The Bride of Chase Young Chapter 6
"Remind me again why we're out here?" Wuya said as she walked through the meadow a few miles south of the Citadel with Marie.
"Because you wanted to do something different, and Chase wanted me to get some sun. We haven't left the citadel since the last Showdown." Replied Marie, stooping to pick some wild flowers. It had been just over two and a half months since Marie had come to live with Chase and Wuya. Her life was as ordinary as could be except for the fact that her fiancee was a dragon and her best friend was a 1500 year old Heylin witch.
"I don't know why you're picking those." Said Wuya. "They wouldn't fit in at home." Marie merely picked a few more flowers and sat down in the grass.
"They aren't for home, they're for us to wear. Now sit down and help me make a chain." she said. Wuya sat down with a huff and started braiding. Within minutes, the two women were wearing coronets and bracelets made of blossoms.
"I haven't done this since I was a child!" giggled Wuya. "I'd forgotten how soothing it was." Marie giggled right along with her.
"And now we look like a couple of fairy maids. As long as we're being girly, want me to--" Marie stopped mid sentence and looked over Wuya's shoulder.
"Marie?" Whispered Wuya. "What's the matter?"
"A big bald guy is headed straight for us." Marie whispered back. "And he's carrying a really big spear!" wuya twisted around to look at the bald man.
"Well, if it isn't Master Monk Guan." she called. "What are you doing here?" Guan glared at her.
"I could ask you the same thing Wuya. Who is this girl? Some poor innocent you're trying to corrupt?" he snarled.
"Actually, she brought me here. Guan, this is Marie, Chase's fiancee. Marie, this is Master Monk Guan, one of our old training buddies turned enemies." Marie bowed her head politely.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Master Monk Guan." she said. "Lovely weather isn't it?" Guan stared at her in confusion.
"This girl is going to marry Chase?" he asked. "How and when did this happen?" Marie quickly finished her second bracelet as Wuya explained the circumstances.
"She's been here two months already. Now if I were you Guan, I'd leave. Chase doesn't like other men getting near her." she said smugly. Guan narrowed his already squinty eyes.
"I was wondering why he ran off so quickly during our last battle. And here I thought I had finally landed a good blow to his back." Marie snapped her head up.
"You're the one who hurt his back?!" she barked. "You're the old friend he was fighting?" Guan jumped in surprise.
"Y-yes." he stammered.
"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get all the kinks out if his back? No wonder he always comes home worse off than when I left him! I've been working on him for over a month and I still can't get everything out! Oh, you're in big trouble Mister!" Wuya sat on the side, laughing hysterically. To see a 6 foot 9 tall warrior like Guan cowering in front if a 17 year old was pure hilarity. Marie was now threatening Guan with all manner of punishments from live mummification to burying him up to his neck in kitty litter. She was just getting into an impressive rant about disemboweling him with a Spork when a voice spoke up behind her.
"That will be quite enough Marie. As much as I'd love to see you try it, I'm afraid a Spork is just no good for disembowelment." Marie whirled around to see Chase standing there, calm as you please. She grinned and ran to his side, embraced him and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Chase wound an arm around her waist, smirking at Guan.
"Jealous Guan?" he asked with a smirk. "Surprising isn't it? I'm the most evil man in the world and I get a beautiful woman at my side, while you have no one."
"Play nice Chase." Marie whispered in his ear. "If you start picking a fight here, I'm not going to be rubbing the kinks out of your back tonight." Chase nodded.
"We wouldn't want that would we?" he whispered back.
"So what kind of spell did you have to put her under to get her to obey you? Or did you threaten her family?" barked Guan. Chase growled deep in his throat.
"For your information Guan, I stay with him under my own volition." snapped Marie. "So butt out, or I might just fall back on my Spork idea."
"And this time, I'll allow it." snarled Chase. Guan looked from Marie to Chase and back to Marie.
"Has he told you yet?" he asked.
"About his transformation? Yes!" Guan waved his hand impatiently.
"No, not that." he said. "I meant his fa--"
"THAT'S ENOUGH GUAN!!" roared Chase. Marie flinched at his volume. "I thought we agreed never to speak of that again!"
"If she's going to be your wife, she should know what happened. What if He returns and decides to do the same thing?"
"I'll never let that happen!"
"That's it!" snapped Marie suddenly. Guan and Chase were silent. "What the hell are you two talking about?! Who is He? What does he have to do with me and Chase?!" Chase would not meet Marie's eyes.
"Guys." said Wuya. "I think we need to take her to the cottage. For now, we'll form a truce to help her understand. Agreed?" Guan nodded, and Chase grunted his assent.
"It's a good thing it's not far from here." muttered Guan. Chase kept silent. They walked south for a while, maybe twenty or thirty minutes, before Marie saw the roof of an ancient cottage. It had the aura of a place of nurturing and safety, where children could run in the fields and still come at their mothers call.
"It feels like Home." Marie whispered.
"And so it should." said Chase. "This used to be My home. Just me and Mother." Marie felt his hand creep over to hold hers. She gave it a reassuring squeeze. She felt Wuya take hold of her other hand, and saw Guan link hands with both Wuya and Chase.
"It's easier to show you what happened that to tell you." Chase whispered to her. "Just keep holding my hand and let yourself go with what ever comes to you." Marie took a deep breath and let the darkness overtake her.
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OMG, Cliff hanger! Sorry guys, but I had to do it. In the next chapter, we're going to dive into Chase's past, so get your tissues. There's going to be new characters, a death and a hell of a lot of Chibi Chase. Later!