NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT OPEN. THIS IS A DUPLICATE CHAPTER POSTED IN VOL 3. READ THE NEW CHAPTER IN VOL 4.

There they are." Aerith whispered and pointed towards Leonhart and Thalia. The two children had there hand and feet tied.

Alphonse nodded with Aerith's words and gestured her to keep silent.

"One, two, three, four, five. Five men." Snow counted and whispered to Alphonse and Aerith. "I will help you get the two childten to safety. Can you help me get those bad guys distracted?" She asked.

"Distraction?" Aerith asked. "Well, that is our specialty. Right, Al."

"Yes." Alphonse replied. The twins smiled wickedly and looked at the kidnappers.

"Look at these children. They are wearing expensive looking clothes." One of the kidnappers said. "They look like rich kids. We can either put a ransom on them if we know who their parents are or sell them at a high price."

"Hey you." Another kidnapper called Leonhart's attention. "Who are your parents?" He asked.

The little Leonhart stayed silent. He looked at the kidnappers with hatefull eyes.

"Hey! What are you looking at, huh?" The other kidnapper grabbed Leonhart's face aburptly. "You got a problem kid?"

The kidnapper grabbed Leonhart by the collar and carried him up. The little Leonhart was holding it in, but he had tears brimming at the rim of his eyes.

"Hey, stop that." The kidnapper who looked like the leader said. "We still need them to lure in the big fish. That is what those Xing b*stard told us. After they get what they need, then we can do whatever we want to those kids." He grinned.

"Hey boss, I have a question." One of the kidnappers raised his hand. "Why did you accept the job those Xing people was offering?" He asked with curiosity etched on his face.

"With these much jewels, would you not want to do anyones bidding?" The boss asked with a huge grin.

The kidnappers boss tossed a pocket back filled with jewels of different colors. The other kidnappers had there eyes glued at the beauty of the colorful gems.

*WHISTLE*

"My gosh, boss!" A kidnapper said after whistling. "That is really something. How much does it worth?"

"That my dear friends, are worth a fortune." The boss replied. "These jewels can only be found and mined at the country of Xing. These are one of the commodities that they trade with our continent. Just one gem is worth many gold coins. Just imagine after they give the full payment."

"There is more?" The other kidnapper asked in disbelief.

"That is what those Xing people said." The boss replied. "We just need to lure in the kid that they want and hand him over to them alive and well, and they will give the other half of the payment."

"Wow, they really want to get that kid they are mentioning to pay such a fortune." Another kidnapper said. "So, we are just going to sit here and wait? What if we just go and get that kid they are mentioning? I think we can accomplish such a thing."

"They advised not to do that." The boss replied. "They just to hand tight here and wait for the big fish to arrive and take the bait. I am not sure why, but if we want to get the other half of our payment, then it is much more convient to sit still and do what they say."

The kidnappers nodded kn agreemeny with their boss and continued to sit and wait.

"You will regret this." Leonhart said with gritted teeth. His eyes were full of hatred towards the kidnappers.

"Oh, what do we have here? A boy trying to be brave?" The other kidnapper laughed.

"My father will never let you live when he finds out what happened." Leonhart said with his eyes filled with braveness.

"Oh, who is your father then?" A kidnapper asked with a mocking voice.

"Ooohh, I am scared." Another kidnapper said with a joking laugh.

The kidnappers laughed out loud in unison. But then they heard some noise at the back of the wooden boxes.

"What was that?" A kidnapper asked.

"Maybe some rats." Another kidnapper replied.

Then there was another noise heard.

"You two, go and take a look." The boss ordered two of the other kidnappers.

"L-Leon..." Thalia was looking really frigthened. "I am getting scared." She said.

"Do not worry Thalia. I am sure my father will find out we are here in no time. And also my brother and sister will surely help us." Leonhart was trying to calm the little Thalia with his words. "If I have just awakened my magic powers. I could have at least done something to have escaped." He looked quite disturbed.

"Your little hignesses." Snow in her white cat form was able to sneak at the back of the children.

"Snow!" Leonhart was surprised but Snow gestured him to stay silent and so he did. "You are here. Who came with you?" He asked.

"Your brother and sister Prince Alphonse and Princess Aerith are with me. They will help me distract those bad guys." Snow said. "Tempest went and called your imperial parents at tge palace. They will be here soon to sace you all."

Leonhart's face brigthened at hearing Snow's words.

"Told you Thalia, my siblings and parents will be sure to help us." Leonhart said with a smile.

"Yes." Thalia smiled shyly.

"Now, I will cut your ropes." Snow said. "When the bad men are distracted, you two ran as fast as you can that way. I will surely protect you." Both of the children nodded their head in understanding.

The two kidnappers proceeded to where the noise came from. They looked around the back of the stacked wooden boxes.

"There is nothing here." One kidnapper said.

"Let us just go back then..." The other kidnapper said, but before he could finish his sentence a flash of light momentarily blinded them.

"Aaaahhhh!" Both of the kidnappers screamed loud.

"W-What happened?" The boss shouted after hearing the commotion.

The other kidnappers ran towards where the other two have gone and saw their comrades frozen in ice from head to toe.

"B-Boss!" The kidnappers yelled. "T-The other two... they are frozen stiff."

"What do you mean?" The boss stood up from his chair and walked towards them. "W-What the..." He was shocked to see his two minions frozen like statues.

"Go and get the children..." The boss ordered the other two. "NOW!"

The other two kidnappers where startled but then ran back towards where the two children are. Then they saw the two kids now had their ropes cut and was about to run away.

"Hey, stop right there!" One lc the kidnappers was about to run towards them. But was stopped in his tracked when he saw a white cat thet blocked his way shifted into a white tiger.

*ROAR*

The loud roar vibrated inside the building. The kidnappers went stiff after seeing the big white tiger standing in front of them.

"B-Boss!" The kidnappers whimpered. "T-There is a big white tiger blocking the way."

"WHAT?!" The boss looked and saw the magestic features of Snow in her tiger form. He was at an awe and also was scared stiff.

"You picked the wrong children." Alphonse came out of the shadows with a wooden stick and handled it like a sword.

"You little..." The boss opted to attack Alphonse, thinking that handling a little kid is more easy than a big tiger. "You will pay for what you did with my men!"

The kidnappers boss rushed towards Alphonse and tried to attack him, but the little prince was able to dodge the rushing adult. He handled the wooden stick like a sword and swung it at ease, giving blow by blow toward the boss of the kidnappers.

"Heh, slow." Alphonse taunted.

"You little..." The boss was fuming red with anger. "Wait until I get my hand on you!"

The kidnappers' boss rushed towards Alphonse and attacked but the little prince was able to dodge every attack with ease. It was like he was dancing gracefully with every move and was able to hit the boss with his wooden stick like sword.

The boss kneeled down the floor having so many bruises around his body with the many hits of Alphonse's wooden stick.

"Boss!" The other kidnapper was about to help his boss.

"You will pay for that little kid." The other kidnapper said and was about to attack Alphonse.

"Oh no you won't." Aerith's voice was heard.

The temperature inside the building dropped. Their breaths were visible whenever they breathe out.

"What the..." The kidnapper saw that his feet started to be frozen and stuck on the floor.

"H-Help!" The other kidnapper was also getting frozen in his place.

"I will not let you harm my twin brother." Aerith said and emerged from behind the wooden boxes.

Alphonse walked towards the boss knowing that all the kidnappers were now defeated.

"Tell me, who told you to kidnap my little brother and friend." Alphonse looked at the kidnappers' boss with chilling eyes. "I heard that you were hired by someone. Tell me who are they and what do they want, and I will spare your life." He said with a chilling face.

"Heh... why will I tell you?" The boss taunted. He was crouching on the floor still clearly in pain from the beatin he got from Alphonse. "What can a kid do to me?"

Alphonse's face twisted in anger. He crouched down and looked at the kidnapper's boss with a stone chilling face that a kid should not have.

"I told you, if you do not tell me then I will end your life here and now." Alphonse said with a chilling straight face. He held the boss's hand and it started to become stone. "I warned you."

"Ahh... ahhhh!!!" The boss screamed in fright seeing his hand become stone and it started to creep towards his arm. "Let go... let go of me!" He freaked.

But Alphonse did not budge. The boss tried to punch the prince but Alphonse was able to catch his fists. The kidnappers boss was surprised with the boy's strength. He was not able to pull his fits from the little boy's grip.

"Let me go... let me go you monster!" The boss yelled in fright.

"Tell me and I will let you go." Alphonse asked again. "Who hired you?"

"I-It was people from Xing..." The boss replied in fright. His whole arm was now turned into stone. "I do not know who they are but all I know they are people from Xing with their apperance."

Alphonse let go of the boss' hand and the stone from his arm stopped from spreading unto his body.

"I-I told you what I know. P-Please turn my arm back." The boss said with fear in his eyes.

"Why would I?" Alphonse said. "You put my little brother and friend on danger. In fact, you will not live past this after my father gets here. Did you know that you kidnapped the son of the emperor himself?"

"E-Emperor...?" The boss was stiff. "You mean... his majesty the emperor of Astley Empire?"

"None other than put imperial father, Emperor Regaleon Yosef Astley." Alphonse said.

The boss now knew his faith after hearing Alphonse's words. He was not able to move from his spot with the surprise and fright.

"I will take care of this little prince." Snow said and pressed the boss for him to face down on the ground.

"Well that went well." Aerith trotted towards her brother. "The only problem is, mother and father would know that we sneaked out. Are you okay, Al?" She saw how angry her twin brother was just a while ago. This was the first time she saw her brother to have such a chillinh expression.

"I am fine." Alphonse replied. "It's just that... knowing that someone hired these thugs on purporse bugs me." He was deep in thought when he heard a scream.

"Ahhhh!" Thalia's scream echoed inside the building.

Snow, Aerith and Alphonse looked at the direction of the voice and saw three black robe hooded people holding Leonhart and Thalia hostage.

"B-Brother... run!" Leonhart yelled.

"No!" Alphonse screamed in anger. "Let them go!"

"Little prince..." One of the robed people said. "If you want them to live, then come here.." He said.