Part I

     It had been a dreary day, but the Kenshingumi members were all in pretty good moods.  Even Kaoru hadn't been too picky about training.  They had been looking for days when they'd finally stumbled into Jusenkyou.
     "Here we are at last.  Come on, Yahiko, I've let you off the hook this long!"  Kaoru freed her bokken from her shoulder as an elderly Chinese man introduced himself with a lisp and a heavy accent.
     "Hewwo and wewcome to Jusenkyou Twaining Gwound.  Evewy Spwing has a stowy behind it.  Wet me teww you about the histowy."
     "You can tell us later," Kaoru chirped.  "Right now, we have training to do!"  She took off, dragging Yahiko behind her.  Sano followed, but Megumi made her way slowly between the lakelets, looking for a place to set up camp for the day.
     "This looks like as good a place as any, ne Kensan?"  She smiled at the man who had followed her.  He smiled back.
     "Hai, Megumidono."  He helped her set up the blanket quickly.  "I'm going to find the others."
    She nodded.  "I'll finish setting up for lunch."
     As Kenshin turned away, Megumi smoothed out the picnic blanket, and was beginning to set from the basket when they heard a startled yell and a splash.
     "Oro?"  Abandoning the site, Kenshin ran towards the sound with Megumi not far behind.
     Kaoru was screaming at something brown that thrashed in one of the pools.  Yahiko stood a few steps away, looking as if he couldn't make up his mind to attack or laugh.  As the others neared, they saw what Kaoru was yelling at.
     A large brown rooster glowered up at Kaoru and Yahiko.  There was a red bandanna hanging loose around its neck.
     Of course, by complete coincidence, the self-styled guide came puffing up at that moment.
     "What going on?  Ohh, I see.  You faww in Spwing of Dwowned Woostew.  Vewy twagic stowy of bwown woostew who dwown nine hundwed fowty yeaw ago.  Evewyone who faww in spwing is tuwned into woostew."
    Yahiko was the first to recover from the initial shock.  "A... rooster??  Sano's a chicken?  THAT chicken?"  From shock to disbelief, the rooster watched the boy, but when the latter started to laugh, the former started to climb out of the pool and peck angrily in his direction.  Yahiko backed off and tripped over a rock, falling only inches away from being dunked himself.  His landing was clean, except for the sharp rock that left a rather unpleasant looking cut on his leg.
     "Take it easy, Sano."  Megumi seemed to be calm, but then she smirked.  "I always knew your true colors would come through someday."  Somehow she seemed to be taking this in stride.  "Come, Yahiko.  I'd like to take a look at that leg."
     "That scratch is going to take my leg off," he complained, in what he thought was a low voice.
     "That could be arranged too, you know."  Megumi smiled brightly and he followed in limping silence.  Kaoru followed.
     Kenshin eyed the wet avian.  "Come on, Sano.  We may as well follow them."
     The guide watched them benignly.  "Is okay.  When he go in hot watew, he be okay.  But in cowd watew, is back to being woostew!"
     Sano looked ready to kick the guide, but Kenshin intervened.  "Do you have any plain hot water handy, then?"
     The guide looked back at him steadily.  "Not hewe, but at home is kettwe.  Easy to make hot watew."
     "Could you please?"  The rurouni looked at his friend.  "I'm sure he's not very happy the way he is right now."
     The guide nodded and trotted away.
     Kenshin turned back towards the picnic blanket.  Sano followed him and stood over the open basket, angrily pecking at it for all he was worth while Megumi finished bandaging up Yahiko's leg.  Kaoru watched them, trying to learn what she could.
     "Sano, don't you think you should wait for us to eat?"  Kenshin smiled a little nervously.  Then again, patience never had been one of the younger man's strong suits.  Sano glared at him when Kaoru turned, saw, and screamed.
     "Sano, you jerk!"  She raised her bokken and started on a downward swing towards the chicken.
     THWACK!
     Kaoru blinked when she realized her movement had been halted.
     "That's got to hurt," Yahiko commented, bending his knee slowly.  Kenshin's hand was wrapped around the wooden blade.
     "Kaorudono, both of you are going to have to get used to it until we can find a cure, but I think he's having a difficult enough time right now."  The redheaded rurouni was calm, smiling reassuringly.
     The chicken squawked righteous indignation.  Then he looked outraged and very embarrassed.  Sano did not seem to like his new form very much.
     "Oh, I suppose so.  But chickens are such messy creatures."  Kaoru did not look happy about it as she replaced the weapon at her back.  "And they eat so much!"  She did not stop glaring at Sano.
     "Kaoruchan, this doesn't change anything.  He's still Sano."  Jaws dropped as the others looked at Megumi, who smiled sweetly.
     "She's not--" Yahiko was cut off.
     "You said it yourself, Kaoruchan.  He's a messy creature, and eats far beyond his means."
     Just then the guide came back with a steaming kettle, some of the contents of which he poured over Sano's head.
     "Ah!!  That's HOT!"  Sano was startled into exclaiming.  The others looked at him, reddening.
     "Oro.."
     "Ah, Sano?  You're.. Not..."
     "Kensan?"
     "Oro?"
     "Well someone has to bring his clothes back, Kenshin."  Yahiko was the only one who seemed to still be attached to reality.  Sanosuke did exhibit the presence of mind to try and assume a position of modesty.
     "Orooo?"  Kenshin had that "why me" look.
     "Oh, fine, I'll do it."  Yahiko went back the way they had come.
     "What are you all looking at?"  Sano glared, but somehow it had less impact when he wasn't wearing anything but a crookedly tied red bandanna.
     Kaoru and Megumi suddenly looked elsewhere.  Any elsewhere.  Their faces were quite red and as Kaoru later murmured to Megumi, "You know, I never realized he was quite that built."  The younger woman could find no argument.
     Kenshin started studying the damage Sano had done to the picnic basket, and decided it would last long enough to get them back to Japan, and that it could be repaired.  The guide had stood blandly through the whole episode.
     "What you think, cwothes change fowm when he do?  That siwwy of you!  Onwy pewson change shape, not cwothes."
     "Thank you oh so very much for telling me that in ADVANCE!"  It was not Sano's usual sarcasm, nor was he speaking as politely as he might.  Fortunately, that was when Yahiko returned with Sanosuke's wet clothes.
     Megumi and Kaoru managed to look busy unpacking the lunch while he dressed.  "Why don't we just eat and leave?  I don't think this training ground is such a good idea."  Kaoru remained involved in her task.
     "You can't weave yet!  I must teww you aww about Jusenkyou Spwings!  Vewy twagic stowies!"
     "Later, old man.  Right now, I'm hungry."  Sanosuke's restoration had not improved his mood, and no one pointed out that he'd damaged a good portion of the picnic basket.
     None of them seemed to want to talk much, concentrating on eating and making a break for it.  Everyone pitched in to pack.
     Megumi picked up the hamper and wobbled backwards.  She tried to catch her balance, stepped on a rock, and pitched over.
     "Megumidono!"  Kenshin caught her but could not stop her from falling, and lost his own balance as well.  She tried to pull him upright, praying that leverage was in their favor.  An instant later, there were two splashes.
     A small russet fox climbed out of one spring, dragging a lavender kimono and blue smock out of the water in her jaws.  She looked decidedly unhappy.
     "Wow, what a fox!"  Sano was glad of the chance for revenge.
     "Oh, too bad.  You faww in Spwing of Dwowned Vixen.  Vewy Twagic story of beautiful red vixen who dwown two hundwed and seventy yeaw ago."
     "Kenshin!"  Kaoru ran to the edge of the other pool where he had fallen, but hesitated to reach in.
     "Is okay.  Is onwy Spwing of Dwowned Giww."
     "Shut up, old man, and get him out of there!"  Sano's brief amusement had quickly returned to wrath.
     Just then a head bobbed out of the water.
     "Hmm.  Kenshin, you don't look different."  Yahiko looked puzzled.  "Well, except your hair is black now."
     "Oro?"  Kenshin swirled around to look at the hair in question.
     "I think he got lucky and fell in a dud."  Kaoru looked relieved.
     Kenshin smiled and rose out of the water, headed back to ground.
     Yahiko, Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Megumi the fox all gaped..
     "You, uhh.."
     "Yip?"  Megumi looked much as Sano had when he'd squawked, except she was still staring in shock at Kenshin.
     "Your..  Shirt..."
     "Wow."
     "Oro?"  Kenshin looked down.
     That was a pretty impressive set of feminine assets.
     Feminine assets?
     Kenshin said the only intelligent thing that came to mind.  "Oroooroooo....."  Followed by another splash.
     Kaoru and Sanosuke grabbed Kenshin's arms where they lay out of the water and dragged the rurouni out of the pond.
     "As I say.  Youw fwend faww in --"
     "Yeah, we know.  Spring of Drowned Girl.  We guessed that.  Very tragic story too, I'll bet."  Sano glared up at the guide as Kaoru closed Kenshin's shirt.  "You still got that hot water?"
     The guide shook his head.  "I go get now."  Kenshin sat up as the old man ambled away.
     "Oroo..."  He looked down.  They hadn't disappeared.  They were real.  Kenshin resisted the urge to touch them to make sure.
     This was embarrassing.  He tried to distract himself -- only he was a she, now.  She tried to distract herself by deciding if this was more embarrassing than, for instance, that time he'd fought the Shinko Ryu.
     Actually, the moment had been shortly before that conflict.  They'd all been bathing in two separate pools, separated by a hedge, on an invitation given them by Genzaisensei's sister.  She'd been with the other women when she'd mentioned the Shinko Ryu as the source of local trouble.
     Kenshin had been shocked into action when he heard the name.  He'd burst through the bushes, asking for information, relating how he knew the name of that group and of their treachery.  He'd been so intent on his subject that he'd completely forgotten he was wearing a look of determination and absolutely nothing else.  That had definitely been embarrassing, not that he had anything to be ashamed of.  He had always been careful to keep in shape, but even still.  Poor Sano had just undergone something not too different.
     Kenshin looked down again.  No, this had to be worse.  Maybe he remained clothed, but this was definitely not what he'd planned for his life.  Not that being a woman was necessarily a bad thing, but it was going to be difficult to relearn Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu with a whole new center of balance.
     Balance.  Would his sakabattou feel the same, have the same heft?  Kenshin's mind considered the implications, trying to avoid dealing with the outright reality of the abrupt change.  Balance the shock with something familiar, take the time to adjust to the situation, and since he didn't have any other foes but fact, he could handle this.  He reviewed techniques, practicing inside his head.  New stances, maybe, a few new tricks.  Maybe this could have its advantages.
     He -- she -- looked up.  Why was the world spinning?
     Kenshin wondered if Sano and Megumi had had quite the same trouble adjusting.  While there was the slight drawback of being trapped in a non-human form, they at least maintained their own genders!
     "Kensan?  Are you all right?"  Megumi emerged from the bushes where she had dressed, closing the last tie on her doctor's smock.  She knelt by his side and felt his wrist.  "His pulse is normal, especially considering the shock he must be in.  Or should I say her?"  She paused.  While she pondered, Kaoru upturned the rest of the warm water in the kettle over Kenshin's head.
     "Oro?"
     "You say that more than any ten people combined.  But it is good to see you back to what passes for normal for you."
     "Sano, come off it.  I don't have to tell you that this is a difficult experience to go through."  Megumi's manner had no hint of teasing.  Sano took note, made an overstated double take, and opened his mouth.
     "Oiy, Fox, no need to get snappish."
     Yahiko couldn't resist.  "Why, Sano, are you actually chickening out at her?"
     For once, the tall ex gangster remained silent, only glaring with an ill-concealed desire to kick the kid into next year.  Kaoru knelt at Kenshin's other side.
     "He does make a swell babe, ne Yahiko?"  Sano said in an aside.  Yahiko tried to look innocent, but the vigorous nodding motion of his head spoiled the effect.
     Neither was very much surprised by the bokken their heads encountered then.
     "Kensan, I think it's time we called the vacation off, ne?"  Megumi looked around, but the guide was nowhere in sight.
     Kaoru thought it was astonishing, how he could appear and disappear at the most opportune -- or awkward -- moments.  "Oh, Megumisan, don't say that!"  The idea did not sit well with Kaoru.  All that planning, and now...  "Just a few more days!   I won't even, I mean, I'll..  Oh, just a few more days!"  She looked pleadingly at the others.
     "Megumidono has a point.  I don't think that any of us," Kenshin gestured to himself and the other two victims of the waters, "are much in the mood for any more vacation."
     "Oh, come on, Kenshin.  Don't say no.  Think about it.  We don't have to eat Kaoru's cooking on vacation!"  Yahiko ducked the bokken his sensei swung half-heartedly.  He'd been getting better at that, somewhat.
     "Oiy.  Kenshin, it's not such a bad idea.  And Yahiko has as much of a point as the onnasensei.  It's nice to have a chance to get away."
     Kenshin looked at Megumi.  As much as he was enjoying this vacation, this was a bit stressful.  Yet, if everyone else wanted it, he couldn't very well spoil the whole thing.
     "Anything you say, Kensan.  Although, we could go back without them, too, ne?"  She snuggled up to him, playing idly with his wet hair.
     "Oro?"
     For some reason, Kaoru didn't seem to like that idea.  "No Way!  If you go back, I go!  You're not going to pull that one over!"
     Megumi looked wounded and innocent.  "Why, Kaoruchan, what are you saying?  Are you suggesting I would try to take advantage of Kensan in his condition?   In OUR condition?"  She cuddled in closer to Kenshin, who looked very panicky by that point.  Apparently, however, not panicky enough for Kaoru -- he was still letting himself be embraced, after all.  Kaoru raised her bokken and waved it threateningly.  She didn't THINK she would ever hit Megumisan, but...
     "Such a violent woman."  Megumi shook her head as the younger woman boiled.
     "Yare, yare."  Kenshin tried to call peace between the two, though Kaoru didn't think he was trying hard enough to extricate himself from Megumi's arms.  "I really don't think this is necessary."
     "Anything you say, Kensan."  Megumi rested her head on his shoulder.
     Kaoru charged.
     Megumi and Kenshin ducked automatically.
     Kaoru turned.  Slipped in the mud.
     Splashed.
     "Bets on a raccoon, anyone?"  Sano's dry tone showed his doubt.  Whoever was running this life was sick and twisted, but the odds were too high.  So he thought.
     Seemed that predictability was the theme of the day.  Sano did a double take when a raccoon with a wide blue ribbon around its neck crawled out of the pond.  He tried not to laugh, but it was just too unreal.
     "Someone up there really is a sadist."  Yahiko was snorting, trying to hold back laughter.
     Kenshin looked at the glowering raccoon.  "You do have to admit, Kaorudono, it is a little ridiculous.  And there are worse things to be than a raccoon."  He looked at the guide standing next to him.  He blinked.  Standing next to him?  Ah well.  "Do you have any more hot water?"
    "No, sowwy.  Fiwe aww gone.  It take coupwe houw to make new fiwe."  The guide shrugged.
     "I think we should get out of here while at least one of us is still safe."  Megumi looked at Yahiko.
     ""Maybe we could just dunk him somewhere."  Sano looked at the boy speculatively.  "Either that, or create a Spring of Drowned Brat."
     "Ah, no, that's okay, I'm ready to go back to training, come on, let's go!"  Yahiko was a sudden whirlwind of activity, rechecking that everything was packed, slinging the half-eaten picnic hamper and his belongings on his back, and running for the gates.  "Last one out's a rotten egg!"
     "Someone should slap him for that."  The others laughed, somewhat ruefully.
     "Is there such a spring?"
     "I wonder why he's in such a rush."  Sano lifted Kaoru's baggage alongside his own.
     Kenshin picked up the raccoon in his arms, seemingly oblivious to Megumi's dark look.  "I hope you don't mind, but it will be faster for me to carry you, Kaorudono."
     No one was much surprised when she did not protest.  Megumi stormed off ahead after Yahiko.
     "Megumidono seems upset."  Kenshin blinked at her sudden change of attitude.  Could raccoons smirk?  Kaoru looked like she was.  "I'm sure it's just the shock of it all."
     The younger man looked at his friend with a studious expression.  Was he really that naive?  Sano knew he didn't have THAT much experience with women, but even he knew the reason for Megumi's sudden fit.  "I'm sure that's it.  You know the Fox."  He shook his head slightly, but Kenshin wasn't watching him anymore.
     Then again, one could never tell exactly what the former hitokiri was thinking.  Sanosuke little doubted his friend knew of the older woman's powerful attraction to him, though he also suspected that attraction was not love.  He thought he'd seen her watch him, sometimes, and she certainly had taken long enough to look away when he'd changed back from being a chicken.
     Not that he'd ever admit it aloud, but the foxy lady doctor set his pulse racing like end fight ever had, not even when he'd been learning under Sagara-taicho when the Sekihou Tai had been strong, not even his fights against Kenshin.
     He snapped out of his thoughts as they reached the edge of the training grounds, where Yahiko waited anxiously and Megumi stood looking as calm as ever.  Sano wondered if anyone else noticed her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the raccoon-girl.
     He reminded himself yet again that he at least was not jealous.