Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma or Tenchi Muyo. This is a non-profit work of fanfiction meant only for entertainment.

Falling for a Princess
by Lerris Smith

-«Splashdown»-

Author's Note: Minor edits January 2016 on the three posted chapters. Apologies for the somewhat cliche start.

-«FfaP»-

"Ranma no Baka!" shouted the youngest Tendo. It should have gone like every other time. Normally Ranma's ki flow patterns were good enough to absorb the majority of any impact, even if taken by surprise. Today was not normal though. To think a simple thing like the flu could disrupt his ki to such an extent. It had preoccupied him all morning since the angry tomboy had first woken him up with the bucket of water. Fortunately the furo was warm and he could think in there. Unfortunately, he felt horrible and had come to no solution by the time they had left for school. He truly hadn't noticed Akane's rage. It was so common that it didn't get past the part of his mind that filtered out unimportant details to give him the warning he needed to dodge the mallet. This proved to be very unfortunate for the pigtailed martial artist, as the bones in his right arm shattered with the resulting impact cracking many of his ribs and puncturing a lung as the battered martial artists sailed out of Nerima airspace.

"Serves the baka right." She then stomped off so she wouldn't be late to class.

-«FfaP»-

Ranma lost consciousness shortly after the impact so at least was temporarily spared feeling the agony of having his body mutilated. Of course had he been awake he might have been able to make a feeble attempt to direct his ki to heal some of the damage, but this was not to be.

The residual ki the tomboy had imparted continued to surround the red and black projectile. The energy was slowly used up as the miles flew by and a forested area came into view by the time Ranma began to lose altitude. The end of this spectacular, record breaking, flight came when the projectile crashed into the water near where a pretty purple haired, red eyed woman was resting.

The impact sent water over a hundred feet away. That looked like a person. No it couldn't be. Where would a person come from? The soaked princess with the puffy eyes quickly decided to check, since letting someone die in front of her was unthinkable. She regretted ruining her clothes, but hurriedly tossed her cloak aside and reached under the water. She soon found a leg. Sensing the need to get whoever it was out before they drowned she pulled and fell on her rear. The water covered her up to her chin. Getting up she slowly dragged the inert form to the bank.

Azaka and Kamadaki sensed their mistress's distress through the very slight telepathic link forged between guardians and their masters. They soon came upon the red headed girl and the princess.

"Azaka, Kamadaki. She is hurt bad. Initiate a stasis field and carry her to Washu fast."

"Yes mistress."

Soon a blue corona enveloped the red head from the guardians. She rose in the air and floated along between them. The arrival at the Masaki home was a bit of a disappointment though.

Azaka said, "Didn't Washu-chan go with the rest of them to Tenchi's wedding?"

Kamadaki said, "Shh, don't remind..."

"I am right here you know." said the annoyed purple haired princess, as she tried to move her dripping hair out of her face. "Well what can we do without Washu? This girl is really messed up. Can you heal her?"

Kamadaki said, "No mistress. The stasis field is the limit of our medical ability. Ryuoh's is gone as well so any medical gear there is gone.."

"And no one can even open Washu's lab without her." Ayeka sighed. "Besides even attempting to use the equipment in her lab without her help might kill someone. How long can you maintain the stasis field?"

Azaka said, "No more than another hour. Stasis fields require considerable energy and we are without our normal sources of power."

"What about power from the house?"

"We have no way of converting the power. It would be inadequate in any case."

This is not good. The others are far away and may not be back for months. That bitch is probably marrying my Tenchi right now.

She fought down her anger. Anger would not help whoever this was. Nor could they get to a hospital on this world in time, even if it would have made a difference with her in so bad of shape. There was always... No that had not been done since.. Still what other option do I have? Besides its not as if my life is worth much anyway. Tenchi is gone. He even refused to take me as a co-wife when I brought it up, claiming he only loved Ryoko and would not be unfaithful. They were probably in bed right now. No I will not think of him doing that with her. I will not. "Bring her."

She led them into the living room and unfolded the couch into a bed. She didn't really like the location much, but no one was here and if this worked she needed to be central to things.

"Place her on the bed and when I tell you release the stasis field and remove her clothing."

"But princess, if we do that she will die." said Kamadaki.

"I know a way."

Azaka seemed to float lower for a moment. "You must not. You are needed. She is only..."

"Do it now."

The guardians were impressed with their princess and worried for her. They did not like her plan yet they obeyed as Ranma-chan floated down to the bed before being gently deposited on it. As the stasis field released, the blood started to flow once again out of her damaged arm and side.

Ayeka gave a silent prayer to Tsunami as she quickly stripped of her clothing. It worked better the more contact area they had and there seemed little point in modesty just to fail at what she hoped to accomplish. I wonder what Ryoko would say now. No I will not think of that woman. I will not.

She crawled on the bed and gently brought the red head as close as possible to her body. It was strange to have the other girls well endowed breasts against her own and their legs twined loosely together so as not to cause further damage. She gently wrapped her left arm around the mangled form of the red haired girls right arm, being careful not to cause any more pain than necessarily. Well thats about the best I can do. It is time to begin. Ayeka focused on her link to her Jurain heritage calling it forth and letting its aura float to the top of her skin. There it lay. The key to their power, to their long life. In a very real way it protected their souls and even helped them heal what would kill others. This was the key. Now to open the lock.

She focused her senses on the Jurai energy where it touched Ranma's skin. She then broke the bonds that bound the energy to her and her alone where their skin touched. Immediately she felt weaker as the energy that tied her to the great trees and to her own tree started to leech away from her. She focused and pushed the energy outward until it just covered and surrounded the two of them. It took almost an hour to force the energy to fully cover the red head.

The loss of energy was making it hard to think or even stay awake. She quickly focused on the remains of the seal, forcing its regeneration and sealing around the naked pair. Soon unconsciousness claimed her as the final threads of the seal were finished. Her last thoughts were surprise and fear at how much energy she had used. The seal had almost not formed. She had come closer to death than she ever had, and all for a stranger.

"We have to do something." said Azaka.

"We can do nothing. Nothing except conserve power till we have enough to channel a message through subspace to reach Washu."

"What about the galaxy police or someone on Jurai. Surely Tenchi..."

"Washu is our best bet and she can easily inform the others."

-«FfaP»-

Time passed as the undressed pair remained oblivious to the world around them. The severe damage to Ranma's side, ribs, and internal organs was enough to keep even Ranma Saotome unconscious, especially when the Jurian healing trance was added to the mix. It was wierd. It was as if Ranma watched a fast forwarded version of the entire life of a purple haired girl. She saw the young woman's strange attraction for her half brother. It seemed more like loneliness to him since Yosho was about the only one who ever paid attention to the young princess. Ranma could relate to that easily enough. Later he saw as a demon attacked their world. Her little sister was hurt and somehow still ok. It was quite odd. She saw Yosho take off after the demon and then the purple haired girl he now knew as Ayeka began her own journey through the stars to end up here. She saw the kindness of a young boy ending in the breaking of her heart. Finally she saw herself falling into a pond mangled. That didn't make any sense at all. If she was hurt that bad then.. Am I dead? Ayeka saw a young boy taken from his mother and tossed in a pit of starving cats. She vowed to make whoever it was pay as the boy grew crazed and somehow killed the cats escaping. She saw his only friend cheated by the fat man, as he continued on his so called training journey that seemed little more than elaborate torture. She saw it all and she was in awe. The boy called Ranma grabbed onto the teachings of the masters he encountered pattering much of his honor after those he truly admired. It was amazing how well the boy was turning out given his so called father.

She was amazed as he grew leaps and bounds in the art. Soon she even understood much of the training as one having watched it all. Then she came to the strange pools and knew the true nature of the one draped over her body. A boy. A boy is lying on me naked. It was odd, but after seeing his whole life she could not bring herself to feel any regrets, though she knew her father would be very angry if he ever found out.

She saw another girl offering the pseudo girl friendship and getting it crushed with a table. The chaos of Nerima passed through her eyes and she saw it all. The failed wedding nearly made her heart break until the bombs went off and she felt nothing but relief. And then months later the boy got sick and ended here thanks to his so called fiancée

Outside in the real world almost a day had passed and things were not going well. Ranma's organs were healing at a vastly accelerated pace, but Ayeka was reaching her limits for what she could draw of the Jurai power. The flu virus had weakened Ranma greatly and the foreign energy coursing through her body was making it harder for Ranma's natural ki paths to reestablish themselves. The guardians had just finished the subspace message to Washu when they sensed it. Ayeka's Jurai power was failing. It would not be long now. If it failed entirely she would die. Jurai power changed people once it grew in them. It became a part of them and they could not live without it. They did the only thing they could and said a silent prayer to Tsunami.

-«FfaP»-

Washu cursed upon reading the message. The condition of whoever Ayeka had found was bad, very bad. Ayeka's plan was foolish and just going to kill both of them. She might have bought whoever it was time, but that was all. She did the only thing she could and ran and found Sasami.

"Sasami, Ayeka is dying. She needs Tsunami's help right now!"

"Onechan dying?" Sasami's voice cracked as she ran off to her room and grabbed some sleeping pills and then to the grove. She quickly went to lay down by the largest and oldest tree of Jurai and swallowed a couple of the pills. Given the dosage she should be asleep in minutes. She called forth Tsunami with her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

Washu watched from nearby as the little princess curled up hastily by the tree. After she fell asleep Washu smiled a sad smile before pulling a blanket out of subspace and covering her. Before long Tsunami's form rose out of the small girl and faced Washu.

"What is wrong?"

"Tenchi marrying Ryoko must have made Ayeka reckless. She is trying to save a severly injured girl with her power."

"But it won't work. The girl's body will acclimate to the power and even heal if Ayeka can maintain it, but once its gone she will die even if her body is healed. That is the cost of the Jurai heritage."

"Don't you think I know that! Your the only one who can get there in time and I don't want that girl dying because of my daughter didn't want to share!"

Tsunami stepped into the tree and vanished.

Washu touched some keys on her light computer and disappeared only to reappear on her new ship. She sighed. "I never even got a chance to finish it." As with all of Washu's designs she strove to take it to the next level and make it do things that really shouldn't be possible.

"Computer plot a course to Earth and engage at maximum speed."

"Maximum speed requires conversion of ships mass during flight. No return trip will be possible."

"Do it." Washu grumbled about stupid computers. Just who did they think she was? She built the dang thing and it has to tell her the cost of using the maximum speed? Still, she had been pondering giving it to Tenchi as a gift, hence the warning message. Oh well. At least this time I made sure the mass conversion protocols regulated the conversion to use all the non essential structure first and it did need testing. Why do I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something important?

-«FfaP»-

Tsunami walked out of Funaho's trunk cupping something in her hands. She ran up the hill to the house. Before long she came to the nude sleeping pair. She also saw the stasis field the guardians were trying to establish fizzle. There wasn't much time. She brought forth her own power and fed it to the small seed in her hands making it glow with power. She spread her hands and willed the seed into Ranma's body. The girl was not Jurian, but now, in a way she would be, or rather he would be if what she sensed was true.

There was nothing to do now but wait. The seed should have enough power to save them and they were still linked. The danger of removing that link was too great for her to even attempt now and far safer if Ayeka did it anyway. She just hoped there would be no consequences for Ayeka when it was all done.

A day passed and the seed grew and spread its pathways throughout the pigtailed martial artist providing energy and stabilizing the link between them. The healing began to speed up again. Now ribs were healed and the energy was beginning to focus on the external damage. The surplus energy spilled over to Ayeka and began to restore her badly depleted reserves.

Before long Washu showed up sooty and bedraggled. Tsunami stared at the smoky figure of a genius scientist before her.

"I am such a genius. From Jurai to here in almost a day." said the still smoking Washu. "Give me time and I'll even beat Throne's emergency speed."

Tsunami chuckled. "Of that I have no doubt. Still, I must return. Sasami cannot live without me for much longer. I gave him a seed."

Washu quirked her eye. "Is that wise? Wait a second. Him?" Washu looked over the pair and brought out her holographic computer and tapped some keys.

"It was the only way to save both of them. As to the other, there is some kind of transformation field applied to him to make him physically a girl. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Washu nodded. Dreams of guinea pigs flashed through her eyes. "I will watch over them. There is no need to tell the others. We might as well give this pair some peace and quiet to recover."

Tsunami nodded and walked back to Funaho so she could return to Sasami.

-«FfaP»-

Days passed and the remaining damage healed. Washu's machines easily replaced nutrients and removed wastes from their bodies in non obvious ways. After some scans that were illegal in most parts of the universe, particularly when done without consent, Washu soon knew everything there was to know about Ranma's little problem. It took all her will to resist the temptation to materialize a cup of hot water over her, but it was best for their healing to leave things as is. As they neared consciousness and incidentally full health for both of them, she punched a few buttons and their cleaned clothes appeared around them.

-«FfaP»-

Ranma sat on the shrine steps and pondered how his life had changed. Washu said he might live for thousands of years now. He couldn't believe it. His curse was even a little different. If he tried he could sometimes resist the change, but only sometimes. All in all, he was amazed to even be alive given the recordings of his condition the guardians showed him. Then there was this odd link with the princess. He could even feel dimly what she was feeling sometimes, but only sometimes. Apparently, what she had done to save him combined with what Tsunami had done. The result was that Ayeka no longer had a connection to her space tree. Instead, they were linked to each other in a quite odd way, but it didn't seem to concern the odd frighteningly intelligent girl called Washu. Basically, if either died the other might follow, but not even the Washu could say for sure.

"What is that expression? Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just pondering what to do now? The tomboy is probably throwing a fit and the other fiancéesand.."

"Why do anything? What have you got to go back for? You could stay here."

Ranma knew she was right. Neither of them had a reason to go anywhere. This Tenchi that left her for another woman and his so called fiancéeswho only wanted a prize. Besides he owed Ayeka. He owed her his life and the idea of spending it with this rather exotic and quite beautiful young woman brought a smile to his face.

"I would like that," he said.

In truth Ranma would miss Kasumi and Ukyo a little, and maybe even occasionally Nabiki for she had her moments. She thought Nabiki might eventually manage to track him down, but that could be dealt with when and if it happened.

"Would you like to learn a bit of the art?"

"But I'm a ..'"

He smiled at her and held her hand. "Yes. I know very well that your a royal princess. I know that each of us was born with a so called destiny placed in front of us by our parents and you know how well those turned out. Come on. I promise it will be fun."

Ayeka smiled a small but genuine smile. "Okay. Yes. I would like that Ranma."

Just then a passing cloud decide to unload part of its contents on the pair.

"Water, why does it always have to be water?"

Ayeka laughed and laughed and laughed until Ranma-chan tried to get her revenge by tickling the purple haired woman. The art of anything goes tickle torture began that night.

-«FfaP»-

Washu sat against Funaho and stared at the pair on her computer's screen. She was not Jurian so talking with the spacetrees was difficult for her. Still being near Funaho helped, and Tsunami was her sister after all.

"They make a good couple, do they not?" sent Washu.

"That they do. Oh, if your curious, your daughter is pregnant."

"It took him long enough. I was about to send them instruction manuals."

Tsunami's silvery laugh came through the link. "I can just see that. Well Sasami will wake soon. Send the pair my best wishes. I just hope, that just for once, the potential in those two will not be needed, that they get a chance to just live."

Washu laughed. "You haven't heard the stories about the characters he used to put up with. With his luck they will eventually find their way here and when they do, well things are going to get interesting."

"Record it for me will you?"

"Sure sis."

-«FfaP»-

Sweat poured from his brow as he tried to complete the kata again at speed. He could not believe the effort he was using and still he looked like a third rate amateur. Ukyo could probably kick my arse now.

Ranma sighed. He had thought whatever weakness he felt after his recovery would be temporary, but over a week had passed and he could not call his ki up for even the smallest things, let alone something difficult like a projected ki attack.

He could punch hundreds of times a second before, but now he could only manage perhaps ten. Its amazing how much you take for granted. I must have been actively using my internal energy to boost my abilities for years.

Ayeka was caught up in the grace of observing his sweating form. It was most entrancing, yet he seemed sad to her. "Is something wrong Ranma-san?"

"What? Oh? Nothing is wrong. It is just that..."

"I think I can explain." exclaimed the red headed juvenile appearing scientist.

"Washu-san.'"

Washu pulled out a big impressive looking gun out of subspace with lots of blinking lights. It began to glow as she pressed the trigger part way down and aimed for Ayeka."

Ayeka sweatdropped. "Washu-chan please tell us."

Washu fired, causing a blue ray to emit from the beam and strike Ayeka in the chest.

Ranma ran over and was about to kick the gun out of her hand when he was stopped by a shield.

"Relax. Look."

Ranma looked over to see a very annoyed princess with all of her hair standing straight up. "Hummph. You were going to tell us something Washu-chan." She made the last sound almost like an expletive.

"Oh yes. Lets see." She flipped out her light computer and tapped a few keys. "You see, Ranma here, was a rather rare human. He has learned to tap his own lifeforce to such an extent to do truly phenomenal things like boost his speed and strength. Apparently, he could even throw energy blasts. It has some similarities to Ryoko's abilities, though in his case he worked hard for them."

"So whats wrong with me?"

"Wrong? Well nothing is wrong, per say. Its just that, well, your body no longer has the potential to create energy like you are used to using."

"What you mean I'm going to be weak for the rest of my life? I didn't spend over 12 years training just to be this pathetic."

"Well if you continually try to fight with bio energy then yes. I know I've told you about the power of Jurai that is within you now. You must learn to use that."

"How? Can you teach me?"

Washu shook her head no.

Ayeka said, "I can teach you."

Ranma turned to Ayeka. "You can?"

"Well I've never taught anyone, but I know some. I'll try."

"There is one more problem. My scans have shown the energy pathways in your body. While they cannot be effectively used for significant quantities of bio energy anymore, they do pose a problem in that they act as barriers to the flow of Jurian energy. That combined with your newness to Jurian energy will make it much harder. It may take many years for you.."

"Years? You have got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not. It is thanks to that Jurian energy that your even alive, but your body was not ready for it. In time it will adapt, and you can learn how to adapt, but just don't expect miracles. In time you will probably get as strong as you were before or maybe even stronger, but it will take that time."

Ranma felt a bit guilty. Here he was complaining, when by all rights he should be dead. He turned to face the middle of the two of them and bowed. "I am sorry. I am grateful for your help."

Ayeka said, "Ranma-san there is no need to apologize."

"Don't worry. Just a few samples and we will call it even."

Ranma had a bad feeling about this. He hoped he didn't have to face any of the NWC anytime soon.