Author's Note: Aha, I knew I would finish this! Yay. Well, hopefully this is a nice long chunk for you guys to read. From the end of this, cue the first volume of the manga. I wanted them to tie in. I wasn't even going to attempt to explain the bird from the beginning of Volume 1, because up to where I've read, it hasn't really been explained, and I don't want to somehow foul up the canon. Yessirree. So, enjoy! Reviews appreciated a ton:)
Oh! And the site won't let be insert breaks, so I'm sorry if you get confused by the miscellaneous time lapses.
In days to follow, Professor Takamine and Zatch found themselves becoming mutually fond of one another. In a way, they were both beneficial to the other's life, too; Zatch provided the professor's life with a little sunny perspective where it was lacking, and the professor offered Zatch sanction until they could figure out what to do with him. He still lacked the better part of his memory, and little was known about him, except for his name and his seemingly new and obvious love of fish. It started to become slightly clearer each day that Zatch was certainly a little on the strange side…
On a warm class-free day, Seitaro proposed he and Zatch go out for a walk to enjoy the scenery. The little boy seemed just as interested as ever about everything around him; people, plants, buildings, cars… And his curiosity never dimmed, almost as though each time he was seeing it for the first time all over again. It was refreshing to see his youth, and it seemed to the professor that just about everyone could use a little of Zatch's view on the world. Maybe it would be a better place, if even just for that. He ran ahead down the paved streets, his peculiar attire billowing freely out behind him in the crisp breeze. It had seemed to be a good idea to show him some of the city's golden features. The River Thames was a proud part of the city. It had been such an important waterway at some point in time that Seitaro thought it a shame to prevent Zatch from seeing it.
"Oh!" the boy exclaimed, his bright eyes shining with almost electric intensity. "It's so big!"
"Haha, that it is, Zatch," said the professor.
Zatch's brow furrowed just slightly in thought for a moment. "Do you think there are fish in there?" he asked somewhat hopefully.
"I wouldn't doubt it," the man smiled. He had missed his own son's enthusiasm for a good while. It seemed like such a long time ago that Kiyo was so innocent and curious like this… He let his mind carry into thought a little too much, however, and before he could realize what was happening, Zatch had already pulled his clothes over his head and made a dash for the water in nothing but his boxers. "Wait!" Takamine called, but much to his alarm, the child plunged right in like some kind of dolphin. The shock was so much that he almost didn't know what to do with himself. Surely Zatch didn't know what he was doing..! By the time he reached the water's edge himself, though, he was met with but another surprise. Not only had Zatch managed to come back in one piece, but in very little time, and with a giant wriggling… yellowtail?
The professor had to catch his glasses before they slid right off his face. He had no idea what to say. That was possibly one of the most startling things he'd ever seen! What six-year-old boy could swim so well he could catch a fish in a river like that? He was unaware there were even yellowtail in that river to begin with. How uncanny...
The fish squirmed and thrashed in all directions, but Zatch held it firmly in his arms. He looked about to eat it when he paused.
"Good," thought Seitaro. "He's not going to try to eat it raw…"
"Do you want some, sir?" Zatch asked, wet bangs dripping into his face.
"I… uhm… no thank you. You gave me quite a scare there, Zatch. What were you thi—"
Without any warning whatsoever, Zatch turned the fish to face him, opened his mouth abnormally wide and began to stick it in, head and all. The fish, meanwhile, was still asphyxiating and squirming in his hands. The professor could only stare as this small boy consumed an entire raw fish in less than a minute. He did a clean job of it, too; when he was finished, all that remained was a completely bare fish skeleton, which, hardly a minute ago, had been housed by an actual fish.
"How on earth did you know there was yellowtail in that river?" the professor asked incredulously.
"I could smell them!" Zatch answered proudly, pointing to his little nose.
He could smell one particular species of live fish that was in tons of water? This proved that by no means was Zatch a normal boy. But… he looked relatively normal, didn't he? (Well, except for a few little quirks…) Besides, what else could he really be?
Later that day, as the two headed back to the apartment, Zatch was even more talkative than usual. He seemed especially curious and energetic after having consumed an entire raw fish. The idea made Seitaro sick, but evidently raw fish was some kind of choice food for Zatch... especially if he was willing to jump into a river just to obtain one. Maybe wherever Zatch came from, that was normal. Yes. Lots of nationalities worldwide had culinary works that involved fish. Why, even his sushi back home in Japan had raw fish in it. …But he had never tried to eat a whole one like that.
Zatch fidgeted in his seat, playing with his seatbelt and looking out the window. "Professor," he began. It was the way he began most sentences. "Your son Kiyo… is he my age? I saw a picture of him before."
"Oh, that's from when he was little like you," Seitaro answered. "He's thirteen now. He turns fourteen on the…" A lengthy pause. Wasn't his birthday near the beginning of this month? He mentally slapped himself. With work and Zatch, he had actually forgotten to send Kiyo something for his fourteenth birthday! Oh great…
Zatch obviously sensed his distress. "What's the matter?"
Professor Takamine closed his eyes for but a moment and sighed, turning onto the next road. "He turned fourteen this month," he commented with a quiet air of disappointment. "I can't believe I forgot to send him something. I told Hana I might not be able to call that day because of work, but…" He couldn't picture his son as being disappointed about this. Annoyed, maybe, but not disappointed. He seemed to loath the parental attention as it was. Attention of any kind seemed to annoy him, among other things. He'd rather lock himself in his room and read than socialize with his peers. Still, it was kind of crushing to forget his only son's birthday.
"Uh-oh! Did you forget?"
Seitaro didn't feel like turning to look at him. Argh, he'd bought that agenda for a reason… "Yes, I did," he said in a somewhat grave voice. "And I can only hope he'd not too displeased about it." What could he have gotten the boy, anyhow? He'd probably prefer some university textbooks to study from, for something to do, but what he really needed was a friend. Someone. Anyone. Kiyo needed someone his own age to talk to. He couldn't live his life with only text as his companion.
"That's not good!" Zatch remarked. "Maybe if you send him something anyway, he'll understand that you forgot!" He was aware of how long the professor spent each day marking papers, and how interested he was in teaching his classes. "Your students are lucky that you're their teacher, so Kiyo must feel lucky that you're his dad!"
"Ah, Kiyo's not like that, Zatch… He stopped being that way a long time ago. He's a fool, really. I wish I could help him. He's so caught up in himself and his intellect that he pushes everyone away."
"How come?"
The road seemed to be lasting forever, but Takamine felt that talking a little about his son might help him out a little. "He used to play with other children. But Kiyo… he's a genius. I was always so proud of him! So smart, and such a fast learner! I couldn't have a more intellectual son. He was always good at school—and good at making friends, too. But children change as they get older. Sometimes they're unfair. The world is like that. They started to treat him differently because he was smarter than they were, and they all knew it. Kiyo knew it, too. He tried to fit in with them anyway.
"After awhile, they didn't want much to do with him, with his good grades and his perfect answers. They were jealous, I guess. Kids will be kids. But Kiyo got sick of it. He thought that maybe if he couldn't hang around with them, they just weren't good enough for him, not smart enough. So he just rejected his peers. He got cold over time. Now he doesn't even go to school! He finds entertainment in sitting by himself and over-analyzing the teachers and their curriculum." He realized Zatch probably couldn't understand a great deal of what he'd said, but it felt good to get it off his shoulders, even if his listener was about six years old.
Zatch gave him a funny look, like he was trying his best to understand, but half of the dialogue was in a language he didn't understand. "Oh," he managed, and sat quietly.
"I'll re-explain to him later, in a way he can actually understand," the professor thought, and smiled to himself. Poor Zatch. He was only trying to help.
Professor Takamine sat marking papers again in the living room. Zatch was sitting close to the TV, drawn in by the bright colors and sound. He was humming intently, listening to the news lady babble on in her British accent. Every so often, Seitaro had gently reminded him not to sit so close, and the blond haired boy would scoot back a few feet, only to gradually move back to the screen all over again. Everyday things that had seemed so ordinary… so typical… all of those everyday things became refreshed and exciting again after Zatch excitedly shared his views on how great they were. He had found a few cartoons he'd quickly latched onto, and whenever he managed to catch one on television, he would watch with wide eyes as his favorite heroes did amazing things. Wow! He wanted to save people, too, just like these action heroes!
Seitaro ventured back into the kitchen, then into his bedroom, then the living room again… Where did that reference book go? He couldn't mark this assignment without it. Huh. It wasn't on the coffee table, either? He snapped his fingers. "I forgot it in the library the other night," he thought aloud. Zatch looked over his shoulder. Those lines on his face seemed so much more prominent in this lighting…
"Whatcha doing, professor?"
"I seem to have forgotten my book," he answered. "Would you like to come to the university with me to get it? I'll bet I forgot it in the library the other night." He glanced toward the clock. "Darn. It looks like I'm a little late… We'll have to do it in the morning, first thing. Be sure to remind me!"
"Yessir!" chimed Zatch enthusiastically.
"Professor! Professor!"
Seitaro Takamine rubbed at his eyes to clear some of the blur and sat up. Zatch was sitting readily on the end of his bed, already dressed, smile wide and bright eyes shining. The professor fumbled for his glasses on the bedside table and perched them on his nose, his vision sharpening. The clock read 9:45am. "Goodness, it's that time already..?" He sat up.
"Yessir!" It was becoming his customary reply. "You told me before when the school library opens! We can get there early, like you wanted."
"That's a good boy, Zatch," Professor Takamine smiled, and leaned forward to fondly ruffle the boy's blond hair with one hand. "I appreciate the assistance, you know. You can go grab yourself something to eat while I get dressed, alright?" He trusted Zatch wouldn't make too much of a mess.
In short order, they had headed off toward the university. It was a sunny morning, and the teacher's part of the parking lot wasn't too vacant, despite the time. The professors at this university were all very devoted for the most part. Takamine took some folders full of paper out of the car and went for the side entrance. The hallways were quiet, and not many people of any kind were around. Any classes there were this morning had likely commenced by now, leaving the grounds quite empty. The two headed down familiar halls and doorways until they reached the library.
It was a serious place, with an old-style charm. The shelves were all polished wood and well-organized with all kinds of thick volumes and books on all sorts of subjects. It wasn't limited like the shelves in Takamine's office. Upon wandering into a place like this, one would feel like they could find any book in the whole world in that library alone. It was nice and wide. The floors, like most others in the university, were shiny and reflected the ceiling lights and furniture on their smooth surfaces. Not one seemed to be scuffed. Zatch liked to look at his blurry reflection as he walked along it.
The professor consulted the librarian, who verified that he has indeed forgotten his book there, and gladly returned it to him. Seitaro lead Zatch back to his office, folder tucked under one arm, and text in his free hand. He would finish off this marking all in one go. Unlocking the door, he took in the familiar smell of home. His office felt more like home than his apartment did. He spent a great deal of time here, after all. He hadn't been around as often since Zatch had come around, but he didn't mind.
Zatch immediately began to explore the familiar room. The window was his favorite part, because it was so big. Sunshine poured through it and across the shiny tiles on the floor. Takamine sat down at his desk and unloaded his work. Ah, he loved his desk. Everything he could possibly need was in it. His eyes strayed over the photo, tucked safely beneath his other work. His lovely wife and small son smiled at him from within it. Those were good days. He glanced up to Zatch again, who was spinning the globe round and round, as though he thought it would do something if it were going fast enough. Sticking out of a broad pocket in the back of his "dress" was the red book. He had brought it with him? Hmmm.
It took just over an hour and a half to clear away the last of those assignments. Seitaro tapped the stack against his desk to straighten it, and set it down amongst his other work. Zatch had moved on to investigate a poster with many labels he couldn't understand. He turned to look at the professor, and it became apparent all over again just how doll-like he looked with his small features and wide eyes.
Zatch smiled at the dark-haired man. He felt so happy to be able to have met someone like this! Without his memory, he still felt a little lost, but less so since he had some kind of friend. The professor had taken good care of him since they'd met. He only wished he could do something to help in return. It didn't seem like there was much, because his memory was still as much of a blank as it had been upon his arrival here, but maybe, just maybe, there was something he could do. Professor Takamine deserved it.
"Sir?" he passed a bookshelf and approached the side of the professor's desk. Seitaro turned his wooden chair to face the boy. He'd always preferred old fashioned chairs over those funny swiveling ones meant for computer desks.
"Yes, Zatch?"
His arms seemed to have disappeared into his dark drape of clothing. "I'd like to do you a favor!"
"A favor?" echoed Seitaro in mild surprise. "What for?"
"For saving my life!" Zatch said. "You did a lot for me, and I would like to thank you! Is there anything I could do for you? I'm small, so maybe I can't do much, but I'll try anything!"
Well… he had skipped out on Kiyo's birthday gift, and what he really needed was a friend. Maybe Zatch's eager perspective could teach Kiyo a few things. Maybe Zatch's quirks would teach him patience. Yes. Now would be the time to re-explain Kiyo to Zatch. If anyone could help now, it was this little boy with his strange clothes and electrically orange eyes. Perhaps Kiyo, with his vast intellect, could even help to decipher Zatch's book, and thus help him return home. This seemed like a win-win situation.
"My only son is a fool," he recapped. "Spoiled by his gift of genius, Kiyo has even quit going to school." He leaned forward in his chair. This would be his request. "Please," he said. "Can you save him from his folly?"
Zatch's face lit up. He would be glad to help a friend, and if it meant going to Japan to do it, so be it. "You bet! It's a deal, sir!" He gave a bright salute. "I'll help this fool Kiyo, even if it costs me my life!"
Seitaro laughed. "Thank you, Zatch. It would mean a lot, and hopefully when we meet again, Kiyo will be a little better of a person, thanks to you." He paused. "But… how will you get to Japan?"
"I'll find a way," Zatch assured with confidence, and the professor felt he could trust him; he was full of surprises. "And to find your house, I'll just follow my nose!" He pointed to it again. If that nose could find live fish, it was hard to doubt what else it was capable of.
"I'll write a letter for my son," Professor Takamine said. "When you reach my house, please give it to him so that he'll understand what's going on." In short order, he had produced a letter in neat Japanese writing, cleanly folded and addressed in Japanese to Kiyo. Zatch promptly tucked it into his pocket and happily headed for the door, as though the trip he were about to make were a normal one.
Seitaro felt sad to let him go, but he trusted this strange little boy, and could only hope for the best. Zatch would help to change Kiyo's stubborn view on things, even just a little. "Well," he said softly to himself as the little figure headed off. "Good luck, Zatch Bell…"
END
