Feed the Animals 1: Lioness Gets Lunch By Misterebony Set in the Furside universe NOTE: This story tells about the establishment of the zoos in FUrside. The truth is, there ARE no zoos. The zoos are actually penal units, where furs serve life sentences as show peices for Humes to see. It is a luxury for Humes deep in Humeside, some of whom would never see a Fur otherwise. Of course, it is the rules that any child who visits can come free, IF they feed an animal. How does that work? Read and find out... Evan was having a wonderful time at the zoo! He had played in the open park area, pet the bunnygirls in the petting zoo, and even had lunch at a stand run by a dragon. But what he was waiting to see were the big cats. Evan loved cats, and often would look over the fence of the zoo just to watch them, the lions and lionesses most of all. He was told that, years before the Furs came to earth, lions were considered kings of the jungle. To Evan, they deserved that title. Their every movement showed nobility and grace. Now he finally was at the zoo and had paid the special admission, which meant one of the animals would get to eat him. He knew just the one too, a very specific cat he wanted to see. *************** (4 months earlier) "Zelda Marshall, step forward!" The well dressed defendent in the Hume/Fur court did so, looking very upset. How could she have gotten caught? She was so careful to choose the locations to rob! Not like they needed all those fancy things anyway. As for the pets, who cared?! Humes were food, and Humes did not need reformed all the time. They bred like rabbits anyway, so it was not like they wouldn't be replaced! The dragon/human halfbreed saw it differently. His scales forming a natural suit of armor, which put most dragonhumes in law enforcement and made them the strongest beings on Earth. Having heard all the evidence and the jury's decision, he knew the sentence. "Zelda Marshall, you have been tried here for over 30 counts of burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder by non-reformation. The latter of which is the most heinous, considering your obvious choice in tastes, and your trickster ways. Were it up solely to me, a beast like you would be butchered for meat to be eaten by the very Humes you hate. However, the jury sees it differently. "On all charges Zelda Marshall, you have been found guilty. However, based on the overwhelming vote of the jury and the concurrence of this judge, I believe we have a sentence for you worse than death." Zelda blinked. Tey coldn't mean... "Without any change of appear, parole, or retrieval, you will spend the rest of your life in the England District of Humeside at the London Zoo, there to be given a constant regiment of the reformation drug, be placed one day a week in the petting zoo, and restricted to a diet of noninteeligent meat for two months, at which time you will only be allowed those who volunteer to be your dinner." "Your honor!" Zelda's lawyer said. "I object to this sentence! It is cruel and unusual punishment against someone who folowed her instincts!" "My Dear fellow," The judge said, "We are not evolved from beasts, so we cannot go back to being beasts. Instinct is not an acceptable defense as was before stated, since the defendent DID take time to serve the victim numnber 4 with a white sauce over noodles. I do not call that simple instinct. This court is adjourned." Zelda was wide eyed and sobbing. Of all sentences, to live among the animals who tried to blow themselves up.... She would rather have been butchered. ********* (Present Day) Evan hurried as fast as he could to the cat area. He couldn't wait to see her. He had been fattening up for two weeks per his promise, and was hoping she had everything reeady. He still remembered when he first met her. ******** (13 weeks earlier) Zelda whimpered sadly as she sat in a corner of the petting area, her caws shaved off completely, her mouth muzzled and covered with a smily face, the hands of little imps stroking her fur. If she had hr way she would chew every last one of them up, not that it mattered now. She had been given so much of the reformation drug by now she couldn't ill off any human naymore. Why should she care? They were all so stupid and selfish! "You ok?" A voice said, small and cute. She turned and hmphed as she saw a little boy, standing there and looking at her. "You look sad." The muzzle kept her from eating the boy but not from speaking. "Like you would care. Please just leave me alone, I have enough troubles." The boy shook his head and gently.... GENTLY... began to stroke her shoulder. It was her favorite part to be rubbed, though she had not been touched there for years. She looked at the boy who was smiling at her. "Do I look tasty?" He suddenly asked."You keep staring at me, like I am a tasty dinner." "Humes are food kid, always were." She said. What dumb kid... or so she thought. "I agree. I rather be on a plate than in math class. Furs are much more fun and much prettier than Humes or even halfbreeds." THAT was never said to her before. Most Humes like the idea of being food yes, but do not think that Humes ARE food. this kid seemed different. Why? "Well, if you believe that, why reformation hmm? Afriad of death?" The girl asked. The boy shook his head. "Nah." "WHy then?" The boy then said something that began to make her think. It probably changed her whole life from then on. "Why throw away something after enjoying it? If it is a present from a friend, and you like it, why get rid of it?" Zelda wondered about that. She probabaly wouldn't have been here forced to eat bland rabbit and lamb meat and be muzzled if she didn't let her hatred rule. After all, those kids WERE yummy... ********** (Present Day) Evan was still a ways from the cat area when he stopped for a drink. He had come alone, and he was sure he was lost. He looked up at the drink seller, a mouse, and asked for directions. "Stright down this road and to the left." She said, pointinfg the way. The boy thanked her and continued on. More memories flooded back, happy ones. They were the reason he kept coming. ********* (Two Months Before) "You're late!" Zelda said, the boy stepping from the shadows. He giggled as he reached her containment area, a large open yeard with a small house and a small pool in a man made hole. Only one entrance and exit led to the containment area, the one the boy came down and which was locked behind him. Thngs had changed since that meeting at the petting zoo. The boy still had not told her his name, but always came to see her. She even got gifts from the boy, including the complete set of A. Wallace MEcha books, somethng they both liked. Zelda began to see why Furs liked Humes. Sure they were dumb and a little primative. But they knew how to have fun, and almost all Humes, from what she had seen, were different than the ones Pre-Fur. A few, like this boy, were even pleasant to be around, and Zelda was liking her punishmnt more and more. SHe was demuzzled now and allowed to eat people, but she hadn't yet. She was tempted to eat this boy for being an hour late though. But he showed her why. From behind his back, he presented her with a beautiful necklace. He had made it for her in school, and it had her name on it using gemstones. "For me?"{ She said. He nodded. "A queen deserves jewelry." He said. "And if a lion was the king of the jungle, isn't a lioness a queen?" Zelda laughed, realizing the boy had made a blunder, Furs after all did not descend from Earth animals, despite their similarities. They just took the names of the animals they most looked like. But she hadn't really thought about that before. Queen Zelda. Had a nice ring to it. "I could get used to this." Zelda thought, petting the boy's head. The two spent the rest of the day playing that Mecha game he got for her. SHe liked him, and she didn;t even know his name yet. *********** (Present Day) Evan smiled as he reached the cat area. There were lots of cats here, and he knew he had to find her. He promised. He hoped he was plump enough for her, and that he would make her stomach sing. He liked her more than any fur. WHich was why he had that paper in his hand. A paper saying he would work at the zoo for no pay in exchange for being allowed to feed any animal he wanted. A legal method, and a suprise for her. He said good bye to his mom and dad, who while not happy, were understanding and promised to visit often. Then he saw her enclosure. Kids were waving at her and she was happily waving back. Just like she was when he made his promise. ********** (Two Weeks Ago) Evan. She liked that name. He told it to her a week ago and it rang off of her tounge like music. He made her like humans. He made her like humans that were good. She still hated those who were mean and cruel, like ones who threw ice cream at the alligators, but these kids looking at her enclosure were good kids. And one jumped over the fence into the pool. She shook her head and tapped her paw on her arm. "Looks like I have to go fishing again!" She said, the crowd cheering her on. She went over to the pool with a fishing rod and hat she got from that judge (Who she had forgiven and even thanked by now, given her changed view on humes), siting by the pool. She waited... and then the line tugged. She tugged back. Back and forth it went, until, at last, she brought her catch onto the shore. It was her little prince, Evan. "I thought cats liked fish!" He joked, the kids laughing a little. "Only when they are plump, not skinny like you are Evan!" She said, petting the boy. "You need to fatten up for me. I was just told I can eat humes again at long last." The boy was wide eyed with delight! "They are finally letting people in to be food?!" "YEah I know. They said a month I believe, but it has been long since." Evan sat bu her, watching as the kids left. "Guess they anted to make sure you were re...re.... what was that word?" "Rehabilitated." The fleine said. "And they were right really. I killed 7 children Evan. I ate them as meat and didn't reform them." "But I saw the case!" EVan said. "They were bullies and spoiled brats! They deserved it!" "Evan," Zelda said with a sigh, "one thing you made me realize is that no one DESERVES anything. Oh some get certain things they want or need, but nothing is deserved. You et what you get. Some say I deserve to have to be vegan, or that you have to take calculus. But deserve is something false. People earn things. They are given things. I got what I EARNED. I earned being in this zoo because I was so bad." "But you are not bad... not now." He said, cudlding up despite still being wet. "You're a queen." She smiled and chuckled. "Thanks to you." Evan smiled. "You know what, I want to prove you wrong. I think you deserve a nice fat meal for your first one. I promise, once I am roly poly, I will walk in your pen and into your oven. IU can be your first feast since you came here." Zelda smiled. "Now that is a promise I will hold you to. I will not eat a single human until you feed me. but you have two weeks at most. If you are not fat enough in two weeks I eat... your teacher." "HEY! She didn't earn it!" He said. "Then you better get to it!" She replied with a grin, stuffing a candy bar into his mouth. He ate fast, and began his promise. He never forgot it. ************ (Present Day) "Zelda!" Evan called, waving to the lioness. She was wide eyed as she stared at the boy, who had gotten a nice bit of meat on him in two weeks. She began to drool at the sight of the feast before her, walking into her pen. Hume. At last, fresh Hume again! Everyone that was at her enclosure watched as Zelda stepped forward. "You look good enough to eat Evan." She said with a lick of her lips. She smiled as he cuddled with her some. "I am Zelda, and I am all for you." He said, stepping back. "Cook me up Zelda, it's suppertime!" Zelda smiled. "TRHen take another step back." Evan did so, tripping backward into something soft. It took him only a moment to realize he was on a thick pie crust, the audiance throwing fresh berries of all kinds into the pie. They were making boys 'n berry pie from him! Zelda smiled some. "More!" She said, the patrons tossing more berriesin, covering his legs and arms. "Good! Bring out the oven!" She said, a huge outdoor oven rolled out to bake the pie in. She slid the pie closer to it, smiling. "Does anyone want some too bad he is all for me!" She said with a grin. Then she snapped her fingers. "Hmmm... did I forget something?" The patrons answered with a smile: "THE TOP CRUST!" They shouted, The fleine rolling one on after mixing it up. Evan whimpered in anticipation, wanting to be eaten so much, and to reveal his suprise: That he would not leave again. He miled as in he went, a tasty pie to be for his queen. As he went in, Zelda thought back. She was going to miss him... ********** (Yesterday) "Overturned?" Zelda asked. THe judge nodded. "Your case was reviewed, and based on your behavior and a study of your stomach, it was determined you cannot naturally kill anyone by eating them anymore. Your body produces the reformation drug naturally. Therefore, you are being released." Zelda sighed. "So soon?" She said, making the dragonman blink. "Why Zelda, why the change? You hate Humes I thought, called them only food, said they deserve to be eaten!" Zelda smiled some, remembering her own words. "No one deserves anything. A little boy taught me that. A very special little boy." She sighed. "Please let me stay with him." "Impossible. A capture has to occur in Furside, and in Humeside humes cannot be aptured. you know the rules." Zelda sat and hmphed. "Figures! I finally start liking the creatures and i have to leave them. It isn't fair." The judge shook his head. "I am sorry for you Zelda. But remember what you did. you think he would stay knowing it?" "Tha is the worst part... he does know. And he came even more." She said. "He is one hume all others should be like. And now I have to leave him." The judge sighed. "THan make this meal tomorrow, if he shows up, a big event. One he will always remember." Zelda nodded. "I wish he was mine." She said. "I wish he had been mine from the start." *********** (Present Day) "Mmmmm!" Zelda said, munching on th boy pie. "Delicous! An excellent good bye present." Evan looked out form inside the pie, his legs gone by now. "You're leaving?" "I have to." She said sadly. Evan looked at her. "I'm going with you." "You can't. I didn't catch you." She said. Evan giggled. "THink that will stop me my queen?" He said, making her cough on her food. "I will follow you if on foot, and sneak into your luggage if any other way. Like it or not I am going with you. You EARNED it." Zelda smiled some. "You could get in troubloe you know." Evan giggled, his tummy chewed into now. "WHo cares? As long as I am with you. I already said bye to mom and dad so I could work here, but I cna just follow you instead. They uinderstand I am never going home again." Zelda sighed and shook her head. "WHat did I do to deserve you little prince?" She said. Without missing a beat, he said it as she finished him off. "You can't DESERVE anything!" Gulp. ***************** EPILOUGE (One Month Later) Chompppp! Crunch! "mmmmm...." Zelda said, now fat and happy in her seaside home. "Boy barbecue!" The judge sighed some. "I should arrest you." Zelda chuckled. "Just try." She said, showing off her new claws. "He is worth going to jail for." She chewed on his legs. The judge shook his head and turned to leave. "Fine. But no more killing. Next timeit is the butcher shop." "Went there, made Eva... oh you mean I am the meat!" She joked. The judge left exasperated, leaving Zelda and her scrumptous and fattening pet laughing. She loved Humes. And to think it all started at the zoo too! THE END ***