sorry about this, i posted the wrong version of the wrong chapter. *sigh*
       still not quite satisfied with this, but it'll have to do. do NOT ask
me
       to send odd chapters in email, with a 9600 modem it takes way too
       damn long.
NEUTRAL GROUND 1:
On the Road, To Jusenkyo   by Gregg Sharp
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic, revision 3
  oh, Kasumi-chan, will you do the honors?
  "Hai, all characters, situations, places, are: (c) of
Takahashi Rumiko, Viz, Kitty Films, Shogokukan, and a
number of other VIPs. My goodness, we're owned by that
many people? Oh, sorry. No smear or copyright violation
is intended, please look both ways before crossing the
street, the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain,
Gold Digger is (c) Fred Perry, and very bad you fall in
spring."
  Kasumi-chan? Try to cut down on the caffeine.
  "Oh my. Gregg-san, about that scene where I get my
curse?"
  Ah, Kasumi-chan? There were objections to the Twins
plotline. Even though that meant one of you was going
to college while the other kept up the house...
  "Vox populi writing?."
  *sigh* Hai, Kasumi-chan. Hai.
-------------------------------------
	Toltiir, angel/kami/demon of bad jokes sat with 
Takahashi, angel/kami/demoness of bizarre romantic
subplots & weird humor. They were drinking sake. 

	The two quickly decided on a bet. Takahashi 
would place a tiny change in this timeline, and the two
would monitor the results. Toltiir would then make
a similar tiny change, and the two would check
THOSE results to see who had the greater change.

It was Takahashi's move. She chose to alter a timeline
where Akane died during Shampoo's first challenge to 
her, the change would be just a matter of time...
------------------
   Genma stopped at a sudden thought. This would be the
last stop in the training journey, the boy was coming
along well. Why not send the postcard now, tell old 
Soun what was going on, and that the families would be
united soon. Heck, Soun was probably out of shape and
could use the training himself. If Ranma met his future
bride in "neutral territory" it might be better for
everyone.

   Genma quickly wrote out a letter, putting in details 
that a postcard wouldn't have room for. This would
work, and the plan he and Soun had put together all
those years ago would finally come to be.
-------------------
   Soun turned over the letter and smiled.

   "Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi! Pack your bags, we're going 
on a little trip."
-------------------
   Nabiki dialed the number she'd gotten from her father's
address book. If the scanty details she'd gotten from
her father were correct, they were going to meet an old
friend of her father's and that friend's son in some
really out of the way place. Even by flight to Tibet
using Ace's Cargo and a mule ride the rest of the way,
this would stretch her finances far more than she'd 
like. By the sound of it, these two had been on this
training trip for nearly ten years, and that meant...

  "Hello, is this Mrs Saotome?" Nabiki thought it likely
that after a ten year absence, the mother would want to
meet the son. If they pooled resources, it shouldn't
be so much of a drain on the dojo's tenuous finances.
--------------------
   The meeting between families had gone relatively 
without problem, though it ended up taking an extra 
two hours for the trip despite or because of the 
presence of the mules.

   This brought the group to the aforementioned 
"Training Ground Of Cursed Springs" that Genma had been
throwing hints out about. "Legendary battleground" and 
"ancient training spot for masters of the martial arts"
were phrases he'd heard from the person selling him the 
guidebook, and he didn't hesitate to parrot bits and
pieces of the salesman's spiel.

   Soun Tendo came up with the idea of getting pictures
of his family at such an infamous site, making a family
portrait with all three daughters, Ranma, and his 
father. 

   "Look, nothing to it," Nabiki grabbed one of the
bamboo poles, and slowly moved climbed up until she
was balanced (shakily) upon the top, like Ranma, Akane,
and Genma. A couple of twitches, but she eventually
got to the point where she wasn't windmilling her arms.

   Kasumi stood nearby, looking up and shaking her head
at how silly the whole thing looked.

   Nadoka Saotome and Soun Tendo looked on from the side,
waiting for that odd Chinese Guide to come out of his
hut. He'd ran in there saying something about having
so many visitors to Cursed Springs all at same time.
Soun adjusted the camera. He wanted to get several 
shots from different angles.

     <CLICK> one photo while Kasumi smiled, Nabiki tried
to catch her balance again, and Genma and Ranma glared 
at each other.

    Genma caught Soun's eyes. While they were waiting 
anyway, they might as well do it now.

  "Daughters," Soun said loud enough to catch everyone's
attention. "I said that I had some important news to
tell you, but I think I'll let Genma tell you since it
WAS originally his idea."

   Ranma glanced at his father. Why did the old man have
to make such a stupid promise to his mother? They were
going to hit him with some stupid suggestion like going
shopping or something, and he'd have to be "a man among
men" and not complain about it or "off with their heads."
It was a good thing he'd warned him about this "man among
men" contract shortly after the two families had met on 
the trail. Ranma shuddered to think what might have 
happened otherwise.

   Nabiki, Akane, and Kasumi expectantly watched Genma as
he balanced on his own pole.

   "Many years ago," Genma started. "It was decided that
the two schools of the 'Anything Goes' style of martial
arts would be joined. My son would marry one of Soun's
daughters."

   "WHAT!?!" Three women erupted. Nabiki nearly fell from
her perch. Akane growled at Ranma, but it penetrated 
that he had turned pale and was looking just as shocked.
He hadn't known either, then. The glare was turned in
full upon the two fathers.

  "So you see, Ranma, you'll need to choose one of these
three as your fiancee." Ranma's mother smiled. "But not
right now, I think."

  Ranma almost fell off his pole, his shock so obvious
that it penetrated Akane's anger a second time. Ranma
would have expected his father to do things to screw up
his life, but his mother? Of course, if he complained now
then that wouldn't be very manly, would it? Maybe a
gentle protest of some kind?

  "I..." Whatever Ranma was about to say would remain
unknown. A yellow and black blur sliced through the
bamboo pole he was still standing on. Ranma flipped
away, leaping to two other poles before he regained
enough balance to stop.

  The Jusenkyo guide, finally having found his
map, was halfway out the door when he noticed what was
going on. "Oh, sirs, very terrible you have fight at
cursed springs!"

  "NANI?!" Nabiki's reaction to the projectiles raining
down from above was predictable. She lost her balance,
which hadn't been too secure to begin with, screamed 
briefly and made quite a splash as she entered the pool.
She clawed briefly at the surface before being drawn
under, though Kasumi and Nadoka noticed the skin of
her hands were CHANGING as she reached for air.

  "Poor girl she fall in Spring Of Drowned Cat, now 
whoever fall in spring take body of cat!"

  Akane merely yelped and turned to face her attacker.
There was a boy atop one of the ledges throwing the
odd missles. Akane glanced down to find that the 
odd weapons were..."bandanas?"

  As another bandana cut through her pole, Akane noted
there was a cat getting out of the pool that Nabiki had
fallen in, and her father and Mrs Saotome were running
forward. Then Akane hit the water herself.

 Kasumi managed a startled "Ara!" and tried to get away
from these bandanas that were actually digging into the
ground and slicing through the poles. She was able to
get a short distance before she saw Ranma slam into a
pool. Avoiding the splash, Kasumi felt herself sliding
in the mud towards one of the springs. "I really don't 
want to be here, please let this be a dream sequence."

  "Ranma, I shall destroy your happiness!"

  Genma flipped back out of the way of yet another
bandanna only to miss the pole.	"I'm NOT Ranma! Oops."

<SPLASH!>

  "You stand in the way of my righteous vengeance!"

  "Oh sir! You fall in Spring Of Drowned Panda,
terrible tragic story..."

  "Meow!" Nabiki-neko agreed and ran to the pool 
where a coughing and barely conscious Akane was now 
trying to pull herself out. Akane began to slide back 
into the pool when a fifteen pound cat locked her teeth 
into her sister's clothing and dug her claws into the 
ground for all she was worth. She was holding, but the 
difference in mass was just too much.

  Nadoka saw the problem and changed course to
come to the rescue, only to find the path cut off by
another set of bandanas slicing into the ground. She
looked up to see the boy open his umbrella and leap 
from the cliff.

<SPLASH!>

  The boy had landed now and was trying to keep an eye
on Nadoka Saotome while looking for Ranma. One of the
other pools erupted.

  "Kasumi!" Soun said with relief. "Kasumi?!?" Kasumi landed
atop one of the bamboo poles, assuming a combat stance as she
balanced perfectly.
   
  A cat looked up at Kasumi and meowed.

  "Ah, that one fall in Spring Of Drowned Amazon Warrior. Very
terrible tragic story of fight between great warrior of the
amazons who fight powerful demon here 2,300 year ago. She slay
demon then fall from wounds into pool where she drown. Terrible
story, sirs, now whoever fall in spring take body of amazon."

  Kasumi frowned. That was not how SHE remembered it.

  Nabiki-neko meowed something that sounded curious.

  Ranma erupted out of the pool. It sank past the 
otherwise all-consuming fury that someone was screaming.
His mother, who was supposed to be so tough was 
screaming at the sight of him. Ranma had felt his body
change, and was now wondering if he dared to look.

   Ranma's eyes caught a glimpse of the attacker and
rage built up again. The boy looked familiar but he
was attacking his mother! Wings caught the air, and
Ranma banked towards the figure.

   A bandana slammed into each wing, which were 
sufficiently tough that there was no damage, but Ranma
had only been a dragon for less than one minute and 
really hadn't logged more than a few seconds of flight
time. He went down.

   <SPLASH>

   Nabiki was watching as Ranma came floating back up
to the surface of the pool, face down. Cursing that
she had the small cat body, she ran towards him, finally
leaping atop his back.

    She glanced around, Kasumi wasn't paying attention,
blocking the few projectiles that came her way. Nadoka was
trying to get the unconcious Akane to start breathing.
The panda was trying to get over to where he could
assist his wife, while Nabiki's father was on his knees
crying about what had happened.

  Howling in frustration, Nabiki BIT the body
underneath her but couldn't seem to get her teeth to
penetrate the soft flesh. *Wake up, wake up, wake up,
wake up.* Memories of the hospital, of her mother's
dead body, of the last time she'd allowed herself 
tears when her mother wouldn't wake up.

  The body beneath her abruptly spasmed and 
Nabiki felt a moment's relief before she hit the water.
The sensation of CHANGING again came over her.

  "Agggghh. Those two fall in Nyannichuan. Terrible
tragic story of..."
 
  Nabiki almost wept for joy. She had hands again! Well,
sort of. Too wasted to move, she watched as Ranma got
his second wind. Her ears flattened as she caught a 
look at their attacker, her tail switching back and
forth in agitation. Claws extended, Nabiki watched for
an opening as a catlike persona took control.

  Nabiki's eyes widened as she saw Ranma move. Ranma 
wasn't a dragon anymore, but he was still changed. 
Long red batlike wings popped out of nowhere from 
midback and the redhaired girl wearing Ranma's clothing 
(now with a new set of openings on the back) leapt into 
the air.

  "Ranma?!" The attacker seemed startled as Ranma
bore down on the boy, whose umbrella was still blocking
another strike from Mrs Saotome. A moment later, Ranma
had connected with a flying (literally) kick to the 
boy's head.

  Said boy went backwards, landing almost in another 
pool. Before he could move he felt a katana pressing
lightly against his neck. He looked up to see a very
unhappy looking panda, an unreadable expression on the
face of the katana-wielder, and a red haired girl in
the remains of a red Chinese shirt glaring down at him.

  "Uhm, sorry?" Ryouga meekly managed.
-----------------------
   in this alterniverse, pools mix with the last spring
being the dominant. Ranma fell in dragon/girl, Nabiki
fell in cat/girl. Kasumi fell in the Splitting spring in
version 1, i got enough feedback on that to change it, and
there was enough positive comments about Kasumi the Amazon
in Happi Days that it seemed appro. The other possibilies
that i'd narrowed it down to were Werecheetah or Angel.
It's not in fanfics, but one of the observed rules of the
manga seems to be that nothing really Bad ever happens to
Kasumi. Akane made the Akanenichuan early. Ryouga hasn't 
been cursed to this point, but if you think he's getting
off that easily...