The Jusenkyo guide looked out at the pair fighting on the poles, and 
sighed.  These martial artists... why they thought it a good idea to come 
HERE was beyond him.  There was no doubting that the place was a 
challenge, but he found the stakes here a bit too high for his taste.  
Nevertheless, they were willing to pay, and that was enough for him.  

<SPLASH>

The sound of changing echoed in his ears for a moment.  Time to get to 
work.  He watched with slight surprise as a large panda leapt out of the 
pool; even after years of working here, the magic of Jusenkyo never 
surprised him.  Despite the change, the warrior inside actually seemed 
much improved from his previous form.  None of the older man's agility 
seemed lost in the waters, while the strength of the giant panda was his 
to command now.  He watched with interest as the animal leapt from pole 
to pole, sending his young protege to the edge of the pools.  Finally, 
with a mighty swing of his paw, he sent the young man flying into another 
spring.  

This was actually a surprise to the guide.  The pool the young man landed 
in was believed to be cursed, but even he wasn't sure how.  Ever curious, 
he approached the pool's edge, to discover the secrets beneath the water 
and to help the youngster with the change. 

A moment later, the swirling ceased, allowing the boy to break to the 
surface.  In an instant, he corrected himself: the person in the pool was 
no boy.  The curves were way off in that regard.  Truth to tell, the 
child of magic was quite beautiful, with fiery red hair, a smooth, almost 
elfin face, and a model's build.  Without thinking, he reached his hand 
out to help her from the water.

The growl that came from her was a surprise.  "I can get myself out of 
the water, thank you very much!"  The guide stammered, trying to recover 
from the shock.  

"Oh, so sorry, miss.  It seem you fall in Spring of Drowned Girl."

At the words, something seemed to snap inside the child.  Flames seemed 
to rage in her sky-blue eyes, flames of indignant, righteous fury.  In an 
instant, she picked up the guide, and held him in the air.

"I.... AM....... NOT...... A....... GIRL!!!!!"  With the last shout of 
anger, she hurled the man into the same waters she had come from, for him 
to taste the change she had.

For a calm second, nothing seemed to happen.  He wondered in vain hope if 
he might be spared the water's curse.  Any such hope died, however, when 
he felt the currents around him start to focus.  The change was not one 
unfamiliar to him; he had fallen into these pools several times before, 
and usually went to the nannichuan for a cure.  

Unfortunately, there was something different, more sinister this time.  
The currents seemed to buffet his insides as well as his outsides, 
chipping away at his mind, his identity...everything that was him... and 
replacing it with something else.  Curious, he reached out, to find out 
what these new thoughts were... then froze.

To his horror, he realized with absolute certainty the curse he was 
receiving.  He had not fallen in the Spring of Drowned Girl, nor the 
Spring of Drowned Woman.

He had fallen in the Spring of Drowned WOMYN.

And, in the last moment before her mind gave way to the militant PC 
thoughts, she screamed, though only the water could hear her.

***

Sorry, Richard.  I had a most interesting discussion on political 
correctness (among many other things), and this came out as a result.