Home Sweet Home
X.
I was sitting on the veranda that was located right outside the garden. The sun was just now beginning to rise, as were Sherry's gardener's to do their daily job. They weren't near me enough to spot me through the picketed fence that boxed around the portico. For this, I was grateful. The last thing I wanted was for one of the stupid humans to ask who I was and why I was simply sitting there.
Well, it wasn't exactly the last thing I wanted. There was something that came before it. As reality would have it, the last thing I wanted was for Sherry to bring up any of the previous night's events.
I should have told her to never mention it. I hated myself for even thinking about it. What in the worlds possessed me to do what I did? Since when did my brain react to doing the best thing for another? Actually, I'm not too sure that was the best thing for Sherry. I was simply thinking of a way to ease her pain. Why didn't I tell her to meditate?
Oh yes, that's right. Because she wouldn't let go of me! She may not be the strongest human ever, but she sure could cling.
I wasn't going to touch her for very long. I wasn't planning on it…it shouldn't have lasted practically all night. But the sounds she was making…they were equivalent to if she was screaming for me to continue. It wouldn't have felt right to stop and walk away while she was moaning and withering beneath me.
I glimpsed a bird that landed on the railing. It was pure blue except for a small white patch on its chest. It hopped in a circle before it faced me again. It cocked its head to the side when I began to stare at it intensely. The blue feathers reminded me of Sherry's eye color. I rested my elbow on the opposite railing, cradling my cheek in my open palm.
It chirped a couple times, hopping to the right. My eyes focused in on the blue and nothing else. That's when the color really did become her eyes, and as my vision reeled back, I saw Sherry how she was last night.
"Only to repay you…" the words left my mouth in a grumble when I recalled saying them over and over. How pathetic I must have sounded. Then again, I don't believe my words were the center of her attention.
She liked it when I would blow onto her stomach. It was evident in the way she moaned and how her back arched off the bed. I felt my face heat up before I began thinking about--.
The bluebird chirped very loud and annoyingly, snapping me out of my daydream. It seemed to be glaring at me, it's mouth open as it readied itself to chirp more. Before it could, I raised my hand and released a small amount of gravity. It was just enough to send the small bird swirling backward. It didn't have the power to hold itself up so I heard it land heavily on the ground outside the porch with a distressed cry.
I sighed and closed my eyes. I must have went into meditation without realizing it. I felt a presence in front of me that I did not sense coming toward me. I opened my eyes to find Sherry standing directly in front of me, holding the book to her chest.
Narrowing my eyes, I looked away from her, "How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long," she answered, sitting down slowly on the bench across from me, "I was looking everywhere for you."
"Well, you found me," I shot back, not really knowing why I was putting up my defenses. Of course, I could've been acting like myself. How did I normally act again?
I saw her nod, but that was all she did. She leaned back and looked out at her garden, the workers even further away now as they were just finishing up watering the flowers for the morning.
"That was useless," she mumbled, turning her eyes to the sky, "It looks like rain."
My eyes drifted up. Although the morning started off as a sunny one, the sky was now gray with thick, heavy clouds. The sun was just disappearing behind one of these clouds when I looked up, leaving all the ground in shade.
We were silent for a very long time…longer than usual. I began to fear that last night changed something between us. Despite trying to tell myself I didn't care one way or the other, an odd sadness drifted through my core.
"Did you want to be going?" I asked her suddenly. Strange. Usually I'm not the one that breaks the silence.
She turned to me with shock, "But it's about to rain. Actually, it looks like a thunder storm."
As if on cue, a low rumble sounded in the distance.
I shrugged, "Cooler weather to travel in."
"Less comfortable weather to travel in," she recoiled, rubbing her fingers over her bandaged palms.
"You're slower when it's hot."
"I'm bitchier when I'm soaking wet."
I'm not sure why, but her statement made me smirk. She spotted it, which made her grin in return.
"Do you move fast when you're bitchy?" I asked, taking great pleasure out of making fun of her in an obvious manner.
"Only if my target is moving fast," Sherry let out a soft laugh, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face.
I shook my head and went back to looking at the sky. Already, I could spot a few raindrops falling onto the soft wood. Thunder rumbled again, this time sounding a little closer and longer. I supposed it wouldn't be good for Sherry to travel when there was a heavy storm going on. The last thing I needed was for us to be traveling through the forest, about to fight the Fire Mamodo, when lightening strikes her down.
I could feel her eyes staring at me and was about to ask what her problem was, when she began speaking.
"Brago…" She didn't have to say anymore. Just by the sound of her voice saying my name, it was enough to tell me what she was about to bring up.
"Don't bring it up," I warned, my muscles tensing.
"But--."
"I don't want to talk about it."
She sighed. I'm glad she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere. She became silent again. I was hoping she would just give it up, but I sensed her brain reeling with a plan. She was thinking of just spitting out what she wanted to say as fast as she could. I saw her waiting for the right moment. She shot her head towards me and began speaking at lightening speed.
"I really wanted--."
"No!" I yelled just as quickly, shutting her up again.
She slumped back, waited a good minute, then tried the same process again.
"To tell you--."
"Nah!"
"That you were--."
"Stop!"
"Perfect last--."
"Sherry!"
"Night." She finished. I only growled after this one, angry mostly at the fact that she was able to say a full sentence. I was so busy trying to shut her up, I didn't process what she said until a moment later. She knew I realized it, because she grinned when my eyes widened.
I turned away from her quickly, not liking how she caught me off guard.
The thunder boomed loudly this time, marking the time for the rain to come pouring down. The roof above us sprouted out over the sides enough to keep us from getting wet. Right away, all of the aromas from the flowers were released into the air, the fragrance surrounding us. Lightening flashed and thunder yelled right after.
"I used to come out here when it was raining when I was younger," Sherry said, holding the book closer to her now.
I didn't say anything, which made her assume she could continue her little story, "My mother thought that a storm would inspire me to do better on my practices. It's not like I could have the urge to play outside. I think I did worse when it stormed," she laughed lightly, if not a bit sadly, "I liked the smells the rain brought with it. Out in the garden anyway. When I knew it was going to rain, I would bring a pillow out here and lay right in the middle, listening and watching to the rain fall all around me. I thought of it as my guardian, keeping everyone away."
The rain fell harder for a few seconds before it went back into its normal pounding. The lightening blinded me for an instant. It seemed that in that instant, Sherry found her way over to me. She was sitting beside me on the bench, still looking out at the rain.
"The only person I would allow inside, I told myself, was someone extra special to me," she finished, daring to rest her head on my shoulder.
What made her think she could touch me whenever she wanted? Maybe she thinks you don't care since you never shake her off. Not this time.
However, before I could even think about how to get her off of me (should it really take that much thought?), I sensed something. It was something…strong. Too strong for it's own good. It wasn't the Fire Mamodo…but I knew it was a mamodo I felt before.
I don't know why, but a famous saying came to mind. The culprit always returns to the scene of the crime.
My eyes widened in realization. Could it really be them? After all this time? I turned my gaze down to Sherry to see if she felt it also, but she had she eyes closed with a small smile playing on her lips.
I suddenly didn't want to move her. She seemed so…happy. I don't see her like this very often. Oddly enough, knowing I was the one that could make her happy swelled me with pride. Do I want to see her upset again?
Why was I even thinking about options? We had to fight! It's not like I could ignore a battle. We trained all this time, waiting for this particular moment to arrive. If I don't say something about it soon…where would that leave us?
"Sherry," her name slipped through my lips.
"Hmm?" She moaned, obviously enjoying the moment a little too well.
I sighed inaudibly, "Do you sense that?"
She was quiet for a long moment. She moved her head to the side so her forehead was now pressed against my shoulder. I waited for her to respond patiently, "No…I don't sense anything."
I shouldn't have been surprised. The source was a little too far away. I trained her to be able to know where her opponent was when they were right in front of her, not five miles away.
"We should start heading out," I said, abruptly standing to my feet. This was unexpected to her, so she almost fell over but propped herself up at the last second.
She frowned, "But it's raining."
"I don't think they care one way or the other."
Tilting her head to the side, she blinked, "Pardon? They?"
I simply nodded and stepped off the veranda, the rain soaking me instantly. I began to walk away, knowing she would follow soon enough.
Just as I suspected, it didn't even take her ten seconds to catch up to me. She began walking beside me, trying to hide my book from the rain as best as she could. Nice; she talks about how she doesn't want to get wet when it seems she really means she doesn't want my book to get wet.
"Brago, who are you talking about?" she screamed over the heavy rain and loud thunder.
I didn't answer her. I picked up my speed, wondering how fast she could run in the rain. To my surprise, she stepped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. She looked at me with confused eyes, the rain dripping down her face looking like a million tears.
"Talk to me! Who are you talking about?" She questioned again. I could see she wouldn't let me get very far easily if I didn't answer her. However, it seemed all I had to do was look at her for her to find the answer on her own.
Her eyes widened in fright. That's right, Sherry…
The moment had to come sometime.
The rain picked up. The million tears running down her face turned into billions. She seemed to look at me with a certain stare, trying to figure out if I was lying. Lying? Why would I be lying about something like this? Since when did I ever lie to her in the first place?
She turned to the side, looking up at the rain. Her eyes closed. She was trying to make the rain wash away all of her doubts and worries. I didn't move a muscle. If doing this made her more comfortable about fighting in the end, it would be well worth the wait.
"Koko…" I heard the girl's name escape Sherry's lips. I wanted to tell her that after the fight was over, she would be closer to her friend. Of course, I didn't. She already knew it, anyway. I wanted to tell her that we wouldn't lose. She gave everything she had to save my book, now I would give everything I had to fulfill my promise to her. Like her, I keep my word.
Zophise was going down.
Sherry's eyes shot open and she looked straight ahead. This was it. I could now see the determination in her soul.
"Let's go," she said, before beginning to run through the slick, wet grass until we reached the stepping stones through her garden. I ran ahead, planning on leading us both to the mamodo that, quite ironically, brought us together.
It wouldn't be the mamodo that separated us.
Hello everyone! Wow…you all seemed to like the last chapter pretty good. O.O Whoo…and you all gave me over 100 reviews! I think this is the first story of Zatch Bell that reached that point. Thank you all so much!
Oh, and guess what! I ran across this Zatch Bell starter deck for the new card game. I decided to get it and I got this one card that I love! It's of the scene where Brago's carrying Sherry on his back after she fainted during a battle. I LOVE IT! It's so hot…
Anyway, that's all I have to say.
Enula