R1/2 -- Chris Collins (artc@mastnet.net)

	(CUTE VOICE: Nii hao.  This Shampoo speaking.  Author away from desk right
now, so I introduce chapter--sort of.  Ahem.  ....  Stupid wheelchair boy
say Shampoo no should hit Stupid Spatula Girl like last chapter--even if she
deserve... mmmm....  He feel sorry for Spatula Girl and let her help write
chapter this time.

	At least Spatula Girl make Miko keep hands off what not hers!

	Uh... oh!  Just remind that author no try steal ideas.  Characters created
by Take... Taka... Takahashi are hers.  There.  Are I not good introducing
person?)

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              |       An Iron Dagger Production        |
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	Ranma walked beside Miko with his arms folded, a noticeably irritated look
on his face as he tried to forget the stinging sensation Doshin's sword left
on the back of his head.  He had straightened his outfit as best he could,
but there was still a rip in it running down his chest and the taunt fabric
just ripped even more each time he tensed his muscles.

	Miko almost had to run to keep up with his long strides.  She could easily
tell he was angry--who couldn't--and she was worried that he might any
second start yelling at her or tell her to go away, but he hadn't uttered a
word since they left the house.  In an almost shaky tone, she said, "Please
don't think ill of Father.  He's just a bit overprotective."

	Ranma grumbled, "Overprotective is NOT the word I'm looking for."  _He's
almost as unreasonable as Akane._

	Miko forced a smile for his benefit.  "Don't worry, Guardian Spirt.  I'm
sure he'll forgive you when we get back."

	Ranma groaned.  _HE'LL forgive ME?_

	Miko couldn't think of anything else to say, and a long silence passed
between them.  Finally, Ranma asked, "So, where're we goin anyway?"

	Miko smiled.  "I don't know about you, Guardian Spirit, but I'm going to
take a bath."

	Ranma raised his eyebrows.  "Bath?"

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              |        Writen and Directed by:        |
              |        Christopher Lee Collins        |
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	Ranma jumped back in fright and pointed a finger at the pool before him.
"Your not seriously considering taking a bath in that!"

	They stood before what Ranma believed were the infamous Cursed Springs of
Jusenkyo--well, actually he cringed.  Miko, however, casually walked up to
the pool she had picked out of many (one along the outer edge) and stuck her
hand in the water to check its temperature.  "Why?  I take a bath here all
the time."

	"Y-you do?"

	Miko then stood up and started pulling her shirt off. (OLD VOICE: Ooooh.
Pretty lady.) "Sure.  This is my favorite spot."

	"Ack!  Miko, what're ya doing?"  Ranma immediately started looking around
nervously, half expecting Akane to inconveniently walk onto the scene..

	"Getting undressed, silly.  You don't expect me to take a bath with...."
She dropped her shirt to the ground and looked both worried and insecure.
"You don't find anything wrong with my body do you?" (OLD VOICE: Oooooooh!
Ahhhhhhhhh!)

	Ranma faced forward and waved a hand excitedly in front of him.  "No, no,
no, it's not that, it's just.... *sigh*  It's nothing."  He closed his eyes
lightly, almost disappointed Akane didn't show.

	Miko stared at him curiously for a while longer before shedding her
trousers and stepping into the water.
	

              -----------===================-----------
              |    Based on Characters Created by:    |
              |           Rumiko Takahashi            |
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	Miko waded in the water a bit, watching her guardian spirit, who was
crouched at the edge of the pool, glowering as he stared at his reflexion
and occasionally at her.

	Miko moved closer to him and tried to look into his eyes.  "Is something
wrong, Guardian Spirit?"

	Ranma groaned, "I'd rather not talk about it right now."

	Miko frowned.  She had been patient, but she was getting annoyed with
everything he wasn't telling her--he already owed her two long, complex
stories.  She smiled, this time with a little mischief she rarely indulged
in.  "You need to learn to relax, Guardian Spirit.  Why don't you take a
bath with me?" (CHEF'S NOTE: DIE, BITCH!  ....  Oh.  Sorry.)

	Ranma looked startled for a second, then turned sullen again and politely
answered, "No." (CUTE VOICE: Good boy!)

	Suddenly, Miko flung a large handfull of water into Ranma's face and
quickly waded backwards, laughing out loud.  "I insist."  Ranma, now of the
female persuasion, remained frozen in her crouch with strands of red hair
matted against her face and mouth gaped in disbelief.  Her ripped shirt
sagged loosely off of one shoulder and was ready to fall off the other.

	Miko cupped her mouth and tried to suppress another laugh.  Ranma smirked.
"Why you little...."  She cupped her hands and sent an enormous amount of
water in Miko's direction, which effected opposite reactions--with Miko
staring in disbelief and Ranma laughing.

	Miko launched another handful of water.  Ranma jumped back before it hit
and quickly stripped her clothes off.  "Ok!  That's it!"  She jumped in with
Miko and they instantly proceeded to slap water in each other's direction.
(CHEF'S NOTE: Aw, Ranchan!  I thought we shared something special and unique
last fanfic!  And here you are already taking baths with other women! Hmph!)

              -----------===================-----------
              |      Ranma Saotome and Miko Lee       |
              |                  in:                  |
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	Ranma leaned against the side of the pool facing away from the many other
pools, hands clasped behind her head, and sighed.  _I can't believe I'm
actually taking a bath in a cursed spring.  But I guess if this is really
the past, some of these springs won't be cursed yet._  "Thank you."

	Miko raised her eyebrows.  "Hm?  What for?"

	"I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time." (CHEF'S NOTE: But you did
with me, Ranchan!  Or have you already forgotten?!)

	Miko moved over next to her guardian.  (CHEF'S NOTE: GRRRR!) (CUTE VOICE:
Yeah.  Grrr....) (CHEF'S NOTE: SHUT UP!) (CUTE VOICE: Eep.) "You must really
lead a rough life, Guardian Spirit."

	"Yeah.  Tell me about it."

	Miko frowned.  "No.  Why don't you tell me about it."

	Miko started to get out of the pool (CHEF'S NOTE: Exhibitionist!) and Ranma
sat up as if waking from a daze.  "Huh?  Wha... what're you.... oh."  Ranma
watched as Miko started drying herself with her torn shirt.  "Hey!  What's
the big idea?  What'm I supposed to wear now?"

	Still drying herself off, Miko walked over to her own clothes and pulled an
extra pair of clothes seemingly from out of nowhere.  "I mended them before
morning meal.  What do you think?"  Ranma smiled when she recognized them as
her own favorite Chinese outfit.

	Ranma dunked her head underwater before getting out to dry herself off with
the remaining pants she didn't need anymore. (CHEF'S NOTE: They're both
perverts.)

              -----------===================-----------
              |             NYANNIICHUAN              |
              |           Very Tragic Story           |
              |                Part 3                 |
              |      "I'm Not As Weak As I Look"      |
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	A gray wolf trotted noiselessly through the trees and brush and watched the
twin red-headed girls as they made their way along the faint trail leading
from the springs to Doshin's cottage. (OLD VOICE: The Big, Bad Wolf must be
in shock.) (NOTE: Huh?) He had no idea what happened to Lon and couldn't
report back to the palace without facing a death squad, so for now, all he
could do was follow them.

	Miko hummed a sweet tune as she immitated her guardian spirit's movements
once again, walking by her side at the same carefree stroll and clasping her
hands behind her head in careful contemplation.  Ranma felt uncomfotable
with her friend's efforts to copy her and occasionally changed positions,
but the other just changed her own position at almost the same exact time
until Ranma felt like she was walking past a long mirror.  Ranma eventually
forgot about Miko's mimicry as she found something else that interested her.
(CHEF'S NOTE: It better be something other than Miko, Ranchan!)

	Miko folded her arms like her guardian, but kept her face forward when she
noticed that her companion was eyeing her up and down like a farmer might
size up a stock animal at an auction (CHEF'S VOICE: Cow!).  Miko bit her lip
as she stifled a laugh.  "Am I really that interesting, Guardian Spirit?"

	Ranma clasped her hands behind her head again--Miko noticed she'd do that
when she was at least partially nervous.  "I was just tryin to figure out
what you did with that old outfit I had on.  I mean, you didn't leave it
back at the spring, and it's kinda hard to hide a whole outfit on a body
like mine... I mean, yours... without it showin."  

	Miko reached under her blouse and pulled out part of the torn shirt, then
shoved it back in.  She smiled proudly.  "Is that what you're talking  about?"

	Ranma leaned forward, but saw no bulge to indicate where she stuffed it.
"Yeah.  I don't see it under your clothes." (CUTE VOICE: Pervert!)

	Miko blushed and half-turned.  "You never told me you could see through my
clothes."

	Ranma sighed and rolled her eyes.  "That's not what I meant."

	Miko stopped walking, clasped her hands behind her back, and started
rocking on her heels.  "So you want to know where I put it?"

	Ranma stood in front of her and nodded once. (CHEF'S NOTE: Letch!)

	Miko smiled and taunted, "Not until you tell me something about yourself."

	Ranma sighed and nodded, then felt her stomach growling.  "But could we get
something to eat first?"

	Miko looked at her guadian curiously.  "But we just ate not too long ago."

	Ranma started rocking on her heels like Miko had done and started humming
the same sweet tune.  Miko sighed and started walking away from the trail.
"Ok, Guardian Spirit.  Follow me."

	The wolf sniffed the air one more time for Lon and his troops, but everyone
was too far away.  He sneered, then padded after the girls.

		

	A small group of children gathered to watch a dark-haired clown as he
danced around the cobbled street juggling several lit torches.  His face was
painted like a chinadoll, pale cream with light blue eyeshadow and a few
blue circles under the eyes, so he could easily pass as a mime as well.  His
jumpsuit was white with blue spots with deep blue streamers attached to the
arms like a series of kite tails.  He liked dressing up as a clown as much
as he enjoyed being one.

	He started hopping around on one foot, juggling the torches under his leg,
when he noticed the two red-headed girls walking into town.  He threw the
torches into the air and gaped his mouth in mock-surprise, then quickly
started stumbling as he was apparently losing control of his act.  The
children gasped as the fiery sticks rained down on him, but they all seemed
to bounce back into the air again.  The clown staggered backward, juggling
the non-burning halves of the torches off of his arms and shoulders until he
could catch each one in his hands.  He then bowed with a flourish and
everyone applauded.

	"But... Guardian Spirit... I don't understand.  You mean you have three
fiancees?"

	"Weellllll....  It's a little more complicated than that.  *sigh*  This is
gonna take a while to explain."

	Miko took Ranma's arm and led her a little faster down the street.  "That's
Ok, Guardian Spirit, you can tell me while you eat.  We're almost there."

	Ranma sighed again, then suddenly jerked Miko back and, in a flurry of
arms, caught five lit torches that fell from the sky.  Miko's chest was
heaving as if she were sure she was about to die.  Ranma stared coldly at
the clown several feet in front of her, who just smiled innocently and shrugged.

	Ranma walked up to the clown and shoved the torches into his hands.  "Watch
it next time, pal!"  The clown stepped back and bowed, then proceeded to
snuff the fires out on the pavement.

	Ranma walked back and grabbed Miko's arm.  "C'mon, let's go."  Miko
regained her wits and directed her guardian to a large wooden building just
a little further down the steet.

	The clown turned to watch the two, then heard a light tapping behind him.
He turned back and watched as a large, gray wolf padded toward him.  The
children on the street scattered, but the clown just smiled.  When the wolf
reached him, he dropped into a crouch and held out a pretty, yellow flower.