You know what's REALLY beginning to bug me to no end? People who think that 'mamono' is a common mistake everyone makes when the "real" term is "mamodo". Don' t they realize that there IS a Japanese version and SURELY different terms? -.-+ (vein)

What makes me say so? Just simply browsing the sight, reading reviews from ignorant people. No, they're not stupid, i mean 'ignorant' as they can LEARN there's a Japanese version, but seemingly they won't. Feh.

Eh, don't mind me, i've had a sucky two days. D: First comes me having to write this epic poem in English in a matter of one night (which i gaffed off the ending to it and decided to put it all together in 1st perdiod th enext day, as it's due in 2nd), only to make it a whopping TEN PAGES. x.x Plus the ending sucks. No questions. Oh, and then there's this test i had today that i didn't exactly study for... But let's not go into that, m'kay? M'kay.

And i'm sure there were some other things i was gonna say about that but i just went braindead.

And i really don't find it fair that YouTube has BOTH Gash Bell movies, almost ALL of the Gash Bell episodes subtitled in English, but NOT episodes 92-98! T-T If i'm wrong, please tell me, as i'm just DYING to see them! x.x

Anywho... yes, non-filler chapter time! The action finally starts and i really DO hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: Gash Bell is not mine whatsoever, it belongs to the genious Makoto Raiku, not some irritated highschool freshman who simply writes fanfiction and draws fanart!

Lost and Found

4

Around We Go

Into the ruins we went.

I had to say one thing: whatever ancient civilization had constructed this thing had done a very good job. Especially if they meant to make people lost, because I felt rather confused as to where I was going when Brago and I entered. He seemed to be doing just fine, but if it were just myself on my own, surely the end would have been found towards late afternoon. I had no idea how one could find their way through here, but luckily Brago had a keen sense of finding other demons, which was an advantage to finding the others.

The structures of the ruins were large and magnificent. The walls were a golden brown and sometimes lined with ivy as well as decorated with ancient drawings. Everything was purely amazing for being so old, but there was no time to stop and stare in awe at the mighty structure. I had a mission to accomplish and sightseeing wasn't it.

Koko… dear, sweet Koko! I'm coming for you!

Our footsteps echoed in the empty hallways of the old building and our shadows danced along the walls when we passed a couple of lit torches every now and then as we ran deeper. Brago took the lead, of course, and he seemed to know where he was going.

I watched the back of his head as we both ran forward and I mused to myself about the upcoming battle. How long would it last? Would Koko's mind be freed during it, or would it be a delayed reaction? So many things… What would I do after the battle?

That last question, however, I already knew. As soon as Koko was freed from Zophise's mind trap, all of my power would no longer be dedicated to freeing her, but to making Brago the king. I would do so no matter what!

So we continued to run forward, deeper into the gigantic ruins hidden in the forest. There came to a point where it was so quiet, I couldn't help but speak up.

"Brago?" I called from behind, and I received a grunt as an answer. "Do you sense any mamono nearby?"

"There's a couple nearby," he said, "Perhaps they'll be a good way to find the path to Zophise. All that must be done is to defeat them."

I smirked upon hearing his words. Defeat them, oh, how easy that would be. These millennium demons were no match for Brago and I; that was already proved. All of them were so stupid and stuck up, they thought they could defeat us!

Finally, we eventually came to an opening where there was a large door. Brago and I walked forward, keeping our guards up as we looked around the stone room. To the side were two millennium mamono, guarding the next entrance to the door. Once their beady eyes landed upon us, they shrieked and put up their defenses.

"Intruders!" one shouted, "There's more intruders! Fight them, fight them!!"

More intruders? I thought to myself, Brago almost seeming to be wondering the same thing, though I couldn't really tell. So, Gash and the others were here first…? Interesting. We had better pick up the pace!

"Human!" the other shouted, "Cast a spell, now!"

The human, possessed, no doubt, was a boy probably a few years younger than myself. His white eyes turned in our direction and he nonchalantly murmured a spell.

"Gokurosen."

His mamono, a small thing he was, raised his hands in the air as they immediately grew ten times their original sized, and then launched them in mine and Brago's direction.

I decided to not cast a spell, but instead instead, to just save strength. So I turned to look at Brago with a nod as he smirked, jumping toward the flying fists with a quick pace. Right before the spell hit him, though, he kicked away the attack and sent them flying in the opposite direction, right towards the other mamono.

They shrieked in surprise and at Brago's power as he leapt upon them, punching the other demon that hadn't used a spell while the other's own attack hit them head-on. He didn't bother to turn and look at me but instead shouted, "A spell!"

I nodded briefly before yelling, "Reisu!" which caused a small gravity ball to shoot out of Brago's palm, hitting the mamono's book directly, setting it aflame. In the meanwhile, the other mamono, who had been hit by his own spell, was already disappearing as his book was burnt from the blast. A moment later, the other left as well, both books leaving only ashes where they remained. The two humans lay on the ground, knocked out.

"Hn, if this is all they have to offer, then this will be easy to find our way," muttered Brago as he shoved his hands in his pockets while I stepped forward. "Obviously there's only mamono in the important sections of the ruins. If we follow the path, we can find the others."

I nodded in agreement. "Right. Now we just have to find them, is all. Do you sense any others?"

"A few," he responded and said nothing more. Again, I nodded my head and we took off once more, only to find ourselves in another battle with another paired up mamono group.

We ended the battle easily, but soon found more fights to come. One after the other, all we did was entered room after room with pair after pair. It was getting very tiresome. I wanted to fight Zophise! Not these mamono!

For a while, there weren't any other demons, but instead, just a long hallway that contained open windows with no glass. I could see the town where we came from and some mountains not too far off. Damn it! Just where were we headed?

Soon it came to a point where I felt myself becoming extremely impatient. After about ten more minutes of just walking, I growled in frustration and threw my hands up in the air.

"Just where are we going? This is pointless, Koko could have been freed by now!" I said in irritation as I glared out the window. Brago stopped walking and turned his head towards me.

"Well, if you think yelling will solve the problem, then yell as much as you please. But I'm going to find him somehow," he said with a slight frown. I felt the anger boiling up inside me as I clenched my fist.

"You'll find him? I should say we both will! Don't think you're the only one who can do things around here, Brago."

"I never said that, just simply that I'd find him." He turned his gaze away from mine for a moment before slowly beginning to walk ahead. "Now, let's get moving!"

"Fine!" I said heatedly. Before joining him in the run, however, I hit the side of the wall with my fist and a sudden shake began to occur. My eyes widened as Brago turned around and looked at me with a 'what did you do now?' look. I turned to the stone slab in the wall I hit and was surprised to see it was going back in the wall. Not only that, but so were the others surrounding it. Soon as the shaking stopped, I stared in slight bemusement at the open space I had unintentionally created.

I hit a secret door…

Stepping forward, I looked within the space and saw that there was light shining up above, while leading up to it was a flight of stairs. Turning to stare back at Brago, I told him of my discovery and he too came forth.

"Let's follow it," he commanded sternly and I nodded my head, only to fall back behind again as my dark companion once more took the lead. For a few minutes, we headed up the long stairway of steps, but as we climbed higher, the light grew brighter and brighter, and I had to wonder, was this the roof?

Soon we found ourselves at an open passageway, where the light was being emitted. I squinted my eyes just a little as both Brago and I walked through the open door into the light, only to find ourselves on a stone rooftop.

Glancing out below, I saw the vast, green forest that surrounded the ruins we stood on, and up above, I could see the shape of the top dome of the said structure. I looked around and breathed in the fresh air, only to turn around and stare at Brago.

"We made it this far. Now what?" I inquired, and he inspected the area a little more. Then, his eyes widened, and he ran towards the edge of the balcony which we were on and rested his hands on the edge. My interest then peeked.

"What?" I said, mimicking his actions as I too ran over to where he stood. Down below, some ways down, I could see a bunch of millennium demons rise into the air and land on a lower balcony as they surrounded a couple of teams.

The teams, I realized, were none other than Gash Bell himself and one other I didn't recognize. They were all huddled together as the demonic force came closer, while more allies (this time winged and flying) came forth from in the air to our right. But as I gazed at the scene, that's when I realized just who else was amongst the crowd.

Floating within the air near the edge of the balcony dressed in a white cloak with odd designs was none other than the one I hated most. It was the despised creature known for manipulating hearts and controlling innocent humans' minds. He stood there, laughing wildly at the sight before him, taking no notice of Brago and I.

The one being that I despised with all of my heart with an utter and undying passion, hovered in the air before my eyes, laughing like he did that one night I first met him.

Zophise.