Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work of fiction
are not mine and I do not lay any claim, either real or 
imagined to the likeness, reproduction, or otherwise.  This 
work is intended for fun only, and is not produced for 
profit.  Please feel free to distribute freely.

Writer's Foreword:
I'll warn you now, this is a crossover lemon.  I've put the
cast of UY, the cast of Ranma, the cast of DP, the cast of
AMS, the cast of AKO, the cast of.... etc. etc. etc. I tried
to break as many boundaries as possible with this, including
having Ataru admit to his true feelings (Whatever they may
be) Well, you don't expect me to tell you now, do you?  You
Ranma 1/2 fans may not like what I've done with Ukyou, but
feel assured that there is a reason (as always) that I've 
portrayed her in such a light.  You might not like what I've
done to Ranma either, but hey, it's my universe.  Kei makes 
a few explicit appearances, and even Yuri has some fun.  All
in all it makes for some very interesting story lines, so
please, read it, and then tell me what you think.

  Comments/Crits to:
			inaba@earthling.net

                           Part IX
                     "After You're WHAT?!"  

	Mendo lay in bed, unable to sleep, staring into the 
ceiling, trying to calm his spirit.  Yuri had not returned from 
her jaunt and he was starting to worry.  'Could it be?' he 
thought, '*Masaka*.' She would never leave him, he knew it, he
could see it in her eyes when she looked at him.
[*can't be]

	'But what about that slap?' he thought as he rolled over
onto his side.  He had never been slapped by a woman before.  It
made him feel strange in a way, like nothing else existed but 
that moment in time, like he was alive, able to feel, to touch.

	He moved a hand over to the bed-table where a picture
of Yuri sat, her eyes smiling at him through the plex frame.
He ran his fingers down the picture affectionately, trying to
see the reason inside her, what made him shake when she was
around, what made his throat numb and his knees weak.

	He gazed at the picture for moments on end, then slowly
closed his eyes to visit times when things were better between
them, when she wasn't so angry, and he wasn't so scared.

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

          Music Cue: Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen

	Shinobu sat in her bath relaxing after the taxing day.
Rubbing her hands into her tense muscles, pulling from them the
tight aggravated sensation as her mind wafted away to day dreams
of Mendo and Junko in that equipment locker.  She had never been
so angry in her life!  All she wanted to do is, then, her face 
falling around the thought.  She couldn't, even though she wanted
to, she couldn't.  

	She hated the grip he had on her, hated being pulled to
him no matter what he did.  But as much as she tried to deny
it, she loved him to much to leave.  Loved him too much to hurt,
loved him too much to hate.  

	She could see him in her mind, fondling Junko 
affectionately, his arms about her waist, joined.  She cuddled
into herself, as the words ran through her mind, 'Why not me?'
All she had ever wanted was to be near him, she didn't care about
anything else, she couldn't.  He used up all the room her heart
had.  He was all she wanted, and all that she could not have.  

	Her hands drew round her body as she began to remember
his touch the day she had lost him to Yuri.  He had been so
sweet that day, 'his touch...' she thought, running her fingers
lightly over her breasts, teasing her nipples to hardness. 
She could feel the sensation wash over her as her mind recanted
his movements, she could almost feel his soul touching hers
that day, and she wanted to feel it again.  She wanted to feel
him so bad, she wanted to touch him, and have him touch her
the way he touched Yuri that day, and the way he touched Junko.
Even though she tried to deny it, she knew that there
was something missing in his touch, she could feel it in her
memory.  His soul was always out of reach.  

	Tears started to form around her eyes as she thought back
to that fateful day, seeing Mendo lost in Yuri's initial kiss.
She huddled her knees to her chest, unable to shake the truth
from her mind, lost in her own futility.

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

	Ataru walked into the classroom early that day, his
mind askew with lack of sleep.  Yuri and Lum had kept him up all
night with their giggling excitement of what was to come.  He 
dazed Megane, "*Oi*!" almost unable to contain a snicker as he 
watched Perm and Chibi drool at the sight of Kei.  'It served 
that **baku** right.' he thought, watching on as Perm and Chibi 
whispered conspiratorially.
[*hey]
[**pig]

	Ataru sat back as he waited for class, his hands behind 
locked behind his head as his mind wandered away, recalling an 
image of a sleeping Lum.  He smiled slightly, his mind in another
place as a giant CRASH! snapped his attention back to the present,
his eyes catching a battered Mendo hanging from a hole in the 
roof.  Ataru got up from his desk and walked over to Mendo, 
inspecting the hole, then the parachute cord Mendo hung from,
then Mendo, "Mendo?" 

	Mendo hung, bemused, his white uniform spotted with 
tar stains and dust. "He he he.." looking to Ataru as he snapped
the cords loose, "OOOAAAGGGKKK!" landing with his face imbedded
into a desk.

	"Mendo?" Ataru queried again.

	Mendo shot up strait, then slipped on the floor, sending
him sprawling.  He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his skull 
where he had taken the impact, "I seem to be out of step today.
*Ita*!" his hand probing the injured spot.
[*ouch]

	"Looks that way." Ataru stated coolly as he examined Mendo,
still standing a full meter away.  

	Mendo pushed himself up slowly and brushed at the stains
on his pants, then stuck his familiar pose, disregarding the
black streaks of tar all over him.  "Much better."

	Ataru gazed at him dumbly, looking to the black streaks
that smudged the pure white, then back at his face.

	"*Nani*?" Mendo queried, a look of worry across his brow.
[*what]

	"You look like hell, Mendo." Ataru chuckled slightly 
and shook his head, walking back to his desk, leaving Mendo 
feeling uneasy.

	Ataru threw his feet up on the desk and lounged, his
eyes half closed, watching the door for Lum, as Mendo combed his
hair back, trying to quell the uneasy feeling that picked away
at the back of his mind.

                  Music Cue: Strut - Bob Seager 

	Ataru sat back quietly locking his hands behind his
head as he waited for Lum to arrive, when Yuri rounded the corner
waving at him, her eyes smiling seductively.  Ataru sat, stunned,
as Yuri slowly crossed the floor to him, looking around him
for the center of her attention.  Her long legs were lightly 
covered in black fishnet hose and knee high wet leather boots.

	Her spike heels clapped as they hit the floor, driving
steaks through Mendo's heart as he watched on, amazed.  Her
buttocks swung slowly from side to side displaying the tight
black dress she had chosen for the sole purpose of driving
him insane,  as she rounded his desk passing him by, still
looking directly at Ataru.  Her shoulders square as she 
brushed her hair back, giving Mendo a cold glare over her
shoulder, sending shivers down his spine.

	Yuri bent slowly, pushing her chest toward Ataru as
she stopped in front of his desk, showing him a tasteful bit
of herself behind the black halter top.  "Hi." she smiled
widely, running a hand down Ataru's cheek, the corner of
her eye on Mendo as he squirmed in his chair.  "I just came
to tell you," moving in on him, her hands pulling his eyes 
up to hers, "just how wonderful last night was." her voice
honey as she kissed him square on the lips.

	Ataru, obviously surprised, pulled himself back into the
desk, "Mmmph!" his eyes wide as she slipped a hand around his
shoulders, pulling him into the kiss.

	Mendo fumed, his fingers itching for his katana as he
watched the two display their affections.  "Moroboshi!" he 
bellowed, pushing himself up from his desk, grappling on to 
his katana, his thumb urging the hilt up.

	Yuri broke from the kiss, leaving Ataru stunned by the
sheer force of the touch, running her fingers down his neck,
then his chest, "I'll see you tonight, Ataru-chan." her tongue
rounding her lips as she pushed herself off the desk, pushing
out with her torso and arching her back, then slowly slipping
her heels down to the ground, her chin to the sky, letting
out a slow moan.  

	A glowing black aura engulfed Mendo, watching on 
from across the room as Yuri looked back to Ataru and bent
down, her legs strait, blowing him a kiss.  She turned, her
eyes capturing the blackened clouds around Mendo's body as
she glared her distaste, strutting down the isle, pulling 
every male set of eyes in the room to her swinging hips.

	She tossed her hair to the side, passing Mendo as
he stood, mute, raising a pleading hand to her as she walked
away, out the door.  His stood motionless, lost, as he stared
at the doorway, his mind slowing turning to rage as his palms
started to itch, his eyes burning with hate as he turned to 
face his tormentor, "Moroboshi!" stomping over to Ataru, who
lounged calmly in his desk, a smile across his face.  "What
have you done to Yuri-san, lech?!" launching an attack.

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

	Lum stood outside the room, crouched down beneath
the window with Yuri beside her, a bit perturbed by the 
events as Yuri giggled gleefully, pleased with the outcome
of their plan.  She could hear Mendo screaming at Ataru as
he hacked at the desks Ataru produced, it seemed, out of
nowhere to counter the blows, "Don't you think you overdid
it a little, *da cha*?" her arms crossed in front of her chest.
[*Lumphemism]

	Yuri slunk down from her post, her eyes catching Lum's
distaste, "What?" a little confused, then her eyes wide with
realization, "Oh, you mean.." hooking her thumb over her 
shoulder, then her eyes squinting slightly, "You're jealous."

	"*Nani*?!" Lum queried, then set her features, "Am not!"
her eyes closed, her chin pouting slightly, then slacking
slightly, "Well, maybe a little." 
[*what]

	Yuri laughed aloud, then covered her mouth with her
hand, producing something near a snicker as she tried to 
control her humor, "Believe me," patting Lum's leg, "you have
nothing to worry about."

	Lum pouted, her hands fidgeting in her lap, "Honest?"
her gaze nailed to Yuri's eyes as she queried.

	"I have Mendo." Yuri stated flatly, shrugging as her
eyes began to glaze over with the coming of her fantasies.

	Lum smiled brightly, letting out a heavy sigh, "I 
don't know what I'd do if I had to compete with you." her 
hands slapping at Yuri playfully, "After what I saw in there,
I almost feel sorry for Shinobu." then peeking in the door,
"Where is she anyway?"

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

	Shinobu sat alone at her desk, scribbling absently on
her notebook, her hand propping her chin up as her mind
drifted into her own fantasies.  'If things were, different..' 
she thought, the words coming into her mind of their own 
accord as she penciled out a young bride in her gown, a 
bright smile on her face as she clutched her bouquet.  The
man beside her dressed in a tux, his broad shoulders pushing
at the seems of the jacket as her pencil worked over his
torso, his comberbun bending and shifting slightly across
his defined midsection.  Her pencil worked up, shading in his
rough features, then to his neck, and there, her hand stopped,
unable to fit a face on the drawing.  She knew who she wanted
there, but couldn't finish the features as her mind tormented
her with the visions of Mendo, stunned at the recent events.
'It's hopeless.' her mind cried, her hand pulling at the edge
of the paper, crinkling it under her grasp into a ball.

	She clenched her fist tightly, then brought her hand
up, her elbow resting on the desk as she stared into the 
chaos going on around her, then brought it down slowly, 
bouncing it up and back down, exaggerating it's movements, 
sighing heavily.  She tossed the paper aside, throwing it
into the pile of clutter and broken wood that had accumulated
to her right, then dug into her desk, deciding that she just
didn't feel up to it today.  

	She gathered her books and headed for the door as
Mendo stood at the last unbroken desk, glaring at Ataru across
the desk, beating on it with open palms screaming, "Give
her back, back, back, back!"

	She moved to the door, her body limp with exhaustion
as she looked back to Mendo who had started accusing Ataru
of enslaving Yuri.  She shook her head slightly and exited
the room, lost in the depths of thought, not noticing a 
giggling pair of girls sitting on the floor looking on the 
scene with interest.

	She trotted down to the shoe lockers slowly, her chest
aching as she bent down to change.  Pushing her shoes on, she
pulled herself up, running her hand through her hair, trying
to find in her mind somewhere to go where she wouldn't be 
hounded by thoughts of Mendo and...  She shook her head, 
considering the possibilities.  'No,' she thought, 'what I
need is a good cry.  But where?' considering her room, then
dismissing that possibility, remembering the pictures that
lined her walls.  'Maybe..'

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

  	Shinobu sat in the corner of Uk-chan's staring out
the window dreamily, her hand propping up her chin as she
watched the fire trucks pass by, their sirens blazing as they
headed West to the school, but her mind was somewhere else
as she sipped at the coffee, her hand almost caressing the
cup.  She had came here because she had no idea where else
to go, this was the only place that Mendo had never been, the
only place that she was safe from his memory.  She gazed down
into the brown, steaming liquid, her eyes searching it for
some sign, something to let her know it would be all right,
but only the steam rose from the cup, unable to answer her
question.

	She moved her hands down to hold the cup lightly,
her shoulders bunched as she sat, and waited.  Waited for 
the dull throb in her heart to stop.  Waited for the memories
to fade into black still frames, recanting nothing of her 
life. 

	The crowd around her seemed to writhe with the noonday
rush as the time passed slowly, leaving her lost among the
happy faces of the couples around her.  

	She sighed deeply, her chest heavy with the reality
of her loneliness, when, from behind her, she heard a familiar
voice, "Hey stranger!" Ukyou greeted her, placing a hand on her
shoulder, moving around to the seat opposite her, "Sorry I 
didn't get a chance to say hi earlier, but with the lunch
rush." throwing up her hands in disgust, "I hardly ever get 
time to do ANYthing other than cook."

	Shinobu smiled knowingly, her brow troubled, then 
sipped at her coffee, "Tell me about it." urging Ukyou 
on, glad to have someone to listen to.

	Ukyou chuckled slightly, then leaned toward Shinobu,
her eyes concerned, "Are you okay?  You look a little," 
shrugging, "lost."

	Shinobu shook her head slightly, putting on her 
best fake smile and responded, "I'm fine."

	Ukyou regarded Shinobu worriedly, her eyes inspecting
the all too familiar smile, she had used that one herself
quite a few times, "Well, whatever you say." then her gaze
snapping back into a light smile, "So, have you found a 
practice partner yet?" her eyes wide with anticipation.

	"No," Shinobu responded, her voice dead as her
eyes searched the street again quickly, then moved back
to Ukyou, regaining the smile they had lost, "But class isn't
until the weekend, right?"

	"*Un*." Ukyou agreed lightly, trying to hide the concern
in her eyes, with a vibrant nod.
[*yes or right]

	"I'm sure I'll find someone by then." her eyes clear
as she took in the warm compassion emanating from Ukyou,
"By the way," grinning evilly, "what are you going to wear
to the session?" leaning forward slightly.

	Ukyou smiled brightly, Shinobu's evil grin becoming
contagious, "Well," she began conspiratorially, "I've got this
new black bodice I've been dying to try on, with these...."

	Shinobu let her mind drift with Ukyou as she half
listened to her describe the ensemble, nodding in the appropriate
places, and giggling slightly where appropriate, glad to have
someone to keep her mind off important matters, matters of the
heart.

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

	Megane hung from the giant sprocket in the clock
tower, his hands chained above him, his body limp as Perm
stood over him, glaring coldly, "Now, tell me again..."

	Megane whimpered pitifully as he hung, unable
to move as he listening to the all too familiar dialogue,
his mind going back to better days, "*Tatsukete*..."
[*help {I think}]
----------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, okay, so it didn't turn out as I planned, but what
the hell?  I like it, hope you do to.  I tried to go 
back to the original charm of the series without losing
what this had gained in the last ep.  I'm not sure if
I succeeded or not.  I'd like to hear you're views on
this, especially what you like best, what you hate most.
Thanks for reading, and as always, there is more to come.
---------------------------------------------------------------
But wait!  What about Shinobu and, and...
Wouldn't YOU like to know.
---------------------------------------------------------------