Author's Note:
This is an Alternate Universe tale, hence the title! I'm asking the question "What If"...
I love the "Konjiki no Gash Bell", AKA "Zatch Bell" manga and anime, and especially enjoyed the amazing author Kioko's "Tejina Chronicles"...therefore I began to wonder what if...what if I tried to merge the stories of a lightning boy from another world and an alien dog from another world? What would I get?
I hope you enjoy the answer half as much as I enjoy writing it!
PROLOGUE:
魔法と驚異の物語を開始しよう！
Let the Tale of Magic and Wonder Begin!
The building was aloof, dark…and foreboding. The paint of the mansion had peeled away in big splotches, in fact, due to the paint color of the building, it was like it was a gigantic PERSON suffering from the biggest case of sunburn in the world. The grass upon the ground was thick, but uncared for…brittle and stiff, it almost cut you. There were old palm trees that swung sadly in the breeze on a high alcove above the front double-door, and there were many windows…most of them so dusty and black that you couldn't see inside.
As the being with the book walked towards the building, he gently tapped on the door…
But there was no answer. Shrugging, he opened it up…
And was greeted by a wondrous sight. The building's inside had been painted blue like the sky around him, with clouds painted perfectly in different parts. Above was a beautiful black starry night with the stars accurately painted in their perfect location…even the Milky Way galaxy was included. There were tiny little cue cards at the top that read the names of different planets placed underneath certain points of light…but one impressive sight caught the being's eye in a fashion that made his eyes go wide with wonder.
Around the room were huge bookcases, filled from top to bottom with tomes of every shape and size. Classic novels, amazing romances and dramas, at least a dozen columns stocked with encyclopedias alone. Their colors were faded and dusty from misuse, making it look like a faded rainbow had wrapped around the room. And there…in the center…was a pretty little throne made of beautiful gold and silver. A sparkling silver question mark was emblazed at the top, and sitting in it was a creature.
The creature had red eyes and looked like a rodent of some kind. Long ears…a tufted tail that was draped to the side…big, rabbit-like feet…covered in fur. He was sort of like some rabbit/gerbil/hamster mix. He twitched his pink nose and adjusted the white jacket that he was wearing. The being that was looking at him and the books realized that he sort of smelled badly…he hadn't taken a bath in who knows HOW long, and his fur showed it: his fur was probably white originally…now it was unmistakably grey in tone.
The being before this rodent was one of the gentlest creatures ever seen. It had eyes like that of the surface of a pond, with light brown and cream-colored fur, and a flowing, long-haired tail. He had wings like that of an angel which were cream-colored like much of his fur, and some light brown hair at the top of his head which was rather closely cut. He addressed the rodent in a respectful tone, his voice as beautiful as a choir boy's.
"This is an amazing treasure trove of tomes, good sir! Please, tell me, what kind of person are you to have read all of these books?" He requested.
The rodent didn't even blink as he looked this being before him over. Then he spoke softly, in a voice that had once had youthful innocence within it, but now was slightly heavy…and filled with regret.
"I am…a person that knows nothing." He muttered, looking down.
"What? But nobody knows NOTHING!" The strange being before the rodent said, looking confused. It placed it's book down, which was the same color as it's beautiful eyes, and ran over to the rodent. "Why would you say that?"
"I was once a doctor who had confidence in my skills…but the truth is I didn't know a thing." The rodent said, hopping out of it's chair and adjusting it's doctor's coat a little. It walked alongside of the bookcases with the other being following him. "When I was performing an operation, I…I let my own son die. I failed to save him…I am a terrible doctor."
"…I'm sorry to hear that." The being said, gently placing it's furry hand on the doctor's shoulder. The two were very close in height, even though neither of them were taller than an elementary school child. "You must be lonely here…"
"I quit in shame after I failed the operation. I do not deserve to be near others…I cannot bear the thought of failing them in some way…just like I failed my own son."
His body quivered. "He was too young, too…can you imagine what it's like?"
"I'm sorry." The being said, suddenly holding the doctor in a hug. The doctor sobbed into this being's body and felt the warm fur comfort him…it soothed him somehow. After some time, he looked up into the being's eyes.
"I'm…thankful you are showing this kindness…who are you?"
"My designation is 620!" It said. "But I prefer the name Page." Page smiled. "Say, would you like to read a book I brought, doctor?"
"…" The doctor looked at the pond-colored book that the creature called Page had brought in. "Very well, let me see it."
Page happily flew over to the book, making the doctor's eyes widen. He was almost like…
No, it couldn't be…could it?
The little being flew back, handing the book to the doctor, who opened it up.
"Hmm, what a fascinating language…I've never seen any like it before, it's so…alien…"
"Oh yes, it's a book designed to control my powers. Most of them, anyway, I can fly as easily as I can do…THIS!" Page stood on his head, balancing. "Ta-da!"
The doctor found a smile passing over his lips. The child reminded him of his own son, Junior. He turned the page absentmindedly to look at the next undecipherable patch of words when-
"It's glowing…" He gasped.
It was true. The strange script was glowing brightly in a greenish/blue shine. "I can…read…it?" The doctor spoke softly as he looked it over.
"Careful, don't say the words out loud!" Page said. "Even I'M not sure what the first spell does, since nobody else has been able to read it…" He admitted quietly. "A lot of people…well…they don't like me. I'm not well-liked among the experiments either…except for a close group of friends."
"What?" The doctor asked. "Experiments?"
"Yes, our creator, my…my father…" Page said gently, "Made about 600 something of us and sent 100 of us in a random lottery for one purpose: to fight…so we could decide which of us 100 was the best." Page said, holding his hands behind his back and looking down slightly as his tail swished back and forth on the ground. "In order to prepare us for this sort of thing, we'd go on missions that were specified to our powers. My first mission…well…I botched it because I converted…"
"Huh?" The doctor tilted his head.
"Well…you see…" Page sighed. "When I was being chewed out by some of the tougher experiments as to why I didn't do the job…and everyone in the cafeteria was laughing and talking about how I'd failed the assassination mission…I told them that I'd accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior and everyone was instantly quiet…" Page looked directly into the doctor's eyes. "After that, everyone got nervous around me…well, everyone but my friends. My…my father tried to get me to do other missions, but I kept failing because I didn't have the heart to engage in the kind of ruthless activities the other experiments succeeded at. I think that, if he hadn't chosen randomly, he would have locked me in a trunk so that I couldn't take place in this competition. But fair was fair, so…"
The doctor looked from Page to the book. "Hmm…" He thought to himself as they continued to walk through the room, down a hallway past some doors and into a large arboretum.
"You seem to be really smart though, doctor…you can read my book, my spells, and use my powers! Sir, I think you might be able to help me in this battle!" Page said happily. "You've read all these books, you know so much…that knowledge shouldn't be wasted!"
The doctor raised an eyebrow…and then a big grin appeared on his face. "So staying in here is a waste, huh?" He thought to himself.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" !" He laughed, stretching his arms and three-digited, furry paws out. "This is the sort of thing I can't resist! I'll make you a champion, Page! Now for a full introduction!"
He dove back, then wheeled into an open door, which closed for a few moments. One "SPLASH", some scrubbing and a "fwip-fwip" later, the door re-opened and the doctor rolled out, wearing his doctor's garb which he quickly tossed off to reveal an elegant jacket of blue and red that glowed splendidly like his now ivory-white fur.
"My name is Dr. Rupert Jacques von Hamsterviel! A fabled partner from the last battle that decided the champion of all experiments!" He announced in a grandiose fashion.
"Really?" Page asked, eyes going all starry.
"Nope, it's a lie!" Dr. Rupert said, smiling cheekily.
Page's mouth went so far open and so far down you could have fit a book into it. Dr. Rupert smiled gently and shook his hand. "Don't worry, you have my promise: I'll do everything I can to make you a king! We'll make your "father" proud of you!"
…
…
…
…the boy walked down the street, his brown, wavy/curly hair blowing to the side in the wind. He had tucked his hands into his pockets as he continued to look at the ground, a dejected look upon his normally happy face.
He had nobody. Set up for adoption by his family who could not care for him properly, a brother who never wrote back…and no friends. The only pets he had had been goldfish and they'd all died. Now wasn't THAT a sad commentary on his life?
He hated it…he hated being alone. He wanted to have somebody CARE about him, he wanted to have somebody smile at him and say "Well done"…he wanted…
Then it happened. A rustling of bushes just before he could enter the walkway that led to his home. He turned his head, eyes widening…
He took a step back…then he fell flat on his butt, wanting to scream as he looked at the being before him…it was frightening in the night.
Eyes so black… a strange mammalian creature with a big nose and claws as black as his eyes that stared deeply into his own hazel ones…this…this thing had soft-looking slightly dark green fur with a whitish/yellow stomach, and large ears on it's head. As it stepped forward again, the boy saw that this thing had…had a whitish/yellow Mohawk! It looked kind of skinny, but to compensate for that, it was considerably taller than any sort of dog HE'D ever seen. In fact, he looked sort of like a mutant koala…and above all, he had two sharp fangs that were sticking up from his…yes, it was a "he"…his lower jaw.
"…who are…who are YOU?"
"…" The being looked him over, rubbing it's chin.
The boy just sighed, looking away. "If you're a dog or something, you should go home, little guy. Everyone who gets close to me goes away or dies." He muttered. "It's not like anybody would really miss me if I-"
"Can you read this?" The being asked, holding up a book that was the same color of green that it was…
Speaking…
SPEAKING…
A humongous wave of shock filled him…but Nick took the book and opened it, as if in a trance. He looked down at the writing inside.
"How strange, these…these words, I've never seen this kind of language before, and I read up on dead languages all the time-oh…oh? I…"
His eyes went wide. He shook slightly. "I…can…understand it…the word is so strange, but I know the meaning…"
The being grinned at him. "Good…that means you are my partner."
He slammed his fist on his chest. "You will make me into a CHAMPION! And I will finally prove myself to my father in this completion of 100!"
"Competition?" Nick asked.
"I have been sent by my creator to this planet for one purpose: to fight 99 other experiments and prove my superiority…and YOU…will help me reach the top!" The being said. It grinned again. "You're going to have an interesting time with me…"
ALTERNATE FATE...FANTASY!
(A rising sun is shown, casting light over Hawaii, house by house.)
Kono mama mou sukoshi… arukou kata wo taki!
kieyuku yume wo kazoe, kareteku nakama wo mita!
(A furry pair of paws rub's it's red eyes as it looks out the window, the same time as a hazel-eyed kid.)
Kayoiii nareta michi ni…mayoiiii komu kono goro…
Yami gaaaa mou hitori no…jibun wo tsukuruuuu!
(The main protagonists run down a field, books held in hand as they gleefully race along with the wind)
Kawaitaaaa! Sakebi gaaaa!
Kujike souna mune wo tsukisasu,
kimi wo…sasotte sekai wo mitai na! (Come Along With Me!)
(A shadowy feature is seen in the sky. Our protagonists watch it fade into nothingness, then turn to each other.)
Darenimoooo! Dasenaiiii! Kotae ga, boku no naka ni aru!
Kakeeee! Hiki ga kagiii!
(They clasp hands, then shake.)
Todoke…We'll Win This Gaaame!
CHAPTER ONE:
開始する！最初の敵は、究極のコンボです！
BEGIN! Your First Foes Are An Ultimate Combo!
Dr. Rupert smiled as Page licked an ice cream cone. They were walking down the sidewalk of the island of Niihau and were heading towards the beach. The doctor had been enjoying the last three weeks with Page and had been practicing spells with him…
Well, for the most part. Today was Ice Cream Day! Dr.Rupert had already downed his Vanilla with Chocolate Sprinkles while Page had a nice "Rainbow Sherbet" in his paws.
"You've made me so happy, Page." He thought. "I was a man who was isolating himself from everything, slowly starving in my home and waiting for sickness and death to claim me…and then you gave me a reason to live. I wonder…"
"Ooh, ooh!"
Dr. Rupert's ears picked it up before Page's did, if only by a few moments. Both turned around and saw a whiny little kid with a green sweater and glasses clinging to his…well, they supposed it was his dad. The kid was pointing with one stubby finger at the ice cream store about 20 feet away. He had a pet lizard that his mom was holding onto…it seemed to be drooling heavily and was hissing slightly. They were far away from the ice cream store and from any other people…and they sure were an odd foursome.
"It's all full up!" The kid complained in a thick accent. Boy, his skin was so sunburnt! It was a dark pink color…and wow, the little pig had quite a NOSE, it was just so-
That nose. Page stiffened.
"That's Nosy!"
"Who?" Dr. Rupert asked, looking confused.
"Nosy! Experiment 199!" Page whispered. "He was designed to tattle enemy secrets but mostly reveals gossip instead…and that snakelike lizard…that's Slobber, Experiment 347! See the antenna?" He pointed.
Rupert's red eyes widened. There WAS an antennae. He had thought it was a crest, but…
"They're experiments? What are they up-"
"Can't we do ssssomething about this?" Slobber asked the "mom", who was apparently his book reader. His scaly, sick green skin matched the color of his book, and he had big yellow eyes. Nosy's book was the same red/magenta shade that he was. Their book owners were a black-haired, glasses-wearing woman who looked rather stuck up and a man with a well-developed body and smooth red hair who looked rather well-to-do.
"If we can't get in for an ice cream, let's destroy it so nobody else can enjoy it either!" Nosy whined. "Besides, the owner's cheating on his wife, he DESERVES it."
"Well let's do this then." The owner of Slobber's book said. She opened up her book…
"We've got to stop this!" Page gasped.
Dr. Rupert, who had been carrying the book underneath his arm, opened up to the bookmarked page of spells and read out the glowing words. "The First Spell: Votum!"
Page's arms spread out and his body glowed. Then a beam of glowing white energy shot out in a cross-like form that struck the ground in front of the evil foursome that had been planning on attacking the store, making them gasp and turn their heads.
"What do you think YOU'RE doing?" Dr. Rupert said, pointing at them. "How dare you try and attack an ice cream store while there are innocent people still inside!"
"I know you! That Born-Again Nutcase, Page!" Nosy laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "You're not going to try to convert us, are you? I don't care if my soul's in danger!"
"No, I'm going to ask you nicely to leave and to not harm anybody else for your own selfish reasons." Page said, holding out his hand. "Are we experiments not family? Are we not brothers and sisters?"
"If you think we'd listen to you, I'll sssay it the way the islanders ssssay it." Slobber said, smirking. "A'ole…which meansss "no"."
"I know what it means!" Page said defensively. "Dr. Rupert's been teaching me! He knows everything!"
"Yes, in fact…did you know that ice cream, like cheese, comes from the moon?" Dr. Rupert told Page wisely.
"Really?" Page asked, turning his head.
"Nope. Lie!" Dr. Rupert said, smiling cheekily.
BA-BOOOINNG! Page's mouth opened.
"But there's no time for that…" Dr. Rupert said, facing down Slobber, Nosy and their book owners. "Let's fight somewhere more private and settle this!"
"Fine. The beach, ten minutes. Be there." The male book owner remarked.
"Oia'io!" Dr. Rupert remarked, which meant "Sure thing" in Hawaiian. The book owners walked off, and Dr. Rupert turned to Page. "'Oia ho'I ha." (All right then) He told Page. "You feeling up to this?"
"…'ae." Page said, nodding. "We HAVE to do this!"
…
…
…
…the wind whipped around them as Page crossed his arms. Dr. Rupert, holding the book open, nodded at him, then the two faced their opponents. Slobber hissed and swept his tail back slightly as Nosy put his hands on his hips and smirked.
"We'd been hoping to play around some before we looked for opponents, but finding you here is…heh-heh…a "god-send"!" Nosy wisecracked. "Now you'll see the results of the training Slobber and I have undertaken! We're an unbeatable combination!"
"If you promise to leave people alone, we'll let you go without a fight." Page said. "I have no desire to fight unless necessary."
"Ha-ha-ha! Are you foolsss? Don't make me laugh, choir boy!" Slobber snapped.
"We're itching to fight." Nosy said dangerously. "We've finally found an easy target…we'd NEVER miss this chance!"
"Waanaa!" The book owner shouted, as Nosy opened his mouth and stretched his arms out. Strange goop shot out and enveloped their feet.
"Uh…I'm not feeling anything." Page said.
"Let's attack, then! Votum!" Dr. Rupert shouted.
Page's blast shot out, and Nosy and his bookowner dove to the side, running off. "Ypou know, Nosy always was cowardly. I'm saddened to see that he hasn't gained courage." Page admitted.
"Did you forget about US?" Slobber's book owner laughed. "Tsuba!"
A pulsing orb of goop was belched from Slobber's maw. He smirked as it slowly oozed towards them in mid-air.
"It's so…SLOW." Page remarked.
"This is ridiculous, let's just focus on Nosy first." Dr. Rupert suggested. But as they turned to head towards said experiment…
TUG.
Uh oh.
"This goop is sticking me to the ground!" Page gasped.
"So THAT'S what it does!" Dr. Rupert realized. Then he realized something else as the orb of slobber hovered closer. He grabbed Page and tugged…and tugged…and TUGGED!
PA-PLOOP!
They went sailing back, just as the orb of slobber struck the spot where they'd been. SSSS! The ground dissolved into a sloughy dough.
"An acidic slobber bomb!" Page gasped. "How barbaric!"
"All'ssss fair in love and war!" Slobber laughed.
"So Nosy sticks us to the ground while you attack us with that bomb." Dr. Rupert said.
"That's right!" Nosy said, striking a pose along with the other three. "We're the Ultimate Combo!"
Dr. Rupert snickered. "WHO'S the ultimate combo? A pig and a lizard?"
"D-d-don't make fun of us!" Nosy stuttered. "Y-you're just a stupid gerbil!"
Dr. Rupert's eyes widened. Then they narrowed in rage. The book surged with power as he slammed his hand onto the page, reading out another spell. "VOTIUS!"
Page's arms glowed even more brightly as an even larger cross strike soared out, striking the foursome and knocking them flat on their backs and bottoms. Smoke rose from their bodies and they groaned in pain as Dr. Rupert clenched his fist at them.
"I…am a HAMSTER! It is Dr. Rupert Jacques von HAMSTERVIEL, not GERBILVIEL!" He shouted, jumping up and down.
"We can beat you if we just focus on one of you at a time!" Page said. "Right doctor?"
"Right…and that's no lie!" Dr. Rupert said, raising his paw. But before he could shout another spell…
"KIYAAAH!" Nosy and his book owner rushed forward. Before the doctor could do anything, he was grabbed and tossed into the air while Nosy tried to hold Page down, mouth opening.
"Torappu!" His book owner shouted, and Nosy covered Page in disgusting, iron-colored ooze. Dr. Rupert tumbled around, then gasped in horror as Slobber attacked with another slobber bomb…
And he was sailing right into it!
"AAA!" he covered his eyes…
WOOMP!
Though covered in ooze, Page had flown through the air and saved him and the book. They stood back up, gasping.
"Even if we try focusing on one of them, the other rushes forward…their combo IS strong." Dr. Rupert admitted.
"Time to put an end to this!" Slobber's book owner said condescendingly. "Kamitsubute!" She shouted.
A slobbering bomb flew through the air, slightly faster than the one before…and now it was tinged blue.
"It's faster, but we can still outrun it!" Page said, flying off with Dr. Rupert in his arms. But as they turned…so did the bomb!
"It's a tracking bomb!" The doctor gasped. "Come on, let's run away and-"
Page's body hit the ground. He twitched and moaned. "My body…so numb…can't…move…doctor…"
Dr. Rupert gasped in horror. "Oh no…that "Torappu" spell must unleash poison that saps the body! And we don't have any healing spells…"
"I'll use the shielding spell!" Dr. Rupert held the book open. "PRECOR!"
A shining cross solidified in front of them, turning into a stone marker with a red crystal in the middle, like a sacred heart. The pulsing slobber bomb struck the marker…but then it dissolved it. True, the bomb was halted and vanished, but seeing their shielding spell so quickly destroyed…
"Darn it, it…it should have…bounced the thing back…" Page whispered.
"Let's put more energy into this one!" Slobber's book owner laughed. "Kamitsubute!" She shouted again. Slobber spat out an even LARGER bomb at them, and it whizzed through the air.
"Don't worry Page." Dr. Rupert said, lifting the young creature up. "Even if I have to carry you on my back…it'll be to carry you to victory! We'll find their weakness somehow!"
"Right…we can't give up no matter what!" Page said. "One can't feel afraid!"
The foursome they were facing all laughed coldly, and Nosy pointed at them, a smirk on his big-nosed face. "You think you can win? You're so stupid! This attack will take you out…there's no WAY we four can lose!"
"My, my…you think so, huh?"
Everyone's heads jolted up and looked in the direction of the new voice…and then another new voice shouted.
"Munimentum!"
A big, shield-like wall raised up, made of shimmering crystal mosaic. It halted the attack in its place and Dr. Rupert smiled at the appearance of two females…
One was a girl of Japanese origin with dark brown hair that was tied into a double ponytail on both sides of her head. She had on a red shirt with white floral patterns and black shorts. She was also wearing golden earrings. The experiment with them had a slightly cone-shaped head and pink fur covering it's body. It had a koala-like set of ears, eyes and a cute red nose. She had blue stripes at the top of her head, and a very feminine body.
"I'm Yuuka Hanako!" The girl said. "This is 618…"
"Crystallene's the name." The female experiment said.
"Let's trash these guys and show them what a real "ultimate combo" is!" The two girls said at the same time.
PREVIEW!
Page: Crystallene? Yuuku? Are you our allies?
Crystallene: Don't worry, we're gonna help you beat this monsters!
Nosy: You're going to need more than a bubble-headed pinky to beat our unbeatable combo!
Crystallene: You may think you're pretty pink NOW, but you're going to be turning even redder when you realize your spells won't work on OUR powers!
Dr. Rupert: The female of the species is more deadly than the male...find out the truth of this on the next "Alternate Fate: Fantasy!" And if you don't review, I'll tug on my tail and make a cow drop on your head!
Page: Really?
Dr. Rupert: Nah. Lie!
Page: GAAAAWWWW!