Spoiled Brats - Chapter 19

[DarkFyre99]

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither PGSM, Ranma ½, nor the translated snippets of the songs quoted below.

Chapter Nineteen – Serenade in the Dark

High on a rooftop, Sailor Saturn and Sailor V watched an interesting chase unfolding below.

“Tuxedo Kamen! Wait!”

Ranma smirked as Sailor Moon pursued the masked man. “She’s very determined, isn’t she?” She looked at the blonde girl beside her. “I’m still not entire convinced that keeping the two of them separate is the way to go. That is one determined young lady down there.”

Sailor V cocked a delicate eyebrow at the woman beside her. “You know her true identity. Would you trust her to find the right balance?”

Ranma frowned. “There is some truth to what you say, but I still think forbidding their relationship is a sure way to drive them closer together. But I will follow your lead in this. She is your responsibility, after all.”

Minako tapped her chin thoughtfully. “And he’s yours. Are you sure you want to confront him in your condition?”

Sailor Saturn vanished, and was replaced with a black haired woman, carrying a bokken. “Oh yeah. I can think of no better stress relief at a time like this than beating up some jerk. See you soon, Sailor V.”

Minako watched her boyfriend/girlfriend/sempai/partner bound off across the roofs after Tuxedo Kamen. She jumped down from the roof into a convenient patch of shadows, and called out, “Don’t follow him.”

Sailor Moon skidded to a halt. “What? Who’s there?” Minako stepped out into the light. “Sailor V?”

“You should stay away from him. He’s dangerous. You should think of him as an enemy.”

Moon shook her head. “No! He’s not!”

“Sailor V!” The girl turned around, and easily recognized Luna. “Are you our princess?”

Rather than answer, Sailor V stepped back into the shadows. As soon as she was out of sight, she jumped back to the rooftops, leaving a dejected Sailor Moon behind.

- + - + -

Ranma smiled in anticipation as the masked man ducked into an alley. He touched his shoulder gingerly. ‘Ah, nuts. The guy’s hurt. But I haven’t had much luck tracking him down, since he at least is guarded with his real identity, so I guess it sucks to be you right now, Tux-boy.’

Tuxedo Kamen started when Ranma dropped into the alley behind him. She pointed her bokken at the man, and declared. “Tuxedo Kamen… defend yourself!” Giving him barely a moment to prepare, Ranma swung at his head.

Kamen parried with his cane, much to the woman’s surprise. He parried her second attack, and even managed a fairly good riposte. A moment later, the battle was joined in earnest. Bokken clashed against cane, in blows that should've been strong enough to splinter both weapons.

There was never any doubt about the outcome. Ranma had ten years of experience fighting creatures far more powerful than Tuxedo Kamen was at this time, which had truly wanted her dead. Before that, sixteen years of intense martial arts had honed her instincts to a razor’s edge. Kamen had only dim memories of his past life. A battered Kamen fell to his knees, clutching his side. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I have my reasons,” Ranma said with a sneer. “Do you really think you can defend her? Against Beryl? You can’t even stand against me.”

Kamen charged. The unfortunate man was sent sprawling on the ground.

“That was foolish. Did you really think that reckless sword of yours could hit anyone? Had this been a real fight, I could’ve run you through.”

The masked man unsteadily rose to his feet. Glaring at his foe, he attacked again. Ranma trapped his cane, and drove her forehead into his. The man staggered backwards, his mask falling off. Ranma memorized his features as she shook her head. “You fight like a brawler, not an artist. The way you fight, the only one you’ll kill is yourself.”

“You… you seem… familiar. Who are you?”

The unknown woman simply smirked and said, “Now that… is a secret.” Her work done for the night, Ranma turned and walked away. The part of her that hoped the Master would attack from behind, so that she could pummel the man into unconsciousness, was very disappointed that evening.

When she hit the rooftops, she found Sailor V waiting. “So, was you message delivered?”

“Hai,” Ranma said as she transformed back into Sailor Saturn. “Quite thoroughly, but not as completely as I may have wished. And you?”

“Yes, but I doubt it did any good. One more pass, before heading home?”

“After you, my dear.”

Sailor V wagged her finger. “Tut tut. My heart belongs to the Dragon Knight, remember?” Minako ran across the rooftop, and leapt up three stories to the next building.

Ranma exhaled in annoyance. “Some days, I don’t think going through this time of the month is worth reducing the amount of times I get splashed…”

- + - + -

Ranma and Minako teleported back into their apartment’s living room. The two detransformed, still holding their embrace. “I’m going to miss you this weekend, Minako-chan.”

“Hai. But I’ve got a concert to perform. What are you going to do?”

“See if I can contact Zoisite, and hopefully put your devious little idea into play.”

- + - + -

Ranma sat at the table in their dining room, a single lit candle before her. The black haired woman stared at the flickering flame, allowing all awareness for the world besides that flame to fall away. After an unknown length of time, Ranma called out, ‘Zoisite? Can you hear me? Contact me.’

It didn’t take long for Ranma to get her reply. Ranma snapped out of the light trance she was in as the faint sounds of a piano grew louder. With a ripple, Zoisite’s cave was once again superimposed over Ranma’s apartment.

Ranma took a good look at the white haired pianist. “You look troubled, my friend.”

Zoisite nodded. “Beryl has started giving me orders, and as I feared, I must obey.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Continue trying to awaken the Master. Your last attempt shook something loose…”

“A tooth, at least,” Ranma said, impishly.

“…Though he isn’t aware of it consciously,” the man completed, frowning at her.

“I will. Though I hate to add to your burdens, I do need to run an idea past you…”

- + - + -

Zoisite shook his head as he played. “You are a cruel, cruel woman, Kunzite.”

Ranma smiled evilly. “That’s what I said to Venus, when she suggested it.”

“You’re coordinating with the Senshi?”

“Beryl is the real threat, and we both know it. We disagree on whether it would be a good idea to keep the two apart or not. For better or worse, we can’t exile the Senshi back to the Moon, so we need to deal with their presence on Earth. Keeping Beryl off balance would really help. So, are you willing to help?” Ranma produced a folder. “I have sheet music,” she added sweetly.

“Alright… even if it’s just to hear you sing. You always strived to be a warrior poet, but I remember that you constantly lamented that you didn’t have a good singing voice.” The white haired pianist looked at her seriously. “I may not be able to help much after this stunt. She’s bound to keep a tighter reign on me, assuming she doesn’t make my life miserable for a very long time.”

“That’s why it should be your decision.”

The pianist played for several minutes, thinking. “It would help if I could see exactly what you’re talking about.”

Ranma nodded, and then transformed. Seeing Zoisite’s expression, Ranma turned around a second time, far more femininely than before, giving Zoisite a good look at her outfit. When she finished, she cocked her head at the stunned man, asking, “Zoisite?”

“Wow…”

“Well?”

“You make a far better woman than any man has a right to.”

Ranma cocked an eyebrow. “You do know I had a life before I awakened, don’t you? And that I’ve had a female body a lot longer than I've remembered the past life?”

“Sorry. It’s just…”

“I understand. Now, are we going to do this? Or are you going to keep staring at my chest?”

The man blushed. “Sorry. You know, I’m not sure the benefits outweigh the risks, no matter how much I’d love to see Beryl’s face.” He resumed playing.

Ranma took out a page, and placed it on the piano in front of him. He read it, and said, “Okay… let’s do this.” As Ranma put the other sheets on the piano, he added, “So… Takeda Megumi, eh?”

Ranma stared at Zoisite in shock.

“You forgot to change your eye color last time. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep your secret.” Zoisite looked at her directly. “But I do have to tell her the truth if she words her questions carefully.”

“Understood.”

Zoisite began to play, and Ranma began to sing. Words that had not been heard for uncounted centuries began to fill the caverns of the Dark Kingdom. There weren’t in their original language, of course, and they hadn’t been lyrics originally, but they held a great deal of meaning to both members of their intended audience.

o/` A small flower is blooming inside my heart o/`
o/` The unwithering flower you gave to me, o/`
o/` I was able to believe strongly enough in myself, o/`
o/` So I’m not afraid anymore… o/`

- + - + -

“Queen Beryl-sama,” Nephrite said after he had paid his respects to you. “Why do you tolerate…”

The redheaded, self-proclaimed Queen of the Dark Kingdom frowned at the spiky haired redhead who knelt before her. “Why do I what, Nephrite?”

Her anger increased as the man continued to ignore her. “Nephrite!” He simply stared into space, his head cocked as if listening to a distant voice. She listened as well, and at first all she heard was the incessant piano playing of Zoisite, who refused to leave his own cavern unless she explicitly ordered him to. And then the composition he was playing changed, and she heard it as well.

o/` If I'm on a road to the end of the world o/`
o/` Someday can I meet you again? o/`
o/` Wimpiness hidden with graciousness o/`
o/` I'm sorry I let you down o/`

It was a woman’s voice, singing sweetly over the murmurs of Metaria’s slumber. She froze in amazement. It was that hateful princess, who had stolen her love from her. It had to be. And now the girl held her subjects in thrall. She rushed out of her throne room. The girl would pay for this affront.

o/` Looking for the truth o/`
o/` Since that day o/`
o/` I've searched the blue sky o/`

She paused when she saw Jadeite, who also stood frozen, listening. “Jadeite!” The man ignored her. She grabbed the young man’s arms, shaking him. “Jadeite! Snap out of it!” She shoved him away, furious. “Zoisite, you shall pay for this treachery! How dare you side with the Moon Princess!”

o/` Beyond our sadness o/`
o/` Let's be happy o/`
o/` The futural world we can't see yet o/`
o/` Let's go to there in a belief, right? o/`
o/` We change tearful smiles to brilliances o/`
o/` I promise, so don't separate off joined hands o/`
o/` The future is just there o/`

In a high dudgeon, she stormed in the direction of Zoisite’s lair.

- + - + -

When Beryl arrived at Zoisite’s cavern, she received a shock. The singer wasn’t her hated rival. She was a woman, full grown, with a figure that rivaled her own. The woman wore a long flowing gown, of a style that Beryl had seen often on the ladies of the Earth Kingdom. The intricately laced bodice shoved her bosom up, greatly enhancing her cleavage. Her hair was long and blonde, which flowed freely to the small of her back. A pair of thin braids held her hair out of her face, framing the golden circled cross on her forehead. The sight stole Beryl’s voice, leaving her only to gape as words refused to come.

o/` I think of you, o/`
o/` and I feel like that alone is enough o/`
o/` to make my heart grow stronger. o/`
o/` I always, always wish o/`
o/` that these fleeting thoughts o/`
o/` would reach you... o/`

o/` I think of you o/`
o/` and that alone is enough o/`
o/` to make the tears start to flow now o/`
o/` My distant voice can't reach you now, but so that someday o/`
o/` it definitely will... o/`

o/` Believe… o/`

As the woman finished singing, she turned to look at Beryl, a haughty challenge on her face. She smiled pleasantly at the red haired woman, and said, quietly, “Beryl. Did you honestly think I’d let you filch my Shitennou without a fight?” She leaned over, and kissed Zoisite on the cheek. “Thank you, my friend, for tonight. Be well. I will free you all.”

Zoisite bowed from the bench, his hand over his heart. “I will always your loyal servant, my Lady.”

As the woman began to fade, Beryl had a horrifying epiphany. “Noooooooooooo!”

Author’s Note: Because some of you demanded it…

Dramatis Personae

The Sailor Senshi

Tsukino Usagi – Sailor Moon – Princess Serenity
Mizuno Ami – Sailor Mercury
Hino Rei – Sailor Mars
Kino Makoto – Sailor Jupiter

The Dark Kingdom

Queen Beryl
Jadeite
Nephrite
Zoisite

The Mavericks

Tuxedo Kamen – Prince Endymion
Aino Minako – Sailor Venus – Sailor V – idol singer Aino Minako – pseudo-Princess Serenity
Saotome Ranma – Kunzite – Takeda Megumi – Takeda Kappei – Dragon Knight – pseudo-Prince Endymion – Tomoe Hotaru – pseudo-Sailor Saturn – pseudo-princess Endymion

The songs quoted above were, in order:
Undying Flower, ending theme of Full Metal Panic
Michishirube, ending theme of Kashimashi: Girl meets Girl
My Will, ending theme from the first season of Inu Yasha

[Ordieth117]

Good stuff. I like the dramatic tension. Seemed almost a little short, but it works well. I didn't notice any glaring errors as I read through.

[bissek]

“Queen Beryl-sama,” Nephrite said after he had paid his respects to you. “Why do you tolerate…”

should probably be

“Queen Beryl-sama,” Nephrite said after he had paid his respects to her. “Why do you tolerate…”

[WG_Writer]

As with the rest of it it looks good over all, but I cannot help but to comment that it was a new level of evil to do that to Beryl, she does not deserve that kind of torture.



Great Job!

[PCHeintz72]

I kind of have to question the reason her forces were so 'enchanted' or 'blanked', during the singing... was it due to their minds already being weakened due to mind control? Or is Ranma able to sing a hypnotic tune?

Hmmm... Martial arts musical enchantment...

Personally, I did not care for the songs in question, but tastes differ.

IMO, it kind of does not seem to fit the mood of the story, since up til this point, it had seemed overal to have a more serious undertone. But whatever.

[Dumbledork]

Erh I'm not sure I got that at the end. If I understood it correctly, Ranma is trying to make Beryl believe that Endymion has been reincarnated as a woman?

[Jomasten]

ZOMFG! I. ROFLD. Aha! Take that, Beryl-chan!
I already knew the moment 'princess' Endy said her first ever after singing.

[Nadrek]

Ok, I can understand why Beryl would hesistate to give orders that will be deliberately twisted as much as possible - it's the old "You get a Ring of Three Wishes" ... "I throw it down a well" trick.

However, since Beryl gets unlimited wishes within the power of the genie, there is zero practical reason, other than time, for her to not ask questions.

The basics would be "Until I tell you to stop," prefacing "tell me the things you honestly believe I would most want to know about that singer", repeat question with "... the entity other than you that I just spoke with", "tell me all the identities of all those entities capable of verbal communication who have visisted your cavern within the past <time period>", and so on.

Followed by the order "Communicate with no-one but me until ordered otherwise."

Unless she grows a brain and just kills him.

[Dumbledork]

None of them had as much as a brain in the original series. Or else they would have acted differently.

[khim]

Erh I'm not sure I got that at the end. If I understood it correctly, Ranma is trying to make Beryl believe that Endymion has been reincarnated as a woman?

Yup. It kinda makes the whole thing pointless. Even if Beryl was very bright (and she's not) this idea can be devastating enough that she'll need a lot of time to even think about double-checking facts.

I like it.

[Cheb]

Ahh, the same words Kunzite told his Master in the series About his reckless sword, I mean

[Makoto]

Of course, this could theoretically make Beryl - in a moment of desperation - decide to summon Kunzite to strengthen her position (supposedly), add power against the interloper.

And then all hell breaks loose.

(Never mind that Kunzite could theoretically be corrupted as well, assuming that everything was 'normal'... )

[LiliandraNadiar]

Huh, see Beryl summon Kunzite. See Beryl find another reincarnated man as a woman. See Beryl develop a nasty eye twitch as she wonders about this idea this incarnation cycle.

Though I do wonder why 'Princess Endymon' looks so much like anime/manga Princess Serenity.

>.> has bad thought

Beryl "Endymon-sama! Serenity-sama! I must have them both!"

[DarkFyre99]

I kind of have to question the reason her forces were so 'enchanted' or 'blanked', during the singing... was it due to their minds already being weakened due to mind control? Or is Ranma able to sing a hypnotic tune?

Hmmm... Martial arts musical enchantment...

Personally, I did not care for the songs in question, but tastes differ.

IMO, it kind of does not seem to fit the mood of the story, since up til this point, it had seemed overal to have a more serious undertone. But whatever.

I first read this post right before leaving for work, so my apologies for not actually responding then.

In the live series, Zoisite works his magic through music. It is Zoisite, not Ranma, who is primarily responsible for the hypnotic effect. Ranma's providing support, both through her singing and lyrics, as well as providing additional power.

I'll need to add a line or two to make this more clear.

[PCHeintz72]

Ahhh... like the girl from Gatekeepers