Well, here goes the Final Part of this 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 6 and Final...?
A Tangled Web                                     <WARNING - LIME>
------------------------------------------------------------------



	Elysse fairly floated around her apartment, making final preparations
for her special guest.  Things had worked out even better than she had hoped,
since it was only Hitomi that was coming.  That scenario changed her plans
considerably, and her ultimate objective had changed as well.
        The snacks were ready, the sake was warm, and just in case, the beer
was cold.  The table was neatly arranged, and Elysse herself had dressed
specially for the occasion.
	Satisfied all was set, the only thing that remained was waiting for
Hitomi, and that was proving to be the difficult part.  As she waited, she
rehearsed what she wanted to say over and over again, hoping she wouldn't
chicken out when the time came.
	At long last, she heard the security buzzer, and raced to the door
to push the admit button.  She had to wonder why the girl bothered with the
buzzer, since she still had a key.
	As she waited for Hitomi to get up to her unit, she walked back to
the kitchen and tried a few different greeting poses, hoping to give her
guest a good look immediately.
	The knock at the door actually startled her momentarily, but she
finally called out "It's open!"
	The large door swung inward slowly to reveal a very tentative
Hitomi, dressed in her favorite green China-mini, and with her now much
longer hair cascading half-way down her back.  Elysse had to catch her
breath at the sight, having forgotten how truly good Hitomi could look.
However, not only did she look good, but she looked... different.
        "Kobanwa!"  Hitomi called out, not seeing Elysse in the kitchen.
	"Hey, stranger!"  Elysse responded, stepping from the kitchen.
"So, are you coming in, or just holding the door?"
        "Sorry... I didn't see you."  Hitomi smiled, taking a good look
at the slinky outfit Elysse was almost wearing.  "Damn, you look nice.
Don't tell me you did all that just for me...?"
	"Why not?  You're worth it.  So, want a drink?  It's just at the
perfect temperature."  Elysse invited, glibly.
	"Hai.. sounds great.  So, what did you want to talk about?"  Hitomi
asked,  taking a seat at the table as Elysse poured the sake.
	Elysse smiled brightly as she set the small china cup before
Hitomi, and took her seat.
	"Us." she replied, still smiling.

	
	Kikyo sat in the livingroom, watching more news coverage of their
afternoon's adventure while she stripped and cleaned her weapon.  In her
thoughts, images of Hitomi's actions and her 'transformation' kept
replaying themselves.  She had initially been a bit spooked by the change
in her lover, and still wondered what had occurred, but had satisfied
herself that perhaps it was just the adrenaline.
	She also recalled the incredible moves Hitomi had used, and the
almost inhuman strength she'd displayed.  She had noticed during some of
their 'intimate' moments that Hitomi was in superb physical condition,
which made sense after what she had witnessed.
	Sighing, she picked up the barrel section of her pistol and pointed
it at the overhead light, looking down the bore to see if she had cleaned
it properly.  Her face darkened as she noticed a deep score at the forward
end of the bore, and huffed with disgust.
	Rising from the couch, she walked to a large panel in the wall and
pushed a hidden button.  The panel hissed into the ceiling, revealing an
array of different hand guns, ranging from .22 to .50 caliber, and in all
sorts of configurations.
        Also in the cabinet were various shooting trophies, marksmanship
awards and letters of commendation from the government, all reminders of
her brilliant military career.  Opening a drawer, she removed a replacement
barrel section for the gun she was cleaning, and placed the damaged one in
a small bin, eventually to be either re-machined or discarded.
	Closing the cabinet, she returned to her seat on the couch and
began to clean and oil down the new part.  Again, her thoughts drifted back
to Hitomi, whom she missed already.  She thought to herself that it was
good that she had gone to see Elysse finally, and hoped that the two would
still remain friends.  She felt bad about having come between them, but
didn't regret anything.
	Out of nowhere, her thoughts returned to the phone call she had
received earlier in the day, making her frown darkly.  She hated the way
that the woman who had called her did her business, using extortion,
threats or promises to get cooperation out of people.  Somehow, this
'Nabiki' had found out about her career, and in turn found out about her
mother's condition, and used the promise of assistance to get her to do
'jobs'.  So far, she had helped make her mother more comfortable, but the
demands were getting more frequent and less polite.
	Kikyo frowned as she thought about the 'job' she had currently.
Probably some pig husband that had run out on his family she supposed, and
she was required to 'convince' him to go home.  The dossier for him had
arrived a couple of weeks ago, but she hadn't bothered opening it as she had
been too wrapped up with Hitomi to care.
	Sighing, she walked over and retrieved the package, then returned
to the couch and opened it.
        "Pretty standard so far... Saotome Ranma... Japanese male, black hair
in pigtail, Chinese red shirt, black pants, arm bands occasionally, black
shoes and no socks."  she repeated aloud, shrugging.  "Nothing special
here... Well, let's see what the additional notes are."  she said to
herself, turning the pages.  "Hmmm... exceptional Martial Artist, all
disciplines..." she read, raising an eyebrow. "loves children and animals,
except cats... prefers Chinese style clothing... disappeared after bus
accident on the 401 almost six weeks ago, all personal effects found on
bus.  Huh.  Looks like a runaway, all right.  Oop, what's this... due to
Chinese curse incurred by accident, can change form to short,
red-haired... girl...?"
	Kikyo flopped back on the couch, stunned.  Suddenly, it all added
up.  Red-haired, short, exceptional Martial Arts skills, Chinese clothes,
loves kids, accident six weeks ago...
        "Hitomi..." she breathed, scarcely able to believe it.
	On the table beside her sat her cell phone, half-buried under papers
and gun parts.  Involuntarily, her eyes sought it out, and she stared hard
at the device for what seemed like an eternity.
	Slowly, she could feel her eyes begin to burn, and the tightness
start in her chest.  A heartbeat later, her lower lip trembled.  Then, a
single tear rolling down her cheek opened the tidewall, and she collapsed
on the couch crying her heart out.



	As the evening hours got larger, both Elysse and Hitomi had become
more than a little drunk, and were giggling uncontrollably at the dumbest
things.  Hitomi was in the worst shape, hardly able to stand up, much less
make any sense, thanks to the day she'd had and some custom bartending by
Elysse.
	Unknown to Hitomi, who was enjoying herself immensely, Elysse had
been continuing to give her sake, while herself drinking plain water.  She
and Hitomi continued to laugh, joke and carry on until finally Hitomi
flopped on the futon and didn't get back up.
	Elysse sat down beside her, and patiently waited until she was
sure Hitomi was asleep.  Setting down her water glass, she smiled
mischievously, then rose form the futon and walked to the bathroom, there
to obtain a pail of warm water.
	Bringing the pail into the livingroom, she left it beside the futon
and pulled several towels out from under the cushions of a nearby chair,
arranging them on the floor along side the futon.  That done, she rolled
Hitomi carefully off the futon and onto the towels.  Next, she peeled her
out of her clothes, and placed them off to the side.
	Getting her pail, she slowly poured it over Hitomi and gasped aloud
as the Chinese girl became the man of her dreams once again.  Drying him
off, she rolled him back onto the futon, which was a bit more difficult
owing to his larger frame, but not impossible.  Carefully placing him on
his back, she then stood up, took a deep breath, and slid out of her own
clothes.
        "Ranma Saotome... I'm going to sleep with you one way or another."
she grinned, and crawled onto the futon beside his naked form, losing
herself in the feel of his sculptured body.  As she ran her hands over his
taut abs and powerful chest, she could feel certain 'urges' building
within her, and finally, could resist temptation no longer.
        "Let's see if I can at least wake up the important part..." she
purred, sliding her hand down his abdomen.


	The next morning, Hitomi awoke on the futon painfully, her head
paying the price for her evening's indulgence.  Luckily for her pounding
cranium, the Daycare was closed for the day after the events previous, so
she didn't have to work.  Looking around, she noted she was still in
Elysse's apartment, and still in her clothes.
        "Hooo... must have been a hell of a night..." she moaned, holding
her aching head.  "Kuso... and I can't even remember it."  she cursed,
regretfully.
        Looking around the room, she noticed that it seemed...empty.  In
fact, there were only her own possessions about her, and all of Elysse's
things were gone.
        "What the hell...?"  she thought out loud, getting up off the futon.
"That must have been some 'talk' we had..."  she said, blinking in disbelief.
	Just as she was about to head to the bathroom, she saw a note on
the futon near where she was just laying.  Picking it up, she frowned
deeply when she saw the signature.
	The note itself was fairly straight to the point.

	"Dear Hitomi.

        Thanks for everything... As we discussed last night, I'm
        leaving so you and Kikyo can be together without my
        interference.  I'm sorry things couldn't have been better
        between us, but my 'interests' were just too different
        from yours.
                Take good care of Kikyo, and I hope she takes
        good care of you.  The apartment is paid till the end
        of the month, and you can have the futon as a
        housewarming gift.
                I enjoyed your company more than you'll ever
        know... and I'll miss you.  Enjoy your new life,
        Hitomi-chan... not many people get a second chance.

                                                Love, Elysse."


	A tear ran down Hitomi's cheek as she finished the note, wishing
it hadn't come to this.  She had really liked Elysse, and was sure that
over time, they could have all been friends.
	Sighing and wiping her eyes, Hitomi folded the note carefully and
slid it in the top of her dress.  Looking at her watch, she saw that it was
past the time that Kikyo normally woke up.  Clearing her throat, she walked
over to the phone, which thankfully still worked, and called her girlfriend.
	"Moshi, Moshi?"  a sleepy voice answered after many rings.
	"Ohiao, Kikyo-chan."  Hitomi greeted, her voice conveying her heavy
heart.
	Kikyo, despite having been awakened by the phone, could tell
instantly that something was wrong.
	"Hitomi-chan?  What is it?"  she asked, swinging her legs off the
couch and moving to a sitting position.
	"I got hammered last night, and woke up to an empty room... Elysse
took off.  She left a note saying she wanted to leave us to be together."
Hitomi sniffed, in spite of herself.
	"She left?  Where did she go?"
        "No idea... she just wished us luck, and hit the road.  I'm going
to miss her, Kikyo... she was a good friend."
	"I understand, Hitomi-chan.  Have you had breakfast yet?"  Kikyo
asked, concerned.
	"No... I just woke up.  I had to call you first... I missed you."
Hitomi replied, sadly.
        "I miss you too, Anata... hurry over so we can have breakfast
and get started."
	"Get started...?  On what?"
        "No baka... moving you in here, of course."



******

   (Eight weeks later...)


	The young woman waited patiently outside the office, knowing she
would be called next.  Sure enough, no sooner did she pick up another
magazine than her name was called.
	Walking into the office, she was motioned to a chair and asked to
wait just a few moments.
	As she sat, her leg twitched up and down from her anxiety, and
she had a hard time stopping it.  Unconsciously, she fished her necklace
out from under her blouse, and absently toyed with the gold ring dangling
from it.
	Finally, she was met by the man she had come to see.  He walked
in, introduced himself and sat at his desk across from her, all the while
looking over the papers in his hand.
	"Soooo... Miss Elysse Rialto?" he asked, glancing at her over his
glasses.
	"Yes, that's me." she answered, nervously.
	"Good news, dear." he said with a smile.  "You are indeed pregnant."




===========================================================================
END? - Mysteries of the Mind - Part 6 of 6    A Ranma1/2 FanFic by V. Coutu


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com