A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by Mike Simmons.  All characters herein are property of
Takahashi Rumiko, and not mine.  If you want to take any legal action, don't
bother.  I don't have anything you'd want anyway.  You can reach me with
commentary and/or flames at msimmons@bcgroup.net

This and other of my fics can be read at :
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/2506/story.html
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--Oil & Water: Part III--

        Soun Tendo sighed over his morning cup of tea.  Mournfully gazing 
at his reflection in the steaming liquid, he pondered the unfairness of it 
all.  {Why must one difficult situation follow right on the heels of 
another?}  Casting a brief and supplicating glance up to the heavens, Soun 
returned his attention once more to his cup.  {Trying to get Akane to 
control her temper is hard enough.  This problem with ... that girl is 
another kettle of fish altogether.  At least I don't have to worry about 
finding her half-disrobed in my front room; Ranko at least seems to have 
some sense of propriety.}
        
        "More tea, father?"  Kasumi's gentle voice queried.  Soun watched 
his eldest daughter as she came in from the kitchen.  Her steps were 
graceful and unhurried, and as always she exuded an air of calm contentment.
He was always struck by the sharp contrast between Kasumi's tranquility, 
Nabiki's dry practicality, and Akane's fierce stubbornness.  {Could three 
daughters be any -less- alike?} he wondered.  {And yet... there's something 
of their mother in all of them.}

        "Father?"  Kasumi waved a hand in front of his eyes, and he started,
shaking his head.  Planting both hands on the table, Soun pushed himself 
stiffly to his feet.  
        
        "No thank you, Kasumi.  There's something I must attend to.  Where 
is Ranko?"  At Soun's stern tone, Kasumi's eyes widened a little.  {It's 
been a long time since Father sounded like that...}  Wordlessly, she 
indicated the front hallway.  Soun strode across the room and down the hall 
towards the door, steeling himself.  This wouldn't be pleasant, and he had 
to do it before his resolution failed him.  The alternative was to end up 
in tears, burning with shame at his own cowardice, and yet still unable to 
stop.

        Soun rounded the corner to see Ranko crying.  The look of pure and 
abject misery on her face jarred him.  Through the hole in the wall beside 
her, he caught a glimpse of Ranma and Akane talking together by the pond, 
and the source of Ranko's suffering became abundantly clear to him.  {I've 
never seen him... -her- this way since the time she was trying to learn the 
chestnut fist.} Soun thought.  {This is for the best then.  It will prevent 
her suffering further.}  Halting next to Ryoga, who had withdrawn his hands 
from Ranko's shoulders when Soun had appeared, the Tendo patriarch assumed 
a formal posture.

        "Ranko, would you come with me, please?  There are things that we 
must speak of."  A look of surprise crossed the pig-tailed girl's face, 
and she wiped her face on her sleeve.  In all the time she had been staying 
with the Tendo's, Soun had never really spoken to her other than to try 
pushing her at Akane.  It struck Ranko suddenly that she didn't know much 
about Mr. Tendo at all.  She glanced at his tall, stern form.  {Was this 
the way he was.... before his wife died?}

        Hopping to her feet, Ranko followed Soun down the hallway.  Her 
mind was still whirling with thoughts of Akane and...  him, but she forced 
it away.  {Can't... I -don't- want to think about that right now.  It's too 
much...}  Ranko concentrated on Soun, on the dark fibers of his gi as they 
shifted across his back, on the silent pad of his bare feet on the wooden 
floor.  When they reached the front door, Soun slid it open and folded 
himself into a sitting position, leaning against the doorframe.  He 
gestured for Ranko to sit as well.  She copied his position, her long red 
pigtail swinging alongside of her neck.    
        
        Soun remained motionless, his eyes closed as he soaked up the fresh 
morning breeze blowing over the wall.  It carried the warm greasy scent of 
okonomiyaki from the yattai just down the street, and the sharp tang of 
spring grasses.  Finally he opened his eyes to the sight of Ranko sitting 
with uncharacteristic patience on the doorstep beside him.  Soun berated 
himself at the thought.  {Ranma never had the patience to sit still for 
more than a few moments.  This girl-- Ranko... She's a person in her own 
right.}  He sighed heavily.

        "Forgive me, Ranko.  I can see that you are in pain, but there are 
some important things that we must speak of concerning your future here.  
I realize now is not the best time, but if there is one thing I've learned 
as a town councilman, it is that important issues must be dealt with."  
Soun gave her a small smile.  "Putting them off only makes things worse."  
Ranko's eyes narrowed with curiousity.  {This is really strange...} she 
thought.  {But then, -everything- that's happened since I fell into the 
spring has been strange.}

        "Do you realize, Ranko, that I haven't taught or practiced the Art 
since my wife died?"  There was a faraway look in Soun's eyes, a tinge of 
regret long softened by time.  "It just didn't seem to matter anymore.  It 
still doesn't."  He shook himself, visibly settling back down to earth, and 
his voice took a more practical tone.  "Be that as it may, the result is 
that this dojo has no fixed income.  Nabiki has been able to work wonders 
with our savings, but the addition of Ranma, his father, and the master--"  Ranko interrupted, her eyes flashing.

        "He's my father -too-, dammit!"  She started abruptly, a blush of 
embarrassment rising in her cheeks.  Ranko chuckled half-heartedly at 
herself.  {I never thought I'd say -that- in a million years...  I don't 
think this is the time to think about it, though.}  She bowed her head 
apologetically to Soun.  "I'm... I'm sorry, Mr. Tendo.  Please, go on."
A vague curl of disquiet flickered in Ranko, she already had an inkling of 
what he wanted to say.

        Soun took a moment to collect the thoughts which Ranko had 
scattered with her interruption.  His gaze was sorrowful, but steady.  

        "The Tendo family is not a rich one.  And the problem before us 
now, Ranko, is that we now have two martial artists living here where 
previously there was only one.  Even the cost of more food is something 
that we cannot afford."  Soun hesitated.  Ranko frowned and didn't notice, 
her thoughts focused inward.  {I knew that the Tendos were having some 
money problems, but I didn't think it would come down to this.}  She felt 
shame.  {Pop and I have been freeloading off them for a while without 
really helping out at all.  No wonder Mr. Tendo is worried.}

        "Which brings me to why I brought you out here, Ranko."  

        Ranko glanced up.  "Huh?"

        Soun paused again, but began to speak before he could lose his 
nerve.  His words were soft, he knew this would be a sensitive area.  "In 
the short time that you two have been separated, Ranma has already been 
much more relaxed around Akane.  The tension between them, while still 
there, seems to have lessened considerably."  A combination of anger and 
black depression surfaced in Ranko's eyes at the mention of Ranma and 
Akane.  Soun continued, trying to stay oblivious of her suffering.  The 
only alternative was to break down, gibbering apologies.  That could no 
longer be acceptable.

        "Perhaps it might be best if you were to go on a training trip, 
Ranko.  Take some time to collect your thoughts, come to grips with your 
new situation."  Soun attempted to sound heartily cheerful.  "After all, 
you've got your whole life ahead of you, young lady!  You could see the 
world!  Make new friends! You could even..."  He ground to a halt at 
Ranko's desperate look.  She leapt to her feet, small fists balled.  
Ranko's entire body spoke of anguish.

        "Are you saying I should just run away?  Just... give up?  You 
don't know what you're saying, Mr. Tendo!  You were a martial artist once! 
We never run away!  Do you think I'm some kind of coward?"  Soun winced at 
her comment.  {It's true.  I was a martial artist once.  But now...  I'm 
not quite sure anymore.  Of anything.}  He climbed to his feet as well, 
and the height advantage over Ranko gave him a tiny measure of stability 
and control.  He sighed.

        "That's not what I'm saying, Ranko.  I think that with things as 
they are, you would be less than happy here.  As the master of this house, 
I am -asking- you, for the sake of my family.  Part of being a martial 
artist is knowing when you can't fight.  Perhaps the greatest part."  {I 
still remember -that- much,} Soun added silently.

        Ranko held her arms at her sides, body tensed as she stared at the 
floor.  {Give up?  Should I give up... on Akane?  But look at me!}  A tear 
prickled in her eye as she gazed down at her body.  {I'm a girl now.  
Forever.  I don't want to!  This sucks!  Honour demands it.  Honour.  
Doing what's right.  What is right?  I think I know.  I....  Akane...  
But she has Ranma now.  And I'm... I'm not Ranma...}  The breeze whispered 
across the grass and up to the house, batting idly at Ranko's pigtail and 
swishing it against her back.  Soun remained silent.  To speak would be to 
interfere.  

        After the longest time, Ranko raised her head.  There was resolve 
in her, but it flickered into unsureness.  Soun wondered at her face, he 
had never seen her looking so indecisive.  Abruptly her features firmed, 
and a decisive hardness seized Ranko.  

        "All right.  Give me until tomorrow morning, Mr. Tendo.  After 
that, I'll be gone."  Soun heaved a sigh of relief.  He had no idea what 
he could have done if Ranko had refused.  No words of thanks were 
sufficient.  Soun bowed to Ranko.  His bow was not low, but he held it for 
a moment out of respect.  She recognized this respect and gave a faint 
smile, but her face soon dropped back into resolve.  Soun turned to go 
back into the house.

        "Uh... Mr. Tendo?"  Soun turned.  "Please don't tell anyone about 
this.  It'll be a lot easier if no one knows."  Ranko slowly folded herself 
down into a sitting position once more, thoughts churning.  Soun opened 
his mouth to protest, but changed his mind.  Nodding agreement, Mr. Tendo 
walked back into the house, sliding the door shut behind him.  In the cool 
shadows of the hallway, he leaned back against the wall and exhaled.  
Courage was hard work.  He hadn't had any for such a long time.

                *       *       *

        Ranko slipped through the house like a shadow.  Kasumi was in the 
kitchen, making dinner with loving hands.  Nabiki was tapping away at the 
spreadsheets on her computer, brow furrowed in furious calculation.  Mr. 
Tendo and Genma were seated at the edge of the house, soaking in the late 
afternoon sun.  Each of them felt themselves being watched and turned, 
only to see no one there.  The faint hint of presence was quickly forgotten 
as each went back to what they were doing.  Except for Mr. Tendo, who bowed 
his head and traced the contours of the stone beneath his feet.  He knew.

        She was heading over to say a private farewell to the dojo that 
she had spent so much time in, when she heard it.  Laughter.  Ranma and 
Akane's laughter, mixing together, coming from the open doors of the dojo.  
The slap of feet on planking, and the swish of movement told Ranko that 
they were sparring.  Almost as if she was on autopilot, Ranko walked to 
the doors of the dojo and stood there, watching them.  

        The two were well matched.  For once, Ranma had gotten rid of his 
usual Chinese clothes and was wearing a karate gi similar to Akane's.  
Punches, kicks, blocks and evasions all blended together, flowing as they 
should.  They moved across the dojo floor, and the perfection in movement 
was one of the most beautiful things Ranko had ever seen.  It was something 
she had always striven for in the Art, but rarely attained.  The moment 
when everything worked, when everything was right.  Jealousy flared, and 
she coughed loudly, breaking their concentration.  

        Both of them halted, glancing toward her with mild annoyance at the
interruption.  When they saw who it was, their annoyed looks were quickly
replaced with something else.  Ranko recognized it, she had never been on
the receiving end of it though.

        Pity.

        Ranko turned and ran blindly for the house, not caring now who saw
her.  {They feel -sorry- for me!  Dammit!  If only this was something I 
could deal with, but now...  It's like I'm some kind of lost child!  Forget
tomorrow morning.  Forget the Tendos.  Forget Akane.  I don't want to think
about it!}  Sliding the door shut of what used to be her room, she dropped
to the floor and began doing furious push-ups.  Faster and faster, harder 
until her muscles burned.  She kept going, but finally even her 
well-trained sinews reached temporary muscle failure, and Ranko dropped to
the floor.  

        She curled in on herself, in the center of a room that was no longer
her own.


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Author's Notes:

Well, that's Part III!  I hope you enjoyed it, I've just started to get back
into writing this story after a long break writing other fics.  But now I'm
trying to finish up all the fics I've started before beginning any more.

The one thing I've noticed from other "Ranma splits into male and female"
fanfics is that generally Ranma's female counterpart (I call her Ranko) ends
up fighting with Ranma.  This may perhaps happen in "Oil & Water" eventually,
but trust me, it won't be how you think!  

Another thing I've noticed is that other fanfics seem to ignore the fact that
Ranko, while female, is still going to have a lot of Ranma in her, and that
means still having considerable feelings for Akane.  

'Till next time, then.

Mike Simmons