Story: Fist of the Necoconeco (chapter 14)

Authors: Guu_chan

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Chapter 14

Title: Interlude

[Author's notes:  

Author's notes: This chapter will seem strange, because it is actually a fusion with a non-Japanese animated film I love.

Yes, I know it's definitely not a good idea to do that kind of thing ... but since I finally managed to get back to writing fanfiction after a (forced) one-year break, I'm allowed to doing something foolish at least once (besides, that story itself is foolish in the first place).

Anyway, the animé in question was made in the 70's; as I said, it is not Japanese, but rather well-known in Japan -- according to Miyazaki Hayao of Studio Ghibli fame, it was this film who gave him the idea of using "vertical space" extensively in his own creations.

If anyone recognizes this animé, he / she will have won ... umm ... will have won ... the right to read better chapters from now on (maybe).

]

Interlude: Among the clouds
(Where a lone girl struggles against Tyranny ... )

A young girl with shoulder-length brown hair framing a pretty and serene face was standing idly in the middle of a small meadow. A sleeveless blue sundress covered her thin frame, and a wide-brimmed straw hat rested on her head, protecting her from the sun’s rays. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings.

Her soft, brown eyes wandered about the bare, yellowish ground stretching out beyond the horizon. As far as she could see, the land seemed devoid of human presence. She was standing in one of the rare patches of thin grass widely scattered about the landscape.

Here and there, a few twisted, dead trees rose pitifully from the ground. It was as if something had sucked the life out of this barren land.

"Hmm ... I seem to have ended up in the Kingdom of Tachycardia," whispered the young girl to herself.

A chilly gust of wind wrapped itself around her body; she shivered, her delicate hand holding onto her straw hat to prevent it from flying away.

Squinting, she spotted the faint outline of a strange structure in the distance. Although it seemed to be far away from where she was standing, it rose well above the horizon. It had to be incredibly tall, she thought to herself.

The girl started to walk towards the shape ... By a strange contraction of time, she suddenly found herself standing in close proximity to the great structure, able to behold it in all its glory.

It was a castle--a castle of gigantic, unreal proportions, utterly dwarfing the greatest skyscrapers she had ever seen. She had no idea of its exact height, but wouldn't have been surprised to hear it reached one full Kilometre.

More than its mere height, the castle's most prominent feature was its sheer eccentricity; it was made up of countless constructions of varying sizes, styles and eras, entangled in a mad architectural chaos.

Its base was encircled by thick crenelated ramparts; overhanging the foundations stood an ancient Greek temple, flanked by massive Gothic bastions and donjons. Higher up, a collection of small, elegant baroque pavilions was scattered among imposing classical edifices adorned with golden domes.

Everywhere, slender turrets with pointy roofs seemed to sprout from the larger buildings, which were all connected together by many bridges, aqueducts and endlessly long staircases.

Even higher among the immense structure flourished constructions of more modern design; tall, oppressive stone buildings whose facades were endowed with countless small windows.

Lastly, from the top of this monumental assemblage, rose a great column on top of which rested a dainty, miniature castle, straight out of a fairytale.

"Hmm, this is why the land looks so gloomy and empty," mused the young girl; "that huge castle must be somehow absorbing its whole life-force."

Making up her mind, she climbed up the stone staircase leading to the main gates, and soon found herself inside the ramparts. She wandered aimlessly between the various buildings of the first level, crossing squares, gardens and promenades.

Strangely, although everything looked incredibly pristine and perfectly kept, she didn't meet one single soul. Silence reigned, except for the occasional echo of her own light steps upon marble tiles.

After sightseeing for a while, the young girl started to feel ill at ease. Something seemed off with the whole picture ...

Observing her surroundings more closely, she finally realized that the whole decor served one--and only one--purpose: the glorification of the King.

Truly, the whole castle was one gigantic monument dedicated to the glory of the monarch. Every facade bore his name carved in golden letters; every flag wore his coat of arms; every sculpture or painting displayed his august personage.

The girl frowned, noting that the King didn't seem to be a very pleasant fellow, if one was to judge by the pompous expression every single one of his depictions wore. She shuddered, glancing at the many statues, portraying him as a Roman emperor, a Greek deity, a hunter, a winged cherub ... Even the box trees in the gardens were trimmed as to resemble his haughty visage.

Suddenly, the young girl heard the call of a horn in the distance. Drawn towards the sound, she came across a small crowd gathered at the bottom of a wide marble staircase leading to a particularly beautiful building. Above a huge arch enclosing the entrance, a golden inscription read: Glory to His Majesty Charles V+III = VIII+VIII = XVI, King of Tachycardia.

Joining the assembly, the girl wandered about various groups of courtiers and sycophants dressed in flamboyant costumes; they were chatting among themselves and trading gossip in hushed tones. Nobody seemed to pay attention to the inconspicuous girl in a plain sundress and straw hat.

Standing at attention beside the crowd were several burly, mustached policemen, clad in black jumpsuits and bowler hats. They all looked frighteningly similar, and were armed with big revolvers hanging at their sides.

Next to the policemen stood a dozen musicians in red hunting costumes, ready to blow into their brass horns.

The young girl noticed with worry that the policemen were guarding a small cage set on a wooden table.

After a short while, the great doors opened slowly, and the King of Tachycardia himself appeared.

He was seated on a small throne which was, strangely, gliding forward all by itself. The King activated a lever and his mobile throne stopped in front of the stair head.

The girl looked up, finally able to see the monarch in the flesh after having been subjected to the sight of his many statues.

Despite his elegant suit and billowing cape designed to make him look more broad-shouldered than he really was, he seemed much less imposing than his stone counterparts.

He was a rather short-legged, pot-bellied fellow bearing a contemptuous expression. He had a pear-shaped face with chubby cheeks, and a large aquiline nose. A long, black, thin mustache and a small round goatee framed his cruel, downturned mouth. Under a big golden crown, he was cocking an eyebrow disdainfully as he glanced down upon his subjects.

Two lackeys in purple suits approached the sovereign and exchanged his crown and scepter for a green feathered hunting hat and a scoped rifle.

Holding his weapon casually over the arm, and resting his other hand against the hip, the King began his descent upon the stairs in a slow, affected gait, as the musicians sounded a brisk hunting fanfare.

With disgust, the young girl realized that the King's idea of "hunting" obviously was to shoot the poor creature imprisoned inside the cage. Peering from between two policemen, she tried to have a better look at the animal cowering behind the wooden bars.

Gasping in horror, she discovered it wasn't some kind of bird as she had surmised, but an incredibly small pigtailed girl -- not bigger than a man's hand -- clad in a miniature pink dress. Huddled inside her prison, the poor fairy-like creature was shedding big, crystal tears.

As the King neared his "hunting grounds", the chief policeman walked up to the table and opened the cage. The tiny girl timidly peeked outside the opening; but she quickly retreated inside her prison in fright, as she caught sight of the King already taking aim with his rifle.

Annoyed, the policeman grasped the cage and started to shake it violently, until the small child dropped onto the table, dazed and swirly-eyed. He nudged her over the edge of the table, and she took flight by fluttering her pigtails at a rapid pace.

From behind the line of policemen, the young girl rushed forward, hoping to rescue the tiny being, or at least shield her from the bullets with her own body. However, one of the black-clad men barred her way with a meaty arm, grunting in annoyance. The frail girl struggled feebly, and started to cry as her efforts proved futile. She tried to scream, but only a weak sob escaped her lips.

As the miniature child slowly rose in the air, the King took aim with his hunting rifle, carefully peering through the scope ...

He fired. And missed his target by a mile.

Despite this rather unimpressive display of marksmanship, the crowd started to clap and cheer for the sovereign, who waved casually at his sycophants, smiling in false modesty.

"Bravo!" "Beautiful shot, your Majesty!" "Very good form! What elegance!" "Bravo!"

The young girl sighed in relief, noticing a detail she had overlooked about the King: he was terribly cross-eyed.

Suddenly, a loud bellow echoed throughout the area, startling everyone.

"AAAASSASSIN!"

A flying, ovoid-shaped, yellow being descended upon the group, describing a lazy arc, and snatched the tiny pigtailed child in mid-air. It floated to a tall statue portraying the King as a Roman emperor, and perched itself on top of its laurel-crowned head.

Sighing in relief, the young girl dried her tears and stared at the impromptu rescuer, taking in his oddly familiar cat-like features.

"Indeed, I will say it again: A-SSA-SSIN!" proclaimed the mysterious feline in a deep, drawling voice. "Now, will you look at that sorry piece of work: some nasty, wretched fellow, shooting at a poor soul for no reason! And they call that ... 'Your Majesty,' ha!" he scoffed, gesturing disdainfully at the monarch with a spaghetti-like arm.

The miniature girl, still clinging to her savior, blew the King a raspberry.

"Addressing me in such a tone," growled the ruler of Tachycardia. "Insolent feline!"

In rage, he took aim and fired a shot with his rifle, blowing off the nose of his statue.

"This time, a feline I am not! Although I look like this, I am ... a bird! And I bid you Farewell! Muahahahahaa!"

The yellow creature lifted off from his perch, looking down upon the audience with a smug expression.

The policemen drew their revolvers and started firing in his direction. To their dismay, the bullets bounced harmlessly off his seemingly indestructible body. He let out another booming laugh and continued his ascension unfazed.

Infuriated, the King hastily climbed up the marble stairs, snatched his crown and sceptre from a lackey, and drove away at full speed in his mobile throne.

The young girl watched the crowd of disconcerted courtiers disperse, leaving her all alone at the bottom of the staircase. She looked up at the yellow form disappearing among the impossibly high buildings.

All of a sudden, she started to feel ill at ease again; somehow, she was having a premonition that the little pigtailed girl would find herself in danger again soon, and that no one would be able to save her for a second time.

How would she be able to reach her in time and protect her from harm? She couldn't possibly climb the thousands of staircases that led to the top of the castle!

Searching through the pockets of her dress, she came across a pair of strange items: ellipsoidal, chestnut, and silky ... magical pigtails!

"Ah, I think I remember now," spoke the young girl; "I did something very bad a while ago, and as a punishment I had to fly somewhere far away ... and I ended up in this horrible place."

She glanced up towards the sky, her soft features setting themselves into a resolute expression.

"Now is not the time to dillydally. Now ... it is time to fly!"

She discarded her straw hat and boldly thrust the pigtails against the sides of her head. They attached themselves neatly with a small "click."

The magical pigtails started to flutter faster and faster, and soon the young girl managed to lift off, rising slowly along the facades of the huge castle.

Glancing upwards hopefully, she spotted the yellow shape coming again into view. She willed the pigtails to increase their flapping frequency, and slowly started to catch up to the cat-like creature.

As she reached past the top of the second-level buildings, she started to suffer from the first signs of fatigue. Soon, it became more and more tiring to keep airborne; she felt her strength draining away with each flap of her pigtails.

Glancing below, she spotted the royal elevator rising from between the castle buildings. It looked like a large, grey cannon shell with a round porthole on the side, and a golden crown adorning its top. Breaking every law of physics, it was propelled upwards in the open air by an impossibly long metal rod rising from the depths of the castle.

As a last resort, the young girl dove towards the top of the elevator cabin and managed to grab hold of its golden crown. She relaxed and allowed herself to catch her breath while being carried upward by the strange device.

Moved by curiosity, she bent forward carefully and peeked through the porthole inside the cabin. The interior was lined with red velvet, and in its center stood a small throne upon which King Charles V+III = VIII+VIII = XVI of Tachycardia was seated.

The monarch was bearing a rather sour expression; next to him a lackey in full livery was standing stiffly, trying hard to look dignified.

Through the porthole, the young girl heard a loudspeaker drone a dull voice:

" ... Level 28: Department of Legal & Internal Affairs; Royal High School of the Humanities; Ministry of Justice; Royal Lavatory ...

"Level 55: State Prison; Spring Prison; Summer Prison; Autumn & Winter Prison ...

"Level 67: High Security Dungeon; Detention Centre for the Young & Elderly; Municipal Pound ...

"Level 71: Ministry of War & Hostilities; part-time sub-department for peace ...

"Level 81: Royal Botanic Garden; Royal Anthropological Colonial Display; Royal Zoological Garden; Gallery of Ancestors ...

"Level 99: Small Arms Factory; Big Guns Manufacture Facility; War Machines Industrial Complex ...

"Level 125: Umbrella Factory.

"Level 153: Royal Steam Baths; Royal Guard Barracks; Ministry of Fine Arts, Information & Propaganda ...

"Level 161 to 258: Royal Secret Police Barracks and Lounge ...

" ... Attention, we are currently closing in on level 296: Secret Apartments of the King. All unauthorized personnel -- ie anyone but the King himself -- shall be liable to summary execution."

The young girl glanced upward, and realized that the elevator was about to enter an opening in the small castle which rested at the very top of the huge structure.

At the last moment, she let go of the elevator cabin, and with the last of her willpower, managed to start up her magical pigtails again and rise up to the edge of the castle roof. Grabbing hold of the gutter, she hoisted herself with difficulty onto the blue tiles. She got up and steadied herself against a nearby chimney, panting heavily.

From her position on the very top of the giant castle, the girl's view was absolutely breathtaking. Yet, beyond the formidable assemblage of constructions, she could see nothing but the same barren landscape for miles and miles around.

A beautiful sunset was setting the horizon aflame; glancing up she noticed that the moon and stars were starting to be visible in the cloudless sky. Had her ascension taken so long that it was already evening?

Near the young girl's spot, a round turret rose from the side of the small castle. On top of its pointed roof she caught sight of a bird's nest where the yellow creature and his family had taken up residence.

From her vantage point, she was able to see inside the nest. The "father" had donned a nightcap and was currently snoring the night away. Next to him, four miniature pigtailed girls were asleep, cuddled together under a blanket, their breathing perfectly synchronized.

The young girl recognized the tiny child from before; she was wearing a pink dress, whereas her three sisters were clad in green.

Suddenly, the pink-clad girl sat up, eyes wide open. She sniffed the air for a moment; then a big smile brightened her cute face. She slipped soundlessly from under the blanket and jumped off the nest onto the turrets' roof.

She trotted all the way down to the edge of the roof and glanced around for something. Finally, she spotted what she was looking for: a jar full of brightly-coloured, yummy-looking candy. Unfortunately, said candy was located inside a wooden cage with a spring door.

It was quite an obvious trap; however the miniature pigtailed girl was too mesmerized by the candy to care, and rushed giggling towards her delicious goal.

From her side of the roof, the young girl tried to shout a warning, but it was too late, and the spring door snapped shut behind the tiny child. Finding herself trapped, she started to cry.

Determined to save the poor creature, the young girl slowly and carefully made her way towards the edge of the turret.

"Hang on, I'll be there soon ... just a little more ... "

Suddenly, her foot tripped on a slightly askew tile; she flailed her arms for a moment, then lost her footing completely and tumbled down the slope of the roof. Her fall was painfully stopped as she hit a chimney with her back; toppling over the edge, she fell right into the opening, head first.

The unfortunate girl crashed right into a large fireplace, casting sparks, soot, and firewood all around. She immediately jumped off the fire, trying frantically to put out her burning dress.

"Hot! Hot! HOT!"

Suddenly, a large amount of water gushed down on her head, effectively extinguishing the flames that engulfed her.

Sighing in relief, she wiped her eyes clear with the hem of her dress, and cast a look around, taking in her surroundings. She was standing inside a large, richly decorated bedroom; probably the King's apartments. Many beautiful paintings and tapestries hung from the walls, and several large sculptures had been placed about the room.

The young girl glanced up, wondering where the providential water had come from; but all she could see was a painting hanging above the mantelpiece, of a smiling woman in an old-fashioned dress holding a big, empty jar.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from the corner of the room. A white-clad figure emerged from a canopy bed and approached the fireplace cautiously.

It was the King of Tachycardia himself, looking rather ridiculous in a nightshirt and nightcap; he was brandishing his scepter, which he apparently kept even in bed.

"Who is it? Who dares to intrude on ... Gyaaaah! A ghost! A ghost!"

Losing his haughty attitude, the monarch started to run about the room in panic, screaming his head off.

The young girl blinked ... in the half-light she probably did look like a ghost, covered in soot, dripping wet, clothes ripped, hair plastered to her dirt-smeared face.

"Help! Police! Police! POLICE!" The King rushed to his desk and activated a hidden switch. A shrill alarm sounded; and nearly instantly, a dozen huge, black-clad, mustached policemen poured inside the room from several secret passages, bellowing in one voice:

"Long life to His Majesty Charles V+III = VIII+ ... "

"Not now! Not now! Quick! It's a ghost! Seize it! Kill it! Drive it away!"

Before she could even blink, the poor girl was roughly grabbed by two policemen, while the rest pointed their revolvers at her head.

"Please do not worry, Your Majesty," said the chief policeman, casting a disdainful look at his prisoner; "this is not a ghost at all, but some filthy, worthless slattern!"

"Wo ... worthless, you say?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, worthless indeed."

"Is that so? Ahem ... well in that case, justice shall be dealt accordingly," said the King, regaining his bearings, and producing a law book from the depth of his nightshirt.

"Hmm, let us see ... " drawled the monarch, leafing through the tome; "ah, here it is: Article 28, Crime of Lese-Majesty ... hehehe! The verdict is obvious!"

He seized a rope from a nearby curtain--a rope adorned with a small skull.

The policemen moved away hastily from the side of the young girl, who started to make panicked gestures.

"Umm ... please wait! Actually, I am ... I mean, that is ... "

With a cruel smile, the King yanked on the rope, and a trapdoor opened right underneath the young girl's feet.

"Noooooooooooo!"

Screaming in despair, she was precipitated into the seemingly bottomless dark pit. As she was plummeting to her death, she felt the horrible falling sensation in her stomach rise and rise...

" ... Osaka-san! Osaka-san!"

"Auuuuu ... "

"Are you all right, Osaka-san?"

"Your attention, please: the captain wishes to apologize for the light turbulence we are currently encountering. Passengers are advised to get back to their seats and fasten their seat belts. We will land in Naha International Airport in approximately 35 minutes. Temperature in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, is 31°C."

"There was a big air pocket just now! Did it wake you, Osaka-san?"

" ... Eh? Clouds?" Osaka blinked her tear-filled eyes at the sight of the sea of clouds visible outside the plane window. She turned towards her small neighbor, who was looking at her in concern.

"Ah! Thank God, Chiyo-chan, you're okay! ... I ... I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you!"

"Eh? What are you saying, Osaka-san? ... Oh! Did you have a bad dream about ... last time?" Chiyo took her friend’s hand in her own and smiled sweetly. "But you did save me, Osaka-san, remember?"

Osaka dried her tears with the back of her hand. "Umm, Chiyo-chan ... please, never accept any candy from strangers!"

"Sheesh, Osaka-san! Don’t you think I’m a little too old for that kind of advice?" mock-pouted Chiyo. "Hehehe ... right, Sakaki-san?"

"A ... Aa," uttered Sakaki, who was sitting very stiffly in the seat nearest to the central aisle, her gaze fixed in front of her. "But ... please don’t accept any candy from strangers; even the Necoconeco brand."

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