Disclaimer: I do not own Jing. I do own Maeris.
A/N: Welcome to the SEVENTH chapter of Becoming a Bandit where we will conclude the Adonis arc. So, without further ado, I turn it over to my bandit girl. Enjoy!
"It looks like they've finally begun to move," remarked Jing from where they sat on a cart pulled by snails and whose driver had his nose stuck in a book, scoping out the enemy.
"So, this time it's muscular chickens wrapped in mummy bandages, huh?" mused Mae.
"See? I do know how to show my girl a good time," replied Jing, making her smile.
"We better hurry up and start stealing while we can," Kir advised them.
Jing smirked. "I thought I sent you a mission report. You should know that we must wait for the proper welcome."
"We are nothing if not well-mannered bandits," agreed Maeris. "Don't be rude, Kir."
The albatross snorted. "Maybe I would if you two ever did anything that demanded respect."
"Hey, by the way, mind if I talk to these guys first?" asked Jing.
"Looks like you're going to get your chance regardless of Kir's answer," noted Mae as one of the chickens attacked the cart.
The trio leapt from the smashed vehicle and took off.
"Don't worry, tweety birds. I'm right behind you!" called the chicken.
"Jing! Isn't the Clock Tower that way?!" demanded Kir, pointing in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?"
"We won't be able to get past the front gates from the streets," explained Jing. "First, we must stop the clock."
"How are we going to do that?" inquired Maeris as the chicken drew closer and closer.
"Here little birdies, birdies!" sang the chicken. "I can see your scared little tails running!"
The chicken grinned as they reached a dead end, lunged at the trio…and smacked right into a mirror.
"That's gonna leave a mark," remarked Mae and they proceeded to the hourglass.
"We've got to stop that," Jing informed them. "It's the city's power source."
"How do we do that?" asked Kir, echoing Mae's question from before.
"This is what Postino was referring to, wasn't it?" guessed Maeris.
"That's right," confirmed Jing. "We need to rework the sand with magic powder."
"'With magic powder'?" repeated Kir.
"You'll see," said Jing. "Come on, you two."
They made their way to the hourglass and released the seeds causing all the clocks to stop as the seeds floated throughout the city.
So, that's what Jing meant, thought Maeris as they climbed onto the roof of a building which faced the hourglass. He really is incredible.
"Quite a plan you've got," opined Kir, attaching to Jing's arm. "You've let loose the seeds of the flowers that keep time in the hourglass."
"I suppose," replied Jing. "Let's go ahead and finish the job, shall we?"
Jing shot a Kir Royale at the hourglass making it shatter. The town's clocks went crazy.
"Bingo," murmured Mae and they headed for the Clock Tower but were stopped by two guards wielding swords.
Jing grinned at Maeris and extended his arm. "After you, my lady."
Mae grinned back and knocked the soldiers down with her whip as more appeared. "Bring it on. I'll whip all of you guys into shape."
"Sorry to ruin your fun, Mae," apologized Jing, firing a royale. "But we are kind of on a deadline."
"Yeah, okay," agreed Maeris and they strode up to the doors which were locked. "Good thing you have a lock pick."
Jing unsheathed his hidden blade and went to work.
"How's it going?" inquired Kir after a few moments; the sky had started to lighten.
"Almost got it," replied Jing as more soldiers appeared.
"There they are!" cried one of them.
"Shit!" swore Mae, reaching for her whip but the guys suddenly fell forward.
"I would expect nothing less from the Bandit King," remarked the captain surrounded by the others from Neverland. "You really did steal time!"
"Captain, Mirabelle, everyone," said Mae. "You all came."
"Here, let me get that," offered the captain, utilizing his false right arm which was shaped like a key to unlock the doors. "I always keep a spare on hand…Sorry about that, I can be a little cheesy sometimes, Mr. Bandit King."
"Hey, as long as it gets us in," responded Jing. "Thanks."
"I want to apologize, Jing," declared the captain. "I feel bad about how I treated you earlier. You have opened my eyes and brought back all my old…Well, anyway, thanks."
"The sun, it's rising," noted Mirabelle, causing them to turn and watch the sunrise.
"Beautiful," breathed Mae, placing her hand in the crook of Jing's arm.
"Yeah," the captain agreed. "And without our annoying little clocks."
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" crowed Kir.
"It's a new day," said Jing, staring down at Maeris. "Ready to go look in the tower?"
Mae nodded and they headed inside where ugly little trolls were smashing grapes with their feet in a gigantic barrel.
"Hey, Jing, I'm ready for my morning shot of action," announced the captain eagerly as the trolls leapt at them. "Let's go!"
"Don't drink too much," warned Jing as the captain and his men dealt with the trolls while he, the girls, and Kir pushed onward. They climbed a long staircase that led to a room filled with trees on which hung…
"The Grapes of Time!" exclaimed Mae with wide blue eyes. "We found them!"
Mirabelle suddenly gasped as a grim reaper flew in and cut off a bunch of grapes from a branch. "This is horrible. I can't believe Master Gear goes as far as to mess with the sacred grapes!"
"Yeah, but there have got to be some that have not yet fallen into his grasp," figured Jing, picking Mae up bridal style and running up one of the trees with Kir and Mirabelle following behind them.
"You know, you really didn't need to carry me," Mae told Jing as he set her down and they searched for the grapes.
"I know, but I like to," replied Jing with shining eyes making her blush. "Found them. They're over here!"
"Alright!" said Mae as they joined the Bandit King and poked their heads through a tangle of branches to see a bunch of grapes.
"How beautiful!" breathed Mirabelle. "They look so good they almost look fake."
"Is this what you two have been looking for all along, Jing?" inquired Kir.
"What do you mean?" asked Mirabelle.
"They make the very time we live in." explained Jing, sitting down. "And bear fruit almost like a machine. They are the 'Grapes of Time' and with just one, anyone can escape the normal restraints of time. The last pure vine…This is a great treasure. In the sunlight the drops grow plump, and in the moonlight, its sweetness is refined. It is the only 100% natural fruit."
"I can't wait to try one," murmured Mae as she took a seat next to him. "I bet they're delicious."
"That must be why it could have survived such torture," mused Mirabelle thoughtfully. "I'm sure it must taste wonderful too!"
"Of course," confirmed Jing.
"Because it's a fruit that has ripened from the seeds of freedom," added Kir.
Mirabelle reached for a grape and gasped as Master Gear and Sherry appeared.
"You, you, you've stopped time in Adonis. My time!" shouted Master Gear, letting out a roar as Sherry fired at them.
"Watch out!" screamed Mirabelle, pushing Jing and Maeris out of the way.
"Mirabelle!" cried Kir.
"Mirabelle!" called Mae as the wounded, unconscious girl lay on top of them. "Oi, Mirabelle!"
"You almost messed up Mirabelle's cute little braids!" yelled Kir. "You'll pay for that!"
"I'd stop worrying about her braids and start worrying about her life if I were you," Sherry advised him, firing again and again.
"Come on, we gotta move," said Jing, grabbing Mirabelle and running in the opposite direction. "We need to hurry and get her to a safe place first."
"Right," acknowledged Kir and Mae as they raced up the stairs and into a room decorated with statutes. They went behind a curtain which led to a balcony where Jing gently set Mirabelle down. The girl slowly opened her eyes.
"She's coming to!" noted Kir.
"Mirabelle, thank goodness you're alright," murmured Mae.
"You'll be safe here," Jing promised her.
"Don't worry, Mirabelle. Old Kir here is going to protect you!" Kir assured her. "I swear on the rising sun!"
"Thank you, Kir," replied Mirabelle.
"Why are you hiding, my little time bandits?" demanded Master Gear.
"Guess that's our cue," remarked Mae and they headed back inside where Master Gear and Sherry were waiting.
"We weren't trying to hide from you," Jing told him.
"I see," replied Master Gear, smirking. "You know this is the top floor of the Clock Tower, right?"
"We know, buddy," said Kir.
"In that case, you must already know. This is the closest room to the land of the dead in all of Adonis," proclaimed Master Gear as Sherry shot at them. They dodged her attacks and then took refuge behind the now broken statues, breathing heavily. "Hiding again? You sure do have a lot of energy. But playtime is over!"
Master Gear snapped his fingers and the exit leading to the balcony as well as the curtains covering the windows closed. "You're like helpless children in this black darkness."
"I'll save you time and tell you now," offered Sherry. "That trick where two of you synchronized your heartbeats won't work again this time."
"Damn!" swore Kir and flew back down the stairs.
"Wait right there!" commanded Sherry.
"Stopped that albatross in its tracks. What a pitiful little beast," sneered Master Gear. "We don't need pets interfering with our business this time. You're not really qualified to own a pet anyway. Sherry, why don't you give our little friends a kiss!"
Sherry closed her eyes and sensed where the two bandits were. "Over there!"
Jing and Mae moved out of the way as the blast destroyed their hiding spot and kept moving while the fox continued to fire at them.
"Run out of places to hide?" inquired Master Gear as they stopped behind them.
"It appears so," replied Jing.
Master Gear laughed and turned around. "Time is up."
"I can't hear their heartbeats!" declared Sherry as the sound of clocks going off echoed around them.
"Perfect timing, Kir!" cheered Mae.
"That's my partner for you," concurred Jing. "You ready?"
"Always," she replied.
"Sherry! Where are the punks?!" demanded Master Gear. "Sherry? Answer me! Sherry?!"
Master Gear tsked and snapped his fingers, allowing light to enter the room again.
"So, what kind of new hairstyle do you think would look good on her?" Jing asked Mae as they knelt on either side of Sherry. Jing had his blade at her throat while Mae's whip was wrapped around the fox's mouth. "What do you think about giving her that new cool, shaggy look?"
"Sounds good to me," agreed Mae.
"You bastards," growled Master Gear but did not move to help his partner who decided to free herself. She broke Mae's hold and leapt away. "Sherry! Where are you going?! Where?!"
"I'm going to find a new master who is more dependable," she told him, not looking back. "You incompetent fool."
"Sherry!" cried Master Gear as she disappeared. He fell to his knees. "It's all over. There's nothing more I can do. It's all over."
"Guess that's that then," mused Mae as Master Gear suddenly got to his feet. "Now what?"
"Who are you?" demanded Master Gear but no one was there. He walked forward.
"What is he going to do?" inquired Kir as he and Mirabelle rejoined them.
"It's not our job to find out," responded Jing. "We've got to give this one to the captain and the others."
"I guess you're right," said Kir as the tower began to tremble.
"What's going on?" asked Mae, covering her head. "It feels like the whole place is falling apart!"
"What the hell is that?!" exclaimed Kir as a giant mechanism burst through the floor and lifted Master Gear upwards.
"The Demon of Time!" realized Jing.
"It looks like a heart with a clock on it," remarked Mae.
"If that really is the Demon of Time, then the old man at the spa was right all along!" stated Kir.
"I thought that old man was full of it when he told us that!" replied Jing as the demon sent blades of metal at them. The bandits jumped into the air. "Kir! I need you for one last shot! Mae, clear a path for us!"
"Got it!" yelled Mae, knocking the blades away with her whip as Jing fired a Kir Royale, destroying the Demon of Time and wrecking the tower. "This place is collapsing!"
Jing grabbed her hand while Kir helped Mirabelle. "Hurry for the door!"
The door was blocked by debris from the statues.
"Just perfect," muttered Mae.
"We'll have to jump!" said Mirabelle. "Hurry!"
"I'll be fine, but what are you guys going to do?" inquired Kir.
"We have no choice," pointed out Jing. "Jump!"
They jumped and landed in a pool of sunflower petals surrounded by the others.
"You okay?" Jing asked Maeris.
She nodded and smiled at him. "Never better."
"Hey, everyone!" shouted the captain. "Forget about time for now and let's party!"
~ Becoming A Bandit ~
"Those guys sure do know how to throw a party," opined Maeris as the celebration went into the night. The bandits perched on the ledge overlooking the city, staring at the grapes from the tower. "Ready?"
Jing grinned and divided the grapes between the three of them. They ate the fruit, sighing in satisfaction.
"So good!" cried Mae.
"It's better than I could ever have expected," Jing agreed.
"It's the taste of freedom!" declared Kir.
"I know something that tastes even better though," said Jing, rising to his feet and pulling Mae with him. He cupped her cheek with his hand and smiled at her, his dark eyes glittered. "Wouldn't you agree, Mae?"
Mae blushed and closed her eyes as the Bandit King brought his lips to hers.
"At least you two are happy," grumbled Kir. "What about Mirabelle?"
"You'll see her again soon," Jing reassured his partner after he and Mae had broken apart to glance at the albatross. "We'll come back and see her. It'd be a shame not to taste the grapes again too."
"Mhm," agreed Mae.
"In the meantime, I wonder if she'll be waiting for me?" mused Kir. "I hope she'll always be thinking about me."
Mae stared meaningfully at Jing who grinned, and the two bandits started walking away while the bird pined after Mirabelle. Kir then realized they were leaving and flew after them. "Hey, Jing, Maeris, wait up!"
A/N: And there you have it! Until next time, read review and show the love!