A little explanation is in order for this passage.  Taking
liberal advantage of the Alternate Universe idea, I have
moved the hands of time both backward and forward to answer
two age-old questions.

First, the time-backward one:

What would happen if "Mysteries of the Mind" had actually
ended with Ranma not being reincarnated, but simply being
'put on hold' while Mu Lin did her thing, and then returned
to his "Hitomi" state afterwards... and left that way?

And then the time-forward one:

What happened to the family back in Nerima?


I submit the effort below in an attempt to answer these
burning questions.

Miyabi and Masao appear Courtesy of Kunoichi, and all
Original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory are Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Coutuva.
+++


Out of the Blue
---------------------------------------------------------------


	In the large mirrors on the Dojo wall, Miyabi could
see the perspiration on her brow as she worked through the
last stages of her Kata alone.
	It was Wednesday, and she had no classes on
Wednesdays, mainly to give herself badly needed practice
time on the more diffcult forms.  She had a competition
coming up soon, and not only was she entered, but several
of her students were as well.
	In the corner of the room, the phone began to ring,
and Miyabi cursed the device for interrupting her when she was
almost done for the night.
	Slipping the towel off her neck, she wiped her brow
as she strode gracefully toward the phone, her feet making
no sound as she traversed the mats.
	Glancing at the screen on the phone, she noted the
name that came up on the call display, and also noted that
the video had been disabled.
        "Seirei Kikyo... Hmm... don't know that one.
Might be a new student."  she thought to herself, smiling.
	Punching up the phone, she smiled brightly in order
to sound pleasant.
	"Saotome Dojo, Good Evening!"  she greeted, happily.
	"May I speak to Saotome Miyabi, please?" a
startlingly familiar voice with a slight Japanese accent asked.
	"Speaking."  she replied, mind racing to identify
the caller.
	"Miyabi?" the voice asked, a tone of surprised
delight evident within it.  "Miyabi?  This is Ranma...
Your father."  the voice continued, carefully.
        Miyabi's mouth first hung open in shocked disbelief,
then closed in an angry snarl.  "Bastard!!"  she shouted,
and stabbed the release button angrily.
	Fists clenched and face contorted with anger, she
stared at the now blank screen on the phone, breathing
rapidly through bared teeth.
	Within a few seconds, a tear rolled down her cheek,
followed shortly by another.
	"You bastard!!  How *dare* you call me... after
15 years... and after what you did to Mom...!"  she
screamed at the inanimate device, then fell to her knees
in tears.
	"... and after what you did to *me*..."  she
sobbed quietly, covering her face with her hands and
starting to cry.


	Ranma held the palmphone away from his ear in an
effort to protect himself from the scream that had just
erupted from it.  Gingerly listening to it again, he
heard only a dial tone.  Sighing heavily, he closed it
slowly.
	"As I expected..."  he said, and glanced up at
Kikyo sadly.  "She called me a bastard and hung up.  She
blames me, no doubt about it."  he continued remorsefully,
shaking his head slowly.
	"Anata... It's to be expected.  She doesn't know
the truth.  Go change... I'll make tea."  Kikyo smiled,
comfortingly.
	"Hai... I guess it's up to her, now."  Ranma
sighed again, rising and heading for the bathroom.  Kikyo
watched him go, her heart heavy with her spouse's sadness.
Sighing quietly, she glanced at the screen of the WebTerm,
which still displayed the home page for the Saotome Dojo.
Leaning toward it, she stored the URL and then shut the
unit down.
	A moment later, Hitomi returned from the bathroom,
towelling her long red hair.
	"Feel better now?"  Kikyo asked, walking up and
slipping an arm around her shoulders, and adding a kiss
on the cheek for good measure.
	"A bit...  It always feels good to get back to
being myself again... but, I'm still upset over my
daughter.  Kuso, I wish I'd have been able to find out
about her sooner... and my son, too.  I hate myself for
having left them wondering all these years."  she stated,
bitterly.
	"It's not your fault... I had no idea either.
I was never aware that you were a married father of two,
or I would have told you years ago.  It wasn't even in
the dossier, remember?"
	"Hai... I know that, Kiko-chan... I just feel
so sorry for those poor kids.  They have every right
to hate me."
	"Ya... I'm sure they don't hate you.  They may
be very mad at you, but you're still their father.
There must be something there..."
	"I'm not so sure... Miyabi was pretty adamant."
she replied, wiggling a finger in her ear.
	Kikyo smiled at the small joke, then reached out
a hand toward Hitomi.  "Ne, anata... let me fix your hair
for you."  she offered, still smiling gently.
	Hitomi looked back at her with soft eyes, then
smiled gently herself.  "Arigato, Kiko-chan."  she
responded, then hugged her spouse tightly.  "You always
seem to know what I need."


	Miyabi tried as hard as she could to get the
incident out of her mind, but the tenderness in Ranma's
voice as it spoke her name continued to haunt her thoughts.
	It had been so long since she had been held by his
strong arms, teased by his gentle humor... she couldn't
help but smile as she recalled the pleasent days before
his sudden disappearance.
	But, as she continued her workout, the fact that it
had been so many years without any contact... and the fact
that her mother had died from what amounted to a broken
heart strenghtened her conviction that she was right.  He
was a bastard, and there was no room for discussion.
	It had been a week to the day since the fateful call,
and even now she shuddered when the phone rang.  She didn't
ever want to talk to him again, and briefly, she considered
changing the Dojo's phone number.
	In the shower room, as she languished in the warm
water, she unconsciously recalled the fun she used to have
over his curse... any time she wanted, she could have a
different version of her Dad to play with, and she always
got a charge out of how upset he would get if she splashed
him without warning.
	When her Mom came back from Jusenkyo with her own
version of the curse, things got even better, as her Mom
would get even madder when she doused her... and that
usually resulted in a no-holds-barred free for all, the
result of which was everyone laughing until their sides
hurt.
	Again, Miyabi smiled warmly despite herself, until
an overwhelming feeling of sadness washed it from her visage.
She still loved her Papa, and as hard as she might wish to
deny it, she had missed him terribly over the years.
	After her shower, she changed into her favorite
China Mini, intent on stepping out to sample some of the
Toronto night life, a treat she reserved for her Wednesday
nights after practice.
	Carefully weaving her jet-black hair back into it's
waist-length french braid, she looked herself over once more,
then winked at the sexy gal in the mirror.
	Shutting the Dojo down for the night, she headed off
to her favorite supper stop, the 360 Counter-Rotating
Restaurant atop the CN Tower.  She hadn't been there for a
while, the preparations for the recently completed tournament
having taken all of her free time.
	Stepping into the waiting cab, she slid to the middle
of the back seat, and glanced up at the driver to give him
her destination.  She noticed that his attention was riveted
on her carefully crossed legs, and not on his job.
	"Hey... Keep your eyes on the road, Pal..." she
advised, darkly.


	"Ready Anata?"  Kikyo asked, holding the door as she
awaited her spouses arrival.
	"Hai... I suppose so."  Hitomi replied,
unenthusiastically.
	"Hey... you agreed it would be good to get out.
You've been moping around here all week, and even out of it
at work.  Don't back out on me now, Hitomi-chan."  Kikyo urged,
gently.
	"I know... it's just hard to get in the mood."  she
fretted, sadly.
	"Anata... she'll come around.  Just give her time.
There's nothing else you can do now."  Kikyo assured, smiling
gently as she reached out to her spouse.
	"Hai..." the redhead sighed, gratefully accepting the
hug. "I'm sorry about being such a wet blanket, Kiko-chan...
I don't mean to drag you into my regrets.  I... just can't get
over having abandoned them."  she added, quietly.
	"Daijobu, diajobu... and you didn't abandon anyone.
I keep telling you that, baka... one of these days, you're
going to have to accept it."  Kikyo admonished, slapping
Hitomi's backside playfully.
        "Hey...!  That's spousal abuse, you know..."  Hitomi shot
back, winking.
	"Ay!  There's my Hitomi-chan!  Okay, let's get out of
here while it's still you!  I'll drive!"  Kikyo blurted,
dragging Hitomi out the door quickly.


	Miyabi settled happily into the seat she had been led
to, and cast a glance over the panoramic view before her.
The vantage from the tower never ceased to amaze her, as the
bustling city below always seemed to be alive with movement.
It was nothing like the hometown in Japan she had left five
years earlier, and that was the reason she liked it so much.
She had even found the nerve to check out the Glass Floor, but
didn't stay long because it felt like the whole city was
looking up her skirt.
	After her mother passed away, both she and Masao had
left Nerima, she to come to Canada, and he to follow the path
of his father, according to the descriptions of his training
journey supplied by Genma.
	Her family had serious misgivings about her choice,
given what had happened to Ranma, but they had ultimately
supported her decision.  Eventually, they even helped her
establish her now highly successful school.
	Her thoughts were abruptly disturbed by the approach of
the waiter, ready to take her order.  She noted with pleasure
that he was Japanese, and instantly smiled a greeting.
	"Are you ready to order, Ma'am?"  he asked, bowing
politely.
	"Hai.  I'll have this, with a Perrier over ice, please."
she replied in Japanese, as she pointed to a french-named dish
on the menu.
	The waiter instantly smiled, happy to not have to
interpret her request.
	"Hai!  Would you like an appetizer?"  he continued, also
in Japanese.
	"I would.  The Mozzarella sticks with Ranch dressing,
please."  she indicated, happily.
	"Hai.  Immediately.  Arigato." the waiter bowed, smiling.
	"Arigato gozaimasu."  she responded, bowing from her seat.
	As she watched him walk away, she couldn't resist the
opportunity to check out his body, and smiled as she liked what
she saw.  She made a mental note of his name, just in case.
	Returning to her citygazing, she rested her chin in her
hands and sighed appreciatively.  She considered herself
fortunate to be able to enjoy such a luxury occasionally, and
counted her lucky stars often.  Most Japanese ended up working
hard in thankless jobs all their lives, which was not the life
she wanted at all.  She had spent her entire youth in pursuit
of the Art, and didn't want to waste her multiple Grand Master
rankings flipping okonomiyaki or getting fat in front of a
computer.
	Soon, her food arrived, and as she thanked her waiter
with a wink, she inhaled the delicious aroma happily.  After a
life of Japanese food, she had come to absolutely love the
exotic recipes of the french cuisine offered in the city.
	As she prepared to dine, she absently glanced about the
room, and her attention was caught by a flash of color from the
main entry.
	Looking closer, she saw two women standing at the ropes,
awaiting their seats.  One was definitely an older Japanese,
right down to the demure carriage and arrow-straight jet-black
hair, punctuated by two grey streaks.  The other, standing
beside the first but on the more dimly-lit side, was slightly
shorter, curvier, and appeared to be younger and Chinese.
	Curiosity piqued, although she didn't know why, Miyabi
kept an eye on them as she began to eat.
	Finally, they were met by the Hostess, and as Miyabi
watched intently, they headed toward the far side of the room.
She noted that the two must have been regular customers, as the
Hostess seemed very familiar with them.
	As the two women stepped into the light, she got her
first good look at the shorter one.  She noted with interest
the long red hair, carefully french-braided down her back, and
the gorgeous long Chinese silk dress she wore.  She even found
herself wishing she had one that looked as nice.  Another thing
that caught her attention was the elegant, almost regal way the
redhead moved, which seemed to belie both her age and apparently
outgoing personality.
	As she continued to watch bemusedly, the two women were
led to the window tables across the room, and when they arrived
at one, they turned around and faced Miyabi's direction,
preparing to be seated.
	Upon seeing the face of the redhead, Miyabi's breath
froze in her throat.
	Mere yards away from her stood her Papa, in his female
form, arm-in-arm with the very attractive Japanese woman.
Closing her eyes, she shook her head and opened them again.
There was no mistake.  Except for the longer hair, she looked
exactly the same as Miyabi remembered, hardly having aged a day
in all the years that had passed.
	Miyabi was stunned... she didn't know whether to run
away, attack, or walk up and introduce herself.  For several
minutes, she was unable to even think, her mind awhirl with
indescision.
        Finally, upon a great effort of will, she managed to
snap herself out of her shocked trance and make up her mind
on a course of action.
	Rising from her seat, she tossed some money on the
table and strode purposefully toward her Papa, her face set
in a grim glare.
        As she advanced toward the table, the Chinese
woman looked up and noted her approach.  Miyabi felt her heart
sink, but kept her face fixed and her pace strong.
        The Chinese woman continued to observe her, and Miyabi
noticed a look of curiosity cross her features.  When she
finally arrived at the table, she stood straight, looked the
Chinese woman in the eyes, and cleared her throat.
	"Kobanwa.  Watashi wa Saotome Miyabi desu."  she greeted,
bowing respectfully.  Upon rising, however, she suddenly
slapped at the Chinese woman's stunned face.
	Without so much as a thought, Hitomi blocked the slap,
catching Miyabi's arm in mid-swing.
	Miyabi's face twisted into a mask of anger as she
glared at the redhead, until she heard a metallic clack beside
her.  Turning, she was shocked to see the business end of
Kikyo's .45 inches from her face.
	"No, Kikyo..."  Hitomi instructed, firmly.  Turning
her gaze back to Miyabi, her face softened as she looked up
at her daughter's flaring eyes.  "Miyabi..." she began,
releasing the woman's arm.
	"YA!  Stay the hell out of my life, kono yarou!"
Miyabi shreiked in Japanese, then turned and ran off, eyes
streaming with tears.
	Hitomi watched her go in stunned silence, then looked
back at Kikyo.  "Kiko-chan... she's gorgeous!"  she said
proudly, her large blue eyes shimmering.  Abruptly, she buried
her face in her hands and began to cry.


	Her evening ruined, Miyabi went straight back to the
Dojo, and in a desperate attempt to make herself feel better,
destroyed a practice dummy.  As her foot touched down to the
mat after delivering the final blow, she stood fixed before
the short, splintered stump of the dummy, breathing hard and
shaking from head to toe.
	Dropping to her knees, she clenched her fists in her
hair and screamed at the world, unable to rid her heart of
the emotional twists that were tearing it apart.
	For the first time since her Papa disappeared, she
was at a loss for what to do.  All of her life, she had been
driven by her goals, not letting anything, including her love
for her very traditional Japanese ex-fiancee alter her
course.  Her frustration  was immobilizing, especially since
she had secretly always hoped that by coming to Canada, she
would one day find her Papa again... but, now that she had,
the only thing she could feel around him was anger and
confusion.
	In her mind, the images of how she cried herself to
sleep night after night as a child played back, and she could
still feel the heartbreak.  She had blamed herself then,
thinking he was staying away because she was not good enough
as a Martial Artist.  She had spent hours in the Dojo
practicing and learning, thinking that her Papa would come
back if she could prove herself.
	Later, she became an angry young girl, and if anyone
ever dared cross her, she usually ended up beating them to
within an inch of their lives.  She was in and out of jail
a few times during that period, until she got into a fight
with her Mother, ending up getting set straight by a
well-placed mallet.
	Thinking about that incident made her recall how her
Mother's health had deteriorated, the stress and strain of not
ever knowing what had really happened to her husband taking
it's grim toll.  During those years, Akane never confessed her
true feelings to her children, but Miyabi had known all too
well, having seen her mother still crying at night ten years
after the accident.
	Arranging her Mother's funeral had hardened her heart,
as she knew the woman went to her grave still loving and
dearly missing her husband.  With her dying breath, she had
asked that if he was ever found, that he be told that she was
truly and deeply sorry she wasn't able to wait for him.
	Masao too had suffered, as losing his Mother at twelve
years old had deeply hurt and confused him.  She was the only
parent he had really known, and his anguish only served to
strengthen Miyabi's anger.
	At the tender age of seventeen, she carried on the
'Anything Goes" school until she had Grandmastered her fourth
Discipline, then turned it over to her aunt Kasumi, not wanting
the property to leave the family.
	As the tableau of memories ran it's course, the
anguished young woman settled to the mats, her mind once again
a whirlwind of indescision.  Within her heaving chest, she
knew she still loved her Papa, and wanted to run crying to
him and welcome him back into her life.  But, even deeper
within her was the burning anger she felt toward the bastard
who had put her and his family through a living hell, all
the while enjoying a new life with some other woman.
	Too upset to even summon the energy to move, Miyabi
remained in a ball on the Dojo mats for some impercetible
passage of time, holding her knees up to her chest and
staring off into space.
	Ultimately, her tortured mind could stand no more,
and she drifted off to sleep right where she lay, her
closing eyes squeezing out a single glistening tear.
  

	Two months passed with no further incident, although
Miyabi was still shaken by the impact it had made on her
life.  Just seeing him had reduced her from being master of
her own destiny to a frightened, confused little girl again,
and she found that discovery intimidating.
	As she sat in her quarters above the Dojo, she stared
out the window blankly, unable to even concentrate on the TV.
She hadn't been out other than to do some quick shopping since
that night, afraid she'd run into the redhead again, and she
wanted to avoid repeating that episode.
	After a while, she shook her head, deciding that she
had best do something soon, before she turned into a mushroom.
Forcing herself to think, she remembered that the number he
had called her from was likely still stored in her phone,
since despite being angry the night he called, she had
deliberately saved it.
	Summoning the will to head down to the Dojo, she
kicked off her slippers and walked over to the phone.  Calling
up the directory, she scanned through the list until she saw
that name again.  Her heart actually jumped when it came up,
as she realized that technically, she had no excuse not to
dial it.
        Despite her desire to get things over with and get on
with her life, she could only stare uselessly at the device,
unable to give her hand the command to push the button.  Dialing
it meant that she would have to confront him again, and she wasn't
sure she had it in her.
	Finally, she closed her eyes, sighed heavily, and
pushed the 'clear' button.  Staring at the now blank display,
she shook her head in disgust at herself.
	"Chikusho..."  she breathed, and walked back out of the
room.
	The next day, Miyabi bid farewell to the last of her
students, and closed and locked the Dojo doors as per usual.
She had about two hours to herself before the cleaning staff
came in, so she headed out onto the mats to get in some extra
practice.
	Completing her warmups, she began her favorite Kata with
gusto, hoping to work out her anger at herself over her failure
the previous evening.  By the time she was midway through the
process, she felt herself get 'into the groove', and actually
smiled again for the first time since her troubles had begun.
	Finishing the Kata, she bowed and stood up smiling,
happy with her results.  Just as she was about to head off the
mats, a voice from behind her startled her out of ten years
growth.
        "Impressive, but you were a little slow on the final
moves." the familiar voice stated, using exactly the same words
as it had over 15 years ago.
        Miyabi shuddered perceptibly as the words bored into
her mind.  Turning slowly, she gasped as she caught sight of
the small Chinese woman standing at the edge of the mat.
	Instantly, her shock was replaced by anger.
	"And how the hell would you know?  You haven't seen
me work for 15 years!"  she snarled, glaring at Hitomi.
	The woman lowered her head for a moment, then raised
it again.
	"I know.  That's why I'm here.  It's been tearing my
heart out..."  she began, but was cut off by having to catch
the bokken that was headed for her chest.  Holding the weapon
up before herself, Hitomi looked at it and sighed resignedly.
	"It doesn't have to be this way..." she stated,
throwing the sword aside.
	"Yes it does!!"  Miyabi shrieked, angry beyond reason.
"You destroyed my life!" she continued, her eyes starting to
tear up.  "And you killed my mother!  I'm going to make you
pay for *all* of that!"  she shouted, setting herself.
	"Gomen nasai... I came to talk to you, Mi-chan... not
fight you."  Hitomi responded, quietly.  "I'll only offer once
more."  she added, not changing her stance.
	"I don't want to hear your excuses!"  Miyabi cried,
shaking her head.
	Hitomi looked back at her daughter sadly, realizing
that there was no hope of resolving this peacefully.  Sighing
once more, she stepped up to the edge of the mat and removed
her shoes.
	"May I enter, Sensei?"  she asked quietly, bowing
respectfully.
	Miyabi, stunned by the observance of protocol,
hesitated a second before responding.  Relaxing her stance,
she bowed back to Hitomi, keeping her eyes on her suspiciously,
and then replied to the question.
	"Hai. You may enter."
	"Arigato, Sensei."  Hitomi stated, and walked
soundlessly toward her daughter.  Miyabi was momentarily struck
by the observance that her almost fifty year-old father could
still move like that.  Another fact that struck her was that
he was in his female form, and not dressed for combat.
Inwardly, Miyabi hoped she could capitalize on those points.
	Hitomi stopped several feet from her daughter, studying
the young woman intently.  She could see all the signs of great
skill in her, and for a brief moment she felt pride swell her
chest.  Even though she couldn't remember any of her daughter's
childhood, she knew, deep inside, that the woman facing her
was indeed her child.
	Clearing her mind, she surprised Miyabi by performing a
quick prayer, and then took her stance.
	Miyabi wasted no time in springing the first attack,
which Hitomi simply and effortlessly dodged.  Miyabi, angered
by the affront, pulled out all the stops.
	Hitomi continued to dodge and weave, each time bringing
her expressionless face right back into Miyabi's considerable
strike zone, all the while aware of the fact that her daughter
had it set on kill.
	The air around the two was alive with shouts and motion
as Miyabi continued to advance on Hitomi, gradually forcing her
to start blocking.  Noting that she had Hitomi on the run, she
began to increase the ferocity of the attack, employing
progressively more deadly forms.
        Hitomi admirably blocked and avoided until she could
sense the edge of the mat approaching behind her.  Miaybi picked
up on her distraction, and managed to land a few solid blows to
her midsection, interfering with her opponent's effectiveness.
	Finally, Miyabi forced a hole big enough to drive a
truck through, and delivered a bone-crushing kick to Hitomi's
side, sending the Chinese woman face-first to the mat.
	Groaning, Hitomi dragged herself to her feet, her eyes
showing Miyabi that she wasn't down yet.  Miyabi grinned
viciously, and leapt to the attack, deflecting Hitomi's block
and delivering another punishing blow to the side of the
Chinese girl's head.
	Hitomi slammed hard into the wall, and before she could
recover, Miyabi was on her again, pummeling her torso and face,
finally sweeping her legs out from under her and laying her out
on her back with an elbow shot to the chest.
	Hitomi lay still on the floor, blood trickling from her
smashed lip, and chest barely moving.  Miyabi, still in attack
mode, stood over her breathing heavily, watching intently for
signs of continued resistance.
	Several long moments later, the blood drained from her
face as she realized what she had just done.  Panicking, she
leapt to Hitomi's side and gently lifted the battered body
into her lap.
	"P - Papa..?" she breathed, fighting back her rising
fear.  "Papa... I'm so sorry... I didn't...." she stammered,
the lack of response from the limp form in her arms taking
the very breath from her chest.
	Just as she was on the verge of freaking out, Hitomi's
eye cracked open, and looked up at the panic-stricken Miyabi.
	"Papa... Please... don't die... I never meant to..."
the young woman sobbed, brushing the hair from Hitomi's
forehead.
	"Mi-chan... is... this... what you want?"  Hitomi
croaked, voice weak and strained.
	"No, Papa... I want you back.  I want you with me.
I was just so angry... so mad at you for leaving me.  All
those years... not knowing why... it tore me apart, Papa.  And
what it did to Mom..."  Miyabi sobbed, her voice almost
indecipherable through her tears and anguish.
	"Then I guess I'd better stick around... We have a
lot to talk about."  Hitomi replied, abruptly sitting up and
turning to face a flabbergasted Miyabi.
	"Ano... you... I mean... I..." Miyabi stammered, her
eyes wide as plates.
	"Mi-chan... Don't you remember?  Knowing how to *get*
hit is a big part of the Martial Arts, too..."  Hitomi
smirked, winking.  "Nice work, by the way.  I was almost
worried there."  she added, brushing the mat dust from her
blouse.
	Miyabi stared gape-mouthed at the Chinese woman,
unable to decide whether to punch her or hug her.
	"Well, girl, are we just going to sit here all day,
or should we clean up and go have a coffee someplace?"  Hitomi
added, flashing Miyabi her trademark grin.
        "You haven't changed, have you?  You're still impossible."
Miyabi commented, still stunned by the turn of events.  "You had
me convinced I killed you, you sonova..."
        "Ano... that's not language for a respectable young lady
to be using, now is it?"  Hitomi chided, shaking her head.  "And
yes, I have changed... more than you can possibly imagine."  she
added, lowering her eyes and turning away from Miyabi's gaze.
        "Right.  So what are you going to tell me?  I'll bet it's
nothing compared to the hell I went through."  Miyabi commented
bitterly, her anger rising within her once more.
        Just as Hitomi was about to renew her suggestion that they
go someplace to talk, their conversation was interrupted by the
opening of the Dojo doors.
        "Anata?"  a worried female voice called, urgently.
        "Hai!"  Hitomi responded, turning to see Kikyo step through
the door, searching the room for her spouse.  As soon as she spotted
Hitomi, she ran to her side.
        "Kuso, I told you not to do this..." she fretted, grimacing
at Hitomi's appearance.  "Are you okay?"  she asked, inspecting
the redhead thoroughly for injuries.
        "Daijobu desu... I'm fine."  Hitomi smiled, pulling Kikyo
into a reasurring hug.
        "Kuso, Anata... I was afraid you'd end up hurt.  I'm glad
you're not, though... that means I get to kill you for doing this
to me."  Kikyo intoned, much to Miyabi's bemusement.
        "Some things never change though, do they?"  the girl noted,
shooting Hitomi a cold glare.
        Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she deflected Miyabi's glare.
"Mi-chan... don't be like that.  If you're willing to listen, I'll
explain it all to you.  If you're not, then say so now."
        Miyabi stared back at Hitomi wordlessly, her eyes flaring.
        Hitomi kept her gaze locked, ready for anything.  Finally,
the redhead sighed resignedly and broke the stalemate, turning to
look into Kikyo's worried eyes.
        "Ano... let's go home, Kiko-chan.  I guess there's nothing
left after all.  This was a mistake.  Sayonara, Saotome Miyabi.
Gomen nasai." she stated sadly, bowing to Miyabi and the motto in
turn, then gesturing for Kikyo to preceed her off the mats.
        In a heavy silence punctuated only by the sound of Kikyo's
feet on the material of the mats, Miyabi watched the two head for
the door, noting that Kikyo soon hugged Hitomi's arm and leaned her
head on the redhead's shoulder.
        Just as Hitomi reached for the handle, her large blue eyes
shot open wide and she turned on the spot, instinctively placing
herself between Kikyo and the leaping Miyabi.
        Miyabi touched down gently a few feet from the pair, then
walked over to her street shoes and slid them on.
        "Didn't I hear an offer to go get a coffee?"  she stated
abruptly, striding up to Hitomi expectantly.
        "Hai."  Hitomi replied, her expression instantly changing
to a wide smile.  "Does this mean you're willing to talk?"
        "Hai.  But I'm not making any promises."  Miyabi asserted,
wanting the redhead to understand that all was certainly not
forgiven.
        Hitomi smiled warmly, then winked at Kikyo who returned
the smile.  "Arigato, Mi-chan.  Let's go."  she responded,
gesturing toward the door.
        "Oh... and one more thing..."  Miyabi indicated, levelly.
        "Okay..."  Hitomi responded, eyeing her daughter tentatively.
        "You're buying."  Miyabi stated, pointing to her Papa's face
with a mischeivous grin.


=====================================================================
END - Out of the Blue                    A Ranma1/2 FanFic by Coutuva


Comments Welcomed, Flames Extinguished!
coutuva@vecdev.com