Title: Today's Advice
Chapter: Prologue~Meeting the Enemy
By: Chibi-Anon
E-mail: purechibimoonlight@yahoo.com
Genre: Alternate Reality/Romance
Date: August 7, 2003
Ready for Mamo Day-Week!!
.........................................................................
Disclaimer: Chibi no ownie Sailor Moonie :p translation... get off
my case!!
.........................................................................
Today's Advice: The only safe and sure way to destroy an enemy is
to make him your friend. -Anon.
.........................................................................
Surely fate had dealt me a fool's hand: to befriend an enemy
was unheard of. It almost seemed as if the Heavens mocked me. For
any of the Chiba family to befriend an ancient enemy, even under false
pretenses would besmirch our family honor. Yet, even as I thought
these thoughts I was to be sold to the enemy, the Tsukinos. Long ago
a dispute had broken out between the Tsukinos and the Chibas. These
days no one knows what had sparked such hatred between the two
families, only that we had been betrayed. As much as I loved my
family, it is hard to see them groveling to our enemies. I, Mamoru
Chiba was to be taken to the Tsukino residence to 'mend bridges' as
one may put it and merge our holdings through the sanctity of marriage.
To the unsuspecting Tsukinos I must confess that I regret having to
deceive them thus. The Chibas invested in bad business and are
currently as rich as paupers mildly speaking. This merger is only
taking place so that we may climb the ladder to fortune once more.
Where this road would lead me, I wasn't quite sure, but I would
do my best as circumstances allowed. Even as I told myself that
the situation wasn't as lamentable as it seemed, seeing the Tsukino
estate up close caused me to swallow deeply. It is an odd thing to
find one's self staring at a building almost identical to your
own home. For a moment, I believed myself to be arriving at the Chiba
family estate. Taking a second look I knew I wasn't back home, but
at the Tsukino's. Rather than looking in the easterly direction, it
faced west. The insignia above the portal featured celestial images
surrounding the crescent moon, while the insignia in the Chiba residence
centered around an image of the earth. To say the least, even if I
didn't enjoy my life with the Tsukinos, things would prove to be very
interesting.
As for their daughter, Usagi Tsukino, her uncouth ways were a legend
among the gentry. Tales were told among my friends of how she would
stay out late at night and watch the stars and moon rise, even during
the winter season. To me it seemed as if she awaited a lover that would
never return to her side. When Lady Uriko visited her home, Usagi
was in the process of throwing out an unfortunate maid who had crossed
her path that morning. She was a force to be reckoned with and would
not take kindly to an intruder in her home, namely me. There seemed
no logical reason as to why her parents allowed her to roam the country-
side visiting the lower classes and getting up to who knows what kind of
mischief. Somehow, I would endure my marriage to her...somehow.
Within ten minutes of my arrival, I was bombarded by a flock of
servants grabbing at my bags and jacket. Hastily, I grabbed my jacket
back and put it back on. NO ONE touches Mamoru Chiba's jacket, no one.
"Mr. Chiba!" Exclaimed the servant that had tried to steal away my
jacket.
"What do you want!? I don't have time for servants right now, go
fetch your mistress and keep your filthy hands away from my person."
"Excuse me? I'm not fetching myself anywhere. I try to show you a
bit of hospitality, and here I am getting yelled at!"
Under other circumstances, I would have swept her off her feet and
tried to make amends. However, the sudden realization that I was face to
face with Usagi Tsukino, my intended made me lose my nerve. Suddenly, I
started making an even larger twit of my self.
"I should have known. You're dressed up like a servant. Muddied from
head to toe...You're not a lady at all... Rather, you look like a boy trying
to be a girl."
"Well, you could have fooled me, you don't act like a gentleman. You
do remind me of a drowned rat, though." She spoke to me with so much venom
behind her words, I might have collapsed then and there.
This was my first encounter with the renowned Usagi Tsukino. If I
could have helped it, I would ensure it would be my last. Unfortunately,
fate had another card up her sleeve. The master of the house, Kenji Tsuki-
no and his wife, Ikuko Tsukino chose to enter the room at that moment. My
heart stopped in its tracks when I saw them, these were more of the Tsukino
ilk that I had been taught to hate from day one. I'm also sure that in
their minds they too wanted to be rid of me. However, this truce between
us would be broken, and the long sought after merger would fall to pieces.
They had the resources, we, the name. It would be a marriage of convenience.
Little did they know that their resources would become ours, and ours alone.
"Usagi? Why don't you show your fiancé to his rooms?" Suggested Kenji,
"And dear, please lead him to the RIGHT room." Obviously, the daughter was
much like the father. He stared at me with cold eyes that seemed to be
throwing darts at my head.
"Nice meeting you, Chiba-san." His wife said with a bright smile. I had
almost forgotten that she wasn't a true Tsukino, only in name. Perhaps she
would be my only ally in this world of hate. I smiled at her and bowed my
head at them.
"It is my pleasure, madam." Carefully, I watched Kenji as I took his
wife's hand and placed a kiss on it, gently. His eyes registered nothing
but pure hate. Ikuko giggled, withdrew her hand hastily and smacked me on
the head lightly with her fan. "I expect you to woo my daughter, not me."
"Ah, but it is hard not to show gratitude to the woman who brought out
the beauty in her offspring." I wasn't called the charmer of my family for
nothing. When need be, I can be the most wonderful of gentlemen.
Usagi coughed in disgust and turned around. "If you want to be shown to
your rooms, you had better come with me now."
"Take care and rest, Chiba-san." Ikuko said as I climbed the stairs with
Usagi.
If I had turned around I'm sure that I would have seen Kenji Tsukino ready
to challenge me to a duel or worse.
"Here's your room, enjoy." Usagi said monotonously, crossing across the
room, she opened a door and entered it. Without thinking, I followed her
and found myself in a different atmosphere. The colors were lighter, and the
furnishings were very feminine. Also, there was another bed there. If I
didn't know any better, I would have sworn that it was someone else's room I
had walked into.
"What's this? This can't be my room.... it's got too many womanly things
here, is this a joke!?"
"That's because it's my room, now get out of it." She pushed me back into
the first room and slammed the door in my face. I stood there agape as she
turned the lock to her room.
"You won't be able to open that door. If you try, you'll only injure
yourself. I'm the only one with a key, so don't even think about it. Good
day, Chiba-san!" From the noises coming from her room, I knew she was throwing
a tantrum. A crash told me that she had smashed something breakable, albeit,
valuable too. That girl had no self-control.
Sighing to myself, I settled onto the bed. By the side of the bed, I
could see that my bags had been brought up, along with a warm meal. Testing
it, I wondered if it could possibly be poisoned. I wouldn't put it past Usagi
or her father to try to kill me. Then again, killing me now wouldn't
accomplish anything. I would only be valuable after Usagi and I wed. Even
then, I didn't intend to stick around long enough to find out whether I'd be
used for target practice. The wedding was only a month away, I wondered
whether I'd survive that long here. Although I had just had the 'pleasure'
of meeting Usagi-san, and did not want another encounter such as earlier, I
resolved myself into at least pretend to like her and be 'slightly' charming.
Enough so, that it would make living with her bearable. Still, something in
the back of my mind told me that neither of us would be civil to one another
for along time yet, let alone yearn for one another's company.
Chapter: Prologue~Meeting the Enemy
By: Chibi-Anon
E-mail: purechibimoonlight@yahoo.com
Genre: Alternate Reality/Romance
Date: August 7, 2003
Ready for Mamo Day-Week!!
.........................................................................
Disclaimer: Chibi no ownie Sailor Moonie :p translation... get off
my case!!
.........................................................................
Today's Advice: The only safe and sure way to destroy an enemy is
to make him your friend. -Anon.
.........................................................................
Surely fate had dealt me a fool's hand: to befriend an enemy
was unheard of. It almost seemed as if the Heavens mocked me. For
any of the Chiba family to befriend an ancient enemy, even under false
pretenses would besmirch our family honor. Yet, even as I thought
these thoughts I was to be sold to the enemy, the Tsukinos. Long ago
a dispute had broken out between the Tsukinos and the Chibas. These
days no one knows what had sparked such hatred between the two
families, only that we had been betrayed. As much as I loved my
family, it is hard to see them groveling to our enemies. I, Mamoru
Chiba was to be taken to the Tsukino residence to 'mend bridges' as
one may put it and merge our holdings through the sanctity of marriage.
To the unsuspecting Tsukinos I must confess that I regret having to
deceive them thus. The Chibas invested in bad business and are
currently as rich as paupers mildly speaking. This merger is only
taking place so that we may climb the ladder to fortune once more.
Where this road would lead me, I wasn't quite sure, but I would
do my best as circumstances allowed. Even as I told myself that
the situation wasn't as lamentable as it seemed, seeing the Tsukino
estate up close caused me to swallow deeply. It is an odd thing to
find one's self staring at a building almost identical to your
own home. For a moment, I believed myself to be arriving at the Chiba
family estate. Taking a second look I knew I wasn't back home, but
at the Tsukino's. Rather than looking in the easterly direction, it
faced west. The insignia above the portal featured celestial images
surrounding the crescent moon, while the insignia in the Chiba residence
centered around an image of the earth. To say the least, even if I
didn't enjoy my life with the Tsukinos, things would prove to be very
interesting.
As for their daughter, Usagi Tsukino, her uncouth ways were a legend
among the gentry. Tales were told among my friends of how she would
stay out late at night and watch the stars and moon rise, even during
the winter season. To me it seemed as if she awaited a lover that would
never return to her side. When Lady Uriko visited her home, Usagi
was in the process of throwing out an unfortunate maid who had crossed
her path that morning. She was a force to be reckoned with and would
not take kindly to an intruder in her home, namely me. There seemed
no logical reason as to why her parents allowed her to roam the country-
side visiting the lower classes and getting up to who knows what kind of
mischief. Somehow, I would endure my marriage to her...somehow.
Within ten minutes of my arrival, I was bombarded by a flock of
servants grabbing at my bags and jacket. Hastily, I grabbed my jacket
back and put it back on. NO ONE touches Mamoru Chiba's jacket, no one.
"Mr. Chiba!" Exclaimed the servant that had tried to steal away my
jacket.
"What do you want!? I don't have time for servants right now, go
fetch your mistress and keep your filthy hands away from my person."
"Excuse me? I'm not fetching myself anywhere. I try to show you a
bit of hospitality, and here I am getting yelled at!"
Under other circumstances, I would have swept her off her feet and
tried to make amends. However, the sudden realization that I was face to
face with Usagi Tsukino, my intended made me lose my nerve. Suddenly, I
started making an even larger twit of my self.
"I should have known. You're dressed up like a servant. Muddied from
head to toe...You're not a lady at all... Rather, you look like a boy trying
to be a girl."
"Well, you could have fooled me, you don't act like a gentleman. You
do remind me of a drowned rat, though." She spoke to me with so much venom
behind her words, I might have collapsed then and there.
This was my first encounter with the renowned Usagi Tsukino. If I
could have helped it, I would ensure it would be my last. Unfortunately,
fate had another card up her sleeve. The master of the house, Kenji Tsuki-
no and his wife, Ikuko Tsukino chose to enter the room at that moment. My
heart stopped in its tracks when I saw them, these were more of the Tsukino
ilk that I had been taught to hate from day one. I'm also sure that in
their minds they too wanted to be rid of me. However, this truce between
us would be broken, and the long sought after merger would fall to pieces.
They had the resources, we, the name. It would be a marriage of convenience.
Little did they know that their resources would become ours, and ours alone.
"Usagi? Why don't you show your fiancé to his rooms?" Suggested Kenji,
"And dear, please lead him to the RIGHT room." Obviously, the daughter was
much like the father. He stared at me with cold eyes that seemed to be
throwing darts at my head.
"Nice meeting you, Chiba-san." His wife said with a bright smile. I had
almost forgotten that she wasn't a true Tsukino, only in name. Perhaps she
would be my only ally in this world of hate. I smiled at her and bowed my
head at them.
"It is my pleasure, madam." Carefully, I watched Kenji as I took his
wife's hand and placed a kiss on it, gently. His eyes registered nothing
but pure hate. Ikuko giggled, withdrew her hand hastily and smacked me on
the head lightly with her fan. "I expect you to woo my daughter, not me."
"Ah, but it is hard not to show gratitude to the woman who brought out
the beauty in her offspring." I wasn't called the charmer of my family for
nothing. When need be, I can be the most wonderful of gentlemen.
Usagi coughed in disgust and turned around. "If you want to be shown to
your rooms, you had better come with me now."
"Take care and rest, Chiba-san." Ikuko said as I climbed the stairs with
Usagi.
If I had turned around I'm sure that I would have seen Kenji Tsukino ready
to challenge me to a duel or worse.
"Here's your room, enjoy." Usagi said monotonously, crossing across the
room, she opened a door and entered it. Without thinking, I followed her
and found myself in a different atmosphere. The colors were lighter, and the
furnishings were very feminine. Also, there was another bed there. If I
didn't know any better, I would have sworn that it was someone else's room I
had walked into.
"What's this? This can't be my room.... it's got too many womanly things
here, is this a joke!?"
"That's because it's my room, now get out of it." She pushed me back into
the first room and slammed the door in my face. I stood there agape as she
turned the lock to her room.
"You won't be able to open that door. If you try, you'll only injure
yourself. I'm the only one with a key, so don't even think about it. Good
day, Chiba-san!" From the noises coming from her room, I knew she was throwing
a tantrum. A crash told me that she had smashed something breakable, albeit,
valuable too. That girl had no self-control.
Sighing to myself, I settled onto the bed. By the side of the bed, I
could see that my bags had been brought up, along with a warm meal. Testing
it, I wondered if it could possibly be poisoned. I wouldn't put it past Usagi
or her father to try to kill me. Then again, killing me now wouldn't
accomplish anything. I would only be valuable after Usagi and I wed. Even
then, I didn't intend to stick around long enough to find out whether I'd be
used for target practice. The wedding was only a month away, I wondered
whether I'd survive that long here. Although I had just had the 'pleasure'
of meeting Usagi-san, and did not want another encounter such as earlier, I
resolved myself into at least pretend to like her and be 'slightly' charming.
Enough so, that it would make living with her bearable. Still, something in
the back of my mind told me that neither of us would be civil to one another
for along time yet, let alone yearn for one another's company.