Hey, everyone! Sorry that i haven't been on much lately. Some things have happened and i was unable to get on the computer. -.-

Meh... anywho, here's an update! This is another angsty chapter to warn y'all... but the next one should not be too angsy... In fact, i don't think it really is. And then after that chapter there's the epilogue which i have yet to type up. Gr... i just dunno too much how i'm gonna write it, although i know what i want to happen. It's just so... so... GRAH! >.

Meep... i'm gonna have a busy July comin' up. Let's see... in July i'll be learning 3 different art stuff with manga, animation, and 3D animation, and then there's my birthday in July (I'llbe 14!) as well. And those classes last 3 weeks so i'll be BUSY!

Well... anyway, i'm babbling, so just read the chapter already and send your feedbacks please! n.n Y'know i like reviews! XD

Disclaimer: WHY are you reading this? This has NEVER been mine and it NEVER will be! But Kalu's mine, i'll say that now.HAHAHAHAHA!

Kalu: o.O


A Gift from the Dark

Chapter 34

Distraught Child

In the room where Sherry and Kalu were, the room was rather light; even though it was dark throughout the demon world, there were torches lit throughout the hallways of the king's castle and in the one particular room that they were in.

Sherry had not too long ago brought up a chair to Kalu's bedside and was somewhat lying on the edge of the child's bed, her arms crossed and draped over the mattress with her head in between them while sitting on the seat. For a long while after Brago left, the woman merely sat next to her daughter's bedside and eventually drifted off to sleep, waiting for something to happen. Brago had yet to return, but she knew where he had gone to and what he had been planning to do... She knew he had gone to kill him...

Shoulders rising and falling as she slept, the woman continued to slumber in slight unease. Kalu was still positioned on the bed, her blue-black hair spread out messily on the fluffy pillow beneath her. She lay there motionless, but after a long while her hand twitched and her eyes tightened just slightly before the child turned her head to the side, mumbling out something incoherent while doing so. And then steadily, but slowly, she began to open her eyes.

At first, her vision was blurry: The only thing she could see was a vast swirl of colors that made her head hurt, so she closed her eyes once more to wait for the throbbing pain to go away. After waiting a few more minutes, Kalu tried again, this time blinking away the haziness within her vision. Colors transformed into shapes as her sight slowly returned. The first thing that caught her eye was something yellowish... blonde hair... Again, she blinked and realized that it was her mother near the edge of the bed, her arms crossed over the mattress, silently sleeping.

The child's eyes slowly widened as she realized that it was indeed her mother. A feeling of comfort overwhelmed her now that she knew someone close was nearby, she opened her mouth and attempted to speak, but instead of a clear voice it was somewhat raspy, but nonetheless she spoke.

"Mamma...?"

Squeezing her eyes a little, Sherry grumbled and moved her head away, almost as if protesting to have been woken up. Her eyes slowly opened and, when the fact that she heard her daughter's voice registered, she blinked again and immediately sat up, turning to look into the hybrid's direction.

The two held eye contact for a good second before Sherry blinked again after rubbing her eyes and stared. "Kalu... are you... really awake?" Her daughter made a small murmuring sound, confirming that she was, and the mother's eyes widened. "Kalu... You're alive... You're alive!" she breathed. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she smiled, her hands began to tremble.

She was going to live after all...

Bending over, the woman squeezed her daughter's hand gently with her own as she smiled down into her clouded purple eyes. Kalu was still feeling fairly woozy and there was a small tinge of pain in the back of her head still, most likely a small headache, but she felt much better now that she had a good rest, it was a great deal better than how she had been feeling earlier. Even that very moment her strength was slowly beginning to return... What a wonderful sensation.

"Mamma..." Kalu whispered again as she blinked. "Where... where am I?"

"You're in Zatch's castle," her mother answered, bowing her head. "During the last fight you stopped breathing. You needed immediate attention so you were brought here... We were really worried about you, Kalu."

With that said, the child merely laid there for a minute, forcing her foggy mind to think back to what had previously happened before she lost consciousness. Slowly she started to remember as memories began to rapidly flood her mind, her eyes widened in shock. The incident with hurting the children at school, releasing that new spell that she had for sure inherited from her father, being captured by Zophise... Her eyes squeezed tightly together at this thought as she recalled him entering her mind, altering the new personality that he previously gave her. Such a painful experience... he had been inside her very soul... And then there was something about her father and... Wait! Brago! Where was he?

"Where's Daddy?" Kalu instantly inquired as soon as her thoughts led to her father. She tried to force herself to sit up on the light blanketed bed, but unfortunately her body wasn't cooperating with her very well. As soon as she strained her body to move she immediately fell back down, whimpering a little in the process. A look of concern instantly swept over Sherry's features and she grasped the child's hand a little tighter.

"I... I know he went somewhere..." the girl spoke quietly as she closed her eyes, letting them rest a little while she continued. "I remember... you and Daddy were talking while I was... while I was sleepy... And then he said something I didn't understand, and then I also remember... I also... I..." Kalu opened her eyes to stare at her mother with an illegible expression, her purple orbs glistening with emotion. Sherry stared back at her daughter.

"You remember what, Kalu?" asked Sherry softly, almost fearing what her daughter had to say. From the tone in her voice, it couldn't have been good.

She noticed a small tear trickle down from the child's eye; a weeping sound was afterwards emitted from Kalu's throat. Sherry swallowed and held her breath, not knowing what to expect, and then exhaled when the words escaped her daughter's lips: "I heard someone say I can't go back home..."

So that was it...

Kalu had never been very fond of her father's world, in fact she would usually complain a little about having to leave whenever the two planned to train. She would continuously ask Brago over and over again if she could be tutored in the human world, but he always shook his head, telling her that he couldn't use his own powers in that world very well, so they would have to leave for his home world instead.

And now Kalu was unable to leave this world, the one she disliked; she could never return home, not ever again. Sherry bit her lip as a saddened expression overcame both hers and her daughter's features and she lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Yes... I'm sorry, sweetie, but it's true." This pained her so much to see Kalu like this. If only she could be happy, that's what Sherry wanted, but now she was falling to pieces, unable to return to the place she knew as, loved, and called home.

Tears formed in the corners of Kalu's eyes as she resisted the urge to cry. "Y-you mean... I can't ever go back?" she whimpered, her eyes shaking. When Sherry shook her head, a tear trickled down Kalu's cheek and she immediately turned away, hugging herself with her arms as she silently began to cry with her back turned to her mother.

The woman stared down at Kalu in an apologetic way. "I'm so sorry, Kalu," she said sadly. For a while she sat in an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what to say or do next. After a minute the blonde looked over to her daughter, her back was still facing her. The saddened look on Sherry's face remained and she reached out to rest her hand on the hybrid's shoulder. Kalu flinched, undoubtedly not wanting to be touched at the moment.

Sighing, Sherry pulled her hand back, now only coming up with one other solution. "Kalu... would you like to hear another story?"

Kalu neither turned around to face the other nor did she speak. Instead, she merely thought to herself, remembering the last time she was told a "story" she had been informed that she was half demon--news that she utterly despised to that very day. What kind of unpleasant things did Sherry have to tell her this time?

After waiting for a moment, Sherry saw that her daughter wasn't going to answer her, so she decided to carry on with what she had to say anyway, hoping that her plan would work. "Would you like to hear a little something about the black book?" she inquired, tilting her head to the side while doing so. Kalu still didn't respond so she continued. "Have you ever wondered why the book still exists, even though it had been previously burned in the past?"

Again, Kalu still said nothing, although she did avert her eyes to the side without turning her head around. Hearing about the black book didn't seem like bad news... it had even sparked a little interest within her, however she was rather unsure whether she wanted to know or if she even cared. It became evident that this really didn't matter, for Sherry went on with the story.

"The reason is because after it was burned, Zatch Bell returned it to us," said Sherry, still keeping an eye on her daughter. "He used a special spell that allowed him to recreate the book, and he even allowed it to have all the spells that Brago and I had previously unlocked in the past. He said that it could be useful in situations where we may possibly need it.

"But honestly, after the war was over, I always viewed it as a reminder of your father, no longer a tool." Sherry sighed, Kalu still wasn't responding. What could she say that would make her talk? The woman waited a moment before she went on with the story. "I remember all of the battles I was in with your father, and every time I look at that book memories always fill my mind. Some pleasant, some not..."

The last line that Sherry said caught Kalu's attention and she wondered: Bad memories, what kind? Without thinking, she blurted, "What were some bad times?"

Inwardly, Sherry smiled; at least something made her speak. "Well... you know," the woman said as she shifted her position on the chair, making herself more comfortable. "In the beginning, my relationship with Brago wasn't that great. In fact, we fought quite a bit."

"You did?" Kalu inquired, still refusing to turn around, although it was quite tempting at this point. She was very curious now; she couldn't possibly imagine her parents fighting! Every time she saw them together they got along quite well and they never fought, not ever! Well... except when Sherry yelled at Brago for not eating cooked foods and would then ask him to at least try some. Those were actually pretty funny to watch, but that wasn't the point.

A small smile crept upon Sherry's lips as she saw that Kalu was slowly starting to speak again; she was so delighted that she could get her to talk. But did it really have to be a discussion about her past relationship and arguments with Brago? Oh well, not much she could do about that, it was merely the truth. What could she do? Initially, Brago did have a violent temper, although he had tremendously mellowed out throughout the years (Heck, he was a father!). He still kept some of his past traits, however, but that was just Brago for you.

"Yes," the woman finally answered as she nodded her head, thinking to herself for a minute about her husband. Kalu hesitated, and after a moment she twisted her tiny body back around just a little so she could get a better look at her mother. When she did, she gave her an inquiring look that clearly said she wanted to hear more. "Well..." Sherry shrugged. "I remember in the past he didn't have the same attitude as he does now."

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm..." Sherry mused to herself, trying to think of a good way to explain this to Kalu without pointing fingers at anybody or saying anything in a bad way. "He was more... aggressive, and he was always looking for a fight." Kalu tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner as her mother said this. "But he did have that strict kindness to him that he has now," said Sherry with a small grin. Kalu glanced downwards away from her mother's view before she looked back up into her azure eyes.

"How else did he act?" she asked.

Laughing a little, Sherry shook her head as she closed her eyes. What else was she to say? Kalu was certainly acting nosy at the moment. "Honestly, Kalu, that's how he acted." The woman stopped for a moment to think before she added, "He also liked doing things his own way, but he already behaves like that, doesn't he?"

Kalu giggled a little, her first, genuine smile in what seemed like forever. Even though it had only been about a day and a half, throughout this time it almost seemed as though it had been extended to years rather than days. Her mother smiled, glad to see that she was finally relaxing. Sherry reached down and grasped the little girl's hand and she stopped laughing, but smiled and returned the tight grip, or at least tried her best to do so in her weak condition.

Suddenly, without warning, the doors to the room opened and the two's heads spun around to see who the intruder was. In the doorway stood Brago, staring at the two as he entered the room. He had at last returned from his little venture in the woods where the battlegrounds had been from the last fight. At first, he only stared at his wife, but then he averted his attention to his daughter and somewhat smiled. When he saw that she was awake he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief.

"You're finally awake, Kalu," Brago said quietly as he began to walk over to the small child. As soon as he reached her bedside he brushed a clawed hand against her pale cheek, staring down at her. "It's good to see you up again..."

"Daddy..." Kalu whispered. She stared up into his ruby red eyes but then turned her attention to the cuts and bruises all over him and blinked. "Why are you hurt?"

"It's nothing, just some scratches," Brago said coolly, noting the saddened expression that just appeared on the girl's face. "Don't worry, I'll be alright."

"Th-this is my fault... isn't it?" Kalu stared up into her father's identical clouded eyes. "I... I remember you were fighting someone because of me..." the girl whimpered.

"Kalu, it's not your fault," reassured Sherry, grasping onto her hand a little tighter, trying to comfort her. "Your father will be alright. Trust us, OK?"

Tears began collecting in the corner of the hybrid's eyes once more and she sobbed as she closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. "Why is this happening? Emma died and... and I hurt people... I couldn't control me... And now Daddy's hurt too... It's all my fault... I can't even go back home. Why...?"

Staring at her daughter with an illegible expression, Sherry averted her eyes to her hand that was clamped firmly around Kalu's. She was supposed to be so happy now that she was awake again, they were supposed to go back to their normal routine, but now... her laughs were turning into tears and there wasn't much she could do...

"Kalu... it's not your fault," Sherry repeated, but her words went unheard. Kalu kept crying, the hot tears pouring down her face like a waterfall. This continued to upset Sherry and she bowed her golden head as she stared at the ground in unease.

Small tears began to form and trickle down Sherry's cheek; she wiped them away but was beginning to overflow with emotion; salty tears were falling down her face just like Kalu. The woman sniffed and bent down as she embraced her daughter tightly, softly whispering to her to try and calm her down.

"Shh... Kalu, it's alright, don't cry... don't cry... Please, it's going to be OK..."

Sherry tenderly moved Kalu so the girl was in her lap as she held onto her affectionately, slowly rocking her back and forth a little as she tried to bring the distressed child some form of comfort. Brago watched the scene as his own expression changed too, and he sighed as he took his arms and wrapped them around the two girls in his own strong yet gentle embrace, silently mourning along with them.

Kalu cried. She cried for Emma--her friend that was killed, she wept for those that she had hurt and for her family, for not ever being able to go back home. Sherry cried for her daughter and for her pain, and as she turned to look up at Brago through watery eyes she said nothing; her expression was all he needed to read her thoughts. Brago said nothing but instead returned the gaze before he closed his eyes, holding onto his family just a little bit tighter.

For a good long while, the family just stayed like this, holding onto one another in the troubled embrace. And after a decent amount of time, Kalu gradually cried herself to sleep and Sherry held onto her daughter just a little longer before she too drifted off to sleep with the child in her arms.

Brago watched as his family slept in discomfort and he sighed. He waited a long while before he took Kalu in his own arms and tucked her into the bed once again, afterwards taking Sherry and moving her back to the bench, grabbing one of the pillows from Kalu's bed and placing it beneath his wife's head. The demon took off the furry cloak and shirt around his shoulders and threw them atop Sherry, wrapping the warm material around her body like a blanket when he noticed her shiver. A small smile crept upon his inhuman lips when he saw that the woman stopped shivering and quickly went back to sleeping.

Brago backed up and stared at his family, watching them sleep. He inwardly sighed as he turned back around to sit on the chair by Kalu's bedside, the one that Sherry had brought up to rest on earlier. Zophise was dead, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be any more problems, Zatch could possibly yell at him for that, but he didn't care, why should he? In the morning they would have to discuss with him what would need to be done, now that Kalu couldn't leave the world that they were in. There was the high chance that they would have to find a new home, most likely the demon world--a world in which Kalu despised...

Now the only thing he hoped for was a solution that wouldn't cause everyone so much distress, something that wouldn't be so difficult. An answer that everyone, particularly Kalu, wouldn't be so distraught over.

Oh, how difficult that would be.