The Blade and the Cherry Blossom

Part 1:

Hunting the Fire

Notes.  Greetings and salutations.  This is my first attempt at writing an actual story with someone else.  That it is Vegeta should come as little surprise to those who have read our previous ventures into hentai-dom.  This story was brought about by the simple fact that Mai is my favorite game/anime girl (anyone reading the rest of my stuff will realize this as obvious) and Leona is his favorite KoF character (she'd qualify for more if she was in any more I'm sure).  As for all the warnings and trademark crap I'll leave that to my capable co-writer.  For a bit of warning and advice this is a crossover of Mai from my series Kage no Mai and Leona from Vegeta's story A Matter of Control.  If you haven't read either of those then go read them right now.  I mean it!  Now!  Back already?  Good, now you should have some idea why certain things happen or are taken for granted.  Also we are using one of Vegeta's personal characters by the name of Tanaku Shinokawa who was introduced in the Fighting Girls Lemon Mega Mix.  Ask the V-man for more info about him.


Notes: As Hiei previously explained, this is the first time that either of us have written a co-authored lemon.  Although this story may not *seem* like a lemon, you must realize that both of us are using our favorite anime babes.  Leona for me and Shiranui Mai for him.  There is no way we're going to take this quickly, and the initial lemon bits are going to be teases at best.  Have heart though!  We are sparing no effort to make this one of the best fan-fics on the web, so please...sit back, get comfortable, and have fun!  That being said, I quote Leona : "Nimryu seikoshimasu"  IKUZO!!

To restate the obvious, this a lemon, which also involves violence.  It is not intended to be read by anyone under the age of 18.  Tanaku Shinokawa is copyright of ME...>I< created him and he's mine, property of Vegeta@AMX.net and Vegeta4@Yahoo.com.  Any other character named in this story is copyright of their original creator, SNK, Capcom, and...uhh, whoever wrote Ruroni Kenshin.  All rights reserved.

Hiei again:  One more thing for those who don't know sake (pronounced sa-kae) is an extremely alcoholic rice wine.  It has the singular effect of not showing any effect on you until it's too late.

"We know how to get an internal high
in the center of the lightning speed waltz
see our soul struggling to survive
as we head down for the self-destructive edge"

Information High, Sharon Apple


*****

Tokyo, Roppongi district, late night

*****

	Water dripped inceasently from the steam pipe, adding it's swealtering dampness to the already dank alley.  The bright light of the city was relfected into this secluded place, diluting it and casting long, dark shadows across it's walls.  Leona crouched low and slide forward silently, ignoring the water seeping into her gloves and green shorts.  She had been awake for almost forty eight hours now,  subsisting these last several hours on a diet of pure adrenalin.  The blue haired young woman was tired, hungry, cramping from over-exertion, and now, wet.  Leona felt better than she had in weeks.  

	Her heart slammed a jack-hammer beat against her chest with a combination of excitement, fear, and joy only a warrior could understand.  Her senses were sharpend to a razor's edge, every drip of the condensing steam echoed deafeningly, every shadow held no secrets to her, everthing was sharp, defined focused.  For Leona was doing what she did best, stalking another warrior with the firm intent of seeing his last drop of blood spilled at her hands.

*****

Brazil, one week earlier.

*****

	"So Commander Heidern, what's the mission?"

	"Tanaku Shinokawa."

	Leona noted this in her mission book with some interest.  It wouldn't be the first time they had gone after this psychopath, but Leona wanted it to be the last.  His sole goal in life was to kill all the Orochi on the face of the Earth and she was one of them.  While they had never fought directly Leona was aware of his style and wanted his death at her hands.  Like her mentor Heidern, the blue haired fighter didn't take well to threats against her life.

	"Are we going to sanction him?" Leona asked almost hopefully.  Her commander and mentor eyed her impassively with his one good eye.

	"Not this time.  We believe he is after two women.  You are familiar with them, they fought with Iori Yagami in the 1996 tournament."  It was not a question nor did it need to be one.  Leona was very familiar with the women Heidern had mentioned.  Their names were Mature and Vice.  While formidable fighters in their own right they also were Orochi and so targets of Tanaku Shinokawa's mad quest.  The scarred commander continued.  "We want to you to follow him and ascertain whether or not he is aware of their location or even if they are indeed still alive.  At last reports they had died at the hands of Iori Yagami, but Shinokawa's intrest may dispute that."

	At Iori's name Leona fet her breath catch in her throat for a moment.  If the one eyed military specialist noticed he said nothing.  The night she had spent with Iori was still burned in her mind.  Leona would lie awake at night unable to sleep for the memory of his touch, the heat of his lips against her skin.   She had never been with anyone since and longed for the next tournament when she might see him again.  The descion she had made to leave him was the hardest she had ever made but Leona would have nothing in her life that she could not control, and what Iori caused in her was totally uncontrolable.  In the meantime she suddenly focused on her commander who was speaking again.

	"If indeed these two women are alive they have information on Rugal's finances that could be very beneficial to us.  The old crime lord  kept most of his funds in hard form and not aboard his "yacht".  If they can tell us where these are it will make another mission unnecesary for years."

	Despite her momentary lapse in concentration Leona was as sharp as ever.  "Why would they do that?  What can we offer them in return for such an amount of money?"

	Heidern looked at her.  Approval never came near his stone set face but he felt just the same.  That was exactly the question he would have asked had their positions been reversed.  "Protection.  Whoever this Shinokawa is, he's got the funds to keep himself going and the power to do whatever he likes.  We can shelter them from this maniac, possibly even kill him.  The fact we would do this anyway does not need to be known to the secretaries."

	Sudden sinking realization sank in on Leona's shoulders.  "So basicaly what you want me to do is follow a psychopath around and not get in his way the slightest then babysit two over-sexed office women and bring them back here so they can tell us where a lot of money is.  Is that about it?"

	Heidern stiffened slightly.  His face turned slightly stormy.  "Yes it is Leona, do you have a problem with that?"

	The blue haired young woman stood and saluted sharply.  "Sir no Sir!"

	"Good your tickets for Narita are waiting outside.  Your flight leaves tonight, so you'd better get you gear together in a hurry."

	Like a thunderbolt she heard the name of where she was heading.  "Narita?  I'm going to Tokyo?"

	"Yes that's where Shinokawa was last sighted.  You are to acquire him there."

	The mere chance that this trip might bring her back to see Iori made it more than a mission.  This was a pleasure.

*****

	Leona had not found Tanaku Shinokawa, he had found her.   She had been returning to her hotel room one night when she saw him exiting the same building with a look of extreme, bordering on maniacal, satisfaction on his face.  Leona  had lain in wait for him that night in her but something had gone wrong.  Somehow he guessed her trap and evaded it, escaping into the depths of downtown Tokyo.  She had followed him, and the chase had begun.

	What followed was a deadly game of hide and seek played between two consumate killers.  They had taken turns, it seemed, at being hunted and hunter.  Neither was willing to face the other unless they knew they had the advantage.  However neither Leona or Tanaku Shinokawa was able to truly surprise the other and the chase continued.  For Leona it was a release.  All the emotional turmoil she had been feeling about Iori, their night together, and what she could say to him if they saw each other again was gone.  She instinctively pushed it aside and let her more basic, primal parts of her mind and soul take over.

	Though she was as close to death as she had ever been, Leona felt more alive now than she ever had.

*****

	Bored.  Bored, bored, bored, bored, BORED!  Mai thought to her self as she slumped to the couch in Aoshi's living room.  Things had been going so well since he had returned one night with his friends, bruised and tired but happy.  Terry and Joe had stopped by later that week, and though there seemed to be some hosility between the three of them Mai was just glad to know her friends were okay.  She had heard from Blue Mary that Andy was last seen getting on board a plane for Tibet and she had wished him good riddens.

	Now however she was lonely and above all else bored.  With an exasperated sigh the red haired kunoichi flipped to her stomach and propped her chin up some pillows.  She knew that Aoshi was a courier and that his job took him places all over the world and could make him disappear for amounts of time he couldn't guess.  He had taken this job with the promise of it being the last for a while so he could spend time with her.  Until then however she was stuck in his apartment with nothing to do.

	It wasn't like he had told she couldn't go anywhere, or even that he would be angry with her if she was gone when he got back.  As long as she came back to him he knew her life was her own and let her live it as she pleased.  However Mai wanted more than freedom, she wanted companinship.  What had happened with Kasumi had been very good for Mai in many ways.  The younger kunoichi had taught her how to feel pleasure without the guilt Mai had always associated with it.  Mai had enjoyed the experience intensely but now Kasumi was gone with her "brother" Ryu, off training in Hokkaido (the most northern island of Japan).  Even Ibuki, though a bit immature, had been fun, but she was gone too helping an extremely abashed Eiji Kisaragi recover from his injuries and eager to learn whatever he would teach her.

	What Mai wanted now more than anything else was someone to talk to, someone to have fun with.  She wasn't used to being left alone and was finding she didn't like it.  The with sudden resolution she bounced (in more ways than one) up.  Mai broke into a smile as she stripped off her short tank top and customary cutoff jeans.  The ninja girl began merrily sifting through the vast wardrobe she had brought to Aoshi's home looking for something, anything that would go well with her mood.

	Right now Mai didn't want to be alone and she knew no better place to be with people than the dance clubs of Roppongi.

*****

	Leona crept forward toward the edge of the brick wall.  She was sliding toward a corner that led into a dead end alley.  The blue haired fighter had seen Shinokakwa enter the alley and wasn't eager to jump him if he was ready for her.  

	<*Just a few feet more and I can take him by surprise...*> thought Leona, pushing past the exahaustion her body was feeling.  Neither her or Tanaku had slept in the past two days, both unwilling to give their opponent the opprotunity that would present.  Leona was preparing to swing around the corner when a voice hissed in her ear.

	"Nice try Orochi, but not good enough!"  To her credit Leona didn't even blink.  She just threw her body forward and up lashing back with one leg to try and keep Shinokawa off her.  Tanaku had other ideas.  He sidestepped her foot and latched onto her foot stopping her momentum.  

	The blue haired young woman hit the ground and lay still as if stunned.  Anticipating an easy victory Tanaku released her leg and dove forward for the kill.  As soon as he let her go Leona slammed that leg down and swung her other into his face.  As he span Tanaku let his own kick fly catching Leona in the stomach.

	The young woman gritted her teeth with the pain but got to her feet in a blink just the same.  Shinokawa faced her a maniac grin on his face as he sank into his stance, feet wide apart, hands equal level even with his chest.  Leona cursed herself for her hurry.  Now she was in his terrain for Snake was a close style and there was no room in this alley.  Her style didn't need the room some others did but she wanted to be someplace Shinokawa wasn't comfortable with.  She raised her hands into her own fighting stance for a moment, and charged.

	Low to the ground, one hand cocked back and already knifehanding the blue haired girl shot forward.  Tanaku smiled wider  and prepared to block.  He hadn't expected her to open with such an obvious attack but wasn't about to let such an opprotunity to pass.  Sure enough Leona twisted and arced her hand over her shoulder, trailing ki with the sound of air being cut apart.  Tanaku gritted his teeth but took the impact with style.  He was loosening his arms when he noticed she hadn't stopped moving.

	Leona vaulted herself up her hand arcing a reverse path still trailing it's deadly cutting energy.  Shinokakwa was caught comepletely off gaurd by her new move and howled in pain as blood flew from his arms where the attack scored.  As she flew over his shoulders Leona allowed herself a small smile.  Using her momentum she hooked an arm around a nearby firescape and began vaulting upward, taking th fight to the rooftops.

	Tanaku growled on psychotic rage and frustration and loosed a blast of green flame at her retreating form.  The blast ripped apart the fire escape but the young woman was too quick to be caught by it.

	"Not this time Orochi!"  screamed Tanaku and dashed forward, his booted feet clattering loudly on the cement.  He jumped, planted both feet on the brick wall and pushed off and up.  Repeating this twice more he was past the edge of the building and over Leona.  He saw her eyes widen in surprise as he descended toward her arcing his foot back in preperation.

	The blue haired fighter ducked under the viscous roundhouse and responded with two quick slashes with her knife-like hands to Shinokawa's head.  He knocked one away with his forearm but the other caught his cheek raising thin trail of blood in it's wake.  Shinokawa growled sharply and locked her arm with one arm as his other darted forward landing two lightning quick pressure point strikes on Leona's shoulder and arm.  She yelped in pain and responded by snapping a her shin into the side of Shinokawa's head.

	Tanaku managed to get his arm in front of most the kick it still hurt enough for him to lose his grip on her arm.  However he had enough concentration to slam the heel of his boot into her stomach and push her.  As she slid away Tanaku cocked an arm back felt the flame form in his palm.

	"Shi-ne Orochi!" he roared and spread an arc of green fire at her.  Leona jumped away from the flame hit the ground and rolled backwards to the edge of the building.  Still kneeling she raised both arms behind her head and concentrated.  As the blue haired woman threw the focus of her cutting aura at her crazed assailint.  Shinokawa ducked under the half-circle of energy the first time around but was caught by it's unexpected return.

	Tanaku stumbled as he felt the crescent slash his back but kept moving forward.  As the young Orochi woman recovered he threw himself into a spin just above the ground, his foot catching fire and impacting into her raised arms.  The impact from the blocked kick alone was enough to knock Leona off the roof of the building they were on and to the next.  She rolled to her feet and raised her arms into her stance as Shinokawa jumped over the distance with murder in his eyes.

*****

	The rythm pulsed slow and steady, the only light on in the entire club bathed Mai's body in it's warm caress.  She knew every eye was focused on her and loved it.  The red head just kept her eyes closed and let her body respond to the music.  It had been a simple task to convince the owner of the club to let her have run the stage for a few songs.  

	Mai got to bask in the attentions of hundreds of people, the owner made money, everyone was happy.  Right now though Mai didn't care about anything else but the music, the energy pouring from her, and the cheers of those watching her.

	She was dressed in a pink silk kimono with it's sides cut to reveal her legs, under that was a black spandex body suit with a dangerously low neckline and long sleeves that simply accentuated her innate sensuality.  The red haired girl was so intent on her dance she nearly missed the ripple in her awareness that signaled two immense amounts ki being expended.

	Mai almost paused in her dance but managed to keep going while her mind multi-tasked.  One of the two forces seemed familiar, somehow, though the kunoichi could not immediately place it.  The other seemed powerful and dark but she was sure she had never felt it before.  

	"It's not my business."  Mai told herself.  "I don't want to get involved with anything while Aoshi's away.  Andy did that to me too many times for me to do it to my shinobi."

*****

	Leona skidded along the gravel rooftop for a moment before she gathered her senses enough to catch herself and roll.  The blue haired woman pushed herself slightly farther than her momentum was taking her, and heard with satisfaction the sound of impact behind her.  Shinokawa's foot left a blackened circle of fused stone where his ki powered kick had impacted, his psychoticaly grinning face turned toward her as she gained her feet.  Both fighters were torn and bleeding but Leona could feel exhaustion pulling on her limbs.  The fight had taken a rather unexpected turn.  No matter what she did it seemed like he knew it as soon as her mind concieved of it.  The tall man sank back into his low stance, now obviously hissing like a snake.

	As the two circled each other Leona became aware of her surroundings.  Directly behind her was a large pyramid of glass that made up a skylight. From the rythmic way the roof was vibrating she guessed they were now on a dance club.  She wondered if any of this could be turned to her advantage but wasn't given the chance to decide.  Shinokawa slashed forward with both hands in a blinding double fingertip strike.

	The Orochi woman managed to block the first strike but the other arced around her defense and impacted above her collarbone.  Tanaku could see pain flash across the woman's emotionless mask, and grinned wider.  The assasin's  front foot hooked in and up slamming into the side of Leona's face.  The impact spun her around like a leaf in a gale.  Tanaku reached out with his mind and felt nothing from his opponent.  He crouched low on his back knee and spread his arms wide, the palms bursting to life with green fire.  Then the Orochi woman left the ground.

	Leona didn't think about what she was doing, there wasn't the time, she just acted.  Both feet pushed off the ground one arcing side ways the other trailing for balance.  Her heel sank into Shinokawa's chest, knocking the breath from his body and stumbling him backwards.  Leona wasn't about to let up and closed the distance powering off one leg, then the other crushing both knees into the tall man's gut.  Shinokawa had a brief second to cough up blood before he felt Leona's hands latch onto his the sides of his head.  Leona looked over shoulder and marked her target.  Her feet shuffle stepped, and arms tightened as she torqued Shinokawa toward the skylight by his head.

	However the second long pause had been enough for Tanaku to feel what she was doing.  When he felt her grip tighten he vaulted forward with both legs, and caught her arm with both of his.  The Orochi woman didn't even have time to gasp as his body spun and hurled her over his shoulder.  The glittering panes of glass exploded inward as Leona hit them.  Tanaku's momentum was carrying him toward the same destination, but he was too busy laughing at the blue haired woman to care.

*****

	"Fire!" roared a man's voice as looped guitar riffs and pounding bass exploded into air of the club.  Lights suddenly lanced out in a blinding multi colored display.  The crowd went berserk.  The sudden violence of the music was so intense that even Mai missed the skylight above her shattering inward.  The sound may have been lost but the sudden wash of dark, powerful ki, wrenched her attention to the danger above.  Instictively the red haired kunoichi lept sideways before looking upward.  

	As if in slow motion she saw Leona's body fall amidst a snowfall of glass catching and refracting the lights of the club.  Mai watched helplessly as the blue haired woman's shoulder hit a light display and her body twisted with the impact.  Somehow the woman stayed concious throughout this and she managed to land on her feet.  Then Mai saw that her back, arms, and legs were criss-crossed with a lattice work of tiny cuts.  Even Leona's normally emotionless face couldn't conceal the pain.

	The kunoichi was about to move forward when Leona unexpectedly dove away from her.  A half-second later Mai saw why.  A blast of green fire hit where the blue haired woman had just been sending shards of glass flying, and roaring over the din of the music.  A shadowed form alighted on the spot the fire had cleared, and Mai didn't need to see the wide manic grin on his face to realize he was the source of the ki she was feeling.  As the red haired young woman decided what to do Leona acted.

*****

	The blue haired woman went skyward her arms crossed at the wrist behind her.  She brought them froward a trail blue cutting energy trailing them.  Tanaku had read this attack the moment she had started it and simply decided not to be there.  His side stepped, turned on one leg, the other raising and impacting into Leona's back as soon as she landed, sending her flying forward.  When his foot touched the ground Tanaku's hands became claws, his kamae shifting slightly and his mind becoming the Tiger.  The Orochi woman rolled to her feet, turned, and let a punch fly that ripped the air behind it.

	Tanaku raised his forward hand and caught the blow, feeling the impact with insane satisfaction.  In a voice dripping evil pleasure he spoke.

	"Baka tare!" the words were accompanied by his rear hand slamming forward, jade fire erupting into life from his palm.  Leona felt the impact in her diaphram and all of her air was knocked from her.  Then she felt the ground leave, and her lacerated back hit the stage.  Shinokawa remained in Tiger stance half laughing, half growling.  Leona tried to gain her feet, but her legs weren't working.  She saw a shadow approach and dove to the side as a roundhouse kick passed through where she would have been.

	Tanaku slammed the kick to the ground and vaulted off it arcing his body up and slashing his heel toward the Orochi's body.  The blue haired woman scrambled away from the assult, gaining her feet and snapping out with a high roundhouse kick in single smooth motion.  Tanaku's grin never wavered as he dropped low under the kick and slammed a palm strike into her thigh.  The force of the blow span the young woman around.  She rode it well and let her deadly hand lead the way toward him.  However the impact against the lights had injured her more than even she had realized.  The strike jolted her arm with pain before it had completed half it journey, making it a simple task for Tanaku to catch her arm in another tiger claw.  His free hand raked down her back tearing through the tough cloth of the Orochi woman's uniform and drawing blood.

	Leona gasped as pain screamed out from her already wounded back.  She felt her knees go weak and stumbled forward, dazed from the last strike.  Suddenly she realized that her arm was now free.  Through the haze of agony she saw Shinokakwa's back spinning in front of her and recognized why.  When his boot slammed into her stomach it was all Leona could do to stay concious as she hit the ground and rolled.  Gasping in pain the blue haired warrior gained her feet and tried to focus forward.  Through blurred eyes she saw the maniac charging forward.  

	With what little energy she had left Leona pushed herself forward, and launched a stepping elbow with whatever deity rules battle behind it.  The strike carried all her weight and considerable muscle behind it.  Shinokawa's form closed as if in slow motion.

	The voices in Tanaku's head for once all agreed on what he should do.  Following their guidance he dropped slightly and let the Orochi woman's brutal attack pass over his head.  Tanaku left his right palm close to his body, continued his foward motion, and simply ran into the young woman's stomach.  He felt her breath leave her and spun around again lashing out with his forearm and catching her in the temple.  The Orochi's legs gave out and she began to fall.

	Tanaku caught her long blue hair in his left hand pulled back on it forcing her to her knees while tilting her face to him and exposing her neck.  Her eyes were barely open and unfocused.  Shinokawa Tanaku knew he had won.  His right hand raised above his head and formed into a knife hand, green fire bursting into life around it.

	"Ima no jikan wa omae no shi o!  (Now is the time of your death!"  Tanaku roared.

	"KA-CHO-SEN!"  he heard from somewhere behind him.  Something heavy and hard slammed into his elbow, numbing his arm.  Growling in pain Tanaku turned, his mind reaching out for who had assulted him.  He found nothing.  Then with a sinking realization he realized what he was feeling.  The Void opened wide before him, blank and featureless.

*****

	With the pounding music that no one had bothered to turn off it would have been impossible for Shinokawa, or anyone else for that matter, to hear Mai's approach.  In fact it's likely even without the music he wouldn't have heard her running toward him.  She was after all kunoichi and silence was second nature to her.  What Mai did next however, was not silent.

	"RYU-EN-BU!"  her flamming assault threw Leona's attacker into the wall of the back of the stage with speed that would have made any proffesional baseball player envious.  The concrete cracked and splintered with the impact and a white cloud erupted from the wall.  Through the haze the red haired kunoichi saw the tall man stumble forward unsteady and obviously hurt.  

	"All right, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not going to let you kill Leona!"  Mai yelled loud enough to be heard over the bass.

*****

	Tanaku tried to find his center and failed.  Even the voices were silent now, drowned out by an incredibly loud ringing.  Everything was spinning, blurry and unclear.  The Void remained in his mind mocking him with it's silence in the midst of all this tumult.  He heard the woman's voice and painfully raised his head.  Tanaku blinked.

	"Utskushii... (Beutiful)" He trailed off as he took in Mai's form.  She was dresssed in her battle outfit (which had appered with characteristic speed and unexplainableness) and stood highlighted by the remaining lights.  Some degree of sense returned to him.  He remebered who she was.  A kunoichi from the Shrianui ninja clan.  She was a warrior who had done well for herself in every King of Fighters tournament.  Under other circumstances he would have looked at meeting her with passionate interest but now she stood between him and the death of one of the Orochi.  Indeed she had attacked him in the Orochi woman's defense.  However he was a forgiving man and mistakes could happen.  Besides in his current state Tanaku realized ther was no way he could defeat her.

	At this point the song ended and no one was around to play another.  The only sounds were the sounds people leaving the club, very, very fast.  Tanaku tried to stand straight but found the pain and dizziness to be too much.

	"Shiranui Mai, do you not realize who this is?"  Tanaku asked unsteadily.

	"Of course I do.  She's Leona and she's competed with me in the King of Fighters tournament.  Who are you and why are you trying to kill her?"  Mai responded matter-of-factly.

	Tanaku blinked as if his brain was digesting her questions.  Still not able to focus he responded.  "Who I am is not important, but I am trying to rid the world of the curse that is the Orochi bloodline!  Do you not see that they will be responsible for the destruction of the world!"

	Mai didn't looked convinced.  "Last I heard she was trying to see that the world DIDN'T get destroyed.  Regardless I'm not letting you kill her.  To do so you'll have to come through me!"

	"Under other circumstances that would not be an unpleasent challenge,"  Tanaku leered gaining his center of balance.  Mai blushed furiously but didn't move from her stance.  "but not now.  You have this round Shiranui Mai but you will not be able to protect her forever.  Maybe next time we meet it will be under more 'friendly' situations!"

	With that he turned and ran off the stage toward a side exit.

	"Not likely jerk."  growled the red haired girl.  Though she wanted to make sure he didn't hurt anyone else, Mai knew that Leona would need help.  She turned to the bruised, bleeding form of Leona.  Mai chewed her lip in worry.  If she left the blue haired girl with a hospital that maniac would probably go after her and he had been right, Mai couldn't protect her all the time.  She needed to take Leona somewhere safe and knew of only one place.

	Mai gathered Leona up in her arms, surprised at how light she was.  The blue haired girl always seemed larger than she was because of her imposing presence but now that she was unconcious Mai realized Leona was actually a very small young woman.  With that thought the red haired kunoichi left the stage and ran for Aoshi's apartment.

*****

	Tanaku waited at the top of a building next to the club and watched Mai bounce to a roof top and begin to run carrying Leona in her arms.  He grinned evily and tried to follow only to collapse as soon as he shifted his weight forward.  The tall man's mind screamed at him to get up and follow them but his body betrayed it and quietly shut down.  Tanaku's brain raged furiously at this for all of thirty seconds more before sleep claimed him.

******

	Flames roared around her but she was calm.  They could do her no harm.  She studied the fallen forms before her with cool eyes.  They had been soft, and weak but she had killed them, why she could not remember.  Their blood was still warm on her cheeks and hands.  Something in her growled in contment at that realization.  She heard a voice behind her and saw another one approach speaking but she could not understand the words.  

	The thing in her roared again and her vision turned purple.  When it cleared again she was standing over the body with more blood on her.  Unconsciously she licked her lips and tasted something warm and salty there.  The thing inside her was now howling with pleasure.  Then her gaze moved to this one's face.  Something else cried out fighting the darker voice.  For a long moment she stood there as the two voices battled.  The lighter voice then called out one word that totaly overwhelmed the darker voice.

	"Mommy..." said Leona's child voice.

*****

	Leona sat up with a start and a gasp, reflexively stifling a scream before it could tear from her throat.  It took her a while but the blue haired young woman slowly took in her surroundings.  She was lying on wide futon-style bed with white silk sheets.  The room was white, spartan in design and decoration, the sign of an organized mind.  Dim light filtered from heavily shaded windows casting a dim look on the wide empty space.  Leona was very near to shocked when she realized that she was wearing a red silk robe with a beatiful flower pattern on it.  For someone as accustomed to the hardships of millitary life as she was such luxury was incomprehsible.

	Then the various aches and pains began to come into focus, and Leona became aware of all the bandages she was wearing.  Her lower arms were wrapped in white cloth as was her entire torso.  She reached up and touched her face.  For some reason she was relieved to find her face had somehow remained untouched.  It was sore, that was certain but no cuts registered on her fingers.

	Almost silently the door swung open and Shiranui Mai walked in carrying a tray with some water and a steaming bowl of soup.  The red haired girl was wearing a tight cutoff t-shirt with a large "shiro" (white) kanji scawled on the back and her customary tight cut-off jeans.  She saw Leona sitting up and smiled widely at her.  Leona blinked.  What was going on?  Where was she?  What was *Mai* doing here?  And why did that bowl of soup smell like the best dish ever prepared?

	"Ah you're awake!  Good I was starting to get worried about you."  Mai said as she kneeled next the bed where Leona lay, setting the tray down next to her.  Leona blinked in response.  She had no idea how to respond to this.  The Shiranui kunoichi must have noticed the puzzeled look on her face.  "You've been asleep for almost two days.  After the fight with that weird guy you were beaten up pretty bad I didn't want to see you get killed in the hospital or something."

	Leona's eyes widened as memory flooded her.  The chase between her and Shinokawa, the fight on the rooftops, the seemingly endless fall from the skylight and explosion of pain that was her last memory.  What had kept Shinokawa from killing her?  The blue haired girl reached one inescapable conclusion.  Mai had.

	"You, saved me?"  Leona asked slowly as if unsure that her mouth would work.  Mai nodded and smiled dazzlingly.  The blue haired young woman thought for second.  "Thank you."

	"<Not much for conversation.>" thought Mai.  "Well it didn't look like a fair fight, and I wasn't about to let you get killed in front of me so..."

	Suddenly all of what the red haired girl had said sank in.  Leona straightened sharply.  "*TWO DAYS!*"

	Taken aback by this sudden out burst Mai paused in her explanation open mouthed.  "...um, yeah.  That guy tore you up pretty bad.  He fought something like Iori."

	Leona seemed to be paying her no attention and was looking about wildly.  She started talking to herself as she looked for her uniform.  "They're going to think I'm dead!  Where's my uniform!  And what about the mission!  That freak Shinokawa better not have gotten to those two idiot secretaries...."  she trailed off realizing what she was saying and who she was with.  Mai was looking at her with a totaly baffled look on her face.

	"Um..." started Leona skillfully.  Mai smiled and shook her head.  

	"Don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone about whatever mission you're on.  My boyfriend does things like that all the time.  But as for your uniform I don't think you'll be able to wear it again."  Leona blinked slowly again and slowly returned Mai's wide smile with a very tentative one of her own.

	"I'm sorry Shiranui-san.  I know I've been rude but I'm not good at this.  You've been very kind and I thank you for all of your help, I just didn't expect to get it.  I don't deal well with things outside my control."  Leona's own words shocked her.  Why had she just told Mai that?  Previously all she had ever know about Mai was that she was a fighter who wore far too little clothing and had a body most women would kill for.  In retrospect she realized that it was hasty descion but Mai had always seemed to be, a flake.

	The red haired young woman's smile widened.  "Don't worry about it.  You act weird after you get hit like that.  Trust me I know." at this Mai's voice dropped slightly and she looked rueful for a moment.  The moment passed quickly and the wide smile returned.  "But really don't worry about it.  I only ask one thing in return."

	Leona's eye's narrowed slightly.  "And that is?"

	"Call me Mai."  the grinning kunoichi ordered.  Leona smiled slightly again.

	"Of course... Mai."
	
	"And eat some soup you've got to be starved!"

******

	Two hours later Leona stretched as Mai brought an armful of clothes into the room.  The blue haired girl was finding it easier to relax around this young woman than she had in a long time.  As she ate the soup Mai had made for her (which was the only food she had eaten in almost three days)  Leona had realized that HQ was used to her not reporting in and would wait at least another seventy two hours before writing her off.  When she had again asked for her uniform Mai had shrugged and brought what remained of it to her.

	Regretfully Leona had to agree with Mai's opinion.  Her uniform was completely unwearable.  That it had stayed on her during the fight with amount of damage she had received was just short of miraculous.

	"Oh don't worry!  You can wear something of mine!"  Mai cheerfully told her.  Leona had doubted anything that would fit Mai's generous figure would come close to suiting her but held her tongue.  Now the red haired girl playfully hoped next to Leona and dropped a pile of T-shirts, pants and dresses.

	"First we take off your bandages and see how you're doing.  Give me your arm please."  Leona could just have easily done it herself but realized that Mai was thouroughly enjoying taking care of her.  She was also sore and stiff and was slowly not minding being taken care of.  Mai's delicate fingers danced over the cloth gently and efficiently removed the covering.  Leona studied the pile of clothes next to her host attempting vainly to find something slightly respectable.  

	"Huh?  This is odd."  Leona heard Mai say.  She turned to see Mai holding her arm carefully and looking at it intently.  Where two days ago there had been a network of scratches and light cuts there was now nothing.  "Oh well, I guess you heal pretty good.  Unfortunately your back is going to be different story."

	Leona raised her head in slight alarm.  "Um, Mai, Do you, uh, have to check there right now?"

	Mai sat back and raised an eyebrow.  "Don't tell me that tough girl Leona is shy?"

	For one of the first times in her life Leona's cheeks colored slightly in mild embarassment.  "Well, no, it just that..."

	The red haired girl waved her protests off.  "Don't worry we're both girls right?  Besides it's not like I haven't seen you before."

	The heat in Leona's cheeks intensefied and she sat up sharply.  Mai giggled slightly at her reaction.  "Hey relax I had to bandage you up in first place remember?"

	Leona blinked in response and then smiled slightly in embarassment.  Before she could say anything else, a giggling Mai swung around her and pulled Leona's robe from her shoulders.  The blue haired girl gasped but didn't move, not knowing what she should do.  She felt Mai's fingers untie the bandages and reach around her carefully undoing them and in the process taking away the small covering those badages gave her.  Despite what she had said Leona was very nervous about Mai seeing her body.  The fact that the red haired girl had before when dressing her wounds only seemed to make things more embarassing.

	The odd thing was Leona couldn't find a single reason for why she felt like this.  As Mai had said they were both girls and this was just a medical necessity.  So why did she feel so strange?  Then Leona's attention was focused on the fact that Mai had just pulled the last bandage that covered her away and that her breast was now exposed.  Then she heard the kunoichi take a deep breath in and felt her fingertips against her back.  For a reason as equally unexplainable as her emabarassment Mai's touch seemed very warm, almost hot.

	Leona cleared her throat hurriedly.  "Um, whats wrong?"

	Mai was staring at Leona's smooth unblemished back.  Not a trace of any wound remained.  Where there should have been a mass of small cuts and barely closed slashes there was nothing.  If Mai had not personally watched Leona's fight she wouldn't have believed it had occured.  Mai traced the skin where she had seen the tall man rake his fingers slowly in disbelief.

	"Wow."  she said breathlessly.

	Leona coughed slightly.  "I'm healed aren't I?"

	Mai shook her head as if waking up.  "Uh yeah you are!  I don't see how but you are."

	"It's my Orochi blood.  I don't take very long to recover.  Um, Mai, can I put the robe back on now?"

	With another start the red head realized that she was holding the robe down with one knee.  With a slightly embarassed giggle she pulled the bandages off, and slid the silk back up Leona's shoulders.  She patted the younger girls back appreciatively.

	"Well I wouldn't have thought you'd be ready this soon but you'll be good to go pretty quickly."  Mai draped an arm around Leona's shoulders and leaned against her.  "Then you'll be ready to start breaking hearts and kicking butt again!"

	With that Mai burst into musical laughter.  Leona felt her temprature rise again, still having no idea why, but Mai's light hearted mood was infectious even for her and she smiled wider this time.

	"Thank you Mai-san.  I hate to be trouble to you." Leona said apologeticaly.

	  "Don't worry about."  the red head insisted.  "With my boyfriend away it's nice to have someone to talk to.  Speaking of which," Mai's voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone and she narrowed her eyes playfully.  "is there anyone in your life Leona-chan?"

	Heat immediately retuned to Leona's face.  "Um... welll... sort of..."

	The bouncy kunoichi laughed in delight and she squeezed Leona's shoulders tighter.  "Who's the lucky guy?  C'mon tell me!  Please!"  

	The blue haired girl couldn't help but smile in return.  "Um, it's kind of, Yagami Iori, more or less."

	Mai's eyes widened and she sat back slightly and released the other girl's shoulders.  "Wow.  I've met that guy, he's, something else.  I'll give you this Leona, you're braver than I am."

*****

	"Um, Mai are you sure about this?"  Leona said an hour later.  After a the Shiranui kunoichi had emraced her self-appointed task of making Leona as stylish as possible with the same zeal she did everything else.  It seemed that her efforts had paid off, though Leona was by no means comfortable with the choices Mai had made.

	The young woman's blue hair was done into it's characteristic pony tail, and Mai had convinced her to accept a minimum of eyeshadow and lipstick.  Though as she had remarked several times, Leona hadn't needed any and what little she wore simply accentuated her already beautiful face.  It had taken her some time, but Mai had eventually located a top that would fit her guests slightly less generous figure.  Now Leona was dressed a black spandex top with a dangerously low neckline.  The top showed off the young woman's toned stomach well, and the thigh length dark blue skirt did the same for her shapely legs.  To complete the outfit Mai had grabbed a leather jacket Blue Mary had left with her.  The red haired kunoichi stepped back and nodded like a sculptor finishing her work.

	"Positive Leona.  You're absolutely gorgeous!  If we see Iori tonight he won't be able to keep his hands off you!"

	"But Iori and I are already, uh, close."  Mai giggled musicaly again.

	"I had kind of guessed, but remember a girl's always got to look her best.  Makes the guy you're with appreciate you more.  And if you're not with someone at that moment it's reassuring to know that you can still catch them!"

	Leona smiled and returned Mai's laugh.  A thought occured to her.  "What do you mean, tonight?"

	"Well as part of payment for me taking care of you, Leona-chan, you and I are going out to some clubs tonight.  From what you told me about Iori he likes metal bars and I know a few myself that he might be at."  Mai responded with a tone that left no room for questioning.  "Think you can handle that Leona?"

	The blue haired girl drew herself up resolutely.  "Of course I can!  And if it makes it more likely that I'll see Iori... oh, no.  I'm sorry Mai but I can't!"

	The red haired girls eye's widened in concern.  "Why not?"

	"Well I can't say too much about it but I'm supposed to be on assignment!  I need to track down the man I was fighting again!"

	Mai considered this for a moment then nodded with determination.  "Well the first thing I'd do is call your base or whatever and make sure this mission, whatever it is, is still going.  If it is then I'm going with you!  This guy looks pretty dangerous and if I'm with you then you're a lot more likely to succeed!"

	Leona was going to argue, but one look into Mai's fierce gaze told her that it would be pointless.  With a wiry smile she aquieced.  "Ok Mai-san.  You win,  I'll call HQ and find out what's going on, and if the operation is still a go then I'll bring you with me."

	Mai bobbed her head again with bright resoluteness.  "All right then.  There's a phone in the next room."

*****

	"What?"  Leona almost yelled.  "What do you mean the mission's been canceled?"

	Even Heidern's stern, disapproving tone couldn't dispell her anger and frustration.  "The two targets have been acquired by another orginization and command doesn't want to make an enemy of them."

	"Who?" demanded the blue haired girl.  "Who has 'acquired' them?"

	"From everything we know, it's the Yagami clan."  Leona nearly dropped the phone.

	"Iori..." she trailed off.

	"Not from what we've gathered."  came Heidern's voice snapping Leona out of her daze.  "It seems that the clan itself has taken an interest in these two.  Given what we know of him Yagami Iori has little to nothing to do with this.  Regardless you have seventy two hours to clean up any loose ends and to lie low.  No more public battles.  After that you will meet a contact at Haneda airport, thirteen hundred, and purchase your tickets there.  Watch your back Leona."

	With that the gruff voiced man hung up.  Leona did the same, slowly, as if unsure what effect it would have.  Mai was sitting on the couch watching her impatiently.

	"Well what's going on?  Is everything all right?  Do you have to leave."  Mai snapped the questions off without a pause.  The blue haired young woman shook her head to clear it and looked at Mai with a slight smile on her face.

	"No, everything's fine.  The mission is no longer a problem.  I guess we can go look for Iori like you suggested. "

	"Lucky!"  Mai said in English and grinned.  "we've got a few hours before any of the clubs really get interesting, you want to get something to eat?"

*****

	The music crashed into Leona like a tidal wave.  She paused as her eyes adjusted to the bedlem before her.  Beyond the steel cage that barely restrained it sheer pandemonium raged.  While following Iori the first time they had met Leona had often entered bars or clubs similar to this, but this was the first time she was in one for the sole purpose of going there.  Ralf and Clark had occasionaly atempted to bring her with them on their leave time but to no avail.  The blue haired fighter had always thought she had better things to do.

	Out of the chaos that raged around her Mai grabbed her arm and enthusiasticaly dragged her toward a realatively calm spot raised above the rest of the club.  The kunoichi had her hair as she usaully did, not even changing her hairpiece.  She wore a two piece black satin outfit, the top was trimmed in red, with a throat covering neck, and a wide diamond cut at the top of her chest to show off vast amounts of cleavage.  The skirt was more reserved, being knee length, save that it was slit up to the hip on her left side.  Black elbow high satin gloves completed the affair.  Leona instantly recognized the eye of the storm when she saw it.  

	The frenzied activity that went outside might not be going on in here but it certainly was started.  The bar was crowded and alcohol was flowing freely.  There were signs of previous fights that had been hastily, and not entirely effectively, cleaned up.  Leona's interest began to increase.  The red haired girl found two empty seats and nearly grabbed a bartender in her zeal.

	"What are you having Leona-chan?"  Mai yelled over the pounding metal.  The blue haired girl shrugged, she hadn't really given it much thought.

	"Uh, whatever you're having one-sama."  Leona offered.  Earlier that night Leona had said that she felt like she was Mai's younger sister.  The red head had laughed at that and said it sounded good to her.  After that the two had reffered to each other as if they were sisters.  The result it had on observers was usaully extreme.

	"Futatatsu o sake kudasai! (Two sake's please!)"  Mai called out.  Leona blinked in concternation again.  Ralf had once convinced her to have a beer with him and Clark after a particularly succesful mission.  She had drank it to be polite but had hated the taste.  Leona had no expierence with alcohol other than that, but wasn't going to back down from something Mai obviously enjoyed.  Two glasses of the slightly cloudy liquid appered in front of the pair along with a wide grin assuring them the first round was on the house.

	Mai grinned impishly back and raised her drink to Leona.  

	"Kampai!" she cheered and downed her sake.  The blue haired girl breathed deeply and followed suit.  At first it wasn't bad, slightly sweet and with a pleasent tang, the she swallowed, and the drink suddenly turned to acid.  It burned down her throat like liquid fire, finally settling in napalm-like form in her stomach.  Despite all this Leona only blinked rapidly and breathed in through her mouth to cool her throat.  Mai watched her with a wide smile.  "Ready Leona-chan?"

	The young woman shifted her gaze to Mai with a puzzeled look on her face.  "Ready?  What for?"

	The red head laughed, grabbed her arm, and dragged Leona to the railing overlooking the open basement that was the rest of the club.  Mai pointed with a look of glee on her face.

	"That!"  she said triumphantly.

	If outside the bar was chaotic what Leona saw below her was closer to a small war.  The scene resembled a cross between a barfight and a rave dance.  Everywhere she saw bodies either slamming into each other or getting ready to.  Some people jumped on to a stage where a four man band produced the sound that assulted her ears, only to jump off again and be carried by the crowd.

	"It's just like a friendly fight!"  Mai explained.  "Just don't kill anyone and hit the person next to you on the downbeat.  Ikuzo!"

	With a deep breath Leona followed her guide into the pandemonium.

*****

	The next morning

*****

	At first Leona couldn't remember where she was or why she was there.  She tried to open her eyes but found the effort to painful to complete.  The blue haired girl tried to take stock of her injuries but found that other than a few minor bruises the only injury seemed to be her head.  As she tried to analyze why the wound throbbed so much Leona realized it was her own pulse making her head pound.

	Memory slowly filtered back to her.  The heavy metal bar.  The intense, frantic pace of the mosh pit, the coursing adrenilan.  Despite the pain Leona smiled at this, she hadn't had that much fun since her and Iori had been together.  The "Pit" as Mai refered to it had been far more amusing than damaging so Leona wondered, why the pain then?  Another memory surfaced, that of the red haired kunoichi's challenge that Leona match her drink for drink.  And her slightly slurred response of yes.  After that she only remembered a vauge feeling of exuberance and relaxation.

	"Never again."  Leona thought to herself.  However much fun sake might be, nothing was worth this.  A sound startled Leona out of her interior monlouge.  The blue haired girl's first reaction was freeze, as the sound came from next to her and was clearly another person breathing.  There was no change in the sound and Leona could feel no motion.  The young woman decided that come what may she had to open her eyes.

	With no small amount of pain or effort she did so.  And stared at scene before, or rather next to, her.  Leona was lying on her stomach in the wide bed that occupied Mai's bedroom.  The sheet had been tucked around her in a haphazard manner and she was dressed only in the new underwear Mai had convinced her to buy before they went to the bar.  But what really caught her attention, was that she was not alone in the bed.  Cuddled next to her but on top of the sheet was Mai, sleeping peacefully.

	Miracalously her clothes were on and intact despite the violence Leona remembered her plunging headlong into.  That they were still on now said something about the condition she had returned in, but right now Leona couldn't think clearly enough to deduce what.  The blue haired girl's attention was focused instead, on Mai's face.  

	Though it was faint and smudged, there were definately the mark of two lips on Mai's cheek.  With crystaline clarity Leona recognized that the shade was the same as Mai had picked out for her.  Leona's heart suddenly began slamming fast in her chest and her stomach began it's own gymnastics routine.  The blue haired girl's gaze trailed almost involuntarily to Mai's neck.

	The collar on her dress was open, but covering that area of skin.  With her mouth dry and her chest pounding Leona carefully reached out and gently pulled the material away.  What she found made her freeze again.  Not only were there more traces of Leona's lipstick, but there was a red mark that looked to be made by teeth, biting lightly.  Leona let the collar back into place carefully and sank to her stomach again, unsure of what she should or could do.  

	The young woman could think of no reason she would have kissed Mai to begin with, and the second mark really bothered her.  The blue haired girl turned the problem over and over in her head only to return to one conclusion.  They meant that she, Leona, had decided to express her emotions physicaly.  That was rare enough to begin with, as Heidern had taught her to remain in control at all times.  They only other thing that instilled that reaction in her was Iori, and she couldn't feel the way she did for Iori and Mai could she?  Leona squeezed her eyes shut and tried to convince herself that it had been somehow accidental, a random occurence brought on by the sake.

	She was not making much progress when sleep reclaimed her and darkness  mercifully embraced Leona.
0
*****

	The blue haired girl woke to the smell of something delicous cooking.  She looked around her and found that a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt had been layed out for her.  When she emerged, Mai was busy setting two plates on the table in the living room.  The red head noticed her and smiled.

	"Ohai yo Leona-chan!  It looked like you were going to sleep all day again but I thought some breakfast would wake you up!"  Leona saw that Mai's hair was slightly wet and that the bite on her neck was gone.  If the kunoichi had noticed either marking she didn't say anything.  The blue haired girl smiled and answered her.

	"Ohai yo one-sama.  I just needed to recover from last night."  Mai nodded as she went back to the kitchen.

	"Oh I know what you mean, I haven't partied like that for months!  It was really fun though, ne?"  Leona sat down on the couch in front of a plate of rice.  Mai returned with a dish full of yakisoba (fried noodles, meat, and vegtables) and served some to Leona then the rest to herself.  The blue haired girl thanked her.

	"Yes it was, I can't remeber doing anything like that before."

	"Your first time huh?  Well you're a natural Leona-chan.  Say why don't we get some movies out tonight!  I just convinced Aoshi to buy a TV and haven't watched anything on it yet!"

	Leona smiled sadly.  "I'd like that Mai."

	The red haired kunoichi noticed the look.  "Dosh ta no Leona?"

	"Well it's just that I've really enjoyed being around you.  There aren't many women working with the company and most of them don't like me."  she answered.  "I'm going to miss you when I leave tomorrow."

	Mai's eyes widened then softened and a kind look formed on her round face.  "You're good company Leona, I've enjoyed having you here.  I don't want to say goodbye just yet."

	For a moment both women dropped their gazes, and were quiet, feeling the distance that would soon seperate them.  Then an idea, unprovoked, and random formed in Leona's head.  She thought it over wildly, not believing she was even considering it.  Why would she even bother thinking of such a thing, it was impossible!  Then another thought joined it.  What would Mai say?  She'd say:  "Why not?"

	"Mai,"  Leona said slowly.  The red haired girl looked at her again.

	"Nani?" she asked seeing the expression on Leona's face.

	"How would you like to see what a mercanary headquarters looks like?"  The blue haired woman asked.  Mai blinked.  She was amazed that her new friend had said that.  She was more amazed that she was thinking it over very seriously.

	"Can you do that?  I mean, I could only stay for a few days..."  Mai asked.  Leona nodded hurriedly.

	"Oh yes.  I'm sure I could get commander Heidern's permission, I'll just say that you are an adviser on Shinokawa Tanaku, he's that guy I was fighting.  Or, or, well, I'm sure I'll come up with something!"  Mai could see that Leona had a lot riding on this gesture.  The kunoichi's lips turned upward into a wide smile.

	"Well how could I leave you alone!  If I did that you'd just get yourself into trouble again!  And someone has to find out if <insert Brazil's capital> has any good club's in it!"  Leona smiled wide, it was a rare event such an expression.  Years of hardship and total self-control had almost made her face marble, beautiful but cold.  The smile she gave Mai was like a flower blooming.

	"I DO have some leave time coming up!"  Leona said.  Both girls looked at each other and started laughing for no reason other than they felt good.

*****
The Blade and the Cherry Blossom

Part 2

Purple Dreams... Red Dances...

Hello, salutations, and all that.  If you're reading this, then I should certainly hope that you've already read the first part of this story.  If you haven't, then none of the below is going to make any sense...Go back and read the first part!  Okay, seeing that you're still with me, you've either complied or you already read it before.  GOOD!  

To restate the obvious, this a lemon, which also involves violence.  It is not intended to be read by anyone under the age of 18.  Tanaku Shinokawa is copyright of ME...>I< created him and he's mine, property of Vegeta@AMX.net and Vegeta4@Yahoo.com.  Any other character named in this story is copyright of their original creator, SNK, Capcom, and...uhh, whoever wrote Ruroni Kenshin.  All rights reserved.

You, a mirror of you, reflections of you
You're showing what you feel like inside
Me, the power of two, just me and you
An image that you hold in your mind

	"Goodbye" written and copyright of Gravity Kills

Haneda Airport, 12:05 hours

	Prompt and never wanting to be late, Leona had insisted that they arrive early to the airport.  Buying two tickets for Brazil had been simplicity itself, and now they had but to wait for the plane to arrive and the gate to open.
	Shiranui Mai was cheerfully talking to her about all sorts of things, the name Shinomori Aoshi coming up more than once.  Leona knew that she'd heard that name before, but her mind was still in turmoil over the unbelievable nights she had had in Tokyo.  The fight with Shinokawa Tanaku had been one thing, and despite the fact that Leona knew she'd lost, she had been in control of almost everything that had happened.  However, her encounters with Mai had gone from stretching her limits to going far past them.
	As she mulled over all the new sensations and experiences that she had been put through in such a short period of time, Mai led Leona over to a bench in the center of the floor and continued talking.  Mai apparently was thinking of Brazil in terms of parties, clubs, and Mardi Gras.  Leona, to the contrary, had a much darker perception of the country due to its vast forests and treacherous terrain.  Still, it was interesting hearing a different perspective on what she had always thought to be a 'war zone'.
	Leona was having enormous difficulty keeping her eyes off Mai's neck as she talked, still feeling extremely uncomfortable of her own actions.  Although the sake drinking contest had been in good fun, the after effects had gone far beyond the scope of her control.  That and the fact that she had little to no tolerance for the substance.  She knew now why she'd stayed away from alcohol, and silently repeated this fact to herself.  Thankfully, if Mai had had any recollection of the event, she kept it to herself.

****

	Mai had been having a great time chatting with Leona, and getting her to pick out some things to wear for herself had been even more fun.  She even *felt* like the big sister, watching out for her curious and very inexperienced guest.  The fact that Leona had decided to call her, "one-sama" just fit it all the better.  Despite all the previous illusions that Mai had had about Leona, she realized that a lot of the things she thought she knew were skin deep.  Leona had turned out to be a remarkable woman, capable of several things that her normally icy appearance betrayed.  The fact that she hadn't just left as soon as she had recovered and was still around to talk to attributed to that fact.
	Another enormous illusion that had been dispelled was the very fact at just how small and young Leona truly was.  Every time prior, Mai had always seen her as a large, imposing figure, and she had the command of two enormous, battle-hardened warriors at her side.  But seeing Leona, falling through the sky-light, picking her up and feeling her actual weight, seeing just how delicate she was and how na‹ve she was, just continued to make Mai re-guess and re-evaluate Leona again and again.  And she liked the person she was finding underneath.
	As Mai began to ask about the current weather in Brazil, a pair of small hands wrapped themselves around her eyes.  A quiet voice whispered in her ear pleasantly, "Guess who?"
	"Umm...Yuri Sakazaki?"
	"Nope...try again."
	"Well then...Doraimon?"
	The voice laughed, "Sorry...guess again!"
	"Oh...Well then...I guess the only person left could be...Ibuki!"
	"Bing-bong!"  said the voice as the younger kunoichi removed her hands from Mai's eyes.  Bouncing to her feet (which caused Leona an involuntary shudder), Mai hugged the smaller girl and said, "Ibuki-chan!  Konnichiwa!  O-genki?"
	Ibuki nodded, smiling up at Mai.  "Hai hai!  What a surprise to find you here at Haneda!  What brings you here Mai-san?"
	Mai also noticed the frame of Kisaragi Eiji standing near-by, leaning against a pillar.  Throwing a wave in his direction, Mai responded, "Well, I got really bored waiting for Aoshi to come home, so I decided to take up an offer of a trip with a good friend of mine!  Ibuki-chan, meet Leona-san!"
	The two women warriors exchanged a light head bow, and Ibuki said, "Yoroshiku!  You're a friend of Mai's?  That's great!  She has so many I'll never keep track of them all!"
	Mai grinned, "So...just got back into town with Eiji-san eh?  So what are you two up to, eh eh?"
	Ibuki blushed just slightly, but said, "Oh, nothing much...We heard that a good friend of Eiji's and Aoshi's is getting married soon, so we wanted to be in town to get all the details!"

****

	The whole time Leona's eyes never left Eiji.  She smiled inwardly to herself, making a quick mental note to make sure to update the files that had stated that he had died at Iori's hands.  She couldn't really tell why she was relieved to see that Eiji was alive, but concluded that she didn't like the fact at *who* he was supposedly killed by.  The fact that she and Iori were both tainted with Orochi blood and the fact that said blood caused murderous rampages were nothing new to her.  She just didn't like to think of Iori as a killer.
	"...which is why Leona and I are going to Brazil...ne Leona-san?"  said Mai's voice.
	Leona blinked and nodded, not hearing the entire question.  Ibuki smiled and said, "Well, in that case, come on then Leona-san!"
	Leona blinked again, "Huh?"
	Mai smirked, "I said that since I was going to be taking care of your choice in clothing in Brazil when you get your leave time, Ibuki offered to take care of you right now!  How does that sound?"
	Leona looked at the young girl and said, "I...uhh...well..." she glanced at her watch and saw that she still had time.  Sighing, she realized that she had gotten herself trapped.  "Okay...Let's go."
	Ibuki clapped, "Great!  Come on Eiji-sama!  Let's go see what the airport has to offer!"  Eiji nodded, and Leona and he exchanged quick, friendly bows and introductions.

****

	Mai giggled to herself as the trio left.  Sitting back down on the bench, she looked at the enormous board in the middle of the ceiling showing arriving and departing flights.  Crossing one leg, she drummed her fingers on the edge of her seat, and waited patiently (as patiently as she could) for Leona to come back.
	Just then, Mai heard the familiar rustle of a trench-coat approach her from behind, and a pair of larger hands wrapped themselves around her eyes.  Checking a laugh, Mai said, "My goodness!  This is happening more and more today isn't it?"
	The voice chuckled along with her and said, "Guess who?"
	"Hmm...Kyo Kusanagi?"
	"Nope...try again."
	"Well then...Arnold Schwarzenegger?"
	The voice laughed, "Sorry...guess again!"
	"Oh...Well then...I guess the only person left could be...Aoshi!"
	"Bzzt...Wrong...But thank you for playing."
	Mai's head snapped to look behind her shoulder, and had been about to whirl around to hug her favorite shinobi, when all of a sudden she felt ice in her limbs.  She had been *certain* that it was him!  What met her eyes was a man, about six feet tall, with short black hair peeking out over the up-turned collar of a brown trench-coat.  As the man walked into her view, she saw that it was the same man that had attacked Leona a few nights prior.

****

	Mai's stance instantly switched from glee to battle.  But before she could stand to her feet, a beautiful bouquet of roses fell into her lap.  As the look of surprise registered on her face, the man sat down a few feet away from her at the other end of the bench.  Smiling good naturedly at her, he gave her a half-bow from the waist, as deep as his sitting position would allow him.  Seeing that he had had the desired effect of catching Mai off guard, Tanaku thought to himself, "*Most excellent.  So she IS having some sort of relationship with Shinomori Aoshi.  Those men I paid off held information worth every last Yen.*"  Speaking aloud, he said, "Well...Shiranui Mai-san...This is indeed a great pleasure...I had hoped that we would be able to meet, as I said, under more friendly conditions."

****

	Mai's eyes danced between the roses and the man sitting near her.  Although she had felt a large amount of dark ki from him on the night of the fight, she felt none of that now.  Getting a good look at him, she saw that he was rather handsome, despite the fact that he had almost ended the life of her new found friend.  Not allowing herself to fall into any sort of comfort, Mai asked, "Who are you and why did you attack Leona-san?!"
	Tanaku smiled and said, "My name is Shinokawa Tanaku...An extreme pleasure to meet you.  I have seen you several times before, but to meet you in person...well, let's just say that..."
	"Why did you attack Leona-san?!  You mentioned something about Orochi or what-not, but that gives you NO right to try and kill her!"
	Tanaku decided to play a different card, "Well, I suppose I do owe you an explanation, seeing as how we met under rather rude and rushed circumstances.  In my rather hazed stated I failed to word my question properly...Shiranui-san...Do you know what that girl is?"
	Mai huffed at him, "If you're talking about Leona-san, of *course* I know *what* she is!  She's a very nice, sweet girl who happens to be bad at expressing herself!"
	Tanaku smiled, "Bzzt...Wrong again...The correct answer is that she's an Orochi...A being picked for some unknown reason that I myself couldn't even begin to explain.  Her purpose in life is bring forth the resurrection of the dreaded dragon-hydra Orochi...the creature of nightmares that will wipe humanity off the face of the earth!"
	Mai scoffed, "I don't think you know her...Regardless of whatever you think she is, I happen to know that she's a very nice person, a good fighter, and someone who really needs to get out more and taste more of life's experiences!"  Mai quickly reached into her shirt and produced a fan.  Reaching forward with her arm, she gave Tanaku a quick bap on the nose with it.  "You got a problem with that?"
	Tanaku could have easily blocked her 'attack', but marveled more at her fan retrieval.  Blinking once or twice, he looked at her shirt, which was extremely short, semi-tight fitting, and had no evidence of bulges (other than her rather well-endowed breasts) or fans.  Unable to think of anything else, he asked, "Where did that..."
	Mai smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
	Tanaku shook his head and re-focused on the conversation, "Regardless...Do you know that Orochi's are extremely unstable and capable of wanton and devastating blood-shed?  Or did you think it was but a rumor that Yagami Iori tore his team-mates apart last year?"
	Mai couldn't help but remember.  The "King of Fighters" committee, headed by Kagura Chizuru, had issued a quick and detailed warning to all the KoF participants that year.  In the letter, it expressed the danger that Iori presented, and for everyone's safety that they should avoid him at all costs.  After reading why, Mai wasn't sure if she could ever see Iori the same way again, and when she met Eiji some time later and learned what Iori had done to him in 1995, she *really* didn't want to ever see him again.  But Mai asked, "What does any of that have to do with Leona-san?"
	Tanaku nodded as he realized his words had hit something, "What Iori entered is known as the "Riot of the Blood".  A state in which the Orochi blood awakens within its carrier and seeks out blood.  It cares not who's or why.  It simply kills, and by the most efficient methods available.  Someone like yourself, should know what being 'possessed' by a fighting spirit is like."
	Mai didn't need to ask what he meant, he was referring to the 'void'.  Something which all shinobi aspired to become in their training.  Only the best of the best ever accomplished it.  She was one of them.  Eiji was another.  But regardless what the void was called, she knew that in times of need, it would come to life, and would do whatever was required to vanquish its foe.  "Are you saying that the "Orochi Blood Riot" can take hold of anyone with Orochi blood?"
	The handsome man nodded, "Quite so.  Depending on the personality of the possessor, it can happen at the drop of a hat, or it will emerge through massive amounts of stress or strain.  But no Orochi is immune to its affects, and when the Riot comes full circle, it will cause the warrior to kill anyone in its way, family, friend, or foe."
	Mai smirked again, "So why didn't Leona go berserk and kill you with the Blood Riot?"
	Tanaku stopped in mid-sentence.  The smug look that had been starting to grow vanished quicker than it had appeared, "I...have no answer.  For all intensive purposes, she should have.  Perhaps it was self-doubt..."
	Mai cut him off, "Or maybe it's the fact that Leona-san ISN'T that kind of person!  She's extremely level headed, and keeps almost complete control of herself."
	Tanaku suddenly snapped a look past her, and as he did he said, "But she's Orochi.  One way or another she will Riot, and when she does, she will kill you."
	Mai laughed, "I have faith in her!"
	Tanaku quickly stood to his feet.  "You soon won't..."
	Mai looked behind herself to see Eiji, now fully garbed in his usual black and gold ninja fighting outfit, glaring at Tanaku with eyes drawn into slits.  The two men stared at each other in anger, and at the same time spoke, "Kisama..."

****
(at the same time, a few minutes earlier)

	Leona again asked, "Do you need some help with that Eiji-san?"

	The shinobi smiled at her and shook his head.  He had already made sure to get Leona past the "Kisaragi-san" stage.  However, he had been designated 'pack-horse' for the two shopping girls.  He was now laden with bags of their 'spoils'.  Ibuki knew that time was of the essence, so she had hastily picked out a few outfits for Leona.  Leona was a bit relieved that she was out and about with Ibuki, for her taste in clothing was much more conservative than Mai's.  While she liked some of the things Mai had 'loaned' her, she still felt too uncomfortable wearing some of them.

	As the three got closer to the main center of the airport, Eiji suddenly frowned darkly and picked up his pace.  Ibuki asked him what was wrong, but soon he put everything down, and knelt within the circle of bags.  His clothing shifted as an aura of power surrounded him, and his fighting garb appeared in its place.  Breaking into a run, Eiji rushed towards where they had left Mai.  Leona was right behind him, but then paused to help Ibuki pick up her mess as an airport guard began chastising them about leaving their belongings in the middle of the floor.

****

	He knew that aura...the void knew that aura.  It was the hidden aura of a killer.  But it was also a dark, sickly feeling aura, one of a mind lost in insanity.  He had felt the same aura 2 years ago, and he couldn't believe he was feeling it now.  What was worse was that he could feel Mai's presence near it.  Eiji dashed forward without regard of the passer-by's in the airport.  He only knew that if *anything* happened to Mai while he was around, that Aoshi would never forgive him, not to mention the fact that he'd never forgive himself.

	As Eiji passed through a corridor into the main area, he saw that his suspicions were confirmed.  Unfortunately for him, he had come out in direct line of sight to the man sitting next to Mai.  Relieved that she wasn't hurt, Eiji quickly closed the distance.  The man had stood to meet him.  Eiji wasted no words for a challenge, neither of them needed to.  With a single breath he uttered the only word worthy of this man, "Kisama..."  It was returned in kind.

****

	No...no...NO! NO! NO!  This wasn't supposed to happen!  How could he convince Mai of anything if the void wouldn't leave him alone?!  Was the void stalking him as he stalked the Orochi?!  Every time he got involved with something, every time he made progress, every time an Orochi's death came that much closer, a void warrior would come out of nowhere!  And this was no ordinary void warrior...*this* one KNEW him...The same shinobi that had protected Iori two years ago.

	Unable to vent his frustration internally, Tanaku spoke as he and Eiji circled, "WHY?!  What do YOU want?!  Go away...you shouldn't be here!  The VOID shouldn't be here!"  Tanaku's pleasant voice disappeared into a voice rising in pitch, dripping with anger.

	Eiji finally spoke, "Get away from her.  If you so much as touch her, blood will be the *last* thing that will exit your body.  I will tear you apart from the bottom up if I must!  GET AWAY FROM MAI, KUSO OROKANA!"

	Tanaku took a hesitant step back, dropping into a low stance with his hands lazily bending at the wrists, level with his chest.  Smiling as best he could, he spoke, "Forgive me Shiranui-san...it seems that our little meeting has to come to a close...It was very pleasant meeting you...but now it seems that I have to deal with something that *always* stands in my way!"

	Eiji stepped forward with every step Tanaku took away from Mai.  His eyes never leaving his foe, he asked, "Are you all right Mai-san?"

	Mai nodded, "I'm fine...Don't fight Eiji-san!  Not here!  There are too many people!"

	The voices confirmed what Mai had said.  Several people were gathering closer to find out what was going on.  But then he felt *that* presence again, as well as another hole in the world...Looking over Eiji's shoulder, he saw Leona and Ibuki pushing their way through the spectators.  A haze of tar began to fill Tanaku's mind...thick, rolling, purple...it filled his vision, his ears...his world began to turn purple again.  Some voices began to scream...OROCHI!!  But there were three...*THREE* void warriors as well...Although one was obviously not as skilled...how could he fight an Orochi AND three void fighters?!

	"NO!!!  NO NO NO!!!! Get out!! Get away from here!  Leave me alone!  You always stop me..."  Pointing at Leona, he screamed, "You should be dead!  I killed you!  You were dead!  But IT stopped me...IT KEEPS STOPPING ME!!! WHY?!  NO!!!"  Tanaku backed off till he was next to a support pillar.  Looking up he began bashing against it with his fists in a fit of rage.

	Suddenly, Eiji rushed forward, his arm cocked back for a strike.  Tanaku looked at him dully, barely turning his body.  Cocking his head to the side, so that it looked like it was too heavy for his neck to support, he hissed angrily as Eiji's arm swiped out him.  Batting the attack down by gently slapping Eiji's wrist, Tanaku vaulted upwards and clung to the pillar.  Using his legs, he pushed off the marbled stone and leapt forward into the crowd.

****

	He was about to stop him, to go after him, but Leona stopped Eiji first.  "Please, Eiji-san!  Let him go!  One-sama was right!  A battle here would hurt or possibly kill innocent people!"

	Eiji looked a bit angered, but allowed his shoulders to slump a bit and nodded.  Looking down at the shorter, blue-haired woman, he suddenly caught a strange phrase from out of the air that he had just heard, "One...sama...?"

	Leona felt her cheeks burn slightly, but managed to keep her face straight, "Mai-san...I meant Mai-san...But please, let that man go...He uses a lot of ki attacks when he fights, and..."

	Eiji nodded, "I'm sorry...I guess I got carried away...I was just worried for Mai-san's sake and also..."

	Leona blinked as the two other kunoichi got closer as the crowd dispersed. "Also?"

	Eiji nodded, "I've met that man before...two years ago.  He tried to assassinate someone, Yagami Iori I think.  His aura was so well hidden at first, but then suddenly it completely opened up and he started looking at me in fear, almost as if he couldn't believe I was there.  I managed to scare him off again it seems...I'd just like to get my hands on him and find out just who the hell he is..."

	Ibuki looked over a Leona, "Do you know that guy?"

	Leona nodded, but said, "Although there's very little I can tell you about him.  What I can say though is..."

	Leona suddenly got cut off by the pleasant sounding voice of the airport staff, "Now boarding, Gate 48...Now boarding, Gate 48."

	Both Mai and Leona looked at each other and said in unison, "That's our flight!"

****

	Mai, with the help of Ibuki and Eiji, managed to get all the bags onto the plane.  As everyone said their good-byes, Mai couldn't help but notice how wistful Leona was becoming, even though her face barely registered anything.

	As the warriors took their seats, Leona gazed silently out the window, leaving Mai to more or less settle herself.  As the plane took off, Mai noticed that Leona not only hadn't spoken yet, but also that her eyes never left the window until Japan was well out of sight.  Leona whispered, "Farewell,...Iori..." and Mai understood all too well.

	"Genki-da ze Leona-san!  They'll be other opportunities!"

	Leona finally looked at her, "I know...one-sama.  It's just that...it's been a long time since I saw him last and I had really hoped that I'd get lucky...But other than meeting you nothing went right on this trip!  I didn't get to see Iori, Tanaku got away, my mission got canceled!  What else could possibly go wrong?"

	Mai patted the younger girl's shoulder, "Don't worry about it!  Things will get better, trust me!  Just think of all the things you learned in just a few days!"

****

	Leona sighed.  There was no darkening the day of this woman.  Not wanting to share her conflicting feelings on the matter, Leona simply nodded and did her best to not look so sullen.  But it was only a skin deep gesture.  Mai had no way of knowing that despite her best efforts and kindness, Leona was thinking that what Mai was doing to her head was extremely damaging.  Leona rationalized to herself that what Mai had shown her and done for her in those few days was very helpful, and she was grateful for them.  She just felt that maybe things had gone too fast for her.  But Leona quickly crushed those thoughts. "*No!  Mai-san has been very helpful!  I had had no experience with men before I met Iori, and I didn't run then.  I'm not a little girl anymore.  I'm going to learn about all the things Mai-san is teaching...I'm not going to run now either!*"

	Thus steeled, Leona looked a little more cheerful and said, "Well now...Have you ever been to Brazil before?"

	Mai nodded, "Oh yes.  I had to go for the King of Fighters Tournament."

	"I mean, did you ever actually *see* Brazil?  Or did you even have the time to?"

	Mai understood, "Ahh...I see what you're saying.  No, not really.  But I've heard all sorts of stories about it!  You're lucky to live in such a vibrant place!"

	Leona blinked.  Despite the fact that her own experience with Brazil had covered none of the things that Mai would like to see, she wondered just *why* she never left the base other than to be polite to Ralf and Clark when they asked her to.  She certainly could have gone into some of the more major cities at any time.  So why hadn't she?  The girl that she was a week ago would have never even bothered to ask the question.  Such things were 'silly' or a 'waste of time'.  But now, Leona wasn't so sure that was entirely accurate.  She was second-guessing herself, something that her commander and mentor had warned her never to do.  

"A soldier always has to make a decision and stick with it!"  the gruff voice of Heidern said in her head, "No matter what, you can't second-guess yourself.  If you do, you'll hesitate, and hesitation for even a second can get you killed!"

Leona heard her own voice, though somewhat younger, bark sharply, "Sir!  Yes, sir!"

****

	Seeing that Leona had spaced out on her for a moment, Mai slowly waved her hands in front of her eyes.  "Leona-chan?  You still with me?"

	Leona snapped back to reality, "Sorry, one-sama...Was thinking..."

	Mai nodded, and decided to change the subject, "So...what do you do on base?"

	Leona shrugged, "I'm in charge of a lot of personnel.  It's my job to make sure things are running smoothly.  If they're not, then it's my task to make sure that they do so again."

	Mai looked impressed, "Wow.  Sounds like you're pretty high up there."

	Mai thought she could see the faintest glimmer of sorrow pass through Leona's face, but it was gone before it ever surfaced fully, "I suppose so.  It hasn't made me overly popular with most of the base staff though."

	Mai blinked in surprise, "How so?"

	Leona sighed, "Almost everyone on the base is 'polite' to me in person, but inwardly I can tell they don't want me around.  They think I'm too young to be in the position I'm in, and that I'm a liability.  I've had to do a lot to prove myself to some of them, and the rest are impossible to reach."

	"Surely you've got some friends there!  Otherwise you wouldn't be there!"

	Leona thought for a moment, "Yes, there have been three men that have been very kind to me.  Ralf, Clark, and commander Heidern.  Ralf has always stuck up for me, and Clark is like a pillar of stone...he's quiet and resolved, but very caring when it comes down to it.  Commander Heidern has been my mentor and father-figure for as long as I can remember.  He said that he knew my father, but I don't know if that's true or not.  But the commander has always been there for me.  He trained me, supported me, believed in me when no one else would.  So in essence, he is the father that I never had."

	Mai listened quietly, letting Leona spill her thoughts out, "What happened to your father, your parents?  Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

	Leona shook her head, her loose blue hair swaying back and forth, "I...don't know what happened to my family.  Commander Heidern said that he found me wandering alone in a field that had been torn up by heavy shelling when I was just a little girl.  He took me back to the base and...well, the rest is in the past."

	Mai nodded again, "I see..."

	However, Leona continued, "Not to mention the fact that I have Orochi blood in me as well.  Almost everyone on the base thought that I was a monster or something.  Even though things are a lot calmer now, it hasn't been easy..."

	Mai sighed and slumped back into her seat, trying to get as comfortable as possible.  Looking over at Leona, she saw her doing the same.  Soon, the blue-haired girl was fast asleep.  Chuckling to herself, Mai gently ran the tips of her fingers down Leona's cheek, and brushed a little of her hair away from her face.  "The poor thing", Mai said quietly, "so young and already so mixed up.  Things must have been really hard for her.  Well Mai, let's just see what we can do about that!"  Thus resolved, Mai drifted off to sleep.

****

	Fire...it raged around her smaller form again.  Within its embrace she lay, sitting down calmly, watching as the flames licked ever closer.  The heat was incredible, the smoke blocked out the sky, tall grass was alive with the fire.  But she felt no fear, the fire could never hurt her.  Off ahead in a small clearing, she could see two figures.  One lay on the ground, the other loomed menacingly above it.  Without moving her feet she was whisked closer, and saw her adult form, lying on the ground in a pool of fresh blood.  A faceless figure stood over her, a long black braid of hair dangling off his shoulder.  Laughing insanely, she heard the featureless outline say, "I killed you!  You're dead...IT couldn't stop me this time!"

	The young girl watched in horror as the man's form finally gained enough clarity to become Tanaku.  His right hand curled into a wicked spear, and became engulfed in green flame, which seem to burn brighter than the flames that surrounded them.  Titling his head back, he screamed in insane pleasure, and the flames all around them suddenly flared with new life and turned purple.  But then she saw that the figure lying on the ground had become the little girl, and that she was now herself.  Screaming, "NO!" in vain, Tanaku's strike pierced the small girl's chest and ruptured her heart.  At the same moment, she felt a stab of intense pain in her chest.  Looking down with eyes widening in horror and fear, she saw his hand jutting out of her own chest, and purple blood flowing down it.  Her vision began to rock back and forth and her last sight was Tanaku's insane, handsome face no more than an inch from hers whispering, "I killed you..."

****

	Leona awoke to the realization of having two hands shaking her shoulders.  A voice said in alarm and concern, "Leona-san!  Wake up!  Leona-san!!"

	With a start, Leona's eyes flicked open, and she looked into the worried face of Mai.  The older woman stopped shaking her and said, "Thank goodness you woke up!  You were locked in a trance or something!"

	Leona raised her hand to her forehead and shook her head wearily.  She felt a cool sensation there, and a wet towel fell into her hand.  Dazedly, she looked up at Mai and said, "One-sama...?"

	Mai ran her hand down Leona's sweat soaked cheek.  Leona could now tell that she was fairly soaked by a cold sweat.  "You were mumbling something in your sleep, then you started shaking back and forth.  I tried to wake you up, but it took me a while.  You must have been having a really bad nightmare."
	
"*Nightmare...?  I understand now...why do I keep remembering this field of fire in my dreams...?*"

	"You all right now Leona-san?"

	Leona nodded, "Yes, thank you One-sama.  I'll try to get back to sleep...sorry to have bothered you."

	Mai smiled, "No problem at all!  We should be arriving in about two hours, so sleep if you can, I'm going to get something to drink!"

	Leona inwardly shuddered again, and then settled off to sleep once more.

	Finally, the plane landed in Brazil.  Mai and Leona got off the plane and retrieved their baggage.  Mai was looking about in wide-eyed excitement, whereas to Leona, it was just the same old airport she'd always seen.  Walking outside, she easily spotted Ralf and Clark, who waved enthusiastically to her.  As the two women got closer, 

Ralf smiled warmly and said, "Well, this is a surprise!  What brings you all the way out here Ms. Shiranui?"

Leona coughed lightly, and Ralf grinned, "Oh yeah...Welcome back commander!  I trust everything went well?"

	Leona nodded, "Things went fine.  Ralf, Clark, this is Shiranui Mai, although it seems you already knew that.  She's going to be staying on base with us for a short time."

	Ralf cocked his head to the side and looked a bit confused, "Uhh...I hate to bring this up commander, but base protocol doesn't really allow for civilians and such to be on base..."

	"Unless they have a special invite or have information that could be helpful to our operations.  Yes Ralf, I know the rules.  It just so happens that One...Mai-san has... uhh ...pertinent information for the files on Tanaku Shinokawa."

	Clark simply grinned and Ralf laughed, "Well hell!  I don't mind one bit!  It'll do the base good to have another gorgeous woman walking around!  Welcome to Brazil Ms. Shiranui!"

	Mai nodded to the soldiers, "Thank you...I so looking forward to seeing your base Leona!  Let's go!"

****

	Mai and Leona hopped into the back of the jeep.  As Clark pulled away, Ralf turned his head back and asked, "Uhh...Commander...Are you going to do...THAT to her?"

	Mai looked at Leona quizzically.  Leona nodded, "I know Ralf, I know.  It's also the rules..."  turning her attention to Mai, Leona continued, "Any civilian that comes on base has to be...blindfolded and handcuffed first."

	Mai cocked an eyebrow at Leona "You're joking..."

	Leona shook her head, and said in a whisper, "Sorry one-sama...I have to.  I'll make sure that the handcuffs are loose."

	Mai slumped back into her seat, and said, "Okay, whatever...I guess a rule is a rule, no matter how silly it sounds..."

	Leona quickly wrapped a black silk blindfold around Mai's eyes, and put a pair of handcuffs on her.  Making sure that they weren't too tight, Leona nodded to Ralf, who told Clark to floor it back to the base.

	After Mai was 'released', she was taken to see Commander Heidern in order to detail her encounter with Tanaku.  The grizzled soldier looked Mai up and down with his one good eye, and asked Leona impassively, "What is she doing here?"

	Mai balked a bit "*Now I see where Leona gets it from!*", but Leona quickly said, "Commander Heidern, this is Shiranui Mai, and she has information for us on Shinokawa Tanaku.  She had direct dealings with him and was able to extract some information that we can add to our very limited files."

	Heidern regarded Leona, and then Mai for a moment.  Mai was looking 
over Leona's shoulder, batting her eyelashes at him and attempting to be overwhelmingly charming and cute.  It worked.  Heidern's gruff face managed a small smile and he said, "Very well.  Let's go to conference room six and I'll interview you for that information."

	Leona looked ready to follow, but Heidern shook his head and said, "I'll be conducting the interview personally Leona.  You have other matters to attend to, and this shouldn't take very long anyway.  While you're still here, why don't you go do some of the file updating that you keep mentioning to me that you've been meaning to do?"

****

	Leona looked a bit reluctant, but an order was an order, informal or otherwise.  Besides, she knew she had to at least update the files that stated Eiji had died.  Nodding, she gave Heidern a crisp salute, and gathered a few things.  Mai said happily, "Well, why don't we talk while we walk?"

	Heidern nodded once, "Very well, Ms. Shiranui...How did you come into contact with Shinokawa Tanaku?"

	Leona walked away, but could still hear, "Well, I was sitting alone at Haneda when he came up from behind me and impersonated my boyfriend...he really caught me off-guard!"

	"And your boyfriend is...?"

	The door shut behind Leona just as the name, "Shinomori Aoshi."  drifted through the air.

****

	"Room 'tensh-ut!" snapped a young man as Leona srode into the records office.

	"As you were."  the blue haired woman returned crisply.  "Private I need a records terminal and a few hours of privacy."

	"Yes ma'm!" the young man quickly turned and lead Leona to an office style cubicle with a door.  He retrived a clipboard from the door and wrote the time and date on it.  "Sign here please ma'm."

	Leona knew the routine and wrote her name in alloted space.  As soon as she did so the private replaced the clipboard saluted sharply. and left.  Leona entered, making sure to lock the door behind her.  Sitting down she logged her personal ID number in and waited for the net work to load.  The screen flashed briefly then began to type it's green lettered communication.

	"Security access confirmed cleared through Secret and Omega level records.  Enter request." 

	Leona steeled herself for the last time.  She was about to use official equipment and records for a very personal reason.  While it was a minor infraction at best, the young warrior had never done anything like it before and was uncomfortable nevertheless.  Gritting her teeth Leona's fingers danced across the keyboard.

	"History and Biographical Information, Subject: Shinomori Aoshi"

	The green and black screen flashed again as electrons surged to her bidding.  After a short wait the monitor slowly scrolled down a frontal picture of the man Mai was obviously very much in love with.  Next to it the standard known information on Shinomori filled in but for the moment Leona ignored it and concentrated on the picture.

	It was his eye she decided eventually that attracted her gaze.  Despite the photo being scanned and resampled for increased resolution, somehow his gaze still carried their intensity.  The rest of his face was relaxed and calm but those black eyes held something Leona knew.  It was the look of someone who had gone their entire life feeding on hate and pain.  The look of a man who had a dream that he would be somehow free but would let nothing stop him.

	Leona had seen that expression before, less polished, and more raw to be sure but still the same emotion.  She had seen it in the face of Yagami Iori.  Tearing her eyes from the photo Leona looked over what the company knew of this man.  She was not at all satisfied.

	"Name: Shinomori Aoshi
	 Date of Birth: Unknown
	 Country of Birth: Unknown, evidence indicates Japan
 	 Height: Unknown
	 Weight: Unknown
	 Hair: Black
	 Eyes: Black
	 Known Family : None
	 Marital Status: Single
	 Occupation: Freelance courier and messanger, specializing in small 	 easily transportable goods such as information and money.
	 Fighting Style: Unknown, see personal note, General Heidern.
	 Threat Index: Gamma, excercise extreme caution
	 
	 Click here for General Heidern's personal observations on subject.

	 No other information available."

	Leona frowned in frustration, this told her nothing!  She had remembered hearing his name before but couldn't place it.  Who was this man?  She told herself she wanted to know of who would know of her mission for Mai would surely say something, but knew that wasn't the real reason.  The blue haired girl wanted to know what kind of man would capture Mai's heart so fiercely, and after that, well Leona wasn't sure of what would happen after that.

	Chewing her lip Leona accessed the Heiderns file.  Again the computer flashed blank and cycled through it's database.  This time there were no pictures just the cold green type on the black background.

	"Personal note to Operation: Chinese Take-out 
	Reporting official: Heidern, General

	The mission should have been simple.  The Hong Kong branch of the Yakuza was buying a large shipment of firearms and ammo from a northern group of Triad dragons, who were smuggling them out of Russia.  Somehow the Hong Kong branch of special forces received word of this and hired the Company to intercept the shipment.  The mission was kept as classified as possible to prevent any security leaks.

	However this also meant that no firearms could be discharged during the course of the mission as that would alert the security forces of our presence.  Our job was to intercept the money and hurt the Triad.  The firearms were of secondary importance as they woudl simply be shiped through Hong Kong to Japan.

	Three four man squads led by myself, Coporal Ralf and Sergant CLark located the zone and secured the area.  Much to our surprise only one man arrived from the Yakuza.  It became obvious he was a courier who probably had no idea what he was delevirng, or he simply didn't care.  However the Triad arrived covered by thirty Lin Kuei assasins.  Despite the odds I felt the mission was not jepordized and procceded by the numbers.

	The courier gave the Triad leader a briefcase and in return was given a small leather pouch.  Later we learned that the Triad had stashed the shipment and the pouch contained the shipping index of where the shipment was as well as the necesary combinations to open them.

	As soon as the exchange was made I odered the team to begin.  Though my squad had orginaly been in reserve I instructed them to join while I remained afar to provide tactical cover and observation.  In this capacitity I saw the courier, who seemed the least affected by the teams arrival attempt to leave.  The leader of the Lin Kuei (see file: Sub Zero, closed) accosted the courier either trying to double cross the Yakuza or blaming him for the attack by us.  What followed was a very brief fight during which I noted at least three distinct styles of combat used by the courier, including Shaolin Long Fist, Kenpo Karate and certain techniques recognized to be those of Geese Howard. (see file: Howard, Geese open)

	With the fall of their commander the Lin Kuei were not a problem to the team but the courier was nearly gone.  Sergant Clark then attempted to stop him, the courier neatly snapped Sergant Clark's wrist and collarbone with one throw, I did not recognize the style.  After that there was no one to stop him and the courier escaped.  With one of my men down and the recovery of the weapons not a mission requirment I elected not to pursue the courier and joined combat myself.

	Personal Notes:  The courier, Shinomori Aoshi, is an enigma to us, that alone makes him dangerous.  He is a highly skilled fighter but has never involved himself in any known tournament.  The only other times he has been observed have been in the company of Kisaragi Eiji, Kage-Maru, and a man know only as "Hayabusa".  Given these relationships it would be safe to classify Shinomori as a shinobi, though what clan or orginaization holds his loyalty is unknown.  There are vague rumors that he is constantly gathering information on Geese Howard but the specifics of this are also unkown.

	My personal view is that the man is a proffesional who lets nothing stop him.  During his business with the Triad and during the ensuing battle his voice never rose, so I also judge him to be very controled.  From what little we have gathered on his associates it appears that he has undertaken highly dangerous missions for them with little or no profit to gain.  This makes the assumption that he is loyal to the shinobi clans only, highly probable.  From what little I know and have seen of him I must respect him.

	End Report."

	Leona sat back and blinked.  She had learned little about him but Aoshi seemed much like her in several ways.  She wondered at the look he had in the picture and why it reminded her so much of Iori.  The blue haired girl smiled inwardly.  At least she knew that if Heidern respected Aoshi then he did indeed deserve Mai.

	With that thought Leona sat somewhat stunned and blinked again.  Where had that come from?  The blue haired girl stared ahead blankly for some time trying to sort out where the thought had arrived from.  To her frustration she could find nothing.  The only possible explanation was that it was just another effect the red haired kunoichi had caused in her.  

	Leona shook her head again and took a slow deep breath.  Whatever her personal feelings in the matter were she was still a soldier and still had a job to do.  The blue haired girl accesed Shinokawa Tanaku's records and began to document the past week.  Leona sighed.  Mai, and the reactions the kunoichi caused in her would have to wait for the moment.
	
*****

The Commander was polite, although characteristically cold, and as soon as Mai was finished, he bid her good day and left.  Afterwords, Mai was given the 'grand' tour of Leona's base.  Though there were quite a few areas Leona knew she couldn't enter with Mai, she did her best to show her around.  Mai tried her best to keep an air of interest about her, but found things to be dull and boring rather quickly.  As the day progressed, Mai could feel the heat of the Brazilian sun blaring down on her.

	Just as Leona was satisfied that Mai had been given a good round of things to see, she was called off to take care of some mission debriefing and other paperwork.  Mai assured her that she'd be able to take care of herself, and that she would make doubly sure not to wander into any restricted areas.  Leona looked pleased, and left to deal with the base personnel.  Mai, horribly bored already, wandered about looking for something to do.  After about an hour and a half, she decided that she was beyond unpresentable, and asked the first person she came across if there was somewhere she could take a shower.

****

	As soon as Leona finished with all her official business, she took the measures necessary in getting a week of leave.  The tech she talked to asked whether Ralf and Clark were going bar hopping again, and was quite surprised when she told him that she didn't know, for this was going to be private time off for her.  She had never before requested any leave time of her own, and Commander Heidern overheard her.  Turning his good eye in curiosity, he regarded her for a moment as she chatted with the tech, but then quickly left.

	Happy that all that business was concluded, Leona set out to find Mai.  She had been by herself for over two hours, and Leona asked a tech walking in the hallway, "Have you seen the girl I came on base with lately?"

	The young man nodded, "Yes ma'am.  I saw her headed towards the women's barracks."

	Leona nodded, "Thank you.", and headed towards said location.

	Since the women were more or less on maneuvers just then, Mai pretty much had the entire place to herself.  As Leona got closer, she could hear broken English words of some unknown song drifting throughout the area.  The sounds of water splashing and the tell-tale sign of steam told Leona all she needed to know.  Not wanting to disturb Mai, she quietly walked into the showers and peered around the corner.  Sure enough, there was Mai, singing in karaoke style and soaping her hair.  As Leona watched, that uncomfortable feeling began to resurface.  So rather than turning away in embarrassment, Leona decided to get a better look at Mai.

	The kunoichi, if she knew Leona was there, made no indication of it.  She seemed to be more intent on the hot water than anything else.  Leona let her gaze wander downwards to Mai's figure, and her full breasts.  Leona wondered just how she could fight so efficiently with such cumbersome burdens in her way.  At least, that's what she told herself.  Then she began to wonder, what if they're not such a hassle after-all?  Leona thought about herself fighting with such endowments, but concluded that it would be far too inefficient.  She would be getting in the way of herself.  Then a thought hit her.  Why was she so intent on thinking about fighting and such?  Never before had Leona ever wondered about her own body in such a way.  She looked at the restrictive outfit she wore, and realized that she had fashioned it to be as effective as possible, covering everything with the optimum amount of freedom to her limbs.  Then she thought about Mai's usual fighting outfit, and could not see herself in it.  It was too baggy, showed far too much cleavage and leg, not to mention her buttocks.  But...what if?  What if Mai wasn't just going for combat efficiency and was rather going for show and effect?

	Mai's body seemed to be something that the young kunoichi paid particular attention to.  But not just in muscle tone, but also in complexion and skin color.  Her skin had a nice tan, and it only served to accentuate her hair and eyes.  Right now, the kunoichi was wet from top to bottom, causing some of her hair to stick to her glistening body in small clumps.  The warm water cascaded down Mai's figure, which also caused Leona's eyes to wander as well as her mind.  Bringing her attention back to Mai's face, she wondered why Mai had insisted so much on having her put on make-up before they had gone out during those nights in Tokyo.  Mai most certainly didn't need make-up or mascara, but wore it regardless, even if in small quantities, to highlight certain parts of her face.  Leona looked at her own skin, but it looked pale, almost ashen, due to her not being outdoors overly often without protective gear, clothing, and camouflage paint.  Mai was...beautiful.  

	But what about her?  Leona was most certainly a consummate fighter, skilled and defined by combat.  But combat and military life wasn't all she had anymore.  It used to be, and the woman she was before she had met Iori had had everything she needed.  But the girl she was now was proficient in battle, but not very attractive.  She wondered just what it was that had turned Iori's head.  It was no wonder that Mai always had the attention of all the men around her.  Only Iori, Ralf or Clark had ever expressed any interest in her that way.

	Leona let her eyes come back up and rest on Mai's face.  The kunoichi was smiling to herself, humming and singing the whole time.  Smiling.  An open display of emotion, another thing that Leona had no experience with.  Her goal had been to do the exact opposite: suppress them.  Enemies can read things in your emotions and use that against you.  Enemies...fighting yet again.  Everything that Leona knew seemed to come back to fighting at some point.  So much battling, so many fights, when had she had the time to live?  To live like Mai did?

****

	Leona sighed heavily and turned away.  As quietly as she could, she slipped away and returned to her quarters.  No sooner had she left the barracks, Mai opened her eyes and her face split into an enormous, knowing grin.  Shrugging lightly to herself, Mai finished her shower and after she had dried off, picked up the daily newspaper.  Flipping through the unfamiliar words, she saw a huge advertisement in English, a heavy metal concert was being held in the center of town.  "Ministry and KMFDM!  Their tour made it all the way down here?!  LUCKY!!"

****

	Leona listlessly trudged back to her quarters and slumped onto the bed.  Looking about, she saw the various weapons and training manuals that she had neatly arranged on her shelves.  She was one of the few lucky members of this militia group to actually have private quarters, which only seemed to cause more petty resentment towards her.  Sighing again, Leona stood up and walked to her bathroom mirror.  She looked at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, examining each curve and contour of her face.  Pulling her gloves off, she traced the lines of her cheek, as if the answer to all her problems could be found somewhere on the surface of her pale skin.

	Leona then reached up and tied her hair back into her signature ponytail.  She remembered the look Iori had gotten when she had swished it about on that night, and then her thoughts drifted to her having peeked in on Mai in the shower.  Almost blushing externally, she recalled how Iori had done the same thing to her.

****

	Had Leona been paying more attention, she would have heard the latch on her door quietly click.  Pushing the door open a hair at a time, Mai slowly peered inside the room and took a quick scan of the interior.  Seeing no one about, she silently moved inside and closed the door behind herself.  The room she was in was incredibly Spartan, seeming to lack any type of luxury of any sort.  Two simple, metal bookshelves adorned one wall, and a flag hung to the side of them.  Four different firearms, an M-16, a Colt .45, a Heckler and Koch MP5, and a .50 caliber sniper rifle lay in their holsters and were adorning each corner of the room.  Walking up to the bookshelves, Mai saw several books on military procedure, protocol, training, and so forth.

Continuing her silent tour, Mai walked over to the plain, mahogany desk that dominated the far wall.  On it lay a book that had obviously been read several times.  Mai didn't pay it much mind until she saw the bookmark, a small black and white photo of a middle aged man holding a small girl by the hand.  The man was none other than Commander Heidern, looking gruff and humorless as always.  Looking more closely at the picture, Mai could only conclude that the little girl was Leona.

****

	Leona thought about just how sensual Mai could act when the need or want struck her.  She seemed to have an unending flow of passion in her, regardless of she did, be it dancing, shopping, or fighting.  There always seemed to be a bright, burning fire inside her when she moved, spoke, anything.  Leona was beginning to understand just what envy was, and she envied Mai.  Leona then removed her regular fighting outfit and stripped off her shorts.  She sighed anew when she saw the tight, restrictive blue bra that she had always worn.  Never wanting any part of her body doing anything she couldn't control, she had chosen the slightly uncomfortable piece so that her fights could be free of ANY type of distraction.  Pulling it off over her head, Leona looked at her body as she stood there in simple blue panties and nothing else.  What she saw was a young girl, with a figure that had been well defined by training and combat.  But she also saw a young girl that knew nothing else, lacked the knowledge of how to be a person, and not a soldier.

****

Mai knew that there was only one other place Leona could be hiding, and that was the bathroom.  Again moving as silently as the shadows themselves, Mai crept up to the door and looked inside.  She saw Leona, although Leona did not see her.  Curious as to what she was doing, Mai continued to see what the confused young lady was up to.

****

	Leona examined her entire body, top to bottom.  She analyzed her legs, arms, stomach, backside, chest, and her face.  She saw the same girl that she had always seen, but this time, there seemed to be something missing.  She just didn't see that spark that she did when she looked at other people, especially more cheerful people like Ralf, or Mai, or even the young kunoichi Ibuki she had met back in Japan.  To her, she just looked plain, drab, boring, unattractive...the odd thing was that none of these observations or conclusions had ever hit her before, and certainly never like this.

	Leona then tried something she had always seen Mai do...Smile.  She knew how to make the gesture, but it was rare that she would ever let the expression cross her face.  Well, she decided to try now.  Turning the corners of her mouth up, Leona tried her best to make a genuine smile, but it looked so fake that she quickly reverted to normal.

****

	Mai couldn't help but stifle a laugh as she watched Leona attempted to smile.  It seemed funny to her that someone would be practicing smiling, a gesture that came so easily and so naturally to her.  Breaking the silence at last, Mai said softly, "You can't train a smile Leona-chan...You have to FEEL one..."

	Leona made a soft peep of surprise and backed off instantly, her arms crossing her chest to cover herself.  Seeing who is was, Leona stammered out in an embarrassed voice, "One-sama!  How long...have you been there?"

	Mai giggled to herself and used one hand to pick up Leona's jacket and handed it to her.  The blue haired girl took it and quickly donned it.  Laughing again, Mai said, "Oh, about as long as you were in the shower a little while ago."

	Leona looked surprised and felt her face begin to grow hot from the added embarrassment that was already there, "You...knew?"

	Mai nodded, "Uh huh!  No big deal though, like I said before, we're both girls right?"

	Leona couldn't help it, she felt her cheeks flush red, and she said, "I'm so sorry one-sama...it'll never happen..."

	Mai quickly cut her off by pressing her fingers to Leona's lips.  "That's okay Leona-san!  Really it is...But if you feel that bad about it, there's something you can do to make it up to me!"

	Leona nodded, "Anything!  I'm really sorry!"

	Mai's face split into an evil grin.  Brining her other hand from behind her back, she held the article about the concert in front of Leona's eyes.  "Come with me to this metal concert!"

****

	Leona looked the newspaper over slowly, and nodded as recognition set in.  It seemed that Mai could never get enough loud music.  But to make things 'worse', Leona knew exactly where this particular concert was being held, as she had been in that section of town several times before with Ralf and Clark on their leave time.  Nodding once, Leona said, "Very well...I know where that is...Let's get ready to go."

	Mai looked elated, and did a very obvious and intentionally bad impersonation of a Joe Higashi, "Yosha!"  Giving Leona a quick hug, she bounced off to get ready to go.  No sooner had she left that Leona felt that uncomfortable feeling again, and this time, she felt Mai's ample chest press against hers.  The feeling was stretching her control yet again.
	
****

	"I still don't get what's with her commander!  She's been acting really strange lately..."  Ralf slumped into his chair and drummed his fingers on the table.

	Heidern regarded him with his single eye, "I'll admit that she's been acting unlike herself lately, but then again, even we don't really know WHO she is yet.  She's still young, and has yet to see things out in the world."

	Ralf shook his head, "No way, sir.  This is different, I'm telling you.  Leona has gone out on leave time before with us, but she's never requested any on her own.  That Mai chick has done something to her!"

	Heidern's face turned a little colder, "This wouldn't be a personal pre-occupation for you would it Ralf?"

	Ralf balked, "Sir! No, sir!"

	Heidern nodded, "I'll admit that Ms. Shiranui has probably had some sort of affect on her, but that's none of our business.  She's a soldier, and she knows her duty.  Regardless of what she's been exposed to, it's for her to make her own decisions.  She's not stupid Ralf, she knows what she's doing."

	Clark coughed lightly, reminding everyone that he was still there.  Pointing at the security monitor, he said, "I hope so...I don't think that the PX sells anything like that."

	Two heads and three eyes turned to examine the screen.  They saw both Mai and Leona walking down the hallway towards the eastern exit.  Mai was wearing her hair up in its usual top-knot, and had on a black strapless dress that seemed to be drawn on her.  The skirt portion of it came up to well past her knee, and she also had on elbow high gloves.

	Leona, on the other hand, was wearing a slightly longer red dress, with straps that criss-crossed across her chest.  There was a small slit on either side to allow her legs more freedom of movement, and her long hair was free, falling in a cascade of blue locks down her back.  The two women were talking, although Mai was obviously leading the conversation.  After a few moments, they walked outside of the camera's view and disappeared.

	Ralf's eyes were glued to the screen as he watched Leona.  Then Heidern's voice broke his concentration, "No personal pre-occupation, right Ralf?"

	Ralf looked at his commander and nodded meekly.

	Heidern continued, "Then I suppose you and Clark will also be wanting some leave time?"

	Ralf looked hopeful, "You mean it sir?  We can go after her?"

	Heidern's face turned cold again, "Of course not you idiot!  If you want to take leave time, then go and fill out the necessary paperwork and get it approved!"

	Nodding, Ralf grabbed Clark by the arm and went to take care of just that.
	
****



The Blade and the Cherry Blossom:

Part 3:

Hidden Flames

Notes:  If you're this far along you damn well have better read the first two chapters.  If you haven't and are just skipping around looking for the sex then here you are, but if you don't read all the plot later Vegeta and I will track you down and hurt you!

"Raise my eyes, she stands...
Holding out healing hands...
Are you happy now?"

The Thin Line, by Queensryche

Words:

Aishteru:To give love
Arigato:Thank You
Atashi:I, Me (feminine)
Chodai:Give me
Ichau:  (yeah right, figure it out on your own!)
Kimochi:(It/This)Feels Good
One-sama:Elder sister
Ski:Love



	Mai didn't need to see the concert hall to know where it was.  She felt it, heard it, long before they ever got close to it.  Despite Leona's reservations and warnings about coming to this part of town, Mai knew that this concert was just what she needed.  Brazil was alive, she knew it.  But the military base that she'd been exposed to was horribly dull, and she needed to get out and away from it.  Now, the exhilarating rush of energy that was filling her was driving her faster and faster towards the line of fans crowding their ways to the front doors.

	Getting inside had been easier that she thought.  Mai simply turned on the charm and the ticket-takers quickly forgot about the fact that the concert was sold out.  Since the concert had already started, Mai could hear what sounded like the end of KMFDM's Megalomanic.  Pulling Leona along with her, Mai waded into the sea of bodies towards the refreshment stand.  Leaning up against the banister, Leona and Mai looked down into the enormous pit, filled with a few hundred moshing and slam-dancing metal fans.  

	The red haired kunoichi grinned as the first chords of "Inane" washed over the already fever-pitch crowd.  She knew that the German group would be almost finished with their set but was sure Ministry would provide more than enough adrenilan for both her and Leona.

****

	Ralf finally got his abrupt leave approved.  It hadn't been easy, but yelling at the top of his lungs about how Leona my be in danger got his point across well enough.  The only problem was, where did she go?  Going to her room, Ralf and Clark began to look about to see if there was anything that would lend them a clue.

	Clark found it with little difficulty.  Taking the wadded up advertisement out of the trash, he read it and handed it to Ralf.  Ralf's eyes flicked over it and nodded, "There's no mistake...Let's go!"

****

	Leona watched as Mai became alive again, but this time by absorbing herself into dancing.  Looking around, she noticed that there was little finesse involved in this particular type of dancing.  People were literally slamming their bodies together in rhythm with the music.  Many of the men had hair that was longer than hers, and their heads shook back and forth vigorously, whipping it about in a frenzy.  Despite the somewhat crude form of dancing of those around her, Mai still looked radiant, a class unto herself.

****

	"Faster Clark!" shouted Ralf as he clung to the roll-cage of the jeep.  Off-roading it, they were pounding through the darkness on the dirt road outside the base, only the small headlights giving them enough light to see.  "Come on!  That concert thing has already started!"

	Clark nodded, "We'll get there...so hold on!"

	Ralf fell back into his seat as Clark floored it.

****

	Leona wasn't overly sure she liked this style of dancing.  Unlike in Japan, where the people had been a little more reserved about it, here in Brazil the crowd was completely absorbed into their mosh-pit.  Leona watched more than once as people were hefted into the air and carried across the crowd.  She also witnessed men getting up on certain parts of the stage and jumping back down into the middle of the biggest pile that they could aim for.  

	But no matter how 'fun' this was supposed to be, she was still a small girl.  No matter her imposing stature or image, there were simply too many bodies to contend with all at once.  She had done admirably well in keeping close enough to Mai to touch her every so often.  But close contact with her had been near impossible due to the sea of bodies surging in random directions with little to no warning.  She would have been terrified had she not had the look on Mai's face to re-assure her.  Mai looked completely calm, the eased look of someone in their element.

	Just then, she heard the lead singer say, "Just One Fix."

	The crowd went wild again, and the somewhat subdued intro suddenly broke into a loud, thrashing solo with enough energy to get the crowd to begin pounding with renewed vigor.  Bodies were slamming into her and she knew that bruises were rapidly forming.  This 'dancing' was almost like being in a mini-war zone, or worse yet, a battle.  Leona could feel something within her begin to stir from just the raw rage of the people around her, a presence that only seemed to come out when she was fighting.  But then, she looked back to Mai and saw that she might be in trouble...

****

	There was a slight pause in the music and Ministry's frontman Al Jourgensen approached the mike.

	"Now this is a fucking crowd!" he roared, the cheer that answered him nearly moved the stadium.  Grinning he looked to the side of the stage and saw Sascha Koenitz and the rest of KMFDM filter onto the stage.  "All right now, Sascha and I figured that we should do something a little special about now, so get ready!"

	Nodding to the German groups leader he backed away from the microphone for a moment.  When both groups were read both frontmen stepped up to their respective mics.  Sascha K. was the first to roar out, "KMFDM is a Drug Against War!"

	Followed instantly by Al Jourgensen's growling voice, "Hero"

	Both groups began a combined song alternating between the two singers.  With both groups pouring endorphin causing chords and rythms out what had been a mosh-pit upgraded itself to a minor war.

	Mai had known that a few men were taking a random grab or grope for her, but she simply incorporated an inventive block here or there into her dance to swat their advances off painfully.  But the more intense the music got, the more aggressive the men around her got.  She felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders, and she spun with the music to smack their owner away.  But the two more hands latched onto her hips, and another grabbed her wrist.
	
	This had gone from bad to downright horrible.  Mai tried to reach into her dress to get a fan to defend herself with, but the hands seemed to be coming at her in all directions.  Biting her lip in worry, Mai struggled as hard as she could to get the hands off her.  Grabbing one in a wrist lock, she swept her leg up and slammed it into the nose of another grabby fan.  But no sooner had those two backed off that three more stepped up.  It seemed that Mai had been watched by quite a few men for quite some time.  Trying to steal a glance Leona's way, she saw that the poor young girl was faring no better.  "*Aoshi...help!*"

****

	No sooner had Leona tried to move forward to help Mai than a few of the men around her tried the same thing on Leona.  One man grabbed her shoulders roughly and she could hear the man's voice as he shouted into her ear, "Hey baby!  Wanna play?"  Leona angrily swatted the man back, but soon she had the same problem that Mai did: too many attackers.  Leona could see Mai begin to scream out for help, although all she saw was her mouth moving.  The sound was completely blocked out by the music.  Leona felt that presence within her begin to swell again, but so rapidly that she had almost no time to try and suppress it.  Her friend was in danger.  No, not just her friend, her 'sister'.  It was then that she saw Mai get toppled to the floor.  That seemed to be all that the force inside Leona needed.

	Purple suddenly filled Leona's vision, and she felt something warm and salty slowly flow into her mouth.  Holding her hand to her lips, she saw her glove stained with a dark liquid.  Blood...HER blood.  A flash of electricity registered into her mind, and Leona suddenly hunched over.  The men holding her jerked forward with the unexpected movement.  But then an aura of dark, malignant power flared to life around Leona, knocking the fools to the ground.  Leona straightened up a bit, and clutched at her head.  Shaking it back and forth a few times, as if trying to block out the thing that was coming alive within her, Leona's hair suddenly turned a light shade of purplish-pink.  Bending backward at the waist at a near impossible angle, Leona's arms quivered as an inhuman scream filled the air, loud enough to be heard over the music.  The men around that hadn't scurried off could see the pupils of her wide eyes glow purple for a brief moment, and then disappear altogether.  Turning to face her opponents, who had backed off in fear, the being that was Leona lunged into the crowd near Mai and blood began to fly.

****

	Ralf jumped out of the jeep long before it ground to a halt.  Hearing that scream could only mean one thing: Leona was in trouble.  Leaving Clark to deal with parking, Ralf rushed forward to try to get into the concert hall.  But he was stopped instantly by six large, muscular men.  A smaller man asked for his ticket, and Ralf yelled angrily that a friend was inside and she might need his help.  The ticket-taker snidely told him that a lot of people's friends were inside, and that without a ticket, he was "shit out of luck."

	Glaring at the man, Ralf said, "Ticket?  Oh yeah...I think I left my 'ticket' in my jeep.  I'll be right back..."

****

	Mai watched in horror as Leona tore into her attackers.  She moved with impossible speed, and everything she did was done with the most ruthless efficiency imaginable.  Leona's gloved hand speared a man in the shoulder, causing blood to fly.  But then she switched into her crescent slasher, leaving a enormous, bloody furrow.  Leona moved long before the man ever hit the ground.  Rushing forward, her hands moved like blurs of steel, ripping and cutting flesh without mercy or regard.  Mai easily got to her feet now, as the men that had her pinned down had instantly backed off when they saw the demonic figure tearing into their buddies.

	Leona seemed to only be interested in getting closer to Mai, however.  Even though the men had let her go, she ripped into them, her normally calm, icy face locked into a look of hatred and bloodlust.  "*The 'Riot of the Blood'.*"  Tanaku's words in her mind echoed her own as she spoke that phrase aloud.

	Despite the bloodshed and cries of agony, the music never stopped.  People were completely oblivious to the fact that death and murder were in the air, were right beside them.

****

	The field of fire flared to life again.  It surrounded her, engulfed her, but could never harm her.  This time, however, 'they' were out there...trying to kill her.  She cut 'them' down with ease, 'they' could never pose much threat to her.  Soft bodied, slow moving, weak willed.  'They' were nothing to her.  Meant nothing to her.  But she knew that 'they' were evil, and needed to be destroyed.  It was 'HIS' will that 'they' were stopped, and death was the only release worthy of 'them'.

****

	Mai screamed out, "Leona-chan!  Yamete! (Stop!)", but the demon didn't hear her, couldn't hear her.  The Orochi warrior pounced forward onto another man, her hand leaving a whistling trail of deadly ki behind it.  It slashed across his chest, and Leona's spin kick sent him flying back.  Two men tried to take her from either side, but her arms span in a deadly circle, cutting both down.  As she neared Mai, her drooped head suddenly looked up, and an unearthly growl rumbled through her lips.  Two men that had been standing near Mai suddenly backed off in fear.

	Just then, another man tried to get brave by swinging at the demon with a folding chair.  Leona whirled around long before he ever got within striking range, and folded her arms across her chest.  Opening them up, a large ball of swirling purple ki energy suddenly flared to life, catching the man in mid-swing.  His chair was ripped from his grasp, and he stumbled back holding his injured hand.  Leona quickly closed the gap and stabbed the man dead in the heart with her hand.  She lingered for a moment, seeming to delight in the cry of agony that erupted from the man.  Leona then quickly jerked her hand free, causing a stream of fresh, warm blood to fly forward and splatter all over her body and face.

	Then, seeing that no one else was within close proximity to her, Leona's gaze centered on Mai.  Mai took a hesitant step backwards as the blood-driven warrior suddenly began to surge forward towards her.  Her hands twitched as if by reflex, but then suddenly snapped into spears as she charged Mai, making a brutal strike towards Mai's head.

	Mai ducked under Leona's swipe as she rolled forward to get some space between them.  Leona looked down, and spun around with ease.  "*One way or another she will Riot, and when she does, she will kill you.*"  Tanaku's words again.  Almost mocking her as the Orochi-possessed Leona lunged forward at her like a tiger.

"*I have faith in her!*"  her own words.  Time seemed to move in a frame-by-frame pace, where instants was not measured in seconds, but in the beats of a heart.  Her heart.

	Dropping her defenses, Mai cried out desperately for what she knew would be the last time if this didn't work, "Leona-chan!  Onegai, YAMETE!!(Please, STOP!!)"

	"*You soon won't...*"

****

	Another one of 'them'.  It stood before her, seeming to accept its death willingly.  This was so unlike 'them', who usually resisted.  As she neared, her hand poised to stab through its heart and finish it off, the figure suddenly gained clarity...and became a being that she knew all too well.  This being was not one of 'them'...it was part of her.  With incredible will, she battled the thing within her, grabbed it by the throat and forced it away.  She would not do it again, would not be forced to live through this again.  She would save this part of herself this time...

	"Oka-chan(Mommy)..." a little girl's voice said.

****

	Mai's eyes closed reflexively just as Leona's hand lashed out towards her chest.  But just as the material of her glove touched the skin of Mai's breast, just over her heart, Mai felt all the power and speed of the attack go dead.  Opening her eyes, she saw Leona's eyes suddenly flare purple again, and then the pupils re-appeared.  Her hair glowed a malevolent purple for a moment, but then switched back to its usual blue color.  Leona looked shocked, confused, and very upset as realization began to creep into her face.  Looking down, she saw that her fingertips, minus the gloves, were no more than a millimeter away from Mai's skin.  Looking totally exhausted, Leona collapsed forward into Mai's arms.  Mai heard her voice say, "Gomen nasai (I am sorry)...oka-chan...one-sama..."

	Mai hugged the younger girl fiercely and said, "Welcome back, Leona-chan..."

	But then Mai looked up and saw that the men that had accosted them were getting braver now that Leona had more or less gone back to normal and now looked helpless.  Their eyes were locked into rage and hatred, and they moved closer ever so slowly.  It was then that Mai heard the overwhelming sound of automatic gun-fire blaring no more than a few feet away.

	"Okay you shit-heads!  That's close enough!  Back the fuck off...NOW!"  Ralf finished by leveling his M-60 off at the oncoming crowd.  They backed off hesitantly, and Clark fired a short burst into the ceiling again to add emphasis.

	Mai gave Leona a quick, gentle shake and asked, "Leona-chan?  Are you all right?  Can you walk?"

	Leona didn't say anything, just looked up at her with wide eyes and nodded.

	Mai stood up and helped Leona to her feet.  "Then come on!  We're getting out of here!"  and with that, Mai grabbed Leona by the wrist and hurriedly dragged her out of the concert hall.

****

	Ralf's glare was seething with hatred as he looked over this worthless trash that had dared attack his commander, his Leona.  Stifling the need to simply waste them right here and now, Ralf turned back to Leona and said, "It's a good thing we came when we did, isn't it commander? .....Commander?"

	Ralf turned around, but both Leona and Mai were gone.  Blinking in astonishment, Ralf turned around and said, "Commander Leona?  Where did you go?"

	Ralf, being distracted, didn't notice that two of the younger men, one in a long, black trench-coat, the other in a black leather jacket, from another portion of the crowd had managed to slip closer to the two mercenaries.  Since Ralf was distracted and Clark had his attention on the other wall of people, they got a clear line at them both.  Running full speed at Ralf, the man in the trench-coat tackled the larger soldier right behind both knees and toppled him easily.  His compatriot quickly followed up by jumping on top of Ralf with an elbow drop.

	Hearing Ralf's cry of surprise and alarm, Clark turned to see what was going on.  What met his eyes was Ralf getting pummeled by two men from the sea of people that was edging ever closer.  Clark then rushed forward to help Ralf out, but no sooner had he done so, the mass of bodies suddenly surged forward towards the two mercenaries.

	Al Jourgensen had been watching the entire fight from his raised vantage point on top of the stage.  Since "Hero/Drug against War" mix was coming to a close, and what looked like another raging mosh-pit had been started, he simply nodded to the band and said into the microphone, "N.W.O."

****

	Mai led Leona out into the cold night air and hurriedly down the street.  Stopping every so often to lean against the wall and catch her breath, Mai regarded Leona once or twice, but the younger girl never looked up her.  Not that she looked overly tired now, but Mai could tell that the young girl did not, or perhaps could not, meet her gaze.

	Not caring about that now, Mai quickly tugged Leona along with her, trying desperately to find a shop or restaurant that was open so that she could sit down, but everything looked like it was closed for the evening.
Finally, Mai spotted a lone building that appeared to be still open for business.  Leona had started walking fine on her own now, but she looked tired, dejected, and on the verge of tears.  Her normal icy face seemed to be melting right before Mai's eyes, and Mai thought that if she were to ask Leona about it, she'd burst into tears on the spot.  Trying to brighten up her sullen friend, Mai mustered as much cheer as she could and said, "Not to worry Leona-san...things will be okay!  Look, I'll find a place where can get some rest!"

	Leona's head barely moved up and down, so Mai didn't press the issue.  Walking ahead, Mai saw a big sign in front of the establishment that read: "Public Bath House.  Open 24 hours."  Thinking that there truly was an angel watching over her, Mai, and seemingly barely concious Leona entered.

****

	Leona was fully aware the entire time, although her body was extremely winded from her transformation into the Blood Riot.  She knew what had happened, she remembered everything.  But she couldn't do anything to stop herself.  She had just killed at least a dozen men in cold blood, and there was no mistaking it either.  The Orochi blood within her KNEW that those men were dead, otherwise, it would have finished them off.  However what bothered her more, what scared her more, was the fact that she had nearly killed Mai.  The kunoichi had taken an enormous leap of faith in trusting Leona to not kill her.

	Leona finally lifted her head up enough to see the surroundings she was in.  The owners had taken great pains to ensure that the interior resembled a Japanese onsen (hot bath).  Mai had just finished paying for both of them, and Leona was half dragged inside.  The bath was public, but still separated, and the women's side was completely vacant.  The bath itself was looked like a shallow swimming pool with a bench running around the entireity of it.

	The floors and walls of the locker room were wood and steam from the water swirled in ghostly patterns around the two girls ankles.  The blue haired girl stared vacantly into it searching something, anything she could say.   Mai, who was completely at home with the concept of public bathing, removed her dress and put it in a small wicker basket.  She unclasped her bra and stretched as she removed it.  The kunoichi didn't normally wear such things but even she knew they were necessary sometimes.  Noticing that Leona had not done the same, and guessing what the girl was going through Mai spoke up brightly as she pulled her panties off. 

	"Don't worry about it Leona-san!  What we need right now more than anything is a good soak in some hot water to relieve tension!  It'll help you relax, believe me!" she said.

	Leona wasn't so sure.  Since she had had private quarters almost her entire life, the concept of bathing oneself near another was, unsettling.  Even though both women had seen the other's fully naked body, Leona still felt as if privacy was still important.  The blue haired girl also felt the weight of her murderous action crushing down on her, and was really not in the mood for a bath. 

	However, as a certain trench coat wearing ninja would ruefully testify to, arguing with Shiranui Mai is an exercise in futilety.  "Trust me Leona-san!  You NEED this!  Come on, you're a big girl now, you can afford to be a bit 'wild' can't you?"

	Leona sighed heavily and slumped to the floor.  She nodded slowly, and allowed the red haired girl to unzip the back of her dress.  Moving it off her, Mai put in on top of her own and proceeded to unsnap the blue haired girl's bra, easing it off the younger girl carefuly.  The kunoichi let her fingers brush across Leona's shoulders gently.  Mai recognized a familiar feeling stirring in her again.  The feeling was desire.  Leona was innocent of so many things, even with her hands stained with all that blood.  And somehow that made her even more attractive to the kunoichi.

	The red haired young woman knew that her friend was sorting things out inside and would let her do so at her own pace.  Kasumi had done the same for her just a little while ago and Mai was sure that she could help Leona in the same way.  However, she would do so at the blue haired girl's pace.

	"Stand up." Mai whispered into Leona's ear, noting how the younger girl jumped slightly at the sound of her voice.  After a brief moment of hesistation the blue haired fighter did so.  Mai put her hands on Leona's hips, as she expected the blue haired girl jumped again but made no other action.  Slowly, deliberately, the red haired girl slid the blue fabric down  Leona's well toned legs.

	The young woman's breath caught in her throat each time Mai's fingers touched her.  Despite the near-overwhelming heat the kunoichi's touch caused in her Leona's thoughts kept returning to the same image.  Mai standing, arms outstretched, begging her to stop, and Leona's own bloodthirsty, savage charge.

	So intent on her internal struggle between her reaction to Mai and regret for what she had done and almost done, Leona didn't notice the kunoichi taking her arm and leading her to the bath.  She only blinked when she stepped off the edge of the floor to the first step of the bath.  Gasping and stumbling slightly Leona she clutched Mai's arm.  The kunoichi didn't know whether to giggle or be concerned at was bothering her friend and so remained silent.  Mai lead the blue haired girl through the water to a ledge they could sit at and slowly sank into the chest high bath reveling in it's warm caress.

	Even as preoccupied as she was Leona had to relax under the influence of the perfectly hot water.  Soon she closed her eyes and leaned her blue tressed head against the wood of the bath's edge.  Leona lost track of time briefly, trying to sort through her own tangled emotions before saying anything.  Then she felt the water stir and Mai's hand touched her shoulder, sending a shiver through her.

	"Leona-chan?"  Mai said softly.  The blue haired girl met the kunoichi's deep eyes almost feafully.  The red head leaned closer until their bodies were almost touching before speaking again.  "Turn around."

	Leona's eye's widened.  Noting her shocked expression Mai had to giggle.  "Don't worry I'm just going to scrub your back, relax, we do it all the time in Japan!"

	The blue haired girl studied Mai for a moemnt before nodding wordlessly and complying.  Suds'ing up a sponge, the kunoichi gently ran it down Leona's shoulders.  The younger girl murmured softly in response.  Mai was absolutely correct, the hot water and soothing touch of the sponge felt like heaven.

	Mai began running the sponge about down her back, and began humming and singing softly as if nothing had happened.  When she made it back up to her other shoulder, Leona's hand suddenly snapped up and rested on top of Mai's.  "Leona-chan?" asked Mai delicately.

	"Gomen nasai(I'm sorry), one-sama..."  came Leona's soft voice.  But the tone was completely foreign.  Gone was the commanding tone, the expressionless edge, the confidence.  This was the voice of a small, confused girl.  Turning around quickly, Leona looked up at Mai with eyes brimming with something Mai would have never expected to see: tears.  Leona had the most hopeful and yet fearful look on her face that Mai had ever seen in anyone.  Almost as if her entire world was riding on whether or not Mai would push her away.

	Mai tenderly stroked Leona's cheek as a small river of tears began to pour down.  "Shh...daijobu desu yo(it's all right), Leona-chan..."

	Leona looked a bit elated, but then pressed forward and collapsed against Mai's well-rounded chest.  Hugging the kunoichi tightly, Leona began sobbing uncontrollably, and she blurted out, "Gomen-nasai...Gomen-nasai...One-sama!!  I could have...killed you...I could have..."

	Mai shushed her again, "But you didn't, and you're back.  You're the same old Leona-san you were...It's all right now..."

	Leona looked up at her with eyes still shining from all the tears.  It 
was then that Leona noticed where her head was and what she was doing.  But 
before she could pull away, Mai gently pressed her head back against her 
chest and hugged the girl in return.

	Leona was too tired and too relieved to pull away this time.  As she 
felt Mai's hands gently stroke her back in re-assurance, she took in the 
details of the person she was currently in the embrace of.  Nothing in her 
life had ever felt like this however.  The feel, the scent, the touch of 
another woman, it was so much different from her experience with Iori, and 
yet strangely, some of the same sensations and emotions were coming forward, 
although why that would be was something that Leona could not begin to 
explain.

	Leona decided to touch Mai's skin with her hand as innocently as she 
could.  Reaching up, she placed her palms on the small of Mai's back and 
slowly moved them upwards.  Taking in the feel and texture of Mai's flawless 
skin, Leona noted just how smooth and soft the kunoichi's body was, despite 
the obvious toning and muscle structure.  Almost as if the kunoichi was made 
of silky steel.

	Mai inhaled deeply as the blue haired girl in her arms, slowly 
returned the embrace.  She wanted desperately to comfort the young woman in 
the best way she knew how and at the same time knew she had to be slow for 
Leona's sake.  The red haired girl shifted slightly and kissed the top 
Leona's silken blue hair, nestling her cheeck against the younger woman.

	"Leona-chan." she whispered again.  Mai felt the blue haired girl stir 
in response.  "Leona-chan, I have something to tell you.  More like an offer 
really."

	Leona moved back a bit so that she could look Mai in the face.  Her 
tear streaked eyes held curiosity in them now, and she asked quietly, "Nani 
(What), one-sama...?"

	The red haired young woman tried to express her feelings in words but 
knew they would fail.  Instead she leaned forward with aching slowness and 
pressed her lips Leona's forhead.  The kunoichi withdrew equaly slow and 
looked the blue haired girl in the eyes again.

	"Leona-chan, atashi... atashi o"

	Almost reflexively, no sooner had Mai's lips left her forehead that 
Leona's hand reached up and touched the spot.  Leona's mind whirled at the 
even that had just transpired.  But what was becoming more and more apparent 
to the young girl was that Mai was creating within her something that she 
could not control yet again...However, this time, rather than try and 
retreat and analyze it, she knew that this was something that she wanted to 
do, something she knew that Mai wanted to do.  Looking up at Mai again, she 
waited to see what the kunoichi would say.

	Seeing the younger woman's reaction Mai breathed a little easier and 
smiled widely.  "Leona-chan, ever since I first saw you I thought you were 
very pretty.  I was wrong you are beautiful, both inside ond out.  And ever 
since we first went out dancing I've wanted to do this..."

	With that Mai hugged Leona to her tighter, their bodies finally 
meeting fully, and delicately kissed the blue haired girl on the lips.  
Leona's eyes widened instantly.  A sudden flood of emotions and sensations 
began firing through her at the speed of a lightning bolt.  

	The only other person that had ever caused such a reaction in her was 
Iori, and the only person that had ever complimented her so fully on her 
appearance and mental being was Iori.  But unlike Iori, Mai was also 
creating within her a longing...something that she herself could not begin 
to describe.  But she knew one thing...Mai was kissing her, and she wanted 
to return the affection.  Closing her eyes slowly, she did just that.

	The red haired kunoichi inhaled deeply as Leona pressed back toward 
her.  Mai was split between a part of her that was ecstatic that she was 
right about Leona and a the other half that was simply absorbed into her 
kiss.  The kunoichi pulled away slightly and lightly kissed the blue haired 
girls closed eyes.  As Mai went to kiss Leona's face again, she saw fresh 
tears streaming down the soldier girl's face.  A bit concerned, she asked, 
"Leona-chan?  Doshi-ta no (What's wrong?)?"

	Leona smiled genuinely, a gesture that looked so beautiful on her 
face, unlike that fake smile she had tried to create, "I'm just happy, one-
sama, that you don't hate me after what I could have done..."

	Mai smiled wider.  She snuggled closer to Leona and bent down to trail 
a series of light kisses to the blue haired girls cheek.  Once their she 
whispered in a seductive tone.  "How could anyone hate you Leona-chan?  Even 
if you could have done something, you didn't.  I'm just glad to know I mean 
as much to you as you do to me."

	"Arigato one-sama" the blue haired girl whispered.  Leona then looked 
up at Mai with glittering eyes.  She seemed to be trying to say something, 
and finally came to a decision on how to say it.  Asking the older girl 
shyly, she said, "One-sama...May I...May I kiss you like that as well...?"

	Mai's smile turned slightly mischevious. "Of course Leona-chan, but 
you'll have to pay me back by letting me do something else to you..."

	Leona's eyes held nothing but trust in them, "I think that that is a 
fair price to pay, one-sama..."  

	In so saying, Leona brought her lips up to the nape of Mai's neck.  
The heat radiating off the kunoichi's skin seemed to burn hotter than any 
fire she'd ever felt.  Deciding that her fading inhibitions should simply be 
banished, she mimicked what the red haired girl had done to her, and kissed 
up and down Mai's neck tenderly.

	The kunoichi gasped slightly at the blue haired girls newfound 
boldness.  She felt her control of the pace of this encounter burning away 
rapidly in a passionate fire.  Mai brought one hand around from Leona's back 
to her side, and the lightly traced the younger girls outline to her breast, 
touching the sensitive skin gently.

	"Leona-chan..."she breathed.  

	Mai heard the younger girl's breath catch the moment her fingers 
touched the upper part of the blue haired girl's body.  Gasping a bit 
through her attentions to Mai's neck, the soldier attempted and succeeded in 
calming herself and allowed Mai to do whatever she pleased.

	The older girl ran her fingers in small circles along the surface of 
Leona's smooth chest.  Moving her other hand around to the blue haired girls 
face, the kunoichi tilted Leona's chin up and gazed deep into her sapphire 
colored eyes.  After a brief moment the red haired girl brought her lips to 
Leona's, gently at first, then slowly increasing in intensity.  When Mai 
thought the time was right, she gently slid her tongue into the younger 
girls mouth.

	Leona felt her body and mind ease as the tension and stress of the day 
ebbed away.  Looking into the kunoichi's dark brown eyes, she felt 
completely at peace.  Then, Mai kissed her again, with the same intensity 
that Iori had.  

	However this was Mai, and not Iori.  Despite the reluctance of the 
gesture, Leona allowed herself to forget him for the moment, and let Mai 
completely over-ride her thoughts.  Then she felt the red head's tongue 
enter her mouth.  The spark that this gesture created in the younger girl 
was apparent, and she murmured softly into the kunoichi's mouth in response.  
Mai happily noted that Leona did not lack experience in this, and Leona's 
tongue slowly rolled around with hers.  Reaching up, Leona gently stroked 
Mai's cheeks with slightly trembling fingers.

	The red haired girl moved both hands to the sides of Leona's breasts 
and cupped them tenderly, never breaking the kiss.  With torturous slowness 
Mai ran her fingertips across the sensitive skin until she felt the younger 
girls rapidly hardening nipples.  Keeping her touch light as a feather the 
kunoichi circled both nubs with her thumb teasingly.

	Leona gasped loudly into the older girl's mouth at the first touch against the sensitive skin of her breasts.  Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Leona whispered pleadingly to Mai, "One-sama...onegai(please)...ijimenai de...(don't be mean)"

	Mai smiled slowly, then gently brought the pads of her thumbs across 
the tips of Leona's nipples.  Grinning at the younger girls reaction the 
kunoichi pressed harder and began alternately kissing and lightly licking 
Leona's neck.

	Leona's breath was coming out in a short, gasping rhythm.  Her voice 
was muffled as she fell against the kunoichi's chest and supported herself 
with both hands against Mai's shoulders.  She raised her head a bit and 
whispered, "Ki...kimochi ii...one-sama..." and then delicately began to 
nibble on the lobe of Mai's ear in response to the pleasure flooding her 
senses.

	The blue haired girls tentative affection were having a profound 
affect on Mai.  The older girl felt her heart beat more rapidly and her 
breath begin to grow ragged.   Mai wanted Leona badly, and actualy having 
her was causing a thrill in her the kunoichi would never have beleived.  
Never one to take more than she gave Mai moved one hand to Leona's back and 
gently pushed up.  As the blue haired girl slowly complied the water slowly 
gave up it's covering of the younger girls fully hardened nipples.  The red 
haired kunoichi ran her thumbs across the tip of each one last time and then 
kissed Leona's breast.

	Leona's ragged breath caught as Mai's lips touched the peak of her 
nipple.  Moaning out loudly now, Leona instinctively arched her back, 
thrusting her chest more fully forward.  Running her hands through the 
kunoichi's long, red hair, Leona fought the tempation and the urge to 
embrace Mai's head to her breast.

	Mai ran one hand along the soldier girl's side and back, her other 
fingers teasing and massaging Leona's breast.  The kunoichi circled the peak 
with feather light kisses, then paused and looked up toward Leona's face.  
When the blue haired girl opened her eyes and meet her gaze Mai kept their 
eyes locked , opened her mouth, and slowly ran her tongue across the surface 
of Leona's nipple.

	Moaning again in response, Leona's hands tried to find something to 
hold onto for support.  Partially failing, Leona managed to lower herself to 
the outer rim of the bath.  Sitting down on the slightly cooler wood, she 
embraced Mai's head as the kunoichi's diligent tongue continued its 
merciless work.  

	Trying to find something, anything she could do to regain any 
semblence of control over the situation, Leona tried the same thing to Mai.  
Bringing her hands down the kunoichi's sides, Leoan gently stroked the 
smooth skin underneath Mai's breasts.  Running her hands slowly around the 
well-endowed kunoichi's bosom, Leona attempted the same thing Mai had done 
to her.  Her fingers found the hardening peaks of Mai's breasts, and the 
contrast of the heated water to the open air caused the red haired girls 
breasts to respond appropriately.

	Mai gasped loudly and began moaning in pleasure as Leona's delicate 
fingers began their caressing of her overly-sensitive breasts.  The 
kunoichi's breath started coming in a broken rythm and she found it hard to 
return to her self-appointed task.  Shuddering slightly under the soldier 
girls ministrations Mai slid one leg in between  Leona's and the began to 
energeticaly suckle the younger girls peak.

	 Leona's head arched backwards as her chest moved forward.  Spreading 
her legs apart to allow Mai full access to her attentions, Leona's breathing 
became harsher and more desperate with every passing movement of Mai's 
tongue.  Cupping Mai's full breasts as best she could with her small hands, 
Leona began to run her thumbs over Mai's erect nipples, just as Mai had done 
to her.  Seeing the reaction she was getting from Mai only served to 
strengthen her resolve, and she increased the speed and pressure slowly.  
The mercenary girl could not help but let Mai's name slide past her lips

	A near electric thrill ran through the kunoichi as she heared Leona's 
soft voice cry,  "Mai...one...sama..."

	With the blue haired girls increased affections to her bosom Mai arced 
her back almost cat-like.  One arm slid up Leona's side and wrapped around 
the back of the soldier girl's neck.  The red haired ninja girl pulled her 
self forward until both girls chests were pressed together.  The feeling of 
smooth skin against skin caused Mai to moan louder.  Whispering Leona's name 
desperately the older girl pressed their lips together.

	Leona was a little startled to hear Mai's voice so husky, so full of 
desire.  Cupping the older girls face in her hands, Leona bent her head to 
return the kiss she was getting with one as good as she could.  As Mai moved 
her upper torso slowly back and forth, Leona could feel her hardened nipples 
rubbing together with her lover's.  After a few moments, Leona decided that 
she needed to re-pay Mai for such euphoric sensations.  Breaking their kiss, 
Leona whispered, "Please, Mai-one-sama...let me make you feel as wonderful 
as you made me feel..."

	Mai's eyes slowly closed as the soldier girl lowered her head to Mai's 
enormous, heaving breasts.  Taking a moment to fully appreciate Mai's full 
figure, Leona opened her mouth and ran the tip of her tongue over Mai's left 
nipple.  Mai moaned out loudly as Leona's resolve surprised her again.  
Getting more comfortable with her new activity, Leona began to roll her 
tongue about the areola and brought her free hand up to Mai's unattended 
breast.  As Mai's voice got more husky, it only served to increase the 
passion that was coming alive within Leona.

	"Le...Leona...cha...n..."  Mai gasped.  Despite all her experience  
the kunoichi couldn't resist all the pleasure she was receiving from the 
soldier girl.  The desire in her grew more demanding, and Mai cluthed 
Leona's head to her chest desperately trying to support herself with her 
left arm.  Almost unconciously the red haired girl slid farther down Leona's 
thigh's.  Then in a frozen instant her belly rubbed lightly along the outer 
surface of Leona's sex.

	Leona's eyes widened at the first touch of Mai's skin to her most 
sensitive spot.  Removing her mouth from Mai's breast, she moaned loudly and 
fell backwards, lying against the floor outside the bath.  Thrusting her 
hips forward reflexively, Leona made another moan of pleasure and want.  The 
pause in the attention to her sensitive breast was all Mai needed to regain 
her focus.  

	Still gasping desperately  the older girl caught Leona's hips in her 
hands and steadied them.  Lowering her self back into the steaming water the 
kunoichi began to shower kisses on the inside of the blue haired girls left 
thigh.  Mai's right hand stroked the skin of the soldier girl's thigh 
rapidly and worked both lips and fingers up simultaneously.  Just before she 
met the outer skin of Leona's womanhood, Mai paused.  She would go no 
further without her lover's permission.  Looking upward the red haired girl 
met Leona's gaze askingly.

	Leona's head swam with the intense pleasure of the moment.  But just 
before she felt as if something should happen, Mai paused.  Looking down at 
the kunoichi, she said softly, 

	"Naze one-sama tomata? (Why did you stop?)  Onegai(Please)...tomaranai de (don't stop)...atashi o ......"  Leona's voice dropped to an almost inaudible whisper, "cho...dai..."

	Mai felt each sylable run through her like an erotic shock.  Having 
heard all she needed, the kunoichi moved both hands to Leona's thighs in 
preperation.  Nuzzling the soft blue hair for a moment she whispered a 
response.

	"Leona-chan ski yo...." then with no further warning or words, Mai 
tenderly kissed the outside of Leona's labia.  The soldier girls thighs 
tightened almost instantly but the kunoichi held them apart and continued 
her kisses all along the surface of Leona's sex.  After a moment of this 
exquisite torture Mai could hold her own hunger back no longer and slowly 
dove her tongue into the blue haired girl as far as she could.

	Leona's hips began to buck instinctively as she felt something 
penetrate inside her.  Although the feeling was euphoric, Leona could not 
help but squirm about.  However, Mai had well prepared for this, and held 
her firmly.  Curling her index finger, Leona bit the knuckle as Mai 
continued her 'assault'.  Moaning out loudly in a stacatto pattern, Leona 
lowered her other hand to the top of Mai's head and ran it absently through 
the kunoichi's hair.  Between gasps and moans, Leona cried out Mai's name.  
Both women could feel the desire of the other coming full circle, and Mai 
was not about to let her younger partner down.

	The red haired girl was trembling with her own passion and found it 
hard not to cry out just from the pleasure coming off of Leona.  However she 
not only continued her tongue lashing but increased it's pace.  Still 
holding the soldier girl as best she could Mai ran the tip of her tongue up 
until she found Leona's hardened button.  At first Mai stimulated Leona with 
just the tip of her tongue.  Then she heard the blue haired girls ragged 
voice reach her ears.

	"Ma...Mai-one-sama!  I...i....!"  That was all the incentive the 
kunoichi needed or wanted.  She closed her lips around Leona's bud and 
sucked very gently.  And was nearly thrown off by the force of the younger 
girls spasms.

	Leona could feel the imminent feeling building within her.  The 
sensations that Mai was invoking within her she had only ever felt once 
before.  There was no stopping the flood of pleasure that was coursing 
through her, and only a few moments after Mai's mouth fully engulfed her 
stiff clit that Leona felt an enormous rush of release fly through her body 
like a thunderbolt.  Her body clentching up for a brief second, her voice 
came out in a strangled rush.

	"I...i...ichauuuuu!" and her body's natural reflexes took over for 
her.  Even though the actual sensation only lasted a few moments, Leona rode 
every last second as if they would never end.  As the last pulse of exctasy 
flashed through her, Leona's limbs collapsed limply beside her, and she 
strained to catch her breath.

	Mai eagerly licked at the younger girls sex, prolonging the orgasm as 
much as she could.  After it was obviously over, Leona slumped down ward and 
Mai hurriedly wrapped her arms around the younger girls chest and rested the 
girls long blue haired head rest against her bosom.  As Leona recovered Mai 
ran her fingers through the girls pony tail and kissed her face gently.

	Leona looked at Mai with eyes filled with love and admiration.  Never 
before had Leona known that women were capable of giving each other such 
overwhelming pleasure.  But she could feel the heavy feeling of exhaustion 
pushing down on her.  Knowing that they had to return to the base as soon as 
possible, Leona whispered into Mai's ear, "Arigato yo, one-sama...atashi...anta o...aisheteru yo..."

	Mai grinned and kissed her lover's cheek "Hai hai ato de tzukero (We'll continue later)..."