The curse of Jusenkyou, or "What's wrong with a bath?" by Vincent M.'Max Raven' Eskilsson ----------------------------------- "Welcome", the guide said,"to the cursed springs of the Jusenkyou." The cyan-haired woman yawned. "Yeah yeah.", she said, "Let's get this over with, ok?" "Now Ryoko, I think you could at least pay some attention.", the purple-haired woman told the first one. "Could you two just stop it for now? You promised me you would calm down after the marriage.", the black-haired boy told them. The guide wasn't quite sure yet which one of the strange women the guy had married. Sometimes he was speaking to the purple-haired like they were a couple, and sometimes to the cyan-haired. Maybe he's just mentally disturbed, the guide pondered. "To your left is the spring of drowned panda, and to your right..." "Is the spring of drowned girl?", the cyan-haired girl replied mockingly. Tenchi sighed. He thought they could at least respect that his grandfather had told him to visit these springs. After all, Aeka and Ryoko were the ones who had insisted on coming along. "So, if you fall into one of these ponds, you get a curse? Give me a break!", Ryoko sneered. "I thought you would be the last one to mock folklore, Ryoko.", Tenchi told her. "It's funny you should mention that...", the guide began. "What, someone did fall into one of these springs?", Tenchi asked. "Not so long ago, yes. Oh, they survived." "Well, what happened to them? They caught a cold?", Ryoko mockered him. "One of them, fell into the spring of drowned girl, over there", the guide said, pointing at the place,"from what I've heard, he turned into a girl everytime someone poored cold water over him." "Ehm... Excuse me if I ask, but you mean he turned into a girl?", Aeka asked the guide. "Not quite. You see, he turns back to normal whenever someone pours hot water on him." "So, what cursed springs are there in this place?", Ryoko asked. "Well, there's the spring of drowned boy, spring of drowned...", the guide started listing the names of the springs. While Tenchi listened fascinated, Ryoko pulled Aeka aside to talk to her. "Ryoko, what are you doing?" "I just thought we could have a little demonstration on how the springs work...", Ryoko said, pushing Aeka into one. "Ryoooooooko!!!", Aeka screamed in anger as she hit the water. "I will get you for this Ryoko!", a male voice screamed as a purple-haired boy got out of the water, freezing from the cold water, wearing the same sort of kimono Aeka had been wearing. "Eh? Do I know you?", Ryoko asked, confused. "Of course you do! I'm A... AAAAAAAGH!", the boy suddenly screamed, as he saw his body. Tenchi was more than a little confused to seconds later see a purple-haired boy chasing after Ryoko, logs materializing all around him. "Ryoko! I'll get you for this, I SWEAR!", he screamed. "Look at it from the brightside princess! Now you don't have to turn to Tenchi all the time!", Ryoko yelled back, laughing uncontrollably. Tenchi, realizing that the boy was in fact Aeka, he fainted. Ryoko, hearing the noise, turned just in time to see Tenchi lying on the ground. Aeka was a fraction of a second slower to react, and that caused her to accidentaly bump Ryoko into another one of the springs. "What are you doing Aek-Aaaaaaah!", Ryoko managed to say, before she, too, fell into a spring. Aeka turned her...err, his... attention back to Ryoko, not seeing her. Instead, out of the spring jumped a small kitten, with cyan fur and yellow eyes. "Meow?", it said. (For everyone wanting an interpretation of that, it meant 'what?') "I see. This must be the spring of drowned kitten.", Aeka mumbled, giggling slightly. "MEOW?!!", the kitten said, staring at it's body. "Oh it's so CUTE!", the boy-Aeka exclaimed, doing a glomp-scene. Giggling to herself, she turned to the kitten again. "I think we better get Tenchi back on his feet, and then get Washu.", she said to it. "Meow...", the kitten said. And that was the end of Tenchi's honeymoon. After 3 months of travelling, one lousy visit to a place Tenchi himself originally had intended to go to alone while the girls were to go shopping, had stopped the honeymoon completely in it's tracks. (Behold, the power of Jusenkyou... Nah...) At least the other girls were happy to see him again. And in our next issue: "What do you mean you don't have any way of reversing the effect of the curse?!", they both yelled at the same time. "I've told you, it's only a matter of time. I have, however, isolated the element that causes the effect of the curse, and it had some interesting properties. Mihoshi!" "Yes professor?", Mihoshi's voice rang out from behind a wall. "Could you stop with your calculations of how to create temporary unstable black holes for a minute? I don't need them until the end of the week! Come on out here for a second.", Washu said. "Very well professor.", Mihoshi asnwered. Mihoshi came into the room, wearing a white lab coat and protective glasses. "Uhm... What's with the glasses?", Ryoko asked. "They're specifically designed to keep out elements which can cause optical damage. I'm wearing them so I won't get my retinas destroyed if any of Washu's biological experiments are released." "Uh... Ok...", Ryoko said. "What's going on in here? Why is Mihoshi acting so strangely?", Aeka asked. "She's the result of my experiment to mix the element that causes the 'curse-effect' with my new special brain-activation serum! There is of course the defect that if she gets hot water on herself, she'll turn back to her normal unintelligent self. I'm still trying fix that glitch. But in a way, I've created my very own 'Spring of drowned genius' Hahahahahahahahaha!", Washu laughed manically. "So what are you going to do about our curses?", Ryoko asked her. "Well, as I said, I've isolated the element that causes the effect, but I am yet to determine how to neutralize this element once it's inserted into the human body and has bonded with the human DNA-strain. In a way, it's like the next evolutenary step. I've calculated that figuring out how to neutralize the bonded element will take about a week. Until then, you will have to wing it." "WHAT?! A WEEK?!!!" --------------------- Next part, coming this fall. ^_____^ I will consider continuing this fic if I get any feedback on it. However, right now I'm not-working on the next part of Eve of Darkness, where you learn more about the mysterious Eve, and Nagi joins the action. Ok, 'nuff with the trailer stuff 'Tenchi Muyo!' is a trademark of AIC and Pioneer. Ranma ½ was created by Rumiko something (hey, I haven't seen the anime or read the manga), and is probably owned by some company, which I don't know the name of. I'm not making any money off this fic(heh, the time I make money of my writing, is about the time humans learn interstellar travel) so please don't sue me n' stuff. Suggestions, flames, etc. to _8thlegion_max@mail.bip.net Vincent M. 'Max Raven' Eskilsson, saying goodbye for now.