The sun had long since set, and Colette and her team of guardians were camping overnight at Lake Umacy. The pure source of water neaby made it a practical rest-stop for the group, and after the long day travelling from Asgard, nobody was keen to make the return trip without an overnight break. Darkness had descended, and the travelling companions had set up their tents and sleeping bags away from the fire, which was being watched by the only two yet to turn in for the night.

Raine had explained to Sheena that, although giving up its horn means a unicorn dies, a new one would be born in its place, but there was still tension between them as they sat on opposite sides of the fire.

Sheena knew it was none of her business, but there was one part of their encounter with the unicorn that she couldn't stop thinking about. She hoped the light and heat from the fire disguised it, but Sheena was heavily blushing. She wanted to know. She wanted Raine to say it. "It wasn't just that you're scared of the water, is it?"

Raine turned from the campfire to look at Sheena, who looked horrified that she'd said anything at all. The two were sat next to each other, both still in their travelling clothes, and any hope Sheena might have had that Raine might ignore her comment or misunderstand what she'd said was dashed.

"Sheena, I'm twenty-three years old. I'm not a nun. Only virgins are able to approach unicorns; is it that much of a surprise that I'm not 'qualified'?"

"I guess not." Sheena scrunched up her face a little. The idea of Raine being with a man just didn't seen right somehow. A moment passed and she realised she was trying to imagine Raine having sex, and looked over at the woman in horror, scared Raine would be able to read her thoughts.

"If I may be so bold," said Raine, enjoying Sheena's blushes and twitches perhaps a little too much, "I'm a little surprised you were, in fact, qualified."

"What makes you say that?!" It was fortunate that everyone else in their party was a good distance away and sound asleep; there was very little danger of their suddenly very personal conversation being overheard.

"It's just that I'd have thought someone as attractive as you would have had your pick of the boys back home."

Sheena blushed and deflected. "What about you? You don't talk about any men in your life!"

Raine played with a stray silvery lock of hair. "I suppose that's true enough."

"Well then. Why don't you tell me something about your relationships?"

Raine surprised Sheena by acquiescing. "What would you like to know?"

"Um. I-I guess... how many guys have you been with?"

Raine smirked. "None."

Sheena looked confused for a moment. Then realization dawned and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her stomach did something funny, like someone had opened a trapdoor. "No..."

"I'm afraid so." Raine poked the fire nonchalantly with a stick. "Of course, it's not easy when one's raising one's infant brother on one's own, but a woman has needs and has to deal with them practically."

Sheena spluttered. "You've been with women out of practicality?"

"Oh, goodness no; I'm only attracted to women. But whatever seedy past you're imagining right now didn't happen, not least because I've been taking care of Genis for as long as I can remember."

Sheena needed to be sure. "But you did... I mean, you have..."

Raine chuckled. "I have indeed. You're being very curious, Sheena."

"I'm not!" Sheena said, flustered, "But this is what girls who are friends do, right? Talk about this sort of thing. Discuss men. Or, uh, in this case-"

Raine was naturally a very private and guarded person, and having spent so much time in Iselia, with its backward views and small-town mentality had meant that this kind of 'girl talk' was entirely new to her. She certainly wouldn't usually engage in such a personal discussion, but there was something about the way Sheena was blushing harder than Raine had ever seen - more than after any of Zelos' teasing - that delighted Raine enough to keep the conversation going. She had a very good idea of where it could lead.

Raine turned fully around and faced Sheena. "So, what would you like to know?"

There was a moment of silence, but for the crackling of the fire, then Sheena made a series of confused noises, and eventually spluttered out "How many?"

"How many women have I been with?" Sheena nodded mutely. "Two."

There was a silence in which Sheena desperately wanted to ask more questions, but just couldn't bring herself to do it. Raine was utterly fascinated with this side of Sheena, so she moved over so they were sitting right next to each other, light and shadow from the fire dancing over their faces. "Would you like me to tell you about them?"

Sheena nodded, unable to break eye contact.

"Before Genis and I settled in Iselia, we stayed in Palmacosta for a while. I was seventeen and worked as a clerk for the Palmacosta Academy. I would sit in on classes occasionally, and it was there that I decided I would become a teacher. We didn't live there for very long, but I became close with a young professor. She encouraged my pursuit of knowledge, and we could spend long afternoons discussing academic theories and politics." Raine closed her eyes as she recalled the memories, "She was very pretty, but her mind! I was bewitched by her."

'Bewitched' was a good word, thought Sheena, caught in the thrall of Raine detailing her past affairs. She was pleased Raine had closed her eyes; there was no way her own dilated pupils could be blamed on the dark of the night, her flushed skin on the heat of the fire.

"She made the first move, but there's no way she didn't know I was attracted to her. I was..." Raine paused, thinking of the right word, opening her eyes and looking right Sheena. The ninja clenched her thighs together. "...transparent."

Sheena gulped.

"It was wonderful. Genis and I couldn't stay in Palmacosta - we didn't have documentation - so we knew it wouldn't last... but that made it somehow more exciting. She taught me a lot in those few weeks. A lot about myself and... what I want."

There was a moment or two of silence while Sheena digested all of this information, desperately trying to commit every detail to memory. She would definitely be revisiting it later. Meanwhile, Raine watched her, piercing blue eyes knowing exactly what Sheena was doing, reading her mind.

"A-and the other one?" Sheena eventually whispered.

"After Genis and I moved to Iselia and I began as a schoolteacher, I didn't expect to have a great deal of companionship," Raine said, her voice low. "And so I didn't, until a traveller came to the town, undertaking some research about the Martel Temple. The Mayor tasked me with showing her around... and it transpired that we didn't just share a passion for buildings of historical importance."

Sheena swallowed dryly and Raine continued, watching her. "She was an acolyte from one of the Houses of Salvation, researching for their library. She would go to the Temple of Martel to pray after every one of our... sinful encounters," Raine smirked, "but we found our way into each others' bed every night she was there."

"I was the instigator of our first dalliance. I was showing her around the Temple and explaining the historical significance... and she was looking at me with more interest than I was showing the building."

Sheena wanted to laugh, but the moment was far too heavy for such levity. It wasn't helped by Raine's next revelation.

"I kissed her up against an altar. It was marvellous."

The idea of Raine pushing an unknown woman up against an ancient relic and hotly kissing her was almost too much for Sheena's poor brain. She couldn't decide if she was more turned on or jealous of the mystery woman, but felt pretty overpowered by both emotions. "You didn't..."

"Didn't what?" Sheena was beet-red and silent. "Have sex in the Temple? We didn't. I felt that would have been too much for either of us."

Sheena felt that this conversation was too much for her. She was uncomfortably aware of her hands, and wasn't sure what to do with them. Raine was too close and the fire was too warm, and the words coming out of Raine's mouth were too sensual for any kind of coherent thought.

"I definitely wasn't the first woman she had lain with, and I suppose her life can't be a particularly happy one, but she brought some much-needed pleasure to my life for the week she was around. That was around a year ago. I kept hoping she might return, but she never did."

There were a few moments of silence. "So since then..."

"I haven't been with anyone. I continued working at the school, living with Genis, until Colette received her oracle and now here we are. There are times when I have... frustration, but there's only so much one can do when one lacks a willing partner."

Raine looked directly at Sheena, and both knew - and both knew that the other knew - that, at this moment, Raine definitely did not lack a willing partner. It was impossible to mistake the look on Sheena's face for anything else.

Raine was conflicted. It was true, the conversation and Sheena's reactions had made it so she desperately wanted to close the scant distance between herself and the willing ninja, then lead her away from the camp and have her way with her. But she was also aware that wasn't all she wanted, and she wasn't entirely sure what to do with that feeling.

Sheena, meanwhile, was barely breathing. She could do little but stare at Raine, waiting for her to make the first move. As seconds passed and Raine didn't grab her into a searing kiss, Sheena's insecurities rose to the surface - what if Raine was just teasing her? What if Sheena's lack of experience meant she didn't want her?

Her inner turmoil was interrupted by Raine resuming her story, her voice still low with desire, but with a touch of something Sheena could barely identify as vulnerability; "I've had sexual encounters, certainly, but both times there was an acknowledgement that it was a temporary thing. That we would both enjoy it for the short time it lasted. Actual romantic, sexual relationships... those are quite new to me, I'm afraid."

Raine poked the fire with the stick again and watched the dying flames. Sheena wasn't quite sure where she should be looking. "Sheena, I would love to have sex with you. To show you how to be with another person. To find out exactly which places to touch you in order to get the most heightened reaction." Raine paused and turned back to Sheena. "But I do not want that to be all it is."

Raine had seemed totally in control of this whole situation from its beginning - Sheena felt that each meagre contribution she had made to the conversation had been anticipated by Raine - but Sheena got the feeling that the half-elf was going off-script somehow, that neither of them knew what was going to happen next.

"Those others... my experiences were fulfilling and informative and pleasurable. But they lacked emotional intimacy. Which was fine; there was a mutual attraction and I had enough in common with my previous partners to trust them with my body in a sexual way. But I would not want anything between us to be simply something borne of practicality."

"Raine," said Sheena, reaching over and gripping Raine's hand, "I, uh... I want to be with you so much I'm not sure I can handle it. But I do know that I wouldn't want it to be a one-time thing, either."

Raine finally gave in and kissed Sheena on the lips, gently at first, then with growing passion. They eventually pulled apart, conscious of how their position on the fireside log wasn't optimal for kissing, let alone other activities.

"I'm not doing this outdoors." Raine said simply, pulling Sheena up by the hand.

Fortunately, the group had been camping outside so much of late that the tent could be put up using muscle memory, and very little coherent thought was required. This was particularly useful as Sheena struggled to keep her hands to herself as Raine tossed the bedding inside their sleeping quarters. As soon as their tent was set up, Sheena all but pounced on Raine, pushing her back onto the plush of the sleeping bags. Raine had brought their travel packs and equipment in from outside, and the large orb atop Raine's staff gave a soft glow, enough for Sheena to see the desire in Raine's eyes as she brought her head down for a fierce kiss.

"I want you." Sheena whispered, strands of hair that had come loose from her messy bun tickling the sides of Raine's face, "Can I?" Sheena gestured to Raine's thick coat, which was preventing her from pressing kisses to anywhere below Raine's neck.

"Of course," Raine sat up and allowed the coat to be slipped from her shoulders and discarded to the pile of equipment. "In fact, you can take this off, if you want."

Kneeling in front of Raine, Sheena nervously untucked the white undershirt and was assisted by Raine in pulling it over her head, leaving the half-elf's upper body almost fully uncovered. Not entirely sure what she was doing, but encouraged by Raine's noises of approval, Sheena pushed Raine back down and continued her kisses all over the newly-exposed skin.

Enjoying the treatment but wanting to be more of an active participant, Raine tugged gently at Sheena's obi. Blushing, but showing no other signs of hesitation, Sheena pulled at the giant bow and removed it, causing her purple robe to fall open. Raine reached up and put her hands gently, then more firmly, on Sheena's hips, rubbing her sides over the material of her leggings. "Sheena, you feel wonderful."

Growing more bold, Sheena pushed at bindings that were preventing her from kissing the length of Raine's breastbone. In response, Raine reached across and pulled out the ribbon that was holding together the last of the bun out of Sheena's hair, running her fingers through the dark locks as they came down just below Sheena's shoulders. From there, she pushed the loose robe off Sheena's shoulders, pulling her long gloves off along the way. Raine ran her fingers across Sheena's collarbone, but stopped when she saw a questioning look on Sheena's face.

"What is it?"

Sheena felt shy, but was determined to ask for what she wanted. "Can you take that off, too?" she gestured to Raine's bindings.

"I can," Raine smiled, reaching behind and unwinding the garment. Sheena tried not to stare, unsure of protocol. Raine stroked Sheena's cheek. "It's okay. Whatever you'd like to do, it's alright."

Sheena pulled Raine close and kissed her, easing her back onto the sleeping bags, and bringing one hand up to cup one of Raine's breasts. Both gasped at the contact, which turned to moans as Sheena grew more confident and used her other hand and then her mouth. Raine wasn't sure if the placement of Sheena's knee right between her legs was intentional or a result of an accidental position, but she was enjoying it - and Sheena's treatment - immensely.

Wanting to respond in kind, Raine pulled at Sheena's undershirt, which was barely containing her breasts as it was, and pulled it over her head. After a nod of assent from Sheena, she unclipped the younger woman's bra and whisked it off in a flash, earning her an impressed look that was missed because Raine was too fascinated with what she'd just uncovered. Deciding she'd spent enough time simply lying down, Raine pushed Sheena onto her back and straddled her, making sure to position herself as Sheena had done earlier, with her thigh pressed up between Sheena's legs. Enjoying the feeling of Sheena pressing against her, Raine leaned down and touched Sheena's breasts, alternating between using her fingers and mouth. The discovery of a spot near Sheena's ribs that was particularly sensitive delighted Raine as much as it did Sheena, as the mage nibbled and licked, feeling Sheena push herself against Raine's thigh desperately.

"Would you like me to remove these?" Raine said, eventually moving away and pulling slightly at Sheena's leggings. Sheena's hair was disheveled, her face flushed, and the leggings in question had developed a damp patch that would have embarrassed Sheena if Raine wasn't regarding her with such an appreciative expression.

"Yes please."

"And these?" Raine gestured to Sheena's underwear, but looked her in the eye.

"Yeah... if you want."

Together they eased Sheena out of her leggings, and Raine immediately pulled her as close as she could, loving the feeling of Sheena's bare body pressed against her. "You're beautiful," she whispered into Sheena's ear.

"Mmm" Sheena responded, as Raine nibbled her earlobe, a sensitive spot that made Sheena grind up against Raine's still-covered thigh.

Raine gently pushed back against Sheena as she continued to lavish attention on Sheena's breasts, enjoying the noises she could draw out of the younger woman.

Sheena wasn't sure what to do with her hands, but as Raine ran her tongue in tight circles around a nipple, she plunged them into Raine's hair, pinning her head in place. Pleased with the response, Raine continued her treatment until Sheena's noises became more urgent, the thrusting against her thigh more desperate.

Pulling her head back, enjoying the last tug Sheena gave her hair before relinquishing, Raine was pleased at her handiwork. Sheena's hair was in complete disarray, her mouth open in pleasure, and the skin all around her breasts and neck reddish-pink from Raine's bites and kisses.

Raine brought her hand, gentle but firm, over Sheena's stomach and skirted back and forth along the strip of skin just above the damp mess of curls pressed against her leg.

"Would you like me to-"

"Yes." Sheena gasped, desperate.

Raine shifted her leg back from where Sheena was pressed hotly against it, and immediately replaced it with her hand. Raine ran her fingers through the wetness, a gentle pressure that was as deliberately frustrating to Sheena as it was to herself.

"Raiiiine," Sheena said in a whine.

Spurred by Sheena's plea, Raine concentrated her attentions to where it would feel best. Sheena gasped.

"Do you like that?" Raine asked right into Sheena's ear, one hand moving in firm, wet circles, the other running through Sheena's messy hair.

"Mmm," Sheena managed, her expression a perfect balance between wanton and bashful.

"How about this?" her thumb continuing its ministrations, Raine gently slid a finger inside Sheena. Raine relished the hot, damp pressure and considered that she'd gone far too long without doing this.

"Yesss," Sheena managed, as Raine curled her finger inwards, making Sheena's hips buck involuntarily, "more."

Happy to comply, Raine thrust two, then three fingers into Sheena, all the while maintaining her thumb's slow pressure. Raine did her best to match the rhythm of her thrusts to Sheena's responses – gentler, harder, faster and slower by turns – but she kept catching Sheena's eye and spotting an underlying nervousness behind the pleasure.

It was Sheena's first time, after all, and Raine needed to make sure it was special. Without breaking tempo, she wetly kissed Sheena's panting mouth, her breasts, and then a line from one protruding hip bone across to the other.

"May I?" Raine asked, adjusting so she was settled between Sheena's spread legs.

Sheena nodded vigorously and gasped at the first touch of Raine's mouth. Temporarily withdrawing her fingers, Raine used her tongue, relishing both the taste and Sheena's vocal response.

It had definitely been too long, Raine considered, especially since – and Raine wasn't one for false modesty – this particular activity was one she knew she was very good at. Sheena squirmed and panted under her ministrations, and her hands had returned to their vice-grip in Raine's hair. After getting a good feel for a combination of techniques that Sheena seemed to especially appreciate, if the moans and tugging were any indication, Raine went for it. Licking and sucking and reintroducing her still-damp fingers deep inside Sheena, she brought the ninja to a gasping finish.

Raine held Sheena afterwards, kissing her with a sticky mouth and whispering to her as she got her breath back. "Was that acceptable?"

Sheena, flushed and panting, managed an impressive look of incredulity, "I think you probably know the answer to that one."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. As I said, I hope it's the first of many."

"Can I do you?" Sheena asked, enthusiasm shining through fatigue and shyness.

"Take a few more minutes," Raine suggested, "we've got all night."

"Okay." Sheena settled into Raine's embrace, enjoying the feel of Raine's bare skin pressed against her own. Five minutes. Then Raine was hers.

"We'll need to keep an eye on Colette. Especially with Lloyd," Raine said idly, stroking Sheena's hair.

"Why?"

"What if we need to talk to another unicorn?"