A fan fiction based on the works of RumikoTakahashi,
     and, Masaki Kajishima, who I've been told is the creator of
Tenchi.
     Hitoshi Okuda, is the artist and creator of the Manga version.
     Ranma 1/2, and Tenchi Muyo.
     I have no rights to these characters.

     A Tenchi and Ranma, Together Forever!?  Side Story.
     Three girls abroad.  Part B

     What's going on?
     Last time we witnessed the ladies arriving at Jusenkyo.  And
Ukyou have a close encounter with Nanniichuan. Who is next on the
hit parade?

T.H.   Tiger
schell@interlog.com

     The Jusenkyo Guide made a very great production of lighting
his pipe, using his cupped hands to hide the expression of mirth on
his face.  Two weeks ago he had dropped a suggestion in Prince
Herb's ear to the effect that the monkey he and his followers had
dunked in the Nyanniichuan might not actually have been splashed
by the water from the Chiisuiton.  The guide suggested that in the
excitement of the moment, combined with the fog, they might have
missed with the ladle.  In that case, if the monkey had belonged to
one of the troops that frequented some of the local hot springs.  It
might have rejoined them.  It could be the reason they could not find
it, was that it was no longer a girl.  If he had known the outcome was
going to be so humorous, he would have suggested it ages ago.
     Of course, the real reason he had suggested it was to get Herb
away from Jusenkyo while Plum was visiting.  The prince's
character had improved remarkably in the last three months, but he
still was not someone who the guide was eager to have his daughter
meet.  Given Plum's attitude toward the male sex, and Herb and his
follower's fascination with female breasts, he just had not thought it
a good combination.  He smiled a little to himself.  How Herb could
remain so fascinated by female breasts when he himself had such a
spectacular set, was a source of mystery.
     Be that as it may, his suggestion had worked, and far better
then he had expected.  He watched as Mint and Lime cornered one
of the monkeys belonging to the current troop they were checking.
The monkey watched warily as Lime approached, a heavy canvas
drop cloth in his hands.  While his attention was distracted, Mint
moved into position.  Mint had a large canvas bag stuffed with
clothing in his hands.
     When Lime felt he was close enough, he tossed his drop cloth
toward the monkey, who dogged nimbly out of the way, chattering
his outrage over the tiger boys behavior.  While the monkey was
distracted, Mint made his move.  Blurring into motion, the wolf boy
swung the large soft bundle in his hands, and belted the monkey
high into the air.  The monkey let out a shriek of fright, and clawed
futilely at nothing as he described a high arc, straight toward Lime,
who had recovered his drop cloth, and now held it out to receive his
prey.
     With a despairing wail, the monkey landed in the middle of the
cloth, and before he could scramble to freedom, Lime closed it
around his body, leaving only his woebegone face clear of its
embrace.  The monkey's cries were echoed by his brothers and
sisters who were currently penned up in a large bamboo cage built
against the side of the small valley.
     "Herb-sama, Herb-sama, we have him, we have him." Lime
and Mint cried out in excitement.  The pair of them had grown quite
expert at catching the little creatures.  Indeed, they had grown so
obsessed with the catching of the monkeys, staying up late at night to
devise new methods, the Guide sometimes thought they had totally
forgotten why they were doing it in the first place.
     Down below them, next to the hot spring, Herb stood up,
having heard their cries of triumph.  He watched as Lime and Mint
approached with their latest captive.  Hefting a large, impressive gun
in his hands, he aimed it toward Lime.  Depressing the trigger, he
sent a high pressure stream of water from the fluorescent green water
gun in his hands, and thoroughly soaked both Lime and the monkey.
     The Guide noted that Herb seemed to be having trouble with
his aim, far more of the water landed on Lime then on the monkey,
and for that matter, he continued the spray for far longer then was
really necessary to prove that the Monkey was not the one they were
looking for.

     There had originally been three of the high tech American
water guns, but after about the twentieth accidental' dousing in the
first three hours, Herb had 'accidentally' chi blasted Mint and
Lime's guns into tiny little plastic pieces.

     The now sodden Lime looked down at the monkey in his arms
and stated the obvious.  <"This isn't it either Herb-sama.">
     <"So I see, put it with the rest.  How many more of them are
there at this spring?"> Herb asked Mint.
     <"Only a few more Herb-sama, no more then five or six.">
     <"Good."> He looked up at the sun, just inching up over the
mountain top.  <"We should be able to check them all in the next
hour or so.  Then we can move onto the next hot spring, and have
our camp set up by tonight.">

     Lime had by then reached the cage holding the other monkeys.
Using a double door system they had devised after one to many
prison breaks, he inserted the monkey in with his fellows.
     They had originally simply sprayed the monkeys out in the
open.  While this was certainly much faster then catching and caging
them, it had proven almost impossibly to tell which monkeys they
had sprayed, and which they had not.  So the only way to eliminate
each tribe was to methodically capture each monkey, test, and then
cage them.  Once they had tested all the monkeys at a given spring,
they would release them, and move onto the next.  The released
monkeys would not allow a strange monkey into their territory, so in
this manner they were slowly able to eliminate all the various hot
spring tribes.  Of course matters would have been a lot simpler if
they could have remembered which tribe the monkey they had used
came from in the first place.  Unfortunately Lime and Mint had been
given the job of procuring the original . . .

     As Mint started to get the evening meal ready, Herb walked
over to the Guide.  Once again the Guide took note of how much the
Prince had changed.  He had a smile on his face, and an attitude of
relaxed good cheer.  Where before he had been sour and grumpy
over his exile, he now seemed to truly enjoy being away from the
tightly controlled environment of his father's household.  The Guide
thought to himself that Comb, the Amazon healer, had done this
whole region a favor when she had saved the life of young Herb's
father.  If the sickness had carried his father off, Herb would have
become ruler without the maturity the role required.  He had a long
way to go yet, but the Guide could already see signs that he would be
good emperor when the time came.
     <"The hunt goes well."> Herb said, as he reached the Guide.
     <"That is good to hear.">
     The cheerful look suddenly departed Herb's face, and he sat
down beside the Guide with a sigh.  <"But there is only one more
spring, and I fear our luck will be little better there." Herb shook his
head, and said in a slightly depressed voice.  <"I don't know what
we are going to do next.  The beast has vanished from the face of the
earth.  I fear the poor creature never survived.  Trapped in a body not
its own, I grow more convinced every day that it perished.  If we are
lucky, we may find its bones, but I greatly fear that is all we will ever
find.">
     The Guide was pleased to see that Herb seemed genuinely sad,
not at his failure, but at the fate of the poor unfortunate monkey.
The boy had indeed matured.  He briefly contemplated telling Herb
the truth.  That the monkey had never been cursed.  That it was a
young boy from Japan who had been the girl Herb had seen, and had
assumed to be the monkey.  He sighed to himself regretfully.
Unfortunately he had let matter go too far.  It was now much too late
to reveal the truth to Herb.  Doing so would likely undo all the good
his exile had done the young prince.  Instead he commiserated with
the young man.  <"You have tried your best.  I'm sure your father
will not hold your exile.">
     Herb looked over at him, a wry smile on his face, and opened
his mouth to reply, but before he could say a word, a bright light
flooded the narrow valley they were in as a ball of fire flashed across
the top of it.  A second later a thunderous crash rocked their
campsite, as the sonic boom trailing the object assaulted their
eardrums, and sent all the captive monkeys into  paroxysms of fright.
They screamed and leaped from one side of the cage to the other,
rocking the bamboo structure back and forth till the Guide feared it
would break.
     <"What in all the heavens?"> Herb said, rising to his feet, and
staring in the direction the ball of fire had vanished.  The Guide
followed his gaze, and felt a sinking sensation as he realized the
direction the fire ball was heading in.  They were two days travel by
rough mountain trails from Jusenkyo, and his heart suddenly beat
heavily in his chest as he contemplated his daughter there by herself.

     Herb had also realized what direction the comet was traveling
in.  <"Mint!"> He shouted out at the top of his voice.
     <"Yes Herb-sama."> The wolf boy cried out as he rushed up to
his liege lord.  His eyes also were looking in the direction the fire
ball had disappeared to.
     <"You are to make for Jusenkyo as fast as you can.  Tell
anyone there that we are on our way, if help is needed, give what you
can.  Now go!">
     Mint looked startled for a second, then his eyes widened as he
once again looked after the vanished fire ball.  Looking back at Herb,
he made the sketchiest of bows, turned, and made haste with all his
considerable speed toward Jusenkyo.
     <"Lime!"> Herb yelled again.
     <"Yes Herb-Sama!"> Lime yelled back form where he was
trying to hold together the monkey cage.
     <"Release the monkeys.  Pack our gear.  We leave for Jusenkyo
now.">
     The Guide felt emotions choke him up, <"My lord, thanks
you">
     Herb brushed him off, going to help Lime with the camp gear.
Over his shoulder he called back.  <"It is nothing.  You would be
useless as a guide with this on your mind.  The sooner we can ease
your fears, the sooner you can get back to doing your duty to me.">
     The Guide could only look after him in amazement.  The
Prince had changed far more then he had suspected.  Maybe it would
not be such a bad thing if he were to meet Plum after all.  Musing on
that, he made haste to pack up his own small bag.  The comet had
likely missed Jusenkyo, but his mind would not rest easy till he knew
for sure.

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

     Akane came out of the tent she shared with Ukyou, and looked
across the valley toward where a small figure could just barely be
made out in the early mountain dawn.  Ukyou had not come to bed
last night.  Had spent the whole night as a matter of fact sitting on
the same rock, her arms wrapped around her staring at nothing.
Nodoka had tried to get her to come in for supper, but had been
rebuffed.
     A look of anger flickered across Akane's face, but was quickly
replaced by a look of guilt.  With a sigh, she started out toward the
distant figure.  She had been wracking her brains for a solution to
Ukyou's problem all night, and had not gotten any more sleep then
the cursed girl.  She thought she had one, but she had to confront
Ukyou to tell the other girl of it, and she was not looking forward to
that.

     "Ukyou?" Akane asked in a tentative voice.
     "Go away!" Ukyou said, her voice strained with suppressed
anger.
     Akane flared up at Ukyou's tone, her hair trigger temper
reacting like always.  She hadn't always been that bad, but two
months of having her natural inclination to help someone in distress
used against her had made her overly sensitive.  She had only
recently started to realize just how bad she had become.  The looks
Nodoka and Ukyou had directed her way during this trip had not
gone unnoticed, despite what they might have thought.  The
expression on their faces when she went on one of her rants was a
painful thing to see.
     More and more Akane was finding she didn't much like what
she had become in the last few months. She had several times vowed
to control herself.  Unfortunately, it had proven far more difficult
then she had thought it would be.  There was always some pervert
ready to make a comment, or to try something funny.  She gritted her
teeth, and brought her anger under control.  She would not flair up.
Ukyou had a valid reason to be upset, she told herself.
"I only want to help.  I've been thinking and  . . . "
     "Haven't you helped enough?" Ukyou interrupted, speaking  in
a bitter voice.  She turned her face toward Akane, and the other girl
was shocked by the haunted look in Ukyou's red rimmed eyes.
     Akane's temper flared again, washing away all her good
intentions in a comfortable rush of hot anger.  It wasn't like it was
all her fault, she'd tried to refuse Ukyou's challenge, but the other
girl wouldn't take no for an answer.  She said as much to Ukyou.
     "Don't go pushing this on me.  You're the one who insisted we
spar."
     "That was before I knew you were a monster." Ukyou shot
back.
     Akane flinched back from her, her face stricken, shocked out of
her comfortable anger by the voicing of a thought that had been
floating in the back of her own mind for several days now.  "A
monster?"
     "No one human could do what you did.  You knocked me thirty
yards with a single punch.  Just what the hell are you Akane?  Some
sort of Oni who goes around ruining people's lives?"
     Once again the comfortable heat rose up in Akane.  Washing
away her fears and uncertainties.  "You have no idea what you're
talking about!  So I'm strong?  Does that make me a monster?  You
have no idea of what I've gone through.  Don't you dare call me a
monster!"
     "What, what have you gone through that is so awful?  What
could have made you this way?  A few challenges at school
everyday?  That's crap."
     "It was a lot more then that!"
     All the exasperation Ukyou had felt toward Akane's behavior
during the trip, combined with her feelings about her recent curse
exploded.  "So tell me, what made you into such a bitch!? Why is
every guy that looks in our direction a pervert!?  Why is every man
in the world out to get you!?  What's so _ goddam _ special _ about
you that any right minded boy would even take one look at you?"
     Akane had been driven back several steps by the vitriol in
Ukyou's voice, but she rallied and her own voice rose in counterpoint
to Ukyou's.  "How dare you call me a bitch.  If I'm a bitch, then
you're a whining little child, who can't deal with the consequences
of her own actions.  You wanted to spar, not me.  You pushed it
during the fight.  I was content to just take it easy, but you had to
force me to go all out.  You have no one but yourself to blame for
this but yourself."

     "That is enough!" An angry voice said off to the side.  Akane
and Ukyou who were glaring at each other broke off, and glanced
over to where Nodoka was standing.  The older woman had come up
on them without their realizing it.  Lost in their own world of anger.
Her face was grim, and the expression on it was directed toward both
of the girls.  "There is only one person responsible for Ukyou's
condition."
     "That's right.  It's her!" Both girls shouted at the same time.
     "I said be quiet!" Nodoka said, she reached over her shoulder,
and there was a hiss as a gleaming katana was pulled into view.
Ukyou and Akane both gulped as they realized what the long covered
bundle Nodoka had been carrying for days was.  They both edged
backward nervously from the older woman, inadvertently standing
shoulder to shoulder.  This was not the gentle Japanese housewife
they had been traveling with for a week.  This was the descendant of
the Samurai, and her eyes were ice cold.  Looking into those eyes,
neither Akane nor Ukyou could bring themselves to doubt that
Nodoka would use that sword if they gave her reason.
     Nodoka glared at both of them, then she turned her full
attention on Ukyou.  "As I said, there is only one person truly
responsible for what you have undergone.  Be quite!" She demanded
when Ukyou would have protested.  She waited to be sure that the
young girl was not going to resume her protest.  Satisfied Ukyou was
going to stay silent.  She continued.  "You each, for your various
reasons, choose to accompany me on this trip.  I did not ask you to
come.  You both knew that I was investigating the disappearance of
my husband and son.  The implication being that this could be a
dangerous journey."
     Nodoka looked back and forth between Akane and Ukyou, and
while it was obvious both girls wished to say something, they did
not.  The fact that their eyes seemed unable to leave the gleaming
length of Nodoka's sword supplied an explanation for their
uncharacteristic restraint.  A talent neither one of them had shown a
great deal of during their journey.  Nodoka nodded her head in
satisfaction.  Then, with a sigh, she lowered her sword until the tip
was pointed toward the ground.
     Once more looking Ukyou in the eye, she continued.  "Having
said all that, I now must say that none of it matters.  I was the adult.
It was my choice in the end whether you came or stayed, and my
responsibility to look after your welfare once I allowed you to come.
It was my duty to learn the truth of these springs, and not to laugh
skeptically toward the one who knew the truth.  I have failed in that,
and you have paid the price for my failure Kuonji-san." Nodoka
bowed toward Ukyou.  "When the true fate of my Husband and son is
determined, and my duty to them fulfilled, I ask that you act as my
second so that I may extirpate my loss of honor." Nodoka moved her
grip on the sword till she was holding it by the blade, and held the
hilt out toward Ukyou, who took it out of reflex.  Several drops of
blood fell to the ground from the cut the razor sharp blade had left
on the palm of Nodoka's hand.
     Ukyou looked at the older woman in shock, her mind trying to
process the data.  It was not till her eyes fell on the Tanto thrust
through the sash of Nodoka's kimono that her eyes showed any
comprehension.  "You have to be joking!" Ukyou shouted.  "You
want me to cut your head off after you've slit your belly?  Are you
crazy?"
     "There is no choice.  What I have done to you is unforgivable,
and irreversible according to our guide.  There is no way I can make
recompense.  As such, I must pay what portion of the debt my life
will cover."
     Akane who was every bit as stunned as Ukyou, suddenly
remembered why she had come to see the cook in the first place.
The same solution that would help Ukyou, would also satisfy
Nodoka's honor, she hoped.  "Nyanniichuan!" Akane blurted out.
     Her two companions turned to them.  A questioning look on
their faces.
     "It's obvious," Akane said.  If the spring of drowned man
cursed Ukyou, spring of drowned woman would cure her.  I saw
Plum point it out when she brought us here."
     Nodoka shook her head in regret.  "I am sorry Akane, but that
would not work.  You left before it came up, but I asked Plum about
that very thing.  Having been cursed by one spring, the others will
have no effect on Ukyou."
     Akane looked stubborn.  "If it won't have any effect, then
what's the harm in trying.  It's at least something.  Anyway, Plum is
not an expert, she's only an apprentice, maybe sometimes the
springs will reverse the effect.  Maybe they don't want people to
know there is an easy cure.  We have to at least try."
     Ukyou looked thoughtful.  "Much as I hate to admit it, I have to
agree with Akane.  If it won't have any effect, then there can be no
harm in trying.  It's got to be better then  . . . " Ukyou looked down
at the sword in her hand, and shuddered.  "Show me where this
spring is Akane." Ukyou demanded.
     Nodoka objected, but the two girls would not be swayed, and as
Ukyou was holding Nodoka's most powerful bargaining chip, she
had little choice in the matter but to accompany the two of them.
     Off in the distance Plum saw them making their way toward
the main body of the valley, and felt a shudder of apprehension.  She
quickly snatched up a pot of hot water, and started working her way
toward the three women.  She did not run.  The first thing she had
learned from her father was that you do not run around the pools of
sorrow.  It had been a painful lesson, she had not sat down in
comfort for a week afterwards, but she had also never run around the
pools again.

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

     "Well, so much for that idea," Ukyou said.  He was standing in
the middle of Nyanniichuan, his hair hanging in sodden stringers
down his back, water dripping down his face.  He had taken nothing
for granted, and submerged himself completely, but the only effect
had been that the cold water had turned him into a boy again.  He
wanted to scream out his disappointment.  He wanted to get out and
pound Akane into the ground.  He did neither.  Instead, he directed a
worried look toward Nodoka, who was standing there, her back
rigid, her face set in an expression of grim determination.  Right
there and then Ukyou vowed that Nodoka was not going to die for
Akane and his stupidity.

     "Oh what you do?  You very foolish.  You come away careful.
Very bad you fall in."
     All three of them turned to look at Plum, who was standing
some distance back from the spring.  The guide girl was nervously
jittering from one foot to another, which did interesting things to her
upper-body under the smooth, low-cut silk dress she was wearing.
     Ukyou flushed with embarrassment as he realized that the
changes in his body seemed to be more then skin deep.  He'd heard
enough locker room humor while posing as a boy to know exactly
what was happening to him.  Fortunately, that same rough humor
also included a possible solution.  He looked away from Plum and
hoped the cold water he was standing in would work as good as the
legendary cold shower.  To be safe, he also started going over the
multiplication tables in his mind.
     Fortunately for Ukyou's peace of mind, both Nodoka and
Akane were looking at Plum and not at him.
     "It's all right Plum-san, it's only Nyanniichuan.  I remember
you pointing it out to us earlier.  We just thought it would be worth a
try for Ukyou to see if it would help.  After all, you said the springs
could no longer affect Ukyou, so what's the harm?"
     "They no effect boy-girl, but you is other matter.  You come
away quick, quick, yes?"
     "I don't understand." Nodoka said.  "How could this spring be
dangerous?  Akane and I are already women."
     "You no understand, This one no have time to tell you all is to
know about valley.  You fall in spring, it change you into girl who
drowned there, and you act like that girl too.  You only you, when
you, you, rest of time, you she." Plum's anxiety was making her hard
to understand as she tried to make them understand that they were
not safe.  Fortunately, her urgency conveyed the danger, even if her
words were not easily understandable.
     Nodoka and Akane looked at each other, and started to inch
away from the spring.  Ukyou for his part was also moving.
Mathematics and cold water having served to quell his body's
uprising.  He was still making every effort not to look at Plum,
however, so as a result he was the first to see the fireball as it flashed
into being above the north valley wall.
     "What  . . . " Was all Ukyou was able to get out before, the ball
of flame crossed the distance between the two sides of the valley, and
plowed into the south wall.  The impact was followed by a wave of
pressure, as the air disturbed by the impact washed over them.
Underneath their feet the ground shook, and Nodoka, startled by the
event, reflexively  took a step away from the impact zone.
Unfortunately, that was a step toward the spring.  Everyone's
attention was on the smoking crater, high up on the valley wall, and
it was not till Nodoka cried out in shock that they turned and
witnessed her falling backward into the pool.
     Ukyou lunged forward, but while he got his arms under, it was
too late.  The force of her fall drove her under the water before
Ukyou could stop her, and while he snatched her out within a
second, it was far too late.
     Plum, and Akane looked in shock at the coughing sputtering
figure laying in Ukyou's arms.  A tiny red head now virtually swam
in Nodoka's kimono.  Her long red hair falling like a fiery waterfall
into the pool.
     Ukyou stared down at the cute girl in his arms.  There was a
slight resemblance to Nodoka in her face, but when the girl's eyes
finally focused and stared up at him, it was not Nodoka looking out
of them.