"THE CURE!?!"

ENTER SHAMPOO AND ANOTHER CURE

It was another quiet day at the Tendo dojo... "Hey come back here!" Ranma shouted, as he chased Genma down the hall. "What do you think you're doing?! Give me back my squid!"

"Not a chance m' boy. It's time you took responsibility for your training. That means more work and less eating. Haha...." suddenly the back wall came down on Genma cutting his laughter short.

"Nihao Ranma!" Shampoo said while entering the Tendo residence with her usual flair. "Ranma, Shampoo bring good news. You hear?"

"Uh... O.K." said a stunned Ranma.

"Shampoo know new way to make Ranma boy for good, you go with Shampoo to Cat Cafe?"

"This isn't another trick is it?" replied Ranma.

"No. This truth."

"So it's not like the instant Nannichuan?"

"No."

"So it's not like the waterproof soap?" Ranma asked.

"No! This true cure," said Shampoo slightly angered.

"Are you sure?" Ranma asked unbelievingly.

Shampoo raised her voice, "Ranma you come now, less you want be girl forever."

"All right, all right, already." Ranma followed Shampoo to the Cat Cafe.

Meanwhile, back at the dojo... "What do you mean he went with Shampoo?!" yelled Akane.

"Well," began Genma, "when I got out from under the wall, I saw him and Shampoo walking off together."

"OOOOOOH, what is he thinking! Mr. Saotome, where did they go?"

"I believe Shampoo took him to the Cat Cafe."

COLOGNE'S EXPLANATION

Back at the Cat Cafe, Ranma was listening intensely to Cologne as she was explaining the steps

he needed to take to get rid of his cursed form.

"So, you see son-in-law, that is how you can be rid of your girl side forever," Cologne finished.

"Are you serious? You want me to do that?" asked a horrified Ranma.

"Aren't you serious about becoming a whole man again?" asked Cologne, already knowing the answer.

"Of course, but this method is so terrible. There's got to be another way!"

Shampoo hooks her arm around Ranma's arm and says, "Ranma, you be whole man for honeymoon." Just then Akane walks in.

"So Ranma this is what you were up to!" she screams.

"Wait, Akane, I... I can explain," stutters Ranma.

"Explain this!" She yells as she kicks Ranma through the roof. "Honestly! I can't leave him alone for one minute."

Ranma finally got back to the Tendo's, just as everyone was finishing up dinner. "Son, is it true?" asked Soun, welling up with tears. "Are you really running off with that Amazon?"

"It's not like that," Ranma murmured.

Akane spoke up. "And just what weeeere you and Shampoo doing? Not that I would care, of course."

"She and Cologne were telling me about an ancient Chinese method to remove my cursed form," Ranma answered.

"Yeah right, Ranma. Why don't you and Shampoo go off together?" Akane retorted.

"I told you! It's not like that. They really told me of a cure."

"Then tell us m'boy how do we do it," Genma chimed in.

"Well, it's a tough way but it's better than being a girl the rest of my life."

"Spit it out already Ranma," said Genma becoming impatient.

"Well... first you have to change into your cursed body. Then..." Ranma paused not wanting to think about what must be done. "You have to stay that way for a fortnight... and at the end of the two weeks while as a girl, or panda, pops.... you have to... you have to... you have to... you have to r-- t--ou-- th- s-r-e--s h--- n--ed -n th- -att--n -f - ---gon. Th-- you -ut on a sp----l g-r--n- and, w--le w--ring it, v---t --- t--lv-- t------ on my ---. _t each of the temples, there is a f--nt---. On each fountain an inscription. When all of the inscriptions are pieced together, the location of the thirteenth fountain is revealed. At the thirteenth fountain is an ointment which will cure us." Everyone stared at Ranma confused, only catching part of what he said.

"Raaanmaaaaa!!!! Tell us the cure now!" Genma yelled.

THE MEANS

"I said," Ranma let out his words quickly, "you have to run through the streets half naked in the pattern of a dragon. Then you change back and put on a special garment and, while wearing it, visit the twelve temples marked on this map." Ranma pulled out the map that was given to him by Cologne and slowed down his explanation. "At each of the temples, there is a fountain. On each fountain an inscription. When all of the inscriptions are pieced together, the location of the thirteenth fountain is revealed. At the thirteenth fountain is an ointment which will cure us."

"Well that doesn't sound too bad," said Genma while letting out a sigh equally full of relief and happiness.

"That's because a panda running naked is normal!" Ranma shouted back, and then calmed his voice a little. "There is a guard at every other fountain, of course, starting with the first fountain. And you haven't seen the special garment yet."

"How bad can it be if it means a cure."

Ranma reached into his bag and pulled out a fluorescent purple tutu with 12 bells evenly spaced along the arms. Each bell was inscribed with the word cure.