A tribute to not only the great Ranma fanfic writers, but to all of them.
Everlasting
Hello Everyone. I hope you all get this letter and yer in good health.
In case you might have forgotten me at this point, I'm Saotome Ranma, and most of you know me as the master of Saotome Mutabetsu Ryu. I used to think that that was all there was to life was the art. I mean, nearly every week a new challenge or technique would come. Admittedly, there have been some points I haven't been too fond of ever since coming to Nerima Ward, but I thought it was great for the art. The thing I lived for.
However…
Even I have my limits, as many of you seem to be aware. I was beginning to get tired of the routine myself and the others had built up around the years. I think that started around the time Unryuu Akari showed up with her giant pig, and continued from there on. I started to realize things might never change, and I admit, I was getting tired. Most of you know what eventually happened later; I fought with Saffron, lord of Phoenix mountain. For all accounts and purposes I killed him. What were my thoughts on the whole thing? Well… that's a story for another day. Still, I have to commend some of you for knowing certain parts of my personality. It had seemed as if things would just continue this way forever, and I would just keep facing harder opponents over and over. And the wedding after? Well, the only thing I have to say about it was that I wasn't ready to get married. Most of you seem to agree on that point, and you know it very well. I thought that I would just go to school the next day, maybe try to sort things out.
Boy was I wrong.
When I went out that door with Akane, for no apparent reason I was transported to a place that was nothing but infinite blackness. Just nothing all around. I don't know exactly how long I stayed; could have been a month to a year to a century. All that time, I just thought. Nothing but. Finally, something happened.
A short guy in a cape who looked like a kid said that I had been sent to limbo. I wasn't dead for all accounts and purposes, but I wasn't alive either. Then to my surprise, he told me that part of what kept me alive in the first place was the mind of a single woman. Takahashi Rumiko was her name, and apparently she had made what you've seen as my life into a Manga series. Looking back, that actually explains quite a lot of what happened in Nerima. But now that she had finished with me, there was nothing I could do because her ideas are what kept me and my adventures alive. For all accounts and purposes I was dead, and old Rumiko-san had gone off to create dog boy Inuyasha.
Then, something unexpected happened…
I was surprised when I was yet again taken instantly out of purgatory, and my life was back almost exactly as it was before. A few changes were apparent though. I had a voice talking to me, I was in Doc Tofu's clinic and Akane was with me. I felt as if something had gone wrong… yet also right.
The kid I had met in limbo came a few days later. He explained that while Takahashi-san had kept me alive for a while, new people were giving me back my life. Fanfiction writers, he called 'em, and they were people who missed me or were interested in me enough to make some new stories about me. At first I thought this was a good thing; The idea I had started in did have some good changes occurring. For the most part, I just went with the flow. That idea was never finished though, and I instantly hopped to another idea.
So it was that for a good deal of my life now, I've had more life than some immortals. In some cases I have been immortal! I've gone on so many adventures that I can't count them. In some cases, they were a lot of fun, and others ended more quickly than I would have liked. I've met so many different people, gained so many new abilities and ideas it's staggering! There were some lives I really wished to hurt people for, but thankfully those were in short supply.
Takahashi-san created me in an attempt at a humorous story. In some cases it was funny, but looking back, I try to forget those times. The kid, who calls himself Atomos, or Atomkid, is a good guy. He let's me know what's going on beforehand with his assistants like Xing, and makes it easier to adjust.
You're probably wondering how this letter got out and how I was able to take enough time out of adventuring to do it. Well, I wanted some way of thanking all of you, and Atomkid told me this was the only way to do it. So…
Thank you. Thank you all. You've all given me a more fulfilling and better life than my parents or Takashi-san ever could. It makes me feel warm inside sometimes that you all care about me enough to get rid of my finaces and rivals for me, to give me sweet and loving wives and girlfriends, to even have me get revenge on pops. I'm amazed at how many of you have figured out interesting ideas of what to do to him. I never knew how many people wanted me to live on. Wow.
I have to say though; things are getting a little boring lately. I haven't had many decent adventures in a while, and I was wondering what's been going on. It seems as if my truly great adventures have gone, and that I'll fade into obscurity soon. Atomkid has told me some of your names. If no one else can help me, you all can! Hung Nguyen, Metroanime, Krista Perry, Fire, Jurai Knight, BlackDragon6, Sarge4, kayesmi, Mushiki, JohnnyG, Ryo-Oki, DB Sommer, Xen-Oh, Lord Rance, Michael The-Zorch Haney, Hawk, Chaos Lord, Adondehafka, Carrotglace, OneShot, Skysaber, and Mr. Clark, you all have given me some of my favorite adventures. This letter is for you guys, and for everyone else I didn't mention; Please come back!
But…
I realize that you may not be able to. I should know about personal obligations. Hell knows you all have written enough of those for me. Still, I need at least one last great adventure before I can finally leave. Who's up to the challenge? (Please keep in mind though that nearly every adventure I've had has been good. Be proud of yourselves, every one of you.)
At the same time though, part of me doesn't want to leave. Perhaps everyone, like me, reincarnates all the time. If you can, keep me alive the only way you can; in your hearts. It doesn't even matter if I have no more adventures, just keep in mind the lessons my adventures have taught all of you. Most importantly, NEVER GIVE UP. Oh, and never eat an angry person's cooking. Trust me.
Well, I hope that this letter will get somewhat of a good response. Just remember, as long as you keep me in mind, I will be forever everlasting.
Friend to you all,
Saotome Ranma
P.S. Please, can we no longer have any adventures where Kuno and I end up together? Or at least have he being sane?
P.P.S How about some more lives in which Kasumi and I end up together? I like those.