A Far Worse Fate
an omake
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi would really dislike the treatment her characters get in this. Which was simply an idea of "What If The Magical Prince Cliche Actually Were Competent And Magical?" Added to this was an idea by Regal on the Addventure.
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Typical day at the Tendo Dojo.
Well, one supposes that typical used in conjunction with Tendo Dojo is a little odd. Case in point would be an unusually balmy September day with high winds and the occasional raincloud that seemed to ignore the weatherman with a thoroughly un-Japanese attitude.
The day had started with the usual ridiculously violent sparring between Ranma and his loving father, escalating a bit further and adding more participants than usual when the elder Saotome revealed that the extra wealth he had blown on getting stinking drunk with his good friend Soun Tendo had come from selling Ranma off once again.
There was some momentary relief in the beating of the Saotome patriarch when he revealed that it was not as a potential husband that Ranma had been sold.
This had, of course, not placated Ranma that much, but Soun had been instant in his forgiveness of Genma.
Nabiki had idly ticked off all the other ways that Ranma could have been sold. "As a slave, as a lab rat, as a cadaver, as a bride, as a... oh my."
Upon seeing Genma react to the term "bride" by waving around a sign that stated [Definitely not] everyone knew immediately what had occurred.
"OYAJI!" "Saotome how could you?" "So how much did you get?" "Oh my, I wonder if I can find a wedding kimono your size, Ranma!" "RANNMAAAA! This is all your fault! Probably some guy who thought you were flirting with him, you pervert!" [I'm just a cute little panda.]
"Looks like we got here in time for the floor show," said a droll voice with a Kansai accent.
"Shampoo wonder if this is what Shampoo supposed to see."
The scene of panda mauling slowly came to a halt to stare at the two girls in the veranda.
"Oh my, Shampoo used the door this time," Kasumi exclaimed.
Shampoo realized that she had used the door and looked slightly sheepish. "Not have time for that now. Shampoo get message to come here for message of importance. Written in Mandarin."
"I got one too, one of you want to explain what we're supposed to be hearing?" Ukyo held up her own invitation.
"Actually, *I* would," came a voice from nowhere. Slowly a shadow moved forward and seemed to regard all of those present with various degrees of amusement before settling on the panda. "Hello, Genma. Long time no see."
Everyone looked at the figure. Mediterranean in complexion, lightly pointed goatee, silver earring in his right ear, expensive looking suit.
"I've come to take possession of that matter we agreed on," said the gentleman in fluent Japanese that had an odd accent.
[Well that was for my daughter, and as you can see...]
The man held up his cane and a spurt of water from the ornate silver goat's head on the top splashed Ranma-kun.
Ranma-chan blinked water out of her eyes and said that her father was "dead meat."
"Now, I understand that some of you believe there is a prior claim to my bride," said the man in black. "So I will make it possible for one of you to win her back."
"If you hadn't noticed, I'm really a guy," pointed out Ranma-chan.
"That can be fixed rather easily," replied the man. "So, I have a simple challenge for you."
"Shampoo know how this goes," Shampoo said, charging forward.
"Not," said the man, his eyes flashing golden briefly.
Shampoo fell over, paralyzed.
"My deal is this, Ranma will take part in a little contest. Anyone else who wants to can also take part in it. If Ranma wins, I will not only release him from that engagement, he will be cured of his Jusenkyo curse." The man in black threw a map to the floor. "In three days time the contest begins. The winner gets the spoils. Do you want to free Ranma and marry him? Simply be the winner. Do you want to be freed of a Jusenkyo curse? Child's play. A few million yen? Even easier. Do you want to be the greatest martial artist in all Japan? A simple matter. I am the prince of a magical kingdom, with all its power at my beck and call. I can grant you boons you can barely imagine."
"What's the cost of all this?" Nabiki was quick to put in before her father could sign them all up.
"There will be other contestants, but there will be only one winner," said the prince. "Those who fail to win will be female and my property forever more."
"That's NUTS!" Ranma exclaimed.
"You're chickening out?" The man smiled in a confident, arrogant, manner precisely calculated to be the most annoying.
The result was never really in doubt.
Even if Ranma had decided not to participate, his father was of the opinion that no challenge could be ignored for the sake of the Saotome Anything Goes school.
"Of course not! Ranma will accept any challenge! The honor of the Saotome School depends on it," said Genma nodding and doing his best attempt at looking noble.
"The same goes for the Tendo school," seconded Soun, figuring that winning they could stipulate *all* their freedom as one of the conditions.
Ranma had a *really* bad feeling about this, but the chance to get rid of his curse...
-----------
Ranma started off early, confident in his ability as the greatest martial artist ever to win this contest and be back - a complete guy! He knew that he wouldn't be able to get the map from that uncute tomboy of a fiancee he had. She had no confidence in him! And after all he'd done for her. Well, he'd show *her!*
Confident that she had the only map, Nabiki started out with the goal of her own weight in gold as a start. Not that she intended to participate in some contest, just scouting out around the edges, then she could fleece the winner of whatever valuables had been won.
Akane had given the only map to Nabiki for safekeeping, but had scribbled out a basic copy just in case. Upon discovering Ranma missing, she took off at a run to keep the baka from responding to yet another stupid challenge when it *might* well be *his* last.
Shampoo followed Nabiki. Ukyo followed Akane. Each convinced that where their quarry went, Ranma would be. Then they could possibly convince their rivals to go rescue Ranma, and when they were claimed by that prince, they'd have Ranma to themselves!
Tatewaki Kuno raced towards the location Nabiki had sold him. The pigtailed girl was now going bravely into the den of yet another foul sorcerer!
Kodachi Kuno raced towards the location Nabiki had sold her. Ranma was going to rid himself of that vile redhaired harridan and she wanted to be there to congratulate him!
Ryouga had heard Akane explain everything to P-chan while she hid a copy of the map. Naturally, P-chan had copied the map as best he could and upon changing back to Ryouga had rushed off to locate this contest and win it before Ranma could. Freedom from the pig at last! Unfortunately, instead of heading for Yokohama, he was currently in Akihabara.
----------
The Prince settled back in his comfy chair and raised a glass of brandy in toast. Smiling evilly, he considered all the players.
Soun's decision as head of clan meant that if he so desired, the eldest daughter would end up participating in the game. The Prince so desired.
He was a greedy bastard, and would readily admit it.
The floating globe before him flicked from one image to another. Many would play, one would win. Of course, the only way not to lose was not to play - those with overweening pride or greed were doomed from the beginning.
Yes, he loved this game.
===========
this threatened to go on entirely too long for me to be able to use as an omake. It might make an interesting semi-dark fic, either with Ranma escaping or the Prince getting some divine justice at the end, but it might be too difficult for me to write.
an omake
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi would really dislike the treatment her characters get in this. Which was simply an idea of "What If The Magical Prince Cliche Actually Were Competent And Magical?" Added to this was an idea by Regal on the Addventure.
-----------
Typical day at the Tendo Dojo.
Well, one supposes that typical used in conjunction with Tendo Dojo is a little odd. Case in point would be an unusually balmy September day with high winds and the occasional raincloud that seemed to ignore the weatherman with a thoroughly un-Japanese attitude.
The day had started with the usual ridiculously violent sparring between Ranma and his loving father, escalating a bit further and adding more participants than usual when the elder Saotome revealed that the extra wealth he had blown on getting stinking drunk with his good friend Soun Tendo had come from selling Ranma off once again.
There was some momentary relief in the beating of the Saotome patriarch when he revealed that it was not as a potential husband that Ranma had been sold.
This had, of course, not placated Ranma that much, but Soun had been instant in his forgiveness of Genma.
Nabiki had idly ticked off all the other ways that Ranma could have been sold. "As a slave, as a lab rat, as a cadaver, as a bride, as a... oh my."
Upon seeing Genma react to the term "bride" by waving around a sign that stated [Definitely not] everyone knew immediately what had occurred.
"OYAJI!" "Saotome how could you?" "So how much did you get?" "Oh my, I wonder if I can find a wedding kimono your size, Ranma!" "RANNMAAAA! This is all your fault! Probably some guy who thought you were flirting with him, you pervert!" [I'm just a cute little panda.]
"Looks like we got here in time for the floor show," said a droll voice with a Kansai accent.
"Shampoo wonder if this is what Shampoo supposed to see."
The scene of panda mauling slowly came to a halt to stare at the two girls in the veranda.
"Oh my, Shampoo used the door this time," Kasumi exclaimed.
Shampoo realized that she had used the door and looked slightly sheepish. "Not have time for that now. Shampoo get message to come here for message of importance. Written in Mandarin."
"I got one too, one of you want to explain what we're supposed to be hearing?" Ukyo held up her own invitation.
"Actually, *I* would," came a voice from nowhere. Slowly a shadow moved forward and seemed to regard all of those present with various degrees of amusement before settling on the panda. "Hello, Genma. Long time no see."
Everyone looked at the figure. Mediterranean in complexion, lightly pointed goatee, silver earring in his right ear, expensive looking suit.
"I've come to take possession of that matter we agreed on," said the gentleman in fluent Japanese that had an odd accent.
[Well that was for my daughter, and as you can see...]
The man held up his cane and a spurt of water from the ornate silver goat's head on the top splashed Ranma-kun.
Ranma-chan blinked water out of her eyes and said that her father was "dead meat."
"Now, I understand that some of you believe there is a prior claim to my bride," said the man in black. "So I will make it possible for one of you to win her back."
"If you hadn't noticed, I'm really a guy," pointed out Ranma-chan.
"That can be fixed rather easily," replied the man. "So, I have a simple challenge for you."
"Shampoo know how this goes," Shampoo said, charging forward.
"Not," said the man, his eyes flashing golden briefly.
Shampoo fell over, paralyzed.
"My deal is this, Ranma will take part in a little contest. Anyone else who wants to can also take part in it. If Ranma wins, I will not only release him from that engagement, he will be cured of his Jusenkyo curse." The man in black threw a map to the floor. "In three days time the contest begins. The winner gets the spoils. Do you want to free Ranma and marry him? Simply be the winner. Do you want to be freed of a Jusenkyo curse? Child's play. A few million yen? Even easier. Do you want to be the greatest martial artist in all Japan? A simple matter. I am the prince of a magical kingdom, with all its power at my beck and call. I can grant you boons you can barely imagine."
"What's the cost of all this?" Nabiki was quick to put in before her father could sign them all up.
"There will be other contestants, but there will be only one winner," said the prince. "Those who fail to win will be female and my property forever more."
"That's NUTS!" Ranma exclaimed.
"You're chickening out?" The man smiled in a confident, arrogant, manner precisely calculated to be the most annoying.
The result was never really in doubt.
Even if Ranma had decided not to participate, his father was of the opinion that no challenge could be ignored for the sake of the Saotome Anything Goes school.
"Of course not! Ranma will accept any challenge! The honor of the Saotome School depends on it," said Genma nodding and doing his best attempt at looking noble.
"The same goes for the Tendo school," seconded Soun, figuring that winning they could stipulate *all* their freedom as one of the conditions.
Ranma had a *really* bad feeling about this, but the chance to get rid of his curse...
-----------
Ranma started off early, confident in his ability as the greatest martial artist ever to win this contest and be back - a complete guy! He knew that he wouldn't be able to get the map from that uncute tomboy of a fiancee he had. She had no confidence in him! And after all he'd done for her. Well, he'd show *her!*
Confident that she had the only map, Nabiki started out with the goal of her own weight in gold as a start. Not that she intended to participate in some contest, just scouting out around the edges, then she could fleece the winner of whatever valuables had been won.
Akane had given the only map to Nabiki for safekeeping, but had scribbled out a basic copy just in case. Upon discovering Ranma missing, she took off at a run to keep the baka from responding to yet another stupid challenge when it *might* well be *his* last.
Shampoo followed Nabiki. Ukyo followed Akane. Each convinced that where their quarry went, Ranma would be. Then they could possibly convince their rivals to go rescue Ranma, and when they were claimed by that prince, they'd have Ranma to themselves!
Tatewaki Kuno raced towards the location Nabiki had sold him. The pigtailed girl was now going bravely into the den of yet another foul sorcerer!
Kodachi Kuno raced towards the location Nabiki had sold her. Ranma was going to rid himself of that vile redhaired harridan and she wanted to be there to congratulate him!
Ryouga had heard Akane explain everything to P-chan while she hid a copy of the map. Naturally, P-chan had copied the map as best he could and upon changing back to Ryouga had rushed off to locate this contest and win it before Ranma could. Freedom from the pig at last! Unfortunately, instead of heading for Yokohama, he was currently in Akihabara.
----------
The Prince settled back in his comfy chair and raised a glass of brandy in toast. Smiling evilly, he considered all the players.
Soun's decision as head of clan meant that if he so desired, the eldest daughter would end up participating in the game. The Prince so desired.
He was a greedy bastard, and would readily admit it.
The floating globe before him flicked from one image to another. Many would play, one would win. Of course, the only way not to lose was not to play - those with overweening pride or greed were doomed from the beginning.
Yes, he loved this game.
===========
this threatened to go on entirely too long for me to be able to use as an omake. It might make an interesting semi-dark fic, either with Ranma escaping or the Prince getting some divine justice at the end, but it might be too difficult for me to write.
