Finding You Can Change: Chapter 05
Chikorita-Trainer1
T
Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell!

The next day, Sherry awoke in pain. Everything hurt. She felt like she had been run over by a truck.

"Where am I?" she said barely above a whisper.

"You're in the castle. You slept all night. It's morning," said Brago, who was beside her on the bed, sitting cross-legged.

"Why am I so tired?" Sherry breathed, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Because you used up all your strength last night, launching a Dioga Gravidon attack against three mamodo."

"Dioga…" Sherry mumbled, but trailed off while she breathed heavily. "I remember."

"How did you know you could do that?" Brago demanded as he wiped a cool cloth across Sherry's head. She had a slight fever since her body had been weakened so rapidly. "How did you know you could bring out that kind of strength? Tap into my power like that?"

"I don't know, I just…I just couldn't stand seeing them hurt you," Sherry sighed.

"Hmph," said Brago. "Well, don't do it again. You nearly killed yourself."

"Better me than you," Sherry breathed out.

"Why?" Brago snapped.

"Nobody wants me," said Sherry, before falling back asleep.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Brago," said Hyde, looking down on the dark mamodo from where he was floating in the air in the library.

"How did you place in the competition, again?" Brago taunted the child. "Just get me a book on human/mamodo relations."

"Ha! Like I'd do anything you say!" Hyde said mockingly. "I heard what happened last night. You got your ass beat, then you had to be saved by a human. Get your own book, you loser."

Normally, Brago would have leaped up in the air and ripped Hyde's head off, but he was actually more interested in learning about what Sherry had been able to do last night, so he let Hyde have his little moment, and just went about his search.

This might be helpful, thought Brago, upon finding a book titled Humans & Mamodo: An Ancient Partnership.

Brago flipped through the book and found that there were times in the past, thousands of years ago, where humans had come to the mamodo world. They were scared, of course, and humans lived even shorter lives back then, so the humans who did come to this world died early on, before much information could be recorded. He didn't yet come across anything about humans being the channelers of their mamodo's powers within the mamodo world, however.

"I'm taking this book," Brago called to Hyde, who was flying around the library.

"Well, take better care of it than you did yourself!" Hyde called.

As Brago exited, he raised his hand and fired out a Reis spell, which hit Hyde and dragged him to the floor.

"OW! Hey!" cried the red-haired mamodo.

Brago grinned.

I still got it.

When Brago returned to Sherry's room, he found her being spoon-fed some soup by Tia.

"Get away from her!" he snarled. But Tia wasn't scared of him.

"She's just helping me eat, Brago," Sherry scolded him softly. Her voice still hadn't completely returned.

"Well, I'll be taking over from here," Brago hissed. He took the bowl and spoon out of Tia's hands and glared at her.

Tia, while not scared, could take a hint, so she left. Brago sat down in front of Sherry and resumed feeding her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Sherry slowly accepted the spoonful of soup, and nodded. "Good. Let's not have another incident like that again." He held out another spoonful, but Sherry turned her head away at that. She just looked at him. "What?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow. Brago sighed and put the soup down.

"…thank you," he relented. "for your help last night."

"Hmph. You're lucky I didn't report you to the king. He'd have had you thrown back in the dungeon for disobeying him."

"You're the one who told me to get out," Brago argued.

"I meant out of the room, not out of the castle! And you knew it, so don't try to put this on me!" Sherry shot back. Brago chuckled to himself. This was just like old times; the banter, the sniping, the blaming.

"Well, you nearly got yourself killed, launching an attack like that. Look at you, now," said Brago.

"Yeah. You're welcome," Sherry hissed.

Silence passed between them for a minute. Sherry looked at Brago's face. It was dark and suspicious, as it always was, but she still recognized a hint of sympathy in his tiny red irises. He was upset that she had gotten hurt. He tried to make it look like she was an inconvenience to him, but she could feel that he was actually concerned.

Brago looked into her eyes, and suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline in his chest.

I don't like it when you get hurt, Sherry.

"What's this about?" Sherry asked as she picked up the book Brago had brought.

"I thought there might be something in there about humans being able to summon power in the mamodo world, but nothing like that has ever happened before. Or if it has, no one was around to document it."

"Interesting," said Sherry. "Mind if I look through this?"

"How can you read it? You're a human."

"I just can. Same way I could read the letter that brought me here," said Sherry. "If I'm meant to understand it, my heart will read the words."

"Whatever," shrugged Brago. "I, um, I think I might read one of those…adventure books you brought me."

"Good," said Sherry.

They two partners sat silently reading for about half a minute before Brago broke the tension again.

"You will die if you stay here, you know."

"Shut up," scoffed Sherry.

Later that night, Brago went out to hunt on the castle grounds while Sherry stayed in her room. She hadn't put down the book on human/mamodo relations since she'd opened it.

What's this? she thought as she read.

The Unbreakable Bond:

In years past, there have been bonds formed so strong between human and mamodo that the two parties could not bear being apart from one another. Because of the vast difference in lifespan between human and mamodo, a spell was created to turn a human into a mamodo, but a limit was placed in the spell so as not to lead to humans abusing the power. A human can become a mamodo if the human is pure of heart, and the mamodo they are doing it for wishes it also. A human may recite the following incantation, but only the mamodo they wish to stay connected to can complete the spell.

Sherry couldn't believe what she was reading. She could become a mamodo? That would be the answer to all her problems. She could live for many more years alongside her mamodo friends. She would never have to marry someone she didn't love just to survive. And most of all, she would never have to leave this world in which she felt so welcome and useful, and return to the misery of her human life.

She only hoped Brago would want that for her, too.

There was no one around, so she tried out the spell. She looked at the mamodo language it was written in, and just like the rest of the book, she was able to understand it because the words touched her heart. She felt a warmth build up inside her, and then quell. Nothing changed. She was still human.

Of course it didn't work. What a stupid thing to wish for.

Later that day, the servants came and cleaned up the mess Brago had made of the room's furnishings, and replaced everything he had broken with new items. Over the next few days, Sherry and Brago fell into a routine; she would get up, write in her journal, bathe, and have breakfast in the dining hall while he hunted. Then they would meet back in her room, Brago would read a little, and then they'd talk about his feelings. Brago claimed he didn't feel much of anything, but they were making progress in that he didn't want to destroy things anymore. He seemed to be OK just living. He didn't feel the need to constantly be fighting.

It wasn't until about the seventh day that Sherry had been staying in the castle that Brago finally asked her about her life in the human world.

"So why did you leap at the opportunity to come here?" he asked.

"Well, I felt needed," said Sherry. "Zatch needed my help, you needed me. It was nice to be needed, and wanted."

"What about Koko? Won't she be wondering where you've gone?"

"Koko and I…have lost touch," Sherry admitted. "We don't really talk anymore. We didn't have a fight, but we have grown apart."

"What were you planning to do after you've helped change me?" Brago asked. "You can't stay here forever."

"I KNOW!" Sherry snapped, closing the book on her lap shut and standing up. "You don't have to keep reminding me! I know you don't want me here, Brago! I know you're all going to outlive me! You can shut up about it!"

"Hmph. You still can't control your weak emotions," Brago scoffed. "Well, I'm sure as soon as Zatch sees that I'm not impulsively violent anymore, he can send you back. Better now, before you get too attached."

Sherry stood before Brago, tears welled up in her eyes, shaking.

"I also came here to see you again," she said stoically, her voice shaking. "I missed you. I wanted to see you again because you helped me find strength in myself. But I guess I never meant anything to you. All I ever was to you was a means of achieving power. Sorry I let you down, Brago. Sorry I'm not good for ANYTHING around here!"

And she stomped out of the room.

Brago wanted to be indifferent, but he couldn't deny that those words hurt. He felt guilty, and he hated that. He hated that he cared about Sherry. He hated that he cared about her feelings. He hated that he cared. He wished he couldn't care, but he did. He cared about her.

Maybe even more than cared.

END OF CHAPTER 05
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