Chapter 21: Flashback
The wolf holds his hand up to Darwin, who still was having the nightmares, but started standing up, hearing his lovers cries and screams. He was recovering. Black and blood red magic flickered from his finger tips. Gumball growls, standing up and attacking his arm, only a little bit of magic sparks out, hitting Darwin. The boy yelps, falling to his knees, he wasn't knocked off his feet, no, rather his feet…were replaced with orange scales. And he can't breathe anymore, Darwin gasps, struggling to breathe the air he was used to breathing, no use.
Gumball's eyes widen, when he saw Darwin's change. The cyan haired boy growls, worry taking control of his actions. Gumball runs towards the fish, ignoring the burn on his stomach. He snarls as Universe sends another fire ball against his back, making him loose balance, wavering slightly. The wolf kicks behind Gumball's knees, knocking him down so that he kneeled with his back to Universe. The death guardian laughs, roughly kicking the feline in the back, so that he fell on his face.
"Glumblall!" Darwin's gurgled cry reaches the said boy.
Gumball weakly flips around, sending his foot into Universe's face, blinding the wolf momentarily. The cat stands up and bolts over to Darwin, picking him up -noticing he had gotten a few pounds heavier since the change- and bolted down the hallways. By this time he had heard Principal Brown, teachers, and students screaming at him. They couldn't see Universe. It popped in his head quickly, but he shook it out. He had to focus. Once he reached the pool room, he bolted towards the pool itself. Ignoring the pain in his back, and his gut twisting because of his fear for water.
'Darwin would do it for me…' His thoughts said. Gumball sucks in a quick breath before plunging into the water. Fear overtook him immediately. As soon as he hit the water Darwin wriggled out of his grasp, leaving him alone. He panicked, kicking, but nothing happened. Gumball hears the sound of someone diving into the clear waters, and soon feels a arm wrap around his torso, pulling him out of the water. He gasps in the air when Penny helps him get on the side of the pool. His bottom half hanging in the water, he doesn't dare move, afraid he'd be pulled in.
"Gumball, what happened? Why'd you do that?" Penny asks softly, tilting his head up to face her. She gasps, "Gumball! Your heads bleeding…"
"Darwin. I-is Darwin okay?" He glances back at the pool.
The antlered girl looks around the room, "Guys, get a first aid kit!" She glances at the heavily bleeding wound on his arm. "Fast!"
He looks over to where a pretty large group of people stood, running around in panic, "Did I…interrupt your class?" He asks, seeing everyone was in swimsuits.
She shrugs, "Yeah, scared us, but that doesn't matter…What happened?"
Leslie runs up, handing them a white box with a red plus sign on it, "My golly Gumball, what happened?"
He sighs, "Someone was bullying Darwin…"
Penny snorts, "Did you kick their but?"
"Yeah, kinda…Darwin." He glances at the pool, feeling something touch his feet.
"Where is he?" Leslie asks.
"The…" Gumball shrieks, feeling his tail being brushed by something, most likely Darwin, "…pool."
The relatives peer over the pool, looking for the boy. They share a worried glance, Gumball didn't have to ask to know that they thought he was going crazy.
"Guys I'm not crazy." He snarls.
"We never said that." Penny replies softly.
The water ripples behind him and he feels soft, wet hands on his back, causing him to freeze, "I'm okay Gumball."
Penny's eyes widen, "D-Darwin?"
Gumball turns his head around before breaking into sobs, "I-I'm so s-sorry D-Darwin."
The orange haired boy frowns, turning Gumball around so they could properly hug, "For what?"
"F-for…" Gumball freezes. He was crying…in front of about twenty people. "U-uh…" He sniffles.
Darwin smiles, knowing that the cat was nervous, "For what?"
"Th…that." He reaches his hand down to Darwin's hips under the water, feeling the oddly familiar texture of scales.
"Oh, it's okay." Darwin smiles warmly.
Gumball raises an eyebrow, "Where's your shirt?"
Darwin blushes, "I tore it off…"
"Oh." Gumball smiles.
The double doors of the room burst open, revealing a furious Principal Brown, "What happened Watterson?!"
Gumball swallows, feeling abandoned when Penny and Leslie back away from him, "Y-you see Principal Brown I-"
"-You what. Suddenly burst out of the office and bolt down the halls?! Not acceptable Gumball." The man stomps into the room, letting the doors close behind him. "Do you know how many classes you disturbed?"
"Yes, but you see Darwin was getting bullied-" Gumball cringes as Principal Brown's face reddens.
"This is why I had you two separated." He growls. "Get out of the pool. Both of you!"
Gumball hears Darwin whimper, "Hang on a second…Stay in the pool."
Darwin nods as the shivering male pulls himself out of the pool. Then Darwin sinks further under water.
"Good, Darwin get out-" Brown glares at the scared boy.
"-No." Gumball snarls, shocking just about everyone, and moves so he's standing in Principal Brown's view of the goldfish.
The Principal blinks, "Why not?"
"I am tired of everyone treating us like shit. The past six years, we've been bullied, picked on, and it's gotten worse the older we get. Just because we're gay doesn't mean we're any different." Gumball growls, marching towards the shorter man. "See this-?" He shoves his bloody arm in Brown's face, "-This, I got from trying to protect Darwin, because I care about him. And for some god damn reason a hell a lot of you don't give a fuck about it."
"Gumball I-" Principal Brown starts but quiets down when Gumball shoots a deathly glare at him.
"I failed on completely saving him. I will protect him from your fucking hate though. I can do that." The feline sneers, though sadness filled his icy eyes.
Principal Brown sighs heavily, "I'm sorry, but, can Darwin get out of the pool, and we can talk about this in the office; so that this class may get back to work?"
Gumball glances at his feet before turning around to Darwin, only to see the orange haired teen to go under water and then resurface, taking a "breath" of water he assumed. The boy heads over to Penny flashing Darwin a smile, which the boy cocked his head at.
"Hey Penny, do you happen to have…a jug of water with you? Or a couple bottles?" He asks.
She purses her lips, "Yeah, both. I'll go get you a jug okay?" She then runs into the locker room, returning with a water jug in hand, "Here." She hands it to Gumball.
He smiles, "Thanks Penny."
Gumball takes the jug and walks over to Darwin, kneeling down to his level, holding the jug of water out.
Darwin taps it, "What's this for?"
"For you to stay alive out of the pool." He smiles reassuringly, but it faults when Darwin sinks further under the water. "Please, I'll get Brown to let us go home. So you can relax in your bed. Tank."
"U-uh…" Darwin gulps nervously, looking at his…tail. "…O-okay."
Gumball smiles, setting the jug by his side, then leans closer with his arms out. Darwin moves closer, licking his lips, and his eyebrows furrowing, he wraps his arms around Gumball's neck, allowing his boyfriend to pick him up and out of the pool. Gumball grunts at the sudden weight, causing Darwin to shift slightly. He pulls up, holding Darwin bridle-style. Everyone in the room gasps.
"Shut up." Gumball hisses, using his tail to wrap through the jug and shakily pull it up to his hands in front of him, grabbing it he nudges Darwin to take it.
The boy takes it and holds it close to his chest, shaking slightly. Last time he was like this he was teased by the other kids. Sure, it was when he was about eight or so, but now was worse. He buries his head in Gumball's neck.
"L-let's go." He whimpers.
Gumball nods, still ignoring the burn in his chest, back, and arm…from that god damn wolf. The feline carries the boy towards Principal Brown, who's eyes seemed to be glued wide open. Gumball shoulders past him, hearing Darwin start choking…meaning he was already drying from being out of the water.
"Water." Gumball says.
Darwin unscrews the cap weakly and pours the water in his mouth, then on his body, doing his best to save as much as he could. Principal Brown was shocked, Darwin looked completely different. Well, his top half seemed fine, but his lower end was the body of a large, orange-gold fish. The scales shimmered in the light, and the tail flopped around slightly, useless on land. He understood now, why Gumball was so angry about this. One question still bugged him; who hurt them? He hurried out of the room, pointing at the coach before shutting the doors and running up behind the boys.
The three stared at each other, an awkward silence between all three. Gumball was staring at the scales of Darwin's new/old body. When he was younger, he had adopted Darwin from the side of the road, from this nice old lady who was selling the last of her fish before she most likely died. Darwin was just a regular goldfish, then he turned into a mermaid…merman, then what he was before returning to the merman stage. Principal Brown began to talk, but only the fish listened, for Gumball was in his own thoughts.
Flashback
Gumball giggled, skipping down the sidewalk with his mothers hand in his own. He smiled and looked around, they were going to get a pet from the pound! He was so excited, plus, today was his birthday! An old lady on the side of the road caught his attention, he tugged on his mothers hand so they could go visit her.
"Honey, I don't think this is a good idea-oh!" Nicole gasped, shaking her head as her son pulled her to the old lady.
They soon saw that a woman had a small fish tank, with only one small goldfish swimming around. The lady was very old, all wrinkly and everything, but the feline's saw she had light grey wolf ears that poked out of her snowy white hair, she wore a light blue dress, she was thin, and must've been a beautiful young woman at one time. Gumball scoffed, licking his lips as he saw the small fish go in circles. The old woman gasped, pulling the fishbowl into her arms in a hug, staring at the boy with light blue eyes filled with horror.
"Boy, these fish are special." She said, glancing at the fish bowl lovingly. "Not to eat."
Gumball grinned, "But I'm a cat, I eat fishies."
The woman shook her head before coughing violently, "Not these kind. They grow up into amazing friends and wonderful creatures." She said softly.
Nicole smiles as her son cocks his head slightly, "Why is that?"
"Oh," The woman laughs. "Why don't you find out for yourself scamp?" She smiles, holding her beloved fish bowl and fish towards him.
Gumball takes it carefully, "What?"
"Can't you keep the fish?" She smiles warmly, her grey tail waving slightly.
"I think so…Momma?" He looks up at his mother.
She bites her lip, then smiles, "I suppose Gumball."
"Yay! Thank you…" Gumball lifts the bowl to his face, giggling as the fish goes up to it and seems to smile.
Just as the two were about to head home the woman reached out and lightly grabbed Gumball's hand, looking him in the eyes, "Please dear, take good care of him and love will come your way."
Gumball nods slowly, "Okay. Thank you!" He gathers her in a hug, with the fish bowl being set aside.
"Bye sweetie, you've made my day." She smiles warmly, ears perking when she heard someone approach her from behind.
"Galaxy, we have to go now. Mom and Dad wants us." The guys voice spoke, he wore black pants and a black shirt, he looked equally her age, maybe her brother. Only he had dark brown ears and tail, and black hair.
The lady -Galaxy- sighs, "Alright Uni," She turns back to the boy, holding out her pinky, "Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise Galaxy." He hooks his smaller pinky around the woman's.
"Bye, I have to go now. By Darwin." She whispers, blowing a kiss to the fish, and Gumball swore he saw light blue wind go into the waters.
"Bye Galaxy! See you later!" He waves, then runs carefully back to his mother.
Galaxy sighs again, standing up, "In few years time, Gumball."
End of Flashback
Those words echoed in Gumball's ears, "In few years time, Gumball." His eyes widened, the old lady was Galaxy. And her brother, Universe, was the old man. "Galaxy, we have to go now. Mom and Dad want us." Gumball gasps, looking at Darwin with a worried expression. It all just began to make sense.