Opening his eyes slowly, the pained Kuno saw blurry shapes. Shapes, which soon took the form of one of his most familiar, and loyal allies. “S-Sasuke!”
“Oh, master Kuno, thank heavens you’re all right!” Sasuke said in obvious relief. “When I saw you down here, I thought the worst.”
“S-Sasuke...” Kuno started feebly. “Where is she?”
Blinking his eyes, Sasuke asked. “She? Who is she, master Kuno?”
“The... The princess!” Kuno explained. “Where is he fair, beauteous princess from foreign lands.”
Blinking his eyes once, twice, thrice, it was obvious to see that the retainer to the house of Kuno was more than a little confused. Something normal for one in employment of the Kuno family to feel. “Well, this is a new one,” He thought to himself before asking, “Who are you speaking of, master Kuno?”
“The fair Kassiopeia...” Kuno groaned as he tried to sit up, his individual vertebrae making slight popping noises as they snapped back into place after partially embedding themselves into a wave-breaker.
Staring at his master, Sasuke repeated, “Kassiopeia?”
“Yes, Kassiopeia,” Kuno said. “A fair, beauteous maiden of true royalty and obvious noble blood.”
Silence passed between Kuno and Sasuke for some time, before the ninja retainer bluntly told his lord, “You lost me on this one, master Kuno. Just what happened?”
Looking at his servant, Kuno began stoically. “Well, it was like this...”
(------)
The scenery was that of a Medieval Ages European village, a town trapped in the clutches of a vile dark wizard. The mud and straw houses were numerous, and besides the dark figure looming in the center, nothing would have stood out from the ordinary...
...Nothing from the village anyway. However, a man, a hero known to the land as Tatewaki Kuno started to charge into the fray upon a noble thoroughbred stallion. Wearing armor that looked like a combination of a European knight and a Japanese samurai, he was ready for battle with the evil one. “Saotome!” Kuno shouted as he rode a white stead, his white holy plate-mail armor made ‘clink’ing noises as the horse drew closer to the pigtailed sorcerer in black robes. “It’s your fault that I cannot be with Akane!”
The figure concealed by a black cape turned his head slowly. Thin features and piercing red eyes greeted the noble champion of justice. It was none-other than the evil sorceror. The scourge of the peaceful island nation under the protection of the Blue Thunder, Tatewaki Kuno.
Ranma ‘The Blackheart’ Saotome
“What is it now, Kuno?” Came the reverberating voice of the pigtailed fiend, a flash of light coming from the soulless orbs that were his eyes. A third eye opened on his forehead fro a moment before quickly closing.
“Do not feign ignorance with me!” Kuno shouted, unsheathing his holy sword and pointing the blessed blade at the foul sorcerer. “Thou has worked against me, using mine utmost divine plan to save Akane from your dark magics against me! Admit it!”
The dark wizard growled, drawing his cape closer to his features, to protect his eyes from the holy light radiating from his sword. “Curses! You have seen through my nefarious plots, noble scion of the house of Kuno!”
“Of course!” Tatewaki puffed with pride, holding his sword to the bare. “Without your presence, the fair maiden Akane Tendo would be freed from your utmost vile ways and base lusts.” Kuno then started to unsheathe his katana while his other sword kept the evil Ranma at bay. “But now, with you at my mercy, I shall vanquish you, thus freeing the pigtailed girl and myself to follow my maiden fair Akane to the mythical land of America!”
Hissing Ranma took a step back, while Kuno’s noble white steed started to trot towards him. “No! My dark magics and evil powers are useless against one so pure, noble, and with such an astute mind as the great Tatewaki Kuno!” He cursed his luck.
Kuno began to raise both swords, the two blades resonating in sync with each other. “With you gone, the noble scion of the house of Kuno could go to the land of the far West.” Kuno then looked t Ranma menacingly. “And take what is your rightful punishment!”
The cowardly sorcerer Ranma raised his hands in surrender. “Spare me, oh noble Tatewaki! I am just a feeble wizard, with no true strength against you! Please, show your divine wisdom that is of your samurai heritage and be merciful upon this lowly wretch!”
And then the unexpected happened. For the first time in his life... Kuno showed mercy to the foul sorcerer. “Perhaps thou hast learn a valuable lesson...” He said smugly. “It must be that the example the Blue Thunder shall set will serve you well in realizing how to treat others.” Sheathing his European sword, Kuno pointed his kata towards the west. “For now, I must be off, as to sweep the fierce tigress Akane Tendo off her feet in the land of the Setting Sun!”
“Oh, thank you, THANK YOU, oh noble, wise, generous, and merciful samurai,” Ranma said as he dropped to his knees, bowing to the superior strength, intellect, and charisma of the scion to the house of Kuno.
Smirking, Kuno held his kata high. “Yes! Hear me out, and let it be known! The Great Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, shell henceforth make plans to head to the fabled land of Quagmire!”
However, before the noble son of the Kuno heritage could take off to find and be one with the fair maiden Akane Tendo, he was taken off guard by the appearance of a princess.
Dressed in a Victorian-style dress, (much like Queen Elizabeth) a member of foreign royalty appeared from seemingly nowhere. The tanned-blonde noble looked at the samurai with a look of wonder in her eyes. “Are you the great ‘Blue Thunder of Furinkan High’? The great, wise, noble, and handsome Tatewaki Kuno?”
Blinking his eyes, Kuno looked towards the source of the sweet and serine voice. He felt his heart skip a beat when he caught sight of the obvious foreign beauty. “Yes, it is I. The great Tatewaki Kuno. Age 18 and 1/2.”
The woman clasped her hands. “At least I have found you, oh great noble Kuno!” She said in cheer. She then kneeled before him in the European’s way of showing respect. “I have traveled man miles to find thee and be in your presence, great Tatewaki. Hear me out, won’t you?”
“Bah!” Ranma spat out, still kneeling on the ground. “What is a foul gaijin bitch like you doing, thinking she can come to the great Tatewaki’s island nation. Go back to your utmost lands of ruins, foul trash!”
Gawking at Ranma, Kuno was disgusted by the rather expected foul language from the sorcerer. “Pay no attention to him,” He told the fair princess as he dismounted his white steed. “The vulgar sorcerer uses only language befitting his role as a peasant.”
“It is expected,” The woman said. She raised from her kneeling and looked Kuno in the eyes. “My name is Kassiopeia, the crowned princess from the lands of Cylutia. I have come to find you, for you are my only hope!”
“BAH!” Ranma sneered as he started to get out from his bowing position. Turning his head to look at the woman, he pointed a withered finger at her. “Do not listen to her, sire! This foul gaijin’s presence stinks up your fair and beauteous nation of Kuno-land Japan. Low, she best get back to where she came, and live as the slime that she was born from.” The foul sorcerer literally spat at her feet. “After all, her worthlessness as a low-brow gaijin will tarnish the honor of your fair and noble Japanese samurai heritage!”
Kuno sneered. He held his katana high. “Foolish sorcerer! I show you mercy, and this is what you do? A fair maiden honestly needs my help, and you TRY to turn her away before she can share the same mercy that I have shown you?”
Opening his cape, Ranma revealed himself to be wearing a black leather one-piece, with thick leather boots and a thick leather belt around his lithe waist. “Never! She shall never know the greatness that is the house of Kuno!” He cackled maniacally. “I will show her the true hells of Nerima, such a I have shown the pigtailed girl!”
Pushing the frightened foreign princess behind him, Kuno started to unsheathe his katana. “Stand behind me, fair maiden!” He commanded. Sneering at Ranma, he told him, “I was a fool to show thee mercy, dark sorcerer! A mistake I will now correct!” Then bellowing with his mighty, healthy lungs, Kuno charged towards the foul sorcerer...
...However, the foul wizard had an ace up his sleeve! “So it is good that I fight dirty, no?” He asked as he unleashed a fireball, hitting Kuno square in the chest.
“Oh great Tatewaki!” Kassiopeia cried, her hands over her moth to hide her shock.
“NOOOOOoooooo...” Kuno cried as the blast sent him over the side of a ravine, a good three-hundred foot drop to be sure. The foul sorcerer thought to kill him off in a most cowardly fashion. And all Kuno could do was look up and see the horrified expression on the fair princess’s face as the foul sorcerer Saotome brought out binds from within the folds of his cape as to capture her.
(------)
“And that is what happened,” Kuno said, appearing obviously pained. “Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl were not enough for the fiend. Now, that foul demon sorcerer Saotome has set his eyes on the fair beauty who has come from foreign lands seeking the help of my noble person!”
“Uh huh...” Sasuke said as he looked at his master. Well, THIS was certainly new. It had been awhile since his master had ranted about something like this before. “That’s... Nice...” He said hesitantly. “Now how about we get you back home, and into bed. Hmm? You could use some rest.”
“Yes...” Kuno agreed. “Rest would be good right now.” A gleam then came to his eyes. “But mark my words, Saotome will pay for any harm he does to the princess!”
“Uh huh...” Sasuke said with a nod of his head. “Soup and bed now. You can talk to Saotome tomorrow at school.”
“School...” Kuno mumbled. His eyes widened a bit. “School! Of course!”
“Of course what?” Sasuke asked, getting a baaaaad feeling about this.
Smirking a little, Kuno asked, “Sasuke?”
“Yes, Master Kuno?” The ninja retainer replied.
“There’s another speech contest that’s to be taking place tomorrow, isn’t there?” He asked with a grin.
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(Posted Wed, 30 Jun 2004 21:41)
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