Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma Half or Tenchi Muyo. I just write for fun and for free.

Note: I wrote between 2002 and 2004 a lot of Ranma stories. The only thing is, I never put them online, because nobody would read it since it was written in Dutch. Also back then I liked to mess with Ranma so, don't be surprised that most of them are 'I'm stuck as a girl but at least I have a big power up to compensate' stories.

A strange language is still a very weak point of me, and even after years, I still struggle with English. Writing is no problem, but translating will take a lot of my time. Work written in one day, will cost me a week to translate it, and then I'm still not sure if I got it right. You get the idea…

I hope you will enjoy it… but I'm unsure if it is good enough to continue…

DWM

- 08/19/2009 - Beta done by Deathgeonous

Chapter 1 - Lost hope

______________________________________

The almost destroyed Mount Horai offered a sad sight. At the top of the mountain two people fought hard, but the ultimate winner was not the person one would have expected.

On the ground lay a red-haired girl, exhausted, bloody, black and blue; Ranma Saotome was finally defeated.

A certain prince of the Musk, a young man named Herb wanted to end this battle.

Herbs had in his right hand an energy sword; it was made of Ki and he was ready to behead her. It was clear for Ranma that her life was over, but something did stop Herbs execution. There was no fear in Ranma's eyes. The irritating persistent eyes were now empty; her soul was broken and robbed of all the fighting spirit. He doubted that this fight had any honour left. The prince of the Musk pulled his hand back and the Ki-sword disappeared.

"I hadn't expected that you would be betrayed by your comrades," mumbled Herb. "They have destroyed the magic bucket and the magic kettle, and then escaped like cowards. The magic artefacts were irreplaceable and important heirlooms of the Musk."

The red-haired girl was silent and closed her eyes. Ryoga and Mouse, her so-called 'friends'! They had probably planned this a long time ago.

"It is unfortunate, and certainly for you, redhead."

Ranma tiredly looked up. "If you hadn't treated Akane so badly ... then all this had never happened. It was really a stupid fight with a ridiculously high price."

The prince of the Musk frowned, and then shook his head.

"I... I am a prince, but I admit, I have acted foolishly, not like a man in my position. But what else is expected of a man in my situation... I was at that moment very irritated and emotional, because of the… monthly event, in my female form..." The last part was said with a red face.

If Ranma had still the strength, she would have had facefaulted after this astounding revelation.

"Kami-Sama, why did I deserve this," Ranma groaned. "I am stuck in my girl form; my manhood is gone for good. And you'll see that idiot of an Oyaji will leave me with that old Tendo, because their stupid promise. Man, if I go home... Come on freak prince, I don't want this life! Just kill me!"

"... No ..." The prince refused firmly, and shook his head.

"Why? You know very well what it means to be stuck in a wrong body. I've lost, you've won, and I know that you wanted me dead!" the red-haired girl hissed.

Herb snorted, and the look in his eyes was hard. "Yes… I wanted you dead, but through your words I realize how foolish this fight was. I refuse to take your life; there is no honour in it."

Her blue eyes stared to the prince. Herb was right; it was not a battle in which honour was involved. It was for the magic kettle, so that she could be a man again. But since Ryoga destroyed the two objects with a Ki-blast, it was all over.

Ranma growled at Herb. "Well… prince, don't expect my thanks," she said sarcastically, and then she crawled slowly up and wiped the dust of her clothes.

"You're welcome," the prince simply replied.

The redhead stared to the prince with a dark look, but her anger quickly evaporated. The emotional pain was too great.

Their attention was suddenly distracted by two persons, who came running to them. The two were servants/friends of Prince Herb, the two boys named Lime and Mint.

Herb growled. "The two idiots, they are late!"

"Master Herb!" they cried simultaneously. "We were deceived; there were no women's breasts in the woods."

The prince rubbed his forehead and was almost tempted to launch both idiots into the stratosphere.

"You two donkeys have failed!" He cried angry. "The artefacts have been destroyed, and the responsible persons are already gone with the wind!"

The two boys were shocked and fell on their knees. "Master Herb… forgive us. We were surprised by a tornado and fell in a river where suddenly the two men appeared. They told us that somewhere there were women's breasts to see!"

The prince sighed deeply because of the stupidity. "Things can not be undone. The most important fact is that I got my manhood back. It is a pity about the two artefacts… but maybe… I think it is maybe better. I don't think it is wise to continue the tradition of our forefathers. There are already enough victims, myself included."

Herb then turned to Ranma. "I can't provide relief for your unfortunate situation. But know this, that you are probably stuck in your young girl form until you're dead. When I used the magic artefact on you, it changed a few things with the Jusenkyo curse. It means, when you die, you will still look like the girl as you are now, unchanged. It sounds like a nice idea for some people, but for me the price is too high. As prince of the Musk, I can't afford to be a woman. But whether you experience this like a curse or a blessing that is up to you. Farewell Ranma Saotome."

The three departed quickly, and left a silent Ranma behind. She kept staring to them until they disappeared from sight. The only thing that still remained was the empty feeling in her soul.

Eventually she made a long sigh and began slowly to walk to the place where her belongings were left behind.

"Sometimes I wonder, what's brewing in the heads of Ryoga and Mousse. But anyway, those idiots will not escape punishment," she hissed darkly.

Ryoga and Mousse were really idiots; maybe they will think that she was killed by Herb and will come up with a few stories, but she was sure that a few telephone calls will change the situation for them very fast.

A few hours later she started to make the phone calls in the first village that she entered.

o000o

"Hello, this is the Tendo's," Nabiki's voice sounded through the phone.

Ranma took a deep breath and just gathered all her courage together. "Hello Nabiki, it's me, Ranma."

"Oh Ranma, that is not often that you use the phone. And have you succeeded?" Ranma could hear a faint hope in her voice, despite Nabiki's cool character. You better not ask why…

The disappointment still weighed heavily on the shoulders of the red-haired girl, and couldn't suppress a sigh. "No Nabiki, I failed. The cure is beyond my reach now, thanks to the betrayal of Ryoga and Mousse. They have destroyed my only ticket for a cure and ran away, afraid of Herb."

"WHAT!" Nabiki was shocked. "You are sure?"

"Herb was an eyewitness. He was so nice to let me live after he used me like a punch bag, or sort of," replied Ranma bitterly. "Given my current situation, I think its better that I wander around until I get my thoughts straight about this situation. Bye Nabiki, I hope that Akane will not take this news too hard…"

She hung up quickly before Nabiki could ask more questions. Then she started with the number of the Cat Café. An old voice answered the phone.

"Hello, the Cat Café, this is Cologne, how can I help you?"

"Hello granny, it's me, Ranma," said the red-haired girl.

"Ah, son in law, you sound very tired. I assume that it was a big fight," Cologne asked sincerely.

"Yeah, it was a tough fight, but a fight all for nothing. Ryoga and Mousse have betrayed me, and destroyed the magic stuff. It's a miracle that Herb left me alive…"

And so Ranma explained in more detail what happened.

It was a brief moment very silent on the phone, and a sad voice of Cologne said: "I'm sorry to hear this… child. It must be very hard for you. It is good that you contacted me. This act can not, and will not remain unpunished."

"Granny, sorry about this, if things had been different, then I would have a chance to get myself back to normal."

"Child, don't worry too much. Come home, maybe we can find a solution for your locked curse," said Cologne calmly.

"Not yet. I want just to be alone… but this is not goodbye. Granny give Shampoo some greetings okay? Bye…"

With one click, she put the horn on the hook, and left the payphone. She stared into the air and she shuddered in the cold autumn wind. She was glad that it was Nabiki that had been on the phone. She had no idea how to explain her situation to Akane, you never knew how she would react. Mr. Tendo or her father would probably break out in a very emotional rant, feh, and they call themselves man. And Kasumi? She could only guess.

o000o

Cologne hung up the phone calmly, but inside her old body, she was a mass of anger. The fact that Mousse was responsible for the loss of two important artefacts and also sealed Ranma's fate with it, made her really mad.

She counted herself lucky that Shampoo wasn't present at this time. That gave her some time to calm down and to find a way to tell the bad news gently to Shampoo without the risk that her great-grandchild would wring the neck of Mousse in his duck form. But somehow, she couldn't suppress the desire for a huge chunk of Peking Duck meat.

o000o

From out of the living room, four pairs of eyes were looking expectantly to Nabiki who shook her head slowly and put the phone down. She sighed before she entered the living room. Kasumi was looking a little concerned. Akane and the two fathers, Genma and Soun were nervous.

"Is all well with Ranma?" Akane asked.

Nabiki wondered how she had to break the news. Not that she really gave a darn about Ranma, but the fact that Akane would be deeply saddened with this.

"No," replied the middle Tendo girl eventually. "His so-called friends have betrayed him. Ranma is forever stuck as a girl now. "

"WHAT!" The combined voice of four people was simultaneous heard.

Akane jumped up, her face was shocked. "I don't believe it! I can't believe that Mousse and Ryoga would betray him. Especially Ryoga, it must be a mistake!"

The rest was too stunned to react. They wanted to accept the possibility that Ranma would not succeed because Herb was too strong… but treason?

The middle Tendo girl shrugged and took place at the table and took a sip of her tea. Akane bent over to Nabiki, while she put her hands on the table.

"Nabiki!" Akane hissed, waiting for an explanation.

"Sister," Nabiki said while she calmly looked up at the girl with short blue-black hair. "Ranma simply told me the truth, and if he would lie, then I would know."

Akane could still not believe it, and left without a word the living room. The Tendo and Saotome patriarchs were remarkably quiet. Treason, who would have thought?

o000o

The next day

The young red-haired martial artist trudged slowly forwards on a path in a forest. It was not difficult to understand that her always optimistic attitude was gone, and was changed into depression. It was the truth; Ranma had a few low points in his life, but always managed to crawl up again in his life. But now he was no longer a man, Ranma had lost his identity. Try to explain to somebody that he was a boy, a man. A boy from birth, but thanks to a Jusenkyo curse and a magical bucket, Ranma was forever a girl now.

Ranma began to doubt, if she still wanted to go home. It was like she lacked the strength to face her new future problems. The school, her mother… And don't forget the promise between the Tendo's and Saotome's. Soun Tendo's offer was not forgotten. She shuddered at the thought and stopped abruptly.

"Forget it! No way that I marry a man, and absolutely not Soun!" she angrily cried.

She kicked frustrated against a little stone which such power, that it not far from her buried itself deeply in the trunk of a big tree. The silence that followed, however, was soon broken by a laughing old creaking voice.

"Hohoho… So young and yet so much trouble?"

Ranma stopped and frowned while she looked to the direction were she heard the voice. She was surprised to see an old man, who was dressed in a grey dogi. He was bald and had a long white beard. But the most notable was the enormous painting brush that he held in his right hand, supported on his right shoulder.

"I don't want to be unfriendly, but have you something to eat for a hungry old man? It was days ago that I had something to eat and I'm so hungry to the point of collapsing," he said quickly.

The red-haired girl looked at him for a moment. For an old man almost on the point of collapsing, he was remarkably very lively. But who was she to judge him, and finally nodded.

While the old man began to eat a lot of instant noodles he told Ranma, that he was a master of the Kimen Martial Arts School, Calligraphy. It sounded vaguely familiar in Ranma's ears, but she was not very interested. Understandable, since she had something else to think about it.

She began to pack her things, when the old man was satisfied. "You really are depressed, aren't you? Is an arranged marriage really so terrible? "

"I am not interested in a marriage… just because a stupid promise between idiots. Something has happened and now it will probably switched to a man with the age difference so big that I could be his freaking daughter. But that is still nothing compared with the seppuku promise that my old man made with my mother."

The old man showed a painful face. "I see… your life is a cruel play-ball of fate."

Ranma sighed deeply. "I don't believe in fate, I refuse to believe in something that takes the choice of the people away. But I know that my life is one big mess… thanks to my old man. Sometimes I wish that I really could flee from my problems…"

She took her backpack and wanted to leave, when the old man made a stop gesture with his right hand.

"Wait young lady, I didn't pay you for your kindness…"

The red-haired girl frowned. It began to look like a very familiar story of Ryoga. "Let me guess, you want to give me a stupid tattoo, such as the 'symbol of the fighting god'? No thanks, I don't feel the need to look like a clown, although I would unbeatable."

The old man was astounded because she knew of the ultimate mark. He quickly waved his hands. "No… no, you insult me young girl. Something like that isn't for ladies. The only thing I would to give you is a way to fulfil your deepest desire. It sounds unlikely, but you're the perfect candidate for a very special tattoo."

Ranma tilted her head a little and looked at him with curiosity. "And how can you do that with a calligraphy technique? I don't feel the need for extra power, or whatever that junk can do… Power is not a solution for my problems…"

"You underestimate the Kimen Martial Arts School, girl," he said a little offended, while he took a strange little pot with gold paint from behind his grey dogi. "I studied your aura, and it is powerful but laced with chaos, and combined with latent magic. That is why you have such a difficult life. But it is also perfect for a Gold mark! It will disconnect you from reality; you will no longer be bound by the rules."

"Huh?"

The red-haired girl had no idea what the old man was talking about. The old master was already stirring with a brush in the little golden pot.

"Pull your hair up, uncover your head. I will put the tattoo on your forehead."

Ranma did what the old man asked, but why she obeyed, that was a mystery to her. The master made a few quick brush strokes at the centre of her forehead, and Ranma felt that the paint began to pull in her skin; she could almost swear that she could even feel the paint on her skull. She swallowed and wondered if it was smart thing to let the old man do as he wished.

The now grinning old man held a mirror for her face; don't ask from where it came. A bit surprised Ranma stared to her reflection. A golden triangle, like an upside down pyramid was painted in the middle of her forehead. It didn't make her ugly, but it was really strange; it was something that a 'Magical Girl' would like. Ranma frowned because of this thought.

"From old stories, only the kami's have these kind of symbols, but they have also a mark at each corner of their eyes. The tattoo on your forehead is enough for your wish to flee. You activate this tattoo with your Ki, just concentrate on you forehead. But I give you a warning! Never forget your place, your home, or you will be lost forever. That's all what I have to say. Young lady, I wish you good luck."

A little dazed, Ranma waved to the old master who after a quick greeting took the opposite direction of the path and quickly disappeared.

With a serious face, the red-haired girl rubbed on her head and thought about the words of the old master.

"I hope that the old man said the truth, otherwise I be walking around with a ridiculous triangle on my forehead," she mumbled while she shook her head.

Gently she felt on her new tattoo and noticed that she could literally feel it, like it was a part of her head. Of course she was curious what her new golden tattoo could do. As the old master had explained she began to focus her Ki…

o000o

Somewhere, another time, another place

A fierce battle was going on between two aliens. It was a man with strange stripe tattoos on his cheeks, dressed in a strange battle garb. He fought against a space pirate, a young woman with wild long cyan hair, clothed in a tight space suit. It was an aggressive and wild battle. Both were armed with an energy sword and the young woman seemed to get the upperhand. She looked almost like a demon with her bright red eyes, and she fought like a madman… or better said, mad woman. It was something that was probably almost the truth.

"Her energy," Yosho gasped, while he deflected an attack. "I am sure that she has all her energy somewhere else! It's not natural…"

He began to realize that three glowing things must be her energy source. There was one in each of her wrists and in her neck. Three highlighted energy bulbs, three stones, with enough energy to cause a lot of devastation.

Unfortunately, he was so fixed on a solution that his defence weakened. An explosion with an energy ball made him fly meters through the air, and he smacked hard against the ground. Unfortunately he lost the Tenchi, his sword. He groaned, and tried to crawl out of his self-created crater. His heart missed a beat when the space pirate Ryoko began to attack again.

"It's over!" Ryoko hissed triumphantly, while she prepared her energy sword for the final blow.

Suddenly Yosho's eyes grew big, but not because of Ryoko. Behind her back out of nowhere appeared, a red-haired girl. And as she appeared, she had her arm already in attack.

"KIYAAAAA!" Her battle cry was heard while the redhead gave Ryoko a powerful chop to her neck.

The space pirate had no time to react and fell unconscious on the ground.

A second later, the redhead bent over and began to throw up with a lot of noise… A sudden nausea had her overwhelmed.

"That was a bit anti-climatic…" a shocked Yosho mumbled when he began to realize what exactly had happened.

To be continued…