Disclaimer: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video and Winx Club belongs to Iginio Straffi and Rai S.p.A (NOT 4Kids!).
Note: This follows the Rai version of Winx as the 4Kids version butchered it too much, like with every anime it dubbed.
This takes place between chapters 50 and 51 of Ranma Club.
Ranma Club: Nihao My Winx!
Chapter 4: Toma's New Bride?
The salon was deathly silent after Toma got slapped in the face. Everyone looked up at the throne balcony after witnessing what had happened. Sarutoru immediately jumped up to the balcony.
"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing!?" shouted Sarutoru as he restrained the girl.
"Just what in the world is wrong with you!? What kind of jerk forces others to humiliate themselves for you!? Just because you're bored!? Have you no shred of humanity!? You're nothing but a self-righteous self-entitled creep! You're also an idiot actually thinking any girl would want to have anything to do with you after putting them through this crap! I don't care how young you are! What you're doing is completely inexcusable!" The girl shouted, her red hair nearly flaring up with each word.
"Silence! How dare you speak to Prince Toma like that!" shouted Sarutoru.
From the lower levels, Stella could only look up in shock. She never saw her friend get so angry before. "Bloom?"
Toma held his cheek in shock where he was slapped by Bloom. He had a sort of curious look on his face coupled with a sense of wonderment as Bloom berated him. Finally breaking out of his trance, he looked up at Bloom. "What is your name?"
Bloom was taken completely by surprise by this reaction. "Huh!? Uh… it's Bloom Domino. Why?"
"Bloom, huh? Very well." Said Toma as he stood up from his throne. He places a hand on Bloom's shoulder as he looked into her eyes before addressing Sarutoru. "Sarutoru, I have decided. This is the one I wish to have for my bride."
"WHAT!?" said Bloom in shock.
"Very good, My Lord." Said Sarutoru as he released Bloom.
"Hey! What are you-!?" started Bloom.
"Attention, everyone! The winner of the Martial Arts Marriage Contest is Bloom Domino!" Toma announced.
The guards all cheered happily at the news while the shipwrecked party were greatly confused.
"Saotome! What is going on!?" asked Soun.
"I have no idea, Tendo." Said Genma.
"Bloom won?" asked Flora in confusion.
"How the hell does that work?" asked Layla.
"You gotta be kidding me!" said Ranma-chan.
"Hold on! How did it even come to this!?" asked Bloom. She was unable to wrap her head around this prince's thought processes. He decided to choose her after she slapped and berated him, so what was even the point of that stupid contest he held?
"I've never felt this way before! What do you think, Sarutoru?" asked Toma.
"Very good, my lord, but what about the rest of the remaining women?" asked Sarutoru.
"It doesn't matter. Do what you wish with them. Takes them as brides for yourself and the guards if you like." Said Toma.
"Words cannot convey my happiness, oh lord." Said Sarutoru as he took a bow. He then turned to address the men. "Listen up, men! GO FOR IT!"
Sarutoru immediately leaps down towards the floor as the men cheered at the news. The young ladies screamed as each of them all got nabbed by a guard and carried out of the room.
"Quickly, Wonton! We must hurry!" said Torristan as he jumped down to the floor to claim a girl with Wonton following behind.
"Aroo!"
Soun and Genma were trampled on by some of the guards, two of them had Kasumi and Nabiki in their arms, as they ran out of the salon. Another guard carrying Nodoka trampled over Genma. Mousse, Ryoga, and Kuno get trampled by the other guards, some of them were carrying Tecna, Layla, Shampoo, and Ukyou. Wonton was running as he held Musa in his arms. Running alongside him were Torristan carrying Stella, and Sarutoru carrying Flora.
"Quite a prize, eh Wonton! Hahahahaha!" said Torristan as he darted out of the room with his prize. Sarutoru grunted eagerly as he held Flora over his head.
Soon, all the guards and the elite servants were out of the salon, leaving the trampled bodies of the castaways. Unsurprisingly, Cologne was left behind as she surveyed the damage.
"Oh my, what a mess." Said Cologne.
"OW! That hurt!" Cologne looked over to see a footprint-riddled Akane slowly getting up after being trampled on. Apparently in all the excitement, Akane was left behind and forgotten. That, or simply no one was interested in her.
"Oh, you're still here?" asked Cologne to which Akane could only glare at her.
From the upper balcony, Bloom could only stare in shock at what had happened. Beside her, Toma just smiled.
"They're good men." Toma then turned to Bloom. "Let us go, Bloom." He then takes her by the hand.
"Hey! Hold on here! I never agreed to this!" said Bloom.
Toma paid her no mind and focused his ki, enveloping them both in light. Just as it was at its brightest, Ranma-chan managed to get up to the balcony in time to see the two obscured in light.
"WAIT!"
By the time the light died down, Bloom and Toma were gone. Ranma-chan had a blank look in her eyes after seeing Bloom get taken away. She slowly walked over to the spot where the two were last at. On the lower floor, Soun was currently putting Akane in a bearhug happy that one of his daughters was alright but still bawling over Kasumi and Nabiki being gone.
Ranma-chan's thoughts were to the girls he had deep connections to. They were all taken away right in front of her. The prince had taken Bloom and tossed off her friends, including her own mother, to his guards as if they were a discount sale. The redhead clenched her fist in anger at the thought of what had transpired. Rage filled her body as her eyes burned with fury.
"You damn brat… this isn't over yet! I swear you're gonna pay!"
Toma's quarters…
Bloom sat uncomfortably on a small plush couch as Toma sat on another opposite her. Between them was a small table with cups of tea.
"So how do you like my quarters?" asked Toma as he sipped his tea.
Bloom just looks away from him. "It's fine. Tell me. Why did you bring me here?"
"Huh? I don't understand." Said Toma in confusion.
"Are you serious? You basically kidnapped me and my friends, then I realize you've kidnapped several other innocent girls from their homes. How do you think they all feel?" said Bloom.
"You have to understand, Bloom. It is not without reason." Said Toma. "The thing about Togenkyo is that it is a cursed island. The island's magical spring turns anything it touches into a man. Since ancient times, only male children have been conceived here."
That got Bloom's attention. 'Water that turns you into a man? Could that be what Stella was referring to that time?'
Toma then gets up and walks towards a pedestal by the back wall. He takes out what looks like a thick coin with a peach emblem on it, then places it into a groove on top of the pedestal. Suddenly, the back wall began to rumble and parts ways, opening up an entrance to what looked like a deep mine. Many yards below was the aforementioned spring.
Bloom gets up and looks down the deep shaft at the spring with some apprehension. She felt her powers even more drained than before. "Is that…?"
"The spring. And because of it, we must find our women elsewhere." Said Toma. "But even so, it's a sacred spring that protects our island."
Bloom could only frown. It seems she's found the dampener that had been sealing off her and her friends' magical abilities. She was brought out of her depression when Toma held her by the shoulders and turned her towards him.
"Bloom, this must forever remain our secret. You will stay with me, won't you? I feel good being near you."
Bloom looks away. "Even after you've explained this, it still doesn't make it right. That's no excuse to kidnap women to solely be used as breeding cows! All you're doing is extending your prison! What's stopping you from leaving the island or at least docking it somewhere that's civilized? This is nothing but an isolated society!"
"But Bloom…"
Bloom cuts him off as she turned to glare at him. "These girls you've kidnapped may have loved ones already worrying sick about them or significant others! Have you ever thought of that? I also don't appreciate you giving my friends away like they're objects! Also, I already have someone I love!"
"What!? Is that true!?" asked a shocked Toma.
"He's strong, caring, protective, thoughtful, would do anything to make sure nothing happened to us…" started Bloom. "Others may think he's abrasive and rude, but my friends and I know the real man inside!"
"Even so, it would be best if you just forget about him. I know I can be a better man than him." Said Toma.
"What!?"
"If he comes between us, I'll make him regret it, then you'll realize who is the better man!"
Before Bloom could retort, an alarm started to blare. Toma then runs over to an old-style communications panel, opening up one of the pipes.
"What is it!?"
"Prince Toma! The invaders have escaped!" reported a guard in one of the hallways. Strewn about were the many defeated bodies of guards.
"Recapture them, you fools! Not one must escape!" ordered Toma before closing communications. He then sealed up the entrance to the spring after taking back the key coin. He turns to address Bloom. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon, so wait for me here." He gives Bloom's hand a kiss before exiting the room.
Bloom was left alone in Toma's chambers with her thoughts. "How… how did it come to this…?" She then hugs herself as she started feeling a pain in her chest, then looked back at the wall where the entrance to the spring was at. "That spring will be a serious problem…"
To be continued…
Author's notes:
Seems shorter than the others in comparison, I know, but had to fit the chapter title. Congrats to those who guessed Bloom! She of all people would know the pain of being forcefully being taken from her own home though it was out of necessity due to the Ancestral Witches destroying it.
Another thing I hate about some stories is how they try to make villains seem sympathetic. Well I say screw that. I'm a firm believer in "Freudian Excuse is No Excuse". Just because shit happened to you in life doesn't give you the right to be a complete asshole to others, especially to those who're not even involved. Point of the matter is you did horrible shit, and therefore you deserve to get your stupid ass kicked. I had Bloom not sympathize with Toma's closed-off society situation as to her, what he's doing is no better than human trafficking. And lets be serious here, who would want to sympathize with a human trafficker?
If you haven't yet, please give "Tekkadread Remastered" and "Dual Destinies" a read!
