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The conclusion, now with more characters singing |
| [Introduction]
The Final part of my sci-fi homage to Phantom of the Opera, for the final and most important part I will explain the rules of this story which SHALL NOT BE BROKEN under penalty you get disabled First and foremost, all though this is a parody of Phantom of the Opera it is different THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE BETWEEN FALCO, MARZIPAN AND ICHABOD! First of all Falco is 22, Ichabod and Marzi are 15 (Rose is now age 18) Second Falco has already mated to Rose the Dragon and when an Ave mates he or she mates for life, their bodies produce a hormone that they call the 'glue of love' that bonds them to their mate and makes the idea of making love to anyone else seem like a fate worse than death on Planet Ava Aves that take multiple partners are very disturbed people or just sick in the body and Falco may not be a nice character but he would never mate with a 15 year old girl even if she asked for it (He has too much respect for children) Second, Marzipan and Falco's relationship is more of a brother/sister relationship He tells Marzi that she is like 'the dear little sister he always wanted' Important note, Marzipan 'kind of' had a sexual encounter with Ichabod long before this story began, Marzipan and several other Humanimal children were stolen from their home planet of Mizzer to work as slaves to some space pirates. Marzipan with they aid of a magic cookbook preformed her job as the cooking slave so well that none of the pirates would hurt her because they were addicted to her food Ichabod disguised himself and infiltrated the ship hoping to liberate as many slaves as he could, one night Marzipan was framed for a crime she didn't commit and Ichabod 'volunteered' to punish her (Punishment in this case meant something sexual) Ichabod and Marzipan had already met the night before, Ichabod knew she managed to last seven years in captivity without losing her virginity but he also knew if he didn't punish her, his cover would be blown and he would be put to death, so he explained to her he did not want to hurt her and offered her the compromise that she would give him a blowjob...while Marzipan agreed that oral sex was better than vaginal or anal she still didn't have a pleasant time and puked up most of the seed...Falco knows full well about this incident and he marks it as another reason he will not mate her, because she gave Ichabod a blowjob by Avian law that makes her officially Ichabod's mate |
| Ichabod, Bill, Jim and Bob were on the good ship Fellowship licking their wounds (Well Bill, Jim and Bob were licking their wounds Ichabod merely bandaged them) "I can't believe it..." James said huffily "I can't believe I lost to a stork with a mutated beak!" "Heron." Zander said gently to the infuriated wolf "Whatever you birds all look the same to me." James growled "My Poor Marzi!" Ichabod moaned "Oh she's suffering inside that massive fortress I know it! What kind of horrible tortures are they foisting on her?!" Currently at the moment Falco, Marzipan and Rose were having a late lunch (Though a tense lunch in Marzipan's case) They were dining on a traditional Avian dish that looks like curry and smells like curry but can't possibly be curry because the curry plant does not grow on Ava. Rose and Falco had no problem with it but after one taste Marzipan was panting like a dog and her pupils had become mere pinpricks. "Marzipan?" Falco said gently "Is... Is it too spicy? It's OK you can say it's too spicy." "I can see through time...." Marzi said in a faint whisper "I did warn you you know." Zander said as he applied some medicine to Ichabod's bleeding arm "Falco is a dangerous Ave, even without his weapons even without his magic he is still a dangerous foe...When we were fighting the war with the Bettas Falco became a most impressive warrior he fashioned his own signature weapon, the Punjab Lasso and killed at least 100 of the enemy when he was only 12!" "Ichy." Matoaka said gently "Maybe you should eat something before you plot to storm the castle again." "EAT?!" Ichabod exclaimed jumping up "How can I eat when my beloved is suffering?!" "Actually it will help." James said "Eating something cool when you're angry helps calm to nerves and help you think better." Reluctantly Ichabod pulled a strawberry from the fruit bowl and nibbled it, they were right he did feel better although he was still angry and afraid. |
"You can see through time?" Rose asked Marzipan. "Then tell me what I will be doing next year." "Leave her alone," Falco said. "Can't you see she's eaten something that has made her sick." "More like whacked out," Rose said. "Marzi! Can you hear me?" "No," Marzipan whispered. "Only that last part. Everything else sounds like a buzz." "She's got a buzz on!" Rose said. Falco pushed Rose's face aside. "Oh, be quiet. You're just babbling now. Marzipan! I want you to lay down on the couch." |
| Marzipan walked over to the couch but as she sat down she felt even more ill "Oh Gods!" She exclaimed "I need to barf!" She raced over to the nearest sink and puked five or six times (But who was counting) She sat on the floor and cried big tears "I can't I can't lie down!" She cried "Or else I'll puke again." Rose did some quick thinking she grabbed Marzipan's Mother's little music box and wound it up good and tight. The tune began to play, the figurine of the gentlemanly black cat danced round and round with lady white cat. "My mother's lullaby." Marzipan said weakly "Here you Poor Dear." Rose said handing the cat_girl the music box "Let the music heal you, wash over you, Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast...Well actually the quotation is music hath charms to soothe the savage BREAST." Falco was gobbsmacked "How...how did you know that would work?" "Well..."Rose said shyly "Mothers know whats best for young animals, even if said young are not of their species..." "M-mothers?" Falco stammered "Rose...does that mean?" "Yes Falco I'm..." "Shush!" Falco said quickly "If Uncle Skeksis hears this he'll turn you into a handbag! Quick! We must hide!" But Marzipan did not hear a word that passed between the two, she was in a dream world imagining her own mother and father were those two cats dancing in the music box. |
When the song ended, Marzipan opened her eyes and looked around. Falco and Rose were gone. She felt much better, but she took one look at what was left of the Avan pseudo-curry and dumped it down the drain. "There," she said. "That curry that is not a curry won't have Marzipan to kick around anymore. Now what the heck happened to Rose and Falco?" Falco and Rose were stuffing clothes into suitcases as fast as they could. "Good grief!" Falco said. "Do you really need all this stuff?" Rose threw up her hands. "You don't want me to be naked, do you?" Falco thought. "Well..." "Oh you! Really, I need clothes to wear. Lots of them. What good is it being the girlfriend of an Avan nobleman if I can't have fancy clothes?" Falco's eyes widened. "Is that the only reason you're with me? For the goodies?" Rose put her arms around him. "Oh, honey, you know what goodies I like." Falco felt himself getting aroused. "Heh heh! I do. But we better get packed. Skeksis would put us both in the cage if he catches us." "The cage?" "That's what they call prisons and dungeons on Ava - cages. It's a bird thing." |
| Suddenly they felt a cold wind enter the room, Skeksis entered the old Vulture-Beak sauntered in like an elephant bird "Why are you packing?" He asked with cloying false sweetness "Have you not extracted the magic from the kitty cat?" Rose answered timidly "We were just planning a trip to Mount Iliad." She said "Ah..." Skeksis said "A nice romantic trip to the mountains, do be careful, we wouldn't want to have any unfortunate...accidents..." He chuckled, Falco realized what this meant 'He knows!' He thought in horror 'He knows and he's just toying with us, he's not doing anything because he wants me to finish the job of extracting Marzipan's magic!' Skeksis chuckled again "Now onto more serious matters, the exiled prince and his unicorn bride have been allowed in the royal palace! The New King has officially pardoned them!" |
"You're kidding!" Rose said. "I thought interspecies marriage was a high crime on Ava." "Hush, Rose," Falco said. Skeksis grinned. "Oh, it's a crime alright, and you can bet there are plenty of aristocrats who are not happy with this pardon." "Are you one of them?" Falco asked. Skeksis chuckled. "You know me, Falco. I have my own ways of dealing with problems. And I don't broadcast my moves in advance." Falco shivered, thinking about his own "problem". Yes, Skeksis would toss them in the cage for sure if it suited his purpose. "I'm making good progress with Marzipan," he said. Skeksis rubbed his hands together. "Are you? That's good. I knew you wouldn't fail me. As a show of support I will send a couple of my guards with you to Mount Illiad." "That's not necessary," Falco said. "It's nothing. I wouldn't want any harm to come to you. My guards will be very unobtrusive. Enjoy your little vacation." Skeksis was still chuckling when he left the room. Falco and Rose stared at each other. "Now what?" Rose asked. "He knows something. We'll have to be extremely careful if we want to keep out heads connected to our bodies." Rose gulped. "Do they still do decapitations on Ava?" "Sometimes, if the crime is serious enough." |
| Marzipan was anxious, whenever Skeksis was near she could feel a cold draft of wind. She crept under her bed and hid shivering and shaking as Skeksis passed through 'I hope Ichabod rescues me soon!' She thought to herself 'Falco at the very least can be reasoned with but this...Beast of a Bird is more Monster than he is a man!' Revel and Gear welcomed Zander and Matoaka and their motley crew into the royal feast hall, right away Bill, Jim and Bob started helping themselves to the alien fruits and breads and beverages. Ichabod politely stood with his hands behind his back, too much of a gentleman to simple help himself without official permission. "Go ahead." Revel said warmly "Help yourself to whatever you like, all these things are safe for your earth digestive system. Ichabod gingerly sat down between Bill and Jim and plucked a red, round berry from a fruit bowl, he delicately popped it in his mouth and his eyes brightened as he realized he had eaten a familiar Earth fruit "It's a current!" He exclaimed "It's a red current!" "Yes." Gear said cheerfully "At Zander's suggestion we started importing Earth fruits and vegetables and adapting them to our native soil, we allow all fruits and vegetables that our safe for our consumption but we won't import anything harmful to us...like strawberries." |
| Zander sat down in his old chair where he used to sit when he was a prince. "Revel, Gear." Zander said very slowly "We have reason to believe that Skeksis has sent his nephew to kidnap one of our own in order to gain more magic for himself. Our counterintelligence thinks he might secretly be in cahoots with the Wrangler Empire." Revel and Gear looked at each other |
| "I should of figured as much, when our last messanger failed to come back from his home," Revel said with a sigh. "I guess he saw or heard something and was killed." "I wouldn't mind bagging him for you," James said. "Problem is, we'd need something to counteract his and Falco's tricks. I don't like being the guy who brings a knife to a gun fight." |
| As the heroes discussed what to do about the situation. Marzipan sat on her bed, Her Mother's music box rested on the end table Marzipan also clutched her red rubber catnip ball in her paws, she sniffed it, the smell of catnip was fading instead it smelled of Falco. 'Why?' She thought to herself 'Why did Falco go all the way to Mizzer just to fetch these two things from the wreckage?' The door opened, Falco entered, Marzipan flattened her ears ready for a confrontation, but Falco did not pay any attention to her at first, he just leaned against the wall his knees knocking Marzipan did not know weather to say anything or not, instead she gave a soft little "Mew." Like a kitten who is lonely and afraid. "Don't mind me Marzipan." Falco said in a trembling voice "I'm just...feeling unwell." He ran his claws through his head feathers "Let us forget about the magic question for know shall we?" He said weakly "A bit of music shall cheer us both up, I shall start your singing lesson." "With all due respect Falco." Marzipan said dryly "I can't really sing at the moment, my throat still hurts from all the vomiting I did at lunch." "Fair enough." Falco said "So perhaps I will do the singing and you can listen...Would you like to hear one of Ava's oldest ballads? The song of the first King of Ava?" "I'd rather have a nice juicy burger to make up for that crappy lunch you fed me." Marzi said grumpily |
| Falco felt drained unable to put up much of a fight or think of ways to divert the conversations back to what he was originally going to ask Marzipan then as he was about to give up when he opened his mouth his tone was a soft hush lulling the sense of any that happen to hear him as he began to sing there were no words to his song but as Marzipan listened she could feel something inside her a warm yet cold thing within in her chest it was hard to describe what she was feeling but the more she listened to his song the more it grew and her lips softly began to move. Her voice was quiet at first slowly gaining audio till her words and his song melded it was a strange feeling she didn't know where the words came from or how they kept coming but they felt right and gave in as the sweet sounds that arose from Falco guided her and blanketed her with a warmth that only a parent could give a child... Marzipan thought to herself as she sang that perhaps Falco being who ever he was wasn't that bad as she felt he was in the beginning she still held reservations towards him and what he was attempting to do but at this moment she felt a kindred for him and that was enough for now. Falco listened to Marzipan sing he knew she would not know till much latter on what he was really doing the words and melody that came out of the young feline's mouth were actually her magic he was testing it to see how strong she was he had to gauge her carefully in order to preform what needed to be done and yet as her words washed over him sadness was filling his soul as he heard her words. Marzipan: "Been a long road to follow. Been there and gone tomorrow, without saying goodbye to yesterday. Are memories of home still valid or have the tears diluted them?" Marzipan turns towards Falco her eye's bright with un shead tears as she continues. Marzipan: "Maybe this time tomorrow the rain will cease to follow and the mist will fade away into day. Something somewhere out there keeps calling. Am I going home? Will there be someone singing solace to the silent moon? Zero gravity will take love. Am I alone, is there someone out there beyond this aching deep? Still the road keeps on telling me to go home. Something is pulling me... I feel the gravity of it all..." Marzipan closes her eye's as tears break through and relentlessly force their way to the surface as she thinks of Ichabod and home. |
Back in his rooms, Falco recited everythuing Marzipan had sung while Rose wrote it down. "But this is just the words," Rose said. "Without the melody you have no song." "I know," Falco said. "And for all I know, the magic only works for the right singer, meaning Marzipan singing it." "Skeksis won't like this. Even if he could sing. Which he can't." Falco paced back and forth. "We're in bigger trouble than before, because if we tell him about this, then he will know he can probably never have Marzipan's magic. What will he do then? What will happen to you and me?" Rose looked solemn and used one finger to make a slashing motion across her throat. "Exactly!" Falco said. "So no way can we tell him the truth. I'll have to say I'm still working on extracting Marzipan's magic to stall him while we think of a way to escape." "But where can we go?" "Good question, my dear. Good question." |
| Marzipan felt drained, exhausted after that little 'singing lesson' she clutched her dear little catnip ball and lay in fetal position on her bed |
| Meanwhile, James managed to get permission to check out the weaponry some Avian scientists were making. "This one won't do," he said, pointing at one that resembled a bazooka. "I stole one of those once and it wouldn't shoot for me." "Where did you acquire one of these?" the head scientist asked. "We've been working on this for five years. No one else should have it." "Then someone stole a prototype and took it to Earth," James said with a chuckle. "I found it at Area 52, with a bunch of others. However, I must of twisted it or something, because next thing I knew, I heard a countdown. So I chucked it into a corner and got the hell out of there. Thing blew up and cause a good deal of damage." "You triggered a self-destruct? I didn't know it had one." "Could of been an Earth addition, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands." |
| Falco and Rose were dozing off the dreamland, Falco's dream had haunting images in his head, a little cat_girl sitting in a meadow making daisy chains, tossing her little ball up in the the air and playing games with a fox_boy. Than the images turned horrific, an enemy spaceship landing, strange men in frighting costumes appearing...Falco woke up "Oh Gods!" He gasped clutching his head "Did you have a bad dream?" Rose asked "I realize now." Falco said slowly "What that song she sang was!" "And what was it?" Rose asked "It was her heart song!" Falco exclaimed "Now she will fight all the more harder to keep the rest of her magic! Because the only reason I was able to cast doubt in her mind was that she had not learned her heart song! Oh by the gods! Now my Uncle will kill me!" "Falco." Rose said softly "Have you considered their might another alternative to stealing magic?" "Like what?" Falco asked "Like...running away?" |
| "Yeah, that might be a good idea. Problem is; how to do it. My uncle has guards everywhere." |
| Marzipan's strength returned to her, and suddenly she realized that she HAD sung her heart song...But something was troubling her 'Did Falco help me find it or did I find it on my own?' She was still confused and in doubt and if she still had doubt than Falco still had power over her. She wandered from room to room looking for something to eat, but nothing looked safe enough for her consumption. She found a sack under her bed that was empty but smelled delicious. "This bag smells so good!" Marzipan said sadly "I wish there was a nice juicy Famous Star in here!" As soon as she had said that a Famous Star did appear in the sack! Quickly as she could Marzipan gobbled it up the burger as fast as she could before anyone could stop her "It's a magic bag!" Marzipan said joyfully "Now I wish for some criss cut fries and a bottle of milk." Once again the bag filled with the desired items, but before Marzipan could indulge however Falco snatched the sack away from her "Hey!" Marzipan protested "The sack of emergency rations is only to be used in dire emergencies!" Falco scolded "Besides, need I remind of how you vomited this very afternoon, I do not need you making yourself sick on junk food!" He took the fries and milk out of the sack, said a few magic words and teleported them to the refrigerator. Falco turned to Marzipan "It's about time you went to bed." He said "Tomorrow you have a busy day to look forward to." Marzipan crossed her arms and said angrily "Don't lie Falco you just want to steal my magic!" "Well actually..." Falco said hesitantly he stopped he didn't want to admit to this kitten that he had fallen in love with a dragon and had a child with her mostly because he was afraid she would let the secret slip and if the whole world knew Skeksis would kill Rose. "Marzipan." Falco said softly "Let us talk about something else, I'll sing you a lullaby to help you get to sleep." "I don't trust you." Marzipan said unhappily "Last time you sang I felt weak and sick to my stomach." "This time you won't." Falco said "I promise." He sat down and the pipe organ and began to play a soft beguiling tune he sang a song that sounded like a whisper in the darkness. "Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation ... Darkness stirs and wakes imagination ... Silently the senses abandon thier defences ... " Marzipan did not feel ill or strange as she heard this tune but she did feel sad, she looked out the window to see a thick mess of clouds hide the moon Falco continued to sing "Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour ... Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender ... Turn your face away from the garish light of day, turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light - and listen to the music of the night ..." Marzipan now felt incredibly sleepy she climbed into her bed and as her head hit the pillow she felt she was in some unsteady place between dream and wake "Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams! Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before! Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar! And you'll live as you've never lived before ... " Falco was telling the truth, this time he was not stealing the magic from Marzipan, this song he had composed for Rose when they first fell in love when they were teenagers, but he had never sung or revealed this song to Rose he had been much to shy, but know he continued to sing with such passion he had forgotten having ever being shy. "Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ... Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ... Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness which you know you cannot fight - the darkness of the music of the night. Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world! Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before! Let your soul Take you where you long to be! Only then can you belong to me ... " As he sung the words 'Belong to me.' He had moved away from the pipe organ and tucked Marzipan into the bed so she would not be cold, he continued to sing and he turned off the remaining lights, using the gusts of his wing beats to put out the candles. "Floating, falling, sweet intoxication! Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation! Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write - the power of the music of the night ... " At that very moment, Ichabod, Bill, Jim, and Bob stood on top of Sapphire Mountain, the wind blowing there hair this way and that |
| "Don't worry Ichabod," Bill said. "We'll get her back." "Maybe, but I want her back yesterday," Ichabod said with a sigh. "You'll have to settle for tomorrow," James said as he came into view. "I got some good stuff this time." |
| Ichabod felt a surge of energy build in him as his impaticence grew within moments he knew that he had to be calm but how could any one be calm when the one they loved was in trouble, he felt powerless wondering if Marzipan was alright he freated over her for she was a tender vision to him, Where he had only known darkness she was his light and redemption could only be obtained by her word for him she was the only person who matter even though it had taken him time to realize just how much she was to him he now accepted it lived for her love and the day he may take her as his and his alone. His heart sank as the others talked trying to calm his nerves but to no avail and yet he did not want them to be worried and so he plastered a smile on his face to help them even if inside he was anything but happy. Their words drifted above him as he felt his heart slowly suddenly it was the damnest thing he knew he should be feeling a panic in his body and yet his heart was slow as if he were asleep something he hadn't gotten much of since Falco had taken Marzipan, Ichabod wanted to hit his chest and make his heart pound loudly but instead he lifted his hand to his heart and listened as he stood there he felt her breath the same air he did. Her heart beat was his as his was hers they were more than connected now he was almost certain of her every movement as his chest rose with air as did hers and then fall softly. "She's asleep... She's OK..." Bill looked at Ichabod not fully understand what he was saying as he quizzically asked in a concerned tone "Who Ichabod?" Ichabod opened his eye's as he tried to explain the sudden feelings that were consuming him it was Marzipan to him he would know her better than anyone ever could and they were bonded somehow she was bonded with him but bonding on this level took years of physical contact with someone and joining with them in body, mind and spirit he had know her for longer than he could recall but he never joined her in body. Mind and spirit yes that was it their spirits were close enough that he could feel her "Marzipan... We are bonded" Bill looked at Ichabod as he raised an eyebrow at the youths words bonded was something you didn't just broadcast to others it was like saying that you had been with a women and were giving details to your friends like if it was a game but he knew Ichabod had meant it as he and Marzipan were more than just two kids dating no this was more. |
At that moment Marzipan was having a dream. She twisted and turned on her bed and murmured, "...bonded..." before she fell into a deeper, more peaceful sleep. |
| Marzipan woke up startled, someone was playing the pipe organ...loudly. Marzipan looked over to the organ before her but Falco wasn't sitting there and the music was coming from another room (Although it was still very loud) "Hmmm" Marzipan said "The door isn't locked I could explore a little...but I've got to be careful Nancy Drew always got in trouble for snooping..." Marzipan thought to herself about how to best do this "I suppose I could try the inviability spell Iris taught me all those years ago." (Iris Ogg Was a Bat_Woman who had befriended Marzipan when they were slaves with the space pirates, she was also freed by Ichabod seven slaves were freed in all) Marzipan whispered the old incantation to herself "Noctis Timeo." And instantly became invisible As she prowled through the hallway on all fours she crept into a room, this was the parlor, there was an enormous book resting on a table, she looked at it, its cover was written in Avian but when she rubbed the gilded letters with her paw they instantly changed to English letters "It's magic!" Marzipan exclaimed The Title of the book was 'The History of the Lombardi Family' |
| As she slowly peered in she spots... |
| Marzipan reached to open the book, to her surprise it opened itself! "My word!" Marzipan said to herself "I've never seen anything so extraordinarily in my life!" It opened on one certain page, on the last page words seemed to be writing themselves, you see long ago the First Lombardy ancestor enchanted the book to write itself...it wrote all the history of the Lombardi family weather they wanted it to be written or not. Marzipan rubbed her paw over the gold letters and they turned into English When she rubbed a paw over a certain sentence she read 'At the age of 17 Falco Lombardi fornicated with Rose the Dragon.' Marzipan gasped "Oh!" She said "I...I had no idea." She bit her knuckle nervously, if Falco knew she had been snooping around the family castle he'd probably take her magic and leave her an empty soulless husk. "And yet." Marzipan said sadly "He is like me...Both of us are in love with a member of another species...of course in my case I'm in love with a member of the race that created my race from mere animals so there are more implications but still..." |
| Suddenly without warning, the book slammed shut on her, Marzipan gasped, Falco was right above her. "Damn YOU!" He seethed "You little prying Pandora! You little demon! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED TO SEE?!" Marzipan terrified out of her wits ran away and hid behind a sofa "Cure you!" Falco called after her "You little lying Delilah! You little viper! Now you can not ever be free!" Marzipan peeked from behind the sofa trembling horribly. Falco was sobbing "Damn you!" He shouted "CURSE YOU!" Marzipan just stayed silent and still watching Falco compose himself "It's stranger than you dreamed it isn't it?" Falco said in a now cool calculating tone, giving a little mincing walk around the parlor "Can you even bare to look at me now? Or think or what I have done? This repulsive monster of an Ave also a stinking Humanimal lover..." He continued to speak "But is it really my fault that the only woman who could love this hideous face was not a member of my race or even my biological class, she was the only one who could see the man behind the monstrosity..." He couldn't talk anymore, he had gotten on one knee and was quietly sobbing to himself. Marzipan was terrified and yet moved by his story at the time, trembling, shivering she approached the sobbing bird. "I want tell anyone." She whispered nuzzling his knee with her nose and resting a paw on his same knee "I won't tell not in a million years...You can trust me Falco, I understand your pain." Even though she was afraid she hugged Falco, Falco was surprised by this, but he returned the hug "How strange." He said "You are defiant, rude and nosy and everything I don't like and yet you are even more endearing because of it you are like the dear little sister I always wanted!" "Oh I didn't know." Marzipan said weakly "If I ever had a big brother I hope they would be like you..." She didn't know if she meant those words or was just saying them to calm him down. Falco picked her up in his arms "Today I'm taking you to Animal Opera on Planet Alderbaren." He said "So when those Soldiers come into my castle looking for you you won't be here!" |
| Suddenly, an explosion rocked the place, and a hole appeared in the wall. "What the?" Falco started to say when he took a look. Down on the ground was the wolf James, who was holding what looked to be a rocket launcher. James looked at Falco and said, "This is your wake up call. Let the cat go or you'll see what I can really do." "I don't feel like letting her go," Falco shouted. "Also, where are your friends? Trying to sneak around to the other side?" "No, this is a private party; no bird gets the best of me and brags about it." |
| Falco knew he was in trouble, Marzipan slowly approached the wolf "Wait James don't shoot!" She said "Why not?" James asked "Isn't he the one who kidnapped you?" "But it's not his fault!" Marzipan said "It's not his fault at all!" Falco in a panic Marzipan would reveal his secret a affair clamped a claw firmly to her mouth, he mumbled a few magic words, and they teleported out of the castle. "Shit." James said "Now the coward is just running from me!" They reappeared at the Animal Opera on Planet Alderbaren, Marzipan felt sick after having teleported, she went over to a nearby cooking pot that was serving as a prop and threw up. "I think something went wrong when we teleported." Marzipan said weakly "I just barfed up a coconut cake...Like an entire coconut cake!" Falco saw Marzipan was about to faint and he caught her...He saw her pink and purple fur was slightly discolored he stroked her whiskers |
| Falco knew he had to hide her somewhere but...where? He picked her up Bridal style, and quickly headed to the empty dressing room of the Poodle-Girl Fifi La Grande (Whom he had killed earlier in part 1) Meanwhile on Planet Ava, Ichabod and the others were having breakfast, James walked in on them. "Falco teleported off on me." James said disgusted |
| "What are you talking about?" Ichabod asked. "The bird flew the coup." "Meaning?" "I went to have a little discussion with him and he disappeared and took the cat with him." "That cat has a name, Marzipan." "Whatever, the guy's gone, and we'll have to find him again." |
| Matoaka stroked her chin in thought "Perhaps..." She said "Maybe Bill, Jim, Bob and Ichabod should sneak in by themselves." "What do you mean?" James asked "I think this mission calls for subtlety." The Unicorn said "I think you have a way of pushing all the enemy's buttons the wrong way." Before Ichabod knew it they were sneaking into the Castle Fortress up through the basement. "I don't know how we keep getting talked into these things." Bob said "Hush Bob!" Ichabod said to the Anthro Catfish "With Falco gone maybe we can capture Skeksis and then...and then..." Ichabod stopped mid sentence there before our adventurers was a spread of all the foods they liked to eat before them...Ichabod was terribly hungry but felt uneasy "Why does this feel like a trap?" He asked himself But when his three friends started helping themselves to the food with the food, Ichabod could not resist temptation and ate a couple berries from the fruit bowl, as soon as he had eaten his third blackberry Skeksis appeared, chuckling "Foolish fools!" He laughed "I enchanted that food the give you extreme stomach pain that last for three days! Serves you right for snooping!" |
| "In that case," Ichabod said as he grabbed a pie plate. "Food Fight!" He then chucked the pie, hitting Skeksis in the face. "Ugh, disgusting vermin," Skeksis said as he wiped his beak. "I'm going to have you punished severely for that!" However, Bill, Bob, and Jim started grabbing food and chucking it at the bird. "Have some of your own medicine!" Bill shouted. "If I'm going to be stuck in bed for three days, I'm going to make sure you will to," Jim said as he chucked a strawberry cheesecake. "What he said," Bob said as he chucked a chocolate cake. |
Guards rushed in to grab the food fighters, but not before everyone was covered in pie goo. "What a mess!" said the Captain of the Guard. Take them to the showers. Ichabod was shy about his body and did not like being forced to strip while the guards watched. But his protests made the guards pick on him and they made jokes about his skinny frame as he stood under in showers with the others. "This is humiliating," Ichabod said. "Aw, don't worry about it," Bob said. "I get worse insults from the guys in my gym class. How would you like to be called 'fish boy' every single day?" To make matters worse, they didn't get their clothes back when they came out of the showers. Skeksis decided that part of their punishment would be public humiliation and they had to walk around the fortress naked while everybody who saw them jeered and mocked them. It was no big deal to Bill and Bob. In fact, Bill kind of enjoyed it. But poor Ichabod and Jim took it pretty hard. Jim was small "down there" and he heard some jokes about that hurled at him from the watching crowd. He just blushed and hung his head and wished it would be over soon. Finally they ended up standing before a grinning Skeksis. Ichabod didn't think he had ever hated anyone as much as he hated that evil Avan. But Ichabod's stomach was starting to hurt so bad that he wondered if the pain would take his mind away from the hate, or maybe he would just keep hurting and hating for three days. Life was not good at the moment. |
| "You should consider yourselves lucky!" Skeksis sneered "It was actually Falco's idea that I put the bellyache spell on the food my original plan was just to put poison in the food and let you drop dead." Ichabod was now on his knees clutching his belly and groaning "Why the change of heart?" He managed to growl "It was no display of compassion on my nephew's part!" Skeksis said jeering "It was only common sense! He did not want the entire fedaration breatheing down our necks!" |
| "I kind of wish James was here right now," Bob muttered. "He'd get us out of this mess." "You guys were the ones that ate the food," said Ichabod. "I only had a few bites." "I know this much," Bill said. "Skeksis won't be smiling long, once he feels the effect of the potion himself." "Yeah," Jim said with a quick grin. "I got him in the mouth at least once." "Got him three times myself." "I got him seven times." "Well I got him twenty times." "I don't know about that Ichabod, you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn." "I did to hit him that many times!" "Only if you're counting pieces." "Do you want me to hit you Bob?" "You hit worse than a girl." |
| Later when they had been givin their clothes back and kicked out of Crystal Mountain, Ichabod and his friends were bedridden clutching their bellies Zander and Matoaka were talking with Revel and Gear "So that's the story." Zander said solemmly..."Or at least that's the story Bill told me he's not exactly the most relable narrator..." "That's amazing!" Revel said stroking his beak "That Falco would propose something other than killing his enemies! I never knew Falco could be so merciful..." "You call this mercy?!" Ichabod moaned from his bed Zander sighed and walked over to Ichabod "It's not a very severe enchantment you've got there." He said "Really it can be very easily cured if I feed you some flat-u-less tablets." "Really?" Ichabod asked weakly "Yes." Zander said "But beware they do have a...rather loud side effect...Um Mattie, Gear Revel...you guys might want to leave the room." |
| Five minutes later, Zander left the room. He looked at the others and said, "I wouldn't go in there if I was you. I just barely opened the window before the faltuance started." James chuckled. "Well, this ought to teach them a very good lesson; don't eat anything in your enemy's home, as it might be a trap." "This could of been serious," Zander said with a huff. "They could of died." "Not my fault someone told me to stay behind; I could of prevented them from eating the food." "Well, you caused Falco to dissapear, along with Marzipan. Now how will we track them?" "I have a few contacts on a few planets; someone is bound to encounter a stork with a bent beak who has a young cat with him." |
"That's true," Zander said. "It doesn't sound like the typical couple you might see." Matoaka looked up from the knitting she was doing. "So nowadays what is typical? Look at you and me, Zander. A unicorn and a bird? I'll bet a century ago that would have raised a few eyebrows." "It still does on Ava, you know," Zander said. "Avans haven't hopped on the idea of interspecies relationships like the Earthers have." "It's not 100% popular on Earth," James said. "There are still people who don't like it, but they are in the minority, I think." "All this talk isn't helping us find Marzipan and Falco. Let's get to work on that." |
| Marzipan woke up...she felt weak and she didn't know where she was, she looked around and saw she was in her dearly departed understudy's dressing room "Holy Crap!" Marzi said "I'm not on Planet Ava anymore I better get out..." But as soon as she tried to get up her head started to hurt she had to lay back down. Meanwhile the managers of Animal Opera Aries the Ram and Taurus the Bull were expecting an important call, they heard the phone ring, the Bull picked it up first "Ahoy hoy?" He asked "Hey Taurus it's me James." The Wolf said "Listen have you seen a large blue bird with red eye markings with a pink and purple cat with him?" "Well I haven't seen any birds." Taurus said "But I have smelled a bird smell that seems to be coming from nowhere." Falco meanwhile was hiding on the in the rafters |
| "Okay," he said. "I'm going to need something that disguises my scent. I wonder if there is something that will do that around here." |
Falco rummaged around in the Bird Opera storage rooms until he found some stink bombs. "Hmmm," he said, "probably not the right approach to my problem. What I need is some strong perfume. I'll bet some of those opera divas have perfumes that will knock out a cow. Maybe I can sneak into a dressing room..." "Hey! You!" yelled a guard. "What are you doing?" Falco ran around the corner. "Whew! I almost got caught. Dang guards are everywhere. Who would think an opera needed so many guards?" |
| Marzipan slept a very restless sleep, she was having a flashback, she remembered the time she spent as a slave, she had been captured when she was eight and was freed when she was fourteen. She remembered landing on Alderbaren Ichabod's home planet, She remembered leading a party of slaves to try and escape, she was only 10 at the time... Marzipan held a torch in one paw and a ladle in the other. She remembered smelling human, the slaves were afraid they would be caught, They looked under a willow tree and seeing a boy no older than ten That boy was Ichabod |
| "Let's get going," said one of the others. "If we're lucky we'll slip past him." "But he's just a kid," Marzipan said. "Like some of us." "You can never tell with a human." |
Later, when the escaping slaves were resting in a hiding place, Marzipan remembered the face of the boy under the tree and when she slept he was in one of her dreams. When she woke up she said, "I don't know who you are, boy in my dreams, but I will never forget your face..." |
| Meanwhile Ichabod took some time to think, He wondered why he had fallen for such a stupid trap...Sure the food looked tempting but surly...Ichabod felt his belly rumble he was hungry, shortly after the extreme stomach pain and now he was hungry! He walked slowly from his room on the Fellowship to the Fellowship Kitchen, there was a lovely spread of fruits and breads and meats all arranged on the table. "Hey Ichabod." Bill said as he munched an apple "Feeling any better?" "Only in that I'm not feeling any stomach pain anymore." Ichabod said sadly as he plucked a few green grapes and popped them in his mouth "I'm trying to figure out why I ate the food with you guys even though I suspected it was a trap." Bob paused his munching to think about what Ichabod just said "Ichabod..." The catfish_boy said slowly "You do remember the time Marzipan stuffed you remember?" "Oh yes." Ichabod said "I remember..." He remembered Marzipan was once so angered by losing a cooking contest she used Ichabod as a guinea pig forcing him to try every recipe she knew in hopes she would find a winning recipe at last he passed out unable to take another bite. "And remember how that stuffing left you're stomach extended so that you would no longer feel full with normal portions?" Bob asked "Yeah." Ichabod said sheepishly "I remember that too." |
| "You see food, you get hungry." "And that will get you killed," James said as he walked into the room. "You were worse than I was. Falco made himself and Marzipan vanish; that's not on me. You guys went into the enemy's home and pigged out; that's on you." "It's not our fault." "Oh yes it is, you didn't control yourselves." |
"We already feel bad about it," Bob said. "Well you should feel bad," James said. "You screwed up. Worst of all, you didn't consult with me first. I could have warned you." "Sorry, James," Ichabod said. |
| Marzipan woke up from her dreamy slumber but when she tried to get up her head still hurt horribly so she was forced to lie down again. "You won't cure your headache if you continue to stir like that." Came Falco's voice Marzipan's eyes shut afraid Falco would take her in his arms and teleport and she would get sick all over again. "Oh don't flinch like that." Falco said Marzipan opened her eyes he was pouring a foul looking liquid into a shot glass "What is that nasty looking stuff?" Marzipan asked timidly "Cod liver oil?" "It is a medicine made from the root of the Ponta Plant." Falco said "It is said it can help with teleportation sickness." He gave her the shot glass she took it in her paw she drank it it tasted as foul as she expected... "YUCK!" She growled "Tastes like eel skins!" "Now rest." Falco said running his claws carefully through her headfur "Hopefully you will be well by tonight for tonight you will sing!" "Sing?!" Marzipan exclaimed "Why am I going to sing?! "I want to see how my singing lessons have honed in your natural abilities." |
A tear rolled down Marzipan's cheek. "Why are you so evil, Falco?" "Huh?" Falco said. "I'm not evil. Don't talk like that. I am making you a great singer and you call me evil? That's so ridiculous." "But, Falco. You are doing it against my will. It's not what I want. I want to go home. Please?" Falco looked away so he wouldn't have to see her tears. "Please stop crying. Everything will seem different to you when you are up there on that stage and the people are applauding and cheering you." |
| Falco pressed his thumbs on the cat's closed eyes "Sleep." He commanded and she fell into a deep sleep once again |
| "What am I going to do with her? There must be a way that I can get her to sing, so that I get her magic. That would show Uncle." |
| Falco sat in an armchair watching Marzipan sleep. He cared deeply for her, like she was his little sister, but she didn't seem to understand or appreciate him. Couldn't she see the great future she could have as an opera singer? Falco threw his head back and sighed. "Maybe I am thinking too much about what it would mean to me if she was a great singer. After all, isn't the important thing what SHE wants to do with her life? Not what I think is best for her? But she is so young. I hate to see her make a mistake that will jeopardize her future. There must be some way I can change her mind so she really wants to sing as much as I want her to sing." |
| The Phone Rang on the Fellowship, Zander was the first to get it. "Hello is that you Matoaka?" It was Taurus panicked voice "This is Zander." Zander said "Is everything OK?" "We've just received several note of threatening nature..." Taurus said "We believe them to be from your bird!" "have you been able to locate the bird?" Zander asked "No unfortunately." Said Aries "The Bird scent has long since vanished from the opera house." Falco was a clever one he used a strong perfume to mask his scent thereby leaving him untraceable... and about those threatening notes he was extorting the two opera owners to place Marzipan as the star of the show in their new opera. |
| "What do these messages contain?" Zander asked. "Basically, 'Unless you allow So-and-So to star in your show, I will make sure that this place will never even put on a children's play.' The message also mentions something about a bomb." "That does sound serious." |
"Well, yeah!" Taurus said. "A bomb? We have to do something about this." Zander felt tired. People were always asking him to do something about something. "Listen, Taurus," he said. "You're pretty good about organizing things. Can't you get a few people together and handle this?" "Zanderrrr!" Taurus said in a whiny voice. "You're much better at leadership things than I am. People look up to you. We all admire your abilities." Zander felt his feathers fluff out a little. One weakness Avans have is that a little flattery goes a long way with them. They love to hear how good they are. But of course they like to project a modest personality. "Aw shucks," Zander said. "You're as good at it as me, Taurus." "No, really!" Taurus said. "You're the best! When you lead a project we it know it will get done. Can you help stop the opera bomb plot? We really need you." "Well," Zander said, "I guess so. If you think I'm really needed." "You are! Thank you, Zander! I'll bring some guys around and we can have a meeting about it." After Zander hung up the phone Matoaka asked, "Who was that?" "Taurus. They want me to head up a group to do something about bomb threats at the opera." "Zander! I thought you said you were tired of having to always be the go-to guy." Zander shrugged. "I am, but they really need me. I'm not that easy to replace." |
| Aries and Taurus looked at each other's notes One demanded that they make Marzipan be made star of the new opera, the other demanded that a large portion of Space Bucks be sent to planet The Ram and Bull looked at each other "Who would have the gall to send this?!" They sang "Someone with a puerile brain!" "These are both signed O.G." Sang Aries "Who the hell is he?!" Asked Taurus "Opera Ghost!" They both sang "This is really not amusing." Aries said "He's abusing our position." Said Taurus "In addition he wants money he's a funny sort of specter to expect a large retainer nothing plainer he is really quite insane!" The Ram and Bull sang together |
| Meanwhile, Marzipan was trying to figure out how to escape from Falco. Leave when he did? No, he locked the doors. Put something in his food to make him fall asleep? No, she had nothing she could do that with. "There must be something I could do," she whispered. |
"There is! There is!" came back a tiny whisper from the room. "Who said that?" Marzipan said, whirling around, but there was no one in the room, no one that she could see. "I said it," said the tiny whisper. "Look up in the corner." "There's nothing there but a spider web." "That's my home!" said the tiny whisper. "A spider!" Marzipan said. "A talking spider!" "Shhhh! Not so loud. Do you want Falco to know I am here?" |
| "Who are you?" Marzipan asked "I am Anansi." The Spider said "I am your spirit guide." "Spirit Guide?" Marzipan asked "Is that like a guardian angel?" "In a sense..." Anansi said "Now listen closely in a few minutes Falco will come in and prepare you for the opera let him do so..." "Yes..." Marzipan said "You will sing in the opera tonight, and Ichabod will be watching..." "Ichabod!" Marzi exclaimed "How..." "Word gets around Anansi said "Anyway when you hear a scream call to him and he will run on stage to you, just whatever you do don't say Falco's name." |
| "And then what?" "You'll see young one, you'll see." However, just as Marzipan was about to ask more, the door opened and Falco walked in. "Get ready," he said. "You'll be on stage within three hours." |
"Yes, Falco," Marzipan said, and he looked at her hard. Why was she being so agreeable? Meanwhile, back at Fellowship Kitchen, Ichabod and Bill and the rest were finishing up their meal. "Let's go to the opera tonight," Matoaka said. "The opera!" Bill protested. "No thank you! Ichabod, what do you say you and I and Jim find something else to do tonight?" "What about me?" Bob asked. "And Bob," Bill said, rolling his eyes. "I don't know," Ichabod said. "What kind of opera is it, Matoaka?" |
| Matoaka grinned "Aries and Taurus informed me that Marzipan will be singing at the opera tonight." Ichabod stood up so fast his bowl of oatmeal went flying and landed on Bill's face. "Thanks for the warning." Bill said sarcastically wiping the porridge off his eyes. "Aries said he hopes he can catch the kidnapper if he plays his little game." Matoaka said "So we'll have a stake out." "Well what are we waiting for?!" Ichabod asked "Let's ...." "You can't go to the opera dressed like that!" Bob said "Falco we'll instantly suspect we're on to him if we come in wearing our federation outfits." "Or he'll think we're Trekkies." Jim said snidely as he sipped his soda "OK." Ichabod said taking deep breaths "tell me what I must do Matoaka." |
"I don't own a tuxedo!" Bob complained. "I know you don't," Matoaka said. "That's why we're all going to make a quick trip to the Thrift Shop." "They have clothes that fancy?" "Yes, it's located between the quickie wedding chapel and divorce court." "I just hope they have something my size," Bob said. "You know, I'm not shaped like regular guys." Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we noticed that." |
| Marzipan got herself dressed for the big night she felt tired and lethargic "I hope Ichabod comes soon." She said to herself |
| She took a look around and notice Falco's beak in the shadows. What's he up to? she wondered. |
Marzipan was concerned that Anansi, her spider Spirit Guide, had told her no more than her previous instructions: that when Marzipan heard a scream she must be sure not to say Falco's name and to call to Ichabod who would run up on stage. "But then what?" Marzipan murmured. "Then what?" Falco walked in, his eyes gleaming. "Are you ready, Marzipan? This is your big night. Tonight I will make you a star!" "Yes," Marzipan, "I suppose so." "Try to show more enthusiasm! It is like you are ready to fall asleep! Wake up, Marzipan! Wake up! This is your moment! ♪ This is the moment you have waited for! ♪" Marzipan spread her arms and sang. "Am I your butterfly? Just one flight and die? Please tell me now what will become of me. After tonight will I be history?" Falco swept his cloak back in a dramatic gesture. His voice rang. "Open your eyes, girl! I am giving you the world, girl! All of my wisdom, all of my strength, for you I have done it! Don't think I'm a grinch!" In the concert hall there was the mutter of many people talking, waiting for the curtain to rise. Ichabod and friends walked in, stiff in their fancy clothes, and found their seats in a row near the front. "These are great seats!' Bob said. "How did you do it?" "It's very strange," Matoaka said. "At the entrance a man dressed in black exchanged my tickets for these and said it was a gift from the spider. I looked down at the tickets and when I looked up to ask him who was this person called the spider... the man was gone!" "Maybe this spider person couldn't attend and wanted to give his seats to someone else?" Bob said. "Maybe... but it's strange. And the man in black wore a mask. Don't you think that's odd?" "Shhh! The orchestra is going to play." |
| Marzipan was dressed as a Maid and she was kissing a dragon-woman dressed as a countess.When Falco was not looking Aries and Taurus had switched the countess costume with the maid's Falco had origanally intended for Marzipan to play the Countess but THAT role had already gone to Prima Donna Lea Draco and The Ram and The Bull felt they couldn't trust Lea to play along during the stake out |
| "Alright," Taurus said. "So far so good." "I just wonder when he'll make his move," Aries muttered. "He'll make it, and then he'll be caught." |
| Act One was almost over and nothing had happened yet. That is, nothing that wasn't in the script. The chorus sang their hearts out. Marzipan was inspired by the lights and the audience and she got thunderous applause when she sang her special number, the one where she stands at the top of the stairs in a glittering golden gown holding a folding fan which she flutters before her face. Ichabod and friends were so involved in enjoying the performance that they almost forgot why they were there. Then a strange thing happened. A voice rang out from the back of the theater, "Stop the show! Stop the show!" People turned around to look at the disturbance. There was grumbling. Security guards rushed over to investigate. |
| Someone had been murdured, One of the stagehands, a lizard-man was found dangling by his neck. "Ichabod!" Marzipan screamed "Come to me!" Ichabod ran up on stage and hugged her "Where is Falco?!" Ichabod asked "I'm not supposed to say Falco's name...oh shoot." Falco swooped down from the sky and flew off with her into a vortex. Anansi slapped his forehead "Maybe I should have givin her more advice." He said |
| "Next time I'm shooting a tracer dart in her," James muttered as he came up to the stage, holding onto a rifle. "The bird flew the coop before I could fire a shot off." "And who said that you was to kill Falco?" Zander asked with something close to a growl. James pulled out a dart. "It was to put him to sleep, but he moved too soon. Guess we'll have to go after him again." |
| Ichabod was mad as spit. "I don't believe it! It's her fault for singing so good. I wasn't alert because I was so wrapped up in the performance." "No!" Bob said. "It's YOUR fault for asking about Falco. If you hadn't done that then Marzipan might not have said his name." "How was I to know saying his name was a no-no? We just found that out from this stupid spider spirit!" Anansi flinched at the insult. "Yes... yes... it is true I have not done as well as I might. I can only manifest myself where there is already a spider in the room and the spider in her room was old and feeble and ready to die. I had to concentrate very hard just to get my voice through it." Matoaka had a gentle smile. "Everyone relax. There is no need to cast blame on each other. It's true that Marzipan is still in the clutches of Falco, but we are all wiser and more experienced now. We aren't going to give up, are we?" "No," Ichabod said. And Bob and Jim chimed in, "No.. No..." Matoaka put her hands together. "Let's rest and recover and regroup and tomorrow will be a brand new day." |
That night Ichabod suffered from a restless sleep populated by one bad dream after another. In each dream Marzipan was in trouble in a different way. And in each dream Ichabod failed to recue her. At one point he woke up and drank a glass of water and wiped the sweat off his face. "Yow! These dreams are making me feel awful. If I had a sleeping pill I would take it." |
| Ichabod reached for a sleeping pill, but a fin slapped his hand "YEOW!" Ichabod cried "What the hell Bob?!" "I'm sorry." Bob said stepping out of the shadows "You should not take those pills when you are this stressed you could die!" "Well how do you propose I get to sleep?" Ichabod asked "Well I could make some of that special tea that cures insomnia..." Bob said "Or I can take this cane and smack you on the butt with it until you pass out, which do you choose?" "Um...I think I'll take the tea." Ichabod said Meanwhile Marzipan had been taken back to Falco's home in Crystal Mountain |
"I ought to spank you for being so naughty," Falco said. "You ruined the opera. What was all that screaming?" Marzipan started crying. "I'm sorry I ruined your stupid opera but don't you understand I don't want any of this? I just want to go home." Falco paced back and forth. "How can you be so foolish? I offer you stardom and you want to go back to being a nobody! It's insane!" |
| Falco looked at Marzipan she was crying and mumbling and clutching her tail, she looked like the Cowardly Lion. Falco sighed deeply, despite what he said he could not find it in his heart to hurt her. "Let me put you to bed." He said putting his hand on her shoulder "Clearly you need rest." Falco did not have the heart to tell her it was he who killed the Lizard-Man |
| "So, what do we do now?" Ichabod asked. "We could try his uncle," James suggested. "I'll do the talking." "And how are you going to do the talking?" Zander growled. "From the other end of a gun?" "That would be one way of putting it." "His guards would kill you, and then laugh." "I know more about fighting and killing than these kids do. Besides, I'm too tough to be killed." "Yeah, but you're sick! You've got that cancer. I'm surprised that the Commissioner hasn't assigned you to desk duty, or have you retired." "I'll retire when I'm six feet under, and not a second before." "I could have you taken off this mission." "Just you try it." |
| After Falco had put Marzipan to bed he mopped his brow and sighed, he walked slowly to his room and turned on the switch. Rose was sitting on the bed her arms were crossed, "Look we need to talk." She said "Can it please wait till tommorow?" Falco asked weakly "No it cannot wait." Rose said "We need to talk about your treatment of that poor little cat-girl!" "I know what I'm doing is wrong!" Falco said "But I'm doing it to save you!" Meanwhile Marzipan was hungry, she had not had anything to eat since breakfast and she felt weak. "It's stupid Falco's fault for taking me to the opera, and leaving me bedridden untill 6 PM!" She grumbled She thought, "Maybe Falco still left that sack of emergency rations still around." She said "Maybe I can wish myself something to eat." She turned to the big heavy door, she wondered if it was locked, it wasn't "For a kidnapper, Falco isn't really good at keeping me prisoner!" She giggled to herself. She sniffed the air, straining for a delious smell, she sniffed, and sniffed and finally found the sack under a table. "OK...Let's try this again." Marzi said "I wish for a hamburger some French fries and a bottle of milk!" Soon those thing appeared in the sack, Marzipan took the bottle of milk and drank deep from it for she was very thrirsty |
But Falco wasn't that careless. All the windows and doors leading outside were locked. What's worse he heard her padding around. "What do you think you're doing?" Falco said. "You need to rest. Go back to bed." "I was hungry," Marzipan said. Falco slapped his head. "Oh, right. I forgot to feed you. Avans eat like a bird. Just remind me next time when you get hungry. You don't have to sneak around." "I wasn't sneaking!" "You're a cat. I'm a bird. As far as I'm concerned you sneak. it's a cultural thing. Don't worry about it. Good night." "Good night!" Marzi said as she clicked her door shut. She collapsed on the bed. "Oh my life has gone soooo wrong! Meoooowwww!" |
| Falco shed a tear, he felt bad for the poor sweet kitten, it was crimanal to keep her locked up, but what could he do? He had to obey his Uncle's will or else poor Rose and their unborn child would be killed! "Falco! Come here!" Skeksis voice roared Falco appeared in a second "Yes Uncle?" He said timidly "I have a new invention I'd like to show you." Skeksis said slyly "You can use it on one of those federation mammals if they care to invade our castle again." "What is it?" "A high impact spanking machine! State of the art!" |
| "Um, I don't think this device will do much good," Falco said as he looked at it. "I mean, you could use it as part of a trap, but I don't think it will do any real good." "And why do you say that?" Skeksis demanded. "There is a wolf that works with them who has no fear in him," Faolco said. "He'd probably ruin it before it could be used." "Are you afraid of a little mongrel? They came in here after you left and I took care of them good. They couldn't sit for a few days." "I doubt you faced the wolf; he could easily kill us." |
| Ichabod was feeling sad and gloomy, he didn't know what to do, or in reallity he knew what to do but didn't know how to ask for it. It was 2 AM, that sleeping tea hadn't done him much good...He rose from his bed got dressed and went to Matoaka. Matoaka was sitting in the TV Room sipping a cup of tea and watching late night soap operas. "Matoaka." Ichabod whispered "Can I talk to you?" "Sure Ichabod what about?" Matoaka asked as she turned of the TV "Matoaka I have a request." Ichabod said "I want you to take me to Crystal Mountain drop me off there so I can find out how to rescue Marzipan all by myself." Matoaka looked sad but not at all surprised She looked at Ichabod and said "It will be dangerous are you sure you can handle it?" "I know it is dangerous but now I'm starting to think that this is a mission where one person will have a better chance than three or four." Matoaka put her hand on Ichabod's shoulder "All right I'll do it." She said "Because I trust you." She left Ichabod dropped off at the foot of crystal mountain, Ichabod knew there was a secret way to get in through the celler, he entered though a tunnel, he notciced there were several large leather sacks hanging from a wall, the sign was written in Avian 'Emergency Ration Sacks, to be used in only Extreme Emergencies!' Ichabod had remembered Zander talking about such sacks he took one of the wall and looked in it, it was empty just as the legend said he then said "I wish for a bottle of water." Lo and behold it appeared in the sack! Ichabod put the bottle of water in his left pocket and the sack in his right "Such a useful sack." He said "I think this may come in handy on my quest and anyway why should Skeksis have so many of these sacks? He's got like seven already! I think this sack could be put to much better use feeding the truly hungry!" He continued on his way |
| Meanwhile... "What!" James shouted. "You let the kid go off on his own?" "He said he could do it," Matoaka said. "You caused Falco to disapear the last time you went to the place." "The kid will get himself killed, and where will we be then?" |
"I don't think so," Matoaka said. "The Light is strong with that one." "What?" James said. "The Light? The Light never won a battle! You need good, old-fashioned muscles and brains for that! I'm going after him." "No! ... At least not right away. If it seems like he is in trouble... THEN we'll go help him." James cocked his head sideways. "And if it's already too late then?" Matoaka gritted her teeth. "Twenty-four hours," James said. "We'll give him 24 hours then I'm going after him." |
| Ichabod found Marzipan's room, Skeksis had locked it when he learned Marzipan had been 'sneaking' about so she couldn't find out any of his secrets. He had already learned that she knew Falco had fornicated with Rose and it made him even more angry. Ichabod knocked softly "Marzi? Marzipan? Are you in there?" "I'm here my darling." Came a voice Ichabod peeked at the space between the door and floor and could see a little pink nose and whiskers underneath. "Are you all right my love?" Ichabod asked "Have they been starving you are you weak with hunger and thirst?" Actually no." Marzipan cheerfully "I had a nice burger with fries and some milk." "Let me guess." Ichabod chuckled "You found a sack of emergency rations? I found one too." "Ichabod." Marzipan whispered "Skeksis has some brand new torture device, I think it's a spanking machine I want you to know he plans to strap you into it if you invade his castle again!" "Is it that big grey machine with the big red button?" Ichabod asked "Is that it?" "Yes don't go near it it's very dangerous." |
| "Actually, I just fixed it so that it only works on Avians." "How did you do that?" "I've learned a few tricks." |
| The infamous machine actually stood across from where Ichabod was standing on the other side of the parlor it as attached to a large computer. "Maybe I can learn something about how Crystal Mountain's Magic works." Ichabod said as he pushed the button that turned the large computer on. "Be careful!" Marzipan whispered "Aren't I always?" Ichabod chuckled, the starting menu gave a variety of ingalactic languiges to choose from, English was one of them included even though it was misspelled Inglish. Ichabod browsed through the various files but he could find nothing explaining how the various magics of Crystal Mountain worked. "Well." Ichabod said "I may as well find out how to get Marzipan free." Ichabod tried to find out how he could get the door open, what the computer told him left him shocked. He walked back to the door and whispered "Marzipan..." He said softly "There is a way to get the door open but it's not going to be pretty." "Well what is it?" Marzipan asked "Apparently if someone wants to open the door without setting off the alarm system, one must willingly strap himself into the spanking machine and ...erm...ride it out until the door opens." "It really said that?!" Marzipan gasped "I don't know Ichy that sounds like a trap." "Well maybe it is but what can I do?" Ichabod asked "I will do anything to save you ANYTHING!" Marzipan didn't say anything "Wish me luck my darling." Ichabod said sweetly he put his finger between the door and the floor so Marzi could give it a little lick Ichabod pushed the big red button and turned the spanking machine "WELCOME." It said in a monotone voice "HAVE YOU COME WILLINGLY TO TRY THE DEMONSTRION?" Ichabod pushed the YES button stating that he willingly was giving himself up to ride the machine out "UNDRESS YOURSELF AND PUT ALL CLOTHES IN THE DEPOSIT BOX." Said the machine With a sniffle Ichabod removed his shirt, pants, shoes, socks and finally his underwear and put them in a steel box and the side of the machine, he then laid himself down on the padded saw horse wear folds of flexsteel cloth tied down his arms and legs, and teased his legs apart exposing his delicate inner thighs. "Remember." Ichabod whispered to himself to calm himself down "You're doing this for love." He shivered as more cold flexsteel cloth looped themslves around his middle causing him the shiver a little |
When it had strapped him down tightly, the machine chuckled to itself and began purring loudly as the spanking mechanism wound up. "You seem to be enjoying this too much to be a mere machine," Ichabod said. "Oh, I'm not just a mere machine," the Spanking Machine said. "There is a video feed going out to the Three Planets network and your pain waves will be recorded and sold to the masochists of Planet Hitme. There is good money in this spanking business. And I have enough artificial intelligence programmed into me to actually enjoy spanking you. Isn't advanced technology wonderful?" "No," Ichabod said and gritted his teeth as the first spank landed on his bare butt. He was determeined that the masochists of Planet Hitme would not get their money's worth. However, after five more spanks he couldn't deny the pain and let out a gasp. "Stings, doesn't it?' the machine said. "No," Ichabod said, but there was a little catch in his voice. "I predict by the 15th spank you will be bawling like a baby," the machine said. "How many spanks will there be?" "Oh... a lot... a lot." Sure enough, by the 15th whack on his exposed posterior Ichabod was getting desperate. He couldn't help but howl every time the spanker hand whacked him. He was just too sore. But he vowed he would NOT have a complete hysterical breakdown. "I must not crack!" he told himself. "Marzipan's rescue depends on it!" |
| Falco meanwhile was having a dream, it was frightening dream. He dreamed he was sucking out all of Marzipan's magic, her pink and purple color flew into his mouth and he grew larger and stronger the more magic he sucked in. When he was through Marzipan simply dropped to the floor, where at first she Pretty and Plump now she was a thin frail ematiated cat-like...thing, You couldn't really call her a cat now that she had the magic sucked out of her now she was no longer a cat but a thing shaped like a cat. Her fur was now dull and colorless as were her eyes, she let out a long wailing meeeeeeeew....And dropped dead. Falco woke up but not because of the dream, The Red Emergency Alarm in his room was flashing. "Falco what is it?" Rose asked "Is something wrong?" "That's the alarm that's connected to the spanking machine." Falco said "It means someone strapped to the machine is about to die." Falco thought 'But that's impossibe...no one could be in there but wait...' Than he said aloud "No it can't be! I knew he was an idiot but not that much of an idiot!" Falco grabbed a ring of keys and rushed to the parlor he hoped and prayed he would be wrong, that he wouldn't find a near corpse on the spanking machine. But when he got there he knew it was true, there was Ichabod with a bloodied and battered bottom, not breathing and unconcious. A bloodied paddle dangled in the air. Flaco wasted not time he opened up the machine's CPU and crushed it with his claws, as much s he hated Ichabod he could not let him die by this terrible machine, he would not wish that fate on his own enemy! He took Ichabod down from the saw horse and preformed CPR in order to get him breathing again, it took several minuite but finaly Ichabod started breathing again. Out of the deposit box Falco got out a pair of silver underwear, really it was a high tech device with thousands of little nanobots it it that would knit the torn fleash back to health and make it good as new. Just as he finished putting the metal briefs on him, Falco's sharp ears picked up a sound....weeping, the sound of a cat weeping. Falco realised it was Marzipan she had probally heard everything and thought he was dead. "She really does love him." Falco sighed to himself "Just as I love Rose." Falco realized what he had to do he had to let Marzipan go and run away with Rose to another planet, there no longer was a place for them here on Planet Ava. "But not now." Falco said as he picked up Ichabod's limp body "The boy needs rest, and I can't release the two of them while it's still dark of the Crystal Birds and Spiders will follow them." He opened the door by touching it and saying a few magic words, Marzipan was sitting on the bed crying her heart out, Falco thought his heart would break, than he cleared his throat and said "Don't worry about it I saved him, He'll be fine he just needs rest." |
| Meanwhile, James was preparing for his assault. "Sniper rifle, combat shotgun, grappling hook, rope, grenades, bazooka, combat knife-" "James, I don't think you need all that," Matoaka said. "Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." "One of your instructors told you that?" "No, old movie called Tremors. Good stuff, stars Michael Gross as Burt Gummer, a paranoid survivalist, who helps his fellow townsfolk fight off these giant underground worms known as graboids." "How old is it?" "Came out in the 1990's. Good stuff for a shoestring budget." |
| Marzipan meanwhile was taking care of Ichabod, he was laid down on his front so his butt could heal, she mopped his feverish brow with a damp wet cloth. She also mopped his shoulders, back and arms for Ichabod was hot. James had lifted off the brick that led the entrence to the celler |
"I feel the need for explosions, gunfire, and yelling," James muttered to himself, "but not yet, not yet. Be still my heart. Pace yourself." Falco and Marzipan were sitting with Ichabod when the intruder alarm began beeping. "In the cellar!" said the alarm. "In the cellar!" Falco switched on the video. "A wolf! Looks like an old one, but tough." "James..." Ichabod murmured. "He's conscious again!" Marzipan said. "Ichabod? Can you hear me?" |
| "My head hurts." Ichabod said "I feel weak." "Falco!" Marzipan said quickly "Don't hurt the intruders! Just tell them what you told me! That you've changed your mind and that you're going to let me go, free of charge no strings attached!" "Are you sure James will buy that?" Ichabod asked "You know how paranoid that old wolf is...and how stubborn..." Marzipan reached into her pocket... and pulled out a blue ribbon."Here is a ribbon my Mother gave me as a present on my seventh birthday." She said "Use this as proof of our friendship." "Are you sure?" Falco asked. "Yes very sure!" Marzipan said "Hurry before the giant crystal spiders arrive." Meanwhile the brave heroes were exploring the cellar when they discovered the magic wishing sacks. "These sacks smell REALLY good!" Bob said "I wish there was a ham sandwich in here! Hey what do you know it is!" "Put that sandwich down" James growled "It might be a trap!" "Actually." Falco said as he entered the "That one isn't a trap he is free to eat it if he so desires." |
| "What are you talking about?" "That's an Emergency Provisions bag, it summons whatever food the user wants." "Let's see," James said as he grabbed the bag. "Half a dozen chicken wings, mild." |
| Falco related Marzipan's tale of friendship and showed James and Bob and the rest the blue ribbon Marzipan had given him. "Lookl legitimate to me," Bob said. "How would you know?" Jim asked. "When did you ever see that ribbon before?" "I never have," Bob said, "but that was a delicious ham sandwich. Nobody with a magic food bag that makes sandwiches that good could be all bad." "Bah!" Jim said. "You let your stomach do your thinking for you." "I can assure you that what I've said is true," Falco said, "and I can also assure you that we need to get out of this tunnel before the crystal spiders arrive." |
| As Falco said that, The Crystal Spiders began to arrive, Falco quickly led them out of the callar. Meanwhile Ichabod while he was awake and alert was still sore and recovering. "Did Falco say something to you while I was unconcious?" Ichabod asked rubbing his sore head "Because this complete change of heart is completly new to me." "Well I don't know what brought it on myself but I suspect it is connected to his love life." "Falco has a sweet heart?" Ichabod asked "Who?" "I'm sorry." Marzipan said "I promised not to tell." "Look you can tell me!" Ichabod protested "Promise not to tell a soul if I tell you?" Marzipan whisped "Cross my heart hope to die." Marzipan did not notice Ichabod had his fingers crossed behind his back "Well..." Marzipan said "Falco is in love with a Dragon_Woman named Rose..." |
| "I don't think I know her." "Well, she seemed nice. However, Falco has a problem; you know about the laws around here?" "Yeah." "Well, he can't exactly marry her." |
| (OK, Considering that there are 103 additions to this story already I''ve decied to divide the finale into to two parts, like the last Harry Potter movie) Falco opened the door and tossed his Ichabod's clothes to him. "Here are your clothes." He said "You might want to put them on before your friends get here." Ichabod quickly got dreesed, remembering to discard the silver underwear first. "Bye Falco!" Marzipan said warmly "We hope to see you again!" "Not to soon I hope." Ichabod grumbled As they left Crystal Mountain they were greeted by King Revel who was amazed by the Story Jim Buckwheat and Bob Buttz had told him "Is it true he really let you go?" Revel asked "Free of charge, no strings attached?" "Just chalk it up to my powers of feline persuaesion." Marzipan purred "Actually there was a differnt reason." Ichabod said with an evil chuckle "A romantic one." "Ichabod you promised!" Marzi exclaimed "Oh there is no harm in a bit of gossip." Ichabod said, his anger towards anger had become so great he was blind to reason. He whispered in The king's ear, and our heroine pulled her tail nervously "I hope no evil comes of this..." She whispered The End! |
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