Ranma was sitting quietly on the train heading to Kyoto. He had been 
sitting quietly in the Cat Cafe earlier that day when the inspiration to 
travel to Kyoto struck him.

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

Actually, what struck him was a letter tied to a rock.

While he was outside the restaurant shouting obsenities to whomever had 
hit him, Shampoo had picked up the rock and read the letter.

"Aiyah!" she exclamed, horrified, and threw the rock with the letter 
back outside. It hit Ranma again.

"Shampoo!" he called, walking back inside. He was grasping the rock so 
hard, it was in danger of being crushed. "What did you do that for?"

"Get letter-rock out Shampoo's sight!" she demanded.

"Huh?" Ranma looked down at the rock in his hand. Or rather, the chunks 
of rock in his hand. He noticed the piece of paper. Opening it, he read 
the short scrawl.

    Dear valued customer, (excuse us for the rock, the overseas     
postage can be a bitch to pay,)
    We are proud to inform you that a new branch of our Japanese Nan     
Nii Chuan has been re-opened in the wonderful city of Kyoto. You     are 
invited to take a look at Shin Nan Nii Chuan, but do not fall     in as 
a very terrible curse of a man who fell in 138 years ago     applies to 
this particular spring. The directions are on the back.

    Sincerly,

    Jusenkyo Products Corp.

Ranma stared at the letter in disbelief.

"Why would you want to get rid of this?" Ranma asked.

"Shampoo already learn lesson with Jusenkyo Products," she intoned. 
"Shampoo want nothing to do with them!"

"Then you won't mind if *I* go." Ranma said, and bolted towards the 
nearest train station before Shampoo could stop him.

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

Barely being able to contain his excitement as the train pulled in to 
the station, Ranma bounded out of the train, bounded off the platform, 
and (yeah, you guessed it,) bounded all the way to the restaurant.

Even the rain that was picking up was not enough to lessen his spirits.

"Never gonna be a girl again. Never gonna be a girl again. Never gonna 
be a girl again," he sang to himself as he found the restaurant.

As soon as he was inside the door he was greeting by the hostess.

"Welcome to the -" CRACK! the thunder boomed outside, "- restaurant. 
Would you like a like or would you first like to see the -"

"The spring, the spring!" Ranma overly-happily stated.

"Right through there, sir. Follow-"

Ranma flew past her, pushed the curtain aside and - after taking a 
perfunctionary half-second to admire the pool - plunged in.

A few seconds later, he emerged from the pool, this time spirits 
definitely lessened. He stared at the face that was not his face. He 
stared at the red hair that was not his black hair. He stared a few more 
seconds at nothing in particular. Finally, he uttered the the only thing 
he could think of in a voice that was not his voice.

"Oro?"

*END*

Afterword:
I got the idea from some subscriber that wanted to see Kenshin in a 
contemperary setting. The idea sprang to mind last night and kept 
ricocheing around in my skull until I couldn't hold it any longer. 
Whoever is was who's post I've long since deleted, I have but one thing 
to say. I HOPE YER HAPPY!

- Shakudo - Transmission shut down due to lack of sanity.

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