*Chapter 5: Show Your Colors*

The next morning the guards came and fed the Mystics their breakfast. Kurt was already awake, expecting to see Blaine once again in the early morning. Seeing as he did not come and his breakfast was getting cold he sat at his small corner table and started to eat, practicing his etiquette as he did so. It was the same breakfast as yesterday but the shifter did not mind; in fact he loved the breakfast. Slowly as he ate his human –food breakfast, lunch and dinner he was gaining strength and his unusually pale skin was gaining some color but he being naturally pale-skinned, he knew that he would not look like Rachel or Blaine with their pink fleshy tones. But he will have a white marble fleshy tone that is very soft, his mother had told him so a long time ago. Her exact words were 'If and when you ever get to a place that is kind and keeps you healthy my son, you will look just like me with white marble skin, soft brunette hair and tricolored eyes.' He missed his mother. She had died while she was still nursing him which started the long road of an unhealthy lifestyle. He had to be moved to another shifter's mother, and a human shifter at that. The milk produced from that shifter was utterly different and though he needed to drink it to live, it made him horribly sick. The daughter the human shifter mother had was named Brittany.

She being older than him and already weaned was transferred into her own pen and it did not take long for her to be bought by some human female in Lima. He wondered faintly if he would ever run into her again. Unlike what he thought of the other Mystics in the Barn with him, he thought Brittany of his bond-sister. The relationship between two bounded Mystics is stronger than marriage for a marriage can end but the bond will not… Unless that is if the bond surpasses fifty years but most of the time a bond is formed during adulthood so it lasts a lifetime. When Kurt made his bond with Brittany they were children which mean that their bond is still alive. If he were to get into a close enough range with her, their bond would heighten again and he would be able to run straight to her even if he has never once been to her general area. But his bond with Brittany is only a sister/brother bond. There are much stronger bonds than that and that the enllaç matrimoni, literally translated to mate bond. Kurt has often dreamed of being in a mate bond. It is the bond that happens right before a pair, wither it be Mystic and Mystic or forbiddenly a Mystic and a human, mate which makes the whole expeiriance of mating with the love of your life even more heightened and enjoyable.

Of course Kurt has only heard this from his mother who heard it from her mother who heard it from her mother, his great grandmother, who was the last one to ever be in a mate bond. Kurt sighed and stared down at his empty tray. He then heard a knock on the wood and he turned around quickly to see Rachel and Mercedes.

"Hey Kurt honey." Mercedes said as she walked into the stall while Rachel stayed outside. Picking up the tray she added "Today we're going to break you of your tip-toe walking." Mercedes casted a smile at him before walking out of the stall.

Rachel stepped in then, Rachel hands behind her back. "Good morning Kurt." She stood beside him, hands still behind her back and a solemn expression on her face. Sighing she revealed her hands to him and thus revealed the collar Blaine had just taken off yesterday along with the key and a leash. "I'm sorry Kurt. It's the law." She did not have to say no more. Kurt stood and allowed her to snap the collar back on and tie the leash on. She lead him outside the stall where Mercedes stood waiting.

"We're going to take a walk around the estate to practice and I was able to get you these." Mercedes pointed down to the floor where some peasant flats that looked likes slippers and were right before the stall. Kurt slid his feet into the shoes and found it hard to stand on his toes in shoes. He snorted eliciting a laugh from the women.

"Come on Kurt," Rachel started "let's go on our walk."

He was led out of the Mystic Barn and out into the pure and open sunshine. Kurt breathed it in as if he could breathe the sun in itself, enjoying the open spaces. "Now Kurt honey, you need to walk on the bottom of your feet now. No tip-toe walking."

Kurt exhaled and laid his feet flat on the floor. It was strange to not have all his weight on his toes, and not in a good way. It was sending shivers up his body at the unfamiliarity of it all. They stand just outside of the door, Kurt fighting himself to keep his feet flat. After a few minutes the walk commenced and the women brought him around the barn and towards the pond where he received a bath. They walked in silence, which was a surprise because the women always chatted with each other. Kurt did not think much of it. He was enjoying the exercise and the scenery. They did not even meet the back corner of the stall before they stopped suddenly. "Kurt! Tip-toeing!" Rachel scolded.

Kurt looked at his feet in confusion. He was on his toes. He did not even notice when he started to walk on his toes. Placing his feet down flat once more they three waited a minute or two once more before starting their walk again. It was silent again but that did not last long either before Mercedes yelled at him. "Kurt your tip-toe walking again!"

Kurt rolled his eyes up towards the sky and forced his feet flat. They walked again after waiting a moment and the next time both women scolded him. "Kurt!" Kurt groaned and shook his head. They only took ten paces away from the Barn, was his walking really an issue? Once again the cycle started and another ten paces later the women yelled again. "Kurt!" Kurt groaned louder and his shoulders slumped. He placed his feet flat on the ground and glared at both women at his side. The women only smiled in response. Once again they started up, this time he was walking looking down, glaring at his feet and mentally screaming at his feet to stay put flat on the ground. Since he was paying attention his feet did not start 'tip-toe walking'. Seemingly satisfied at himself he looked up and noticed that they were now reaching the pond and were about to walk around it when the women yelled again. "Kurt!"

"And you were doing good too." Rachel added.

Kurt growled and fisted his hands at his sides. The women laughed besides him and he glared at them which only made them laugh harder. Groaning he slammed his hands into his face and shook his head. "Poor Kurt." Mercedes cooed as she laughed. "He's getting so frustrated."

Kurt breathed in and exhaled with his hands on his face, the sound sounding like hair being suddenly released from a hot air balloon. Rolling his shoulders he forced his feet flat once more and the trio started to walk again, Kurt continuing to glare at his own two feet.

*Chronicle of the Mystics*

Meanwhile in Lima there was a riot going on over a Mystic that was captured in the river. The merman had a toned and muscular human torso, his semi-wet blonde hair clung to his head, and a pale green tail formed from his waist down, the scales shimmering in the sunlight proving that he was captured recently and has yet to become too stressed to lose his magic in his tail. He cringed as rocks were being thrown at its glass cage with iron bars above his head. The humans throwing the rocks were inevitably trying to get the rocks into the cage so they can hit him. One rock got into the cage and landed on his head and the merman collapsed in the container that was too small for him. The small amount of water in the container smashed as his body crashed onto the floor, his tail pressed against one wall of the container, his tail fin hanging limply down.

"Get that thing out of here!"

"We don't want it!"

"Kill it! Kill the half-breed!"

The merman shook his head at the mob and placed his hands on one wall to lift himself up. "Please! Don't! I'm not hurting anyone!" The merman begged. A big and heavy crashed against the glass, cracking it. The merman looked at the cracked wall. Breathing heavily he threw his body into the crack repeatedly.

"It's trying to get out!"

"Stop it!"

Lima guards with swords came up to the stage where the Mystics' cage was on. The guards pointed their swords at the container as they surrounded it. The merman stopped and looked at the guards as they started to move the points of their swords towards him. The merman moved his body in the center of the container, moving his tail under him. The mob was yelling at the guards to kill the Mystic when a female voice rose from the mob. "Stop please!" The blonde human woman tried to push her way to the stage. "Don't hurt him! Don't hurt my son please!"

"It's the mother!"

"Get her!"

The merman shook his head and moved towards her, only to be stopped by glass. "Mother!"

"Sam!" The woman screamed as she was captured by some of the mob members. "Sam!" She called again as she was being dragged away.

"Mother!" Sam cried as he pounded on the glass. "Don't hurt her! Don't hurt my mother!"

"Kill her for breaking the law! Kill the whore!"

"No!" Sam yelled, openly crying now. "No mother!"

"Sam!" The screech came as one of the men took out a sword and shoved it through her torso.

"Mother!" Sam yelled as he slipped down the wall and fell into a heap in the cage, his tail thrown in front of him. "Mother… Mom…" Sam placed his face in his hands and cried for his mother and his father who was killed upon capture and his younger brother and sister who were taken to California to become a part of the breeding facility there.

"Now kill the half-breed!"

"Kill it!"

Sam did not even care anymore. He just lost his whole family and for what? His parents falling in love and starting a family together? For years his family has lived in the Mystic Woods with the wild Mystics, some who cared for his mother and some who did not but they never attacked. Mystics do not hate the whole species of human, they know that not all humans hate or want to imprison Mystics, some humans like his mother. Sam continued to cry as the guards started to open the cage door at the top. Suddenly from the crowd there was a yell. "Hold it!" The cause of the voice slowly made his way up on stage. It was Karofsky. "Hold it." Karofsky said again strongly.

"Get off the stage civilian." One of the guards closest to him said. "Or be killed for trying to protect this monster." Karofsky stayed put. "All right, you asked for it." The guard said as he lifted the sword up.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it!" Came a frantic call from the stage. Soon Finn and Mike went onto the stage. "You can't kill Karofsky for just standing on a stage." Finn yelled at the guard.

"He is protecting the Mystic half-breed by prolonging its death."

"From what I see," Mike started "the merman is well, a merman."

Another guard spoke up then. "It's only when he's wet. When it's dry it turns into a human."

"I'd like to see it." Finn said crossing his arms before his chest.

"You don't believe me that this thing is a half-breed?" The guard asked slightly amused.

"No I believe you." Karofsky answered. "I'm just thinking how much money the city of Lima could make selling a half-breed merman in its condition."

The guards stopped and the merman looked up slightly in interest. The captain of the guards snapped his fingers. "Collar him and show the gentlemen." The cage door on top swung open as three guards jumped into the already tiny container and wrested the merman down before snapping and locking the collar on him. Tying on a rope the guards dragged the merman out by the neck, choking the half-breed until he fell onto the stage with a loud thud. Water dripped off his scales and body. The captain chuckled as he took the rope from a guard and tugged on the rope hard forcing the merman to come up forward. "In this sun, it shouldn't take long for him to get dry gents."

"Mike," Finn started "would you mind estimating a price on him in his current stage and then when he shifts?"

Mike chuckled and looked at his friend. "I already have a price estimated for him." Pausing he looked back at Sam. "If I were a rich entrepreneur I would pay… Hm, 2300 pounds right as he is."

The mob, now just a crowd who were watching some sort of life-saving action, mumbled at the price. Suddenly the death of this particular Mystic did not seem like the right thing to do. Sam moved himself so he leaned up against the glass door. He quickly wiped away the tears that were still falling from his eyes and shook his head. His tail folded under him as he brought it up to his chest. The minutes went by slowly and quietly as the sun continued to dry up the merman. Sam looked up at the sun and then back to his tail. Breathing in to endure the pain of the change his scales on his tail were shivering and started to straighten out to become razor. Exhaling now his tail from the fin up started to burn off him, the sizzling sound echoing through the silent courtyard. Sam groaned slightly as the transformation came to an end revealing bare, toned human legs that were pulled up to his chest. Placing his feet on the stage he wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in them to withstand the last bit of the pain. That is when the captain, Karofsky and Finn looked to Mike.

"Well… Let's see now." Mike grumbled to himself as he rubbed his chin. "I'd pay 2500 for him now."

"Sold." Karofsky said loudly as he started to pull out his money. Sam looked up from his knees and looked at Karofsky.

Finn looked at Karofsky. "What?"

"Sold, definition: to give or hand over something in exchange for money." Karofsky smartly said as he handed the captain the money. "I'm happy to get him off your hands captain. Oh, and I put in an extra 200 pounds for the trouble."

The captain laughed to himself as he recounted the money. "And it was a pleasure doing business with you." The captain handed Karofsky the rope and then turned on his heels. "Men move out and get this crowd out of the courtyard."

As the crowd dissipated Mike and Finn stared at Karofsky as. Mike shook his head at Karofsky. "Karofsky… That was so… Unlike you."

Karofsky scoffed. "It's not like he's going to any place better."

Finn stuttered. "Uh… I'm glad that you admit that your Mystics' living conditions are horrible but… You just saved him from death."

Karofsky shrugged again. Suddenly from behind him he heard clapping. Turning around Karofsky saw Blaine and he smirked. "Why hello Anderson. Pleasure seeing you here."

"And it is a pleasure to see that you actually have a heart." Blaine replied. Wes smiled behind him as he joined him on stage.

"Of course I have a heart Anderson. I wouldn't be able to live."

"But to have feelings Karofsky?" Blaine said as he placed his hands in his pockets. "That's a grand feature no one here knew you had. Until now."

"Cut the remarks Anderson." Karofsky said shaking his head at him. "This only means that I have twenty-three Mystics now."

"I have twenty-six." Blaine simply said.

Cutting between the two's conversation Mike looked at Blaine. "Speaking of Mystics how is that shifter of yours?"

Blaine looked at Mike. "He's doing great. He's looking much better after a bath."

"Have you given him a name?" Finn asked.

"Yes. Kurt."

Finn chuckled. "Why Kurt?"

Wes stepped out then. "It's kind of a long story gentlemen. Why don't you two walk with me to the pub and I'll recall you of it." Finn and Mike agreed and Wes led them off stage and towards the pub.

Blaine and Karofsky glared at each other as the three men left. "It's a shame." Blaine said. "That 2500 pounds could have gone towards the efforts I put into Kurt."

Karofsky scoffed softly. "It's a shame that you'll lose that pathetic excuse of a shifter to me."

The two men glared at each other and Sam looked between the both of them. Grabbing enough courage he extended a hand. "Um… I'm Samuel Evans; you can call me Sam though."

Blaine and Karofsky looked at the half-breed. Blaine extended his hand out and grasped his. "Hello Sam. I'm Blaine Anderson." Releasing his hand Sam moved his hand towards Karofsky.

Karofsky scoffed again. "I'm not shaking your hand Mystic. And all you need to know about me is that I am your master."

Sam sighed and put his hand back on his knee. "Whoo… That's going to have to get some getting used to I'm afraid. I may be a half-breed but I'm still a wild Mystic and I don't like cages."

"Shame." Karofsky said sarcastically, turning his head away from the half-breed.

"I… Uh… Do have one final request though."

"You don't get one. You're mine now Mystic." Karofsky replied, not once looking at him.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Karofsky. Just one final request." Blaine smirked at him.

Karofsky in turned groaned. "What is it?"

"Can… Can I see my mother?"

Karofsky froze. He finally turned his head to look back at the merman half-breed. Their eyes met, hazel looking into green ones and with silent realization Karofsky noticed that the Mystic's eyes were the same color as his tail. Mentally shaking that thought from his mind he nodded once. "Yes you may but make it quick."

The three, Blaine, Karofsky and a naked Sam, walked over to the body of his mother. Sam collapsed on his knees and he cautiously placed a hand under his mother's head as the other reached for her hand. He lifted her body onto his lap and looked down at his mother. He sniffled as the hand that was holding her cold one went up to rub her cheek. Her lifeless brown eyes stared up into the sky and Sam breathed out shakily. "I'm sorry mother…" He said softly as the same hand on her cheek slowly pushed her eye lids down. "I am so sorry…" He whimpered out, crying again. "I love you mother." With that Sam collapsed once more, his head falling forward to rest on one of her shoulders as he cried into her lifeless body. The humans stood above him in silence. Sam coughed once and grumbled as he forced himself to stop crying. Sighing he started to recite a prayer in Mystic tongue. "Si us plau, Déu poderós de la Llum, ajudar la meva mare al teu regne." Sam kissed her forehead and then gently rested her back on the ground before he stood and looked at the humans.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me what you just said?" Blaine asked.

Sam nodded his head. "I just asked my God of Light to welcome my mother into his otherworld. He hardly accepts humans without being asked first and even then he might not accept them." Looking down at his mother he added "But I do hope he accepts my mother… She was the first human to follow him once again."

*Chronicle of the Mystics*

Hours later at the Anderson estate in Dalton, Kurt finished up practicing his calligraphy and word sounding. He nodded and smiled at himself. He has gotten much better. Master Blaine would be proud. Kurt frowned then. Blaine had been out all day and he wondered if he will ever see him at all today. Not that he would care mind you for he did not care about seeing a human. He was quite happy in his stall. Mercedes and Rachel showed up half an hour later, as promised, to take him on another walk. His morning walk was failure after failure and now Kurt promised himself that he would not fail… As much. He slipped on his shoes, the nasty horrid things that they are, and walked out of the stall when Rachel unlocked it. She once again put the collar on him and attached the leash. After saying a quick hello to his friend Scarlota the three walked out of the barn and commenced their walk. Much to Kurt's dismay his second walk was even worse than the first. When they reproached the barn they ran into Blaine and Wes. Kurt felt a smile come onto his frowning face when he saw Blaine. "Hello Master Blaine." The women beside him greeted as they all walked into the barn.

"Hello Miss Jones, Miss Berry." Blaine greeted back. Looking at Kurt he said. "Hello Kurt." Kurt nodded his greeting with a smile.

"Hello ladies, Kurt." Wes said as they walked towards Kurt's stall. "How was the walking?"

The women giggled and Kurt groaned in reply. "Poor Kurt." Mercedes said. "He gets so frustrated when he started walking on his toes."

Rachel giggled and nodded in agreement. "It's so funny, his reactions. But it's hard for him to walk on the bottom of his feet. Natural instinct is much stronger than anything else."

"Yes it is." Wes agreed. "But we have a story of natural instinct that will blow your minds."

"Do tell Mr. Montgomery." Mercedes urged as she unlocked Kurt's collar and placed it next to his stall door.

"Karofsky actually has a heart." Wes stated.

Rachel chuckled. "What? Karofsky? What'd he do?"

Blaine took it over then. "There was a half-breed captured in Lima and the city was going to kill him."

"Oh no." The women gasped and Kurt stared wide eyed at the human men.

"But Karofsky came onto the stage and stopped them saying that someone would pay big money for a half-breed merman that was in reputable condition."

"A merman?" Rachel shuddered. "Oh… I would pay big money for that."

Mercedes elbowed her. "Girl… Stop it. It's wrong to buy Mystics."

"Yes! But I would do it to save him!"

"Anyways," Wes continued "after Mike had set a price on him after he shifted into a full human Karofsky went out and bought him."

"What?" The women sounded. "No…"

"Yes." Blaine nodded. "In his actions he saved Sam."

"Sam?" Mercedes asked.

"The merman's name is Samuel Evans. He told us himself."

"Oh well… At least he's not dead but being with Karofsky is horrible."

Rachel shrugged. "It's better than being dead in my opinion."

Wes nodded. "But you haven't heard it all. Tell them Master Blaine."

"Sam's mother was killed in the courtyard." Blaine said and the women gasped, Kurt only nodded. It was to be expected. "So Sam asked to see his mother one last time and Karofsky allowed it."

"Damn." Mercedes cursed. "Who would have thought that Karofsky would care?"

"I guess he showed us his true colors behind that tough and rough exterior." Wes stated. The other remained quiet and then Wes remembered something. "Oh and Miss Berry, Mr. Hudson sends another message."

She gasped. "Really? What did he say this time?" Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"He said that he loves you very much and wishes to see you again so he asked me to ask you to accompany him to Lima while he sells his wares."

Rachel giggled and clapped his hands. "Yes! Yes I would love to accompany him!"

Wes nodded. "And that's why I told him you'd see him this Saturday."

Rachel giggled and Mercedes groaned. She was going to hear this all night. Wanting to steer the conversation from Mr. Hudson Mercedes said "Master Blaine, look at Kurt's improved calligraphy. He is getting the hang of it."

"Ah yes let's take a look." Blaine said. Kurt grinned and nodded as he rushed into his stall and got out his recent calligraphy. Blaine took a look at it when he stepped into the stall, Wes behind him as always. "Kurt this is getting much better. As long as you remember our deal. Don't overwork yourself." Kurt nodded and crossed his heart, something Mercedes had taught him earlier today.

*Chronicle of the Mystics*

In McKinley, Karofsky led Sam through his own Mystic Barn, the same one as Blaine's but not it good upkeep. The Mystics were screaming and yelling and Sam looked on with mixed sadness and horror at his fellow Mystics. Karofsky stopped before an empty stall with a glass container like the once Sam was in before but it was significantly bigger and filled up the whole stall. "I'm going to have sand ordered to put in it so you can have some dry land." Karofsky said as he untied the rope from the collar. "Most merpeople aren't half-breeds so—"

"That won't be necessary." Sam interrupted as he wordlessly climbed into the semi-full container. The moment his feet touched the water his tail whipped out and he slipped himself into the water slowly. "This is fine. It hurts to change anyways so I won't be doing any of that." Sam sighed and went underwater, pushed himself to a corner, wrapped his arms around his torso and shut his eyes shut to wait out the sharp pain in his tail.

Karofsky watched the merman half-breed for a moment before going over and shutting and locking the container and then locking the stall door shut. But then Karofsky found himself standing and waiting for the merman to move from his position. When he did that is when Karofsky left leaving Sam in his stall.

Please Review! Review and maybe I'll tell you what language I'm using to me the Mystics' language. *wink*