ZY: Finally, I finished this chapter. I'm so happy :-). Enjoy.
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Heart of Chocolate ch9
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Plan I: The Awkward Time That Passes
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Zebura made sure that the kiss was passionate enough to not be a misunderstanding. After years of fantasizing, Zebura was finally kissing Coco. His lips were really soft, made the giant wonder if the poison master used Chapstick or something like that. Zebura wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but he knew that it was going to end. When it did end, Zebura slowly pulled away.
Coco was utterly dumbfounded. His eyes were wide, mouth was slightly agape, and a small amount of color left his face. This wasn't giving Zebura a good feeling when he asked "Coco, you okay?" the poison master snapped back into reality. "Yes... Yes, I am... Sorry... You mind if I sit down?" Coco said as looked for a nice boulder to sit on. When he found a nice big one to sit on, he buried his mouth in one of his hands. When Coco finally spoke, he actually had a hard time masking his surprise "So... when you said you love me..." Zebura confirmed by saying "More than a friend or brother. Ya know romantically..." Coco lowered his gaze and said "I see..."
After a good five minutes of silence, Coco finally said "Could... Could you... Please give me some time before I give you a response? This is... A lot for me too take in..." Zebura agreed to give Coco as much time as he needed, but he did add "I'ma gunna tell ya one thing, my feelings an't gunna change, no matter what ya're answer's gunna be." Coco gave a sad smile and said "I'll keep that in mind..."
}i{ }i{ Two Months Later }i{ }i{
Zebura has heard nothing from Coco. Not that it really surprised the giant... The giant glanced at a counter top with a small wrapped box. It was the item he got at the arcade that he wanted to surprise Coco with. Maybe he shouldn't have told Coco how he felt...
Zebura sank in his couch and turned on his tv. He needed to take his mind off the whole incident. The volume was close to mute, but the giant could hear it just fine with his ears.
The giant kept flipping through the channels, nothing but cheesy junk or commercials were on. Was there anything on? Zebura settled on watching a cartoon. It was about a trio of kids that had similar names trying to earn money to buy gigantic jawbreakers, but end up getting into some kind of outrageous trouble. Not a bad show, the giant laughed a few times.
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Coco was sitting outside his house, holding a picture frame with a photo of him and the other kings when they were children. Kiss cawed to his father figure in a mellow tone. Coco patted the Emperor Crow's side and said "I know... I know... I'm just... Not sure what to tell him..." the poison master hugged the frame into his chest. Kiss cawed again, but this time in a worried tone.
}i{ }i{ Another Two Months Later }i{ }i{
By this time Zebura was reeeeeeeeelay regreting telling Coco he loved him, he hasn't heard a single word from the poison master. Now the Sound King was thinking that he might have destroyed his friendship with Coco. In all honestly, it was Zebura's worst fear. He really treasured Coco a hell of a lot more than the other Kings. But, he wasn't going to push Coco into giving him an answer when he wasn't ready.
}i{ }i{ The Next Day }i{ }i{
The Four Kings had a mission, and Komatsu tagged along as an inside man.
Someone or a group of someones sent a bomb treat to a popular food amusement park. So, not to take any chances, the Four Kings were givin the mission.
During their trip to the amusement park was awkward for Zebura and Coco, neither said a word or looked at each other. It was reeeeeeeeeealy obvious to Toriko, Sani, and Komatsu that SOMETHING happened between the two. But none of the three knew what to ask. So the blue haired King tried to break the ice, so to speak. "Have any of you guys heard about the Barry Pig breeding program? I heard that they're having great progress," Toriko stated loudly. Nothing from Coco or Zebura. Sani and Komatsu tried their best to make the conversation more intesting by adding some bits and pieces of what they'd been doing. Still nothing.
}i{ }i{ Close to an Hour later }i{ }i{
After they arrived they were split into two teams: Toriko, Sani, and Komatsu were one team, while Coco and Zebura were the other (And Toriko and Sani had nothing to do about the team arrangements). The teams each given walky-talkies, to keep in touch with one another.
}i{ }i{ 30 Minutes Later }i{ }i{
Nothing so far. No one was sure if it was a good thing or bad thing. And Toriko, Sani, and Komatsu knew for a fact that Zebura and Coco weren't talking to one another. How do they know? Their walky-talkies have been on the whole time. It was starting to really worry the three.
"Zebra..." the three heard Coco say over the walky-talkies. "Yeah..." Zebura replied. "I'm... Sorry that I haven't contacted you in a while... I just... Wasn't really sure..." Coco said rather unsurely. Zebura interrupted by saying "I understand... I did kinda spring it on ya, and I should've seen it coming."
What were the two talking about? The three held their walky-talkies close to their ears.
"I know, but... I... Really don't know how to answer..." They heard Coco say.
"I understand... Like I said, I did sorta sprang it on ya..." Zebura replied.
Toriko and Sani really wanted to know what Zebura and Coco was talking about. Komatsu finally remembered his plan from months earlier. 'Zebura must have confessed that day! And Coco wasn't sure how to respond!' the chief thought. Not how he'd thought his plan would have gone.
"What's that?" the trio heard Coco ask. Zebura replied he didn't know, so he called Toriko, Komatsu, and Sani to head over to the Mirror Maze Fun House. The three practically raced towards that location.
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A couple of minutes later, all four kings and Komatsu stood on front of the Mirror Maze. Both Zebura and Coco explained what they saw to the others. A couple of mask men carrying big bags going into the Mirror Maze.
No dough that was suspicious. So the five entered the maze to talk to the men with the bags.
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The one thing Toriko noticed was that the Mirror Maze reeked, phew, he actually had to hold his nose. Okay, it wasn't as bad as the Stinky Fruit, but still...
After a few minutes, the five realized that the maze was VERY WELL constructed. Both Sani and Komatsu somehow ended up back at the entrance, Zebura swore he was going in circles, and Toriko kept on running into the mirrors (Thanks to the empty optical illusions that the mirror created).
Coco was the only one who wasn't having any problem with the maze, thanks to his eyes. He was actually close to the exit, but he didn't see the men with the bags. 'Odd... There's no way both Zebura and I saw the same thing unless it was real,' Coco thought as he spotted the exit sign.
Suddenly, there was a sound. It sounded like something was unlatched. That sound didn't escape Zebura's ears. The giant radioed in the sound to his friends, and Sani, and told everyone to meet-up in front of the Mirror Maze.
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A minute later. Toriko, Zebura, Komatsu, and Sani were standing in front of the entrance. "Where's Coco? He's never late," The blue haired hunter asked as he held his walkie talky close to his mouth. Toriko radioed Coco to respond a couple of time.
"... Toriko..." the four heard the poison master muttered. It sounded like Coco was groggy.
"Coco, is everything ok?" Toriko asked over the talky.
"I... I think I fell through a trap door... And... I'm pretty sure I hit my head on something on the way down..." Coco said wirily.
"Do you know were you are?" Sani asked over the talky.
"No, but give a second to" Coco stopped suddenly. Then there was some noises that sounded like hands hitting a solid surface. "I'M... I'M CLOSED IN!" The poison master shouted over the talky.
The three kings froze. Komatsu saw this and asked what was wrong. The chief got his answer. Coco was very claustrophobic.
The next thing the four heard was Coco coughing and heard him coughed out "Knock-out gas..." Zebura was the only one to hear the poison master mutter "Zebura... Help..." then the talky went died.
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After Zebura practically destroyed the Mirror Maze, they found the trap door near the exit and found out were it lead. They also found out that the bomb threat was a ruse from all of the papers in the hidden room under the trap door. Zebura was about to throw a fit, the real target of the people who sent the bomb threat was Coco. And these people now had him.
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In an unknown location. A delivery truck was driving on it's marry way. In the haul of the truck was a big, metal, rectangular box, an unconscious Coco was in that box, which was only slightly bigger then he was. "Ze...bura..." Coco muttered out as the truck kept on driving.
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"Zebura, calm down," Toriko said, doing his best to stop the giant from destroying the building. "CALM DOWN?! CALM DOWN!? HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN SOME GROUP OF UNKNOWN PEOPLE JUST CAPTURED COCO?!" Zebura bellowed at his fellow kings and Komatsu. Toriko stated "I know your mad so are we, but shouting about it isn't going to help."
Zebura punched a nearby wall. He knew that, but what else could he do?
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Plan I: To Be Continued in Plan J.
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ZY: OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, another cliffhanger. Sorry readers, but this IS part of the story. Until next chapter.