Chapter 2 'Of Musk and men' Ukyo and Akane crested a low hill and looked into a small valley that spread out in front of them. "What do you think sugar?" Asked Ukyo. She pointed. "Look there is a small stream near the edge of that clearing." Akane nodded. "Looks good to me." The two women hiked down into the valley and within a short time were standing in the middle of the clearing Ukyo had pointed out. Ukyo shrugged off her pack with a sigh. "I need a bath." She said. "Let's set up camp first." Akane replied. With all the speed training Ranma had put them through over the past several years it didn't take long. Ukyo started stripping. "You have a great ass." Akane said from behind her. She wrapped her arms around Ukyo's waist and hugged her from behind. Ukyo giggled. "Someone's horny." She said. "Good. So am I." She purred as Akane's hands began to roam over her breasts. Her body shuddered slightly when one of Akane's hands began to play with her nether lips. "Good lord Ukyo." Akane whispered into Ukyo's ear. "You're sopping wet." She giggled. "Boy or girl?" "Anyone ever tell you talk too much." Replied Ukyo. She turned in the circle of Akane's arms until she faced the dark haired girl. She placed her hands on Akane's shoulders and started to push her to the ground. "I have a much better use for that mouth of yours." Akane's giggles got louder as she sank to the ground. "Me too." She said and buried her face in Ukyo's wet sex. Her mouth captured Ukyo's clit and began to suck on the little button of flesh. Ukyo closed her eyes in ecstacy. "Now that's a pretty sight." Came a sneering voice from nearby. Ukyo opened her eyes in annoyance. A half dozen leering men where watching from less than ten yards away. "Go away." Commanded Ukyo in an annoyed voice. Akane stopped what she was doing and started to stand. The man who spoke laughed nastily. "Oh don't stop." Sneered the man. "I want you nice and wet when we fuck you." Ukyo rolled her eyes and then raised a hand over her head. A glow sprung up around the raised hand. "You have five seconds to get out of here." She said. "One." Akane stood and turned around to face the bandits. Flames flickered from where her eyes should have been. "Two." Said Akane. The bandits backed up slightly. A glow sprang up around the two women and the bandits raised their hands to protect their faces from the sudden surge of heat. "Three." Said the two women. The bandits backed up further. Ukyo's hair rose on it's own and stood up high over her head. The two women now stood side by side and stretched their hands out in front of them, the heels of their hands touching. "Four." They intoned in unison. The bandits broke and ran. "Five." Shouted Akane and Ukyo and balls of chi shot from their hands. One of them hit the bandit leader in the rear and sent the man flying. He picked himself up and raced after his rapidly retreating men. "Morons." Grumbled Ukyo. "Just when it was getting good." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ranma, in girl form, was on top of the roof of the stone cottage fixing a broken shingle. The two children were on the roof with him. "Pop." Said Hayaima. "Rider coming." Ranma looked up and then stood. He held his hands in front of him and a lens shaped ball of energy formed between his hands. He looked through the lens. "Hey." Exclaimed Ranma. "It's your Uncle Herb." She said. "Hmm. He seems to be in a hurry." She turned to the children. "Guards up." Hayaima immediately wrapped an arm around his younger brother. "Ready Pop." Hayaima wasn't worried, he knew his dad would protect them. Even so, Ranma had trained his offspring to run for shelter if danger threatened. If it looked like a fight, he and Akama would race for the Joketsuzoku village. Herb, Lord of the Musk raced toward the cottage. He pulled up on the reins halting the steed only when he was in front of the house. Herb leaped off his horse and tied the reins to a hitching post. He looked up at the roof. "Hey Ranma." He called. "Think you can put me up for a couple days." The look on Herb face was one of frustration. Ranma jumped down from the roof followed by Hayaima with Akama in his arms. He walked over to the Musk prince. "Come on in Herb." She said. "I'll make some tea." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "It's been hell Ranma." Grumbled Herb. "I caught Lime and Mint peeping on me again." "Girl?" Asked Ranma with an amused smile. Herb nodded moodily. "If they aren't peeping on me, their either trying to 'accidently' grab my breasts or fighting each other for the right to 'accidently' grab my breasts." He glared as Ranma began to laugh. "It isn't funny Ranma, it's destroying discipline." He said "If I hear another 'show us your boobies' from either one of them." He raised a hand and extended his chi claws. "There's going to be minced vassal for dinner." "Oh like that would stop them." Ranma replied in amusement. "I gather the usual Musk solution is no longer effective." Herb shook his head. "I'm not surprised. Sex with a changed animal is barely above masturbation you know." "I don't know." Herb shot back."It's not like I've had any other experience myself." He said. "The two of them got it into their fool heads that they're the perfect mates for me and it's all your fault." "My fault?" Sputtered Ranma. "How is it my fault?" "If the three of you had waited until after we had left before, before," Herb rubbed his face. "The three of you are loud." He grumbled. "Oops." Ranma's face flushed slightly. "Sorry about that." She said contritely. "Well if it's any consolation it shows the two of them are growing up." She smiled sympathetically. "Gotta admit they'd be perfect for you." "Not you too." Grumbled Herb. "What am I going to do Ranma?" "Well, if it was me, I'd screw the two of them into submission." Ranma laughed. "What do you think? I bet they'd love it." "Ranma!" "Oh calm down Herb." Ranma shot back. "You complain and you complain but you really like the attention, don't you." Ranma smiled at the look on the Musk prince's face. "Thought so." Ranma reached over and took Herb's hand in hers. "We're a lot more alike then you are willing to admit my friend." She said. "You got cursed for the same reason I was." Herb looked up in surprise. "You can be a macho jerk Herb, not as bad as me, but pretty close." "So why was I cursed?" Asked Herb in a quiet tone. Ranma squeezed Herb's hand again. "To find love, Herb, to find love." Herb's mouth dropped open in shock. "Lime and Mint?" Herb said in disbelief. "I couldn't they're my vassals." Ranma chuckled. "Not 'I'm a guy'?" Replied Ranma in amusement. She stood. "Come with me Herb." Ranma pulled a slightly stunned Herb to his feet and led him out of the house. "Haya. 'Kama." She called. "Uncle Herb and I are going to take a bath. We don't want to be disturbed." "Sure Pop." Replied Hayaima. "If Uncle Lime and Uncle Mint show up, bring them into the house." Added Ranma. "Sure Pop." Replied Akama. Ranma pulled an unresisting Herb toward the large bath house Ranma had constructed. A hot spring flowed under the land and Ranma had tapped into it to supply hot water for the house and the bathing area. She led the Musk prince into the bath house. "Strip Herb." Ordered Ranma. "Honestly." She complained when Herb didn't move. Ranma walked over and quickly stripped the stunned Musk Prince. Ranma looked down. "Not bad Herb." "Ranma!" Squeaked Herb and he covered his groin with his hands. Ranma shook her head. Then walked over and picked up a bucket. She filled the bucket and quickly upended the contents over Herb's head. "What did you do that for?" Herb screamed in her thick soprano. "Relax Herb." Replied Ranma. "It's just us girls here." Ranma led the fuming Musk Princess over to one side of the bath house. She tossed him a wash cloth and a bar of soap. "Wash Herb." Ranma poured some cool water over the Musk Princess. "I'll do your back." Ranma quickly soaped up a wash cloth use it to wash Herb's back. Herb nervously washed the rest of herself. A second bucket of cool water rinsed the soap off of them and Ranma led the Musk Princess into the heated waters of the hot tub. They immediately changed back into their male forms. The heat of the waters began to relax Herb's nerves. Ranma put his arm around the Musk Prince. "Feeling better now?" "Is this where you try to seduce me?" Herb asked nervously. "I don't think it would take much to seduce you Herb." Ranma shook his head. "Though I gotta admit both your forms are pretty hot." He said easily. "But I have no intention on cheating on my wives." Ranma smiled. "Nah, I just wanted you to get used to being with someone in both their forms." He said. "How long have you been able to change now Herb?" Asked Ranma. "How often do you wake up in the middle of the night and wish someone were there with you?" He squeezed Herb's shoulder comfortingly. "How often have you fantasized it was Lime and Mint?" Herb's mouth dropped open in shock. "I. I don't know what you're talking about." He whispered. Ranma just shook his head. "I see how they look at you." He smiled. "And how you look at them." Herb cupped the water with his hands and splashed the hot water over his face. "You're imagining things." He said firmly though quietly. "Am I?" Asked Ranma. "Am I really?" Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Then why haven't you dismissed them for trying to grab your tits?" He shook his head. "Why haven't you at least punished them?" "I punish them!" Retorted Herb. "How?" Asked Ranma. "By making them go with you on long patrols for months at a time? Just the three of you." He snorted. "Some punishment." Ranma pointed a finger at Herb. "How many times have you visited since I've been here Herb? How many times have you come with Lime and Mint?" "They're my best men!" Herb retorted with less conviction. "That's what they're supposed to do." He continued. Ranma sighed and leaned against the side of the tub. "Excuses Herb." He said. "Why haven't you dismissed them Herb?" Ranma asked again. "There are others." Herb poured water over his face again. Then the Musk Prince sighed. "Okay, maybe, just maybe you're right but it still doesn't change the fact that they're not only men but they're also my vassals." "No one is expecting you to marry them Herb." Replied Ranma seriously. "You are Herb, Prince of the Musk, you'll be expected to marry a Princess." Ranma shrugged. "The Doc said something to Ukyo once. He told her I was making a choice of who to marry not who to love." He looked at Herb. "How many Royal marriages are love matches Herb?" Ranma snorted. "I'm sure you've had visits from at least a couple neighboring local royals with daughters in hand." "They started bring their sons along as well." Herb admitted sourly. "As if I'd even consider it." He snorted. "And that brings us to the problem of Lime and Mint being men. Musk men. Just like me. You know how we are about women." "Well that's easily fixed." Replied Ranma cheerfully. "I have it on good authority that the Joketsuzoku have a couple of barrels of Drowned Young Woman spring water." Herb looked at Ranma in shock. "You're joking." Ranma shook his head. "Not at all." He replied. "Give'em a taste of their own medicine." He smiled at the look of consideration that appeared on Herb's face. "Thought you'd like that." Ranma smiled. "Trust me Herb, here's what we're gonna do." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I can't believe you talked me into this." Grumbled the Musk Princess. "It won't work you know." "It would work on you, wouldn't it?" Countered Ranma. "Trust me." Ranma had moved the furniture of the living room against the walls and placed a large high backed chair against one wall giving the area a throne room like effect. There was a knocking on the door. Hayaima stuck his head in. "They're coming Pop." Said Hayaima. "Good." Replied Ranma. "Remember do what I told you." He said to Hayaima. "Then go stay with your great grandmother." "Okay Pop." Replied Hayaima and closed the door behind him. "Get ready." Ordered Ranma to Herb. Herb grumbled to herself and sat on the throne like chair. Ranma had spent a long time doing up Herb's face and had her dress in a long white cotton robe. "Just do what I told you and everything will be fine." Ranma vanished into the shadows just as the door to the cottage opened. Lime and Mint entered the cottage. Lime was even larger than when Ranma had first met him and looked even more like a tiger then before. He was followed by Mint. The smaller Musk warrior had developed into a tall, lean and intelligent looking man. They strode into the room with all the confidence of two experienced and dangerous warriors. Confidence that seemed to disappear when they beheld their lord and master. "Lord Herb." Whispered Lime. "Is that you?" "Boobies." Murmured Mint. "Silence." Roared Herb in her thick soprano. "I did not give you permission to speak." The two musk warriors found that their voices had fled to wherever their confidence had gone to. They fell to their knees. "Forgive us Lord Herb." Groveled Lime. Herb languorously got to her feet and seemed to undulate toward the two mesmerized Musk warriors. She stopped less than a yard away. "I should just banish you." She said musingly. "That will get you out of my hair." The two musk warriors pressed their faces against the floor of the cottage. "Please Lord Herb don't send us away." Lime said abjectly. "Punish us, if you must." Added Mint. "Just don't send us away." Mint heard footsteps and then a dainty foot appeared in his field of vision. "Kiss it." Ordered Herb. Mint hurriedly reached for Herb's foot to comply."No hands." Ordered Herb. Mint rapturously kissed the offered foot. The feel of Mint's lips on her foot almost caused Herb to faint but she steeled herself against it. "Now you." Ordered Herb to Lime. Lime repeated Mint's actions. Herb pulled her foot away and undulated back toward the throne. She could almost feel the eyes of her vassals. She composed her face and turned and sat down. "Come here." She ordered. "On your hands and knees." To her astonishment the two Musk warriors crawled on their bellies toward her. "Stop there." She said. Herb licked suddenly dry lips. "Look at me." She ordered. When she got their attention she slowly and deliberately parted the top of her robe exposing her breasts to their view. "Boobies." Whispered Lime reverently. "Silence." Growled Herb. She started to close the top of her robe. She stopped when the two Musk warriors began to whimper piteously. "What?" Herb said in tones of false annoyance. "Haven't you seen enough?" The two wide-eyed Musk warriors shook their heads. She again began to close the top of the robe. The whimpers increased in volume. Herb shook her head. "I've decided not to banish you." Herb said. "But you need to be disciplined." She looked down her nose at the two musk warriors. "You will both attend me tonight." She leaned forward and sniffed at them. "Bathe first. You smell like horses." She said. "Use lot's of soap." She waved her hand in dismissal. "Now go." The two Musk warriors fell over each other in their rush to the door. Herb watched them leave in bemusement. Ranma appeared out of the shadows. "Not bad, Herb." He said. "Not bad at all." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hayaima and Akama were on the roof of the bathhouse. Akama was peering into the room through a spy hole in the roof. "They must be very dirty." He commented. "They using lots of soap." Hayaima nodded in agreement. He walked over to a large barrel that stood at the end of the bath house. There was a rope that led from one side of the barrel to a pulley overhead attached to a stout branch of a tree. Hayaima grabbed the other end of the rope. "They leaving." Whispered Akama. He padded silently over to the front of the bath house and looked down. Akama raised his hand. Hayaima gripped tighter on the rope. "Now." Shouted Akama and Hayaima heaved on the rope. The barrel toppled over and the contents of the barrel poured out and on to the two musk warriors below. The two children giggled as the shouts of outrage suddenly rose a couple of octaves. Ranma appeared out of the shadows and walked over to the two changed Musk warriors. He tossed them a couple of towels. After the two stunned and female Musk warriors dried Ranma threw a couple of bundles to them. "Put these on." He ordered. "Lord Herb wishes it." The two female warriors hurriedly put on the contents of the bundles. Robes that were similar to what Herb had been wearing earlier. "A bit soggy." Commented Ranma. "But you'll do." He walked behind the two new women and guided them toward the house and then into the large guest room. He pushed them into the softly lit room and closed the door behind them. Herb, in female form, was lying on the bed. Herb looked at the two women and then slowly raised one leg. "Kiss it." She ordered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Herb woke and reveled in the sensation of being between two very warm bodies. She smiled as the events earlier replayed themselves in her mind. "Who'd have thought they'd be so,' Herb sighed. 'Accommodating.' Herb sighed as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. Herb wriggled in pleasure. She stopped wriggling when she felt something warm and hard pressing urgently against her bare ass cheeks. Her eyes snapped open in shock. Her eyes widened even further when she found herself face to face with a sleeping and obviously male Lime. 'If that's Lime and he's a he then that must mean,' She swallowed. "Mint?" "Yes mistress." Mint whispered in an obviously masculine voice. 'Saotome, you bastard.' Herb thought in shock. "Instant Spring of Drowned Young Girl water.' He was about to swear eternal vengeance on one Ranma Saotome when an extraordinarily hot mouth began to kiss her behind the ear. The hands that had wrapped around her waist had moved up and began caressing her breasts. Herb gasped and then gasped again when another pair of lips began to suckle on her breasts. 'Lime is awake.' She realized. "St-stop." Herb commanded in panic. To her relief and frustration the two Musk warriors immediately obeyed her. "Tell us what to do." She heard Mint say. "We'll do whatever you want." She heard Lime add. She looked down at Lime. He was looking up at her with a look that mingled desire and fear. She pressed Lime's face against her breast and the tiger warrior resumed suckling on her nipple. "Move away Mint." She ordered. "I want to lie down." The wolf warrior immediately retreated and Herb lay down between them. "I have two breasts." She said in a quiet voice. Herb began to wriggle in ecstacy as the two Musk warriors seemed to vie with each other in worshiping Herb's breasts. Herb licked suddenly dry lips and reached her hands into the laps of her vassals. Her hands found what they sought. "Oh my." Gasped Herb. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "That was a dirty trick, Saotome." Grumbled Herb. He and Ranma were sitting outside under a tree in their male forms and drinking tea. Ranma laughed. "You just needed a little push." Replied Ranma. "I knew you had it in you." Ranma giggled, an incongruous sound coming from the powerfully built man. "Actually I knew exactly when you had it in you, especially when it was Lime." Herb shuddered in remembrance. "He's huge." "So you kept yelling and yelling and yelling." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'll stop." He said with a laugh. "It's a good thing I sent the kits to stay with Kho Lon." He said. "They need their sleep." "You're not helping Ranma." Growled Herb. He sighed moodily. "So where are the boys anyway?" Asked Ranma. Herb sighed again. "They disappeared right after we woke." He said sadly. "I guess they didn't want to be around the male me, especially after last night." Ranma suddenly smiled. "I don't know about that." Ranma replied. "Here comes your," He coughed into his hand. "Men now." Herb turned around to see his two vassals racing toward him and they were female. The skidded to a stop in front of Herb and threw themselves at his feet. "Forgive us Lord Herb." Said Mint. "We know we should have asked permission first." "Permission?" Asked Herb in confusion. "Permission to use the Instant spring water?" "We didn't use the instant spring water." Lime said. "We should be punished." He said. "Discipline us Lord Herb." Said Mint. "We deserve it." Ranma chuckled and stood. "I think I'll go check on the kits." He said to no one in particular. He walked away whistling. Then he started to run. As he ran a glow sprang up around him. A glow that quickly took on the shape of a great cat. The glow coalesced and Ranma's human form was hidden and a great ghost cat was bounding rapidly toward the Joketsuzoku village. As he raced down the winding path to the village people in the fields started pointing and cheering, many bowed respectfully. The ghost cat raced toward the walls of the village. His cat ears picked up the sound of chanting. "Saotome. Saotome. Saotome." Chanted the warriors manning the walls. The ghost cat picked up speed and jumped to the top of the wall. Ranma threw back his head and roared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Show off." Said Kho Lon in a weak voice. "You make my last days entertaining." "Don't talk like that great grandmother." Said Ranma gently. "You have many years ahead of you." Kho Lon looked at Ranma with an expression that mixed affection and annoyance. "I'm not a child that needs comforting, son-in-law." Scolded Kho Lon in a stronger voice. "I know my time is short." She smiled at Ranma's sad expression. "I am content son-in-law, thanks to you, I am content." "I will miss you great grandmother." Replied Ranma. "I love you, you old bat." "Sweet talker." Replied Kho Lon with a broad smile. "I'm glad you're here." She said a moment later. "I need to choose a successor." She said. "Who would you recommend?" End Chapter 2 Author's Notes: I'm releasing this chapter with some trepidation. I think it's a good chapter but it may rub some the wrong way. Like that will be something new? This is, after all, Couch Trips.