Numerous corrections as well as a few revisions and extensions to key scenes
per advice offered by the FFML membership.
 
===============================
Divided I Stand: Part III Rev 1
===============================
 
 
       The following story is based on the fictional
characters, situations, and settings created by Rumiko
Takahashi for her Ranma 1/2 series of manga. They are here
used without permission.
 
 

       Typhoon Akane did, as do all such storms, eventually
tire and go away, leaving heaps of wreckage and raging
torrents of water behind her. The streets, much like a
martial artist's life, were fraught with unforeseeable perils.
Not the least of which was downed power lines. Even worse
were some of the teetering stacks of debris filling some of
the streets. 
 
       "Ya, know, this wreckage looks kinda familiar."
 
       "Oh, yeah? How so? Ya mean like the kitchen after one
of Akane's meals?"
 
       "No, more like the house after we didn't eat one of
'em."
 
       "Yeah and then she caught us eatin' one a Shampoo's."
 
       "Gonna hafta make sure she never takes up barbeque. We
wanta make sure this never happens again."
 
       "Ya got that right!"
 
       Night had fallen by the time Ranma and Ranko finally
reached Tendo-ke. Much to their surprise, members of the
Tendo clan were overjoyed to see them, if a bit puzzled.
 
       It was Nabiki who saw them first. They met her at the
gate. She had a five-kilo sack of rice on her shoulder.
 
      "Don't worry about your dad, Ranma," Nabiki said. "I
already know where he is. Somebody found him and hauled him
off to the zoo. The radio said he's in the veterinary clinic
there and they expect him to recover."
 
       "How do you know it's Pop?" Ranma asked.
 
       "How many pandas would be wondering around in Tokyo
during a typhoon?"
 
       "Good point," Ranma replied.
 
       "What's this all about, Saotome?" Nabiki asked,
pointing to Ranko.
 
       "I'm Ranma Saotome," Ranko said, fiddling nervously
with the end of her pigtail and looking rather embarrassed.
"Sorry about this."
 
       Nabiki's normally cool exterior cracked and fell
completely away as she looked at Ranma and Ranko in turn,
realizing that they were wearing bandages in the exact same
places. She closed her eyes for a moment and shuddered.
 
      "Does either one of you change now, or are you both
stuck?" Nabiki asked in a resigned voice.
 
       "We're stuck," Ranma and Ranko chorused.
 
       "Which one of you is the real Ranma?" Nabiki asked.
 
       "As far as we can tell ..." Ranma said.
 
       "We both are," Ranko said.
 
       "We both remember all the same things," Ranma said.
 
       "But my memories feel different," Ranko added.
 
       Nabiki put a hand to her forehead and said, "Oh, my."
 
       "Everybody here okay?" Ranma asked.
 
       Nabiki removed her hand and looked Ranma in the eye as
she answered, "Yeah, our house held up pretty good, but as
you can see, some of the neighbors didn't do so well.
Kasumi's running a kind of temporary shelter for the elderly
out of the dojo. I guess all that repair work you and Akane
made necessary paid off, Saotome. We didn't lose so much as a
shingle during the storm."
 
      "Lot's of added bracing, huh?" Ranma asked.
 
      "Something like that," Nabiki said. "Dad and Akane are
out helping the neighbors, but I think you two had better go
find places to sleep. You look terrible."
 
      "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nabiki!" Ranma said
sounding irritated.
 
      "I'm serious, Saotome," Nabiki said, in her best
business voice. "There'll be plenty to do tomorrow and we'll
need your strength."
 
      "She's right, you know, Ranma," Ranko said.
 
      "I'm always right!" Nabiki said looking smug. "You can
have my bed if no one is in it, uh, what do you want us to
call you for the time being?"
 
      The red headed girl shrugged her shoulders and said, "I
guess I had better go by Ranko for the time being. It'll cut
down on the confusion."
 
     "I knew you would be practical," Nabiki said. "That's
something your male half hasn't learned how to do yet."
 
     "Hey! I can be practical!" Ranma exclaimed.
 
     "Good!" Nabiki said with a victorious smirk. "That means
you'll be a good boy and go get some rest, right?"
 
     Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Ranko joined Nabiki in smirking at him.
 
     "Tell you what, Saotome," Nabiki said brightly. "If you
promise me that you'll go get some rest, I'll let you carry
this bag in for me."
 
      Ranma rolled his eyes to the heavens, but he took the
sack. The three of them made their way inside Tendo-ke. Ranma
suddenly understood why Nabiki said that Ranko could have her
bed if no one was already in it. They had to tiptoe around
exhausted refugees lying all about the place. There wasn't
any power and there was only one lantern going, so it proved
to be a tricky business. Ranma made his way into the kitchen
and set the sack of rice down on the counter. There was a
large stockpot on the stove. The lid was rattling so Ranma
turned the burner down a little then raised the lid to see
what was inside. Unsurprisingly, it was full of rice.
 
     "So, how are you feeling, Saotome?" Nabiki asked as she
walked into the kitchen. "Any permanent harm done?"
 
     "Other than this deal with my curse? Nothin' that I know
about," Ranma answered. "Tofu said me and Ranko would heal up
from the bumpin' around we got in a week or so. Was your bed
empty?"
 
      "I nestled your girl half in with about three toddlers,"
Nabiki said. "She went right to sleep. I think you and I will
have to pitch tents out on the front lawn. All the floor
space is taken in the house."
 
      "What about Kasumi?" Ranma asked. "Should I pitch one
for her too?"
 
      "No, she and your mom are taking turns out in the dojo,"
Nabiki said. "Better pitch a couple for Dad and Akane
though."
 
      "Who's been doin' the cookin'?"
 
      "I have," Nabiki said, "but don't you dare tell anyone."
 
      "I didn't think you knew how!"
  
      "Rice and instant miso are about all I can handle,"
Nabiki said with a wry grin. "Beyond that, I turn into Akane
the Destroyer."
 
       Ranma gave Nabiki a grin and said, "I'll go take care
of the tents. You got a sleepin' bag somewhere?"
 
      "It's in my room," Nabiki answered. "I'll bring it down
myself later."
 
      "Okay."
 
       Ranma Saotome had pitched tents a countless number of
times during his young life, but by the time he had finished
digging out the combined camping gear of the Tendo and
Saotome clans he was tired. They had two older tents that
would sleep four, then four smaller tents intended for one or
two people. Ranma pitched them all, deciding that if they
were not needed immediately, someone would need a place to
sleep by the next nightfall. He was still trying to tighten
the last rope on one of the smaller tents when Soun and Akane
came stumping through the front gate, both of them covered in
sweat, scratches, and dirt. Soun's face looked especially
haggard, but he was clearly relieved to find Ranma at home.
 
       "Oh, Ranma!" Akane cried as she ran over to him. She
dropped to her knees beside him. "Here, let me help you with
that."
 
       Ranma was entirely too tired to argue, but not tired
enough to let Akane attempt to tie anything. "You pull, I'll
make the knot, okay?"
 
      Akane nodded her head in assent as she pulled on the
rope. Ranma tied it off then sat back on his heels.
 
      "Boy! I'm glad that's finished," Ranma said with a sigh
of relief.
 
      "What happened, Son?" Soun asked. Genuine concern was
written on his face.
 
       "I'm not sure on some of the details, Oji-san," Ranma
said. He paused to swallow at the cotton in his mouth. "Me
and Pops got blown around and I hit my head. Some rich people
took care of me until this morning. Took us all day to get
back."
 
       "Did you catch the Master?" Soun asked.
 
       "Nope," Ranma said, being careful not to shake his head.
"Last I saw of him, he rode the wind over a stone wall. I got
hurt when Pop insisted I follow him."
 
       Soun was visibly shaken by this news.
 
       "He escaped then?" Soun asked looking very agitated.
"Why did you and your father return?"
 
       "I didn't come back with Pops," Ranma said. "I came
back with my girl half. Nabiki thinks Pops is at the zoo in
an animal clinic. She heard something about it on the radio."
 
       "You came back with your girl half?" Soun and Akane
chorused.
 
       "Yes, he did," Nabiki said as she approached them with
a large pitcher of water and several glasses. "She's upstairs
asleep in my bed."
 
       Soun and Akane's chins dropped in silent surprise while
Nabiki passed out the glasses.
 
       "There isn't any running water yet, and if what I heard
is true, it might be as long as week before there is any, so
don't waste this," Nabiki said as she filled their glasses
from the pitcher. "Drink every drop."
 
       Ranma swished a mouthful of water around in his mouth
before swallowing it then said, "I got no problem with that!"
 
      "I guess that means we can't get a bath," Akane said in
a glum voice. 
 
      "You can take a half bucket out of the koi pond for that,
Akane. Girls bathe behind the dojo. Gents bathe over there,"
Nabiki said, indicating the narrow yard between the house and
the north wall of the compound. "Remember, no more than half
a bucket."
 
      "Mmph!" Soun noised. "The devil to pay and only a half
bucket of pitch."
 
      "Come on, Oji-san," Ranma said. "I'll split a half-
bucket with ya."
 
      Soun looked alarmed. "Are you sure that's wise, Son? I
mean ... well... I appreciate your concern for the
circumstances we're under, but your condition with cold water
and all...I'm not sure..."
 
      "Not a problem for now, Oji-san," Ranma said. "Cold
water doesn't change me into a girl anymore."
 
      Akane eyed Ranma suspiciously for a moment then asked,
"So what does warm water do to this girl half?"
 
      "Nothin'" Ranma said, sounding glum. "He...she's stuck
as a girl."
 
      "So neither one of you is a copy, like the last time?"
Akane asked.
 
      "Not as far as either one of us can tell, Akane," Ranma
said. He was beginning to be aggravated by her suspicions,
even though he knew she had good reason to be suspicious.
"She ain't handlin' it too good, either."
 
      "Akane, let's wait on explanations until after we've all
had a chance to bathe and eat," Nabiki said. "That way we can
all hear it at the same time while being able to think a
little more clearly. What do you say?"
 
      Akane gave out an exasperated sigh. "I suppose you're
right, Nabiki. But this better not be another one of your
stupid stunts, Ranma!"
 
      Ranma decided that he was too tired to be angry with her.
"I'm gonna go get a bath!" he said in a disgusted voice. "You
comin', Oji-san?"
 
      Soun gave Akane a sharp look before answering. "Yes, of
course, Son, by all means. I'd love to get some of this grime
off."
 
      Soun and Ranma made their way toward the koi pond. Once
they were out of earshot, Nabiki tugged at Akane's sleeve.
 
      "You might try being a little nicer to him, this time,
Akane."
 
      "Oh?"
 
      "Yeah. His girl half looked like hell when they got here
a couple of hours ago. I don't think it would take much to
push either or both of them over the edge."
 
      "I don't get it. This means he's cured of his curse,
doesn't it?"
 
      "One of him is cured. The other one of him is stuck in a
girl's body, Akane. Think about it this way, how would you
feel if Kasumi were stuck in a guy's body?"
 
      Akane made a wry face then said,  "Well, maybe I was
being a little hard on him, but he scared me running off
during the storm after Happosai like that."
 
     "I don't think he had any choice about it. Daddy was
upset with him because he came back without ever catching the
old monster."
 
     "Why?"
 
     "I don't know, but I think we had better find out. It
must be something awful if Ranma's dad was willing to go out
in that wind yesterday."
 
      Akane breathed out an exasperated sigh then said, "I'm
tired."
 
      "Go get a bath and change clothes. You'll feel better.
I'll bring us something to eat out here in a few minutes."
 
      "Why are we camping out in the yard?"
 
      "Talk to Dad and Kasumi. They're the soft touches around
here. The house is full of old folks, pregnant women and
their kids. We'll be lucky if we have anything left by the
time things return to normal."
 
       Akane growled in frustration and walked off toward the
koi pond. Nabiki set the pitcher of water down inside one of
the larger tents, then made her way back to the kitchen. Much
to her annoyance, it would take her the better part of an
hour to get away from their refugee guests and lug the
stockpot half full of rice back to her family's little camp
on their front lawn. By that time, Soun and Ranma had managed
to build a small fire. Much to Nabiki's surprise, Ranko had
joined them. She and Akane were sitting on opposite sides of
Ranma.
 
       "What are you doing up?" Nabiki asked Ranko as she set
the pot down by the fire. She had to stretch to get the kinks
out of her lower back.
 
       "Too many kids, not enough bed," Ranko answered. "Two
more of 'em piled in with us a few minutes ago. I decided to
let them have it to themselves."
 
       "Oh," Nabiki said, "sorry about that."
 
       "Nothing to be sorry for," Ranko answered. "Couldn't be
helped. The kids hafta have a place to sleep."
 
       "I'll go get another plate," Nabiki said, starting to
walk back toward the house.
 
       "Don't," Ranma said, "Ranko and I can share a plate."
     
       Nabiki looked back over her shoulder and said, "What,
you want her to starve?"
 
       "We'll be okay, Nabiki," Ranko said, "just put a little
extra rice on the plate--that is if we have that much."
 
        Nabiki turned around and tiredly knelt by the pot as
she said, "We have plenty for now. Might even have enough for
the next few days. After that, things are going to get
complicated."
 
      "Why do you say that, Daughter?" Soun asked nervously as
he accepted his plate. Nabiki had loaded sizeable pile of
rice onto it.
 
       "Well, they aren't saying so on the news, but I caught
a broadcast on my little TV before the batteries died."
 
       "And?" Akane asked.
 
       "They had a news chopper flying around town. It looked
to me like flooding cut all the roads leading into Nerima.
Two of the main bridges have been completely washed away. The
only way in right now is by boat. Even the railroad is
underwater."
 
      "Well, the flood water will recede by tomorrow evening,
surely," Soun said.
 
      "Yes, Daddy, but that leaves the railroad as the only
passable route into Nerima, assuming the trestle wasn't
damaged," Nabiki said as she handed Akane a plate. "There
won't be any trucks coming in here with those two highway
bridges gone."
 
       "Oh, dear!" Soun exclaimed. Much to everyone's surprise
he did not break out into tears. Nabiki handed Ranma a plate
piled high with sticky rice.
 
       "Sounds like we're goin' huntin' tomorrow, Ranma,"
Ranko said with a feral grin.
 
       "Tomorrow, some of the ladies are going to get up just
before sunrise and make a trip to the market, but I don't
hold out a lot of hope for them," Nabiki said. "Everybody who
can get there will being doing the same thing. That place is
going to be a nightmare."
 
       "Hmm, warehouses," Soun said, casting a quick glance at
Ranma. Ranma and Ranko nodded their heads in unison.
 
       "I'll give you some money. Try to buy a few bags of
rice if you can. If not," Nabiki said with a shrug of her
shoulders, "do what you must."
 
       "Don't worry, Nabiki," Ranma said.
 
       "We'll have plenty of rice here tomorrow," Ranko said.
 
       Soun solemnly nodded his head in agreement then said,
"We will set out early. Perhaps we will reach the warehouse
district before anyone else thinks of it."
 
       "I want to go with you," Akane said.
 
       "Of course, Akane," Soun said. "Nabiki, have one of the
ladies get batteries for your television tomorrow if
possible."
 
       "Way ahead of ya, Dad," Nabiki answered around a
mouthful of rice.
 
        Everyone ate in silence for a while until Ranko held
out hers and Ranma's plate and asked, "Hear anything else
about my old man, Nabiki?"
 
        "Not a word since yesterday afternoon," Nabiki said
while piling rice onto the plate. "You going to tell us what
happened?"
 
       "Well, the wind wasn't too bad when we first started
out after the old freak, but the higher the wind got, the
farther he could jump. Finally, he jumped up over a wall and
I knew there wasn't any point in chasin' him anymore," Ranko
said. 
 
      "Yeah, by that time, the wind was blowin' so hard the
rain felt like a shower of rocks," Ranma added.
 
      "Anyway, I told Pops I was goin' home and turned to
leave," Ranko said, "but he grabbed me from behind and threw
me up into the air."
 
      "At least he threw me high enough to clear the wall!"
Ranma exclaimed.
 
       Ranko rolled her eyes then said, "Yeah, weren't I
lucky! Anyway, I bounced across these rich people's yard
until I slammed into one of their windows."
 
      "It was boarded up with plywood," Ranma interjected.
 
      "But that didn't slow me down none," Ranko said. "I
smashed right through it and into the room. I don't remember
seein' it, but I hit this great big mirror with my head. When
I came to again, there was two of me. A guy type me and a
girl type me."
 
      "Are you sure it wasn't the same mirror you got into
trouble with before?" Akane asked. "They might have sold it
or something."
 
       "Nah, it had a different frame and everything, Akane,"
Ranma said. "That mirror was a big tall oval. This one was
almost perfectly round."
 
       "Yeah, kind of a squatty oval, if you know what I
mean," Ranko added. "The guy that ran the place told me that
it had been in the family for a couple of generations."
 
       "He said the guy that built the mansion bought it in
Europe and sent it home by ship some time just before the
First World War," Ranma said.
 
       "I thought it was right after," Ranko said.
 
       "Might've been," Ranma said with a shrug. "I was still
pretty blurry when he was tellin' us all this stuff."
 
        "Anyway, right after the guy had this mirror installed,
a yamabushi showed up," Ranko said.
 
        "A yamabushi?" Soun, Akane and Nabiki chorused.
 
        Ranko and Ranma nodded their heads in unison.
 
        "Hmm, most unusual for one of those shamans to be
wandering around in the Kanto," Soun said as he thoughtfully
rubbed the stubble on his chin.
 
        "Yeah, he said everybody was pretty surprised by that
visit," Ranko said. "Anyway, this yamabushi guy told the guy
that owned the place that he had some good qualities that the
yamabushi could bring out."
 
       "Let me guess," Nabiki interjected. "The yamabushi cast
a spell on this mirror."
 
         Ranma and Ranko nodded their heads in unison.
 
      "When the guy who owned the place looked into it, his
personality changed," Ranko said. "He became a philo ... a
philo ..."
 
        "A philothampus," Ranma supplied helpfully.
 
        "Philanthropist!" Akane said sounding exasperated.
 
        "Yeah, that's it!" Ranma and Ranko chorused. Nabiki
smirked while Akane rolled her eyes. Soun stared gravely into
the fire.
 
        "The trouble was, the mirror worked on more than just
this one guy," Ranko said.
 
        "Some of the people that looked into it changed for
the worse," Ranma added.
 
        "And some didn't change at all as far as anyone could
tell," Ranko said.
 
        "But everyone the mirror ever changed never went back
to bein' their old self," Ranko added, suddenly looking
distraught.
 
        "But you didn't look into the mirror," Akane exclaimed.
 
        "No, I didn't," Ranko said. "I hit it with my head and
shattered it. It was covered up with a tapestry at the time
or I woulda been cut to shreds."
 
       "The butler or somebody found two of us instead of just
one of us layin' on the floor," Ranma added. "At least,
that's what they told us."
 
        "So nobody else actually saw what happened, right?"
Nabiki asked.
 
       "As far as I know," Ranma and Ranko chorused.
 
       "So you might have seen yourself in the mirror and just
didn't remember it," Nabiki said.
 
        "It's possible," Ranma and Ranko chorused, both of
them scratching the back of their necks at the same time. "We
were both pretty sick afterwards."
 
         Nabiki, Soun and Akane blinked at this. Both Ranma and
Ranko had spoken at the same exact time, using the same exact
words. 
 
       "I think this is serious, Akane," Nabiki said after a
momentary silence. "Ranko doesn't act anything at all like
the copy of Ranma that came out of that other mirror."
 
       "Well, she did kiss me," Ranma blurted.
 
       "Me and my big mouth!" Ranko exclaimed, giving Ranma an
angry stare. This, of course, brought everyone else up short.
 
        "You ... you ... You kissed him!" Akane shouted at
Ranko.
 
       "Hey! It was just an experiment, okay?" Ranko said, as
a crimson blush filled her face. "I found out about the spell
before Ranma did. I ... just ... needed to know if ..."
 
       "If you were turning into a girl?" Nabiki asked gently.
 
       Ranko kept staring at her lap, but silently nodded her
head. Nabiki caught the glint of firelight on Ranko's falling
tears as they dropped into her lap. Akane suddenly looked
worried as she put one hand to her mouth.
 
        "Are you?" Nabiki asked softly.
 
        "I don't know!" Ranko wailed. "I'm scared!"
 
        Faster than anyone could follow, Ranma and Akane were
hugging Ranko between them.
 
        "Shh! Everything's going to be fine, Ranko," Akane
said. "I'll protect you."
 
         Ranma looked as though he might object to Akane's
statement, but before he could say what was on his mind,
Nabiki asked him a question.
 
       "Did you bring a piece of the mirror with you, Ranma?"
Nabiki asked.
 
       "Ah, oh, yeah! I nearly forgot to tell ya about that,"
Ranma said as he let go of Ranko and began digging into his
pocket. "I brought this along. The butler let me have it
because he said they were glad to be rid of the mirror."
 
       Ranma produced a bundle wrapped in heavy cloth from his
pocket and set it on the ground between himself and Nabiki.
Nabiki picked it up, but did not unwrap it. It was
surprisingly heavy. The mirror had been made from very thick
glass.
 
       "Have you tried looking into it?" Nabiki asked.
 
       "Naw, we weren't sure of what might happen if one of us
did," Ranma answered.
 
       "That was very wise of you, Son," Soun said, now
looking as though he might break out into tears. "This seems
like a very unpredictable situation."
 
       "Ya got that right, Oji-san," Ranma exclaimed. Ranko
was now sobbing into Akane's shoulder. Ranma glanced at the
two of them then rolled his eyes. No one noticed this gesture
but Nabiki.
 
       "Perhaps we should turn in," Soun said as he got up and
made his way toward the largest tent. "Tomorrow promises to
be a long day."
 
       "Come on, Ranko," Akane said. "You can share my tent."
 
       This caused Ranma to blink and do a double take. Nabiki
smirked at him. Ranko and Akane got up and walked off into
the darkness, leaving Ranma and Nabiki sitting by the fire in
silence.
 
      "So how are you doing so far, Saotome?" Nabiki asked
after a moment.
 
      "I'm lost," Ranma answered. "I don't know if this is
going to last or not. I can't tell if Ranko is going to
become a real girl or if I'm gonna wake up tomorrow with the
curse back in place. Who knows?"
 
     "Do you think she might turn into a real girl?" Nabiki
asked.
 
     "Lemme put it this way, Nabiki, I wouldn't wanna hafta
stay in my cursed form for more than a couple of months,"
Ranma said sounding grim. "It starts ta work on your reflexes
after a while."
 
      "By that I gather you don't mean it slows you down,"
Nabiki observed dryly. "I would think being a girl would make
you a bit quicker."
  
       "It does," Ranma said. "See ya in the mornin', Nabiki."
 
       "Yeah, good night, Saotome," Nabiki said. "Try to rest
as much as you can. We're all going to need it."
 
       Ranma nodded his head and waved to show agreement as he
stumped off toward one of the smaller tents. Nabiki took a
deep breath and stretched, craning her neck as she did so.
She was amazed when she opened her eyes. The Milky Way was
easily visible. 
 
      "Well look at this," Nabiki said aloud in surprise.
"I'll bet this hasn't happened since World War II."


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