Still trying to think of a good title.  I'm in a rush again but I wanted to
get this out before I left the house.  Yes, I'm working on this.

Ranma 1/2: Sliders

Prelude

        Ranma squared off against Mousse.  They circled each other slowly,
most of the fight had left them already.  For the better part of an
afternoon they had been fighting over something neither could quite
remember anymore.

        Mousse was pretty sure it had something to do with Shampoo's lunch
date with Ranma.  Ranma could remember dropping his lunch in a flurry of
knives.  That still upset him, he was hungry before they started and Mousse
wasn't one to take a break in the middle of a fight.

        "Aren't you tired yet Mousse?"

        "I can keep this up all night.  Besides that, there's nothing on TV
tonight."

        "Great..."

        Normally Ranma could have ended the fight much earlier but he was
still fatigued from an all nighter with Ryouga.  Skipping lunch didn't help
either.

        Ranma was just thankful the crowd left after the first hour, it was
one thing not to be fighting up to par but it was another to let people see
him not fighting up to par.  The field was empty except for the two of
them.  With Dr. Tofu and Akane approaching, that made four.

        "I can't believe you're still at it Ranma."

        For his part he dodged some eggs, "What do you mean me?!?  It's not
my fault he won't give up... and what are you two doing here anyway?"

        Dr. Tofu gave an appraising glance to Ranma who was busy dodging
razor sharp biscotti.  "Kasumi was worried when you missed dinner, she sent
us to go look for you."

        "Dinner too!?!  That's it Mousse, I'm pissed now."

        Mousse charged with a set of ginsu knives in each hand.  "So what
are you going to do about it Ranma?"

        "Hiryu.. shoten... huh?!?"  Ranma froze as the whirlwind began to
speed up and take on a rainbow of colors.  It felt like a vortex, growing
stronger with each passing moment.

        "WAHHHH!!!"  Mousse was the first to be sucked in.

        Akane cried out as she lost her footing and fell towards the hole.
Dr. Tofu tried to catch her but only managed to go tumbling towards the
vortex as well.  They both vanished into the void leaving a very confused
Ranma staring into a fading whirlwind.

        He didn't have to think twice, "Akane!!!"  With that he jumped
through, just as the vortex ended.  A light breeze blew across the field,
but even hurricanes start with a little breeze.

1st Slide, part 1


        The winds blew hard over Jusenkyo.  The ethereal winds collected
themselves, forming a gateway high above the natural springs.  Mousse
recognized the location imediately and managed to snag a nearby cliff with
a chain.

        He began pulling himself up but was halted sharply by Dr. Tofu, who
grabbed Mousse by instinct.  Mousse was barely able to regain his hold on
the chain before Akane follwed suit.  Her added weight forced Mousse to
wrap his arm around the chain.  He would worry about getting down later.
Akane's momentum started them swinging slightly, much to Mousse's
discomfort.

        They were swinging away as Ranma clipped them on his fall.  It was
just enough force to knock the chain loose sending them all plumetting
towards the pools.

        Ranma got out a scream before hitting the water.  The last thing he
saw was Akane and Tofu heading towards one of the larger pools.  He emerged
from the water as fast as he could, "AKANE!"

        He saw a nearby pool still rippling from an impact and scrambled
over to it as fast as he could.  He could see Mousse clinging franticly to
a bamboo poll for dear life.  "Please be okay Akane.. please don't be
something big and hairy... Akane?"

        Tofu came up first with Akane right behind.  They sputtered and
gasped a bit before treading over to the edge.  Akane looked to Ranma
fearfully, "Ranma?"

        Realization struck Ranma, 'I fell into a spring.'  He gulped and
returned Akane's fearful look.  'Oh god, I'm something horrible.  What if..
oh no.. anything but a cat.. PLEASE be anything but a cat.'

        Akane stared blankly into Ranma's shocked face.  'Oh no, it's even
worse than I thought.'  She couldn't take it any longer and hid her face in
her hands.

        Mousse jumped down to help Tofu out of the water.  Together they
walked over to Ranma and Akane.  Akane still had her face in her hands and
Ranma had his eyes shut tightly.

        "That's odd," Mousse said.

        Tofu looked a moment and voiced himself, "you can open your eyes
now.  You're not cursed."  He thought a moment and added, "well no more
than usual Ranma."

        Ranma opened his eyes slowly and looked down.  He had breasts, that
much was normal.  He was now female and soaking wet.  The same as Akane who
was climbing out of the pool.  Tofu was dripping as well.  Mousse's robes
were a little wet from helping Tofu but not enough to trigger a change.

        "What the?"  Ranma looked over everyone again including himself.

        Akane looked around.  "This is Jusenkyo right?"

        Mousse looked over the landscape, "definitely.  I recognize the
mountains, my village should be just down that road.  Maybe there was a
recent flood."

        "But how did we get here?"

        Tofu looked over Ranma briefly, "hmm.. right before Ranma's
hiryushotenha I noticed his ki was fluctuating wildly.  It seems to be
almost back to normal."

        "You're saying I did this?!?"

        Akane whipped out her hammer, "I should've known."

        Tofu continued, "not directly but yes.  I think somehow your
hiryushotenha was linked to the fabric of space/time.  When you started the
vortex it bent reality."

        "Are you serious doc?"

        My old teacher used to have a theory that the universe was composed
of a ki grid that touched all things, even the air itself.  Your ki was
very low while you were fighting.  Right before you started the whirlwind,
I saw it flare up.  It must have come from the surrounding air."

        "So you're saying the whirlwind threw us all the way to China?"

        "It seems so."

        "Enough about how we got here, how are we getting back?"

        "Well lets go to my village, at least we might be able to find you
some dry clothes."  Mousse started off.

        "Clean your glasses Mousse, the village is that way."

        Mousse looked around for a second before turning around, "I knew that."

***

        Akane felt a sense of dread as they entered the village.  Ranma and
Mousse were oblivious to the looks they received but Akane saw very clearly
that the entire village was focused on their group.  Most of it was
directed at Mousse but many eyes followed herself and Ranma as well.  Those
were looks of open appraisal.

        The meaning wasn't lost on Tofu, he whispered something into
Akane's ear and she in turn grabbed Ranma by the arm.  "No fighting in the
village."

        Ranma looked at Akane for a moment.  Her comeback died on her lips
as she finally took a good look at the people in the village.  Every eye
was focused on them, and none of them looked particularly friendly.

        Ranma was about to bring it up with Mousse but they were stopped
but what seemed to be a couple of guards.  They were both female, one had a
polearm and the other a flail.  They began talking with Mousse in Chinese
but it went by much too fast for the rest of the group to follow.

        It was not casual conversation, something was going on.  Finally
Mousse yelled something out and started to walk away.  He didn't get two
feet before the guard with the polearm knocked him over the head, sending
him to the ground.

        Despite the previous warning Ranma started to make a move towards
Mousse.  She was stopped short by the other guard who whipped her flail
around to point directly at Ranma's chin.

        Ranma and the guard locked eyes.  Ranma could tell by her gaze she
had no reservations about killing.  This was not a fight he wanted to get
into.

        Akane placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "Don't."

        "Wasn't going to."  It was then that Ranma realized they were
surrounded.

        They were escorted towards a structure near the center of the
village.  Mousse was slung over the polearm guard's shoulder.  She dropped
him unceremoniously to the ground, allowing the others to go to him.

        Tofu did a quick examination before pressing a few pressure points.

        "Ugh," Mousse groaned.

        "So you've returned!"

        Mousse squinted towards the figure emerging from the structure.
The voice was familar, but the words were out of place.  "Ranma?"

        Ranma moved closer to Mousse, but he wasn't talking to her.  Tofu
looked up to see the face come into view.  It was definitely male Ranma,
followed shortly by Shampoo.

        Tofu looked again to Ranma's female form beside Mousse, definitely
two of them.  "Oh boy."