Dragon's Fury
Chapter 5: Field Trip
Mandy sat on her bed sulking once again. One could easily imagine steam billowing from her ears.
A boarded up window blocked any source of natural light and numerous locks on the outside of the door cemented her confinement. She was glad she had her own bathroom.
Her now fully stocked mini fridge and pantry provided some comfort but did little to lighten her mood.
So she sat stewing at the end of her bed with the occasional grumble.
She didn't regret sneaking out of the house yesterday. Why did her parents see the need to lock her up anyway?
Right now all she wanted was somebody to talk to. Billy and everyone else was unable to see her, blocked by the stubborn barrier that was her parents.
She sighed glumly. What else would come to ruin her day?
Right on cue Mandy could hear a large racket coming from downstairs.
"Now what?", she muttered bitterly.
Downstairs Claire watched as Gladys stormed over towards their house with a nervous Harold in tow.
"Phil!", she called.
Instantly her husband ran from the garage right to her side panting.
"Yes dear?"
"We have the 'Cracked Kettle' and 'Idiot Senior' coming over."
Clairs voice was filled with disgust and malice. It almost made Phil shiver.
Before Gladys could even ring the doorbell Clair opened the door.
"What do you want?", she demanded.
Gladys' eyes burned.
"We want to know why you won't let Billy see Mandy and why she's a prisoner inside her own home!"
Clair put her hands on her hips.
"First of all I don't want that ham headed monkey you call a son anywhere near her and second: what happens in our house is none of your business."
Gladys gritted her teeth in anger.
"She's carrying my grandchild. That makes it my business!"
Right at that time Grim was coming back after a happy day of reaping without the displeasurable company of either Billy or Mandy.
He could hear the shouts coming from Mandy's house and moved quickly to investigate.
"The fact that it's your grandchild is what concerns me." Clair snapped. "It'll probably end up being either retarted or insane."
"Oh yeah, well judging from you two I wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a neo tyrant."
"Well if it had been up to me and if I didn't know Mandy would die from it I would have given her an abortion."
"How could you do such a thing?", Gladys snarled. "If not for that spell we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
It was then that Grim stepped in.
"Oh, yeah dis is probably a good time to mention dat de whole spell ting was an illusion."
The bickering parents all fell silent.
"What?"
Grim shrugged.
"When I was frozen I wasn't able to tell what was goin on exactly, as I froze up I saw the kids get hit and den I was frozen completely losing all sense of time. But Stewpid isn't the best spell caster . Transfering sperm is way out of his league. My guess is he made them hormone high then altered their memories."
Clair was furious.
"You mean my daughter was RAPED!"
Grim put up his hand in defense but before he could speak Gladys interrupted.
"That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. If anything she raped him."
"How dare you!"
Wanting to avoid getting pulled into the fighting Grim slipped away.
"Loud enough to wake de dead", he muttered to himself.
Just down the street at the Utonium's home Bunny waited at the bottom of the stairs for her sister.
"Come on Buttercup", she called. "We can't keep Gaz waiting."
Almost immediately Buttercup appeared at the top of the stairs and ran down.
"Sorry but when I gotta go I really gotta go."
"If you had to go that bad then It shouldn't have taken you so long.", Bunny countered.
"Whatever", Buttercup said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Let's just go."
Gaz had offered to pick them up and was waiting outside in her purple RX-8.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Buttercup said as she slid into the back seat."
"It's fine", she replied as Bunny sat besider her. She backed out of the driveway and drove off towards her home town.
"So", she asked Buttercup. "Any cravings yet?"
Buttercup sighed.
"Just cookies". She crossed her arms. "All that stuff I looked up on pregnancy went up in smoke when I changed species."
Gaz laughed.
"Yeah that's usually how it works. Which reminds me have you seen Dray at all today."
Buttercup sighed more heavily this time.
"Yeah, he came over real quick and told me he had something important he had to do."
Gaz nodded.
"Yeah I fiugred. It's important to be prepared."
Buttercup looked up with a concerned look.
"Prepared for what?"
Gaz grinned. "For hunting a hunter."
Mandy sat on her bed with her arms wrapped around her as she heard the adults continue their verbal slugfest and throw the occasional hurtful statemnt. She couldn't hear everything fortunately.
Suddenly she heard the locks being undone and she shuffled back to the head of her bead nervously.
The door opened to reaveal Billy, sending her heart rocket jumping with joy.
She hopped off her bed and embraced him tightly.
"Oh, Billy I'm so glad it's you!"
Happy to have his love in his arms again he wrapped his arms protectively around her.
"Are you okay?"
Mandy buried her head in his chest.
"No, no I'm not."
She grunted in frustration.
"This sucks being so hormonal. I feel like a wimp huddling on my bed like this.
"This is revenge for what I've done to them over the years", she said bitterly. "I thought that if I was nice then they would be good to me when I got more... dependant."
Billy nodded as several puzzle pieced fell into place in his mind.
"But it's not working!", she cried. "They're just taking advantage of it."
Billy gently pet her head.
"You just started. Maybe it neds more time?"
She looked at him desperately.
"And what will happen to me and the baby in the meantime? My mom's so clueless it's like she's never been pregnant before!"
Billy sighed.
"I guess you're right, but what should we do?"
Mandy thought only for a moment before thinking of a solution.
"First I need my phone."
A little while later Mandy's phone had been found and hooked back up and she dialed a well memorized phone number.
'Please be home', she silently pleaded.
"Hello?", answered a small unfamiliar voice.
A little confused Mandy asked.
"Uh, is Mrs. Bosun there?"
"Um, yeah one sec."
To Mandy the voice sounded like that of a toddler.
"Mommy it's for you", the little voice called.
Mandy suddenly felt her stomach turn to lead.
"Mommy?"
She heard the phone change hands and a much more mature voice answered.
"Hello?"
Mandy took a deep breath.
"Auntie."
There was a long silence on the other end.
"Mandy? What is it? What's wrong?"
Mandy sighed. She never seemed to call her aunt unless something was wrong. She felt guilty about that."
"Aunt Krystal it's-I", she took another deep breath. "I need your help."
There was another pause.
"Alright sweetie, I'll come over."
Mandy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks auntie. I love you."
"I love you too dear."
Mandy gently hung up the phone and lay back on her bed.
"First time I've ever heard you say 'I love you' to anyone", Billy commented.
Mandy smiled.
"Aunt Krystal's always been special to me. I have a real bond with her. She's like a mother to me."
Billy pondered.
"I don't think I've ever met her."
Mandy grinned.
"When you do, you might be surprised."
After about an hour and a half of driving Gaz, Bunny and Buttercup arrived at their destination.
"The Centre for biological anomalies", Buttercup read of the building. "How complimentary."
The centre was a large facility that bore a disturbing but not unexpected resemblance to an asylum.
It was several buildings attatched together with the tallest one being about ten stories tall. Some were old buildings whose red brick walls had dulled brown with age. Others were newer but bland administrative buildings.
Gaz drove up to a guard shack in front of a large metal door and swiped her ID card.
The guard checked the Data on the screen and nodded pushing a button to open the door revealing a ramp.
Gaz drove down the ramp into an underground parkade into a spot marked 'Reserved' and turned off the car.
"Here we are", she announced. "Right close to the elevator."
Buttercup was about to say she'd take the stairs instead but then remembered that she wasn't able to fly up stair wells anymore.
They were silent as they stepped inside the dull grey elevator and it took them up the main level.
The doors parted to reveal the dull white walls of a nearly deserted corridor.
"Nothing to see here", Gaz said as she lead them down the corridor. "Mostly just storage rooms and staff facilities."
As they continued down the hall Buttercup became increasingly uncomfortable. The quiet empty corridor looked like that of an empty hospital, or like the insane asylums she'd seen in movies.
Gaz stopped them at a large door.
"This is where the tour really begins."
She opend the door and natural light flooded in, forcing Bunny but not Buttercup to shield her eyes. She found this strange so she mentally filed it away under something to think about later.
The next of their senses to be bombarded was smell. A wave of auroma's flooded in from the outside and clairified as they went through the door outside.
A large space within the wall of buildings that surrounded the complex was a garden. Fruit trees, flowers and even crops were all arranged into neat rows that brightned up the area so much it was like they were a light source unto themselves.
Bunny walked over to one of the rows of flowers-Petunias if Buttercup guessed correctly, and lightly sniffed it.
"Mmmmm, just like I remember", the brunette said reverently.
Buttercup looked at the people working on the flowers. Tilling the soil, trimming them, others adding fertilizer. Although she couldn't make out their faces because of their wide brimmed straw hats she could at least see their smiles.
"Your staff seems to like their job", she commented.
Gaz chuckled.
"They're not staff. They live here."
Buttercup looked at her astonished.
"They do, but why would they... Is this how they earn their keep?"
Gaz explained.
Before, this place used to be barren ground between the buildings until one of our patients, just- like them", (she gestured to the workers), "wanted to do something about it. She was bored and wanted something to do cause we didn't have many recreational facilities when we opened, so she decided to make a garden.
She lead them deeper into the beautiful biological utopia.
"It started out as just a little garden like you would have in your backyard, but as more people got involved it grew and expanded into what it is today."
Buttercup looked around.
"Well it's hard not to be impressed."
Smiling Gaz lead them on.
"Come, the aquariums next."
She brought them over to another building with glass doors. Opening them she graciously allowed them in first into a massive roomlined with glass and fish.
"This is our above ground aquarium", Gaz explained. "It's a great place to take a walk and relax. It's also used for therapy."
Gaz lead them into a glass tunnel, fish and other sea creatures swimming all around them.
Buttercup couldn't wipe the smile from her face. It was amazing, it felt exhilerating. She couldn't explain why.
Exiting the tunnel Gaz lead them to another elevator.
"Now I'll take you to the below ground aquarium."
She pushed a button on the panel closing the doors and beginning the elevators decent.
The ride was longer than Buttercup expected. She didn't now exactly how long but it had to be at least a couple minutes.
The metal doors of the elevator parted and revealed an enormous chamber dominated by what appeared to be the biggest aquarium Buttercup thought possible.
"Welcome to one of the worlds largest aquariums", Gaz announced proudly. "We obviuosly don't advertise it of course. We use this one for more... private therapy."
She prompted them to follow and lead them to a darker corner of the chamber with a few benches lined along the wall facing the aquarium.
She motioned them to sit down on one of the benches and Buttercup gladly accepted.
The three of them gazed through the glass at the magnificent sea creatures beyone it.
"I've never seen any animals like those!", Buttercup exclaimed.
Gaz nodded.
"That's another reason this place is a little more out of the way is that we keep our exotic animal species here. They help with therapy and we're saving endagered species."
Gaz pointed to towards the right and the other two girls saw a young girl about their age, maybe a year or two older with stunning long cyan hair and lovely violet eyes keeping a close eye on four little children who posessed fins on their legs and forearms.
"That's Amelia", Gaz told them. "She's teaching her pups to swim."
Watching them even Buttercup couldn't help but giggle as the pups clumsliy tried to follow the fish that swam around them.
Suddenly there was a sound like the electronic chime from a doorbell heard in the area.
Gaz reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Reading the message she smiled.
"Buttercup there's someone I'd like you to meet."
Once again Bunny and Buttercup followed Gaz through the maze of interconnecting corridors as she pointed out things of interest.
She lead them into another administrative type building but unlike the staff building this one was much busier, and the walls were hardly bare.
Pictures hung on the walls and a railing ran all along both walls. People in white lab coats continuously went to and fro as they worked.
"Where are we?", Buttercup asked finally.
"The hospital", Gaz answered.
She stopped in front of a closed door and knocked gently. A normal human wouldn't have heard it but in Buttercup's ears it rang loud and clear. It must have for whoever was in the room too because a cheerful but quiet "come in", gave permission to open the door.
"Hello Emily", Gaz greeted as they entered the room.
A brown haired girl-again about their age, lay reclined in a hospital bed looking tired but pleasant.
"How are you feeling."
Emily sighed.
"Tired but better", was her simple reply.
Gaz nodded and gestured to Buttercup.
"Emily this is Buttercup, she wanted to meet you."
Emily's green eyes shifted to the former puff with intrigue.
"Are you new or just checking the place out?"
"Uh, well", Buttercup was stumped. What was she supposed to ask? How should she say it?
A small sound interrupted her thoughts and it grabbed Emily's full attention. She leaned over the other side of her bed and gently picked up a small bundle. She lay back down in her bed cradeling a baby in her arms.
"Awww so cute", Bunny gushed. "How old is he? What's his name?"
Emily thought for a moment.
"About ten hours old and his name is Ander."
Buttercup was shocked.
"You just gave birht today", Buttercup had almost forgotten to speak in a hushed tone in the presence of the newborn.
Emily nodded.
"Yep, Geoffrey was even able to be here for the brith. He's the father."
Bunny looked at her strangely.
"Why wouldn't he be?"
Emily lowered her head sadly and looked back at her baby.
"His parents forbade him from seeing me."
They were horrified.
"Why?"
Emily sighed.
"They didn't want their son to have anything to do with a freak harlot like me.", she said bitterly.
Buttercup had a sudden revelation.
"You're like me?"
Gaz nodded.
"You're the same species exactly. That's one of the reasons you had to meet her first; she's been through a lot."
Buttercup thought for a moment then moved to the side of Emily's bed and leaned close.
"Was it worth it?"
Emily looked back down at her pup which was just dosing off again in her arms and thought about all she'd been through. Her trials, her tragedies, her mistakes, but most of all, her pain.
She met Buttercup's gaze firmly with eyes that held not a sliver of doubt.
"Yes."
Buttercup felt relief wash over her as nagging doubts that had been in the back of her mind since she discovered she was pregnant were finally silenced.
Buttercup and Emily talked for hours as Emily shared with her many of her new experiences as a mother: Nursing, bathing and changeing among them.
Eventually though it all had to end and she had to go back home.
"Be sure to take care of yourself." Emily said with a mock stern tone. "I want our kids to become playmates."
Buttercups smiled at her.
"Count on it."
A final wave of goodbye and the trio left the room.
"Did you enjoy your time here?" Gaz asked Buttercup.
"Yeah, but one question."
"Yes?"
"Were's the girl's room?"
The other two girls smirked.
"Down the hall and on your right."
"Thanks", Buttercup yelled as she ran to the lavatory.
"We'll wait right here", Gaz called after her.
As Buttercup bolted through the bathroom door Gaz turned to Bunny.
"I think that coming here was good for her."
Bunny nodded.
"No doubts about it."
A cloaked figure waited anxiously in the shelter of a dense cluster of trees tightly clutching the rod in her hands.
"If you only invited me then why are you so tense?"
The sound of the voice made her jump and she turnd to face a boy with brown hair and red eyes. Someone she knew well.
She dropped onto her hands and knees.
"I take it you made your decision?", he asked.
She nodded.
"I still believe that serving you is the best path for me and I am willing to commit to it."
"It won't be easy", he warned.
"Nothing in my life has been", she said with a hint of sadness.
Sighing he nodded.
"All right."
He walked up to her and knelt in front of her.
"Hold out your hand."
Although surprised by the request and wary due to past experiances she obeyed and he gently took her hands into his own.
Flames began to swirl around her hand and it took all of her will not to withdraw it.
Curiously she felt no pain, or even heat.
The flames errupted into a long thin shape and glowed a bright blue.
"Take it", he told her.
A little nervous she reached out and grasped the glowing blue shape and it solidified into a blue metal rod with a large red jewel held in place by four evenly spaced prongs.
"It's beautiful!", she exclaimed. "Thank you master!"
He winced at the new title but was not unprepared for it.
The girl held the rod firmly.
"I will now leave the sister hood and serve you for as long as necissary and in any way I can."
He nodded.
"All right but first there's something I need you to do", he said as he stood up."
"Anything", she responded eagerly.
"I need you to go back to the sisterhood for now."
She gasped and pulled the rod close to her body.
"What?" One of the reasons she wanted to serve him was to get away from the sisterhood.
He put a hand on her shoulder.
"It will only be briefly, and when it's done you won't have to worry about the sisterhood again.
A malicious grin spread across her face.
"What do you want me to do?"
I know this chapter probably wasn't worth the wait but I've been working hard with 12 hour christmas rush shifts and being sick for 2 months strait.
Hopefully I can be more productive in the future.