A Different Kind Of Curse 
m.a. davis/miko belldandy@angelic.com 
co-plotted with Sky Rigdon and Jeffrey Cornish 
 
with apologies to Takahashi Rumiko, and to anyone who reads this 
 
It was early morning in the Nerima district of Tokyo, Japan, and people 
were just begining to stir.  Thin tendrils of fog drifted off of the 
streets and rose to greet the morning sun.  As the district came to 
life, a lone figure stalked the streets.  He was tall and muscular and 
dressed only in a white gi, and as he walked along he flexed his 
muscles, clenched his fists, and muttered about curses and revenge. 
 
If the people of Nerima noticed him at all, it was only to shake their 
heads and sigh.  Clearly, the Tendo dojo would soon have another 
visitor, and then the morning's peace and quiet would be shattered by 
the sounds of fighting, yelling, cursing, and mass destruction.  It was 
always this way.  The only good things about living in this neighborhood 
were the entertainment value and the low property values. 
 
"Curse you, Happosai!" the figure growled.  "My day of revenge is at 
hand!  Finally, after all these years, to walk on two legs again, to 
flex my hands, to be able to strike a blow with my fists!  It's been so 
long... so very long.  All that time, unable to escape my cold water 
curse, unable to find any way to effect a change... curse those stupid 
american liberals!  If not for them, this day would have come much 
sooner!  But now, Happosai, you will pay for giving me this curse!  
First you, and then all of those Greenpeace freaks!" 
 
The figure stopped, fists raised to the sky.  Loud, maniacle laughter 
echoed down the streets, but this, too, was a common occurance in 
Nerima. 
 
Several stories up, a middle-aged woman carried a tub of water to the 
open window and tossed it's contents out into the street.  "Hey!" her 
husband chided.  "You should be careful!  What if someone's out there?" 
 
"Oops," the woman said, looking out.  "Don't worry there's only... oh my 
goodness!  Would you look at that thing?  How in the heavens did THAT 
get here?" 
 
*** 
 
The story, of course, was all over the evening news.  Film crews from 
all over Tokyo came to Nerima to record the event, and the streets were 
crowded with people trying to get a peek at the center of attention.  It 
had been an all-day circus, and by the time Greenpeace had arrived with 
the helicopter, it was all anybody in Tokyo was talking about.  
According to Greenpeace, this was their fourth rescue operation on the 
same poor creature, and by far the most complicated, costly, and 
mysterious.  Luckily, the airlift was successful, and the poor creature 
was once again back in the cold waters of it's natural habitat... but 
why did it continue to beach itself; and how had a whale that large ever 
managed to get so far inland? 
 
FINI