Zatch Bell: Kolulu Story
By:CleruSonofShintetsu
[Chapter 2: Kolulu vs Fein, the Windy Aristocrat]
Morning came, and the exhaustion of yesterday still lingered on within them. They said little at the breakfast table that day, simply eating away at their food and preparing themselves for whatever they were up to for the day, until Kolulu spoke.
"Lori...am I a bad person?" she asked, in need of reassurance.
"N-no...not at all. I know you burned his book, but none of this is your fault. Do you still wish to...to..." Kolulu nodded immediately.
"In my mind or out loud, I know I'm scared. I'm scared of getting out of line and causing more mayhem than necessary, s-so thats why we...we need to think of a plan. W-we can't just happen upon a mamodo to get me used to it. Everyone is vying to become the Mamodo King or Queen, and everyone is out for blood." she said, trying to think of something as she nommed her food.
"Well, I...DO have a plan for something a little while from now. Something I bet you'll love." she said, smiling as she pulled out a little poster, advertising a concert.
Kolulu tilted her head curiously at the poster. "What is that, Lori?" she asked, her mind now focused on the advertisement.
"It's an ad for an upcoming concert by those two girls, Tia and Megumi! I figured we need some levity and fun, more of it anyway. Whaddya say, sound good?" she asked, still smiling reassuringly.
Kolulu nodded and she too began to smile. "That sounds great! Can't wait to go! But...what do we do until then, Lori?"
Lori tapped her chin and looked at the calendar again and sighed in relief, it WAS a Sunday. "Well, we can still head outside and go on a walk. Maybe we can go see a movie today. We haven't gone to the movies yet."
Kolulu got up and nodded, helping her clean up the table before they went outside and went for a walk to the theater.
[Meanwhile...in a nearby building...]
Another pair of Mamodo and book wielder was sitting around, discussing their own plans for the battle for kingship. "Sebe, do you know why I want to become king? You know, besides the usual guff?"
"Uhh nah, I just know you want power and stuff, which sounds super cool! I hope you find a way to share some of the benefit though!" he said with a smirk.
Fein would laugh and nod. "Yes yes, you'll have your share of the glory once I claim the throne for myself. However, I must finish my thought if you would..."
Sebe merely gave a thumbs up, leaned back, and listened further.
"I want to become king because not only am I capable and worthy of it, but because I am to uphold the integrity of my status as an aristocrat! You see, I would never have another worthy but ultimately lesser demon claim the throne, and I certainly refuse to allow mud blooded imps lay one finger on that chair! I am not only entitled to all the power I want, but I also uphold the dignity of my otherwise ungrateful race! I am a noble, a demon of virtue, and I refuse to fail when we've come so far!" he declared, cackling and finishing his grandiose speech, much to the clapping and cheering of his partner.
"Dude, that was the most powerful stuff I've heard in a while! So uhh, you spot any new Mamodo to scrap?" he said, eager to scratch that fighting itch.
"Yes, just yesterday in the park, a bit of mass destruction took place between two Mamodo, and I could sense that one of them got their book burned. In fact, that presence remains relatively close. We will seek out the source, the victor of that skirmish, then cut them down without question." he said, hopping out of his seat and motioning for his friend to follow. "Let us find our plucky friend...feheheheheheh..."
[Some time later, as Kolulu and Lori neared the theater, they would soon find themselves at the forefront of their first real battle against an evil foe...]
"Aww man! You said we could see it today but the theater is closed Lori..." Kolulu said, deflating a bit.
"Oh it'll be okay! We can just go tomorrow after school gets out okay? Now let's get-" she said, before a spell was heard nearby.
"WIGAR!" shouted Sebe, as Fein unleashed a tornado blast forward and plowed through the crowd.
"L-LORI!" Kolulu said, shocked by the damage they caused. Lori pulled her back and stared down their opponents.
"W-what is wrong with you!? We neither want to fight, nor do we want to fight in a CROWDED AREA! Leave us alone you creeps!" Lori shouted, trying to get them to see reason.
Fein would scoff and step forward. "I'm afraid there's only one way we'll leave you be, woman. Hand over the book, so that I may burn it and continue my quest for power. Kindly do so now..." he said, snapping his fingers and holding his hand out expectantly.
Lori would grit her teeth and carry Kolulu on her back. This was bad, they needed to find a place away from the public, away from that team! But where? Where could they fight? Just then, she realized something...the movie theater was closed for maintenance, like the sign said! It was risky, but it was their only option. Unfortunately, the front door was locked...
"No no no no! They locked the door, we can't get in! Kolulu...we...we..." Lori stuttered, afraid for their lives now.
Kolulu clutched Lori's shoulders as fear began to overtake her. "No...I...we can't do this now...not so soon, I'm not ready for it..."
Fein and Sebe would turn the corner and stare the two down. "This is your last chance, worms. Hand over the book, or suffer harm at the hands of the future king!" Fein declared, holding his hand out one more time.
Kolulu looked at this smug, unrelenting goblin of a Mamodo, and her eyes flared up with irritation and anger. "Lori...cast the spell...DO IT!"
She said, mustering all of her willpower into that one request. Lori would pull out the spell book and, with a reluctant sigh, call out the first spell. "ZERUK!"
Kolulu would hop in front of her as her body started to morph, her clothes tearing and being replaced by that uniform from before. Her nails turned into metal claws, and her hair grew longer and spiked, and her body grew twice as big as it was before.
Fein would snarl and glare at his book wielder. "STOP HER YOU FOOL!"
Sebe nodded and called out, "WIGAR!", Fein sending another blast at Kolulu, who had already transformed and blocked the blast with her arms, flying back into the movie theater with Lori and shattering the front door.
Lori groaned in pain, but Kolulu was laughing up a storm. "Yes...that's what I'm talking about...so this is the snot nosed little rat I'm destined to eat!? I'm gonna rip you apart, pencil neck!" she called out to Fein.
Fein reeled back in disgust and spat at her. "How dare you speak to me that way you...you SAVAGE! I am the great Fein, an aristocrat, YOUR FUTURE KING! You will kneel to me before long you worthless-" but his insult was cut off by Kolulu rushing forward and raking his chest with her claw.
Fein screeched in pain and staggered back. Sebe, realizing how ferocious this mamodo was, called out... "YURUK!" and allowed Fein to speed off elsewhere in the general area.
Kolulu, frustrated, looked around, too focused on Fein to notice how close to the book she was. "Where did that little snot go!?" she asked, irritated at the audacity of Fein.
"Right behind you..." he said, to which Sebe yelled out, once more... "WIGAR!", blasting Kolulu back once again.
Lori would look down at Kolulu and grip her shoulder. "Kolulu, we have to go deeper into the theater, it's the only way! Come on!" she said, with Kolulu reluctantly following her inside. They would make it into the nearest viewing room, where they were followed easily by Fein.
"Over here, scum..." he said, another spell being called out by Sebe. "ORU WIGAR!" to which several "beams" of purple wind scattered out, each one pounding Kolulu one at a time before sending her tumbling down the steps towards the front row seats of the theater.
"Kolulu!" Lori cried out, running down to her aid. In this moment, a new spell would manifest in the book, but she had no time to read it as she rushed to her friend's aid. ("I...I need to weather this assault. I can feel it, a new spell is coming on...focus Lori!") she thought to herself, making sure Kolulu was okay.
Kolulu staggered to her feet. "Read a spell, quick! Before I go back to normal again!"
Lori nodded, looking at the new spell they acquired as Sebe called out one more spell. "WIGAR!"
Lori would read aloud, in hopes this new spell would aid them. "ZERURUDO!" she yelled, a pink barrier engulfing Kolulu and granting her incredible speed and agility. Not only dodging the attack, but appearing closer to Fein.
Fein growled, "A new speed spell will not help you fools! My speed is unmatched in all the Mamodo realm! The winds I beckon forward are able to pierce any foe!"
Kolulu grinned, "That's not what happened, was it? You missed, and I startled you...heheheh! Come on, use that other spell, USE IT ON ME, MAGGOT!" she demanded, to which Sebe obliged.
"ORU WIGAR!" he cried out, more "beams" of wind zoning in on Kolulu. Lori would take the hint, and cry out her own spell.
"ZERURUDO!" she yelled, another barrier engulfing Kolulu and granting her great speed once again. Kolulu, sticking her tongue out, would cackle as she dodged all projectiles fired at her, much to the frustation of Fein. Then, Lori would cut him off mid-rant with her next spell.
"ZERUK!" she called, Kolulu tearing into Fein with great speed and power, and causing the Mamodo to wince and cry out in pain.
"Yaaaahh! Get her off get her off get her off GET HER OFF!" He demanded.
"YURUK!" Sebe yelled, Fein using his speed to jab her in the eyes and further kick her in the belly and send her back at high speeds.
"How...how dare you!?" Fein started, at his absolute limit. "HOW DARE YOU WOUND ME!? I AM YOUR LORD, I WILL NOT BE BESTED BY A LOW CLASS SAVAGE! You are weak, YOUR BOOK KEEPER IS WEAK, AND I WILL-"
"ZERUSEN!" Lori yelled, sending Kolulu's rocket fists slightly to the left of Sebe. Sebe, in a panic, jumps in the exact direction of the attack.
"SEBE YOU FOOL, YOU JUST JUMPED IN THE WAY OF THE-" and then an explosion occurred, the fists flying back and leaving a cloud of dust. Kolulu was panting in exhaustion, but keeping up an appearance all the same.
"Lori...look, I smell smoke...up there..." she said, pointing at where the projectile hands hit. As the dust settled, the two enemies were in a heap on top of each other.
"You...imbecile...get the heck off of me! Argh..." Fein demanded, Sebe rolling off and rubbing his head.
"S-sorry...hey wait...are you okay? I can see through your hair..." he said, causing Fein's eyes to widen in fear.
Fein desperately looked around for his book. He finds it burning, smoldering even. "N-NOOOOO! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE, I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE KING, ME! SEBE I'M GOING TO END YOU!" he said, running up to jab him in the eye like he did to Kolulu, but he would vanish entirely before he made contact.
Sebe would gasp loudly, hitting the ground once. "NO, THAT'S STUPID, I DIDNT MEAN TO...YOU...I...GAH!" he said, getting up and running away from the intimidating presence of the monster-form Kolulu looming over him.
Kolulu would then morph back to normal, falling to her knees and nearly fainting from the battle. "L-Lori...? Did we do it?" she said, slumping onto the floor in a huff.
Lori ran up to Kolulu and held her in her arms with a proud smile. "Yes, we did...and you did great out there Kolulu...you really did. We beat that nasty Mamodo and burned his book. You even got clever and aimed to the left of that man. He got freaked out and jumped, right into your trap." she explained. Kolulu wasn't wholly happy about that part however.
"So...I got crafty then. What if I become worse though...? Can I truly become a kind queen if I keep becoming more and more malicious in battle? I'm gonna...I'm starting to doubt my promise again..." she said, sniffling and getting anxious.
Lori cuddled her close. "Hey hey hey...none of that talk you hear? Let's get you home before people start piling in. We couldn't possibly start to explain what happened here to the authorities..." she said, carrying Kolulu in her arms as Kolulu fell asleep.
[Some time later, back at their house...]
Kolulu slowly woke up, being re-dressed in her nighties and everything, with an early lunch being brought in by Lori. "L-Lori...?" she said, blinking and clearing her vision.
"Kolulu, thank goodness...you conked out quick after that last battle. That form really takes a lot out of you doesn't it...?" she said, placing the bed table down and putting down the sushi for Kolulu to dine on. Kolulu would devour it with great haste, but who can blame her? Even after her declaration, her mind and body still struggled to keep up. She is NOT a natural fighter, she did NOT want this, and all she wanted now...was food.
Lori simply sat by and watched her Mamodo companion eat. "Kolulu...that form knocked you out for two hours. How do you feel now?"
Kolulu finished and looked up at Lori and nodded slowly. "I'm fine now, but I still sting a little. Both from that form and from that Mamodo's attacks. Ngh..." she said, wincing in pain.
Lori walked over and took out a first aid kit. "Here, you've been through a lot. This might sting a little, but we need to treat your injuries, okay? Muscle strain will also need time to heal on it's own. No kid deserves to be forced to their limit like that..." she said, treating the last of her cuts and bruises. It seems she was treating them already before, and was almost done by this point.
"Lori...I know you feel really concerned for me. But...I can't give up. No matter how much it hurts...now matter how much I risk losing my mind...I have to fight. I'm fighting so I can end these stupid tournaments. They don't do anything but promote senseless violence among my fellow Mamodo. I want to see Zatch again, but only once I've become a worthy queen. So please..." Kolulu said, looking up with a firm smile. "...don't feel sorry, because you being at my side is the best way you could ever help me now."
Lori was impressed, in awe, shocked even. ("These past two days have really changed her. She has much to learn, and a lot of room to grow, but she's taken her first steps. She's stronger now...and I'm proud of her. Keep going Kolulu, I'll be by your side for as long as I can!") she thought, smiling with great pride in Kolulu.
With all that said and done, their day would continue as normal, before drawing to a close and allowing them to rest. Perhaps tomorrow, they wouldn't need to worry about any Mamodo foes, or this tournament! For now, they need only to rest. More battles were surely ahead of them, and so be it...but they will survive. For as long as they can, they will survive and fight on for the sake of everything.