((All characters in this story are not of my own, so please don't sue me!))
The Watermelon Tree
"Idiots…"
He smiled.
"Right away. I will do as you say…"
He frowned.
"They are all idiots."
Business meetings are what they were referred to as. If that is what you wanted to call them. However, to him they were nothing more than an annoyance. Something that came along with the job; part of playing the game some would say.
His stride was long, and his steps echoed quietly across the room as he left. Many high-ranking men watched him in silent awe, his skill frightening them into submission. However, the moment he left their stares turned to animosity. They hated him, he knew that. He had no delusions about his popularity, however it would be a cold day in hell before he ever let it get to him.
"Vicious…" one his attendants softly said behind him.
"…?"
"The ship will be departing soon. Be sure to…"
He had already stepped out the door.
"get…on….it……" His attendant sighed, not even attempting to follow him. He simply turned and walked away just as quietly as he had entered.
"Watermelon!!!!!"
"Woof Woof Woof!"
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon!!!!!"
"Waterm….oop…"
"Hey give that back to Ed!"
Spike groaned and tossed a large watermelon up and down in one hand. Ed meanwhile jumped up and down trying feverishly to get it back from him. Slightly amused by this, he decided he might as well give her what she wants.
He rolled his eyes and tossed it to her, knocking her over on her back, however she just smiled and rolled around in the sand with it.
"A beach resort planet…?" Jet asked unbelievingly.
"Businessmen love meeting in comfortable places like this. Makes them feel…..safe…I guess." Faye answered with an ironic smile.
"Well it's a lead that could lead to something interesting anyway." Spike added.
Jet nodded. He realized however, that it might make these people hard to find. He closed his eyes wondering if they had a remote chance of finding such people one a beach resort planet.
"There's only one way to go about it!" he said snapping his fingers.
"Why don't we….split…..up….":
Everyone was already walking away.
"Some team…"
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon! Mmmmpphhhh…."
Spike glanced down at her, and then ran his good hand across his brow.
"Ed there is no way you're going to get that inside your mouth."
"But Ed must eat it before he comes!"
"He?"
The man who Jet immediately identified as "he" suddenly rounded a corner shouting. Jet suddenly realized the situation, and how Ed had procured said watermelon.
"There you are you stupid brat! Give that back!!!"
"NO! It's Ed's!" she yelled back, sticking her tongue out.
"Bark Bark!" Ein added.
With a sudden burst of energy Ed dashed off with watermelon and Ein in tow, giggling gleefully as the vendor tried to chase after her. To his dismay however, he was too slow for her, quickly losing her in the crowd of people on the beach.
The vendor's eyes quickly turned towards Jet who seemed to have known the kid who stole his melon.
"HEY YOU OVER…..there….."
Jet had already the foresight to begin his search for the criminal meeting, and avoid picking up another one of Ed's tabs.
Meanwhile, Ed was skipping along happily grasping the watermelon she had skillfully stolen from the vendor.
"Watermelon, smallermelon, dyermelon, HEY. If you wanna eat a watermelon….go….for…..thraaaaaaaaa Ahhhhhhh! My watermelon!"
In her giddiness Ed had failed to notice the sharp decline in the hill she had been currently running on, and with only a slight trip was now watching her watermelon roll quickly away from her.
"Bark Bark Bark Bark!" Ein shared her dismay as he watched the melon that could have been half his roll away.
"No come back!!!!"
She was just about to go after it when it suddenly hit a bump, sending it spiraling into the air. What's worse was it was about to land right on the head of a lone man standing by the beach.
"Hey watch out!" she yelled reactively.
"Bark!!!"
All she heard however was just two thuds. The watermelon was now cut in half, lying in two halves on either side of the man whom to many went by the name Vicious. He shifted his gaze slightly upward, his eyes resting upon her like a snake looking at an egg.
Ed however slid down the hill quickly to get back her watermelon, thinking nothing of the scene she had seen before her. With a slight stumble she tackled what she deemed as her half of the watermelon, covering it with her body as if it would become animate and try to get away. She held it dearly, her face joyful for the return of her precious melon.
"Wow it's even cut nicely for Ed now. Thank you!" She crawled around Vicious's feet not sensing the cold air that seemed to surround his body. She scooped up the other half of the watermelon hastily breaking it once again into two pieces. She placed one half on the ground.
"Here's a little piecy wiecy for Ein!" she said joyfully. Ein expression voiced that he did not seem as pleased to be getting such a small piece, however. Besides his doggy senses were telling him something was awry about this situation. However again he was a dog, and he was hungry, so he quickly started gobbling up what was given to him.
Ed scooped up the second half and held it up to Vicious.
"Here! This is for saving my watermelon!"
In reply she heard a soft clink as he once again fully sheathed his sword, realizing there wasn't any inherent danger from this girl.
Ed looked at him in confusion then blinked.
"You don't want it? Then Ed will eat it!" The moment she opened her mouth Ein whined, having already finished his piece.
"Ok fine Ein, but Ed will be unhappy if you poop in her bed again!" she exclaimed laying it on the ground.
Ein nodded as if he understood then started eating again.
"Hahahahaha, Ein, your face is all covered with seeds. You look funny!"
The dog looked at her questiongly, and then went back to eating.
"Hey don't eat it so fast or you'll get sick!"
She poised a bad example her own mouth stuffed.
Vicious hand twitched. He should leave; this situation did not suit him at all. She seemed to be just a stupid kid, nobody worth killing.
Quietly he began to turn so he could leave back to his ship.
"Hey, is that a sword?" Ed casually exclaimed her mouth still full of watermelon.
"…" He glanced at her from the corner of her eye.
"Ed knew someone with a sword once. He was a BAD man!" she exclaimed, making an angry/evil face to illustrate what she met.
"A bad man…"
He spoke to her.
"Yeah but you're not a bad man! You saved my watermelon!" she gleefully said, holding her half of the melon close to her.
His eyes shifted down to look at her. A cool breeze swept over the beach, cooling them momentarily, his long overcoat flapping in the wind.
"Are you sure you don't want any? You did such a good thing for Ed after all."
His eyes narrowed.
"A good thing…"
"Yeah! You look kind of like a bad guy. But nobody who saved Ed's watermelon could be bad guy!" Ed happily exclaimed, giving him a taste of her life philosophy.
"Some people can never be good, no matter what they do." He said sullenly. He glared down at her, feeling the pain of his past deeds suddenly weighing heavily on him.
Ed seemed shocked by this as she backed away, her eyes filled with fear.
Vicious smirked very slightly. This girl was suddenly starting to understand what kind of person he was.
"You are a bad person…" Ed said lowly, staring at the ground. Her face was devoid of emotion, and then she slowly shifted her eyes upward, staring right at him.
Vicious unconsciously started to unsheathe his sword.
Her face suddenly turned to a pout.
"Bad person who was planning on stealing Ed's watermelon all along!!!" she yelled, pointing at him accusingly, her other arm guarding the watermelon at her side.
Vicious's expression changed to subtle shock not realizing his hand had already half unsheathed his sword. When he did realize it was already to late and he was unable to stop his sword from slipping out of its sheath. The moment of hesitation that Ed had caused with her small joke had now caused Vicious's sword to fall to the ground. It landed with a thud and for a moment Vicious was frozen in disbelief.
His eyes reflected quiet rage at the humiliation he was suffering because of this stupid kid. However as he kneeled to pick it up Ed already at her hand on it, holding it up towards him.
"Ed will forgive you. Ed does think that you were trying to steal her watermelon." She said with a smile on her face, half covered with juice and seeds.
Ein barked in agreement, leaving Vicious standing there hesitating in the awkwardness of the situation.
Seeing, as the man wasn't reacting Ed blinked, confused.
"You don't want it? You are giving to Ed?"
"No!" he blurted out rather loud, snapping back to reality. Then continued in his usual monotone voice.
"Give it back to me girl…"
Ed just shrugged and tossed it to him nonchalantly, not recognizing the cold tone of his voice. He grabbed the sword sloppily and placed it back in its sheath with a loud clang. He was unable to measure his anger and cursed to himself that he wasn't going to play this game anymore. The more he watched her innocently eating, the angrier he became.
He smirked, his eyes slightly wild as he reached for her.
"You…"
His palms slowly reached down to her, his target being her neck. Then he lunged, going to kill her quickly and silently, making her unable to scream.
With a sudden movement she looked up at him, and grabbed his hand. He was shocked at her swiftness, and quickly went for the retaliation.
Though hit nothing.
Ed had already stood up, and was prancing away from him merrily. She was now already quite a distance from him, licking the excess watermelon juice from her hands.
Vicious felt the urge to charge after her, but she suddenly turned around and looked at him.
"Oh yeah! Mister! If you plant that it will give you good luck and make you happier!" she giggled. "I mean anyone would be happier with a watermelon tree in front of their house don't you think?"
Vicious took that moment to look down. Low and behold the hand she had grabbed earlier now contained a single watermelon seed that she had placed there.
He felt, confused as he stared at it. A feeling of not knowing that sat strangely with him, making him unable to think of anything else but the object in his hand.
It was so small, yet the feeling it gave him was so strange. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time, it reminded him….it reminded him…..he couldn't remember. That is when he stopped letting it get to him, and instead looked up, watching her prance away.
"C'mon Ein lets go back! Vroooooooooommmmmm!" She held out her arms, making airplane sounds as Ein yipped happily behind her all the way.
He in return did nothing more than wrap his fingers around the seed. He just stood there for several moments staring at his closed fist, after which he shrugged with a small smirk, then slowly began to make his way back towards his ship. A breeze slowly rolling over him that he actually recalled being warm.
Later…
Vicious's attendant stared confused as his master walked through the door.
"Where have you been sir?"
"…"
He didn't answer. He just held his hand out as if he had something to give him. A bit afraid his attendant placed his hands out to receive. However instead of losing a finger, as he believed he would, instead he saw that Vicious had dropped a single watermelon seed in his hand.
"Plant it in the garden." He commanded.
"Sir?"
"…"
He said nothing more and left for his quarters, his black peacock coming to rest on his shoulder. All his attendant could do was watch as he stared down at the small object, and then rushed to do as his master had said.
"Even bad guys, can do good things…"
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Faye, Jet, and Spike all stared at Ed unbelievingly. She was currently sitting on top of a wheelbarrow full of watermelon seeds.
"Ed….what…." Faye started.
"Now we can make lots of watermelons!!!" she exclaimed happily.
Ein barked in agreement.
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon….."
The shoulders of all three of them shrugged as they could feel a headache coming on.
"Woof!"
The End
The Watermelon Tree
"Idiots…"
He smiled.
"Right away. I will do as you say…"
He frowned.
"They are all idiots."
Business meetings are what they were referred to as. If that is what you wanted to call them. However, to him they were nothing more than an annoyance. Something that came along with the job; part of playing the game some would say.
His stride was long, and his steps echoed quietly across the room as he left. Many high-ranking men watched him in silent awe, his skill frightening them into submission. However, the moment he left their stares turned to animosity. They hated him, he knew that. He had no delusions about his popularity, however it would be a cold day in hell before he ever let it get to him.
"Vicious…" one his attendants softly said behind him.
"…?"
"The ship will be departing soon. Be sure to…"
He had already stepped out the door.
"get…on….it……" His attendant sighed, not even attempting to follow him. He simply turned and walked away just as quietly as he had entered.
"Watermelon!!!!!"
"Woof Woof Woof!"
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon!!!!!"
"Waterm….oop…"
"Hey give that back to Ed!"
Spike groaned and tossed a large watermelon up and down in one hand. Ed meanwhile jumped up and down trying feverishly to get it back from him. Slightly amused by this, he decided he might as well give her what she wants.
He rolled his eyes and tossed it to her, knocking her over on her back, however she just smiled and rolled around in the sand with it.
"A beach resort planet…?" Jet asked unbelievingly.
"Businessmen love meeting in comfortable places like this. Makes them feel…..safe…I guess." Faye answered with an ironic smile.
"Well it's a lead that could lead to something interesting anyway." Spike added.
Jet nodded. He realized however, that it might make these people hard to find. He closed his eyes wondering if they had a remote chance of finding such people one a beach resort planet.
"There's only one way to go about it!" he said snapping his fingers.
"Why don't we….split…..up….":
Everyone was already walking away.
"Some team…"
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon! Mmmmpphhhh…."
Spike glanced down at her, and then ran his good hand across his brow.
"Ed there is no way you're going to get that inside your mouth."
"But Ed must eat it before he comes!"
"He?"
The man who Jet immediately identified as "he" suddenly rounded a corner shouting. Jet suddenly realized the situation, and how Ed had procured said watermelon.
"There you are you stupid brat! Give that back!!!"
"NO! It's Ed's!" she yelled back, sticking her tongue out.
"Bark Bark!" Ein added.
With a sudden burst of energy Ed dashed off with watermelon and Ein in tow, giggling gleefully as the vendor tried to chase after her. To his dismay however, he was too slow for her, quickly losing her in the crowd of people on the beach.
The vendor's eyes quickly turned towards Jet who seemed to have known the kid who stole his melon.
"HEY YOU OVER…..there….."
Jet had already the foresight to begin his search for the criminal meeting, and avoid picking up another one of Ed's tabs.
Meanwhile, Ed was skipping along happily grasping the watermelon she had skillfully stolen from the vendor.
"Watermelon, smallermelon, dyermelon, HEY. If you wanna eat a watermelon….go….for…..thraaaaaaaaa Ahhhhhhh! My watermelon!"
In her giddiness Ed had failed to notice the sharp decline in the hill she had been currently running on, and with only a slight trip was now watching her watermelon roll quickly away from her.
"Bark Bark Bark Bark!" Ein shared her dismay as he watched the melon that could have been half his roll away.
"No come back!!!!"
She was just about to go after it when it suddenly hit a bump, sending it spiraling into the air. What's worse was it was about to land right on the head of a lone man standing by the beach.
"Hey watch out!" she yelled reactively.
"Bark!!!"
All she heard however was just two thuds. The watermelon was now cut in half, lying in two halves on either side of the man whom to many went by the name Vicious. He shifted his gaze slightly upward, his eyes resting upon her like a snake looking at an egg.
Ed however slid down the hill quickly to get back her watermelon, thinking nothing of the scene she had seen before her. With a slight stumble she tackled what she deemed as her half of the watermelon, covering it with her body as if it would become animate and try to get away. She held it dearly, her face joyful for the return of her precious melon.
"Wow it's even cut nicely for Ed now. Thank you!" She crawled around Vicious's feet not sensing the cold air that seemed to surround his body. She scooped up the other half of the watermelon hastily breaking it once again into two pieces. She placed one half on the ground.
"Here's a little piecy wiecy for Ein!" she said joyfully. Ein expression voiced that he did not seem as pleased to be getting such a small piece, however. Besides his doggy senses were telling him something was awry about this situation. However again he was a dog, and he was hungry, so he quickly started gobbling up what was given to him.
Ed scooped up the second half and held it up to Vicious.
"Here! This is for saving my watermelon!"
In reply she heard a soft clink as he once again fully sheathed his sword, realizing there wasn't any inherent danger from this girl.
Ed looked at him in confusion then blinked.
"You don't want it? Then Ed will eat it!" The moment she opened her mouth Ein whined, having already finished his piece.
"Ok fine Ein, but Ed will be unhappy if you poop in her bed again!" she exclaimed laying it on the ground.
Ein nodded as if he understood then started eating again.
"Hahahahaha, Ein, your face is all covered with seeds. You look funny!"
The dog looked at her questiongly, and then went back to eating.
"Hey don't eat it so fast or you'll get sick!"
She poised a bad example her own mouth stuffed.
Vicious hand twitched. He should leave; this situation did not suit him at all. She seemed to be just a stupid kid, nobody worth killing.
Quietly he began to turn so he could leave back to his ship.
"Hey, is that a sword?" Ed casually exclaimed her mouth still full of watermelon.
"…" He glanced at her from the corner of her eye.
"Ed knew someone with a sword once. He was a BAD man!" she exclaimed, making an angry/evil face to illustrate what she met.
"A bad man…"
He spoke to her.
"Yeah but you're not a bad man! You saved my watermelon!" she gleefully said, holding her half of the melon close to her.
His eyes shifted down to look at her. A cool breeze swept over the beach, cooling them momentarily, his long overcoat flapping in the wind.
"Are you sure you don't want any? You did such a good thing for Ed after all."
His eyes narrowed.
"A good thing…"
"Yeah! You look kind of like a bad guy. But nobody who saved Ed's watermelon could be bad guy!" Ed happily exclaimed, giving him a taste of her life philosophy.
"Some people can never be good, no matter what they do." He said sullenly. He glared down at her, feeling the pain of his past deeds suddenly weighing heavily on him.
Ed seemed shocked by this as she backed away, her eyes filled with fear.
Vicious smirked very slightly. This girl was suddenly starting to understand what kind of person he was.
"You are a bad person…" Ed said lowly, staring at the ground. Her face was devoid of emotion, and then she slowly shifted her eyes upward, staring right at him.
Vicious unconsciously started to unsheathe his sword.
Her face suddenly turned to a pout.
"Bad person who was planning on stealing Ed's watermelon all along!!!" she yelled, pointing at him accusingly, her other arm guarding the watermelon at her side.
Vicious's expression changed to subtle shock not realizing his hand had already half unsheathed his sword. When he did realize it was already to late and he was unable to stop his sword from slipping out of its sheath. The moment of hesitation that Ed had caused with her small joke had now caused Vicious's sword to fall to the ground. It landed with a thud and for a moment Vicious was frozen in disbelief.
His eyes reflected quiet rage at the humiliation he was suffering because of this stupid kid. However as he kneeled to pick it up Ed already at her hand on it, holding it up towards him.
"Ed will forgive you. Ed does think that you were trying to steal her watermelon." She said with a smile on her face, half covered with juice and seeds.
Ein barked in agreement, leaving Vicious standing there hesitating in the awkwardness of the situation.
Seeing, as the man wasn't reacting Ed blinked, confused.
"You don't want it? You are giving to Ed?"
"No!" he blurted out rather loud, snapping back to reality. Then continued in his usual monotone voice.
"Give it back to me girl…"
Ed just shrugged and tossed it to him nonchalantly, not recognizing the cold tone of his voice. He grabbed the sword sloppily and placed it back in its sheath with a loud clang. He was unable to measure his anger and cursed to himself that he wasn't going to play this game anymore. The more he watched her innocently eating, the angrier he became.
He smirked, his eyes slightly wild as he reached for her.
"You…"
His palms slowly reached down to her, his target being her neck. Then he lunged, going to kill her quickly and silently, making her unable to scream.
With a sudden movement she looked up at him, and grabbed his hand. He was shocked at her swiftness, and quickly went for the retaliation.
Though hit nothing.
Ed had already stood up, and was prancing away from him merrily. She was now already quite a distance from him, licking the excess watermelon juice from her hands.
Vicious felt the urge to charge after her, but she suddenly turned around and looked at him.
"Oh yeah! Mister! If you plant that it will give you good luck and make you happier!" she giggled. "I mean anyone would be happier with a watermelon tree in front of their house don't you think?"
Vicious took that moment to look down. Low and behold the hand she had grabbed earlier now contained a single watermelon seed that she had placed there.
He felt, confused as he stared at it. A feeling of not knowing that sat strangely with him, making him unable to think of anything else but the object in his hand.
It was so small, yet the feeling it gave him was so strange. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time, it reminded him….it reminded him…..he couldn't remember. That is when he stopped letting it get to him, and instead looked up, watching her prance away.
"C'mon Ein lets go back! Vroooooooooommmmmm!" She held out her arms, making airplane sounds as Ein yipped happily behind her all the way.
He in return did nothing more than wrap his fingers around the seed. He just stood there for several moments staring at his closed fist, after which he shrugged with a small smirk, then slowly began to make his way back towards his ship. A breeze slowly rolling over him that he actually recalled being warm.
Later…
Vicious's attendant stared confused as his master walked through the door.
"Where have you been sir?"
"…"
He didn't answer. He just held his hand out as if he had something to give him. A bit afraid his attendant placed his hands out to receive. However instead of losing a finger, as he believed he would, instead he saw that Vicious had dropped a single watermelon seed in his hand.
"Plant it in the garden." He commanded.
"Sir?"
"…"
He said nothing more and left for his quarters, his black peacock coming to rest on his shoulder. All his attendant could do was watch as he stared down at the small object, and then rushed to do as his master had said.
"Even bad guys, can do good things…"
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
Faye, Jet, and Spike all stared at Ed unbelievingly. She was currently sitting on top of a wheelbarrow full of watermelon seeds.
"Ed….what…." Faye started.
"Now we can make lots of watermelons!!!" she exclaimed happily.
Ein barked in agreement.
"Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon, watermelon….."
The shoulders of all three of them shrugged as they could feel a headache coming on.
"Woof!"
The End