Spoiled Brats, Chapter 31

[DarkFyre99]

(still not satisfied with this chapter, so any input is appreciated)

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Chapter 31 – Homecoming, part four: Endymion

Ranma, in her Tomoe Hotaru guise, shimmered into existance outside of a rather nice apartment not too far away from K.O. University. While Ranma had been a frequent (often unexpected, and usually unwanted) visitor to Chiba Mamoru's apartment, this would be the first time she'd ever entered through the front door. Tonight, she wasn't here to train her prince. Instead, she was here to finally make her peace with him. 'And to let him in on my little secret,' Ranma mused. 'It isn't really fair to him not to know about... Hello!'

Ranma had just raised her hand to knock on the door when it was opened by a beautiful young woman. Ranma guessed she was around Mamoru's age, and she was looking over her shoulder, calling out, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mamoru." The woman turned and almost ran into Ranma. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes. I know it's a bit late, but would you please tell Chiba-san that Tomoe Hotaru is here to is here to discuss a certain project we're invovled in?"

Mamoru joined them at the door. "Tomoe-sensei?" The man asked warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Would you relax, Chiba-san?" Ranma asked with a mischivious grin. "I left my bokken at home." She looked from one to the other. "If I caught you at a bad time, I can always come back tomorrow..."

"No need, sensei." Mamoru looked nervously at the two women, one of whom was wearing an expression on her face that he dreaded, while the other one beat him up regularly. "Kusaka Hina, I'd like you to meet Tomoe Hotaru, who's been training me in more advanced forms of swordsmanship. Tomoe Hotaru-sensei, I'd like you to meet Kusaka Hina, my fiancee."

"Fiancee, huh?" Ranma circled the girl, directing some ki against the girl to make her very uncomfortable. "I must say, you have fine taste." 'Come on girl, get going. I need to talk to your man.'

"I really have to go, Mamoru. I've got a test tomorrow morning." Hina bowed. "It was nice to meet you Tomoe-san."

Ranma bowed in return. "Likewise, Kusaka-san."

"Would you come in, Tomoe-sensei?"

"Thanks." Ranma waited until they got into the living room before asking, "So... fiancee, huh? I thought you interested in Sailor Moon."

"It's kind of a long story..."

"Make it short."

"Our parents were friends. When my parents died, her father really helped me. When we were kids, we kind of promised we'd get married. But now..."

Ranma chuckled wryly. "So you've got a fiancee who's an old childhood friend, but you're obviously not interested in marrying, and you don't know how to let her down gently. You've got another girl who you feel a very close to, thanks to the past life, and you've got a homicidal manic who's lusting after your body." The woman laughed at the young man's look of horror. She clasped his shoulder. "Been there, done that, fled screaming."

"What do you think I should do?"

"I'm the worst person to ask. 'Fled screaming,' remember? But your love life isn't the main reason I wanted to talk to you tonight," Ranma said impishly. "But it is something we do need to talk about. Sit down, Chiba-san. This is going to take a while..."

- + - + -

Ranma, once again male due to several demonstrations of his curse, looked on in amusement as the reincarnation of the Prince of Earth digested what he'd just learned.

"My head hurts."

"It is a bit to take in all at once, you're Highness."

"I hardly think I rate a 'Your Highness.' I've only got one subject."

"Two subjects, actually. Unfortunately, Zoisite's probably a prisoner of a homicidal maniac right now. Four if you count Jadeite and Nephrite. After all, the only reason why they're with miss 'Love made me crazy' is because she's brainwashed them. I'd like to make rescuing them a priority, after taking care of a big problem with Sailor V, Chiba-dono."

"You haven't told her who I am, have you?"

"No, but you've forgotten she's seen your face. Speaking of which, I'd prefer it if you didn't press me on the Senshi's identities. Our alliance is based on a mutual enemy, and about the only one of the girls' that isn't suspicious of you is Sailor Moon. It might help if you'd stop your burglaries..."

"I've always returned what I've stolen when I found out they're not..."

"The Ginzuishou? Let the Senshi take care of finding it, and their princess."

"I need to find it."

"Believe me, Chiba-dono, you'll find it a lot sooner if you help the girls, rather than compete against them. They've got the inside track, after all."

"I don't rate a 'dono' either."

"Chiba-sama?"

Mamoru glared at the older man.

"How about Mamoru then?"

"Thanks, Ranma." Mamoru said. "I guess I'll follow your lead then. When do I meet the rest of the Senshi?"

"That's up to them. I'm not about to jeopardize my relationship with them by betraying any of their secrets." The older man smiled wickedly. "You might want to write a former letter of apology, though. And send a gift. I recommend chocolates." Ranma laughed as his prince rolled his eyes. "Now what do you want me to do about Saffron?"

"Why are you even asking me?"

Ranma grabbed the half-empty glass beside him, and splashed herself. Then, in her best little-girl voice, she said, "Because you're my Lord." She grasped her hands prayerfully under her chin, her eyes going wide, with just a hint of tears at the corners. "That means I get to send all my crap uphill."

Chiba Mamoru shuddered. "That would be disturbing enough coming from my Tomoe-sensei. Seriously, though. Why are you asking me?"

"Because the keys to Saffron's ascension represent a tremendous amount of power. Some of my friends are going to be involved in this, and those could put them on even ground with a youma, and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing by trying to get a truce between China's Hidden Kingdoms."

"Just do what you think is best. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to sleep. It's almost midnight."

"It is? Crap. Good night, my prince. And don't worry, I postpone tomorrow morning's practice." With a grin, Ranma faded from sight.

- + - + -

Ranma appeared back in her appartment. "I'm back!"

"Ranma, hurry!" Minako called from the living room. "He's gonna kiss her! He's gonna kiss her! He's gonna kiss her!!!"

Smiling at the young brunette's excitement, he walked quickly into the living room and looked at the T.V. On the screen was something that would fit into Neon Genesis Evangelion, rather than a romantic interlude, complete with stream of consciousness narration and destructive giant monsters. In the middle of all the destruction, the boy gripped the confused girl by the shoulders, leaned in...

Five seconds later, Ranma valiantly refrained from laughing as Minako's actions mimiced the boy's on the screen. "Argh! It was a dream! No fair! What kind of dream was that?"

- + - + -

Hibiki Ryouga trudged through the blazing deserts of Honshu. He shaded his eyes from the bright sunlight with his hand, as he tried to see an end to the endless dunes. "Where the hell is the Ono Clinic?" He glared at the whimpering electronic device in his hand. "And can you be any less useless?"

"Would you just turn around, get a kayak, and start paddling north?" The GPS unit wailed.

Ryouga turned off the annoying device, and looked at the silent man clinging to his back. "Don't worry man. We're close to Tokyo. I just know it." With a sigh, Ryouga continued south, the rising sun at his back. Just out of sight on the other side of the sand dune, several families prepared for a summer day at the beach.

- + - + -

Queen Beryl gazed around at the majesty of her underground kingdom. Around her, her subjects knelt respectfully in her presence. Before her knelt her two loyal generals. And between the two was the man who she had taken great pleasure in breaking. "Rise, Zoisite, and attend me."

"My thanks, your majesty." Zoisite said with a respectful bow. "How may I serve you?"

"Do you love me, Zoisite?"

"Of course, my lady."

"Then eliminate the Princess for me."

"Which Princess, my lady?"

Beryl looked at Zoisite suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'Which Princess?'"

The white haired man looked at his queen, puzzled. "There is Princess Endymion, Princess Serenity, Princess Fergi, the various imperial princesses..." he recited, ticking off each name on his fingers.

"Serenity, you fool!"

"Of course, you're Majesty. I just wanted to make sure..."

"Just go!"

Zoisite bowed again. "Your servant, my lady." The man skipped merrily out of the throne room.

Jadeite and Nephrite looked warily at each other. "Queen Beryl-sama," Nephrite said tentatively. "I think you may have knocked something loose while breaking Serenity's hold on him."

Beryl glared at the tunnel the pianist had disappered into. "Perhaps. Or perhaps he is just playing another game. Whichever it is, we shall see." She looked at the two men before her. "Nephrite, keep an eye on Zoisite. Report to me if you see any sign of disloyalty."

"Of course, you're majesty." The red haired Shitennou bowed before withdrawing.

"Jadeite, how goes the reconstruction of our bridge to Tokyo?"

"It is on schedule, Queen Beryl-sama. It should be complete within the month."

"Excellent. Once the Ginzuishou is in my hands, I'll be able to awaken Queen Metallia." She smiled. "And then, Endymion will at last be mine."

- + - + -

Author's Notes: Okay, I think I've wasted enough time on this chapter. It's time to move on...

On another note, the webcomic that introduced me to Ranma ½, PvPOnline, did a couple of comics on National Novel Writer's Month. Sheesh, that was way back in October of 2000. Seems like only yesterday...

[J. St.C. Patrick]

The chapter looks okay to me save for the few things I note below:

"Thanks." Ranma waited until they got into the living room before asking, "So... fiancee, huh? I thought you interested in Sailor Moon."

you were interested

She clasped his shoulder. "Been there, done that, fled screaming."

Heh

"It is a bit to take in all at once, you're Highness."

your

"You might want to write a former letter of apology, though.

formal

"It is? Crap. Good night, my prince. And don't worry, I postpone tomorrow morning's practice." With a grin, Ranma faded from sight.

Not necessarily wrong, but it feels like it should be something like:

I am postponing

Ryouga turned off the annoying device, and looked at the silent man clinging to his back. "Don't worry man. We're close to Tokyo. I just know it." With a sigh, Ryouga continued south, the rising sun at his back. Just out of sight on the other side of the sand dune, several families prepared for a summer day at the beach.

Heh

The white haired man looked at his queen, puzzled. "There is Princess Endymion, Princess Serenity, Princess Fergi, the various imperial princesses..." he recited, ticking off each name on his fingers.

heh

[PCHeintz72]

Another that was missed:

"Yes. I know it's a bit late, but would you please tell Chiba-san that Tomoe Hotaru is here to is here to discuss a certain project we're invovled in?"

'is here to' is duplicated twice.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

"Yes. I know it's a bit late, but would you please tell Chiba-san that Tomoe Hotaru is here to is here to discuss a certain project we're invovled in?"

invovled -> involved

[DarkFyre99]

Thanks for the C&C, everyone. Still think this chapter could've been better, but the idea behind NaNoWriMo is to stop obsessing over getting things "perfect," so I guess "good enough" will have to be good enough.