After much thought on the matter, I realized something. As a writer my favorite type of Ranma fics involve ones, to the chagrin of many, that portray Ranma's girl form. I don't know why. I really don't understand it at all. However, I realized that I have never written a straight fic from the "permanent" genre. So here is my attempt. Warning Angst fest.
Disclaimer: So... like, since Rimuko Takahashi owns Ranma 1/2, but everyone else uses it... does that mean Ranma 1/2 is like... a prostitute? Well, I don't own the series but i'm using it. Hah hah!
Tears
The girl walked onward, solemnly. She was always "solemn" or "downhearted" in one respect or another. Her life had known nothing more than pain ever since the age of fifteen.
She was seventeen now. And could care less in all honesty. Two years she had searched for the cure to the hated "curse."
Suddenly a sign appeared in front of her face.
"Come on child. Let's have a go..." It said.
Her father had become an expert at, "sign writing" ever since he had been cursed into the form of a panda and could now produce, manufacture, and print a sign in under one second. Quite impressive for one who chewed tires for enjoyment.
Ranma smiled. "Aight' Pops."
Her father, who had once been a snob, pig, and all around jackass, had somehow morphed into a caring and almost loving father. It was too bad he was a panda. It was odd how her depression had changed him. It had been a slow change for the oaf that was Genma but it had happened. As Ranma slipped into depression, sometimes crying her-no himself to sleep at night, Genma's true care for his Son-turned-Daughter had appeared.
Her fist flew in a motion faster than the speed of sound. The bear blocked it expertly and back-flipped away from the young redhead.
Ranma smirked. Even as a girl, she never lost.
She flew forward at an alarming rate, and suddenly zoomed to the right, circling her opponent, who, in turn, was circling her.
"You're gettin' slow old man!" She cried with one of the grins that Genma worked for. She suddenly reversed directions, surprising her panda.
Genma's eyes widened for a moment before his daughters leg impaled his stomach sending him careening backwards towards a tree. His large back and body absorbed damage much better than even his human body had. That had been, however, a very good kick.
Genma hobbled up. He was proud of his daughter. She was the best. There was no doubt about that in his mind. He only sparred with her now to raise her confidence a little. She was becoming hopeless. It was true, that he'd given up hope long ago... but his change wasn't as bad as hers was. Oh sure, she was still human. But, for his son, being turned into a girl was worse than anything. All his life Genma had drilled the idea of the weakness of girls into his Son's head.
Ranma had become a girl. Genma had treated his daughter the same way he had treated his son for the first six or seven months. They roamed the countryside, seeking cures and finding none. Genma had been as hard on his daughter as ever, constantly calling him things like M'boy, and Son, on his signs.
Ranma knew that it was just a gesture to keep his hopes up, but it hurt when Ranma realized that there existed, within the panda's eyes, looks of... disappointment. "Pop... why do you always look away when you call me, "Son" now?" Ranma had asked.
Genma had not wanted to answer. He had walked off but Ranma simply confronted him again, this time more desperately.
"Pops! Tell me why? Why are you still so disappointed in me! I'm the best aren't I? I'm... I'm still your SON aren't I!" Ranma had cried.
"Of course you are M'boy." Genma sighed. Even as he said it, disappointment crossed his features as he looked away from his redheaded daughter.
Ranma knew that something had become different. Her father... was not proud of her.
That night, Ranma's will finally cracked. All the months of failure... months of "that time of the month" occurring just making her father ever more disappointed in her had finally gotten to her. That night, she lay on her futon. It started with only a small sniff, but it had awoken Genma. "I'm... I'm sorry... P-pop." Ranma stuttered through snivels and tears. "I guess I am jus' a... a... weak... pathetic... little... girl... I've... I've tried my best! But... I'm weak now... a girl. Just like you alwa-"sniff" always t-told me. I want to be a man again... I want to so much... to keep you proud like you used to be, but... but... It's so hopeless..."
Genma heard every word, as his daughter cried. As such so did he.
From that day forth Genma resolved to be the best father to his daughter that he could be.
And slowly...
And surely...
Fearing for her personal well being, he came to again respect his child. As she slipped further and further into depression, his main goal became her happiness.
China was a big place and they had only covered about a half of it in their travels seeking a cure.
Genma hobbled up from his beaten and bruised position against the tree.
"You're too easy old man." Ranma said with less then half the life she had once put into her confident words.
Ranma, having found that the factors beyond her control had changed her father's opinion of her, had obsessed over her martial arts. Improving by leaps and bounds over what should be considered humanly possible.
"Heh, you're just too good for my old bones, Ranma." Genma's sign replied.
Silence was Genma's answer.
"Ranma..." Genma began.
Ranma looked at the panda in a sheepish manner.
"Why, pops?" She asked suddenly.
Genma wasn't exactly sure what Ranma was talking about but she was glad to inform him.
"Why can't I make you proud of me... why did you stop... why did you stop... stop calling me... "M'boy?" Ranma asked depressingly. "Why?"
What Ranma didn't understand was that, Genma had finally out-grown his prejudices. He now WAS proud of his so... child. He had been forced to outgrow his prejudices. His son was the best. But his daughter was "THE" best. What parent would not be proud of a child like that? No... now the depressed look Genma had when he praised his child was, not because of his disappointment in Ranma. No, it spawned from his own disappointment in himself.
"Ranma Saotome." Genma's sign read. Ranma couldn't stop the tears. She sat on a nearby boulder, her short frame not allowing her petite legs to touch the ground. And for the first time in her life, she cried in front of her father. She was completely and utterly, hopeless. Hopeless of attaining her manhood, and in turn, hopeless of obtaining her father's respect.
"You make me more proud than any parent could possibly hope to be of their child, Ranma. A day doesn't go by when I hate myself for the teachings I bestowed upon you. Ranma... you must know that women are no weaker than men are? You defeat me hands down in combat every day!" Genma applauded.
"It doesn't matter!" She cried. "I'm not your SON! And let's face it! I NEVER will be!"
"That's not-"
"FACE IT POPS!" Ranma exclaimed. "I'm gonna be a ditzy, silly, weak, pathetic, GIRL for the rest of my pathetic life!" Ranma cried, through tears of pain and anger.
And Genma did something he had not done in a very, very long time.
Ranma suddenly found herself in the most comforting embrace she'd ever been in. And, as yet another first, Ranma cried on her father's shoulder.
She didn't know it... but that day, something happened. That day, her life would change forever...
I hope you liked it! I know it's kinda short but it's just a prologue. May or may not get longer in the future.