Zatch Bell: Kolulu Story
By:CleruSonofShintetsu
[Chapter 6: A Flight to England]
A phone call in the early morning hours. Spring Break was just starting, and Lori, still getting her clothes on, picked up the phone and said, "Hello? This is Lori speaking, how can I help you?"
Kiyo responded on the other end. "Hey Lori, I uhh...just wanted to let you know I'm not gonna be here for a while. I'm heading to England to tell dad about...you know..." he said slightly solemnly. "I'll be sure to stay in touch, especially if any-"
Lori cut him off, "Wait, Kiyo...can we come with you? We'll pay for tickets and do whatever is needed to prepare. I...we owe your father an explanation and apology too..." she explained with a sigh.
Kiyo nodded slowly, "Alright, see you at my place, I'll get us a taxi to send us to the airport together if you can get your parents' permission." he said, before hanging up.
Kolulu was playing with her doll when she overheard Lori speaking, though she only caught some of it and walked over to her confused. "Lori? What was that all about?"
Lori knelt down and gave Kolulu headpats. "Kolulu...we're going to England to meet Kiyo's father, Kiyo told me one time that it was his father who found Zatch, and we sort of took him away...unintentionally." she said, covering her mouth and feeling foolish.
Kolulu realized what Lori did and smiled sweetly, but solemnly. "It's okay Lori...I know you don't mean to paint us in a terrible light...I...I think it's the right thing to do. Apologizing, that is..." she said, hugging her doll tight to her chest.
So the two prepared for the trip, Lori making a call to her parents who, in a rare moment of interaction, actually picked up. Her father was the one to answer the call.
"Father...? I want you to know I'm going on a trip with a friend, to England. Is this okay with you?" she asked slightly nervously, twirling a strand of hair with her finger, round and round.
Her father nodded, "Yes yes, I trust you at home, I can surely trust you to behave abroad in a foreign country, especially with a friend at your side. How are you anyway? I must apologize for being so...distant, we both do."
"Oh," Lori started, "it's okay father, I assure you I'll be fine." she said, but as she was about to hang up, her father continued.
"Lori!" he began, "Lori...I know we aren't around a lot, but I want you to know that your mother and I miss you, especially these days. We want you to know that, once we get home, we'll dedicate the full extent of our free time possible, factoring in time you spend at school, at home and trying to connect with you. Your mother and I love you, Lori, please never forget that despite how demanding our work is..."
Lori slightly teared up and nodded along. "Thank you...I love you too, father. Tell mom I love her too, okay?"
"Of course darling, take care now!" he said, hanging up after a final goodbye from Lori.
Lori, now feeling rejuvenated for the day, slung her bag over her back and jogged upstairs to get packed up for the trip.
The duo began packing their luggage bags. As they did this, Lori spotted Vulcan being packed into a special safe compartment in Kolulu's smaller luggage bag.
"Oh, Kolulu, is that Zatch's little box friend?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Kolulu looked up at Lori, then down at Vulcan, than back up at Lori again. "Yeah? I...thought he'd want the toy to remember Zatch by, maybe..." she said, muttering in thought.
"Well," Lori said, "in any case, all I care about is that you're healthy, happy and safe. I'm glad you're doing better after the concert hall battle...especially after such a vicious sneak attack..."
Kolulu winced in acknowledgment, and said no more on it. The two finished packing and headed out for Kiyo's house, arriving in only a few short moments soon after. Hana Takamine was there to greet them first, with a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
Lori and Kolulu approached Hana with a wave. "Hello Ms. Takamine." Lori said with a polite bow.
"Hello there dears! Please, indulge in some cookies before you head off! My boy has told me a bit about you two. If it helps anything..." she said as Lori got herself and Kolulu some cookies.
"...I don't hold anything against you for the incident." she finished, to which Lori nodded.
"Right, thank you, miss." Lori said, starting to eat the cookie as she looked around for Kiyo. "Say, is Kiyo going to be here soon?" she asked.
"Oh, yes, he should be arriving right about now..." Hana said, to which Kiyo exited the house holding his luggage bag and waving at the group.
"Hey Lori, hey Kolulu, I got everything all primed and ready to go." he said, waving down the incoming taxi. "Aaaaaand THAT'S the taxi, ready to get going?" he asked, receiving a hug from his mother.
"You two behave now, and just remember to breathe...I understand this is going to be hard for you, my dear little Kiyo..." Hana said, reassuring her boy that everything would be alright.
"I know mom...I know. See you soon, love you." he said, climbing into the vehicle with Lori and Kolulu following suit. The car drives off into the distance, heading for the airport, all the while Lori and Kiyo were chatting away.
{Meanwhile, at the warehouse sector...}
In a warehouse, Maruss was still finishing his recovery from the fight, and Robnos was scribbling up plans on a piece of paper.
Ruku and Rembrant were both talking over cans of beer, and Maruss was absolutely irritated to the core by recent events.
"Damn it all...how am I ever going to live up to Lord Dauwan's strength if I let myself lose to snot nosed weaklings like them...!?" he said in his mind, gripping some of his bandages and shivering with anger.
"I don't need friends, this world is nothing but a playground to test us...the Mamodo World didn't last as long as it did through weakness, it only thrived because the strongest and most wickedly clever were in power. I swear that I will find those little candy-haired brats and snap their necks!" he said, slapping a barrel with the palm of his hand and denting it, causing everyone else in the warehouse to stare at him.
"...What?" Maruss asked in an irritated tone.
Robnos smiled and said, "Oh, you just...seem a little tense is all. Please avoid damaging yourself, I need you to help fulfill our future endeavors, and that gigano class spell was a real winner if not for that girl's uncanny skill with shield spells." he said, glancing over at a secondary notebook with a label on it. This label read: "Book of Enemies".
Maruss grumbled, "Look cyber-head, don't get any ideas...we need each other now, but don't act like I'll roll over and let you burn my book at the very end! The moment we're the final contenders left, I will make sure I drill one giant hole through your body, you got that!?" he yelled, Rembrant getting up from his chair to protest.
"Maruss, cool down! Do you want him to burn the book!?" Rembrant warned.
Ruku stood up next. "L-let's just calm down, take deep breaths and-" but he was cut off by the chuckling of Robnos.
"Ruku, Rembrant, Maruss...you guys are cool, everything will be juuuuust fine. In fact, I have a mission you'll like very very much, Maruss." he said with a grin.
Maruss folds his arms with contempt. "Yeah? How do you figure?" he questioned.
"Well, my friend, what I have is a rare article, a schedule paper from Megumi's dressing room that one of my halves took after those losers went home." he said, before pulling out an entire schedule spreadsheet for the entirety of the month.
Ruku gasped, "Robnos! Is that even going to be useful?" he asked, unsure if this schedule will give them any useful dates to intercept Megumi.
Robnos nodded, "Yes, for you see...there's a final concert that's there to promote an upcoming crossover boat tour with the one and only Parco Folgore!" he explained, motioning the three to come to the table as he read the description of the event.
"Megumi is scheduled to join up with Parco Folgore in one big double-feature concert on a round trip boat ride to and from Australia. Upon arriving in the country, the two superstars will perform smaller scale local gigs for three days, then the boat ride home will feature THE big finale whereupon the two will sing together in one special performance, which will be recorded live on international television!" he read before folding it up and whopping the schedule paper down on the table again.
Maruss was...mildly impressed. "Wow...so you're going to give me a shot at finally ending that strawberry dolt once and for all? I assume this won't be for a while yet, yeah?" he asked, before continuing without an answer. "Yeah...alright I see now...I'll make sure I'm trained and ready for the day that little loose end is broken and battered at my feet, I will NOT forgive the humiliation I felt until my honor is restored!" he said, before grunting in pain as he finally stressed his body too much.
Rembrant smiled and helped him sit down. "Easy easy...you're still recovering, my little warrior." he said with a laugh.
Ruku rubbed his temples. "Heavens give me strength in the days to come..." he said as he downed the rest of his beer can.
:{Some time later, as the plane lands in England...}:
Kiyo and the rest of the group got off the flight and got ready to navigate to their destination the rest of the way on foot. As Kolulu was waiting for the two to figure that out, she made sure that Vulcan 300 was in good condition. It's no use giving it back as a broken mess, she thought.
Then...the voice returned, causing her to grip her head in shock. "Oh for goodness sake, you're really going to galavant around England and help that teenager with his sad reunion with his daddy? I wanna fight something, and thankfully, I can distantly feel the presence of other Mamodo in this country. Just remember...I'm the one you want in a fight, your new power isn't anywhere near enough~ Nyahahahaha!" the evil Kolulu cackled, causing normal Kolulu to shiver in anxiety.
Kolulu shook her head, stomping her foot and muttering. "No...shove off, I'm not gonna let you control me...you're just a necessary evil, I don't want you here..." she said, before perking up at Lori's voice.
"Hey Kolulu! We're going to take a bus ride to Kiyo's dad's office later today, but first we're going to take a nice relaxing walk around the city. Come on, let's go!" she called, waving Kolulu over.
The trio then set off, with Kolulu making a mental note to keep an eye on that evil half of hers. May it never consume her...may it never, ever, ever consume her...