Warning this is (sort of) a lemon story .  It is kind of a combination 
of Fatal Fury and  Ruroni Kenshin, well one character from the latter.  
You don't like it (or aren't old  enough to read it) bugger off and 
leave me alone.  This is a fanfiction done for my  personal 
gratification so if you like give it away all you want but don't sell 
it.  One  other thing;  Good guys don't aren't always good, and bad 
guy's don't always lose.



 A quick Japanese-English glossary   Chikara: strength, power,  force,  
or impact Haiaku: Hurry  Ikuzo: Let's go, often used when challenging 
someone Ken: fist, punch, or strike (like any real Street fighter fan 
wouldn't know that) Kunoichi: female ninja Mai: dance, see also adorable 
Fatal Fury kunoichi Nasaki nai:  Pathetic in the extreme Ninja: a broad 
term describing one who follows the path of ninjutsu: the art of stealth  
and endurance. Orokana: one devoid of thought, a very old and very 
serious insult. Shi: Death

 Note: All Japanese names are written in their Japanese form family name 
first, on with the  tale



                             KAGE no MAI 				 		
		 					The Shadows Dance 		
				Part One

 		Chapter One: Vengeance



	The rain was falling heavily in Tokyo that night but it didn't 
help the heat any.   Most of the drops never even hit the steaming 
pavement turning to mist and making the  still air seem even hotter.  In 
Ginza, where the lights blazed with a fierce presence and  the street 
throbbed with its own pulse, it seemed to not affect the masses of 
students and  office workers swelling the sidewalks and alleys.  It was 
unbelievably hot for January  even in Tokyo but the new year seemed to 
determined to start itself out memorably.  The  crowd was filled with 
those who willingly embraced the eighty degree temperature as a  chance 
to show style and beauty wrapped for too long under the clothes of 
winter.  

 	One man seemed out of place as he drifted effortlessly through the 
overflowing  sidewalks towards the heart of Ginza.  He didn't seem to 
walk, as glide and showed no sign  of the heat despite the flowing black 
trench coat that rode with him.  His hair was pulled  into a small tail 
that fell short of the collar of the dark blue suit he wore.  To most he  
seemed a successful businessman which in a sense he was.  

 	As a courier for Japans largest corporations Shinomori Aoshi 
floated with  confidence that most in his trade lacked.  It might have 
been because of his past, his  forefather and namesake had been one of 
the best clan leaders the Oniwabanshu ninja had  ever known.  Perhaps it 
was his parents.  He had, at his mothers request studied the  warrior 
traditions of bujutsu with diligence and ferocity.  As he slid down the 
street he  thanked her departed spirit and apologized for what he was 
about to do.  This apology did  not include his father.  

	He had known little of his father until recently, as his job 
carried him into the  world of the Yakuzza.  He learned that his father 
had been a gaijin, an American actually,  and had still managed to 
dominate most of Japans organized crime.  He also learned of the  man 
who had so recently killed his father in combat.  On researching this 
man, this Terry  Bogard, he encountered a ghost from his past.  

Aoshi had studied Shiranui ryu ninjustu for three years partly because 
of the skill he  gained but mostly because of the Shidoshi's 
granddaughter.  The ghost was another man who  had helped slay his 
father and had also studied Shiranui ninjutsu at the same time as  Aoshi 
had.  

	"Andy Bogard..." ,he hissed quietly to himself.  But with this 
ghost had also come  a dream.  

Aoshi reflected on what he was about to do, partly the act of a vengeful 
son but mostly  there was another reason.  And today was her birthday.  
He spoke quietly to himself again.   "Father you taught me little save 
this:  If you want something, the only way you will get  it, is to be 
strong enough to take it!"

***************

	The club throbbed with a sensual, infectious, rhythm and Mai was 
moving to it as  soon as she cleared the security gate.  She had 
possessed style and grace even before her  training as a Shiranui 
kunoichi and now she was going to show it off.  The red skin tight  
leather dress she wore looked painted on and showed off a good deal more 
than style.  The  white knee length stockings she wore simply accented 
the beautiful color and shape of her  legs.  It was her twenty second 
birthday and she was in very good spirits filled with  excitement and 
hopes for this night.  She turned around towards Andy and her mood 
impacted  a brick wall.  Despite having forced him into relatively 
stylish clothes, consisting of a  white suit coat, red shirt, and white 
pants, and making him promise to have fun tonight,  he still looked so 
out of place.  His hands shoved into his pockets he scanned the crowd  
as if looking for an opponent.  When none presented itself he hunched 
his shoulders and  looked at Mai, smiling weakly.  

	Mai sighed and resolved not to give up without a fight.  She 
instantly locked on  to his arm making sure to wiggle so that she 
brushed against him with most of her, better  features.

	"Neh neh Andy!  Look at how crowded the dance floor is!  Isn't it 
great!"

	Andy grunted noncommittally, his face showing distaste.

	Not willing to let him go that easily Mai tried again. "C'mon lets 
get some drinks  and hit the floor!"

	"No," sighed the blond martial artist. "You know I don't drink and 
it's too  crowded out there for me, maybe later." 	 	Mai couldn't 
take it.  She released his arm and slumped.

	"Ma-ta-ku!  Andy, you said you try and have a good time tonight!" 
she pleaded.

	"Well I don't see why we can't do that somewhere more, I don't 
know, reserved."   Andy responded.  

"Speaking of which, what’s with that dress?  I don't know if it's really 
appropriate."

	That was it.  The attention starved kunoichi straitened up with 
force, causing  several drinks nowhere near her to be spilled as 
spectators observed how badly the dress  failed at covering her.

	"Andy Bogard, it's my birthday and I am going dancing!  If you get 
the courage to  join me I'll be down there if I haven't found someone 
who is more exciting to be with  first!  You’re worse than that stuck up 
little Kasumi from last year!  At least she knew  when to have fun!!"  
With that Mai stormed off towards the dance floor followed by a  sizable 
crowd of single, and recently single, men.

	"Mai!" Andy reached after her far too late. " Wait..."

	His arm collapsed back to his side limply.

*************************

	The shadow that was Shinomori Aoshi watched the distraught Bogard 
turn and walk  slowly towards the bar.  A slight smile crossed the 
corner of his mouth.  this was going  better than he had hoped already, 
and if Bogard got drunk... well, that would be almost  too easy.

*************************

	Andy found the one empty table in the club and sat down 
dejectedly.  He loved Mai,  he was sure of it, he just wished that she 
would act a little more respectfully.  He  sighed deeply, wishing he had 
Joe's skill at dazzling girls, even his brother, despite his  rather 
lousy track record, dealt with the women more comfortably than Andy.  
The younger  Bogard tried to catch a glimpse of Mai in the pulsing 
crowd.  

When he failed Andy rested his head on his cheek and sighed once more.  
After coughing  slightly he really wished that Mai could have chosen a 
club with less smoke in it.

***********************

	Aoshi glided silently through the dense crowd letting his mind 
slowly relinquish  conscious control and preparing himself mentally for 
battle.  He was within ten feet of  Bogards table when a compact, 
muscular, but still very feminine woman approached Andy from  behind and 
greeted him.  Aoshi stopped, he had waited six years for this, a few 
minutes  more wouldn't matter.  Aoshi shifted the uncomfortable piece of 
metal strapped to his back  around and slid back into the crowd.

************************

	"Hey handsome, lonely?" came a musical feminine voice from behind 
Andy.

	"Uh... well.. umm... No... I mean... not... really...uh..." Andy 
stammered as he  twisted hurriedly around to face the speaker.  When he 
saw who it was, profound relief  filled him.

	"Mary!  Don't do that to me!" 

	Blue Mary laughed as she walked around the table and plopped down 
on a chair next  to him.  She leaned it back and swung one booted foot 
to the table.  Dressed in a very  form fitting tank top, jeans, and 
combat boots, the American bounty hunter stood out  amongst the throng 
tres chic Japanese college students almost as much as Andy did.   
Despite the obvious muscle in her arms and shoulders she was still an 
absolutely gorgeous  woman.  Her intense training had in fact given her 
body almost perfectly balanced look.   Andy gulped as he realized two 
things in rapid succession.  One, the club was very hot and  Blue Mary 
had begun perspire slightly .  Two, this made it very evident that the 
blue eyed  knockout sitting next to him was not wearing a bra.  

	"Vodka, straight!" she yelled to the bartender while brushing her 
short golden  hair away from her round face.  She turned back to Andy 
and smiled .  "Well  what’s going  on cutie?"

	"...What?  Oh... um,"  started a distracted Andy as tried to fix 
his gaze to  Mary's face.  " It's Mai's birthday and she wanted to come 
here.  She's down there,  dancing I guess."

	"Really!   Hey, any chance that your brother's around?" asked Mary 
hungrily,  leaning forward without moving her leg.

	Unprepared for the passion in her eyes, or the view her top gave 
him, Andy  squirmed away from her slightly.  "Uh... No, sorry.  I don't 
think he's even in Japan now"

	Mary sighed in disappointment and sat back in her chair, snatching 
her drink from  a startled waitress.  She downed the vodka in single 
gulp and set the cup back on the tray  before the waitress could move.  

	"Another one." Mary sighed.  "Oh well, I guess it was too much to 
hope for.  It's  been a while since I've been with Terry.  Ah well."

	Andy decided that there were plenty of perfectly innocent 
explanations for that  statement and resolved not to think about it.

	"Well Mary, what are you doing in Japan?" he asked in order to 
help his mind focus  on something other than the images Mary was 
inspiring in him.

	"Oh just business like usual, but hey, I'm the one who should be 
asking you  question's.  For starters why are you up here and Mai's down 
there!?!" demanded Mary  swinging an arm towards the dance floor.

	"Oh well... I don't really like that sort of thing you know, and 
she seems to have  fun without me anyway, so..."

	Blue Mary shook her head in exasperation.  "Andy!  Mai is a 
beautiful, and very  nice girl who most men would sell their souls for 
and she wants to be with you constantly!   And you can't even dance with 
her on her birthday!  Geez!"

	Mary swung her leg off the table scooted closer to him.  His hands 
were resting  perfectly flat against the table and Mary laid her hand on 
top of his.  "You know all she  wants is a little attention if you gave 
it to her she probably wouldn't go off like this  so often.  Actually 
you better be careful or you just might lose her!"

	Andy's didn't respond, his was mind reeling from several things, 
partly what Mary  had said, but mostly from Mary herself, the heat of 
her touch, the scent of breath, the  sight of her breasts against the 
material of her top, everything.  Too terrified to move  for fear of 
what he might do, and too frightened to speak because of what he might 
say,  Andy seemed to go into a rigid, paralytic state.  He stared hard 
at the empty table and  didn't even breathe.

	"Andy?"  Blue Mary asked somewhat worriedly. "You still with me?"

	The tortured martial artist nearly broke but remained locked onto 
the plastic of  the table.

	Mary shook her head.  Oh well.  "Andy, I am going to go find that 
poor girl and  wish her a happy birthday.  If you can find the guts come 
and join us."

	She patted his hands and got up.  The last part of her statement 
had sent an  entirely new barrage of images through Andy's head and he 
began to shake very slightly.   Mary got up turned away.  She had only 
taken a few steps when she looked over her  shoulder.

	"Who knows maybe I'll even give her a present later!" she laughed 
impishly.  "I  bet she could use one"

	That broke through Andy's self imposed paralysis.  "Wait a minute 
Mary what do you  mean..."

	"...by that."  Once again however, he was too late, Mary was gone.  
Andy closed  his eyes and tried to clear his head.  That proved to be a 
mistake.  The thought of Mai  and Blue Mary dancing together had been 
bad enough when suddenly without any conscious  will another image 
replaced it.  Mary and Mai were holding each other, kissing deeply.   
Mai moaned softly as Mary's hand traced the curve of her spine to the 
hem of Mai's skirt  and slowly began to lif- 	Andy slammed upright so 
hard the pressure from his hands cracked the two inch  hardened plastic 
table.  He panted trying to gain enough control to tell his body what to  
do.  It was too much, the rhythm of the music, the crush of men and 
women together, the  allure of Blue Mary and Mai...  Andy looked around 
desperately, seeking somewhere he could  get his head working right 
again.  The first place to catch his eye was then men's room.   Halfway 
there Andy started to run.

************************

	Aoshi watched Bogard and the blonde woman, who he recognized as a 
bounty hunter  out the America's, talk for a few minutes.  He noted with 
interest the changes in Bogards  body language and poise as the woman 
touched him or even came near him.  When the blond  martial artist stood 
up suddenly and ran in his direction the observant ninja began to  
understand.  Bogard was a dedicated martial artist, a follower of 
bushido, the path of the  warrior, and a deadly opponent, all this Aoshi 
knew.  

	From research on his records and watching tapes of his public 
fights, Aoshi had  learned all he could about Andy Bogard.  Watching him 
in person with a woman gave Aoshi  insight previously unavailable to 
him.  Andy Bogard had no experience in dealing with  emotions.  His 
lifetime dedicated to one art had made him dangerous in the extreme and  
little flaw could be found in his skill.  However it was the emotional 
manipulation and  psychology that his ninjutsu training had instilled in 
him that would enable Aoshi to  defeat Andy Bogard.  With all the sound 
of snowflake touching the ground Shinomori Aoshi  slid behind the 
fleeing Bogard and followed him.

	When Bogard reached the lavatory Aoshi quickly located the 
janitors closet opened  it, and found an out of order sign.  Before 
anyone else had entered Aoshi attached the  sign to the door and 
entered.  

As he did another slight smile crept across his face.  

	"A odd place for a fight indeed. " Thought Aoshi.  "But so be it.  
So let it  begin."

**********************

	On the floor of the club Mai twisted, gyrated, and above all 
danced.  For the  moment all was forgotten except the sensation of other 
people's bodies against hers, and  the pulse of the music.  Mai had 
trained all her life to be the best she could at Shiranui  ninjutsu and 
had succeeded very well.  But at a price of course.  She had little 
chance to  develop friends outside the dojo and lived little of the life 
other girls took for  granted.  Mai had always considered herself lucky 
to have met Andy and yearned for the day  (or night) when she could 
finally show him all the ways she loved him.  Throughout most  days all 
she did was train and try to attract Andy's attention.   At night she 
would lay  alone in her bed, hands between her thighs, and fantasize 
what it would be like when she  would not be alone, when Andy would hold 
her in his arms and the fantasies would end.   However after years of 
this she began to wonder if such a day would ever come.  Andy  always 
seemed so distant, never truly opened up to her and had only even kissed 
her once.  

	But as always all of that didn't matter now.  Now, all her pain 
was gone, and  anxiety was a problem for other people.  As always Mai 
lost herself to the dance.

	Mai's dance was not so calming to others of the crowd.  She would 
slide to one man  coyly move in rhythm with him for a moment and just 
when he would think it was permanent  she would slide away to repeat the 
process over and over again.  Even some girls were  showered with her 
momentary attention everyone she danced with wanted more and not one of  
them was able to catch her.  Without realizing or intending it Mai was a 
terrible tease.   Though many were competing for her attentions by now 
none were actually angry with her.   She just seemed too happy to be 
upset with.

	Quite suddenly things changed.  A pair of hands encircled her 
waist and a pair of  jean clad thighs trapped hers between them.  Mai 
was about to protest when a pair of  rather large breasts pressed 
against her back.  Mai had never danced with another woman  for any 
length of  time so she decided to try it now.  Instinctively Mai snaked 
her left  arm around the back of the woman’s neck holding the other 
woman's body close.  She rested  her right hand on the same hand of the 
girl holding her.    Mai's eyes closed as the two  women began to sway 
up and down with the rhythm, as they did the other girls hands began  to 
move.  First they ran down the front of her thighs till they almost 
touched her knees  then began to travel back up the insides of thighs up 
to her skirt then out and to Mai's    hips, resting there for a moment 
caressing them softly.  Mai sighed inwardly,  no one had  ever touched 
her like this with her permission before and it felt very good coming 
from  another woman.  She couldn't explain it but the other girls touch 
seemed, familiar  somehow.  The two women never missed beat of the music

	Without warning the hands on Mai's hips started to move again.  
This time the  touch went up her sides stopping when they were beside 
her breasts then the woman’s hands  traveled feather light down to just 
below Mai's swaying breasts moving across her body and  just barely 
brushing the bottom of Mai tits.  

By now Mai's breathing was coming quicker and even that light touch made 
her moan softly.   The hands didn't stop however gliding down the front 
of Mai's dress towards her waist.    To Mai the rest of the world had 
ceased to exist, even the pulse of the music was fading  to the 
background, as her reality centered around the feelings  the other girl 
was giving  her.

	Her skirt ended halfway between her knees and Mai's waist and was 
just loose  enough to allow some movement without showing her panties 
too much.  The woman behind Mai  began caressing Mai's sides and belly 
with slow gentle strokes, still in rhythm with the  music.  Suddenly the 
other girls hands dove down the center of Mai's belly to the edge of  
her skirt.   Mai held her breath but didn't resist as both hands hooked 
under her skirt  slowly drew nearer to her sex.  Just before they 
reached however the hands spread to  caress the very innermost regions 
of her thighs. Another soft moan escaped Mai's lips,  quickly they slid 
back to her thigh and started up her sides, to start it all over again.   
After a few times of this Mai's breathing was getting very ragged and 
she had stop herself  from grinding the other woman’s hand to her 
vagina.  She did hold the other woman very  close and leaned against her 
heavily, because Mai's knees were getting weak.  As the hands  once more 
began an accusingly slow journey down her sides, Mai felt the woman 
shift  slightly.  The other girls head moved to the hollow between Mai's 
neck and shoulder and  their cheeks touched.  Mai could smell the other 
girl's hair and feel her ragged breath  against the skin of her breasts.  
Mai pushed the woman's hand down her dress harder.  The  woman inhaled 
deeply and moved her lips to just brush against Mai's ear.

	"Happy birthday Mai-chan." the woman whispered in a familiar 
voice.

	Mai broke their hold and span around.  Blue Mary stood 
triumphantly in front of  her arms outstretched, and smiling broadly.

	"Mary-san! Yo-kata!  It's been so long!"  Mai embraced her friend 
warmly.  "What  are you doing here?"

	"I just dropped by to wish my favorite kunoichi a happy birthday!" 
laughed Mary.   The blonde looked around quickly.  "Uh, Mai you want to 
go back up to the bar and talk?  I  don't think this  is a good place 
right now."

	"I guess so. Why?"  Mai asked as she followed Mary's gaze.  Then 
she saw.  The  crowd had formed a ring around them consisting mostly of 
young men, though a few women  were staring also.  Almost all the 
members of the ring were wide mouthed, several young  men were bleeding 
from the nose, a few were drooling obviously, and one had simply passed  
out.  "Oh, I see.  Let's go."

	When they arrived back at the bar Mary noticed something wrong.

	"He was here when I left.  Where'd that boy go to?" Mary wondered 
aloud.  Mai  slumped down in a chair and pouted.  Noticing her friends 
mood Mary approached the bar.   "Give me a bottle of your best sake, and 
two glasses."

	 	"He can be so insensitive sometimes!" yowled an irate Mai as 
soon as Mary  returned.

	The blonde shook her head and poured both cups half full.  "Why 
don't we sit and  drink a little bit then go back out on the floor and 
dance some more? "

	Mai responded by grabbing the bottle from Mary and slamming it.  
Mary simply  blinked in astonishment and watched as the Mai drained the 
sake to it's halfway point.   She then stopped set the sake down hard, 
closed her eyes, and arched her back sucking in a  huge breath.  Her top 
tried unsuccessfully to cover her and more than a few were given a  
glimpse at pretty much all of Mai's incredible chest.  She opened her 
eyes and smiled at  Mary, her face turning just a little pink from the 
sake.

	"Good idea, Ikuzo!" declared Mai brightly.

	Blue Mary started to get up eyeing Mai cautiously.

	"I'm sure Andy just went to the bathroom or something..." Mary 
ventured.

	"Yeah, right, whatever." Mai said a bit too casually.  Mai grabbed 
the other  woman’s hand and pulled her towards the dance floor. "Now 
come on!  There's still fun out  there at least!"

************************

	The men's room was fairly empty but Andy still had to get in line 
for a sink.   Standing still was sheer torture, with images of Mai and 
Mary together, conflicting with  the implications of what the American 
woman had said.

	Lose Mai?  Never! Andy thought to himself. She loves me, I love 
her, we stay  together.  That's how it works right?  Right.  But the 
doubt stayed with him.  It was true  that he didn't show his affection 
for her as much as she did but that was how it was  supposed to be 
right?  He had to keep the appearance of noninterest up until they were  
properly wed right?  To do anything else would be dishonorable both to 
him and her.  And  the most important thing in life was honor.  Andy was 
sure of that and breathed slightly  easier knowing that not all his 
values had left him.  He still clenched and unclenched his  fists as the 
images of Mai and Mary still paraded in his head as if to taunt him.

	NO no NO! Andy swore in his head.  Such thought are without honor 
and  disrespectful as well.  I've got to clear my head, got to focu-

	Andy's reverie was broken when he realized that he was standing in 
front of a  sink.  He turned the water on stared at it trying to focus 
all the impure thoughts out of  his mind.  One thing bothered him even 
more as the thought of losing Mai, and that was why  Blue Mary had so 
much of an effect on him.  He hadn't even thought of Mai like that until  
Mary had showed up.  More thoughts of the two women flashed through his 
head.  Even more  disturbing was the fact that he only saw the two of 
them together.  Like he was an outside  observer.

 	Andy lost track of everything else he as slowly he pushed the 
pictures to the back  of his mind.  After some time he cupped his hands 
in the stream of water and splashed his  face.  Andy repeated this 
several times until he was satisfied that he could go face both  girls.  
As he returned back to his normal state he became aware that the 
bathroom was  completely silent.  Andy thought this odd but didn't let 
it 

bother him.  He wiped the water from his eyes and looked into the 
mirror.  To his utter  astonishment there was someone standing behind 
him.

*********************

	Shinomori Aoshi waited patiently as gradually the other people 
left the room, and  Bogard stared at the sink.  The truly tactical thing 
to do would be to attack now while  Bogard's mind was distracted.  But 
this was not combat so much as the fulfillment of  quest, and the ninja 
simply leaned against a wall.  As he waited Aoshi studied the room.   
The bathroom was a large, with white ceramic tiles on the floor and 
walls.  Like most high  class clubs it was frighteningly clean.  The 
lights were bright and harsh accentuating the  difference between 
himself, his enemy, and the room.  The dark clad ninja versus the  
brightly clad, honorable karateka, a souvenir of someone one opponent 
knew was dangerous  presented in way of challenge.  Aoshi shook his 
head, it was so... stereotypical.  When  the Italian martial artist 
looked like he was going to move Aoshi pulled the piece of  metal 
strapped to his back from under his coat and glided behind Andy Bogard. 

	"Sore de hajimaru, konno owata." [So it begins, this ending.] 
Thought Shinomori  Aoshi.

***********************

	Andy studied the man before him.  Half Japanese by the look of 
him, dark dressed,  and dark eyed..  Even though he was holding a 
European style sword that looked somewhat  familiar to Andy, of primary 
interest to the blond fighter were his eyes.  They showed  nothing but 
coldly, smooth, polished hatred.  He stood relaxed, grasping the sword 
at the  middle of it's sheath, for some reason Andy was sure that this 
man had no intention of  using the weapon.   

	"I can't sense any ki from him, probably a Yakuzza thug." thought 
Andy 	 	"You’re a hard man to find Andy Bogard." Aoshi said in a 
calm, emotionless voice.

	Andy looked at him closer. The face, the eye's, there was 
something familiar  there.

	"Who are you?  What's this about?" Andy asked shifting one leg 
back slightly.

	Aoshi allowed a cold smile to tug at his mouth. "Has it been so 
long Bogard?  Six  years was not enough time for me to forget. But 
Hanzo-sensei said you always were more  interested in yourself than 
anything else."

	"Hanzo-sensei!" Andy said in surprise.  Then he remembered the 
time he met Mai,  the time spent training in Shiranui ninjutsu and the 
one student who was even close to him  in ability.  

	"Shinomori Aoshi!" Andy remembered aloud.  The other man showed no 
emotion at the  revelation.  Andy was growing uncomfortable with the 
lack of ki he felt from Aoshi.  He  knew, as most masters did, that any 
martial artist who was good as this man had been,  would give off some 
ki, good or bad.  In Aoshi he felt nothing.  To his heightened  
awareness the man before him did not exist.  Andy did not know what that 
meant but it  disturbed him.

	"I ask again, what is this about?" Andy asked bringing his left 
arm up  defensively.

	Aoshi presented the sword to Andy and tipped the sheath letting it 
fall to the  floor.  Even with the blade snapped neatly in half Andy had 
been on it's business end  enough times to recognize it.

	"Lawrence Blood's!" breathed the blond man.   	"What's this 
about?" Aoshi said sounding even colder than before.  The ninja  stepped 
his tabi clad right foot on the both parts of the blade. In one motion 
he sent the  sheath and the broken blade, flying and sliding 
respectively, into a stall.  Aoshi left  his right leg back and brought 
both arms up to chest level, left outstretched, right hand  equal with 
left elbow, and bent his knees sinking deeper into his stance.  Andy 
recognized  the stance instantly as Shaolin longfist. Aoshi then growled 
out a reply.

	"You wouldn't understand.  Love is beyond you.  So she will not be 
involved.  What  is this about Bogard? Shi!" 

	Andy had enough time to raise his right hand before Aoshi was on 
him.  The ninja's  arms became blurs as first his right then his left 
screamed out.  Andy managed to redirect  the right but had to simply 
take the left with his right forearm.  The Italian gritted his  teeth as 
the impact numbed his arm.

	"He's fast and strong!" Andy thought and sent his left palm 
singing towards  Aoshi's head followed by a right snap kick to the head.  
As Andy had expect the dark clad  fighter knocked the palm away easily 
and power blocked the kick flowing into another left  aimed at Andy's 
gut.  But Andy knew what Aoshi was doing and used the momentum from the  
block to spin him out the way of the punch and launched a right palm 
with all the force of  the spin behind it.  Andy was confident that even 
the powerful longfist parries would be  thrown by the force of his 
technique.  Suddenly everything about Aoshi changed, his feet  slid 
close together and his body twisted out of the path of Andy's strike.  
The dark  dressed warrior then hooked Andy's arm between his index 
finger, wrist, and forearm.   Aoshi pulled with the direction of Andy's 
strike, then his left arm became a blur.

	The blond fighter grunted in pain as series of three lightning 
finger strikes  drilled his side, shoulder, and back.  He launched 
himself into a roll to avoid being  trapped by the blindingly fast 
Aoshi.  Andy came out of the roll and saw his opponent set  in an 
entirely different stance.  He knew this one too.

	"Mantis fist?  From Shaolin?!" wondered Andy.  The two styles were 
so different,  it seemed impossible to change from one to the other that 
fast.  Aoshi was clearly more  dangerous than he had thought.  Tapping 
on his ki Andy exploded from his crouch.

	"Dai-anken!" howled Andy his right elbow slammed forward and he 
left a trail of  ionized air behind him. The ninja was not so easily 
defeated however and ducked forward  and under the deadly strike.  Andy 
stopped his rush easily and arced one leg over his head  and down 
towards Aoshi, redirecting the power of his charge into a vicious axe 
kick.   White dust billowed from the crater Andy's ki charged kick left 
in the floor.  The black  clad fighter had seemed to swim out the way 
and close the distance impossibly quick.   Aoshi was using the blond 
man's own energy to space himself.  Another series of blurred  fingertip 
strikes hit the karateka's body.  Andy was getting pissed.  He arced a 
powerful  forearm towards the ninja's face.  The angered fighter 
couldn't figure out what happened  next.

	Aoshi brought his left forearm to Andy's right, but instead of 
blocking or even  redirecting the ninja rolled up Andy's arm, using it 
as a guide, across the blond man's  shoulder's with his own to the other 
side.  Aoshi landed on one foot and sent the rest of  torque out with 
his other leg sweeping Andy's front foot from beneath him.  Andy landed  
hard.  The blond man guessed at what was coming next and rolled away 
from the black clad  fighter and into a ball.  

	Andy had been right because a knife hand splintered the floor 
where he had been  moments ago.  Sensing a weakness the light dressed 
fighter torque his rear leg into the  center of the dark blur that was 
Shinomori Aoshi.  He felt it land with a great deal of  satisfaction.  
The blur became a ball as the ninja bounced and rolled with the impact.   
Much to Andy's dismay however Aoshi stood right up in his mantis stance.

	The black coated man forced a smug grin even though he could 
barely breath.  That  guy hit hard!  Aoshi thought as he watched the 
white clad karateka get up slowly. Though  he wished he could press the 
advantage he didn't want to risk it in his weakened state.   With a deep 
breath Aoshi let his hands fall and stood upright.

 	"Hmf, I guess you have some chikara after all Bogard." He said 
mockingly.  This  time Aoshi didn't waste time getting into any stance 
he just vaulted himself at the blond  man, his right leg becoming 
nothing more than a dark streak aimed for Andy's head.  Bogard  grunted 
from the force of the impact against his left arm.  The ninja snapped 
his leg away  just as quickly as he had struck.  Andy was moving towards 
the dark fighter when he  noticed something.  Aoshi's knee hadn't 
dropped.  By then it was too late when he saw  motion out of the corner 
of his right eye.  Then Aoshi's heel slammed into his cheek.  

	Realizing that his opponent had hooked his leg down and around 
Andy tried to focus  quickly on the ninja's leg and saw it had not 
dropped yet.  Knowing even a seconds delay  could be fatal with someone 
as fast as Aoshi, the blond man closed the distance.  Aoshi  guided the 
inertia of his second kick outside and up, then snapped his heel down 
towards  the karateka's chest.  Andy took the hit full on his right arm.  
Although the kick  deadened his arm Andy ignored the pain and span, 
thrusting his left elbow forward with all  of his body and muscle behind 
it.  With no textbook defense against such a move Aoshi  slammed both 
hands against the sides of Andy's elbow and pushed backward with his 
left  leg, surfing the force of the blond mans technique.

	The distance he gained didn't last long.  Andy observed the 
ninja's right leg  touch the ground and launched into his Dam Breaker 
Strike.  Aoshi slipped beyond the left  forearm of the move and dodged 
to the inside of the first right palm.  Andy saw his  opponents weight 
on his right leg and continued the series with a powerful left knife 
hand  to the chest.  There was no way the ninja could dodge and throw 
one of his kicks at the  same time so even before the third hit 
connected he raised his right arm above his head in  preparation for the 
two finishing blows.

	Then Aoshi's left shin burned into Andy's thigh, then stomach, and 
finally  impacted against the underside of his upraised arm.  Stunned 
Andy realized he had once  again misjudged his enemy.  An ambidextrous 
fighter was rare enough, but not even Kim Kap  Hwan could boast ability 
like that in both legs.  Aoshi yet again left his knee raised and  
pummeled Bogards right side with a barrage of hook and roundhouse kicks.  
Through the haze  creeping into his vision Andy saw Aoshi's left leg 
raised high above his head and  beginning a brutal descent.  Desperately 
the blond man raised both arms in an attempt to  stop the powerful kick.

	Which never came.  Aoshi slammed his foot straight down as his 
left arm snaked  forward to land an iron grasp on Andy's wrist.  As the 
blond man attempted to adapt to the  sudden change, the ninja imbedded 
an extended knuckle fist to the back Andy's right arm  paralyzing it 
momentarily.  Using the numbed limb for leverage the dark fighter 
dropped to  one knee for extra power, while lofting Andy over his 
shoulder.

	Normally a distance throw would have been useless against one as 
skilled as Andy  but with both arms weakened the karateka hit the tile 
floor heavily.  His breath nearly  left him entirely and Andy rolled as 
much as he could to put distance between him and the  deadly man he 
faced.  Aoshi stood up arms at his sides once again.  With a smug grin 
he  let Andy regain his feet.

	"Haiaku, haiaku Bogard.  I didn't hurt you too bad."

	As Andy raised his arms and slid closer Aoshi switched styles one 
more time.  He  raised himself till his left foot was just barely 
resting on it's ball and both arms  tucked in their bottoms facing out.  

	"Mhuay Thai!" thought Andy "Finally one I know!"

	As if on cue Aoshi launched a two brutal elbows to the head in 
rapid succession.   But this time Andy was prepared.  He dodged one then 
redirected the other.  Unfazed Aoshi  launched a powerful knee aimed at 
Andy's mid section.  The white clad fighter acted.  Andy  seemed to fall 
backwards with the knee catching himself with his left hand Andy turned 
and  straightened his left leg wheeling his right heel into Aoshi's 
side.   As the stunned  ninja spun with the impact Andy regained his 
feet charged both hands with all the ki he  could manage and slammed 
them forward.

	"Genk-Hisho-ken!"  An explosion of blue-white ki slammed into 
Aoshi left side sent  him flying.  This technique was one of Andy's 
finest, a short range blast four times as  strong as his normal hisho-
ken.  The ninja hit the ground limp, and soundless.

	Andy dropped to one knee having expended almost all his strength 
in that attack.   He looked the motion less body of Shinomori and smiled 
weakly.  It was worth it though.   He then dropped both hands to the 
floor in order to hold himself up and closed his eyes.

***********************

	Aoshi opened his eyes seconds after he hit the ground.  The stark 
white light of  the ceiling soon came into focus.  Quickly he took stock 
of his injuries.  Aoshi wasn't  happy.  His entire body burned with the 
effects of Andy's ki blast.  That was just pain  though, he was used to 
that, his left arm was another matter however.  He could move his  
fingers but not the rest of his arm.  That was good, it meant 
dislocated, not broken.  He  looked for Andy and saw him knelt to the 
floor presumably from exhaustion.  He determined  that if he was to win 
he would have to do it now.  Aoshi quietly moved his right hand to  his 
left shoulder and closed his eyes.  This was not going to be fun.  There 
was a soft,  unpleasant, popping noise seconds later. 	 
*************************

	Andy didn't know what it was that made him break his trance and 
look up but his  eyes widened when he did.  Shinomori Aoshi was rising, 
his body shaking.  Andy nearly  gaped when he realized that the black 
clad ninja was laughing.  Aoshi stood fully upright  then, still 
laughing.  He raised his gaze to Andy with a maniacal grin splitting his 
face.

	"Is that the most you can manage Bogard?  Nasaki nai! No wonder 
you get beat all  the time, you have no heart!"  Despite the immense 
amount of pain ripping through his body  Aoshi kept a convincing grin on 
his countenance.  It took everything he had to just stand  but the ninja 
had another weapon.

	"I was right then," said Aoshi "you don't deserve her."

	"What?" gasped Andy.  "What the hell are you talking about!?!"

	"Orokana.  You haven't guessed yet have you?" Aoshi droned.  He 
had to keep Andy  talking until he could fight.  "Maybe she loves the 
innocence stupidity brings because you  are overflowing with that 
quality."

	Understanding came to Andy.  "Mai!  This is about Mai!

	Aoshi shook his head.  "Finally."

	Now Andy laughed. "Ha! You can't win Mai's heart through battle!  
She is not a  prize to be won or lost.  This is not the middle ages."

	Aoshi smiled. “Of course not. By destroying you I am just ridding 
her of the one  thing that's held her back for so long.  Her dedication 
was never to you but to the false  ideal you represent!"  	Andy 
normally ignored such insults but today was a little different.  He did 
not  answer but growled in the back of his throat.  Aoshi noticed this 
and smiled even more  broadly inwardly.  "At least I would appreciate 
one so fine as her.  You obviously don't."

	"WHAT!!" screamed Andy." I love her!"

	"Right.  I saw you Bogard, when Mai was right next to you, you 
didn't pay any  attention except to tell her what to do.  But when the 
other woman arrived you acted like  a teen-ager next Pamela Anderson!  
I'm not the one treating her like a prize, you are!"

	Andy tried to form words but they failed him.  Self-doubt reared 
it's head as the  blond man remembered when Mary touched him.  This made 
him even angrier, with Aoshi, with  Mary, for no apparent reason with 
Mai, but mostly with himself.  A fire burning with  guilt, doubt, and 
shame lit in his gut.  "No that's not true!"

	"Isn't it?  I can hear the doubt in your voice Bogard.  I know 
better.  You pay  her almost no attention until she is taken away from 
you, and only then do you 'bravely'  go to her rescue." Aoshi managed to 
clench his left hand and gritted his teeth.  Almost  there.  "You’re 
like a child who only wants something when they can't have it.  Love 
her?   Ha!  You’re bored with her! When something new appears you act 
like a child again wanting  a new toy to play with to make his old toy 
exciting again!"

	Andy stared at his hands pressing into the ground.  No, it 
couldn't be true.  Yet  Aoshi had described exactly how he had been 
acting...

	Andy's old sensei had always told him that without faith a battle 
was surely lost.   Somewhere Aoshi had learned this too and had 
systematically dismantled Andy's faith in  himself and in Mai.  Without 
realizing it, Andy was defeating himself.  Which was exactly  what Aoshi 
had been hoping for.  The ninja who, starting to believe everything he 
was  saying, was feeling better by the second.  Unlike some Andy was 
incidental to Aoshi's  quest.  He truly loved Mai, not because she was 
someone else’s' but because he believed  that no one would love her as 
much he could.

	"She's mine." choked out Andy trying to find the strength to stand 
and failing.

	"Is she now?"  snapped Aoshi.  His strength had pretty much 
returned and he wanted  Andy to snap.  "Then prove it.  You obviously 
can't defeat me for yourself, can you do it  for her?  I doubt it.  You 
don't love her enough.  You’re too caught up with idea that  honor comes 
with the approval of others.  Or the following of someone else’s' 
values.  I  know better.  Honor comes from following what your heart 
tells you and defending those you  hold dear."

	That was enough.  By assaulting Andy's belief in honor Aoshi had 
crushed the last  pillar supporting his spirit.  Tears were now flowing 
from Andy's eyes, because Aoshi had  broken him.  Andy couldn't accept 
any of it on one level but on another he believed what  Aoshi had told 
him.  Because maybe, just maybe, it was true.  He raised his head to 
look  at his tormentor.  Aoshi stood with his legs shoulder width apart 
arms at his sides palms  turned out.  In a totally unrelated part of his 
brain Andy recognized the stance.  But  right now he needed to strike 
out. To make this one pay for crushing him.  Andy's knuckles  turned 
white as he vaulted off the floor towards Aoshi, his aura fueled by rage 
and  sadness glowed a blinding gold.

	"DAI-AN-KEN!!!" Everything blurred around him as Andy lashed out 
at Aoshi with  more power than he had ever struck with.

	Not that it mattered much.  Having been expecting this for 
sometime, Aoshi raised  his left arm and knocked Andy's elbow away, with 
his right arm Aoshi grabbed Andy's shirt  and flipped him over his head 
and into the ground.  The impact left Andy breathless and  dazed.  The 
part of his brain that still worked told him he had seen this exact 
technique  before.  As if in a dream Andy saw his opponent raise into 
the air and cock his right hand  back as if holding something.  The same 
part Andy's brain began screaming at him to move,  and just as the air 
began vortexing around Aoshi's hand, he started to.

	"Sempu-Ken!" called out Aoshi as he sent his attack out.  Somehow 
Andy dodged the  full force of the blast and the impact only knocked him 
clear.  Andy's body remembered how  to roll and came out it facing the 
cloud of dust where Aoshi stood, a black silhouette in  a cloud of 
white.  It was then that he remembered both those techniques.  They were 
used  by...

	"Geese!"  At his words Andy saw the cloaked man turn his head 
towards him.   Somehow through the smoke Andy knew that the other man 
was grinning at him.

	"What can I say Bogard,  like father, like son."

	The blond man gaped.  Geese had a son?  But now was not the time.  
Andy realized  that he had only one chance.  With the last of his 
strength and all of his ki Andy picked  himself up charged forward and 
dove.

	"Final attack CHO-REYADAN!"

	The world became nothing but twisting flames as the tremendous 
energy given off by  his attack set his world ablaze.  The last thing he 
saw of Aoshi was flash of black, then   Andy's body went numb.  He 
landed then stumbled forward.  With no strength left he dropped  to his 
knees shakily held himself up looked behind him.  There was a small pile 
of  something black burning.  Andy slumped back forwards a weak smile on 
his face.

	"I won.." he trailed off his eyes fluttering shut.

	"You know I really liked that coat." rolled out Aoshi's smooth 
cold voice.  

	Andy's eyes snapped back open to see Aoshi standing aside from the 
burning coat.   His suit was scorched and torn, but Andy knew that he'd 
missed, and lost.  A black flame  burst into life around Aoshi's right 
hand. 

	"Kore de owarida."[Here it ends] said Aoshi coldly. Andy tried to 
move but failed  he just watched the man who had defeated him.  Aoshi 
sucked in all the ki from around him  and cocked his fist back.  In a 
surprisingly calm voice he spoke.

	"Void Crash."  Aoshi became a blur and Andy's world turned to 
darkness

***********************



 			Chapter Two: The Sorrow of Seduction.

	Mai sat down at the bar and pouted cutely again.  Mary had gone 
off to the  bathroom and Mai didn't want to dance alone anymore.  

	"Where is he?" she growled to herself.  There had, of course, been 
no sign of Andy  since they left.    

	"If he left me here I'm gonna kill him!" thought Mai and almost 
meant it.  She  ordered another bottle of sake and started downing it.

************************

	Andy coughed blood onto Aoshi's fist and arm and twitched 
slightly.  Aoshi seemed  not to notice.. He was holding his index and 
middle outstretched in front of his a looked  to be concentrating.  Then 
Aoshi deliberately hit Andy with those two fingers at specific  points 
on Andy's body.

	"Hah!" Aoshi breathed out hard send a bolt of ki into Andy body.  
Suddenly the  karateka's body began to spasm and even more blood was 
hacked up onto Aoshi's arm.  The  ninja responded by pulling his arm 
away from the broken man's chest.  Andy, who had been  pinned to the 
outside wall from the force of the ninja's technique, slumped lifelessly 
to  the floor.  Although his chest still rose and fell the color 
completely drained from his  face. 	 	"Oyasuminasai [Good night] 
Bogard." said Aoshi to the unconscious face.  "You'll  yet live.  Let's 
see what you do with that life without the ability to fight."

	First Aoshi washed his hands of Andy's blood making sure to do it 
very thoroughly  and using a paper towel to wipe off the faucets.  Then 
the ninja began to gather the  smoldering remains of his coat, and the 
broken remnants of the sword.  He wrapped them in  his suit coat, after 
placing the paper towel in as well, and tied the sleeves together.   
Aoshi moved to a window and opened it.  He withdrew a lighter from his 
pocket and ignited  the suit coat holding it outside the club to vent 
the smoke.  When it was burning  sufficiently he dropped it in the 
narrow alley running along side the dance club.  

	"That should make things interesting for them."  thought the 
ninja, now down to a  tight black t-shirt and dark blue pants.

	"The dance of death is done, let the dance of life begin." 
Murmured Shinomori  Aoshi as he headed for the door... and Shiranui Mai. 

********************

	Blue Mary sighed deeply with pleasure as Mai slid behind her and 
began to dance  her hands along Mary's legs and sides.  During one of 
their breaks Mai had confessed that  she had never danced with another 
girl like that before.  From her performance now it was  obvious that 
she was quick learner.  Either from the alcohol, or Andy's apparent  
rejection, Mai was getting much bolder now.  The crowd that had ringed 
them earlier was  gone now as most of it's occupants realized that 
neither girl was really interested in any  of them.  

	Blue Mary on the other hand considered Mai very interesting.  
Undoubtedly Mai had  some of the finest breasts Mary had ever seen, and 
the bounty hunter rather liked having  them against her.  Mary wondered 
what Mai was going to do next when the heavy chested girl  clandestinely 
slipped a hand down the back of Mary's pants. The blond woman gasped as 
the  younger girl caressed the back of Mary's thighs and her tight ass, 
using her body to cover  what she was doing.  Then without warning Mai 
slid two fingers under her panties and  pulled up, bunching the material 
between her cheeks and cupping her sex wonderfully.

	Mary stiffened in surprise as the sensations started filling her.  
Mai then  removed her hand from Mary’s pants and change their style of 
dance to one that moved their  legs more.  Mary's head rolled back to 
Mai's shoulder with her eyes closed.  Usually she  was the one to start 
this and having it done to her felt incredible.

	"Mai-chan you’re mean!" gasped the blond as she felt her panties 
start to dampen.   The brown haired girl smiled mischievously in 
response and picked up the pace of their  dance.  Mary couldn't hold 
back a moan as the friction on her pussy increased.  She snaked  both 
arms around Mai's neck for support as the other girl stroked the skin 
under her  breasts and then slid her hands to Mary's inner thighs and 
began to butterfly them apart  and together rapidly.  Blue Mary's back 
arched and her breathing grew very ragged and  fast.  She shut her mouth 
tightly to keep from crying out but still couldn't contain all  of the 
sounds she was making.  Somewhere in her mind she wondered where Mai had 
picked  this up from, but mostly she just felt the woman's body against 
hers and the waves of  pleasure rolling from her sex. 

 	"Mmmmnnn...oh...ohhh...Mmm..Ma..oh! Mai!"  Mary gasped into the 
other girls neck.   The playful kunoichi started nibbling on Mary's neck 
and making sure her hands rubbed  Mary's clit when her legs closed.  It 
was exquisite torture for the American woman, she so  wanted to taste 
Mai and feel the other girl lick her well dry too.  Then Mai turned her  
face enough so she could kiss the blond gently on the lips.  Mary felt 
herself draw closer  to the edge and tried hard not to go over.  Just as 
the song ended Mai pressed her middle  finger between Mary's legs to the 
base of her pussy and pressed hard.  Then she slowly  dragged the digit 
up. 

	It was to much for the blond woman and Mary came hard.  She 
collapsed totally into  Mai's chest, gasping her name repeatedly.  
Though she was still dazed from orgasming Mary  couldn't help wonder if 
Mai had been entirely honest with her earlier.  Then Mary heard  her 
laugh quietly.  Opening her eyes slowly Blue Mary smiled contentedly.

	"Whas sso funny?" Mary slurred.  The other girl supported her and 
stood her  upright.

	"Oh Mary-san, you’re a mess.  Better hope the lights stay low on 
this one."  Mai  giggled.

*******************

	Luckily for Blue Mary the next song was played low with no massive 
light show,   and she snuck to the rest room without being spotted by 
too many people.  Mai bounced  happily up the stairs to the bar and sat 
down smiling cheerfully.  She quickly ordered  some light sake and sat 
back in her chair still smiling peacefully.  It felt nice to do  that, 
she thought, very nice in fact.  She gave the bartender a brilliant 
smile when he  arrived with her drink.  So brilliant that when she 
reached for the money to pay the  bartender just blushed and waved it 
off.

	"Are you sure?" asked Mai sounding worried.

	The poor man nearly melted and said that yes, he was very sure.  
Mai went back to  smiling and blew him kiss.  The blood in his nose 
nearly came erupting out and he turned  and ran to stifle the flow.  
That was mean! part of her chided.  Oh well! said the more  dominant 
side.  Mai ran the tip of finger around the edge of the glass and 
dreamily  remembered what it was like to make Blue Mary cum.  She sighed 
happily, and for the first  time since Andy's disappearance felt really 
good.  Mai shifted her legs a little and felt  a tingling between them, 
she closed her eyes slowly savoring the sensation.  Then a voice  from 
inside came unbidden.

	"Was that what is was like for King when she made you cum?  When 
despite all your  protests you were pleading for more by the end?"

	Mai's eyes snapped open and she suddenly felt cold.  She hugged 
herself trying to  ward off the memory.

	"No! It wasn't like that! She made me..." Mai silently protested 
against herself.

	"Made you what?  Made you let her stick her fingers into you?  
Made you soak  yourself with cum when she slid that dildo in your ass?   
Is that what she made you do?"

	Mai rocked back and forth squeezing her arms together tightly as 
she tried to hold  back the memories and the inevitable scathing voice 
that accompanied them.  She stared at  her reflection in the sake to 
terrified to close her eyes because of the intensity of the  emotions 
these spells brought.

	"And what about Billy Kane?  I suppose you had no desire to beg 
for more when he  pulled his bo out of you?  That you weren't screaming 
for him not to stop, to fill you up?   A little whore like you doesn't 
deserve someone like Andy, that's why he left!" The voice  of course was 
her own guilt which had torn at her since both these incidents had 
happened.   Mai gripped her arms even tighter her nails threatening to 
draw blood as she tried to  escape herself.  It was this same guilt 
which made cling so desperately to Andy for the  faint affection he 
showed her.  By  allowing herself to enjoy what she and Blue Mary had  
felt Mai had opened floodgates of memory that she had thought locked 
away for good.  Now  the harder Mai tried to push the memories and guilt 
away the louder the voice got filling  her head and ringing in her ears. 

	"No..." she whispered tears gathering in her eyes. "...Please 
stop."

	"Even now you do it." the voice taunted.  "Even now yo-"

	"Kirin from the tap please!" called a smooth voice from beside 
her.

******************

	He was sitting down a seat away from her, all silky grace and easy 
power.  Mai  stared at him without realizing it, watching the shape of 
his muscles move, and the light  on his face.  Her mind desperate for 
something less painful too dwell on, instantly began  studying every 
detail of him.  With a start, Mai realized that she knew him.  Although 
her  memory was a little foggy and her judgment no where near sure,  Mai 
was positive that she  had met this man before.  As he received his 
drink he noticed her attention.

 	"Good evening." Shinomori Aoshi said with a warm smile and toast 
of his beer.

*******************

	Blue Mary stood up in the stall and buttoned up her pants with a 
sigh.  She still  wasn't completely certain why what just happened had 
happened.  Early on in the night they  had decided to dance together, 
neither really interested in any other boys they saw.  So  Mai and Mary 
had danced together several times tonight and always anything physical 
that  happened was Mary's doing.  Her brow furrowed slightly as she 
thought about it.  The blond  was sure that Andy hadn't done anything at 
all (poor girl) yet her touch seemed so...  expert.  Mary smiled and 
stretched luxuriously.  Very expert in fact.  Still it bothered  her 
slightly.  

	"Guess I'll just have to ask her." Mary thought to herself. Then 
she smiled. "I  wonder if Andy's got some competition out there.  
Actually I hope so, it'll keep him on  his toes." 

	Then she checked what her pants looked like and sighed ruefully.  
This was going  to get real uncomfortable later.

************************

	Though she wasn't sure why, Mai blushed furiously when he spoke to 
her.

	"Oh! Um..well..ah it's just...well...I ah...Don't I know you?"  
She finally  managed.  Why was that so hard to say?  She asked herself.  
I'm not that wasted am I?

	The man chuckled deeply.  He fixed her face with his gaze once 
more.  "Isn't that  supposed to be my line?"

	Mai's cheeks colored a little more.  His eyes are so bright, she 
thought.  "Oh no!   I didn't mean it like that!  I just..."

	The man chuckled again.  Then he cocked his head slightly and 
studied her face  intently.  Mai knew it wasn't the sake making her 
cheeks burn like they were.  She  couldn't explain it but his eyes made 
her feel so warm!  What was going on? Then his eyes  widened and he 
smiled warmly once more.  

	"Of course!  How stupid of me!  I didn't recognize you without the 
gi on." he said  with that smooth voice.  "Shiranui Mai!  How are you?"

	Gi? Wondered Mai, suddenly just confused.  What was that about? 
Apparently not  noticing her confusion the man went on.

	"It's been what, six years, since I saw you or Hanzo-sensei."

	Wait a minute thought she looked closely at him again.

	"Oh yes I remember!" she exclaimed happily.  "Your name is...uh"

	In mock pain the smooth voiced man put his hand on his heart.  
"You can't remember  me?  Oh I am sorely wounded!"

	"No no, just give me a sec." Mai said quickly.  Then with a little 
embarrassment  added.  "I've been drinking a little to much."

	"Nothing wrong with that." said the man taking a draw off his 
beer.  Mai nodded in  agreement and sucked some of her sake down 
quickly.  As the liquid hit her throat she  remembered.

	"Oh yeah!  Ao... something.  Um, oh wait... Aoshi! Right?" she 
ventured.   Shinomori Aoshi bowed slightly, smiling broadly again.

	"To hear my name from the lips of one as pretty as you is a fine 
compliment  indeed!"  Mai was suddenly blushing madly again.  Aoshi's 
face fell as he leaned back in  his chair shaking his head.

	"I'm sorry that was forward of me wasn't it."  He said 
apologetically.  Mai calmed  down a little and shook her head.

	"No no, it was nice of you.  Thank you."  She said softly. For 
some reason it  looked like that meant a great deal to him.  Aoshi 
motioned to the seat next to her  askingly.

	"Oh, of course!" Mai said smiling brightly again.  She watched him 
move, even over  such a short distance she could see the play of muscle 
under his shirt and the cat-like  way he moved.  He slid into the seat 
with that warming smile on his lips and in his eyes.   Mai began to feel 
hot again.

	"Weird how things work out isn't it?  For six years I never see a 
trace of my old  classmates and then one night I run into two of them!" 
Said Aoshi sipping his beer.  Mai  suddenly narrowed her eyes. the heat 
in her mind was pushed aside.

	"Oh really.  Who was it?" Mai questioned keeping her smile bright.

	"That gaijin in our class remember?  Andy Bogard.  I thought you 
knew him fairly  well?"

	"So did I."  Mai murmured quietly.

	"What was that?" Aoshi asked.  

	"Oh nothing.  When did you see him?"

	"Oh, about ten minutes ago.  He was on his way to the bathroom, 
said something  about not wanting to stay long and having to get into a 
fight?"  Aoshi shrugged his  shoulders.

	Mai's eyes burned intensely.  The NERVE of that man!  This was too 
much, she would  never forgive this!

	"Something wrong?"  Aoshi said.

	"Not at all." Mai responded evenly.  "Just sorry I missed him.  It 
is my birthday  after all."

	"Oh really!  Well then happy birthday!"  Aoshi toasted.

	"Yeah, very happy."  This time Mai couldn't keep the glumness out 
of her voice.

	Aoshi stopped his drink in mid-toast and set his beer down sliding 
it to one side.   Mai's right hand was clenched into a fist on her thigh 
and Aoshi leaned forward very  deliberately and put his hand on hers.

	"Something is wrong."  He stated, holding her hand gently.  Mai 
had been on an  emotional roller coaster all night and Aoshi's touch 
sent that ride into overdrive.  Her  pulse quickened as she fought with 
her passion, anger, sadness, and guilt.  Her face  remained stock still 
but she couldn't stop a tear from forming in her left eye.  It was  
halfway down her check when Aoshi reached out and intercepted it with 
his left hand.  He  held her cheek caringly and tipped her face up 
towards his.  She stared into his eyes only  inches from hers now.  They 
were deep, those orbs, and all Mai could see was concern in  them.  

Concern and caring for her.

	"If you don't want to talk that's all right.  I'll be here to wipe 
your tears  away."  His smooth voice caressed her ears.  Mai cupped his 
left hand with her's and  managed a weak smile as more tears flowed from 
her jeweled eyes.

***********************

	Blue Mary had been sitting about three chairs behind Mai since she 
had remembered  Aoshi's name.  She looked over at Mai and smiled sadly.  
She hadn't heard everything but  enough had reached her ears.  Although 
she felt truly sorry for Mai there was a twinge of  jealousy fringing 
her heart.  Mary sincerely wished that she could have been the one to  
help her friend through this.  Mary sighed watching Mai cry silently 
remembering the taste  of her friend on her lips.  She watched as the 
fingers of their right hand interlaced and  Aoshi guided her face 
forwards into a deep kiss.  Blue Mary closed her eyes and wondered  
which one she envied more, her dear friend Mai or the man holding her.  
Bitterly she  swallowed her drink and slammed the cup to the bar.

******************

	The kiss was electric.  It shocked Mai as soon as their lips 
touched sending waves  of heat through her.  As her eyes closed she 
forgot her pain for the moment and only  Aoshi's tender lips existed to 
her.  Mai drove it deeper slipping her tongue into his  mouth and 
finding his.

	For Aoshi who had waited and planned six years for this, it seemed 
surreal, a  dream that he had stayed asleep for.  Then Mai upped the 
stakes and it became clear to him  that everything until this point had 
been a dream and he had just woke up.  His hand slid  from her cheek to 
the back of her neck holding her tight to him.  She moaned slightly into  
his mouth and he fought to control the desire burning his skin like 
oxyacetylene.

	When they broke, very reluctantly, Mai realized that she had 
stopped crying and  was smiling without having to force it.  Aoshi 
smiled slow and warm, moving his hand back  to her cheek and tracing her 
lips with his thumb.  Mai rested her head against his hand  and closed 
her eyes.  Their other hands still gripped each other tightly.  Mai felt 
him  move closer and kissed both her eyelids very gently.

	"Sa ikuzo."  he said quietly

	Mai kept her eyes closed and nodded.

*******************

	Blue Mary watched Mai and the man kiss and resolved not to be too 
bitter about it.   She stood up and walked to the pair as they both 
stood up.  Aoshi noticed her first, his  eyes changing very subtly as 
did his entire attitude and poise.  He suddenly looked just  slightly on 
edge.  This did not escape Mai's notice.  She turned around and her 
eye's  widened.  Mai quickly decided to deny everything and answered 
with her typical speed and  grace.

	"Oh Mary-san!  Um, this is my old friend Shinomori Aoshi.  We were 
just  ah...um...."

	Blue Mary put a finger to Mai's lips to quiet her then replaced 
the digit with her  own mouth.  Mary wrapped one hand around the back of 
Mai's head and placed the other at  the center of her back and pressed 
their bodies together.  She then slipped her tongue  into Mai's mouth.  
Mai's eyes widened even more then slowly dropped shut as she returned  
Mary's embrace.  Aoshi was taken aback by this.  He really hadn't 
considered Mai having a  girlfriend!  How would this affect things?  
Aoshi didn't want to share her affection.   However at the sight of them 
he began to rethink.

	"Then again this might not be so bad..." He considered.  For the 
first time in his  life Shinomori Aoshi was unsure of what to do.  For 
six years he had worked to get to this  point, to when he felt that he 
was worthy of having this girl he treasured so much.  Aoshi  had planned 
and waited always knowing what his goal was, now that his goal had been  
reached however...  He looked at the two women and wondered what to do.  
Luckily for him  Blue Mary slowly disengaged herself from Mai's lips.  
She smiled broadly at Aoshi and then  winked at him.  Mai opened her 
eyes looking pleased but very confused.

	"Mai here is my phone number," Mary said digging a wrinkled 
business card out from  her back pocket and holding it out to her friend 
while smiling impishly.  "Call me in  couple days, okay?  In the mean 
time, have fun, you deserve it!" 

	Mai held the card and kissed Mary on the check.  She whispered 
"Bye Mary-san."

	Then Mai nestled against Aoshi, who with the corners of his mouth 
twitching into a  smile, bowed to Mary very slightly.  Then he turned 
with Mai and left the club.

	Mary watched them go, smiling sadly.  

	"Alone again." she whispered ruefully.  That was OK though.  She 
was used to it.

************************

	Mai didn't remember most of the ride in the taxi, spending the 
entire time  snuggled next to Aoshi's chest with his arms around her.  
Aoshi on the other hand spent  the time memorizing every detail about 
her, her face, her warmth, the smell of her hair.

	When they arrived he helped her out and they headed to the 
elevator.  Neither did  Mai really notice when they got into the glass 
elevator.  To her everything seemed hazy  except the man holding her.  
Part of Mai's mind yelled that she was going to fast that  this would be 
no different than the times with King or Billy Kane, but it was quickly  
silenced by the roaring blood in her ears.  He made her feel so warm, 
and the tingling  between her legs that she had when she had been 
dancing with Blue Mary had returned  stronger than ever.  Mai couldn't 
explain why she felt so safe with him, when at the same  time he 
radiated an aura that she felt dangerously attractive.  Maybe because he 
had met  her for the first time in six years and treated her with more 
care and respect than  someone she had spent her whole life with.  

	Mai started as she realized that had been the first time she had 
thought of Andy  since Aoshi had kissed her.  Almost instantly the voice 
of her guilt started again.

	"Mai?" came Aoshi's caressing voice.  She looked up at him and 
smiled.  Aoshi  instantly covered her mouth with a passionate kiss, and 
all else was forgotten.  One of  his hands pushed on her back pressing 
her to him, the other cupped one her of glorious  breasts as he ran his 
thumb across the border between leather and exposed flesh.  She  gasped 
softly and ran her hands up and down his strong back.  Soon Aoshi 
slipped a finger  in between the material of her dress and her sensitive 
skin.  When he slid the digit the  base of her breast Mai moaned into 
his mouth again.  This time he had to act and pushed  her against the 
doors of the elevator as it continued upwards.

	Aoshi slid the hand against her back to her tight, round ass and 
cupped it pushing  up on her thigh.  Mai quickly understood as he lifted 
her leg to his hip.  She gripped  with her calf, pressing herself to him 
and revealing in the feeling it gave her.  She felt  his thigh slide 
down hers and brush against her sex.  At the same time he slid the rest 
of  his fingers into her dress and came close to but did not touch her 
already hardening  nipple.   Mai broke the kiss as she tipped her head 
and groaned louder.  Aoshi took the  opportunity to taste Mai's cheeks 
and throat, covering them with kisses.  

	The passion drunk girl reacted by hooking her other leg over his 
waist and locking  her ankles together.  Mai rested both arms on his 
powerful shoulders and began grinding  herself against Aoshi without 
thinking about it, whimpering lightly at the sensation.  The  young man 
grunted at this.  Though he supported her with ease, to have her so 
close was  sheer, absolute torture.  Aoshi made the best of the 
situation and withdrew his fingers  from her top.  Mai's sigh of 
disappointment quickly turned to a gasp as he slipped both  hands under 
her skirt.  One hand caressed her upper thigh while he ran the fingers 
of his  other hand in between her cheeks pressing her thin panties in 
between them.  Aoshi felt  her jump when he reached her anus and so ran 
the rapidly dampening material around the  area twice before pressing 
gently.

	Mai arched her back with each circle gasping softly at pull of the 
fabric against  her slit, then cried out with the pressure, pushing her 
sex against him hard.  She felt  his erection through the thin material 
separating them and rolled her hips against his.   It was getting to be 
too much for Aoshi.  He sneaked his middle finger under her panties  
while desperately kissing the arch of her neck and the tops of her 
breasts.  The attention  to the sensitive flesh made Mai cry out again.  
Both she and Aoshi were getting very  desperate, their breathing getting 
faster and more ragged.

	Then the door to the elevator opened.

	 Mai yelped in surprise and latched onto Aoshi's neck tightly with 
both arms in  surprise as they stumbled into the hall.  Aoshi moved both 
hands under her thighs and  managed to catch the overbalanced girl.  Her 
face burning bright red, Mai looked down both  directions of the 
hallway, and breathed a deep sigh of relief when she didn't see anyone.   
With his face crushed to the finest cleavage he had ever seen Aoshi 
didn't see much  either.  However, at the moment there was no reason in 
the universe to want to.  Mai  realized why the man beneath her hadn't 
moved at all and loosened her grip slightly.  With  the utmost regret 
Aoshi let the glorious globes move away from him and looked into Mai's  
face.  She smiled slightly at first, and he did the same.  Then Mai 
started giggling and  his shoulders started to shake with silent 
laughter.

	"Maybe I should get down."  Mai said still laughing a little.  In 
response Aoshi  slid his left arm under her to fully support her weight.

	"Oh no you don't!  I'm not letting you go for anything."  The 
young man said as he  started to run towards his apartment.  Mai yelped 
in delight and still giggling clutched  him tight to her, this time 
letting him see over her shoulder.  The reached his door and  Aoshi's 
hand blurred as he withdrew his keycard and slammed it through the slot.  
The door  unlocked it's only bolt and Aoshi kicked it open while shoving 
the keycard back into his  pocket.  Mai heard the door lock as it closed 
shutting out the light from the hallway.   Illuminated only by the 
lights of Tokyo through large sliding glass doors, Mai could still  see 
the desire in Aoshi's face and how hotly his eyes were burning.  She 
knew her eyes  were glowing with same light and cupped his face in her 
hands.

	"Now where were we?" She asked playfully, bending down to kiss 
him.  

	After they separated, Aoshi, still carrying her, moved to another 
room, a bed  backlit by the city and said "Here."

`	Aoshi laid her slowly on the silk sheets her voluminous hair 
splaying out beneath  them.  He straddled her with her arms still around 
his neck and lowered his lips to hers.   Still connected Aoshi supported 
himself with his right arm and with his left found the  zipper in the 
front of her dress.  He undid it slowly letting himself savor the flavor 
of  her lips and the smell of her skin.  The zipper reached it's limit 
and opened up.  Kept  from slipping off by her breasts the leather 
exposed a long strip of skin.  Aoshi was sure  he had never seen 
anything more erotic.  He slipped one side off without breaking their  
kiss and slowly began to massage her firm yet soft flesh.  Mai lowered 
one hand to the  back of his and tried to push it towards her nipple but 
he resisted, making slow circles  with his palm and thumb.  Aoshi took 
the lower pad of her lip in his mouth and sucked on  it gently while 
raising his head back, drawing out the kiss.  When he released her she  
laid her head back to the bed with another soft moan as he flicked away 
the other half of  her dress.  Aoshi started trailing kisses to her 
other breast and dropped himself to his  elbows in order to get his 
other hand onto her bountiful tit.

	Mai arched her back and tried again to push him to her nipples 
again he refused  touching every bit of skin except that area.   Slowly 
she increased the pressure her need  grew, yet to no avail.  Aoshi moved 
his legs in between her thighs and gently lowered  himself to her.  Her 
breathing increased and she started to roll her hips slowly.  Finally  
it was too much.

	"Ahn... oh...Please..." was all she could breathlessly manage.  
Hearing what he  had been waiting for Aoshi instantly took one erect 
nipple between thumb and forefinger  and started sucking the other.  
Mai's bucking increased as she dug her curled toes into  the silk below 
her.  Aoshi worked one nipple then the other feeling the tension build  
within her and hearing Mai's cries begin to gain volume.  Whenever she 
had masturbated Mai  had always ended every orgasm while fondling her 
breasts because they were so sensitive.   Now under Aoshi's 
ministrations she felt her self climaxing faster than she ever had  
before.  

	It took all Aoshi's self control to keep doing what he was as he 
felt Mai dig her  nails into the back of his head and buck her sex 
against him.  Then he took one nipple  between his teeth and rapidly ran 
his tongue across the swollen flesh.  When Aoshi  squeezed her other 
nipple with just enough pressure Mai came moaning and crying loudly  
every second of it.

	As she lay in trying to catch her breath Aoshi raised himself and 
stripped down to  his boxers in record time.  Before Mai had fully 
recovered he was between her legs again.   This time he put a hand under 
her back and lifted her up, whisking her leather dress from  beneath 
her.  Laying Mai back down to the silk slowly he began to kiss his way 
up her  inner thigh.  His free hand went to her mound and cupped it 
through the soaking cotton.   Mai instantly began to focus on the new 
sensations and put both hands to the back of his  head.  Aoshi licked 
the fold of her thigh and pressed his finger lengthwise through Mai's  
panties into her folds.  

	"Oh! Ah...uh uhnmmmm"  Her cries slowly descended into contented 
hums as Aoshi ran  the fabric against the sides of her vagina.  Mai's 
hips began to gain the rhythm of his  caress and started pushing against 
them to gain more penetration.  She left one hand  pressing against the 
back of his head and moved the other to her lonely tit massaging it  in 
time with his strokes.  Then Aoshi hooked one finger of each hand in the 
corner of her  panties and with one smooth motion slid them off her and 
flicked them in the same  direction as her dress.  Before Mai could 
really prepare herself he spread her petals open  and dove in as far as 
he could.

	There was no stopping her cries, the loudest yet, this time as his 
tongue worked  her inner folds despite the bumpy ride of Mai's wildly 
spasming hips.  He quickly wrapped  both arms around her thighs and 
lifted her up until only her shoulders lay on the bed.   Resting on one 
knee he spread her thighs wide and ate.  Mai reached down with one arm 
and  pushed on the back of Aoshi's head encouraging him to go deeper  
Her other bunched the  sheets as she clenched her fist against the tidal 
wave of pleasure rolling up her.  Mai  was shaking her head back and 
forth uncontrollably and screaming.

	"YESS! OH! YESS! MORE! MORE!"  As for Aoshi her cries had an 
effect.  Hearing her  made him feel that he was sharing her bliss and 
that made his member was so hard he could  barely feel it.  Aoshi worked 
his way up reveling in the taste and the feel of her.  He  worked his 
way up from deep strokes until he found her clitoris.  As soon as he 
touched it  Mai's body stiffened, her cries were cut short, and the hand 
on the back of her head  seemed locked.  Aoshi was curios about this a 
licked it again long and slow.  Her body  went limp for a second then 
spasm back tight.  He heard her gasp.  Realizing what an  effect this 
had on her hit her button fast and hard.  The only action Mai took was 
to  remove her hand from the back of his head and slam it to the bed, 
trying to push herself  into his face.  Tears of joy formed in her eyes 
and poured down her cheeks.  But it was  too much to go on for very 
long.  

	There was no outcry this time, all Mai could manage was a 
strangled gasp.  Then  she creamed harder than she ever had in her life, 
soaking Aoshi's face with her honey.   She went limp again and Aoshi 
laid her down gently and moved to her face wiping his face  off his 
index and middle fingers.  Mai's eyes were shut and her chest rose and 
fell  rapidly, and sweet little mouth was still slightly open.  Aoshi 
lay next to her and  cradled her head with his unused arm.  He ran the 
tips of his fingers around her lips  leaving her own juice on her lips.  
Mai kept her eyes closed and ran the tip of her tongue  across his 
fingertips.  She apparently liked the taste because she then started 
sucking  both fingers.  Aoshi hadn't known what to expect it to feel 
like but this certainly wasn't  it.  Every caress of lips and tongue 
against his fingers felt like she had his manhood in  her mouth.

	Soon Mai had cleaned off both fingers and opened her eyes slowly.  
There was  hunger as well as desire in them now.  Mai put hand on his 
chest and pushed Aoshi to his  back.   He watched Mai silhouetted in the 
lights of the city straddle his legs and pull  off his shorts.  Aoshi 
reached for her but Mai gently pushed him back to the silk shaking  her 
head and smiling.  She grasped him both hands and examined it closely.  
Though Mai had  only seen one before she liked his length and thickness.  
His member seemed strong in her  hands and Mai leaned in close and ran 
her tongue up the length of bottom of it.  Now it  was Aoshi's turn to 
stiffen and clench his fists.  He had dreamed of this for years and  now 
that it was actually happening, Aoshi saw that nothing he had ever 
dreamed was close.   Her tongue probed and caressed every inch of his 
rod and although she didn't know why Mai  actually enjoyed it.  Aoshi's 
back was arching and he was growling to stay in control when  she 
stopped.  He was almost glad, Aoshi was positive that he could not have 
held out any  longer.  

	Then he saw her shadowed form straddle his waist.  Still holding 
him with one hand  Mai opened her lips with the other and slowly lowered 
herself onto him.  They both arched  into each other and moaned eyes 
sealed by the intensity of it.  Though Aoshi had been with  other women 
before it was nothing like this.  This joining made every hair stand on 
end  and every inch of skin cry out for more of her.  Pleasure rolled 
out like liquid thunder  from just that first contact.  

	She's so tight!  Aoshi thought as he began thrusting into her 
harder.  Mai rose  and sank with perfect rhythm crying out again as he 
filled her over and over.  Then she  pushed both hands against his 
shaped, muscular abdomen and used that to for leverage too.   Aoshi 
opened his eyes and saw both of her breasts bouncing deliciously and 
decided that  he'd had enough on his back.  He shot upwards and latched 
onto both beautiful globes  squeezing and rubbing them almost roughly.  
He moved one nipple to his mouth and bit  gently.  Mai was already 
flowing freely and when he touched her sensitive tits she nearly  came.  
For her the sensations blurred into one wave of pleasure crashing 
through her and  she started to buck more wildly while scraping his back 
with her nails.  Aoshi wanted to  say something but his mouth was full 
and he didn't like the prospect of letting go.  To  him it seemed that 
everything came sharply into focus, he heard every difference in her  
gasps and moans, felt every variation of her smooth skin, and smelt 
their sex and sweat  combined.  He had waited too long and she was so 
much more than his dreams ever could have  hoped for.  He felt himself 
drifting except for the intense sensation of his manhood and  every 
thrust and retreat.  Then he became aware of Mai calling out that she 
was cumming  over and over.

	It was too much.  He let loose six years of stored desire in a 
tremendous shot.   Mai's eyes rolled up into her head as she orgasmed 
even harder than before.  They stayed  there for a while, Aoshi still 
inside Mai and clutching her tightly, while her arms  dangled limply at 
her sides.  Slowly he lowered her back to the bed.  Her breathing had  
become more rhythmic now and her eyes fluttered as she tried to stay 
awake.  Aoshi kissed  her eyelids shut again.

	"Oyasuminasai Mai." he said.  Mai tried to return the saying but 
was too exhausted  from their night of passion and slipped asleep.  
Aoshi wrapped them both in the silk  embrace of the bed and brushed the 
hair from her face.  He knew that this was not the end,  that there 
would still be problems .  But right now he didn't care, it was enough 
to just  touch her face and watch her sleep.  He did just that until 
exhaustion claimed him as  well.  Before he lost consciousness he said 
one more thing.

	"I love you Mai."

********************

	Central Tibet:  Two men sat side by side in a lotus position.  
They naked to the  waist despite the chill wind that blew across the 
mountain top the were camped on.  Terry  Bogards long hair flowed with 
wind as he allowed his mind to do the same.  Without warning  a blast of 
pain struck his mind along a blur of jumbled images and sound.  Out of 
all of  this Terry was sure of only one thing.  A pleading voice that 
said:

	"Brother help..."

	Terry stood up and quickly began to dress and pack his duffel bag 
as it lay next  to a nearly identical one.  The very muscular Japanese 
man who had been sitting beside him  and arose.

	"What is wrong?" his calm quiet voice rolled out like slow 
thunder.

	"My brother needs me I need to go to Japan, now."  The  Japanese 
man gathered his  few belongings and started placing them in his bag.  
Noticing this Terry spoke.

	"You don't have to come this is not your problem my friend."  the 
black haired man  shrugged in response.

	"I have few friends so their problems are also mine."  Terry 
looked at the man and  saw that his mind was made.  He nodded and 
finished packing.  "Very well then Ryu let's  go"

 TO BE CONTINUED

 Writers notes and acknowledgments:  Thanks goes to SNK for making Garou 
Denstetsu and all  it's characters, especialy Shiranui Mai. Masami Obari 
gets extreme credit for his work on  the animated series.  Also thanks 
and trademark BS to Jump Comics' series' Ruroni Kenshin  character 
Shinomori Aoshi.  And of course to Paladin who posted this story.   Note 
that during the 1700's through the late 1800's there was an actual group 
known as the  Oniwabashu.  They were ninja from various ryu (schools or 
clans) and were charged with the  protection of the general of Edo (old 
Tokyo).  Also while there is no known record of  Shiranui ryu ninjutsu I 
have found continuous referances in the martial arts to "Shiranui  
style" techniques.  Without exception these are subtle moves based on 
trickery, so who  knows.