-- Listar MIME Decryption --------------
-- Decode : from quoted-printable...

     A fan fiction based on the works of RumikoTakahashi, creator
     ofRanma 1/2,
     and, Masaki Kajishima, who I've been told is the creator of
     Tenchi Muyo.
     Hitoshi Okuda, is the artist and creator of the Tenchi Manga.
     Go figure.
     Uni and Anna are of course from the marvelous Manga,
     Dominion Tank Police.  
     While my version is biological rather then cybernetic, their
     appearance is very close, 
     with the exception of their tails of course.
     The, Better Then Life game is from the British TV show, Red
     Dwarf.

     I have no rights to these characters.  Which should come as no 
     surprise to anyone.
     
     A Tenchi and Ranma, Together Forever!?  Side Story.
     China Girl, or
     Mother, Chef, and Violence.  Part two.
     
     What's going on?
     This is an alternative universe story.
     Ranma was trapped as a girl from her first dip in the
     Nanniichuan.

     Why?  Read the earlier chapters.  See below for some
     highlights.

     Unable to carry out his plan to engage Ranma to one of the
Tendo girls, Genma recalled that he had once promised Nobuyuki
Masaki that if he had a daughter, he would marry her to Nobuyuki's
son Tenchi.   Well, as it so happens, he's recently acquired a
daughter.

     Nodoka Saotome, along with Akane Tendo and Ukyou Kuonji
have all received Jusenkyo curses.  Ukyou has gained a boy curse. 
Nodoka has acquired a personality curse, and changes into a reborn
Xian Pu, a legendary Amazon warrior.  Akane has hit the jack pot. 
She fell into the spring of drowned twin Puma sisters.

     Big thanks to the people who contributed C+C to this, their
help has been greatly appreciated.
     Pieter Thomassen
     Jeffrey Hosmer
     Thiemo "G�nther
     Matthew Campbell, who didn't let me get away with anything,
and I thank him for it.
     And of course all the rest of the usual suspects.
     Jim, Eimii, and Wade, who have much to do with getting me to
the point I am at as far as my skills as a writer go.
     Last, but not in the least, least, Green eyes, who's cheerleading
     has got me through many a dry spell. 
     .
T.H.   Tiger
schell@interlog.com



The Jusenkyo springs, an ancient training ground, renowned in
legend and story, had seen better days.  The pristine valley was a
mass of churned up dirt, displaced boulders, and shattered bamboo. 
Several springs had even been covered over, while many others were
murky and cloudy.  All in all it looked more like a toxic waste dump
then a mountain valley.  Of course, the toxic dump would be a much
safer place for the casual traveler to visit.

     <"Your behavior has been disgraceful Plum. I leave you in
charge for two weeks, and I come back to find the valley very nearly
wrecked."> 
     It was one full day after the three, now four, women, and the
peculiar pig, had left the valley, and Plum's father was home.  To
say he was displeased to find Mint, the person who had been sent to
offer help locked up in the hut like a common criminal was an
understatement.  His feeling concerning the condition of the valley
went way beyond displeased.
     The current lecture had been going on for over an hour, and
Plum's father was starting to repeat himself.  He seemed to realize
this as well.  He ground to a halt, and stared in displeasure at her. 
Giving a nod, as if coming to a conclusion, he walked over to a
corner of the hut, and lifted up a trap door. 
     Plum felt her heart sink as he turned and directed a
commanding look at her. < "I think it is time you got serious about
your studies."> You will revue every scroll in the archive.
     Plum's eyes widened in shock.  <"Every scroll! That will take
months!  Maybe years!"> She protested.  She had not been
completely honest with Nodoka when she told her she'd studied all
the old scrolls.  The truth was she'd pretty much skimmed them. 
Only paying attention to those that caught her attention.  She
blanched at the thought of reading account after account of normal
travelers falling into such mundane springs as the spring of drowned
panda or deer.  Over the centuries a lot had happened at the springs,
and despite the magic involved, the vast majority of those cursed had
led, and continued to lead, boring lives.
     Her father merely glowered at her, and said, <"good.">.  He
looked Plum up and down, and reached behind him to a kettle that
was simmering over the cookfire. <"Before you start, I want you to
clean up and change into something less blatant.  I don't want the
prince or his men to see you like that."> He handed her the kettle,
and without another word walked outside to talk to his guests. 
Leaving Plum looking at the open trapdoor as if it was the entrance
to eternal damnation.  As far as she was concerned, that was exactly
what it was.  
     Giving a sigh, Plum set the kettle down, and wiggled out of her
purloined dress.  It had been nice while it lasted, but now it was time
to go back to the old boring Plum.  Upending the kettle over her
head, her body shrank, her curves flattened, and a few seconds later,
ten year old Plum slipped into her regular clothes, and headed for the
ladder to the archives.

     When the guide got outside, he was surprised to find Herb and
his men indulging in a hurried packing.  They were going over all
the supplies they had left in the valley, as well as what they had
brought back from the monkey hunt.  Picking and choosing some
items, and discarding others.  
     When the guide walked up to the prince, instead of the angry
scowl he expected, he received a beaming smile.  He was not left in
suspense long as to the cause. 
     <"We have found her!"> Herb told the guide, his voice gleeful.
     <"Who my lord.">
     <"The monkey, the monkey!"> Herb said excitedly.
     <"The monkey, but--">
     <"Mint spotted her here, she was with the strangers that visited
while your daughter was here alone.  She's alive!"> 
     <"but. . .">
     Herb turned to Lime and Mint who had finished packing, and
had slung backpacks onto their backs, in Lime's case a truly massive
one. <"Let's go."> Herb ordered, and pulling on his own small
backpack he set out at a trot.
     <"but . . ."> The guide was left standing in shock, his mouth
gapping open, he held up a hand, and started to call out after the
prince, but then he let it drop, and gave a sigh of resignation.  What
did it matter, one wild monkey chase was no different than the other. 
When Herb finally tracked down the group of girls, he would find
that the monkey was not there.  With any luck the chase would take
a very long time.  With real luck, by the time the prince found them,
and returned, he would be tired of the hunt, and be ready to return
home.

**************************************************
     

     Akane walked along, slightly behind Ukyou and Nodoka.  Her
mind lost in thought.  So much had happened in such a short time. 
She had seen things that she would have dismissed as fantasy if told
them.  Had seen magic spells transform her companions.  Had even
met an alien from another planet for Kami's sake.  Despite how
incredible all that was, it shrank into insignificance when compared
to the truly major change in her life.  The one that was even now
walking alongside her, matching her stride for stride, every motion a
duplicate of her own.  And why not?  She was Akane, every bit as
much as Akane was Akane. 

     Akane turned her head slightly to the side to take a look at the
dark haired figure walking beside her, and met a pair of brown eyes
looking at her with the same quizzical expression she knew she had
on her own face.  She jerked her head back to stare down the path,
and knew with a sure certainty, that the other girl had done the same
thing. 
     They walked in silence for some time, and then Akane
broached the subject she knew must be on both of their minds. 

     "This is strange."
     "This is strange."

     Akane looked at the other girl, startled, still not use to hearing
her words echoed back to her, even before she had truly spoken
them.  She felt a familiar rush of heat, a surety the other girl was
mocking her, and fought it down, knowing the self same thought
must be running through her counterparts mind.

     "Sorry."
     "Sorry."
     "Damn."
     "Damn."

     Akane stopped walking and turned to face the other girl.  Who
of course was doing the exact same thing.  It was a strange
experience, looking at yourself like this.  You would have thought it
would be like looking into a mirror, but it wasn't.  The face was
reversed from the one she was use to looking at in a mirror.  A subtle
thing to be sure, but one that seemed to make a great deal of
difference.  She had been looking into mirrors and ponds all her life. 
The slight disassociation between the face now facing her, and the
one she had been used to seeing for all those years was far more
jarring then she would have thought.  At times she found herself
thinking that the other girl really did not look at all like her.  Her
right eye was slightly higher then the left, when she knew her own
left eye was the one that was the higher.  A small freckle on the left
side of the other girls nose should have been on the right.  The more
she looked, the less like her the other girl looked. 

     "We don't . . ."
     "We don't . . ." 

     Akane gritted her teeth, and going against every facet of her
character, surrendered control to another. 

     "Sorry, you go first."
     "Sorry, you go first."   

     Akane found herself on the verge of screaming.  Mindful of the
pledge she'd made to herself to try for more control, she counted to
ten slowly.  Strangely enough, the sight of the other girls lips
moving as she did the same thing did not make her more angry, but
caused a slight trickle of humor to infiltrate its way into her brain.  If
it wasn't so frustrating, it would be funny as hell she couldn't help
but think.  She felt a slight tugging as the corner of her mouth
quirked up.  Her smile widened when she saw the other Akane
smiling back at her.  

     Another second, and they might have burst out in mutual
laughter.  Before that could happen, however, a tug on her pants leg
distracted Akane.  She looked down to see Agent P, the alien pig,
sitting beside her.  He looked out of breath, and thoroughly
exhausted.  He was also coated in a heavy covering of road dust.
     "I take it you two are having a bit of a problem
communicating?"
     Akane grimaced,

     "You could say that."
     "You could say that."

     Akane looked at herself, and they both sighed simultaneously
in disgust.
     "I might have a solution."
     Akane looked at him, an expression of interest on her faces.
     "Let the one holding the pig talk first."

     "Nani?"
     "Nani?"

     "It might have escaped your notice, but I'm built a bit closer to
the ground then the rest of you oversized tree hump . . . huggers.  I
could use a lift."
     Akane looked surprised.  

     "Really, you wouldn't find it degrading to be carried like a
pet?"
     "Really, you wouldn't find it degrading to be carried like a
pet?"

     "Shit yes.  How horrible.  To be carried like a pet.  I'd much
rather have a heart attack trying to keep up with you.  I love the taste
of dirt in the morning, and there nothing better for a person then to
throw up every few miles from exhaustion."

     "Well, if your going to be like that . . ."
     "Well, if your going to be like that . . ."

     Akane turned her faces away from the little pig, and they each
took a step down the road.
     "Hold it, hold it.  Look, if you ask silly questions, I'm not going
to be held responsible for my words.  If I minded being carried like a
pet, I'd never have asked you to do it.  Shit, my people were bred to
be pets.  Now would you 'please' give me a lift before I fall over and
embarrass the hell out of myself?"

     Akane looked at herself, and they both nodded at the same
time.  Turning back, they both bent over to pick up the exhausted
agent.

     "Hold it, hold it.  There's only one of me remember?  You," he
pointed a finger at one of the Akanes, "what do you look like when
your in your other form?  Do you have a tuft on your tail or not?" 
     The Akane in question looked startled for a minute.  Then, she
said, "I've do have a tuft." Her face had a funny expression, and her
hand snaked around her backside as if reflexively reaching for
something that was not there. 
     "Good, then your Una-Akane.  I'd be ever so grateful if you
would give me a lift Una." There was only the tiniest bit of sarcasm
in the pig's words, and the newly named Una-Akane decided to
ignore it.  She was beginning to realize the that little pig had a lot in
common with some of the old ladies in her neighborhood.  It was just
the way they were, they didn't mean anything personal by it.  A long
life had simply left them with little patience.   An image of the little
pig dressed up in a shawl and a long dress crossed her mind, and she
stifled a giggle as she picked him up, but not enough that her
counterpart failed to note it.

     "What's so funny?" Anna-Akane asked.
     "I was just thinking of old Mrs. Kimichi."
     Anna-Akane looked puzzled for a second, then her eyes
widened, and she looked at Agent P in Una-Akane's arms.  A giggle
escaped her lips.  "He does, doesn't he?"
     "To a T."

     "Some one care to let me in on the joke." Agent P asked in a
querulous tone that cause both girls to break into outright laugher.

     "Never mind,"
     "it's just a,"
     "private joke." 
     Una-Akane suddenly stopped laughing, and looked at Anna,
who was of course looking back at her.
     "Hey,"
     "We're not,"
     "talking at the"
     "same time"
     "anymore."
     "Cool"

     "I don't exactly call it an improvement." Was Agent P's
comment.  "Why don't you try to talk like normal people."

     "But we're"
     "not normal"
     "people." The two girls said with a laugh.  They sobered up a
bit when Agent P sent them both a scathing look, but they still
retained silly smiles. 

     "Fine, have your fun.  When you're ready to have a serious
conversation, let me know."

     "We're"
     "sorry."
     "I have the pig." Una-Akane said.
     "So you get to go first." Anna-Akane finished with a grin.
     Una-Akane thought about what to say.  There were so many
things she wanted to ask the other girl, she swiftly ran over them in
her mind, trying to think what one to ask first.  Slowly, an
expression of chagrin crossed her face, and she looked across at her
counter part who was grinning back at her broadly. "This is stupid. 
There isn't any point in asking you anything.  You're me, or close
enough it doesn't make any difference."
     "So if we can't talk about us,"
     "Why don't we talk about,"
     "Ukyou, and Nodoka,"
     "Not to mention are resident alien." Both girls looked down at
where Agent P was comfortably cradled in Una-Akane's arms.

     Agent P blinked lazy eyes at them, and said.  "Go right ahead. 
I'll take running my mouth over running my legs any day." 

     Una-Akane looked thoughtful.  "Well, . . . seeing as how Anna
and I know all there is to know about our regular bodies," 
     "why don't you tell us about our cursed form." Anna-Akane
finished.
     Agent P looked at both girls with an unreadable expression,
then he shook his head and said simply.  "No."
     Both Akane's looked surprised at this, and slipped back into
their old behavior.

     "Why not?"
     "Why not?" 

     They both grimaced together, and gave each other dirty looks. 
Una-Akane shifted Agent P in her arms, drawing attention to who
was suppose to be taking the lead here.  Anna-Akane glowered a
little, but then lowered her eyes and sighed, before saying.  "All
right, but I get to carry him after our lunch stop." Agent P raised an
eyebrow when Una-Akane didn't mimic or complete Anna-Akane's
statement.  It looked like giving them a single focal point in the
person of him was working out nicely. 

     Una-Akane looked down at him, and repeated Anna and her
earlier question.  "Why won't you tell us about the original Anna
and Una?"

     "Because they were thugs and bullies, who thought that because
they were born carnivores, they were superior to all the lesser
creatures that lived in the galaxy.  They are also considered to be
great heros by a large number of people who should know better.  I
refuse to dignify them by passing on their actions to people who have
had the good fortune not to have heard about them before." 

     While he imparted this information in a level tone, there was a
great deal of venom in his voice, and Akane realized that there was
little chance they could change his mind.  At least for today anyway. 
She found herself with a sudden burning desire to learn about the
two girls who bodies she now possessed.  The little pigs refusal just
made her desire to find out even more.  One piece of information he
had mentioned did intrigue her however.  "You said they were
carnivores?  Didn't they eat anything but meat?"
     "No, and now that you mention it, I'd recommend you avoid
eating any plant matter while in your other forms.  I'm not sure what
the effect would be on you, but I do know that Felicity made a very
bad companion when she ate vegetables."
     "Did she get upset?  Or did it just make her sick."

     "Neither.  She rather liked the taste actually.  It was me who
did the suffering.  She didn't have the fauna in her gut to digest it
properly.  I've got a sensitive nose, and spending time in a small
patrol craft with her after she'd downed a salad was not a fun thing."

     Akane looked blank for a second, and then the light of
understanding crossed her face, along with a slight blush.  "Oh, well
in that case I guess we'll make a point to avoid anything but meat
when we're in our cursed forms.  What was your partner Felicity
like?  How did you end up with a descendant of Una and Anna if you
hated them so much?"

     "Felicity was a wonderful person, and I'd like to say I ended up
with her because I'm a wise and understanding being who only
judges people by what they are, and not who they are.  
     That would be a lie however.  The truth is, I'd never in a
million years have picked her for a partner, but fate, and a petty,
vindictive, pencil pusher threw us together." His eyes took on a
distant look as he remembered events long gone.  Akane exchanged
looks with herself, and grinned in satisfaction.  It looked like they
would hear a few tales of outer space, even if they weren't about the
original wearers of their cursed forms.

     Agent P's voice came as if from a long distance away.  "Felicity
was a real hick from the sticks, hadn't seen an alien in her whole life
before coming to Galactic police cadet training.  Me, I was growing
back a leg that I'd lost during my last case, so I was convalescing,
and acting as a combination teacher/liaison officer.  
     It's common as a courtesy to assign some one of my rank a
senior student to act as a goffer, teaching assistant, and anything else
that might come up.  They get to learn at the feet of an experienced
officer, and the officer gets to grow a fat ass while they do all the
running around for him.  That's the theory anyway.  

     Felicity was just out of kitten hood, and was as clumsy as they
come.  She managed to make a mess out of the admittance office her
first day.  Disaster area doesn't start to cover it.  She had somehow
gotten the printer going and couldn't shut it off.  It spewed paper all
over the place.  She tried to get rid of the excess by shoving it down
a disposal.  Only the disposal had an alarm rigged for that very
eventuality.  People who shove large quantities of paper down a
disposal shoot in a major police station usually have something to
hide.  Felicity didn't even know the alarm existed, let alone the code
to disable it.  
     So there she was, shoving paper hand over fist down the chute,
when a security team came bursting in.  In full combat gear, I might
add.  Poor Felicity didn't have a clue as to what was going on.  To
make matters worse the jerk off in charge didn't bother to announce
who they were. Felicity jumped to the conclusion they were pirates,
raiding Galaxy Police headquarters for some nefarious purpose. 
Felicity I might add, had watched way to many bad movies.  To
make a long, and sorry story short, by the time everything was
settled, there was not much left of the office.

     This disaster had gotten her on the bad side of one of the pencil
pushers there, and this is were I come into the story.  I'd told the
same Duffus off for what I considered his slack attitude a week or so
earlier.  Growing back a new limb always makes me more of a pain
in the butt then usual, and I was in rare form on that day.  The
upshot was he was pissed off at both of us, so when word came down
to assign me an assistant, he juggled some files.  Instead of one of
the senior students, who would have know what to expect,  Felicity
was the one sent to my office.  The pencil pusher knew about my run
in with her aunts of course, everyone knew about that.  He had high
hopes that something nasty would come of it."

     Akane gave a short laugh.  "I can see where this is going.  I bet
you weren't happy when she showed up."

     "Kitten, you don't know the half of it.  I told you Felicity was a
hick, she'd never seen a Brinigin.  My people," Agent P added as an
aside.  "So when she walked in and saw me standing on top of the
desk, tearing up a botched effort at an exam I was trying to write for
my next class, she though I was an animal who was destroying an
important piece of paper.  

     After the lecture she'd received for her early snafu, she was
convinced that every piece of paper at Galactic headquarters was
worth its weight in ultra dense energy.  She grew out of it eventually. 


     Anyway, she snatched me off the desk, and then heard a noise
in the hallway.  Thinking that the infamous, and notoriously bad
tempered, Agent P was about to walk in, she stuffed me in a desk
drawer out of sight.  She thought she'd get blamed for the my being
there you see.  This happened all too fast for me to have protested,
but I rectified that soon after.  I walked up one side of her and down
the other.  The poor girl didn't stop shaking for a week.  I of course,
got to get snickered at for the rest of my stay at the cadet training
hall.  The student computer traffic was full of jokes and bad poetry,
memorializing the day the famous P was stuffed."

     Both Akanes had tears rolling down their cheeks.  "That must
have been awful for you." Una-Akane managed to choke out, while
Anna gave a loud snort at the image in her mind.

     "It was not one of my finer moments, I'll give you that." Agent
P said, while directing a dirty look at the laughing girls.  "That
might have been it for Felicity and I, but it seemed a certain Pasha
with more gonads then sense had decided to set up a special harem. 
He sent out crews with very specific instructions to find females from
more then a dozen different races who were compatible with his
body type, and who matched his impression of what a perfect
specimen of each of those races should look like.  Felicity happened
to match the specifications for a girl of her race to a T."

     Anna-Akane and Una-Akane  listened raptly as Agent P spun
out the tale of his and Felicity's first case together.
     
     "And so there the Pasha was, naked as the day he was birthed,
surrounded by eleven of the most beautiful women in the galaxy,
according to the standards of their individual races of course.  Each
and every one of them as naked as he was, and each armed to the
teeth with some of the most lethal looking hardware ever invented. 
I've never seen a man stand down so fast in my life." 
     Agent P had timed his story well.  For just as he finished,
Nodoka called out that it was time to stop for a rest. Both Akanes
were beet red, wether from laughter or embarrassment it was hard to
say.  Una set P down, and both girls stumbled into the woods to look
for firewood.  The way they kept looking at each other, lent some
credence to the embarrassment theory, but the smiles and laughter
were equally strong evidence of the other possibility.
     
****************************************************

     It had not been a good week for Genma Saotome.  Having
reached the wrenching decision that Ranma simply was not going to
be the boon of his old age he had hoped for, he had set out to make
other arrangements.   A visit to Soun, and a carefully crafted story of
his poor son's heroic death while he saved ten . . . No, twenty
children from a burning school bus would gain him a comfortable
place to stay.  He was sure the tender-hearted Soun would be happy
to put him up till he recovered from the terrible tragedy of his son's
death.
     Meanwhile, the notes that he had left for the Princess and
Katsuhito should keep Nodoka from discovering the truth about
Ranma.  He had been very explicit in his explanation of what
Nodoka would do if she found out Ranma was not a man among
men.  A bit of judicious questioning on their part would confirm this. 
Nodoka had no qualms about her intentions.  Asked point blank
about her deal with Genma, she'd readily confess her intention to
force Ranma to commit sepuku if she felt Ranma was not a man
among men.  That would convince the Masaki household to hide
Ranma from her.  With any luck, they would use the bus story,
which he had outlined in his letter to Katsuhito.  Explaining of
course that it was only temporary till he could work Nodoka around
to accepting the truth.. 
     Genma had left nothing to chance, he'd been very careful in the
creation of his story to emphasis that they must tell Nodoka that
Ranma's body was never found.  If by some miracle Ranma turned
up male again, Genma would be covered.  If he did not, well,
Nodoka could hardly argue that a boy who died saving others was
not a man among men.  In time she would overcome her grief.  A
new child would help with that.  She was still a young woman, and
Genma was as virile as ever.  He might yet father the son that would
support him in his old age. 
     
       The plan had been flawless.  Except for the men from the zoo. 
Genma had not payed a great deal of attention to the stories that
were circulating about his cursed form.  He had always escaped the
would be Panda hunters easily.  Those years training with the master
had not been for nothing.  Unfortunately that had been before his
picture had ended up in the papers.  Faced with proof that the
Phantom Panda actually existed, the local zoos had put every effort
into hunting him down.  He had been barely a block from the
Tendos' house when they had caught up to him.  He'd put up a good
fight, but in the end had lost.  Only because they had cheated of
course. 
     Genma idly rubbed his backside, which was still sore from the
tranquilizer, and looked morosely out through the bars of his small
cage at the Panda enclosure of the local zoo.  He was currently in
quarantined while the vets made sure he was healthy and disease
free.  Unfortunately, none of those test involved hot water. 
Fortunately, the quarantine was almost over.  Panda's were a big
draw, and the mysterious wondering Panda was likely to be an even
bigger one.  They wanted to get him out in front of the public as soon
as possible.  That would mean putting him out in the large viewing
enclosure.  The moat and tall wall might keep a normal Panda safely
caged, but it would be child's play for him to escape.  Just one more
day, and he'd be able to make his break for it.

***************************************************

     Ukyou looked up from where she was preparing dinner as
     Nodoka came up to her. "Ukyou, could I talk to you for a
     minute?" 
     "Of course Saotome-san.  Just let me finish getting these fish
ready, and then I'll be right with you." In a few minutes Ukyou had a
half dozen plump fish staked out around the campfire.  She would
have preferred Okinomiyaki, but had been outvoted, and had been
prevailed on to prepare the fish without turning them into toppings.  
     Ukyou wiped her hands clean, and looked up at Nodoka
expectantly.  Nodoka looked over at where the two Akanes were
listening raptly to another one of Agent P's stories.  No doubt
featuring his former partner Felicity, the great, great, grandniece of
the Puma sisters.  Whose bodies Akane now possessed thanks to the
Jusenkyo curse.  He seemed to have an inexhaustible store of those
stories, and both Akane's could not get enough of them.
     
     "Could we go off a little ways?" Nodoka asked.  "This is rather
personal."

     No longer distracted by her dinner preparation, Ukyou noticed
for the first time how grave Nodoka's face was.  She felt a twinge of
dread.  Nodoka had not brought up the topic of Seppuku since just
after acquiring her curse.  Had she decided to go through with it
despite Pu's presence. With a feeling of trepidation, she followed
Nodoka off into the woods, and to a small clearing.  Nodoka sat on a
fallen tree, and motioned for Ukyou to take a seat on a nearby rock.


     Once Ukyou was settled, Nodoka frowned, and after gathering
her thoughts, began to speak.  "Kuonji-san, I have been giving a
great deal of thought to the arrangement my deceased husband made
with your father."
     "Deceased!?" Ukyou burst out.  "How?  I mean did you find
someone who told you this!?"
     "My husband and son are dead." Nodoka said flatly.  "I no
longer have any need of proof. I should have accepted that earlier,
instead of heading off on a fruitless journey that ended in disaster.
What is left to me, is to deal with the legacy my husband left me. 
You."
     "Me?  I don't understand."
     "My husband made an arrangement to bring you into our
family, he even accepted your dowry."
     "You don't have to tell me that!  I've been training for ten
years to take that dowry out of his and Ranma's hide!" Ukyou said
fiercely.  Then she remembered who she was talking to, and blushed
very slightly, though her expression remained firm.  "I'm sorry
Saotome-san.  I didn't mean to distress you, but I've lived with it for
too long.  Sometimes I forget myself."
     "You have reason.  At first I though you were mistaken, had
misunderstood, or . . ."
     "Was lying through my teeth."
     "I never--"
     "It's alright.  I don't blame you.  I wouldn't have believed me
either.  I don't care.  I know it's true, and that's all that matters."
     "I too believe it's true, and that is my problem.  I have an
obligation to you, above, and even beyond the one I owe for allowing
you to become cursed." 
     "No!  I came on this journey of my own free will.  As for the
other matter, Saotome Genma and Saotome Ranma have an
obligation to me.  You are just another of Genma's victims.  I do not
hold you liable for their actions."
     "But I do!  And as you said, that is all that matters.  Genma is
my husband, his honor is my honor.  My clumsiness has rendered
me unable to make recompense as I should for my own actions in
regards to you.  That leaves me with only one option.  I must try to
make what amends I can for my husbands actions.  It is a poor
substitute.  Indeed, you may find it a distasteful one, but it is all I
have to offer at this time.  I ask that you listen."
     "The seriousness with which Nodoka said this caused Ukyou to
answer in more formal tones then was her usual manner of speaking. 
"Of course Saotome-san.  In the last few days I have come to respect
you.  You have shown yourself to be a person of honor and integrity. 
I will gladly listen to your offer."
     "I wish to adopt you."
     "Nani!?" Ukyou reared up, her face startled.  This was the last
thing she had expected to hear.  "I wish to offer you the Saotome
name that Genma promised you.  You would become the heir to the
Saotome clan, little enough though that may be.  As I said, it is small
recompense, but with the situation with Xian Pu being what it is, I
am restrained from offering more."
     "This . . ." Ukyou paused, and shook her head.  "I don't know
what to say.  I never . . . Can I have some time to think about this."
She said, trying to buy time.
     "Of course, take all the time you wish.  I assure you that I am
deadly serious about this. I offer this out of obligation, but make no
mistake about it.  It would give me great pleasure to call you
daughter.  You have shown yourself to be a person of honor and
bravery.  Indeed, If my son had been half the . . ."
     "Man?" Ukyou finished.
     "I didn't mean . . ."
     "That's all right, I'm not offended.  I've spent more time living
as a boy, then I ever did as a girl." A wry look crossed Ukyou's face. 
"You offered to make me your daughter, but I've never been what
you could call ladylike, and now with my curse . . ." Ukyou paused, a
calculating look on her face.  "I'll make you a counter offer
Saotome-san.  I vowed to give up my womanhood until I brought
justice to your husband and son.  If they are dead as you say, I can't
not do that now.  Your honor demands that you offer me a place in
your family.  My honor means I can only accept one position. 
Would you take me as your son?  Instead of your daughter?"
     "I don't . . . Surely not?  You can't mean that Kuonji-san?"
     "With every fiber of my being!" Ukyou said, her voice rock
steady.  "You offered me time to think on your offer.  I offer you time
to think on mine."
     "I see.  Well then, if that is the way you feel." Nodoka's face
grew firm, she sat up straight and stared Ukyou straight in the eye.  
"I would be honored to take you as my son."
     Ukyou looked at her flabbergasted.  The last thing she had
expected was for Nodoka to take her up on her offer.  She mentally
kicked herself.  She knew how serious Nodoka took obligations.  She
should have known that she would accept Ukyou as a son, if that
meant she could in some small way expunge part of the debt she felt
she owed Ukyou.  That left Ukyou in a very uncomfortable position. 
If she allowed herself to be adopted as a son, that put an obligation
on her to be that son, not just to play make believe.  
     Ukyou grimaced, what did it matter.  She was already trapped
in the role of a boy by her vow regarding Genma and Ranma.  If they
were truly dead, she would never regain her womanhood.  Add the
curse on top of that, and she might as well give in to the inevitable.
     As if reading her mind, Nodoka smiled gently at Ukyou.  "Take
your time.  There is no need to make up your mind right away."
When Ukyou would have spoken, she held up a hand.  "No.  Don't
say anything.  We should get back to camp.  Your fish will be done." 
     Nodoka rose to her feet, and as she did so, her hand lifted to
caress the pale wood tiara that was laced through her hair.  "Oh I
almost forgot.  Agent P tells me that the device he gave me has done
its job.  After dinner I mean to call up Xian Pu, and see if Agent P's
hopes are justified.  "If this works as he claims, then Xian Pu will be
taking my place for the next day or so.  You may think on my offer,
and your own, while she is here.  What ever you decide, to be my
son, or my daughter will be acceptable to me. "
     There was little Ukyou could say to that, so with her mind
whirling from this new development, she followed Nodoka back to
camp.

****************************************************
     

     "Are you ready for this Saotome-san?" Agent P asked, looking
up at Nodoka, who had a worried expression on her face. 
     Nodoka shook off her uncertainty, and straightened her
shoulders.  "I'm ready P-san.  It is far better I do this here, where we
can control events, then to have it happen unexpectedly."
     "You got that right.  But you don't have anything to worry
about Saotome-san.  At worst nothing will happen.  I don't think
that will be the case however, it should at the very least let you and
Pu remain aware of what is going on instead of experiencing a total
black out every time you change.  At the very best, it will allow you
to communicate with each other.  I'm not sure about that part
however.  It was never intended for that sort of use."
     Nodoka stopped herself from asking just what the tiara was
used for normally.  She had wasted enough time already.  This had
to be done, and if must be, best be done soonest.  She walked out into
the middle of the small clearing near their campsite, a canteen of
water in her hand sloshing as she moved.  She reached her
destination, and sat down on the ground, her back against a small
tree.  She knew from her own experience how disorienting it could
be to suddenly find yourself in a radically different situation then the
last one you remember.  She wanted to make the transition as easy as
she could for Xian Pu.  Draping a towel around her neck, she opened
the top of the canteen she was carrying, and doused her head with
cold water.

     Xian Pu woke.  She felt her heart lurch, was it time.  Or was
this an unexpected change?  A quick look around herself made it
clear which it was.  She was sitting in the middle of a clearing, and
in front of her were lined up her alternate's companions.  The
strange pig spirit/wizard, the brown haired girl/boy, and the last two. 
The girl, or girls, who bore the cat demon curse.  She found herself
staring at them, wondering what sort of person they were.  The cat
demons had been fierce fighters, only luck had let her prevail in their
battle.  Did these girls posses that skill, or did they just have the
bodies.  They had shown little finesse during their fight back in
Jusenkyo.  Maybe she could test herself against them.  See if she yet
retained her skill, or whether she would have to spend long months
regaining it.
     "Are you all right Xian Pu?  Is anything the matter?"
     Xian Pu broke herself out of her revery.  She moved her gaze
from the two black haired girls.  Akane?  And looked at the brown
haired girl.  Ukyou?  She had been given their names so quickly, the
only one she remembered for sure was the wizard pig.  P was a
rather simple name.
"I am fine . . .Ukyou?"
     "That's right.  I'm Ukyou, those two are Anna-Akane, and
Una-Akane.  The two girls grimaced at the introduction, but a look
from the pig quelled them, and they settled with merely nodding
acknowledgment at her.  "And this is Agent P."
     "I remembered the wizard.  I give you greeting wise one."
     "There are many who would dispute that title, but I thank you,
and give you greetings as well warrior.  Are you ready?"
     "This is it then?  The talisman is ready to function?  I feel no
different."
     "I asked Saotome-san to wait and give you a chance to get
ready.  She may not be able to make herself known to you.  In that
case we will have to change you back to see if she remained aware. 
If she did, then you would spend a day charging the . . .talisman,
with your spirit.  Then you too will be aware of what is going on."
     "That will be good.  It is not a pleasant thing. . . to be always
waking in a strange situation." Xian Pu drew herself up straight, and
took a deep breath.  When she had let it out, she said in controlled
voice, "Let us begin.  You may speak if you are able Saotome-san."

      *CAN YOU HEAR ME XIAN PU!*

     "Ahhhhh!!!" Xian Pu cried out, as she jerked upright, her eyes
wide in shock.  Her hands flew to her temples, and clutched them
tightly.
     The watchers broke into shouts "What is it?"  "Are you all
 right?"  "I thought you said nothing could go wrong?"
     Xian Pu held up a hand to quiet them.  When they settle down,
she said.  "I am fine.  Saotome-san, I can hear you, but please, could
you speak a little softer.  I thought my ears were going to pop off my
head."
     *I'm dreadfully sorry dear, this is so new to me.* The
chagrined voice in Xian Pu's head said. *I wasn't sure how to go
about doing it.  It is so strange here. Is this better?*
     "That is much better.  I give you greeting's, Saotome-san."
     *And I give you greetings, Xian Pu, but please, call me
Nodoka.  It seems strange to be so formal under these
circumstances.*
     "Very well, Nodoka.  Can you see what is going on?" 
     Nodoka's voice hesitated, and then she said. *Not clearly.  I
can't seem to see you.*
     "Nodoka say's she can not see me." Xian Pu told the wizard.

     "That is to be expected." Agent P said.  "She is seeing through
your eyes.  She can only see what you can see."

     *Oh, I feel foolish.  That should have been obvious.*
     "You heard him then.  It would seem you can use my ears as
well."
     "Yes, but it is strange.  I'm not seeing, or hearing like I thought
I would.*
     "How so?"
     *I thought I would see and hear normally, but would not be
able to do anything.*

     Xian Pu seemed taken aback by this.  She had not really given
any thought as to how this would work.  The idea of being aware, but
helpless to do anything.  She shuddered slightly.  Then she said to
Nodoka.  "I had not considered this.  I do not think I would have
liked that.  But you say it does not work that way.  How does it
work."
     *Well, it's the strangest thing.  I seem to be home in my own
living room, and I am seeing what you see and hear on my
televison.*
     "Television?" Xian Pu said, her voice puzzled.  "What is a
Televison?"
     *Oh dear, this could take some time.*


     "Well, looks like it worked." Agent P said with some
satisfaction as he watched Xian Pu apparently talking to herself. 
"We might as well leave those two to get acquainted.  Why don't we
go back to the camp and wait for them?" 
     He trotted off ahead, and both Akanes started after him, only to
be brought up short by Ukyou, who asked, "so, Akane . . . er Anna
and Una, what's the deal with you and the pig?  How come he's still
among the living.  I've seen him leer at you.  Make suggestive
comments, and outright order you around.  How come you haven't
used a large rock on him yet?"
     "That's"
     "Silly"
     "Ukyou!"
     "You make"
     "it sound like"     
     "we're some sort of"
     "Monsters"
     "We--"
     "Stop that!" Ukyou broke in.  She was starting to get dizzy
moving her head to look first at one Akane, and then the other.
     "The two Akanes looked at each other, and giggled.  Then they
said, "We're sorry.  Is this better?" In perfect harmony of course.
     "Oh great, now we're back to stereo."

     "Seriously"
     "Ukyou . . ." The two Akanes stopped, and Anna looked at
Una, who gave her a nod, and firmly shut her mouth.  "Don't you
find him incredible?  He's an alien!  He's from outer space!  He's
had adventures we can only dream of.  And the best part of it is.
We're aliens now too."
     Una could not resist and broke in at this point.  "He said we
were nothing like the original Puma sisters.  We remind him of his
old partner.  She was a great hero.  He says with a little training,
he's sure we could be great intelligence operatives."
     "Yes!" Anna-Akane broke in.  "He's says with our former
bodies reputation, we would be perfect undercover operatives." Both
girls turned there faces up to stare at the stars, a dreamy look in their
eyes. 
     "To go out"
     "there, and"
     "to meet people"
     "from other"
     "planets." 
     Ukyou shook her head in disgust, and walked off.  Star struck. 
Literally.  The pair of them.

     Agent P reached the camp site, and flopped down beside the
campfire.  He heaved a sigh of relief.  Despite his reassuring words,
he had not been completely sure the device would work.  After all, he
had disabled more then half of it's circuitry.  But it would not do to
have put a fully functioning Better Then Life game on an
unsuspecting person's head.  For one thing, it carried the death
penalty on several worlds, and long incarceration on many others.
     Not that he disagreed with those laws.  He'd put his share of
bootleggers out of business.  That was how he had come to have one
of the insidious devices in the first place.

     Developed over five hundred years ago.  The Better Then Life
game worked by completely downloading the players mind.  It would
then put the person into a deep coma, leaving the downloaded mind
conscious.  Using feedback from that mind, in conjunction with
interactive circuitry, it built a fantasy world where every dream and
desire of the player would come true.  It took them to a world that
was literally better then real life.  The games manufacturers had
claimed that the player could exit whenever they wished, and it was
true.  The problem was, over sixty percent of first time user, did not
wish, and if not found and disconnected, their real bodies would die
of neglect.  The death toll in the first month of release had been
staggering. 
     However, because it was in effect the ultimate drug, to this day
there was a market for the things.

     Agent P had gutted the one he had given Nodoka and Xian Pu. 
It was no longer able to generate the mental white noise needed to
disconnect the players mind.  P had counted on the curse supplying
the triggering shutdown when it was activated, and apparently it had
worked.  As soon as Nodoka's mind had stopped functioning, the
machine had woken her downloaded mind.  When Xian Pu changed,
and Nodoka 'woke', the device would seamlessly reconnect to her
mind, and the memories of her downloaded mind would seem as real
as if they had happened to her real mind. 
     He had also disabled the vast majority of it's interactive
circuits.  It would be able to manifest settings that were already in
the girl's minds, but it could no longer create fictional worlds based
on their dreams, or generate other people to share the world with
them.
     Actually, things had worked out much better then he had
hoped.  It had always been a long shot that they would be able to talk
to each other.  He had hoped that the curse would fool the device into
linking the downloaded mind, with the mind of the girl who was
currently active, but it had only been a hope, not a guess based on
any knowledge he possessed.  

     That at least was one problem out of the way.  Now he could
concentrate on the new and improved Anna and Una.  They were
nice girls, but they were so much like the originals it was scary.  If
he did not watch out, they could be even more of a scourge then the
his Anna and Una.  Fortunately they were young and malleable, and
with any luck, he could direct them into a positive life style.  If he
could just teach them to temper that anger of theirs.  He also had to
find out what the deal was with this strength of theirs.  
     They were far more powerful then the original.  From what he
had observed, the same held true for their other form.  The girls were
stronger by far then their fellow humans, and that had apparently
predated their dip in the spring.  That ruled out it being a result of
the Spring's curse.  Despite that however, he did not think the
strength was natural to them.  They were too careless in their use of
it.  He had seen them break camping gear and landscape when not
paying attention.  That would have to be addressed.  They might not
be the criminals he had made it a life long goal to catch years ago,
but he still felt a certain responsibility for their actions.  He closed
his eyes, and dozed off, making plans for the next day, and for his
eventual rescue.  He grimaced.  When that happened, he'd have to
face a board of inquiry over his presence on a restricted planet.  He
hated those.  Which in a way was funny, because one way or another
he seemed to end up in front of one on a fairly regular basis.


******************************************************


     <"Xian Pu, the council has reached their decision.">
     Shampoo lifted her head, brushing her purple tresses from her
tired and dirty face. She looked over at her great-grandmother, and
got to her feet.  It took a great deal of effort to not show the effects of
36 hours of nearly constant activity without sleep.  She managed
however, she would not give the curious watchers the satisfaction of
seeing her look worn down. 
     She ducked her head and entered into the council chamber. 
She found herself effectively blind in the dim light inside after the
bright sun of the afternoon.  Not giving any sign of this, she made
her way by memory to a position in front of the council.  She sensed
her great-grandmother taking her position beside her, but she did not
move her head to look.  Instead she remained standing stiffly, her
eyes focused on where she knew the acting senior elder would be
sitting.  Slowly as her eyes adjusted, she could make out the row of
five diminutive and wrinkled elders.  They sat in their places, staring
at her, their expressions giving nothing away of what their decision
was.

     Shampoo had been dismayed at the welcome she had received
when she had arrived at the village.  She supposed in the back of her
mind, she had imagined all the warriors of the village would rally
behind her as she led them on an assault against the demon Ryouko. 
Instead, she had been treated like a coward and a fool.  The plane
she had commandeered was an important link with the outside
world.  One that was to be used for only the gravest of emergencies. 
Her actions had compromised its existence.  Her protests of justified
usage had gained her a hearing, but it had not gone well.  She had
been dismissed an hour earlier, while the council came to its decision
as to what to do about her.  A decision they apparently had reached.

     The elder in charge did not leave her in doubt for long as to the
attitude of the council. <"It has been many a year since anyone told
me a child's story Xian Pu.  It has been almost as many since anyone
took me for a fool."> Her voice was malicious, despite her bland
look, and she looked more at Shampoo's great-grandmother then she
did at Shampoo.
     For her part, Shampoo's great-grandmother snorted in derision.
<"You are every bit the fool you were when I switched you for
running after that Musk boy, Bia Ter.  My granddaughter brought
serious news.  You waste our time with this farce.  We have no time
for you to settle old grudges.">
     <"This has nothing to do with old grudges Kol Lon.  Xian Pu
set out to restore her honor by defeating an outsider female.  She
returned with her tail between her legs.  With no evidence of
accomplishing her goal, and having squandered an important
resource of the village.>"
     Shampoo kept her anger at bay with difficulty.  It was her
great-grandmothers task to speak for her.  It was a difficult task. 
The faces before her that she had thought so impassive, now looked
petty and vindictive.  
     <"The girl told you.  The demon killed the outsider girl.">
     <"The girl was duped by a strategy employed by the outsider. 
She fell for a trick any true child of the Nyanichiczu should have
seen through."> 
     <"Fools!">
     <"Enough!"> Bia Ter brought her staff down on the table in
front of her with a crash. <"We are not here to go over this again
and again.  We have heard the evidence, and we have reached our
decision.  Xian Pu has been judged to have failed in her quest.  She
is further judged to have harmed the village by revealing an
important asset without just cause.  To atone for these actions, she
must prove herself worthy of retaining her status as an Amazon.  We
sentence her to single combat at a place, and with a champion of our
choosing.">
     Shampoo perked up, that was not so bad, there was no warrior
of the village she could not defeat in honorable combat.
     <"The council selects the matriarch Kol Lon as our
champion.">
     Shampoo blanched.  While her great-grandmother stiffened in
shock. 
     <"The place. The pools of sorrow.">
     <"This is madness!"> Cologne protested.
     <"Do you refuse the charge the council gives you?"> Bia Ter
said, her tone gloating.
     Cologne looked back at her with loathing.  To refuse the orders
of the council in this matter would be cause for banishment from the
tribe.  There was no choice in the matter. 
     <"I of course accept the charge placed on me by the council.">
Cologne's eyes glared promises of vengeance at Bia Ter, but they
both knew it was an empty threat.  No matter what her words on the
subject, Bia Ter knew Shampoo would not lie about such an
important matter as a demon.  She also knew that Cologne would
have no choice but to go and face Shampoo's demon after the trial by
combat.  If the old stories of the demon's prowess were correct, then
without the full support of the village, she was unlikely to return
from that battle.  Bia Ter would at last have what she had wanted for
so many years.  The uncontested leadership of the tribe.

*******************************************************
********
     
     A day had passed and Nodoka was once again in her own body. 
They had made good time during the day, and were camped only a
few minutes away from where a bus would be passing by first thing
tomorrow morning.  The bus would take them to the train.  Which
would take them to the airport.  Which would take them home.  It
was going to be  a long day, but at the end of it, they would be
sleeping on futons under a roof, inside a warm house. 
     It was still early, and the companions were each entertaining
themselves in their own way.

     "Arrrhhhggggg I'll never get this right Anna-Akane screamed. 
She tossed down the two, three foot by one inch metal rods she had
been holding.  Una-Akane smirked across the campfire at her.  She
had a similar set of bars in her hands. 
     "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it.  It's
not that hard."
     "I haven't seen you manage it yet," her sister replied. 
     "Just watch." Bitting her upper lip in concentration.  Una-
Akane reached out with the two bars, placing the end of each of
them on either side of an egg that was laying on the ground.  She
slowly brought then together till they lightly touched the egg. 
Steading her hands, she drew a deep breath, then slowly started to
pick the egg up.  She got it about two feet off the ground, and started
to move it side ways, toward a pot of boiling water that was sitting
on the fire.  There was a loud crunch, and what was left of the egg
fell sizzling into the fire.
     Anna-Akane gave a snicker, and said, "See, It's impossible."
     "You'd better hope not," a gravely voice said.  Agent P reached
out with an artificial hand and plucked an egg out of a basket that
looked like it contained the entire output of a village's communal
chicken coup.  For a good reason.  It did.  P had insisted they buy
them in the last village they had passed through, along with the four
bars of steel stock.  He had not explained his reasons until they had
made camp, and had declared that the two Akanes would be making
their own dinner tonight.  Now he looked at the two girls as he set a
second egg down in front of Anna-Akane.  "If you two expect to eat
tonight, you'd better get some of these into the pot.  That is, unless
you like your eggs raw?"
     Both girls groaned, and with a sigh of resignation, they both
picked up their oversized chopsticks, and went back to trying to
move the eggs from ground to pot.



     *This is very interesting.  If I did not no better, I would swear I
was back home at my special place.*
     "Special place" Nodoka asked Xian Pu.
     *It was a small clearing high up in the mountain above the
village.  It was on the edge of a cliff, and edged all around with
heavy bushes.  I always felt as if I was the only person in the world
there, and yet, you could see for miles.  It had a small basin that was
always full of water that seeped from a spring farther up the
mountain.  It was clear and perfect, and the water was so cold it hurt
to drink it straight.*
     "How are you seeing and hearing?" Nodoka asked curiously.
     *I just hear as if you all were just on the other side of the
bushes.  As for seeing.  I see what you see when I look into my pool. 
I use to dream that it was a magic spring, and that I could see other
places in it.  It looks like that is true in this place.*
     "It sounds a very lovely spot." Nodoka said.  She looked around
their campsite, and a small smile quirked at the corner of her mouth
as she watched Anna and Una try to cook their dinner.  Frustration
was evident on their faces, and there was now a large pile of broken
eggs littering the ground in front of each one of them.  There was
one person missing however.  "Xian Pu?" She said softly, not
wanting to distract Anna-Akane, who was just about to finally get an
egg to the pot.
     *Yes.*
     "Did you see where Ukyou went?  She left before we changed,
and  I'm afraid I was cleaning, and did not notice."
     *Cleaning?" Xian Pu said in surprise.*
     "Well, I have been away from the house for some time, and it
needs a good going over."
     *But . . .* Xian Pu started to say, meaning to point out that
Nodoka's house in this place was not real.  At that point she noticed
the handful of bracken she had gathered up from around the edge of
her pool, and had been about to throw off the edge of the cliff.  She
had always had to clean up the clearing a little whenever she came to
visit, and she had not even noticed she had been doing it while
watching the outside world in the pool.  She hastily revised what she
was about to say. *I saw Ukyou going off to the west after we set up
camp.*
     "Thank you." Nodoka started off in that direction, and then
paused.  "Xian Pu?"
     *Yes.*
     "Do you suppose you could maybe take a nap, or go for a walk
or something.  I do not wish to exclude you, but I need to discuss
something with Ukyou that is a private matter between us.  I suppose
I will have to get used to you sharing my life, but this involves
Ukyou's life as much as mine, and I'd like to give her as much
privacy as I can.
     *It is no problem.  It will be interesting to see how large this
place is.*
     "Thank you." Nodoka resumed her walk, making a mental note
to explore her own world when next she was there.


     "Haaiiiyaaa!" Ukyou screamed, bringing her baker's peel
around in a vicious arc that splintered the piece of dead wood that
was her target.  She had originally set out to cut and gather some
wood for the fire, but that goal was long forgotten.  Sometime during
the act of breaking up the dead tree she had located, she had found
everything going red.  
     The unoffensive wood had suddenly become a stand in for all
that was wrong with her life.
Her blows were not aimed at the tree, but at images of Genma,
Ranma, her own father, Akane, and last, at a brown haired boy who
seemed to be laughing at her. 
     Sweat ran down her face, matting her hair to her head.  Her
clothing was soaked with the perspiration from her body, and it was
becoming more and more difficult to hold on to her weapon, but still
she lashed out.  There was no longer any style or technique to her
moves, she was simply bashing away as hard as she could.  Blisters
formed on her callused hands, and burst, but she ignored the
stinging pain.  Genma, Ranma, Akane, her Father, all had been
vanquished.  Leaving her with one last opponent,  but no matter how
hard she lashed out, no matter how hard she swung, she could not
make that laughing brown haired boy go away. 
     The tree was reduced to pitiful shattered remains, and still she
battered at it, grinding the shavings into the heavy wet earth.  "No! 
No!  No!" She screamed aloud, in time with her baker's peel as it
rose and fell.  At last the time came when she could no longer raise
her weapon, no matter how hard she strained with her aching arms. 
She wrapped herself around the oversized spatula, its edge embedded
in the dirt, and slowly slid down till she was kneeling.  She leaned
her forehead against the leather wrapped handle, and tears mixed
with sweat ran down her face.  
     She held that pose for what seemed like forever, till a gentle
hand took her by the shoulder, and turned her to face its owner. 
Arms went around her, and she resisted for a moment, but then
Nodoka pulled her into an embrace, and she buried her head in the
older woman's shoulder, and let out her grief.

     A little while later, Ukyou pushed herself away from Nodoka,
who let her go with visible reluctance.  "I'm sorry for this.  I don't
know what came over me," Ukyou said.
     Nodoka raised an eyebrow at this.  "In the last three days you
have witnessed magic, seen a space ship crash, met an alien, learned
that your quest for justice is over without resolution, and the last, you
have been cursed to turn into a boy.  Frankly I'm surprised you are
still sane."
     "Who says I am.  I don't see you smashing up the landscape,
and you have at least as much of a reason as I do."
     "Just because you don't see it, does not mean I'm not reacting."
Nodoka raised a hand and touched the wooden tiara that was
entwined in her hair.  "While I was in here I discovered a room in
my house that was not there before." 
     "Your house?" Ukyou asked in surprise.
     "Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't know.  When Xian Pu is here the
talisman builds a copy of my home for me to stay in.  It is just like I
remember it."
     "Strange." Ukyou said, the information giving her something
other then herself to think about. 
     "But very comfortable.  Xian Pu tell me she is in a favorite
place of her's from when she was still alive."
     Ukyou suddenly looked embarrassed.  "Xian Pu, oh great, just
what I needed, one other person to see me acting like a jackass!"
     Nodoka frowned a little at Ukyou's rough language, but said. 
"You needn't worry.  I asked her to give us some privacy.  She is off
exploring her new world, seeing how large it is."
     "You can do that?" 
     "Apparently, I did something similar myself.  As I started to
tell you, I found a room that was not in my original home.  A Kendo
Dojo, complete with practice dummies.  I told Xian Pu I was
inattentive because I was cleaning, but in truth, for most of that time
I was doing something very similar to what you were doing here."
     "Maybe so." Ukyou snorted.  "But at least you did it more or
less in private.  For a while there the whole Red Army could have
walked by, and I wouldn't have noticed." She got to her feet, and
dusted herself off.  "Anyway, one good thing came from it."
     "What is that?"
     "I learned that I can't make what I am go away, no matter how
hard I hit something.  I stopped being a girl a long time ago.  If I'd
never been cursed, maybe I could have gone on fooling myself that I
could someday go the other way, but now I know the truth." 
     Ukyou looked Nodoka straight in the eye.  "Ukyou Kuonji, girl,
disappeared a long time ago." Ukyou carried a water bottle fastened
to her belt.  Now she pulled it free, and after taking the top off, she
dumped it over her head.  "I won't hide from the truth anymore.  If
you will have me, I would be proud to be Ukyou Saotome, boy."
     Nodoka looked at him. She felt a brief feeling of guilt at going
along with this, but she could not help herself.  It was true that a
daughter would make her happy, but it was a son she wanted more
then life itself.  She looked at Ukyou more closely thinking what a
fine boy he was, what a fine man he could become.  The mannerisms
that were so inappropriate in a girl, were fine and good in a man.  
     She suppressed her feeling of guilt, and said.  "Very well, as of
this minute, I consider you my son.  When we get back to Japan, I
will start the paperwork."

     
     "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" When Nodoka and Ukyou got back to the
camp site, both Akanes were dancing around the campsite, slapping
hands and shouting out in glee.  When they spotted Nodoka they
shouted out in happiness.  "We did it, we did it." A part of Nodoka
noted they were once again speaking in perfect harmony, the other
part looked into the boiling pot, at the two eggs rolling over in the
hot water.  She then looked at the large pile of broken shells on the
ground. 
     "Congratulations," she said rather weakly.  Those eggs had not
been cheap. 
     Later on, both Anna and Una ate their single boiled egg with
every indication of satisfaction.  Even if they glanced rather wistfully
at the large quantity of broiled fish the rest of their group was eating. 

     "Never thought they'd do it." P whispered out of the side of his
mouth at Ukyou. 
     She gave a short laugh.  "That's not the miracle here.  The real
story is that they managed to boil an egg without ruining it.  Both
Akane's had made good on the original's offer  to cook dinner for
the group some time ago.  Only the fact that they'd tried their
cooking out on each other first had saved the rest of their party from
a large delay in their trip.  Akane's stomach seemed to be as strong
as the rest of her, but even it had a hard time handling what they had
put in each other mouths."


**************************************************

     Plum swallowed, and looked across the hut at the grim faced
old woman who was currently heating up some water while a sodden
and very unhappy pink and white cat sat at her feet.  The elder did
not look to be in the mood for casual conversation, but the scroll she
had recently found had made what Plum had to say anything but
casual.  But how to broach the subject without getting her head torn
off before she got to the important point?
     Start with the important point she supposed. < "Xian Pu is
alive,"> she said, and held her breath.
     The old woman shot her an angry look, but then her eyes
widened as she took in Plum's words. <"What do you mean, Xian Pu
is alive?"> She snapped out angrily. <"I am not in the mood for
games.  Of course Xian Pu is alive, she is right there."> She finished
with a snarl, pointing at the cat.
     Plum abased herself, bowing so low her hair brushed the floor.
<"I am sorry elder.  I did not mean your Great Granddaughter, but
the one she is named for. I have been studying the scrolls, and have
recently found a section that said the Amazons were to be notified if
ever one resembling Xian Pu were to come out of the spring of
drowned girl."
     Cologne scowled at her.<"This is true, but I have little interest
in some man or animal that resembles her."> Take your story to the
elders at the village.  It is the sort of issue that will interest them. 
One of no importance whatsoever.  They can talk on it for hours
without having to do anything.">
     Plum swallowed nervously, and almost took the suggestion in
the face of the elders obvious anger, but her instincts told her that
this was the one she should be telling her tale to. <"Forgive this
unworthy one, but I think you should hear this."> For a second Plum
was afraid the old warrior was going to strike her, but she settled
back with an angry scowl.  Almost absently, she picked up the small
cat at her feet and began to stroke it." 
     <"Very well.  I am listening.  This had better be important!">
     Plum swallowed nervously once again, and told of the three
visitors, and how one of them had fallen into the spring of drowned
girl.  She got as far as telling how the girl from the spring claimed to
be Xian Pu, and was interrupted. 
     <"Stop!"> Cologne leaned forward, her eyes wide, and her
body trembling with emotion.
<"This girl, describe her!"  Plum obliged, and as she did the elder
nodded her head, as if checking off each feature she mentioned from
a list in her head.  Neither one of them noticed the eyes of the cat on
the elder's lap getting wider and wider as Plum described the girl in
great detail."
     When Plum finished her description, the old woman was silent. 
Steam started to escape from the kettle, and without looking at what
she was doing, she plucked it from the fire and upended it over the
cat, and fell over backward as a full grown and very naked teenager
manifested in the position formerly held by the cat.
     <"Great-grandmother, I have very important news!" Shampoo
shouted.  She was answered by a muffled voice under her. 
     <"That is very interesting Shampoo, but for now.  Get Off
Me!">

     Shampoo slipped into her now dry dress with pleasure, it was a
little chilly for wondering around in the all together.  Her great-
grandmother was lost in thought, and Shampoo joined Plum in a
cold lunch while they waited for her to tell her what they were to do
next.  Shampoo was fully involved in the intricacies of the quadruple
layer chicken, fish, and tomato sandwich, when Cologne started to
laugh.  It started out soft and gentle, but soon became a roar of glee. 
Shampoo big sweated, and wondered if her great-grandmother had
finally lost it.
     Cologne noticed Shampoo and Plum's faces, and broke off
suddenly, coughing slightly behind a raised hand.  She looked up at
Shampoo with a grin on her face that made Plum shudder. <"It
would seem that we owe Bia Ter a debt granddaughter.  If we had
not come to Jusenkyo, we would never have learned of this, and we
might have gone to our deaths, and Bia Ter would have been most
'sad' to hear of that of course.  How happy she will be to see us
return home victorious.">
     Shampoo was rather disgruntled to hear her new curse
described as a beneficial thing, but her curiosity overrode that
feeling. <"I don't understand?>"
     <"It is simple.  Xian Pu is back.  Xian Pu the demon slayer. 
We must seek her out and enlist her aid.  With her by our side, we
can not help but succeed.">
     Shampoo shook her head. <"I do not see how great-
grandmother.  I told you that the one who defeated me on the
challenge log, and the one the demon Ryouko killed also matched
Plum's description.  How can this one do any different?">
     <"You did not listen closely enough.  The one Plum saw
claimed to be Xian Pu.  What is more, from what Plum tells me, she
behaved in the manner of the Amazons, and the woman who fell in
the spring did not even know of our existence.  The one you chased
might have possessed her body, but if she had been the true Xian Pu,
she would have known our laws, she would not have challenged you
as she did, and even if she had, she would not have run from you. 
Besides, I know one piece of information you do not.  I had a little
'chat' with the guide about that girl.  She could not have been Xian
Pu, she was not a girl originally.  Shampoo blanched, as she
remembered something Plum had mentioned to her, surely she had
not been defeated by a . . .<"Great-grandmother, tell me I was not
defeated by a . . .Monkey!">
     <"No girl, close, but not quite.  It would seem that the girl you
chased was a young boy who had the misfortune to fall into the
spring at the same time Prince Herb was visiting with the
Chiisuiton.">
     <"A boy!"> Shampoo exclaimed in shock, but that means . .
.">
     <"You gave her the wrong kiss, something we will have to
rectify, but later, and if the demon had not truly destroyed his
soul.">
     <But great-grandmother, I saw her die.">
     "I know, but from the details you told me, I am not so sure she
did.  In any case, it is of no matter.  We will find out one way or the
other later.  For now our goal is to locate The Demon killer Xian Pu,
and that will be a tricky enough proposition.">
     Plum coughed slightly, and handed Cologne a slip of paper she
had retrieved from an old envelope.  Cologne looked at the numbers
and writing on it in curiosity. <And this would be?">
     <"That is the phone number and address of one of the girls who
accompanied the woman who has the Xian Pu curse.  She might be
able to help you locate Xian Pu.  Her name is Akane.">


Well, one more section, and I should be able to call this story quits.
Knock on wood.