A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mike Simmons.  All characters herein are property of
Takahashi Rumiko.  If you want to bludgeon me to death for using them, at
least wait until -after- you've read the fic! :)

C & C would be greatly appreciated.  You can reach me at msimmons@bcgroup.net
and this and other writings are stored at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/2506/story.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

	--Oil & Water (part I)--


	Autumn had come to Nerima, and overnight the trees seemed to burst 
into flame.  A small gust of wind whirled the fallen leaves in a quick dizzy
spiral, dying off just as quickly with a rustle and a sigh.  The morning was
crisp, but the sun warmed Ranma's back as he sauntered along the top of the
fence beside the reservoir.  There was no school that day, so he had decided
to go out and wander around for a bit.  Breakfast had been uneventful, to 
say the least, Ranma reflected.  {Akane didn't even nail me for that crack 
about her sleeping with P-chan.  Strange...}  He shrugged to himself.  No 
use borrowing trouble.
  
	By this time, Ranma's aimless footsteps had led him to the river.  A 
leap took him down the angled slabs of concrete to the shore, where he 
flopped comfortably in the grass.  Stretching, he inhaled the cool fall air,
taking in the faint tinge of burnt leaves and the smell of cooking from 
Ucchan's a few blocks away.  {Man, it's great to be alive!}  His stomach 
rumbled, breaking the spell and reminding him that breakfast had been quite 
a while ago.  {Maybe I'll stop by Ucchan's and grab something there,} Ranma 
decided.  {She's usually good for a free okonomiyaki or two.}
	
	With a jump, Ranma was off the grass and back up the slope to the 
street.  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he whistled to himself as he 
headed toward the smell of food.  Unbidden, a grin spread across his face.
It was going to be a good day today, he could feel it.  

		*	*	*

	Ukyo frowned at the scene in front of her.  Ucchan's, usually filled
with voices and the sizzle of okonomiyaki on the grill, was silent.  Empty 
tables were everywhere, stolid and unaffected by the malice in her glare.  
She knew well enough that empty tables meant an empty till, and she had no 
desire whatsoever to add on to the already substantial amount that she owed
 Nabiki Tendo.  When Nabiki came to collect, excuses generally did very 
little good at all.  With a humph, Ukyo turned her frown on the cause of her
 problems.

	The grill, usually so spotless, was a disaster area.  A large, 
charred, okonomiyaki-shaped lump had burnt to a crisp, and hardened to the 
consistency of concrete.  Smaller lumps were everywhere, blackened and 
sticky.  {I never should have left that lunkhead Konatsu alone,} Ukyo 
grumbled to herself.  She had only stepped out for a moment, and had 
returned to discover that an unattended okonomiyaki had died a lingering 
death on the hot surface, filling Ucchan's with the smell of smoke and burnt
food.  Konatsu had been very sorry, but Ukyo had not been in the mood to 
listen to him.  "Accidents happen, sugar.  I'll take care of it.  Now go 
home!"  Ukyo had closed the door quickly on his endless string of apologies.

	{Phew! I thought he'd never leave.  Now, how am I supposed to get 
all of that crud off the grill?}  Ukyo closed her eyes and slid down to the
floor.  It had already been a pretty long day, and she hadn't been sleeping 
much lately.  With thoughts of a certain pig-tailed martial artist on her 
mind, it was no surprise.  Pillowing her head on her knees, she tried to 
think.  She'd tried scraping the burnt stuff off, but it had achieved rock 
hardness and wouldn't budge.  None of the usual cleaners seemed to work, no 
matter how hard she scrubbed.  There was something tickling at the back of 
her mind, something....if only she wasn't so tired....

	A sharp knocking on the door broke into Ukyo's thoughts.  She looked
up, blinking.  {I must have dozed off,} she yawned.  Her eyes narrowed as 
the knocking came again, insistent and loud.  Ukyo climbed to her feet and 
yanked the door open.  "Listen, Konatsu! I thought I told you to---" Ranma 
jumped back a safe distance.  "Ranma honey!  I'm so glad you're here, I 
could really use your help."  Ukyo grabbed a surprised Ranma by the arm and
dragged him into the restaurant.  Ranma assumed his most pitiful expression.
Sometimes he felt a bit guilty, taking advantage of Ukyo like this, but he 
could put up with a little guilt for the best okonomiyaki in Japan.

	"Boy, I sure am hungry!  Is there anything to eat around here, 
Ucchan?"  Ranma fixed her with a wide-eyed look.  The use of her childhood 
nickname, as well as a steady gaze from his baby blues was a sure-fire 
combination, guaranteed to inspire generosity in Ukyo's heart.  Ranma licked
his lips in anticipation.  The target of his scheme scowled, and pointed at 
the grill.

	"Nobody's getting anything to eat until we get that mess cleaned off.
You -will- help, won't you Ranma honey?"  Ranma turned to behold the blasted
landscape of ash and charred food, his heart sinking as he realized his plan
had backfired.

	"Uh...we?"  Ranma gulped, backing towards the door.  "I just 
remembered, Pop was going to teach me some Hishou Futon Mokusatsu technique
today, and I've got homework to do, so I'll just be going now...AAA!"  He 
ducked, barely escaping the bladed throwing spatulas that whizzed over his 
head and stuck, quivering, in the door frame.

	"Saotome, you jackass!  Do you think that I give you freebies now 
and then out of the goodness of my heart?"  Ukyo unlimbered the large 
fighting spatula that she kept slung on her back.  "You owe me!"  
Punctuating her words with vicious swipes of the spatula, she moved in on a
cornered Ranma.  "The least you could do is give me a hand!"  As she raised
her spatula for another slash, Ranma dove past her and rolled, coming up 
against the far wall.

	"Settle down, Ucchan!" he yelled.  "Ulp!"  A vicious barrage of 
throwing spatulas was streaking toward him.  He leaped onto the counter as 
the spatulas slammed into the wall.  A spiderweb of cracks appeared, and 
an entire section of the wall collapsed with a rumble, sending up a cloud of
dust.  "Geez Ukyo, watch it!  Don't you think--huh?"  Ranma glanced at the 
pile of rubble where the wall had once been.  A small cubbyhole had been 
revealed, set far back in the building's foundation and cunningly concealed.
Two or three crates and a small wooden barrel were visible in the dusty and
cobwebbed semi-darkness.  Ukyo dropped her spatula with a clang, and a 
mixture of happiness and awe spread across her face.

	"You found it, Ranma honey!"
  
	"Found what?"  Ranma gave her a quizzical look.  Ukyo knelt down 
beside the ragged hole in the wall, and dragged the crates out into the 
light.  She brushed the dust off them gently, her fingers lingering on the 
dark wood, while her eyes were far away.  Ranma knelt down nearby, at a safe
distance in case she decided to get mad again.  With his hands on his knees,
he watched Ukyo.  {That's strange,} he thought.  {I've never seen her so...
respectful.  It's not like her.}  "Ukyo?  What is this junk anyway?"

	"Your father may have taken our okonomiyaki cart, but there were a 
few of my father's secrets that he would never let go.  When you left me 
behind, he gave them to me, saying that I needed them now more than he ever
would.  I buried the crates here when I opened Ucchan's, to keep them safe 
until the day that I needed them.  After a while, though, I forgot where 
they were, and Father's secrets were lost to me.  Until now..."   Carefully,
she lifted the lid off of the nearest crate.  It was filled to the brim with
recipe books and small ingredient jars.  "These were his most precious 
possessions."  Ukyo's voice was sad.
  
	Replacing the lid, she moved the crate aside and pulled the small 
cask towards her.  As she laid her hands on its oaken sides, she seemed to 
become a little happier.  "Now -this- is what I was looking for.  Father's 
grill cleaner!"  Ranma snickered.

	"Grill cleaner?  Wow, what a big secret!"  Ranma's laughter dropped
off as she silenced him with a glare.
  
	"Baka!  This isn't just -any- grill cleaner!  Father got this 
cleaning solution a long time ago from a Chinese herbalist.  He only used it
when nothing else could get the grill clean, and then only a very small 
cupful.  That was all it took, the stickiest, hardest, most baked-on food 
would come off, just like that!"  Ukyo snapped her fingers.  "This cleaner 
will get that crud off my grill no problem!"

	Ranma picked up the barrel and looked at it closely, idly swishing 
the contents back and forth as he read the scrawled characters on the side.
  
	"Fong's Separation Mixture?"  he scoffed.  "I think your pop got 
gypped, Ucchan.  Did he say what was in this stuff?"  Ukyo looked up from 
where she had been rummaging around under the counter. 
 
	"Oil and water, I think.  Why?"  She rooted around in the cupboard 
some more, and came up with a ladle.  Ranma rolled his eyes at her words.  
Picking up a pepper shaker from the counter, he idly tossed it in the air 
and caught it again.  Ukyo noticed his disbelieving look.  "Trust me Ranma 
honey, it'll work.  Besides, we've both seen some pretty strange things in 
the past year or so.  You know, like boys turning into girls..."

	"All right, all right!  Just use the stuff already!"  Ranma tossed 
and caught the shaker again.  {Why did she have to remind me, anyway?}  Ukyo
pried the top of the cask off, revealing a dark glistening mixture with 
strange highlights shining in the depths.  Dipping the ladle in, she swirled
it around for a moment, then brought it up, full of the thick fluid.

	"Watch this, sugar."  Ukyo dumped the cleaner onto the grill, 
coating the burnt okonomiyaki.  Pulling out one of her ever-present spatulas,
she scraped it across the grill.  With a whisper, the whole mess slid off 
and into the garbage pail as though it hadn't been stuck tight a few moments
ago.  A gleam of light shone across the spotless grill, and there was an 
audible <ping!>.

	Ukyo folded her arms.  "Ha!  I told you!"  Finding Father's treasures
again had swept away her bad mood and her weariness.  "Now then, Ranma honey,
you want something to eat?"

		*	*	*

	For once in his life, Ryoga Hibiki knew exactly where he was.  This
had never happened to him before, but the strange feeling of bitter clarity
was unmistakable.  {It couldn't be anything else,} he thought.  Ryoga Hibiki
knew exactly where he was...and that was rock bottom.
  
	Ryoga sat with his back against the wall of a city street.  Idly he
let his head slump back, gazing upward at a pair of starlings swooping 
through the branches of a cherry tree across the street.  {A mating pair.  
Together.  Must be nice...}  Ryoga dropped that thought as soon as he 
realized where it was going.  {All right Hibiki, think!  You have no food 
left, you have no idea what city you're in, and you haven't eaten in a week.
What are you going to do about it?}  He tightened his belt around the dull 
pain in his stomach.  A true martial artist was above such hardship. 
 
	With a ragged sigh, Ryoga started walking.  {When was the last time
I was in Nerima?}  He couldn't remember.  The many places he'd been since 
then had pushed their way to the front of his memories, but some things stayed
sharp and never faded.  Loneliness was one... {Akane.  Does she even notice
when I go away?}  Ryoga snorted bitterly.  {The only one she misses is her 
pet P-Chan.}  Anger flashed, burning behind his eyes and engulfing his heart
in a black tide.  Anger at himself, and one other....

	{Ranma.}  That one name was enough to sum up all of his troubles, 
all of his misery.  "Ranma Saotome, this is ALL YOUR FAULT!" Ryoga screamed,
drawing strange looks from other pedestrians.  As sheer rage and dark 
depression warred inside of him, a crackling ball of energy began to slowly 
swirl by his right hand.  It grew quickly, and the few passersby who knew 
what chi was dove for cover.  Ryoga was oblivious to all this.  He couldn't
contain himself any longer, and quickly turned to face the wall of a nearby
building. 

	"SHISHI HOKOUDAN!"  he shouted, and let loose an enormous blast of 
energy into his chosen target.  As the torrent of emotion and chi poured 
from him, Ryoga relaxed a bit.  He was still depressed, but he wasn't 
feeling anywhere near as bad as he had been a second ago.  The wall Ryoga 
had blasted, however, wasn't quite as lucky.  A smoking hole had been blown
directly through it, scattering rubble everywhere.  Ryoga winced at the 
damage.  {I hope I didn't hurt anybody.}

	As the dust slowly settled, Ryoga looked through the hole again.  
Inside the wrecked building, he saw scattered furniture and cooking utensils.
A familiar banner, now slightly ragged, flapped in the breeze over the 
entrance.  Ryoga's heart jumped.  "Ucchan's!  I'm back in Nerima!"  Ukyo and
he weren't exactly best friends, but on the other hand she would probably 
show him the way to the Tendo dojo.  Ryoga ran around to the front door, and
froze as he was about to push it open.  {She might not be so friendly when 
she finds out I blasted her restaurant.  But without her to help me, who 
knows when I'll see Akane again?}  It was an easy decision.  Steeling 
himself to brave Ukyo's wrath, Ryoga pulled open the door and stepped into 
Ucchan's.

		*	*	*

	Ranma finished the okonomiyaki he'd been demolishing and licked his
fingers.  With a contented sigh and a full stomach, he leaned on the 
counter.  "I'm going to head back to the Tendo's now, Ucchan!" 
 
	"Wait a second, I'll come with you.  I need to talk to Akane.  Just
let me put this cleaner away!"  Ukyo lifted the small cask easily, it wasn't
that heavy.  Ranma waited, tossing the pepper shaker from the counter in 
front of him from hand to hand without looking at it.  Ukyo rolled her eyes.
{Showoff.}  She turned back to the shelf, and stopped as muffled yelling 
came from outside.  "Huh?"  Both Ukyo and Ranma looked at each other with 
quizzical looks, then moved towards the window, Ukyo still carrying the cask
under one arm.  They were almost to the window when they heard the words 
"SHISHI HOKOUDAN!"

	An enormous blast of energy pummeled through the wall right beside 
Ranma and continued across the restaurant, demolishing furniture until 
finally dissipating as it exited through the opposite wall.  Ranma dropped 
the pepper shaker and fell into a defensive stance.  {Ryoga.  What the hell
did he do that for?}  Ranma narrowed his eyes and moved towards the door.  
He heard a sniffle and looked back at Ukyo.  

	The pepper shaker that he had let fall had cracked, spraying a loose
cloud of pepper in a grey haze all over the floor, the tables, and Ukyo.  
She tried to forestall the tickle in her nose, but it was growing stronger.
Lifting up the cask, she held it at Ranma.  "Here!  Take it, before I-ah ah
aaaaah  aaaah   AChOOO!"  Ukyo sneezed and threw her arms up, letting go of
the cask.  Time seemed to slow down, as the cask flew upward out of her 
grasping fingers, turning in midair.  The contents spilled out, covering 
Ranma with a wave and a splash as time resumed its normal speed.  

	Ukyo began to laugh at the spectacle of a cleaner-covered Ranma 
before her, but her merriment died stillborn as he screamed in pain.  
Falling to his knees, Ranma shuddered, and his shape began to blur around 
the edges.  "Ranma!"  Ukyo reached towards him, but was violently thrown 
back as a burst of white light erupted from Ranma's still-screaming form.  
Picking herself up, she caught a movement at the corner of her eye.  Ryoga 
was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock.  
{But he's looking at...}

	She looked back at Ranma to see that the white light had died off, 
leaving him crumpled on the floor like a badly-used dishrag.  Ukyo rushed 
towards him and knelt, gently rolling him onto his back.  It was her turn to
stare in shock.  There was another person underneath Ranma.  A girl.  With 
red hair.  And a.... {Pigtail?  But...  No way!  That's Ranma too!}  In a 
daze, Ukyo stared at the two unconscious forms.  Both were wearing red 
Chinese shirts and black pants.  Beside her, the male Ranma moaned.
  
	"A....Akane...  it....hurts!  Aka..ne....." 
    
	There was a scuffling sound behind her, and someone picked up the 
cask from where it had fallen.  Snapping out of her shock, Ukyo turned to 
see Ryoga desperately shaking the cask upside down over his head.
  
	"Dammit, it's empty!  Why?  Why should Ranma be cured and not me?  
It's not fair! WHY????"  Ryoga hurled the cask at the wall, shattering it in
to tiny pieces.  He was beginning to start on another round of self-pity 
when Ukyo grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
  
	"I can't believe you, Hibiki!  This is no time to be joking around!
We have to get Ranma and, uh...her, home!  Are you going to help me or 
aren't you?"  Ryoga scowled, and opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him
off.  "Good.  Now go pick up Ranma.  Carefully!" 
 
	"What?"  Ryoga yelled.  "There's no -way- I'm helping that jerk!"  
Ukyo whipped up her spatula menacingly, and nailed Ryoga with the angriest 
stare he had ever seen her use.  Baring her teeth, she spat the words in his
face.
	"Fine!  -I'll- carry him, then!  You take, uh...her.  But nothing 
better happen to, uh...her, until we get to the bottom of this!  Got it, 
sugar?"  Her tone was anything but sweet.

	

		*	*	*

	On the quiet street outside the Tendo dojo, a large panda was slowly
sweeping.  Grasping the rough twig broom in his paws, Genma Saotome brushed
the fallen leaves into a small pile as he rumbled contentedly to himself.  
Pausing in his work, he stretched and yawned, scratching behind one fuzzy 
black ear.  A small breeze rippled through Genma's fur as he gazed up into 
the brilliant blue autumn sky.  Occupied by blissful thoughts of nothing in 
particular, he contemplated the day.  

	The breeze caught his small pile of leaves and dirt, whirling the 
debris in joyful spirals across the stones which he had just had swept clean.
Genma looked down to see all of his previous work undone, and growled.  
The problem with being a panda was that it was impossible to concentrate on 
one thing for very long.  {At least that ingrate son of mine has opposable 
thumbs when he changes.  -I- get to be a bear of very little brain.}  
Leaning the broom against the wall, he stumped inside in search of some hot
water.  
  
	Shortly after the grumbling panda disappeared into the Tendo 
training hall, two burdened figures could be seen staggering up the street.
Ukyo stumbled, the weight of Ranma's unconscious body bearing her down.  
{Geez, he's heavy.  What's Ryoga's problem anyway?  The least he could do 
was carry Ranma-honey.}  Pausing, she took several quick breaths and hoisted
Ranma higher across her shoulders.  {One step at a time.  We're almost there.
If we can get them to the Tendo's, everything will be all right.  One step 
at a time, Ukyo.}  

	Her back was beginning to ache, and her arms were like lead.  She 
felt Ranma twitch, and the sudden motion almost made Ukyo drop him in 
surprise.  He muttered a name, and Ukyo flinched.  Carefully, she lowered 
Ranma to the ground.  His breathing was shallow and his hair was wild; 
strands of it had come loose from his pigtail, lying in damp tendrils across
his face.  Ranma was covered with dirt, or so it seemed.  Ukyo brushed a 
hand gently over the streaks on his forehead and looked at the slimy black 
stuff that had come off on her palm.  {Oil?  But why?}  Dismissing it from 
her mind, she looked back at Ranma in concern. 
 
	Ryoga carried the pig-tailed girl piggy-back.  Even in wet clothes,
her small limp form was light.  Her arms hung bonelessly on either side of 
his neck, swaying slightly as he walked.  Ryoga's thoughts whirled in 
circles.  {They can't -both- be Ranma...can they?  But if Ranma is cured, 
then who is -she-?  How can one person be two?}  As accustomed as he was to
being tormented by his own thoughts, even Ryoga didn't want to think about 
this for too long.  It made his head hurt.  

	The breeze picked up, blowing a dark red pigtail against Ryoga's 
neck.  He bit back a yelp at the icy touch, feeling drops of freezing cold 
water begin to run down his neck and along his collarbone.  The girl on his 
back began to shiver uncontrollably in the cool breeze, her teeth chattering
as she pressed closer against him.  Her arms tightened around Ryoga's neck,
and he freaked, dumping the unconscious girl unceremoniously on the sidewalk.
  
	"Ranma!  What do you think you're..."  Ryoga trailed off, dropping 
his clenched fists.  The girl lay curled in a ball on the street like a 
small helpless animal, soaking wet and still shivering.  The chilly autumn 
wind stirred her limp wet hair.  Ryoga berated himself.  {It doesn't matter
whether she's Ranma or not!  If I leave her here, Ukyo will kill me!} 
 
	"Ryoga?"  Ukyo's tired voice came from close behind him.  He turned
to see her bent under Ranma's weight, exhaustion lining her features.  She 
didn't ask why the pig-tailed girl was lying on the ground.  {Probably too 
worried about Ranma,}  Ryoga thought, thanking his lucky stars as he 
remembered Ukyo's earlier rage.  She spoke again, breaking into his reverie.
"The Tendo dojo is just up the way.  We're almost there."  Ryoga nodded. 
 
	It was a good thing Ukyo was here, he'd be hopelessly lost trying to
 do this by himself.   Scooping up the girl, Ryoga settled her across his 
back and followed Ukyo as she moved slowly up the street towards the dojo.
Still unconscious, the girl's head lay heavy on his shoulder.  Ryoga gritted
his teeth.  {It doesn't matter who she is.}  he told himself.  {Just get her
to the Tendo's, that's all that's important.}

		*	*	*

	Soun Tendo sat cross-legged in the center of the family dojo.  The 
afternoon sunlight slanted in, illuminating fine motes of dust that swirled
lazily above the well-scrubbed wooden floor.  Slowly, he inhaled and raised
his eyes to the small shrine mounted on the wall.  {If you have any blessings
to give, my ancestors, please give them now!  I'm in dire need of them...}
Exhaling, Soun closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.  This was going to
be difficult.

	Opening his eyes again, Soun watched his daughter Akane for a moment.
Dressed in her gi, she sat a few feet away in the same position as he.  She
was obviously impatient for her father to speak.  Her expression was 
wavering between a scowl at being forced to wait and curiosity at the reason
Soun had called her here to the dojo.  After a brief battle, Akane's 
features settled on the scowl; never a good sign.  Soun spoke before she 
could say anything protesting.

	"Akane.  The reason I called you here is that you have been 
neglecting a part of your training."  Akane immediately went on the 
defensive.

	"What are you talking about?  I practice every day, Dad!  All the 
katas and everything!  I've even gotten better in the past few months!  You
should know, you taught me yourself!"  Soun weathered Akane's tirade 
impassively.  He had expected this.

	"That is exactly what I'm talking about, Akane.  You have just 
displayed your greatest weakness."  Akane sat back down as her scowl 
deepened, and waited for her father to get to the point.  Soun leaned 
forward, dropping his stern facade and assuming his best 'concerned father'
face.  "You have a black belt's skills, Akane, but those skills are nothing
without a clear mind!  If you wish to improve your martial arts, you -must-
be able to control your anger.  Have you been doing the basic meditation 
techniques I taught you?"  Akane's scowl slipped and she looked down at her
feet.

	"No," she muttered.  She'd been hoping he wouldn't notice.  Sitting
and thinking about nothing for a couple of hours wasn't exactly big on 
Akane's list of priorities.  {What does that have to do with martial arts, 
anyway?}  Soun caught the flicker of expression across Akane's features.  
He sighed.

	"One evening this week, I want you to spend some time in meditation.
But more importantly Akane, you -must control your temper!  Unharnessed 
rage has no place in the martial arts; it makes you sloppy and predictable.
Why do you think that Shampoo or Ukyo or even Ranma can beat you so easily?"
Soun knew that even if Akane did eventually master her anger, she still 
wouldn't be on the level of those three.  However, he also knew that 
mentioning these names, especially Ranma, might make her more determined.  
There were many things he did not know, but Soun Tendo knew his daughter.

	Akane leaped to her feet with clenched fists.
  
	"All right!  I'll do it!  I know I can!"  Soun merely looked at her.
Akane glanced down at her fists and blushed.  This was going to be harder 
than she thought.  She willed her hands to relax, then turned at the slap of
bare feet at the dojo entrance.  It was Nabiki, but her expression was 
wide-eyed and dazed.  

	"Uhm...Akane?  Daddy?  You might want to take a look at this..."  
Nabiki motioned towards the front of the house. 
 
	"What is it, Nabiki?"  Nabiki just shook her head at her father's 
question and pointed again at the front of the house.

	"Uh-uh.  You guys have -got- to see this for yourselves..."  
Curiosity piqued by Nabiki's cryptic words, Soun and Akane followed her out
of the dojo.  As they did so, Akane saw the dazed expression fall from 
Nabiki's face and be quickly replaced by a small and secretive smile.  
Akane shuddered.  Whatever the situation, Nabiki Tendo had just thought of a
way to make money out of it.  

	All of these thoughts fled from Akane's mind as she came around the
corner of the dojo and beheld the two bodies lying on the front walk.  Akane
joined the rest of her family; all of them stared at the two Ranmas, 
excepting Nabiki who was still wearing her calculating smile.  Their father
was the first to break the silence.

	"Saotome?  Are there -two- Ranmas on my doorstep?"  Soun looked 
faintly worried.  Genma nodded grimly, still damp from the basin of hot dish
water he had commandeered to revert to human form.  Soun heaved a sigh of 
relief; at least Saotome was having the same hallucination as he was.  A 
small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

	Genma regarded the pig-tailed girl for a moment as she lay on the 
paving stones.  Assuming a stance, he raised an arm and prepared to deliver
a devastating punch to her throat.  {What does he think he's doing!} Akane 
shrieked inside herself.  She sprang towards Mr. Saotome, but it was Ryoga 
who got there first, placing himself between Genma and the girl.

	"Wait!"  Ryoga shouted desperately.

	"Ryoga?"  Genma shook off his surprise, his eyes narrowing once more.
He flung out an arm in a powerful gesture.  "This is no time to be noble, 
boy!"  Ryoga blushed at this, but stood his ground.  "Don't you remember 
what happened when master Happosai used that magic incense burner?  We have
to dispose of the evil spirit girl before she wakes up!"

	"That's not what happened!" Ryoga said urgently, but Genma was in no
mood to listen.  The older man flowed into an offensive stance, fists raised
threateningly.  

	"Don't make me hurt you, boy.  Just step aside!"  Ryoga ignored the
gibbering voice of fear inside him and braced himself.  There was no way 
he'd last long against a martial artist of Mr. Saotome's caliber, but Ryoga
Hibiki was no coward.  {Besides,} he thought, {I can't let him hurt, uh...
her, until we -know- whether she's evil or not.}  A tiny part of Ryoga 
remarked that someone so small, light and soft could not possibly be evil.  

	Ryoga angrily squelched the memories of the pig-tailed girl snuggling 
against him.  Now was not the time to be thinking about that!  Ryoga 
dropped into a defensive posture, arms stretched out and hands spread wide 
to block or grapple as necessary.  In a blur of motion, Genma launched a 
deadly roundhouse kick at Ryoga's head.

	"He's telling the truth."  Ukyo's tired voice came from behind them.
Genma paused in mid-attack to look at her, and Ryoga took the opportunity to
footsweep him.  Suddenly airborne, Mr. Saotome described a graceful arc in 
the air, ending with a tremendous splash in the koi pond.

	Akane watched Ukyo slump to the ground beside the male Ranma.  The 
okonomiyaki chef was exhausted from carrying him all the way to the Tendo's.
Taking a ragged breath, Ukyo related the events that had taken place at 
Ucchan's earlier that day.  Expressions of dazed shock quickly gave way to 
concern and curiosity as Ukyo finished up her tale.

	"I'll go call Dr. Tofu," Kasumi said quietly, moving towards the 
house.  Nabiki unfolded herself from where she had been sitting cross-legged
on the ground listening avidly to Ukyo's tale.

	"He's away on sabbatical, remember, oneechan?  Besides, if -you- 
called him then he'd be completely useless for the next three days."  Kasumi
sighed at Nabiki's words and wry tone.  

	"Yes, I suppose you're right.  Would you please go and put the 
kettle on, Nabiki?"  Nabiki nodded, and quickly disappeared through the 
front door.

	Soun and Genma picked up Ranma and carried him upstairs.  Kasumi, 
Akane, Ukyo and Ryoga looked at each other, and then down at the pig-tailed
girl.  Akane gulped.  

	"So.  What do we do with, uh...her?"  

	"One thing is certain," Kasumi answered in a businesslike tone, "We
can't keep on calling her, uh...her!  Why don't we call her Ranko for now?
One Ranma is enough for any household."  The others agreed.  "Now then, it 
would probably  be best to have her and Ranma in different places.  Why 
don't we put her in your room, Akane?"

	"WHAT? In -my- room?  That pervert?  No way!  I..."  Akane trailed 
off, remembering her father's words in the dojo.  For the longest time she 
had given up on improving her martial arts, merely maintaining the level of 
skill she already had.  {Sometimes not even that...} Akane thought. 
 
	With Ranma around and a much better martial artist than she was, 
training just hadn't seemed to do any good against Ranma's years of practice.
{Just once.  Just -one- time I'd like to beat him, maybe then...}  Akane 
took a deep breath.  If she was going to learn control, she might as well 
start now.  "All right, oneechan.  I'll go find some spare blankets."

	Kasumi blinked in surprise.  {Akane, being obedient?}  The sky 
falling on their heads at that very moment seemed more likely.  However, her
usual unflappable calm quickly reasserted itself.

	"Good.  Ryoga, would you please bring Ranko upstairs?"  Ryoga was 
still staring at the girl on the ground, lost in thought.  Kasumi's words 
broke into his trance.

	"Huh?  Oh!  All right."  Bending down, Ryoga picked up Ranko and 
headed towards the house.  Walking slowly, he glanced down at the pig-tailed
girl in his arms.  The autumn wind had dried her clothing, and her hair was
a frizzy mess of tangles.  Ranko's breathing had slowed, dropping into the 
rhythms of natural sleep.  A tendril of red hair swayed with the motion of 
Ryoga's steps, brushing against her nose.  {She's almost...cute?}

	Ryoga jerked his head upright, cheeks flaming.  {What are you 
-thinking-?} Ryoga screamed at himself.  {She's a GUY!}  Occupied with these
thoughts, Ryoga caught his foot on the doorstep and almost wiped out.

	"Oh my!"  Kasumi lifted a hand to her face.  "Please be careful, 
Ryoga!"  She followed the preoccupied Ryoga into the house.  Akane took a 
step in the same direction, and halted.  {Where did Ukyo go?}  Akane glanced
around, and saw the slumped figure of the okonomiyaki girl going out the 
front gate.  Sprinting down the walk, Akane burst out the tall wooden doors
and into the street.

	"Ukyo!  Where are you going?  Ukyo looked over her shoulder to see 
who was yelling, turning to face Akane as she hurried up to her.  Ukyo's 
posture was one of complete and utter defeat.  Akane gave her a concerned 
look, and gasped inwardly.  Ukyo's face was drawn with exhaustion, but her 
eyes...  The snapping fire that had always been an integral part of Ukyo 
Kuonji was missing.  {She looks like an old woman in a young girl's body.} 
Akane thought to herself.  {And so sad...}

	"I'm going home, Akane.  Maybe I'll see you later."  Akane frowned.
This wasn't like Ukyo at all.  She wasn't the conniving opportunist that 
Shampoo was, but Akane thought Ukyo would have been jumping at the chance 
to nurse her 'Ranma-honey' back to health.  Ukyo lowered her eyes.  
"This is all my fault, anyway."

	"What?"  Akane grabbed Ukyo by the shoulders.  "Ukyo, you -sneezed-!
It happens to -everybody-!  If there's anyone to blame, it's that stupid 
baka Ranma for dropping that pepper shaker in the first place!"  Ukyou 
raised her eyes to Akane's, and what she saw there set Akane back on her 
heels.  She had expected sadness, maybe even tears, but the only emotion in
Ukyo's eyes was a clear, cold fury.  Ukyo slowly pushed Akane's hands away.

	"Why do you always blame Ranma for everything, Akane?  Why do you 
hate him so much?"  Akane opened her mouth to reply, but Ukyo cut her off 
with a savage gesture.  "You think I don't know what I'm talking about?  
I've seen you two fight.  I've seen him tease you.  I've seen you punt him 
through the roof.  You both hurt each other equally, word for word.  But 
who do you think Ranma was asking for when he was in pain?  Whose name do 
you think he was whispering when I carried him home?"  

	By now Ukyo was screaming, tears of rage running down her face.  
She and Akane were nose to nose as Ukyo's voice dropped.  "It was yours, 
Akane.  You were all he could think of.  Whether he'll admit it or not, 
Ranma loves you, and he would never lift a hand against you in a million 
years.  So why don't you try being NICE to him for a -change-!"  Spinning on
her heel, Ukyo marched off down the street, leaving a stunned Akane behind.

	Her head whirling, Akane sat down on the paving stones outside the 
front gate.  Leaning back against the warm rough wood, Akane took a shaky 
breath and slowly let it out.  Ukyo's words burned in her brain.  Memories 
began to form in her mind, memories of punting Ranma through the roof, of 
slamming his face into the ground, of malleting him because of something 
he'd said.  Or did.  Or someone else did.  {Or sometimes because I was 
just in a bad mood.}

	...why do you always blame Ranma for everything?...
	...unharnessed rage has no place in the martial arts...
	...Ranma loves you...

	Akane remained motionless against the wall as the afternoon turned 
to evening, oblivious to all except the thoughts racing through her head.  
The sunset blazed, sending orange and gold cascading across her and setting
the quiet street on fire for a brief time.  Slowly, the fiery light dimmed 
to dusk, leaving Akane still sitting, wrapped in the pale shadows of 
twilight.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

This is my first attempt at fanfiction writing, so far I hope you've
enjoyed it.  If any of the characters seem OOC, that's because they
probably are. :)

The second part is in progress.  I'll try not to keep you hovering on
the knifeblade of suspense for -too- long.... 

Mike Simmons.