Conjunction

14

Commissioned by Warslick and Mechawizard.

"You look like you're having fun."

"Hm?" Ranma looked up from where he was reading over a list of songs to choose from for his turn at the karaoke machine, his temporary twin doing likewise from the other side as they tried to pick a song to do a duet on.

Makoto leaned against him, nibbling on a slice of pizza. "First time at one of these places?"

"Uh," he chuckled, reaching up and fiddling with his pigtail. "First time doing most of this stuff."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "None of it? But," she looked him over skeptically. "You guys are way too good at this stuff."

Of everyone there, both Ranmas, Shampoo, and Hina were the only ones not covered in the evidence of a vicious paintball war or looking like they'd been run ragged over the course of an afternoon. Makoto had quickly learned that those four excelled at anything physical—to the point that everyone had stopped counting them for any game involving a score.

Bowling? They all rolled perfect strikes every time. It was quietly decided that scoring actually started at the next lowest score.

Mini-golf? It turned into a contest of insane trick shots and the occasional cooperative shot of bouncing someone's shot off of someone else's to put them both in the hole.

Go karts? That was the one place where Shampoo didn't join the others in excelling. Hina actually won, but that was only because she was lighter so had a natural advantage.

And then there was paintball… Makoto absently rubbed at a forming welt on her thigh at the thought.

Hina had skipped the paintball gun and just taken a container full of paintballs. When asked why, she grabbed a paintball gun and shot at Ranma, only for the boy to reflexively catch it. Seeing that, the Ranma siblings and Shampoo had likewise chosen to take containers of ammunition. Then, they had teamed up—to everyone's slowly dawning horror as they were given a thirty second count to go hide.

What happened next could only be described as a one way slaughter. The four martial artists had run through the dark, indoor course seeking out their prey and attacking with unerring accuracy with throws faster than any paintball gun could hope to match. The others tried to fight back, of course, but… It was an impossible battle right from the start, when every paintball they shot was either dodged or worse, plucked out of the air and flung back at them.

Now, the night was winding down and they were taking the chance to relax. Karaoke was last on the list and they had ordered plenty of snacks. The table was covered in four different pizzas and other finger food, along with pitchers of drinks. Makoto herself was sipping on a glass of beer in between bites as she got ready for her own song and tried to decide what she wanted to do about Ranma.

"It's all hand eye coordination and speed, mostly. What about you?" Ranma asked, pulling her from her thoughts. "Think you'll be coming back?"

"Maybe. There are a bunch of other things I'd like to try out," she admitted. Glancing around at the others subtly—or unsubtly, in some cases—listening in and watching them, the brunette added, "Maybe without an audience next time. Or maybe I'll pick the place?"

Ranma nodded. "Sure, sounds good."

Folding up his menu and putting it on the table, Ranma studied Makoto for a few moments before asking, "So… bakery and flower shop?"

"Mhmm!" Makoto grinned, nodding. "A little boutique aimed at weddings and other events, I think."

"You any good at baking?"

"I like to think so," she chuckled. "Ask Usagi when she gets done. She's usually the one fighting over the last cupcake."

Nodding, Ranma gestured vaguely at the others. "What about that whole… you know?"

Makoto rolled her eyes. "I don't see it happening any time soon. Really, I don't see how we could do it in our lifetimes—"

"We don't," Setsuna murmured, drawing their eyes to where she sat across from them, sipping at something from a straw. Ranma's experience waitressing told him that despite looking like tea, what she was drinking likely didn't have a drop of actual tea in it. He, she at the time, had made up enough of those and other drinks that he could do it in his sleep.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, as some of the others turned to look at Setsuna questioningly.

Setsuna sighed as she set her glass down and grabbed a slice of one of the two weird pizzas, for those of them who wanted to try something different. "I mean, it's going to take time. Time we have."

"So we're not actually supposed to finish it in our lifetimes, but lay the groundwork?" Ami asked, and Setsuna smiled, shaking her head.

"Won't we be old and gray by then?" Michiru frowned, looking confused. "Or is this going to be after we die?"

It was Usa who spoke up with a sigh. "You guys still haven't figured it out, have you? I've told you the story before. How did you not realize…?"

"Realize what?" Ami looked confused.

Usagi finished her song and set down the mic, before plopping onto one of the sofas. "What's up?"

Setsuna waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's not something we need to talk about right now. For tonight, let's set all of that aside and enjoy ourselves. And on that note, it's my turn."

The green haired woman stood and made her way up to the small stage, quickly selecting her own song and starting to sing. Ranma turned back to Makoto as she asked, "So, education? Going to be a teacher?"

"Not decided yet," Ranma admitted. "I've been rethinking some things. Thought I wanted to open a dojo and teach the art, but maybe not."

"Mm." Humming quietly, Makoto asked, "Did your father really make you leave?"

"Yeah. It was a ten year training trip thing. We went all over Asia. China, Vietnam, Korea, India. It was fun. Wild at times. We got lost a lot."

"Your dad must have spent a fortune on it. The hotels and transportation alone…" Makoto paused as Ranma snorted quietly, sending her an amused look. "What?"

"Pops never paid for nothin,'" Ranma grinned. "Not if he could avoid it, anyway. We lived off the land a lot. When we were in a city, pops usually made money either gambling and cheating or betting on himself in underground fighting rings, depending on where we were. Looking back on it, I'm pretty sure we left a lot of those places because yakuza wanted to have a word or two with pops. If we couldn't do that, my old man wasn't above stealing. Had to leave a few towns because the cops started nosing around, too."

"Yakuza?" Makoto's mouth fell open as she stared incredulously at Ranma. "You're pulling my leg!"

"Nope," Ranma denied.

From the other couch, Ami spoke up. "I did a bit of digging. Can't be too careful, you know? There isn't a lot of information in the system on Ranma's past, or his father, but there were a few outstanding warrants for one Saotome Genma."

Sending the bluenette an amused look as he picked up another slice of pizza—barely beating his twin to it—Ranma asked, "You did a background check on me?"

Ami stuck her tongue out, cupping her mug of beer between both hands. "We had to check to make sure that you weren't actually some kind of dark kingdom plant, you know? We've seen so many of those by this point that it's become pretty routine. Someone new shows up, one of us checks them out magically while I do computer background checks."

Frowning as he chewed, Ranma took a moment to wash his food down before asking, "I thought you said all that stuff was over and done with?"

"It is," Michiru sighed. "But…"

Ami picked up from there. "But there is an entire global network of collaborators who didn't just go away when we got rid of all the magical threats. True believers who weren't just brainwashed into it."

Turning from where she sat further down Ranma's couch, Shampoo—in typical Amazon fashion—gave her opinion on the most practical and permanent solution possible. "Enemies like that are also for killing. Letting them live means they have time to grow stronger. To grow from a small problem now into a large problem ten years from now."

"Guys~!" Hotaru whined, pouting at them from where she sat on Hina's lap, the redhead with her arms wrapped around Hotaru's waist. "Come on! We're supposed to be having fun! We're supposed to save the serious stuff for senshi meetings."

"My bad," Ranma chuckled, before turning his gaze back to Ami. "So'd you find anything interesting about me and pops, aside from the warrants?"

"Debt. Lots and lots of debt," Ami answered after a sip, earning a glare from Hotaru. "He asked!"

"Yeah, not surprised. How much is my old man in for?"

At that, Ami frowned, before setting down her drink. "No, uh. They were in your name." She glanced at Hotaru before quickly adding, "I'll print it out and bring it over later in the week. Sound good?"

"No," Ranma grumbled, but nodded anyway. "But I need to know, so whenever you can is good."

Eventually Ranma's turn came up and he and his twin took the stage to sing. The girls laughed and cheered, and to the girls' amusement and Ranma's annoyance, Hina neatly hit him in the face with Hotaru's panties. The mood once again lifted as conversation moved on to lighter topics, the girls all went another round of singing, and everyone but Usagi, Hotaru, and Usa had another couple of rounds of drinks.

Until finally, there was a knock at the door and a moment later, their server poked her head in. "Good evening everyone. I hope you've enjoyed yourselves, but I have to let you know we're closing now. Sorry~!"

There were a few complaints, but the group quickly gathered their things and left. Stepping out of the karaoke bar into the street, Ranma stretched and cracked his back, before asking, "So, what now?"

"Hotel!" Hina cheered. "We can all go. It'll be great!"

Makoto laughed, shaking her head. "I'm not the kind of girl who puts out on the first date."

Makoto quickly found herself bracketed on either side by Usagi and Ami, as Michiru and Hotaru pressed in from behind. "Guys?"

"Come on, it'll be fun~!" Usagi wheedled.

"Trust me, totally worth it," Ami agreed, nodding as she grinned.

Michiru smirked. "You could say it's life changing, even."

The worst was Hotaru, who pouted up at Makoto with those soulful, dark eyes of hers. "Don't you want to have fun with us, Makoto?"

"Well," Makoto drew the word out and somehow, Hotaru pouted harder. "Yes, but, but… my heart isn't ready!"

"Should we do something?" Ranma asked, as he watched Makoto frantically disentangle herself from her friends and run away up the street. Beside him, Setsuna laughed.

"No, it's fine. This is just the usual shenanigans." Turning a grin on him, she continued, "But if you wanted to make a good impression, now's your chance. Perhaps sweep her off her feet?"

Ranma considered for a moment before grinning. "Alright. I'll catch up to you guys in a few."

With that, Ranma sprang off after Makoto. He was behind her an instant later, literally sweeping the brunette off her feet with a surprised squawk, before leaping to the nearest rooftop and towards the parking lot. Makoto only squealed for a moment before she clung on tightly, staring with wide green eyes up into Ranma's blue.

Looking down at her, he grinned as he leapt across the street between buildings, heading for the parking lot. "Sorry about them."

"No, it's fine," Makoto chuckled, shaking her head. "That's pretty normal for us. We always push each other into things. That's what friends are for."

Looking up at him as Ranma moved, she asked, "So, you really are special, huh? I thought you must just be some normal guy who liked martial arts. You know, someone fit and hunky, kind of cute, nice enough if a bit rough around the edges. But it turns out you're all of those and you're different. So, how are you doing it? Magic?"

"Ki," Ranma shrugged. "That's why we went on that training trip."

"Wow. So like, you can actually fight, then? Like, you wouldn't be helpless if a youma attacked?" Makoto's eyes went wide as she began to realize just what it was Usagi had found for them.

"Already did. It's how I met Moon," Ranma explained, before frowning. "Need to ask Red where she got those things, when I get a chance."

"Wait, that's the Black Lady clone?!" Makoto gaped. "But she was so… normal!"

"I think she's doin' it for attention. There's a reason I call her Darker and Edgier Moon."

The brunette snorted, quickly covering her mouth. Giggling, she admitted, "I was already thinking of her as Daddy Issues Moon."

Ranma laughed so hard he nearly dropped her. "I'm stealing that."

He dropped them down into the parking lot where Makoto had met everyone, to murmurs and stares from the people around them. Setting Makoto on her feet, he grinned. "Let's do this again sometime."

Frowning, the brunette grabbed Ranma by the shirt and held him in place. "I'm still mad at you. You're going to have to really work to make it up to me."

Raising an eyebrow, Ranma stepped closer. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Glaring at the boy all of a foot away from her now, Makoto considered for a moment, before nodding. "You can start with this."

Makoto closed the distance, her lips pressing against Ranma's. The kiss felt hard enough to bruise as she let go of his shirt and draped her arms over Ranma's shoulders. Ranma pulled Makoto tight against him, his hands cupping her firm ass through her jeans. The brunette whimpered when she felt the length of his cock press against her through their clothes, her eyes going wide at the feel of it.

The brunette quickly regained her bearings and broke the kiss. She hummed quietly, before smiling. "It was worth the wait."

"Maybe. I'd need another to be sure," Ranma smirked.

Makoto's hand drifted down to cup his crotch with a leer. "Hope you don't still think I'm a guy…"

"Shut up," Ranma rolled his eyes, giving her ass another squeeze. "Later this week? No audience?"

Makoto nodded, leaning in and pecking his lips quickly, before letting go and turning away, before her resolve broke. "Sounds good! I'll call you."

Ranma watched her walk towards her bike, his eyes trailing down to her ass in those painted on jeans, before shaking his head. Reaching out with his senses, he found the others and rejoined them. Where he found them earned a raised eyebrow, however.

"Aww, he didn't leave with Makoto and take her home," Usagi pouted, capturing Ranma's arm and pulling it between her breasts. "I lost the bet."

"You made a bet on whether or not I'd ditch you to go home with Makoto?" Ranma asked, to nods from the others. "Well, can't say I'm too surprised. So, why're you waiting for me outside a hotel?"

"Not just any hotel~," Hina leered. "A love hotel."

Both Ranmas sent the redhead a flat look. ""Not happening.""

"Why not?" Hotaru asked, sending Ranma a pleading look.

"Well, firstly, because if we wanna have fun, we can do that at home," the pigtailed boy rolled his eyes, to a nod from the twin.

"No point wasting money on some dumb hotel. And secondly," the redhead gestured at Shampoo. "We ain't taking tag alongs and tourists. I'm all for some group activities…"

"But not with an audience," the male Ranma finished.

Shampoo opened her mouth and both Ranmas turned to send her an expectant look. Closing it with a click of teeth, the Amazon smiled. Instead, she turned to look over the other women. "This has been fun. It was nice to… hang out without the expectation of a fight breaking out."

The other senshi all looked to Usagi, who smiled. "Right? Let's meet up again soon. Maybe next time just us girls."

Seeing as Usagi hadn't vetoed it, the others echoed her sentiment and Shampoo said her goodbyes, before jumping for the rooftops, making a beeline for Nerima. After that, Ranma found himself trapped between Hotaru and Michiru as they dragged him towards a train station, the rest of the group moving with him.

"Back to your place?" Ranma asked, and Michiru nodded.

Makoto closed the door to her apartment and made her way through her home, pulling off her shoes, jacket, and hat along the way and putting them in their proper places. She managed to contain herself and made it all the way to her bedroom. Flopping down on her futon, she grabbed the pillow and pressed her face into it, before she squealed, her legs thumping as she kicked the futon in her excitement. Rolling over onto her back, she stared up at the ceiling, a grin so big it hurt on her face as she went over her date with senpai.

Ahh I can't believe it! I finally found him! Eeee~! She wanted to thrash a bit more, but the realities of life in an apartment meant her neighbors would complain if she didn't contain herself.

And he's so handsome! Like, jacked! Cute face, hunky bod, tight ass. I want to lick jello shots off of his abs!

Hilariously, when Ami told them he had a bit of a… checkered past, that only made her wetter. She was already raring to go just on nostalgia and him being sexy as fuck, but to have the 'bad boy' thing confirmed, while at the same time having Usagi and the others confirm he was actually a good man—it was the best of both worlds.

Even better was the fact that he wasn't some average, run of the mill, normal guy. He was strong, and fast—and had apparently killed youma before. He could defend himself. As annoying as it was having him just snatch the paint balls she shot at him out of the air when he came for her or outright dodge them like they were trivial, it had spoken to something deep inside her. It was like… trying to hit her father as a child only to have him just grab her arms, pin her down, and tickle her. Except in a sexy way. She couldn't quite put her finger on what, but something about the whole situation had gotten her motor running.

Well, no. It was already running. Seeing that had damn near redlined it.

What was I thinking?! Argh! I'm so horny! I could be getting laid right now with everyone else, but nooo! Stupid Makoto! What were you thinking, past me?! 'I don't put out on the first date?!' For that, I would!

A quiet, frustrated sound escaped her throat, before Makoto forced herself to get up and go take a shower. Luckily the apartment complex had plenty of hot running water… and she had a massager shower head. She had a feeling she was going to need it tonight.

"It might not be enough," she muttered, her hand absently squeezing as she remembered she size and sheer steeliness of the cock she'd had her hand on and had (stupidly!) turned down.

Ahh~! I can't believe I turned down group fun! We used to talk about this sort of stuff all the time, and here I am getting cold feet! He's probably having the time of his life right now!

Her imagination went a little wild at the thought. There had been some—okay, a lot—of discussion about what they would do with their theoretical imaginary shared boyfriend. One of the things they had come up with was a fun little contest. They would each put on lipstick in their senshi color and see how far down they could get on his cock, using the lipstick marks to measure their progress. Given how many of the others were with him, there was a good chance Ranma's dick was streaked with a rainbow of lip rings around it by now. And she had turned that down!

Makoto groaned as she turned on the shower and got inside, mentally kicking herself for choosing to abstain. Her one saving grace was that at least Rei and Minako weren't in on the fun yet. Haruka had always declined talking about boys like the rest, so Makoto didn't honestly care. Never thought Michiru would join in on the fun though. Damn! Now I won't see that cute face gagging on his dick! Or Hotaru and Usa! Ugh, I'm so duuumb~!

…Later, Makoto. It's not like it's a one time thing and I'll never get another chance. We can just arrange to do it later.

Oh, and the lineup thing! That'll be fun. Everyone line up, bend over, and have him just go down the line with each of us. … I hope he can last. Surely he can, right? A guy that strong has to have some crazy endurance. He's got to be able to handle us all in the same night!

Makoto let her mind wander to being in the middle of the line and getting plowed by that thick, steely cock as she put her shower to work to alleviate some of the disappointment of her choice to go home alone.

"So… was it good for you too?" Haruka asked, pulling the sexy blonde gyaru she'd picked up tight against her chest.

"Ugh, let go. You're sweaty," the girl in question pushed her away, making a face. "I don't cuddle after. You were fun, but I don't want to get attached. Or have someone get… clingy."

Haruka frowned, but quickly hid her disappointment as the other woman made her way into Haruka's shower. Barely twenty minutes later, the other woman left Haruka's apartment without a word and Haruka found herself locking up and going back to bed. She passed through the kitchen on the way to shut off the lights, ignoring the empty takeout boxes and beer bottles on the table and counters.

The sheets stank of their recent sex and the other woman's perfume, and that only got her horny again. Worse, it left her feeling lonely because it was the same brand of perfume Michiru used. That was why she had picked the blonde up. She'd looked kind of vaguely like Michiru in the face, even if the hair and attitude were completely off.

Huffing out a sigh, Haruka grabbed her pillow and pulled it close, wrapping herself around it. It was a shitty substitute for the real thing.

After the anger had cleared and the shock of being reduced to a normal person had faded, Haruka could admit she might have… over indulged out of petty rebellion. For a while, she had gone through lovers sometimes three or four in a day. Now though, she was finally slowing down and starting to actually have regrets.

For the first time, she found herself actually genuinely wondering things like, Was I wrong? and Is this what I threw everything away for? A string of one hour stands with people who don't even have the decency to cuddle after?

Sure, the sex was… okay, but it was just missing something that Michiru had and the others didn't. It wasn't as wild, sure, but it was more intimate. Everything Michiru did, Haruka could tell she did because she cared. Looking back on it, she couldn't believe she'd ever thought Michiru was clingy for wanting to cuddle after, but she had gotten used to it.

Was I wrong?

It wasn't the first time she'd asked herself that question, but it was the first time she'd ever actually entertained the idea seriously. She had been so sure of herself, so sure that Michiru wouldn't leave her for any reason. She had thought Michiru was just throwing a tantrum or something, right up until her powers had been removed.

In a twist of spiteful irony, Michiru gave Haruka exactly what she wanted—the freedom to go out and fuck as many other women as she liked. She'd just be doing it without Michiru.

Worse, Haruka had done some… not spying so much as covert observation after Michiru kicked her out. She had been replaced entirely by Ranma. Michiru was playing house with a man and it made her sick. Seeing the happy glow on her girlfriend's face that she knew Michiru only got after a particularly good lay, seeing his hands and lips all over her when they were out in public as they shamelessly all but dry humped each other. It was infuriating.

Until it wasn't, and Haruka had just been left feeling cold, empty, and sick to her stomach. That Michiru could just move on, just replace her like their time together didn't mean anything. Like they hadn't fought, and bled, and died together. That betrayal cut the deepest…

But who betrayed who first?

The insidious thought crept in and Haruka hated herself for the way it made her feel. She hated the doubt. The loneliness. The feeling of… worthlessness.

For perhaps the first time, she didn't brush it all away with the thought that this was just temporary. That Michiru would eventually come crawling back and convince Usagi to give her her powers back. That it would all blow over and eventually, she'd win in the end and get what she wanted, because Michiru would cave as she always did.

She's not going to roll over this time. …The only one she's rolling over for is fucking Ranma.

The mental image of Michiru's face, twisted in pleasure as that man fucked her tight hole, demanding he knock her up like some, like some disgusting breeder, flashed before her mind's eye and Haruka cringed. Frustratingly however… something about the thought made her pussy ache. And then the realization that she might actually be turned on by the idea made her lips curl in disgust.

No. I'm not wrong. I don't need her! I don't need anyone! Fuck her! And fuck Ranma!

"Fuck me."

"Definitely later," Ranma chuckled as Setsuna groaned quietly, collapsing into the chair next to him. "Bad day?"

"Teen drama," she sighed. "Over the dumbest shit."

"Let me guess… relationship drama?"

The eldest senshi nodded. "It's so dumb."

Nodding, Ranma sent her a considering look as he thought over what he had left to do that day. Realizing that his work for the day was done and he didn't have any prior commitments, he stood and stretched, before offering his hand. "Come on. How about we go grab a drink and you can tell me about it?"

Setsuna blinked, looking up at Ranma in surprise for just a moment, before a smile pulled her lips up and she accepted the hand up. "I'd like that. What'd you have in mind?"

"Beer and sushi?" Ranma asked, grabbing their coats on the way out and handing Setsuna hers.

"Sounds fantastic," she agreed. "Do you know a place?"

"Yeah. There was a pretty nice one my old boss liked to drink at. He liked to treat everyone after work some days," Ranma nodded as they made their way down the stairs towards the exit.

Setsuna hummed, thinking back to what she knew of Ranma. "And this was the carpenter?"

"Yeah. Back before," he trailed off and shrugged. "I didn't know local politics could screw you out of a job."

"Oh yeah." They stepped out of the school and Setsuna moved closer, bumping Ranma's hip with her own. "But save it for the bar."

"Sure." Sending her a questioning look, Ranma asked, "So, what happens when Hotaru and Usa graduate? You gonna quit?"

The woman nodded. "Absolutely. Not sure what I'll do, after."

"Well, what do you like doing?"

Setsuna hummed, before smiling. "Dancing, for one."

The boy grinned. "You any good?"

Setsuna's answer came with a cocky smirk. "The best."

"I can't help but think you're teasing me."

"Maybe~," Setsuna teased. "You'll have to find out, one day. Maybe I'll teach you. If you're lucky."

The train ride and walk to the bar went by quickly and soon enough, they were seated in a booth with a pint each as they waited on their food. Putting his glass down after a long drink, Ranma asked, "So? What was so bad?"

Setsuna turned her own glass back and drank, downing half of it and letting out a sigh as she settled into her seat. "One of the girls on the swim team got knocked up and I had to play life coach for that, trying to convince her to tell her parents, then arranging checkups."

"Yikes," Ranma winced. "Who would do something that dumb?"

Setsuna eyed him over her drink, amusement on her face. "If it weren't for being what we are? You. With those two."

"Ah, yeeeah…" he fiddled with his pigtail. "That would suck."

"Oh, I'm sure at least one of them would be over the moon," Setsuna snorted quietly. Sending Ranma a considering look, she asked, "One of the male students confessed to me today and I had to turn him down. It happens from time to time, but this time it was one of the punks. He didn't take it well. You're a guy. How do I tell him to fuck off and have it stick?"

"Punch him in the face. Or kick him in the nuts," Ranma shrugged. "Which one was this? The one with the dyed hair, or the shaved head?"

"The bleach blond with the spray tan," she sighed, taking up her drink again. "He had that 'I'm going to rape you' face after and stormed off."

The martial artist frowned. "I'll take care of it."

"You can't just beat him up. As amusing as that would be," Setsuna rolled her eyes.

"That's where you're wrong. And I wasn't gonna. Yet. I just wanna talk to him."

"'Talk,'" Setsuna echoed, chuckling. "The euphemism for caveman chest beating and dominance displays."

Ranma eyed the woman across from with an amused look. "You saying that doesn't turn you on?"

"No, it does," she admitted. "I just think it's stupid. I don't generally threaten. I really only have two settings when it comes to dealing with conflict. Diplomacy or 'diplomacy.' They can't be a problem if they're atomized. Kids who are really only guilty of being dumb and horny don't usually deserve the second one. As much as I'd like to sometimes," Setsuna sighed.

"That happen often?"

"More than you'd…" Setsuna paused, before remembering who she was talking to. "Actually, you probably know exactly how often it happens. How often did you get hit on as a girl, in high school?"

"Oh, all the fucking time." Ranma paused as the waitress came by and placed down a pitcher of beer along with their plates, before leaving. He drained his mug and refilled it before continuing. "Worst part was, it was from people who oughta known better. Had a couple of guys I thought were friends until I realized they just wanted to see my tits. I mean, I get it. Girl me is hot and I didn't exactly have any sense of shame when it came to accidentally flashing pretty much anyone any time I got splashed. But come the fuck on! That shit was gross. And they got pissy when I told 'em no."

Setsuna chuckled as she separated her chopsticks and dug in. "That's too bad. It could be interesting to watch."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, briefly confused, before a look of disgust crossed his face. "You mean… Me. As a girl. With a dude?"

Giggling, Setsuna pointed her chopsticks at him. "It doesn't have to be any old guy. You can make a twin. Everyone gets to watch and have fun."

"Not a chance," he shook his head.

"Come on~!" Setsuna teased, grinning. "It's not every day you can say you told someone to go fuck themselves and they actually did. You have to let us have this."

"The hell I do," Ranma grumbled around a mouthful of rice, fish, and seaweed. "If that's what you're into, maybe I should rethink this whole thing."

"That is the least degenerate of 'what I'm into,'" the eldest senshi wagged her eyebrows. "My personal preference is," she paused, before looking around to make sure no one was listening in. Leaning in, and causing Ranma to do so as well, she whispered, "Consensual lovemaking. Missionary position. While staring deeply into each other's eyes and whispering sweet nothings. In the dark. While holding hands. To make a baby."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," Ranma laughed.

"That just makes it more fun," Setsuna winked, leaning back. "So. Who's your favorite?"

"What do you mean?"

The woman smiled. "Come on. You know what I mean. You say you don't have a favorite between all of us, but surely you do by now. And that's okay. There are ten of us—well, nine not counting Haruka. I'm going to guess that it's between Usagi and Hotaru."

Sending her an amused look, Ranma reached out and took Setsuna's hand in his. "Maybe it's you."

"Oh, that is smooth," Setsuna fanned her face, a light blush darkening her cheeks. "Ugh, Usagi's killing me. You sure we can't just stop by a hotel on the way home? I could use some stress relief."

"Sure, we can do that," Ranma agreed, and Setsuna's eyes lit up. "I'll give you that massage I promised."

The senshi of time deflated with a huff and a pout. "I meant sex, you idiot."

"I know," the boy grinned. "That's between you and Usagi."

"What Usagi doesn't know won't hurt me," Setsuna let out a frustrated whine.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Do you really think you could go a full day without being smug about it in her general direction?"

Setsuna considered that for a few moments before finally groaning. "No. I'd definitely rub that brat's face in it. Damn it! I'm horny~."

"I think that's her plan."

"It definitely is," Setsuna sighed. "She's got no sense of humor."

"Is waiting really that bad?" Ranma asked, popping a bit of rice in his mouth.

Setsuna sighed. "Yes. You don't get it. It's like asking if going without air is so bad. You don't know how bad it is until you aren't getting any." When Ranma quietly scoffed, she continued. "Listen. If I just wanted to get laid, I could hold up a sign and get my pick of any guy in Tokyo, if not all of Japan. Or America, England—basically anywhere I went. I know what I've got. I can teleport and I speak every language on the face of the planet. So with literally billions of people to choose from, do you have any idea how hard it is to resist that temptation, because I want to do something together with my friends? It's maddening. And that is why Usagi is actually secretly evil and should be deposed immediately, before she takes over the world. If you help me do it, you can be my king, sitting at my side as we rule together."

"And what about the others?"

"Concubines in our harem," Setsuna answered with a poker face so good Ranma couldn't actually tell if she was joking or not.

"I dunno… Being a king? That sounds like hard work. Being king of the whole world? No way. I've got enough headaches as it is."

Setsuna sighed. "And there go my dreams of rebellion, crushed before they could truly bloom."

"Well, for an evil queen, at least she's cute."

"That's what makes her so insidious," Setsuna nodded. "If you want more proof of her evil, all you have to do is set out a plate of snacks and see who gets the most, then tries to take the last one…"

Usa, or Hina as she had taken to calling herself around the others, smirked as she watched her target cross the street. "Found you~."

The target in question was a high school girl, wearing a white shirt and green skirt, riding a bicycle. She was very… average looking. Pretty, in a plain sort of way. Black hair, slim build. On the outside, she didn't stand out at all from the sea of Japanese girls just like her.

To Usa's senses however, the girl was a beacon. One of the strongest magical sources outside of Juuban or Nerima. It felt like, to Usa's refined magical palate, some kind of holy power. Likely a miko of some stripe, given where they were.

What had drawn her attention wasn't the girl or her power, however. As long as she wasn't any sort of threat to her plans, Usa couldn't care less. No, what drew her attention was the other source of power with the girl. It was an artifact of some sort—and strong, at that. It felt incomplete, however. Broken.

Usa had been expecting that, based on exactly when she was and the stories she had dug up. Finding the girl and the artifact had confirmed their existence and the potential truth of those stories. Now, she just needed to confirm the last bit…

Studying the girl's bike cart full of groceries, Usa hummed. Bottled water, instant ramen, paper plates and bowls, candy, snacks—all crap that looked like it came from a convenience store.

Eventually, the plain looking girl dismounted and walked her bike up a set of stairs, the signage naming the place as Higurashi Shrine. Following along behind, Usa raised an eyebrow as she felt more magic from the place—a thin layer of barely functional wards and a larger source inside, that felt much like the artifact the other girl carried.

Once inside, the girl parked her bike and took her things inside. Usa settled herself into place on top of a nearby building, waiting—beneath the notice of the few visitors to the shrine or anyone who happened to be looking. Eventually, the girl came back out, this time carrying a large backpack. She walked the bike over to the far end of the shrine grounds, towards that other source of magic.

Usa dropped to the ground and followed as the girl opened up what looked like some kind of store house and hurried inside. Usa leapt through the closing door above the girl's head, little more than a brief gust of wind to mark her passing as the door closed, leaving the room in shadows. Perched in the corner of the ceiling, Usa had an excellent view as the girl opened the top on an old well.

If I have to come down there after you because you jumped in and got stuck, I'm going to be annoyed.

That didn't happen, however. Just as she'd suspected, the girl climbed on top of the well, picked up her bike, and jumped in—bike and all. There was a flash and Usa felt magic from the well, before it died down. Whistling quietly, Usa dropped down from the ceiling and moved over to inspect the well. Reaching out, she probed it with magic and ki both, pushing her power through it.

"Where do you lead?" she murmured, closing her eyes. A quietly muttered spell created a temporary magical familiar that she could see out of. Into the well it went with a flash and activation of magic, and a moment later Usa found herself looking out of the top of an uncovered well. Sending the familiar up, she saw nothing but a small clearing and the girl who had jumped through riding her bike away.

Shrugging to herself and dismissing the familiar, Usa stepped up onto the lip of the well and jumped in. A flash and a bit of a light show later, she found herself at the bottom of the well. A rope ladder had been lowered into the well, apparently for the purpose of allowing the girl she was trailing to climb back out. Hopping out, and making sure she was veiled fully in both the umi-sen-ken and its magical equivalent, Usa took off in the direction the girl had traveled—finding a well worn but recently made path through the forest.

She quickly caught up and eventually, they passed through the forest and into the edge of a rice paddie. Usa followed the girl up onto a dirt road, past more rice paddies, and eventually into a small village. By now, her senses were screaming at her, as she felt multiple large sources of magic, ki, and other things both in the general vicinity and further away—some harmless, others feeling rotten to the core. Closest however were three sources of magic in the village—another miko, something that felt cursed, and one of those new things she'd never felt before.

The girl she was following eventually stopped to greet an old woman with one eye, wearing the white and red robes of a priestess—the miko she had felt. Usa decided to perch up on a nearby roof to watch and not stand in the street. "Kagome. Welcome back, girl," the old woman called out as the girl stopped her bike.

"Thanks, Kaede. Are the others here?"

"Aye. They're taking rest in my home," Kaede confirmed. "Though Inuyasha could be anywhere, knowing him."

The girl, Kagome, sighed. "Of course I'd have to track him down."

"Come now. Let's get inside," the old woman smiled, before pausing and pointing to a man approaching. "Ah, there he is now."

"Inuyasha! Where were you?" Kagome demanded as the man approached.

Usa swallowed on a suddenly dry throat as she took the newcomer in. He was handsome, in an… angry pretty boy sort of way. Long, silver-white hair with two triangular dog ears sticking out from the top towards the sides. Gold eyes. A sort of rogueishly charming face that reminded her of Ranma.

God damn. I've got a pet catgirl, but I think I might just switch to Team Dogboy if I didn't already have my sights set on someone…

"Never mind that!" the dogboy in question gruffly shook his head. He turned his head this way and that before asking, "Did you bring someone with you?"

Usa froze where she sat. No. There's no way. You can't see me. Can't feel me. I'm not making a sound. I'm so far below your notice I don't exist.

"Huh? No," Kagome frowned, looking around herself now. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I smell it," the man answered, and Usa frowned.

I don't smell! I'm clean! I just had a—oh. Oooh. He smells my shampoo. Shit!

Just as she was considering making a run for it, the man's golden eyes swept over her, then slid right off of her. He frowned, before those eyes went to the ground. Then back to Usa. Then to the ground and back. Looking down, Usa wondered what he was looking at.

It's the building's shadow—

But not just the building's shadow. She could make out her own shadow, perched on the roof. A shadow without a body attached to it, from his perspective, and a new smell.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome prompted.

The dogboy pointed to the shadow, then up to where Usa was perched. "We don't like bein' watched. Why don't you come on down and this doesn't get ugly?"

Usa laughed, standing and letting the techniques hiding her fall. "You're pretty good. First time I've had someone notice my shadow," she admitted. "I'll have to keep that in mind next time."

Kagome took her in and frowned. "You're obviously from my time. Who are you?"

Considering for a moment, Usa sighed and stepped off the edge of the building. A red flash before she hit the ground left her with a change in wardrobe. The dogboy reached back to grab his sword, only to wince as a high pitched squeal escaped Kagome's mouth.

"Eeee~! You're a—! But I don't recognize you!"

"Yes, yes," Usa sighed, waving her question off. "I'm from the future." Kagome opened her mouth and Usa cut her off. "Further in the future. I need a favor."

Kagome's excitement evaporated and she sighed. "Every time. Every single time. It can't just be someone coming to see me for me…"

"So, do we fight now, or…?" the dogboy asked, and Kagome shook her head.

"I'd really rather not, but I guess that depends on her. Can we just go inside and talk?"

Usa shrugged, dropping her transformation. "Sounds good. I think we have a lot to talk about…"