Chapter 2: A Ronin's Fate

I woke up with a start by landing on my feet. Then my tiny sharp nails scrabbled across the wet ground out of the way of something falling over top of me. Dashing to the nearest shelter, I turned to look out to see what that was all about.

The pretty person! Why was he laying on the ground?

Taking one look over him, I saw a group of other people walking up and forming a half circle behind him. They all wore the same kind of clothing. Dark blue pants and coat with a white shirt underneath. Squinting in focus, I think they were the same family? That or they just chose to wear the same get-up.

Not like my person! He wore a long red shirt with his black pants. I wonder if that family didn't like him because he dressed differently?

Watching him getting kicked in the ribs by one of the smaller blue guys confirmed that. The biggest blue guy shoved the kicker away and shouted something noisy. "Mew?"

Had I blinked, I would have missed it.

My red person spun on the ground and threw out his legs to catch the little blue guy by the foot, dragging him to slam face down on the ground. In the same motion -- with a graceful twist on his back -- he jumped up on his feet. I was amazed his slicked-back black hair wasn't standing on end right now.

He put his scratched-up hands into his pockets and stood there. That's all he did!

When that little blue guy tried to get up, my guy lifted a foot and dropped it heel down on that guy's head. That made the big blue guy angry!

As the big guy charged, my man was skipping his feet and moving backwards casually from him. I tilted my head and wondered if we were alike somehow. He was like me, slender and agile and dealing with a big tomcat who wanted to fuck him up.

With tension building in me, I watched my guy show off his skills with incredible and thrilling speed. However, that big guy wasn't really going down like the little one had. Not only that, but the other little guys were crowding around and trying their hands on my guy!

I was worried now.

It didn't matter how fast he was if they cornered him.

And they did! All of them came this way and jumped or stomped up my shelter.

...Stairs. I was under stairs.

Peeking my head out, I tried to catch what was going on above me. I couldn't see them as they disappeared over the platform's lip. Should I follow? Would they kick me?

He’d saved me. I had to do something!

Dashing up, I scrambled around the nearest support rail to skirt around the group. I saw they all were around him and he wasn't looking as pretty anymore. He was beaten so badly, but standing.

The big guy lashed out at him. Instead of dodging, my man locked arms with him.

One of the little guys rushed at him with something shiny...

The next thing I saw was my guy dropping down on his knees, then on his side. What confused me was the big blue guy slamming that little guy with the shiny object into the closest support beams with a shout of rage. I didn't understand what was going on. Why wasn't my guy getting back up?

I couldn't take this anymore.

At top speed, I ran with my lithe figure slipping between the blue-clothed people's legs to pounce on my red shirted man. When I landed on him, he was wet. Removing a paw, I was ever more bewildered as my white hairs turned red. "Mew?"

The noise of footsteps alerted me and I hissed in the direction of the other men. Each of the little guys was sneering or ready to do something like knocking me off or aiming a kick, but the big guy gave them an enraged bark. Then they backed off.

They ran, except for the big one. He stood there and stared down at us. Then bowed before he turned and left.

I pursued them up to the stairs, just to be sure they really were leaving.

When I turned to go back, I nearly jumped out of my skin at a pair of legs standing behind me. About to claw them, I stopped when I felt a hand stroke my head. Soft, gentle, and warmly grooming me until reaching the base of my neck.

Looking up, I saw my man smiling down at me. I purred and went in to stroke my sides along his legs with gleeful happiness that he was okay!

Then I stumbled when his legs weren't there anymore. I looked around. Movement caught my eye around that strange giant bell in the center of this platform. Running around, I saw my man walking away.

I tried to call out for him. "Meow!" Then I dashed quickly after him, still calling loudly for him to wait up.

He just kept walking toward something too bright for me to see. At his walking pace, I thought I could catch him given how much faster I was running.

In one jumping leap I managed to latch onto his back, but I was blinded by how great that light had become...