Finding You Can Change: Chapter 07
Chikorita-Trainer1
T
Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell!
Author's Note: I suck at writing action scenes, so I apologize for how clunky this is. Also, Zofis's dialogue might be a little corny. I was trying to write him the way he sounds in the anime.
Later that night, as Sherry slept in her bed, Brago wandered the castle, thinking.
This is bad. I know I have feelings for Sherry, but we can't be together. There'd be no point. She'll just grow old and die long before my life is over. Then I would truly be miserable. I always knew it was a bad idea to develop affection for anyone. It's much easier to fight and destroy when you're not attached to anything.
Brago tried his best to repress his growing attraction for his former partner, but ever since they'd spent those moments together in the tub, all he could think about was her touching him, whispering in his ear, and trusting him with her most vulnerable self.
Sherry, of course, was not quite so emotionally repressed. She wanted to move forward connecting with Brago. But she never expected him to take the confrontation to her.
Sherry and Brago sat on the carpet in front of the fireplace.
"Sherry," asked Brago.
"Yes?"
"What are you running from?"
"What?"
"I read in your journal that you would like to live here in the mamodo world," said Brago. He avoided meeting Sherry's gaze, since he knew she was already mad at him for doing that.
"That's none of your business," she said quietly.
"Hmph. Typical cowardly answer from a human."
"It's not cowardly! I choose not to talk about it—"
"Because you don't like the way it makes you feel? Isn't that the same as fear?"
Sherry's face turned red and her eyes widened.
"For your information, I happen to be appreciated here," she said. "I'm employed by the king, I get free room and board, the mamodo that aren't YOU treat me with kindness and respect—"
"What are you running from, Sherry?" Brago asked more casually, leaning back on his palms. Sherry stood up and walked towards the window. She let out a wistful sigh.
"If I go back, my mother will force me to get married."
Brago said nothing, but he felt his heart clench with dread.
"She's set up this betrothal to some hoity-toity legacy named Andrew Peters. If I go back and I don't marry him, she'll cut me off. I'll essentially be homeless."
"So why don't you just marry him?"
"Because I don't love him!" Sherry shouted. Honestly, this should have been obvious even to Brago. "Do you know what it would be like to be forced to live with someone you don't love? To spend time with them, lie with them, have their children?"
"Honestly, I'd just kill the guy," Brago shrugged.
"Well, we don't do that in the human world," said Sherry. "If I marry someone my mother picks out for me, my heart won't be free."
"Would that really be so horrible?"
"At least what I'm running from is an actual consequence!" yelled Sherry. "What are YOU running from, huh? You can't express your emotions in a rational way…but why? What are YOU afraid of? What are you afraid will happen if you allow yourself to feel sad, or scared, or…love?"
"I don't GET sad, or scared. And I don't LOVE," Brago insisted.
"That's not true," said Sherry, sitting back down next to him. "You are capable of more than just anger. You may not be great at expressing it, but I know you feel more than what you show."
Brago looked into Sherry's blue eyes, and felt his heart being pulled toward her.
The two of them inched closer to each other.
But then Brago turned away, stood up, and left the room.
This is bad. I can't do this. I have to get out of here NOW, thought Brago. He speed-walked down the hall with his hands stuffed into his pockets, hurried down the stairs and into the great hall to find Zatch.
Once he saw the blonde mamodo on his throne, Brago slowed down his pace, stepped up in front of him, and bowed on one knee.
"Your highness," he spoke.
"Brago. Are you actually bowing to me?" asked Zatch. He'd never demanded that any of his subjects physically demonstrate allegiance to him.
"I've learned my lesson," said Brago. "I wish to be released. And I promise, I won't cause any more harm to anyone in this world. I will obey your every command."
"Huh?" said Zatch.
"Please. I just need to be free again," said Brago. "I will attend school, I will do whatever you ask."
"Come with me," said Zatch, standing up and walking down the three steps of the platform. Brago stood up and followed Zatch to another part of the castle.
"I guess Sherry taught you how to control yourself, huh?" said Zatch.
"Yes," said Brago.
"And you're happy?" asked Zatch. Brago didn't answer right away.
"Happy enough," he said gruffly.
"Alright," said Zatch, naïve as ever. "I expect to see you back in school starting tomorrow." Brago closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, carefully repressing his frustration.
"I'll be there," he said softly.
"Well, I sure am glad I asked Sherry to come here," Zatch said proudly. "Aren't you?"
"She served her purpose," Brago stated. "You can send her back now. Can I leave?"
"Sure. But I'll be watching you," Zatch warned. "Any more infractions and it's straight back to the dungeon."
Brago bowed and exited the castle.
It's over, he thought. Once Sherry is sent back to the human world, I can forget she ever existed. She'll be married off, she'll forget about me, and things will be as they should.
Outside the castle and far off in the distance, Zofis floated in the sky, watching to see when Brago would leave. Once he saw the dark mamodo walk out the front doors, he knew Sherry must be alone and unprotected.
Brago has left the human girl alone, thought Zofis. All I have to do now is wait for nightfall. Then I will exact my revenge on Sherry.
That was a rejection, thought Sherry. I put myself out there, and he walked away. He had to know I was opening up to him. He had to know I was expressing affection for him. There's no way he just got confused. He knew. And he left. He doesn't care for me the way I do for him. That's the way it is.
Sherry couldn't even find a reason to pick herself up off the floor. She felt like her legs no longer existed, and that she may as well curl up and die. How pathetic, she thought. You get rejected by one guy and suddenly life's not worth living. Mother was right; you are a foolish child, Sherry Belmont.
The blonde debutante was so depressed that she didn't even notice the small, puppet-like mamodo rise up outside the balcony of her room.
"So, this is what you have been reduced to, Sherry?" came the raspy, evil voice.
Sherry turned to look. Yes, Zofis was floating there, grinning that wretched grin, arms behind his back like he was hiding something. But Sherry found that she just didn't care. If death had come for her…big deal.
"Moping in a heap on the floor. I haven't seen you so distraught since I manipulated Koko's heart!" sneered Zofis.
"What do you want, Zofis?" Sherry asked.
"To get my revenge! When I tried to destroy you in the mountains, Brago shielded you with his body. But now that he has left you defenseless, nothing can stop me from killing you!" And Zofis raised his hands and launched a powerful fireball attack at Sherry. It engulfed her in heat, though the flames did not ignite on her clothes. Instead, the room around her was set aflame, and Zofis floated away, expecting Sherry to have to jump off the balcony to get away from the smoke and fire.
Oh, this is fan-fucking-tastic, thought Sherry. I'm going to burn to death. Nice. The blonde girl instinctively coughed into the crook of her elbow, even though she was ready to welcome death at this point.
No, no, this is dumb. I can't just stay here. I have to get out! The human stumbled through the flames towards the door of the room, but the fire had already reached it.
CRAP! Why am I such a moron?! Sherry thought as she turned back towards the balcony. She climbed up onto the railing and looked at her options. The roof just below sloped downwards, so if she wanted to, she could climb down and get to another part of the castle. It just wouldn't be easy in her flouncy dress and high-heeled boots.
But with the fire now blazing in her room, she had no choice. Sherry carefully climbed off of the balcony and onto the sloping roof. She had to scoot sideways to get down to one of the external buttresses of the castle, and then she had to stand up and hold her arms out at her sides to balance, like she did when she was crossing the log behind Brago in the Amazon.
Brago, she thought. I can't believe I need him here to save me again! Why am I so helpless?!
Down below, Sherry could see the other occupants of the castle evacuating the premises on account of the fire. Did any of them know she was stuck up here?
"HELP!" she cried. But the roar of the blaze above her drowned out her voice.
Out in the forest, Brago was sitting in the dark by a small flowing brook, tossing stones into the water.
Stupid girl, he grumbled to himself. She did this to me. She made me feel this way. Tears were just under the surface, he could tell. He wasn't quite at the point where he was going to start crying, but he was just on the threshold, and he hated the feeling. His heart was clenched up with anxiety, and he was really starting to worry if he'd made the wrong choice.
If only we were the same, I'd be with her. I might actually be able to. But I'm mamodo and she's human. Why should I have to suffer because of THAT?!
Finally fed up with brooding, the dark mamodo stood up and ripped a small tree out of the ground and threw it across the forest floor. It landed ungracefully, on its head, so to speak.
Brago fell to his knees. That hadn't helped at all.
You've RUINED ME, SHERRY! he thought. You've robbed me of my ability to enjoy violence! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, SHERRY?! WHY ARE YOU TORMENTING ME?!
Before he could form another thought, he took notice of a light coming from the edge of the forest. He wondered what it was. Brago walked through the forest towards the light, and once he came to a clearing, he saw that it was the castle on fire.
No.
"HA HA HA HA HA HA! Sherry! You have no one to defend you from my spells! I will burn this whole castle to the ground, with your scorched body lying in its ruins!" cackled Zofis. Sherry was clumsily hopping from perch to perch, hanging on to whatever spires or gargoyles she could reach, but the fire was catching up to her. And wherever she intended to get to, Zofis kept firing flames at.
"Why do you need to destroy me, Zofis?!" cried Sherry. "I've already lost everything! Koko and I never speak any more, my mother hates me, and I have no home in the human world! Why do you need to see me suffer?!"
"You think very highly of yourself if you think this is about YOU!" Zofis sneered. "I want to destroy you because it will hurt Brago!"
Sherry sidestepped on the ledge she was standing on, inching closer to another balcony.
"Brago doesn't care about me! You'll notice he isn't here!" Sherry insisted.
"HA! Such a foolish human! You were the only thing Brago cared about! A mamodo as perceptive as I could tell! But once I destroy you, Brago will crumble and then he will never stand in my way again!"
This guy hasn't changed one bit, thought Sherry, internally rolling her eyes at his cheesy monologuing. Though he's still wrong. Brago made it perfectly clear he doesn't want me around. He literally told me to my face.
"The only dilemma I face now, is whether to finish you off now, or wait for the whole castle to engulf your pathetic body!" Zofis cackled.
"LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!" came a rumbling voice. Suddenly, a ball of dark energy shot up from the ground, and knocked Zofis out of the air. Sherry looked down. Brago was standing in the courtyard of the castle.
"Brago!" she cried happily.
"I'M COMING, SHERRY!" declared the mamodo. He hopped up onto various ledges and windowsills, and clawed his way up to his partner. Soon he was on the ledge with her.
"Brago," she sighed.
"Give me your hand, Sherry," said Brago, extending his clawed hand out to her. She took it, and he pulled her onto his back, and began to climb up the castle wall to the higher balcony.
"Brago, we need to get AWAY from the burning building!" Sherry told him.
"Don't worry. Penny is helping to put out the fire," said Brago. Sherry suddenly remembered that the pigtailed mamodo possessed aquatic powers, and so OF COURSE she was the one called to extinguish the blaze. Sherry just held onto Brago tighter.
After reaching the higher balcony, Sherry hopped off of Brago's back, and caught her breath.
"Why did you come back? I thought you—"
"LOOK OUT!" cried Brago, pushing Sherry away and getting hit with a fireball. "AAAAGHH!"
"HA HA HA HA HA! This is even better! Now I can kill you both at the same time!" laughed Zofis.
"GET OUT OF HERE, ZOFIS!" yelled Sherry. "Brago, let me launch a spell. With our strength combined, we can get rid of Zofis for good!"
"NO! You barely survived the last time you cast a spell! Let me take care of this!" Brago insisted. He turned his head back to face the fire mamodo, but he found he was no longer in the place he had previously been floating.
"HA HA HA HA!" Zofis suddenly popped up behind Sherry and bit her in the chest.
"AAAAAGHHHH!" shrieked Sherry. Blood spurted from beneath her black vest and she stumbled back, but didn't fall.
"SHERRY!" screamed Brago. He leaped to catch her before she could falter again.
"That's it!" Sherry growled. Nothing was going to stop her now.
"Sherry, no! You'll kill yourse—"
"SHIN BABERUGA GRAVIDON!" screamed Sherry.
An enormous gravitational well exploded out of Brago's hand and brought Zofis down so hard that the fire mamodo was flattened and pushed deep into the ground. The railing of the large balcony upon which Sherry and Brago were standing began to crumble and disintegrate as well.
Sherry fainted and Brago caught her in his arms, and he had barely any time to carry her back into the room of the castle before the floor of the balcony collapsed beneath him.
END OF CHAPTER 07
Please review, thanks.