Shimei               Crossover2           12\16\98
Pt.6

                          *1*
     Imagine teleported her group to a wooded forest. The group
studied her and she waited quietly. Finally, a young man spoke up.
"How old are you?" he asked.
     A teenager with long hair wearing a large spatula on her back
hit Xander on the head. "You don't ask girls that question!"
     Imagine grinned. "I will answer, Ukyou, I can defend myself."
Ukyo settled reluctantly. "I am biologically fifteen years old.
However, I have lived 20,000 subjective years. I don't biologically
age out of universe."
     An older man stepped forward. "I am Giles, the Watcher of the
Slayer." He looked to Imagine. "Where are we?"
     Imagine smiled proudly. "We are on the Planet Wirres. We are
between the two universes of Imagine where no time passes and their
are no people to bother. There is a university on another planet
of Betwixt and a few people live here, mostly Kerrada, who are my
allies. Most of this planet is forest but there is one large city."
     Serenity spoke next. "What will we be doing here?"
     "Here, my dear Queen Serenity,..... May we call you Usagi?"
Imagine asked.
     Serenity nodded and turned into a fifteen year old blonde
female in school clothes. The other senshi, Mars, Neptune, and
Endymion, detransformed as well.
     Imagine nodded her thanks. "No need to be formal, here there
is no rush. We will begin with a game that I usually hate, but
serves it's purpose. The first person will state their name and
hobby. Everyone must remember everyone elses. We will end with who
begins."
     She gestured to the bank of the river, the trees, and an small
bridge. "Please, make yourselves comfortable." They settled down.
Tobias, a hawk, landed on Shepsu's shoulder. The girl didn't seem
to mind. "So who will begin."
     No one volunteered. Imagine laughed good naturedly, "Very
well, I will. My name is Faith and I like to write."
     Usagi was roughly next in the circle, so she went. "She is
Faith and she likes to write. I am Usagi and I like to....."
Endymion whispered something in her ear and she reddened. "I like
to hit Mamoru." And she did.
     Endymion, now as Mamoru, said. "Faith likes to write, Usagi
likes to hit me, and I Mamoru like to tease Usagi."
     Napolean spoke up from Usagi's arms.".....I am Napolean and
I like to be petted."
     ..............................
     At length it fell back to Faith. She twisted the words a bit
for the group's amusement. "Faith likes to write, Usagi likes to
abuse men, Mamoru likes to cause abuse to himself, Napolean likes
pretty girls to pet him, Rei likes to heat things up, Xander likes
to "watch" girls, Shepsu likes to "play" with her protectors, Robin
likes to "run" with.....never mind, Ben (The Thing) likes to "bash"
evil, Neptune likes to swim" Faith started to sing, "Under the
Sea". 
     "Oh never mind my tangents. Alexis likes to eavesdrop, Ororo
(Storm) likes to debate, Rogue likes to smash, what was that about
bashing? Silas likes small animals, Gambit likes Rogue, Tobias
likes hunting, Khons likes children, Ma-Ti likes al animals, Bast
likes sunbathing, Ra likes watching Bast sunbathe, and finally The
Watcher Giles likes to ......"Learn and Watch"."
     The group laughed at how she said that. Faith saw they were
basically relaxed. She sent the signal to Faune. Suddenly a table
of food appeared in the middle of them. A silver haired girl
appeared next to it. "Lunch time. My name is Faune and I will be
your host."
     All were amenable to some food. As they ate, and there was
MUCH variety with unlimited amounts, they chatted amongst each
other.
     Robin, Xander, and Gambit ended up in one group. gambit
grinned at Robin, "You like her don't you, mon ami?"
     "Who?" Robin asked, much too quickly.
     Xander grinned this time. "Shepsu."
     Gambit laughed, "That's right, Xander. Well, Robin?"
     Robin shrugged. "She is way too young for me."
     Gambit regarded him steadily. "Mehbeh four years, apart, eh?"
     Robin shrugged. "Bruce would kill me if I dated Alfred's
niece." He glanced at Gambit playfully, "But you like Rogue."
     "True, but that girl is untouchable." Gambit's tone ended that
discussion. "What about you, Xander?"
     Xander flushed. "Well, I........."
     Robin grinned, "Whatser name?"
     "Willow and she doesn't know. She wouldn't like me." Xander
said.
     "Really?" Gambit said dangerously and with a mischievous grin.
     Rei, Yohko, Alexis, Ukyo, and Bast  were talkin a few feet
away. "Ukyo, do you have a boyfriend?" Rei asked.
     "I have Ranma honey, my fiance'! He is so wonderful, twice the
man he ought to be." Ukyo said with a blushing grin.
     Alexis snorted. "Aren't you a little young?"
     "It was probably arranged when they were children." Bast said
informatively.
     Yohko grinned at the cat. "What about you? Are you and Ra
a......"
     Bast jumped up and clawed at Yohko. Yohko grinned and jumped
away. "So you are then. How did you two get together?"
     Bast talked in a flat tone. "We were betrothed and sent to
guard the carrier, Shepsu."
     "Betrothal can be good." Ukyo said. "Do you like him?"
     Bast colored. "Umm, I , uh...."
     "That's definitely a yes." Rei said.
     Sonar nodded. "I heard a few interesting....."
     "Eavesdropping again?" Bast asked. "Ever heard of privacy?"
     Alexis shrugged. "I am Sonar. What can you expect?"
     Khons, Ma-Ti, Shepsu, Giles, Ra, Mamoru, Usagi, and Storm were
talking about their responsibilities.
     Usagi sighed. "My kingdom died a millennium ago. I hope to
bring it back. It will transform Tokyo into something beautiful.
Mamo-Chan will help me."
     "That I will." He hugged her. "It was my kingdom too that was
destroyed.
     Khons smiled at the apparent love they shared. "We, the Egypto
Senshi live to protect that which could destroy everything. We
safeguard humanity's future."
     "I live to teach the Slayer to fight evil." said Giles.
     Ra nodded. "Me as well. Shepsu will not want for knowledge."
     Giles nodded. "I only know so much."
     "If we combine our knowledge, surely our charges shall
benefit." Ra stated.
     Giles agreed and they wandered away from the group.
     Storm smiled at them. "They would do well together."
     "What do you do, fair Lady?" Khons asked.
     Storm was surprised to find herself blushing. "My friends and
I act to protect mutants. We fight only if necessary."
     Khons kissed her hand. "Then we have something in common. I
dislike fighting."
     Storm was surprised at how she was reacting. There was
something about this man. "Do we? I wonder what else we have in
common...."
     Bast watched Ra. "He is so serious sometimes. Othertimes he
is just silly. I don't understand men."
     Yohko nodded. "They are strange."
     Rei nudged Ukyo and Alexis. "Look Khons is flirting with
Storm."
     "She is flirting back." Alexis observed.
     Ukyo grinned. "Just like my Ranma honey!"
     All rolled their eyes.
     Gambit watched the discussion between Khons and Storm. "Knew
she had to find someone, someday."
     Robin shrugged. "They seem well suited to me."
     "Mon ami, so are you and Shepsu....." Gambit said.
     Shepsu sat among the animals Napolean and Tobias, Rogue, and
Silas. Shepsu was conversing with Napolean and Tobias
telepathically. ~He's too old.~ she protested.
     ~Is he?~ Napolean asked. ~Only 4 years~
     ~You seem afraid to love.~ Tobias remarked.
     ~I will give my life for the one I love.~ she sent shocked by
her own admission. ~I don't want to die.~
     Tobias nuzzled her cheek. ~All will go as it should. Fear will
not change it. It you must die for him, make sure you choose
wisely.~
     The Thing and Neptune were discussing which was more powerful,
rock or water.
     "Rock is stronger." Ben declared.
     Neptune smiled. "Observe the Grand Canyon. Water made the deep
gouges."
     "But only after a very long time." he pointed out.
     "Yes, but water can't be broken. It will just flow away." she
said.
     "But it can be absorbed or evaporated." he said in return.
     She grinned and her eyes sparkled. "Even that can be used to
attack."
     Rogue and Silas sat up in a tree. They spoke of past mistakes.
     "I don't understand why I was accepted." he said. "I killed
so many people in my old age. Two thousand years is a long time."
he said.
     "People change." Rogue said. "And you're not the ONLY one with
a dark past, sugar."
     He looked into her eyes. "Really, what could you have done?"
     "When my father found out I was a mutant he threw me out. I
was taken in by another mutant. I didn't really know my limits
then. Whenever I touched anyone I absorbed their energy, but they
got it back. My foster mother made me, or I let her make me so
absorb a person that I took her power and her mind. She and others
like her still haunt me to this day." Rogue told him.
     "What I did was worse." he stated.
     "So? Are you going to give up? People in this war will die.
Maybe you can lessen the load. Save a few and you've saved more
than would have been saved if you'd done nothing." Rogue said.
     He nodded. "You make sense. Thank you." And he was gone.
     Faith spoke to Faune by the river. "It will be a dark war and
I can't stay for the really bad parts. They must fight for
themselves."
     Faune smiled. "They are young, but they will learn. They have
some experience and they will learn. Eat, relax, you must be your
best also."
     Faith did as directed. "I will be taking them to Stand to
train battle wise."
     Faune nodded. "You've wanted to take Flag down for awhile now.
I will have Fah standing by so no one gets hurt in this TRAINING
MISSION."
     Faith took Faune's warning. "I know. I'll be careful." She
stood. "Let's get this show on the road."
                               *2*
     Faith sang a perfect high A to get their attention. "Finish
up and split into two teams. We play Capture the Flag in fifteen
minutes."
    *                                                        *
     That night they camped out in Betwixt. Faith used her notebook
to get supplies. She sat by the fire and started playing a lively
tune on her flute. Sonar joined in on the clarinet. Gambit produced
a guitar.
     Khons stood and bowed before Ororo. "May I have this dance?"
     "Of course," and he drew her into a lively dance. Gambit and
Rogue drifted in. 
     Ben and Neptune showed how water flowed. Her movements were
fluid.
     Tobias morphed human and stole Shepsu for a dance.
    *                                                        *
     Faith watched as they all fell asleep. "May DEOS have mercy
on us.
                             *******