This is, as with the previous releases, based heavily
on events and situations from the preceeding stories,
which are available on my Web Site:

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9295

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.




The Best Laid Plans - Part 3
----------------------------------------------------------------



        It was slightly earlier than Elysse usually awoke; she
could tell that much in the bleary-eyed state she found herself
in.  She hadn't slept well, her mind still filled with the
conversation of yesterday, mixed with images of Steve walking away
from her.  She still wasn't certain of why his disappointment
bothered her so much, but she couldn't stop thinking about it.
        Looking drowsily about the room, she noticed that Takara
wasn't awake yet, which was unusual.  Scratching her head, she
rose to a sitting position in the bed and stretched quietly,
wanting to let her son sleep as long as possible.
	As she retrieved her housecoat from the hook on the
closet door, she noticed a muffled conversation coming from the
dining room.  Upon listening for a few moments, she determined it
was her parents having a fairly animated discussion.  That
discovery furrowed her brow, as she knew her father never
'discussed' anything... it was usually his way or the highway.
	The more she listened, the more it became obvious that
she was the topic of conversation.  Her name came up several
times, although she couldn't quite tell what was being said in
relation to it.
	Worried, she cracked her door open carefully and started
to step out, only to hear the conversation stop.  A second later,
she heard their wooden screen door slap closed.
	Something told her that there was a problem brewing.
	Putting on her best innocent face, she opened her door
wide and strode down the hall as she usually did, glancing at
her mom sitting at the dining table alone.
	"Morning, Mom..." she greeted casually, heading for the
bathroom.
	"Morning, Lee..." her mother replied, smiling.  "Baby,
when you're done, come back out here... I have to talk to you."
she added, with forced pleasantness.
	Elysse felt her chest tighten.
	Fifteen minutes later, she sat at the table across from
her mom, holding tightly to the mug of coffee that had been
waiting for her.  "So, what's on your mind?" she asked, again
trying to look innocent.
	"Baby... your father heard us... 'talking' yesterday.
He's not very happy, especially after he saw Steve leave here
with such a long face,"  she began, quietly.  "I knew there was
something wrong all last night, but he wouldn't tell me what
it was till this morning,"  she added, sighing.
	Elysse's stomach wrenched.  "What are you saying,
Mom...?" she asked weakly, setting her cup down.
	Mavis didn't answer immediately, appearing to be
gathering her thoughts.  After a moment, she closed her eyes
and shook her head exasperatedly.  "I think you know, Lee.  I
just wanted to warn you... if you want to stay here, you'd
better talk to him,"  she finally stated, levelly.  "I tried
my best," she added a second later, looking across the table
sadly.
	Elysse said nothing, her mind whirling with possibilities.
        "Lee... he's outside.  I wouldn't wait till he comes back
tonight,"  her mother abruptly suggested, her expression becoming
serious.
	"Hai..." she finally replied, distantly.  Turning to look
at the screen door nervously, she felt her heart rise to her
throat.  This, she hadn't anticipated.
        Rising slowly from her chair, she looked back at her mom
and sighed resignedly.  "Make sure it's a nice coffin..." she
smirked, and headed out the door.
	On the verandah, Edward sat in his usual chair, staring
expressionlessly out over the grounds.  Elysse walked calmly and
deliberately to the small bench and sat down, knowing full well
he heard her.  Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, each
waiting for the other to break the heavy silence.
	In a move that surprised even her, Elysse spoke first.
"I understand you want to talk to me, Dad..." she ventured,
hoping to draw his thoughts out before she said anything.
	"I do, girl," he responded edgily, turning to look back
at her over his shoulder.  Before Elysse could manage a word, he
abruptly rose from his chair and took two quick steps toward her.
To Elysse, the world seemed to suddenly go into slow motion.  Her
Father's large, leathery hand came up from his side, spread wide
open.  It became a blur, followed by a loud smack, stars, and
intense pain across her face and into her jaw.  She felt her head
snap hard to the side, turning her entire upper body far enough
to spin her off the bench, sending her thudding to the weathered
boards of the deck.
	"Edward!!"  Mavis shreiked from inside the house, racing
to her daughter's aid.  "What the hell are you doing?!?" she
spat, glaring up at his satisfied face.
	"No less than the little harlot deserves," he snarled,
glaring at his sprawled daughter.  "Pack up your bastard and get
the hell out; I expect you to be gone by dinner,"  he continued,
disgust threaded through his voice.
	Elysse, reeling from the shock of the blow, wiped the
blood from her face and looked back at her father incredulously,
unable to accept what had just happened.  Her father had never
raised his hand to her before, and she would not have expected
him to in a million years.
	Edward's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her
stunned, gaping expression, his eyes still showing nothing but
anger.
	"I...  am not a stupid man..." he began, his voice a low
growl.  "But for some reason, you treat me like one.  You left
your visit to this house over a year ago, saying you hoped that
this 'Ranma' would be at some 'Conference' in the big city.  We
never heard from you again.  Then, you call up saying you're
having a baby and need help.  We tell you to come home, even
while we're disappointed in you.  Then the baby comes, and he's
Japanese... like you said this 'boyfriend' was," he continued,
his voice slowly growing angrier.  "Dammit, Lee... he was a
married man; how the hell could you do that to his family...?
Especially since they saved your life?!" he suddenly shouted at
her, his ferocity shocking even his wife.
	Elysse couldn't reply.  All she could see was the anger
on her father's face and the disappointment in his eyes.  He,
however, had much more to say.
	"I want you... to call his wife.  I want you to tell her
that you have his child, and that you're apologising to her for
your stupidity..." he ordered, pointing a long, shaking finger
at her face.  "I want you to *know* how much you hurt that poor
woman because you couldn't keep your damned legs closed!"  he
added, viciously.
	"Edward...!  That's enough!"  Mavis abruptly snapped,
earning herself an angry glare.  "I think you've said your
piece!" she continued, noticing how Elysse was starting to
shake in her arms.  "Leave her alone; she's terrified!"
	Edward sobered at Mavis's words.  Glaring once more at
Elysse, he huffed and turned away, storming off toward his
tractor.
	As soon as he left, Elysse drew her legs up and shivered
bodily, her wide, fixed eyes moist with tears.
	All of the guilt, all of the anguish, all of the
emotions that she had worked so hard to supress now flooded to
the fore, released by a single, stunning blow.  Elysse hadn't
even heard her father's angry speech, too overwhelmed by her
own conscience.  One single thought pervaded the massive wave,
itself creating an entirely different yet equally powerful
reaction.
        It was all over.  Everything she planned, everything
she sacrificed for, everything she lived for had just exploded
violently in her face; in short, her world had ended.
	Wordlessly, she pulled herself up and dried her eyes,
then wiped the trickle from her chin.  Glancing down at her
hand, she huffed at the red streak.  Her mother bit her knuckle,
anticipating an emotional response of some kind from her.
Instead, Elysse rose to her feet, flashed a defeated smile, and
walked silently to her room.
	Her son was awake.


        Above the verandah, Bill had listened intently to the
entire affair through his bedroom window.  Despite his own shock
at hearing his father strike Elysse, a smile had crossed his face.
It became even wider as he heard him kick her out.  As he turned
from the window to finish dressing, he nodded to himself with great
satisfaction.  Life couldn't be any better.


	The next few hours went by slowly, Elysse spending it all
either in her room or on the verandah, but always with her son.
Mavis tried repeatedly to indicate that she was there for her,
but her assurances seemed to fall on deaf ears.  She could see
the devastation in her daughter's eyes, and felt horribly guilty
for how her husband had treated her.  She knew he was a man of
honour, whose reputation and integrity meant everything to him,
but his striking his daughter over an affair was the last thing
she would have expected.
	As Mavis began the preparations for lunch, she was
surprised to see Elysse standing in the doorway to the hall,
regarding her expressionlessly.  When she made eye contact, Elysse
flashed a small smile.  "Mom... I need some time to think.  Could
you watch Takara for about an hour?  He's been fed, and should
sleep.  Oh... could you hand me a glass of water?"  she stated,
her voice and demeanor both subdued.
	Without even thinking about it, Mavis nodded and ran her
the water.  Elysse nodded her thanks and turned down the hall,
then stepped out the front door.
	Glancing around to see if anyone was nearby, she opened
the belt of her housecoat and let it fall.  Before it even
finished settling to the ground, she upended the glass over her
head, and then shook the excess water out of her flowing blonde
mane.
        She simply stood unmoving for a few moments, feeling out
her cursed form.  It felt odd to her to be back in it again,
especially after having spent so much time guarding against it.
        Pawing at the ground alternately with both front feet to
loosen herself up, she began to prance around, her tail raised
proudly as she trotted a small circle.
	With a rear and a loud whinny that sent a shiver down her
mother's back, Elysse turned and broke into a gallop toward the
nearest fence, clearing it's four foot height cleanly.  As soon
as she hit the soft brown earth behind the fence, she galloped
away as fast as she could.
	During her years trapped as a horse, she had always made
herself feel better by racing wildly around whatever open area
she was in, which often resulted in her being sold when her
'owners' thought she was too crazy.
	As she galloped full tilt away from the house, she could
feel the wind over her ears and the rush of adrenaline as her
muscles loosened, allowing her to go even faster.  Her long
blonde tail flew proudly in her wake, accented by her flowing
mane.
	Braking abruptly, she jogged into a hard turn and launched
off in a new direction, accellerating to her top speed in a few
powerful strides.
	She could feel the excitement surging through her body,
creating an almost euphoric state of happiness.  She was
never sure why simply racing headlong around a open feild was so
stimulating, but right now, she'd take it without question.
	Breaking gait again, she started jumping and crowhopping
around, whinnying her heart out.  For the first time since the
birth of her son, she actually felt good to be alive.



	Mavis jumped at the sound of a strident knocking coming
from the main entry.  Not expecting anyone, she set down her
magazine and went to the door, wondering who would be visiting
them at this hour of the day.  Most folks she knew were long
out to the fields or into town to work.
	"Hi, Mavis...!"  Toni smiled back at her as she opened
the inner door.
	"Toni... Elysse went out for a bit; I'm not sure when
she'll be back," she stammered, caught off guard.
	Toni pouted affectedly.  "Figures.  I had some spare time
today, and wanted to come visit her and the baby," she frowned,
crossing her arms.  "Say, when did you folks get the Arab?  I saw
it racing around your north feild, and it's a beauty," she added,
brightening slightly.
	Mavis swallowed hard.  "We're just checking it out... "
she deflected, as casually as she could.  "I don't know much more
than that; it's not my department," she added, hoping Toni
wouldn't press.
	"Yeah... it's a big descision.  You better watch that one,
though... seems a little nuts.  Arabs are excitable to start with,
and that one's going to be a handful.  Sure is a nice one,
though..." she noted, thoughtfully.  "But, it's still young, too...
probably about 5 years old." she added, glancing toward the feild.
	"Don't ask me, Toni... I don't get involved in the business
end.  Would you like an iced tea?"  Mavis redirected, smiling and
gesturing the girl in.
	Toni nodded with a pleasant smile, hoping Elysse would
come home while she was still able to stay.


        Edward motored along the pathway in the old Ford tractor,
his normally very active mind engrossed in the events of the
morning.  He was still angry over how a daughter of his could
behave in such a crude manner, but increasingly, he was feeling
regret for having struck her.
        In all his life, he had never struck another person.  His
stony glare and tall, sinewy build always sufficed as enough
intimidation for most situations, and he was usually fortunate
enough to avoid such things entirely.  This situation, however,
grated on nerves at the core of who he was, and he couldn't in
any good conscience let it continue.
        He did love his daughter; there was no dispute there, or
would there ever be.  He had harbored high hopes for her future,
as at a young age, she demonstrated a high intelligence and an
excellent ability in school.
        He smiled slightly as he recalled his pride at her
winning her first Spelling Bee, after which she went on to take
the Regional one.
        Suddenly, he found himself wondering where he had gone
wrong.  Images of her stunned, purpling face abruptly ran through
his mind, despite his efforts to force them out.
        Mavis's last words still rang though his ears, and he
shuddered slightly at their impact.
        "Leave her alone; she's terrified!" they echoed, making
his heart even heavier than it already was.
        His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a series of
loud whinnys from up ahead of him, and he wondered why they
sounded so close.  A heartbeat later, his face darkened as he
realized one possibility.
        Reaching down, he shoved the throttle lever forward.
        A few long moments later he crested the rise before
him, and frowned as he confirmed his suspicions.  In the field
ahead of him a solitary horse frollicked and raced around, and
he had a pretty good idea how it got there.


        "Oh... there's Edward,"  Toni indicated, having been
gazing out the second-floor window at the horse as she chatted
with Mavis.
        "He must be coming in to change rigs..." Mavis
speculated, finishing the bed she was making and walking to the
window.
        As the two women watched, Edward parked the tractor and
slid off, then walked over toward the horse.  Both of them were
surprised to see the horse shy away, ears straight up and eyes
wide.
        "It's scared of him..." Toni commented, raising a hand
to her mouth.  "He'd better not push his luck," she added,
her tone making Mavis nervous.
        "Why, Toni...?  He's handled horses his entire life..."
she asked, sounding like she was actually curious.
        "That horse is one step away from panicking... and it
could do anything from running away to kicking or biting him,"
she indicated, worriedly.
        To their relief, however, Edward stood still, and even
from their vantage, the pair could both see the horse relax
slightly.
        Down on the feild, Edward stood quietly, regarding Elysse
with a studious eye.  He wasn't entirely sure if she was still
herself in there, and was trying to figure out how he could tell.
finally, he opted for the direct approach.
        "Are you... still you?" he asked, watching her intently.
Even though he knew it was really his daughter, he still felt a
bit silly talking to a horse.  Adding to his odd feelings was the
the realization that he had never experienced Elysse's curse or
even cursed form up close, having been away from her when she
was first afflicted.
        Elysse meantime, nodded an affirmative but still kept
her distance.  She didn't know if he was going to be angry about
her using her cursed form, and she wanted to be ready to bolt if
he was.
        Edward took a deep breath and sighed.  "Girl... I want
to... apologise for slapping you.  That wasn't right." he began,
evenly.  "But that doesn't excuse what you did.  I still can't
figure that," he added, looking at the ground and shaking
his head.
        Elysse nickered quietly and lowered her head, wishing
she could talk in her cursed form.  Instead, she took a
tentative step toward her Father, still watching him carefully.
        Above Edward on the side of the rise, the tractor still
sat where he had left it.  In his surprise at seeing Elysse in
her horse form, he neglected to lower the brush hog dangling
from the three-point off the rear of it.  The weight of the rig
and the weak clutch in the old machine slowly combined to let
it start slowly inching down the hill.  Neither Edward or
Elysse noticed it at first, both too preoccupied with their
'discussion'.
        "Lee, I want you to come back to the house with me, and
get yourself changed back... we have to figure out something to
do about..." he began, only to be interrupted by a sudden rear
and a very loud and panicked whinny from Elysse.
        Before Edward could even react, she leapt forward and
bound toward him, covering the twenty or so feet between them
in two strides.  Cutting sharply to the right between him and the
advancing tractor, she bumped him off his feet and sent him
rolling on the ground, well clear of the now fast-moving machine.
        She was not so fortunate.
        Having slowed her momentum to avoid hurting her Dad, and
misjudging the size of her cursed form, she wasn't able to get
clear in time.  The edge of the raised forward plow blade drove
deep into her left haunch, carving a huge gash.  As she
squealed in pain and snapped her rear end around reflexively,
the rear wheel caught her left shoulder, knocking her to the
ground.  The angle of the strike seperated the joint, and she
squealed again as she felt the muscle and cartilage tear.
        Her equine body reacted in the only way it knew how and
stiffened up completely, leaving her virtually paralysed and in
indescribable agony.
        Edward, recovered from his surprise and back on his feet,
jumped onto the tractor and dropped the hog, grinding the machine
to a halt.  Before it even stopped, he was off of it again and at
his gravely wounded daughter's side.
        Elysse lay on her side, blood gushing from her leg, and
her body shuddering from head to toe.  Her mouth was wide open
and her eyes bulging from their sockets, and Edward knew that if
she could speak, she'd be screaming.
        Ripping his shirt off, he tied it around her rear leg
as best he could, and then took a close look at her shoulder
where the tire had struck it.  He knew horses well enough to
recognize that it was popped, and grimaced in reaction.
        He shuddered as another realization came over him, and
could feel his heart sink as the thought ran through his mind.
Horses injured as badly as Elysse was were usually dealt with
only one way; a visit from Dr. Remington.



        "Masaka...!"  Hitomi hissed as she felt a shudder run up
her spine.  "Elysse-chan..." she gasped, her eyes widening in
surprise.
        "Ano... what is it, Hitomi-san?  You look like you've
seen a ghost,"  Shampoo blinked, noticing that the redhead had
suddenly stiffened.  She knew it had to be big, especially since
it took Hitomi's attention away from the TV.
        "Hai... almost," she replied, evenly.  "Tell Kiko-
chan I'll be back in a minute..." she instructed, her face
darkening slightly.
        Shampoo turned and spotted Kikyo resting in her usual
chair, then looked back toward Hitomi, only to discover that
she wasn't there any longer.



        Mavis and Toni both screamed and raced out of the bedroom
when they saw the tractor mow down the horse, and were both
shocked when they heard Takara shriek at the same second.  Mavis
sent Toni after the baby while she raced out to her daughter, her
heart pounding against her ribs.
        When she was finally close enough to see the injuries to
Elysse, she felt her knees go weak.  The amount of blood on the
ground was incredible, and Elysse herself was coughing and
shuddering, the pain making breathing difficult.
        Edward, kneeling beside his daughter's head, looked
back up her mournfully, shaking his head sadly.  Mavis dropped
to her knees.
        "Chikusho...!  Throw some hot water on her!!" a Japanese-
accented female voice suddenly yelled, stunning both Edward and
Mavis out of ten years growth.  Turning, they both gaped at the
red-haired Chinese girl standing beside them.
        "Kuso...!" she abruptly cursed, and held her arm out to
her side.  A flip of her wrist later, she pulled back a bucket
of warm water, and prepared to throw it on Elysse.
        "Get something to cover her... Hiyaku!" the redhead
ordered, startling Edward out of his trance.  He leapt to his
feet and ran to the tractor, returning with a tarp.  He quickly
tossed it over most of the horse, and the redhead followed it
with the contents of the bucket.
        She then flung the empty bucket away and leapt to
Elysse's side, yanking the tarp back away from her head.
        "Elysse-chan... It's me, Hitomi.  You'll be fine... I
changed you back so you can go to the hospital..." she explained
quickly in Japanese.
        "Hi... Hitomi-chan?  How did you... where...?"  Elysse
gasped, too shocked at the redhead's presence to even form
the question.
        Hitomi only smiled knowingly.  "Ano... It can wait.
Let's get a look at that leg..." she suggested, shifting around
and lifting the tarp for a look.  "Better, but still pretty
deep..." she observed, only to hear Toni come running up.
        "I called the Vet..." she began, but froze in her tracks
as she spotted Elysse under the tarpaulin.  "Elysse?!?" she gasped,
her face falling.  In her arms, Takara abruptly stopped crying.
        Elysse, despite being shocky and trembling, smiled weakly
at her friend.  "I... I'll explain... later." she gasped, grimacing
as pain shot through her shoulder.
        Hitomi looked up at Toni and smirked, then looked over at
Elysse's mother.  "Better change that to an ambulance... she has
a dislocated shoulder and that leg's gonna need stitches," she
advised, firmly.
        Nodding wordlessly, Mavis scrambled to her feet and raced
back toward the house.
        Hitomi watched her go, then turned her attention to
Elysse's leg.  "This is going to smart..." she warned, then
rewrapped and cinched up the impromptu tourniquet.
        Elysse grimaced in pain, then looked back at Hitomi with
thanks in her eyes.
        "Ano... let's get you out of here," she smiled, and placed
her hand on Elysse's good shoulder.  The next thing Elysse knew,
she was laying on her verandah wearing a loose sundress.  She
looked around quickly, then out toward the feild where she had
just been, then back up at Hitomi... and promptly passed out.



        When the ambulance finally departed for the hospital,
Mavis rode in with her still-unconscious daughter, leaving
Edward, Toni and Takara standing around nervously with Hitomi,
who was intently watching the vehicle.
        "Um, Miss...?"  Edward ventured tentatively, still very
overwhelmed by both the accident, and by the red-haired girl
standing a few feet from him.
        "Hai; I mean, yes?"  Hitomi responded, turning to face him
and clasping her hands in front her.
        Immediately, Edward could feel the effects of the redhead's
disarming smile and bright blue eyes, and found himself thinking
that she was someone he could trust.  As well, he somehow got the
impression that she could fill in a lot of very large blanks.
        "Thank you... for helping Elysse... We didn't know what to
do," he stated, his relief evident.
        "It was nothing... the curses have some 'tricks' to them
that Elysse doesn't know of, that's all," Hitomi deflected,
flushing slightly.
        "You... know about the curses?"
        "Yes.  I have one, and so do others I know.  You get
used to it," she grinned knowingly.
        ""C - curses?"  Toni abruptly piped up, finally finding
the ability to speak.
        "Yes... they come from the Pools of Sorrow in China.
Anyone who falls in one of those pools takes the form of whatever
originally drowned in it.  Elysse-chan fell in the Pool of Drowned
Horse," Hitomi replied, casually.
        "So... that's why she..."
        "Right.  The curse is triggered by water... cold water
turns her into a horse, and warm water changes her back."
        "My God... that poor girl..."  Toni breathed, shaking
her head slowly.
        "She hasn't got it as bad as some people I know of..."
Hitomi noted, grinning wryly.
        "You said you had a curse, too... what do you change
to?"  Toni asked, regarding her curiously.
        "I change into a man,"  Hitomi replied, flashing a
silly grin.  Edward raised an eyebrow at that statement.
        "Well, we're just glad you showed up... Elysse might have
died from losing all that blood.  I can't thank you enough,
Miss,"  Edward reaffirmed, extending his hand.
        "My name is Seirei Hitomi, and I'm pleased to meet you
both.  Sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner, but I got a
little excited,"  she stated, shaking Edward's hand and then
bowing respectfully.
        "I'm Edward Rialto, Elysse's father, and this is Toni
James... she's a friend of the family from down the road."
        "How do you know Elysse?"  Toni abruptly asked, not
having heard her friend ever mention the name 'Hitomi' before.
        "I lived with her in Toronto for a while about a year
ago.  I still live there,"  Hitomi replied, shifting her gaze as
she noticed the baby in Toni's arms moving.  Toni noticed her
looking intently at Takara, and nervously wrapped him a bit
tighter in his blankets.
        Hitomi smiled in response and raised her gaze to Toni's.
"Don't worry... I'm the Manager of a Daycare Centre.  I just
don't usually get to see them that small."  she assured, to a
gentle coo from the child.  "May I see him?"  she asked gently,
waiting politely for an answer.
        Toni looked at Edward, who in turn nodded.  Toni then
handed the child to Hitomi carefully, only to see the redhead's
wide smile fade instantly.
        "Well, just look at you..." she commented as she unwrapped
the baby's face.  "No wonder..." she whispered, shaking her head.
        "Is... something wrong?"  Toni ventured, noticing how
Hitomi's expression darkened with each passing second.
        "This little guy is Elysse's son, right?"  she asked,
evenly.
        "Yes, he is..."  Toni agreed, glancing up at Edward.
        "Ano... and about when was he born?" she responded,
glancing up at Toni.
        "About six weeks ago... he was a bit early.  Why?"
        "Chikusho..." Hitomi spat, angrily.  Taking one last,
loving and lingering look at the happy little boy, she lifted him
into a gentle, emotional hug.  Edward and Toni gasped aloud as a
faint blue aura surrounded the redhead and the baby for a moment,
then faded as Hitomi kissed the baby's forehead.
        Looking down at him with a mixed expression on her face,
she sighed sadly and reluctantly handed the baby back to Toni.
"Please excuse me for a little while.  I need to talk to Elysse...
right now," she indicated, her voice tight and controlled.  "I'll
be back... in a while." she bowed, then vanished into thin air.



        Ranma grimaced as he felt a flash of emotion course through
him, resembling a combination of anger and sadness.  He frowned
slightly as he realized what it was from, and sighed in resignation.
        Closing his eyes, he tried to get a better picture of what
was distressing Hitomi, but the sensation had already passed.
        Opening his eyes again, he turned away from the mirror on
the dojo wall and faced the empty mats behind him.
        "Joy-sama..." he said aloud, and waited patiently for her to
acknowledge.  He didn't have to wait long.
        "Ohaiyo, Ranma-san!  I take it you felt that too, ne?" the
Spirit Child asked as she phased into view.
        "Hai... I did.  But why did I?  I figured that all this
would stop now,"  he asked, regarding the girl expectantly.
        "Well, I can only guess that now that she's been matured,
it did the opposite, and strengthened your connection to her," she
ventured, shrugging.
        "You mean, you don't know...?" Ranma responded, lowering
an eyebrow.  "Great.  So then it's back to guesswork, ne?"  he
groaned, shaking his head.
        "No... I think the Fates just assumed you'd understand.
Despite everything, she's got a lot of you in her... when she
hurts, you know it.  I can only assume that the same is going to
be true for her."  Joy noted, thoughtfully.  "Plus, the Fates
want you two to be able to communicate... work as one, as the
expression goes," she added, winking.
        Ranma blinked and looked back at Joy in surprise; he hadn't
heard this yet.  "Ano... 'Work as one'?  What does this mean now?"
        "Exactly, I don't know... The Fates will let you in on it
when everything is in place, I'm sure,"  she indicated, smiling.
        "Feh... I wish they'd just do it.  I feel like a
damned go stone..." he grumbled, darkly.  "Well, since I'm not
getting any answers from them, I think it's about time I paid
Hitomi a visit... we need to 'discuss' a few things," he abruptly
mused, nodding.
        "I think that's a great idea!  I'd like to be there too,
if that's okay." she smiled excitedly, clasping her hands
together.
        "I want you there... but not right away.  I'd like some
time to talk to her alone first," Ranma insisted, firmly.  "We
really need to compare notes."
        "I'll say..." she winked, regarding him knowingly.
        "Ano... and what exactly do you mean by that?"  he asked
suspiciously, noting the look.
        "You'll find out.  Just sit tight for now; I'll let you
know when things are settled, and then you can talk her ear off,"
she indicated, flashing a pixie grin.
        "Maaa... I swear you've been reading the same books as
the Fates.  Okay... I'll hold off; for now," he agreed,
grudgingly.
        "Great... shouldn't be too much longer.  Things are
starting to 'come together' as we speak."
        "They'd better... this whole thing is getting on my
nerves, Joy-sama... Akane is a nervous wreck, and I'm not able to
give her anything to ease her mind.  I want answers; and I want
them *soon*," he reiterated, flashing a glare at Joy.
        Joy's smile vanished.  She looked back at Ranma for a
second, then closed her eyes and drew a long, deep breath.
Puffing it out quickly, she opened her eyes and glared right back.
"You don't have them because a few things have yet to be settled.
The final form of the plans will be determined by how certain
cards fall, and until they do, nothing else can happen.  Just be
patient, Ranma; the Fates' hands are tied too," she stated, firmly.
        Ranma blinked in the face of Joy's sudden change of
demeanor, then sighed heavily.  "All right.  I can accept that,"
he indicated, the nascent anger leaving his eyes.  "The only reason
I'm so mad is because of how this is upsetting Akane,"  he
confessed, evenly.  "She knows something's up, and I can't give
her any solid assurances until *I* know what the hell is
happening," he added, earnestly.
        "I understand, Ranma-san.  Please, just be patient.  It
will all sort itself out... soon," she assured, her face
softening again.
        "We can only hope.  Keep me posted, Joy-sama," he puffed,
rubbing his eyes.
        "Ranma... I know it's frustrating, but there's only so
much of the Mortal World that the Fates can control.  Sometimes,
all we can do is stand back and watch." Joy smiled again, floating
over and placing a hand on his shoulder.  "I'll be in touch.  Ja!"
she concluded, and faded from sight.
        "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this...?"
he moaned, sighing.

                   
        "Ano... Lin-san; I'm getting worried about Hitomi; she's
been gone half an hour already,"  Kikyo observed, glancing at the
wall clock.  "You're *sure* she said 'Elysse-chan' before she left?"
        Shampoo frowned in resignation.  "Hai, Kikyo-san.  She did.
Just like I told you all those times.  And she *did* look to be
very worried,"  she reiterated, shaking her head.
        Kikyo frowned a bit deeper.  Not only had Hitomi vanished
without a word, but it appeared as though she had gone to Elysse,
and even Shampoo had absolutely no idea why.
        No matter how hard she tried, Kikyo couldn't feel entirely
comfortable with that scenario.
        The only thing that she could figure was that it had
something to do with the 'awakening' that Hitomi had tried to
explain to her a little while back.
        Many subtle things had changed since their 'episode'
with Anita earlier, not the least of which was that Hitomi suddenly
seemed more confident, self-assured and even independant.
        It was that last change that unnerved Kikyo most.  From the
time they first started dating, she had always felt truly needed by
Hitomi, which was one of the things that she liked most about
their relationship.  Over the last little while however, it
seemed to her as if things were not as they once were.  She still
felt loved and appreciated, but she no longer felt as 'secure'
as she had before; so much so that situations like this one
bothered her far more than they would have previously.
        As these unsettling thoughts ran through her mind, she
glanced up at the wall clock once more, and sighed sadly as she
noted the passage of another five minutes.
        "Hitomi-chan.... come home." she breathed sadly, biting
her lip.
      

        After Elysse had been treated and moved to Recovery, Mavis
sat beside her bed worriedly as she slept off the anesthetic,
holding her hand through the bed's side rails.
        "Mavis...!"  a familiar but panicked voice called out as
the curtain around Elysse's bed parted suddenly.
        "Steve...?" she responded, her face falling in surprise.
"I wouldn't have thought you'd be here..." she added, brightening
slightly.
        "I heard the call when I was at the other end of
the township... how is she?" he asked, pushing aside the privacy
curtain breathlessly and stepping in.
        "I guess she's okay now... They've got her knocked out
for a while because of the pain,"  Mavis indicated, looking
back up at Elysse's face sadly.
        "So what happened...?  I heard that someone got run over
by a tractor... is that..?" he asked, his eyes widening.
        "Yes, it is... she was hit when she tried to shove her
father out of the way." Mavis confirmed, her voice cracking
slightly.
        "Jeese... poor girl," he breathed, shaking his head
sympathetically.  "Is she going to be okay...?"  he continued,
stepping up to her bed and looking her over.
        "Looks like it... Probably a while till she's back to
normal, though."
        "I'm glad she's okay... for the most part, anyway," he
sighed, relief written all over his face.  "How are you holding
up?" he asked a second later, looking at her face intently.
        "I don't know... haven't had time to think about it yet,"
she noted, flashing a weak smile.  "It all happened pretty
fast."
        "I guess... Well, would you like a coffee or something?
If she's sedated, it will probably be a few hours before she
can leave."
        "Well, I hate to leave her..." Mavis hemmed, looking at
her daughter guiltily.
        "I'll ask one of the nurses to watch her close... I know
them all fairly well, and they'll see to it that she's covered,"
Steve assured, extending a hand.
        "All right... just for a minute," Mavis finally
acquiesced, rising quietly from her seat.


        As Steve and Mavis stepped through the curtain, neither
of them noticed a certain red-haired girl phase into view beside
Elysse's bed.  Lowering the siderail, she stepped up close to
Elysse's head and looked down at her disdainfully.
        "I honestly thought better of you, Elysse-chan..." she
frowned, reaching for the woman's forehead.


===================================================================
END - The Best Laid Plans Part 3       A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva


Comments Welcomed - Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com