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What has gone before:

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PART A

In a quiet bedroom, that had been very noisy for most of the previous evening, two lovely girls slept, one petite girl with red hair, and one large girl with chestnut brown hair. Their heads were resting in contentment on the broad chest of the man who was stretched out between them. A small duplicate of the brown-haired girl was sitting, fully dressed, on his broad, well-muscled, stomach.

Tendo Akane looked down at the two girls, softly stroking their hair with his broad hands. They were sleeping deeply, and other than the occasional murmurs floating up from their dreams, had no reaction to his caress.

Akane sighed, he himself had no desire for sleep, nor apparently, if Yousee was to be believed, would he be sleeping a great deal from now on. Yet another side effect of his new status as a part-demon, part-human, half- male, half-female being. Just thinking about it was enough to give him a headache. There was little doubt however that Yousee was telling the truth. Akane's tongue flicked against his canine teeth as it had done more than once in the last few hours. They were still the same, twice as big as normal, and very sharp.

There was also the matter of the tattoos that had appeared on his forehead and cheeks. In his female form they were a narrow oval inside a larger oval with a circle at the top of the interior one. In his male form they were in the form of a rod, with two small circles at the base, and a single, slightly larger one, at the top.

Yousee had explained that they were cast marks of a kind. There was an ancient agreement that beings from the other realms had to show some evidence of their unearthly origin. If they did not possess some physical characteristic that set them apart, such as an Oni's horn, then they had to display markings such as Akane now possessed. Yousee had also explained that some entities had made the best of this rule. They used the tattoos for practical purposes, such as antennas for drawing energy from their home realm. Akane's marking were just that however, markings.

After Yousee's display of magic the evening before, Akane had called home, and informed Aunty Nodoka that he and Ranma would be spending the evening at Ukyou's. To Akane's surprise, Nodoka had been enthusiastic about the idea, and had even suggested that Akane reciprocate by inviting Ukyou over to the house after school the next day, today that is, and to spend the night if she wanted to. Kasumi was due home the next day, and there would be a big dinner to welcome her back.

After the phone call, they had retired to the bedroom, and had a very enjoyable time of it. Akane had spent most of it female, acceding to Ranma's desires. But she'd soon realized that Ukyou was uncomfortable with her as a girl, and over Ranma's objections, she'd become male. Ukyou had been most appreciative, and even now, Akane could feel a small buzz of pleasure emanating from the sleeping girl. The memories were both pleasant, and a reminder of what he would be facing the next day.

Akane looked down at the small duplicate of Ukyou who was sitting on his belly. Yousee had conjured herself up a duplicate of Ukyou's usual outfit. She had even slung one of Ukyou's throwing spatulas across her back in lieu of a battle spatula. She had not tried to copy Ukyou's bandoleer, but with the exception of that one thing, she was an exact duplicate of the chef.

"Are you completely sure about this?" Akane asked the small sprite. Yousee looked up at her and smirked.

"Yep, no way was I going to let you get your hooks into Ukyou's soul without some protection for her. Bad enough to let my Devil Hunter get dependent on a demon, without letting her get possessed in the bargain."

"I'd never do that to Ukyou! I don't even know how to do that!" Akane protested. Yousee snorted.

"You might not, but your body does. If I hadn't stepped in, you would have done it without even knowing what you were doing the first time Ukyou orgasmed."

Akane looked at her horror stricken. "I would?" He turned to look at Ranma, but before he could ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue, Yousee reassured him.

"Don't worry. I told you that you two were already bonded. Don't you remember, that's how you can draw energy from her safely."

Akane sighed in relief, but then his eyes opened wide. "But that means... Oh god, Ranma is going to kill me. All the time I pounded her for having more than one Innazuke, and then this happens."

"What happened, sugar?" A bleary voice said from beside him.

Akane looked over to see Ukyou blinking at her from sleep dimmed eyes.

"Ukyou? I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

Ukyou looked over at her alarm clock and grimaced. "No. In about ten minutes the alarm will be going off. This is when I usually get up." She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand.

"Now? It's only three-thirty in the morning! Why would you be getting up now?"

"I'm a business woman, remember, sugar. The breakfast rush starts at four-thirty. I have enough time to clean up and get the grill heated, then, the commuter rush will hit." Ukyou stifled another yawn. "Dang, I wish we'd got to sleep a little earlier last night. Not that I'd have missed it for anything, sugar." She leaned forward and lightly kissed Akane on the lips. "Last night was wonderful." Then, her face took on a serious expression. "Akane... Akane, I want you to know that I'll do everything I can to find a cure for my problem before the thirty days are up and we have to do this again. I promised myself I wasn't going to keep fighting you for Ranma a long time ago. I'm sure as hell not going try and come between you and Ranma now. Last night was great, and I'll always treasure it, but I know you and Ranma will be wanting to get married someday. I'd only be in the way."

Akane looked nervous. He tapped his forefingers together and hemmed and hawed. "Ah, that is... there's something you should... I mean something's happened you..."

Ukyou narrowed her eyes, and looked at Akane suspiciously. He was suddenly acting a great deal like Ranma, trying to avoid saying something that would get him flattened. "Spit it out sugar!" Ukyou said.

Akane looked at her in a trapped-in-the-headlights sort of way.

"Oh, for heavens sake!" Yousee burst out. "Just tell her!" If anything, Yousee's comment just made Akane freeze even harder. Yousee snorted. "Very well, if you don't have the guts I'll do it." She turned and looked at her other half. "Last night while you made love, Akane tried to steal a part of your soul."

"Nani!!?" Ukyou said in shock.

"I did not!" At the same time Akane protested his innocence.

Yousee looked at the angry Akane. "Oh, so you woke up. Do you want to tell this now?" She snorted when Akane looked at Ukyou, and once again froze. Ukyou meanwhile was starting to do a slow burn. Yousee noticed, and reassured her.

"Don't worry, it wasn't on purpose. It was just that he has no idea about his new body's natural reactions to certain situations. Unless a Shikima of his type mentally controls himself, he can't help doing that when his partner opens up her mind and soul to him during orgasm. Anyway, I couldn't stop it, but I was able to use the open channel to give you a part of his soul. You are now soul bonded to him. Just like Ranma. Congratulations, you're married."

Ukyou looked at the little sprite in confusion. "Married? How could we be married? I mean I didn't..."

Yousee snorted in derision. "You did. When you all decided to solve your problems by acting like animals, the die was cast."

"Hey!" Ukyou said angrily. "At least we didn't go around talking about killing our friends. That seemed to be your solution..."

Ukyou shook her head, and broke off the argument, there was a much more pressing concern facing her. "I can't be married. Akane and Ranma are going to... I mean if soul bonding means marriage, then they're already married. Akane can't be married to me. Besides, he's really a girl. You'll have to fix it up. Move those pieces of soul back to the proper person," Ukyou suddenly ordered Yousee.

Yousee looked at her incredulously. "Just like that? Who the heck do you think I am? Kami-sama? You don't just go juggling souls around like that. You and Akane's souls are merged with each other. You also have a tiny bit of Ranma's soul that was mixed in with Akane's. There's no way I can separate them out."

Ukyou was about to protest further, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Akane with a stricken look on her face.

"Akane, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to get into this situation again. I promise you that I'll let you and Ranma alone. I won't intrude."

"No." Akane shook his head. "It's alright Ukyou. I hate to think what Ranma's going to say when she finds out. I'll never hear the end of it, but one thing I'm sure of, is that she would agree with me. We both care for you a lot. Maybe it's just the soul bonding, but after last night I can't see, not sharing our lives with you. If you don't mind living with a couple of perverts, than we'd love to have you be part of us."

"But you can't be married to me. You and Ranma..."

"Who says?" Yousee broke in. "He's a demon for Kami's sake. You think the temples and government is going to care if he has one wife or a dozen. If they find out about him, all they're going to want is his hide nailed to the wall, and you and Ranma's right beside his. Besides, soul bonding is much more binding than anything they arrange. If there is a way to become more married, I don't know what it is."

Ukyou would have protested more, but Akane suddenly reached out and pulled her against him. "Is the idea really so awful?" He asked, kissing the top of her head.

Ukyou stiffened, but then, the feel of Akane's body pressing up against hers, the security she felt with his arms around her, broke down her hesitation, and she melted up against him. It was just like the night before. His masculinity was so overpowering that Ukyou just could not think of him as anything but a man. Her man. Just like it had been with Ranma.

"No, not bad at all. It doesn't seem very awful at all. I just hope Ranma-honey agrees." Just then, the alarm went off with a shrill scream, and Ukyou hurriedly freed herself from Akane's grip to swat it into silence.

Akane had started in surprise at the piercing tone, but Ranma had not even stirred. "She really gets into her sleep. Doesn't she?" Ukyou asked.

"You don't know the half of it." Akane sighed. "I've had to use a bucket of cold water on more than one occasion to get her up. Her father usually did it by throwing her out the window." He looked at Ranma with fondness. "I'm glad she's resting now. She was having a bad dream earlier, but she settled down eventually."

"Did you get any sleep at all last night?" Ukyou asked.

Akane sighed. "Yet another wonderful thing about being part demon. Yousee tells me my healing factor has gone through the roof. My body gets rid of all the toxins that people usually have to sleep to dispose of. The only reason I need to sleep now is to give my human half a chance to dream, and I don't have to do that for more than an hour or so a day."

Ukyou stifled a yawn, "Must be nice."

"Not really, I spent the whole night watching you and Ranma sleep, while Yousee was filling me in on what I can expect, and what she's learned about Ranma. I dread all the nights I won't have anything to do except watch you two sleep, not that I don't enjoy that." He finished with a grin.

"As long as you don't go hunting for another wife, anything you do will be fine with me." Ukyou said, chuckling. Then, she looked in interest at Yousee. "What have you learned about Ranma?"

"Don't you need to get to work? I could give you a hand," Akane broke in to say as he looked over at Ukyou's clock.

Ukyou looked over herself, and grimaced. "You're right, but I have a few minutes yet." She very careful ignored Akane's offer to help.

"Well," Yousee began, "you understand I have to be very careful around Ranma? If I try any direct probes I could end up fried by the sheer amount of energy that's collected around her. So, I've been passively reading her aura for all the information I can get that way. It's not much, but it's better then nothing.

"Now the good news is that as far as I can tell, going by what Akane tells me about her, her chi is almost back to full strength. Any other person, and I'd think they were about to explode, she's got so much. But from what Akane has described of her talents, I would have to guess it's normal for her. As near as I can tell, after she drank the potion, and destroyed her chi completely, the magic replaced it. The magic kept her alive until her body could recover from the jolt the potion gave her and replenish her chi naturally. I think it also helped her recover faster than she would have otherwise.

"Now the bad news. As near as I can tell her Jusenkyo curse is permanently destabilized. There's nothing left but raw magic. A lot more raw magic, as a matter of fact, than can be accounted for by what was tied up in her curse. I can't find out where it's coming from. I'd have to dig too deep."

"So Ranma-honeys stuck as a girl?" Ukyou said in a disappointed voice.

"What's the matter?" Akane asked. "Are you getting greedy? Want two husbands now? Or is it you just don't want to share one husband with another wife?"

Ukyou blushed. "It's not that. I was just hoping for her sake that there was a chance."

"There is." Yousee said. Which drew the undivided attention of Ukyou and Akane.

"There is?" They both said at once.

"Sure, basic transformation is well within a magus's ability, and with all that raw magic to call on, Ranma qualifies. The time she spent with her chi being replaced by magic should have sensitized her to it. She'll have to learn how to do it, but eventually she should be able to change herself into her male form again, as well as other forms if she chooses to."

"How long!!!?" Yousee toppled over backward, and had to scramble to keep from falling into the slit in Akane's boxers, as Akane and Ukyou suddenly got right into her face and shouted.

Giving them a scowl, she scrambled back to her former position, looking behind herself, and giving a sigh of relief at her narrow escape. Looking back up at the girls, she answered their question.

"Not long, five or ten years should do it."

"Five or ten years!!?" they howled in protest. "You call that not long."

"Hey, Akane has an indefinite life span, and being soul bonded to him, you and Ranma both share that. You can do ten years standing on your head."

This new revelation took them aback, but not by much. Like most teenagers they figured they were going to live forever anyway. Ukyou would have liked to continue, but a glance at the clock showed her she was pushing it as it was. She got up from the futon, but then, a thought occurred to her.

"Akane about your offer to help?"

"Yes?" Akane said eagerly.

"It would be a big help if you could wait tables for me. Since Konatsu set out on his own, I've been having trouble keeping up with the morning rush."

Akane looked disappointed, but said, "Sure Ukyou, I'd be happy to help." He started to get out of bed, carefully disentangling himself from Ranma, who murmured in protest.

"Oh you don't have to get up just yet. I won't have anything for you do for a half-hour or so. Let Ranma sleep." Akane settled back, the look of disappointment stronger. Ukyou was about to leave, when she stopped in the doorway. Turning, she looked at Akane. "Ranma-honey told me a few weeks ago that your cooking was getting a lot better."

"She did?" Akane said in amazement. He looked down at the small redhead as if expecting her to change into some other person. "Are you sure it was Ranma?"

Ukyou laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. She said you found one of your mother's kitchen journals, and that it was helping you a lot."

"Oh yes, and Kasumi found all the rest of Mother's journals a little while ago." Akane said in a happy tone of voice, but then, his face fell, "But it's taking me so long to go through the first one, I don't know when I'll be able to cook a real meal."

"How about when we go over there tonight after school, you and me go over them. Maybe I can help you go a little faster."

Akane looked at Ukyou with stars in his eyes. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, you are my husband after all. I don't want you poisoning me next chocolate day."

"Oh you!" Akane threw a pillow at the laughing cook, but she dodged out of the way and through the doorway.

"Come on down in a little while," floated back in from the hallway. "Take a hot shower first. Pretty girls get good tips."

"I will." Akane shouted back, feeling a flush of pleasure at being considered pretty.

Ukyou voice came back, faint, as the sound of water running in the shower muffled her voice. "Just remember, the cook gets half."

Akane snorted, but gazed in fondness toward the door. Yousee scowled up at him from her position on Akane's chest. "I may gag." She muttered. She hopped out of the way as Akane swiped at her. "Peedaaa," She said, sticking her tongue out at Akane, pulling down an eyelid to give her an evil eye at the same time. Then, she took several long hops and headed out the door in the direction of the bathroom.

Akane watched her go with mixed emotion. He rather liked the little sprite, but her desire the night before to see Akane dead sort of put a chill on their relationship.

"So, I'm stuck like this eh?"

Akane looked around in surprise, to see that Ranma had rolled over and was looking up at him with her big blue eyes."

"Ranma? You're awake."

"Well, duh. What was your first clue." Ranma said with a grin.

Akane did not rise to the bait, instead he said in a rather tentative tone, "Ah, how long, I mean, have you been awake long?"

"Long enough to find out I'm married to a pervert." Ranma said, looking at Akane steadily, giving no indication of what was going on under her placid expression.

"Oh... Ranma... I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't even know about you and me. I'm... I'm sorry." Akane looked down at the floor waiting for Ranma to explode, it's what he would have done after all.

"Hmm, good thing you're a sex demon I guess. If you were a regular guy Ucchan and I'd wear you down to a nub." Ranma said in a matter of fact voice.

Akane looked at Ranma's placid face in amazement. "You're not mad?"

Instead of answering, Ranma let her head settle down on the pillow and closed her eyes. In a serious voice she said, "I had a really grotty dream last night."

"I know, you were tossing and turning, but when I touched you to wake you up, you settled right down."

Ranma's eyes opened and she looked at him. "Ah, that explains why you came back then."

"Came back? From where?" Akane asked in puzzlement.

"In my dream." Ranma closed her eyes as if visualizing. "It was at school. The guys dressing room. I was there in the shower with all the guys, only I wasn't a guy. I was a girl. At first everything was just normal, well sort of normal. I was chatting with Hiroshi and Daisuke about how I was going to skin them at poker that night. Then, someone said, 'Hey, Saotome's a girl!' Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, but then, they looked at me."

Ranma shivered, "It was scary, suddenly their eyes changed. I can't explain it, but guy's eyes look different when you're a girl."

"I think I know what you mean. I noticed something like that yesterday with the girls."

Ranma looked at him, and nodded. "Right, I keep forgetting. I just see you as you, no matter what you look like on the outside. Well anyway, these guys had been looking like they do when I'm a guy, but then, their eyes changed, and they all got hard-ons. Even Hiroshi and Daisuke, and they usually don't get that hentai when I'm a girl. Not that they don't look, mind you. I am built pretty good after all, but they don't usually get as bad as the other guys. Anyway, I started to get a little worried... Shit, who am I fooling. I was ready to piss myself. I was surrounded by guys, and I knew what they were thinking."

"Takes a pervert to know..." Akane started to say, but then broke off with an embarrassed look on his face. "Sorry, habit."

Ranma grinned at her, "Hard to break, ain't they? Anyway, they grabbed me, and forced me down to the floor. I couldn't fight back. I just let them push me down. Then, their hands were all over me. Poking, and pinching and grabbing, and they started to argue about who got to go first. Suddenly Mikado and Ryouga were there, trying to get at me. The other guys pushed them away, saying that they'd already had their turn. When Mikado and Ryouga moved back, you were there, like you are now, a guy. Hiroshi said, 'Hey, Akane. You want to go first? Mikado has already kissed her, Ryouga has fucked her, but she still hasn't taken anyone up the ass, or in the mouth. You want first shot at her.'"

Ranma's voice became strained, and Akane could see she was keeping herself calm with a great deal of effort. Frankly, Akane was amazed she could even talk to him about it, little lone in such graphic terms. Despite the matter of fact tone she was using, the paleness of her face, and the sweat on her forehead, indicated just how hard talking about her nightmare was.

"So everyone is looking at you, and you sort of look at me sad like, then Ukyou walked up from nowhere, and you put your arm around her shoulder. You turned and walked away. I tried to go after you, but the guys piled on top of me. I could feel their dicks poking me everywhere, trying to find a hole to shove into." Ranma paused, sweat beading on her forehead, she opened her eyes and looked at Akane. "I screamed. I screamed 'Akane, please, I want you to be first.' Then, you were there, just like that and, so was Ukyou. She started to swat ass with her spatula, and all the other guys disappeared, you were the only one left. You picked me up and held me tight and everything was all right."

Ranma gave a sigh and looked at Akane. "That must have been when you touched me."

"Ranma... I'd never leave you like that. I'll always be there when you need me."

"I know that. It use to bother the hell out of me, the way you were always getting yourself in danger, rushing in trying to help me." She looked up at Akane, and flushed in embarrassment. "I don't figure I feel like that anymore. Maybe it's because you're half a guy now, but I want you beside me if I ever get in a fight. You and Ukyou, together I reckon we could beat just about anyone. Or at least we will when I get through teaching you two."

A mingled look of pleasure and annoyance crossed Akane's face. Pleasure that Ranma wanted him beside her in a fight, and annoyance because the baka had to go and qualify her remark. Why couldn't she just give a compliment without qualifiers for once? Ranma was still talking about her dream, and what it meant, so Akane shoved the annoyance away, but he held on to the pleasure.

"Anyway, I don't figure that's what my dream was about. Last night I was jealous of Ukyou because you were her first guy. I was mad at Ryouga because he stole that from me. Just like Mikado and Shampoo stole my first kiss." Ranma rolled over so she could wrap her arms as far around Akane as she could reach in that position. "Akane, I don't want to lose any more first times with you. I'm not giving up on being a boy again. I'm going to become a guy again, and in a lot less time than what Yousee said, but until that happens, I want to be with you. I don't want to waste any more of our time together."

"Ranma, are you sure?"

"Hell no! The idea scares the crap out of me, but not being with you is even worse."

Akane looked over at Ukyou's alarm. "I have a half hour before I need to go help. How about if I have a hot shower and we have a quick 'snack'." He started to get up, but Ranma pressed against him."

"Wait!" She said. Akane paused, feeling the small girl's body trembling with some indeterminate emotion.

"All right Ranma, we can wait."

"NO!" Ranma shouted. She looked up at Akane's face, and Akane was shocked to see tears there. "Akane... I want... I can't go hiding anymore, I want to do it with you no matter what body you're in... but... "

Ranma face twisted in fear, and suddenly Akane understood. He rolled over and threw a massive leg over Ranma's legs, pinning them in place. He caught both her wrists in one of his large, broad hands, and pressed them up over her head. Ranma looked up at him, her eyes wide and staring. Akane could feel her body trembling like a leaf.

"Akane..."

"Shhh. I understand love," he said. Silencing her with a kiss, and Akane did understand. Ranma was going through the exact same thing Akane had gone through. For a long time the thought of a man touching him when he had been a girl had made him shudder in nausea. Then, Ranma had come, and Akane had fallen in love. Akane had desperately wanted Ranma-chan, and would have done anything to get her if she had really been a girl. She had not been a girl, not for real, and Akane could not in any way imagine giving herself freely to a boy. It would have been like surrendering. He had always been very bad at surrendering. Ranma was the same way. Akane could see the fear in her eyes, but he could also see the desire and need.

"It's alright, love," Akane repeated as he leaned down and kissed Ranma again. The little girl stiffened, but when Akane released her hands, they didn't push him away, they wrapped around his neck and pulled him down on her. Akane felt Ranma's large breasts flattening against his chest, and felt himself begin to stiffen. He could feel the head of his cock pressing into Ranma's thigh, and again a shudder ran through Ranma.

She broke the kiss, and said, "Oh god Akane, please... " She was cut off as Akane once again captured her mouth.

Akane moved her legs, maneuvering himself over Ranma. Ranma spread her legs, folded them around Akane's thighs. They were both lost in the sensation, neither of them wanted to take it slow. Akane fierce in the knowledge that Ranma wanted him. Ranma desperate to do it before she lost her nerve. Akane's hips thrust down, and his cock slipped up between their bellies. He drew back and thrust again, and this time his cock parted Ranma's ass cheeks, after sliding down between her damp sex lips. The sensation of Akane's shaft rushing past her clitoris drew a moan from Ranma.

Akane drew back again, started to shift his weight, and then held his pose in surprise. He had planning on reaching down to guide himself into Ranma, but before he could do it, Ranma moved one of her arms from around his neck. Akane felt her hand slide down between their bodies, then, he gasped in pleasure as she felt Ranma's small hand brush against her erection, tentatively at first, but then, she grasped him firmly. Akane let himself be guided by Ranma as she steered him to her sex. Akane felt wetness surrounding the head of his cock, and with a groan from both of them he thrust himself home. It did not last long, they were both frantic for release, and a few seconds later both of their bodies were shuddering as they reached their pleasure together. Akane remained arched for a little bit over Ranma's straining body, then, he let himself settle down on top of her. Akane held most of his weight on his arms and legs only letting enough rest on Ranma to press their bodies together, savoring the feel of her sweat soaked body against his.

Ranma looked up at him with a glazed look in her eyes. "Oh man," she murmured in a dazed voice. "It's not so bad... being a girl."

Akane bent down and kissed her lightly. Then, drew back. "Thank you Ranma, that was wonderful."

Ranma's eyes focused, and for a second fear filled them, but then, the fear fled, and a softness entered in its place. "Yeah, it was sort of nice wasn't it." She stroked one of her legs up and down the back of Akane's calf. "Think you're up for another time?" She asked half playfully, half in dread.

Akane felt himself twitch down where his softened member was still held inside Ranma, but regretfully he shook his head.

"We need to get showered if we're going to give Ukyou a hand." He leaned down and kissed Ranma again, and this time theylingered for a minute. Akane rolled off of Ranma and sat up. "Maybe next time you can get on top." He said to Ranma.

Ranma stiffened, and her eyes which had been full of remembered passion clouded over. Akane saw this, and hastily said with a playful leer in his voice, "Yeah, I'll tie you up and use you like a toy."

Akane sighed with relief when Ranma's eyes cleared and she swatted at him playfully. Ranma had taken a big step this morning, but she wasn't ready for the thought of having sex with Akane's male side without Akane being the aggressor. Akane was looking forward to the day when Ranma could enjoy sex with him without their being an element of coercion on Akane's part, but until then, they could go on as they were.

****

"Animals!" Yousee snorted out, as the noise upstairs came to a halt.

Ukyou who's face was rather red, scowled at her. "They're in love, give them a break."

"Love! Right. You mean they're in lust. I figured you humans would at least take a break after the way you went at it last night. Should have known the demon wouldn't be able to keep its paws off of a girl. You're lucky you got out of there when you did, or it might have been you, it was nailing to the floor just now."

Ukyou blushed even deeper. In truth she had been fantasying about that very thing. However, the soreness between her legs told her she'd be leaving Akane-kun to Ranma for a little while. At least in the boy/girl category. She supposed she could get it on with Akane and Ranma girl/girl, but she was not really comfortable with that. To take her mind off of the images in her mind, she scolded Yousee.

"Akane! His... her name is Akane. Not 'it'."

Yousee snorted. "See, you don't even know what sex it is."

"A_KA_NE!" Ukyou enunciated clearly, placing her face inches from Yousee and scowling fiercely at her.

"Alright, alright, Akane. Geez, It's not like A_ka_ne, is a person or nothing."

"Akane is a person, and if you expect to stick around, you'd better damn well remember that!"

"You can't get rid of me!"

"Can't I? You just keep up the mouth and watch me!"

Yousee looked at Ukyou nervously. There was no give at all in the cook's face. She sighed, "alright, you win."

"What'd you win, Ucchan?"

Ukyou turned in pleasure and looked at the two girls standing at the bottom of the stairs. Both of them dressed in waitress uniforms. Ranma had waitressed for her before, and Ukyou had several uniforms in her size. Akane was wearing one of those, and while it was a little tight in some places and loose in others, it looked fine.

"Ranchan, Akane honey. Great timing. You can go and open up the front door. Ranchan, you've done this before. You take the first few orders and show Akane how to do it."

Ranma smirked at Akane as she unlocked the front door. "Watch and learn tomboy, I'll show you how to milk these guys for all they're worth."

"I don't know." Akane said in a low sultry voice. "I think you've already showed me how to milk a guy pretty good."

**

The first customer of the morning was greeted by a cute, redheaded waitress whose face very nearly matched the color of her hair, and a cook behind the counter who was almost a match for her.

Things moved at a frantic pace from that point on, and conversation was at a minimum until Ranma locked the door two hours later, after shooing the last of the customers out.

"Whew. I don't know how you do it Ucchan. Is it like that every morning?"

"Pretty much, but a lot of people usually don't come in when they see how busy I am. With you and Akane helping I served a lot more then normal." Ukyou started counting the receipts while Ranma looked around in confusion.

"Hey, where's Akane?"

Ukyou looked up, a frown on her face, she had one unpaid receipt in her hand. "I don't know, I saw her heading for the back a little while ago." She looked down at the receipt as Ranma headed toward the rear. "That's funny, Coach Mitaka didn't pay his bill. He's not a 'dine and dasher', I wonder what happened. Oh well, probably just thinking about his iinazuke, the one with all the dogs. I'm sure he'll pay me tomorrow."

Ukyou looked up in surprise as Ranma came charging back into the room, a grim look on her face. She looked around for a second, then spotted a pitcher of drinking water on a table. She snatched it up and rushed toward the back. Ukyou was already in motion. The expression on Ranma's face had been serious. She was right behind the redhead as she stormed out the back door to the Ucchan's. Ukyou had come expecting the worse, but she was not prepared for the sight that greeted her.

Coach Mitaka had Akane pressed up against the outside wall, her panties shoved down around her knees and his hands busy stroking her sex. Any thought that Ukyou might have had about Mitaka forcing himself on Akane was dispelled by the fact that Akane was kissing him with some eagerness, and her hand was shoved down the front of his pants. The fact that Mitaka was still among the living was also a pretty good clue. Ukyou took all this in, in a second. Which was just enough time for Ranma to drench the amorous couple with cold water.

Coach Mitaka felt the pretty girl he was fondling move, and suddenly he was no longer fingering the sweet wet cleft of a young girl. Instead his hand was full of a large pulsing shaft. At the same time the small strong hand that had been eagerly stroking up and down his own manhood was suddenly much larger, and rougher. He pulled back in surprise, and found himself looking at a massive chest, dressed in the remainders of a waitress uniform. He stared at that spectacle for a stunned second, then his gaze dropped to his hand, and what it held.

"Agghhhhh" He cried out, falling back, for a second he was trapped as the hand down the front of his pants was now too large to come back out the way it had gone it, but then, a button broke, and he was free. He back pedaled a few steps and stared in complete shock at what had been a pretty waitress a few seconds before. Now, standing there in the remains of her waitress uniform was a massively built boy, four inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than he was. The boy gave him a weak smile, then a look of fear crossed his face.

As he stared, shocked at this hallucination. He felt a tap on his back. Turning, he found the small red-haired waitress from the restaurant smiling up at him.

"Pardon me, but I believe you over-tipped your waitress, let me give you some change." WHAM, Ranma's uppercut caught the Coach on the chin, and he went sailing out of the yard in a high arc. Behind Ranma, there was a loud SPLANG, and when she turned around Akane was laying on the ground, his eyes twirling, and Ukyou standing over him with her battle spatula in her hands.

"Thanks, Ucchan." Ranma said. "I couldn't have done that, but I really, really wanted to. Shall we get the pervert inside and find out what his excuse is?"

"Excuse? Excuse? What the hell sort of excuse could he possible have for doing... doing..."

Yousee, who had followed them out of the restaurant, and was standing on the back step, smirked, and said. "He's a demon, what do you expect - urk" Yousee stopped talking when Ukyou rounded on the little sprite, her Battle Spatula held high.

"Don't... Not one word, I have had it up to here with you!" She shouted. Ukyou sheathed her Spatula and turned to Ranma.

"Come on, Ranma, lets get him inside." She picked up one of Akane's legs, and Ranma took the other, together they dragged him into Ucchan's, leaving a rather pale Yousee standing on the back step.

****

Akane woke lying on the floor, looking up at three accusing faces. Well, two actually. Ranma and Ukyou both looked as mad as he had ever seen them. Yousee, who was sitting on Ukyou's shoulder almost looked sympathetic. For a moment he was disoriented, not knowing what was going on, but then, memory flooded back. He groaned in embarrassment, and adverted his eyes from the accusing glares above him.

"Well Akane! Ranchan and I are waiting." Ukyou said, tapping her foot on the floor. The way she kept brushing her fingers across the throwing spatulas in her bandoleer made Akane want to cross his legs for some reason.

"I... I-," Akane tried to think of some excuse, anything, but he couldn't. He just lay there and stared at them, his mind numb.

"Come on, Akane, something must have happened" Ranma urged. "Did someone slip you some drugs? Did the pervert do something weird to you? There must have been a reason."

Once again Akane only response was, "I... I-." He suddenly had a very great empathy for the times Ranma had been in this position.

Ranma clenched her fists so hard the knuckles whitened.

"Damn it Akane, if I were you, and you were me. You would have pounded me flat. This isn't fair. I can't hit you, and I won't let Ukyou, but I... I, oh damn it." Without looking, Ranma reached over the counter and picked a kettle off the griddle. Right where Ukyou had been keeping it for the last year or so.

A dose of hot water and Akane was female again, sitting in the shredded remains of her waitress outfit. Ranma reached down a hand to her, and she took it. She looked away, not being able to face them. Ranma pulled her to her feet with a jerk, but she was not finished. Ranma continued her tug, turning as she did so, Akane suddenly found herself sprawling belly first across one of the restaurant tables. Ranma gripped her wrists and held her in place.

"I'm sorry, Akane," Ranma said in a voice laced with barely suppressed anger, "but we can't let this slid, and we aren't going to walk out on you. Please, if you got a reason, tell us."

Akane looked up into Ranma's face, and saw the look of entreaty there, and also the hurt. The hurt Akane had caused. She had no doubts that Ukyou had the same hurt look in her eyes. She closed her own.

"Do it. I deserve it."

She felt Ukyou's hands on her bottom, removing the tattered remains of her dress. Then, Ukyou's hands went away, and the familiar sound of her Battle Spatula being drawn filled the air. Akane clenched the cheeks of her ass, and the thought that this was really, really going to hurt, crossed her mind. Good, she said to herself, as she braced for the coming blow. You have it coming.

It was not the hard flat surface of Ukyou's Spatula that impacted on her ass however. It was something much lighter and smaller, and it was not until Ukyou cried out, "Yousee, what are you doing? Get the hell out of the way." That Akane realized what it was.

"I'm stopping you from making a big mistake. I got nothing against the demon getting her fundament warmed, but it's not her fault. I got a pretty good idea you'd feel like shit if you did this, then found out the truth. So I'm stepping in. Don't go thinking I'm getting soft on the monster or anything like that."

"What is the truth?" Ukyou asked, a strand of hope in her voice.

"Yeah, spit it out." Ranma said, releasing Akane's wrists.

Akane's heart soared as she heard the hope, the belief in Ranma's voice. Both of them wanted to be wrong. Both of them wanted there to be a reason. Akane wished there was. She did not make any move to get up, instead she said, "Yousee, get out of the way. I deserve this. I'm a pervert, and I cheated on them. I would have gone all the way if Ranma hadn't interrupted us. I deserve a lot more than having my ass blistered. I just hope they can forgive me. Even if I don't know how they could. I wouldn't in their shoes."

"Well of course not, you're a demon! You, keep quiet!" Akane could not see, but from what she could hear, the last was directed at Ukyou. "I'm not bad mouthing her. Facts are facts. She's a Shikima demon, she can no more help herself than you could give up cooking or you could give up martial arts." She said to Ukyou and Ranma in turn.

"And what are we supposed to do, just smile as she beds every girl, and guy in the neighborhood."

"Well of course not, Akane-kun won't do that, he has you. We're not talking about him though, we're talking about her."

"Nani?" came from three different places. Yousee just managed to vacate her perch on Akane's ass, as the girl turned to look at her. She hopped onto the table and looked at their puzzled faces.

"Haven't you got it yet?" Yousee looked at all three teenagers. All she saw was blank faces. "Mortals!" she snorted is disgust.

"Look, a Shikima is a creature of sex, that's what defines it, that's what it lives for. It can go two thousand years without, if none is available, but it can't go an hour if there's some to be had. Akane's male side can get all it needs from you two, more than he needs considering Ranma is a walking sex energy battery, but her female side can't."

"What are you talking about? You're talking like Akane is two different people." Ranma said.

"Bingo! She is. Look, the Jusenkyo curses have a personality shield that lets you remain you, no matter what body you turn into. You should know that better than anyone, Ranma. The Instant Jusenkyo does not have that shield. Akane may share memories and basic personality with both forms, but when he's a man, he is a man, and when she's a girl, she is a girl, and her girl side ain't getting none."

Ukyou protested. "We had sex with Akane's female side last night, and I think Ranchan and her have done it before as well." Both of the others nodded when she looked at them. "So how can you say she isn't getting anything from us."

Yousee sighed in exasperation. "Don't you listen? How do you plan on becoming a demon hunter if you don't listen when I tell you something."

"Hey, you never mentioned anything about this."

"I certainly did. Last night when I told you Akane could only draw energy from Ranma as a male. Did you think that only applied to Ranma?"

"What's that got to do with anything? You said Akane got all the energy he needed from me, why should her female side have to get more."

"It's not about energy, it's about what she's not getting from you and Ukyou. Shikima can take lovers from the same sex, but they have to have sex with the opposite sex if it's available. She can't get rid of that need by having sex with other females, she has an itch, and the only way to scratch it is with a man. I'm surprised she held out this long."

"Hold it, hold it, are you saying Akane has to have sex with a man?"

"As long as she's female, yes. Like I said, in her male form, he gets all he need from you two."

Akane spoke up, "What if I stay male?"

"Akane no, you can't do that!" Ranma exclaimed. She turned to Yousee. "There's got to be some way to do this."

Yousee shrugged, "Several."

"What are they?" All three of the teenagers shouted, almost blowing her off the table.

"Geez," Ranma said. "You might have said something earlier before getting us all worked up. Come on tell us, we don't got much time left before school."

The other two girls looked at Ranma in amazement. She looked offended. "What? You think I don't want to go or something?"

Akane frowned, and looked like she was going to say something, but Ukyou broke in and said. "Forget that." She turned to Yousee. "What can Akane do to keep control."

"Well first you can use wards. You can go several routes with them. Put her in a warded room or building, and make sure nothing male gets in with her. She won't be able to leave it, however."

"That's no good. I can't just sit in a room for the rest of my life."

"Alright, that lets out that one. Here's another, but I don't think you'll like it any better. We lock you down with wards powerful enough to stick you in stasis, but like the warded room, you'd be cut off from the world. Even worse, you'd be cut off from everything. You couldn't even have visitors."

Everyone dismissed that option at the same time, and with no discussion.

"The final ward solution is for her to be warded with weak enough seals that she can still function, but won't be overwhelmed by the need to have sex with any man who is available."

"That sound's pretty good." Ranma said.

"Yeah." Akane and Ukyou nodded in agreement, "That sounds like the way to go." Akane said.

"There is a problem however. They only slow down the accumulation of need, eventually you'd have to spend time with some men."

"Then I guess I'll just have to get my body back before that happens!" Ranma said, smacking her fist into the palm of her hand.

Yousee looked at her skeptically. "Even if you did manage that, there are still the other side effects to worry about." No one said anything, but their enthusiasm waned at Yousee's tone. "It would be like drugging her with tranquilizers. She'd walk around in a fog all the time."

Akane shuddered, for some reason the image Yousee painted filled her with dread. "No! I don't think so. What are the other options?"

"You stay a male, as long as you are male you have no problem."

"I told you no!" Ranma shouted. "She isn't going to do that!"

"It's my life, Ranma!" Akane shouted back at her. Ranma reeled back, a look of hurt on her face. Akane felt sorry right away for her outburst, but did not back down. "I'm sorry, Ranma, but I'm going to be spending all day at school as a guy. I don't think I can safely go out in public as anything but a guy." She fingered the tattered remains of her outfit. "I think you can see why. So staying a guy full time won't make much difference."

Ranma turned to Yousee, "What are the other options?" She asked, a haunted look on her face.

"There is only one other solution, and you already mentioned it."

"What? When?"

"When you said you'd get your male body back. You need a man for her. All you have to do is get a boy to join this perverted little group of yours. It shouldn't be hard. From what I know of human males, they'll jump at the chance to bed three girls."

Akane and Ranma both shouted . "No way!" but Ukyou was thoughtful.

"How did Akane end up trapped in her curse anyway? Do you know?" She asked.

Yousee looked nervous for a second, but recovered quickly. "It was Ranma's magic, it sealed the Instant Nanniichuan curse. Making it permanent. It filled in the broken program strands that usually cause it to break down. It couldn't fix what wasn't there, however, that's why she has no personality shield."

"If Ranma had sex with another girl who had used it, would she end up with a permanent curse as well."

Yousee looked thoughtful. "It is likely-"

"No!" Ranma swatted the table top with her bare hand. Almost causing Yousee to loose her balance as it rocked from the force of the blow. "NO fucking way! You're not getting yourself cursed as well, Ucchan."

"I don't see any other option, Ranchan. I owe Akane, and she is my wife after all." Ukyou finished with a weak grin.

Akane spoke up, adding her disagreement to Ranma's. "I can't ask you to do that, Ukyou. Not when the easiest thing is for me to stay male."

"It won't work!" Ranma said. "As soon as you try and stay in one form, the curse will be throwing hot water at you from all over the place. Take it from me. I know."

"Ranma has a point, but I can fix that." Yousee said. "I can lock Akane in her male-half fairly easily. It would use up most of the magic we got last night, but the way you three behave we'll have it back quick."

Ranma looked at Akane's face, and her heart sank. She had seen that look before, and knew that Akane had made up her mind. She watched Akane get up and head for a pitcher of water. She moved to get in her way, but Ukyou got there first.

"Akane honey, you don't want to do this."

"I have to Ukyou, I'm not going to take the chance of betraying you again."

"Think, Akane, It's better if I use the Instant Nanniichuan. Then I can help you with your problem and you won't lose your girl half."

"But you'll be stuck with a curse, and you'd hate it. Ukyou I was there last night remember, you didn't really like making love to me as a girl all that much."

Ukyou looked downcast. "I won't argue with you, but from what Yousee says, the Instant Nanniichuan will cure that."

"But that's the problem. It will change you! You won't be all you, there will be a different Ukyou. I can't let you do that."

"And I can't let you do it either Akane." Ukyou said, unslinging her Spatula. At least I'll be able to turn back into a girl whenever I don't need to be a guy. If you go through with this you're stuck."

"But someday Ranma will get his boy side back, then Yousee can fix it so I can change."

"And how long will that be, sugar? Five years...ten? How much of Akane Tendo, girl, will be left. There is no way I'm going to let you do this, you jackass, not when you don't have to."

*

Ranma watched the two girls argue over who was going to give up a piece of themselves, a sick feeling in her belly. It was all her fault. If she hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened. She cudgeled her brain trying to come up with a solution. The wards were out, they either took Akane out of the world altogether, or turned her into a zombie. That was no good. They needed a boy for the other solution to work, but cursing Ukyou was as bad as locking Akane in her male form.

Suddenly, a face floated up in front of Ranma. She shuddered, no, that was no solution. There had to be something else. She looked at the other two girls, thinking as hard as she could. There had to be a solution, there was always a solution. She just had to find it.

Even as she wracked her brains, Akane shoved Ukyou out of the way and grabbed a pitcher of water and dumped it over herself. The suddenly male Akane turned to Yousee and said. "Do it!"

"If you do, you're Okonomiyaki, Yousee!" Ukyou said in a menacing voice.

"Do it Yousee, I won't let her touch you." Akane said, in a tone just as menacing.

The little sprite quailed under their combined glares, and then, heaved a sigh of relief when they turned the focus of their anger from her, on to each other. Ukyou's knuckles turned white as she gripped the haft of her Battle Spatula, and Akane's curled her fists up into massive blocks of bone and sinew.

Ranma looked on in horror as the two people she loved more than anyone else, next to her mother, prepared to come to blows. It was all her fault, her ego, her stupidity.

"RYOUGA!!"

Akane and Ukyou started at Ranma's yell. They turned toward the little redhead who was looking at them with a shocked look in her eyes.

"What about Ryouga, Ranchan?" Ukyou asked, a puzzled look on her face. She looked toward the closed door, as if expecting to see the lost boy there. Akane on the other hand had no such problem, he new exactly what Ranma meant.

"Are you out of your mind, Ranma!?" He yelled, storming across the room to loom over her.

Ranma had regretted her outburst the instant she had made it. She would have told the girls to forget it, saying it was a stupid thought. But then, Akane had yelled, and well-worn reflexes took over. She stared back at the furious Akane in defiance.

"It's the best solution. A hell of a lot better than either of the ones you two were suggesting."

"How can you say that!? He raped you. How can you even suggest I have anything to do with him?"

Ranma dropped her head and said, "You kawaiikune, now you've done it."

Akane looked at Ranma in puzzlement, then, he heard the sound of teeth grinding together, and big sweated. He turned, and took a step back from Ukyou who was glowing blue. She had her Battle Spatula in her hands, and her fingers were entirely white from the pressure she was exerting on the haft.

"Ryouga raped Ranma!" she gritted out. "He's dead! Do you hear me!? He IS dead!"

Akane snarled, "You'll have to wait in line, I get first shot."

SPLASH! A torrent of warm water suddenly drenched, Akane.

Akane-chan turned and glared at Ranma. "What did you do that for!?" She demanded.

"Actually, she didn't, I did," Yousee said.

Akane turned her attention to Yousee. "So, why did you do it?"

"Who cares!?" Ukyou snarled. "I'm going after Ryouga. Are you coming?"

"And where are you going to find him?" Yousee asked casually.

Ukyou looked at her blankly for a second, then started to say something, stopped, started to say something again, and gave up. She sagged. "Fine. I'll wait for him to come to me. He always shows up here sooner or later." She gave Akane a calculating look. "I'll tell you what. You stake out your place, and I'll stay here. Wherever he shows up first, we call each other."

The expression on Akane's face had changed from the one of total denial she had worn earlier. "Maybe we're being too hasty, Ukyou. After all, poor Ryouga is as much a victim as Ranma."

"Poor Ryouga!?" Ukyou yelled. "A minute ago you were ready to pound him into the dirt, now it's poor Ryouga! What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I see!" Ranma said in a 'so-that's-why' tone of voice. She looked at Yousee. "You changed Akane because her girl side and her boy side are different."

Yousee made a clapping motion with her hands, she smirked at Ukyou. "At last, someone who listens." Then, she looked at Ranma. "But you're wrong. I didn't change Akane so she would think different. I don't give a dang about what she thinks. I changed her so Ukyou could see what the results might be if she goes through with this idiotic idea of hers."

Ukyou looked at Akane, who was starting to steam. Akane finally burst out. "What's the big idea of using me to make a point. I'm the same person no matter what body I'm in."

"Really?" Yousee asked, she made a little gesture, and cold water splashed Akane. "What do you think of bringing Ryouga into your little group."

Akane looked at Ranma, and imagined Ryouga and her together, and then he looked at Ukyou and imagined Ryouga and her; he started to get angry. The jealousy he had always felt when Ranma had been with one of the others girls was a pale shadow of this emotion.

"That creep, if he comes anywhere near Ranma or Ukyou, I'll flatten him."

"What about you? After all we're not talking about Ryouga having anything to do with them, only you."

Akane looked at Yousee, a frown on his face. He tried to picture himself and Ryouga, and couldn't. Suddenly hot water cascaded over her. Just as suddenly she could very clearly see Ryouga and her together. He was so strong, he could hold her down and take her no matter how hard she fought, she felt herself growing aroused. She shook her head driving the image away.

"Oh gods, what's happened to me?" She said to Yousee in a weak voice. Ukyou and Ranma looked at her in concern.

"It's simple really. You are still you in either form, but your body chemistry is different in each body. Unlike when Ranma had her curse, you don't have any protection from that. Your Shikima ancestry makes things even more complicated. Shikima are driven completely by their sexual nature. When you are a male, you're an alpha male. You don't want to share females you regard as yours, especially not with another Alpha. When you're a female, you're attracted to what you see as an Alpha male. In this case you see Ryouga as that Alpha male."

Suddenly Ranma broke into laughter.

"What's so funny!?" The stressed out Akane yelled at her.

"Ha, ha, ha," Ranma laughed. "It's just like when Shampoo arrived, only it's you who changes. When you're a boy you want to kill Ryouga. When you're a girl, you just want him." Ranma laughed again.

"It's not funny, Ranma!" Akane yelled, but her lips twitched a bit. It was sort of bizarre.

Ukyou looked back and forth between them. "I don't understand this at all. Ryouga raped you for god's sake Ranchan. How can you take it so calmly."

"Ah, the pig just got lucky. I'll take him next time. You wait and see."

Ukyou stared at her. "Next time? Ranma honey, if you think I'm going to let Ryouga get near you again, you're crazy."

Akane laid a hand on Ukyou's arm. "Ukyou, do you remember what you felt like after Miss Hinako blasted you?"

Ukyou blushed crimson as she remembered the overwhelming need that had filled her body on that occasion. Akane noted that reaction and said, "That's what Ranma thinks happened to Ryouga. He didn't have any more control than you did after you were charged by that magic."

"You say that now, but if I splash you with cold water, you'll want to kill Ryouga as much as I do."

Akane gave a weak laugh, "Maybe, but it not really because of what he did. It's because of what I'm afraid he will do. I'm jealous of him. I don't want him near you two." Akane gave a shaky laugh. "At least that's the way I felt when I was a guy. Right now I'd more than likely jump his bones if he came in the door. Just like with Coach Mitaka." She grabbed a glass of water left behind by the last customer to sit at that table and doused herself.

He gave a sigh of relief. "That's better." He looked at the two girls, noting their tense posture. "I have to do it. You have to see that. Yousee, I want you to seal me like this."

"No," Yousee said. Everyone looked at the tiny girl in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Akane asked.

"Simple, I'm not going to freeze you like that. I'm Ukyou's helper, not yours. She doesn't want you trapped as a male, so you don't get trapped."

Ranma and Ukyou heaved a sigh of relief. Akane glared at Yousee, "Fine, but I'm not turning into a girl again, not until we come up with a solution. I can remember what I felt like with Coach Mitaka, that wasn't me. I should have belted him over the fence the first time he got fresh. I don't like the way I lost control. At least in this body I feel like I have some control."

"Don't worry Akane, I'll fix you up as soon as I get some Instant powder."

Akane frowned at Ukyou, but before she could say anything, Ranma spoke up. "Are you planning on raping me too, Ukyou?"

Ukyou looked at her in shock. "What?"

"You seem to be forgetting, for the curse to become permanent, you have to have sex with me when you're a guy. I'm damned if I'm going to let you stick yourself with a curse, so the only way that's going to happen is if you rape me. Are you going to rape me, Ukyou? At least Ryouga could claim he was crazy from the potion. How about you?"

Ukyou looked at Ranma in shock. "Ranchan... I could never hurt you."

"Well that's it then. Looks like you're all stalemated." Yousee said. "Akane can't stay a male because Ukyou won't let her do that, and Ranma agrees. Ukyou can't acquire a curse because Ranma won't willingly have sex with her and make it permanent, and Akane agrees with that, and finally, Akane's male side won't consider bringing Ryouga into this group and Ukyou feels the same way." Yousee lifted an eyebrow at Ukyou, who nodded in agreement.

"Damn straight. I don't care what Ranma says. There is no way in hell I'd let Ryouga touch either one of you."

"So," Yousee said. "Every viable option has one vote for, two against."

"Actually," Akane said. "The last one is one and half for, and one and half against. I'm against it, but even though I hate the idea, I have to give my female side half a vote, and I know that I want him when I'm female."

Ranma looked like she wanted to make it two and half votes against, but her stubborn streak kept her quiet. After all, it wasn't like it was ever going to happen, and if it did look that way, a dose of cold water would cool the situation down, in more ways than one.

Yousee continued, as she looked up at Akane. "Looks like you're just going to have to try and stay male whenever there are other boys and men around. Speaking of which, isn't it time you headed out to school?"

The three teenagers continued to glower at one another. Yousee gave a sigh of exasperation, and muttered to herself. "Well, like they say, when in Rome, do like the Romans."

Pulling the throwing spatula from behind her back, she bounded high into the air, and brought it down on a particulary sensitive portion of Akane's anatomy. The tall boy folded over suddenly, his eyes bulging, the other two teens reacted with outrage.

"Hey, what the fuck did you do that for?" "Yousee!! How could you?"

Yousee dodged out of the way as the two girls comforted Akane.

"Geez, Akane, are you all right?" Ranma asked, her legs crossed in sympathetic reaction.

"I'm so sorry, Akane. I'll have a long 'talk' with Yousee, she won't do that again. I promise you."

"I'm... I'm alright." Akane gasped out. He stood, suppressing a wince as he did so. The two girls supported him on either side. He turned and glared at Yousee, who looked back unrepentant.

"That's better." Yousee said. "Now that you three are over that self sacrifice stuff, stop and think. Each of you was willing to make a major sacrifice because of how much you love the others. And yet you were ready to start a fight over the others disagreeing with you. If you are willing to give up so much for the others, I would think you could give up a little ego at the same time."

The three looked a bit shamefaced. "I'm sorry, Akane, Ukyou, I shouldn't have gotten so mad." Ranma said. Akane and Ukyou looked at her and then at each other. They both nodded and said they were sorry as well. Akane turned to face Yousee, his expression turned from one of contrition to one of anger.

"Did you have to hit me there to make the point?" He demanded.

"Maybe not, but somewhere else wouldn't have been as much fun."

For a second, Akane looked at her blankly, then with a roar he lunged at the little sprite, who nimbly ducked out of the way, and disappeared into the space between the grill and the counter. Akane grabbed the grill, and would have ripped it from its place if Ukyou had not held him back.

"Take it easy, sugar. We were behaving like fools after all, and you seem to be a lot better now."

"Hey, when was the last time you cleaned down here? It's filthy!" Floated up from behind the stove.

Ukyou flushed red with anger. Releasing the locks holding the grill in place, she rolled it out from where it was positioned. She glared down at the rather nervous looking Yousee, who smiled rather weakly, and said, "Ah, he, he, just joking."

"You have a lot to learn, you little brat, and now is as good a time as any!" Ukyou said between gritted teeth. She reached down and plucked Yousee from where she was cowering in the corner. Pressing Yousee down on the counter top, she pulled down the little sprites tights, exposing her small bottom. She blushed as she spotted a small mole on Yousee's left cheek. The spirit really had copied her completely.

Over Yousee's vociferous objections, Ukyou asked Akane, "You want to do the honor's, sugar?" Akane was tempted, but Yousee was so damn small, and when the little sprite twisted her head around to look at him with fear filled eyes, he just couldn't do it.

"That's alright Ukyou, I'm sure she won't do it again, let her go."

"No way, she's been a pain in the butt this morning. Now she gets to feel what it's like." With that Ukyou picked up the throwing spatula Yousee had been wearing, and brought it down with a splat on the little sprite's bare backside. SMACK!

"Ah, no, stop, please I'll be good!" SMACK!

"Maybe you should let her off, Ukyou" Akane said. He was finding the situation very stimulating, and was feeling guilty because of it.

"No, not until she learns her lesson!" SMACK!

"I've learned it, I've learned it. No more with the hitting!" SMACK!

Yousee started to cry, big wet tears running down her cheeks. She tried to cover her sore behind with her hands, but could not get them around the hand Ukyou was using to hold her in place. SMACK. She went limp, laying there, sobs wracking her body, and Ukyou finally relented, she released her hold on the little sprit and stepped back.

Akane, who was feeling even more guilty at the sight of Yousee's tears picked the little creature up and cradled her in his hands. Yousee curled up in the palm of his hands and cried heartfelt tears as Akane cuddled her against his chest. Yousee grabbed a fragment of Akane's waitress outfit that was still hanging off his shoulders and wiped her face clean with it. She looked up at Akane's face above her, and then, broke up in tears again.

"I'm so sorry." she sobbed out. "I was just feeling so bad about getting Ukyou in this mess, and I took it out on you, Akane. Please forgive me."

"Of course I will. I understand completely. And, Ranma, if you open your mouth and say what you're about to say, I'll tan your bottom to match Yousee's."

Ranma, who had been just about to remark on some of Akane's past behavior, shut her mouth with a click.

"Hmph," came a muffled exclamation from Yousee. "I might have known, cross soul contamination."

"Nani?" was the general consensus. Yousee looked up at the others from red rimmed eyes. "Look, I'm not saying I didn't deserve it, but why did you do it that way, and not some other way?" She asked Ukyou.

Ukyou looked thoughtful. "I don't know, it just seemed to be the way to do it."

Yousee then looked at Akane, "and how about you? How do you feel about spankings?" Akane blushed red, and looked away. Ranma gave a laugh.

"He must like them a whole lot, considering what happens the times he turned me over his lap."

"Nani?" Ukyou said.

"Yep, better be careful Ukyou, or he'll find some excuse to tan your backside sometime."

"That's not true." Akane protested. "You asked for it. And it's not like I could hit you like I normally do. I'm too strong in this body. I might hurt you."

"Yeah, like I believe that, and I suppose you don't get a hard-on every time you spank me either. Geez, all you guys are perverts."

"Hold it, hold it!" Ukyou yelled. When they turned to face her she asked Ranma. "You mean to tell me Akane has spanked you?"

"Aww, it wasn't so bad, sort of fun actually."

"That's what I meant." Yousee broke in. When all three of them looked at her, she elaborated. "Akane thinks spankings are sexy. Am I right?" she asked Akane.

"Well, I do have to admit that I enjoy it, but I'd never do it if that Baka didn't do something to deserve it."

"And you just love it when you find some excuse don't you?" Accused Ranma.

For a second Akane looked like she'd deny it, but then, he leered at her. "Yeah, I do, so you'd better be careful, because I mean to do it again."

Ranma looked at him from under half lidded eyes. Her lips parted slightly and she blushed just a little. "I'd like to see you try." She said in a sultry voice.

"Hey, time out here!" Yousee yelled, breaking Ranma and Akane out of their mutual heat. "As I was saying, Akane finds spankings a turn on. I'm betting when he's a she, she'd like to be spanked, but when male, it's the other way around."

"Really?" Ranma said with interest. She looked at Akane with a new light in her eyes, but before she could say anything Yousee broke in, exasperation in her tone.

"If you don't mind. I'm trying to explain something here. Keep your hormones in check would you. This is important." Once she was satisfied that all of them were paying attention, she continued. "As I've been trying to say, Akane regards spankings as a form of sex play, and because of the nature of your link, so do you two now."

It looked like the others were going to object, but Yousee rushed on before they could say anything. "Try to remember what Akane is. While he is still basically human, he now has a very high sex drive, and unlike most humans in that situation, he also has the stamina to indulge it. That also means he will tend to like variety, such as spankings and other role-playing. Because of your link to him, you also have a higher sex drive than you use to have. The link also tends to direct all three of you toward liking the same sort of thing. You already have a lot in common, now you'll have a lot more. Tell me," Yousee asked Ukyou, "what to you think of the idea of Akane turning you over his knee and spanking you?"

"I'd flatten him."

"Don't be so hasty, imagine it. He pulls you over his lap. He pins your hands behind your back with one of his hands. With his free hand he slowly pulls your tights down. Then, he starts to swat you, while all you can do is squirm and struggle, unable to get away. Just imagine that for a second, then tell me how you feel about it."

Ukyou was about to protest, when she noted Ranma's flushed face and glazed look. She was looking at Akane with that same lustful look from before. A look Akane was returning in spades. Ukyou suddenly found herself with a desire to explore this further.

"Akane?" She asked, and when the tall boy looked at her she continued. "I can't even imagine it." She hesitated, for a second, then lowering her eyes, she said rather shyly. "Maybe if you helped me with a little practical demonstration, I'd be able to answer Yousee's question."

The look Akane gave Ukyou took her breath away. It was so dark and dangerous, it promised so many things, so many pleasures. Then, he smiled, and she felt her knees go weak. Her breath started to come faster, and her pulse sped up.

Akane sat down on a chair and patted his lap. "Only one way to find out Ucchan," he said, his voice heavy with desire, a desire that Ukyou's body could not help reacting to. She walked across the floor toward him, not even taking note of the fact that Ranma was hastily drawing the blinds over the windows. She reached Akane and stood there staring at him nervously. He reached around behind her and pressed her against his legs, for a second she hesitated, then gulping, she let herself be pulled down over his lap.

Ukyou stared at the floor, her face red, not knowing what to expect. Involuntarily she clenched her ass, which drew a chuckle from Akane. Ukyou nerves were wound so tight that she had to stifle a small scream when Akane laid his hand on her ass and rubbed it.

"My, my, such a noise. What are you going to do when I do something like this." SMACK! Akane brought his hand down firmly on Ukyou's ass, causing her to bounce slightly in response. She let out a small yell, and reached around to cover her backside, but Akane caught up both her hands and held them firmly in his against the small of her back.

SMACK! Again Akane's hand fell, sending a stinging, hot sensation through Ukyou. One part of her wanted to tell him to stop, to let her up, but another part of her was reacting to the sensation of being held helpless across Akane's lap. The blows were not painful. Akane was not striking her with anywhere near his full strength. SMACK! Ukyou gasped as her groin ground into Akane's rock hard thigh. Then, hands were on her head. Lifting it up. A pair of blue eyes looked into her own brown ones. Ranma leaned forward, kissing Ukyou hard, she thrust her tongue into the cook's mouth. SMACK! Akane's hand cracked down again. Ukyou's ass was on fire, and the heat was spreading down to her pussy. She could feel herself growing wet even as Ranma's mouth plundered hers. She clenched her ass cheeks, anticipating Akane's next blow, but it never came.

Instead, Akane's hand settled gently down on the small of her back, and she felt his fingers sliding under her tights. The broad calloused hand slipped under first her tights, then her panties, sliding down to cup her burning ass in his broad palm. His hands were every bit as hot as her flesh, and she felt like she had sat down on her own griddle. Akane shoved back with his hand, and Ukyou felt her tights being forced back off her ass. Cool air rushed over her exposed skin. It felt good on her reddened flesh. SMACK! Akane's hand flashed down to splat against Ukyou's bare skin. She lurched forward, kissing Ranma fiercely, at the same time she ground her sex into Akane's leg.

Ukyou would never have believed something so dumb sounding as a spanking could make her feel so hot. Spankings were for little kids. Well, she was no kid, but then, this was not that sort of spanking. Despite her position over Akane's lap. Despite his actions, she felt safe and secure. He could do anything he wanted to her, and she knew that he would do nothing that did not give her pleasure.

SMACK! Ranma pulled away from Ukyou, and she tried to reach out to her, to pull her back, but Akane held her arms firmly. Ranma stood and moved out of her sight. SMACK! "Ahhhhh" Ukyou cried out, as she felt pleasure stirring in her loins, she redoubled her efforts to bring herself off against Akane's leg, not caring in the least the sort of image she was projecting. She felt like a total slut, and didn't care if the whole world knew. All she wanted was for something to scratch the itch between her legs before it drove her crazy.

SMACK! Ukyou groaned in frustration, no matter how hard she tried, she could not scratch the itch she needed to scratch. Her release stayed tantalizingly out of her reach. Then, she felt hands on her hips, working her tights down past them, dragging them and her panties down to her knees. SMACK! Even as her body lurched, she imagined how she must look from behind. Her legs spread, her sex wet and puffy with need. She flushed as deeply red as her bottom. SMACK! Ukyou felt the hands come back, tugging her backwards, sliding her sex free of Akane's leg. She fought to retain her position, she was so close, she knew if she could just keep on for a few minutes longer she would come. SMACK! She tensed her muscles in reaction, and lost her battle, she was pulled backward several inches and her wet sex came free of Akane's warm leg. She felt cool air wash over it as the hands that had pulled her back spread her lower lips. Then, a tongue dipped into her honey pot at the same time Akane's hand crashed down again.

SMACK! "Yessssss!!!" Ukyou lifted her head and howled as a powerful orgasm washed over her body. She felt Akane picking her up off his lap, turning her so she was in a sitting position facing away from him. Ukyou felt Akane member slip in between her ass cheeks. Hands around her hips lifted, other hands parted her legs, steered a missile of hard flesh at its target. Ukyou was lowered, and once again she howled out her release as she felt herself being filled to the brim with Akane's pulsing manhood.

Ukyou had been wrong before. She didn't have to wait to enjoy Akane's attention. The soreness she had felt earlier was gone, all that was left was the pure pleasure of Akane's flesh moving inside her belly. Then, the sensation doubled as Ranma's tongue reached into her honey pot above Akane's shaft and licked her rock hard pleasure bud. With the skill gained in years of fighting, Ranma kept up with Ukyou's movements as Akane lifted her up and down on his manhood. Ranma never once lost contact with her sensitive flesh, and Ukyou felt pleasure wash over her again and again as her two loves brought her to levels of pleasure she had never dreamed existed.

To be continued...

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