Disclaimer: Look at first chapter
Chapter Two—
"What are you going to do with her?" a lowered voice came from a room. The voice stirred Akane from her stupor and she woke up. Where was she?
The walls were wooden and the furniture was simple. She was in some sort of cabin.
"I'll get my parents' consent first to take her with me," a male voice replied.
Parents? So the second male was something like Mommy's boy, was he? She could use it to get them under her thumb; at the moment, it'd simply a trick under her sleeve. Akane remained quiet and got off the bed. The voices did not notice her.
"Why do you even want to kidnap her in the first place?" the first male asked.
"I was just-"
There was a sudden silence and Akane herself froze. Why did they stop? She silently lifted up a foot and walked forward, making sure not to let the floorboards creak. She was about to get the surprise of her life.
"And what are you doing? Eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Akane spun around in shock. They had heard her creeping up on them. Oh, dear, she thought. She had to find an excuse to...well, excuse herself.
She turned around hesitantly, embarrassment at being caught showing in her flaming cheeks. "Uh...no?"
Behind her were, apparently, the two men who had been talking. It was the men she'd seen attacking her father's soil. There was the man with the bandanna and his cute fangs. He must be the leader's right-hand man, she guessed, by the looks of his importance. He was smiling smugly; and didn't seem afraid of her prowess. Beside him...was a guy with a pigtail. He was wearing Chinese clothing and one of his hands was on his hip. His eyes were a rare azure, and his body was well toned. It was muscular but it wasn't bulky, like a sumo wrestler. He seemed...
She breathed in sharply. She was captivated by him and she would have done so for a long time had he not spoke up. "Go back to bed- you're a hostage." His mouth formed a smirk and his voice was cool.
Akane could not comprehend; why did they capture her in the first place? Why her, out of all people? Why not Kasumi or Nabiki or- not like she wanted them to be taken away- but why was it her? Why was she so special? And couldn't it happen on another day besides her wedding day? How could the gods ruin her 'happiness'? There were so many questions but no answers at all. Akane was put in a flutter, her mind in a whirl.
"But...w-why?" she asked, the question finally parting her lips.
The two men seemed taken aback by her question.
"What?" she looked from the leader to the right-hand man and back.
"You don't know why?" the right-hand man dropped his arms at his side. Akane nodded and sat onto a chair.
"It's actually all your-" the right-hand man was interrupted when the doors burst open and a man dressed in a white robe and with spectacles on ran in. He stopped and bowed down before the leader and muttered a greeting before explaining his hasty and noisy arrival. "They've come looking for her," his voice was laced with anger and threat on the last word, making Akane wonder what she had done wrong. They were the ones who had kidnapped her, not the other way around. "Leave with her first, Ranma. We'll take care of them."
Ranma affirmed the order by nodding. He paused to add a reminder, "Don't forget to put on your glasses, Mousse." He tried to hide his laughter.
"Has my father come?" Akane asked excitedly. Mousse glared at her and retaliated with a question, "Do I look like I know?"
"No, but he has long, black hair and a moustache," she described her father's looks. Mousse's eyes squinted and then relaxed, "Don't remember seeing such a man. He's probably cowering back in the Tendou Household, ne, Ryouga?"
Akane bit her lip at his remark. "My father isn't such a coward. I know he'll come, I just know!" Mousse thought her childish, "Well, this time you thought wrong."
"Mousse," Ryouga hissed so softly that his voice was almost inaudible. The rest could not be heard as they were out of earshot. "..."
Ranma, Akane thought his name was rather befitting for him, marched over to Akane and stunned her by carrying her over his back, leaving her no chance to react. She flailed her arms and pounded him but he would not let her go. "I'm doing this for you," he whispered sneakily. She shrieked, "For me? You'd better let me go!"
Ryouga blasted a hole in the wall, allowing Ranma to escape through it as he gave his thanks to his right-hand man. Akane shivered slightly when the cold dusk air hit her. She tried asking Ranma where they were going but he ignored her and went on hopping from tree to tree. The cabin grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared wholly.
The trees were a blur around her as he was moving extremely fast; he was not about to let the Tendou Clan snatch back his hostage. Akane let out another involuntary shudder; the air was becoming increasingly chilly and her skin could not take it any longer.
Ranma felt the girl tremble- more out of cold than of fear. She was cold, he realised. He stopped on a tree branch and sat her down. She was pale and her hands huddled together the moment she was free. He gently shook her awake from her slumber. The girl tried to shake his hands off her shoulders but he persisted. He pushed back two wild locks of hair from her forehead. He knew she was cold, very cold. But he still decided to ask her the silly question.
"Are you cold?" he grasped her hands.
She murmured a 'yes' and turned her head away. He appraised her clothing. She was still dressed in her wedding gown, which was really a flimsy material. The dress was very thin and clung to her curves. It was no wonder that she was freezing. Ranma carried her, this time in his arms not over his back for she was cold. He could feel her in his arms and- oh lord! She felt like ice!
Ranma concentrated his energy so that some of his power of heat channelled into her. He returned to jumping away, transferring his heat to her at the same time.
After a while, he could have sworn he heard her give a contented sigh.
Author's Notes: Ah...it's soooo late (for me, that is) and I have school tomorrow. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I don't know why. I trust that you were content with this chapter (please say you are!)
Livvy22: I'll finish my other stories...I hope.
Don't eat yellow snow: Thank you!
Softlycryingrain: Thanks for the compliment.
Sieg1308: Thanks for reviewing!
Cheesyjello: I hope you're satisfied with the dialogues in this chapter.
Gopu: Here's more!
Sesshygirl3: I'll definitely continue.
RiVeR-chan: Thank you!
Nikka: Hmm...I never thought the groom was so important. But after some thinking, I've decided to add him in later...maybe...I'm not terribly right now.
Chapter Two—
"What are you going to do with her?" a lowered voice came from a room. The voice stirred Akane from her stupor and she woke up. Where was she?
The walls were wooden and the furniture was simple. She was in some sort of cabin.
"I'll get my parents' consent first to take her with me," a male voice replied.
Parents? So the second male was something like Mommy's boy, was he? She could use it to get them under her thumb; at the moment, it'd simply a trick under her sleeve. Akane remained quiet and got off the bed. The voices did not notice her.
"Why do you even want to kidnap her in the first place?" the first male asked.
"I was just-"
There was a sudden silence and Akane herself froze. Why did they stop? She silently lifted up a foot and walked forward, making sure not to let the floorboards creak. She was about to get the surprise of her life.
"And what are you doing? Eavesdropping on our conversation?"
Akane spun around in shock. They had heard her creeping up on them. Oh, dear, she thought. She had to find an excuse to...well, excuse herself.
She turned around hesitantly, embarrassment at being caught showing in her flaming cheeks. "Uh...no?"
Behind her were, apparently, the two men who had been talking. It was the men she'd seen attacking her father's soil. There was the man with the bandanna and his cute fangs. He must be the leader's right-hand man, she guessed, by the looks of his importance. He was smiling smugly; and didn't seem afraid of her prowess. Beside him...was a guy with a pigtail. He was wearing Chinese clothing and one of his hands was on his hip. His eyes were a rare azure, and his body was well toned. It was muscular but it wasn't bulky, like a sumo wrestler. He seemed...
She breathed in sharply. She was captivated by him and she would have done so for a long time had he not spoke up. "Go back to bed- you're a hostage." His mouth formed a smirk and his voice was cool.
Akane could not comprehend; why did they capture her in the first place? Why her, out of all people? Why not Kasumi or Nabiki or- not like she wanted them to be taken away- but why was it her? Why was she so special? And couldn't it happen on another day besides her wedding day? How could the gods ruin her 'happiness'? There were so many questions but no answers at all. Akane was put in a flutter, her mind in a whirl.
"But...w-why?" she asked, the question finally parting her lips.
The two men seemed taken aback by her question.
"What?" she looked from the leader to the right-hand man and back.
"You don't know why?" the right-hand man dropped his arms at his side. Akane nodded and sat onto a chair.
"It's actually all your-" the right-hand man was interrupted when the doors burst open and a man dressed in a white robe and with spectacles on ran in. He stopped and bowed down before the leader and muttered a greeting before explaining his hasty and noisy arrival. "They've come looking for her," his voice was laced with anger and threat on the last word, making Akane wonder what she had done wrong. They were the ones who had kidnapped her, not the other way around. "Leave with her first, Ranma. We'll take care of them."
Ranma affirmed the order by nodding. He paused to add a reminder, "Don't forget to put on your glasses, Mousse." He tried to hide his laughter.
"Has my father come?" Akane asked excitedly. Mousse glared at her and retaliated with a question, "Do I look like I know?"
"No, but he has long, black hair and a moustache," she described her father's looks. Mousse's eyes squinted and then relaxed, "Don't remember seeing such a man. He's probably cowering back in the Tendou Household, ne, Ryouga?"
Akane bit her lip at his remark. "My father isn't such a coward. I know he'll come, I just know!" Mousse thought her childish, "Well, this time you thought wrong."
"Mousse," Ryouga hissed so softly that his voice was almost inaudible. The rest could not be heard as they were out of earshot. "..."
Ranma, Akane thought his name was rather befitting for him, marched over to Akane and stunned her by carrying her over his back, leaving her no chance to react. She flailed her arms and pounded him but he would not let her go. "I'm doing this for you," he whispered sneakily. She shrieked, "For me? You'd better let me go!"
Ryouga blasted a hole in the wall, allowing Ranma to escape through it as he gave his thanks to his right-hand man. Akane shivered slightly when the cold dusk air hit her. She tried asking Ranma where they were going but he ignored her and went on hopping from tree to tree. The cabin grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared wholly.
The trees were a blur around her as he was moving extremely fast; he was not about to let the Tendou Clan snatch back his hostage. Akane let out another involuntary shudder; the air was becoming increasingly chilly and her skin could not take it any longer.
Ranma felt the girl tremble- more out of cold than of fear. She was cold, he realised. He stopped on a tree branch and sat her down. She was pale and her hands huddled together the moment she was free. He gently shook her awake from her slumber. The girl tried to shake his hands off her shoulders but he persisted. He pushed back two wild locks of hair from her forehead. He knew she was cold, very cold. But he still decided to ask her the silly question.
"Are you cold?" he grasped her hands.
She murmured a 'yes' and turned her head away. He appraised her clothing. She was still dressed in her wedding gown, which was really a flimsy material. The dress was very thin and clung to her curves. It was no wonder that she was freezing. Ranma carried her, this time in his arms not over his back for she was cold. He could feel her in his arms and- oh lord! She felt like ice!
Ranma concentrated his energy so that some of his power of heat channelled into her. He returned to jumping away, transferring his heat to her at the same time.
After a while, he could have sworn he heard her give a contented sigh.
Author's Notes: Ah...it's soooo late (for me, that is) and I have school tomorrow. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I don't know why. I trust that you were content with this chapter (please say you are!)
Livvy22: I'll finish my other stories...I hope.
Don't eat yellow snow: Thank you!
Softlycryingrain: Thanks for the compliment.
Sieg1308: Thanks for reviewing!
Cheesyjello: I hope you're satisfied with the dialogues in this chapter.
Gopu: Here's more!
Sesshygirl3: I'll definitely continue.
RiVeR-chan: Thank you!
Nikka: Hmm...I never thought the groom was so important. But after some thinking, I've decided to add him in later...maybe...I'm not terribly right now.