AUTHOR'S NOTE: FYI, the name of the town, Tokichigai Neko Town, means "mad cat town" in English. I think all of you readers know why it's called that I think...
Legend Of The Ice Alchemist
Track 10: What's new Pussycat?
A tall man with dark cat ears and a tale walked out of the shadow, his claws out. He looked to be about 20 and had dark blue or black hair. Crystal with Jess clinging to her hand took a step back behind Ed and Al before the blond Elric brother said "don't even think about coming near her."
"Are you going to get in my way shorty?" asked the cat man with a slight hiss. Edward's face turned bright red while both Al and Crystal said "Uh oh." Alphonse stepped closer to the pop star and the cat girl, his arm held up protectively while Edward screamed "SHORTY?! I'LL SHOW YOU SHORTY!" He clapped his hands together with a light then slapped them on the ground. a large square piece of metal shot out of the ground under the man, making him yelp like a cat as he was shot through the air. in the air, he did a back flip and landed on all fours while Ed smirked to himself. Another square of metal shot out of the ground. The man dodged this one and started running for the group on all fours.
"Desmond, stop it!" Jess shouted as she stood next to Crystal. The pop star squeezed her hand while the cat man continued to run and said "boys, I give you my full permission to whip his butt."
"Like I was going to ask." said Ed, popping his fingers. "Al, stay by Crys."
"Okay brother." said the walking suit. Ed stood next to Desmond's path of movement and stuck out his metal foot. the cat man continued to run until one of his back feet connected with Ed's steel foot. He yelped out as he did a face plant into the earth and his tale twitched. He quickly jumped back up and wiped off of his face while Edward appeared in front of him out of nowhere. The blond Elric brother smirked to himself as he pulled back is arm and slammed his fist into the cat man's gut. Desmond howled out and fell to his knees, holding his midsection.
"Yeouch." said Crystal, squeezing the younger girl's hands. Al just nodded while Ed grabbed Desmond's collar and said "you have one chance to explain why you attacked us."
"Because General Hues has issued that the Tiger Lilly must die, along with all of her companions." the cat man grunted. The blond Elric brother turned his head around to look at the pop star then back before he said "I don't see what's so dangerous about her. Now, if you want to live to see your next birthday, I suggest you leave now." there was a thump as he let Desmond go and he turned back.
"It's too late for the band, you know." said Desmond as he stood back up, a Cheshire cat smile across his face. Ed turned back around while Crystal looked at him shocked and Al said "What?"
"They already have been captured and are going to be sacrificed to the cat god, Uzela."
"He has got to be joking." said Crystal, looking down at Jess. The cat girl shook her head and said "everyone who can't be saved or turned into a cat is scarified to Uzela. There's no hope for the band." Crystal didn't show any emotion in her face but her hand squeezed Jess' hand so much that her fingers turned purple. Ed lunged at the cat man and grabbed his midsection. They fell to the ground quickly before Ed pulled back his arm again and hit Desmond square in the face. Blood started to spout from his nose while Al said "Ed, did you have to hit him that hard?"
"Yes, unless Crys wanted to hit him." answered the blond Elric brother.
"I didn't want to hit him." said Crystal, her voice sounding dark and mysterious. "I just want to beat the living crap out of General Hues and to save my friends."
The location that the townspeople of Tokichigai Neko town sacrificed the martyrs to Uzela was an open field west of town. In the field was a small hill that held two long totem poles with a cat head on each and what looked like something the citizens would tie their horse's reins too stood next to the poles. around the meadow was a tree line in which Ed, Al, Crystal and Jess were hiding in the shadows.
"Look, there they are." whispered the pop star, pointing to the top of the hill. The group could barely see Koshu and Gita tied to the totem poles, their limbs stretched out to make X's while Motojime, Fukai, and Dashin were tied to the horse corral, their hands bound together. at the base of the hill, almost everyone in the town and who were at the concert just an hour or so ago was clustered to one side. In the front was a man who was tall and round, with a handlebar mustache and blond hair with traces of gray. Another man sat next to him in a silver and leather wheel chair. He looked like he was in his 80's with wisps of white hair clinging to his bare scalp and a small gold crown was on his head. A red velvet cape was draped over the man's shoulders and no one was near him in the front.
"That's the King, King Jack." whispered Jess, pointing to the old man. "and that is the magician, General Hues." she pointed to the round man and Ed nodded.
"I recognized him. He was rendered great and powerful at the military base back in Risenbull." said the blond brother with a slight sour look on his face. "He may be strong, be that doesn't give him an excuse to transform people into cats. How does he even keep the equilibrium?"
"I'm not sure." answered Jess. "But every time he changes a person, the king seems to get older and older. He is, in truth, only 30." Crystal let out a gasp while Ed shook his head and Al said "He is taking the life energy of the king to transform people." the group went into silence as Hues took a few steps away from the group and turned to the crowd.
"Townspeople of Tokichigai Neko," he shouted in a booming voice, raising his two hands into the air. "Today we have some trouble makers. Do you, people of this town, think they should be sacrificed to the god Uzela?" the crowd all chanted a yes and Hues smiled to himself. he turned back around away from the group and pulled out a small piece of white chalk. He drew on his hands then slapped them together. there was a gray glow around the digits as he gently pulled them apart and said "great cat god Uzela! please hear our plea and come forth!" he slapped his hands onto the dirt ground in front of him with a thump and the ground quivered. The dirt and grass glowed with bright gray light and a line formed from the energy wound it's way a few feet away. the round general stood back as the earth shook and piled up until it was several feet into the air. The earth glowed with the gray light while Crystal and her companions gasped out loud. the dirt morphed into a giant form of a brown and green cat with white rock eyes. It stood up on all fours and meowed deeply, it's sound reverberating to everything and making the poles and the trees shake.
"You can't get away with this!" Gita called out, the smallest amount of terror in he voice.
"Yeah! let us go you nut job!" shouted Fukai, tugging at the string that was wrapped tightly around her wrists.
"We shall see." said Hues back to them. The cat smiled, showing it's sharp teeth made out of grass and mud. General Hues turned to the tree line, looking directly at the spot where the pop star, the cat girl and the two Elric brothers but not seeing them and said "Come on out Tiger Lilly! If you don't, than you're band will be eaten by Uzela!"
"As if she is here!" shouted Koshu, though his voice betrayed his fear slightly. "Crys is a chicken to fights like this."
"She might have come to save us." Dashin mumbled under his breath.
"You have 20 seconds Tiger Lilly!" shouted Hues. He tugged his red military jacket's sleeve up and gazed at his watch while the seconds ticked by. Crystal bit her lip, thinking while Mr. Motojime shouted to the trees "Don't listen to him Crystal! get out of here!" Jess squeezed the pop star's arm and whispered "what are you going to do?"
"Ten seconds!"
"I don't know." she replied. Edward looked at his metal brother and they nodded. Alphonse turned to Crystal and said "We'll surround them and Uzela here in the tree line. Can you distract them long enough for us?"
"Five Seconds!"
"Sure." Crystal jumped out of her hiding spot and broke the tree line as General Hues counted to one. the crowd gasped out loud while her band mates looked at her with fear. Not for them, but for the brave 17-year-old. Crystal marched out into the middle of the field, her face placid while she could faintly hear the leaves rustle as the Elric brothers moved. When she was about half way between the giant cat made out of the earth and the forest, she took a deep breath, crossed her arms over her chest and shouted "Okay I'm here! What was so important that you needed to threaten my friends and family Hues?"
"So I see that my reputation has reached Ramsville." said the general full of self pride. The king next to him said nothing, but gazed at the young pop star with wise eyes. Crystal let out a stiff laugh and said "nope, but I heard about you from my guards and one of the citizens of the town."
"Body guards?"
"Yes, i have guards, but i made them protect the buses while I came alone." the General chuckled to himself and shook his head. he reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper rolled up with a piece of white string holding it closed. He cleared his throat as he unwound it and shouted in his booming voice "Crystal Motojime, also known as the Tiger Lilly, by order of the military faction in Ramsville and in Tokichigai Neko, you are sentenced to death for not observing the rules and for breaking code of conduct. By issue of the citizens of Tokichigai Neko, your death will to be eaten by the great cat god Uzela." the crowd all cheered approval while the giant cat meowed. Crystal let out a held breath and said "I will only agree to this accusation if you let my band and family go."
"Of course. Jake, Michel, cut the ropes now." the two Haden lackeys appeared out of nowhere and marched to the totem poles and horse corral. They took out two small daggers and in one swift motions, they sliced the ropes for Koshu and Gita. Everyone directed their attention back to the pop star as she uncrossed her arms and said "Okay, you must let them leave safely."
"Of course." repeated General Hues. he nodded to the cat as Crystal turned to her band mates and manager before she said "What ever happens guys, i want you to get out of this wacko town."
"But Crys-!" started Mr. Motojime but the look his adopted daughter gave him stopped him. he knew she was right but he didn't like it at all. Crystal looked up at the earth formed cat and said "When ever you are ready Uzela." the strange giant cat licked it's grassy lips while it meowed and opened it's mouth wide. Gita and Koshu quickly untied the knots holding Dashin, Motojime and Fukai as Crystal closed her eyes. The giant cat bent down to take a large bite when a burst of white light covered the ground between them. The cat hissed and yowled as it's grassy face slammed into a large sheet of metal that jetted from the earth and the crowd turned to the tree line once again. Ed was standing in front of the trees, his hands clapped together like he was praying. an evil smirk was one his face as he shouted "take one more step near Crystal and you will die General Hues."
"Uzela! Get him, then the Tiger Lilly!" the round general ordered. the cat nodded slightly and ran towards the blond Elric brother.
"Ed, look out!" Crystal shouted. the blond Elric brother didn't move as the cat neared. There was a soft white light from the ground in front of him and suddenly, the giant cat fell into a deep hole. the lines of an alchemy circle surrounded it and Alphonse walked out of the trees, clapping his hands to remove the white chalk powder. the giant cat made out of dirt and grass yowled sadly from the pit created by the Elrics while the round general shouted "you won't get away from this body guards."
"Are you sure about that Hues?" asked Al, sounding like his brother more than him. "because there's more to that hole than meets the eye." a white glow surrounded Hues' feet and he looked down. He recognized an alchemy circle and yelped as the ground caved in under him. He let out a shout of surprise as he came back up, holding the mouth of the giant cat open to keep it from swallowing him whole. Hues grunted against the force of the cat made out of earth while the ground shook. Crystal fell to her knees and covered her eyes while Ed and Al didn't flinch while the general in the red military uniform was swallowed. The cat meowed deeply and loudly before it shivered violently and turned into a pile of dirt and grass that filled the hole and the connecting tunnel. the crowd gasped out loud and the king raised his withered old hand into the air. The crowd hushed as Gita, Fukai, Koshu, Dashin and Motojime ran to Crystal, terrified looks on their faces.
"Citizens of the town," said the king in a young voice. "What you just saw was most likely karma. General Hues abused my like of cats to force everyone into the form of a cat and to try to kill an Innocent young woman. I can see that Miss Crystal was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and an apology needs to be given." The king turned to the band while the two Elric brothers joined them and he said "Miss Crystal, Tiger Lilly, body guards I, King Jack formally apologize for all of the wrong doing that we have caused you. If there is anything you wish for, please let me know to amend this incident."
"There is two things, sir." said Crystal, standing up with the help of the other girls. Her legs felt like jello but she stood up tall and said "I would like the blessing of safe passage to leave the town of Tokichigai Neko and to allow us to bring a citizen with us."
"And who do you wish to bring with you Miss?"
"Her name is Jess. She was kind to us and escorted us to here." the crowd of the people of the town murmured quietly to themselves as the king thought. after a minute he nodded and said "You may take Miss Jess. She is an orphan, as most of the children are in this town now and she needs someone to take care of her. I believe your group can do just that. And I will allow you to go safely without any trouble. Now people of Tokichigai Neko, let us head on home and allow these musicians and alchemists to leave in peace." a man with cat ears and a tale walked up behind the old king and pushed the wheelchair to lead the rest of the group out of the field. Once the only ones in the meadow was the band, Jess ran out of the tree line and jumped into Crystal's arms. She hugged the pop star tight and whispered "oh thank you! Thank you!"
"It's okay Jess." said Crystal. Gita patted the cat girl on the shoulder gently and said "come, lets get back to the buses."
Next Track: Ice Queen