He never even noticed the fact that the pleased expressions of those he was leaving behind were due to the fact that he was leaving their immediate vicinity.
Of course, he would have thought that they were wanting him to go forth and do battle. Even now, he could see the movement of people getting out of the way of his procession as their wishing to pay him the respect that he was due. Their murmurings were their expressions of excitement and pleasure by what he could determine.
Had he listened, he would have heard how the people were rather afraid of getting trampled, and were annoyed by the way his parade disrupted everything around it.
Yet, he was too caught up to do so. He had other things on his mind, like the fact that he had to move quickly to save his beloved Akane from being owned by some filth not worthy of placing his hands in her vicinity. No doubt, she was on her knees, with tears streaming down her fragile face, as she sobbed at her fate, and the fact that he had not come to her aid as of yet. She would be waiting on the edge of breaking, hoping that he would come to her soon, while fearing that the fool who had stolen her from him would try to manhandle her once more. Even now he could hear the dulcet tones of her voice as she said ....
"I don't believe this!"
He only wished that it really had been her voice that he heard as his procession made its way through the market area on its way to search far and wide for the room where the lair of the cretin would be found.
"Umm... What the hell is all this?" asked a rough and uncultured voice, clearly overwhelmed by what was going past him.
"It's just Kuno, Master," a familiar voice replied. "He's always been rather big in the ego department. Part of why Akane prefers that you brought her instead of him. Though the whole parade thing is new."
"WHAT?! STOP! CEASE, I SAY!" Kuno barked as he realized just who was doing the talking, and glared as his hirelings took their time ending their forward movement. But he could not wait for them, and went to get off of his sedan chair by himself... and wound up slamming face first into the street. However, he was back up again, and looking for a familiar face. Once he found it, he raced over and loomed over the girl in question. "NABIKI TENDO!"
"I do know my name, Kuno," Nabiki murmured, clearly unimpressed by the attitude of the boy in front of her.
"Nothing else could be doubted of one of your sly intelligence, woman."
"Compliments will get you what they buy."
"It is a purchase which I desire to speak to you about."
"Sorry. Don't have anything that I can sell."
"I am aware of that. What I would wish to discuss is the fact that you have been purchased," the wannabe samurai replied.
"Pretty quickly too. Fortunately for me, he doesn't seem like too bad of a Master from what I've seen."
"For you, perhaps. But I know that your delicate younger sister deserves better than some pathetic fool who had grabbed up what would obviously be a choice fit for the most honored of souls. No man, be he genius, or absolute and totally devoid of intellect, could doubt the worthiness of her purchase. Yet, instead of I, who should have had a path to owning her that was smoothed over by the gods, some thief has managed to snatch her from me!"
"HEY!" snapped the rough voice from before.
"Silence fool. Do you not realize that we are discussing things of great import? Now, Nabiki Tendo, tell me. You have been brought by the same one who dared to purchase your sister, my most lovely goddess?"
The middle Tendo sister nodded. "Akane and I are owned by the same guy. Kasumi too, if you wanted to know."
"Then where is this fool who has taken that which is mine?!"
"I was never yours!" snarled an all too familiar voice as he got whapped upside the head with a pack.
"Akane!"
"Kuno!"
"Come to me, my darling!"
"Not a chance!" Akane growled, and stomped on his foot. "There isn't any going to you at all!"
"Of course. Because of that fool who brought you. Where is he now? Has he already abandoned you so that he can pursue his attentions on poor and innocent young maidens?"
"Oh, no. Master is right here," Kasumi said helpfully, and smiled as she gestured towards the figure next to her.
Kuno turned to face the one who has stolen his love from him, and saw that it was the rough boy from earlier. "You took my beloved Akane?! You are Ranma Saotome?!"
"I didn't take anybody. I brought her," the boy replied. "And the way that I hear it, ya ain't her favorite person."
"That is what you wish to think. But I know the truth! Our love is eternal, and I shall make it so that she can always be waiting for me!"
"Just how d'ya plan on doin' that? If ya didn't notice, I'm the one who owns her."
"I challenge YOU, vile beast to a battle with Akane's slave contract as the prize!"
"Looks like Ranma will have to fight," a portly man in a gi commented.
"See? Even the peasantry know that you shall have to lose her to me!"
"No, he doesn't!" retorted the girl at the center of the challenge. "And why would he have to fight anyway?!"
"Because he must bow to the needs of those better than him!"
The older man shook his head. "Not exactly. My son needs to fight because he's been challenged. As a martial artist, he has to face every challenge that comes his way."
"Makes me glad that I'm not one," Nabiki muttered.
"Not that I wanna fight myself," an annoyed looking Ranma grumbled.
The kendoist smiled. "Then you admit that you can not defeat one such as I?"
"Nah. I just don't wanna fight ya. There ain't anythin' hard 'bout it, and I'm not gonna get anythin' out of it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's not like ya'd ever beat me, and even if ya did, ya'd be gettin' Akane. Now, I'd fight ta keep her, but the little it'd take ta beat ya ain't like I'd be really riskin' her."
Nabiki smiled. "Then why don't you try and get something from him? Perhaps a slave of his if you win."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because then it would be even. You'd each be putting a slave on the line."
"What? Make it equal?"
"Precisely."
"I accept!" Kuno declared. "I agree to your terms, not that I fear them, for I can not lose!"
"Then who will you put up on your side?"
"It is simple! I will place.... That is.... My choice is...:
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(Posted Sun, 26 Jun 2005 04:00)
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