FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The man just stared at Lucy, his eyes questioning her motives as well as her conviction. "I suppose if he were to agree to this proposal, then what you said would come to fruition. However, I do not know if the other elders would approve. You seem to have little to no knowledge of who he is and your... skills... seem inadequate."

Jen stepped forward, "Um... mister ninja, sir... you never said what was going on here. I mean, why is Sam being hunted down, he's so sweet and innocent." The ninja looked at her, then turned his attention to Lucy again.

Lucy felt as though she needed to ask, "What is the clan all about? All I am aware of is that Sam is a member and someone tried to kill me."

The man was hesitant at first, but gave in to her request, "I will tell you. However, you must come with me, for I will only tell you and you alone." Lucy looked over at Marlene and Jen, who were both signaling for her to go.

Lucy was following the old cat down an alleyway, and was cautious of her surroundings. Without even looking at her, the man said, "Do not fear, I will not disobey my master, and neither will any other clan member." Lucy thought she could believe him, but was still tense. "Our clan is as old as written history. Leadership passes down through the original family. At the age of sixteen, the first born son must get... what you would call married. This is to insure that the clan will live on. We own many corporations and have countless contracts with almost every government. Our duty is to eliminate our enemies, and the enemies of our allies. We answer to no demands, and not even the highest officials know of our existence. Sam, as you call him, was nicknamed Ghost."

Lucy interrupted, "Why is he called Ghost?"

"Simply put, he blends in the shadows, cannot be seen when he doesn't want to be, and is almost impossible to kill. He is a rarity, as I am sure you know, being of a pure bloodline yet still taking a human appearance. After he left to start a new life, we have nicknamed him Ronin, or the wandering warrior. He is a fierce warrior, and has not once failed to complete a contract. Ronin's fighting style is quite unique, he moves with the agility and speed of an assassin, but fights like a warrior. "

The old cat took a break as they exited the alley. Lucy wasn't sure how long they were walking, but they were in front of Sam's apartment building. The man stared up at his floor, "He is now fighting his past, present, and future, even though he knows that he has no control over it. Look at the body on the ground." He pointed to an empty patch of grass.

Lucy looked around, but saw no one. Out of the blue, a body fell from the sky. It landed exactly where he was pointing. Lucy screamed, but the man was calm, "That being is from another clan, not as secretive as ours, but still of noble blood. It would appear that he is from a clan that handles money rather than power." The crippled wolf on the ground was twitching, but stood up and limped to the stairwell. "He will keep trying to get Ronin to marry into his clan, as there is no greater honor for him. If he is to die, he will go knowing he did the best he could, and his clan will honor his grave. Do you see, little girl, the seriousness of this predicament? Species does not matter to us, but pride and honor are our guides. Many will come, willing to give their lives for their clan, all for my master. Listen to his agony, then I will ask you another question."

The man stood perfectly still, while Lucy was in shock. She could hear screams of pain coming from Sam's room. Every instinct in her body was urging her to rush to his aid, but she knew that there was little that she could do. (What can I do? I am not like him, and... I'm too young to comfort him. I... I...) she thought as tears came to her eyes.

The old cat looked at her with expressionless eyes, "My master is in pain. Everything he has made for himself will be destroyed unless he can find a resolution." He now looked down to his side with sorrow in his eyes, "I know he means well, but I do know how he will react if he is to marry Sakura. She is beautiful, but he would rather die then take her hand. I must try my hardest to not let this happen. Once more, I ask you, will you go through with your proposal and become his bride?"

Lucy felt as though she was just thrust into a foreign world, with a plastic spoon to protect herself. On one hand she could end her love's suffering, on the other she would have to give up her life. (Can I really do this? Can I marry him, without knowing anything about him?) Lucy asked, "Um, sir? Could I have a little time to think about this?"

He looked at her with his stern eyes, "Yes, of course. I am still getting used to this culture. Most would give their souls to marry him, but perhaps it is better this way. Take your time, and when you are ready, ask the one you call Sam. I will learn all I need from him." The man walked away, leaving Lucy to fend for herself. She was suddenly aware of many others around her, each wearing a different uniform. Some had a young woman with them, others had bags full of something. They were all swarming on his home. All she could do was walk away, wondering why he was so desired.

While she was walking, she found Marlene and Jen again. They asked her what was happening, but Lucy wasn't sure how to answer them. All three were shaken, confused, and wanting answers. Lucy invited them over her house to watch a movie, then looked over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow disappear into the trees. She was positive now, that they were safe. At her house, anyway.

It was a long walk, but the girls were shocked at how big Lucy's house was. She had almost forgotten that she lived in a rich neighborhood. "Wow... this place is huge! How do you live here like this? What does your mom do?" Marlene asked.

Lucy giggled a bit, trying to forget what just happened, "My mom is an important business cat. She makes all kinds of deals with different companies..." the girls continued to praise her home. When they got to Lucy's room, they were a little shocked about how pink it was but were thrilled by all the nice clothes she had. They took turns trying different things on, but Lucy's mind was elsewhere. Twenty minutes later, the girls settled down and decided to watch a movie.

Lucy was off in her own little world, weighing her choices. Jen asked, "Is something wrong Lucy?"

She snapped back to attention. "No no nononono, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Jen said, "When a cat is troubled, their tail starts to move like yours was. It's about the marriage thing, right?" Marlene looked over at Lucy too.

Lucy sighed, then said, "I don't know what to do. It would be nice to save him from that psychopath, but I'm too young. I know almost nothing about him, yet I'm attracted to him. If I do marry him, how could I make him happy? I know nothing about being a wife. For all I know, he's just with me to hide himself."

Marlene stood out of her seat, "Don't you say that! He's probably the best guy in this state! You have a chance to pull him out of hell and bring him back to heaven!"

Lucy was completely depressed now, "Heaven is a lie. He would just spend his entire life struggling to keep me safe."

Jen spoke up, "He's a good man, who loves you! Sure, it may be a hard thing to do, but what if he does marry that crazy girl?"

Lucy sat there, staring at a point on the floor. (It's a good thing you two don't know what he would do then.) she thought. But it was true. There was little she could do for him, and even if she wanted to marry him, would her mother say it was okay? She was curious enough to find out. "Um... I need to make a phone call. So please, keep watching the movie."

She walked over to her kitchen, then called her mom, "Hello? Oh, what is it, honey? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, um, well, I need to ask you an important question. What would you say if I was going to get married to someone in the next few weeks?"

A silence on the other side, then, "That really depends, do you love this person, or are you marrying him to help him out?"

The answer Lucy received was shocking on no fewer than two levels. She is hinting that she know about Sam, but also that she may be okay with it. "Um... Let's say that I love him. What would be your answer?"

All Lucy could hear was a laugh on the other side of the phone, "Well, I'm sure it would be okay. He would probably make it so that you could live with me for as long as you wanted, you know, finishing school and all that. He's a good man, you two would be good together."

"Uh... mom?"

"What, you think I'm just another moron walking around oblivious to the true leaders of the world? Come on Lucy, I raised you better than that. If you really love Ronin, then I approve. *sigh*, Just about everyone on our block is a member of some clan or another. Even you."

"What?!" Lucy screamed.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Huh, look what happens when I drift off. Weird, but I knew ninjas were going to pop into my head eventually. Oh, and the marry thing. I thought of that last night. To all you fans of the lighthearted stuff, don't worry, that'll come back soon. But still, two stories in one day, I am freaking out. Anywho... next time will be fun. It'll be the Friday that I talked about last time. Caffeine fueled teenagers with no parental supervision, what could go wrong? Find out next time, on Unusual Love #10. And please don't post anything about the actual meaning of Ronin, I altered it slightly to fit better, so cram it, friends.