Nabiki walked down the street and turned off into one of the buildings on the side. JT cautiously rolled in through the door that Nabiki was holding open. A man walked out and saw the rock on the floor and laughed. He looked at Nabiki "If you think I'm gonna give you any money for that, you're mistaken!". "Dr. Tofuu? This is my boyfriend, JT. He was cursed at Jusenkyo." "He turns into a rock? That must be very hard on him. So you're looking for some hot water?" "Yeah." "All right, just give me a few minutes." With that, Dr. Tofuu placed a kettle on the stove and took a seat. JT rolled to one side of the office so he wouldn't be an obstacle to anyone who might come in. "Did he just move on his own?" Tofuu asked. "Yes. He can move, hear, and see, but not talk. He's actually quite a sophisticted rock." Tofuu laughed. "I think the water's done. Let me grab it." Tofuu walked over to the stove and grabbed the kettle, which he brought over and poured on the rock. The rock grew and took the shape of one naked JT. Nabiki giggled. "I can never get enough of this" she thought as JT scrambled for his clothes. Tofuu then approached JT. "So you've been to Jusenkyo?" "Yeah. That's where I was cursed." "I was going to tell Ranma tonight, but I guess this concerns you as well. I believe I may have located the spring of drowned man Ranma's been looking for." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ultimate Curse: Episode 3 Based on characters created by Rumiko Takahashi Written by JT Thibault Send rants and raves to aoi.ikazuchi@juno.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "JT and Nabiki stared wide-eyed at Dr. Tofuu. "If this is true," JT thought, "I can be human again!" JT smiled. "So where is this spring?" he asked. "Jusenkyo." "It is? When I was there the guide told me there was no cure!" "The spring was just recently 'created'. A drunk tourist fell into the pool and drowned last week." "Now I can be human again!" "I wish you the best. I recommend you be extremely careful, however. One wrong step and things could get even worse." "All right. Thanks a lot! Bye!" With that, JT and Nabiki ran from Tofuu's office, still having plenty of time to make it to school. As they arrived, they encountered the usual crowd of athletes, awaiting the arrival of Akane, and as usual, behind them lurked the figure named Kunou Tatewaki, except today he was with someone. It was a dark haired girl dressed in a leotard. "Maybe he's finally given up on Akane and Ranma." "I don't think so. That's his sister, Kodachi. I wonder why she's here...She goes to an all girls school...We have plently of time. I think I'll see what's going on. Care to join me, JT?" "Sure, why not." Nabiki and JT took a seat by a nearby tree and waited for the action to start. Soon enough, Akane and Ranma ran into the schoolyard, kicking, punching, and throwing the awaiting crowd into oblivion. Soon every member of the 'gang' was knocked out. "They fight so well together" Nabiki mused. "They seem like they would be perfect for each other..." "Brother, I thought you said there would be some good fighters in this crowd?" Kodachi complained. "They are not necessarily unskilled, my dear sister, but rather their skills pale in comparison to those of my beautiful Akane. Come, tell me who you would have, and I will make it so." "I want nothing to do with any of this pathetic bunch of weaklings!" Kodachi yelled. Ranma and Akane tried to enter the school, where they were stopped by Kunou. "Saotome! How dare you force the beautiful Tendo Akane to remain by your side when it is obvious she would much rather be in my presence?!" Akane and Ranma simultaneously punted Kunou into a pool, where he floated, unconcious. Kodachi watched as the two entered the building. "You dare to mock my brother?! You two will--" She was interrupted as she was run over by JT and Nabiki, late for their first class. Nabiki continued to run, not even realizing they had just trampled Kunou's sister. JT decided to stop and help her up. As Kodachi rose to her feet she looked at JT and smiled. "Going to an all girls school is so boring! This man is mine!" Kodachi thought, an evil grin spreading across her face. With that thought, she jumped into his arms and tried to kiss him. JT pulled his head away, nearly dropping Kodachi to the ground. "Hey! Stop! I have a girlfriend already!" Jt screamed. He paused for a moment. "did I actually say that?" he thought. "Now you have me, so you can leave her! HO HO HO HO HO HO!" "That laugh is kind of sexy, albeit a tad maniacal...what am I thinking! I have Nabiki!" JT snapped out of his rumination. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I have to go. I have class now. Goodbye." JT entered the school, leaving a desperate looking Kodachi standing outside. "I will have him at any cost! No one can resist...The Black Rose!" (ominous rose sounds in background) Kodachi ran from the school, laughing hysterically and waving around a gymnastics ribbon. She would be late for school, she knew, but it was a small price to pay for meeting her future husband... JT walked into economics class late. He turned and smiled at Nabiki, who waved to him, them he was prompty shown to the hall, where he was forced to hold two buckets of water. "Of all things" he thought "they make me hold buckets of water". Looking down the hall he could make out another figure holding buckets. It was Ranma. "Hey Ranma! Come here!" JT called. Ranma looked to make sure the teacher wasn't ] looking, then ran down to meet JT. "What do you want?" "I was talking to Dr. Tofuu this morning, and it turns out that last week some man drowned in a spring at Jusenkyo!" It didn't talk long for Ranma to understand the ramifications of such an incident. "So now there's a spring of drowned man!" "Exactly! We can be normal again!" Ranma and JT celebrated until the teacher came out and sent them to the principal's office. They walked into an area filled with fake palm trees and other oddities. It looked like a tropical island in this so-called "office"! Ranma walked cautiously, constantly looking behind himself and up in the trees. JT wondered what the big deal was, but didn't say anything as he followed Ranma. Suddenly there was a noise and a man dropped from one of the trees holding an electric hair clipper. "Aloooooha! Principal Kunou at your service!" the man shouted as he tried to drag the razor over Ranma's head, but Ranma just kicked the razor away. "did he say 'Kunou'?" JT thought. "That would explain a few things...". JT and Ranma walked out of the office and down the hall. "What was that all about? He didnt even talk to us!" "Here's how this school works: If you get into trouble, you go see principal Kunou. You enter his office and he tries to surprise and shave your head. If you can defend yourself, you can leave. If not...well, you get a goofy looking haircut. That's another reason you should learn martial arts." "I understand." "Anyway, I was just thinking...How exactly are we going to get to China?" "I was hoping you would have an idea..." "Not a clue here...unless...I might have an idea." "Yes? What is it?!" "Well, the best option would be to take a boat. All we need to do is find someone rich who owns his own boat. There's only one person I can think of who fits that description..." Ranma trailed off. "Kunou!" "Exactly. It shouldn't be too hard, either. All we have to do is have Akane ask him to take her to China and he'll gladly oblige." "Why not just ask him in your girl form?" "There's a couple reasons for that. First, I don't want Kunou slobbering all over me the entire trip. Second, if this thing works and I cahnge permanently back into a guy, what'll Kunou do? If he can't find his pig-tailed girl, he'll go crazy. He hates my male form. He could leave us there in China, or he could stay there looking for the pig-tailed girl for the rest of eternity, and we'd still wouldn't get back." "Points taken..." "Anyway, I think we probably should get back to class." "Agreed." They turned and ran in opposite directions. "Oh JT!" Ranma called back. "Yeah?" JT asked, stopping to turn around. "Thanks for the info!" "No problem!" And with that they departed. For the rest of the day JT daydreamed through his classes, dreaming about how great it would be to be rid of his horrible curse. This daydreaming landed him in the hall 4 more times before the day was over. When school finally ended, JT and Nabiki ran outside and found Ranma and Akane waiting for them. "I talked to Akane, and she says she'll do it." Ranma told JT. "Do what?" Nabiki asked, curious. "I'll explain on the way home." The four of them walked down the street, talking about the conversation with Tofuu and the possibility of Ranma and JT returning to normal. Now all they had to do was have Akane talk to Kunou... Sure enough, Kunou readily agreed to the trip. He put up no resistance whatsoever, even offering to take Akane around the world. He wasn't very thrilled when Akane mentioned that Ranma, JT, Genma, Ryouga and Mousse would be coming too. Nevertheless, Kunou decided, "time spent with Akane no matter how bad the surroundings, was better than even the best scenario without her". The next day the group left for Jusenkyo, unaware of an uninvited guest that slipped aboard the ship while no one was looking... Ranma, Akane, JT, Mousse, Ryouga, Genma, Kunou and Kodachi arrived at Jusenkyo, surprised to find it swarming with people. "Tourist season..." Kodachi muttered, then laughed. The group hadn't been too happy to discover her presence aboard the ship. She had jumped out from behind a barrel, latching onto JTs leg and refusing to let go, laughing maniacally the whole time. After finally being pried off with JTs crowbar, she hadn't been much of a bother, although her laugh unnerved most of the group. The guide could be seen running frantically from pool to pool, informing the unlucky tourists of which Jusenkyo curse he or she was the proud owner of. "Oh, very bad! You fall in spring of drowned facehugger! Very tragic story of facehugger who drown in spring 1 year ago." "Why are all these people here? Do they _want_ to be cursed? What idiots!" Genma said in a gruff voice. JT looked at Genma and fumed for a moment. He had wanted to be cursed! Maybe he really was an idiot...Ranma looked at JT and noticed the depressed look on his face. "Or maybe these people can't read chinese, but still decided to come here anyways! What idiots!" Ranma retorted. It was Genma's turn to fume. "Oh, very bad! You fall in spring of drowned Kefka! Very tragic story of Kefka who drown in spring 4 week ago." The group turned to look at the spring, wondering what a 'Kefka' was. A figure emerged from the pool and stood dripping on the bank. "HA HA HA HA HA! ...HA HA HA HA HA! With the light of Judgement I will enslave humanity and rule the world! ...? ...HA HA HA HA HA!" the man shouted. "Boy, you wanna know who that laugh reminds me of?" Ranma asked rhetorically. Everyone turned to look at Kodachi, who pupils had mysteriously been replaced with little red hearts. "Oooh! What a hunk! He shall be mine! HO HO HO!" Kodachi leapt over to the figure, ensnaring it in a ribbon. She then dragged him into the forest, Laughing the entire time. From the forest there began to arise some rather...interesting sounds... "Oh Kodachi! My crazed admirer! HA HA HA HA!" "Oh Kefka! My twisted psychotic megalomaniac love-slave! HO HO HO HO!" "HA HA HA! HO HO HO!" The laughs started to get faster and faster, then abruptly stopped, reduced to heavy breathing. "Well they sure hit it off fast!" JT exclaimed, thankful Kodachi had found someone other than him to bother. "I guess so..." Ranma weakly agreed. "Ah, my dear sister!" Kunou shouted proudly. "Finally a man worthy of her purest soul. Truly, a match made in heaven!" "A match made in Hades is more like it..." Ranma said softly. "I can't even imagine what their children will be like". Ranma shivered. "Oh, very bad! You fall in spring of drowned Ranma 1/2 Mailing List Subscriber! Very tragic story of Ranma 1/2 Mailing List Subscriber held underwater by other Ranma 1/2 Mailing List Subscriber 1 week ago!" A wet figure emerged from the pool with a huge grin. "It is NOT spam! I can prove that world war II is related directly to the Ranma 1/2 series! You see--" The man was suddenly silent. The facehugger had grabbed onto his face and melted half of his head away. There was applause from all around Jusenkyo. "Gee, that's really too bad. I mean it too." Ranma said unconvincingly. The group, minus Kodachi, stood around, watching as the guide ran from pool to pool announcing curses. "...spring of drowned demonspawn!" "...spring of drowned Dodge Ram!" "...spring of drowned water!" "Ouch! That's gotta suck..." thought JT. "...spring of drowned Gundam II!" "???!!! How deep are these springs?" JT exclaimed as a huge robot emerged from the spring. It surveyed the area then decided to take off. It was gone in less than a minute. They watched it disappear and turned back to the present activities. "...spring of drowned duck-wearing-goofy-looking-glasses! ..wait, map say spring is empty! What going on?" The group turned to see Mousse floating in a spring, quacking. Apparently he had tried to make it to the gundam spring and fell in a different one. "He was cursed before he fell in. Don't worry about him." The guide continued shouting out curses. "...spring of drowned cow!" "...spring of drowned gargoyle!" "...spring of drowned man!" Everyone turned to look at the Guide. He was only a few feet away, so the group took off for the spring. "Wait! What you doing sirs? This spring cursed! Very tragic story--" "Yeah, we know. We're already cursed. Now we're gonna change back." Ranma told the guide. The guide shook his head vigorously. No no! Springs not work like that! Curses add together, not replace other curse! You not want to go in! Ranma thought about what the guide was saying. Curses added together? He thought about having a female form with an _extra_ extension and shivered at the thought. Ryouga thought about being a man with a pig's nose. Genma imagined himself as a man with panda hair Covering his body. JT didn't think at all. He hadn't heard a word the guide said and was already on his way into the pool. There was a splash and then nothing but a few ripples. The group started intently into the pool, and started to worry. Then, JT came up. He wasn't a rock anymore. Nor was he a man. He was both of them. Together. He was a golem. Akane and Ryouga fainted, while Ranma and Genma stared. Mousse continued to float in the pool, unaware of anything because he had taken off his glasses, and Kunou just started laughing. "What did I do now..." JT thought... The group sat in a circle inside the guide's cabin. The guide had stopped in just long enough to put a kettle water over the fire, and then had to leave agin. Tourist season was awfully busy around Jusenkyo, but no one understood why. The water came to a boil and Ranma dumped it on JTs head. JT reverted back into human form, minus his clothing, which had all torn when he had made the transformation. "This is horrible...not only am i still a freak, but every time I get hit with cold water I'm gonna need to buy a new set of clothes!" "That is horrible..." Ranma agreed. JT reached into his backpack and pulled out another set of clothes, which he quickly put on. When he was done, Ranma called out the door. "Akane! You can come in now!" Akane came in and took a seat next to Ranma. The more he thought about, the more he thought these two were meant for each other, as much as they'd like to deny it. Sure, they fought a lot, but they just seemed to go perfectly together. He couldn't picture either of them with anybody else. Ranma's big mouth would just seem out of place if he was paired with any other girl, and Akane's violent temper? well, that has Ranma written all over it. He hoped they would be happy together...which brought him to thinking about Nabiki. How would she react to this sudden change? And what became of Kodachi? A tall man entered the tent with one leotard-clad woman glued to his faced (actually, she wasn't glued...the suction between the two of them refused to let her fall). Finally, after an extended kiss totalling 7 minutes, they finally broke apart. Both were breathing heavily. "Dearest sister, might you introduce your man-friend to us?" Kunou asked politely. Kodachi paused to catch her breath, then began to talk. "Yes, this is my love-slave, Kefka. Kefka, this is my brother, Kunou Tatewaki, and his friends, Tendo Akane, Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Mousse, Hibiki Ryouga, and JT." "A pleasure, Kefka." Kunou paused. "May I ask you your intentions?" "HA HA HA! I will rule the world! With Kodachi as my queen, I will rule from my tower by the power of the 3 magic statues! HA HA HA!" Kunou looked dumbfounded. "I meant your intentions towards my sister..." "Oh Kefka! I love when you talk about world domination! Make love to me again!" Kodachi flung herself up against Kefka, and they began to undress right there in the cabin. Genma took a few steps toward the eager couple and shoved them roughly through the doorway. "Man, that guy is insane! ...just perfect for Kodachi..." JT thought. "I guess if it is my sisters wish, I have no choice but to permit their engagement." Finally, long after the sun had gone down, the Guide returned to his cabin, tired and sweating. "Why you still here?" he asked, quite obviously surprised. "We need to know where to find a cure for our curses." JT asked. "What! Is it true, Tendo Akane, that the love of my life is infected with a curse? This must be the work of that demon Saotome Ranma! Ranma, I will destroy you to avenge Akane!" Kunou blurted out. Ranma punted Kunou into the wall, where he fell and laid motionless. "Doesn't he know when to quit? Geez..." "Very sorry, but there is no cure for Jusenkyo curse. Very sorry." "The group left the cabin looking glum. Just when they thought they had found it, the cure had eluded them again. They had no choice but to go back home. Genma was carrying Kunou over his back, and JT and Ranma stopped to grab Kodachi. "looks like this psycho is coming back with us too" JT stated, as he unsuccessfully tried to pry Kodachi off of her new toy. JT was amazed that even while they continued to kiss, they both continued their crazed laughs. JT shrugged, and picked up Kodachi's and Kefka's feet while Ranma took the arms. They threw the amorous couple on the boat and waited for Kunou to wake up... When they finally arrived back in Japan, Kodachi and Kefka were still going at it. "resilient, aren't they?" JT thought to himself, admiring the enrgy they had. Then he thought of Nabiki again. He wondered what her reaction would be to his new curse. He tried thinking of it in different ways. "At least now my mobility is increased" He said, trying to convince himself that he hadn't made the biggest mistake of his life by transforming into a golem. "And now I can defend her if she's in trouble". That thought didn't make him feel any better. He just sat there and pondered his situation, unaware of the rest of the group (minus Kodachi and Kefka) looking at his sad face with looks of pity... They arrived at the Tendo dojo late at night. Ryouga managed to get lost walking to the dojo, and no one had any clue where he was. When JT walked in the house he was greeted by an anxious Nabiki holding a bucket of water. "Let's see if it worked!" she exclaimed, dumping the water on him. JTs figure was replaced with a 6 foot tall humanoid shape made of solid rock. Nabiki just stared up into it's eyes for a moment, then ran to her room. JT wanted to follow her, but any movement on his part could destroy the dojo. He waited for the hot water kettle to be brought over. As soon as he had reverted to human form, he ran upstairs to Nabiki's room, almost forgetting to stop at his room first to grab some extra clothes. He knocked lightly on the door, listening for permission to enter. All he could hear coming from the room was muffled crying. He remembered the last time she cried, and how it had made him feel. Now she was crying again, and it was his fault, again. His curse was the direct result of his ignorance...He pushed the door open, hoping she wouldn't be too angry at him. He walked over to her bed, where she laid crying, and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry", he said, as she turned to face him, her eyes red. "Why" she asked "It wasn't intentional...the spring of drowned man combined my curse with my previous one...and now i turn into a golem...I'm sorry. I can understand if you don't want me anymore." She lifted herself from her bed and moved to embrace him. He held he for what seemed like the longest time, yet wished he could continue doing it for the rest of eternity. She pulled back and looked in his eyes. "I'm not disappointed in you, JT! I just wanted so badly for you to get what you wanted! I'm crying for you, not myself! I'll love you no matter what you look like!". With those words, she fell back into his arms. They laid down, holding each other tight, and both fell asleep in the other's embrace... The next morning, JT awoke to find himself still in Nabiki's arms. He looked at her and smiled happily to himself. "Yes," he told himself, "she must truly love me if she embraces me even while knowing I am half monster...". He laid his head back down and pulled Nabiki close to him, not wanting the moment to end. He looked at her peaceful face one last time and fell back asleep. He woke later to Nabiki stirring in his arms. He sat up in the bed and found Nabiki looking a bit pale. "What's troubling you?" JT asked, concerned. "This wasn't a good idea. If my father catches you up here, he'll kill you!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ End part 3...As stated earlier, this part was, in fact, a mix of the two previous parts. Part of it is just funny/stupid, the other serious. To me, they seem to work well together...but thats just me. Send me your opinions at aoi.ikazuchi@juno.com. All criticism will be taken seriously. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------