A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mike Simmons.  All characters herein are property of
Takahashi Rumiko.  Before you bludgeon me to death for such sacrilege,
please...read the fic.  Who knows, you might even like it! :)
C & C would be greatly appreciated.
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--Oil & Water--  part II

	The thin, pale fingers of dawn came drifting silently through 
Akane's bedroom window.  Creeping across the huddle of blankets on the bed, the 
small sunbeams illuminated the face of a sleeping Ranko.  As time passed, 
the light gradually became warmer and brighter.  Eventually, some critical 
point was surpassed.  Ranko cracked open an eyelid.

	Morning.  It was definitely morning.  And -early- morning at that.  Ranko 
rolled over and burrowed deeper under the covers.  {Early mornings are for 
birds and Amazons, not for martial artists...} she thought.  Closing her 
eye again, Ranko began to drift back into a dozing, dreamless half-sleep, 
but suddenly her surroundings registered.  Ranko sat upright, fully awake.

	{Oh, great!  I'm in -Akane's- room!  If she finds me here, sleeping
in her -bed-, she'll go ballistic!}  Ranko stretched, the bones in her spine
giving off small popping noises.  She twisted, and paused in mid-stretch at
the sight of Ryoga fast asleep in Akane's desk chair.  His arms were still 
folded and there was a stern expression on his face, but sleep lent a 
softness to Ryoga's normally hostile features.  {What the heck is Ryoga 
doing here?  Come to think of it, what the heck am -I- doing here?}

	Ranko hopped out of bed, moving on silent feet to the door.  She 
paused with her hand on the doorknob, looking back at the sleeping Ryoga.  
{Something strange is going on around here.  Where's Akane?  And why is 
Ryoga here?  It's almost like he was...guarding me?}  Ranko scoffed, 
flipping her pigtail over her shoulder.  {Naaaaaaah!}  Ranko slowly opened 
the door, but as she began sliding out into the hallway, the floor gave off
a loud creak.

	Ryoga stirred, and Ranko froze.  His sleep-filled eyes slowly 
drifted open, and were filled with the image of a short red-haired girl in a
tank top and shorts standing by the door.  Ryoga jerked awake. 
 
	"Huh?  Ranma?  What...."  The memory of what had happened yesterday
flooded into his mind.  {She doesn't -look- like an evil spirit girl.  Still,
best to be careful.}  He stood up and slowly approached Ranko, stopping a 
safe distance away from her in case she turned out to be evil.  Before he 
could speak, Ranko beat him to it.

	"Ryoga, what's going on?  Why are we in Akane's room?"  Ryoga 
checked his pockets.  Damn.  Out of spirit wards.  Without taking his eyes 
off of Ranko, he snatched a pad of yellow Post-It notes and a pen from 
Akane's desk and began to scribble furiously.  Ranko folded her arms, 
watching Ryoga's antics.  Finishing, Ryoga tore the note off of the pad.   
Diving towards Ranko, he stuck the hastily-created spirit ward to her 
forehead.  His mission accomplished, Ryoga leaped back, expecting the 
pigtailed girl to shriek and evaporate in a burst of flames. 
 
	Ranko stood there with her arms folded and a yellow Post-It note 
flapping merrily on her forehead in the cool breeze from the window. 

	"You better start talking, Ryoga."  

		*	*	*

	Ranma yawned, and stumbled out of bed.  {Ooog.  I don't feel so hot.}
His stomach was rumbling like a Panzer brigade as he wandered downstairs 
into the kitchen.  Kasumi was standing at the counter, trimming the stems of
some small flowers before placing them precisely in a vase.  Turning at the 
sound of Ranma's footsteps, Kasumi's eyes went wide and her arms flew up in 
surprise.  A shower of daisies floated lazily down around them.

	"Geez Kasumi, I know I'm never up this early, but you don't need to 
make a big deal out of it."  Ranma scratched the back of his head idly as he
opened the refrigerator.  "Is there anything to eat?  I'm starved!"
  
	"I haven't started breakfast yet."  Kasumi's tone was serious, with 
a hint of censure in it.  Ranma looked up, startled at the sound of 
displeasure, however slight, from Soun Tendo's oldest daughter.  Then he 
realized that he had just wandered in to Kasumi's personal domain, spoken to
her with a bare modicum of respect, and immediately ignored her in the 
search for something to eat.  Ranma gulped, and looked down at his feet in 
embarassment.  He'd never been much for manners, but if anyone deserved 
respect it was Kasumi.

	"Uh.....I'm sorry, Kasumi.  I didn't mean..."  He wasn't much for 
apologies, either.  Raising his eyes, he caught the strange expression on 
Kasumi's face.  "What's wrong, Kasumi?"

	Kasumi opened her mouth to tell Ranma what had happened yesterday, 
but before she could speak, a crash came from the stairs.  Kasumi and Ranma 
ran out of the kitchen, ducking just in time as Ryoga flew over them and 
smacked into the wall.  Ryoga struggled to his feet, a small shower of wood 
splinters pattering off his shoulders.  Ignoring Ranma and Kasumi, he faced 
the stairs.

	"I'm telling the truth!" Ryoga yelled.  Ranko appeared at the top of
the stairs, her fists clenched and a battle aura beginning to flicker around
her.  Ranma dropped to the floor with a thump, his eyes wide with shock.  
Ranko hadn't noticed Kasumi or her male counterpart; she had eyes only for 
Ryoga.

	"If you're trying to make some kind of joke, Ryoga, that's not very 
funny!"  Ryoga scowled at her as she leaped down the stairs.  The two stood
toe-to-toe, glowering at each other.  Ranko only came up to the level of 
Ryoga's nose, and her head was tilted back as they locked eyes in mutual 
stubbornness.  Without looking away from the irate Ranko before him, Ryoga 
pointed at Ranma.

	"If I'm such a liar, then who is -that-?"  Ryoga fumed.  Ranko flicked her
eyes 
over in Ranma's direction, and back at Ryoga with redoubled intensity.

	"I DON'T CA... oh."  Ranko turned back to stare at Ranma, who rose 
from where he had been sprawled on the floor.  The pig-tailed martial artists
regarded each other silently.

	"How did this happen?"  Ranma whispered hoarsely.  Kasumi spoke up,
quietly relating what had occurred at Ukyo's restaurant the day before.  
Ryoga nodded, glad that at least -somebody- could back up his story.  
Throughout Kasumi's retelling, Ranma and Ranko stared at each other, neither
one stirring an inch.  As Kasumi finished her tale, Ranma reached out and 
poked Ranko in the arm.  Looking back over his shoulder at Kasumi, Ranma 
asked "Is it permanent?"  In a very un-Kasumi-like gesture, she shrugged.

	"As far as we know."  

	Ranma grinned, his entire face lighting up with irrepressible joy.  
Ranma laughed, and began jumping around in an impromptu victory dance.

	"Never gonna be a girl a-gain, never gonna be a girl a-gain!"  Ranma
chanted, smiling until he thought he'd burst.  "Yes!" He punched the air.  
Filling a glass of water from the sink, he poured it over his head in 
celebration.  Rivulets of cold water ran down his face, mixing with tears of
happiness and soaking his shirt.  -His- shirt.  "Where's Akane?  I gotta 
tell her!  It's finally over I'm -normal- again!"

	Ranko watched Ranma's antics, anger boiling inside her.  {He -poked-
me!} Ranko thought. {Like I was some kind of museum exhibit!  He talked 
about me like I wasn't even here!} With a flash, Ranko's battle aura flared 
to life, crackling with power.  Ranko gritted her teeth as the irrational 
rage that had been so recently focussed on Ryoga found a new target.

		*	*	*

	The morning came, clear and sharp, bringing a tang of frost that 
vanished as the autumn sun beat down on the pavement.  In the cool shadows 
by the wall of the Tendo dojo, Akane raised her head.  Slowly she filled her
senses with the world, pouring into it like a stream of water from a jar, 
luxuriating in the dream-like feeling of peace.  {I guess this is what Dad 
was talking about.  I can't believe I've been out here all night!}  Akane 
felt a slight ripple of shame.  It was the impact of Ukyo's words that had 
kept her motionless and alert, mind working furiously as afternoon cycled 
to evening, and night gave way finally to exhaustion.

	At first Akane had merely sat, uncaring eyes tracking the rustle of 
a stray leaf along the pavement, her thoughts wandering random and 
disjointed.  Then came the words; teasing, annoying, and sharp.  Akane 
shuddered as she recalled her response, the violence and rage, the many 
blows she had dealt without warning.  Throughout the nighttime silence, 
Akane's innermost self drifted on a lake of memories, all beginning with a 
panda who showed up on their doorstep one day and a pig-tailed girl who 
needed a friend.

	Hearing the murmur of voices coming from the house, Akane rose 
stiffly, brushing off her gi and stretching to work out a few of the aches 
brought on by long hours in a sitting position.  Akane drew her newfound 
calm around her like a cloak.  She knew what she had to do; she knew now 
how to deal with the situation.  {I have to have a talk with Ranko,} she 
thought.  {And I have to...apologize to Ranma.}  However difficult it might
be trying to deal with Ranko, there was no question that it would be a lot
easier than apologizing.

	Pulling the gate open, Akane slipped inside the doors and closed 
them behind her with a thump.  {That's funny.}  The voices coming from the 
house had ceased.  Akane moved towards the front door.

	"RANMA NO BAKA!"  a feminine voice screamed with anger.  The flying 
body of Ranma Saotome exploded through the wall of the Tendo home and sailed
across the yard, coming to rest at Akane's feet.  One hand still in the 
'evil-spirits-begone' position, Ranma climbed to his feet, gingerly rubbing 
the lump that had sprung up on his head.

	"Crazy girl," he muttered to himself.  At the sight of  Akane, a 
grin animated his features.  "Akane!  Watch this!"  Leaping into the air, 
Ranma held his nose and dropped like a cannonball into the pond.  A 
tremendous splash erupted, soaking a confused Akane.  {Ranma?}

	"Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah!"  Ranma rocketed up from the depths of the pond,
dripping wet and laughing with glee.  "I'mcuredI'mcuredI'mcuuured!"  He 
shook himself off, black pig-tail lashing back and forth.  Akane smiled.  
{He's so happy, like a little kid!  This is what he's always wanted, more 
than anything!}  Her smile faltered as she remembered what she had to do, 
but resumed itself as she watched Ranma's joyful antics.  

	{Maybe apologizing won't be quite as hard as I thought...}

		*	*	*

	Through the gaping hole in the wall created by Ranma's swift exodus,
Ranko watched Akane and Ranma sitting by the edge of the pond, facing each 
other.  Both had their eyes lowered to the ground rather than looking at one
another, and Akane was speaking in quiet, faltering tones.  They were too 
far away for Ranko to make out what Akane was saying, but a small gust of 
wind brought the words "...I'm sorry..." to Ranko's ears before dying off 
again.

	Ranko's fingers flexed, digging into the hardwood floor.  The 
pigtailed girl was torn between anger and sheer amazement.  Her fists itched,
filled with an almost uncontrollable urge to pound Ranma's face in.  Ranko 
looked down at her hands, slightly shocked at the strength of the anger 
coursing through her.  

	"I can't believe it!  She's...apologizing!  To that -jerk-!  Why?"

	"Because she loves him."  Ryoga dropped down beside Ranko as he 
answered her question, folding his legs into a more comfortable position.  
He joined her in watching Ranma and Akane as the two spoke quietly out in 
the garden.  

	"What?"  Ranko hissed.  "You've got to be kidding me, Ryoga!"  
Ryoga shook his head, eyes still riveted on Akane as she rested a hand 
gently on Ranma's.  Ranko felt her rage fade, leaving only a dull ache in 
her chest.  "Akane..."  Ranko whispered, and the tears came, trickling 
gently down her cheeks like a soft spring rain.  Ryoga gave a bitter 
chuckle, and rested a hand for a moment on Ranko's shoulder.

	"Now you know how it feels," Ryoga said simply. 
	   

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Author's Notes:

Well, that was part II.  It's a lot shorter than part I, but I wanted to
get all that I had written so far out; at this time I'm not sure if I will
be continuing this story.  It seems to be getting more and more cliched by
the paragraph.  I may come back to it later.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Mike Simmons