Recruiting

by Vaughan Stevens

Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi; Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi. I 
don't claim any of these characters. I apologize for even writing it; the 
evil little man in California made me do it. 

This is a Lemon. In other words, this has naughty sexual content, in 
particular between two women. If this offends you, or is illegal in the 
laws in your area, do not read this.

---

The young woman sat at the desk with a slightly-embarrassed look to her, an 
"I'm sorry for intruding on your existence" blush and bow common among the 
more proper women of society. Her face, always pretty, looked jaw-
droppingly beautiful with a few modest touches of makeup; shimmering blue 
eyes barely raised up to see the world, as ruby lips pursed into a thin 
line. Her hairstyle, a wavy ocean of scarlet, provided the only chaos to 
her other than her name, a cascade that ran down beyond her shoulders. Her 
clothes had the look of an O.L. about them, with a quiet white blouse, 
black jacket and skirt, and nude-colored stockings, a fact glared out as 
she nervously wiggled her toes. 

"Ranma?" Akane sat on her bed, trying to figure out what had caused such a 
metamorphosis. "Can... can you talk about it?"

Ranma's hands clenched together, unwittingly drawing attention to her 
manicure. "I... I'm not sure where to begin. It's so complex, what 
happened... so remarkable... and sad, as well." 

Ranma's voice - her soft quiet tone, her speech patterns - screamed of 
womanhood accepted; Akane shuddered. She took a deep breath to gain her 
bearings. "Can... can you change back?"

"No," Ranma whispered. "I... to use a phrase Ucchan once used, I am one 
hundred percent woman. There is no man left in me to change back to."

Akane sighed. So her suspicions were correct; the relationship was done. 
She closed her eyes, willing the tears back; she had to know more. "Did... 
did you choose to become like this?"

For the first time since she'd entered the room, Ranma smiled. "Yes, I did. 
For... for those I love, I did." She looked back down; her jeweled ears 
twitched at the sounds of heated conversation downstairs. "Though it would 
seem that some of them don't appreciate it."

Akane cocked her head to one side. Every question she asked only seemed to 
bring more. "Was it because... of Ucchan and Ryouga?"

Ranma sighed. "In part, Akane. In part. What happened to them... was only a 
small part of something bigger. I changed so that nobody else has to die 
like they did." Her eyes raised up to meet Akane's, blue sapphires like 
crystals of ice. "Hopefully soon, you'll understand that."

Akane's temper started to come to the fore. "Why? Why was it so important 
for you to become a woman?"

"Because of this." Ranma held a strange wand in her hands, the kind she'd 
imagine children playing with. It was blue, with a star at one end and a 
strange symbol. "This... this is a part of what's going to save us all. And 
for me to use it, I had to become greater than what I was." She handed the 
wand to Akane. 

Akane turned the wand over in her hands, memory creeping up on her. 
"This... this has to do with those girls, doesn't it? Those superheroes?" 
On seeing the slow, proud grin on Ranma's face, realization clicked. 
"You're one of them now, aren't you?"

Ranma nodded; her stare finally met Akane's as an equal. "We are avatars, 
Akane, representatives of the power of a planet within the solar system." 
She reached over and touched the symbol on the star. "That is the symbol of 
Mercury; I am Senshi Mercury, its avatar."

Akane's mouth hung open for several seconds. "H... how?"

Ranma gave a Cheshire cat's grin. "Well, it all started the night Ucchan 
and Ryouga..."

---

They were gone. 

He honestly didn't know what to feel. Somehow he expected a great wailing 
or pain or agony or *something*; all he felt instead was a strange 
emptiness. He ran a hand through Ukyou's hair; he tried not to look at the 
rest of her, as the monster had left her a dried, emaciated husk, one among 
a dozen littering the crime scene. He kept his eyes forward, desperately 
trying not to think about what had happened.

It could have been worse, he knew. The beast had been about twelve feet 
tall, half-girl, half-plant, all ugly, and damn fast. Ucchan and Ryouga had 
been drained in seconds; only some fancy moves and desperation had kept 
himself and Akane from joining them. She was injured, and had been taken to 
the hospital; he was fine, but broken in a different way. He had never 
realized that he could move like that; attacks that should have caught both 
of them had simply been swatted away. He didn't know what he'd tapped 
within himself... but it had kept them alive long enough for the Sailor 
Senshi to show up and slay the monster.

He frowned at that. He'd seen some footage of the Sailor Senshi on the news 
on occasion; somehow, they'd always seemed less... vulgar than they were 
tonight. The girls who killed the monster hadn't done any of the girly 
stuff that he'd seen in previous appearances; here they came to kick ass, 
pure and simple. It kind of surprised him that such girls would know those 
sorts of words...

Yeah, he could get to like those Senshi. 

"Was she a friend?"

The voice startled him; he turned around, surprised. The speaker was a 
young woman, about eighteen years of age - like himself. Her blue eyes 
sparked with a strange ferocity to them; her long blonde hair was tied up 
into two odd-looking ponytails. "Er... yeah." He swallowed. "Ever since we 
were little kids."

She nodded sadly. "I... I know the feeling. I lost two friends tonight." 
Her eyes shimmered with the potential of tears. "What's your name?"

He actually had to think about it for a second, such was his mental state. 
"Ranma. Saotome Ranma." He extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

She accepted the hand. "Tsukino Usagi. I wish it could have been under 
better circumstances." She licked her lips nervously. "Ranma?"

Ranma blinked. "Yes?"

Usagi smoothed out her school skirt. "I... I hesitate to ask, but... would 
you meet me at the Hikawa Shrine tomorrow afternoon? I... I have a way of 
stopping these monsters, but I can't do it by myself." 

Ranma's eyes widened. "Stopping them? How?"

Usagi shook her head. "I wish I could tell you, Ranma; unfortunately, I 
can't tell you here. The Hikawa Shrine is safe; also, my friends should all 
be there, so we can give you the full story." Her eyes fixed on his. "Will 
you be able to come?"

Ranma frowned. "Um... will 4:00 be okay?"

Usagi smiled sadly. "That'll be great. I'll see you then." She then went 
over to one of the bodies. Ranma couldn't be sure, but it looked like she 
was performing some sort of prayer over the body. She then went to one of 
the others, and did the same. 

Ranma stood up. No matter what was going on, he needed to get away.

--- 

He knew the dark sensation he felt as he entered the shrine. Even on this 
spring day, the air felt thick enough to drink, and the sun's rays beat 
mercilessly down onto the earth. Every particle of dust found its way into 
his mouth; every eye seemed darkened.

He'd felt the same thing at Ucchan's restaurant yesterday and the Hibiki 
house that morning. Death had come to vacation. Unsure of what to do, he 
walked up to the main building, and opened the door. "Excuse me..."

"Ranma!" Usagi rose from her seat. Ranma raised an eyebrow at her attire: a 
modest black dress. His eyes moved around the room, and he realized: he'd 
come to a wake. "Come in."

He looked at the others. All girls, all about his age, and all dressed for 
mourning. One, a girl clad in a dark purple, looked a couple of years 
younger; a few others standing at the opposite end of the room seemed a 
year or two older. "Um... I'm sorry if I intruded on anything..."

"Don't be silly, Ranma," Usagi chimed, then sobered. "Considering what we 
have to ask you, I don't think Rei or Ami would mind."

"Ami? Rei?" He glanced at the photos standing in display. "Ah."

Usagi grabbed his arm and guided him to the table. "Ranma, what we need to 
talk to you about concerns what happened last night."

Ranma remembered. "Yeah. You said that you had a way to stop the killings - 
with my help." He looked around the table; only two looked capable of 
defending themselves in a fight. "How?"

Usagi bit her lip. "Shall we?" 

A tall brunette in the back nodded. "No other way we could convince him, 
anyway." The girl in question pulled a pen out of her purse; the others 
followed suit.

What happened next couldn't adequately be described by simple words. 
Imagine a choir of angels with a backdrop supplied by Industrial Light and 
Magic - only in real life. The women bathed in magic; water licked off the 
skin of one, lightning coursed through the fingertips of another. One 
green-haired woman looked positively frightening as purple mists enshrouded 
her. All of them paled next to Usagi, though. The others looked gifted from 
heaven; Usagi *was* heaven. And yet, he could tell that there were voices 
missing. 

He looked over at the photos. Voices silenced. 

The transformations ended; Ranma smiled. "The Sailor Senshi. You guys gave 
one heck of a fight yesterday."

Nobody smiled. "We fought out of anger and loss, Ranma-san," Sailor Moon 
whispered. "The Daemon killed Rei and Ami before they could even 
transform." She shuddered. "We all... felt... them die."

Ranma gulped. He tried to imagine what it felt like to die; his mind came 
up blank, save the emptiness he felt. "So... what do you want me to do?"

Sailor Moon took a deep breath. "Ranma, we are going to offer you a choice. 
It won't be an easy one; it will involve sacrificing something you hold 
most dear. But in return, I promise you that what you will gain - not only 
for yourself, but for the entire world - will be so much more."

"A choice?" Ranma asked.

Sailor Moon's crystal began to glow. "A choice."

---

Ranma's mouth suddenly felt incredibly dry.

"There's no going back if I do this, is there?" he questioned softly.

Usagi shook her head. "Could you be only half a senshi?"

Ranma snorted. "Not likely." He looked at the back of his hands. "I... I 
don't know what my family - or my fiancee - will think of this. I mean... 
if I go through this, everything I was... will be gone."

"Perhaps," came a reply from the green-haired woman - Setsuna, the others 
had called her. She had a quirky smile on her face; what did she know? 
"Perhaps not."

Ranma puzzled at the reactions of the others. They seemed shocked that 
Setsuna had even spoken. Not that it mattered. "But if I don't do it, 
everybody dies."

Usagi nodded. "If we don't get you and one other... then the world will 
fall to the Dark Lord's power." She offered a hand. "Will you?"

Ranma closed his eyes, faces passing by. Shampoo and Mousse, finally 
together, Shampoo absently rubbing her abdomen. Ucchan and Konatsu, running 
the shop together; the lost look on Konatsu's face when he'd taken the body 
to the restaurant. Ryouga, in full battle against him, power and speed 
dancing in the martial symphony. Kasumi and Tofu, gigglingly in love; 
Nabiki, bumming out in college as she worked toward her degree. Akane...

Akane.

"For Akane... even if this means we'll never be together... to keep her 
alive and safe, I'll do it."

"Thank you," Usagi whispered, just before her crystal exploded.

---

Ranma looked around. He was completely naked, as was Usagi in front of him. 
For some reason, this didn't faze him in the slightest. "Where are we?"

Usagi smiled. "This is a place beyond time and space. In some ways, this is 
a dream; in other ways, this is more real than reality." She placed her 
arms on her hips. "Here, we change you - body, mind, and soul - into a 
Senshi."

Ranma gulped. "Body, mind, and soul?"

Usagi walked up to him and caressed his cheek. "Ranma... somewhere along 
the way, you learned to be afraid of who you are. You ran away from 
anything to do with real love; you cowered from the scars in your mind. We 
need to heal you as well as change you, Ranma - and that starts with the 
body." She walked over; as she did so, some sort of platform appeared out 
of the mists. "Ranma... make love to me, as a woman would another woman."

Ranma gulped. "M...m.... make love? Woman... woman.... love?"

Usagi slid onto the platform, a come-hither look to her eyes. "Just touch 
me, Ranma, and you'll know what to do." She smiled. "Don't worry, Ranma. 
This isn't the world you know."

Ranma walked over to Usagi, and brushed a hand across Usagi's cheek. 
Without thought, he reached out and kissed her; the contact was simply 
electric. He couldn't bear to move away; he needed more of her, needed to 
share in her - needed her. She reached out behind him and untied the 
whisker holding his braid together; the hair brushing freely against his 
back turned him on even more. His vision seemed ringed in scarlet; his eyes 
painted over with lust. 

He'd fantasized ding this with Akane on several occasions; now those 
fantasies came back to him. His lips moved down slowly, down her neck, 
savoring each drop of sweat that came from Usagi's skin, until he reached 
the beautiful mounds of flesh on Usagi's chest. They were simply perfect; 
no sag at all, the breasts one might expect from a princess. He decided to 
go slowly, his tongue teasing her as he worked his way from her cleavage to 
her right nipple. He slowly began to suck on her nipple, letting Usagi purr 
with pleasure with each touch. 

Of course, he had needs too - and Usagi's hands took care of them so well. 
Her hands touched his breasts; he let out a moan of pleasure as Usagi 
worked her magic. He felt a strange fire down below; he had to reach his 
hands down to feel it, to touch it, to know -

Ranma stopped, and looked down at the hand over her slit. He'd... er, she'd 
changed; she was now in her female body.

She blinked again. Strange; she couldn't think of it as a curse. 

"What happened?"

Usagi smiled. "You got into the act; you changed here into a woman." She 
eased herself back into a sitting position. "How do you feel?"

Ranma stopped to take into account how she felt. Her entire body tingled 
with desire; her nether regions burned for more. "I... I feel pretty good."

Usagi firmly grasped Ranma's shoulders. "Do you want me to teach you what 
it's like to experience sex as a woman?" 

Ranma gulped. Body, mind, and soul, Usagi had said - this was, apparently, 
a part of it. "Y-yes."

"Good," Usagi purred. "Now the fun really begins." She pushed Ranma over, 
then shifted positions; now she was on top, with Ranma beneath.

Her kiss felt different; Usagi was stronger to her now, more powerful. 
Ranma found instinct kicking in, regardless; in a second, she was rubbing 
bodies against Usagi, desperately trying to merge herself with the more 
experienced girl. She felt Usagi's leg rubbing against the inside of her 
thigh; the feeling left her shaking.

Ranma scrambled for words as they broke off. "U... U... Usagi..." Her words 
trailed off as realization dawned. "Oh, my..."

A hungry look showed in Usagi's eyes; Ranma felt like a trapped mouse. "Oh, 
that's only the beginning, Ranma-chaaaannnnn..." Usagi cupped one of 
Ranma's breasts; she made lazy circling motions that sent Ranma reeling.

"Time for class, Ranma... and you've got a lot of catching up to do." Usagi 
eyed her like a predator eyes prey; she raised herself to a crawling 
position, stalking Ranma expertly, slowly moving in for the kill.

Fear cut into Ranma; she backpedaled on the platform. This was too soon, 
far too soon... 

A barrier blocked her way; no escape.

Usagi grabbed one of Ranma's shaking hands. "Relax, Ranma." Usagi started 
to rub her fingers along Ranma's knuckles. "You'll like this; trust me."

Somehow, even after all this, she couldn't refuse. "O... Okay."

Usagi pushed Ranma down on the platform, spreading her arms and legs out. 
"Ranma... for now, I want you to just sit back and experience. You need to 
know what to do before you begin to really give, after all... and your 
equipment isn't like it was..." Her hand brushed across Ranma's sex; Ranma 
let out a gasp in pleasure.

Usagi performed another lip-lock; again, Ranma complied. This was so... so 
different, but so good! She could feel a furnace inside of her, building 
with every touch, a pleading inside of her, a part of her new life. Part of 
her missed the old feeling of her manhood... but she found that fading 
fast.

This was a whole new world - and boy, did it feel good. Kisses came one 
after another; the two entwined so naturally, so perfectly that she 
wondered how she could have done it any other way. She felt a mild touch of 
disappointment as Usagi moved her lips away... before her eyes widened as 
they moved downward.

Usagi was licking away at her breasts. Ranma had always hated the 
sensitivity of her breasts before she'd found herself here; she was 
appreciating it now. Usagi playfully darted between her mounds of flesh, 
licking, massaging with her hands... she nearly passed out when Usagi bit 
lightly on her left nipple. After a minute, Ranma was panting with ecstacy; 
she wanted more, so much more...

"Lesson number one: For men, everything centers around the penis. All the 
pleasure centers there for them. For us... for women... the entire body can 
become an erogenous zone." Usagi moved up, and touched Ranma on the ear; 
even that touch sent shivers down her spine. "Remember: the more contact, 
the merrier - and the more subtle touches can be quite... erotic." Usagi 
smiled. "Subtlety works - and makes the end seem far more powerful."

Ranma took a moment to brush her hair out of her face. "The.. the... end?"

Usagi grinned predatorily. "You'll see." She moved down, further than 
before; Ranma strained to see what she was doing.

It didn't take long to figure out. Usagi licked at Ranma's thighs. The 
rough touch of her tongue caused Ranma to gasp - as did the fact that Usagi 
seemed to get closer with each lick. She wasn't planning to... was she?

She was. Ranma sucked in a breath as Usagi tickled her pubic hairs; she 
knew what was to come. 

"Lesson number two: women have a lot of toys to play with inside as well." 
A tongue ran along the outside of her sex; even that seemed almost too 
close, and she moaned with pleasure. "That was just the outer lips, Ranma. 
And they're moistened - just for me. Should I go further?"

Part of Ranma wanted to scream for her to stop - but she also needed 
release by this time. Ready or not, she needed to go on. "Y... yes," she 
croaked. "Oh God, yes."

"Good..." Usagi purred, then turned her attention back to Ranma's sex. "You 
see, we also have the inner folds..." Ranma shuddered; Usagi had gotten 
deeper, "... and the clitoris..." Usagi pulled on... something... down 
there; Ranma howled, "... and a whole lot of other stuff... if you'll let 
me." She moved back up to Ranma, and practically grabbed her in a lip-lock.

This time, the flavor was decidedly different. There was a strange tang to 
it, almost but not quite entirely unlike the taste of apricots. Ranma 
questioned with her eyes.

Usagi broke the kiss, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Now you know what 
you taste like, Ranma-chaaaaannnnn... you're one-hundred-percent woman-
flavored, just like me. This is what I taste whenever I'm down there." She 
breathed in Ranma's ear. "I *like* what I taste... and I'm sure someone 
else will, too." She ran a hand down Ranma's thigh. "Shall I continue?"

Ranma was beyond talk; she needed it done. She felt like her insides were 
on fire. She nodded furiously to Usagi, who smiled.

"Okay. Third lesson: When it's time for climax, remember that it's very 
different for women. Men tend to focus on the external, what's around them; 
for us, it's internal, what's inside that counts." She slipped a finger 
into Ranma's vagina; Ranma squirmed.

"Ranma, this is your last chance. I am going to take you to climax. Once 
this is done, you can't go back; you'll never be able to live as a man 
again. The body aspect of your metamorphosis will be complete - and a good 
portion of the other stuff as well. Do you want me to finish it? Do you 
want me to make you a woman, for now and always?"

The question made Ranma pause. She could go back; she could live as a guy 
again. She could have a guy's strength; she could have a guy's love, she 
could have a guy's life. 

Her insides were screaming. No way was she going back. "Do it, Usagi." She 
grinned fiercely. "Do me."

What happened next was a barrage of sex to Ranma; Usagi seemed to be made 
of hands and tongues. Usagi's hand filled her inside, squirming around in 
her sex while another hand played with her breasts and her tongue met 
resistance with Usagi's. She literally ceased to be; all she could feel was 
sex, all she could experience was sex, all she could think was sex...

Then she felt it, like a switch turned on. It built up like the sound of an 
approaching siren, a physical scream that started in her crotch, then 
amplified in intensity to every cell of her body. She barely heard her 
scream; every muscle in her body burned as she reached orgasm. The fire 
resonated throughout her body several times over, clenching her hands and 
curling her toes. 

She stopped thinking somewhere in there; her mind simply shut down.

Then, slowly, painfully, conscious thought returned as it receded into 
etched memory, every part of her still vibrating from the experience. She 
lay there, dumbfounded, not believing that what she'd just gone through was 
even possible.

Usagi curled up next to her, and kissed her cheek. "Congratulations, Ranma-
chan. It's a girl." She rubbed her hand along Ranma's thigh. 

Ranma could only stare up at the void and nod. She understood what had 
happened; in this place, the sex - the education of the female body - had 
made her into a real woman. She couldn't even imagine herself as a man 
anymore. "Wh... what now?"

"Well, that I'm going to need some help with." Behind her, six other 
figures appeared - the other Senshi.

Ranma gulped. "What, is it going to be a group thing now?"

Usagi chuckled. "No... the body is taken care of. It's now time to take 
care of the rest." She smiled. "Close your eyes."

Ranma did so. A moment later, she felt a faint touch on her lips - and a 
similar touch in her mind. She opened her eyes, and found Usagi breaking 
off the kiss.

"Er... what was that?" She blinked at a memory that came to the surface - 
of herself, a five-year-old girl playing tea party with her stuffed 
animals. "What..."

"I gave you a part of my memory, Ranma. All girls have their own 
experiences which shape us. We're raised differently from birth, Ranma-
chan. All you've known is what it's like to be a boy. If you're to become a 
real woman, you need to know what a woman's life is really like." Usagi 
kissed her again; Ranma gasped at the rush of memory that came with it.

"I... I..." She stopped, and noticed that even her speech was starting to 
change. "I see." She blushed at a particular memory. "Thank you. I'm sure 
this must be difficult."

Usagi backed away into the group of Senshi. "No, Ranma. This is the most 
natural thing in the world. We *need* to know each other intimately if we 
are to fight together as Senshi. And having you be a part of us... the 
strong spirit that resides in there already... it makes us proud, what 
you're doing. Very proud." She looked up to Makoto. "You're next."

Makoto had little of Usagi's subtlety, and it showed. She grabbed Ranma and 
planted a kiss; Ranma barely felt the gentle pressure as she gained some 
lessons.

Makoto grinned as she detached from the embrace. "Take it easy with my old 
sempai, okay?" Ranma nodded meekly in reply. "Minako?"

"Okay!" She bounded up to Ranma; Ranma couldn't help but notice the bounce 
in her breasts. "Um... how do we do this?"

Ranma groaned, then grabbed Minako in an embrace. A second later, the 
memories came; Ranma seemed surprised at the sorrow behind her exuberance. 

Minako bit her lip. "Promise you won't tell anyone outside our circle?"

Ranma made a crossing motion over her heart. "I promise."

The others came pretty much as a blur to Ranma, though Hotaru's transfer 
was a little more potent. Hotaru had been shaped for humility by her power 
and by her circumstances; Ranma had never really known humility until that 
moment. She bit her own lip nervously. 

"I... I never knew. I had this body for two years, and I never knew." She 
closed her eyes. "I don't know what I've gained and what I've lost... all I 
know..." She started crying; she couldn't help herself.

Usagi put her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Ranma, there's one more thing we 
need to do. One more act to finish it."

Ranma wiped her eyes. "Wh-what's that?"

Usagi pulled out a golden crystal. "This... this was Ami's Star Seed. 
Within is all of her power as a Senshi. When you accept it within 
yourself... the mantle of Sailor Mercury will be yours."

Ranma took a deep breath. Great power... and great responsibility. She'd 
seen it through so far; it was too late to turn back. And, as Ami herself 
proved, there are no guarantees of survival. "I... I accept." 

She held out her hands; Usagi placed it within her waiting palm. She slowly 
brought it closer to her chest, closer... then let it pass inward. The 
power slowly flowed through her, suffusing her with its essence, resonating 
within her until it was done.

She looked down; the costume had appeared around her. The others now wore 
their costumes; their eyes reflected the determination in her own.

"Okay. Let's go."

---

Ranma looked down at herself in the main room of the shrine, and swallowed. 
Experimentally, she pulled up her Mercury computer and goggles; both 
functioned perfectly. 

"So, Sailor Mercury. What do you think?"

She paused. Something had changed within her mind at Mercury's creation; 
somehow, her thoughts seemed clearer, more focused. She had much to do; her 
life had gone down the other path, and she needed to get ready for it.

And, for that matter, the Senshi needed to prepare as well.

"Do you mind if I stay with one of you for a couple of weeks? This is going 
to take some getting used to... and your Sailor Mars - MY Sailor Mars - 
won't be ready for another week or two."

---

Ranma crossed her legs as she finished her tale; Akane only gaped in 
response.

"Why... why are you telling me all of this, if you're rooming with Neptune 
and them?"

Ranma held out a hand. "Akane, we still need someone to take the mantle of 
Sailor Mars. When Usagi first saw us that night, she knew we'd both be 
perfect for the job." She blushed. "I can't describe the rush of being 
Mercury; it's beyond anything I've ever done in my life. For Mars, they 
need someone with a lot of spirit, and a capacity for great love." Ranma 
raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to meet my friends at Haruka and 
Michiru's house tomorrow? Say... 4 o'clock?"

Akane's eyes widened, then blushed. "Um... will it be as... personal... as 
yours?"

Ranma shrugged. "I don't know. You're already a woman, so probably not..." 
She shifted the position of her legs. "... unless, of course, you want it 
to be..."

Akane gulped, and clenched her fists. "Um... Ranma?"

"Yes?" 

Akane wrestled with words for a good ten seconds. "Well... um... I was 
wondering... do you like boys now, or do you like girls?"

Ranma gave her a seductive glance. "Akane, what I did I did out of love - 
for you. When the other Senshi donated their memories, I got a good amount 
of memories involving love and attraction - for both men and women." She 
stood up, and walked over to Akane, touching her hand to Akane's cheek. 
"But I love you. I always have... and I always will."

Akane unfastened the top button of her blouse. "I... I guess we could see 
how well we fit together right here... after all, I may need the practice 
tomorrow..."

Ranma bent down. She brushed her lips against Akane's cheek, then hit home 
with a surprisingly gentle kiss. "If you want to..."

Akane gasped, and moved to take off Ranma's jacket. She couldn't believe 
how much she wanted Ranma, even after what had happened. "Oh... I want 
to..."

Ranma smiled. "Good. I'd hate to spend eternity alone..." She finished the 
job Akane started with the jacket, and moved to the buttons of her blouse. 
"...and you'd be surprised what a little magic can do..."

Akane blinked. "Eternity? Magic?"

Ranma's eyes positively glowed. "Eternity and magic. A crystal castle 
extending to the sky, a perfect kingdom without war, poverty, or hatred... 
picture a city of perfect love."

Akane frowned. "I don't want a city of perfect love." She unhooked Ranma's 
bra, just as Ranma slipped off Akane's blouse. "I just want you."

"And that's all I ever wanted..." Ranma breathed as she laid Akane down on 
the bed, "... and all I'll ever need." She unbuckled Akane's shorts as 
Akane unzipped her skirt. "And it starts tonight."

Akane moaned. "Oh, yes it does..." They slipped under her covers. "Oh, yes 
it does."

---

Vaughan Stevens November 25, 2001