Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ , nor do I own Princess Mononoke. Both of them belong to their respective copyright holders.

Finding a Cure

Chapter 1: Accidents Happen

Jusenkyo Springs

"It should be around here somewhere," a young man donning a red cloth sleeveless Chinese shirt, and a pair of loose black kung fu pants muttered to himself as he reached the summit atop a giant sea green hill. Looking out over the now empty springs, which had once been filled with cursed water and still had bamboo poles sticking out of them, the young man brought a hand up atop his brow in order to shield his cobalt blue eyes from the bright sunlight above.

"Old ghoul, she'd better not have been lyin' to me," the young man muttered to himself as he brushed back his long ponytail when a gentle breeze whipped it up in front of his face. "She said there should be one spring that couldn't have been drained out, but so far all the ones I've seen looked pretty empty," he said to himself as hefted a large brown daypack onto his shoulders and bounded down the hill at a seemingly impossible speed.

Leaping off of the hill at the last second the young man landed on his feet with practiced elegance before he looked over the springs once more. 'Jeez, I ain't seeing a damn thing,' the young man thought to himself with a frown as he heard someone quickly approaching behind him.

"Airen! Why you no wait for Shampoo!? You promise Great-grandmother that you spend time with Shampoo once you got information on sacred spring," a young woman with long flowing violet hair squawked indignantly as she stalked up to the young man while aiming a fierce glare at the him through her dark brown eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're spendin' time now ain't we," the young man replied with a shrug and an exasperated sigh which only served to infuriate the young woman even more.

"Ranma forget, Shampoo only one who can call on power of sacred spring," the young woman stated with a feral smirk as she noticed the boy grimace upon hearing her words. Dusting off a few bits of grass from her red and yellow Chinese dress, which hugged her curvatious form and flattered every aspect of her voluptuous body, she then brushed past Ranma with haughty "hmph".

Ranma could only grit his teeth in response as he followed behind the Chinese Amazon. 'Oh don't worry, I remember,' Ranma thought to himself with a scowl as he recounted the events that lead to his return to Junsekyo.

Flashback

"Hey old ghoul where are ya'!?" a Ranma bellowed, donning a blue Chinese style shirt instead of red, as he walked into a small restaurant only to find the person he was looking for sitting at a polished wooden table calmly sipping a cup of hot tea.

He approached the shriveled mummy looking woman, who was donning her usual green robe, with long grey hair that extended far beyond the length of her short body and stared down intently at her.

"There ya' are you old-" Ranma started with a smirk before he was cracked on the head by a sturdy wooden cane.

"It would be wise for you to remember you manners in my presence son-in-law. After all, I'm the one who knows of a power that can cure your curse for good," the Amazon matriarch stated calmly as she retracted her cane and went back to peacefully sipping her tea.

"Whatever," Ranma grumbled with a scowl as he nursed the bump swelling up on top of his head. "Anyway, what's this cure Shampoo told me about, and what's the catch?" Ranma inquired with a frown as he folded his arms over his chest trying to look intimidating.

"I will answer your questions, but first allow me to ask one of my own," the old woman answered evenly.

"Go ahead, shoot," Ranma replied as he stared down at the woman.

"Is it true that the marriage ceremony between you and the youngest Tendo was not completed?" she asked as she set down her tea and looked up at Ranma with her large eyes.

"Yeah, what of it?" Ranma responded not liking where the conversation was going.

"Well then it seems that something can actually be gained for both parties," Cologne muttered to herself with a small ghastly smile forming on her thin wrinkled lips. "Well then I will make a deal with you son-in-law. I will tell you how to remove your curse, but in return you must also do something for me," Cologne said as she waited to see what Ranma's reaction would be.

"Is it full proof?" Ranma asked as he cocked an eyebrow and continued looking down at the old woman skeptically.

"Not exactly, but there is a greater chance of it succeeding then failing," the matriarch answered evenly as she turned toward the kitchen and signaled for someone to come out with a wave of her hand. "I will have Shampoo lead you to the spring which is said to have the power to cure all Jusenkyo curses, but in return you must allow her to accompany you. You must also spend sometime with her, for it will be she who will activate the power of the spring and I doubt she'll be willing to help someone who shuns her."

"Why can't I just do it myself?" Ranma asked, completely ignoring the elder's last comment, as he cocked an eyebrow once more.

"Only those of Amazon blood can activate the power sealed with in the spring. Furthermore, only those of my lineage have to power to activate it correctly," Cologne answered sagely. "All I ask of you, son-in-law, is that you simply spend time with my great-granddaughter. I have planned no tricks, and neither has she." As she explained the details Shampoo came out of the kitchen hefting two daypacks and a warm smile as she gazed loving/lustfully at her would be husband.

Ranma considered the Amazon's offer for a moment as he stroked his chin pensively, and ignored the look in Shampoo's eyes because it threatened to make him bolt out of the establishment as fast as his legs would carry him.

"You say that there's a good chance it will work?" Ranma asked and Cologne simply nodded in response. "And all I have to do is spend time with Shampoo, we ain't gotta do nothin' physical and I ain't gotta marry her?" he asked and the matriarch simply nodded in response again.

An uneasy silence blanketed the room for a moment as the Amazon's waited to hear what Ranma's decision would be. Breathing in deeply Ranma then released a tired sigh before shrugging.

"Good, here are your plane tickets. You should arrive there before it gets too late considering the fact that you are leaving this early in the morning," Cologne stated as she handed the raven haired teen a pair of plane tickets.

"Plane tickets?" Ranma questioned as he cocked an eyebrow while staring down at the wrinkled Amazon.

"How else did you plan on getting there? I hope you didn't plan on swimming again," Cologne said as she shook her head and exhaled a tired sigh as Ranma began chuckling nervously. "These are round trip tickets, so you don't have to worry about swimming back either," Cologne said as she collected her cup and hopped onto her cane heading toward the kitchen.

"Take good care of my Great Granddaughter, son-in-law," Cologne said in a foreboding tone as she pushed through the door that led to the kitchen.

After the aged Amazon left the room Ranma was treated to his customary Amazon glomp from the voluptuous violet haired girl.

"Airen, Shampoo so happy you go," Shampoo purred as Ranma tried to pry himself from her vice grip. However something soon clicked as Ranma noticed that no one came to interrupt Shampoo's nuzzling.

"Uh, Shampoo, where's Mousse?" Ranma questioned nervously as he continued to struggle out of the Amazon's grasp.

"Oh, Shampoo tie up Mousse and lock in shop safe. No worry though, he has air hole and Great Grandmother will feed him," Shampoo replied as Ranma finally popped out of her arms and stared at her blankly.

"Oookay…well I guess since he's outta the picture this couldn't be too bad then," Ranma muttered to himself as looked down at the tickets once again.

End Flashback

Or so he thought before he found himself glomped left and right by the buxom violet haired girl. "I can't take no more of this," Ranma muttered himself as he corrected the day pack on his shoulders and followed behind Shampoo.

"Little more, Airen, then we be there," Shampoo told Ranma as they weaved in and out through the various spots of vibrant green grass above the empty springs.

"You said that five minutes ago," Ranma muttered as he glared at the Amazon who simply chuckled nervously.

"Shampoo sorry," the young woman replied with an apologetic smile as she turned around and tried to glomp the raven haired teen who simply side-stepped and allowed her to go tumbling down into one of the empty springs.

"Owie," Shampoo moaned as she smacked down into the muddy pit on her stomach. Pushing herself off of the ground she examined her now mud coated outfit and felt the mud on her face and arms starting to drip. It was all the proud warrior could do not to cry due to the fact that the outfit she was wearing was one of her favorites.

"Come on would ya'? I ain't got all day ya' know!" Ranma bellowed down into pit causing Shampoo to snap out of her daze.

Quickly wiping away the mud from her skin the Amazon simply sighed sadly as she turned and leapt out of the pit.

"Well, let's get going," Ranma demanded as Shampoo arrived while frowing down at her ruined outfit once more before she sighed and trudged on.

After a few more minutes of walking they came upon a faintly glowing spring nestled within the innermost section of the springs. There was no pole sticking out of it and the clear blue water seemed to sparkle in the afternoon sun above.

Staring down at the spring the duo felt slight warmth build within them, warming their hearts and seemingly bathing them in a sense of calm and peace.

"I guess this is it," Ranma stated faintly as he allowed his mind to adjust to the unusual calm he felt. He did have to admit that it felt rather good, almost as if his worries had been washed away.

"What spring is this by the way?" Ranma inquired as bent down and gazed into the water viewing his own peaceful countenance in it.

"Is spring of drowned Shishigami," Shampoo replied with a small smile as she bent down next to Ranma. "Legend say that long ago Ancient spirit of forest die in Japan, but head float to China. Say that Shishigami-sama's head create spring in order to cure sickness and curses for all Amazons," Shampoo finished as she fished a small beautiful branch with vibrant green leaves from her daypack and set it before the spring.

"What's that supposed to do?" Ranma asked as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"Is offering to Shishigami-sama; must give to receive," Shampoo stated sagely as she stood up and stepped back from the spring. Ranma did the same and both stared at the plant for a moment. Suddenly the spring started bubbling as if it were alive.

Within seconds sparkling tentacle like shapes formed out of the water before they reached out and gently pulled the plant into the spring.

"Whoa," Ranma commented as he watched the scene, mouth hanging agape and eyes wide. Shampoo simply nodded in response as she gazed upon the sparkling visage with wide eyes as well.

After a moment the spring stopped bubbling and returned to its peaceful state once more.

"Well that was cool, but I think I'm still cursed," Ranma remarked sarcastically as he stared down at the water while Shampoo brushed past him and bent down at the water's edge once again.

"Shampoo no finish yet, great-grandmother say one last thing to do," Shampoo stated as she fished a pocket knife out of her day pack. Frowning slightly she placed the knife to her hand before she drew back and cut it at almost invisible speed. At first the cut look like no more then a small paper cut but after a moment blood began to ooze out of the cut and into the spring causing it to bubble again.

"'kay Airen, you do too," Shampoo said as she turned to face the shocked young man with a warm smile.

"Uh, okay," Ranma answered nervously as he stepped forward and crouched next to Shampoo. "You sure this is gonna work?" Ranma asked as he stared down at the violently bubbling spring. Shampoo only nodded in response.

"Stick out palm," Shampoo demanded in a motherly tone of voice. Ranma slowly complied and she swiftly cut his palm in a similar fashion before grasping it and allowing the blood to drip into the spring causing it to bubble even more violently.

"So what's this supposed to do?" Ranma asked as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion and retraced his hand.

"Shampoo don't know, just follow Great-grandmother's directions," the violet haired girl replied with a shrug as she continued to watch the water bubble. However, as the duo watched, the spring started to shift from blue to a dark green. Suddenly giant bubbles full of some kind of black substance began to come up along with the greens and blues.

"Uh, Shampoo did she say anything like this was supposed to happen," Ranma asked, a hint of worry in his tone, as he furrowed his brow and pulled the Amazon back slightly. Shampoo could only shake her head in response as she eyed the spring with a look of confusion in her eyes.

Suddenly a giant horse head like glob shot out of the spring and seemed to stare at the pair in front of it.

"This can't be good," Ranma muttered with a small frown forming on his lips as he and the Amazon began to back up even further.

"Great-grandmother no say anything about this," Shampoo whispered faintly as she stared at the head wide eyed.

"I'll bet she didn't," Ranma grumbled sarcastically as he started to back up from the spring. 'This cannot be good,' he thought to himself with a frown.

Without warning the head exploded out of the spring as a titan sized body of black and green goop started to form underneath it.

"I think it's time that we started running!" Ranma exclaimed as she grabbed Shampoo by the arm and started sprinting away at a speed most wouldn't even deem humanly possible. 'Stupid old hag! Giving us the wrong information! She's gonna get us killed!' Ranma thought to himself as the Amazon and himself bounded over spring after spring in an attempt to out run the giant beast. Little did he know that Shampoo was currently thinking along the same lines.

'Crazy grandmother. She said that the spring would make Ranma my husband, but instead I'm going to get squashed by some water monster!' she thought to herself with a scowl on her face as she leapt over another spring.

Unfortunately for the two sprinting teens it seemed like the beast from the spring was not about to let them get away as it slumped over, it's body covering the entire area as far as the eye could see, before in came crashing down and the shocked and speechless duo who came to an abrupt halt.

"Oh crap," Ranma muttered wide eyed as the goop fell down toward them. 'Can't anything go my way for once!? I'll be damned if I let swamp thing beat me!' "MOKO TAKABISHA! Ranma bellowed as two giant red energy blast shot forth from his hands and sailed up toward the descending beast.

'Gotcha,' Ranma thought to himself with a confident smile as the ki blast made contact with the beast causing a giant explosion. Waiting for the smoke to clear Ranma decided it would be best to jump through the holes his attack should have made and to run across the beast to safety.

However, as soon as the smoke cleared Ranma and Shampoo gasped upon seeing that the attack had done absolutely no damage.

"Ayie! Airen it no work!" Shampoo cried out in horror as she tried to think of anything they could possibly do to halt the beast descent.

"Impossible," Ranma whispered in a horse voice, eyes wide, before his brow furrowed and he gritted his teeth. 'It can't end like this, I'm the best! There's no way I can lose!' Ranma thought to himself as he continued to fire off ki blast after ki blast at the rapidly descending creature. Unfortunately this proved to be futile and the pair finally resigned themselves to their inevitable fate.

The black, green, and blue goop soon engulfed the pair, as well as anything within the surrounding area, and everything went black as they floated within it before completely disappearing with out a trace.

To Be Continued

Author's Note: It seems that I just can't stick with one story for some reason (sigh), oh well. Anyway, for those of you wondering, yes this story will take place in the past and in the world of Princess Mononoke.

Okay, as always, please review and feel free to flame!