walking up to Hitomi and Kikyo, and reaching for some of the children. "Sorry, lady..." he whispered, apologetically. As if reading from a script, both women played 'foreign', responding with a chorus of "Nani?" When the children the thug selected began to protest, Hitomi quickly explained in Japanese what was happening, allowing the release to go smoothly. Seeing as the 'leader' seemed to want to be rid of the kids, Hitomi decided to cooperate with the gang, thinking that if she could get all the kids out first, then mopping them up would be much safer. As she did, she winked at Kikyo, who seemed to understand, and nodded her agreement. After the first release, the gang simply waited, watching the Police outside intently for some sign of cooperation. Thirty tense minutes went by with no activity, and the 'leader' began to get agitated again. Just as he started to pace the room, the phone rang again. The leader smirked and picked it up. "What?" he spat, then listened for a few seconds. "Look, if I don't see a truck out there, and damn soon, you'll get some kids all right... in a fuckin' bag!" he yelled, and slammed the phone down again. "Gimme that!" he snarled at the thug nearest him, grabbing the nine mill out of his hand and giving him back the shotgun. Turning, he cocked the weapon quickly, and then leaned down and grabbed a little girl from in front of Hitomi. Hitomi caught the child's arm, and resisted the fat man's effort to lift the child, giving him a look that could kill. The man raised the pistol and stuck it in Hitomi's temple, his sneer changing to a wicked grin. "Don't be a fucking hero, bitch... " he growled, pulling the squealing girl from her grip. Hitomi's eyes flared as she made herself a promise... this 'man' would not survive the day. Smirking again, the fat man dragged the helpless child to the doors, and kicked them open. The little girl went into shock, her screaming ceasing, replaced by the shakes and the occasional whimper of terror as he swung her around in front of him, gun at her temple. Had she not been covered with terrified children, Hitomi would have acted on the opening the fat man just gave her. "You bastards want to screw around? Here! Here's what yer screwin' with!" he suddenly shouted, laughing sadistically and firing twice. Hitomi saw the child go limp in his arms just before he shoved her out the door. At that moment, something snapped inside her... her eyes glazed over and she sat very still, fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. Beside her, Kikyo noticed the change, and gasped quietly. The fat man, giggling wickedly, slammed the doors shut and traded back his gun, looking back at the others smugly. "That'll teach them... you watch the truck show up now." he remarked, evilly. "So, what'll we do with them if it does?" his companion asked, pointing to the hostages with his pistol. "Leave the brats... but we'll bring them along... for insurance, and maybe even a little entertainment." Abruptly, Hitomi moaned and collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious. Kikyo gasped again and lunged to her aid, invoking a chorus of hammer cocks. Quickly looking Hitomi over, Kikyo turned toward the 'leader' and his cohort, eyes wide with panic. "Please, to help her, sirs... room in back with bed. Take her, please?" she stammered, deliberately fracturing her English. "Yeah, get her outta here... she was pissin' me off anyway. You... stay with them." he ordered, winking at his cohort. "This is more your style, anyway... chicks and beds." he sniggered, and walked to the window. "Okay, let's go." ordered the grinning thug, waving with his gun. Kikyo picked Hitomi up, draping the unconscious woman's arm over her shoulder and walking her toward the small infirmary at the back of the building. Many pairs of worried eyes followed them out of the room, right up till they went out of sight. Once in the back room, the thug closed the door behind them, and locked it quickly. Without a word, he suddenly grabbed Kikyo and wrenched Hitomi from her arms, allowing the redhead to simply fall to the floor like a toppled mannequin. An absolutely emotionless expression came over the thug's face as he threw the screaming Kikyo on to the examining table, and then shoved his gun in her mouth. "Just shut the fuck up, and you might live." he whispered, hoarsely. Kikyo nodded quickly, then closed her eyes as she felt his hot, greasy hand on her breast. "But you shall not be so lucky, lecherous dog." a cold, reverberating voice indicated from behind the thug. "What the fuck...?" the man snarled, whirling to see Hitomi standing in the corner of the room, eyes glazed and her body bathed in a bluish glow. She held her arms out before her with her hands encircling a wispy image... the image of a dragon's head. "For those who would dare to kill innocents... and those who would harm the one that I love, there can only be one fate..." Hitomi continued, her voice seeming to fill the room, despite her slow, even speech. "Death." she stated, and set her feet. Taking a deep breath, she glared at the stunned criminal angrily. "Dragon Fire!" she yelled, and a blast of eldritch flame exploded from her hands with a booming roar, incinerating the screaming thug where he stood. When it was over, nothing remained of him save a hole in the back wall of the building. Gasping at what she just witnessed, Kikyo looked over at Hitomi, who had lowered her arms and stepped toward the table, placing a hand gently on her knee. Her eyes however, were still glazed over. "How do you fare, my child?" Hitomi asked, in the same omnipresent voice. "Daijobu..." Kikyo replied, weakly. Looking into Hitomi's now concerned face, she didn't recognize anything about her... even her glazed eyes seemed to belong to someone else. "Who... or what... are you?" she finally asked, fearfully. "A friend." Hitomi smiled, pleasantly. "Take the dog's weapon, child... the lives of innocents are still in jeopardy." Kikyo grinned and reached around her back, producing her .45 proudly. "No thanks, mine's bigger." she commented, happily. Just at that second, the first of the others burst through the door, having heard the death scream. Hitomi didn't even turn around, dispatching him with an elbow to the ribs and following through by snapping the back of her fist into his face, instantly smashing his nose. "Nice technique." Kikyo commented, appreciatively. "It begins." Hitomi stated, and leapt through the door. The next thug to appear met up with a chest-crushing kick to the sternum, and the last, as he turned tail to run, was felled by a deftly-thrown shoe from the previous victim, then pummeled into unconsciousness before he knew what hit him. Stepping into the open room, Hitomi sought out the leader, who stood fearfully amoung the children, holding another little girl by the arm and pressing his shotgun to her head. He could tell that something was different about Hitomi, perhaps because of the bluish glow, or perhaps from the coldness in her glazed eyes... but deep inside, he knew he was a dead man. "Back off, bitch... either I get out of here, or these kids start dying!" he threatened angrily, wedging the shotgun into the little girl's head. "There is no room for mercy in the fate of those of your ilk, coward." Hitomi replied, her cold voice filling the room and sending a chill down the back of the fat man. "Hey! I'm not fucking kidding, here! I'll kill this kid... and a bunch more if I have to!" the fat man reiterated, eyes showing his fear. "That you would dare harm innocents... this seals your fate, unclean dog." Hitomi spat, stepping toward the fat man. "Stay back...!" he yelled, twitching the shotgun. From behind Hitomi, a single shot rang out, striking the shotgun in the action, almost breaking it in half. Hitomi leapt forward, and as she landed in front of the stunned thug, grabbed him and threw him across the room, safely away from the children. "Child, remove the young ones to safety. They should not be witness to retribution." Hitomi commanded, walking toward the cringing criminal. Kikyo immediately ushered the frightened children out the rear doors, and into the arms of the waiting Police. Once the last ones were out, she pulled her gun again and crept back into the common room. As she watched, Hitomi, or whatever she really was, picked the fat man up by his shirt with one hand and glared at him coldly. "It was your will that this day claimed the lives of so many... it is only fitting that it should claim yours as well. Remember that you chose your own path, dog... as you journey to the welcoming gates of hell." she said, raising her hand to his quivering face. Kikyo closed her eyes as the painful scream filled the room, and opened them just in time to see Hitomi wrench her fingers from deep in the fat man's face, and his lifeless body crumple to the floor. Hitomi then turned, looked about the room, and strode out to the center of the floor. "It is ended. Good Journeys, child." she smiled at Kikyo, and then promptly collapsed. Kikyo gasped aloud and ran to kneel at Hitomi's side. Worriedly, she lifted Hitomi into her lap, and brushed her hair from her face. Hitomi moaned softly, then opened her eyes gingerly. "Kiko-chan..." she began, weakly. "Are you okay?" she asked, raising her hand to Kikyo's cheek. "Hai... " Kikyo gushed, tears running down her face. "How about you?" "Daijobu... a little tired though... What happened? Is it over?" Hitomi asked, noticing the Police now milling about the room. "Is it ever... you made sure of that." Kikyo commented, a relieved smile parting her features. "Ano... me? What did I do?" "What did you do...? You saved us all... including me. You're a hero!" "A hero? I don't understand..." Hitomi replied, looking at Kikyo like she was from another planet. Kikyo smiled, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay." she stated, pulling Hitomi into an affectionate hug. After all the dust had settled, and the Police had talked to both of them and made out their reports, Kikyo pulled Hitomi aside and tried to fill her in. Hitomi couldn't believe the description, thinking that perhaps Kikyo had a little too much excitement. Kikyo tried to show her the hole in the back wall of the building, only to discover that it was gone. In fact, the Coroner's team was removing a body from the room. As they passed the stunned Kikyo and smirking Hitomi, one of the team members commented how lucky they were that the guy in the bag shot himself, as had the 'leader' of the gang. Kikyo was utterly dumbfounded. She still swore to Hitomi that the redhead had used some kind of 'spell' to incinerate the man with them in the infirmary, but couldn't explain the absence of the hole in the wall. Finally, Kikyo gave up trying to convince her, and the two women caught a cab home. As soon as they arrived at Kikyo's apartment, Hitomi stretched her tired muscles and groaned aloud. "Ohhh... I'm glad that's over, Kiko-chan. I was really scared today. I thought for a while..." her voice trailed off as she had a sudden memory flash into her head. "Maki... those bastards killed her..." she breathed, her widened eyes filling with tears. "Ya! She didn't die! She didn't! She's just fine!" Kikyo blurted, waving her hands frantically before her. "I saw her with an EMT!" "Nani? I saw him shoot her..." Hitomi sniffed, her voice wavering. "He fired over her head! He was just trying to freak the Police out. All she did was faint out of fright." Kikyo explained, hands on Hitomi's shoulders. Hitomi looked back at her with shimmering blue eyes, then wrapped her in a huge hug. "Oh, Kikyo... thank god she's okay! I would never have forgiven myself if..." "I know, Hitomi-chan. They're like your own children." Kikyo soothed, her heart melting at Hitomi's concern for the little girl. "But she's fine... and will probably be back at the Centre in a few weeks." she continued, softly. "I'm glad. Sorry about coming apart like that, Kikyo." Hitomi sniffed, wiping her eyes sheepishly. "Huh... don't worry about it. That's one of the things I love about you." Kikyo grinned, hugging Hitomi back. A short while after supper, Hitomi sat cross-legged on the couch, dressed in only a very baggy t-shirt and a pair of cut-offs, watching the news reports of their day. Just then, Kikyo wandered back into the livingroom quietly, and happened to glance at the answering machine. "Oh... we didn't check messages." she stated, noticing the flashing light. "Are there any?" Hitomi asked, flipping off the couch and walking up beside Kikyo. "Looks like it..." Kikyo indicated, hitting the play button. Hitomi hung her arms over Kikyo's shoulder as they waited for the replay, and mischievously blew a gentle stream of air past her ear. Kikyo shuddered and giggled, then kissed Hitomi's cheek. The tape finally finished and began to play back, revealing only one message. It was from Elysse, inviting the two of them over for a drink and to 'talk'. Hitomi looked at Kikyo, who immediately lowered her eyes. "I don't want to go, but you can if you want... it sounds important." she said, quietly. "I dunno... I'd feel funny." Hitomi stated, already 'feeling funny'. "I know you two have some things to settle... it's okay. Stay over if you want, so you won't be on the street with alcohol on your breath." Kikyo offered, sliding her hand down the side of Hitomi's face. Hitomi smiled, then took her hand and kissed it. "You're too good for me." she said, smiling happily. "Not...! *Perfect* for you is more like it." Kikyo replied, burying Hitomi's mouth in a passionate kiss. ==================================================================== END - Mysteries of the Mind - Part 5 A Ranma1/2 FanFic by Coutuva Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished! coutuva@vecdev.com