the version that's going into the Bet zipfile on my site.
Ranma 1/2: Enslaved, the Bet
by Gregg Sharp, http://members.aol.com/metroanime/main.html

Change: Happosai taught the secret amazon technique of "splitting cat hairs"
to
his students so that they could cover his escapes better. 
----======================
Juuban, Day One
	The rain had been brief and had stopped just a few hours ago, leaving
the day muggier but slightly cooler. Nodoka Saotome opened the windows to her 
home, allowing tiny breezes to stir the air within.

	She was contemplating the emptiness of her home, after ten years of
the training trip her son and husband had undertaken, when voices and the
sound
of the front gate opening interrupted her reverie.

	"I think this's it." A young man's voice, somewhat uncertain. A quiet
murmurring from a woman followed that. "Well, it _has_ been years since I was
here last."

	That comment caused Nodoka's heart to skip a beat. Could it be? She
hurried out to the front door. There was a young man of about sixteen there,
wearing a red Chinese silk shirt and black leggings. He was followed by two
young
women, one slightly taller than the other. The taller one of the girls was
wearing
clothing very similar to the boy. The shorter young lady was wearing baggy
shorts
and a t-shirt/vest combination.

	Nodoka frowned as they stopped and stared. In the two women's eyes
were the look of those who had been through much abuse in their lives. The 
taller one had the white tracery of an old scar going from chin to just under
her right
eye. The shorter woman, a girl about the same age as the boy, had a slightly
more 
haunted look to her though no VISIBLE scarring.

	"May I help you?" Nodoka bowed, her eyes never leaving the three
standing in her courtyard. Upon seeing the bundle in one of Nodoka's hands,
the
youngest one looked ready to bolt and the taller girl fingered her scar in
what was
likely an unconcious gesture.

	The young man spoke with a touch of hesitation. "I'm Ranma Saotome, 
sorry about this."
---------------------------------------------
	Nodoka had hustled the three inside, and after a long and nearly rib 
crushing hug, wanted explanations. First, though, came tea. Proper decorum
must
be maintained, after all. So it was that Nodoka Saotome came to be sitting
across the 
table from her son and the two mysterious women.

	"Well, son, I'd say some explanations are in order." Nodoka sipped at her
tea and carefully appraised the two women, who seemed to hover close to her
son
as if he were shelter in an uncertain world. She had no idea as yet how close
that
observation was to the truth. "Where is your father? Who are these two young
ladies? That would be a good start, I think."

	"Father," Ranma began, "well, I left him behind. Snuck out of camp one
day 'cause I remembered something you said years ago. ' It is the duty of a
martial
artist to stick up for those who are in trouble, in need of help, or in need
of a friend.
Do not turn your back on duty or honor, and don't abandon those whose needs
outweigh your own.' Something like that wasn't it?"

	Nodoka smiled faintly. He remembered the code she had taught him those 
years ago. Perhaps he had become a man-among-men, as well. "Yes, I believe it
was 
something like that."

	"Well, Pops said we couldn't do nothin' and that we had problems of our
own. I thought I could do somethin' so I did." No bragging, just simple
statement of
fact. "These two were slaves in a village we ran across in China. Lipstick
here 
managed to bump into me when we entered the village, and asked for help."

	The taller one bowed slightly. "Lipstick and Gloss are the names we
were given within the village. My real name is Kasumi and this is my sister
Nabiki.
We were taken by a Nichieju kill squad shortly after they killed our father
and 
mother for the crime of the unauthorized teaching of secret amazon techniques,
something only an Elder of the village should be able to do.

	"Both I and my sisters were taken to the village as children. Both Nabiki
and I were deemed unsuitable as warriors and so became slaves of the Council.
My youngest sister, Akane..."

	There was a flare of anger in Nabiki's eyes. "Don't mention that traitor's
name! She is no longer our sister Akane, merely the amazon Ko Em. Just another
one of our tormentors."

	Nodoka raised an eyebrow at the amount of venom in the young lady's
voice. "They didn't simply kill you or abandon you, at least."

	"They would not do that, Saotome-san." Kasumi's voice was soft and
full of hurt, remembering her own treatment at the hands of one who had once 
been her youngest sister. "If we had been male children, no doubt we would
have
been slain shortly after our father. That we were not was reason to take us
into the
tribe. If you are not a warrior, however, you are not much of anything in the
village.
We...did not fare well there."

	The haunted look had returned to the eyes of both of the girls. Nodoka
cleared her throat. "Do you have no family, then?"

	"We do not know of any, Saotome-san. We tried to stop by our home
but it had been razed years ago while we were in China. There is another house
there now, and has been for some time. 

	"Please forgive us for this intrusion." Kasumi bowed again.

	"So, my son, you decided to sneak into a village of heavily armed 
warriors and steal two of their slaves away?"

	"Mrs Saotome!" Kasumi's eyes widened and she stared at Ranma's
mother. Nabiki merely turned pale and closed her eyes, certain that she was
going to be turned away. And then where could she go but back to the damned
village where her punishment would be severe?

	"Uhm, I'd have said 'rescue' myself." Ranma tugged his pigtail. "I brought
'em here cause where else could they go?"

	Nodoka was not heartless, no matter what her husband might think from
her ability to ignore his pleading and begging whenever he wanted to spend
money.
The tale of these two women, cut adrift on the seas of fate, touched her
greatly. That
her son had done something so honorable and heroic as to risk his life by
sneaking	
into a village to rescue two women was a good sign. Two fairly attractive
women 
who were apparently quite interested in their rescuer, judging by the body
language 
and how close they sat to him. The promise of being a 'man among men' was
recalled 
and Nodoka placed a large mental checkmark by it. That Ranma didn't seem to
know 
what was going on was merely amusing, but then men tended to be a little
clueless
about some things anyway.

	"So, you brought them here to meet your mother?" Nodoka smiled. "Well,
that DOES change things doesn't it?"

	"Hmmm?" Ranma began sipping on his tea, not sure of what his mother
was going on about.  Kasumi and Nabiki stared at her, catching the reference.

	"So which one are you going to marry?"

	<SSPLURSHHH> Nodoka leaned slightly so that Ranma's rather 
spectacular geyser of tea missed her. She noticed that both of the young
ladies
colored slightly (not enough to indicate that they've Done It, but enough to 
indicate that they've THOUGHT about It.) 

	"What..I..but...I...they..."

	"...or is it that you're planning to marry both?"

	Ranma went completely silent and pale enough that one would think
he'd seen a ghost. Finally a startled "eep" forced its way past his lips.

	Realizing she'd overplayed her hand, and that Ranma probably wouldn't
be capable of anything approaching coherent thought for awhile, Nodoka sighed
and asked if either of the two orphans would care to assist her in getting
supper
ready. It was quite late by now, and time to consider the possible events of
the
next day. She got up to lead the way to the kitchen.

	"Saotome-san," Kasumi got up and bowed. "I would be happy to assist
you, but there is one further thing you need to know first. Have you heard of
a
valley of magical springs known as Jusenkyo?"

	"Jusenkyo? No, I can't say that I have."

	"Saotome-san, do you believe in magic or in curses? Of things that are
not quite fully within the boundaries of modern science?"

	"Kasumi-chan, do you have a family name?"

	"Yes." Kasumi thought about it briefly. "Tendo. It was Tendo."

	Nodoka lost her train of thought briefly before turning a dazzling smile
to the two girls. "Well, kami-sama works in mysterious ways, does he not? In
any
case, yes, I have seen a shinnentai and heard of a shinto priestess at Cherry
Hill
who does fire readings of exceptional accuracy..."

	Kasumi checked the tea in Ranma's cup. Cool enough. "There are over
a hundred springs in Jusenkyo, each cursed. Whoever touches the water of one
of these cursed springs is forced to take another form when touched by cold
water. 
Hot water restores the original form, but only until the next time that cold
water 
touches the curse victim."

	"Interesting. Is it folk tale or real?"

	Kasumi upended the cup over herself. Nodoka watched the eyes, the
eyes never changed. The form around them blurred and enlarged, shifting until
a
young man with the same eyes, the same scar, the same clothes stood before
her.
"It's real. Myself, Ranma, and my sister have all felt the curse of Jusenkyo."

	Nabiki held her own cup over Ranma's head and a similar demonstration
occurred. Ranma shrunk slightly, becoming more curved. Again Nodoka noted that
the eyes didn't change, though her son was now quite obviously a girl.

	The reason for Kasumi and Ranma wearing slightly baggy unisex clothing
was quite obvious now.

	Ranma spoke quietly, her voice a throaty contralto now. "Both Nabiki 
and Kasumi received their curses as punishment for trying to escape the
Nichieju. 
Mine was because Pops dragged me off to Jusenkyo, showed it to me in some 
Chinese guide to training grounds for martial artists. He turns into a panda
now, by 
the way."

	Nodoka thought she was holding up well under the shock, up until the
point where her knees gave out. If her son had not already proven that he was 
sufficiently manly by rescuing the two girls, she might have had to hold him
to the 
promise of committing seppuku. THAT realization caused her to feel somewhat
faint.

	Ranma was across the table and at her side in an instant. "Mom? You
okay?"

	"It's just been a surprising day. I think we need to wait on any further
revelations until AFTER supper, don't you agree?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
	The echoing 'tick-tock' noise of an old clock was the only sound that
could be heard in the Saotome house a few hours later. Still, Nabiki found
that
she could not sleep yet.

	"<Lipstick, are you awake?>" Nabiki didn't think anyone was awake
to listen, but her Japanese was so out of practice that she found herself
avoiding
conversation just so that Saotome-san would not think her stupid. Slipping
back
into Mandarin was simply easier.

	Kasumi's voice was just as quiet. "<Yes, Gloss. I am tired, though.>"

	"<What do you think?>"

	"<Of what, younger sister? Of Saotome-san? That she is an honorable
woman. Of her statement that our father knew Ranma's father and that there was
an arrangement that one of father's children should marry a Saotome? That she
is
telling the truth, and that such a fate is much less onerous than continuing
to serve
the women of the Council. In another two months I would have become the
mistress
of that giant lardbucket of a man named Wax. How long could I have survived
HIS
attentions?>"

	"<She plans to engage one of us to her son within one month, when
she has decided which of us is the most suitable match...>" Nabiki's voice had
a curious quality to it.

	"<Whoever she chooses will have her work cut out for her.>" Kasumi
sighed and studied the ceiling. "<Just the mention of husbandly duties and
Ranma
starts falling to pieces. Good warrior, very strong, very brave. Also pretty
damn
nieve and not terribly worldly despite his troubles, I'm afraid.>"

	"<True. There were far worse catches to be made in the village. That
half blind idiot Mousse, or that annoying poet Griddle.>" Nabiki smirked as
she
remembered an incident involving both, a beehive, and the champion amazon 
named Shampoo. "<It wouldn't be too bad with Ranma, I think. Plus if one of us
IS his fiancee then staying here becomes even less a problem.>"

	"<True.>" Kasumi paused. "<Little sister, do you want to be the one?>"

	Nabiki considered it. "<I like the idea of security, big sister. I'm not sure
I could bear the thought of being touched again after Dowel and that other 
amazon. But if I could, then it could be pleasant. Do you?>"

	Kasumi fingered her scar, and continued to study the ceiling. "<I don't
know. I feel that I owe him, and greatly, but we have just been freed from the
amazons. Putting on a shackle of any sorts so quickly seems most unfair..>"

	"<We COULD simply poison the two, take their money and continue
fleeing.>"

	"<Sister. These two are not the enemy. Calm yourself.>" Kasumi
stifled a yawn. "<Ranma saved us, we would never have been able to escape
alone. To do so he had to abandon his own father. He has a sense of honor,
and so may be useful to us.>"

	"<Ko Em will come for us, you know. It will be a final test of her 
loyalty to the amazons to hunt us down and either kill us or bring us back to
face punishment.>" Nabiki's voice carried the undertone of anger. "<Not that
there is any doubt in my mind that little sister is fully an amazon.>"

	"<It has been eleven years since she was adopted into an amazon family. 
She was only five years old when they came for us. Her adopted sister,
Shampoo, is 
the only one she considers a real sister. Even Shampoo and that elder,
Cologne, are 
a bit put off by the cold and unyielding warrior they themselves helped to
shape. I
hope there is still a little of Akane left. I fear there is not.>"

	"<I'm only a year older, Lipstick, no, Kasumi. It is so easy to fall back
into old habits, is it not?>"

	"Yes, Nabiki, it is." Kasumi sighed and closed her eyes, hoping that
sleep would come swiftly. It did not, and so she and her sister did what they
had
done for the past three nights. Almost as silent as shadows, they made their
way
into their protector's room. Thankful that Ranma was such a deep sleeper, the
two
sisters found themselves able to relax near their rescuer, and finally sleep
came.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Nodoka looked in through the partially closed doorway and wondered
exactly what the girls had been through. She would have to find out. She
smiled
slightly, this was not proper behavior, but the overall picture was so cute
that she
decided to let it pass for now.

	Tomorrow would be a big day, she had to get Ranma and Nabiki enrolled
in school, probably Kasumi would have to be home-tutored for all the schooling
she'd missed. Then she'd have to find out what Nabiki turned into. Certainly
the
girl had been reluctant to come anywhere near cold water.

	Nodoka eased away from the doorway after the breathing of all three had
deepened. She'd caught a glimpse as Nabiki had entered the shower of the
younger
sister's back, crisscrossed with old welts and  lines of scar tissue. She had
not 
broken easily, it seemed. It might be necessary to delay her entry into the
school
until she'd recovered from that abuse.

	Nodoka slipped back into her own room, and smiled slightly. It had been
years, since her husband had panicked on hearing that his old friend had been 
hunted down and killed, and had confided in her about the old marriage
arrangement
before going on the training journey. ("A moving target is less easy to hit.")
Now
though, there was a welcome change, and the house was again a home.
------------------------------------------
	admittedly this is just a short teaser, but i think you can see some of
the raw potential in this plotline. Ranma has defeated Shampoo and been
cursed,
so those plotlines are intact. Kasumi and Nabiki are also cursed, as part of 
punishments for prior attempted escapes. Ko Em/Akane is Village Enforcer, and
regards her two sisters as runaway slaves or stolen property and is coming to
take them back and slay the outsider who dared  such a deed. 
	Ranma staying with his mother in Juuban (or is this merely a fanfic
convention?) and has gotten over his 'man among men' pledge without ever 
knowing about it. Genma afraid to confront Nodoka as he doesn't even know
Ranma is alive. Ranma being taught manners and how to speak without putting
foot firmly in mouth, especially with the self-esteem problems both Kasumi and
Nabiki are likely to have.
	Nabiki is still Nabiki, Kasumi is still Kasumi, though both have been
beaten and broken, shunned as non-warriors in a warrior-elite society, and
have
gone through a LOT of abuse. They've also spent eight years being slaves in
a land of very different customs and have picked up some of those attitudes 
themselves. Nabiki will still want to be a businesswoman, Kasumi will still
enjoy
cooking and have the aura of niceness, but both will be scarred (and not just
physically) from their ordeal.
	Akane and Ranma fated to be together? Maybe, maybe not. i HAVE
been trying to be kind to Akane and tone down her violence level, but she does
remind me of a few girls i've known. This Akane COULD end up engaged to 
Ranma, but having spent most of her life as the coldhearted village Enforcer
Ko Em,
her personality is going to be more altered than Kasumi's or Nabiki's.

	What kind of curses for Nabiki and Kasumi? right now i'm going with
Kasumi having been thrown into Spring of Drowned Man, as it would have been
more humiliating for the "traditional Japanese girl" type and make some of the
things done to her more palatable to her captors. Nabiki, unless something
better
comes along, turns into a blackfooted ferret 
oh well, ja ne.

gregg