Hey guys, chapter 5 coming right at you! Koko's village is offically toast, and now we go to the story beyond the story! Or well, I mean the next chapter really. Let's see where Koko and Zophis end up, shall we?

I need some toast... *stomach growls...* hmmm..

Koko looked at the bright sky above. Peaking through the shade of her large tree, she relaxed her elbows sitting pretzel style against its wood. She took a breath of fresh air to indulge the moment, save just one fiber of its essence. Her hair felt warm against the heavens as it breezed gently against the wind. Only 3 days ago it was that she had obliterated her town from prosperity, for her own vengeance and amusement. Her mouth opened and tasted the sweet air around her. It felt bittersweet against the repugnant taste she had always experienced in her lifelong ivory chains.

*Freedom* She thought, memorizing the word, repeating it and all its symbolism within her bright head, cherishing all that it was to her and what it represented.

*And all thanks to him.* She bent her head to her elbow to tilt her vision of the clown a few meters in front of her, standing and reading a bunch of old papers of some sort. She wondered briefly what they were and how they would help him become king, but decided it would be a moot point soon and continued to simply enjoy the sensation of relaxing on the very fine day in front of her. Enjoying the thought of seizing the rest of her life there for her. All the things she could do now, all the possibilities. And no one would stop her, or she would simply eliminate them.

*Khehehe..hmmm.* The clown said, moving through his papers, seeming rather amused.

Koko was enjoying her short break from their thus travels, but decided she should at least check up on her new partner-in-crime. "Hey Zophis, which'a lookin at? A map of some sort?" She blew a leaf as it fell down and watched it gently blow away.

"Something like that Koko." He was being rather vague on the matter, but finally shuffled his papers up started stacking them away.

"More like directions or clues even." The clown answered, turning around to finally inform his partner of their plans.

"Directions to what?" Koko said, getting up and stretching her arms against the warm sun and the scenery of the lush forest. Green trees flooded the area as they walked along a clearer path where the sun and scenery were quite visible, as it had been quite a nice day for a hike.

''An army. We're going to raise an army." Zophis revealed magically shoving all of his papers and other tools away. "An army so mighty, they shall bring us to victory!"

Koko intrigued, "An army huh? What kind of army are we going to raise? And aren't we supposed to be fighting other demons and stuff? I'm pretty good at this spellbook thing by now, I can take'em!" flexed her body as well as her book in front to emphasize her point.

"In time, my dear Koko. All in good time." Zophis crackled, and signaled her to start going.

They started walking through the woods but Koko was persistent.

"Why not tell me? I'm suppose to be your partner you know, isn't it better for me to know?" She grumbled.

"You'll know when you need to know, sweet Koko." He said without batting an eye for her.

"While I could need to know at any time, so why not tell me so I'll know when it happens?" She ran in front of him continuing her previous pace after.

"Because that's a very critical time Koko." He ran forward so they were side by side, and started to show distain for her questioning both in his tone and his mannerisms.

"Oh stop being so secretive and tell me already!" She picked him up huggingly and waved him back and forth much to his annoyance.

"You'll KNOW WHEN YOU KNOW!" He screamed pushing her off. Brushing off he continued to walk, now in front of her again.

"Geesh." She rubbed her shoulders and looked the other way while walking. She sighed *Why does he have to be so touchy about it?*.

Zophis read her mind and grumbled. He complemented on whether he possibly gave her too much freewill. He knew that could easily be an issue with a personality like hers, but he couldn't risk eradicating her persona either. Making her into a blank slate would absolutely weaken or even eradicate her ability to read his book, and he couldn't have that. He'd just have to keep her in check. And if that meant sometimes playing ball, he'd throw or fetch.

"If you must know, we're going to North America." And he threw.

"To NORTH AMERICA?" And she caught. "I've always wanted to go there, ALWAYS! But you must've known that didn't you!" She spun around dancing playfully around him, hugging her imaginary metaphorical excitement rather absurdly as she danced.

*Sigh* Zophis drolled.

"Where are we going? To Canada? It's Canada right? Please tell me it's Canada! Oh my, I can't wait, all the places we can visit! We'll going to montreal aren't we? How about Quebec? Or maybe Toronto! Oh, how I've heard about Toronto. It's going to be-"

"America. The United States." Zophis loosened.

"Huh?" Koko stopped wide eyed mid-dance, her metaphorical excitement-friend metaphorically dropping from her arms as she drooped.

"We're going to the United States of America."

And with that her friend died and went to metaphorical excitement-heaven as she engaged her new friend, disappointment-stupor.

"Why the United States?" She said, hunching as she walked shaking her head and being rather over dramatic.

*This is what human girl's are like? Why are they so whiny?* He clenched his fist as a traditional-anime anger squiggly danced around his head.

"Because that's where we're going to find our army." Trying miserably to ease the frustration in his voice.

They continued walking for about 25 minutes while Koko looked onwards with her disappointment-stupor abandoning her about as much as Zophis's squiggle, which was to say not at all. Birds chirped through the air and the wind blew on Koko's sweater. They made a few turns along the route and passed by some bushes which they brushed passed, hopping over a thin stream and walking back towards a straighter route. She noticed a large rock obstructing some trees to her left. She stared at the book she held and then at Zophis, then at the scenery and back at Zophis. She marched up and down wildly until she couldn't contain her withheld curiosity anymore.

Koko obviously ignoring his resentment pushed him still. "Where in America? New York? California? Texas? New England? Ar-"

"GRRRRRRR...Pennslyvania! WE'RE GOING TO PENNSLYVANIA!" Zophis screamed at her as they stopped in their emotional trauma.

"Penn..sylvania?" Koko whispered. She bent her head over. "Pennslyvania huh." She dropped, her disappointment reaching maximum overload. "Yayyy." With the utmost apathy and disappointment.

Zophis simply stared back, raging beyond his patience, shaking all over. He grew so angry his anger squiggle bent straight into a circle and bounced right off his forehead, and they stared silently as it rolled along a path.

"But I don't want to go to Pennnnnnnslyvania. What's there anyway? Why do we have to go I don't want to go lets not go Come onnnnnnnn." Koko moaned, complaining on the floor as Zophis tried to get her to act sane and reasonable, an impossible endeavor. He tried to strangle her until he realized it wasn't doing anything to stop the words out of her mouth and not to mention he realized he would probably kill her, if she didn't kill him of irritation by then. He sighed and backed down.

"I DONT WANNA I DONT WANNA!" She said rolling round frantically.

Zophis at this point had just slapped his rump on the dirt and hanged there.

"I DONT WANNA I DONT WANNA I DONT WANNA I DONT WA-" She suddenly stopped, as if something were to alarm her. It was as if something had just passed through her head just then, as if a switch just went off, or clicked at least.

"Good, you've finally shut up. Koko?" Zophis stared at his partner rather annoyed.

As she laid there she heard a small voice roll through "...Remember..." before it faded and the dull ache she felt went through.

*Shit, not this again. Confound this girl...* The clown angered reading her thoughts, thinking it would have gone away by now.

"Ahhh.. Don't feel so well." Koko bent up and rolled her head rubbing her thighs, and then her stomach, arching back and forth trying to keep her balance on top of her wobbly posture. She crawled towards some bushes, and with some gag attempts finally barfed into them. Black liquid went spewing out as it drenched the unfortunate plant and part of her lower lips.

"Can we.. rest for a while?" She said, still hazed.

"Sure thing dear." Zophis watched, in both confusion and fear at what had just transpired. She fainted on the spot giving into her exhaustion. *I thought the symptoms would have gone away by now, but she's still resisting.. and changing? This, doesn't make any sense, what is it with this girl?* He got up closer to her body and put his arm out and his hand towards her head. *She's far too much trouble as it is, I should just wipe her clean right now.* It started glowing a dull purple. *Wait.. no. I can't do that. If I do this, I'll just be weakening her. Remember Zophis, you need a partner, not a slave. And if the last mind-wipe did that much brain damage to her annoying head, than I can't imagine what another will do. Still...* His hand un-glowed and he retracted it, and laid there a few minutes. He took a tissue out of his magical inventory-pockets and wiped the smudges of dark blood off her lips. He then physically lifted her up way above her shoulders and started flying through the woods to accelerate the journey to make up for lost time. *Why the heck didn't I just do this before?* He wondered.

She gagged and barfed more black blood on him, much to his annoyance. An anger squiggle mark tensed up, bent into a circle and then puffed into a bendy cloud, slowly floating its way up as his eyes followed it go off.

A young brown haired girl got up with a blanket tossed over her. She was leaning against a log and saw a small warm light. She stuck her arms out and felt the comforting heat as her eyesight slowly adjusted to the fire.

"Sooo.. warm." She smiled, as her vision fixed and she saw the fire in front of her and the logs surrounding it, along with a figure on the log next to her.

"Finally awake, are you girl?" a voice said, holding out a stick in front of the fire. She looked back and immediately put the voice and image together.

"Zophis." She said melancholy. Looking around she noticed it was night. She tossed the blanket up and observed the field from which she was around, much less dense of then before on their hike.

Zophis pulled back his stick and started biting off a piece of meat, as his eyes looked back at her. She only stared as he finished and handed her the remains on the stick. "Here. You need to heat."

"What.. is it?" Soft teeth bit into the meat, as her mouth savored the taste and she engorged herself more into it, swallowing some.

"Bear meat."

"Phhhh..ttt" Koko immediately spit out the yet-to-be-swallowed bits of meat left and threw the stick forward. "Ewwww. Gross"

"You were eating it a second ago." Zophis said flatly.

"But I didn't know what it was! Meat from a bear is, really gross? Why would you make me EAT THAT!" She complained.

He kept his composure. Slowly turning his head to look at her, then tilting himself back to the fire. Her stomach growled which was apparent for both of them.

"Eat." He commanded, short and direct.

She simply looked at him with leisure and sadly picked back up her stick. She slowly and silently ate it down until she was done. Zophis kept his head straight the entire time. She finished, throwing the stick into the fire and she going back to her log. She looked at the stars above and admired their beauty, and wondered if Zophis could appreciate them to, and what he was preoccupied with.

Zophis still simply stared forward. They both stayed near the warm fire, each wondering of each other's own thoughts and ambitions, telepathy put aside. It was a rather cold spring night otherwise, and the air flicked through the fire like ripples within an ocean. The stars shined fluidly among the sky as if to illuminate for those who wished to be guided, and only to those whose true patience perseverated through and past the beauty the heavens had to offer. A black sheet of night blanketed all around it, encompassing the scene as it faded down to earth. A scene to reveal all of one's anticipations and one's anxieties and cover them up in its raven cloak and tell the owners that they were one in the same and not to triple over such feeble little matters, just to comfort them a little. That was the kind of scene encompassing the night.

"How long was I out?" The brunette asked, kicking her foot around.

"Only a few hours." The clown replied softly, only to respond to her question, staring straightforward.

Koko continued to feel the fire, until she got up and went behind Zophis's log. She put her arms around his waist and her head on small slender shoulders. She closed her eyes and rested them.

"Let's make you king already." She whispered gently. A smile went across her face, not being reciprocated to her partner who was pensive with his apathy.

The night was quiet all except for the sound of insects and the flicker of the fire. Zophis could hear her slow breathing next to him, the smell of dried blood perforating the air. He looked up at the stars, a distinct unfamiliarity with the ones he knew back at home. The fire dimmed casting their shadows less in length, and then strengthened the lighting of the two up in the night. Looking at the moon reminded him of his ambition ahead and what he'd need. All his plans, all his dreams. It'd all come to him in time, no matter what he had to do. Looking to his right, he knew this. But it all depended on this.. this girl. He almost would have chuckled at the thought if he wasn't enjoying the silence so endearingly.

Koko hugged him tighter for a second, and then opened her eyes spontaneously. She let go and backed up shaking her head. "..Koko... remember.. SHERRY!" The voice spoke through her head as images detoured there as well. She shook and paced, as she tried to pan them out, but they came on strong trying their best to reach her on some level, even if to her that only level was the intense pain and stigma it was causing. She felt like her head was going to explode, her body sickening all over.

"GAHHHHHHHHHH... Where, am I? What... what am I.. YOU ...Zoph-ZOPHIS!" She squeezed her head and screamed.

"Oh my, not again. This girl." Zophis got up, rather having enjoyed his brief moment of tranquility, and started to fly towards her with his palms already glowing their shade of purple.

"You.. you did thiii-.. wait.. what.. what am I even-" As Zophis got closer she continued to stutter, holding out her hands. When he approached close enough she grabbed his arms and thrashed him back ahead. Before he could retaliate she stopped her act. She waddled slowly before she almost tripped.

Hands to her side and balance slowly regaining, she smiled. Simply facing her head down, she spoke "Beat meat huh?"

And with that, faced down and blarfed onto the ground, black liquid spewing everywhere. Zophis watched and cringed with disgust. He deactivated his powers and de-glowed his arms.

"This girl..."

Zophis saw anger squiggles fold and boil up on his head. As it rounded, rolled and floated up away, he popped it swiftly. Taking a deep breath, he simply got to work.

He tucked the blanket over her restful body that was now lying back on top of her log. With a swish of his hand the fire went out. He went back to his log and rested back down himself.

"Is she.. Is she really my partner?" Looking at his partner in all her weakness and strength and beauty. "This... is ridiculous." At least it's amusing to say in the least.

She spewed a little more blood on the ground.

He slowly rolled the other way and cringed himself to sleep.

/End Chapter 5

Koko: Yay, I got to eat beat meat this chapter! Yay...

Sherry: Poor Bears.

Koko: Don't worry Share-Bear, no actuall bears were harmed in the making of this chapter.

Sherry: Really?

Koko: No. I just ate one, and it tasted like chicken.

Sherry: Oh no.. all those poor chickens... *sob*

Koko: Oh Sherry, don't cry.. the chickens will find their way to happiness, the bears too. They will find the light!

Sherry: *sniffle*... Really Koko? *rubs eyes*

Koko: Of course. *Hugs sherry*

Sherry: Wow, thanks Koko. That makes me feel a lot better.

Koko: At least until they find that light. Then they get deep fried and covered in mayonnaise.

Sherry: NOOOOOOOOOOOO. NOT mayonnaise! *Faints*

Me: I hate mayonnaise.

Koko: Mayonnaise hates you. You couldn't have left me and sherry to do this intermission?

Me: I did. Until you mentioned mayonnaise. And even then, it's still me and sherry.

Koko: *facepalms* Hey Tuba, you got a jar of pickles?

Jar of pickles: I sure do! *Hands Koko a Tuba*

Me: Oh gawd gotta get out of here, bye guys cya next chapter... oh no not the face NOT THE FACE!

*the sound of metal and flesh colliding asuder*

Zophis: *Picks nose* Oh, we're still doing this? No no, chapters over, get lost you guys.

Koko: Screw you. *Gives Zophis an offensive gesture well spewing black blood*

Later!

The main point of this chapter was just to try to give some character and silly shenanigans to Koko and Zophis's dynamic. I promise the plot will pick up soon next chapter and within another 2 or 3 we'll be right into what this prelude is about for the rest of it, and then we can finally get some real development moving along. I'll probably try to explore with the humor a little more right up until the end of this.

Please comment or review, it'd help me know what I'm doing right and approve. I'd appreciate it ^o^!