Once Upon a Broken Heart
Thank you to everyone who reviewed and put this on their alert list! Hopefully, the chapters coming up will be half-way decent.
So before writing this chapter I already had major writers block. I'm guessing that's not good…
Disclaimer: Like I would own Ranma and be writing fanfiction about it instead of just putting it in the show.
Chapter 2: Good News Gone Bad
"Happy late birthday Ranma!" Ukyou cheered as she revealed the small birthday cake she was holding behind her back.
"Thanks Ukyou," Ranma said in a depressed voice.
"Not to complain or anything, but when your best friend makes you a perfectly delicious cake, it's not a good idea to act like your dog just died," she said as she poked him in the shoulder.
Ranma turned his head to look out the window of the kitchen. Around him the noise of pots and pans being hit together was heard over the hum of conversations everyone was having while cooks ran about getting the night's dinner ready.
"Sorry," he said in the same depressed voice, not even bothering to turn from the window. The sun was shining and birds circled above in the air. It was a perfect day, but that didn't seem to make Ranma's mood any better.
Ukyou pouted at the back of his pig-tailed head. She looked around making sure no one was close enough to hear them.
"Ok. What's wrong?"
Ranma sighed and turned his head back around to his childhood friend. He looked at her determined face and knew there was no way he could avoid telling her.
"My dad told me that he had good news to tell me tonight at dinner tonight."
"Uh oh," Ukyou sighed along with Ranma as they both turned back to stare out the window. It seemed the bright sun could not clear their minds of the worry that each had about the "good" news. "What do you think it is this time?"
"I honestly have no clue. It still amazes me how he thinks that anything he tells me is 'good' news," he said quoting "good" with his fingers.
"Good" news for King Genma always meant bad news for Ranma. The last major "good" news Genma said he had, was a new martial arts technique, that left Ranma scarred for life. Cats are still not allowed anywhere near the castle grounds.
"But let's talk about something other then my awaiting torture. Are you feeling any better?" Ranma asked finally turning away from the window and looking at Ukyou.
"I am actually. Sorry I missed your birthday dinner, but I didn't think that you would appreciate my continual throwing up at the table."
"Thanks for that visual."
"Any time buddy! Always here to help!" she said slinging an arm around his shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. How about we have some of that cake now?" he asked while eyeing the cake.
"Go for it Prince," Ukyou chuckled at the glare she got from him before he grabbed a fork and started eating the cake like no tomorrow.
"You know I hate it when you call me that," he said with a mouth full of cake.
"I don't see why. You are a prince after all," Ukyou said in a matter of fact tone.
"But you're my friend. You don't need to call me that," Ranma complained as he put another forkful of cake in his mouth. "You know Ukyou, this is really good cake. Thanks!"
Ukyou turned her head away so he wouldn't be able to see the blush that appeared on her face. It was just a couple months ago that Ukyou realized the crush she had on Ranma, but she wasn't about to tell him about her new discoveries. She thought she still had all the time in the world to tell him.
"You may bring out the food now Ukyou," the queen told her in a dignified voice.
"Yes Your Majesty." Ukyou bowed and walked through the doors to the kitchen where she worked as head chef. She grew up in the castle where her father had worked as a chef, but when he became ill she took over his job.
Meanwhile, Genma, Nodoka, and Ranma all sat at a long table filled with plates and silverware at places where no one was sitting. Ranma leaned his elbow on the silk tablecloth with his chin in his hand waiting for the servants to bring the food out.
Genma cleared his throat rather loudly causing everyone in the room to look at him. The bald king turned in his chair to his right where Ranma was sitting next to him. He squinted his eyes through his glasses as he glared at Ranma as Nodoka looked on with interest.
"Ranma!" Genma shouted at him.
Ranma jumped and sat up straight turning to look at his father. Genma just went back to glaring at him. Ranma looked at him with half-lidded eyes waiting for whatever nonsense Genma was going to tell him next.
Before Genma could utter another word, servants and cooks came parading out of the kitchen door with trays of food in their hands. After placing the food on the table in front of the royal family, they stood along the walls waiting for the meal to be done so they could start cleaning up.
Getting distracted, both Ranma and Genma tore into the food like no tomorrow. They ate fast and fought for food while Nodoka slowly filled her plate with a few pieces of whatever they hadn't already gotten.
When the food was almost gone and Nodoka was about to give the signal for the servants to clean up, Genma slammed his hands on the table, making the plates and silverware bounce from the table.
"Ranma!" Genma shouted and started glaring at him again without saying a word.
"Just say it already!" Ranma shouted back getting annoyed at his father's lack of words.
"I have very good news to share you all tonight!" Genma said with a wide grin.
Everyone in the room starred back at him with blank faces. When he didn't say anything else and his smile didn't drop Ranma got annoyed again.
"Well tell us already old man!"
Genma stood from the table and walked up behind Ranma placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Ranma my boy, now that you've turned 16, an arrangement I made with an old friend has finally come into play!" Genma stopped there, smiling another wide grin.
A vein was visible on Ranma's head after a moment when Genma didn't say anything more. "Will you just finish already?!"
"Tomorrow we will be leaving to go to King Soun's kingdom. There you will meet your future bride who you will marry after her 16th birthday, which I hear, is coming up very soon. We're finally going to be able to unite the kingdoms!"
The sound of a tray being dropped on the floor was heard all throughout the dining room. Everyone besides Ranma turned to the sound and saw a pale faced Ukyou bending down to pick up the tray she was holding, while Ranma starred at his father in shock. Genma looked back to his son and took in his wide eyes and shocked expression.
Nodoka was just as surprised as Ranma. She frowned at her husband as he started patting Ranma on the shoulder.
"We have all of your things packed Your Highness, just like you asked. We just need to know who else you would like to join for the trip there," a man's voice spoke up from the line of servants and cooks standing along side the wall.
"I don't think there is anyone else who needs to go with us…" Genma trailed off to think.
"I believe it would be best for Ukyou to also accompany us," Nodoka said in a stern voice that brought fear into both her son and husband.
Ukyou looked up at the queen from where she was looking down at the floor. Her face and wide eyes showed the shock she felt from hearing the "good" news and having the queen suggest brining her along made the shock even more.
Ranma seemed to come out of the shock he was in and looked at his mother. She was glaring at Genma with her lips set in a straight line. He could tell that she had known nothing about this "arrangement". He couldn't get his mind clear enough to say anything. But he was sure that once he could he would be mad.
"Ranma, go ahead and go to your room. From the sounds of it, we're going to be leaving early tomorrow. Besides, your father and I have some things to discuss," she said while glaring at Genma even harder. "Ukyou, I suggest you do the same and go back your things."
Ranma and Ukyou both ran from the dining room without a word and headed straight to their rooms leaving behind a furious Nodoka and a fearful Genma.
While running to his room, Ranma's mind was working a thousand miles a minute.
What the crap just happened?!
All around servants and maids ran around carrying things that were coming along and putting them in a carriage. It was early the next morning and Ranma and Ukyou were standing in front of the castle waiting for when they would have to leave to go to King Soun's kingdom.
"How are you feeling?" Ukyou asked in a quiet voice.
"Not sure yet. Though I'm pretty sure it's close to feeling extremely pissed off," Ranma told her while starring straight ahead at the people who were doing some last minute packing.
Ukyou nodded her in agreement. The silence between them grew. Both were starring out in front of them with blank faces.
Inside Ukyou was freaking out. Married?! He can't get married!
Finally Ranma spoke up. "He can't make me marry anyone. I don't care if it is some princess. I'm not marrying anyone I don't even know."
Ukyou snapped her head to look at him so fast her neck started to hurt. Ranma was still looking ahead, so he didn't see the spark of hope in her eyes. A scowl appeared on his face as he saw his father and mother getting into a carriage with two white horses standing in front of it.
Suddenly the hope in Ukyou's eyes faded. "You know you're gonna have to marry her right?"
Ranma didn't say anything as he walked to the carriage his parents were in waiting for him so they could leave. Only one thought was going through his head.
What am I going to do?
Well that's chapter 2. Ranma and Ukyou may seem out of character, but they'll be more in character the next chapter. Hope you all liked it!
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