Chapter 25: The Long Awaited Truth
A.N: So this is the flash back chapter. Regular italics is flash back and bold is Kuma talking in the present while flashback is happening! Enjoy!
"It started off seven years ago. On the seventh day of the seventh month in the year X777."
Cobalt sighed and looked down. I dont think I could look my mom in the eye either. This was gonna be a weird ass story. They probably wont even believe us. Then again, maybe Momma would. She did seem familiar with the R-System.
"Jani had left me. That was my teacher, the dragon that took care of me and taught me Earth Dragon Slaying magic. I was only seven years old when he left but I had a basic idea of survival. So any town that I went through or passed I would either steal or beg to help me get by. It wasnt something that a child should go through but I considered myself tough because that's what Jani called me. He said I was strong. That I would be even greater than him someday. Thinking about it now, it makes me laugh."
Aunt Lucy, Mom, Uncle Gray, Juvia, and Uncle Natsu listened with rapid intrest. It already sounded stupid. The story sounded so over used. Kid abandoned and raised in the streets but that was me.
"One day I was walking through a desert, using the earth to find the next civilization when I ran across a weird looking building. It looked incomplete but grand all on its own. Me, being the inquisive child that I was, went to go see what this building was. Across the sea was this cursed place in construction. An R-System. The Tower of Heaven. Forbidden magic. Something in my gut told me to leave, to run as far as I was able, but I just stood there and watched it. It gave off this ominous feeling that I couldnt get out of my head. And then after staring at it what seems like forever, everything turned black."
Memories were rushing from the back of my head. They assaulted me with waves of pain. Pain and agony I tried to bury deep within, to forget. But now that I was reliving this it was to late to not think about it. All those years of training come down to this day. Its time to see if today was the day that I finally stood up and faced the music.
-Seven years ago. T.o.H. Kuma-
"Where am I? What is this place? Jani! JANI?!"
The child cried as she looked around the dark place. It would scare anybody so honestly the guards werent shocked to hear her cry.
"Shut it! We dont wanna hear a single word come from ya!" Kuma sniffled but stayed quiet.
I never stood up for myeslf. I did what I was told. I guess its a fault on my part. Trying to do anything to make someone satisfied with what they saw. I guess you could tell that I tried to hard. I think that maybe I wasnt trying hard enough. Maybe if I had, things could have gone diffrently.
"That's better. Now then this is what your gonna do for us. Just do what your told and everything will be fine." Finally Kuma was brought out into the light and she was in fact on the beach of the Tower of Heaven. "Your task is to help move these rocks with that boy right over there. He'll tell you where to move it."
Kuma locked eyes with a boy her age. His hair was short, about at his nape, and his eyes were the color of gold. He looked angry and tired but not broken. Kuma silently and gently walked over to him. She smiled and waved. "Hi!" She chirrped. "Im Kuma!" The boy stared at her for what seemed like an enternity before he stood up and gave a wry half smile.
"Luka. Luka Wakamoto"
After introductions the boy, Luka, showed her where the rocks would be taken. After she got the location down she held out her hands and two of the big ones- almost boulders- began to float. Luka marveled at the sight but then started rolling the boulders once he saw her racing to put them down. At the end of the day the space was cleared for the first time. And it was all because of a little girl.
The first night scared the bejezzus out of Kuma. Luckily Luka came and brought her into his cell. There were four others there.
Two girls, one blonde and one red haired, looked up from their hand games. They blinked twice looked at each other and then went back to playing Eena Leena Thumbulina.
A boy about a year older than the girls sat on the ground and drew on the dirt floor. His skin was the color of caramel and his hair was as dark as night. It sat on a high pony on top of his head. He gave a quick smile to Kuma before going back to writing. It seemed like he was writing a story.
The last one was a boy quite a bit older than him. Kuma found out that he was exactly four years older than the rest of them, saving the one with the pony tail. His hair was spiked up and the color of fire with specks of blonde here and there.
"Kuma. These are my friends. The girls are Dennevah and Claire and the boys are Henran and Koga." Kuma bowed politely which made the others look at her with questioning. "Hello. It's nice to meet you. My name is Kuma. Let's be friends!" Henran's face seemed to fall at her innocent voice and Dennevah stood up and hugged the girl.
"Will be glad to be friends."
"Theres no way this chick is gonna survive a second in this place! They'll eat her alive!" Claire yelled suddenly and Koga flinched. "Claire. Take it easy. Let her have one more night of normalcy. Just one more night of peace." Henran whispered in her ear and the blonde turned and hurumphed. But then she looked at the ground with pain in her eyes.
"Get ready to go through hell, kid. Dont say I didnt warn ya."
Back then Claire was more of the fierce brute. She dished out more than her little fist could prove but that didnt mean she didnt do what she could.
After about a month I realized just how horrible this place was. The screams of tortured people all ages haunted my sleep. I faced the fear of dying every single moment of every single day. I didnt know what relaxing was. But as long as I had Dennevah, Koga, Claire, Henran and Luka, I would be just fine for the short time that I would live. That's when things became more complicated I suppose.
"No way!"
"It cant be!"
"Why would he be down here?!"
Frantic whispers shot back and forth through the tension filled air. A knife cutting through the thick air filled with worry was an understaintment. Try a fingernail.
Jellal Fernandes walked through the place as though it wasnt filled with slaves. He strutted with the air of royalty even though he was just an ordinary man.
Well as ordinary as a cruel man like him could pull off.
Then he stopped in the center of the field and everyone got quiet. He smirked and looked around with cold amused eyes.
"My my. You are all working very hard. I appreciate it. And I am sure that you will all be the first ones who will be accepted into the new heaven once our project is complete." Koga held Dennevah's hand as she shook in what was plain old fear. Kuma stood solid and stiff, she looked just as itimidating as he did. Henran had to hold Claire back from attacking the bluette.
"But there is more that I need." Jellal continued. Then he turned towards Luka's group and smiled. His eyes landed on Kuma. She just stared back as though this is normal. "I need Kuma and Henran Uzuki to come with me." Again whispers broke throughout the crowd. Jellal may have called on Henran also but his eyes remained on Kuma. The girl's heart rate picked up at a speed that really shouldnt be healthy. Luka gritted his teeth and stepped in front of her. Holding out his arms his eyes glinted in determination.
"Your not taking either one of them!"
The murmers ceased immediately and Jellal blinked in surprise. Then he laughed a good hardy laugh that sent shivers down everones spine. The twelve year old red head put a hand on Luka's shoulder. "Maybe you shouldn—" "Im sick of him controlling us! Its about time someone taught him a lesson by knocking him down a peg or two!" Jellal raised a questioning brow but then tilted his head to the left. Luka was embedded into the wall.
"LUKA?!" Kuma yelled running after him but Jellal called her back. "I wouldnt go up to him. Not if you want him to land into a diffrent wall. Or the ocean."
Kuma froze on the spot.
"Now then you two, shall we depart?" His smile made everyone shake. Henran stepped up to leave but Claire wrapped her arms around his waist. "No! You cant take them! Take me instead!" Luka got up and stumbled back to Kuma. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Where she goes, I go. You could kill me, Jellal, but you wouldnt want to loose one of your dedicated workers would you?" Koga and Dennevah stepped up too. "You drive us through hell." Koga murmured. "Well we're going to stick together untill we finally drive out of it." Dennevah finished and Jellal quirked a brow. He stared at the six of them and finally chuckled.
"Im quite amused by you bunch. I suppose all of you could come along. But by the end of the day, you will be wishing you hadnt try to be heroic. Come along now, children."
Jellal knew what we were but the rest of us didnt. The only one who could teach us was Luka. He taught Claire and the others how to fight with these weird powers that werent magic but made me study. The six of us were moved from a cell to a small safe house on a little island not to far away from the tower. I had no idea what was going on.
Kuma fell and tumbled on the ground. The man growled and barked at her. "Again!"
The girl stood up and faced Jellal who just stood there, waiting. His eyes were cold and empty.
-End of Flashback-
"I guess Jellal figured out that Luka wasnt training me like he was supposed to do so for five hours a day it was training time."
"But what was the reason he began training you six specifically?" Mom asked softly.
"You see Mommy, he needed information from the Magic Council. But he couldnt leave the tower alone. So we were his personal lackeys, made to go fetch whatever was on his mind. He knew about what we are. And what we are are a combaniation. A hybrid if you will, of wizard and demon. Thats how come we easily got the job done."
Mom's mouth dropped to the floor and Uncle Natsu did a double take. Aunt Lucy didnt look surprised and Uncle Gray and Juvia looked in denial. Luka chuckled a little at their expressions.
"That's not even the best part about the Princess! Keep going!" Pricella exclaimed with bright eyes filled with excitement.
I took a deep breath "I..."