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.oocities.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
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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
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