Pride Comes Before the Fall

Prologue

Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18

{Nerima General Hosptial}

Inside a waiting room, five people - one man and four women - sat in anticipation in front of the operating room. Compared to the person who was inside the operating room, the five had gotten off incredibly lightly.

Three hours had passed since the Tendos and the Saotomes had passed judgment on one of their own.

Three hours had passed since they were nearly killed at the hands of an enraged Ranma Saotome, with the end result of trying to preserve their own honor. In preserving their honor by forsaking Ranma, the former Saotome had nearly killed them all in a fit of rage.

With the exception of Kasumi, each member of the Tendo and the Saotome family had numerous levels of injuries. Soun's nose was broken and was bandaged. Nabiki's lip was busted from where Ranma had slapped her. Akane had numerous welts and bruises from head to toe. Nodoka also had a busted lip, with her hair now cut short as a result of her disowned son's near-murderous antics.

But Genma had the worst of it.

Ranma had nearly killed Genma with the Saotome katana, which is why he was in surgery.

It had all started with a rematch from the Dragon Prince. Then outside interference from both Ryoga Hibiki and Mousse had given Herb the opportunity to lock in Ranma's curse with the Pail of Preservation and knock out the haughty Saotome.

By the time Ranma had regained consciousness, Ryoga had already notfied the Tendos and Ranma's parents about what had happened, while Mousse did the same with Cologne and Shampoo.

Then all hell broke loose when they passed the sentence on Ranma...

{Tendo Dojo, hours earlier}

"YOU LOST?!" Genma bellowed to his son, now daughter.

Apparently, the news of Ranma's rematch against Herb had become known to the Tendos, as well as Ranma's parents. What they didn't expect was the fact that Ranma had lost to Herb, thanks to outside interference from her two rivals, and ended up getting her curse locked.

Ranma was facing judgment from the senior members of the Nerima martial arts hierarchy.

"It wasn't my fault!" Ranma had objected. "I had the entire match under control until Mousse and Ryoga showed up! They distracted me long enough for Herb to splash me with the Pail of Preservation and for those two idiots to jump me from behind."

"It doesn't matter!" Genma bellowed. "A true martial artist is aware of their surroundings! You are a disgrace!"

"Like I haven't heard that before, old man," Ranma muttered. She was already formulating a plan on how to track down Herb, beat the shit out of him, and get her curse unlocked.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.

"Look like the pledge to unite the schools is finished, Tendo," Genma said.

Soun Tendo nodded. "Indeed, Saotome. Ranma is of no use to use now."

"WHAT?! After all the times I've saved your hide, your family, and your home, you dare call me useless?!" Ranma bellowed at the older man.

"Don't you dare talk to my father that way, you pervert!" Akane shouted.

"Shut the fuck up, Violent Tomboy," Ranma snapped, with her patience wearing incredibly thin. "I wasn't talking to you."