Chapter 17 - Melting the Ice

November 17^th, 3:15 PM

And so it ended. The ice king was sent to the prison in Sanlio and the people returned to their frozen homes. Izo decided that he would stay and use his powers to try and return their houses to their original state with the permission of the townspeople. Kon’s shoulder was patched up and Carumati and her father were reunited. With all the merriment going around, everyone decided that it was time for the festivities to begin....

~*F*~

“Hey, Kon. What was it that Ally whispered to you just before she broke the ice king’s barrier?” Ven asked.

Kon gave a nostalgic smile. “She said, ‘I know. Duck.’”

“Ah, that makes sense. I’m glad. The news of what she was in the past doesn’t seem to bother her. It looks like she actually listened to you for once.”

“I hope so....” Kon had a solemn look.

“Assassin, huh? Who would have thought it?” Ven wondered.

Kon only continued to gaze at the ground in front of him, clutching the arm which was now in a sling. He appeared to be lost in thought.

“Hey, why the long faces? Isn’t this supposed to be a festival? Come on!” Ally suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Kon looked up and smiled and Ally stared down at him. “You have such an ugly, fake smile on, Kon. Come on, lighten up! I’m not dwelling on it, so you shouldn’t either. I have something really interesting to show you. I know you’ll just love it!” Ally gave him a bright smile and held out her hand.

Kon stared at it a second, then laughed. “I must be failing pretty bad if I’m having to be cheered up by you.” He took her hand and she led them into the crowd.

Ally led them to a darker side of the city where the festivities could be seen from afar and hid behind a bush, motioning to Kon and Ven to do the same and pointing. There, they saw Carumati and Izo gazing up at the moon. Kon knew exactly what Ally was up to when he saw the camera in her hand.

“Why did you want to bring me out here, Izo?”

“Remember when we were little?”

“Which part?”

“Right before you left. You made me a promise.”

“...I remember.”

“Are you gonna keep it?”

Carumati stared up at him, but he just gazed up at the moon. The little genius then let out a grin and exclaimed, “Alright!”

Izo looked back down at her and also grinned. Suddenly, Carumati took off her backpack and pulled out a checkered board. The two of them sat down and set up a chess game.

Meanwhile, the three spies were stunned. “This... was not what I was expecting,” Ally spoke.

“Not at all,” Konrad sighed.

“I wonder what kind of promise it was?” Ven pondered.

A promise, huh? Ally thought. That reminds me, I promised Blake I’d play chess against him sometime. I wonder if he still thinks I’m dead? Ah, well. Who cares about him anyway?”

“Ally, let’s go. This is boring,” Kon suggested.

“Ah, right.”

“I heard they have some fried catfish at the buffet tables,” Ven informed.

“Fish! Fish!” Ally climbed up onto Ven’s shoulders. “Where?”

“Over there,” Ven pointed to where a huge crowd was gathered.

“Ven, doesn’t it hurt to have Ally on your back like that? She’s really heavy.”

“Hey! I am not!” Ally protested.

“She’s not heavy at all. In fact, she’s very light. I could carry several Ally Kats and be perfectly fine.”

“You tell him, Ven! Kon, you’re probably just too weak.”

“I don’t believe it. Ven, even you are against me?”

“I’ve never been on either side. I just say the truth.”

“Who cares? Fish!”

“Oh, Miss Ally Kat?” called a voice.

“Hmm?” Ally looked around until she found the owner of the voice. It was a young woman with a small child in her arms.

“Miss Ally Kat, my daughter loves your singing. Would you be so good as to sing us a song?”

“Huh? But-” Ally started.

“Oh, she would love to! Of course she’ll sing for everyone,” Kon interrupted.

“Oh, thank you! You’re so sweet.” The woman pulled Ally away from Ven, and dragged her along towards the stage while Ally looked back with saddened eyes and reached out to the buffet table that faded in the distance.

“You did that just to get her back, didn’t you Kon?” Ven asked.

“Naturally!” Kon smiled and grabbed a plate of fish. “I think I’ll go eat this in front of Ally as she sings.”

Suddenly, they heard Ally’s voice coming through the speakers:

“Fish is good.

Fish is great.

I could eat fish

Up till late.

Kon’s a meanie,

Ven is sweet.

If Kon eats fish

Then he’ll be beat.

Fish, fish,

Beautiful fish.

If I had three wishes,

I’d wish for fish.”

“What the-”

Ven laughed. “Kon, she got you!”

Kon’s eyes narrowed. “Since when did she write that song?”

“Didn’t you know? One of Ally’s specialties is making up songs on the spot. Haven’t you ever gone to one of her performances before?”

“Um....”

“She’s really amazing, actually. Put down the fish and come listen!”

“Alright, as requested, for my next performance I will play my own piece called, A Stroll Through a Dark Alley on the keyboard.” As Kon and Ven approached the stage, Ally sat down at the keyboard and began to play. Kon stood stock still through the entire song, a look of shock written all over his face.

“What did you think?” Ven asked when the song ended. Kon said nothing, but continued to stand with his mouth slightly open. Ven laughed. “What’s the matter, Kon, Kat got your tongue?”

Ally sang and played a few more songs before the band came back from their break. Exiting the stage, Ally approached Kon and grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her. “Fish!” was all she said, and that was that.

As Ally munched on her fish, they heard a cry from the dark parts of the city. “I lost? How could I lose! I practiced so much, and I lost?”

Izo and Carumati emerged and walked to the buffet table where the others were standing. Carumati calmly filled her plate, while Izo stood behind her, clinging to her jacket.

“Does this mean you wont marry me?” he asked, depressed.

“What? You mean, if Izo won that chess match then you were gonna marry him, Carumati? How could you make a bet like that? What if he won?” Ally asked.

“‘We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for sacrifices is part of a chess-player’s nature,’” Carumati quoted.

“Hmm.... Good point.”

“So, Carumati, are you going to be living with your father now?” Ven asked.

“No. Daddy has lots of things he needs to finish up before he can return home again. In the meantime, he said you were to take care of me.”

“Oh, joy,” Kon sighed. Ally slapped him on his back.

“Ow! That was my wounded shoulder!”

“You deserved it.” Ven said.

“What?”

“Ah, that fish was good. Come on, Kon. Let’s join in the dance, I need to work off all this food I just ate.”

“What did you just say, Ven?” Kon asked again as he was dragged away by Ally.

Ven just smiled and waved.